Chinese Democracy Review: Thanks a lot Rolling Stone

Thanks a lot Rolling Stone. Thanks a lot David Fricke. Rolling Stone Issue 1066-"The most anticipate record ever". Thanks for letting waste me my 50 min of life listening to this sad excuse of GNR. "Axl made it worth the wait"...After the opening track Chinese Democracy there's not much left. Mostly sound like mid 90s rehashed trying to change our sound rock. Not to mention the opening song is rockin hard core, then the rest sounds too mellow and not to insult Shirley Manson but the sounds like Axl singing with the rest mid-90s Garbage. Worth a listen Track 1 and 14...Don't waste your time with the rest.

Video of Week: Judas Priest - You've Got Another Thing Comin'

Video of Week: Ozzy - What Gets Me Through

My (new) 3 Rants: Rant #1 - Heard the new Duff

I took a listen to Duff Mckagen's Loaded this morning. Not bad. It' kind of like a cross between GNR and Velvet Revolver. But here's my issue: I'm not a big fan of using your name in the bands name. I understand that if you just call it Loaded no one would probably know who you are or take a listen...but Velvet Revolver didn't use the name Slash's Velvet Revolver. You just need better marketing management.

My (new) 3 Rants: Rant #2 - Queen....errr Bad Company?

The other day I heard the new Queen song Celebrity. Paul Rodger is now at the helm for the frontman replacing the (big) hole that Freddy Mercury left many years ago. Two good examples of successful bands with new lead singers...AC/DC and Van Halen went on with new lead singers and had very successful results. But Freddy Mercury to me is one that cannot be replaced. I'm not a Queen fan and I don't know of any Queen fans....but I would like to know what they think of the new Queen. The new song starts out sounding like Bad Company or The Firm or Free then when the chorus comes in, it sounds a lot like the old Queen...just without Freddy....sorry change the name of the band boys..call it King or Bad Free or Firm King but don't call it Queen.

My (new) 3 Rants: Rant #3 - On the cover of the Rolling Stone

Call me a traditionalist. I'm not against change...infact I like new stuff...but when it comes to the cover of the Rolling Stone...not just the cover but the whole magazine has changed to the more traditional size magazine. "It's handy, It's convienent"...blah blah blah..I don't care what their Publisher says it's really about them saving printing cost in the economical times. But sorry I prefer the old size...it was different than the other music or any other magazines. The size stood out on the newsstand so it was easy to find. Plus there's the tradition. Not to mention the font size seems smaller and of course the older I get the harder to read...but mostly I'm a collector of the magazine and like to hang my favorite covers which used to be much larger...plus the photo spreads were much larger.

Video of Week: Metallica - Whiskey in the Jar

Video of Week: Rainbow - Death Alley Driver

Video of Week: Cheap Trick - That 70's Show (In the Street)

Who?

What so great about the Who?....ok so maybe they have 5 great songs and maybe, just maybe 5 ok songs out of their entire catalog. I watched a recent concert of theirs on cable and a lot of it was a bunch of mish mash waiting for the great ones. The concert itself was ok. Looked pretty recent. Roger didn't look so good. Pete tried to do his patented windmill strokes on his guitar during Babe O'Riley, but at his age he might want to be careful.

5 great:
1. Baba O'Riley
2. Who Are You?
3. Won't Get Fooled Again
4. Behind Blue Eyes
5. Eminence Front

5 Ok:
1. My Generation
2. I Can't Explain
3. Love Reign O'er Me
4. Sqeeze Box (maybe)
5. You Better You Bet (maybe)

Other than that, just a bunch of mish mash. Too folksy to be called "the loudest band in the world"..what because they can turn their amps up on squeeze box? No disrespect but hello overrated. They were good for an occasional anthem but not enough substance in the rest of the works.

Random Music Thoughts Vol 3.

1. $91 for AC/DC tickets...R U Kidding me? What happened to $12.50.

2. Cool Metallica picture on the front cover of Rolling Stone. Will have to purchase and hang on the wall.

3. Dear Sharon Osbourne...Stop making a mockery of Ozzy. He doesn't need to do a Christmas Variety Show Special. Prince of Darkness? Hello!

4. Get well soon Travis Barker.

5. The new AC/DC song...growing on me..it will be interesting to hear the rest.

6. Death Magnetic...4/5 starts outta 5.

7. It's funny seeing my 13 year old son digging "Let There Be Rock" in the Rock Band 2 tv commercial. Great song.

8. I tried...i said tried to watch "Sid and Nancy" last night...but I couldn't tell what the heck they were saying more than half the time, so I had to tune elsewhere.

9. Airbourne's Runnin Wild album...5 outta 5 stars...completely rocks like a good classic hard rock, don't give a effe what you think band. Awesome. This is what the rock scene needs more of.

10. I read that David Gilmour said there will be no reunion tour....give it a rest. I've heard no reunion tour for 25 years.

11. Great interview with Duff about today's rock scene...just what I was referring to. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/interviews/duff_mckagan_america_isnt_very_rock_n_roll_anymore.html

Video of Week: Fastway: All Fired Up (for Klang)

This or That

Lennon or McCartney: Absolutely Lennon. He was the true leader and sound of the band. Sorry Paul, you are and will always be second fiddle to John.

Bon or Brian: Bon. I'm old school and like the more raw young sound of early AC/DC. The early albums within the exception of Powerage, generated more hits per album than the Brian stuff after Back in Black.

Vai or Satriani: I have to go with the teacher here more than the student. Joe's sound is more real and more thought out rather than just a bunch of daloodle daloodle, daloodle.

Steve Perry or Anel Penada: Are freakin kidding me?

Ozzy or Dio: Ok so here's an interesting one. Ozzy was the original but both have their unique qualities. Ozzy has that distinct voice and Dio had a more hard "rock-in-roll-in-your-face" voice. Counting their solo career, I'm going with Ozzy. His solo was more successful...besides you don't Dio and family have their own tv show.

The Sex Pistols or The Clash: Nobody is more rotten than Johnny.

Don Henley or Glen Fry: Going with Don Henley...with songs like Those Shoes, Hotel California and a string of solo hits....what did Don Henley do....Lyin Eyes and Miami Vice?

Marilyn Manson or Alice Cooper: I'm gonna have to give Marilyn props here. He's taken the whole shock-rock to whole new level...sorry Alice.

Les Paul or Fender: I've played a Fender all my life and wanted a Les Paul all my life and finally got one a couple of years and lets just say I haven't picked up my Fender in a while. Plus you can't beat the Candy Apple Quilt top look of a Les Paul. Classic Sunburst is cool too.

Randy Rhodes, Jake E. Lee, or Zakk Wylde: Rather than pick one...I'm givng a surprised order....1. Jack E. Lee, 2. Randy Rhodes, 3. Zakk Wylde. Although Randy was the original his solos weren't very heavy or difficult. Zakk's solos all sound the same. Even the rhythm parts sound all the same. Jake is a little more heavier player and gets the nod.

Jimi Page or Jeff Beck: I think Jeff Beck is an awesome guitar player...but I think Jimi is a more well rounded player.

Shirley Manson or Gwen Steffani: I had to throw this in because they are both absolutely hot..but Shirley gets the nod..she's more dirty.

David Lee or Sammy: No better frontman than Diamond Dave. Sammy is better doing solo than he was sharing a stage.

More to come.

Video of Week (end): Airbourne - Runnin' Wild

Concert Review: Cheap Trick - Sept 10, 2008, Nobelsville, IN

Cheap Trick opened for Heart and Journey the other night and I will say was my favorite of the three. They only played 7 songs but left you wanting more. They opened with That 70s Show Song (in the street) and ran through a few classics, Surrender, If You Want My Love You Got It, The Flame, I Want You to Want Me and closed with Dream Police. I will say they can still rock and for their age they still look as cool as ever. To me they blew Journey and Heart off the stage. Rick Nielson can still get the crowd going and can still rock on guitar. My favorite guitar this time around was a Gibson Les Paul that had the Beatles faces on them.It took everything I had not to jump on stage and take it from him. 5 out of 5 stars

Concert Review: Heart - Sept 10, 2008, Nobelsville, IN

Heart opened for Journey the other night sandwiched in between Cheap Trick and Journey.I will say Nancy Wilson looks as HOT as ever and still rock and Ann Wilson can still belt out notes and not crack. They played 7 songs including Straight On, Barracuda, Magic Man, Dreams (sung by Nancy). They also played Going to California by Zeppelin and Reign On Me by The Who. They closed with Crazy On You which is a personal favorite of mine. 4 out of 5 stars.

Concert Review: Journey - Sept 10, 2008, Nobelsville, IN

To much of my shugrin, I did go see Journey the other night. The opening acts were Cheap Trick and Heart which those reviews will follow. Journey this time around has a new singer, Arnel Pineda. He's the closest thing to Steve Perry in looks and vocals. Maybe a little too close. They open with a couple of classics before they played a few of their new songs from the new album, Generations. The crowd (and myself) pretty much was going to fall asleep. It wasn't until they played Don't Stop Believin before the crowd got into it. Then they pretty ran the show from there with all the classics. Faithfully, Open Arms, Separate Ways, Wheel in the Sky, etc. They even threw in a couple of songs that weren't mainstream hits in La Do Da, Feeling That Way and Mother, father sung by the drummer who himself sounds like Steve Perry as well. They closed with Lovin, Touchin and Squeezin...which to me was a surprise. I figured they should have done Don't Stop Believin, but oh well. Over all the concert was 3.5 out of 5 stars

Video of Week: Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Metallica-Death Magnetic

I'm diggin the new Metallica. St. Anger had to grow on me. It took a little getting used to with the "no snare" that Lars regrets. But I actually prefer the no snare...thud thud thud thud. Gave it a heavier sound. With Death Magnetic, you can tell the difference without Bob Rock. My fav so far is Cyanide.

"All-Time" Favorite Album/Song

How long do you need to wait until an album or song is considered an "All-Time" favorite? A friend at work today said that his dad said that the new Eagles double album was his one of his "All-Time" favorites. Of course it came out just a little over a year ago. The son of course said that is a pet-peve of his. So then I asked, ok how long until it can be labeled "All-Time" status. He said 2-3 years. I've asked a few others and they range from 5, 10, 20 and even got a exact 7 years. For me...If it goes back to "Front to Back"...In 2 years, if I still love every song front to back then it becomes "All-Time" status after that 2 years have expired.

Video of Week: Metallica - King Nothing

My 3 Rants: Rant #3 - Front to Back

How many albums can you name front to back, every song a great song? EVERY song, no skipping, no fast forward, and no greatest hits. At work today I barely came up with 10. I could probably drum up a few personal choice favorite albums to round out 15. And maybe 5 one miss on an album to make the list up to 20. Here's at least my 10: U2-Atchung Baby!, Metallica - Black Album, Boston-Boston, AC/DC - Back in Black, Garbage - 2.0, Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil, Guns n Roses - Appetite for Destruction, Britny Fox - Bite Down Hard, Airbourne - Runnin' Wild, and Journey Escape. Of course a couple of those are personal favorites. But as I said before, where's that next band that everybody has to get their album, not just for one song not just two songs.....but every song...front to back. The Jonas Brothers? Hanna Montana? Soulja Boy? Maybe Metallica's new one will be my savior.

My 3 Rants: Rant #2 - Journey

Recently I purchased the new Journey 3 disc set. 2 studio cds and 1 dvd which I'll get to. I heard the rumor a few months ago they discovered the new singer, Arnel Pineda with his band The Zoo on YouTube. So of course I had to check it out for myself. I watched The Zoo's live show which looked like it was at some party hall. The band itself was just ok but Arnel sounded like the second coming of Steve Perry. You name it, Faithfully, Don't Stop Believin', Open Arms, Who's Crying Now....He hit every note just like Steve. So while I was at Wal-Mart recently I purchased their 3 disc set. The first CD is all new stuff which I will be candid and say it was pretty lame. Nothing rockin right off. The third disc is a live DVD which is sort of funny since they just got this guy, they must have filmed the first show and put it out. The second disc is what my rant is about: Here's the playlist: Only the Young, Don't Stop Beleivin, Wheel in the Sky, Faithfully, Any Way You Want It, Who's Cryin Now, Separate Ways, Lights, Open Arms, Be Good To Yourself, and Stone in Love. Live work...no. All new recordings with the new singer. Are you kidding me. I feel for Steve Perry. I have the feeling while I'm listening to it that Steve is getting ripped off. I don't quite understand why Journey had to do this. These were all classics to begin with. Don't F$#@ with classics. Not to mention it's a cheap way to make a buck. Unfortunatly I purchased a ticket to next Wednesday's concert(before I purchased the Album(s). Now I'm forced into NOT being able to boycott or be out $35 bucks and stand up my friends who talked me into buying the ticket in the first place.

My 3 Rants: Rant #1 - Local Radio Station

So there this Hard Rock/Metal radio station about 50 miles south of where I live. Each morning they devote the 8:00am hour to "The Big-Hair Buzz Cut of the Day" which features a Hair Metal band from the mid-to late 80s. Some of the bands they featured: Bon Jovi, Poison, Winger, Warrant, and so on. But recently I was freakin outraged. They played the Metallica song "Fade to Black"...are you kidding me?????? Metallica is NOT, I say again NOT a Hair Band. In fact Metallica despises hair metal, glam metal, posers or whatever you wanted to call it. So Mr McKay, please keep Metallica for Manditory Metallica and not the Big Hair Buzz Cut of the day.

Label Today's Rock Music For Me Please

The other day at work I posed the question of what we call the rock music of today. I had a couple replies but nothing solid. One said just "Rock", another "unoriginal" which I thought was clever. We've had progressive rock, heavy metal, hard rock, glam rock, arena rock, old rock is now has been called classic rock since it came out, grunge, speed metal, thrash, art rock, hair metal and so on and on. And I also want to ask the question where is the one or two bands of this decade or generation that will change the face of music? It's the middle of 2008 and it hasn't happened yet to my knowledge. Elvis of the 50s, Beatles/Stones of the 60s, Zeppelin/Sabbath of the 70s, VH/and I'll throw in Motley Crue in the 80s just for the sake of breaking out of L.A. with the Glam/Hair Metal and power ballad(s),and Nirvana/Soundgarden in the 90s. I also posed the question about mainstream. One funny reply to me was how is alternative music alternative if its mainstream. Maybe we are just so caught up in all the American Idols of the world and reality/look at me world of reality television and YouTube or Guitar Hero video games. I think why some of these old bands going back out on tour at the age of 40/50/60 is for the fact 'they can'. We just don't have that one big rock band that everybody has to go see. Nobody is standing out from the rest. Everyone has their own favorite bands BUT not everybody has the same favorite bands. But the word that keeps coming back to me is "unoriginal".

Random Music Thoughts Vol 2.

1. Dear Ozzy, you don't need to make truibute albums about other bands. Other bands make tribute albums about you.

2. Dear AC/DC, Wal-Mart? Are you kidding me? You're not the Eagles. I understand your stance...but come on, you'll sell more on iTunes the first day than you will in a month at Wal-Mart.

3. Dear Velvet Revolver, Do whatever you have to do to get Josh Todd of Buck Cherry for your new lead singer.

4. Dear Snack King...how about those snack recipes.

5. Dear Kell88, close the lid please.

6. Dear Eddie Van Halen...how about putting out a instrumental album

7. Dear Stones, keep rockin until you die.

8. Dear Billy Idol, I like the new stuff.

9. Dear Journey, as much as I like the new singer from The Zoo, you still need Steve.

10. Dear Lars, leave the snare off the new album...it's ok - let it go....it sounds better without it.

Video of Week: AC/DC - It's a Long Way to theTop

Video of Week: Judas Priest Diamonds & Rust (live)

Life Changing Moments

"No one expects the rug to be yanked out from under them; life-changing events usually don't announce themselves. While instinct and intuition can help provide some warning signs, they can do little to prepare you for the feeling of rootlessness that follows when fate flips your world upside down. Anger, confusion, sadness, and frustration are shaken up together inside you like a snow globe. It takes years for the emotional dust to settle as you do your best just to see through the storm." - Slash

Video of Week: Hear 'N Aid - Stars

Band of the Month: Aerosmith

Aerosmith was one of the most popular hard rock bands of the '70s, setting the style and sound of hard rock and heavy metal for the next two decades with their raunchy, bluesy swagger. The Boston-based quintet found the middle ground between the menace of the Rolling Stones and the campy, sleazy flamboyance of the New York Dolls, developing a lean, dirty riff-oriented boogie that was loose and swinging and as hard as a diamond. In the meantime, they developed a prototype for power-ballads with "Dream On," a piano ballad that was orchestrated with strings and distorted guitars. Aerosmith's ability to pull off both ballads and rock & roll made them extremely popular during the mid-'70s, when they had a string of gold and platinum albums. By the early '80s, the group's audience had declined as the band fell prey to drug and alcohol abuse. However, their career was far from over -- in the late '80s, Aerosmith pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks in rock history, returning to the top of the charts with a group of albums that equalled, if not surpassed, the popularity of their '70s albums.

In 1970, the first incarnation of Aerosmith formed when vocalist Steven Tyler met guitarist Joe Perry while working at a Sunapee, NH, ice cream parlor. Tyler, who originally was a drummer, and Perry decided to form a power trio with bassist Tom Hamilton. The group soon expanded to quartet, adding a second guitarist called Ray Tabano; he was quickly replaced by Brad Whitford, a former member of Earth Inc. With the addition of drummer Joey Kramer, Tyler became the full-time lead singer by the end of year. Aerosmith relocated to Boston at the end of 1970.

After playing clubs in the Massachusetts and New York areas for two years, the group landed a record contract with Columbia Records in 1972. Aerosmith's self-titled debut album was released in the fall of 1973, climbing to number 166. "Dream On" was released as the first single and it was a minor hit, reaching number 59. For the next year, the band built a fan base by touring America, supporting groups as diverse as the Kinks, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Sha Na Na, and Mott the Hoople. The performance of Get Your Wings (1974), the group's second album and first produced by Jack Douglas, benefitted from their constant touring, spending a total of 86 weeks on the chart.

Aerosmith's third record, 1975's Toys in the Attic, both commercially and artistically. By the time the album was recorded, the band's sound had developed into a sleek, hard-driving hard rock powered by simple, almost brutal, blues-based riffs. Many critics at the time labelled the group as punk rockers, and it's easy to see why -- instead of adhering to the world-music pretentions of Led Zeppelin or the prolonged gloomy mysticism of Black Sabbath, Aerosmith stripped heavy metal to its basic core, spitting out spare riffs that not only rocked, but rolled. Steven Tyler's lyrics were filled with double entendres and clever joke and the entire band had a street-wise charisma that separated them from the heavy, lumbering arena rockers of the era. Toys in the Attic captured the essence of the newly invigorated Aerosmith.

"Sweet Emotion," the slyly funky first single from Toys in the Attic, broke into the Top 40 in the summer of 1975, with the album reaching number 11 shortly afterward. Its success prompted the re-release of the power ballad "Dream On," which shot into the Top Ten in early 1976. Both Aerosmith and Get Your Wings climbed back up the charts in the wake of Toys in the Attic, peaking at number 21 and 74 respectively. "Walk This Way," the final single from Toys in the Attic, was released around the time of the group's new 1976 album, Rocks. Although it didn't feature a Top Ten hit like "Walk This Way," Rocks went platinum quickly, peaking at number three.

In early 1977, Aerosmith took a break and prepared material for their fifth album. Released late in 1977, Draw the Line was another hit, climbing to number 11 on the U.S. charts, but it showed signs of exhaustion. In addition to another tour in 1978, the band appeared in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, performing "Come Together," which eventually became a number 23 hit. Live! Bootleg appeared late in 1978 and became another success, reaching number 13. Aerosmith recorded Night in the Ruts in 1979, releasing the record at the end of the year. By the time of its release, Joe Perry had left the band to form the Joe Perry Project with vocalist Ralph Morman, basssist David Hull, and drummer Ronnie Stewart. Night in the Ruts performed respectably, climbing to number 14 and going gold, yet it was the least successful Aerosmith record to date. Brad Whitford left the group in early 1980, forming the Whitsford-St. Holmes Band with former Ted Nugent guitarist Derek St. Holmes.

As Aerosmith regrouped with new guitarists Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay, the band released Aerosmith's Greatest Hits in late 1980; the record would eventually sell over six million copies. The new lineup of Aerosmith released Rock in a Hard Place in 1982. Peaking at number 32, failed to match the performance of Night in the Ruts and the record showed that the band was out of ideas. Perry and Whitford returned to the band in 1984 and the group began a reunion tour dubbed "Back in the Saddle." Early in the tour, Tyler collapsed on stage, offering proof that the band hadn't conquered their notorious drug and alcohol addictions. The following year, Aerosmith released Done with Mirrors, the original lineup's first record since 1979 and their first for Geffen Records. Although it didn't perform as well as Rock in a Hard Place, the album showed that the band was revitalized.

After the release of Done with Mirrors, Tyler and Perry completed a rehabilitation program. In 1986, the pair appeared on Run D.M.C.'s cover of "Walk This Way," along with appearing in the video. "Walk This Way" became a hit, reaching number four and receiving saturation airplay in MTV. "Walk This Way" set the stage for the band's full-scale comeback effort, the Bruce Fairburn-produced Permanent Vacation (1987). Tyler and Perry collaborated with professional hard rock songwriters like Holly Knight and Desmond Child, resulting in the hits "Dude (Looks like a Lady)," "Rag Doll" and "Angel." Permanent Vacation peaked at number 11 and sold over three million copies.

Pump, released in 1989, continued the band's winning streak, reaching number five, selling over four million copies, and spawning the Top Ten singles "Love in an Elevator," "Janie's Got a Gun," and "What It Takes." Aerosmith released Get a Grip in 1993. Like Permanent Vacation and Pump, Get a Grip was produced by Bruce Fairburn and featured significant contributions by professional songwriters. The album was as successful as the band's previous two records, featuring the hit singles "Livin' on the Edge," "Cryin'," and "Amazing." In 1994, Aerosmith released Big Ones, a compilation of hits from their Geffen years; it went double platinum shortly after its release.

Music News V2.0

AC/DC new albumn due in early October...exclusiely at Wal-Mart (and only). Taking a page from the Eagles.
Sebastian Bach turned down the lead singer duties for Velvet Revolver. I think would have like Buck Cherry's lead singer instead...but he also says no thanks.

Video of Week(end): David Bowie - China Girl (Live)

Random Music Thoughts Vol 1.

1. Jani Lane, give it up.... See Youtube "Jani Lane Vegas"

2. Early Black Sabbath very raw and underproduced

3. Led Zepplelin, Heavy Metal?.....Not...more like Folky Blues

4. Uncle Ted...stop yacking about politics at your show and just play a mean guitar!

5. Who told Bret Michaels he could still sing? Sorry Kell88:)

6. Dave Grohl, go back to drums

7. Judas Priest needs to record their acoustic version of Diamonds and Rust.

8. David Bowie..please tour again...i was a fool and missed the last show.

9. Billy Childs...you're just a bass player...you're not Britny Fox...you can't have the name and tour with 3 other nobodies.

10. Van Halen next studio album?

Video of Week: Aerosmith - Hangman Jury Unplugged

Foo Fighters: July 23, 2008 Concert Review by The Snack King

It’s been 8 years since the Foo Fighters rocked Indianapolis and they made sure not to let their fans down on their Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace tour last night. From the opening song of Let It Die to the final song of Best of You, the Foo Fighters filled the arena with non-stop energy with heart pounding drums and Grohl’s patented screams. Their incredibly loud set list included hits Learn To Fly, Pretender, Breakout, Monkey Wrench and All My Life. Halfway through the show, the band moved to a small stage towards the back of the arena to play a mini 5-song set of acoustic songs that included My Hero, Everlong and Cold Day in the Sun. The mini-set was a nice change of pace and gave fans in the back of the arena a close-up of the band. The highlight of the mini-set came when the crowd began singing My Hero back to Grohl at a deafening level.

After finishing the set with All My Life, the band exited stage right for a few moments before the video monitors showed their set list with songs that weren’t legible, letting fans know they had a few more songs to crank out. The encore included Generator, Best of You and a slowed down version of Big Me. The encore songs failed to produce the same energy and excitement of the first 15 songs, but Grohl fired everyone back up when he announced before Best of You that they were heading back to Virginia to start on their new album. Hopefully we won’t have to wait another 8 years to see Dave and the boys back in Indy.

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

Let it Die
Pretender
Times Like These
Cheer Up Boys
Long Road to Ruin
Skin and Bones
Young Man Blues (The Who Cover)
Drum Solo
No Way Back
Breakout
Learn to Fly

ACOUSTIC:

Marigold
My Hero
Cold Day In The Sun
But, Honestly
Everlong

Monkey Wrench
All My Life

ENCORE:

Big Me
Generator
Best of You

Musicians with skills By Kellster88

the music business sucks.

okay, so i can't say that from personal experience, but i can tell you that i'm frustrated seeing extremely talented musicians working a day job, sometimes a night job too, to live. they live that way because they love music and will do what they need to in order to do what they love. mad respect for that. my issue: the non-talented, everyone-sounds-the-same, i'm-blowing-my-cash, no-hearted, i've-got-a-record-deal 'talent' that have gotten record deals or "made it big" (hate that phrase) for whatever reason.

now with the way things are, anyone can get their stuff on a cd and distributed. thats do-able change. but touring, promo and merch... thats a lot of pocket lint. and a lot of times, you cant give up that day (and night) job to do all that yourself no matter how much you try. how does it change? can it change without a money-grubbing-untrustworthy-deeppocket label? so what do you do to get noticed sans label? why are some of the most talented individuals i've met in a long time not getting picked up? its not for lack of effort. its not for lack of talent. its not for lack of contacts. is it because they don't have a 'niche?'

it frustrates me because i listen to the radio and nothing stands out. its beginning to sound like the teacher off the peanuts cartoons. whahwhamwhaaaaaaaawhah. it frustrates me because i know that cats like dave borla and chris scianni (dangerman / the secret resistance) and rusty redenbacher (mudkids / lazarus) have talent everyone should get an earful of. thats just to name a few. the music. the vocals. the heart. the loyalty. the everything. maybe i'm biassed. i dont know. and sure its all in opinion.... but i believe in these guys.

music business as a whole has been whack for a while, then the internet happened, and the whole thing is a struggle and combuzle. radio is no different. more music - less talk. yes, theres more music, but they just have more rotation of the songs that i didnt want to hear in the first place. do that - you may say iPod. i do use it - when i work out or when i travel, sometimes at work. thats how i can listen to talent - that honest to god talent. in my car, its usually radio just in anticipation of hearing something that stands out above the rest.

im sure there is no answer, and not being a musician, i'm not sure why it frustrates me so much. i've covered states to pay that $5 cover to see talent i enjoy. to support. it kills me not to be able to do it for everyone at every show. if you've got something you believe in - something you love to listen to... let me know. send me a link... send me a file... always love to listen to new stuff. any genera.

Music Mish Mash

In the coming month we will have top 10 list of just about every music category you can think of...Feel free to post your own. We will also have album reviews, concert reviews, autobiography reviews and just some random thoughts on the music of today and yesterday.

Guitar Hero vs. Guitar Hero

Eddie, Joe, Jimi, Tony, Jimmy, Randy - aah great rock guitar heros. Where are all the 'Guitar Heros' in the music world? There are none. Oh wait....I'll tell you where. In front of the TV. What I can't seem to figure out is why the video game is so popular...why not buy a real guitar and become a real 'Guitar Hero' since there are none. Should be easy right? Ok maybe Slash is still out there since Velvet Revolver put a couple of tunes. But seriously name a true guitar hero now. The video game has taken the nation by storm as well as Rock Band. With the change of the face of music in recent years, guitar solos and guitar heros have become a thing of the past. But every videogamer seems interested in becoming a 'faux' guitar hero. Here's a thought...go to ebay, buy a cheap $50 starter guitar and amp and start becoming your own hero. You could become more famous around the world than in just your neighborhood or school.