Extreme “Rocks” It In Rochester, NY
On January 30, 2023, the band Extreme stopped at the Kodak Center to support their "Thicker Than Blood" World Tour 2024. This is the first leg of the world tour, with Rochester being stop number four of the 23-date tour that started on January 24 and runs through February. The venue doors opened at 7:00 pm, and fans filled in, eagerly waiting for the 8:00 pm show to begin.
Living Colour
Taking the stage, a little after 8, was the opening act, Living Colour. The fans were on their feet, cheering loudly. The band was formed in 1984 in New York City; they came ready to bring the house down. The quartet started their set with the song “Middle Man," and frontman Corey Glover was energetic right from the start. His long dreadlocks swirled, and you could sense that he thoroughly enjoyed the moment. Guitarist Vernon Reid wore a T-shirt from the "House of Guitars," a local world-renowned music store, whom he then shouted-out. Reid told the fans, "I always leave that store with more than I need." The crowd applauded loudly. His guitar skills were notable throughout the set, and he wasn't flashy on stage but played incredibly well. He is a top-ranked guitarist and a true legend. Bassist Doug Wimbash played some mean and tasty bass. He was quite the showman throughout the set. Will Calhoun gave a dynamic performance on the drums, blending the funk and complex rock styles that give the band its unique sound. Closing out the 40-minute set was the monster hit, “Cult of Personality.” Fans, on their feet throughout the show, brought it up a notch to a frenzied cheer. The legendary funk/metal masters brought the house down with their set, and the fans were thoroughly now pumped up for the headliner!
Living Colour's band members are Corey Glover-vocals, Vernon Reid-guitar, Doug Wimbish-bass, and Will Calhoun on drums
Setlist: Middle Man, Leave It Alone, Ignorance Is Bliss, Times Up, White Lines(Don't Do It)/Apache/The Message, Glamour Boys, Love Rears Its Ugly Head, Type, Cult of Personality, per Setlist-Fm
Extreme
At 9:15 pm, the house lights went out, and Extreme went out on a dimly lit stage. Fans, again, rose from their seats and cheered loudly at the sight of the band. This was the start of an entertaining set filled with some musical excellence. Starting off the almost 2-hour set was the song “It('s A Monster)” to a rowdy audience. Frontman Gary Cherone commanded the audience's attention with his stage antics. He bounced all around the stage, with moves reminiscent of a morph of Freddie Mercury and David Lee Roth. His interactions with the fans were mainly visual, as he engaged them only a little with an unscripted verse.
On the contrary, guitarist Nuno Bettencourt was the band's narrator between songs. Bettencourt asked fans if this was the first time seeing Extreme play a live show, and the response was split. He replied, "Why did it take you so f**ing long? We've been playing for almost 40 years." The audience erupted in laughter. Extreme formed in Boston in 1985, and the band recently released their brand new album, Six, their first new material since 2008. Bettencourt apologized to fans for taking so long to put out new material. It's a lengthy quote, but it gives fans a vision of what a genuine person he is. "We never want to put out an album just for the sake of putting out an album. We only want to put sh*t out that means something lyrically, emotionally, musically, and you know what? We Kinda don't care what anybody else thinks about the album. It doesn't affect what we are doing; we don't do it for anybody else but ourselves. But having said that, we have no business getting the love and response we have gotten on this album this fall. Thanks to you. Thank you so much! It's so beautiful and inspiring for us. We can't do a show without you; we love you so much. Thank you." This was a sincere message to the band's fans.
The 22-song set was a mix of old and new material. The lineup of songs was a perfect blend, catering to familiar and unfamiliar fans, keeping them engaged until their favorite song was played. The set had playful snippets of popular music (see Setlist) before the main song. Intertwined with the songs was a showcase of each band member's excellent skills, including mini solos and jam sessions. Nuno Bettencourt mesmerized on the guitar with intricate fingerwork and fast solos. Pat Badger on bass and Kevin Figueiredo on drums shined with their talent! The show was fun and genuine, from high-energy songs to soft ballads, including a heartfelt dedication to a Rochester family that tragically lost family members in a recent accident before the song "Hurricane." The band even gave a shout-out to their guitar tech, who is a Rochester, NY native. The show hit on all points, from including the mega hits to the soon-to-be hits of new material. At 11:10 pm, the show ended after “Small Town Beautiful/Song for Love” and "Rise” for the encore songs. After the show, the band took the time to meet fans at the front of the stage, exchanging fistbumps, high-fives, and selfies. Some lucky fans even took home some souvenirs, drumsticks, and picks!
Extreme's band members are Gary Cherone - vocals, Nuno Bettencourt, guitar, Pat Badger-bass; and Kevin Figueiredo on drums.
Setlist: It('s A Monster), Decadence Dance, #Rebel, Rest in Peace, Hip Today, Teachers Pet/Flesh n Blood/Wind Me Up/Kid Ego, Play With Me(Queen's, We Will Rock You intro), Other Side Of The Rainbow, Hole Hearted, Drum Solo/Money Maker, Cupids Dead(Sam Cooke's, Cupid Intro), Am I ever Gonna Change, Thicker Than Blood, Midnight Express, Hurricane, More Than Words, Banshee (Queen's, Fat Bottom Girls Intro), Take Us Alive, Flight Of The Wounded Bumblebee, Get the Funk Out
Encore: Small Town Beautiful/Song for Love, Rise