By SAVANNAH TOREBKA
Staff Writer
The Monsters of Rock are bringing classic rock hits to audiences all over the Capital Region. This six-piece hair metal tribute band just sold out their most recent show at The Strand Theater in Hudson Falls earlier this month, and have another concert planned for April 7 alongside Kisstory at the Cohoes Music Hall.
The members of the band include singer Tom Joseph- “The Wolfman,” guitarist Don Lackey- “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” guitarist Dave Stimpson- “Dracula,” bassist Billy Brown- “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” keyboardist Steve Schill- “Phantom of the Opera,” and drummer Tyler Carey- “Doc Rock.”
From their quiet beginnings, the Monsters of Rock have created a network of artistic individuals that assist in making their vision of rock ‘n’ roll come alive. “The band started after Don was asked to create an 80’s hair band to play at The Strand. The original members were Don, myself, and Bron and Gabe Lapoint. When trying to find a lead singer, Don suggested Tom Joseph who was someone he used to play with years ago. He said Tom was a great frontman. We gave Tom a call and the rest was history,” said Carey. After a few changes in their lineup, the Monsters of Rock have been taking the stage and delivering several nights of entertainment to the public.
The group is consistently trying to find new ways to impress the crowd through brainstorming fresh ideas for their performances. This involves costumes, pyrotechnics, smoke machines, and multiple lights and lasers. “We are always trying to outdo ourselves. We want there to be something new musically and visually at every show,” Joseph stated.
Conceptually, the theme for each concert centers around the band members and their separate “monster” alter-egos. “The concepts for our shows are mostly talked about during practices. We like to think of ideas that focus on a particular show so as to not become stale,” Stimpson shared. “We try to make our shows as true to the real shows we all saw back then,” said Joseph.
The Monsters of Rock appreciate the reciprocity between themselves and their fans as well. “We had such a great time, it was such an awesome show,” said fan Hollie Revette after attending their Feb. 11 show earlier this year. “Great talent and entertainment, they get the crowd engaged all night long,” said another fan, Patti O’Connor Siano. “The energy is unmatched, they outdo themselves every single time,” said another fan, Kaitlyn McDaniel.
The band has curated a large regional fan base, and is fully motivated to continue expanding their audience. The bassist, Billy Brown, had several of his high school students attend their latest show with posters. “Every bit of energy we exude is eagerly met by our audiences and reverberated back to us ten-fold,” shared Schill.
As with any group, there have been challenges in transforming the band into the close-knit group that they are today. The COVID-19 pandemic posed some unexpected obstacles for the band to overcome. “The pandemic posed some challenges not only during the middle of it, but even now when COVID is still so active. We have had to cancel our fair share of practices due to illness,” said Stimpson.
Additionally, technical issues involving the specific acoustics within the venues they play, as well as the sound systems on stage have presented some complications. “When we practice, the volume is much lower… sometimes the volume and sounds seem to be bouncing toward me from every direction, and the wave of sound seems to swirl on stage,” Brown said.
Despite these challenges, the group continually expresses their love for both music and one another. “These guys are my best friends. When we hit the stage, it is such a special feeling,” shared Joseph. “Performance day is like Christmas. We are all so excited,” Carey said. “Seeing it all come together right before our eyes is just awesome, and it’s great that we all get to experience it together,” said Lackey. The kinship between the band is displayed both on-stage and off.
Once performance day arrives, the crew finally gets to show everything they have been working toward. “It’s the kind of positive pressure that makes you try your best to prepare, and makes you feel so fulfilled when the show ends,” Brown said.
At their latest show, the group performed a special Valentine’s Day setlist, including classic hits from groups like Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Cinderella, and more. As for their April performance, the band has major plans to deliver their best show yet. This is the first time the group will be joined by another band.
For more information and to purchase upcoming show tickets, visit www.thecohoesmusical.org, or reach out to them directly at tybo1099@yahoo.com.
