The Dead Daisies at the Highline Ballroom

Marco Mendoza, Doug Aldrich, David Lowy, John Corabi

David Lowy played rhythm guitar in pub bands in his native Sydney, Australia, but spent most of his adult life as a successful business investor. In 2013, he co-founded the first line-up of the Dead Daisies, a collective of rotating musicians, to play classic rock-sounding original songs. Lowy has been the Dead Daisies' sole consistent and perhaps least known member, but solidly and successfully has maintained his vision of replacing departing members with seasoned rockers. The present personnel consists of Lowy, vocalist John Corabi (Mötley Crüe/The Scream), lead guitarist Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake/Dio), bassist Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake), and drummer Deen Castronovo (Journey, Bad English). The Dead Daisies' fourth studio album, Burn It Down, was released on April 6, 2018.

The Dead Daisies did not exist until decades after the classic hard rock era of the late 1970s and early 1980s, but at the Highline Ballroom tonight, the band impressively mastered that epic vintage sound. Hard rocking songs, powered by sharp vocals, clear melodies, bluesy riffs, sizzling guitar work, and big choruses, the music had a familiar and even nostalgic sound, and yet the band's high-energy performance made it very present. Along with original songs from the Dead Daisies albums, the band sprinkled cover songs over the nearly two-hour set because, as Corabi explained to the audience, the musicians are fans of classic rock as well. These songs included Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son," the Rolling Stones' "Bitch" and the Beatles' "Helter Skelter." Each band member demonstrated matured skills from years of playing hard rock music, and so the individual musicianship was dazzling and the unified ensemble playing folded flawlessly together. For the encore, the band membership temporarily expanded to include the opener, keyboardist Dizzy Reed of Guns N Roses, who had been a member of the Dead Daisies from 2013 to 2016. "Once a Daisy, always a Daisy," commented Corabi.

Visit the Dead Daisies at www.thedeaddaisies.com.