Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Exhibit: 50 Years of Satisfaction

The Rolling Stones are coming to Cleveland!

Well, maybe not in concert but certainly in spirit.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has a new multi-level exhibit dedicated to The Greatest Rock N' Roll Band in the World and the Wifey and I got a sneak peek last night ahead of the official Memorial Day Weekend opening.

It's FANTASTIC.

Membership to the Rock Hall certainly has its privileges and I highly recommend joining, even if you live out of town. We drove over and back from Detroit last night for the free VIP member Preview Party and had a wonderful evening.  Two floors of food and refreshments, complete with Stones' inspired drink specials and buffet tables, greeted us along with a huge banner announcing the arrival of The Stones!

"Hello Cleveland!"

The presentation of the food was great.  Different tables featured themed selections based on Rolling Stones albums.  The 'Aftermath' spread included breakfast-type burritos and paper bags full of fish and chips.  Bangers and Mash were found on the 'Exile on Main Street' table and the 'Tattoo You" table had 'Little T & A' appetizers. (Little Tomatoes filled with Avocado guacamole!)

The upper levels of the Museum have been transformed for the year long exhibit and they are packed with rare memorabilia, letters, stage costumes, album artwork and instruments from over 50 years of Rolling Stones' history.  After entering through a custom famous tongue and lips curtain, you're transformed through time on a chronological journey of Rock N' Roll legend.  There are tons of great video walls, oversize photographs and headphone stations too.  The whole layout is superbly done and I absolutely loved it.

Here are some photos to give you an idea of what to expect...

Mick Jagger 1981 Stage Outfit

Keith Richards 1969 Stage Outfit

Rolling Stones Mellotron

Go check it out.
The building is always fabulous and with The Rolling Stones finally being fully represented here, a summertime trip to Cleveland makes for a perfect Rock N' Roll excursion.

For more information CLICK HERE to visit www.RockHall.com

Rodriguez Live Masonic Temple Detroit - Concert Review

Rodriguez found his way home to Detroit on Saturday night and the local crowd sure was glad to see him.  I'm just not too sure that the feelings were mutual.

The elusive star of "Searching For Sugar Man" performed at the Masonic Temple on May 18th and his set was full of cover songs and references to his hometown, but not necessarily full of compliments.  His unique story of reemergence onto the music scene is a captivating one and certainly makes for a great story.  But the story alone cannot translate to the concert stage without a great performance.

Rodriguez Detroit Poster

(Here is where I am conflicted and question whether or not to even continue...)

Despite nothing but overwhelming love from the audience, Rodriguez seemed compelled to insult our city.  I'll give a few examples and you can be the judge:

"I never realized people smiled until I left Detroit."

"Detroit is always good for having 11 fully stocked liquor stores
within walking distance of where I stay."

"Detroit is a city of victims."

Here are a few more gems that substituted as stage banter:

"John Sinclair is well and looking good.  He still has his Detroit voter ID card."

"Medical Marijuana is now legal in many states, so you're not alone."

"I'm a musical politico, you know."

Maybe that last one is the main problem for me.  I am not old enough, nor liberal enough, to be sympathetic to the 1960's hippie anti-establishment culture. Sorry.
I do enjoy live music though, and the choice of multiple cover songs sprinkled liberally throughout the set left me flat.  His all too obvious version of Bob Dylan's 'Like A Rolling Stone' sent me over the edge...

"I like doing covers because I'm a musician."

The concert ended on a very strange note after the first encore when Rodriguez's "Power To The People" line sent the people sprinting for the exits.  I get the feeling that the show was not intended to be over and after watching the reaction of some crew and family peeking out from the side stage, I'm convinced that they couldn't believe the mass exodus either.  Perhaps it was the late 10:00 PM start, or perhaps Detroit just had enough of the real-life Rodriguez and wanted to get back to the DVD Rodriguez.

Like my mom always said "if you don't have anything nice to say..."
and I'm afraid I've already said enough.

A surprise highlight was young Jenny O. as the choice of opening act.  She came across as genuine and sweetly nervous performer and I'm anxious to she where this Los Angeles-based musician is headed.  She played a cool groovy mix of rock and soul like a wholesome Liz Phair or a polite Alanis Morissette.  And of course, I always respect a hard-working artist who hawks their own merchandise like a pro and Jenny O. did not disappoint.  Check her out when she returns to the Magic Stick, or as she first referred to the Detroit venue as "the Match Stick", on June 23rd 2013.

Jenny O. AUTOMECHANIC Vinyl LP

I'll leave you with this nugget of humor direct from Rodriguez himself...

"I just want to be treated like an ordinary legend."

Fair enough, but I get the distinct feeling that we won't be seeing this guy around these parts again anytime soon.

Happy Birthday Joey Ramone

Joey Ramone, the #5 Greatest Rock Frontman of All Time,
would have celebrated a birthday today May 19th.

photo by Laura Levine

Joey Ramone was the coolest front man of the coolest band ever, The Ramones.
With his leg bent at the knee, clutching the microphone stand with both hands, Joey would rule his square of the stage and absolutely captivate an audience amidst the chaos of a Ramones concert.

I consider myself ridiculously blessed to say I caught the man in action three separate times with The Ramones.  In 1988, I waited impatiently in the front row directly in front of his mic stand for the show to begin.  With the simple command of "1, 2, 3, 4..." the crowd surged forward and exploded into a frothy sea of humanity.  Clutching the temporary plywood barrier for dear life as it splintered into pieces, I found myself staring directly at Joey's boots.  With half my body on the stage, he glanced down to assess the situation and kept right on singing.  Just another night of Rock N' Roll!

One of my shoes was missing for the entire show and I when I found it in a heap of garbage on the floor at the end of the night, I laced it on and went home.  The Ramones Ruled!

Joey tragically lost his life to lymphoma on April 15th, 2001.
The memories of his leather jacket and ripped jeans will live on forever.
Hey Ho Let's Go.
RIP Joey.

Here's the song he was listening to when he passed: In A Little While by U2.
Bono dedicated this one to Joey every night during U2's Elevation Tour in 2001...

Newsted Concert Review - Jason Newsted Brings Metal to The Crofoot!

Metal music brings people together and it's so good to see Jason Newsted stepping back into the limelight.  After years of inactivity, Newsted is out promoting a new 4-song EP, perfectly and simply titled 'METAL', and the Michigan-born bassist brought his band to the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac Friday May 17th.

The rock heavy appearance made a bold and definitive statement:
Jason's Back!

The tiny and fortunate crowd caught a glimpse of the greatness that is to come for Newsted.  Feeling more like a family reunion, the former Metallica bassist played his heart out for the diehard Michigan metal brotherhood.  The set almost exclusively featured the new songs with a few surprises mixed in, like Metallica's "Whiplash" and a kick-ass cover of Motorhead's "Road Crew"!

Jason fronts the band and his lead vocals lend a classic mix of strength, power and metal clarity to the music.  Of the new songs, "King of The Underdogs" and "Godsnake" were outstanding with Jesus Mendez Jr. pounding away on the drum kit. This touring band currently features two guitarists with the addition of Mike Mushok of Staind joining Jessie Farnsworth to round out the metal assault.  In a touching gesture, Jason dedicated the grinder "Twisted Tale of The Comet" to the late Piggy of Voivoid, another legendary band he used to play with.

Mike Mushok with Newsted

My brother and I went VIP on this one, buying a package that included tickets, a T-Shirt, photo op and Meet & Greet with the band.  After reading quotes where Jason said he would "...never charge anyone anything" to meet him, I was curious to see how this would go.  The experience was first class and the entire band signed autographs with Jason personally signing additional items as well.  He's a super nice guy and after talking with him and watching him interact with the others, I'm not sure I've ever encountered anyone more genuine and humble as Jason Newsted.

After the photos were done, Jason gathered the VIP group together and seemed compelled to explain himself.  "I've always been and I always want to be accessible to the fans, but I'm learning that this is how things work now," he said almost apologetically.  "With the expense of touring and diesel costing $5 a gallon, this really helps.  Thank you for spending your hard earned money to help me out. Now, go out and enjoy yourselves tonight and smile."

You're welcome, Jason.
I'm still smiling.

Oh, and true to his word, I saw him outside in the parking lot before the show huddled up between cars signing autographs and chatting up his fans.  Very cool.  Very metal.

When you've rocked-out in front of hundreds of thousands of maniacal fans, it must be difficult to reinvent yourself and travel the country on such a smaller scale.  The masses deserve to see this band and Jason seems dedicated to spreading the Metal Message once again.  I wish him great success.

My new motto just may have to be borrowed from Newsted:
"Live While You're Living...
Cause You're a Long Time Dead."

Amen, my brother!
Amen.

Newsted Set List May 17, 2013 Crofoot Ballrom

The Rolling Stones 50 and Counting Tour in Las Vegas! Concert Review

The Rolling Stones are the undisputed Greatest Rock N' Roll Band in the World, and after 50 years they're not about to relinquish their title.   The fourth stop of their '50 & Counting' tour hit Las Vegas Saturday night, May 11th, and the MGM Grand Garden Arena felt more like a time machine than a state-of-the-art concert venue.

I haven't missed a Stones tour since 1981 and I wasn't about to miss this one.  Since the tour is only hitting a few major markets, and sadly Detroit is NOT one of them, I was forced into another Rock N' Roll road trip.  

With the majority of tickets priced between $450 - $750 dollars each, the prospect of traveling out of town with the added airfare and hotel expense became a scary proposition. Fortunately, the Rolling Stones offered a select number of $85 tickets to each of the dates, but the ultra-low price came with a catch:

2 seats, Will Call Only, location to be determined by random draw the night of the concert.  The price was certainly right and I was lucky to get my hands on some. What better place to take a gamble on a night of fun than Las Vegas, right?

I'll admit now that the $85 ticket lottery is not for the faint of heart, as I couldn't believe that I was heading to see a show having no clue as to where we would be sitting.  Arriving at the designated pick up location Saturday night, the MGM Will Call line was very well organized and after the staff doubled checked my name off of their alphabetized list,  I was handed a plain white envelope.  Like a kid on Christmas morning, I treasured it for a few brief moments before diving in to find a pair of seemingly disappointing Upper Level, Rear Stage, Nose Bleed-type tickets. 

Oh well, You Can't Always Get What You Want...

And of course, I had wanted "Tongue Pit" tickets!  It was extremely cool to gage the reaction of people opening their envelopes in this staging area and we watched as a father and son nearly broke into tears of joy when their gift envelope contained the coveted up-front general admission Pit tickets.

Our seat selection ended up to be a blessing in disguise.  The actual side stage view was spectacular and the sound was positively perfect in our section.  Now as Keith would say...on with the show!

I honestly don't know how they do it, but The Stones just keep getting better with age. The tongue-shaped arena stage is naturally smaller than the monster-sized stadium stages of the last few tours and the configuration suited Mick Jagger to a tee.  He worked the smaller area like an age-less proud panther, constantly moving and grooving yet without the exaggerated manic-moves of the past.  He played more harmonica too, adding to the insane energy of songs like 'Miss You' and 'Midnight Rambler'. Charlie Watts looked dashing behind the kit and kept the engine moving forward with precision and class.  The guitars on this tour are up front and LOUD, with Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood playing like they were possessed especially on the best version of 'Start Me Up' that I've ever seen!

As far as the set list goes, the band mixed the old with the new with the rare and even invited Katy Perry to join in on a rousing version of 'Beast of Burden'.  Speaking of joining in, legendary former Stones-guitarist Mick Taylor appeared as a special guest on 'Midnight Rambler' and absolutely blew the place apart.  Watching Taylor, who I'd never seen play live before, interact with Keith and Ronnie left me stunned and speechless.  I've never witnessed a better version of this song! 

Check this out...this is just using an iPhone 4s to capture part of the actual beauty!

A local high school choir kicked off the greatest encore set of all time adding a sublime touch to 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'.  I'll admit that this version was so powerful and emotional that it brought a tear to my eye.  Wow, I LOVE THIS BAND!

From our vantage point, I gazed down upon Mick Taylor leaning against the back of Charlie's drum riser during the next song, 'Jumpin Jack Flash'.  I was utterly amazed to see him start dancing and playing AIR GUITAR along the iconic riffs!  He looked more like a fan that had won a "Tongue Pit" ticket in the lottery than the elusive legend that he really is.  When the song came to a close, he strapped on his guitar, lit a cigarette, and headed out in the spotlights to jam out with Keith and Ronnie during 'Satisfaction.' I staggered out of the show exhausted and ecstatic.  

The Rolling Stones in 2013.

Magnificent.

Mick asked the crowd at one delirious point during the evening...

"Alright Vegas How Ya Doing? Are you winning or are you losing?"

I'll answer for the entire world...with The Stones on tour, we're WINNING!

'Dave & Chuck The Freak' to Replace 'Drew & Mike' on WRIF

Drew & Mike are out at WRIF
and Dave & Chuck The Freak are in.

The iconic Detroit morning show hosts are being dropped, according to Greater Media,
on May 17th.  No word on whether or not they will be live on-air until then.

We all know that the radio business is a brutal one, but I'm drawn to this story because of the way it leaked out.  Bill Shea, a fine reporter for Crain's Detroit, broke the news this morning via his blog and expertly used Twitter to promote it.

See Bill Shea's Blog by CLICKING HERE

The sad part of the story is the human element of surprise that resulted from his first tweet.

Trudi Daniels, the fantastic co-host and contributor to the Drew & Mike show, apparently picked up on the shakeup of her own job via this tweet...
at the same time as everyone else!
I could almost feel the pain and doubt reading her incredulous request for confirmation.
Take a look at these screen shots from the Twitter feed earlier today...

In today's world of instantaneous news,
I find it extremely depressing that you could learn of your own "firing" via Twitter.
Aren't we all better than this?

On second thought, please don't answer that question.

Note to Bill Shea:
I'm certainly not blaming the messenger. I appreciate your fine reporting and your solid interaction with me on Twitter.

Let's hope that Drew & Mike get a chance to have a proper on-air send off
for the sake of their listeners and their entire morning crew.

Their team, including Trudi, deserve that much.