Friday Feb 16th - Josey Scott's Saliva would perform their first gig of the year at The Vixen in McHenry, Illinois, on Friday night, kicking off their 2024 tour dates. Located along the Fox River, the original establishment that eventually became The Vixen was initially called the Empire Theater, built in 1919 by John and Mattie Smith, who were once traveling performers themselves. The Empire Theater began as a place for live entertainment such as vaudeville shows and silent pictures, but quickly evolved into a hub for community activities, fundraisers, and diverse group gatherings, including magicians, radio celebrities, and school events. Roy Miller took over administration after John and Mattie died in 1931 and 1937, respectively, and renamed it the Colony Theatre in 1939. It became a popular destination in McHenry until a devastating fire destroyed it in 1951. Determined to repair their beloved movie palace, the community banded together, and the McHenry Theatre reopened in February 1955. The McHenry Theatre, which operated until 2014, was revived in 2018 thanks to a group of local investors. However, due to the pandemic and the popularity of movie streaming, attendance dropped, prompting its closure in January 2022. Undeterred, the same community investors funded and restored the facility, renaming it The Vixen. The Vixen, currently considered as the area's top live entertainment establishment, hosts live music, comedy performances, and serves a variety of beverages, carrying on McHenry's entertainment tradition. The venue, which can accommodate roughly 780 attendees, is in impeccable order and boasts some of the most significant sound equipment and lighting that I've seen in a neighborhood bar-style venue. It is an impressive performing space, and I would strongly advise anyone in the vicinity to see a show at this premier location.
Josey Scott is best known as the former lead vocalist of the Grammy-nominated rock band Saliva. Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, Scott played a significant role in creating and shaping Saliva's early success with his distinctive voice and energetic stage presence. Scott co-founded Saliva in 1996 and became the band's leader, contributing greatly to their breakthrough album, "Every Six Seconds" (2001), which featured chart-topping hits such as "Click Click Boom" and the Grammy-nominated "Your Disease." His robust, powerful vocals became a defining feature of Saliva's sound during their ascension in the post-grunge and nu-metal eras. After more than a decade with Saliva, Scott departed the band in 2011 to help raise his children as well as pursue other musical endeavors. He has collaborated with artists such as Nickelback's Chad Kroeger, co-writing the song "Hero," which was featured in the soundtrack of the 2002 film "Spider-Man," winning an MTV Music Video Award and reaching #1 on the Billboard Modern & Mainstream Rock charts. While Saliva found a new lead vocalist, Scott's reputation is inextricably linked with the band's success and his distinctive addition to their style. Josey's new version of Saliva has been described as follows: "Much like many other bands who have had multiple versions of a band/brand (i.e. Great White, LA Guns, Beach Boys, Black Flag, Yes, The Byrds, Ratt, etc.), this is 'Josey Scotts Saliva', who performs the songs that he wrote with his new band." This project has been in the works for more than a year and is finally ready to go on tour." The band is made up of Josey Scott (vocals), Ben Hosterman (lead guitar), Dylan Edney (rhythm guitar & step son), 9 (bass), and Justin Barber (drums).
Josey Scott's Saliva delivered a powerhouse live performance, treating fans to a dynamic setlist that consisted of all the top hits Josey wrote during his time with the band, as well as tributes to some of the band's influences. Opening the show with the energetic "Blacksheep," the band immediately established the tone for the evening, engaging the enthusiastic audience. As they flawlessly transitioned into "Superstar," Saliva's trademark blend of hard-hitting rock and addictive songs filled the venue, captivating the audience from beginning to end. The anthemic "Ladies And Gentlemen" maintained the pace, with Josey commanding the stage with his infectious energy while the audience sung along. Fans' excitement was further heightened by "Cellophane," when Josey encouraged everyone there to embrace their inner Stone Cold Steve Austin and give a loud "Hell Yeah!" when the song finished. The energy in the room increased with every song as Josey's connection to the crowd was evident. Emotions were running high when Josey sang "Broken Sunday," dedicating the song to his late son Cody, who unfortunately passed away in 2021 from complications related to COVID-19. His voice carried the raw passion of his heartfelt homage to his beloved son across the venue. "Greater Than Less Than" would follow. Before the song started, Josey gave a speech on his desire to help remove the stigma associated with mental illness in society. He talked on how no one needs to face mental health issues by themselves and related a tale about life after his first band Blackbone. After the band broke up, he fell into a depressive state. He withdrew from society for a while and sought solace back in Tennessee. He thought back to how he had spent that time formulating the concept for his next band, which would eventually become "Saliva". He said that's when he would linkup with guitarist Wayne Swinny, who Josey referred to themselves as the "Toxic Twins". He then took a moment to pay tribute to Wayne, who had recently passed away in 2023 from a brain hemorrhage he had sustained while on tour. "Greater Than Less Than" was the first song the band wrote, according to Josey, and stated their aim was to be the baddest band out of Memphis. Next up was "Survival of the Sickest," for which Josey urged fans to check out the music video on YouTube if they haven't already, and that it includes his beautiful wife ripping up the streets in a muscle car. Josey would then ask the audience if they were okay with the band performing some songs they liked to listen to, with spectacular renditions of "Them Bones" by Alice In Chains, "Killing In The Name" by Rage Against The Machine, who Josey described as a huge influence on Saliva, and "My Hero" by Foo Fighters, paying homage to some of their musical inspirations as well as the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Josey recalled the first time he saw Taylor perform live, saying he reminded him of Animal from the Muppets because he was so wild behind the kit. "Rest In Pieces," which followed and demonstrated Saliva's diversity, was written, according to Josey, with significant assistance from Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue). Josey expressed his gratitude to first responders and military personnel in attendance during the highly popular song "Hero," which is best known from the 2002 Spider-Man 2 soundtrack and features him on Chad Kroeger's (Nickelback) debut single. At the end of the song, the band would leave the stage, leaving drummer Justin Barber behind the kit, who would then break into a blistering drum solo that had the audience erupting in cheers. As the rest of the band returned to the stage, Josey would exhort the audience to give it up one more time for Justin, mentioning how he was always fortunate with outstanding drummers. The show culminated with an amazing three-song encore. The first track was the harrowing "Always," which addresses domestic abuse. Josey revealed that the song was written about his ex-girlfriend's sister, whom he had a crush on at the time, and how she was being abused by her boyfriend. The clear fan favorite of the night, "Click, Click, Boom," elicited the rowdiest reaction from the crowd, as bodies started to move around and the main floor. "Your Disease" would conclude the night, with Josey referring to the track as "the one that started it all," giving the audience one last chance to let loose and finishing off a memorable evening of rock and roll.
With the band's 2024 tour plans just getting underway, fans across the United States will soon be able to catch them in a location near you. The band's next couple dates will be at The Roxy Theatre in Denver, Colorado on February 22nd, followed by Liquid Joe's in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 23rd. Starting May 4th, the band will team up with Trapt, Tantric, Adema, and One Day Alive for the "Parental Advisory" 2024 tour, which is presently set to include 13 shows with more to be added. You can check out all of this years dates and find tickets here. Josey and his band undoubtedly appear to be in top form and I would highly recommend any followers of the band to attend one of this year's shows if they come to your area!
Review & Photography By: Nick Buzinski
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