It was a triple bill of rock at The Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, North Carolina on January 17 with Automag, Shoot and Thrill and Stone Whiskey. It’s not very often that you have an opener who sets the bar incredibly high for the other bands on the bill to top much less reach. The Raleigh, North Carolina based band Stone Whiskey opened up the show and the venue was packed. That should be some sort of indicator as to who a lot of the crowd is there to see. The band’s sound takes that classic rock sound of the 80s while maintaining a fresh feel to it.
The moment that the band hit the stage, lead vocalist Alan Rueda immediately grabbed everyone’s attention. The band let everyone know quickly that they may be the openers but they were playing like they were headlining Madison Square Garden. After a few high energy rock numbers, the Rueda as well as guitarists Bill Spears and Chris Clark pulled out barstools and decided to ease up on the gas. The guys decided to do a few acoustic numbers which included KISS’ “Hard Luck Woman.” It’s hard to bottle that same energy when you go full electric to acoustic but the guys pulled it off. Then they stood up for the remainder of the show. The set included a lot of tracks off of their most recent album Scream For Rock on their new home Kivel Records.
I cannot let this review end without mentioning the tight rhythm section of drummer Mike Ropelewski and bassist Jim Hunter. To be a band that formed around 2020, they have a seasoned look and sound on that stage well beyond their years. I think it’s partially what they brought to the table when it came to forming the band. Plus all the rock and roll stars aligning together and having these comes brought together to form something special. This is a band that I highly recommend you checking out. Their socials are listed after the photo gallery so hit them up and listen to them. If you’re in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, go see these guys live around there or when they come to your town. Whether they are opening or the headliner, you’re definitely going to get your money’s worth of maximum rock.
Review & pix by I’m Music Magazine Owner/Editor Johnny Price
Connect with Stone Whiskey online:
