Southern Rocktoberfest hits the NYCB Theatre at Westbury tonight and based on what I saw on Ticketmaster it will be asparsely attended event. I bought a twenty dollar ticket a few months back for this show which now looks like a promoters nightmare. This venue in the “full round” is going to be as empty as it’s ever been. There are some great songs in these bands’ catalogues but I fully expect most original members to be long gone. Lower ticket prices or a change in location such as The Paramount might have increased crowd size and the sudden chill in the air on a late October Thursday will not help walk up business. Whoever is paying the performers For tonight’s festivities is flirting with  (financial) disaster.

The second sold out night of the Tribute to T. Rex concert at City Winery Monday, while well intentioned and enthusiastically performed by a mostly little known group of artists with the Patti Smith Group rhythm section on bass and drums, ran too long and, after veering off track midway through for a variety of reasons, ultimately left me flat. Suzanne Vega and Loyd Cole were the best known artists of the bunch and while the acts seemed to be having fun I began to get bored as the show wore on. A teenager from the great Northwest flew in to perform after apparently being “discovered” performing Marc Bolan songs on You Tube, which was an interesting twist but I bailed before the encores and headed home having seen enough this night.

Telegram Sam

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GQ

Bang a Gong

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GQ

On a beautiful evening in Huntington on Long Island, my wife and I went to The Paramount last night to catch the Psychedelic Furs. We arrived at around 8 PM and there could not have been more than twenty patrons in front of the stage for the opening band Bash and Pop. The New York Yankees had not yet lost Game 7 of the MLB American League Championship and a black t-shirt at the merchandise table shouted “Who the fuck is Tommy Stinson?” Tommy Stinson was the bassist for The Replacements and more recently played with Axel Rose’s dangerous pre-reunion version of Guns N’ Roses. Bash and Pop, a four man band  fronted with the rock and roll swagger of Mr. Stinson, went through their set list for the small crowd of early arrivers and appeared to add a couple of songs on the back end of the set in a seemingly rare act of spontaneity these days maximizing their slot and in so doing making me a fan. The band deserved better as far as bodies in the venue but they did not seem to mind and ran through songs in rapid succession. Bash and Pop are an old school kick ass rock and roll band and I was glad we got to The Paramount early enough to catch them.

The Psychedelic Furs began their journey in 1977 and had their share of hits on the radio. The now mature singer exudes a positive energy and his brother the bass player was a throwback to another time when groups like The Cure roamed the earth.The Psychedelic Furs were never a favorite of mine but they always on the radar screen in the 1970’s and 1980’s when New Wave and Alternative music were at its peak. The Paramount is a great venue showcasing a wide variety of acts and it is great to be able to catch yet another band that I had missed seeing through the years in a great party town like Huntington on a Saturday night.

Pretty in Pink

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GQ

Guns N’ Roses take over Madison Square Garden tonight for the first of three shows at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

I missed the band at last summer’s MetLife Stadium concert that received good reviews but I did catch Axel Rose fronting AC/DC at MSG after singer Brian Johnson was shut down for health reasons. Axel was great that night and the Guns N Roses extended tour has gone off without any apparent squabbles. It’s not like the days when Rose held up a concert to spend special time with then girlfriend, and Victoria Secret model, Stephanie Seymour but maybe that is a good thing.

It’s been another busy rock and roll week in New York City. I caught the duo Wye Oak performing an interesting set, with well placed distortion, featuring soon to be released songs at City Winery on Friday. 

On Saturday I csught an incendiary two sets  of great jams on the second night of Tedeschi Trucks Band six night Beacon Theatre run that ends this coming Saturday.. I received the gift of an unexpected upgrade to the fourth row making an already great night of tunes even better. The Tedeschi Trucks Band has extended their busy tour schedule into 2018.

Welcome to the Jungle

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GQ

Anderson, Rabin and Waksman played the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts on Long Island and as the show was performed on a college campus it started as advertised shortly after 7 PM and ending around 9:30.

I haven’t been a big fan of what’s left of the Steve Howe Yes group (Howe’s son recently died resulting in two shows at the Paramount being canceled); for me, ARW is the truest version of the band and legacy.

The ARW band, who are now also touring as “Yes” after an apparent truce emanating from their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, was tremendous. Jon Anderson’s voice was strong, Trevor Rabin was shredding the guitar and Rick Waksman, who was sporting a black cape which hid a comfortable looking black T shirt and sweatpants combo, was clearly enjoying himself playing the many Yes classics. The lengthy song “Awaken” from the then return of Rick Wakeman to the band album “Going for the One” was a concert highlight.

Jon Anderson was seen working hard during some of the lengthy instrumental passages doing almost choreographed calisthenics with the bass player giving Mr. Anderson a nice cardio workout while they rocked an appreciative audience.

Rick Waksman is famously known to have an acerbic wit, in contrast to Jon Anderson’s ethereal persona, and I would love to know what Rick whispered into the other members of the band’s ears during the post show hugs that made them all crack up with laughter.

Heart of the Sunrise

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GQ

The first and last time my wife and I went to a Paul Mcartney concert at the Nassau Coliseum was almost twenty years ago and I remember at as being a lot of fun. This past Tuesday, the now seventy five year old former Beatle played for an amazing three hours to an adoring mostly mature crowd, although some brought their young ones along to see a legend in the flesh. 

Playing an energetic set with no intermission, McCartney was quite amazing playing mostly a mix of a wide range of tunes from the Beatles and Wings catalogue while mixing in a couple of new songs as any true artist should. Sir Paul looked and sounded great and while his voice was understandably slightly raspy at times with his recent busy concert schedule, this was not a man just cashing in on his reputation. Acoustic, electric, bass, and ukulele, this concert had something for everyone including Long Island’s favorite son Billy Joel joining the encores for “Get Back” and “Birthday”.

The Long and Winding Road 

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GQ

On an already horrific day with the Jason Aldean  Las Vegas concert massacre, there are reports that Tom Petty has died as a result of a fatal heart attack. Mr. Petty was one of the iconic rock and roll stars that came out of the 1970’s and just completed a fortieth anniversary tour with his long time band the Heartbreakers that my wife and I caught at Forest Hills Stadium this past summer. Petty and the band were on top of their game and it was a joyous celebration of a long and storied career that legendarily began in Florida. One of the Traveling Wilbury’s, Bob Dylan and ELO’s Jeff Lynne are the last two standing after Petty’s passing.

Tom Petty told a story that when Roy Orbison passed, George Harrison called him and said “Aren’t you glad it’s not you?” Harrison said of Orbison  “He’s still around”. 

Tom Perry will still be around in his lifetime of rock and roll music that will continue to be enjoyed for generations.

Rest In Peace 

Pack Up the Plantation

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GQ