Rock On The Range, Columbus, Ohio May 21, 2016 - Day Two

Day two of 2016 Rock on the Range was a drier, rocking event. The rain finally stopped by early evening. There seemed to be a bigger crowd in the stadium vs. Friday night -- likely because of the improved weather. My son Sam and I had a nice day.

Some notes on the performances:

Steel Panther

These guys joke as much as they rock and I liked it. So many bands take themselves too seriously. Not these guys!

Clutch

This was my second time seeing Clutch. They always rock hard. Nice show.

Hellyeah

Not my thing. Next.

Five Finger Death Punch

I had heard of these guys but not heard their stuff. Now count me a fan. Really strong performance. Ivan Moody, lead singer: thanks for tossing the numerous guitar picks, bringing the kids up on stage, and watching out for the younger folks in the mosh pit. You guys rock.

Rob Zombie

The band and Rob Zombie came out to quite an elaborate stage, with everything from a giant boombox to large masks. Punctuated by fireworks and rocking hard throughout, Rob Zombie and band ran thru hits, songs from the new release, and album cuts. Quite the show!

We are about to leave for Day Three! Rock on!

 Steel Panther -- comedy-metal

 Clutch

Hellyeah 

 Five Finger Death Punch

 Lead singer Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch

 Ivan Moody of FFDP

 The ROTR crowd lighting up the night during Five Finger Death Punch set.

 Rob Zombie, Saturday night's headliner

 Rob Zombie

Our favorite ROTR security guy. Rocking the mohawk!

Rock On The Range, Columbus, Ohio May 20, 2016 - Day 1

     My son Sam and I attended Friday's Rock On The Range at the Columbus Crew's Mapfre Stadium on May 20, 2016. We arrived about 4pm and headed over to the FYE Tent to see if we could get any autographs. Disturbed's session was sold out already, so we headed over to the Ernie Ball Stage. 

Bands we saw: Asking Alexandria, Machine Gun Kelly, Megadeth, Shinedown, and Disturbed. It rained from about 7 pm until the next morning. Although some people seemed to head for home early due to the damp weather, the rain did not dampen the spirits of those who stayed and the bands who played. Some notes:

Asking Alexandria

A metalcore band from England, Asking Alexandria put on a good show. Their songs show a variety of styles.

Machine Gun Kelly

My son Sam really looked forward to this show and was not disappointed. Exuding confidence and backed by a solid band and DJ, MGK put on a rousing set. They played quite a few of their songs and did a lively cover of Blink 182's "All The Small Things". MGK vowed to play the main stage next year.

Megadeth

I recall the heyday of Dave Mustaine's Megadeth in the '80s and '90s. I had never seen them live. The current lineup of this thrash metal classic group includes original members Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson. They had a very good set with their music accompanied by videos and short animated clips that added to the live effect. Happy I saw them!

Shinedown

I have listened to many Shinedown songs over time but had never seen them live. The band took to the main stage on Friday night and performed all their hits and many album favorites. The band sounded very solid and Brent Smith was in excellent voice throughout their performance. An excellent addition to RotR this year!

Disturbed

My son Sam would have stood in a hurricane to see Disturbed live. The band sounded terrific and David Draiman was in excellent voice (I do not know how these vocalists don't shred their vocal cords!) throughout the evening. Although classics like "Down With the Sickness" sounded great, I was excited they did a mid-set group of covers that included "The Sound of Silence" (Simon & Garfunkel), "Animal" (Nine Inch Nails), "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (U2), Baba O'Reilly (the Who), and "Killing in the Name Of" (Rage Against the Machine) featuring a surprise guest vocalist: Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach. An excellent, highlight-filled headline show.

     We will be back on Saturday and Sunday for more rock 'n' roll.

Ernie Ball Stage 

Asking Alexandria on the Ernie Ball Stage 

 Machine Gun Kelly of Cleveland, Ohio

 Machine Gun Kelly on the Ernie Ball Stage

 Crowdsurfing at the Ernie Ball Stage during the MGK set.

MGK  

 Disturbed on the Monster Main Stage.

Disturbed as the finish covering "The Sound of Silence" on the Monster Main Stage.

Brian Fallon & the Crowes at the Newport Music Hall, Columbus, Ohio on 1/13/16.

     Brian Fallon is the talented New Jersey rock singer, writer, and guitarist who has been most famously in the Gaslight Anthem band. I read a review of the Gaslight Anthem before I actually heard their music and it said they sounded like Bruce Springsteen singing for the best Cure cover band. What's not to like, I thought! And then I heard them. And I love so many of their songs! In fact, their "'59 Sound" song has meant a lot to me -- in fact, it inspired me to play my father his favorite music in the hours before he died. That will stick with me for a lifetime. And inspired by Brian Fallon.
     Sometimes these blogposts are filled with words a few pictures. This post will be filled with pictures. The band was terrific that night. And I feel like the pictures will tell the story. Thanks for a great show, Brian Fallon and band. I look forward to seeing more performances in the future.

Brian Fallon & the Crowes 

Brian Fallon 

Brian Fallon

Brian Fallon

Brian Fallon & the Crowes

Brian Fallon

Brian Fallon

Brian Fallon & the Crowes

Brian Fallon & the Crowes

Jukebox the Ghost and Mainland at Skully's Music Diner, Columbus, Ohio on 3/3/16

     I was excited to see Jukebox the Ghost again. I in fact had never heard of them until I saw their performance at Atlanta's Shaky Knees Festival 2015. I was stunned that I had never heard their stuff as they were quirky, talented, and catchy. I very much looked forward to seeing them again after listening to their CDs.
Venue: Skully's Music Diner is a live music venue, a diner, a bar, and a dance bar. It holds just enough people to be an intimate space while attracting some name bands. A really nice place to catch a show.
Merch: Both the headliner Jukebox the Ghost and the opener Mainland had t-shirts and CDs and some other cool merch. Nice selection.
Opener: I had not heard of Mainland previously. And another pleasant surprise when an opening band plays that I had not previously heard! These guys are going to be make some really good music and get radio play in the future. I like their catchy sound with a mix of NYC garage (ala the Strokes) sound with some rocking but danceable beats from a classic four piece band. Jordan Topf is the lead singer and he has a really good stage presence and voice to match. Corey Mullee and Greg Pitta are other members in the band. After hearing their performance and buying their EP, I look forward to hearing more from them.
Headliner: Jukebox the Ghost were great! I was happy to see a "full show" from them since a festival show is often abbreviated. They did not disappoint. They did so many of the songs I wanted to hear, were funny and quirky, and sounded terrific. They even did a cover of "Under Pressure" by Queen featuring David Bowie. That was the third time I'd ever heard that song live: David Bowie performed it when I saw him (with a female backup singer doing the Freddie Mercury part), Queen with Adam Lambert performed it (with the drummer Roger Taylor doing David Bowie's part), and now Jukebox the Ghost. Somehow JtG has not gotten much airtime (hello, CD102.5) in the Central Ohio area. I hope that changes in the future!
After show: Skully's lends itself to interacting with the band after the show and this show followed that tendency. Mainland came out and were hanging out by the merch table, signing autographs, and posing for pictures. I spoke with Jordan the lead singer. He asked me about my concert t-shirt (sadly, I have no idea which one I was wearing), we talked about Sound City Studios where their EP was recorded, and Jordan signed their EP that I purchased. Good guy, that Jordan.
     Next up, I realized all three members of Jukebox the Ghost, Ben Thornewill (lead vocals and piano), Tommy Siegel (vocals and guitar), and Jesse Kristen (drummer), were hanging out, signing autographs and chatting with folks. Each of them signed their latest CD that I purchased after the show. All the guys were friendly and seemed to genuinely enjoy interacting with the fans.
     Overall a really fun experience. If you are unfamiliar with these bands, check them out.

Mainland 

 Jordon Topf of Mainland

Another picture of Jordon Topf of Mainland

Mainland 

Ben Thornewill of Jukebox the Ghost

Jukebox the Ghost with their iconic doodle behind them.

Tommy Siegel of Jukebox the Ghost

Jesse Kristin of Jukebox the Ghost

The Southern Troubadours, Southern Theater, Columbus, Ohio 4/3/16

     Joe Ely, Ruthie Foster, and Paul Thorn are touring as the Southern Troubadours. They are playing primarily acoustic shows with each artist taking turns playing their own material and covers.
Venue: Southern Theater. I was fortunate to sit in the center of the third row and had a great view of the stage. This venue always sounds great!
Merch: Each artist was selling some CDs and t shirts. Nice selection.
Joe Ely is an amazing artist who has been playing for years. He has many amazing songs, has played with Bruce Springsteen, and sings backup vocals on the Clash song "Should Stay or Should I Go". A lovely road-weary voice and a fine guitar player. Joe did a number of terrific songs and a cover of "You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone",
Ruthie Foster is a soulful folk rock artist with a powerful, gosple-strong voice. Ruthie did some recent material and a great cover of "Ring of Fire".
Paul Thorn is the son of a pentecostal preacher and also has a church-worthy strong voice. Paul had some funny stories about him playing "Three Times A Lady" at a middle school talent show and about a meth lab playing his stuff when the SWAT team knocked down their trailer door!
     All three artists came out and signed autographs after the show while sitting in the lobby at a table. Thanks for signing ya'll!

Joe Ely

Paul Thorn

Ruthie Foster

Paul Thorn

Joe Ely

Joe Ely, Ruthie Foster, and Paul Thorn (L to R).

The autographed ticket.

Magic Man, The Griswolds, and Panama Wedding at the Newport Music Hall, Columbus, Ohio, 4/22/16

Quite the enjoyable show featuring three bands whom I like but have never seen live. And were those fans loud and enthusiastic all night!
Venue: The Newport was sold out for the event. Really good, vocal crowd. Way to represent Cbus! Although the vast majority of shows at the Newport are standing only, there is a small fenced-off area on stage left that has space for some chairs and wheelchairs. Thanks again to my security buddy for grabbing me so I could sit in this area. You are the man, _____!
Merch: Each band brought some combination of vinyl, t shirts, and CDs. Panama Wedding came out after the show for picture and/or autographs. Nice.
Panama Wedding: Good energy, good sound, upbeat, and overall a nice set. Also, I enjoyed the cover of the Killer's "When We Were Young".
The Griswolds: I really like these guys. Loads of energy, really good pop-punk sound, and good stage presence. They thanked our beloved CD102.5 local independent radio station who has supported them. I cannot wait to hear what they will produce in the future. Terrific.
Magic Man: I was interested to see a familiar face on keyboards for Magic Man -- Fran Litterski of local band Kid Runner. I spoke with her after one of their shows at the local A+R Music Bar (Kid Runner are worth seeing!). I only knew a few Magic Man tunes but quickly warmed to their energy and catchy songs. Alex Caplow (lead singer) and Ben Lee (guitar) front the band and consistently add a nice stage presence and solid musicianship. I really liked the Bruce Springsteen "Dancing In The Dark" cover! Well done, guys!
All three bands converged on the stage to finish off the show with a lively cover of R Kelly's "Ignition". Quite the night of music!

 Panama Wedding

 The Griswolds

 The Griswolds

Magic Man with Fran Litterski on keyboards

Magic Man, the Griswolds, and Panama Wedding close out the show with a group encore performing a cover of "Ignition" by R Kelly.

This photo is from Panama Wedding's Twitter account. I am on the far left of the photo in the black (Iggy Pop) t shirt -- sitting.

Bruce Springsteen -- 18 shows for me and counting

     I have been fortunate enough to see Bruce Springsteen live 18 times. I know that is only a small percentage of the number of Springsteen shows many of seen. But I realize I am very fortunate to see him so many times.
     Many fans of the Boss say the best Springsteen show they have ever seen is the FIRST ONE they saw. I am one of those fans. The first show I saw was the Cincinnati, Ohio show for the 'Born In The USA' tour. How amazing Bruce and the E Street Band are live really struck me (and the rest of the audience!) that night. Amazing concert!
     I still have 15 of the 18 tickets. I also have a high percentage of the shows on official and non-official (bootleg) recordings. It is a privilege to listen to the shows afterwards. One of my favorite moments of any of the shows was the 2014 Columbus, Ohio show on the 'High Hopes' tour. That was my first time ever hearing a live performance of the "Sad Eyes" coda as part of the "Backstreets" performance. The coda holds a near-legendary reputation amongst fans. I -- along with hundreds of others -- gasped when the first few notes of the coda were played at that show. I got so emotional that I ended up in a half hug with the middle aged gentleman standing next to me who I had met only a half an hour before. Listening to the official release live recording, I get to relive that treasured moment.
     With the help of www.backstreets.com and brucespace.wikispaces.com, I have been able to compile a list of all of the performers from the shows and the songs that were performed. I know these end up looking way too small on this blog page, but you get an idea of what the Excel file looks like. The shortest show: Bruce Springsteen at the Ohio State University campus to support Barack Obama (seven songs). The greatest number of songs played: the thirty four songs played in Pittsburgh   to start the current 'The River 2016' tour.
     Some of the other song highlights: Hearing the crowd sing along with "Hungry Heart" for the first time in Cincinnati 1984; Cleveland 2007 "Reason To Believe" performance in a rockabilly style; Columbus 2005 when the solo show started with the never-played-live "Lift Me Up"; Pittsburgh 2015 tribute to recently-deceased David Bowie with a cover of "Rebel Rebel"; Columbus 2002 "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"; "Pink Cadillac" in Cleveland 2009; the powerful "The Rising" in Cleveland 2002, honoring the first responders of 9/11; and the first live performance I had heard of "Candy's Room", Columbus 2002.
     I have tickets to see Springsteen and the band in Rochester and Columbus on this The River 2016 tour. I am sure they will be amazing shows. Thanks, Bruce for all the amazing shows!