Weekly Update – 11/26/2008

Fall Out Boy with No Doubt and others will perform at the Meadowlands Sports Complex as part of the Bamboozle Tour. The full lineup will be announced on Mon. April 27, 2009. FOB will perform on Sat. May 2, 2009. No Doubt will perform on Sun. May 3, 2009. Tickets on sale Friday Nov. 28 at noon. For more information go to: http://www.thebamboozle.com/bamboozle/tickets/?section=buytickets

Patti Smith & her band at the Bowery Ballroom on Mon. Dec. 29. Tickets on sale today at noon. $40.

The Pogues at the Roseland Ballroom on Thurs. & Fri. Mar. 12 & 13, 2009. Tickets on sale Friday morning at 10:00 a.m.$59.50.

The Fray at Webster Hall on Wed. Feb. 4. Tickets on sale next Sat. Dec. 6 at noon.  $27.50(pre-sale ticket information at their website).

Rascal Flatts with Jessica Simpson at Madison Square Garden on Thurs. Feb. 12, 2009. Tickets on sale next Saturday Dec. 6 at 10:00 a.m. Prices should be in the range of $50 – $70.

Nickelback with Seether and Saving Abel at the Izod Center on Fri. Mar. 6, 2009. Tickets on sale Sat. Dec. 13 at 10:00 a.m. Prices will range from $50 – $70. Pre-sale tickets through I-Tunes, fan club and Citicard members.

Dropkick Murphys at Roseland Ballroom on Fri. Mar. 6, 2009. Tickets on sale next Fri. Dec. 5 at 10:00 a.m.  $29.50

Other items:

Lots of new releases this week, so here they are in no particular order:

Chinese Democracy- Guns N Roses– I struggled with this purchase for a couple of days but after some internal debate with myself, I decided to make the plunge. Review to come soon. I wasn’t all that impressed with the 30 second samples from I-Tunes but then decided that would not be fair to judge a whole album. The reviews are mixed on I-Tunes, they range from it is garbage to it is the best release in 2008. (Slow down let’s not get crazy, that honor belongs to Shinedown). As I mentioned in prior weekly updates, I do like the title track and the third track “Better.” Again review to come. Blabbermouth gave it a 6.5 rating out of 10. The listeners gave it a 6.8 rating.

808s and Heartbreak- Kayne West– I actually like the song “See You in My Nightmares” (featuring Lil Wayne). From what I can tell from the 30 second samples, this album tends to trend towards the pop world more than the rap world. Some of the songs sound slow and intense; no doubt a reflection on the passing of his mother. The synthesizer seems to be prevalent on almost every song and his vocal style along with that sound may have reached its peak.

24 Hours- Tom Jones– Go ahead & laugh but you know what, this album sounds fresh and brisk. I totally forgot to add Mr. Jones to the list of who was left off the Rolling Stone “Top 100 singers of all time.” Take a listen to the following tracks and tell me they don’t sound good: “If He Should Ever Leave You”, “We Got Love”, “Sugar Daddy”, “Never” and “More than Memories.” Good stuff right here.

Day and Age- The Killers– From what I have read in a few different outlets, the Killers have made a solid record with their third studio album. I personally did not like “Sam’s Town” and kind of fell off their band-wagon. “Losing Touch” sounds good, although it sounds identical to U2-that’s not a bad thing. “Spaceman” and “Joy Ride” sound like it could have been on “Hot Fuss.” I may have to take the plunge to get back on the band-wagon.

Happy in Galoshes- Scott Weiland– See now when I listened to the 30 second samples on this album I was immediately impressed with the sound. This guy has been through a lot of turbulence in his life but I have to say he is in the right business. His music touches a chord with me, especially with STP, (not Velvet Revolver). I love the song “Paralysis”- eerily similar to the sound of David Bowie. It has a nice sound as the drumming really stands out. Speaking of Bowie, Scott does a funky remake of “Fame” and again sounds just like him! The most popular download- “Missing Cleveland” should be on rock radio in the next hour or so, that’s how good it is. “Killing Me Sweetly” will be another legitimate hit, no doubt! Be on the lookout for this album- it is a sleeper that will open your eyes.

Electric Arguments- The Fireman– This band, featuring Paul McCartney, has a good sound. From what’s been written this is McCartney’s best stuff since his early days with Wings. “Sing the Changes” is a catchy tune that should be on classic rock radio in no time. “Nothing too much just out of sight” conjures up memories of Helter Skelter and is some of the heaviest sound McCartney has ever produced. “Traveling Light” sounds like something Emerson Lake & Palmer would perform today if they were putting out new stuff. Overall doesn’t sound too bad.

The goof of the week goes to Rob Zombie. After months of putting together a collection of all the songs he did with White Zombie- Let Sleeping Corpses Lie-(64 tracks by the way) – he forgot to proof read the credits because apparently other members of WZ were not credited. Mr. Zombie is fuming and said he in no way intended to discredit the other members. Printed copies of the second version have the corrections and are being shipped out now.

My favorite old school song of the week belongs to “Don’t Pull Your Love” by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. Remember this song?

This is my favorite time of the year and I have to say that there are plenty of new albums out there for the holiday season. Again in no particular order:

Marshmallow World & Other Holiday Favorites- Raul Malo– OK so this is not new, it came out last year but for you folks out there who do not have this album- you need to purchase it right now. (It was released in Sept. 2007). This is by far, the best Christmas album released in the past 10 years!I had to find a way to get this out there, I will probably do the same thing next year- it’s that good. He’ll be at the Highline Ballroom performing these classics in a few weeks. Check it out!!

Holiday Spirits- Straight No Chaser– If you are in the mood for traditional holiday music sung a cappella then you need to rush out and buy this CD. All I can say is “Wow.” Listen to the amazing harmonies on “Carol of the Bells” and tell me you’re not hooked? Or take a venture into “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and tell me you don’t like it. It’s impossible. You will hear this album while shopping in the stores;then you will ask the person at the register- “who is singing that song?” and I’ll bet you the response will be this album.

Christmas Favorites- The Radio City Rockettes– Continuing on the theme of beautiful harmonies, this album is a must if you like that sort of thing. These are the types of songs you heard while growing up and wondered where that sound has gone. It’s here. I have to say that I am a fan of this CD and not ashamed to admit it.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas- Brian McKnight– One word for this man: class. Listen to this album and you will know what I’m talking about. This is a perfect album for your Thanksgiving and/or Christmas gatherings. His version of “Adeste Fideles” is absolutely stunning. His voice is crystal clear and flawless, after hearing this; his name might have to appear in the top 100 singers of all time.

A Swinging Christmas- Tony Bennett (featuring the Count Basie Big Band). Another “wow” factor here as I try and recover from his name not appearing of RS list. Can you get any better than Tony? (Especially during the holidays?). Of course his classic “Winter Wonderland” is on this album. Listen to “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and you’ll be writing to RS this week to complain on his non-appearance on the list. (I know- enough already with the list but I’m still upset). His daughter, Antonia, makes an appearance on this album as she helps out Tony for the song “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” She sounds awesome!!

Come Darkness; Come Light- Mary Chapin Carpenter– If you are looking for some new songs as well as some traditional songs, look no further than this album. This is a collection of heartfelt songs.

New Thought for Christmas- Melissa Etheridge– Can you really go wrong with anything Melissa does? If you are opposed to electric guitars for Christmas songs, then this album is not for you. But if you like a little spice in your eggnog, then this album is for you. There are a few songs that are low key but as always her passion shines through the loudest.

Christmas Spirit- Los Lonely Boys– How about a bluesy touch of Christmas? This album has a groove that will knock your stocking off the chimney. Check it out. ‘Nuff said.

Christmas Rocks- Brian Setzer– How about a big band sound, tinged with “rockabilly” and “boogie woogie” that will have you dancing in no time? Look no further than Mr. Setzer. This is his greatest Christmas hits. I love it!!

A Very Cool Christmas- Dean Martin– Who is cooler than Dean? No one!! It’s hard to find an artist who does Christmas songs better than Dean. This is an instant classic.

Speaking of Christmas music, Lite-FM 106.7 (in NY) has started playing all Christmas music. I love it when they do this- no it is not too early- think about how time flies. Enjoy it while it is here. Go to http://www.1067newyork.com/main.html and click on “listen live”.

The top 1,043 rock songs of all time will be played on New York’s only classic rock station, Q104.3 beginning today at 1:00 p.m.

Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear are spending Thanksgiving together this year. Could it be they are getting back together? They divorced in 2006.

This week’s I-Pod shuffle landed on “Superconductor” by Rush from the album Presto, so you know I had to go back and listen to the whole CD. Now maybe it is because I haven’t listened to a lot of Rush lately but I had forgotten how much I love this album. Now I know the Rush fan will scoff at this notion, but I like this album better than any one that they made. Now keep in mind that I jumped on the Rush bandwagon with “Moving Pictures” and forward. I know, understand and respect the landmark albums for the Rush fan which include “2112”, “Farewell To Kings, and “Hemispheres .” Now I would accept the fact that all these albums are “better” than Presto but what I’m telling you is that this is my favorite Rush album. (Believe it or not- Counterparts is my second favorite). And to boot, I will say that the song “The Pass” is the best song that Rush has ever written or recorded. (And you know that they have many songs to choose from). From a lyrical standpoint it is hard to find a better songwriter than Neil Peart. (You thought I was going to say better drummer than anyone else, right. He is right up there at the top with his skin skills).

The album starts off with the “stop and go” tempo of “Show Don’t Tell.” I love this song, the chorus is addicting as you will find yourself singing it all day long. Geddy Lee’s vocals and bass work is outstanding as well as Peart rolling drum work throughout. “Show Me Don’t Tell Me.. Hey order in the court..” Listen to this song (and the entire album) with a good set of headphones and you will not be disappointed. “Chain Lightning” has an upbeat groove that will have you bouncing your head and up & down. The bridge into the chorus is top notch as the “stop & go” effect continues. It really is amazing the sound that emanates from just three people. Love the ending with the baritone voice that says “That’s Nice.” Now track # 3 “The Pass” again is the best song that Rush has ever written in my opinion. The bass work just hooks you in along with the passionate lyrics topped off with Geddy’s vocal approach. The first time I heard this song I knew it was special and it still sounds brand new. I’m at a loss of words to try and describe how much I love this song, don’t ever tell me that you think the song is just OK or that is not good. I was raised to not say anything if I didn’t have anything good to say, so take that approach. When Geddy passionately cries “Christ what have you done”.. Again at a loss for words. Track # 4 is my second favorite Rush song of all time and that is “War Paint.”“No more of his excuses it has to be today..” The production of these two songs is of the highest quality and talk about passion? This song has an infectious groove that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. When it reaches its crescendo with the heavy bass lines and the pounding drums I say can it get any better? “Boys and Girls together paint the mirror black, the mirror always lies.” “Scars” is sort of a “quasi dance like” song that highlights the drumming skills of Mr. Peart. The chorus on this song (as well as the others) is addicting. Then it’s on to the last song on side 1- “Presto.” How great is this song? It gets you from the first note played and you ask yourself “Why couldn’t I write this song?” The bridge into the guitar solo for me is the best part of the song. “Don’t ask me I’m just improvising… can’t you see my temperature is rising..” If I was a drummer I would love to play this song as well.

Side 2 starts off with the aforementioned “Superconductor” a rocking head-banging (Ok not so much head banging but you get my drift). This song use to get a lot of air time on classic rock FM radio back when the album came out. “Anagram” (for Mongo) is the coolest lyrical song ever written, again in my opinion. It’s a play on words as Peart creates words using the same letters, or contains letters from larger words. “Miracles will have their claimers” is my favorite one of the song. Now I will admit when I first heard “Red Tide” I wasn’t so enthralled but after giving it more listens, it really grew on me and it could be one of the best songs on this album. Lifeson’s guitar work on this song is really impressive. “Hand Over Fist” was also another song that took me a while to grasp but when it did, it grabbed me and made me realize how good it is.It seems to be a soft song but at points it gets real rough and has a driving force to it. The bridge is the best part of the song as Geddy takes over on bass and vocals. Of course, the drumming is always there and keeps the song moving along.The “Available Light” starts out with a slow groove but you know at some point it is going to take off and it does about one minute into the track. The chorus is epic like and all three guys bring it home with their separate but forceful skills on bass, guitar and drums. What a perfect song to end this classic album.

Like I said, there probably are “better” Rush albums but for me- this is the one!! Key tracks again: “The Pass” and “War Paint.”

Negotiations between the Beatles and I-Tunes have stalled and Mr. McCartney says it could be a while before it’s settled. Or maybe it won’t be settled.

Back on this day in 1982, Lionel Richie had his first number 1 hit as a solo artist with “Truly.” 1982?? Can it be that long ago??

Back on this day in 1968, Cream performed its last concert at the legendary Royal Albert Hall in London.

If it is your birthday today, you share the same birth date with the legendary Tina Turner.

Weekly Update – 11/21/08

BB King with Buddy Guy at the newly renovated Beacon Theater ($15M original restoration started in Sept. and will finish up in Feb. 2009) on Sat. Feb. 21, 2009. (This is a “can’t miss” show if you have never seen either of these legends and to boot it’s a Saturday night-so no excuses). Tickets on sale this morning at 10:00 a.m. $62 – $139.50

Holiday Bash ‘08 at Nassau Coliseum on Sat. Dec. 27. Show features performances from T.I., Ludacris, Young Jeezy and more. Tickets on sale tomorrow, Nov. 22 at 10:00 a.m. $35.50 – $125.50.

Emmylou Harris at the Beacon Theater on Sun. Feb. 22, 2009. Tickets on sale tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m.  $39.50 – $79.50.

Saliva at The Highline Ballroom on Mon. Dec. 15. Tickets on sale today at noon.Somewhere between $25 and $35. (Get your ear plugs ready for this one- right Sal?)

Snow Patrol at The Bowery Ballroom on Mon. Dec. 1. Tickets on sale tomorrow at noon. $30.

Tribute to R.E.M. at Carnegie Hall on Wed. Mar. 11, 2009. Over 20 acts set to perform the music of R.E.M. Pre-sale on now at www.q1043.com Ticket prices range from $38 – $275. All proceeds will go to fund music education programs for under-privileged children.

Steve Winwood at the United Palace Theater on Thurs. Jan. 15, 2009. Tickets on sale todayat 10:00 a.m. $40 – $110.

Chris Brown at the Mohegan Sun on Sat. Dec. 27. Tickets on sale tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m.$65 – $85.

Other items:

Ok folks I know that I am a fan of AC/DC and may have been a little biased in my positive review of their show last week but I am still scratching my head on the review given by the NY Times that appeared in last Friday’s edition. It was a “luke warm” review at best. I seriously don’t know what show he was watching. I can guarantee you if you polled those who attended, 98% would say it was a fantastic show. I again defy you to find a show that can match the level of energy & intensity from both the artist and the fans. So what if “it’s the same old stuff recycled?” Does that mean that they can’t put on a great show? As I mentioned, they have had many years of experience to mold and scope their live & stage show, which has become an undeniable spectacle. Why does AC/DC get criticized for staying true to their form? I can think of plenty of other artists whose “sound” rarely ever changed; the Ramones and Chuck Berry quickly come to mind. So are we not to listen (or attend a Chuck Berry show) to these acts because they have not “moved on” in the mind of some of these “reviewer’s” minds? Music artists’ have it tough as they aim to please both the critics and the fans. Metallica has the world’s best “haters” because they dared to try and change their sound. (see “The Black Album”). Chris Cornell is now going through his toughest criticism in his career just because he has done a new album with the most popular producer out their today- Timbaland. And I know critics laugh because AC/DC is still doing the same things after all these years but you know what, the fans are the ones laughing at them because of what they do not know. I’ve said it all along folks, music needs to move you; it is a passion and those who don’t feel it should not cast dispersions on those who do feel it….. And I stand by my review.

Last night I was walking near the Waldorf on the corner of 49st & Lexington when I noticed a man and a woman. As I passed by them I said to myself, man that guy looks familiar. Then it hit me, it was Joey Kramer– the drummer from Aerosmith. Well I had to turn around and I asked “Are you Joey Kramer?” He nodded yes and I was so stoked I didn’t even know what to say after that, I just shook his hand and kept on going. Now how cool is that? I finally met a rock star on the streets of NY!!

Speaking of meeting rock stars, Twisted Sister will be appearing at J&R Music World (lower Manhattan) tonight at 5:30 p.m. to sign their new CD release, “Live at The Astoria” which was recorded in London and supposedly was one of their greatest performances. Also appearing at J&R at noon is the legendary Brian Wilson who is there to sign copies of his latest release, “That Lucky Old Sun.”

If you’re like me and drive in your car a lot to get around, you know when you hear a song on the radio and you just CRANK IT up as loud as you can take it. C’mon you know you do. Well I heard “The Rover” last night on the way home and you know the feeling when you haven’t heard a song or a band in a while? Well I think I transformed into Robert Plant for the 5 and a half minutes. How friggin’ great is that song? Forget it, the friggin’ best!!!

This week’s Rolling Stone magazine is a special edition, naming the top 100 singers of all time. The voters include artists, music producers, Members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, MTV, VH1 and obviously members of RS. The top 10 are the following:

1.     Aretha Franklin

2.     Ray Charles

3.     Elvis

4.     Sam Cooke

5.     John Lennon

6.     Marvin Gaye

7.     Bob Dylan

8.     Otis Redding

9.     Stevie Wonder

10.    James Brown

Now look I am not taking anything away from the impact both Bob Dylan and James Brown have had on the history of music. They are probably two of the most influential people in all of music. What would the world be without Dylan or Brown, it’s unimaginable, right? I would say that they should crack the top 10 “artists” of all time, but as singers? C’mon now, Dylan as a pure singer? … “Yooooouuuu got a lotta nerve to say you are my friend….” Great song no doubt, but you know you have imitated him singing it and made fun of the way he sings it. Take most James Brown songs and tell me if you understand what he is saying? (Remember those Eddie Murphy skits on SNL?) Again I’m just talking about singing.

Now how can the list of 100 greatest singers not include Frank Sinatra but include Axl Rose at number 64? Tony Bennett, no where on the list but you’ll find Iggy Pop at number 75? Are you kidding me?… I’m taking deep breaths…Bjork is listed as # 60 and Barbara Streisand can’t crack this list?…Or how about Kurt Cobain at number 45? (Have you heard his great vocals in “Smells Like Teen Spirit?”) Number 45??!!! and Diana Ross is no where to be found on this list. Again no offense, but Neil Young at # 37 and Crosby, Stills or Nash are invisible? Gregg Allman voted number 70 and Dean Martin can’t even get an appearance? No Dean, No Frank, No Tony… I thought this was for all time? Hey what about Bing Crosby? Nat King Cole? Englebert Humperdinck? Barry, Maurice or Robin Gibb? George Harrison? Ann Wilson? Billie Holiday? Judy Garland? Ella Fitzgerald?

I commend RS for doing this because it definitely gets the juices flowing and that is what they wanted to do. But for my two cents, the voters did not listen to the instructions. They were asked to list their favorite 20 singers, not artists.

RS also gave Chinese Democracy a four star rating and stated that “it was worth the wait.” The big day is this Sunday. The second single “Better” can be heard at www.q1043.com and again it sounds pretty good. I’m most likely going to take the plunge.

Rumor has it Kiss will team up with the new Queen (with Paul Rodgers) and tour in 2009. I’m in!!

Nickelback has released its sixth studio album- Dark Horse. I like some of their songs, I’m not a huge fan and I have to tell you with some of the juvenile lyrics to some of these new songs, it’s almost embarrassing. Not sure what they were thinking when they recorded it or by releasing it.

Rod Stewart has confirmed The Faces reunion after 30 years and supposedly they will tour in 2009. Aah it will be good to have the rock and roll Rod back!!! Faces was a solid band, check their music out anyway you can.

My favorite video of the week is Weezer’s “Trouble Maker.” How cool is this video? If you have not seen it, you need to check it out. This song will definitely crack the top 10 songs of 2008.

“And 5, now this is most important, Rat…comes down to making out… whenever possible.. put on side 1 of Led Zeppelin IV”

I’ve decided to add a new section to other items and that is the “perfect album side” so now you should know where the quote above is from, right?…. yes… the 1982 classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High.. so from now on when and if you see this quote you know it’s a recommendation for a perfect album side. (yes, the old WPLJ and WNEW FM stations use to play these all the time, so this is not new). So this week’s recommendation is “Side 2” of The Cars debut album back in 1978. Now don’t get me wrong the whole album was and still is an instant classic but side 2 is phenomenal. (And it also includes a song that was included on the soundtrack for Fast Times).

Side two starts off with the unforgettable “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight.” The “outer space” drum effect gets me all the time when I hear it and I immediately have to turn it up loud. And how about when the great guitar work of Elliot Easton kicks in? “I don’t care if you even the score.. well you can mock me and I don’t care… cause you’re all I’ve got tonight…” The first time I heard the song I thought it was ending and then BOOM one of the best guitar solos on any song you can find keeps it going and you want more. I’m telling you right now a good set of headphones and you’re are set!! The next song-“Bye Bye Love” features the drum work from Mr. David Robinson and the keyboard work from Mr. Greg Hawkes. (And of course the solo again from Easton). What I love about the last 3 songs on side two is the vocals from Benjamin Orr. Again don’t misread, Ocasek is so solid on vocals but I’m partial to Orr songs because I think he had a passion that shined through loud and clear. (And his bass work on this particular song ain’t too shabby either). “It’s an orangey sky, always with some other guy, you’re just a broken lullaby… bye.. bye love.” I can’t get enough of this song and how great is the ending that flows right into the classic “Moving In Stereo.” When I hear this song I still get that notion that it is something like I have never heard before. How different is this song from any song you’ve ever heard? You can’t dismiss it, it’s infectious and it grows and grows on you. My favorite part of the whole song is when Orr sounds like he’s singing out a bullhorn after the song reaches its crescendo. “Life’s the same, I’m movin’ in stereo.. life’s the same except for my shoes…” The song actually includes Hawkes as the co-writer and of course is featured in the pool scene in Ridgemont High. That outer space feeling comes back as you enter the last song “All Mixed Up.” This song cracks my top 20 songs of all time without a doubt, whenever I hear it; I am reminded of that fact. This song has it all- great lyrics, vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass and a brilliant saxophone solo.“She said to leave it to me, everything will be allright…” How about the “Queen”-like vocals with “It’s all mixed up” using the high soprano effect along with the baritone aspect.

I can’t say enough about this album and The Cars and if you want to give them a chance, why not start off with this album side (and the whole album of course). This was voted the # 282 out of 500 albums of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

Back on this day in 1991, Aerosmith appeared on the animated show “The Simpsons” for the episode titled “Flaming Moes.” Can you believe that was 17 years ago?

If you were born on this date, you share a birthday with Dr. John. (Right Place, Wrong Time- pretty cool song, right?).

Back on this day in 1990, Mick Jagger married Jerri Hall, the marriage would last 8 years.

Don’t forget to get your free can of Dr. Pepper this Sunday. Go to www.drpepper.com to redeem your coupon.

Concert Review: AC/DC at Madison Square Garden on 11/13/2008

Concert Review: AC/DC at Madison Square Garden on Thursday November 13, 2008.

“They Still Got It”: A Night of Pure Euphoria.

OK it has happened again. I, along with 18,000 other people, witnessed one of the best nights in concert history at Madison Square Garden. At this point in their career, AC/DC has molded their live shows into a “Masterpiece Theater” experience. I can honestly say that on any night of this current tour, each show will be a carbon copy of what happened last night (and of course on Wednesday night). Think about the times in your life when you experienced pure adoration. Maybe it was your wedding day, birth of a child, or whatever it is- you know the feeling I’m talking about. As I sit here writing about the show some 12 hours later, I am still in a state of euphoria as I recall the highlights of the show. I think I saw two of the best songs ever performed at the Garden last night with their classics “TNT” and “Whole Lotta Rosie.” Pure and simple, this is Rock & Roll the way it was intended to be. I will do my best to put you in my seat (although you will not be sitting).

Let me start from the beginning, now you all knew that I did not get tickets for the show when they first went on sale. Trying to put my disappointment on the backburner was tough as I ached to see the show. I knew what I was going to miss as I have seen them numerous times and throw in the fact that this could be their last tour ever, well….. Then it happened, a phone call, no let me say THE phone call from one of my long-time friends from Brooklyn, Mr. Slats. He asks me if I want to go to the show. I could feel a rush of adrenaline shoot throughout my whole body as I tried to contain my excitement. I calmly said that I would love to but with certain conditions going on I didn’t feel it was the right thing to do. He says the ticket is on the house, well folks; my Christmas present had come early for me this year. I was so appreciative I couldn’t even put into words, so hopefully this points out how I feel. In addition, he tells me that his cousin & his son are attending the show (his cousin was responsible for obtaining the tickets) and that this would be their first time seeing AC/DC live in concert. Actually I didn’t even tell them what to expect, I knew what was coming and actually was basking in the fact that I now have more witnesses to substantiate my positive reviews. We started off the night at a place called F.A.T.S. on 33^rd street and when we walked in I thought AC/DC was on stage in there. Their music was blaring from every crevice of the restaurant along with about 50 flat screen TV’s that was replaying one of their festival concerts. Can I get any more psyched? I couldn’t wait to see them live at the greatest place on the planet to see an arena show- Madison Square Garden.

As we walked to the Garden, I felt at home. I was back in time as I know the same people that starting out seeing them back in the 1970’s were walking along shoulder to shoulder down the aisle again to the land of Oz. (remember VH?). Now folks just for a second I diverge from AC/DC for a second to let you know that it was exactly one year ago to the day, Nov. 13, that I was walking down the aisles to see the reunited Van Halen tour, so you know karma was on my side. Now sure, some of us have gone gray or lost some but the soul is still there. You could feel the electricity in the air and for this night all I was interested in was watching AC/DC, so we missed the opening band. (No offense to them). The best shows are always when the arena is completely filled and no one is sitting down. After the opening band finished, we made our way to the seats and all around the Garden you could see the red lighted devil horns on people’s heads flashing. Even that got me psyched, so you know I was basically losing my mind with anticipation. Now the stage is a picture of perfection (without a doubt, a long way from playing the bars in Australia). The Marshall Amps looked like a NY city block of buildings, (maybe the same size). There was a huge oval towards the front with a long runway that went out about 20-25 rows deep. At the end of the runway was a round circle stage that was surrounded by handrails. Later on this stage elevated into the air as Angus was rolling around whaling on the guitar. Right smack in the middle of the stage was a huge train. On both sides of the train were a huge rectangular screen and a smaller square screen that was real high in the air. Across the stage were about 16-17 squares that looked like the gratings on the city streets where you can hear the subway under your feet. It was actually a glass like structure where there were cameras underneath filming the boys walking over them and putting them up on the screen. It was technology at it best for this very old-fashioned rock band.

The lights go out and here it comes, the Super Bowl of all concerts. A film starts with a train rolling down the tracks and right away it is loud. It then morphs into an adult cartoon with some sexual overtones laced in. (c’mon its rock ‘n roll right??!!) As we see the cartoonish Angus-like figure hanging on the outside of this runaway train waiting for him to jump off, he does and the train crashes right into your face and then BOOM a fireball explosion erupts from the center of the stage. There they are!! Live and in your face from the opening chords of “Rock N Roll Train” off of their new album Black Ice. You are now officially there and in for the ride of your life as the crowd is in frenzied state. The main cogs in the wheel for AC/DC- Malcolm Young, Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams are in the back of the stage looking like a triangle as Rudd’s drum set sits in between Young and Williams. There he is Mr. Malcolm Young shaking his head up and down playing a guitar that seems much larger than him. He looks as if he is being electrocuted as he basically stays in the same position for most of the night. As a friend of mine, Ed, (who saw them on Wednesday night) stated, Malcolm is the match that ignites the fire in AC/DC.The front of the stage is for Brian Johnson and Angus Young and for most of the night Mr. Johnson let Angus take the spotlight. Angus was decked out in the trademark schoolboy outfit which was burgundy velvet this time around. I have to say that colors were a big part of this show as his outfit with all the different lighting fixtures really crystallized the appearance of the show. As Brain approached the chorus of the song, the crowd took over with “train ride on the tracks” in unison. As the song ended, the crowd was out of its mind and it was only going to get better. Mr. Johnson tells the crowd that they were going to do the new with the old and with that they laced into ‘Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be” (from their 2^nd studio album-“Let There Be Rock”). As the drums start the third song of the night, one of the first highlights, the crowd realizes that it is “Back in Black” and talk about rabid? The fans wanted more and they were going to get it. Everyone sang word for word and as the song came to an end, Dan says to me that that is the best rock and roll song ever written. I hear someone behind us say, “They Still Got It.”

The fourth song of the night is “Big Jack” off of Ice and again I stand by my statement that if AC/DC allowed their songs on I-Tunes, this would be the most popular download. Most of the crowd appeared to know the new songs and the chorus is easy to pick up for this song so they happily sang along. All the while, everyone was doing their best air guitaring imitation of Angus, this song is perfect to snap your neck head banging. Brain leans into the microphone and says the next song is the ideal song for this town- “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.” I am telling you right now folks, witnessing them play this song again (yes I don’t care how many times you have heard it) is something that can’t be put into words. Everyone who was there understands what I’m talking about, so I’m trying to make you feel it but I may fall short. “Enough to drive you nuts…” Throughout this song there were green lights that hit the stage over Angus as he played his guitar solo that again just enhanced the event.

As the night progressed and I looked around the Garden there was one particular corporate box that had a whole bunch of people wearing the blinking devil horns dancing around having the time of their lives. How can you not smile when you see that? During the bluesy “The Jack” Angus did a strip-tease but this time down to underwear that had the bands name on it. I think people outside MSG heard the crowd singing this one. The huge bell fell from the ceiling as Angus started to swing on the rope to start “Hells Bells,” I defy anyone to tell me those opening sounds of the bell does not pump you up. “I’m a rolling thunder pouring rain; I’m coming down like a hurricane.” The frantic pace continued right into “Shoot to Thrill” and at this point I’m close to passing out on how great the show is. But wait it would only get better. As they played “War Machine” off of Ice, Brian was off to the side of the stage shadow boxing and looking like a clean shaven Paulie from the Rocky series. Just picture one of your older male relatives on the dance floor at a wedding swinging their arm side to side. Then the highlight of the night and maybe in all of MSG’s history: the incomparable “TNT.” Again picture 18,000 people having their arms a little above their heads moving their arms back and forth from the elbows up and screaming “Eye, Eye.” As the lights came on and displayed the entire Garden having a grand all time, I was at a loss for words. It can’t get any better, could it? Yes it can and did because the next song was “Whole Lotta Rosie.” I started to forget that I was around other people as I had my eyes closed and was somewhere off in a dream world as felt myself floating away. When I opened my eyes, I saw this huge inflatable doll, of course Rosie, and since this is a family page I won’t say where her hand was. Then to top it off, was the electric “Let There Be Rock” and this is where Angus rode up in the air that small circular stage I mentioned earlier. His guitar solo was fantastic as he hit the floor and swirled his body in a circular motion with his head being the steering wheel. As they said goodnight, I wanted more and I knew they were coming back for more.

The encores were the classic “Highway to Hell” and “For Those About to Rock.” Now people who attended my wedding know that during the reception there was a block of rock & roll music played by the DJ (yes my records) and AC/DC was included. One of the songs played was “Highway to Hell” so I was brought back to my wedding day when the opening chords hit the crowd. Then the cannons came out all lined up above and behind Phil Rudd as you knew what was coming. Explosion after explosion… As folks exited the Garden all the talk was about how great the show was. One guy said that it was going to be hard to wipe the smile off of his face for a while. It was one big happy family as the chants of “An-gus, clap-clap” echoed in the stairwells as we headed back down to earth to leave the Garden. Another job well done!! Thanks to Dan and Ron for the opportunity to go to the show. And to Joey- not many people can say that their first concert was AC/DC, it may be a while before you find something to top this experience of a lifetime.

Set List:

1  Rock and Roll Train

2  Hell Ain’t a Bad Place To Be

3  Back in Black

4  Big Jack

5  Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

6  Thunderstruck

7  Black Ice

8  The Jack

9  Hells Bells

10  Shoot to Thrill

11  War Machine

12  Anything Goes

13  You Shook Me All Night Long

14  TNT

15  Whole Lotta Rosie

16  Let There Be Rock

Guitar solo

17  Highway to Hell (Encore)

18  For Those About to Rock (Encore)

Weekly Update – 11/14/2008

Motley Crue with Theory of a Deadman, Hinder and the Last Vegas at Madison Square Garden on Mon. Mar. 16. (They are also in a city near you, so check at www.ticketmaster.com )Tickets on sale next Sat. Nov. 22 at 10:00 a.m.. $25 – $75.

John Legend at Radio City Music Hall on Thurs. Feb. 5, 2009. Pre-sale tickets for American Express cardholders go on sale tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. until next Fri. at 5:00 p.m.General public tickets on sale next Sat. Nov. 22 at 10:00 a.m. $40.50 – $70.50

Aaron Lewis at Mohegan Sun on Sat. Feb. 28, 2009. Tickets on sale this morning at 10:00 a.m.$35 – $45.

Jimmy Eat World at The Blender Theater on Mon. Feb. 23. Tickets on sale today at noon. $35.

Gipsy Kings at Radio City Music Hall on Fri. Feb. 17. Tickets on sale today at 9:00 a.m. $39.50 – $79.50.

Other items:

Thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Mitch Mitchell, who passed away at the young age of 62 this past Wednesday of natural causes. He was the drummer for the legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience band and played the skins for the legendary “Are You Experienced” album. I don’t even want to know if you don’t own this album…. Please don’t say anything.. His drumming skills on “Third Stone from the Sun” shine brightly. How great is this album?… and to be part of that history is something that his family and friends should be very proud of. He was the last surviving member as Noel Redding passed away in 2003 and we all know about the devastating loss to the music world back in September 1970 as Jimi passed away at the very young age of 27.

My favorite song of the week comes from Switchfoot with the tune “This is Home” from their greatest hits record “The Best Yet.”

The man, Kevin Cogill, who pleaded guilty for illegally posting Guns & Roses “Chinese Democracy” album on to the web, will not serve any jail time. Officials still don’t know how he had access to the new songs, so I guess when Nov. 23 rolls around, he too can get a free can of Dr. Pepper. Something doesn’t appear right here, or is it me? By the way, the title track is really growing on me- it doesn’t mean I’ll be attending the show he’s going to cancel.

My other favorite song of the week is the cover of “Rusty Cage” by Johnny Cash. I know everyone talks about his re-work of “Hurt” by NIN but his cover of the classic Soundgarden song is infectious. When the drums kick in to this tune, man the song gets that much better. I can listen to it all day.

Doctors are optimistic that Chi Cheng, bassist for the Deftones, will recover from life threatening injuries suffered in a Nov. 3 car accident. Supposedly three off-duty EMT’s were driving by the scene and are credited with saving his life.

A new Bruce Springsteen song- “Workin’ on a Dream” will be premiered nationally, this Sunday night at halftime between the Dallas Cowboys & Washington Redskins. Tune into NBC to listen. His new album is supposedly coming out in January and this song will be part of it.

I picked up the Christmas album by Harry Connick Jr.- “What a Night” and will wait to see if there will be a Christmas album to top this one. Picture perfect songs for all holiday occasions- tree trimming, house parties, and especially for Christmas Eve. The duet with his 10-year old daughter, Kate, “Winter Wonderland” is fun for the whole family, especially when she needles him about how slow his version is. There are two spectacular songs that you need to own, he gets help from Kim Burrell and all I can say is “wow.” “Let There Be peace on Earth” and “Song for the Hopeful” are phenomenal songs. Other highlights are “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “Please Come Home for Christmas.” Now I know I took some ribbing for this previously but I’ll say it again-this is the perfect album for sitting in front of the fireplace with a cup of cheer!!

Dave Grohl will appear as a judge on the cable show “Top Chef” which will be aired on Sun. Nov. 26.

I caught Taylor Swift performing with Def Leppard on CMT on a show called “Crossroads” last Friday night and I have to tell you, it was impressive. I was actually more impressed with the boys for playing and singing along on her songs. Her band and Leppard lit up the stage. Their collaborative effort on “Our Story” was spot on and again I was amazed on how well Joe Elliot fit in on the vocal side with her. “Love Story” was another highlight from her catalog. From the Def Leppard standpoint, Taylor’s mom was a huge fan so she was so psyched to play with them and it showed. They did a smoking version of “Photograph” and she was a’rockin’. The highlight of the show for me was “Hysteria”- I think this might be my favorite song from the boys- and Ms. Swift blended in perfectly. Again love these obscure combinations so keep them coming.

Speaking of Taylor, her new album “Fearless” was released this past Tuesday and almost 1,800 people wrote reviews on I-Tunes and the average ranking was 4.5 stars. She’s destined for stardom if she isn’t already there.

Frank Sinatra Enterprises, LLC has released his Christmas collection this week and it includes a couple duets with Bing Crosby and his children. There are highlights from his 1957 holiday show on ABC and songs recorded in 1968. Again I’ll use the word-spectacular!

This week’s I-Tune shuffle landed on “It’s All Over Now” (not the original version by Booby and Shirley Womack) but the cover version by Molly Hatchet off of the 1979 classic “Flirtin’ with Disaster.” Now I know what you’re thinking- “I thought that was the only song made by Hatchet”- well you’re wrong. The boys from Jacksonville, FL had a solid career and were very relevant into the late 1990’s. This is another band which had its issues and were shuffling members in and out. Danny Joe Brown, the lead vocalist on “Flirtin”, was on the bands first few albums but left and then came back in the early 1980’s. “Flirtin” was their second album and sold over 2 million in the U.S. alone and reached number 19 on the Bilboard charts. The album starts the sweet sound of southern boogie rock and roll with “Whiskey Man.” It is on now, do you hear it blasting out of my speakers? I don’t know about you but this is the type of music that gets me pumped. This was the sound back in the late 1970’s. Remember the battle lines that were drawn for Lynyrd Skynryd and The Allman Brothers? I like both so I never took sides. Hatchet and .38 Special sprung up at that time and they are both linked to Skynyrd. Love the harmonica action in Whiskey Man, and the two guitar sound (that was the thing back then) works so well. Danny’s vocals are so identifiable and he sounds passionate-which is a requirement in my book. “It’s All Over Now” is a faster version of the original and has to get you out of your seat. Even the original fans of Mr. Womack have to like this version. It’s a hand clapping, knee slapping song that rocks your socks off. “One Man’s Pleasure” puts you somewhere in the hills of the Smokey Mountains in TN riding your pickup with the windows down and this sound blasting out. It’s has a nice groove and the guitar solo hits the spot. “Jukin City” sounds just like it’s spelled. Just a fun song and again you’ll be clapping your hands together to the beat. I picture lots of people in a country dance hall having fun with this one. Side One comes to an end with the slow blues like guitar driven song called “Boogie No More.” It’s hard to find a cooler sounding song. Listen to this song LOUD and if you can take it, LOUD with a set of headphones and I defy you to tell me you don’t love the guitar work on this song!!

Side two begins with their only nationally recognized tune, “Flirtin’ With Disaster.” Now I know, no matter how many times you have this song, there is no way to skip over this song, change the dial or turn it off, right? My favorite part is when he whistles as they are shredding one of the best guitar solos ever in a song.C’mon this song has to psych you up, no??!!! I’m “air-guitaring” throughout this whole song. (It is actually featured as a song on “Rock Band.”) The grooving continues with the foot stomping “Good Rockin’.” It was written by all six members of the band at the time, so everyone had an ingredient to add. “Gunsmoke” is a rocking tune that needs to be played with the volume way up, especially during the bridge into the guitar solo. “Long Time” makes me picture one of the old cowboy movies, where the men pull up to the saloon, tie their horse up and walk through those swinging doors looking for a drink or maybe something else. The album ends with the kicking “Let the Good Times Roll.” This song is the shortest in time but packs a wallop of a punch. It needs to be played as loud as you can take it. I love the drums in this song and have I mentioned the “two guitar” sound effect? They sound as if they had a blast making this song.

Well we all need our southern rock fix sometimes, I know I do. This genre is lots of fun to listen to and “Flirtin’” is in a class all by itself. Why not give it a chance? You might be hooked and then venture into some other great acts or albums. Keep on rockin’!!!

Back on this day in 1982, the song by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes– “Up Where We Belong” hit number 1 on the billboard charts. Remember the classic movie “Officer & a Gentleman?”- my favorite Gere movie. “Yes, sir… no sir.”

Back on this day in 1972 Johnny Nash had the number one song with “I Can See Clearly Now.” What a great song, if I had a one hit wonder- I would want it to be this one.

Back on this day in 1961, the movie “Blue Hawaii” premiered and of course it starred The King himself, Elvis.

Weekly Update – 11/07/08

John Legend at the Fairfield University on Sat. Dec. 6. Tickets on sale next Sat. Nov. 15 at 6:00 a.m. (It says 6:00 a.m. but I doubt that) $40.00

Simply Red at Radio City Music Hall on Sun. Mar. 15, 2009. Tickets on sale today at 10:00 a.m. $39.50 – $129.50.

Kid Rock at Borgota Event Center in Atlantic City on Fri. Feb. 13, 2009. Tickets on sale tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m.

The Ting Tings at The Blender Theater on Tues. Dec. 9. Tickets on sale this morning at 10:00 a.m. $25.

Chrisette Michele at Apollo Theater on Fri. Feb. 5. Tickets on sale tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. $60.50

Moe at Terminal 5 on Fri. and Sat. Feb. 13 and 14 2009. Tickets on sale tomorrow at noon. $32.50.

Candlebox at The New York Fillmore at Irving Plaza on Fri. Dec. 12. Tickets on sale today at noon. $22.50.

Blue Oyster Cult (whom some felt should have been on the top 10 Halloween songs with “Don’t Fear the Reaper”) at BB Kings on Sat. Jan. 24, 2009. Tickets on sale now. $27.50

Angie Stone at BB Kings on Tues. Feb. 17, 2009. Tickets on sale now. $30

Other items:

Thoughts and prayers go out to Deftones bassist Chi Cheng, 38, (and his family) who is currently in a coma after being in a car accident on Nov. 3 in Santa Clara, CA. He is in serious but stable condition. Hopefully he comes out of this OK.

Justice has finally been done. AC/DC appears on the cover of the Nov. 13 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine for the FIRST time ever. Can you imagine? (And to boot Rudd and Williams are left out on this cover). It’s a disgrace that a music magazine can ignore one of the most popular acts in rock history. However, frustration set aside, the article on them is very good. Last year RS finally wrote an article on Rush– whom also had been virtually ignored by them. What???????? Why?????? Help me………….

Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” has become the first non-current, or “catalog,” song ever to sell two million digital downloads, according to Nielsen/Soundscan figures released this week. (2 million can you believe that?) The song originally appeared on Journey’s 1981 Escape album, but its popularity has only increased over the years. In 2005, “Don’t Stop Believin’” became the unofficial theme of World Series Champs the Chicago White Sox. The clincher came just last year, when the song was featured in the final episode of HBO’s smash series The Sopranos. The weekend after the episode aired, iTunes sales of “Don’t Stop Believin’” shot up an incredible 482 percent.

The more I listen to “Death Magnetic” by Metallica, the better it gets. Have you purchased it yet? What are you waiting for? Friggin’ ROCKS!! \m/ \m/

Michael Franti & Spearhead have released a new single “Hey World (Don’t Give Up)” and I have to say I love it. The video is gripping as well. These guys have a good sound.

My favorite old school song of the week belongs to Mr. Alice Cooper with “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” “My dog bit me on the leg today; my cat clawed my eye… I went to church incognito..” Very good song.

My other favorite old school song of the week is “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” by The Spinners. You remember this song. Man, how great is this song. This is when music was music. (I sound like my dad, huh?)

Former Pantera and current Hell Yeah drummer, Vinnie Paul Abbott will publish a paperback photo book/DVD on his late brother “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, guitarist for Pantera, on Nov. 18. He will appear at Best Buy in New York on Nov. 22 to sign the book. Time and venue to be announced. Vinnie did the book with his father, Jerry, which took over a year to complete. Darrell, was killed in Dec. 2004 while performing with his band, Damage Plan in Columbus Ohio.

The Kinks are supposedly writing new songs and could potentially reunite for a tour in 2009. Currently Ray Davies is touring solo and stated it all depends on the health of Dave (his brother), who suffered a stroke in 2004. Ray says it’s too early yet to determine if and when it will happen.

As I mentioned last week I am not following the dumb idea to not have Robert Plant part of the Led Zeppelin reunion, that said- Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge has been rumored to be the singer. (I will never ever say “fill in for” or “replace” or “substitute” or whatever, ahhh I’m sick to my stomach on this one. Obviously there is more to the story here, huh?).

CD Review: I picked up the “Elvis Presley Christmas Duets” and after giving it a few listens, I have to say that it is not as good as I expected. Now keep in mind that I grew up on Elvis and love his music. I won’t even listen to anyone who doesn’t recognize his ultimate status in music history. My favorite Elvis songs have always been his Christmas songs, so to flirt with perfection (and I mean pure excellence) is a hard pill for me to swallow. Now on the other hand, I have always enjoyed and encourage collaborations amongst artists. (See Aerosmith and Run DMC). I will say that there are some songs that work. The one song that fits like a glove is “Merry Christmas Baby” that features Gretchen Wilson. This song actually seems like Elvis and Gretchen recorded this together, it has a natural flow. Only problem I have with this song is that it is way too long, coming in at over 8 minutes long. The one song that doesn’t work at all is Elvis’ classic version of “Silent Night.” When I listen to the original it puts me in a trance, so beautiful it’s hard to put into words. No offense to Sara Evans, who has nice vocals, but her pitch is too high for Elvis’s subdued bass like vocal. It’s almost annoying.

Here are the highlights (besides Gretchen as mentioned above): “Blue Christmas” with Martina McBride. This song also took me more than a few listens to finally give it a “thumbs up.” Her pitch is very good with Elvis and the song sounds real.“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”- this is one of my all time favorite Christmas songs by Elvis- and I did not want this song touched but I have to say that Carrie Underwood pulls it off. They basically sing it separately and take different verses and only at the end of the song do they sing together. “White Christmas” with Amy Grant is done very nicely and it seems effortless, so this works. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” is very pleasing to the ear as the female portion of Little Big Town-Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman- do a beautiful job on the background vocals. (Little Big Town is my favorite Country Group).

Here are the songs that are good but nothing really stands out: “Here Comes Santa Claus” with LeAnn Rimes is a decent combination although at some points her pitch is much higher than his vocals.“Santa Claus is Back in Town” should never be re-worked and even though Wyonna Judd is the perfect female for the job, it is just OK. Something’s missing but I can’t put my finger on it. Again it is not bad, but not a standout. “Silver Bells” with Anne Murray is good but I expected more from the combination. Ms. Murray is a beautiful singer in her own right and on paper it seems like a perfect fit but it falls a little short, not much but it does fall short. “O Come, All Ye Faithful” with Olivia Newton John almost drops into the category of not working at all but what makes it succeed, in my opinion, is the fact that Elvis leads most of the vocal arrangements.

The last three songs on the disc feature Elvis only and it shifts your opinion of the whole CD back to saying that it is worth the purchase, with the highlight being “Winter Wonderland.” This CD is a nice collaboration and I would say it is worth the money. However I know Elvis diehards, like my Dad, will not even entertain the thought of listening to this. However, if you keep an open mind, it puts a different perspective on the songs we have enjoyed over many past Christmas seasons. For some it will be refreshing, for others, not so much.

Harry Connick Jr. has released a holiday album and it’s called “What a Night- A Christmas Album.” He brings back the memories of the old days and we need that. He does many of the classic songs with his imprint and it works for me. Play this when you are putting up the tree or at a holiday party. On I-Tunes you get 16 songs for $9.99- you can’t beat that.

Janet Jackson will not make up the 3 weeks of shows she missed due to migraine-associated vertigo. After initially telling her fans that the dates would be made up, Live Nation announced yesterday, those folks are out of luck. The tour was also mired by LL Cool J missing shows due to “scheduling” conflicts. You’d have to say that this leaves a bad taste if you are a fan of Ms. Jackson.

Back on this day in 2002, Mr. Axl Rose caused yet another riot, this time in Vancouver after failing to show up for the first venue of his tour. The whole tour was scratched one month later. He has to own the record for missing the most shows in a career. I can’t wait until he starts up a new tour (and quickly ends it) for the Chinese Democracy release.

Back on this day in 1976, Rod Stewart had the number one hit with “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright).”

Lots of birthday’s today: Joni Mitchell– remember her hit “Help Me” back in 1974. Nick Guilder– remember “Hot Child in the City.” Johnny Rivers-“Secret Agent Man” (and many others) and Mary Travers of Peter Paul & Mary fame. “Leaving on a Jet Plane” is one of my favorite songs. Great sing along song.