Guess what I'm doing today?????
"The Heroin Diaries; A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star" was released today!! I was lucky enough to receive an 18-page advance preview for this book back in June and I have been counting the days until this came out.

For those of you out of the loop, this book is about Nikki Sixx (from Motley Crue), written by Nikki from his own diaries with responses sprinkled throughout by band members, managers, family and friends. Nikki was the MC member that overdosed in 1987 and was declared clinically dead until the paramedics on the scene gave him 2 adrenaline shots to the heart. This book documents his experience with his heroin addiction and how he came thought it. Should be an interesting read. Expect a review soon.

Speaking of reviews....... I just can't bring myself to finish the review of the Styx-Foreigner-Def Leppard show. Folks, it was just that bad....with the exception of Styx. Really. Bad. Bad. Real Bad.

And on a TOTALLY unrelated note..... I got "tagged" with a "meme" yesterday. And yes, I had to google and wiki the word "meme."

Direct from Wikipedia: A meme as defined within memetic theory, comprises a unit of cultural information, the building block of cultural evolution or diffusion that propagates from one mind to another analogously to the way in which a gene propagates from one organism to another as a unit of genetic information and of biological evolution. Multiple memes may propagate as cooperative groups called memeplexes (meme complexes).

Examples of memes might be tunes, catch-phrases, beliefs, clothing fashions, ways of making pots and the technology of building arches.

I know you are thinking "What does this mean and how does it apply to my life?"

Again, from Wikipedia , an INTERNET MEME is simply the propogation of a digital file or hyperlink from one person to others using methods available through the Internet. Some examples are: emails, blogs, networking sites, instant messaging. The content often consists of a saying or joke, a rumour, an altered or original image, a website link, a video clip or an offbeat news story ..and several hundred more possibilities.

An Internet Meme may stay the same or may evolve over time, by change or through commentary, imitations, and parody versions or even by collecting news about itself. It is spread organically and voluntarily on a peer-to-peer basis, rather than by trickery, compulsion, predetermined path or by completely automated means.

I sum up: My brother hit me with a "tag" on my blog that lead me to a questionnaire or survey for me to read about him titled "8 Random Things About Me." He listed 8 things and then tagged 8 people to do the same. They will list their 8 things on their blog and then tag 8 more people. And they tell 8 people and they tell 8 people and they tell 8 people...you get it, right?

So, later today I will turn out 8 random things about myself. The only big question is....

WHICH 8 PEOPLE WILL I TAG????

How much more 80's rock can I take? Here's a peek at what I'm doing this weekend :

For starters........




And then with these guys:



And my FAVORITE!



All in one weekend?

BRING IT ON!!!

Night Ranger: A band I have met, but never seen play a live show. I met Jack Blades and Kelly Keagy through a friend of mine that knew Jack. We had dinner with them and as the night progressed, we ended up at my friends house (drinking, of course) and much acoustic music was played. It was casual, fun, loose and these guys were funny! We all laughed and sang the night away. Oddly enough, we didn’t sing any Night Ranger songs…….

That was 1992. Now, in 2007, I am dragging my 3 boys and husband out to see Night Ranger. They are good kids and they try really hard to support mom’s 80’s music addiction. My oldest was nice enough to wear my “vintage” Night Ranger bandana! My husband (thankyouthankyou) has been learning to live with my addiction ever since I forced him to see Motley Crue at Red Rocks. He knew he’d better just get on board or be left behind. So, here we are at the Taste of Colorado in downtown Denver, ready to see the afternoon show for Night Ranger. It’s hot, there are hundreds of people here and we are right up front.



The show was just over an hour and I thought that I could keep the set list in my head, but a few Mike’s hard lemonaides and too much sun…and I just forgot the opening song. You know, if I got PAID to write this blog….I might have been taking better notes. I’m just saying………

Here’s the set list….what I remember!
(if you were at the show and can figure out what I’m missing….email me!)
Sing Me Away
Touch of Madness
Rumours in the Air
Seven Wishes
Highway to Hell
Secret of my Success
When You Close Your Eyes
Don’t Tell Me You Love Me
Sister Christian

The past few years have been good to 80’s rock fans. Old groups are touring with original members, new groups are forming from various old bands and the best of the best are mixing it up and playing musical band members. Night Ranger has only 3 original members: Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy and Brad Gillis. To fill things out, they are currently on tour with Michael Lardie (Great White) and Reb Beach (Winger).

I had fully expected to see Michael Lardie at the show, but there were some conflicts in scheduling with Great White. Instead, there was some unknown-to-me keyboard player (sorry whoever you are). Reb looked fantastic and his playing was HOT! Brad Gillis and Reb were definitely meant to play together. There was such symbiosis between rhythm and lead guitar that the lines were blurred and it was hard to tell who was taking the lead. Some of Brad’s lead guitar lines were doubled in harmony by Reb. The fingers were flying! Blistering! It was truly amazing to see. Both stellar players, I still wondered how it went when they first tried to do that……….



Let me just say this about Brad Gillis: He oozes “ROCK GUITAR GOD” better than anyone in the business. I am hooked every time I see it. Of course, he has the chops to back it up, which makes him even hotter. I’ve photographed a lot of bands and inevitably at a show, one band member will stand out as prime photographic material. It’s some sort of vibe that comes out that makes them camera friendly. For this show, it was Brad…..and I ended up with more shots of him than anyone else. I could have followed him around with my camera all night.



Jack was full of energy. It was a hot day for an outdoor show and he was all over the stage! The man can move! As I had remembered him…he’s funny. The intro for “Secret of My Success” was a story about a phone call from Michael J. Fox asking if they would pen the title track for the movie. Jack said “Are you going to pay us? WE’RE THERE.” (this, no doubt, poking a little fun at how commercial Night Ranger made themselves in the 80’s) If you know that song….you know that there are about a million “na-na-na-na-na-na-na’s” at the end and the song went on forever.

After all the na-na’s, Jack said that some of the greatest songs ever had a little na-na in them. He gave us the na-na’s for the 60’s hit “Kiss Him Goodbye” and the audience ran with it. He gave us the na-na’s from Journey’s “Lovin Touchin Squeezin” and again- the crowd went nuts. Probably the best na-na song of all time, Jack said, was..and you guessed it…he gave us the na-na’s for “Hey Jude.” It was a great audience participation moment. Someone must have said something that Jack heard, because he said “Hey, really. This is our music, too. We grew up on this stuff. What did you think WE were listening to?” Good point. And to prove it, Brad launches the opening riffs to AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.”

THE CROWD WAS ABSOLUTELY, COMPLETELY NUTS!

Brad stopped as if it were only a joke, but the fans wanted more. Jack says, “You want to hear this?” And the answer was “HELL YEAH!” And with that, we traveled on down the highway with Night Ranger. I think Jack may have blown a vocal chord or two, but AMEN was that awesome! For those about to rock…..!!

(*note—you can see Jack Blades & Jeff Keith (Tesla) doing “Highway to Hell” at the California Music Awards. Check YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXLypJfkuSk)

“Sing me Away” was a surprise as the second song in the show. It was also great to hear them dig out “Touch of Madness” and “Rumours in the Air” to remind everyone that they write heavy guitar rockin’ songs…even if they aren’t all top ten hits.

The show closed with “Sister Christian”----OF COURSE. It was done well and I wasn’t surprised by that. Kelly Keagy came out from his perpendicularly placed drum kit to lead the crowd in some a cappella singing. And for a moment…we were all back in high school……..

I can tell you that we did NOT hear “You Can Still Rock in America” which was a shocker. I imagine they might have been saving it for the 7:30 show. I was also surprised that we didn’t get “Goodbye” and “Four in the Morning” or even “Sentimental Street.”

I can’t say a bad thing about this band. They are expert musicians, they love their fans and it shows. It’s a thrill to see another band that survived the 80’s and is looking healthier and playing better than ever. If you haven’t seen them live…..go. They are so much more than just “Sister Christian.” I promise they will rock your ass off!



(more photos at http://flickr.com/photos/lonelymoose/ )

I got two reactions when I told people I was going to see Weird Al Yankovic in concert. The first was “Why?” and the second was “How can he put on a show? Is he a REAL musician?” You will notice that neither answer was “Who is he” or “Is he still around.” Everyone knows who Weird Al is. I grew up listening to him. My kids now listen to him. Even my mom knows who he is! So, let me answer those ‘other’ nagging questions.


First: Why? Well, why not? Ha! No, really….I’m a music fan. I love it all and I don’t think there is a concert you could offer that I wouldn’t go see. If you were a teen in the 80’s, then you watched Mtv take its first steps and with that came Weird Al. Al is now a cultural icon and I felt a duty to see what his live show was all about.


Second: Is he a real musician? YesYesYesYesYes. Am I clear? I always thought that Weird Al was more ‘comedian’ than ‘musician.’ I was certainly schooled at this show! Some might say ‘musical comedian’, but I think even that is just too casual for what Al does.

Al has had the same band line up since 1982: Steve Jay (bass), Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz (drums), Ruben Valtierra (keys) & Jim West (guitar). These guys just don’t get all the credit they deserve. Think about it: Al writes and parodies a wide variety of music and his band has to have the chops to keep up with him. And they do. They are just tight, tight, tight! So, credit to the band as they are most certainly the glue that holds this circus together every night.

But you really want to know about is Al, right? I admit it; I was curious about the kind of show I was going to see. Al came out sporting his trademark accordion and treated us all to “Polkarama” from the current release “Straight Outta Lynwood.” A triple wide video screen played the actual videos from Snoop Dogg, Kanye & the Black Eyed Peas. It is easy to see why Al has trouble getting permission for his parodies and polkas from the rappers: It’s because he brings out the ridiculousness that is their career. You have to wonder if these guys know how silly their songs are and maybe, are they worried that people will eventually see that the emperor has no clothes?? Headline: Talentless Rappers Exposed by Weird Al, Story at 11!!

“Polkarama” went right into “Canadian Idiot,” complete with a confetti explosion at the end. Fantastic! Does anyone know if he performs this song when he’s in Canada? Because I know Green Day does “American Idiot” here in the US….just a thought. The lights went out…the video screen came on and it was Weird Al doing one of his celebrity interviews, this time with Jessica Simpson. These ‘interviews’…clearly pasted together for effect…are an absolute stitch, but I thought that this one went on a little too long. I was secretly hoping that we would have more music and less video.

When the lights came up, we had Al in a gold glitter shirt singing “You’re Pitiful” (the parody of ‘You’re Beautiful’). Just a few lines into the song and I realized why the video clip had been so long: Al has a costume addiction!! He pulled off the glitter shirt to reveal a skeleton t-shirt, pulled that off to reveal a t-shirt that read “Atlantic Records Sucks”, pulled that off to reveal a SpongeBob t-shirt. When he reached for the zipper…you just KNEW the pants were coming off!! By the end, Al was in boxer shorts and a tu-tu. Of course, we had to have another video short because not even Weird Al can segue smoothly from boxers and a tu-tu.

(**Backstory note on the Atlantic Records Sucks t-shirt: “You’re Pitiful” was only released on Al’s website due to a dispute with James Blunt’s record label, Atlantic, who rescinded permission for the parody after it was recorded. The song is still available on Al’s website as a free download.)

Highlights:
*’Eminem was given a harsh video interview before “Couch Potato” (parody of “Lose Yourself”). Al made him look like an idiot. “Couch Potato” was all too short for me as it was meshed into a medley with “Do I Creep You Out.” I would have liked to have seen more of this song because Al raps better than anyone. So angry!!

* “Trapped in the Drive-Thru” was a treat with the video playing on the screens. This version was shorter than the album…for good reason. The album version is almost 11 minutes long! Great song.

*”The Saga Begins” was followed by “Yoda” of course…because what else are you going to sing while you and your band are dressed in Star Wars costumes? This song was a full-out production. The audience (me included) knew all the words and sang along. A chorus line of Stormtroopers danced behind Al while Darth Vader looked on. (see my video) In the middle of Yoda, we were treated to an a cappella break by the band. I don’t know if it had a name, but I wasn’t familiar with it….Kind of Hawaiian, kind of funk. But great. These two songs were definitely show stealers!

*”Eat It” came with the red Michael Jackson jacket…and he can do the dance! *”Fat” was the most impressive costume (& the last) complete with fat suit AND the fat latex face just like in the video. It was a riot!

As I have been told, Al always likes to throw in a new song or something that could not be released. This concert was no exception: We got “I’m in Love With the Skipper” (a parody of “I’m in Love With a Stripper”) Al was in a Gilligan outfit while a video montage of the Skipper and Gilligan played on the video screens. It made me very uncomfortable in kind of a “don’t even go there” way…..but then again, I think that was the point.

Al’s current VH1 hit is “White & Nerdy” and YES, he DID come out on a Segway! He raps, he busts a move and the best part: he had Donny Osmond on the video screen. I feel a personal attachment to this song. It’s the anthem of my people! (side note: I have also seen Donny Osmond in concert in 2002. So, put Weird Al AND Donny in the same show??? Yep. Life Complete.)

The encore was a fan favorite: Albuquerque. And a short song about cell phones that he made up on the spot, causing everyone to turn on their phones and wave them about. Albuquerque…how do I describe it? If you don’t know the 11 minute song from the album “Running With Scissors,” you need to dig that one up and give it a listen. Eleven minutes of song that EVERYONE knew how to sing (except me). Live in concert, this song was about 20 minutes! He expanded the pastry rant (“We are OUT of JELLY DONUTS”) which was probably the funniest part. Great song…great energy. I love seeing fans that really KNOW a song. This was the die-hard fan’s song for sure!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention just a few of the originals that Al performed. That’s right! He writes original songs! “Weasel stomping day”, “I’ll Sue Ya” & “Wanna B UR Lover” were outstanding. “Close But No Cigar” was a riot! They were great songs by a great writer, but they were really held up by an outstanding band.

I tried to keep a running set list, but that is nearly impossible at an Al show. He runs a lot of new medleys by so fast that it’s easy to miss something. The set list I have posted is a close approximation.

Polkarama
Canadian Idiot
Close But No cigar
Bob
It’s All About The Pentiums
You’re Pitiful
Wanna B UR Lovr
Medley: Couch Potato- Do I Creep You Out- Isle Thing,
Bedrock Anthem, Confessions Pt. III, Ebay,
Ode To A Superhero - Eat It-A complicated song-Pretty fly for a rabbi-Gump-Trapped in the drive thru
Headline News
I’ll Sue Ya
The Saga Begins Yoda
Weasel Stomping Day
Smells Like Nirvana
Amish Paradise
White & Nerdy
Fat
ENCORE: Cell Phones & Albuquerque


Total costume changes: 17
Song with the most costume changes: “You’re Pitiful” for a total of 5.
High point of the show: “The Saga Begins”
Low point of the show: There just wasn’t one. Really. I haven’t laughed so hard ever!

Music: great. Comedy: fantastic. Visuals: stunning. What can I say….”I’m just so White & Nerdy.”


(you can see more of my Weird Al photos at: http://flickr.com/photos/lonelymoose/ )

And now for the song that cracks me up *Every *Single *Time:

It was mind blowing!! Of course, it ALWAYS is. Rush fans have come to expect a level of expertly played rock...and they get it every time.

I thought that the last tour, R30, was the fans tour. They pulled out all the radio hits, every party song and the crowd air-drummed and guitared and sang their way through the entire show. I think I was 16 again for most of the show...it was that powerful. But this...this Snakes & Arrows tour...THIS was the REAL DIEHARD FAN tour.

I'll admit I love Rush; Never heard a song I didn't like. I enjoy listening to them and I will never turn down a chance to see them live. But I'm not a diehard fan like my husband who knows the words to every song. This tour brought out deep cuts like Witch Hunt from 1981's Moving Pictures. And a real crowd favorite was Entre Nous from 1980's Permanent Waves which had never been played live before. Don't forget "Bangkok"..you know they never play "Bangkok."

If you think Rush is only about long songs with deep lyrics...you don't know Rush. The most enjoyable thing is their sense of humor. We spent the week speculating what appliances Geddy would have on stage this time. The dryers? Vending machines? Nope. Rotisserie chicken ovens marked "Henhouse." Funnier still is that they tied to the show opener film which gave us Geddy as a Scotsman telling a sleeping Geddy to "wipe that chicken off yer face, un get up on tha' stage." As the film fades, the boys are running to their places on stage, Geddy still toting a chicken leg and wiping his face with a towel. Alex strikes the first chord of Limelight....and the three hour ride takes off.

Speaking of taking off: I was super excited when Bob and Doug McKenzie appeared on stage via film. For a second, I thought that *maybe* they would launch into "Great White North"......one of just 4 Rush songs that I know ALL the words to...but no. It was an introduction for "The Larger Bowl." Those guys...again with the humor!

We got schooled by The Professor. Peart's drum solo. 'Nuff said.

After 3 hours and one 15 minute intermission (see the set list) we still had not heard "Tom Sawyer" and I wondered if maybe after immersing the crowd in a record SEVEN songs from the new album....maybe, just maybe, could they possibly be leaving Tom Sawyer OFF the set list?? I mean, really, how many times in 32 years do we expect these guys to play that song?

And then it happened: Lil' Rush came on. Cartman..you know, the little round-headed SouthPark guy...Cartman showed up on screen for a short mockery of Tom Sawyer. It was all good fun mainly aimed at Geddy. Cartman proclaimed "Screw you! I'm Geddy Lee and I can sing whatever lyrics I want". And the crowd agreed. (**special note that the SouthPark film got a HUGE welcome here is Colorado. you see, this is the HOME of the REAL SouthPark, just south of Denver)

And we got our Tom Sawyer.

Can I say anything bad about this Rush show? Not much. My 7th row seat allowed me to get a close look at Neil's face and it seemed to me that he was simply "clocking in" for the gig, although you wouldn't have known it from the way he played. Flawless and hard. Geddy was as energetic on stage as ever. I think his voice sounded better than it did on the last 2 tours. He was hitting all the high notes with ease and I had to think "Geddy, where did you get the time machine?" Alex was beautiful. Looking very fit, he played with a lot of heart, passion and humor. He was a joy to watch.

It was a perfect mountain eve at Red Rocks; cool with a mild wind and the stars were visible in the sky and on the stage. It just couldn't have been better. My only complaint: I have yet to hear "Closer to the Heart" and "Fly by Night" live.

I guess that means I'll be buying tix to the next Rush show that comes to town. And the next, and the next, and the next......

So you think this is a good idea?

YouTube is entirely TOO easy to use. So is my digital camera with video. I suppose that's how something like this happens:



HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL!!!!!!

How could I resist.........



Enjoy your summer!!!

Thought for the day:

"They say that it's never too late,
But you don't get any younger.
I guess I better learn to starve the emptiness
And feed the hunger"

(emily saliers)

Artists You Should Know:
Linda Smith

I've known about Linda Smith since junior high school. What I didn't know was what a fabulous songwriter she had become. I'll admit that I haven't been following Linda's career from the beginning. It all started with a tip from a friend; someone had heard that Linda was in Chicago and was a successful folk musician. Well, of course I had to look that up and I ended up buying her Greatest Hits CD.

Greatest Hits collections are a great place to start exploring new artists. I gave this one a listen and was compelled to buy more! (fyi- you can buy 4 of her albums on itunes RIGHT NOW!)

Linda has a warm, honey voice; honest and deep. There is nothing pretentious about Linda's music. She has stories to tell and she just lays it out there. It's raw and gutsy and you will connect with it. Just when you think Linda is all about being serious, she throws you a curve like "Ex-girlfriend Song" that is full of humour and shows just a little bit of punk roots.

Available on iTunes: 'Greatest Hits-Journey to Now', 'Cry Baby Cry', 'Emily's House' and 'Same Girl, Different Day'.

So far, my favorites are (in no particular order): Sometimes I Cry, What Have I Done and Ex-Girlfriend Song.

You can find out more about Linda at:

www.samegirldifferentday.com

Rock On, Linda!!

Song of the day: Stranglehold (t.nugent)

Just makes me wanna..........

Truth--- it can just slap you in the face sometimes:

Those who wish to be
Must put aside the alienation
Get on with the fascination
The real relation
The underlying theme

(rush- of course)

Artists You Should Know:

Kevin Gordon

I got to know Kevin's music when he was living in Iowa City, playing for Bo Ramsey. Later, he broke off and started "The Rockodiles" and now has a solo career in Nashville.

I was fortunate enough to see Kevin (with Bo, Radislov, Mitch, Steve and Mike) play MANY MANY times at really small clubs throughout central and eastern Iowa in the late 80's/early 90's before he moved to Nashville. His stellar songwriting ability is reason enough to give him a listen, however, it is Kevin's ability to channel Stevie Ray Vaughn (and all other blues guitarists that go before him) and present you with an absolutely ON FIRE live performance that will leave you breathless. In all the times I've seen him play, he just lays everything at your feet and you will swear he is having an out-of-body experience as that music just flies out of his fingers. There is nothing like it anywhere. If you get the chance to go....you MUST!! What a sultry voice...what a guitarist....and he's not bad to look at. Ok, he's pretty hot.

Kevin has several recordings out. His latest, "O, come look at the burning" has got to be his best yet. You can get it on iTunes, along with "Down to the Well"...another great CD. If you want to see everything, you can go to:

www.kevingorgon.net

All the old stuff is on his web site to buy. Tour dates are also there...as well as an interesting blog that Kevin writes. (wish he would write more..hint, hint) Check him out...you won't be sorry.

If I had to pick one (and I can't)...My top 5 songs by Kevin:

1- Lucy and Andy Drive to Arkansas, 2- Hellcat, 3- Find My Way, 4- Watching the Sun Go Down, 5- Over the Levee

BTW- If anyone is looking for a graduation present for me about this time next year.....you can save all your nickles and dimes and get Kevin to play my grad party!!!!

Denial is a life-skill that I'm really good at. I'm a professional, eh?

(geddy lee, 1981)

Some things, however, will not be denied.

(bonnie raitt, 1989)

I've come to the conclusion that it must be in my DNA....something woven into every cell of my body that I have never been able to shake. It is resistant to denial, medication, repression and it can't be ignored, replaced or cured. I live with this everyday like some sort of disease that I need to keep hidden.

It's true: I'm a rockstar mommy.

The secret is out.

I don't fit in with the PTA or the soccer moms...even though I try. I just stand on the sidelines, scanning the crowd for more of my own. And there are none.

Everything in my life relates to music. Everything.

My kids know music. They rock out to anything; Ozzy, The Beatles, Neil Young, Alice Cooper, Motely Crue, Tom Petty...on and on. They listen to rock, country, pop, rap and metal. They've been to the theatre and know musicals and operas. They all play instruments...and not just because we require them to, but because they really want to. They sing and they dance. They think that guitar amps are end tables and bass cabinets are pretty cool furniture. They use words like "gig", "mike stand", "monitor", "axe" and "rack" in normal conversation.

And it's all my fault. They got it from me.

Denial hasn't worked all these years.

Changing jobs and three majors in college later: I still just want to rock.

Does it help my cause or hurt me that my husband is fully supporting the conversion of our basement into a home studio?

Is it wrong for me to want bright pink hair?

(see kelly osbourn's color, 2002)

Question: Fix up my old volvo OR buy a new effx pedal, re-string my 12 string and buy a mackie mixer? (obviously, the volvo needs a lot of work!)

My Christmas/birthday wish list includes brands like: Roland, Mackie, Gretsch, Taylor and Klipsch. (feel free to send me something. anything)