Fellow rock fans!
I know that you’re aware of some of the massive tours coming up this summer to crank up the volume during another tropical season of tasty musical delights. Buckcherry, The Offspring, Billy Idol, Volbeat, and many other acts will help make your summer feel like one endless beach party. And if you’re an eighties rock fan, there’s another tour you’re not going to want to miss, and that’s Enuff Z’Nuff with Permacrush and Band, Inc. The proof is right here in this gig review when a circle of rock connoisseurs witnessed this line-up at SoHo Live on a sultry June night in lower Manhattan. The streets were throbbing with local drug dealers, manic street preachers, prostitutes, and Chinese bootleggers always looking to swindle the tourists while presenting knock-off brands from Gucci and Kate Spade, leading to scuzzy, if not unorthodox, results. However, I’m here to cover a concert, not shady business practices.
There’s no shortage of places to dine at in lower Manhattan if you’re strolling in Chinatown or Little Italy. But what happens when, hours later, you still cannot decide where to eat? Whether you find yourself scrolling through OpenTable or Yelp and, as someone usually tries to eat at a local restaurant, especially if it’s twenty minutes or closer to the venue – I suggest checking out Burger by Day, a burger joint in Chinatown. The setting is laid-back, allowing you and your company to indulge in a Double Bacon Smash Burger, which is what I had. With a stomach full of tasty goodness, I drifted to the venue, my intuition sensing the steamy air permeating the city as others arrived fashionably late for a pre-show dinner at SoHo Live and a drink or two but arrived just in time for a hell-raising opening set from Boston’s Band, Inc.
The hard rock trio Band, Inc. from Boston, MA, sounded charming, performing a short but dazzling set of five aromatic originals like Queen of Insanity, I’m a Midnight Rider, and an alluring cover of What’s Up? by 4 Non-Blondes. It doesn’t matter if Band, Inc is playing theaters opening for Alice Cooper or basement clubs the size of a one-bedroom apartment in Williamsburg; lead vocalist and bassist Giuliana Lucia Amaral and her duo of talented dudes fuzzing out the strings and drilling the drums made sure to make themselves known, despite the audience turnout. They killed it to keep the static flowing from Permacrush.
The three-piece rock band from Indianapolis named Permacrush was up next to keep the lively night in SoHo moving, drawing primarily on the late seventies and early eighties hard rock and early two-thousands rock, laced with their contemporary perspective, powered up by Chris Crush (vocals/lead guitar), Brett Baugh (rhythm guitar), Alex A Tuccio (drums), with Chip Z’nuff as the guest assist rounding out the rhythm section on bass — Permacrush commanded the listener’s attention, ordering the cluster of attendees to do exactly as what the music called for during their minimal set time to pull the fans out of the shadows and on to the dance floor. The trio band has built a reputation through playing fast, thunderous songs like Major Disappointment and Dirty Looks (from Six Foot Models) and putting on an endearing live show to get the throng of rockers ready for the hooky, power-pop stylings of Enuff Z’Nuff.
With a reputation for groovy, high-octane live shows, the four-ring circus of Enuff Z’Nuff, fronted by lead singer and bassist Chip Z’Nuff, surrounded by Jason Camino pairing up with Luis Kalil (rhythm/lead guitars), and Brentt Arcement (drums) smoothed up the score of the crowd with the opener The World is a Gutter. What followed was a flurry of dazzling, merry melodies – impulsive beats pummeling against the sonic gleam of distortion. The striking hour-and-ten-minute set cultivated by Enuff Z’Nuff’s palpable fury was as if they were performing in front of fifty-five thousand people, much like the Beatles did when they took over Shea Stadium in 1965. The World is a Gutter was undeniably a hefty way to open the set. It was like the lighting of the electro drift – each of the set’s tracks explores the hard rock, power pop, and psychedelia that Enuff Z’Nuff is known for. The result flipped the script with a great set covering material from the early days of the band, including Baby Loves You, the mid-paced, sublime rocker from In the Groove, and obscure gems for superfans, such as Kiss the Clown and Little Indian Angel.
The evergreen days of Enuff Z’Nuff dominated the set list with good reason, as programs like the Howard Stern Show and Late Night with David Letterman helped the band stand out during the hazy Aquanet era of hair metal irreverence. Instead, Enuff Z’Nuff has much more in common with Cheap Trick and the Beatles. Speaking of the Beatles — the New York date coincidentally took place on June 18th, when Sir Paul McCartney was born, so of course, Enuff Z’Nuff honored Paul’s birthday with two charged tributes from Wings in Jet, including Live and Let Die receiving an over-driven crowd reaction. There are certain dates in history when you wake up knowing the day will feel unearthly, like when an Enuff Z’Nuff concert lands on an icon’s birthday, feeling like all the planets are going to align like how two events connect; the day will have you feeling supernatural enough to fill in the missing pieces. Of course, Enuff Z’nuff would be remiss if they didn’t play their biggest hits – New Thing and Fly High Michelle. The band received considerable exposure in 1989 due to songs featured on popular TV shows, such as Beverly Hills, 90210, and as recently as 2022, with New Thing being featured during the first season of Peacemaker.
Very few bands from the eighties can survive the ravishes of time. Enuff Z’Nuff remains an influential force in a diverse range of genres, including blues, classic rock, hard rock, power pop, and psychedelia. From the first shocking riff to the discharging encores of Heaven or Hell and With a Little Help from My Friends, one more tribute to Sir Paul to close the set, Enuff Z’Nuff refused to give less than 10,000,000 percent, powering through a living-room-sized party and expectations with youthful vigor. Seeing Enuff Z’Nuff live with all of their warts, scars, and tattoos to show it wasn’t just a regular gig—it was a three-band bonanza with Permacrush and Band, Inc. To anyone who hasn’t heard their music beyond their 1989 eponymous debut album, check out their discography, as Enuff Z’Nuff is breaking out with sensational hard rock throughout this sweltering time of the year with the release of their Xtra Cherries album, featuring festival dates that will make your summer a little sweeter.
Like every show they have done, Chip Z’Nuff sticks around to hang with the people who put Enuff Z’Nuff where they are today. It’s his way of expressing gratitude for you showing up. It’s an act of kindness that deserves the utmost admiration. At an Enuff Z’Nuff show, every fan receives VIP treatment. The summer touring season showcasing our world of heavy music is hitting grand slam shows all across the nation every day, and you’re still trying to figure out who to see live. Not on my watch. Hit up a date if Enuff Z’Nuff is performing in your area. If you haven’t seen this band live yet and you’re looking for a spicy night out after work or your day off tomorrow, do yourself a favor and expect an unrestrained experience — great songs, stage energy that could tinder a bonfire, and the kind of summer night that turns concerts into a night to remember.
