Louder Than Life

Celebrates 10 Years With

The Mighty Return Of Slayer,

Plus Mötley Crüe, Slipknot & Korn

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North America’s Largest Rock Festival

Also Welcomes Disturbed, Judas Priest, Five Finger Death Punch, Evanescence, Falling in Reverse, Breaking Benjamin, The Offspring, Staind, Till Lindemann

& Many More Acts Keeping Things Loud Across Five Full Stages

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 September 26-29, 2024 At

Highland Festival Grounds At Kentucky Exposition Center In Louisville, KY

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General Admission And VIP Passes On Sale Now Starting At $10 Down At

www.LouderThanLifeFestival.com

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Louisville, KY – It’s about to get LOUD in Louisville as the long-running, fan favorite festival Louder Than Life returns for its 10th year in 2024! Producers Danny Wimmer Presents – one of the largest independent promoters in the U.S. – pulled out all the stops to celebrate a decade of Louder Than Life, North America’s Largest Rock Festival, including the mighty return of thrash gods Slayer to the stage. In addition to their headlining performance, Loudmouths can also look forward to metal heavyweights Mötley Crüe, Slipknot and Korn closing out additional nights of the four-day event, which returns to its home at the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY September 26, 27, 28 & 29, 2024.

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Five full stages will keep the destination event amped up all weekend, welcoming additional performances from Disturbed, Judas Priest, Five Finger Death Punch, Evanescence, Falling in Reverse, Breaking Benjamin, The Offspring, Staind, Till Lindemann, Chevelle, Dropkick Murphys, Halestorm, Gojira, Seether, In This Moment, Anthrax, Sum 41, Mastodon, Tom Morello, and many more. In total, almost 150 music acts will be part of the festival weekend, along with Louisville’s finest spirits and top local cuisine. The 2022 event was named Consequence’s Festival Of The Year and was nominated for Pollstar’s Festival Of the Year, and the 2023 edition marked a new attendance record with 180,000 people, so fans are encouraged to buy early and secure their spot for 2024.

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“We’re thrilled to announce that Slayer will be reuniting for an earth-shattering performance at Louder Than Life,” says Danny Wimmer of Danny Wimmer Presents. ”I was at their last show at The Forum in 2019 and have been working since then to bring them back to the Louder stage! With over 140 bands on five stages, we’re celebrating our 10th Louder Than Life with the biggest lineup yet! P.S., come out and celebrate with us at TAJ this Saturday and we’ll buy your first drink.”

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“On the heels of an incredible lineup announcement for Bourbon & Beyond, Louder Than Life solidifies why the Kentucky Exposition Center is the number one place to travel to in September,” said David S. Beck, President and CEO of Kentucky Venues. “We anticipate festival-goers from around the world to come for the music and fall in love with all the things that make Kentucky such a great state.”

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The full music lineup for Louder Than Life 2024 is as follows (subject to change): Slayer, Mötley Crüe, Slipknot, Korn, Disturbed, Judas Priest, Five Finger Death Punch, Evanescence, Falling in Reverse, Breaking Benjamin, The Offspring, Staind, Till Lindemann, In This Moment, Chevelle, Dropkick Murphys, Halestorm, Gojira, Sum 41, Seether, Tom Morello, Anthrax, Mastodon, Architects, Skillet, Clutch, Highly Suspect, Lorna Shore, Body Count, Spiritbox, Grandson, Nothing More, Sevendust, Jinjer, Poppy, Badflower, Starset, Sleeping With Sirens, Filter, Eagles of Death Metal, Juliette Lewis and the Licks, Marky Ramone Plays the Ramones Classics, Black Stone Cherry, PUP, Three 6 Mafia, P.O.D., Fozzy, Fugitive, Saosin, L.S. Dunes, Biohazard, Polaris, From Ashes To New, LIT, Show Me The Body, Joey Valence & Brae, Set It Off, Drug Church, Militarie Gun, The Armed, Narrow Head, Brutus, Bob Vylan, Fit For A King, The Warning, Whitechapel, Better Lovers, New Years Day, Health, GEL, Lilith Czar, Tim Montana, Point North, Holding Absence, Holy Fawn, Drowning Pool, Helmet, Saliva, Alien Ant Farm, Nonpoint, Finger Eleven, Powerman 5000, Local H, ORGY, Taproot, Tantric, Sponge, Trapt, Red, Adema, D.R.U.G.S., Ho99o9, The Chisel, Slothrust, High Vis, Soul Glo, Winona Fighter, Des Rocs, Veil of Maya, Oxymorrons, HED PE, Ill Niño, Damnage, Citizen Soldier, Alien Weaponry, CKY, Dead Poet Society, Kneecap, Teen Mortgage, Touché Amoré, Jeris Johnson, Jager Bonham, The Funeral Portrait, Nerv, Any Given Sin, Like A Storm, Deadlands, Mike’s Dead, Reach NYC, Self Deception, Lø Spirit, Jigsaw Youth, Royale Lynn, Descartes A Kant, Lowlives, Blame My Youth, Caskets, Silly Goose, Gozu, Black Map, Hemorage, Budderside, and Project MishraM.

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Additional experiences include the Kroger Big Bourbon Bar, the return of Headbangers Hall, The Music Experience, Jack Daniel’s, Pegasus Distilled Experiences, Heavy Tiki presented by Jim Beam, Blackened Presents The Whiskey Bar, The Highland Grounds Wine Garden, and more to be announced.

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Single day and weekend General Admission as well as Park Community VIP passes for Louder Than Life are on sale now starting as low as $10 down. Angel’s Envy Top Shelf VIP passes are sold out. New in 2024, Danny Wimmer Presents introduces the Loud Lounge Suites, allowing fans to party all weekend long like true rockstars. The suites will be located on top of the Angel’s Envy Top Shelf deck, offering up to 12 people the all-inclusive treatment with bottle service, premium parking, a dedicated host, all you can drink & eat, and a reserved suite seat to take in all the action on the two main stages plus access to both Angel’s Envy Top Shelf and Park Community VIP areas.  For more information, fans can email groups@dwpresents.com.

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In addition, Louder Than Life RV and car + tent camping passes are sold out, with a waitlist available. A very limited number of Elevated Glamping experience packages, which include both tent and RV options, are still available. Visit https://louderthanlifefestival.com/ for details on all camping and festival pass options. A record number of passes have been sold during the early bird sales period, so fans are encouraged to act fast to guarantee lowest level pricing and availability.

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The JamPack hotel package also allows patrons to bundle festival passes, hotel and more to save up to 31%. Find all details at https://louderthanlifefestival.com/passes/. In addition, fans who want to celebrate the biggest eight days of music in the United States with back-to-back weekends in Louisville at Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life can purchase an Exacta Pass for less than $62 per festival day (the Exacta Pass starts at $489.99 plus fees).

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Onsite parking for Louder Than Life is available for purchase via Kentucky Exposition Center. https://parking.kyexpo.org/ltl

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Louisville locals are invited to celebrate the Louder Than Life lineup with three events this weekend, starting with a Dare to Care food drive at Kroger in Breckenridge this Friday, February 23 from 4:30-7 p.m., in which fans can donate five non-perishable items to unlock service fee free passes. On Saturday, February 24, Taj in Nulu will be celebrating with custom craft cocktails, photo ops, service fee free passes, a DJ and more from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. And on Sunday, February 25, there will be Louder Than Life pass giveaways at the Bellarmine wrestling match at Knights Hall at 1:00 p.m.

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Louder Than Life is excited to announce its 2024 partners: LYTE, Budweiser, Kroger, Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, Park Community Credit Union, Team Kentucky, Louisville Tourism, Kentucky Venues, Crowne Plaza Airport Expo, Marriott Downtown Louisville, Pegasus Distilled, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Beatbox Beverages, Cutwater Spirits, Angel’s Envy, IcyBreeze, Solo Stove, Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam Black, Maker’s 46, Knob Creek, Rabbit Hole, Jefferson’s, City of Louisville, KY Proud, Eargasm, The Music Experience, plus more to come.

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Non-profit 2024 on-site partners include: Artists for Trauma, Demons Behind Me, Fxck Cancer, Take Me Home, To Write Love On Her Arms, plus more to come. The DWP Foundation will be supporting the following local nonprofits in 2024: Dare to Care, Fund for the Arts, Muhammad Ali Center plus more to come.

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Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center is located at 937 Phillips Lane in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Louder Than Life is produced by Los Angeles-based Danny Wimmer Presents, one of the largest independent producers of destination music festivals in America.

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To learn more about Louder Than Life, please visit:

Website: https://louderthanlifefestival.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louderthanlifefestival

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LTLFest

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louderthanlifefest

#LouderThanLife

Louder Than Life Celebrates 10 Years With The Mighty Return Of Slayer, Mötley Crüe, Slipknot & Korn first appeared on Game On Media.

The Blue Ridge Rock Festival tried to recover from a confusing and frustrating Day 1, hoping to do a better job of transporting fans from the day parking lot 5 miles away, on a couple dozen school buses, to the campgrounds near the Virginia International Raceway in rural Alton, Virginia on September 8, 2023.

It was a very hot and humid day, and any rain and mud that had come the day before had dried up. On this day, the only focus was to move between stages, stay hydrated, and rock out. Ben Wells, guitarist for Black Stone Cherry, had a tribute to Jimmy Buffett painted on his amps – a fitting nod to an entertainer who helped create the festival friends vibe, which continues to bring people together, across all genres of music.

The day was owned by Motionless In White, returning for their 3rd year in a row, playing a night-time slot on the Monster Energy Main Stage. They played to the largest crowd ever witnessed at Blue Ridge Rock Festival (possibly so large as to violate their permit) and everyone shined their lights and sang along to “Another Life”, prompting Chris Motionless to take the time to share the band’s appreciation for the fans demanding that they return and perform at night on the main stage. It was a truly special performance from a band that continues to elevate.

The Monster Energy Main Stage had it all going on that Friday. Sudden star Oliver Anthony from Virginia kicked it off with a short set. Demun Jones, Crown The Empire and Trustcompany braved the heat early in the day. Next up was reunion time, with Coal Chamber and Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm delighting their long time fans with superb performances. Slipknot finished off the long day with a brutal performance that had exhausted festival goers re-energized and in constant motion.

The Zyn Main Stage had a wide variety of acts on Day 2. It went from the country rock sounds of Struggle Jennings and Black Stone Cherry to the hardcore strains from Of Mice & Men, Knocked Loose, Danzig and fan favorite Sleep Token, whose unique sound and stage show had them stand apart from everyone else performing that day.

The Famous Monsters stage was a constant swirl of activity, with mosh pits and crowd surfing throughout the day. The lineup was straight up heavy and aggressive. Angelmaker, Upon A Burning Body, Chelsea Grin, The Acacia Strain, After The Burial, The Black Dahlia Murder, Job For A Cowboy and Lorna Shore tore up that stage. It was so hard core, I got a concussion and head bruise leaving the photo pit, after walking into the video screen. Oh well, our scars remind us that the past is real.

The Smartpunk Records stage also had a diverse lineup. Standouts included Afterlife, Electric Callboy, VV, Testament and Polyphia.

BRRF23 Day 2

16 photos

Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2023 Day 2 Review first appeared on Game On Media.

Welcome To Rockville took over the Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, May 18, 2023 with hopes of making up for last year’s disaster when most of day 2 and 3 performances were canceled due to severe weather in the area. Gates opened at noon for the largest crowd yet, in excess of 40,000 Rockvillians ready to party.

Bloodywood, a band from New Delhi, India, kicked things into high gear on the Space Zebra main stage. They have 2 lead screamers and a nu-metal sound with some Bollywood spice. They had plenty of messages to share about standing up for yourself and doing what you believe in. At the same time, Widow 7 was playing the Rockvillain third stage located in the middle of the festival grounds. Their sound was more traditional nu-metal.

Over on the Octane second main stage, Austin Meade was delivering southern rock with a bit of a country edge. The second VIP area offered some bleacher seating, but most of that area was blocked from any view of the stage and did not have any food options. It did have a bar tent and access to permanent bathrooms. Behind that was a path to the new location for the small 4th stage. Budderside was tearing up the DWPresents stage with their radio-friendly sound, highlighted by the excellent vocal stylings of Patrick Stone.

Competing next was Brutus, a trippy Belgian outfit led by singing drummer Stefanie Mannaerts and UK punk rockers Wargasm featuring Sam Matlock and Milkie Way. Then things really kicked into gear as the heavy hitters took over the main stages. Black Stone Cherry debuted “Out Of Pocket”, a great new song from their upcoming album “Screamin’ At The Sky”. The boys from Kentucky brought the high energy and emotion that they always do and had the crowd moving and singing along to their catalog of hits. Avatar got halfway through their second song when 5:00 hit, the sound was cut and the first evacuation of Welcome To Rockville 2023 was upon us.

Everyone calmly left the speedway, hoping that history was not repeating itself. The message repeated “Severe Weather Approaching. Please Exit Festival Site. Monitor Social Media.” Fortunately, the storm cleared and the gates reopened at 6:30 with a revised schedule. The only major lineup casualty was Trivium.

The main stage kicked off at 7:15 with Bullet For My Valentine delivering a tight intense 30 minute set. Singing along to “Your Betrayal” never felt so powerful – “I was told to stay away. Those two words I can’t obey!”. This festival has too many bands and not enough stage time. The band and the crowd were ready for twice as much as they got.

Puscifer hit the Octane stage for an artistic event, complete with psychedelic video effects throughout the show.

Rivals were playing at the same time around the corner at the “camping” stage. They are similar to Spiritbox in their sound, with many songs about self-empowerment.

The Cult played the main stage, but the real event was happening on the 3rd stage. Japanese female rockers Band-Maid put on an incredible set, showcasing their substantial musical skills. Their performance was fun and upbeat and their music got thrashy at times. The lead guitarist really shreds. They deserved a main stage slot, as there were so many people trying to see them and no room for everyone.

Rob Zombie experienced technical difficulties as his stage set video screens were stuck on endless reboot. After a 15 minute delay, they came out and played with only the main large video screen behind them working. Zombie apologized and mentioned that they were wasting time fixing it and had to cut the set short, as they were “not here to fuck with Slipknot. With all of you here, we don’t need that shit.” They played what people wanted to hear and a Zombie show is always entertaining, even without full production.

The revised schedule created an unfortunate conflict with Suicidal Tendencies playing at the same time as Slipknot. Mike Muir thanked the thousands who showed up, despite the other option. Half of the crowd had not seen ST play live before, and they got a kick-ass show and mini TED talks. Suicidal is one of the best live bands you can see, and you leave ready to fight for yourself and your own beliefs.

Slipknot was allowed to play well past midnight, with track and local officials allowed the event to run late. They were as intense and explosive as they always are. All in all, it was a very successful Day 1 for Welcome To Rockville 2023.

Keep up to date with the latest on future editions of Welcome To Rockville at https://welcometorockville.com/

Welcome To Rockville 2023 Day 1 Survives The Storm With Slipknot first appeared on Game On Media.

Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival

Announces Spectacular Lineup Of Rock Heavyweights

For The Event’s Anticipated Comeback In 2023

Including Foo Fighters, Tool, Avenged Sevenfold & KISS,

Godsmack, Rob Zombie, Queens Of The Stone Age, Deftones, & Many More

Held At The Best Stadium In Rock,

Historic Crew Stadium In Columbus, Ohio

Memorial Day Weekend – May 25, 26, 27 & 28, 2023

General Pass Onsale HERE

The pinnacle of rock festivals in America is back! After a three-year hiatus, Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival returns to its home at the heartbeat of rock, the Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Memorial Day Weekend–May 25-28, 2023 — with a spectacular lineup of rock heavyweights that make Sonic Temple’s comeback one of the most anticipated events of the 2023 festival season.

The lineup includes headliners Foo Fighters, Tool, Avenged Sevenfold and KISS, along with top rock artists Godsmack, Rob Zombie, Queens of the Stone Age, Deftones, Falling In Reverse, Chevelle, Puscifer, Beartooth, I Prevail, Jawbreaker, Sublime with Rome, Bullet For My Valentine, The Pretty Reckless, Pennywise, Trivium, Black Veil Brides and many more.

Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival is produced by Danny Wimmer Presents and will also feature creative elements designed by acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey. Jose “Metal Ambassador” Mangin will host the event with on-stage appearances and fan meet and greets.

“We’ve always enjoyed playing Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus and are excited to be a part of this year’s Sonic Temple,” says M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold. “It’ll be a blast to share the stage with Tool, Foo Fighters and others, we can’t wait to see and play for all of our amazing fans again.”

“It’s great to be coming back to Columbus,” adds Danny Wimmer, Founder of Danny Wimmer Presents. “Foo Fighters, Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, KISS plus 75 more, it’s our biggest lineup ever! There is so much history at Historic Crew Stadium, it truly is the heartbeat of rock for many of us…the excitement surrounding the return of Sonic Temple is unparalleled!”

“We are thrilled that DWP and Sonic Temple are returning to Historic Crew Stadium this year for what will be an enhanced and electric four-day atmosphere,” said Columbus Crew President of Business Operations Kristin Bernert. “We look forward to opening our doors to fans of the amazing acts in this year’s lineup to a place that has long been synonymous with energy and fun in Central Ohio.”

The daily music lineup for Sonic Temple is as follows:

Thursday, May 25: Tool, Godsmack, Beartooth, Bullet For My Valentine, Pennywise, Bad Omens, Suicidal Tendencies, Fever 333, Anti-Flag, Joey Valence & Brae, Bones UK, Ho99o9, The Warning, Oxymorrons, Angel Du$t, Bloodywood, Wargasm, Malevolence, Bastardane, OTTTO

Friday, May 26: Avenged Sevenfold, Queens of the Stone Age, Chevelle, I Prevail, Knocked Loose, Sleeping With Sirens, Badflower, Dorothy, Black Stone Cherry, Converge, Born of Osiris, Band-Maid, Lilith Czar, Des Rocs, Mothica, Fame on Fire, Dayseeker, Vended, Mike’s Dead

Saturday, May 27: KISS, Rob Zombie, Falling in Reverse, Puscifer, Trivium, Black Veil Brides, Rival Sons, Yelawolf Presents: Sometimes Y, Avatar, Senses Fail, From Ashes To New, Giovannie & The Hired Guns, Brutus, Dead Poet Society, The Violent, Point North, Tallah, Varials, Tigercub, Capital Theatre

Sunday, May 28: Foo Fighters, Deftones, Sublime with Rome, Jawbreaker, The Pretty Reckless, Awolnation, Nothing More, Grandson, White Reaper, Filter, Ayron Jones, The Bronx, Poorstacy, Zero 9:36, New Years Day, Nova Twins, Bob Vylan, Aeir, Starcrawler

Sonic Temple passes are on sale now. New passes in 2023 include Stadium VIP and the Columbus Owner’s Club (4-day pass). Returning pass options include Field GA, Field VIP and Stadium GA—all available as weekend or single day passes. For a full description of passes and pricing, visit https://sonictemplefestival.com. Prices start as low as $109.99 + fees. And through January 31, passes can be purchased for only $10 down, with layaway payments amortized evenly through April. Passes are also available at DWPSonic.com with “buy now pay later” via ShopPay.

Columbus Owner’s Club members will enjoy the ultimate VIP experience, including access to the field and dedicated seating in the stadium bowl; air conditioned lounge with private hosted bar, comfortable seating, and live audio and video of the main stage; complimentary hors d’oeuvres during lunch and dinner hours; dedicated festival merchandise booth; dedicated WiFi; air-conditioned, flushable restrooms; dedicated guest services staff; priority festival entrance lanes; premium parking and more.

In addition to festival admission passes, onsite parking, hotel packages and 300 weekend RV camping passes will be available during the presale window. Any remaining passes, parking, hotel packages and camping will be available for purchase during the general on-sale which begins Friday, January 13 at Noon ET.

Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival is produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, one of the largest independent producers of destination music festivals in America. Additional DWP events in 2023 will include Aftershock Festival, Bourbon & Beyond, GoldenSky Country Music Festival, Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival, Louder Than Life and Welcome To Rockville.

For more information on Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival, visit:

Website: https://sonictemplefestival.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sonictemplefestival  | @SonicTempleFestival

Twitter: www.twitter.com/sonictemplefest | @SonicTempleFest

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sonictemplefestival | @SonicTempleFestival

Hashtag: #SonicTempleFestival

Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival: Foo Fighters, Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, KISS, Godsmack, Rob Zombie, Queens Of The Stone Age, Deftones, & More At Historic Crew Stadium In Columbus, Ohio Memorial Day Weekend first appeared on Game On Media.

Tool, Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera Lead Welcome To Rockville 2023 Festival Lineup first appeared on Game On Media.

Prologue

1. The Music Of My Life

Music means everything to me. It has for as long as I can remember. Each night I fall asleep listening to music. Every morning I wake up listening to music. I play music in the shower. I play music in the car. I play music at the gym. If I am not actively listening to music, I hear songs in my head. When somebody is talking to me, I hear lyrics in their words, and start singing to myself. While I have never completely written or recorded anything original, I have made mix-tapes and play-lists since the Seventies.

I have spent almost all of my free time and “disposable” income on music and music-related experiences. My first job was delivering The Daily News to a six block radius around my house on Long Island, New York. I took the job because they offered a free cassette tape of my choosing if I signed up 3 new subscriptions on my route. I took care of that task quickly, and scored what may be my most favorite album of all time – the self-titled debut from the Long Island based band named Zebra. I continued to find bargains and build my catalog thanks to the marketing efforts of BMG and Columbia House music mail order services. Eventually, I bought cheap guitars and amps, and later more expensive guitars. I have too many guitars.

Once the concert floodgates opened for me when I went to the University of Virginia, I started going to as many shows as I could, no matter where they were located. Music festivals began, locally and small at first, then larger ones able to draw a national audience of freaks like me who were willing to drive or fly all over the country, sleeping in any hotel, motel, Holiday Inn, tent, RV or Air B’n’B I could find. Woodstock ‘99, Rocklahoma, Rock On The Range, Carolina Rebellion, Welcome To Rockville, Aftershock, Earthday Birthday, Vans Warped Tour, Coachella, Voodoo Festival, Once Upon A Time in the LBC, Rock USA and KAABOO Del Mar – these are a few of my favorite things. Then the rock cruises came along, which I have enjoyed as a customer, staff member, charity worker, journalist and photographer – ShipRocked, Motörhead’s MotörBoat, MegaCruise, and Monsters Of Rock Cruise.

From 2010 to 2020, I was able to get up close and personal with the music, the musicians and the fans. I have been a photojournalist for several print magazines and online websites. I have previewed and reviewed concerts, albums and livestreams. I have interviewed artists backstage and on tour buses. I have photographed shows of every kind, from the smallest and darkest of clubs, to the largest of outdoor festivals. I have captured local artists, new acts, living legends and lifelong loves, from Aerosmith to ZZ Top.

During this mostly silent year, I decided to take a look back, to appreciate the journey so far, and perhaps to make some sense of my decisions and choices along the way. This isn’t exactly a memoir or biography, as I don’t believe that I have done anything of such consequence to merit such documentation. I won’t know if there are any lessons to be learned, or advice to carry with me on my second half, until I write it all down. The songs have been chosen, the memories have come rushing back. We will see where this experience takes me.

With 52 years of special songs to revisit, I also plan to really focus on learning to play complete songs on guitar. That gives me 2 songs to learn per week. That should hold me to a good working cadence. Is everybody in? Drop the needle on the record.

2. The Way I Chose The Songs

Choosing only 2 songs from an entire year was quite an ordeal. Some years had many releases that had a major impact at the time, others not as many. I chose songs based on the year that the album they came from was released. This means that the song itself may not have even been released as a single that year. Sometimes a song hits you right away, sometimes it builds slowly, and other times you discover it well after it was released. In many cases, it takes some new experience to bring the importance of the song into focus.

I suppose it generally takes some passage of time for the songs that mean the most to you to bubble to the surface. Only time will tell which ones continue to swim around in your brain, forming the soundtrack to your life’s story.

I chose the songs that have had the most lasting impression on my life, the ones that instantly take me back to a time, or a place, or a person, or an experience, or all of the above. The names will be changed to protect the innocent and guilty alike. These are the songs that mean the most to me, and nobody knows me better than I know myself, so I can’t really say if others share the same memories in the same ways.

Looking at the final list, there are sooo many songs that I love that did not make the cut. There are lots of artists that I cannot believe are not represented. I guess this should not be too surprising. Think about how hard it is to make a top 5 list in any given year. There are just so many artists and songs that I love, it is no wonder that I am almost always listening to, writing about, or photographing music. Out of the 104 songs chosen, 8 are from bands that appear twice. Those are obviously among my all-time favorites, and they are among the ones who have meant the most to me throughout my life. They are Alice In Chains, Candlebox, Creed, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Rush and Shinedown. I had expected Tesla and Queensrÿche to be represented twice, but they both have so many great songs from each album, it was hard to select one at times.

Act I

3. The 1970’s – The Record Era

I have been wandering this spinning rock for over five decades now. Conveniently for retrospective purposes, I arrived at the end of the 1960’s, so I can organize my playlists and analysis by decade. Generally, each decade is defined by the methods most often used to collect and listen to music. From record albums to cassettes, to Compact Discs (CDs), to digital files (mostly MP3), to digital streaming services and apps, the song remains the same. Specifically, I landed on this planet the very same day that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 made history mere hours after Johnnie Crow was born in a hospital in Hollis, Queens. The Eagle had landed after a long journey, and the Crow had begun a journey of his own. Most of my musical memories of the 1970’s revolve around listening to old records with my Mom or my Dad in our suburban Long Island basement, and listening to 45’s with my little sister in her bedroom, on a cheap yellow plastic record player.

4. 1969 – Space Oddity – David Bowie

It is only fitting for a moon baby to start with an astronaut song. I don’t specifically remember humming along to this in my crib in Flushing, New York, as the Miracle Mets were making their historic World Series run down the street at Shea Stadium. Actually, not many Americans remember this first track from all-time great David Bowie from when he first released it. It did not become a hit in the United States until 1973, when we had moved to the house in Deer Park in the middle of Long Island that my parents kept for 45 years. It probably did not fully reach my consciousness until I started listening to the local rock station, 102.3 WBAB Babylon, on my clock radio. Bowie was a staple on that station, and legendary morning DJ Bob Buchmann would often wake me up with its sweet sounds throughout the 80’s.

The song itself is haunting, mysterious and somewhat disturbing. I often thought about becoming an astronaut working for NASA. The lyrics to this track were a serious counterweight to the wonder of space. The fear, loss, desperation and ultimate acceptance of a lonely fate are all explored within the confines of a musical tour de force. The genius of David Bowie continues to be appreciated more as time passes on, and this song also grows in stature.

My favorite lyric:

“Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do”

This line works on many levels. The planet literally looks blue, yet it is also sad from time to time, as it struggles to survive humanity. There is nothing that the astronaut can do, since there is nothing to do out in space, yet there is also nothing he can do for anyone on Earth.

Space Oddity

Written by David Bowie

Performed by David Bowie

Ground Control to Major Tom

Ground Control to Major Tom

Take your protein pills and put your helmet on

(Ten) Ground Control (Nine) to Major Tom (Eight, seven)

(Six) Commencing (Five) countdown, engines on

(Four, three, two)

Check ignition (One) and may God’s love (Lift off) be with you

This is Ground Control to Major Tom

You’ve really made the grade

And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear

Now it’s time to leave the capsule if you dare

This is Major Tom to Ground Control

I’m stepping through the door

And I’m floating in a most peculiar way

And the stars look very different today

For here am I sitting in my tin can

Far above the world

Planet Earth is blue

And there’s nothing I can do

Though I’m past one hundred thousand miles

I’m feeling very still

And I think my spaceship knows which way to go

Tell my wife I love her very much

She knows

Ground Control to Major Tom

Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong

Can you hear me, Major Tom?

Can you hear me, Major Tom?

Can you hear me, Major Tom?

Can you-

-Here am I floating ’round my tin can

Far above the moon

Planet Earth is blue

And there’s nothing I can do

5. 1969 – Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin

Once again, I was not rocking the cradle to Led Zeppelin. They were way too screamy for my Mom, and far too sexual and occultish for my Dad. I got into Led Zeppelin from WBAB radio, particularly during their “Get The Led Out” blocks. I began collecting the record albums, thanks to Columbia House record club’s crazy 8 albums for a penny promotions. Led Zeppelin I and II both came out in 1969. I prefer “II“ by a small margin over the debut, as it is a more
representative collection of the band that they grew to be. Led Zeppelin is notorious for ripping off American Blues artists without crediting them. Parts of the song were adapted from Willie Dixon’s “You Need Love”, recorded by Muddy Waters in 1962. A lawsuit in 1985 was settled with a payment to Dixon and credit on subsequent releases.

”Whole Lotta Love“ is perhaps the most Zeppelin song of all, and it opened the doorway that allowed Heavy Metal to exist. The combination of riffs, effects, vocal gymnastics, wild man drumming and intricate bass all combine with the primal urges of love and sex to create a song that moves you at every level. I don’t remember when headphones were invented. I know it was long before “beats”, but I am pretty sure that they were invented to listen to Led Zeppelin II, and particularly “Whole Lotta Love”.

I never got to see Led Zeppelin perform, obviously, since they broke up when drummer John Bonham died in 1980 at the age of 32 after drinking way too much the day before. I did get to take a road trip up to Washington D.C. with a college roommate to see Page / Plant, which was incredible.

My favorite lyric:

“Way down inside, woman, you need love”

Admittedly, this is not the most eloquent lyric ever written. It is the delivery and recording of it that makes it the highlight. The buildup, the reverse echo, just powerful.

Whole Lotta Love

Written by Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, John Paul Jones & Willie Dixon

Performed by Led Zeppelin

You need coolin’, baby, I’m not foolin’

I’m going to send you back to schoolin’

Way down inside, honey, you need it

I’m goin’ to give you my love

I’m goin’ to give you my love, oh

Want a whole lotta love

Want a whole lotta love

Want a whole lotta love

Want a whole lotta love

You’ve been learnin’, baby, I’ve been yearnin’

All them good times, baby, baby, I’ve been learnin’

Way, way down inside, honey, you need it

I’m gonna give you my love, ah

I’m goin’ to give you my love, ah, oh

Want a whole lotta love

Want a whole lotta love

Want a whole lotta love

Want a whole lotta love

You’ve been coolin’, baby, I’ve been droolin’

All the good times, baby, I’ve been misusin’

Way, way down inside, I’m goin’ to give you my love

I’m goin’ to give you every inch of my love

Goin’ to give you my love, hey, alright, yes, sir

Want a whole lotta love

Want a whole lotta love

Want a whole lotta love

Want a whole lotta love

Way down inside, woman, you need love

Shake for me, girl, I want to be your back door man

Hey! Oh! Hey! Oh! Hey! Oh!

Keep it coolin’, baby

Keep it coolin’, baby

Keep it coolin’, baby

Keep it coolin’, baby

Keep it coolin’, baby

6. 1970 – Paranoid – Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath is widely acknowledged for creating the genre of Heavy Metal. “Paranoid” is probably the most succinct example. Driving beat, chugging riff, impassioned vocals. When it came out, I was shaking my cradle, exercising my vocal cords, trying to understand what Ozzy Osbourne (and anybody else) was saying. Later on, I would learn a lot more about lyrics and song titles.

It could be argued that the lyrics of the song describe someone who is paranoid, but I did not make that connection as a kid. I guess I never really knew what the song was called. My Mom would never have let be bring an album called “Black Sabbath” into the house, so I had only heard this song on the radio. I knew that it was Sabbath, and I knew it kicked ass, but I didn’t know what it was called. At the Junior High School talent show, we had a rock band who played it, which was clearly the highlight of the show. When a friend who hadn’t seen the performance asked me if they had played “Paranoid”, I said “No. They played a Black Sabbath song.” See, I had thought that “Destroyer” by The Kinks was called “Paranoid”, since they actually said the word paranoia in the chorus. How embarrassing, when another friend explained that the song was indeed called “Paranoid”.

The lyrics themselves are very personal to me. I gravitated to rock music for the sound and the messages. Unfortunately, a lot of these lines have directly applied to me throughout my life.

My favorite lyric:

“I need someone to show me the things in life that I can’t find.
I can’t see the things that make true happiness, I must be blind.”

I have often wondered if I was creating my own prison by choice, or if I just wasn’t seeing what everyone else appeared to be seeing. I want to be happy and satisfied, so I don’t think I intentionally avoid those things. I actually believe that I think about and see *more* things than most people do, and see how bad things can go, way before they actually do. My struggle is to figure out if there is a way to avoid things going down the dark path. In most cases, I have no influence over events, so the battle becomes identifying which things I can influence. Writing this, it is starting to sound like a version of the serenity prayer. Serenity is definitely the other side of the paranoia coin.

Paranoid

Written by Bill Ward, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi & Ozzy Osbourne

Performed by Black Sabbath

Finished with my woman ’cause she couldn’t help me with my mind

People think I’m insane because I am frowning all the time

All day long, I think of things but nothing seems to satisfy

Think I’ll lose my mind if I don’t find something to pacify

Can you help me occupy my brain?

Whoa, yeah

I need someone to show me the things in life that I can’t find

I can’t see the things that make true happiness, I must be blind

Make a joke and I will sigh and you will laugh and I will cry

Happiness, I cannot feel and love to me is so unreal

And so, as you hear these words telling you now of my state

I tell you to enjoy life, I wish I could, but it’s too late

7. 1970 – Cracklin’ Rosie – Neil Diamond

Some of the best memories I have of my early childhood with my Dad are listening to records in our basement. I don’t remember what we were doing down there, but I remember listening to albums and talking about them. I am sure that we listened to multiple artists, but other than The Beatles, the only thing I remember listening to is Neil Diamond. Neil had the coolest voice, attitude for days, and mysterious music.

I know that I used to ask my Dad what the heck he was talking about, and I know that he told me, but I can’t really say that those answers stuck with me. For example, I still don’t know what a “store-bought woman” is, but he probably made some joke about my Mom loving to go shopping at the mall, which I suppose makes as much sense as anything else. I definitely recall giving my Dad a hard time whenever a song had nonsense lyrics, such as “Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba…”. I used to ask my Dad why they didn’t have enough words invented when he was a kid. There were all of these “Be bop a lula” and “Ram a lam a ding dong” and “Dip de dip de dip” and “Shimmy shimmy koko bop” and “Sha la la la la” songs, the only explanation my young brain could offer was a lack of real words to choose from.

Neil Diamond released a landmark live album in 1972 called “Hot August Night”, an album so great, he has released 3 sequels. One of those was recorded at Madison Square Garden in New York City in August 2008. I was able to bring my Dad to one of these shows. We got to take the train in from Long Island, grab a steak downtown, and walk into the Garden, an old arena, but a very special one. We were not sure how he would sound after so many years, but he was on point, the production was incredible, and it was a memorable (and hot) August night.

My favorite lyric:

“We got all night to set the world right”

This is such a succinct, uplifting message, full of hope, in the middle of a song with loads of attitude.

Cracklin’ Rosie

Written by Neil Diamond

Performed by Neil Diamond

Aw, Cracklin’ Rosie, get on board

We’re gonna ride

Till there ain’t no more to go

Taking it slow

And Lord, don’t you know

We’ll have me a time with a poor man’s lady

Hitchin’ on a twilight train

Ain’t nothing here that I care to take along

Maybe a song

To sing when I want

No need to say please to no man

For a happy tune

Oh, I love my Rosie child

You got the way to make me happy

You and me we go in style

Cracklin’ Rose

You’re a store-bought woman

But you make me sing like a guitar hummin’

So hang on to me, girl

Our song keeps runnin’ on

Play it now, play it now

Play it now, my baby

Cracklin’ Rosie, make me a smile

Girl, if it lasts for an hour, that’s all right

We got all night to set the world right

Find us a dream that don’t ask no questions

Yeah

Oh, I love my Rosie child

You got the way to make me happy

You and me we go in style

Cracklin’ Rose

You’re a store-bought woman

But you make me sing like a guitar hummin’

So hang on to me, girl

Our song keeps runnin’ on

Play it now, play it now

Play it now, my baby

Cracklin’ Rosie, make me a smile

Girl, if it lasts for an hour, that’s all right

We got all night

To set the world right

Find us a dream that don’t ask no questions

Ba ba ba ba ba ……

8. 1971 – Imagine – John Lennon

The first murder that I remember is that of John Lennon on December 8, 1980. I was 11 years old, and it may be the first death that I was aware of. Obviously, I did not know Lennon personally, but I certainly knew who he was. He had made a comeback that year with his album “Double Fantasy”, released just weeks before, and I had been listening to that. I had also gotten into 2 greatest hits albums from The Beatles, the red one and the blue one (did you have them?). I loved everything he had done with and without The Beatles, and preferred his songs to McCartney’s by a large margin. I was still young enough to believe in his ideals and messages of hope and peace.

“Imagine” has a beautiful melody, and I am sure that is what had grabbed me in my younger years. Later, I could analyze the lyrics, which seemed to make perfect common sense to me. I recall that Howard Hesseman’s character “Johnny Fever” (my favorite of course) on “WKRP in Cincinnati” had used this song in a classic episode, in which protesters against rock and roll wanted the station to stop playing songs that it considered “offensive”. Fever used “Imagine” to argue the point that it was not an anti-religious song that declared that heaven did not exist, but instead was a challenge to imagine if certain things were different, how people would react to and treat each other.

I was raised as a Catholic, a religion that does not promote critical thinking or questioning of any kind. It is one of those successful religions that lays out a specific dogma, and excludes the possibility that any other religion has validity. That never sat well with me, as all religions are created by man, or at the very least interpreted by man, without proof of evidence. I suppose in that way, “Imagine” did set me on a path that most religions fear, the path of self discovery and open questioning. I ended up practicing Unitarian Universalism for a long while, where any source of enlightenment and inspiration are welcome. I may have even heard this song performed during a service or two.

My favorite lyric:

“You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one“

This is the most enduring and inspiring line, and one I latched onto as a youngster, believing that even though Lennon had been taken from us far too soon (he was only 4 years older than my Dad, his son Julian 6 years older than me), he left all of us a path to follow.

Imagine

Written by John Lennon & Yoko Ono

Performed by John Lennon

Imagine there’s no heaven

It’s easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us, only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today

I

Imagine there’s no countries

It isn’t hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace

You

You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope someday you’ll join us

And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world

You

You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope someday you’ll join us

And the world will live as one

9. 1971 – Behind Blue Eyes – The Who

First of all, I don’t have blue eyes, I have brown eyes. It took me a while to latch onto this song, as I was taking it quite literally. I came to realize that “behind blue eyes” was just a metaphor for someone who appeared to be happy on the outside, but was struggling within. I have always had every reason to be happy in general, but I have spent a lot of my life unhappy. I often think too much, and over analyze. All my life have I looked away… to the future, to the horizon. Never my mind on where I was. What I was doing. Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things.

My Mom always told me “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Roger Daltrey sings Pete Townshend’s words “No one bites back as hard on their anger, none of my pain and woe can show through.” I have tended to stay quiet and keep things to myself, feeling that nobody wants to hear about your problems, they are too busy hiding their own. Rather than stir things up, or cause controversy, I tend to keep things inside, “like a man”, until they explode in words of anger – spoke or emailed or posted socially. Like the protagonist in the song, I constantly try to regulate myself, by letting off a little steam, usually through attempted humor, before things get ugly.

In college, The Who was one of our go-to bands, when we were finished playing poker and pre-gaming, and were about to head out to a party. We would stand on the furniture and scream along to our favorite songs. One night, one of my roommates personified another line in the song, a secret nod we would give each other anytime we listened after that. “And if I swallow anything evil, put your finger down my throat.” That’s what true friends are for!

Recently, I was covering a rock radio convention in Las Vegas, as a photographer. Some of us were coming down the elevator at the Hard Rock Hotel, when in stepped none other than Pete Townshend. He asked what we were doing there, we told him it was a rock radio convention, and he smiled and said “In that case, I should be there!” So true – rock radio would not be what it was without The Who.

My favorite lyric:

“When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool”

This is the embodiment of the eternal internal struggle to maintain mental health. Don’t get too low, and don’t get too high. Let other people help you regulate and support you, in good times and bad. For some people, this is a weekly battle, a daily battle, even a minute-to-minute battle. Remember that when you engage with a friend, a family member, a co-worker, or even a stranger. You never know what somebody is going through in that moment.

Behind Blue Eyes

Written by Pete Townshend

Performed by The Who

No one knows what it’s like

To be the bad man, to be the sad man

Behind blue eyes

No one knows what it’s like

To be hated, to be fated

To telling only lies

But my dreams, they aren’t as empty

As my conscience seems to be

I have hours, only lonely

My love is vengeance that’s never free

No one knows what it’s like

To feel these feelings like I do

And I blame you

No one bites back as hard

On their anger, none of my pain and woe

Can show through

But my dreams, they aren’t as empty

As my conscience seems to be

I have hours, only lonely

My love is vengeance that’s never free

When my fist clenches, crack it open

Before I use it and lose my cool

When I smile, tell me some bad news

Before I laugh and act like a fool

And if I swallow anything evil

Put your finger down my throat

And if I shiver, please give me a blanket

Keep me warm, let me wear your coat

No one knows what it’s like

To be the bad man, to be the sad man

Behind blue eyes

10. 1972 – American Pie – Don McLean

I do remember loving this song as a young kid. Most of it is very upbeat and fun to sing along to. I had no idea what it was about until later on. “Bye-bye, Miss American Pie” – fun to sing, still no idea what it means, especially when the movies came out, which definitely had their own meaning. “Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry” – we had a green Chevy Nova forever, so I knew what half of that line meant. “But February made me shiver, with every paper I’d deliver. Bad news on the doorstep” – I had a paper route through junior high and high school, waking at 6 AM, rain or shine, snow or sun, to deliver the New York Daily News based in NYC. Newsday is the Long Island paper, which was delivered in the afternoon, totally interfering with the day, so I had no interest in delivering that. I probably sang “Bad news on the doorstep” every time The Daily News had a negative headline.

Eventually, I figured out what some of the other lyrics meant. The verses refer to songs from The Beatles, The Stones, The Byrds, The Who, David Bowie and Bob Dylan. Clearly a lot of this is an homage to those classic bands. The core theme of the song is “The day the music died.” My Dad told me that this referred to the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, while they were on tour together on February 3, 1959. That tragic event always brings me to the plane crash that killed members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and also the plane crash that killed Randy Rhoads. All of which I try not to think about anytime that I fly.

Every year while I was in college at the University of Virginia, almost the entire school headed down to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the week after finals end. We rented big houses on the beach, and slept on beds, couches, kitchen floors, lounge chairs – whatever was available. I was in full mix-tape mode all throughout college, making the party cassette mixes that we played on poker nights or during our massive BYOB daiquiri parties (BYOB = Bring Your Own Blender – we would burn out several each time). I remember making a mix-tape for Myrtle Beach, which included “American Pie”. I recall large groups of us sitting by the beach, drinking until the sun came up, singing this song en masse.

This epic song became one of “Weird Al” Yankovic’s best parodies. “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” was a shaky reboot, and ripe for spoofing. “The Saga Begins” nailed it perfectly, so perfectly that I sing some of Al’s lyrics, even when listening to the original. I always try to go to a birthday concert, some time around my actual birthday. Recently, “Weird Al” performed in San Diego, and I finally got to see him in person. He went through all of his classics, complete with multiple costume changes. The encore was “The Saga Begins”, played in its entirety, complete with droids and stormtroopers. Epic!

My favorite lyric:

“Do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in rock ‘n roll
Can music save your mortal soul?”

As a recovering Catholic, I have spent a lot of time pondering these types of questions. As a heavy metal fan, I have felt ostracized and criticized by organized religion. Personally, I have found more joy, community, understanding and inspiration from rock and roll than from religion. A person wrote “The Bible”. A person wrote “Crazy Train”. Why should one be universally accepted as gospel and one be demonized as madness? Maybe it’s not too late to learn how to love and forget how to hate.

American Pie

Written by Don McLean

Performed by Don McLean

A long, long time ago

I can still remember

How that music used to make me smile

And I knew if I had my chance

That I could make those people dance

And maybe they’d be happy for a while

But February made me shiver

With every paper I’d deliver

Bad news on the doorstep

I couldn’t take one more step

I can’t remember if I cried

When I read about his widowed bride

But something touched me deep inside

The day the music died

So bye-bye, Miss American Pie

Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry

And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey ‘n rye

Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die”

“This’ll be the day that I die.”

Did you write the book of love

And do you have faith in God above

If the Bible tells you so?

Now do you believe in rock ‘n roll

Can music save your mortal soul?

And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you’re in love with him

‘Cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym

You both kicked off your shoes

Man, I dig those rhythm and blues

I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck

With a pink carnation and a pickup truck

But I knew I was out of luck

The day the music died

I started singing

“Bye-bye, Miss American Pie”

Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry

Them good old boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye

Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die”

“This’ll be the day that I die.”

Now for ten years we’ve been on our own

And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone

But that’s not how it used to be

When the jester sang for the king and queen

In a coat he borrowed from James Dean

And a voice that came from you and me

Oh, and while the king was looking down

The jester stole his thorny crown

The courtroom was adjourned

No verdict was returned

And while Lennon read a book on Marx

The quartet practiced in the park

And we sang dirges in the dark

The day the music died

We were singing

“Bye-bye, Miss American Pie”

Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry

Them good old boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye

Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die”

“This’ll be the day that I die.”

Helter skelter in a summer swelter

The birds flew off with a fallout shelter

Eight miles high and falling fast

It landed foul on the grass

The players tried for a forward pass

With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume

While the sergeants played a marching tune

We all got up to dance

Oh, but we never got the chance!

‘Cause the players tried to take the field

The marching band refused to yield

Do you recall what was revealed

The day the music died?

We started singin’

“Bye-bye, Miss American Pie”

Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry

Them good old boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye

Singin’, “This’ll be the day that I die”

“This’ll be the day that I die.”

Oh, and there we were all in one place

A generation lost in space

With no time left to start again

So come on, Jack be nimble, Jack be quick!

Jack Flash sat on a candlestick, ’cause

Fire is the devil’s only friend

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage

My hands were clenched in fists of rage

No angel born in hell

Could break that Satan’s spell

And as the flames climbed high into the night

To light the sacrificial rite

I saw Satan laughing with delight

The day the music died

We were singing

“Bye-bye Miss American Pie”

Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry

Them good old boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye

Singing, “This’ll be the day that I die”

“This’ll be the day that I die…”

I met a girl who sang the blues

And I asked her for some happy news

But she just smiled and turned away

I went down to the sacred store

Where I’d heard the music years before

But the man there said the music wouldn’t play

And in the streets, the children screamed

The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed

But not a word was spoken

The church bells all were broken

And the three men I admire most

The father, son, and the holy ghost

They caught the last train for the coast

The day the music died

And they were singing

“Bye-bye Miss American Pie”

Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry

And them good old boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye

Singing, “This’ll be the day that I die”

“This’ll be the day that I die”

They were singing

“Bye-bye Miss American Pie”

Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry

Them good old boys were drinking whiskey ‘n rye

Singing, “This’ll be the day that I die…”

11. 1972 – Rocket Man (I Think  It’s Going To Be A Long Long Time) – Elton John

Everybody loves Elton John, right? My first memory of Elton is from looking at the record collection that my Uncle had in my grandparents’ house in New Jersey. I was fascinated by the artwork on the fold out record covers of “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”. My uncle let me borrow them to play at home in the basement. I soon found out that my parents had other Elton John records. We all loved his songs, even my sister. When he appeared on “The Muppet Show”, singing “Crocodile Rock” with muppets, that created another great lasting family memory.

“Rocket Man” is an obvious choice for me, since it is so similar to David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” and I was born the day we landed on the moon, allegedly. Like Bowie’s classic, this one is haunting musically and lyrically, exploring the isolation and desperation of an astronaut’s journey. I have always been fascinated by the space program and exploration, but totally freaked out by the thought of being stuck inside a tiny vehicle that I cannot easily exit. Elton’s brilliance on the piano exquisitely matches the poetry of his lifelong writing partner Bernie Taupin, creating a song that instantly captures your attention and captivates.

This song made a huge comeback for me when it was used in the dramatic final scene of the season 3 finale of the TV show “Californication”, starring David Duchovny, AKA Fox Mulder of “X-Files” fame. This scene is the culmination of a 3 season story arc which finds Hank Moody literally at rock bottom. The version used is a remix, using acoustic guitar in place of piano. This is one of the most hauntingly beautiful and heartbreaking scenes ever produced. “Californication” is one of my all time favorites, and was a major inspiration that led me to move to San Diego.

My favorite lyric:

“I think it’s gonna be a long, long time.
I’m not the man they think I am at home.”

These words perfectly capture the tone of the exquisitely written, acted and filmed series. It also is a striking way to capture the emotions of the astronaut in the song.

Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long Long Time)

Written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin

Performed by Elton John

She packed my bags last night, pre-flight

Zero hour: 9:00 a.m

And I’m gonna be high as a kite by then

I miss the Earth so much, I miss my wife

It’s lonely out in space

On such a timeless flight

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

‘Til touchdown brings me ’round again to find

I’m not the man they think I am at home

Oh no, no, no

I’m a rocket man

Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

‘Til touchdown brings me ’round again to find

I’m not the man they think I am at home

Oh no, no, no

I’m a rocket man

Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone

Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids

In fact, it’s cold as hell

And there’s no one there to raise them if you did

And all this science I don’t understand

It’s just my job five days a week

A rocket man

A rocket man

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

‘Til touchdown brings me ’round again to find

I’m not the man they think I am at home

Oh no, no, no

I’m a rocket man

Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

‘Til touchdown brings me ’round again to find

I’m not the man they think I am at home

Oh no, no, no

I’m a rocket man

Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time

12. 1973 – Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd

“Free Bird” is an interesting song, in that it only has 2 verses, yet it is over 9 minutes long. A lot of that is due to one of the greatest guitar solo outros ever created. The music in this song is beautiful and haunting throughout – piano, acoustic guitar, slide guitar and electric guitar. Singer Ronnie Van Zant always sang with such precision that you could instantly feel the emotions he was conveying.

This song is so powerful and beautiful that even my Mom likes it. She has almost never liked anything I listen to, but I clearly recall listening to this in the car with her, and she actually enjoyed it, did not change the station, and commented afterwards. In fact, Lynyrd Skynyrd would also provide our Mommy-Son song, which we danced to at my wedding, their classic ballad “Simple Man”. I wanted to hear that entire song, so halfway through I had the DJ ask all the Moms and Sons to join us on the dance floor. That was a special moment.

Back to “Free Bird”, it always inspired me, although as a kid you don’t have much freedom to travel and make your own way. I suppose it was always embedded in my brain, and probably helped me decide to go away for college. My “safety school” was a New York state school 5 hours from Long Island. I have lived in 5 states, worked in 20 states, and visited 37 states. I have been to Aruba, Belgium, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Mexico and Spain, as well as several Caribbean Islands. I absolutely cannot wait to start traveling on again, ‘cause there’s still too many places I’ve got to see.

I was fortunate to be able to photograph Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. LTL is perhaps my most favorite festival of all. We have wonderful friends who open their house to us every year. Fans travel from all over the country to this central location, which hosts the premier fall festival, so the odds are good that most of my photo pit pals (photographriends) and festival family will be in attendance.

My favorite lyric:

“For I must be traveling on, now
‘Cause there’s too many places I’ve got to see”

As I just mentioned, I love to travel. I have traveled for work, for music, for vacation and for tradition. Starting at a very young age, we flew to South Carolina every Easter and every summer to visit my Grandparents. I went away to school, and even from there, made road trips for concerts, parties, and football bowl games. No matter where I was living, I have gone home to New York for Christmas almost every year of my life. I have not gone anywhere since Valentine’s Day of 2020. I have not even left San Diego County in almost a year. This is by far the longest I have ever gone without exploring, and it is making me restless and uncomfortable.

Free Bird

Written by Allen Collins & Ronnie Van Zant

Performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd

If I leave here tomorrow

Would you still remember me?

For I must be traveling on, now

‘Cause there’s too many places I’ve got to see

But if I stay here with you, girl

Things just couldn’t be the same

‘Cause I’m as free as a bird now

And this bird you cannot change

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

And the bird you cannot change

And this bird you cannot change

Lord knows, I can’t change

Bye, bye, baby, it’s been a sweet love, yeah yeah

Though this feeling I can’t change

But please don’t take it so badly

‘Cause Lord knows I’m to blame

But, if I stay here with you, girl

Things just couldn’t be the same

‘Cause I’m as free as a bird now

And this bird you’ll never change

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

And the bird you cannot change

And this bird you cannot change

Lord knows, I can’t change

Lord help me, I can’t change

Lord, I can’t change

Won’t you fly high, free bird, yeah

13. 1973 – Dream On – Aerosmith

Aerosmith was the go-to band on classic rock stations in the Northeast. By the time I had really gotten into them, they were in the middle of their “Behind The Music” meltdown, so I figured that they were just one of those old bands it would have been nice to see. Run-D.M.C. made them relevant again, with a killer remake of “Walk This Way”. Then they got their act together in the late 80’s, and made a massive comeback, with “Permanent Vacation”, “Pump”, and “Get A Grip” delivering some of their greatest songs. The music videos from this era are legendary, many starring Steven Tyler’s daughter Liv Tyler and Alicia Silverstone.

With their new lease on life and hit after hit in their setlist, Aerosmith have become a touring machine. I would finally be able to see America’s greatest rock and roll band live in person. One time, they were playing an amphitheater show in Charlotte, North Carolina with Kid Rock. My wife was pregnant, and had told me that she was finished with lawn seats, and would only go to shows if we had seating. As we approached our seats for the show, she noticed that we were once again walking towards the lawn. She was getting upset, but I showed her that they did have small bleachers, just 3 rows of them, in the front of the lawn, and we would be dead center on the top row and able to see the stage perfectly. Halfway through the Aerosmith set, they had all left the stage. I asked her to turn around, and suddenly we were not on the edge of the lawn, we were front row center for a small stage which had been built on the lawn. We got to see 3 songs performed directly in front of us. That stands as one of my favorite concert experiences.

I was fortunate to be able to photograph Aerosmith in 2016 at the KAABOO Del Mar Festival in San Diego, California. I had a photo pass for every stage except the main stage, but was allowed to shoot the main stage from the crowd. I decided to find a vantage point on the railing which would allow me to shoot down the center aisle between the soundboard and the stage. I got my spot early and stayed there for Third Eye Blind and Lenny Kravitz. Since I was not in the pit, I did not have to get all of my shots in during the first 3 songs. By being patient, I was able to get some great shots of Tyler and Perry, and ultimately captured Steven Tyler sitting at the piano, playing and singing “Dream On”. This was the song that first broke them and it continues to be an iconic masterpiece.

My favorite lyric:

“Everybody’s got their dues in life to pay, yeah”

I have always believed that dreams were great, but you have to put in the work if you have any hope of achieving them. You have to manifest your own destiny through effort and will. If you look at the story behind almost every successful person, the sheer will power to succeed is the driving factor, despite talent level, lack of support or assistance from doubters. Dream on, but also act towards fulfilling that dream.

Dream On

Written by Steven Tyler

Performed by Aerosmith

Every time that I look in the mirror

All these lines on my face getting clearer

The past is gone

It went by like dusk to dawn

Isn’t that the way?

Everybody’s got their dues in life to pay, yeah

I know nobody knows

Where it comes and where it goes

I know it’s everybody’s sin

You got to lose to know how to win

Half my life’s in books’ written pages

Lived and learned from fools and from sages

You know it’s true

All the things come back to you

Sing with me, sing for the year

Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear

Sing with me, it’s just for today

Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away

Sing with me, sing for the year

Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear

Sing with me, it’s just for today

Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away

Dream on, dream on, dream on

Dream until your dreams come true

Dream on, dream on, dream on

Dream until your dreams come true

Dream on, dream on

Dream on, dream on

Dream on, dream on

Dream on

Aaaaaah!

Sing with me, sing for the year

Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear

Sing with me, it’s just for today

Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away

Sing with me, sing for the year

Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear

Sing with me, it’s just for today

Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away

14. 1974 – Thank God I’m A Country Boy – John Denver

I also spent a lot of time in the basement with my Mom. She has always had her own taste in music. I think she may have tried to get my sister and I to listen to musicals and soundtracks, like “The Sound of Music”, “Doctor Zhivago” and Abba, which probably wasn’t a movie or play at the time, but certainly had that theatrical quality to it. The artist I most remember us singing along to while doing laundry, or watching her use the sewing machine, was John Denver. “Thank God I’m A Country Boy” was the most played track. We didn’t listen to a lot of country music – Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, John Denver – that’s about it. But we definitely had fun when we did, and it is a warm memory that I can always access.

My favorite lyric:

“So I fiddle when I can and I work when I should”

Curiously, this country classic has the same core message as the rock epic from the year before. A positive attitude combined with a solid work effort makes you a worthy human being. Maybe we are as different as some would like us to think. Maybe we are all Donny and Marie. Maybe we are all a little bit country, and a little bit rock and roll!

Thank God I’m A Country Boy

Written by John Martin Sommers

Performed by John Denver

Well, life on a farm is kinda laid back

Ain’t much an old country boy like me can’t hack

It’s early to rise, early in the sack

Thank God I’m a country boy

Well, a simple kind of life never did me no harm

A-raisin’ me a family and working on the farm

My days are all filled with an easy country charm

Thank God I’m a country boy

Well, I got me a fine wife, I got me old fiddle

When the sun’s coming up, I got cakes on the griddle

And life ain’t nothing but a funny, funny riddle

Thank God I’m a country boy

When the work’s all done and the sun’s setting low

I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow

The kids are asleep so I keep it kinda low

Thank God I’m a country boy

I’d play “Sally Goodin'” all day if I could

But the Lord and my wife wouldn’t take it very good

So I fiddle when I can and I work when I should

Thank God I’m a country boy

Well, I got me a fine wife, I got me old fiddle

When the sun’s coming up, I got cakes on the griddle

And life ain’t nothing but a funny, funny riddle

Thank God I’m a country boy

Whoo

Well, I wouldn’t trade my life for diamonds or jewels

I never was one of them money hungry fools

I’d rather have my fiddle and my farming tools

Thank God I’m a country boy

Yeah, city folk driving in a black limousine

A lot of sad people thinking that’s a-mighty keen

Well son, let me tell you now exactly what I mean

I thank God I’m a country boy

Well, I got me a fine wife, I got me old fiddle

When the sun’s coming up, I got cakes on the griddle

And life ain’t nothing but a funny, funny riddle

Thank God I’m a country boy

Well, my fiddle was my daddy’s till the day he died

And he took me by the hand, held me close to his side

Said, “Live a good life, play my fiddle with pride

Thank God you’re a country boy.”

My daddy taught me young how to hunt and how to whittle

He taught me how to work and play a tune on the fiddle

He taught me how to love and how to give just a little

And thank God I’m a country boy

Well, I got me a fine wife, I got me old fiddle

When the sun’s coming up, I got cakes on the griddle

Life ain’t nothing but a funny, funny riddle

Whoo, thank God I’m a country boy, yes!

15. 1974 – Bad Company – Bad Company

To be clear, this is the song “Bad Company”, as written and performed by the band Bad Company, from the album “Bad Company”, which was produced by Bad Company. Got it?   That always made us laugh. A lot of the songs from the 1970’s got new life in the late 80’s and early 90’s with the popularity of CD’s. Typically, to save money as a college student, I would buy greatest hits collections on CD. Bad Company’s “10 From 6” was one of out most played during poker nights.

I finally got to see the band live right before I moved away from Maryland, around 2010 at something called “Outlaw Jam”. It was out in Western Maryland, featuring Bad Company, Blue Oyster Cult, Candlebox and Black Stone Cherry. In keeping with the Outlaw vibe, they also had the cast of a new TV series about a biker gang in Northern California. Unfortunately, I had not yet realized that “Sons Of Anarchy” was one of the greatest TV dramas of all time, and I did not participate in that part of the event. Musically, it was a very special night.

One of the other reasons that this song is so important is that Five Finger Death Punch made it their own at their live shows. I have covered and photographed so many 5FDP shows over the past decade, and their heavy version of this classic, which they always dedicate to our Armed Forces, is always a highlight. YEAH!!

My favorite lyric:

“Rebel souls, deserters we are called”

This reminded me of “Star Wars”, which made me think that rebels were cool, and the good ones in a conflict, which also made the rebel flag seem cool. No, wait, “The Dukes of Hazzard” made the rebel flag seem cool, painted on the roof of the General Lee orange 1969 (great year!) Dodge Charger. Possibly, it was Daisy Duke and her shorts that made the whole show seem cool. In any event, Paul Rodgers delivers that line so smoothly, it makes this whole song sound cool.

Bad Company

Written by Paul Rodgers & Simon Kirke

Performed by Bad Company

Mmm

Company, always on the run

Destiny, is a rising sun

Oh, I was born six-gun in my hand

Behind a gun, I’ll make my final stand, hey

That’s why they call me

Bad company and I can’t deny

Bad company ’til the day I die

Oh, ’til the day I die

‘Til the day I die

Rebel souls, deserters we are called

Chose a gun and threw away the sun

Now these towns, they all know our name

Six-gun sound is our claim to fame

I can hear them say

Bad company and I won’t deny

Bad, bad company ’til the day I die

Ha, ha, oh yeah

‘Til the day I die, ooh

Oh

Hey, hey, hey

Bad company, I can’t deny

Bad company ’til the day I die

And I say it’s bad company

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Bad company ’til the day I die

Whoa yes

Said I’m young and I’m free

Oh, but I’m-a bad company

That’s the way I play, yeah

Dirty for dirty, heh

Oh, somebody double-crossed me

Double-cross for double-cross

Yeah, we’re bad company

For more chapters of My Life In Music:

My Life In Music, Part 1, 1975-1979

My Life In Music, Part 2, 1980-1984

My Life In Music, Part 2, 1985-1989

My Life In Music, Part 1, 1969 – 1974 first appeared on Game On Media.

Alter Bridge burst onto the music scene in 2004 with the release of their gold-selling debut, One Day Remains. In 2007, the band released Blackbird, the album that elevated the band’s profile worldwide. The epic solo in the title track “Blackbird” was voted “Greatest Guitar Solo Of All Time” by Guitarist Magazine. ABIII was released in 2010 and the single “Isolation” gave the band their first #1 single. In 2013, the band reached an elevated creative and critical plateau with Fortress. It bowed at #12 on the Billboard Top 200, moving over 30,000 copies first-week and earning unanimous tastemaker praise. The record garnered perfect scores from Total Guitar and KERRANG! as well as acclaim from Billboard, The Guardian, Loudwire, Ultimate Guitar, and many more. In between sold out tours in Europe and North America, the guys appeared on VH1 and graced the cover of Classic Rock Magazine who labeled Fortress, “The best thing they’ve ever done,” while Eddie Trunk called it, “A top 10 album of the last 10 years.” 2016’s The Last Hero gave the band their first Top 10 album since their debut. ALTER BRIDGE has appeared on The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live and their music has been used by the WWE, Major League Baseball and NASCAR to name a few. The band recently released the video and audio of their career highlight, Live At The Royal Albert Hall, featuring ALTER BRIDGE backed by the 52-piece Parallax Orchestra led by conductor Simon Dobson. In December 2019, Guitar World magazine voted Mark Tremonti the Guitarist of the Decade and their latest album Walk The Sky ended up on numerous year end lists signifying ALTER BRIDGE are showing no signs of slowing down. For more info, visit: WEBSITE FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM TWITTER NAPALM RECORDS Alter Bridge at The Wiltern in Los Angeles: Alter Bridge LA 2020 41 photos

Alter Bridge Postpones Spring Headline Tour With Black Stone Cherry and Saint Asonia first appeared on Game On Media.

5-1 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle (No Saint Asonia)
5-2 – Charlotte, NC – Epicenter Festival (AB Only)
5-4 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore
5-6 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
5-7 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
5-9 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome To Rockville
5-10 – Destin, FL – Club LA (AB Only)
5-12 – Louisville, KY – Palace Theatre
5-13 – Niagara Falls, NY – Rapids Theatre
5-15 – Rama, ON – Casino Rama
5-16 – Columbus, OH – Sonic Temple Festival
5-18 – New Orleans, LA – The Fillmore
5-20 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
5-21 – Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete Street Pavilion
5-23 – Herrin, IL – Herrinfesta Italiana (AB Only)
5-24 – Pryor, OK – Rocklahoma (AB Only)

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
2-18 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
2-20 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
2-21 – Lake Tahoe, NV – Montbleu Resort
2-23 – San Francisco, CA – The Regency Ballroom
2-24 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
2-26 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
2-27 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory

For more info visit:
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
NAPALM RECORDS

Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry, Saint Asonia Announce Spring Tour first appeared on Game On Media.

Black Stone Cherry return with another riotous, rip roaring tribute to their blues heroes on ‘Black To Blues Volume 2,’ released on Mascot Label Group/Mascot Records.

The first installment of the series, ‘Black To Blues’, was released in October 2017 and crashed straight into #1 in the Billboard Blues Chart and reached the top 30 UK album chart with a wave of praise from both the press and fans.

Following the reaction to the release Chris Robertson said; “We could have never dreamed of the reaction we got from “Black to Blues”. It was amazing to have such a positive reaction to our take on some of our biggest influences in music. Now we are back for round two and we have added our great friend Yates Mckendree on organ/keys and he also makes an appearance on guitar! We kept a couple artists in the line-up from last time and introduced a few others into the mix as well! We can’t wait for everyone to hear and feel how much fun we had recording this project!!”.

Since the last blues EP the band released their latest studio album ‘Family Tree’ (2018), which reached the Top 10 UK Album Chart (their 3^rd in a row) and Billboard Top 10 Hard Rock Albums. The band spent the time following that touring Europe extensively; including a 2018 UK Arena Tour with Monster Truck, a mainstage sub-headline performance at Download Festival – under Guns ‘n Roses – plus performances at Graspop, Rock am Ring and stand out sets this summer at Wacken Open Air, a sold out Caerphilly Castle (Wales) and an explosive headline slot at Ramblin’ Man Fair. They have also criss-crossed their way around the US including shows with Gov’t Mule, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, Three Doors Down and Lynyrd Skynyrd. In amongst all of this, they still found time to record a hip-shaking new record and once again produced by the band themselves, they recorded it at Monocle Studios in Sulphur Well, KY. The EP kicks off with Robertson introducing McKendree on the organ as they launch into Freddie King’s ‘Big Legged Woman.‘ It’s wild, raucous and has their own unmistakable groove woven through the song as has their unrelenting take on Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Down In The Bottom’ – both legends covered on the previous record. Talking about King and Wolf, guitarist Ben Wells says; “Those are some of our absolute favourites. We always identify with those guys ’cause they had grooves and riffs like we would put in our tunes. So we are naturally drawn to that.”

This is where the link between the blues and Black Stone Cherry weaves in so perfectly, the groove and heart of those early songs embody the essence and beginnings of Kentucky’s favourite rockers. “Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Howlin’ Wolf, and the like,” Wells explains, “we used to listen to that constantly growing up, and still do.  It’s what we grew up playing and learning together. It’s the DNA of what our band is. It’s not just us covering songs. It’s about doing our own version of each song.”

Fans that have seen the band grow over their ascent to arenas will have often seen their love for the blues with songs regularly making into the live set. This time around they bring in Robert Johnsons’ howling ‘Me And The Devil Blues’, the sultry slow burning ‘All Your Love (I Miss Loving)‘ originally performed by Mississippi legend Otis Rush, and Elmore James classic ‘Early One Morning,’ one of the wildest stand out songs from the one the links between traditional Delta and Chicago blues.

The album closes with their take on ‘Death Letter Blues’ by Son House, which long-time fans will be familiar with from the band’s live set and also featured on 2014 live album ‘Thank You: Livin’ Live Birmingham.’

Talking about the reaction of the fans Wells enthuses; “It’s incredible!! The coolest part is hearing young fans say they never listened to these artists until we made them aware of them. That’s amazing for us!”

Once again, Black Stone Cherry stamp their own unmistakable personality on these deep cut classic. The torch of the blues has been passed on from generation to generation and Kentucky’s favourite sons are lighting that torch to be seen even further to pass on these gems.

Black Stone Cherry New EP ‘Black To Blues Volume 2’ first appeared on Game On Media.

ShipRocked 2020:

Hellyeah, Maria Brink, Ra & Aeges

Added To Lineup For 11^th Year Of

‘The Ultimate Rock Music Cruise Vacation’

Also Featuring

Halestorm, Alter Bridge,

Asking Alexandria, Beartooth, Of Mice & Men & More

February 1- February 6, 2020

Departing New Orleans On Carnival Valor

With Stops In Key West & Cozumel

All-Star Lineup Revealed For

The Stowaways

Powered by ESP Guitars and Keep The Beat Alive

Festivities Kick Off January 31, 2020 With

‘ShipRocked Pre-Party Gras Parade’ In New Orleans’ French Quarter

ShipRocked 2020 has added Hellyeah and Maria Brink (In This Moment) – in her first-ever solo piano lounge set — to the music lineup for the 11^th year of the ultimate rock music cruise vacation. Ra – with their first performances in over 5 years – and Aeges also join the bill for ShipRocked 2020, which sets sail February 1-February 6, 2020 onboard Carnival Valor, departing from New Orleans, LA with stops in Key West, FL and Cozumel on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

Hellyeah singer Chad Gray says, “We’re looking forward to living that castaway life, performing up close and personal for our fans, and hanging out with good friends in a more relaxed vacation-like environment on ShipRocked’s 11th voyage!”

“I am so excited to be doing ShipRocked this year,” says Maria Brink. “And not only doing it again, but doing it by myself this year, I think, is going to bring something so unique and special, and a different side of me that no one has ever seen before. I can’t wait to see everybody again and have everyone experience this with me. See you all there!”

“For myself and the band we are super excited not only to make our debut appearance on ShipRocked, but also to use it as our launch pad for the new record Intercorrupted for 2020,” says Ra frontman Sahaj Ticotin. “It will be our first show in 5 years and we are looking forward to getting fired up again with all the other amazing bands!!”

The Stowaways–powered by ESP Guitars and Keep The Beat Alive–return for a fifth year as ShipRocked’s own all-star band, with a revolving cast of special guests including: Aaron Spiers (RavenEye), Andy Vargas  (Santana), Alessandro “AP” Paveri (Gemini Syndrome), Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory), Carly Smithson (We Are The Fallen), Chris Traynor (Bush), Chris Volz (Flaw), CJ Pierce & Jasen Moreno  (Drowning Pool), Clint Lowery & Morgan Rose (Sevendust), Dameon & Gabe Aranda (Aranda), Geno Lenardo (formerly of Filter), Jasen Rauch (Breaking Benjamin), Jason Womack & Phil Buckman  (Fuel), Jeff Fabb & John DeServio (Black Label Society), Joey Duenas (Unloco), John Tempesta (The Cult), J.R. Bareis (Love and Death), Leo Moracchioli, Lukas Rossi, Mark Vollelunga (Nothing More), Todd Morse (The Offspring touring member), Uliana Preotu (Cilver), Will Hunt (Evanescence) and more surprise guests.

Overall, ShipRocked features performances from over two dozen music artists, led by Halestorm and Alter Bridge. ShipRocked 2020 will also feature (in alphabetical order): Aeges, Asking Alexandria, Badflower,  Beartooth, Black Stone Cherry, Maria Brink, Cane Hill, Dead Posey, Dead Sara, DED, Goodbye June,  Hands Like Houses, Hellyeah, Hyro The Hero, Ice Nine Kills, Living Colour, Of Mice & Men, Ra, Royal Tusk, SHVPES, Vein and We Are Band Nerds, plus special appearances by The Stowaways all-star band, Clint Lowery, Chad Nicefield (DJ sets), Andy Wood, and more.

Check out a new ShipRocked video here: https://youtu.be/jfTeJJp5FBc

Before the party starts onboard the Carnival Valor, ShipRocked celebrates its Big Easy debut with the  ShipRocked Pre-Party Gras Parade in the historic French Quarter on January 31. More details, including how guests can watch and even participate in the parade are forthcoming.

Staterooms for ShipRocked 2020 are sold out, but a wait list is available at www.ShipRocked.com.

Produced by ASK4 Entertainment, ShipRocked is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that provides guests with the opportunity to vacation with their favorite bands, meet new friends, and reunite with old ones year after year. In addition to unique performances and musical collaborations, ShipRocked onboard and beach activities include photo meet and greets with band members, artist hosted events and activities, crazy theme nights, after hours parties and more. Loudwire called ShipRocked “…a staple of the hard rock and metal event calendar [March 1, 2017].”

ShipRocked guests will enjoy luxury accommodations onboard the Carnival Valor throughout the vacation.  Carnival Valor features multiple gourmet dining options, including Guy Fieri’s Guy’s Burger Joint, Blue Iguana Cantina, Mongolian Wok, Ol’ Fashioned BBQ, and more. With 22 bars and lounges, well appointed sleeper accommodations, a tranquil spa, casino, fitness center, mini-golf, wet and wild waterslide, and multiple pools and hot-tubs, guests will have a variety of options to choose from.

For more information on ShipRocked 2020, visit:

Website: www.ShipRocked.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GetShipRocked

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ShipRocked

Rock Hard. Vacation Harder.

About ShipRocked:

Produced by ASK4 Entertainment—a premier rock music theme cruise and destination event producer—ShipRocked is the ultimate rock music cruise vacation with unique performances and musical collaborations, providing guests with the opportunity to vacation with their favorite bands, meet new friends, and reunite with old ones year after year. The full-ship charter provides a one-of-a-kind experience for guests to have the time of their lives with thousands of like-minded friends. ShipRocked activities include photo meet and greets with band members, poolside games, artist Q&A sessions, trivia challenges, game shows, parties, contests and more. The ShipRocked Cancer Sucks! onboard charity auction has raised over $500,000 to date for innovative medical research and finding a cure for cancer.

www.facebook.com/ASK4Entertainment

Hellyeah, Maria Brink, Ra, Aeges and All-Star Stowaways Lineup Announced for ShipRocked 2020 first appeared on Game On Media.

ShipRocked Goes To 11:

Halestorm, Alter Bridge,

Asking Alexandria, Beartooth, Of Mice & Men

Lead Lineup For 11^th Edition Of

‘The Ultimate Rock Music Cruise Vacation’

February 1- February 6, 2020

Departing New Orleans On Carnival Valor

With Stops In Key West & Cozumel

ShipRocked sets sail for an 11^th year February 1-February 6,  2020 onboard Carnival Valor with a sensational music lineup led by Halestorm and Alter Bridge. Departing from New Orleans, with stops in Key West and Cozumel, the ultimate rock music cruise vacation features performances from over two dozen music artists, including the ShipRocked debut of Asking Alexandria, plus Beartooth, Of Mice & Men, Black Stone Cherry, Badflower and more.

The Stowaways return for a fifth year as ShipRocked’s own all-star band, with a revolving cast of special guests to be announced. In addition, ShipRocked 2020 will feature special appearances from Clint Lowery, Andy Wood, late night DJ sets from Wilson’s Chad Nicefield and more.

Staterooms for ShipRocked 2020 are sold out, but a wait list is available at www.ShipRocked.com.

Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale says, “The last time we were castaways on ShipRocked it was a blast! I don’t know what was more fun, the epic non-stop rock shows or just being able to party one on one with all of our super fans! We out-ran a storm, Arejay gave interviews with a rubber chicken in an elevator, we handed out free drinks to anyone who wanted them, I even got lucky…playing roulette! I can’t wait to make new memories with all of you!”

Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti adds, “I always look forward to hanging with all of our friends on ShipRocked. It is definitely one of the highlights of our tour; see you all soon!”

Asking Alexandria’s Danny Worsnop jokes, “As a man who has performed on ShipRocked before, and regularly blacks out on boats, I am looking forward to doing both again in February. If you see a guy who looks like me but is almost definitely an inflatable tube man from outside a car dealership…it’s me and I probably need more tequila (no cheap sh*t).”

“It’s the 11th voyage of ShipRocked, so naturally we are gonna crank it up one louder! SR20 promises to deliver one of the most incredible and diverse lineups we’ve ever hosted aboard, and we couldn’t be more excited for our guests to ‘Rock Hard and Vacation Harder’ with all of our performers next February!” says ShipRocked creator and producer Alan Koenig of ASK4 Entertainment. “We’re also stoked to be sailing for the first time from the Big Easy – a city which is ready made for our  ShipRocker Krewe – and to throw a proper week long Carnivàle! We’ll have dat boat brimmin’ with plenty of booze, beads and beaucoup bands, ready to Laissez les bon temps Roche…Let the good times ROCK!”

The initial lineup for ShipRocked 2020 is as follows: Halestorm, Alter Bridge, Asking Alexandria, Badflower, Beartooth, Black Stone Cherry, Cane Hill, Dead Posey, Dead Sara, DED, Goodbye June, Hands Like Houses, Hyro The Hero, Ice Nine Kills, Living Colour, Of Mice & Men, Royal Tusk, SHVPES, Vein and We Are Band Nerds, plus special appearances by The Stowaways all-star band, Clint Lowery, Chad Nicefield (late night DJ sets), Andy Wood, and more.

Produced by ASK4 Entertainment, ShipRocked is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that provides guests with the opportunity to vacation with their favorite bands, meet new friends, and reunite with old ones year after year. In addition to unique performances and musical collaborations,  ShipRocked onboard and beach activities include photo meet and greets with band members, artist hosted events and activities, crazy theme nights, after hours parties and more. Loudwire called ShipRocked “…a staple of the hard rock and metal event calendar [March 1, 2017].”

ShipRocked guests will enjoy luxury accommodations onboard the Carnival Valor throughout the vacation. Carnival Valor features multiple gourmet dining options, including Guy Fieri’s Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Mongolian Wok, Ol’ Fashioned BBQ, and more. With 22 bars and lounges, well appointed sleeper accommodations, a tranquil spa, casino, fitness center, mini-golf, wet and wild waterslide, and multiple pools and hot-tubs, guests will have a frontier of options to choose from.

For more information on ShipRocked 2020, visit:

Website: www.ShipRocked.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GetShipRocked

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ShipRocked

Rock Hard. Vacation Harder.

About ShipRocked:

Produced by ASK4 Entertainment—a premier rock music theme cruise and destination event producer—ShipRocked is the ultimate rock music cruise vacation with unique performances and musical collaborations, providing guests with the opportunity to vacation with their favorite bands, meet new friends, and reunite with old ones year after year. The full-ship charter provides a one-of-a-kind experience for guests to have the time of their lives with thousands of like-minded friends. ShipRocked activities include photo meet and greets with band members, poolside games, artist Q&A sessions, trivia challenges, game shows, parties, contests and more. The ShipRocked Cancer Sucks! onboard charity auction has raised over $500,000 to date for innovative medical research and finding a cure for cancer.

www.facebook.com/ASK4Entertainment

ShipRocked Goes To 11 With Halestorm, Alter Bridge, Asking Alexandria, Black Stone Cherry, Of Mice & Men first appeared on Game On Media.

[Shinedown]

[Korn]

[Disturbed]

13th Annual Rocklahoma Wraps Record-Breaking Weekend first appeared on Game On Media.

EXIT 111

ANNOUNCES FULL DETAILS FOR

INAUGURAL EVENT

FESTIVAL DEBUTS WITH LINE-UP LED BY

GUNS N’ ROSES, DEF LEPPARD, LYNYRD SKYNYRD,

SLAYER, ZZ TOP, DEFTONES, GHOST, MEGADETH

AND MORE THAN 40 ACTS

OCTOBER 11-13 WEEKEND OF MUSIC

HOSTED BY EDDIE TRUNK

AT THE GREAT STAGE PARK IN MANCHESTER, TN

TO INCLUDE ON SITE ACTIVITES:

PARANORMAL CIRQUE, CAR SHOW,

MOTOCROSS DEMONSTRATIONS, AND A MEGA SPORTS BAR

TICKETS ON SALE

THURSDAY, APRIL 25

EXIT 111 Festival will debut with a heavyweight line-up that celebrates all forms of rock–from hard to classic, alternative to southern–when it debuts October 11-13 at the Great Stage Park in Manchester, TN. The inaugural three-day event hosted by Eddie Trunk will be led by headlining slots from Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and a mix of platinum-selling artists including Slayer (in the last Tennessee show of their career), ZZ Top, Deftones, Ghost, Megadeth and more than 40 acts (full line-up below). Tickets for EXIT 111 go on sale Thursday, April 25 at 12:00 PM (ET), with additional ticketing info below.

Produced by C3 Presents and AC Entertainment, the massive footprint of the festival site–known to millions as the home of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival–will be transformed into a rock and roll playground with the all-star line-up appearing on three stages with 12 hours of music daily, camping and a variety of activities tailored specifically to concert-goers. This marks the first-ever event, beyond Bonnaroo, to utilize the 700-plus acre farm. On site adventures include Paranormal Cirque (an R-rated crazy yet fun fusion between circus, theatre, and cabaret in perfect harmony with the evolution of a show that brings you back to when we dream…and when we had nightmares and fantasies), the first annual EXIT 111 car show, Red Bull motocross demonstrations and a mega sports bar airing full sports coverage throughout the weekend, with more activities announced soon.

The EXIT 111 line-up (as of 4-23) is as follows:

Guns N Roses, Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Slayer, ZZ Top, Deftones, Ghost, Megadeth, Coheed & Cambria, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Seether, Alter Bridge, Gojira, Cheap Trick, Blackberry Smoke, Black Label Society, Ministry, Skillet, Nothing More, Sleeping With Sirens, Of Mice and Men, Thrice, White Chapel, Power Trip, Black Stone Cherry, Fever 333, Graveyard, The Cadillac Three, 10 Years, From Ashes to New, Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown, New Years Day, Alien Weaponry, Bishop Gunn, Dead Sara, Plague Vendor, Dirty Honey, Tetrarch, Watermox, Kyle Shutt, and O’Brother.

For EXIT 111, festival promoters have teamed with Seether frontman Shaun Morgan‘s Rise Above charity. Beyond having one of the festival stages named as the Rise Above Stage, EXIT 111 will donate $1.00 from every ticket sold to Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE). These efforts will assist in raising funds for the charity’s life-saving suicide awareness efforts which started at Rise Above Festival.

EXIT 111 weekend passes and single day tickets go on sale Thursday, April 25 at 12:00 PM (ET). A special pre-sale launches Tuesday, April 23 at 9:00 AM (ET)-Wednesday, April 24 at 11:59 PM (ET) via the festival’s website. A variety of ticketing options (GA, VIP, four-pack, military discounts, and payment plans), add-ons, camping and parking options, can be found here. Children under 10 are free with paid accompanied adult.

https://www.exit111festival.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Exit111Fest/

https://www.instagram.com/exit111fest/

###

About Rise Above

 

“I started this cause as a tribute to anyone who has lost someone. If Rise Above does something to help one person reconsider the tragic choice of suicide, then it will be the greatest success of my career.”

–Shaun Morgan

Shaun Morgan, founder and frontman of the multi-platinum selling rock band Seether, founded Rise Above in 2012 in honor of his brother who died by suicide. The Rise Above Festival which ran for 5 years in Bangor, ME was the largest suicide prevention event in the world. Morgan was honored in 2016 with the “Artistic Expression” Award from the National Council for Behavioral Health at the Awards of Excellence in Las Vegas.

About SAVE

SAVE is the leading national nonprofit suicide prevention organization working to prevent suicide through public awareness, education and training. They develop best-practice-endorsed materials used around the world and are the only national suicide prevention organization to have developed an evidence-based program for schools. They also work with suicide survivors left behind after a suicide. Led by Executive Director Dr. Dan Reidenberg, SAVE has been certified by Best Charities of America as meeting the highest standards of accountability and responsibility for nonprofits. Of the 1 million charities in the country, only 5% meet the standards and less than 2,000 have been awarded the certification seal. Shaun Morgan’s dear brother Eugene lost his life to suicide in 2007. This cause means the world to him. SAVE representatives will be on site at Exit 111 with reading materials and exclusive SAVE merchandise available to purchase, with proceeds going directly back to the life-saving work they do.

RISE ABOVE

https://www.facebook.com/riseabovefest/

https://twitter.com/Rise_Above_Fest

https://www.instagram.com/rise_above_fest/

SAVE

https://twitter.com/SAVEvoicesofedu

https://www.facebook.com/www.save.org/?ref=ts

https://www.instagram.com/savevoicesofedu/

New Exit 111 Festival Will Rock Tennessee with Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Slayer first appeared on Game On Media.

TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN PREMIERE NEW SONG “ON TO THE NEXT” AT GUITAR WORLD — LISTEN GUITARIST SAYS “THIS SONG EXISTS PURELY TO MAKE WHOEVER IS LISTENING FEEL LIKE A TOTAL BADASS” NEW ALBUM COMING SOON BAND TOURING WITH BLACK STONE CHERRY ON CO-HEADLINE RUN

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown Premiere New Song first appeared on Game On Media.