Photo credit: Tammy Vega
Cinderella’s Tom Keifer
Let’s get right to the point.
After conquering a series of life challenges that would have relegated most musicians to the “where are they now?” dustbin, it’s absolutely freakin’ amazing that Tom Keifer, frontman for ’80s multiplatinum rockers Cinderella, is still on the road, rocking as hard as he did 30 years ago. And not content to just play the hits live, Keifer’s producing new music that stands alongside the best of his back catalog.
He's on the road now in support of his new album, Rise, with his new band, #keiferband, numbering Savannah Keifer (vocals, percussion, piano), Tony Higbee (guitars, vocals), Billy Mercer (bass, vocals), Kendra Chantelle (vocals, percussion), Jarred Pope (drums) and Kory Myers (keyboards, vocals).
Vocal paralysis leading to seven surgeries, the breakup of a massively popular band, well-publicized physical meltdowns and legal battles to secure master recordings of a comeback album while his record label disintegrates, would seem to be more than enough to crush the spirit and aspirations of just about anyone. But not Tom Keifer.
“It was really grim for a long time,” says Keifer. “From early diagnosis [of vocal cord problems] in the early ’90s through when I started talking with [vocal coach] Ron Anderson, it was a really up and down roller coaster. There were times when my voice kinda worked well and other when it really sucked so yeah, there were times I thought about throwing in the towel. I remember working on The Way Life Goes, throwing microphones across the room but the bottom line is—I’ve been singing and playing guitar since I was 8 years old and it’s what I love, what I do—so I may have had thoughts [of giving up] along the way, but the stronger thought was keep pushing, try to find an answer, try to overcome it.”
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Many people believe that the best way to exorcize your demons is to take them on directly, and Keifer decided he was willing to put in the blood, sweat and tears required to get back in the game. That battle is bluntly addressed throughout Rise, especially the “The Death of Me” and particularly in the accompanying video, which violently dispatches the hurdles Keifer’s faced.
“The Death of Me” is a lyric that his wife and bandmate Savannah wrote. “It immediately struck a chord with me,” he says. “I’ve been through many challenges in my life and the lyrics are kind of an anthem for overcoming your adversity. I thought, not only can I relate to this, but a lot of people could relate to this.”
The video shows the cathartic experience of Keifer literally smashing through barriers he faced during his comeback at the expense of a few guitars and amps.
He explains: “We put those specific challenges in the video by way of example, because fans are familiar with them and then smashing them with a guitar was a really great feeling. So, the idea of that the song and the power of it when people watch that video and listen to the song, is that I hope they are visualizing their own challenges on the screens and imagine destroying them. The power of that visualization is really strong—it helps and is cathartic. We hope that song helps people push forward and through the things they feel are holding them back or down.”
Rise is the natural outgrowth of the band Keifer has been touring with for the past six years (in front of increasingly large audiences )in support of that “nearly lost” comeback album, 2013’s The Way Life Goes.
“We really become a band—bonded musically and personally and the chemistry is great. People seem to really like the new record—it’s always really nice to hear that—since when you spend a lot of time on a record you get so close to it and by the time you get done, you’re not really sure what you have, you know?”
The More Things Change…
Echoing the title of one of Cinderella’s best songs, Keifer said that “in a lot of ways, things have changed—but really, not much. I’ve been out there touring for over three decades, and there’s an amazingly loyal fan base whom I’m incredibly grateful for.”
“Playing live has always been my favorite aspect of what I do as a musician. There’s nothing like jumping up on the stage and feeling that release of just going for it in the moment—there’s no ‘do-overs.’ The people are out there, and you have the connection with the audience, so that all still feels the same. I have a really kick-ass band that I love, they are all great musicians.”
Keifer promised that fans both old and new will enjoy his new show. “What they would expect to see with me and my old band is exactly what they’ll see with the new band. It’s a high-energy show, tons of sweat, screaming vocals, pounding drums.
“We play the Cinderella stuff, because they’re part of me—as much a part of me as the new stuff. I wrote the songs, I sang them, I did the majority of the guitar work and even was involved in the production. So, I love doing those songs, they feel as new now as they did 30 years ago, and people still want to hear them. New material is a part of the show as well—we’re a seven-piece band with six amazing singers and the musicianship is incredible.”
“I’d love for people to check out the new record and come out and sing some songs with us.”
Tom Keifer plays Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s Northern Lights Theater, 1721 W. Canal St., Thursday, Oct. 31, at 8 p.m.
