Dio Tribute
Published 7:00 am Wednesday, July 7, 2010
To the unschooled, it would be easy to write off the work of the late Ronnie James Dio as a cliché of the most common traits that make the non-believers mock metal. The last solo stage show he brought to the Showbox involved a gigantic dragon on-stage, pagan-esque pageantry and no shortage of melodramatic material involving heaven and hell. And of course, theres the iconic devil horn gesture hes frequently credited with popularizing. But not only are those generalizations short-sighted (his elastic, operatic wail was one of the most influential within the genre), they also speak to what made Dio great. He embraced it in all its medieval glory, without apology, and without failing victim to the more harmful clichés of groupie-shagging, vice-riddled nonsense. He did, however, lose his valiant battle with stomach cancer this past May, and tonight members of local bands Blood Cells, Emeralds, and Sund Night Blackout will pay tribute to his legacy. HANNAH LEVIN
Tue., July 13, 8 p.m., 2010
