Orion Music and More 2013 - Day 2

A superb day and an outstanding weekend.

The day kicked off with our self-guided tour of downtown Detroit, then we were on the first bus to Belle Isle for day 2 of Orion Music and More. All the transportation and entrance problems that plagued many yesterday seemed to be cleared up today.

Our first stop was the Metallica Museum, which is full of old gear, artwork, stage props and some handwritten lyrics. Then it was music time as I managed to see 10 different bands today. 

I caught All Shall Perish, a very heavy, hardcore band who got a serious mosh pit going right from the start, then Cauldron who looked and sounded like Kill ‘em All era Metallica. After those more traditional metal acts things got really interesting. The Dirtbombs are a 6 piece band with two bassists, three drummers and a guitarist - but wait there's more! They alternate. A drummer swaps with a bassist and vice versa. They covered INXS’ Need You Tonight with a drummer taking lead vocals into the crowd then taking a drum into the crowd for their final song. Sick and fun. But the funniest band of the weekend is Fidlar, a 4 piece punk band (who introduced themselves as Metallica, LOL) with such classic 2 minute sing along choruses as; “I drink cheap beer, so what, F you!” “I sit home and drink alone, you are such a whore!” and the power ballad “I didn’t know I was so good at making you feel awkward.” Plus all these songs were signed by women at side of stage for some hearing impaired fans. It was hilarious! If these guys show up at a dive near you, go see them.

Then Metallic’s own Rob Trujillo jammed with the unrelated yet similarly named skate board husband and wife Trujillos for a jam know as Trujillo Trio. They were straight ahead thrash who were then joined by Mike and Rocky from Suicidal Tendencies for a raging version of Institutionalized. 

Destroid

I saw a few songs by the drums and guitar duo, Japandroids. They didn’t do it for more so I wandered over for a couple songs by Vista Chino until Fu Manchu started. I dug them a lot as they were pretty straight ahead hard rock and did a great cover of Godzilla by Blue Oyster Cult.

Up next, I dove back into the EDM tent to see Destroid, and I've never seen anything like it before. Three cyborg, Cylon-like creatures playing drums and synth guitars and commanding people to dance and obey them in evil robot voices. Fun as shit! They got a serious pit going and I was totally energized for the main attraction.

Metallica. After the surprise set yesterday, we all knew more surprises would come. They did. I had no idea what song might show up next. At least two songs were premieres for me. Another 6 probably haven’t been heard by me live in over ten years. They sounded tight and looked so amazingly happy. They are really at the top of the world.

The more songs you don’t recognize, the more excited I was.

Setlist:

Blackened

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Disposable Heroes

Harvester of Sorrow

The Day That Never Comes

Carpe Diem Baby

I Disappear

Sad But True

Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

Orion

One

Master of Puppets

Battery

Nothing Else Matters

Enter Sandman

- encore-

Turn The Page

Creeping Death

Seek & Destroy 

Make a Wish kids join Metallica on stage

Detroit is the new home for Orion. While last year's show at Atlantic City was certainly easier for us to attend, if I had to decide right now - I think I'll be visiting Detroit again.

Here is all the official Orion photos, broken down by band.

UPDATE: 6/11/13
Last night I finally figured out the significance of "Dehaan" the fake name Metallica performed under on Saturday. Their upcoming Imax 3D concert film, Through The Never, is more than a concert film, it has a narrative and actors too. The lead actor is Dane DeHaan. So if you recognized that from the get go (which I did not), you might have been in the front row for the big surprise.

Final numbers: Came back with 5 new Metallica t-shirts, 1 new pick, and shows #31 and #32 under my belt. In all, I saw 16 bands over the weekend. And for first time in my life, I got to hold one of James' guitars in my very own shaky hands! And Lori got to sit at Lars' drum set. Sick!

 

Orion Music and More, Day 1

We started off the morning exploring Detroit and the Renaissance Center. Lori and I hopped on the People Mover and took 15 minute ride on this monorail thing which is only two cars long and had a total of 3 other passengers. All we could do was think of the legendary Simpsons monorail episode and laugh. But Detroit has some really cool, unique architecture and some quite beautiful spots downtown - it was surely worth the 75 cents the 15 minute tour took. Met one guy who is a local and said he was going to Orion later too.

Then we roamed the river walk and bizarrely futuristic hotel/GM HQ/mall thing. Took a lot of Larry pictures then hopped on first bus to get to Orion. 

Globe of Death!

After about half the attendees entrance was rejected by malfunctioning scanner systems, we got in, bought 3 new Metallica shirts and entered Kirk’s Crypt since we spotted a very short line. The crypt is a showcase for all of Kirk Hammett’s horror movie memorabilia. It was bigger than last year and more freaking people dressed up inside and turning it into a haunted house. We watched a demo with a makeup pro turning a girl into a zombie too.

Then we had killer food from Detroit’s world famous Slows Bar-B-Q; Triple Threat on a Stick and Mac & Cheese.

After that it was time for the first bands to start. Caught The Bronx and liked them a lot. Then we moved on to local band Battlecross who were the heaviest of heavy with tremendous in sync head banging and a great cover of Slayer’s “War Ensemble.” After that we roamed in the Met Club tent and got to pose with Metallica’s gear, check out the new Metallica pinball machine and cavort with a whole lot of other Metalli-crap, followed by the car show and Globe of Death - a cool motorcycle stunt show, which was also something done by The Simpsons.

Dropkick Murphys

The next band was Boston’s own Dropkick Murphys and I must admit I had no idea these guys were big anywhere outside of New England, but they got a big crowd and rocked hard. They also represented Boston in a major way, thanking everyone for support after the marathon bombing, playing their Red Sox, Bruins and Mickey Ward inspired songs, plus Shipping Up To Boston and a cover of AC/DC’s T.N.T. - just when I thought that was the highlight they told us Metallica was playing a surprise set of old shit - we bolted and I got there as The Four Horsemen was starting and I quickly realized they were playing Kill ‘Em All from start to finish. Heaven! This surprise was cool beyond words. I’d only recently accepted they’d play only once, then they pull this out. I love this band. Needless to say, they kicked ass and then it tool a little bit to find Lori again. With her full permission, I left her behind as I raced to see the mighty Metallica. She got there too, but by then there were thousands of bodies between us.

Secret Metallica Gig!

Kill 'em All, start to finish.

We eventually found eachother and headed to the EDM tent for Bassnectar. Lori didn’t last long, but I had a blast. He played some Hendrix, Nirvana, Beatles and even Motorhead all remixed, sampled and dancified with an insane amount of bass. The kids loved it. It was the next generation mosh pit, everyone going off in sync but without the violence.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers closed the night. Most of the hits are a bit slow, for my taste, to follow Kill ‘Em All and Bassnector, but once they cranked into Higher Ground I was rejuvenated. Man, I forgot how many radio hits RHCPs have had over the years. Much like last year, the bus ride home was a blast with the whole bus singing Creeping Death, and one out his mind fan trying to choreograph different verses for front and back of the bus, and then even calling for the elderly bus driver to take a verse. The driver responded by turning up the volume. Smart dude.

Great day. And tomorrow is the REAL Metallica show - can’t wait to see what tricks they pull out next. 

Metalli-stats

I'm writing this at 35,000 feet above the ground flying to Detroit for Metallica's Orion Music & More festival. 

This next Met show is my first show since the last show which was the best show ever. Last June at the inaugural Orion in Atlantic City, I won snake pit passes and was in the 2nd row as Metallica played their Black Album in its entirety. I'd be lying to say I'm not disappointed they are only playing one night as opposed to two this year, but I am psyched to see what surprises the band might have in store for me, plus discovering a slew of new bands to become a fan of (last year I fell for Ghost and Volbeat), and I'm really excited to dive into the EDM tent (Electronic Dance Music). I don't know squat about it but every now and then I hear a hard rocking bass-heavy track that makes me think I'm ready for an all night rave. 

Sunday night will be my 31st Metallica show. This is the fifth time I've flown to see them, and the trip gives me a new city and state not just for concerts but for visiting at all. The goal is to visit all 50 states, this puts me at 29 I believe. 

My Metallica t-shirt count is now at 102 with more to be purchased this weekend. And one of the coolest things about these festivals is meeting people who put my numbers to shame. In Atlantic City, the tiny woman in front of me in the front row was at her 50th show. And she lives in Japan!

Larry The Lizard picks up his Orion pass

GM Renaissance Center, Detroit

Orion Music & More - much, much more

Metallica's first (annual?) Orion Music & More festival was easily the best festival of any kind I've been to. Top notch location, planning, transportation, logistics, bands, set times, staging.... even prices were reasonable. Bottles of water I've seen go for $8 at most venues were only $3, plus there was free water refilling stations. The last big giant outdoor mess I went to was Woodstock '94 and it was a big giant mess.

Lori in Kirk's Crypt

James Hetfield said repeatedly from stage that they decided to have "a backyard BBQ" and thanks for showing up, but it was so much more. This was really a Metallica Theme Park - between the Custom Car Show showing off a few vehicles from James and 100 others, Hit The Lights Films curated and hosted by Lars Ulrich, "Kirk's Crypt" showcasing a sampling of Kirk Hammett's massive horror movie props and memorabilia collection - complete with live girls and ghouls making it more of a haunted house than just a tent full of stuff, Skate board ramps with pros and Robert Trujillo showing their stuff, a Metallica Museum of art and artifacts, 30+ bands hand picked by Metallica playing on four different stages, and most them were introduced by a member of Metallica. This truly was Metallica's back yard and they played perfect hosts.
I must admit I only went to this for Metallica and I hadn't even heard of many of the bands playing, but I left a fan of many of them and isn't that the point of this sort of eclectic festival?

Day 1, June 23, 2012
We are on the 1st shuttle bus from our hotel, the Borgata, at 11am (only 4 people on it) and were at Bader Field before gates opened at noon and started meeting people from all over the world right away. I've been in the Metallica Club since 1994 and my fellow clubbers have consistently proven to be the coolest people on the planet.
We had tickets to see Lars' dad Torben Ulrich's film "Before The Wall: Body & Being" and were in the front row for an hour of discussion with Lars and Torben and the "gift of gab" is definitely a family trait. It was a fun and funny experience.
Since we had bumped into comedian Jim Breuer that morning at the Borgata (he really does always look stoned) we hit the comedy portion next (it was also the only stage with shade). Lars showed up to introduce Don Jamieson and then James introduced his good friend Jim Breuer who is living his dreams combining metal and comedy. He was a blast!

Rob jams with Suicidal Tendencies

By this point in the afternoon I had yet to see a band, though I did hear The Sword cover "Cheap Sunglasses" from afar, so it was time to take my position for Suicidal Tendencies, a punk/skate/metal fav of mine since the 80's, and since this was Roberts first band I was confident of a reunion. I placed Lori near the sound board and moved deep into the crowd at The Damage Inc. stage. ST were introduced by Robert, who said he wouldn't be here today if not for this band. They opened with 'You Can't Bring Me Down" and then right into their biggest/oldest hit, "Institutionalized" (the infamous "all I wanted was a Pepsi" song) and the place went frickin' nuts. I was scared a few times. Boots, bodies and blood were flying. I didn't know till later that someone went down hard and was taken away on a stretcher. I tossed a few willing participants up for some crowd surfing and had an awesome time. Robert did indeed strap on a bass and jammed 4 or 5 tunes from "Infectious Grooves" - a bass heavy side project from ST. Heaven. When I turned to leave I couldn't believe how large the crowd had gotten.

Then it was Metallica time. Ride The Lightning night - the first Met album (yes album!) I bought back in high school. Our outstanding Met Club Ultra package got us into an exclusive area up close to the stage. As the thousands behind us chanted "VIPs suck!" I smiled to myself with metal glee.
Lori made some friends as I left her behind to go deeper by another 20 feet or so towards the stage.
Metallica played arguably the best show (this was #29 for me) I've ever seen complete with four songs I've never heard live before and one song, "Escape" that they played for first time ever! James joked right until the very start of it that he didn't want to play and could they just skip it. It's a song the entire band never wanted to see on their set list.  While it is the weakest song on the album, I've always liked it and thought it sounded great live. Another highlight was "Trapped Under Ice," a personal favorite they've only played a handful of times.
They opened four epic favorites: "Hit The Lights", "Master of Puppets" (my sides already ached from singing/screaming), "The Four Horsemen" (holy shit!!), and "Sad But True" -- followed by new song "Hell and Back" (from EP of 4 tracks from Death Magnetic sessions) then into all of Ride The Lightning, for the first time anywhere, but played in reverse order to keep me having to think, I guess. The amazing night ended with "Battery," "One," and "Seek & Destroy". Wow.
But there was still another day. A day with passes into the Snake Pit - the hole within the Metallica Stage!!

Day 2
Decided today was going to be about seeing bands. We caught a few songs by the moody, distortion heavy three-piece A Place to Bury Strangers and then checked out Liturgy - a two piece band. Two guys shredding on guitar. Nobody else. Interesting. Their bio lists four guys, so maybe two slept late, I don't know.

Ghost

I had been told ahead of time to see Ghost and I'm glad I did. They were on the main stage at 2pm and were introduced by James who said, "it's never too early for scary." Ghost are a group of anonymous ghouls from Sweden under white masks and robes lead by a skull faced Pope. I loved the music and the act. It felt so good to get a subtle head nod of approval from the Evil Pope. They were the most polite satanists you could ever meet and a good time was had by all. James stayed for the whole set and was rocking out at stage right.

Robert Introducing Soul Rebels

Next we caught the Soul Rebels, a brass group from New Orleans who opened for Metallica at their 30th anniversary Filmore Shows in December. They got introduced by Robert, and were a lot of fun. They even covered "Enter Sandman". Saw another first - moshing to a brass section.
Next up was another comedian, Shuli Egar, from the Howard Stern show. He was pretty funny, but I needed some metal. So I left Lori there and went to see Volbeat, a metal band from Denmark who are a top 10 act in Europe.  I'd never heard of them, but everyone I met talked about them, which was verified by the massive crowd at the Fuel stage waiting for them. James introduced them too and stayed for their set as well. They did a Johnny Cash cover and that fit them well, all dressed in black and rocking hard. They won me over.

Eric Church

Then it was time to prepare and get into the snake pit. I even persuaded Lori to join me there for Eric Church so she could decide herself to stay or not. Eric Church was another act I'd never heard of but I guess they are a pretty big deal in country. But they aren't country like I expected - they had pyro, smoking guitars and Black Sabbath riffs. I'm shocked to say I was front row and going off for a country act.
After that we could hear a blazing set by Avenged Sevenfold from across Bader Field as we waited for the return of the Mighty Metallica and the first time playing of the Black Album in North America. I was one person away from the front stage barrier. In front of me was a 5' tall woman from Japan at her 50th Metallica show. I made it my mission to keep her safe - cuz I wasn't gonna have clearer lines of sight over anyone else.

Kirk

They opened with the same two songs as Saturday night then varied it with "Fuel", "Bellz" and another rare personal favorite from Justice For All, "Shortest Straw".  Then into the career changing, blockbuster, Black Album, in reverse order. I absolutely loved the deep tracks "Struggle Within", "My Friend of Misery" and "The God That Failed." Hell, I loved every single song, even the one I never really cared for, "Don't Tread on Me." As I did the previous night, when they played "Nothing Else Matters" I thought of Lori. (when we first met 16+ years ago she didn't know what a Metallica was. Then a few live shows, "Nothing Else Matters" as our wedding song and BANG, she's in the fucking pit! How lucky am I?)

James

At the end of Sandman I abandoned my front position to dig into the back and find Lori for the encores, "Blackened" (SWEET!), "One" and "Seek & Destroy."  I caught a pick from Kirk after having one tossed by James rebound off my head earlier in the show and we limped away exhausted, enthused and grateful for yet another amazing show.  Can't wait for next year.

James & Rob

Final bow at Orion

good night!

Apocalyptica = Amazing!

Apocalyptica shreds it up in Boston

Lori and I saw Apocalyptica Thursday night, August 26, 2010 at the Royale in Boston. This wasn't just another rock show. This was something else; something unique, powerful and simply amazing to all my senses. Apocalyptica is made up of four classically trained cellists from Finland. Sometimes all four are on cello, but usually one plays drums. Their first release, Four Cellos Play Metallica, back in 1996 was an album of nothing but Metallica covers. That won me over for life and was featured at our wedding in 1997. Since then they've expanded to original instrumentals and even feature guest vocalists for a few songs on each new release. There latest album is 7th Symphony and it is magnificent.

I didn't even realize they were a touring band until a couple years ago, and I was drooling at the chance to see them live. They did not disappoint. In fact, it was one of the best concerts I've ever seen. I was stunned by their energy and movement all over the stage. These guys ran all over the place with their cellos just like any other band with guitars. There was so much head banging and cheering, yet such a unique and haunting sound. I still remember the first moment I heard a cello string played while the crew set up the stage, it had such a different resonance down to my bones. Visually, they look like a metal band with their long hair flying all around, crazed solos, and pure high-energy fun. They took a brief interlude to play "proper" cello music, all of them taking seats and playing some beautiful string arrangements. The raucous crowd simply stood in silence, watching and listening with such awe, it was surprisingly moving. After a night of heavy metal cellos including Metallica covers; Wherever I May Roam, Master of Puppets and Seek and Destroy, they closed with a classical nugget from 1874, In The Hall of The Mountain King. It was the most profound rock show I could imagine, and is a sight not to be missed.

Apocalypica - August 26,2010

It was a true multicultural night, as the openers were Japanese metal band, Dir En Grey. I couldn't decide what language they were singing in, but somehow I liked it anyway. The singer had a range from deep demonic wails to high pitched sounds like dolphins crying. This summer has been the best luck I've ever had with enjoying opening bands that I'd never heard of. Even Lori was digging some Japanese death metal.

There are lots of clips of Apocalyptica on YouTube if you've never heard of them.

J. Geils Band and Aerosmith Rock Fenway Park

I've seen both bands before, but it's been about 25 years for J. Geils Band and 15 for Aerosmith, and this was my first concert at Fenway Park, so I knew that alone would make August 14, 2010 a special show.

J. Geils band was preceded by a full marching band entering the stage single file and playing "Centerfold", then they left (which took quite some time) and the real band took the stage. They looked and sounded great, and seemed to be having a fantastic time - I don't know why these guys don't still tour. Peter Wolf was in great form - his voice, moves and stage raps don't give away his age, though he does look a bit more freakish these days. Plus Magic Dick still has most of his hair - nobody rocks the white man afro or the harmonica like him! They were even joined by their longtime touring horns - The Up Town Horns.

Geils set included (I know I'm missing some): "First I Look At The Purse", "Hard Drivin Man", "Night Time", "Southside Shuffle", "Freeze Frame", "Give It to Me," "Detroit Breakdown", "Love Stinks", "Musta Got Lost", "Looking For a Love", "House Party", "Whammer Jammer", "Centerfold". It was an upbeat, high-energy, foot-tapping, ass-shaking show. Wolf went out into the crowd multiple times. They really made the most out of their time on stage. I can't say the same for the next band.

Aerosmith started with a video narrated by Dennis Leary which encapsulated their career in terms of baseball - such as when Joe Perry was traded to the Cardinals. It was pretty funny, then the real show started with "Train Kept A Rollin'".  The set sagged a bit for me as it concentrated on more recent pop hits, but highlights came with "Last Child", "Come Together" and a strong ending of classics. The low point was probably Joe Perry's lame guitar duel with his Guitar Hero self on screen. Felt like nothing but a commercial to me.

One bummer about Fenway is how a great baseball seat puts you very far away from the stage which is setup in deep center field.  Also the volume is so low that anyone talking in the crowd around you can be heard over the band -- that never happens at true concert venues.

The climax for Aerosmith was the encore.  Steven Tyler appeared on top of the Green Monster at a white baby grand piano for an amazing version of "Dream On". It was a peak moment to be singing that song along with 38,000 other fans at Fenway.  He then ran back to the stage for the final song, "Walk This Way".

The surprise of the night was that there was no final jam welcoming some of the J. Geils Band. Steven Tyler had been saying for months what a fan of Peter Wolf he was, but they never appeared together. I would have bet anything that somebody was going to cover "Dirty Water."  Sunday, The Boston Globe and Herald both reported a heated argument between Wolf and Tyler at Fenway the night before the show. Tyler reportedly told Wolf not to use the stage ramp that goes out into the crowd. They argued over that and Tyler finally relented, but that seemed to kill any thought of doing something together.

I gotta say J. Geils won the night. Most fans I've heard from were disappointed in Aerosmith, mainly that the set did nothing special for such a cool homecoming night. Aside from the piano on the green monster, this was the same set list they've been on tour with. And if I was just to read body language - Steven Tyler and the rest of the band are far from friends, but without Tyler they've got no energy live.

I'd see J. Geils again in a heart beat, but Aerosmith seems to be flying on autopilot.

Aerosmith Set
01. Train Kept A Rollin'
02. Love In An Elevator
03. Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)
04. Livin' On The Edge
05. What It Takes
06. Pink  -- (I was regretting being there by this point)
07. Last Child
08. Cryin'
09. Rag Doll
--Guitar Hero Joe-- (DUMB)
10. Stop Messin' Around-- (with Joe's sons Tony & Adrian Perry. Nice for him, boring for us.)
11. I Don't Want To Miss A Thing  -- (This song makes me want to puke most of the time, but luckily a couple drunk guys in front of me serenaded each other. More entertaining than the actual song.)
12. Come Together
13. Sweet Emotion
14. Baby Please Don't Go
15. Draw The Line
Encore:
16. Dream On (atop the Green Monster! COOL)
17. Walk This Way

See what the Globe thought, and the Herald.

KISS: Still The Hottest Band in the Land

The current KISS tour is called "The Hottest Show On Earth," and it literally is.  From the opening pyro blasts as Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Tommy Thayer descend to the stage over Eric Singer's drum kit on Saturday night, I could not only feel the heat, but I could taste the flames down my throat. The people in front me flinched at every bomb blast all night long, and while I've never bothered with ear plugs, even I had to block my ears for the show-ending barrage of seemingly non-stop explosions. In other words; an AWESOME show.

We had great seats; 20th row on Gene's side of the stage. It was a fantastic crowd too.  The Comcast Center was the fullest I've seen it in a few years, and lots of people were in makeup. There were a few outstanding costumes too, including a perfect Eric Carr in our section. The age range in the audience was the widest I've ever seen; five to infinity. There were a couple of the oldest women I've ever seen at a show. I would have been surprised to see them at a movie, let alone a rock concert. All hunched over and barely moving, but one of them moved all the way down to her seat in the fourth row. Sick!

All the long established KISS theatrics were included; blood, fire, flying... and some new tricks including a bazooka.  As expected, the band sounded great and this probably is the best version of the band in terms of musicianship.  Paul's voice sounded a bit hoarse at times, not sure if was the sound of age, or an off night. There was one awkward moment at the end of "Black Diamond", after an extended finish timed to bomb blasts, the band stood in mid bow for a few moments, seemingly waiting for one big pyro cue. It never came and they eventually stood up and played a final chord. Looking forward to seeing them again on August 19 in Connecticut to verify whether that was a mistake or not. The set was a good mix of tunes from all the various KISS eras.

The show included a couple new musical tweaks, including Paul performing a good portion of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" during the intro to "Black Diamond," and the entire band playing a segment of the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" during "Lick it Up." This tour also features an epic six song encore, which is so much better than bands going on and off stage wasting everyone's time.

Ode To KISS

Tonight I'll be seeing KISS for the... wow, I've lost track of how many times I've seen them, but tonight will make them the first band I've seen in five different decades; the 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and now the 10's. This is an incarnation of the band I swore I wouldn't see and I've resisted all the tours since the "Farewell Tour" wrapped up in 2000.

I can still remember the first time I was introduced to KISS. I was in the fourth grade and someone brought "KISS Alive" to school and I was enthralled. I loved all the crazy rumors; Ace really was from space, Gene had a cow's tongue surgically attached to his own... Everyone I knew was a KISS fan when "Destroyer" was out and "Rock and Roll Over" was the first album that I knew the release date for and bought as soon as possible. KISS was my first concert (thanks Dad!), first poster, rock magazine, first music my parents didn't like... I fondly recall being amazed by the Paul Lynde Halloween TV special that featured KISS, then being horrified seeing them a few years later on the Tomorrow Show - Ace was wasted and had such a freaky voice, as did Paul, they didn't sound like the super humans they were in my mind. Years later, meeting them shattered the last of my childhood fantasies. I discovered Gene was quite an ass, and I was close enough to Paul to see the crotch pillow he crams down his pants -- that is an image seared into my brain forever no matter how much I want to forget it. But still the music and the emotion it brings back for me, make me unable to stay away for long (from the music that is, not Paul's crotch).

For those who aren't aware, today's KISS lineup does not include original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, but rather has people performing in their makeup. When I first saw KISS as a wee lad in 1978, one of my biggest fears was not really knowing if it was them or not. I worried that they would put anyone off the street in the makeup and costumes. Perhaps different fake Kiss's perform all over the world? How could I be sure this was Gene, Paul, Peter and Ace? Happily, I was close enough to the stage to see and believe it was indeed the four iconic rockers I worshiped. But that worry, that feeling that this is a trick, has made me skip the many tours Gene and Paul have cooked up since 2001 with drummer Eric Singer and lead guitarist Tommy Thayer playing the Peter and Ace roles. Eric was actually in KISS for a while in the 90's when they toured without makeup and Tommy was their road manager on the reunion tour. It was even his job to reteach Ace his own guitar solos.

I've wondered for the last few years, how many fans in the audience think they are seeing Peter and Ace? Do people chant Ace's name or Tommy's? Eric is now even singing Peter Criss's "Beth" -- that still reeks of blasphemy, but I will not judge until I see it. I've accepted that this may indeed be the best incarnation of the band in terms of musicianship. Peter and Ace often had problems playing live night after night due to medical and substance abuse issues, so I'm expecting to see a KISS that has never sounded better, plus they are playing some new songs off "Sonic Boom" that I've never heard live and plenty of old ones I haven't heard in quite a long time. They are even planning another new album early next year. Quite a change for band that seems to have more repackaged greatest hits collections than Elvis. Perhaps I'll be seeing them in a sixth decade too?  Stranger things have happened.

RUSH - (Hot Tub) Time Machine Tour

Last night I saw RUSH down at the Mohegan Sun Arena at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.  First off, what a great place for a concert. The arena holds less than 10,000 people and makes for the most intimate of arena tour stops.
This was my third time seeing Rush. I'm pretty much a casual fan, meaning I only know what I hear on the radio. The only album I own is Moving Pictures, which is why this was the Rush tour for me. Following the latest concert trend, they are performing Moving Pictures each night in its entirety. Rush has never been much of a hit with the ladies, but last night had the most girls I've ever seen at a Rush show. Of course, most of them were under twelve and were dragged to the show by their dads.
There was no opening act (yay!), just a sparse stage with a huge center video screen. The lights dimmed and the screen came to life with a funny video of some alternate universe with a dismal band called Rash. Rush's own Geddy Lee, Neil Peart, and Alex Lifeson were all in some pretty funny getups for a whole skit that resulted in the pressing of the wrong button on a time machine, and getting the proper version of Rush to the stage. After an hour+ of concert, the band took a brief intermission, then another video skit opened the second act. The band sounded great and some awesome bird's eye view cameras peered straight down onto Neil Peart's drum kit allowing the entire crowd to perfect their air drumming.
It never ceases to amaze me how so much excellent musicianship flows out of just three guys. Each member is among the very best in the world at their instrument. I even liked the two new songs they did from their forth coming album, Caravan.
The night ended with a hilarious surprise. After the band left the stage for good, the video screen came to life again with a shot back stage. Actors Paul Rudd and Jason Segel reprised their roles from the movie, "I Love You, Man", as Rush fans who sneak back stage and get busted by Rush. It was very funny and is the first time I can remember a video serving as the final encore. I Love You, Man is a very underrated comedy, and Rush is a major part of the plot. It is a must see for any Paul Rudd and/or Rush fan. Not to mentioned the excellent documentary Rush - Beyond the Lighted Stage [2 DVD] that was recently released. As I said, I'm just a casual fan, but I thought the doc was outstanding.

Check out the review from the Hartford Courant.

Edit this setlist | More Rush setlists

Boston Goes Gaga Over Lady Gaga

Friday night, July 2, 2010, was the concert most people couldn't believe I'd ever attend. In fact, most thought I was joking when I mentioned it, but I was indeed psyched for it and had a total blast! Yes, I love Lady Gaga. There, I said it. I'm out, and I will be a 'little monster' for life. When I first bought the tickets (my birthday gift to myself), I didn't own any of her music (that was a first in my 30+ years of concerts), but I'd been impressed every time I caught her on an awards show.  Then I checked out the videos for Poker Face and Bad Romance; I saw someone who was way more Marilyn Manson than Brittney Spears, more rock than pop, and I was hooked.
The show was amazing. Take Madonna, KISS, Broadway and The Wizard of Oz and throw it in a blender and you get a little taste of Lady Gaga's Monster Ball. Having a live band on stage made all the dance numbers a little more rockin' (which is what I hoped), but the spectacle; the multilevel stage set, the dozen back up dancers and singers, the rising platforms, crazed costumes, set pieces, 'fame monster', and more, made even the songs I didn't know enjoyable.
And the crowd, wow! I thought the best crowd watching was at an 80's metal show, now I know better. Guys and girls dress up for Gaga shows, and they do their best to pay homage to many of her craziest outfits. We saw lots of soda cans for hair curlers, and a few girls wearing nothing but police tape, plus lots of colorful wigs... a joyous insanity. Gaga tells her fans she loves them almost as much as Ozzy does, and I love her message of embracing your inner freak and going for it.
I'm embarrassed about how nuts I went when Telephone started, it was the first song I knew well, and I just loved Gaga's voice on Speechless and her new song You And I. She has a great rock and roll voice when she isn't all processed into a dance track that sounds like a dozen other women, and I hope to hear more of that in the future. Of course, Poker Face and Paparazzi had the entire place going absolutely nuts, and when everyone is one their feet, singing every word, it is very hard to tell the difference between a dance/pop act and a metal one. Seeing her perform Bad Romance live, complete with bra and panties that shoot sparks, is right up there with classic live moments like KISS doing Rock and Roll All Night, AC/DC doing Highway To Hell, and Metallica doing.... well, anything! Lori and I even liked the openers, Semi Precious Weapons--a collection of flamboyant, gay, punk mayhem featuring the all time great lyric; "I can't pay my rent, but I'm fucking gorgeous."

Lady Gaga set:
Dance in the Dark
Glitter and Grease
Just Dance
Beautiful Dirty Rich
Vanity
The Fame
Love Games
Boys Boys Boys
Money Honey
Telephone
Speechless
You and I
So Happy I Could Die
Monster
Teeth
Alejandro
Poker Face
Paparazzi
Bad Romance

Reviews of her July 1st Boston Show:
Boston Herald
Boston Globe

Courtney Love: Live and Well

Last night, Lori and I saw Hole and Foxy Shazam at the House of Blues in Boston (great place for a show, FYI). I've been a Hole fan ever since I heard their amazing "Live Through This" album back in 1994. In fact, I had tickets to see Hole on tour with Marilyn Manson in 1999, but Courtney pulled out of it after just a few dates. Though I wasn't sure what sort of performance we might get from the wildly unpredictable Ms. Love, I was  psyched to finally see them live - well it really is just Courtney and some hired hands; nobody from prior versions of Hole are in the band today.

I was thrilled with what we got. Courtney was funny, engaging, loose, and playful. I thought she sounded great. She said last night in Phili was her best sounding voice, and tomorrow in NJ will be her destroyed voice - so we got the best rock 'n roll voice. She had lots of interaction with the audience and debated with her band over the set list on multiple occasions, just seeming to wing it often, jamming and making up lyrics on the spot at the end of songs. She mentioned Kurt a couple times, even sang a line from "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at the end of "Awful", and teased "Dirty Water" (the rock and roll ode to Boston) repeatedly during the show. She said how much she loved Boston, more specifically people from Boston. We even learned that one of my favorite songs, "Doll Parts," was written in Boston; at Joyce's house--she asked if anyone knew Joyce. Nobody seemed to. By the end of the night she was showing off her $800 underwear. Ah! There was the Courtney I was expecting.

Opener, Foxy Shazam, was a bizarro blast of mayhem and energy, but they were far from loved by all. If Freddie Mercury had Gumby a love child who fronted Faith No More, you'd get something close to Foxy. Very fun band.

Next week: Lady Gaga!

Edit this setlist | More Hole setlists

Boston Herald Review: Love's a Hole 'nother animal

Concerts for 2010

Only a couple weeks ago it didn't look like the summer of 2010 would include any shows, but I'm happy to report that has turned around fast.
So far...

Hole with Foxy Shazam, June 23, House of Blues, Boston

Lady Gaga with Semi Precious Weapons, July 2, Garden, Boston
Rush, July 19, Mohegan Sun, CT
The Stompers and The Fools, July 30, Boston

KISS with The Envy and The Academy Is, Aug 7, Mansfield, MA
Aerosmith and J. Geils Band, Aug 14, Fenway Park
KISS, Aug 19, Mohegan Sun, CT
Apocalyptica, Aug 26, Royale, Boston

Roger Waters: The Wall, Sept 30, Garden, Boston

Rock of Ages - RULES!

"Rock of Ages", like... totally ROCKS. That didn't come as a surprise, but what did was that it was so much fun. The 80's LA metal scene inspired hit musical is a hilarious, raunchy, sexy, silly, karaoke-fest full of arena rock and strippers. I did not expect the R-rated comedy routine that this play is. It was especially delightful because some foolish parents had their 6 and 4 year-olds sitting in the second row, just inches from many lap dances over the course of the play. Fun stuff.
Constantine Maroulis of American Idol fame is the lead and does a fantastic job - as does every single performer in this metallic tour de force. Just some of the music featured includes Journey, Whitesnake, Poison, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Quiet Riot, Styx, Night Ranger, Pat Benatar plus the original track Beaver Hunt and more.
I knew I was going to eat it up from the moment I was inside the theater and was handed a fake lighter to illuminate for the ballads. The set design that replicated the Sunset Strip was amazing, and the opening taped VO featuring David Coverdale of Whitesnake (shit, I just saw Whitensake this summer!) giving the audience warnings about not being douche bags with their cell phones told me this was home.
I would see this again in a heartbeat and I'm thrilled by the rumors of it being turned into a movie. My favorite quote comes from The New Yorker, "Is there a Tony Award for Bad-assery?"



Woo hoo!! Less than 24 hours to LOST!!!

Back to the 80's

Hopped in the time machine last night and flash backed to the late 1980's as I caught Whitesnake and Judas Priest at the "New Name Every Year" Center in Mansfield Mass. Went with a buddy, Brian, I hadn't seen in about 20 years. He's the guy I went to dozens of shows with in high school and we recently reconnected thanks to Facebook.

This is definitely a rough year for concerts as the place looked to be maybe 1/3 full. I've never seen an emptier amphitheater for a show. But the bands didn't seem to notice. David Coverdale looked and sounded amazing and I had a total blast. They had every arena rock cliche going and I ate it all up and wanted more. This was my 6th time seeing Whitesnake and they were the main attraction for me, while Judas Priest is one of those rare bands I somehow never ended up seeing live before.

Judas Priest are playing their album, "British Steel", in its entirety this tour for its 30th anniversary. Never having owned it, I didn't really care - so my expectations were pretty low. But they rocked hard and put on a hellavu show. Even songs I didn't know sounded great. As they were all classic metal riffs, the head banging just kicked into autopilot. Plus I'm a total sucker for synchronized guitar moves, so it all worked for me. Certainly, a highlight in any metal fan's concert career is seeing Priest live for "Breaking The Law", "Living After Midnight" and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" -- those are just some all time great songs.

Funniest moment of the night - Priest's most recent album is all about Nostradamus and there was a chorus in "Prophecy" that goes "I am Nostradamus"; Brian thought Rob Halford was singing "I am not a thermos" -- could be a Spinal Tap hit.

WHITESNAKE Setlist
Bad Boys
Fool For Your Lovin'
Love Ain't No Stranger
Slow An' Easy
Lay Down Your Love (Guitar duel with Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich trading solos)
Cryin' In The Rain (with Drum solo)
Is This Love
Give Me All Your Love
Here I Go Again
Still Of The Night

JUDAS PRIEST setlist
Rapid Fire
Metal Gods
Breaking The Law
Grinder
United
You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise
Living After Midnight
The Rage
Steeler
The Ripper
Prophecy
Rock Hard, Ride Free
Victim Of Changes
Encore:
Freewheel Burning
Diamonds And Rust
You've Got Another Thing Comin'

The day after, my ears are ringing and my voice is shot. Proof of an excellent time. Next up show-wise, AC/DC at the end of the month and CrueFest in August. That's it for my shows this summer. But Fall/Winter will have KISS and as always... more METALLICA!!

Metallica Kicks German Ass

Random observations from Metallica show in Stuttgart Germany. Crowd was 90% male and I didn't spot a single family. Metallica's never been a big show with the ladies, but this is ridiculous and US shows are just full of families for the last few tours. The beers sold in the arena are HUGE - they would be pitchers in most US bars. The arena was very small. Not much more than a glorified hockey rink, no upper levels of seating - just the floor and one level of seats. I bet some high school gyms are bigger. It was stiffling hot and it seemed like everybody was smoking.
Very strange being in middle of crowd waiting for Metallica with everyone speaking German. I was wearing a Metallica shirt from the US tour that wasn't being sold here. Lots of people tried asking me about it - at least that's what I think they were doing. But once the show started I was jumping up and down with plenty of German youth screaming all the lyrics at the top of my lungs - good times. Matt and I were on the floor and it was general admission. We just hung back during Machine Head then moved into position - about 10 people away from the stage. I figured I'd last as long as I could then bail out for the some breathing room, but I kept riding the crowd closer and closer. I was just 4 or 5 people away for most of the show -- closest to the band since I saw them at The Filmore in San Fran a few years ago.
Each band member, except Lars, was right over us many times during the show. Lots of cool eye contact, close enough to read all of Jame's tattoos and enjoy Robert's many goofy faces. Being on the floor, this was more a show of survival than beging able to sit back and enjoy every song. Had to pay a lot of attention to your own safety with many mosh pits and crowd surfers - but it was all a blast. Was close enough to get my hands on a pick from Kirk and give a few smacks to the giant Metallica beach balls that dropped in the finale. Personal highlights were my first time hearing "The Wait" and "The Judas Kiss", plus it's been a long time since I heard "Wherever I May Roam" and that is just perfect to hear while traveling in Europe.
This winter I'll be seeing Metallica again back in Boston. WooHooo!!

Set List:
That Was Just Your Life
The End Of The Line
Creeping Death
Wherever I May Roam
One
Broken, Beat And Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
No Leaf Clover
The Judas Kiss
The Day That Never Comes
Master Of Puppets
Damage, Inc.
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
The Wait
Phantom Lord
Seek and Destroy


I was right around the guys holding this sign all night. You can see half of Matt's mug to the left. Think I'm behind the banner.

Metallica Rocks Newark

We made the 4 hour drive down to Newark to see Metallica last night. This was my 25th show and 7th state for seeing the mighty Metallica. They only played one show in New England on this tour, that was just unacceptable. I am so glad we made the trip. Even though I was very pleased with the Boston show, this one blew it away. The energy level, the interplay and fun in the band, our seats and view... all just made for an amazing show. In my Boston review I remarked on the fact of much less pyro than prior years, well that was true just for that show. For some reason Boston didn't allow all the flames that were flying high, often and in one case a little longer than they were supposed to in Newark. Also unlike Boston, the floor was general admission last night and having some pits break out makes such a difference in the overall energy level of the building. Got a couple songs different from two weeks ago; Ride The Lightening, the very rare cover Bliztgreig plus a tease of the instrumental Suicide and Redemption.

Our seats were about the same distance from the stage as in Boston, but we weren't on the floor so could actually see the whole band and stage show this time; all the lasers, pryo and lights. What a difference. Just a great show, great crowd... I was just going off so much... sweat was flying from bald head from the first song and splattering on the girl in front of me. Deal with it baby! My neck and voice are way more shot today than after the Boston gig. Some of the new songs sounded just fantastic last night, with the whole crowd screaming out every word - especially on All Nightmare Long and Cyanide. One lucky 10 year old got plucked out of the crowd and joined Lars on drums to start of Seek and Destroy. It is in that final song that dozens of black Metallica beach balls get dumped from the rafters, and last night while James was running along kicking a bunch of balls into the crowd he fell down. He bounced up quick, laughing at himself. Then he and Robert did some seal tricks bouncing balls off each others' heads.
Before Metallica started we were talking with everyone around us. People were trading stories about how many times they'd seen the band. There were a ton of Metalli-virgins. I just said "I saw them with Cliff" and that conversation ended with a hush of admiration. Newark was the last stop on the US tour and band heads off to Europe after a short break. I'm hoping to score tickets to see them in Germany this May.

Set List
That Was Just Your Life
The End Of The Line
Ride The Lightning
For Whom the Bell Tolls
One
Broken, Beat And Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
...And Justice For All
All Nightmare Long
The Day That Never Comes
Master Of Puppets
Battery
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
partial jam of Suicide and Redemption
Blitzkrieg
Hit The Lights
Seek and Destroy

METALLICA - Jan 18, 2009 - Boston

Big surprise - Metallica kicked ass last night. This was my 24th time seeing them and I'm definitely spoiled because our 11th row seats were a slight disapointment. I'd never been on the floor and been that far from Metallica and the Garden security kept people in their seats and the aisles open. The floor was general admission on this tour everywhere but Boston.

Due to a fresh 8 inches of snow Sunday and the forecast for more overnight we decided to take the commuter rail into Boston. There is a stop on my street but I'd never even thought of using it for concerts before. That was Lori's great idea. The schedule fit perfect, we'd drive a quarter mile and take the train which would have us at the Garden for 7pm and the last train out left at 11:30pm and had us home at 12:30am, all for the cost of just parking in Boston.

The weather slowed things down a little bit and we didn't see the first opening band, The Sword. I don't know them enough to care, maybe I'll check them out at the Newark show on the 31st. The t-shirt booths were in total disarray, I'd never seen such a mess at any show. Every booth we different, most shirts weren't on display at all and some vendors didn't know the prices yet so refused to sell anything. Big mess. It was about this time another first happened...

I lost my ticket. In between showing it to an usher to see how we get to the floor and a scrum around a t-shirt booth, I realized I no longer had it. After a few seconds of high anxiety... I see a ticket on the ground a few feet away. I go pick it up and it was mine. Whew... It wasn't like I was gonna get thrown out as we were already in the building, but there was no way I'd be able to get to my floor seat without that ticket.

We joined the crowds gathered around TVs showing the Steelers - Ravens game and just listened to Machine Head while we watched the NFL playoffs. Half time came, Machine Head ended and we headed to the floor.

Metallica burst on stage in a flurry of lasers. This tour is their first extensive use of lasers and the show had much less pyro than previous years. They ripped into the two lead tracks off Death Magnetic. It took the first song to really settle into place and realize that security wasn't going to let me move closer. I moved Lori to the aisle so she could see something. As cool as the center stage is, it is tough to see anything for the shorter folks. By time End of the Line kicked in, the band and me were totally in the zone and never let up. Some of my favorite new songs sounded awesome live and even the couple songs I didn't love were better live. I was so surprised to hear Justice for All (Don't think I've heard that live in its entirety since the Damaged Justice tour back in 1989) that I didn't even recognize its intro. We were in great position for a few songs with James right in front of us for Day That Never Comes, Sandman and more. It was about halfway through the show that I realized James wasn't swearing to the extent he always had for years, in fact he hadn't sworn at all. Not sure if this started on the last tour or not, but I finally noticed.

Then came another first for me. Metallica was supposed to hit the stage at 8:55 and be done for 11pm. But they didn't go on until 9:15 -- I knew this might put our train ride home in jeopardy so told Lori we'd leave at 11:15 no matter what.

Well at 11:15 it was just encore time... Thanks to MetOnTour.com I knew the set lists of every show this tour and knew the first of the three encore songs was always a short one. We got Stone Cold Crazy, the Queen cover - so I knew we were safe to hear that. I also knew every show finished with Seek and Destroy. It was now 11:17 - and they started Hit The Lights, a rare song I think I'd only heard back at the Filmore show in 2003. I couldn't leave now! So at ll:20 with Lori tugging on my sleeve I start the walk of shame and for the first time EVER - and I swear NEVER AGAIN! - I left with Metallica still playing. As we exited the building I heard Hit The Lights stop and knew Seek was next. I tried to console myself with the fact that I'd be seeing them again in 13 days, and I was too far away to end up with a pick or anything at the end of the show. And we made our train with 5 minutes to spare. 5 minutes I could've spent with Metallica!!! Still an awesome show, fantastic night and my neck and throat are sore as shit... all is well.

SET LIST
That Was Just Your Life
The End Of The Line
Harvester Of Sorrow
For Whom the Bell Tolls
One
Broken, Beat And Scarred
Cyanide
Sad But True
...And Justice For All
All Nightmare LongThe Day
That Never Comes
Master Of Puppets
Battery
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman
- - - - - - - -
Stone Cold Crazy
Hit The Lights
Seek and Destroy


Photos courtesy MetOnTour.com

Boston Globe: Metallica rocks the Garden with power and passion

Boston Herald: Full metal Metallica