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Dateline: January 12, 1989… errr… make that January 12, 2008!
You have to excuse me for being in a bit of a “time warp” for a second there. You see, the three bands that I saw in concert on that date were some of the most popular acts on the New York and New Jersey club scene back in the day.
L’amour, the legendary rock club that originally was located in Brooklyn, NY in the heyday of metal has recently re-opened its doors in Staten Island thanks to owners George and Mike Parente.  The new L’amour is smaller than the original version but it is a great club from its clean appearance right down to the complimentary snacks offered at the bar (nice touch guys!). So then, it was the club with a familiar name but new location that played host to a reunion of New York’s own LAW & ORDER along with special guests AMERICAN ANGEL and TNA (who were also making a reunion of their own that night too).
The night started off with a local act whose name I didn’t catch but the evening really got underway with TNA. The band was making their return almost 18 years after their last performance and judging by the power and confidence the group took to the stage with, you would never have guessed it’d been that long! The band opened with old favorite “Take You Home” which appeared on their 2000 Kivel Records release “Finger On The Trigger”. What a great song to open the show with as I guess it must have felt like coming home to the band as well as their fans, family and friends in attendance! The group followed up the opening number with two songs off their latest release, 2004’s “Branded”. The songs “Scream” and “Do You Remember” kept the energy flowing. After that, the band played two classic TNA tracks that old-time fans will probably be familiar with… “Let Me Down Easy” and “Rung On The Ladder” both sounded great and it was fun to hear them again. The guys ended their set with three songs off of the “Branded” release. “The Sound”, “Walk Before You Crawl” and “Kill Your Idols” all sounded excellent as well and with that it brought the end to a great set in the bands’ long overdue return to live action. As a band that won an L’amour “Battle of the Bands” contest back in the day it was certainly a triumphant return to its stage. The guys seemed to have fun and hopefully they’ll be returning to clubs throughout the area in 2008.
I spoke with the members of the group before and after the show so be sure to see our interviews here TNA Dan and TNA Mike to learn a little more about the return of this great band!
Next up on the night was Jersey legends AMERICAN ANGEL. Of the 3 bands, playing that night AMERICAN ANGEL was actually the only band supporting a brand new release. “Vanity” (Chavis Records, 2007) , which has gotten great reviews since its release last summer is the album the band is playing behind these days. Opening with two new songs in “Breathe” and “Turns To Grey” things got off to a rocking start before they kicked into a couple classic AMERICAN ANGEL tracks. “Back To You” and “After The Laughter” (along with the requisite crowd participation section as led by singer Rocco Fury) got the crowd into it. The band seemed to suffer through a few sound issues during the set as they introduced new track “Pantomind”, “Open Up The Balcony” (from their “EP ’92 release) and another new one (and personal favorite) “Permanent Pause”. And how could any AMERICAN ANGEL show be complete without “How Can I Miss You”? It’s the song that started it all for this band back in the day, and on this night, it was the song that ended their set.
AMERICAN ANGEL will next be hitting the stage on January 26, 2008 at Dexter’s in Riverdale, NJ opening for JOE LYNN TURNER and will have special guest Eric Ragno on keyboards as he flies in from Los Angeles for the show. So make sure you come out to support the band for that one.
After two great opening acts it was then onto the final band of the evening…
The headliner of this night was Staten Island’s own LAW & ORDER. The band which features original members Shane on vocals and Rob Steele on drums has played a couple of reunion gigs over the last few years but this was my first time seeing them since the early 90’s. Shane still has that great unique vocal style you remember but his voice sounded even stronger this time around. And speaking of strong, Rob Steele still pounds the drums like there’s no tomorrow! I always thought Rob was a great example of a “power drummer” and he no doubt still is.
The group opened with “No Love Lost” which led into “We Don’t See God” both from their 1989 debut album “Guilty Of Innocence”. They concentrated on songs mostly from their debut and that didn’t  seem to be an issue with the crowd! LAW & ORDER classics like “Your Sister Does” and “Say You Love Me” came one after the other to the delight of the fans on hand. Of course they played the LYNYRD SKYNYRD classic “The Needle and the Spoon” which the band originally covered on their debut release. A couple songs off the 2nd LAW & ORDER album “Rites of Passage” were featured in the set including the great “Funeral For The Good Mother”.
The band ended their show with their traditional show-closing staple of “Whiskey” and this time the band had some help from Sean Tarr from TNA on vocals (actually Sean helped out on backing vocals for a good portion of the bands set!).
One thing I have to mention is Shane handled lead guitar duties for the show as well as singing and I have to say I was especially impressed with his playing. All in all, it was a great night and I hope to see LAW & ORDER do some more shows in the near future. It certainly was great to hear those songs again.
A couple of days after the show I had the pleasure of talking with Shane via email and he answered a few questions for me. So check out our interview here and see what’s in store for the future with Shane and LAW & ORDER.
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