• Blog,  Concerts

    Alice & Space Ace: Alice Cooper/Ace Frehley Concert Review

    September 29 2021 / No Comments
    • Date of Concert: September 28, 2021
    • Location of Concert: The Rose Music Center at The Heights in Huber Heights, OH
    Dream concert bill: Alice Cooper and Ace Frehley
     
    Two of my heroes.
     
    I went with my girlfriend Mariah Startzman to see these two legends at The Rose The Rose Music Center At The Heights in Huber Heights, Ohio.
     
    Ace started off with a short but rocking set.
     
    My only complaint is that his set is not long enough but it was great to see him again.
     
    His band kicks butt and Ace is still amazing.
     
    He’s still making great albums too.
     
    Then Alice and his band came on roughly 30 minutes after Ace and did another classic performance.
     
    There is no such thing as a bad Alice show.
     
    Lots of different songs added to the set, and a awesome stage set too.
     
    I’m glad I saw Alice again. He’s forever awesome.
     
    Still making great albums also.
     
    And I’m glad I was able to show my girlfriend this amazing concert.
     
    I’ve converted her into being a big Alice and Ace fan.

    Alice Cooper Band Members:

    • Alice Cooper (Vocals)
    • Tommy Henriksen (Guitar)
    • Ryan Roxie (Guitar)
    • Nita Strauss (Guitar)
    • Chuck Garric (Bass)
    • Glen Sobel (Drums)

    Ace Frehley Band Members:

    • Ace Frehley (Vocals/Guitar)
    • Ryan Cook (Guitar)
    • Jeremy Asbrock (Guitar)
    • Philip Shouse (Bass)
    • Matt Starr (Drums)

    Alice Cooper Set List:

    1. Feed My Frankenstein
    2. No More Mr. Nice Guy
    3. Bed Of Nails
    4. Rock And Roll (The Velvet Underground cover)
    5. Fallen In Love
    6. Go Man Go
    7. Under My Wheels
    8. He’s Back (The Man Behind The Mask)
    9. Social Debris
    10. I’m Eighteen
    11. Poison
    12. Nita Strauss Guitar Solo
    13. Billion Dollar Babies
    14. Roses On White Lace
    15. My Stars
    16. Devils Food
    17. Black Widow (Band Jam/Drum Solo)
    18. Steven
    19. Dead Babies
    20. I Love The Dead
    21. Escape
    22. Teenage Frankenstein
    23. School’s Out

    Ace Frehley Set List:

    1. Rocket Ride
    2. Parasite
    3. Strutter
    4. Rip It Out
    5. Never In My Life (Mountain cover-some of it)
    6. Good Times Bad Times (Led Zeppelin cover)
    7. Detroit Rock City
    8. New York Groove
    9. Shock Me
    10. Ace Guitar Solo (included bits of the James Bond Theme, The Beatles’ Day Tripper, ZZ Top’s La Grange)
    11. Deuce

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  • Blog,  Concerts

    Slowhand & a Thunderbird: Eric Clapton/Jimmie Vaughan Concert Review

    September 22 2021 / No Comments
    • Date of Concert: September 21, 2021
    • Location of Concert: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN
    I never thought I could say this but I FINALLY saw Eric Clapton in concert.
     
    He played at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
     
    Jimmie Vaughan (Stevie Ray Vaughan’s older brother and also a member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds) opened the show with a very rocking set of songs.
     
    He and his band really cook.  Fun set.
     
    Then came Slowhand himself.
     
    Regardless of the controversy of his opinion of vaccines these days, which I highly disagree with him on, I still think he is a phenomenal talent and he lets the music do the talking.
     
    His band is great (Paul Carrack, ex singer of Mike And The Mechanics, Squeeze, and Ace as well as a solo artist) is one of his keyboard players and sings lead on the last song of the set.) and he lets everyone in the band shine.
     
    He played hits, blues songs, an acoustic set, and jammed a lot.
     
    He still kicks butt.
     
    I’m glad I finally saw him.
     
    Jimmie Vaughan and even Marcus King (a young star on the rise) jammed with Eric and his band at the end.
     
    Again, I never thought I would ever see Eric because he hasn’t really toured, aside from doing a handful of shows, in the last several years.  So I figured I better make the drive to Nashville (roughly 6 hours from my house).  Well worth it.
     
    My next concert is Alice Cooper and Ace Frehley next Tuesday.
     
    More to come.

    Eric Clapton Band Members:

    • Eric Clapton (Vocals/Guitar)
    • Paul Carrack (Keyboards/Vocals)
    • Doyle Bramhall II (Guitar)
    • Nathan East (Bass)
    • Sonny Emory (Drums/Percussion)
    • Steve Gadd (Drums)
    • Chris Stainton (Keyboards)
    • Sharon White (Backing Vocals)
    • Katie Kissoon (Backing Vocals)
    • Jimmie Vaughan (Guitar on Last song of show)
    • Marcus King (Guitar on last song of show)

    Eric Clapton Set List:

    1. Pretending
    2. Key To The Highway
    3. Hoochie Koochie Man
    4. I Shot The Sheriff
    5. Driftin’ (Acoustic)
    6. Man Of The World (Acoustic)
    7. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out (Acoustic)
    8. Tears In Heaven (Acoustic)
    9. Layla (Acoustic)
    10. Got To Get Better In A Little While
    11. Wonderful Tonight
    12. Little Queen Of Spades
    13. Cocaine
    14. Encore:  High Time We Went (sung by Paul Carrack and Jimmie Vaughan returned to play guitar and Marcus King played guitar too)

    Jimmie Vaughan Set List:

    1. D/FW
    2. The Pleasure’s All Mine
    3. Roll Roll Roll
    4. Texas Flood
    5. I Ain’t Never
    6. Baby Scratch My Back
    7. Baby Please Come Home
    8. You Can’t Sit Down
    9. Boom Bapa Boom

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  • Blog,  Concerts

    Rage & Empire: Geoff Tate Concert Review

    September 18 2021 / No Comments
    • Date of Concert: September 17, 2021
    • Location of Concert: Blue Note Harrison in Harrison, OH
    For the first time since 2003, I saw original Queensryche singer Geoff Tate
     
    He is performing all the songs from the classic Queensryche albums Rage For Order and Empire.
     
    Contrary to what some people say, he still sings phenomenal and his band play the songs great.
     
    Geoff is one of my favorite singers and always will be.
     
    He is the main reason why I became a Queensryche fan and I’m a fan of the work he still does and will continue to do.
     
    If you read this Geoff, thank you for the albums.
     
    Just the song Hard Times alone from Dedicated To Chaos has really helped me in times of struggle.
     
    Thank you!

    Geoff Tate Set Lists:

    Set 1:  Rage For Order Album

    1. Walk In The Shadows
    2. I Dream In Infrared
    3. The Whisper
    4. Gonna Get Close To You
    5. The Killing Words
    6. Surgical Strike
    7. Neue Regel
    8. Chemical Youth (We Are Rebellion)
    9. London
    10. Screaming In Digital
    11. I Will Remember

    Set 2:  Empire Album

    1. Best I Can
    2. The Thin Line
    3. Jet City Woman
    4. Della Brown
    5. Another Rainy Night
    6. Empire
    7. Resistance
    8. Silent Lucidity
    9. Hand On Heart
    10. One And Only
    11. Anybody Listening?
    12. Encore:  Last Time In Paris
    13. Take Hold Of The Flame

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  • Blog,  Conventions

    My Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2021 Experience

    September 12 2021 / No Comments
    • Date of Convention: September 12, 2021
    • Location of Convention: Central Bank Center in Lexington, KY
    I had a great time today at Lexington Comic & Toy Con with my girlfriend Mariah Startzman
     
    We saw lots of cool people, lots of awesome vendors, and just had a great day.
     
    I met some of my favorite wrestlers. The Steiner Brothers (Ric and Scott) and Lex Luger.
     
    I also met actor Bruce Boxleitner at his Q&A.
     
    I asked him a question and he gave me a very awesome answer.
     
    Great day.

    Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)


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  • Blog,  Concerts

    It’s My Life: Billy Joel Concert Review

    September 11 2021 / No Comments
    • Date of Concert: September 10, 2021
    • Location of Concert: Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, OH
    I finally saw Billy Joel in concert!!
     
    He played at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.
     
    He played many songs, told funny stories, and basically just put on one heck of a show.
     
    This was a HUGE concert for me, having grown up on his music.
     
    He still sings and plays amazing.
     
    His band is great.
     
    And of course his songs are timeless.

    Billy Joel Set List:

    1. Movin’ Out
    2. Pressure
    3. The Entertainer
    4. Vienna (audience choice between that and Just The Way You Are)
    5. Zanzibar
    6. Don’t Ask Me Why
    7. A Whiter Shade Of Pale bit (he told a funny story about opening for Procul Haram at the Cincinnati Gardens in the early 70s)
    8. The Downeaster Alexa (audience choice between that and The Ballad Of Billy The Kid)
    9. NY State Of Mind (9/11 dedication)
    10. Allentown
    11. Say Goodbye To Hollywood (audience choice between it and I Go To Extremes)
    12. Always A Woman To Me
    13. My Life
    14. Only The Good Die Young
    15. Sometimes A Fantasy
    16. River Of Dreams (included Honky Tonk Women)
    17. Nessun Dorma (sung by one of his band, Billy plays piano only)
    18. Italian Restaurant
    19. Piano Man
    20. We Didn’t Start The Fire
    21. Uptown Girl
    22. It’s Still Rock N Roll To Me
    23. Brown Sugar (Charlie Watts Tribute)
    24. Big Shot
    25. You May Be Right

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  • Blog,  Concerts

    Shining On!!-Grand Funk Railroad Concert Review

    September 4 2021 / No Comments
    • Date of Concert: September 4, 2021
    • Location of Concert: Portsmouth, OH
    • Opener: Moving In Stereo (The Cars tribute band)
    For the first time since 2005, I saw Grand Funk Railroad. I last saw them when I worked Summer Motion in Ashland, Kentucky and this time I saw them at Portsmouth River Days in Portsmouth, Ohio.
     
    Founding member/singer/songwriter/guitarist Mark Farner is not in the band anymore (solo artist), but founding drummer/singer/songwriter Don Brewer and founding bassist Mel Schacher are still in the band.
     
    The band also includes singer/guitarist Max Carl, keyboardist Tim Cashion, and last but not least, lead guitarist Bruce Kulick formerly of KISS Blackjack, Union, Meat Loaf, solo artist, and more.
     
    They played a rocking 75-80 minute set, playing all their hits like We’re An American Band, Some Kind Of Wonderful, their version of The Loco-Motion, I’m Your Captain/Closer To Home, and more.
     
    They even had a drum solo and guitar solo (Bruce played The Star Spangled Banner!!!!!).
     
    This band was one of the most popular bands of the 70s. They even sold out Shea Stadium in NYC faster than The Beatles did.
     
    Hopefully someday the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame will finally induct them.
     
    I miss Mark but they still kick butt and they’re all awesome!
     
    And being a big KISS fan, I love that Bruce is in the band.
     
    He did spot me (I was wearing a KISS Hot In The Shade album shirt, which is from his era of the band), and he threw me a guitar pick. Thank you Bruce!!!!!
     
    What a fun show.
     
    Opening the show was Moving In Stereo, a The Cars tribute band.
     
    They were very good too.
     
    It’s concerts like this and concerts in general that truly make me happy and feel alive.
     
    I hate my life most of the time but when I’m at a concert, I’m free.
     
    Hopefully more shows to come soon.
     
    I love Grand Funk and I love you Bruce!!!
     
    My girlfriend Mariah Startzman is seeing you guys tomorrow.

    Grand Funk Railroad Band Members:

    • Don Brewer (Drums/Vocals)
    • Mel Schacher (Bass)
    • Max Carl (Vocals/Guitar/Percussion)
    • Bruce Kulick (Guitar)
    • Tim Cashion (Keyboards)

    Grand Funk Railroad Set List:

    1. Rock And Roll Soul
    2. Footstompin’ Music
    3. Shinin’ On
    4. The Loco-Motion
    5. Walk Like A Man
    6. Second Chance
    7. Drum Solo
    8. Star Spangled Banner (Bruce Guitar Solo)
    9. Inside Looking Out
    10. Some Kind Of Wonderful
    11. I’m Your Captain/Closer To Home
    12. We’re An American Band

    Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)


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