Shuffling my way through the pre-show fog, I had high expectations and even higher hopes for the Judas Priest/Thin Lizzy/Black Label Society show Wednesday at the Main Street Armory. I needed a good old-fashioned rock show to clear out the cobwebs. The Armory was packed, the vibe was palpable. Though this was essentially Judas Priest's show, there were pockets of disciples there for Black Label Society and Thin Lizzy. Though I was keen to dig all the bands, I fell into the latter category.

With just two remaining original members - guitarist Scott Gorham and drummer Brian Downey - this is the closest we were going to get to authentic Lizzy without a witch doctor or a Ouija board. I'm sure the sheer strength of the songs helped, but honestly the band sounded great. Gorham positively wailed on guitar, going for the throat at every opportunity. Vocalist Ricky Warwick had the unenviable task of filling Phil Lynott's shoes, but did so admirably (especially on my personal favorite, "Cowboy Song") with a tenor that was not as unlike Lynott's as you might expect. He also played guitar, bringing the total to three Les Pauls on stage. The boys were back in town, it sounded like they never left.

Black Label Society's Zakk Wylde plays faster than the ear can sometimes decipher. It was a monster metal onslaught of volume and speed. Coming out on stage in an enormous headdress, Wylde led the rock 'n' roll powwow into the metal darkness. At one point, the band left the stage leaving Wylde to ride the lightning solo. It was an epic and chaotic display, like the part in Jimi Hendrix's version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" when everything goes to hell, or if H.P. Lovecraft played guitar.

With the crowd singing along loudly as "War Pigs" blasted through the PA, Judas Priest came on blazing. The sound was amazing. I worried that this show was going to sound like shit, but the band's precision and dynamic intricacies were all there. It dug deep into its 30-plus-year catalogue for what turned out to be a two-and-a-half-hour set. Despite wailing for all these years, Rob Halford's voice is still there. He still runs the spectrum from grizzly to choir boy. Rock ain't dead just yet.