Foo Fighters “Concrete and Gold” Available for Pre-Order

FOO FIGHTERS
CONCRETE AND GOLD
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW HERE 
HARD ROCK EXTREMES AND POP SENSIBILITIES COLLIDE ON NINTH OPUS
OUT SEPTEMBER 15 ON ROSWELL RECORDS / RCA RECORDS

“I wanted it to be the biggest sounding Foo Fighters record ever. To make a gigantic rock record but with Greg Kurstin’s sense of melody and arrangement… Motorhead’s version of Sgt. Pepper… or something like that.”

So speaks Dave Grohl of the mission statement made manifest in Foo Fighters’ ninth epic, the aptly-titled Concrete and Gold, due out September 15 worldwide on Roswell Records / RCA Records and available for preorder now.

Just as Foo Fighters’ anthem of the summer “Run” “opens as a dreamy, slow burner then… quickly turns heavy as thunder” (BILLBOARD) with its “huge triumphant chorus” (STEREOGUM), Concrete and Gold marries some of the most insanely heavy FF riffs ever with lush harmonic complexities courtesy of a first time team-up with producer Greg Kurstin (Adele, Sia, Pink).

This unlikely alliance came about through a bizarre sequence of surprise musical obsessions and chance encounters: Listening to the radio during a drive roughly four years ago, Grohl first heard “Again and Again” by Kurstin’s band The Bird & The Bee—“It blew my mind… it was so much more sophisticated than anything I’d ever heard and I became obsessed.”

Some months later, Grohl would randomly spot and fanboy out over “the guy from The Bird & The Bee!” a/k/a Greg Kurstin. The two became fast friends over common musical loves with Grohl learning that his new favorite band had been on hiatus due to Kurstin’s workload as a producer.

While Foo Fighters recorded and released Sonic Highways, broke some bones and packed stadiums and arenas on one of the top five grossing tours of 2015, and gifted fans with the St. Cecilia EP, “Greg was becoming one of the biggest producers in the world,” Grohl recalls.

With the writing and recording of the next Foo Fighters album on the horizon, Grohl was eager as always to find fresh challenges for the band: “So I think maybe Greg is the guy that we ask to be our producer because he’s never made a heavy rock record before and we’ve never worked with a pop producer.” Darrel Thorp (Beck, Radiohead) was soon enlisted to mix and engineer. This collective conceived a blueprint of the new record as “Motorhead’s version of Sgt. Pepper… or something like that,” secretly booking into Hollywood’s esteemed EastWest studios to consummate this marriage of extremes… or as Grohl puts it: “Our noise and Greg’s big brain and all of his sophisticated arrangements and composition.”

Months, sounds and stories (more on those soon, promise) and so many guitars later, the 11-Grammy-winning, 25+ million-record-selling, last great American stadium rock band had completed its most ambitious album ever—which naturally begat another insane challenge: How to celebrate music & throw the ultimate “backyard party for 50,000 people”…

What came to Grohl in that vision will become reality October 7 when Foo Fighters’ CAL JAM 17 takes over Glen Helen Regional Park in San Bernardino, CA. In addition to being Foo Fighters’ biggest ever one-day U.S. headline, in the spirit of the original California Jam, this daylong marathon of eating, drinking and rocking features an absolutely unfuckwithable lineup: Queens of the Stone Age, Cage The Elephant, Liam Gallagher, The Kills, Royal Blood, Japandroids, Wolf Alice, Bob Mould, The Struts, Bully, Circa Waves, Babes in Toyland, Adia Victoria, Fireball Ministry, The Obsessed, Pinky Pinky, Starcrawler, White Reaper… And in addition to 12 hours of rock and roll good times, Cal Jam 17 offers camping, carnival rides, a water park, attractions, a mobile recording studio & so much more. On Friday night, October 6, campers will also experience the world’s best Go-Go band Big Tony & Trouble Funk, an outdoor movie theater and many other surprises. Camping space is limited, so act fast.

 

The full track listing for Concrete and Gold is:

1. T-Shirt
2. Run
3. Make It Right
4. The Sky Is A Neighborhood
5. La Dee Da
6. Dirty Water
7. Arrows
8. Happy Ever After (Zero Hour)
9. Sunday Rain
10. The Line
11. Concrete and Gold

Concrete and Gold was written and performed by Foo Fighters, produced by Greg Kurstin and Foo Fighters, and mixed by Darrell Thorp.

Foo Fighters are Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee.

October-December U.S. Tour Dates On Sale To The Public June 29 at 10am Local Time
Visit https://www.foofighters.com/ For Information On How To Sign Up For Pre-Sale Access

FOO FIGHTERS
Concrete and Gold U.S. Tour 2017
Dates in BOLD On Sale June 29 10am Local Time

OCTOBER 7 – San Bernardino, CA – CAL JAM 17 @ Glen Helen Regional Park with Queens of the Stone Age, Cage The Elephant, Liam Gallagher, The Kills, Royal Blood, Japandroids, Wolf Alice, Bob Mould, The Struts, Bully, Circa Waves, Babes in Toyland, Adia Victoria, Fireball Ministry, The Obsessed, Pinky Pinky, Starcrawler, White Reaper, Big Tony & Trouble Funk and more

OCTOBER 12 – Washington DC – The Anthem (SOLD OUT)
OCTOBER 14 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Coliseum
OCTOBER 15 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
OCTOBER 17 – Columbia, SC – Colonial Life Arena
OCTOBER 18 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena
OCTOBER 20 – Cincinnati, OH – U.S. Bank Arena
OCTOBER 21 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
OCTOBER 23 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
OCTOBER 24 – Memphis,TN – FedExForum
OCTOBER 26 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at The BJCC
OCTOBER 28 – New Orleans, LA – Voodoo Music + Arts Experience
NOVEMBER 7 – Madison, WI – Kohl Center
NOVEMBER 8 – Champaign, IL – State Farm Arena (* Public On Sale Thursday, July 13 10am Local)
NOVEMBER 10 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena
NOVEMBER 11 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
NOVEMBER 13 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena
NOVEMBER 15 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
DECEMBER 1 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
DECEMBER 2 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
DECEMBER 4 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena
DECEMBER 5 – Eugene, OR – Matthew Knight Arena
DECEMBER 7 – Nampa ID – Ford Idaho Center
DECEMBER 9 – Billings MT – Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark
DECEMBER 10 – Casper WY – Casper Events Center
DECEMBER 12 – Salt Lake City UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena

 

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CD Review: Doyle II “As We Die”

II“As We Die”
Doyle
Monsterman Records
Tracks: 13

Our score: 3 out of 5 stars

Former Misfits guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein is back with a brand new full-length solo album titled II”As We Die”. The album which was initially recorded during the “Abominator” sessions will be the second release from Doyle via his Monsterman Records and once again features Cancerslug’s Alex “Wolfman” Story handling vocal duties over the course of the albums 13 macabre tracks.

Over the course of the last few years Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein or Doyle for short has been on a relentless pace of record, tour and repeat. Throw in a handful of Misfit reunion shows as well and it makes you wonder when the band has had time to sleep let alone put together another full length release. II “As We Die” is the second portion of what was intended to be a double album. Originally recorded during the sessions for “Abominator”, II “As We Die” is the result of those sessions amassing an impressive amount of quality material that the band felt warranted two separate releases. I couldn’t have agreed more with the decision as where “Abominator” sets the stage, II “As We Die” solidifies the band’s sound with darker subject matter and even heavier instrumentation than its predecessor. Tracks such as “Beast Like Me” and “King of the Undead” blast out of the gate kicking and screaming with a bombastic amount of force and energy while tracks like “Darkside” and “Virgin Sacrifice” are reminiscent of Michael Graves era Misfits giving the album an eerie since of familiarity while remaining new and fresh. Though I found the guitar hooks to be less prominent this time around Doyle’s latest offering is still everything you would expect from the annihilator wielding beast.

Track Listing:
1.) Kiss Me As We Die
2.) Beast Like Me
3.) God of Flies
4.) Run For Your Life
5.) Darkside
6.) Witchcraft
7.) King of the Undead
8.) Virgin Sacrifice
9.) We Belong Dead
10.) Show No Mercy
11.) Dark Gods Arise
12.) Blood on the Axes
13.) Night of Sin

GWAR To Embark On The “Vans’ Warped Tour” Tomorrow; New Album Details Revealed!

GWAR to embark on the “Vans’ Warped Tour” tomorrow;
 New album details revealed!

For the first time ever, Antarctic Alien Overlords GWAR will hit the road beginning tomorrow as part of the “Vans’ Warped Tour.” The tour crisscrosses the United States, running through August 6th in Pomona, CA. A complete list of dates can be found below.

Last week, during GWAR’s “Vans’ Warped Tour” social media takeover, the band announced the name of their forthcoming new album: The Blood Of Gods. The record will be released this fall via Metal Blade Records. The album is a hard rock masterpiece, a new milestone for GWAR’s music that will be totally unexpected, and is going to blow people away. Speaking of blowing people, this is the first album to feature the Berserker Blothar on lead vocals! For those of you human scum that are attending the “Vans’ Warped Tour,” you will have your chance to pre-order the album before anyone else. That’s right Bohabs, just head over to the GWAR merchandise tent to pre-order your copy of The Blood Of Gods. When you give the hateful slave working the GWAR merchandise booth your hard earned cash, they will give you a special laminate that will guarantee you a copy of the CD upon release date. So act now, and spare yourself the wrath of the most violent band in universe… And don’t lose your special laminate, it’s your ticket to a guaranteed lifetime of eternal suffering!

Guitarist Pustulus Maximus did his best to explain the pre-order process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqsW0TnZIAk

Following their run on “Vans’ Warped Tour”, the band will make an appearance at Chicago’s “Riot Fest”, as well as two other headline dates, before they return home for a brief Antarctic slumber. Expect a full fall tour in support of The Blood Of Gods. More details on the new album, including artwork, full track-listing and your first taste of new music will be made available over the coming weeks.

GWAR on “Vans’ Warped Tour”:
June 16: Seattle, WA @ Century Link North Lot
June 17: Salem, OR @ Oregon State Fairgrounds
June 21: Albuquerque, NM @ Balloon Fiesta Park
June 22: Phoenix, AZ @ Fear Farm Festival Grounds
June 23: Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Hotel
June 24: Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah State Fair Park
June 25: Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
June 27: Nashville, TN @ The Fairgrounds Nashville
June 28: Metairie, LA @ Zephyr Field
June 29: Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
June 30: Orlando, FL @ Tinker Field
July 1: St. Petersburg, FL (Tampa) @ Vinoy Park
July 2: West Palm Beach, FL (Miami) @ Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre
July 4: Wilmington, NC @ Legion Stadium
July 6: Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion Charlotte
July 7: Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion
July 8: Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Amphitheatre
July 9: Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theatre
July 10: Scranton, PA @ The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
July 11: Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre
July 12: Mansfield, MA (Boston) @ Xfinity Center
July 13: Darien Center, NY (Buffalo) @ Darien Lake PAC
July 14: Burgettstown, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion
July 15: Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
July 16: Columbia, MD (Washington, DC) @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
July 18: Cuyahoga Falls, OH (Cleveland) @ Blossom Music Center
July 19: Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
July 20: Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
July 21: Tinley Park, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
July 22: Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
July 23: Shakopee, MN (Minneapolis) @ Canterbury Park
July 24: Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheater
July 26: Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino
July 27: Bonner Springs, KS (Kansas City) @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheater
July 28: Dallas, TX @ Starplex Pavilion
July 29: San Antonio, TX @ AT&T center
July 30: Houston, TX @ NRG Park – Main Street Lot
Aug. 1: Las Cruces, NM @ New Mexico State University (Intramural Field)
Aug. 4: Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug. 5: San Diego, CA @ Qualcomm Stadium at Jack Murphy Field
Aug. 6: Pomona, CA @ Fairplex Pomona

GWAR headline dates:
Sept. 15: Knoxville, TN @ The International
Sept. 16: Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
Sept. 17: Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest*
*=festival appearance

GWAR online: http://www.gwar.net/

Queens of the Stone Age Announce New Album “Villians”

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE “VILLAINS”
OUT AUGUST 25 ON MATADOR RECORDS
Preorders Live Now Including Instant Grat First Single “The Way You Used To Do”
North American Tour Dates Announced—Including Headline
Stops At Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks & More
Tickets On Sale To The Public June 22
Face The Truth At http://www.qotsa.com

“The title Villains isn’t a political statement. It has nothing to do with Trump or any of that shit. It’s simply 1) a word that looks fantastic and 2) a comment on the three versions of every scenario: yours, mine and what actually happened… Everyone needs someone or something to rail against—their villain—same as it ever was. You can’t control that. The only thing you can really control is when you let go.”—Joshua Homme

Hundreds of epic shows, memory lapses, unexplained injuries, one yearlong detour with Iggy Pop and multiple Grammy nominations later, Queens Of The Stone Age reemerge from the desert newly scarred and somehow strangely prettier with lucky seventh album, Villains, out August 25 on Matador Records. Now available for preorder on deluxe vinyl, standard vinyl, CD and digital (all formats include an instant download of first single “The Way You Used To Do”), Villains consists of the following songs:

1. Feet Don’t Fail Me
2. The Way You Used To Do
3. Domesticated Animals
4. Fortress
5. Head Like A Haunted House
6. Un-Reborn Again
7. Hideaway
8. The Evil Has Landed
9. Villains Of Circumstance

Produced by Mark Ronson and co-produced by Mark Rankin and mixed by Alan Moulder, Villains is the first full album offering from Queens Of The Stone Age since 2013’s …Like Clockwork gave the band its first #1 album in the U.S. (and #1s in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, #2s in the UK, Canada, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand, Finland… but really, who’s counting?). Like the stunning artwork of returning illustrator Boneface, the sonic signatures of the lineup that took …Like Clockwork around the world and back—Founder/guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Joshua Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen (guitar, keys), Michael Shuman (bass), Dean Fertita (keys, guitar), Jon Theodore (drums)—are as unmistakable as ever, though coexisting with sufficient new twists to induce recurring double takes. As Homme himself puts it, “The most important aspect of making this record was redefining our sound, asking and answering the question ‘what do we sound like now?’ If you can’t make a great first record, you should just stop—but if you can make a great record but you keep making records and your sound doesn’t evolve, you become a parody of that original sound.”

Of his role working within such a closed and confident ecosystem as Queens Of The Stone Age, Ronson says, “Queens are and have always been my favorite rock n roll band ever since I walked into Tower on Sunset and bought Rated R in the summer of 2000, so it was incredibly surreal to be welcomed into their secret, pirate clan—or the ‘jacuzzi’ as Josh likes to call it. I also knew that my super fandom alone would not keep me in the jacuzzi. There were moments during the making of the album in which i was aware i was watching my musical heroes craft something that was sure to become one of my favorite moments on any Queens album. And to have some part in that felt like being in a dream–a very heavy, dark, wonderful dream.”

Longtime Queens cohort co-producer Mark Rankin added, “After the baptism of fire that was …Like Clockwork, I was excited to get into the studio again with the challenge of pushing the sound for this record, especially with the the addition of Ronson into the creative mix. We wanted to evolve the production to be processed in a modern way yet be totally organic and still performed fully live, like lifting a veil and what you thought was electronic is actually live and things are not as they first appear… What we’ve made is forward looking yet unmistakably Queens.”

Queens Of The Stone Age have also confirmed a slew of North American dates filling in the space between and beyond their previously announced appearances at Outside Lands and Riot Fest. The new shows, which include Queens’ first ever Madison Square Garden headline, are detailed below. For tour dates and tickets, head over to http://smarturl.it/QOTSALive.

For further information, keep an eye on Queens Of The Stone Age sites and socials and just let go.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
“VILLAINS” North American Tour
with Special Guests ROYAL BLOOD (Sept. 6 through Oct. 24 Headline Dates)

June 22 — Rapids Theater — Niagara Falls, NY
June 24 — Amnesia Rockfest 2017 — Montebello, QC
August 10 – Majestic Ventura Theater – Ventura, CA
August 12 – Outside Lands – San Francisco, CA
September 6 – Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY
September 7 – Festival Pier – Philadelphia, PA
September 9 – Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON
September 10 – 20 Monroe Live – Grand Rapids, MI
September 12 – Express Live! Outdoor Pavilion – Columbus, OH
September 13 – Stage AE (Outdoors) – Pittsburgh, PA
September 15 – Agora Theater – Cleveland, OH
September 16 – Riot Fest – Chicago, IL
October 9 – The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
October 10 – Red Rocks – Morrison, CO
October 12 – Peabody – St. Louis, MO
October 13 – Crossroads KC – Kansas City, MO
October 14 – Roy Wilkins Auditorium – Saint Paul, MN
October 15 – Eagles Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
October 17 – Fox Theatre – Detroit, MI
October 18 – Old National Centre – Murat Theatre – Indianapolis, IN
October 20 – TBC – Washington, DC
October 21 – Agganis Arena – Boston, MA
October 22 – State Theatre – Portland, ME
October 24 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

Photo: Andreas Neumann

HIM Announce Bang & Whimper Final Tour 2017

HIM ANNOUNCE BANG & WHIMPER TOUR 2017
LOVE METAL LEGENDS HIT THE ROAD FOR THE LAST TIME

Pre-sale goes live 6/14
General on-sale follows Friday – 10AM Local Time.

Following a long radio silence, Finnish rock giants HIM have announced the Bang & Whimper Tour 2017, closing the final chapter on their 26-year career. Front man Ville Valo offers, “After quarter of a century of Love and Metal intertwined we sincerely feel HIM has run its unnatural course and adieus must be said in order to make way for sights, scents and sounds yet unexplored. We completed the pattern, solved the puzzle and turned the key. Thank you.”

Formed in 1991 by vocalist Ville Valo, guitarist Mikko “Linde” Lindström and bassist Mikko “Migé” Paananen, HIM truly stand out as one of the rock world’s most unique acts. Beautifully blending metal, goth and hard rock with deep, thoughtful and moving lyrics, HIM offered the world a new take on the metal genre, which became known as Love Metal (also the title of their fourth album).

Over the course of eight studio albums, HIM captured the hearts and minds of fans across the globe, drawn by their irresistible and inimitable style. Under the banner of their Heartagram logo – a potent symbol encapsulating the juxtaposition of the light and dark, the fierce and forlorn, and the evil and love found in their music – HIM filled venues and crashed charts the world over, collecting numerous awards, gracing countless magazine covers and becoming the first Finnish act to achieve Gold status in the USA.

Now, four years after the release of their last studio album ‘Tears On Tape’, HIM are saying farewell, taking in 14 countries across 35 shows for their final goodbye. Bassist Mige shares, “At the end of 2017 we will be released into the wild. Before this event of great transformation, we would love to offer you one last chance to experience our live performances in His Majesty’s service. It shall not be a weepfest, but a celebration of love metal in all its lovecraftian glory! See you there!” HIM is Ville Valo (vocals), Mige (bass), Linde (guitar), Burton (keyboards), and Kosmo (drums).

A pre-sale goes live on 6/14
General on-sale follows Friday – 10AM Local Time.
Confirmed appearances include:

10/24 Phoenix, AZ The Van Buren
10/25 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
10/26 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
10/28 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
10/29 Denver, CO Summit Music Hall
11/02 Houston, TX House of Blues
11/03 Dallas, TX House of Blues
11/05 Orlando, FL House of Blues
11/06 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre
11/07 Charlotte, NC The Fillmore
11/09 Silver Springs, MD The Fillmore
11/10 Chicago, IL House of Blues
11/11 Detroit, MI The Fillmore
11/13 Toronto, ON Rebel
11/15 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore
11/16 Worcester, MA The Palladium
11/17 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom

Sheryl Crow Announces New Tour Dates Supporting Latest Album “Be Myself”.

SHERYL CROW ANNOUNCES NEW TOUR DATES SUPPORTING LATEST ALBUM BE MYSELF
Includes Intimate Club Show at the Iridium
That Will Air On PBS’
Front and Center Concert Series
Sheryl Crow Releases Official Video for “Halfway There”

(Photo credit: Marc Seliger)

 

June 13, 2017 (Burbank, CA) -Sheryl Crow has announced additional dates on her tour in support of her latest album Be Myself. She is performing a series of headlining shows and appearing at several festivals, as well as taking part in Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Tour. Crow will also perform at this year’s Farm Aid. Tickets for Farm Aid go on sale June 23 at 10:00 am ET: https://blackbirdpresents.com/outlaw-music-festival/.Please see below for all upcoming dates and ticket links.

In addition, Crow releases the official music video for “Halfway There” today. The video was shot in Nashville and Los Angeles and was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Gus Black. It features a cameo from Gary Clark Jr. who also plays leads guitar on the track. Click here to view and share. Crow explains the idea behind the song:

“The idea of the song is that even though you may drive a big Chevy truck and I drive my hybrid, or you may wear designer clothes and I wear ripped jeans, that doesn’t mean we don’t want the same things in life and the same things for our kids in the future. The message is we need to agree to disagree and just try and meet halfway there.”

Crow will perform the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on June 27. Tune into NBC stations at 11:35 pm ET/ PT, 10:35 pm CT.

Be Myself has been praised by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, Nylon, and Rolling Stone, which called it “her toughest and best in a decade” and “a full-blown return to her fierce rock-queen glory.” Be Myself is available to purchase or stream here and available on vinyl at Barnes & Noble here.

Crow will also be featured on the critically acclaimed PBS concert series Front and Center. The series, now in its fifth season, has presented an eclectic mix of Grammy, Country Music Association, American Music and Academy of Country Music Award winners, rock icons and multi-platinum sellers including Keith Urban, The Fray, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper, Dierks Bentley, Jack Johnson, Counting Crows, The Avett Brothers and more. Tickets are on sale on June 14 at 10:00 am ET here.

Sheryl Crow’s upcoming tour dates are as follows.
For tickets, visit: http://www.sherylcrow.com/tour
*New tour dates

June 20 Sprint Pavilion Charlottesville, VA
June 21 Wolf Trap – Filene Center Vienna, VA
June 23 Funhouse Fest Williamsburg, VA
June 24 North Carolina Museum of Art Raleigh, NC
June 25 Chastain Park Amphitheater Atlanta, GA
*June 26 Iriduim / Front and Center New York, NY
June 28 Beacon Theatre New York, NY
June 29 Rochester Internat’l Jazz Fest Rochester, NY
July 3 Golden Nugget Lake Charles, LA
July 4 Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic Austin, TX
July 7 Ravinia Festival Highland Park, IL
July 11 The Palladium Carmel, IN
July 12 Meijer Gardens Grand Rapids, MI
July 14 Chautauqua Institution Amph. Chautauqua, NY
July 15 Casino Rama Resort Rama, ON
Sep 13 Red Butte Amphitheatre Salt Lake City, UT
*Sep 16 Farm Aid @ Key Bank Pavilion Burgettstown, PA
*Oct 3 The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
Oct 21 The Bren Center @ UC Irvine Irvine, CA

Outlaw Tour dates. More info here: https://blackbirdpresents.com/outlaw-music-festival/

July 2 Starplex Pavilion Dallas, TX
July 6 Walmart Amphitheatre Rogers, AR
July 8 Joe Louis Arena Detroit, MI
July 9 Summerfest Milwaukee, WI
July 16 Lakeview Amphitheater Syracuse, NY
Sep 8 PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel, NJ
Sep 9 Northwell Health /Jones Beach Wantagh, NY
*Sep 10 Hersheypark Stadium Hershey, PA
Sep 15 Blossom Music Center Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Sep 17 BB&T Pavilion Camden, NJ

Website: www.sherylcrow.com

Mastodon Announce Fall North American and U.K. Headline Tour

MASTODON ANNOUNCE FALL NORTH AMERICAN AND U.K. HEADLINE TOUR

June 12, 2017 (Burbank, CA) – Internationally celebrated heavy rock icons Mastodon have extended their U.S. headline tour starting on September 26 in Orlando, FL at Hard Rock Live with continued support from Eagles of Death Metal and Russian Circles. The tour also includes stops at several festivals, including the High Elevation Fest in Denver, CO and Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville, KY. Mastodon will also be playing a series of headline shows in the U.K. this December including Brixton Academy in London, England on December 10. Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 16 at 10:00 am local time. Tickets can be purchased at mastodonrocks.com/tour.

“Show Yourself,” from the new album Emperor of Sand, remains in the Top 5 Active Rock Chart after several consecutive weeks. The album continues its ascent towards greater heights and is catching the attention of a new legion of fans:
“Emperor Of Sand… a further evolution of the band’s fusion of metal and prog-rock interests. It’s music of complexity and feeling.” – The Los Angeles Times

“Deeply personal…There’s immediacy to it, something intimate in the way it approaches life and death. Emperor Of Sand sees Mastodon laying their rock roots on the table. Mastodon’s strength is in their ability to harness musical madness into a cohesive vision.” – Nerdist

“There is only one band that can go from extreme metal to classic rock and somehow make it all sound seamless, and that band is Mastodon.” – Alternative Press

Mastodon Fall Tour Dates:
# indicates festival date. All other dates are headline shows.
*w/o Eagles of Death Metal

#08/20 Las Vegas, NV Psycho Las Vegas Festival
#09/23 Denver, CO High Elevation Fest
09/26 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
09/27 Charleston, SC North Charleston PAC
09/29 Knoxville, TN Civic Auditorium
#09/30 Louisville, KY Louder Than Life Festival
10/03 Raleigh, NC The Ritz
10/04 Charlotte, NC The Fillmore
10/06 Atlanta, GA The Fox Theater
#10/07 Camden, NJ Rock Allegiance Festival
10/09 Montreal, QC Metropolis
10/10 Rochester, NY The Armory
10/11 Grand Rapids, MI 20 Monroe Live
*10/13 Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom
10/14 San Antonio, TX Aztec Theater
#10/15 Houston, TX Houston Open Air
10/17 Albuquerque, NM Historic El Rey Theater
10/19 San Diego, CA House of Blues
#10/21 Sacramento, CA Aftershock Festival
10/23 Boise, ID Revolution Center
10/24 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory
10/25 Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theatre

UK December Tour Dates:
12/02 Cardiff, Wales Great Hall
12/04 Wolverhampton, England Civic Hall
12/05 Nottingham, England Rock City
12/06 Newcastle, England Northumbria University
12/07 Glasgow, Scotland Barrowland
12/09 Manchester, England Academy
12/10 London, England Brixton Academy

Summer 2017 Tour Dates:
06/12 Metal Hammer Awards show London, UK
06/14 Barba Negra Budapest, HUN
06/15 Novarock Nickesldorf, AUT
06/16 Culture Factory Zagreb, CRO
06/21 Sala Tejo Lisbon, POR
06/23 Download Festival Madrid, SPA
06/25 Artefacts Festival Strasbourg, FRA
06/26 LKA Stuttgart, GER
06/27 Tivoli Vrdenburg Ronda Hall Utrecht, HOL
06/28 Hamburg Docks Hamburg, GER
06/30 Bravalla Festival Norrkoping, SWE
07/02 Tuska Open Air Helsinki, FIN
07/04 B90 Gdansk, POL
07/05 Karlove Rock For People Hradec, CZE
07/06 Batcshkapp Frankfurt, GER
07/08 Resurrection Fest Viviero, SPA

For further information, go to: mastodonrocks.com

CKY Bassist Matt Deis Discuss The Bands New Album “The Phoenix”.

Matt Deis is the bassist for the recently reformed CKY. The band is set to release a brand new album on June 16th titled “The Phoenix” and will performing on this year’s Warped Tour. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Matt recently to discuss the band getting back together, recording at the legendary Rancho De La Luna studio and what fans can expect from the band during this summer’s tour.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the reformation of CKY?

Matt Deis: A couple of years ago I stepped away from the band. This was around 2009/2010. I was having trouble juggling things at the time and just couldn’t do the band anymore. A couple years went by and during that time Chad and Jess had started working with Daniel Davies on vocals. Matt Janaitis who replaced me in the band wasn’t going to be able to work with the band anymore so the guys who I had never stopped being friends with called and asked if I could fill in on a few shows. We did some shows with Daniel but ultimately he chose to step away but suggested Chad should sing. From there things just kept going I was glad to be working with them again?

AL: Was doing a new album pre-planned or did this evolve over time?

MD: Things kind of evolved out of doing those shows together. We didn’t really have a set plan outside of knowing that we wanted to play again. Music is something I just know and having worked with the guys for so long everything felt very natural and we just went from there.

AL: Being this is the bands first undertaking as a three piece. What was the writing and recording process like?

MD: We got in a room and just starting jamming as a three piece band. When we were a four piece things were kind of very, cut and paste. Ideas were just sort of thrown out and pieced together. For “The Phoenix” we went to into this dirty warehouse with a very minimal amount of gear and wrote songs that fit the three of us. We didn’t try to get too crazy with the layers or anything like that. We just tried to make things sound good as a three piece. That was the real focus throughout recording. Chad had a lot of song structures figured out going in but there were holes that we all helped to fill in. We locked ourselves in the studio we rented for pre-production and just played. Everything was very natural.

AL: What was it like recording at the legendary Rancho De La Luna?

MD: For me personally I was just amazed that we got this opportunity. I had always seen it as this magical place for a select group of musicians so to be able to step foot there was a childhood dream. A lot of albums I grew up listening to were recorded there. Needless to say I was geeking out quite a bit. How it initially came about was Chad had gone out there with some friends and ended up falling in love with the place. When he brought it up about going out there both Jess and I were quick to say yes.

AL: The bands previous album “Carver City” had a unique concept to as it does “The Phoenix”. Can you tell us about that?

MD: The past albums did have a number of lyrical ideas and concepts attached to them. We didn’t do that consciously with “The Phoenix”. The phoenix in its most open interpretation is a mythical creature that rises from its ashes. That was sort of us as a band. We all had some things we needed to work through so there is a lot of re-growth and us individually over coming what we each had going on.

AL: Tell us about the bands first single “Days of Self Destruction”?

MD: We hadn’t intended on that song to be a single of any kind really. After meeting with our record label they felt that would be a good track to give out to fans. There really was no plan to give it the treatment like you would a single however the reception it received was so good that we just went from there. That song definitely has all the classic elements of CKY. It’s probably our most straight forward track off the album as it has big riffs, a big chorus and a big guitar solo at the end. For someone who has never heard CKY before the song is a good primer as it kind of showcases what we are all about.

AL: Can you tell us about the plans for the bands run on this year’s Warped Tour?

MD: I am really excited as I think this is one of the only remaining traveling tours of this size still happening. I remember being in High School and trying to see CKY on their first Warped Tour run in 1999. Things came full circle as Kevin Lyman the tours founder brought it up as he wanted to bring back bands from years past. We were in the early stages of recording at that point but the opportunity was too good to pass up. We figured everything was going to line up with the album release so we said yes immediately. The tour starts in Seattle so we are going to do a run through Canada before hand and just work our way over. We have such great Canadian fans so it should be a lot of fun. Coming off such a great UK run where 12 of the 13 shows sold out we really can’t wait to get out there here in the States. I think there are going to be a lot of people who get to see that maybe up until now only knew of us from an older sibling. Warped Tour tends to be a younger crowd and we aren’t sure who likes us these days (laughs) so this is going to be a great opportunity for us to meet a lot of new fans.

For more info on CKY head over to www.facebook.com/ckyalliance

Night Flight Orchestra Guitarist David Andersson talks “Amber Galatic”

Guitarist David Andersson is probably best known for his work with the Scandinavian metal band Soilwork a band which he has been a part of since 2012. Prior to joining the Soilwork Andersson was hard at work with his classic rock tinged group Night Flight Orchestra who recently released their third album titled “Amber Galactic”. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with David recently about the album, its sci-fi theme and the bands plans to perform the album live.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on how Night Flight Orchestra initially came together?

David Andersson: Me and Björn (Strid, also in Soilwork) first met in ’06, when we did our first Soilwork US tour together. We soon found out that we shared a mutual love for classic rock, so we started bonding over all those classic records, and before the tour was over, we’d decided to start a classic rock band ourselves. It took us a while to find the right people, but eventually we succeeded.

AL: What can you tell us about the upcoming release “Amber Galactic”?

DA: “Amber Galactic” is a concept album in a way, although it doesn’t have a straight narrative. It’s more a collection of stories that takes place in the same universe. “Amber Galactic” is set in a future where humanity is exploring and conquering space, but all the space commanders are women, just like the leaders back on Earth, and the men are mostly concerned with providing the ground service and idolizing and falling in love with those superior women that are always slightly out of reach.

AL: Where did this concept come from?

DA: The space theme was my idea. I’ve always read a lot of sci-fi books, mostly because in science fiction, anything is possible, and the things that you never thought would happen actually do happen. And, in a way, all those classic bands and artists from the 70’s and 80’s had the same totally over-the-top approach to everything that they did that was very science fiction-like, where everything was possible and there was no self-irony or “less is more“-thinking involved. Although the music industry was very different back then, and there was a lot more money, resources and drugs involved, I still felt that it is a shame that no one does those kinds of things anymore, at least not in rock music. It’s always been a dream to do something really epic, and what can possibly be more epic than space? So we decided to give it a go at it and just try to do the most epic, outrageous album possible.

AL: Was there anything new this time around with your writing/recording process?

DA: Nothing changed in the recording process, we’ve always produced and recorded everything ourselves. We don’t have any formula as such; we just meet in the studio, throw up some microphones, have a few drinks and start playing. But I guess we’ve gotten better at playing to our strengths and emphasizing the elements in our music that sets us apart from other bands. Though it’s nothing we’ve talked about, more like something in our collective subconscious.

AL: The band recently released a video for the song “Gemini”, can you tell us about that and why that song was chosen for a video treatment?

DA: Our label, Nuclear Blast, wanted to have “Gemini” as the first video release. It’s a song about a female space commander lost somewhere in space on a secret mission, and a love struck man back on Earth trying to get in touch with her to find out if his feelings are reciprocated. I’ve always dreamed of having an 80’s-style animated video set in space, so when we found Elia Cristofoli, an Italian animator/producer, it was fantastic to get a chance to finally do it.

AL: Are there plans to perform the album live/tour?

DA: Yes, we’ll do an exclusive show at the Rock Hard festival in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on the 3rd of June, and then we’ll hopefully do some sort of European tour in the fall. After that, we’ll see. It’s really fun playing live with The Night Flight Orchestra, and we’re always open for suggestions.

Amber Galactic is available for purchase now: http://nblast.de/TNFOAmberGalacticNB

 

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Foo Fighters Release New Single & Video “Run”

SURPRISE ! HOLY F@#$KING SH&T! NEW FOO FIGHTERS
SINGLE & VIDEO RELEASED TODAY!
“RUN” AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD, STREAM & WATCH NOW
GROHL-DIRECTED EPIC VIDEO LIVE NOW AT FOOFIGHTERS.COM

Hearts and minds-and, it goes without saying, eardrums–were blown this morning as the world’s biggest exporter of undiluted American stadium rock, Foo Fighters, surprise-released “Run,” a monolithic song of the summer shoo-in as melodic as it is monstrously heavy.

An ageless melodic hard rock anthem that showcases everything that’s made Foo Fighters an unstoppable road and radio conquering machine, “Run” is the first new Foo Fighters music since the band gifted fans with the free Saint Cecilia EP in late 2015.

“Run” is accompanied by a time-traveling mind-warp of a video directed by the band’s own Dave Grohl, in which the song’s dive-bombing verses and soaring choruses are matched by an insane performance from the band as you’ve never seen them before, playing for an audience you’d never imagine. All told, the “Run” video is as much a must-see as the song is an instant FF classic, both boldly looking into the band’s future while building on the rock solid Foo Fighters foundation.

Foo Fighters are Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee.

iTunes – http://smarturl.it/FFRUNi
Apple Music – http://smarturl.it/FFRUNa
Spotify – http://smarturl.it/FFRUNsp
Amazon – http://smarturl.it/FFRUNaz
Google – http://smarturl.it/FFRUNg
Deezer – http://smarturl.it/FFRUNdz

Photo: Brantley Gutierrez

CD Review: Alestorm “No Grave But the Sea”

“No Grave But The Sea”
Alestorm
Napalm Records
Tracks: 10

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Ahoy, mateys! Gather ‘round for Alestorm’s 5th full-length album: “No Grave But The Sea”! An adventure filled to the brim with awesome pirate tales and party tunes from this trusted metal band. The album’s 10 new tracks contain a lot of what we know and love from Alestorm, but with some new added flair. There are plenty of great metal jams throughout, with just as many anthems and catchy choruses. The album embraces more use of harsh vocals on some tracks, blending them together with frontman Captain Chris Bowes’ great piratey vocals he’s known for.

Alestorm stays fun with jams like “Mexico”, which has a hilarious video, “Pegleg Potion”, and as to be expected their rager “Alestorm,” which is also a great blend of old and new in the band’s sound. Anthems are also present on songs like the title track and one of my new favorite Alestorm songs: “Treasure Island.” The whole albums leads you to an almost 8 minute long epic pirate metal masterpiece that has to be blowing out your speakers this summer.

Fans will love these songs paired with the rest of the band’s back catalog, adding more tales to the metal pirate journey. At some points the pirate tales begin to sound the same, but the band does a great job at really emphasizing on the newer additions. “No Grave But The Sea” is a ton of fun and definitely worth checking out. You can also catch Alestorm on Vans Warped Tour this summer!

Track Listing:
1.) No Grave But The Sea
2.) Mexico
3.) To the End of the World
4.) Alestorm
5.) Bar und Imbiss
6.) Fucked with an Anchor
7.) Pegleg Potion
8.) Man the Pumps
9.) Rage of the Pentahook
10.) Treasure Island

Film Review: Rammstein “Rammstein: Paris”

“Rammstein: Paris”
Rammstein
Spinefarm
Director: Jonas Akerlund
Runtime: 128 minutes

Our score: 4 out of 5 stars

German industrial metalers Rammstein are set to release a new concert film on May 19th titled “Rammstein: Paris”. Shot over the course of two nights at the Palais Omnisports arena in Paris in front of 17,000 by Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund the film features 22 songs from the band’s expansive repertoire. The end result is not only the most spectacular collection of imagery from one of Germanys most successful bands, but also a masterpiece of music cinema, capturing Rammstein’s energy as a unique visual and sonic experience.

Being no stranger to Rammstein’s concert films featuring the bands over the top theatrics I was very eager to check out the band’s latest release “Paris”. Needless to say I was not disappointed. From the bands over the top entrance which has them walking through the crowd in a stoic procession like fashion before being lifted up to the rafters by industrialized scaffolding to the closing number “Pussy” which features front man Til Lindemann mounting a phallic like device only to douse the crowd in a mystery substance as it moved across the front of the stage. No one does a live show quite like Rammstein and I am sure attempting to film a show this immense was no small feel however director Jonas Akerland and his crew nailed it making this one of the better live releases from the band.

Though I found some of the special effects used to be a bit too much causing portions of the film to be difficult to watch due to their frantic nature “Rammstein: Paris” is a film fans of concert DVD’s have to check out. Having seen a large amount of live films from all different genres I don’t think I have seen any other band take such a cinematic approach with their filming. Lots of different angles and top notch sound made up any short comings I may have found. With the variety of formats the concert is set to be released in you owe it to yourself to check one out.

Track Listing
1.) Intro
2.) Sonne
3.) WOLLT IHR DAS BETT IN FLAMMEN SEHEN
4.) Wollt Das Bett in Flamm
5.) Sehnsucht
6.) Asche Zu Asche
7.) Feuer Frei!
8.) Mutter
9.) Mein Teil
10.) Du Riechst So Gut
11.) Links 2 3 4
12.) Du Hast
13.) Haifisch
14.) Buck Dich
15.) Mann Gegen Mann
16.) Ohne Dich
17.) Mein Herz Brennt
18.) Amerika
19.) Ich Will
20.) Engel
21.) Pussy
22.) Fruhling in Paris

 

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Concert Review: Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks
May 7, 2017
Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO

Our score: 5 out of 5 Stars

Before I begin let me say that I love the Sprint Center. At least once I’m inside. I’ve seen many shows there and have never had a bad seat. However, getting into the show is another story.

In November 2007 Garth Brooks played nine sold-out shows at the Sprint Center, a mere month after the building first opened. His return (for seven more) was met with great joy by the Kansas City faithful. Unfortunately those faithful had said faith put to the test with all of the problems involved. Tickets were only available through AXS, a company similar to Ticketmaster. When they went on sale I logged on to their site AND dialed their number, figuring to use whichever method got me my tickets first. Thankfully I stayed on hold as all 14 times I tried to purchase tickets on-line failed. I would get my seats picked out (a couple times I had nice floor seats), and receive a message that read “you know have two minutes and 30seconds to complete your transaction: CLICK HERE TO CONFIRM.” I would “click” and get an error message that read “your session has timed out.” 14 TIMES!

Luckily, after an hour and twenty-eight minutes on hold, an operator came on the line. I told her the problem and she told me “this always happens” whenever AXS has a large event. “Our servers can’t handle all of the traffic.” At least she was honest. The local news was told that it was a “software” error that was later fixed. NOT! Anyway, thanks to Garth playing seven shows I was able to get some nice seats. Now to get inside.

I love the layout of the Sprint Center. What I don’t love is the fact that, for a building that can hold almost 20,000 people, there are only TWO entrances: one in the front of the building and one in the rear. Most venues I’ve been too, and I’ve seen concerts literally all over the world, have multiple gates and entrances all around the building. Because of the way the Sprint Center is set up, we got in line about three blocks from the Sprint Center at 6:15 for the 7:30 show and got to out seats at 7:45! Ridiculous. And I couldn’t help but think, while I was waiting to get inside, what kind of horrible tragedy it would become should something happen while the building was packed and had to be evacuated immediately. I shudder to think of the casualties!

Now for the good stuff:

Even though he had played four shows since Friday night, Brooks was in fine form and full of energy. He kicked off the show with the song “Baby, Let’s Lay Down and Dance,” from his 10th studio LP, “Gunslinger.” He then promised the audience that he’d be doing all of the hits and kept that promise with songs like “Rodeo,” “Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House” and then led the audience in a great sing-along with “The River.”

Several times during the show Brooks commented that his voice was going and that the audience may have to carry him through the night, which was apparently no problem for those in attendance as nearly 20,000 voices filled the Sprint Center, matching Brooks word for word. Like Mick Jagger, Brooks is a consummate showman, almost refusing to stand steady for more than a moment at a time.

Halfway through the show Brooks was joined on stage by his wife, singer Trisha Yearwood, who sang a mini-set of some of her hits (“She’s In Love With the Boy,” “How Do I Live?”) before once again relinquishing the stage to her husband. After more hits Brooks sent the band off stage, picked up his guitar and peered into the audience, where fans had brought posters emblazoned with the titles of songs they wanted to hear. He obliged several of them, both his voice and guitar sounding clean and clear. The band returned to close the show with “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old),” in which he offered his heartfelt blessing to the late Chris LeDoux) and a rousing “Standing Outside the Fire,” which shook the rafters. It was almost 11:30 when the show ended. However, with as much fun and energy as he brought to Kansas City, I wouldn’t be surprised if the man is still on stage singing right now!

 

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STRIFE Guitarist Andrew Kline talks about 20th Anniversary of “In This Defiance”.

The iconic Los Angeles hardcore band STRIFE is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their landmark second LP “In This Defiance”. To commemorate the release the band has put together an extremely limited vinyl release and to find out more about the album Media Mikes spoke with STRIFE guitarist Andrew Kline.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the limited LP package you have coming out commemorating “In This Defiance”?

Andrew Kline: I wanted to do something special for the 20th anniversary of In This Defiance. We teamed up with WAR Records to produce a bubble gum pink colored record that comes in a hand numbered and hand silkscreened cover. There were only 100 made and were sold with a limited edition long sleeve.

AL: What was it like for you looking back and revisiting the album?

AK: “In This Defiance” is my favorite Strife album and we still play a lot of the songs live. It’s a record that I feel doesn’t seem outdated and still fits in with what’s going on within the current hardcore scene.

AL: How do you feel the album relates to the world we are living in now in 2017?

AK: Lyrically, In This Defiance is a pretty personal record. The songs “Grey” and “Blistered” still resonate with me as those songs really relate to the world now.
“Blistered by a raging sun’s flames
Mankind sealed its fate in its haste
Warning signs sent time after time
We just sit back in all this waste”

AL: There seems to be sort of a resurgence of hardcore bands from that late 80’/90’s starting to happen what do you feel has sparked that?

AK: I think that every few years there are a new crop of hardcore kids. They get involved with the scene and they start looking back and getting into bands from different time periods. I think this really created the demand. We’ve definitely seen more than a few bands reunite over the past few years, and I am ok with that.

AL: Are there plans to do some shows where you perform the album in its entirety?

AK: We are hoping to do some shows to support the anniversary of “In This Defiance” at some point before the end of the year. Fans can check out http://strifelahc.comto keep up to date with what is going on.

Concert Review: Rick Springfield and Pat Benatar & Neil Geraldo

rick

Rick Springfield and Pat Benatar & Neil Geraldo
May 5th, 2017
Starlight Theater, Kansas City, MO

Our score: 5 out of 5 Stars

To me, it was the “First time and Familiar” Show.

This is the 15th time I’ve seen Rick Springfield. I’ve seen him at outdoor venues, arenas and, on July 15, 1993, got to sing with him at Max’s on Broadway in Baltimore. Ironically, 1100 miles west of me, my future wife was celebrating her birthday! And tonight I was seeing him at same place I saw him for the very first time.

Mr. Springthorpe (his real name for those of you that have a desire to stump others in trivia) kicked off the show with a rousing “I’ve Done Everything For You,” then filled the night with an amazing assortment of hits, newer songs and covers, including an amazing version of Katy Perry’s “Roar.” He did a fine medley of some of his biggest hits as well as two long, fan friendly versions of “Don’t Talk to Strangers” and “Human Touch.” And, of course, he brought down the house with “Jessie’s Girl!” In his book, Springfield talks about how another guitarist was brought in to play the lead on the recording of “Jessie’s Girl” as the record label didn’t think Springfield was playing it clean enough. Obviously this stuck with him as he has, in the past three decades, become a fine guitarist, even throwing in a little “Purple Haze” in this show to demonstrate his chops. All in all a very high-energy and entertaining set.

Next on the bill were Pat Benatar and Neil Geraldo. I had never seen these two live before and they were surely an act on my bucket list! Following a short video which explained how the two ended up together (both professionally and personally) the band took the stage. In the pre-show video we learned that Ms. Benatar had been trained to use her voice from a young age and that training obviously paid off. Unlike recent shows I attended of her musical contemporaries (Joan Jett, Ann Wilson from Heart), Ms. Benatar was in amazing voice, never missing a note, no matter how high or long. And I owe Mr. Geraldo an apology. In December 2000, writing for a friends web site, I listed him as the 8th greatest guitarist of all time. I may have sold him short. Seeing him live, watching him provide the backbone to some of the most popular songs of the 80s, certainly moved him up the list. Their on-stage stories about how some of the songs came along were just as entertaining. Oh, and as a follow-up to the story I told about Rick Springfield needed a better guitarist, the audience learned what I already knew…that guitarist was Neil Giraldo. Ironically, in the past Mr. Springfield had already lost a girlfriend (Linda Blair) and a new mixing machine to Mr. Giraldo so I can’t see his feelings being hurt too much more! The hits were many and the stories interesting. Ms. Benatar talked about the “Holy 14,” which are the songs they must play or they get blasted on social media for neglecting them. As far as I know, she did them all because I left the show more then satisfied.

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