This past Wednesday Charlotte rock fans were treated to one of the best live shows to roll through the Queen City in recent years as Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer made a stop at Amos’ Southend. Tom is currently out in support of his debut solo album “The Way Life Goes.” The record had been a long time coming and is a real showcase for the raspy vocals of Keifer who has recovered from a partially paralyzed vocal cord in recent years.
Although the crowd was small, the audience was pumped and full of long time fans who showed up ready to rock. At a little after 10pm, Tom and his band hit the stage and kicked off their set with “Bad Seamstress Blues/Fallin’ Apart at the Seams.” From the start, it was clear that Tom has not lost a step. His voice sounded as good as it did back in the ’80s and he worked the room like a pro. Tom is backed by a talented group of musicians that helped drive the pace all night long. New songs “It’s Not Enough” and “A Different Light” fit seamlessly into a setlist packed heavily with Cinderella classics. After an intense version of “Shake Me,” the stools were brought out for some acoustic numbers including the poignant “The Flower Song.” Tom brought his lovely wife Savannah to join him for “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone) and at the end he blew her a kiss.
The second half of the set was all straight up rock and the energy level was intense as Tom blew the roof of the club with “Night Songs” and a passionate rendition of “Coming Home.” Though there were only a few hundred people at the show, Tom and his band gave it everything they had. The passion he has for performing is palpable and it’s nice to see someone who always tries and gives the fans the show of a lifetime. Closing things out was an audience sing a long to “Shelter Me.” But the night was not over yet as Tom came back out for a three song encore that alone would have been worth the price of admission. He drove the crowd wild with a cover of the Rolling Stones classic “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It).” By this time, the sweat was pouring off of him as he led the band through the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” before finishing off the evening in perfect fashion with “Gypsy Road” leaving the audience in a frenzy and wishing the night would never end.
You can listen to a Tom Keifer or a Cinderella CD and know that Tom is an exceptional musician but you have to experience his live show to appreciate what a true performer he is. Whether it’s 1983 or 2083, his brand of classic blues based rock will never go out of style. Those lucky enough to have been at the show Wednesday night will have memories to last a lifetime. If you haven’t made it out to see Tom Keifer yet, put it on your must do list and experience rock and roll the way it was meant to be.
Setlist:
Bad Seamstress Blues/Fallin’ Apart at the Seams (Cinderella )
It’s Not Enough
A Different Light
Somebody Save Me (Cinderella)
Shake Me (Cinderella)
Heartbreak Station (Cinderella)
Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone) (Cinderella )
Nobody’s Fool (Cinderella )
Solid Ground
Night Songs (Cinderella)
Coming Home (Cinderella)
Shelter Me (Cinderella)
Encore:
It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It) (Rolling Stones cover)
With a Little Help From My Friends (Beatles cover)
Gypsy Road (Cinderella )
We would like to thank Ashley Di Buduo from The Catalyst Publicity Group for the credentials to cover the show.
