Featured Live Music Artist of the Week - Sniper

Finally, after numerous hit-and-misses, I got to see Sniper live and in person.  I had planned to see them many times, but things never worked out.  But this time it did, and it was perfect, an early autumn evening outdoor concert at a local bar.

This band is so prepared, they even built the stage for the event!!  (seriously)

Sniper is a hard rocking 4 piece band, with a bass guitar, lead/rhythm guitar, drums, and lead vocalist/frontman.

This is a band that stays true to the hard rock formula of the 1980s, powerful vocals with an energetic frontman, awesome lead solos with an energetic guitar player, featured drums solos with a hard hitting drummer, and an energetic bassist who loved going out into the crowd.  (Okay, so the bassist wasn't the ordinary 1980s/1970s stand in one spot bass player)

Speaking of going out into the crowd, this band probably makes the best use of cordless instruments an microphones than any local band I have seen in a while.  Throughout each and every song in every set, at least 1 of the band members was rockin out in the crowd (except the drummer.....yet).  The bassist would walk right up to people and slap out some awesome bass lines, the lead guitarist not only went up to people in the crowd and displayed his guitar playing, but the stage couldn't contain him, I think he spent most of the time in front of the stage moving around.  And the lead vocalist, always mixing it up with the audience, singing with them, going up to them, and putting on a show.  Not just a vocalist, but that classic 80s frontman as well.  High energy output from each member of the band, it was more than music, it was also a show. 

But, it's not just the showmanship, this band can play!  Awesome recreations of songs from the 80s and 90s and 70s that we all know and love.  When playing covers, there is definitely pressure to do it right - and they did it right.  All of the songs played perfect tribute to the original songs, many spot on, and some with minor twists that the band threw in, which is always a welcome change!

I can't remember the entire set list, but I do remember a segment where they went from Judas Priest directly into an extended jam version of Radar Love and seamlessly into War Pigs!  Radar Love to War Pigs - now that's variety!   One surprise was when this 4-piece hard rock band broke into a song from a local legendary band, The Ides of March.  That's right, this hard rock band was about to play Vehicle.  (Chicagoans know the significance of that song and that band in music lore)  And you know what, without the use of a horn section, this band PULLED IT OFF!!!  I admit, I was curious as to how such a strong Chicago-horn style song would work without horns - and with only 2 guitars (one being a bass) - but you know what - they rocked it!!!!!  Very cool to have seen/heard!!

Definitely a fun-night-out kinda band.  Between sets the band didn't go hide backstage or in their vehicles (no pun intended) - but rather sat at the bar and did shots with people and drank beers and met people and mingled with their audience.  A great band to book for that fun-night-out type event!!