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Entries from August 1, 2018 - August 31, 2018

Friday
Aug312018

A Review Of A Review: Alice In Chains, Bush, The Cult and Stone Temple Pilots

Today's post is from our friend HIM. 


A REVIEW OF A REVIEW: ALICE IN CHAINS, BUSH, THE CULT, AND STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, SUNLIGHT SUPPLY AMPHITHEATER, RIDGEVIEW, WA, AUGUST 26, 2018.
 
I was all set to post a review of this show. Alas, Ruben Mosqueda beat me to it on Sleaze Roxx. If the videos are accurate, he had slightly better seats than I did. He also has a slightly different approach than I do. But his is a great review. So it stands on its own:
 
 
So let me add to, and subtract from, his wise observations.
 
First off, this was my first time at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater (formerly Sleep Country Amphitheater). It holds 18K and is designed in reverse fashion to my usual amphitheater venue experience, Shoreline, in Mountain View, Ca., (you enter from in front of the stage instead of from behind). The other notable difference is that the design of the concert area proper is much more akin to the Concord Pavilion, also in California. The overhang/seating area is bigger than the lawn/GA area. It also features (or did this night) a GA standing area directly in front of the stage as well. That said, it is ultimately designed in a similar fashion in terms of the concessions, restrooms, etc., that surround the seating area. I am sorta’ sad that I haven’t attended shows here before. It is a good venue, with good sound (from my Sect. 100 seating), and a good group of people helping attendees get in and out of the place, buy food and spirits, and so on. It wasn’t a full house. Still, it was a decent (over 3/4 full) showing for a Sunday night.
 
While the last three bands are currently on the road on an “all headliner” (any one can be the lead that night) Revolution 3 bill, that didn’t make this a Revolution 3-plus-Alice-in-Chains show.  They were there to support Alice and the recent release of a new album. That said, the issue came up for me and my friend: what would that mean for the supporting acts in terms of who went on first and last? I argued that it should be STP first, Bush next, and The Cult right before Alice. He disagreed. I was wrong. I still think that was the best order. But what do I know? I was surrounded by people who spent most of the night talking about STP and Bush. So now let’s talk about the bands themselves, in the order they played . . . with respect to what Mosqueda wrote:
 
STP: I admit it. They sounded great. I am not a fan. I know their songs. I like some of them. They have been in the news recently for some bad reasons. They lost their front man for sad reasons. I mean, I get their appeal. And, on this night, I was amazed by how good they were . . . with one caveat. Mosqueda under-sells just how much they have forced Jeff Gutt to look like Scott Weiland. It isn’t just eerie. It is pantomime. And I would think, if STP is to do anything beyond nostalgia tours, it would be wise to drop that level of copying and let the singer stand on his own . . . while singing a dead man’s songs and carving out his niche on new ones. Not doing so won’t help or hurt their legacy, sure. But it won’t do anything to secure them a future as a viable act.
 
The Cult: Mosqueda needed to have my friend next to him. I love The Cult, especially anything post-Dreamtime (1984) and Love (1985). Yes, I even include albums up to the most recent, Hidden City (2016). The combo of Duffy and Astbury is magic to me. I have seen them several times in recent years. I am always amazed. I am glad that Astbury survived and that The Cult continue. They seem ferocious to me, even at this late date in their career. But my friend leaned over to me at one point, just after they finished “Rain,” and said: “he (Astbury) is phoning it in.” We even discussed this after the show. And, though hard to admit, I must. My friend is likely right. They still sound great. I can grant Astbury a few lost steps. But he isn’t doing as much as it seems he could. For me, that is fine. For others, like my friend, it is a bit less enjoyable. I see a great band and a great lead singer doing what I love for them to do. He sees a great band and a lead singer . . . playing a tambourine, singing parts of songs, and acting like he deserves applause. I still think they do. So does my friend. His observation, though, gave me pause. But he got a nod from both of us when he slyly noted that people in the Northwest should feel lucky since “they have a Whole Foods on ever corner.” See? I love a good jab. I also supported them by buying some signed sticks from Tempesta ($25) and a couple of signed tins of picks from Duffy ($30). Compared to the pricing on some merch, those seemed like a steal.
 
Bush: I saw the first and last songs. I was hungry. I wanted to be ready for Alice. They sounded good. Rossdale looked good. The audience ate it up. I, instead, ate fries, had a beer and a couple of smokes. I got to see “Machinehead.” I can now check that off my list of songs to see live.
 
Alice in Chains: Mosqueda is pretty much spot on. Thing is, any lag was not due to Alice or their mixing in new songs. It was due to the fact that three acts played before them (and some of them for longer than perhaps was warranted, at least to me). Their set list gave pride of place to their glory years. For me, “Angry Chair” is both the goofiest and most slamming song they ever wrote or performed. That night, it was spot on. At the same time, they also featured solid cuts from Black Gives Way to Blue (2009) and The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013), both of which introduced fans (and critics) to William DuVall. He isn’t Staley. Never tried to be. And, live at least, he is even more a front man for the band that he is on the albums. He is moving about the stage and staking his claim to a part in this band’s future, whereas on albums, even the newest one, it sometimes feels like Cantrell holds him back a bit. Live though? The band feels complete. They slam out one song after the next. And even Cantrell (newly long-ish hair draping his older frame) had to correct a couple of the previous bands who name-checked Portland when he noted: “We are still in Washington!” It was an epic set from a band I have seen several times in recent years. They were the headliners. They proved it.


Alice In Chains - Rainier Fog


 
The other thing that Mosqueda didn’t mention: it was a cool day/night, with near constant drizzle, after weeks and weeks of sun and heat and smoke. It was perfectly suited to Alice in Chains’ new album, Rainier Fog, itself a tip of the hat to the Northwest. The other thing that he sorta’ glossed over: yes, the venue is minutes away from Portland . . . but that is also close to twenty miles and more minutes away. This matters if you are staying in Portland. My advice: take Uber or Lyft and use the off-site (and low cost) park-and-ride option. It will cost you. It will take a while. But, if reviews are correct, it is a nightmare getting out of the venue if you parked in the lot.
 
Bottom-line: Mosqueda wrote a good review. I had to add my two cents. I bet the Revolution 3 tour would be great fun if it comes close to you (it ends soon). Me? I only wish it was Alice and The Cult.

 

Thursday
Aug302018

Another Cash Grab?

Not to be outdone by Def Leppard and their beer, Metallica now has a custom whiskey. It's called Blackened Whiskey and each run of 5,000 bottles will have a unique playlist at BlackenedWhiskey.com. Metallica says this is another way to create a deeper bond with their fans.


Wednesday
Aug292018

Let The Speculation Begin

What's up with this? A new photo of Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee, posted down the official Motley Crue Facebook yesterday. New tune for The Dirt? Also Bob Rock is to the right of the photo and I don't think he just shows up to hang out in the studio for free. The hitmaker ain't cheap, yo. Discuss.


Tuesday
Aug282018

A Month Of Led Zeppelin Is Coming! 

Labor Day weekend is almost here and that basically means the end of summer. I despise cold weather and I dread snow here in Ohio. Luckily we get a little more nice weather with fall. With September comes cooler nights and a month of Led Zeppelin on AXS TV. Starting on Tuesday, a new Led Zep documentary will air at 10 p.m. All the details are below. Eric and I watch concerts on AXS quite a lot.


Monday
Aug272018

Led Zeppelin Releases Teaser For New Book

Led Zeppelin By Led Zeppelin is a massive photo book that comes out in October. The release is planned as part of the band's 50th anniversary celebration. The remaining members of the band have annotated the book. There are lots of unpublished photos and artwork.

Who knows? We just might see a reunion show for the anniversary, too.


Sunday
Aug262018

Idaho Rock Fest Canceled

Well, that didn't take long. I posted about Idaho Rock Fest a few weeks ago. Now the show is off. The cancellation was announced a few days ago on Facebook. Ticket holders were not pleased. Keep in mind, this news was posted just three days after a post announcing some special events during the fest. The whole situation is very odd. It does seem like folks are getting refunds, so that is good news at least.




Saturday
Aug252018

When a RAT(T) Is A Snake

Today's post is from our friend HIM.
 
Generally speaking, I think fans at BBG! greeted the new, newest, newier (is that a word?) version of Ratt with some suspicion. When you are chasing Blotz’s tail in a bid to come up with some legitimate explanation for the dumpster-fire your band has become, it does give one pause.
 
Lost amongst all of this discussion was Pearcy’s promotion of his soon-to-be-released new album, View to a Thrill (and Roger Moore, Sean Connery, and others he is certainly not). Pearcy stated, and has done so in the past, that his solo records are a chance for him to stretch beyond Ratt, to do things that he wouldn’t normally do with Ratt. Fair enough. An artist should be allowed that option.
 
What, then, is this?!?!



Well, first off, it is a song that starts off sounding like Pearcy is stuck in an echo-chamber. But it is also another instance where Pearcy says one thing and does another. Not only does he borrow references to Ratt’s former glories in the lyrics, he also invite such comparisons when he decides to go for the “double T” in the song title. No, I am not over-thinking this.
 
And neither is Pearcy. Which begs the question: why use this on a solo album when it could have been—with a bit of polish, revision, tear down, rebuild, and so on—become a perfectly middling song on the next Ratt album? I can almost hear a better version of this song being on a suitable follow-up to Infestation. It speaks to a person who is always one step behind himself and always kicking said self in the tookus because he can’t keep his reasoning straight. All the same, he projects a vision of himself as the capable captain steering a ship into better waters. Who ever believed Pearcy was in a position to direct, much less use a compass?
 
Perhaps I am deaf. Perhaps not. But I think people who give any credence to what Pearcy says, no less what he does, are huffing Mars Bars. Blotz, you are a train wreck. But I think you are right. Leatherface and Bandanna Man angled, then struck. This song, to me, is exhibit A . . . of a man without scruples and a band without a rudder.

Snakes eat rats. Fans suffer.


Stephen Pearcy - View To A Thrill