One of my favorite 90’s era bands, Belly, has the U.S. leg of their tour underway, running throughout August and September. Tanya Donnely formed the band back in 1991 with Fred Abong (later replaced by Gail Greenwood) and Thomas and Chris Gorman. The shows promise old favorites as well as new music. Certainly a rare chance to experience a band who ended it all way too soon. [Read more…]
“I don’t even know where we are right now…” Patrick Monahan of Train to a sold out crowd of upwards of 7,000 fans at Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards in Murphy’s California. Train certainly brought the magic to turn out such a massive number of fans to Murphys, California for a special evening under faint moonlight and brilliant lights from the stage on which they and The English Beat performed on Saturday night. Bringing a mix of hits, new songs, and covers, Train had the crowd up and out of their seats most of the night, and Monohan was on point vocally as well as engaging with fans, taking selfies with their mobile phones as well as performing one song from out in the audience. It was really a stellar show that left most satisfied but also probably thinking about doing it all again in the future. [Read more…]
Rock and roll legends Journey continue their massive series of shows in the U.S. as part of their “San Francisco Fest Tour”, ending appropriately enough in San Francisco in early September. Founded in San Francisco in 1973, Journey has sold over 80 million albums worldwide, recording countless top hits in their career. Neal Schon (founding member and lead guitarist), Ross Valory (original member and bassist), along with longtime members Jonathan Cain (keyboardist) and Arnel Pineda (lead singer) are joined on this tour with Steve Smith on drums – the first time he has toured with the band since 1998. Also performing on this tour are The Doobie Brothers and Dave Mason. [Read more…]
2016 marks Coldplay’s first global stadium and arena tour in years, in support of their seventh studio album, A Head Full of Dreams. The U.S. leg of the tour began in mid-July and runs through early September. As always, the tour promised surprises and a lot of candy for both eyes and ears, with a setlist that spans their entire career. [Read more…]
Rock and roll legend Joan Jett will be bringing her tour to California in August as Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Dubbed the “Rock Hall Three for All” tour, some dates also feature fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Heart and/or Cheap Trick. Heart was inducted in 2013, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in 2015, and Cheap Trick was inducted this year. [Read more…]
“This album’s called “Doin’ Time”, because this here feels like Summertime, alright, so party with me…” Rome, of Sublime with Rome, doing an updated version of the 1997 Sublime hit, which itself was an homage more than a cover of “Summertime” by George Gershwin. Like ripples in a lake, impactful music can take on a life of its own as it moves through time. Of course, Sublime with Rome is not Sublime (original vocalist Bradley Nowell died in 1996), but this band and tour is as much about the subculture as it is the music, and seems to draw a crowd that skews younger than one might expect, given that the original Sublime was a 90s era band. But it was an evening filled out with music of several eras, with the youthful Bleeker kicking things off, with Tribal Seeds and Dirty Heads following. Each had it’s own unique genre-bending sound and style, providing an interesting kaleidoscope of music for those moved by reggae, hip hop, rock, and alternative. [Read more…]
“…sort of the college kids version of owning a winery.” John Rzeznik of The Goo Goo Dolls at Ironstone Winery, talking about when he and Robby Takac met just out of high school many decades ago and starting selling weed to their friends. Headlining a concert tour with Collective Soul and Tribe Society, this stop played to thousands at Richter Entertainment Group’s summer concert series at Ironstore Amphitheatre in Murphys, California. While both The Goo Goo Dolls and Collective Soul are most associated with the ’90s (when both bands broke out with global success), each have endured and continued to produce new music and evolve with the times. The Goo Goo Dolls’ latest album, Boxes, is in my opinion one of the best albums of the year, and worth checking out, as is this awesome live tour. [Read more…]
“Ever since I was four years old man, all I wanted to do is sing…” A grateful Darius Rucker in front of a massive crowd at the first show of Richter Entertainment Group’s summer concert series at Ironstone Amphitheatre in Murphys, California. As preface to the song, “It Won’t Be Like This For Long”, Rucker talked about touring with two of his children and said: “If God came to me and said you could be one thing, you know what I’d be? I’d be a parent.” The Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter brought an authentic earnestness to the stage and his performance, which goes hand in hand with his style of music. Country hit makers Dan + Shay and Michael Ray filled out the entertainment for the evening with their supporting sets, all set against the beautiful backdrop of Ironstone Vineyards, with it’s seasonal amphitheater drawing a massive crowd yet somehow maintaining an intimate atmosphere. [Read more…]
This is part of a continuing series of my impressions and experiences staying at various hotels and resorts while traveling to attend concerts worldwide. This stay was during my recent trip to Los Angeles in October 2015. This review is for the Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles. [Read more…]
This is part of a continuing series of my impressions and experiences staying at various hotels and resorts. This stay was during my recent trip to the Carmel area in November 2015. This review is for Hyatt Carmel Highlands, A Hyatt Residence Club. [Read more…]