Don't Miss Sean and Bang Camaro TONIGHT

I don't have "favorite blogs", but if I did, one of my favorites would be "Circle of Fits".

Why?

Because Sean Barry is a phenomenal writer with a passion for rock music, a deep beautiful love for his wife and son, and a heart that knows the depths of loss and pain. Plus he's funny, cute and underneath his "tough guy exterior" he's a sweetie pie. Apparently he can sing as well, we'll see because he makes his nationwide TV debut - tonight!

You can catch him at midnight on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show!!! They filmed it here last week as his band, Bang Camaro, ended a 6 week tour across the country...12 guys in a van - 6 weeks. Wow.

I could have met Sean in person last week when BC played The Viper Room, but I was too nervous to make the trek up to LA and actually walk into that place alone. After hearing his description of it, I am feel justified in my fear -

"Inside it's dark. Darker than the night outside on the Sunset Strip...foreboding and ominous. There were thug like ghosts,spirits of vulturous cretins awaiting our arrival, in pounce mode. When our contact/stage manager at the club met us inside, he showed us to what might be considered a green room. But he called it Johnny's room and said Unspeakable things have happened in here, unspeakable.

The stage was small, jutting out in a semi circle, surrounded by a black curtain..that closed around the bands in between sets..for secrets to be exchanged, rules to be broken. We went on after another tip top performance by Leslie and a fine band from Jersey called The Parlor Mob. This was the last show of the tour ...a performance percolating from the culmination of emotions, road residue, exhaustion, tour stop peaks and valleys and hard earned recognition. We were feeling the pressure....we were preparing the final release. The crowd was a packed in mix of LA's finest tattooed service industry turned rock wannabe folks, gamers who had traveled from two states away, and guest list fans.

We gave it our all and purged demons that drove the ghost of every back room drug dealer or bad businessman that inhabited that space right the fuck out of there.
Bang Camaro brought the faithful to fever and entranced those on their fences.
After the show, Alex was approached by a slightly portly blonde gentleman who introduced himself as Tom Zutaut, who said he really liked the band and what we were doing with it. For those of you who don't know rock like Alex and I know rock....Tom Zutaut signed Guns N' Roses and Motley Crue to major labels. He's probably a good person to know. We will see...."

Back in my LA Club Days I often went to The Whiskey, The Roxy and The Trubadour, I have shared some of my some great rock and roll memories of that era on this blog in the past.

(the 80's). But the me of today is not the same girl and to be honest, The Viper Room intimidates the heck out of me - I mean what would I wear? I have nothing "LA-ish" in my current wardrobe of mostly jeans.

One last thing I will share from Sean's blog is about the hotel he didn't stay in. I DID stay there once just to say I was at the same hotel as certain rock legends. Check it out:

(Palm trees for Drew)

"This used to be the Hollywood Hyatt where John Bonham rode a motorcycle down the halls of the sixth floor, Keith Richard threw a TV out the window of room 1015, Robert Plant raised his arms out on a balcony overlooking Hollywood exclaiming "I am a Golden God" and Jim Morrison hung out of windows. But the hotel in Culver City was closer to LAX where I was to fly out from in mere hours. Besides, they enclosed the balconies in glass, renovated and renamed the place to attract anything but rock stars. Fuck That Noise! I stood outside the van in front of the hotel and closed my eyes hoping that when I opened them, it would be 1975 and I would have sideburns and bell bottoms to die for as I entered the RH's famous halls. Instead I found myself half asleep and ready to get back in the van."

Seano - I am glad you made it home safely and I know your wife and son are thrilled to have you back, that must have been one sweet reunion! Thanks for sharing your journey on your blog. I see a book...or possibly even a made for TV movie :)

For My Son:

I spent the entire day with my son in one of those situations where you sit around waiting for hours in boredom. Luckily (for him) I had my iPod, and although our tastes in music are vastly different, there are a few bands we both like.

One is Rage Against the Machine. When I mentioned to Keven that I had seen Tom Morello play once and how iincredible it was to watch him, Kev spent ten minutes explaining to me the technique Tom uses for his unrivaled sound. I loved hearing him get excited about music. Since I can't remember his exact words, I'll just use the explanation from Wikipedia:

Critically acclaimed, he is said to use the guitar in a unique and imaginative way; rather than just plucking the strings, his maneuvers include toggling between two pickups - one on and one off - while rubbing his hands on the strings over the pickups (his signature vinyl scratch effect used in "Bulls on Parade"). He also uses techniques such as rapidly hitting a pencil on the strings ("Cochise", although he now emulates the sound by "baby-slapping" the strings), scraping an Allen wrench on the strings for a whole song ("People of the Sun") and even tapping the bridge with his audio jack cable ("Testify" and occasionally on "Bullet in the Head").

So, this video is for my son, Keven (who has never looked at my blog but - hey there's a first time for everything, right?)

Yusaf - New Music from "Cat Stevens"

According to his website, these 11 new songs are in classic "Cat Stevens" style. I went to the site and listened to the tracks they have playing there.

Wow, just hearing his voice again makes me feel good. I spent so many hours of my youth with Tea for the Tillerman, Buddah and the Chocolate Box, Mona Bone Jakon, Teaser and the Firecat, and Catch Bull at Four.

I can't wait to hear all of his new music. I didn't get offered an advance copy to review - bummer!

Jane's Addiction CD to Give Away

Jane's Addiction  has a new three-CD box set full of unreleased music and videos that will most certainly thrill JA fans.  I was given the CD to review with a sampling of songs and have two of them I'd like to give one away to the first person who asks (DG - I reserved one for you).

 

I am not a huge fan of the band so it's hard to give it a review, but from what I've read most people are giving it high ratings.  RS was not impressed, but I don't really listen to them that much these days.

The Canadian Press had this to say:

"It's a celebration of the band's influence on music and pop culture. Open the "Cabinet of Curiosities" and you will find three CDs of music (mostly unreleased demos and live recordings), a DVD of music videos and personal footage from the band, a booklet that tells their story in words and pictures, trading cards featuring the four original members and four tiny worry dolls.

The visuals are great but the music is better: A total of 43 tracks, almost all previously unreleased.  

Taken together, "A Cabinet of Curiosities" is an immersive trip down memory lane with one of the most influential bands of the late '80s. With a collection this comprehensive, there's no need for the worry dolls."

Happy Birthday to Gary Wright

I love this song....it takes me to an exact moment in time, at an exact location...and each time I happen to be driving on that road, on that exact sharp curve above Pacific Coast Hwy. in Laguna Beach - this song immediately begins "playing" in my mind.

thanks, Gary, for writing such a beautiful song for so many people to enjoy all these years.

The Boat That Rocked

Just got an email about this new movie: starring Philip Seymour Hoffman

The Boat That Rocked –

Rocking into theaters on August 28, 2009!

Synopsis:

In the late 1960s, American radio stations blasted rock and roll 24 hours a day. But in the home country of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the only way 25 million people could hear their music was to tune in…to a boat.

Celebrated filmmaker Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Love Actually) brings the incredible story of a band of rogue deejays who captivated British radio listeners in the ’60s, playing the music that defined a generation and boldly defying the government that tried to shut them down—The Boat That Rocked.

Leading the cast of the comedy are Academy Award® winner Philip Seymour Hoffman as Radio Rock’s infamous deejay The Count; Bill Nighy as the station’s owner (and ship’s captain), Quentin; Rhys Ifans as mystic deejay royalty Gavin; Nick Frost as the amorous, sarcastic disc jockey Dave; and Kenneth Branagh as the man out to silence Radio Rock, Minister Dormandy.

Release date: August 28, 2009

Genre: Comedy

Rating: R

Official Site: http://www.theboatthatrocked.net

This Day in Music:

1992, David Bowie married model Iman, in Switzerland.

1990, The road crew for Roger Waters discovered an unexploded World War II bomb while constructing the set for 'The Wall' concert in Potsdamer Platz, Germany.

1976, Paul and Linda McCartney spent the evening with John Lennon at his New York Dakota apartment and watched Saturday Night Live on TV. Producer of the show Lorne Michaels made an offer on air asking The Beatles to turn up and play three songs live. Lennon and McCartney thought about taking a cab to the studio, but decided they were too tired. This we the last time Lennon and McCartney were together.

1968, enjoying a wild birthday party Keith Moon drummer with The Who drove his Lincoln car into a Holiday Inn swimming pool.



taken from the wonderful site: This Day in Music

Do You Recognize This Gentleman?

FINAL WINNERS

Ok, so I got distracted for a week or so...had to recover from Bruce and get back in my blogging groove.  Here are the finals you picked from the "Album Madness" game we were doing (thanks to The Sound LA for the idea). 

The winners pretty much won by a landslide except for the first one, which was very close.

Carole King  “Tapestry” 4 vs David Bowie - Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust 5
Pearl Jam “Colour” 1 vs Dire Straits - Dire Straits 8
Jimi Hendrix “Are You Experienced?” 1 vs Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here 8
Green Day “American Idiot”1  vs Janis Joplin - Pearl 8
Allman Brothers “Brothers & Sisters” 7 vs Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker 2
Cars  The Cars 7 vs INXS - Listen Like Thieves 3
Led Zeppelin “Two” 7 vs Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill  2
Nirvana “unplugged” 7 vs Depeche Mode - Violator2

Thanks for playing along, I'll be doing this again soon with some new choices.

New Heart Next Year

Well its about time! I love these ladies and can't wait to see what they come up with. There new album will be released in summer of 2010, there last one was "Jupiter's Darling" way back in 2004.

Here is part of an interview with Nancy:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Rock 'n' roll sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart have been making music together for more than 30 years, but they have rarely shared the vocal spotlight.

Ann did most of the singing, while guitarist Nancy occasionally contributed backing vocals. The formula served them well, producing such classic-rock chestnuts as "Barracuda" and "Crazy on You."

But things will be a little different for the group's next album, on which they are currently working. Nancy will take a greater share of the vocal duties as the sisters experiment more with harmonies.

"It's just a way of reinventing, and having more fun, and taking some of the pressure off of Ann as a singer," her younger sister said in a recent interview with Reuters.

"As you probably can imagine, her voice is really a gift from above. It's an instrument like few others. To couch a vocal style together more would be something fresh and new and more fun. Harmony singing is my favorite thing to do in music!"

Wilson described her vocal style as "more limited," although she has sung lead on a handful of tunes including the 1985 chart-topping power ballad "These Dreams." The sisters also notably traded off each other on their cover of Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore."

"I love singing, and whenever I can sing some more vocal leads I always covet the chance. But it's always got to be the perfect fit for a voice like mine," she said.

Record Store Day - Not Good for Me

I wish I could tell the whole story of why my day yesterday was the PITS. I better stick with the short version:

I decided to visit my local independent record store. Since there isn't one near me, I had to look up the closest one. I could have driven 10 miles to Laguna Beach or 20 miles to Orange. I chose Laguna, bad choice.

Laguna Beach is beautiful. But the people who worked at the record store - not so much. They were rude and cranky. The other customers (there were only two) looked bored and weren't even looking at music, they were looking at t-shirts. But the real bummer was the small selection of LPs. There were 4 rows in the store, only 1/4 of one row contained used vinyl and one very small section up front had new vinyl (at crazy prices that made me sad).

So, I trudged the five blocks back to my car, enjoying the ocean view but wishing I would have driven to Orange instead and went to a better store.

THEN, this happened:

I decided to fulfill a promise I mad here months ago. I dug out the box of albums in my garage so I could go through them, take some photos and tell you all what treasures I had left in my collection (which went from about 300 to 50 but we won't even go there today).

I sat there in the garage smiling as I took each one out of the box, looked at it front and back (and in the middle when there was one). Wow. What memories. There are some classics in that box. There were also about ten of my dad's favorite LP's, which also brought a smile and some good memories.

I decided to arrange them in a really cool looking collage and take a picture of them. But that's where the ugly part of the story comes in. In a fit of rage someone in my family threw a chair at my carefully laid out collage knocking it over and probably cracking several of the records (I was too upset to look I just put them all away and stormed off, and no it was not my son, he may get into trouble now and then but knows better than to mess with my music.

So, I'll have to wait for another day to share pics. In the meantime, if you find yourself in Laguna Beach don't bother stopping here:

A Dream Come True for Karen

Somehow I missed this dedication when I was at the show last night. Backstreets was one of the best songs he did last night, full of emotion, now I know why. Thanks, Pete, for pointing out this story about Karen. I am going to shed a few tears and say a few prayers for her.

Review of Bruce Springsteen Concert (updated after a night's sleep!)

I re-wrote some of this today!

I recently met with a reporter and web-editor of my local newspaper. The topic of the upcoming Springsteen concert came up and I jokingly said I would love to be a music reporter, paid to attend concerts and write about them! In reality, I would not want that job. Music reporters are also known as "music critics" and my reviews are from the heart, not from an analytical approach of what I thought was "right or wrong" with the performance.

A lot of people prefer the traditional concert review, and there are plenty of them out there to choose from. I read the one by my local reporter, Ben Wener and felt it was written with a cocky attitude and some of the statements he made clearly show that he doesn't know what he's talking about. I'll be giving him my opinion on that later.

So, if you like the standard music critic review this one may not be for you. But, if you'd like to hear about my experience with Bruce tonight, read on.

First of all, we were LATE to the concert because we got lost. I don't know how it happened, we've been to LA Sports Arena so many times, but one wrong turn and we were in Brentwood cruising in OJ's old neighborhood.

Being late to the show was horrible, we had never been late to any concert before so it started the night off with a bad feeling. I missed a few songs I would have loved to hear including Badlands, Candy's Room, No Surrender and Outlaw Pete.

Our seats were good and there was no one sitting on either side of us so we had plenty of room to move to the music. It was odd sitting on the right side of the stage (Patti's side) because for 90% of the Springsteen concerts we've attended (20 total) we always sat on the left (Clarence's side). So that also added to the feeling of the night being different from most.

The guy in front of us was wearing sexy smelling cologne which teased me all night - reminding me that I was there alone, but wishing that for once, I had a man at my side. Someone to look over at and smile when something fun happened on stage, or to hold hands with during "The Wrestler" or to kiss at the end of "Lonesome Day". I normally am not focused at all on myself when I'm at a concert, I am completely engaged in the music, the show, the energy. But tonight was different, I wasn't completely absorbed in it, a lot of "me" was surfacing and frankly, I didn't like that feeling.

If I had to choose one word to describe the show it would be: Personal. I've watched Bruce since the early 80's. Never missed a show. I was there at the beginning of his career, for his huge jump to fame in '85, for his "Lucky Town/Human Touch Days", for the reuniting of The E Street Band, to the long awaited Magic Tour all leading up to tonight.

I sensed from Bruce a very personal connection with the audience, even more so than is typical for him. He invited us in close, we were part of the show. They had the lights up often so we could see each other, not just the stage. They also had a long video screen behind the stage an occasionally panned the audience so we could see the faces (covered in joy) of the folks in the front rows.

Bruce literally got in the crowd a few times, he leaned back and let them hold him up, he stood at the edge of the stage fans reaching up and touching him, he invited several people to sing into the mic (including a very cute little boy, about 8 or 9). He collected about 10 signs that people had written song requests on. (They played a few: "Proud Mary" and "Growing Up"). He didn't seem to visit the back of the stage as often as usual, but when he did he was just inches away from the audience! Literally face to face with them.

He always gives the show every ounce of his energy, but tonight he gave even more than that, you could feel it. There was a sense hope that was missing during the Magic Tour. Tonight he reminded us of the economic difficulty that was touching most of the US, but didn't allow it to keep the fun songs from rolling out.

Considering he had a new album out, he played very little from it. He gave us all of our favorites, the crowd pleasers, the ones we all go wild for because that's what we want. Sure, its nice to have surprised (there were a few of those too) but when old friends get together they want to relive the good times, and that's what a Springsteen concert feels like. He also slowed it down a few times and did a very mellow version of ThunderRoad, which I loved.

As I watched him I couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking "How much longer will I be able to do this?". He shows no signs of slowing down (although his voice was a bit hoarse toward the end which concerned me). He is in incredible shape for a 59 year old man (i.e. muscular, fit, limber, strong, energetic). But looking around at his band, at his audience - we're all getting old! I got the feeling Bruce knew that he wouldn't tour again in awhile. When he said "We love you and we'll see you soon" there was a pensive look in his eye I'd never seen before.

Patti was not there. He didn't mention her, but he probably did at the beginning of the evening when we were still stuck somewhere in LA trying to figure out where we made a wrong turn. (NOTE: I will NOT be addressing the assinine rumors going around).

Something else unusual - there were three people on stage that I had never seen before...a male and female backup singer and a new guy playing the accordion. Its been a year since Danny died and I think that contributed to the feeling of the night - the band was missing a special member.

On the flip side of that...we also had the thrilling privilege of having Jay Weinberg show up to play a few sets. (He'll be sitting in for his dad on a few shows). Seeing Jay up there was one of the highlights for me. He's the same age as my son, 18! And he's playing drums for the E Street Band!! At one point the camera was on Jay's face (he didn't realize it) and he was watching Bruce for a cue. He mouthed the words "Born to Run?" to confirm the next song. It was cute (you had to be there). So we all knew BTR was coming before the first note was played.

Another treat, Mike Ness from Social Distortion showed up and did a song with Bruce - don't ask me which one, I have no idea but it was cool (have to admit I would have rather seen Tom Morrello again, but he played the night before).

Nils is my favorite member of the band, he's so talented and such a sweet man. It was great to watch him tonight, he has so much fun. And Max is like a machine on the drums...so much power and precision and his timing is perfect. I also enjoyed seeing Clarence, he always looks so classy - tonight he had his nails painted a shiny gold to match his sax.

All in all, the show was GREAT. We rocked out, danced, yelled "Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuce" and danced some more. There's simply no such thing as a "bad" Springsteen show.

If I had to choose a highlight it would be "The Wrestler". The lights were down except for a soft circle around Bruce and the mic. He stood there for a minute or so before be began the song (I secretly think he was channeling Mickey Rourke). He sang it with such passion, such meaning. It was perfect.

So, other than a bit of bittersweet longing and personal introspection it was another superb evening with my special friend, Bruce.

Very tired now. Goodnight.

----------------
Now playing: Bruce Springsteen - Outlaw Pete

Did You Know About "Record Store Day"?

Its coming up this weekend, April 18 - 20.  Check for a record store near you and learn more.

Dang, I missed a great show!

According to his official site, Bruce's show last night was the best of the tour so far. I noticed by comparing the set list he wrote down to what he actually played that he switched it up a lot, his band is awesome they are constantly on their toes, aware that The Boss could change plans with only a moments notice.


Here is what he wrote down on the set list (click to enlarge):

Here is what they actually played:


Badlands
Darkness On The Edge Of Town
Outlaw Pete
Out In The Street
Working on A Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost Of Tom Joad
I'm Going Down
Raise Your Hand
Spirit In The Night
Waiting On A Sunny Day
Promised Land
The Wrestler
Racing In The Streets
Kingdom Of Days
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born To Run

Hard Times
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Land Of Hope And Dreams
American Land
Rosalita

NOTE:   Last year when we saw him in LA Tom Morello showed up to play Ghost of Tom Joad with Bruce.  It was one of the top five great Springsteen concert memories I have.  If you've ever seen Morello's guitar style - its very unique.  I was mesmerized.  My sister wasn't that impressed.  Well Tom showed up again last night so I don't think he'll be there again tonight....but I can hope!

Round Two Winners and The Final Vote

Here are the winners of Round Two of "Which Album is the Best".  So be sure to vote for the round one winners vs the round two winners to see which one comes out on top.


REM - Automatic For the People 3

David Bowie - Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust 10

Dire Straits - Dire Straits 11

John Mellencamp - Lonesome Jubilee 2

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here 9

Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St. 4

Janis Joplin - Pearl 8

Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever 5

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication 6

Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker 7

INXS - Listen Like Theives 7

Paul Simon - Graceland 5

Genesis - Duke 4

Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill  9

Depeche Mode - Violator 7

Cure - Disintegration 6


Now to put round one up against round two (I know they are paired kinda weird, but I just left them in the same order that they were in)


Carole King  “Tapestry” vs David Bowie - Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
Pearl Jam “Colour” vs Dire Straits - Dire Straits
Jimi Hendrix “Are You Experienced?” vs Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Green Day “American Idiot” vs Janis Joplin - Pearl
Allman Brothers “Brothers & Sisters” vs Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker
Cars vs INXS - Listen Like Thieves
Led Zeppelin “Two” vs Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill 
Nirvana “unplugged” vs Depeche Mode - Violator

Springsteen Rumors and Cheap Seats for Sale for 4/15!

Bruce will be in LA on 4/15 & 16 for shows, then there's a huge gap in his schedule till his next show on 4/21. Rumor has it that:

1. He make make a surprise appearance at Coachella!!!


2. He WILL make a surprise appearance at The Danny Federici Memorial Fund Show at The Troubador on the 19th. Its sold out or I'd be there....its a SMALL venue, tickets are $15 and you know, Know, KNOW that Bruce will show up!

In other news....I got BETTER seats for this weeks show at LOWER price than I paid for the other ones!!!!

So...I am selling my pair for 4/15 (this Wed!) CHEAP, may even give them away at the last minute. Spread the word if you know anyone who may want them!

Round 2 of "Best Album"

This is round 2 of choosing the best album. Reminder, I took this from my radion station, The Sound LA, I did not make it up myself. After we pick the winners from round two they will go up the winners or round one which turned out to be:

Carole King (9) vs Stevie Wonder (3)
Pearl Jam (10) vs Foo Fighters (2)
Jimi Hendrix (11) vs Van Morrison (1)
Green Day (8) vs Oasis (4)
Allman Brothers (8) vs Traffic (3)
Cars (8) vs Pretenders (5) (i feel like a traitor - sorry Chrissie!)
Led Zeppelin (9) vs The Eagles (2)
Nirvana (11) vs Jane's Addiction (2)

ROUND TWO, vote for one:

REM - Automatic For the People vs David Bowie - Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust

Dire Straits - Dire Straits vs. John Mellencamp - Lonesome Jubilee

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here vs. Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.

Janis Joplin - Pearl vs. Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication vs. Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker

INXS - Listen Like Theives vs. Paul Simon - Graceland

Genesis - Duke vs. Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill

Depeche Mode - Violator vs. Cure - Disintegration

Tickets to Arc Angels, May 8, NYC

If anyone is interested in attending this show, let me know, I can get you free tickets (to the first person to respond to this offer)! If I lived closer, I'd be there in a New York second (pun intended).

Formed after the tragic death of legendary guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, the recently reunited Arc Angels are set to perform at New York City ’s Fillmore Theater at Irving Plaza on Friday, May 8^th. After more than a decade apart and having just showcased their music at SXSW, the Austin legends Charlie Sexton, Doyle Bramhall II and Chris Layton are performing together again in anticipation for their upcoming album and DVD releases as well as UK spring tour with Eric Clapton.

Take a listen to them at their myspace page.

P.S. The winner of round one of "best album" will be announced Monday and round two will start!

hey everybody, I got interviewed on "Best of Classic Rock" !

check it out here: 
Best of Classic Rock

they have a GREAT site!


don't forget to vote below on which albums you like best!

Vote for the Best Album

I am copying this idea from my local radio station, 100.3 The Sound.  They recently asked listeners to vote on which album they thought was the best and by the process of elimination, over two weeks, they came up with the one album that beat out all the others.

So, I am doing a mini-version of that. Here is the first round, vote for which of these you would choose:

1. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions  or Carole King - Tapestry
2. Foo Fighters - Colour and the Shape or Pearl Jam - Ten
3. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced? or Van Morrison - Moondance
4. Green Day - American Idiot or Oasis - What's the Story Morning Glory?
5. Allman Brothers - Brothers & Sisters or Traffic - John Barleycorn
6. The Cars - The Cars or Pretenders - Pretenders
7. The Eagles - Hotel California or Led Zeppelin - 2
8. Jane's Addiction - Nothing Shocking or Nirvana - Unplugged

Great New Music Blog!

Joe Walsh (via last.fm)

You'll want to check out Screen Harvest a brand new classic rock blog that features old footage of some great bands. (can you imagine life without YouTube?)

I think its going to be a interesting and fun to read. Check out his story on meeting Joe Walsh in a music store!







ALSO: 
have you checked out these new classic rock websites?  It's exciting to find great new places to visit that are all about Classic Rock! 

Discover Classic Rock

Best of Classic Rock

OR how about the best Classic Rock Network out there?   

Classic Rock Network

I Got Them!

UPDATE! UPDATE!
THIS IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE NEWS!!!

MY SISTER IS THE BEST SISTER ON THE PLANET!

After getting seats (see below) I immediately got back in line on Ticketmaster to try and get even better seats at the HIGH price. I thought, no way will I get them. I waited 24 minutes and up popped a pair of great seats...I called my sister and said "T, do you want to pay $96 for good seats or $251 for great seats?" she said "you only live once, get the good seats and we'll sell the others". So now I have these seats:

Lower Level Section 7, Row 5, Seats 13 - 14

My sis has lots more $$ than I do but still, it is her generosity at paying the majority of this that allows me to go! I wish everyone had a sister like her! I LOVE YOU, THERESE!

Earlier post:

Man, I was lucky. I hit "find tickets" the exact moment they went on sale and four minutes later had my seats. Then I tried again to get two more (you can never have too many) but here I am 20 minutes later and still waiting.

The question is, are these good seats? I think they are but its hard to tell exactly from their seating chart:We are in Section 1-H, Row 32, Seats 101 - 102. I have tried viewing seating charts and can't tell if I have good seats or great seats but dang it I ain't complaining! I GOT TICKETS!

Jeff, I am so sorry you didn't. Starr???? What's up girl? Fill me in, did you get tickets?

tomorrow, 10:00 Am

Tickets Go on Sale for
U2

I'll be doing the usual, posting a sign on my cubicle that says:

"ON BREAK, PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB"

Then I'll be simultaneously on the phone and on-line with Ticketbastardmaster to try for two good seats.

wish
me
luck

Karma Got Me on Peace Sunday at the Rose Bowl

Here I sit in 2009 and just now figured out why I had such a horrible day on June 6, 1982! It wasn't bad luck - it was bad karma! God knew I was not their with pure motives.

I guess I should start at the beginning:

For any of you over 45's our there you may recall the days back in the late 70's - early 80's when there was a huge movement affectionately known as "No Nukes". It was started by a group of musicians and activists that were calling for an end to the use of all things nuclear powered, including weapons.

This was a great time for music lovers like me because of all the concerts! They even had one in my area in this HUGE empty meadow (which incidentally is now covered with buildings, including the one I work in). Check out this line-up:

It was a blast! So naturally a few years later when we heard that Jackson Browne was getting his buddies together for another big show, we got tickets, and being a fan of Bruce even back then, our hopes were that he would be there. It was never officially confirmed that he would be but if the truth be told: I WAS MORE INTERESTED IN THE POSSIBILITY OF BRUCE SHOWING UP THAN I WAS IN THE END OF NUCLEAR ARMS!

There, I admit it after all these years! And that is why everything that could go wrong that day did!

First of all, there is no parking at the Rose Bowl. We had to park on a residential street at the top of a big hill. As soon as I shut the door to my car I realized I had LOCKED the keys inside the car!!! So there we were, four semi-stoned girls at 7:00 am trying to figure out how to get the keys out. We walked all over and finally found a fireman to help us (that's what they called them back in the day - firemen).

Then we finally get to the concert and our seats were bad. It was blazing hot out and we were in the sun ALL day and each of us got bad sunburns. But it was worth it because we just KNEW Bruce would show up as a special unannounced guest.....right?

Sitting next to us that day was a very bizarre young man who was apparently years ahead of the trends...because he proceeded to pierce body parts as he sat there right next to me! He had some needles and he pierced each nipple, his lip, his nose, who knows what else. It FREAKED us out - we had never heard or seen anything like this and there it was two inches away. We were afraid of the guy and didn't say a word to him all day long.

So we sat there all day enjoying speeches by people like Ed Asner, Jesse Jackson, Cesar Chavez and listening to great music by Stevie Wonder, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, Dan Fogelberg, Gary U.S. Bonds and Bonnie Raitt.

But as the day turned to night there was still no sign of Bruce showing up. Hmmm. We began to wonder if maybe he wasn't coming after all? So even after the encore, after hundreds of thousands of people walked out of the stadium, we sat hoping that maybe he'd just show up...he never did.

Tired and sunburned we started the long trek back to the car. There was only one problem. We forgot where we parked. All four of us had different recollections of which was the right hill to walk up. So we walked up one, then another, then another, and after two hours of walking up and down hills, intermittently crying, cussing and praying, we finally found my car.

To top of the day I entered the exit of the freeway but luckily by then it was so late (3 am) that no one else was on the road and I was able to quickly make a U-turn and get back off before the two hour drive home.


It was not a fun day. But now I know why! Karma. I was there to see Bruce, not to stand up for the anti-nuke cause.

Sigh.

Impure motives will get you every time.

Disappointing Concert News

I'm not happy about these two things:


1. Do you know who's opening for U2 when I see them in October? "The Black Eyed Peas". No offense to any Pea fans out there but I don't like their music and don't want to have to sit through it. Yuk.




2. I was so excited to hear that the original members of Bad Co. (minus Boz Burrell who died in 06) are doing a brief tour this summer. But my excitement was short lived when I checked the schedule:

They aren't coming West! Dang it! I am disappointed.


DATE CITY/STATE VENUE
June 17 Hollywood, FL Hard Rock Live
June 19 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheatre
June 20 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
June 23 Raleigh, NC Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
June 24 Virginia Beach, FL Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
June 27 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
June 28 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre
July 1 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
July 2 Canandaigua, NY CMAC
July 4 Atlantic City, NJ Resorts Atlantic City

Happy Birthday Marvin Gaye - You are Missed!

I don't like to admit this, but those of you who know me are probably aware that music makes me emotional. As I watched several videos of the late Marvin Gaye, I cried. It was hard to choose just one video to post in honor of his birthday. This one will always be my favorite:



Marvin's father shot and killed him on April 1. One day before his 45th birthday. I remember watching the news, absolutely incredulous, it was a double shock...he was dead at the hands of his own father.



I can't mention Marvin without also pointing out that this man has more raw sensuality in his little pinky than some men do in their entire bodies. Damn.

Foolish Songs

So, did ya get fooled today? If so, I bet you Won't Get Fooled Again! What was the weather like where your at, were you a Fool in the Rain? There are a lot of songs with the word FOOL in them, no Foolin!

Help me compile a list, but try to only list two or three songs a piece, I know some of you could probalby come up with 100 of them, but its more fun to let a few people chime in :)