“10,000 Volts” Tour

Ace Frehley

Thursday, August 22nd 2024
Chevy Court @ The New York State Fair
Syracuse, NY

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ace Frehley continued his “10,000 Volts” Tour with a stop at the Chevy Court as part of the annual New York State Fair Concert. The event held in Syracuse, NY is a multi day event featured music, rides, animals and exhibits from all over the Empire State. Frehley a native New Yorker was a fitting and welcome addition to this years concert line up which also featured Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Dropkick Murphys, Blue Oyster Cult and Jackyl to name just a few. The New York State Fair offers something for everyone so if you are in the area at the end of August and are looking for something to do to cap off your summer the New York State fair is a great choice!

SetList:

1.) Shock Me
2.) Deuce
3.) Cherry Medicine
4.) Rock Soldiers
5.) Love Gun
6.) 10,000 Volts
7.) Rocket Ride
8.) Parasite
10.) New York Groove
11.) Detroit Rock City
12.) Rip It Out
13.) Cold Gin
14.) Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
15.) Shout It Out Loud

Encore:
16.) Rock and Roll All Nite

“Smoke and Fiction” Tour 2024

X, Dead Rock West

Thursday, Sept. 26th 2024
Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Legendary Los Angeles punk band X brought their unique blend of musicality to the Flower City on Thursday evening for a nostalgic walk through the bands 40 plus year career. The band which formed in 1977 and is made of up bassist John Doe, Vocalist Exene Cervenka, Guitarist Billy Zoom and Drummer DJ Bonebreak announced in June of this year that their latest album titled “Smoke & Fiction” and its subsequent tour would also serve as the bands farewell. Despite the thought of this being the last time fans would get to see the long standing punk staple perform the mood and energy was high as fans made their way into the historic venue.

Opening up the evening was the acoustic duo “Dead Rock West” which consists of Vocalist Cindy Wasserman and Guitarist/Vocalist Frank Drennon. The duo performed a unique blend of alt rock tinged country western that resonated through out the medium sized venue. The bands set clocked in at just under an hour and featured a variety of songs from the groups 5 studio albums. Though the music’s subtle cadence might not be what you would normally associate with a punk show the duo showcased a very polished and enjoyable sound and performance which earned them an ample response from the growing crowd.

Headliners “X” would take the stage next performing a blistering 23 song set that touched on all aspects of the groups career. The band opened up the evening with “Your Phone’s Off the Hook, But You’re Not” from the 1980 “Los Angeles” album followed by “In This House That I Call Home” which comes from the “Wild Gift” album. As the night progressed Exene and John would take brief moments to address the crowd however, the focus was certainly more centered around the music more than the fact this would be the bands last time in Rochester. As the energy in the room continued to build the band tore through a mixture of long standing live staples such as “Breathless”, “The Hungry Wolf” and “White Girl” while also mixing in newer songs like “Water & Wine”, “Ruby Church” and “Smoke & Fiction”. Though there were a couple points in the evening where songs needed to be stopped and re-started the band played the small hiccups off as if they hadn’t even happened with each prospective member retaking their spots and paying little to no attention at all to what had just happened.

Ekene and company began to bring the night to a close via fan favorites such as “Los Angeles”, “Sugarlight” and their unique version of the Doors classic “Soul Kitchen” fans were left asking for more as the band left the stage while the the rawkus tones of “Nausea” still echoed through Zoom’s lone guitar amp. After a brief pause Doe and Cervenka would return for the first of three encore songs performing an acoustic duet of “See How We Are”. The rest of the band would l=them come back to the stage to perform “Come Back to Me” before ending with the Sax and Xylophone tinged “I Must Not think Bad Thoughts”.

The evening was everything a fan of X could have asked for and possibly a touch more as each of the bands four members (all in their late 60’s and early 70’s) continue to perform at a level higher than other bands half their age. With tour dates running through the end of October fans still have just a few more chance to see one of the last great punk bands from 80’s before they put an end to their impressive career. Get out there and catch one of these shows as you won’t be disappointed!

SETLIST:
1.) Your Phone’s Off the Hook, But You’re Not
2.) In This House That I Call Home
3.) We’re Desperate
4.) I’m Coming Over
5.) Adult Books
6.) Water & Wine
7.) Sweet Til the Bitter End
8.) White Girl
9.) Breathless (Otis Blackwell cover)
10.) Ruby Church
11.) True Love
12.) The Hungry Wolf
13.) Smoke & Fiction
14.) Flipside
15.) The Unheard Music
16.) Los Angeles
17.) Sugarlight
18.) Soul Kitchen (The Doors cover)
19.) Motel Room in My Bed
20.) Nausea

ENCORE:
21.) See How We Are (John and Exene acoustic)
22.) Come Back to Me
23.) I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts

We’ve all had that moment in life, you hear about a party that you don’t think you’re cool enough to go to, or you don’t get the invite, or maybe you just hear about it after the fact. Whatever the reason, it has free booze, free food, cool celebrities, a pool, a concert, and it’s all on a rooftop. It’s the kind of party Hollywood glamorizes in various films as a place to rub elbows with greats. Well, at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), for several years now, it’s been Fandom’s annual party. MediaMikes was lucky enough to join the Fandom party for the first time as they celebrated their 20th anniversary.

While one of the most difficult parties to get into at SDCC, the entertainment company still makes it accessible to regular people, whether by invite, social media, or pure chance (like us). While not invited, MediaMikes managed to score some passes at a Fandom panel. That means, if you’re attending future SDCC’s, you should attend as many Fandom panels as you can. This year’s Fandom party was a breathless display of amazing cosplay, a gorgeous view of the Gaslamp district atop the Hard Rock hotel, demos for “Dragon Age: The Veilguard,” and of course, a raucous set by Jason Derulo with various celebrities scattered about the crowd, including Colin Kaepernick, Kevin Durand, and others.

If you couldn’t make it, we took several photos you can enjoy below, but if you want to be part of the excitement, keep track of Fandom on social media, keep an eye on the news leading up to SDCC 2025, and of course, just like we did, try and stump a panel of Fandom experts. A big thank you to Fandom for throwing a party that has become one of the many crown jewels of SDCC, we hope to see you next year.

• REO Speedwagon  – Night Ranger   
• Starlight Theatre Kansas City, MO  

I have mentioned before but it behooves me to remind everyone that I was once a DJ on a top 40 radio station in the 80’s and I cut my teeth on both of the bands I’m writing about.  The nostalgic night had me smiling and singing along the entire show.

Night Ranger – Jack Blades – Kelly Keagy – Brad Gillis – Eric Levy – Keri Kelli

Kicking it off with (You Can Still) Rock in America, Night Ranger kept the hits coming with Sing Me Away, Sentimental Street, When You Close Your Eyes and closed their set with Don’t Tell Me You Love Me, and of course, Sister Christian.   Bonus:  Jack Blades threw out a couple of Damn Yankees tunes: Coming of Age and High Enough!

REO Speedwagon – Kevin Cronin – Bruce Hall – Dave Amato – Neil Doughty – Bryan Hitt

There is a unique reoccuring weather element to an REO concert in Kansas City, I’m sure you get the hint….

An amazing evening with one of my favorite bands.  Growing up in Central Illinois in the 70’s, REO Speedwagon was on my radar early.  The band formed in Champaign at the University of Illinois in the late 60’s, grew a dedicated following in the 70’s and went stellar with the success of the album “Hi Infidelity” in 1980.

Opening the show with Don’t Let Him Go, the band then jumped into Music Man, Take It On the Run and Keep Pushing, which got the sold out crowd up and singing along with every word.   Throwing in Live Every Moment and Tough Guys as the rain began a brief downpour, most fans stayed in their seats and Cronin noted their dedication.

Slowing down a touch for Can’t Fight This Feeling and Poor Man, the moonlight returned and with a brief moment of encouragement about the state of the world, and especially the United States, Cronin reminded everyone we are in this journey together and need to work to get along.  Golden Country followed and was a special part of their set, followed by Time For Me to Fly.  Then came the history lesson…

Kevin Cronin recalled their performance at Kaufman Stadium in the 70’s, the “tornado” show, another storm at another show, they seem to bring the rain and this appearance continued the tradition.  Rocking into the familiar synth siren of Ridin The Storm Out had the Starlight crowd on their feet and the encore set of Keep On Loving You and Roll With The Changes closed the show.

Concert rating:  On a scale of zero to five stars, REO Speedwagon/Night Ranger receives ★★★★★

U.S. Summer Tour 2023

Baroness, Portrayal of Guilt, Gozu,

Sunday, June 2nd 2024
Essex, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Progressive heavy metal-ers Baroness made a stop in Rochester, NY at the newly opened Essex music venue for a night of thunderous guitar driven music. The show is one of a handful of dates making up the Georgia based bands Summer tour and is support of their most recent studio release titled “Stone”. Along with the evenings headliner were Portrayal of Guilt and Gozu who each took their turn at filling the air of the dimly lit, industrial venue which served as a near perfect location for the nights sonic festivities.

Taking the stage first were Boston, MA natives Gozu. The band consisting of vocalist/guitarist Marc Gaffney, guitarist Doug Sherman, bassist Joe Grotto and drummer Seth Botos performed a brief set which oozed forth a sonic dirge of fuzz driven stoner rock that had those in attendance slows nodding their heads in a eerie cadence as the bands dual guitar attack ripped through the venues front of house speakers. The band played performed tracks from their five album catalog including tracks from their most recent release “Remedy”. Fans who made it out to the venue early got a real treat as Gozu’s performance was a perfect blend of melodic psychedelia.

Next up was the black metal band Portrayal of Guilt. Hailing from Austin, TX the three piece group couldn’t have been more different from the other bands on the bill as their intense attack and abstract song structure was much more aggressive than I think some fans were ready for. Vocalist/guitarist Matt King was all business as his guttural vocal style socked listeners in the gut while the bands instrumentation finished them off with a bludgeoning knockout blow. Though personally I didn’t find anything particular appealing about the bands sound or performance they did receive a sizable amount of applause at the close of their set.

After a minimal set change Baroness would take the stage next performing a 13 song set made up of tracks from the bands expansive catalog. “Last Word” from the recently released “Stone” album would kick things off by setting the foundation for fans favorite like “A Horse Called Golgotha” and “March to the Sea”. The blend of guitar and vocals provided by John Baizley and Gina Gleason worked flawlessly together and only seem to get better as the set progressed in to tracks like “Chlorine and Wine” and my personal favorite “Shock Me”. Equally impressive was the bands rhythm section which features Sebastian Thomas on drums and Nick Jost on bass and keyboards. Much like the duo of Baizley and Gleason both Jost and Thomas are keyed in to one another on such a high level that they could easily be considered one of the best rhythm sections out there. The frantic “Borderlines” and the overdriven “The Sweetest Curse” would close out the main portion of the evenings set however after a short pause the band would take the stage for two final songs. Before ending the night John Baizley would thank the crowd for their continued support and dedication to the band which goes back to the bands early days. The band then closed out the night with the always popular “Take My Bones Away” a track which had the crowd singing along to nearly every word and “Isak” an older number that’s notes and lyrics seemed to hauntingly hang in the air as the closing sounds rang out and the band exited the stage.

It was surprising to hear that Baroness was returning to the area so soon as we were lucky enough to catch them in late November about and hour north of Rochester in Buffalo, NY so to be able to see them again so soon and with a new set of openers was certainly something the crowd (myself included) were not complaining about. I felt the second time around the package of opening bands far surpassed that of the previous run and Baroness only continues to impress me each time I am able to see them. With shows running through the end of June you will certainly want to get a ticket for this show as you will not be disappointed.

Baroness Setlist:

1.) Last Word
2.) Under the Wheel
3.) A Horse Called Golgotha
4.) March to the Sea
5.) Green Theme
6.) Beneath the Rose
7.) Chlorine & Wine
8.) War, Wisdom and Rhyme
9.) Shock Me
10.) Borderlines
11.) The Sweetest Curse

Encore:
12.) Take My Bones Away
13.) Isak

10,000 Volts Tour 2023

Ace Frehley, Angel, Bad Marriage,

Friday, April 12th 2024
Capitol Theater, Rome, NY

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

In support of his newly release solo album titled “10,000 Volts” original Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley made a stop at the historic Capital Theater, located in Rome, NY for night of out of this world music. The weekend jaunts will run through August and feature a variety of opening acts sharing the stage with the Space Man but for this night the bill included Bad Marriage and 70’s Casablanca label mates Angel.

The band Bad Marriage would take the stage promptly at 7pm performing their own unique signature blend of 80’s tinged rock and roll which set the stage nicely for the nights other performers. The band consisting of Mike Fitz, Ian Haggerty, Todd, Boisvert, Michael Delaney and former Tesla guitarist Tommy Skeoch were full of energy and wasted no time transitioning between songs over the course of their 45 minute set. Though a majority of the crowd were still making their way to their seats the band put on a top notch performance both musically and visually.

Veteran 70’s hard rockers Angel would be next to the stage clad in their signature white leathers. Original members Frank DiMino and guitarist Punky Meadows worked the stage like seasoned veterans taking time to thank the growing crowd for their continued support over all these years. The set featured songs from all aspects of the bands of the bands 40 plus year career and those in attendance showed their appreciation for the band through loud applause and cheer which the band seemed very appreciative of.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ace Frehley closed out the night by blasting onto the stage opening the night with “Shock Me” from Kiss’s 1977 album Love Gun. The crowd seemed surprised the Space Man was starting things off with one of his more well known sounds however they didn’t seem to mind is the entire theater seemed to instantly take to their feet to dance and sing along. “Rocket Ride” would be next on the set list album and as the closing notes rang out Frehley would take a brief pause to address the crowd and talk about his newly released solo album “10,000 Volts” which was followed by the track of the same name. This would be the only new material that was included in the evenings set and though Frehley seemed to struggle some with the vocals his backing band made up of bassist Ryan Cook, guitarist Jeremy Asbrock and drummer Scot Coogan all did great jobs filling in for the hard rock legend. As the night stretched Frehley pulled out all the signature stops which made him a fan favorite in his previous group. From his light up guitar on “New York Groove” to his smoke billowing solo guitar Frehley was the consummate professional and much like he had done for thousands of shows before he and the band closed things out with the sing along anthem “Rock and Roll All Night” which had fans of all ages leaving the venue with smiles on their faces and ringing in their ears.

The “10,000 Volts” tour runs through late August and has Ace and Co. performing all over the U.S. If the Spaceman is set to land in your area I highly recommend catching a show as you will be hard pressed to find another 73 year old artist performing at this level.

Ace Frehley SetList:

1.) Shock Me
2.) Rocket Ride
3.) 10,000 Volts
4.) Rock Soldiers
5.) Love Gun
6.) Parasite
7.) New York Groove
8.) Rip It Out
9.) Detroit Rock City
10.) Cold Gin
11.) Guitar Solo
12.) Strange Ways
13.) Shout It Out Loud
14.) Deuce
ENCORE:
15.) Rock and Roll All Night

• A.J. CROCE
• The Kauffman Center, Kansas City, MO
• April 13, 2024

“And I carry it with me like my daddy did.”

“I Got a Name” – Jim Croce

I remember when Michael Douglas won his Oscar for “Wall Street” he thanked his dad for allowing him to “step out of a shadow.”  In the history of singer/songwriters, very few people left a shadow as large as that of Jim Croce.  In a tragically shortened career that lasted less than two years, Croce wrote and performed some of the most popular songs of the 20^th Century.  His son, A.J., following in his father’s footsteps, has become an influential singer/songwriter of this century.  This past Saturday night, the two centuries converged on the Kauffman Center as, to paraphrase the name of the tour, Croce played Croce.

The show opened with a film clip of Jim Croce talking about his young son, Adrian James, asking his wife, Ingrid, to “bring him out.”  With that introduction, A.J. took the stage and, for the next two and a half hours, kept the audience grooving with a combination of songs by himself, his father and some of his musical heroes.

Musically, the show was flawless.  Mr. Croce is an accomplished musician and, along with his backup band made up of some amazing session players, he rocked the house.  But even better then the music were the stories Mr. Croce shared with the audience.  Stores about his father.  Stories about his own musical journey.  A highlight was when he opened the show up to the audience, encouraging them to shout out titles of songs they wanted to hear, Mr. Croce and the band obliging them.  The songs were presented with a variety of videos, featuring everything from family films of his father to an animated cartoon of “Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown,” which I can remember watching as a kid on “The Sonny and Cher Show.”

While I could not grab a set list, both Croce’s catalogues were well represented.  A great story about Rod Stewart evolved into a kick-ass version of “Stay with Me.”  Another musical highlight was “Name of the Game,” a song Jim Croce was working on before he passed that A.J. finished.

All in all, it was an amazing night filled with amazing music.  One I highly recommend.  On a scale of zero to five, “Croce Plays Croce” receives ★★★★★

“Croce plays Croce’ continues though the end of the year.  For tickets, please click HERE.   

• Gladys Knight     
• Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts – Kansas City, Missouri   
• November 19, 2023

Multi-Grammy Award winning Gladys Knight’s performance in front of a sold-out audience at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center was an entertaining 90 minutes of original hits as well as crowd pleasing covers including a raucous version of the Jackson 5’s  “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” or the poignant “The Way We Were,” a hit for both Barbra Streisand and Ms. Knight.   Backed by a trio of ladies (but no PIPS ☹ )  and an impressive band, the Empress of Soul proved she still has what it takes to deliver her style of music.

While I wasn’t familiar with every song, the hits were certainly a treat to behold. “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me”,” Love Overboard”, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” (recorded after Marvin Gaye but released first) Grammy winners “Neither One of Us *Wants to be the First”) and my all-time favorite “Midnight Train to Geogia”.  I really missed the classic choreography of the Pips for that one……

It is always nostalgic and does my heart good to see the musical stars from my childhood, even in their waning years.  The style and talent such as Gladys Knights is no longer a part of the music industry of today…IMHO.

Ms. Knight’s tour continues both in the sates and in Europe through July 2024.  For tickets and more information, please click HERE.  

While I was unable to get a set list for this show, here is a set list from a recent show to give you an idea of what to expect when she comes to your town!

Taste of Bitter Love, Love Overboard, Every Beat of My Heart, Daddy Could Swear – I Declare, Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me, Oh! What a Love I Have Found, On and On, I’ve Got to Use My Imagination, Shake Your Body (On to the Ground), Save the Overtime (For Me), I Heard it Through the Grapevine, The Way We Were, Midnight Train to Georgia, Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye), If I Were Your Woman.

Sweet Oblivion Tour 2023
Baroness, Soul Glo, Spotlights

Sunday, November 26th 2023
Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY

Media Mikes Score 3.5 out 5 stars

In support of their sixth studio “Stone” heavy metal group Baroness along with special guests Soul Glo and Spotlights made a stop at the quaint Town Ballroom which is located deep in the heart of Buffalo, NY. With both the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres being out of town on this post Thanksgiving weekend, the historic music venue was the place to be on an unseasonably snowless night.

Starting off the night with a thunderous dirge that shook the rafters of the vintage room was the three piece doom metal trio Spotlights. The group consisting of husband and wife duo Sarah Quintero (bass) and Mario Quintero (guitar/vocals) along with drummer Chris Enriquez performed a brief set which was a mixture of extremely down tuned instrumentation and multi layered sonic landscapes which gave listeners plenty to listen to despite numerous redundancies which could be easily identified from song to song.

Despite a majority of the crowd being huddled around the bar television due to the Bills/Eagles football game going into overtime the Philadelphia based punk/hardcore band Soul Glo would take the stage next. I found little to be impressed with as the bands sets was a chaotic mess of noise and sloppy musicianship. The group which appeared to be heavily influenced by legendary D.C. punk band Bad Brains did little to captivate the crowd which was evident in the minimal applause that was garnered at the end of the bands thirty plus minute set.

Headliner Baroness would take the stage next launching immediately into the song “Last Word” from the bands latest album “Stone” followed by “The Sweetest Curse” from the bands 2009 album “Blue”. Frontman John Baizley addressed the crowd briefly through out the bands fifteen song set taking time only to thank the fans and other bands on the bill and to ask for some leniency from the Bills fans in attendance due to the bands ties to Philadelphia. (The Buffalo Bills lost in overtime shortly before Baroness took the stage). Also gracing the setlist this evening were long time fan favorites such as “March to the Sea” and “Cocainium” along side more tracks from the new “Stone” album including “Beneath the Rose” and my personal favorite of the night “Anodyne”. Baizley and co-lead guitarist Gina Gleason worked flawlessly together replicating even the most minute detail and lick heard on the studio recordings. Bassist Nick Jost and drummer Sebastian Thomson added to the units tightness as each of their playing elevated the bands performance on multiple levels.

Before leaving the stage for the evening the band treated the crowd to a two song encore which was made up of the song “The Gnashing” and probably the bands most well know the song “Take My Bones Away”. Just like the thirteen previous songs these final two sounded just as good with the final number garnering a tremendous applause from Buffalo faithful. Though the tour only has a few more dates left on this leg we can only hope that 2024 will bring fourth a whole new slew of dates. If that ends up being the case we highly recommend getting out there to one of those shows as the level of musicality that Baroness bring to the stage is really enjoyable to experience in a live setting.

Baroness Setlist:

1.) Last Word
2.) The Sweetest Curse
3.) Isak
4.) A Horse Called Golgatha
5.) March to the Sea
6.) Cocainium
7.) Beneath the Rose
8.) Green Theme
9.) Anodyne
10.) Seasons
11.) If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?) / Fugue
12.) Under the Wheel
13.) Shock Me

Encore:
14.) The Gnashing
15.) Take My Bones Away

Be sure to check out our exclusive interview with Baroness guitarist Gina Gleason here.

More Than Meats the Eye U.S. Tour

Mac Sabbath, Cybertronic Spree, Playboy Man Baby

Friday, November 3rd, 2023
Town Ballroom
Buffalo, NY

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Mac Sabbath returned to Buffalo’s Town Ballroom on Nov. 3rd as part of their current “More Than Meats the Eye” U.S. Tour.  Joining the always entertaining Ronald Osbourne and company this time around is the Cybertronic Spree and Playboy Man Baby both of which bring their own unique mix of cheesy goodness to the tours bill.

Taking the stage first this evening were the Phoenix, AZ natives Playboy Manbaby. The quirky five piece band played a chaotic blend of devo-esque tunes which featured everything from single string guitar riffs, trumpet fills, and plenty of thick bass lines which were further accentuated by the bands singer Robbie Pfeffer whose unique attire was a site unto its own. The bands brief set started off a little slow but ended on a high note with an energetic dance party led by Pfeffer who by this point in the show had kept from the stage and was now in the middle of the floor commanding the audience like a possessed televangelist preacher as the band stormed through their closing number “Falafel Pantyhose”.

Next to take the intimate stage was the Cybertronic Spree. Hailing from the planet of Cybertron by way of Toronto, ON the members Hotrod, Arcee, Rumble, Unicron, Soundwave  and Shockwave rolled onto the stage ready to rock. From the opening chords of the “Transformers Theme Song” and on through songs like  the Weird Al classic “Dare to Be Stupid” the band sounded great and looked just as good as each member was clad in cartoon accurate robot attire that made the members look as though they had just been transported from the television. The later part of the bands ten song set included the Stan Bush song “The Touch”, and an original song titled “Wheels of Fire” from the groups recently released album “Ravage” before ending the set with a cover of Spectre General’s “Hunger”.

Closing out the evenings festivities was the fast food infused Mac Sabbath whose members consist of singer Ronald Osbourne, guitarist Slayer McCheeze, Grimalice and Dummer The Catburglar. The band would sizzle on to the stage flanked by giant demonic Ronald Osbourne heads which lit up and billowed smoke which caused an eerie haze to linger in the air. Bursting onto the stage clad in a mustard colored straight jacket was the evenings resident mad man Ronald Osbourne who after a brief moment freed himself from the binding jacket and took to center stage where he not only worked the mic in a foe British accent but also flipped burgers on a make shift grill complete with a variety of condiments. In between the Black Sabbath tinged songs “Organic Funeral”, “Sweet Beef” and “Frying Pan” the band also spread their foodie enriched wings with the songs such as “Grilled By Death”, “Love Buns” and “Bread”. The band took multiple stops in order to provide the crowd with a variety of food parody names and jokes that after awhile seemed to fall flatter then a fast food hamburger. After Mac Sabbaths initial ten song set the band now joined by two members of Cybertronic Spree returned to the stage for a sing along version of “Hallowiener Schnitzel” before closing out the evening with the song “Pair-a-Buns”.

The “More Than Meats the Eye” tour has a little something for everyone who may be looking for a night of fun music and entertaining stage antics. Yes, some of the jokes and gimmicks might come off hokey and get old pretty quickly however, the musicality of each of the bands makes up for any of the stage banter short comings making this a show worth checking out. With the tour running through mid November there are still a few opportunities to catch this show as you won’t want to pass up a good night of laughs and music.

Playboy Manbaby Setlist

1.) Chemical Reprieve
2.) Unknown
3.) Unknown
4.) Cadillac Car
5.) You Can Be a Fascist Too
6.) Falafel Pantyhose

Cybertronic Spree Setlist

1.) Run For Your Life
2.) The Transformers Theme
3.) True Survivor
4.) Dare to Be Stupid
5.) Instruments of Destruction
6.) Mortal Kombat (Techno-Syndrome 7″ Mix)
7.) The Touch
8.) Thunderstruck
9.) Wheels of Fire
10.) Hunger

Mac Sabbath Setlist

1.) Organic Funeral
2.) Sweet Beef
3.) The Lizard
4.) Grilled by Death
5.) Drive Thru the Void
6.) Bread
7.) Love Buns
8.) Supersize
9.) Chicken for the Slaves
10.) Frying Pan
Encore
11.) Hallowiener Schnitzel
12.) Pair-a-Buns

GRANTVILLE PA, August 25, 2023 — Brit Floyd founder and musical director Damian Darlington told me “It’s not just about the music, it’s about the multi-media experience.” Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album release, the band presented flawlessly executed tracks from the Pink Floyd catalog, showcasing musical mastery from start to encore and highlighting the band’s remarkable musical expertise.

The sound was perfect throughout the concert. Video projections on the immense circular screen and choreographed fog and dancing lights added to the experience, as they played to a sold-out crowd at the Penn Heros Stage at Hollywood Casino. Everyone had a good seat in the outdoor space and the staff was very courteous and helpful.

Brit Floyd vocalist Eva Avila earned a standing ovation for her thrilling performance of “The Great Gig in The Sky” from Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album. Bassist Ian Cattle played homage to Roger Waters with his vocals. Edo Scordo’s guitar solos were inspiring and Ryan Saranich’s soulful saxophone solos created unique and memorable experiences on their own. 

The energy kept climbing from the start, leading to more standing ovations as Brit Floyd performed the Pink Floyd classics and dug deep in the Pink Floyd playlist to thrill the crowd with their faultless musical talent. Images of co-founder Syd Barret beamed on the screen as the band performed “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” while the crowd reveled in Matt Riddle’s keyboard skills. Damian told me that his favorite Pink Floyd song to play is “Comfortably Numb.” The second set ended with his flawless guitar solo of the David Gilmour classic producing another standing ovation by the crowd.

If you like Pink Floyd’s music, attending a Brit Floyd concert in your town is a must. The immersive experience they offer is unforgettable, making it an event that will linger in your memory. Don’t miss the opportunity to be captivated by their incredible performance.

Walter Zapotoczny is an author, historian, and local Pink Floyd fan. He can be reached at mail@wzaponline.com.

Photo credit: Aaylan Zapotoczny

Pantera, Lamb of God, Child Bite

Sunday, August 6th, 2023
The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
Scranton, PA

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Child Bite from Detroit, Michigan started the evenings festivities, with a manic fueled set of punk tinged metal which grabbed listeners attention however, I am not completely sure if it was the four pieces mixture of spastic stage moves and chaotic songs structure or if it was that they were actually enjoying what was being performed. Thankfully the set was brief and the minimal change over time made up for it as veteran Richmond, VA metalers Lamb of God would hit the stage next with a bombastic barrage of stacatoing guitars and rumbling double bass which shook the venue from front back and side to side as frontman Randy Blythe led the ever growing crowd through songs like “Walk With Me in Hell”, “Ruin” and, “Omens”. Blythe paused briefly during the 40 plus minute set to help energize the crowd and to elecit multiple sing-alongs which echoed throughout the mountainous venue. Before leaving the stage for the night the band dedicated their final song “Redneck” to the fallen Abbott brothers which garnered the loudest crowd response thus far.

As the closing notes rang out and with lingering pyro smoke still hanging in the air a giant banner emblazoned with the Pantera logo was dropped from the ceiling shielding the now tightly packed crowds view of the stage. With Clips of the bands “Vulgar Videos” showing on the sides screens and the band blasting through the PA, the curtain would be dropped as the band layed into a thunderous version of the song “A New Level” from the “Vulgar Display of Power” album. The band which now consists of founding members Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown has been completed with the addition of Anthrax’s Charlie Benanti on drums and Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde filling in for the dearly departed Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell. The band looked and sounded great as they flawlessly plowed through tracks such as “Mouth for War”, ” 5 minutes Alone” and “This Love” with reckless abandance and ease. On stage banter was kept to a minimum as the show seemed to be very regimented and only paused briefly allowing for Anselmo address the crowd with his signature gravely growl. The shows production was top knotch as it included tons of corresponding visuals, dual lighted CFH logos flanked both sides of the stage and a giant flaming Pantera sign hung high above the band. Anselmo may not jump and stalk the stage as he did in his younger years his performance he sounded really good and I think the lesser movement helped with that. Bassist Rex Brown popped his foot up on the monitors in his signature lanky pose like no time had passed at all. With easily the largest shoes to fill both Charlie Benanti and Zakk Wylde showed why they were the obvious choices for these jobs. Both players showcased their high level of musician ship by not only nailing the performance side of each song but also capturing a number of the nuances that both Abbott brothers were known for.

Though you can never replace the loss of the original members and the twenty two years since the bands last performance certainly have taken a toll in one way or another on the original two members however I can tell you that the bands current line and production captures nearly all the elements of the original with an air of aged perfection which fans both new and old will surely enjoy banging their head to. With lots of dates remaining you will surely want to catch this show if it comes to your town.

Lamb of God Setlist:

1.) Memento Mori
2.) Walk With Me in Hell
3.) Resurrection Man
4.) Now You’ve Got Something to Die For
5.) Ruin
6.) Ditch
7.) Omens
8.) Contractor
9.) Laid to Rest
10.) Redneck

Pantera Setlist:

1.) A New Level
2.) Mouth for War
3.) Strength Beyond Strength
4.) Becoming (w/ “Throes of Rejection” outro)
5.) I’m Broken (w/ “By Demons Be Driven” outro)
6.) Suicide Note Pt. II
7.) 5 Minutes Alone
8.) This Love
9.) Fucking Hostile
10.) Planet Caravan (Black Sabbath cover)
11.) Walk (with Child Bite)
12.) Domination / Hollow
13.) Cowboys From Hell

Encore:
14.) Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit (w/ “Stairway to Heaven” outro)

• RAIN – A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES
• STARLIGHT THEATER – KANSAS CITH, MISSOURI
• JULY 21, 2023

I was 9 years old when the Beatles broke up, almost four years after the band stopped touring so I never had the opportunity to see them perform live.  As a child of the 1960s, I was swept up in Beatlemania.  The very first record I ever bought with my own money was the “Hello Goodbye” 45 single.  I have a couple of older friends that did see the band live, one of which grew up in Liverpool and had the band play his school dance, back when the lineup included Pete Best and Stu Sutcliffe.  I’ve seen Paul McCartney live many times, and it’s always great to hear him do a Beatles song, but I always thought that was the closest I’d ever come to seeing the band on stage.  I was wrong!

A musical/multimedia celebration, RAIN is a two hour journey through the adventures of the Fab Four, from their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show’ to their final roof top concert.  Each song is performed flawlessly, both musically and vocally.  The show consists of four featured mjsicians – Steve Landes on vocals/rhythm guitar, Paul Curatolo (vocals/bas), Aaron Chazza (drums) and Alastar Mcneil (vocals/lead guitar).  Landes and Curatolo also handle piano duties.  They are joined by a very talented Mark Beyer, who handles the background instruments, including piano, strings and horns.    I look at him like Billy Preston.

If you are wondering why I don’t list Mr. Landes as John, Mr. Curatolo as Paul, etc it’s because that is not how they are identified in the program.  I know from doing research on a Beatles themed book that the lads are very protective of everything of theirs, including their names.  Over newsreel footage from the past, familiar quotes by the lads are heard, but they are recreated comments.  The boys are even protective of their voices.

Each member is outstanding on their instruments, with Mr. Chazza providing a perfect backbeat.  Mr. McNeil had the licks down perfectly, but was indeed playing the “quiet” Beatle as none of Harrison’s songs were performed.  I do see that a couple of Harrison’s songs are noted In the program, so maybe the set lists change nightly.  One thing that did catch my attention was that, even though “Paul” was playing bass left handed, when he brought out the acoustic guitar to solo on “Yesterday,” he was playing right handed.  Which to me, someone who plays guitar, is an amazing feat!  I’ve never heard of an ambidextrous musician before, but Mr. Curatolo excelled on both instruments.

RAIN runs through July 23^rd at Starlight Theater.  For tickets to these or future shows, please click HERE.

RAIN receives five out of a total of five stars!   

• The Doobie Brothers – 50th Anniversary Tour
• Starlight Theater
• Kansas City, Missouri

Some of my fondest musical memories came courtesy of the Doobie Brothers.  I still remember the episode of “What’s Happening!” where the boys got caught sneaking a tape recorder into one of the band’s concerts.  My high school kitchen band – that’s where we rehearsed – used to do a kick ass version of “China Grove.”  When he was younger, my son and his mother used to sing along to “Black Water” every day on the ride to school.  And I loved how almost every photo of Tom Johnston in the mid-70s showed him wearing a “Jaws” t-shirt!  The band went from being big to being HUGE once Michael McDonald came on board, with the band winning four Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year for “What a Fool Believes.”  Like most bands, the members eventually went their seperate ways and I’ve seen both the Doobies and Michael McDonald in the past.  But never todgether.  Until now!

Patrick Simmons

Kicking off their amazing (24) song set with “Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While),” the band took myself and a sold out Starlight Theater crowd on an amazing trip down memory lane.  The vocals were solid and the music was tight, as 50-years of music poured over the willing crowd who sang along at every chance.

Michael McDonald

Other well known songs, including “You Belong to Me,” “It Keeps You Runnin’,” and “Takin’ It to the Streets” were mixed in with great album cuts like “South City Midnight Lady” and “Eyes of Silver” kept the crowd up on their feet and dancing all night.  Other highlights included a rousing version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” with McDonald at his most soulful and a great cover of Steely Dan’s “Pretzel Logic.”

Besides founding member Patrick Simmons, along with long time Doobie’s McDonald and John McFee, the band included long time touring members John Cowan on bass and the amazing Marc Russo on the saxophone.

Marc Russo

The Doobie Brother’s 50th Anniversary Tour runs at least through October.  For tickets and tour information please click HERE!

SET LIST: Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While), Here to Love You, Dependin’ on You, Rockin’ Down the Highway, Neal’s Fandango, You Belong to Me, Slack Key Soquel Rag, South City Midnight Lady, Clear as the Driven Snow, It Keeps You Runnin’, Eyes of Silver, I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Better Days, Real Love, Minute by Minute, Without You, Jesus is Just Alright, What a Fool Believes, Long Train Runnin’, China Grove  ENCORE:  Black Water, Takin’ It to the Streets, Listen to the Music, Pretzel Logic.  

• TENACIOUS D: the Spicy Meatball Tour
• Starlight Theater
• Kansas City, Missouri

I first heard of Tenacious D 20-years ago when a friend of mine told me he was going to see the band along with Weezer.  The next day he raved about the “D,” and urged me to buy their CD.  I did.  And I loved it.  20 years later, I finally got to see what I was missing.

Consisting of the always manic Jack Black and the more reserved Kyle Gass, Tenacious D is best described as if Heavy Metal and Classical Music had a baby.  Both men are amazing musicians, each note from their guitars hitting your ears clearly.  Where Black’s input is mostly power chords, Gass plays as intricately, and as beautifully, as one of my favorite classical gitarists, the late Roy Clark.

For nearly two hours the boys rocked, combining beautifully written music with amazingly strong, often funny, lyrics.  Like “Weird” Al Yankovic, Jack Black has an amazingly strong voice, suited for the music he plays and reminiscient of the late, great Ronnie James Dio.  

The show also had it’s fun bits, including a recurring bit with the band’s pyro technician who always seemed to set of the effects at the wrong time.  Another highligh was the premiere of a new song, scheduled to be released the next day, called “Video Games.”  Later, Black produced a Sax-a-Boom, an oversized member of the horn family,  Not to be outdone, Gass emerged from the shadows with an enormous MAX-a-Boom and blew a great rendition of the Gerry Rafferty hit “Baker Street.”  The group also covered Chris Issak’s “Wicked Games” and did a kick-ass version of Led Zepplin’s “Good Times, Bad Times.”

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the D’s opening act, Steel Beans, a literal one-man-band who played guitar, drums and keyboards at the same time.  And very well.  

SET LIST:  Overture, Kickapoo, Low Hangin’ Fruit, Wonderboy, Tribute, Video Games, Rize of the Fenix, The Metal, Sax-a-Boom, Baker Street, Roadie, Dude (I Totally Miss You), Wicked Games, Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown), Double Team.  ENCORE:  Good Times, Bad Times, Master Exploder, The Spicyt Meatball Song, Fuck Her Gently.  

If you’d like to catch the “D” on tour, or learn more about the band, please click HERE.