M'Lou Elkins 
CONCERT REVIEW + PHOTOS
John 5
Majestic Theater – 9/10/24 – Madison, WI
©Justin Nuoffer/Nuoffermedia.com
Very few things in this world are absolutely certain. Night, day, death, taxes, and John 5 melting faces qualify. Wisconsin’s capital city of Madison played as the backdrop for this special intimate performance. The Majestic Theater is a reformed vaudeville theater with over a hundred years of performances under its belt. The red and white brick and awning out front maintain its classic-looking aesthetic. Inside is a dim and tight room. Entering through the front doors you can walk left and up the stairs to the balcony or straight and into the main room. The entire room is GA except for 5 opera seating areas up above. The floor is 3 tiered levels which allows everyone fantastic sightlines for optimal viewing. The main floor is the most spacious place to watch from. The historic hardwood stage is about waist-high. The artists are quite literally within arms reach.
Accompanying John 5 on this run of smaller shows, Turning Jane an all-female rock band with those vintage vibes of 70s powerhouse Heart. They had no fear and overwhelmed us with their incredible sound. It was a refreshing reminder of how diverse the genre of rock has become and how the classic sounds never die. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Their thirty minutes seemed to fly by and closing with a Led Zeppelin medley was a wild choice that simply worked.
Following them, Lines of Loyalty who hail from Kenosha, WI and are no strangers to the area. They simply wanted to continue their dominance within the state. Their unrelenting and gritty lyrical content is only matched by their heavy sound. The fans sang nearly every word back to them. The energy poured out of their bodies. The seven-song barrage was relentless. Armed with songs such as “Blackout”, “My Addiction”, and “I’m Not The One,” the crowd was fully engaged and they gave every ounce of energy they had back. Lines of Loyalty were a perfect primer for John 5.
The man who needs no introduction to the metal and guitar communities, John 5, had a unique setup. Dead center in the back was his drummer’s kit on a riser. On each side of the drum riser were four guitar cabs. The four closest to the riser were hallowed out and replaced with video screens flashing all sorts of horror movie clips. The outer four were legit guitar cabs and two were rigged up for sound. The guitar cabs wrapped around the stage and virtually locked him into the center and up close to the fans below.
Unlike the John 5 & The Creatures shows, this is simply John 5 and a drummer. If you are familiar with his solo work it is a complete exploration of sound. John 5 took the stage to a loud applause. The guitar virtuoso performed as himself. No makeup or costumes. Just him as his normal everyday self and his array of Fender Telecasters.
The show itself could be considered to have two halves. The first half consisted of sixteen songs from his various projects. The ability to cross every single genre was extremely impressive. From psychedelic to flamenco to rock to country, John 5 put everything on display. Rarely did he walk up to the microphone, but he did say to the crowd, “Record this if you want. Post it and tag me. I don’t care.” It was all about the magic pouring out of his fingertips though.
The back half of John 5’s performance was dedicated to Motley Crue. As most know he is currently the new guitarist for the legendary band. The room was also filled with Crue shirts, so his enthusiasm for the band was also met by the crowd’s. However, this will also be the only time a bassist would play with him. His tech who handled all of his guitar changes and the setup would accompany him.
The songs were all snippets of the most memorable guitar parts. Ten total songs. Most of the snippets were the intros or solos. The crowd’s reaction was priceless. Headbanging and screaming the words back towards the stage were all part of the intended goal. Ripping through classics such as “Livewire”, Shout at The Devil”, “Girls, Girls, Girls”, and “Dr.Feelgood”. The closing note on the entire night was one of John 5’s more well know tracks, “The Ghost”.
All in all, the experience was beyond more than one could ask for. Leaving the venue you could only appreciate the art and talent that was on display. Every single trick was pulled out of his bag. Once that Madison night air hit your face it was a sobering reminder that it was back to real life and the night out with John 5 was beyond worth it.
Check out the John 5 photo gallery below:
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