Review by Ken Willard, concert reviewer and sound man for Rascal's nightclub.
Distant Warning at Rascal's - Saturday February 7, 2004.
Calling all metalheads!
I had the privilege of running sound for Distant Warning at Rascal's Bar last night. I had been told that they ROCKED but I never expected what I got. Words escape me to describe what these guys can do, but I'm gonna give it a shot anyways. Being a fan of metal myself, "melodic heavy metal" , which is what Distant Warning calls what they do, kinda had me curious to say the least. OK now I'm a fan of melodic heavy metal as well. Innovative, creative, fresh, kick-ass metal music is what I call it. Ozzy, Metallica, Pantera, Dream Theater, etc......... no offense, but you got nothing on these guys. They coulda played all night, and I would not have moved from my perch in front of the board.
Ron Bordelon has a voice and stage presence that was made for making metal. Belting out tunes and working the crowd is his love and it shows in his music. Very approachable and personable, Ron shows a true appreciation for his fans. Great , great, great Ron. Thanks! Now for J.T. Lasselle on bass. We all know I'm partial to bass players and drummers, but J.T. is a true artist in the ways of the bass lines. Solid underlying bass is a must for any metal groove, and J.T. nails it. SOLID. Watching and hearing Duane Velasquez on lead guitar is like standing in the presence of Great Ones like Yngwie, George Lynch, and Eddie Van Halen, to name a few. Blistering leads scream from his Jackson and twin (yes, I said TWIN) Marshall cabs. Great idea using the two cabs in stereo, by the way. Makes for a very nice sound. WOW! Mike Pittman on percussion. Stunned, amazed, mesmerized, and riveted I was. What a POWERHOUSE! Thundering bass from twin kicks, a symphony of chimes and cymbals, and beat that will leave you wishing you'd become a drummer. I've seen Mike before with some of the other bands he's played around with here in the Springs, but he seems to have truly found his place with Distant Warning. Move over Lars, there's a new metal drummer on the scene, and his name is Mike Pittman. Andrew Anteola seems the perfect accompaniment to the rest of the group. Not just a 'chucka chucka" hacking rhythm player typical of many metal bands, Andrew's solid playing backs Duane's leads to a "T". I couldn't help but laugh when I first saw Andrew take the stage last night. I've seen him many times playing guitars in The Guitar Center and remember thinking "damn, that guy's good !"
Bar owner Rick Petersen had nothing but great things to say about Distant Warning and their music. "They will definitely play here again anytime they want to." says Rick. "This is exactly the kind of thing we want to promote here at Rascal's. Original, creative musicians with true talent, and a love for making music, DW fits the bill perfectly. My crowd LOVED 'em, and they bring a great following!" And love 'em they did. I know most of the Rascal's regulars well, and when they start asking for autographs, buying t-shirts, and cd's, and screaming for more, you've definitely done something right. Hell I even got a t-shirt and an autographed pic of the band myself! You guys have some new fans at Rascal's, Distant Warning, myself included. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for a great entertaining show, and some of the best metal I've ever heard ANYWHERE!
Peace, love, and Rock and Roll,
The Sound Guy