Tesla bringing the blues

Tesla brings its brand of blues and soul-filled rock to Mayo Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $39-$79

That they are still roaring and soaring should be no surprise. That's just how they are built. Tesla may have been born in the mid-80s eruption of leather, spandex and big hair, but this band has never about those things. Hardly. Their bluesy, soulful sound is strongly embedded in the roots of organic, authentic 1970s rock and roll. The same roots that produced bands like the Allman Brothers, Grand Funk Railroad, AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Aerosmith.

The ground started shaking up in Sacramento, California in 1984; gold country that would soon be producing some platinum. They started out as City Kidd, until someone suggested they change their name in honor of eccentric inventor Nikola Tesla, who pioneered all things electrical - and who, like any revolutionary rock and roll band, made magic working with the basic forces of nature.

Their 1986 debut album, Mechanical Resonance, would eventually go platinum, nestled comfortably in the Top 40, and produced the iconic hard rock hits, "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi."

Today, Mechanical Resonance lives on as one of the most successful and acclaimed debuts of the era. 1989's The Great Radio Controversy brought in many new legions of fans, thanks to a potent one-two sonic punch. The first single, "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)," scored huge with hard rock audiences, while the poignant ballad, "Love Song," provided a softer counterpoint. This helped push the album into the Top 20 and double-platinum sales figures.

In 1990 Tesla helped reshape the face of modern hard rock music by stripping down to the Five Man Acoustical Jam, a loose, informal collection of their biggest hits peppered with rock and roll classics by the Beatles, Stones and others. Tesla's daring experiment also produced their biggest hit single, a cover of the Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs."

For the last 18 years they have continued to release new original music, live sets and more. They are as productive as they have ever been. Tesla has endured many of the same taste-changing challenges that affected many in the post-grunge world, but through it all, their blue collar work ethic and dedication to the faithful fan base has helped them not just survive, but thrive.

Younger audiences follow the band because they know the music is real. Older audiences love that a band styled on the classic 1970s model can still kick ass all over the world. Tesla is a band for the ages. All ages.

That's because they were never a flavor of the month. Tesla's legacy is alive and well as they continue to record and sellout venues all over the world. As worn in and comfortable as your favorite pair of jeans, as tough and dependable as your coolest leather jacket, Tesla endures because they are a celebration of the greatest spirits of rock and roll.