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Summer of 99 Tour w/Creed, 3 Doors Down, and Finger Eleven Concert Review
- Date of Concert: August 2, 2024
- Location of Concert: Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, OH
I was taken back in time when I went to see Creed, 3 Doors Down, and Finger Eleven.
This tour is called the Summer of 99.
I was in high school in 1999 and these three bands were HUGE then.
And they’re still doing well now.
The first band, Finger Eleven, started the night with a solid, rocking set.
I was actually surprised I knew as many of their songs as I did. Quite a few hits.
The band includes original members Scott Anderson (Vocals), Rick Jackett (Guitar), James Black (Guitar/Vocals), Sean Anderson (Bass) and Steve Molella (Drums, who joined in 2013).
They really rocked and I’m glad I saw them.
They have a new album coming out in 2025 (they played one song Adrenaline from it at the show) and I look forward to that.
Next up was 3 Doors Down. I only knew of their hits (Kryptonite, Loser, and When I’m Gone), but they played quite a few songs, even a new song, and definitely sounded very good.
The band includes Brad Arnold (Vocals), Chet Roberts (Lead Guitar/Vocals), Chris Henderson (Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals), Greg Upchurch (Drums), and Justin Biltonen (Bass).
As good as they were, though, I was anxiously awaiting the main event, which was Creed.
This was their first tour since 2012 and I must say if appearances are true, they are really back this time.
The band is still the original lineup (Scott Stapp on Vocals, Mark Tremonti on Guitar and Vocals, Brian Marshall on Bass, and Scott Phillips on Drums) but also includes for the tour guitarist Eric Friedman to fill out the sound when Mark plays leads.
Honestly, I liked Creed when they were arguably the biggest band in the world in 1999, 2000, and 2001, but I also didn’t worship them either.
But when they reunited in the late 2000s and made an incredible album (Full Circle in 2009) I got more into them.
I missed them on tour then and hoped that someday they would reunite again.
Aside from Scott Stapp, who still has a solo career (just put out a great album called Higher Power) the rest of the band has been the band Alter Bridge for 20 years with Myles Kennedy singing and playing guitar with Mark, and Mark has a solo band (Tremonti) and also now sings Frank Sinatra songs and does Sinatra concerts too.
So, they have all been busy, but the hope always was that they would reunite as Creed.
Long story short made longer, Creed did reunite for two Creed Cruises, both of which sold out quickly. They then announced this tour and many of the dates, including this one, sold out.
They have an arena tour booked in the fall, and hopefully this is the start of another great chapter in the Creed story.
They looked and sounded great. They appeared to be having fun. The crowd loved them. It was a great rock show.
These guys are really really good live. Go see them if you can.
I hope they will make more Creed music someday, while also maintaining all of their other music pursuits.
Rock on guys.
Creed Set List:
- Bullets
- Torn
- Are You Ready
- Never Die
- My Own Prison
- What If
- Weathered
- Overcome
- Say I
- Faceless Man
- One
- What’s This Life For
- With Arms Wide Open
- Higher
- Encore: One Last Breath
- My Sacrifice
3 Doors Down Set List:
- Train
- It’s Not My Time
- Loser
- Duck And Run
- Here Without You
- Time Of My Life
- Away From The Sun
- Never Look Down
- Let Me Go
- Landing In London (All I Think About Is You)
- Kryptonite
- When I’m Gone
Finger Eleven Set List:
- Above
- First Time
- Quicksand
- Together Right
- Adrenaline (New Song)
- One Thing
- Paralyzer (w/parts of That’s All by Genesis and Back In Black by AC/DC)
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Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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Wow What a Show!! Tom Keifer Band and John Corabi Concert Review
- Date of Concert: Saturday July 20 2024
- Location of Concert: Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, KY
Holy cow!!
That was quite the concert.
My good friend Brandon Lange and I went to see the Tom Keifer Band with opener John Corabi.
I had seen Corabi play guitar for RATT in 2007 and sing for The Dead Daisies in 2016 (met him then too) but I had not seen him do his acoustic show.
I’ve been a fan of his since 1999.
He has such a great voice and is a great songwriter and very good guitar player too.
For his acoustic set, it his just him singing and playing an acoustic guitar.
He sings songs from throughout his career (The Scream, Motley Crue, Union, The Dead Daisies, and covers).
He tells stories (I finally bought his book Horseshoes And Hand Grenades at the show) and has a great sense of humor.
And like I said, what a voice and very good guitar player!!
Even acoustic, he was quite loud, which is great.
I loved it!!
I also bought a live album he did singing all of the songs he did on the Motley Crue self titled album from 1994 (including one song from their Quaternary EP).
Thank you sir!!! And I can’t wait for the next album by The Dead Daisies.
Next up was the Tom Keifer Band.
This was the second time I had seen them (other review here) and like before, they did NOT disappoint.
Tom and his band rock!!!! Lots of songs from his band Cinderella, some solo songs, and even a cover song.
Tom had a lot of vocal issues many years ago, but you would never know it now because he is as great as he ever was.
He’s been a favorite of mine for many years too and I’m glad he’s still rocking!!
I hate my life most of the time and I’m super scared of the future, but on this night, I forgot about all of that and had a great time.
Thank you Brandon for the ticket and for inviting me. I appreciate you sir!!
And thank you John Corabi and the Tom Keifer Band for rocking my world. I love you all.
Rock on!!!
John Corabi Set List:
- Love (I Don’t Need It Anymore)-Union Song
- If I Never Get To Say Goodbye-Solo Song
- Father, Mother, Son-The Scream song
- Dead And Gone-The Dead Daisies Song
- Daydream Believer-The Monkees Cover Song
- Hooligan’s Holiday-Motley Crue Song
- Man In The Moon-The Scream Song
Tom Keifer Band Set List
- Life Was Here
- Hot & Bothered
- Heartbreak Station
- The Death Of Me
- Bad Seamstress Blues/Fallin’ Apart At The Seams
- Coming Home
- Nobody’s Fool
- Solid Ground
- Night Songs
- Somebody Save Me
- The Last Mile
- Shake Me
- Shelter Me
- Don’t Know What You Got Til’ It’s Gone
- With A Little Help From My Friends (Joe Cocker Cover version)
- Gypsy Road
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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I Saw and Met The Last of the Street Survivors-The Artimus Pyle Band Concert Review
- Date of Concert: Thursday July 11, 2024
- Location of Concert: The Ludlow Garage in Cincinnati, OH
- Opener: Six Gun Sally
Wow what a fun night this was.
I saw The Artimus Pyle Band in Cincinnat, OH.
Artimus is the last classic member of Lynyrd Skynyrd (unless you count Rickey Medlocke) still alive and playing.
Artimus will be 76 years old on Monday July 15th, and he looks and plays like he’s so much younger.
He and his band play the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd songs with justice, pride, honor, and respect.
All the songs you want to hear from the classic Skynyrd era they play.
And on top of all of this, Artimus is by far the most down to earth, kindest famous person I have yet to meet.
As soon as I walked in, he was telling stories to the drummer of the opening band, Six Gun Sally, and I just happened to overhear some of it. He said his favorite drummer is Neil Peart of RUSH (awesome) and his favorite guitarist is Jeff Beck (also awesome).
He eventually went to the back for awhile but came back out before the crowd really started coming in.
Only a few of us were there at that point, and he just sat on the stage and told stories and chatted with us.
I showed him my copy of his band’s latest CD. It is called Anthems: Honoring The Music of Lynyrd Skynyrd. It’s really good, by the way.
He was happy to see I had it and told me about how he was able to get Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington (RIP) to play his famous slide part on the version of Freebird, featuring Dolly Parton, on this album and also on her Rockstar album.
He said it took several calls but everything worked out and Gary was able to do it and wanted to do it. It was the last recording known he did. As a fan, I’m glad Artimus was able to make that happen.
He said he was going to take pictures and sign stuff after the show, and he did, but some people went ahead and gave him some stuff to sign, and he had no problem doing it.
So, I figured I’ll just go ahead and have him sign my stuff if he was OK with it, and he was.
He signed all my Skynyrd CDs he’s on and the Anthems CD and he told me how great his band is. He said you can’t beat the original but that his band is really good, and they are.
When I told him I had been playing the music all day leading up to the show, he said “Ronnie Van Zant never wrote a bad song” and he’s right.
When I told him he is one of my favorite drummers, he said something to the effect of “well I just took a little from here and there”. And when I told him Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin once said something to the effect of “everybody nicks it”, he said he once met Robert and thought he was cool and a lot taller than he thought he was. Trust me, Artimus is a phenomenal drummer. Always has been. And I’m going to keep saying this, but he is so down to earth and kind.
And again, I was going to wait until after the show to get pictures with him, and I still did then too, but he said “snap away” so we took some pictures together right then.
Even when the crowd increased a bit and saw that he was just hanging out and wanted to speak to him and get stuff signed, he still took the time to talk to them and signed stuff right then if they wished and took pictures.
And again, after the show, he did the same thing. Signed stuff, talked to fans, took pictures, and was just so down to earth and kind to everyone.
When I was in line the second time, he was telling some ladies about the Anthems CD and when they said they didn’t know about it, I handed him my CD and he showed it to them and told them about it. He then handed it back to me. He told me he loved my Grand Funk hat too and said their singer/guitarist Mark Farner (phenomenal talent too) is one of his friends.
Even though he’s not online (his socials are handled by others), I still gave him my website card and told him about what I do on here. When I told him I was going to type a review of this experience, he said “thank you for doing that”. And even though he is not online and doesn’t look at it, I told him one of the band could show him. He told his merch guy to hold on to my card, but even if he never sees this, I appreciate him even accepting my card. And he jokingly said “this isn’t a porno site is it?” And I laughed and said no and he said OK. Funny.
And might I add, Artimus did all of this for free. He does not charge for meet and greets. Again, he is just a great, down to earth, kind person who loves to talk to people and cares about the fans.
I cannot say enough about Artimus Pyle.
Great talent and his band rocks, but wow, what a great person he is.
Thank you Artimus and all of the band for being awesome and keep on rocking guys.
As I mentioned, Six Gun Sally was the opening act and they rocked too. They have a new single and album coming soon. I’ll definitely be checking those out.
Again, I don’t know if Artimus will ever see this, but if he does, I again just want to say thank you sir for all the great music, the great shows, the great memories, and just for your kindness.
And thanks to he and the band for singing/playing these amazing songs amazingly well.
Thank you.
The Artimus Pyle Band Members:
- Artimus Pyle (Drums)
- Brad Durden (Vocals/Keyboards)
- Scott Raines (Guitar/Vocals)
- Jerry Lyda (Guitar/Vocals)
- Jeff Delk (Bass)
Set list:
- Workin’ For MCA
- I Ain’t The One
- Call Me The Breeze
- That Smell
- Saturday Night Special
- Drum Solo
- Gimme Three Steps
- Simple Man
- On The Hunt
- Street Survivors
- All I Can Do Is Write About It
- Tuesdays Gone (Acoustic)
- What’s Your Name
- Searching
- Whiskey Rock-A-Roller
- Sweet Home Alabama
- Freebird
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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My Girlfriend and I Enjoyed Seeing Molly Hatchet in Concert
- Date of Concert: June 22, 2024
- Location of Concert: Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Van Wert, OH
My girlfriend Mariah and I went to see Molly Hatchet Saturday night of June 22 of 2024.
I had seen them a few years ago, but she had been wanting to see them so I was happy to take her to see them.
Plus, I had not seen them since their singer, Parker Lee, joined the band, so I wanted see him sing these great songs.
Molly Hatchet is one of my favorite bands. Actually my favorite of the “Southern Rock Bands”. Yes I love the others too but I really love Molly Hatchet. I bought and love all their albums.
Unfortunately, many of the band members have passed away over the years, but the band has carried on with guitarist Bobby Ingram (who joined the band in the 80s and knew and played with original singer Danny Joe Brown on and off years before.)
He has carried the band on very well, I think. He is a phenomenal guitarist, songwriter, and producer.
The band, along with Ingram, now includes Parker Lee on vocals, John Galvin (also been in the band since the 80s) on keyboards, Tim Lindsey on bass, and Shawn Beamer on drums.
The band is really rocking and still play the songs very well.
Parker sings the songs well.
What more can you ask?
I can’t wait to buy their new album too!
After the show, the band came out to the lobby and spoke to fans and signed stuff. I had them sign my ticket.
Really cool.
Another fun show.
Keep on rocking guys.
Mariah, what did you think of the show?
Hi all! Lucas decided to bring me in on this post since I was there too. Overall, I had a pretty good time. The venue, the Niswonger Performing Arts Center was absolutely beautiful and was the perfect size for Molly Hatchet. The audience was a bit lackluster, which lead to a more subdued show, but the lead singer Parker Lee did everything in his power to breathe life into the people and create a rocking show. The one con of the night though was the sound mix was not quite right. The bass tones were distorted and the guitar was too quiet. If the mix had been right, I think it might have helped with the atmosphere, but all the playing was expertly done. Molly Hatchet is worth seeing at least once.
And there you have it.
OK maybe a few sound mix issues we had where we were sitting, but aside from that, a fun rocking show.
We both love Molly Hatchet and I’m glad I could bring my girlfriend Mariah to this show.
Again, keep on rocking guys and I will buy your new album when it comes out.
Set List:
- Whisky Man
- Bounty Hunter
- Gator Country
- One Man’s Pleasure
- Devil’s Canyon
- Beatin’ The Odds
- I’m Gonna Live ‘Til I Die
- Son Of The South
- Firing Line
- Fall Of The Peacemakers
- Jukin’ City
- Layla (ending of it-Derek And The Dominoes Cover)
- Dreams I’ll Never See
- Encore: It’s All Over Now
- Flirtin’ With Disaster
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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Warrant/Firehouse/Bulletboys Concert Review
Last night, Friay June 14 of 2024, I went to the Rose Music Center in Huber Heights, OH to see Warrant, Firehouse, and Bulletboys.
Bulletboys started the night with a 30 minute set of songs, all of which are from their self-titled first album.
Original Singer/Guitarist Marq Torien is a great frontman. He still has the same vocal range he always has, is a great guitarist, and has some cool stage moves.
His band now also includes Ira Black on Guitar, Brad Lang on Bass, and Fred Aching on Drums.
I wish their set would have been longer, but still, they rocked.
Thank you guys so much for the brief but rocking show. All your albums rock and I can’t wait to buy the next Bulletboys album.
Firehouse was the second band that played and WOW!!
This was the second time I saw Firehouse and they are such a great, great band.
They played many songs from their early albums, most especially their first self-titled album.
Sadly, their singer, C.J. Snare, passed away on April 5 of this year, and he will be forever missed. I’m glad I got to see him in 2023. Such a phenomenal singer.
With C.J.’s blessing, the band had been playing shows without him for a number of months with singer Nate Peck, who I had seen sing with Jack Russell of Jack Russell’s Great White on one song last year and became a friend of C.J.’s.
Nate was also the American Idol golden ticket recipient in 2021.
I went into this show knowing they would rock but without C.J., I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it.
Well, I can say that even though C.J. will be forever missed and I wish he was still here, Nate does a phenomenal job singing these songs and pumping up the crowd. Good job sir!!
And the band are phenomenal. Guitarist Bill Leverty, Bassist Allen McKenzie, and Drummer Michael Foster kick butt!!!!
All of Firehouse’s albums are very good. I can’t say enough about their songs.
I’m glad I got to see them again, but again, rest in peace C.J. Snare. They actually showed a tribute photo collage and video of him during one of their songs, which was really nice. Again, forever missed.
Warrant closed the show and really put on the big rock show.
Classic members Erik Turner (Guitar), Joey Allen (Guitar), and Steven Sweet (Drums), along with Robert Mason (Vocals, who took over from original singer/songwriter Jani Lane, rest in peace, in the late 2000s) and Robbie Crane (Bass, filling in for original bassist Jerry Dixon) rocked the place.
They played lots of songs from their first two albums, one song from their third album, and one song from their most recent album from 2017 (the title track Louder Harder Faster).
All three of these bands are still kicking butt and still have lots of loyal fans. The show wasn’t sold out, but it was pretty packed and that was great to see.
I’m a big fan of a lot of rock bands from the 1980’s, and am glad to see that many people still come to see these great bands. I still go see them and will forever support them and all my other favorites.
Thanks to everyone for rocking the house!!
Keep on rocking and please keep making new music too.
I know not as many people buy music, but I do still and will continue to until the day I die.
I love you all.
Bulleboys Set List:
- What Cha Don’t
- Hard As A Rock
- Hell On My Heels
- For The Love Of Money (The O’Jays Cover)
- Smooth Up In Ya
Firehouse Set List:
- Rock You Tonight
- All She Wrote
- Shake ‘N’ Tumble
- Oughta Be A Law
- Home Is Where The Heart Is (included a photo collage/video tribute to original singer C.J. Snare)
- Instrumental
- Overnight Sensation
- Love Of A Lifetime
- Reach For The Sky
- Don’t Treat Me Bad
Warrant Set List:
- Sure Feels Good To Me
- Love In Stereo
- Bed Of Roses
- You’re The Only Hell Your Mama Ever Raised
- I Saw Red
- Big Talk
- 32 Pennies
- Blind Faith
- Joey Allen Guitar Solo
- The Hole In My Wall
- Down Boys
- D.R.F.S.R.
- Sometimes She Cries
- Louder Harder Faster
- Heaven
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin
- We Will Rock You Intro (Queen Cover)/Cherry Pie
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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Rita Moreno Visited My Alma Mater!!
First off, actress Rita Moreno is a National Treasure.
She is still going strong at 92 years of age.
She has won an Oscar, a Tony, two Emmy awards, a Grammy, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Arts, and was the first Latina woman to win the Kennedy Center Honors. That’s just some of her awards.
And of course the body of work she has done over the years: movies such as Singin’ In The Rain, The King And I, West Side Story (original and remake), Television shows such as The Electric Company, Oz, One Day at A Time, and tons of others, and in stage plays of Guys And Dolls, The Odd Couple, and so much more.
Trust me, you should go look at her list of credits. It’s amazing.
Now why am I saying all of this besides just being a fan? She came to my Alma Mater, which is Ohio University Southern Campus in Ironton, OH (which Rita called “My little “Puerto Rico”!) to speak and to raise some money for camp kids.
Her manager, who is also a member of the Rotary Club of Ironton who was one of the sponsors of this event, emceed this once in a lifetime opportunity to see and hear who I am once again calling a National Treasure.
Miss Moreno talked about growing up in Puerto Rico, then moving to New York as a very young child, getting into dancing, being discovered by a talent agent at MGM, meeting Louis B. Mayer (the founder and head of MGM), and getting a contract with them.
She talked about some of her many projects she has done, including West Side Story, The Electric Company, and even Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, in which she took her family with her to be on that show. Great stories there.
She talked about working with Mr. Norman Lear on his remake of the series One Day at a Time for four seasons and how the two of them once played a joke about her having Mr. Lear’s “love child” (Mr. Lear’s idea). Very funny story.
She talked about being present in Washington, D.C. to see Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and how she said that was not initially going to be his speech. Great story there too.
She talked about her great mother, and about how she had some very funny ways of saying things (calling beaches “bitches”, sheets “shits” are just two examples). Very funny.
She also talked about some of her bad times in life, and how you just need to hang on and hang in there when times are bad. She also said Psychotherapy helped her a lot too.
Those are just some of the things she talked about.
And she also sang a little bit too. She sang about dreaming and it was very heartfelt and meaningful.
Rita Moreno may be a huge star, and she definitely is, but after seeing and hearing her in person, I can say she is definitely human and a great one at that.
Thank you so much Miss Moreno for gracing us in Ironton, OH with your presence, humor, and realness.
And as I’m typing this, it’s the day before the oldest Memorial Day Parade anywhere, and I heard you say you were going to be there too. I hope that even if it rains (it almost always rains during this parade) that you still have a great time and enjoy it.
And please feel free to visit Ironton, OH again someday. You are always welcome.
All the best to you always.
Thank you.
Oh and since you said you love to play Scrabble, I welcome you to come and play Scrabble with my family anytime because they play it for hours on certain occasions.
Again, thank you Miss Moreno.
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The Best of British Hard Rock and Metal: Uriah Heep and Saxon Live in Cincinnati!!
- Date of Concert: Friday, May 17 of 2024
- Location of Concert: Bogart's in Cincinnati, OH
Wow what a show!!!!
Uriah Heep and Saxon in concert!!!!!!
Two legendary bands that are both still making great albums.
Both bands are on a co-headline tour and have been flip-flopping each night, in terms of opening and closing the shows.
This night, Uriah Heep started the show.
Guitarist Mick Box, the last surviving original member of the band, has carried this band on since the late 1960’s and they are still going strong.
Rounding out the band is singer Bernie Shaw, who has been in the band since 1986. Amazing vocalist. On bass is Dave Rimmer, who has been there over 10 years. The drummer is Russell Gilbrook, who has been in the band since 2007. His birthday was celebrated at this show! And for this tour, the keyboardist is Adam Wakeman, who is filling in for Phil Lanzon (keyboardist since 1986).
This band is AMAZING!!!!!
Still putting out great albums (their latest two Chaos & Colour and Living The Dream are incredible) and are great live.
I’ve been wanting to see Uriah Heep for some time, but just did not have the chance or missed them. Not this time. I’m so glad I finally saw them.
Uriah Heep are just as important a British band as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc. They came out about the same time and even though they’ve had several lineup changes (sadly all the classic original members except Mick Box are dead) but this lineup is amazing. And their discography is amazing.
And like I said before, guitarist Mick Box is the last original member and has never left the band. He is a phenomenal guitarist and should be spoken in the same breath as Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, etc.
Please check out Uriah Heep!!!! You will not be disappointed.
Saxon closed the show this night and this was my 3rd time seeing them.
They are always amazing.
Like Uriah Heep, they are still making amazing albums and like Uriah Heep, have a lot of albums.
Singer Biff Byford is one of my favorite singers and he has always been great.
And along with Biff, guitarists Doug Scarrett and Brian Tatler (Brian recently replacing Paul Quinn because he did not want to tour anymore), bassist Nibbs Carter, and drummer Nigel Glockler make up one of the best Metal bands around.
They’ve been a band since the mid 1970’s and like Uriah Heep have had lineup changes (Biff is the only one that has been there from the start), but even with those changes, Saxon have remained consistently great.
And they’re nice people too. Biff noticed a little girl in the front row with her Dad and asked how old she was, and she said 9. She had a sign too that said that this was her first Saxon concert and to please sign the sign otherwise Hell, Fire, and Damnation (the title track to their new album) would reign on them. Biff said they would sign it at the end of the show and they did. Very kind of them.
I can’t say enough about both of these bands. It’s after 3 AM as I type this, so I’m a little tired, so I’ll end this by saying that I love both of these bands and I appreciate them both for still making great music and doing great shows.
Thank you guys. Keep on rocking!!!!!! And as Mick Box says “Appy Days”.
Uriah Heep Set List:
- Save Me Tonight
- Grazed By Heaven
- Rainbow Demon
- Stealin’
- Hurricane
- Sweet Lorraine
- Hail The Sunrise
- Free ‘N’ Easy
- Gypsy
- Look At Yourself
- July Morning
- Encore: Sunrise
- Easy Livin’
Saxon Set List:
- Hell, Fire & Damnation
- Motorcycle Man
- Sacrifice
- This Town Rocks
- Power and the Glory
- There’s Something In Roswell
- Heavy Metal Thunder
- Madame Guillotine
- Dallas 1 PM
- Strong Arm of the Law
- 1066
- Crusader
- Ride Like The Wind (Christopher Cross cover)
- 747 (Strangers In The Night)
- Denim and Leather
- Wheels of Steel
- Princess of the Night
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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Angel Live in Columbus (Thanks for Your Kindness and Your Music)
- Date of Concert: Sunday, May 12, 2024
- Location of Concert: The King Of Clubs in Columbus, OH
- Openers: In Theory, Alecia Houston & The Firmm
I first became a fan of Angel in 2006 when I heard an interview Angel singer Frank Dimino did on Eddie Trunk’s radio show.
Frank went into detail about the history of the band and it was just a really good interview.
I also heard on Eddie’s show the Angel song The Tower and really liked it.
Sometime after I heard the interview, I bought Angel’s Live Without A Net double live album and loved it.
And eventually, I bought all of the band’s albums and enjoyed them all.
However, at the time I got into the band, they were no longer a band. Everyone was either retired, doing solo stuff and just doing other things.
Then the great Angel guitarist Punky Meadows put out a solo album called Fallen Angel. Masterpiece of an album. This album also features Angel bassist Felix Robinson and Punky’s collaborator/rhythm guitarist/singer Danny Farrow Anniello. Punky decided to do some shows for this album and to do them as a co-headline tour with Angel singer Frank Dimino (Frank sang on one song on Punky’s album and Punky played on one of Frank’s songs for his great solo album Old Habits Die Hard under the banner of Dimino).
The shows went so well that Frank and Punky decided they wanted to reform Angel. So with Danny with them, they reformed the band with new people.
As of this writing, Angel consists of Frank on vocals, Punky on guitar, Danny on guitar, Tommy Caradonna on bass (Felix Robinson did a few shows in between on bass before Tommy came in, replacing Steve E. Ojaine.), Charlie Calv on keyboards, and Billy Orrico on drums.
The band has released two great albums since returning. Risen, released in 2019, and Once Upon A Time, released in 2023.
It wasn’t until 2023 that I was able to finally see the band.
I saw them twice in 2023 (first show here and second show here) and both shows were phenomenal.
I got to meet them at the second show and all of the guys were very kind and signed all of my Angel CDs. Could not have been nicer.
When I saw they were playing again this year, I did not hesitate to buy another ticket to see them.
I also decided I wanted to meet them again and get my Angel records signed (Sorry guys I need to buy a few more for you to sign. Next time I see you, I’ll bring those.).
So, I went to the show and met them before the show (This is a paid meet and greet, but it’s not too expensive.).
Like before, all the guys were super friendly and signed everything. These guys really love their fans and really take the time to talk to them. And trust me it’s greatly appreciated by us fans. Also at the merch stand, I bought a shirt, Punky’s album on vinyl (I’ll bring that to sign next time.) and a signed Felix picture that he signed when he was doing the few shows he did with the band. I hope to meet him someday too but if not, I at least have his autograph and like Frank, Punky and Danny, is friendly to me and other fans on Facebook too.
Anyway, this show was phenomenal too. This band really rocks.
I still don’t know why they did not become a bigger band because they had/have it all. But the fanbase they do have is very loyal and passionate.
I’m glad I became a fan when I did and I’m glad they got back together and are still making great music and playing great shows.
So thank you guys so much for all the great music (hopefully more in the future) and for all your kindness. I love you all.
Opening bands were In Theory, who are a very good newer rock band, and a good fun cover band called Alecia Houston & The Firmm. Their rhythm section especially is very good.
But the night was really about Angel, and like the other two times I saw them, they did not disappoint.
Great songs, old and new, and everyone is phenomenal at what they do.
Again, thank you Angel for giving us fans a great time, for the amazing music, and again, your kindness and grace.
Angel Rocks!!!!!
Angel Set List:
- On The Rocks
- Can You Feel It
- Mirrors
- Wild And Hot
- Bad Time
- Cast The First Stone
- The Fortune
- We Were The Wild
- Got Love If You Want It
- Don’t Leave Me Lonely
- It’s Alright
- Pressure Point
- Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore
- Feelin’ Right
- Rock And Rollers
- Encore: The Tower
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Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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Nolan Taylor/Clarke Sexton/Justin Wells Concert Review
- Date of Concert: Friday, May 10, 2024
- Location of Concert: Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, KY
My friend Jamie McClintic and I went to a concert on May 10 near where I live: the Paramount Arts Center.
We saw singer/songwriter Nolan Taylor, singer/guitarist Clarke Sexton and his band (who all also was Nolan’s band on this night) and singer/songwriter Justin Wells.
Justin Wells started the show with just himself and an acoustic guitar. No band backing him, although he does have a band.
His songs and storytelling are very heartfelt, funny, and very good. He sounded great and the crowd really enjoyed hearing him.
Next up was Clarke Sexton and his great band. They were a little more upbeat, but also still quite melodic and musically very diverse. Clarke Sexton is a great singer and guitarist, and his band is phenomenal.
Then Nolan Taylor came on, again backed by Clarke Sexton and his band.
Nolan is also a very good singer/songwriter and has a lot of stories to tell in his songs.
I’ll be honest, all of these people were unknown to me before seeing them, and even though I thought there were way too many ballads played for my taste (and I love ballads but not 3 hours of them), everyone did a great job and the crowd loved them.
I hope all of these guys have great success.
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Donnie Iris & The Cruisers/The Vindys Concert Review
- Date of Concert: April 6, 2024
- Location of Concert: The Bluestone in Columbus, OH
My girlfriend Mariah and I went to see Donnie Iris & The Cruisers, at The Bluestone in Columbus, OH Saturday of April 6.
Opening the show was a band called The Vindys, from Youngstown, OH.
Such a great band. Everyone kicked serious butt.
The singer, Jackie Popovec, is PHENOMENAL. She can sing anything and it will sound great.
The band, along with Popevec, includes guitarists John Anthony and Rick Deak, bassist Brendan Burke, drummer Owen Davis, keyboardist Nathan Anthony, trumpet player Kyle O’Donnell, saxophone player Garrett Kuchmaner, and trombone player Brian Mayle.
They have been around for 10 years and I must say I am very impressed with this band.
They played a mix of originals and covers, including a great version of the Black Sabbath classic “War Pigs”.
Great stuff.
OK to the headliner: Donnie Iris & The Cruisers.
Admittedly, I was initially going to this show because my girlfriend really likes this band and wanted me to go too. I was fine with going, but I was not super familiar with their music, I’m sad to say. But I did my homework and listened to some of their albums and now I love them. So then I was more excited and now I’m glad I went.
Donnie Iris is 81 years old, just got over cancer (on stage he called this the “Fuck cancer tour”), and he has more energy than I may ever have.
He really gets into it. Occasionally he sat on a stool, but I don’t blame him because the energy he was giving was a lot.
And vocally, he is as great as he was over 40 years ago. He gives it his all on stage.
Before The Cruisers, he was in Wild Cherry, who had the big hit “Play That Funky Music”. He was also in a band called The Jaggerz, who had a hit with the song “The Rapper”.
The Cruisers played both of these songs at this show, but mostly, it was their songs they played. Such a great set of songs, including their hits “Ah! Leah!” and “Love Is Like A Rock”.
The band, with Donnie on vocals and some guitar, includes multi-instrumentalist Mark Avsec (who was also in Wild Cherry with Donnie), lead guitarist Marty Lee Hoenes, bassist Paul Goll, and drummer Kevin Valentine.
Being the KISS fan I am, I know of Kevin’s drumming on their album Psycho Circus (he played drums on all songs but 1 on the album) and Revenge (he played drums on one song on that album).
Great great band fronted by an amazing singer/frontman.
Stay cancer free Donnie!!!!! And keep on rocking!!!!!!!
Donnie Iris & The Cruisers Set List:
- Agnes
- That’s The Way Love Ought To Be
- Do You Compute?
- Tough World
- Sweet Merilee
- Pretender
- This Time It Must Be Love/Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)/Another One Bites The Dust (Queen cover)
- Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry cover)
- Minnie The Moocher (The Ho De Ho Song)-Cab Calloway cover
- Ridin’ Thunder
- Ei Ei Ei O Polka (Frankie Yankovic cover)
- Love Is Like A Rock
- Ah! Leah!
- The Rapper (The Jaggerz cover)/Hush (Joe South cover, although they covered Deep Purple’s version of it)
- With A Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles cover, although they covered Joe Cocker’s version of it)
The Vindys Set List:
- Intro/Bugs
- Don’t Tell Me Just Love Me
- Save Me
- Misery
- Morning Light
- Bang
- Chasin/War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)
- If I Want
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Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
