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

Paul McCartney plays the Nassau Coliseum tonight and tomorrow to finish up what have been reported to be an extraordinary set of shows in the tri-state area.

Based on the average age of the Coliseum audience, we have become our parents.

Paul McCartney is this generation’s Frank Sinatra!

New York, New York

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GQ

I think I own one Collective Soul CD and as I remember the collection was chock full of radio hits and memorable tunes.  One of their big hits wafted through the Jones Beach parking lot and I told my wife they must be pretty confident to be leading with that song early on. They were confident and those guys can rock on an arena scale. Collective Soul is a very good rock and roll band and I would not mind seeing them in a smaller venue like The Paramount in Huntington in front of a rabid fan base. There was a gal a couple of rows down from us clearly loving Collective Soul and singing along to every song.

Sammy Hagar up next. 

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GQ

The Jones Beach Theater concert schedule ends on a high note this weekend with a return to summer-like weather, the late Gregg Allman’s Laid Back Festival Sunday and Sammy Hagar tonight.

Sammy Hagar is a rocker. I first saw him at the Brendan Byrne Arena at the Meadowlands when he fronted Van Halen (with opening act Bachman Turner Overdrive), Now I was always in the David Lee Roth camp during the Van Halen wars and while this version of Van Hagar had some good tunes, I did not fully appreciate Sammy’s talents. 

A few years ago I picked up a ten dollar ticket to see Hagar’s band Chickenfoot at Webster Hall (formerly The Ritz) with Joe Satruani on guitar and VH banished for Wolfgang bass player Michael Anthony (who will perform tonight with The Circle).

The band Chickenfoot kicked ass; a completely unexpected great old time rock and roll show. I would expect the same tonight. Jason Bonham, who was at the Beach this summer with his Led Zeppelin tribute band, will be on drums.

Collective Soul had hit or two back in the day and should be a fine opening act on what should be a beautiful evening.

Tomorrow the Laid Back Festival takes over the Northeell Health at Jones Beach Theater. I was supposed to see Gregg Allman at City Winery before he passed so it turned out the last time I attended a Gregg Allman performance was st his festival a few years back. A great classic rock line up with Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood (supporting n excellent live greatest hits collection just released) and the incredible, (hopefully) soon to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, J. Geils Band singer, Mr. Peter Wolf taking the main stage.

Yes featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakemam will play the Tilles Center tomorrow night on a football Sunday.

5150

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GQ

As the great poet David Lee Roth once said, “I live my life like there’s no tomorrow” and this week feels like it.

On Sunday night after watching the New York Jets sputter and lose to the Buffalo Bills on television, I attended Pete Townshend’s Classic Quadrophenia at the Metropolitan Opera. A British opera singer, Billy Idol, Pete Townshend, and a full orchestra performed the legendary double album in its entirety and it was pretty amazing. Those songs in that venue had the audience enthralled. The opera star, Alvie Boe, had a powerful voice as would be expected and the only time I personally missed Roger Daltrey was during “Love Reigb O’er Me” when you could see. hear, realize, and appreciate just how important Mr. Daltrey has been to Pete Townshend’s genius being realized in this, one of several Townshend masterworks.This was a different experience than any rock and roll show that you could attend and it was a fantastic concert experience.

Speaking of fantastic, Roger Waters at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn was a sonic and audio visual extravaganza with the obligatory floating pig in attendance during the second half of the show. Mr. Waters played songs from “Meddle”, “Dark Side of the Moon”, “Animals”, “Wish You Were Here”, “The Wall” with a nod to his solo work. Roger and the band sounded great giving spot on performances of the iconic Pink Flod catalogue and even after navigating through some pro-Israel protesters and enduring videos of Donald Trump’s head attached to pig bodies I was blown away by the show. Roger Waters “Us and Them” tour continues in the New York City area this week with Nassau Coliseum slated for Friday and Saturday.

Yesterday brought my son and I to the Sirius studios in Manhattan for a Town Hall event with Scorpions hosted by metal maven Eddie Trunk. The interview was short on audience questions but interesting nonetheless as Trunk managed to have the amiable, and clearly loving what they do, Scorpions give us a glimpse of into their fifty plus year history, struggles during the 1990’s and non stop worldwide touring schedule. Even more interesting than the interview though was the celebrity sights as Gene Simmons was spotted in the building lobby before the Town Hall, we walked into former Howard Stern radio foil Artie Lange waiting for the elevator as we exited, and Tom Morello was wandering the halls promoting his latest project, Prophets of Rage.

After the Town Hall my son and I headed to Shake Shack and while waiting to cross the street a naked man was seen sprinting down the middle of Broadway with a police van and NYPD’s finest in a variety of foot pursuits.

I left my son at Penn Station and was waiting outside Madison Square Garden to meet my daughter after work when Win Butler was seen hanging out and taking photos with a few surprised fans as he was heading in for the Arcade Fire concert last night. After the couple of photos were done he non chalently strolled in between the Long Island Railroad entrances by himself. He looked up at the  MSG arena building for a minute then turned around and took a selfie with the Madison Square Garden sign above him. After he had his “Mary Tyler Moore Show” moment, he disappeared toward the tractor trailers and into the Garden.

My daughter and I never ended up going to the Arcade Fire concert as intended but since we saw the band in a warehouse in Brooklyn during the Reflector tour we figured that show could never be topped anyway. so we will catch them next time around.

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead

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GQ