SPARKS

[Buckeye Randy]

[Alex Robertson]

Have to say the style isn’t quite what I expected but I rather liked the few tracks I’ve heard!

[Buckeye Randy]

The Tubes! Any fans? I just bought front row seats for a November show by the band in a small venue (<700).

This will be my fourth time seeing them which may or may not qualify me as a fan since I've been going to concerts over 40 years. I've certainly missed more tours than I've seen.

All three so far have been memorable; bad acid, stolen band equipment and baby comes home.

First show was '79 with April Wine and Squeeze as openers at the 20,000 seater outside Cleveland. The second was around '02 and the third was 2017, both were at a now defunct dinner club in Akron (Tangiers). The fourth will be at Kent Stage which is a small venue that I hope gets crazy on a Saturday night in November.

They have three original members; Roger Steen on guitar, vocalist Fee Waybill and Prairie Prince on drums who is the busiest drummer in rock. Prairie has also been drumming for Todd Rundgren the last 10+ years.

Mrs. Buckeye will be seeing The Tubes for first time so I hope the band lives up to the expectations I've created!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

The band Bad Moves recently released three songs that will appear on their upcoming album (Wearing Out The Refrain) that will be released September 13th.

Think Nick Lowe meets Eddie and the Hot Rods.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2qccLi5F_o

A little more fractured and new wavey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLBtRyoFPFg

Favorite song from the pre release teasers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BydaT8D5og

You're welcome!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Pat Travers Band
When: August 24, 2024
Where: Kent, Ohio (Kent Stage)

My introduction to Pat was around ’79 hearing him on the radio belting out an old blues number by Little Walter, “Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)”. In 1980, Pat had a hit album (Crash and Burn) that I heard plenty of on the radio and at parties but for whatever reason I never picked it up. After that, Pat retreated on my radar to being an artist I would occasionally hear on classic rock stations. Life moves on….

Sooo...fast forward about 42 years and there is a scheduled show by Foghat with the Pat Travers Band as the opening act. Ticket sales were so poor that the show was moved to a smaller venue a week before the show. As luck would have it, I had a pre-sale membership card at the new venue and scored a couple front row seats. Honestly, I felt bad for the fans that had front row seats at the original venue that were shuffled back with the change of venue. It seems life is not fair. (smiling)

Mrs. Buckeye and I regarded seeing Foghat as seeing a glorified cover band with the only original member being drummer, Roger Earle. The band was sort of a funky, southern rock version of Foghat with recently added vocalist Scott Holt but it really was surprisingly good. However, that was not the real surprise of the evening. The real surprise was the level of energy and musicianship by the Pat Travers Band. It was a really good set by a darn good three piece band fronted by a top shelf blues/rock guitarist. Since then, we have kept an eye out for the band’s return to the area.

The summer of ’24 has Pat Travers coming back to the very same venue but this time as the headliner; tix bought, let the festivities begin! Festivities begin with a pre gig Italian meal and a walk around downtown on a perfect summer evening in the college town of Kent. We ended our walk under the marquee of Kent Stage and hanging out on the sidewalk near the smattering of ‘Hammer Heads’ (nickname for fans of PT).

Kent Stage was a movie theater in a previous life but has been a concert venue for about 20 years. There was a renovation a few years ago to the stage and the lobby but the original theater seats remain the same. There is a small town charm to this 650 seat concert hall and they do an excellent job of bringing in national acts of all genres.

No opener tonight…hooray…what?? It seems ironic that I’m happy about no opener yet the only reason I’m here is because I heard Pat Travers as an opener. Pat begins every show with the same introduction, “We’re Here To Kick Yor Ass”! I’ve now heard him say this twice and I’m still debating if it is meant as a threat or a promise. Either way he delivers although on this night he is only delivering to a half empty venue. The attendance was disappointing but it made no difference to me perched in the front row directly in front of Pat’s Marshall amp.

The show started with “Rock n Roll Suzie” straight into “Life In London” with no break between until after the third song, “Crash And Burn”. The evening was divided into two sets, the first was a fairly tight 45 minute set and focused on early material that had the approval of long time fans.

The second set started with one of my favorites (“Ronnie”) that is a tribute to Ronnie Montrose. This track along with two others are from the 2022 release by PT (The Art Of Time Travel). The set also included two new songs from an upcoming album and virtuoso soloing by drummer Al Petrosky and bass player David Pastorius thrown in for good measure. The show ended predictably with the two best known song; “Snortin’ Whiskey” and “Boom, Boom (Out Go The Lights). The obligatory encore was the rousing Earl King blues classic “Come On, Pt 1”.

One of the highlights of the second set was when Pat left the stage and David Pastorius played the song “Natalie” on bass. The album version is flushed out with guitars but this live rendition had David carrying the entire song with melodic slapping and fret walking.

I’ve seen some great bass players in my concert life but I consider David Pastorius the best I’ve seen. It certainly helps that Pat gives him plenty of room to showcase his talent during the show. The bloodline probably helps as well, David is the nephew of bass royalty Jaco Pastorius who was most notably with the ‘70’s fusion band, Weather Report.

Over the years I’ve seen bands that play a great short set as an opener but have trouble carrying a crowd when playing an extended set as a headliner. Not the case with Pat because even when playing deep tracks it’s impossible to not be amazed by the musicianship by all members on stage. Sign me up for the next time Pat comes around.

Well Done!
_________________
Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Teenage Bottlerocket
Where: Grog Shop (Cleveland Heights, OH)
When: August 29, 2024

Excuse me while I get reflective for a moment. It’s great to watch kids grow and start their own families, it really is. However, I sometimes feel a void as their time demands don’t leave much time for hanging out with good ole Dad. Damn soccer practice.

My oldest son was my punk concert buddy when he was younger but as the number of grandkids increased our time going to concerts proportionately decreased. We’ve had some great times seeing countless shows including; Violent Femmes, Rancid, NY Dolls, The Saints, Dollyrots, Television, The Dictators, Dead Milkmen, Horrorpops, Japandroids, Buzzcocks, The Offspring, Bouncing Souls, DKM, Flogging Molly, Pennywise, Rev Horton Heat and The Supersuckers plus plenty of others not on my memory quick dial. I’m not even going to start listing bands from the three Warped Tours we saw together, we would be here all day as I fumble through my memory banks. My point is, we were going to many shows and now not so much.

Imagine my surprise last month when I received a text from my son, “Wanna see Teenage Bottlerocket”? I quickly said ‘yes’ even though I could only think of a few songs. Do I really need to know more? I learned many years ago that the concert experience is as much about who you go to a show with as it is the performance you see. I did a quick search on Spotify and it turns out I know more songs than I thought plus I now know dozens more as I prep for the show.

Sooo…I rummage through my concert t-shirts because I want to project the right punky vibe to let fellow punks know I’m no dweeb. It’s not the sort of show you would wear a shirt sporting a Journey logo (not that I own one). This pre-gig detail seems important but I only do this after I use the digital coupon for a five minute oil change before a road trip. Priorities can be a tightrope as we grow older! Car is ready and I’m ready (wearing Dead Milkmen t-shirt), time to pick up my son and start the trek to the Grog Shop. BTW, I had to call my son to make sure he wasn’t wearing his Dead Milkmen shirt!

The Grog Shop has a 400 standing room capacity and is located in an artsy district referred to as Coventry Village. The eclectic neighborhood is full of fun shops and eateries in the middle of Cleveland Heights which is 15 minutes from downtown Cleveland. I would not call this a suburb, the only thing that says you aren’t in Cleveland is the name on the police cars.

The sidewalk in front of the club is bustling with a pre-gig gathering of concert goers. A fun collection of rockers enjoying time before the show on a hot and humid evening with temps hovering around 80f. We spend a couple minutes out front enjoying pre-concert aromas then decide to go into the mostly empty club. Seats at the bar, an open table or just mill about before the bands begin. We decided on a table toward the rear, we spend 15 minutes there as the club slowly fills before choosing to stake our ground closer at the stage.

It’s funny how real estate near the stage is acquired and lost as the evening progresses. There are many techniques for bettering your pit position. The easiest is just filling space if somebody goes to the bar or restrooms, it’s a slow steady march. I’m quite proficient at the ‘side and slide’ where you stand sideways and shuffle forward as space becomes available. This requires a quick and disarming smile as incidental body contact can sometimes alarm people. My favorite is the most boring; arrive early and endure the openers. This technique requires minimal coffee and alcohol intake before a show because it’s not always possible to regain lost territory once surrendering to nature’s will. Before the second band we were against the stage.

The opener was a local band, The Vumms. Their brand of music is jangly at times and can lean toward garage rock. Not the worst opener I’ve seen and I would not shy away from seeing them again. Next up, The Last Gang…Wow! It can be fun seeing young bands learning the ropes but I prefer seeing bands like this that are a little more seasoned. Brenna Red’s ’s raspy vocals are out front over music that ranges from reggae to hardcore and all stops in between. Well done!

We are now properly primed for the real reason we are at the Grog Shop on a school night, an evening with Wyoming’s finest, Teenage Bottlerocket. The band has been releasing albums (9 total) since 2003 and ¾ of the current line-up have been together since 2006. If you’re looking for musical comparisons, it starts with Ramones. Wiki makes comparisons with Screeching Weasel and Bouncing Souls which seems like fairly reasonable references. I like the sound because it is fast paced melodies laden with humor and occasionally dips into dumb guy music. The band also has one of the coolest and most iconic logos in all punkdom.

The crowd at the Grog Shop on this Thursday was decent but the place was not overly packed. That suits me fine because when this club is at/over capacity it’s a little uncomfortable. I fully expected this to be an all guy crowd and I was totally wrong! It was mildly surprising that so many females were in attendance but really surprising was the number of teens and pre-teens. Some of the kids were family members of the band and others were there with parents that wanted to show their kids an evening of fun PG rated punk rock.

As the band took the stage, Guitarist/vocalist Ray Carlisle walked the front of the stage passing out guitar picks to anybody that put their hand out. The band manned their instruments and played maybe 10 songs before taking a moment to talk with the crowd.

Between song banter and antics were both informative and entertaining. The band didn’t seem to be patronizing us as they passed out compliments. They name checked many of the area clubs they played over the years and talked about things they liked about Cleveland including visiting the Rock Hall Of Fame.

Antics included Ray Carlisle tossing drumsticks through the ceiling trusses and drummer Darren Chewka attempting to catch them while keeping beat. They were oh for five until finally connecting which was met with cheers. The main vocalist/guitarist is Kody Templemen and his vocals were strong all night. The band is rounded out by bassist Miguel Chen who spent time off stage playing for younger fans. The band presents a great visual with wide stanced posturing and passionate expressions.

A fine evening complete with setlists, guitar picks and a cool t-shirt plus some father/son bonding. Teenage Bottlerocket played a highly entertaining show and I’ll be sure to catch them again anytime I can. Well Done!

Set List

1. In the Basement
2. Don't Want to Go
3. Bigger Than Kiss
4. Freak Out!
5. Stupid Games
6. Nothing Else Matters (When I'm With You)
7. Blood Bath at Burger King
8. Crashing
9. Bottlerocket
10. They Call Me Steve
11. Fatso Goes Nutzoid
12. Ghost Story
13. Radio
14. Strung Out on Stress
15. Commando (Ramones)
16. Why the Big Pause
17. Skate or Die
18. Via Munich
19. Don't Go
20. I Wanna Be a Dog
21. Headbanger
22. On My Own / Blitzkrieg Bop / The Spirit of Radio

Encore

23. Teenwolf
24. Forbidden Planet
25. Call In Sick
26. Be Stag
27. Necrocomicon
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[aussie]

never heard of Teenage Bottlerocket, had a look on youtube and it's not for me, but that's music
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-------------------

I HAVE WON LOTTO [again]

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: The Dictators
Title: The Dictators
Released: September 6, 2024

Normally, self-titled releases are for debut albums. This is the 6th studio release by The Dictators covering 49 years and first in 23 years, I love that it is 2024 and The Dictators have a self-titled release. It is also the 4th reset and fresh start for the band. Maybe the fourth time is a charm.

The ‘70’s saw three releases as the band had minimal personnel changes but the emphasis did shift from Andy Shernoff on lead vocals to Handsome Dick Manitoba. 1990 saw the release of “…And You?” which was under the band name Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom but contained four core members from The Dictators, (Manitoba, Shernoff, Ross ‘The Boss’, Scott ‘Top Ten’ Kempner). Those same four core members were on “D.F.F.D” which was released by The Dictators in 2001.

The new release contains two original members (Shernoff, Ross ‘The Boss’) and is balanced out with Albert Bouchard (BOC) on drums and Keith Roth on rhythm guitar and most lead vocals. When I saw the band perform earlier this year, four of their 5 previous albums plus the new one were represented. The music over the 49 years melts together seamlessly. I’m not sure if that’s a testament to consistency and greatness or just being in a really long rut!

I won’t say it again…but I hate how pre-release songs ruin the new album experience…I won’t say it. However, if I were going to mention it, I would say how four of the songs have been on streaming for quite a while and another song (slightly different version) is available at a band member site. That’s exactly half of the songs on this ten track release and oh, another track is a BOC cover which means I only get four completely new songs. The effort certainly does not have that ‘new car smell’.

The new release starts with the previously available “Let’s Get The Band Back Together” which is just such a great opener for this project. Following is “My Imaginary Friend” which by any measure qualifies as a really good song by The Dictators. Both recall the sly humor and emphasis on melody of early Shernoff songs. From this point on I will not mention humor when describing the band because The Dictators by definition are the musical equivalent of Alfed E. Newman. Their dumb guy humor is part of the charm.

“Transmaniacon MC” is up next which happens to be the first track from the first album by Blue Oyster Cult. This is a snappier and thicker version than the original. Since Albert Bouchard is one of the BOC members credited with writing the song, is it really a cover version?

So far so good and I’m going to skip straight to the final three songs which were all previously available. I’ll save the four new tracks for last.

Crunchy riff and smooth back-ups, “God Damn New York” fits the profile of a NY punk band. The song is either reminiscent or autobiographical and has the great line, “Whatever happened to my party boys, we used to make some noise”. “Thank You And Have A Nice Day” is one of the best ever by The Dictators and they know it. Why else would they close with it on their last tour? The album finishes with a sentiment titled, “Sweet Joey”. For those that need a reminder, The Dictators were side by side with The Ramones at CBGBs in the mid ‘70’s. A more mellow version of this song was released a few years ago and can be heard at Andy Shernoff’s website. This new version belongs to The Dictators mostly because of Keith Roth but Ross is a big part as well. It’s not perfect but I like it better than the previous version and I will not knock a heartfelt tribute to a fallen friend.

Sooo….we will now check out the middle four tracks which I’m hearing for the first time. “Sacred Cow” is not top shelf but is totally solid, there is nothing wrong with it at all. It’s smirk worthy that they start the chorus with, “It’s alright now” ala “Jumping Jack Flash”. This isn’t new ground, their song “It’s Alright” from “D.F.F.D” uses a riff very similar to “Satisfaction”. I’m certain neither is an accident. Ross’s guitar sound is just perfect as he does a little shredding and Keith’s vocals are totally his own. After three listens I’m really liking it. Yeah, I’m cranking it up.

“Really Good” does not sound like a typical song by The Dictators, nope. It’s the closest they have ever come to writing a campfire song but what a fun campfire it would be with Cabin A singing the back-ups. Honestly, the beginning sounds like “The Passenger” (Iggy) and then goes into something reminiscent of a Brian May strum-along from one of his solo albums. I’ll give this song a pass but it’s an odd egg on a Dictator release, the universe of music certainly is unpredictable.

“All About You” is back to being normal at least by Dictator standards. Chunky chords, ripping leads and Keith Roth doing his in key, talk-a-sing vocals. The vocals on this song and really through the entire release generally land half-way between Handsome Dick and David Johansen. I don’t see this as a problem.

I’m willing to bet Albert Bouchard wrote “Wicked Cool Disguise” because it sounds more like an early BOC song than something by The Dictators. The track has plenty of great 30 second bursts but trips a bit in the flow department. It reminds me that both bands had some common ground with songs that sounded like they were copy/pasted together and can flow awkwardly. I’ll be interested to hear what BOC fans (pre Reaper) think of this song.

I suppose most will judge this release based on how palatable they find Keith Roth’s vocals. My overall verdict is pretty darn good. The album vibe is a little uneven due to I’ve already heard three of the songs about a million times plus seen them performed live. The new material is solid but doesn’t pack an immediate ‘wow’. I will say the songs are growing on me after just a few listens but no way I can predict where the will land on my final Dict-A-Meter.

I’m giving a thumbs up, well done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[waterloosunset]

Mr. Buckeye, even when I haven't heard the band that you are reviewing, I love to read your reviews. They are works of art in and of themselves.
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better drop the requirement that everything be great

[Alex Robertson]

As above…and often I find a band I quite enjoy too

[PETER RAWCLIFFE]

[Buckeye Randy]

Thanks for the kind words!

Two releases that I've been looking forward to are both out this week! Mini reviews since I'm on vacation.

Who: Nick Lowe
Title: Indoor Safari
Released: September 13, 2024

Pre-released songs are becoming a reoccurring theme. Four of the 12 on this release were made available on streaming services over the last several months and an additional five were available on the 2020 release, "Wakabout". "Walkabout" was a hodge podge of single releases from Japan, Australia and New Zealand plus some unreleased material. I believe the crossover songs have been rerecorded for this release but really not much different. Sooo, that's 9 of the 12 I've heard in some form or another! Some of the others seem familiar as well...maybe they were released as singles in the future and time travel is a reality.

Regardless, it's a top-notch release. Nick is once again backed by Los Straitjackets as he has been for most (not all) of the last 15 years. In case you don't know, Los Straitjackets are a surf band probably best known for wearing Mexican wrestling masks on stage. Their sound totally fits Nick Lowe's passion for free flowing, melodic rock.

The release is instantly timeless in sound and style. What this release is not; it's not Nick with Rockpile or his early releases with Dave Edmunds. It's also not the crooning that Nick was doing in the mid '90's and into the '00's. If those two examples are a full swing of the pendulum, this release is smack dab in the middle. Everything Nick has done the last 50 years has prepared you for this.

I can think of no artist that has aged as gracefully as Nick Lowe. I don't mean that as a knock at artists who keep pushing the envelope like Sparks or Todd Rundgren. Nick is living in a comfort zone and I am too.

Well Done!


Who: Bad Moves
Title: Wearing Out The Refrain
Released: September 13, 2024

I first became aware of Bad Moves with their second release in 2020, "Untenable". The song "Local Radio" was one of my year end favorites. I often complain about pre-released songs being available on Spotify or other streaming services. Sometimes I need to acknowledge that this strategy along with some AI is actually working in my favor.

Because of my liking the 2020 song "Bad Moves", I received Spotify notices (New Release Radar) over the last nine months when four of the new tracks were made available. I totally love three of the tracks which certainly benefitted by repeated listens and not competing against other tracks on the same album. No way that two tracks by the same band would be fighting it out to be #1 on my year end top ten if both were heard at the same time. The songs, "New Year's Reprieve" and "Hallelujah" are totally great and worthy of mention.

Their style is under the umbrella of punky/pop but this is different than the dozens of bands sounding a bit retro. They are at least worth a listen so give them a chance.

Well Done!

Hallelujah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2qccLi5F_o

New Year's Reprieve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgqhOC7c7CE
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Jesse Malin
Title: Silver Patron Saints
Released: September 20, 2024

I'll be brief. Jesse Malin had some health issues last year and his friends decided to help. The help is in the form of a 27 track album of Jesse Malin songs covered by other artists. An impressive list of guests to put it mildly.

The Bleachers
Counting Crows
Bruce Springsteen
Billie Joe Armstrong
Dinosaur Jr.
Frank Turner
Wayne Kramer
Tom Morello
Steven Van Zandt
Lucinda Williams
Elvis Costello
The Wallflowers
Spoon
Butch Walker
Graham Parker
Alejandro Escovedo
The Hold Steady
Susana Hoffs (Bangles)
Alison Mosshart
Rocky O'Riordan
Ian Hunter
Low Cut Connie
Willie Nile
Rancid
Gogol Bordello
Agnostic Front
Murphys Law

I'm sure that every single one us has albums by at least a couple of those contributors.

Some of my friends are into Jesse, me not so much. Because of this I'm not comparing the songs to the original versions like they are.

I'll listen for a few days and move on but it is a notable release to be sure.

Well Done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[KaelMael]

The Classic Tales of YES Tour

Sendai GIGS, Sendai, Japan
September 21, 2024

On an unexpectedly cold rainy day in late September, YES performed a show here in Sendai for the first time in 30 years. They have been gaining many young fans ever since "Roundabout" was used in an animated version of hugely popular Manga series called JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (its creator Hirohiko Araki was born in Sendai) back in 2012, so there were people of all ages in the audience and I even saw a little boy wearing YES baseball cap. Not bad for a prog band that is celebrating 55th anniversary!

This venue holds about 1,400. It was almost full. My seat was very close to the stage and bassist Billy Sherwood, who was wearing glittering blue shoes, was right in front of me. I could see drummer Jay Schellen banging away his drums with a smile on his face next to the keybordist Geoff Downes. It was a great view. The only complaint was that I had to strain my neck to see a guitar maestro Steve Howe. Occasionally, he played the lap steel guitar while moving it sideways - it was on wheels.

As the title suggests, this tour's set list mainly consists of classics (1970-1980) except one track from recent album. The show started with "Machine Messiah", then "I've Seen All Good People" from my favorite "The Yes Album". Lead singer Jon Davison effortlessly hit the high notes in "Going for the One". He has been in the band for 12 years now and sang every song with confidence. He didn't disappoint me at all. "Siberian Khatru" was a happy surprise because it wasn't in the initial set list. It was one of the best performances this evening.
After a brief interval, the sound of closing door and footsteps echoed in the hall. The second set started with "South Side of the Sky", in exactly the same way it starts on "Fragile" album. New song "Cut From the Stars" was next, then came the highlight of the show. An astonishing 20-minute medley of 80-minute masterpiece "A Tales from Topographic Oceans", meticulously arranged by Steve Howe himself. Needless to say, a standing ovation followed.
They played "Roundabout" for encore. Steve's performance sounded a bit clumsy at times but all in all, it was fantastic. And, with brilliant "Starship Trooper", the show come to an end.

It was so good it made me want to fly to Nagoya immediately to see the next show, then I remembered that my wallet was empty after buying those ridiculously expensive merch. I went straight home.
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My resume is dull and it's gray

[Buckeye Randy]

Hey KM, that sounds like a great time!


A new single is out today; The Longest Kiss by The Darkness.

It sounds like Island era Sparks dropping a track on Sheer Heart Attack...sorta. I guess that describes quite a few songs by The Darkness. Anyways, it's great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm6-ZYvBTVw
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: The Black Crowes
When: September 27, 2024
Where: MGM Center Stage (Northfield, Ohio)

Have you heard the latest and prophetic single by The Black Crowes, “Wanting and Waiting”? It seemed very prophetic on this evening.

Mrs. Buckeye has been wanting and waiting a long time to see The Black Crowes. Whatever the reason, they have eluded her and this qualifies as a ‘bucket list’ concert for her. Myself? I was lucky enough to see them in 1991opening for ZZ Top. That show was a week or so before getting kicked off the tour for stage banter not aligning with tour promoters or ZZ Top.

We thought we would see The Black Crowes in Cleveland opening for Aerosmith in 2023…which was unfortunately postponed due to Steven Tyler’s voice issues. We then thought we would see the rescheduled show in early 2024…but that was also postponed. The entire Aerosmith tour was put on hold and then rescheduled for autumn of 2024…and then cancelled all together. Well, that sucks.

Wait! The Black Crowes almost immediately announced a U.S. tour titled, ‘Happiness Bastards Tour ’24 (The Reprise)’. The tour includes 32 stops kicking off with a show at MGM in nearby Northfield, Ohio. Well, that’s cool.

The MGM Northfield Park (formerly Rocksino) is a casino which is adjacent to a longstanding harness racing track. The casino has been open for ten years and offers four restaurants plus two rooms with live entertainment. The larger room is ‘Center Stage’ and has a capacity of 1800. This is not a theater but a multi-purpose room that can host conferences, seminars, trade-shows, receptions or concerts. I’ve seen some dandy shows here and any negativity I have toward a room with the warmth of a dentist’s office is balanced by the positive vibe of free parking sprawling in all directions for as far as the eye can see. Man, it's a beautiful thing.

A 30+ minute drive on Friday to a concert at the tail end of rush hour can be stressful. Not tonight, after leaving my neighborhood I have a grand total of four turns before pulling into the MGM parking lot. I love venues that are not in a downtown setting! Easy drive and free parking, the night is a success and the show hasn’t even started.

I am not a gambler and I really don’t mind walking through a casino which is good because there is no other option if you want to see a show at the MGM. The entrance to Center Stage is only accessible by walking the entirety of the casino and weaving a path past all the people playing slots. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

First order of business after purchasing $23 worth of alcohol is scoping out the the t-shirts. While standing in line, an unaccompanied and younger girl uses my t-shirt (Dropkick Murphys) as a conversation starter. She was very enthusiastic and regretted not wearing her DKM shirt, a very chatty person. I smile when Mrs. Buckeye sees that there might be marginal interest from other camps if she steps too far out of line. (I’m so glad she doesn’t read these reviews!)

Back to t-shirts. Another winner; a black tee with band logo on front and the back has tour name plus tour dates, a timeless combination. It seems so simple yet so many bands try to over think the design.

Three types of seats at MGM; aluminum bleachers in the back, basic folding chair with some padding for the bottom and the luxurious captain seats in the first 11 rows….Oooooohhh, call me captain. The lumbar support is appreciated but as a suggestion, arm rests with a cup holder would have been perfect.

I have to mention the pre gig music mix just because it included fabulous lesser known songs. “Kill City” by Iggy, “All This And More” by Dead Boys and “48 Crash” by Suzi. There were oldies like “C’Mon Everybody by Eddie Cochran but the real surprise…”I’m The One” by Mick Ronson, are you kidding me? I need to party with the author of that mix.

Age of the crowd was exactly what you would expect for a band that came out in 1991 with a retro ‘70’s blues/rock sound embodying Humble Pie. OK, not surprising that nearly everybody was 45-65 but it got me to thinking about older bands attracting younger fans. Why do some bands seem to attract new generations of fans and other bands do not? Some bands are timeless and others are snapshots. This is a topic for another time.

Opening this evening from Florida are Fortune Child who will be on the current tour for the first five shows. A three piece blues outfit with snappy drumming and lead guitarist extraordinaire, Buddy Crump. Every song felt like it was inspired by Zep’s ‘Dazed And Confused’ with a hint of ‘Inside Looking Out’ by Grand Funk. I mean that comparison is a good way, a sunburst Les Paul with warm distortion is never a bad thing. Unfortunately, their recorded work does not represent their live performance. Still, a good opener in this setting.

It's 9PM, the lights dim and AC/DC’s “It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock n Roll)” blasts out at concert volume as the band takes their positions on stage. Everybody in the nearly sold-out venue is standing and singing as the music comes to a stop and the band blasts into “Bedside Manner” from their most recent album, “Happiness Bastards”. Strong opening.

The band is Chris and Rich Robinson plus long time bass player Sven Pipien. They are supported by hired guns; Erik Deutsch (keys), Nico Bereciartua (guitars), Cully Symington (drums) plus Mackenzie Adams and Lesley Grant on backing vocals.

Some older bands seemingly ignore their most recent releases instead choosing to play fan favorites from yesteryear. Cheap Trick and Alice Cooper have had some top-notch releases over the last 20 years but these songs rarely find their way into the live setting. Other artists push the envelope and design an entire tour featuring new music of questionable quality while ignoring fan favorites (I’ll mention no last names, Todd R.).

The Happiness Bastards Tour attempts to balance everything. Three of the first six are from the latest release which is their first album in the last 15 years. They save the album’s best track (Wanting and Waiting) for a little later in the show. Nice representation of new material.

The band’s two most popular albums (Shake Your Money Maker, The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion) comprised nearly half (8 /18) of the show. Favorites from these for me were “Twice As Hard”, “Hard To Handle”, “She Talks To Angels”, “Sting Me”, “Jealous Again” and the show closer, “Remedy”. The only glaring omission from those two albums was “Sometimes Salvation”. How can you not play that!

I like when a band pulls out a couple deep tracks not performed every tour plus I love a cover version as a surprise and the band checks both those boxes. However, playing the deep track “Virtue & Vice” from their lowest charting album as an encore seems odd. It would have made sense to flip this with the surprise cover song that brought down the house, “Stay With Me” by Faces. The other cover of note was Velvet Underground’s “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” with Rich Robinson taking over lead vocals.

Let’s talk about the actual performance. Well, The Black Crowes are not supposed to be shiny and polished, they are supposed to be a little frayed around the edges. That looseness is actually preferred with their brand of swashbuckling, over-amped R&B. What is also preferred is a party atmosphere on stage, the band did not deliver the party atmosphere for me.

The sound was not great, probably the worst I’ve heard in several years over multiple venues. I blame the band because we were in the 9th row and I’ve seen previous shows at MGM in similar locations (Todd Rundgren 7th Row, Grand Funk 8th Row) and the sound was fine. Maybe this is just how they sound live, their sound was sub-par when I last saw them in 1991.

Chris Robinson seemed engaged with his strutting and posturing but some of the between song banter came off a little flat and even snarky at times. Maybe Rich Robinson never smiles…maybe he just never smiles when in the same room with brother Chris. Impossible not to think of their long running feud due to almost no camaraderie on stage between the siblings.

All negative comments said, the crowd seemingly didn’t really care or notice as we all stood for the entire show. It did seem that some of our responses after songs were obligatory applause and not thundering ovations. It wasn’t indifference but it might be because we were ‘Wanting and Waiting’ for it to get better.

The final verdict came in from Mrs. Buckeye, "Glad I saw them but it was only good, not great". That sums it up for me as well.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter