In most cases, the opening band has one primary objective: to warm up the crowd. In the case of Adam and the Metal Hawks (aka AMH), who opened for Bret Michaels at the BergenPAC in Englewood, the crowd wasn’t just warm, they were fired up. As for myself, not only was I hot and bothered by authentic rock and roll goodness, but I was enthralled with how the band implemented their physical energy to radiate a classic rock spirit. Their setlist intertwined with an entertaining show worked together to give me what I’d like to call a crash course in crowd-pleasing.
To start, while the songs themselves were crucial to their successful performance, it was the individual members that truly brought the spectacle together. The bombastic, soulful voice of Adam Ezegelian commands the audience with pipes reminiscent of rock legends such as Bon Scott, Chris Cornell, and Axl Rose. The hard and heavy bass riffs and vocal harmonies of Ryan Daversa are hypnotic, as is how he glides across the stage with ease. Seated at the throne, Griffin McCarthy lays down the lively beats that keep the audience on their feet. And lest we forget the fast-paced, kickass, nasty guitar work done by Johnny Barry.
In terms of the setlist, the band started off strong with a cover of the Rocky Horror classic Time Warp, it was a taste of the party that was to come. Originals such as the sultry Fine Line had me whipping my phone out and scrambling to Spotify so that I could give their latest album, Hurry Up and Wait a listen after the show. Blending disco and hard rock seamlessly (talk about a controversial genre blend), the band covered Donna Summer’s Hot Stuff. It was then that Ezegelian hopped off stage and into the crowd, becoming one with his audience by dancing and singing his way up and down the aisles.
As Ezegelian placed Barry on his shoulders mid-solo much like Bon Scott and Angus Young, I was officially sold. A live performance is like writing a book. Not only must your beginning, your first impression, that first track, excite right off the bat, but that energy must be sustained until the big finish. Adam and the Metal Hawks did not disappoint. The momentum carried through in the form of danceable covers and air-guitar-worthy originals. Needless to say, an AMH show is like that of a New York Times bestseller.
