My Annual Trek To See From Good Homes

From Good Homes is returning to the Newton Theatre this weekend and I will return there with them as a participating audience member in what has now become an annual tradition. Three years in a row is enough to call it an annual tradition, right? Once again, I will be attending the show with my buddy Adam. We’ll eat at our favorite restaurant near the venue, listen to some fabulous music by an underrated yet extremely talented band, and have an exceptional evening of good company and great times.

From Good Homes is one of those bands that really should have hit the big time, but for whatever reason it didn’t work out for them. They are as talented in the jam as Dave Matthews Band or Phish. They have a cult following that loves them dearly. And their concert performances are legendary, which is why I am so excited to see them in concert again. Every show is a different experience and as I learned last year, I really don’t know what to expect from their set. And that is an exciting prospect. I don’t like attending stale concerts where the setlists are tired and I know every song before it’s played. It takes away from the magic of the evening. From Good Homes is not like that. They mix up their sets. They add in covers. And occasionally they dust off a forgotten gem that hasn’t seen the light of day for years. That’s how the closed out the first set of last year’s night two with a blistering rendition of “It’s Getting Dirty.” And it was magnificent.

That’s one part of the joy of From Good Homes. Other joys emulate from the chemistry that the band has. Even though they haven’t recorded a new album in almost 20 years, they still have a bond that is clear and present every time they take the stage. And while Todd Sheaffer is doing well with Railroad Earth and Brady Rymer is having fun (and success) with his family music releases, when the two of them get together with Patrick Fitzsimmons, Dan Myers, and Jamie Coan, it’s breathtaking. Separately they all make solid music, but together they make unforgettable music.

It would be nice to see From Good Homes put out new music, yet I realize that’s probably never going to happen. We will just have to appreciate the material we do have from them. Three studio albums, a live release, and a live EP will just need to be enough. Of course, we should also be thankful that the band returns to their home area every year and performs for two nights that always sell out. Not many bands that haven’t recorded new material are able to do that and keep the shows fresh. And while From Good Homes does give other one off performances throughout the year (not many, but a few) it is their New Jersey shows that resonate the loudest. Maybe it’s because they’ve returned home for the holiday season and there is a blissful harmony in that feeling of coming home again.

This Friday and Saturday night The Newton Theatre will be jamming. From Good Homes usually puts on a 3-hour performance with a 15-minute intermission in between sets. There’s a lot of sing-alongs that take place during the show and the fans that see it always leave with a big grin on their face. That’s the power of live music, especially when it’s played by individuals as talented as this band. If you’ve never experienced From Good Homes live, I highly recommend that you do so. There are still a few tickets left for this weekend’s shows, but I imagine they are going to sell out by Friday. So, give yourself a holiday treat and purchase tickets to one of these shows. You might just start your own new annual holiday tradition.  

Review - Tuff Luck: A Documentary About A Band That Almost Made It

Some of the greatest bands in the music industry are ones that most people have never heard of. It’s an unfortunate bi-product of the industry. Only so many bands can get the proper level of promotion. Only certain bands have the magical stroke of luck that pushes them out of obscurity and into notoriety. For every Cinderella, Poison, and Motley Crue, there are the Nitro’s, Slyder’s, and Blackeyed Susan’s of the industry. Sadly, some of the most talented musicians in the world wither away in the realms of “never heard of them.” Tuff Luck is one of those bands and theirs may be the saddest story of an unknown band that shouldn’t be.

Growing up as a youth in the 80s, Tuff Luck would have fit right into my wheelhouse had I ever had the chance to hear their music. Their posters would have graced my bedroom walls right next to KISS, Van Halen, and Poison. Tuff Luck was a hard rocking, hair metal band from South Florida tearing up the scene in the mid-to-late 80s. They had the look. They had the talent. They had the local following. What they lacked was the one lucky break that would have turned their entire career around. Seeing such talent not make it is a true shame.

A lot of bands proclaim the talent that their members possess, but from the clips and audio tracks portrayed in this documentary, it’s clearly obvious that Tuff Luck possessed the talent. They had one of the most amazing guitarists in Dave Scott. I would put him up there with Nuno Bettencourt and Slash. He was light years ahead of CC Deville. Todd Kelly was one of the best drummers of his day, and he would have drummed rings around Fred Coury or Carmine Appice. And he would have smoked Tommy Lee. Then there was the very young, insanely talented, James Marino on bass. He played music with the bass guitar that just wasn’t possible. He would have made Kip Winger look like a fool and he definitely would have given Billy Sheehan a run for his money. Rounding out the band was lead vocalist Kenny Monroe, who had the frontman presence of Bruce Dickinson merged with Brian Johnson. He commanded the audience as soon as he set foot onto the stage.

And yet with all of this talent, with all of the buzz and sold out shows in the South Florida area, Tuff Luck is a story about the band that didn’t make it. Hard times, terrible breaks, and poor decisions just haunted them from the beginning. “Tuff Luck” chronicles the story of the band from their humble beginnings, through their rise to local fame, to their almost superstardom blast off, and then finally through their demise. There’s even a glimpse of their lives now. I must admit that by the end of this documentary I was saddened. Tuff Luck is a band that should be headlining the M3 Festival next year, and instead, they are a band that most people are just hearing now, 20 years after their ending. This is a documentary of what could have happened as well as what didn’t happen, and it sheds light on how much luck needs to accompany talent in order to make it big.

At the end of it all, the band members are grateful for the time and fans they had. They have put that part of their lives behind them and moved on to other careers. They were just one of the unfortunate casualties of the late 80s hard rock scene. Tuff Luck should have been a household name, instead they disintegrated in the wasteland of obscurity.

Without a doubt, “Tuff Luck” is the best rock documentary I have ever seen. It details the incredible journey of an exquisite underdog band that almost made it, and highlights their share of tragedy. There is not a finer rock documentary out there and I implore everyone to see this film. You will not only be thoroughly entertained, but you will also be scrambling to EBay, looking to buy that rare copy of a Tuff Luck bootleg. Yeah, the band is that good.

“Tuff Luck” is available on Amazon and ITunes now. Get some! 

You can also watch it on Amazon Instant Video:   

Tuff Luck Documentary

King Washington - Folk Rock At Its Finest

King Washington is a band that I have been enjoying a lot lately. They are a modern folk trio with an amazing sound, magnificent songs, and a band that deserves much more exposure than they get. It’s a shame how so many fantastic bands can slip through the cracks. That should not be King Washington’s fate, so I am doing my part to help promote their spectacular sound. Here are a few videos from the band. Enjoy!

“Bawl & Change”

“Don’t Expect My Love” – Live on Balcony TV

“’Ol Highway 9 (Live Acoustic In Studio)

King Washington …. You rock!

Barkhouse - Wolves At The Wall

Holy shit, this is good! By way of good fortune, Barkhouse’s Wolves At The Wall entered my inbox and even included a link for streaming the entire EP. That’s good news for all of you Rock And Roll Guru Fans. Why? Because Wolves At The Wall is simply amazing!

Wolves At The Wall is the perfect blend of blues, rock, and soul recorded with grit and determination that rings through in the music. This EP is just fantastic!

Do yourself a favor, after you stream the EP below, go over to ITunes and buy the damned thing. It’s worth the money and you know you want to play this in your car, at your office, in the shower, and anywhere else that you can. You can buy the EP here: http://bit.ly/1AcCCnz.