Fired Up proved a fantastic sight and sound tribute to the music of Pat Benatar

The show was billed as Rock Royalty Tribute Tours, a triple singer tribute to the music of Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, and Elvis Presley.

By the end of the night, it was clear that Suzie Hatton’s take on Pat Benatar truly channeled the energy and excitement of Benatar in concert and she upstaged Rockin’ Rod and Atomic Elvis. Last night’s show took place at The Last Shot Sports Bar And Grill in Stoughton, Massachusetts.

The band, which featured the same guitarist, bassist, and drummer backing all three singers, were top notch players who could capture with precision the essence of Benatar’s high energy hard rock music. They opened with “Sex As A Weapon” and the band’s consistent power was smoothed out by the lead vocalist as her voice resembled Benatar’s operatic pop range.

It didn’t hurt that The Last Shot, an upscale sports bar, had a spacious dining section attached to its larger bar area to let the sound travel. The bands was set up in the dinning room but the bar, featuring two large televisions screens and eight smaller ones, was right next door adjoining and the Bruins’ fans and the Celtics’ fans eventually made their way onto the dance floor. A few dozen people were dancing by night’s end.

The rhythm section of bassist Richie Sullaway and new drummer Michael Albiero was so forceful that they forced the singer and guitarist to step up their game. Hatton hit all the sweet high notes in just the right places and she carries a note like nobody’s business. Guitarist Steve Dionne effortlessly paid out all those fiery phrases in this hit. Fired Up must spend a lot of time rehearsing together because they play with connectedness, discipline, and power. There is simply a lot of energy going on at all times with these players, and Hatton prances around the stage with the fluid motions of a snake. Through out the night, Dionne’s guitar work would prove to be the galactic life force of the whole show.

The slow build of “Fire And Ice” found Hatton belting out her phrase with forceful sustains. Her voice has a thick, zesty timbre that added a lot of color and emotion to the song. Dionne played some thick, solid chords that worked wonders with the rhythm section, and he added a cool guitar solo. “You Better Run” found Suzie moving like a coiled snake to the twisty rhythms of this classic hit.

The band and Hatton performed a punchy version of The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.” The rhythm section rocked right out and Dionne kept the frenetic pace while Hatton nailed the neurotic rapidity of the vocal phrases. “I Need A Lover,” the John Cougar song Benatar covered, got a boost from Dionne’s mountain of guitar notes. Hatton sang it as a duet with Rod Stewart impersonator, Jay Gates.

From there, it became a brief Rockin’ Rod set. “Hot Legs,” “Forever Young,” and “Twisting The Night Away” were benefited by Gates’s rich, raspy timbre, and his wiry stage moves. He conjured up plenty of pleasant memories of Rod Stewart in the 1970s. The musicians were also good during this Rod Stewart set, including Sullaway’s groovy bass solo on “Hot Legs.”

Yet, it was the Benatar sets that maintained the highest energy levels. It was a joy to hear Hatton’s beautiful voice on “Shadows Of The Night” when the second set officially began. Dionne’s guitar fleshed out big melodic phrases and Hatton’s sweet sustain breathed new life into “Shadows.” “Love Is A Battlefield,” from its opening drum bopping to its springy, bouncy guitar phrases, was a real crowd pleaser. Suzie’s voice rang out with soulful power and solid technique. She captured the dark the edge to this song, bringing out its fighter personality.

After an energetic rendition of Heart’s “Barracuda” Suzie introduced the audience to Atomic Elvis. Dana Zagoreos, who also has a traditional Elvis act, performed a hard rock version of Elvis’s first local Memphis radio hit “That’s All Right.” Louder, with more accented rhythms, and edgier guitar phrasing, the Atomic Elvis act was off to a fine start. The band and Zagoreos went into some mash ups of songs that featured Elvis lyrics and vocals over classic hard rock tunes. He sang “All Shook Up” to the Led Zeppelin music for “Whole Lotta Love” and he sang “Burning Love” over the band’s rendition of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid.”

The mash up of Elvis Presley songs with hard rock classics was entertaining but it was the rocked up versions of “Don’t Be Cruel,” Blue Suede Shoes,” and Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” that impressed the most. Dionne played in a Berry guitar picking style before turning up the voltage with a phrase inspired by Berry’s picking technique.

Rockin’ Rod, a.k.a. Jay Gates, came back to perform the timelessly appealing “Maggie May,” his rasp riding the melody comfortably. Soon, Hatton was back as Pat Benatar, her gentle intro to “Promises In The Dark” suddenly exploding with guitar, bass, and drums. Her rich timbre smoothly rode the range of the vocal phrase. Then, she gracefully slid into a higher, softer vocal approach before turning intense again. Hatton can do a lot with her voice, and she has fantastic control over changes in tempo and dynamics.

Atomic Elvis, a.k.a., Dana Zagoreos, came back to sing a hard rock version of “Little Sister,” a personal favorite of mine that I was glad to see him sing well. Zagoreos also sang a hard rock version of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” that brought out the fullness of his smooth croon. Rockin’ Rod came back with enjoyable renditions of “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” and “Stay With Me.”

Mixing it up between Fired Up, Rockin’ Rod, and Atomic Elvis certainly kept the night interesting. Yet, the Fired Up portions had the most depth. “Hell Is for Children” was high octane rock that captured the essence of the angry social message through Hatton’s fiery belt. The band too nailed the hellfire and brimstone intensity. Fired Up kept a ton of dancers on the floor all night and they closed out with solid, soaring versions of “Heartbreaker” and “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.”

Rockin’ Rod and Atomic Elvis were good routines but the Fired Up portions of the show had all the makings of a popular tribute band that could offer a lot to die hard fans.

www.danazrocks.com

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