Roger Waters: This is Not a Drill
T-mobile Center/Kansas City, MO
September 3, 2022
IN THE FLESH AND OUTSIDE THE WALL
Roger Waters: This is Not a Drill
T-mobile Center/Kansas City, MO
September 3, 2022
IN THE FLESH AND OUTSIDE THE WALL
Roger Daltrey. Tina Turner. Robert Plant. Freddie Mercury.
These amazing people possess some of the greatest and most powerful voices in the history of Rock and Roll. To that list I humbly add Mr. Alfred Matthew Yankovic. That’s right…”Weird Al.”
In a show that, except for the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” included only original songs – there was a brief medley of some of his more popular parody songs towards the end – Yankovic gave a show that I would put up against any concert I have ever seen. After opening the show with “Fun Zone,” Yankovic reminded the audience that this was going to be a show that some fans have complained about, because he was doing the “funny” stuff. He noted that “the name of the tour should have tipped you off.” And he was right, as the show was billed as “The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour.” Not a lot of leeway there. And while I secretly hoped he’d break out his new “Hamilton” medley, I went home utterly amazed at what I’d just witnessed.
True fans of Yankovic are, of course, familiar with his parody hits, but also enjoy his original tunes as well. On this night, he interspersed several of his more popular originals – “One More Minute,” “You Don’t Love Me Anymore” and “The Night Santa Went Crazy” with an array of great tunes, some done much differently then their album versions. “Dare to Be Stupid” was done like a 60s lounge song, while “Craigslist” could have easily been included on an album by the Doors. He really let his rock chops loose when he introduced a song he claimed he’d written for the band Rage Against the Machine. Apparently, the band didn’t record it, so he did. The song, “I’ll Sue Ya,” brought the audience to its feet with its growling vocals and kick ass music. And I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the musicians accompanying Yankovic on stage were amazing, showing the skill, and tightness, of a band that had been together for over four decades!
Opening the show was comedian Emo Philips, whose comedy I was introduced to late at night while listening to Dr. Demento with my friends. I always enjoyed his style of comedy and it was a true treat to have the opportunity to see him in person. Speaking of Dr. Demento, early next week (September 14th) will mark the 42nd Anniversary of when I heard “Weird” Al live on Dr. Demento’s radio show introducing his first big parody song, “Another One Rides the Bus.” Wow! I should write a book titled “Everything I Need to Know About Life I Learned from Dr. Demento!”
“Weird” Al’s “The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour” continues through the end of October. Many shows are sold out, but if you’re thinking about going – and after reading this review, why the hell aren’t you? – click HERE
SET LIST: Fun Zone, Close But No Cigar, Melanie, Bob, One More Minute, Dare to Be Stupid, Dog Eat Dog, Velvet Elvis, Craigslist, You Don’t Love Me Anymore, I’ll Sue Ya, Franks 2000” TV, Don’t Download This Song, The Night Santa Went Crazy, Skipper Dan, Good Old Days, Albuquerque. ENCORE: Psycho Killer, UNPLUGGED MEDLEY – Amish Paradise/Smells Like Nirvana/White & Nerdy/Word Crimes/Yoda.
Part two of my wonderful musical weekend!
What if I told you that you could see the Cowsills, the Vogues, the Buckinghams, the Association, Gary Puckett and the Turtles all in one night? No, really! They are all together on the most recent HAPPY TOGETHER tour, which made a stop in Kansas City this past weekend.
For those who may not know this, the Cowsills was a group made up of a mother and her musical children. Sound familiar? That’s right. The Cowsills were the inspiration for television’s “Partridge Family.” On this night, brothers Bob and Paul, along with sister Susan, opened the show with a set of the most popular songs. They even threw in the theme to television’s “Love, American Style,” which I had no idea they’d done.
The Vogues took the stage and opened with their classic “Five O’ Clock World.” The group was in fine voice, with amazing harmonies. The Buckinghams were represented by original members Nick Fortuna and lead singer Carl Giammarese, who was celebrating his 75th Birthday this evening.
Next up was the Association, who sounded as good on this evening as they did in their heyday. Songs like “Cherish” and “Never My Love” filled the Kauffman Center, with the crowd signing along. Next up was the amazing Gary Puckett. I had seen him in 1986 when he opened for the Monkees. He didn’t disappoint then, and he didn’t disappoint on this evening. With his distinct voice, songs like “Young Girl” and “This Girl is a Woman Now” rolled over the audience. Mr. Puckett noted that Carl Giammarese was 75 but that Susan Cowsill was 63. He also noted that he had them both beat as he will be turning 80 later this year!
Closing out the night was the Turtles, whose hit “Happy Together” gives the tour its name. A big bonus, for me anyway, was that Ron Dante was the lead singer. Dante, who turns 77(!) today also was the lead vocalist on the biggest selling song of 1969, “Sugar, Sugar.” Which means that I can legitimately tell people that I saw the Archies in concert!
The night ended with everyone one stage in a mini-medley of some of the night’s best moments.
The HAPPY TOGETHER tour continues through the year. You can find tickets for it HERE.
SONG LIST: Cowsills: The Rain, the Park and Other Things, We Can Fly, Indian Lake, Love, American Style, Hair. The Vogues: Five O’Clock World, My Special Angel, Turn Around Look at Me, You’re the One. The Buckinghams: Don’t You Care, “Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song), Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Susan, Kind of a Drag. The Association: Windy, Never My Love, Cherish, Along Comes Mary. Gary Puckett: Lady Willpower, Over You, This Girl is a Woman Now, Woman, Woman, Young Girl. The Turtles: She’d Rather Be With Me, You Baby, It Ain’t Me Babe, You Showed Me, Sugar, Sugar, Eleanor, Happy Together.
What an amazing weekend of music I just concluded. Keep an eye out for my piece on the HAPPY TOGETHER show – this one is all about the night I got to listen to one of my all-time favorites and discovered a new one.
I had certainly heard of the Robert Cray Band, and was familiar with their biggest song, “Smoking Gun,” and I had known for years that Mr. Cray was the guitarist for Otis Day and the Knights in “Animal House.” But I’d had no idea that he was a master of the guitar, with an amazing band to match him lick for lick. I will mention here that my wife is a big fan and has told me for years that I didn’t know what I was missing. She was right. With Mr. Cray changing guitars for almost every song played, the music lept from his fingers and filled the sold-out Kauffman Center. His band kept pace, with bass player Richard Cousins supplying the beat while changing instruments almost as much as Mr. Cray did. The set ended with a bluesy rendition of Chuck Berry’s (You Never Can Tell) C’est La Vie.
After a short break it was time for headliner Boz Scaggs and his band to take the stage. I’m old enough to remember when hits like “Ledo Shuffle,” “Lowdown” and “Look What You’ve Done to Me” – a great song to have on the turntable when you were “entertaining” a lady friend – were first released. I played Mr. Scaggs’ “Silk Degrees” album constantly as a teenager and it was quite a joy to hear those songs – and others – performed live. I just realized I may have confused our younger readers by using both words “turntable” and “album.” Still the best way to listen to music. Don’t believe me? Ask your parents.
Besides the hits, Mr. Scaggs also played a selection of songs from his latest album, “Let it Roll.” The mixture of old and new was well received by the audience, as was the rousing “Ledo Shuffle” sing-along.
The evening began with a short set from singer/songwriter Jeff Leblanc, who easily engaged the audience with his stories, including a folksy rendition of Al Green’s (or, if you’re my son’s age – Tina Tuner’s) “Let’s Stay Together,” which he introduced as a song he had to learn for a wedding. A budding talent who I’m sure we will all hear more about sooner than later.
For upcoming shows, please click HERE.
“New York United 2022”
Agnostic Front, Sick of It All, Crown of Thornz
Friday, May 6th, 2022
The Lost Horizon, Syracuse, NY
Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars
Veteran NY hardcore bands Agnostic Front, Sick of It All and Crown of Thornz made a stop at the intimate Lost Horizon in Syracuse, NY on May 6th as part of the co-headlining “New York United” tour. Originally slated for Spring 2021 but cancelled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic the tour brings together three of the biggest names in hardcore music.
Taking the stage first were Queens NY natives Crown of Thornz. The Danny Diablo (Skarhead) fronted group wasted no time letting the audience know that they were taking no prisoners as the band ripped through songs like “Head Check”, “Icepick”, “Mental Masquerade” and “Juggernaut”. Diablo and company worked the crowd to a steaming simmer often taking time to share the mic with fans (many of whom didn’t miss a beat filling in the correct lyrics) energizing the room further before bringing their set to a close. Sick of It All would be tasked next with keeping the nights energy going and they quickly got to it by launching into the tracks “Injustice System” and “Clobberin’ Time” both from the band’s debut 1989 release “Blood, Sweat and No Tears” before taking a brief pause which allowed vocalist Lou Koller to catch his breath and to address the Syracuse crowd. As the set stretched on through songs like “Good Lookin’ Out”, “World Full of Hate” and “Pushed Too Far” Bassist Craig Setari, guitarist Pete Koller and drummer Armand Majidi pummeled the audience song after song with impressive cohesiveness and a percussive attack which obliterated your senses.
Hardcore legends Agnostic Front would close out the evening in signature NYHC style kicking off their twenty plus song set with the title track from their 1984 debut “Victim in Pain”. Vocalist Roger Miret fresh off a bout with cancer in late 2021 commanded the audience’s attention over the course of the night pausing only briefly to share his thanks for the support during recent health troubles and to announce the start of tracks like “New Jack”, “For My Family” and “Crucified”. Guitarist and founding member Vinnie Stigma sneered, snarled, and smiled at the crowd as he made his way around the cramped stage pausing from time to time to address the crowd in his thick NY accent which garnered loud applause and cheers of “STIGMA, STIGMA”. The band closed out the evening with a spot-on rendition of the classic Ramones song “Blitzkrieg Bop”. The punk staple had those in the crowd expelling any energy they may have had left before being basked in the grow on the house lights which signaled the end of the evening.
Despite reschedules, cancelations and a very serious medical scare the power of hardcore persevered as fans are now able to see some of the biggest names in the genre back up where they belong. All three bands give their all to make sure no one goes away unhappy. With East Coast dates running through May and a West Coast leg of the tour kicking off in September do yourself a favor and grab a ticket to one of these shows and get in the pit!
Sick of It All Set List:
1.) Injustice System
2.) Clobberin’ Time
3.) Take the Night Off
4.) Rat Pack
5.) Us vs. Them
6.) Inner Vision
7.) Good Lookin’ Out
8.) World Full of Hate
9.) Pushed Too Far
10.) Friends Like You
11.) Sanctuary
12.) Uprising Nation
13.) My Life
14.) Road Less Traveled
15.) Machete
16.) Bull’s Anthem
17.) Busted
18.) Scratch the Surface
19.) Step Down
Agnostic Front Setlist:
1.) Victim in Pain
2.) Your Mistake
3.) Blind Justice
4.) Last Warning
5.) With Time
6.) The Eliminator
7.) New Jack
8.) Strength
9.) For My Family
10.) Friend or Foe
11.) Discriminate Me
12.) Crucified
13.) United Blood
14.) Fascist Attitudes
15.) Peace
16.) United & Strong
17.) Power
18.) Gotta Go
19.) Police State
20.) Hiding Inside
21.) Society Sucker
22.) Blitzkrieg Bop
In October 2019, I had the great pleasure of attending an all-star tribute concert to celebrate the Beatles White Album. With a top notch band including Todd Rungren, Micky Dolenz, Christopher Cross, , Chicago’s Jason Scheff and Joey Molland from Badfinger, the show was an amazing celebration of music. Not only did they deliver the goods on the Beatles music but each one also performed a couple of their own hits. I should also note that, in my review, I lamented how Todd Rungren was not a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I also started an on-line petition to correct this error.
Tonight the band was back together, celebrating two other of the Fab Four’s classic albums, “Rubber Sou” and “Revolver.” Dolenz didn’t make the trip this time, but he was ably replaced by Moody Blues and Wings co-founder Denny Laine. Again, the Beatles music was great to hear live, but the real treat was getting to hear some of the other hits the musicians had been a part of. Two of the non-Beatle highlights were Laine’s rendition of “Band on the Run,” with a vocal that rivaled Maccas and a blistering “25 or 6 to 4” with a guitar solo that would have made Terry Kath proud.
The music was infectious, and the crowd responded by dancing in their seats and giving a well deserved standing ovation at the concert’s end. They also stood after the afore mentioned rendition of “25 or 6 to 4” and after a sing-along to Rungren’s “Hello It’s Me.” As I left the show, I was already praying that next year brings an “Abbey Road/Let It Be” tour!
Incidentally, this time around Todd Rungren IS a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Just saying!
SET LIST
Drive My Car, I Want to Tell You, Taxman, Eleanor Rigby, If I Needed Someone, Go Now, Band on the Run, I’m Only Sleeping, No Matter What, Baby Blue, Good Day Sunshine, In My Life, AYou Won’t See Me, Sailing, Ride Like the Wind, And Your Bird Can Sing, Here, There and Everywhere, Girl, Michelle, I Just Saw a Face, Norwegian Wood, Hard to Say I’m Sorry, 25 or 6 to 4, For No One, Nowhere Man, I Saw the Light, Hello It’s Me, Dr. Robert, Got to Get You Into My Life, Tomorrow Never Knows, The Word, Yellow Submarine.
“Tid The Season” 2021
December 9-10, 2021
Riverworks, Buffalo, NY
Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars
After a year hiatus due to Covid-19 Buffalo’s favorite sons Every Time I Die returned with their annual “Tid The Season” holiday bash. The sprawling Riverworks complex in Buffalo, NY once again played host to the two-day event which featured ice skating, curling, wrestling and bands such Circa Survive, Knocked Loose, Ice-T and of course Every Time I Die.
Media Mikes had the opportunity to check out day two of the event which started off with a full bill of wrestling courtesy of Empire State Wrestling. Highlights from the multi match card included hometown favorite Puf opening the event with a fun filled match which had him blasting opponents with an array of confetti cannons one of which he even saved for an unsuspecting referee. AEW stars Evil Uno and The Blade w/ The Bunny squared off in the main event which started out quite heated after Uno took multiple verbal jabs at Buffalo and its inhabitants. Being local The Blade and Bunny didn’t take very kindly to Uno’s tirade and the match quickly ensued. After a tense couple moments of back-and-forth action between the two participants Blade’s tag team partner Butcher (Andy Williams) emerged donning what appeared to be attire inspired heavily by Donald Gibb’s character in “Bloodsport”. Though the Butcher didn’t fair to well initially the match concluded with the duo’s signature finishing move “Full Death” being delivered to a weary Evil Uno before the count of 1,2,3, was made. Prior to leaving the ring the team thanked the ever-growing crowd for the continued support which helped usher the team to the locker room accompanied by a wave a cheers and chants.
After a brief intermission to clear the floor of the ring the music portion of the night would be kicked off by the extreme Hardcore group END. The band consisting of members from the bands Misery Signals, Counterparts, Reign Supreme, Shai Hulud, and Fit For An Autopsy wasted no time delivering to the near capacity crowd as they ripped through songs from their “Splinters From an Ever-Changing Face” release setting a high standard for the bands still to come. Three-piece Ontario rockers The Dirty Nil took the stage next and proved that big things can come in small packages as the three-piece group decimated the audience with their unique blend of fuzz infused overdrive. Certainly, a highlight of the performance was a rawkus rendition of the Metallica classic “Hit the Lights” which was performed near flawlessly and left the crowd wanting more. Vancouver natives Spiritbox would follow and though I personally found the set to be rather lackluster and vocalist Courtney LaPlante quite pitchy at times the band invoked a solid reaction from the crowd that you had to applaud.
Heading into the meat of the nights lineup we saw Los Angeles based The Bronx return to the stage for their second performance of the weekend (the band performed on night one of the event with their Mariachi El Bronx lineup). The band helmed by energetic front man Matt Caughthran kept the nights energy going despite battling feedback issues as they performed crowd favorites such as “Shitty Future”, “Six Days a Week” and “History’s Stranglers” before closing out the set with “Around the Horn” from the bands 2006 album “II”. Tid The Season regulars Knocked Loose would follow instantly re-igniting the crowd after a brief reprieve. Guitarist Isaac Hale dominated the stage left position with his precise chuggery while front man Bryan Garris commanded the attention of capacity crowd while the band performed such tracks as “God Knows”, “All My Friends” and “Counting Worms”. The set also featured a couple guest appearances including Brendan Murphy on “Billy No Mates”, Courtney LaPlante on “A Serpent’s Touch” and Keith Buckley on “Forget Your Name” all of which garnered loud roars from the bustling crowd. The Original Gangster Ice-T occupied the direct support slot this evening and despite a much different sound than the other bands on the bill Ice and his crew fit in perfectly as they threw down his signature West Coast rhythms backed by long-time DJ Evil E’s beats. Despite more widely known tracks like “New Jack Hustler” and “Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous” missing from the set Buffalo did get to hear “O.G. Original Gangster” along with a few other classics prior to Ice leaving the stage with his wife Coco and daughter Chanel in tow.
As a white banner projecting of a large burning fireplace dropped from the ceiling and Christmas music began to play through the PA the anticipation level jumped threefold as what has become the marker signaling for the evenings hosts Every Time I Die to take the stage. As a dangerous windstorm swirled outside and synthetic snow began dropping from the ceiling the band burst on to the stage with the song “Roman Holiday”. The band appeared as though they were shot of a cannon as the opening number set a solid foundation for tracks like “A Colossal Wreck”, “Post-Boredom” and “The New Black”. The set features a couple new tracks as both “Desperate Pleasures” and “People Verses” from the newly released “Radical” album made their way into the set for the first time fitting perfectly amongst more seasoned ETID tracks like “We’rewolf”, “Decayin’ With the Boys” and “Map Change”. Despite internal tensions within the band being reported recently the members of Every Time I Die showed they are consummate professionals at the top of their game as the band once again delivering to the sold-out Buffalo crowd.
Every Time I Die Set List:
1.) Roman Holiday
2.) Romeo a Go-Go
3.) Off Broadway
4.) A Colossal Wreck
5.) Desperate Pleasures
6.) Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space
7.) The Marvelous Slut
8.) Post-Boredom
9.) The New Black
10.) Sly
11.) Pigs Is Pigs
12.) The Sweet Life
13.) Champing at the Bit
14.) Cities and Years
15.) No Son of Mine
16.) Thirst
17.) I Been Gone a Long Time
18.) We’rewolf
19.) AWOL
20.) Bored Stiff
21.) The Coin Has a Say
22.) White Void
23.) Decayin’ With the Boys
24.) Floater
25.) Map Change
26.) People Verses
27.) Indian Giver
James Taylor and Jackson Browne have been major parts of the soundtrack of my life. I played Taylor’s “JT” album repeatedly in my youth and, after saying “I do” to each other my wife Juanita and I walked back up the aisle while my best friend Matt played Taylor’s “How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You).”
As for Mr. Browne, I’m dating myself here by saying that “Running on Empty” was the first album I owned on cassette, vinyl, 8-track and compact disc. In that order. And yes, I had an 8-track player in my sweet 1969 GTO. You know you love something when you make sure you have it with you ALWAYS. When I play along with the Facebook post that asks, “If you were going to be stranded on a desert island, what 10 albums would you take with you?” “Running on Empty” is always near the top of the list.
Loving these two amazing artist’s music as much as I do, I was overjoyed when I heard they were coming to Kansas City in one amazing show. And amazing it was.
Mr. Browne took the stage first, opening with his hit “Somebody’s Baby,” which was featured in the film “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” He was in great voice and his band was tight.
For the remainder of his set he mixed in some popular classic songs (“Late for the Sky,” “Doctor My Eyes”) with a selection of songs from his new album – which I heartedly recommend – “Downhill From Everywhere.” During one song from the album, “The Dreamer,” he was joined on stage by singers Tiffanie Cross and Alethea Mills. Together the trio had the crowd in the palms of their hands with their harmonies. Taylor surprised the audience by coming on stage on joining Browne in a fine rendition of “The Pretender” and the set ended with a lively singalong to “Running on Empty.”
The second half of the show began with a short video highlighting the music of James Taylor. He took the stage to a loud round of applause and he and his band kicked off the set with a country-tinged medley of “Fiddle and Drum/Country Road.”
Like Browne, the set was a well divided combination of newer material and classic songs. As he notes in “That’s Why I’m Here” – one of my favorite JT tunes, sadly inspired in part by the tragic death of John Belushi (a neighbor of Taylor’s on Martha’s Vineyard), people “Pay good money to hear Fire and Rain again and again and again.” Before the break Taylor and his band did a rousing “How Sweet It Is” causing my wife and I – and a lot of others – to slow-dance in the aisles.
When everyone returned to the stage, Jackson Brown came with them and the two combined for a mellow version of “Take it Easy,” a song Browne co-wrote with Glenn Frey and was a hit – gulp – nearly 50 years ago for the Eagles.
As the show concluded, Taylor led the audience in a moving rendition of “You’ve Got a Friend,” which inspired the crowd to hold their lit cellphones high above their heads (where have you gone, Bic disposable lighter?).
To sum it all up, it was a great night of great music – one I highly recommend you take in when they come to your town.
SET LISTS
JACKSON BROWNE
Somebody’s Baby, Barricades of Heaven, Long Way Around, Fountain, Downhill from Everywhere, TheDreamer (with Tiffanie Cross and Alethea Mills), Until Justice is Real, Doctor My Eyes, Late for the Sky, The Pretender (with James Taylor), Running on Empty.
JAMES TAYLOR
Fiddle and Drum/Country Road, Copperline, That’s Why I’m Here, Mexico, You Make it Easy, Line ‘em Up, Steamroller, Rolling Off, Sweet Baby James, Fire and Rain, Carolina, Shower the People, How Sweet it Is (To Be Loved by You), Shed a Little Light, Take it Easy (with Jackson Browne), You’ve Got a Friend, Close Your Eyes
“40th Anniversary Global Streaming Event”
Anthrax
The Den at 20ft Bear Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Friday, July 16th, 2021
Our score 4 out of 5 stars
Twenty-twenty-one marks Anthrax’s 40th anniversary as a thrash metal band, during this time the band has released 11 studio albums, been awarded multiple Gold and Platinum certifications, garnered six Grammy nominations, and racked up a host of other accolades from the media, music industry, and fans. To commemorate this achievement on July 16th the band along with Danny Wimmer Presents hosted a streaming event titled the “40th Anniversary Global Streaming Event”. The performance was shot recently in Los Angeles, CA at the Den located within 20ft Bear Studios and featured songs from all eras of the bands career along with a few surprises.
Despite the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic still causing logistical nightmares for many touring bands it does not stop the need for recognition and celebration. No truer words have been spoken than when it comes to the 40th anniversary of one of the biggest bands in thrash metal, Anthrax. From the group’s early beginnings in Queens, NY to playing some of the biggest stages in the word as part of the “Big 4” tour and along the way releasing eleven studio albums this is a career that needs to be recognized! To celebrate the occasion Anthrax and Danny Wimmer Presents put together a brand-new show which they dubbed the “40th Anniversary Global Streaming Event”. Clocking in at over 2hrs the band dove deep into their impressive catalog ensuring that all periods of their career were represented. Making it into the set alongside staples like “Caught In a Mosh”, “Madhouse” and “I Am the Law” were lesser performed songs such as a cover of the Discharge song “Protest and Survive” which had not been performed live since 1997 along with “Keep it in the Family” and “Bring the Noise” which both had not been heard live since 2015. “Bring the Noise” was a double bonus as it featured a special guest spot by Public Enemy front-man Chuck D. D’s appearance instantly took me back to my younger years and to the days when MTV actually played music. Man, those were the days! Throughout the evenings stream amidst the top-notch sound and lighting production were brief interviews provided by various musicians and media personalities where they shared their own personal thoughts or experiences with the band. I found this part of the show to be great as it helped showcase the bands reach and impact across a variety of performance genres.
If the initial concert was not enough the main portion of the stream was followed by an additional stream which was made up of rehearsal footage, interviews with the band, a tour of NYC with Scott Ian and three bonus performances. The additional footage clocked in at just over forty-five minutes bringing the entire runtime for this special to nearly 3 hours! One thing I did find to be lacking was the band only performed in its current line up consisting of Joey Belladonna, Charlie Benante, Frank Bello, Scott Ian, Jon Donais. Yes, I know things can get tricky when trying to bring in past members and such however given the nature of the bands retrospective YouTube series which led up to this event recounting the bands history through new interviews with past and current members, I would have thought there could have been room to make this happen for the fans. Maybe this is something we can wish for during the 50th anniversary celebration. If you missed the streams initial debut it is available at until July 25th at anthraxlive.com. Do yourself a favor and check it out. You will not be disappointed.
Set List:
1.) Fight’Em ‘Til You Can’t
2.) Madhouse
3.) Caught in a Mosh
4.) Metal Thrashing Mad
5.) Got the Time
6.) I Am the Law
7.) Keep It in the Family
8.) Lone Justice
9.) The Devil You Know
10.) Be All, End All
11.) Now It’s Dark
12.) Antisocial
13.) In the End
14.) Medusa
15.) Evil Twin
16.) Indians
17.) A Skeleton in the Closet
18.) Aftershock
19.) Blood Eagle Wings
20.) Bring the Noise
21.) A.I.R.
22.) Among the Living
Encore: (featured in “Behind the Scenes” stream)
23.) Breathing Lightning
24.) Protest and Survive
25.) Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
“Decades Season 2- 2010s”
Bad Religion
Saturday, June 26th, 2021
The Roxy, Hollywood, California/NoCapshows.com
Our score 4.5 out of 5 stars
Bad Religion wrapped up Season 2 of their “Decades” streaming series on June 26th from the Roxy Theater in West Hollywood. Broadcast exclusively via NoCapshows.com the final episode of season 2 followed the same format as the previous three shows which featured sets containing deep cuts and rarely performed songs from each decade of the bands career. Songs from the bands three 2010’s era releases (“The Dissent of Man”, “True North”, “Age of Unreason”) would be the focus of this evenings performance.
Veteran punk purveyors Bad Religion brought a close Season 2 of their “Decades” streaming series on June 26th with an impressive and upbeat 14 song set of 2010’s era BR material. The evenings performance featured the live debut of six different songs along with a handful of other songs some of which have not appeared live since 2010. Kicking of the night was the fast paced, guitar fueled “Past is Dead” from the album “Truth North”. The song set the evenings pace and instantly while show casing the tight knit guitar tandem of Brian Baker and Mike Dimkich. The nights first live debut would follow as the band performed the title track off their most recent studio release “Age of Unreason”. With a song this powerful I cannot believe it never made its way on to the set during the bands last outing pre-covid. Other debuts from the night’s performance included “Hello Cruel World”, “Big Black Dog”, “In Their Heart Is Right”, “Downfall” and “What Tomorrow Brings”. Despite all of these songs being newer to the BR catalog the band really showed their music prowess as each number came off as very well-rehearsed almost as if these songs have been being played day in and day out for years. Closing out the night was the song “Cyanide” from the 2010’s “The Dissent of Man”. Despite the songs ominous title, the performance was very enjoyable as it offered an added level of instrumentation courtesy of Senses Fail’s Gavin Caswell who sat in on pedal steel guitar for this song giving the closing moments of “Decades Season 2” an almost Eagles like sound and feel.
Bad Religion once again delivers with a unique and safe concert experience that fans can enjoy from the safety of their homes. The 60-minute runtime felt like just the right amount time to give viewers a quick break from their normal day and return them feeling good and recharged. No matter if you tuned in just for this show or have caught all the previous performances you really get your money’s worth as the band delivered across every performance. If you missed any of the shows I believe they will be still available to stream through the end of June at Nocapshows.com If you are waiting to see the band live an in-person have no fear as on 6/24 the band announced their rescheduled 40th Anniversary co-headlining tour with Alkaline Trio and special guests War on Women will kick off on October 15th in Riverside California. Very Cool! For more information on the tour head over to badreligion.com
Set List:
1.) Past is Dead
2.) Age of Unreason
3.) Nothing to Dismay
4.) Hello Cruel World
5.) Big Black Dog
6.) In Their Hearts Is Right
7.) The Profane Rights of Man
8.) Won’t Somebody
9.) Downfall
10.) Meeting of the Minds
11.) The Devil in Stitches
12.) Dept. of False Hope
13.) What Tomorrow Brings
14.) Cyanide
“Decades Season 2- 1980s”
Bad Religion
Saturday, June 5th, 2021
The Roxy, Hollywood, California/NoCapshows.com
Our score 4.5 out of 5 stars
Bad Religion kicked off Season 2 of their “Decades” series on June 5th from the Roxy Theater in West Hollywood. Broadcast exclusively via NoCapshows.com its the first of four episodes which will feature deep cuts and rarely performed songs. Like season 1 each episode of season 2 will focus on a specific era of the bands 40+ year career. Up first was the 1980’s which pulled songs from four different releases (“How Could Hell Be Any Worse?”, “Into the Unknown”, “Suffer” and “No Control”) some of which have not been performed live in over 30 years.
Capitalizing on the success of the first four “Decades” live streams veteran punk purveyors Bad Religion are back with a brand-new set of shows which take fans deeper down the BR rabbit hole. Though the format and look of “Decades Season 2” is very similar to that of season 1 the setlists could not be any more different. Over the course of 60 minutes Vocalist Greg Graffin and company took viewers deep into the group’s massive song archives to revisit some of the bands lesser performed tracks from the groups first four studio releases. Prior to the show starting I was skeptical as to how the set was going to go as it was being touted as having completely different songs with no repeats from the subsequent performances. How were we going to watch a Bad Religion show and not hear songs like “Infected”, “Sorrow” and “21st Century Digital Boy”? Could the rarities fill in for these long-time staples which have had fans coming out on droves since their release? Well, right off the bat any fears I had about the set not living up to the standard Bad Religion always puts forth were quickly put to bed as the band ripped through tracks like “Voice of God is Government”, “Doing Time” and, “Damned to Be Free” all of which have been absent from live performances since 2008. The band even dipped in to “Against the Grain” (yes, it was technically released in 1990) to perform the Brett Gurewitz penned track “Walk Away” for its first time ever! Pretty cool from a fan’s perspective for sure. Easily my favorite performances of the night were two songs pulled from the widely panned 1983 release “Into the Unknown”. The somber “…You Give Up” set the stage nicely for the keyboard fueled “It’s Only Over When..” which came complete with a key slide that would bring Rick Wakeman to his knees and one that had me cracking up for the next few seconds. This combined with some comedic interview Segway’s really made for a good watch.
Clocking in at around 60 minutes Bad Religion’s “Decades” gives you what you want as a fan and then lets you get back to your day. With lives shows slowly starting to happen across the country and around the world there is undoubtably still some skepticism around if things will be safe. The latest virtual offering from Bad Religion alleviates those worries and offers a fun, enjoyable concert performance which you can watch any time and, from wherever you are comfortable. With three more shows coming in season 2 and the option to be able to go back and re-watch season 1 Greg, Mike, Brian, Jamie and Jay have you covered until you are ready to get back out there and see them face to face.
Set List:
1.) Voice of God is Government
2.) Politics
3.) Yesterday
4.) Delirium of Disorder
5.) Billy
6.) Sometimes It Feels Like…
7.) …You Give Up
8.) It’s Only Over When
9.) What Can You Do?
10.) Part II (The Numbers Game)
11.) Part III
12.) Part IV (The Index Fossil)
13.) Land of Competition
14.) Doing Time
15.) Damned to Be Free
16.) I Want Something More
17.) Turn on the Light
18.) When?
19.) Walk Away
20.) Sanity
21.) Faith in God
22.) Pessimistic Lines
23.) Progress
To watch Season 1 and 2 of Bad Religion “Decades” visit Nocapshows.com here
“Decades- 2010’s”
Bad Religion
Saturday, January 2nd, 2021
The Roxy, Hollywood, California/NoCapshows.com
Our score 4 out of 5 stars
Bad Religion wrapped up their “Decades” concert series on Saturday, January 2nd live from the Roxy Theater located in West Hollywood. This was the bands fourth online streaming concerts celebrating Bad Religion’s forty years of making music. Each performance featured a full set from four different decades of the bands career (80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, 2010’s). Newly record live performances combined with exclusive interviews and behind the scenes access gave fans an immersive experience which could be enjoyed all from the safety of your home.
For the fourth and final concert on the “Decades” series Bad Religion performed tracks from the most recent decade (2010-2019) with a set list consisting of tracks from 2010’s “The Dissent of Man”, 2013’s “True North” and the bands newest release 2019’s “Age of Unreason”. Much like the three previous shows the performance kicked off with a video montage of scattered images and sounds depicting events from the evening’s specific decade which gave way to a black velvet curtain which was slowly raised to once again reveal the punk rock pundits. Starting the set was the anthemic “Wrong Way Kids” followed by two personal favorites “True North” and “My Sanity”. The band looked great and, was very tight musically as they performed rarities such as “Crisis Time”, “Land of Endless Greed” and “Robin Hood in Reverse” a song what hadn’t been performed live since 2016. The fast paced 16 song set concluded with “Changing Tide” (a first since 2015) the live debut of “Candidate” and the in your face “Fuck You”. Then almost as it had begun the velvet curtain was lowered and the “Decade’s” concert series came to a close.
Though this was certainly the shortest of the four concerts, Bad Religion still offered an enjoyable break from the craziness we all continue to deal with on a daily basis. Comedic behind the scenes footage and interview with the bands newest members’ guitarist Mike Dimkich and drummer Jamie Miller were welcome additions as were those provided by vocalist Greg Graffin, bassist Jay Bentley and guitarist Brian Baker. Sure nothing beats seeing the band in a jam packed, sweaty venue (we hope those opportunities return sooner than later) but until then these types of shows are great opportunities for fans to support their favorite bands and interact with other fans and in this case the band as well (the band was on hand during all four concerts via a live chat room). For those who have not checked out these performances we highly recommend you do so quickly as they will only be available through mid January.
Set List:
1.) Wrong Way Kids
2.) True North
3.) My Sanity
4.) Crisis Time
5.) Do the Paranoid Style
6.) Land of Endless Greed
7.) Robin Hood in Reverse
8,) Chaos From Within
9.) Dharma and the Bomb
10.) Lose Your Head
11.) The Resist Stance
12.) Only Rain
13.) End of History
14.) Changing Tide
15.) Candidate
16.) Fuck You
Tickets and Event Merchandise for Bad Religion’s “Decade” Concert Series can be purchased HERE.
“Decades- 2000’s”
Bad Religion
Saturday, December 26th, 2020
The Roxy, Hollywood, California/NoCapshows.com
Our score 4 out of 5 stars
Bad Religion continued with their “Decades” concert series on Saturday December 26th live from the Roxy Theater located in West Hollywood. This was the third of four online streaming concerts to celebrate the bands forty years of making music with each performance featuring a full set from four different decades of the bands career (80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, 2010’s). Newly record live performances combined with exclusive interviews and behind the scenes access give fans an immersive experience which they can enjoy from the safety of their own homes.
For concert three in the “Decades” series Bad Religion jumped back to the decade of Y2K and Windows ME to perform material compiled from “The New America” (2000), “The Process of Belief” (2002), “The Empire Strikes First” (2004) and “New Maps of Hell” (2007). The set despite clocking in at just under 60 minutes featured the live debut of “Let It Burn” along with performances of “Epiphany” and ”Beyond Electric Dreams” both of which have been absent from live shows since 2015. Also included in the evenings set were long time staples “Los Angeles is Burning”, “Supersonic” and “New Dark Ages” before closing out the night with “Bored and Extremely Dangerous” (a song not performed live since 2008) and probably the bands biggest song of this era “Sorrow” certainly did not disappoint. The performances like with the previous two shows were mixed in between behind the scenes footage and insightful interviews with the members sharing memories of different experiences from the decade. This certainly added to the overall presentation and gave the show a nice steady flow. To enhance the experience for fans even further the band was again on hand interacting with fans via a live chat which occurred throughout the entire show.
Despite clocking in at just under 60 minutes along with a few different sound inconsistencies “Decades- 2000’s” at first look/listen might not seem to be the strongest presentation we have seen thus for however the performance, like previous shows still was visually and for the most part sonically superior to other bands using this same type of model. Bad Religion week after week continue to provide enjoyable viewing/listening experiences proving that an old dog can learn new tricks as the bands quick grasp on virtual concerts is one to commended. The final performance of “Decades” is scheduled for Saturday, January 2nd and will feature songs from 2010-2019. All previous shows can be streamed here via NoCap.com. We definitely recommend you check them out!
Set List:
1.) Social Suicide
2.) Los Angeles Is Burning
3.) Dearly Beloved
4.) Let It Burn
5.) Epiphany
6.) Supersonic
7.) Prove It
8,) Can’t Stop It
9.) Overture
10.) Sinister Rouge
11.) Let Them Eat War
12.) The Defense
13.) 52 Seconds
14.) Heroes & Martyrs
15.) New America
16.) New Dark Ages
17.) Beyond Electric Dreams
18.) Bored and Extremely Dangerous
19.) Sorrow
Tickets and Event Merchandise for Bad Religion’s “Decade” Concert Series can be purchased HERE.
“Decades- 1990’s”
Bad Religion
Saturday, December 19th, 2020
The Roxy, Hollywood, California/NoCapshows.com
Our score 5 out of 5 stars
Punk mainstays Bad Religion performed their second “Decades” concert on Saturday December 19th live from the famous Roxy Theater located in West Hollywood. The second of four online streaming concerts to celebrate the bands forty years of making music featured a full set of 90’s era material from the band who began their storied career in the early 1980’s. Newly recorded live performances combined with exclusive interviews and behind the scenes access gave fans an immersive experience which could be enjoyed all from the safety of their own homes.
Streaming events have quickly become the new way for bands to reach their fans during the ever present COVID-19 Pandemic. Bad Religion have taken that model and done something unique with it by offering fans four different shows which showcase four different eras of music from the bands catalog. “Decades- 1990’s” transported viewers back to one of the most productive periods in the band’s history. The evenings 19 song setlist was compiled from the era’s six studio releases (Against the Grain, Generator, Recipe for Hate, Stranger than Fiction, The Grey Race and No Substance). Tracks like “Come Join Us”, “Them and Us” and “All Fantastic Images” a song not performed live since 1999 kicked off the energetic evening and paved the way for songs like “Recipe for Hate”, “Faith Alone” and “Generator”. Vocalist Greg Graffin helmed the controls like a consummate professional while the bands newest member drummer Jamie Miller provided an unwavering backbeat that kept the shows pace upbeat and energetic. Other highlights from the night included performances of “A Walk”, “21 Century (Digital Boy)”, “American Jesus” before closing out the set with “Punk Rock Song”
Bad Religion continues to show that an old dog can learn new tricks. The “Decades- 1990’s” concert is a shining example of that statement as the shows stunning visual and audio presentation pickup where the 80’s show left off before taking fans even further down the BR rabbit hole. The show’s longer run-time was a welcome addition and the new interviews and outtakes continue to provide entertaining interludes between songs. Bad Religion is raising the bar week after with these performances making them something you don’t want to miss. With still two more shows remaining we can’t wait to see what’s next!
Set List:
Tickets and Event Merchandise for Bad Religion’s “Decade” Concert Series can be purchased HERE.