SPARKS

[Buckeye Randy]

[miss sparks]

I bought the Stunt rocker book, on eBay which was signed by Andy and the cd was included with the book.

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Mozart Estate
Title: Pop-Up! Ker-Ching! and the Possibilities of Modern Shopping
Released: Jamaury 27, 2023

This is technically a debut release by Mozart Estate but they've released before as Go-Kart Mozart.

Well, it's glammy in a Sparks way and it's lyrically witty. I'm pretty sure that checks a couple boxes for nearly everybody here.

The album is like a melting pot for "Indiscreet", "Exotic Creatures" mixed with the 'Radio Gnome Trilogy' by Gong (Flying Teapot, Angel's Egg, You). Every bit as outrageous and creative as Bonzo Dog Band.

It's pop music and head music at the same time. Contagious to me but I'm sure alienating to others.

The 16 songs do have a sameness...a 11 song release would have been killer.

A review would do no justice. Everybody needs to make up their own mind.

I'm Going To Wiggle With You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQdUeYySNBE

Lookin Thru Glass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygrskrNqCpA

My favorite is the ballad like, "When the Harridans Came to Call"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhCpMN2Znd4
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Ian Hunter is back at it again and has an album coming out on April 21st, title is "Defiance Part 1".

The new album sees collaborations from Jeff Beck, Johnny Depp, Joe Elliott (Def Lep), Billy F Gibbons (ZZ Top), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Duff McKagan & Slash (GnR), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Todd Rundgren, Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Brad Whitford (Aerosmith) and Dan Deleo, Robert De Leo & Eric Kretz (Stone Temple Pilots)

Track Listing:
Defiance (feat. Robert Trujillo & Slash)
Bed Of Roses (feat. Ringo Starr & Mike Campbell)
No Hard Feelings (feat. Johnny Depp & Jeff Beck)
Pavlov’s Dog (feat. Dean DeLeo, Robert De Leo & Eric Kretz)
Don’t Tread On Me (feat. Todd Rundgren)
Guernica (feat. Mike Campbell & Joe Elliott)
Angel (feat. Taylor Hawkins, Duff McKagan & Brad Whitford)
Kiss N’ Make Up (feat. Taylor Hawkins, Billy Bob Thornton & Billy F Gibbons)
This Is What I’m Here For (feat. Taylor Hawkins, Joe Elliott & Waddy Wachtel)
I Hate Hate (Alternate Version) (feat. Dennis DiBrizzi & Jeff Tweedy)

The songs "Bed Of Roses" and "I Hate Hate" are available on Spotify and I'm sure other outlets as well. Those two songs both register as OK (not great) with "Bed of Roses" being the better of the two. Hopefully...they don't sneak preview any more tracks the next two months. I don't want to know half of the album before it is released.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

2023 Rock Hall Nominees

Kate Bush
Sheryl Crow
Missy Elliott
Iron Maiden
Joy Division/New Order
Cyndi Lauper
George Michael
Willie Nelson
Rage Against the Machine
Soundgarden
The Spinners
A Tribe Called Quest
The White Stripes
Warren Zevon

Any slam dunks? For my money, Iron Maiden is essential as they along with Judas Priest defined British metal. I guess Cindi Lauper because she was a cultural phenomenon with her videos and the rock/wrestling connection. As the Rock HOF becomes more inclusive, Willie Nelson and The Spinners represent some of the finest brands from their respective genres.

As always, I compare nominees to artists already inducted and those not inducted. Joe Cocker is not inducted and I consider that nearly unthinkable.

It appeared that the HOF warmed up to glam by inducting T Rex and Roxy Music. Safe to say that trend has ended.

Thoughts?
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Reverend Horton Heat
Title: "Roots Of The Rev" Vol. 1
Released: March, 2023

I'm a fan, I'm not a fanatic but I'm a fan. I remember about 20 years ago I bought my first CD by RHH. The occasion was that I wanted to get familiar with their material because the Rev (along with Dropkick Murphys) were opening for the Sex Pistols. The concert was canceled but my fandom of the Rev was just beginning.

Even though I have faithfully bought the last several releases since becoming a fan I have not been a faithful concert goer. I can only remember seeing RHH twice at the moment but I think there is a third time I'm currently forgetting (the joy of getting old). My concert attendance (or lack thereof) is not because of disinterest but it has more to do with hour drives on work nights. Regardless, the band is visiting a venue within 15 minutes of my house this coming July and I'll be there. One of the reasons I'll be sure to be there is the new album is pretty darn good.

"Roots Of The Rev" (Vol. 1) is the RHH's 13th studio release since their debut in 1990 and the follow up to 2018's "Whole New Life". This latest release is a little different because it is all cover versions of music that are the roots of Reverend Horton Heat…hence the name.

Song – Performer listed by RHH (some versions predate artist listed)
Rockin' Bones - Ronnie Dawson
School Of Rock and Roll - Gene Summers
Reddy Teddy - Elvis Presley
Three Days - Willie Nelson
Right String, Wrong Yo-Yo - Carl Perkins
Big River - Johnny Cash
Make Me Know You're Mine - Conway Twitty
Little Red Wagon – Sonny Fisher
Twenty Flight Rock - Eddie Cochran
Lights Out - Jerry Byrne
Crazy Crazy Lovin' - Johnny Carroll
Race With The Devil - Gene Vincent

The band sources say everything was recorded live in the studio on vintage analogue gear and there was minimal overdubbing. This means honest rock n roll played by honest rock n roll musicians.

I'm giving this two thumbs up, Well Done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Sparky Rickmaniac]

TUBULAR BELLS 50TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
30 March 2023, Sheffield City Hall

I saw this in London a couple of year's ago and was so taken with it, I had to see it again while it was touring.
Put together by Mike Oldfield's long time arranger Robin A. Smith and featuring most of the London musicians, but thankfully not the dancers who really added nothing but distraction, in my opinion.
The band included Smith in piano and keyboards, a lead guitarist, bass guitarist, guy on acoustic guitars and mandolin, cellist and two percussionists.
The first half involved various themes from TBII, Ommadawn and Return to Ommadawn, plus the well known vocal singles To France, Moonlight Shadow and Family Man.
The second half was entirely given over to Tubular Bells, played with delicacy, gusto and always incredible musicianship.
The London gig was indistinguishable from the album, but the tour sound seems different somehow, especially the rockier bits, sound grungier, maybe?
The whole thing rounded off with a rousing veraion of Jack's the lad hornpipe, as featured in the Last Nught of the Proms.
All in all, a great evening.
_________________
www.britbitsandclips.com
www.x1-9ownersclub.org.uk
http://sitran.dept.shef.ac.uk/

[Buckeye Randy]

Artist: Ian Hunter
Title: Defiance Part 1
Released: 4.21.23

Covid saw many artists retreat to their home studios and write songs with no band to perform them. Ian Hunter like many artists tested the waters to see if there was interest in remotely collaborating. He was blown away by the response from friends, acquaintances and artists he didn’t realize even knew his name.

Let’s get the guest list out of the way. The new album sees contributions from Jeff Beck, Johnny Depp, Joe Elliott (Def Lep), Billy F Gibbons (ZZ Top), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Duff McKagan & Slash (GnR), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Todd Rundgren, Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Brad Whitford (Aerosmith) and Dan Deleo, Robert De Leo & Eric Kretz (Stone Temple Pilots). Not bad and I’m not sure it has ever been topped.

I expected a full out rip rocker of an album and I was initially disappointed as I skipped from track to track

Those that know me know I’m a fan of Ian Hunter, I’ve seen Ian 18 times in concert and he’s been an inspiration since I was 15. My expectations for him are unreasonable. Really?

After a couple of listens, I realized this is possibly the most complete album by Ian in a while. It isn’t that the guests take over the tracks, I think Ian raised his songwriting game because he was sharing the tracks with all-star musicians to entice their participation.

I won’t go track by track but I will say that it is pretty great.

Highly recommended. Well Done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

I have a question about ticket prices and what you are willing to pay.

First of all, I'm 100% OK with artists trying to get as much as they can for a concert ticket. It's crap when secondary outlets scoop up tickets and sell them for double what 'official' tickets originally cost. The artist might as well charge that amount to begin with.

Secondly, I'm also OK with progressive pricing where the cost of tickets can fluctuate because of demand. Again, this is a way to battle scalpers and insure near capacity crowds.

Lastly, we as fans have created this pricing conundrum due to all the ways we can avoid buying releases. I'm guilty, I listen to over 90% of new releases through Spotify and not buying a CD. Heck, newer cars don't even have CD players anymore!

Just for reference information, I paid $7.50 for a ticket to see Queen and Thin Lizzy in 1977. That was almost the exact price as Queen's album in 1977 (A Day At The Races).

All that said, how much is too much? Up until a couple days ago the most I ever paid was $150 for a ticket. That was the first show of a tour with Todd Rundgren performing his album "A Wizard A True Star".

This leads me to buying tix for Aerosmith's farewell tour, "Peace Out". I more than doubled my previous ceiling and I'm OK with what I spent because it will be an event. Plus, it's been 39 years since I've seen them and I like Aerosmith.

However, I wrongly thought that a $300 ticket through the official ticket outlet would land me in the same area code as the band! I'm toward the back of the lower bowl for that price. Happy birthday Mrs. Buckeye!

What's the most you have paid and what is too much? What band or tour would you pay the most for?
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[J. Prufrock]

I think my spouse and I paid about $100 each for our Sparks tickets last tour; the venue was far enough from home that we also paid for a hotel room and city parking both in Boston, dinner before the concert and breakfast on the way home... worth it in that case but as Randy notes, much more than when a ticket cost perhaps twice as much as an LP and transport to/from the show cost about as much as an LP. Of course, it helped back then to live in an area close enough to multiple medium-to-large venues to not need to plan for an overnight trip to see a concert, but to the best of my knowledge the younger generation of my family who have also grown up in more populated areas with good access to live venues occasionally go to inexpensive shows by local artists but not to see any 'A-list' artists in the medium/large venues. It's become an expensive habit and therefore one they don't regularly partake in as I did at their age... I've seen articles bemoaning the general decline of live classical music (often considered a pastime for the very rich, here in the U.S.) and wonder if live pop/rock/etc. is following that same arc.

[waterloosunset]

Well....until last year, the most I had ever paid for a concert was maybe $70. I honestly am not sure. My first concert at the Fillmore East cost $5.50, about the amount I earned for an evening of babysitting. I have been lucky in that most groups I like are, at best, only moderately successful or are solidly "indie" and only draw a smallish crowd here in Boston (examples from my last 20 years are the Decemberists, the Shins, the New Pornographers, Belle and Sebastian, Fleet Foxes, of Montreal). Many groups I liked early on in their careers who have made it big (e.g. U2 - I paid $5 to see them in Denver, Colorado in 1981) have fallen out of favor with me because they have, in my opinion, gotten boring. But even so, back in the proverbial day, you could see blockbuster bands like the Police or the Stones without breaking the bank.

I DID spend a huge amount to get a good seat for Hamilton the second time I went so that I could be up close, and it was worth it.

Anyway, enter Sparks. Last year I coughed up around $150 for what was supposed to be a first row ticket (VIP meant a bag of trinkets, but I was so starstruck that I didn't care). Then the bastards at the venue plopped three rows of folding chairs in front of the aforementioned first row. It was still amazing and I'm happy I did it. J. Proofrock was there, too. And this year, there will be three Sparks shows in three different cities (thank God for all the miles I accumulated on my Jet Blue credit card during covid) spanning close to 2000 miles. Tickets, hotels, food, wow!! At least we used to live in Colorado, so my husband and I are going out there for a week to see friends and hike. However, I am seeing Sparks alone. I am older than all of you and figured that, here in my dotage, I would be a little calmer about things. But Sparks are Sparks. I feel that you all understand.

As for kids, ours are really lucky that they like bands with a smaller following, so they don't get killed on ticket prices. But they will also go out and spend $14 on a mixed drink, something I still won't do.

Back to Sparks - do they make money off of this VIP nonsense?

Sorry for blithering, it is way late here and I need some sleep.
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better drop the requirement that everything be great

[Buckeye Randy]

Band: Dropkick Murphys
Title: Okemah Rising
Date: 5/12/23

Last year saw the Dropkicks release “The Machine Still Kills Fascists” which is chock full of songs penned by Woody Guthrie. I’m normally against going to the same well too often but “Okemah Rising” is more of the same and honestly, I think this is even better after a couple listens.

Backstory, DKM have been in contact with the Guthrie family and have their blessings. I think it’s awesome that somebody is keeping the legacy of Woody Guthrie relevant. The collaboration is natural because no band has touted the rights of the working man more than DKM.

Many (including myself) have said musicians should stay out of politics. Woody was certainly doing it back in the day and in retro vision it’s brilliant. I’m not sure how I would have felt back in the ‘40’s but I’m digging it today.

One song that really hits home is “Run Hitler Run”. Backstory (pt. II), when I first discovered the Dropkicks a little over 20 years ago I was also discovering band sponsored sites all over the Internet. I remember the first time I visited the DKM site. There was a huge disclaimer against any support for neo-Nazis and skinheads. Apparently, there were some Dropkick songs being played at rallies and the band wanted to make it perfectly clear they did not support this. The story doesn’t end there, just last year DKM filed a ‘cease and desist’ in court against a radical group using the song “The Boys Are Back’ in some on line videos.

The ten songs take up 28 minutes and close with a rousing and rearranged acoustic version of “Shipping Up To Boston”.

Guests include the Violent Femmes (Gotta Get To Peeskill), Jamie Wyatt (Bring It Home) and the underrated Jesse Ahern (Rippin’ Up The Boundary).

Early favorite? Today at 2AM it is “I Know How It Feels” but it’s likely to change by the time I’m finished writing this. Ha, it seems like my favorite is whatever song is playing.

I think it is a great release, Well Done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Sparky Rickmaniac]

I paid $399 for Desert Trip back in 2016, ok that was a 3 day event with a lineup to die for, Dylan, Stones, McCartney, Neil Young, the Who, Roger Waters, but added to that was my airfare, which at £395 was dirt cheap, plus $70ish for car rental.
Luckily I could stay at my cousin's so no accommodation costs.
_________________
www.britbitsandclips.com
www.x1-9ownersclub.org.uk
http://sitran.dept.shef.ac.uk/

[Buckeye Randy]

[Buckeye Randy]

The Pink Spiders have released the second video from their upcoming album, Freakazoid.

The song "Devotion" checks all the boxes for great power pop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldsHi_fU7wA
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Artist: Martin Barre
Where: Kent Stage (Kent, Ohio)
When: June 7, 2023

I'm a fan of Jethro Tull. I'm not a hard core fan that loves everything but I do like a fair amount of their stuff from the 70's. I saw them once in the '70's and twice in the early '80's and I enjoyed the shows a whole bunch. In my mind, Ian Anderson and Martin Barre packed the one two punch just like many of their contemporaries (Jagger/Richards, Mercury/May, Plant/Page, Daltry/Townsend, Tyler/Perry)

In my own opinion, there are few bands that have aged worse than Jethro Tull. Most classic rock radio listeners know the popularity of '70's bands like Aerosmith, Grand Funk, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, The Who, Yes, Genesis, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Kiss, Steely Dan, ZZ Top, Journey, Styx, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Rush. Did you know that on the U.S. Billboard charts in the '70's; Jethro Tull had as many #1 albums as ALL those bands put together? Maybe it isn't fair linking '70's chart success to airplay on classic rock radio in 2023. I do think it is fair to say that Jethro Tull's popularity in the '70's has not transitioned well into the retro vision goggles of classic rock.

I'm not really complaining, I'm thrilled to be seeing Martin Barre on the opening night of a 35 city tour titled, 'Jethro Tull, A Brief History'. Why wouldn't I be thrilled? Mrs. Buckeye and I are sitting in the front row of one of our favorite concert settings within an hour of home. Always a great atmosphere when we visit The Kent Stage which is an old downtown movie theater that has been renovated into a 650 seat concert venue. There are dozens of nearby restaurants plus the sidewalks always have a great vibe of concert goers outside the theater sharing stories from yesteryear and plenty of energy once inside.

I did mention that the music of Jethro Tull has not aged well? I've attended some dinosaur shows the last year or so by 70's acts like Foghat, Grand Funk, Ace Frehley and Cheap Trick (among others). There is always a contingent of younger fans or at the very least some parents dragging kids along for a ride down memory lane. Not on this night. Mrs. Buckeye and I were born during the Kennedy administration and I'm 100% positive we were the two youngest people in attendance; hands down, no doubt, done deal.

One of the best things about these types of shows is looking at all the concert t-shirts which fall into a few different categories ranging anywhere from fun to sad. Fun are the Martin Barre t-shirts from his last tour, fun was the Boy Howdy (CREEM Magazine) that I wore which received many smiles and a few comments, fun are really old concert shirts that actually fit people. Sad are the retro rock shirts bought at Walmart last week. My favorite? It's the people that have a concert t-shirt from high school and they somehow shoehorn themselves into these fiber testaments of time even though their weight has doubled. These people are f*ckin' rock n roll heroes and I love them!

The tour by Martin that just ended was an anniversary show for the album Aqualung and included several other popular songs. This tour is the exact opposite because this show consisted of mostly numbers best described as 'deep tracks' or 'album cuts'. This was not an ideal show for me to see but the musicianship, lighting and presentation was top shelf by Martin and his band fronted by Dan Crisp on vocals.

Dan Crisp is eerily similar in voice and mannerisms to Ian Anderson except no flute. This doesn't bother me one iota. I think he's a great showman and does a fine job carrying these songs in a concert setting. He often had a guitar in hand and showed off some lead skills plus he added some keys on a few numbers. The band was rounded out by Alan Thomson on bass and Darby Todd on percussion. I have to also say that Martin supplied flute on a couple numbers which certainly added to the Tull experience.

Visually and sonically it was near perfect, the setlist was not chosen for me but the guy sitting behind us loved it. He was in fact very vocal about loving it. He was the loudest person in the whole theater and after every song we heard, "Yes, yes, yes, Wowwwwww. Thank you Martin, thank you, thank you". It would have been more amusing a few rows away!

The show was divided into two segments with an intermission which suited the collective bladder age of this audience very well. It was a bum rush to the bathrooms by the masses. We took the opportunity to buy some merch so to avoid the post concert crowd at the table.

The show ended with the band announcing they were not going to leave the stage and come back for an encore. They were just going to play the encore now which was "Too Old To Rock n Roll" and "Locomotive Breath". I appreciate when a band skips the whole cheer louder and we'll come back gimmick.

Good night of fun and I hope to catch this band again when they play a few more 'hits'! Well Done!

Setlist
Some Day the Sun Won't Shine for You
Cat's Squirrel
We Used to Know
Serenade to a Cuckoo
Bouree
Sossity; You're a Woman
Back to the Family
Nothing to Say
My God
Thick as a Brick
A Passion Play
The Whistler
Black Satin Dancer
War Child
Sealion

Intermission

Acres Wild
Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow
Under Wraps (acoustic)
Under Wraps (electric)
Protect and Survive
Watching Me Watching You
Beastie
Fallen on Hard Times
Slow Marching Band
Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll, Too Young to Die
Locomotive Breath
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Sparky Rickmaniac]

ELTON JOHN
FAREWELL YELLOW BRICK ROAD TOUR
MANCHESTER ARENA 30 MAY 2023

On paper, it seemed implausible. 16,000 people all wanting to see and hear a podgy 76 year old piano player with dubious taste in clothes and a well dodgy wig sing and play.
But for 2.5 hours, Elton held us all in the palm of his hand.
From the opening bars of "Benny and the Jets" we were off and running.
Hit after hit, with a few anecdotes along the way. 3 changes of clothes and glasses, think highly embroidered smoking jackets and glitter encrusted normal-ish frames, but little in the way of movement, as Shakira says "the hips don't lie".
The backing band have largely been in place for decades, especially Nigel Olsson on drums. The sound was quite percussion centred which made for great vibe.
A message flashed beforehand saying dancing was encouraged, a whole section before the end..." the bitch is back", "I'm still standing", "crocodile rock" and " Saturday night's alright for fighting" had even me up and jiving, overcoming my vertigo from the top of the lower tier.
Rita Ora appeared on video on a giant back screen to sing "cold heart" although she wasn't needed as we all sang her part for her. The lighting, back projection etc were all top notch.
The encore ended with "yellow brick road" obviously and dear old Elton rode off into the sunset.
One of the finest gigs I've ever been to.
_________________
www.britbitsandclips.com
www.x1-9ownersclub.org.uk
http://sitran.dept.shef.ac.uk/

[Buckeye Randy]

My Top 25 for 2023 after 6 months. Always subject to change, my favorite song at this time last year did not land in the year end 2022 top 10.

Lots of great stuff this year not included like Alice Cooper, The Pretenders and Van Morrisson. It has been a great year so far.

Open to debate!

Been To The Mountain – Margo Price
We Want Action – Fever Dog
Death Wish – Samantha Fish, Jesse Dayton
Bogus Operandi – The Hives
Trouble – Olivia Jean
Victory Or Death – Anti-Flag
Shannon's Song – The Bouncing Souls
Glamdemic Blues - Ricky Byrd
Fortunate ones – Joe Perry w/ Chris Robinson
I Feel The Love – The Heavy
The Mona Lisa's Packing Tonight – Sparks
Estranged Fruit – Fishbone + NOFX
Lookin' Thru Glass – Mozart Estate
Death Cabaret (Voodoo Burlesque) – Killer Tone Jones, Wily Bo Walker
It's A Big Old Goofy World – Alice Howe
Portrait Of God – King Tuff
Little Magic – Natural Child
I'll Give You All Night To Stop – Nick Lowe
If You're Blue – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Stay A Little Longer – Wolfmother
Let's Get Wild – Buckcherry
Animator's Survival Kit – Tomato Soup
Move Me – Delta Bombers
Defiance – Ian Hunter
Ding-Ding Man – Daddy Long Legs

Some of the better YouTube videos from the above list.

Margo Price
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoxGsS4PMd8
Fever Dog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIUA-b8YrK4
Samantha Fish, Jesse Dayton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdHJmnd338o
The Hives
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVKHeBRox0k
Olivia Jean
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiQIAB-sBM4
Anti-Flag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWVAVTUcxUc
The Heavy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9J7JHnamWQ
King Tuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxNcbZighPM&list=RDLxNcbZighPM&start_radio=1

Best of the rest....
Don't Make Me Do It - Rancid
The Long Con - Revivalists
Too Many Things - The Linda Lindas
Let The Sun Come In - The Pretenders
It Feels Like Home - Graham Nash
Left Right Forward - Stone
New Atlantis - Iggy Pop
Everybody's Gonna Be There - Bass Drum Of Death
Tell Me I'm Pretty - Butch Walker
In The Store - The Lost Days
Gotta Move On - The Zombies
Gotta Get To Peekskill - Dropkick Murphys
Gossip - Maneskin w/Tom Morello
I'm Alice - Alice Cooper
Oh Lonesome Me - Van Morrison
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Reverend Horton Heat
Where: Musica (Akron, Ohio)
When: July 5, 2023

Q: What's better than being outside on a really hot day?
A: Being in a packed club on a really hot night.

Musica is small (450 capacity) mostly standing club that opened in 2006 in the ever expanding Historic Arts District of Akron. It's a well weathered brick building tucked away at the end of an alley just off one of the main drags that crisscross downtown Akron. Good vibe on the sidewalks as people are funneled toward the club entrance. I have to say that parking can be a nightmare at these clubs with limited or no parking. No problems here, there's a free parking deck for the library and art museum within a couple minute walk so all is good. I feel that putting a priority on parking is one of the major transition stages of life, I've reached that stage.

This show has been on my radar for months but I was a little iffy on attending. Wednesday night shows are not ideal but the short 15 minute drive sort of balances that out. The deciding factor was surfing the net and seeing recent setlists by RHH, mostly killer and no filler. Joining me was my youngest son who was making his first visit to Musica not to mention his first time seeing the Rev HH. He fashions himself a bit of a punk so the school of rock 'n' roll is in session with some psychobilly fun.

We arrived just as the doors were opening and bought some tickets (or should I say wristbands) and had a fun conversation with the merch guys. We started discussing first favorite bands in a guilty pleasure kind of way. My son was/is a big fan of Cleveland's own Machine Gun Kelly and the RHH barker openly confessed he was (and apparently still is) a fan of Hanson because he started singing "MMM Bop". You can plan many things surrounding a concert but no matter how hard you try…you just can't plan on somebody singing Hanson. This is why I leave the house, you just never know what's out there.

Quick decision to be made, stake a place at the stage on a hot sweaty night or grab a stool at a tall table on the elevated flooring in the relatively cool back of the room. I'm getting old as if my parking priority wasn't a clue (spoiler alert). We chose the table in the back of the room but it isn't like we were opting for nosebleed seats in the back of a huge arena. The back of this room was only 50 feet from the stage, well…maybe 60. Great sightline over the people crowding in front of the stage.

First up and right on time were the Delta Bombers from Las Vegas, Nevada. They made it a point to tell us that they are used to the desert heat but not this towel wringing humidity of Akron. Hey guys, try not wearing long sleeve black denim on stage! Wiki says they have 12 releases and 5 are listed at Spotify. This means that there's enough out there if you want to get a sampling.

The Delta Bombers are made up of original members Andrew Himmler (guitar) and Chris Moinichen (guitar, vocals), they founded the band in 2008. Along with them are more recent additions Gregorio Garcia (upright bass since 2012) and face painted PJ Franco (drums since 2020), those four comprise the line-up on the most recent release ( "Neon Sounds") which I think is pretty good. There was also a 5th member on stage last night, on piano was a man introduced as Johnny…simply Johnny.

I preferred the newer material and leading the way was "Hey, You Know You Wanna." The mid pace thumper included an audience sing-a-long that was pretty impressive considering the crowd was giving it up for the opening band. Their swampy sound had a CCR feel at times and they did a nice Doors' cover of "Break On Through". Much of their merch features a wolf head and their de facto theme "The Wolf" was at the end of the set. The energy left everybody in a howling good mood and just a little sweaty. I will certainly seek these guys out in the future. Well done!

This is my third time seeing Reverend Horton Heat but I keep thinking I'm forgetting one. Regardless, it has been about 15 years since I've seen him/them. The whole Jim Heath being referred to as Reverend Horton Heat while the other guys are members of the band Reverend Horton Heat makes for conflicting pronouns with the him/them thing. A bit like Alice Cooper being in the RnR HOF as a member of The Alice Cooper Band but not as Alice Cooper the solo artist. He's in with 'them' but not as 'him'… it can make your brain hurt if you let it.

Anyways, the show opened as all Rev shows do with an instrumental. In the old days, bands would do this in lieu of a proper soundcheck to allow the soundman a chance to get all the instrument levels dialed in before layering the vocals on top. Not sure if that's the purpose now but I know that "Big Sky" is a great opener and it segues perfectly into "Baddest Of The Bad". This is a dynamic one-two punch to open a show and features plenty of guitar heroics by the Rev on his hollow body Gretsch. The opening presents a striking visual; the vintage red guitar against the Rev sporting a pale green jacket with maroon flames racing up the sleeves (a jacket that surely would make Nudie Cohn smile).

The band was firing on all cylinders as they pumped through time tested favorites sprinkled with a few covers. My favorites? Uh, just about all of them but if I had to pick a few; "Where in the Hell Did You Go With My Toothbrush", "400 Bucks" and "Big Red Rocket of Love". Jimbo Wallace (upright bass ) plays the character of Robin to Heath's Batman as they interact on nearly every song. This is exemplified on the tribute to Jimbo simply titled, "Jimbo Song". Absolutely the most fun song of the evening and featured the crowd shouting, "J I…M B O, J I…M B O"! There were a couple good stories between songs, most notably one about Carl Perkins telling his stories. The show ended with a smoking version of Motorhead's "Ace Of Spades".

As soon as the show ended, we scooted out a side door and toward the parking garage. I was worried about getting a few hours sleep and going to work in the morning. Oh brother, I wish I had that decision to make over! I will never remember making it to work on time but I'll always remember NOT going to the merch table and getting a disc signed along with NOT getting my pic with Jim Heath and Jimbo. Who knows, I might have even heard the merch guy sing the second verse of "MMM Bop". Certainly, a missed opportunity on a many levels.

OK, knowing the setlist beforehand certainly tempered the rush of adrenalin on hearing the first notes of a favorite song. Another negative was the crowd being a little flat; maybe because it was Wednesday, maybe a hangover from July 4th or maybe the stifling heat in the club. All those things take a little sparkle away but otherwise it was a great evening of music by Reverend Horton Heat. Probably best described as an evening of musical excellence but not necessarily an energy overflow. Bottom line; there was nothing from last night to prevent me from going and seeing Reverend Horton Heat (him/them) again…hopefully not a Wednesday. Well Done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: The Pink Spiders
Title: Freakazoid
Released: July 7, 2023

Things are easier to see when you step back and can look at the entirety with the eyes of an objective observer. Being closer doesn't help hence the phrase, 'can't see the forest for the trees'. I'll start by saying, it's tough for me to step back and look objectively at The Pink Spiders, I'm a fan. It's like I'm overwhelmed by being inside a lava lamp instead of relaxing and just enjoying it from a distance. 'can't see the lamp for the lava'. (smiling)

With favorite bands that you feel connected with, you are really rooting for a new release to be great and are gutted if it doesn't deliver. You might even make excuses to others (and yourself) why it does not meet expectations. I'm nearly certain all of us have experienced this at some point with favorite bands over the years. Tell me I'm not alone! That's the disclaimer as I listen to the new release by The Pink Spiders, "Freakazoid", I'm a fan.

I'll start with a backstory. The Pink Spiders had a small label releases in 2005 that I knew nothing about. I first became aware of the band through my 13 year old daughter the day before I was going to a 2006 WARPED tour date with my oldest son and a friend. WARPED Tours = 10 stages with 100 bands with each playing 30 minute sets, you get a band/stage schedule when you enter and you plan your day. So, my daughter played me the single "Little Razorblade" from their upcoming album and I thought it was a fun song. I made it a point to seek them out and took my place in the crowd for an early afternoon timeslot. I towered over the 14 year olds, I had no idea this band had such a young following.

The guys I went to this concert with had their own list of bands to see so I'm solo for The Pink Spiders, just me and some very young fans. Minutes before the show starts, I hear shouts from the back of the crowd which was close to 1000 people and growing, "Hey Pedophile, what are you doing with those kids". I recognized the voices as the taunts continued, it was my son and his buddy laughing hysterically. I remember turning around and shouting, "I'm not a pedophile, I'm a punk gosh darnit"!

I called my daughter during "Little Razorblade" so she could hear them and I promised to buy her a souvenir. The show was really good and vocalist/guitarist Matt Friction was a force but the meet/greet line after the show was a mile long. They were charging twice as much for merch as other bands so I went on my way emptyhanded with only a memory (who wants to carry stuff around all day). My daughter was not happy with that decision.

I'm going to stop backstorying now because there are several chapters. I'll not tell you about my daughter's first concert, I'll not tell you about Matt Friction fighting a soundman, I'll not tell you about a birthday cake with an icing picture of my daughter & Matt Friction, I'll not tell you about Russian customs confiscating an autographed Pink Spiders poster, I'll not tell you about sharing 'cigs' with drummer Bob Ferrari, I'll not tell you about the band inviting non musicians on stage to play on Helter Skelter. There are about five other stories I won't tell you. I'll tell you I've seen them six times and all have been memorable on some level of musical excellence, chicanery, or buffoonery.

Back to reviewing The Pink Spiders. The first big label release on Geffen Records was "Teenage Graffiti" in 2006 and was produced by Ric Ocasik (The Cars). The release included new versions of several songs from their previous indie release and had a garage/punky sound with a teenybop feel. It charted and the band was featured on MTV. A band on the rise. "Sweat It Out" was released in 2008 and was a total change as far as the sound. The band now had a big and shiny arena sound that seemed radio friendly and a cool video. There were also internal problems as the line-up started to change. Shortly after the release, Geffen drops them and the band dissolves. Seemingly the end of the story.

Matt Friction continued writing and playing while occasionally using the name Pink Spiders. Ten years pass and Amazingly, 2018 saw The Pink Spiders release "Mutations". Everything about this release seemed pretty budget at first glance. The packaging was minimal and the sound was barely above home studio but many of the songs were pretty good. It's at this point the band turned a corner for their rebirth. Gone were the alcohol fueled antics and this all new band seemed pretty focused on stage.

The bad news, Covid 19 put a stop to just about everything. The good news, Matt was on a creative run and would not be stopped. He started doing podcasts featuring internet duets with other artists and he would play some of his favorite mostly power pop type songs. He hosted a live Christmas show with remote appearances and plenty of alcohol, the momentum kept rolling.

Now, 2023 sees the release of "Freakazoid". Three of the songs were pre-released which I'm not crazy about but the fact they were good sure whetted the appetite. I love that they made the three pre-release tracks the first three tracks on the album; great idea, guys. "Gold Confetti" is more glam than anything and is totally solid with over the top back ups circa early '70's. The first thing that's apparent is Matt's lyrics are in top form. In the first verse he name checks 'Emily' who was a character that appeared in two early songs and he also mentions 'chemicals' which is a nod to their third album. Another pre-release is "Let's Go Home", it has more of a…Elvis Costello meets The Knack sound/style, that's not a bad thing.

I'm totally floored by "Can't Stop Letting You Down", it's up tempo pop with a skip along beat and a hint of handclaps that mentions the 'Hollywood Vampires'. "Stoned To The Bone" has an arena(ish) sound and reminds me of…I swear it sounds like Butch Walker's band in the '90's, Marvelous 3. Remember them? They sound just a little like City Boy at times so we're checking all kinds of boxes. "Freakin' Freakin; Me Out" and "Cuttin' Loose" are more of the same but a little more poppy, great stuff.

"You're The One" and "Baby I'm High" are exactly the type of songs that would have fit in and stood out on earlier releases. Did I mention the songs are catchy? Am I blushing?

Matt Friction and The Pink Spiders have knocked it out of the park. Matt continues to write adolescent lyrics that sound like they are lifted from 1975. Nearly every song has a catchy hook dripping with different degrees of glam, power pop, both.

I can't remember the last time I was so happy with a new release. So much for, 'can't see the lamp for the lava'. Well Done!!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter