Lynch Mob, Brotherhood

I'm amazed that after a few decades of closely following rock music, there are many bands from the 80s and 90s who not only are still around, but are still making great music. 

One of them that only gets better album by album is Lynch Mob.  The more I listen to them, the more I am blown away by their music.  Their newly released CD Brotherhood has had that effect on me and more.

What do I mean by more?

It has brought new and fresher meaning to the words solid, relentless, fresh, consistent, polished, crisp, among many other words I don't have the capacity of think of. With that said, you could listen to this one CD no fewer than a thousand times and always hear something different every time.  

It is said that things happen in 2s and 3s.  When it comes to Lynch Mob, it comes in 5s.  And it is only awesomeness.  You will hear and feel limitless attitude and unleashed hard rock-style creativity with the lyrical themes.  Complicated love, a confused mindset (that's the best way I can put it), and life on the road--you can't get much better than that.  If I didn't know any better, I would think these songs are in respective order on a soundtrack for a rock hard musical production.

The "storyline" only made me want to hear more, the boundless limits and talent of this band; no intermission needed.

In the years I have listened to Lynch Mob, I know they don't play only rock.  They have occasions where they'd play different styles of music.  Let's just say that when I heard "The Forgotten Maiden's Pearl," I felt like dancing into a calypso-style dance.  That's just my funny way of saying the acoustic guitar and Oni's voice complement each other.

Nothing is finer than the staccato intro for "Black Mountain." Jimmy's grooves are so clear, anyone listening who doesn't have rhythm can easily do it.  It gets even more intricate in "Dog Town Mystics." Let me just say that may have taken some supernatural ability, and is a pattern I'd advise other drummers to try to duplicate.  They are difficult times, but we all get through them, right?

Where the true heart is of Lynch Mob lies in "Miles Away."  There is something to be said about turning down the volume and turning up their hearts...and heartaches.  George is at his best in his bluesy guitar break.  For the record, I don't recall backup vocals giving me goosebumps.

It's in the last song on the CD "Until I Get My Gold" that you hear a fantastic culmination of talent and then some.  Lynch Mob-style fusion at its best.  If you hadn't heard the myriad facets of Oni's voice, you will in this song.  What a bow to put on the CD!  But you will only want to replay it, I promise you that.

Though I have heard many hard rock bands' albums and noticed some "weaknesses" (for a lack of better words) in their music, all I can say about Brotherhood is, you can certainly ask me to find one in this album.  But it may take a while.  I will never get around to that.  Instead, I'll be ever-captivated by the creativity, talent and professionalism Oni, George, Sean, and Jimmy generate in their music.

Brotherhood is a hard rock dessert, topped with whipped cream and a cherry, that continually makes listeners only come back for more (and it has no calories or fat, to boot).

Next time I look up the words solid, relentless, fresh, consistent, polished, and crisp in the dictionary, I expect to see a picture of Lynch Mob.

Book Review: Visions, Dreams, and Rumours

There is power in the reason and significance of the first record you ever bought.  Mine was Wild Heart, Stevie Nicks' second solo album.  For the better part of a year, I had listened to "Stand Back," "Nightbird," and "If Anyone Falls," and loved hearing it every time.  It was only right for me to buy the album...and to keep it for life.  

I later found out she was part of Fleetwood Mac, the one pop band who brought us such hits as "Don't Stop," "Go Your Own Way," and "The Chain," one of my personal favorites from the album.  

Stevie Nicks an ever-creative soul who refuses to give up, whose one and only passion is music no matter what happens, and who gives to things bigger than herself, and is a sage to other young women emerging onto the music scene.

What stood out to me in the production of Rumours was Nicks' "Silver Springs" was originally nine verses long.  She was asked to make it shorter.  But she had a hard time with that because she felt like the beauty of the song would be compromised.  What she also had to overcome was, that song wouldn't be on the original album for Rumours.

I don't consider it coincidental that while I was reading this book, Tom Petty died an untimely death, and I experienced a stressful personal situation.  I loved reading how her love for Tom Petty was at a superfan level, and so strong, the band made her an honorary Heartbreaker.

My respect for the late Tom Petty only great stronger when he encouraged Nicks in a low point in her career, taken from page 311 of the book

Heartache and heartbreak are what Stevie herself is no stranger to.  In addition to her life and complicated times with Lindsay, she experienced the death of her best friend, and a had longtime battle with cocaine addiction that almost caused permanent brain damage, thanks to the drug being handed out like candy in the making of Rumours.  Between her hit songs, both with the Mac and as a solo artist, and her personal journal writings, there is nothing she hasn't written.

That inspires me.  I can live on that alone for the rest of my life if I could.  What have I done since reading this biography?  Written down my dreams soon after waking up, writing more now in my spare time instead of wasting time on social media, and writing in a Favorite Moment a Day journal. In so doing, I have had my own visions and dreams.

A Tribute to Tom Petty

I can't remember specifically the first time I heard Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.  If I had to make an educated guess, it was the early '80s and the song was "Change of Heart"  I noticed a lot of older boys were into the music.  In my single digit-age mindset, I thought to myself, "I'm not supposed to listen to this music."  Looking back on it, it was a profound way of telling me that I have unlimited access to a band whose music will have more of an effect on me than I could imagine at that time.

Flash forward to summer of 1984.

I bought my first ever vinyl record:  Wild Heart, Stevie Nicks' second solo album.  I had listened repeatedly to such hits as "Stand Back" and "If Anyone Falls."  When I bought it and listened to it right away, I noticed there was a duet Stevie had with Tom Petty, "I Will Run to You."  This became just another favorite of mine from this album.  To this day, I am enraptured in Nicks' and Petty's complementary harmonies, the crystal-clear musical chemistry, and the simplicity of the vocals and lyrics.  In fact, this was the first song I cued up when I first heard of Petty's sudden death.

I was to continue to discover all of that and more about Tom Petty's music as the late '80s unfolded. Next came "Don't Come Around Here No More" in 1985.  It was that stinging, piercing pitch and not-hard-to-notice simple guitar riff that only lured me in a little bit more into their music.

It finally manifested itself in 1989.  For you veteran rock music listeners, I don't need to tell you about the heavy rotation radio stations around the country played of "I Won't Back Down" and "Free Falling."  At the time, I didn't realize the purpose of this, the positive effect it would have on anyone growing up around that time.  To this day, no matter where I go, whether to or from the grocery store or across the country, I can't tune into a rock or pop station without either song playing.  And every time I do, for those three or four minutes' worth of song, it takes me back to 1989, where life was altogether simpler. 

I can't overlook "Mary Jane's Last Dance" as part of the soundtrack as I was trying to discover my purpose in life. Aside from the obvious subject of the song, I lesson I learned every time I heard it was:  Don't get so caught up in the busyness of life that you forget to lay back and listen to some music.

That I uphold even more so now.  What would I cue up at random times?  "American Girl." "Running Down a Dream," "The Waiting," or even that additional timeless duet with Ms. Nicks, "Stop Dragging My Heart Around."

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the power music should have on you, a great lesson I have put into practice after thirty-five years of listening to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.

So, it's no wonder I shed a few tears when I learned of the passing of Tom Petty.  But I have dried them and lifted my hung head again, determined to go out "Into the Great Wide Open" and start "Learning to Fly."

Retro Review: In Color, by Cheap Trick

The 1970s, a decade of even louder rock & roll than the previous decade was capable of delivering.  This one decade brought along novel concepts, such as nostalgia in music, as heard in Don McLean's timeless classic "American Pie"; the first benefit concert, disco music was all the rage, and the idea of a live two-record album was born.

In the midst of all of the loud rock & roll teenagers listened to at that time was a band called Cheap Trick, Robin Zander on lead vocals and Rick Nielsen as lead guitarist. Their second studio album, In Color, produced by Tom Werman, was released just seven months after their debut studio album, Cheap Trick.  Though they failed to chart in the States, they had a fan base in Japan with these two albums.

The album starts out with a short but simple message:  Are you ready to rock?  Though it is a rhetorical question to this day for the lifetime rock music followers, it is a great way to start off an album in the late '70s.  What makes me drool are the sound effects.  It's just to make sure you're "all ears." because the songs ahead are going to blow your ears and your mind.

The quality of the music only gets better.  

Of course, you can't forget the immortal "I Want You To Want Me."  Sadly, this song didn't receive any favorable attention or ratings until the Live in Budokan album a few years later.  And the rest, they say, is history.

This one album has the sounds I have always loved about Cheap Trick:  loud but simple guitar melodies, vocals, and drum patterns.  It's the type of music I can play for days and years on end without ceasing.  The simplicity of this music is heard in such songs as "Southern Girls" and "Clock Strikes Ten." That latter song, and many more that were to come from Cheap Trick, makes me feel forever young.  

Another trait about 70s rock music that I consider unusual is, rock bands recording at least one disco song.  Hey! If the Rolling Stones and KISS did it, why shouldn't Cheap Trick, right?  "You're All Talk" has a raw disco-esque rhythm, combined with vocals of the same kind to appropriately and simultaneously contrast and fuse with the beat.

Though it has taken me 40 years for my ears to be graced with this album, I'm glad to have spent the summer listening especially to Cheap Trick, especially the songs I had never heard, most of which are on this one album.  Am I ready to rock?  Well, even more so; I know you are, too. 

Kiss Kiss Bang, Sinful Lilly, and the Stephen Pearcy Band at the Forum

Nineteen eighty-four was a great year for pop and rock music.  We were introduced to timeless pop icons Madonna and Cyndi Lauper; Kenny Loggins kept our fine lower extremities moving, and the late Michael Jackson cranked out one hit after another, from Thriller.

Then there was also a hit that, to me, stood out among all the glam-rock glitter. "Round and Round" by Ratt, the biggest hit from their Out of the Cellar album and of their entire career.



To this day, I'm still fascinated by Stephen Pearcy's silky-smooth resonating voice, with lyrics about the ever-complicated life with women. I had a chance to go to the Forum in Hazard, Kentucky, to see the Stephen Pearcy Band play all of the hits that made Ratt famous, up to and including "Round and Round."

To kick off this weeknight of rock was Kiss Kiss Bang, a band straight out of Bowling Green, Kentucky.  Their debut appearance started off with a good, loud bang, both with their powerful, loud-and-proud music and stage presence, partly brought to us by drummer Corban Burke.  A mere three songs into their set, and someone in the front row shouted, "Holy sh**!"  Well, of course: their music is clear, so easy to listen to, flawless.  That's more than enough to elicit such a response.  

The one song that had the crowd begging for more: "Supa Fine Sugga."

An even more super-fine band played after them:  Sinful Lilly.  There's a whole lot I could say about their set.  But what I will say is:  It's a rock show at its finest....and beyond. From the moment you hear the rippling guitar intros coming from lead singer Fredi Handshoe's Gibson, you will chew on it for days at the eternal rich talent coming from him. Sinful Lilly had a great selection of songs, not the least of which was "Anti-You" to start off their set, "California Man," and "Devil Music and the Record Machine."  

This was the second time I'd seen them, but the first with drummer Trey Bledsoe.  He did a fine job in engaging the audience behind his drum set.  The audience...where bass player Nik Valklix was, running around, rolling around on the floor, even bending over a speaker on the stage.  I don't think there was a bored person there; they were all "qualified to raise hell" with the band.  If you want to see them live again, go to the Forum on September 23rd.  They will open up for Winger.

Stephen Pearcy is one of many rockers who is still touring and making new music...and playing all of the hits.  But he and his backup singers weren't the only ones doing that job.  The audience gladly sang the choruses to "Loving You's is a Dirty Job," "Back for More," "You're in Love," and "Round and Round."  That tells me there are some things about a rock concert that are so vital, to keep the magic alive for rock music...Or should I say Ratt & Roll music?

New Tunes from Blind Peace....

When I was at the gym yesterday morning, I was annoyed when I noticed they were playing country music playing was country.  Though I do like mostly rock, there are many country songs I like, mostly anything before 2000.  Also, rock is my one and only choice when it comes to having my daily release of endorphins.

With all due respect to the country artists whose music was played, I found the lyrics to be shallow and boring.  And these are nationally-known singers!  Nonetheless, I had a great workout.

But what about the local bands?  I'm here to tell you, no matter what state you live in, you will find an unlimited amount of talent.  You just have to go out and see it for yourself.  

I will choose the state of Kentucky.

In this Bluegrass State is a wonderful, talented, hard-working rock band called Blind Peace (Tony Sell, lead vocals; J W Gregory, guitar; Eric Manos, drums; and Derek Lester, bass).



They have been around for a few years.  I'm taking this moment to tell you what my ears have been graced with and you have been missing out on.  In addition to the great, soulful, dirty-bluesy songs they have written, the the best of which are "Rebel Son" and "999".

And as of last week, they have new and even better music.

Click on these links to hear even deeper and more soulful lyrics.  I promise you, no matter who you are or where you're from, you will love it.  What you will love is the effortless balance of good ol' rock and roll and lyrics that you don't have to censor for your children. So, go ahead and crank up this music while driving them to school or their many extracurricular activities.

"Backwoods"

"The Devil That You Know"

Lastly, please check out this video of "Backwoods."  You will get the best of both worlds: great music and a live performance. 

https://youtu.be/4krezb1AeJE

If you're going to be in the Kentucky area, and you like this music, make plans to go see them.

In Service of Sound, Killing Grace, and Saving Abel

I constantly hear complaints about no one going out there to support the local music scene. Either it has now gotten through to everyone, or there are two words to get people out on a weeknight: Saving Abel.  How packed was it?  The best way I can describe it is, in all of the times I have been at Open Chord, I had never seen that big of a crowd.

To open up for Saving Abel was In Service of Sound.  A very talented female-fronted band, I was automatically hooked on their music and stage presence.  One of the things I have retained from learning about stage performance is, to move around, to not stand still, when the music is playing. That Ashley did, and without hindrances, as if she were enjoying herself.  This was the largest crowd this band had every played in front of.  They killed it! Now, bring on an even bigger crowd for them.

Killing Grace loves them some Knoxville!  Just a few weeks prior, they had rocked Open Chord at HARC.  They jumped at the chance to open up for this show...in the middle of a super-busy tour for their recent release of Speak With a Fist.  Those who missed the HARC show got a great taste of songs from both albums, including "17 Scars" and "Live Like a Suicide."

How has Killing Grace greatly impacted the bands in Knoxville?  Bass player Eric Taylor wore a Killing Grace t-shirt while on stage.

Photo credit:  NVK Photography

That's just scraping the surface of how they aim to please.  They are great crowd pleasers. Lead singer Scott Austin kept the audience engaged in the best way, including a great shout out to the military, and to someone in the audience making a video of one of their songs.

Kip Winger at the Square Room

In Christmas of 1990, I received from a friend a copy of In the Heart of the Young, which was Winger's follow-up album after their 1988 debut self-titled album.  A few months later, I went with that same friend to a Winger concert.

Flash forward 26 years later...and Kip Winger is still alive and well, with many musical accomplishments under his belt, from rock to classical.  

Like before, I put on my best pair of jeans and rock & roll t-shirt, and went to downtown Knoxville at the Square Room in Market Square.

This is my second acoustic show of an 80s rock star, the previous one An Evening with Michael Sweet in April 2015 in Whitesburg, KY.  Something I have come to love about these is, it's laid back. That is what Kip was from the moment he got on stage to sing.  Or was it to talk?  I loved hearing about how he had come from Nashville and thought he was still on central time, only to find that he had lost an hour and therefore not had a chance to eat.  

He is the only rock star I know of who will eat potato chips on stage.  

So, if anyone out there still has it in them to compose an article titled Kip Winger's Vital Stats, much like the ones from the celebrity magazines from back in the day, you can list Kip Winger's favorite snack--to have on stage, no less--is Lay's potato chips.

Photo Credit;  Thomas Biggs, TRB Photography, LLC

He had fun with spicing up his backup vocals.  Take for instance "Can't Get Enough," one of my personal favorites.  He asked us to sing them...like the way Joe Elliott of Def Leppard would do it.

It seems there is a new form of social media where brackets are made.  The brackets are to be used for votes.  Also concerning social media are the many photos about musicians.  I came across one a while back that was a list of things that indicate an incompetent musician.  One of the items was the band asking the audience for song requests.  While that, under those circumstances, would be in poor taste, Kip made light of it:

He made some "brackets", with an "applause-o-meter", such as "Under One Condition" or "Hungry."

Just when it couldn't get any better with him engaging the audience, he invited someone to sing "Miles Away" with him.  It ended up being a local guy who, if knowledge serves me correctly, once played drums in a local band.  He sang well, never missed a word of this awesome rock ballad.

By now, you're wondering, "Did Kip play an acoustic version of 'Seventeen?'"  This left me at the edge of my seat.  The answer:  Yes!  Very last song.

Thank you, Kip Winger, not only for all of the memories, especially from this one show, but for showing love for us fans in a way we had never seen.

For those of you who would like to see the full set of Winger (again?), and Sinful Lilly, an awesome, super-talented and -passionate rock band from Lexington, KY,  you can on September 23rd in Hazard, KY, at the Forum.

Place of Skulls plays "Late for an Early Grave"

A Night in the Word at Open Chord

Back in March, I made a big, huge mistake;  I didn't go see Place Skulls at Open Chord.  I was thankful to have a second chance last night for the Night in the Word at Open Chord. As you know, I had been there only a few nights ago for HARC.  

I also wanted some more of their food.  For those of you who haven't eaten there yet, I highly recommend the personal pepperoni pizza with a Snapple lemon tea.  It was nice to have an acoustic act to set the atmosphere for this mouth-watering dinner.

Paul Ahnert of Metal Mission of Knoxville gave a stirring message afterwards of "Being Real with God," teaching from Psalm 139.  In addition to his ministry with Metal Church, he also has a great blog that I love to read every chance I get.  He has some great biblical insights.  Please click this, and be blessed!

The acoustic set and Paul's message did well in whetting the audience's appetite for some awesome righteous doom metal.  After all, you can't go wrong when Victor Griffin, ex-Pentagram lead vocalist, is up on stage at what, in my humble opinion, is the best venue to see live music.  The best part about this show, again from a newbie, was hearing "Late for an Early Grave".  

Having gone to many hard rock shows, the bands playing show non-stop action, hardly a lull in between songs. I have come to know Victor as a man of few but meaningful words. What he doesn't say, he lets his guitar(s) do the talking.  

What I have to say in one short question is:  When is the next time I will see Place of Skulls?

A big, big thanks to Open Chord for having this wonderful uplifting event.

Killing Grace at HARC at Open Chord

Hydrocephalus Awareness Rock Concert (HARC)

What happens when a fellow metalhead is suffering?  We let them know we care, are there for them in any way we can.  This past Saturday night at the Open Chord, we showed that love to Scott Thomas, a Knoxville resident who supports the local music scene.  He has had a lifetime struggle with hydrocephalus, which is "water in the brain."  Seven rock/metal bands, from Southwest Virginia to middle Tennessee, came to play for this benefit.  Many of these are ones who are well-known in this area, including Annandale, Shallowpoint, and Belfast Six Pack.

Scott Thomas started off the show by giving a moving, inspiring testimony of how he has overcome this disease.  Paradoxically, it is miraculous he has had only seventeen surgeries.  Thomas stated that an average child would likely have upwards of one hundred of them.  Despite himself, he spoke very well and made it a dialogue:  Everyone in the audience encouraged and cheered him on.

The Knoxville music scene is huge!

I may never get to the bottom of the list of all of the bands.  One of them was one Clockwork Asylum.  

A great band to start off this benefit concert.  Why?  Because six months ago, lead singer KW Longenstein was in a car accident.  He held nothing back in his stage presence.  Complete with red and black makeup for a mask, he just killed it right then. Not only with that, but with the bullhorn he used in the second half of the show.  A great cover of "Come Together" was a great addition to their set.  But then there was a technical difficulty in the latter part of their set.  What did they do to keep the momentum?  Drummer Thomas Tittle played a drum solo.

Next up was Autumn Reflection.  Guys, what a great job on your rockin' music.

Another band that has overcome a lot over the past few years:  Something Wicked.  They had had some personnel changes.  If I do say so myself, this present lineup is awesome.  In addition to vocalist Randall Paige, they have Jimmy Craig, who has a wicked bass (no pun intended) and an accompanying stage presence of the same kind, and his wife Julie on backup vocals.  There was a surprise:  Julie had lead on a song.  It was killer.  I'd love to hear it again!

Though by this time three bands had already played, this was only scraping the surface for what was ahead.  If no one was convinced of any of the above-mentioned bands, that would give way when Killing Grace hits the stage.  I speak from experience.  And it was no accident that the very place where that happened for me was at Open Chord.  This was the first time they had come since the March release of their album Speak With a Fist.  Most of their lineup was songs from this new album.  Though the CD is great (I'm still high from the amazement from first hearing it), all of the songs will come to life in the best way when seen live.

All I can say about Shallowpoint is (and mark my words here):  they refuse to quit.  The fruits of their persistence were recently rewarded with their lyric video of "Fractured".  To show up Saturday night in spite of recent personal and professional obstacles, and give the audience the best show ever--that spoke volumes.  Oh, yes!  Volume, which was turned up in the best way for bassist Heather Shallowpoint.  I could feel it moving through me.  

Another piece of advice from me:  When you have a benefit concert, and whenever possible, ask Belfast Six Pack to play.  And they will be there, no matter what it takes.  Though I am a veteran Belfast Six Pack fan (for a lack of better words), this was my first time seeing them with their new drummer Tony.  Great job, guys, especially with the new songs, one of which "Black Limo".

To conclude this wonderful night of supporting many awesome bands and raising awareness for an unknown but serious illness was Annandale.  As I mentioned before, the Knoxville music scene is huge.  One of the bands that stands out to me is Annandale.  The best part:  lead vocalist Ashley and her great energy on stage.

  

Steel Panther at the International

One of the lessons I have learned is, peer pressure never goes away.  It just comes in different forms throughout life till you're in the grave.  

From the moment I heard about Steel Panther, and saw pictures of them, of their clearer-than-mud glam rock image, and finding out then about their lyrics saturated with racy humor about life in the hard rock music scene, I needed to see this for myself.  It seemed like everyone in my music circle had heard of them, heard their music, and even seen them live at least once.  Being a lifetime glam rock music fan, I felt left out, as if my life, and the relationships I have developed with like-minded people over the years, wouldn't be complete until I saw Steel Panther.

But I missed the first chance about two years ago due to a prior commitment.  I didn't want to blow off the second chance--last night at the International in Knoxville.  Best of all, this was part of their Lower the Bar tour.

Opening up for Steel Panthers was Citizen Zero of Detroit.  

As goes any band opening up for big act, they're up against a lot, not the least of which is the high likelihood of playing to a scarce or bored audience.  Assuming Citizen Zero had never rocked Knoxville,they nailed it in breaking this barrier.  In addition to their music sounding so even and tight, Josh LeMay engaged the audience by telling them to act like it was Saturday and not Tuesday; that alone spoke volumes to me. But he went further in saying he wished he could buy everyone there a drink.  With that said, I will raise my own glass to their awesome cover of "Stranglehold".  

By the time Citizen Zero exited the stage, there was a packed house of glam rock fans, everyone almost literally cheek to cheek.  It is not uncommon for venues to play music prior to the show and between sets.  I consider it appropriate that "Shout at the Devil" was played almost in its entirety before Steel Panther came on, followed by "I Love it Loud," by KISS.

Then, the moment came.  Steel Panthers, in all their glam rock glory, (literally) strutted onto the stage.  It was then that I easily got wrapped up in and thoroughly educated on how Michael Starr was an "overweight Bret Michaels" when the guys first met him.  It was a night of unashamedly leaving all boundaries at the front door.  Then, also to have the band change their minds about how Michael Starr is an "overweight Vince Neil."

One thing is for sure:  It takes a certain person to appreciate, to get, this humor.  

This Week for Sinful Lilly...

One thing I still haven't wrapped my mind around is, YouTube can reach millions of viewers from around the world.  They would be able to see a video that was made remotely.

This past week, my appreciation for YouTube, and the steady hands to make amateur videos, increased one hundredfold.  Though I had seen Sinful Lilly before (and once is far from enough times), and they were larger than life when I saw them live after seeing many of their videos on YouTube , it pained me that due to personal reasons, I missed all of the shows they had this past week.

And they had some awesome ones!

They started off last week playing two straight nights at 5 o' Clock Somewhere in Nicholasville, KY.  A few days later, they were in Louisville, KY, opening up for Doyle (Misfits). Then, last but certainly not least, Whitesburg, KY, opening up for Bullet Boys.

You might think, "Oh, man.  I missed it!"  

Now, don't sweat it.  Remember I said there's always YouTube to give you the live experience right there at your home?  Well, here are some random videos from the past week that will blow you away and give you goose bumps at their genuine talent continually jumps off the screen.

I hope you like them!

"California Man," performed at Appalshop Theater, Whitesburg, KY

"Wait Your Turn," performed at Trixies

"Devil Music & the Record Machine," performed at Trixies

"Snowblind," performed at Appalshop Theater

If you do, you can follow them on Facebook,  Twitter or Instagram.

I'll see you at their next show.

KISS Army, a KISS Tribute band, playing "Do You Love Me?"

KISS Army at Knoxville Harley-Davidson

Now that I get it with KISS' legacy, I want to make a point to see any KISS tribute band I can.  Why? Because I want the best.  And I got it when I saw KISS Army at Knoxville Harley-Davidson this past Saturday.

Only it wasn't what I had expected.  It was more.  What got my attention when their show started was the parts of all of the news reports about how "young teenagers are into this loud music by musicians wearing black and lots of makeup."  Oh, how times have changed!

It was a great night of being part of what I missed out on back in the day.  The best part was when they played "Deuce" and "Strutter" back to back, including doing that famous sway during that instrumental break.




While KISS is known to steal my love, every one of the guy in KISS Army each took part in taking center stage, stealing the show.

Of course, what is a KISS show without "Pete's" drum solos, as well as playing "Hard Luck Woman"?




Or Gene's well-known bass solo and blood-generating theatrics?






Or the Space Man's cosmic guitar solos?



And of course, Star Child's raps?



The band outdid themselves in giving us KISS fans a great show in spite of the cold, windy weather. Getting sick from it didn't matter, because they made sure to "call the doctor." Need I say more?

That now marks two KISS tribute shows I have been to so far.  My question now is:  How many more am I going to go to before actually seeing the real thing?  I feel like I need to make a punch card for this.  Nonetheless, it was another great moment to live in the moment.

Southern Floyd, a Pink Floyd tribute, plays "Comfortably Numb"

Southern Floyd, a Pink Floyd tribute band, plays "Run Like Hell"

Southern Floyd, a Pink Floyd tribute band, plays "Hey, You."

Southern Floyd, a Pink Floyd Tribute

The psychedelic power of Pink Floyd is alive and well, even in Atlanta!

How do I know this? I saw it for myself when I saw Southern Floyd at Open Chord Thursday night.



If I had had my eyes closed through the entire show, I would think it really was Pink Floyd.  Southern Floyd knows their Pink Floyd:  every note, chord, and beat was so accurate.  The audience must have been so mesmerized.  There was hardly any movement...until "Wish You Were Here."

What's more:  They did two sets, the second of which was even better than the first.  So involved was I in it, that before I knew it, the show was over.  I thought it appropriate to have "Comfortably Numb," as the last song.

I was so glad to be a part of this experience.

Bangles, All Over the Place: A Retro Review

Raise your hand if your life was forever changed at a public library in your tween years!

I would be one of them.  Or if I'm the only one, then so be it.  What changed me?  A copy of this album:



I had seen it before but never gave much thought to it, never noticed it.  Then, one day, I realized...it was the Bangles. At the time, they were invading the pop music scene with one hit after another from their sophomore album, Different Light, which I did have and still have (somewhere).  Of course, at the time, I didn't know they had made an album before that.

I checked it out, not once, but hundreds of times.  When I brought it home with me, I played it so many times in each three-week period.  It was painful for me to return it and wait for it to go back into circulation, so I can check it out again. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said I played it more than Different Light.  It's a wonder the library staff didn't simply give it to me.

I was considered strange for listening to this rather than the other hits at the time by this band, made up of four talented women, who are that to this day.  While everyone else was singing the lament of the first day of the work week, or doing that simple but cheesy dance with supposed origins from a northern African country, I was engrossed in "Live," "Dover Beach," "Restless," and "He's Got a Secret."

I'm not sure about this, but somehow All Over the Place got overlooked.  Back in 1984, I don't recall hearing any of these songs, or of the Bangles.  It's a shame.  Why?  Let me put it like this:  If you knew nothing about music, had no musical talent about you whatsoever, and you heard this album, you wouldn't have a hard time finding the unhindered talent and musicianship Susanna, Vicky, Michael, and Debbie have in every one of the songs on this album.  It's on this album especially I am amazed at their complementary vocal harmonies, and music that emulates well the melodies from the mid to late sixties.

Here I am thirty years since the first time I heard this sadly overlooked album, and I am still entranced and inspired by it.

It's the musical finger food I have spent a lifetime listening to.

Beasto Blanco

Calgon couldn't take me away.  And, of all things, neither could my very own cowbell. I was running out of options to take away my frustrations and writer blues.  So I called a friend. 

What he suggested:  Beasto Blanco, a band with awesome rock with tight melodies and great lyrics. They're that way because Chuck Garric, a former bassist for Alice Cooper, as the lead vocalist, and Chris Latham on lead guitar, are two make up this band that has rich old-school roots.



What it was to me:  Something that could do more than what Calgon is capable of, and in a shorter amount of time.  It did more than just take me away.  It took me back to a time when I was much younger than I am now, that anything was possible, that the sky was the limit to anything I could do.

What I would like to do:  Give you, the reader, a "sales pitch" in three songs, all of which can be heard on Reverbnation.

Though I'm more than twice the age I was when I listened for hours on end to all of the rock music I could stand, I am glad all of that listening has gone to good use.  That was my thought when I heard "California".  I know all of you will get it when I refer to "Mojo rising" and "Lizard King."  Guys, you had me at song one; this was it.  It was more than enough to "Light My Fire."

Pretty soon, and for a long time, I was able to put aside my realities and fantasize about being a totally different person, one with no limits or boundaries, and throw caution to the wind.  I got into that mindset when I heard "Vegas Baby Vegas."

Lastly, there is "Beasto Blanco."  Needless to say, those of you who appreciate the music from the '70s will be all over this one simply because of the title.  But it doesn't end there.  How about a Crue-esque guitar riff, and KISS-esque drums (I heard "Strutter"? Speaking of the former glam rock reference, you've got to be motivated and inspired by the "living fast" phrase.  And to boot, I think it's about time for country music to give that "hell, yeah" back to us rockers.   

In a nutshell:  Solid rock music with tight melodies, which by no means let up; killer guitar riffs and drums, which only make you want to hear this music over and over again; and music replete with classic rock sounds.

Are you sold?  I hope so.

Bullet Boys, Elefante

It never ceases to amaze me that the rock bands I knew of in the late 80s/early 90s are back and have new CDs.  They include but certainly are not limited to Autograph, Faster Pussycat, W. A. S. P., and Enuff Z 'Nuff.

Then, in spite of many changes in band members in that same span of time, we still have the Bullet Boys.

One thing is for sure:  Marq Torien nails it in showing the rock music world he still has it. His voice maintains the steadiness and strength in all of the eleven songs of Elefante.



The first thing I had to do is not think--and I am relaying this message to you--about the Bullet Boys we knew back in the day.  Expect a different sound.

The CD starts off with a great rocker called "Rollover."  I can wallow around all day in that old school-style rock.  What a great start to the CD!

Where I really felt the Bullet Boys vibe was in "The Villain."  The bass especially kept the song going.  So a big kudos to Chad MacDonald for that.

There is a bit of humility and sentimentality in their music--right in the middle, to be exact.  Where is it found?  In "Kin Folk."  What makes it great?  The soulful backup vocals.

"Symphony" starts off with a pop sound that is too strong for my taste. With the alternating pop and rock sounds, it left me confused.  It wasn't its own symphony to my ears.  However, the backup vocals saved the song.

Where I felt like they were gravitating toward the pop end of things was in "As Dumb As." Aside from the title possessing the same cadence as Was Not Was, the tone of the song made it sound like today's Top 40 music.

The Bullet Boys sound has always been compared to AC/DC and Van Halen.  I will add another one to that list:  Slaughter.  When I heard the end of "Tsunami" and "Drop Your Weapon," I couldn't help thinking of such hits as "Eye to Eye," "Up All Night" and "Out for Love."  Guys,please consider this a compliment, because when I hear their albums, I hear new things each time in those absolutely wild intros and outros.

How I would describe Elefante, in a nutshell:  Some great rock moments, some great pop moments. It's more or less hit and miss.  In time, I know this CD will grow on me.  If it happened to me when I first heard Heart's Little Queen, from hearing Bad Animals back around 1987, I know the same will happen when it comes to Elefante.