JERRY CANTRELL / SPARTA – I WANT BLOOD TOUR – TOAD’S
By Kat Gullage
Jerry Cantrell and the Blood Brothers bring his “I Want Blood” tour to the famed music venue, Toad’s Place in New Haven CT with Sparta as support.
To say I’m obsessed with the legendary co-founder of Alice In Chains would be accurate. I reviewed their performance at OZZY’s Back To The Beginning concert, was in attendance for their Mohegan Sun concert back in May that was abruptly canceled, and this was the third time I’d be seeing Jerry’ Cantrell‘s I Want Blood tour in a year. Simply cannot get enough of the icon that has inspired us for decades.
The show was on my birthday! My generous friends and publisher chipped in to get me the VIP Soundcheck Experience. The best birthday gift I could imagine! Here’s my inside look at how it all worked:
We were given a time to arrive at the venue, hours before doors opened. I’d estimate there were about twenty of us. A crew member came out, verified our identity and gave us laminates. We were told that we would be pulled in toward the end of the sound check. Phones, pictures, or recording were strictly prohibited, and we had to be respectful. I asked a fan in line, who had done this before, if I could dance and sing while the band played and he said “No”. We could hear the music coming from inside the club and that alone made me unable to sit still.
Once inside, the nearly empty venue felt cavernous as we VIPs were lined up against the back wall. Jerry Cantrell was completely focused on the task at hand — the consummate professional. I stood in awe just being in the same room with him. He then uttered “let’s give em some Psychotic” and they performed “Psychotic Break”. Everyone stood still and silent except me. I couldn’t remain stationary while Jerry serenaded me! I danced and bounced and jumped in my small allotted space.
We all clapped enthusiastically at the end of the song. Jerry Cantrell stated something about “Can we work on these balancers? Should we do it now or later? Let’s take five”. While the techs addressed the issue at hand, Jerry started playing the riff for “Stone”. I was in my glory when I heard it. He approached bassist Eliot Lorango and walked him through the fingerwork. We got a few more riffs and they fed us a serving of “Them Bones”.
They lined us up to wait for our individual time with the masterful musician. I tried to be last, but a very quiet lady wanted it more, so I was next to last. While we snaked through, I stood beside Jerry Cantrell‘s open guitar vault — all of the icon’s guitars lined up, ready to go. Incredible. I heard some of other people’s questions, one being “new Alice In Chains music and tour next year?” to which Mr. Cantrell replied with a sly grin.
It was finally my turn and I was jumping out of my skin. “Hey, how ya doin?” he asked and was met with me looking like the emoji with heart shaped eyes. I responded “I’m overwhelmed! My friends all chipped in and got me this experience for my birthday! I’m emotional!”. “Today’s your birthday?” I nodded yes cuz I couldn’t speak. “Happy Birthday! What’d ya bring for me to sign?” What I brought was a custom poster from his stop at Irving Plaza in NYC back in February. He loved it. “Oh cool! The one with the wolves? I really like what he (the artist, Simon Berndt) did.” I told him I loved the art they created.
Cantrell very carefully chose the right color pen and the right spot so that it fit in with the art. He then thoughtfully blew on the ink until it dried. He accepted a folder I made with my reviews of his performances. I also brought him a pack of googly eyes, he smiled “Googly eyes are funny.” I explained it was a reminder to have fun, even though he was working his ass off.
A crew member grabbed my phone and snapped photos the entire time, including one of Jerry and me posing together — while my friends sang Happy Birthday in the background. I also got an official guitar pick and another poster to take home. Jerry Cantrell was gracious and kind, focused on his craft, and very handsome in person. It was the kind of day I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Sparta, a trio from El Paso, Texas, was the opener. They formed in 2001 and have weathered at least two hiatuses and released five studio LPs over the years. For their surprisingly long ten-song set, they pulled from four of them.
Jim Ward, frontman, singer and guitarist, bassist Matt Miller and drummer Neil Hennessy wasted no time launching into “While Oceana Sleeps” (Porcelain), “Taking Back Control” (The Invisible – film soundtrack), and two from Wiretap Scars with “Red Alibi” and “Collapse”. The sound mix was clear, I was glad the vocals came through. Still, I found myself questioning the choice as an opener. Sparta’s vibe was a noticeable departure from the original scheduled opener, Filter.
From my spot, eye level with the drummer, I couldn’t help but wonder what it must be like playing to a sea of endless pairs of eyes, all clearly hungry for Jerry Cantrell, night after night. A track from Threes was up with “The Most Vicious Crime”. The fans did respond with casual applause. Jim addressed us, “Thank you very much. Thank you guys. How you doin tonight? We’re Sparta from El Paso, Texas. What a great room to see Jerry Cantrell in! They are the nicest people to tour with. We’re gunna keep goin if that’s alright.”
“Light Burns Clear” and “Death In The Family” led to “Miracle” from Trust The River. Jim had to stop due to “tech issues”. “This never happens!” The crew quickly remedied the problem and Jim picked right back up. “Thank you for your kindness. That’s like walking into school naked! Playing your guitar and it stops working. Thank you for making that less awkward.” The set wrapped with “Glasshouse Tarot” and “Air”. “Thank you for paying attention. We’re just a blue collar band, we just work. Thank you again!”
Earlier, I had chatted very quickly with the sound guy. The band brought their own so I welcomed him to Toad’s Place. “Jerry hasn’t played a room this small since the 90s!” The sold out venue capacity was 1000. I explained that I was with the media, it was my third time seeing the tour, and that I could never hear the vocals. I read his expression as part “Wow, balls” and part “Just following orders”.
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr., the hook-writing architect behind Alice In Chains and underrated solo artist, brought his raw rock and roll show to New Haven. Jerry Cantrell has six studio albums with Alice In Chains, three with Layne and three with DuVall, and four solo studio LPs. He has sold more than 30 million records worldwide just with AIC. Backed by his Blood Brothers band, Roy Mayorga (Drums), Eliot Lorango (Bass), and Zach Throne (Guitar/Vocals), Cantrell tore through a carefully cultivated 18-song set that married old-school AIC hits with his eclectic solo catalog.
The riff lord himself appeared with quiet authority, nodded to the army of salivating fans, eyeballed each bandmate and then delivered the ideal opening song, “Psychotic Break” (Degradation Trip). It
set the tone perfectly: moody, heavy, unmistakably Cantrell. AIC’s “Them Bones” (Dirt) was next and the crowd belted it out word for word. Two from I Want Blood were on deck with “Vilified” and “Afterglow”, renditions that proved his new material holds its own.
Jerry switched axes effortlessly when appropriate. “Atone” (Brighten) led to beloved AIC track, “Man In The Box” (Facelift). We knew it was coming when we saw him reach for the talk box. Cantrell got close to the crowd during the guitar solo, raised his iconic G&L Rampage so all could see, did a sexy ass hair flip and then egged on the fans to sing louder. We happily obliged. Two from Boggy Depot were next with “Cut You In” and “Dickeye”, the latter hadn’t been performed since 2002 prior to this tour.
Jerry was in top form as he fed us flawless filthy hooks all night long. Back to I Want Blood for “Off The Rails” and the title track. He dug deeper into Dirt and gave us “Rain When I Die”, a real treat. Cantrell is a quiet soul, a man of few words, not one for long speeches, he offered a few thanks between songs. He let his playing do the talking, and his gratitude showed in every note. Three more solo tracks with “Angel Eyes”, “Brighten” and “Had To Know” before they blew the roof of the place with fan favorite AIC track “Would?” (Dirt).
JC and the Blood Brothers made a quick exit and we got a “Jerry! Jerry!” chant going. That’s all it took for Cantrell to reemerge alone. He stood on the edge of the stage and simply looked out at the fans, and that’s all it took for us to lose our shit. He formally introduced the Blood Brothers band and thanked us. The encore was another AIC treat, “It Ain’t Like That” (Facelift) from the 1992 film Singles, a hauntingly beautiful I Want Blood track, “Echoes of Laughter” and the infamous Alice In Chains hit “Rooster” (Dirt).
“Thanks for having us New Haven! We enjoyed being here!” Cantrell generously threw a solo cup full of picks into the crowd. This was the 12th stop on the 20 date second leg of the tour. I learned from my VIP stint that Jerry had a cut on his hand, a sore body and was concerned about his voice. You’d never know it by his stellar performance. I could hear his vocals clearly, hallelujah! I don’t know if it was the small room, or the stripped down four man line-up, but I was thrilled to be able to hear him sing.
This was the best Cantrell performance I’ve seen so far, and I bet the entire sold out crowd would agree. Band and crew quickly got to the bus, no fraternizing with fans, and headed for their next tour stop, Cleveland. I hope they knock on the door of the Rock & Roll of Fame and ask what we all want to know. Why the hell is Jerry Cantrell and Alice In Chains not inducted yet? They should have been in years ago.
Pick up a copy of I Want Blood, and cross your fingers that new AIC album could be on the horizon. Catch a live show! Cantrell’s legacy speaks for itself. But seeing it unfold live? That’s something else entirely.
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