Venue: Paladino’s
City: Tarzana, CA
Set length: It had to have been a couple of hours
Tonight’s Lineup:
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Chill Pill @10:00 PM (no blog entry – sorry folks)
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Allison Chains @11:15 PM
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Motorbreath @12:30 AM
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Holy Diver @1:45 AM
Pre-show banter…
A bunch of tribute bands playing Paladino’s again? I’m in!. So, I went to this gig with two lenses and no flash, which may have been a mistake because the lighting was not really up to snuff this night. My two lenses were a 15mm Fisheye f/2.8 and the 70-200mm f/2.8, which should have been enough speed but I could have used some white fill-lights here and there. It seemed like all I was getting was solid yellow or solid red in the shots but that was the obstacle I had to overcome by not having a flash. What I ended up with is quite a few dark images but I tend to like the darker side of photography anyway (good excuse, right?) Here we go…
Venue Review…
I like this place quite a bit for numerous reasons but mostly because they let me take my camera and don’t hassle the clientele unless trouble is brewing, which is rare at this venue. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a scuffle or a disagreement here. I hesitate to call it a “Club” because it really is just a cool bar with friendly bartenders and a very smiley waitress, which I find to be a rare watering hole quality. I would probably be there every weekend if it wasn’t so damn far away from where I live. If you are thinking about going then keep in mind that it is NOT the Double Down in Vegas… By that I mean one goes to the Double Down for the Punk’ish vibe and the (usually) down-to-earth folks. One goes to Paladino’s for the Rocker vibe and the (usually) down-to-earth folks. Both of these venues are great places to drink and to see bands but they are nothing alike other than they both have pool tables, live bands, and inexpensive drinks. You won’t see the likes of Paris Hilton at either one of these venues so all you douche-bags go elsewhere – please! If you want more info on Paladino’s see below…
www.PaladinosClub.com
Reviews, comments, and possible putdowns for Holy Diver, a tribute to Ronnie James Dio…
I had seen their name around from time to time but never made it out to see them and am glad I did. These guys pay a GREAT tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio and can’t recommend them enough. If you like the music Dio put out from way back until now then you will have a good time at a Holy Diver show. I don’t recall hearing anything from Ronnie’s band Elf (from the 1960’s) but they did go back to a few Rainbow songs, which were really cool to hear. The band focused on the Dio solo material, the Sabbath years and Rainbow for the set – if you want to see a setlist then check out the last photo in the gallery to get an idea of some of the songs they played. I came into this gig thinking that “this band will be just OK” but they were pretty amazing. I tend to be a little “snobby” when I hear tributes to bands that hold a great place in my heart and this was no exception, but they cured me of that pesky quality. I saw Dio back in the 80’s with Sabbath and then throughout the years as a solo performer, starting with Aerosmith and Dio opening the show! Aerosmith was horrible and fantastic at the same time (the sans-Joe Perry years were a intoxicated mess for the Aero-lads) but Dio just completely outclassed them that night. Anyway, I went on to see the next four Dio tours throughout the years and then caught them every so often until somewhat recently when he played with Iron Maiden and Motorhead in Long Beach. That was the last time I ever saw RJD perform live. In typical fashion, I digress from the subject at hand… Make sure to check out Holy Diver as they truly deliver a wonderful tribute to Mr. Ronnie James Dio’s career and I’m pretty sure Dio himself would agree! Here is a link to the Holy Diver website – check them out:
www.MySpace.com/SlayTheDragon2010
Tonight’s setlist went something like this…
- Neon Knights
- The Man on the Silver Mountain
- Long Live Rock N Roll
- Heaven & Hell
- Lady Evil
- The Mob Rules
- Children of the Sea
- Rock n Roll Children
- Mystery
- Kill the King
- Gates of Babylon
- Stand Up & Shout
- We Rock
- Holy Diver (from tonight’s gig – not my video)
- Don’t Talk to Strangers
- Straight Through the Heart
- Stars
- Rainbow in the Dark
- The Last in Line
Joe Retta (the singer) has a pretty cool website, which can be seen here.
Also, there is a Cancer fund that was started in Ronnie James Dio’s name called the Stand Up & Shout Fund if you are looking for a cause to donate to. I know Holy Diver has been getting involved with it as well through Ronnie’s management so please take a look when you have a moment. I know there are a gazillion causes out there all asking for money but I feel like Stand Up & Shout is really going to help individuals and not organizations. You can read more about it on Dio’s official page:
www.RonnieJamesDio.com
You can also send donations directly to: Niji Entertainment Group, 12400 Ventura Blvd. #624, Studio City, CA, 91604.
Nuff said…
