Sebastian Bach: Kicking and Screaming at Carioca Club (São Paulo, April 14th, 2012)

Last Time Sebastian Bach visited Brazil to perform live was with Guns’n’Roses in 2010. It was one of those rare occasions in which I preferred the opening act to the headliner. GnR did a great show, indeed, but it’s been years since last time I saw Baz (or as we call him in Brazil, Tião, short from his name in Portuguese, Sebastião, a popular name here) performing live with Skid Row. And he’s one of the friendliest singers I’ve ever seen on stage. I dare to say that he’s able to communicate with the crowd like Paul Stanley, playing and talking to the people.

I saw him twice before: at Hollywood Rock Festival in Rio the Janeiro and at a Skid Row concert in Maracanãzinho, also in Rio de Janeiro, both in 1992. Although he was very young then, I could see he was already some kind of force of nature.

He always had an impressive presence at the stage and always knew how to deal with the crowds. It wasn’t different last Saturday at Carioca Club.

Although this place is not the best choice for a Rock concert, although it was so packed and hot (almost unbearable), nothing mattered when Baz occupied the stage with his huge presence. He was back and he started with the killer Skid Row song Slave to the grind. The crowd went nuts since the very moment he started his headbanging.

Baz headbanging and happy.

Then he played Kicking and Screaming, from his excellent new album that has the same name. Here I have to mention the excellent guitar player Nick Sterling. He’s only 21 and has co-written most of Kicking and Screaming album. Some of the songs he has written by himself, like the vibrant power ballad I’m Alive (also played in the concert). It’s worth to note the whole band: the drummer Bobby Jarzombek, the guitar player Johnny Chromatic and the bass player Jason Christopher, all very talented.

Talking about ballads, one of the highlights of the gig was when he sang Wasted Time, In a Darkened Room (both Skid Row songs) and By Your Side (from his album Angel Down) with the crowd singing along each and every word of the lyrics. Don’t get me wrong, though. Sebastian is completely Rock’n’Roll. And their last albums, Angel Down and Kicking and Screaming prove that; he's not only a ballad singer as someone may think.

Perfect show and a great night, with Sebastian Bach performing at his best and happy for being on the stage, although some small problems of the venue, but it didn’t affect the night at all. I’m sure everybody went home happy with what we saw and what we received.

Setlist:

1. Slave to the Grind
2. Kicking & Screaming
3. Dirty Power
4. Here I Am
5. Big Guns
6. (Love Is) A Bitchslap
7. Stuck Inside
8. Piece of Me
9. 18 and Life
10. Wasted Time / In a Darkened Room / By Your Side
11. As Long as I Got the Music
12. American Metalhead
13. Monkey Business
14. My Own Worst Enemy

Encore:

15. I'm Alive
16. I Remember You
17. Tunnelvision
18. Youth Gone Wild