Review & Photos by Greg Hamil for MPM
The Arcada Theater in St. Charles, IL is a vaudeville style theater that was built in 1926. While it still has the look and feel of the 1926 theater, the sound and acoustics are modern and sound fantastic. It is a small theater with a 900-seat capacity hosting over 250 events annually.
Tonight featured the living guitar legend John 5. There are some out there who may not know who John 5 is, and that is ok because whether at a live show or on the radio, you have likely experienced his playing. He has played guitar since the late 70s and has toured with artists such as David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson, and Rob Zombie. He recently joined Motley Crue on their recent stadium tour in 2023 and will be joining them again in 2024. But with the stadium tours on hiatus for the winter, John 5 has embarked on a solo tour in the U.S.
Opening the show is Lilliac. Formed in 2015, they are comprised of 5 siblings ranging from 16 to 25 years old. In the early years, they gained popularity by recording covers and posting videos on social media. The became so popular that they performed on ”The World’s Best” on CBS and “America’s Got Talent” where they stunned Simon Cowell with their performance. Along with their covers, they have released three albums of originals.
Lilliac opened their set with original songs “Rise Up”, “Not Afraid”, “Buried Alive”, and “We Fight, We Fall”. Melody Cristea’s vocals soared through the theater and Samuel Cristea’s guitar solos drew the attention of all in attendance. The rest of the siblings jumped around the stage like true rock stars.
The set progressed into several cover tunes like “Crazy Train”, “The Trooper”, and “Holy Diver”. Lilliac did justice to each and every song and would have made every band they covered proud.
They closed out the night with “Dear Father” and “Carousel” bringing the crowd to their feet for both. With many not knowing who Lilliac was going into the evening, they were won over and showed their appreciation with an extended ovation as the band took their final bows.
Lilliac Setlist: Rise Up – Not Afraid – Buried Alive – We Fight, We Fall – Crazy Train – The Trooper – Enter Sandman – Seven Nation Army – Holy Diver – Madness – Dear Father – Carousel
John 5 was up next, and the Chicago area showed up to support the legend that he has become. He took the stage in a long white trenchcoat with a big red 5 on it. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he launched into “Season of the Witch”.
Playing through his extensive catalog of songs, the crowd was in awe of his eye-opening solos and never-ending expressions that show everyone just how much he enjoys what he is doing. The crowd reacts to each one like he is speaking to them without talking to them. After each song he dons a new guitar, each with its own personality and its own sound.
While John 5 is known mainly for his hard rock/heavy metal style, his solo shows cover many genres. Hard rockers like “Crank It – Living With Ghosts”, “Zoinks”, and “I Am John 5”. Country sounds like “Howdy”, and classics like “Georgia On My Mind” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. The crowd, who hasn’t sat down since the opening song, show their appreciation after each song screaming and applauding for each one.
One thing every looks forward to at a John 5 show is when he plays a section of covers. The crowd when crazy for each as he worked his way through “Detroit Rock City”, “Thunderstruck”, and a medley of nine Motley Crue songs.
He closed the show with “For I Have Sinned”. The crowd spending the last of what energy they had left cheering and screaming all the way up to when John 5 took his final bows and bid them all goodnight.
John 5 Setlist: Season of the Witch – Que Pasa – Six Hundred and Sixty Six Pickers in Hell, CA – Howdy – Zoinks! – Crank It-Living With Ghosts – Strung Out – Cactus Flower – I am John 5 – How High the Moon – Constant Sorrow – Georgia (On My Mind) – Creepshow – Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Motley Crue Medley – The Ghost – Detroit Rock City – Thunderstruck – For I Have Sinned
If John 5 is in a city near you, it would be well worth your time to check out the show. You won’t be disappointed.
The remaining dates for the 2024 tour are listed below:
02/04 – Kansasville, WI @ 1175 Event Center
02/06 – Angola, IN @ The Eclectic Room
02/07 – Harrison, OH @ The Blue Note
02/08 – Cleveland, OH @ The Winchester Music Tavern
02/09 – Flint, MI @ Machine Shop
02/10 – Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs
02/12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Jergel’s Rhythm Grille
02/13 – Lititz, PA @ Mickey’s Black Box
02/14 – Derry, NH @ Tupelo Music Hall
02/15 – NYC, NY @ Gramercy Theater
02/19 – Leesburg, VA @ Tally Ho Theater
02/20 – Greenville, SC @ Radio Room
02/21 – Atlanta, GA @ The Loft @ Centerstage
02/23 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
02/24 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
02/25 – Tulsa, OK @ The Shrine
02/27 – Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater
02/28 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
02/29 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile
03/01 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
