• Blog,  Concerts

    Stills & Collins Together: Stephen Stills and Judy Collins Concert Review

    Stephen Stills and Judy Collins Live at the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center in Huntington, WV.
     
    Another fun show I went to.
     
    Two amazing artists at what they do.
     
    They played many songs from their new album Everybody Knows, as well as other songs from their respective catalogues.
    Three more shows to go for me this year.
     
    And I’ll end this by saying Rest In Peace to all the victims in Las Vegas and Tom Petty.
     
    The trend of killing people at concerts needs to stop NOW!!!
     
    And Tom, another musical hero of mine, gone too soon.
     
    I’m really glad I finally saw him and his band The Heartbreakers this summer in Cincinnati.
     
    At the beginning of the Stills/Collins show, Stephen said we are doing and a song and prayer for him.
     
    They sang and played a Traveling Wilburys song Handle Me With Care, which Stills/Collins also recorded for their new album.
     
    Check it out.
     
    Love and Peace to everyone.
     

    Oh and I met a great couple at the concert.

    It was a pleasure meeting Karen-Sharon Slater-Loyd.
    Two great people.

    Set List:

    1. Handle With Care (Traveling Wilburys cover)
    2. So Begins The Task (Manassas song, one of Stephen’s bands)
    3. River of Gold
    4. Questions (Buffalo Springfield song, one of Stephen’s bands)
    5. Virtual World (The Rides cover)
    6. Everybody Knows (Leonard Cohen cover)
    7. Girl From The North Country (Bob Dylan cover)
    8. Seen Enough (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young song, one of Stephen’s bands)
    9. Both Sides, Now (Joni Mitchell cover)
    10. Suzanne (Leonard Cohen cover)
    11. Judy (Stephen solo song)
    12. Who Knows Where The Time Goes? (Sandy Denny cover)
    13. Chelsea Morning (Joni Mitchell cover)
    14. For What It’s Worth (Buffalo Springfield song)
    15. Bluebird (Buffalo Springfield song)
    16. Encore:  Houses (Judy solo song)
    17. Suite:  Judy Blue Eyes (Crosby, Stills, and Nash song)

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  • Blog,  Concerts

    Twist of Cain: Danzig Concert Review

    Another huge bucket list for me done.
     
    I finally saw Glenn Danzig and his band Danzig at the Agora in Cleveland.
     
    Corrosion of Conformity, who are also great, opened.
     
    Acid Wich and Mutoid Man also played.
     
    Another great concert for me.
     
    My best friend Jamie went with me too and we had a blast.
     
    Everyone sounded great, but Danzig and C.O.C. especially rocked the house.
     
    I’m glad we were able to go.

    Danzig Set List:

    1. Skincarver
    2. Twist of Cain
    3. Devil on Hwy 9 (New Song)
    4. Her Black Wings
    5. Godless
    6. Left Hand Black
    7. How The Gods Kill
    8. Do You Wear The Mark
    9. Dirty Black Summer
    10. Last Ride (New Song)
    11. Black Mass (My favorite song of the night.)
    12. Long Way Back From Hell
    13. Mother
    14. Encore: She Rides
    15. Am I Demon

    Corrosion of Conformity (C.O.C.) Set List:

    1. Bottom Feeder (El que come abajo-partial)
    2. Paranoid Opioid
    3. Broken Man
    4. Seven Days
    5. Vote With a Bullet
    6. Who’s Got the Fire
    7. Albatross
    8. Clean My Wounds

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  • Blog,  Concerts

    Rock And Roll is Not Dead: Queens of the Stone Age/Royal Blood Concert Review

    Queens of the Stone Age and Royal Blood rocked Columbus Tuesday night.
     
    Rock and Roll is alive and well.
     
    For everyone who says rock is dead, think again.
     
    Royal Blood started the show with a kick butt set.
     
    This  band is a duo and I’m telling you they rock.
     
    Even Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin is a fan.
     
    And Queens of the Stone Age are still kicking butt too.
     
    Leader/singer/guitarist Josh Homme and his band are still making very good albums and they just rock!!
     
    That’s all I have to say.

    Queens of the Stone Age Band Members:

    Royal Blood Band Members:

    Queens of the Stone Age Set List:

    1. Go With The Flow
    2. The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret
    3. Feet Don’t Fail Me
    4. My God Is the Sun
    5. The Evil Has Landed
    6. Smooth Sailing
    7. Domesticated Animals
    8. Avon
    9. No One Knows
    10. Fortress
    11. Make It Wit Chu
    12. Leg of Lamb
    13. Head Like a Haunted House
    14. I Appear Missing
    15. Villains of Circumstance
    16. If I Had a Tail
    17. I Sat By the Ocean
    18. Little Sister
    19. Encore:  The Way You Used to Do
    20. A Song For the Dead

    Royal Blood Set List:

    1. Where Are You Now?
    2. Lights Out
    3. Come On Over
    4. I Only Lie When I Love You
    5. Little Monster
    6. Hook, Line & Sinker
    7. Hole In Your Heart
    8. Ten Tonne Skeleton
    9. Figure It Out
    10. Out of the Black

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  • Blog,  Concerts

    3 Classics: Deep Purple/Alice Cooper/Edgar Winter Concert Review

    Another classic rock show in the Lucas book.
     
    I saw Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, and Edgar Winter on the final night of their triple bill summer tour.
     
    Edgar Winter started the proceedings with a solid dose of classic rock.
     
    He and his band were having a lot of fun, which I love to see.
     
    He not only sang, but played the keytar, saxophone, and some of his drummer’s drum kit.
     
    A very fun set.
     
    Then Alice Cooper came on and delivered another basically perfect show.
     
    I’ve seen him 6 times now and I swear he never has a bad night.
     
    He played a lot of hits, plus one song from his great new album Paranormal.
     
    At the end of his set, Edgar Winter and Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse got onstage and jammed with Alice and his great band.
     
    Again, very fun.
     
    Then Deep Purple came on.
     
    It had been 16 years since I saw them.
     
    They’re still great.
     
    They played a lot of the classics, plus one song from their great new album Infinite and a song from their previous album, the great Now What?!
     
    Singer Ian Gillan, guitarist Steve Morse, bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, and keyboardist Don Airey are all virtuosos at what they do.
     
    And after all these years, they’re still having fun, which is what it’s all about.
     
    A very fun show all around, and
     
    I’m glad I went.
     
    More shows to come.
     
    Stay tuned.

    Deep Purple Set List:

    1. Highway Star
    2. Fireball
    3. Strange Kind Of Woman
    4. Uncommon Man (dedicated to their original keyboardist Jon Lord)
    5. Lazy
    6. Knocking At Your Back Door
    7. Pictures Of Home
    8. Perfect Strangers
    9. Don Airey Keyboard Solo (he played some of the main theme to Star Wars!)
    10. Time For Bedlam (New Song)
    11. Space Truckin’
    12. Hush
    13. Smoke On The Water (with Edgar Winter guitarist Michael Rappaport on second guitar)

    Alice Cooper Set List:

    1. Brutal Planet
    2. No More Mr. Nice Guy
    3. Under My Wheels
    4. Billion Dollar Babies
    5. Paranoic Personality (New Song)
    6. Woman Of Mass Destruction
    7. Nita Strauss Guitar Solo
    8. Poison
    9. Halo Of Flies
    10. Feed My Frankenstein
    11. Cold Ethyl
    12. Only Women Bleed
    13. Killer (partial)
    14. I Love The Dead
    15. I’m Eighteen
    16. Schools Out (w/Edgar Winter and Steve Morse joining in)

    Edgar Winter Set List:

    1. Free Ride
    2. Jumpin’ Jack Flash (The Rolling Stones cover)
    3. Tobacco Road
    4. Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo
    5. Frankenstein

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  • Blog,  Concerts

    I Met a Juke Box Hero: Foreigner/Cheap Trick/Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience Concert Review

    I saw Foreigner, Cheap Trick, and Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience all in one night!
     
    I saw them at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati Tuesday, August 8th.
     
    The show started off with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience.
     
    It’s a tribute band featuring the son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Jason Bonham.
     
    Even though he is John’s son, I just consider him a great drummer, and he has played with Zeppelin (Even at his own wedding!)
     
    He plays nothing but Zeppelin hits and album cuts.
     
    The band is solid, especially singer James Dylan, who does a great job singing Robert Plant’s parts.
     
    I missed some of their set because I had a pressing engagement (more on that later in this writing), but I saw most of the set, and it was great.
     
    Jason is a beast on drums.
     
    Cheap Trick came on shortly afterwards and were fun.
     
    Robin Zander is still a great singer, Rick Nielsen rocks on guitar, Tom Petersson rocks on bass, and Dax Nielsen rocks on the drums.
     
    Then Foreigner closed the set.
     
    Led by the founder and only original member, Mick Jones, Foreigner played several of their classic hits and a few album cuts.
     
    Singer Kelly Hansen does a great job, as does the whole band.
     
    Now to that pressing engagement.
    I met Mick Jones backstage during Jason Bonham’s set.
     
    He was very nice and gracious to me, even as I was fanboying on him.
     
    I had a few minutes with him, so I was able to tell him how much I loved his music and the band.
     
    He even liked my Paul McCartney shirt.
     
    When I told him I saw Sir Paul two years ago, he said he saw him, too.
     
    And Mick also signed his new book, A Foreigner’s Tale, for me.
     
    It’s a quick read, but very good.
     
    Mick has been around and has done a lot of great things.
     
    I definitely consider him a legend.
     
    But most importantly, I consider him to be a nice person.
     
    Well, that’s my last concert for a month.
     
    Then, more to come.
     
    Rock on!

    Foreigner Set List:

    1. Double Vision
    2. Head Games
    3. Cold As Ice
    4. Waiting For A Girl Like You
    5. Blue Morning, Blue Day
    6. Dirty White Boy
    7. Feels Like The First Time
    8. Urgent
    9. Starrider (Mick sings)
    10. Juke Box Hero
    11. Encore: I Want To Know What Love Is
    12. Hot Blooded

    Cheap Trick Set List:

    1. Hello There
    2. Long Time Coming
    3. Day Tripper (The Beatles cover)
    4. Magical Mystery Tour (The Beatles cover)
    5. Blackberry Way (The Move cover)
    6. She Said She Said (The Beatles cover)
    7. Getting Better (The Beatles cover)
    8. I’m Waiting For The Man
    9. The Flame
    10. I Want You To Want Me
    11. Dream Police
    12. Never Had A Lot To Lose
    13. Surrender
    14. Goodnight

    Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience Set List:

    1. Black Dog
    2. Rock And Roll
    3. Over The Hills And Far Away
    4. The Wanton Song
    5. Nobody’s Fault But Mine
    6. Ramble On
    7. Immigrant Song
    8. Kashmir
    9. Whole Lotta Love

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  • Blog,  Concerts

    Intimate but Great: My Graham Nash Concert Review

    I saw another legend in concert.
     
    Graham Nash, as in the Nash in Crosby, Stills, and Nash (and Young), and before that, The Hollies.
     
    I saw him at the Lexington Opera House in Lexington, Kentucky.
     
    Very intimate show, with a lot of great songs and stories.
     
    It was just Graham on vocals, guitar, keyboards, and harmonica, and another guitarist who sang harmony with Graham.
     
    He played one Hollies song, several CSN(Y) songs, solo songs, and two Beatles songs.
     
    The crowd loved all of it, as did I.
     
    Most things in life I find boring or miserable, but concerts genuinely make me happy.
     
    This concert made me happy.
     
    If my life could be one big concert, I would be in paradise.
     
    I have four more concerts to go this year, and then, it’s off to next year.
     
    I still need to see so many more, including the rest of CSNY.
     
    Make it happen.
     
    Woo!!!!

    Set Lists:

    Set 1:

    1. Bus Stop (The Hollies song)
    2. Wasted On The Way (Crosby, Stills, and Nash song)
    3. I Used To Be A King
    4. Immigration Man (Crosby & Nash song)
    5. In Your Name
    6. Myself At Last
    7. Marrakesh Express (CSN song)
    8. Military Madness
    9. Wind On The Water (Crosby & Nash song)
    10. A Day In The Life (The Beatles cover)

    Set 2:

    1. Just A Song Before I Go (CSN song)
    2. Taken At All (Crosby & Nash song)
    3. Lady of the Island (CSN song)
    4. Golden Days
    5. Back Home
    6. Cathedral (CSN song)
    7. Our House (CSNY song)
    8. Encore: Chicago
    9. Encore 2:  Blackbird (The Beatles cover)
    10. Teach Your Children (CSN song)

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  • Blog,  Concerts

    An Amazing Kind of Magic: Queen + Adam Lambert Concert Review

    On Friday night of July 21, I saw what is definitely one of my favorite concerst ever.
     
    Queen + Adam Lambert
     
    Wow, I have seen many concerts, but this one was on so many other levels.
     
    For the first time ever, I bowed to a band at a concert.
     
    They are just phenomenal!
     
    Adam Lambert sings the Queen songs very well.
     
    Dr. Brian May is still a phenomenal guitarist.
     
    Roger Taylor can still beat the drums so well.
     
    The rest of their band is quite solid also.
     
    I was soooo close to these guys.
     
    I felt like I needed to cry because it was so special.  My cousin Zachary did cry.
     
    They played several hits, but also deep album cuts.
     
    I don’t think anyone left the arena unhappy.
     
    If they did, then they were at the wrong show.
     
    I can honestly say that aside from The Stones, this show may never be topped for me.
     
    I have more shows to see, and can’t wait for all of them, but if none top this one, then I’m okay with that.
     
    But I’m not done yet.
     
    Stay tuned.
     
    Love and Peace

    Set List:

    1. We Will Rock You (Teaser)
    2. Hammer To Fall
    3. Stone Cold Crazy
    4. Another One Bites The Dust
    5. Fat Bottomed Girls
    6. Killer Queen
    7. Two Fux (Adam solo song performed by he and the band)
    8. Don’t Stop Me Now
    9. Bicycle Race (Teaser)
    10. I’m In Love With My Car (Roger Taylor sings)
    11. Get Down Make Love
    12. I Want It All
    13. Love Of My Life (Dr. Brian May sang it and played acoustically. Freddie Mercury (RIP) showed up on the screen.)
    14. Somebody To Love
    15. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
    16. Drum Battle (Roger Taylor and percussionist Tyler Warren)
    17. Under Pressure (Both Roger and Adam sang it.)
    18. I Want To Break Free
    19. Who Wants To Live Forever
    20. Guitar Solo
    21. Freddie vocalizing on the screen
    22. Radio Ga Ga
    23. Bohemian Rhapsody
    24. Encore: We Will Rock You
    25. We Are The Champions

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    Thrash and Death Metal: Slayer/Lamb Of God/Behemoth Concert Review

    Slayer, with openers Lamb Of God and Behemoth, at Express Live in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, July 18th.
     
    This was my 6th time seeing Slayer, 2nd seeing Lamb Of God, and first seeing Behemoth.
     
    I’m not extremely familiar with Behemoth, other than they’re extremely heavy.
     
    They put on a good show and sounded really good.
     
    I may look into some of their albums.
     
    I really like Lamb Of God, both as musicians and as people.
     
    They’re from Richmond, Virginia, as their singer Randy Blythe always loves to say.
     
    They have been around since the 90s, and have been through a lot to say the least, but have overcome it all, and really are a very popular band in the Metal genre.
     
    And deservedly so.
     
    I will always respect them.
     
    Again, both as musicians, but more so, as people.
     
    Slayer are always great.
     
    They have never had a bad show, in my opinion.
     
    Still as loud and as heavy as ever.
     
    Their newest album Repentless, which came out in 2014, is one of my many favorite Slayer albums.
     
    They’re the heavy version of AC/DC, in terms of you know exactly what you’re going to get with them.
     
    And I would not want it any other way with them.
     
    I’ve always thought that Metallica were my favorite of the “Big 4” thrash metal bands (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax).
     
    I love all four, but I may love Slayer more because I’ve seen them more (Again six times. I’ve seen Metallica once, and Megadeth and Anthrax three times each).
     
    And again, Slayer have pretty much stayed the same, musically.
     
    I don’t mind musical change, and the other three bands have over the years and I’m fine with that.
     
    However, I would never want Slayer to change.
     
    They have never compromised and are just as heavy or more so now than when they started in the early 80s.
     
    Their lyrics are very explicit and controversial, but again, I would not want it any other way.
     
    That’s Slayer.
     
    They’re great people, but just write about controversial subjects.
     
    So in short, I had fun at another concert.
     
    My next one is Friday, July 21, when I see Queen + Adam Lambert.
     
    Rock on!

    Slayer Set List:

    1. Repentless
    2. The Antischrist
    3. Disciple
    4. Postmortem
    5. Hate Worldwide
    6. War Ensemble
    7. Mandatory Suicide
    8. You Against You
    9. Hallowed Point
    10. When The Stillness Comes
    11. Dead Skin Mask
    12. Cast The First Stone
    13. Born Of Fire
    14. Captor Of Sin
    15. Bloodline
    16. Seasons In The Abyss
    17. Hell Awaits
    18. Encore: South Of Heaven
    19. Raining Blood
    20. Chemical Warfare
    21. Angel Of Death

    Lamb Of God Set List:

    1. Laid To Rest
    2. Now You’ve Got Something To Die For
    3. 512
    4. Engage The Fear Machine
    5. Descending
    6. Ruin
    7. Blacken The Cursed Sun
    8. Still Echoes
    9. Walk With Me In Hell
    10. Redneck

    Behemoth Set List:

    1. Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer
    2. Conquer All
    3. Messe Noir
    4. Alas, Lord Is Upon Me
    5. Decade of Therion
    6. Ov Fire and the Void
    7. Chant for Eschaton 2000

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  • Blog,  Concerts

    The Joshua Tree Live: U2 Concert Review

    I went to another fantastic concert Saturday night.
     
    I and my brother Christopher saw U2 for the first time at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.
     
    One Republic opened.
     
    They were solid, but we were there to see U2.
     
    They came out on a B stage and played some of their earlier hits, and then, went back to the big stage to play all of their classic album The Joshua Tree, which is now 30 years old.
     
    And they still were not done.
     
    They played a long encore, which was amazing, as well.
     
    Bono is an amazing singer and showman.
     
    The Edge is an amazing guitarist.
     
    Adam Clayton is an amazing bassist.
     
    Larry Mullen Jr. is an amazing drummer.
     
    So, in a word, U2 are AMAZING.
     
    We both had a great time, as did the band and the sold out crowd.
     
    We were on the field, general admission.
     
    It was cheaper and better than the seats.
     
    We were able to get pretty close.
     
    One lucky woman got up on stage and danced during their song Mysterious Ways.
     
    Bono encouraged her to dance to the camera, in which some of her dancing was recorded and was freeze framed onto the big screen.
     
    Pretty cool stuff.
     
    And speaking of the big screen, the visuals were incredible.
     
    I can’t say enough about this show and this band.
     
    I had wanted to see this band for almost 20 years, but for various reasons, it just never happened.
     
    Well it finally did, and I’m grateful that I saw them when I did.
     
    So, that’s another classic band I can mark off my concert list.
     
    The list is getting shorter.
     
    I’m hoping to have it complete by next year.
     
    But until then, onwards.
     
    Love and Peace.

    Set List:

    1. Sunday Bloody Sunday
    2. New Year’s Day
    3. Bad
    4. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
    5. The Joshua Tree Album:  Where The Streets Have No Name
    6. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
    7. With Or Without You
    8. Bullet The Blue Sky
    9. Running To Stand Still
    10. Red Hill Mining Town
    11. In God’s Country
    12. Trip Through Your Wires
    13. One Tree Hill
    14. Exit
    15. Mothers Of The Disappeared
    16. Encore:  Miss Sarajevo (Passengers cover)
    17. Beautiful Day
    18. Elevation
    19. Vertigo
    20. Mysterious Ways
    21. Happy Birthday
    22. Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
    23. One

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    Continuing the Long Strange Trip: Dead And Company Concert Review

    I saw Dead and Company Wednesday night of June 28th at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
     
    This band includes Grateful Dead singer/guitarist Bob Weir, Grateful Dead drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, singer/guitarist John Mayer, bassist Oteil Burbridge, and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.
     
    They play a lot of Grateful Dead songs.
     
    John sings/plays the parts sung and played by Grateful Dead member Jerry Garcia (RIP), and does a fine job.
     
    The whole band sounds very good and gives their HUGE audience of Deadheads what they want.
     
    Even though I’m glad I saw them, I don’t intend to return to that venue again.
     
    Even though it is nice, it takes too long to get out.
     
    My opinion. As all of this is.
     
    My next concert is Saturday, July 1, when I will FINALLY see U2.
    Love and Peace.

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