My Jack Russell Curse...

It seems that I am cursed by Great White frontman Jack Russell...

Jack Russell of Great White

In 2012 I bought a ticket to see Great White perform at a biker bar in SLC. When I arrived I waited and waited and waited at the outdoor stage that was just a platform sticking out of the cut out side of an old semi trailer. Finally a band came out, and they were doing a sound check by playing Great White tunes. I thought, "Why would the opening act play songs by the main act?" That's when I noticed that the guitarist and keyboardist on stage looked like the guitarist and keyboardist that were pictured in the "...Twice Shy" CD liner notes I had with me. Well who is that dude singing with them? That sure isn't Jack Russell.

A quick wiki search revealed that the band had split and there were now two Great Whites in the world, unbeknownst to me, and apparently I was seeing the one with original members Mark Kendall (guitar) and Michael Lardie (keyboard). Well that didn't set well with me. At all. With me the bands I enjoy are really for the singers. Every other person in the band can be replaced but the singer (excluding Van Halen, in which only the singer can be replaced), when they are replaced its a whole different band. So therefore I was pretty upset seeing someone other than Jack Russell singing for Great White. I decided I wasn't going to stay to see fake Great White, but I went to the side of the stage and waited for them to finish their sound check. As they came off stage I was able to meet Mark and Michael and get them to sign the liner notes I had and then left. The show was only $10, so I figured I hadn't lost that much; I mean I did get to meet some members of the Great White I've known and loved for most my life, and I got to be terrified by some pretty hardcore bikers. Win/Win. Except no Jack Russell.



Jack Russell's Great White



Fast forward to July 2014, I see Jack Russell's Great White is going to be playing at a charity event/biker rally for the Children and the Earth organization (childrenandtheearth.com) and I knew I had to be there. Ever since I recieved Great White's greatest hits for my 14th birthday I have been a huge fan (I also recieved L.A. Guns' self-titled and the greatest hits of Winger, Night Ranger, and Faster Pussycat. It was a life changing birthday gift, from my dad. Thanks dad!). Those albums helped shape my musical tastes, which ultimately shaped who I am today. There was no way I was missing out on this show! Everything was planned out, I'd go to work, hit up a family BBQ, and head to the show. Apparently I am cursed when it comes to seeing Jack Russell. I got off work late, my car broke down on the freeway on my way to the BBQ and I had to be towed, luckily I was able to borrow a vehicle but then had to go back to work to resolve an issue. So hell, first I go to see the band and they're fake, now everything is conspiring against me to prevent me from seeing this show! But against all odds I made it, I got there just early enough to meet Jack next to the stage when the sound check was happening and he signed the liner notes from one of his solo albums, and he also signed the same liner notes that the other members of fake Great White had signed in 2012. I was so excited to meet him, and he is such a cool guy to talk to. I also was able to get original bassist Tony Montana's signature on the liner notes that night, which makes 4 out of 5 of the musicians that recorded that album who have signed it. Even though I may have bad luck when it comes to this band, it didn't affect the performance, it was amazing. It was exactly how I wanted Great White to sound, and exactly what I needed after the wrath I got from the curse that day. Hearing him sing songs like "Desert Moon," and "Rock Me," which were such a part of my teenage years was very special for me. If you ever have a chance to see Jack Russell's Great White I highly recommend it! But I wouldn't bother with fake Great White...

Silver signatures: Top Left - Michael Lardie, Bottom Right - Mark Kendall from the 2012 (fake) Great White show. Black signatures: Bottom Left - Tony Montana, Top Right - Jack Russell from 2014 Jack Russell's Great White show.