SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – March 10, 2011: Fans of “The Zoo,” “Highway to Hell,” “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” and other metal hits won’t want to miss an upcoming show at the famous Avalon. On April 8, long-time favorites Dammaj will headline the Keystone Allstar Tribute Metal Jam.
The Avalon is where guitar greats like Ronnie Montrose, Michael Schenker, George Lynch and other international stars have performed. And this will be the first time Dammaj has performed together in 25 years.
Dammaj will play favorites from their 1986 album Mutiny, which will be released on CD the day of the show. Then, the band will host an ‘80s tribute concert, featuring the songs of The Scorpions, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Van Halen, Metallica, Motley Crüe and many other popular groups. The songs will be performed by bands that played Palo Alto’s Keystone Club in the ‘80s.
Making a very special appearance will be Dammaj’s old friends T. Michael Riddle (“The Rooster”) on guitar and Jon Hampton (“Mongoose”) on bass. Both are formerly with ‘80s metal band Valhalla; this will be the first time the two have performed together in more than 20 years. Craig Martin (“Samurai”), who has opened for The Tubes, Traffic, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blue Öyster Cult, will round out the trio on drums. Craig’s abilities add considerable thump to Riddle and Hampton’s sound.
The Rooster, Mongoose and Samurai will make a brief, exciting scene at the show. The three are now involved in a new project, MAXX12. Rock legend Ronnie Montrose is executive producer for MAXX12’s debut CD, Raw.
Montrose said this about Riddle and Hampton, “When we hear guitarists, we naturally tend to compare them to others of their ilk…However, upon close listening, T. Michael Riddle has carved out a very unique niche for himself when expressing who he is on guitar. And when I listen to the solid, confident, aggressive bass playing that is Jon, I would imagine that his personality would be the same of sorts…That’s not the case! Jon is a soft-spoken gentleman whom I doubt really knows how good he truly is…Good for you, Jon! We need more like you in the music world.”
In regards to Martin, Montrose said, “If you think of MAXX12 as a ‘tripod,’ Craig is an absolute equal part of the musical triangle…Not only is he a powerhouse drummer with a rock-solid groove, he also supplies the much sought-after but seldom-achieved addition of superb vocals to the mix!” Martin, whose work with Viper Drums has resulted in displays at four Hard Rock Cafés internationally, said their stage performance will be eclectic and epic.
Other Allstar Jam appearances will be made by former members of Heathen, Moxy Lama, Eclipse, Rellik, Krystal Jem, Mad Anthony, Lethal Creed, Tonight, Wicked Wish, Kid Blue, Slam Nancy and Antarus.
Doors open at 7 pm and the show starts at 8 pm for the Keystone Allstar Tribute Metal Jam. Tickets are $10 in advance or $13 at the door. The Avalon is located at 777 Lawrence Expressway in Santa Clara. Phone: 408.241.0777. For more information on Dammaj, contact ghill21343@aol.com or 408.772.1306. For information on Riddle, Hampton, Martin or MAXX12, contact 707.971.0687 or beaversonjl@gmail.com, or visit www.maxx12music.com. For information on The Avalon, contact www.avalonsantaclara.com. www.nativehunt.com
