Whoooooooooooooo! Ok sorry for sounding like Rick Flair, but my first real rock concert this past Sunday was fan-freaking-tastic. Local bands Guns Out at Sundown & Defending Cain opened for Nonpoint in Winchester, VA in a tiny-ass bar & grill. This was an “intimate” venue to say the least, and those three bands rocked it out hardcore. Guns out at Sundown was first, and they are a metal band from western Maryland featuring a sound similar to Killswitch Engage. Hard metal with some screaming vocals = getting the crowd fired up.
Defending Cain was out next. They are from Martinsburg, WV and these guys are gonna go somewhere, you can bet on it. I even went home and bought their CD off their online store after the concert. They have a clean, crisp, heavy guitar sound and the lead vocalist can go from the high octaves down to a low growl with ease. Musical goodness all the way around.
Nonpoint freaking rocked. They played a little of their old-school stuff which the crowd ate up and even started a mosh pit in the middle of the floor. I was about 20 feet away from the stage and could look the lead singer in the eye, and was more than happy to throw up my horns and headbang away to the songs all night long.
Definitely won’t be my last rock concert…and I would like to thank Guns out at Sundown, Defending Cain, and Nonpoint for putting on one hell of a show. Modern Rock Music
Story and Photo by Scott A. Smith Soft-rock jokes be banished: Chicago rocks — really rocks — in concert. A still-strong staple of American popular music, Chicago stormed through a perfectly orchestrated set list April 18 for a sold-out, multi-generational audience at the Joint inside the Tulsa Hard Rock. A seemingly endless sonic stream of [...]
Rush and Heart were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last night at a ceremony in Los Angeles.
Foo Fighters men Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins led the ceremony for the Canadian three-piece, while Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell paid tribute to Ann and Nancy Wilson’s outfit. The evening also honoured Randy Newman and the late Albert King.
Grohl joked: “There’s one mystery that eclipses them all – when the fuck did Rush become cool?”
Neil Peart told the crowd: “We’ve been saying for a long time that this wasn’t a big deal. Turns out… it kinda is!”
Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, who performed alongside Rush, said: “They are as advertised – they are as down to earth and easy-going as any band. They deserve to be in the nice guy hall of fame as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
Cornell said of Heart, who hail from his home town of Seattle: “Before them, no one thought that rock stars could come from Seattle. Heart was important to us, not just as musicians, but as proof that Seattle could produce something beautiful and rocking.”
Nancy Wilson commented: “It’s tremendously beautiful to be in this eagle’s nest of tremendous music. Our music is about the enduring power of love. We came from an era where women normally did not rock and we weren’t supposed to be leaders. These days women are ferocious leaders, from the boardrooms to the bedrooms.”
The ceremony will be broadcast on US TV on May 18.
Photos & Story by Scott Smith A power ballad-filled reputation often tails REO Speedwagon like merciless paparazzi, yet the Illinois-borne quintet is so much more than a metaphorical jukebox crammed with love songs. The popular rock band blazed through a well-paced set Feb. 23 at a packed Tulsa Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, balancing must-play [...]
Story by Jason Kane Some rock bands burst onto the scene and then fade away. Others endure and maintain fan followings for decades. Lovers of classic rock music are in luck this year. Many great bands are embarking on exciting new tours. Here are five classic rock bands that are touring in 2013. The Beach [...]
Photo and Story by Scott Smith First-night blips were banished as Matchbox Twenty rocked the house via a loud, wonderfully long set list Jan. 29 in Tulsa. The popular band launched its world tour at a sold-out show at The Joint inside the Tulsa Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, and the gig thrilled long-time fans [...]
Photo and Story by Scott Smith Suckers walk and money talks, but they can’t touch Sammy Hagar’s party-time rock. Backed by his super-fit band, The Wabos, the perpetually grinning Hagar let his Red-Rocker persona fly through a best-of set list Jan. 18 at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Catoosa, [...]
By Jason Kane Classic Rock fans used to cringe when they heard the word Bonnaroo – it conjured images of hippies gathered in mass quantities dancing and listening to their favorite jam bands. The festival is typically associated with acts like Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Keller Williams, etc… However in the past 5 years there [...]
Photo and Story by Scott Smith When Brian Setzer hits the stage, his guitar tone is as tasty as the finest butter, and his dexterous fingers scurry across his Gretsch guitar’s fret-board in an amazing, tornado-esque display. The Stray Cats co-founder led the Brian Setzer Orchestra during part of their ninth annual “Christmas Extravaganza Tour” [...]
