Concert Review: Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators

Slash has been making music outside of Guns N' Roses for years.  From Slash's Snakepit to Velvet Revolver, various contributions on projects with other artists, and most recently his work with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators.

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On Saturday night, February 26th, Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators played a show at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, MN.  Going into the concert, I knew they would not be playing any GNR or Velvet Revolver tunes because I peeked at the first show of the tour's setlist.

The downside to this is that many of the diehard Slash fans might take their significant others who might not know as many of the songs played, where they would of course recognize songs like 'Paradise City'.  I'm fortunate to have a wife that has fun no matter the music and her knowledge of it.  The upside to Slash not playing songs from his other bands, is many of those songs have been heard over and over, and while fun, change can be good.  Not playing those 'staples', if you will, gave the opportunity for the band to show how much great material they've released that can really stand on it's own.

Slash and crew played for about two hours, with a cover of 'Always on the Run' by Lenny Kravitz, 'Speed Parade' from Slash's Snakepit, 'Rocket Man' by Elton John.  Other than that, we got to hear music strictly from the four albums from them, and it worked.

The crowd loved it, and I didn't see hardly anyone leave the venue other than the guy next to me, and I'm pretty sure his wife made him go.  Slash cranked out some ten minute solos, gave the crowd a taste of songs from the latest album, and just played no BS pure rock and roll.  The whole band spent a lot of time hanging out on-stage after handing out guitar pics, drumsticks, setlists, and offering fist bumps to the front row.  They did this to the point where security basically encouraged Slash to leave the stage.  To me, that shows true appreciation to the fans for being there.

If you haven't seen Slash live, backed up by the commanding vocals from Myles Kennedy and the ever tight playing from The Conspirators, don't miss them next time.  Anyone who says that rock is dead, hasn't listened to the music this group has to offer.  Last night's show was a sign that rock is indeed alive and well, it just always doesn't get the airplay it should.

I'm not writing this in the order of the show, but I have to mention the opening act of the night.  Plush kicked off the evening, and the four-piece all female group rocked the house.  They were a powerhouse start to what was a concert I wish I could go see every weekend.