“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 w/ JACKSON BROWNE
• December 5, 2021
• T-mobile Center – Kansas City, Missouri

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

“40^th Anniversary Global Streaming Event”

Anthrax

The Den at 20ft Bear Studios, Los Angeles, CA

Friday, July 16^th, 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 16^th the band along with Danny Wimmer Presents hosted a streaming event titled the “40^th 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 40^th 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 “40^th 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 50^th anniversary celebration. If you missed the streams initial debut it is available at until July 25^th 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 26^th, 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 26^th 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 26^th 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 40^th Anniversary co-headlining tour with Alkaline Trio and special guests War on Women will kick off on October 15^th 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 5^th, 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 5^th 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 “21^st 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 2^nd, 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 2^nd 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 26^th, 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 26^th 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 2^nd 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:

1. Come Join Us
2. Also Stranger Than Fiction
3. The Streets of America
4. Them and Us
5. All Fantastic Images
6. Modern Man
7. Struck a Nerve
8. Infected
9. Recipe for Hate
10. Faith Alone
11. No Direction
12. Generator
13. Against the Grain
14.  A Walk
15. Flat Earth Society
16. God Song
17. 21st Century (Digital Boy)
18. American Jesus
19. Punk Rock Song

Tickets and Event Merchandise for Bad Religion’s “Decade” Concert Series can be purchased HERE.

“Decades- 1980’s”

Bad Religion

Saturday, December 12^th, 2020

The Roxy, Hollywood, California/NoCapshows.com

Our score 4.5 out of 5 stars

Punk veterans Bad Religion kicked off their “Decades” concert series on Saturday December 12^th live from the famous Roxy Theater located in West Hollywood. The first of four online streaming concerts to celebrate the bands forty years of making music will feature full sets 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.   

With live performances on hold for the foreseeable future streaming events has quickly become the new “normal” for bands to connect with audiences during the on-going Pandemic caused by COVID-19. Bad Religion is the latest group to join in and the band has nailed it right out of the gate! “Decades- 1980’s” took viewers back to the bands humble beginnings and featured a robust 21 song set list made up of songs pulled from the bands first 4 releases. (“How Could Hell Be Any Worse”, “Into The Unknown”, “Suffer” and “No Control”) In between staple BR songs like “No Control”, “Give You Nothing” and “You” viewers were treated to lesser played songs like “Latch Key Kids” and “In The Night” both of which have been absent from live shows for more than 10 years. Also featured in the set was the song “The Dichotomy” from the bands second release “Into the Unknown” an album initially not well received by fans due to its drastic stylistic shift, The band started performing this song live during the 2019 “Age of Unreason” tour and it was great to see it included as it certainly a part of the bands history. Mixed in between the live performances are behind the scenes footage and insightful interviews with the members talking about different experiences from the decade. This really added to the overall presentation and gave the show a nice flow. If that wasn’t enough the band was actually present and interacting with fans via a live chat which occurred throughout the entire show. How cool is that!?

Though the show clocked in at just under 60 minutes the overall look and impressive sound more than made up for the shorter runtime. Bad Religion has laid a solid foundation while not only setting the bar extremely high for the remaining three concerts. We highly recommend you check them out!

Set List:

1.) Bad Religion

2.) We’re Only Gonna Die

3.) You Are (the Government)

4.) Changes of Ideas

5.) Latch Key Kids

6.) Henchmen

7.) Suffer

8,) In the Night

9.) No Control

10.) Automatic man

11.) Along the Way

12.) Big Bang

13.) Best of You

14.) The Dichotomy

15.) Give You Nothing

16.) You

17.) Do What You Want

18.) I Want to Conquer the World

19.) Forbidden Beats

20.) 1000 More Fools

21. Fuck Armageddon… This is Hell

Tickets and Event Merchandise for Bad Religion’s “Decade” Concert Series can be purchased HERE.

2020 Winter Namm

Thursday, January 16^th – Sunday, January 19^th 2020
Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

The multi story Anaheim Convention Center was over flowing with musical buzz recently as the venue once again played host to the annual Namm (Nation Association of Music Merchants) Convention. The trade show which showcases the latest and most innovative editions to the music instrument market is the place to be for dealers, vendors, artists and anyone else lucky enough to be able to attend the industry only event. Over the course of four days the biggest companies in music instrumentation pull out all the stops to ensure their respective products and brands get noticed amongst the ever growing sea of competitors.

As we made away into the towering Anaheim Convention Center we quickly devised a plan as to how we were going to tackle this at times overwhelming environment. This year we decided to work our way from the top down. Housed on floors two and three were some of the industry’s biggest companies which consisted of Fender, Gibson, Paul Reed Smith and Marshall to name just a few. The Gibson area was easily the most impressive as not only did it sport rows and rows of guitars from its three brands Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer, the large space also sported multiple player stations complete with headphones allowing attendees to check out the instrument of their choice in a somewhat isolated space. Having set ups like this are a must in an environment where the outside din of noise causes even standard person to person conversation to become difficult. At the end of the room was a full performance stage which over the course of the four days was graced by several Gibson artists including Slash, Lzzy Hale and Phil X of Bon Jovi.

Fender also sported a noteworthy space which took on more of a museum type approach complete with velvet ropes and ornate framing of some of its premier instruments. Attendees also could catch a glimpse on the new George Harrison “Rocky” Stratocaster guitar which was showcased upon a spinning day-glow background which teased the viewer’s senses. Making our way down the escalators to the main floor we casually passed the likes of Dave Amato of Reo Speedwagon and Buck Dharma of Blue Oyster Cult talking with attendees about some of their latest projects and happenings.

Floors two and three are tame compared to the main floor which houses not only stringed instruments but also percussion, brass instrumentation and various other musical odds and ends. You never know who or what you will stumble upon when wandering around the cavernous hall. Trekking from front to back we took in displays by companies such as Ace Products Group, Keisel guitars, Kemper Profiling, SJC Drums and Zildjian cymbals. While navigating the semi-chaotic walks ways to each of these booths we inadvertently bumped into the likes of Skidrow bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarist Dave “Snake “Sabo, as well as Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain, guitarist Devin Townsend  and bassist Victor Wooten who was dazzling onlookers during one of several demo’s he had scheduled.

As the weekend slowly came to a close we left the Anaheim Convention center with tired legs, ringing ears and wish list’s a mile long. Year after year Namm continues to raise the bar not only with the amount of exhibitors they showcase but also in how the event organizers handle the ever growing crowds. Security checks were fast and efficient as was badge registration and pick up resulting in very few if any lines to wait in. You would think with an event this big there would be a few hiccups along the way and, if there was anything like that attendees were unaware as the event had a comfortable, somewhat stress free feel that even the city of Anaheim itself was in on as many area business’s were offering discounts to convention attendees which was really great.

Needless to say MediaMikes.com had a great time covering this year’s event and the only thing we would change is to be able to find more time during the next event to take it all in as there is just so much cool stuff going on you don’t want to miss anything.

America’s Biggest Memorial Day Weekend Party Returns
Friday, May 22, Saturday, May 23 & Sunday, May 24
At Pryor Creek Music Festival Grounds in Pryor, Oklahoma
 
Early Bird Passes On Sale Friday, January 24 at 10:00 AM CT

Rocklahoma is set to take place on Friday, May 22, Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24 at Pryor Creek Music Festival Grounds in Pryor, Oklahoma, just outside of Tulsa. Now in its 14th year, the three-day camping festival features some of today’s top rock artists, including Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, Staind, Papa Roach, Halestorm, Anthrax, I Prevail, Alter Bridge, and many more. 

Produced by AEG Presents, Rocklahoma is America’s Biggest Memorial Day Weekend Party and showcases the best new rock acts and classic artists performing on three stages. With onsite camping amenities and unparalleled VIP packages, Rocklahoma lives up to its motto of “Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Rock.” 

The music lineup for Rocklahoma 2020 is as follows (subject to change): Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, Staind, Papa Roach, Halestorm, Anthrax, I Prevail, Alter Bridge, The Pretty Reckless, Motionless In White, Body Count, Hollywood Undead, Hellyeah, Badflower, The Hu, Jelly Roll, Bad Wolves, Dirty Honey, All That Remains, Jinjer, Warrant, Brass Against, Bones UK, Knocked Loose, John 5 And The Creatures, Butcher Babies, From Ashes To New, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Diamante, Goodbye June, BulletBoys, Liliac, Color Of Chaos, East Side Gamblers, Budderside, Paralandra, Hericane Alice, Travis Bond, Fist Of Rage, Outlaw Devils, 90lb Wrench, Severmind, Love Sick Radio, Mind Of Fury, Jessikill, Straight Six, The Rumours, Chaotic Resemblance, and more. 

Mike Mushok from Staind said the following about performing at this year’s festival, “We had a blast reuniting for some great shows last year, and we’re excited to be playing Rocklahoma again.” 

Rocklahoma producer Mike DuCharme said, “Rocklahoma festival IS Pride, Culture and Community! Our fans grew up coming here and now their kids are following suit. We share their same enthusiasm and vision and have worked hard to make sure there was something for everyone. We are excited to have Slipknot make their first festival appearance, surrounded by several returning fan favorites including Five Finger Death Punch, Staind and Papa Roach, plus a few that helped build the history of the event like Anthrax, Halestorm and Warrant. Fans can expect further improvements to the site and experience in 2020. Get ready to rock as this year promises to be another weekend long party!” 

Passes go on sale at early bird pricing on Friday, January 24 at 10:00 AM CT at www.Rocklahoma.com, and will increase to phase 2 pricing on Friday, January 31 at 5:00 PM CT. Payment plan options are also available, allowing purchasers to split the cost into monthly payments. Fans are encouraged to buy early and save. Limited quantities of Groupie, Roadie, and Rockstar VIP Packages are also available.

Please visithttps://rocklahoma.com/passes.html for details. 

Current pass pricing is as follows, while supplies last: 

Weekend Admission Passes:

Weekend GA: $144 plus fees

Weekend Military GA: $120 plus fees

Weekend GA 4-Pack: $516 plus fees

Weekend Reserved Admission (comes with food & soft drinks): $399 plus fees

VIP Packages:

Groupie Package: $700 per person

Roadie Package: $1,125 per person

Rockstar Package $3,350 per pair 

Note: All Weekend tickets are for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 

The campgrounds are a unique part of the Rocklahoma experience, and will be open from Sunday, May 17 at Noon CT through Tuesday, May 26 at Noon CT. General Admission and VIP camping are available at checkout and are only available with weekend ticket purchases. Information on camping add-ons can be found at https://rocklahoma.com/camping.html. 

Fans are invited to kick off the party early at The Roadhouse where local Oklahoma favorites, top tribute acts, and national legends will headline the D&B Processing Stage each day. The Roadhouse will also feature food trucks, a full-service bar, and a great place to hang with your friends throughout Rocklahoma. Festival doors open at 2:00 PM daily, and doors for The Roadhouse open at 11:00 AM daily. Rocklahoma is located just 45 minutes northeast of Tulsa, in Pryor, OK.

The Pryor Creek Music Festival Grounds is a premier destination for a multi-day festival and includes onsite camping with access to restrooms and shower house, a general store for campers, VIP reserved seating, hospitality areas and much more. 

For more information on Rocklahoma, visit: www.Rocklahoma.com

“Tid The Season” 2019

Every Time I Die, Against Me, The Damned Things, Terror, Harms Way, All Get Out, Mercy Union

Friday, December 13^th, 2019

Riverworks, Buffalo, NY

Our score 4 out of 5 stars

Buffalo’s favorite sons Every Time I Die kicked off their two day “Tid The Season” event on December 13^th at the expansive Riverworks complex in Buffalo, NY. The annual event which this year was spread across two days features tons of great music, ice skating, curling, a bucking reindeer and on day two a full card of Pro Wrestling. With both nights of the event being sold out well in advance the venue quickly became packed with fans from all points of globe who were anxious to see what the ETID boys had in-store as a thank you to their rabid fan base.

With Riverworks now in its 3^rd year of hosting the annual Christmas show the venue and crew operate a tight ship as the night’s first group Mercy Union started promptly at 5pm. The New Jersey based group performed a brief upbeat set which helped warm fans up as they patiently made their way in from the cold and on to the venues large corridor and balcony. Leaving little time for the energy to wane indie rockers All Get Out would perform next. The group wasted little time getting acquainted with the growing crowd as they blasted through songs from their “Northport Sessions” release which the audience seemed to enjoy. Harms Way would follow taking the evening into a much heavy direction as vocalist James Pligge and company laid down a thunderous dirge of homegrown Chicago hardcore which almost instantly whipped the crowd into a circular frenzy for nearly the entire set. Hardcore veterans Terror would take the stage next serving as the explosive catalyst that the capacity crowd had anxiously been waiting for. Helmed by Buffalo native Scott Vogel the band easily put down one of, if not the best performance of the night. As the band blasted through songs from their seven album catalog, countless bodies made their way over the heavily manned security gate seemingly fueling the bands ferocity. Later on in the set Vogel stoked the coals even further buy demanding the crowd put the security to work which in turn caused even more bodies to fly towards the stage nearly decimating the yellow shirt clad staff.

The collective group known as The Damn Things followed for what would be the groups second ever Buffalo performance. Consisting of Anthrax’s Scott Ian, Alkaline Trio’s Dan Andriano, Fall Out Boy’s Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley and fronted by Every Time I Die vocalist Keith Buckley the group put on a really impressive set for a group who doesn’t play together all that often. Songs like “Cells”, “Omen” and “We’ve Got a Situation Here” sounded great and showcased each of the member’s musicality outside of their natural habitats. Filling the slot normally labeled as “Direct Support” was the punk rock group Against Me! which on paper may have had some scratching their heads given the aggressive sound of the other bands on the bill however the staple four piece group quickly alleviated any doubts people had as they performed songs like “I Was A Teenage Anarchist”, “Dead Friend” and “Cliché Guevara” before closing out the sixty minute set with the song “Black Me Out” from the groups 2014 album “Transgender Dysphoria Blues”. 

Closing out the night were event hosts Every Time I Die. As the group came to the stage cloaked behind a giant curtain where a fire place was being projected while Christmas music blared over the PA you could feel the anticipation come to a boiling point. As the curtain dropped and several air cannons and sparklers erupted the moment everyone was waiting for had finally arrived. The band opened the set their song “Floater” before bridging into the songs “Pelican” and “Glitches”. Guitarist Jordan Buckley and Andy Williams along with bassist Steve Micciche dominated the stage from all angles while drummer Clayton “Goose” Holyoak and vocalist Keith Buckley handle business from their prospective perch’s. The band who has been touring off and on this year in between writing for a new record sounded great as always and in between numbers thanks fans for their continued support over the years. To further show their support the band treated the crowd to a new song they have been working on titled “Back Distance”. Like much of the bands previous work fans quickly showed their acceptance and appreciation for the song as they kicked, swung and flailed throughout signaling their approval.

Having attended this event for the last few years I always wonder how ETID will top the previous years show. With 2019’s show being split over two days I wasn’t sure how things were going to play out or if the band was going to really give their all on the first night knowing how big of a day Saturday generally is. Not only did ETID and the rest of the bands on the bill all turn in solid performance they all seemed to give just a little extra due to the magnitude and energy of the crowd. Yes it would have been great to see some killer pro wrestling on both days of the bill but there has to be room to grow. Given the successful sell out of both days and ETID’s uncanny ability to one up themselves time after time my hope is that they continue to build on making a really fun, fan friendly event for us die hard ETID-iots.  

Every Time I Die Set List:

1.) Floater

2.) Pelican of the Desert

3.) Glitches

4.) Wanderlust

5.) Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space

6.) Holy Book of Dilema

7.) She’s My Rushmore

8.) Decayin’ With the Boys

9.) Thirst

10.) No Son of Mine

11.) Godspeed Us to Sea

12.) The New Black

13.) White Void

14.) We’rewolf

15.) It Remembers

16.) The Coin Has a Say

17.) Ebolarama

18.) INRIhab

19.) Bored Stiff

20.) Cities and Years

21.) Map Change

22.) Two Summers

23.) Idiot

24.) Fear and Trembling

25.) Back Distance

26.) Indian Giver

“From the Screen to Your Stereo Tour 2019”

New Found Glory, Hawthorne Heights, Free Throw, Jetty Bones

Friday, November 15^th, 2019

Anthology, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Long time pop-punk mainstays New Found Glory made a stop in the flour city on November 15^th for a sold out show at the intimate Anthology music venue. Now in its second leg the “From the Screen to Your Stereo” tour billing also included Hawthorne Heights, Free Throw and Jetty Bones. The night was an energetic mix of early 2000’s nostalgia and a slew of entertaining covers from some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.

As the snaking line of concert goers quickly made their way out of the brisk Upstate New York weather and into the quaint concert venue known as Anthology, Ohio natives Jetty Bones took the stage to help warm everyone up. Lead vocalist Kelc Galluzzo and her band laid down a brief but effective 25 minute set packed with emotion and energy that set the bar high right out of the gate. Next to the stage were post-punk rockers Free Throw. The band led by vocalist/guitarist Cory Castro wasted little time as they performed a handful of tracks off their most recent studio “What’s Past Is Prologue” including “The Coroner’s Dilemma” and the melodic “Tail Whip, Struggle” which had the capacity crowd swaying back and fourth in unison. Hawthorne Heights would follow laying down an impressively tight set made up of songs from their newest studio album “Bad Frequencies” along with song from their impressive back catalog including  “Niki FM” and “Pens and Needles” before closing out their 30 minute set with the always formidable “Ohio Is For Lovers”.

Tour headliners New Found Glory would take the stage as if they were fired out of cannon opening their 22 song with their rendition of “This Is Me” from the third installment of their “From The Screen to Your Stereo” trilogy. Front-man Jordan Pundik despite sporting a large cast on his arms was in constant motion along with the rest of the band as they performed songs from their 20+ year career. Songs like “All Down Hill From Here” and “Dressed to Kill” brought back great memories and fit perfectly between covers of “Accidentally in Love” and “Let It Go” which was sung by Elsa herself. Ok maybe it wasn’t the real Elsa but Jordan still did an ok job. The band closed out the core of their set with the song “Hit or Miss” a track they have been performing live since as early as 1998. After a brief pause the band returned to the stage for a three set encore which consisted of the Huey Lewis hit “The Power of Love” along with NFG hits “Head On Collision” and “My Friends Over You”.

New Found Glory have been coming to Rochester since the late nineties heyday of the Water Street Music Hall and the cavernous Harro East Ballroom. The band has always put on solid performances leaving the audiences exhausted and this evening’s show was no exception. Even injuries and frigid weather couldn’t keep the band down as they played to the sold out crowd like the season pro’s they are. The addition of former Yellowcard front-man Ryan Key on guitars and keyboards has been a great addition to the band giving them an extra sonic edge that had been missing for a brief period. With just a few shows left remaining on this tour run you will definitely want to catch the show if it is coming to your area.  

Free Throw Set List:

1.) The Coroner’s Dilemma

2.) Good Job Champ

3.) Randy, I Am the Liquor

4.) Tail Whip, Struggle

5.) Tongue Tied

6.) Better Have Burn Heal

7.) Two Beers In  

Hawthorne Heights Set List:

1.) Niki FM

2.) Where Can I Stab Myself in the Ears?

3.) Crimson Sand

4.) Pens and Needles

5.) The Transition

6.) Saying Sorry

7.) Just Another Ghost

8.) Ohio Is For Lovers

New Found Glory Set List:

1.) This Is Me

2.) Understatement

3.) Truth of My Youth

4.) Accidentally in Love

5.) All Downhill From Here

6.) Better off Dead

7.) Forget My Name

8.) Listen to Your Friends

9.) Let it Go

10.) Something I Call Personality

11.) King of Wishful Thinking

12.) At Least I’m Known for Something

13.) Kiss Me

14.) A Thousand Years

15.) Failure’s Not Flattering

16.) Dressed to Kill

17.) Vicious Love

18.) Iris

19.) Hit or Miss

Encore:

20.) The Power of Love

21.) Head On Collision

22.) My Friends Over You  

• HUGH JACKMAN – THE MAN, THE MUSIC.  THE SHOW.
• The United Center – Chicago, Illinois
• October 11, 2019

Most people know Hugh Jackman as the claw sprouting X-man known as Wolverine.  And if that’s all they know him as, shame on them.  True fans know him as the Oscar-nominated, Tony Award winning actor whose been singing and dancing for years.  And it was those fans that were in attendance at the United Center in Chicago as Jackman continues his very successful tour.

The show kicked off with a rousing performance of “The Greatest Show,” followed by “Come Alive,” both from the very popular film “The Greatest Showman.”  While performing, Jackman noticed a fan holding up a sign stating it was her birthday.  He very graciously bent down to give her a hug as well as take a selfie with her.  He then noted that it was technically his birthday already in Australia (he turned 51 on October 12).  While addressing the audience he noticed a young boy down below in the floor audience who was dressed up like Jackman in “The Greatest Showman.”  He climbed off the stage to say hello to the boy and received a huge hug from the boy.  Returning to the stage, he explained how his first stage musical was “Beauty and the Beast,” then proceeded to perform the song “Gaston.”

He shared some information about his wife of 23 years and then sat down at the piano to play (and sing) “All the Way.”  After a medley saluting New York City he told a story about how he had worked on “The Greatest Showman” for eight years before it was made.  He also noted how there had been multiple workshops for the film and that Keala Settle had participated in all of them.  He then introduced Ms. Settle, who pretty much brought the house down with a rousing rendition of “This is Me.”  After performing a song from her upcoming album, Jackman returned to the stage and closed the first act with a few numbers from “Les Miserables,” accompanied by an enthusiastic group of singers and dancers.

The second act opened with a clip of Jackman receiving the Tony Award for his portrayal of songwriter and performer Peter Allen in “The Boy from Oz.”  Jackman took to the stage AS Peter Allen and sang a few of the songs Allen had written/co-written in his career.    The amazing dancing continued as he performed a song – “A Million Dreams” – which included sign language which was part of the choreography.  Between numbers, Jackman continually told great stories and would occasionally wander into the audience to greet concert goers.  At one point, he addressed the audience as honestly as I’ve ever head a performer, thanking all in attendance for not only supporting him but for taking the tine and spending the money to do so.  This is a man who not only appreciates his fans but goes out of his way to let him know so.

A couple of Aboriginal songs, complete with Didgeradoos helped close the show, along with Jackman doing a moving version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”  All in all, it was an amazing night with an amazing talent!

Mr. Jackman’s tour is continuing throughout North America.  To see if he’s coming to your town, click HERE!

SET LIST

The Greatest Show, Come Alive, Gaston, All the Way, New York, New York/On Broadway/Empire State of Mind, This is Me, Harder, Valjean’s Soliloquy/I Dreamed a Dream/One Day More, Not the Boy Next Door, Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)/Don’t Cry Out Loud/ I Honestly Love You/ Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage/ I Go to Rio, Tenterfield Saddler, A Million Dreams, Luck Be a Lady/ Singin’ in he Rain/ I Got Rhythm/Steppin’ Out With My Baby/ Sing Sing Sing, 42nd Street/Thunderstruck, Art Song, Inhibition, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, From Now On, Once Before I Go

• A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES WHITE ALBUM
• Kauffman Center For the Performing Arts – Kansas City, Missouri
• October 3, 2019

It’s often said of a great actor “I’d pay to watch him read the phone book.”  Well, this evening in Kansas City, I saw musicians who’d I pay to SING the phonebook.

Imagine having the opportunity to see these people in concert:  Todd Rundgren, Christopher Cross, Mickey Dolenz, Joey Molland from Badfinger and Jason Scheff from Chicago.  Now imagine seeing all of the on stage at once, which is exactly what I did this evening at the Kauffman Center in Kansas City.

They hit the stage, along with a talented group of musicians, to help pay tribute to the 50th Anniversary of an album simply titled THE BEATLES but known to fans all over the world as “the White Album.”  Great musicians performing great songs.  How can you lose?

There are 30 songs on the White Album, and, while not all of them are represented, the ones that are sound amazing.  Like the album, the show opened with Dolenz singing “Back in the U.S.S.R.”  Even at age 74, Dolenz filled the auditorium with one of the most recognizable voices in music history.  I caught the Monkees when they toured in 1986 and Mickey was the indisputable ring leader.  Nothing has changed.  It’s obvious he’s here to have fun and you can’t help but indulge him.  Rundgren, who I’ve been a fan of since he was in the band Utopia – AND WHO IS CRIMINALLY NOT IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME – spelled Dolenz on lead vocals with “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey,” pointing at the former Monkee while he sang.

After a few more songs, Dolenz announced that the audience was in for a special treat, as each of the main band members would also be performing a couple of their own hits.  He kicked this portion of the show off with “I’m a Believer,” followed by “Pleasant Valley Sunday.”  Then it was Molland’s turn and he entertained with a couple of Badfinger hits – “Baby Blue” and “No Matter What.”  Scheff, who very capably replaced Peter Cetera when the latter left the band Chicago, took center stage next with a mellowing version of “After All That We’ve Been Through” before switching gears into a rousing “25 or 6 to 4.”  It was then Rundgren’s turn.  Did I mention that, despite four decades in the music business and dozens of hit albums produced Todd Rundgren is NOT in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?  He began his mini-set with “I Saw the Light” and added “Hello, It’s Me.”  That song is almost 50 years old but I sing it at the top of my voice every time I hear it, and tonight was no exception.  Thankfully the rest of the audience joined me.  Cross finished the mini solo concert with his hits “Sailing” and “Ride Like the Wind.”  A few more Beatles tunes and it was intermission time.

Rundgren, Cross and Dolenz

The show resumed with Cross alone on stage and he began the second act with a beautiful version of “Blackbird.”  The rest of the show was a constant barrage of Beatles song after song, each musically impeccable and perfectly sung.  In the second act, Rundgren began having fun.  He donned a couple of different outfits for a couple of songs, handing out flowers to the audience during “Sexy Sadie” and taking aim at the audience with an over-sized squirt gun while dressed as  hunter during “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill.”  Dolenz also had some fun with the audience, informing us that we were so great the band decided to also perform the entire “Abbey Road” album.  As the band played the opening riffs to “Come Together” I thought he might be serious.  Sadly, he wasn’t, though he joked that if they did play it he’d definitely need to be put into intensive care  The highlight of the show, to me, was Rundgren’s  kick-ass rendition of “Helter Skelter,” which earned him a much deserved standing ovation.  I did mention that Todd Rundgren is NOT in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, didn’t I?

To sum it up, it was an amazing night of music played by an amazing group of musicians.  If you’re a fan of the Beatles, or any of the musicians on the bill, I urge you to see this show when it’s in your town!

SET LIST:  Back in the U.S.S.R., Dear Prudence, Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey, Martha My Dear, Yer Blues, I’m a Believer, Pleasant Valley Sunday, Baby Blue, No Matter What, After All That We’ve Been Through, 25 or 6 to 4, I Saw the Light, Hello, It’s Me, Sailing, Ride Like the Wind, Honey Pie, Why Don’t We Do It In the Road?, While My Guitar Gently Sleeps, Blackbird, I Will, Julia, Mother Nature’s Son, Rocky Raccoon, Revolution 1, Sexy Sadie, I’m So Tired, Happiness is a Warm Gun, The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill, Piggies, Glass Onion, Helter Skelter, Come Together (opening), Birthday.  ENCORE:  Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.

Upcoming Concert Dates

Oct 5 – Beverly, MA – Cabot Theater

Oct 6 – Concord, NH – Capitol Center For The Arts

Oct 7 – Orono, ME – Collins Center For The Arts

Oct 8 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse

Oct 10 – Staten Island, NY – St. George Theater

Oct 11 – Boston, MA – Berklee PAC

Oct 12 – Westbury, NY – Theatre @ Westbury

Oct 13 – Morristown, NJ – Mayo PAC

Oct 15 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre

Oct 17 – Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Theater

Oct 18 – New London, CT – Garde Arts Center

Oct 20 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre