New Music Tuesday

Well that’s 4 of 4! Apple has just added the complete George Harrison catalog to iTunes. Over the past year, Apple has also added John, Paul & Ringo with little fanfare. Now you can buy any John, Paul, George or Ringo song…you just can’t buy a Beatles song. ???!!!

All songs are DRM free in George’s catalog. I suggest starting with Thirty Three & 1/3 from 1976. Great seventies groove- can’t miss with this one.

Complete Clapton
Complete is a pretty big statement. Considering this release only has 37 tracks of Clapton’s work, I wouldn’t say it falls under the definition of “complete.” But, if you don’t already own all of Clapton’s work on vinyl (ahem), then for just $25 this is a fine place to start.

Necessary Evil by Debbie Harry
Oh Debbie, what have you done? Formerly an American punk frontrunner, Debbie has gone soft. She still has a great voice at age SIXTY TWO (!!). Still sexy and sultry, but she’s lost the sass she needs to even pass as a pop music artist. This recording comes off as bland and unremarkable and I doubt it will receive much play on even the mushy adult contemporary radio stations. Skip this one.

The Best of Chicago
Try not to confuse this one with The VERY Best of Chicago, Heart of Chicago (both volumes), Greatest Hits 82-89 or Love Songs. This lame repackaging attempt signals to me that Chicago might just be living out a contract with Warner. These are the same, albeit great, songs from Chicago but new cover art, a different track order and slapping the word “remastered” on this package won’t make it sell, folks. If you don’t already own Chicago 1-30 and you are looking to leap into the Chicago sound, this is a decent primer of material. Thirty songs for just $15. Not bad.Famous by Puddle of Mudd
The l-o-n-g awaited album by Puddle of Mudd. The current single “Famous” has been playing on rock radio since May 2007. Leave it to the record companies and lawyers to get in the way of an album releasing on time! This may possibly hurt the CD on the charts since listeners have cooled to the title track while waiting for the CD to drop. We also haven’t heard anything from this band since the 2003 release of “Life on Display.” Hopefully, listeners haven’t forgotten how hard Puddle of Mudd can rock and they’ll pick this one up.

The title track, as well as “Merry Go Round” and “I’m So Sure” show Wes Scantlin penning some of his best. Word of advice: Don’t be an ex girlfriend of Scantlin. He seems to write best when scorned and for god-knows-what-reason he has been there often. (Girls, what is wrong with this guy?) His I’ve-been-wronged-and-no-body-cares style works for the band and fuels some head banging guitar crunch.

The current single "Psycho" is a nice little ride. Reminds me a little bit of "She F*ing Hates Me" simply because of the darling quirky little verses that fall into a thrashing chorus pit. You can check out a video of this one at the Puddle of Mudd Myspace page.

I’ll wager that “Thinking of You” will have to be a single at some point. It’s radio friendly and has a much softer edge to it and for that, girls will dig this song. Guys will learn to play it. Girls will love guys that learn to play it...ah, the cycle of rock and roll. Another radio possible track is the almost-too-Nickelback-ish “We Don’t Have to Look Back.” Again with the softer and friendlier “girl rock” but you have to give them credit for reaching out to both sides of the market.

“Radiate” is this album’s “Blurry.” It’s got that lilting, lower register that Wes does so well. Still heavily guitar driven, but this is a vocal standout. Could be another big hit.

If fans haven’t forgotten the name Puddle of Mudd, then this release will do well because it’s just plain well written. Period. Right now the best career move would be for these guys to start recording another album right immediately. Release it in the spring and go out for a summer concert tour. The music industry and consumer dollars wait for no one- let’s not have another four years between releases!

THE VERDICT IS IN. AND.........

It seems they're not so bad. The Charlotte Observer reports that it was a full house and the band put on a pretty good show. Early comments by readers seem to report the same thing. You can read that review here.
As it turns out, the rehearsal set list that leaked was the actual song list for the night. Scattered reports around the internet are saying that the sound was "muddy" and hard to listen to. The almost-everyone-is-over-50 band put on a great show, but without all the leaps and jumps of the old days. One fan reported that Dave reminded her of Liberace in costume strutting about the stage. Dave does love to strut his game show host poses and those porcelain veneers!
And a special note about Wofie's debut: There is not one report of any mistakes. Not that we expected him to tank, but he is only 16 and has never played a full show at a venue of this size (he did play select songs during the 2004 tour when he was 13). Even though the rehearsal reports were saying his vocals were "off" and/or too loud in the mix, the fans at last nights show say he was fabulous. Way to go Wolf!


Overall, even with some sound issues, it sounds like the fans are happy to see this reunion. Who wouldn't be? After 22 years, no one ever thought this would happen. If they can keep their egos, anger and addictions in check it may turn out to be a good run.

I'm sure more reports will filter in today....stay tuned.

Styx – Foreigner – Def Leppard

September 9, 2007
Fiddler's Green (Coors Ampitheatre)

This concert, wow. Two weeks later, I’m still trying to process it all. I’ve been dreading this review because it’s just not going to be a good one. I’m a music lover and I LOVE live music more than anything. And I love to write good reviews. I just do. It is a joy to be able to take that experience right to the pages. It’s not often that I have harsh words for a show, but I have to report what really happened at this show.

You might title this show “Concert for Ageing Rock Stars.”

“Are you ready to get your Styx on?” ….(Tommy Shaw)

And with that remark, we were rolling in the Styx groove and I gotta tell you…they were tight! Closing my eyes I thought it was 1978 again. The audience was so into it; singing, dancing, reminiscing and rockin it all out.

I was surprised that Styx played first. I had my back to the stage (loading my camera!) when they hit that first chord to “Blue Collar Man” and I spun around like “What?”! Could it be that due to their advanced age(s) they need an early bedtime? Seriously, the show should have been HEADLINED by Styx and the promoter who set that up should be fired. They were truly the highlight of the entire night.

I love live music mostly because it lets the artist off their leash and lets them go wild. Yes, I do want to hear the songs I love the most, but I also appreciate it when group can throw in a wild cover of a song I never expected or when they turn a predictable classic into something extraordinary. It’s the visual of the group with the sound, the venue; it’s the total package that I’m looking for.

( side note: I have to tell you that the most boring concert I have ever gone to is the Dave Matthews Band. Technically, they are superb musicians. So technically gifted that they made the show sound JUST LIKE the CD. I didn’t get anything at their show that I couldn’t have have by listening to the CD at home. And I would have saved $96!)

So did Styx deliver? You bet. They did not throw in any cover songs and they did not stray too far from the original version. Why? They didn’t have to. Styx has a 30+ year catalog to draw from and fans that want to hear it all. They came out and delivered the songs we all wanted to hear. It was classic Styx and it was played with energy, style and verve.

The set list:
Blue Collar Man
Grand Illusion
Too Much Time on My Hands
Angry Young Man (Fooling Yourself)
Miss America
Come Sail Away

Encore:
Renegade

Great set list, huh? This was Styx doing what they do best: rocking hard. I’m sure a lot of people came to the show hoping to hear “Babe” or “The Best of Times.” Great songs. I’m sure you danced to one of them at your prom, but they Styx-lite. This show rocked like Styx was meant to rock. What a shocker to hear “Miss America.” That song separated the Styx-lite fans from the hard rockin Styx fans. What a little gem that was! Tommy rocked the hell out of it!

The current Styx line up for 2007 is: Tommy Shaw, James “JY” Young, Lawrence Gowan, Todd Sucherman, and Ricky Phillips. For my money, it’s always been Tommy & JY that led that group, but I would not be doing my job if I didn’t mention Lawrence Gowan. Styx knows their fans and they know that in a longer show, they might have to crank out some of those songs that have the “Dennis DeYoung” stamp all over them. How do you ignore that many years of some serious charting hits? (we can all ignore Mr Roboto, agreed?) You get Lawrence Gown, that’s how. He has showman written all over him. He moves, engages the crowd and hits all those sensitive notes just right…..all while twirling his keyboard around. Did I mention he can play those keys behind his back? While singing? Yeah, this is the guy. He’s not a Dennis clone and he doesn’t have to be. He’s got his own style and he keeps pace with the group.

The only bad thing I can say about Styx is that their set was WAY too short (and they should have headlined the show). I was surprised that the encore was only one song, but they knocked it out of the park with “Renegade.” From the erie a cappella opening all the way through the stompin groove and smoking guitar solo. I’ve got a little bit of it on video, but they kind of caught me and my digital off guard, so I missed a bit of the opening. I also had to cut it off at the end when they started introducing each other and taking off on solos. So, enjoy this little nibble:



They didn’t play “Lorelei” or “Snow Blind”, but I can forgive that. I’ll just be at the next show.


I had never seen Foreigner in concert. Keeping up with the news through the years, I knew that Lou Graham was no longer with them so I was braced for whatever voice they were going to give us. You know, some bands actually pull it off when they replace such an iconic voice. Journey did it successfully when they replaced Steve Perry with Steve Augeri. He had that sound down! You might never have known. And then there’s Van Halen who, in my mind, not only replaced David Lee Roth, but they traded up. Sammy Hagar breathed new life into that band and they delivered some hard rockin tunes. And then there’s Van Halen after Sammy with Gary Cherone (you say WHO?)….bad move. Sometimes a great band can survive a transition into a new direction…sometimes, not so much.

The current lineup of Foreigner is Mick Jones, Jason Bonham, Kelly Hansen, Jeff Jacobs, Jeff Pilson & Tom Gimbel. In case you keeping score, that’s just one original member and some 21 former members blowing in the wind. With those stats, I’m not sure taking a job with Foreigner is a solid career decision.

I was watching Foreigner take the stage and I’ll admit that after Styx rockin the show, I was (almost) feeling it. I’m almost getting into it and then it happened: I’m watching this lead singer prance about the stage and all I can think about is a line from the movie “Rockstar” when Izzy tells the crowd,

“You know, I'm just a regular guy who grew up with the posters of these guys on my wall... and now I'm one of them! That's right, I'm standing here, living proof that if you work hard enough, and you want it bad enough... dreams do come true. So follow your dreams...”

That right boys and girls: Kelly Hansen’s dream has come true. But Kelly is no Lou Gramm. If you don’t believe me, you can head on over to www.foreigneronline.com and have a listen for yourself. There’s a live recording of “Long, Long Way from Home.” He’s just kind of pitchy and his vocal quality is thin. I wouldn’t say he’s the worst singer I’ve ever heard, but he just didn’t put out that energy and umph that should have been there. Disappointing. Sadly disappointing.

Here’s the set list:

Double Vision
Head Games
Cold as Ice
Feels Like the First Time
Urgent
Juke Box Hero – Whole Lotta Love
I Want to Know What Love Is

Encore:
Hot Blooded

They picked a good selection of hits and I’ll tell you that the band’s sound was dynamite. Mick Jones played to perfection all those solos you know by heart and the crowd was air guitar-ing right along with him. Aside from a weak lead singer, the other low point of the show was the super extended elongated lengthy expanded very very very long versions of all these songs. Maybe to promote their (lame) 2006 release titled “ Foreigner; Extended Versions”?? You know, I dig these songs like everyone else and I deeply appreciate a band that can bring on the jams (see: Blues Traveler, Grateful Dead, Phish, Widespread Panic etc etc). But come on, guys! Extra solos, an extra chorus here and there and repeating verses: Trust me, the fans knew they were getting jerked around.

The song where this was most evident was “Juke Box Hero.” To start, the intro just went on f-o-r-e-v-e-r. You know this song…the story of a boy with big rock and roll dreams… and you know every word, right? Well, there we are singing along to the first verse and it swells at the end and goes right into the second verse real low and sexy-like…..NO! HA! You just got punked! Because tonight, instead of going into the second verse you get a bonus instrumental jam! You know how it is when you are singing really loud and then the song changes and you keep singing at least for another 10 seconds before you realize what has happened? Yeah, that was it. People were looking confused and slightly embarrassed. Evidently the band thought this worked well because they managed to squeeze two more jams into this song.

Now here’s where I might seem to contradict myself, but try to stay with me: While I wasn’t digging the extended songs that were an obviously put in place to stroke the band’s ego….I’ll admit that there ARE times when this trick works. Jason Bonham is the drummer. Yes, same Bonham. Jason is HIS son. (Yes, I can read your mind) And because “Juke Box Hero” is about a boy on a quest to play some rock and roll, it REALLY WORKED when they launched into “Whole Lotta Love” after the second chorus and brought it all back to “Juke Box.” Man, it was an ethereal experience and probably as close as I will ever come to seeing Zeppelin (sadly).

And that was the high point of Foreigner. A Led Zeppelin song.



Which brings us to Def Leppard closing out the show. Yeah! This had to be good! I saw them play at Sandstone Ampitheatre in Kansas City in the late 80’s…back when “Pour Some Sugar on Me” was at the top of the charts. Bon Jovi opened for them and it was a killer show. Def Leppard has survived so much; Rick Allen lost an arm, Steve Clark died. Not many bands would make it through that. At least they still have their original lead singer, right?

Oh my.

That was my reaction. With my jaw on the floor.


Here’s the set list:

Rocket
Animal
Excitable
Foolin
High & Dry
Let It Go
Love Bites
Rock On
2 Steps Behind
Brining on the Heartache
Hysteria
Armageddon It
Photograph
Pour Some Sugar on Me

Encore:
Rock of Ages

The best thing I can say about Def Leppard is that the band rocked. They were flat out everything I expected. Super tight. Phil Collen has only gotten better with age and Rick Allen can still deliver that electro-rock drum beat. Surprise, surprise: Vivian Campbell was on guitar! Whoa! You know Vivian; formerly with Dio & Whitesnake. He was stellar, delivering it all so effortlessly…so perfect, as if he had written these tunes himself. He was amazing to experience.

So, they opened it up with “Rocket”. Not one of my favs, but still a great tune, had people on their feet, yada yada.…typical opener. I thought there was something wrong with the mix or maybe there was an equipment problem all through the first song because I just couldn’t hear Joe Elliott. Whatever. First song, band might not have sound checked…you know.

Second song, “Animal” and the “problem” was still there. It wasn’t the mix. Not the equipment. It had a name: Joe Elliot. Man, he was bad! Like, Bad-capital-B. BAD all in caps. BAD. BAD. BAD.

So we’ve come full circle in one show: One great band, One band with a replacement singer and One band with a singer that should just quit. What a night.

Joe left the as much of the singing to the crowd as he could. Of course, we all knew the words, so it worked well for him. His voice was always out of tune and out of breath. He just didn’t have the power to sing like he used to. So, maybe he was sick or something? Well, I thought about cutting him a break and assuming that to be the case, until he delivered a killer rendition of the 70’s hit “Rock On.” This song had a lower register and just fit him better than the old hits. He was really good and he sang the whole song….which was good for me, because I was getting tired of singing!

When they whipped out “Photograph” I couldn’t resist. I just couldn’t stop myself. YouTube is entirely too easy to use so, have a listen:





The male voice you hear ever-so-slightly is Joe. It might sound like I was picking up someone from the crowd, but I assure you it is totally Joe Elliot. And it is totally bad. Such a shame, because it’s such a great song.

It wasn’t until the last song, “Rock of Ages,” ( seriously one of my favorites ) that the famous line came: with the crowd yelling it out, “It’s better to burn out, than fade away.” And I have to wonder, Joe Elliott, do you really believe that? Because in your case honey, it would be better to just fade away.

Please. Let it go.

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????

Another BIG day! The Wish List for today:

Foreigner:
Urgent
Feels Like the First Time
Dirty White Boy

Def Leppard:
Bringing on the Heartbreak
Rock Rock
Rock of Ages

Styx
Snow Blind
Lorelei
Grand Illusion
Renegade

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/ )

As promised, it's Weird Al with "The Saga Begins."

Recorded August 30, 2007 at the Colorado State Fair.

The camera is little shaky here and there, but still a good video. Enjoy!

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/ )

BREAKING NEWS: NIGHT RANGER ROCKED!!!!

I'm behind on my review of Weird Al....and now I owe you a review of Night Ranger. The pics are back for both shows and they are excellent! One video from each show also!

Tomorrow is Sunday and I don't have any shows scheduled, so the reviews *might* get done!

Review to come...pictures and VIDEO on the way.

From the wishlist we were given "The Saga Begins" and the first verse and chorus of "Couch Potato" which was rolled in with "Do I Creep You Out".

"Don't change that channel...Don't change that dial"

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......

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!!

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!!!!