The supergroup known as Chickenfoot stormed into Webster Hall last night, delivering a raucous, high energy concert that could only have come from some of the best known names in rock and roll.
When reports first surfaced some three years ago of a newly formed band between Sammy Hagar, his fellow former Van Halen bandmate Michael Anthony, guitar legend Joe Satriani, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, no one really knew what to expect from such an impressive, though varied lineup. But from the very get-go, the unfortunately-named but overwhelming talented band cranked out some of the most solid hard rock music ever written, and the group is now on tour in support of their second album, misleading titled Chickenfoot III (there is no Chickenfoot II).
Fans were absolutely packed into the small Webster Hall for last night’s show, though unlike many metal concerts there which see kids fighting for position, the mostly middle-aged crowd respectfully and amicably gave each other as much space as possible even while struggling for the best views.
Chickenfoot appeared on stage promptly at 9pm, and instantly proved why this collaboration has had such stunning success. Satriani, Anthony, and touring drummer Kenny Aronoff laid down catchy, throbbing music, ballsy enough to be called hard rock yet light enough to be free of the dark realms of heavy metal. Jumping in was Hagar, who has been, still is, and likely will always be the consummate frontman. His natural energy and exuberance radiated from the front of the stage all the way to the back of the floor, and with his dark shades and bobbing blonde hair, his ease on stage tied the musical package together in a way that could only be called delightful.
The band opened up with three straight tracks from Chickenfoot III (by the end of the night, eight out of the record’s ten tracks would be performed), and the crowd roared in appreciation of the rock gods on stage. Satriani’s alien-like guitar playing (read my review of Joe’s last solo New York show here) sizzled over the heavy rhythm tracks, and Hagar tied it all together with his booming vocals and charismatic lyrics as he strutted and jumped around the stage, never without a broad smile on his face. Especially catchy was the night’s third song, Big Foot, an ode to fast driving reminiscent of his classic hit I Can’t Drive 55. The floor of Webster Hall shook up and down with the energy from the exuberant crowd like a rock n’ roll earthquake as the ear-splitting volume charged up fans and rumbled throughout the building.
While Hagar’s vocals provided a point of focus for most of the songs, Joe Satriani’s guitarwork proved to be at least as outspoken. The bald-headed, shades-wearing virtuoso ripped through fierce, high-powered solos that shrieked with intensity and bubbled with scorching electric fire. Few guitarists can smoothly transition from effect-distorted rapidfire doubletapping to lone, soulful bent dives all over the same rhythm, but the magical high notes blasting out of Satriani’s guitar seemed to wow even Hagar himself at times, despite the band’s three years of writing and touring together.
In fact, the on-stage camaraderie between Hagar, Satriani, and Anthony were a crucial and enjoyable aspect of the entire show. Hagar and Anthony obviously have a long history of playing together, as well as plenty of experience sharing the stage with an electric guitar god, but all three bandmates shared microphones, played right next to each other, and exhibited a natural sense of fondness for one another that few bands have ever achieved. Anthony frequently provided backup vocals, and Satriani occasionally joined in as well, leading to smooth, three way harmonies on My Kind Of Girl.
The rest of the night’s setlist managed to fit in plenty of hits from the first record as well, with the crushing bass intro to Down The Drain sounding eerily like Runnin’ With The Devil for the first few seconds and hands down the night’s heaviest song, especially with Satriani’s seemingly endless outro solo. New song Come Closer was presented as the token ballad, and in fact saw several couples in the crowd holding each other and swaying to the gentler tune. This stood as a marked contrast to the following song, Three and a Half Letters, Hagar’s screaming, raging cry on behalf of unemployed workers. The tortured wail of “I need a job!”, complemented by the singer pulling on a tshirt reading the same thing, didn’t really fit with the otherwise upbeat nature of the rest of the night’s songs, but certainly hit home as an anthem for anyone struggling with the desperation and frustration of unemployment.
Future in the Past, the last song in the setlist, saw Hagar strapping on his own electric guitar to play rhythm beneath yet another wild Satriani solo, before the band left the stage for a brief break. They returned to encore with Oh Yeah from Chickenfoot I, a perfect example of Hagar’s catchy and accessible rock n’ roll vocals, and finally wrapped up the night with a hard-hitting cover of Jimi Hendrix’s Foxy Lady. Jimi might be one of the original guitar gods of rock n’ roll, but even he would’ve been impressed with the mindblowing take that Satriani offered on the classic licks and solo while Sammy belted out the bluesy lyrics with the passion that only a true born and bred rock frontman could ever produce.
From start to finish, the 90 minute show absolutely rocked without ever losing its pace or energy for a second, including enjoyable stage banter from Hagar interacting with the New York crowd. All four band members are not only spectacular musicians, but combine to form something beyond the sum of its parts, perhaps even beyond any of their previous work. Without directly comparing Eddie Van Halen to Joe Satriani, Chickenfoot’s guitars seem to infuse every song with a lighthearted, yet electrifying energy rarely found anywhere else in rock music, and it speaks to Anthony’s basswork that even when Satriani is 24 frets deep into a feedback-drenched solo, no rhythm guitar is needed to keep the groove of the song firmly in place. While the band’s odd choice of name may be a turn off to newcomers, anyone who actually hears Chickenfoot’s music can’t help but be instantly caught up in the fun and energy of this original and thriving hard rock band.
It’s only a matter of time until Chickenfoot moves on to significantly larger venues, and - fingers crossed - finally proves to the world that a supergroup can actually succeed without ego or creative clashes. And at a time when rock and metal is constantly being forced and pigeonholed into endless genres and subgenres, it’s heartwarming to see a classic rock band with a classic rock sound simply getting up and playing straightforward rock n’ roll music.
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