Concert Review: Rush

Schedule

Venue: Benchmark Arena, Tampa, FL
Doors: 6:30
Advertised Showtime: 7:30pm
Opening Band: No
Rush Takes the Stage: 7:50pm
Concert End: 11:00pm

Highlights

They two people next to me were discussing what the opener might be, and I said “It could be this, could be that, but I really just hope they play Xanadu.” Lo and behold, Xanadu was the opener. So it started on a high note!

The set list ran the gamut of eras, from Working Man and Anthem, to Animate and Caravan (disclaimer: I think it was Caravan. It was definitely a tune from Clockwork Angels, but I haven’t listened to that album enough to say with 100% certainty). Rush has such a great catalog, it doesn’t really matter what songs they pick, it will be a great show.

Power Windows is one of those albums that I didn’t like at first, and I really tried and tried to get into it only to put it away for a while thinking “meh, just not for me.” Over a few decades it’s finally grown on me, and now I really love the songs and playing. So, when they played Middletown Dreams, it was one of those moments where I thought “probably not a song I would have chosen if I picked the setlist, but it worked perfectly and was great to hear live.” Same for “Animate,” off of Counterparts.

Other highlights were La Villa Strangiato, Spirit of the Radio, Freewill and a great version of The Trees. Every song was killer. They played for over 3 hours, and there wasn’t a single dull moment.

The intermission time ticked own to 00:00, and then the lights dimmed and it started ticking up fast… 0100.. 0500… 1000… 2000… up to 2112! That was the opener of the second set. So cool to hear it performed live.

The full South Park intro to Tom Sawyer was fantastic, and it also closed the show (aside from the encore).

I loved that they did two tributes to Neil: Bravado and Time Stands Still. Geddy said a few beautiful words before each, and talked a bit about how Neil grew as a lyricist. As the singer, he really had to get inside the words and had a unique perspective on Neil’s writing. Both great songs, and they came across more powerfully live than I might have expected. They also played some great audio clips of Neil talking about his approach to life and music, and that was super cool. I suspect more than a few eyes in the audience were tearing up.

The last thing I want to call out was that you could see a lot of interactions between Geddy, Alex and Anika. There was a song where Alex plays a repeating 16th note, but at the end he holds one just a bit as a rhythmic accent. Every time he did that, Anika raised one eyebrow at him as if to say “yeah, I got that.” Geddy and Alex laughed as they did “stage moves” together. Anika brought up chicken puppets. They just seemed to be having a blast playing with each other. You don’t always see that from rock bands that have been around so long.

The Stage and Sound

I loved their stage presentation – a big rectangular screen was lifted up and down, either covering the stage or hovering above it. Super high-resolution video played on it, but it was ALSO transparent, which led to a variety of cool effects. Much of the time the video was live feed of Geddy, Alex or Anika. Behind the stage was also a giant, high definition screen, which added visual ambiance appropriate for each song. Aside from the clips, they used the screens for the tributes to Neil,.

About the only downside was the volume. I religiously bring ear plugs to concerts, and I’m glad i did. I wore my medium-strength (about 23db reduction) and they were perfect. Alex’s tone was super fizzy on the high end. Painful without plugs, but perfect with. Anika’s drums were thunderous, and mixed about as well as I’ve ever heard drums in an arena. The copious tom fills came through with clarity and punch. Geddy’s bass was occasionally obscured, depending on the song and the particular bass, but for most of the songs it was totally fine. I thought Geddy sang great. He’s not 30 any more, obviously, so he’s not going to hit all the crazy high notes but he was on pitch and pulled off every song. He sounded like Geddy Lee, and he sounded like Rush. Finally, it’s worth noting they had a dedicated keyboard player who helped fill in a lot.

Conclusion

What was most inspiring about Rush is that they’re a band that always did what they did with the highest level of artistic integrity. They followed their muse, made the music they wanted to make, and made music worth listening to; but at the same time they’re happy. They’re successful. They’re full of joy and gratitude. They prove that you can create works of great worth AND enjoy it. You don’t have to be the “tortured artist.” Rush was incredible live. It’s certainly in the top 5 concerts I’ve ever seen, maybe the very best. This was a “bucket list” type of concert, and it exceeded my expectations. Simply outstanding.

Concert (Film) Review: Back to the Beginning

Overview

Every metal fan knows about this concert from July 2025, just a week before Ozzy passed. The concert film was shown in theaters this week and I had to go see it on the big screen with good sound. I’m glad I did! Streaming at home is nice and convenient, but it doesn’t match a movie theater. It’s a glorious two hour tribute to Ozzy, Sabbath and Heavy Metal.

The first thing to call out is that the editing and pacing of the film is fantastic. They began and ended with extra footage of Ozzy, as well as a song from his set. They also sprinkled Ozzy set songs throughout, breaking up the flow of guest artists. It generally followed the flow of the concert, opening with Mastodon, the guests culminating with Metallica and then going into Black Sabbath’s full four song set. During some of Ozzy’s songs they showed historic footage of Ozzy throughout his career, including some great bits with Randy Rhoads.

In between the guest bands doing Sabbath songs were Tom Morello’s All Stars groups of collections of famous musicians doing Sabbath covers, including Sammy Hagar, II from Sleep Token, Jake E Lee, Billy Corgan, Steven Tyler and many more. Some of these were better than others, but the variety was cool.

The full concert setlist is here, but the film includes one Sabbath song from each guest artist. The all-star group led by Steven Tyler did “Train Kept A-Rolling” and “Walk This Way,” and those were the only two non-Ozzy/Sabbath songs in the film. They were fun, though, and he sounded great.

Like a lot of concert films in theaters, the fans showed up. Apparently there was one super fan in attendance! The audio and visual quality was fantastic. The mix on every song was excellent.

The Songs and Sets

Bands

Mastodon – Supernaut
Rival Sons – Electric Funeral
Athrax – Into the Void
Halestorm – Perry Mason
Lamb of God – Children of the Grave
Alice in Chains – Fairies Wear Boots
Gojira – Under the Sun
Pantera – Electric Funeral
Tool – Hand of Doom
Slayer – Wicked World
Guns N’ Roses – Never Say Die
Metallica – Hole in the Sky

Tom Morello’s All-Stars (Super Groups) – sprinkled in between the other performances

Shot in the Dark (with David Draiman, Jake E Lee, David Ellefson, Mike Bordin and Adam Wakeman)
Believer (with Whitfield Crane, Nuno Bettencourt, Scott Ian, Frank Bello, II [Sleep Token] and Adam Wakeman
Changes (with Yungblud, Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, II and Adam Wakeman)
Snowblind (with Billy Corgan, Tom Morello, K.K. Downing, Adam Jones, Rudy Sarzo and Danny Carey)
Flying High Again(with Sammy Hagar, Nuno Bettencourt, Adam Wakeman, Rudy Sarzo, Chad Smith and Vernon Reid)
Bark at the Moon(with Papa V Perpetua, Vernon Reid, Nuno Bettencourt, Adam Wakeman, Rudy Sarzo and Travis Barker)
The Train Kept A-Rollin'(with Steven Tyler, Ron Wood, Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Andrew Watt, Rudy Sarzo and Travis Barker)
Walk This Way (with Steven Tyler, Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Andrew Watt, Rudy Sarzo and Chad Smith)

Ozzy – sprinkled in between the other performances

I Don’t Know
Mr. Crowley
Suicide Solution
Crazy Train
Mama, I’m Coming Home

Sabbath

War Pigs
N.I.B.
Iron Man
Paranoid

Highlights

Of the guest bands, my highlights were Anthrax doing “Into the Void,” Gojira’s “Under the Sun” and Metallica’s “Hole in the Sky.” When Metallica started, every head in the theater was bobbing. They groove the hell out of that song. Youngblud’s arrangement of “Changes” was incredible – very dynamic and powerful. I also really enjoyed the “Drum off” where Chad Smith, Travis Barker and Danny Carey took turns doing drum solos in Symptom Of The Universe, backed by an all-star band. It was super cool. Seeing Nuno Bettencourt play the end solo in “Bark at the Moon” was also a highlight, as that’s in my top 10 metal solos of all time. He absolutely nailed it.

What I loved about the film is that it represented so many generations of metal. You had KK Downing, Metallica, of course Sabbath… but then you had the next wave of bands like Tool, Lamb of God and Mastodon. Then they included newer bands and artists like Papa V Ventura from Ghost, Youngblud and Halestorm. It was a really good variety of artists, all bound by their love of the music.

I admit I got a little verklempt at some of the Ozzy footage, especially the very ending segment. Do stay for the whole thing. There’s some really good stuff after the final note of “Mama, I’m Coming Home” faded out.

Conclusion

The love for Ozzy and Sabbath was so evident from start to finish. The extra clips of bands backstage, and the historic film of Ozzy and Sabbath were icing on the cake. It was really well put together, hugely entertaining, and at around two hours it’s a meaty concert film experience. Highly recommended for metal fans. A-

How I Organize My Music

Since I switched to using Macs around 2006, and especially since I got my first iPod, I’ve been organizing my music in iTunes/Music to facilitate quickly finding whatever I’m in the mood for. While I do use a streaming service (Amazon), most of my music listening is through CDs or albums I’ve imported into Apple Music. More often than you might think there are situations without cell or internet service (or battery to keep it up), so being able to listen to my music library without an internet connection is great. I’ve found a few things over the years that I thought might be valuable or interesting to others, so I wanted to share my process.

Keeping It Organized

Whenever I import a new album or group of songs, I think about how I want to organize it. If it’s an album I haven’t heard, I’ll give it a listen, and as songs pique my interest for one or another playlist I’ll drag them into it over time. After I give a new album a listen or two, I know what songs I want to put where. If it’s a song like a backing track or song I want to cover, it goes right into the appropriate practice playlist. Computer programmers would call this an “insertion sort.” I organize – or sort – the song immediately at the time of entry. Trying to create a playlist from scratch when staring at a library of 1000 albums is daunting.

Over the years I’ve carefully curated my playlists, adding and removing as the needs and my ears evolve.

Radio Stations

One of the biggest things I started doing is making my own “radio station” playlists, named after the traditional four letter radio call sign. Every time I import a new album into Music, or revisit an album, I drag songs into the appropriate radio station. Typically I keep these songs shorter and lean a bit towards hits, but there are definitely deep tracks and b-sides in each station. They’re way more diverse than what you might find on your FM dial. I want a mix of songs I love as well as songs I don’t hear enough. It’s also a handy way to have holiday playlists – I have a Halloween station and a Christmas station. Much more diverse than terrestial radio!

Some of these have 20 songs (WMLO), some have 500 (WEBL, WHVY)… no matter what I’m in the mood for, I’ve got the perfect mix of the familiar and obscure.

Music Practice

Keeping lists of songs organized helps make my practice more efficient. I have folders for covers in different genres, as well as set lists for various musical projects. I also have folders of pre-production songs, riffs, backing tracks… anything related to music creation.

My Workout Playlist

This has been my most-used playlist for as long as I can remember. I add and remove from it almost daily as my ears and interest change throughout the year. It tends to skew towards hard rock and heavy metal, but I do like more mellow stuff while running. I’ve got Lucinda Williams to Crimson Glory, Yes to T-Bone Walker, Cinderella to Frank Zappa. If there are albums or artists I’m getting more into, I’ll swap in more of their stuff. Some of the songs have been running staples for years and I put them in. What’s key about my workout playlist is that it’s a variety of styles and moods, but they’re all songs I specifically want to hear. That’s great motivation.

Favorites

I have quite a few artist-specific playlists as well, either smart playlists that pull in everything, or curated “best of” types of playlists.

Finally, I have a “Hot Albums” playlist of albums that I want to make sure I sync – typically these are things I’ve read about or heard about in an interview and want to relisten at some point.

In Conclusion

I hope some of these types sparked some ideas for you. I like having all of my music organized, and whether picking something to listen to while running or going on a road trip, I’ve always got the perfect music at hand. Because it’s always sync’d to my phone, theres’s no network required, no algorithm… and no chance of AI-slop.

Concert Review: Robin Trower

Schedule

Venue: Plaza Live, Orlando, FL
Advertised Start Time: 8:00pm
Opening Band: Yes, Katy G and the Drive, ~35 minute set
Robin Trower Start Time: ~9:30pm
Show Ended: 11:00pm

Robin Trower is one of those guys I like, but don’t know much of his catalog. I have Bridge of Sighs, but that’s it. I’ve heard a few other songs here and there. When I saw AXS having a 50% off sale for tickets, and that Robin Tower was coming to the venerable Plaza theater, I though it’d be cool. Indeed it was!

Katy G and the Drive

I will note that once again Gemini totally botched my question about opening acts. It said there likely wasn’t one for XYZ reasons… of course come 8pm, there turned out to be one. Lucky for us, they were fantastic. Hailing from Kansas city, MO Katy Guillen and the Drive was sort of like if Tom Petty wrote songs for a bluesy, grungey rock band. The duo of Katy Guillen on vocals and guitar and Stephanie Williams on drums was energetic, tight and played really well-written songs that were hooky, but always had something interesting going on. Just a little twist here and there. Really outstanding songwriting. I normally don’t like guitar/drum duos – I absolutely miss the bass. I missed it here, too, but they used either tons of effects or (what it sounded like to me) some backing tracks to fill in the bass frequency spectrum. They were great, but would have been much better with a full band than a duo. I bought their album “Make That Sound” which features a full band, and it shows where they can go. Hopefully they find enough success in the future to make that financially viable, because they’ve got a great core and even as a duo they get the music across. I really enjoyed them, and if you like bluesy rock without the cliches, you will to. Great stuff, and a pleasant surprise.

On Robin Trower

If you know anything about Robin Trower, you know he’s always played a maple fretboard strat through marshalls, with that swirling, phasey univibe sound giving him a psychadellic blues rock identity. I had the though partway through the show that he’s sort of the blues/rock version of Yngwie – he’s played basically one song with the same sound his entire career. I think that’s a beautiful thing. He found the thing he loves and he does it great. Of course, if we respect the timeline, it’s more like Yngwie is the metal version of Robin Trower. It’s like one day he did a tremendous hit of acid, locked himself in a room listening to Hendrix’s “Band of Gypsys” for 8 straight hours. He fell in love and never fell out of love. It’s his sound.

The Show

I was happy to hear the songs I knew, Bridge of Sighs and Day of the Eagle, but I really enjoyed the whole set. It was a good mix of slower, spacier tunes and uptempo jams. His bassist and singer was outstanding – he looked like Seth Green, but he had a heck of a voice. His drummer gave a master class in playing slow tempos. It’s hard not to creep the tempo up, but his rhythm section kept it locked. They provided a thick bed on which he could lay his univibe-drenched solos. The groove was thick and the guitar work was outstanding. The crowd at the Plaza was great. Not packed, but close. Lots of couples, and it was cool to see a couple of women stand up and dance.

I came away a bigger fan than when I went, and that says something. The next day I put Robin Trower on shuffle on a streaming service and really dug it. I’ll have to check out more of his catalog. There’s one particular song he did about 3-4 songs into the set thad a cool, arpeggiated rhythm part under a mysterious-sounding, celtic-inspired vocal melody. I really liked it and I’m going to keep listening until I figure out what that was.

The opening band Katy G and the Drive was really good and worth checking out.

Data

Opening act started just after 8pm and played for around 30-40 minutes. Robin Trower took the stage at about 9pm, maybe just before, and played until about 8:30 including a 2 song encore.

For the first quarter of the show I wore my 20db ear plugs, but switched to my heavier 26db plugs and that was comfortable. It was loud enough to be a rock show, but not uncomfortable.

Memories and Reflections on Stevie Ray Vaughan

I realized we just passed the anniversary of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s passing on August 27, 1990. 36 years later I wanted to spend a bit of time writing about the man who made a huge impact on my life. Perhaps more than any other musician, SRV opened my eyes and ears, and gave me a compass to chart my way through my own musical journey.

How A Metal Kid Came to Love Blues

I grew up in small town Wisconsin in the 70s and 80s. Like most boys my age at that time, I was raised on classic rock and heavy metal. Radio stations delivered classic rock (The Rockin’ Apple out of Appleton, WI) and MTV covered metal. I jokingly tell people that back then, if it didn’t have Marshall stacks and pointy guitars, I wasn’t interested (Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin got a pass, apparently). I didn’t really discover Stevie Ray Vaughan until after college. I was aware of him I knew his hits from the radio and the classic rock station who played him occasionally. In fact, my guitar teacher when I was 17 had tickets to Stevie’s final Alpine Valley concert; but I wasn’t really a big fan of Blues at the time and I’m not sure my parents will let me go out there anyway, so I passed on it. So I can’t say I was a fan from the very beginning, and I never got to see him live. but once I did discover Stevie (and blues) I was hooked hardcore.

My introduction to Stevie Ray Vaughan was senior year of college. A friend of mine, who knew I played guitar, loaned me Texas Flood. I had a chance to really sit down and listen, and I was completely floored by what I heard. It was the first time I had heard heavy, powerful music that wasn’t based on death and destruction and anger. It was based on love. To me that was probably the biggest revelation that I got from Stevie was that powerful music can come from a positive place.

Stevie’s Legacy to Me

Upon reflection, it’s not just the power of his vocal delivery, or his guitar, of course. I’ve since come to realize that what really clicks with me with Blues is the rhythm. The rhythms used in Blues define the genre to me more than chord progressions or licks or even even vocal phrasing and song structure. Is the rhythm, and and that’s what really connects me. When you have a power trio like Stevie’s that can do it so well and so heavy it had the ability to “cut through” and grab me the way Metallica or Black Sabbath also did. No matter what kind of Blues I’m listening to, and to me it is quite a diverse genre, it’s the rhythm that makes the lasting connection.

After being introduced to blues through Stevie, I started going back and discovered all the great blues artist that he built upon Albert Collins, Albert King, BB King, Freddy King, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Muddy Waters… At that point I pretty much ditched my desire to play metal and hard rock and went on a hard-core, blues kick. I went through what you might call a “Blues purest” phase for quite a few years. I was very adamant that what I played, and the bands I was played music that was authentic and in the true spirit of Blues.

Stevie made such a big impact on me, I had him tattooed on my left shoulder. “Remember,” he tells me, “always play from your heart. Play with fire. Say something.”

Another thing I attribute to Stevie, is that he opened my ears to other musical world. I started listening to jazz, I started listening to country, Americana, and other types of music that I hadn’t really given a chance to before. To me this is one of his biggest legacies to me. Opening my world. I like to think my ears are pretty open at this point (some 30 years later), but that first spark of intense interest outside of rock and metal is due to Stevie.

The Tape

Another find a memory I have of Stevie Ray Vaughan starts on a somber note. The night he died the local classic rock station played a broadcast in tribute to him. They played songs they played live studio appearances. They played interviews, and it was pretty powerful because he could hear the DJ getting a little choked up as he talked. This was in the day is a real live DJs. I put in a cassette in and recorded about an hour of the tribute show from the radio. The there was a song he played live in Studio where he was on electric and Chris Layton played on a phone book. It’s one of the few times I’ve heard an electric guitar sound amazing by itself without drums and bass. I love the electric guitar but typically it needs other instruments around it to work well. Stevie was one of the few people I’ve ever heard play it by itself outside of the tapping on the phone book and it sounded amazing. I always wanted to hear this song again, but a few decades later I found it on YouTube (now entitled “Life Story”):

I don’t know what happened to the tape I think I loaned it to a band member I never got it back but it was fantastic. Another great memory of listening to the tape was when my band senior year took a road trip to Florida keys from Chicago and we had that tape as one of the ones we brought in so I remember driving to Florida in the evening at night. Driving in the dark, listening to the DJ talk about Stevie’s passing and hearing his voice crack up, Stevie playing the incredible blues that he played… it really stuck with me. I’ll always remember that road trip because of listening to that tape. It was increlk about Stevie’s passing, listening to his voice crack up playing some of this incredible Blues that he played that stuck with me again and I’ll always remember that road trip for two reasons one we got to go over the keys as a senior in high school or college and his party and then to because I’m listening to that tent. It was incredible.

His Influence on My Music

Even though I learned a lot of his music and certainly covered many of his songs over the years I don’t feel like I play much like Stevie Ray Vaughan. As I discovered more and more blues, I picked up more things from BB King, Muddy Waters, Albert Collins, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, and of course the Allman Brothers; and that whole mix influences the blues side of my playing. So well little SRV might come out here and there I think it’s more behind the scenes. It’s a foundation of spirit, rather than notes and licks. I try to capture a little bit of the the spirit and passion Stevie showed in his music.

Stevie was also an inspiration by overcoming his drug and alcohol addiction. Anyone familiar with his story knows how low he sank, how close to death he came and how deeply his his addictions gripped him. To be able to break free of that, get sober, and then write and play music that was as good or better than what he had done before was incredible. He inspired me to continually improve my own life, and that some of the bad things you think you might need are just illusions.

My Top 5 SRV Songs

Life Without You – one of my all-time favorite guitar solos, incredibly powerful lyrics and vocals, and a unique twist on a blues progression
Ain’t Gone N Give Up On Love – my all-time favorite slow-blues. I played this song out. The lyrics are something I’ve always been able to cling to, like a life raft, whenever I was feeling down.
Dirty Pool – it took me forever to figure out how he did that… eventually I got a book that showed it was tremolo picking the chords, but that sound … so cool. Such a great lyric, too.
Rude Mood – one of the all-time great blues guitar instrumentals. Power, speed, attitude.
The Things That I Used To Do – somewhat of a blues standard, but to me SRV has the definitive version. Of course his playing and singing are outstanding, but this is another one where the lyrics really connect.

God bless you, Stevie, we love you.

Concert Review: Dokken

Overview

A lot has been said about Don Dokken’s voice at this point, so I’m not going to rehash it in this review. There are youtube videos. It’s amazing he’s still out there doing it.

The crowd was amazing. Metal crowds are the best – everyone was friendly and talkative, and the Mount Dora Music Hall was packed. The guy in the drink line with me talked about the multiple times he’d seen Don before, as well as other mteal and rock festivals. The guy and his wife in the seat next to me talked about what songs we wanted to hear (for me it was Kiss of Death, for him it was Into the Fire – and both got played). During the opener (“Heirborn – an 80s rock/metal tribute band) we talked about various songs they were doing. Just good chatting over music we were all into. This tytpe of music with a long history and a lot of memories facilitates friendly discussions.

Great Openers

It was unlisted on the advertising, but a relatively new and young band Papa Wheelee opened and they did a great job, bringing some real energy to their hard rock set. The singer sounded great, but also did everything he could to get the crowd energized. The music was strong and they definitely seem like an up and coming band to keep an eye on. I would absolutely check out one of their shows if they play near you. They do often play at one of my favorite local venues, The Alley in Sanford, FL. The highlight was one they did near the end – “Do It Anyway” – with a great riff and catchy, sing-along chorus.

80s hard rock and metal tribute band Hairborn (I like their double play on words) came out around 9:15 and did a really diverse set of tunes, including some classics and some deeper tracks. I was on the fence about having a tribute band as an opener. Do I really want to see a whole set of covers of 80s rock? If they do it as well as Heirborn, then absolutely yes. It was a blast. The highlight was definitely their spot-on version of Iron Maiden’s “Wasted Years.” That’s not an easy song to cover, but they nailed it. Both guitarists were fantastic, their rhythm section was rock solid, and the singer had both the voice and vocal attitude to pull off this kind of music. I also dug their heavy Dr. Feelgood by Motley Crue, and Ratt’s Wanted Man. Some of the bands they cover aren’t touring, and some that are have changed quite a bit since their heyday, so hearing good musicians do excellent live versions of songs was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would.

Dokken

I enjoyed the set, which kicked off with probably my favorite Dokken tune, Kiss of Death. Such a great riff. They played a lot of other hits like Into the Fire and Dream Warriors, as well as a couple of Don Dokken’s solo songs. I actually appreciated this, because first, they were good tunes, and second, I think his solo albums are overlooked. I own Crash and Burn (on cassette no less, which I’ve had since back in the day) and it’s solid. One of the tunes he announced was from his most recent solo record. It was good to hear, but of course the bulk of the set was Dokken classics.

I absolutely loved the bass player’s harmony vocals on Dream Warriors. I went back and listened to the studio track and sure enough, they’re there. I never noticed them before, but it was super cool and really stood out in a live setting and with Don’s primary vocal part significantly subdued.

Don was a little slow moving around the stage, but he told the back story of how he almost had to have a foot amputated. Thankfully he found another doc and was able to keep it, but it has hobbled him a bit. No worries. He worked the stage and the crowd nonetheless.

You know what they say – if it’s too loud, you’re too old? I’m getting older. The one knock I’d have on their set was that I had to switch to my heavy-duty ear plugs… When I have to do that, it’s too loud. I’ve had tinnitus for 25 years and I don’t mess around anymore. It was still fun, I get wanting volume to project energy, but at some point it makes it hard to hear what’s happening, whether it’s a metal show or any other genre.

Summary

I’m glad I went. I was super impressed with both openers, and since Dokken was one of my favorite bands in the late 80s I’m glad I finally had a chance to see Don live. The band played great, they did all the songs I wanted to hear, and the crowd was awesome.

Book Review: Music Everywhere – The Rock and Roll Roots of a Southern Town.

After reading Mike Campbell’s excellent memoire, I was turned onto “Music Everywhere” – a book all about Gainesville’s thriving music scene in the 60s and 70s. Written by Marty Jourard, it’s a deep dive into a time and place that had an impact much bigger than you might expect for a small town in the middle of north-central Florida.

Lipham’s Music

One of the first things that stood out to me, was the impact of a local locally owned music, Lipham’s Music. Not only did they provide gear ((often with a low down payments and the ability to pay off loans over a long period of time), it was a central hub for the community of musicians in the area. Bands got new members, musicians met each other, and it was a key driver in the growth and ongoing array of bands in the area.

The University of Florida

The University of Florida supported live music in so many ways, and it really allowed the talent to have a place to develop and showcase their work. They sponsored festivals and concerts, as well as generally supported live music being played in and around campus. Fraternities hired bands left and right. There was a thriving bar scene. Lots of young college students wanted to go see live music, and there were plenty of places to accommodate. Everything is so tightly locked down and scheduled these days. A lot of the great players that came out of Gainesville at that time were in part successful because of the environment. They had places to meet other musicians. They had chances to join bands and play for a crowd. They had chances to hone their craft in the beginning phases. When there aren’t places to play, how do you really develop your talent?

So, Who Came from Gainesville?

Tom & Bernie Leadon, Don Felder, Steven Stills, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are a few of the biggest artists to come out of Gainesville. They were key contributors to bands that have collectively sold over a hundred million albums and produced countless hits. Later on, other famous musicians like Bo Diddley found Gainesville and settled nearby.

One of the most fascinating chapters of the book covered musicians who made a big impact on the music business, but didn’t end up being famous musicians. For example, Stan Bush played in cover bands in Gainesville for years, ended up cowriting a hit song (“The Touch”) used in a Transformers movie soundtrack. This led to a voice acting career – it’s his voice you heard on Toyota and Coors commercials in the 1989 Super Bowl. Doran Oster was a musician and electrical engineer who created the MT-4001 metronome and ST-1000 digital tuner, which was a best seller.

Summary

If you’re interested in the life of a working band in the 70s, this is the book for you. It went into detail on the struggles and joys of being a cover band in Florida at this time. The thriving cover band scene was fertile soil for developing world-class musicians.

At the very end of the book, Marty Jourard sums it up: “There it is, hidden in the deepest corner of the South: Gainesville, Florida. Diverse. Geographically, isolated. Southern, yet liberal, and relatively progressive and politics, with a long tradition of supporting music. A city with equal parts, higher education and hedonistic behavior. These are some of the aspects of Gainesville that helped make the city an ideal breeding ground for Musicians. As a result, the city has produced some of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll, songwriters and musicians of our time.”

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a quick read, full of great stories and behind-the-scenes details of a special place and a special time.

Listening Now: Muireann Bradley

Muireann Bradley‘s latest album “I Kept These Old Blues” was reviewed in Blues Music magazine, and having been on a bit of an acoustic blues kick lately, it intrigued me. The 20 year old prodigy from County Donegal, Ireland started playing at age 9, inspired by her father who “talked about it [country blues and ragtime] endlessly,” telling stories of the lives of the musicians as if they were mythology. I don’t want to do a long review of the record, but suffice to say she’s an incredible player and the album is fantastic.

Highlights for me are “Shake Sugaree” – which is not the Dead’s Sugaree – and “Police Dog Blues.” This is her first full album, and is comprised of a mix of popular and obsccure blues from the 20s and 30s. You’ll recognize “Freight Train” and “When the Levee Breaks,” but might not be familiar with many of the other tunes like “Green Rocky Road” or “Buck Dancer’s Choice.” I enjoy the combination, but whether familiar or new-to-you, each song is performed and recorded beautifully.

I recently saw Sue Foley’s One Guitar Woman acoustic show, and Muireann’s approach reminds me of that. Her voice is a similar high, clear style with just a bit of ache. Her fingerpicking is exceptional – the groove, the flow and her tone are top notch.

Fans of acoustic, fingerstyle blues need to check her out.

You can find her music on bandcamp here: https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/i-kept-these-old-blues

Find out more about her on wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muireann_Bradley

Concert Review: Matt Schofield

Background

I’ve heard a few clips of Matt Schofield on Youtube, and I’ve enjoyed the bits I’ve heard. He came to Judson’s Live last year but I wasn’t able to make it. When I saw he was coming back, I jumped on it. Judson’s is fantastic for this type of intimate show. Comfortable seats, great sound and the 7:00pm start time got me home at a decent hour… which is important these days. Judson’s Live is a small room attached to the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. It holds maybe 200 people, in tables of four with comfortable seats and a nice menu. Tickets were in the $50 range. This is the same place I saw Sue Foley, and this was a similar setup – two separately ticketed shows: 7pm and 9pm.

The Sound and the Set

Matt and his trio ripped through an hour and fifteen minutes of some of the best guitar-driven electric blues you’ll hear. I wasn’t familiar with his catalog, but with a this type of band you generally know what you’re going to get.

First and foremost, his playing was incredible. If you’re going to sustain a touring career as a blues guitar player, you’d better be the best of the best. There’s just too much history and too much competition to not be great. Matt Schofield certainly is. Tone, touch, dynamics… it’s all there. You can hear the SRV influence, but also funk, fusion and rock and roll. He played two strats through a Two-Rock amp the entire night and only sparingly used pedals. His tone was a beautiful joy to listen to. Learn more about his gear here. The bass was fat and room-filling, with heavy low-end, but got funky when needed. The band sounded great overall, alhtough I would liked to have heard a bit more of the vocals in the mix. Since I was unfamiliar with the songs, being able to hear the lyrics more clearly would have helped.

The set was a nice mix of up and down, fast and slow, and the set went by quickly leaving us all wanting more. This isn’t always the case with guitar solo-heavy groups. Part of the appeal was the absolutely locked in rhythm section. They were feeling it. About halfway through the set, a man at the table next to me mentioned how tight they were. Really outstanding. D-Go on bass in particular hit hard. Great feel, impeccable timing, and dynamic.

He played a lot of songs from his latest album “Many Moons, Vol. 1” and the standout songs for me were the slow blues “Measure of a Man” and the New Orleans groove-based “Shoe On The Other Foot.”

Matt had Christine Tambakis come out and sing two songs near the end of the night, and she was fantastic. Another highlight of the entire evening was her version of Aretha Franklin’s “Dr. Feelgood.” The band delivered the song with taste, feel and power and wow, could she sing! That was another highlight of the night.

Conclusion

I want to keep this concert review fairly short in order to get it out there in a timely manner. If you enjoy guitar-driven, electric blues, go see Matt Schofield. He’s an outstanding player supported by an incredible rhythm section. Christine Tambakis was a nice surprise and added a lot.

Album Revisited: Voodoo Lounge

I picked this album up at the local library store for $1. Even though this one wasn’t on my radar when it came out in ’94, I figured every Stones album has to have at least a couple good tracks so for a buck, why not? It was worth it, and a nice surprise!

The standout tracks for me are the rockers Love Is Strong,” “Sparks Will Fly,” “I Go Wild” and “Moon Is Up” as well as the ballads “Sweethearts Together,” “Blinded By Rainbows” and “The Worst.” The bass-driven “Suck on the Jugular” has a triple-thick groove and that magic where the Stones are able to do something totally different, but still sound like themselves. “Mean Disposition” showcases Stones-style country, with its rolling piano and walking bass. Overall it’s a nice mix of up and down, and a lot of variety. They add some sonic embellishments like accordion, horns and violin in just the right places to make it a bit more interesting.

On the down side, one of the bigger singles from the album “You Got Me Rocking” sounds a bit too much like “Start Me Up Part 2.” It’s not a bad song, maybe just a bit too familiar. The only real clunker is “Brand New Car,” with it’s silly lyrics “I got a brand new car, gonna drive it real hard.” Otherwise the material is solid.

Produced by Don Was and the Glitter Twins, and primarily mixed by Don Smith (with legendary Bob Clearmountain mixing the song “Moon Is Up.’ The record sounds great, and the drums in particular sound fantastic. There’s color to this record, but it still sounds like the Stones rocking and rolling. It’s not raw the way Blue and Lonesome is, but it has a very polished sound. The rock songs don’t have that “edge of your seat” quality of a song like Street Fighting Man or Tumbling Dice. To be fair, the Stones were in or approaching their 50s by this point so you can’t expect them (and I wouldn’t want them) to do the exact same things they were doing in their 20s and 30s. The clear production does let the quality of the performances and songs come through clearly.

In short, I’m glad I picked this up. It’s a really strong album with a few great songs and a lot of good ones. I’ve listened a few times through and it’s getting better with each listen. It’s amazing to me that a band can put out this quality of album 30 years after their start, and is still putting out great albums 30 years after that (check out Hackney Diamonds and Foreign Tongues). If you overlooked this one, too, give it a shot!