Guitar Virtuso Marty Friedman Comes to Crossroads in Garwood

Live photo credit: Maria Debiassi

Over the past three decades Marty Friedman has established himself as one of the best, innovative and most influential hard rock and metal guitar virtuosos to grace the stage. His new live album, “One Bad M.F. Live!!” is a treat for longtime fans and a great initiation for new listeners. Friedman brings his live show to Crossroads in Garwood on Saturday, Feb. 23.

As a renowned solo artist, during his time propelling heavy metal heroes Megadeth to new heights in the 1990s, and as a budding shredder in Cacophony in the 1980s, Friedman has continually progressed and helped shape modern instrumental hard rock.

“One Bad M.F.,” released last October and recorded in Mexico City, includes tunes spanning Friedman’s solo career, from his latest effort, the stellar “Wall of Sound” (2017) stretching back to his incendiary debut, “Dragon’s Kiss” (1988).

Friedman is in high gear from the outset with the opening one-two punch of “Street Demon” and “Elixir” showcasing his heavy riffs, infectious melodies and warp-speed solos. “Inferno” lives up to its name and “Whiteworm” has a Latin spice to it.

The album also includes two medleys. “Mutation Medley” features Friedman laying down his trademark solo from Megadeth’s “Tornado of Souls” while “Ripped Melody” includes soaring bits from Queen’s “We Are the Champions” and Boston’s “Peace of Mind.”

Friedman's exceptional backing band shines in its own right throughout as well as perfectly complementing the guitarist. Friedman may be the name in the spotlight, but what he does would not be possible without bassist Kiyoshi, guitarist Jordan Ziff, and “The Animal” drummer Chargeeee, a trio of bad mf's in their own right.

For those not in the know, Friedman is an ex-pat who has lived in Japan for the past 15 years. “One Bad M.F.” includes two interpretations of Japanese songs. The album closer translates to, ironically, “I Want to Go Home.” The Mexico City fans on “One Bad M.F.” surely would stay for hours more. I have a feeling you’ll feel the same way if you head out to Crossroads on Feb.23.

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Marty Friedman.

You just put out your live album, "One Bad M.F." What made you decide to record on tour at this time?

We've been on tour non-stop since "Inferno" and "Wall of Sound" and the band keeps getting better and better and more and more fun. We wanted to have a document of how things were going. We wanted to do something that the fans would enjoy and that anyone who might want to go to future shows would like to hear.

What were some of your favorite live albums growing up?

My top two are Kiss Alive and the Ramones It's Alive. Then there's Blue Oyster Cult and Foghat and Frampton and Lynyrd Skynyrd. What I always liked back then is you put on the record and imagined you were at the concert. You didn't have access to YouTube to see what was going on. You had to expand your imagination.

You've released so many solo albums. How did you choose the setlist for "One Bad M.F."?

The setlist for my regular concerts is a little different than the live album. On tour we play for two hours and the live album is 80 minutes. It's all about how we can keep the audience involved and engaged. My band and I are always keeping eye contact with the audience. This live album is very compact and solid. We played pretty much non-stop so no one would lose attention. We picked songs in which we could get our point across and retain the energy of the show. In a way it was more exciting than normal because we had to compact everything into 80 minutes.

As many people know you've lived in Japan for the past 15 years and you're a major star there. You do everything from concerts to appearing on hundreds of television shows. Could you have imagined your career taking this path when you first moved there?

It's definitely surreal. In Japan my career is much more in the mainstream media than in the underground rock world. Now when I come back to America it's so much fun to do these sweaty gigs in small places with people going nuts. When I play live in Japan it's a different atmosphere. I love to be able to do both.

Speaking of venues, you're playing Crossroads in Garwood, where you also performed last year. What were your impressions?

We played there on the last tour and when we got there I looked at the place and it was by far the smallest gig on the tour. I had so many friends there and so many loyal New Jersey fans. It was a fun experience and I can't wait to get back there. How can you not smile at a place like that. It's one of those places where anything goes and we'll try things we've never done before that might end up making their way into the set.

You're also an official Ambassador of Japan Heritage. Do you think there's any place for your music in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?

Well, that would be wonderful. I've played at the Paralympics and this March will be my third year in a row playing at the Tokyo Marathon. Hopefully something will happen at the Olympics. If I could squeeze in some music it would be amazing.