Ugly Kid Joe Cleveland, Oh

May 30, 2023May 30, 2023 Shannon Hamilton

The Rad Wings of Destiny tour rolled into Cleveland, Ohio May 25th. For the first time in over 25 years Ugly Kid Joe is touring the USA. Rock Lines Magazine was lucky enough to catch the Ohio stop at the Cleveland Agora, with direct support from Atlanta hard rockers Pistols At Dawn.

With the release of Ascension in 2022, Pistols At Dawn has been blazing across the U.S supporting Fozzy and Ugly Kid Joe.

PAD started the night out with a blistering guitar solo from William James as the stage was set for an amazing night of hard rock.

Chris Hodges follows James to the stage with his iconic vocals getting the crowd rockin’ with the tune “Gauntlet”!!!!

Guitarist Devin White who was returning to the tour after attending to a very special family matter. It was clear that the band was happy to have him him back in the fold. There were hugs and fist bumps galore.

Drummer Adam Jaffe handled the drum kit with absolute precision while bassist, Sean Benham, joined him to form a powerful rhythm section.

In the city of the Rock N Roll HOF, PAD belted out an amazing cover of Man In The Box by Alice in Chains.

Pistols have been making the rounds at radio stations, doing acoustic sets, and working hard as a band to get the name out to the masses.

Under The Surface landed 33 on the active rock billboard charts as well as having a run on Octane’s test-drive.

If you are looking to check out new bands, Pistols At Dawn is 10 outta 10 on my hard rock live performances!!!!! Photos from their set can be seen below.

SET LIST

https://www.pistolsatdawnband.com

https://www.facebook.com/PistolsAtDawnBand

Ugly Kid Joe’s return to touring was a triumphant one in this journalist’s eyes and ears. I’m glad I finally got to experience the band live.

This live performance harkened me back to the days just after graduation. The days of partying hard to their legendary playlist, Goddamn devil and Everything about you!!!

Logistics landed this tour in Cleveland on a bad week, with two major music festivals in Ohio (Sonic Temple and Buckeye Country Superfest) going on at the same time in Columbus. However, that didn’t stop the rabid fans from showing up early and tailgating in the parking lot, including myself.

With the pre show beers down, it was time to rock out to some UKJ. Rocking the Vans, cargo shorts, and hat backwards, Crane pumped up the Cleveland crowd as the band rocked out That Ain’t Livin‘ to start the night. Whitfield’s vocals are still amazing after all the years of not touring. The Agora got a great set from Ugly Kid Joe including a cover Motörhead’s Ace Of Spades.

Everyone knew the hit songs from the band but the diehard fans I interacted with wanted some of the less known songs from their discography like Jesus Rode a Harley and Devil’s Paradise, and they got their wish.

Klaus Eichstadt is an amazing guitarist and a ton of fun to watch onstage.

Ugly Kid Joe as a whole is a rocking good time live. I highly recommend catching a show on the remaining tour dates if they are in your area!!!!

SET LIST