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Rockin’ In America: Night Ranger Concert Review
- Date of Concert: July 23, 2022
- Location of Concert: Rock The Block Wilmington in Wilmington, OH
Mariah Startzman and I had a great time seeing Night Ranger in Wilmington, Ohio Saturday night.They played a solid 90 minutes and put on a fun rocking show.Such a great time.Honestly, I was very late to their music.Sure I knew Sister Christian, Don’t Tell Me You Love Me, and a few other songs, and as much as I respected the guys’ talents, I just was not impressed with their music.Well happily, my mind was changed.They really are a great band and kick maximum butt.They’ve been around a long time and are as great as ever, still mostly the original members, and still putting out great new music (latest album ATBPO is awesome).Seek them out if you’re a rock fan.Night Ranger Band Members:
- Jack Blades (Vocals/Bass)
- Brad Gillis (Guitar)
- Kelly Keagy (Drums/Vocals)
- Keri Kelli (Guitar)
- Eric Levy (Keyboards)
Night Ranger Set List:
- Rock In America
- Seven Wishes
- Sing Me Away
- Rumors In The Air
- Sentimental Street
- Breakout
- Passion Play
- High Road
- Night Ranger (with Drum Solo by the whole band)
- Goodbye
- When You Close Your Eyes
- Don’t Tell Me You Love Me
- Sister Christian
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Feel The Noize of the Train Train: Quiet Riot and Blackfoot Concert Review
- Date of Concert: July 9, 2022
- Location of Concert: Caesar Ford Park in Xenia, OH
I went to another PHENOMENAL concert.Blackfoot is a famous southern rock band from the 70s that now Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke used to be the singer/guitarist/leader of it.Since he’s so busy with Skynyrd, Medlocke, who owns the name Blackfoot, for the last several years, has hired new musicians to carry on the band and music.The guys he has put together for this incarnation of the band are AMAZING!!Lead singer Kenny Lawrence, lead guitarist Drew Spencer, lead guitarist Stuart McConnell, bassist Chief Spires, and drummer Dave Somerville.Usually, I would not like something like this but in this instance, I love it.The band is great. The songs are great. That’s good enough for me.And they do have a new album coming so I’m excited about that.I was able to shake the singer Kenny’s hand. Very cool!!Go see them if you get a chance.You won’t regret it (Edit: Since this writing, this iteration of Blackfoot is no more and Rickey Medlocke, who again owns the band name, may be performing Blackfoot songs with his own band in 2024).Now to Quiet Riot. The band consists of lead singer Jizzy Pearl, guitarist Alex Grossi, returning bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Johnny Kelly.Kevin Dubrow and Frankie Banali will always be missed but this band still kicks butt and delivers the goods.I still support them and I’ll continue to.Thank you guys for keeping the music alive.I live for nights like this.Quiet Riot Band Members:
- Rudy Sarzo (Bass)
- Jizzy Pearl (Lead Vocals)
- Alex Grossi (Guitar)
- Johnny Kelly (Drums)
Blackfoot Band Members:
- Kenny Lawrence (Lead Vocals)
- Drew Spencer (Lead Guitar)
- Stuart McConnell (Lead Guitar)
- Chief Spires (Bass)
- Dave Somerville (Drums)
Quiet Riot Set List:
- Run For Cover
- Slick Black Cadillac
- Mama Weer All Crazee Now
- Don’t Wanna Let You Go
- Sign Of The Times
- Love’s A Bitch
- Condition Critical
- Thunderbird (Dedicated to Kevin Dubrow, Frankie Banali, and Randy Rhoads)
- Breathless
- Blackout In The Red Room
- The Wild And The Young
- Let’s Get Crazy (with a bit of Crazy Train)
- Cum On Feel The Noize
- Bang Your Head (Metal Health)
Blackfoot Set List:
- Train Train
- Baby Blue
- Road Fever
- I Got A Line On You
- Fox Chase
- Left Turn On A Red Light
- Wishing Well
- Payin’ For It
- Every Man Should Know
- Too Hard To Handle
- Star Spangled Banner
- Highway Song
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Three Great Bands in One Night: Tom Keifer/LA Guns/Faster Pussycat Concert Review
- Date of Concert: June 18, 2022
- Location of Concert: The Bluenote Harrison in Harrison, OH
What a phenomenal concert my girlfriend Mariah Startzman and I saw.Tom Keifer L.A. GUNS and Faster Pussycat!They played at the outdoor portion of The Blue Note Harrison in Harrison, OH.All 3 were great.First time seeing Tom and Faster and they did not disappoint.Both Tom and Taime Downe (Faster Pussycat singer) are still as great as ever and their bands are solid as a rock.Lots of great songs.Second time seeing LA Guns and they were even louder this time.They have a solid discography but they have put out three phenomenal albums in the last five years (The Missing Peace, The Devil You Know, and Chequered Past).Singer Phil Lewis is still as great as ever and guitarist Tracii Guns is such an amazing guitarist.The whole band is solid.What a great package tour.More concerts to come.Tom Keifer Band Members:
- Tom Keifer (Lead Vocals/Guitar/Piano)
- Tony Higbee (Guitar)
- Billy Mercer (Bass)
- Jarred Pope (Drums)
- Kory Myers (Keyboards)
LA Guns Band Members:
- Phil Lewis (Lead Vocals)
- Tracii Guns (Guitar)
- Ace Von Johnson (Guitar)
- Johnny Martin (Bass)
- Shawn Duncan (Drums)
Faster Pussycat Band Members:
- Taime Downe (Lead Vocals)
- Sam "Bam" Koltun (Guitar)
- Danny Nordahl (Bass)
- Chad Stewart (Drums)
Tom Keifer Set List:
- Touching The Divine
- Night Songs
- Coming Home
- It’s Not Enough
- Somebody Save Me
- Nobody’s Fool
- Solid Ground
- Fallin’ Apart At The Seams
- The Last Mile
- Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)
- Shake Me
- Shelter Me
- Encore: Gypsy Road
LA Guns Set List:
- Cannonball
- Electric Gypsy
- Over The Edge
- Sex Action
- Gone Honey
- Speed
- Kiss My Love Goodbye
- Never Enough
- The Ballad Of Jayne
- Rip And Tear
Faster Pussycat Set List:
- Jack The Bastard
- Cathouse
- Slip Of The Tongue
- Don’t Change That Song
- NOLA
- House Of Pain
- Bathroom Wall
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Live & Unzoomed: Styx/REO Speedwagon/Loverboy Concert Review
- Date of Concert: June 11, 2022
- Location of Concert: Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, OH
Holy cow what a concert!Styx and REO Speedwagon with Loverboy: Live and UnZoomedRiverbend Music Center CincinnatiMy favorite venue.All three bands were PHENOMENAL!!This was the first time I saw Loverboy.Still mostly the original lineup.Still at the top of their game.Great way to start the show.REO Speedwagon was next. This was the second time I saw them, although the first time I saw their whole set (I had to unfortunately leave early the first time).But still, they are phenomenal as well.Singer Kevin Cronin is 70 now and still moves around like he’s a kid and has a ton of enthusiasm.And his voice is still as phenomenal as ever.Great song after great song.Styx closed the show. My third time seeing the band (also have seen former singer/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung in concert once, who is still phenomenal too!!).Singer/Guitarist Tommy Shaw still has his awesome voice and the whole band is soooo tight.Always great seeing original bassist Chuck Panozzo too.Singer/Guitarist James “JY” Young is the MAN!And they’re still making great albums.The Mission and Crash Of The Crown are their newest albums and both are yesPHENOMENAL!!!!I had such a great time at this show.I’m not done yet.I’ll know when it’s time to stop and that time is not now.Styx Band Members:
- Tommy Shaw (Vocals/Guitar)
- James "JY" Young (Vocals/Guitar/Keyboards)
- Chuck Panozzo (Bass)
- Lawrence Gowan (Vocals/Keyboards)
- Todd Sucherman (Drums)
- Ricky Phillips (Bass)
- Will Evankovich (Guitar)
REO Speedwagon Band Members:
- Kevin Cronin (Vocals/Guitar/Piano)
- Neal Doughty (Keyboards/Piano)
- Bruce Hall (Bass/Vocals)
- Dave Amato (Guitar)
- Bryan Hitt (Drums)
Loverboy Band Members:
- Mike Reno (Vocals)
- Paul Dean (Guitar)
- Doug Johnson (Keyboards)
- Matt Frenette (Drums)
- Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve (Bass)
Styx Set List:
- The Fight Of Our Lives
- Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
- The Grand Illusion
- Lady
- Crash Of The Crown
- Light Up
- Sound The Alarm
- Rockin’ The Paradise
- Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man-with Chuck Panozzo)
- Too Much Time On My Hands
- Khedive/Rocketman (Lawrence Gowan solo segment)
- Lost At Sea (Lawrence and Chuck only)
- Come Sail Away (with Chuck)
- Encore: Mr. Roboto
- Renegade (with Chuck)
REO Speedwagon Set List:
- Music Man
- Take It On The Run
- Keep Pushin’
- Live Every Moment
- Tough Guys
- Can’t Fight This Feeling
- Like You Go
- Don’t Let Him Go
- Time For Me To Fly
- Back On The Road Again
- Ridin’ The Storm Out
- Keep On Loving You
- Roll With The Changes
Loverboy Set List:
- Notorious
- Lucky Ones
- Queen Of The Broken Hearts
- The Kid Is Hot Tonite
- Lovin’ Every Minute Of It
- Hot Girls In Love
- Turn Me Loose
- Working For The Weekend
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Carry On Dust In The Wind: Kansas Concert Review
- Date of Concert: June 9, 2022
- Location of Concert: Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, KY
Wow I saw another great concert.This time in practically my back yard: at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, Kentucky,where I used to go to see shows on school field trips.I saw the band KansasThey played all their classic Point Of Know Return album, as well as other classic songs and newer songs.I had never seen the band before so this was a first for me.It’s not totally the classic lineup now (only guitarist Richard Williams and drummer Phil Ehart remain) but everyone in the band now is on top of their game and singing and playing the songs the way fans want to hear them.The rest of the band is rounded out by lead singer/keyboardist Ronnie Platt (phenomenal singer), bassist/singer Billy Greer (also phenomenal), violinist/guitarist David Ragsdale, and keyboardist Tom Brislin.If you’re a fan and have not seen them, definitely go if you can.They are phenomenal and they’re still making great albums too.Also, I saw in the audience one of my college professors and mentors: Mr. Don MooreThis man taught me a lot and I learned a lot from him and his Electronic Media program at Ohio University Southern when he was running it.Thank you Don for everything and it was great to see you and your new wife.All the best to both of you.Kansas Band Members:
- Richard Williams (Guitar)
- Phil Ehart (Drums)
- Ronnie Platt (Lead Vocals/Keyboards)
- Billy Greer (Bass/Vocals)
- David Ragsdale (Violin/Guitar)
- Tom Brislin (Keyboards)
Kansas Set Lists:
Acoustic Set:
- People Of The South Wind
- Hold On
- Memories Down The Line
- Refugee
- Lonely Wind
Regular Set:
- The Wall
- Icarus-Borne On Wings Of Steel
- Throwing Mountains
- Can I Tell You
- Miracles Out Of Nowhere
Point Of Know Return Album Set:
- Point Of Know Return
- Paradox
- The Spider
- Portrait (He Knew)
- Closet Chronicles
- Lightning’s Hand
- Dust In The Wind
- Sparks Of The Tempest
- Nobody’s Home
- Hopelessly Human
Encore: Carry On Wayward Son
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Second Time Around: My Huntington Comic & Toy Convention 2022 Experience
- Date of Convention: June 3, 2022
- Location of Convention: Mountain Health Arena in Huntington, WV
I had a great time at the second edition of Huntington Comic & Toy Convention.I went Saturday and Sunday.I got to see Chuck Norris for the third time (he signed a DVD for me and gave me a great hand shake), Kevin Conroy (voice of Batman), Beau Smith (the writer of Wynonna Earp, one of my girlfriend Mariah Startzman favorites), actor Sam Jones (star of Flash Gordon-Great guy), Jim Shooter (Marvel Comics writer), wrestling tag team The Rock And Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson-Ricky was very kind), and the great Joe Barta IV (one of my mentors) and his great wife V Brittany Barta.Joe makes old VHS boxes and turns them into notebooks.The company is called Be Kind Rewind VHS Notebooks Check them out!!I love going to Comiccons just as much as I do concerts.Huntington Comic & Toy Convention is run by the same people who do Lexington Comic & Toy Con and own The Inner Geek and I can’t say enough what a great operation they run and a great service they provide to fans.Thank you so much and let’s do it again next year.Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
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My 9th KISS: KISS Concert Review
- Date of Concert: May 12, 2022
- Location of Concert: Wright State University Nutter Center in Dayton, OH
- Opener: David Garibaldi (Painter)
Thank you KISS for everything.My favorite band ever.All albums.All lineups.I love it all.This was the 9th time I saw them.First time seeing them in Dayton, Ohio, though.My friend John Robinette was with me.We had a great time.I love KISS and I always will.Oh and it was their drummer Eric Singer’s birthday.Happy Birthday Eric!! You’re the man.KISS Band Members:
- Paul Stanley (Lead Vocals/Guitar)
- Gene Simmons (Lead Vocals/Bass)
- Eric Singer (Drums/Vocals)
- Tommy Thayer (Guitar/Vocals)
KISS Set List:
- Detroit Rock City
- Shout It Out Loud
- Deuce
- War Machine
- Heaven’s On Fire
- I Love It Loud
- Say Yeah
- Cold Gin
- Guitar Solo
- Lick It Up
- Calling Dr. Love
- Tears Are Falling
- Psycho Circus (most of it)
- Drum Solo/100,000 Years ending
- Bass Solo/God Of Thunder
- Love Gun
- I Was Made For Loving You
- Black Diamond
- Encore: Beth
- Happy Birthday Eric!!!!
- Do You Love Me
- Rock And Roll All Nite
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3 Thrash Classics: Testament/Exodus/Death Angel Concert Review
- Date of Concert: May 7, 2022
- Location of Concert: Madison Theater in Covington, KY
Wow what a concert in Covington, Kentucky at the Madison TheaterThese are three bands still at the top of their game.All still making great new albums.All still great live.My cousin Zachary and I had a great time.Thank you to all the bands for the great concert and for all the great albums you’ve made and will make.Testament Band Members:
- Chuck Billy (Lead Vocals)
- Alex Skolnick (Lead Guitar)
- Eric Peterson (Lead Guitar)
- Steve Di Giorgio (Bass)
- Dave Lombardo (Drums)
Exodus Band Members:
- Steve "Zetro" Souza (Lead Vocals)
- Gary Holt (Lead Guitar)
- Lee Altus (Lead Guitar)
- Jack Gibson (Bass)
- Tom Hunting (Drums)
Death Angel Band Members:
- Mark Osegueda (Lead Vocals)
- Rob Cavestany (Lead Guitar)
- Ted Aguilar (Rhythm Guitar)
- Damien Sisson (Bass)
- Will Carroll (Drums)
Testament Set List:
- Children Of The Next Level
- The Pale King
- Practice What You Preach
- The New Order
- WWIII
- Eyes Of Wrath
- D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)
- Legions Of The Dead
- Electric Crown
- Bass Solo
- Souls Of Black
- Night Of The Witch
- Over The Wall
- Into The Pit
- Disciples Of The Watch
Exodus Set List:
- The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
- A Lesson In Violence
- Blood In Blood Out
- The Years Of Death and Dying
- Deathamphetamine
- Blacklist
- Piranha
- Prescribing Horror
- Bonded By Blood
- The Toxic Waltz
- Strike Of The Beast
Death Angel Set List:
- The Ultra Violence (Intro)
- The Evil Priest
- Voracious Souls
- Seemingly Endless Time
- Claws In So Deep
- The Dream Calls For Blood
- The Moth
- Humanicide
- Thrown To The Wolves
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Genesis Revisited: Steve Hackett Concert Review
- Date of Concert: April 28, 2022
- Location of Concert: Taft Theatre in Cincinnati, OH
I saw another awesome concert.Steve Hackett at the Taft Theater in Cincinnati, Ohio.Steve and his awesome band played almost 40 minutes of Steve’s solo stuff, then took a 20 minute break and then came back to play all of the double live Genesis album called Seconds Out.Steve was the lead guitarist of Genesis during most of the 70s and since then has made MANY albums.He is a phenomenal musician and his band is AWESOME!Thank you sir for this great concert.I bought a tour book and a signed double live album/Blu-ray.Steve Hackett Band Members:
- Steve Hackett (Guitar/Vocals)
- Nad Sylvan (Vocals)
- Roger King (Keyboards)
- Rob Townsend (Saxophone/Flute/Percussion/Keyboards/Vocals)
- Jonas Reingold (Bass/Twelve String Guitar/Vocals)
- Craig Blundell (Drums/Vocals)
Steve Hackett Set Lists:
Set 1:
- Clocks-The Angel Of Mons
- Held In The Shadows
- Every Day
- The Devil’s Cathedral
- Shadow Of The Hierophant
Set 2: Genesis Seconds Out Album
- Squonk
- The Carpet Crawlers
- Robbery, Assault and Battery
- Afterglow
- Firth Of Fifth
- I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
- The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
- The Musical Box (Closing Section)
- Supper’s Ready
- The Cinema Show
- Aisle Of Plenty
- Encore: Dance On A Volcano
- Drum Solo
- Los Endos/Slogans/Los Endos
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Monster Metal: Doyle and Wednesday 13 Concert Review
- Date of Concert: April 2, 2022
- Location of Concert: The King Of Clubs in Columbus, OH
- Openers: Salem's Childe and Everlasting Godstopper
My cousin Zachary (really more like my little brother) and Kevin Montavon had a great time at a concert Saturday.Saw Doyle Wednesday 13, Salem’s Childe, and a local band called Everlasting Godstopper.All were very good but we were mostly there to see Doyle and Wednesday 13.Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein is the guitarist of the legendary punk rock band The Misfits but also has a solo band, which is really good.Definitely more Metal than punk but very good.Wednesday 13 is definitely more punk rock but great.Really fun show all around.My next concert is Steve Hackett April 28.Doyle Band Members:
- Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein (Guitar)
- Alex "Wolfman" Story (Lead Vocals)
- Luke Wright (Drums)
- Brandon Strate (Bass)
Doyle Set List:
- Abominator
- Beast Like Me
- Virgin Sacrifice
- Witchcraft
- Cemeterysexxx
- Mark Of The Beast
- Show No Mercy
- Head Hunter
- Dreaming Dead Girls
- God Of Flies
- Hope Hell Is Warm
Wednesday 13 Set List:
- I Want You…Dead
- Put Your Death Mask On
- Cadaverous
- Die My Bride
- 197666
- Rambo
- I Walked With A Zombie
- Bad Things
- I Love To Say Fuck
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