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Posted on 5/14/2012
   

Concert Blast returned to Memphis, TN to cover the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival once again.  This time the team consisted of Mike Arnold, Tom Thompson, and our stand in photographer and helper, Steve Shattuck. 

Friday’s festivities included performances from Vol Beat, NeedToBreathe, Florence & the Machine, Megadeth, Evanescence, and Johnny Winter.  Not only does this podcast include the performance clips and our commentary of the performances, but Mike also enjoyed talking with some of the fans in attendance.  Enjoy the blog and podcast review!

Memphis In May Beale Street Music Festival – Vol Beat

  Written by Mike Arnold
Tom Thomson, Steve Shattuck, and I arrived at Tom Lee Park in Memphis, made sure we had photo-pit pass privileges, got some snacks and drinks from the media trailer, and then headed out to the various stages on the media path.

The first stop of the night was to see the hard rockers from Denmark, Vol Beat.  The approximately 3,000 in attendance at their stage were very excited and participated in singing along and repeating from the band’s instructions.  We weren’t very familiar with their music, but many of our Concert Blast friends were as I kept receiving texts from the various fans about them.

Memphis In May Beale Street Music Festival – Need To Breathe

  
After familiarizing ourselves with the three huge concert stages and the blues tent, we went to the stage to witness the performance of NeedToBreathe.  I was a fan of their music, but I couldn’t imagine the energetic fun of their live performance.  Now Tom, and Steve are big fans of NeedToBreathe also.  They put on an excellent show with a great set list.  They included a unique rocking version of Johnny Cash’s “Folson Prison Blues” and ended the concert with a portion of Lucinda William’s “Joy” while having everyone on drums with the exception of one guitar.  The guys put on an excellent show for the approximate 5,000 in attendance.  This performance was the pleasant surprise of the night!

Memphis In May Beale Street Music Festival – Florence & the Machine – Photo from www.memphisinmay.org

Before the next act, I took some time to record some conversations with fans from the Memphis area as well as from Chicago, Mississippi, and Missouri. 

Florence & the Machine was the next act to perform and the area became very crowded as the stage crew prepared the equipment for their set.  The estimation of this crowd was approximately 10,000. When the band appeared on the stage, the crowd got very loud. Once Florence Welch walked out with her flowing outfit, the crowd went over the top with their screams of approval.  Florence began the show by standing in one spot (center stage) singing to her thousands of fans.  By the third song, she removed her shawl cover up and began running from side to side of the stage.  Our photos from this show did not turn out too good due to the lighting factors.

Memphis In May Beale Street Music Festival – Megadeth

We left this show to catch a portion of Megadeth.  There were approximately 5,000 in attendance at their show, but those in attendance were huge fans of Megadeth.  These fans knew every note and nearly every word that was produced from this classic metal band.  This band was thankful and very appreciative to the fans. They were one of the few bands that received an encore at this festival.  When they returned to the stage for their encore, they made a quick statement about this being an election year and asked the audience to do their part.  They closed their show by performing “Holy Wars” to the approval of their fans!

Memphis In May Beale Street Music Festival – Evanescence – Photo from www.memphisinmay.org

It was now time to cover the act that Tom Thompson wanted to see during this festival, Evanescence.  Tom decided to go to the photo pit to take the photos for this show.  He loved being right in front of the stage (actually in front of Amy Lee) for the beginning of this concert.  Amy and company took the stage to an estimated crowd of about 8,000 and this crowd was ready to enjoy the night with this band.  Amy Lee’s vocal ability and energy shined throughout their performance, but when she sat down at the grand piano and performed the ballads, her voiced showed her melodic range. Amy said it wasn’t that long ago when they were in the crowd watching other bands at the Beale Street Music Festival.  She added they were discovered while recording a session at Ardent Studios in Memphis. Unfortunately, just like Florence & the Machine, the lighting for Evanescence wasn’t the best for our cameras.   

Memphis In May Beale Street Music Festival – Johnny Winter

We usually don’t cover many acts in the Blues Tent, but this year one of our long-time favorites from the 70s was performing there, Johnny Winter.  Johnny showed his age from the lack of his physical ability to perform standing.  He sat on a stool during the entire performance, but still played his headless electric guitar like the master he’s always been.  We were expecting a blues show (being in the blues tent), but Johnny performed several of the rock classics which he had always performed, “Gimmie Shelter”, “Bony Maronie”, and others, but he did throw in some blues numbers.  I love Johnny’s playing, but I’ve never been a fan of him taking a 3 or 4 minute song and turning it into a 7 to 10 minute song.  The people attending this show were having a great time.  It’s not everyday when you get to see a legend perform in a tent that holds about 1,000 people.

That closed the end of the first day and we had a great time.  The weather was perfect and the acts performed their best.  Be sure to listen to the podcast to catch the recorded live clips, conversations with the fans, and of course our commentary.
Written by Mike Arnold

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Tags: Beale Street Music Festival, blogs, Concert Photos, Evanesence, Florence and the Machine, Friday May 4, Johnny Winter, Megadeth, Memphis, Memphis in May, Memphis photos, Mike Arnold, music festivals, NeedToBreathe, Podcasts, reviews, Steve Shattuck, TN, Tom Thompson, Vol Beat

Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival – Friday May 4 2012

Posted on 5/12/2012
 

Every year Concert Blast is invited to cover the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival and every year the guys look forward to attending the annual event.  This year was the year that Concert Blast didn’t have their professional photographer Brian Hasbrook with them. Brian had a previous engagement so Mike and Tom borrowed a camera and brought along Steve Shattuck to help them with the photography duties.

Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival – Friday May 4 2012

Unfortunately the photographs were not the high quality as they had been in the past, but these are not totally bad shots either.  The acts we covered this year were; Vol Beat, NeedToBreathe, Florence and the Machine, Megadeath, Evanesence, and Johnny Winter.

ENJOY THE PHOTOS!

CLICK HERE To View The Photos From the Memphis In May Beale Street Music Festival on Friday May 4^th.

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Which Of These Acts Are Your Favorites?
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Tags: Beale Street Music Festival, Concert Photos, Evanesence, Florence and the Machine, Friday May 4, Johnny Winter, Megadeath, Memphis, Memphis in May, Memphis photos, Mike Arnold, music festivals, NeedToBreathe, photographs, Steve Shattuck, TN, Tom Thompson, Vol Beat

Posted on 5/10/2012

Concert promoters AEG Live / The Messina Group will be presenting three amazing concerts during the last three days of May at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN.  AEG Live / The Messina Group will be presenting PRIMUS on May 29th. The Weir, Robinson, & Greene Acoustic Trio will perform in concert on May 30th.  Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will take over the Ryman Auditorium on May 31st.  Three nights in a row, the last three days in May, AEG Live / The Messina Group presents the fun at The Ryman.

PRIMUS
Nashville, TN – May 29th – The Ryman Auditorium
Tickets: www.ryman.com,  www.ticketmaster.com,  and the Venue Box Office
The tour is in support of Green Naugahyde, its first studio album in 11 years out September 13, 2011 on ATO Records and Prawn Songs. Green Naugahyde was produced and engineered by Les Claypool in his personal studio, Rancho Relaxo, in Northern California, and features Claypool, long-time guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Lane was in an early lineup of the band, and was also in Sausage, a 1994 reunion of the 1988 Primus lineup. Green Naugahyde expands on Primus’ incomparable sound and also sees them bringing it into the next millennium. It is a cerebral and complex album that, like all of the band’s output, is teeming with the band’s signature blend of whimsy and underlying darkness.

For the past 27 years, Primus have followed in the footsteps of boundary-pushing artists like Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd to create some of the most original and inventive music in existence. Green Naugahyde is a Primus record with all of the magic and mystery that phrase entails-and while no one can say for sure what the future will hold in store for the band, the most important thing is that the album exists and will inevitably hold its own in the band’s impressive cannon of music.

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THE WEIR, ROBINSON, & GREENE ACOUSTIC TRIO
Nashville, TN – May 30th – The Ryman Auditorium
Tickets: www.ryman.com,  www.ticketmaster.com,  and the Venue Box Office
Bob Weir, Chris Robinson, and Jackie Greene have decided to embark on a very special journey together, and will no doubt be a treat for anyone lucky enough to catch this once in a lifetime performance.

With a touring history that has made him one of the most traveled road musicians of all time and a restless music personality that has kept him occupied for over 50 years, Weir knows a thing or two about staying fresh and living in the moment. Although best known as one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead, adding Dead staples such as “Truckin’,” “Sugar Magnolia,” and “Cassidy” to the band’s catalog, Weir has sustained a long and affluent music career that is second to none, and has allowed him to do what he loves and share it with others for nearly his entire life.

Chris Robinson is a founding member and the singer of The Black Crowes since their multi-platinum debut “Shake Your Money Maker” in 1990. In 2010, the band celebrated their 20 year anniversary. Robinson’s first solo act, “New Earth Mud,” released their self titled debut in 2002 garnering rave reviews from both critics and fans. Their second album, “This Magnificent Distance” was released in 2004. The newly formed Chris Robinson Brotherhood was launched in 2011 and has earned a reputation for playing remarkably inspired sets across the country. The Chris Robinson Brotherhood will release their debut recording in 2012.

In a short span of time, Jackie Greene has accomplished what many have strived decades for. Armed with a voice that turns heads and a near-mastery of several instruments, Greene has recorded seven albums of original work, an EP, DVD, and a recently released book of lyrics. Constantly touring with his band, Jackie Greene has built a reputation for eclectic and energetic live shows, earning the respect of critics and musicians across the country. Dubbed “The Prince Of Americana” by The New York Times, Greene continues to enhance his reputation with his involvement in high profile side projects such as Phil Lesh and Friends and Trigger Hippy.

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EDWARD SHARPE and THE MAGNETIC ZEROS
Nashville, TN – May 31st – The Ryman Auditorium
Tickets: www.ryman.com,  www.ticketmaster.com,  and the Venue Box Office
After intensive touring throughout 2009-2011, including hit appearances at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Coachella, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have proven themselves to be a touring force to be reckoned with. In April 2011, the band embarked on the “Railroad Revival Tour” with Mumford & Sons and Old Crow Medicine Show where the band traveled exclusively in vintage railcars across the American Southwest for a week and played concerts at unique outdoor locations along the route. Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros actively support Water Wells For Africa, Charity Water, APJ Now, Hope Campaign and Voice Project.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros formed in Los Angeles in 2007. They released their debut album, Up From Below, in July 2009 on Community Music. The album has sold over 275,000 copies in the US, and charted on iTunes for 69 straight weeks. With its unique and universal appeal, their hit single “Home” soared to over 775,000 downloads.

 
  
  
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Tags: “The Weir, & Greene Acoustic Trio”, AEG Live, blog, Bob Weir, Chris Robinson, concert blast, concertblast, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Jackie Greene, Nashville, Primus, Robinson, The Black Crowes, The Greatful Dead, The Messina Group, The Ryman Auditorium, TN

Posted on 5/7/2012
 

Written by Josh Jackson
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You either love it for the recognition it gives to the greatest of the genre, or hate it because of all the arguably deserving artists who have been left behind. Me? As a music lover, it’s hard for me not to be sucked into the scene. This was my 3^rd year attending the ceremony, and in my opinion, was perhaps one of the best celebrations yet.

Green Day Performs – Photo from www.rockhall.com

Green Day exploded onto the stage opening the show with the fan-favorite, “Letterbomb.” Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong went as far as to berate the mostly industry crowd, encouraging them quite colorfully to get out of their seats and celebrate.

After the early fireworks, things settled down quite a bit as President of the Rock Hall, Terry Stewart & Chairman, Jann Wenner, both gave longer than necessary ‘welcome’ speeches to the crowd. But things wouldn’t be geared down too long as Billy Gibbons & Dusty Hill from ZZ Top came to the stage to induct bluesman Freddie “The Texas Cannonball” King. Admittedly, I am not very familiar with King, but his daughter Wanda was truly a delightful lady who shared some amazing stories about her father to me backstage – including the time as a child that she broke his 1960’s gold top Les Paul! (Ouch!) Her acceptance speech (Mr. King passed away in 1976) was filled with other colorful stories, and it was a very personal and heartfelt moment.

Joe Bonamassa and Billy Gibbons Perform in honor of Freddie King – Photo from www.rockhall.com

ZZ Top then joined modern day bluesmen, Joe Bonamassa and Derek Trucks for a jam of King’s “Hideaway” and “Goin’ Down.”  As a fan of the blues, it was a thrill to see Joe, Derek & Billy trade licks. While the whole segment was great, the highlight was Bonamassa’s nimble fretwork. I am amazed every time I see him play!

The next induction was for Donovan. John Mellencamp seemed to be trying a little too hard to fit into the rock and roll vibe, as he came to stage with a lit cigarette. I would have never guessed it, but Mellencamp is a really big fan of Donovan. He even went as far as to say he had ‘stolen’ a lot of material from him back in the day – calling it (as many musicians do) being “influenced by him.”

John Mellencamp and Donovan Perform – Photo from www.rockhall.com

After the induction and acceptance, Donovan played songs from across the spectrum of his career. An acoustic & double bass rendition of “Catch The Wind,” the trippy “Sunshine Superman” with the Paul Shaffer Orchestra, and perhaps his best-known classic, “Season Of The Witch,” trading lyrics with Mellencamp. It was a good moment, but this is one of the inductions that I’m sure had many scratching their heads. Sure, he was an influential artist in the folk scene, but how can you induct someone like this and leave Kiss out? Or Rush? Or any other number of classic acts.

Bette Midler – The Induction of Laura Nyro – Photo From www.rockhall.com

The same goes for the next inductee, Laura Nyro. Ultra-diva Bette Midler tearfully presented the award to Nyro’s only son, and then Sara Bareilles performed Nyro’s hit “Stoney End.” I’m sure some of the true rock fans in the audience were rolling their eyes, but it sure is a catchy number and Bareilles’ take was spot on.

Carol King – The Induction of Don Kirshner – Photo from www.hbo.com

Music industry legend Don Kirshner was inducted next.  His old friend Carole King did the induction, and included many personal stories of his dealings in the industry. It was a good thing, too. Most anyone in the audience under the age of 50 had no idea who he was. In case YOU don’t know, he was a popular publisher in the 50’s & 60’s and helped break many artists including The Monkees & Kansas. See, you learn something new every day! After the induction, Darlene Love came to the stage to perform the classic, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” She dedicated the performance to Don who passed away in 2011.

Steven Van Zandt – The Induction of The Small Faces-The Faces – Photo from www.hbo.com

E-Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt was met by thunderous applause as he came to the stage to induct The Small Faces and Faces. It was cool to hear the history behind these bands – and what great bands they were, and proved that they still could be, jamming together after the induction. Rod Stewart was ill with the flu, so Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall joined Kenney Jones, Ian McLagan & Ronnie Wood as they blitzed through “All Or Nothing,” “Ooh La La” and “Stay With Me.” By the end of the set, the crowd were on their feet. Much of the talk afterwards was how ‘cool’ Ronnie Wood still is, and how spot on Mick Hucknall was with his performance. He really tapped into the early 70’s Rod Stewart vibe, and surprised everyone with his vocals.

Smokey Robinson – Photo from www.rockhall.com

Smokey Robinson came to the stage next to induct several backing groups to the Hall. The remaining members of The Comets, The Famous Flames, The Crickets, The Blue Caps, The Midnighters, and Robinson’s own Miracles each took more than a few minutes to say their thanks. It was a bit of a slow down to the show after The Faces performance, but as before, things didn’t stay down long. 

When Chuck D and LL Cool J came from back stage, the crowd erupted, as they knew it was time to induct one of the fan favorites, The Beastie Boys. Chuck and LL had both come up with the Beasties and had great things to say about the three ‘punks’ from New York. A grateful acceptance by Mike D & Ad-Rock (MCA was not in attendance) was followed up by an amazing performance from several modern hip-hop artists. The Roots, Kid Rock & Travie McCoy from the Gym Class Heroes zipped through a medley of Beastie Boys songs – all adorned in matching, lime green Adidas track suits. “No Sleep Til Brooklyn,” “So, What’Chu Want,” “Sabotage” & “The New Style” all left the crowd wanting more. It was a great, true to original performance, and the only thing that I felt would have been better would have been the Beasties themselves.

Guns and Roses Members with Miles Kennedy – Photo from www.rockhall.com

If the crowd erupted for the Beastie Boys, it exploded for Guns N Roses. Green Day came back to the stage to do the induction and Billie Joe Armstrong did a great job talking about the highs and lows of the band. When he got to mentioning Axl, the arena echoed with BIG boos. You can’t take away the fact that he was one of the best front men of all time, but did you expect anything less? The guy has dug his own musical grave. Each member gave their own thanks (mostly to the fans) with Matt Sorum rambling on and quite literally trashing his predecessor Steven Adler for his drug use. Pretty rough stuff directed towards a guy who has had a hard time both publically & privately with his problems – and who quite honestly seemed to be the most excited to be there. Besides this moment, he had a silly grin plastered on his face all night. After the speeches, the past members (Slash, Duff McKagen, Steven Adler, & Matt Sorum) then went to the stage, and with Myles Kennedy on vocals, and Gilby Clarke joining on guitar, tore through “Mr. Brownstone,” “Sweet Child Of Mine,” and “Paradise City.” It wasn’t perfect, but it was loud and full of attitude  – exactly what you would expect from GNR.

After two great inductions and performances, it was almost like someone hit the brakes as Robbie Robertson from The Band came up to induct legendary producers and engineers Cosimo Matassa, Glyn Johns and Tom Dowd into the Hall. Worthy? Probably, but at this point in the night (almost 4 hours in) people wanted to continue with the jam.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Performs After Induction – Photo from www.rockhall.com

And boy did they ever get to. Chris Rock gave one of the better inductions of the night bringing in the Red Hot Chili Peppers. While most of the speeches to this point had been pretty ‘speech-like,’ Rock’s played more like his stand-up routine. RHCP’s acceptances were all genuine, with Flea getting a little misty in his speech. One thing I thought was cool was that he mentioned growing up in New York and playing football with Steven Adler from GNR and the Beastie Boys living a block or two over. Who would have thought that the neighborhood they all grew up in would produce FIVE members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!? Like Iggy Pop a couple of years earlier, Anthony Keidis couldn’t wait to get his shirt off and start performing. They very enthusiastically played “By The Way,” “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie,” and “Give It Away” before having Slash, Billy Joe Armstrong, Ronnie Wood, George Clinton and others join them on the finale of “Higher Ground.” It was a great way to end a good, long night of celebrating one of the greatest institutions of all time, Rock and Roll.
Written by Josh Jackson
 

 
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Tags: “Cleveland, Anthony Keidis, Billie Joe Armstrong, Billy Gibbons, Carol King, Carole King, Chris Rock, Chuck D, Concert Photos, Cosimo Matassa, Derek Trucks, Don Kirshner, Donovan, Duff McKagen, Dusty Hill, Flea, Freddie King, George Clinton, Gilby Clarke, Glyn Johns, Green Day, Guns and Roses, Ian McLagan, Jann Wenner, Joe Bonamassa, john Mellencamp, Kenney Jones, Kid Rock, Laura Nyro, LL Cool J, Matt Sorum, Mick Hucknall, Miles Kennedy, OH”, Paul Shaffer Orchestra, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2012 Induction Ceremony, Ronnie Wood, Slash, Smokey Robinson, Steven Adler, Steven Van Zandt, Terry Stewart, The Beastie Boys, The Blue Caps, The Comets, The Crickets, The Famous Flames, The Midnighters, Tom Dowd, ZZ Top, “The Texas Cannonball”

Posted on 5/3/2012

Written by Mike Arnold
Having been a Train fan from the day I heard the song, “Drops Of Jupiter”, I always look forward to hearing new material from the San Francisco based band. Although I am a fan of Train, I am not fanatic about any artist.  Some fans love everything their favorite artist records.  I never understood that and that is definitely not me!  In fact since I am such a huge fan, when listening and reviewing their music and concerts, I will be much more particular on what my favorite band from this century produces. 

Train – Pat Monahan (driver), Jimmy Stafford (front passenger), and Scott Underwood (back passenger)

California 37 is Train’s sixth studio album and to me this album seems more like a Pat Monahan solo effort than a Train album (although I enjoyed Pat’s solo album much more).  California 37 had only four tunes that really caught my attention and kept the song in my head (“Drive By”, “California 37”, “We Were Made For This”, and When The Fog Rolls In”).  There were a several cute tunes on this project (“Mermaid”, “Sing Together”, and “Bruises”), but all in all the songs were just “OK” and not exceptional like the tunes on their last album, “Save Me San Francisco”. 

Although there were good Pat Monahan vocals on this album, there were no outstanding shinning moments as in “Calling All Angels”, “Drops Of Jupiter”, “Words”, and “When I Look to the Sky”.  There were no exceptional moments from the other two Train members, guitarist Jimmy Stafford and drummer Scott Underwood either, although they all three shine their musical and vocal ability in concert and a live performance is how I really judge the quality of the artist.

Here’s my review on each track…

Train – Scott Underwood, Pat Monahan, and Jimmy Stafford

“This’ll Be My Year” – While listening to this song for the first time, it took me about 30 seconds before I thought of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”.  Just like that song, the lyrics takes us through the history books, but also Pat’s personal history, as he expressed that in 97’ his dad had a second heart attack and Train leaves San Francisco in a $1,000 van.  The chorus expresses there is no more counting down the hours, maybe this will be his year.

“Drive By” – This very popular single is my favorite selection on the album.  I love the concept of Pat relaying the message that “Oh I swear to ya, I’ll be there for ya.  This is not a Drive-By”.  I like the simple strum of the guitar and drum beat, but the chorus explodes with all sorts of sounds that captures my attention.  This is a very well written and produced song.

Train In Concert – Pat Monahan

“Feels Good At First” – An acoustic love song describing the moments of what couples go through during their relationship.  A lot of valid points are made in the lyrics, but the hook that grabbed my attention was, “I don’t know about love, but it sure Feels Good at First”.  You can’t argue about that!

“Bruises” – An upbeat acoustic song with Pat sharing the vocals with country music singer/songwriter, Ashley Monroe (from Miranda Lambert’s side group, Pistol Annies).  Ashley and Pat discuss their past as old school mates and mention they haven’t seen each other in ten years and are now catching up with each other.  Pat tells her he bet she is rich by now, but Ashley returns with the news of it’s been two years since he left her.  In the chorus, they sing together that the “Bruises” in our life make good conversation.

Train In Concert – Jimmy Stafford

“50 Ways to Say Goodbye” – This song has a Spanish flare beginning with horns and an acoustic guitar.  This song is a story about a man who has lost his love, but didn’t want his friends to know she left him.  As the song goes, if his friends ask about her, he will simply reply one of the various ways she has died such as; she went down in an airplane, fried getting suntan, met up with a shark underwater, drown in a hot tub, among many other ways, but my favorite is “She fell in a cement mixer full of quicksand”. This is a cute comical song, but I’m not a fan of the Spanish horns and guitar.  In fact it’s a turn off for me!

Train In Concert – Scott Underwood

“You Can Finally Meet My Mom” – Here’s a very strange written tune with a touch of being a little sacrilegious.  This song begins with nice whistling before getting into the strange storyline. This song is about a man who is madly in love with a girl who may have passed away and he is looking forward to dying himself so he can spend his time with her… and as Pat sings, “You can finally meet my mom”.  STRANGE!  In the song he expresses that he doesn’t want to spend time with the celebrities whom have died such as Jimi Hendrix, Paul Newman, Whitney Houston, Chris Farley, Gilda Radner, Jesse James, and many others.  He even puts Jesus and Buddha in the song. The song ends with a choir singing the title of the song… Did I mention this was strange?

Train In Concert – Pat Monahan and Jimmy Stafford

“Sing Together” – It was time for Train to try another song with a ukulele, since the last one worked so well (“Hey, Soul Sister”).  This one is what I call an ok song.   It’s not great, but it’s not bad either.  In fact after listening to this song for a while the chorus stayed with me.  I can see Pat leading his concert crowd in a sing-along while singing the title of this song.

“Mermaid” – Another cute song with a Caribbean feel about a man falling in love with a mermaid that he found washed up on a remote island shore.  As Pat sings, “An island so remote that only Johnny Depp has been to it before”.  This song contains a lot of cute lyrics and is another one that is a feel good catchy tune, but it doesn’t sound like a train song at all.

Train – (Scott Underwood, Pat Monahan, Jimmy Stafford)

“California 37” – California 37 is the highway that runs north of San Francisco. This is a song with a good melody, but the lyrics in the first verse are very bitter and sounds like an inside message.  By the time the second verse hits, this song turns into one of my favorite tunes on the album.  I love the message to the Train fans in the second verse.  I am a fan of sing-along songs and I believe Train’s crowd will be singing along with this one during their concerts “Knock Knock, Whoa Oh, Rock and Roll, California 37 took me right to heaven’s door”.  The second verse is a thank you and apology from Train to their fans.  There are several lines in this song that caught my attention, “San Francisco got it done, 415 took a 911.  Thank you all for believing, we won’t let you down again!” 

Pat Monahan of Train In Concert

“We Were Made For This” – This is a well produced song and it actually sounds like a Train song (Thankfully!).  The beginning of the song has this keyboard hum as you anticipate the opening musical notes.  Jimmy Stafford begins picking the electric guitar and Pat Monahan’s voice starts up with a line of “I woke up on Angel Island in your arms”.  Now that’s a hook!  The song continues with many more hooks, “Like your lips were only made for me to kiss, Ohhhhhh, Oh, Oh, We Were Made For This”!  I love this song.  As the intro starts slow like a nice romantic song, the words switches to “burning bridges” and now I think it’s a heartbreak song…. I was confused but that’s the part I loved…The emotional swing!  By the second verse Scott Underwood throws his magical drumbeat into the mix as the tune’s beat picks up a notch.  After the second verse, the song turns into an instrumental rock song with Jimmy Stafford dealing out his signature lead guitar licks.  By the time the musical break is over, the song returns to the slow guitar pick as it had in the beginning… and Pat continues singing the story line while closing the song with the line, “You’re the only thing I’m ever gonna miss, We were made for this”.  All I can say is WOW!

Jimmy Stafford of Train In Concert

“When the Fog Rolls In” – A slow piano based song that is full of great hooks, but this song is more of a breakup heartbreak song.  The opening line explains it all, “Driving over the bridge to give you my keys, I know you don’t love me, I know it ain’t easy.”  If I was currently involved a breakup relationship that I didn’t want and I heard this song, I would be crying my eyes out by now (ok it’s just a figure of speech!).  The one line in the song that really grabbed my attention was, “Friends become lovers and lovers lose friends.” (How true is that!).  After the opening sad verse, Pat’s switches back and forth from reminiscing about good times together to the reasons of breaking up, “Somehow we got older, yea just got colder, that’s When the Fog Rolls In.”  Just like the previous track, as the song progresses, so does the beat and the various instruments join in on the song.  This song is another favorite of mine.

  As I mentioned in the beginning of this review, I thought only four songs from this project really grabbed my attention, I will have to say this is not a bad album… it’s just not a good Train album like they’ve produced in the past.  Maybe this will be Train’s new sound, I don’t know, but I miss the sounds of their older catchy songs that are on their live album.  I do believe devoted Train fans will enjoy this album and not my review… I just expect more from them.  Out of a 5 point scale (with 5 being the best) I give this album a 3.0.
Written by Mike Arnold

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Tags: 50 Ways to Say Goodbye, Ashley Monroe, blog, Bruises, California 37, concert blast, concertblast, Drive By, Feels Good At First, Jimmy Stafford, lyrics, Mermaid, Mike Arnold, Pat Monahan, Pistol Annies, San Francisco, Scott Underwood, Sing Together, This’ll Be My Year, Train, We Were Made For This, When the Fog Rolls In, You Can Finally Meet My Mom

PLEASE HELP – DEADLINE IS MAY 6th 8pm EDT!

CONCERT BLAST STAFF – (L to R – Brian Hasbrook, Mike Arnold, Tom Thompson, James Downing)

Hello Concert Blast Friends!
Concert Blast is gearing up for the big concert review season and is seeking help with our expenses.  We have created a new way for our friends to help us raise funds to cover our expenses by creating a Kickstarter Campaign!  This campaign will give our friends and possibly sponsors/brands a chance to help us and get something in return.

To understand more about Kickstarter, this is a website that allows people to create a project with the help of others donating to the cause.  The catch is, if the pledges don’t reach the requested goal, then no one will be charged for their pledge and the project is considered unsuccessful.

Here’s our Explanation for our current need.  This campaign will expire on Sunday May 6th at 8pm EDT.  Please consider helping us!
See the Pledge rewards below.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO AND HELP!
Thank you.

Concert BlastMemphis in May Beale Street Music Festival May 4th – May 6th 2012 at Tom Lee Park in Memphis, TN. 

is seeking pledges to cover traveling expenses from Nashville to Memphis for our podcast/blog/photos team coverage of the

We have a team of three on this assignment with a reasonable budget of only $500 which cover gasoline, hotel, and food expenses. All extra pledges will be used for future expenses.

Concert Blast is self-funded and does not have corporate sponsorship, so we have to pull money out of our pockets or get creative on raising funds in order to make trips to cover events for our website.

Concert Blast has covered this music festival since 2006 and will say this event is one of the better organized music events and they also know how to care for the media who work the festival.
 
Please help us out in any way possible!
To learn more about Concert Blast read this section to the right.

Thank You,
Concert Blast
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO AND HELP!

___

___

Previous Gift and a Thank You Mentioned (name, business, or brand) as a supporter on one of our website postings from this event. Also a PDF copy of Mike Arnold’s book, “Concert Blast Experiences” emailed.

___

Tags: blogs, Brian Hasbrook, concert blast, Concert Blast Kickstarter Campaign, Concert Blast Needs Your Help, Concert Photos, Donate to Concert Blast, Help Concert Blast, James Downing, Mike Arnold, Podcasts, reviews, Tom Thompson

Posted on 5/1/2012

It was Friday, April 27th, 2012 when the long awaited return of Van Halen landed in the Music City.  Thousands of Van Halen fans were looking forward to this event and many of them asked us if Concert Blast were going to cover this event.  Several of the fans in attandance even were emailing and texting us wanting to know where we were.  Unfortuantely the Van Halen management did not approve us for concert review tickets (although their publicist tried).  They did approve our photo pass, but our photographers didn’t want to take photos from the sound board (too hard to shoot over the crowd) for three songs and be escorted out the door… HOWEVER, our good friend Josh Jackson was there and surprised us with a written review.  Enjoy the Review!

PLEASE Consider Helping CONCERT BLAST with our KICKSTARTER Campaign! CLICK THE IMAGE TO LEARN MORE!

Van Halen In Concert – David Lee Roth – Photo by Justin Dupont

Written by Josh Jackson

I’ve always loved Van Halen. Growing up, ‘1984’ was basically given to every kid in the suburbs as a musical right of passage  – but I never had the chance to see them live in that era. When Sammy Hagar came along I saw Van Halen three or four times. And honestly, even thought they were a totally different band, I probably liked them just as much with Sammy as I did with Dave – but I always wished I had seen them live with David Lee Roth. That’s why I was so excited to hear them announce a full 2012 tour. I had been looking forward to this concert for almost 30 years and was NOT going to miss it.

As the band came out onto the simple, tiered stage with a HUGE high definition screen behind them I thought, “Wow, we are in for a great night!”  ‘Unchained’ and ‘Runnin’ With The Devil’ could both be closers as far as I am concerned. I was immediately hooked – Dave was being his goofy self (and he was already dodging a lot of the high notes and intricate phrasing) but the band was tight with the signature Eddie Van Halen licks flying. It quickly didn’t seem to be like there were going to be any major theatrics – it was all going to be about the music. And that made me happy.

Van Halen In Concert – David lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen – Photo by Justin Dupont

They then segued into 2 new tunes with Women and Children First’s ‘Romeo Delight’ stuck in the middle. Everyone was polite, but were obviously content with the band sticking to the classics. The new album “A Different Kind Of Truth” is just okay to me. It’s a very classic Van Halen sound and I do like that, but the songs are just okay. I had heard that they played quite a bit of new material in the show and it was true, as they would play even more as the night progressed.

They then jumped into ‘Everybody Wants Some,’ ‘Somebody Get Me A Doctor’ and the new, double kick drum heavy ‘China Town.’ Dave’s meds must have kicked in around here, because he really got rowdy on ‘Doctor’ and the F-bombs were flying for the first time. They then went deep with ‘Hear About It Later’ from Fair Warning, and then the crowd was ready to sing along by the time they got to their classic re-make of ‘Oh, Pretty Woman.’

Van Halen In Concert – Alex Van Halen – Photo by Justin Dupont

The obligatory rock and roll drum solo was next. They were flying in all kinds of percussion tracks, horns and salsa beats so that it was kind of hard to tell what Alex was playing, and what was on the track. As far as drum solos go, it was pretty underwhelming. That said, I thought the drumming during the songs was excellent.

He’s still a great time keeper and all the signature punches, crashes & splashes were in place.

The rest of the band joined afterward for ‘You Really Got Me’ (Dave again singing well under the melody and dodging all the hard notes) and another new song “The Trouble With Never.” They then ripped into a string of classics that really got everyone moving and singing along. ‘Dance The Night Away,’ ‘I’ll Wait,’ & ‘Hot For Teacher’ (which for me was a highlight of the evening – such a great performance.)

Van Halen In Concert – Eddie Van Halen — Photo by Justin Dupont

They then went back to Van Halen II for some classic stuff with ‘Women In Love,’ ‘Outta Love Again’ and ‘Beautiful Girls.’ The true fans in the audience were very appreciative that they went so deep on several picks!

Perhaps the oddest moment of the evening came next. While David Lee Roth plucked away on an acoustic guitar, a 5 min. video of him and his sheep & cow herding dogs played in the screens above. Dave even went as far to tell everyone about them, their training, and competitions. SOMEHOW, that segued into him playing ‘Ice Cream Man.’ Odd.

The rest of the evening moved like a freight train as they moved into the homestretch. During ‘Panama’ David Lee Roth yelled profusely (and multiple times) at the stagehands to come wipe down the stage which had become quite sweaty. It detracted some from the performance, but all eyes were on Eddie Van Halen next as he swept through his guitar solo complete with his classic game changer ‘Eruption.’ While his playing was not as emotional & expressive as I had seen him in the past, it is always great to see one of the greatest of all time lay it all out on the guitar.

Van Halen In Concert – Closure of the Show – Photo by Justin Dupont

‘Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love’ and perhaps their most popular hit ‘Jump’ ended the evening as confetti rained from the rafters.

All in all, it was a good show. David Lee Roth was his random & sometimes rambling self, and quite honestly didn’t impress me as much as he could have. I’m sure it would have been much better if only my mom would had let me go see them in 1984! The rhythm section of Alex Van Halen & Wolfgang Van Halen was super-tight, and for as much slack as he has gotten, I thought Wolfgang did just fine. He didn’t try to replace Michael Anthony, he just did his job playing bass & singing harmony. And Eddie Van Halen? Well, one of the best EVER… has still got it. 

Van Halen In Concert – Waving Goodnight From The Stage – Photo by Justin Dupont

SET LIST

Unchained

Runnin’ With The Devil

She’s The Woman

Romeo Delight

Tattoo

Everybody Wants Some

Somebody Get Me A Doctor

China Town

Hear About It Later

Oh, Pretty Woman

Drum Solo

You Really Got Me

The Trouble With Never

Dance The Night Away

I’ll Wait

Hot For Teacher

Women In Love

Outta Love Again

Beautiful Girls

Dave acoustic & Dog video

Ice Cream Man

Panama

Eddie’s Guitar Solo

Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love

Jump

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Have You Seen Van Halen In Concert?
Please Leave Your Comment Below
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Tags: Alex Van Halen, blog, Bridgestone Arena, concert blast, David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Josh Jackson, Nashville, TN, Van Halen Concert Review, Van Halen Tour 2012, Wolfgang VanHalen

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Posted on 4/29/2012

On Saturday April 21^st, Concert Blast attended the Nashville premiere viewing of the Rick Springfield documentary movie, “An Affair of the Heart” at the Nashville Film Festival.  With this movie being focused on the relationship between Rick and his fans, you know there were fans attending this premiere!  Mike Arnold was there for his podcasting services and Concert Blast friend Joe Nelms provided the photography.  This podcast includes a lot of conversations with the fans before the showing, an introduction from the producers of the movie, a portion of the Q & A session after the movie, a short interview with movie director Sylvia Caminer and producer Melanie Lentz-Janey, a review of the movie, and favorite parts of the movie from the attending fans who traveled in from all over for this event. Listen to our podcast and read Mike’s blog on the evening.

Nicole Kidman on the Red Carpet at the Nashville Film Festival

Written by Mike Arnold
The evening began as Joe and I walked up to the VIP Red Carpet to say hello to the security guy (“T” from the Wildhorse Saloon) only to discover an automobile pulling up to the entrance of the carpet to let out actress Nicole Kidman.  She walked real fast right by us before being stopped by the media mob for photos and questions.  From that moment I knew the evening was going to be a fun night! 

I went inside to get our credentials while Joe continued to attempt to take photos of Nicole.  We got our media credentials and decided to look around.  There was a VIP tent at the end of the red carpet so we went in to browse around.  To our surprise there was an open bar and a dinner buffet.  This is definitely going to be a fun night!  We went back inside the movie theatre to wait for our Rick Springfield movie contacts and the Rick’s fans to line up for the viewing.

Rickaholics at the Premiere of “An Affair of the Heart”

We found our publicist contact, Melanie Knupp, and she introduced us to the producers of the movie, Sylvia Caminer and Melanie Lentz-Janey.  After greeting them, we saw our Rickaholics friends that we continue to run into at all the Rick Springfield concerts.  These fans are now very close friends with each other from meeting at concerts and keeping in touch through email, fan sites, and Facebook.  They are also Concert Blast friends and are a large part of getting the word out to the Rick Springfield fans everywhere whenever we post something on him.  Some of the fans were local, but the majority of the fans came in from Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, and various places in Tennessee.

Sylvia Caminer, Melanie Lentz-Janey, and David Dean in the Q & A Session

Once in the theatre, I introduced our show, talked to a few of the attendees, then Joe and I went around to take photos of fans with the “Yellow Rick Rd” sign (Yellow Rick Rd is the name of the production company that produced the movie).  The film festival had a person to introduce producers Sylvia Caminer and Melanie Lentz-Janey to talk to the audience for a couple of minutes before the screening of the movie.  After the movie Sylvia, Melanie, and editor David Dean discussed the movie process and answered a few questions from those in attendance.

After leaving the theatre I had the privilege to interview Sylvia Caminer and Melanie Lentz-Janey (listen to the podcast).  I then reviewed the movie with Rick Springfield fans and Concert Blast friends, Dawn Morse and Sue Ann Street (again, listen to the podcast).  With several of the Rickaholics still there, I went around and asked each of them what part of the movie they enjoyed the most (did I mention listen to the podcast?).  Afterwards I ran into independent movie producer Jared Morgan and we had a short talk on his documentary movie, “Major Rockstar” (you should know by now, listen to the podcast).

Rick Springfield Fan Sue

THE MOVIE REVIEW
The movie grabbed my attention from the very beginning with Rick backstage at an outdoor concert as the crowd screams for more.  Rick gets up and runs out on stage to thrill the huge crowd to another song.  Throughout the movie former MTV VJ Mark Goodman, Rick’s former lover actress Linda Blair, and many others discusses Rick on camera.  The movie takes a shift from focusing on Rick to focusing on some of his fans and their personal lives.  This is the twist that makes the movie interesting. 

Two ladies from New Jersey (Sue and Joanne) deal with the difficulties of balancing family life and the fun in their life.  Their husbands and children seem to be disgruntled about them leaving for another Rick Springfield concert.  The movie focuses on the ladies on the road in their hotel room (which Rick makes a surprise appearance), and in the crowd at his concerts.  Their husbands take matters in their own hands and decide to take a trip of their own to meet Rick to find out what he is all about… Uh Oh!

Rick Springfield with Fan Dustin

There is a focus on a teenage boy (Dustin) who has been a Rick Springfield fan since the age of three when Rick pulled him on stage.  Thanks to the boy’s dad, the two stayed in touch throughout years as they attend many concerts.  The teenager is now a guitarist in his own band and Rick jams with Dustin, then Dustin joins Rick on stage.  While Dustin leaves the backstage area, he signs many autographs for those in the crowd.

There is a man who met a lady on the internet and demands she must become a Rick Springfield fan if they are going to get serious with their relationship.  She agrees and enjoys the music and concerts with him.  In fact Rick helps the man propose for her hand in marriage on one of the Rick Springfield cruises.

Several fans the movie focused on are the ones dealing with major issues in their lives. A lady (an actual Reverend) who was gang raped, a lady who suffered with depression that he met at one of his book signings, a lady who went through many surgeries in her life due to a heart defect, and others.  They all claimed that Rick and his music help them get through these tough times.

Rick Springfield Climbing the Speaker Towers

One of the highlights for me, and others that viewed the movie, was the European Rock Festival in Sweden.  The camera crew interviewed several heavy metal rock fans who were there to see Aerosmith, Guns and Roses, and Slayer.  The metal heads want to know what Rick Springfield is doing on the bill with this lineup.  One rocker says, “I think my dad used to listen to his music.”  Before Rick took the stage, one of the road crew informs him that there are no girls in the crowd… Then Rick gets nervous!  Rick started the show with “Living In Oz” and before the song was over, the majority of the crowd is singing along.  Rick decided to take a trip through the crowd (as he usually does in concert) and the road crew had a hard time keeping him safe.  Then Rick decided to climb the huge PA speaker towers on the side of the stage to thrill the Swedish rockers.  He definitely won fans that day!

Rick Springfield Cruise

Another highlight of the movie is the coverage of the Rick Springfield Cruise.  There’s various footage with Rick having fun with his fans, performing in various settings, and just having a good time.  There is a highlight of Rick taking over the piano bar to play various sing-along songs.  At one point in the movie, he performs, “My Father’s Chair” which turned the mood of those in the piano bar into a tearful moment (it affected those in the theatre also).  Then the movie focused on those who were on the cruise, but not a part of the Rick Springfield festivities. They were trying to understand why they are such fans.  Two ladies on the cruise discuss this with one of the fans on board.

Dawn Morse and her Famous Rick Springfield Coat

I want to thank Joe Nelms for standing in for Brian Hasbrook and James Downing (who were both out of town) with his photography work.  I would like to give special thanks to publicist Melanie Knupp for arranging everything for Joe and me.  I want to thank the Nashville Film Festival for putting on such a glamorous event.  I loved it and I would love to attend again.  The roll out the red carpet (literally) for the media and those connected with the movies.  Of course I also want to thank the exciting Rick Springfield fans in attendance of this event and every Rick Springfield event that we cover.  You guys make my job much easier than it could be.  I’m looking forward to the next time!
Written by Mike Arnold

http://www.rickspringfielddocs.com

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Are You Planning to See This Movie?
Please Leave a Comment Below!
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Tags: An Affair of the Heart, blog, concert blast, Dawn Morse, Jared Morgan, joe nelms, Major Rockstar, Melanie Lentz-Janey, Mike Arnold, Nashville, Nashville Film Festival, Nicole Kidman, podcast, Regal Green Hills Stadium, Rick Springfield, Rick Springfield documentary, Rickaholics, Sue Ann Street, Sylvia Caminer, TN, Yellow Rick Road

Posted on 4/27/2012

CONCERT BLAST STAFF – (L to R – Brian Hasbrook, Mike Arnold, Tom Thompson, James Downing)

Hello Concert Blast Friends!
Concert Blast is gearing up for the big concert review season and is seeking help with our expenses.  We have created a new way for our friends to help us raise funds to cover our expenses by creating a Kickstarter Campaign!  This campaign will give our friends and possibly sponsors/brands a chance to help us and get something in return.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO AND HELP!

To understand more about Kickstarter, this is a website that allows people to create a project with the help of others donating to the cause.  The catch is, if the pledges don’t reach the requested goal, then no one will be charged for their pledge and the project is considered unsuccessful.

Here’s our Explanation for our current need.  This campaign will expire on Sunday May 6th at 8pm EDT.  Please consider helping us!
See the Pledge rewards below.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO AND HELP!
Thank you.

Concert BlastMemphis in May Beale Street Music Festival May 4th – May 6th 2012 at Tom Lee Park in Memphis, TN. 

is seeking pledges to cover traveling expenses from Nashville to Memphis for our podcast/blog/photos team coverage of the

We have a team of three on this assignment with a reasonable budget of only $500 which cover gasoline, hotel, and food expenses. All extra pledges will be used for future expenses.

Concert Blast is self-funded and does not have corporate sponsorship, so we have to pull money out of our pockets or get creative on raising funds in order to make trips to cover events for our website.

Concert Blast has covered this music festival since 2006 and will say this event is one of the better organized music events and they also know how to care for the media who work the festival.
 
Please help us out in any way possible!
To learn more about Concert Blast read this section to the right.

Thank You,
Concert Blast
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO AND HELP!

___

___

Previous Gift and a Thank You Mentioned (name, business, or brand) as a supporter on one of our website postings from this event. Also a PDF copy of Mike Arnold’s book, “Concert Blast Experiences” emailed.

___

Tags: blogs, Brian Hasbrook, concert blast, Concert Blast Kickstarter Campaign, Concert Blast Needs Your Help, Concert Photos, Donate to Concert Blast, Help Concert Blast, James Downing, Mike Arnold, Podcasts, reviews, Tom Thompson

Posted on 4/25/2012

Concert Blast was invited to cover one of our favorite entertainer’s new documentary movie, ”An Affair of the Heart” featuring Rick Springfield.  This coverage took place during the Nashville Film Festival on April 21st, 2012 at the Regal Green Hills Stadium 16.  Mike Arnold was on hand to produce a special podcast, while Concert Blast friend, Joe Nelms produced the photos. 

Mike Arnold Interviews Filmmakers Sylvia Caminer (left) and Melanie Lentz-Janey (right)

“An Affair of the Heart” is a documentary on the connection between Rick Springfield and his fans, thanks to the film’s producers  Melanie Lentz-Janey and Sylvia Caminer.  

Rick Springfield fans came in from all over the region to see this Nashville premiere and everyone walked away very impressed with the results.

A special Thank You goes out to Melanie Knupp for arranging everything for Concert Blast to make this coverage run smooth! 
  

CLICK HERE to see the photos of the evening taken by Joe Nelms.

VISIT THE OFFICAL WEBSITE…
http://www.rickspringfielddoc.com/

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Have you seen “An Affair of the Heart”?
What are your thoughts?
Please Leave Your Comment Below!
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Tags: concert blast, Green Hills Regal Cinema, Melanie Knupp, Melanie Lentz-Janey, Nashville Film Festival, Photos, Rick Springfield fans, Rick Springfield movie, Rick Springfield’s Documentary, Sylvia Caminer, Yellow Rick Road Productions