Sons of Apollo, Tony MacAlpine, Schiermann
February 1, 2020
The Music Factory, Battle Creek Michigan

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February 1, 2020 in Michigan can typically be cold and snowy. Well, the snow wasn’t bad, but it was cold. But, this was the night of the only Michigan stop for the Sons of Apollo and Tony MacAlpine tour, and I wasn’t going to miss it.

The Music Factory is a small venue in Battle Creek, Michigan. Imagine a pole barn with a stage at one end, and a bar & restrooms at the other end. It can probably hold around 500-600, but I’m betting they had 700 or more on this night – it was crammed full. We arrived at 7pm, which was when doors were supposed to open. However, we were told technical issues slowed completion of sound check, and the line did not start moving until around 7:45pm. But, we got in shortly after and found a spot to stand – note: this place does not have many chairs – plan on standing all night.

By 8pm, opening band Schiermann was playing their brand of instrumental guitar rock. Schiermann is the name of the main guy, and they are from California. Due to the late start, they only got about 3 songs in, but I was intrigued enough to hope to see them another time in another place. Check them out at https://schiermannofficial.com/

Next up was Tony MacAlpine and his band. Tony has been on various CDs in my collection over the years, and was almost at legendary status as both guitarist and keyboards. After he had a cancer scare a few years back, I really never expected to see him in person. He had a three piece backing band, and stuck to his instrumental music. Tony had a nice combination of fast and slow music. He could also be seen playing both guitar and keyboards at the same time, as the rest of the band kept up nicely. The 45 minutes (or so) went by fast, but at least I got to see the legend in person. Find more about Tony at https://www.tonymacalpine.com/

Next up was the headliners for the evening – the mighty Sons of Apollo. For those not familiar, the band consists of Jeff Scott Soto (lead vocals), Billy Sheehan (bass), Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (guitars), Derek Sherinian (keyboards), and Mike Portnoy (drums). The small stage hindered a good view of all things on stage, but the band appeared full of energy. The set opened with material from the new “MMXX” release, before moving to material from the previous 2018 “Psychotic Symphony”. All 5 members were spot-on with their performance, and it appeared as if everyone was have a great time. They paid tribute to the band Rush (and recently passed drummer Neal Peart) by squeezing a bit of the song “Tom Sawyer” into “Wither to Black”. The idea came off fairly well, but I would have preferred they chose a slightly less familiar track – “Tom Sawyer” just seemed a bit obvious of a choice, and I knew these guys could have done any Rush tune. Billy Sheehan got a bass solo moment, and proved why he is still a master at the instrument – even a double neck bass. Sherinian got his solo moment on piano and at his keyboard rig. I have followed Derek for years, and enjoy his playing on all forms of keyboards. Portnoy does not specifically take a solo during the show, but is busy enough during the concert – there are some moments in the songs where he is featured. Similar to Portnoy, Bumblefoot doesn’t have a specific solo spot in the set, but spends all night showing us his mastery of the double neck guitar (of which one neck is fretless). Soto is one of the best front-man types in the business. When he is on stage, he is either vocally driving the song, or he is making sure the audience knows who to watch. Jeff keeps the show energetic, but all 5 of these guys have entertainer skills.

The band paid tribute to bass player David Z (TSO, Adrenaline Mob) with the song “Desolate July” – Soto also dedicated this to Kobe Bryant (who had passed away the previous week). I know Portnoy worked with David in Adrenaline Mob, and Soto worked with David in TSO.

The band ended the main set with “God of the Sun”, and brought Tony MacAlpine out for the encore. They opened the encore with Deep Purple’s “Burn”, turning it into a long jam track as Tony, Bumblefoot, and Sherinian got extended solo moments. After Tony left, the Sons of Apollo finished with the song “Coming Home”. As we left, Van Halen’s version of “Happy Trails” could be heard in playback on the sound system.

The sound mix for the evening was too loud for such a small venue and great band of musicians. The kick drums were often drowning out the other instruments, and feedback problems persisted throughout the evening. This would be another reason to catch this tour in a nice mid-sized theater setting – there’s just too much great musicianship going on to watch it get ruined by a questionable sound mix.

Check out more on Sons of Apollo at https://sonsofapollo.com/

I did buy a pair of the “Socks of Apollo”, which are available at their merchandise table. I found this an amusing merch item. Here’s a photo:

Sons of Apollo setlist for this date – found at setlist.fm:

FEB 1 2020
Sons of Apollo Setlist
at The Music Factory, Battle Creek, MI, USA
Tour: MMXX Tour

Setlist
Goodbye Divinity
Fall to Ascend
Signs of the Time
Wither to Black (with ‘Tom Sawyer’ by Rush snippet)
Asphyxiation
Labyrinth
Bass Solo (Billy Sheehan)
Lost in Oblivion
Desolate July (Dedicated to Kobe Bryant and David Z)
King of Delusion
Alive
New World Today
Figaro’s Whore
Keyboard Solo (Derek Sherinian)
God of the Sun

Encore:
Burn (Deep Purple cover) (with Tony MacAlpine)
Coming Home