Patty Smyth & Scandal - Bear's Den, Seneca Niagara Casino, Niagara Falls, NY - Nov. 6, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011 at 9:06PM 
Review and Photos by John Jeffrey
Niagara Falls, NY - When opening her set at the Bear's Den earlier this month, Patty Smyth joked about the fact that the band was being billed on the tickets as, "Patty Smyth and the Scandals." Even though it should have read, "Patty Smyth & Scandal" (with the only original member of Scandal in the current lineup being guitarist, Keith Mack), it really didn't matter, as the nostalgic crowd on hand was there to see the small, spritely 80's icon with the gigantic voice.
The group hit the stage about 15 minutes late, which Patty eventually explained that it was due to the band being detained at the US/Canadian border, after she made a snide comment towards one of the customs officials. Apparently, Patty never got the memo on how 'difficult' the Canadian customs agents can be, when trying to enter their country. She made it clear that she was just joking with the guy, but apparently his sense of humor called in sick that day.
It seems that this 'new' lineup of Scandal is still finding their groove, as Smyth seems to still be in the adjustment process, from being a stay-at-home mother of 6 and wife to tennis legend, John McEnroe, to commanding the stage. The end result was a very light and loose atmosphere, which made for a fun night. Patty made several (what seemed to be) unplanned jaunts into the crowd, which seemed to be spawned by the shots of tequila that fans were buying her.
Unfortunately, the group's set list left a lot to be desired by the crowd, as the lesser known songs they performed early on, didn't seem to satiate the audience, as people started yelling out, "Warrior." Smyth responded by saying, "If we play it now, it will be the end of the show." After performing the 1992 Don Henley duet, "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough," to a standing ovation, Scandal brought the house down with the aforementioned, "Warrior," followed up by "Goodbye To You."
Although Patty Smyth & Scandal may be considered a "one-hit wonder" band, it was a real treat to see Patty and her band, once again, becoming reacquainted with the stage. Although she's been doing things on and off since 2004 (when she first reunited with Scandal on the VH-1 "Bands Reunited" show), it would be nice to see the group continue to tour and make music for the fans who have stuck by them for all of these years.