Michael Monroe performing at the Rockbar Theater in San Jose, CA. February 13, 2016. Photo by Jared Stossel.

Michael Monroe & Hardcore Superstars (co-headliner)
w/James Durbin
The Rockbar Theatre
San Jose, CA
February 13, 2016

This was a bittersweet show. Maybe it took so long for me to get this up because I had to come to the sad realization that the Rockbar was going to be closed down just one day after this show. It was a beautiful venue, very well run, and was slated to be shut down due to the land being sold. Michael Monroe and Hardcore Superstars' co-headlining tour was the second to last show to take place at the venue.

The floor was completely packed with fans from the very beginning of the night. The show wasn't sold out, but it felt like it. I was pleasantly surprised by this. The first artist up was the only opener, vocalist James Durbin, a local singer from Santa Cruz, California. You may remember him, however, when he was on American Idol many years ago (and one of the best damn contestants that show ever had). Durbin powered through his half hour set with a highly positive demeanor and flawless vocals.

Hardcore Superstars took the stage about twenty minutes later, with massive applause. The Swedish metal-rockers launched straight into their thirteen-track setlist, kicking things off with "Sadistic Girls" and "Guestlist".

After a powerful set from Hardcore Superstars, fans waited for about a half-hour until the highly-anticipated Michael Monroe took the stage for a powerful set. Monroe's set included tracks from not only his solo career, but work from his much-revered time in both Hanoi Rocks AND Demolition 23. Fans received their money's worth.

One of the most unique aspects of the entire performance from Monroe was not only his ability to command a crowd, but his incorporation of saxophone into tracks. You don't usually see a lead vocalist that brings that into music nowadays, and it was fun to watch. The co-headlining Swedish groups truly proved that Sweden knows how to rock, providing an excellent send-off of the San Jose Rockbar Theatre.