2017 Autumnal Concert Chronicles

Tonight was Rik Emmett in an acoustic duo show. Obviously lots of Triumph stuff (not for me to poop on!). There were several songs that were surprises to me - I wouldn't have expected them, but I was very happy to hear them. "Ordinary Man", "Petite Etude" (in a slightly revised arrangement), "Suitcase Blues", and "Rocky Mountain Way". Also got snippets of "Takin' Care Of Business" and "Free Falling" (with Paul Stanley impression), and a bit of Rik's rewrite of "When I'm 64". Rik was very personable and very funny all night, and at the end of the night, he told a funny story about how he met Malcolm Young.

Next up, King Crimson. I think that's all I actually have tix for this year, but there are a couple shows that are possibliities the rest of the year (top among them is Reverend Horton Heat).
 
Saw Guthrie Govan at a master class on Monday.
It's not fair (How doe's he do that) Bloody Amazing. !!!

Brilliant player, great at communicating his ideas, and a wicked sense of humor. The first time I met him, I said, "My goal is to play just six notes as cleanly as you do." He looked at me for a second, then said, "Well, we all have our own journeys with the instrument, don't we?"

I bought the tabs and backing tracks from the first Aristocrats album. The only song I've worked on so far is "Flatliners", which I just love. The first part sounds very easy.

Yeah. It ain't (at least for me).
 
Satriani announced his touring band this week - Keneally, Beller and Joe Travers. Damn! They're about two hours away a week+ later, but it's mid-February. If the weather is good, I'll make that trip.

Knowing you're a big Keneally fan, I hope the weather is good! They're here at the end of February. It's at the Chiago Theater (downtown). It's on a Friday night. Thirty two miles on a Friday night, in February, in Chicago....yep, that could be a two hour drive!
 
Tonight was Rik Emmett in an acoustic duo show. Obviously lots of Triumph stuff (not for me to poop on!). There were several songs that were surprises to me - I wouldn't have expected them, but I was very happy to hear them. "Ordinary Man", "Petite Etude" (in a slightly revised arrangement), "Suitcase Blues", and "Rocky Mountain Way". Also got snippets of "Takin' Care Of Business" and "Free Falling" (with Paul Stanley impression), and a bit of Rik's rewrite of "When I'm 64". Rik was very personable and very funny all night, and at the end of the night, he told a funny story about how he met Malcolm Young.

Next up, King Crimson. I think that's all I actually have tix for this year, but there are a couple shows that are possibliities the rest of the year (top among them is Reverend Horton Heat).

He rolled through here a few months back with his new band (electric show), supporting their new CD. I missed it. Wish I would have gone. I miss Triumph.

Only thing I've got left, that I have tickets for, is Terry Fator. Not sure if that qualifies for my man card. The Mrs wanted to go.

I did just buy tickets for Kid Rock, in March. Haven't seen him before. Looking forward to it though. Friday I bought tix for Jeff Lynne's ELO. That show isn't until next August.
 
It was the Lexington Lab Band (@maplebaby!) a few weeks ago and on to Knoxville Tuesday night for Brit Floyd. One left on the docket, Black Jacket Symphony playing Zeppelin IV in January.
 
The King Crimson show Monday was astounding. Mostly focused on the early era, which I'm not very familiar with, but that didn't matter a whit. Great playing, great music. Three drummers who not only split parts, they split phrases - including one passage of triplets w/each drummer playing one of the three notes in the triplet.
 
Sons of Apollo announced an Atlanta show for February 12. Got tickets for My wife, my 12 year old son and I.
If you haven't heard of them check them out, quite the Prog Metal supergroup:
Mike Portnoy
Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal
Billy Sheehan
Derek Sherinian (also plays in Black Country Communion)
Jeff Scott Soto
 
Sons of Apollo announced an Atlanta show for February 12. Got tickets for My wife, my 12 year old son and I.
If you haven't heard of them check them out, quite the Prog Metal supergroup:
Mike Portnoy
Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal
Billy Sheehan
Derek Sherinian (also plays in Black Country Communion)
Jeff Scott Soto

Nice! I've always had a love for JSS's voice going back to the 80s Yngwie stuff!
 
The Sons Of Apollo CD is excellent. I'll have to see if they're coming here. Bumblefoot is here Dec. 14 - not sure if I'll be able to go.

John 5 is coming in February, but I have tix for a hockey game that night. May be letting my wife go to that one.

I just got tix for Dweezil Zappa in April.
 
my little update of the last month, pretty wrecking... starting to feel the age:

- Metallica with Kvelertak: Really hooked on Kvelertak at the moment. Hadn't heard their music before the show and i was down with it right at the top of the first song. the energy, the layers of guitars. i really like it. Metallica was awesome, but because i was squched in the second row it was hard to really really enjoy the show. Kirk fucked up a bunch of times, but the mighty Hetfield remains god to me. Caught a guitar pick with the flag of the country and day of the show. Great!

- Mastodon with Red Fang: I enjoyed the non-rockstar side of Red Fang. Some great hooks and melodies. I was standing again on the second row right in front of Brent Hinds. Really a master in what he does. Playing guitar with a very light touch. From the start the band had a great sound. At the end of the show the band was joined by Scott Kelly from Neurosis. What a great way to end the show. Almost caught a setlist, but i did manage to get 2 guitar picks and - for the first time ever - a drum stick from Brann.

- Nashville *****: got the the French speaking part of the Belgium for a little club show of Nashville *****. I saw them over 12 years ago at a festival and kept following them album wise. i really like the studio side of the band, but the live part was a little bit of a let down. not so much the songs or anything. they went for it for 120% even though not a lot of people showed up, but it was a bit too much hillbilly for me. i can't stand seeing guitars being tortured like that too. a bit roadworn is fine by me, but when they are really missing pieces and pickups and such.... it just hurts me.Glad i saw them again, but i wouldn't go active looking for another of their gigs. perhaps at a festival when no other band is playing

- StoneSour with the Pretty Reckless: I was really disappointed by the Pretty Reckless. No enthousiasm what so ever on stage; very automatic pilot playing and no crowd interaction at all. I expected a lot more. But then again: StoneSour ruled the night. Again stuck second row after the misses. Caught a guitar pick and this time, also the setlist was mine. Played a very good mix of old and new songs. The temperature was hot and everybody was moist after the show. Lovely

- Royal Thunder with King Hiss: The Belgian King Hiss is a rad band which play stoner influenced rock n roll. They played a very good show and i got into a brief conversation with the guitarist. his tone comes from the combo: Gibson + Orange amp. Really fat tone, i like it, got a good look at how he plays and i'm sure i'm going play some of their riffs at home. But i was really blown away by Royal Thunder. It was the first time seeing them live and it was at a little club with perhaps 60 people. A shame not more rockers showed up, but that made it more intimate. I stood front row almost eye to eye with the lead guitarist. Got to talk to him after the show and he signed my setlist. a huge pedal freak who was tap dancing during the show. Great sound out of his Fender amp with a Yamaha Revstar.... got some GAS now!


Coming up: HIM - farewell show at Luxemburg.
 
my little update of the last month, pretty wrecking... starting to feel the age:

- Metallica with Kvelertak: Really hooked on Kvelertak at the moment. Hadn't heard their music before the show and i was down with it right at the top of the first song. the energy, the layers of guitars. i really like it. Metallica was awesome, but because i was squched in the second row it was hard to really really enjoy the show. Kirk fucked up a bunch of times, but the mighty Hetfield remains god to me. Caught a guitar pick with the flag of the country and day of the show. Great!

- Mastodon with Red Fang: I enjoyed the non-rockstar side of Red Fang. Some great hooks and melodies. I was standing again on the second row right in front of Brent Hinds. Really a master in what he does. Playing guitar with a very light touch. From the start the band had a great sound. At the end of the show the band was joined by Scott Kelly from Neurosis. What a great way to end the show. Almost caught a setlist, but i did manage to get 2 guitar picks and - for the first time ever - a drum stick from Brann.

- Nashville *****: got the the French speaking part of the Belgium for a little club show of Nashville *****. I saw them over 12 years ago at a festival and kept following them album wise. i really like the studio side of the band, but the live part was a little bit of a let down. not so much the songs or anything. they went for it for 120% even though not a lot of people showed up, but it was a bit too much hillbilly for me. i can't stand seeing guitars being tortured like that too. a bit roadworn is fine by me, but when they are really missing pieces and pickups and such.... it just hurts me.Glad i saw them again, but i wouldn't go active looking for another of their gigs. perhaps at a festival when no other band is playing

- StoneSour with the Pretty Reckless: I was really disappointed by the Pretty Reckless. No enthousiasm what so ever on stage; very automatic pilot playing and no crowd interaction at all. I expected a lot more. But then again: StoneSour ruled the night. Again stuck second row after the misses. Caught a guitar pick and this time, also the setlist was mine. Played a very good mix of old and new songs. The temperature was hot and everybody was moist after the show. Lovely

- Royal Thunder with King Hiss: The Belgian King Hiss is a rad band which play stoner influenced rock n roll. They played a very good show and i got into a brief conversation with the guitarist. his tone comes from the combo: Gibson + Orange amp. Really fat tone, i like it, got a good look at how he plays and i'm sure i'm going play some of their riffs at home. But i was really blown away by Royal Thunder. It was the first time seeing them live and it was at a little club with perhaps 60 people. A shame not more rockers showed up, but that made it more intimate. I stood front row almost eye to eye with the lead guitarist. Got to talk to him after the show and he signed my setlist. a huge pedal freak who was tap dancing during the show. Great sound out of his Fender amp with a Yamaha Revstar.... got some GAS now!


Coming up: HIM - farewell show at Luxemburg.

Good month!
 
Scored Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas tix today for the sweetie and I. Had no idea she was into his stuff, that's a present all its own. :cool:

What a venue...

MNIlGOD.jpg
 
Scored Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas tix today for the sweetie and I. Had no idea she was into his stuff, that's a present all its own. :cool:

What a venue...

MNIlGOD.jpg

I love Christmas shows. A couple of years Setzer played on the same day as TSO. We did the TSO show at 3:00 and Setzer at 8:00. Long day, but loads of fun!
 
I love Christmas shows. A couple of years Setzer played on the same day as TSO. We did the TSO show at 3:00 and Setzer at 8:00. Long day, but loads of fun!

Sweet! I might need an Advil after that but I'd give it a shot. :D

This will be the first holiday-themed thing I've been to in years, so it'll be a blast. I can't wait to hear those jazzed-out xmas arrangements live with a hot horn section.
 
Sweet! I might need an Advil after that but I'd give it a shot. :D

This will be the first holiday-themed thing I've been to in years, so it'll be a blast. I can't wait to hear those jazzed-out xmas arrangements live with a hot horn section.

Setzer does a hot Christmas show. I dig when he just comes out front with the 3 piece for a little rock-a-bllly. If you haven't seen Trans Siberian Orchestra, you really should. Nothing like a heavy metal Christmas, and a light show beyond awesome.
 
For sure, TSO is on my bucket list. This will be our first BSO show, we're really gunna do it up. I might peek and see if any other good dates have popped up between Christmas and when Eric Johnson rolls through (February). 2018's off to a promising start!
 
Setzer does a hot Christmas show. I dig when he just comes out front with the 3 piece for a little rock-a-bllly.

WOW. No joke, they blew the roof off. As much as I loved hearing the old bits and holiday music, my favorite moment was completely unexpected. I wanted to be surprised, so I didn't pull up any set lists or footage -- and it came in the form of an unannounced, full-tilt and faithful rendition of Petty's Runnin' Down A Dream. I think they played it louder than Spinal Tap. It was honestly stunning, I got pretty emotional.

Setzer is one hell of a showman and bandleader, my goodness. I've seen a bunch of their footage in the past but tonight he really worked 'em over, it was just stellar.

All this coupled with the venue = magic.

F2xsRTdg.jpg


 
WOW. No joke, they blew the roof off. As much as I loved hearing the old bits and holiday music, my favorite moment was completely unexpected. I wanted to be surprised, so I didn't pull up any set lists or footage -- and it came in the form of an unannounced, full-tilt and faithful rendition of Petty's Runnin' Down A Dream. I think they played it louder than Spinal Tap. It was honestly stunning, I got pretty emotional.

Setzer is one hell of a showman and bandleader, my goodness. I've seen a bunch of their footage in the past but tonight he really worked 'em over, it was just stellar.

All this coupled with the venue = magic.

F2xsRTdg.jpg



Awesome! Glad to hear you loved it! Such a tight group.
 
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