Concert Reviews

Punky Meadows and Frank DiMino @ Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY 4-11-18

  • By Gus
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One of the most memorable rock bands that took to the stage back in the late 1970’s was a band called Angel. Their sound and image were unmatched and really left a mark in music history. The original band disbanded in 1981 so when any members reunite, its a big deal. Guitarist Punky Meadows and vocalist Frank DiMino  are getting together to perform again for a slew of shows in 2018. For these shows Meadows and DiMino surrounded themselves with Danny Farrow Anniello on rhythm guitar, Charlie Calv on keyboards, Billy Orrico on drums and Steve E. Ojane on bass. The tour just got underway a week ago and they came through the Brooklyn area this past Wednesday.

Opening with the “On The Rocks” off of Angels 3rd studio effort “On Earth as It Is in Heaven,” you had a sense that this was going to be a fantastic night of Angel music. Meadows still shows the passion and fire that he had back during Angel’s heyday.  His guitar playing was very fluid throughout the set. Meadows came out with a solo disc in 2016 called “Fallen Angel.” They played “Straight Shooter” and “Lost and Lonely” off of “Fallen Angel.” For long time fans, Meadows still does the infamous point with one hand while playing with the other.

DiMino was battling an ear infection but that didn’t matter. The true professional he is, gave the fans what they came for and then some. DiMino was in great spirits upon taking the stage and lasted throughout the nearly 2 hour show.  His voice is still in tip top shape. He killed it on songs like “The Fortune” and “Don’t Leave Me Lonely.” DiMino also shared stories before some of the songs. He talked about how the band recorded at the Record Plant in NYC and remembers “Cast the First Stone” coming out of one of those sessions. The only time the band ever done The Rascals cover “Ain’t Gonna Eat my Heart Out Anymore” was for the Angel live album “Live Without a Net.” They decided to bring it out on this run of dates and it sounded perfect.

As with Meadows solo material, DiMino also brought out some of his as well. “Never Again” which featured Meadows on the studio track was another highlight of the set.  It should be noted that Meadows and DiMinio had the perfect compliment of players and were solid throughout the set. Their playing gave both Meadows and DiMino the ability to be out front and be interactive with the fans. Of course they ended the night by performing the track that Angel is most identified with in “The Tower.”

Its been 39 years since both DiMino and Meadows have taken the stage together. The show could be a perfect appetizer to what Angel fans really want, a full on Angel reunion. Hopefully they can convince their old comrades to join in on the fun!

 

Setlist:

On the Rocks (Angel song)

Can You Feel It (Angel song)

Wild and Hot (Angel song)

Rockin’ in the City (Frank Dimino song)

Straight Shooter (Punky Meadows song)

The Fortune (Angel song)

Cast the First Stone (Angel song)

Bad Time (Angel song)

Don’t Leave Me Lonely (Angel song)

Lost and Lonely (Punky Meadows)

Ain’t Gonna Eat my Heart Out Anymore (The Young Rascals cover)

All the Young Dudes (David Bowie cover)

Never Again (Frank Dimino cover)

Got Love if You Want It (Angel song)

Anyway You Want It (Angel song)

Feelin Right’ (Angel song)

Rock and Rollers (Angel song)

 

Encore:

The Tower (Angel song)

Photo Gallery

 

 

 

We would like to thank Danny Farrow Anniello for the credentials to review the show.

About The Author Gus

My first opportunity to write about music was with Kissunderground, featuring just one band (KISS). In 2006, I started working for another outlet that showcased more musicians. It was a great experience for me at the time. I personally nailed down some great interviews during my time at glam-metal.com (Paul Stanley, Jonathan Davis, Slash and Sully Erna to name a few). In early 2009, I decided to venture out on my own with the idea of creating a website that has all the offerings that a reader would want in a music review website. That's when Backstageaxxess.com began. I’m so proud of what was created here and of our staff that brings it to you. Each one offers a diverse opinion and a creative ability to share it in a unique way. We are so lucky to have them here. When discussing making a list of favorite shows with the staff, I also found it hard to narrow that list down to a select handful of shows. Everyone experiences a concert in their own terms, whether it’s the show itself, maybe it’s the people you met there and the new friendships created, or maybe it was meeting the artist at the show. For my criteria, I tried to stick to just the show itself, but again, it was sometimes hard to do. My first concert was Sammy Hagar’s first tour with Van Halen at the Niagara Falls Convention Center, Niagara Falls, NY, on August 30, 1986. My favorites are as follows: 1. Kiss – Tiger Stadium - Detroit, Michigan 6/28/96 2. SARS (Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Rush, and handful of other bands) - Downsview Park – Toronto, Ontario 7/30/03 3. Paul McCartney (every McCartney show I saw was awesome, but Iwent with my first show) Air Canada Centre -Toronto, Ontario 10/10/05 4. Motley Crue – Memorial Auditorium – Buffalo, NY 12/19/89 5. Kid Rock – Tweeter Center - Camden, New Jersey 3/25/06 The honorable mentions would be any McCartney show (The Joint at the Hard Rock, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 2009 or Air Canada Centre Toronto, Ontario 8/10/10), Prince (Club 2112) at the Rio Hotel, Las Vegas 12/30/07, Heart (Pulse Lounge * only 200 people) Hilton Hotel, Anaheim, California, January 21,2008, Monsters of Rock (Van Halen, Scorpions, Metallica, Dokken, and Kingdom Come) Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY 6/19/88 and the Rocklahoma Festival (Queensryche, Lita Ford, Triumph, etc.). Also, Cher (with my mom) at the Blue Cross Arena Rochester, NY, November 22, 2004.

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