Tom Keifer at the Brooklyn Bowl 7/12/18

Tom Keifer at the Brooklyn Bowl, Las Vegas 7/12/18

By: Leah Burlington

I still remember the first time I saw Cinderella on MTV, the video was “Nightsongs”, and it was my first glimpse of this beautiful singer with a bluesy voice, named Tom Keifer. I was intrigued and I had an instant crush on this man with the lips like Steven Tyler and the swagger of Jagger. This guy has it, I thought. I became a huge Cinderella fan after that, seeing them live opening for Bon Jovi and David Lee Roth, twice in one year in 1986. They played arenas back then, and always put on a high energy, fun rocking show!! This band had so much talent! Cinderealla is one of the only “Glam” bands that I will still pop a CD in and listen all the way through. They had substance musically that a lot of the bands in that era, didn’t have. Their videos were corny but cool for the 80’s and I just loved this band.

Here we are thirty two years later, (My how time flies!) and I am seeing Tom and his solo band live at the Brooklyn Bowl. (I saw him at Vamp’d, three years ago as well) He is still touring, rocking and sounding better than ever!  The band are as follows: Tom Keifer (Vocals, Guitar, Keys), Savannah Keifer (Vocals, Percussion, Piano), Tony Higbee (Guitar, Vocals), Billy Mercer (Bass guitar, Vocals) Kendra Chantelle (Vocals, Percussion), Jarred Pope (Drums, Vocals) Kory Myers (Keyboards, Vocals). Half way through the amazing set of Cinderella classics, his beautiful wife Savanna, who sings back-round vocals and comes out during “Don’t Know What You Got Til its Gone”, on piano, along with her talented husband. These two are a power couple onstage and I am sure off.

The show was a stellar dose of talent and pure raw energy from the beginning to the end, the crowd was on their feet singing and rocking out the whole show. Tom would sometimes take off the guitar and do only vocal duties and hold the mic stand over the crowd of enthusiastic fans to sing along with him… On “Nobody’s Fool”, that part where he sings, “I scream my heart out, just to make a dime”, He screams it out while getting down on the stage, with an almighty wail. I mean, he literally screams like a banshee and it’s just clear and clean as a siren! His voice is better than ever, even with all the problems he used to have with it. It’s now a fine tuned force to be reckoned with. Tom still has IT…

My favorite part of the show is the last few songs, when they play “With a Little Help from My Friends”, as it is such a great song to grab a hold of your good friends next to you at this particular moment, hold them close and sing your freaking heart out!! That is what rock n roll is all about!! The communion of souls, yearning to rock and sing and be heard. This is a moment of pure upliftment and that is why it’s my fave part of Tom Keifer’s set!!!

This was an absolutely amazing show and they left us wanting more… It doesn’t get much better than this, musically, emotionally, spiritually.

Set list: The More Things Change, The Last Mile,Bad Seamstress Blues / Fallin’ Apart at the Seams, The Way Life Goes, Long Cold Winter, It’s Not Enough, Somebody Save Me, Shake Me, Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone), Nobody’s Fool, Solid Ground, Night Songs, Coming Home, Shelter Me, Encore: Tumbling Dice (The Rolling Stones cover), With a Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles cover), Gypsy Road