It was so casually done that the audience had to look twice to make sure that it really was her. Joan and her band the Blackhearts nonchalantly walked out on the stage and manned their instruments. Security had told me that there would be no press pictures for her set so I stayed in my seat until Jett’s set was finishing up where I could then join the other members of the press. Tesla performing “Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)” live at Budweiser Stage in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 4, 2018: Tesla - Heaven’s Trail (no way out) live Toronto July 4th 2018 I found Tesla’s set to be perfect entertainment for an early part of a show and despite the odd billing of bands on this tour, Tesla ended up fitting like a glove.Ġ5. Would Styx and Joan Jett fans appreciate a band like Tesla 30 years ago? Probably not but on this night they were greeted by a loud cheering audience, many of whom were still arriving and finding their seats. Lead vocalist Jeff Keith’s loud and strong raspy vocals have also really stood the test of time as he hasn’t lost a bit of his range or power. Tesla looked and sounded great, as though it were 1990 all over again. So Tesla must be doing something right by being on the same bill with legends such as Styx. So many bands of this genre can no longer keep it together due to substance abuse, egos or a lack of income potential. Once we arrived at our seats, we managed to see the last half of Tesla’s set. The lawn could have handled an additional 7,500 people. With a seating capacity of 9,000 however, I’d say this concert had close to that number. So, this Styx/Joan Jett/Tesla show was nowhere near being sold out as later on during the concert, I still saw some spotty areas of empty chairs in the 400’s. Security thrust a free ticket in her hand in the 400’s for a seat right beside hers. “What about my friend who was going to join me from the 200’s section?” she asked. Rita was told by security that she was automatically being ‘upgraded’ to the 400’s section. My friend Rita had bought a lawn ticket online so she and I could sit together as my seat was in the 200’s section but would allow me to go to the lawn area. On this show however, the lawn area tickets were being sold. The promoters for an amphitheater also have the option of selling open lawn tickets or not. Styx are now definitely in this category. So long as the seated area looks full, then the turnout looks fantastic which is great for bands that can no longer fill an arena of 18,000 people on their own. Amphitheater tours are great for this as they always have a seated area and then an open lawn area where they can sell more tickets at a lower price. The next thing that was interesting to me is how promoters will try to make a show look full when it doesn’t sell that well. Between going back and forth between security guards explaining myself and checking my Canon SDLR camera with the security booth, I ended up missing half of Tesla’s set. “I have a press pass too!” Tesla was just starting at this point and I was told I had to leave my camera with the security booth where I could retrieve it later and that the press was already in front of the stage taking pictures of Tesla. “But I’m the press!” I proudly exclaimed. As my friend Rita and I approached the security staff, they spotted my camera and told me I was not allowed inside with it. They did not however, give me the actual press pass sticker which turned out to be a headache for me. Given that this was my first time being ‘the press’ at a rock show, I approached the ticket booth where the staff quickly handed me my ticket after explaining I had a press pass. I was reviewing this concert because Sleaze Roxx editor Olivier could not make it that night so asked if I could attend via a press pass. In 2018 however, it works, partly due to a lack of touring rock acts and partly a nostalgia overload that fans like myself lap up. There is no way in hell that we would have seen Styx headlining the Kilroy tour with Joan Jett opening up for them in 1983 - it just wouldn’t have worked, let alone sold well. With these two being an odd enough pairing, they also give us Tesla as the opener who are lumped in with 1980s ‘hair metal’. As rock continues to dwindle here in North America, I find it odd when promoters pair off certain bands together on the same tour such as Styx being an advanced songwriting prog-rock giant in the ’70s and early ’80s, and Joan Jett being a product of the early glam rock and punk infusion with a dose of 1950s influence. I had completely forgotten that Styx was coming to town with double-header Joan Jett and the Blackhearts with Tesla as an opener. STYX, JOAN JETT AND TESLA CONTINUE TO DEFY AGE WITH ENERGETIC PERFORMANCES
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