44 M E T R O S P I R I T
Music
M A R 6 2 0 0 3
Quiet Riot’s Still Feeling the Noize
BY LISA JORDAN
M
arch 12 is going to be another night of flashbacks at Crossroads. This time, however, we’re going to travel back a bit earlier than Seattle: Tribute took us last week. In a very where-are-they-now moment, Crossroads welcomes ‘80s hair metal staple Quiet Riot. They’ve aired all their dirt on VH1’s popular show “Behind the Music,” broken up and gotten back together more than a few times, and they certainly haven’t dodged the ups and downs of fame. But Quiet Riot has bragging rights few of their contemporaries can claim, and that’s the fact that the band is still touring consistently – and still churning out new material. Quiet Riot formed in the mid-1970s, a project undertaken by vocalist Kevin DuBrow and guitarist Randy Rhoads. After recording 1978’s “Quiet Riot” and 1979’s “Quiet Riot II,” Rhoads moved on to popular acclaim as a member of Ozzy Osbourne’s band and later died in a 1982 plane crash. Rhoads’ departure led to Quiet Riot’s first breakup, but DuBrow continued to perform and hooked up with drummer Frankie Banali, guitarist Carlos Cavazo and bassist Rudy Sarzo – the Quiet Riot lineup that remains intact today. Cavazo was the last to join, in 1982, and his arrival led to the reuse of the Quiet Riot name. 1983 saw Quiet Riot’s successful crossover to the pop charts. “Metal Health” reached the No. 1 spot on the U.S. charts, a first for an album by a heavy metal band. The album also received platinum certification five times. Another “Metal Health” claim to fame was the band’s version of the 1973 Slade hit “Cum on Feel the Noize.” That rendition remains Quiet Riot’s most memorable track to date. The following year, Quiet Riot released “Condition Critical,” a hastily compiled collection of songs that didn’t fare as well with the public. The lack of follow-up success took its toll on the band, and DuBrow’s antics – in particular, his insis-
tence on publicly badmouthing other metal bands, journalists and other music industry bigwigs – led to another breakup. The band got back together in 1986 for the recording of “QR III,” but by that time, Sarzo was out of the picture. A subsequent tour ended with the three other members ditching DuBrow at a hotel in Hawaii, effectively kicking DuBrow out of the band he’d created. In retaliation, DuBrow took legal action against the remaining band members for performing under the Quiet Riot name – a name he owned the rights to. Add in the obligatory record company rip-off and DuBrow’s sex and drug problems, and by the 1990s, it looked as if the death knell had sounded for Quiet Riot. But, of course, the story doesn’t end there. True to form, the boys of Quiet Riot just couldn’t stay mad at each other, and by 1993, three quarters of the band had reunited to record “Terrified,” a B-movie soundtrack. It wasn’t until 1997 that Marilyn Manson – yes, that
Marilyn Manson – helped lead Sarzo back to the band. Manson, reportedly a huge Riot fan, asked the boys of Quiet Riot to reunite for a one-time performance at a private party he was hosting. That, in turn, led to a Quiet Riot U.S. club tour. In May of 2001, Quiet Riot released “Guilty Pleasures” on the Bodyguard Records label and embarked on the “Glam Slam Metal Jam” tour with headlining act Poison. With 16 releases to date under their belt, Quiet Riot has a healthy repertoire to pull from, and their live sets offer a well-mixed blend of old and new Quiet Riot tunes. The band also boasts some of its most highenergy performances in years, proving that no matter how mature you get, you can still rock. Following his tradition of using local bands to open up for national and regional acts, Crossroads owner Scott Levine has selected Lythium as the lucky local band that gets to open up for Quiet
Riot. Tickets for the show are already on sale. In advance, they’re $12.50. You can also purchase tickets at the door the night of the show for $15. For more information and tickets, give Crossroads a call at 724-1177.
CORRECTION Last week’s article about Yesterday, the Beatles tribute band scheduled to perform at the Imperial Theatre, listed an incorrect date for the show. The concert will take place March 8 at 8 p.m. For tickets and additional information, contact the Imperial Theatre box office at 722-8341 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are also available online at www.imperialtheatre.com. We apologize for any inconvenience this error may have caused.