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Star Wars: The Mandalorian And Grogu Movie Review
The Mandalorian And Grogu, the latest Star Wars movie, was released on May 22, 2026.
I saw it the next day.
If you are a fan of the series on Disney +, The Mandalorian, then there is no reason why you should not enjoy this movie.
I know people are picky with spoilers, so if you don’t want to know anything else until you see the movie, then do not read on.
This movie continues the adventures of The Mandalorian and Grogu. This time, Mando has been assigned a mission to rescue the son of Jabba The Hut, Rotta, from a prison.
Turns out Rotta has been fighting, literally, to win his freedom. However, he does not know that the promoter (also someone Mando is looking for, how little does he know at first) he is being forced to work for, also has a plan to make sure Rotta does not survive his last scheduled fight.
There is more than this, but I’ll just say again: If you like The Mandalorian series, then you will like this movie.
Mando and Grogu are great together. It’s awesome to see Sigourney Weaver in the Star Wars universe now, the character of Rada is really good, and as a lifelong Star Wars fan, I loved this and was moved at times by some of the emotional stuff that happens.
The franchise is in great hands with Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni.
Check out this movie and watch the series if you haven’t. It’s on Disney + and you can buy it all on Blu-Ray (I still love physical media.).
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George Thorogood & The Destroyers/The Marshall Tucker Band (Happy Birthday Doug Gray!!) Concert Review
- Date of Concert: Friday, May 22, 2026
- Location of Concert: The Rose Music Center At The Heights in Huber Heights, Ohio
When I initially found out about this concert, I was interested, but was not going to go because the lead singer of most of the songs by The Marshall Tucker Band, Doug Gray, had been sitting out on the live shows for several months, due to health reasons.
Now, the band still rocks, but I wanted to see Doug.
And as awesome as George Thorogood & The Destroyers are, I had already seen them, so I was content.
Nevertheless, I was interested in the concert bill, especially for The Marshall Tucker Band, because they are one of my remaining bucket list bands to see.
Well, once I found out Doug Gray was back on the road with The Marshall Tucker Band, then I immediately bought a ticket.
When I told a fellow fan I was going to this show, they told me that the day of the show is Doug’s birthday.
So, even more reason to go!!
It was a fun show, which I knew it would be.
The Marshall Tucker Band started and played roughly an hour set.
Some fans have complained about Doug’s vocal ability for the past few years, but I think he’s fine. He has been a fantastic for decades, and if he’s lost some range? So what?
He turned 78 on this day, he’s a Vietnam veteran (Army sergeant), he’s been in the band for 56 years (the sole original member still in the band), he had triple bypass surgery last year (that’s why he was off the road), and he’s out on the road again doing several shows giving everything he has. Give him a break people. I dare you to do better.
Anyway, I thought Doug and the guys rocked.
One of the things I love about The Marshall Tucker Band is the variety in sound they have. They play rock, country, blues, gospel, jazz, funk, you name it, and it’s all done at a high level.
All the musicians in the band are great.
Along with Doug, they include guitarists Chris Hicks (who also sings lead on some of the songs and has been in the band over 30 years) and Chris Anderson, bassist/vocalist Ryan Ware, drummer Leroy Wilson (Air Force veteran), and keyboardist/saxophonist/flautist/vocalist Marcus James Henderson.
Even though it was only roughly an hour, I’m so glad I got to see The Marshall Tucker Band. Happy Birthday Doug for this day and many more birthdays to come!! Thank you for the music and for your service.
Next up was George Thorogood & The Destroyers.
Vocalist/guitarist George Thorogood and his band (guitarist Jim Suhler, bassist Bill Blough, saxophonist Buddy Leach, and drummer Jeff Simon) have been rocking for decades, consistently delivering on their brand of rock and roll, blues, and boogie woogie.
I doubt they have ever had a bad show.
Their show is beyond tight and again consistent.
In short: They Rock!!
This was another great show and if this was the last time I saw either act, then it was a great one.
I say this because after August of 2026, I do not intend to go to as many concerts anymore.
I am beyond broke and costs (tickets, gas, travel) are becoming way too high.
Never say never (I’ve been saying I’m going to slow down or stop for 11 or 12 years as of this typing), but I intend to slow down after of August of 2026. We’ll see.
Until then, I have more shows to see and hopefully people to meet.
Rock on everyone.
P.S. Along with the many pictures and videos I took, I also took some screen grabs of four posts from The Marshall Tucker Band and George Thorogood & The Destroyers respective Facebook pages, showing when Doug was back, announcing his birthday, a message from Doug after the show, and a message from George after the show. Hopefully, that’s OK. If not, I’ll take them off. I wanted to post them here because they are related to this show.
Anyway, I loved this show and I hope for anyone who reads this enjoys my thoughts on it. And if you were there too, I hope you also had as much fun as I did.
Thank you.
The Marshall Tucker Band Set List:
- Running Like The Wind
- Heard It In A Love Song
- This Ol’ Cowboy
- Searching For A Rainbow
- Cattle Drive
- Fire On The Mountain
- See You Later I’m Gone (snippet)
- 24 Hours At A Time
- Can’t You See
George Thorogood & The Destroyers Set List:
- Rock Party
- Who Do You Love? (Bo Diddley cover)
- Mama Talk To Your Daughter (J.B. Lenoir cover)
- I Drink Alone
- One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer (Amos Milburn cover)
- Cocaine Blues (traditional cover, dedicated to Johnny Cash, who also did this song)
- Peter Gunn Theme
- Gear Jammer
- Get A Hair-Cut (Don’t Panic cover)
- Madison Blues (Elmore James cover)
- Bad To The Bone
- Gloria (Them cover)
- Move It On Over (Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys cover)
- Encore: Born To Be Bad
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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Geoff Tate Operation: Mindcrime III Album Review
Geoff Tate (original singer of Queensryche) released his latest album, Operation: Mindcrime III on March 3 of 2026.
It was released completely independently by Geoff. No record labels at all.
The only way, as of this writing, to get the physical CD or Vinyl, you must order it on geofftate.com or at one of his concerts.
I bought the CD on his website.
I think it is a very good album.
Nothing beats the original Queensryche masterpiece Operation: Mindcrime (and I love Operation: Mindcrime II also), but I really like Operation: Mindcrime III.
Geoff still sings great. I followed along with the songs with the lyrics included in the CD booklet, which I rarely do now.
It takes you on a journey.
If you are a Geoff/Queensryche fan, then you should appreciate this.
I’ve been a fan of Geoff’s since I was 17 and I always will be.
Thank you Geoff for this album and for continuing to make really good albums and songs.
And thanks for still putting on great concerts too.
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The Metal Tour Of The Year: Sepultura/Exodus/Biohazard/Tribal Gaze Concert Review
- Date Of Concert: Tuesday, May 5, 2026
- Location Of Concert: Old Forester's Paristown Hall in Louisville, KY
I had been looking forward to this show for some time because most of these bands I had never before seen.
It is definitely the Metal tour of the year for sure.
Headliners Sepultura (on their Farewell Tour), Exodus (I had seen them once, but with their previous singer), Biohazard, and newer band Tribal Gaze.
Tribal Gaze opened the show. Super heavy with the cookie monster vocal style. Not usually my thing, but they were a good start to what was going to be a very Metal night.
Biohazard was up next. I have been wanting to see Biohazard for many years, and even though the set was short, they were worth the wait. The classic lineup. A new album called Divided We Fall, which is amazing. Lots of energy. They kick butt!! I’m glad I finally got to see them.
As I said, I had seen Exodus once before, but not with their now returned singer Rob Dukes. Like Biohazard, Exodus have an amazing new album out called Goliath, which is definitely a favorite of mine already. Exodus are one of the kings of Thrash Metal and still wear the crown well. And as much as I love their singer Steve “Zetro” Souza (he apparently did not want to tour anymore and fair enough), I’ll now say welcome back to Rob Dukes!!
The headliner, Sepultura, were next and really kicked butt too. Like I said, they are on a Farewell Tour, although we’ll see if they stick to that because almost no one does. And nor should they because again, they kick butt, they have a new EP out called The Cloud Of Unknowing, and seem to still be having fun, like all of the bands I’ve just talked about.
This show was another bucket list one for sure, although they all are really. Especially at this point, because I’m on my Farewell Tour too now. I say this because at some point, maybe within the next year or two or less, I do not intend to go to as many shows anymore. Financially, it is beyond tough now and physically, I am tired of the travel. I love the shows, but everything else that goes with them I do not love. But we’ll see.
Either way, more shows to come this year, 2026. I cannot wait for them. Rock on everyone.
Sepultura Band Members
- Derrick Green (Lead Vocals)
- Andreas Kisser (Guitar/Vocals)
- Paulo Jr. (Bass/Vocals)
- Greyson Nekrutman (Drums/Percussion)
Exodus Band Members
- Rob Dukes (Lead Vocals)
- Gary Holt (Guitar)
- Lee Altus (Guitar)
- Jack Gibson (Bass)
- Tom Hunting (Drums)
Biohazard Band Members
- Evan Seinfeld (Lead Vocals/Bass)
- Billy Graziadei (Lead Vocals/Guitar)
- Bobby Hambel (Lead Guitar)
- Danny Schuler (Drums)
Tribal Gaze Band Members
- McKenna Holland (Lead Vocals)
- Quintin Stauts (Guitar)
- Ian Kilmer (Guitar)
- Zachary Denton (Bass)
- Cesar De Los Santos (Drums)
Sepultura Set List
- Beneath The Remains
- Inner Self
- Desperate Cry
- Kairos
- Means To An End
- Attitude
- The Vatican
- Choke
- The Place (New Song)
- Escape To The Void
- Kaiwas
- Dead Embryonic Cells
- Beyond The Dream (New Song and Live Debut of this Song)
- Orgasmatron (Motorhead cover, in tribute to Motorhead guitarist Phil Campbell)
- Territory
- Refuse/Resist
- Arise
- Ratamahatta
- Roots Bloody Roots
Exodus Set List
- 3111 (New Song)
- Bonded By Blood
- Deathamphetamine
- Blacklist
- Goliath (New Song)
- A Lesson In Violence
- The Toxic Waltz
- Strike Of The Beast
Biohazard Set List
- Urban Discipline
- Shades Of Grey
- Wrong Side Of The Tracks
- Fuck The System (New Song)
- Black And White And Red All Over
- Eyes On Six (New Song)
Tribal Gaze Set List
- Emptying The Nest
- Smiling From The Chariots
- To The Spoils Of Faith
- The Irreversible Sequence
- Twitching On The Cross
- Guarding The Illusion
- Beyond Recognition
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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Deep Water Movie Review
I went to see the movie Deep Water the day after it was released, May 2nd of 2026.
Starring Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley and directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, A Nightmare On Elm Street 4, Deep Blue Sea, Prison, Driven, The Strangers 1 and 2), the movie is about a plane crashing in the Pacific Ocean, and how the survivors try to stay alive on what is left of the plane, amongst the open ocean and sharks.
Deep Water is a classic disaster movie, in the vein of the Airport franchise, The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, Starflight One, you name it. It has everything that makes a disaster movie. Some characters you care about, some you don’t. But it is a thrill ride and I recommend seeing it.
Thank you to Gene Simmons (KISS), one of the producers of the movie, for putting the word out about it.
Again, Deep Water is a very good disaster movie. Check it out.
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Uli Jon Roth Concert Review
I finally saw another member of the band Scorpions.
Former lead guitarist/singer on a few songs Uli Jon Roth.
I saw him at The King Of Clubs in Columbus, OH on Friday, May 1st, of 2026.
There were no opening acts.
Uli did two sets. One on his own, in which he played a bunch of instrumentals he has written and covered over the decades. He also told stories about the songs, talked about his history as an oil painter (some of his artwork was on stage and on the screens), talked about being a professor, talked about his book (showed some of it on the screens also), and overall, I can say this set was very interactive.
The second set included his band (Niklas Turmann on Vocals/Guitar, David Klosinski on Guitar, Barry Sparks on Bass, Jamie Little on Drums, and Gwen Antti-Adams on Vocals), in which they played the entire Scorpions album Virgin Killer, my favorite of the Uli era, although they’re all great, and some other Uli era Scorps songs.
If you are an Uli or early Scorps fan, this was the show for you.
Uli is a phenomenal artist, literally, and his band is very good. I was especially glad to see Barry Sparks too because he played bass on a lot of later Dokken albums and some Michael Schenker albums too, just to name a few.
This was the last show of the tour, and thanks to my friend Kevin Montavon and a friend of his, I was able to see this show for free. Thanks guys!!!
Another great show in the books.
More to come.
Rock on everyone.
Set Lists:
Set 1:
- Amadeus
- Rondo Alla Turca (Mozart cover)
- Queen Of The Night (Mozart cover)
- The Cry
- Sky Overture
- Uli Discussing his Paintings and his Book “In Search of the Alpha Law”
- Spirit Of The Heart
- The Sails Of Charon (Scorpions song-He did it in this set too because he said the song got expanded on the more he played it over the years, including with orchestras)
Set 2:
- Scorpions Virgin Killer Album (Tracks 1-9)-Pictured Life
- Catch Your Train
- In Your Park
- Backstage Queen
- Virgin Killer
- Hell-Cat
- Crying Days
- Polar Nights
- Yellow Raven
- Sun In My Hand
- We’ll Burn The Sky
- In Trance
- The Sails Of Charon
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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Kip Winger Symphony Of The Returning Light Album Review
The second classical album written by Kip Winger (Winger, solo artist), Symphony Of The Returning Light Violin Concerto “In The Language Of Flowers” was released on April 10th of 2026.
The follow up to his 2016 classical album Conversations With Nijinsky, Kip continues to show his talents as a classical music composer.
If you are a fan of classical music, there is no reason why you should not love this album.
One of the pieces, “Ambrosia”, brought me to tears. Very beautiful piece of music.
Great stuff!!!
Seek it out.
And thanks Kip for answering my question on a Facebook Live you did recently. I included that video here too.
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Mariah And I Visited The Toledo Zoo
Mariah and I visited her favorite place, The Toledo Zoo, in Toledo, OH on Saturday, April 25th.
I personally had not been to a zoo since the late 80s when my family went to a zoo in Cincinnati, OH.
We had a good time. Saw lots of different types of animals. I took lots of pictures. I would have taken more pictures, but my phone battery was running out of power.
Regardless, it was a good day and it was great seeing all the different animals.
Favorites of mine include The Bald Eagle, Snowy Owl, Tiger (although it was asleep), Flamingos, Giraffes, Hippos. All were great, though.
I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking.
Enjoy and I recommend checking out The Toledo Zoo if you are ever in that area.
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I Finally Met Peter Criss of KISS!!
A few months ago, it was announced that Peter Criss (original drummer/co-singer of my favorite band KISS, as well as a solo artist) was going to do a few signings/photo op appearances to promote his latest solo album “Peter Criss”.
One of the appearances was going to be in the Detroit, MI area. Livonia, MI to be exact.
Originally, I was going to pass on it because I didn’t think I could afford it, but after Mariah mentioned it to me again, I then decided to do it, and it wasn’t extremely expensive. Thank you babe for mentioning it to me again.
Anyway, I went to the first day of it (Peter did two days of this appearance) at The Rock City Music Company, a very nice music/musical instrument store.
While waiting in line, I was able to speak to some fellow KISS fans and hear and tell some stories, which are always fun. Two of them first saw KISS on the Destroyer tour in 1976. One of which told me he and his friends went to their hotel, asked for Peter’s room number, got on the phone with Peter, and Peter invited them up to his room. One fan had come from Australia for this event and for the KISS Indy Expo in Indiana. Another fan caught Eric Carr (KISS drummer from 1980-1991, RIP) drum sticks once on a tour. I love all of these stories.
Peter did the appearances in a series of roughly hour increments (5 PM signing, 6 PM signing, 7 PM photo ops, 8 PM signing).
I met Peter in the 5 PM signing. His wife Gigi was with him. Both were very nice.
I had Peter sign my copy of his latest CD. When I told him I thought it is my favorite of his solo albums, he told me he thought so too and laughed.
I showed Peter my original KISS concert tickets from 1998 and 2000. He asked me how much the tickets cost and when I told him, he told me he wished that tickets were not so expensive now (they were cheaper then) and that bands should be grateful that their fans are still showing up to see them.
Peter said he was grateful for his fans and was grateful I was there.
I told him I loved him and thanked him for everything, that KISS is my favorite band, and he said “I love you too”, said God Bless You, and wished me good health.
Later on, when I was waiting in line to get my picture taken with him, I could hear him playing his drum kit (he sits behind a drum kit while the fans stand in front of it for the picture), and as I already knew, he still plays great.
Very cool experience for me. As I said, KISS is my favorite band (all albums, all lineups) and Peter was the last original member I had not met.
I had met Ace Frehley (lead guitar/vocals, RIP) in 2016, Gene Simmons (bass/vocals) and Paul Stanley (guitar/vocals) in 2019, and now Peter Criss (drums/vocals) on April 24th of 2026.
Thank you Peter and Gigi. Thank you to The Rock City Music Company. Thank you to the cool fans who I spoke with. Thank you KISS!!!! And thank you Mariah once again for mentioning this event to me again. If you would not have mentioned it to me, I would not have gone. I love you babe.
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Black Label Society Engines Of Demolition Album Review
Black Label Society’s new album, Engines Of Demolition, was released on March 27 of 2026.
Singer/songwriter/guitarist/leader Zakk Wylde and co. have made another great album.
I think all BLS albums are quite good or great, but This is definitely one of my favorite BLS albums.
Lots of variety on it. Tons of heavy rockers, but also some really ballads and mellower songs too.
Wow what an album.
Get it!!!
And thanks guys for signing it too!!!
Rock on!!
