Fozzy
House of Blues
Cleveland, Ohio
April 2nd, 2018

Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘War Pigs’ blasted through the loudspeakers as fans attending the Fozzy Concert at House of Blues Cleveland last night waited in anticipation for their beloved Chris Jericho and he bandmates to take the stage.

Adorned in black leather from head to toe, Jericho took the stage screaming “Cleveland!  Are you ready for Fozzy!” to his fans below.  Oh yeah, and ready they were!  The band started the set with one of their hits ‘Judas’.

“I’m stoked to do this extensive tour of the States now that ‘Judas,’ the song, is a Top 5 rock radio hit and Judas, the album, has gone top 40!” says Chris Jericho.  “Fozzy is bigger than we’ve ever been, which means bigger production, bigger songs and bigger lighted jackets! So, we can’t wait to rock your literal socks off starting in February!! JUDAS IS RISING!” in a previous press release.

The band’s presence is now bigger and better than it’s been in the past and the current concerts show that.  Chris and the band now have places to move around, more lights, better sound and a greater stage presence.  Jericho now looks much more comfortable on stage, interacting with the fans almost after every song.  The fans respond well to him and that always makes for a better show.

“In their more than 20-year career, FOZZYChris Jericho (vocals), Rich Ward (guitars, vocals), Frank Fontsere (drums), Billy Grey (guitars), Paul DiLeo (bass)–has always been about hard work, dedication and delivering great rock ‘n’ roll to their devoted fans worldwide; reminding them that music is all about invoking dirty, sweaty jubilation and doing it loudly!  However, calling them just “entertainers” would be abridging their talent as Ward is one of the most versatile, underrated riffers in rock ‘n’ roll and Jericho’s vocal range and passion for music makes one wonder just how he is able to excel in pretty much everything he does. Throw in the powerhouse rock solid drumming of Fontsere, the blazing leads of Grey and the genius and energy of returning bassist DiLeo and it’s no surprise that FOZZY has skyrocketed into becoming one of the hottest rock acts in years.” (press release)

You would have no clue that these guys have been at it for over 20 years.  The way these guys performed on stage is certainly no indication of their ages, they outperform most guys half their age.  I’m telling you not one of the band members stood still during the set.  With most aging bands, the energy level drops, and they almost never move around…you don’t get that with Fozzy!

The band played a flawless 13 song set with your full featured rock stage, well, minus the pyro.  At one point in the set, Jericho came out with his now infamous LED Jacket much to the liking of his fans, all of whom were gathered close by now.  At times, the chant Y2J could be heard, along with FOZZY FOZZY FOZZY.  Jericho even came back for a pseudo-encore…what’s that you ask?  Well, Chris said, ‘”this is the point in the show where the band leaves, you scream and holler for them to come back, and they do, I know that, and you know that, he said, so why the hell should we leave the stage…let’s just play the song”…and they did, they ended with ‘Sandpaper’…that was it, if you missed it, kick yourself, you missed one hell of a good show…

Setlist

  1. Judas
  2. Drinkin with Jesus
  3. One Crazed Anarchist
  4. Sin and Bones
  5. Burn Me Out
  6. Painless
  7. Spider in My Mouth
  8. Do You Wanna Start a War
  9. SOS (ABBA cover)
  10. Lights Go Out
  11. Enemy
  12. Bad Tattoo
  13. Sandpaper

 

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