By: Johnny Pierson

October 2, 2018

Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators took the stage Saturday night in New Buffalo, Michigan while touring their third album, “Living the Dream”.

The top hat wearing, Les Paul wielding rock legend recently stated in an interview with USA Today that he thought that rock music was no longer mainstream. The fans at the sold-out show at the Four Winds Casino appeared devoted as ever. They also came from all over the country.

Two of those fans were from the East Coast. Kenny Datson is from Charlotte, North Carolina. His longtime friend Forrest resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Both made the trek all the way to Michigan just to see Slash. They were both wearing top hats and aviators, resembling their hero.

Kenny gave some great insight on where he thought the genre might be headed. “Everything’s a cycle, and I believe it will be hugely popular again”.

Forrest, an intense individual, had very strong opinions about it himself. He said, “I’m glad that rock and roll isn’t mainstream anymore. I’m glad that the real people that can feel blues like Slash does and base it in blues and keep it real are here. All the new commercial rock music isn’t blues based and it is just boring”.

Maybe blues-based rock music has lost its luster, but like Kenny said, only for now. Perhaps this is just the rough part of the cycle.

Like Kenny and Forrest, all of the fans there were very into the show. The two were a few rows behind me and they were singing along, air guitaring to Slash’s guitar riffs, and clapping in between songs.

The crowd was so into it that the band announced mid show that they were going to extend the show and play “Lost inside the Girl”, a song from their September 21 release that has never been played live.

Even though it isn’t mainstream, rock music is certainly alive and well, just on a smaller, more private scale.

The vibe of this show could help anyone believe that. As for Slash, he is still touring this album, then setting out again with the reunited Guns N Roses line-up in early November. He certainly shows no signs of slowing down.