concert dates — Page 2

John Mellencamp at Ironstone Amphitheatre | Murphys, California | 6/17/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

June 19, 2017 by Jason DeBord

“Now this next song, I must have been about 25 when I wrote this song… I don’t even know why I play it anymore other than I know you guys want to hear it, right?” John Melloncamp on stage at Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironston Vineyards Saturday night, talking about writing his hit song from the 80s, “Jack and Diane”. The venue was packed with fans turning out to see their blue collar hero from decades past, though it is a strange kind of incongruity with what inspires the fans still today seems to be more of a thorn in the side of the man who captured their imagination with these songs for which he does not seemingly share the same sentiment himself today. Regardless, he delivered an impressive set and supporting artists Carlene Carter and Emmylou Harris did the same.

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Boston with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts at Ironstone Amphitheatre | Murphys, California | 6/10/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

June 13, 2017 by Jason DeBord

“Let’s see some hands!” Tommy DeCarlo, vocalist from Boston, getting the massive crowd at Ironstone Amphitheatre in Murphys reaching up to the sky during “Cool The Engines”. Essentially a double-header with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts performing earlier, it was a stellar night of classic rock spanning the last four or five decades. The two artists were a great choice to pair up, in that they had great crossover in fans but were also a showcase in contrasting styles and approaches to bringing their music to life on stage. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts were stripped down to just the instruments they needed to recreate their raw punk rock style as the sun set into the horizon behind the crowd while Boston had a fantastic spaceship themed backdrop across massive monitors that seemed to fuel their hard and progressive rock sounds. Early on in Richter Entertainment’s Summer Concert Series, this show set a bar for high energy and pure rock and roll for all the artists to follow.

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Book of Love Special “Reunion Shows” Coming to San Francisco and Houston in February

February 6, 2017 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

Book of Love continue to celebrate their 30th anniversary with two upcoming special concert dates in San Francisco and Houston this month featuring all four members: Ted Ottaviano, Susan Ottaviano, Jade Lee and Lauren Roselli. The two “reunion shows” will be held at Numbers in Houston on February 18th and at DNA Lounge in San Francisco on February 19th. [Read more…]

Ted Ottaviano, Book of Love: “Rock Talk” Podcast Audio Interview

February 6, 2017 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

This article features the latest in an ongoing series of “Rock Talk” podcast audio interviews for the Rock Subculture Journal. Today’s guest is Ted Ottaviano with Book Of Love. The synth pop New Wave group continue to celebrate their 30th anniversary with the release of new music as part of 2016’s “MMXVI: The 30th Anniversary Collection (Remastered)” hits album, an upcoming 2017 EP with remixes as well as live tracks from this month’s concert dates in San Francisco and Houston.

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Charli XCX and Bleachers (Charli and Jack Do America) at Fox Theater | Oakland, California | 7/23/2015 (Concert Review + Photos)

July 28, 2015 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

“Oakland, I want to see you go fuckin’ crazy!” One of a set of similar sentiments shouted by Charli XCX throughout her high energy performance at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Thursday night, along with co-headliner Bleachers in their “Charli and Jack Do America” tour, though the latter had already whipped the crowd into a frenzy before she even had a chance to take the stage. At only 22 years only, Charli XCX has had a remarkably long and prolific career thus far, and in her ongoing evolution of her unique and varied brand of music, she has veered solidly into the pop diva lane of the genre highway. It was an interesting pairing of artists, with New Jersey-born Jack Antonoff from Bleachers building and building their own set with anthem-driven pop/rock songs that are catchy and captivating (even on first listen), contrasted against England’s Charli XCX pushing sexually-fused tunes with saccharine pop choruses. As a dual headlining show, each artist seemed to bring out a different crowd, though all skewed younger. Most certain is that each artist – though having respectively accomplished much already – will certainly continue to grow and evolve in the coming years. [Read more…]

The Ting Tings Launch “Super Critical” Pre-Orders on PledgeMusic, Announce Concert Dates in US, UK, Europe, Japan

October 22, 2014 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

The Ting Tings have launched a special PledgeMusic campaign for their upcoming album, Super Critical, offering different editions of the new studio album as well as other extras, such as t-shirts and hats, setlists, handwritten lyric sheets and more. The album is finished and due for release in the UK next week. This will be Katie White and Jules De Martino’s third album, and it was co-produced by Duran Duran’s founding member and former guitarist, John Taylor. The first hint at their new sound came with the disco-infused “Wrong Club”, and marks a different direction from a band that has always been growing and evolving. Updated with U.S. Dates as of November 21st… [Read more…]

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts at Cal Expo (California State Fair) | Sacramento, California | 7/18/2014 (Concert Review + Photos)

July 19, 2014 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

“When it hits the fan, people usually show up for each other…” Joan Jett of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, talking about surviving tragedy, and how real life experiences inspired their latest album, Unvarnished. It was really quite inspiring to hear the punk icon with roots in music – in her teens – going back to the 70s, today crafting music that is informed by a fascinating and full life. Yet regardless of her growth as an individual and as an artist, she still has that counter culture swagger and joy with a guitar strapped around her and a mic stand before her… she can still rock it unlike any other, and she certainly made that clear at their appearance at the California State Fair at Cal Expo last night. Whatever it is that she’s had since her formative years, that motor still drives her today. A real rock and roll legend.

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Joan Jett and the Blackhearts 2014 Concert Tour Plays Festivals and More Across North America

July 8, 2014 by Jason DeBord Leave a Comment

Rock icon Joan Jett with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will be playing around a number concert dates across the United States this Summer, including festivals, fairs, and summer concert series shows at a variety of venues.. The Platinum and Gold-selling “Queen of Rock n’ Roll” is best known for her string of 80s hits including “Bad Reputation”, “I Hate Myself for Loving You”, and others. Her latest album, Unvarnished, debuted late last year. [Read more…]

Charli XCX with Kitten and LIZ at Slim’s | San Francisco, California | 11/1/2013 (Concert Review)

November 3, 2013 by Jason DeBord 2 Comments

Charli XCX’s first U.S. headlining tour kicked off this past week, making an early stop in San Francisco at Slim’s last night to a dedicated and enthusiastic young crowd. The high energy evening kicked off with opening sets by LIZ and Kitten, providing a showcase of music with three young women fronting acts with three different styles of music. While Charli has been making music and performing going back several years, she broke much wider into the pop culture consciousness in the past year with Icona Pop’s “I Love It”, which she wrote and also provided vocals to in the hit pop song. Her own music, off her debut album True Romance, is a bit more experimental and darker by contrast, which is why she gave the song to the synthpop Swedish duo for their own album. Charli has had a productive time since I last saw her opening for Santigold in the Summer of 2012, having toured with Coldplay, Paramore, Marina and the Diamonds, as well as put out a lot of new music and music videos like the recently released “SuperLove“. She is definitely one to continue to watch as she forges her own unique path through the music industry. She put on a great show last night and really seems to have grown into having a real command on the stage (with new band in tow) and has inspired and sparked the imagination of a generation of fans.

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Blondie with X “No Principals Tour” at Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium | San Francisco, California | 9/19/2013 (Concert Review)

September 20, 2013 by Jason DeBord 5 Comments

Blondie’s spectacular show at the Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco Thursday night was a reminder of how seemingly effortlessly Debbie Harry and the band crossed into and innovated within so many different styles and genres of music in the late 70s and early 80s. Punk, post-punk, disco, pop, New Wave, even some rap, reggae, and infusions of some world music, they were quite the innovators, really serving as a pioneering force in music, and they continue to record new and relevant music today. The Debbie Harry-fronted East Coast post punk/pop/disco group Blondie share the bill on the “No Principals Tour” with Exene Cervenka and John Doe fronting on vocals for the West Coast, L.A. punk pioneers X, which features its original line-up. Both artists brought amazing energy to the stage, which created a frenzy within the crowd at the Masonic unlike anything I’d seen at the usually mellow venue, with fans of both bands flooding the area between the all-seated venue and the low stage. It was definitely a different sort of concert (in a great way) and celebration of music that really served as a pivotal transition from the 70s to the 80s, paving a pathway into what turned out to be fresh and new world.

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