The Winery Dogs
Unleashed in Japan 2013

THE REVIEW

After reviewing their latest studio effort, that "Hot Streak" which only further confirms the tremendous cohesion of this band, let's take a brief step back. More precisely, let's go back to 2014, the year this live album was released. "Hot Streak" hadn't come out yet, and naturally, the setlist includes only tracks from the first album, plus a few covers. But let's go in order. The audio/video quality of the product is truly satisfying; a decent number of cameras ensure good shots of both the audience and the musicians themselves, making the concert enjoyable throughout its duration. The audio is really good, all the instruments are perfectly audible and well-mixed, offering the listener a homogeneous sound without any instruments overpowering the others (something that didn't happen with Dream Theater, where Portnoy's drums were often too invasive). But aside from audio/video quality, how did the live performance turn out? Well, considering that the three musicians that make up the band are named RICHIE KOTZEN, BILLY SHEEHAN, and MIKE PORTNOY, the words are redundant. The three Drunk Dogs deliver a performance of great quality and depth, exactly what you would expect from three musicians of this caliber. The rhythmic duo Portnoy/Sheehan is lethal, while Kotzen's guitar produces excellently played riffs and solos, and his voice reaches really high peaks, proving him to be an exceptionally skilled singer. An honorable mention goes to the covers. The band plays "You can't save me" from Kotzen's solo repertoire, "Shine," an immortal classic of Mr. Big, and "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" by Elvin Bishop, performed in a truly masterful manner. The Winery Dogs demonstrate they are a great band live as well, they don't miss a beat (which was expected given the musicians) and they really move you. Highly recommended purchase.