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More concert recollections than you can shake a stick at
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ROBERT RANDOLPH
w/sg Rose Hill Drive
February 20, 2005
Axis
Bloomington, IN
Ticket Price: $20.00 |
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172.
Keeping it real - Robert Randolph and the Family Band heat up an otherwise cold Bloomington night in February. The venue appeared to be oversold and the fans couldn't get enough of the blues-rock-jam band whose entire repertoire seems to be graced by the roots of southern gospel. Rose Hill Drive, who has enjoyed oppportunities as opening act for Van Halen, was inaudible. While they seem to have practiced their classic rock licks, one could not help but draw obvious parallels to "That 70's Show" or the movie "Detroit Rock City".
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JAMES McMURTRY
March 08, 2005
The Patio
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $10.00 |
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173.
Best selling author, Stephen King, recently wrote to the effect that James McMurtry may be the fiercest songwriter of modern day. I couldn't agree more. McMurtry has consistently demonstrated an intuitive and insightful sense of story-telling throughout his recording career. People, places and times are recalled with stark honesty and painted in words more vivid than a picture. What seems to bind it all together is the overwhelming realism employed by the artist. Listen to the words. You know these people, you've been to places very much the ones described, but maybe it's been a long time since you were there. That's the magic of McMurtry's gift. His concert at the Patio in Indianapolis is one that I have long anticipated and it was nothing short of expectation. Particularly nice was the fact that the small size venue added an extra ambience to the set.
SETLIST: St Mary of The Woods / Fraulein O / Red Dress / No More Buffalo / 60 Acres / Rachel's Song / Out Here In The Middle / Choctaw Bingo / Lights Of Cheyenne / Levelland / Max's Theorem / I'm Not From Here / Too Long In The Wasteland / Rex's Blues
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OVER THE RHINE
w/sg Kim Taylor
May 28, 2005
The Music Mill
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $15.00 |
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174.
Copy here
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CG3 + 2
California Guitar Trio with Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto
June 15, 2005
Birdy's
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $18.00 |
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175.
This turned out to be an incredible opportunity to see California Guitar Trio along side two stellar players best known for their connections to King Crimson. CG3 are also tied to King Crimson, as they were all students of Robert Fripp in his League of Crafty Guitarists. Of course the opportunity to see and hear Tony Levin in such an intimate venue was bonus. Fabulous show.
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MARK KNOPFLER
June 15, 2005
Murat Theater
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $60.00 |
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176.
Nevermind the many comparisons to Eric Clapton and other strat cats, Mark Knopfler is without a doubt the heir apparent to American guitarist Chet Atkins. The former Dire Straits frontman continues to hone his craft at writing meaningful songs, whether they be about people, historical events or the occasional novelty value topic. It may have been a more common path to have continued in the rock/blues genre, but Knopfler has incorporated a fair amount of old school Nashville and sounds of native Scotland into his work as well. On this tour, Mark Knopfler and his band of not-so-famous, but noticably capable players tear through a two hour set of Mark's solo work plus some crowd pleasing Dire Straits hits.
The show starts off with a mix of favorable solo tracks, including "Why Aye" , "What It Is" , and "Sailing To Philidelphia" combined with the occasional Dire Straits track, such as "Walk Of Life". Clearly, MK was getting a feel for the show and for the venue with quiet, often conservative guitar contributions. By the fifth or sixth number of the show, Knopfler gave a nod to the band as he tore into the classic favorite, "Sultans Of Swing". At this point he obviously felt things were falling into shape nicely and unloaded a barrage of inspired guitar on an audience who came to here him play. The rest of the two hour set consisted of only a shortlist of tunes from his current release, Shangri-La, one of my favorites, "Rutiger" from Golden Heart, and "Speedway At Nazareth" , a song familiar to Indianapolis fans because it includes a verse about the Brickyard. The show closed with "Money For Nothing"
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STATIC-X
w/sg American Head Charge, Bloodsimple, 10 Years
July 27, 2005
Music Mill
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: COMP |
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177.
Great bands, great turnout. Ten Years turned out to be my favorite of the support acts. This was also their last night on the tour. They sound a lot like Staind. I was a lot more impressed by the appearances of Bloodsimple than their music. Kyle on bass is a lot of fun to watch, but otherwise not so much to report musically. American Head Charge seemed to have the most seniority, if one could call it that, among the support acts and the fans seemed to know their music pretty well. Again, not my thing. My buddy said they were trying to be like Korn. Static X was by far the most veteran and entertaining group of the evening. After a solid debut album and a spot on the infamous Ozzfest Tour several years back, they were the undisputed must see act of the night. After a few roster changes, it was good to see Koichi back on guitar.
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RICK SPRINGFIELD
w/sg The Squirts
September 02, 2005
Military Park
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: FREE |
178.
From many sources, I have heard that Rick Springfield is both a perfectionist and a consumate performer. So, my expectations were slightly higher than average when RS took the stage at this year's Rib festival. Springfield started off with a 5 minute prerecorded intro before taking the stage - a build-up that would prove unnecessary. He led off the set with songs from "Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance", an album that I'll bet 95% of the crowd didn't know. Obviously the crowd came to here Rick's 80's hits - however his post-hit period music tended to be much harder in song and often more bitter in lyrics. That doesn't mean the music is bad - just illustrates that he wasn't really connecting with the audience right away. The first two or three songs were not performed well. By this I mean that Springfield was so busy pretending to be a cool "guitar god" that he missed words while singing. By the fourth song, the popular "I've done everything for you", the band and band leader weree more in synch and the show started sounding better. This was followed by a couple of tracks from "Living In Oz" which were again, not so well performed. Springfield attempted to do a guitar solo segment of the show, which was about as enjoyable as having a tooth drilled at the dentist. He then traded guitars for a '62 strat and made a comment to the crowd - "This is my '62 strat, it was made before most of you were born." This led into a cover of the Jimi Hendrix classic, "Red House" which I must say sounded great. After a few more tracks from S/D/A/A, Springfield offered a few more covers, namely the 10CC hit, "I'm Not In Love" - a somewhat forgotten Dream Academy single, "Life In A Northern Town", which by the way sounded so true to the original that I overheard people of the audience comment, "I didn't know this was Rick Springfield". This was followed by a rousing version of "Gloria". RS teased the audience several times with an intro to "Jesse's Girl" before offering up "Love Somebody" from the movie "Hard To Hold". We ended up leaving the show about here, while Springfield endulged himself by walking into the audience to sign autographs. "Rule number one," he said, "is don't touch my butt." Check please.
SETLIST: I'll Make You Happy . Will I . Affair Of The Heart . I've Done Everything for You (Hagar). Rock Of Life . Red House (Hendrix). Don't Talk to Strangers . Speak to the Sky (abridged version) . I'm Not In Love (10cc). Life In A Northern Town (Dream Academy). Gloria . Love Somebody . Jesus Saves . You Really Got Me (Kinks). Human Touch . Jessie's Girl . [Encore]: Love Is Alright Tonite
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TED NUGENT / LOVIN' SPOONFUL
September 03, 2005
Military Park
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: FREE |
179.
The day started off with Lovin' Spoonful, a 60's folk rock era group responsible for such hits as "Summer In The City" and "Do You Believe In Magic". The sound was amazingly good and three of the four original members were accompanied by 2 additional musicicians. In absence was original member and key song writer, John Sebastian. Nevertheless, the group sounded genuine and clear. Under beautiful skies in early afternoon, Lovin' Spoonful played to a late 40 and 50+ year old crowd of maybe 750 happy people.
The Spoonful ended their set as Ted Nugent started signing autographs from 3:00-6:00. The line was long, but organizers kept it moving at a brisk pace. Nugent, always the hunting advocate, was also promoting his camp for kids and insisted that adults help keep kids off drugs through strong family and patriotic values. The Nuge was happy and gracious, accepting fan requests for photos and questions.
Following the evening's fireworks display, Ted Nugent and band took the stage promptly at 9:00, cranking out protein enriched classics from the 70's and 80's, such as "Wango Tango" and "Hey Baby" along with a couple new selections from his most recent release, Craveman. This was easily the largest crowd so far of the festival. I'm not great at guesstimating crowd size, but there must have been 5,000 - 6,000 or better on hand for the controversial rock icon. Ted makes no bones about his beliefs in family values, patriotism, and hunting and often uses the stage as a pulpit to address fans on these subjects. He saluted the men and women of the armed forces, which drew ample crowd applause. He directed his fans to encourage those who drink and drive to give up their keys and if they refused, beat the crap out of 'em! Likewise, Uncle Ted had choice words for users, abusers, pushers, and makers of methamphetamine. The 56 year old sportsman/rocker poured out hit after classic hit for a solid 90 minutes.
Setlist, in no particular order and incomplete: Wango Tango, Cat Scratch Fever, Stranglehold, Great White Buffalo, I'm A Soul Man, Free For All, Yank Me Crank Me, Stormtroopin', Kiss My Ass, Hey Baby and lots more
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JOHN WAITE / BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS
September 04, 2005
Military Park
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: FREE |
180.
A friend of mine (I cannot remember who) once said that if John Waite wore his hair long, he was all rock-n-roll. If he cut it short, he was in a sappy ballad phase. John Waite went on at 4:00pm with very long hair and a beard. He rocked. Evidentally due to a miscommunication, the former Babys singer and platinum solo artist played a 45 minute set even though the published schedule of events had him down for 90 minutes. The abbreviated set was not short on hits however, including career highlights from The Babys, Bad English and various solo ventures. The last time I saw John Waite, he muffed the lyrics to his most popular hit, "Missing You" however he nailed the song this time and sounded great throughout the set. Unfortunately, Damon Johnson was absent from the band this time. Guitar licks were supplied by Jimmy Leahy.
Big Head Todd & The Monsters sounded good as well. I am far less familiar with their individual songs, but I was satisfied hearing a number of great tracks from the Sister Sweetly album. Of course, "Bittersweet" was a crowd pleaser, along with "Sister Sweetly" and "Broken Hearted Savior".
John Waite setlist: (In no particular order and incomplete) Missing You, Midnight Rendezvous, Change, Isn't It Time, When I See You Smile, Bluebird Cafe, The Hard Way, Rock And Roll (Led Zeppelin) and a handful of others.
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CALIFORNIA GUITAR TRIO
September 16, 2005
Music Mill
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $18.00 |
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181.
Unlike the show a few months back, this concert was strictly CG3 without Tony Levin or Pat Mastelotto. Also unlike last time, the setlist was completely different, which made for a great evening of music. For guitar geeks like myself and even the ordinary listener, you have to be awestruck by the fretskill of Bert Lams. The show lasted about 90 minutes and ranged in styles from bluegrass to classical, rock to surf guitar. The great thing about attending a CG3 concert is that you need not be familiar with their CD's in order to know some of the content. This evening's show included Symphony #9, as well as an acoustic version of Queen's popular "Bohemian Rhapsody". The setlist also featured theme music from "The Good The Bad & The Ugly" and another familiar western, blended seamlessly into The Doors classic, "Riders On The Storm". Also previewed at this engagement was an excerpt from Jon Anderson's new concerto for four guitars - obviously performed only on three guitars. For an extra interesting encore, the trio elected to perform a track from the popular movie soundtrack to "Napoleon Dynamite"
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ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY
September 19, 2005
Jazz Kitchen
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $25.00 |
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182.
U.K. based Acoustic Alchemy stopped in at the Jazz Kitchen for two performances in support of their latest release, "American English". What began as an impressive guitar duo has over time evolved into a much larger band with a broader sound. Although the current album features a roster fo 6, a smaller quartet version of the group performed a very intimate show here. The group's co-founder, Nick Webb, passed away several years ago, replaced by the very capable Miles Gilderdale on guitar. His partner, mainstay Greg Carmichael, completes the string section of the band. The newest member of AA is drummer Greg Grainger from Baltimore, MD. Rounding out the quartet is pianist Terry Disley, who has joined Acoustic Alchemy on and off for a number of years. The evening's show got underway just as a severe storm passed throgh the city. This caused a few minor electrical problems, but all sound issues were worked out quickly. To begin, the band's manager introduced the program as a unique words and music performance, with any number of anecdoatl stories of the band's history being told by the members themselves. The 90 minute setlist spanned the entire AA catalog and featured several crowd pleasers, including "Mr. Chow" and "Red Dust/Spanish Lace".
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AL DI MEOLA PROJECT
October 05, 2005
Music Mill
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $30.00 |
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183.
A larger than average Music Mill turn out for a pioneering jazz/fusion guitarist who has not played the Indianapolis area for a long time. From the start of the show, DiMeola wasted little time re-introducing himself (to anyone who may have forgotten) as the reigning king of 10 fingers on two hands. Al DiMeola fans will almost immediately acknowledge two distinct periods in the guitarist's career. First, the 70's proved to be Al DiMeola's most popular, as he pioneered the jazz/fusion genre along side John McLaughlan, Stanley Clarke, Paco Rivera and others. While often employing latin-american sounds in his music, DiMeola blazed as a leading guitarist of the era, known for his lightning fast yet controlled attack. Post 70's jazz saw a reduced interest in fusion, while DiMeola pursued an often softer sound. Eventually, the name "Al DiMeola" faded from conversation. This concert tour clearly re-asserts the jazz-fusion era DiMeola in prime form.
Along side DiMeola this evening, Mario Parmisano keyboards, Ernie Adams drums, Victor Miranda bass, and the evry animated Gumbi Ortiz percussion.
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ERIC SINGER & FRIENDS
featuring Eric Singer, Damon Johnson, Ryan Roxie, Chuck Garric
June 15, 2005
Holiday Inn South
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $20.00 |
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184.
This was the first of two benefit concerts by Eric Singer and Friends (Ryan Roxie, Chuck Garric, and Damon Johnson). The guys played an incredible A-List of classic 70's rock cover songs and they nailed every single one, even to the most discriminating ear. No wonder, because this is Alice Cooper's touring band. Alice had performed the night before here in Indianapolis. The band stuck around two more days for the benefit, before heading off to Las Vegas to catch up with Mr. Cooper for a show on Sunday. Having met Eric a number of times before, the real treat for me was the opportunity to meet guitarist Damon Johnson. E.S. and his friends hung out after the show to sign some autographs. Importantly, a lot of money was raised for a good cause!
Setlist: (Incomplete) No More Mr Nice Guy, Highway To Hell, Surrender, Love Gun, Black Diamond, Fox On The Run, Rock 'N' Roll All Nite, Jailbreak and more.
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JOHN SCOFIELD
A Tribute To Ray Charles
October 19, 2005
Jazz Kitchen
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $25.00 |
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185.
This was the third show of four total booked by Scofield at the Jazz Kitchen. Two shows, two nights and wow, what a treat for fans of jazz guitar! John Scofield performed an evening of music paying tribute to one of the all-time greats, Ray Charles. Of course the arrangements were designed to be showcased by a world class guitarist such as Scofield. Charles classics such as I Got A Woman, I Don't Need No Doctor, Sticks & Stones and countless others were served up with steaming guitar solos, while the beautiful Georgia was the highlight of the evening for me.
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JON ANDERSON
November 21, 2005
Music Mill
Indianapolis, IN
VIP Ticket Price: $55.00 |
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186.
Jon Anderson: for over 35 years, the unmistakable voice of the progressive British rock group, Yes. Then there was that other commercial Yes formation featuring newcomer guitarist, Trevor Rabin (90125-era). And let's not forget the other formation Yes, legally remembered as Anderson-Bruford-Wakeman-Howe. Anderson is probably lesser remembered for his 1980's collaborations with the greek maestro, Vangelis. In addition, Anderson has delivered a number of solo outings, including my favorite, Animation. How would anyone begin to create a setlist from this?
The performance was designed to feature Anderson, unaccompanied save for a few instruments and midi-effects. In performing the obligatory Yes-classics, Anderson was hit-and-miss. The hits were Soon (excerpt from Gates of Delirium), And You And I, Wondrous Stories, I've Seen All Good People and White Buffalo. The misses included rambling ventures into song segments, unrecognizable except in lyrical content. These featured parts of Close To The Edge and The Revealing Science Of God. Completely missing the mark was an ill-advised performance of the 1984 hit, Owner Of A Lonely Heart, featuring Anderson's vocal and the bare bones chord structure of the song strummed acoustic.
The show lasted nearly 2 hours with encores and the audience was generally pleased with anything Andersoon wanted to do, including a few songs from the Jon & Vangelis collections. In all the show was quite enjoyable, topped off by a meet-n-greet afterward.
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NEIL DIAMOND
December 09, 2005
Conseco Fieldhouse
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $77.00 |
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187.
Neil Diamond is the king of showmen. If this was not true, he would not have packed the house at Conseco Fieldhouse just days before Christmas at a minimum ticket price of $77. Such was the case Dec 9th. While Diamond sounded a bit winded from time to time, he is an elder statesman of the entertainment business, this is his first outing in a few years and the show was nonstop service to hitsville. Huff and puff all you want to Neil. The band was of course tight and from where I sat, the lead guitar player was significantly louder than his counterparts in the band.
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STEVE SMITH & Vital Information
April 03, 2006
Jazz Kitchen
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $15.00 |
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188.
My second time seeing this great band and it was even better than before! Same line-up of musicians, but touring in support of a new record which is a very solid effort from the guys. Show lasted a bit over an hour. I recommend you get out and see this band live.
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O.A.R.
April 04, 2006
Clowes Hall
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: COMP |
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189.
I have to admit that I was somewhat unfamiliar with this band when asked to go. I knew that they had toured the area extensively and that they were known as a "jam band" by genre and I knew that the last time I heard of them playing near here was with Robert Randolph at Indiana University a couple of years back. I heard a couple of the albums and thought they were obviously influenced by ska and reggae, but a little on the lighter, pop side of things and that they looked a little too clean-cut to be a legitimate jam band or reggae outfit. The tickets came with a meet-n-greet, which did nothing to deter my preconceved image of the band. The concert did however turn my opinion, as these guys can play. The songs are solid as well as the performance and showmanship. A very pleasing evening after all.
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B.B. KING
w/sg Ronnie Baker Brooks
April 13, 2006
Murat Theater
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $68.00 |
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190.
B.B. King celebrates his 80th birthday in style. Our seats were spectacular, dead center row D. After seeing B.B. twice now, both times outstanding, it is clear that he is more than the King of the Blues, he's a professional entertainer of the highest calibur. People come to hear the man play the blues (and of course he does) but he spends a great amount of time talking to the audience, thanking the audience and telling stories. I felt like a kid on my grandfather's lap and I haven't enjoyed that great feeling in many years! Outstanding marks must also be mentioned for King's band, seasoned road veterans, an 8 pc operation that is fit for a King.
The evening's opener was Ronnie Baker Brooks, son of blues guitarist Lonnie Brooks. The announcer presented the younger Brooks as a blues guitar legend in the making. Though very talented, he's up against some formidible competition for that title. His set ended with some rock-flavored blues, covering a segment of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" and a segment of ZZ Top's "La Grange" before exiting the stage.
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STEVE HOWE
April 28, 2006
The Vogue
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $25.00 |
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191.
Having seen Jon Anderson a few months ago, I thought it would be nice to hear Steve Howe as a solo performer as well. Of the two, this was a far more enjoyable performance for me. The show started promptly with Howe as the sole musician on-stage. Nevertheless, he provided a wide range of unaccompanied pieces, ranging from his own influences and solo work to the ever popular catalog of Yes material. I was particularly impressed by his mastery of guitar, with so much rich classical and bluegrass seasoning each piece. Steve Howe was not remiss in noting that Wes Montgomery hailed from Indianapolis and he was good to pay homage to other heroes, such as Kenny Burrell, Django Reinhardt and the great Chet Atkins. After attending this concert, it is difficult to believe that Steve Howe was a founding member of the 80's pop supergroup, Asia. The show lasted about two hours.
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YELLOWJACKETS
June 12, 2006
Jazz Kitchen
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $25.00 |
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192.
The Yellowjackets appeared here for two shows at the Jazz Kitchen, just one week before Indy Jazz Fest. The house was packed for both shows. The last time the Yellowjackets played here, the stage was much larger at The Murat Egyptian Room. At the Jazz Kitchen, quarters were cramped to say the least. While the evening was very enjoyable, this was certainly not one of the best overall performances that I have seen by The Yellowjackets. During the first show, Jimmy Haslip's playing was not spot on as I have witnessed in the past. Others lacked a little bit of enthusiasm. I'm going to blame this one on the stage size. It's difficult to branch out and freeform in such a confined space.
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MARK KNOPFLER & EMMYLOU HARRIS
June 25, 2006
Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island
Chicago, IL
Ticket Price: $99.50 |
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193.
The evening was exceptionally nice for an outdoor show, albeit very cool. We were not prepared for the cold Lake Michigan wind and didnt realize the venue was so close to the lake. Fortunately, the merchandise tent sold blankets for $15, a bargain this night! The show started approx. 7:45pm. The band was very similar to Knopflers solo touring band since he began his solo career, although he casually joked that Emmylou was a guitar player and singer within his band for this tour. The two harmonized and traded lead vocal throughout the evening on a variety of the new tunes from their new album, All The Roadrunning, as well as staples from each artists own evergreen. The two iconic talents blended seamlessly throughout the show, sounding as though they have been a harmonizing duet since long ago. Never once was there a moment of ego between them. In fact, they often showed hints of chemistry, like that shared by Johnny and June Carter Cash. At times, it seemed like the Emmylou Show with Knopfler playing a supporting role. Other times, Harris either dropped back or exited the stage completely. For those familiar with the subtlete changes in Mark Knopflers playing over the years, it is noteworthy that the guitarist relied heavily on the Gibson Les Pauls more than his signature red Fender Strat from the Dire Straits era. The difference is a bit more growl and less grace to the sound, nevertheless unmistakably Knopfler. Another interesting aspect of this performance in my opinion was that the format of duets was decidedly different than typical Mark Knopfler solo outings. During his own tours, the guitarist is able to stretch out and demonstrate his virtuosity. The duet format allowed fewer opportunities for this, primarily because the format dictated the direction of the set list. This is not to say that Mark didnt have his moments in the spotlight. He did indeed, but fewer of them perhaps than if the concert was his own. Songs from the set list included, in no particular order: Right Now, All The Roadrunning, This Is Us, Michelangelo, Red Dirt Girl, Romeo & Juliet, Done With Bonaparte, Red Staggerwing, Speedway At Nazareth, Shangri-La, So Far Away, Song For Sonny Liston, I Dug Up A Diamond, and Belle Starr.
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CARL PALMER BAND
July 02, 2006
Music Mill
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $30.00 |
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194.
Having seen only one version of ELP, featuring Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and the late drummer Cozy Powell (lucky for them I guess that Powell started with a "P"), I was interested to see and hear legendary drummer, Carl Palmer. Wow, what a show it was. I knew from browsing the internet that the set list would feature primarily the music of ELP and I knew that the music was re-arranged from keyboard/bass/drum to guitar/bass/drum. Still, I really didn't know what to expect. The result was amazing. The closest analogy that I can think of is that it sounded like King Crimson performing the music of ELP. To phrase it another way, it sounded like Carl Palmer playing with someone like a Tony Levin on bass and someone like an Yngwie Malmsteen on guitar. Carl's bandmates did not carry such high profile names however. A very yound and talented Paul Bielatowicz handled guitar duties with Stuart Clayton on bass. Carl will be joining fellow and original ASIA members for a tour celebrating the band's 25th anniversary in September.
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SAMMY HAGAR and The Wabos
July 14, 2006
Veriszon Wireless Music Center
Noblesville, IN
Ticket Price: $49.00 |
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195.
Sammy and Tequila...must be summertime! The Red Rocker once again on tour with the Wabos and Michael Anthony in tow. This year's extravaganza included a pre-show Cabo Wabo Village and the setlist was divided into two sets to accomadate Michael Anthony. Set one features Sammy's solo music with the Wabos, then an intermission, then set two follows with Van Halen relics from "The Other Half" featuring Sammy and Michael. Both Davie Lauser and Vic Johnson remain on stage for set two and easily handle chores formerly provided by brothers Van Halen.
Having been to numerous shows featuring Sammy Hagar, I would have to place this one around a 3.75 on a 5 scale. Everybody just seemed a little bit out of gas, or possibly reserving some energy for the next night in Chicago. Either way you look at it, they still pour on more effort than most bands. It is true that the traveling Hagar show, with Wabo Waitresses and the fans that get to stand behind the drum kit, is getting to be a tired schtick. I won't say the Cabo Village was a let-down, because the bikini contest was well worth my time, but certainly not enough activities happening there to warrant opening the gates 5 hours before showtime. On paper, it sounded like a great concept. In execution, a little weak. Did I mention the near boozeless maragritas for $10 each? Sammy, here's an idea...you own a tequila empire, put some sting in those drinks buddy! With unbearable sunny heat, laying out a Hamilton note for a cold drink, that tasted more like limeade than tequila, was highway robbery.
Everyone is going to get on my back to get over it, but here again it needs to be said...the security issues at Verizon Wireless Music Center in Indianapolis are preposterous. At no other venue (as you can see I've been to many different venues) do security people consistently harass fans the way they do at Verizon/Noblesville. It's really a shame that such a nice place has to be run like a Russian gulag.
196 - 199.
Our first Rock-Fest experience, Day 0, Wednesday...the mayhem on the day before bedlam: Parties galore in the campgrounds. M-80 Beer Bongs, The Dunk Tank at Kiss Army, Jello Shots and the world famous Wednesday Night Toga Party. Get your motors running. Day 1, Annual breakfast at J&J's Tavern in Cadott. The menu includes Grape Tooters, a Shot-Ski, and the famous Sailboat Races and the highlight of the morning, real plumbing. Wow, survived that! The first day line-up looked good on paper, but almost went up in flames. Lead off act was supposed to be John Waite, but Grand Funk cancelled, so a band called The Hoodlums were brought in as replacements. They led off the fest. John Waite lost his band somewhere and had to perform with whoever was available. The guitar player from the Hoodlums joined Waite for what turned out to be a pretty lousy set. Next up, Kansas. Steve Walsh, the leader of the band by elimination, is by now the weakest member of the group. His vocal quality is altogether poor and was the ruin of many Kansas staple songs. Rich Williams gave the best performance of the band, hands down. Three acts on the bill already down for the count. Thank God for Sammy Hagar and his band The Wabos! Not only did they give a stellar performance, but single handedly saved the day from certain classic rock disaster. Day 2 is off to a slightly better start following breakfast in the VIP tent. Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown sounded better than fair with his brand of blues/rock. Next up Seven Mary 3 with a somewhat disappointing effort. While I'm not a fan of Puddle of Mudd, they gave us a quality set with a little extra volume for good measure. George Thorogood was sensational. I expected good and he delivered even better. Kid Rock was also very good. Day 3 kicked off with Cross Canadian Ragweed, a band that I was unfamiliar with. Not only were they good, they converted me to fandom. Gregg Rolie, original vocalist for both Santana and Journey, was up next. He performed a classic Santana set flawlessly. I heard a lot of people complain about it, but in my opinion, Rolie is out there doing what Santana is no longer doing...classic Santana music! And it sounds true to form. Tesla followed and became my favorite act of the day. They sounded terrific! Some alternative bands added variety if nothing else: 10 Years and Papa Roach. Motley Crue ended the day in what was to become a train wreck of a performance. Vince Neil's vocals were poor, the show was unrehearsed. It was a bad night for Crue fans. Day 4 included Warrant, Cinderella, Live, Staind and Poison, although we only stayed for Warrant and Cinderella before packing up and making the long drive back to Indianapolis. I was particularly impressed with Cinderella!
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WFBQ ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
featuring STYX, FOREIGNER, DAVID LEE ROTH, PAT TRAVERS
September 14, 2006
Indiana State Fairgrounds
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $28.00 |
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200.
The weather was exceptionally good, sunny, mild temperatures and no humidity at all. It has been many years since I last saw a concert at the fairgrounds. It's an old facility and I had forgotten that grandstand seats are akin to standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Nevertheless, the sound was very good for all four bands. I'm not sure it could have been better. With still sunny skies, Pat Travers lead off promptly at 6pm with an array of vintage material from his catalog. The songs were spot on to the clarity and quality of his records and the finale of "Boom Boom, Out Go The Lights" was a real crowd pleaser, although at this point in the show, the crowd was rather meager. In all, I've never seen Pat Travers before and I really enjoyed his show.
David Lee Roth took the stage about 6:50pm, dressed in a pair of blue glittery pants, t-shirt and plaid jacket over top. He would have fit right in as a used car salesman or a regular at Churchill Downs. Obviously the pants were designed to allow him the ability to perform his signature roundhouse kicks and other karate gyrations. Gone were the big jumps from the drum kit and the obligatory bottle of Jack Daniels routines. Even though the crowd was more than delighted, Roth has lost a lot of his vocal range. He's also tamed down quite a lot from the consumate athletic rock performer that he once was. His band, now featuring two guitars, bass and drum, handled his Van Halen and solo catalog of hits with precision. At one point Roth left the stage and the band continued with the instrumental Jeff Beck classic, "Pork Pie Hat". The band consisted one time Atomic Punks guitarist Brian Young doing most of Eddie Van Halen's parts. Former Megadeth drummer Jimmy DeGrasso sat behind the kit. From the band Cats In Boots, Takashi O'Hashi on guitar and Todd Jensen on bass. Todd's resume of session and live work includes the likes of Alice Cooper, Hardline and Graham Bonnett. Overall, Roth covered the highlights of his career with and without Van Halen and the show was very enjoyable. Again, kudos to the sound guys, everything was crisp and clean.
Foreigner took the stage in their latest formation featuring founder Mick Jones. Gone is Lou Gramm and others who have rounded out the band in the past, such as bassist Bruce Turgon. Jones has surrounded himself with top notch musicians who can play the classic Foreigner material with style and integrity. Kelly Hanson, former Hurricane lead singer, is probably a stronger a vocalist than Lou Gramm and sounds a lot like the original. While his vocals are spot on, his stage antics are anchored in the 80's, looking more like Joe Lynn Turner of Rainbow than Lou Gramm. Stronger than either Ed Gagliardi or Rick Wills is new bassist Jeff Pilson. Jeff is also an excellent singer and songwriter, most notably from the rock band Dokken. Sitting the drum kit is Jason Bonham, son of famed Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. Simply put, Foreigner couldn't be any stronger than they are today. This outfit is lean of any baggage it may have carried in the past. The set was a crowd pleasing greatest hits package with homage to Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" for good measure.
I must admit I am not a Styx fan beyond The Grand Illusion and this show did not win my allegance either. Having said that, they did a fabulous job presenting the classic, if somewhat poppish, Styx catalog. The songs sung by Tommy Shaw sounded straight off the records. His vocal quality is almost unchanged from 30 some odd years of performing. Replacing Dennis DeYoung is Larry Gowan, a guy who tries very hard to immitate DeYoung's voice and stage presence. The result looks and sounds like a hypothetical Styx On Broadway. His voice is somewhere between DeYoung and a guy sucking helium, like the lollipop guild. The lead off number was "Blue Collar Man" and the hits just kept coming. For the majority of the show, the only classic Styx line-up members are Tommy Shaw and James Young. About mid-show, they drag out original bass player, Chuck Panozzo, to play one song with the band. It makes one wonder if there is some sort of legal agreement that allows them use the Styx name as long as he's along for the ride.
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CALIFORNIA GUITAR TRIO
October 11, 2006
Music Mill
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $20.00 |
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201.
The honest to God's truth is that these guys get better and better every time I attend one of their shamefully undersold shows. I think the attendence at this show was probably less than 150, a crying shame for the quality of entertainment they put forth. This particular set concentrated heavily on older material which had not been performed live for a few tours. Additionally, there were treats sprinkled throughout, including the theme from Napoleon Dynamite to open the show! Unfortunately, I had to exit before the conclusion of the show. I understand the encore was a CG3 version of none other than Lynyrd Skynyrd's classic, Freebird.
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IAN ANDERSON
October 19, 2006
Murat Theater
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: COMP |
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202.
This concert was (pleasantly) almost a carbon copy of Ian Anderson's 2 disc performance of the same name, although the title can be a bit misleading. The show was not necessarily centralized in Tull classics as the bill might lead one to believe. There was a fair amount of classical music here and again, a pleasant treat to be sure. Anderson was almost grandfatherly with anecdotal stories amid the song selections. One that that was not particularly pleasant, though no fault of Anderson and company, was the boorish quality of the audience. Again, another perfect example why many performers pass over Indianapolis.
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INDIGO GIRLS
October 23, 2006
Clowes Hall
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: |
203.
My first (and last) plaid-fest. The evening got off to a rocky start with the opening act, Three 5 Human. I wasn't sure what their angle on music was, but it came across as a rough mockery of Living Colour, a band that already accomplished what these cats were trying to do, except LC did it over 15 years ago. The music didn't lend itself to complimenting the headliner and oddly they were given an opening slot of 75 minutes, near equal to the headliner. That didn't make a lot of sense to me, considering the theater was quite empty during the opener. The crowd consisted of die hard IG fans, of which I was not. My exposure to The Indigo Girls was limited, but I enjoyed what I had heard OK. We attended largely for my wife's benefit, who incidentally had a great time, even though she agreed with my assessment of Three 5 Human! I recently read liner notes in the Indigo Girls "Best of" retrospective CD that it was a wonder that they hadn't been recognized artistically to a higher degree than they have. It is certainly no wonder to me. I think it's an entirely correct response from the general record buying public. The Indigo Girls are one of those groups whose songs essentially sound alike after awhile. After sitting through the first 30 minutes of the show, I felt as though I had heard the same 3 or 4 songs played over and over with moderately different words, yet the themes all seemed alike as well. So there isn't a lot of variety among their repetoire. They have a solid, if not niche following who appears to love everything they do or at least they love everything that they believe the Indigo Girls represent.
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BOB SEGER & The Silver Bullet Band
w/sg Steve Azar
September 18, 2006
Conseco Fieldhouse
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $60.00 |
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204.
All hail to Brother Bob. That pretty much sums up the audience response to the return of one of the midwest's favorite sons. Bob Seger, a name absent from active duty in popular music and culture for over a decade. Bob Seger, the man behind so many great songs with such a familiar voice. I attended the show with (perhaps unfair) expectations of a near flawless show and in many ways it was near flawless. The truth is, for this crowd, whatever Seger did was going to be alright with them. He had been gone so long that he could have played anything to a more than enthusiastic and sold out crowd. Somewhat odd to me was his choice of setlist. With so many great songs, it would have been impossible to please everyone, yet I couldn't help but ask myself why would he do so many tracks from the new record - It's a good record, but within the context of a live show, the songs don't hold up to Bob's deep list of classics. By doing so many of the new songs, it means ditching some of the classics to make room and to me that was bordering on criminal. Nevertheless, Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band sounded great. The band was tight. Bob's voice held up and despite a very brief intermission, the momentum never slowed. SETLIST: 1.Roll Me Away 2.Tryin to Live My Life Without You 3.Wreck This Heart 4.Mainstreet 5.Old Time Rock and Roll 6.Wait For Me 7.Face the Promise 8.No Matter Who You Are 9.Simplicity 10.Betty Lous Going Out Tonight 11.Weve Got Tonight 12.Turn the Page 13.Travelin Man/Beautiful Loser 14.Between 15.You Never Can Tell 16.The Answers in the Question 17.Sightseeing 18.Sunspot Baby 19.Horizontal Bop 20.Katmandu First encore 21.Night Moves 22.Hollywood Nights Second encore 23.Against the Wind 24.Rock and Roll Never Forgets
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THE CHIEFTAINS
w/sg Liaden
January 20, 2007
IU Auditorium
Bloomington, IN
Ticket Price: $45.00 |
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205.
Certainly a more relaxed and more traditional Irish presentation than the last time I saw The Chieftains. Last time, the program was largely a Nashville influenced affair, due to their then current release Down The Old Plank Road. This evenining's program found the band performing traditional Irish folk music, supplemented by a variety of other talents. Missing in action this evening was fiddler, Sean Keane, replaced admirably by Jon Pilatzke. Jon and his brother Nathan have performed with The Chieftains numerous tours before as Irish Step-Dancers. Cara Butler from Long Island, NY was also along for this tour, performing her Traditional Irish Dancing and Step-Dancing. Ryan MacNeil added keyboards and vocals. Harpist Triona Marshall and fiddler Maureen Fahy rounded out the band.
As if this wasn't treat enough, six girls from Limerick, Ireland who call themselves Liadan joined the band for a portion of the show with song and dance.
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CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED
January 30, 2007
The Bluebird
Bloomington, IN
Ticket Price: $15.00 |
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206.
Another great show by one of the hardest working bands in America. There wasn't a huge difference between this show and their latest CD/DVD release, Back To Tulsa, however the band took a break midshow while Cody Canada previewed a few songs acoustically from the new studio album they're currently working on. Still one of my favorite touring bands.
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ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA
w/sg Panic Channel, Dilana, Juke Kartel
February 02, 2007
Schottenstein Center
Columbus, OH
Ticket Price: $60.00 |
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207.
Potentially one of the worst tours ever cooked up. Even the t-shirts sucked! This was billed as a Supernova headline tour, featuring Tommy Lee, Gilby Clarke, Jason Newstead and whoever they selected as their singer from the show. Instead, they take the television show on a live tour. Regular viewers of the show must have had their favorite contestants, so finalists were invited to come along for the ride. On television, you can think whatever of the contestants. In a live concert environment (one that was poorly attended incidentally) the proof was blatantly obvious that none of the finalists were ready for prime time in a concert arena. They are actors portraying musicians and that is so clear when placed on the same stage with real musicians. For Supernova, the show was overpowered by the blinding light show. Jason Newstead was replaced by Johnny Colt due to an injury ( a wisely and timely executed injury I might add...at least Jason doesn't have to suffer through this dismal affair every night of the tour!). I can say that Dave Navarro's band, Panic Channel was worthwhile and perhaps the only redeeming quality of the show.
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WOLFMOTHER
w/sg Icarus Line
March 02, 2007
The Vogue
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $20.00 |
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208.
Wolfmother is a band that should make a mark in the world of rock 'n' roll. Their original music isn't all that original, but it's good. It's good because it so clearly harkens back to the early 70's haydays of rock music, before corporate America and MTV took over. This power trio from Australia studied the licks, lyrics and crunch of early Black Sabbath and Jimmy Page. They keep it simple, no need to over complicate the music when you're playing hard rock 'n' roll. Their debut CD peaked at #22 on Billboard's chart, not bad at all considering rock 'n' roll is supposedly dead and the music industry is crying over lost revenues. Touring North America in support of their first record on a major label, the band is storming across the country playing gigs of all sizes to enthusiastic fans. That my friends is a welcome sign for rock music. Wolfmother howls.
The Icarus Line was far less impressive. Active on the Los Angeles underground scene for many years, it's difficult to understand exactly what direction the band seems to be grasping toward. On the one hand, they seem to borrow from The Stooges, yet they also sounded very Robert Smith/Cure-esque at times. Still, their image fits neither of these influences. Their official website was last updated in 2004, which seems to give some indication as to the level of enthusiasm they put into the music.
This show will also be remembered for reasons less enthusiastic. During the Wolfmother set, I received a distressing call that my wife's brother had passed away.
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BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
w/sg Sanctity
April 05, 2007
The Vogue
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $25.00 |
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209.
Personally, I'm not a fan of modern Ozzy Osbourne. He had his day sure. For numerous years however, I feel he's been a mockery of his past achievements. The Osbournes tv show should have proven that. Nevertheless, I like a lot of his music. The perfect alternative is Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society. Zakk has been Ozzy's guitarist and songwriting mule for several years. Black Label's music doesn't stray far from the same type of music Zakk contributes to Ozzy. It's not rocket science. Give the devil his dues, Zakk Wylde is a master guitarist/musician/performer. He could easily be a king size fish in just about any pond he wants to play in. Make no mistake, just because he shreds metal for a living doesn't mean the guy can't play any type of music he wants. There are not many players out there who can match him style for style, riff for riff.
The show started out for us a cold adventure, waiting behind the venue for band autographs. Everybody was happy to oblige. Zakk was no where to be seen and word was he would arrive by car minutes before show time and bolt inside to do his show and would exit as quickly. This was no joke. Supposedly, the guy is as nice as he can be and formerly hung out with fans regularly before or after shows. We heard he hasn't been the same since Dime was shot dead by a fan in Ohio 2 years ago. Now picture this...Zakk Wylde...easily 6 and a half feet tall, SDMF (strength, determination, merciless forever)...testosterone made from gasoline...nordic viking stage image...t-shirts and other items that say things like: 100 Proof Chaos, Doom Crew Inc, Too Tough To Die, Mess With The Best/Die Like The Rest, Passing Through Hell Destroying Everything In Our Path, etc...and scared shitless of his own fans, who are numbering fewer than half a dozen and toting nothing more dangerous than permanent black sharpie markers. That's your real Zakk Wylde, an image as fake as a preacher on tv.
The show itself was OK. I didn't love it as much as I thought I would, but I didn't hate it either. The sound wasn't nearly as loud as I expected and the vocals were mostly buried in the mix. The guitar solos were impressive, particularly the acoustic guitar solos. He seemed to have the most fun then. The audience was predictably and annoyingly smashed. The venue was predictably oversold. One could not help but think of The Station fire and Great White from time to time throughout the show. We heard the entire opening act set through the backstage door, while waiting for the Poofter to show up. For the most part, Sanctity was as good a support act on a small venue tour can be expected to be. The guitar player clearly laid out some old school shred.
You might look for Zakk to change his band name soon to the Pink Label Society or Maybe the Red Hat Society. I don't think the Hell Bent For Leather routine is going to last long when people find out what a panzy he really is. If I could paraphrase my buddy Shane, he said something like: if Dime knew what a pussy Zakk had become, he'd punch Zakk in the face. Indeed.
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ADRIAN BELEW & THE BEARS
April 29, 2006
Lafayette Brewing Company
Lafayette, IN
Ticket Price: $14.00 |
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210.
Adrian Belew and his pop band, The Bears, packed the second floor stage at Lafayette Brewing Company for a crowd pleasing show. The concert got off to a rocky start, with the inclusion of support act, Michael Kelsey. Kelsey is something of a one-man-band and local-yokel who plays guitar, sings, mutters, and uses numerous electronic effects to supplement his act. Clearly, the guy has some chops, but hasn't settled down enough to take his music seriously. He just sort of gets-off on stage, while goofing around, re-tuning and playing with his various electronics. It's like watching a real life Jack Black in School of Rock.
The Bears were up next and to much fanfare they arrived. The first song, Complicated Potatoes, was energetic enough to start the show off right, but the sound mix was bad, almost tinny at times. The venue incidentally is a large hall on the second floor of a warehouse type building in downtown Lafayette. Plenty of wood floors, plaster walls and exposed wood rafters in the ceiling to make for a nice warm sound if desired. The second song, something off the new record, fizzled fast due to a failing microphone. It took the sound crew several minutes to repair the problem, but a veteran band knows how to roll with such situations and so they did. Belew and Fetters improvised and kept everyone entertained until a solution was found. The set list was filled with classics from the original two releases from the 80's, The Bears and Rise And Shine. It was good to hear these again. There were many songs drawn from the latest two releases as well, Car Caught Fire and Eureka, which kept the show balanced and fresh. As the evening's show developed, the band caught fire and the sound was corrected. The Bears were once again phenomenal. Last time I saw The Bears (Phoenix Hill Tavern, Louisville, KY) they added King Crimson's Red to the set list. Despite my hopes and desires, no Crimson was performed in Lafayette this night. Encores included The Bears rendition of She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain (yes, that's right) and Bears classics, Superboy and Fear Is Never Boring.
Adrian and the band were gracious enough to hang out after the show to talk to fans.
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MAD ANTHONY XPRESS
May 05, 2007
Cabo Wabo Tahoe
Lake Tahoe, NV
Ticket Price: FREE |
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211.
This was the bright spot in a weekend at Lake Tahoe, NV that was to include three sold out performances by Sammy Hagar. Unfortunately, the day before the first show, Sammy was reportedly ill with a severe upper respiratory infection and had lost most of his voice. So here we are, in Lake Tahoe, holding tickets to three cancelled shows. All was not lost however, as former Van Halen bassist and current bassist of The Other Half, Michael Anthony put on a free show inside the Cabo Wabo Tahoe Cantina. This show was not to be missed. The place was utterly packed, hot, smokey and otherwise a difficult place to move about. The ceilings were about 8 or 9 feet high, so even seeing the band was near impossible. But seeing wasn't important. These guys were there to be heard, as Michael and Waborita Band guitarist, Vic Johnson smoked through a brilliant set of old Van Halen numbers (Michael sang vocals), a few cover songs, and Aaron Hagar, Sammy's son and erstwhile manager of the Tahoe Cantina, joined the band for two old Montrose favorites. Best of all, Vic and Michael were accessible to fans in the VIP room before the show and were gracious with chat, autographs and photos. SETLIST: Atomic Punk, Running With The Devil, Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin), Been Waitin' For The Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago (ZZ Top), Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, All Right Now (Free), Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers (ZZ Top), Rock Candy (with Aaron Hagar), Bad Motor Scooter (with Aaron Hagar), Little Dreamer, Going Down (Don Nix), D.O.A., Show Your Love
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STEELY DAN
w/sg Sam Yahel
May 21, 2007
Beacon Theater
New York, NY
Ticket Price: $125.00 |
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212.
For those who may not be old enough to have lived it and for those old enough who may have forgotten (shame on you), Steely Dan owned FM airwaves throughout a period we call the 70's. Other than Hall & Oates or The Eagles, few artists were responsible for as many hits during that decade. No small wonder then that they were asked to pen the title track to the movie, "FM." The Dan, as fans refer to them, consisted of the core scheme directors, messers Becker and Fagan, who used a broad cast of top notch studio players to hatch intricate, yet smooth, irresistable compositions rooted in R&B and seasoned liberally with doses of jazz and blues. Donald Fagan was centrally responsible for much of the band's vocal and lyrical content, often sordid tales of the shadow side of life: criminal and/or perverted characters with plenty of novelistic details.
Fagan's voice is still good, but not as full as it once was. Interestingly, a back up singer stepped in to fulfill the entire vocal duties on Dirty Work and Walter Becker sang lead vocal for Haitian Divorce. Both songs lost something without Fagan's signature vocal. The lead off track was Hey Nineteen, which became the sacrificial lamb track while Becker found his groove and the sound man found the right balance. After those issues were corrected, the 12 piece band featuring Jon Herington (guitar and tour musical director) blazed.
With a history so rich in hits, it would be impossible to satisfy every fan's desire. By the end of the show, Steely Dan served a 90 minute set (2 hours with breaks and encores) with a setlist of familiar classics, yet never getting around to staple chart-busters, such as Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Do It Again, FM, Black Friday, My Old School, Deacon Blues, or Reelin' In The Years. The setlist did include: Josie, Peg, Aja, Time Out Of Mind, Hey Nineteen, Two Against Nature, Babylon Sisters, I Got The News, Black Cow, Kid Charlemagne, Haitian Divorce, Bad Sneakers, Bodhisattva, and Dirty Work.
The support act, Sam Yahel Trio added nothing to the entertainment value of the ticket price.
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TED NUGENT
June 19, 2007
The Vogue
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $30.00 |
213.
Small indoor venue. Large crowd. Ted Nugent. I got a great night's sleep and my ears aren't ringing at all. What is wrong with this picture?
After a couple hundred shows, you might think I've seen it all and heard it all. This one even surprised me. I intended to get to the show early in hopes of getting some old Dokken CD covers signed by Mick Brown. Ted borrowed Mick for the summer, as he often does, to pound the skins. Mick arrived separate from the rest of the touring trio (Nugent and bassist, Barry Sparks). He was laid back and smiling, as you might expect, and he signed some autographs, posed for a few pictures with fans and even tried flirting with a couple of young locals who barely had enough clothing to cover them. At this point, I was a happy camper. I hoped to get Mick to sign some pieces previously signed by Dokken guitarist, George Lynch, and he did so very politely.
Most of my friends are not going to find this all that surprising. Most people I know already think Ted is a jackass anyway, either because they dont like his music, hunting or his outspoken view on the 2nd amendment. I still remember the Ted of old, the crazy MF who wore white tights and suspenders on stage with a coon tail tied to his waist.
I had no real intentions of sticking around in hopes of a Ted autograph, but there were fewer than 10 people there, so I figured why not? Ted arrived about an hour before his scheduled show time and was quickly escorted to a makeshift hospitality area. About 15 minutes before show time, tour management came over to where were standing and said, "Ted ain't signing anything." Ok, well we've heard that one before and since the show hadn't started, why not hang out and see what happens. A short while later, a different tour manager came over, apparently he was THE tour manager. He asked the 8 or so fans to huddle around him. We did. He said, "Ted is not going to sign anything. He won't sign your guitar. He won't sign your record album, your photos or your CD covers. Ted will not talk to you. Ted will not even look at you. He will not discuss hunting. He will not reminisce about the old days. This is a public area and I cannot require you to leave, but I am asking you to leave, because Ted will not sign anything anyway. Questions?" One guy said, "This isn't Ted. Ted has always been very generous with fans and autographs." The manager said, "Correction...Ted used to meet fans, not anymore. He's 59 and frankly he's tired of this. He doesn't need this shit. If I let you stay here, Ted's going to come out and you're going to wave your arms and yell Ted's name and that's going to piss him off. All Ted wants now is to come in, do his show and go home. No fans." I handed my ticket to the manager and said, "If Ted doesn't need this shit, I don't either." and I walked away. This wasn't about an autograph. Some artists will do it some wont, no big deal. I think I can safely say on behalf of most of the 8 people there, if they had simply said Ted didn't feel like signing anything tonight, please go inside and enjoy the show...most of us would have been cool with that. The problem was the clear anti-fan message broadcast by Ted's manager (Ted hired him so he's Ted's representative), a complete disrespect for the people who have been buying albums and concert tickets for literally decades. From that point forward, I knew I would not enjoy the concert and figured my ticket was best used as a sacrificial statement of rebuttal. Addendum 07/28/08: I just read where Ted Nugent is now offering VIP package with meet & greet for the low price of $1,000 per couple. I wonder how many takers he has at that price?
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PSYCHEDELIC FURS
June 28, 2007
The Vogue
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $20.00 |
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214.
The Psychedelic Furs performed Indianapolis for the first time in their career, June 28, 2007. This was the first stop of three warm-up dates in the U.S. Before joining forces with fellow 80's bands, The Fixx and The Alarm, for their Rockin' The Colonies Tour. Given this was a warm-up show and the first show of the pre-tour, the performance had a few flaws, but very enjoyable overall. The band consisted of core members Richard Butler, Tim Butler, John Ashton and Mars Williams. They were further augmented by a brand new drummer, who incidentally had only played with the group 3 days, and a keyboard player. Clearly the drummer was out of time with the band on a few occasions, notably on my own personal favorites, "The Ghost In You" and "Heartbreak Beat."
One of the things that separated a band like the Furs from most of the 80's New Wave was they never tried to demote the guitar. They also boasted a saxophone on many tracks. These were critical points of differentiation from the synthesizer and drum machine pop sounds of the time. This fact was never more apparent during their performance, as the guitar and sax were forefront throughout the show.
No one is as young as they used to be and today's Psychedelic Furs are as good a reminder of that as anyone. Gone is the Richard Butler we knew from MTV videos, spaced, gaunt and introspective, replaced by an older man who had gained some much needed weight and gregarious throughout the show. From my seat, this fellow looked more like British actor, Alan Rickman, than an 80's pop icon. As for this journalist, I'm probably 100 extra pounds since purchasing what was a once a brand new LP record called, "Mirror Moves."
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TOTO
July 16, 2007
Music Mill
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $35.00 |
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215.
This was easily the largest crowd I have seen at The Music Mill, which was somewhat surprising given the $35 ticket price (a little higher than most for this venue). Toto took the stage promptly at 8:30 showtime, no opening act) and performed a near two hour set. While the band suffered from various members' ailments, they were far from short-handed. Session bassist, Leland Sklar, filled in this tour on bass guitar while professional sideman to the stars, Greg Phillinganes, handled the keyboards. The show was not without problems, notably in the guitar department. No doubt a combination of a road weiry Steve Lukather having an off night and a handful of guitar technical problems, the band persevered through the night. In fairness, the technical problems couldn't be helped and Lukather having an off night is better than a lot of guys having a great night anyway. Lots of hits were included in the 2 hour set, including I'll Supply The Love, Rosanna, Africa and Hold The Line. Items at the merchandise table were fairly priced for a little consumer relief. In all, a very good show and congratulations Indianapolis for such a great turn out.
216 - 219.
Thank God for Cross Canadian Ragweed and Godsmack for saving this line-up from certain disaster!
DAY 0: PreFest Wednesday includes setting up camp, buying supplies, cruising the campgrounds in search of the annual Toga Party, M-80 Beer Bongs and Kiss Army's Dunk Tank. Weather turned rather cool for the evening, so lots of time spent watching girls take their turn in the dunk tank. Lots of buzz heard around the campsites, such as "Will Kiss allow us to take pictures," "How was Rocklahoma?" and "Are you guys renewing here next year?"
DAY 1: Off to a lousy start with World Classic Rockers...basically a covers band based on three ex-Steppenwolf players, with former one-time members of Journey, Toto, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Santana. These Johnny-Come-Latelies were typically not associated with their respective bands during peak years, with the possible exception of Journey's Aynsley Dunbar. Nevertheless, they are none too proud to announce themselves as though they were in the band when Grammys were handed out. It's just shady what some people will do. It didn't stop there. Instead of performing songs that these players were actually part of, they performed the better known songs that they had nothing to do with. For example, I was eager to hear some of the Santana music that included singer Alex Ligertwood, but instead he performed Oye Como Va and Black Magic Woman. Others did the same. This made no sense to me and did little to get the fans energized. Dennis DeYoung actually impressed me more than I thought he would (since I'm not really a Styx fan to start). This set was filled with classic Styx tracks and a few new DeYoung tunes, as one might imagine. All songs were performed near flawlessly. Alongside DeYoung were former Styx mate Glenn Burtnik and DeYoungs wife of nearly 35 years as a background vocalist. Despite the set list was a trip back to high school prom night, we were treated to an appearance by Mr. Roboto. Amazingly, Todd Rundgren blends seamlessly into the voice of The New Cars in place of original vocalist Ric Ocasek. I heard a lot of complaining about this set, but honestly it sounded good. If you were not a fan of The Cars, youd likely not be won over by The New Cars, but in all fairness, they were pretty good. There were also some Rundgren solo hits thrown in for good measure. The highly anticipated Rundgren staple, Bang On My Drum All Day, got off to a rocky start due to a new (misguided) acoustic arrangement, but ultimately changed course, built a full charge and pleased the crowd once again. I still cant figure out why someone as accomplished as Rundgren would want to front a band like The Cars. My primary reason to see Deep Purple was to finally hear former Dixie Dregs guitarist, Steve Morse. Steves virtuosity is absolutely amazing and he deserves a round of applause for his own contribution. The rest of the band sounded great too, as did Ian Gillans voice, which I had heard was failing in past tours. The guys looked physically fit and ready to roll. I had one, perhaps two, complaints about this set. One, new Deep Purple music isnt really necessary, so why bloat the set list with it. Two, a personal thing, Ian Gillans voice is great, but I get tired of it after about 45 minutes, especially after tolerating newer songs. Nevertheless, kudos to Steve Morse again for filling some pretty big shoes following the departure of Ritchie Blackmore many years ago.
DAY 2: After hearing their CDs, I was pleased that Saliva doesnt sound so pop when they play live. I wasnt especially impressed overall however and one of the guitarists was very annoying to me with his over the top dramatics. This group falls into a category of artists that I commonly refer to as pretenders. They act like rock stars and may even try to sound like rock stars, but their image is contrived by the record company and therefore phony. Uncle Kracker was far more entertaining than I thought he might be. Most fans I talked to said it was a slightly disappointing show, but I enjoyed it. Sure Grand Funk Railroad still sounds good for what they do, but like Todd Rundgren to The Cars, what is Bruce Kulick doing with these guys? I've heard Kulick has a new project in the works with the former lead singer of The Knack. Bruce, you're in a league with players like your brother Bob, Steve Lukather, Paul Gilbert and many others. Why GFR and The Knack? Next up, Fuel...This group is one of those that in my opinion suffers from what I like to call Boston-Syndrome (all songs start to sound alike). I wont say theyre bad and I wont say theyre good, just monotonous after three or four songs. The new lead singer is too fake, a pretender, a Justin Timberlake wannabe. One of the most impressive shows at Rock Fest 07 was Godsmack. Youve heard of dueling banjos, dueling pistols, dueling guitars, how about dueling drum kits? No point in explaining it here, just go see them yourself. I had my doubt going in that Godsmack could pull off a headline slot at RockFest, but they were outstanding.
DAY 3: Saturday and we're halfway through the fest. The day gets off to a start with some local boys from the beer tents and then the band, Mink, who is out supporting Kiss this summer on the 3 date Hit & Run tour. They were added as a bonus attraction early in the day on Saturday. Not a bad band, although they owe much to classic rockers Mick Jagger and David Bowie. Mink is in a difficult spot, touring in support of a CD which wont be out until August, after the Kiss dates are finished. Cross Canadian Ragweed was terrific once again. What started as a mildly attended show quickly gathered a crowd. My buddy Shane got a call-out due to the fact he was wearing his Oklahoma State University football jersey. The boys joined us back at camp later for some Miller High Life and such. Collective Soul is a great live band that delivers a rock solid punch. They seem to have been somewhat inactive over the past few years, but their set sounded great. Lots of familiar hits. Not so tragically, we skipped The Tragically Hip since members of Cross Canadian Ragweed dropped by our campsite. God bless those boys from Oklahoma. We did make it back over to the stage for Chicago (I'm not entirely sure why) and despite a set that sounded a lot like a soundtrack to my high school prom night, we drank a lot of happy water and had a great time. I'm pretty sure those near us who intended to enjoy Chicago were mildy upset with our antics. Well, my apologies. That's what happens when they book Chicago at a ROCK fest. If I had wanted to go to Adult Contemporary Fest or Easy Listening Palooza, I would have done so. End of sermon. After seeing Kiss more than a dozen times, with and without make-up and just about every conceivable line up of players, its difficult not to be critical. There were memorable performances throughout Kisstory, some better than others. This show was the most lackluster Kiss concert I have ever witnessed. The only other artist at RockFest 2007 to exhibit less enthusiasm was Govt Mule. Kiss set was almost 2 hours including encores. It included zero drum solos, no bass solo, not even a hint of a guitar solo, no obligatory blood spitting, and no smoking guitar. Was this a real Kiss show? The answer is not so clear cut. With scab players Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer in Peter Criss and Ace Frehelys costumes respectively, the show lacked a certain spark or chemistry. Yes the songs were played with stronger musicianship, if that's what Gene wants, but there was no life to the band. I was reminded of the creedo that ran throughout the Kiss comic book from Image Entertainment, Four who are one. This evening was evidence of One who is all of that and a bag of potato chips (Gene), One who is bored to be there (Paul) and two scabs happy to collect a check (Eric and Tommy).
DAY 4: Rain set in for the entire day. We opted out of Corey Stevens early and stayed in the campers. I donned a rain pancho and braved the weather for Gov't Mule. I wanted to like Govt Mule. Warren Haynes is an outstanding musician and its great to see him carving his own niche outside the umbrella of the Allman Brothers Band. That said, I found their set to sound groaningly monotonous. The stand out song that had its own life was Soul Shine which came at the end of the set. Another band that comes under the heading pretenders in my book isHinder. The reaction I had to the CD was that it sounded too pop, too phony and too manufactured by the record company suits. After 200 concerts, it really takes a lot more than the repetitious screaming of the word F%ck! to impress me. So I gave these guys a big thumbs down. Irononically, most people I talked to were eagerly anticipating this set, and many were less than impressed when it was over. For me the final two acts, Third Eye Blind and 3 Doors down were not worth enduring the rain and thunderstorms. I could here most of it from my camper and I'm pretty sure I made the right choice.
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ZZ TOP
w/sg The Pretenders, Stray Cats
June 27, 2007
Verizon Wireless Music Center
Noblesville, IN
Ticket Price: $6.50 |
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220.
With a short set at just under an hour, the Stray Cats rocked a modest crowd who were still filing in for The Pretenders and/or ZZ Top. Those in attendance were treated to a blistering set by original Strays, Brian Setzer, Slim Jim Phantom and Earl Rocker. They sound as polished as ever and have miraculously showed little age from their 80s MTV days. Chrissie Hynde and her Pretenders also clocked about an hours worth of work with a hit laced set. Highlights included Night In My Veins, Mystery Achievement, Complex Person, and Dont Get Me Wrong. Brian Setzer accompanied the band as a guest guitarist on the extended jam of My City Was Gone, a song ironically associated as theme music for The Rush Limbaugh radio program. Sadly, no Brass In Pocket. Of course, no Pretenders concert would be complete without comments from the stage regarding Hyndes staunch support of PETA and occasional jabs at those who disagree. Whereas we often welcomed Chrissies flirtatious nuances throughout the show in past, this year it seemed a little creepy. ZZ Top raised the ante when they took the stage at roughly 9:45pm. At seventy-five minutes, their performance seemed all too short for a headline engagement. The bearded ones got right to work with old time classics like Been Waiting For The Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago, Cheap Sunglasses, Im Bad, Im Nationwide, and Heard It On The X. There were other surprises too, like Pincushion from the slow selling 1994 CD, Antenna. SETLIST: Got Me Under Pressure, Waitin for the Bus, Jesus Just Left Chicago, I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide, Pincushion, Cheap Sunglasses, Pearl Necklace, Heard it on the X, Just Got Paid, Rough Boy, Foxy Lady, Gimme All Your Lovin, Sharp Dressed Man, Legs, Tube Snake Boogie, La Grange/Sloppy Drunk/Bar-B-Q, Tush.
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POISON
w/sg Ratt, Vains Of Jenna
August 21, 2007
Verizon Wireless Music Center
Noblesville, IN
Ticket Price: $6.50 |
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221.
The best quote of the evening was Chris Thompson's remark to a parking lot attendant, "It's not sold-out, is it?" Although the dip shit teenage attendant thought Chris was serious, Thompson was making light of the fact that so few people were showing up for the show. This was by far one of the weakest attendance shows I have ever seen at Verizon Wireless Music Center, but then Poison is your headliner here. Our mission was clear: Vains of Jenna. Maybe Ratt, Poison, not so much.
Vains put on a solid performance to a lackluster crowd, who couldn't pull their heads out of their collective asses long enough to realize this was the best band they were going to see all night. We saw one solitary person in the pavillion who seemed to be into VOJ. Everbody else had the typical "huh?" look going on. The guys played music from their debut CD, one that is NOT available at most retail outlets incidentally, and did a rousing cover of Tom Petty's "Refugee." One thing is for certain, this is probably the largest stage these guys will ever be playing on, because frankly the cards are stacked too high against them ever making their mark. The CD isn't out there, even if somebody was interested enough to buy it. Most casual listeners will no doubt mistake Vains for Veins and when they don't find it, they'll give up way too easily. Worst of all, with such low attendance, they really aren't connecting with enough people at each show. It will be a tough road for them, but I wish them a lot of luck.
Next, we lowered our expectations and geared down for the so-called reunion of Ratt. This included Pearcy, DeMartini, and Blotzer of the original 5 piece band. Of course, Crosby is pushing up daisies and Croucier apparently had better things to do this summer. The best thing Ratt has going for it is that it hired one of the best vocalist/songwriter/guitarists on the LA scene today: John Corabi. One of the worst things Ratt has going for it this summer is the fact that they relegated Corabi to a rhythm guitarist position with occasional background vocal duties. Overall, the band lacks any real stage presence. Pearcy communicates with the audience in short, corny blurbs while Warren DeMartini looks completely uninterested in being there. Otherwise, they don't sound terribly bad.
We cut our losses and headed for the parking lot upon the completion of Ratt's set. The most refreshing part of the night was urinating in the grass while standing next to the car. Oh yeah, and Vains of Jenna was pretty good too.
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RUSH
August 26, 2007
Verizon Wireless Music Center
Noblesville, IN
Ticket Price: COMP |
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222.
Dinosaurs from my generation typically tour infrequently and have nothing new to explore, creatively speaking. In complete contrast of this dogma is the Canadian trio: Rush. Messieurs Lee, Lifeson and Peart have been crafting their brand of music and lyric for well over 30 years, generally drawing on societal issues and/or Pearts often tragic personal life. Rush is currently touring in support of their latest studio release, Snakes & Arrows, which I personally believe to be their strongest effort since the mid-1980s. Not unlike other Rush adventures, the Snakes & Arrows tour came rolling into Indianapolis (technically Noblesville) for a near full house of fans. The pavilion seemed to be full to the last rows of seating, while the lawn was vastly covered, leaving only spotty places to park a blanket and a beer.
It would be remiss of me not to mention this years quirky tour gag. So lets get that out of the way here and now. Geddys rotisserie chicken ovens, 3 of them in fact, cooked chickens throughout the concert. They provided a nice warm orange glow behind Geddy where bass amps would be for any other touring band. A chef appeared periodically to check the roasting. All the while the band played on. This is a new twist on the Maytag washer and dryer combo used last time on stage. Next time perhaps a cobbler fixing shoes, who knows?
The set list concentrated heavily on the new record, perhaps a bit more than I expected and perhaps a bit more than necessary. Clearly this was not a greatest hits tour. Nine new songs were performed, mostly in the second set. Other albums favored by the set list were Moving Pictures and Permanent Waves, both obvious masterpieces. A number of albums were overlooked completely, some rightfully so and others unfortunately. I suspect a number of people left around 10pm and missed a series of Rush classics toward the end of the show.
Ticket prices were steep, considering the endless array of service fees tacked on by the promoter, the venue and Ticketmaster. Ironically, the fees almost rival the cost of a lawn ticket! But without a doubt, the length and quality of the concert far outweighed the full ticket price. Looking back at the history of Rushs set lists, its easy to see that as the years pass, the set lists get longer and longer and longer. Today there is no time or place for a support artist to join the bill. The show clocks in at around 3 full hours, 3.5 if you count the intermission! This is far longer than most 50+ year old rockers perform these days.
223.
One of the up and coming hard rock acts of today, Black Stone Cherry made a stop in Indianapolis for one of only a handful of warm-up shows before heading over to Europe. Since releasing their debut album in 2006, BSC has toured relentlessly as a supporting act for the likes of Black Label Society and Hinder. The venue itself created enough confusion for me. I drove past it, thinking it was a rollerskating rink. Turns out, it's a cowboy bar that occasionally hosts rock bands. There's a giant wooden dance floor in the middle of the building that separates two sections of seating, creating a large chasm in the middle of the audience. Of course, you could stand out there, but there really weren't enough people to fill the place anyway. With such a large building and so much open space, the sound was terrible. The band's CD sounds far better. Aside from that, BSC was energetic and performed a few unexpected covers: the Rick Derringer classic "Rock & Roll Hoochie Coo" and a heavy version of Johnny Cash's "Folsom County Prison." Late in the show, a guitar solo evolved into a full blown version of the Jimi Hendrix classic, "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)." A handful of cowpokes arrived about midshow and were visibly irratated that there would be no bootscootin' tonight. The show was followed by a casual meet & greet .
224.
A little background is probably in order before my comments on this event. Music news guru/web entreprenuer Andrew McNiece has a globally popular webpage dedicated to the music genre of melodic rock, titled aptly enough: www.melodicrock.com. He has new CD reviews, thorough and intelligent commentary, as well as the ever popular daily music news updates. This is a full time job and the quality of the website shines through as a result. As a celebration of his 10th year with the website, a special concert was planned. The place chosen was the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend, Indiana, USA, a beautiful venue in the heartland of America. I'm not sure what deciding factors may have influenced the decision to host the show in South Bend, as opposed to a larger American city, but the home of Notre Dame University became the home to MelodicRock Fest for one day in October this year. I believe I heard a statistic that fans arrived from 34 U.S. states and 8 different countries to be a part of this event.
Unfortunately for many, melodic rock has become a very risky business, especially if you plan to earn a living doing it in the U.S.A., where American record labels and FM radio programmers turned their collective backs on the genre many years ago. The genre is also refered to as arena rock, which by definition also recalls it's hayday of excessive popularity, primarily in the 1980's for North America. While interest appears to be alive and well in Europe, Japan, Australia, etc. most of the peak popularity is well past. Today, there are many old school melodic bands still making quality new music, but most Americans would be hard pressed to know that talented, younger artists are creating serious new work as well. American FM radio will not play these artists and if not for a friendly referal or checking out melodicrock.com, you might never discover these artists yourself. Hence, the cause aspect of Andrew's 10th Anniversary concert event.
The day led off with The Melodic Rock All-Stars, a cornucopia of players from various bands: Michael Eden (Eden's Curse) vocals, Vic Rivera (Adriangale / Crunch) guitar, Eric Ragno (China Blue) keys, John Parker (Talon) drums, and Doug O'Dell (Crunch) bass. These guys had an impossible job to do. Having never played together before, they jumped in to save a bill that had already seen 1RKO and Harem Scarem drop out. They were a little rough, but credit to the guys for a valiant effort and give them a few handicap points for never playing together and it comes out favorable for them.
Next up: Kivel Records recording artist Goodbye Thrill. I knew what to expect from listening to their recent debut release and it was certainly no disappointment. Straight away, you recognize both solid musicianship and songwriting. 25 years ago, these guys would have easily been arena material. Here again, perfect example where a listener will have to perservere in finding the CD. It's not at your local Best Buy store and I didn't find it on Amazon either. Check them out live or scout their debut CD at KivelRecords.com. If they can garner enough exposure, they'll do very well.
I was a little less familiar with Martie Peters Group. I had heard a bit from their recent Road To Salvation CD before attending the show. I thought they were better than fair if not a little bit better. Very enjoyable. I believe they have music for download through Apple iTunes.
Kevin Chalfant is a name probably not too familiar to too many rock music fans. He's been involved with a group called The Storm for two records, Two Fires for two records, a handful of solo works and a recent solo release of all Journey cover songs. The Storm could in fact be considered a Journey spin-off group, featuring former members Steve Smith, Ross Valory and Gregg Rolie. Kevin was the vocalist and a guitarist by the name of Josh Ramos rounded out the group. Two Fires was a joint effort between Chalfant and Ramos, bearing similarities to Journey music as well. Kevin's performance here recalled many of the Journey cover songs, nailed perfectly to the originals by Steve Perry (who I understand couldn't hit these notes again today if his life depended on it). If Journey really wants to recapture it's classic sound, this is certainly one of only a few guys who can do it - sensational voice.
I had heard many times that Jeff Scott Soto would blow the roof off the theater. For American fans who are not familiar with Jeff, he is the real deal when it comes to professional showmanship and amazing vocal talent. I was not able to see Jeff during his short vocal stint with Journey in 2006, but it was clearly their mistake that they released him. Journey could have been the perfect vehicle to introduce Soto to American fans, but those fans will now need to research his work on the original Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force albums, Talisman, Soul Sirkus or better yet Jeff's own solo records. You owe it to yourself to check this guy out. If I was a headline artist, there is no way I would let this cat on the bill in front of me! His set consisted of tracks from Soul Sirkus and solo work, as well as covers of Journey, Seal and Prince. For good measure, Stand Up from the Rock Star soundtrack. Sound crazy? Yeah, well apparently you get lots of surprises and 110% energy levels with Jeff Scott Soto. Here again, Jeff's delivery on the classic Journey stuff was remarkable. He nails it, yet his voice is his own too, so you get this feeling that new Journey material with JSS would have been really cool and worth looking forward to. Their loss. Either way, look forward to whatever Jeff does next.
The night's headline event was a group of rock veterans called Scrap Metal. Their roster includes Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger, Matthew and Gunnar Nelson of Nelson, Mark Slaughter of Slaughter, and Eric Martin of Mr. Big. The band is rounded out by support touring musicians Christian Cullen and Joel Hoekstra. The format, if you haven't guessed by now, is a showcase of Night Ranger, Nelson, Slaughter and Mr. Big hits (insert yawn here). Typically, I'm not a huge fan of this particular format. There are a few of these outfits working today. such as Classic Rock All-Stars and World Classic Rockers. It usually comes off a little corny in my opinion. Having said that, this event was much different. The core of the show got off to a start with (as advertised) Nelson, Slaughter and Night Ranger songs. The biggest drawback for me was having the two Nelson boys up there. Everything sounded spot-on perfect, except the Nelson boys gave the outfit a less than credible stage presence. Honestly, I see Nelson as the epitomy of mediochre bands who contributed to the "demise" of melodic rock airplay/support in the U.S. Nowadays, Nelson sports much shorter haircuts. Instead of looking like blonde chicks from Sweden as they did in their youth, they now look amazingly like comedian Ellen DeGeneress. While I'm on this topic, we couldn't help but notice that Kelly Keagy is starting to resemble Will Farrell as well. Look, I'm certain Matthew and Gunnar are really great people, but I just cannot take them seriously. Thankfully, the bench was deep with guest vocalists intended to expand the typical Scrap Metal set well into the night. Most of the guests needed no introduction, such as Joe Lynn Turner, whose flawless set showcased three classic Rainbow songs, I Surrender, Street Of Dreams, and Stone Cold. Seguays came easily, as Jack Blades (Night Ranger/Damn Yankees) appeared on stage for background vocals with Turner. Jim Peterik and Jimi Jamison joined the fray to add classic Survivor music, such as I Can't Hold Back and a version of Eye Of The Tiger to bring the house down, with plenty of guest background and harmony vocals to share from Jack Blades, Kevin Chalfant, Joe Lynn Turner and others. Eric Martin delivered the goods on three Mr. Big numbers, including the highlight of his set, To Be With You. The muti-dimensional talents of Night Ranger were well represented by both Keagy and Blades, who together anchored primary vocal duties for the band's biggest hits. Tonight they included Sing Me Away, Don't Tell Me You Love Me, Sentimental Street and Sister Christian, as well as the Damn Yankees classic, High Enough. The evening concluded with everyone on stage to play Night Ranger's aptly titled anthem, You can Still Rock In America.
In addition, Jeff Scott Soto, Eric Martin, Mark Slaughter, Jim Peterik, and numerous others mingled with the fans in the theater lobby throughout the day. I don't think anybody went away disappointed. Thanks Andrew!
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VAN HALEN
w/sg Ky Mani Marley
October 14, 2007
Conseco Fieldhouse
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $49.50 |
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225.
Often with rock music, a band can pass a certain point of legendary status. Once legendary, they can continue, but at their own peril of becoming nothing more than a cartoon of themselves. The Rolling Stones are certainly a good example of this very point. The marketing hook (and it works every time) is based on the idea that concert goers will pay hundreds of dollars to see an artist who ranks fondly in their memories, even though the event will never live up to that memory. Van Halen tour 2007 - featuring the brothers Van Halen, Eddie and Alex, plus Eddies son Wolfgang and former vocalist David Lee Roth is another such act. Ticket prices were painfully out of synch with reality, selling at $149 from the floor all the way up to the second tier of suites. Tickets close to the stage were marketed and sold at $575 each, which included a free t-shirt and a pre-show party. Was this a matter of keeping up with the Joneses (The Rolling Stones, U2, The Police, Genesis) or was this a calculated effort to ensure the VH07 tour would gross substantially more money than the VH04 tour with singer, Sammy Hagar?
My $50 ticket ($64 after fees) was situated in the upper decks of Conseco Fieldhouse. From there, the distance to the stage is so great that spectators end up watching the big screen monitors more than the actual performers. I felt like I was watching from high atop a hill in another county. At this point, I am compelled to ask, why not wait for the DVD release and save a bundle of dough? The problem with Conseco as a concert venue is the sound quality. I have heard this complaint since the day it was built, but never really experienced it first hand until this event. Likewise, I never had a seat this high for a previous concert event either. First, Roths vocals were almost completely absent from whatever cacophony we were able to hear. At lower concourse levels, it was obvious that the vocals were present and sounded OK. From the upper deck however, it sounded like playing a stereo with equalizer bands adjusted to be as unpleasant as possible. Another distraction, although no fault of the venue or the band, was the guy directly behind me, who for some reason thought Van Halen was auditioning new vocalists in Indianapolis. Needless to say, he didnt get the job and Roth will be performing Tuesday at All State Arena in Rosemont, IL.
Eddie looks healthy and happy. Roth sports a haircut that makes him look like an 8 year old boy (appropriate for Roth I guess), and Alex of course still looks like an Eskimo. Wolfgang Van Halen played bass in place of Michael Anthony, who was banished from the band some time ago. He did OK, but it was pretty clear that hes just a kid and didnt really fit in with the others.
Overall, this show was a bigger stage presentation of the same show Roth performed here as a solo artist September 06. It was still a state fair quality performance, but placed in the context of a large, high tech, yet simple stage. Whereas the DLR of old was famous for his on-stage athleticism, he now pirouettes in lieu of the big flying roundhouse kicks for which he was so famous. Since Roth doesnt play an instrument, hes got a lot of spare time on his hands.
The stage itself was puzzling to me. Very clearly, there was a large S that began as a ramp behind the drum kit and swept around to the front of the stage, then out into the audience. I can only assume this was a nod to former singer Sammy Hagar, as Eddie, Alex, Wolfgang and David dont start with the first initial S. While on this subject, I would have like to have seen Sammy and his band sitting in the premium $575 seats for the concert. At least that might have added a bit more tension to the show. As it was, we were waiting in hopes for one of Diamond Daves spontaneous bursts of stupidity to involve Eddies son Wolfgang. Theres probably a contract clause in place to prevent that, because it didnt happen.
Bottom line, if the tickets had not been so outrageously overpriced, the show would have been a solid B in my book, but the fact that prices were so high raises fan expectations. But this is Van Halen. Is a B really what we expect from them, ever? Truth is we missed Michael Anthony. If that wasnt possible for whatever reason, why not Billy Sheehan or any number of accomplished adult players?
Incidentally, I left the show at the drum solo, or midpoint in the entire set list. Seems that a nasty strain of cold or sinus infection had the best of me from a week before this event. Truth is, 99% of newspaper columnists who review concerts for a living stay for the first couple of songs then they split. At midpoint in the show, I don't feel that the band quite delivered 50% of the ticket value, or $32 let's say. I am told that the guitar solo made up for it at the end, but let's face it, EVH today cannot possibly sound like EVH 1978 on New Year's Eve at the Whiskey, for which I enjoy as a bootleg recording.
SETLIST: You Really Got Me, I'm the One, Runnin' With the Devil, Romeo Delight, Somebody Get Me a Doctor, Beautiful Girls, Dance the Night Away, Atomic Punk, Everybody Wants Some, So This Is Love?, Mean Street, Pretty Woman, Drum Solo, Unchained, I'll Wait, And the Cradle Will Rock, Hot for Teacher, Little Dreamer, Little Guitars, Jamie's Cryin', Ice Cream Man, Panama, Guitar Solo, Encore: Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, 1984 / Jump
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STANLEY JORDAN
October 21, 2007
Jazz Kitchen
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $22.00 |
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226.
Unbelievable. Jordan plays a tapping technique that goes to a whole new level of musicianship. I have longed to see Jordan play since seeing him on the David Letterman Show some 20+ years ago. Stanley Jordan plays not one, but two guitars simultaneously. One guitar is fixed on a stand, while the other hangs about his neck. This was in no way intended to be a novelty aspect of his show. He played with this arrangement throughout most of the night. In addition, he sat at the piano and played guitar and piano at the same time. While we often see keyboardists and harpists make use of both hands in similar fashion, this was like neither of those. The crowd size was ridiculously small, even given consideration to the fact that the venue itself is quite small and this was the second of two shows. Many of the attendees were hangers on from the first show. Once again, it is proven that the most talented entertainers are the least known.
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SAMMY HAGAR 60th BIRTHDAY TOUR
Sammy Hagar & The Wabos, The Other Half, Mad Anthony Xpress
October 26, 2007
US Cellular Coliseum
Bloomington, IL
Ticket Price: $45.00 |
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227.
Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony assembled The Mad Anthony Xpress for the fun of doing some older Van Halen material, usually at one of the various celebrations at a Cabo Wabo Cantina. This is the first time that I know of where he brings the project out on the road for a larger audience. It was nice that the guys had a chance to stretch out on a larger stage, unlike the cramped quarters of the Cabo Wabo in Lake Tahoe where I saw them last. Having said that, the sound was probably better in the smaller venue. With original vocalist David Lee Roth currently on tour with Van Halen, the Mad Anthony set list wasnt quite as nostalgic as it was last May. The band is tight however. Victor Johnson sounds spot on to original VH classics. Anthonys voice is no where near the originals of David Lee Roth, but you can clearly hear what Anthonys contribution was to the original background vocals. Beyond that, the crowd seemed very happy to see Michael Anthony back on stage for more of a focal appearance than years past.
SETLIST: Running With The Devil, Atomic Punk, Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin), Hear About It Later, Little Dreamer, Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers (ZZ Top), Somebody Get Me A Doctor, Bottoms Up, Aint Talking bout Love
Some technical difficulties delayed the second part of the show. The curtain was drawn across the stage while the band line-ups changed and new equipment was prepared. Once repaired, Sammy and The Wabos kicked the party into overdrive. It officially commenced with Sammys confetti/streamer cannon, a shoulder-rocket type contraption that spreads fun all over the venue. Sam looked good and sounded great for 60 and also appeared to have lost some weight.
Somehow, the Los Tres Gusanos act was lost in the mix, because the Wabos were replaced by The Other Half without a set break. Of course, all it took to make that transition was for Michael Anthony to drop by and boot Mona off the bass. For my money, he could have replaced her all night! The now famous waitress aspect of the show was superb. Bloomington offered up some outstanding talent in bikini-wear. I cant recall the whole set list, but it was a lot of fun! Show ended with Mas Tequila and then an acoustic version of Dreams.
US Cellular Arena in Bloomington is a really nice facility. It is a smaller scale arena used primarily for hosting minor league hockey. The stage orientation allowed for a smaller portion of the arena to be utilized for this show. It was officially deemed sold out at show time.
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SAMMY HAGAR 60th BIRTHDAY TOUR
Sammy Hagar & The Wabos, The Other Half, Mad Anthony Xpress
October 28, 2007
Murat Theater
Indianapolis, IN
ILAA VIP Ticket Price: $200.00 |
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228.
After waiting several tours, I finally nabbed on-stage fanatic tickets for this show. Sammys stage includes a set of risers that sweep behind the drum kit. Fans have the opportunity to buy a spot and stand there like a crazy Cabo-choir of sorts. The risers seem to hold about 100-125 fans. The view is spectacular looking out into the audience. We arrived at our scheduled time of 5:30pm where we signed in and collected our laminates, complimentary tour shirt, and pre-autographed photo of the band. Each photo was hand signed, not preprinted, so at the very least, it was a great souvenir if someone didnt get to meet Hagar or another band member before or during the show. The Murat lobby was open to us from sign-in until we had to line up. That meant plenty of strong Cabo Wabo cocktails before the show. We found a bartender with a generous pour and stuck to that plan until show time. All fans entered left of the theater floor and lined up in the order their ticket package was purchased. This created quite a fiasco, because while Hagar fans are wonderful people, they cant count worth a damn after an hours worth of pre-show cocktails. Nevertheless, we had fun provoking security and doing our best to fall in according to number. The wait there seemed a little long and we were getting restless and stupid. One person threw up and was escorted out (a waste of $200), but that made a little more room for us on the risers. Once we got the green light to go in, we were escorted through a stage door to the risers, but not before passing a table of complimentary margaritas in special lime green yardstick glasses. I'm not one to pass up a free jumbo cocktail, especially at a show. At this point, the curtain is still drawn so that the audience cannot see whats happening on stage.
Mad Anthony Express, a power trio featuring Vic Johnson, JD, and Michael Anthony, was set to open the show. Mike came out and energized the on-stage fans. We held up specially made No ED shirts, which Mikey responded to. The curtain gave way and there we were, behind the drummer and facing the near sold-out audience of Sammy Hagar and Van Halen fans. Mikeys group powered through some older Van Halen classics and a couple of old covers (ZZ Tops Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers) and (Led Zeppelins Immigrant Song). Before we knew it, the stage lights were baking us into a soppy sweat and the curtain closed.
I should describe the restroom policy for on-stage fans. We were permitted to go use the restroom only two by two and only if escorted by security. I never had to worry about it. We had a break of about 10 minutes or so to re-group before Sammy and The Wabos came out. Sammy was last to arrive on stage and saluted the crowd with his streamer cannon...the party was well underway.
Let me describe the view from the stage risers. First we were dead center over top of the drum kit. The audience view was intense. There was a gal in the front row, to our left, right in front of Vic who was dressed in a Naughty Nurse outfit (it was 3 days before Halloween afterall). We also saw a woman who must have been about 9+ months pregnant and ready to pop. Couldnt miss her because she pushed her way all the way up front to show her exposed pregnant tummy, complete with a crudely drawn 55 on it (poor kid). Some things shouldnt be done in public. The on-stage waitresses for this show were a tad heavy on the baby fat to sport bikinis, but sport them they did and after several cocktails, it didnt matter much anyway. To my left, one of the on-stage fanatics was tossed out for throwing items onto the stage (another waste of $200), but again it opened up more space which we all needed by that time. To my right, Sammys wife Kari stood backstage and watched the show. Michael Anthony and his bass tech, Doogy, were back there from time to time as well.
I always say that you meet the greatest people at Sammy Hagar events and this was no exception. The fans are great and they're happy to be there. Before we knew it, the show was over and the band was gone. I would do this all over again in a heartbeat!
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THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD SHOW
November 13, 2007
Murat Theater
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $36.50 |
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229.
A sensational, spot-on tribute to Pink Floyd. This Australian group has garnered many great reviews from around the world, including the blessings of David Gilmour and Roger Waters. The theater size venue was a perfect setting. The light show and movie reels were true to the Pink Floyd stage show and the colors were stunning. In terms of the instruments played, spot-on perfection for note, tone and clarity. As for the vocals, well two members sang; one sounded much like Gilmour and the other could sound like both Gilmour and Waters. Lady background singers were tremendously talented as well. The show began with a full on presentation of Dark Side Of The Moon, in it's entirety. The band took a short intermission then continued the second half with a variety of PF classics, culled from the entire Floyd catalog. This was one of the most enjoyable and affordable shows I've attended in a long time.
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TOMMY SHAW & JACK BLADES
November 14, 2007
Music Mill
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $25.00 |
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230.
According to the press, this 07 tour of small venues has been well attended and Indianapolis was no exception. Both Shaw and Blades were in good spirits having recently played Las Vegas and three days off before Indy. The format for the show was a loose, acoustic set of primarily covers in support of their 2007 release, Influence, itself a work of cover songs. Personally, it takes a lot to impress me with an all covers album. I can't imagine why this trend has been so heavily traveled by multi-platinum artists, but they're all doing it. Despite the loose format, the guys sing and play at the top of their game. A song was tossed in from Jack Blades solo album, cleverly titled Jack Blades, as was one tune from the previous Shaw-Blades album, My Hallucination. There was a fair amount of banter between the two artists serving as seguay to the next song. Although humorous at times and well executed, it was clearly a rehearsed schtick that no doubt appears at every show along the tour. Once that became obvious, the banter became schtick and the schtick became a little hokey. The concert was enjoyable however. On paper, the strategy for the show probably looks ho-hum. In fact, I was expecting ho-hum just because I'm not a fan of the all covers format, but somehow it works in this case for these artists. There is a great chemistry shared between Shaw and Blades that makde even the most disasterous plan succeed.
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CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED
w/sg Back Porch Mary
December 10, 2007
The Vogue
Indianapolis, IN
Ticket Price: $17.00 |
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231.
Sporting a brand new studio record, Mission California, Cross Canadian Ragweed was in top form when the played Indianapolis. Several songs from the new album injected new life into the old set list, yet there was plenty of room in the 2 hr set for older favorites as well. The show kicked off with the opening track from Mission California, Record Exec, and included no fewer than 6 tracks total from the new record. Surprisingly, two tracks from MC were omitted, Jenny and Dead Man, both solid examples of Cody Canada's song writing and lyricism. Two Todd Snider penned classics were covered as well, I Believe and Late Last Night, both of which have been long time Ragweed crowd pleasers. One of the many highlights of the evening featured the song, Leaving Tennessee, which was just recently released as an iTunes single for download. Love it or hate it, the band graced those fans who requiested it with, Boys From Oklahoma, a track they claim they've been trying to ditch from the set list for years now. Of the 4 times I've seen Ragweed live, this was by far the band at their very best and one of the best live music bargains you'll ever hope to find.
Back Porch Mary opened the show in support of Ragweed. They were an interesting mix of garage, punk and country, perfect for any roudy beer drinkin' bar. It's worth mentioning that they did an incredible, punk-country version of the Arlo Guthrie classic, City Of New Orleans. |
