JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE and STEELHEART @ Motor Mania – West Bend, WI

June 25, 2021

Review by Makena Betler
Photos by David Urmanski

For most people, turning 16 means passing a driver’s test and saving up enough money for a junk car to drive friends around. For Miljenko Matijevic, it meant forming a band that would soon kickstart his career right into the spotlight. Matijevic didn’t even realize this was his calling until after college, but that didn’t slow down the unstoppable force that would soon be known worldwide as Steelheart. In the very beginning, the original four members called themselves Red Alert until 1989 when they made the big move to Los Angeles and began working on their debut, self-titled album to be released the next year.

Soon after its release, Steelheart was certified gold by the RIAA many thanks to the popularity of its hit single, “I’ll Never Let You Go.” The ballad was, no doubt, the love song of the century with poetic harmonies woven with passionate vocals making it the perfect classic 80’s romance anthem. The following year, the iconic glam band wasted no time in releasing their second album, Tangled in Reins. With such a quick rise to fame, Steelheart began touring countries all over the world with the current lineup of Joe Pessia (guitar), Marten Andersson (bass), Mike Humbert (drums), and Miljenko Matijevic (vocals).

Until tonight, it had been 496 long, uneventful days since Steelheart last performed to a live audience with the last 18 months also proving to take a toll on concertgoers all over the world. Longing for live music for what seems like forever, the stunning vocals from Steelheart frontman Matijevic proved to be a superb start to where many of us previously left off. From the moment Steelheart stepped on stage, it was evident they were overjoyed to be performing for an ambitious audience again.

From the very first note of their powerful set, the band never let up their energy and did a fantastic job of keeping the crowd engaged. Towards the end of the performance, they weather turned to rain but it just added fuel to the fire expressed by the band. The set consisted of a healthy mix from all five albums, but the crowd favorite was definitely their biggest hit, “I’ll Never Let You Go.” Steelheart recorded this song in 1990 and Matijevic shocked the crowd of concertgoers when hitting the soaring octaves throughout the acclaimed single.

Well into it’s fourth decade since their inception in 1977, Great White is one of those classic, American rock bands from the 80’s that everyone falls in love with over and over again. With infinite hits and a whole lot of dedication to their musical roots, the band has stolen the hearts of millions worldwide. Founded in Los Angeles by lead vocalist Jack Russell, the band has since split into two bands which perform their own renditions of the classic hits and hold onto the iconic Great White brand. In 2002, Russell broke off from Great White and starting performing as Jack Russell’s Great White in hopes of advancing his passion for the songs he helped create while also exhibiting his solo work.

Jack Russell’s Great White returned to touring sooner than Steelheart did and displayed tremendous spirit and vigor throughout their Friday performance. The energetic, yet effortless vocals from Russell kept the audience on their feet for their entire hour and half set. Jack’s bandmates included Robby Lochner on lead guitar, Dan McNay on bass, Dicki Fliszar on drums and Tony Cardenas, who joined Great White in 1987 to support the band’s first platinum seller Once Bitten, performing on guitar and keys. The chemistry this group has onstage is unparalleled to any other band I’ve seen. They all have tremendous talent and truly love performing to the audience, which makes it that much more enjoyable for the crowd to stay engaged while appreciating the phenomenal performance.

Their set included a blend of music from every Great White and Jack Russell album. “Save Your Love,” and “Rock Me,” from Once Bitten (1987), were definitely crowd favorites. Everyone in attendance was singing and dancing along in an effort to try to match the energy emitting from the stage. The bluesy, familiar tunes brought everyone straight back to the 80’s with the final song, “Once Bitten Twice Shy,” from …Twice Shy (1989) making it impossible for concertgoers to refrain from shaking their booties to the upbeat hit while bringing the night to an unforgettable close. It was, sincerely, a remarkable evening filled to the brim with with monumental musical moments.