Rock The Acoustic Volume One Brings Big Name Talent to the Small Town of Newton
Jack Russell, Ted Poley, and John Corabi Pack a Serious Punch with Stripped-Down Acoustic Show
It wasn’t your typical rock and roll show at Newton Performing Arts Center when Rock The Acoustic came to town. Brought to us by our friends at Artisan Entertainment in conjunction with Ballmore Promotions and Mustard Seed Productions, the show brought a unique twist on the rock concert concept with an evening of acoustic performances from some of the biggest names in rock with Jack Russell, Ted Poley, and John Corabi regaling the audience with songs and stories that made for a truly once in a lifetime event.
Known as “The Heart of Catawba County,” Newton is a small city of approximately 13,000 people about an hour or so drive from Charlotte. The event was held at the Newton Performing Arts Center which is an absolute gem of a venue right in the middle of town and a great asset for the community. It was my first time there and I was pleasantly surprised at just about everything the venue had to offer from the well-planned out seating which meant everyone had a great view to the convenient parking and the friendly staff.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the evening, but I was ready for things to get started and excited to see the first performer of the evening, John Corabi, take the stage. With sunglasses perched on his face and guitar in hand, John came ready to entertain and entertain he did. John is probably best known for his time replacing Vince Neil in Motley Crue and his years with The Dead Daisies, but he is also a fantastic musician in his own right. What I didn’t know is that John is an awesome storyteller with a more than humorous side and things were about to get a little crazy. In between wowing the crowd with his signature vocals, John told many, many tales that delighted the crowd explaining a bit about his younger years and the first time he met Motley Crue. He also expressed amusement as he told us that the number one question female fans ask him revolves around the size of a certain Motley Crue member’s private parts so to speak. He even had a heckler at one point during the show. When he asked us to sing along, he said come on you can do better than that and a man behind me who may or may not have had way too much to drink told John in his full-blown North Carolina accent that we weren’t “sangers,” he was. This led to a lot of laughter as John called out for the banjos and kept referring to “sangers” throughout the evening. His set had some solo offerings as well as a few covers and Dead Daisies’ song. Of course, the song everyone was waiting for was “Hooligan’s Holiday” from his time in the Crue and John happily obliged. It was a great performance and things were off to a great start.
Next up was Ted Poley who you probably know as the lead singer for the glam metal band Danger Danger. Ted wasn’t a part of the original bill but was called on to fill in when Miljenko Matijevic of Steelheart had to pull out. Some people may have been disappointed but I couldn’t think of a better addition to the lineup than Ted. Not only does he have a giant voice, but he has a giant personality to go along with it. As Ted’s guitarist Fred Gorhau got set up on stage, Ted was already down in front greeting fans and throwing out Ted Poley balloons to the crowd. He started things off by sharing a story about his mom and how she couldn’t believe that he was still rocking for a living after all these years. So, as any good son would do, Ted decided to give his mom a call on stage and have us say hello to her, after verifying that she wasn’t in the bathroom first of course. What a hoot! Ted was bouncing all over the place, running from one side of the stage to the other while Fred kept the music flowing. Despite it being an acoustic show, Ted had all the energy of a stadium rock extravaganza as he walked through the auditorium, singing to the fans and walking the aisles. Heck, he even took some time while performing to pose for some selfies. When he got to the Danger Danger songs “Naughty Naughty” and “Bang Bang,” everyone was singing along. His set was a ton of fun and I’m very glad Ted was part of the show. I think everyone in attendance would agree with me.
After a brief intermission, it was finally time for the moment we had all been waiting for as the legendary Jack Russell came out and took a seat flanked by guitarist Robby Lochner. Everyone knows Jack as the voice of Great White and their scores of blues-rock hits in the late eighties and early nineties. These days Jack tours as Jack Russell’s Great White and I won’t get into the details of all the whys and legalese that occurred. You can delve into that on your own if you so desire. But I do want to state that for me, Jack Russell is and always will be the iconic voice behind Great White, no matter what name is being used. Without him, it just wouldn’t be the same.
That being said, on to the performance. Before starting, Jack apologized to the crowd and asked us to forgive him if he sounded a bit off as he was just recovering from COVID. The apology was completely unnecessary because the second Jack began to sing, it was clear that his vocals were in fine form. As he shook his tambourine and sang “Call It Rock N’ Roll,” I was instantly transported to a happier, carefree time and I have to say it was the best feeling ever. A fan kept shouting out for “Face The Day” and Jack assured him “Don’t worry, we’ll get there.” Jack threw a few covers into the mix with some Creedence and a little Zeppelin. Robby Lochner seemed quite at home in this setting and it was awesome to hear him play in such an intimate venue. The highlight of the set came early on as Jack treated the audience to “Save Your Love,” a personal favorite of mine since my husband and I just started dating back when the song first came out. Let me tell you that you could hear a pin drop as Jack began and when he let the audience take over for a chorus it was truly awe-inspiring. It was one of those performances that no matter how many concerts you attend, you will never forget. When it was over, fans jumped to their feet to give Jack a much-deserved standing ovation as we knew what a blessing it was to be there in that moment together. I think Jack got a little choked up at our reaction and a tear or two may have been shed as he dabbed at his eye. My friends and fellow music lovers, it just doesn’t get any better than that. Of course, the night was over yet as Jack told us a few stories from back in the early days of Great White and how he caught his then guitar player using his socks as a toilet paper substitute. What stories we heard that night! We also got the pleasure of hearing “Face The Day,” “Rock Me,” and “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” before the night was through.
I go to a lot of concerts every year and I think this one is going to stand out and be the “one” that I cherish the most for a very long time. If you were there, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you missed it, don’t worry. Rock The Acoustic, Volume 2 is already in the works for this coming November at Newton Performing Arts Center. Click here for details on this upcoming event. It is definitely one that you won’t want to miss! Until then, rock on!
