The Quarantine Tour 2021 featuring Faster Pussycat and Enuff Z’Nuff stopped by the Rail Club Live in Fort Worth on Wednesday for the first of a handful of Texas dates.
The tour is a reschedule from 2020 when live music and other industries suffered damaging blows courtesy of the global pandemic.
For a Wednesday night, the turnout for the headliners and four local support acts was impressive.
Local acts ranged from a solo acoustic performance, straight forward hard rock to a unique presentation of a female fronted Gothic Metal band.
As the night progressed, music piped through the PA began to slightly change directions. This was evident with songs like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Don’t Stop Believing” being played. What normally is standard for a show turned into crowd sing-a-long with plenty of smiles and togetherness.
There may have been a method to the series of song selections.
With a more than charged crowd, members of Enuff Z’Nuff took the stage one by one. The band started strumming a repetitive chord. The notes crescendoed little by little leading up to the arms wide open, welcoming gesture entrance from bassist Chip Z’Nuff.
With the wave of crowd excitement for a band that’s been absent from Texas for many years, Enuff Z’Nuff launched into their opener number.
The band’s first selection was not just an ordinary set opener, it was “Magical Mystery Tour” by the Beatles. And it was Z’Nuff in his jeweled captain’s hat that would be piloting the Enuff Z’Nuff voyage.
Chip Z’Nuff welcomes to Rail Club Live crowd to the magical Enuff Z’Nuff experience. Photo by Brian McLean Chip Z’nuff and his jeweled captain’s hat. Photo by Brian McLean
Their version of the Beatles cover was insanely amazing with that Enuff Z’Nuff vocal vibe. Covering a legendary song live is a risky move but the band flowed through it with ease. The inclusion of the song was a great addition, setting the tone for Enuff Z’Nuff’s show. There was no turning back.
With numerous studio albums under their belt, Enuff Z’Nuff had plenty of material for their ten song set.
Z’Nuff displayed that he’s not just a frontman leading a band, he would spin tales and greet people from the stage on several occasions.
Welcoming the crowd with open arms just wasn’t a gesture, he made each individual feel welcomed. From the barricade all the way to the Rail Club beverage staff. Everyone felt at home which is normal for shows at the Rail Club Live, Z’Nuff just amplified it even more.
Enuff Z’Nuff kept the time machine centered on material early in the band’s career from the 1989 debut with “Kiss the Clown,” “In the Groove,” set closers “Fly High Michelle” and “New Thing.”
Strength, the band’s second album saw “The World is a Gutter,” “Heaven or Hell” and “Baby Loves You” in the set.
Even though Z’Nuff remains the sole person from the debut, the band consisted of veterans and the delivery of the show was just that. A nice smooth running show that helps to forget the lack of live music in 2020.
Bassist and frontman Chip Z’nuff. Photo by Brian McLean The show must go on for drummer Dan Hill whose leg is in a cast.
Photo by Brian McLeanRhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tony Fennell. Photo by Brian McLean.
Every song had that fresh sound. The band was tight and dead time on stage was non existent.
An Enuff Z’Nuff set is ideal for a summer concert even if it’s the only one for the season. Their performance isn’t a mystery of their songs, it’s a magical night of their songs.
The best prescription to rid the 2020 lack of live music cobwebs is catching Enuff Z’Nuff live.
Writer’s Note: A full review of Faster Pussycat’s show slated for Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at Oscar’s in Burleson will be published.
Fantastic review — and stellar photos — of a criminally overlooked, misunderstand band. Bravo, Brian!