Lynch Mob Thrills Leesburg Crowd on Halloween Night
Words and Photos by Mike Sprouse / OddRocker Photography
There’s something about Halloween night that makes a rock show feel a little more alive than usual, like the air itself’s carrying a low hum of mischief. Leesburg had that kind of charge on Oct. 31, when Lynch Mob rolled into the Tally Ho Theater for a night that felt equal parts nostalgia trip and Halloween-style hard rock revival.
Mostly, this was a gathering of the faithful, the people who still crank their stereos when they hear George Lynch’s unmistakable guitar snarl and know the difference between a real gunslinger and a guy who just fills the space between solos.
The Tally Ho’s a perfect room for this sort of night. It’s got that mix of intimacy and swagger with enough space for the sound to breathe but small enough that you can catch the look on the drummer’s face when a groove locks in.
Stone Horses opened the show, and they came out swinging. Their set leaned heavy on riff-driven rock, the kind that rides the line between modern grit and old-school crunch. They’ve got that Baltimore swagger, like they’ve been raised on Skynyrd and Soundgarden in equal doses. The band is John Allen on vocals, Jason Heiser on drums, with Teddy Merrill on lead guitar and Dylan Howes on bass.
“Reckless Ways” opened their set, followed by “Let’s Rock-N-Roll” and “Free,” along with “Flirtin’ With the Devil” and “Broken Hearts and Broken Bones.”
Watch the official music video for “Broken Hearts and Broken Bones” by Stone Horses on YouTube:
The set closer of “Fuck Around and Find Out” hit particularly hard — thick bass groove, sharp snare, vocals that don’t just ride the melody but shove it forward. Stone Horses was a solid warm-up, and by the time their last notes rang out, you could feel the crowd settle into that quiet before the storm.
It was the kind of show where some of the people dressed up for Halloween; there were a pair of Ghostbusters, a cowboy and a witch or two. There was even a sexy Freddie Kruger(?!) that the band had to bring up on stage before playing “Dream Warriors!”
Lynch Mob hit the stage in the spirit of the evening — George Lynch came out in a hooded skull mask and the rest of the band were wearing Kiss style face paint!
Without any pomp or fanfare, just a dark stage, the faint blue wash of lights, and then the riff to “Don’t Close Your Eyes” tore through the room like a warning shot. That’s how you start a show. It’s one of those songs that sounds heavier live than you remember; maybe because George plays it with this kind of coiled precision, every note bitten off just right.
Andrew Freeman’s vocals walk that fine line between fire and control, with that hint of danger you want in a rock singer. He doesn’t imitate Oni Logan or Robert Mason; he just channels the same kind of spirit.
By “River of Love,” the crowd was fully locked in. That song’s always been one of those deceptively simple tunes that sounds effortless until you realize how much it depends on feel. George’s tone had that molten edge he’s known for, rich and vocal-like, the kind that makes guitarists in the crowd quietly shake their heads. The band’s rhythm section was on point; drummer Brian Tichy and bassist Jaron Gulino kept it tight, but with that push-pull groove that makes these songs breathe.
“For a Million Years” brought out a slightly more melodic side, giving Freeman space to stretch out vocally. Lynch was smiling by then, that half-grin that says he knows exactly how good the band sounds. It’s always fun to watch him play, not just for the technical fireworks, which he still delivers in spades, but for the way he seems to play with the music instead of at it.
There’s a looseness, a confidence that only comes from decades of doing it on his own terms. When they hit “Hell Child,” the energy jumped a notch. The riff’s a monster, and the crowd reacted instantly. You could feel the audience leaning forward during those opening bars, waiting for the first solo like it’s a punchline they already know but still can’t wait to hear. “Sweet Sister Mercy” followed, smoother, bluesier, a little more stretched out. Lynch added some unexpected phrasing, sliding between scales like he was tracing smoke in the air.
The midsection of the set turned into a bit of a time capsule. “Flesh and Blood” carried that late-’80s groove, big chorus and all, but with a weight that’s aged well. Then came “Dream Warriors,” which got the loudest cheer of the night up to that point. You could almost hear the collective “ohhh” when that opening line hit, half the crowd raising phones, the other half just yelling along like it was still 1987. It’s a song forever tethered to its era, but somehow it still lands. Maybe it’s because George plays it with zero irony; he treats it like a living thing, not a relic.
Watch the official music video for “Dream Warriors” by Dokken on YouTube:
After that nostalgia spike came “Testify,” one of those later-era cuts that shows how Lynch’s songwriting has evolved. It’s funkier, darker, with that rhythmic bite that feels more industrial around the edges.
“Dance of the Dogs” brought back the swagger, and by that point, the band was clearly having fun. Freeman prowled the stage, tossing out that sly smirk between verses, while Lynch traded riffs with Gulino, both of them grinning like they’d just cracked an inside joke mid-song.
“All I Want” rolled out next, just clean, punchy, straight-ahead rock with just enough swing to keep it from feeling too polished. That one’s a sleeper track live; it doesn’t blow the doors off, but it locks in deep. Then “Rain” shifted the mood entirely. It’s got that moody, spacious feel, like a late-night drive song, and George played it with almost vocal phrasing, his notes hanging just long enough to ache before resolving. It’s moments like that when you realize how much emotional depth there is behind the flash.
And then came “Mr. Scary.” The lights went low, that eerie red glow filled the room, and for a second it actually felt like Halloween again. Lynch stepped forward, no vocals, no buildup, just that unmistakable riff, the sound of pure menace. It’s one of those solos that’s been dissected a thousand times by guitar nerds, but live, it’s still overwhelming. The way he shapes notes, bends them just past the point of comfort, it’s not just technique, it’s tension. The whole theater was still, everyone watching those fingers move like they were seeing something half-human, half-machine.
Right on its heels came “Into the Fire,” the crowd losing it the second they recognized that chugging intro. That one’s pure adrenaline, and Lynch played it with the same reckless precision that made it a staple back in the Tooth and Nail days. Freeman’s vocals rode over it perfectly with enough grit to honor Don Dokken’s original delivery, but with his own edge.
They wrapped their set with “Wicked Sensation,” and it hit like a finale should. That riff alone is worth the price of admission. Lynch stretched the solo, letting it breathe, bending the melody until it almost became something new. When it ended, he just looked out over the crowd with that quiet, satisfied grin.
Watch the official music video for “Wicked Sensation” by Lynch Mob on YouTube:
There’s always been something fascinating about George Lynch. He’s not just a shredder, he’s an architect of tone. His guitar work has that rare balance between precision and chaos, like he’s always chasing a sound that’s slightly out of reach. You can tell he still experiments, still pushes himself to find something different each night.
Even after all these years, he hasn’t turned his playing into a formula. That’s what separates him from a lot of his peers. Watching George play up close, you get the sense that this is exactly how he likes it: no distance, no pretense, just raw connection through six strings and a wall of sound.
Lynch Mob Setlist:
1. Don’t Close Your Eyes
2. River of Love
3. For a Million Years
4. Hell Child
5. Sweet Sister Mercy
6. Flesh and Blood
7. Dream Warriors
8. Testify
9. Dance of the Dogs
10. All I Want
11. Rain
12. Mr. Scary
13. Into the Fire
14. Wicked Sensation
Here are some photos of Lynch Mob performing live at Tally Ho Theater on Oct. 31, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Michael Sprouse/ Odd Rocker Photography.
Here are some photos of Stone Horses opening Lynch Mob at Tally Ho Theater on Oct. 31, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Michael Sprouse/ Odd Rocker Photography.
