The legendary rock group Slaughter, celebrating their 35th anniversary in 2025, brought back memories of ‘days gone by’ performing in front of a sold-out crowd at the famous Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, just north of Pittsburgh.
Slaughter
Jergel’s Rhythm Grille, Warrendale, PA – 27 June 2025
Words And Photography: Jim Balentine
Tonight, Slaughter, with original members Mark Slaughter and Dana Strum, brought the party in style almost 35 years to the day of their first-ever performance in Pittsburgh.
This debut show was opening for KISS at the second-ever show at the Star Lake Amphitheatre on 23 June 1990, which I was lucky to attend way back when.
The energy tonight was just as strong as it was back then, with Dana Strum performing his usual motions of running around the stage like he was still 25 years old.
Mark Slaughter, who is looking better than ever, is still hitting the high notes that made him famous when they performed with the Vinnie Vincent invasion in the late ’80s.
The band includes Jeff Blando, with his shredding guitar solos, who replaced the late Tim Kelly, and newcomer Jordan Cannata, who pounds the drums with fierce aggression and jumps up on the drums to beat the skins even harder.
As is the case with most of our favourite bands from the ’80s and early ’90s, the setlist consisted of most of the popular songs in their illustrious five-album catalogue. The focus tonight was primarily on the multi-platinum debut album Stick It To Ya from 1990. 
The albums from the 1990s, including Fear No Evil, Revolution and Back To Reality, also have other incredible songs that would have been amazing to hear live.
But tonight, the setlist was certainly powerful enough to keep the fans jumping up and down, throwing the Metal horn sign in the air, and sweating through the entire 11-song setlist.
The two most popular songs, Fly To The Angels and Up All Night, definitely made the crowd kick into high gear as they finished the set.
Some of our favourite 1980s bands experience difficulties in some way or another as they age. But Slaughter are running on all four cylinders and are definitely worth the price of admission.
It makes it feel like it’s 1990 all over again.
Slaughter – Setlist
Mad About You
Burnin’ Bridges
Spend My Life
Unknown Destination
The Wild Life
Eye To Eye
Desperately
Days Gone By
Real Love
Fly To The Angels
Up All Night
