Dangerous Tribute to Michael Jackson at Bowery Ballroom

After a delicious meal at XO on Hester Street featuring the house special seafood fried rice, sesame paste pancakes, shrimp dumplings, Japanese-style dumplings in zesty mayonnaise, chopped up braised ribs and the like, Allan, Sarah and I made our way over to the Bowery Ballroom to -- at last -- pay our hard rockin' respects to the late Michael Jackson.

With members of Tragedy, the heavy metal tribute to the Bee Gees and then an all-star cast of folks from every New York tribute band that matters, Dangerous took the stage. The group included several members of Satanicide, one of my all-time favorite bands -- the greatest Spinal Tap-esque band since Spinal Tap.

Jesus H. Juice was on lead vocals and guitar and sang "Thriller" to open the show. Most of the lead vocal duties were farmed out to guest vocalists -- too numerous for me to recall. Blanket Peterson, the "lead lead guitarist," who was sporting a very cool lace shirt and black pantyhose, also took a fair number of turns at singing the lead vocals.

"Rock with You" followed quickly upon "Thriller," and the show was in full swing.

The band featured not one but two keytarists: Cowboy Neverland Raunch, adorned in black leather chaps and a bandanna, and then a pink teletubby with large metal cones over its breasts whose name I never caught. Cowboy Neverland Raunch rarely seemed to be playing all that much on his keytar, preferring to use it for the purpose of gesturing in a phallic fashion, although he did pound out the rhythm on a cowbell during a song or two.

"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Billie Jean" were both quite solid. The lead singer for "Bille Jean" was forceful; she had me quite convinced that Billie Jean was not her lover.

For "Black and White," a black-and-white hip-hop duo came out and had the nearly all-white crowd sing "I'm white / He's black" at appropriate moments.

"Smooth Criminal" was done in hardcore fashion with the verse lyrics flying by at pounding warp speed. "I'll Be There" playfully segued into Night Ranger's "Sister Christian."

Faux evangelist Tammy Faye Starlite came out and got us all down on our knees as we prayed in completely off-color fashion in Michael's memory. (This is the woman who once reduced a WKCR DJ to tears with some highly questionable anti-semitic humor and then released the recording as a bonus track on a CD.)

"Bad" and "Beat It" wrapped up the regular set, and then the band back came out with all of the special guests, some new special guests and maybe a dozen to 20 members of the audience, to rock out on "We Are the World."

Eddie RU OK was a little quiet on the bass -- I would have liked to see him get on the microphone a bit more. Andy Action Jackson was killing on the drums: he really drove the songs along.

All in all, it was solid entertainment, particularly with the endless string of guest stars. (The mighty Kevin Hunter on guitar? You got it!)

(Thanks to Sarah for keeping the setlist and knowing the names of the songs.)