Category Archives: Music

Chickenfoot – Learning to Fall

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May 14, 2009

I can’t remember the time I have been so moved by a song.

“Learning to Fall” speaks to every cell in my body as if it were part of me. I can almost feel its spirit rising in my soul like the smoke of sweet jasmine incense.

There is something beyond the words here, beyond the melody. It drifts just below the surface and weaves itself with Joe’s guitar and the beautiful flowing harmonies.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard Sam’s voice contain so much depth. It reveals something intimate about him that he feels compelled to share and yet wants to guard because maybe it’s just a little too personal to give away—and would they get it even if he did?

But it shines through anyhow; he can’t help it, and it glides and caresses like fine cognac slipping down your throat and warming your insides.

You can’t hang a name on that feeling; you just have to allow it to move through you and enjoy its spell.

And listen to the song again.

Rock Music Makes You Explode into the Stars

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May 6, 2009

It should be illegal to feel this good.

Last weekend I had the privilege of seeing Sammy Hagar and the Wabos in concert in South Lake Tahoe. I was in the front row as Sammy came over and sat down on the stage right in front of me to play the intro to “Bad Motor Scooter.” I had to back up so he could get his red shoes over the edge of the stage.

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When Sammy played his slide guitar, I watched his fingers move over the strings, his thumb encased in a clear glass slide, his hands finding the exact place on the strings and quivering to create the vibration and make the sound come alive.

The sound was bigger than Sammy, bigger than the audience, bigger than all of it put together and it spilled out of the giant speakers and bounced off the crowd in the sold-out South Shore Room at Harrah’s.

As he played, the energy of the moment was so intense, I was afraid to absorb it for fear that it would overload my senses. So to counteract it, I hid behind my camera and told myself if I didn’t get pictures, I would forever regret it. Every now and then I lowered the camera and let the energy flow into me, but I didn’t let it enter me completely; it was too powerful.

And now that it’s “safe” to think about it, I realize that great rock music makes me fall to pieces like that. I love/hate this feeling.

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Rock music elicits a loss of self-control that fuses pain and pleasure. It’s a form of therapy that forces us to let go and allow raw feelings to surface, things that perhaps “decent” people would consider taboo and refuse to acknowledge.

That only makes it more delicious.

But because of this, we are restored.

Experiencing a live rock ‘n’ roll performance full force is also like having spontaneous, unprotected sex. It puts you in that moment where it’s do or die, on the edge where there’s no turning back. It’s so extreme that you are willing to let it take you even though you know better. You’ve found yourself in that moment—sweating, heart pounding and consumed with an ache that can’t be extinguished by any other means. And although your logical mind says you shouldn’t be doing this, your emotions are out of control.

It’s like trying to halt a galloping stallion who doesn’t feel the pain of the bit puncturing the roof of his mouth as you pull back on the reins. The drive in him is unbearable. He knows where he needs to go and all you can do is hold on and enjoy the exhilaration of the ride.

How does one harness a feeling like that? Body and spirit open wide to take it all in now, to take it in hard. And it hurts so fine as you explode into the stars.

It’s rock ‘n’ roll, Baby, you don’t control it; it controls you.

Give me more.

Have You Experienced… Hendrix?

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March 17, 2010

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Jimi Hendrix would have been 68 now. Hard to believe. Although he passed away in 1971, Jimi’s legacy lives on and there are many fine musicians out there making it happen.

Sunday night’s concert at the Paramount Theater in Denver on March 14, 2010, was no exception. The sold-out three hour show could have gone on for another three hours and it wouldn’t have been enough for me.

Billy Cox on bass, was one of Hendrix’s original players back in the ‘60s and he showed no signs of slowing down.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd delivered a stellar performance of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”—wow. His style was full of soul and grit and got down to the heart of Jimi’s music.

Jonny Lang was so amazing that as he played, his music took me out of my self and made me forget who and where I was. I was so mesmerized, I couldn’t even tell you what he played! Complaining about the altitude, Jonny only came onstage once—I was hoping for more. I’ve seen him in concert several times before and although I always think I’m prepared for it ahead of time, each time he gets under my skin.

Living Colour tore it up with so much energy on “Power of Soul,” and they were so tight, the audience went wild. And with Chris Layton (from Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Double Trouble” and Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford hammering the sound, Jimi would have been proud.

Joe Satriani performed “Three Stones from the Sun” and from the plethora of effects in his genius-sized toolbox, among others, produced sounds that seemed to flow like water—sounds I’d never heard from a guitar before. During “All Along the Watchtower,” the audience was on its feet and nearly delirious with emotion.

Among the other songs performed were: “Hey Joe,” “Fire,” “Foxey Lady,” “Red House,” “Are You Experienced?” “Crosstown Traffic,” “Purple Haze,” “Voodoo Chile,” and “The Wind Cries Mary.” I was hoping for “Star Spangled Banner” and “Machine Gun,” but I guess you just can’t please everybody.

The show also featured Eric Johnson, David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos, Susan Tedeschi, Doyle Bramhall II, Ernie Isley, and Robert Randolph—all of whom contributed to make this a most memorable evening—a tribute to the greatest and most influential guitarist of our time—Mr. Jimi Hendrix.

This is the kind of music that stirs my soul—a heavy-electric-infused, psychedelic mind trip, and easily one of the best concerts I’ve seen. Give me more!

Chickenfoot’s “Get Your Buzz On Live” DVD Review

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May 18, 2010

I assume this is the same concert I saw at the movie theater (sans the bonus footage) last December.

If so, I don’t remember the film being this dynamic at the theater because where Chickenfoot really must be experienced to be appreciated, is live. Or maybe it was the fact that when I watched this at home, the huge sound contained in my small living room almost blew out my windows. And I don’t mean because I had the volume cranked up.

When Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar, Chad Smith and Michael Anthony break in with “Avenida Revolution,” it always surprises me because it’s such a dramatic entrance. It slams you hard. Now. And it hurts so fine. This time was no exception.

I already wrote about my impression of the movie on the big screen in Movie Review: Chickenfoot Live so I won’t repeat that here. Please see that post if you’re interested.

The bonus material in this DVD is the behind-the-scenes stuff that was missing from the version I saw at the theater. It shows Chad doing man-on-the-street interviews with would-be Chickenfoot “fans.” Holding the mic, which is outfitted with the Chickenfoot logo, Chad asks, “Do you recognize any of these guys?”

“No,” comes the answer from more than one interviewee. Funny stuff.

Then there’s Chad’s photo shoot where he’s dressed up like Will Ferrell in “Elf.” Smith points out that because of the costume, there’s a noticeable elf bulge in his pants, which he concludes isn’t a bad thing, then sits down on the floor and proceeds to literally tear up a snare drum. More funny stuff.

There’s a segment where Sammy visits Bob Weir (of The Dead) and they share a bottle of tequila while chatting about marijuana, among other things. Not sure if they’re stoned in this part of the documentary or not, but they sure are laughing a lot. At one point, Bob picks up a guitar and strums an impromptu melody. Sammy can’t help but jump in, ad-libbing vocals. Now if there’s one thing I’d like to put on my bucket list, it would be being in the room with Sammy and his friends while they’re just jamming like that. I can even feel the vibes through the TV screen.

Mikey is interviewed by Adam Corolla. This was my least favorite portion of the bonus footage, only because I didn’t like how Adam told Mikey he was the weakest link in Chickenfoot. Come on, Adam, Mikey deserves better than that!

Then there’s the “Joe Cam,” where Satriani films odd moments such as Chad’s nightly “flesh wound assessment,” and pans the audience from his onstage perspective. I think I recognized a few faces. And Satch being interviewed by Christopher Guest a.k.a. Nigel Tufnel from Spinal Tap, is amusing.

I also liked the tidbits from various concerts that were scattered throughout. They captured the vivacity—the sheer and commanding over-the-top force that is Chickenfoot in concert.

While I thought some of the interview segments seemed to run on a bit too long, overall, the bonus footage rounds out the DVD nicely, even Chad’s mooning the audience and his demolition of his drum kit at the end. Chad, you maniac! You ROCK!

Great concert video and fun extras.

Chickenfoot is due to record their second album soon and an inside source tells me it’s going to be amazing.

Can’t wait.

Concert Review: Tool – A Trip In and Out of Your Mind

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June 29, 2010

I’ve been to hundreds of concerts in my day, everything from Yanni to David Bowie and I have never seen anything like Tool.

They performed at Redrocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO last night. They’re doing another show there tonight.

To see Tool at Redrocks was a spectacular treat because the venue itself is outdoors, with the lights of Denver in the background, twinkling like millions of stars above the stage—yes above the stage. Then there were millions of real twinkling stars above that—as the full moon rose like a giant orange disc, while lightning flashed from the stage and from the sky off to the south as if it were part of the show. Tool’s lasers then zapped like thin green and red electric fingers over the crowd, bouncing off the rocks behind us.

I thought I was wearing those funky 3-D glasses and didn’t know it.

Tool’s music is heavy, dark and mind-provoking. It’s full of wonderful, holographic, hard-rocking angst and honest, gritty lyrics. I love music like this—music that makes me uncomfortable enough to question who I am.

The show opened with “Third Eye” and the song stepped out flashing, intense and macabre. It was a fitting entrance, as if to say, “Open up your mind,” since in many spiritual traditions, the third eye is believed to be the window to the soul.

I was first struck by the fact that none of the musicians upstaged the others. The bass player, Justin Chancellor, and guitar player, Adam Jones were out front, on opposite sides. Drummer Danny Carey was on a riser between and behind them, and the lead singer, Maynard James Keenan, to the left of the drummer. He never had a spotlight on him and you never really saw him unless he was outlined against the big screen behind him.

I’m not used to this. I’m used to seeing the lead singer stealing the show—basking in the limelight. Not in Tool. This alone made me uncomfortable, made me respect them because instead of focusing on how the singer looked, I was forced to watch the video behind the band—mechanical humanoids, huge eyes popping out in unexpected places, alien-looking beings floating and spinning, and colors pulsing, dripping and throbbing at me while I felt the pounding tension of the music. It was like an acid trip without the drugs.

Most of the audience was stoned—or tripping. I don’t know how anyone could watch a show like this while tripping. I think it would literally blow your mind so bad that you’d end up permanently insane. Besides, you didn’t need drugs to trip out on this show. I’ve also been to several concerts recently where I seem to have been lucky enough to have some dude behind me throwing up. Tool was no exception. I was glad I wore my shoes instead of the flip-flops I had originally planned on wearing.

Then there was another guy pissing into a plastic water bottle next to the guy who puked all over himself. And on the way out of the parking lot, there were more people stumbling, screaming and falling off the road than I’ve ever seen. As we drove out of the venue, a guy alongside our car said to his friend, “Dude, I’m tripping bad.” His friend replied, “Let it happen, man.”

Tool would be proud.

As far as the music, besides “Parabola,” “Schism” and “Vicarious,” another of my favorites was “Forty-Six & 2.” I loved the music and the video and I loved the lyrics—about confronting your shadows. Isn’t that one of the hardest things in life?

Maynard rarely spoke to the audience, except for a brief moment after about the first three songs, when he said, “I have a public service announcement—marijuana is illegal.”

The audience raised their smoldering joints and screamed back, “F–k you!”

I have no doubt that this band is hindered only by the parameters of modern technology—a live show must be presented in a certain way in order for it to be most effective—but if they could figure out a way to move beyond those parameters, they would. And I’m sure they will one of these days.

The concert—and I hesitate to use this word; it seems too cliché for Tool—ended with “Aenima,” and pretty much all I can say is, “Wow.” It’s about facing the stupid crap we think is important in life.

Tool was unquestioningly the weirdest concert I’ve ever been to—even topping David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust in the ‘70s. But Bowie’s show was strictly entertainment; Tool was an experience in and out of my mind like a beating heart, or how my body feels after running or after sex—when it’s heaving and sweating.

I am wounded.

The biggest test of whether a concert experience has been meaningful, is whether or not one would fork over one’s hard-earned dollars to see the band again.

In this case, all I can say is, “Oh—hell yeah!” Wish I was going tonight too.

Voice of the Blues: Jonny Lang

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July 21, 2010

Ah… Jonny…

Last night was the third time I’d seen Jonny Lang in concert. The first was when he was just beginning his career—a teenage boy with a guitar. I couldn’t figure out how such a big sound and big voice could come out of someone so young.

I still can’t. Jonny has as much soul as that of a man in his 60’s.

Some are just born with talent, I guess.

Jonny took the stage Tuesday, July 20, 2010, at the Gothic Theatre in Englewood, CO. It’s a small venue that holds about 1,000. Built in the 1920’s, it’s rather tattered, with brick walls and old paint, but it has character—the perfect place to play the blues.

Lang ripped through his repertoire, combining some slow and some faster songs and always, ALWAYS putting his heart and soul into each piece. It’s almost as if he’s in his own world up there onstage, getting so heavily into the sound that he’s not even aware of anyone else in the room. I don’t mean this in a bad way, because in order for others to be able to relate, an artist has to expose his or her soul with raw honesty. That’s when great art shows us parts of ourselves.

In this department, Jonny never disappoints.

His performance took me out of myself to the point where I leaned over and said to the man next to me, “You know it’s good when the music makes everything feel right with your soul.”

To a packed house, Lang played “Breakin’ Me,” “Turn Around,” “Red Light,” “Rack ‘Em Up,” and “I Am” to name a few. But my favorite was “Lie to Me,” which he started out acoustically, then switched to electric guitar and really kicked it in the ass. With his face writhing between agony and euphoria and sweat flinging off him, Jonny and his band tore the place up.

This is what the blues is all about.

Jonny Lang is what the blues is all about.

Concert Review: Kenny Wayne Shepherd

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July 18, 2011

You pay a price. A big price. But there is absolutely nothing in the world like being up front at a rock concert. Or in this case, a rock/blues show.

Saturday night I was fortunate enough to get in the second row of the sold-out concert by Kenny Wayne Shepherd at Thunder Mountain Amphitheater in Loveland, Colorado.

Oh my God.

I know I probably sound like a giddy teenager, but that’s what great music does to me. It transports me. Turns me into a pool of pure, animal instinct and puts me in touch with that part of me that I usually keep well-guarded because it’s vulnerable and real—my soul.

Anyway, it’s a whole different experience being up front. You can’t hear as well, and you don’t get that balanced, more expansive sound—the entire band as it’s really meant to be heard. But you get to experience the energy firsthand—freshly blasting from the performers. And it is intense.

Despite the fact that I was squished, stepped on, bumped, sweat on by strangers all around me, and subjected to enthusiastic fans screaming into my ear so loudly that it was painful, it was all worth it. Because when the large man in front of me moved to the side for a brief moment and Kenny came over, put his foot on the amp in front of me and made his guitar sing, I think I stopped breathing. The energy spewing from him was like a volcano exploding into my chest. A volcano of sheer blues power.

With killer-voice singer Noah Hunt by his side, and joined by veteran performers Tony Franklin on bass, Chris Layton on drums, and “The Reverend” Riley Osborne on keyboards, Kenny tore up the night, grinning and grimacing, his entire body ricocheting off the notes coming from his axe as he became the sound with everything in him.

Noah’s voice, as always, was like a bullet to the soul—deep, thick, and hard—the epitome of male sexuality. So when he sang “I’m a King Bee”, with it’s blatant sexual lyrics, and combined with Kenny’s phenomenal guitar work, I was so into the music, if I could have crawled right into it, I would have.

“I’m a king bee, baby, buzzing around your hive. I can make you honey, baby, just let me come inside . . . I can buzz you better when your other man is gone,” he taunted. I was gone at that point.

I wish they’d do more songs like that!

Another highlight of the evening was the hit “Blue on Black” —where the audience all joined in and sang along, and a strictly-blues portion, where Noah walked offstage, leaving Kenny and the boys to dig deep into the blues. Oh. Yeah.

The show ended with “Voodoo Child,” a frenzied and fantastic rendition of the classic Hendrix tune.

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Kenny has had an ear for the blues all his life. He explained that at the ripe old age of three, he attended a concert by Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, and that was all it took. Completely self-taught on guitar, Kenny gave credit to some of the other blues greats who influenced him: Buddy Guy, B. B. King, Albert Collins, Albert King, Robert Johnson, and Bessie Smith, among others. You can hear it in his music. Stated Kenny, “The blues is the foundation for everything we play.”

And although he’s only 34, his music has the richness and depth of a person twice that age. Some people just “get” the blues. Kenny does. And if you want it, Shepherd delivers—mixed in with a little bit of rock to create his signature sound.

The show was so hot that it started pouring rain the instant the band left the stage. I guess there needed to be some sort of means to put out the fire!

Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s next album, How I Go is due for release August 2.

Setlist:

Somehow, Somewhere, Someway
Everything is Broken
Never Mind
Last Goodbye
Losin’ Kind
Come On Over
I’m Leaving You
Shame
Never Lookin’ Back
King’s Highway
True Lies
Blue On Black
Shotgun Blues
I’m A King Bee
Oh Well
Voodoo Child

Concert Review: Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe

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Vince Neil

September 4, 2011

Lately I’ve been stepping beyond the constraints of the type of music I know and love to gain some new perspective. Broadening one’s horizons is never a bad thing, right? Not usually anyway. A little over a month ago, I went to a country concert—something I never do. And I had a really great time. Last weekend I went to see Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe at Thunder Mountain Amphitheater in Loveland, Colorado. Hey, I read Mötley Crüe’s autobiography The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band,and I only recommend reading that if you have an affinity for Mötley Crüe, a strong stomach, or an extremely open mind. But after reading The Dirt, I figured I was ready for Vince. Well, maybe.

Vince Neil and Dana Strum

Neil had such badass stage presence that I just couldn’t help but love it. It was heavy-hitting, rock-to-the-gut music with a swift kick in the face that you did see coming and chose not to get out of the way on purpose.

Covered in tattoos and dressed in black leather pants and smiling a beautiful smile while spilling arrogance galore, Neil bounded onstage like a hundred Harleys roaring through a long tunnel. His vocals sounded a bit rough though, and he explained that he’d lost his voice a few days earlier, but I guess that’s not a bad thing if you’re a heavy metal, hard rock singer. It seemed like they had his mic turned down pretty low because it was difficult to hear him most of the time. Or maybe it was simply due to my vantage point. The speakers are generally aimed outward toward the audience. I like to be up front. I thought I could handle the energy emitted by Vince Neil, one of rock ‘n’ roll’s consummate bad-boys. And I did, but it felt like he sucked more from me than he gave back. No accident on his part, I’m sure.

In any case, the packed-in crowd adored him. Halfway through the show, a woman on the opposite side of the stage from where I was standing, handed Vince a pair of hot pink panties, which he proceeded to wear around his neck.

Dana Strum & Jeff Blando

And his band was amazing. They tore it up, tore your flesh from the bone and you loved every minute of it. Jeff Blando (from Slaughter) on lead guitar was phenomenal, as was Dana Strum on bass (also from Slaughter). Besides keeping the night rocking, the two of them (along with Zoltan Chaney on drums—I’ll get to him in a minute) cranked out several Led Zeppelin tunes as Vince left the stage for a bit. Blando even used a bow to play “Whole Lotta Love.” I usually cringe when bands do remakes of Zeppelin songs, but this was fantastic—full of testosterone-fueled emotion and rife with the same energy that made Zeppelin great. Although he is no Robert Plant (who is?) Blando also did a great job on vocals. But these guys are not just a backup band, they are stars in their own right—heavy hitting players who would cut you in half with their axes then strut across the stage to let you know in no uncertain terms that they just got the best of you. Vince too, as if to say, “Take that, sucker! Now what you gonna do about it?”

Zoltan Chaney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zoltan Chaney has to be the most entertaining drummer I have ever seen. He was a show all by himself. He stood up, spun around, threw drumsticks in the air and caught them again, kicked cymbals with his feet, balanced drumsticks on his head and never missed a beat. And that was only part of it. Look him up on Youtube. You won’t believe it.

Vince Neil’s concert was a mix of raw energy, lots of flowing, throwing hair, “don’t f—k with me” attitude, and LOUD, LOUD, LOUD kick ass rock. I felt as if I’d been used and abused and then expected not to take any of it personally. I loved it. I gotta broaden my horizons more often.

Some of the songs performed were:

Tattoos & Tequila
Girls, Girls, Girls
Wild Side
Dr. Feelgood
Kickstart My Heart
He’s a Whore
Same ol’ Situation

How Do You Like Me Now? Toby Keith Concert Review

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Toby Keith

 July 30, 2011

I thought rock concerts were loud. About a month ago, I went to see Toby Keith live in concert and my ears buzzed for days afterward. I must confess that country music is not something I normally listen to, but I’ve seen Toby do guest appearances at several other people’s shows in the past, and he does have that—how do you say? –je ne sais quoi. In other words, he’s sexy, he can sing, and he’s very good-looking.

 But it was the “he can sing” part that made me want to go most of all. I’m glad I did. It was another lesson in stepping outside my comfort zone. You never know where something new may take you—and last month, it took me to Cheyenne, WY where Toby surprised me.

With exploding pyrotechnics and sometimes streamers that were shot out over the packed-in crowd, Toby delighted the entire audience and had them dancing, two-stepping (as much as possible in their confined areas), and singing their lungs out right along with him. It was a huge venue—Cheyenne Frontier Days’ main arena, where they also hold rodeos. We had to tramp through the dust and “horse apples” to get to the arena for our standing-room-only section. But every seat in the stands was taken as well.

Toby is proud to be an American and he isn’t afraid to show it. He toasted the USA, the flag, and our military forces with a lot of patriotic songs and words of praise.

He also did a rendition of Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold”, which was fun and refreshing to me, being first a rock fan. And he did it so well, I didn’t even miss “Uncle Ted’s” version!

At one point, Toby did a “duet” with Willie Nelson, with Willie’s likeness playing on a video on an enormous screen behind the performers onstage. “I’ll Never Smoke Weed with Willie Again” gave us a sneak peek at Toby’s sense of humor beneath that serious face, and then there was the song “Get Out of My Car,” which he introduced with a grin, saying, “You’ll never hear this song played on the radio!” “As Good As I Once Was,” touched my heart, maybe because it reminded me of my late father, who was also a veteran, but it also made me feel glad to be the person I am right now, because in spite of the fact that I am no longer as young as I used to be, I’m not finished yet!

“How Do You Like Me Now?” was the song that surprised me the most. I’ve heard this one before, but nothing beats seeing a performer sing a song live. It had a bit of a rock and roll flavor and this song too, was like saying, “Take it or leave it, baby—this is me and I’m proud to be me!” I’m going to have to add “How Do You Like Me Now?” to my list of all-time top favorite songs.

“Should’ve Been a Cowboy” also reminded me of my dad. He loved country music, being out in nature, and sitting around the campfire telling stories while tossing down a beer or two. Great song. Great memories.

Some of the other songs Toby played were:

American Ride
Whiskey Girl
Under the Rodeo Moon
Who’s Your Daddy?
I Love This Bar
Beer for My Horses
Get Drunk and Be Somebody
I Wanna Talk About Me
Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue

 

There was a song I wasn’t familiar with, but it was about boots. And as Toby sang, many of the audience members removed one boot and held it in the air. I’d never been in a crowd of dusty cowboy and cowgirl boots before and this moved me—a connection between audience and performer and back again. That’s what great music is all about.

Toby’s voice sounded awesome, he had his swagger and his little boy smile down to a tee, his interaction with the audience was fun, and his band was killer. I had a really great time.

If you have the chance, go see Toby, even if you don’t care for country music. He’s rugged and cute and sometimes naughty. And he puts on a great show.