It’s amazing how even though I try to be the most open minded music listener I can be, I still turn my nose up and ignore certain bands and artists just on what I’ve read or heard about them before hearing a lick of music.  For instance, if you asked me if I liked Kings Of Leon, I’d say that I fucking hated them but I’ve never heard a lick of music by them.  I hate them because I read an interview once where all they did was bitch and talk about how much they disliked being famous and how they’d rather stay home and get stoned and play music.  They say that yet they continue to make music and sell out arenas.  Why don’t you quit if you hate it so much?  Anyway, you get my drift here?  That’s exactly what I had done to Cat Power (aka. Chan Marshall).

All I remember knowing about Cat Power was hearing all about her live meltdowns at her shows.  She would freak out mid song and run off the stage canceling the show.  She would yell shit at the audience for talking or something like that.  All of these things mixed with the fact that she was a darling of the “indie” scene (which I already despise) didn’t make exploring her music the least bit enticing.  Of all things, it would take a class on Bob Dylan to introduce me to the music of Cat Power.

As part of this evening class I had been taking on Bob Dylan’s music, I decided to conduct a little project of my own and see just how many cover versions of Dylan songs I could track down via YouTube.  Among the hodgepodge of amazing renditions of Dylan songs was a Cat Power cover of “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again”.  I reluctantly clicked play and suddenly was completely sideswiped and hit in the face with a one two punch of some of the most amazing Memphis sounding rock & roll I had heard in years.  Her sultry, dark and rich voice backed by the Memphis Rhythm Band was pure ecstasy.  “Ok, this has to be her only good song since it’s  a Dylan cover.” I said.  I was about to be proven very wrong!

I saw also a video for a song “Lived In Bars” and the title alone captured my attention so I just had to be brave and click on the video.  What happened here?  I melted right into this song.  My first time watching the video I was just completely captivated by her as a person.  She’s absolutely gorgeous and she totally becomes the song.  It’s so hard to not look like a complete douche in music videos but in this video, she totally captures the mood and the story of the song.  My second and third viewing of the video I just closed my eyes and settled into the song and I was in love.  The way she was able to construct a song so intricate with such simple words floored me.  I went right to iTunes and I purchased her most recent album called “The Greatest“.

I have been listening to this album nonstop and I just can’t put it down.  Much like “Lived In Bars”, the songs are absolutely beautiful.  She’s almost a more Americana version of Hope Sandoval.  Listening to this album easily brings down my blood pressure to nearly nothing.  It’s soothing, beautiful and you can really melt right in to it.  The production is exactly what I love to hear music like this sound like.  It’s well produced but it’s not slick and over polished.  It’s very rich sounding.  It’s as thick and muddy as the Mississippi River that beckoned her back to her roots to make this album.  It’s an absolutely gorgeous collection of songs that is soothing, painful and uplifting all at the same time.  Thanks to Bob Dylan, I have discovered probably one of my all time favorite albums.  Isn’t it funny how things happen like this?  Oh, and I still have no intention of listening to Kings of Leon. That is unless they’ve done a great Dylan cover or something.

My wife has been out of town for nearly a month for her job so needless to say, I had to find ways to keep myself busy to keep from going nuts and missing her.  I decided a couple of weeks ago that the Thursday I had to myself I would go to Macon, GA.  I promised myself that since we moved back to Atlanta that I would make it a point to go seek some much needed inspiration by paying a visit to the resting place of Allman Brothers Band members Duane Allman and Berry Oakley.  The Allman Brothers Band has been a huge source of inspiration for me for well over 20 years.  Much like the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band has been a huge part of the soundtrack of my life so it seemed only suiting that to find some inspiration, I needed to go back to where it all began.

Being less that two hours from Macon made for a nice and easy trip.  I loaded up the iPhone with some Allman’s and hit the road.  One of the first things I noticed before I got to Macon was an exit sign for High Falls Road which was so insane because High Falls was actually playing when I saw it.  I just smiled to myself and just knew it was going to be a fun trip.  My first destination was The Big House.  The Big House is the place that the band, their families, and various friends called home from 1970 to 1973.  It was such a surreal feeling to be standing on the steps where these guys once hung out with their families, drank beer and just plain out lived.  Unfortunately, the Big House isn’t open to the public until December but just being able to see it up close and take in the spirit of it all was a moving experience.  I just smiled to myself, took a few pictures and then made my way back to the car.

My next destination was Rose Hill Cemetery.  I pulled into the cemetery entrance and right away I got this sinking feeling.  Rose Hill Cemetery is not only the place where Duane Allman and Berry Oakley are buried but it’s a place where the Brothers spent a lot of time hanging out, partying and just beign a band of brothers.  This place also inspired songs such as the Duane Allman instrumental “Little Martha” and the ever legendary “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”.  I found a map posted that showed where all the “famous” people are buried and I found the location of Duane and Berry’s graves.  Unfortunately, there was no indication of where Elizabeth Reed’s tomb was so I figured I would just walk it.  I started walking and finally found my way to Duane and Berry’s graves.  Right away my breath was taken away.  First off, the graves are surrounded by a beautiful, black rod iron fence.  My guess is all the years of people coming to the graves, doing rubbings and leaving shit there took it’s toll so this was a great way to still allow you to view the tombs but to keep your distance.  I was going to leave a necklace but out of respect decided it was best to just leave good thoughts and take only inspiration.  The graves are absolutely beautiful and once again, I just smiled and meditated a bit.  In my mind, I thanked them for all the inspiration and music that had become the soundtrack of my life over the years.  It truly was yet another lifting experience.  It also took me back to realize that they were both so young when they died but had accomplished so much in their short lives.  Most don’t accomplish what they did or leave the size of a footprint they left in three times their lives.  I stood up and decided to make my way to seek out Elizabeth Reed which in a cemetery this size would be like searching for a needle in a hay stack.

As I walked back up to the road, I found myself looking over the railroad tracks and taking in yet another breathtaking sight.  I had a grand view of the Ocumulgee River rolling on in all it’s black muddy glory.  I immediately thought of the Grateful Dead song “Black Muddy River” and began to just settle into the sight of it when I hear a voice from behind me say, “We like to refer to her as the Ol’ Muddy Ocumulgee.”  I turned and there was a City of Macon employee sitting on his truck eating his lunch.  He introduced himself to me and we shook hands.  He saw my shirt and knew right away why I was there.  He told me that he likes to eat his lunch everyday at Rose Hill over looking Ol’ Muddy.  “It’s peaceful and the folks around here don’t bug you.” he joked.  We shared a bond immediately.  We were both musicians and both Allman Brothers fans.  He has lived in Macon for many years and knows Rose Hill like the back of his hand.  I told him I was seeking out Elizabeth Reed’s grave and he says, “Hop in and I’ll take you to her.”  I hoped in his truck and in a minute we were right in front of Liz Reed’s grave.  I managed to get a few pictures and he even snapped one of me standing behind her headstone.  He told me the old legend about where the song title for “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” came from.  In a nutshell, he said that it had something to do with a certain female that Dickey Betts used to have “fun” with near this site and in order to change the names to protect the innocent, he used Elizabeth Reed’s name from the gravesite.  We shared a laugh and he offered me a ride back to my car.  We sat a bit more and talked about guitars, the love of music and how many great guitar shops and pawn shops are in Macon.  I pretty much heard his life story which is the kind of fodder that a songwriter like me just lives for.  He was a great guy and as we parted ways I gave him a copy of my CD.  It was really cool talking with this fella but at this point, my tummy was yearning for some good old fashioned soulfood.  He gave me great directions to my final destination, H&H Restaurant.

I got a bit turned around on all the one way streets so I found my way to the Visitors Center and once again, right when I walked in the women knew right away that I was in town for a pilgramage.  “Are you lookin’ for Rose Hill Cemetery darlin’?” the lady asked me.  I told her that I had found all I was looking for and that my final destination was H&H Restaurant.  She just smiled, gave me a map and said, “Darlin’, you’re almost there.  Now you go and get you some of the best food in town ok?”  I got back in the car and in less than three minutes I was in the parking lot of H&H and ready to fill myself with some good vittles.  First bit of order was to situate myself just right so I could get a good picture myself in front of the famous H&H sign that sports the infamouse Allman Brothers Band mushroom.  Once I got that, I made my way inside.  Just like the other sites, my stomach kind of tightend and my breath was taken away.  I could really feel the spirts of my heroes in this room.  The walls were covered with edge to edge pictures of the Allman Brothers Band and the various side projects of their careers.  I made my way to a table and right away ordered my food.  Fried Chicken, sweet corn, rice with gravy, snap beans and glass of sweet tea to wash it all down properly.  I dove right into this food and with the first bite I knew right away why they call this soul food.  There is something to be said about a meal that is good with all the love, respect and gratitude to the customer that is taking it all in.  I took in every bite with a smile and I took in all the images on the wall and the feeling that at one time, the Brothers sat in this very room eating and dreaming of things that were yet to come.  When I was done and ready to go, I was told to go through the kitchen to pay which I thought was odd at first.  I made my way through the kitchen to pay and all of the sudden I was standing right next to Mama Louise herself, the woman responsible for keeping my heroes full of good soul food.  She smile and thanked me for coming and hoped that my first time was a good one.  She says to me, “You look like my boys used to way back when.”  I just smiled and asked her I could give her a hug and she replied, “Sure you can darlin’. You give me that hug!”  I hugged her and thanked her for the great food and that I couldn’t wait to come back.  She welcomed me back anytime and I offered her a copy of my last CD.  She smiled and said, “I will give this a listen.  I love hearing music of all kinds.  Thank you so much.” and she hugged me again.  I was so taken in by this.  I paid my bill, got my H&H T-shirt and made my way to the car.

On the drive back to Atlanta, my mind was full of all the great memories that I had made for that day.  Even in one day I didn’t get to see everything but it was a great start.  I thought about how amazing it was seeing all these legendary sites.  I thought about my little friend, the City of Macon worker and his kindness and our great conversation.  I thought about the sweet little ladies at the Welcome Center and the great experience of meeting Mama Louise.  The people of Macon seem to be really sweet and welcoming people.  I felt very much welcomed and embraced on this day and most of all, I got to pay my respects to the ghosts of my heroes.  What made this trip even more amazing to me was the fact that I didn’t even realize that this very day was the 38th anniversary of Duane Allman’s death.  After all that I had done that day, it didn’t even click with me until I got home and read this on a blog.  That right there made this trip even more exciting for me at the end of it all.  It’s almost as if I was called and pulled to Macon. I went there seeking inspiration and I left feeling inspired.  Mission accomplished without a doubt!

I have been taking an awesome evening class called Bob Dylan Revisited in which myself and a few other fellow Dylanophiles discuss Bob: The Man, The Poet, The Performer, The Troubadour and the many other hats that he has worn over the years.  One of the things that I’ve loved about this class is diving deep into his music and seeing just how many artists Mr. Zimmerman has inspired over the years.

So many acts have covered Dylan over the years so as a little project, I headed over to YouTube and found some amazing clips of some of my favorite acts doing Dylan songs.  While the Dylan influence in most of these acts is very obvious, it’s really fun to see their own interpretations of these songs.  Whether its note for note like the Black Crowes or different and original like KT Tunstall, you just can’t go wrong with these songs.  I hope you’ll enjoy these versions and maybe feel moved to go hear the originals.  Enjoy!

Derek Trucks Band – Down In The Flood (Live)

Cat Power & The Memphis Blues Band – Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again

The Black Crowes – Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (Live In Moscow, 1991)

Drive By Truckers – Like A Rolling Stone

Neko Case – Buckets of Rain

The Grateful Dead & Neil Young – Forever Young

Susan Tedeschi – Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright

KT Tunstall – Tangled Up In Blue

Greenville, SC wanted the best and on October 17^th, they got the best. In support of their latest album “Sonic Boom”, KISS has taken their massive and bombastic live show to the road again. In addition to celebrating their newest album and best album in years, “Sonic Boom”, they are celebrating the 35^th Anniversary of the album that made them a house hold name “Alive”.

KISS’ “Alive 35” tour was exciting news to me because, as with all KISS fans, I just knew it was going to be an amazingly fun time. My emotions are still mixed about having Eric Singer (drums) and Tommy Thayer (guitar) wearing the classic makeup of Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. I have always made my disappointment in this action loud and clear but let’s face it, it’s going to be a KISS show so how bad can it be right? When they announced a date for Greenville, SC, I immediately called my buddy James who without even pausing said, “YES! Let’s go”. So off to Ticketmaster I go to get our tickets.

The show finally arrived and we were pumped. Right away you know you’re at a KISS concert by seeing random audience members with their faces painted as their favorite KISS member. I spotted a guy with denim jackets with KISS patches covering every square inch of fabric and the overall excitement in the air let’s you know where you are at a KISS show. We made our way our seats which were all the way to the back of the arena. While we were far way, it gave us an amazing full scale view of the stage and the ability to take in the full spectrum of lights, explosions and the really great sound mix.

Buckcherry opened the show with a pretty forgettable set. These guys are about 20 years too late and to be honest, even back then they would’ve been bottom of the barrel in comparison to the others of their genre. As the 9:00 hour began to approach, my buddy and I knew that were going to be in for a great show. We started debating on what song they were going to open with. It was hard for me to not peek at the set lists from the show but I just knew that we were going to be in for a treat no matter what.

At just about 9pm, the house lights went out and the famous announcement that we all love to hear filled the air: YOU WANTED THE BEST AND YOU GOT THE BEST! THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD… KISS! The roar of the nearly sold out arena was so loud that it drowned out the intro to “Deuce”, but not for long. The curtain dropped with a huge explosion and the crowd was going insane. The band sounded great right out of the gates. They looked great and seemed to be having so much fun. A KISS audience is a thankful audience and this audience was eating it up. The connection between KISS and their fans is something you really have to see in action. The wilder we got, the more the band seemed to kick it up a notch.

Kicking right into “Strutter” in true KISS ALIVE fashion really took it to the next level. One of the first things I noticed about this lineup is the amount of energy these guys have. I’ve always had my issues with Tommy and Eric but they really seem to have injected a new level of youthful energy back in to KISS. Paul and Gene were really on top of these younger guys and seemed so much younger than their actual years. As players, Eric Singer is hands down the greatest drummer they’ve ever had. His drumming is so intense and gives KISS this extra punch and makes them a much heavier band than they have ever been. Tommy Thayer on the other hand just comes across as a really good Ace tribute act. Where Eric takes those KISS songs and makes them better, Tommy just duplicates. Everything from the stage moves to his solos is just Ace Frehley tribute moves. This fact was very obvious during songs like “Shock Me” where he was just cloning Ace to the theatrics of his guitar solo. Tommy just did a really good job copying Ace but will never be Ace. Ace had his own tone, style and mannerisms that just came to him naturally and anyone can copy it. It’s just that nobody can ever do it like Ace or as good as Ace.

One of the things I love about KISS is that they can always play classics like “She”, “100,000 Years” and “Black Diamond” and they never sound dated. Classic KISS songs played live in 2009 sound just as exciting, dynamic and fresh as they did back in the 70’s when they were conceived. KISS still knows how to deliver the goods and give the audience more bang for their buck (pun intended). Gene did his famous blood spitting bass solo and upon finishing it up, spreads his arms and flies up to the lighting rig to deliver “I Love It Loud” which had the audience going absolutely nuts. I was never a huge fan of this song but this was without a doubt one of the highlights of the night. Not to be topped, Paul payed his respects to all of us at the back of the arena by flying over the audience to a platform set up at the soundboard from which he delivered a face ripping version of “Love Gun”. The band ripped through set closer “Rock & Roll All Nite” only to return to the stage for an absolutely amazing encore which featured a surprisingly awesome “Lick It Up” in which the band threw in a bit of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” in the mid section. This is another song that I never really liked but they just killed this song and totally made it rock like it never had before. Closing the night with “Detroit Rock City”, KISS literally blew the stage up with a pyrotechnic show that I have yet to see be topped.
When the house lights came back on, I looked over at my buddy who was smiling ear to ear. I just smiled back and said, “Yeah?”. He smiled and said, “Fuck yeah!” Anyone who thinks that KISS has extended their welcome or are half assing it needs to think again and see these guys on this tour. They are playing with all the energy and gusto of a band 1/2 their age. We wanted the best and without a doubt, we got it!

KISS – Greenville, SC – 10/17/2009

Deuce
Strutter
Let Me Go Rock & Roll
Hotter Than Hell
Shock Me
Modern Day Delilah
Calling Dr. Love
She
*Tommy Thayer Guitar Solo*
Parasite
100,000 Years
*Eric Singer Drum Solo*
100,000 Years
*Gene Simmons Bass Solo*
I Love It Loud
Black Diamond
Rock & Roll All Nite

Encore:
Shout It Out Loud
Lick It Up (w/ “Won’t Get Fooled Again” jam)
Love Gun
Detroit Rock City

After over 15 years, I finally got the chance to be graced with the presence of Hope Sandoval. On Friday October 16^th, Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions performed to a packed standing room only audience at The Loft in Atlanta, GA. While I have been a Mazzy Star fan for years, I actually really find her Warm Inventions material to stand strongly on its own. It has been 8 years since the release of the brilliant “Bavarian Fruit Bread” album and when I heard Hope and company were releasing a new album titled “Through The Devil Softly”, I was not just excited that I was going to get to hear new music; I was going to get to see her live with The Warm Inventions for the first time.

The show kicked off with opening band Dirt Blue Gene who I felt to be a very fitting opener. They had a sound that was like a fine mix of Mazzy Star meets Pink Floyd. The band had a very mellow sound and the use of subtle effects throughout the mix made it a very ear candy type of experience. The band really didn’t have any memorable songs but this isn’t to say that they weren’t good. I felt like they are a band to see in the moment to really get what they’re about. It was also no surprise to find out that they were also The Warm Inventions.

After a surprisingly pleasant 45 minute set, Hope & Co. made their way to the stage. I was right up against the stage because I just had to take in the entire experience up close and personal. Hope Sandoval has to be one of the most captivating performers I have ever seen. I read a lot of reviews of her shows and they always tend to be written by these kind of obsessive, sometimes bordering on stalker, male fans who talk about how beautiful she is and it actually gets kind of creepy. Let me start off by saying that she truly is beautiful but for me, it’s not her beauty that is so captivating; it’s her aura and the way that she appears to be connected to each word she sings with no distractions. She is in it 100% and that projects right to her listeners.

She enters the stage walking kind of briskly to the microphone and she clasps her hands behind her back. She turns to her band and the band launches into “Courtin’ Blues” by Nick Drake. From that moment on, the audience will be completely under her spell. Her presence is very commanding without being abrupt or even direct. She rarely says more than a slight “thank you” after every fourth song or so and the most I heard her say was at the encore where she said, “Thank you. You all are very sweet.” The dark, swirling undertone of “Blanchard” as the third song really drew me into her space and “Around My Smile” from “Bavarian Fruit Bread” was one of my “have to hear this song live” songs.

The stage presence of Hope Sandoval really reminds me of Jim Morrison on a polar opposite spectrum. While Jim did it with utter chaos, disorder and sexual charisma, Hope uses silence and softness as her tools while delivering her songs with a voice that sounded like thick air as she rarely opened her eyes or made any kind of eye contact. As she stood there in the soft blue and purple lights, it was impossible to not be completely pulled in. Her soft, warm voice is completely enveloped by the intricate yet subtle music made by the band and the chemistry between is completely unspoken. It’s almost as if they are on this mental and emotional wavelength with her that they all just flow in and surround her like a warm, musical aura.

One of the things I was also so impressed to see was the connection they all had to each other as they improvised extended “jams” throughout the songs. Hope’s drummer and creative partner Colm O’Ciosoig made his way to the front to play acoustic guitar on “Satellite” and took over on glockenspiel for a show stopping “Suzanne” which literally brought the house down. Watching Hope play the glockenspiel and vibraphone with such intensity on songs like “Around My Smile” and the dark, haunting and beautifully chaotic set closer “For The Rest of Your Life” was like something I’ve never seen. It was like watching a quiet, fragile person letting you know that she was completely capable of unleashing on you in in a very intense way. It almost made me feel that she could be the type of person that would either cry herself to tears in solitude or rip your fucking head off and make you wish you’d never been born. Again, this goes back to the reason why her presence alone is so fascinating and captivating. Performing to 300+ people in a club isn’t easy task in itself to have that place drawn completely to you and so quiet you can practically hear a pin drop at times is astonishing.

Hope Sandoval has really established herself as a true music icon in my eyes. She has the ability to create such an amazing live experience matched only by that of Bob Dylan in my experience. For over an hour and half, I felt like I was floating and like I was the only person there. There is such intimacy to her performance and her music. The vibe of those songs captured on recorded medium is definitely replicated and in my opinion done so on a much grander level in a live setting. Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions completely took me to a place that I am rarely taken to in a live setting by bands. They took me someplace that I hope to go with them again and again. I still have their music to listen to whenever I want and as I listen, I will always remember that feeling of lightness as I was swept away with a smile.

I remember being in high school with all my brothers in metal (aka. My dorky friends) and being so stoked to see our favorite bands. It was also nothing for us to wait around after the concert out by the tour bus for sometimes two hours for the bands to come out from backstage. There was always that rush of thoughts going through my mind. Are they gonna be cool? Are they gonna be assholes? Are they gonna chat with us and hang out? Then all of the sudden there they were, coming out of the backstage door towards us.

I’ve had the extreme pleasure of meeting some of my favorite bands this way. Henry Rollins, Pantera, Ugly Kid Joe, Skid Row, Babylon AD, Green Jello, Testament, The Black Crowes, Dave Matthews, Saigon Kick, Quiet Riot, The Allman Brothers Band, Neko Case and countless others. Some were cooler than others. Some were just flat out assholes. Babylon AD was one of our fave metal bands from LA and when they played in Atlanta, after their show they came out, hung with us, took pictures and gave us all guitar picks and were cool as hell. Neko Case was great and we had a great conversation about thrift shops and folk music and The Black Crowes were humorous and posed for pictures while talking about everything from baseball to the best places to grow weed in the country. The guitarist for Saigon Kick was a real asshole and Gregg Allman looked at me, smiled and said “Hi there” and kept on walking past me to the backstage door. I could go on with all these stories and hell, they might even get their own entry someday. Anyways, the point to all of this is that I got to experience meeting these people and they were all unique experiences. With a little patience and a bit of waiting and some time, you can meet just about anyone you want.

These days, bands are taking the fun out of this experience and making a profit off it and I really don’t know how I feel about it. So all my life I have wanted to meet KISS. They are lifelong idols of mine and a band that I’ve always wanted to meet and just have the opportunity to thank them. Meeting bands of this status is hard because of the size of the venues they play at. Bands of this size don’t just hang out to meet their fans but guess what? For a price, you can go backstage and get 5 minutes of their time (if that).

This is a phenomenon that has taken me back a bit. I don’t understand what would make a band think that they are so mighty that their fans should pay extra money to have the privilege to meet them in person. I saw that for $1,000.00, you can meet KISS in person, get ONE photo, I think ONE thing signed and you get some other crap like a t-shirt, a gift certificate to their online store, etc. $1,000.00 fucking dollars! No shit. KISS isn’t the only one to do this. Bands like The Jonas Brothers, Motley Crue, Rob Thomas and others are charging the ridiculous highway robbery cost just to give you, the fan, the privilege to meet them. Hell, I even saw that the metal band Anvil who has made a huge comeback since their documentary “Anvil: The Story of Anvil” came out is charging something like $60 bucks (on top of the $16.50 ticket price) just to get to meet them. $60.00 to meet Anvil? Hell, those guys should be happy if anyone is even waiting out back to meet them for free.

I just don’t understand this concept. It almost makes me have a serious lack of respect for these bands. I could never in a million years think that I would think of myself as so godlike and grand that I would have people pay to meet me and have five minutes of my time. It’s obvious this concept works because people buy them up and line up like creepy ass fanboys/girls to do so. I think it just goes back to this idea of appreciating the fans for helping you live the good live and live life like a rock star.

The fans are hardworking people. Some of them work day jobs , some have families and they give you their hard earned money that allows you to live the good life. Is it too much to maybe step outside for a bit and thank them, shake a few hands, take a few pictures and hear a few stories? I have met some of my favorite musicians and had the opportunity to thank them for inspiring me and for making the music that is part of the soundtrack of my life. I’d say that 95% of them were amazingly gracious and nice people who were genuinely appreciative of what their fans had to say to them and they reciprocated their appreciation. Those are the artists I will always support because of their sincerity and the fact that they took the time out to meet their fans. Again, I know it’s hard for a band as hugely popular as KISS to do this but to charge your fans $1,000.00 to meet them is, to me, a slap in the face. It’s like they are saying, “Hey, we only want to give you the time of day if you are privileged and have a disposable income that allows you afford to pay $1,000.00 to have a picture with us”. Its like you’re not a “real” fan or deserving of their attention unless you can afford it. Sorry, but I call that pompous, arrogant and insulting.

So would I even pay to meet any of my favorite bands? No, I wouldn’t. I don’t feel that paying for the experience is sincere. As much as I despise that concept, I will continue to support the bands that I love. I refuse to pay to meet them. I will park my ass by the backstage door and I will hang out for a couple of hours with my Sharpie and my album covers and I will give it my best to make the experience my own. The last time I saw Henry Rollins, he came out into the crowd by the bar where he stood for about an hour talking to people, taking pictures and signing books. He was so gracious and he was a really cool guy who took his time to show his appreciation to the people that came out and helped him sell out a spoken word show. I had him write an entry in my journal that night and he got a kick out of that. Ya know, you can’t put a price on that kind of experience and I didn’t even have to pay for it.

Birds & Arrows – 11/01/2008 – Carrboro, NC [zip file]

Chapel Hill dynamic duo Birds & Arrows are without a doubt one of my favorite bands.  Consisting of husband and wife Pete and Andrea Connoly, Birds & Arrows’ songs are love songs.  Professing your love for one another in a band setting through your music can really run the risk of being cheesy but these two do it in such a way that makes you fall in love with them as you listen to them.  The vocal arrangements are pure and real and you can’t help but be drawn in by their personalities and they’re over all warm nature towards each other and their fans.

This particular show has the band performing some (at the time) new songs that would be featured on their 2nd EP “Woodgrain Heart”.  The awesome “Garden Shed” serves as a great opener and Pete’s “Black Shoes” from this show is what made it one of my top 5 fave Birds & Arrows songs.  Together, they sing with such passion and when singing alone, it’s amazing how their personalities come out.  Andrea projects her vocals with passion and with confidence while Pete’s vocals show a tender and maybe even vulnerable side of him which serves as a great balance.  The two cover closer featuring The Pretneders’ “Brass In Pocket” and an amazing version of U2’s “Bad” was a strong and captivating way to end the show.  These guys are fantastic and I highly suggest checking their stuff out.  You’ll be glad you did!

Enjoy!

Scorpions – No One Like You

Kick my frigign’ ass won’t ya? The Scorpions are one of those 80’s metal bands that had a great singer, great musicians and great songs. Not all were great but this one is a great song. And to top it off, it’s the live version from World Wild Live. Not that “fake” live bullshit but REALLY live. The video has them kicking ass in Japan where they were and still are huge (SURPRISE!). I always thought live videos were cool and even dug when the band added footage of them fucking around backstage and around town being goofs. Great video and kick ass song.

Megadeth – Symphony Of Destruction

Here we are once again with Megadeth kicking ass. The video has lots of political and social imagery about how the big fat bald white guys make money and stand by as the long haired kids suffer at his evil grasp. Burning American flags, protest marches, tear gass and a politician who gets shot definitely takes this video to “11”. The only thing that would’ve made this video better is if Dave Mustaine same out and started beating the politician dude with his pointy flying V guitar. When you’re Megadeth, it’s hard to not look like you mean fucking business.

Bon Jovi – Wanted Dead Or Alive

I’ve never seen a more rockin’ video for an un-rockin’ band in all my life. Actually, it’s a great song. I always have to give this band credit that for the huge amount of wussness they possess, this song kicks ass. The video actually really rocks because it goes along with the whole “I’m a rocker on the road” lyrical content. It’s all black and white and it shows random footage of them rocking out when you know damn good and well they’re NOT rocking out since this is the ONLY song they have that does rock.

Anthrax – Got The Time

Fucking awesome! First Megadeth and then Anthrax! All we need now is Slayer and I’ll jump thru the fucking window and start moshing with the squirrels in the backyard. This song is way kick ass (even if it is a Joe Jackson cover) and the video has the band kicking all kinds of ass in a condemned building as helicopters shine lights in on them . This just kicks my face in and reminded me how friggin’ bad ass this band used to be!

Krokus – Screaming In The Night

Man, the 80’s were a brutal time for metal bands when it came to making videos. Some of them “got it” and some of them “didn’t”. Krokus had two things working against them: crappy videos and the fact that they were butt ass ugly. What they did have working FOR them was that this song kicks fucking ass. Marc Storace is an ugly mother fucker but damn that little shit could sing his ass off. The video is kind of like a Mad Max type futuristic world where the singer falls for one of the “slave girls”. She tries to help him escape and is killed while doing so causing him to want to avenge her death. Yeah, it’s pretty fucking lame but trust me, the song kicks fucking ass!

Cinderella – The Last Mile

First off, this band just melts my face. These guys “got it” when it came to making videos. I don’t think they made a bad video to be honest. Maybe a few hokie ones but this one kicks ass. Once again, when you’re a band that kicks ass as much as Cinderella, it’s in your favor to do live videos and let everyone know that you can rip their faces off live! This is hands down my favorite song off of this album and again, the video just kicks ass. Love this band!

Guns N Roses – Yesterdays

What the fuck happened to this band? See, when you see a video and hear a song like this, it’s no wonder why Izzy ran screaming from this pack of clowns. First off, the song flat out sucks. For some reason, Axl thought he could become a hard rock version of Meatloaf or Elton John or something. They sound ridiculous and the video has them playing in some warehouse like they’re trying to get back to their roots or something but they look so asinine. Dumb song and even dumber band.

Kix – Body Talk

Ummmm, is this for real? First off, KIX sucks so it’s no surprise to me that they would put out such a crappy song and a crappy video. Ok, so maybe they had one or two good songs but boy trust me, this is NOT one of them. It sounds like 80’s synth pop. The video has the band “trying” to look cool and failing miserably at it. They’re playing in some school gym with a bunch of girls in tights and leotards as they do Jazzercize to this song. Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.

Ozzy Osbourne – Bark At The Moon

HAHAHA! Ya gotta love Ozzy as he plays a roll that’s very close to him… Jeckyl and Hyde! This video looks like an extremely low budget British film. It’s so low budget that the members of his band play various characters in the story line. This song kicks so much ass and the video actually really works for this song in an good way. It’s like it goes right along with the lyrics of the song. Great video and great song!

Tesla – The Way It Is

I always say this but Tesla was like Cinderella. They were no frills kick ass hard rock. They didn’t need to try and be cool. They were just cool by nature and they kicked so much ass live that the best statement they could make in a video was to do a live video. Great song from probably their best album and a great video to boot!

Ratt – Round & Round

Ratt kick ass, nuff said! This was their first big video for a kick ass song and this video kicks ass. First off, they don’t really look cool but they kick ass as they jam away in the attic of some rich old man’s house who is actually, wait for it, MILTON BERELE! How fucking bad ass is that. It’s just RATT kicking ass and then Warrant DiMartini jumps thru the floor and does this kick ass guitar solo on the dining room table and starts knocking glasses and shit over with his guitar while these two hot chicks look at him in disgust when you know that he’s totally gonna bang them after this video! This one is pure WIN!

Frehley’s Comet – Into The Night

Ace and his goofy ass looking backing band kicking ass. I’m guessing the premise of the video is that all kinds of weird and crazy shit happens “In the night” like drug deals, hookers hangin’ out and 24 hour diners. This song really kicks ass but these guys are right up there with Krokus as far as ugly bands go. The end of the video shows Ace picking up some homeless chick and giving her a ride in his limo. I bet they were doing lines of blow off of a Crazy Nights album cover or something! Great song, dumb video.

W.A.S.P – I Wanna Be Somebody

Kick ass song and a kick ass band. These guys fucking nailed the hell out of this video. Other than the fact that Blackie Lawless is the WORST bass syncer, this video just kicks ass. It kinda looks like a Motley Crue performance video only instead of sucking, they kick lots of fucking ass. They have their big ass W.A.S.P logo that catches on fire, their playing pointy guitars with cool designs and Blackie even drinks blood from a human skull at the end! AWESOME! They do look kind of stupid but trust me, back in 1984, this was the shit. This whole album is pretty fucking bad ass and they would never put out an album this good again. Well, “Headless Children” was close but no cigar boys!

Dokken – In My Dreams

Hey Dokken, your videos sukken! This band probably would’ve had more fans by NOT making videos. They were actually kick ass and had some great songs. This is a great song but damn does this video suck. Playing in the rain in slow motion does not make you look cool. It makes you look like a dumbass who didn’t have enough sense to reschedule your shoot for a sunny day or for a clear night. And really bad blue screen footage in the background doesn’t help either. Video killed this band. It’s too bad because this is a really great song.

Over Kill – Hello From The Gutter

What a kick ass song from a kick ass thrash band. I always said that Over Kill was like the most awesome unintentional Judas Priest tribute band. This song just kick my face in and the video shows the band in their best element, live. Much like Anthrax and others, these guys just kick ass. The only thing that’s retarded about this video is that flying skull mascot that they keep cutting to as he flies thru the gutters of New York or LA or some big city. Just cut all that shit out and keep it kick ass on this band as they melt the faces of their audience. Great song! I need to get this album again.

Scorpions – Still Loving You

First off, can we just note what an awesome episode of this show this was? This show had a lot of pure win. This is a great song and while the video is live, it’s really a week video. It’s such a slow song that it probably would’ve been better with a good concept video but then again, that probably could’ve ruined the song. Nevermind, they did it right and didn’t ruin a great song with a crappy video. Kudos to the Klaus & the boys.

Winger – Seventeen

HAHA! I fucking love Winger. I remember seeing these guys and running into some other guys from school and we made each other promise we wouldn’t say we were at the show. That’s the kinda band Winger was. Nobody wanted to like them but they were so fucking good you just had to love them. Awesome musicianship and the songs were fun as all hell. This video is really funny to watch because they look so ridiculous but you kinda get the idea that they know this so it makes watching it pretty funny. Kip Winger acts like such a tool doing all his ballet moves and shit but the dude is a monster singer and his band kicks ass. So there ya go.

This just kicks all kinds of ass!  This is the Foo Fighters performing at Vh1’s “Rock Honors” for The Who.  They do Young Man Blues and then bring out Supergrass singer Gaz Coombes to kick mucho ass on Bargain.  Enjoy!

October 6th was to be an exciting day for KISS fans/dorks (aka. The KISS Army) all over the country. This was the day that Walmart stores would unveil KISS Korner. KISS Korner is a special section that features KISS merchandise such as the new album “Sonic Boom”, KISS Potato Heads, blankets, trading cards, and a few other assorted KISS items. Detroit area Walmarts unveiled the KISS Korner early due to the band’s appearance at the legendary Cobo Hall and fans went apeshit up there!

So October 6th gets here, and guess what? NO KISS KORNER! That’s right. I started getting emails from readers all over saying that they had called their local Walmarts and even visited them in person only to find that there was no KISS Korner. To top it all off, the people at the stores seemed to know absolutely nothing about it. I decided to do my own investigative research into this matter since not only am I blogger that looks after my readers, I’m a KISS fan that wants my cool shit! As first I thought maybe it was because some of these folks were in rural areas where the market for KISS stuff wasn’t that great but then I started getting messages from people in NYC about the same thing. Forgive me if I’m wrong but last time I checked, NYC is a HUGE market for KISS. It’s their fucking hometown!

So here’s what I did. I decided to start calling all the Walmarts within a 20 mile radius of my place which totaled 15 (FIFTEEN!) fucking stores. I asked to speak to the store manager or assistant manage of each store and told them that my name was Mr. Thayer, a local representative of the band KISS. I asked them if they had KISS Korner set up in their stores and, are ya read, not ONE manager or assistant manager knew what I was talking about. I read the description of KISS Korner word for word from the Walmart website and they still had no idea what I was talking about. To make it even better, this was on October 9th, 3 days after KISS Korner was to be released. I knew right away what my next step was to be… take it to the big whigs!

I dialed up Walmart’s customer service number and the representative I got was a very polite young lady. I told her that I was calling to find out what stores in my area would have KISS Korner merchandise available and guess what? She had no friggin’ clue what I was talking about. “KISS Korner?” she asked. “What is that?”. I once again referenced Walmarts website word for word and she asked if I could hold for a moment. About 5 minutes later she came back and asked if a supervisor could get back to me in 3-5 business days. Wow… just wow.

So heres the deal. When you are a multi-million dollar machine like KISS and you “proudly” sign on a merchandising deal with another multi-million dollar monster like Walmart, you would think that you would want assurance that your investment and name’s reputation are being upheld.  One would also think that if you were on the Walmart end, you would do everything in your power not to piss off KISS.  The funny thing is that I fucking hate Walmart and never shop there and this was going to be the only reason for me to even go there.

Upon further investigation, I Googled “trouble finding KISS Korner” and theres a Facebook page full of comments from folks all over having the same experiences that I, Mr. Thayer had.  I’m really curious to hear if there is any kind of response from the KISS camp and ol’ Mr. $immons himself.  KISS has always prided itself as a band that gave the fans their best.  I feel like KISS really let the fans down and have dipped into the Fail pool.

We wanted the best, and we got nothing but disappointment.