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Wednesday June 17, 2009
Chickenfoot: Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith

Chicken what? C’mon, there can’t really be a band called Chickenfoot can
there? Not a decent sounding or serious one for sure. Who the hell would
name their band Chickenfoot? How about Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael
Anthony and Chad Smith? If one takes the collective heritage and
contributions to Rock and Roll these four have provided such as Montrose,
Van Halen, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Deep Purple, the solo careers of
Hagar and Satriani, teaching Kirk Hammet and Steve Vai, working with Glenn
Hughes and even the Dixie Chicks into consideration these guys can name
their band whatever the hell they want. And they did. The result is
breathtaking, resulting in an album with a phenomenal vocalist, an insane
and otherworldly Sci-Fi guitarist, an astounding rhythm section and the
classic harmonies of Van Halen. It is at once brand new, exhilarating and
forceful while also providing a comforting visit to some of the most
familiar sounds in all of Rock. Do they sound like Van Halen? Absolutely
not, with the distinguished exception of those glorious harmonies from Sam
and Mikey. Is there a Chili Pepper vibe? No way. Does their debut album
have the sound of Satch and his plaintiff, soulful wail on guitar? Well,
actually yes it does, (there is absolutely no way to disguise the
signature sound that emanates from Joe’s Ibanez and we’re certainly not
complaining). We find it difficult to describe exactly what this new
supergroup sounds like, so we’ll leave you to your own adjectives when you
listen in the privacy of your own 140 decibels. Visit Chickenfoot.us if
you want to sneak a listen.

There’s something that’s just correct about this whole affair all the way
down to making the chicken’s foot into a peace sign and the hi-tech album
art. Certainly the muscular vibe of the music and the virtuosity of the
players have something to do with it, but the playfulness of its creators
and their lighthearted approach also serves as a foil to the thunderous
fulfillment of their potential, which they have reached on their first
try, a remarkable achievement regardless of lineage. This is one of those
rare shows where the only way we could secure the band was to pre-record
the show as they were in the middle of “road-testing” their music. We
caught up all four of them on Memorial Day in beautiful Boston and to say
it was a playful interview is as inadequate as a paper umbrella in a
wicked-pissah rainstorm. (Ask your Boston friends). Their North American
tour begins in August, but the beginning of a new legend has already
started.

Which came first, the chicken or the foot? Join us for Sammy Hagar, Joe
Satriani, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith. We’ve got your lucky Chickenfoot
only on the next ROCKLINE!

Filed under: Van Halen
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