It was quite a night of pure rock as Chest Rockwell opened for the Gypsies at Dublin’s Irish Pub. Although the two bands are in quite different planes of hard rock, there is no mistaking that when you’re checking out their shows, it’s going to be a rocking good time. 

Chest Rockwell is a five-piece, which allows them to play the indie-progressive style that makes them unique. The two guitars by Josh Hines and Seth Wilson and keys by David Cole open things up quite nicely for experimentation and expansion. The rhythm section of Nick Stewart on bass and Nick Rouse on drums keeps it rocking. 

Chest Rockwell has three full-length CDs and some other releases, so you can check them out at your leisure. Just go to www.chestrockwell.bandcamp.com for more info. And be sure to catch them live if you can. They’re from Bowling Green, but have toured all over the USA.

The Gypsies are a classic three-piece. To be redundant, they are your basic power trio. Dublin’s is not that big a place, but they brought in the Marshall double stack to blow us away. They opened with some Jimi, just to give you a reference point. But there were plenty of originals too. All were straight-forward, in-your-face rock and roll. This band is Tracy Owens’ baby, and he does much of the singing/writing as well as booming on the bass. Drummer Ed Fred only knows one speed, and that’s steamrolling. This provides a nice, solid base for lead guitarist/singer Justin Radcliff, who shreds it often. If you like the hard stuff ,you can’t go wrong with the Gypsies. 

You can get info and hear some of their music at www.reverbnation.com/gypsiesbytracy. And when you see their next show posted there, bring your head banging gear and go see them. Good stuff.

About the author: Pennman bought his first 45 at age nine and has been hooked on rock ever since. He has spent much of his disposable income on music, especially live performances. He writes reviews of the shows he sees and keeps a keen lookout for upcoming shows in or near Bowling Green. He has a BA in Communications, specializing in journalism, and has dabbled in music himself, both as a player and instructor. Visit him at www.facebook.com/pennman