Tesla
Official Website: www.teslatheband.com/home.aspx
Myspace Website: www.myspace.com/teslatheband

Photo Page from the Show

Back in July, I had the privilege of catching TESLA along with about 50,000 other crazed fans at ROCKLAHOMA 2008 and they really stole the show. Now just a little over 3 months later, I had the opportunity to catch them once again right hear in my own backyard at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ.

Wait, wait, wait… from 50,000 fans to the Stone Pony!?!

Yeah, I had a hard time believing it myself when I first heard about the show. I really loved the intimate atmosphere and being able to catch a band of this magnitude in a venue like this but on the other hand, I just don’t understand how TESLA isn’t selling out arenas all over the country. Needless to say, we were in for quite a treat!

Accompanied by our editor and staff photographer Stephanie Rademacher, we arrived at The “Pony” just a little bit before10:00pm. I had really wanted to see the opening band POP EVIL as I have heard a lot of good things about them but unfortunately, we were running a bit late and then when we got there, there was a “little” difficulty with our passes so we ended up spending the next 30 minutes or so outside waiting for TESLA’s tour manager to straighten things out. All the time we could hear POP EVIL blasting through the walls and from what I heard, they sounded very, very impressive. I’m sorry I missed them but in the end, everything was straightened out and we were able to get inside.

The placed was absolutely mobbed. We found it hard just pushing our way through the crowd to find a place to watch the show from. A few minutes later, I settled into a place just in front of the rear bar while Stephanie went off to try and get a place a little closer to the stage so she could get some shots off.

Just about 10:40 pm, the lights dimmed and TESLA was ready to hit the stage. Troy Luccketta, Dave Rude, Brian Wheat, Frank Hannon and Jeff Keith… one by one they came out to the roars of the near capacity crowd and before you knew it, they electrified the fans even further with their opening number “Forever More” from their new CD of the same title.

Now before I had seen TESLA back at ROCKLAHOMA, I had heard rumors over the past couple of years that lead vocalist Jeff Keith’s voice was shot but let me tell ya… seeing them then and now again in even a closer, more intimate atmosphere I can honestly say those rumors are FAR from accurate. I am happy to say that Keith’s voice is just fine and on this particular evening, he was in rarer form than ever belting out hit after hit after hit affirming that he’s still amongst the top front men in the business. Combined with one of the best rhythm sections in rock ‘n roll in Luccketta and Wheat along with the dynamic rhythms and leads of dueling axe-men Rude and Hannon, TESLA is still one of the elite acts in the music industry today.

You couldn’t have asked for a better set list. From old fan favorites like “Little Suzi,” “Heaven’s Trail,” and “The Way It Is” to new additions from “Forever More” including “So What,” “Fallin’ Apart” and “I Wanna Live,” TESLA kept the crowd riveted all night long. Of course, their set also included a phenomenal rendition of the song that just about put TESLA on the map, “Modern Day Cowboy” as well as a power-packed version of one of the best “live” anthems of all time in “Cumin’ Atcha Live” and a heartrending version of one of my favorite ballads “Love Song.” They even reached deep into the TESLA archives and pulled out a couple of gems like “The Way It Is” and “Need Your Lovin’” which I never dreamed I would ever hear live. “Into The Now,” “Signs,” and the closing number “Edison’s Medicine” were also on the menu this particular evening. The only disappointment was they didn’t do one of my favorite TESLA tracks “Gettin’ Better” but hopefully next time.

What an absolute thrill it was to see a band like this in a venue like the Stone Pony. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, TESLA is still one of the tightest, electrifying and professional live acts on the circuit today. All you west-coasters are in for one Hell of an experience as TESLA’s next set of dates in your area kick off at the end of November and run through the beginning of December so grab your tickets now as TESLA’s gonna be “Cumin’ Atcha Live!”