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Drove Through Rain to See Magic: David Crosby Concert Review
- Date of Concert: November 5, 2017
- Location of Concert: The Kent Stage in Kent, OH
Well, I had to drive through the worst storm I’ve ever driven through to get to my last concert of 2017.But you know what?!It was worth it.Because I went to The Kent Stage in Kent, Ohio to see one of my favorite singer/songwriters ever.Mr. David CrosbyIhave now seen all of Crosby, Stills, and Nash solo.Now, if they’ll just reunite again, maybe even with Neil Young (hopefully seeing him next year).Hey, I can dream.But anyway, all are brilliant solo, too.Especially David.I’ve been a fan for 19 years, but for the past few months, I have really dove in on his albums.He has a great discography.Solo, CPR, CSN, CSNY, The Byrds.All great stuff.He’s promoting his new solo album Sky Trails (my album of the year).At 76, he has put out three masterpiece albums within a 4 year period (Croz in 2014, Lighthouse in 2016, and Sky Trails recently).I’m in awe of this guy.I was in the 4th row Center!His band is incredible.It’s basically CPR (Crosby Pevar Raymond) and some other AWESOME musicians/singers too.He and the band were definitely having a great time, totally in the groove, jamming, and really feeling the music, which is the way it should be.Yeah the drive to this show and the drive home was horrendous, but the show was MAGIC.This was the perfect final show of the year for me.I can’t wait for 2018.My last year of concerts?!We’ll see.Love and Peace everyone.Band Members:
- David Crosby (Lead Vocals/Guitar)
- James Raymond (Keyboards/Vocals)
- Jeff Pevar (Lead Guitar/Vocals)
- Michelle Willis (Vocals/Keyboards)
- Mai Leisz (Bass)
- Steve DiStanislao (Drums)
Set Lists:
Set 1:
- In My Dreams
- Morrison
- Tracks In The Dust
- She’s Got To Be Somewhere
- At The Edge
- Laughing
- Deja Vu
- Long Time Gone
Set 2:
- Map To Buried Treasure
- Homeward Through The Haze
- Sky Trails
- What Are Their Names
- Delta
- Breathless
- America (My Country, ‘Tis Of Thee)
- Low Down Payment
- Wooden Ships
- Encore: Ohio
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Forever Twisted: Dee Snider Concert Review
- Date of Concert: October 27, 2017
- Location of Concert: MGM Northfield Park in Northfield, OH
- Opener: Killcode
Another dream come true for me.I FINALLY saw one of my favorite singers/songwriters/performers ever Friday night.And that is Dee Snider of Twisted Sister!He still sings great and I’m glad that after being a fan of 19 years that he FINALLY came close enough for me to go see him.I’ve actually spoken to him on the phone via a call in show and have communicated with him on Twitter many times, but just never had the chance to see him.Nice guy by the way.Huge bucket list for me done.He sang several Twisted Sister songs, and about half of his latest album We Are The Ones, which I really like.He also did a cover of Soundgarden’s Outshined And AC/DC’s Highway To Hell, which sounded great.I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to go to this, but I was able to make it work.Thank goodness I went. My cousin Zachary went with me too and he had a blast too.I’m proud to say that I’m forever an SMF and Dee Snider fan for life.The opening band Killcode put on a solid performance, but of course, I was there for Dee.Love you sir!!Now, one more show to go this year (David Crosby November 5), and then onto 2018.Set List:
- We Are The Ones
- The Kids Are Back
- Close To You
- You Can’t Stop Rock And Roll
- Rule The World
- Head Like A Hole (Nine Inch Nails cover, which he does a great version on his album We Are The Ones.)
- So What
- We’re Not Gonna Take It (mellow version from We Are The Ones and then the rocking version from TS’ Stay Hungry)
- Outshined (Soundgarden cover)
- The Price
- Crazy For Nothing
- Burn In Hell
- I Wanna Rock
- Encore: Highway To Hell (AC/DC cover)
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They’re Still Great: Eagles Concert Review
- Date of Concert: October 24, 2017
- Location of Concert: KFC Yum Center in Louisville, KY
Even without Glenn Frey (RIP and I forever miss him), the Eagles still sound great.Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmidt, along with Vince Gill and Glenn’s son Deacon performed very well at the KFC Yum Center in Louisville Tuesday night of October 24.They played several hits and I, Kim Keffer, and Barry Gillum had a lot of fun.I regret not seeing the Eagles while Glenn was alive, but I’m glad that I went to this concert.Vince sang a number of Glenn’s songs and his son Deacon sang a few of them.They both sound very good.Don (my favorite member) still sounds great, as does Joe and Timothy.Joe seemed to have the most fun, rocking out like he does and his guitar was cranked.They had a horn section for some songs, which was cool.I could go on, but all in all, a great way to spend a Tuesday night.Or any night.My next concert is Friday, October 27, when I see Dee Snider Of Twisted Sister.And then FINALLY on November 5, I’ll be seeing David Crosby.My final show of 2017.Then on to 2018.Love and PeaceSet List:
- Seven Bridges Road
- Take It Easy (Deacon Frey sang lead.)
- One Of These Nights
- Take It To The Limit (Vince Gill sang lead. Don dedicated it to Randy Meisner, wherever he may be.)
- Tequila Sunrise (Vince sang lead.)
- Witchy Woman
- In The City
- I Can’t Tell You Why
- Peaceful Easy Feeling (Deacon sang lead.)
- Best Of My Love
- Lyin’ Eyes (Vince sang lead.)
- Love Will Keep Us Alive
- New Kid In Town (Vince sang lead.)
- Those Shoes (I loved the whole show, but this song sounded AMAZING!)
- Already Gone (Deacon sang lead.)
- Walk Away
- Heartache Tonight (Vince sang lead.)
- Life’s Been Good
- Funk #49
- Life In The Fast Lane
- Encore: Hotel California
- Rocky Mountain Way
- Desperado
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Stills & Collins Together: Stephen Stills and Judy Collins Concert Review
- Date of Concert: October 2, 2017
- Location of Concert: Keith Albee Performing Arts Center in Huntington, WV
Stephen Stills and Judy Collins Live at the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center in Huntington, WV.Another fun show I went to.Two amazing artists at what they do.They played many songs from their new album Everybody Knows, as well as other songs from their respective catalogues.Three more shows to go for me this year.And I’ll end this by saying Rest In Peace to all the victims in Las Vegas and Tom Petty.The trend of killing people at concerts needs to stop NOW!!!And Tom, another musical hero of mine, gone too soon.I’m really glad I finally saw him and his band The Heartbreakers this summer in Cincinnati.At the beginning of the Stills/Collins show, Stephen said we are doing and a song and prayer for him.They sang and played a Traveling Wilburys song Handle Me With Care, which Stills/Collins also recorded for their new album.Check it out.Love and Peace to everyone.Oh and I met a great couple at the concert.
It was a pleasure meeting Karen-Sharon Slater-Loyd.Two great people.Set List:
- Handle With Care (Traveling Wilburys cover)
- So Begins The Task (Manassas song, one of Stephen’s bands)
- River of Gold
- Questions (Buffalo Springfield song, one of Stephen’s bands)
- Virtual World (The Rides cover)
- Everybody Knows (Leonard Cohen cover)
- Girl From The North Country (Bob Dylan cover)
- Seen Enough (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young song, one of Stephen’s bands)
- Both Sides, Now (Joni Mitchell cover)
- Suzanne (Leonard Cohen cover)
- Judy (Stephen solo song)
- Who Knows Where The Time Goes? (Sandy Denny cover)
- Chelsea Morning (Joni Mitchell cover)
- For What It’s Worth (Buffalo Springfield song)
- Bluebird (Buffalo Springfield song)
- Encore: Houses (Judy solo song)
- Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (Crosby, Stills, and Nash song)
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Twist of Cain: Danzig Concert Review
- Date of Concert: September 14, 2017
- Location of Concert: The Agora Ballroom in Cleveland, OH
- Openers: Corrosion of Conformity (C.O.C.), Acid Witch, and Mutoid Man
Another huge bucket list for me done.I finally saw Glenn Danzig and his band Danzig at the Agora in Cleveland.Corrosion of Conformity, who are also great, opened.Acid Wich and Mutoid Man also played.Another great concert for me.My best friend Jamie went with me too and we had a blast.Everyone sounded great, but Danzig and C.O.C. especially rocked the house.I’m glad we were able to go.Danzig Set List:
- Skincarver
- Twist of Cain
- Devil on Hwy 9 (New Song)
- Her Black Wings
- Godless
- Left Hand Black
- How The Gods Kill
- Do You Wear The Mark
- Dirty Black Summer
- Last Ride (New Song)
- Black Mass (My favorite song of the night.)
- Long Way Back From Hell
- Mother
- Encore: She Rides
- Am I Demon
Corrosion of Conformity (C.O.C.) Set List:
- Bottom Feeder (El que come abajo-partial)
- Paranoid Opioid
- Broken Man
- Seven Days
- Vote With a Bullet
- Who’s Got the Fire
- Albatross
- Clean My Wounds
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Rock And Roll is Not Dead: Queens of the Stone Age/Royal Blood Concert Review
- Date of Concert: September 12, 2017
- Location of Concert: Express Live in Columbus, OH
Queens of the Stone Age and Royal Blood rocked Columbus Tuesday night.Rock and Roll is alive and well.For everyone who says rock is dead, think again.Royal Blood started the show with a kick butt set.This band is a duo and I’m telling you they rock.Even Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin is a fan.And Queens of the Stone Age are still kicking butt too.Leader/singer/guitarist Josh Homme and his band are still making very good albums and they just rock!!That’s all I have to say.Queens of the Stone Age Band Members:
- Josh Homme (Lead Vocals/Guitar)
- Troy Van Leeuwen (Guitar/Keyboards/Backing Vocals)
- Dean Fertita (Keyboards/Guitar/Backing Vocals)
- Michael Shuman (Bass/Vocals)
- Jon Theodore (Drums)
Royal Blood Band Members:
- Mike Kerr (Vocals/Bass/Keyboards)
- Ben Thatcher (Drums/Percussion/Piano)
Queens of the Stone Age Set List:
- Go With The Flow
- The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret
- Feet Don’t Fail Me
- My God Is the Sun
- The Evil Has Landed
- Smooth Sailing
- Domesticated Animals
- Avon
- No One Knows
- Fortress
- Make It Wit Chu
- Leg of Lamb
- Head Like a Haunted House
- I Appear Missing
- Villains of Circumstance
- If I Had a Tail
- I Sat By the Ocean
- Little Sister
- Encore: The Way You Used to Do
- A Song For the Dead
Royal Blood Set List:
- Where Are You Now?
- Lights Out
- Come On Over
- I Only Lie When I Love You
- Little Monster
- Hook, Line & Sinker
- Hole In Your Heart
- Ten Tonne Skeleton
- Figure It Out
- Out of the Black
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3 Classics: Deep Purple/Alice Cooper/Edgar Winter Concert Review
- Date of Concert: September 10, 2017
- Location of Concert: Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, OH
Another classic rock show in the Lucas book.I saw Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, and Edgar Winter on the final night of their triple bill summer tour.Edgar Winter started the proceedings with a solid dose of classic rock.He and his band were having a lot of fun, which I love to see.He not only sang, but played the keytar, saxophone, and some of his drummer’s drum kit.A very fun set.Then Alice Cooper came on and delivered another basically perfect show.I’ve seen him 6 times now and I swear he never has a bad night.He played a lot of hits, plus one song from his great new album Paranormal.At the end of his set, Edgar Winter and Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse got onstage and jammed with Alice and his great band.Again, very fun.Then Deep Purple came on.It had been 16 years since I saw them.They’re still great.They played a lot of the classics, plus one song from their great new album Infinite and a song from their previous album, the great Now What?!Singer Ian Gillan, guitarist Steve Morse, bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, and keyboardist Don Airey are all virtuosos at what they do.And after all these years, they’re still having fun, which is what it’s all about.A very fun show all around, andI’m glad I went.More shows to come.Stay tuned.Deep Purple Set List:
- Highway Star
- Fireball
- Strange Kind Of Woman
- Uncommon Man (dedicated to their original keyboardist Jon Lord)
- Lazy
- Knocking At Your Back Door
- Pictures Of Home
- Perfect Strangers
- Don Airey Keyboard Solo (he played some of the main theme to Star Wars!)
- Time For Bedlam (New Song)
- Space Truckin’
- Hush
- Smoke On The Water (with Edgar Winter guitarist Michael Rappaport on second guitar)
Alice Cooper Set List:
- Brutal Planet
- No More Mr. Nice Guy
- Under My Wheels
- Billion Dollar Babies
- Paranoic Personality (New Song)
- Woman Of Mass Destruction
- Nita Strauss Guitar Solo
- Poison
- Halo Of Flies
- Feed My Frankenstein
- Cold Ethyl
- Only Women Bleed
- Killer (partial)
- I Love The Dead
- I’m Eighteen
- Schools Out (w/Edgar Winter and Steve Morse joining in)
Edgar Winter Set List:
- Free Ride
- Jumpin’ Jack Flash (The Rolling Stones cover)
- Tobacco Road
- Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo
- Frankenstein
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I Met a Juke Box Hero: Foreigner/Cheap Trick/Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience Concert Review
- Date of Concert: August 8, 2017
- Location of Concert: Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, OH
I saw Foreigner, Cheap Trick, and Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience all in one night!I saw them at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati Tuesday, August 8th.The show started off with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience.It’s a tribute band featuring the son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Jason Bonham.Even though he is John’s son, I just consider him a great drummer, and he has played with Zeppelin (Even at his own wedding!)He plays nothing but Zeppelin hits and album cuts.The band is solid, especially singer James Dylan, who does a great job singing Robert Plant’s parts.I missed some of their set because I had a pressing engagement (more on that later in this writing), but I saw most of the set, and it was great.Jason is a beast on drums.Cheap Trick came on shortly afterwards and were fun.Robin Zander is still a great singer, Rick Nielsen rocks on guitar, Tom Petersson rocks on bass, and Dax Nielsen rocks on the drums.Then Foreigner closed the set.Led by the founder and only original member, Mick Jones, Foreigner played several of their classic hits and a few album cuts.Singer Kelly Hansen does a great job, as does the whole band.Now to that pressing engagement.I met Mick Jones backstage during Jason Bonham’s set.He was very nice and gracious to me, even as I was fanboying on him.I had a few minutes with him, so I was able to tell him how much I loved his music and the band.He even liked my Paul McCartney shirt.When I told him I saw Sir Paul two years ago, he said he saw him, too.And Mick also signed his new book, A Foreigner’s Tale, for me.It’s a quick read, but very good.Mick has been around and has done a lot of great things.I definitely consider him a legend.But most importantly, I consider him to be a nice person.Well, that’s my last concert for a month.Then, more to come.Rock on!Foreigner Set List:
- Double Vision
- Head Games
- Cold As Ice
- Waiting For A Girl Like You
- Blue Morning, Blue Day
- Dirty White Boy
- Feels Like The First Time
- Urgent
- Starrider (Mick sings)
- Juke Box Hero
- Encore: I Want To Know What Love Is
- Hot Blooded
Cheap Trick Set List:
- Hello There
- Long Time Coming
- Day Tripper (The Beatles cover)
- Magical Mystery Tour (The Beatles cover)
- Blackberry Way (The Move cover)
- She Said She Said (The Beatles cover)
- Getting Better (The Beatles cover)
- I’m Waiting For The Man
- The Flame
- I Want You To Want Me
- Dream Police
- Never Had A Lot To Lose
- Surrender
- Goodnight
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience Set List:
- Black Dog
- Rock And Roll
- Over The Hills And Far Away
- The Wanton Song
- Nobody’s Fault But Mine
- Ramble On
- Immigrant Song
- Kashmir
- Whole Lotta Love
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Intimate but Great: My Graham Nash Concert Review
- Date of Concert: August 1, 2017
- Location of Concert: Lexington Opera House in Lexington, KY
I saw another legend in concert.Graham Nash, as in the Nash in Crosby, Stills, and Nash (and Young), and before that, The Hollies.I saw him at the Lexington Opera House in Lexington, Kentucky.Very intimate show, with a lot of great songs and stories.It was just Graham on vocals, guitar, keyboards, and harmonica, and another guitarist who sang harmony with Graham.He played one Hollies song, several CSN(Y) songs, solo songs, and two Beatles songs.The crowd loved all of it, as did I.Most things in life I find boring or miserable, but concerts genuinely make me happy.This concert made me happy.If my life could be one big concert, I would be in paradise.I have four more concerts to go this year, and then, it’s off to next year.I still need to see so many more, including the rest of CSNY.Make it happen.Woo!!!!Set Lists:
Set 1:
- Bus Stop (The Hollies song)
- Wasted On The Way (Crosby, Stills, and Nash song)
- I Used To Be A King
- Immigration Man (Crosby & Nash song)
- In Your Name
- Myself At Last
- Marrakesh Express (CSN song)
- Military Madness
- Wind On The Water (Crosby & Nash song)
- A Day In The Life (The Beatles cover)
Set 2:
- Just A Song Before I Go (CSN song)
- Taken At All (Crosby & Nash song)
- Lady of the Island (CSN song)
- Golden Days
- Back Home
- Cathedral (CSN song)
- Our House (CSNY song)
- Encore: Chicago
- Encore 2: Blackbird (The Beatles cover)
- Teach Your Children (CSN song)
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An Amazing Kind of Magic: Queen + Adam Lambert Concert Review
- Date of Concert: July 21, 2017
- Location of Concert: Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH
On Friday night of July 21, I saw what is definitely one of my favorite concerst ever.Queen + Adam LambertWow, I have seen many concerts, but this one was on so many other levels.For the first time ever, I bowed to a band at a concert.They are just phenomenal!Adam Lambert sings the Queen songs very well.Dr. Brian May is still a phenomenal guitarist.Roger Taylor can still beat the drums so well.The rest of their band is quite solid also.I was soooo close to these guys.I felt like I needed to cry because it was so special. My cousin Zachary did cry.They played several hits, but also deep album cuts.I don’t think anyone left the arena unhappy.If they did, then they were at the wrong show.I can honestly say that aside from The Stones, this show may never be topped for me.I have more shows to see, and can’t wait for all of them, but if none top this one, then I’m okay with that.But I’m not done yet.Stay tuned.Love and PeaceSet List:
- We Will Rock You (Teaser)
- Hammer To Fall
- Stone Cold Crazy
- Another One Bites The Dust
- Fat Bottomed Girls
- Killer Queen
- Two Fux (Adam solo song performed by he and the band)
- Don’t Stop Me Now
- Bicycle Race (Teaser)
- I’m In Love With My Car (Roger Taylor sings)
- Get Down Make Love
- I Want It All
- Love Of My Life (Dr. Brian May sang it and played acoustically. Freddie Mercury (RIP) showed up on the screen.)
- Somebody To Love
- Crazy Little Thing Called Love
- Drum Battle (Roger Taylor and percussionist Tyler Warren)
- Under Pressure (Both Roger and Adam sang it.)
- I Want To Break Free
- Who Wants To Live Forever
- Guitar Solo
- Freddie vocalizing on the screen
- Radio Ga Ga
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- Encore: We Will Rock You
- We Are The Champions
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