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Marty Friedman Is Shredding His Way Across The US


Marty Friedman performing live in Cleveland
Marty Friedman performing live in Cleveland

The last time I saw Marty Friedman perform live was two days after I graduated high school, when Megadeth came through town in support of their 'Cryptic Writings' album. Shocking that it took almost 27 years to catch this guy again! I suppose his choice to uproot and bring his career to Japan probably had something to do with that, however. North American shows have been a rare instance over the last few decades, but it feels like Friedman is once again open to performing at home, having just completed a run of dates back in 2022 opening for Queensryche as well.


For this tour, Friedman's band is the headliner with a fantastic acoustic opening set by Nikki Stringfield and Patrick Kennison. Both Stringfield and Kennison are fantastic musicians with their own careers, with Stringfield being a long-time member of The Iron Maidens as well as a solo artist, while Kennison has been a long-standing member of Lita Ford's band. Additionally, the duo just released their latest offering, 'Ghost Notes.'


Nikki Stringfield and Patrick Kennison performed an acoustic set opening for Marty Friedman
Nikki Stringfield and Patrick Kennison performed an acoustic set opening for Marty Friedman

Stringfield & Kennison's set featured some a nice selection of original including a killer track titled "Divine Intervention" (no, this is not a Slayer cover) and a wicked cover of Iron Maiden's "Aces High" to close out the set. After seeing Stringfield for the first time just a few weeks ago (on Zakk Sabbath's "King of the MonsTours" tour, I began to dig into her solo material a bit, which I've been enjoying. On that note, don't show up late! Make sure you get to the show early and check out the opening set. Both Stringfield and Kennison hung out at their merch table to sell/sign merch and chat after their set.


The anticipation to see Marty Friedman perform was something I wasn't quite ready for. Sure, I've been a Megadeth fan since the mid-90's, back when their classic lineup was firing on all cylinders. I was sad to see that lineup break down in the late 90's with the exit of Nick Menza, and later the exit of Marty Friedman. Dave Mustaine has managed to staff his roster with accomplished musicians in the years since and I've been along for that ride every step of the way. Yet, the chance to see Marty brought back some nostalgia like I've rarely felt.


Marty Friedman leaves the fans in awe
Marty Friedman leaves the fans in awe

The most important question I needed answered took all but a moment. This guy still shreds! As Friedman took the stage, he wore his excitement from ear to ear. Fans were in for a treat. This was a guitar driven evening. The only time a microphone came on stage was for small bits of dialogue every three songs or so. For anyone expecting a night of Megadeth covers, I'm sorry to say you're only getting a good chunk of "Tornado of Souls." Trust me, it doesn't matter. Friedman's band is insanely good and this show was just all-around fun!


Sure, I would have loved a medley of some of Marty's most notable solos from his Megadeth days, but maybe that's a story for another day. On this tour, Friedman and his band are bringing his material to the stage and it's a great show! Marty Friedman is currently touring in support of 2024's 'Drama' and the set features a handful of new tracks from the album.


This is not a long tour, so check the dates and grab a ticket if you're even remotely interested in this one! As a pointed out at the start, it took me 27 years to see one of the most influential guitarists of my youth and I will absolutely make an effort to catch his band the next time they come back to the US after this show!


Photo Gallery - Marty Friedman: All photos by Charlie Meister



Photo Gallery - Stringfield & Kennison: All photos by Charlie Meister






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Alive N Loud, Charlie Meister

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