Expletives follow – you’ve been warned.

This Eddie Money article proves why I HATE Rolling Stone magazine:

Baby Hold On: Why Eddie Money Was the Patron Saint of Rock Uncool

Read it here: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/eddie-money-appreciation-884179/

Fuck you Rolling Stone.  Stop pushing your alternate reality on rock fans.

This is yet another article proliferating this idea that the cool bands that didn’t sell any records are “better.”  Well, I’m tired of it.  Rolling Stone: please go away.

Growing up, Rolling Stone was just one of many cool rock mags that I would read from time to time.  There were lots of opinions on rock.  Eddie Money was cool in many of them.  Not in Rolling Stone.  Now, all the other magazines have stopped printing.  And, somehow what this one magazine has to say has become the “true history of rock.”

Rolling Stone has populated this flawed (and damaging) idea that the best mainstream rock came out in the Sixties.  It’s perfectly okay to like the Beatles, Stones, Who, Kinks, etc,  – bands that sold millions of records and filled stadiums, because the Baby Boomers at Stone grew up on them.  It’s part of THEIR childhood.  

But, when the Boomers’ ideals began crumbling in the Mid-Seventies, they began to latch onto “cool” bands in hopes of remaining relevant.  So, artists who only sold handfuls of albums and played clubs (The Clash, Blondie, Ramones, Elvis Costello) were elevated to royalty.  While artists (from my childhood) like Journey, Frampton, Heart, Styx and yes, Eddie Money, were labeled with this new moniker: “corporate rock.”  And somehow fans of those artists, decades later, are supposed to feel like “also rans.”

Well, I’m not buying it. And you’re not making me feel guilty for liking these bands.  

Fuck you Rolling Stone.  Please stop printing nonsense.

Why does anyone care what one magazine on life support has to say?  

Well, there’s the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, a special-edition from Rolling Stone which continues to be cited as scripture.  I wrote about it here:

Yes, Frampton Comes Alive is not on that 500 albums list.  Neither is any album by Foreigner or Styx or Eddie Money.  But Bob Dylan has TEN albums in there, tied with the Beatles for most by any artist.

And, Rolling Stone has influenced the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.  Eddie Money will never be in that hallowed ground.  But, Joan Jett is – because she’s “cool.”  Peter Frampton will never be in either, or Styx or Bad Company or Foreigner.  It took Rush and Kiss years after they were eligible and fans finally wore the Hall down.

As someone who lives and breathes rock n’ roll – I am seriously tired of it.

I like Bob Dylan – but the hero worship of that dude by Rolling Stone is seriously flawed.  

Don’t believe me?  I attended the Concert for the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame back in 1995.  A stellar cast of artists played all day to honor the opening of this place.  Everyone played around three songs.  Except Dylan, who played for 30 minutes.  

If Dylan is so great, why were 3/4 of the stadium in the toilet during his set?

Again – reject this stupid, flawed ideology that everything past 1975 that sold records is bad.  This is not reality, and it’s not the history that we should be handing down to the next generation.  I don’t mind The Clash, Blondie, etc.  But, embrace the other bands equally.  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with liking Eddie Money. May he rest in peace. –Tony Peters

Congrats to Patrick Ogelvie of Wilmington, NC, and Rich Reuter of Dayton, OH – they both picked up copies of Spinal Tap – The Big Black Book courtesy of Backbeat Books and Icon Fetch.

Check back for more giveaways coming soon!

Enter the contest here:

Spinal Tap – The Big Black Book Giveaway from Backbeat Books

0m 0s

[caption id="attachment_5426" align="alignnone" width="222"] Win this new book from Backbeat featuring removable memorabilia from the legendary rockumentary.[/caption]

This one goes to eleven

This is Spinal Tap is one of the greatest rock movies ever made. The Big Black Book is a celebration of the "Loudest Band in the World," Spinal Tap, featuring hundreds of full-color photos of the band in action, plus removable keepsakes like a large wall poster from the film, plus a replica of the napkin that led to the Stonehenge debacle, a ticket to "Puppet Show and Spinal Tap," and much more. Enter your email address for a chance to win a copy of this fantastic collection from Icon Fetch and Backbeat Books.

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A little bit of New Orleans by way of Minnesota arrived in Dayton Saturday night in the form of Davina & the Vagabonds, bringing their-juiced up blend of jazz & blues to Oddbody’s. Led by singer/pianist Davina Sowers, who possesses a monster of a voice capable of incredible range and depth, she was flanked by trumpet, trombone, standup bass and drums.

A cover of Louis Jordan’s jump blues’ “Knock Me a Kiss” got things rolling, allowing Sowers to inject plenty of humor in the proceedings right from the git go. Things immediately got darker with their original “Black Cloud” (title cut off their fantastic 2011 CD), before again switching gears for the decidedly more rosy “Sunshine” (title cut off their followup, from 2014). Continue reading Davina & the Vagabonds – Oddbody’s, Dayton, OH – July, 17, 2017 →

Delbert McClinton’s true genius is his innate ability to take virtually any music style and make it his own. Blues, rock, soul and country were all on display Saturday night at The Madison Theater, near Cincinnati. While other performers try to genre-hop, McClinton is one of the rare few who do it naturally.

It certainly helps that he’s got an amazing band, led by keyboardist Kevin McKendree and guitarist Bob Britt. Dubbed the Self Made Men, these guys know just what Delbert needs for any song. Whether it’s a funky groove on Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” or a rollicking backbone on “Old Weakness (Comin’ on Strong),” these guys were in the pocket all night. Britt played a stinging solo on “Blues as Blues Can Get,” while McClinton showed that he can still play some mean blues harp on “Gotta Get it Worked On.”

Whether it was a 1930’s blues groove of “People Just Love to Talk” or a Chuck Berry-infused rocker like “Why Me,” the band was up for any challenge.

Delbert took a break about halfway into the show, allowing saxophonist Dana Robbins a spotlight to blow on the classic “Tequila,” then Britt came to the mic to sing the Joe Cocker arrangement of “The Letter.” Finally, McKendree led a honky tonkin’ instrumental before Delbert returned.

During the second half of the show, Delbert spotlighted McKendree’s 15-year old son, James, who played some wise-beyond-his-years tasty lead lines on both “Little Fine Healthy Thing,” and “Rebecca Rebecca.” And McClinton does have a fantastic new album out called Prick of the Litter – the barroom rocker “Don’t Do It” and the pre-rock, Johnny Mercer-styled “Rosy” showed off its diversity.

“Shaky Ground” and “Givin’ It Up For Your Love” were the last songs of the set, ending things on a furious note. The band encored with the slow “When Rita Leaves” and the spirited “Everytime I Roll the Dice.”

Delbert, who is 76, looked and sounded a lot younger. In a recent interview with Icon Fetch, he talked about how having recent heart surgery gave him a new lease on life. Well, it certainly shows.

Instead of dwelling on the artists that we’ve lost, we need to be celebrating the ones that are still with us. Delbert McClinton is still alive and well, and kicking some major ass. –Tony Peters

2/17/17 – Southgate House Revival, Newport, KY

I’ve seen my share of solo acoustic shows, yet few have the ability to keep an audience’s attention quite like Ruthie Foster. Chalk it up to her Texas roots – there’s just so much diversity in music down there, and it was on full display during her show Friday night. There was plenty of blues – her own “Singing the Blues,” Mississippi John Hurt’s “Richland Woman Blues,” and even something she called a “Texas Two-Step Blues.”

Those were coupled with soulful numbers like “The Ghetto” by the Staple Singers, a surprise arrangement of “Oh Susannah,” and a vast re-working of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” Several gospel songs allowed her an opportunity to belt things out, even stepping back from the microphone to sing, like Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s “Up Above My Head” and a blues-holler-meets-the-pupit in “Runaway Spirit.”

But the one song that stood out was a moving version of her life-affirming anthem, “Phenomenal Woman” – that one made the entire crowd leap up for a spontaneous, rousing ovation. She encored with a taste of her forthcoming album, “Joy Comes Back.”

Foster, who usually is accompanied by a band, admitted between songs that it was a bigger challenge up there by herself, but delighted when the crowd helped sing her songs.

The best news of the night came from the Cincinnati Blues Society, who announced that Foster would be back, this time with a full band, for the Cincy Blues Fest in August.

Icon Fetch did an audio interview with Ruthie Foster which will be posted soon.  –Tony Peters

Seth Walker – Natalie’s – Worthington, OH (11/14/16) (concert review)

A surprising-for-a-Sunday-night, sold out crowd gathered to hear great music and eat delicious pizza

Seth Walker started out as a fairly typical blues musician.  But, over time, he’s developed an unique style – call it groove blues – and it was on full display during a recent Columbus performance.

Walker has lived in a variety of places, and he’s managed to soak up the goodness found in each residence.  His southern drawl comes from being born and raised Carolina, while his gritty guitar work is a product of living in Austin.  But, a more recent stop in Nashville has given him a gift of the melodic hook.  However, the biggest sway on his music is the groove, which has certainly come from his current residence in New Orleans.

Walker, augmented by bass, drums and keyboards, entered the stage in his usual attire – fedora and vest, and opened with “Home Again,” one of many cuts featured from his spectacular new album, Gotta Get Back.  Actually, that song featured accordion and stand-up bass, as the band eased into the evening.  Next came the light funk of “Another Day,” then “Tomorrow,” one of those songs you swear is a cover song, but is in fact Walker’s (off his equally good Sky Still Blue).

Walker is also an exceptional soul singer, and even though it’s apparent on his records, it comes through more clearly in person.  “Dreamer” evoked the Memphis soul of Al Green without copying.  He played a few songs solo – Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” and “Somebody Should’ve Warned Me.”

Things began to heat up with the chugging “Fire in the Belly,” which highlighted the bassist playing a bow.  “Trouble” featured a distorted electric piano that would’ve made Deep Purple’s Jon Lord happy.  The fast-paced “Way Past Midnight” incorporated rhythms borrowed from the Bayou, and was one of the many highlights of the evening.

At a time when we seem far too concerned with putting labels on everything, Seth Walker continues to develop a style that defies classification – dammit, it’s just great music.  If he comes to your down, I highly suggest you take in one of his shows.  Tony Peters

Golden Boys: Frankie Avalon, Fabian, and Bobby Rydell – Rose Music Center – 8/6/16 (concert review)

A surprisingly satisfying trip down Memory Lane

Honestly, you just don’t know what you’re going to get at a concert these days.  Many artists feel they only have to play 60 minutes, despite the grumblings of fans leaving the venue.  That’s what made the Golden Boys’ concert such a pleasant surprise – a two-hour, fun-filled show from three performers whose average age is 74.

Frankie Avalon, Fabian and Bobby Rydell were all teen idols from the 1950’s and early 60’s who all grew up in the same neighborhood in South Philadelphia, and all benefited from heavy exposure on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.  They’ve been touring together as the Golden Boys for over 30 years now.

The trio all came out together to welcome the crowd with the “Bandstand Theme,” then Bobby Rydell got the first spotlight. Despite having recently undergone double transplant surgery (liver and kidney), Rydell’s voice was by far the best of the bunch – still possessing immense power to tackle difficult numbers like “Volare” and “Sway” (both hits originally for Dean Martin).  “Forget Him” showed that he’s still got a deep warmth to his low register, while ”Wild One” was good fun.

Fabian came out next and told the best stories – especially one about meeting Elvis Presley (and giving him a pair of his pants).  He also invited members of the audience on stage to do the Twist to one of his songs, “Tiger,”  while “Turn Me Loose” was the hardest-rocking number of the night.  His self-deprecating humor was in contrast to the other’s more rosy approach.

Frankie Avalon was probably the best overall performer, joking with the crowd, even coming down off the stage into the audience at one point.  He recreated his role of Teen Angel, singing “Beauty School Drop Out” from the musical Grease.  He also paid tribute to his screen partner Annette Funicello with “Beach Blanket Bingo.”  His voice still sounded great with his signature hit, “Venus.”

One of the biggest surprises of the night was when Avalon introduced Edan Everly, son of Don, who was playing guitar in the show.  Edan’s voice was incredibly similar to his dad’s while he and Avalon ran through Everly standards “Bye Bye Love,” “All You Have to Do Is Dream” and “Wake Up Little Susie.”

If you really think about it, the three performers had only a handful of really great singles.  Cleverly, they used the concert as a celebration of all the music of the 1950’s: Fabian played Buddy Holly’s “Oh Boy,”  while Frankie Avalon did “California Sun” and a medley of “Witch Doctor,” “Yakety Yak,” and “Charlie Brown.”

Toward the end of the evening, all three performers again took the stage to do a tribute to their idols.  Avalon did Ricky Nelson’s “Hello Mary Lou,” Fabian rocked through Elvis’ “Hard Headed Woman,” while Rydell did a fantastic job with Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife.”  Then, all three combined for Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock.”  The set closed with a medley of Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock n’ Roll” and the Righteous Brothers’ “Rock n’ Roll Heaven,” then, a snippet of the “Mickey Mouse Club Theme.”

Plenty of familiar hits, some funny jokes, and lots of memories – the Golden Boys can still deliver a fantastic evening.  —Tony Peters

Golden Boys: Frankie Avalon, Fabian, and Bobby Rydell – Rose Music Center – 8/6/16 (concert review)

A surprisingly satisfying trip down Memory Lane

Honestly, you just don’t know what you’re going to get at a concert these days.  Many artists feel they only have to play 60 minutes, despite the grumblings of fans leaving the venue.  That’s what made the Golden Boys’ concert such a pleasant surprise – a two-hour, fun-filled show from three performers whose average age is 74.

Frankie Avalon, Fabian and Bobby Rydell were all teen idols from the 1950’s and early 60’s who all grew up in the same neighborhood in South Philadelphia, and all benefited from heavy exposure on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.  They’ve been touring together as the Golden Boys for over 30 years now.

The trio all came out together to welcome the crowd with the “Bandstand Theme,” then Bobby Rydell got the first spotlight. Despite having recently undergone double transplant surgery (liver and kidney), Rydell’s voice was by far the best of the bunch – still possessing immense power to tackle difficult numbers like “Volare” and “Sway” (both hits originally for Dean Martin).  “Forget Him” showed that he’s still got a deep warmth to his low register, while ”Wild One” was good fun.

Fabian came out next and told the best stories – especially one about meeting Elvis Presley (and giving him a pair of his pants).  He also invited members of the audience on stage to do the Twist to one of his songs, “Tiger,”  while “Turn Me Loose” was the hardest-rocking number of the night.  His self-deprecating humor was in contrast to the other’s more rosy approach.

Frankie Avalon was probably the best overall performer, joking with the crowd, even coming down off the stage into the audience at one point.  He recreated his role of Teen Angel, singing “Beauty School Drop Out” from the musical Grease.  He also paid tribute to his screen partner Annette Funicello with “Beach Blanket Bingo.”  His voice still sounded great with his signature hit, “Venus.”

One of the biggest surprises of the night was when Avalon introduced Edan Everly, son of Don, who was playing guitar in the show.  Edan’s voice was incredibly similar to his dad’s while he and Avalon ran through Everly standards “Bye Bye Love,” “All You Have to Do Is Dream” and “Wake Up Little Susie.”

If you really think about it, the three performers had only a handful of really great singles.  Cleverly, they used the concert as a celebration of all the music of the 1950’s: Fabian played Buddy Holly’s “Oh Boy,”  while Frankie Avalon did “California Sun” and a medley of “Witch Doctor,” “Yakety Yak,” and “Charlie Brown.”

Toward the end of the evening, all three performers again took the stage to do a tribute to their idols.  Avalon did Ricky Nelson’s “Hello Mary Lou,” Fabian rocked through Elvis’ “Hard Headed Woman,” while Rydell did a fantastic job with Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife.”  Then, all three combined for Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock.”  The set closed with a medley of Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock n’ Roll” and the Righteous Brothers’ “Rock n’ Roll Heaven,” then, a snippet of the “Mickey Mouse Club Theme.”

Plenty of familiar hits, some funny jokes, and lots of memories – the Golden Boys can still deliver a fantastic evening.  —Tony Peters

Diana Ross / Rhonda Ross – Rose Music Center – 8/3/16 (concert review)

The lady that put the “D” in “Diva” still has it

Legendary vocalist Diana Ross entertained a near-capacity crowd under a hot, midwestern sun at the Rose Music Center in Huber Heights. “I’m Comin’ Out” made a perfect opener; that funky number from 1980 got everyone to their feet.  Then, she went through a rapid fire set of early Supremes’ smashes – “My World is Empty Without You,” “Baby Love,” “Stop in the Name of Love,” “Come See About Me,” and “You Can’t Hurry Love,” all featuring Ross’ still-soaring vocals.  Her band featured a baritone sax, and you realize just how crucial this instrument was to her early singles.  An extended version of “Love Child” had a Caribbean feel and gave Ross a chance to switch costumes.

The wardrobe change also signaled a different direction – the remainder of her set featured songs heavy on funk – “The Boss,” “It’s My House,” and especially “Upside Down” really grooved in a way you might not expect from a lady who turned 72 in March.  The latter song gave the band a chance to stretch out and warranted another change in costume from Diana.

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” really gave her an opportunity to show that she can still bring the heat – this was the highlight of her show.  Ross also grabbed several interesting cover songs – Spiral Staircase’s “More Today Than Yesterday,” Frankie Lymon’s “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” and the surprise show closer, Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” – a statement of purpose for her long career.

Diana’s daughter, Rhonda Ross, opened the show with a high-energy set that spotlighted songs from her just-released In Case You Didn’t Know album.  “Nobody’s Business” really sounded great in the live setting, while “Summer’s Day” featured a snippet of the Emotions’ hit “Best of My Love.”  “Breathe” was slinkier than the version on her record, while “Drumbeat of Life” paid homage to Marvin Gaye at the end.  She cleverly wove elements of “Killing Me Softly” and “Uptown Funk” to add some familiarity.  There was a magnetic quality to her storytelling that really made you want to listen.  This truncated set left you wanting an entire concert of Rhonda Ross on her own.

Although the entire show lasted less than 90 minutes, there was an energy that emanated from the stage that few classic artists still possess.  Despite the heat, Diana smiled throughout, constantly thanking the crowd for their support over the years.  And, for those keeping score – four costume changes in an hour, each containing a color-coordinated fan she used to beat the heat.  —Tony Peters