Ghost Hounds rhythm section drums up publicity for hometown headlining show at The Roxian

MCKEES ROCKS ― Fresh off opening arena shows for Guns N' Roses, bluesy rockers Ghost Hounds head back to their own paradise city − Pittsburgh − to prepare for a big hometown headlining concert.

Catch the expanded band, now with a fulltime fiddler, at the Roxian Theatre on Nov. 17.

"It marks a significant moment for us because it's a big headlining show," Ghost Hounds bassist Bennett Miller said. "We've done a lot of support for other bands, which we're lucky to do. But this is a headlining show and we're going to get to play all the songs we want to play. Plus, there'll be a lot of friends there, and that's exciting."

The band's drummer Blaise Lanzetta, added, "We haven't been home in a while."

Those Guns N' Roses dates in Edmonton, Idaho and Utah gave Ghost Hounds a chance to perform songs off the band's summer release, "First Last Time," composed between assignments warming up stadium audiences for Garth Brooks and The Rolling Stones.

Like enduring bands before them, Ghost Hounds took a few albums to fully find their identity.

All you need is a little patience.

"The sound has developed for about five years now with each progressive record," Bennett said. "I think we sort of narrowed in on knowing what our sound is a little bit more. One of the things I'm really excited about is the addition of a fiddle. We're an American band and we have an American sound, and that fiddle adds a certain Appalachian feel to certain songs on the album, like 'Here No More' and you can hear strings prominently featured on 'Last Train to Nowhere.' I've always been a huge fan of that music, and for me it's exciting to have that element in the band. And on top of that the writing's got better and better and the fan response is showing that's happening, so it's very exciting whenever you've been working on something for a long time, and it starts to have an impact on listeners in a positive way."

A July 28 review of "First Last Time" in The Beaver County Times praised Lanzetta and Miller for keeping the pocket propulsive, "as the sound swaggers seamlessly into gritty blues blasters ('Dirty Angel'), FM-ready alt-rock (the title track), testifying soul-rock ('Make It Shake'), mid-tempo Black Crowes-y rock ('Let's Sleep on It Together') and country-western territory ('Here No More.')"

"I like how you said soul-rock for 'Make It Shake,'; that's a pretty good one," Miller said.

Interviewed by phone on the eve of the first Guns N' Roses date in Canada, Miller and Lanzetta were quick to applaud the band's keyboardist, Joe Munroe, of Center Township.

"The local legend Joe Munroe!" Lanzetta said.

"Joe brings a lot to the table, he's a phenomenal keyboard player," Miller adds.

"I think we all know that" Lanzetta said. "And I think Pittsburgh knows that."

Ghost Hounds' Thomas Tull (guitar/lyrics) and the dynamic Tre Nation (vocals) joined by new fiddle player Kristin Weber, backing vocalists Kamilah Marshall and Kenna Ramsey and ex-guitarist John Baab, fill out the album's sound, which also earned praised from music sites like Spin ("timeless classic rock and Southern blues with a modern twist") and Guitar World ("profound lyricism, powerhouse vocals, and showstopping melodies ... an absolute triumph.")

"The collaborative effort, and how it was created, is what I cherish most about this album," Lanzetta said. "I mean we're always creating together, but with this album there was a little bit more of developing it totally from the ground up; the little riffs and ideas we were playing between Stones shows. And Kristin is awesome. I love having a fiddle in the band, too."

"It's fun as a band not to be pigeonholed," Miller said. "We're getting to expand on our sound, and we're not being held to playing exactly as we did on our first album. I love all the records, but I don't think we're afraid to bring in new elements. We're playing what we feel, and people are responding positively to it so that's exciting because it makes us feel we can continue to develop in the way we want to organically develop."

The Roxian show will include a couple of songs that haven't been released yet, "and a bunch of songs that have been released that we haven't gotten to play live due to the limitations of set lengths being a support band," Bennett said. "It's very exciting getting to draw from the songs that have not been played live recently. For the people who have been out there listening to the band for a few years or have heard a few of our records, hopefully you're going to hear the songs you want to hear. From my standpoint, I'm very excited to get to play the songs I want to play."

"I know the song I want to play," Lanzetta interjects, singing a line from "When Your Shadow Touches Mine."

"That's a band favorite by the way," Miller said. "We've got a live video that's out there from Thunderbird Cafe where we're playing 'When Your Shadow Touches Mine.' It's going to be so good to play that one again."

We'll see if Ghost Hounds' fiery take on "Devil Woman," a '70s hit for Cliff Richard, remains in the setlist.

"Oh man, I think that's been on almost every setlist," Lanzetta said.

"Last First Time" also brings faithful covers of Led Zeppelin's most honkytonking tune, "Hot Dog," and the John Denver classic "Take Me Home, Country Roads."

The band's merch table will sell vinyl versions of the album pressed at Hellbender Vinyl in Lawrenceville.

"We've been very supported by the Pittsburgh community and we're very grateful for that," Bennett said.

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"Chad Tyson, Randy Baumann ... those guys over at WDVE (FM) have been great," Lanzetta said.

Ghost Hounds first big hometown headlining show, in 2019 at Jergel's Rhythm Grille, drew a large contingent of Pittsburgh Steelers as spectators, a nod to the band's lyricist-guitarist-founder Tull, a minority owner of the team.

Tickets remain for the band's 7 p.m. Roxian show, mostly $41 general admission floor and $59 standard balcony seats. But there's no guarantee they'll be left three weeks from now, as nothing lasts forever, even cold November rain.

The 1,400-capacity McKees Rocks theater might seem small compared to 20,000-seat sports arenas Ghost Hounds played with Guns N' Roses, but size doesn't change the band's enthusiasm, Bennett said.

"Playing shows in all types of venues is great. There's a certain energy when you're playing in a dive bar and people are right in front of you, and that's great and fun and that experience can be very rewarding," Bennett said. "And when you get to play San Siro Stadium in Milan with 70,000 to 80,000 people there, it's a different animal. You kind of feel the impact of every note you play. But it's extremely gratifying especially if the audience responds as well. We were lucky to have a good set that night; we were well-rehearsed and able to connect with the audience, so that was a really beautiful night. And obviously afterwards, when you get to stand backstage and watch The Stones play. That's a pinch me moment, too. And the same with Bob Seger and ZZ Top. Even Garth Brooks, earlier this year we got to be on a bill with Darius Rucker and Sheryl Crow seeing them perform was incredible as well."

Probably feels like you're knocking on heaven's door.

"It's as exciting as you'd think it would be," Lanzetta said. "We still are as excited every time we go out there."

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This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Ghost Hounds bandmates say McKees Rocks headlining show is special