Sebastian Bach Brings "The Party Never Ends" Tour to Bristol’s Paramount Theatre
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Updated: 15 hours ago
Former Skid Row Singer Draws Near-Capacity Crowd on the 95th Anniversary of the Historic Venue
Stories and Photos by Casey Nicholson
A Milestone Night in Bristol
Tri-Cities rock fans were transported back to the late ’80s this past weekend as Sebastian Bach brought his The Party Never Ends tour to the Paramount Theatre in Bristol — a performance that coincided with the 95th anniversary of the historic venue.
Opened as a movie house on February 20, 1931, the Paramount has been a Bristol nightlife staple for nearly a century. Its art-deco interior, adorned with large murals, has served as a performing arts venue for the past three decades, hosting artists such as Ace Frehley, Lindsey Buckingham, and Chris Isaak in recent years. Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor has said that when the band was first playing small venues in East Tennessee and western North Carolina, one of their first bucket-list goals was to perform at the Paramount. Bach’s near-capacity crowd provided a fitting way to celebrate the milestone.
From Skid Row Breakout to Solo Career
Bach, the former lead vocalist of Skid Row, rose to commercial prominence with the band’s 1989 self-titled debut. The album produced two top-ten singles — “Eighteen and Life” and “I Remember You” — both still in rotation on classic rock stations today. A third single, “Youth Gone Wild,” cracked the Billboard Hot 100 that same year.
Skid Row’s highly anticipated sophomore release, Slave to the Grind, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in 1991. While often remembered for their two enduring power ballads, the band’s overall catalog was firmly rooted in heavy metal. Pantera and Soundgarden opened for Skid Row during the Slave to the Grind tour in 1992, and the album is widely regarded as the first heavy metal record to reach No. 1 on the mainstream Billboard charts.
Bach left Skid Row in 1996 and released his first solo album in 1999. In the early 2000s, he appeared in a string of Broadway productions, including the lead role in Jesus Christ Superstar. Over the past two decades, he has taken on roles in music-related shows on VH1 and opened for Guns N’ Roses on their Chinese Democracy tour, as well as for the late Ace Frehley, Bach’s childhood idol. Last year, Ultimate Classic Rock ranked Sebastian Bach at the top of its list of hair metal singers.
A High-Energy Set Packed with Classics
Bach’s set in Bristol leaned heavily on the Skid Row catalog, supplemented with solo material and a pair of covers. The evening opened with his solo track “What Do I Got to Lose?” before launching into back-to-back Skid Row staples “Slave to the Grind” and “Here I Am.”
His son, Paris, is serving as drummer on the tour, joined by "Bruiser" Brody DeRozie on lead guitar and Fede Delfino on bass. Each musician delivered a strong performance, complemented by Bach’s frenetic stage presence. Highlights included tossing plastic frisbees into the crowd and swinging a microphone around his head in what seemed like a ten-foot radius — secured, fortunately, with what appeared to be nearly an entire roll of electrical tape.
At one point, he invited select fans onstage during covers of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, where concertgoers in Ozzy T-shirts danced alongside him as he handled vocals. Bach also acknowledged a bit of local irony from the stage, noting that he had appeared earlier in the day on WBCM Radio, speaking with the Americana- and roots-friendly station about the evening’s show in the town known as the "Birthplace of Country Music". He summed up the dissonance with grace: “There’s really only two kinds of music, good and bad.”
Opening Act Brings Modern Hair Metal Edge
Opening the evening was Kore Rozzik, a contemporary band that pays homage to hair metal through original songs crafted in a style reminiscent of Skid Row's early albums some thirty-five years ago. The group incorporated elements of shock rock into their set, including tossing prop money into the audience while playing their latest single, "The Dollar", prompting several concertgoers to dive for the counterfeits.
Dining Before the Show: A Stop at The Bistro on 6th
The Paramount partnered with sponsor The Bistro on 6th to offer a giveaway for ticket holders. We visited the nearby restaurant and exchanged a coupon printed on our tickets for a complimentary charcuterie board. The homemade pimento cheese with sourdough bread was exceptional. We also sampled the chicken marsala and the “champagne pork,” both of which were excellent.
We highly recommend The Bistro on 6th on your next visit to Bristol — but be sure to call ahead for reservations. We did not and were fortunate to secure a table before the seven-o’clock dinner rush.
A Rock Legend in the Birthplace of Country Music
All told, it was a memorable evening seeing a rock legend perform in the Birthplace of Country Music. If there are indeed only two types of music, good and bad, we’d place Bach’s performance squarely in the “good” category. Be sure to catch him when he returns to the Appalachian Mountains for a string of dates in late March — his full tour schedule is available at the link below.
Further Reading
Sebastian Bach Official Website – Tour schedule, music, and news.
Paramount Bristol (Paramount Theatre) – Event listings and venue history.
Kore Rozzik Official Page – Band information and music releases.
The Bistro on 6th – Bristol, TN – Menu, reservations, and dining information.
Setlist.fm – Bristol Show Listing – Full performance setlist and concert data.
