Firehouse with Special Guest Steelheart

Firehouse: 

FireHouse has been rockin’ for over a decade. Their music has taken them all over the world and has produced Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum records in the United States and countries abroad.

In 1990, their first album, entitled FireHouse, was released. The band’s first single, Shake & Tumble, had impressive radio success. The band then released Don’t Treat Me Bad, which became their first Top Ten hit. This was followed by Love of a Lifetime, which also entered the Top Ten, reaching the #3 spot on the United States charts. This string of hits vaulted their first album to double platinum status in the United States; also going gold in Canada, Japan and Singapore. At the 1991 American Music Awards, Firehouse found themselves standing before the nation accepting the award for Best New Hard Rock/Metal Band, chosen over Nirvana and Alice in Chains.

The band’s second album, Hold Your Fire, was released in 1992. It produced the hits Reach for the Sky and Sleeping with You. Another Top Ten hit, When I Look into Your Eyes, peaked on the United States charts at #5. This album earned the band two more gold albums and over 1 million sales worldwide.

In 1995, Firehouse released their third album on Epic, simply titled 3. Once again, Firehouse produced another Top Forty hit in the United States with I Live My Life For You. It was with this album that Firehouse made their first trip to Southeast Asia for a promotional tour. Earlier American hits like Don’t Treat Me Bad, Love of a Lifetime and When I Look into Your Eyes had climbed the charts in Asia. Here for You, the second single from 3, had also become a hit. The band then continued their promotional tour in South American countries such as Brazil and Argentina.

Their fourth album, Good Acoustics, was released in 1996 and quickly went gold in Malaysia, Thailand, and Philippines. Good Acoustics contains unplugged versions of the group’s greatest hits, as well as four new songs. This album produced foreign hits such as In Your Perfect World, Love Don’t Care and You Are My Religion. The band returned to Southeast Asia for another promotional tour at the end of 1996. Then, in February 1997, Firehouse embarked on their first concert tour of Southeast Asia playing sold out shows for fans in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Japan. During May and June, they toured the United States before returning to Southeast Asia in July for an unprecedented twenty-five city sold out tour of Indonesia.

In 1998, Firehouse toured the United States on the Rock Never Stops tour, which also included Slaughter, Warrant, Quiet Riot, and LA Guns. October of 1998 featured the Asian release of Firehouse’s fifth CD, Category 5 on Pony Canyon Records. The album quickly climbed to #4 on the Japanese charts and supporting promotional tour of Japan followed. Category 5 was officially released in the United States in 1999. 

Firehouse continued touring through the winter and spring of 1999, including 3 more sold out shows in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. On April 22, 1999, the band recorded their live show in Osaka. The result - the first ever live album by Firehouse. Bring ‘em Out Live was released in Japan in December 1999 and in the United States on Spitfire Records in July 2000.

The turn of the century brought the release their seventh album, titled O2. It has been released in SE Asia on Pony Canyon Records, and in the US on Spitfire Records. This album had notable success despite the changing style of popular rock music. During this time, the band decided to part ways with original bass player, Perry Richardson. O2’s remarkable bass playing was supplied by Bruce Waibel. Bruce brought to the band his phenomenal bass playing along with is equally impressive sense of humor. We truly regret to say that in September 2003, Bruce has passed away. He will be greatly missed as a friend and talented musician.

Firehouse headed back into the studio in early 2003 to write and record their 8th album, PRIME TIME. As music changes over time, Firehouse continues to evolve their musical style; yet, at the same time, hang onto their hard rock roots. Released in October of 2003, album number 8 is no exception. You can expect to hear what FireHouse is famous for ... soulful, melodic hard
rock.

Steelheart:

The aptly named SteelHeart is the rock n’ roll band fronted by internationally known Croatian-American musician Miljenko Matijevic. Miljenko’s powerful multioctave vocal range is and always has been the steel, heart and soul of what is SteelHeart. With much heart and steely determination, this band has been going strong and rocking hard for 30 years. SteelHeart shows no sign of riding into the sunset as they are once again on the horizon with a new album on the way.

The group’s self-titled debut album ‘SteelHeart’ was released May 10, 1990, (later re-released with a new cover in 1991); brought the group almost immediate commercial success. The original line up included Miljenko Matijevic (vocals, guitar, piano), Chris Risola (guitar), Frank DiCostanzo (guitar), James Ward (bass), and John Fowler (drums). The guys found themselves hitting the big time as their first album reached #40 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1990, being certified Gold by the RIAA in 1991. The band’s fanbase growing swiftly around the world.  “SteelHeart” sold 33,000 albums on its first day in Japan alone. Power ballad “She’s Gone,” hit #1 on the international charts, staying there 17 weeks. The second single, another power ballad, “I’ll Never Let You Go (Angel Eyes)” reached #14 on the Billboard charts. Another song, “Can’t Stop Me Lovin’ You” further showcased Matijevic’s vocal range, but this time, Risola’s lead guitar skills were also noticed SteelHeart’s next effort album wise, “Tangled In Reins,” released July 10,1992, had a more mixed eclectic song style. With heavy hitting, hard driving songs like “Loaded Mutha,” “SteelHeart,” “Electric Love Child,” and fun loving “Sticky Side Up,” to tear jerking ballads such as “Mama Don’t You Cry,” to name a few. The song “SteelHeart” featured Miljenko hitting the highest note of his song catalogue. The ballad “Mama Don’t You Cry” chart- ed #1 in many Asian countries, prompting their live unplugged performance in Hong Kong. The album did not reap the same commercial success as SteelHeart’s debut album, reaching only #144 on the Billboard charts, sig-naling the grunge sound invasion was starting to take force in the music business.

But, then, momentously, SteelHeart was asked by heavy metal band Slaugh- ter to perform a show with them on Oct. 31, 1992, Halloween night. Steel- Heart had just performed the 49th and final show of their tour, not ready to go home yet, decided to keep rocking. It turned out to be momentous in a way they didn’t expect as tragedy struck. The last show of the tour, in Den- ver, Colorado, Steelheart took the stage one last time with the original line up, that fateful Halloween night. That night would forever be remembered by SteelHeart fans as one of the scariest ever. While performing “Dancing in the Fire,” from their “Tangled in Reins” album, Matijevic decided to climb a lighting truss, which was improperly secured, forever changing the lives of Steelheart and their fans. Trying to dodge the massive rig without success, the thousand-pound truss hit the back of his head, hard, driving one of the greatest vocalists of all time face first into the stage: breaking his nose, cheekbone, jaw and twisting his spine. Talk about SteelHeart: Matijevic miraculously found the strength to walk off the stage and was immediately hospitalized. Of course, this was the end of the SteelHeart in one formation, but a new beginning to a total rise from the ashes. SteelHeart ended that night, at least for a while, after a very impressive career.

Four years later, in 1996, after much physical rehabilitation, Matijevic formed a new version of SteelHeart: Kenny Kanowski (guitars), Vincent Mele (bass) and Alex Makarovich (drums) – to record and release the album “Wait.” This album was very different to the previous two. The single “Wait” went #1 in many Asian countries and the re-released song “Momma Don’t You Cry” (Tangled In Reins) performed by Miljenko in an acoustic setting was the vessel for a 1997 Asian tour. This intensive unplugged tour saw SteelHeart performing 26 shows, spread out over 28 days, with 21 flights, to various countries across the Asian Continent. The song “We All Die Young” was later used in the 2001 Mark Wahlberg / Jennifer Aniston film, “Rock Star.” Miljenko played a huge part in the “Rock Star” movie by lending his voice to Mark Wahlberg’s character Chris Cole in a Steel Dragon cover band, and later, as his alter ego Chris “Iggy” Cole of Steel Dragon.

In 2007 SteelHeart released the ‘STILL HARD’ 2-disc DVD SET showcas- ing their live tours. The DVD welcomed rave reviews by fans around the world. Showcased on the DVD is their Japan Tour ’90, Bootleg Concert Toad’s Place ’91, Hong Kong MNET show acoustic ‘92, Official Videos from ‘SteelHeart’ album, Extra’s like Interviews, Photos, and TV Spots.

The story does not end there. Rock star to the end, Miljenko has been work- ing non-stop on music since the accident.  In 2008, he released “Good 2B Alive,” which he wrote, produced and engineered with producer Kit Woolen. Miljenko joined Ray Manzerak and Robby Krieger in 2010 as the lead singer transcending the late Jim Morrison of “The Doors”. Two remarkable tours performing theaters and festivals throughout the US and Europe in- cluding a 52-piece orchestra in London, Dublin and Wolverhampton with “The Royal Phil Harmonic Orchestra.” Matijevic delivered remarkable performances every night with rave reviews.
Miljenko then returned to his roots with SteelHeart, and toured with his band for many shows throughout the world, performing on several continents: Eu- rope, Asia and North America.  Early January 2016, Miljenko was in Korea for six months, a country where he’s a superstar, performing on various TV shows, and festivals including The Dream concert. Miljenko is the only for- eign artist ever to perform this concert to a 60,000-audience strong and tele- vised to many countries. Miljenko’s performance that night received out- standing reviews with the whole stadium singing the chorus alone. He also penned two songs, one late 2015 and another early 2016, for two of OST Korea tv’s top hit dramas, “My Love Is Gone” and “Stay.” Miljenko then took just one week off from touring/playing Korea to join three festivals in the US and perform at the Hollywood Bowl for the sold-out Los Angeles Korean Times Music Festival on May 7, 2016. Next day, he jumped on the plane headed back to Korea for still more shows. After six months in Korea in the summer of 2016, Miljenko came back the US for more SteelHeart touring.
Steelheart has recorded the band’s first new album since the “Good To Be Alive” album in 2010. The new album was released September 15, 2017 by Italian label Frontiers Records. Currently SteelHeart is working on their 30th Anniversary box set. To be released in the fall of 2019.
 

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