Concerts! Part II

This past April, I mentioned a number of concerts I would be attending this summer. A few more have been announced/come to my attention so I thought I’d provide an update as to who I’m going to see this summer. Here’s my complete dance card!

July 1st
Scorpions w/ Cinderella
DTE Energy Music Theatre
Clarkston, MI

Less than a month away! This was the second concert I had lined up this year and Scorpios are one of my all-time faves so I’m pretty excited about it. Cinderella’s great too, I just wish they had some NEW material to play.

July 16th
Alice Cooper w/ Tesla
Common Ground Music Festival
Lansing, MI

Finally bought my tickets for this last night. It’s all general admission so there was no rush to get’em, even though they’ve been on sale for close to month now. In addition to Sammy Hagar playing on another night, Buckcherry and Bret Michaels were recently added as headliners for the nights they play and Cinderella is now playing a date too (not as headliners though). I would love to see all three of them but I’ve seen Buckcherry three times already, saw Poison last summer and I’ll be seeing Cinderella with Scorpions, so I gotta go with Alice! I’ve wanted to see him forever, he’s one of my favorite acts and the fact that I’ll see Tesla too is a really cool bonus.

July 17th
Iron Maiden w/ Dream Theater
DTE Energy Music Theatre
Clarkston, MI

First concert tickets I bought for 2010. I just saw the set list for the tour and I’m kinda disappointed because it mostly focuses on their music from ’90s through today. It’s understandable since their last tour was built around their ’80s catalog but for this being my first time seeing Maiden, I wanted all the signature songs!

July 22nd
Huey Lewis & The News
DTE Energy Music Theatre
Clarkston, MI

I actually like this band a lot, at least when it comes to their “hits”. I have one of their albums and two greatest hits. Lawn tickets were only $7 so I figured why not? Should be fun.

Aug 31st
Aerosmith w/ Sammy Hagar & The Waboritas
The Palace of Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, MI

Haven’t bought the tickets yet (they go on sale next Wednesday but I won’t be able to buy them until the Wednesday AFTER next Wednesday) but I’m really excited for this show. Tickets are pricey but it’s AEROSMITH! With Sammy Hagar! I don’t want to pass up seeing Aerosmith at least once in my life.

Sept 5th
Ted Nugent
DTE Energy Music Theatre
Clarkston, MI

Another $7 lawn seat ticket. Ted’s a really cool guy but he’s another act I’m not all too familiar outside of his signature songs. Still, I think it should be a fun show. Haven’t bought these tickets yet but I will the same time I buy the Aerosmith tickets.

Sept 11th – Saturday
KISS w/ The Academy Is
DTE Energy Music Theatre
Clarkston, MI

Definitely HAD to buy these tickets, got’em yesterday. Since the great ‘Rock The Nation’ show cancellation back in 2004 (Paul got heat exhaustion and the Pensacola, FL show I had tickets to got canceled and was never made up), I made a promise to myself that I would always go see KISS should they ever be in my neighborhood. How could you expect any less of me when they’re my favorite band? Well, I saw ’em last September as they were one of the last acts to ever play the historic Cobo in Detroit and I’ll see them this September too! DTE’s site lists The Academy Is as the support (they kinda suck and are way too indie rock/pop to be supporting KISS, IMO) but KISS is also holding a contest for a different unsigned band to get the opening slot in each city. Could be interesting…

So that’s my summer concert series! Should anything else pop up, I’ll be sure to report on it here and I’ll definitely be doing my concert reviews for each and every one of these shows.

PEARL – Little Immaculate White Fox

Pearl – Little Immaculate White Fox (2010, Megaforce Records/White Fox Music)

1. “Rock Child” …  4:20
2. “Nutbush City Limits” …  3:29
3. “Broken White” … 4:35
4. “Check Out Charlie” … 3:22
5. “Mama” … 4:08
6. “My Heart Isn’t In It” … 4:48
7. “Nobody” … 5:02
8. “Worth Defending” … “4:18”
9. “Love Pyre” …  2:53
10. “Whore” … 2:33
11. “Anything” …  4:18

Musicians:
Pearl Aday – Lead Vocals
Scott Ian – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jim Wilson – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Carl “Nalle” Colt – Guitar
Marcus Blake – Bass, Backing Vocals
Dominique Davalos – Bass, Backing Vocals
Matt Tecu – Drums
Eric Leiderman – Drums
Ted Nugent – Guitar (“Check Out Charlie”)
Jerry Cantrell – Guitar (“Anything”)

Producer: Joe Barresi, Jay Ruston, Pearl

When this album unexpectedly arrived in the mail, I wasn’t sure what it was going to sound like. I knew of the album’s existence but I knew nothing about it, or Pearl, really. The only thing I knew about Pearl Aday is that she is the daughter of Meat Loaf and is engaged to Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian. A new cool fact I learned is that in addition to singing back up for Meat Loaf, she used to sing back up on tour for Motley Crue. I figured her own style could fall anywhere in between the rock opera of Meat Loaf and the thrash metal of Scott Ian.

She could’ve sounded like anything but Little Immaculate White Fox is a collection of good old-fashion rock ‘n’ roll. Just pure bluesy and southern-influenced rock ‘n’ roll with classic rock vibe. Anyone who likes ’70s hard rock is going to like this disc a lot.

I typically shy away from bands with female lead vocalists. I guess that’s sexist of me but it’s not that I don’t think women should sing or play rock ‘n’ roll it’s just that it rarely appeals to me. Sorry, I prefer male vocalists but having said that Pearl can more than go note for note with the boys. I guess that’s a prerequisite if you wanna tour as a singer with Meat Loaf! She can really belt them out and just has such a powerful rocker chick voice with a song like “Rock Child” but on the flip side she play it soft and sounds downright country on a ballad like “My Heart Isn’t In It”.

The players on this album are pretty interesting. Ted Nugent plays on “Check Out Charlie”, Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell plays on “Anything” and Scott Ian is actually a member of her backing band and plays throughout the whole album.

All told, Pearl’s debut solo disc is a solid rock ‘n’ roll album from top to finish. There are a number of stand out tracks that immediately grabbed me upon first listen. If you long for the days of honest, hard working and passionate rock ‘n’ roll, look no further than Little Immaculate White Fox.

Highlights: “Rock Child”, “Nutbush City Limits”, “Broken White”, “My Heart Isn’t In It”, “Nobody”

http://www.cheersloverock.com
http://www.myspace.com/pearl

DAMN YANKEES – Damn Yankees

Damn Yankees – Damn Yankees (1990, Warner Bros. Records)

Track Listing:
1. “Coming of Age” … (4:21)
2. “Bad Reputation” … (4:29)
3. “Runaway” … (4:02)
4. “High Enough” … (4:43)
5. “Damn Yankees” … (4:37)
6. “Come Again” … (5:38)
7. “Mystified” … (4:14)
8. “Rock City” … (4:28)
9. “Tell Me How You Want It” … (4:32)
10. “Piledriver” … (4:18)

Band:
Tommy Shaw – Guitar, Vocals
Ted Nugent – Guitar, Vocals
Jack Blades – Bass, Vocals
Michael Cartellone – Drums

Produced by: Ron Nevison

Who doesn’t know “High Enough”? This soaring song was all over radio back in the day and is still the high point of this album for me. As for the rest? Well, you’ve got Ted Nugent, Night Ranger’s Jack Blades and Styx’s Tommy Shaw, so the resulting music is a great piece of melodic hard rock.

It’s actually very interesting to think of Ted in a group like this, so far away from his own solo works (except on “Piledriver”), because Damn Yankees are more in line with the then popular pop metal sound. A harder rocking Night Ranger are essentially what Damn Yankees were.

It’s a shame the band only made one more album together after this, because they were a great band.

Highlights: “Coming of Age”, “Bad Reputation”, “Runaway”, “Damn Yankees”, “Come Again”, “Tell Me How You Want It”

More Great Sleazy Metal Album Covers

The second Great Sleazy Metal Album Covers post from my Metal Misfit blog…

I’m back… I’m back for more! Since Great Sleazy Metal Album Covers was such a success, and I had fun doing it (admittedly, looking at the actual album covers themselves), I’ve since gathered enough AMMUNITION to FIRE away my BIG GUN and bring you…

More Great Sleazy Metal Album Covers

This time it’s extra LONG & WIDE for your pleasure.