Uli Jon Roth/Points North/Bad Boy Eddy; Vinnie's, Concord 3/1/13

Disaster Amnesiac trucked over to Concord with his pal Michael to Vinnie's Bar & Grill in order to see German guitar maestro Uli Jon Roth. I never knew that Concord had such a bustling downtown area, or nightlife. The place was bumpin'!

First up on the bill were Bad Boy Eddy. They play hot, Party Metal anthems, moved by a fabulous, small kit playing, stick twirling drummer. That's their music, it moves, right on!

Above: Bad Boy Eddy stoke the crowd at Vinnie's

Next up, Points North brought their somewhat wacky vibes. Their sound comes from the Emerson Lake & Palmer template, perhaps infused with strains of Zappa DNA. Disaster Amnesiac had to walk away for a bit, as that approach ain't my cup 'o joe. That said, they seemed to generate some heat, later in their set.

Above: Points North play slick

After a somewhat long break, Uli Jon Roth and his septet took to the stage and took control of Vinnie's. The band's smooth, Kosmiche Metal was great, the tunes setting up amazing solo spaces for the Coltrane of Power Rock. You gotta love Uli's vibe, too. He's a venerable, focused presence, surrounded by younger musicians who seemed to really enjoy playing with him. They played old Scorpions tunes, as Roth mentioned that he was celebrating the 40th Anniversary of "that band" this year. Disaster Amnesiac wondered what his relationship to his old mates is, these days. I'd say he won the aesthetic argument!

Above: Uli Jon Roth and group, bringing the heavy Teutonic Rock to Vinnie's appreciative audience

Below: Micheal Lowe-Grandi, after going 0-4 versus Pistol Pete