Upon seeing the band name “Last in Line,” many rock fans might think, “Oh, cool, a Dio tribute act.” A reasonable supposition, considering the name is inspired by the 1984 Dio album (and title track) The Last in Line, which is something many tribute bands use when branding themselves. However, calling Last in Line a “tribute act” would be erroneous on multiple fronts.
For starters, the band formed in 2012 with four members of the original Dio quintet—the only missing piece being singer Ronnie James Dio, who succumbed to stomach cancer in 2010. After adding veteran rock vocalist Andrew Freeman, Last in Line hit the stage to perform songs from the first three Dio albums before going into the studio to record an album of all-new material. Although bassist Jimmy Bain died unexpectedly shortly before Heavy Crown was released in early 2016, Last in Line soldiered on, even recording a second album (simply titled II) that dropped in February.
Now back on tour playing both new songs and Dio classics, Last in Line is in the rare position of building a new legacy while simultaneously carrying on an old one.
Golden Nugget, 8 p.m. April 26, starting at $39 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
