Friday's Rockin' Roundup - A Lot Going On Edition

Holy Hannah, there was a lot going on in the world of music this past week! There was also a lot going on in my personal life too. Some good, some bad, and some just too much work! It happens. I have a very demanding day job and I try to keep up with this blog and my newly launched KISS podcast, while still making time for reading, movies, games, family, and friends. Sometimes I need to remind myself that I should slow down and enjoy life for whatever it is handing me at that moment.

I’m really not complaining. I like to be busy and I like to get things done. I just tend to overcommit sometimes. And then there are times when everything happens all at once. Like new releases, tickets to concerts that I really want to see, and huge breaking news from some of my favorite bands. And that’s what I experienced this past week, which has led me to my first Friday’s Rockin’ Roundup for 2018.

So, while I was playing catch up in the world of all things Ryo Vie likes (and work), here’s what rocked this week!

Boyd Tinsley Is Taking A Break

Just hours after tickets went on sale for their upcoming summer tour, and a day before the band’s first concert in quite some time, Boyd Tinsley announced that he was “taking a break” from the Dave Mathews Band to focus on his family and health for a while. This news shocked the DMB fan community and caused one of the most popular fan sites to overload and shut down due to high traffic volume. The responses to this announcement are mixed. While some fans are really upset that this announcement did not come prior to the tickets going on sale, others are just sad and hope that everything is okay with their favorite fiddle player. I fall into both camps. On the one hand, I do hope that Boyd is okay and that the health issues are not serious. On the other hand, I wish I would have known this prior to buying tickets because it may have changed my decision about going or at least about how much to spend on tickets. As it is, I am going to two shows this summer. I just know they aren’t going to be the same without Boyd. It’s going to be odd and somber at times.

Poison Announces A Summer Tour

I’ll admit that with all that’s been going on lately, this announcement totally caught me by surprise. But thankfully, in a good way! I had no idea that Poison was gearing up to hit the road this summer. And taking Cheap Trick and Pop Evil out with them is quite a bonus. Long time readers know how much I love Pop Evil and Poison, so this is practically a must see show for me. The problem is I have DMB tickets for the night that Poison is in my home state. Now I am frantically scrambling to see what other nearby shows there are that will fit my schedule. Ugh! The problems of a die-hard music fan!

Gaslight Anthem Reunion Dates Announced

After a long hiatus, The Gaslight Anthem is finally getting back together! They plan to tour in honor of the anniversary of The 59 Sound, their breakout album that most (if not all) Gaslight fans adore. Tickets for all the announced North America shows have sold out, so I am hopeful that the band will add more dates. They currently do not have any shows scheduled for their home state of New Jersey and I can’t see them doing this tour without a show or two in The Garden State. Thus, like most fans, I will wait and see if future shows are added and if they include a stop in Jersey. If they do, expect me to be there!

Pearl JamTickets Going On Sale Soon

Pearl Jam announced some stadium shows for this summer. Tickets go on sale soon, however, if you were one of the lucky ones to become a “verified” fan, then you will have the opportunity to buy tickets next Friday, February 16^th. If there are any tickets left after that (doubtful), the general on sale will be February 21^st at 10:00 AM. Unfortunately, the closest show to me is almost 6 hours away, so I did not try to get “verified.” I still have some issues with the whole verification through Ticketmaster process anyway, but that’s a topic for another time. I may or may not try to get general tickets for Fenway in Boston, but I’m real hopeful that PJ will add some dates to the NYC area. MetLife stadium is a great place to hold a concert in the summer!

Brian Fallon’s Solo Album Is Out Today

Not to be outdone by his band that’s been on hiatus and is now returning with a boom, Brian Fallon will release a new solo album today. Sleepwalkers is the second solo album from Fallon and every song that I have heard from this record is magnificent. I can’t even begin to describe how talented Brian Fallon is or how much I love his music. It is filled with such passion that it just overwhelms me (in a very good way). There was a great article posted on the independent that talks about his new record, The Gaslight Anthem, and much more. It’s definitely worth reading, especially if you are a fan!

The Latest Episode of The Psycho Circus Podcast Is Up

I’ll wrap up this edition of Friday’s Rockin’ Roundup with a shameless self-promoting plug. The latest episode of my Podcast The Psycho Circus Podcast is up. It’s also available on iTunes and Tune-In. This episode covers my favorite KISS album of all time, Destroyer, so I really hope that it gets a lot of listens. And if you like what you hear, think about subscribing. My plan is to post a new episode every week until I collapse from over-commitment!

A New Year Resolution That Can Actually Be Kept

Welcome to 2018! Another year of promises to change things about ourselves. Promises that we may or may not keep. Promises that may be broken by mid-January. Every year I make some sort of New Year resolution that I try my best to stick to, but usually dissolves by March. Some years it’s to eat better or get physically fit. Other years it’s to stress less and dedicate myself to more writing and less work. And sometimes it’s to reign in my spending and put myself on a real budget that I will stick to.

This year I’ve decided to make concerts one of my New Year resolutions. Music is my lifeline, so why not resolve to enjoy it more? With that in mind, I made a resolution that there are some bands I will make myself see in 2018. If that means travelling to see them in concert, so be it. I rarely travel to see a band, but that needs to change this year. To make this resolution come to fruition I am going to have to take chances and make strides.

Throughout the month of January, I will be posting all my musical resolutions for 2018 starting with the concerts I resolve to see in 2018. And if you are of the same mindset, maybe I will see you at one of these shows.

The Revivalists

The Revivalists are a band that I just got into last year. I heard their song “Wish I Knew You” on one of the alternative stations through Amazon music and fell in love with them immediately. Suddenly I was playing their album Men Amongst Mountains a lot and it became my go to record for most of the summer. That then led me to listen to their other releases and before I knew it, The Revivalists had become one of my favorite new bands. Obviously, I have never seen them in concert, but 2018 will change that. Currently they only have one show listed, a music festival in Phoenix, AZ, but I will keep an eye on their website and as soon as shows are added, I will determine which one I am going to.

The Strumbellas

The Strumbellas are another band that I just got into last year because of listening to the alternative stations on Amazon music. I fell in love with them as well and purchased a copy of Hope days after hearing their music. From there I went on to enjoy all their material and I often find myself listening to them for hours on end. They are a young, up and coming band that has potential to be huge! Keep an eye on this band because I think they are going to take off and be one of the great ones for years to come. I almost got to see them live in 2017 but I had a commitment conflict the night they were performing in New York City. In 2018, I will make sure that does not happen. Currently, there are no tour dates listed on their website, but I am sure that will change as January marches forward. Once tour dates are up, I will lock in the show that I am going to attend.

Pearl Jam

I don’t even know if Pearl Jam perform in the United States in 2018, but if they do, I am going to have to be at one of their shows. Currently, Pearl Jam has European tour dates for 2018 but that’s it. That doesn’t mean they are going to tour America this year, but I know I’m not travelling to Europe, not even for Pearl Jam. So, I am going to hope that there will be a stateside show, or a Canadian one. I’ll travel to Canada to see this band. It has been over ten years since I last saw Pearl Jam in concert. That is far too long to go without seeing one of my favorite bands perform live. Pearl Jam is a top five band for me, so in 2018, they are going to be treated like a top five band. If they plan a show anywhere in the continental United States (or Canada), I will find a way to see them in concert!

Pop Evil

This one is easy and should be the first band I knock off the list. Pop Evil is going to be playing the Starland Ballroom in March, a local club that’s not too far from my home. I’ve seen them perform there a few times and every performance was exceptional! This time around they will be supporting a brand-new album (due out in February) and treating us to a Saturday night show. All signs point to awesomeness and I know this concert is going to be a memorable one.  A Pop Evil show always is. The last time around it was one of the best concerts of the year (possibly the best). Every time I see Pop Evil they are better than the last time. They continue to improve their skills and they continue to dominate the live scene. Pop Evil 2018 is going to be absolutely amazing.

Brian Fallon

Another one that should be relatively simple to complete. Brian Fallon is also going to perform at the Starland Ballroom on a Sunday night in April. He is also releasing a new album in February. The first two singles from his soon to be released record are some of the greatest songs of his entire career, which has me extremely excited for the new release. I’ve seen his former band The Gaslight Anthem perform live, but I’ve never seen Brian Fallon solo, so this will be interesting to me. I’ve heard that he does not play any Gaslight Anthem songs during his solo performances, but he will mix in a cover or two. Whatever he performs won’t matter too much to me. Brian Fallon is such a talent that he could perform just about anything and I’d like it. And that’s a fact that was proven by my love for his cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.” 

Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band took 2017 off from touring, and while Dave and Tim (Reynolds) went out on an acoustic tour, I did not attend the local show (mostly since it sold out before I could lock in someone to attend with). 2018 should see the entire band back out on the road all summer long and I am sure that my friend Snaz will be coming stateside and want to see the band. I will just have to find out which dates she is going to and then find a way to attend them with her. Perhaps we can hit some Midwest shows and I will be able to take in a ball game in Milwaukee during the same trip. That would be magnificent! Part of this resolution is to see DMB multiple times. This can be achieved by seeing them locally, perhaps driving to a semi local weekend show and seeing both nights, and then hitting the Midwest. 2018 could find my attending my 25^th DMB show before the year is over.

What's The Guru Listening To? - October Edition

Welcome to the October Edition of What’s the Guru Listening To? I get asked this question a lot. What am I currently enjoying and what would I recommend? And since time is severely limited these days, it gets harder and harder to post a full review of the outstanding music that I am discovering (or re-discovering). Therefore, every month I will fill you in on the latest song, album, and/or band that I am obsessed with.

Here's what The Guru is listening to this month:

Pearl Jam – Let’s Play Two

Pearl Jam has released the soundtrack to their new film, Let’s Play Two. The film is a documentary that captures moments from Pearl Jam’s 2016 concerts at Wrigley Field on August 20^th and 22^nd. It also explores the Chicago Cubs historic run to winning the 2016 World Series. While the documentary film won’t be available on home video until November 17^th, the soundtrack is out now and I have been consuming it this October. The album opens with an amazing “Low Light” and features some of the best moments of the two-night stand. Eddie Vedder’s tribute to the Cubs, “All The Way” is captured as well as the band’s stupendous cover of “I’ve Got A Feeling.” Other highlights include “Black,” “Inside Job,” and one of the best versions of “Crazy Mary” that I’ve ever listened to. It is just grand!

L.A. Guns – The Missing Peace

The great 80s hair metal band L.A. Guns are back with a brand-new album, The Missing Peace. What makes this album significant is that it is the first studio album in 15 years to feature guitarist Traci Guns and singer Phil Lewis. Patience is a virtue and it paid off in a big way with the release of this record. The Missing Peace is an incredible album that hits the hair metal sweet spot just right. The hard rocking “The Devil Made Me Do It” compares to any song that L.A. Guns have ever released, and may be the best song the band ever recorded. The ballad “Christine” is a joy to listen to and reminiscent of magnificent ballads from days gone by. All told, The Missing Peace is a spectacular work of art and I am hoping that L.A. Guns will be at M3 next year to perform songs from this release.

Cold War Kids – Bitter Poem

This exceptional song came out in 2013 and over this past month I must have listened to it 100 times or more. “Bitter Poem” is a hauntingly beautiful song filled with real, raw emotion. The music is intense and the lyrics are masterful. “Bitter Poem” is deep and poignant and brilliant. I’m still not sure what the song is exactly about even after all this time and all these listens, but I think that makes the song stronger. It certainly makes me carefully listen and examine the lyrics.  

Grouplove

This sensational band is going to be the opening act at the Imagine Dragons concert I am going to see in Newark, New Jersey, so I’ve been brushing up on their songs and their albums. I’ve been a fan of the band since I first heard their debut record, Never Trust a Happy Song. Their music is decidedly different from most of what I listen to which is just one of the reasons that I enjoy them so much. And since I’ve never seen Grouplove or Imagine Dragons in concert, this is a night of live music that I am really looking forward to. I’m hopeful to hear “Lovely Cup,” “Colours,” and “Ways To Go.” I’m certain that they will play one of those songs, but with a little luck maybe I will get to hear all three of them live. That would get the night off to a grand start!  

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