Over the course of rock and roll history, a lot of great songs have been written with a reference to blood. The Rolling Stones told us “You can bleed all over me” while Foreigner had us all ‘Hot Blooded’ at least once or twice in our lives. Thrash masters Slayer had it ‘Raining Blood’ and ‘If You Want Blood…’ well, AC/DC got it. But on this particular Saturday evening in Charlotte, the only blood I was bleeding was most definitely cold because the one and only Kix were in town bringing their explosive rock show to a capacity crowd at Amos’ Southend. I’ve had ‘The Itch’ for Kix ever since their self-titled 1981 debut and was beyond excited for what I knew would be a fantastic show.
Getting the party started was Charlotte’s favorite rock and roll party band, Testarossa. With blistering guitars, raunchy lyrics, thundering bass and drums, and contagious hooks, Testarossa is everything a great rock band should be. Couple that talent with outstanding songs and an unsurpassed stage presence and you have a recipe for success. This fearsome foursome features Colten Bell on lead vocals, Jordan West on guitar, Blake Webb on bass, and Buddy Radford on drums.
Their set was action packed with Colten leading the band through a short but solid set of future rock classics including their latest single ‘Son of a Bitch’ and ‘Mother Lover’ which features Asking Alexandria vocalist Danny Worsnop on the recorded version. Last summer the band released ‘Knocking Outside Your Door,’ a poignant tale based on bassist Blake Webb’s real-life encounter with a stranger which deals with the difficult topic of suicide and the live version will give you the chills. But Testarossa is also all about the party and that we did with a great cover of Faster Pussycat’s ‘Bathroom Wall’ and the title track to their debut album ‘Late for the Party.’ Testarossa is the ‘80s band of today and a great addition to the lineup!
During the set break, the excitement was steadily ramping up across the venue. The crowd was getting louder and the fans up in the balcony area were dancing and having a great time. Finally it was time. The lights dimmed, the band made their way onto the stage and suddenly ‘Midnight Dynamite’ had everyone rocking and rolling and ready for action. Frontman Steve Whiteman is simply amazing to watch. He spun, jumped, slid, danced, and sang as well as he did 40 years ago and definitely puts the show in showmanship. Kix were on fire from start to finish and there was never a dull moment as they ran through a career-spanning setlist of hits much to the delight of fans.
Bass guitarist Mark Schenker kept the bass lines slinking all night and drummer Jimmy “Chocolate” Chalfant never missed a beat. Brian “Damage” Forsythe was quietly killing it on the guitar along with Bob Pare who has been filling in for Ronnie Younkins since 2021. But in the end, it is Whiteman who absolutely steals the show, flirting with the women up front, pumping his hips, and describing in graphic detail specific sex acts as the women shrieked in delight. It was a sexually charged atmosphere but hey, it’s a rock and roll show!
Other highlights included Steve jamming on the blues harp and even putting his microphone in his pants to scratch ‘The Itch.’ Couples danced and swayed together for what Steve called their one big hit, ‘Don’t Close Your Eyes’ and we even had guitar and drum solos, a rock tradition that has fallen to the wayside for the most part and I was super stoked to see them included. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Kix show without an audience participation sing-along during ‘Cold Blood’ and a roof raising finale of ‘Blow My Fuse’.
Hot damn! That was a rock show. We sang, we danced, we rocked, and we forgot about the world outside for at least a little while. Outside the venue, the Southend area may have been teeming with young millennials looking for the hottest new club, but it was inside Amos’ where the real party was. If Kix happens to be playing near you, do NOT miss it. Until we meet again, cold blood is all I’ll bleed.
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