In 1992, FireHouse took home the American Music Award for Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist, edging out Nirvana and Alice in Chains in what turned out to be one of the last years that argument could go in hair metal’s favor. The band is still on the road.
About the Show
FireHouse’s current lineup features founding guitarist Bill Leverty and founding drummer Michael Foster alongside bassist Allen McKenzie and vocalist Nate Peck. Peck was officially named the band’s permanent singer in May 2024, following the death of original frontman CJ Snare, who passed away at 64 that April after a cancer battle. His path to the role: a 2023 American Idol golden ticket recipient who chose to walk away from the show to pursue his career independently, Peck had been working in Nashville’s rock scene when Leverty found his Instagram videos. Leverty recalled his first impression: “When I first heard Nate’s vocal range, tone and control, I immediately knew that he’d be the perfect fit.” Lionel Richie had been equally direct during Peck’s Idol audition: “That was brilliant… The best rock singer EVER that we’ve had.” The catalog Peck now carries into these rooms includes “Don’t Treat Me Bad,” “Love of a Lifetime” (No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and widely cited as a top wedding song), and “When I Look Into Your Eyes.” The band released “Mighty Fine Lady” in May 2024, their first studio recording with Peck, and has since been developing additional new material, including a track called “Midnight Gasoline.”
Special guests Enuff Z’Nuff have long occupied a peculiar corner of the hair metal era. A Chicago band shaped more by the Beatles and Cheap Trick than by anything on the Sunset Strip, they were signed to ATCO Records by Derek Shulman, who had also discovered Bon Jovi and Cinderella, and their 1989 self-titled debut was later ranked No. 24 by Rolling Stone among the 50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time. Founding bassist Chip Z’Nuff, who now carries the band’s vocal duties, has characterized the group’s trajectory with a certain candor: “ten steps forward and thirty steps back.” They arrive behind their 18th studio album, Covered in Gold.
Venue & Logistics
The Riviera Theatre at 67 Webster St. in North Tonawanda is a 1,100-seat venue and a fixture on the western New York touring circuit. The show is March 13, with a 7:30 p.m. start time. For a band whose career peaked in arenas, the intimacy of that room is a different proposition: the catalog lands closer.
Tickets
Tickets are $39–$49. Buy tickets