The Dead Daisies at the Highline Ballroom

David Lowy

In Sydney, Australia, David Lowy started his career as a businessman and a key player for a family-owned multi-national company that invested in shopping centers around the world. On the side, he was also a pilot, regularly performing at air shows flying a WWII Spitfire and a Vietnam War-era A37B Dragonfly ground attack jet. It was after all this, at almost 50 years of age, that he began playing guitar professionally in rock bands, including Doc Neeson's Angels (2003-2005), Red Phoenix (2005) and Mink (2006-2008). He formed the Dead Daisies in 2012, which quickly attracted a renown personnel. Although the cast has changed multiple times, the present band consists of Lowy, vocalist John Corabi (Mötley Crüe, The Scream), lead guitarist Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio), bassist Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Lynch Mob, Ted Nugent), and drummer Brian Tichy (Ozzy Osbourne, Foreigner, Billy Idol, Seether, Velvet Revolver). After three studio albums, the Dead Daisies' most recent album is a live set, Live & Louder, which was released on May 19, 2017.

After a European tour that ended with the Dead Daisies playing with an orchestra in Poland, the Dead Daisies embarked on a 12-date "Dirty Dozen" tour of the United States that came to the Highline Ballroom tonight. The all-star line-up worked well together, playing 1970s-influenced blues rockers, but with a rougher, faster 1980s pacing and a whole lot of timeless flash. Corabi worked the audience throughout the show, always moving along the edge of the stage and encouraging the audience to sing, raise their hands or listen to his quips between songs. Aldrich started out playing modestly, but his solos within the songs grew longer and more searing until he performed a very extended solo with no one else on stage. Tichy also performed an extended solo that showcased him pounding the drum skins with his bare hands. If there was any doubt as to what sound the band was trying to achieve, consider the Dead Daisies' six covers, all hailing from 1968 to 1974: Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son," the Who's "Join Together," the Beatles' "Helter Skelter," Grand Funk Railroad's "We're an American Band," the Sensational Alex Harvey Band's "Midnight Moses," and Deep Purple's "Highway Star." The beauty of the ensemble was that they weaved the magic together: strong vocals, muscular guitar leads, big choruses and catchy hooks. The Dead Daisies gave a modern perspective on a tried and true hard rock sound.

Visit the Dead Daisies at www.TheDeadDaisies.com.