Review & setlists: Boston favorite Extreme steals Mötley Crüe’s thunder in Mansfield
Concert Reviews
But all three bands — Extreme, Tesla, and Mötley Crüe — left their marks on Xfinity Center Saturday.
Extreme, Tesla, and Mötley Crüe, Xfinity Center, Mansfield, Aug. 1, 2026.
You’ve heard of Extreme makeovers?
This was an Extreme takeover.
The Boston-based quartet stole the show on their home turf Saturday night as the opening act for Mötley Crüe on the Return of the Carnival of Sins Tour at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield.
Faced with an early 6:30 p.m. set time and a plethora of friends and family still streaming in, the local band gladly accepted the challenge. Extreme utilized their home field advantage with maximum efficiency, unleashing a blistering, hour-long, 11-song set of hits both old and new.
“What’s going on Great Woods,” said guitarist Nuno Bettencourt. “There’s no f–king place like being back home. Thank you for showing up early. Listen, we know why you’re here. That’s why we’re here. We’re here to warm you up, and support one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Give it up for Mötley Crüe.”
Support they did. And then some.
Taking a page out of Cheap Trick’s playbook, Extreme went above and beyond as openers. They upstaged the headliners with sheer tenacity, fueled by an impressive array of songs from hard rockers to ballads and back again.
Playing on a small portion of the stage, bookended by a pair of towering amplifier stacks, the band made the most of every inch. They engaged the ever-growing audience, which appeared to be at 70 percent capacity at showtime.
Gary Cherone led the charge. The lead singer was a true force of nature, shuffling across the stage during the foot-stomping opener “Decadence Dance.“ Dressed in a black leather vest and matching headband, the Malden native and former Van Halen frontman was pitch perfect, aided by Nuno’s fiery guitar-driven grooves, and strong backing vocals.
A riff-master supreme, Bettencourt was also in fine form. The guitar hero rifled through a raucous 1-2 punch of “#REBEL” and “BANSHEE.” Both heavy hitters are featured on Extreme’s most recent album, “Six.” From there, Nuno shifted into full shred mode for a whirlwind rendition of “Play With Me,” while bassist Pat Badger and drummer Kevin Figueiredo kept the backend crisp with their piston point precision.
Cherone was in perpetual motion throughout, climbing the amplifier stacks, while also running around a nifty t-shaped stage ramp with reckless abandon. The ramp extended five rows into the audience. In the old days, they were usually reserved for headliners only. Credit goes to Mötley Crüe for giving their opening acts the added room to roam.
After shooting for the heavy metal stars, Extreme brought things back down to earth. Cherone and Bettencourt led the audience into a group sing-along of their ’90s acoustic hit “Hole Hearted.” From there, Bettencourt took a seat to showcase more of his acoustic fretboard wizardry on the instrumental “Midnight Express.”
“This is my favorite part of the show for one reason and one reason only: I finally get to sit the f–k down,” said Bettencourt. “Let me tell you something, once you hit 50, sitting down is like having an orgasm.”
Cherone joined his guitarist moments later for “More Than Words.” The acoustic ballad and No. 1 hit single was originally penned on the porch of Cherone’s childhood home in Malden.
But before things got too sappy, Extreme shifted back into high-speed metal mode. Bettencourt launched into his electrifying solo “Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee,” much to the delight of the air guitarists in the audience.
“Enough of that sentimental bulls–t, this is a Mötley Crüe concert,” said Bettencourt.
The band hit full stride on “Get the Funk Out,” which proved to be the true showstopper in terms of its pure execution and delivery. The quartet was in lockstep, creating frenetic energy. Newer tunes like the fist-pumping “RISE” also showed they still have plenty left in the tank creatively.
Extreme closed its set with a tip of the cap to the late great Ozzy Osborne. Bettencourt performed at the Prince of Darkness’s final show prior to his death a little over a year ago. The band paid the ultimate tribute to the legend with a dizzying medley of “I Don’t Know,” “Bark at the Moon,” and “Crazy Train.”
Not bad for an opening act.
On to Tesla and Mötley Crüe
Tesla had the unenviable task of following Extreme’s excitement.
It was a tall order, but the band did its best with its bare-bones approach. Their hour-long, nine-song set featured an assortment of greatest hits, including “Modern Day Cowboy,” “Little Suzi,” as well as their “Five-Man Acoustical Jam” cover, “Signs.”
The twin guitar attack of Frank Hannon and Dave Rude gave “Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)” and “Mama’s Fool” plenty of heft and momentum. Singer Jeff Keith hung tough on “The Way It Is” and “Love Song.” The gritty singer is at his best when he’s not over-extending himself vocally.
Mötley Crüe closed the show in classic fashion with a thunderous 90-minute, 16-song show filled with arena rock classics as well as a few deep cuts. The band was in their element performing inside what was basically a circus tent, which lent itself well to its carnival atmosphere.
Drummer Tommy Lee was the ringmaster of all the chaos. From the opening drum roll of “Red Hot,” to the fuel-injected charge of “Wild Side,” and punk-inspired frenzy of “Live Wire,” the tattooed drummer’s familiar cadence remained a focal point
Bassist Nikki Sixx carried plenty of rock star swagger. His signature bass lines on classics “Shout at the Devil,” “Too Fast for Love” and “Looks That Kill” maintained the band’s razor-sharp edge.
Singer Vince Neil basked in the insanity. The blonde vocalist, who has been battling health issues as of late, gamely navigated his way from deep cuts “Louder Than Hell” and “Take Me to the Top” to Brownsville Station cover “Smoking in the Boys Room” with equal enthusiasm. He was bolstered by a bevy of scantily clad female backing singer/dancers for “Girls, Girls, Girls,” as well as aided by some strategically placed backing tracks for added gang vocal pop, keeping everything at a consistent level.
Guitarist John 5 provided plenty of guitar crunch. The newest member of the Crüe has mastered Mick Mars 101, acing his legendary predecessor’s signature solos note-for-note. This included a flawless rendition of “Too Young to Fall in Love,” while generating added gristle to “Primal Scream” and often-overlooked tune “Afraid.” He also shined in a solo spotlight, playing the “Star Spangled Banner” with his teeth.
Lee provided the ultimate ’80s rock piano intro for the ballad “Home Sweet Home,” with the crowd singing in joyous unison. Mötley Crüe cruised to the finish line driven by the addictive groove of “Dr. Feelgood,” before crushing it on set closer “Kickstart My Heart,” complete with a burst of pyrotechnics. It was the perfect way to wrap up an impressive night of rock and roll excess, in all areas.
Setlist for Extreme at Xfinity Center, Aug. 1, 2026:
- Decadence Dance
- #REBEL
- BANSHEE
- Play With Me
- Hole Hearted
- Midnight Express
- More Than Words
- Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee
- Get the Funk Out
- RISE
- I Don’t Know/Bark at the Moon/ Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne medley)
Setlist for Tesla at Xfinity Center, Aug. 1, 2026:
- Modern Day Cowboy
- Hang Tough
- The Way It Is
- Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)
- Mama’s Fool
- Call It What You Want
- Love Song
- Little Suzi
- Signs
Setlist for Mötley Crüe at Xfinity Center, Aug. 1, 2026:
- Red Hot
- Louder Than Hell
- Wild Side
- Shout at the Devil
- Too Fast for Love
- Looks That Kill
- Too Young to Fall in Love
- Take Me to the Top
- Primal Scream
- Afraid
- Home Sweet Home
- Smokin’ in the Boys Room (Brownsville Station cover)
- Live Wire
- Girls, Girls, Girls
- Dr. Feelgood
- Kickstart My Heart
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