Live-Metal.Net - Concerts: AST Dew Tour

The “AST” in “AST Dew Tour” stands for “Action Sports Tour.” So that means the full name of the traveling extreme sports extravaganza is actually the “Action Sports Tour Dew Tour.” Sorry, but the writer in me just can’t let that one slide. No matter, though, because I wasn’t there to see skateboards, dirtbikes or BMXs. (OK, I’ll admit that the little bit I saw of the guys flipping through the air on bikes was impressive. And any place where you can get free Mountain Dew can’t be too bad.) Just give me the music.

I never caught the exact reason, but one of the day’s earlier events delayed the start of the Friday night concert by more than an hour. That, in turn, shortened Saliva’s headlining set to a mere eight songs and about 40 minutes. The Memphis rockers, riding high from the success of the single “Ladies and Gentlemen” (even if you don’t know if you’ve heard it, you probably have—it’s been everywhere all year long), made the most of their brief time on stage, mixing new material with old hits. I am not a fan of their latest release, Blood Stained Love Story, but the songs that made the set list from it came off well in a live setting, even the somewhat sappy “Starting Over.”

Saliva started strong, opening with “Black Sheep,” which might be the heaviest song they have ever recorded. An extended version of “Dope Ride” included crowd participation on lyrics from Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.” I’m not sure how—or if—the two songs fit together, but the people seemed to enjoy it. The clear crowd favorites were “Click Click Boom” and “Ladies and Gentlemen.” The show ended with a one-song encore of “Always,” the hit from the band’s 2002 release Back into Your System. Two more songs—“Rest in Pieces” and “Your Disease”—were on the set list but not played, presumably due to time constraints. I was disappointed by the omission of songs from 2004’s Survival of the Sickest, which is by far my favorite Saliva album.

One thing we all learned is that when frontman Josey Scott asks a question, don’t answer him with a simple “yeah,” no matter enthusiastic it might be. The response you’ll get: “Don’t say ‘yeah’ to me!” What’s he’s looking for? “Hell yeah!” It’s an amusing little gimmick and it speaks to Scott’s warm presence on stage and genuine nature that is doesn’t come across as silly. The other person to keep an eye on is new guitarist Jonathan Montoya. He’s a bundle of energy who looks like he could be Scott’s kid brother.

SALIVA SET LIST: Black Sheep, Dope Ride, Starting Over, Superstar, Broken Sunday, Click Click Boom, Ladies and Gentlemen, (Encore) Always

Preceding Saliva to the stage was Kentucky’s Black Stone Cherry, a young hard rock band with loads of talent and a whole lot of soul. They’ve been playing some headlining shows lately, and now that I have seen them twice in a supporting slot, I’m eager to see what they can do with a full set. I just want to see these guys jam. There’s an indefinable quality about them and their music that feels so honest and true. It pours out of them on songs like “Rain Wizard,” “Hell and High Water,” “Maybe Someday” and “Lonely Train,” and maybe even more so when they’re rocking Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child.” With drummer John Fred Young’s father and uncle having played in the Kentucky Head Hunters, Black Stone Cherry comes from a proud musical tradition and it shows. Their self-titled debut is a solid disc (it made my top 10 for 2006), but it only begins to tell the story. You have to see them live for the full experience.