In The Clubs
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Dio – Master of the Moon
Tour
10/26/04 Phoenix
By Zane Ewton
|
 There
is a full moon in a cloudy October sky. The chill of Halloween is
only days away. What better setting could there be for a heavy metal
legend to roll into town.
Dio shook the Phoenix desert with a show
that was light in theatrics but heavy on the hits, with a few surprises
mixed in as well.
Not even a terrible venue like the converted
alleyway that is Alice Cooperstown could put down a passionate audience
or diminish the sheer power of a Dio show. It can be difficult for
a band with a reputation for the theatrical to be able to have the same
effect when the stage is stripped down. Ronnie James Dio never needed
the wild stage show, his powerful voice and anthemic songwriting is enough.
 The
stage props can distract from what is great about Dio. Ronnie James
still sounds amazing. He has always been able to have electrifying
backing musicians and his current band is no exception.
But the most essential thing is the songs.
Dio has enough heavy metal anthems to flood any set list. He played
them all. “Holy Diver”, “”Last in Line”, “Stand Up and Shout”; all
the favorites, but he threw in a couple surprises too.
 “Man
on the Silver Mountain” is signature Ronnie James but he also unleashed
the outstanding Rainbow track, “Long Live Rock and Roll” and the rarely
played “Gates of Babylon. Everyone expects to hear “Heaven and Hell”.
They got “Heaven and Hell” but also a thunderous “The Sign of the Southern
Cross” from the Black Sabbath album The Mob Rules.
The set was full of highlights from every
era of Dio’s career. New tracks like “One More for the Road” were
able to stand up with all the hits.
 From
top to bottom, Dio puts on an exceptional show. To be able to see
this band in a small venue is a great experience. Ronnie James made
sure to shake every hand and throw up the devil horns to every face in
the crowd; an act that was returned in spades.
A Dio concert is a reaffirmation in the
power of rock and roll. A surge in excitement for music that is strong
and uplifting. Basically, an example of everything that is great
about rock and roll.
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Photos By Keavin Wiggins Copyright Iconoclast Entertainment
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