The Winery Dogs Return To Southern California
From Joe Dolan in LA....
Billy Sheehan, Richie Kotzen and Mike Portnoy kicked off the start of their tour with a So-Cal appearance at the Canyon Club in October of 2013 and it's been a continuous string of appearances at venues far and near since as the band has been around the world twice. From the day the Winery Dogs CD hit the streets, fans have clamored to get a front row seat to see amazing skills of these top level artists taking the stage, and it was no different on Friday the 27th and Saturday the 28th of June, 2014. Ticket sales were up, lines were formed and the super group returned to Los Angeles with two shows; Friday at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills and Saturday at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills.
The debut CD by the band marked a smashing freshman release by the band, selling more than 10,000 copies in it's first week and appearing on the Billboard Top 200 chart at number 27; easily establishing the effort as an instant success. As critics immediately referred to it as a potential one-off and side project, as each member has an individual career, the band has proven the Winery Dogs to be much more than that.
Drummer Mike Portnoy shares, 'It's important for people to know, this isn't the one time one-off side project. This is a real deal! This is a real band for the three of us.'
Since Portnoy's departure from Dream Theater after 27 years on the throne of a band he co-founded in 1985, he's put his unique brand of drumming and percussion on projects including Liquid Tension Experiment, Transatlantic, Adrenaline Mob and Avenged Sevenfold. As many projects are just that, projects that eventually expire, the Winery Dogs has provided an opportunity for Portnoy to truly showcase himself as a drummer, a songwriter and throughout the songs, even a vocalist.
The show has developed since their first appearance together in October 2013. The set list offers a few new songs in the mix and keeps the performances fresh and exciting. Throughout the night, members featured a solo on their respective instruments as well as Kotzen performing a solo acoustic song and playing the piano. Portnoy also added a personal touch, coming down from behind the kit with a pair of sticks and playing microphone stands, the edge of the stage and assorted equipment on the front of his drum kit.
The set list was planned as follows:
01. Elevate
02. Criminal
03. We Are One
04. One More Time
05. Time Machine
06. Damaged
07. Six Feet Under
08. Hey Joe
09. The Other Side
10. You Saved Me
11. Not Hopeless
12. Doin' What The Devil Says To Do
13. My Love Is Alive
14. I'm No Angel
15. The Dying
16. Desire
17. Oblivion
18. Regret
19. Shy Boy
The band mixed around the set list and kept fans guessing with surprise and delight.
The tour continues with two more California dates up the coast in San Francisco and Oakland and over to the UK, Germany and the Netherlands before returning to the US for the East Coast leg of the tour.
For the most intimate experience available with the band, they are hosting a 4-day event called Dog Camp in Big Indian, NY from July 21st through the 25th. Details are available on their official website.
Follow the band online, find show dates and get tickets to see them perform by visiting the following links.
Website: www.thewinerydogs.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewinerydogs
YouTube: www.youtube.com/thewinerydogs