Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel was packed by the scheduled start time of 8 p.m., as the crowd readied themselves for the three-piece supergroup that needed no warm up from a supporting band. Right on time, The Winery Dogs emerged from the darkness and proceeded to deliver a fiery, no fluff set that proved the power of excellent collaboration.
Guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen, bassist/vocalist Billy Sheehan, and drummer/vocalist Mike Portnoy have a seemingly effortless and intuitive ability to work together in a way that showcases both their individual and collective dynamic nature. From the first ripping notes of “Gaslight”, to a check in with “Captain Love”, and through the all-around stellar 17-song set (including a bass solo and two-song encore), fans were treated to blistering fret work from Kotzen, Sheehan’s vertiginous bass skills, throttling beats by Portnoy, and the fusion of vocals to include the dominating warmth and edginess projected from Richie.
SETLIST
Gaslight
Xanadu
Captain Love
Hot Streak
Desire
Breakthrough
Time Machine
Stars
Damaged
Mad World
The Other Side
Bass Solo
The Red Wine
I’m No Angel
Oblivion
Encore:
Regret
Elevate
The Winery Dogs is out on the road with their third album, III, self-produced and released on the band’s Three Dog Music label on February 3, 2023. The Winery Dogs have described their mutual goal – “Our objective is to give people a truly pleasant listening experience,” outlines Kotzen. “Our music is created by real people playing real instruments, with all of us doing it in a room together. There’s nothing artificial about it.” Sheehan adds, “I’d like our listeners to be transported in a way that they can experience what we are going through. Our records are snapshots of life, and how we’re living it. Our music reflects what’s important to us, and what isn’t.” Portnoy offers, “The strength of this band is, first and foremost, it’s about the songs. Then comes the musicianship, which is obviously important. What makes The Winery Dogs so great is, every one of these songs is memorable, catchy, and singable, but at the same time, you have this great musicianship in all three departments. It’s like a three-ring circus. No matter who you’re watching or listening to, you will always be entertained.”
Indeed the trio demonstrated an excellence in musicianship and coordination, all while pulling the Asheville crowd into an shared experience that would most certainly guarantee the band could stake their claim for all to enjoy. Don’t miss The Winery Dogs out on tour when they stop by a town near you!
