Fozzy

Whether he’s rocking 20,000 pro wrestling fans in an arena, 7 million viewers on a PPV special, legions of podcast listeners, or a crowd of about 150 at a small club, Chris Jericho is always the master of his audience. His once-in-a-lifetime combination of charm, physicality, talent, wit, and presence all combine to make for one of the greatest showmen of this century. A Fozzy show is one of the greatest ways to see this, up close and personal.
Given his level of fame, I’d expected a venue full of WWE fans looking to see elbow smashes off of the top turnbuckle, but that wasn’t the case. While there were lots of Chris Jericho wrestling t-shirts, the crowd at Club Red were all Fozzy fans. They knew and loved every song, and stayed invested throughout. While the floor’s energy was amped, it would have been hard to match the level of jump onstage, literally and figuratively. Fozzy is a band of 5 spotlit entertainers, with everyone except drummer Frank Fontsere actively engaging the audience.
Fozzy’s two alphas, though, are clearly lead singer Jericho and guitarist Rich “The Duke” Ward. Both are consummate veteran performers. I had the opportunity to meet them both backstage and talk at length with Rich Ward (stay tuned to MetalAsylum.net for that interview!). While they’re larger-than-life onstage and onscreen, I got the impression of two down-to-earth, level-headed guys.
Fozzy’s music is geared for a good time, and that’s what they delivered, with catchy singles, “Judas,” “Nowhere to Run,” “Painless,” and “Sandpaper,” and two fun covers: a Metallized take on “SOS” by ABBA and the closer: “Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap)” by AC/DC. Jericho gets bonus points for singing and performing well without missing a beat, while clearly suffering from a scratchy throat. This may have aided his spot-on Bon Scott vocals in the finale.
I’d be remiss to end this review without a major shout-out for tour opener, Jared James Nichols. Without hyperbole: this guy is possibly the best up-and-coming guitarist in the world. Nichols and his instrument are one single entity onstage. When he lights it up, the whole place catches fire. Overheard numerous times that night: “I can’t believe he does THAT without using a guitar pick!” Skills aside, Jared’s original songs and “Mississippi Queen” cover are white hot Blues Rock n’ Roll. See this guy live. Somehow, sometime.