Gus G at the Studio at Webster Hall

Konstantinos Karamitroudis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Καραμητρούδης) was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, where his father was a part-time singer who sang Greek folk music at bars and taverns. The boy was inspired to start playing guitar after listening to his father's classic rock album collection. At age 10, he asked his father for a guitar. His father bought him a classical guitar and the boy started to take lessons from a local music school. He received his first electric guitar at age 14 and took lessons from a rock guitar teacher. At age 18, he relocated to the United States in search of a music career, renamed himself Gus G., recorded nine studio albums with his band Firewind, and played in Arch Enemy, Nightrage, Dream Evil, and Mystic Prophecy. His biggest break has been playing in Ozzy Osbourne's band since 2009. With Firewind on hiatus, G. released his third solo album, Brand New Revolution, on July 22, 2015.

Sharing a headlining bill with Angel Vivaldi tonight as their Operation Domination Tour opened at the Studio at Webster Hall, G. showcased his guitar wizardry through a set of songs that were rooted in classic hard rock structures. The set list included songs from G.'s solo albums, Firewind and even Ozzy Osbourne. With G. focused on dazzling guitar leads, James Paul Luna of Holy Grail handled vocals, ably supported by Jake Skylyr on bass and Alex Bent (ex-Battlecross, Testament) on drums. As the rhythm section provided a speedy crashing backbone, G. ripped into mighty, melodic guitar dynamics. The set ended with a meeting of the masters, as G. invited Vivaldi on stage and the two guitarists showcased extended solos. There was plenty of awe there for both the headbangers and the guitar students in the venue.

Visit Gus G. at www.gusgofficial.com.