Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society Rock Clarksville Tennessee like Thor’s Hammer
— by Robert Shaw. Photos by Keith Brake.
The third time I have had the pleasure of witnessing Zakk Wylde play was the best rendition I have seen. First, I saw him play with the Hendrix Experience, then Zakk Sabbath. Both shows left me wanting more. However, Zakk playing his own music is in my opinion head and shoulders above both other events.
The line to get in left us listening outside the event to the first act, Conan. Once inside I was introduced to the music of Atomic Bitch Wax. I was very impressed with these Jersey boys; in fact, I bought a cd before I left the venue. Their set was excellent, I got a chance to speak with the band after the show, they were quite pleasant, I was again impressed.
Prior to the stage being setup for BLS the raucous crowd cheered everything that it thought may be Black Label Society hitting the stage, from the dropping of the BLS curtain so the crew could work to every time a tech could be seen or heard. To say the overflow crowd was amped-up for the band is quite the understatement.
Once the band hit the stage an electricity shot through the venue. The mighty Viking hit the riser as he came out and began to shred his guitar into pieces. The band appeared to be having as much fun as the crowd, (if they weren’t then they are excellent actors). Song after song of the 18-song set bled into one another with the first note of each song was struck before the echo of the last note from the previous song had ended.
One of the highlights of the night was when Zakk played “In the River” his tribute song to Dimebag Darrell. The crowd joined the band in singing this great tribute song. The night was filled with blistering guitar work, excellent piano playing and roaring vocals that surely shook the walls of Valhalla.
I think Gunny Provart got it right when he said the people of Clarksville should go down to land-fill today and pick one of the guitars that were shredded to bits. Between Zakk and Dario Lorina there had to be at least a dozen guitars played to their magnificent deaths. The rhythm section (JD Deservio, bass, and Jeff Fab, drums) held the band together tightly.
This reviewer cannot wait until the next time I have my face melted by the blistering guitar work of Zakk Wylde.
