Heavy Metal under... heavy rain!
Christos Kavvadas
If there is one thing that all performers fear when playing at an outdoor venue, it’s the rain. And for a band whose name bears a homophone for such an event, it's ironically inopportune. However, Phoenix Reign would not let their second annual concert at Athens Square Park on June 28th be damped by the intense summer storms that came down upon them threatening to wash out the evening, and instead came through with a bombastic performance accompanied by historical reenacting troupe, the Greek Warriors.
The day started out sunny and seemingly perfect for the show, but in the early afternoon while Phoenix Reign’s crew began setting up for a 6:00 PM start time, it began to rain. The skies seemed to clear up again but only to make room one for one more torrential downpour that would last until at least 7:00 PM. Most would have called it at day at that point, but to their credit, the band and the actors stayed until the storm ceased, allowing them start the show, late and with damp clothes, but still brimming with the same energy as earlier in the day.
The concert began with tunes from Phoenix Reign’s debut album, “Destination Unknown,” and quickly progressed to new material including songs like “The Iliad,” “The Odyssey” and “The Legend of Alexander,” during which the Greek Warriors performed their acts. Muses dressed in white recalled the exploits of the famous 300 Spartans, which the men of the troupe dressed up as to stage battles and stand at arms besides the band while they played. Fans cheered while themselves still drying off from the showers, and were thrilled by the display of history and the musical prowess of guitarists Billy Chrissochos, Kostas Psarros, bassist Chris Pollatos, drummer Wayne Noon and singer, Theresa Gaffney.
While the show was shorter than had originally been planned (50 minutes instead of an hour and a half) because of the delay in starting, no one felt cheated after leaving that evening. Gaffney said so herself: “This is probably the most intense show we ever played, if only for the circumstances which made us more determined to put on a hell of a performance.” And that they did. Co-commanders of the Greek Warriors, George Mercinek and Peter Giakoumis also performed under grueling conditions giving the crowd a true Spartan show down. As a special surprise a new Macedonian armor and shield was debuted to coincide with Phoenix Reign’s new epic tribute to that greatest of Macedonians, titled “The Legend of Alexander”.
The event was sponsored by Unrestrained Magazine "Your authority on the metal underground!" The Athenians' Society, George Tsimoyianis, Eastern Conference of “New Democracy” Local Organization Inc., Planet Del Sol tanning salons, The Aldo's Democratic Club, Gus Pashos & Specialty Motors and other friends. Sound equipment and video production was provided by Nexus Productions (www.djstamatis.com ). Official concert photographer was Alexandros Giannakis III.
Those interested in buying a copy of Phoenix Reign’s cd can do so at www.phoenixreign.com or other online shopping outlets such as amazon.com, cdbaby.com or www.theomegaorder.com. For more information on the Greek Warriors, visit their site at www.thegreekwarriors.com.
