SKID ROW X LZZY HALE
Hard Rock Live
Sacramento, CA
6.1.24
LIVE REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARILYN BELL
Skid Row came out of quarantine with a vengeance in 2022. They launched a massive comeback with the release of The Gang’s All Here, with powerhouse vocalist Erik Grönwall from Swedish heavyweights H.E.A.T. Grönwall was undeniably as good as Sebastian Bach in the 90s, and arguably better, less than a year after battling leukemia. When Grönwall left the band earlier this year to prioritize his health and recovery, it seemed like the momentum of the Skids’ comeback was in jeopardy. That wasn’t the case. The band announced Grönwall’s departure with the simultaneous announcement of four Skid Row x Lzzy Hale shows for the remaining scheduled dates.
The sold out crowd at the Hard Rock Live Sacramento was eager to see the fourth and final show after photos and video clips of the first three shows circulated, many courtesy of Halestorm’s Joe Hottinger. The photo pit had more than 20 photographers capturing the rare and historic show, and the band came out blazing to “Slave to the Grind,” driving the audience into a frenzy with Lzzy’s appearance. Halestorm’s albums and tours left no question that she could get the job done vocally, and get it done she did while putting her own signature on it.
Any doubts about her ability to blend in coming from another rock era were squashed, as she quickly proved this was the music she was raised on, and she embodied it. From the bangers to the ballads, she was in lockstep with the band for the entire performance. You could see the camaraderie from the years of friendship between Lzzy and Skid Row, with the band seeming to yield to give her the spotlight.
Halestorm puts on a great live performance, but this was possibly more fun than a Halestorm show, as Lzzy was free to rock her frontwoman duties without a guitar to hide any of her stage presence from the first to final notes. It was clear she was having a blast fronting Skid Row.
The crowd did get treated to a taste of a Halestorm, with Joe Hottinger coming out to play guitar on the final encore “Youth Gone Wild,” closing out the night. Guitarist Scotti Hill’s son Marshall also made an appearance during the song, acting as a guitar tech and swapping out guitars for his dad. As huge balloons dropped from over the stage, he then helped throw those into the crowd. The night was a family affair and showed that Lzzy fit right in as a member of Skid Row. As the crowd filtered out, it was clear the fans were thankful to have been there and hopeful that this collaboration would happen again.
