Roadcase Royale at The Canyon Club

Nancy Wilson of Roadcase Royale

Roadcase Royale, The Canyon Club, June 1, 2017

Roadcase Royale is the brand new project brought to you courtesy of Liv Warfield of Prince’s New Power Generation and Nancy Wilson, co-founder of the legendary Heart. The band played their debut performance at The 5th Annual Rock Against MS Benefit in March, thrilling the audience with their own glorious brand of impassioned hard rock and blues. A magnificent return was imminent, and as May would arrive at its blustery end, Roadcase Royale would unveil a trio of very special Southern California dates.

The second night would take place at The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills on June 1st, with Roadcase Royale unleashing a vibrantly memorable show consisting of sparkling original tunes as well as Heart selections and even a Prince cover. Opening with a rollicking promise of It Will Get Loud, Roadcase Royale instantly captivated The Canyon Club attendees with this wickedly infectious first release.

The first of three Heart classics arrived early on, when Roadcase Royale ventured into an explosive rendition of Even It Up. Then it was time to unveil the second single released by Roadcase Royale, the absolute stunning Not Giving Up, displaying a massive sense of conviction and perseverance. The Dragon was a persuasive highlight – a heartfelt selection Nancy Wilson dedicated to the memory of Chris Cornell. Another inspiring tribute was presented when the band launched into a superbly funky rendition of Prince’s Controversy – mashed up to the nines with the exhilarating refrains of Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself Again by Sly And The Family Stone.

Liv Warfield of Roadcase Royale

The treasured moments of the night kept on arriving, and this would include a sweeping presentation of the Heart mega-hit These Dreams, with Nancy Wilson displaying a grand amount of poignancy and the audience responding tenfold. One of the originals that sent the room into the stratosphere was the almighty Insaniac, where Liv Warfield resonated like a woman rapturously possessed – a staggering entreaty that gained the band a standing ovation. And if that wasn’t enough hard rockin’ goodness on display, Roadcase Royale launched into a devastating interpretation of Crazy On You – where Liv Warfield slammed headfirst in that classic Heart masterwork and rendered it her very own composition of fire and intrigue! For the encore, Roadcase Royale bestowed upon the crowd their raging take on the Foo Fighters’ No Way Back followed by the grand slam closing number Never Say Die.

Liv Warfield absolutely shines with a thunderous voice that thoroughly enraptures the listener – combined with a commanding stage presence; Ms. Warfield is truly an artist at the height of her creative prowess. Nancy Wilson displays a warmth and radiance that enchants the audience, whether she’s singing with angelic bliss on songs such as In Dreams and The Dragon or performing her ferociously epic guitar interludes. Also included within the ranks of Roadcase Royale are Warfield’s lead guitarist and musical director Ryan Waters and Heart veterans Dan Rothchild (bass), Ben Smith (Drums) and Chris Joyner (Keys). With a just announced tour where the band will be supplying direct support to none other than Bob Seger, expect the summer of 2017 to be nothing short of a massive triumph for the talented collective known as Roadcase Royale. Stay tuned…

(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)

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