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The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins Indeed: Motley Crue/Tesla/Extreme Concert Review
- Date of Concert: Tuesday, August 25th, 2026
- Location of Concert: Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, OH
I have been a Motley Crue fan since I was 16 (44 as I type this).
I love almost every song they have made and own all the albums.
After KISS and The Rolling Stones, they are probably my favorite band ever.
After seeing them for the 8th time in 2015 on their “Final Tour” (review here), I thought maybe I was never going to see them again.
Well, fast forward a few years and Motley were back recording new music for their movie biopic The Dirt (based on their book of the same name).
Then, a stadium tour was announced featuring Motley, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett & The Black Hearts., which unfortunately, got postponed for three years straight due to the pandemic.
I bought my ticket in 2019 because I was not going to miss this show.
2020 and 2021 came and it didn’t happen, and even though it finally happened in 2022, I kid you not I finally got the dreaded COVID-19 the day of the show so I had to stay home. It ultimately wasn’t the end of the word (I got all my vaccines.) but that first day was not great. Anyway, I was not able to attend. Even though I had seen all of these bands before, I still hated missing it and I’m sure I would have had a great time. But alas.
Anyway, at this point, Motley were back touring (almost all farewell tours end up not being farewell, which is fine) basically every year and released some more music a few years ago (review here) and when this tour, The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins (referencing their 2005 Carnival Of Sins tour, which I saw, review here), I did not intend to miss it. And having Tesla and Extreme on the bill was a great bonus too.
I consider the venue the show was at, Riverbend Music Center just outside downtown Cincinnati, OH, to be like a home away from home. I have seen many shows there, including 7 other Motley shows and I always love it.
And I loved this show too.
I even wore the Motley shirt I bought at the 05 show too. I’m not as skinny as I was, but it still fits and is in good condition.
Extreme started the show shortly before 6:30 PM and like when I saw them before in 2024 (review here) they rocked.
The band includes 3/4 the original lineup (singer Gary Cherone, guitarist/vocalist Nuno Bettencourt, bassist Pat Badger) and their drummer since the 2000s Kevin Figueredo.
Along with a bunch of their songs, Extreme closed their set with a medley of Ozzy Osbourne (1948-2025) songs. Nuno played at Ozzy’s farewell concert and was one of the highlights of the day with his brilliant playing. Great tribute to the late great Ozzy Osbourne.
What can I say? Extreme rock. More Than Words is one of their biggest songs (a ballad) but there is a lot more to them than that. They are a very rocking/funky sounding band. If you don’t know more of their music, seek it out.
And yes Gary sang for Van Halen. Many don’t like that period, but I think Gary sang great in the band, as he does in Extreme. And he’s a very animated frontman too.
Again, Extreme rocks.
Now to Tesla. This was the 3rd time I had seen them. They are always solid and probably one of the better bands to see live because again, they are always solid.
3/5 the original lineup (singer Jeff Keith, guitarist Frank Hannon, bassist Brian Wheat) along with longtime guitarist Dave Rude (since the 2000s) and drummer Steve Brown (brother of Dokken drummer “Wild” Mick Brown), Tesla always deliver the goods. That’s really all I can say. Go see Tesla!!
Now to the main event.
Like I said in the beginning of this post, I have been a Motley Crue fan since I was 16 and I always will be.
Many knock them these days, but I’m a fan thru and thru.
I don’t like how the handling of their guitarist Mick Mars being let go a few years ago went, but at the end of the day, I love all of these guys.
Minus Mick, the band is still 3/4 the original lineup (singer Vince Neil, bassist Nikki Sixx, and drummer Tommy Lee) and now their guitarist is the PHENOMENAL John 5 (John Lowery).
I’m not kidding: John 5 can play any style on the guitar. He has played guitar for Rob Halford, David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson, Paul Stanley, Steve Perry, Dolly Parton, just to name a few, as well as his own music. Within Motley, John plays Mick’s parts note for note, but also brings some of his flavoring to the table also.
I wish Mick was still there of course and I hope all is well with him (he released a very heavy solo album a few years back), but if they had to have another guitarist, John is perfect for them.
Vince seems to get the most trash talking on the internet. Fat jokes and his singing are constantly ripped apart.
Frankly, the fat jokes need to stop because Vince is skinnier than me now and he’s been up and down the scale since the late 90s. It happens people!!! Plus, Vince had several strokes a few years ago, so it’s a miracle he can do anything at this point. But I think he looks good.
And I must say, of all the times I have seen Motley, him skipping words in concert has never bothered me. It’s weird, but it’s never bothered me. He’s always sang enough that he got away with it.
But I also must say since Motley started back up a few years ago, his singing has been better and judging by what I saw this night, this is the best Vince has sung in concert since at least the early 90s and definitely the best he’s sung when I’ve seen him in person. He sings almost every word now and doesn’t skip much. So props to Vince!!! You rock man.
The whole band kicked butt as always. Tommy still plays drums with so much force and attitude. Nikki has always been solid and as I said, John can play anything.
It was such a fun show. It was cool when they did Home Sweet Home, they told the story of how the song was written, and Vince dedicated it to Dolly Parton, who sadly passed away this day. Vince said “This one’s for you Dolly”. Dolly actually recorded parts of the song with Motley a few years ago and Nikki and John worked with her on her last album Rockstar, which is a really good album. Rest In Peace Dolly!!
I don’t think they’ll ever stop having backing tracks, but for the most part, the show is really live and that’s great to see.
In regard to the tour title, I don’t think it’s quite as extravagant as the 2005 tour, but that’s OK. It’s still definitely designed to look like a carnival, and the visuals and stage design are cool. They even have a carnival tent as their stage curtain and before the show starts, snippets of their songs are playing, along with carnival music.
If you have not seen this tour and have not seen Motley for a while like me, this is a MUST SEE show.
Since I intend to slow down, I don’t know if I’ll ever see any of these bands again, but either way, it was another fun show for the books.
Thank you Motley, Tesla, and Extreme for rocking my world.
And keep on rocking everyone.
Motley Crue Set List:
- Red Hot
- Louder Than Hell
- Wild Side
- Shout At The Devil ’97
- Too Fast For Love
- Looks That Kill
- Too Young To Fall In Love
- Take Me To The Top
- Primal Scream
- Afraid
- Home Sweet Home
- Guitar Solo
- Smokin’ In The Boys Room
- Live Wire
- Girls, Girls, Girls
- Dr. Feelgood
- Kickstart My Heart
Tesla Set List:
- Modern Cowboy
- Hang Tough
- The Way It Is
- Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)
- Mama’s Fool
- Call It What You Want
- Love Song
- Little Suzi (Ph.D. cover)
- Signs (Five Man Electrical Band cover)
Extreme Set List:
- Decadence Dance
- #REBEL
- BANSHEE
- We Will Rock You snippet (Queen cover)/Play With Me
- Hole Hearted
- Midnight Express
- More Than Words
- Flight Of The Wounded Bumblebee
- Get The Funk Out
- RISE
- Ozzy Osbourne Medley-I Don’t Know/Bark At The Moon/Crazy Train
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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I Saw Keanu Reeves’ Band Dogstar In Concert And They Are Really Good!!
- Date of Concert: Saturday, August 22nd, 2026
- Location of Concert: Saint Andrews Hall in Detroit, MI
- Opener: The Backfires
I try not to see two shows in back to back nights, but I did in this case.
The day after I saw My Chemical Romance and Iggy Pop in concert (review here), I saw the band Dogstar too.
The band formed in the early 1990s and were active until the early 2000s, then only did a few things here and there until COVID time when they got back together and starting making music again, and have toured quite extensively in the past few years.
Dogstar includes Bret Domrose on vocals and guitar, Robert Mailhouse on drums, and Keanu Reeves (yes the actor from the Bill & Ted movies, Speed, Point Break, Johnny Mnemonic, The Matrix and John Wick franchises, The Replacements, Constantine, just to name a few) on bass.
It’s awesome that Keanu plays music too, but the music has to be good, regardless of who is in a band, and this band delivers.
Dogstar is a really good band and I cannot recommend checking them out enough.
Opening act The Backfires were really good and recommend checking them out too.
What can I say? Another great show for the books.
Next up is Motley Crue/Tesla/Extreme on Tuesday, August 25th.
Rock on everyone.
Dogstar Set List:
- Siren
- Lust
- How The Story Ends
- Everything Turns Around
- Joy
- Wing
- This Sphere
- Can’t Hardly Wait (The Replacements song)
- Glimmer
- Math
- The Whisper
- Shards Of Rain
- Exalted
- Runway
- What Is
- Marmalade
- All In Now
- Encore-Punch The Sky
- Shallow Easy
- Breach
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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I FINALLY Saw Iggy Pop!! And My Chemical Romance Rocked Too!!
- Date of Concert: Friday, August 21st, 2026
- Location of Concert: Comerica Park in Detroit, MI
I’ll be honest: I went to this show to mainly see the legendary Iggy Pop (real name James Newell Osterberg Jr.).
I think My Chemical Romance is a good band, but if Iggy was not on this bill, I would not have been there.
Having said that, MCR were very good.
But first, let me get to the reason why I was here.
I’ve been an Iggy fan since I was a kid, but I just never saw him.
So when I found out he was opening for MCR in Detroit (He was born in Muskegon, MI. Detroit is a huge place for him.), I had to go.
It was not cheap (I can’t afford these expensive tickets much longer.) but it was worth it.
Iggy is 79-years old as of this writing and still makes great music (been doing it since the late 1960s), but does not do a lot of shows these days, so this was a must see.
Anyway, Iggy and his great band, known on the road apparently as Iggy & Los Tropicanos (Ale Campos on guitar, Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on guitar, Brad Truax of Interpol on bass, Urian Hackney of The Armed on drums, Joan Wasser of Joan As A Police Woman on keyboards, Corey King on trombone, Leron Thomas on trumpet/horns, and Charles Moothart on guitar and additional instruments) did a solid and tight 46 minute set, including songs from his time as the singer of The Stooges and his lengthy solo career.
The sound was really good at the venue (Comerica Park where the Detroit Tigers play), and even though I was wayyyyy up in the stands, I could hear quite well and the video screens were nice.
The view of the stage wasn’t the greatest where I was, but it was OK because I just wanted to be there.
And I’m glad I was. I wish I could have seen Iggy do a headline show, but I had to take what I could get.
It’s all good. Iggy and his band rocked, and according to the Detroit Free Press, this was the biggest show Iggy has ever played in Detroit. Wow!!
And to quote Iggy at this show “It’s good to be back, same as it ever was”.
He still rocks and sings great. He went out to the crowd during one of the songs and had some of them take the microphone a little bit for the chorus.
Thank you Iggy sooooo much for all your great music and keep on rocking as only you can do!!
Now to the headliner. Like I said, I went to this show mainly to see Iggy, and I honestly contemplated leaving during MCR’s set, but even though it rained some during the show (rain literally makes me sick), I’m glad I stayed because they really gave it their all.
Before the show, they had these cryptic messages on their screens. It turns out these are rules that the band made up. I don’t know all the details about this, but the band apparently have made up their own language, and these rules I’m guessing are part of a story or are they messages about a new album or something else? Maybe if a bigger fan sees this post they can help explain it to me better. Sorry I just know the music and I saw their documentary called My Chemical Romance: Life On The Murder Scene Video Diary.
Also, fans were handed a postcard before the show too. I don’t know anything about it either, except one of the actors during the show had the same postcard and burned it. I’m assuming all of this stuff is part of a story. Maybe The Black Parade story, which is their third album they played in it’s entirety.
Again, they played all of that album, then took about a 15 minute break and came out to a b-stage and played a bunch of other songs from throughout their career and some cool cover tunes.
The band still consists of singer Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way (Gerard’s brother), along with some other musicians to fill out the sound, specifically for their album The Black Parade, and some actors that perform throughout the show (like I said, it’s a concept album).
Aside from stopping for a bit, they have mostly been together since the early 2000s, and really have a rabid audience. The fans were literally shaking the rafters during their show.
I’m not going to say I love MCR, but I do think they are very good and I’m glad I got to see them. Not only doing one set, but two sets. Again, they really give it their all and the fans really love them. That’s what it’s all about.
In short, another great show. I’m not wild about going to stadium shows (They’re fine, but I’d rather go to somewhat smaller places these days.), but I’ll still go for certain people. And I’m glad I went to this.
Hopefully the rain won’t make me sick. It wasn’t much, but rain and me don’t get along at all. Just saying.
Thank you MCR and Iggy for this great show and thanks for all the music and please make more!!
Iggy Pop Set List:
- T.V. Eye (The Stooges song)
- Raw Power (The Stooges song)
- I Got A Right (The Stooges song)
- Gimme Danger (The Stooges song)
- The Passenger
- Lust For Life
- I Wanna Be Your Dog (The Stooges song)
- Search And Destroy (The Stooges song)
- I’m Alright (Bo Diddley song)
- 1969 (The Stooges song)
My Chemical Romance Set List:
- The Black Parade Album-The End.
- Dead!
- This Is How I Disappear
- The Sharpest Lives (w/The Eye intro, and preceded with a snippet of Superstar by The Carpenters)
- Welcome To The Black Parade
- I Don’t Love You
- House Of Wolves (w/white noise intro)
- Cancer
- Mama (w/Dagger outro)
- Sleep (w/The Big Sky intro)
- Teenagers
- Disenchanted
- Famous Last Words (w/extended reprise outro of Welcome To The Black Parade)
- The End. (2026 reprise)
Between sets, Clarice Jensen played Metastable and Romance
- B-Stage Set-Honey, This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough For The Two Of Us
- Bury Me In Black
- Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)
- Jack The Ripper (Morrissey cover song)
- Vampires Will Never Hurt You
- Vampire Money
- I’m Not Okay (I Promise)
- Helena
- S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W (Gerard dedicated this song to Lauren Valencia)
- Zero Percent (According to setlist.fm, this was the first time this song closed the show)
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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The Guess Who/Don Felder Concert Review
- Date of Concert: Saturday, June 27th, 2026
- Location of Concert: Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, OH
Let me start off by saying I have been a fan of The Guess Who almost my entire life.
I grew up listening to their songs on the radio, recording their songs on cassette from the radio and listening to them so much.
Some of my favorite songs ever are by The Guess Who. These Eyes, No Time, Undun, Laughing, American Woman, Share The Land and soooooo much more. Classic stuff.
So, when singer/keyboardist/flutist/guitarist/harmonica/songwriter/founding member Burton Cummings and guitarist/singer/songwriter/founding member Randy Bachman won back The Guess Who name in a lawsuit (the band for the past few years was basically a sanctioned tribute band with no original or classic members), they announced a tour that I was not going to miss.
And adding Don Felder (Eagles lead guitarist and a great singer too) to the tour was a great bonus.
This show, at my favorite venue the Riverbend Music Center just outside downtown Cincinnati, was the second show of The Guess Who’s US tour (they had already done a bunch of dates in their native Canada).
I’ll start off by saying Don Felder is awesome!!
This was the second time I had seen him.
He sings and plays a lot of Eagles songs, as well as a few of his solo songs.
His latest album, The Vault, is a great collection of songs he has written over the years but never released. It’s an awesome album and he played one of the songs at this show.
His band is awesome too. Along with Don on vocals and lead guitar, he has Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon lead guitarist for 36 years), Matt Bissonette (has played with David Lee Roth, Jeff Lynne, Ringo Starr, and Elton John just to name a few) on bass, and Seth Rausch (plays with Keith Urban and has played with many Country acts) on drums.
The band rocks and I got to say Don does a great job singing Eagles songs and of course his guitar playing is second to none.
Rock on sir!!
Now to the main event and boy was it.
Like I said, I’ve been a fan of The Guess Who most of my life and to finally see Burton and Randy together (I was supposed to see them in 2020 and 2021 but COVID happened and the tour was cancelled.) was a dream come true.
I know I say that all the time about concerts, but it’s true.
They played lots of Guess Who songs (including my favorites I listed above), along with songs by Randy’s other awesome group Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and a couple of Burton’s great solo songs.
Along with Burton on lead vocals/keyboards/guitar/flute/harmonica and Randy on vocals/guitar, their band includes Tim Bovaconti (guitar), Joe Augello (guitar), Jeff Jones (bass), Sean Fitzsimons (drums), and Nick Sinopoli (percussion).
Burton is one of my favorite singers ever and his voice is still quite strong and at 78, he has more energy than I’ll probably ever have. This show was about 2 hours and to have that stamina at any age is incredible. Randy is 82 and still sings and plays great, and their band rocks.
Burton and Randy are very appreciative of their fans and the fans gave back their appreciation in spades by singing and clapping along to their amazing catalog of music.
This was a very special show for me and I’m soooooo happy that I was able to attend.
Backstory: I had a lawn ticket (I could not afford one under the roof this time.) but when I got there and was going to the edge of the lawn to get the best view I could, one of the workers asked me if I wanted to be under the roof. I said yes if possible, and he told me where to go, and I ended up being under the roof after all. Also, since it was supposed to rain, I was very grateful I was not going to get wet.
Awesome show. I love Burton and Randy sooooo much and I love Don Felder too.
Thank you all for your amazing concert and your amazing discography all around.
Rock on always!!
The Guess Who Set List:
- Runnin’ Back To Saskatoon
- Proper Stranger
- Hand Me Down World
- These Eyes
- Albert Flasher
- Let It Ride (Bachman-Turner Overdrive song)
- Clap For The Wolfman
- Laughing
- Guns Guns Guns
- Undun
- Star Baby
- You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet (Bachman-Turner Overdrive song)
- My Own Way To Rock (Burton solo song)
- Bus Rider (tour debut)
- American Woman
- No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
- No Time
- Encore: Share The Land
- Takin’ Care Of Business (Bachman-Turner Overdrive song)
Don Felder Set List:
- Already Gone
- One Of These Nights
- Victim Of Love
- Seven Bridges Road
- Free At Last (New Song)
- Heavy Metal (Takin’ A Ride-solo song)
- Heartache Tonight
- Life In The Fast Lane
- Hotel California
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Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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Paul Simon Concert Review
- Date of Concert: Thursday, June 18, 2026
- Location of Concert: PNC Pavilion @Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, OH
I saw another musical icon Thursday night: Singer/Songwriter Paul Simon!!
I went with my Aunt Kim and our mutual friend Barry to see Mr. Simon play a fairly quiet/intimate show in the Cincinnati area.
Mr. Simon was not touring anymore as of a few years ago, due to most of his hearing going away in his left ear.
However, last year, he decided to go back out and tour with a relatively low volume show that helps him hear enough of the musicians around him so that he can sing his amazing songs.
Mr. Simon is very much a storyteller. If you listen to his phenomenal body of work, you will see that every song tells a story.
This show is maybe not your typical Paul Simon show, however, Mr. Simon has always done things his way and this show is no different.
This show was in two parts. The first is every song (7) from his latest album released in 2023 called Seven Psalms.
Even though the album has 7 songs, each song flows together as essentially one piece of music, which lasts about 33 minutes.
After this set, he and the band take a roughly 20-30 minute intermission then come back to play some of Mr. Simon’s hits and deep cuts from his massive discography.
Like any set list, not everyone is going to be happy, most especially with that much newer material. Although I think most of the audience had a good time, I heard some grumbling, but as I said, you can’t make everyone happy.
Some reviews have said Mr. Simon is not as good as he used to be. Well, he’s 84 years old, he’s basically half deaf, and as of about a year and a half ago, he was not doing this anymore. I’ll take this Paul Simon over no Paul Simon.
And you know what? This Paul Simon is not too bad.
I think his voice is still fine, he looks great, and even with the volume not being too much, the show is still enjoyable. And his band is great.
Along with Mr. Simon, his band includes Edie Brickell helping him out on some of the vocals and whistling, Mark Stewart on guitar, Bakithi Kumalo (the last surviving member of Mr. Simon’s Graceland band) on bass , Andy Snitzer on saxophone, Jamey Haddad on percussion, Mick Rossi on piano and keys, Gyan Riley on guitar, Matt Chamberlin on drums, Nancy Stagnitta on flute, Caleb Burhans on viola, and Eugene Friesen on cello.
They deliver Mr. Simon’s songs very well and everyone gets to shine, musically.
Again, I thought this was a fun show and frankly, I love his latest album, so I think hearing all of it live like this was really cool.
And I seriously will never understand why anyone goes to get food/drink/restroom breaks every time they don’t know a song.
These concerts cost a lot of money to go to, and yet, so many miss so much of the show. If you are really hungry/thirsty/have to go, then so be it. Otherwise, enjoy the show. But I digress.
Anyway, I know Kim, Barry, and myself had fun.
I’m glad we got to see this musical giant!!Thank you Mr. Simon for returning to the stage and for all of your great albums over the decades, on your own and with Art Garfunkel.
Thank you.
P.S. Photos/videos were not permitted, but I did sneak some pictures right at the beginning and right at the end. Sorry I couldn’t help it. I’m a fan, not a paparazzi.
Set List:
Set 1-Seven Psalms Album
- The Lord
- Love Is Like A Braid
- My Professional Opinion
- Your Forgiveness
- Trail Of Volcanoes
- The Sacred Harp (w/Edie Brickell)
- Wait (w/Edie Brickell
Set 2
- Graceland
- Slip Slidin’ Away
- Train In The Distance
- Homeward Bound (Simon & Garfunkel song)
- The Late Great Johnny Ace
- St. Judy’s Comet
- Under African Skied (w/Edie Brickell)
- Renee And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War
- Rewrite
- Sprit Voices
- The Cool, Cool River
- Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes
- Encore: Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard
- 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
- The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel song)
- The Sound Of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel song-Paul played this without the band)
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I Never Thought This Would Happen: Triumph/April Wine Concert Review
- Date Of Concert: Saturday, May 30th, 2026
- Location of Concert: Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre At Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights, MI
Like I said in the title, I never thought this would happen.
What do I mean? The idea that the band Triumph would ever reunite and tour again.
Even last year, it was not happening and never going to.
They had their great run in the 70s and 80s, and aside from a few things since then (an album and brief tour in the early 90s, two shows in 08, one small show for hardcore fans for the band’s documentary, and one song for one of co-singer/guitarist Rik Emmett’s solo albums) Triumph were over.
Whenever asked, Rik, co-singer/drummer Gil Moore and bassist Mike Levine would always say it was never going to happen.
Well, in late 2025, it was announced that Triumph was reuniting for a tour with fellow Canadian band April Wine opening.
Although Triumph was reuniting, it would only be Rik and Gil (Mike as of this writing has not appeared at any of the shows due to health reasons. Take care!!), and they added some members to help fill out the sound and to help the guys enhance the show.
They brought in Phil X (guitar/vocals, who also was in Triumph during their brief 90s run, playing on their great and underrated Edge Of Excess album, and now plays in Bon Jovi, and works with various others, including his own music too) to play second guitar with Rik and to sing too, some lead (Allied Forces and Rocky Mountain Way) and on harmony/backing vocals too. Great singer and player.
Via Phil’s recommendation, the band brought in Todd Kerns (bass/vocals, who works with various people, including Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators, Blackbird Angels, Bruce Kulick, and so much more) and Brent Fitz (drums/vocals, also of Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators, Bruce Kulick, Union, Lita Ford, Alice Cooper, Vince Neil, The Guess Who, Theory Of A Dead Man, and so much more). Todd sings lead on Spellbound and Follow Your Heart and not only is a great player, but a great singer.
I know Rik and Gil had their doubts and fears as to whether or not they could pull this off again after so many years, but trust me, they more than pull it off.
They definitely tuned down so Rik would not have to sing as many high notes, but he still has a great voice and range. And his guitar playing is still out of this world.
Gil’s voice is as great as ever and he still plays drums great.
But having Phil, Todd, and Brent has enhanced the show experience.
They now have more vocal harmonies, lead and rhythm guitars, and two drummers. Gil even sometimes steps out front and sings while Brent plays drums on his own. Other songs Gil plays drums and Brent plays keyboards.
The show has great visuals, which Triumph has always been about. Visuals on the screens and some pyro too.
The band, especially, Rik, seem very happy and are having the time of their life on this tour.
Rik even said during this show that before this tour that he was content being home sitting on the coach with his five cats and enjoying retirement. But he is now really glad this is happening and is feeling beyond blessed to be rocking again.
Their show is incredible!!!
The songs are great!!!
The singing/musicianship are phenomenal!!!!
This tour has been doing really well. This show was sold out!!
The amphitheater was nice with really good sound.
Oh and let’s not forget about April Wine, who opened the show with a really good set of songs.
April Wine includes classic member Brian Greenway (guitar/lead vocals), as well as Marc Parent (lead vocals/guitar), Richard Lanthier (bass/backing vocals), and Roy Nichol (drums/percussion/backing vocals). They sounded really good too.
I could go on and on about this, but I’ll just end by saying never say never about anything.
I NEVER thought Triumph would reunite.
Triumph did not know that Triumph was going to reunite until they did.
Gil said during the initial press for this reunion that after saying no so many times that this one time they finally decided to say yes.
And they are really rocking again, which is a beautiful thing.
I’m glad they are back!! Thank you guys for everything.
Another huge bucket list show for me.
Now I hope they make more music.
Love you all and rock on!!
Triumph Set List:
- When The Lights Go Down
- Somebody’s Out There
- Spellbound
- Hold On
- Allied Forces
- Blinding Light Show
- Rock & Roll Machine
- Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh cover)
- Never Surrender
- Lay It On The Line
- 24 Hours A Day (Intro)/Follow Your Heart
- Magic Power
- Encore: I Live For The Weekend
- Fight The Good Fight
April Wine Set List:
- I Like To Rock
- Anything You Want, You Got It
- All Over Town
- Say Hello
- Enough Is Enough
- Before The Dawn
- You Could’ve Been A Lady (Hot Chocolate Cover)
- Just Between You And Me
- Sign Of The Gypsy Queen (Lorence Hud cover)
- Roller
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Thank You Angel and Starz for the Music and Your Kindness!!
- Date of concert: Friday, May 29th, 2026
- Location of Concert: The Winchester in Lakewood, OH
I went to see two of my favorite bands, Angel and Starz, at a club/bar in Lakewood, Ohio called The Winchester.
This was the 4th time I had seen Angel, but the first time I saw Starz.
Starz usually do not play anywhere near me, so going to this show was a must for me. To see both bands in one night is a dream bill for me.
Before the show, however, I met Angel for the 3rd time at a paid meet and greet. They signed a few more of my records (they signed more things the last two times I met them so I have a lot of CDs and records signed by them now) and I got my picture taken with them again.
They are all very nice people, and guitarists Punky Meadows and Danny Farrow Anniello called me by name (I’m friends with them on Facebook, along with singer Frank Dimino and classic bassist Felix Robinson.).
I am forever an Angel fan. I love all of their albums and are a great live band. They are currently on a “Farewell Tour”, but they still have a new album coming, as well as a documentary.
I hope this was not the last time I meet Angel (I’d like to get more of my collection signed. Please?!), but if it was, I just want to thank them again for the music and for their kindness. I love you guys. Punky said they love me too, and I’m forever grateful that they care about their fans.
After this, I went to meet original Starz members Richie Ranno (guitar) and Joe X. Dube (drums) at their table. They just meet fans for free!! Both were extremely nice and personable. I brought all the Starz CD booklets and a DVD sleeve, (I bought all of these from Richie on their website.) and when I told them they didn’t have to sign everything if they didn’t want to, Richie said in a very cool and calm way “what else am I gonna do?”
Again, both were extremely kind and signed everything I had and I had my picture taken with both of them.
Like with Angel, I love Starz also and am glad I got this opportunity to meet them too.
Now to the actual concert.
Starz started the night with a really good set of various tunes from their earlier albums.
When they came onstage, Joe gave me another handshake and I told him to have a great show!! And he and the band did.
Like I said, Richie (guitar) and Joe (drums) are the original members.
The rest of the band includes Doug Palmer (vocals, thanks for the fist bump on stage!!), Jason Draven (guitar), and Chris Tristrum on bass.
Richie also told some stories. He talked about how he got a call from KISS’ management Rock Steady about doing an audition for what would become Starz (Fallen Angel at the time). He talked about how one time he and Joe, through another mutual KISS connection Sean Delaney, met Elton John!! Richie said Elton told them he liked their band and had bought their album himself!! Great stuff.
Like Angel, I think Starz should be a HUGE band, but for some reason, they only were ever a cult favorite.
They were signed to KISS’ management, had Aerosmith’s producer Jack Douglas (RIP) produce their first two albums, had great songs, great singing and playing, they had it all.
But regardless, Starz made their mark and luckily still are around.
I hope they will make more music someday because this band still rocks with the best of them.
Richie told me before the show that they were going to make the night feel like a 70s rock show. And they did!!
Starz rules!!
Angel headlined, and as always, they really rocked.
Singer Frank Dimino is as great as ever, Punky Meadows (one of my favorite guitarists ever and such a cool guy) and Danny Farrow Anniello make an awesome guitar team, fill-in bassist Johnny Leigh (Bassist Tommy Caradonna has been sitting out some dates for some personal reasons. All the best.), drummer Billy Orrico is a beast, and keyboardist Charlie Calv is a great talent also.
I hope this was not the last time I saw Angel, but if it was, it was another phenomenal show from one of my favorite bands.
And like I said about Starz, I wish Angel were HUGE. They are to me.
Such a great show all around
And it was sold out too, which was great.
Thank you all for everything.
P.S. I also included a cool back and forth I had with Richie some time after the show, as well as a message I sent to original Starz singer Michael Lee Smith (phenomenal singer) and his reply to me. Thank you guys.
Starz Set List:
- Detroit Girls
- Tear It Down
- Live Wire
- (She’s Just A) Fallen Angel
- Monkey Business
- Night Crawler
- Last Night I Wrote A Letter
- Cherry Baby
- Pull The Plug
- Coliseum Rock/It’s A Riot/Boys In Action
Angel Set List:
- On The Rocks
- Can You Feel It
- Mirrors
- Wild And Hot
- Bad Time
- The Fortune
- We Were The Wild
- Got Love If You Want It
- Don’t Leave Me Lonely
- Telephone Exchange
- Pressure Point
- Feelin’ Right
- Rock N Rollers
- Tower
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Pentagram Concert Review
- Date of Concert: Wednesday, May 27th, 2026
- Location of Concert: Live At The Shop in Dunbar, WV
- Openers: Executionist, Fuzzfiend, Ghost In Me, Today Is The Day
I saw a show last night a friend of mine told me about.
Metal band Pentagram played at a small club in Dunbar, WV, not too far from where I work.
If he would not have told me about it, I would not have known, so thanks Brandon.
Most of the opening acts (Executionist, Fuzzfiend, Ghost In Me) were local bands, although they were quite good and I recommend checking them out, but Today Is The Day was the main opener for this show. They were good too.
But the main reason I was there was to see Pentagram.
Fronted by original singer Bobby Liebling (who in recent years has somehow become a popular MEME with his facial expressions), Pentagram has been around since the early 1970s, mostly known in the underground scene.
However, they have maintained a loyal following and still put out albums (Bobby said at the show they were going to make another album this July.) and seem to do alright.
And judging by the performance they had and reaction they got at this show, I would definitely say Pentagram is doing alright.
The current lineup includes Bobby on vocals, Tony Reed on guitar, John “Scooter” Haslip on bass, and Henry Vasquez on drums.
Bobby still has a very good voice, his band is great, and the songs are really good.
Even though the venue was a very small club, it was a good venue, and it had people of various ages, but mostly younger people.
I think that’s great because music of all genres needs to have younger fans to continue the fandom onward.
The show was very LOUD, but good and rocking.
I’m glad I went and I thank my friend Brandon for telling me about it.
Pentagram Set List:
- Live Again
- Starlady
- The Ghoul
- I Spoke To Death
- Sinister
- When The Screams Come
- Sign Of The Wolf (Pentagram)
- Dull Pain
- Review Your Choices
- Thundercrest
- Walk The Sociopath
- Encore: Forever My Queen
- 20 Buck Spin
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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.
I also included an email I sent to Doug some time after telling him how much I enjoyed the show and his reply back to me. Thank you sir!!
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
- AB’s Song
- 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
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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
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