Jason DeBord's Rock Subculture Journal

Phantogram at Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino | Reno, Nevada | 6/30/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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I usually open my reviews with a quote from the artist, but Phantogram didn’t do too much talking during their set, and when they did their words were mostly lost among adulation from the cheering crowd.  Their live sets are still driven by songs from last year’s Three, which I voted at the #1 album of 2016.  I’ve personally been dying to hear songs off this brilliant album live, as last year each time the duo and their band were playing local, I was traveling elsewhere.  So with their appearance at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino’s Grand Theatre in Reno Friday night, I was not disappointed.  This was actually my favorite concert thus far in 2017.  Phantogram are so amazing right now the rest of the world needs time to catch on. [Read more…]

Duran Duran Making Two Stops in Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area in July

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Following up on their tour dates earlier this year in March and April, Duran Duran will be kicking off a new leg of their 2017 tour with two stops in the Bay Area in California, first at Fox Theater in Oakland on July 7th and then at the Masonic in San Francisco the next night. The band continues to support their 14th studio album (and first with Warner Bros. Records), the excellent Paper Gods, which was produced by the legendary Nile Rodgers, Mark Ronson, Josh Blair, and Mr Hudson.  [Read more…]

Train “Play That Song Tour” with O.A.R. and Natasha Bedingfield Coming To Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena At Harvey’s on July 9th

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Train’s latest, their “Play That Song Tour”, will be wrapping up it’s 45 date North American leg in July.  Toward the end of this tour they will be stopping at Stateline, Nevada at Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena At Harvey’s on July 9th.  The band will be playing songs from their latest album, including the hit single “Play That Song”, as well as favorites such as “Hey, Soul Sister,” “Drops of Jupiter” and  “Drive By”.  Supporting the tour is O.A.R and Natasha Bedingfield. [Read more…]

Miike Snow & Phantogram Coming to Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno on June 30th

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Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow and duo Phantogram will be coming to Grand Sierra Resort & Casino’s Grand Theatre at the end of June as part of their sometimes intersecting Summer concert tours.  Both acts released their third studio albums in 2016, with Miike Snow’s iii and Phantogram’s Three each receiving fan and critic accolades (Rock Subculture actually names Phantogram’s album #1 in my end of the year feature).  With both artists on the same bill, it is certainly a show not to be missed on June 30th, or at one of the other dates on their respective tours. [Read more…]

Daniel Ash & Kevin Haskins To Perform as Poptone, Bringing Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, and Love and Rockets to Ace of Spades on June 6th

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Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskings have formed a new band, Poptone, to perform a series of live dates, including a stop in Sacramento at Ace of Spades on June 6th.  As Poptone, Daniel Ash serves on vocals and guitar, his daughter Diva Dompé on bass, and Kevin Haskins on drums.  Ash and Haskins played together in Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, and Love and Rockets, and are playing music from all three bands in this series of live shows. [Read more…]

Richter Entertainment Group’s 2017 Summer Concert Season Line-Up at Ironstone Amphitheatre

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Richter Entertainment Group’s Summer Concert Season at Ironstone Amphitheatre in Murphys will be happening in June, July, August and September this year.  Artists include Toby Keith, Boston, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, John Mellencamp, The Moody Blues, Jason Mraz, Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie, matchbox twenty, Counting Crows, Steve Miller Band, Peter Frampton, Willie Nelson, Kenny G, George Benson, and more!

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Midnight Oil “The Great Circle 2017 World Tour” Underway; CD & Vinyl Box Sets Hitting Stores This Month

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Australian rock band Midnight Oil are in the early stages of their sell out “The Great Circle 2017 World Tour”, and adding more dates as they go along.  Hugely popular in the 80s, the interest and demand in seeing them perform live in concert is tremendous.  New shows have been added at Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, Terminal 5 in New York, House of Blues in Cleveland, and First Avenue in Minneapolis. [Read more…]

KISS at Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino | Reno, Nevada | 4/21/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“Are you ready?” Paul Stanley of KISS getting the audience prepped to sing along with “Say Yeah”, a song off of their 2009 album Sonic Boom.  24 studio albums (including their four solo albums), live albums and countless other impressions on pop culture at large going back to 1974, KISS have been a rock and roll phenomenon going strong for over four decades.  I am not personally a KISS “fan”, so this is written from the review of someone who has been alive as long as they’ve been together, but never before attended a KISS concert.  They are one of the biggest bands of all time and real icons in rock, so I finally took an opportunity to see what they’ve always been best known for – live concerts.  And now having experienced it, I can say that their reputation for putting on an amazing show is well deserved.  High energy, high production, and filled with many of the innovative elements that other artists have since copied over and over, it was really something to see and hear and feel.  I really could not have been more impressed and I really have a lot of respect for the band and their crew that help put it all together.  If you are a member of the KISS Army, you know all of this; if you are more like me and had never seen the band before, I give my highest recommendations to go and check it out.  And I am glad I was able to take in my first KISS show at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino’s Grand Theatre as it is one of the best concert venues for this type of show.  Everything was top notch.

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Betty Who and VÉRITÉ Tour North America in April & May; New Albums Out in 2017

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Australian singer-songwriter and musician Betty Who is currently touring North America with VÉRITÉ.  Betty Who (Jessica Anne Newham) released her second album, The Valley, last month, while Somewhere in Between – the debut album from VÉRITÉ (Kelsey Byrne) is due out from Kobalt on June 23rd. [Read more…]

KISS “Freedom To Rock” Tour Coming To Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno on April 21st

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Rock legends KISS will be performing at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino’s Grand Theatre in Reno on Friday, April 21st.  Along with a show at Laughlin Event Center, they are the last two U.S. dates before an extensive tour abroad as part of their “Freedom To Rock” tour, which circles back to North America again in July.  The iconic band have sold over 100 million records worldwide since forming in 1973, and are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  The current line-up consists of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer. [Read more…]