George Thorogood Brought Rock-a-Billy back to Orlando March 10, 2020

George Thorogood and The Destroyers braved the current virus scare and brought The Destroyers to Hard Rock Live at Universal Studios Orlando, Florida on March 10, 2020. It’s been three years since Orlando has seen George in his 45 year career. It was a chilly Tuesday night and the crowd was scarce. That didn’t deter those who packed the venue to see this rock and roll icon. His fans loved every minute of the show and failed to leave even after the house lights came up hoping for one more encore. MNPR Magazine sent Mark Horan of MarkHoran.Pictures LLC to cover the show and put it into his words.

I have seen George Thorogood and The Destroyers spanning five decades and a total of nine different shows. From performing as an opening act on The Rolling Stones 1981 Tattoo You Tour in front of 70,000 in attendance at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California to playing in a cafeteria high rise just months later to just over 100 people, George Thorogood always plays his heart out and leaves no one feeling they haven’t gotten their money’s worth.

It was a treat to see Nick Schnebelen Band with his brand of Blues Funk as the opening act on this bill. Nick Schnebelen is not an unknown. Nick was a part of the band Trampled Under Foot with his brother and sister. Trampled Under Foot won the International Blues Challenge in 2008, and their 2013 release “Badlands” won “Contemporary Blues Album of the Year” in 2014. Trampled Under Foot disbanded in 2015 and Nick Schnebelen went out on his solo career. His debut album “Crazy All By Myself” was released in 2019 covering different genres ranging from Blues, Rock, Funk, to Soul.

Nick Schnebelen quickly got the crowd involved as he played a high tempo set and engaged the Hard Rock crowd between songs. His guitar abilities were exceptional. I couldn’t help but to compare him to the energy of George Thorogood when he wore a younger man’s cloths. I would love to see Nick Schnebelen again playing a longer set as I have the sneaking suspicion there was a lot more he could give in a different setting. I was left wanting more and I’m sure I wasn’t alone.

Band:

·        Nick Schnebelen - Guitar

·        Cliff Moore - Bass Guitar

·        Adam Hagerman - Drums

At about 10 minutes past 9:00 pm, the house light dimmed. The stage was mostly dark and a recording of “Eve Of Destruction” by Barry McGuire started playing through the P.A. system. This is George Thorogood and The Destroyers signature to start off their show. The song ended and George came out from stage left with a headband, sunglass, and dressed in black. He slowly strolled to the open microphone center stage as he strapped on a black Epiphone guitar staring at the crowd as they cheered wildly. Then pausing and taking in the applause, he belted out, “How Sweet It Is!” This is another signature George Thorogood uses at the start of the show. Immediately the band broke into “Rock Party”. The next song in the set was the Bo Diddly’s “Who Do You Love” a favorite of mine over the years. I knew it was going to be a special night. At some point the sunglasses came off and later the headband was discarded.

A Destroyers show isn’t complete without “Bad to The Bone” culminating a peak in the show. Then George went off stage as the band played on. He returned after changing in to a black Destroyers t-shirt. Without a guitar in hand he sang “Twenty Dollar Gig” showcasing the talented saxophonist Buddy Leach. Next he strapped on a white Epiphone and completed the set with the Hank Williams cover “Move it On Over.” George and the band then vacated the stage. After two or three minutes, they returned to play “Born To Be Bad” as an encore.

Reflecting on the show with my past experiences of attending George Thorogood and The Destroyers concerts, things on the surface didn’t seem right. You must understand, to this day if anyone has ever asked me in the 45 years of concerts going who was the best? “A George Thorogood show,” has always been my response. No artist has ever impressed me by genuinely putting it all out there in a performance as George. Incredible energy and stage presence unequaled.

Then reality made me a little ashamed that I was comparing the performances over the years. This man is 70 years old not 30 anymore. He is still going strong! Hell, he has more energy than I do, and he is 10 years older! I can see him still performing at 80 God willing. It’s a show you don’t want to miss. As long as he is performing nearby, neither will I.

Band:

·        George Thorogood – lead vocals and lead guitar

·        Jeff Simon – drums, percussion (1973–present)

·        Billy Blough – bass guitar (1976–present)

·        Jim Suhler – rhythm guitar (1999–present)

·        Buddy Leach – saxophone, piano (2003–present)

Setlist:

1.    Intro: Eve of Destruction Recording (Barry McGuire)

2.    Rock Party

3.    Who Do You Love?  (Bo Diddley cover)

4.    Shot Down  (The Sonics cover)

5.    Night Time  (The Strangeloves cover)

6.    I Drink Alone

7.    House Rent Blues / One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer  (John Lee Hooker cover)

8.    Gear Jammer

9.    Get a Haircut

10.       Bad to the Bone

11.       Twenty Dollar Gig

12.       Move It on Over  (Hank Williams cover)

Encore:

13.       Born to Be Bad

Queensryche Ended The Verdict Tour at The Plaza Live – Orlando, Florida February 27, 2020

The last stop of Queensryche’s  The Verdict tour was at The Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida on February 27, 2020. As is customary for most heavy rock concerts at The Plaza Live, this was a general admission show.  The floor was about half full, but the balcony was sold-out, likely because of the more mature audience, as Queensryche has been around for 30 years. The tour supporting the band’s 15th album, “The Verdict”  began two months earlier in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and covered the country with 28 shows in 15 states. Supporting Queensryche were Eve to Adam and John 5.

 Eve to Adam, formed in 1997 in New York, opened the show promptly at 8:00 pm, spilling their energy into the crowd. They made it clear that they are a serious, high energy rock-n-roll band with their six song set, ending with the bands highest charting single, “Immortal”, which broke the top 15 on the Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart in 2014. This band just plain rocked out – a great opening band to wake up the crowd.

Band:

Taki Sassaris Lead Vocals

Jeff Raines- Drums  

Ronny Gutierrez – Guitar

Ilyn Nathaniel – Bass

Setlist:

1. Altitude

2. Lucky

3. Locked & Loaded

4. No Easy Way Out (Robert Tepper cover)

5. Day Drinking

6. Immortal

Next up was the outrageous performance of John 5. From the blown-up castle stage entrance to John 5’s stage makeup, the thing that was almost overlooked was he musical ability. John 5 is an amazing guitar player.

Having the theatrical genius of Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie on his resume, John 5’s performance was unforgettable. At times, there were actors in blowup suites on stage, colored balloons were released, and a cannon blasted a confetti cloud as John 5 stood on the barrier amidst the frenzied fans.

The set was entirely instrumental as John 5 played guitar, mandolin, and banjo. He even played his guitar with a cello bow. Every moment of the show was a Kodak moment and, as a reviewer, every time I thought I was done shooting, another event on stage had me raising the camera to my eye.

As a lover of great electric guitar playing, I was blown away by John 5’s performance and his ability. Looking back on what I witnessed, a smile still permeates my lips. “Wow!” is all I have to say.

Band:

John 5 – Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin
Ian Ross – Bass
Logan Nix – Drums

Setlist:

1. Robot Invasion Warning

2. Crank It – Living With Ghosts (John 5 and The Creatures cover)

3. Six Hundred and Sixty Six Pickers in Hell, CA

4. Zoinks! (John 5 and The Creatures cover)

5. Hell Haw I.G.R. (John 5 and The Creatures cover)

6. Howdy (John 5 and The Creatures cover)

7. Season of the Witch (John 5 and The Creatures cover)

8. First Victim

9. The Black Grass Plague (John 5 and The Creatures cover)

10. I Am John 5

11. Cactus Flower

12. Limelight / Fly by Night / Thunder Kiss ’65 / The Beautiful People / Spoonman / Dr. Feelgood / Unchained / I’m Broken / Walk

With 15 albums selling over 20 million copies combined, Queensryche is considered a heavy metal powerhouse. They took the stage amidst smoke cannons blasting, and exploded into “Operation: Mindcrime”, from the 1988 gold album of the same name.  

In their 30 year history, the only remaining original members are Michael Wilton on guitar, and bass player Eddie Jackson. Todd LaTorre replaced lead singer Geoff Tate in 2012, and his tone and range kept the integrity of the band’s sound. Following a 14 song set that included the Grammy nominated hit “Silent Lucidity,” they came out and did a four song encore, ending the evening with “Eyes of a Stranger.”

It was a very polished show from a mature band with a great library of music, in an up-close-and-personal setting. Queensryche is going strong and will likely be around for another decade, as they are still putting out great music. You can catch Queensryche in Las Vegas for nine shows in July during “SCORPIONS ‘Sin City Nights’ Las Vegas Residency With QUEENSRŸCHE

Band:

Todd LaTorre – Lead Vocals
Michael Wilton – Guitar
Eddie Jackson – Bass
Casey Grillo – Drums
Parker Lundgren – Guitar

Setlist:

1. Prophecy

2. Operation: Mindcrime

3. Walk in the Shadows

4. Resistance

5. Man the Machine

6. Take Hold of the Flame

7. Bent

8. The Needle Lies

9. Dark Reverie

10. The Mission

11. Silent Lucidity

12. Jet City Woman

13. Screaming in Digital

14. Queen of the Reich

Encore:

1. No Sanctuary

2. Light-years

3. Empire

4. Eyes of a Stranger

Billy Joel heads South For The Winter at The Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida February 7, 2020

Billy Joel once again escaped the cold and snow of the northeast to perform in Tampa, Florida on Friday night, February 7th, and their loss was definitely our gain. The Amalie Arena was packed to the rafters with a crowd of young and old, 23,000 strong to see this performance and song writing icon. MNPR Magazine dispatched Mark Horan of MarkHoran.Pictures LLC to cover the show. And what a show it was!

Billy Joel has been performing the past five decades and is blowing into a sixth with the energy a man 20 years younger would envy. I was lucky enough to see Billy Joel before the world really knew who he was. Back then, he was the opening band for The Michael Stanley Band, with a ticket price of just $7.00. The show was in a small theater in Akron, Ohio in 1977, just a few months before he released the blockbuster album “The Stranger.” The rest, of course, is musical history.

The Tampa show was scheduled at 8pm but was delayed about 15 minutes for unknown reasons. The stage was darkened with a few lights so the band could take their places. When the lights finally came up. Billy was front and center with a guitar as the band burst into “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” It was a nice change, the show starting with Billy on his feet and playing guitar, as this song is usually toward the end of the show. With photographers usually only allowed to shoot the first three songs of the set, pictures of Billy Joel on guitar are few and far between. At that point I knew it was going to be a special night.

After the first song, Billy asked the crowd what they wanted to hear? Should he take requests? Or should he play his greatest hits? Or maybe just play Led Zeppelin covers the entire night. The capacity crowd cheered as they knew he was teasing them and just having a good time. As Billy settled behind the black grand piano in his customary position, the crowd settled into their seats. This didn’t last long as the love affair with Billy Joel’s greatest hits continually brought the crowd to their feet as they danced and sang along during the entirety of the show.

There is always a twist or special guest at a Billy Joel concert, and this night was no different. The band played four covers: “I Feel Fine” by The Beatles, and ZZ Top‘s “Tush”, which segued into “The River of Dreams” and “Rock N Roll” by Led Zeppelin during the final song, “You May Be Right.” But the highlight of the show was the singing of “Nessun dorma,” from the Opera Turandot, sung by the rhythm guitar player, Mike DelGuidice. The audience went crazy and I’m sure even Luciano Pavarotti would have been on his feet after that performance.

From beginning to the end, some two and a half hours later, everyone in attendance was grinning from ear to ear and praying the show would never end. But, after 21 of Billy Joel’s greatest hits, the show was over. Billy, not wanting the night to end himself, came back on stage to perform a four song encore that absolutely brought down the house. Starting first with his signature strutting on stage during “Uptown Girl” then twirling his microphone stand like a college drum major during “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”, which featured Mark Rivera on the tenor saxophone. Billy settled at the piano, banging out “Big Shot”, as the black grand piano rotated around to give everyone in the house a great view of the one and only Piano Man. Finally, the night wouldn’t have been complete without “You May Be Right”, with a bit of Led Zeppelin mixed in for good measure.

I was exhausted by the end of the show, but Billy looked as though he could go on for another hour as “The Entertainer” is truly ageless, even at the young age of seventy! His show is timeless and very entertaining for all ages!

Band:

Billy Joel – Vocals, Piano, Harmonica, Guitar

Mike DelGuidice – Guitar, Vocals
Tommy Byrnes – Guitar

Schuyler Deale – Bass

David Rosenthal – Keyboards

Crystal Taliefero – Percussion

Mark Rivera – Saxophone

Chuck Burgi – Drums

Setlist:

1. We Didn’t Start the Fire

2. My Life

3. The Entertainer

4. Zanzibar

5. Vienna

6. Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)

7. Summer, Highland Falls

8. Don’t Ask Me Why

9. The Downeaster Alexa

10. Say Goodbye to Hollywood

11. New York State of Mind

12. Modern Woman

13. She’s Always a Woman

14. Allentown

15. I Feel Fine (The Beatles cover)

16. Sometimes a Fantasy

17. Only the Good Die Young

18. The River of Dreams (with ‘Tush’ by ZZ Top interlude)

19. Nessun dorma (Giacomo Puccini cover)

20. Scenes From an Italian Restaurant

21. Piano Man

Encore:

1. Uptown Girl

2. It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me

3. Big Shot

4. You May Be Right (‘Rock and Roll’ by Led Zeppelin )

Dirty Honey with The Amazons take on the Dixie Roadhouse in Cape Coral, FL, January 24, 2020

Dirty Honey with special guest The Amazons filled the Dixie Roadhouse in Cape Coral Friday night, January 24, 2020. The Dixie Roadhouse is a country style bar with a modern feel. This isn’t one of those dives out of the movies—the types you see with chicken wire blocking the stage from errant bottles thrown by rowdy drunks—the space is modern and charming with purple lighting and flickering chandeliers throughout, and the echoes of classic Americana hung in eclectic fashion on every wall. Those in attendance were treated to seeing Dirty Honey up close and personal for quite possibly the last time as they head to larger venues as they gain popularity. MNPR Magazine sent Mark and Matthew Horan of MarkHoran.Pictures, LLC on a road trip to Cape Coral in Southwest Florida to catch the beginning of “The Rolling 7’s Tour.”

 The Amazons took the stage at 8pm to a half-filled room. Lead singer, Matt Thomson, appeared, dressed in an ostentatious suit that seemed to be something borrowed from the closet of David Bowie. Stitched with rhinestones that caught the stage lights, the jacket and pants were covered in stars and a skull with a snake weaving out from one eye on each breast pocket. The Amazon’s drum kit inexplicitly stated “Floss is Boss” to the crowd. Their music is lively and entertaining, sounding both new and familiar at once, and singer Matt Thomson has an impressive range and falsetto to boot.  The British band is touring the United States in support of their second album, “Future Dust”, which was released in May 2019. Their first release, “The Amazons”, released in 2017 charted to #8 in the UK.

Band:

Matt Thomson: Lead Vocals – Guitar
Chris Alderton: Guitars
Elliot Biggs: Bass
Joe Emmett: Drums

Setlist:

1. Fuzzy Tree

2. Mother

3. 25

4. Stay With Me

5. In My Mind

6. Doubt It / In My Time of Dying  (Blind Willie Johnson cover)

7. Junk Food Forever

8. Black Magic

Dirty Honey came on stage to an eager crowd at about 9:15pm. They started right in with the hard hitting lead guitar of John Notto and the opening riffs of “Scars.” Notto classifies Dirty Honey’s sound as “New Fashioned Rock ‘n’ Roll.” To me it sounds like the Rock N’Roll I grew up on and I’m thankful it’s back.

Marc LaBelle’s vocals and stage persona are what a rock n’ roll front man is all about. Wearing his signature top hat and flashing his mischievous grin, he is instantly a fan favorite as he uses the entire stage belting out lyrics in an almost Robert Plant/Axl Rose fashion. But, his voice and range are truly his own.

The crowd can tell that these guys love playing with each other. The energy they give off is almost something tangible that spreads out from the stage and into the crowd. They moved from the first song directly into “Break You” second, and then to “Fire Away”, third. This was followed by the rest of the band taking a short break while Corey Coverstone showed off his impressive skills on the drums, playing a complex solo that went on for several minutes. The music continued and the energy kept itself heightened to that “jam band” level. The band is here to have fun, and you are too. This is how rock n’roll is meant to be. By the end of their set, each band member will take a turn between songs showing off the depth of their skill with a solo. Each time, the crowd cheers them on and the sheer talent of each player is absolutely indisputable.

In 2019, the band toured as the opening band for The Who, Guns N’ Roses, Skillet and Alter Bridge. After storming to number one on Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in 2019 with “When I’m Gone”, making Dirty Honey the first unsigned band ever topping the charts, Dirty Honey is back in 2020 with great momentum. Things have changed since then and in 2020 they are headlining their own tour, the “Rolling 7’s” tour.

The rhythm section of bass player Justin Smolian and Corey Coverstone on drums round out this hard hitting band that was destined for #1 right out of the gate. It has been just over four months since I have seen and reviewed Dirty Honey. They were billed as the opening band then on their way to stardom. It has been 30 years since I have heard and seen any band this good. They reminded me instantly of a cross between The Black Crowes and Guns N’ Roses with a little stage presence of Aerosmith. Get out and support this band and rock n roll’s bright future and you will be glad you did.

Band:

Marc LaBelle: Lead Vocals
John Notto: Guitars
Justin Smolian: Bass
Corey Coverstone: Drums

Setlist:

1. Scars

2. Break You

3. Fire Away

4. The Wire

5. Heartbreaker

6. Drum Solo

7. Down the Road

8. Don’t Drink the Water

9. Last Child (Aerosmith cover)

10. Guitar solo

11. When I’m Gone

12. Bass solo / Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin cover)

13. Rolling 7s

Anberlin Exploded The Stage of The House of Blues Orlando, Friday Night December 20, 2019

Friday night, December 20, 2019 was a homecoming, or a band reunion, if you will at the House of Blues Orlando. The majority in attendance came to see the Central Florida band, Anberlin.  After seven studio albums and over a million records sold, the band broke up in 2014, reuniting in 2018.

First to hit the stage at 7:00pm was Carrollhood, a band composed of Anberlin’s Drummer, Nathan Young, who was also a past member of Yellowcard, Tim McTague, of the band Underoath, and Reed Murry, formally of Say Anything. Carrollwood took to a dark stage which remained very dark their entire set. It was impossible to see who was actually behind the drum kit. The 3-piece band rocked out as the House of Blues crowd continued to fill up to a near capacity. Their set was short and sweet, lasting about 30 minutes.

Band:

Tim McTague – Guitar

Nathan Young – Drums

Reed Murray – Keyboards

The next band up was Loose Talk, who came on stage at 7:40pm. This is a side project for 3 members of Anberlin: Christian McAlhaney, Deon Rexroat, and drummer, Nathan Young. Loose Talk started when Anberlin disbanded in 2014. Their stage seemed to be lit a little better than the opening band, but still very dark. They were very tight, and it was evident they had been playing together for some time. Their newest single “Iron Heel” was just released, and a new EP is scheduled to be released in 2020. The highlight of the set was the third song that featured the vocals of the mysterious Geri X on “Change”. Loose Talk is categorized as a punk band with hard hitting drums and lyrics.

 Band:

Deon Rexroat – Bass

Christian McAlhaney – Guitar

Nathan Young – Drums

Geri X – Vocals

Setlist:

1. Goin’ Down South

2. Break the Boy

3. Change (with Geri X)

4. Another Place

5. Iron Heel

6. Time Is Not on Your Side

Ryan Key of Yellowcard came out at 8:20pm. Joining him onstage was former base player and singer/songwriter of Yellowcard, Peter Mosley. The two played a 45-minute acoustic set. Yellowcard was a punk band, but the songs on this night had a different flair being performed on acoustic guitars with the audience singing every verse. Key said that originally, he was planning on performing alone then he ran into Peter and their reunion was magical. The stage was well lit, and the two performed as one. They played from the Yellowcard catalog. This was a nice change of pace as the night had two loud and dark punk bands proceeding this duo.

Band:

Ryan Key – Acoustic Guitar

Peter Mosley – Acoustic Guitar

Setlist:

1. Empty Apartment (Yellowcard song)

2. Rough Landing, Holly (Yellowcard song)

3. Light Up the Sky (Yellowcard song)

4. Way Away (Yellowcard song)

5. With You Around (Yellowcard song)

6. Lights and Sounds (Yellowcard song)

7. Only One (Yellowcard song)

8. Ocean Avenue (Yellowcard song)

At approximately 9:30pm, Anberlin exploded on stage with extravagant lighting and high energy. Lead singer Stephen Christian covered the entire stage in perpetual motion. The crowd was in a frenzy, as this is what they had paid admission to see. Their excitement was feeding off the performance in front of them. During the third song, Christian left the stage and climbed the barrier, singing with the audience during “Paperthin Hymm.” It was a magical moment as the admiration was mutual between him and the fans.

I spoke to fans in the front row as we waited for Anberlin to take the stage. The excitement was real and there were youngsters in the audience experiencing their first concert. Previously, the band was labelled a Christian band, but Anberlins’ members dismiss that definition in interviews:  “A Christian Band? Members can have Christian faith, but can a band have faith?”

I had not seen this band when they were at the peak of their fame, and it’s hard to imagine that they ended it in 2014. Maybe a four-year hiatus was just what they needed, and I can see that this band still has a lot in the tank for their future. With seven studio albums recorded, over a million sold, and a strong fanbase, they definitely have paid their dues. On this night, 2,000 in attendance welcomed them back. This seasoned band is going strong and their time is now.

Band:   

Stephen Christian – Vocals, Guitar
Deon Rexroat – Bass
Joseph Milligan – Guitar
Nathan Young – Drums
Christian McAlhaney – Guitar

Setlist:

1. Godspeed

2. Never Take Friendship Personal

3. Paperthin Hymn

4. Hello Alone

5. Time & Confusion

6. A Day Late

7. Impossible

8. (The Symphony of) Blasé

9. Inevitable

10. Take Me (As You Found Me)

11. The Haunting

12. The Unwinding Cable Car

13. Art of War

14. Other Side

15. We Are Destroyer

16. Self-Starter

17. Someone Anyone

18. The Resistance

19. Repair.

20. Feel Good Drag

Encore:

1. (*Fin)

MNPRmagazine Published Review of Anberlin

Blackberry Smoke Brings in The New Year at House of Blues Orlando, Florida December 31, 2019

House of Blues Orlando, Florida rocked in the New Year, December 31, 2019, with Blackberry Smoke’s “Till the Wheels Fall Off Tour”, supported by Bishop Gunn from Natchez, Mississippi. House of Blues Orlando is located in Disney Springs at The Walt Disney World Resort. The night was abuzz at Disney Springs, and inside the House of Blues, it was magical.

Doors opened at 8:30 pm, two hours later than usual to accommodate the traditional, New Year’s Eve midnight countdown. Bishop Gunn came on stage at 9:30 and played a 10-song set with great emotion and intensity. Travis McCready’s vocals had a bluesy tone and the range high enough to cover “Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin. Bishop Gunn started their set with “Shine,” a country blues song of the South, shining through in a Wilson Pickett flair, from their first album “Natchez” released in May 2018.

In 2018 Rolling Stone Magazine included Bishop Gunn in their “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know.” I’m not quite sure I would match their genre as country. They definitely got my attention and all those in attendance loved their performance.

 Band:

Travis McCready – Vocals, Harmonica, Guitar
Drew Smithers – Guitar
Burne Sharp – Drums
Ben Lewis – Bass

Setlist:

1. Shine

2. On My Way

3. What it Do

4. Sadder Days

5. Silver Street

6. Baby What You Want Me to Do

7. Anything You Want

8. Turn the Page

9. Mother Music

10. Ramble On (Led Zeppelin Cover)

At about 10:45, Blackberry Smoke started their show, combining country, southern rock and blues songs in their set. Over the past 20 years, Blackberry Smoke has gained a wide audience and become a huge fan favorite. Charting number one on both country and rock charts in the US and UK, Blackberry Smoke has had success in multiple genres of music.This night was special, being New Year’s Eve at The Walt Disney World Resort. The crowd was in great spirits, and there were smiles and waves to and from the stage. Charlie Starr has the perfect southern rock voice and he opened the show, belting out “Lord Strike Me Dead” from their 2018 release, “Find A Light.” The tour addition of Benji Shanks as a third guitar next to lead guitarist Paul Jackson, and Preston Holcomb on percussion backing up the steady Brit Turner on drums made a great lineup. Rounding out the rest of band were Richard Turner on bass and Brandon Still on keys, giving Blackberry Smoke a fuller sound synonymous with southern rock bands.

The night and their set seemed to quickly race to the inevitable New Year’s Eve countdown. Charlie Starr started the count down around 15 seconds before midnight. The confetti cannons blasted the hall from top to bottom as the crowd cheered the new year and the band paused on stage for the celebration. The confetti filled the air from my vantage point in the balcony as the fans below with outstretched hands snatched the twisting colored paper out of the air. It was a magical moment I won’t forget. I left the show wanting more, but there is always 2020 as Blackberry Smoke tours and performs about 250 shows a year. I will look forward to seeing them this coming year, as I have never been disappointed in their performances.  

Band:

Charlie Starr – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Richard Turner – Bass, Vocals
Brit Turner – Lead Drums
Paul Jackson – Guitar, Vocals
Brandon Still – Keyboards

Benji Shanks – Guitar

Preston Holcomb – Percussion

Setlist:

1. Lord Strike Me Dead

2. Run Away

3. Nobody Gives A Damn

4. Payback’s a Bitch

5. Good One Comin’ On

6. Pretty Lil Lie

7. Living In The Song

8. Lucky Seven

9. Sleeping Dogs

10. Holy Ghost

11. Naturally

12. Mississippi Half Step

13. Up in Smoke

14. Lay it All On Me

15. Ain’t Got The Blues

16. One Horse Town

17. Even The Losers

18. Ramblin’ Man

Encore:

1. Flesh N Bones

2. Deep Elem

3. Ain’t Much Left of Me

MNPRmagazine.com review of Blackberry Smoke

Merry Christmas from Lindsey Stirling at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre December 19, 2019

Lindsey Stirling brought Christmas with her “Warmer In The Winter” tour to Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando, Florida, Thursday night December 19, 2019 with her four dancing majorettes. The ballet/violin extravaganza delighted the sold out crowd from the moment the majorettes meandered through the crowd, posing for selfies with the audience, to the last song of the set, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”. She also played a one song encore “I Wonder as I Wander” that kept the crowd in their seats just a bit longer.

When they returned to the stage, the dancing majorettes brought a man from the audience with them, starting a can can line complete with high leg kicks. The gentleman tried to keep up to the amusement of the audience. The ladies then started ringing bells, signaling the entrance of the star attraction. They continued to ring for a minute or two until suddenly, the sound of a lone violin filled the air of the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre. Still no visual of Lindsey, as the crowd twisted and turned in their seats trying to determine the origin of the music. Then, a side door to the theater opened and Lindsey appeared, playing her violin and dressed as a drum majorette complete with a plumed hat. The audience was mesmerized as she made her way to the stage, opening with Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”.

If you haven’t seen Lindsey Stirling perform, you are missing great entertainment. Piers Morgan got it so wrong on America’s Got Talent when, during season five, he told her that her violin sounded like “cats being strangled” and that she couldn’t combine dance with playing the violin. She now has over 12 million YouTube subscribers, making her channel “Lindsey Stirling”,  one of the sites highest paid channels. I first saw Lindsey play Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” on YouTube a few years back and was moved to tears.  I don’t think I have seen another video that encapsulates Christmas any better. I am awestruck every time I see her perform, and her Christmas program was simply the best.  Get out and see this show! Or any show that Lindsey performs, as she is a once in a lifetime performer.

Band:

Lindsey Stirling – Violin

Drew Steen – drums, percussion

Kit Nolan – keyboards, guitars

1. All I Want for Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey cover)

2. Christmas C’mon

3. Let It Snow

4. Warmer in the Winter

5. Jingle Bell Rock (Bobby Helms cover)

6. I Saw Three Ships / God Rest ‘Ye Merry Gentlemen

7. Jingle Bells / Deck the Halls / It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas / Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer / Hedwig’s Theme / Feliz Navidad / The Devil Went Down to Georgia (Performed on Kids’ Instruments)

8. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen cover)

9. Angels We Have Heard on High ([traditional] cover)

10. Crystallize

11. Between Twilight

12. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky cover)

13. Santa Baby (Eartha Kitt cover)

14. Feeling Good (Michael Bublé cover) (with Kit Nolan)

15. We Three Gentlemen

16. Carol of the Bells (Mykola Leontovych cover)

17. You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

Encore

1. I Wonder as I Wander

MNPRmagazine article for Lindsey Stirling

Collective Soul Draws Blood at Hard Rock Live Orlando, Florida November 22, 2019

The audience was settled in their seats at 8:00 pm, ready for a rock show. Every seat on the floor was filled, and the balcony was at full capacity. With only space available in standing room only, it appeared to be a full house at The Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida this past Friday night, November 22, 2019. The house music was playing rock and roll songs and many in attendance were swaying and dancing. The fans wanted live music and I’m sure it might have turned ugly if the delay continued. It wasn’t until 8:20 pm that Ed Roland appeared, stage left, in a red and black patterned suit. With his flowing locks and sporting pork chop sideburns under a white cowboy hat, Ed waved to the crowd and pointed stage right as the band entered. The house erupted in applause from the delighted crowd.

Ed wasted no time in moving to the piano stage left as the band rocked “Observation of Thoughts” from their latest album, “Blood”, released June 21 this year. It was one of four new songs mixed into the set around Collective Soul’s greatest hits. I can’t remember a band more engaged with their fans. Ed Roland is a bona fide rock star, vocally commanding the Collective Soul signature sound. His stage demeanor demands every eye his way as he bends the mic stand with back bends and even a jump here and there. It’s a pure joy watching him master his craft. He was even kissing ladies’ hands in the front row!

Bass playerWill Turpinqueued the photographers in the pit to get ready for his huge leap off the drum riser at the end of “Shine” making sure that no one missed the shot! Thanks Will!Johnny Rabbon drums andDean Rolandon rhythm guitar were just solid.Jesse Triplettbanged out the riffs on lead guitar at the edge of the stage, making this a big time rock and roll band that has withstood time. Oh, this audience was eating up the spectacle and singing along with the bands 25-year-old catalog.

This show was a great time and a pleasure to cover. It appeared the band had as much fun as those in attendance. Get out and support “Blood,” you will have a great evening.

Band:

Ed Roland – Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards
Dean Roland – Guitars
Will Turpin – Bass, Percussion
Jesse Triplett – Guitars
Johnny Rabb – Drums

Setlist:

1. Observation of Thoughts

2. Heavy

3. Why, Pt. 2

4. Shine

5. Better Now

6. Over Me

7. Precious Declaration

8. December

9. Right as Rain

10. Porch Swing/Opera Star

11. AYTA (Are You the Answer)

12. She Said

13. The World I Know

14. The One I Love (E.M.cover)

15. Gel

16. Where the River Flows

17. Run

https://mnprmagazine.com/collective-soul-draws-blood-at-hard-rock-live-orlando-florida-november-22-2019/

Jack Russell’s Great White Performs a Free Show in Orlando, FL November 16, 2019

Orlando, Florida was rocked out on Saturday November 16, 2019 with local rock station 98.9 WMMO’s Downtown Concert Series, presenting Jack Russell’s Great White. The Downtown Concert Series started in 1992 and has always been a free event hosted by 98.9 WMMO. Many locations around The City Beautiful have hosted the event, but this show returned to its original home on Church Street. Located on the red brick road between the skyscrapers that paint the Orlando’s city skyline,  Church Street is a very cool location. But, on this evening much cooler as chilly winter winds blew through the streets of downtown, making 54 degrees feel like 34 degrees.

In the weeks proceeding, WMMO held a battle of the bands to award a local band with the honor of opening this show. Two bands were chosen along with last years winner as opening acts. Grindstone Sinners started the event at 3:48pm with their bluesy style of rock and roll. They were the runner up of WMMO’s Battle of the Bands. The Sinners have been rocking Central Florida for the past few years, and if I’m correct, none of the band members are of legal drinking age. The point being, no member is over the age of 20 and they perform well beyond their years. This band has great depth with the rhythm section of Jeffery Hunt (Bass) and Daniel Conner (Drums). Ashlyn Weidemiller’s soulful voice keeps the songs on track as Jay Umauf and Jared Frost battle back and forth between guitar leads. This band is ready to leave Central Florida and tour nationally so help them out and help build their fan base. The Grindstone Sinners are rock and roll as it’s meant to be.

Band:

Ashlyn Weidemiller (Lead Vocalist)
Jay Umlauf (Lead Guitar & Vocals)
Jared Forst (Rhythm Guitar)
Jeffrey Hunt (Bass Guitar)
Daniel Conner (Drums)

Setlist:

1. After Midnight (Eric Clapton Cover)

2. Can’t You See (The Marshall Tucker Band Cover)

3. Life Can Be A Breeze (Grindstone Sinners)

4. Beast of Burden (The Rolling Stones Cover)

5. Love Me Now (Grindstone Sinners)

Monticelli started their set just after 5:00pm, complete with 2 blowup, 6-foot green aliens and their drummer wearing an alien mask the first couple of songs. Now, this band had won this year’s WMMO’s Battle of the Bands, so there had to be more to them than just the alien theme. There was, and the brothers Monticelli put on a great set that started with Deep Purple’s “Highway Star” and ended with an untitled original that is set to be released on their new LP. This 3-piece band rocked out their performance and left the crowd wanting more.

Band:

Artur Monticelli – vocals / lead guitar;
Vítor Monticelli – bass guitar;
Bruno Monticelli – drums.

Setlist:

1. Highway Star (Deep Purple Cover)

2. Behind These Walls (Monticelli)

3. Payback (Monticelli)

4. Carry on My Wayward Son (Kansas Cover)

5. Untitled New Song from Monticelli

Next on stage just before 6:30pm was Papa Wheelee, Orlando’s number one cover band. They were crowned Orlando’s best band in last year’s 98.9 WMMO’s Battle of The Bands. David Hayes and company have been on the scene 10 years and have built a great fan base. Papa Wheelee was a great warm up as they covered everything from Bon Jovi to Luke Bryan. The crowd continued filling in during their set and was ready to go. Check out Papa Wheelee, they are always playing in the Orlando area. They are a great party band that performs everyone’s favorites as if they were their own.

Band:

David Hayes – Lead Vocals, Guitar….
Jack Wallace – Guitar, Vocals….
Johnny Bell – Bass, Vocals….
James Thatcher – Drums & Fireball!!!!…..

Setlist:

1. You Give Love a Bad Name (Bon Jovi Cover)

2. The Breakup Song (The Greg Khin Band Cover)

3. Feels Like the First Time (Foreigner Cover)

4. Country Girl Shake It For Me (Luke Bryan Cover)

5. Dance The Night Away (Van Halen Cover)

6. Are You Gonna Go My Way (Lenny Kravitz Cover)

7. Don’t You Forget About (Simple Minds Cover)

8. Thunder Kiss 65 (White Zombie Cover)

Jack Russell’s Great White hit the stage at roughly 8:30pm playing the title track from their 1986 release “Shot In The Dark”. The crowd had doubled in size during Papa Wheelee’s set and remained the hour and a half break between bands. I’m not sure if the wind had died down, or the increase in temperature was due to the warmth of body heat from the people packed in front of the stage. Either way, the cold was no longer an issue as Jack Russell’s Great White rocked Church Street.

The drama of two touring Great White’s came to an end in 2013 when a federal judge granted Jack Russell to continue to tour and make a living with the name “Jack Russell’s Great White”. To me, and clear to many in attendance, Jack Russell’s vocals are synonymous with the “Great White” sound. Having one without the other just won’t be right. It wouldn’t have been a Great White show if they hadn’t played “Rock Me” or “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Jack Russell’s Great White” didn’t disappoint. Jack Russell’s voice is Great White!

Band:

Jack Russell (Vocals)
Tony Montana (Guitar)
Robby Lochner (Guitar)
Dan McNay (Bass)
Dicki Fliszar (Drums)

Setlist:

1. Shot In The Dark (Great White)

2. All Over Now (Great White)

3. Heart the Hunter (Great White)

4. Lady Red Light (Great White)

5. Street Killers (Great White)

6. Save Your Love (Great White)

7. House of Broken Love (Great White)

8. Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo (Johnny Winter and.. Cover)

9. Mista Bone (Great White)

10. Helter Skelter (Beatles Cover)

11. Desert Moon (Great White)

12. Shakin (Eddie Money Cover)

13. Rock Me (Great White)

14. Once Bitten Twice Shy (Ian Hunter Cover)

https://mnprmagazine.com/jack-russells-great-white-performs-a-free-show-in-orlando-fl-november-16-2019/

Texas Hippie Coalition Brings Red Rock Metal to the Shovelhead in Longwood, Florida November 8, 2019

The Shovelhead Lounge in Longwood, Florida hosted a rock and roll show with six bands, featuring the Texas Hippie Coalition on a rainy Friday night November 8, 2019. Texas Hippie Coalition is currently on tour promoting their latest album, “High in the Saddle”, which was released May 31, 2019 by Entertainment One. The venue was almost to full capacity even with the poor weather conditions, and the show went on without a hitch.

First on stage at 7:00pm was Beyond Silence, a local Orlando alternative rock band under an independent label.

At promptly 7:45 Dylan Matthews & The Flips, another local band. But due to extended setup time, they went on late, limiting their set to about 20 minutes.

Redneck Messiah from Longwood, Florida hit the stage promptly at 8:30pm. Self-classified as Southern Swamp Metal, Southern rock with heavy metal influences.

Next on the schedule at 9:15pm was a band from Poetry Texas, Very Alora, fronted by singer Alora Whitten and currently on tour with Texas Hippie Coalition. Very Alora is an Alternative Indie Rock band that rocks the house!

Deepfall, a band from Michigan, went on stage at 10:00pm. As you can surmise, each opening act got 15 minutes to set up and 30 minutes to perform. Deepfall could easily have been a headliner of another show as their half hour was full of energy, hard metal, and loads of entertainment. They started on tour with Texas Hippie Coalition for 10 dates, then they are breaking off to join Hellyeah and Nonpoint for 25 dates that run to the end of the year.

After the parade of bands on the Shovelhead corner stage, Texas Hippie Coalition’s Big Dad Rich walked up to the microphone and thanked the standing room only crowd for coming out to welcome him and the band that traveled all the way from Texas. The crowd size had increased from the earlier bands as the venue was at or near capacity. THC was as advertised, a powerful unique sound with fun lyrics. Self-patented as “Red Dirt Metal”, which is a mix of Southern Outlaw classic rock with a Texas flare, like a heavy metal ZZ Top.

It was a long night, but the bands progressively got better as the evening went on so it was easy to hang out until the end. THC was worth the wait. Nothing against the Shovelhead Lounge, as it’s a great up close and personal venue, but Texas Hippie Coalition belongs on a bigger stage. Get out and see Texas Hippie Coalition, as the atmosphere is definitely a party you don’t want to miss.

Band:

Big Dad Ritch – Vocals

Cord Pool – Guitar

Nevada Romo – Guitar

Rado Romo – Bass Guitar

Devon Carothers – Drums

https://mnprmagazine.com/texas-hippie-coalition-brings-red-rock-metal-to-the-shovelhead-in-longwood-florida-november-8-2019/

Sebastian Bach Headlines The CoralHead MusicFest in Pinellas Park, Florida, November 2, 2019

With Veterans Day just a week away, VETRELIEF and the Tampa Bay area radio station 98.7 The Shark  sponsored CoralHead MusicFest in Pinellas Park, FL on Saturday November 2, 2019. CoralHead MusicFest is a charity organization that raises money to benefit American Veterans. The American Legion Riders of American Legion Post 154, Marathon, Florida were also a big help in the days’ success.

The lineup for this great day of timeless rock and roll in England Bros Park was Jen, Hairdaze the Amazing 80s Rock Show, Mitch Perry Group, Slaughter, Jackyl, and Sebastian Bach of Skid Row. The schedule kicked off on time at 12:00 pm and stayed on schedule for the remainder of the day. The efficiency of the production was worth noting, as the festival ran flawlessly under partly cloudy skies. Plenty of restroom facilities, food vendors, and trash collection to handle the large crowd. As a result, everyone in attendance had a wonderful time.

Jen of CoralHead MusicFest kicked off the day, performing acoustically, as the fans came into the park with their lawn chairs, staking out their areas on the grass in front of the stage. Hairdaze was up next at 1:30pm with their set of 80’s rock and roll music, as the crowd numbers continued to grow.

Mitch Perry Group hit the stage at 3:00 pm as temperatures were decreasing due to cloud cover. But, the atmosphere in the audience was just heating up. Mitch Perry has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Producers Choice Awards in 2017. Perry has played with Lita Ford, Cher, Edgar Winter, and currently is a member of Sweet. His guitar performance was mesmerizing, and the bands vocalist, Shelly Bonet, really needs to be mentioned as her tone was just incredible. The band is currently working on a new album that should be an addition to any one’s collection.

Band:

Mitch Perry: Guitar

Tal Bergman: Drummer

Dan McNay: Bass

Shelly Bonet: Vocals

Next up were three bands that defined the 1990’s rock scene. Slaughter hit the stage at 3pm. Fronted by lead singer Mark Slaughter, Slaughter played a mixture of fan favorite covers from Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. Of course they also played Slaughter’s highest charting singles from their first album “Stick It to Ya”, which went double platinum in the US, featuring “Up All Night.” Lead Guitarist Jeff “Blando” Bland masterfully shredded the strings of his guitar, belting out heavy riffs. Bassist Dana Strum, with his flying locks, held down the beat while covering the entire stage. Joining Strum in the rhythm section, on loan from Evanescence, drummer extraordinaire Will Hunt. This band is amazingly seasoned and talented and puts on a great rock and roll show. Blando and Strum have been touring all summer with Vince Neil, who was slotted to headline this event but had to cancel for reasons beyond his control.

I have been blessed to live in Orlando, Florida where the band members play in side projects throughout the year when they are not touring the world. They are great guys and musicians.

Band:

Mark Slaughter: Vocals/Guitar
Dana Strum: Bass/Vocals
Jeff “Blando” Bland: Guitar/Vocals

Will Hunt: Drums

Setlist:

1. The Wild Life

2. Burnin’ Bridges

3. Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelincover)

4. Spend My Life

5. Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelincover)

6. Good times bad times

7. We Will Rock You (Queencover)

8. Mad About You

9. Jumpin’ Jack Flash (The Rolling Stonescover)

10. Days Gone By

11. Real Love

12. Fly to the Angels

13. Up All Night

14. Won’t Get Fooled Again (The Who cover)

The Festival surprise was Jackyl, known as the hardest working band in history. They hold a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for performing 100 shows in 50 days, as well as performing 21 shows in 24 hours. Formed in 1991 in Georgia, with a mantra of “Always on Tour,” Jackyl was the last minute addition to cover the opening left by the cancellation of Vince Neil. Jackyl is hard hitting, in your face, and highly entertaining – everyone was on their feet their entire set. Singer Jesse James Dupree thanked the audience for inviting the band to the party! Jackyl wasn’t playing a concert; oh no, this was a party now and the crowd responded with the loudest cheering of the night. After the opening song and the declaration of the party starting, Dupree sprayed the crowd with what appeared to be bourbon from a bottle that he was drinking just before the band played “My Moonshine Kicks Your Cocaine’s Ass”. The set was hard driving rock from beginning to end. No ballads tonight,  their set ended with the famous “The Lumberjack” song with Dupree playing a gas powered chainsaw. Truly a sight to see and a signature of the band’s show. I guess you could categorize this band as a cross between AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd, they are highly entertaining and bring a lot of energy. I smiled the entire set.

Band: 

Jesse James Dupree:  Guitar/Vocals/Chainsaw

Roman Glick: Bass

Jeff Worley: Guitar

Chris Worley: Drummer

Setlist:

1. Blast Off

2. My Moonshine Kicks Your Cocaine’s Ass

3. Mental Masturbation

4. Encore (It Makes My Bic Dig Her)

5. Screwdriver

6. Down on Me

7. Push Comes to Shove

8. Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound (Hank Williams, Jr.cover)

9. Just Because I’m Drunk

10. I Stand Alone

11. When Will It Rain

12. Dirty Little Mind

13. Redneck Punk

14. The Lumberjack

Moving into the headliner slot at 9:00 pm was Sebastian Bach, previously of Skid Row until his departure from the band 1996. On his current summer tour, Bach is performing Skid Row’s self titled album in its entirety. The album was released in 1989 and went multi-platinum, yielding four hit singles which brought the band worldwide popularity, “Youth Gone Wild“, “18 and Life“, “I Remember You” and “Piece of Me.” The following year the band earned an American Music Awards “Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist.”

Sebastian has always been an audience favorite and this night was no exception as the crowd pushed to get closer to the stage. I was feeling nostalgic, as the setlist was from thirty years past and was swept back to simpler times. From the average age of those in attendance, I am willing to bet I wasn’t the only one feeling the good old days.

The night was great rock and roll entertainment and everyone at England Bros Park had a wonderful time, and the reason for hosting this event was to raise money for our veterans. All in all this was a highly successful event and I recommend to anyone thinking about attending a CoralHead MusicFest in the future to get your tickets! You won’t be disappointed; this organization knows how to throw a party.

Band:

Sebastian Bach: Vocals

Bobby Jarzombek: Drums
Brent Woods: Guitar
Kevin Chown: Bass

Setlist:

1. Tornado (Skid Row song)

2. Forever (Skid Row song)

3. Big Guns (Skid Row song)

4. Sweet Little Sister (Skid Row song)

5. Can’t Stand the Heartache (Skid Row song)

6. Piece of Me (Skid Row song)

7. 18 and Life (Skid Row song)

8. Rattlesnake Shake (Skid Row song)

9. Youth Gone Wild (Skid Rowsong)

10. Here I Am (Skid Row song)

11. Makin’ a Mess (Skid Row song)

12. I Remember You (Skid Row song)

13. Midnight (Skid Row song)

14. Encore:

15. Slave to the Grind (Skid Row song)

16. The Threat (Skid Row song)

17. In a Darkened Room (Skid Row song)

18. Monkey Business

https://mnprmagazine.com/sebastian-bach-headlines-the-coralhead-musicfest-in-pinellas-park-florida-november-2-2019/

Ace Frehley Headlines Show At Hard Rock Live Orlando October 27, 2019.

The Kiss Kruise IX is set to sail on October 30, 2019 out of the ports of Miami, Florida. I didn’t book a cabin on that ship. But, I did get the next best thing! As I pulled into Universal Studios in Orlando, I was confused by the traffic jam at 6:50pm going into the park for an 8 O’clock show. Were these Ace Frehley fans? The reality that Halloween Horror Nights was the draw, not the fantastic rock and roll guitar show I was in line to see at Hard Rock Live soon came to me.

The venue had curtains blocking the side sections and the balcony closed, which gave this show an intimate feel on this Sunday night October 27, 2019.

Leaving his home in the Bronx on his way to Miami, Ace Frehley and his band of exceptional musicians made a stop in Orlando to headline his show at The Hard Rock Live. It’s been 18 years since Frehley donned the “Spaceman” persona with the band Kiss that rocketed him to stardom. My guess is that he was tired of the gimmick, as it had run for over forty years.

Frehley started his show with “Rip It Out” from his self-titled solo album released in 1978. Then right into 3 Kiss songs, “Parasite”, “Hard Times”, and “Watchin’ You”. The rest of the show was a mix of covers, originals, and Kiss songs. With three guitars on stage this show was hard hitting from beginning to end, and delighted everyone in attendance. Ace bantered with the crowd and the band was all smiles. This was a fun show and it was just what his fans had come to see. I still have not seen Kiss in concert, as glam rock was never high on my list, but Ace Frehley is a Rock Soldier!

“Rock soldiers come, And rock soldiers go, And some hear the drum, And some never know”

Band:

Ace Frehley – Guitar/Vocals

Philip Schouse – Bass/Vocals

Ryan Cook – Guitar/Vocals

Jeremy Asbrock – Guitar/Vocals

Matt Starr – Drums

Setlist:

1. Rip It Out

2. Parasite (KISS song)

3. Hard Times (KISS song)

4. Watchin’ You (KISS song)

5. Snowblind

6. Rocket Ride (KISS song)

7. She (KISS song)

8. Strange Ways (KISS song)

9. 2000 Man (The Rolling Stones cover)

10. Rock Soldiers

11. New York Groove (Hello cover)

12. Shock Me (KISS song)

13. Ace Frehley Guitar Solo

14. Cold Gin (KISS song) (w/ Black Diamond outro)

15. Encore:

16. Detroit Rock City (KISS song)

17. Deuce (KISS song)

Welcome Home Alter Bridge, The House of Blues Orlando, Florida October 25, 2019

Orlando, Florida welcomed home native sons, the band Alter Bridge. Consecutive Shows sold out at The House of Blues this past Thursday and Friday nights, October 24-25, 2019. This was just a week after releasing their sixth studio album “Walk the Sky” and before leaving to Europe on a short tour before Christmas. With over 2,500 in attendance, the house was rocking as the fans filed in the see the opening bands Dirty Honey and Skillet. MNPR Magazine wasn’t about to miss this show and sent their Florida correspondent Mark Horan of MarkHoran.Pictures LLC to cover the show.  

Dirty Honey hit the stage promptly at 7:00pm starting the energy and warming up the crowd. Marc LaBelle, the front man of the band completely brought it in their 6 song set from beginning to end. At one point he left the stage and climbed the barrier leaning into the audience to the delight of the crowd. The bands influence of Led Zeppelin was easily seen and could be heard in LaBelle’s ripping vocals. Dirty Honey is the first unsigned artist to hit number one on Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs  Chart with their single “When I’m Gone”. 

Dirty Honey is a new band that will definitely be a household name if they continue performing with their stage energy and song writing that their debut album introduced. I haven’t seen anything this fresh since the Black Crowes debuted with “Shake Your Money Maker” in 1990.  

Band:

Marc LaBelle: Lead Vocals
John Notto: Guitars
Justin Smolian: Bass
Corey Coverstone: Drums

Setlist:

1. Scars

2. Break You

3. Heartbreaker

4. Down the Road

5. When I’m Gone

6. Rolling 7s

After being extremely entertained by Dirty Honey, the night was only getting started as Skillet hit the stage with even more energy at 7:50pm. Touring in support of their latest album, Victorious, the band has been opening for Alter Bridge but then they follow them to Europe in November to finish out the year on their own short tour.

I knew nothing of the band Skillet other than they had a female drummer and guitar player with hair a shade of palatinate. Skillet was formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1996 as a Christian rock band fronted by husband and wife, John and Korey Cooper. Victorious is their tenth release. Also nominated previously for two Grammys for  “Collide” (2003) and “Comatose” (2006), Skillet is know for being one of the hardest working bands in the industry  touring relentlessly.

It was the first time witnessing duel handheld smoke cannons as the band pounded out “Not Gonna Die” with harmonizing vocals of bassist John Cooper and drummer Jen Ledger. I am now a big fan of Skillet and look forward to seeing them again in the near future!

Band:

John Cooper – Lead Vocal/Bass

Korey Cooper – Guitar

Seth Morrison – Guitar

Jen Ledger- Vocals/Drums

Setlist:

1. Feel Invincible

2. Not Gonna Die

3. You Ain’t Ready

4. Whispers in the Dark

5. Legendary

6. Awake and Alive

7. Back From the Dead

8. Save Me

9. Hero

10. Undefeated

11. Victorious

12. Comatose

13. Monster

14. The Resistance

Alter Bridge finally came on stage at 9:30pm to a roaring, standing room only house overjoyed to see them. Some in attendance had been there the night before and couldn’t get enough in one show. They are an Orlando band, so friends and family were also in attendance. Alter Bridge formed in 2004 after the departure of vocalist Scott Stapp from Creed and the band added Myles Kennedy moving in a different direction proving they weren’t done just yet. Myles Kennedy, known for an incredible vocal range reaching 5 octaves, is todays premiere rock and roll vocalist. The addition of Kennedy also added an accomplished guitarist to the lineup.

This foursome is polished and are great musicians. Mark Tremonti is an exceptional guitarist/songwriter with accolades of  Guitarist naming the song  “Blackbird” the greatest guitar solo of all time! This is a band of all stars and there isn’t a lot of running about the stage, just a great musical performance and a world class light show. Alter Bridge is a seasoned band with great musicians that let’s the music do their talking and we are honored to have them as Orlando, Florida’s hometown band!

Band:

Myles Kennedy – Vocals, Guitar
Mark Tremonti – Guitar, Vocals
Brian Marshall – Bass
Scott Phillips – Drums

Setlist:

1. One Life

2. Wouldn’t You Rather

3. Isolation

4. Come to Life

5. Pay No Mind

6. Addicted to Pain

7. Waters Rising

8. Cry of Achilles

9. Dying Light (Live Debut)

10. In Loving Memory (Myles & Mark Acoustic)

11. Blackbird

12. Metalingus

13. Rise Today

Black Label Society Returns to Orlando, FL at The House of Blues October 7, 2019.

Black Label Society came to Orlando, Florida after a long overdue absence on Monday, October 7, 2019. A slight drizzle threatened the crowd which stood in the line that snaked around The House of Blues, waiting to enter. There was a 15 to 20 minute delay opening the doors as the meet and greet with the band and a few fans ran longer than scheduled. When the doors finally opened, the patient crowd moved in an orderly fashion through security to escape the evenings humidity into the air-conditioned confines of the venue. General admission at The House of Blues holds just over 2,200 and the house was packed. MNPR Magazine had Mark Horan with MarkHoran.Pictures LLC on hand to cover the show.

Alien Weaponry, a thrash metal band founded in Australia in 2010, led off the show at approximately 7:45pm. Alien Weaponry is a three-piece band that brings thrash metal energy with the ability to incite any crowd into exploding into a mosh pit on any given song. If this show was at an outdoor festival, I believe their set would have gotten out of control, as you could feel the energy on the brink of explosion.  Although it never materialized because the crowd was older, I was keen to pay attention to my surroundings. This trio was worth waiting in an uncomfortable line for  to see. They were extremely fun and a great opener to hype the crowd for BLS.   Band: Lewis de Jong – Guitar/Vocals, Ethan Trembath – Bass Guitar, Henry de Jong – Drums

Setlist:

1. PC Bro

2. Holding My Breath

3. Te Ara

4. Ahi Ka

5. Kai Tangata

6. Whispers

7. Raupatu

8. Rū Ana Te Whenua

  A quilted curtain hung before the stage as a montage of songs from different artists played through the PA system, from Dio to Led Zeppelin to Black Sabbath. The audience sang along. You could feel the tension growing as the house lights finally went down. Then the curtain parted; Black Label Society was on stage drenched in red light as Zakk Wylde stood at his skull clad microphone, shaking his long mane back and forth, concealing his face from view as he shredded his guitar with the heaviest of metal riffs. Metal’s number one front man clad like a Viking, complete with his signature Scottish kilt, looked ready to pillage and plunder. Taunting the crowd from right to left, Zakk Wylde was the show and every eye was glued to his every move on stage. As the show went on, things became a bit more somber. Wylde played with the crowd a bit while sitting at a grand piano that was pushed on stage. He showed an ability to play classic piano as bass player John DeServio joined him for a duet. The piano was removed and banners of the brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, founders of Pantera were rolled down. The band played “In This River” to pay homage to these fallen metal heroes. The fun returned soon after with beach balls being released. Zakk Wylde ventured into the crowd as he played his solo, joined by the second guitarist, Dario Lorina, in the balcony. With the guitarists entering the crowd, everyone in attendance felt completely vested in the show as it came up close and personal. I have seen Zakk Wylde a few times and this part of his show is what I always remember vividly. Get out and see Zakk with Black Label Society, Ozzie Osborne, or any other project where he is performing. He is an amazing musician and entertainer.   

Band: Zakk Wylde – Vocals, Guitar John DeServio – Bass Jeff Fabb – Drums Dario Lorina – Guitar

Setlist:

1. Genocide Junkies

2. Funeral Bell

3. The Beginning… At Last

4. The Rose Petalled Garden

5. Heart of Darkness

6. Suicide Messiah

7. Trampled Down Below

8. Seasons of Falter

9. Peddlers of Death

10. Spoke in the Wheel

11. In This River

12. The Blessed Hellride

13. Bored to Tears

14. A Love Unreal

15. Fire It Up

16. Concrete Jungle

17. Stillborn

Deep Purple brings “The Long Goodbye Tour” to Orlando, Florida September 26, 2019

Deep Purple brought The Long Goodbye Tour to Orlando, Florida’s Dr. Phillips Center for The Performing Arts Thursday September 26, 2019. MNPR Magazine wasn’t about to miss possibly the last chance to cover this iconic band. Mark Horan of MarkHoran.Pictures LLC was sent to report on the action and share his experience through his eyes and ears with their readers.

First, a bit of my background with Deep Purple. In 1973, at the age of 12, my mother took me to see the musical opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, in the theater. On the way home, we stopped and bought the album. I listened to the recording repeatedly, drawn to the vocals of Jesus, sung by Ian Gillan. The emotion, range and depth of Gillan’s voice was moving and intoxicating. I researched and found out Gillan was the lead singer of Deep Purple. The following summer I went down to Woolworths and purchased my first vinyl LP, “Machine Head”, Deep Purple’s sixth studio album. By 1974, Gillan had left the band and had been replaced by David Coverdale. It was an opportunity missed. 45 Years later, with now 74 year old Ian Gillan  fronting Deep Purple again, I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip away.

The Dr. Phillips Center for The Performing Arts is a 2,700 seat theater in downtown Orlando, used mainly for Broadway shows and ballet performances. Not the venue you’d expect for rowdy rock and roll bands and their fans, but perhaps they felt the wild days of the baby boomer generation had passed and fans would appreciate a comfortable chair for the evenings’ show.

The evening started with the band, Joyous Wolf. There is rarely a time that I am sorry to see an opening band take their bows, but this night was different. I was so highly entertained that when the bands short opening set had concluded, I was sorry to see Joyous Wolf leave the stage. So often, the opening band is seen as just a time filler to allow the crowd to enter the venue and settle in before the headliner of the evening hits the stage, but these four men out of Orange County, California brought down the house. They didn’t fit the typical filler role. Singer, Nick Reese, was in overdrive from beginning to end of their 8- song set. With somersaults and cartwheels, he was in perpetual motion and wasn’t going to be denied the opportunity to entertain the crowd as they settled into their comfortable seats. The performance was riveting.

Joyous Wolf signed a major record deal with the Roadrunner Records label of Atlantic Records last year, and I was trying to size up the band beyond the visual entertainment of their front man. Joyous Wolf is not your typical, contemporary band searching the genres for an identity. No, this is a rock and roll band, plain and simple, not in need of a newfangled moniker.

As I was trying to determine what it was that I was watching, with Reese jumping and diving in and out of my camera lenses field of vision, the band launched into a cover of the classic “Mississippi Queen” by Mountain. That was the pinnacle moment, as I had never before seen a band over Mississippi Queen. This band is for real and the state of hard-hitting rock and roll is in good hands. Get out and see Joyous Wolf when they come near you. You won’t be sorry, and at the very least you will be highly entertained.

Band:

Nick Reese – Vocals

Blake Allard – Guitar

Greg Braccio – Bass

Robert Sodaro – Drums

Set List:

1. Undesired

2. Place in Time

3. Had Enough

4. Guitar solo

5. Feel the Low

6. Mississippi Queen (Mountain cover)

7. Mother Rebel

8. Quiet Heart

Deep Purple

As I eluded to earlier, Deep Purple has had many incarnations with some great musicians over the years. Past members include:  Jon Lord – keyboards 1968-1976 and 1984-2002, Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar 1968-1975 and 1984-1993, Tommy Bolin – Guitar 1975-1976, Joe Satriani – Guitar 1993-1994, Rod Evans – lead vocals 1968-1969, David Coverdale – lead vocals  1973-1976, Joe Lynn Turner – Lead Vocals 1989-1992, Nick Simper – Bass 1968-1969, Glenn Hughes – Bass 1973-1976, Nick Fyffe – Bass 2011. Today’s core of musicians have been together since 1994 or 25 years, the longest uninterrupted stretch the band has ever experienced.

The show began with a long, recorded instrumental intro of “Mars, the Bringer of War” by Gustav Holst. It was very ominous yet powerful, with a military feel to it. Anticipation was building to a crescendo when the band appeared on stage and burst into “Highway Star” from the “Machine Head” album. A video on the backdrop had a simulation of riding in a vehicle at high speed and the audience was on their feet, expressing their glee. The show was off to the races! The band played 4 more songs from their 1972 release, “Machine Head”, and I couldn’t have been happier.

My biggest question of the night:  How could anyone ever replace the late great Jon Lord on keyboards? Well, that question was answered mid-show by Don Airey and his mix of classical favorites in his solo intro to “Uncommon Man”. Airey was also obviously classically trained like Lord, and it showed. The next question was Ian Gillan’s vocals at 74. Although the screams weren’t there, his vocal performance was impressive, carrying a resume that included the 1960’s and 1970’s.

The show ended with Steve Morse pounding the greatest opening riff of all time and the audience on their feet, singing along to “Smoke On The Water”. Everyone, and I mean everyone, sang along. The band exited the stage for two to three minutes then returned to play a three song encore, completing the evening with “Black Night”

Overall the show started on fire, slowed down in the middle, and finished strong. Expectations of seeing the 1972 Deep Purple in concert wasn’t realistic, but I did get to see the next best thing.

Band:

• Ian Paice– drums (1968–1976, 1984–present)

• Roger Glover– bass (1969–1973, 1984–present)

• Ian Gillan– vocals, harmonica, percussion (1969–1973, 1984–1989, 1992–present)

• Steve Morse– guitars (1994–present)

• Don Airey– keyboards (touring member 2001–2002; 2002–present)

Set List:

1. Mars, the Bringer of War (Gustav Holst song)

2. Highway Star

3. Pictures of Home

4. Bloodsucker

5. Demon’s Eye

6. Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming (Guitar solo outro – Contact Lost)

7. Uncommon Man (with Organ Solo outro)

8. Lazy

9. Time for Bedlam

10. Perfect Strangers (Keyboard solo intro)

11. Space Truckin’

12. Smoke on the Water

13. Encore:

14. Green Onions (Booker T. & The MG’s cover)

15. Hush (Joe South cover)

16. Black Night

Baby Metal and Avatar Blow Into Orlando, Florida on September 4, 2019

With the threat of Hurricane Dorian passing by Central Florida the day before, Orlando drew a huge sigh of relief and welcomed Baby Metal as they kicked off their of US tour this past Wednesday night at The Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida in front of 2000 crazed fans. MNPR Magazine was on hand to check out the action. An unprecedented crowd waited for the doors to open, the line snaking around the front of the Hard Rock Café.   Anticipation could be felt in the air, with some girls dressed in outfits; not metal outfits like what has come to be expected, all black with chain ornaments and torn jeans, but more akin to what we saw in the 1980’s at a Madonna concert. The headliner was a bonus to me as I was at the show covering the theatrical metal band from Sweden, Avatar on their “Avatar World Country Tour”.

Inside, the venue was set for general admission, with no chairs on the floor. A barrier was placed six feet from the stage to keep the audience at a safe distance. Avatar came on stage at promptly 8:00pm with drummer John Alfredsson appearing behind a dimly lit drum kit. The rest of the band filed out in the dark, and before you knew it, the charismatic lead singer, Johannes Michael Gustaf Eckerström, was in your face. Eckerström was adorned with his signature makeup; a fedora, walking cane, and 18th century military uniform complete with ruffled shirt, as he sang and playfully sneered at the crowd. The music was great, but the sideshow of dueling guitarists, twirling their long locks, was mesmerizing. It had the flavor of an Alice Cooper show, less the theatrics and stage props. A different type of show.

Eckerström was very engaging and addressed the crowd directly throughout the show, and was well received as the crowd roared back their approval. At one point, after the third song, he asked the arena, “Do you smell something?” “Do you smell that stink?” Then he said “I smell crazy in this audience”, and went on to say, “Let’s all get crazy!” The show was high energy, as a metal show should be, but the animation combined with the facial expressions from Johannes Michael Gustaf Eckerström made it a very special night. Avatar will be touring with Baby Metal until October 4, 2019. Get out and be entertained. This is a great show and a lot of fun.  Don’t miss it!

Band:

Johannes Michael Gustaf Eckerström – Vocals
John Alfredsson – Drums
Kungen – Guitars
Tim Öhrström – Guitars
Henrik Sandelin – Bass

Setlist:

1. Hail the Apocalypse

2. Vultures Fly

3. Bloody Angel

4. Smells Like a Freakshow

5. The Eagle Has Landed

6. The King Welcomes You to Avatar Country

Baby Metal is a pop/metal band from Tokyo Japan. The group consists of three teenage girls backed by a three-piece heavy metal band. The girls perform in a triangle formation on stage. The lead singer, Suzuka Nakamoto, is in the rear, with two scream dancers on either side and the backing band in the shadows, wearing masks for most of the show. It’s a well choreographed show with different light shows and images flashing on a rear screen.  All three of Baby Metals’ performers kept the energy level high throughout the show.

Baby Metal’s third album release, “Metal Galaxy”, is scheduled for October 11, 2019. The band has a huge following in their native country and draw over 50,000 per show. On their 2017 tour, they opened for Korn, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stone Sour, Guns N’ Roses, and Metallica. Currently, they are headlining their own tour. The Baby Metal phenomenon hasn’t fully caught on here in the States, but with any help from The Fox God, this groups’ growing popularity has just begun.

Setlist:

1. Megitsune

2. Elevator Girl (English ver.)

3. Shanti Shanti Shanti

4. Kagerou (Trio performance, not SU- METAL only. with Kami Band intro.)

5. Starlight

6. FUTURE METAL

7. Gimme Chocolate!!

8. PA PA YA!!

9. Distortion

10. KARATE

11. Headbangeeeeerrrrr!!!!!!!

12. THE ONE (Started as Unfinished ver., after that Kami Band joined.)

13. Road of Resistance

Concert Review on MNPRmagazine.com

The Artimus Pyle Band Brings Lynyrd Skynyrd to Southwest Florida August 24, 2019.

Artimus Pyle entertained Bonita Springs, Florida Saturday night August 24, 2019 at The Southwest Florida Event Center. The SWFL Event Center is a type of dinner theater where members dine and then enjoy great entertainment. The floor was set with tables seating just over 200, with additional seating in raised tiers. What stuck out were the great acoustics making The Southwest Florida Event Center a wonderful and intimate venue to see a great show. MarkHoran.Pictures was on hand to cover the event for MNPRmagazine.com.  

“Letters From Jett” hit Florida’s radar in 2018, promoting their initial album release of “Heartbreaks and Hangovers”. The band has a country sound with a southern rock vibe. The show opened at 7:00pm with “Best I Ever Had”, a traditional southern rock song with heavy licks from lead guitarist Trace Foster. “One More Time” and “Southern Tune” are definitely southern rock, but the remaining songs about drinking and love lost had all the ingredients for any good country show. There is a definite crossing over going on here between country and southern rock, or at best, a real blurring of the lines. They even covered “Elvis Presley’s” “Burning Love”. No one in attendance was left out.

Heath Molton’s vocals and lyrics are a winning combination that will take this band far. Backing Molton’s lead vocals are four-part harmonies from Foster and the rhythm section of bass player Lucas Petersen and Molton’s brother Gunnar on drums. “Letters From Jett” has wide popularity as their music and show appeal to everyone.

Band:

Heath Molton – Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar

Gunnar Molton – Drums/Background Vocals

Lucas Petersen – Bass/Background Vocals

Trace Foster – Lead Guitar/Background Vocals

Setlist:

1. Best I Ever Had

2. Never Get Lost

3. One More Time

4. Sweet Melissa

5. Southern Tune

6. Leave Me Alone

7. Burning Love (Cover Elvis Presley)

8. Waiting on You

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Drummer Artimus Pyle was Lynyrd Skynyrd’s drummer. The plane crash on October 20, 1977 killed vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, lead guitar Steve Gaines, and his sister, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, and the band disbanded. Ten years later in 1987 the remaining members reunited the band. Artimus left Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1991.

The Artimus Pyle Band is a tribute band in honor of Lynyrd Skynyrd, playing the music as it was originally recorded. When Artimus joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1974, his addition behind the drum kit changed the sound of the band. The songs really became hard hitting and packed a punch.

I had not seen the original line up of “Lynyrd Skynyrd” perform live, but I owned every album they released in the 1970’s. They were on my list to see. Seeing “The Artimus Pyle Band” is the next best thing. This show wasn’t a tribute show as much as it was a celebration show of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s music. The audience loved it, but the band on stage was loving it even more. The band members were all smiles and cutting up all night long. The highlight of the show was the acoustic version of “Tuesday’s Gone” with three-part harmony. It was beautiful. Typically, a Lynyrd Skynyrd show must include “Free Bird”. The song became an anthem to many in the 1970’s. The band appropriately performed it last to let it ring inside the audience’s heads as they drove home.

Their music never gets old as it reminds us of a time when we were younger and indestructible. I thank The Artimus Pyle Band for the trip down memory lane.

Band:

Artimus Pyle – Drums

Jerry Lyda – Vocals, Guitar

Brad Durden – Vocals, Keyboard

Scott Raines – Vocals, Lead Guitar

David Fowler – Bass

Set List:

1. Needle and The Spoon

2. That Smell

3. Simple Man

4. Saturday Night Special

5. Working For MCA

6. The Hunt

7. Gimmie 3 Steps

8. The Breeze

9. Tuesdays Gone (Acoustic)

10. You Got That Right

11. Travelin Man

12. Ballad of Curtis Lowe

13. Swap Music

14. I’m a Whiskey Rock and Roller

15. Free Bird

Concert review on MNPRmagazine.com

Ted Nugent’s “The Music Made Me Do It” Tour Explodes into Daytona Beach, FL August 21, 2019

Ted Nugent exploded into the intimate Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, Florida on Wednesday August 21, 2019 with his “The Music Made Me Do It Tour”. Of the Peabody Auditorium’s 2,200 seats, about 2,000 tickets were sold. Michael Austin, a country artist with a 4-piece band, played a thirty minute set to open the show.  Austin introduced himself as a United States Air Force Veteran and retired police officer, and the crowd gave him a warm welcome. He also commented that he just recently signed a record deal. During Austin’s performance, many people were in the lobby of the theater or at the lobby bar. They were here to see the one and only Motor City Mad Man, Ted Nugent.

The tarps were removed from the stage to reveal Ted Nugent’s elaborate set up. There were props everywhere; 4-horned skulls with red lights in the eye sockets, a toy monster truck pained with zebra stripes, a funky skull with long hair, Texas and American Flags, with an animated backdrop picture of Ted flying on a giant hand, flipping the bird. Very colorful and very Ted Nugent.

Nugent hit the stage at a little after 8:30 pm opening with “Stranglehold” as the audience rushed to their seats. Most of the crowd was on their feet, where they would remain for the remainder of the show. The scene was surreal. I had seen Ted Nugent thirty eight years prior, and the same energy was raging from the stage now. He looked at least 20 years his junior, as if father time had forgotten him. Truly the result of clean living.   

The crowd was rowdy and very vocal. Uncle Ted, as he has been known, had direct dialog with audience members throughout the show. Now this show came with conditions, and Nugent was clear from the beginning. If you were not looking for an old-time, loud, rock-n-roll show, you’d better leave while you can. Also, if you’re offended by his political views, the door is at the rear. Ted Nugent is pretty much in your face with no apologies. He later introduced service members in the audience from at least four branches of the United States military, and the crowd roared with approval. There was also a re-election hat he had made for the current President he presented to the crowd to another round of cheers. With this out of the way, the loud and powerful rock-n-roll show pushed on, ending the night appropriately with “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

From the opening “Stranglehold”, with “Free-For-All” in the middle, and finishing the set before the encore with “Cat Scratched Fever”, every Ted Nugent fan was fulfilled. The Encore and final song of the night was “The Great White Buffalo”, then “The Star-Spangled Banner”. There was nothing more to give.

Ted Nugent loves his country, hunting, and rock-n-roll. I am not sure in what order. If he is anything,  Ted Nugent is timeless and entertaining.

Remember, “Fear not the crusted warblers, but be wary of the Mad Cheese Grater for he shall slaw the features from your face. Beware the public carnivores as they inevitably edibly have a soft nosed hollow point magnum behind every bush.”  The Amboy Dukes’

Setlist:

1. Stranglehold

2. Gonzo

3. Paralyzed

4. Wang Dang Sweet Poontang

5. A Thousand Knives

6. Queen of the Forest

7. Free-For-All

8. Hey Baby

9. Need You Bad

10. Good Friends and a Bottle of Wine

11. Fred Bear

12. Cat Scratch Fever

13. Encore:

14. The Great White Buffalo / The Star-Spangled Banner

Concert review on MNPRmagazine.com

Bush and Live Co-Headline “The ALTimate Tour” in Tampa, Florida August 16, 2019

Florida humidity and rain couldn’t keep the fans away from The Florida State Fairgrounds as “The ALTimate Tour” came to The MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater August 16, 2019. The iconic, 1990’s alternative rock bands, “Bush” and “Live”, were co-headlining a tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of Bush’s “Sixteen Stone” and Live’s “Throwing Copper”. Torontos’ “Our Lady Peace” opened the show with a 30 minute set as the crowd filed into their seats, cheering loudly. It was an electric night as Direct TV was filming and MarkHoran.Pictures was on hand to cover the action for MNPRmagazine.com.

Live hit the stage promptly at 8pm as a recording of The Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter” played through the public address system, with video boards flashing a backdrop of the album “Throwing Copper”. Ed Kowalczyk came on stage in a black button-down shirt, red necklace, and sunglasses, looking very cool. His energy got the fans to their feet as the band went into “All Over You” from their 1994’s “Throwing Copper”, which sold over 9 million copies in the US.

What stood out within the set were two covers they performed, “Losing My Religion” by REM, and “Paint it Black” by The Rolling Stones. Front man Ed Kowalczyk prefaced the songs by saying these songs were a celebration of the band’s influences. It was a unique twist, and both songs were performed to perfection while the crowd cheered with approval. After an hour long set, the encore started with Kowalczyk playing an acoustic solo of “Heaven” and “Turn My Head”. Then, after much anticipation, the band joined him playing “Lightning Crashes”, which turned into an acapella audience sing-along to finish their night.

Live:

• Chad Taylor– lead guitar, backing vocals

• Patrick Dahlheimer– bass

• Chad Gracey– drums

• Ed Kowalczyk– lead vocals, rhythm guitar

SetList:

1. Gimme Shelter (The Rolling Stones song)

2. All Over You

3. Selling the Drama

4. Losing My Religion (E.M. cover)

5. Shit Towne

6. Requiem: I. Kyrie (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart song)

7. The Dolphin’s Cry

8. Paint It Black (The Rolling Stones cover)

9. Lakini’s Juice

10. I Alone

11. White, Discussion

12. Encore:

13. Heaven (Solo Ed, Acoustic)

14. Turn My Head (Solo Ed, Acoustic)

15. Lightning Crashes

With a delayed start at 9:35, due to the setup of Direct TV’s camera, Bush rolled out their explosive set, starting with “Machinehead” off their 1994 release “Sixteen Stone”. They also performed the new song from the soundtrack of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, “Bullet Holes”, which might be their hardest hitting song to date. Ageless Gavin Rossdale fronted the band with incredible energy, as he bounced on stage throughout the night. Rossdale at one point jumped off the stage and ran into the audience, as he has done throughout this tour. Finishing their set, Rossdale performed “Glycerine” solo, and the band joined in on “Comedown” to close out the night in explosive fashion.

The chemistry and energy is real, and this isn’t a band just going through the motions. This tour isn’t a trip down memory lane or a farewell tour, Bush is alive and well and set to release their eighth studio album “The Mind Plays Tricks on You”, due out this fall.

Bush:

• Gavin Rossdale– lead vocals, rhythm guitar

• Robin Goodridge – drums

• Chris Traynor– lead guitar

• Corey Britz – bass, backing vocals

SetList:

1. Machinehead 1994

2. This Is War 2017

3. Everything Zen 1994

4. Swallowed 1996

5. The Chemicals Between Us 1999

6. The Sound of Winter 2001

7. Body 1994

8. The Disease of the Dancing Cats 1999

9. Bullet Holes 2019

10. Little Things 1994

11. Glycerine 1994

12. Comedown 1994

Concert Review on MNPRmagazine.com

The Wheels of Soul Tour rolled into Saint Petersburg, Florida on June 30, 2019

The crowd shuffled in to Al Lang Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Florida when  it opened its doors at 5:30pm under the partly cloudy skies which held the temperature in the low nineties. There was a buzz in the air as fans located their seats in the reserved seating section, as others were choosing their general admission positions on the grass of current Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer field. Tonight “The Wheels of Soul Tour” headlining “The Tedeschi Trucks Band” featuring Derek Trucks had come to town. Truck’s lineage extends back to his uncle Butch Trucks, the original drummer of The Allman Brothers Band. Derek, the child prodigy now in his forties, has been touring Central Florida the past three decades. He has shared the stage with the greatest Blues guitar players in his lifetime; Buddy Guy, BB King, and Eric Clapton, to name a few. Tonight, he and his wife Susan Tedeschi would play to the joy of a nearly packed soccer stadium.

The show kicked off with “Shovels and Rope”, a married duo from Charleston, South Carolina. “Shovels and Rope” went on at 6:40pm and entertained the crowd with their style of country, folk, and rock-n-roll. The set started kind of slow as the stadium was filling up, but by the time their 45-minute set was finished the audience was in a frenzy and on their feet. The heat was no longer an issue as the venue had come alive.

Band:

Cary Ann Hearst- lead and backing vocals, guitar, drums, keyboard, percussion
Michael Trent – lead and backing vocals, harmonica, guitar, drums, keyboard, percussion

Blackberry Smoke was next on stage at around 7:45pm, and the five-piece band from Atlanta, Georgia, which added a guitar player to make it a six piece on this tour, did not disappoint. Mixing country rock, southern rock, and blues rock creates a Blackberry Smoke show that is one of a kind. Two of their last three records have charted #1 on the US country charts and #1 on the UK rock charts. Their variety of genres create a show you need to see; it’s always fresh and has something for everyone. Paul Jackson’s hard-hitting guitar leads, and vocalist/guitarist Charlie Starr glide this band through their rocking bluesy show that parallels country rock with each song. It’s a groove you need to experience.

Band:

Charlie Starr – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Richard Turner – Bass, Vocals
Brit Turner – Lead Drums
Paul Jackson – Guitar, Vocals
Brandon Still – Keyboards

Setlist:

1. Lord Strike Me Dead

2. Run Away From It All

3. Believe You Me

4. Medicate My Mind

5. Let It Burn

6. Burn Down the Mission (Elton John cover)

7. One Horse Town

8. Ain’t Much Left of Me/Mississipi Kid (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)

Tedeschi Trucks Band filled the stage at around nine o’clock and the audience roared with appreciation as Tedeschi and Trucks walked to center stage. Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi married in 2001 when Derek was playing with The Allman Brothers Band, together forming The Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2010. To date, they have won 4 Grammys and numerous “Blues Music Awards”.

The 12-piece band filled the stage and the air with a soulful, bluesy vibe. The crowd in attendance soaked it up while swaying to the beat. As a music fan, I was blown away at the precision that Trucks displayed on the slide guitar, it was masterful and the best I have ever seen in a live show. Susan held her own on guitar, but her vocals were spot on. Midway through the show Charlie Starr, the lead man for Blackberry Smoke joined the band on stage for a cover of Charles Segar’s song “Key to the Highway”. A spectacular moment and I wished I had my camera to capture the shot. Charlie left the stage and two songs later, the band played “Sugaree” by The Grateful Dead. It was Mike Mattison’s lead vocals on “I Wish You Well” that was another inspiring moment. He is soulful and has amazing tone!

 There were surprises at every turn of this show and the crowd was getting their money’s worth, and then some. This band has soul and R&B in spades and The Tedeschi Trucks Band is a band I could see seven days a week and not get fatigued. Get out and see Derek and Susan if they come to a city near you, you will fall in love with this beautiful couple, and their music.

Band:

Derek Trucks – Guitar
Susan Tedeschi – Guitar & Vocals
Kofi Burbridge – Keys & Flute
Tyler Greenwell – Drums
JJ Johnson – Drums
Mike Mattison – Backing Vocals
Mark Rivers – Backing Vocals
Alecia Chakour – Backing Vocals
Tim Lefebvre – Bass
Kebbi Williams – Saxophone
Elizabeth Lea – Trombone
Ephraim Owens – Trumpet  Gabe Dixon – Keyboards

Setlist:

1. I’m Gonna Be There

2. Do I Look Worried

3. Made Up Mind

4. How Blue Can You Get? (Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers cover)

5. Hard Case

6. Leaving Trunk (Sleepy John Estescover)

7. Laugh About It

8. I Wish You Well

9. Key to the Highway (Charles Segarcover) (with Charlie Starr)

10. Angel From Montgomery (John Prine cover)

11. Sugaree (Jerry Garcia cover)

12. Shame

13. Midnight in Harlem

14. Bound for Glory

Encore:

1. Show Me (Joe Tex cover)

Concert review on MNPRmagazine.com