The rock/pop metal side of the ’80s returned to the Place for Easter weekend to entertain, people looking to relive the ’80s and a lot of younger people who wished they were there for the real thing. But Dave Chomiak’s popular second annual ’80s weekend brought them pretty close.
I was in time on Friday, April 7 for an awesome Dokken Tribute : Breaking the Chains.
And despite the holiday weekend, they had good sized crowds for the three day event at The Place .
I missed Thursday night, April 6, which featured tributes to Bon Jovi, Heart and the Police.
I also wasn’t in time for a double dose of a great new Iron Maiden tribute, who played the Slice before Christmas., and rocked the Place. April 7 and 8.
Dokken Tribute “ Breaking the Chains” were in full force by the time I arrived.
As expected, they played plenty of anthemic arena ready anthems with big riffs, gang vocals and hot guitar solos and Dokken’s hits including the band’s namesake “Breaking the Chains.”
They vocals were on points and the songs sounded like the records.
One of Chomiak’s tributes, Stage Fright Tribute to Def Leppard was in a similar vein, but with Def Leppard hits.
Frontman Chomiak and a slightly different line-up including Sheldon Arvay on guitar played note perfect versions of Def Leppard’s many hits including plenty from the album “Pyromania.”, which turns 40 this year.
“Foolin” was prominent in the set.
They played the hits including “Hysteria,” and “ Armageddon It.”
Chomiak's were spot on as were the solos.
On Saturday, April 9, I missed the Iron Maiden tribute again but caught the Zoo the Scorpions Tribute, who were a highlight of the first annual ’80s weekend last year. I couldn’t stick around for Live Wire Tribute to Motley Cruë .
The Scorpions tribute the Zoo were a highlight of last year’s ’80s tribute weekend and were a highlight again.
They played their greatest hits including “Blackout,” the band’s namesake “ The Zoo” featuring a talk box effect, “ No One Like You” and even added their cover of the Scorpions cover of the Who’s “I Can’t Explain.”
They dug deeper for “ Bad Boys Running Wild” and “ Money And Fame” then played a celebratory “ Big City Nights.”
Of course they added the power ballads like Dreamers” and “ Winds of Change.”
I left for another gig, so missed “Rock you Like a Hurricane.”
Their vocals were also perfect, they played a few duelling guitar leads and rocked in spite a a few technical difficulties with one of the amp stacks, showed why the Scorpions are one of the best bands in the world who deserve a tribute and. that the Zoo are the perfect band to do it.
— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
