Feelin' Hot Hot Hot!

I was pondering this one for a while. I wanted to write it sooner, but life got in the way. I was floored when we lost one of my favorite musicians last year, Eddie Money. I see people are talking bad about him on his Facebook fan page right now. I have defended him (not that it makes a difference, but his widow responded to my comments I made.) Well I wanted to blog about this a while ago as I mentioned before. Now the big thing is I am still reeling from one of the other favorites of mine, I was on lunch break and I turned on my phone to see my favorite guitarist Eddie Van Halen had passed away. This really took to me... not the same way that Tom Petty or Michael Jackson upset me, but it was up there. They had just taken a picture of him before he passed and he looked good. I remember getting a picture of his guitar and Tony Hawk's skateboard at the museum in D.C; I loved taking that picture because it was a peice of rock and roll history. I write this not only as a warm up because I haven't blogged since February 2019, and have so much to tell you. Since I have last talked to you guys, my vinyl collection has grown. I am getting as much as I can from second hand stores and antique shops. It is fun just seeing what people had, unfortunately the biggest problem is the ones I really wanted yesterday were $13.00-20.00 which is too expensive for me right now as the holidays are coming up, but I love going to the shops with my girlfriend and getting her input on what to get, though I am not a shopaholic like she is so I have to be careful. One of the ones I got yesterday was Marty Robbins greatest hits. I am not sure if I should tell my dad because I don't want to make him jealous, but I got the James Bond record, too. I will post more of what I have and obtain in the future, but that is the reason I go to these stores. I also found a place here that is a big antique mall with good prices. I had a yard sale one time and the booth next to us wanted a lot of money, but my biggest score was 5th Dimension, which ironically I found the CD at the thrift store near by. I just did a video this morning, too on some hot sauces I bought. Why post this here? Because they bear the name of Elvis, Alice Cooper and Dex from the Offspring. I wanted Zakk Wylde and Joe Perry's hot sauce, but I could not find any. I'm sure if I did it would be expensive. The Elvis one was the medium hot (All Shook Up,) I wanted the hottest one of Burnin' Love, but it was sold out. The Alice Cooper one was called Poison, the hottest one. I wanted to get the No More Mr. Nice Guy, but I wanted the hottest one. Gringo Bandito (Dex's) was good, too. Well I hope to get more to talk about and time to talk about it soon. I'm just letting you all know I am still around and kicking. If you can think about a subject for me to do then let me know. Until then, keep hitting the HIGH NOTES!

All We Hear is Radio Gaga

So today (oh; by the way, I am done with school and am back) I saw Bohemian Rhapsody for a second time. That's right a SECOND time! Watching the videos and documentaries, they did such a good job with the actors looking like the musicians. It's quite eerie if you ask me but in a good way. I remember my intro to Queen was 1989, when I was about six years old. I heard "We Will Rock You" on a commercial, and then on the now defunct radio station Q105 WQHQ 104.7, before it went off the air and we started listening to Mix 107.3 (more on this at the end, Ah radio memories.) I recognized it and asked mom about it. It was on a flashback segment, as for Q105 would play more things like Paula Abdul, Vanilla Ice, M.C Hammer, Roxette and whatever was hip back then. But I heard the *boom boom clap* and it had gotten me into the song. I was young so I didn't follow the words until a few years later. Later on, when Wayne's World came out, I got a bit more into Queen, and Erik and I would always do the head bang with Bohemian Rhapsody... hell, we still do that! In fact, I think it was when Jock Jams came out in 1995 was when I started listening to what he was saying. In fact, I used to play the game Techmo Bowl around that time, and when I beat Erik I would sing "I am a champion, I AM A CHAMPION! Erik's a loser,and I am a champion" (well I would sing it until I got punched.) About 1997 Dad bought Erik and I the Queen greatest hits Vol 1 cd. I would listen to that all the time, and even mid high school work out to it. It was a favorite of mine, always bringing it to school. Also, one of my favorite Queen stories is when Erik and I would do Under Pressure at karaoke, him as David Bowie and me as Freddy. Good times had by all. Freddy, and Queen will remain legends until the end of time, one of the greatest rock bands of all time. I have always been enthralled with the radio, music, and the like. I read plenty of music blogs, and always wanted to be a DJ. In fact a DJ named Hercules "the Strongest Man on Radio" said I had the enthusiasm you can't teach in the radio school. I remember the first CD I ever listened to was "Hard Day's Night." I always wanted Dad to play it, or have mom play Elton John's "Sleeping with the past" (Club at the End of the Street is still a favorite) since we didn't have to live the record life anymore. I would listen to Q105 for years, playing all the bands that would shape some of my music tastes. I was distraught when I woke up to hear the D.J's say "well, that's it. Goodbye" followed by static. Luckily Mix 107.3 came along soon enough, Jack Diamond, Bert, Lou Katz were all my favorites. Oldies 100.3 came along soon enough too. Man that was good, but we usually switched to 94.7 WLLT, as they had older music, good DJs like Davey Jones, but 100.3 had Johnny Dark, and if you heard Dad talk about Johnny Dark, you would understand why I did something years ago. 94.7 eventually got beat out by other stations and became a station I still miss today. 94.7 became WARW (We Always Rock Washington) where the new owners were cleaning the closets and word got out the old managers were real sticklers. Though true, I got to hear the likes of Cerphe, and Weasel (whom I did not like his voice, but man did he know his music.) I would listen to them, until around 2009, when "The Fresh" took over. Now with 100.3 taking over the more Classic Rock moniker dad would listen to his tapes (yes, tapes) more than the radio. In between this all, we had DC101. Elliot in the morning, Roche and Mike Jones helped me through my late teens - early 30's (and sometimes still do...) One of the funniest things is now DC101 has a DJ named Klinger, and he friended me on Facebook. I usually spend my time on the CD function or 100.3, Lisa Berigan, El Duave, Big Rig, The Cope, Bodhi, they all get me through the day. Now to the Johnny Dark story, before he passed away a few years ago, I decided to help my Dad. I searched the internet and found the station Johnny Dark was on. I e-mailed them to make sure I got the right guy, and asked for an autographed picture while my father was away. When he came back, the picture had not arrived so I played him his current show on WTTR. He was so excited to get the autograph and picture. I feel Johnny Dark might have enjoyed it, too. Of course most of this was from memory, so I hope I didn't forget anyone, offend anyone if this gets around, or anything. Just reminiscing. Ah yes, the days of radio. Well, everyone, keep hitting the High Notes!

People come, people go... some grow young, some grow cold...

     2008, one of the best Superbowl halftime shows ever. Tom Petty opening with American Girl as he often did (given I have only seen him twice and a few videos of him.) Let's flash forward to five months later. Nisan Pavilion (now Jiffy Lube live.) We were on the lawn, Steve Winwood finished his set (unfortunately he only played his new album.) Steve left the stage and you can bet we were all excited. The first notes of you wreck me came on, and I got goosebumps. Throughout the night, we were excited as the set got better and better. He even played a song by Bo Diddley, in honer of his passing early that year. Bo is another favorite of mine. You can tell he adapted a lot of his sound from Bo, anyway I digress. Steve came back out and rocked "Gimmie Some Lovin' " and they even played "End of the Line." We saw him again with Crosby, Stills and Nash. Again, he started with American Girl.

     Regressing in thought, I remember growing up with Petty's music. Erik saw him once around 2001 when I went to Disney after I graduated. I have not seen him beam from a concert until he saw Metallica later on. I remember when we recorded music off out CDs to tapes, he would always put Tom on his tapes. When WBIG 100.3 here in Rockville, MD started playing newer music, I would always say I would never get tired of them playing Tom Petty. It was true, in fact I got excited when they played "You Don't know How it Feels." In fact when I moved out at 23, I bought Erik a Tom Petty Rolling Stones magazine, and he mentioned he was going to tour less, because his knees were toast from jumping everywhere.

    Recently (3 days ago,) I was listening to Spencer Davis Group, and the first song is "Gimmie Some Lovin' " and I thought how I would like to see another concert like Tom. At least when Glen Campbell passed, I could prepare myself, but not this one. This sprung up randomly when I looked at the news feed, I was floored. I mean I never knew him, but Tom was a huge influence on my charity. So all I have to say is say hi to Bo, Del Shannon, Roy and George! R.I.P Tom. This one personally hurts. 

Bigger Than Lennon

                                  Hi everyone! I just got my new computer, so expect more updates!

     Last night on Netflix, I saw there was a George Harrison documentary, so of course I watched it. It was more of a "things that happened to George, while focusing on Paul" film, and it jumped around a lot. I only suggest it if you have a severe case of Beatles-itis. It's not for the casual fan. I like they mention Stuart Sutcliffe, but not much is said about Pete Best. Anyway, they had a lot of Yoko Ono in there (do not let that persuade you from watching it,) and she had a lot of good words to say. It's amazing what you can learn on a documentary. The footage they got back then... could you imagine if it had been now? They even got him gargling a concoction that he said Clapton used, and said "your throat will never bother you again."

     My favorite Beatles member was Ringo, but I did like George. I remember when I was still a pup, I would watch all the documentaries I could on music, and one of my favorites was The Beatles first U.S tour. The jokes on that and hard days night, and everything in between and after were great. George was wearing a conductor's hat asking for tickets, and he took it off for the camera saying "it's me!" Also during the ride, he was laying on the luggage rack (due to his smaller stature.) Also, one of my favorite John jokes was asking if Ringo was the best drummer in the world, and he replied "Ringo isn't even the best drummer in the Beatles."

     So I would recommend it, also I would recommend the new SOiL essentials CD. They are missing a few songs, but it is nice to have it all on one CD.

Peace, Love and keep hitting the HIGH NOTES!

The long and winding road...

   Sorry it's been a while. Crazy things going on... anyway, if I could have taken anyone along for the ride, it would have been you! (This excludes Erik, because he was there for most of it.) Anyway, there are some bands I have gotten into in the past year, some concerts I went to, albums I bought. Ready? Let's go!

    So it's been a year since I wrote here, so I will try to sum it up as best as I can. I have gotten into some bands (Volbeat, Haim, Sixx A.M, etc.) that I never knew existed, or were new. I have also gotten more into bands I loved for a long time, like I saw SOiL twice (more on that in just a second.) I also went to Mayhem fest where I got to see Mushroomhead again, Ill Nino (from afar) Trivium, yet again... not complaining. Though I did not like the 2 headliners much the first time I have seen them (though one I saw again and liked) KoRn really impressed me, this time they brought it. Now the first time I saw Avenged Sevenfold, I was no where near impressed (though they had just followed Adema, who I was a big fan of at the time.) Well this time they didn't have to lead in for Ozzy and whoever was before him (I wanna say System of a Down, who I do not care for.) They were headliner, they had their own set. It was a huge castle with pyro, and LCD screens in the back and a giant "king" on a throne of skulls. It was an amazing show, and they dedicated a song to Rev, it started pouring rain, and of course we were on the lawn.

    When I went to see SOiL the first time they seemed mad, and later we found out why. Well the first time was a chilli cook-off with no chilli, no beer, barely any food, and 2 stages that you had to shift back and forth to get to. Well apparently some of the bands were talked to about not getting paid. We found this out because at the second concert, we actually talked to the band! I got to meet them. I got a picture with Ryan McCombs, and an autographed set list. Later on they sold an autographed vinyl record on their website for $12, I had to snatch that up. It was just nice to actually talk with them and they seemed to be genuinely happy to talk to the fans, and I got to tell Ryan I talked to him on Facebook, he said "on purpose?"

As for new music, I bought both Slipknot, and Bob Seiger's new album. I was so excited about Seiger, but when I listened to it the excitement kind of dropped. His notes are still well done and his lyrics aren't what you would think coming from him. Though his voice has aged, still not as scary as John Fogerty when he sang with the Foo Fighters. The new Slipknot, however is full throttle smash faces in with baseball fun for all Slipknot fans. Corey really brings it, and doesn't quit until the end.

So it has been an interesting year. I will try to keep up with this now that things are less hectic and I can focus, so until then, keep hitting the HIGH NOTES!

Special Edition: Crazy on You

     As much as I love concerts, I have not been able to go to all that I wanted to. I got tickets to Heart and Jason Bonham's Zepplin experience, and was so excited. $15 to see an interesting concept AND a band I loved as a kid? Why not? Unfortunately, Erik got sick and decided it was best not to go, and as the planets aligned, as they sometimes do, and I got to take a date to the concert. Now she knows music, but is a Country fan. I thought this would be perfect, a way to show what I like.

      So as the Led Zepplin experience took the stage, they were playing, and I thought "not only did we arrive JUST in time, but they sound pretty damn good!" I'm sure if I closed my eyes, it would have been what I would have imagined what Zepplin sounded like back in the day. Though they only played 30 minutes, I thought it was an amazing venture into rock history, hearing Jason's story, listening to the official backing drum track his dad laid down years ago, and getting to experience what it was like, I think the only thing that was more classic than this was seeing Black Sabbath with Bill Ward, ya know, before the screw job contract.

     As the opening band left the stage, the mood was set, it was getting dark,and it was exciting. Then all of a sudden, Nancy comes on and plays the riff to Barracuda... I think that was a gutsy move. Usually bands save their most popular or best work for later. As the concert went on, going on the recordings and word I have heard from people, I have heard Heart sucks live. Well the recording studio must have messed with the sound, and people must be hard critics. Nothing was farther from the truth! From Nancy's solos and her lead on "These Dreams," to Ann's always fantastic vocals, this is a concert to see! I like that they played Alone, and a few songs I haven't heard before. Nancy even sang an Elton John song (I Need You to Turn to.) As Ann said, "I am going to turn the microphone over now." (and she did just that and turned the mic backwards... Very funny...) I hope they come back. I would LOVE Erik to see them, after his selfless action, and it was nice to see Heart gain a new fan. We had to leave early before the big group finally (plus Jiffy Lube Live is a pain to get out of anyway.) I heard the final songs as we left, but I don't know how I would have felt about it if I stayed... I am a music snob, and need my covers to be great (maybe that will be a next blog?) Anyway, I hope this isn't a lackluster post, it is late and I could not sleep... I figured I would get this out of the way. Thanks for listening, and oh yeah... OOH BARRACUDA!

Keep hitting the HIGH NOTES everyone!

Special Edition: What Time is it?

     So to start this, I have to go back to the beginning. That's a good place to start, OK, so when the album Pocket Full of Kryptonite came out, it was 1991. In 1991 I was 8, and my brother Erik and I went to private school. Now they didn't have bus service, so someone had to drive us. While my dad liked oldies on 94.7 WARW (I believe...hey, I'm not a professional blog yet, I don't have to have ALL my ducks in a row.) When mom drove us though, it was Q107.3 (they later went off the air, and became Mix 107.3. The ones who sponsor the Fairfax fair concerts.) Anyway, one of my favorite songs to come on was Two Princes (when it made it as a single.) Yes, at an early age, after I got out of the New Kids on the Block phase (hey, I was young. It happens... shut up!) I had gotten more into bands like The Beatles, U2, INXS, Genesis and the like. However the Spin Doctors always hit me as just a "cool" band. Almost the epitome of cool. The flow, the meanings (what I could understand of the meanings anyway) of their songs, were just awesome.

     So to present day (I wanted to do that transition as boring as possible. Moving 22 years forward too fast might make a great law suit for you, but trust me... you won't get much.) I always look to see who is playing Fairfax Fair. I have seen the likes of Sugar Ray, The Smithereens, Rick Springfield, Collective Soul, Cheap Trick, and a few others. Now one year Blues Traveler came and I missed them, when I found out the Spin Doctors were coming, I was not going to miss this one. As soon as I heard they were going to be there at 4:30, it was obvious what they were going to open with (and it's my favorite song of theirs, so I am not complaining.) I was pumped, they sounded great, had a fantastic energy to them, and were totally on point (unlike Smash Mouth.) then they did Nice Talking to Me right after which was nice, considering I thought they were going to do something I didn't know. Now one thing I get upset with at concerts (Steve Winwood) is when they only play new stuff. Spin Doctors played a lot of new stuff, and it was great. The trick is to mix it in with the old stuff to keep interest, and Spin Doctors did just the perfect blend of that. The new songs are really unique, without sounding like they sold out. When they did an old song, it was like meeting an old friend again after a long time (either being away from the friend or you were too drunk to remember you saw them recently.) But yes, I suggest seeing them because of the energy, and the full on sound all together. Even with the very talented Eric Schenkman singing, I think that was one of the best performances I have seen, and the tickets were cheap, double positive!

     This is where I would usually end the blog, but there's more! During the concert Chris said they were going to be at the tent and to come say hi. The thing is, you didn't even have to buy anything! Of course that came with the guilt trip of their kids having to eat cardboard... But I digress. I got in line right during the encore because I knew the line was going to be long, because I have met bands (Hootie and the Blowfish, Disturbed, Otep, Strapping Young Lad) before, and as they showed up and I looked back, yup... long line. As I headed up all I really had was a free hat I received from the government that said "Recycle" and had the Fairfax website on it. I asked if they would autograph it, and there was no problem at all. In fact, Chris wrote the band logo on it and said "there, now it's a spin doctors hat!" I asked for a pic, and Eric said "ask the man in the tie. His name is Bob." Yes, I'm a music nerd and knew for a fact that Chris Barron's name isn't Bob. I got the picture and left on cloud 9.

     So for some of the meet and greets, I had to pay $20, Spin Doctors and Hootie and the Blowfish are the 2 I have done that were the nicest and most down to Earth groups I have met. As dad said, they treated their fans like they were human. Anyway, great energy, nice style, and just plain fun. When people were leaving because it was raining, I laughed. I threw my "Spin Doctors" hat in the closet on a top shelf so nothing ruins it, and posted the picture on Facebook (I want to print it out to frame it) and all is well. So until next idea or concert (I will try to post more...) I will see you next time, until then... Keep hitting the HIGH NOTES!
(now where are those damn ducks?)