What's The Guru Listening To? - June Edition

Welcome to the June 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:

Badfinger – Baby Blue

Although I was late to the party, I recently made my way through all five seasons of Breaking Bad. What an amazing show! I now understand why everyone was obsessed with the program. At the end of the series finale, “Baby Blue” plays during the episode conclusion and then bleeds into the credits. Once I heard that song over the final scene, I started listening to it over and over and over again. It’s a great song that I haven’t paid attention to in years, but Breaking Bad brought it back and I was happy to rediscover this gem.

Son Volt – Notes of Blue

The latest record from Son Volt is another solid release of good music. Although it came out in February, I only started enjoying Notes of Blue recently. It wasn’t until this month that I listened to it to a few times and discovered all the great music contained within. Notes of Blue is another fantastic folk rock album from an extremely talented band that has a lot of great releases under their belt. And while it is no longer the original members, almost anything that involves Jay Farrar is worth paying attention to.

Undefeated – Incubus

Incubus recently released a new album, 8, and while the entire record is great, there is one song that stood above all others. “Undefeated” is a classic Incubus track filled with great hooks, fantastic rhythms, and powerful lyrics. It was the one song that rose above all others from the record and I found myself playing it several times over. I am sure that in the coming weeks I will go back and revisit the entire record, but for now I am content to just listen to “Undefeated” several times a week.

U2 – The Joshua Tree

I am fortunate enough to have good seats to see U2 at the end of the month. Since the band will be playing The Joshua Tree in its entirety, I thought it was appropriate to give the album a few spins. The Joshua Tree is probably my favorite U2 album, and could be one of my favorite albums ever. Every song on this record is a masterpiece. I am excited to see the band in concert, and I am more excited to hear The Joshua Tree in its entirety. To prepare myself for this magnificent show, I’ve been playing The Joshua Tree to re-familiarize myself with the lyrics to all the songs. After a couple of listens, I think I have all the words to every song down. Bring on the concert, my singing voice is ready!

The Clarks

There’s something to be said about the start of summer, a weekend drive, and The Clarks on the radio. The Clarks are a fantastic band from Pittsburgh that not enough people outside of that area know about. They’ve been around for over 30 years with all their original members, a very rare feat in music, and every album they release is a gem. And while I’ve been watching the NHL finals, I hear The Clarks being played in the Penguins arena. As most regular readers of The Rock And Roll Guru know, I am a huge Penguins fan. Thus, I’ve been listening to The Clarks a lot as I get ready to watch Penguins hockey and/or when I take a weekend drive. Their catalog is vast and wonderful and I encourage anyone who hasn’t heard of them to seek out their music and give them a try.

Comments are open. Feel free to post some.

Incubus And Deftones Announce Co-Headlining Tour

Alternative Rock heroes, Incubus and Deftones, have announced they will set out on a co-headlining summer tour visiting nearly 20 cities throughout the United States with more to be announced. The tour, produced by Live Nation, will kick off on July 22 at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Mich. and take the two bands to New York City, Chicago, Boston, Houston, Dallas and more before wrapping up on August 30 in San Diego, Cali. Death From Above 1979 and The Bots will join the tour as special guests. Tickets go on sale beginning April 24 at www.livenation.com.

INCUBUS & DEFTONES CO-HEADLINING SUMMER TOUR DATES

Special guests include Death From Above 1979 and The Bots

All dates, cities and venues below subject to change.

All shows on sale April 24 unless otherwise noted.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015	Clarkston, MI	DTE Energy Music Theatre*
Thursday, July 23, 2015	Tinley Park, IL	First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre***
Saturday, July 25, 2015	Cincinnati, OH	Riverbend Music Center
Tuesday, August 4, 2015	Holmdel, NJ	PNC Bank Arts Center
Wednesday, August 5, 2015	Wantagh, NY	Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
Friday, August 7, 2015	Mansfield, MA	Xfinity Center*
Saturday, August 8, 2015	Camden, NJ	Susquehanna Bank Center
Sunday, August 9, 2015	Charlotte, NC	PNC Music Pavilion
Wednesday, August 12, 2015	Atlanta, GA	Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood
Thursday, August 13, 2015	Tampa, FL	MIDFLORDIA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Friday, August 14, 2015	West Palm Beach, FL	Coral Sky Amphitheatre
Sunday, August 16, 2015	New Orleans, LA	Bold Sphere Music at Champion's Square +
Monday, August 17, 2015	Austin, TX	Austin360 Amphitheater
Wednesday, August 19, 2015	Houston, TX	Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion pres. by Huntsman**
Thursday, August 20, 2015	Dallas, TX	Gexa Energy Pavilion**
Monday, August 24, 2015	Morrison, CO	Red Rocks Amphitheatre*
Wednesday, August 26, 2015	Mountain View, CA	Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sunday, August 30, 2015	San Diego, CA	Sleep Train Amphitheatre

* - on sale April 25

** - on sale May 1

+ - on sale May 8

*** - Death From Above not on this show

Lollapalooza - July 23, 2003

Back in 2003, Lollapalooza was still a travelling tour, as opposed to the one city, one weekend event that is the current format. In the summer of 2003, Lollapalooza announced their tour dates and one of the stops was at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. With bands like Incubus, Audioslave, and Jane’s Addiction on the bill, there was no way I would miss out.

The Donnas
The Donnas opened the main stage in style. I always wondered what happened to The Donnas. They were a decent, all girl band, and in 2003, I thought they would go on to be hugely successful. Their live act was solid, they looked magnificent (hot, sweaty, beautiful women playing rock and roll is always attractive), and they had a hit song in “Take It Off.” With so much going right, I am surprised that this band didn’t take off. As it was, I was happy to see them in concert and thought they did a great job as a live act.

Queens Of The Stone Age
I had never seen Queens Of The Stone Age prior to Lollapalooza, and I barely knew their music. I was familiar with a song or two that I had heard on the radio, but other than that, I had not paid them much attention. Thus, I had no idea what to expect when it was their turn to rock the Arts Center. All I knew is that they were the bridge to Incubus.

In a brief, simple, summary, this band sucked. I rarely trash any bands, as I know how hard it is to make good music, go out on stage, and perform in front of crowds both large and small, but there is no other way for me to state how I felt about Queens Of The Stone Age. It could quite possibly be the worst musical performance I ever sat through.

The lead singer had a voice that sound like broken glass being chewed. The instruments were all out of tune, and it appeared that the band did way too much partying before taking the stage. Hence, the band sucked. I quickly forgot about them and never gave QOTSA another thought until now. Most likely, I will never think about them again.

Incubus
This would be my first time witnessing Incubus live. I knew they would perform a condensed set, but figured it would be packed with hits, which would make me happy. Incubus delivered. While their performance at Lollapalooza was nowhere near as grand as their headlining performance I witnessed years later, it was still a power packed show.

Without lighting, special effects, or any other extras that headliners get, Incubus focused on the music. And that was enough for the crowd. Incubus’ music is what makes them special and there is no need for them to rely on special effects to enhance their show. The music does all the talking.

My only disappointment with Incubus was the fact that they did not play one of their biggest hits. For whatever reason, “Drive” was not on the set list that night, and to this day, I am still scratching my head over that.

Audioslave
2003 was really the year of Audioslave. After Rage Against The Machine split up and Soundgarden called it a day, Chris Cornell and the members of Rage (minus Zach) got together and made a super group. And super they were. Their debut album ranks in my top 50 albums of all time. The year it was released, I played it nonstop. To finally witness these songs in their live format was the treat of the night.

The band opened with a White Stripes song, which I found an odd thing to do. Not only were they opening with a song that wasn’t their own, but the song they chose (“Seven Nation Army”) was a current White Stripes song. I can’t recall ever seeing a band cover a current hit in concert. That being said, they performed a damned good version of the song.

After the cover intro, Audioslave songs followed. All of the best songs from their self-titled debut were played and the crowd loved it. Chris Cornell has a voice for the angels and Tom Morello is a guitar whiz worthy of being considered one of the greats. Their live performance really did the band justice.

Toward the end of their set, Cornell came out on stage solo with an acoustic guitar and played a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City.” It was well done and of course, the New Jersey crowd went wild for the Bruce cover.

Overall, Audioslave was magnificent. It was the only time I saw them in concert, but it was a memorable one.

Jane’s Addiciton
The headliners of the show were the recently reunited Jane’s Addiction. They were touring behind a brand new album, Strays, which was a solid record. This would be my second time seeing them in concert, so I knew how great the band was live. That night would be no exception.

As Jane’s set started, I noticed something strange occurring in front of me. It had been a long day of music, and a lot of people had a little too much (or way too much) to drink. By that time of the night, goofy things were bound to happen.

The not-so-gentleman in front of me and my friends decided that it was time for a bathroom break, but apparently he did not want to miss any of Jane’s Addiction. So, right in front of us and everyone else on the lawn, he whipped out his rod urinated. The crowd around him dissipated quickly, giving him plenty of room. After he finished tapping the tree, he zipped up and went right on rocking. I had to question what I just saw, but my friends confirmed it. We just watched a guy piss on the lawn at a Jane’s Addiction concert.

As for the real show, it was magnificent. Ninety minutes of great music from one of the founding fathers of alternative rock. I have always been enamored with Perry Farrell, considering him a musical genius. His excellence showed on that night as he and the rest of the band performed a concert that was entertaining, packed with hit songs, and extremely well performed. There were no complaints from me or my friends.

Lollapalooza 2003 was an entertaining event and worth the price of admission. While it would be the last time that I would see Jane’s Addiction in concert, they gave me quite a memory to go out on.

Friday's Rockin' Roundup - Anniversary Edition

Tomorrow is my 6 year wedding anniversary. I can’t believe that I have been married that long already, and more importantly, I can’t believe that my wife has put up with me for that long. Between the time I spend on this blog and my obsession with comic books and sports, I’m surprised she hasn’t come to her senses and left me by now.

To celebrate our anniversary, we will be going out to dinner at the place we met. I don’t believe that either of us has been back there since the night we met, so it should be interesting to see how much we can remember about that fateful night when we are there.

For this week’s edition of Friday’s Rockin’ Roundup, I’ve decided to pull together some upcoming tours that are worthy of your attention. It seems like this has been one slow summer concert season. I know that I’ve only been to two concerts this year, and technically, neither of them was during the summer. Maybe that will change and I will attend one of these upcoming shows.

Here are some tours that rock:

POP EVIL
http://www.pollstar.com/resultsArtist.aspx?ID=158749
Pop Evil is out on the road in support of their latest album, War Of Angels. If you’ve never seen Pop Evil live before, I implore you to check them out. Travel if you must. Pop Evil is a fantastic live band and one of the greatest new rock bands to arrive in a long time.

Theory Of A Deadman
http://www.theoryofadeadman.com/tourdates
Theory is also hitting the road to support a new album, The Truth Is… And while there are no shows scheduled near The Guru at this time, Theory is known for their extensive touring. I am sure that they will schedule a concert close to home in the near future.

Incubus
http://www.enjoyincubus.com/us/tour
Another band with a brand new album to support is Incubus. They are also fabulous in concert, but I am unfortunately going to miss them this year. They are playing the Arts Center in NJ on the same day that I am attending an annual Labor Day BBQ bash that I just can’t miss. It was a tough decision, but the BBQ won out.

Seether
http://www.seether.com/events.aspx
Seether too is supporting a new album, Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray. The extent of their tour appears to be taking place in August. I’ve only seen Seether as an opening act, but with a late August stint scheduled for New Jersey, I may have to check out their headlining appearance.

Puddle Of Mudd
http://www.puddleofmudd.com
Puddle of Mudd has a couple of different tours coming up. First, they are out on a headlining tour doing two sets --- one an acoustic covers set and the second, a set of their greatest hits. After that tour wraps at the end of July, the band has some time off before starting a tour with Buckcherry, Papa Roach, and POD. That could be some show!

Every Album Challenge Update
Albums Listened To: 190
Albums Remaining: 1,863

For more rants, raves, reviews, news, tour updates, and odd little musings, you should follow me on twitter. www.twitter.com/ryovie

My Favorite Concert of 2009

Since this is the last Saturday of 2009, I thought that I would re-post my review of my favorite concert in 2009 for this edition of concert Saturday. Considering that I saw KISS, Motley Crue, Theory of a Deadman, and Dave Matthews Band (amongst others) this past year, my choice for favorite concert of the year may come as a surprise. However, if you're a regular, devoted reader, it probably won't surprise you at all.

Looking forward to next year's concerts and hope to see some of you at them.

Happy New Year.

Ryo

A Friday night in New Jersey was the setting for my first experience with Incubus as a live headliner. The PNC Bank Arts Center, home to many of my concert experiences, was the place where Incubus would perform. I had seen the band live once (at the same venue), when they were part of Lollapalooza back in 2003. I’ve always enjoyed Incubus, but I wouldn’t consider myself a die-hard fan, which is probably why I had never seen them as a headliner before.

My friend Dawn Marie and I decided it would be nice to see the band in concert, and once the tickets were available for half price there was no question, we were going to see Incubus. We got to the Arts Center with plenty of time available for tailgating. There was food, booze, chairs, and exceptional weather. It was a picture perfect, gorgeous Friday afternoon/early evening in New Jersey, the epitome of summer. It was everything that you could want for an outdoor concert. The sun was shining, the temperature was a pleasant 80 degrees, and there was almost no humidity in the air.

We parked the car, pulled out the tailgate chairs, popped open a mojito and sat down to enjoy the ambiance and atmosphere before the concert began. Immediately upon observing my surroundings, it was painfully obvious that this was a young crowd. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but what it meant was that Dawn Marie and I were some of the oldest people in attendance. She was in denial about this, but looking around the parking lot and seeing who walked by, it was all too clear. We were the old folks. The same people that I used to look at many years ago and say, “Wow, it’s cool that these old people still like to attend concerts.” Now I was one of those old people.

The Duke Spirit was the opening act. I had never heard of them before and no internet research was executed beforehand, so I had no idea what their sound was like. They took the stage promptly at 8:00 PM and launched into their opening song. Their lead singer was a female blonde bombshell and we learned that the band was from England, supporting Incubus on their US tour.

The Duke Spirit gave a great performance. A lot of times, opening acts that most people never heard of are not that good and I usually find myself wandering toward the beer tent or the bathroom. Not the case with The Duke Spirit. I actually wanted to stay to see their entire set. Although I didn’t know any of their songs, they put on quite the show.


When it was time for Incubus to appear, the first thing I noticed was the slow walk. The band didn’t sprint up to the stage and rip into their first song (like AC/DC or Papa Roach). They didn’t burst onto the scene and bask in the rousing applause (ala Bruce Springsteen). What they did was to cautiously make their way to their respective stage spots, and then begin their job of entertaining the crowd. It was an interesting, different way for a concert to begin.

The band kicked off the night with Pardon Me, an amazing track from their major label debut, Make Yourself. The first notes of the record scratch intro hit the airwaves and the large Arts Center crowd roared their approval. Obviously, Pardon Me was a fan favorite and a good choice of an opener.

One of the interesting things about Incubus is how they are not flashy at all. No bombs or explosions, no huge video screens (there was a modest sized one behind the drummer), no flames rising from the stage, even their lighting was basic. Incubus is a no frills band in a good way.

The strongest portion of the concert was exactly what it should have been, the music. Incubus has a deep, rich, musically history with plenty of hits to choose from. Since they were supporting Monuments and Melodies, a greatest hits collection, the setlist was going to be big on hits with no filler.


Ticket prices must have factored into the attendance. As I mentioned, Dawn Marie and I bought tickets once they were a half price special. Before that, we were considering lawn seats, but weren’t committed. When the concert started, it was clearly noticeable that most of the 400 section had not sold. The first four rows of the center section were filled and that was about it. The rest of the 400s remained empty. That’s a shame, but it’s also a message to the band. Ticket prices were too high.

My moment of the night came with the opening notes of Oil and Water. This is my favorite Incubus song ever recorded and when the introduction guitar riff hit, chills erupted all over my body. The coolness in the air and the darkness in the amphitheater only added to the ambiance of this song. It was one of the greatest moments in my concert attending history. Needless to say, I sang every word to that song at the top of my lungs, oblivious to everything except the strength of the music combined with the lyrics.

When it came time for the encore, I was shocked at how loud the roar was. I’ve heard some loud roars for bands before (most notably Dave Matthews and Kiss), but I can’t recall hearing a roar so loud that it literally hurt my eardrums. The screams vibrated off the ceiling and almost made the theater shake. I’m sure Incubus appreciated the love and support of the fans.


For the final song of the night, Incubus decided to close out with a cover of Prince’s Let’s Go Crazy. I’m not a fan of closing with someone else’s song. I personally think they should have played it at a different portion of the night, but I give them credit. Incubus performed an excellent version of this classic tune. The crowd ate it up and everyone was dancing, screaming, and singing along. It was a strong way to close out the night, even if it wasn’t their song.

Incubus came, they conquered, and they sent us home happy. If they came back around, I would definitely see them again. It was a great August night and a memorable evening spent enjoying a great concert and remembering when I was the youngster at the show. Ah, the glory days!

Setlist
Pardon Me
Nice To Know You
Anna Molly
Stellar
Meglomaniac
Circles
Love Hurts
Just A Phase
Drive
Talk Show On Mute
Dig
Redefine
Warning
Oil & Water
Quicksand
A Kiss To Send Us Off
Wish You Were Here
Aqueos
Encore
The Warmth
Sick Sad Little World
Let’s Go Crazy

Changing of the Guard - Part Two

In this three part series, I’m examining the bands that are on their way out, the bands that are in their prime, and the bands that are ready to take over the spotlight. Part One: Bands Near Retirement can be found here: http://rockandrollguru.blogspot.com/2009/11/changing-of-guards-part-one.html

Part Two: Bands In Their Prime

Pearl Jam
By rock and roll standards, Pearl Jam is a young band. They’ve only been together for 20 years, which seems like a lot, but when you compare them with bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who, or KISS, they are still in their adolescence. Pearl Jam is primed to be around for another 20 years or more. Pearl Jam will definitely be able to fill the shoes left behind by Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band. Their concerts are all near marathon length, they couldn’t care less about curfews, and they enjoy playing their asses off. All critical elements to take the crown for greatest live band around. Will they be better than the E-Street Band? That’s hard to say? But know this. They can keep up with them, and they will be one of the last bands standing and still rocking 20 years from now. Of this I’m sure.



Iron Maiden
Fully reunited with Bruce Dickinson back at the helm and 3 guitarists in tow, Iron Maiden have been re-conquering the world for the last 8 years. They show no signs of slowing down and with their pyrotechnics, theatrical antics, and travelling mascot (Eddie), they will take the spotlight from KISS as the loudest, most explosive live act left. Maiden is an incredible vision live, with a deep catalog of hits, and new material released every few years. They are poised to go for another 15 – 20 years, which would only put Bruce Dickinson in his mid 60s, where the Stones are currently at today. Iron Maiden can bring the heat, and with Steve Harris continuing to write amazing songs with intense, deep, thought provoking lyrics, there’s no reason to think that they would be hanging up their touring shoes anytime soon. With a rabid, worldwide fanbase to please, Maiden will be entertaining the masses for many years on.



Dave Matthews Band
One of the greatest live bands in existence, Dave Matthews Band is the quintessential jam band. Constantly touring, always on the road and moving from city to city and country to country, DMB is going to be around for a long, long while. They may tour longer than I’m alive. With members ages ranging from late 30s to late 50s, there’s no denying that they have the age and the energy to go on forever. Their live show is incredible and almost every concert they announce sells out. Hugely popular in Europe, the USA, and the rest of the world, Dave Matthews Band has plenty of time, desire, and devotion left to continue on their grueling touring pace. They could be out performing for another 30 years easily. Unless something tragic happens, I don’t expect this band to stop anytime soon. They do their best to keep ticket prices low, hit every market that they can, and always give the fans their money’s worth during every performance.



Bon Jovi
Having been around since the early 80s, one would think there isn’t much left for the boys from New Jersey. However, Bon Jovi recently announced a world tour that will kick off in 2010 behind their new album, The Circle. With a rabid fan base (the likes of Bruce or DMB), an incredible array of hits, and their passion for music, Bon Jovi could be out on the road (on and off) for 20 years or more. They show no signs of slowing down, and fans who saw their last tour claim that it was one of the band’s best in their storybook career. In 2010 they will open the New Meadowlands Stadium in their home state of New Jersey and be on the road for at least 2 years. While they may take a couple of years off after that, I expect that these guys will be performing together for a long time to come. They are in their prime and ready to take over any void left behind by those illustrious acts that are near retirement.



Incubus
Incubus may seem like an odd inclusion for bands in their prime, but after seeing them live this past summer, I can’t get over how exceptional they are in concert. They’ve been together since the early 90s, which makes them just young lads in the world of rock and roll. They’ve released 5 massive albums and an incredible greatest hits set, they’ve stayed together with all original members for that length of time, and they are still having fun on the road. In concert, the band sounds like a well oiled machine and they deliver a performance that puts them in the same category as the greats that have been mentioned already. They are an incredible live spectacle and they can only get better from here, having just hit their stride in the world of rock and roll touring. I expect that Incubus is a band my grandkids and I will be able to see together. That would be the experience of a lifetime.



Comments are open. Feel free to post some.

Tomorrow: Part Three – Bands Ready To Take The Limelight