A crazy busy week of concerts in the ‘Burgh kicked off with the talent-packed bill of Richie Kotzen (The Winery Dogs) and John 5 (Motley Crue) at Jergels on Monday night. The guitar virtuosos were joined by The night kicked off with a trio called Band, Inc. which is fronted by lead singer, bassist and songwriter Giuliana Lucia Amaral.
Giuliana first caught our attention last year jamming on a set of originals with Luis Kalil (Red Devil Vortex) on guitar and is now joined by Victor Adriel and JT Shea of The Lost Hearts on guitars and Chris Campo on drums. While the cramped stage didn’t allow for much movement, the four-piece made the most of it and delivered a set of originals that included “Queen of Insanity” and “Better Off Dead.” I suppose the later stuck with me the most having just met the cast of the movie Better off Dead at The Sands this month, but I assure you that their song is quite different than E.G. Daily’s “One Way Love (Better Off Dead)” from the movie soundtrack.
It is always a challenge for an instrumental artist to keep the audience engaged, but John 5 is a true artist taking his craft beyond the fiddle and thrilling us with powerful and entertaining visuals as well. Joined by drummer Alejandro Mercado, John 5 took the stage with a parade of custom Fender telecasters that kept the crowd near the stage in awe while spooking the rest of the audience with a collection of Halloween masks that would have made Ed Gein proud. While his love for the Halloween holiday has always been apparent, this evening’s show it was made crystal clear when his tech offered up chocolates to the crowd both on the floor and above us on the balcony (if they could catch it).
The set included the usual foot tapping suspects like “The Ghost” and “Crank It,” as well as his anthem “I Am John 5” and a handful of covers. First, the sing-along Queen classic “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” and then the finale that featured a string on high-octane Motley Crue classics like “Live Wire” and “Kickstart my Heart,” in a medley that brought pure joy to the axe-slinger’s face (and to ours as well).
With an ending like that, we can’t help but find ourselves looking forward to the Return of the Carnival of Sins Tour kicking off locally in Burgettstown, PA on July 17th, where Motley Crue will be joined by Tesla and Extreme.
After a brief intermission during which pedal-boards were swapped and drums were assembled, headliner Richie Kotzen took the stage with bassist Dylan Wilson and drummer Matt Lesser. He joins this tour with his solo band in support of his latest solo album Nomad while he continuing to work on other projects like The Winery Dogs and the Smith/Kotzen duo which features Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith.
From the eclectic mix of blue grass and metal that John 5 offered up, the bluey delivery of the Kotzen trio offered a nice departure that allowed us to get lost in the music especially when Richie and Dylan circled around Matt’s kit to jam. His set included favorites like “Bad Situation” and “Help Me,” and showcased his chops on guitar as well as his soulful vocal range that often leaves us speechless when he climbs to that high falsetto.
Always a pleasure to catch both of these talented artists in the intimate setting at Jergels, but this night was extra-special given it was a double-shot of fretboard magic.
Coverage by Editor and founder Kara Marie Uhrlen on 11/19/2025. All event photos © Kara Uhrlen and The Pure Rock Shop.
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