By Christopher Crone
The night at Goldfield felt like one of those classic “you had to be there” rock lineups—three bands, no filler, just straight-up volume, sweat, and a crowd ready to ride it from start to finish.
Opening the night, Hauler lived up to their self-described identity as Sacramento heavy rock ‘n rollers with groove baked into every riff. They kicked things off with “Rollin’,” immediately locking into a thick, driving rhythm that set the tone early. The set kept its momentum with tracks like “The Get Down” and “Fatally Yours,” each one leaning into that gritty, no-frills hard rock swagger. By the time they closed with “Hit ’Em High” from their debut Red, White, and Black, they had the crowd fully engaged and moving. It was a confident, high-energy start that felt less like an opener and more like a statement.
Next up, Whytesnake took the stage and shifted the night into full-on throwback mode. Covering the iconic catalog of Whitesnake, they leaned into the bluesy, arena-ready sound that made the originals legends. The vocals carried that familiar mix of grit and melody, while the guitar work nailed the balance between precision and flash. The band didn’t just play the songs—they performed them, with a stage presence that kept the audience locked in from start to finish. Throughout the set, the crowd wasn’t just watching—they were shouting back the lyrics, turning the room into a full-on singalong. You could feel that shared connection between band and audience, the kind that only comes from songs that have stood the test of time. By the end of their set, the room was fully warmed up and ready for something even bigger.
Headlining the night, Riff/Raff delivered a full-scale tribute to AC/DC that felt less like a cover set and more like stepping into a time machine. From the first note, the band committed completely, running through both Highway to Hell and Back in Black in their entirety—a marathon set by any standard. Even with that kind of runtime, the crowd never let up, matching the band’s energy song for song and proving just how timeless that catalog really is. David Chapman, channeling Angus Young, was a force of nature, duckwalking, shredding, and never letting the energy dip for even a second across the entire performance. At one point, he even joked that with all that movement and nonstop energy, he was feeling a little “smelly” which honestly just made the whole thing feel even more real.
And just when it felt like he’d already given everything he had, Chapman kicked it up another notch, jumping off the stage and into the crowd while still playing. Suddenly, it turned into a rock and roll version of “Where’s Waldo?” as he disappeared into a sea of fans, the guitar still screaming while heads turned and phones popped up trying to track his movement through the chaos. It was one of those moments that blurred the line between performer and audience, and the crowd absolutely ate it up. It’s no small feat to sustain that level of intensity, but he pulled it off in a way that felt both authentic and electrifying. The rhythm section held everything together with that signature AC/DC groove, tight, driving, and impossible not to move to.
A special shoutout goes to bassist Michael Spencer, who invited me out to their show at Swabbies a few weeks back so I could watch their set, study how they move on stage, and really get a feel for their performance style. That insight paid off, helping me dial in the best spots to capture the band in motion, especially David, whose Angus-inspired energy rarely stays in one place for long.
Watching Riff/Raff hit those songs live brought back a flood of memories for me. I moved out to California from Virginia around sixth grade, and at the time, my musical world was filled with Donna Summer and Village People. Then came seventh grade at a private Catholic school, where everything changed—fast. It was my classmates who introduced me to AC/DC and Ozzy, flipping a switch that never really turned off. Suddenly, music had edge, volume, attitude—and it stuck. Hearing those same AC/DC songs performed live at Goldfield felt like reconnecting with that exact moment in time, just louder and with better lighting. That’s the magic of a band like Riff/Raff—they don’t just play the music; they bring you back to where you first felt it. By the end of the night, the crowd wasn’t just watching a show, they were part of it, singing along, fists in the air, fully bought in. It was loud, it was raw, and it was exactly what a Saturday night rock show is supposed to be.
Categories: Concert Photography, Riff/Raff
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