Chickenfoot performed at Mohegan Sun on Saturday night
UNCASVILLE _ At the same time that the once-mighty Van Halen was imploding… once again, the castoffs from that band (or perhaps defectors depending on which side is telling the story) threw a little rock n' roll party at Mohegan Sun.
Chickenfoot, featuring former Van Halen mates Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony along with guitarist Joe Satriani and Stockbridge native Kenny Aronoff offered up one hundred plus minutes of hi-test rock on Saturday night in front of a small but appreciative crowd.
The show was not a celebration of the news that Van Halen had canceled the remainder of its summer tour amidst rumors of the same pettiness and infighting that led to the Anthony / Hagar walkout. It was all about heavy rhythms, loud guitars, and screaming rock vocals.
The super group, originally formed with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Davis who is currently fulfilling his RHCP obligations, is about banging out some unbridled hard rock with some friends, semi-formal jam sessions with an open invitation to fans.
It’s about, as Hagar said mid-set, playing music for the same reason they played it before all the fame, fortune, and drama set in; for the love of playing.
Van Halen wasn't mentioned, not even in some tongue-in-cheek, told-you-so kind of way.
Even before Hagar's proclamation it was obvious that this was a genuine and inspired jam session. There were no rock stage show clichés, no flaunting of anything but skill and passion.
Satriani was immense. Hagar hit every note. Anthony (bass) and Aronoff (drums) went off like a precisely-timed demolition project.
With all due respect to Smith and his abilities the addition of Aronoff as a replacement truly solidifies the outfit as a "super group." Having played with everyone from Mellencamp to Smashing Pumpkins and John Fogarty, Aronoff is one of the more accomplished and recognizable stars of the backbeat.
The songs, culled from the groups two recordings were all designed as showcases for the talent on stage. Every one of the songs, from "Big Foot" to “Oh Yeah,” and “Sexy Little Thing” were rife with fat bass lines, steely cymbal crashes, wild solos and Hagar's distinctive howl.
Songs like "Last Temptation,” "Down the Drain,” and the colossal jam “Turning Left” were sometimes sloppy and unfettered and delivered at a dizzying pace. It seemed unscripted and wrought with a frenzy often missing in today's rock music.
Hagar picked up the guitar to solo on "Future in the Past" which closed out the set.
The band took their bows but never left the stage, sticking around to encore with “Different Devil” and Hagar’s "Rock Candy."