Ugly Kid Joe/Fozzy - Ventura, CA - 5/5/23
Ugly Kid Joe is an American rock band formed in 1989. This year, they announced their first USA tour in over two decades. In 2022, they released their fifth studio album Rad Wings of Destiny. For this tour, they brought with them Fozzy and Pistols at Dawn. The third stop on the tour was at the Majestic Ventura Theater in Ventura, California. UKJ is from Isla Vista, California so this was a hometown show for them. A Friday night was perfect for a show like this.
Fozzy came out and started their show with Sane. The crowd was on their feet from the start. Fronting the band was none other than Y2J Chris Jericho who is also a famous wrestler, mostly known for his time in WWE. Alternating between wrestling and being a rock star is a lot of work, but he does it flawlessly. The next few songs were Nowhere to Run, Do You Wanna Start a War and Lights Go Out. The whole band was energetic the whole time and they know how to keep the crowd from being bored. The stage was filled with bright lights and fog. After a few more hits, the show seemed to come to an end with one of their best songs, Enemy. Fozzy left the stage and all seemed quiet. After a few minutes of cheering from the crowd, Fozzy came back out for one more song. To end their set, they played their most popular song Judas. Fans were rocking out and singing along. Fozzy ended their set, then left the stage. The main band was still yet to come.
Lots of old school UKJ fans were in attendance sporting merch from throughout the years so you could tell they were more excited for their chance to see UKJ. The lights went out and the crowd went wild once again as UKJ made their way to the stage. They started their set with That Ain't Livin', the first track from the newest album. The venue was nicely packed by now so surely UKJ felt welcomed in their hometown. Even after all these years, they still put on a rockin' show and the crowd went wild for them. Lots of their hits were played which included Neighbor, Cat's in the Cradle, Goddamn Devil and Jesus Rode a Harley. Nearing the end of the show, UKJ showed appreciation for one of their influences when they performed a Motörhead cover of Ace of Spades. Now, it was time for the show to come to an end. They played their most famous song, Everything About You. This was the last chance the audience had to rock out and they delivered. UKJ wrapped up their set, then left the stage. It was good to see UKJ return to the USA after such a long time and hopefully it's not another 20 years before they return.
Photos and review by Misael Ruiz
Ugly Kid Joe
Fozzy
