The sold-out Token Lounge in the Detroit suburb of Westland, Michigan was packed to the gills for the Sonic Slam Tour on Thursday, July 14th featuring Faster Pussycat and L.A. Guns, and headlined by ex-Cinderella front-man Tom Keifer and his band. The Token is a 400-capacity club, home for decades to up & coming and down & going hard rock, metal, and - more recently - tribute bands. It seems every time I go there there’s a comment from the stage about the size of the venue. In 2015 Biff Byford, singer for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal band Saxon said “This is what they call in the industry an intimate gig.” I’m not sure what size venues Saxon was filling up in 2015, but we’ll take his word for it. L.A. Guns’ flamboyant and charismatic front-man Phil Lewis exclaimed, “It’s been YEARS since we played a joint like this!” during their set, and maybe it had. A couple years ago Don Dokken had a bit of a tantrum on that stage; berating the opening bands, the soundman, the venue, and practically the entire state of Michigan for the poor sound, perhaps forgetting that he couldn’t be bothered to attend the soundcheck a few hours earlier. I saw Dokken last weekend, and I’m not sure better sound would have helped, but that’s another story for a different time.

There was an excitement in the air, a general feeling that there’s zero chance that 400 sweaty meatalheads would be crammed into a small club in either of the previous two summers, so drinks were flowing, people were partying, and the PA slowly got louder to the soundtrack of Judas Priest, UFO, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Faster Pussycat took the stage at 7:30 sharp and played a dirty & sleazy but tight & fun 30-minute set. The band has been on-again/off-again since 1985, part of the early-mid Sunset Strip scene, and singer Taime Downe has had his own battles too. Downe, now five years sober, sounded great, and as far as overall sound, Faster Pussycat was crisp and full. Stage-right guitarist Sam Bam Koltun’s guitar cut out a couple songs in and it took them a few minutes to get it back up but other than that brief gaffe, they were spot on.  

L.A. Guns, another Sunset Strip band, led by Guns `N` Roses co-founder Tracii Guns on guitar and former British glam band Girl vocalist Phil Lewis came out next as “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” by the Stones blared over the PA. Their sound was initially ear-splitting but quickly leveled out to merely ear-damaging, with Tracii Guns’ leads cutting through nicely. What they lacked in the clarity that Faster Pussycat had they made up for in volume, power, and material. Lewis hasn’t lost a step either. At 65, he’s hitting all the notes, looking svelte in a see-through mesh tank top and leather top hat, and commanding the stage with great confidence, humor, and a killer mustache. Their set was all hits – but not all the hits. I could have easily made it through a few more, but it wasn’t their show.

After an extensive changeover, the crew clearly working harder than usual in the cramped environment, Tom Keifer took the stage with his band. Philadelphia’s Cinderella was an under-rated band in the ‘80s. Their ridiculous look and album covers did them no favors, but the music was always there, a good notch up from all but the top echelon of their comrades on the opposite coast. They always had songs and riffs and licks, and it was always more than just a shred party. Keifer seems to understand what’s buttering his bread as the set was mostly ‘80s classics. His solo material, however, is just as strong and holds up perfectly next to the nostalgia train.

The sound for the Keifer band was full and raw. Tom’s voice is notoriously low and gravely too, which won’t cut through like the other singers that night, but it was ever-present in the good mix and has held up well. While the Cinderella catalog is easily the most familiar of these bands, and Tom’s voice is in fantastic form, he’s not the front-man Phil Lewis is. Tom is more of a musician than a front man; guitar slung low, best mates behind him knowing his every next move, focus on songs and playing, not revving up the crowd with cliché questions about who’s getting high and who’s getting laid. I’m perfectly fine with that, but also understand that sometimes you gotta play the game. He did his best to go through the expected motions, and it was by no means a detraction, but the highlight of his set, and in many ways the whole evening, was the music – dirty blues, metal road-anthems and power ballads, played & sung great.

It was a long night, but we were home before 11:30; ears ringing and a bit sticky from the heat and packed-in crowd. The Sonic Slam tour delivered what it promised and more – three great sets by three great bands who are enjoying a second heyday in the new wave of ‘80s hard rock and metal. The tour rolls on through July so it’s not too late to get in on the action!

Faster Pussycat Setlist: Jack the Bastard | Cathouse | Slip of the Tongue | Don't Change That Song | You're So Vain | Nola | House of Pain | Bathroom Wall

L.A. Guns Setlist: Cannonball | Electric Gypsy | Over the Edge | Sex Action | The Ballad of Jayne | Speed | Never Enough (Hell's Bells intro) | Rip and Tear

Tom Keifer Setlist: Touching the Divine | Night Songs | Coming Home | It's Not Enough | Somebody Save Me | Rise | Nobody's Fool | Solid Ground | The Last Mile | Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone) | Shake Me | Shelter Me | Gypsy Road

Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit and fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos. Follow them on Facebook to read his road blog about their adventures on the dive-bar circuit.
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Twitter: @jeremyportermi | Instagram: @onetogive & @jeremyportermusic