My Mom is a very hard person to shop for. Her interests and hobbies are close to non-existent so every time her birthday or Christmas rolls around I always stress about what to get her. I think I was experiencing one such dilemma when I remembered she had told me at one point that the first concert she ever went to was Foreigner. This gave me the idea to buy her Foreigner’s greatest hits album called Records. The problem was there were very few places to buy an old Foreigner greatest hits CD so I had to settle for a used copy I bought off of eBay. Before I gave it to her I threw it in my CD player and immediately thought “hey I know this song.” This continued through all 10 songs. Not only did I know the songs but I really liked them so I went through a little Foreigner phase because it was like discovering a new band.
Fast forward to December of 2010. The Chargers were hosting the 49ers for Thursday Night Football and Ingrid and I decided this would be our annual Chargers game to attend. Only the day of the game did I learn from one of my classmates at San Diego State University that Foreigner was to play out in the parking lot before the game for FREE! Jackpot! I really like the voice of Lou Gramm but a brain tumor forced him from the band in 1997 so the only original member still in the lineup was guitarist/chief songwriter Mick Jones. Kelly Hanson had been the singer for five years by this point and filled in nicely. They played a seven-song set and it was awesome! It didn’t matter that the band was different because the songs were still the same awesome songs they had always been. The whole band sang the Star Spangled Banner at the game that night and the Chargers won. I would say this was a good night.
SETLIST: Double Vision, Head Games, Cold As Ice, Feels Like the First Time, Urgent, I Wanna Know What Love Is, Hot Blooded
My proper introduction to Pink Floyd did not come until one night in high school at a friend’s house when he thought it would be a good idea to take a large amount of Dramamine and watch “The Wall.” I decided to forgo the Dramamine but “The Wall” stuck with me not just for the acid trip that the movie was but also because of the music. This lead me to the double album and then I worked my way backwards through their earlier catalog. As of the time of this writing I still haven’t brought myself to work my way forward through the albums that came afterwards.
When it was announced that Roger Waters would be embarking on a tour playing The Wall live from front to back I knew this was a monumental concert I had to get to. The tour was not coming to San Diego but lucky for me Los Angeles is a mere 100 miles away. As if I needed another reason to love Ingrid she surprised me with tickets as an early Christmas present.
Before the show started while the house lights were on it was hard not to notice what appeared to be a homeless man pushing around a shopping cart through the floor section. He was wearing a sign that had things written on the front and back and was talking with people as he walked around. It soon became clear that the homeless man was Roger Waters and the show had actually started. The stage was as wide as Staples Center and prominently featured a partially built wall made of giant white bricks that doubled as projector screens. As Waters neared the stage he threw a pink doll that was in the shopping cart onto the stage, which triggered fireworks and the beginning of “In the Flesh?”
For roughly the next hour everyone in the audience was transfixed on the spectacle at hand as Waters and his band tore through every song on the first half of The Wall in sequence. My favorite moment was when Waters played “Mother” as video of him playing the song live back in 1980 was projected behind him. There were two other songs played during this half as well: “What Shall We Do Now” that was originally intended to be included on the album but omitted at the last minute due to the time constraints of vinyl and “The Last Few Bricks,” an instrumental added to allow the roadies more time to finish erecting the wall. The last brick went into place during the closing notes of “Goodbye Cruel World” and with that the show paused for an intermission.
With the exception of a couple instances the band performed the second half of the show from behind the wall. One brick was removed during “Is There Anybody Out There” to show the guitarists playing and then for the next song “Nobody Home” I remember a portion of the wall folded away to reveal a hotel room where Waters sang from a Lazy Boy. The guitar solo section of “Comfortably Numb” was performed from atop the wall. All of this of course culminated in the wall coming down at the end of the show in grand fashion.
The Wall is arguably Pink Floyd’s greatest masterpiece and this live production was equally a masterpiece. The sound was fantastic and the technical wizardry gave the audience no choice but to succumb to the immersive experience. I have been to a lot of concerts and can hands down say this was the best “production” I have ever seen.
This was the second time I had the pleasure of seeing Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and it was at the same venue as the first time I saw them. They were touring for the album Mojo that was released about four months before this, which was Tom Petty’s first album with the Heartbreakers in eight years.
We originally had Lawn tickets but almost halfway through the set Techno showed up with enough tickets to get all of us down the 100 Level. Down we went but when got there we quickly realized we had one more ticket than seats available and of course I was the guy standing nearest the person in the row not in our group. I stayed anyway much to the chagrin of the man standing next to me with his two kids. It was slightly cramped but nobody was actually sitting down so I figured what the hell. The guy was really not happy when I sparked up a joint. He made his unhappiness known by uttering a simple “really?” to me. I volleyed that “really” right back to him. Smoking pot at a Tom Petty show? Is that really a surprise to you? I understand he was trying to protect his kids but I was conscious of the kids and made sure the smoke went away from them. Shortly after this settling in episode Tom launched into “Breakdown,” which was pure magic. So good. Another highlight was “Don’t Come Around Here No More.” The whole bubble we were in seemed to light up both literally and figuratively. I was robbed of hearing “You Got Lucky” for a second time but I am not going to whine about it. I got to see Tom Petty for the second time!
SETLIST: Listen to Her Heart, You Don’t Know How It Feels, I Won’t Back Down, Free Fallin’, Oh Well, Mary Jane’s Last Dance, Kings Highway, Breakdown, Jefferson Jericho Blues, Good Enough, Running Man’s Bible, I Should Have Known It, Learning to Fly, Don’t Come Around Here No More, Refugee, Runnin’ Down a Dream, American Girl
I don’t think The Black Keys came into my orbit until I heard the song “Strange Times.” Shortly after this a roommate of mine schooled me on the rest of their catalog that I had been missing out on. My first opportunity to see them after my awakening came as they were touring for the album Brothers that had come out just four months prior to this. In my eyes they were already a huge band after Attack & Release so I was both floored and confused to learn they were going to play at Soma, which only holds about 2,700 people. It sounded great in theory but getting a ticket was an entirely different animal. Tickets were going for an exorbitant amount on the resale market because the concert was sold out and I did not feel like relying on the old ‘walk through the back door’ trick as I did in the past.
Just as I was coming to grips that I probably would not be attending an angel came to me in the form of a manager that worked where I did at the time. She was over shooting the breeze and I randomly mentioned my frustration with the situation. She disappeared and when she re-appeared about an hour later handed me a piece of paper. It was a ticket to the show! I said “no way” and asked her how much she wanted for it. FREE!!! As in here you go no strings attached. Apparently one of her friends bailed last minute so she had an extra and told me she would rather give it to someone that she knew actually wanted to go instead of mess with selling it.
I decided to ride my bicycle to the venue because it was only about two miles away and I wanted to smoke a joint beforehand. This pot was good stuff so when I arrived at the security checkpoint one of the security guards (not even the one that patted me down) said “Whooooeee. That’s some stinky shit!” as he looked at me with a mile wide smile. Being called out by a security guard is usually the kind of thing that makes a person paranoid but I could tell by his smile that there was no reason for alarm.
The Black Keys killed. So much sound and groove coming from just the two of them. This is one of the those bands that plays better live than on the record. They played with an urgency that I had not seen in awhile and their set was just downright explosive. This would be the last time being able to see The Black Keys in such small quarters since Brothers ended up being their commercial breakthrough, which meant on to bigger arenas/stadium shows.
SETLIST: Thickfreakness, Girl Is On My Mind, 10 A.M. Automatic, Stack Shot Billy, The Breaks, Everywhere I Go, Everlasting Light, Next Girl, Chop and Change, Howlin’ for You, Tighten Up, She’s Long Gone, Ten Cent Pistol, I’ll Be Your Man, Strange Times, I Got Mine, Sinister Kid, Your Touch
It had been nearly three and half years to the day since I had last seen Stone Sour at the House of Blues. This time I thought I was going to go by myself too but Bob showed interest and Tom committed. Bob dropped out. Tom brought me some requested pot and picked me up in a borrowed Saleen Mustang. We arrived to the venue with just enough time to drink two beers each in the parking lot. Once inside we made our way to the 2nd Stage where the band Hellyeah was to play. The only thing I knew about this band was that the drummer was none other than Vinnie Paul of Pantera and that it also featured the singer from Mudvayne Chad Gray. The funny part is that the only reason I wanted to go to this all day concert was Stone Sour. I had not been able to stop playing their new album, Audio Secrecy.
Anyways Stone Sour happened to be signing autographs in a Best Buy tent that we walked right by. I’m not about the autographs but thought it might be cool to shake their hand and thank them for rocking. The employee/rule makers had other plans. Employee said, “Where is your wristband?” I replied something to the effect of not being aware of the wristband requirement and inquired as to where or how I could get one. Employee was of no assistance whatsoever.
We proceeded to watch HELLYEAH who proceeded to rock. They are heavy-as-fuck. Maybe a little too heavy for not previously knowing their music. After their set we went into the vendor area of the amphitheater in search of food and a beer. We ended up running into Tom’s friend Matt who heads up the beverages and food department at the facility. He hooked up a Corona tallboy and a Shock Top draft and shot the shit with us until Stone Sour was about to go on.
Stone Sour fucking rocked and did not disappoint. The rocked from the opening notes of “Mission Statement” to the closing notes of “30/30 150.” They rocked so hard that I blew my voice out from screaming so loudly. Very tight as a band, virtuoso guitarist(s) with taste, singer with an amazing voice and song writing capabilities. Oh yeah the rhythm section is pretty badass too. The hardest rocking songs for me were “Reborn,” “Get Inside,” and “30/30 150.”
Somehow Stone Sour were not the headliners. After them came Disturbed which I always enjoy and had not seen for a couple years. Closing the show was Avenged Sevenfold. I don’t know why but I just cannot bring myself to like their music.
This concert was destined to be a shit show from the start. It was Beer Fest at the Del Mar horse races followed by a Weezer show that was included with the price of admission. To top it off I organized a limo bus to transport at least 15 of my friends and I round trip. Not worrying about having to drive = copious amounts of alcohol consumption.
Weezer’s newest album at the time was Raditude that was released the summer before, but we were just a few weeks from the release of Hurley. This was the third time I had the pleasure of seeing Weezer and I was pretty excited to see them again since it had been almost five years when they opened for Foo Fighters. They did not disappoint. It was a very fun set that included a cover mash-up of “Kids” by MGMT and “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga near the end.
As for the other part of this tale, long story short everyone got trashed and had a great time…until I lost everyone, which was kind of a problem since I was the one who had organized our transportation. The limo driver made us meet him at the AM/PM down the road because it was too crazy for him to try to get back to the entrance of the fairgrounds. Finally someone got ahold of me and spread the word. These were not happy faces that eventually arrived. AM/PM was a little bit of a walk but I think everyone was more upset that I could not be reached for so long. This was partially due to shitty cell reception with so many people in a concentrated area and partially because I was borderline blackout drunk.
Ingrid ended up getting home via the backseat of a random car that she thought her friend was in. It ended up being a car that one of my co-workers at the time was in which I figured out when I put two and two together after he told me a story that sounded awfully familiar to the one she told me the next day.
SETLIST: Hash Pipe, Troublemaker, Undone – The Sweater Song, Surf Wax America, Memories, Perfect Situation, Dope Nose, Say It Ain’t So, Brian’s Theme, Island in the Sun, El Scorcho, My Name is Jonas, Beverly Hills, Pork and Beans, Kids/Poker Face, (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To, Buddy Holly
To quote the Dude “Jesus man can you change the channel? Man c’mon, I had a rough night and I hate the fucking Eagles, man.” So I don’t exactly share the same view as the Dude but they are not my favorite band either. This is another band I absorbed by osmosis growing up and probably about as close to country music as I like. Any way you slice it they are a part of rock and roll history and I have respect for them as musicians. My favorite Eagles song is “Those Shoes” which unsurprisingly they did not play. They did however play quite a few songs from their respective solo catalogs, which I thought was cool since they had so much drama with each other in the past. They sounded identical to how they sound on the albums and all I kept thinking was that they were lip-syncing! Of course they weren’t but it just sounded too clean. The songs held up after all these years and so did their voices. Harmonies were off the charts at whatever age they were at the time of this show. I don’t remember at what point near the end we left but Ingrid, Larry, Christi, Kyle and I did leave a little early because Christi had homework to do. We went to leave but the minivan we came in courtesy of Enterprise Rent-A-Car where Kyle worked at the time would not move when he hit the gas pedal so he thought the transmission was blown. It turns out he was in neutral…
SETLIST: Seven Bridges Road, How Long, I Don’t Want to Hear Anymore, Guilty of the Crime, Hotel California, Peaceful Easy Feeling, I Can’t Tell You Why, Witchy Woman, Lyin’Eyes, The Boys of Summer, In the City, The Long Run, No More Walks in the Wood, Waiting in the Weeds, No More Cloudy Days, Love Will Keep Us Alive, Best of My Love, Take It to the Limit, Long Road Out of Eden, Walk Away, One of These Nights, Life’s Been Good, Dirty Laundry, Funk #49, Heartache Tonight, Life in the Fast Lane, Take It Easy, Rocky Mountain Way, Desperado
I was attending San Diego State University at the time that I wrote this for my “History of Rock N’ Roll” class. I took the class for the easy A because if you’ve read this far you know that I know my sh*t. What follows is my review exactly as turned in…
Research
The band I chose to see was Steel Panther, who played at the House of Blues in downtown San Diego. To be honest they were not my first choice though. The reason I ended up seeing them is because I unfortunately ran out of time. I was hoping to write a concert report on a band that I would have wanted to see anyway, but unfortunately the bands I wanted to see simply didn’t pass through San Diego before the end of the semester. I settled on seeing Mastodon on May 5th until Professor Flood announced that all concert reports would be due in class on May 4th. It is during that class that reminded me of the Steel Panther concert. I first saw the concert advertised in The Reader but know it was also heavily promoted and endorsed by local radio stations 101 KGB and Rock 105.3. The funny thing is that I did not realize that this was the same band known as Metal Shop I had seen about six years earlier when they were a staple every Wednesday night at Typhoon Saloon in Pacific Beach until the singer mentioned it. From what I can gather they mainly play either in Europe or stay in the Southwestern United States.
Strong Points
Steel Panther is essentially a cover band in the vain of 80’s hair metal. The first thing that struck me as particularly impressive was the level of detail in the band members costuming. Every band member wore big hair, spandex, neon colors, and make-up even though they were all male performers. Then again that’s how it used to be back in the heyday. Another thing that impressed me was the actual musicianship. The vocalist and guitarist in particular were spot on virtuoso level musicians.
Weak Points
As is the case with almost all concerts I’ve attended one of the weak points was the opening band. It was a four-piece band called Immune. They lost me immediately from the first song when the lead guitarist imitated Jimi Hendrix by playing with his teeth and behind his head. There is nothing wrong with being influenced by someone but those are things that set Hendrix apart from everybody 40 years ago, not now. Another weak point for the concert was the sound quality. Loudness is great and an expectation for a rock concert but only if that loudness comes with clarity. This particular show lacked the clarity I desired from the speakers.
General Presentation
Even though it was expected, it was still a little annoying having “convenience” fees tacked on to the price of the ticket when purchased from the venue. The concert was a little pricey for a predominantly cover band at $27.50. Parking in downtown San Diego is always atrocious unless one decides to overpay for a lot or structure. I was fortunate enough to find a metered spot a few blocks away with minimal effort. As mentioned earlier the sound system and opening band could have been better. I found myself watching the drunken groupies more than the opening band. The lighting was of the standard multi-colored variety and always moving but overall bright enough to give the audience a good view of the band. The stage had absolutely no props except the performers themselves. In this case it worked because the performers wore such extreme costumes.
Variety of Music
Steel Panther opened with “Kickstart My Heart” by Motley Crue. It was strange to watch since the singer looked like an exact replica of Vince Neil, the real singer of Motley Crue. The band had a sort of vulgar comedy routine between each song that was quite amusing. The next song they played was “Jump” by Van Halen. After that they mixed it up with an original song called “Asian Hooker.” Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” then found new life many years after it’s conception. Coming in immediately after that was a parody version of George Michael’s “Faith” where the lyrics were changed to better suit the vulgar theme. Ted Nugent’s “Cat Scratch Fever” followed in hilarious fashion when they brought an elderly gentleman in the crowd on stage to help sing it. Instead of singing he just invented a new dance. Afterward the band mixed in another original called “Community Property.” Then they revisited Bon Jovi by playing “Runaway” followed by another Motley Crue song “Live Wire.” These songs were succeeded by crowd pleasers “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard and “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. After this they played another original and that was all I could take for the evening. Overall the band was very precise without any “jamming.”
Audience Response
The audience loved this band. I think this was mostly due to the band actively involving the audience. The barrier between band and performer was not really there. They called out specific members of the audience like a comedian would in a smaller setting. At different points in the show women from the audience were brought up on the stage to tease the crowd with provocative dance. The crowd was singing along to all the familiar songs because the song selection was catered toward that. The comedy aspect of the concert kept the general atmosphere of fun intact. It probably also didn’t hurt that the crowd was inebriated from the one of the many 22 ounce beers they purchased.
Instruments Present
The band was a typical rock quartet with one member singing, one playing guitar, one playing bass guitar, and the other playing drums. The singer’s voice was very clear with a pretty wide range. He could hit the super high soprano type notes popular in the 80’s but also had a more regular tenor type voice to sing most of the tunes. The guitar player wasn’t playing through a very fancy setup. He played the same six string Stratocaster style guitar with three single coil pickups throughout. The only change is his sound was between a clean channel and distorted channel on his amplifier. The bass player played a four string bass that gave a sound somewhere between clean and slightly distorted. The drummer didn’t have a big fancy set either. He played with a single bass pedal, floor tom, a smaller tom mounted to the kick drum, snare, hi-hat, and a few different cymbals besides the ride cymbal.
Balance of Instruments
Overall the mix was good with no single instrument overpowering another. I think the instruments were overpowering the house sound system a little though, which could have caused the slight lack of clarity mentioned earlier. I think the balance of instrumentation also benefitted from the lack of effects. None of the instruments had any effects except when the guitarist switched to the distortion channel.
Appropriate Space
The venue was plenty large enough to accommodate the crowd that showed up. As far as attendance goes, it wasn’t really stretching the limits of the 2,000-seat capacity like most of the other shows I’ve seen there. Live Nation was the promoter because they have exclusive promotion over any House of Blues venue. I’ve never been that much of a fan of the venue because of the sound. I like it in terms of intimacy of the venue but either something about the acoustics or the guy running the soundboard doesn’t do it for my ears.
Individual Ability
The singer, who goes by the stage name of Michael Starr was outstanding. His range and stage presence were 100% rock star. While I would guess most of the real singers of the original bands they covered can no longer hit higher notes, he still has it. It doesn’t seem to bother him that he never made the big time back when this music was actually relevant. The guitar player was also the other standout. He goes by the moniker “Satchel” and stunned in his simplicity. Every band I’ve ever seen that I really liked had a huge board of effects pedals but all he had was a simple pedal to switch between clean channel and distortion. He knew his licks and besides exaggerated stage moves didn’t solo more than necessary to get the point across. A combination of confidence and playfulness worked for them.
Background Material
No background material was provided during this show. Once I figured out they were the same band that used to play Typhoon Saloon I realized they used to be called Metal Skool. I also found out on their website that they pretty much do the same thing they were doing in Pacific Beach but now in Los Angeles and Las Vegas on a weekly basis.
Ability to Stimulate You
The whole point of the show is to stimulate you. It will not be everybody’s cup of tea but definitely embodies the spirit and look of 80’s hair metal for anyone who wasn’t around to see the real bands in concert back in that decade of decadence. Everything in their show is over-the-top from the costumes to the syncopated head banging. My particularly favorite part was the mock moves where the three mobile members of the band walked or dipped their guitars in unison. If the music is not going to be super intense like Tool then it might as well be comical. I like that they can make fun of not only the 80’s but also themselves. The 80’s may be over but someone forgot to tell these guys and I think that’s exactly how they like it.
