The members’ advancing ages combined with the group’s status as hair metal's top Christian band might have made for tepid results. Because — let’s be honest here — Christian rock is often abysmal, unlistenable dreck. Not because of the message but because it just doesn’t ... rock. Too often, the performers put proselytizing ahead of creating compelling music.
Which brings us to the real questions about Stryper’s SA performance: Can the band rock?And will the show be fun?
The answer to both was a resounding “yes.”
The show had an 8 p.m. set time, and I arrived at 8:05 p.m., only to find Stryper had already started. Nothing says rock ’n’ roll like a punctual kickoff.
Be that as it may, all the hair-metal signifiers were present and accounted for. Frizzy hair! Awesome twin lead-guitar shreddage! Thunderous drums! Lead vocalist Michael Sweet shrieking like a hyena!
Stryper's stage-right guitarist wore a durag, seemingly to conceal a lack of hair. Which begs the ancient zen koan: what do you call hair metal played by a bald man?
Jokes aside, Stryper straight-up rocked without apology. As a frontman, Sweet still has it, hitting all the notes and nailing the acrobatics. His lyrics are all about faith and devotion but, honestly, the overall effect was a lot like Iron Maiden. He could have been singing about wizards and elves for all I knew.
It was only between songs that the message came pouring out.
“We went down a completely different path than any band in history,” Sweet said at one point.
That's only partially true, though. Other Christian bands have tried to rock ... and largely failed. As Stryper demonstrated Wednesday night, it’s more than capable of pulling off the metal moves. It’s a good rock band, pure and simple.
And like any veteran rock band on an anniversary tour, Stryper pulled out the hits, most notably the No. 1 MTV smash “Free” and the undeniable “To Hell With The Devil.”
“Nineteen-eighty-six was a great year for us,” Sweet told the audience. “I think we were using Aqua Net. With that Superglue in our hair, we saw the world. Texas has a special place in our hearts. We did our first tour here.”
The crowd roared.
Bassist Perry Richardson, with his insanely frizzled blonde mane, was the most photogenic of the bunch, smiling and dancing. His outfit — leather pants, swishing ribbons, unnecessary buckles, studded cowboy boots — definitely added to the effect.
Drummer Robert Sweet, who co-founded Stryper with his frontman brother, put on a fantastic performance from his raised platform. He spun his sticks behind his head, lifted his arms in dramatic fashion and drummed in front of a giant flat-screen projection of himself sitting on a cop car.
Indeed, multiple video screens were arrayed across the stage. The large-scale live feeds of the performers helped boost the visual element of the show. In addition to closeups of the musicians, the screens also showed cascading stripes of different colors because, well, Stryper.
The crowd wore a head-scratching mix of attire. Folks in leather pants, chains and studs mingled with those in dad jeans, orthopedic shoes and Creed T-shirts. Whatever their clothing choices, they came to rock and scream, and the energy was infectious.
Everyone was smiling and having a blast. It was easy to get swept up in the fun.
While Stryper clearly knows how to deliver a rock show, after six or seven songs, it all started sounding the same. But, judging by the way the crowd sang along to every word, that wasn’t a problem for most people in the Aztec on Wednesday night.
