Ugly Kid Joe

Ugly Kid Joe Rad Wings of Destiny tour – Cleveland, Ohio

Nearly impossible to believe it has been 27 years since Ugly Kid Joe toured the USA. With that being said we knew there was zero way we were going to miss the chance to catch the show. The closest date to us was in Cleveland, Ohio at the lovely Agora Theatre. Supporting UKJ was Fozzy {on select dates} and Pistols At Dawn.

Founding members, vocalist Whitfield Crane and guitarist Klaus Eichstadt, were joined by drummer Cam Greenwood, guitarist Dave Fortman, and bassist Mike Squires. The group started the night off with That Aint Livin off their 2022 release Rad Wings of Destiny and as the night went on it was hard to fathom they had taken such a long break. Crane kept the crowd engaged and entertained throughout the performance and even gave a little history lesson on Klaus’ guitar. They played the mandatory Cats in the Cradle and Neighbor as well as other fan favorites. Motorhead’s Ace of Spades was a nice surprise, however not entirely shocking, as they are not shy about their admiration for Lemmy and band. The only disappointment, if any, was the lack of a complete sell out show. I blame that solely on logistics as the event was the same evening as 3 other larger events in the area.

The evening seemed to end way too soon in my opinion, but that is only because UKJ is such a great live band. I am really hoping it will not be another quarter of a century before we see them tour again!