The longtime wait is finally over as guitar great Jake E. Lee and his new project called Red Dragon Cartel visited the Buffalo, New York, area for the first time since his former band Badlands came to town in the late 1980s. Jake E. Lee was withdrawn from the music scene and business for about 17 years minus a few guest appearances on other artists albums. Red Dragon Cartel includes bassist Ronnie Mancuso (who also helped Lee with the recording process), drummer Jonas Fairley and D.J. Smith on vocals. Their self-titled album was released a short time ago and received favorable reviews.
Their first show at the Whiskey in LA back in January was not the start they were hoping for. Smith’s performance and the overall show made everyone question whether or not Lee was doing the right thing putting this band together. Red Dragon Cartel had to work to prove this outfit was for real and they have been working very hard in doing that since that initial live performance.
Fast forward to the show on the outskirts of Buffalo, in West Seneca, NY, this past week. Red Dragon Cartel took the stage at 10 pm sharp and Lee was on point from the start. His playing and stage presence really lets the others do what they do without feeling any extra pressure. Smith sounded great. He worked the crowd as much as a vocalist should without taking anything away from the main attraction (Lee).
Opening with the Ozzy classic “The Ultimate Sin,” RDC immediately got the crowd’s attention as they eased into their own material and some great Badlands covers. Both Smith and Fairley switched places as Fairley handled vocals on “Shout it Out.” Smith gave a solid performance, even while fighting a cold.
The band played a real tight set and Lee showed why he was missed and wanted back doing what he does best. The entire band came out to meet the fans after the show. Don’t miss Red Dragon Cartel when they come your way!
Setlist:
The Ultimate Sin (Ozzy Osbourne cover)
Deceived
War Machine
High Wire (Badlands cover)
Shine On (Badlands cover)
Shout It Out
In a Dream (Badlands cover)
Rumblin’ Train (Badlands cover)
Sun Red Sun (Badlands cover)
Feeder
Encore:
Bark at the Moon (Ozzy Osbourne cover)
We would like to thank Ross Cat from Back 2 Back Entertainment for the credentials to cover the show
