Starship Lands At Memorial Auditorium

Starship featuring Mickey Thomas showcased its history as Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship before an enthusiastic Friday night crowd at Memorial Auditorium.

The band performed as part of the annual spring benefit to raise funds for Chattanooga Firefighters Local 820 and Cleveland Firefighters Local 3748.  

The 1980s rockers are the successors of famed rock n’ roll outfits Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.  In addition to Jefferson Airplane classics such as “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit,” Starship covered their extensive catalog history and also did their 80s hits like “We Built This City” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”

Female vocalist Stephanie Calvert took the lead on songs originally performed by Grace Slick.

The band sounded tight and gave a great overall performance. John Roth took listeners back in time with his smooth, yet aggressive tone and exceptional lead guitar work.

Cumberland Blue, a young and feisty group based out of Nashville, opened the show and with a impressive set.  The senior member of the band, lead vocalist Chloe Kohanski, is only 21 years old. But the band’s overall juvenile age is not a barrier to their depth of skill and talent. Sounding more like rock veterans, the six-piece band was flawless the whole night.

The group has been likened to such blues rockers as The Black Keys, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Alabama Shakes. They dominated the stage with their confidence and sheer ability. There are definitely good things to come for this talented band.