By Ryan Sexton
Murphy News Service

On a September evening when a certain melancholy hung in the air at Povlitzkis On 65 in Spring Lake Park, there remained still a palpable excitement among the metal community; tonight would be the final performance of Black Rainbow, a much loved Minneapolis tribute band to the late Ronnie James Dio, lead singer of heavy metal gurus Black Sabbath and Rainbow.

In the beginning

The band was built using seasoned veterans of the Minneapolis rock and roll/metal scene, borne out of a simple conversation immediately after Dio’s death in 2007. Drummer Matt Batchelor (of Morticia fame) called Marko James with a spirited proposal.

James, 50, who was then busy with his guitar duties in the popular south Minneapolis band Back Alley was keen on the idea. “We should form a tribute to Dio,” suggested Batchelor, who played his first bar gig in 1974. Batchelor is arguably the most eccentric member of the band, with his Alice Cooper-like appearance, flamboyant drumming style and between-song banter.

James said he was immediately on board and the two men began to discuss who else might be right for the project. The first and most obvious question in their minds was: “Who could they find to front the band and was also capable of singing with the extraordinary vocal range of Dio.”

James and Batchelor concurred. The answer was Minneapolis metal queen Felicia Mitchell.

The timing was fortuitous. Mitchell’s band Sirens of Titan — a “sludge-metal” original project as she describes it — had broken up in 2011 and the concept of paying tribute to one of her musical heroes appealed to the 46-year-old-front woman.

“It shall be done,” Mitchell said. James and Batchelor said they were thrilled. Batchelor had grown up with Mitchell and James emphasized that her “voice and look” were perfect. Indeed her dark shoulder length hair, falsetto voice and small stature have much in common with the diminutive Dio.

“I begged my way into the band”

Dan Parsons, 50, lead guitarist for St. Paul’s Wayward Boyz Klub, got wind of the fledgling band through social media and contacted Batchelor. “I basically ‘begged’ my way into the band,” Parsons said. “I called Matt and just said ‘I want in.’”

James and Parsons were not unfamiliar to one another. In the small, tight Twin Cities metal community it was not unusual for the two to share the stage in James’ Back Alley. The contrasting stylings of the two players offered a serendipitous element to the sound of the newly formed band.

“Our styles are completely different,” Parsons said. “Marko is more of a Black Sabbath player, while I play more in the style of post-Sabbath Dio.” James agreed. “Dan plays more ‘squeal-like;’ sort of what Dio did after leaving Black Sabbath.

Local bassist Becki “Basschick” Schmidtbauer rounded out the lineup and the band got to work. “From our first rehearsal we all clicked; we got along with each other right away,” Parsons added. Black Rainbow was opening for Connecticut heavy metal darlings Steelheart within a few months.

And over the next four years Black Rainbow played to a loyal local following.

Then, this summer, Mitchell told the band she was leaving.

“Breaking up the band was not a mutual decision,” James said. “We didn’t want to, but Felicia wanted to move on with some other stuff.”

Indeed, Mitchell said she has several irons in the fire and just felt it was time to move on. “I’m interested in getting back to original music,” she said.

There seems however to be no animosity among the other members. “I think, too, that Felicia didn’t want it to get stale, and I can’t say I disagree with her,” Parsons added. For Batchelor’s part, who at age 55 is the oldest member of the band, he feels the band is not done playing together in some fashion or another, just not as “Black Rainbow.” “Without Felica, it’s not a band,” he stated.

The last show

Fans gathered near the stage dressed largely in black at Povlitzki’s On 65 that night. There was a good dose of leather and hanging metal chains being won in the crowd. Ages of the concert goers ranged from kids in their 20s to metal loyalists in their 50s. The common thread among everyone was apparent as the band took the stage for its final show: Everybody was there to hear the music of Ronnie James Dio, and this was the band to see playing it.

Driving steadily through a thoughtfully chosen set of songs from the Black Sabbath and Rainbow eras, Felicia Mitchell inspired fists to be raised and songs to be sung along to as she belted out Dio’s lyrics. She occasionally paused between songs to express a fondness for what she called the band’s “metal family.”

And then Black Rainbow was no more.

“The feeling at POV’s was great,” Mitchell said afterward, sounding resolute, but with perhaps a tinge of sadness in her voice.

Ryan Sexton is studying journalism at the University of Minnesota.