OK, here’s another review from the week of endless music!
A week before last Wednesday was possibly the most beautiful afternoon of the summer. The temperature was a very comfortable seventy-five degrees and the sky contained only a couple cumulus clouds floating about aimlessly. It was here, at Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit, with the Hard Rock Café looming over the park stage, that I may have glimpsed the future of Rock N Roll .
Appearing for a lunchtime gig were three diminutive (only because they are still in high school and are probably still growing) musicians that packed a wallop that was disproportionate to their size. They are known as Shockwave, and the band consists of lead singer and drummer Angelo Coppola, bassist Dylan Frankel, and lead guitarist David Frankel. No member of this band is older than sixteen, but they have several generations of rock history that must be part of their DNA. I don’t get the impression that Mozart was the music of choice when these guys were in their respective wombs.
Anyway, they were electric! Playing mostly covers of classic rock bands from Kiss to Alice Cooper (in effect, doing a version of “I’m Fifteen” instead of “I’m Eighteen”), they poured themselves into their music impressing the lunch crowd that gathered.
The music was flawless and not just rote covers. David shredded on guitar for two hours. Angelo even got out from behind the drums to start a song with an acoustic intro, by moving to the front of the stage to work the crowd, before winding up behind the drums for when the song kicked into high gear. Unbelievable! You can give someone stage direction and say that it would be cool to do something like that but still have it appear hollow and meaningless. But to do it right takes charisma, and these guys have it!
I sat there with a perpetual smile on my face because they were just so good! They even played Aerosmith’s “Train Kept A Rollin” better than Aerosmith played it the last time I saw them. I don’t even like that song—but I did when Shockwave roared through it.
The experience of watching Shockwave has to be comparable to what it would have been like to watch Silverchair, a 90’s Australian hard rock band consisting of three 15-year-olds, at the time of their first release. The question will be whether they can write new rock songs that can measure up to the old ones they play. I think they have the talent to do so. A very proud and beaming Grandpa Coppola told me that the band was working on at least an EP for release. They even played a couple of originals during the show. I feel confident that these guys may be the next worthy torchbearers for Rock N Roll. Check them out if you get a chance. They play frequently in the metro Detroit area and I highly recommend them!
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Until next time, take care of yourself, and take care of each other!
Peace!
Q
Thanx for your kind words. I didn’t realize I was talking to you, Phil Maq. My wife say’s that I talk to everybody. I know that I’m very enthusiastic about Angelo & Shock Wave. Probably overenthusiastic. But what the heck, I’m a proud grandpa and love what the boys are doing. I loved the setting at Campus Martius but the sound system does not have any bottom ends. I wish you could hear the boys in a club or theater venue. Just last night they played in Fenton, Mi at a small club called MoDoggies. It’s a great place with a super owner. They, Shock Wave were one of five acts and the only kid act. They really Rocked the house and they were with some excellent company of bands. What’s really cool is at first these other adult groups looked at them as a novelty act. Now that they’ve heard them and seen them perform, they’ve accepted them into Detroit’s amazingly talented Rock comunity. Check out their website http://www.shockwavedetroit.com it has a lot of interesting stuff about them. Videos, pictures, biography’s, schedules and more. We ‘d love to see you at one of their many shows. By the way they’l be at the UDetroit Cafe this coming Tues. Aug.2nd at 5:00pm. They’ll be doing an acoustic set and interview. Thanx again Angelo’s hyper grandpa.