Airbourne: More than ready to rock

	AIRBOURNE'S JOEL O’KEEFFE

AIRBOURNE (live pix)
ENDEVERAFTER
STONERIDER

March 26, 2008
Recher Theatre
Towson, Maryland

By GREG MAKI

If you’re trying to find the next great rock n’ roll band, you can end your search now. They have come to these shores from Australia and they’re called Airbourne. Despite what you might think or what others might tell you, rock n’ roll is alive and well. As proof, I offer Airbourne’s performance at a sold-out Recher Theatre in Towson, Md.

Before one of the most diverse crowds I’ve ever seen at a rock show—old guys who probably have followed AC/DC for more than three decades; kids so young that security allowed them to stand in front of the barricade because they couldn’t see the stage from anywhere else; young adults from the nearby colleges; and more—the four lads from Down Under took the stage and immediately launched into the intro to “Stand Up for Rock ‘N’ Roll,” the opener of their debut album, Runnin’ Wild (now available in the United States via Roadrunner Records). Standing with their backs to the audience, they allowed the anticipation to build to an almost unbearable level before releasing the pent-up energy as the song kicked into high gear.

The opening number set the tone for the entire 65-minute set of good-time party rock (known as “pub rock” in their native Australia). The set list included the entirety of Runnin’ Wild. Lead vocalist/lead guitarist Joel O’Keeffe, skinny and shirtless, was a whirlwind, leaping and racing around a stage that seemed too small to contain his enthusiasm. Indeed, it was; during an extended jam on “Girls in Black,” he climbed to the top of the stage left speakers. Another extended jam accompanied the infectious stomp of “Cheap Wine & Cheaper Women,” a song that proved to be the highlight of the night. Other high points: “Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast,” which is making major waves at rock radio; the call-and-response title track, “Runnin’ Wild;” and what appeared to be a legitimate encore (i.e. it was not on the set list taped to the stage) of what I think was the title track to their Ready to Rock EP released in 2004 in Australia.

Thanks to early support from local radio station 98 Rock (WIYY), Baltimore has become one of Airbourne’s homes away from home here in America, and O’Keeffe let his appreciation be known to all on several occasions. The fans gave it right back, responding with wild abandon, fists in the air, at all the right moments. It also was interesting to note the number Airbourne T-shirts, most of which were purchased that night, visible in the crowd. (I picked one up myself.) Translation: Fans of Airbourne really like Airbourne. It’s invigorating to see this kind of enthusiasm.

The Southern rock sounds of StoneRider kicked off the evening. The Atlanta quartet, which features former members of Fight Paris, played songs from their recently released debut, Three Legs of Trouble (Trustkill Records). The audience response was respectful, if not overwhelming, and I’m sure they made a few new fans. Selling T-shirts for $10 certainly didn’t hurt.

Evidently, the second band, Endeverafter, has received quite a bit of airplay from 98 Rock, as well. With their classic-rock-meets-‘80s-metal sound, lead vocalist/guitarist Michael Grant had a large portion of the audience in the palm of his hand throughout a 40-minute set highlighted by the single “I Wanna Be Your Man” and the harder-edged “Poison.” Their debut, Kiss or Kill, is available now through Razor & Tie.

It had been a long time since I had gone to a show of such good, pure rock n’ roll. Airbourne is the real deal and just might be the best thing to happen to rock music in many years. See them in the clubs while you can. They are only going to get bigger and bigger from here.

Airbourne set list:
Stand Up for Rock ‘N’ Roll
Hellfire
Fat City
Diamond in the Rough
What’s Eatin’ You
Girls in Black
Cheap Wine & Cheaper Women
Heartbreaker
Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast
Runnin’ Wild
Blackjack
(Encore) Ready to Rock

www.airbournerock.com
www.myspace.com/airbourne