Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band
Bergen Performing Arts Center – Englewood, NJ – July 20, 2024
Review & Photos – Rebecca Wolf
https://www.instagram.com/rebeccawolfconcertphotos/
I’m convinced those of us who grew up loving the energetic, feel-good, big-hair rock music of the 1980s never truly tire of hearing this nostalgic sound. We love the surge of memories that come flooding back and the burst of youthful spirit, as it transports us back to our younger days. While it’s enjoyable to hear the music playing in the car, on an iPhone or on our home stereo, there’s nothing quite like experiencing the music live. After more than four decades it may no longer be possible to see the original artists performing their 80s hit numbers. However, attending a Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band show is an opportunity to immerse oneself in a performance by professional singers and musicians who’ve played with many of the original artists, as well as performed their songs on Broadway.
Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band was born out of the Broadway rock musical Rock of Ages. The Broadway show combined a theatrical performance with a rock concert, which included a cast of rockstar musicians and singers. For six years fans of 1980s rock packed the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, dancing in their seats and rocking out to beloved artists, including Journey, Whitesnake, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Poison, Def Leppard, Joan Jett, and Pat Benatar.
On July 20th, I attended a Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band show at Bergen Performing Arts Center. Having attended a past performance, I was eager to experience another 80s rock music extravaganza. Equally enthused were the fans who awaited the band’s arrival with obvious excitement and anticipation. This positive energy was felt not solely by the audience but by the band members themselves, as they burst onstage like a jolt of electricity. During the Rock of Ages performances on Broadway, the band was the spirited force behind the onstage party. Now, Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band brings that rock and roll party to the stage for each and every concert performance.
Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band has a rotating cast of musicians and singers, which on this evening included, guitarists Angus Clark and Aurelien Budynek, bassist Winston Roye and vocalists Dan Domenech and Josephine Rose Roberts. Each artist has an impressive resume of musical experience that was apparent from the evening’s opener “Eruption,” a Van Halen number that perfectly showcased the quintessential sound of 80s rock. As this was an 80s rock party, there were no better songs to get this party going than Poison’s “Nothing’ But a Good Time” and Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” both of which immediately captivated audience members and kept them fully energized, as they cheered, sang and raised their hands in the air.
From the moment Domenech arrived onstage, with his enormously joyful smile and dynamic spirit, it was hard total your eyes away from him. He took command of the microphone and the stage. as he moved swiftly about, showcasing his powerful, passionate vocals. Displaying equally impressive, dramatic vocal abilities, Josephine Rose Roberts grabbed the attention of all in the room while singing lead on Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” Lita Ford’s “Kiss Me Deadly” and Joan Jett and the Blackheart’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You. Roberts’ powerful vocals, in conjunction with her fierce facial expressions, spirited movements about the stage and dramatic flips of her long curls, create the perfect rock and roll vibe.
Guitarist Angus Clark, a member of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, as well as a songwriter/producer, and fellow guitarist Aurelien Budynek, guitarist for the Broadway production of Back to the Future, fiercely played guitar as they moved about the stage, stopping to jam alongside the singers during numbers including Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian,” Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again,” Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” and Europe’s “The Final Countdown.” Bassist Roye, also a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, occasionally migrated to the stage front to showcase his impressive bass skills, before later joining Domenech and Roberts in a dynamic vocal trio.
Throughout the two-hour show the crowd remained enthusiastically engaged, as singing, cheering, clapping and dancing. Additional songs in the set included, Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive,” Poison’s “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn,” Damn Yankee’s “High Enough,” and Journey’s “Anyway You Want It” and “Don’t Stop Believin.” For this last Journey number, now an anthem for younger generations as well, the Bergen PAC youth choir (who performed several songs before the arrival of the band) were invited back onstage to sing with Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band. These children passionately sang along and the band members, who sang and played with amplified energy and positive spirits, bolstering the musical dreams of these young singers.
After exiting the stage, the the band members returned for their requisite encore, performing Extreme’s beautiful, heartfelt rock ballad “More Than Words,” with vocal harmonies exquisitely performed by Domenech, Roberts and Roye, and accompanied by Clark on acoustic guitar. After this warm, touching number, this 80s rock and roll party could not end before returning to a party status. What better song to do so with than AC/DC’s high-energy, sing-a-long number “You Shook Me All Night Long,” which had the Bergen PAC audience rocking in classic 80s style. It was an amazing night of nostalgic 80s rock, performed by incredibly skilled musicians and singers. It’s been years since Rock of Ages left the Broadway stage and decades since the heyday of 80s rock. However, for many who grew up during this incredible musical era the love of 80s music has never died. Thankfully, performances like those by the Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band help keep this passionate, powerful, big energy, big hair music alive!
