TESLA : THE LAS VEGAS RESIDENCY
OCTOBER 2023
HOUSE OF BLUES, MANDALAY BAY
Due to an overwhelming demand from their spring residency at the House Of Blues Las Vegas, TESLA was back this fall for another run of 5 nights that gives fans a run through their 40+ year career. This has been one of the best and popular residency to me, that the HOB has had in recent years.
The band was introduced by Eddie Trunk, and wasted no time in giving the fans a party kick off with “Modern Day Cowboy", That got the crowd on their feet. Taking the fans on a journey through the band's history, they followed that up with a great version of “Hang Tough”, and then a cover of Aerosmiths’ “S.O.S”.
Vocalist Jeff Keith talked about touring with Def Leppard in 1987, and becoming good friends with the departed Steve Clark, and dedicated "Miles Away". Keith talked about old songs they played back in 1986, and now here they are playing them here in Las Vegas in 2023.
The best moment of the night was the crowd singing along to “What You Give”. It sounded as if everyone in the building was singing, and brought big smiles to the faces of the Tesla members. Guitarist Dave Rude did a great opening solo to the song “Edison's Medicine”, and after that the stage crew brought out two acoustic guitars in which , Dave and Frank Hannon played the opening to “Love Song”. Frank stopped playing and asked the crowd “ if they were still having fun”? Then put on a white double neck guitar to finish out the song.
Near the end the band said they had a special guest here tonight, and this man has played more Tesla music than anyone, and was the moving force on getting the band back together again after their breakup. Pat Martin was a radio guy who really made all this possible and the band brought him out onstage to thank him personally. Tesla ended their show with "Little Suzi "before exiting the stage, but after a brief moment returned
with their big hit “Signs”, a cover originally by The Five Man Electrical Band with Jeff coming back onstage wearing a hat while singing the words "long-haired freaky people need not apply", and threw the hat off to the side of the stage. The band ended the song to a standing ovation, and thanked the fans for coming out and keeping Tesla alive.
This is my second time catching a Vegas residency show, and the band sounds better than they ever have. Jeff’s voice is solid and Frank and Dave Rude's guitar playing is timeless. A band who has endured 40+ years of solid rock n roll, congrats to TESLA on a great residency and hope they come back and do it again.
Tesla Setlist October 4 Las Vegas
S.O.S. (Too Bad) (Aerosmith cover)
Little Suzi (Ph.D. cover)
Encore:
Signs (Five Man Electrical Band cover)
TESLA Photos : Harold Mountain / JustAFanPhotos
