On Wednesday, August 26, the New York State Fair’s opening day started with a Quiet Riot. Turning an annual occurrence into a wild rock concert filled with suburb musician craftsmanship, high voltage energy and an eruptive crowd, leading fans to wonder about the future of rock music.

It is controversial by today’s standards to use an iconic band’s name without retaining an original forming member on the bill. Quiet Riot is one of those bands that formed in 1973 under the lineup of Randy Rhoads, Kelly Garni, Kevin DuBrow and Drew Forsyth but tours today with the current lineup of Rudy Sarzo, Alex Grossi, Jizzy Pearl and Johnny Kelly. Something that upsets diehard fans but for today fairgoers did not seem to care because the men on stage defied all areas of logic. Proving that name and age only confines and does not define us.

Labels are a counter productive tool of the human language, especially when they are used in a negative manner to limit one’s potential. The men who currently tour as Quiet Riot are still legends in their own right and rock harder on stage than most performers. Not only did the band sound amazing but the performance and level stagemanship moved the audience into the present moment.

Temporary singer Jizzy Pearl sang each song with an acute accuracy, making sure to honor each original member in between songs and took the time to connect with audience members in the front rows. Whereas Rudy Sarzo showed off his bass skills by playing over his head or over another member’s head. Alex Grossi felt a little more reserved energetically but really shined during his guitar solos and lastly is drummer Johnny Kelly from Type O Negative who is iconic in his own stoic rights.

Consequently, these rock musicians moved the crowd in ways never seen before. Was it the fair energy, the wine slushies, or being present in the moment?Fans found themselves amongst a crowd who moved harder than the youth. Specifically, one elderly woman who would have been relaxing and watching a pig race was instead head-banging, dancing with strangers and doing splits.

Regardless of how you may feel about the band’s controversial use of the Quiet Riot name, these men felt energetically younger on stage than most musicians and performed a fantastic set. The crowd was filled with fans from all generations and moved even senior citizens, proving that labels are only limitations if we allow them to be.

Setlist: Run for Cover, Slick Black Cadillac, Mama Weer All Crazee Now (Slade cover), I Can’t Hold On, Love’s a Bitch, Thunderbird, Party All Night, The Wild and the Young, Let’s Get Crazy, Blackout in the Red Room (Love/Hate cover), Cum On Feel the Noize (Slade cover), Metal Health (Bang Your Head).