When it comes to down and dirty rock and roll, there is no band who defines the term bad boys of rock better than Twisted Sister. So why should a Christmas show be any different?
Playing songs from both their A Twisted Christmas album, as well as hits from their thirty-five-year career such as ”Destroyer,” ”I Wanna Rock” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” Twisted Sister knows how to give a crowd exactly what they want. And for a sold out crowd in New York’s Best Buy Theater in Times Square last Saturday, that was a lot.
The nearly two hour set included a Twisted Santa Claus factory, crazy elves, smoking hot reindeer, snow machines, a giant Ozzy Osbourne statue, and all five original members of Twisted Sister. Dee Snider dressed as Santa entered on a sleigh pulled by scantily clad reindeer, giving presents to all the naughty boys and girls in the audience, in the form of condoms and candy canes pulled from a big red sack.
They tore into their first number, “Silver Bells,” followed with almost no pause at all by “The Kids Are Back.” The set was an even mix between all the rock we have known and loved for the past thirty-five years and the amped-up Christmas tunes that would be the center of that day’s Twisted Christmas.
I dare you to find a better front man than Dee Snider. This is a man who gives 120% on stage every show he plays and honestly has more energy and stage presence than most of the young bands out there that are half his age. Drummer AJ Pero delivered a thunderous drum solo halfway through the set that included flashing drumsticks while playing in the dark so that the audience could see how fast this man’s hands move. Bassist Mark “The Animal” Mendoza complimented Pero to create a solid foundation on which this temple of rock has been standing for over three decades. This, coupled by the dual attack of guitarists Eddie “Fingers” Ojeda and Jay Jay French, each sporting Christmas-themed guitars, created a rock and roll experience that will never be forgotten. Twisted Sister yet again proved that “You Can’t Stop Rock and Roll.”
If you are looking to rock this holiday season, do yourself a favor and pick up A Twisted Christmas—you will not be disappointed. Check out some of the madness I managed to capture in photos from this past Saturday’s show, and then head on over to TwistedSister.com for more info, tour dates, and merch.
Photos by Dave Barnhouser, 13th Hour Photography
