Kansas City – Win Passes to Attend An Evening With Richard Dreyfuss

Long time readers know how much the Mikes love the movie JAWS. Well now we want to share that love with our Kansas City area fans by giving them the opportunity to an amazing evening “Jawing” with Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfuss.

The event, which will be moderated by Media Mike’s own Mike Smith, will be held on Thursday, April 4th at the Carlsen Center at Johnson County Community College. After the event, stay and enjoy a screening of the greatest film ever made (ok, I’m biased), JAWS.

Our friends at J & S Promotions has given us passes for (5) lucky readers and a guest to attend the event. All you have to do is let us know below your favorite Richard Dreyfuss film. Five random comments will be chosen and will receive a pass for (2) to attend the event. This giveaway will end on Sunday, March 31st at 6:00 p.m. Winners will be notified by email.

To purchase tickets to the event – including a Platinum VIP Package which puts you in the green room with Mr. Dreyfuss, click HERE. Good Luck!

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Filed Under: Film Headlines, Giveaways, Kansas City Tagged With: attend, city, dreyfuss, evening, kansas, passes, ...

Concert Review: “A Paranormal Evening with Alice Cooper” – Kansas City

 

A Paranormal Evening with Alice Cooper

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts ,  Kansas City, Missouri

August 6, 2018

REVIEW BY J.R. DEETER

 

 

First off, let me just say that if you get an opportunity to see a concert performance at the Kauffman Center in Kansas City you should absolutely do so…..it is fast becoming my favorite venue to see concerts.

I have always been a casual fan of Alice Cooper and the “hits.”  I admit I really didn’t know many of the album songs….ones long-time fans know, but for this show, it didn’t seem to matter.   I really enjoyed every minute of the entire playlist.

Opening with a non stop barrage of Brutal Planet, No More Mr. Nice Guy, Under My Wheels and Billion Dollar Babies, you could tell this was going to be an awesome night.   As promised, this was to be “ A Paranormal Evening” and the stage set delivered….ghoulish and dark….strange, frightening elements filled the space, everything from small doll sized things….a large box, from which minions provided several props to Alice throughout the night, including a dancing demonic creature, a shocking electric chair and, of course, a guillotine, which eventually was used for the beheading of Cooper, to the screaming delight of the near capacity audience.

The song Lost in America is now one of my favorites….this was one I hadn’t heard before. Same with Woman of Mass Destruction.  How could I have missed those over the years?

Poison…..Feed My Frankenstein….even a bit of a slow down for Only Women Bleed didn’t drop the level of energy of the band, or the level of love from the crowd for this 70 year old Godfather of Shock Rock.

There were a couple of “rest periods” when Alice exited the stage for the obligatory solos by members of the band….every one of them very entertaining and capable on their instrument.  A special shout-out to Nita Straus, kicking ass on lead and rhythm guitar while providing backing vocals.

Wrapping up the show with I’m Eighteen and the confetti filled rousing rendition of School’s Out left my ears ringing and my heart filled with joy.  I had finally experienced Alice Cooper, clearly not in his prime, but certainly still able to deliver a killer performance.

(My .5 deduction is for not playing 1977’s You and Me.  I’m a former 80’s DJ, and that was a staple JAM we played often…great tune.)

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Concert Review “An Evening with Seth Avett and Jessica Lea Mayfield” Keswick Theater, Glenside, PA

“An Evening with Seth Avett and Jessica Lea Mayfield”
Date: Saturday, March 14th 2015
Venue: Keswick Theater, Glenside, PA

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Singer songwriters Jessica Lea Mayfield and Seth Avett made a stop in the quaint town of Glenside, PA on March 14th to perform at the intimate Keswick Theater. The duo is out on a brief 13 show tour in support of their recent release titled “Seth Avett and Jessica Lea Mayfield sing Elliot Smith”. The album a 12 song showcase of some of singer/songwriter Elliot Smith’s best works is the first collaboration between Mayfield and Avett and hopefully not the last as the magic heard on the album was flawlessly created on stage.

About 40 miles outside of Philadelphia sits the historic Keswick Theater. The theater which originally opened on Christmas Eve in 1928 was the perfect setting for the night’s performance as the vintage theater seemed a perfect host for Avett and Mayfield’s sound which was made up off the two sharing singing and guitar duties along with Paul Defiglia on stand up bass. Though small in their approach the trio’s sound instantly filled the theater and sounded as good if not better than some of the recorded studio tracks. Songs such as “Baby Britain”, “Between the Bars” and “Twilight” were definite highlights of the set as were “I Me Mine” originally by The Beatles and a great version of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman”. The set also featured several songs from Mayfield and Avett’s personal catalogs along with a brand new track from Avett titled “Lines On My Face”.

The night’s performance was certainly very solid and sounded great however before you knew it, it was over. Clocking in at less than 90 minutes (which included the band leaving the stage prior to the night’s encore) there was certainly plenty of time left for more material especially since the show features no opening act. With the shows being billed as “An Evening with Seth Avett and Jessica Lea Mayfield” I guess I was expecting a little more. Don’t get me wrong 21 songs is not a short set list by any means however when most of those songs come in at 4 minutes or less and the artists(especially Avett) have a fair amount of material they could pull from to make these13 shows something really special however don’t it certainly was a bit disconcerting.

Set List:
1.) Bay Britain (Elliot Smith)
2.) A Fond Farewell (Elliot Smith)
3.) Pitseleh (Elliot Smith)
4.) Just Like a Woman (Bob Dylan)
5.) There is a Time (The Darlings)
6.) Let’s Get Lost (Elliot Smith)
7.) Ballad of Big Nothing (Elliot Smith)
8.) Rain on My Tin Roof (Seth Avett)
9.) Somebody That I Used to Know (Elliot Smith)
10.) Settin’ the Woods on Fire (Hank Williams)
11.) For Today (Jessica Mayfield)
12.) Angeles (Elliot Smith)
13.) Lines On My Face (Seth Avett)
14.) Kiss Me Again (Jessica Mayfield)
15.) Memory Lane (Elliot Smith)
16.) I Will (The Beatles)
17.) Our Hearts are Wrong (Jessica Mayfield)
18.) Between the Bars (Elliot Smith)
19.) I Me Mine (The Beatles)
20.) Miss Misery (Elliot Smith)
21.) Twilight (Elliot Smith)

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Dave Lombardo talks about new album with Philm called “Fire From the Evening Sun”

Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo is back with a brand new release from his band Philm. Titled “Fire from the Evening Sun” the album is a blending of music styles ranging from full on thrash to progressive rock and everything in between. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Dave recently about the bands sophomore release and their plans to take their unique sound on the road.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on how this album came together?
Dave Lombardo: We are a very productive group. We tend to do a lot of improvisations when we are together and we record those. From there we do what I call “trim the fat”. We take out all the pieces that don’t really work and only focus on the high points. From there we create the traditional elements of the song such as the verses and choruses. When we are done we like to the songs sit for a bit before Jerry goes in and works on the vocals. The material on the new album is songs that we have been working on since we recorded our first album “Harmonic”. A lot of these songs were written during the mix down of the first. How we go about our song writing is pretty interesting. There is not just one person who brings in material and they dictate how the song is to go. We are very collective.

AL: Can you tell us about the different style you guys took on “Fire from the Evening Sun” as compared to “Harmonic”?
DL: There are some production differences between the two. I also feel this album has a more straight forward and in your face approach related to the sound. With “Harmonic” that was a more laid back and experimental album. On the first record I let guys come in and play whatever that wanted. With the new record I feel like I had a little more say in making sure the songs were concise and aggressive. There are a lot of different approaches you can take when making an album. The next album we might decide to throw everyone a curve ball and do something completely different from the previous two albums.

AL: Do you prefer creating music out of improvisation as compared to more traditional approaches?
DL: It’s more fulfilling. When you do things this way it’s more organic and less thought. When you improvise you are creating on the fly. You have to come up with something really quick as there is really no time to think. You play what you feel. That’s how all of this music was created. These songs came from three people improvising with one another. I think doing things this way gives the songs a certain level of excitement.

AL: Being involved as an artist and a producer on both of the bands release do you ever find it hard balancing the two roles?
DL: It’s not difficult but I will take that producer hat off within the process but at the same time I have to be able to make decisions on issues as they come up. Having worked with so many amazing producers and song writers I am able to do what I do by consciously and subconsciously using their approach. The guys in the band know how I work and I will tell them before we start what I am feeling. Most of the time we are all on the same page and do what is best for the material.

AL: You brought in outside help to mix the album this time. Can you tell us about that decision?
DL: When you are a producer you have to step out and let others take control for a second to ensure things are not one sided. I brought in Robert Carranza to mix this album because I felt that the mix wasn’t where it should be. Robert did a great job and shortly after Tyler Bates offered to master it. It was actually Tyler’s idea to bring in Robert to do the mixing. I appreciated his input and was thankful for the advice.

AL: Tell us a little bit about the two singles the band has released thus far?
DL: We have released “Fire from the Evening Son” and “Train”. “Fire from the Evening Son” is a song we chose because it has a very thrash metal feel. I believe that’s what fans want from me. They want something aggressive in my drumming and my band. I think that’s what this song is about. The song has a great drive and shows our versatility. Both songs I think have that signature sound I am known for.

AL: When you take this material out on the road will there be elements of improvisation or will you be sticking to what is heard on the album?
DL: We are going to be doing what is heard on the album. We can certainly get up on stage and show people how improvisation is done but I don’t think they are ready for that yet. All the songs we are playing live are complete songs from the albums. We have 6 songs done for the next album. They don’t have words just yet so sometimes we will go out and do some of the new material for an encore. We play around on those and try some different things.

AL: Can you tell us what the tour plans are for you guys?
DL: I would like to start performing here in the States as soon we can. I would love to tour the world with this we just have to find a booking agent who is this with us whole heartedly. We have done four shows in Europe as well as some shows in Colombia and Ecuador. We also have some things planned for November as well.

 

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Black Label Society’s Zakk Wylde talks about new album and “Evening with Zakk Wylde” tour

Zakk Wylde is a name that needs no introduction. From his legendary work with heavy metals “Prince of Darkness” Ozzy Osbourne to his signature pinch harmonic filled works with Black Label Society, Zakk’s mark on music is certainly present. Starting in February of 2014 Zakk will be hitting the snow covered roads of Canada as part of his “Evening with Zakk Wylde” tour. The shows will feature a mixture of music and readings from Zakk’s 2012 book titled ”Bringing Metal to the Children: The Complete Berzerker’s Guide to World Tour Domination”. Media Mikes had the pleasure of speaking with Zakk recently about the tour, Black Label Society’s upcoming album and about the recent departure of long time Black Label guitarist Nick Catanese.

Adam Lawton: What can we be expecting from the upcoming run of “An Evening with Zakk Wylde” shows?
Zakk Wylde: Aside from a lot of pyro, concussion bombs and the launch of the Black Label Society winter collection of men’s lingerie it’s going to be us up there jamming.(Laughs) I am going to be doing some solo stuff with the guitar and singing and then with the piano as well. Along with the music I will be doing some readings from “Bringing Metal to the Children” and doing Q and A sessions with the fans. We will be talking about everything from what gear I use to Ozzy stories to how many times a day I get prostate exams. (Laughs)

AL: Will a lot of the music resemble what we saw/heard on the recent “Unblackened” release and can you tell us about the special VIP packages that are available for the shows?
ZW: Yes, totally. I think some of the stuff we will we doing is even more stripped down than the “Unblackened” stuff. For the VIP packages again I want to make sure everyone is healthy and regular so they get the free prostate exam as well. (Laughs) There’s only 25 available for each show and along with a meet and greet fans who purchase these will also get some other cool Black Label Society goodies.

AL: The shows announced thus far are all in Canada. Will there be more happening later on in the States?
ZW: We did two short runs on the East and West coasts with this type of layout. I thought it would be cool to take it to Canada as we always have a blast when we are up there. It worked out that there was some time before the new album coming out that we could put these shows together. Everything has worked out great scheduling wise before we roll out the new album in April.

AL: You also will be out as part of the Experience Hendrix tour and as part of the Metal All Stars tour. How did you get involved with being a part of those tours?
ZW: The Hendrix thing is going to be really great. I am a fan of everyone who is playing on those shows and it’s going to be cool to see what they all bring. A lot of these guys I have never met before so it will be a cool experience that I am really looking forward to. The Metal All Star stuff is another batch of shows that are going to be really cool as well. Whenever I get invited to do these things it always ends up being a good time.

AL: With the Hendrix material being a bit different from what you’re known for have you been doing anything special to get ready for these shows?
ZW: I have done covers of people’s material as bonus tracks and such on previous albums so Black Label-izing songs is something I am familiar with. Whenever you get to cover an artist or a song you really like it’s always a good time. With the Hendrix material things will be no different. I am going to probably pick a couple more obscure songs to do as I’m sure songs like “Purple Haze” and “Voodoo Chile” will already be in the set. I’m just going to pull out some of my favorites and jam them out. I think it’s cool when you hear someone else’s take on a song. The Hendrix song that Stevie Ray Vaughn did as well as Sting’s version of “Little Wing” are both slamming.

AL: Can you give us an update on the new Black Label Society album?
ZW: We are just finishing mixing and plan to release it in April. This new album is one that it going to be back to the heavy riffs that the band is known for. I can’t believe that it’s been 4 years since our last studio album “Order of the Black”. We have been really busy since that release so time has passed quickly. For a while we were putting out an album a year which was fun as I love being in the studio just as much as I like being on stage. Some guys like one over the other but I love them both equally. They are different as when you are in the studio it’s a controlled environment and live is live. You have one shot and that’s it. With the studio you can sit back and look at things and add stuff here and there.

AL: With Nick Catanese recently leaving Black Label Society how do you feel the band dynamics will change seeing that Nick had been with the band for 15 plus years?
ZW: Nick played with me on the “Book of Shadows” tour before there was Black Label Society. We were driving 20,000 miles crammed in an Astro van playing to 10 people every night. I will always love Nick as he is a family member. When he came to me and said that his new project was something he felt he had to do I totally supported his decision. I want the guys who I play with to go on and do well. I wish him all the best. We have a couple contenders in the running for that spot right now and I am either going to have them come out with us on the Canadian run or have them with us at this year’s NAMM show which we have to have a second guitar player for. The short list we have are all great players. Nick is a rock so not having him around after 17 years of being together will be different. The thing about Black Label is that everyone who has been involved with the band has been unique and brought their own thing to the group. Once this new guy is in they are in till they decide to leave. If Nick wanted to come back and do a run with us some time our doors are always open. That’s just how things are with this band. We are all buddies.

AL: Being an artist who is always releasing new signature music gear do you have anything planned for release at this year’s NAMM show?
ZW: As far as the signature stuff goes I have the new Gibson Moderne of Doom that was released recently. With that I took an old classic and updated it. This guitar now has more of a Les Paul type neck which comes with an ebony fret board. This is one of those guitars that is so ugly it’s awesome! That’s why I love it.

 

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, black, evening, label, societys, talks, ...

Blu-ray Review “FCA! 35 Tour: An Evening with Peter Frampton”

Starring: Peter Frampton
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Eagle Rock Ent
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Running Time: 189 Minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I remember the first time that my father introduced me to Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do” in the early 90’s.  Since then I have been a fan of not only the song but all of this work. Frampton celebrated the 35th anniversary of his multi-platinum selling live album Frampton Comes Alive in 2011 and kicked off a world tour.  This Blu-ray contains footage from shows at New York City’s Beacon Theater and Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater. It is split into two parts.  The first is “Frampton Comes Alive!” performed in its entirety, while the second part focuses on tracks from recent albums such as “Fingerprints”, “Now” and “Thank You Mr Churchill”.  If you have never seen Grammy winning guitarist Peter Frampton live, I highly recommend it. He is one of rock’s most iconic guitarists and gives on hell of a live performances.  This concert captures that quite well.  A must for all fans!

Eagle Rock is behind this impressive release. “FCA! 35 Tour: An Evening with Peter Frampton” has been put up with a super nice 1080p (yes, 1080p) transfer, which is rare for Eagle Rock, and presented in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. There are two audio tracks included, obviously the first is my favorite.  There is a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, as well as an uncompressed LPCM 2.0 stereo. I am a big fan of Frampton’s classics like “Show Me The Way” and “Do You Feel Like We Do” and they sound simply awesome on this release.  There are no other special features includes in this release. I should note that the release doesn’t come in a standard Blu-ray casing.  It is hard-stock paper fold book like case.  It is very thin and surely space efficient.

Track Listing:
Disc One
1. Somethin’s Happening
2. Doobie Wah
3. Lines On My Face
4. Show Me the Way
5. It’s A Plain Shame
6. Wind of Change
7. Penny For Your Thoughts
8. All I Wanna Be (Is By Your Side)
9. Baby, I Love Your Way
10. (I Wanna) Go to the Sun
11. (I’ll Give You) Money
12. Shine On
13. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
14. Do You Feel Like We Do
15. Asleep at the Wheel
16. Restraint
17. Float
18. Boot It Up
19. Double Nickels
20. Vaudeville Nanna And The Banjolele
21. Road to the Sun
22. I Don’t Need No Doctor
23. Black Hole Sun
24. Four Day Creep
25. Off the Hook
26. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

 

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 35, bluray, evening, fca, frampton, peter, ...

An Evening with Peter Frampton Comes to Hard Rock Orlando

An Evening with PETER FRAMPTON
FRAMPTON Comes Alive 35 Tour
Tue, Oct 11 @ 8 PM
Event Details
Cost: $75 First 2 Rows and Balcony Tables $55 Reserved Main Floor and Lower Balcony $45 Reserved Upper Balcony $35 GA Standing Perimeter
Doors: OPEN @ 7 PM
Age: All Ages
Description: Tickets available at the Hard Rock Live box office and all Ticketmaster locations. For more information call 407-351-5483. Reserved Balcony Tables are only available through the Hard Rock Live box office.
Telephone: 407 351-LIVE (5483)
Address: 6050 Universal Boulevard Orlando, FL 32819

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Filed Under: Music Headlines Tagged With: evening, frampton, hard, orlando, peter, rock, ...
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