CHEVY METAL BROUGHT CLASSIC ROCK BOMBAST TO ALEX’S BAR IN LONG BEACH
Chevy Metal are a rock’n’roll institution here in Southern California. Formed in the early 2000s by late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and bassist/vocalist Wiley Hodgden, the band has spent the last two decades bringing their slamming renditions of classic rock anthems to music lovers everywhere. Chevy Metal 2025 features guitar wizard Brent Woods and none other than Taylor’s son Shane Hawkins on drums. The band’s insane, encyclopedic knowledge of rock tunes, coupled with their high-energy performances in intimate venues, has made Chevy Metal one of the most buzzworthy draws in the SoCal music scene; a guaranteed, sweaty good time.
Chevy Metal’s gig at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach, CA, last weekend was no different. The packed venue was bursting at the seams as we arrived, while opening act, The Alive, melted faces and blew people’s minds. Their highly mechanized riff-heavy sound and bombastic drummer set the perfect tone for the night’s blistering headlining set that immediately followed. The crowd inside Alex’s Bar braced for impact the moment Chevy Metal took the stage. Opening with a short snippet of Black Sabbath’s “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” then launching immediately into Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love,” Chevy Metal had the audience in the palms of their hands from the jump. For many in attendance, this was their first time catching Shane Hawkins behind the drums, and the newest Chevy member did not disappoint, bashing his cymbals so hard he broke a stick within the first 45 seconds of their set!
Brent Woods dropped monster riffs and nailed wicked solos from Rush, Sabbath, and Thin Lizzy throughout the evening, as Mr. Hodgden rocked the bass while somehow nailing vocals from singers as diverse as Sting, Geddy Lee, and Robert Plant, to name a few. Shane Hawkins's unlimited reservoir of energy was on full display during his insane drum solo in the middle of Led Zeppelin’s “Moby Dick.” Hawkin’s even hopped on lead vocals toward the end of the night for a bonkers rendition of Bad Brains’ iconic jam “Big Take Over.” While Hawkins sang and thrashed around the stage, Revel Ian, son of Anthrax riff master Scott Ian, filled in behind the kit. Both Ians joined Chevy Metal beforehand, Scott playing rhythm guitar on Black Sabbath’s “The Wizard,” and Revel joining in alongside his father performing “Sweet Leaf.”
These Sabbath covers felt extra poignant given Ozzy Osbourne’s recent passing, conversely, watching a new generation of Hawkins and Ian skin bashers playing drums felt totally invigorating. The timeless rock’n’roll anthems Chevy Metal rip through every time they plug in are just that. You might have been born too late or not fortunate enough to watch Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth annihilate backyards in Pasadena back in the day, but if the stars align and you spot a Chevy Metal concert near you on the horizon, you can still experience some of that old-school magic for yourself.
