Rock And Blues International - Chris Cain - August 2024

Rock And Blues International

August 2024

Hello Rock And Blues International readers. I hope everybody had a great July.

Rock And Blues is happy to announce that we have now entered the era of Podcasts. We would really like you to check out our new Podcast Channel - Rock And Blues International - The Podcast. If you like the interviews we feature in our publication, then you will love our Podcast Channel as we feature those interviews in their entirety there. On our Podcast Channel you can actually hear those interviews as they were originally done. Our special guests so far are JJ Gray, Sue Foley,Tinsley Ellis, Biff Byford, Chris O’Leary, Paul Reed Smith, Honey Island Swamp Band, Paul Reed Smith, Bob Margolin, Don Dokken, Foghat (Scott Holt), Puddle Of Mudd (Wes Scantlin), The Blackburn Brothers, Coco Montoya, Barry Kerch from Shinedown, Jerry Shirley from Humble Pie, Jim Stapley from Humble Pie Legacy, Kissing Judas, Nick Moss, Devon Allman, Stevie D. from Buckcherry, Chris Henderson from 3 Doors Down, Garnet Grimm from Savoy Brown, Phil Lewis from L.A. Guns, Graham Russell from Air Supply, Robert Jon from Robert Jon and The Wreck, Selwyn Burchwood, J.W. Jones, Chris Henderson from 3 Doors Down, and Warren Haynes from Gov’t Mule and more!. You can check it out on all the major podcast channels as well as at our website at http//www.rockandbluesinternational.com. We hope you enjoy them.

And now on to the August issue of Rock And Blues International. On the cover of this issue we have Chris Cain. Chris has a new album out on Alligator Records and it’s called “Good Intentions Gone Bad”. Chris reveals everything about this new album from the writing of the songs to the finished product. You’re going to want to check this one out. We’ve also got a great story by Edoardo Fassio about Sir Jo Cocchi & Balta Bordoy The chemistry between these two has forged a fantastic bond between the two of them. Be sure to check that one out too, it’s very interesting. There are also stories on Rosii, REO Speedwagon, the Stone Temple Pilots and Live tour, Deep Purple, the Santana and Counting Crows tour, Kelly’s Lot, Tab Benoit, Rising Insane, Mushroomhead, 30 Seconds To Mars, Kings Of Leon, Warren Haynes, Frank Zappa, Tim Montana, Arctis, Seether, Enter Shikari and more! As you can see, there are a lot of varied genres of music here for you to check out, or as we like to say, there’s a little of something for everyone here. We have even included the current installment of the novella, “The Biker”. Read it and than email us back with your thoughts on this. So far our readers seem to really like this Blues loving Biker.

I sincerely hope that everybody reading this publication finds something here that they like and I would like to encourage you to let your friends and colleagues know about us. Just look for us every month at http://www.rockandbluesinternational.com. I would also like to encourage you to email us for a free subscription to Rock And Blues International as well. Just email us at rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com and in the subject line simply put “Sign Me Up” and we’ll email you a link to the magazine each month when it is published.

Kevin Wildman

Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher

Rock And Blues International

Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher

Web Address

Http://www.rockandbluesinternational.com

Mailing Address Box 1162, League City, TX 77573

Phone 281-650-1953 For Advertising email us at rockandbluesinternational@gmail.com or call 281-650-1953

A Free

Page 6

Chris Cain

Chris Cain Talks About His New Alligator Records Release Good Intentions Gone Bad

Page 22

Sir Jo Cocchi & Balta Bordoy

Edoardo Fassio talks about Sir Jo Cocchi & Balta Bordoy, and the bond they have developed with one another.

Page 24 Rosii

Meet The World’s Best Kept Secret Up To Now! Meet Houston’s Rosii, Things Are Changing

Page 30 Deep Purple

Rock Titans Deep Purple Embark on “=1 More Time Tour” Across North America

Page 96 - The Biker

Chris Cain

By Kevin Wildman

In the genre of contemporary blues, few artists command the respect and admiration that Chris Cain has earned over his illustrious career. With a guitar tone that echoes the greats and a voice that carries the weight of the blues tradition, Cain has been captivating audiences for over three decades. Today, we have the privilege of sitting down with this consummate bluesman to discuss his latest album, “Good Intentions Gone Bad,” his second release on the prestigious Alligator Records label.

Chris Cain’s journey in music began early, attending B.B. King concerts with his father from the age of three. This early exposure to the blues greats, combined with his mixed heritage of an African American father and Greek mother, provided a rich cultural tapestry that has informed his music throughout his career. Cain’s guitar work, inspired by legends like B.B. King, Albert King, and jazz icons Grant Green and Wes Montgomery, has earned him accolades from peers and critics alike. The great B.B. King himself once declared, “Chris Cain, now that boy can play the guitar.”

“Good Intentions Gone Bad” marks a new high point in Cain’s already impressive discography. Produced by the renowned Christoffer “Kid” Andersen at his famous Greaseland USA studio in San Jose, California, the album features 13 original songs that showcase Cain’s growth as a songwriter and performer. From humorous, true-to-life stories to deeply emotional ballads, this collection demonstrates the full range of Cain’s talents.

In this interview, we’ll explore the making of “Good Intentions Gone Bad,” delving into the stories behind the songs, the collaborative process with Kid Andersen, and how Cain’s approach to music has evolved over the years. We’ll discuss standout tracks like “Fear Is My Roommate,” a funky reflection on the COVID-19 pandemic, and “Blues For My Dad,” a heartfelt tribute that almost didn’t make it onto the album. We’ll also touch on Cain’s experiences during the pandemic, his long-standing relationship with Alligator Records, and his philosophy on creating music that resonates with listeners.

So, sit back and join us for an indepth conversation with one of the most compelling voices in contemporary blues, as we explore the good intentions, creative process, and musical magic behind Chris Cain’s latest masterpiece.

Chris Cain Talks About His New Alligator Records Release Good Intentions Gone Bad

Rock And Blues International: Hello, Chris.

Chris Cain: Yes.

Rock And Blues International: This is Kevin with Rock And Blues International. How are you doing today?

Chris Cain: Kevin, I’m fine. Thank you for calling.

Rock And Blues International: Oh, my pleasure. My pleasure. I’ve been sitting here listening to the album. I think it’s like

my fourth time through the album now, I really enjoy it.

Chris Cain: Thank you Kevin.

Rock And Blues International: Are we on speakerphone or anything?

Chris Cain: No.

Rock And Blues International: Okay, I was just wondering, I didn’t want to say anything. Have you been having women

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troubles lately?

Chris Cain: No, that’s just...

Rock And Blues International: It’s typical blues songs.

Chris Cain: Yeah.

Rock And Blues International: Okay. Because on a couple of these here, you know, starting off with “Too Late”, you know, “Too Little Too Late” on down to a couple of these others on here, it sounded like you’d been going through a tough time.

Chris Cain: Oh, yeah. Sometimes through your life, things can happen.

Rock And Blues International: Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Chris Cain: But I’m really glad you liked the tunes, man. It’s always fun to make a record and I always try to put something on there that I think somebody might like to listen to and you never know, but it really makes me happy that you listened to it a few times and you enjoyed it.

Rock And Blues International: Yeah. Oh, yeah, I really did enjoy it. And I’m looking at this here and God, you’ve got Kid Anderson all over this thing.

Chris Cain: Oh, man, I’m telling you, he has a gift that few people that work in the studio really have. He has a gift to be able to get the mood that you’re trying to get on your record. He finds out what it is

and he can help you get the mood on that. It’s a very difficult thing to do. You can have all the right notes mixed properly, but capturing the mood of something is really like catching lightning in a jar. When I do this stuff at his place it makes it much more likely that something like that is going to happen throughout the session. You know what I mean? It’s like, he really is fantastic. I mean, he helps you to recognize your dream, musically, that you have in your head. So that when you put it on the record player or whatever, you can hear that. It’s really difficult to do.

Rock And Blues International: Well, yeah, I don’t know what all transpired during the sessions but to me it sounds like he really brought a lot out of you that maybe you weren’t planning on doing to begin with. He just inspired you.

Chris Cain: Man, I’m telling you, it really is. That’s how it is to associate with him. It’s like the tune about my dad’s guitar that wasn’t even supposed to be on this record. It was an exercise that I did, just to see if I could write a tune and sing on a guitar, just an acoustic guitar, but it was in my machine because I couldn’t find all the discs of the demos. So I was looking for them here. There’s a tune here and I said it’s not good enough for this record, man. But he just wouldn’t hear of it. You know what I mean? So he ground me down and now I’m really happy to put it on there. Because, you know, I never thought that thing would see the light of day, but it was heartfelt. And he helped me to really get to the moods I was trying to get to. I mean, he has a gift, man. No kidding.

Rock And Blues International: It sounds like it was a pretty emotional song as well.

Chris Cain: Yeah, anytime there’s something about your parents or something, it’s gonna be bittersweet, probably. But, I mean, you know, he just talked me into doing it, and I’m glad he told me that because it just, it meant a lot to me. But I just never thought that would be something that I would even put on the record so that other people would hear that, but he talked me into it. He’s a beautiful guy, man. He’s a great, great musician and one of the great guitar players in the world. And, you know, just being there and doing everything he can do to help you find what you’re trying to do on your work. It really is a Godsend.

Rock And Blues International: Well, it sounds like he can play just about anything on any instrument you can think of. On a couple of these songs, he’s like three quarters of the band.

Chris Cain: I swear, man, and I mean, I will be sitting by him when he will be cutting a bass track and I could hear the string slapping off the face of the bass, man. I mean, he was manhandling that. Then when I hear the track back, it’s a beautiful bass tone and stuff but he can play his patootie off on anything he decides to play. He can just take command of that thing and play the heck out of it.

Rock And Blues International: Oh, yeah, well, like on “Good Intentions.” Bass, organ, electric piano. I swear, man. He’s really unbelievable on that. Unbelievable. And there is another song on here. Let me find it real quick, “Still Drinking Straight Tequila”, rhythm guitar, bass, organ, piano. I mean, he’s doing everything but the vocals, the vocals and the drums.

Chris Cain: He really is. I mean, he’s a talented, just, I mean, it’s like, just to be around him when he’s doing it, you know? Because he really will put like all of his love into your thing. I mean, it’s like, you know, he really goes the extra mile to try to get what you want to hear in your little dream of what your recording can be. And most times he can get you there. You know, he just has a gift man, he really does.

Rock And Blues International: Well, he’s the go-to guy now in the blues. I deal with a lot of musicians and it seems like everybody’s making the pilgrimage to his studio.

Chris Cain: Man. It’s like Muscle

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Shoals West, you know what I mean. It’s turned out to be the place where everybody wants to go and do it.

Rock And Blues International: I don’t even see how he has time to work with Rick Estrin.

Chris Cain: Oh, man, you know, I mean, I think there’s two of them. We just don’t know. I mean there’s no way you can be in all these places at the same time, but there he is.

Rock And Blues International: They are cloning people.

Chris Cain: I’m telling you, man, I’m pretty sure.

Rock And Blues International: All right, well, had you worked with him before?

Chris Cain: You know, I met him when he first came to town. And one of the first records that he recorded, I think by Butch Cousins, Richard Cousins’ brother, and I played piano on that thing. At the time. It was just, he was in another room. We’re on the board. And I never thought much of it. But, man, it turned out to be the place to go, you know, I mean, once I recorded there with other people. Like, because he told me all the sessions that he

could have played on? Like, I mean, there’s no reason why he has to call anybody he could play guitar and all these things, and he will call and give me the session. You know, that means I played on a lot of records that I wouldn’t have been on, because he could have played on all these things. Right.

Rock And Blues International: Right.

Chris Cain: So he’s a beauty like that, you know, but man, I’m telling you, it is like Muscle Shoals in California. What it’s like, if Make-A-Wish got together with the Smithsonian, and Stax Records and decided to make a studio. That was what it would be, you know, all the stuff you want, all these old amplifiers and things and it’s like, you know, it’s just a fantastic dream place.

Rock And Blues International: Wow. Well, how much does this album differ from your last album?

Chris Cain: I don’t really think that much. It’s just the last record was what kind of I was feeling at that time when I wrote those tunes. And it’s just kind of the logical next thing from the guy that made that, you know.

Rock And Blues International: Had you been sitting on these songs for a while

or were some of them freshly written?

Chris Cain: No, they were just written, except for the one about my dad’s guitar, but at the time, it was like some dear people in my life had been dying. And so when they said, Hey, make another record, the stuff that I was writing was kind of this slow tempo, gloomy Gus thing. So I had to shift gears and Kid was beautiful, helping me with that kind of thing. He made a baseline for one thing that turned out to be a tune, but it was just, he knew how to start my engine in that particular way, so I started writing notes and then got the one with Tommy and some of those other ones, you know, but I liked the process of the chase of trying to figure out what the tune is and then getting it to the point where you say, Okay, this is like something we could record now. All this stuff is there, you know, I like the chase of it, you know.

Rock And Blues International: Well, how much did these songs differ from what you had in your mind before you walked through the doors and what happened between that, and the final mix?

Chris Cain: You know, it was all the stuff that was in my mind. And the beautiful thing was that, like, he’s able to help me get it on there. Like he saw what I was going for and so everything that I was imagining, I was able to get on there, you know, it wasn’t like some stuff that could not happen. And, like, was that one thing “That It’s Friday,” it was like, I had all the up-tempo tunes that I had, but I needed to... I had this one that I was trying to write a tune, like, a long time ago, and I had to... so I put that in there with like, the demos and then Bruce Iglauer said, but I do like that “Friday” one. So I said, Okay, and I started writing that thing. So, you know, if you wouldn’t have said that, this would have been... but I needed another up-tempo tune. Kid’s wife put these background vocals on it, make it sound like something you hear on the radio or something, you know, so it’s really exciting to hear that.

Rock And Blues International: Well, I like “TGIF”, “Thank God, It’s Friday”. You feel like you’re having a party. You feel like having fun in the world. The week just went on forever until you got to Friday. Well, I thought that was great. I like her backup vocals on some of these songs.

Chris Cain: Yeah, she’s tremendous, I’m telling you.

Rock And Blues International: Like,

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on “Good Intentions”. It was really good on there. I liked the horns that you’ve added.

Chris Cain: You know, Mike Rinta is the guy that did the horns on both these records. And, you know, at the time that he wrote these arrangements, his mother was in the hospital dying. And so he came, and I mean, he’s able to, I mean, it could be the kind of thing where he puts this arrangement together, that you don’t hear on your tune. It could be a nightmare, you know, but everything that he played, like and had on those tunes, is all stuff that I love. You know, when he added the horns to these things, it just made them really jump off the thing. He has a gift to do that. I mean, his arrangements are fantastic. Always.

Rock And Blues International: But you had some great horn musicians on there, too. Mike Peloquin. Mike, I’m gonna say this name wrong. Galisatus.

Chris Cain: Yeah, yeah. Galisatus.

Rock And Blues International: I told you I was gonna say it wrong. Yes. It’s tricky.

Chris Cain: It is.

Rock And Blues International: But his guys are all beautiful, because they play together really well. He knows how to write for them, that group of horn guys. And they just, they sound like they’ve been playing on this tune for like forever.

Rock And Blues International: Were any of your core musicians from your regular band on here?

Chris Cain: Oh, yeah. Greg Rahn on the keyboards. And I had Dwayne Pate, my bass player and also another bass player close to me, Cody Wright on bass. Great bass, great guitar player. So there’s a couple of different bass players. There’s a couple of different drummers. June Core is on there. And yeah, it’s really fantastic that those guys in San Jose, that play the way they play, so that if you do record something, and you need a guy, there’s guys that can come and just play on your thing and make it very beautiful.

Rock And Blues International: Well I’ve heard that Kid knows everybody. If he can’t do it, he knows who to call and get them there in 30 minutes.

Chris Cain: I swear to you, beautiful like that, really.

Rock And Blues International: Well, let’s talk about some of the songs on here the inspiration on them. I’m sure I’ve got the meanings of all of them wrong because that’s... My job is to get them wrong so you can explain them right to me. But “Too Little Too Late”. An old girlfriend called you up and you didn’t want to see her because the first time just wasn’t that great, so is that a true story?

Chris Cain: That is actually a true story. And yeah, it was just the thing was like you know, sometimes these girls they did whatever they did back in 1980 or something. You’re gonna mess around and end up on side two you know. It may happen and sometimes it does. Sometimes they end up on side one, but that yeah, that did actually happen. That was the thing.

Rock And Blues International: Oh, just a continuation from 30 years ago.

Chris Cain: I’m telling you, was crummy then.

Rock And Blues International: So terrible then, even worse now.

Chris Cain: Yes.

Rock And Blues International: Oh, my god. “Fear Is My New Roommate” and fear is here to stay. You’ve lost, lost your will to try and fight it. The world’s gone to hell in a hand basket and you don’t know

what to do.

Chris Cain: When COVID was happening, I wrote this like record in one day. I made a record at my house, it was like all this COVID stuff, because it was like, I was watching TV all the time. And it was totally just depressing me. So I was trying to do Stevie Wonder like “Songs in the Key of Life” or something. I had like six tunes I was recording and then that was the first tune on the thing that started this whole little record. They liked that groove, so we put that on there. But yeah, they changed a couple of words. But it was basically what I wrote. It was about the whole COVID, kind of being locked up in a household. It’s like, everybody’s losing their minds. It was depressing.

Rock And Blues International: Oh, I’ll say, Were you going a bit stir crazy on that?

Chris Cain: Oh, man, at first I really said this is great. I didn’t have to pack a bag. I mean, just like, I got nothing to do. But you know, about two months in it was like not being able to see people and things really got to me a lot. And by the time it was like, you could go to a gig and be around people. Yeah. And I was in tears, man, because you just don’t realize how much you miss human contact, until you really don’t get it. It was really for me, it was like a gloomy Gus thing. I was so happy when you can go back to clubs. Those zoom concerts, those things never worked. It’s like, you don’t know who you’re playing for, you’re standing there. It was just a gloomy time to me.

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Rock And Blues International: Oh, it was to me, too. I lasted about a week before I started panicking. I’ve been spending my life in clubs ever since at least ’71. And then all of a sudden, all of a sudden, you know, I thought first week oh, great. I can just stay here. I don’t have to go anywhere. And then it’s like, oh my god, am I ever gonna be able to go anywhere?

Chris Cain: I can’t believe I lasted for two months. But it was like, I had been running around, like so much in airports and things that I was just like, hey, this is fantastic. You know what I mean? And then suddenly, I just realized that we hadn’t seen this person. Haven’t seen that person, hadn’t really played for any people. And then I started getting totally loopy. You know what I mean?

Rock And Blues International: Did you do some of those, those in-house concerts?

Chris Cain: We tried doing those things, like a couple of zoom concerts where it’s like, they film me at one location, then everybody else tunes in and watches it. But after the second one, I really didn’t do any more because without being able to connect with something, it was really difficult for me to. I just didn’t know who I was playing for, kind of strange.

Rock And Blues International: Well, it’s hard to get, it’s hard to get inspiration out of your computer.

Chris Cain: It just really, I don’t know how it sounded, but it was nutty. So after the second one, I just said, heck, just wait until we can play again and then it looked like we were never going to do that, but then it was beautiful. You know how it was when suddenly could we go back out and see people, go to a club. It was like, Yeah, this I missed.

Rock And Blues International: Oh, yeah, I missed it too. When the clubs are closed, I would still go out to the clubs, and I’d be standing there with my phone on Facebook. Hey, I’m at such I’m at the Big Easy. And guess what? I’m the only one here. Standing outside of closed club. I felt a little strange. But God I just couldn’t sit at the house any longer.

Chris Cain: No, it really got nutty. And then like, I mean, there’s like a gas station thing on my block that has hard alcohol. I didn’t know. Two years I lived here, I didn’t know. I got this bottle of Johnnie Walker Red. I was drinking this stuff on ice and watching the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers and I thought this is fantastic. And Suzie was, you know, your record’s gonna be coming out. You might want to be alive. Okay, that point’s well taken. But I was, I could do this all the time. This is fantastic. This Johnnie Walker. That that had to stop. But I mean, it’s like you know, too much time on your hands. The devil’s workshop. You know what I mean?

Rock And Blues International: Exactly. Hi. No, I know.

Chris Cain: I was just lucky that Susan, she wanted to keep me grounded.

Rock And Blues International: Well, let’s move on to the third song “Good Intentions”, which I guess is pretty much the title song of the album.

Chris Cain: That is a true... that is actually a true story. It’s like the last time I ever tried to buy clothes for a woman that I cared about. I went with my parents to the beach, like for a weekend. And while I was there, her birthday was coming soon. I bought my girlfriend, this pair of shorts and I didn’t really know what her size was. So I just kind of held them up and looked at my size and said no, she’s about as big as me. She bought those things. And then when she took them out of the box, she’s looked across the table at me she goes how big do you think my butt really is? Since then I never buy them clothes anymore. I give them cash and let them go buy what they want because that was horrifying but and that’s exactly what she said. So it was funny that he put his wife on there saying how big you think my butt really is? You know, it’s the girlfriend that I had at that time.

Rock And Blues International: Well, you went through quite a bit in this song. You tried to throw her a surprise party, she got mad because you invited her sister. It seems like everything you did turned out bad. Almost everything you tried to do to make her happy didn’t work.

Chris Cain: I’m telling you.

Rock And Blues International: You’re just waiting for the sun to rise.

Chris Cain: Yeah, you see that one, because I was getting all these ideas. But that one is like one of the ones that I’ve never written a tune, like waiting for the sun before. It’s like, kind of like a little classical kind of feel at the beginning of the thing. It was really fun to record that but that was definitely one of my gloomy Gus tunes for sure.

Rock And Blues International: Well, you were praying for the morning to come. And your mistakes were coming back to haunt you. Elaborate a little on that. What were the mistakes, that were coming back to haunt you?

Chris Cain: You know, all you really need is a little quiet time to go and reflect and then suddenly you back down memory

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lane again. You know what I mean? It’s like, a memory lane. My memory lane is being repaved right now as we speak. Been down it so many times.

Rock And Blues International: Oh, wow.

Chris Cain: But yeah, so you know, I think this writing tune thing was like a great therapeutic thing for me to kind of get it all out and you feel like you’ve flushed it or something you don’t want you’ve written it down or something.

Rock And Blues International: Well do you find writing a little cathartic for you? It just, it helps you get through troubles just by writing the song and baring your soul?

Chris Cain: Totally. I mean, you know, going to the gig and playing is always that for me, but creating something like that, where you express whatever feeling it is, it’s totally cathartic. It’s been really a beautiful thing in my life, to be able to have the ability to try to make up a thing and see what’s going to happen, you know, I feel lucky that I can do that. And it really does get a lot of that out of you that can get run over time for me.

Rock And Blues International: It’s your own personal sort of therapy.

Chris Cain: Yeah, but you know, I have to keep it somehow general so it could be something that happened to other folks too, otherwise, it doesn’t really work. But, because my first records were basically, I just changed the names, but it was all stuff that almost happened lick for lick. And I stopped doing that after about the second record, but I try to just come up with ideas that I think other people would relate to, something that we’d say yeah, but that’s what I’m trying to do. I don’t know if I can do it that well, but that’s what the intent is every time I try that stuff.

Rock And Blues International: Next song, “I Was Wrong”. We’re back there with another lady problem.

Chris Cain: Yes.

Rock And Blues International: “The

more we’re together,” the more you know it’s a mistake. You thought you knew her but you are wrong, and things just went too long. And she just doesn’t understand you.

Chris Cain: Dig it. Yeah, that’s pretty good. Yeah, and the beautiful thing was I was trying to do like Sam and Dave, you know, two guys singing the tune. So I should have Tomas (Tommy Castro), who I’ve known forever. And I said, we’re on the same label. Maybe he’d be cool with doing that. And luckily he said, Okay, you know, and we enjoyed doing that. But that’s like two guys singing a tune like a Sam and Dave kind of thing. You know, something with two fellas singing the tune.

Rock And Blues International: “Time To Cry.” You don’t have time to sit down for dinner. You don’t have time for working out. You don’t have free time to travel. You don’t have time to live your life. You don’t you don’t have time for long goodbyes or the time in the day or read magazines, but you have time to cry.

Chris Cain: Yeah, it’s that’s just the way I feel sometimes, you know, to do all this other stuff.

Rock And Blues International: Do

you go through that often?

Chris Cain: No, but I’m very emotionally driven. Everything that I seem to do is like kind of very... I put like, too much of myself in it sometimes and luckily, this guitar thing is beautiful because I don’t have to go to a therapist, like in the course of like a weekend playing and singing tunes, I feel like I got it all out of my thing. It’s like very therapeutic for me.

Rock And Blues International: All right. “Still Drinking Straight Tequila”, you’re revisiting a song that you did in 1997.

Chris Cain: Now, we were talking like, Mr. Iglauer and another guy said, you know, man, wouldn’t it be great if you had recorded “Drinking Straight Tequila” on Alligator. And then the other guy goes ‘yeah, you could still put it on there’. And then Bruce Iglauer says “or you could put “Still Drinking Straight Tequila”.’ Okay, let me go home and work on that. So that’s what I did. That’s where I came up with that and they were they were happy with it.

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Rock And Blues International: Well, how much is that song different from the original version?

Chris Cain: Well, I made sure to have the same kind of a feel on it, the same key, but it had to be different, so you know that the form is a little different, but it still has that kind of attitude in the musical part of it and just putting it in the context of I can’t do this anymore. I don’t do that anymore. But, but I still Drink Straight Tequila, you know.

Rock And Blues International: So it sounds like a rehabilitation song. You quit staying out all night long, quit eating fast

foods, quit putting things off to later, you quit going to the casinos, gave up cigarettes, but you took up meditation, and you’re going for a walk and eating an apple a day.

Chris Cain: Telling you, how boring, huh.

Rock And Blues International: That was some kind of recipe for therapy.

Chris Cain: No kidding. Just without the doctors, it’s like, you don’t have to pay like $7,000 for them to listen to me say that. Just put it on the record and all better.

Rock And Blues International: Well, yeah, you put it on the record, and you tell it to everybody, you make money off of them, instead of the doctor making money off of you. Yeah, that’s a good deal. A bad dream coming true. You know it’s coming true. You may lose your woman, she stays mad all the time, you try to please her, it doesn’t seem to work. If the woman leaves you, you won’t have a place to stay. Please tell me that wasn’t a true story.

Chris Cain: No, no. I was just I was thinking BB King, like “BB King Live at the Regal”. I wanted to get that tone on the guitar. Most of these things will have all that kind of stuff in there, so I just made a blues tune just kind of in that vernacular. Just because I mean, all my life of love, and all that we see BB King, but you know rarely hear anybody tried to get that likely to regal tone on record before you know, but since I was just trying to do something like that, you know?

Rock And Blues International: Okay. It was I had all had all I could take. The first day you saw her, you saw trouble, and she got you bent so far backwards, you might break. The last year has been exhausting and you can’t stand the way she treats you.

Chris Cain: Yeah. Love is funny, isn’t it?

Rock And Blues International: Yeah, in a way it is sometimes, in a way. It’s like, you know, I’d have been a lot better if I just hadn’t fallen in love.

Chris Cain: Oh my god, you know, just the things they’ve taught me.

Rock And Blues International: Well, is that true?

Chris Cain: Oh, you know, they teach you, you know, I mean, you never would, but you have to go through, you have to go through the roar of the fire and then you know better the next time. But sometimes you have to learn the hard way.

Rock And Blues International: Yeah. Out of the frying pan into the fire.

Chris Cain: Yes.

Rock And Blues International: And now we’re down to “Blues For My Dad”. I really liked this. It seemed very emotional. Your father gave you a guitar and said play it when he when you’re happy, play it when you’re sad, but be sure to play

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something for your dad.

Chris Cain: Yeah, and that wasn’t that wasn’t supposed to be on the record because I couldn’t find all my discs of the demos to showcase the tunes. So I just took the whole recording desk there to his house. So I was looking for a good one. He said, ‘what’s that tune’. I go no, that’s not for this record. It was a thing that I wrote, like, like in maybe 2000 or something. It was an exercise because my pal had given me a really nice Martin acoustic guitar, so I’ll try to see if I could write a tune that you could just play an acoustic guitar and sing it. I never wrote something like that. So I started writing that tune kind of as an exercise and then I never finished it really so Kid heard that. I said, Oh no, this is not meant for this record. I mean, I just got on this label, you’re gonna get me thrown off. I mean, he’s like, ‘no, no, no, I played for Rick Estrin and he was crying’. I’m like, so he just ground me down and so we did it. And, you know, he led me through the vocal. He said, on your demo, you sang this high thing, so I just did what he told me, and when I heard the end result, I was in tears. I mean, it’s like, you know, It wasn’t something that was supposed to be on there. But he loved it so much and talked me into it. I mean, that’s the beautiful thing about that guy, he’s very selfless and he tries to help you to see your vision come true on it when it comes out the speakers and that was one of them that like that. I hadn’t planned on it being on there. And, you know, he even made a little video with pictures of my parents and things. It was on YouTube. I mean, it was like somebody slugged me in the stomach when I watched that thing, so beautiful, you know, so... I mean, he went way beyond the call of duty on most all these tunes, just the way he approached it with a lot of love and a lot of care.

Rock And Blues International: I imagine so. He plays guitar, bass, organ, percussion on there. The only thing he didn’t play was the bongos.

Chris Cain: Yeah, or Parcheesi. But he really is amazing. To see him do it, it’s a gas man because just the scene in the studio is very relaxed. It’s like, you don’t get uptight. It’s like you have a wonderful time doing it. It’s just like, he has a

beautiful bedside manner when he does his stuff.

Rock And Blues International: Well, I love the end of this song, where you wind up at the pearly gates of heaven and they go, ‘well, you did this, you did that, but you played the blues for your dad’. Come on in. I just love that part.

Chris Cain: That’s beautiful, man. Thank you. Because, that wasn’t supposed

to be on this record. And that’s one of my favorite tunes to listen to on that. It’s like, really, he helped that thing to be born because it wouldn’t ever went past what I did and having it in a box somewhere, you know.

Rock And Blues International: The next one is “TGIF”. We talked about that a little bit. Anything you want to elaborate

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on?

Chris Cain: I was just trying to do something up tempo and I never had written a tune about like, it’s like the weekend, I want to have fun. It’s like that’s not really my normal thing. I’m like, kind of a maybe more gloomy Gus, but that was like... it was fun to make that up. And the fact that like, he heard that and said, I liked that tune. I go, okay, that’s going on the record too, because that wasn’t planned to be on there either. But I just needed some up tempo stuff to check with him. And so he’s, he was very great about like, checking in and letting me know exactly what he would like to hear in these tunes. Because if he doesn’t like it, then it doesn’t matter. I want to make sure that the folks on the label are happy with what I came up with and I talked to him when I was in Memphis, and he said, we’re very excited to have you on the label and we’re excited about your record, we really like it. I mean, that to me, is just like, I can just breathe in after that, because it matters to me whether they dig it or not, you know.

Rock And Blues International: Right, right. So, next up, “Never Let You Break My Heart”. Let me start out by saying I just love your piano track on here.

Chris Cain: Oh, thank you, you know, I decided to take the piano solo on that thing, because Greg Rahn wasn’t around and I just wanted it to be like a very short little piano solo that just kind of lead into the thing. And you know, I mean, like, I play just enough piano stay out of trouble. But I really appreciate that. I felt like when I was making up that tune, that it had a mood to it and I said, I hope I can get this mood because it was on the demo on the recording because it was a mood tied to the thing. And sure enough, we were able to get them. It’s like it has that mood on it that I was hoping for.

Rock And Blues International: Well that I thought it was just so soulful. The piano is so soulful on here and then with the way it leads into the guitar.

Chris Cain: Yeah, that’s what I was trying to do it so it just wasn’t like there’s

two solos and so I wanted to kind of exist together like they both were kind of related to each other somehow.

Rock And Blues International: Right.

Chris Cain: I’m happy that it sounded like that really.

Rock And Blues International: Well, and the lyrics were interesting on here. You’re leaving a relationship. When you saw this woman you could tell she always had one foot out the door.

Chris Cain: Yeah!

Rock And Blues International: And she watched you like a hawk looking for any kind of reason to get rid of you.

Chris Cain: Yeah!

Rock And Blues International: She sounded very controlling.

Chris Cain: Yes! In fact, you sound like you know her. That was definitely some personal stuff right there.

Rock And Blues International: Really! So that’s another true story.

Chris Cain: Yeah, pretty much.

Rock And Blues International: Oh my god.

Chris Cain: That’s why I have a dog now.

Rock And Blues International: A dog. Okay, I got nine dogs.

Chris Cain: Oh, that’s fantastic. Tremendous, you can’t have too many dogs I swear.

Rock And Blues International: That’s right. Last song on here is “Thankful”. You’ve got Tommy Castro on there. You got to tell me everything about this song. The vocal that Tommy Castro adds to yours is just fantastic.

Chris Cain: Oh, I know, man. I had written these tunes... Like, I have these other ones I was trying to do like two fellas singing like Sam and Dave or the Righteous Brothers or something, just two guys singing the tune. And so I came up with the tune and Kid had done the other part and he sang really great. Oh, man, I’ve known Tomas like, since before he ever started playing blues, we knew each other. And I

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said, he’d be great because he’s on the same label. So I go, let’s check with Tomas and see if he would be on there and he was really happy to do it. And so it was just great to have him on there because all my career he’s been like, so supportive. And I mean, because, you know, sometimes guys like get in a position like that they don’t know you anymore and stuff like that, but he’s a beautiful friend and always has been, and the fact that he wanted to do it, and then to just see the finished product, you know, I mean, it’s just, it always makes me happy to listen to that.

Rock And Blues International: I really enjoyed it. Tell me about the meaning of the song?

Chris Cain: Well, you know, I’m just kind of thinking about my gal and just the fact that eventually I found somebody that really cared about me and was just basically I’m just thankful about that and so I just wrote the tune with that as the kind of the key thing. Just really what that’s about is just the fact that I don’t think I would be alive if it wasn’t for my girlfriend Susan Taylor. She kind of came in when I was really in a dark point in my life, and I wasn’t doing a whole lot and turned my whole.... I have a bank account now and I never had that. I always had like, maybe $20 in a drawer somewhere. But I mean, she turned my whole life around and that was just basically a tune saying about that kind of thing.

Rock And Blues International: Wonderful, wonderful. What else do my readers or my listeners need to know about this album? What have we not touched on that we should have touched on so far?

Chris Cain: You know, we really touched on most all of it. But, you know, I’m just like, with every record I make, I make it with the hope that when people listen to it, that, you know, it makes them want to listen to it more than once. And that there’s something in there that makes them feel good somehow, you know. And if that happens, then I feel it’s a successful record and that people can listen to it more than once and enjoy it, I’m just totally thrilled because they’re like my kids. I think they’re all smart and cute, but, I mean, if other people like my kids, it

makes me very proud and happy.

Rock And Blues International: Right. Well, in the notes I have here, you say that it’s the best album you’ve ever done. Why is it the best album you’ve ever done?

Chris Cain: Well, I think that now that I’m older, when I write tunes, it seems like I’m able to get more of myself into the tune... what I feel, and then when people listen to it, they feel it too so that is like my ultimate goal. And I just feel like there’s more stuff within the tune. It’s not just like a couple of rhymes, and then some long guitar solos. It’s like, there’s little stories in there and it’s just more like, meat on the bone. You know. I’m happy about that. I mean, I tried that with every record, but I think as I’ve gotten older, maybe it’s helped or something.

Rock And Blues International: But when you went into the studio, how many songs did you take in?

Chris Cain: I took all of them.

Rock And Blues International: But I mean, you’ve got 13 on the album. Did you take in 20? Or did you just take the thirteen?

Chris Cain: Yeah, I had other tunes that didn’t make the cut. There were other ones. A couple of them was a slow blues and another one. There were about maybe four tunes that didn’t get on there. I think it was just that they didn’t, they didn’t feel that they fit in with the stuff, all the other stuff but I never tossed that stuff out, I always keep it just you know if you need a tune. I have a jar of these things somewhere.

Rock And Blues International: Right. What was Bruce’s reaction when he heard it?

Chris Cain: He was really happy. He was very excited about this record. I mean, because on “Raisin’ Cane”, I was making this tribute to Billy Preston thing at my house, just for my own enjoyment. It was tunes in the style of Billy Preston, just as a thank you to everything he does. And so that “Space Race” tune got on the record. I said these guys would never let this get on an Alligator record. This is so not Alligator records and then they put it on there, man. And I mean, you could knock me over with a feather when they put that thing on there. Because I understood totally and I didn’t expect it to be on there. But they dug it and put it on there. It just blew my mind. So you know, I mean, we talked for about almost three hours in his room when I was

in Memphis and he really made me feel excited about me being an Alligator artist, they dig what I do. He likes the way I play. I mean, just for me, you know, that’s, that’s all I need to know. You know, I’d jump to a building on fire for these guys. When the pandemic came, I was down to my last $125 and I was freaking out. And they had a section of their company that would look and find money you didn’t know you have and they found $4,000 I didn’t know I had. And this is before I had done anything, recorded anything. And I said, Listen, because you saved my life I’d walk through a burning building for you guys. Now, you know what I mean? But like, they saved my life, really? That whole thing? And that wouldn’t happen if I wouldn’t have had them there.

Rock And Blues International: Yeah, that was a pretty rough time. I wouldn’t have made it through except, but before the pandemic hit, I had borrowed money on my house to start another business. And I didn’t get the business started. But I was glad I had the cash.

Chris Cain: Oh, man. I mean, you know, because the time started, it was first it was just dragging by. But then it was like, Oh, my God months have gone by, then a year has gone by. It was like, you know, I mean, I’m just going. Wow. You know, I mean, was like we were in kind of like Limbo, and we would just go through these days like it was like toilet paper, but nothing was happening, you know.

Rock And Blues International: Oh, yeah. Yeah, it was pretty rough for a lot of people. Well, probably almost everybody.

Chris Cain: Yeah, definitely.

Rock And Blues International: I don’t know too many people that have said, ‘well, I really enjoyed it’.

Chris Cain: No, no. I mean, I enjoyed like the first two weeks, and then I realized what was going on and it was horrible.

Rock And Blues International: Yeah, yep. Well, what else do we need to talk about here? What have I missed? Is there a point I missed here this album that I should have had? What? What are you gonna go back late and say, ‘Why didn’t he ask me this?’

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how much I appreciate you even taking the time out of your day to do this. But the fact that you’ve listened to it more than once it’s, you know, you had specific things to ask about it. It’s like that’s a dream come true for me, and I really appreciate your time and just talking with you, you know, thank you for all of this.

Rock And Blues International: Well, I appreciate you doing the interview with me. It’s always great to talk to a musician that really loves his work.

Chris Cain: Well, you know, it’s a joy for me, it always has been like my papa telling me, ‘if you don’t feel it, don’t do it, but if you feel it’, so that’s how I’ve always approached playing the guitar. It’s just, if I’m gonna play it, I try to put 200% of myself into it. And I’m just really happy that I get an opportunity to try to make this music.

Rock And Blues International: Well, I tell you what, I love the album, I can hardly wait to hear your next album when you do it because this one was fantastic. And I know you’re going to be going, how am I gonna top this one?

Chris Cain: Oh, you know, I never put that kind of a thing on me. But I just wait and see what I feel when it comes time, when they want me to record something. But the fact that you like it means the world to me and the fact that you share that with me. So I know that I can’t thank you enough because, you know, I hoped for that. But, you know, I mean, sometimes it doesn’t happen, but the fact that anybody else listened to it and, and got some enjoyment out of it. That’s, you know, that’s the whole world to me. Thank you very much for sharing that with me.

Rock And Blues International: Well, it’s my pleasure. I just, I enjoy doing these interviews. I enjoy talking to people about music. Music’s been my life for years ever since. Ever since I was a little kid. I got I got hooked on music at a very, very, ridiculously young age.

Chris Cain: We’ll see. You’re fantastic to talk to because of your love for music. I mean, it makes it very, very enjoyable just speaking with you, you

know what I mean. You’re great on this thing and believe me, I don’t think anybody could do this as well as you do it.

Rock And Blues International: Well, thank you. What was your very first album that you bought or your very, very first 45?

Chris Cain: My first 45 was Alvin and Chipmunks “Christmas Song”. No, no, no, no, it was the “Naughty Squirrels Part One and Part Two. They were before Alvin and chipmunks these guys were really badass. And yeah, I went down to D’Angelo’s Music and bought it with my own money and it was my favorite record. And then I got Alvin and chipmunks and then I started getting into my dad’s records. And that was Alvin and chipmunks.

Rock And Blues International: All right, my first one was El Paso by Marty Robbins.

Chris Cain: Great tune man and great artist, you know what I mean. Great artist, that guy I mean.

Rock And Blues International: I’ve been hooked on the music since... well, I’d say easily since I was five or six. When I was really young, we moved to Spain, and in Spain, all we had was Armed Forces Radio or the regular radio there and so I was immersed in music ever since I was a well, single digits.

Chris Cain: I’m telling you, man me too, because we started going to see BB King every year when I was three, and we never missed him. And finally, all my dad’s records ended up in my room, because once I found out what he had in there, you know, I was very lucky to have all those records taken, figure out what the heck these guys are doing. And it was beautiful. But yeah, the first record I bought, I was so proud because I bought on my own cash. “Uh Oh” by The Nutty Squirrels, it was. It’s great. I mean, it’s like still one of my favorites.

Rock And Blues International: It’s amazing how you can remember something like that, you know, you may not remember your third, fourth or fifth record. But the first one, you always remember that.

Chris Cain: You know, and it was always a fantastic thing when you were a kid because you go buy the record, you got the album cover whatever it is you, you could sit down with the album cover and stuff to look at. And, you know, I mean, now it’s like, you could just get the tune and not even have it to hold on to it. But I dug the whole thing of taking your record

home and putting it on listen to it 100 times, you know, and it was just a fantastic thing. You know?

Rock And Blues International: Yeah, another thing that we had when I was a kid, we’d buy the albums just because of the cover. We didn’t know what the music was, we may not have heard of the artist, but the cover was enough to suck you right in to get it.

Chris Cain: Oh trust me man. I mean, everything that Julie London ever made, she’s always got a martini with a gown. You know, I mean, as a kid that was, you know, troublesome. But, I mean, you know, the fact that the album cover have something on there, that would be the thing that you would think of when you think of the tune you because we looked at that album cover a million times, you know, it’s like, it’s fantastic. And, and the guys that took those pictures. I don’t think they were thinking about that it would be to that degree, but I mean, you looked at your album cover while you’re listening to the record, it was it just went together, you know.

Rock And Blues International: Oh, yeah. Well, back in those days, you’d see the cover and it was like.... I was talking to Fito De La Parra from Canned Heat about this. And I was telling him you know, my first Canned Heat album I got was “Boogie With Canned Heat”.

Chris Cain: That’s the one I got, yes.

Rock And Blues International: And the cover looked so wicked.

Chris Cain: Oh man, believe me that was fantastic. When you were a kid, it’s like, oh, yeah, this stuff. This is definitely some of that stuff. And you know, and I mean, the Bear’s voice you know, on that thing. I mean, the way he sang and the tunes, the first guitar solo I ever memorized note for note was the one by “The Sunflower” on “Marie Laveau”. Yeah, yeah. The Henry Vestine solo was one of the first guitar solos I ever learned every note of the solo. You know what I mean?

Rock And Blues International: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Well, that that was a wild album. That was good. The next one was even better. It had “Going Up The Country” on the following album.

Chris Cain: Oh, yeah man, I saw them at the folk rock festival my dad took me where Hendrix played and they were there. And it was a gas, you know, I mean, to see them live, you know?

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Rock And Blues International: Yep.

Chris Cain: With that particular lineup?

Rock And Blues International: Well, we’re getting a little off subject. Now we should be talking about your album. So let’s jump back on that. What else do we need to know about it? What do you want? What’s the main thing you want people to know about this?

Chris Cain: Oh, you know, that I put a lot of time and thought into trying to record something that somebody else might be able to feel or relate to somehow musically, they liked the music or story rang a bell or something. And if that happens, then I feel like I’ve accomplished what I was trying to accomplish. You know, I really, I hope for that I don’t just take it for granted that it’s gonna happen but hearing from you that you enjoyed and stuff. It makes my day you know.

Rock And Blues International: Well, if someone listened to your music for the very first time, say today or tomorrow, what would be this song or the album you would want them to hear first?

Chris Cain: Ah, maybe? Hmm. Maybe “Fear Is My Roommate”. It has kind of some of the feelings, musically that I like some kind of funky thing sometimes, you know, it kind of shows that, you know, I might do different things not just straight ahead slow blues is or something. It’s kind of a little more, it’s blues, but it’s got some stuff, you know.

Rock And Blues International: So you’d want them to hear Chris Cain today, as opposed to Chris Cain 10 years ago?

Chris Cain: Well, yeah, you know, because I feel that on every record I made, I was trying to do things that maybe I don’t even know, overambitious, just because I figured, with every record, it’s like, you get a chance to make a record, you want to put something on there that has something in it. So I always tried to do that on every work that I made from the first one. But I just feel that Chris Cain now kind of can put more nutrients in its own. It’s like, if it

was food, there’s more nutrients, there’s more stuff in it, I would say, you know, my earlier records, I was either just, telling something about what just happened to me, and then put a bunch of solos in it. But that, you know, that’s the best I could really do then. It was like, and I was happy to do that. But I feel that over the years, I’ve kind of learned how to express my thoughts and feelings in a better way, somehow. There’s just more nutrients in the food, you know.

Rock And Blues International: Right. Right.

Chris Cain: That’s how I feel about it, you know, so I would, I would send them one of my things now, because I think I can say more now. What I was trying to say on some of my earlier ones, maybe I didn’t get it said, but I just feel like these ones are the best representation of what I was trying to say.

Rock And Blues International: Did you feel more inhibited in the earlier albums, as opposed to now when you seem to really let yourself come loose, come out and come out on some of these songs?

Chris Cain: No, I really, I always was open and not really like not open enough to it was like I was to put in everything. But I think over the years, I’ve learned how to tap into more of what I feel and think than I was doing that I was just scratching the surface, I think over the years, I’ve learned how to arrange the ideas in a way that is more tasty, maybe.

Rock And Blues International: Right? Well, there’s a lot of tasty songs on this album so I think you’ve hit the mark.

Chris Cain: Thank you. I mean, that means the world to me.

Rock And Blues International: Well, I suppose I should let you go again, the same question I asked before. Is there anything I should have asked that I haven’t asked?

Chris Cain: No, no, you were fantastic. Believe me, thank you for being the person because you make the journey very enjoyable. I appreciate you taking the time to do that. Thank you.

Rock And Blues International: All right. Well, thanks again. I hope the rest of your day is good. And well, we’ll just talk again when you do the next album or when you go on tour.

Chris Cain: Thank you, young man. I

appreciate your time. Thank you have a great day to you too. Bye.

Rock And Blues International: Bye.

Chris Cain: Bye now.

As our conversation with Chris Cain draws to a close, it’s clear that “Good Intentions Gone Bad” is not just another notch in his impressive discography, but a landmark album that showcases an artist at the peak of his powers. Throughout our discussion, Chris’s passion for his craft and his genuine appreciation for the collaborative process shone through, particularly in his praise for producer Kid Andersen’s contributions.

The album’s diverse range of songs, from the funky “Fear Is My Roommate” to the deeply personal “Blues For My Dad,” demonstrates Cain’s growth as a songwriter and his ability to channel life experiences into compelling music. His candid reflections on the challenges of the pandemic and how it influenced his creative process add a layer of contemporary relevance to the timeless blues themes.

Chris’s insights into his evolution as an artist were particularly enlightening. His analogy of his newer work having “more nutrients” than his earlier recordings speaks to a musician who continues to refine his craft and dig deeper into his emotional well. The story of how “Blues For My Dad” made it onto the album, despite Chris’s initial reluctance, illustrates the value of trusted collaborators who can recognize and nurture hidden gems.

As Chris looks to the future, his approach of not putting pressure on himself to top his previous work, but rather to honestly express what he feels in the moment, bodes well for continued creative vitality. His gratitude towards his audience and his commitment to creating music that resonates on multiple listens suggest that Chris Cain will continue to be a vital voice in the blues for years to come.

Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to Chris Cain’s music, “Good Intentions Gone Bad” offers a rich, soulful experience that invites repeated listening. It’s an album that not only showcases Chris’s considerable talents but also stands as a testament to the enduring power of the blues to speak to the human condition. As Chris continues to evolve and create, we can only look forward with anticipation to what this gifted bluesman will bring us next.

Rock And Blues International

SirJo Cocchi & Balta Bordoy: Headed to the blues, the blues way

By Edoardo Fassio

The groove of SirJo (Sergio) Cocchi, a Milanese vocalist and keyboardist whose interests span rock, R&B, pop, jazz, and reggae, has come a long way, and not just in a metaphorical sense.

Cocchi spent the 1990s between Chicago and Los Angeles, and graduated from KIT (Keyboard Institute of Technology) in Hollywood. At the helm of Soulspinner, he directed Vaneese Thomas’ performance at Porretta Soul in 2009, and then took part in her recordings of The Long Journey Home in New York.

Two years later, with Founda(c)tion, he was called to accompany other stars at the festival, including the petite but explosive screamer Melvia “Chick” Rodgers.

He has played the New Orleans Jazz Fest and contributed to prominent events alongside Otis Grand, Denise LaSalle, Big Daddy Wilson, the Temprees, Andy J. Forest and Keisha Jackson. As a composer, performer, producer or bandleader, he has baptized a series of projects that, blending modern sounds with vintage sensations, never strayed too far from the blues: The Songbook Chronicles, Soulful Spaceship, Big G & SirJo and Violet Fire Productions. Not bad for a boy who first practiced a C blues scale on the piano at age twelve, despite a congenital malformation in his limbs.

With the band he shares with the Spanish guitarist Balta Bordoy, and which is aptly called The Blues Way, he gave birth to Heads Up, an album fully in line with the genre’s guidelines. No detour or contamination, the only concessions are to the creativity and imagination of the protagonists.

Bordoy, a prominent player in the Iberian blues scene, who leads a quartet in Barcelona, Balta Bordoy & The Bad Boys, and one in Mallorca, Los Peligrosos Gentlemen, travels The Blues Way with the expert rhythm section of Santi Ursul, bass, and Micky Izquierdo, drums. Other Spanish musicians appear as guests: Vìctor Puertas on harmonica and Nil Mujal on sax.

Many are the artistic references that have traced this particular “way to the blues”. For instance, the single “Transmutation Blues” is a hypnotic song with Willie Dixon in mind, and the frenetic “Far Away from Home” scents of prime Little Milton. There is the reprise of “Losing Hand”, a Ray Charles hit from 1954, in which the tortured guitar dialogues with a piano drone, while “Tell Me” is obsessed with an updated Bo Diddley beat. The conclusive “Strangely Happy Blues,” finally finds the authorial blues beyond the twentieth century, somewhere between Eric Bibb and Percy Mayfield.

All powerful influences, but this is not about imitations or diligent clones. To quote the Norwegian Kid Anderson, a European musician/producer/sound engineer who in turn is no longer second to anyone, not even in his adoptive America, the work of Cocchi and Bordoy represents “a real blues original.”

SirJo Cocchi & Balta Bordoy: il groove e la via per il blues

By Edoardo Fassio

Il groove di SirJo (Sergio) Cocchi, vocalist e tastierista milanese i cui interessi coprono rock, R&B, pop, jazz e reggae, ha fatto parecchia strada, e non solo in senso metaforico.

Cocchi ha trascorso gli anni Novanta tra Chicago e Los Angeles, e si è diplomato al KIT (Keyboard Institute of Technology) di Hollywood. Alla testa dei Soulspinner ha diretto l’esibizione di Vaneese Thomas del 2009 al Porretta Soul, per poi partecipare alle di lei incisioni newyorkesi. Due anni più tardi, con i Founda(c)tion, è stato chiamato ad accompagnare altri performer del festival, tra cui la minuta ma esplosiva screamer Melvia “Chick” Rodgers

Ha suonato al New Orleans Jazz Fest e contribuito a eventi di spicco a fianco di Otis Grand, Denise LaSalle, Big Daddy Wilson, i Temprees, Andy J. Forest e Keisha Jackson. In qualità di compositore, esecutore, produttore o bandleader, ha sviluppato una serie di progetti che, amalgamando suoni moderni e sensazioni vintage, non si sono mai discostati troppo dal blues: The Songbook Chronicles, Soulful Spaceship, Big G & SirJo e Violet Fire Productions. Non male per un ragazzo che si era esercitato per la prima volta al pianoforte su una scala blues di Do, a dodici anni, sfidando una malformazione congenita agli arti.

Con la band che condivide con il chitarrista spagnolo Balta Bordoy, e si chiama proprio The Blues Way, ha partorito Heads Up, un album totalmente sulle linee guida del genere. Nessuna deviazione o contaminazione, le uniche concessioni sono alla creatività e all’immaginazione dei protagonisti. Bordoy, un personaggio di punta del blues iberico, che guida un quartetto a Barcellona, Balta Bordoy & The Bad Boys, e uno a Maiorca, Los Peligrosos Gentlemen, percorre The Blues Way con l’esperta ritmica di Santi Ursul, basso, e Micky Izquierdo, batteria. Altri musicisti spagnoli figurano come ospiti: Vìctor Puertas all’armonica e Nil Mujal al sax.

Sono numerosi i riferimenti artistici che hanno tracciato questa particolare “via al blues”. Per dire, il singolo “Transmutation Blues” è un brano ipnotico con la mente a Willie Dixon, e la frenetica “Far Away From Home” ha il sentore di Little Milton. C’è la ripresa di “Losing Hand”, una hit di Ray Charles del 1954, in cui la chitarra straziata dialoga con un bordone di pianoforte, mentre “Tell Me” è ossessionata dal beat di Bo Diddley. La conclusiva “Strangely Happy Blues”, infine, ritrova il blues autoriale oltre il Novecento, da qualche parte tra Eric Bibb e Percy Mayfield.

Tutte influenze poderose, ma qui non si tratta di imitazioni o di diligenti riproduzioni. Per dirla con il norvegese Kid Anderson, un europeo che a sua volta non è più secondo a nessuno, neppure nella sua adottiva America, la prova di Cocchi e Bordoy rappresenta un autentico originale in blues.

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Meet The World’s Best Kept Secret Up To Now!

Industry insiders know the multi-talented singer, dancer, songwriter well but Rosii’s focus has been and remains on her craft well before promotion. When she performs in New Orleans for example she is referred to as that girl from Houston and not by her name. However, along came Anthony Johnson, CEO of Iconix Radio and Management and after watching this woman perform said hey we can change that and that is exactly what is going on right now. After all what’s not to like? A musical stage show inclusive with professional dancers. Most recently Rosii was featured in a professional music video shoot at Dynamic Sound Studios in Houston. The 4K video work was handled by Jesus Kargue of Spring Branch Films and the over the top recording services provided by five time Grammy Award winner for sound Malcolm Harper of Reelsound Recording Company. Malcolm shares, “The amount of energy that comes to life on stage when Rosii and her dancers perform is like watching a Broadway musical on steroids.” On the R&B side Rosii already has a

Meet The World’s Best Kept Secret Up To Now! Meet Houston’s Rosii! Things Are Changing

number of songs in Hollywood type movies. For example in the R&B world Rosii aka Mi’chel Rose has three songs in the movie Double Kill. “I Want You”, “Bombshell” and “Give Me What You Got” are solid standout performances. Additionally Rosii has songs in the movie Ten Reasons Why Men Cheat “Drinks On Me” and “Ten Reasons” plus a song in the movie Everybody Hates Christmas “Daddy Claus”. So she’s got it working in regard to her craft but who ever heard of her? Anthony Johnson of Iconix Radio and Entertainment had this say, “The very first time I saw this woman perform I asked my friends who’s handling her visibility and everyone shrugged their shoulders. You could see the professional choreography right in front of you and to this day when you listen to the vocal delivery you are just blown away. So I wanted to meet her and ask her who is booking you, who is handling your visibility, do you have any new music ready for radio? We met and her persona off stage was a whole different demeanor than what we saw on stage, this only added to my curiosity. Her musical history goes all the way back to her grandmother and reinforced by her mother and of course church. I now know that when she performs it’s not just somebody sharp enough to pretend, nope not at all, this is real, this is Rosii. Audiences can sense that and when I watch the audiences reaction to her performances I see smiles and inclusiveness.” When it comes to live performances Rosii has been on the stage at numerous music festivals especially in Louisiana and Texas but the one that really stands out was her performance in Washington DC at President Obama’s second term inaugural ball. So she scored this amazing gig but then you ask yourself why haven’t I heard of her before now? That’s the same question that Anthony had as well. The major musical influences she dialed in on throughout her youth and on into today has been Tina Turner, Whitney Houston and Mary J Blige. In fact her combination dancing and singing shows always brings someone forward who tells her that not since Tina has anyone come across like she does…. Rosii’s discography includes a single “Show Me” plus one titled “Strawberries and Whipped Cream” and a third titled “Selfie Sing’. Her first EP is titled “Lit” and her current single “Keep On Dancing” is receiving air play and streaming as this article is being written.

Learn more: official_rosii | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree @ https://linktr.ee/official_rosii

Rocking Across Generations: REO Speedwagon and Train Unite for Epic Summer Tour

By Greg Fontaine

In a surprising and exciting announcement that has music fans buzzing, classic rock titans REO Speedwagon and contemporary pop-rock sensations Train have revealed plans for a joint summer tour. This unexpected pairing promises to bridge the gap between two distinct eras of American rock music, offering audiences a unique cross-generational concert experience.

REO Speedwagon, formed in 1967 in Champaign, Illinois, rose to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s with their particular brand of arena rock and power ballads. Hits like “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Keep On Loving You,” and “Take It on the Run” became anthems of a generation, solidifying the band’s place in rock history. With over 40 million records sold worldwide, REO Speedwagon represents the golden age of album-oriented rock.

Train, on the other hand, emerged in the post-grunge era of the late 1990s.

Hailing from San Francisco, the band initially struggled to find their footing in the changing landscape of rock music. However, with the release of their second album “Drops of Jupiter” in 2001, Train catapulted to stardom. The title track became an international hit, spending nearly 40 weeks in the Top 40. The band further cemented their status as pop-rock mainstays with the 2009 hit “Hey, Soul Sister,” which went sextuple platinum.

This tour represents more than just a co-headlining gig; it’s a celebration of rock music’s evolution over the past five decades. REO Speedwagon’s classic rock sound, characterized by powerful guitar riffs and soaring vocals, will be complemented by Train’s more contemporary approach, which blends rootsy rock with pop sensibilities and occasionally ventures into country and adult contemporary territories.

Pat Monahan, Train’s charismatic frontman, shared his excitement about the tour: “Growing up in Erie, Pennsylvania, REO Speedwagon was a constant

presence on my radio. Their music was a huge influence on me as a young artist. To now share the stage with them is not just a dream come true, it’s a full-circle moment that validates our journey in the music industry.”

Kevin Cronin, REO Speedwagon’s lead vocalist, reciprocated the sentiment: “We’ve always believed in the power of great songs to unite generations. This tour with Train is a testament to how rock music continues to evolve while staying true to its roots. We’re excited to bring two different eras of rock together on one stage.”

Fans attending the shows can anticipate a musical journey spanning several decades. REO Speedwagon is likely to perform their classic hits that have become staples of rock radio, possibly including deep cuts for longtime fans. Train’s set is expected to feature their popular singles from the 2000s and 2010s, such as “Drops of Jupiter,” “Hey, Soul Sister,” “Drive By,” and “Play That

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REO Speedwagon and Train - Cont’d

Song.”

Moreover, both bands have expressed interest in showcasing material from their more recent albums. REO Speedwagon, while primarily touring on the strength of their classic catalog, occasionally releases new music that harkens back to their heyday. Train, meanwhile, has recently embraced a more retro sound with their 2022 album “AM Gold,” which pays homage to the sounds of the 1970s - a move that aligns them more closely with REO Speedwagon’s era.

The possibility of on-stage collaborations between the two bands has also been hinted at, promising unique performances that fans won’t be able to experience anywhere else.

This tour comes at a significant time in the music industry. As genre boundaries continue to blur and streaming platforms make music from all eras readily available, there’s a growing appreciation for rock music across generations. Young listeners are discovering classic rock through their parents’ record collections or curated playlists, while older music fans are being exposed

to newer acts that draw inspiration from the classics.

The REO Speedwagon and Train tour stands as a testament to rock music’s enduring appeal and its ability to evolve while honoring its roots. It offers a unique opportunity for multiple generations of music fans to come together, celebrating both nostalgia and the continuing vitality of rock.

The tour is set to kick off next summer, visiting major cities across the United States. Venues will range from large amphitheaters to iconic arenas, each promising an unforgettable night of music.

Ticket sales are expected to begin next week, with various options available. Standard tickets will grant access to the show, while VIP packages will offer premium seating, exclusive merchandise, and potentially meet-and-greet opportunities with both bands.

For die-hard fans of either group, this tour presents a rare opportunity to see their favorite band in a new context. For casual listeners, it’s a chance to experience a wide range of rock music in

a single evening, potentially discovering new favorites along the way.

As both REO Speedwagon and Train prepare for this monumental tour, they’re also looking to the future. There are whispers of potential collaborative recordings, with hints that the bands might release a joint single to promote the tour.

Furthermore, this unexpected pairing has sparked discussions in the music industry about similar crossgenerational tours. If successful, we might see more collaborations between classic rock acts and their contemporary counterparts, further blurring the lines between rock subgenres and eras.

In conclusion, the REO Speedwagon and Train summer tour is shaping up to be more than just a series of concerts - it’s a celebration of rock music’s past, present, and future. As Kevin Cronin aptly put it, “Rock and roll is a universal language, and this tour is going to be one hell of a conversation.” Music fans across the country eagerly await the chance to be part of this unique dialogue between two iconic bands from different eras of American rock.

“Grunge Titans Unite: Stone Temple Pilots and Live’s ‘Jubilee Tour’ Crosses America

By Greg Fontaine

In a seismic event that’s sending shockwaves through the rock community, Stone Temple Pilots (STP) and Live have announced their co-headlining ‘Jubilee Tour’ for Summer 2024. This isn’t just another 90s revival - it’s a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of grunge and alternative rock, a celebration of musical resilience, and a bridge between generations of rock fans.

To understand the magnitude of this tour, we need to step back to the early 90s. As grunge exploded out of Seattle, two bands from opposite coasts were about to make their own indelible marks on the genre.

Stone Temple Pilots, emerging from the sun-soaked streets of San Diego, defied easy categorization. Were they grunge? Alternative? Hard rock? The answer was all of the above and then some. Their 1992 debut “Core” established them as a force to be reckoned with, but it was their 1994 follow-up

“Purple” that would cement their place in rock history.

Meanwhile, in the blue-collar town of York, Pennsylvania, four high school friends who called themselves Live were crafting a sound that blended spiritual themes with raw, emotional power. Their journey from local heroes to global superstars culminated in 1994’s “Throwing Copper,” an album that would define the band and the era.

As the ‘Jubilee Tour’ celebrates the 30th anniversaries of these landmark albums, it’s worth revisiting their impact. STP’s “Purple” debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart, a feat that silenced critics who had dismissed the band as mere grunge imitators. The album’s hit singles “Interstate Love Song,” “Vasoline,” and “Big Empty” showcased the band’s versatility, from soaring ballads to gritty rockers.

Live’s “Throwing Copper” was a slow-burning phenomenon. While it debuted at a modest #1, it eventually

climbed to the top of the charts a year after its release. The album’s singles, including “Lightning Crashes,” “I Alone,” and “All Over You,” became alternative radio staples. The band’s intense live performances, driven by Ed Kowalczyk’s passionate delivery, turned them into arena headliners.

Both albums have sold millions of copies and continue to resonate with listeners today, a testament to their timeless quality.

The road to the ‘Jubilee Tour’ hasn’t been smooth for either band. Stone Temple Pilots faced the demons of addiction that plagued original frontman Scott Weiland, leading to his departure and tragic death in 2015. The band briefly collaborated with Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington before his own untimely passing. Now, with Jeff Gutt at the helm, STP has found a new voice that honors their legacy while pushing forward.

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Stone Temple Pilots and Live - Cont’d

Live’s journey has been equally tumultuous. The band went on hiatus in 2009, with Kowalczyk pursuing a solo career. The remaining members soldiered on with a new vocalist, but it wasn’t until Kowalczyk’s return in 2016 that Live truly felt whole again.

These struggles and comebacks add layers of meaning to the ‘Jubilee Tour.’ It’s not just a celebration of two albums, but of the bands’ ability to persevere and evolve.

Kicking off on August 16, 2024, in Concord, CA, the ‘Jubilee Tour’ promises to be a feast for rock fans. Both bands will perform full sets, diving deep into their catalogs while giving special attention to their landmark 1994 albums.

But this isn’t just a nostalgia trip. Both STP and Live have continued to create new music, with recent releases showcasing their growth as artists. The tour setlists will likely blend beloved classics with fresh material, offering a comprehensive view of each band’s journey.

Adding to the 90s revival, Soul Asylum will join as special guests for most of the tour, with Our Lady Peace featuring on the opening weekend. This lineup creates a veritable buffet of alternative rock, spanning different styles and eras within the genre.

The ‘Jubilee Tour’ comes at a

pivotal time for rock music. As genres blur and the industry continues to evolve, there’s a growing appreciation for the authenticity and raw energy of 90s alternative. This tour offers a unique opportunity for multiple generations to connect through music.

For those who came of age in the 90s, it’s a chance to relive the soundtrack of their youth. For younger fans, it’s an introduction to the power of live rock performance, free from studio polish or digital enhancements. It’s a reminder that at its core, rock is about real instruments, powerful vocals, and the irreplaceable energy of a live crowd.

The tour also promises to be a visual spectacle. Both bands are known for their engaging live performances, and the production values for this coheadlining tour are expected to be topnotch. Fans can anticipate immersive light shows, possibly some nostalgic 90s visuals, and the kind of stage presence that can only come from decades of touring.

Various VIP packages will be available, offering everything from premium seating to meet-and-greet opportunities with the bands. For diehard fans, this could be a once-in-alifetime chance to interact with their musical heroes.

As we look forward to the ‘Jubilee Tour,’ it’s clear that this is more than just

a series of concerts. It’s a cultural event that celebrates the lasting impact of 90s alternative rock. It’s a testament to the power of music to unite people across generations. And most of all, it’s a reminder that great rock ‘n’ roll never dies - it just gets better with age.

Whether you wore out your “Purple” CD in your Discman, discovered “Throwing Copper” on vinyl years after its release, or are just discovering these bands now, the ‘Jubilee Tour’ promises to be the must-see rock event of 2024. As the opening chords of “Selling the Drama” or “Interstate Love Song” ring out across packed arenas next summer, fans old and new will be reminded of the enduring power of alternative rock.

Tickets go on sale next week, and if the early buzz is any indication, they won’t last long. Don’t miss your chance to be part of rock history in the making. The ‘Jubilee Tour’ is more than a concert - it’s a celebration of survival, of artistic integrity, and of the unbreakable bond between bands and their fans. In the words of Live’s Ed Kowalczyk, ‘The distance to here’ has been long, but for STP and Live, the best may be yet to come..

Rock Titans Deep Purple Embark on “=1 More Time Tour” Across North America

By Troy Wilson

In a thrilling announcement for rock music aficionados, British legends Deep Purple are set to ignite stages across North America this summer with their newly unveiled “=1 More Time Tour.” This ambitious trek celebrates over five decades since the release of their iconic hit “Smoke On The Water,” promising audiences a journey through the annals of rock history.

Deep Purple, widely recognized as pioneers who helped lay the foundation for hard rock and heavy metal, will be joined on this monumental tour by progressive rock stalwarts YES. This pairing ensures that each stop on the tour will be nothing short of a pilgrimage for devoted fans of classic rock.

The current incarnation of Deep Purple boasts a lineup that reads like

a who’s who of rock royalty. At the helm is the inimitable Ian Gillan, whose distinctive vocals have been a defining feature of the band’s sound for decades. Alongside him, the rhythm section consists of Roger Glover on bass and Ian Paice on drums, both revered for their technical prowess and groove. Don Airey, a virtuoso in his own right, handles keyboard duties, while the newest addition, Simon McBride, brings a fresh perspective to the guitar role since joining in 2022.

With a vast catalog spanning over half a century, concertgoers can anticipate a setlist brimming with classics. From the psychedelic-tinged early hit “Hush” to the driving rhythm of “Black Night,” the frenetic energy of “Speed King,” the explosive “Fireball,” and of course, the immortal “Smoke On The Water,” the band’s performance promises to be a comprehensive retrospective of

their illustrious career.

The announcement of the “=1 More Time Tour” coincides with the release of Deep Purple’s 23rd studio album, “=1,” which hit shelves in 2024. This latest offering underscores the band’s remarkable longevity and continued creativity, proving that even after 56 years in the industry, Deep Purple remains a vital force in the world of rock music.

Deep Purple’s influence on the rock landscape is immeasurable, with global album sales exceeding 100 million. Their legacy continues to inspire successive generations of musicians, counting among their admirers such notable figures as Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden and the members of Metallica. This enduring impact is a testament to the band’s innovative approach to rock

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Deep Purple Embark on “=1 More Time Tour” - Cont’d

music, blending elements of classical, blues, and hard rock to create a sound uniquely their own.

The band’s journey began in Hertford, England, in 1968, initially under the name Roundabout. From their early days as a psychedelic pop outfit, they quickly evolved, pushing the boundaries of rock music with each subsequent release. Albums like “Deep Purple in Rock” (1970) and “Machine Head” (1972) are considered seminal works in the hard rock canon, helping to define the genre and influencing countless artists in their wake.

Despite numerous lineup changes over the decades, Deep Purple has consistently delivered chart-topping albums and electrifying live performances. Their 2020 release, “Whoosh!,” demonstrated their enduring appeal by reaching number 4 on the UK album charts, marking their highest position in 46 years. This achievement underscores the band’s ability to remain relevant and continue connecting with audiences across generations.

The upcoming tour is not merely a nostalgic look back at past glories but also a showcase of Deep Purple’s continued evolution. With Simon McBride now on guitar, following the departure of Steve Morse in 2022, the band brings a renewed energy to their live shows. McBride’s addition represents the latest chapter in Deep Purple’s history of integrating new talent while maintaining their distinctive sound.

Deep Purple’s impact on rock music was officially recognized with their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. This honor solidified their status as true

rock royalty and acknowledged their significant contributions to the genre’s development.

The “=1 More Time Tour” is expected to feature an expansive production, befitting the band’s legendary status. Fans can anticipate a visual and auditory spectacle, with state-of-the-art sound and lighting enhancing the classic tracks that have become the soundtrack to many lives.

As Deep Purple prepares to hit the road, anticipation is building among fans across North America. The tour presents a rare opportunity to witness living legends in action, showcasing the musicianship and showmanship that have made them enduring figures in the rock pantheon.

The band’s ability to continually reinvent themselves while staying true to their roots has been key to their longevity. From their early experiments with orchestral collaborations, as seen in “Concerto

for Group and Orchestra” (1969), to their recent forays into blues-inspired territory with “Turning to Crime” (2021), Deep Purple has never been content to rest on their laurels.

Tickets for the “=1 More Time Tour” are expected to be in high demand, as fans from all walks of life eagerly anticipate the chance to experience the band that helped shape the sound of rock music. With their explosive lineup of unforgettable hits and the added draw of YES as special guests, this tour is poised to be one of the most significant rock events of the summer.

As Deep Purple embarks on this latest chapter of their storied career, the “=1 More Time Tour” stands as a powerful reminder of the enduring appeal of classic rock and the timeless nature of truly great music. For fans across North America, this summer promises to be one for the ages, as these rock titans once again take to the stage, proving that the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll is alive and well.

August 14 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live

August 15 - Tampa, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Event Center

August 17 - The Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

August 18 - Durant, OK - Choctaw Casino - Grand Theatre

August 19 - Forth Worth, TX - Dickies Arena

August 21 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Pavilion At Riverbend Music Center

August 22 - Sterling Heights, MI - Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre At Freedom Hill

August 23 - Tinley Park, IL - Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre

August 25 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage

August 27 - Montreal, QC Bell Centre

August 28 - Gilford, NH - Banknh Pavilion 30 - Camden, NJ - Freedom Mortgage Pavilion

August 31 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center

September 1 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health At Jones Beach Theater

September 3 - Bridgeport, CT - Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater

September 4 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Broadview Stage At Spac

September 6 - Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center For The Arts

September 7 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live

September 8 - Scranton, PA - The Pavilion At Montage Mountain

Rock Titans Converge: Santana and Counting Crows Announce Oneness Tour 2024

By Greg Fontaine

In a monumental announcement that has set the music world abuzz, legendary guitarist Carlos Santana and acclaimed rock band Counting Crows have unveiled plans for their highly anticipated Oneness Tour 2024.

The Oneness Tour 2024 represents a remarkable convergence of two iconic acts that have shaped the landscape of rock music for decades. Spanning 29 shows across the continent, this tour is poised to be one of the most significant musical events of the year, bringing together the Latin-infused rock mastery of Santana with the introspective and melodic prowess of Counting Crows.

Kicking off on June 14 at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL, the tour will traverse major cities including Toronto, ON; Tinley Park,

IL; Morrison, CO; and Austin, TX, before concluding with a grand finale on September 2 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ.

Carlos Santana, a name synonymous with guitar virtuosity and musical innovation, brings to the tour a legacy that spans over five decades. Since his groundbreaking performance at Woodstock in 1969, Santana has been at the forefront of fusing rock, Latin, blues, jazz, and African rhythms into a unique and instantly recognizable sound. Fans attending the Oneness Tour can expect a high-energy set showcasing Santana’s entire career, from early classics to tracks from his multiplatinum, GRAMMY-sweeping album “Supernatural” and beyond.

Santana’s journey in music is a testament to the power of artistic vision and cultural bridge-building. Born in Mexico and later emigrating to San Francisco, Carlos Santana

became a pioneer in blending diverse musical traditions. His band, formed in the late 1960s, quickly rose to prominence with their electrifying performances and innovative sound. The release of their self-titled debut album in 1969 coincided with their legendary Woodstock appearance, catapulting them to international stardom.

Throughout his career, Santana has consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in rock music. His collaborations with artists across genres have resulted in some of the most memorable tracks in music history. The 1999 album “Supernatural” marked a career resurgence, earning Santana nine GRAMMY Awards in a single nighta feat matched only by Michael Jackson. Hit singles like “Smooth” featuring Rob Thomas and “Maria

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Santana and Counting Crows - Cont’d

Maria” with The Product G&B not only topped charts but also introduced Santana’s music to a new generation of listeners.

Santana’s accolades are as impressive as his musical output. With ten GRAMMY Awards and three Latin GRAMMY Awards to his name, he has also been honored with the Billboard Century Award, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors. Recently, the release of “CARLOS,” a feature documentary celebrating his life and career, has further cemented his status as a living legend in the music world.

Joining Santana on this monumental tour are the Counting Crows, a band that has been a staple of American rock since their debut in 1993. Led by the distinctive vocals and poetic lyrics of Adam Duritz, Counting Crows burst onto the scene with their multi-platinum album “August and Everything After,” which included the hit single “Mr. Jones.” Over the past three decades, they have consistently delivered

introspective, melodic rock that resonates deeply with fans across generations.

Counting Crows’ discography reads like a roadmap of ’90s and 2000s rock, with each album marking a significant moment in the genre’s evolution. From the raw emotion of their debut to the more polished sounds of later albums like “This Desert Life” and “Hard Candy,” the band has shown remarkable versatility and staying power. Their live performances are renowned for their energy and Duritz’s ability to connect with audiences through storytelling and emotive delivery.

The band’s journey has been marked by both critical acclaim and commercial success. Their 1996 sophomore album “Recovering the Satellites” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, solidifying their place in the rock pantheon. In 2004, their contribution to the “Shrek 2” soundtrack, “Accidentally in Love,” earned them Academy Award, Golden Globe, and GRAMMY

nominations, showcasing their ability to create music that transcends the confines of genre and medium.

For the Oneness Tour, Counting Crows promise to deliver a set list that spans their entire career, including tracks from their most recent project, “Butter Miracle, Suite One.” Fans can anticipate hearing favorites like “Round Here,” “A Long December,” and “Hanginaround,” along with deeper cuts that showcase the band’s musical depth and evolution over the years.

The pairing of Santana and Counting Crows for this tour creates a unique musical synergy. Santana’s fiery guitar work and Latin rhythms complement the Counting Crows’ more introspective, Americanatinged rock, offering audiences a diverse and rich musical experience. This combination promises to appeal to a wide range of music lovers, from classic rock aficionados to younger fans discovering these iconic acts for the first time.

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Santana and Counting CrowsCont’d

The Houston show at Toyota Center on August 17 is expected to be a highlight of the tour. The venue, known for its excellent acoustics and intimate feel despite its large capacity, provides the perfect setting for what promises to be an epic night of music. Houston, with its diverse musical heritage and appreciation for both Latininfluenced sounds and classic American rock, is an ideal city for this unique musical collaboration.

Local music scene experts in Houston are already buzzing about the upcoming show. “Having Santana and Counting Crows together on one stage is like a dream come true for rock fans,” says Maria Rodriguez, a local music journalist. “Toyota Center has seen its share of legendary performances, but this one might just top them all.”

The Oneness Tour is not just a concert series; it’s a celebration of musical legacy and the enduring power of live performance. In an era where digital streaming dominates music consumption, tours like this remind us of the irreplaceable magic of experiencing music in person, surrounded by thousands of fellow fans.

For Santana, this tour comes on the heels of a successful Las Vegas residency, where he recently celebrated his 10th anniversary at the House of Blues. The guitarist shows no signs of slowing down, continuously evolving his sound and collaborating with younger artists to stay at the forefront of contemporary music.

Counting Crows, for their part, are returning to the road following three successful world tours. The band’s ability to connect with audiences of all ages through their honest, emotional performances has kept them relevant and beloved for nearly three decades.

As the summer of 2024 approaches, music enthusiasts across North America, and particularly in Houston, have a monumental event to look forward to. The Oneness Tour 2024 promises not just a concert, but a journey through the rich tapestry of rock history, guided by some of its most influential creators.

Tickets for the Oneness Tour, including the August 17 show at Houston’s Toyota Center, are expected to sell out quickly. Fans are encouraged to stay tuned for presale information and to act fast when tickets become available. This tour represents a rare opportunity to witness two generations of rock royalty sharing one stage, creating what is sure to be an unforgettable musical experience.

As the countdown to the Oneness Tour 2024 begins, the anticipation among fans and critics alike continues to build. Whether you’re a long-time follower of Santana’s guitar wizardry, a devoted fan of Counting Crows’ poetic lyrics, or simply a lover of great live music, this tour promises to be a highlight of the 2024 concert season.

Thu Aug 15 - Fort Worth, TX - Dickies Arena

Sat Aug 17 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center

Sun Aug 18 - Austin, TX - Moody Center

Wed Aug 21 - West Valley City, UT - Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre

Sat Aug 24 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre

Sun Aug 25 - Ridgefield, WA - RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater

Tue Aug 27 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre

Wed Aug 28 - Inglewood, CA - Kia Forum

Fri Aug 30 - Chula Vista, CA - North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

Mon Sep 02 - Phoenix, AZ - Footprint Center

Blues Virtuoso Zac Harmon Pays

Homage to His Roots with “Floreada’s Boy”

By Greg Fontaine

Award-winning blues singer and guitarist Zac Harmon has unveiled his latest musical offering, “Floreada’s Boy,” a soulful journey through his 50-year career that’s now available on both CD and vinyl LP formats from Catfood Records. This marks Harmon’s third release with the label, following his critically acclaimed 2021 album “Long As I Got My Guitar,” which earned the title of “Best Soul Blues Album of the Year.”

The new album, produced by Christopher Troy and Harmon himself, features 12 tracks that showcase the artist’s deep connection to his Mississippi roots. “Floreada’s Boy is a reflection of my 50 years of musical performance: from the juke joints of Mississippi to stages all over the world. Not bad for an old country boy,” Harmon remarks about the album.

The title “Floreada’s Boy” (pronounced “Flo-Reeda”) pays tribute to Harmon’s mother and the rich musical culture of his hometown, Jackson, Mississippi. “Whenever I did anything that brought attention to me, the people around would just say ‘Oh, that’s Floreada’s Boy,’” Harmon explains, offering insight into the album’s personal significance.

The record features Harmon’s core band, The Drive, along with an impressive lineup of guest musicians. Notable appearances include SueAnn Carwell on lead and background vocals, The Texas Horns, and guitarist Caleb Quaye. The diverse musical landscape of the album reflects Harmon’s upbringing in Mississippi, which he describes as “the birthplace of American music.”

Recorded at Our Own Studio West and Matai Studios, the album boasts a rich, authentic sound that captures the essence of Harmon’s blues style. The recording process, helmed by Christopher Troy and B R Millon, with mixing and mastering by Troy, has resulted in a polished yet raw sound that blues purists and newcomers alike will appreciate.

“Floreada’s Boy” opens with a tribute to Babe and Ricky’s Inn, the oldest blues club in Los Angeles, and its owner Laura Mae Gross. The album’s 12 tracks take listeners on a journey through Harmon’s musical influences, culminating in a poignant plea for an end to violence. This musical narrative not only showcases Harmon’s exceptional guitar skills but also highlights his prowess as a storyteller, weaving personal experiences with broader social themes.

Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, Zac Harmon’s blues credentials run deep. His father, the city’s first state

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registered black pharmacist, played harmonica and tended to the needs of blues legends like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and Albert King. This early exposure to blues royalty undoubtedly shaped Harmon’s musical sensibilities and set the stage for his future career.

Harmon began his professional career at 16, playing alongside established blues artists before moving to Los Angeles at 21. This early start provided him with invaluable experience and helped hone his skills as both a performer and a student of the blues tradition.

In L.A., Harmon built a successful career as a songwriter and producer, working on major films, television shows, and national commercials. He even served as a staff writer for Michael Jackson’s publishing company, ATV Music. His songwriting credits include works for The O’Jays, Freddie Jackson, and Black Uhuru’s Grammy-nominated album “Mystical Truth.” This diverse background in the music industry has undoubtedly influenced Harmon’s approach to blues, infusing it with elements of soul, R&B, and even reggae.

Harmon’s return to his blues roots in 2003 with “Live at Babe & Ricky’s Inn” marked the beginning of a new chapter in his career. He went on to win the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge in 2004 and the Blues Music Award for “Best New Artist Debut” in 2006 for his album “The Blues According to Zacariah.” These accolades served to cement Harmon’s place in the contemporary blues scene and highlighted his ability to honor tradition while pushing the genre forward.

Throughout his career, Harmon has entertained U.S. troops abroad, performing in Iraq and Kuwait as part of the Bluzapalooza tour. He’s also graced historic stages, including a rare performance at the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx in Egypt, following in the footsteps of the legendary Louis Armstrong. These international performances have not only spread the gospel of the blues to new audiences but have also enriched Harmon’s own musical palette.

Harmon’s talents have not gone unnoticed in his home state. In 2010, he was a featured performer at the “Mississippi Celebrates its Grammy Legacy” celebration, hosted by then-Governor Haley Barbour. At this event, Harmon was presented with a Peavey Award, which honors the state’s Grammy winners and nominees as well as individuals who have played a significant role in developing and furthering

Mississippi’s musical heritage.

Critics and fans alike have praised Harmon’s live performances, which are described as a “Blues symphony” that seamlessly blends classic boogie with original compositions. His dynamic stage presence, reminiscent of blues greats like Buddy Guy, has made him a favorite at festivals and venues around the world.

With “Floreada’s Boy,” Zac Harmon continues to cement his place as one of the most dynamic and soulful performers in contemporary blues. The album not only showcases his virtuosic guitar skills and powerful vocals but also serves as a heartfelt tribute to the musical heritage that shaped him. It’s a testament to Harmon’s ability to bridge the gap between traditional Delta blues and modern blues-rock, creating a sound that’s both timeless and fresh.

As Harmon embarks on this new chapter of his musical journey, “Floreada’s Boy” stands as a powerful statement from an artist at the height of his powers. It’s a celebration of his roots, a showcase of his evolution, and a promise of more great music to come. Blues enthusiasts and music lovers alike can now experience this latest chapter in Harmon’s storied career, as “Floreada’s Boy” is out now on Catfood Records. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to Zac Harmon’s music, this album offers a rich, immersive experience that’s sure to leave a lasting impression.

Floreada’s Boy Track Listing and Credits

1Babe and Ricky’s Inn* 4:28 (William Harmon and B R Millon)

2 Fake News* 4:13 (William Harmon and John Hahn)

3 Glass Ceiling 3:01 (William Harmon and Christopher Troy)

4 Let It Slide 4:39(William Harmon, Derrick Procell, Terry Aberahamson, Christopher Troy)

5 That’s the Way I Feel About Cha 4:54 -Featuring SueAnn Carwell (Bobby Womack, John Grisby and Joe Hicks)

6 Stress 4:51 (Christopher Troy and William Harmon)

7 Sugarman* 4:39 - Featuring the Texas Horns (William Harmon and BR Millon)

8 Big Dog Blues** 5:50 (William Harmon and Christopher Troy)

9 Lonely Rider 5:54 (Bob Trenchard, William Harmon, Christopher Troy)

10 Never Have a Better Night* 4:05 (Derrick Procell, Terry Aberahamson, William Harmon)

11 I’ll Never Forget 5:47 (William Harmon)

12 Stop the Killing 4:11 - Featuring Caleb Quaye ((Bob Trenchard and Linda Greenwade)

Recorded at Our Own Studio West and Matai Studios. Recorded by Christopher Troy and B R Millon.

Mixed and Mastered by Christopher Troy.

By Albert Schwartz

In a testament to their enduring passion for blues and rock, Southern California’s Kelly’s Lot has released their seventeenth album, “The Blues Remind Me,” on Friday, July 12, 2024. This release marks a significant milestone for the band, coinciding with their 30th anniversary since their debut performance at The Roxy in Hollywood, California. The album not only celebrates their three-decade journey but also reaffirms their commitment to the blues genre that has been a constant thread throughout their musical journey.

Founded in 1994 by folk singer/ songwriter Kelly Zirbes, Kelly’s Lot has evolved into a formidable presence in the blues scene. While “The Blues Remind Me” is their third dedicated blues collection, the band’s affinity for the genre has been evident throughout their career, with blues tracks peppered across all sixteen of their previous albums. This consistent homage to the blues underscores the band’s deeprooted connection to the genre that has shaped their sound and identity over the years.

The new album showcases an impressive lineup of talent, anchored by the robust rhythm section of Mike Sauer on drums and Matt McFadden on bass. Their solid foundation provides the perfect backdrop for the rich, layered sound that Kelly’s Lot is known for. Adding depth and texture to the sound is past Grammy nominee Mo Beeks on keyboards, who not only plays on most of the tracks but also joins Kelly Z in a captivating duet, promising listeners a special treat that highlights the vocal chemistry within the band.

Longtime band member and saxophonist Bill Johnston takes charge of the horn arrangements, reprising his role from the 2014 album “Don’t Give My Blues Away.” Johnston’s expertise in crafting powerful horn sections has been a key element in shaping the band’s sound over the years. The horn section is further bolstered by special guests Paulie Cerra on saxophone and Tomislav Goluban on harmonica, alongside Didier Reyes, Chip Tingle, and Aviva Maloney, who also contributes on flute. This ensemble of brass and wind instruments adds a rich, fullbodied sound to the album, harking back to the golden age of blues while simultaneously pushing the genre forward.

Kelly’s Lot’s current lineup is rounded out by Rob Zucca, Gary Bivona, and Frank Hinojosa, who add their talents on guitar, flugelhorn, and harmonica respectively. This ensemble of skilled musicians brings to life the original compositions penned by Zirbes and Perry Robertson, creating a soundscape that is both familiar and fresh, rooted in tradition

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yet unafraid to explore new territories.

The partnership between Kelly Zirbes and Perry Robertson has been instrumental in shaping the band’s trajectory. Robertson joined the band in 1996 as guitarist and sound technician, and his influence quickly became integral to the Kelly’s Lot sound. His collaboration with Kelly Z extends beyond the stage, as the duo has been writing songs together since his arrival, creating a symbiotic relationship that has produced a wealth of original material over the years.

Robertson’s role in the band has expanded over time. He has produced all of the band’s music since joining, ensuring a consistent sound and vision across their discography. Recently, he’s added mixing to his list of credits, starting with their 2021 live album “Where And When” and continuing with “The Blues Remind Me.” This hands-on approach to production has allowed the band to maintain a high level of quality control over their output, resulting in albums that truly represent their artistic vision.

The band’s journey over the past three decades has been marked by extensive touring across the United States and Europe, garnering a loyal following and critical acclaim. Their live performances have become the stuff of legend among blues aficionados, known for their energy, passion, and the seamless blend of classic blues sensibilities with contemporary flair.

In recent years, Kelly’s Lot has graced the stages of major festivals, further cementing their reputation as a must-see live act. Appearances at BeachLife Ranch, Waterfront Blues Festival, Happy Face Music Festival, Simi Valley Cajun and Blues Festival, Nuits de Sologne, and Lavaudieu Music Festival have exposed the band to wider audiences and allowed them to share stages with some of the biggest names in blues and rock.

The band’s influence extends beyond live performances. Their music has found its way into both movies and television, exposing new listeners to their unique sound. The fact that other artists have covered Kelly’s Lot songs speaks to the quality of their songwriting and the universal appeal of their music.

Even during the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kelly’s Lot remained productive, refusing to let global circumstances dampen their creative spirit. They released two albums during this period: “Another Sky,” which explored various genres and included the folk song

‘Foolish Try,’ featured in the movie “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” and “Where And When,” an acoustic live album that saw the band return to their blues roots. These releases demonstrated the band’s versatility and their ability to create compelling music even in the face of adversity.

The past year has been a whirlwind of activity for Kelly and Perry, as they’ve taken their music on the road, performing for audiences in California, Texas, Missouri, Croatia, and France. This international appeal speaks to the universal language of the blues and the band’s ability to connect with diverse audiences across cultural boundaries.

Looking ahead, the duo is set to return to Europe in July and August 2024, with performances scheduled at the Howth Roots and Blues Festival in Ireland and a return engagement at the Jerry Ricks Blues Festival in Croatia. These European dates underscore the band’s international appeal and their commitment to sharing their music with audiences around the world. Stateside, they’re slated to perform at The Tall City Blues Festival in Midland, Texas, continuing their tradition of supporting and participating in blues festivals across the country.

As Kelly’s Lot celebrates this significant milestone with the release of “The Blues Remind Me,” it’s clear that their

journey is far from over. The album not only pays homage to their blues roots but also serves as a springboard for the next chapter in their musical odyssey. With three decades of experience under their belt and a renewed passion for their craft, Kelly’s Lot is poised to continue their musical exploration, promising fans that they are, in their own words, “just getting started!”

The release of “The Blues Remind Me” stands as a celebration of Kelly’s Lot’s enduring love for the blues and a fitting tribute to their 30-year journey in the music industry. It represents not just a look back at their impressive history, but a bold step forward into the future of blues music. As they embark on this new phase, music lovers and long-time fans alike can look forward to more soul-stirring performances and original compositions from this venerable SoCal blues institution.

In an industry often characterized by fleeting success and rapid change, Kelly’s Lot stands as a testament to the enduring power of authentic, heartfelt music. Their 30-year journey, culminating in “The Blues Remind Me,” is not just a personal triumph for the band, but a victory for the blues genre as a whole. As they continue to evolve and inspire, Kelly’s Lot remains committed to keeping the blues alive, vibrant, and relevant for generations to come.

By Greg Fontaine

After a 14-year hiatus from recording, award-winning Louisiana bayou blues guitarist Tab Benoit is set to make a thunderous return to the music

Follow Tab Benoit Online: http://www.tabbenoit.com

http://www.facebook.com/TabBenoit http://www.twitter.com/TabBenoitLA http://www.whiskeybayourecords.com

scene with his highly anticipated new album, “I Hear Thunder.” The album, slated for release on August 30th via Whiskey Bayou Records, marks Benoit’s first new offering since his critically acclaimed 2014 release “Medicine,” which won three Blues Music Awards.

“I Hear Thunder” promises to be a tour de force, featuring ten solid tracks

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that showcase Benoit’s distinctive guitar style and the masterful songwriting of the Benoit/Osborne team. The album is more than just a collection of blues tracks; it’s a statement about the future of the genre while paying homage to its rich past. Tracks like “The Ghost of Gatemouth Brown,” “Still Gray,” and “Watching the Gators Roll In” hint at the diverse musical landscape fans can expect from this release.

The album is a testament to Benoit’s artistic evolution and collaborative spirit. Guitar legend Anders Osborne’s brilliance is showcased on every song except “Overdue,” adding a delicate touch that enhances the album’s tone and texture. In a special treat for music aficionados, The Meters’ bassist George Porter Jr. makes a guest appearance on “Little Queenie” and “I’m A Write That Down,” infusing his signature groove into the mix. Benoit’s touring band, featuring bassist Corey Duplechin and drummer Terence Higgins, rounds out the powerhouse lineup.

Recorded at Whiskey Bayou Studios, the album was entirely recorded, mixed, and mastered by Benoit himself, showcasing his growth not just as a musician but as a producer. This handson approach ensures that every note on “I Hear Thunder” is true to Benoit’s vision.

The release of “I Hear Thunder” coincides with an extensive national tour of the same name, bringing Benoit’s electrifying live performances to fans across the country. In a thrilling collaboration, renowned musicians Anders Osborne and Mike Zito will join Benoit for select dates of the tour, each performing their own songs. This powerhouse trio of guitarists and songwriters promises an unforgettable experience that will reignite the soul of roots music.

The tour kicks off in August with a series of shows in the Northeast, including stops at the Newton Theatre in Newton, NJ on August 1st and Jergels Rhythm Grille in Warrendale, PA on August 3rd. The tour then heads west, with notable performances at iconic venues like The Fillmore in San Francisco on August 23rd and the Uptown Theatre in Napa on August 24th.

As the tour progresses, Benoit will grace stages across the country, including

appearances at festivals like the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival in Colorado in mid-September and the Tampa Bay Blues Fest in Florida next April. The tour’s extensive reach demonstrates Benoit’s commitment to bringing his music to fans far and wide, with stops in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Illinois, and many more states throughout the fall and winter.

Benoit’s 14-year sabbatical from recording has only deepened the anticipation and appreciation for his return. During this time, he shifted his focus to environmental advocacy, particularly concerning the Louisiana Wetlands and coastal erosion. His efforts as a conservationist resulted in multiple accolades, including the prestigious Governor’s Award.

Hailing from Houma, Louisiana, Benoit has always maintained a strong connection to his roots. In 2001, he created the Voice of the Wetlands AllStars, a group of musicians dedicated to bringing attention to the plight of the Wetlands. This initiative showcases Benoit’s ability to seamlessly intertwine his artistic brilliance with a profound commitment to environmental advocacy.

Benoit’s musical journey began in 1992 with a radio hit from his debut record “Nice and Warm.” Since then, he has received multiple Blues Music Awards and four Grammy nominations. His discography includes notable albums like “What I Live For” (1994), “Standing on the Bank” (1995), and “Wetlands” (2002), each contributing to his reputation as a blues guitar virtuoso.

“I Hear Thunder” will be released through Benoit’s own imprint, Whiskey Bayou Records, which he formed in 2017 with partner and manager Rueben Williams. The label has since become a platform for established artists such as Eric McFadden, Damon Fowler, and Eric Johanson, further solidifying Benoit’s role in nurturing and promoting blues talent.

As fans eagerly await the album’s release, they can pre-order “I Hear Thunder” to be among the first to experience Benoit’s latest musical offering. The album is poised to be a must-have for roots music enthusiasts, showcasing Benoit’s evolution as an artist while staying true to his blues roots.

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The upcoming tour with Anders Osborne and Mike Zito is generating significant buzz in the blues community. The prospect of these three guitar virtuosos sharing the stage, backing each other up as they navigate through their vast musical catalogs, is a rare treat for music lovers. On the West Coast leg of the tour, guitarist JD Simo will join Benoit and Osborne, adding another layer of six-string mastery to the performances.

Tab Benoit’s return to recording and touring is more than just a comeback; it’s a reaffirmation of the enduring power of the blues. With “I Hear Thunder,” Benoit continues to push the boundaries of the genre while honoring its traditions, proving that even after a 14-year recording hiatus, his musical voice remains as powerful and relevant as ever.

Known for his passionate live performances, Benoit’s shows are often described as a perfect blend of Louisiana’s swampy blues and East Texas guitar-driven blues. His ability to coax screaming licks from his Telecaster, combined with his powerful songwriting and singing abilities, creates an electrifying atmosphere at every performance.

As the August 30th release date approaches and the tour gets underway, the music world eagerly anticipates the next chapter in Tab Benoit’s storied career. “I Hear Thunder” is set to remind us all why Benoit is considered one of the most dynamic and influential blues artists of his generation. Whether you catch him at an intimate venue like the Belly Up Theatre in Solano Beach or at a major festival, Benoit’s performances promise to be a highlight of the 2024 blues calendar.

From the bayous of Louisiana to stages across America, Tab Benoit continues to be a true ambassador of the blues, carrying the torch of this quintessential American art form into the future while never forgetting its roots. As he embarks on

this new musical journey, fans old and new are sure to be captivated by the raw emotion, technical brilliance, and authentic soul that have made Tab Benoit a true legend of the blues.

Tab Benoit & Anders Osborne On Tour

Aug 1 (Thu) - Newton NJ@Newton Theatre*****

Aug 2 (Fri) - Jordan NY@Kegs Canalside*****

Aug 3 (Sat) - Warrendale PA@Jergels Rhythm Grille*****

Aug 4 (Sun) - Warren OH@Robins Theatre*****

Aug 23 (Fri) - San Francisco CA@The Fillmore******

Aug 24 (Sat) - Napa CA@Uptown Theatre******

Aug 25 (Sun) - Sacramento CA@Crest Theatre******

Aug 27 (Tue) - San Juan Capistrano CA@The Coach House******

Aug 28 (Wed) - Solano Beach CA@Belly Up Theatre******

Aug 29 (Thu) - Solano Beach CA@Belly Up Theatre******

Aug 30 (Fri) - Hermosa Beach CA@Sainte Rocke******

Aug 31 (Sat) - Scottsdale AZ@Scottsdale Center For Performing Arts******

Sept 1 (Sun) - Tucson AZ@Fox Theater******

Sept 5-8 (Thur-Sun) - Las Vegas NV@Big Blues Bender

Sept 10 (Tue) - Albuquerque NM@FUSION Meadow

Sept 11 (Wed) - Alamogordo NM@The Flicklinger

Sept 13 (Fri) - Telluride CO@Telluride Blues & Brews Festival

Sept 14 (Sat) - Telluride CO@Telluride Blues & Brews Festival

Sept 15 (Sun) - Colorado Springs CO@Stgargazers Theater

Oct 4 (Fri) - Baton Rouge LA@Varsity Theater

Oct 5 (Sat) - Biloxi MS@Biloxi Shuckers/MGM Park

Oct 9 (Wed) - Memphis TN@Lafayette Music Room

Oct 10 (Thu) - Jackson MS@Martin’s

Oct 11 (Fri) - Abita Springs LA@Abita Fall Fest

Oct 16 (Wed) - Indianapolis IN@The Vogue

Oct 17 (Thu) - McHenry IL@The Vixen

Oct 19 (Sat) - Steelville MO@Wildwood Spring Lodge

Oct 20 (Sun) - Bloomington IL@The Castle Theatre

Nov 6 (Wed) - Austin TX@04 Center

Nov 7 (Thu) - Beaumont TX@The Roxy Event Center

Nov 8 (Fri) - Crowley LA@The Grand Opera House Of The South

Nov 9 (Sat) - Humble TX@Charles Bender Performing Arts Center

Nov 12 (Tue) - Destin FL@Club LA

Nov 13 (Wed) - Tallahassee FL@The Moon

Nov 14 (Thu) - Ormond Beach FL@Diamond Beach PAC

Nov 15 (Fri) - Clearwater FL@Capitol Theatre

Nov 16 (Sat) - Boca Raton FL@Boca Blues Festival at Sunset Cove Amp

Dec 4 (Wed) - Cleveland OH@Music Box Supper Club

Dec 5 (Thu) - Cleveland OH@Music Box Supper Club

Dec 6 (Fri) - Buffalo NY@The Big Easy/Town Ballroom

Dec 7 (Sat) - Lewissburg PA@Weis Center for the Performing Arts

Dec 21 (Sat) - Atlanta GA@Variety Playhouse

Jan 5-Jan 11 Ft Lauderdale@Big Easy Cruise

April 9 (Wed) - Stuart FL@The Lyric Theatre

April 10-11 (Thu/Fri) - Kay West FL@Key West Theater

April 12 (Sat) - Fort Lauderdale FL@The Culture Room

April 13 (Sun) - Tampa FL@Tampa Bay Blues Fest

June 13 (Fri) - Henderson KY@Handy Blues & BBQ Festival

*****Direct Support: Anders Osborne & Mike Zito

******Direct Support: Anders Osborne & JD Simo

PRE-SAVE “LOST IN THE MEANTIME” AND “STEAL AWAY” HERE AT https://symphony.to/yacht-rock-revue/lost-in-the-meantime-steal-away STREAM / SHARE “TROPICAL ILLUSION” and “PASSENGERS” HERE AT https://symphony.to/yacht-rock-revue/tropical-illusion-passengers YACHT ROCK REVUE ONLINE: INSTAGRAM @ https://www.instagram.com/yachtrockrevue/ FACEBOOK @ https://www.facebook.com/YachtRockRevue/ SPOTIFY @ https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vJbbFDnRQql9BtSgR9vZH YOUTUBE @ https://www.youtube.com/user/pleaserock

By Troy Wilson

In a bold move that solidifies their evolution from tribute act to original artists, Yacht Rock Revue has announced their most ambitious project to date: a 21-track concept album titled “Escape Artist.” Set for release on Friday, November 29, 2024, this expansive work promises to redefine the boundaries of the yacht rock genre.

“Escape Artist” is not just an album; it’s a musical journey spanning four sides of vinyl, designed to transport listeners back to the sun-soaked, melodic

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world of ’70s and ’80s soft rock. In a nod to the vinyl era, the band has opted for an innovative release strategy. The Aside and B-side will debut on October 4, whetting fans’ appetites for the full experience when the C-side and D-side complete the album on November 29.

Nicholas Niespodziani, Yacht Rock Revue’s lead vocalist, explains the concept behind “Escape Artist”: “Look out in the crowd and imagine what each person is escaping from. They’re escaping the modern condition to the idea of a less complicated time. We see it every night on the road — an audience transported somewhere else. We are Escape Artists. That’s our magic trick.”

The album explores themes of escape, not just from daily life but also from artistic constraints. “Of course, there’s the literal layer — I want to escape the confines of what our band is supposed to be,” Niespodziani elaborates. “Are we allowed to be artists, or are we trapped by a genre? We’ve always been pushing the envelope, going where no band like ours has gone before. I want it to be OK for us to express optimism and sadness and fear and vulnerability. I want to escape the caricature that defines us.”

Fans won’t have to wait until November for new music. On July 12, Yacht Rock Revue will release two singles: “Lost In The Meantime” and “Steal Away.” The former, serving as the focus track, delves into the essence of relationships. Niespodziani reflects, “Some of my clearest memories aren’t major milestones or significant global events, like where I was when I heard Prince passed away. They’re random snapshots from everyday moments that stick in my head for some reason. That’s the essence of ‘Lost In The Meantime’— it explores how the true essence of a relationship often lies in those ordinary, in-between moments.”

“Steal Away,” a reimagined ukulele rendition of Robbie Dupree’s 1980 track, is the album’s sole cover. Dupree himself has praised the band’s interpretation, stating, “I’ve been a fan of Yacht Rock Revue since first seeing their show 10 years ago at a small club in New York City. They’re a national group now!

Their new music is brilliant and their rendition of my song, ‘Steal Away,’ is fresh and delightful.”

These releases follow the May 24 debut of lead singles “Tropical Illusion” and “Passengers.” “Tropical Illusion” is particularly noteworthy, as it was cowritten by Elliot Lurie of Looking Glass, paying homage to the band’s 1972 hit “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl).” Lurie shared his thoughts on the collaboration: “I played my first gig with Yacht Rock Revue about 12 years ago. I didn’t know who they were then, but there were 5,000 people in a park in Atlanta groovin’ to a killer band. I sang Brandy with them and I was an instant Yacht Rock Revue fan. It’s great to now have co-written a tune with Nick for their new album.”

Concurrent with their album announcement, Yacht Rock Revue is embarking on their most extensive tour to date. The band will serve as direct support for Train and REO Speedwagon on their 44-city Summer Road Trip 2024 Tour. This massive undertaking kicks off tonight at Somerset Amphitheater in Somerset, WI, and will see the band performing in major cities across North America, including Chicago, Toronto, New York, Atlanta, Houston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, before

concluding on September 11 in Phoenix, AZ at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre.

This high-profile tour follows Yacht Rock Revue’s successful 2023 run with Kenny Loggins and marks a significant milestone in the band’s career. Niespodziani expressed excitement about the opportunity, stating, “Every song by all three bands is gonna be a raucous sing-along! Holy sh*t that’s a lot of hit songs in one lineup. As a singer, I’m excited to watch Kevin Cronin and Patrick Monahan every night. Those guys are both wildly talented vocalists and I’m gonna soak in as much wisdom and technique and as many crowd control tactics as I can.”

Yacht Rock Revue’s journey from a pair of enthusiastic fans playing in a basement to a 10-piece ensemble sharing stages with yacht rock legends is a testament to their dedication and talent. Founded in Atlanta, GA, in 2007, the band has grown to include Nicholas Niespodziani (vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion), Peter Olson (vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion), Greg Lee (bass, vocals), Mark Dannells (guitars, vocals), Mark Bencuya (keyboards, vocals),

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David B. Freeman (saxophones, keyboards, flute, piccolo, percussion, vocals), Keisha Jackson (vocals, percussion), Kourtney Jackson (vocals, percussion), Jason Nackers (drums), and Ganesh Giri Jaya (drums).

Their energetic performances have garnered praise from publications like The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly. Sarah Bahr of the Times reported her first-hand experience of Yacht Rock Revue’s liberating on-stage energy, observing fans who “danced for two hours to tunes from the 1970s and ’80s,” while Entertainment Weekly noted that “the shows tend to be unabashedly joyous affairs.”

Over the years, Yacht Rock Revue has transformed the yacht rock genre from a guilty pleasure into a highly respected art form. They’ve graced stages with legends like Robbie Dupree, Elliot Lurie, Matthew Wilder, John Oates, and Eddie Money, living the yacht rock dream. Their energetic perfor-

mances set them apart, whether in intimate bar settings or rocking arenas, solidifying Yacht Rock Revue’s place in the illustrious history of yacht rock.

As Yacht Rock Revue prepares to release “Escape Artist” and embark on their most ambitious tour to date, they continue to push the boundaries of what a cover band can achieve. Their evolution from tribute act to original artists creating concept albums demonstrates their commitment to the yacht rock genre and their desire to contribute to its legacy.

Fans of smooth, melodic rock can look forward to experiencing Yacht Rock Revue’s new material live on tour this summer, with the full “Escape Artist” album set to provide the perfect soundtrack for laid-back listening come November. As the band sets sail on this new adventure, they invite listeners to escape the complexities of modern life and lose themselves in the smooth, sundrenched melodies of yacht rock.

ESCAPE ARTIST TRACK LISTING:

Escape Artist

Make You Miss Me

Separate Grooves

Waves

Reverse Sunset

Lost In The Meantime

Sail On

Steal Away (Robbie Dupree Cover)

Tropical Illusion (feat. Elliot Lurie)

Passengers

Triangle of Combustion

Lonely For You

Inverse Sunrise

San Junipero (Every Night Like Tonight)

Things Look Different

Monkeys Always Swinging

Bad Decisions

Worse Decisions

Here For the Feeling

Four in the Morning

What A Year

German Metalcore Titans Rising Insane Set to Ignite the Scene with “Wildfires”

German Metalcore Band RISING INSANE Share New Single “Carousel”

Watch the Music Video here at https://youtu.be/M9kYtK55NsE Stream “Carousel” here at https://risinginsane.lnk.to/wildfires

New Album, Wildfires, out August 23, 2024 on Long Branch Records

Pre-Order here at https://store.spv.de/collections/rising-insane-1

RISING INSANE online: FACEBOOK @ https://www.facebook.com

INSTAGRAM @ https://www.instagram.com

WEBSITE @ https://risinginsane.de/ TIK TOK @ https://www.tiktok.com/@rising_insane

By Nathan Pugh

In the realm of heavy music, few bands have shown as much promise and growth as Germany’s Rising Insane. As they prepare to unleash their fourth studio album, “Wildfires,” on August 23, 2024, via Long Branch Records, the metalcore

quintet is poised to set the global music scene ablaze with their evolving sound and hard-hitting messages.

The band’s journey to this pivotal moment has been nothing short of remarkable. Rising from the small town of Ganderkesee, near

Bremen, Rising Insane has transformed from local heroes to international contenders in the competitive world of metalcore. The current lineup, consisting of Aaron Steineker (vocals), Florian Köchy (vocals and

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guitar), Sven Polizuk (guitar), Ulf Hedenkamp (bass), and Robert Kühling (drums), has honed their craft through years of dedication, live performances, and studio work.

Founded in 2012, Rising Insane quickly made a name for themselves in the German metal scene. Their innovative approach to building a fanbase included founding the Springsane Festival, which not only showcased their own talents but also provided a platform for other up-andcoming bands. This entrepreneurial spirit earned them valuable connections and respect within the industry.

The band’s debut album, “Nation,” released in 2017, marked their first significant step into the recorded music world. It was a raw, energetic offering that captured the essence of their live performances and set the stage for what was to come. Following the album’s release, Rising Insane embarked on a series of tours, including a notable run with fellow German band Annisokay in late 2018, which helped expand their fanbase across Germany and Austria.

2019 proved to be a breakthrough year for the band. They caught the attention of the jury at the prestigious “Next Generation” band competition, earning them a coveted spot at the Impericon Festival. This exposure led to even greater opportunities and set the stage for their sophomore album, “Porcelain.”

Released under Long Branch Records, “Porcelain” saw the band diving into deeply personal themes. Vocalist Aaron Steineker bared his soul, addressing the loss of his sister and his experiences with posttraumatic stress. The album showcased the band’s growth both musically and lyrically, earning them critical acclaim and an expanding international fanbase.

The global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 could have derailed the band’s momentum, disrupting their plans for their first major headlining tour. However, Rising Insane chose to view this unexpected downtime as an opportunity for creativity. They recorded a cover album, putting their unique metalcore spin on pop hits like Dua Lipa’s “Physical” and The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights.” This project not only kept them busy during lockdowns but also demonstrated their versatility as musicians and their ability to bridge genres.

In addition to the covers, the band also created an acoustic version of “Porcelain,” stripping down their typically heavy sound to reveal the raw emotion at the core of their music. This acoustic rendition further showcased their range as artists and their willingness to experiment with their established sound.

2021 saw the release of their

third studio album, “Afterglow,” which further cemented their place in the post-hardcore and metalcore scenes. The album was accompanied by various singles and EPs, keeping fans engaged and hungry for more.

As 2024 unfolds, Rising Insane is building anticipation for “Wildfires” with a series of single releases. Their latest offering, “Carousel,” marks the fifth track to be unveiled from the upcoming album. The single arrives with a compelling music video, following in the wake of previously released tracks “Reign,” “Malicious,” “Burn,” and “Lighthouse.”

“Carousel” is more than just another heavy track; it’s a testament to the band’s evolution and a nod to their roots. Lead singer Aaron Steineker describes it as a song that “carries the most traces of the last 10 years of Rising Insane,” highlighting the band’s commitment to their

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musical journey while pushing into new territories.

Lyrically, “Carousel” delves into the cyclical nature of conflict and decision-making. Steineker explains, “No matter how much we fight against it, in the end we are driven by the perceived mistakes or misbehavior of others to make decisions that trigger a new series of conflicts. It’s a perpetual cycle, like a carousel, until we consciously choose to be a change.” This depth of thought and social commentary has become a hallmark of Rising Insane’s work, setting them apart in a genre often criticized for lack of substance.

The forthcoming album “Wildfires” promises to be Rising Insane’s most ambitious work to date. It’s described as a powerful and thoughtprovoking collection, taking an indepth look at the consequences of collective empathy abstinence. The band challenges listeners to ignite their inner flame for change, making an urgent call to break out of the darkness that seems to pervade modern society.

Steineker provides insight into the album’s title and overarching themes: “Over the last two years, I have felt that there is a huge source of strife lurking around every corner. All we have to do is pick up our cell phone and we’re immediately thrown into a hate-filled sea of conflict, there’s so much hate everywhere. You get the feeling that the world around us is on fire when you add war, global warming, inflation, and depression to the mix. That’s how this album got the title Wildfires.”

The album comprises eleven tracks, each addressing specific trouble spots and stories that have weighed on the band during the writing process. Rising Insane aims

to create awareness through their music, highlighting how much we burden ourselves and each other instead of focusing on what connects us and creates positivity.

While staying true to their posthardcore and metalcore roots, “Wildfires” sees Rising Insane evolving both collectively and individually. The result is a fresh and invigorating sound that pushes the boundaries of the genre while remaining true to the core elements that have earned them a dedicated fanbase.

Over the years, Rising Insane has shared stages with notable acts such as The Devil Wears Prada, For Today, and Stray From The Path. They’ve become regulars on the festival circuit, winning over new fans with each performance. Their ability to connect with audiences through both their recorded work and live shows has been key to their growing success.

The numbers speak for themselves: with over 20 million streams worldwide and prominent placements on influential playlists like Kickass Metal, New Core, and All New Metal, Rising Insane has been creating significant buzz in the metal community. As they prepare for numerous tour dates to support “Wildfires,” 2024 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for the band.

For fans eagerly awaiting the release of “Wildfires,” the band has announced several special edition formats. An exclusive Long Branch Records shop edition will feature orange-red marbled vinyl limited to 300 copies, while a white-black marbled vinyl edition, also limited to 300 copies, will be available more widely. For those preferring digital formats, the album will be available on CD in a digipak, as well as via standard streaming and download platforms.

As the August 23 release date for “Wildfires” approaches, the

anticipation continues to build. Rising Insane stands poised to further solidify their position as one of Germany’s premier metalcore acts, ready to set the music world ablaze with their passionate performances and thought-provoking lyrics.

With their blend of heavy breakdowns, emotional passages, and experiments with synthesizers and electronic beats, Rising Insane is pushing the boundaries of what metalcore can be. Their willingness to address serious social issues through their music sets them apart in a crowded field, offering listeners not just a sonic experience but a chance for reflection and growth.

As they prepare to unleash “Wildfires” upon the world, Rising Insane is not just continuing their ascent in the music world; they’re carrying the torch for a new generation of socially conscious heavy music. Fans of the genre and newcomers alike have much to look forward to with this upcoming release. The wildfire of Rising Insane’s music is spreading, and it shows no signs of being extinguished anytime soon.

Wildfires Track List:

1 Reign

2 Monster

3 Lighthouse

4 Malicious

5 Bet On Me

6 Warning

7 Counting Regrets (Interlude)

8 Carousel

9 Burn

10 The Door

11 Wildfires

Wildfires will be available in the following formats:

• Exclusive LBR Shop LP Edition incl. orange-red marbled vinyl

Limited to 300 copies

• LP Edition incl. white-black marbled vinyl

Limited to 300 copies

• CD Edition in digipak

• Exclusive LBR Shop Bundles

• Standard Stream & Download

Mushroomhead Unleashes New Single

Ninth Studio Album

Tour

By Greg Fontaine

American masked metal masters

staying true to their signature sound and iconic imagery.

heaviest, featuring massive riffs, aggressive growls, and a catchy chorus that embodies the essence of nü metal.

continued on next page MUSHROOMHEAD DeliversNü Metal Energy with Heavy New Single “Prepackaged” + Music Video Watch Here At https://youtu.be/9l-gOv5z_bg Ninth Studio Album, Call The Devil, outAugust 9, 2024 via Napalm Records Pre-Order Here At https://napalmrecordsamerica.com/mushroomhead MUSHROOMHEAD online: FACEBOOK @ https://www.facebook.com/mushroomheadofficial INSTAGRAM @ https://www.instagram.com/mushroomheadofficial/ X @ https://x.com/mushroomhead NAPALM RECORDS @ https://label.napalmrecords.com/mushroomhead

Mushroomhead are gearing up for a monumental year, with the release of their ninth studio album “Call The Devil” set for August 9, 2024, via Napalm Records. The band, celebrating 30 years of groundbreaking music, continues to push boundaries while

Hot on the heels of their hardhitting first single “Fall In Line,” which garnered praise from metal media giants like Revolver and Consequence, Mushroomhead has now unveiled their second single, “Prepackaged.” This new track showcases the band at their

Mushroomhead mastermind Steve “Skinny” Felton describes “Prepackaged” as “extremely heavy, aggressive and haunting. Full of dark sonic textures. Both the video and the song are delight-

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fully dark, foreboding and unrelentingly grim.”

The upcoming album “Call The Devil” promises to be a diverse and compelling addition to Mushroomhead’s discography. It marks the return of longtime guitarist Dave “Gravy” Felton after a 12-year hiatus. Gravy, known for his contributions to some of the band’s biggest hits like “Along The Way” and “Sun Doesn’t Rise,” lends his skills to two tracks on the new album.

Production duties for “Call The Devil” were once again handled by Steve “Skinny” Felton, with mixing by Matt Wallace (Faith No More, 3 Doors Down), who previously worked on Mushroomhead’s iconic album “XIII.” The album also features, for the first time, mastering by Jacob Hansen, known for his work with Volbeat, Epica, and Arch Enemy.

Fans can expect a wide range of sounds on the new album, from heavy hitters like “Prepackaged” and “Torn In Two” to more experimental tracks such as the jazzy “Emptiness” and the haunting “Hallelucination.” The album also showcases the band’s cinematic style, particularly in piano-driven ballads and three-part vocal arrangements on songs like “Decomposition” and “Grand Gesture.”

In support of the new album, Mushroomhead is embarking on a 2024 International Tour, kicking off this month. The tour will give fans around the world a chance to experience the band’s legendary theatrical live show, complete with their signature black masks and high-energy performances.

Mushroomhead’s journey began in 1993 when drummer Skinny founded the band as a side project. Initially wearing masks to conceal their identities while playing in other local bands, the group quickly became one of Cleveland’s top local attractions. Their mysterious appearance intrigued audiences, leading

to the masks becoming a permanent part of their image.

Over the years, Mushroomhead has evolved from an underground phenomenon to a globally recognized force in alternative metal. Their unique sound blends elements of hip-hop, punk, goth rock, industrial, and techno with forceful yet melodic metal. Since their self-titled debut in 1995, the band has sold over two million albums worldwide, with standout releases including “XIII” (2003), “Savior Sorrow” (2006), and “The Righteous & the Butterfly” (2014).

The band’s lineup has seen several changes throughout its history, with the current iteration introducing new members Steve Rauckhorst and Jackie LaPonza on vocals, and Tom Shaffner on guitar for their 2020 album “A Wonderful Life.” This release marked their debut on Napalm Records and showcased the band’s ability to evolve while maintaining their core sound.

As Mushroomhead prepares to unleash “Call The Devil” upon the

world, anticipation is building among fans and critics alike. With early praise rolling in from publications like Rock Hard (IT) calling it a “fantastic comeback” and My Rock (FR) stating that the album “consolidates its reputation in the metal scene,” it’s clear that Mushroomhead is poised to make a significant impact with this release.

The band’s enduring appeal lies not just in their music, but in their complete artistic package. Known for their theatrical live performances and distinctive visual aesthetic, Mushroomhead continues to offer a unique experience in the metal scene. As they embark on this new chapter with “Call The Devil” and their upcoming international tour, Mushroomhead proves that even after three decades, they remain at the forefront of innovative, boundary-pushing metal.

Fans can look forward to experiencing the new material live as Mushroomhead takes their explosive

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show on the road, promising an unforgettable blend of new tracks and classic hits. With “Call The Devil” set to drop on August 9, 2024, and a world tour on the horizon, Mushroomhead is ready to remind the world why they’ve been a dominant force in alternative metal for 30 years and counting.

MUSHROOMHEAD is:

Steve Rauckhorst - Vocals

Scott Beck - Vocals

Jackie LaPonza - Vocals

Dave Felton - Guitar

Joe Gall - Guitar

Ryan Farrell - Guitar, Bass, Keys

Aydin Kerr - Drums, Percussion

Robert Godsey - Drums, Percussion

Steve Felton - Drums, Percussion, Keys, Vocals

Call The Devil track listing:

1. Eye To Eye

2. Fall In Line

3. Emptiness

4. We Don’t Care

5. UIOP (A Final Reprieve)

6. Prepackaged

7. Decomposition

8. Grand Gesture

9. Hallelucination

10. Hideous

11. Torn In Two

12. Shame In A Basket

13. Doom Goose

Call The Devil will be available in the following formats:

-2-LP Gatefold Marbled Red/Black Die Hard Edition w/ 12inch Booklet, Slipmat, Record Butler, A4 Artprint (limited to 400 worldwide)

-2-LP Gatefold Translucent Red (North American indie retail exclusive - limited to 600)

-2-LP Gatefold Translucent Red + signed photocard (limited Newbury Comics exclusive [USA])

-2-LP Gatefold Black

-1-CD Digisleeve

-1-CD Digisleeve + signed photocard (limited Newbury Comics exclusive [USA]) -Digital Album

Mushroomheaed On Tour

EU/UK 2024 Tour w/ Dymytry** & Silenzer*:

08/09/24: Bochum, DE @ Rockpalast *

08/10/24: Kotka, FI @ Dark River Festival

08/11/24: Southampton, UK @ The Engine Rooms * / **

08/12/24: Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute2 * / **

08/13/24: London, UK @ O2 Academy Islington * / **

08/14/24: Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat * / **

08/15/24: Sulingen, DE @ Reload Festival

08/16/24: Moravsky Krumlov, CZ @ Rock Castle

08/17/24: Warsaw, PL @ Proxima *

08/18/24: Krakow, PL @ Kwadrat *

08/19/24: Berlin, DE @ Cassiopeia *

USA 2024 Tour

w/ Upon a Burning Body, There Is No Us, and Mind Incision:

10/04/24: Buffalo, NY @ Rec Room

10/05/24: Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally’s

10/06/24: Worcester, MA @ Palladium Upstairs

10/08/24: Leesburg, VA @ Tally Ho

10/09/24: Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom

10/10/24: Lititz, PA @ Mickey’s Black Box

10/12/24: Pittsburg, PA @ Preserving Underground

10/13/24: Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts

10/15/24: Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection

10/16/24: Belvidere, IL @ Apollo Theater

10/18/24: Green Bay, WI @ Epic Events Center

10/19/24: Joliet, IL @ The Forge

10/20/24: Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave

10/22/24: Moline, IL @ The Rust Belt

10/23/24: Bloomington, IL @ Castle Theater

10/24/24: Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs*

10/25/24: Flint, MI @ Machine Shop

10/26/24: Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater*

*No Upon A Burning Body

Thirty Seconds to Mars Announces Ambitious Global ‘Seasons World Tour’ and New Album

By Greg Fontaine

Thirty Seconds to Mars, the multiplatinum, award-winning rock band led by brothers Jared and Shannon Leto, has unveiled plans for their most extensive and ambitious project to date: the global “Seasons World Tour” in support of their upcoming sixth studio album, “It’s The End Of The World But It’s A Beautiful Day.” This mammoth tour, spanning multiple continents and featuring over 25 dates, marks the band’s triumphant return to the international music scene after a five-year hiatus.

The “Seasons World Tour” is set to be a truly global affair, kicking off on August 2, 2024, at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, MO. The North American leg of the tour will see the band traversing the United States and Canada, performing at some of the most prestigious venues in major cities. Fans can catch Thirty Seconds to Mars at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater (August 3), Chicago’s Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly

Center

10), and Brooklyn’s

17), among many other locations.

The band will then head north to Canada, with a performance at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage on August 12, before returning to the US for more shows. The North American portion of the tour will conclude on September 4 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA, presented by Live 105.

Following their run in North America, Thirty Seconds to Mars will take their electrifying performances to the international stage. The band is set to play at the Riverstage in Brisbane, Australia, on September 17, followed by a show at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, on September 19. These Oceania dates offer fans Down Under a rare opportunity to experience the band’s high-energy live show and hear new material from their forthcoming album.

The European leg of the tour begins on October 1 at the Helsinki Ice

Hall in Finland, marking the band’s return to the continent. From there, Thirty Seconds to Mars will travel to Stockholm’s Hovet on October 7, before playing two consecutive nights at Oslo Spektrum in Norway on October 9. The Oslo shows will offer both regular and VIP package options, giving European fans the chance for an enhanced concert experience.

In a thrilling conclusion to their world tour, Thirty Seconds to Mars will make their first-ever appearance in the United Arab Emirates, performing at the state-of-the-art Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on December 12. This final show of the tour is expected to draw fans from across the Middle East, providing a fitting end to the band’s global journey and expanding their reach to new territories.

Jared Leto, the band’s charismatic frontman, expressed his excitement about the tour: “We’re thrilled to be back

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on the road and to play for our fans around the world. There’s nothing quite like the energy of a live show, and we can’t wait to share our new music with audiences across different continents. This tour is a celebration of our global community of fans and the universal language of music.”

The “Seasons World Tour” coincides with the release of the band’s highly anticipated sixth studio album, “It’s The End Of The World But It’s A Beautiful Day,” set to drop in September 2024. This new record represents a significant evolution in the band’s sound and approach to music-making, promising to captivate audiences with its fresh perspective and emotional depth.

Jared Leto explained the album’s creation process: “Shannon and I wanted to make an album that speaks to who we are now. The connective threads are a sense of optimism, celebration, vulnerability, and simplicity too. We didn’t want to return to something we’re familiar with, and I think we did that.”

One of the most notable changes in their new music is the focus on concise, impactful songs. No track on the new album exceeds three-and-a-half minutes, a departure from the band’s previous tendency towards longer, more expansive compositions. “There’s very little fat,” Jared emphasizes. “We’re a band that used to have 12-minute songs, and not doing that is a new experience for us and takes a lot of restraint. We’ve done the anthemic arena-rock thing. It was interesting to take a step back and look at songs to find out, how little can we do here? How minimal can things be, and what’s the most important aspect of a given song?”

The album explores a wide range of emotions and experiences, from love and heartbreak to seizing the moment and transcendence. Standout tracks

include “Seasons,” which Jared describes as strident and hook-filled, enveloped in “the reassuring warmth of acoustic guitar and effervescent synths.” The album also features uplifting anthems like “Life Is Beautiful” and “Avalanche,” alongside more atmospheric pieces like “World on Fire” and “7:1.”

In an exciting development for fans, Shannon Leto takes the lead vocal on “Midnight Prayer,” a rare occurrence for the drummer. Jared reflects on this, saying, “It took me 20 years to get an arena to sing my songs back to me, and he stood on stage at his first fuckin’ performance and an entire arena was singing his song back to him like it was an anthem. He actually sang in a really vulnerable way that I think people responded to.”

As anticipation builds for both the tour and the album release, Thirty Seconds to Mars has given fans a taste of what’s to come with their lead single, “Stuck.” Released via Concord Records, the single is accompanied by a visually striking music video that Jared Leto describes as “a celebration of the human form, minimalist design, high fashion, art and dance.”

The video showcases high fashion looks from renowned designers such as Gucci, Ann Demeulemeester, Balmain, Maison Margiela, Raf Simons, Rick Owens, and Jean Paul Gaultier. Leto sees it as “a love letter to the power of movement and connection, a testament to the awe-inspiring potential of people who don’t necessarily fit so neatly inbut make the world so much more fascinating.”

Reflecting on the band’s journey and the upcoming world tour, Jared muses, “If we weren’t brothers, there

wouldn’t be a Thirty Seconds To Mars. If there wasn’t a Thirty Seconds To Mars, who knows what the relationship would be between us as brothers. It’s so much more than just a band or a business or creative outlet. Man, what a journey. And now, to be able to take our music to fans around the world - it’s a dream come true all over again.”

Looking to the future, Jared hints at a more prolific period for the band. “My god, it would be nice to put an album out and not wait five years every time,” he says. “It’s really just because we’ve been so meticulous, but I think we’ve gotten faster, finally. We do have a lot of other songs that are pretty realized, so I’m hopeful that this new chapter includes more music, and more music sooner.”

The “Seasons World Tour” is more than just a series of concerts; it’s a global celebration of Thirty Seconds to Mars’ evolution as artists and their unwavering connection with fans around the world. As they prepare to take their new material and classic hits to stages across North America, Europe, Oceania, and the Middle East, the band is poised to deliver unforgettable performances that showcase their musical journey while pushing boundaries and connecting with audiences in new ways.

Fans around the globe are encouraged to check the band’s official website for specific on-sale information in their area. With their new album and this extensive world tour, Thirty Seconds to Mars is set to reaffirm their status as one of the most dynamic and innovative bands in contemporary rock music, offering fans from New York to Dubai an unforgettable live experience that transcends borders and unites music lovers worldwide.

Kings of Leon Roar Back with “Can We Please Have Fun” and Ambitious North American Tour

By Nathan Pugh

In a triumphant return to the forefront of rock music, Grammy Awardwinning band Kings of Leon is set to dominate the airwaves and stages across North America with their ninth studio album, “Can We Please Have Fun,” and an extensive tour that promises to be a landmark event in their storied career.

The Nashville-bred quartet, consisting of brothers Caleb (guitar/ vocals), Nathan (drums), Jared (bass) Followill, and their cousin Matthew Followill (guitar), has been a powerhouse in the rock scene since their debut in 2003. Now, nearly two decades later, they’re proving their staying power with a fresh sound that simultaneously harks back to their gritty origins while boldly stepping into new sonic territories.

“Can We Please Have Fun,” released via Capitol Records, marks a significant milestone for Kings of Leon. Recorded at the iconic Dark Horse studio in Nashville, the album sees the band collaborating with new producer Kid Harpoon, known for his chart-topping

work with artists like Harry Styles and Florence + the Machine. This fresh partnership has injected new energy into the band’s creative process, resulting in what they describe as the album they’ve always wanted to make.

Lead singer Caleb Followill shared his enthusiasm for the project, stating, “It was the most enjoyable record I’ve ever been a part of.” His brother Nathan added insight into their approach, saying, “It’s like we allowed ourselves to be musically vulnerable. I love it when a rock band is not embarrassed to admit that every song doesn’t have to be on 11.”

The album’s lead single, “Mustang,” has already made significant waves in the music industry. It’s currently sitting in the Top 10 at Alternative radio and Top 5 at Triple A radio, marking the band’s impressive ninth Top 10 single at Alternative radio. The track is followed by the hauntingly beautiful “Nowhere To Run,” showcasing the band’s versatility and emotional depth.

In a notable departure from their

PHOTO CREDIT: Jessie Maas

previous works, Kings of Leon took creative control over all visual elements associated with the album. They shot all promotional materials over two intense days in Nashville with a small, dedicated team. This hands-on approach has resulted in a cohesive and authentic visual representation of their music, aligning perfectly with the raw energy and renewed focus evident in their sound.

To celebrate the album’s release, Kings of Leon recently took over Nashville’s Copperline Ranch for a special album release concert and Q&A, livestreamed on Amazon Music for the premiere of their new season of City Sessions. This intimate event gave fans a tantalizing preview of what to expect from their upcoming tour, with the band delivering a blazing performance of “Mustang” that left viewers clamoring for more.

Critical reception for “Can We Please Have Fun” has been overwhelmingly positive, with praise coming from

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industry heavyweights like Rolling Stone, Associated Press, and NME. Critics have lauded the album for its return to the band’s roots while applauding their willingness to experiment and evolve their sound.

Building on the momentum of their album release, Kings of Leon is set to embark on a massive North American tour in support of “Can We Please Have Fun.” The tour is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated musical events of the year, with the band set to play at some of the most iconic venues across the continent.

The North American leg kicks off on August 14th at Austin’s Moody Center, setting the stage for what promises to be an electrifying series of performances. From there, the band will crisscross the country, hitting major cities and beloved venues along the way.

On August 16th, they’ll rock Houston’s Toyota Center, followed by a performance at Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena on August 17th. The band then heads west, with a stop at Phoenix’s Arizona Financial Theatre on August 20th before landing at the legendary Kia Forum in Inglewood, California on August 22nd. West Coast fans are in for a treat as the tour continues with shows at Palm Springs’ Acrisure Arena on August 23rd, Berkeley’s Greek Theatre on August 25th, and Santa Barbara Bowl on August 26th.

The Pacific Northwest gets its turn as Kings of Leon hit Portland’s Moda Center on August 28th and Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena on August 29th. The band then crosses the border for a string of Canadian dates, including Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on August 31st, Edmonton’s Rogers Place on September 2nd, Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome on September 3rd, and Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre on September 5th.

Returning to the U.S., the tour makes its way east with stops in Hunts-

ville, Alabama at the Orion Amphitheater on September 13th and Cincinnati’s Andrew J Brady Music Center on September 14th. The band then storms the East Coast, playing Boston’s MGM Music Hall at Fenway on September 16th before a highly anticipated performance at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium on September 18th.

The nation’s capital gets a double dose of Kings of Leon with shows at The Anthem in Washington, DC on September 20th and 22nd. Philadelphia fans can catch them at TD Pavilion at The Mann on September 23rd, followed by a return to the South with performances at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on September 25th and a homecoming show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on September 26th.

The tour continues with shows in Chicago at the Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island on September 28th, Toronto’s Budweiser Stage on October 1st, and Laval’s Place Bell on October 2nd. The final stretch includes stops at Bridgeport’s Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater on October 5th before

concluding with a second show at Boston’s MGM Music Hall at Fenway on October 7th.

This tour and album release mark a new chapter in Kings of Leon’s impressive career. Since their debut with “Youth & Young Manhood” in 2003, the band has consistently evolved their sound while maintaining the raw energy and Southern rock influences that first catapulted them to fame.

Over the years, Kings of Leon has amassed an impressive list of accolades, including four Grammy Awards, three NME Awards, two Brit Awards, and one Juno Award. They’ve sold over 20 million albums and nearly 40 million singles worldwide, with five singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and all seven of their previous studio albums featuring on Billboard’s Top 200 list.

The band’s journey from their early days as “the Southern Strokes” to their current status as arena rock titans is a testament to their musical growth and

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adaptability. Albums like “Only by the Night” (2008) broke them into the mainstream with hits like “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody,” while subsequent releases like “Come Around Sundown” (2010), “Mechanical Bull” (2013), and “WALLS” (2016) saw them refine their sound and cement their place in rock royalty.

As Kings of Leon prepare to hit the road, expectations are high for both the new material and the live performances. Caleb Followill reflected on the band’s unique position, saying, “When you have a band, there’s a bond like no other, and when you have family, you have a bond like no other. We have both of those things. I thought, if we put all our energy toward something, who is gonna stop us? Who can stop us except us?”

With “Can We Please Have Fun” climbing the charts and a tour that’s poised to sell out venues across North America, it’s clear that Kings of Leon isn’t just stopping – they’re accelerating. Rock fans across the country are in for a treat as these Southern rock royals hit the road, promising nights filled with both nostalgic favorites and electrifying new tracks.

Tickets for the “Can We Please Have Fun” tour are available now

August 14

August 16

through the band’s official website, with various presale options for fan club members and general public sales. Given the anticipated demand and the band’s history of sold-out shows, fans are encouraged to secure their spots early for what promises to be one of the most exciting tours of the year.

As Kings of Leon embark on this new chapter, they continue to prove why they’re one of the most enduring and exciting bands of their generation. With their blend of Southern charm, rock ‘n’ roll grit, and newfound creative freedom, the Followill clan is ready to remind the world why they’ve been at the top of the rock game for so long – and why they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

Austin, TX Moody Center

Houston, TX Toyota Center

August 17 Fort Worth, TX Dickies Arena

August 20 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Financial Theatre

August 22

August 23

Inglewood, CA Kia Forum

Palm Springs, CA Acrisure Arena

August 25 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre*

August 26

August 28

August 29

Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl*

Portland, OR Moda Center

Seattle, WA Climate Pledge Arena

August 31 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena

September 2 Edmonton, AB Rogers Place

September 3 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome

September 5 Winnipeg, MB Canada Life Centre

September 13 Huntsville, AL Orion Amphitheater

September 14 Cincinnati, OH The Andrew J Brady Music Center

September 16 Boston, MA MGM Music Hall at Fenway

September 18

New York, NY Forest Hills Stadium

September 20 Washington, DC The Anthem

September 22 Washington, DC The Anthem

September 23 Philadelphia, PA TD Pavilion at The Mann

September 25 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena

September 26 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena

September 28 Chicago, IL Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island

October 1

October 2

October 5

Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage

Laval, QC Place Bell

Bridgeport, CT Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater

October 7 Boston, MA

MGM Music Hall at Fenway

FOLLOW WARREN HAYNES: Website @ http://www.warrenhaynes.net Facebook?@ https://www.facebook.com/warrenhaynes

Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/thewarrenhaynes/ X/Twitter @ https://x.com/thewarrenhaynes

YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/user/warrenhaynesofficial

Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/artist/73iWh9WUMf0xK6cRkNJK4h

Apple Music @ https://music.apple.com/us/artist/warren-haynes/549279

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez

Warren Haynes Announces “Million Voices Whisper” Fall Tour and New Album, Blending Rock and Symphonic Experiences - Cont’d

By Troy Wilson

Warren Haynes, the Grammy Award-winning guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, has announced an exciting new chapter in his illustrious career. The rock icon is set to embark on a fall headlining tour and release a new studio album, both titled “Million Voices Whisper.” This announcement comes as Haynes continues to captivate audiences with his current summer tour, showcasing his diverse musical talents across multiple projects.

The Million Voices Whisper Tour, a 16-date journey across the Eastern United States, is scheduled to begin on September 19th in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The tour will make stops in several major cities, including Jacksonville, St. Petersburg, Richmond, Washington D.C., Nashville, Syracuse, and Philadelphia, before concluding with a grand finale in Boston on October 12th. Fans eager to secure their spots can take advantage of a tiered ticketing system, with Fan Club presale beginning on Wednesday, July 24th at 12 pm local time, followed by local presales starting Thursday, July 25th. The general public will have access to tickets beginning Friday, July 26th at 12 pm local time.

For die-hard fans and guitar enthusiasts, the tour offers specially curated VIP packages. The most exclusive of these is the Ultimate Guitar Player Package, available to one lucky attendee per show. This package includes a Les Paul Classic guitar in Translucent Cherry, which Haynes will play during the show and then sign for the purchaser during a private post-show meet and greet. The package also includes a photo opportunity with Haynes and premium reserved seats. For those who miss out on the Ultimate package, the Guitar Player Package offers its own set of exclusive items, including an autographed Gibson Les Paul Standard Pickguard, custom Warren Haynes guitar picks, a Dunlop guitar slide, and a set of GHS strings - all items used by Warren himself. These packages, available

through www.warrenhaynes.net, offer fans a chance to own a piece of rock history and gain unprecedented access to one of the genre’s most respected figures.

For the Million Voices Whisper Tour, Haynes has assembled an all-star lineup of musicians. Joining him on stage will be Gov’t Mule bassist Kevin Scott, two-time Grammy Award-winning drummer Terence Higgins (known for his work with Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Ani DiFranco), and saxophonist Greg Osby. The fall tour will also see the return of renowned keyboardist John Medeski, best known for his work with Medeski, Martin & Wood. This convergence of extraordinary talent promises performances that will push the boundaries of rock, soul, and improvisational music.

The fall tour announcement comes on the heels of Haynes’ ambitious summer project, the “Now Is The Time Tour.” This unique production features The Warren Haynes Band alongside The Dreams and Songs Symphonic Experience, offering audiences a multifaceted musical journey. The summer shows explore the vast expanse of Haynes’ catalog, including material from Gov’t Mule, Allman Brothers Band, The Dead, and Jerry Garcia, as well as his solo work. Most of these pieces have been reimagined with brand-new symphonic arrangements, creating a fresh perspective on familiar favorites. Notable upcoming stops for the summer tour include a performance in Grand Rapids on July 22nd, shows throughout Ohio in Cleveland, Huber Heights, and Cincinnati, and a special performance at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre with the Colorado Symphony on September 10th. All symphonic shows are conducted by Rich Daniels of Chicago’s City Lights Orchestra, adding another layer of musical expertise to the production. The roots of this symphonic adventure can be traced back to the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration, a series of 30 shows Haynes performed between

2013 and 2016. This experience inspired Haynes to create his own symphonic event, which debuted in March 2019 as “Dreams & Songs – A Symphonic Journey.” The premiere, featuring two sold-out shows with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra in Haynes’ hometown, received rave reviews and set the stage for the current expanded tour.

While details about the new studio album “Million Voices Whisper” remain under wraps, its announcement has generated significant buzz in the music community. Set for release this fall, the album is expected to showcase Haynes’ signature blend of rock, soul, and blues, infused with the wisdom and creativity that comes from decades at the forefront of American music. Fans and critics alike are eagerly anticipating more information about this upcoming release.

Warren Haynes’ influence on the American music landscape is difficult to overstate. As a cornerstone member of three legendary live acts – the Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule, and the Dead – Haynes has consistently pushed the boundaries of rock and improvisational music. His distinctive guitar style, characterized by soulful, burning solos and an uncanny ability to cross-pollinate genres, has earned him widespread acclaim. Haynes’ prowess extends beyond his instrumental skills; he is also celebrated as a powerful vocalist and a prolific songwriter and producer. Throughout his career, Haynes has collaborated with a diverse array of artists, cementing his reputation as a musician’s musician. His work with Gov’t Mule, alongside bandmates Matt Abts, Danny Louis, and Kevin Scott, continues to exemplify the honest, organic, and daring approach to music that has become his hallmark.

As Warren Haynes prepares to embark on this latest chapter of his musical journey, fans and critics alike are eager to see what new heights he will

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Warren Haynes Announces “Million Voices Whisper” Fall Tour - Cont’d

reach. The Million Voices Whisper Tour and album represent not just a continuation of Haynes’ storied career, but a bold step forward into new creative territory. Whether experiencing the raw energy of a rock show or the lush arrangements of a symphonic performance, audiences this fall will have the opportunity to witness a true master at work. As the tour dates approach and anticipation builds for the new album, one thing is certain: Warren Haynes continues to be a vital and vibrant force in the world of music, with no signs of slowing down.

For the latest updates, tour information, and to purchase tickets or VIP packages, fans are encouraged to visit www.warrenhaynes.net. As the Million Voices Whisper, Warren Haynes stands ready to amplify their message, promising an unforgettable musical experience for all who listen. With his unparalleled guitar skills, powerful vocals, and a career spanning decades of musical innovation, Haynes continues to inspire and captivate audiences around the world, solidifying his place as one of the most respected and influential figures in contemporary rock music.

WARREN HAYNES TOUR DATES

Now Is The Time Tour featuring The Warren Haynes Band & The Dreams and Songs Symphonic Experience

July 22 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Meijer Gardens

July 24 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Clyde Theatre +

July 26 – Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion

July 27 – Huber Heights, OH @ Rose Music Center at The Heights

July 28 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend

September 10 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre + indicates Warren Haynes Band only

Million Voices Whisper Tour featuring The Warren Haynes Band

September 14 – Fredericton, NB @ Harvest Music Festival

September 19 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ The Parker

September 20 – Fort Myers, FL @ Barbara B. Mann

Performing Arts Hall

September 21 – Jacksonville, FL @ Florida Theatre

September 22 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Mahaffey Theater

September 24 – Pensacola, FL @ Saenger Theater

September 26 – Richmond, VA @ The National September 27 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa

September 28 – Columbia, SC @ Township Auditorium

September 29 – Salem, VA @ Salem Civic Center

October 3 – Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre

October 4 – Ashland, KY @ Paramount Arts Center

October 5 – Memphis, TN @ Mempho Music Festival (early set)

October 5 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium

October 9 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia

October 10 – Syracuse, NY @ The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater

October 11 – Port Chester, NY @ The Capitol Theatre

October 12 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre

Island Exodus 15

Featuring Gov’t Mule, Warren Haynes, Drive-By Truckers, Karina Rykman & Big Sugar

January 19-23, 2025 – Runaway Bay, Jamaica @ Jewel

Paradise Cove Resort

“Zappa’s ‘Apostrophe (‘)’ Turns 50: Landmark Album Gets Massive Reissue, Unveiling a Treasure Trove of Unreleased Material and Redefining a Musical Legacy”

By Greg Fontaine

In a monumental celebration of musical innovation and artistic integrity, the Frank Zappa estate has announced a comprehensive 50th-anniversary reissue of the iconic album “Apostrophe (‘).” Set for release on September 13 via Zappa Records/ UMe, this expansive collection promises to offer fans and music historians alike an unprecedented deep dive into one of the most influential albums of the 1970s, reaffirming Zappa’s status as a visionary composer and cultural provocateur.

“Apostrophe (‘),” originally released in March 1974, marked a pivotal moment in Frank Zappa’s career. It was his first goldselling record in the United States, peaking at an impressive #10 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album’s lead single, the eternally quirky “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow,” even made its mark on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #87. Now, half a century later, this groundbreaking work is being revisited and expanded in a way that promises to shed new light on Zappa’s creative process and the cultural impact of his music.

The centerpiece of this anniversary celebration is the six-disc Super Deluxe Edition, featuring five CDs and one Blu-ray Audio disc. This comprehensive set boasts a staggering 75 tracks in total, offering listeners a mix of familiar classics and never-beforeheard gems. Produced by Ahmet Zappa and Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers, the collection includes a 2024 remaster of the original album by Bernie Grundman, alongside a treasure trove of session outtakes, alternate takes, and new 2024 mixes.

One of the most exciting aspects of this release is the inclusion of two historical live concert recordings from 1974. These shows, captured in Colorado Springs and at Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio, offer a rare glimpse into Zappa’s electrifying live performances during this pivotal year in his career. The Colorado Springs recording, believed to be from Zappa’s March 21 appearance at Civic Auditorium, showcases a number of great performances of the repertoire from that particular time period. The Dayton show, recorded on November 20, 1974, is particularly significant as it features one of Zappa’s most beloved band lineups, including George Duke on keyboards and vocals, Napoleon Murphy Brock on saxophone, flute, and vocals, Tom Fowler on bass, Chester Thompson on drums, and Ruth Underwood on percussion.

The Blu-ray component of the set is equally impressive, featuring the core album newly remixed in Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround sound by Karma Auger and Erich Gobel at Studio1LA. This team was also

behind the acclaimed Dolby Atmos and surround mixes of 2022’s “Waka/Wazoo” and 2023’s “Over-Nite Sensation” releases. Additionally, the Blu-ray includes Zappa’s original 4-channel Quadraphonic mix, available for the first time since 1974, as well as the hi-res stereo 2024 remaster at both 24bit/192kHz and 24-bit/96kHz.

For vinyl enthusiasts, the reissue offers two tantalizing options. A 2LP + 7-inch single edition presents the album on 180-gram white vinyl with yellow-snow splatter, cut from the original analog tape by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering in 2024. The accompanying 7-inch single of “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow” is a reproduction of the original 1974 release, this time on cosmic glow-in-the-dark vinyl with yellow-snow splatter. For purists, a 1LP edition featuring the original nine tracks on 180-gram Gold Nugget vinyl is also available.

In a nod to the digital age, the Super Deluxe Edition will be available in various digital formats, including hi-res 24-bit/96kHz and standard-res 16-bit/44.1kHz options. A standalone Dolby Atmos mix of the core album’s nine tracks will also be accessible on all Atmos-supporting hi-res streaming services, ensuring that listeners can experience Zappa’s sonic landscapes in the most immersive way possible.

The creation of “Apostrophe (‘)” was a complex process that spanned several years, with roots tracing back to Zappa’s “Build Reels” from 1971. These reels contained multi-track master sources from various sessions, including The Hot Rats Sessions of

1969 and the Record Plant Sessions from 1970. It wasn’t until early 1974 that the album as we know it today took shape, combining then-current session masters with archive recordings dating from 1970 to 1972. The master tapes for “Apostrophe (‘)” were handed in on February 7, 1974, with vinyl acetates and mastering completed at Artisan Sound Recorders for the album’s March 22 release date.

Joe Travers, the Zappa Vaultmeister, emphasized the significance of this release: “Here we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of arguably the most popular record in Frank Zappa’s epic catalog. With Apostrophe (‘), Zappa continued to carve out his own genre in music, while celebrating ten years in the business. Nobody sounded like Frank Zappa. This album, and specifically ‘Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow’ brought that unique wonderful sound to the masses in a way that nobody, including Frank, would expect.”

The Super Deluxe Edition also includes a 52-page booklet featuring unseen photos from the archives of Sam Emerson, who shot the iconic close-up cover image of Zappa. The booklet is further enhanced with liner notes and new essays by British journalist Simon Prentis and Vaultmeister Travers, providing valuable context and insights into the album’s creation and legacy.

As a teaser for the September release, a previously unreleased take of “Uncle Remus (Piano and Vocal Mix 2024)” has been made available. This newly mixed version, culled

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Zappa’s ‘Apostrophe (‘)

from the original 16-track master, showcases isolated piano and tack piano tracks by George Duke, along with a spotlight on Zappa and The Ikettes’ vocal master tracks. It’s just one of multiple versions of this classic Zappa/Duke joint composition that appears in the Super Deluxe Edition box set.

The live material included in the set offers a fascinating look at Zappa’s evolving stage presence throughout 1974. For the March tour tapes, Travers explained that it was challenging to find a show with releasable sound quality that featured all the music special to that particular time period. The Colorado Springs tapes, while from an unidentified venue, offer a number of great performances of the repertoire along with presentable sound quality. Patches to fill in gaps left by reels of tape running out were taken from The Mothers’ Salt Lake City, Utah show from March 18.

During the ’74 tour, Zappa introduced several new compositions and refinements. “Is There Anything Good Inside Of You?” (also known as “Andy”) and “Florentine Pogen” were brand new, while the rarely played “Babbette” was ingeniously connected to the still fairly new “Approximate.” “Inca Roads” underwent constant change throughout the tour. As was his custom, Zappa recorded every show on his _-inch 4-track tape machine. While the sound quality of these tapes varies, they contain historically significant variants of songs that never repeated on any other tours.

The Dayton, Ohio show from November 20, featured on Discs 4 and 5, is particularly noteworthy. Not only do the tapes sound very good (despite some intermittent distortion in the right channel), but the show also captures one of Zappa’s most beloved band lineups at the height of their powers. This six-piece collective, consisting of Zappa, George Duke, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Tom Fowler, Chester Thompson, and Ruth Underwood, is considered by many fans to be one of the best groups Zappa ever assembled. Their performance of songs like “Penguin In Bondage,” “Dinah-Moe Humm,” and “Pygmy Twylyte” showcases their exceptional chemistry and musicianship.

In related news, “Frank Zappa For President,” a compilation originally released in 2016 that highlights Zappa’s political side, saw its wide vinyl release on July 19. Available on 180-gram black 2LP vinyl, this

release features three sides of music and a silk-screened FZ image on side 4. A limited Mystery Vinyl Edition, available exclusively through select retailers, offers fans the chance to receive the album on red, white, or blue vinyl, each limited to 1,000 units worldwide.

The “Frank Zappa For President” album is a fascinating exploration of Zappa’s political interests, featuring unreleased compositions performed on the Synclavier, along with other relevant tracks mined from The Vault. It serves as a reminder of Zappa’s brief flirtation with running for president in 1991 and showcases his keen insight into political and social issues.

As we approach the September release date of the “Apostrophe (‘)” 50th Anniversary Edition, it’s clear that Frank Zappa’s legacy continues to resonate with audiences old and new. This comprehensive reissue not only celebrates a landmark album but also provides a fascinating glimpse into the creative process of one of rock music’s most innovative and uncompromising artists.

The influence of “Apostrophe (‘)” extends far beyond its commercial success. Songs like “Cosmik Debris,” with its scathing indictment of gurus and psychics, and “Uncle Remus,” which explores racial inequality, demonstrate Zappa’s ability to blend social commentary with complex musical arrangements. The album’s enduring popularity is a testament to Zappa’s unique ability to create music that is simultaneously challenging and accessible.

For Zappa fans and music enthusiasts alike, this 50th Anniversary Edition promises to be an essential addition to their collections, offering new insights and perspectives on a truly seminal work. It’s a celebration of an artist who continually pushed the boundaries of what was possible in rock music, challenging listeners while never compromising his artistic vision.

As we reflect on the legacy of “Apostrophe (‘)” fifty years on, it’s clear that Frank Zappa’s impact on music and culture remains as potent as ever. This reissue serves not just as a nostalgic look back, but as a reaffirmation of Zappa’s enduring relevance and the timeless quality of his artistic output. For both long-time fans and newcomers to Zappa’s work, the “Apostrophe (‘)” 50th Anniversary Edition offers an unparalleled opportunity to dive deep into the mind of a true musical genius.

FRANK ZAPPA: APOSTROPHE (’) 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITIONS

Tracklists

5CD + 1BLU-RAY AUDIO SUPER DELUXE EDITION CD 1

Apostrophe (’) – The Original Album –2024 Remaster + Album Session Bonus Tracks

The Original Album

1. Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow

2. Nanook Rubs It

3. St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast

4. Father O’Blivion

5. Cosmik Debris

6. Excentrifugal Forz

7. Apostrophe’

8. Uncle Remus

9. Stink-Foot

Album Session Bonus Tracks

10. Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow (Basic Tracks / Alternate Take)

11. Nanook Rubs It (Basic Tracks / Outtake)

12. Nanook Rubs It (Session Outtake)

13. Cosmik Debris (Basic Tracks – Take 3)

14. Excentrifugal Forz (Mix Outtake)

15. Apostrophe (Mix Outtake)

16. Uncle Remus (Mix Outtake)

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Zappa’s ‘Apostrophe (‘)

17. Apostrophe’ (Unedited Master / 2024 Mix)

18. Uncle Remus (Piano and Vocal Mix 2024)

CD 2

Bonus Concert 1 – Colorado Springs, CO 1974

1. Show Start / Band Intros

2. Village Of The Sun

3. Echidna’s Arf (Of You)

4. Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing?

5. Babbette

6. Approximate

7. Cosmik Debris

8. Pygmy Twylyte

9. The Idiot Bastard Son

10. Cheepnis

11. Montana

12. Dupree’s Paradise Intro

CD 3

Bonus Concert 1 – Colorado Springs, CO 1974

Continued

1. Dupree’s Paradise

2. Is There Anything Good Inside You?

3. Florentine Pogen

4. Kung Fu

5. Penguin In Bondage

6. T’Mershi Duween

7. The Dog Breath Variations

8. Uncle Meat

9. RDNZL

10. Medley: King Kong / Chunga’s Revenge / Son Of Mr. Green Genes

CD 4

Early 1974 Bonus Live Track + Bonus Concert 2 – Dayton, Ohio, Hara Arena, November 20, 1974

Early 1974 Bonus Live Track

1. Inca Roads – Salt Lake City, Utah – 3-1874 – Terrace Ballroom

Bonus Concert 2 – Dayton, Ohio, Hara Arena, November 20, 1974

2. Tush Tush Tush (A Token Of My Extreme)

3. Stink-Foot

4. RDNZL

5. Village Of The Sun

6. Echidna’s Arf (Of You)

7. Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing?

8. Penguin In Bondage

9. T’Mershi Duween

10. The Dog Breath Variations

11. Uncle Meat

12. Building A Girl

CD 5

Bonus Concert 2 – Dayton, Ohio, Hara Arena, November 20, 1974 (Continued) + Bonus Tracks

Bonus Concert 2 – Dayton, Ohio, Hara

Arena, November 20, 1974

Continued

1. Dinah-Moe Humm

2. Camarillo Brillo

3. Pygmy Twylyte

4. Room Service

5. Tush Tush Tush (End Vamp)

6. Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow

7. Nanook Rubs It

8. St. Alfonso’s Pancake Breakfast

9. Father O’Blivion

Bonus Tracks

10. Apostrophe TV Ad

11. Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow – Single Edit

12. Goteborg GTR

13. Approximate

BLU-RAY AUDIO

Apostrophe (’) – The Album

Dolby Atmos / Dolby TrueHD 5.1 / Dolby

TrueHD 1974 Quadraphonic / 24-bit/192kHz Stereo / 24-bit/96kHz Stereo

1. Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow

2. Nanook Rubs It

3. St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast

4. Father O’Blivion

5. Cosmik Debris

6. Excentrifugal Forz

7. Apostrophe’

8. Uncle Remus

9. Stink-Foot

10.

2LP + 7-INCH – VINYL EDITION

LP One – Side 1

1. Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow

2. Nanook Rubs It

3. St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast

4. Father O’Blivion

5. Cosmik Debris

LP One – Side 2

1. Excentrifugal Forz

2. Apostrophe’

3. Uncle Remus

4. Stink-Foot

LP Two – Side 3

1. Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow (Basic Tracks / Alternate Take)

2. Nanook Rubs It (Session Outtake)

3. Excentrifugal Force (Mix Outtake)

4. Apostrophe’ (Unedited Master / 2024 Mix)

3. Uncle Remus (Piano and Vocal Mix 2024)

4. …the poodle bites…

LP Two – Side 4

1. Cosmik Debris (Live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, 3-21-74)

3. Approximate – Bale (Live in Basel, Switzerland, 10-1-74)

4. Goteborg GTR (Live in Gothenburg, Sweden, 9-25-74)

3. Apostrophe TV Ad

7-Inch – Side 1

1.Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow

2.

1LP – VINYL EDITION

Side 1

1. Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow

2. Nanook Rubs It

3. St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast

4. Father O’Blivion

5. Cosmik Debris

Side 2

1. Excentrifugal Forz

2. Apostrophe

3. Uncle Remus

4. Stink-Foot

FRANK ZAPPA FOR PRESIDENT TRACKLISTING

LP1

Side 1

1. Overture To “Uncle Sam”

Side 2

1. Brown Shoes Don’t Make (Remix)

2. Amnerika (Vocal Version)

3. “If I Was President”

LP2

Side 3

1. When The Lie’s So Big

2. Medieval Ensemble

3. America The Beautiful

Side 4

No Music – Silk Screen Image of FZ & American Flag Rock And Blues

Photo Credit: Michael Schmelling

“From Off-Grid to On Top: Tim Montana’s ‘Savage’ Ignites a Rock Revolution, Redefining the Genre for a New Era”

By Nathan Pugh

In a year that has seen its fair share of musical breakthroughs, one album stands head and shoulders above the rest, captivating audiences and critics alike with its raw energy, authentic storytelling, and uncompromising sound. Tim Montana’s debut rock album “Savage,” released on July 12th, has not just entered the music scene – it has conquered it, ushering in a new era of rock that pays homage to the genre’s roots while boldly pushing it into the future.

Since its release, “Savage” has

become a phenomenon, defying industry expectations and shattering records. The album debuted at an astounding #3 on the Billboard Rock Albums chart and claimed the #1 spot on the Heatseekers Albums chart, a testament to Montana’s ability to connect with both established rock fans and newcomers to the genre. But perhaps most impressively, “Savage” has maintained its position in the top 10 for an unprecedented 12 consecutive weeks, a feat not achieved by a rock debut album in over a decade.

The album’s lead single, “Devil You Know,” which had already made significant waves prior to the full album

release, has now reached the coveted #1 spot on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, where it has held its position for an impressive eight weeks. This extended reign at the top spots has drawn comparisons to the early successes of rock legends like Guns N’ Roses and Nirvana, with many industry insiders speculating that we may be witnessing the birth of the next great rock icon.

Critics have been unanimous in their praise for “Savage,” with reviews that read like love letters to rock ‘n’ roll itself. Rolling Stone awarded the album a

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Tim Montana

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rare 5-star rating, calling it “a tour de force of modern hard rock, blending gritty authenticity with radio-ready hooks. Montana doesn’t just wear his influences on his sleeve – he sets them on fire and forges something entirely new from the ashes.” Revolver magazine declared it “the most exciting rock debut of the year, possibly the decade,” while Loudwire, who had previously named “Devil You Know” one of the best rock songs of 2023, has now placed “Savage” at the top of their mid-year list of best rock albums, praising its “perfect balance of aggression and melody, rawness and polish.”

The album’s 11 tracks, each a potent blend of hard-hitting riffs, introspective lyrics, and Montana’s distinctive vocals, have resonated strongly with listeners across demographics. Tracks like “Get You Some” and “Die Today” have quickly become anthems for a new generation of rock fans, with their music videos racking up over 50 million views each on YouTube within weeks of release. The power ballad “Ashes” has struck a particularly deep chord, becoming something of a cultural touchstone, with fans using the hashtag #SavageStrength to share personal stories of overcoming adversity.

Montana’s journey from an off-thegrid upbringing in Montana to the top of the rock charts is a story that seems almost too cinematic to be true. Raised in a trailer without electricity or running water, Montana taught himself to play guitar by candlelight, using an instrument he built himself from spare parts. This hardscrabble background infuses every note of “Savage” with an authenticity that’s impossible to fake, and it’s a large part of what’s drawing fans to his music in droves.

In a recent in-depth interview with Guitar World, Montana reflected on the

album’s runaway success: “It’s surreal, man. I’ve been fighting to make this kind of music for years, and to see it connect with people on this level... it’s beyond anything I could have imagined. But at the same time, it feels right. Like this is what I was always meant to do, you know? Every hardship, every setback, it was all leading to this moment.”

The success of “Savage” has led to a surge in demand for Montana’s live performances, turning his summer tour supporting Bush, Jerry Cantrell, and Candlebox into the hottest ticket in rock. Venues across the country have been selling out in record time, with scalpers demanding premium prices for a chance to see Montana perform. His recent performance at the Hollywood Bowl was hailed by The Los Angeles Times as “a revelation - the raw power of vintage rock ‘n’ roll reborn for a new generation. Montana doesn’t just play rock; he embodies it, channeling the spirits of Hendrix, Cobain, and Grohl while remaining uniquely, defiantly himself.”

In response to the overwhelming demand, Montana’s management has announced an extension of his fall tour with Seether and Skillet, adding 20 more dates across North America. Major festivals have also taken notice, with Montana now confirmed for headline slots at some of the biggest rock events of 2025, including Rock on the Range, Welcome to Rockville, and for the first time in his career, the UK’s legendary Download Festival.

The impact of “Savage” extends far beyond chart positions and ticket sales. Montana’s raw, honest approach to songwriting has struck a chord with listeners from all walks of life, many of whom have taken to social media to share how the album has affected them personally. The track “Ashes,” a poignant reflection on loss and resilience, has become particularly significant for many fans, with Montana receiving countless messages about how the song has helped people through difficult

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Tim Montana

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times. In response, Montana has partnered with several mental health organizations to launch the “Savage Healing” initiative, using his platform to raise awareness and funds for mental health support services.

Montana’s success has also shone a spotlight on his roots. The historic Wise River Club in Montana, which he purchased with ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons, has become a pilgrimage site for fans, with guided tours now offered to meet the growing demand. Montana recently hosted a special album release party at the venue, streaming it live for fans around the world. The event, which featured surprise appearances from rock legends including Dave Grohl, Joan Jett, and Slash, trended globally on social media and further amplified the buzz surrounding “Savage.”

In the wake of the album’s success, Montana has been making the rounds on late-night television and major music outlets. His recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he performed a blistering rendition of “Devil You Know,” was particularly notable. The performance clip went viral, amassing over 20 million views in 48 hours and introducing Montana to an even wider audience. This led to a series of highprofile bookings, including a coveted

musical guest spot on Saturday Night Live and a one-hour primetime special on MTV, “Tim Montana: The Savage Road,” chronicling his journey from obscurity to stardom.

The music industry has taken notice of Montana’s meteoric rise, with accolades pouring in from all corners. He’s already been named Revolver’s “Artist of the Year” and claimed the “Best New Artist” title at the Loudwire Music Awards. There are strong whispers of multiple Grammy nominations, with many industry insiders predicting nods for Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song, and the prestigious Best New Artist category. Montana, however, remains characteristically humble about such speculation. “I’m just grateful people are connecting with the music,” he said in a recent radio interview. “Everything else is just icing on the cake. The real reward is getting to play these songs every night and see how they affect people.”

Looking ahead, Montana shows no signs of slowing down. He’s already hinted at work beginning on a follow-up album, promising fans that this is just the beginning of his rock ‘n’ roll journey. In a move that’s sent shockwaves through the industry, he’s announced plans to produce and star in a feature-length film based on his life story, with Oscar-

winning director Kathryn Bigelow attached to the project.

His winter 2025 tour as direct support for Myles Kennedy is now one of the most anticipated events in the rock calendar, with pre-sales breaking records for several venues. There’s also buzz about a possible stadium tour in the summer of 2025, which would solidify Montana’s status as rock’s newest heavyweight.

“Savage” has not only launched Tim Montana’s career into the stratosphere but has also injected a muchneeded dose of authenticity and raw energy into the rock scene. In an era where genre boundaries are increasingly blurred, Montana’s unabashed embrace of classic rock values combined with his forward-thinking approach to songwriting and production has carved out a unique space in the musical landscape.

As we move into the latter half of 2024, one thing is abundantly clear: Tim Montana is not just a rising star, he’s a supernova, and “Savage” is the album that lit the fuse on a new rock revolution. From the gritty confines of an off-grid trailer to the top of the rock world, Tim Montana’s journey is a testament to the enduring power of rock ‘n’ roll and the impact of staying true to one’s artistic vision.

As “Savage” continues to dominate airwaves, inspire fans, and influence a new generation of musicians around the world, it’s evident that this is more than just an album - it’s a cultural touchstone, a rallying cry for authentic, passionate music in an often overly polished industry. Tim Montana, with his unwavering commitment to his craft and his roots, is leading this charge, redefining what it means to be a rock star in the 21st century.

In the grand tapestry of rock history, “Savage” and Tim Montana have carved out a place that will be remembered for years to come. As the rock world watches with bated breath to see what he’ll do next, one thing is certain: the savagery has only just begun.

Finnish Modern Metal Sensation ARCTIS Takes the World by Storm

ARCTIS online:

WEBSITE @ https://arctis.bandzoogle.com/

FACEBOOK @ https://www.facebook.com/arctisofficial

INSTAGRAM @ https://www.instagram.com/arctisofficial/ TIKTOK @ https://www.tiktok.com/

By Nathan Pugh

In a groundbreaking development that has sent shockwaves through the global metal community, Finnish modern metal powerhouse ARCTIS has officially signed a record deal with renowned label Napalm Records. This monumental partnership marks the beginning of what industry insiders are already hailing as a new era in the evolution of modern metal, promising to redefine the boundaries of heavy music and captivate audiences worldwide.

ARCTIS, a band that has been steadily building buzz in the underground metal scene, is poised to explode onto the international stage with a unique sound that fearlessly blends the raw power of metal with the catchy hooks of rock and pop. Drawing inspiration from the mythical winters and mystical summers of their Nordic homeland, ARCTIS has crafted a sonic identity that is as vast and aweinspiring as the Arctic landscapes that share their name.

At the helm of this formidable musical force is the enigmatic Alva

Sandström, whose mesmerizing vocals and striking stage presence have already earned her the moniker of “Ice Queen Rebel Leader” among the band’s growing fanbase. Clad in a shining white battle suit that seems to glow with an otherworldly light, Alva cuts a figure that is both fierce and ethereal, embodying the dual nature of ARCTIS’ music - at once brutal and beautiful. Her powerful voice, capable of both soaring melodies and guttural growls, serves as the perfect conduit for the band’s complex narratives and emotional depth.

Flanking Alva are the dark-clad, valiant men who form the backbone of ARCTIS’ sound. Björn Johansson, known as “the Captain,” leads the charge with his unwavering guitar work and leadership skills. His riffs are the foundation upon which ARCTIS builds its sonic castles, blending technical prowess with an innate understanding of what makes a song truly memorable. Michael Mikander, dubbed “the Magician,” weaves spells with his mystical guitar abilities, his solos dancing between dimensions and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on six strings.

Mats Ödahl, “the Rambler,” infuses the band’s sound with a wild, untamed spirit on bass. His thunderous low-end provides the perfect counterpoint to the guitarists’ pyrotechnics, grounding the music while simultaneously propelling it forward. Rounding out the lineup is Mika Paananen, “the Sage,” whose profound drumming elevates ARCTIS’ message to new heights. More than just keeping time, Mika’s drumming is a crucial element of the band’s storytelling, his rhythms evoking the pulse of ancient forests and the crash of Arctic waves.

The signing with Napalm Records is just the beginning of what promises to be an exciting journey for ARCTIS. The label, known for its keen ear and ability to spot emerging talent, sees in ARCTIS a band with the potential to reshape the metal landscape. In a statement, Napalm Records expressed their excitement about the partnership, saying, “ARCTIS represents the future of metal. Their unique blend of heavy riffs, captivating melodies, and rich storytelling is exactly what the genre needs right now. We’re thrilled to be part of their journey and can’t wait for the world to hear what they have in store.”

Adding to the excitement, the band has announced that they will be embarking on a tour with Finnish symphonic metal masters Apocalyptica, a pairing that has metal fans around the world buzzing with anticipation. This tour is set to be a showcase of the best that modern Finnish metal has to offer, blending ARCTIS’ fresh, innovative sound with Apocalyptica’s established mastery of symphonic metal. The combination promises to be a feast for the ears, offering audiences a chance to experience the full spectrum of what modern metal can be.

But perhaps the most exciting news for fans is the announcement of ARCTIS’ self-titled debut album, set to be released this fall. Produced by Jimmy Westerlund, known for his work with Sturm und Drang, mixed by Stefan Glaumann of Rammstein fame, and mastered by the renowned Svante Forsbäck, also known for his work with Rammstein, the album promises to be a tour de force of modern metal production. This dream team of producers and engineers brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of creating sonically stunning and commercially successful metal albums.

The band has teased that their first single will be released soon, giving fans their first taste of what ARCTIS has in store. If the buzz surrounding the band is any indication, this single is set to take the metal world by storm, potentially redefining what modern metal can be in the

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Finnish Modern Metal Sensation ARCTIS Takes the World by Storm - cont’d

process. Speculation is rife about what the single will sound like, with fans eagerly dissecting every hint and teaser the band has dropped on social media.

What sets ARCTIS apart from their contemporaries is not just their music, but the rich lore and backstory they’ve created to accompany their sonic assault. The band offers a multi-dimensional experience for fans, with a deep mythology that extends beyond the realm of music. This approach to world-building has already captured the imagination of fans, who are eagerly piecing together the narrative threads woven throughout ARCTIS’ work.

The band’s mythology draws heavily from Nordic folklore and futuristic sci-fi concepts, creating a unique universe where ancient magic and advanced technology coexist. Each band member has their own detailed backstory and role within this universe, adding depth to their stage personas and giving fans multiple entry points into the world of ARCTIS. This rich narrative tapestry not only enhances the listening experience but also opens up possibilities for expansion into other media, such as graphic novels, video games, and even film or television adaptations.

In a statement released by the band, ARCTIS declared, “Get ready to experience the next chapter of modern metal! We are ARCTIS, a new force rising from the heart of Finland, and we are beyond thrilled to announce that we will be joining the legendary Apocalyptica on their fall tour! Our debut album is dropping this fall, with singles set to blow your minds before then. Prepare for an onslaught of powerful riffs, epic melodies, and the raw energy you’ve been craving. Follow us on this journey as we bring the storm. Are you ready? Stay tuned for more updates and tour dates. This is just the beginning.”

The metal community has responded to this announcement with overwhelming enthusiasm. Fan forums and social media platforms are abuzz with speculation about what ARCTIS will bring to the table, with many predicting that the band could be the next big thing in metal. The hashtag #ARCTISiscoming has been trending on various platforms, with fans sharing their excitement and theories about the band’s music and lore.

Industry experts are also taking notice. Metal Hammer magazine has already featured ARCTIS in their “Bands to Watch” section, praising their innovative

approach to metal and predicting big things for their future. The magazine’s editor was quoted as saying, “ARCTIS represents a new wave in metal, one that respects the genre’s roots while fearlessly pushing its boundaries. Their ability to blend heavy riffs with intricate storytelling and pop sensibilities makes them a band to watch in the coming years.”

Meanwhile, Kerrang! has described ARCTIS’ sound as “a perfect storm of crushing riffs, soaring melodies, and Nordic mysticism.” The publication went on to say, “In a genre that often struggles to innovate, ARCTIS feels like a breath of fresh, Arctic air. They’re not just making music; they’re creating an entire world for fans to lose themselves in.”

As the release date for their debut album draws nearer, the anticipation continues to build. Fans are eagerly awaiting tour dates and ticket information, with many already planning road trips to catch ARCTIS live. The band’s management has hinted at a series of music video releases in the lead-up to the album drop, each one promising to further expand the rich world of ARCTIS and give fans more pieces of the puzzle to decipher.

The band’s commitment to their craft extends beyond just the music. ARCTIS has announced plans for an immersive live show that will incorporate elements of their mythology, promising concertgoers an experience that goes beyond the typical metal gig. Rumors of elaborate stage designs, cutting-edge visual effects, and even interactive elements have only added to the excitement surrounding their upcoming tour.

In a genre that often struggles to innovate, ARCTIS represents a breath of fresh, Arctic air. Their unique blend of metal, rock, and pop, combined with their rich storytelling and mythological elements, offers something truly new and exciting for metal fans. As they prepare to unleash their music upon the world, one thing is clear: ARCTIS is a force to be reckoned with, and they’re just getting started.

The impact of ARCTIS extends beyond just the music scene. Their emphasis on Nordic mythology and futuristic themes has caught the attention of scholars in fields ranging from folklore studies to futurism. Several universities have expressed interest in using ARCTIS’ work as a case study in modern mythmaking and the intersection of

traditional storytelling with contemporary media.

Environmental groups have also taken notice of the band’s name and thematic elements, seeing an opportunity to raise awareness about Arctic conservation. Discussions are underway for potential collaborations that would see ARCTIS using their platform to highlight important environmental issues, particularly those affecting the Arctic region.

As the release date for their debut album approaches, the music industry is watching closely. Many see ARCTIS as a potential game-changer, a band capable of bridging the gap between metal’s core audience and a broader listenership. If successful, they could open doors for a new wave of metal bands, encouraging experimentation and genre-blending in a way that could revitalize the entire metal scene.

The metal world watches with bated breath as ARCTIS prepares to make their grand entrance. Will they live up to the hype? Can they truly redefine modern metal? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain - the storm is coming, and ARCTIS is at its eye. Prepare yourselves, metal fans. The Arctic winds are about to blow, and they’re bringing with them a sound unlike anything you’ve heard before. The revolution starts now, and its name is ARCTIS.

Tour w/Apocalyptica

11.11.24 LX - Esch Alzette

12.11.24 BE - Brussels

13.11.24 FR - Paris

14.11.24 FR - Bordeaux

15.11.24 ES - Bilbao

17.11.24 PT - Lisbon

18.11.24 ES - Madrid

19.11.24 ES - Barcelona

20.11.24 FR - Marseille

21.11.24 IT - Milan

22.11.24 CH - Lausanne

23.11.24 CH - Zurich

25.11.24 HU - Budapest

26.11.24 RO - Cluj

27.11.24 RO - Bucharest

28.11.24 BU - Sofia

29.11.24 MK - Skopje

30.11.24 RS - Belgrade

Seether Unleashes Ninth Studio Album

“The Surface Seems So Far” and Announces Fall Co-Headlining Tour with Skillet

Photo credit: Alex Berger

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By Sheena Johnson

Rock titans Seether are poised to make a thunderous return this fall with their highly anticipated ninth studio album, “The Surface Seems So Far,” set for release on September 20th via Fantasy Records. The South Africanborn band, celebrated for their raw emotional depth and uncompromising sound, continues to push the boundaries of rock music while remaining true to their hard-hitting roots.

The album’s blistering first single, “Judas Mind,” has already been unleashed upon eager fans. Frontman and principal songwriter Shaun Morgan elucidates on the track’s meaning: “It’s about rising up against people who have a vision for you that you don’t share.” This powerful opener sets the tone for what promises to be an intense and introspective musical journey.

“The Surface Seems So Far” is a collection of 11 unapologetically aggressive tracks that showcase Seether’s signature blend of introspection and forceful rock. Produced by Morgan himself, with veteran producer Matt Hyde (known for his work with Deftones and Slayer) serving as engineer and mixer, the album delves deep into themes of melancholy, self-reflection, and raw emotion. Tracks like “Regret,” “Same Mistakes,” and “Dead on the Vine” are poised to take listeners on an honest and exhilarating ride through the band’s evolving sonic landscape.

The album, available for pre-order on vinyl and CD and pre-save on digital streaming platforms, follows their 2020 release “Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum,” which boasted three No. 1 hits. Fans can expect a perfect balance of catchy hooks and driving bombast, emphasizing the album’s many emotional twists and turns.

To support the release, Seether will embark on an extensive co-headlining tour with Skillet this fall. The 18-date U.S. tour launches on September 17th in Asheville and will crisscross the country, hitting major cities including Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Albuquerque, and Denver before concluding on October 20th in Minneapolis. The band will also make highly anticipated appearances at the Louder Than Life and Aftershock festivals

Website @ https://seether.com/ Facebook?@ https://www.facebook.com/seether/ X/Twitter @ https://x.com/Seether

Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/seether/ TikTok @ https://www.tiktok.com/@seetherofficial YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/@SeetherOfficial

Spotify @

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6B5c4sch27tWHAGdarpPaW Apple Music @ https://music.apple.com/us/artist/seether/92713141

during the tour run.

Seether’s journey began in 1999 in Pretoria, South Africa, where they initially formed under the name Saron Gas. After releasing their debut album “Fragile” in 2000, they caught the attention of Wind-Up Records in the United States. The band changed their name to Seether and released their U.S. debut, “Disclaimer,” in 2002, featuring the breakthrough hit single “Fine Again.”

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Over the past two decades, Seether has become one of the most enduring acts to emerge from the post-grunge and alternative metal scene of the early 2000s. They’ve amassed an impressive catalog of hits, including “Broken” (which featured Amy Lee of Evanescence), “Remedy,” “Fake It,” and “Words as Weapons.” With five gold and platinum albums and an astounding two

Seether

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dozen Billboard Rock Airplay Top 10 hits (including 20 No. 1s at U.S. radio), Seether has solidified their place in rock music history.

The current lineup consists of Shaun Morgan (vocals, guitar), Dale Stewart (bass), John Humphrey (drums), and Corey Lowery (guitar). Together, they’ve crafted a sound that blends grunge influences with hard rock, creating a unique sonic identity that resonates with fans worldwide. Their ability to evolve while maintaining their core sound has been key to their longevity in the ever-changing rock landscape.

Beyond their musical achievements, Seether has also been committed to raising awareness for important causes. For nearly a decade, they founded and ran the annual Rise Above Fest, which aimed to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental illness, showcasing their dedication to using their platform for positive change.

As Seether prepares to release “The Surface Seems So Far,” fans can

expect an album that stays true to the band’s ethos of authenticity and emotional honesty. Morgan’s production, combined with the band’s tight musicianship, promises to deliver an album that’s both familiar and fresh. The new material is set to captivate both longtime followers and newcomers alike with its blend of memorable hooks, driving rhythms, and unapologetic rock spirit.

With their upcoming album and tour, Seether continues to prove that they are as vibrant and relevant as ever, cementing their status as one of rock music’s most enduring and influential acts. As they enter this new chapter of their career, Seether remains a beacon of integrity in the rock music world, consistently delivering powerful performances and emotionally resonant music that connects deeply with their audience.

As the September 20th release date approaches, anticipation builds for what could be one of the most impactful rock albums of the year. With “The Surface Seems So Far,” Seether is poised to add another impressive chapter to their

already storied career, reaffirming their position at the forefront of modern rock. The Surface Seems So Far Track Listing

1. Judas Mind

2. Illusion

3. Beneath the Veil

4. Semblance of Me

5. Walls Come Down

6. Try to Heal

7. Paint the World

8. Same Mistakes

9. Lost All Control

10. Dead on the Vine

11. Regret

SEETHER TOUR DATES

July 14 – Quebec, Canada @ Festival d’ete de Quebec ^

August 12 – Lewisburg, WV @ State Fair of West Virginia ^

September 17 – Asheville, NC @ ExploreAsheville.com Arena

September 19 – Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six

September 20 – Boston, MA @ Roadrunner

September 21 – Bethlehem, PA @ Wind Creek Event Center

September 23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE

September 24 – Chicago, IL @ Radius

September 26 – Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life ^

September 27 – Huntington, WV @ Marshall Health Arena

September 28 – Detroit, MI @ WRIF Riff Fest ^

October 2 – Kansas City, MO @ Midland

October 3 – Maryland Heights, MO @ St. Louis Music Park

October 5 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Lawn

October 6 – Dallas, TX @ Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie

October 8 – Lubbock, TX @ Lonestar Events Center

October 9 – Albuquerque, NM @ Revel

October 11 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre

October 12 – San Diego, CA @ KIOZ Radio Show ^

October 13 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival ^

October 15 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom

October 18 – Omaha, NE @ The Astro Amphitheater

October 19 – Des Moines, IA @ Vibrant

October 20 – Minneapolis, MN @ Armory

^ indicates non-Skillet show/ festival date

Find Enter Shikari Online

Website @ https://www.entershikari.com/ Twitter @ https://x.com/ENTERSHIKARI Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/entershikari/ Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/entershikari TikTok @ https://www.tiktok.com/@entershikari

By Nathan Pugh

British rock innovators Enter Shikari have once again pushed the boundaries of their genre-defying sound with the release of “Dancing On The Frontline,” a companion album to their critically acclaimed UK #1 record “A Kiss for the Whole World.” This new offering, available now via SO Record-

ings, serves as a testament to the band’s creative versatility and their commitment to delivering fresh experiences to their dedicated fanbase.

“Dancing On The Frontline” is a treasure trove for Enter Shikari enthusiasts, bringing together an eclectic mix of remixes, non-album singles, and exclusive session

tracks. The album features collaborations with a diverse array of artists, including Wargasm, Cody Frost, AViVA, and Fever 333’s Jason Aalon Butler, showcasing the band’s ability to seamlessly blend their signature sound with various musical styles.

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Photo credit: Paul Harries

Enter Shikari

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One of the highlights of this release is the inclusion of session tracks originally recorded for BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show and Future Sounds programs. These recordings offer fans a unique perspective on Enter Shikari’s raw energy and musical prowess in a more intimate setting, demonstrating the band’s ability to translate their complex arrangements into powerful live performances.

Adding to the album’s appeal is the accompanying Blu-ray, which features two of the band’s electrifying live performances. Fans can witness Enter Shikari’s headline set at the UK’s Slam Dunk Festival in 2023 and their performance at Germany’s Vainstream Festival in the summer of 2022. Both shows have been expertly edited by the band’s longtime visual collaborator, Oleg Rooz, ensuring a captivating visual experience that complements the band’s dynamic sound and showcases their evolution as live performers.

The release of “Dancing On The Frontline” comes on the heels of Enter Shikari’s global tour in support of “A Kiss For The Whole World.” This parent album, released in April 2023, marked a significant milestone for the band, becoming their first UK number one record. The album’s success is a testament to Enter Shikari’s continued relevance and their ability to connect with audiences through their unique blend of rock, electronic, and experimental sounds.

“A Kiss For The Whole World” saw the band exploring themes of hope, resilience, and human connection in a post-pandemic world. The album’s lead single, “(Pls) Set Me on Fire,” set the tone with its urgent energy and introspective lyrics, while tracks like “It Hurts” and “Bloodshot” showcased the band’s ability to balance intricate electronic elements with hard-hitting rock instrumentation.

The band’s renowned live show has since graced stages across the USA, Australia, Europe, UK, and Ireland, cementing their reputation as one of the most exciting live acts in contemporary rock music. Their recent UK, Netherlands, and Germany tour in February 2024 was particularly noteworthy, with The Guardian awarding their performance four stars and declaring it “the beginning of Enter Shikari’s greatest chapter.”

Looking ahead, Enter Shikari shows no signs of slowing down. The band has announced an extensive North American tour for October and November 2024, bringing along special guests You Me At Six and Australian pop-punk outfit Yours Truly as

openers. This tour promises to be another milestone in Enter Shikari’s illustrious career, offering fans across the continent a chance to experience their genre-bending soundscapes and high-energy performances.

Enter Shikari’s journey to this point has been nothing short of remarkable. Formed in Hertfordshire, England in 2003, the band - comprising vocalist Rou Reynolds, guitarist Liam “Rory” Clewlow, bassist Chris Batten, and drummer Rob Rolfe - quickly established themselves as innovators in the UK rock scene. Their unique blend of posthardcore, alternative rock, and electronic elements set them apart from their contemporaries from the very beginning.

The band’s DIY ethos was evident from the start, with their first full-length album, “Take to the Skies,” released in 2007 on their own label, Ambush Reality. The album’s success, including a gold certification in the UK, set the stage for a career defined by musical exploration and consistent growth. This debut album, with its fusion of post-hardcore aggression and electronic experimentation, laid the groundwork for Enter Shikari’s signature sound.

Over the years, Enter Shikari has continued to evolve their sound, with each album pushing the boundaries of what rock music can be. Their sophomore effort, “Common Dreads” (2009), saw the band incorporating more electronic elements and addressing political themes, a trend that

would continue throughout their career. “A Flash Flood of Colour” (2012) further expanded their sonic palette, blending dubstep influences with their rock foundation and tackling global issues in their lyrics.

The release of “The Mindsweep” in 2015 marked another evolution, with the band exploring more complex arrangements and diverse instrumentation. This was followed by “The Spark” (2017), which saw Enter Shikari taking a more introspective approach, with Rou Reynolds drawing from personal experiences to create a more emotionally charged album.

Their 2020 release, “Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible,” marked a new high point for the band, showcasing their most eclectic mix of styles to date and reaching number two on the UK album charts. This ambitious album saw the band experimenting with orchestral arrangements, drum and bass rhythms, and even folk influences, all while maintaining their core sound.

Throughout their career, Enter Shikari has garnered a reputation for electrifying live performances, blending visual spectacle with their sonically diverse catalogue. Their shows have become must-see events, known for their energy, passion, and the deep connection forged between the band and their audience. The band has headlined major festivals and sold out venues across the globe, including a

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Enter Shikari

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memorable performance at London’s Alexandra Palace in 2016, which was later released as a live album.

Enter Shikari’s impact extends beyond their music. The band has been vocal about social and political issues, using their platform to raise awareness about climate change, mental health, and social inequality. Their commitment to these causes is reflected not only in their lyrics but also in their actions, such as their efforts to make their tours more environmentally sustainable.

With the release of “Dancing On The Frontline,” Enter Shikari continues to demonstrate why they remain at the forefront of innovative rock music. This companion album not only celebrates their recent successes but also offers a glimpse into the creative process and collaborative spirit that has defined their career. It stands as a testament to the band’s willingness to experiment and push themselves creatively, even as they celebrate their achievements.

As Enter Shikari prepares to embark on their upcoming North American tour, fans old and new can look forward to experiencing the band’s evolution firsthand. “Dancing On The Frontline” serves as both a retrospective of their recent work and a promise of more groundbreaking music to come from this consistently surprising and sonically invigorating band. With their unique blend of genres, thought-provoking lyrics, and electrifying live performances, Enter Shikari continues to solidify their position as one of the most exciting and innovative bands in contemporary rock music.

Dancing On The Frontline

Enter Shikari

Tracklisting:

1 Goldfish (Shikari Sound System remix)

2Bloodshot (Shikari Sound System remix)

3The Void Stares Back (feat. Wargasm)

4Bull (feat. Cody Frost)

5STRANGERS (feat. AViVA)

6Losing My Grip (feat. Jason Aalon Butler)

7It Hurts (BBC Radio 1 Future Sounds session version)

8Bull feat. Cody Frost (BBC Radio 1 Future Sounds session version)

9(pls) set me on fire (BBC Radio 1 Rock Show session version)

10A Kiss For The Whole World (BBC Radio 1 Rock Show session version)

11Bloodshot (BBC Radio 1 Rock Show session version)

Wed 10/9/24 Dallas, TX, South Side Music Hall Thu 10/10/24 Austin, TX, Empire Garage Sat 10/12/24 Houston, TX, Warehouse live Midtown Mon 10/14/24 Orlando, FL, The Beacham

Wed 10/16/24 Washington, DC, Howard Theater

Thu 10/17/24 Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer Fri 10/18/24 Boston, MA, Paradise Rock Club

Sat 10/19/24 New York, NY, Palladium Mon 10/21/24 Montreal, QC, Théâtre Beanfield

Wed 10/23/24 Toronto, ON, Danforth Music Hall

Thu 10/24/24 Chicago, IL, Metro Fri 10/25/24 Minneapolis, MN, First Ave

Sat 10/26/24 Davenport, IA, Capitol Theatre

Sun 10/27/24 St Louis, MO, Red Flag

Tue 10/29/24 Denver, CO, Gothic Theater

Wed 10/30/24 Salt Lake City, UT, The Complex Fri 11/1/24 Spokane, WA, Knitting Factory

Sat 11/2/24 Vancouver, BC, Commodore Ballroom

Sun 11/3/24 Portland, OR, Wonder Ballroom Mon 11/4/24 Seattle, WA, Showbox

Wed 11/6/24 Sacramento, CA, Ace of Spades

Thu 11/7/24 San Francisco, CA, August Hall

Fri 11/8/24 San Diego, CA, House of Blues Sat 11/9/24 Los Angeles, CA, The Belasco

2024 North American Tour Dates:

By Albert Schwartz

Legendary songwriter and performer Jim Peterik is set to release his latest album with World Stage, showcasing once again why he remains a cornerstone of the melodic rock genre. The new record, titled “Roots & Shoots Vol.2”, is slated for release on August 9, 2024, through Frontiers Music, Peterik’s longtime label home.

“Roots & Shoots Vol.2” marks the latest chapter in Peterik’s World Stage project, following the success of its predecessor. The album features a collection of tracks that span the breadth of Peterik’s musical expertise, from soaring rock anthems to introspective ballads, all bearing his distinctive songwriting style.

In a recent interview, Peterik expressed his excitement about the new release: “This album represents a culmination of my experiences over the years. I’ve poured my heart and soul into these songs, and I believe they capture the essence of what I’ve always strived for in my music – memorable melodies, meaningful lyrics, and that unmistakable rock energy.”

While details about the first single are yet to be announced, expectations are high given Peterik’s track record. Fans and critics alike are eagerly anticipating the first taste of “Roots & Shoots Vol.2”, expecting it to showcase Peterik’s signature guitar work and powerful vocals, harkening back to his classic hits while pushing his sound forward.

Peterik’s new album is expected to boast an impressive lineup of guest musicians, a hallmark of the World Stage concept. This collaborative approach allows Peterik to explore new musical territories while staying true to his melodic rock roots.

As fans eagerly await the August 9 release of “Roots & Shoots Vol.2”, it’s worth reflecting on the incredible journey that has brought Jim Peterik to this point in his career. Born in Berwyn, Illinois, Peterik’s musical odyssey began in earnest with the formation of The Ides of March in the 1960s. The band’s breakout hit “Vehicle,” penned by Peterik, showcased his early talent for crafting unforgettable melodies and lyrics.

However, it was during his tenure with Survivor that Peterik achieved global recognition. The band’s 1982 hit “Eye of

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the Tiger,” co-written by Peterik and Frankie Sullivan, became an international sensation after its inclusion in the film Rocky III. The song’s impact extended far beyond the charts, becoming a cultural touchstone that continues to inspire listeners decades after its release.

Peterik’s songwriting prowess didn’t stop there. He went on to pen numerous hits for Survivor, including “The Search Is Over,” “High on You,” and “I Can’t Hold Back.” These songs not only defined the sound of 1980s rock but also demonstrated Peterik’s ability to craft emotionally resonant lyrics that connected deeply with audiences.

Beyond his work with Survivor, Peterik’s talents as a songwriter have benefited numerous other artists. His collaborations with .38 Special produced a string of hits that helped define the band’s sound. Songs like “Hold On Loosely,” “Caught Up In You,” “Fantasy Girl,” and “Rockin’ Into The Night” all bear Peterik’s unmistakable touch, blending catchy hooks with thoughtful lyricism.

Peterik’s versatility as a songwriter is further evidenced by his work across various rock subgenres. His collaboration with Sammy Hagar on “Heavy Metal” showcased his ability to adapt his style to different artists and musical approaches.

In recent years, Peterik has found renewed creative energy through his project Pride of Lions, a collaboration with vocalist Toby Hitchcock. The band has released several acclaimed albums, further cementing Peterik’s status as a melodic rock icon.

Throughout his career, Peterik has maintained a strong relationship with Frontiers Music, a label known for its dedication to melodic rock and AOR (Album-Oriented Rock). This partnership has provided Peterik with a platform to continue reaching his dedicated fanbase while also introducing his music to new generations of rock enthusiasts.

As “Roots & Shoots Vol.2” prepares to hit shelves and streaming

platforms on August 9, 2024, the anticipation within the melodic rock community is palpable. Fans and critics alike are eager to hear how Peterik has evolved his sound while staying true to the elements that have made his music so beloved over the decades.

The album’s release will likely be supported by a tour, with dates to be announced. Peterik has always expressed enthusiasm for live performances, connecting with audiences and sharing his music around the world.

“Roots & Shoots Vol.2” is not just a new entry in Jim Peterik’s discography; it’s a testament to his enduring passion for music and his ability to remain relevant in an ever-changing industry. As he embarks on this latest chapter of his career, Peterik continues to inspire both seasoned musicians and aspiring songwriters with his dedication to his craft.

The release of “Roots & Shoots Vol.2” serves as a reminder of Jim Peterik’s significant contributions to rock music. From his early days with The Ides of March to his chart-topping success with Survivor, and now with his latest World Stage effort, Peterik has consistently delivered songs that resonate with

listeners on a profound level.

As August 9, 2024, approaches, the music world eagerly awaits another collection of potential classics from one of rock’s most prolific and respected songwriters. Jim Peterik’s new album stands poised to add another impressive chapter to an already legendary career, reaffirming his status as a true melodic rock maestro.

‘Roots & Shoots Vol.2’ Track List

1. American Dreamer (feat. Dave Mikulskis)

2. Your Own Hero (feat. Mike Reno with Jim Peterik)

3. Stronger Than You Know (feat. Jim Peterik and Dave Mikulskis)

4. All That’s Mine To Give (feat. Toby Hitchcock)

5. Been to the Mountain (feat. Jason Scheff)

6. Forever Endeavor (feat. Jim Peterik with Toby Hitchcock)

7. Rise Again (feat. Kevin Farris)

8. We Can Fly (feat. The Ides Of March with Jim Peterik)

9. Love Lives (feat. Jim Peterik with Cathy Richardson )

10. Until (feat. Neil Donnell)

11. Hit of Freedom (feat. Sophia Sheth)

12. The Road to Forever(feat. Jim Peterik)

Blue Öyster Cult Set to Release

50th Anniversary Live - Second Night’

Continuing Their Legacy of Classic Rock Excellence

Share Video for “7 Screaming Diz-Busters (Live)”

Watch here at https://youtu.be/aZozYncl6oA

Pre-Order here at https://ffm.to/boc50thsecondnight

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By Troy Wilson

Legendary rock band Blue Öyster Cult is poised to thrill fans once again with the announcement of their latest live album, “50th Anniversary Live - Second Night,” set for release on August 9, 2024, through Frontiers Music Srl. This highly anticipated release continues the celebration of the band’s monumental 50-year journey in the world of rock music.

The upcoming album captures the magic of Blue Öyster Cult’s second night

performance during their historic threenight stint at Sony Hall in New York City in September 2022. These shows were a unique trilogy, each dedicated to one of the band’s first three albums, marking a significant milestone in their storied career.

“50th Anniversary Live - Second Night” promises to be a treat for longtime fans and newcomers alike, featuring a complete performance of the band’s second album, “Tyranny and Mutation,” played back-to-back. This intense and

passionate live rendition is expected to showcase the enduring power and relevance of Blue Öyster Cult’s early work.

To whet fans’ appetites, the band has released “7 Screaming Diz-Busters (Live)” as the first single, accompanied by a performance video that offers a tantalizing glimpse of the energy and musicianship captured on the album.

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Blue Öyster Cult

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The release of “50th Anniversary Live - Second Night” follows the success of the band’s previous album, “Ghost Stories,” a collection of reimagined and completed songs from 1978 to 2016. This earlier release demonstrated the band’s commitment to their musical legacy, bringing to light long-considered ‘lost gems’ that spanned nearly four decades of their career.

Blue Öyster Cult’s influence on the hard rock and heavy metal scene cannot be overstated. Formed in Long Island, NY, the band has been a pioneering force in intelligent hard rock for over five decades. Their impact is evident in the admiration of acts like Metallica, who cite Blue Öyster Cult as a major influence.

The band’s catalog is filled with timeless classics, including the iconic tracks “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” “Godzilla,” and “Burnin’ for You.” These songs have not only stood the test of time but have become integral parts of rock music history.

The current lineup of Blue Öyster Cult continues to honor the creative vision of original core members Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser and Eric Bloom, while also pushing forward with the talents of Richie Castellano, Danny Miranda, and Jules Radino. This blend of original members and newer talent ensures that the band remains a vibrant and dynamic force in live performance.

The upcoming release is particularly special as it features appearances by founding member Albert Bouchard, who made guest appearances during the anniversary shows. This addition brings an extra layer of nostalgia and authenticity to the performances, bridging the band’s past and present.

Blue Öyster Cult’s dedication to their craft is evident in their relentless touring schedule and their continued studio work. The critically acclaimed album “The Symbol Remains,” released in 2020, proved that the band is far from resting on their laurels, consistently creating fresh, relevant music that stands alongside their classic material.

As Blue Öyster Cult embraces their status as a ‘classic rock’ phenomenon, they continue to offer fans an alternative

to mainstream trends. Their live performances, captured on albums like “50th Anniversary Live - Second Night,” demonstrate why they remain a spectacular live presence, capable of delivering intense and passionate performances that rival their studio recordings.

The release of “50th Anniversary Live - Second Night” is not just a celebration of Blue Öyster Cult’s past, but a testament to their ongoing relevance and ability to captivate audiences. As August 9, 2024, approaches, fans around the world are eagerly anticipating this new addition to the band’s stellar catalog.

For those looking to experience the magic of Blue Öyster Cult’s live performances, “50th Anniversary Live - Second Night” promises to be an essential addition to their collection. It stands as a powerful reminder of why this band has endured for half a century, continuing to ignite stages and inspire new generations of rock enthusiasts.

As Blue Öyster Cult prepares to unleash this latest chapter in their enduring legacy, it’s clear that their journey is far from over. With “50th Anniversary Live - Second Night,” they once again prove why they remain one of rock’s most respected and influential acts,

ready to carry their unique brand of intelligent, hard-hitting rock into the future.

’50th Anniversary Live - Second Night’ Track List

Album 1

1. The Red & The Black

2. O.D.’D On Life Itself

3. Hot Rails To Hell

4. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters

5. Baby Ice Dog

6. Wings Wetted Down

7. Teen Archer

8. Mistress Of The Salmon Salt (Quicklime Girl)

Album 2

1. Box In My Head

2. Burnin’ For You

3. Lips In The Hills

4. Perfect Water

5. Tenderloin

6. The Revenge Of Vera Gemini

7. E.T.I (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)

8. That Was Me

9. Godzilla

10. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper

11. Unknown Tongue

12. Tattoo Vampire

13. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll

The Biker, The Blues & This Month An Old Flame Still Burns Bright

There’s a line in the movie “Casablanca” that goes like this: “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in the world she walks into mine” Well I don’t own a gin joint but I was in one and she walks in. She being this long legged good looking sexy stripper that I have known for quite some time and she like me is a nomadic wanderer. We accept each other’s path, it’s sort of romantic but sad at the same time. Doubtful it could ever be that we would both settle down, it just not in our DNA. So there I was in an up scale bar and grill in Denver Colorado and she walks in. Nice place, dark inside and when the front door opens the light blinds you especially if you turn your head to see who is entering the place. I could easily see the silhouette but not much more. My bike was parked out front and if you ride a custom Harley like mine well it’s hard not to notice it on your way in. So I would guess she knew I was in the place. I mean there was a flower shop next door and I am pretty certain she wouldn’t think I would be in there so she probably knew the score before entering. So the door opens, I see the silhouette but not who it is. As my eyes adjusted I wondered could that be her? Yep it was. I was sitting at the bar with an open stool between me and this other guy. She walked up and said hey mister can I sit here to which I replied you can but strange to see you here there’s no stage. Not missing a beat she said same here I don’t see any homosexual men what are you doing in here? I said very funny and she said I thought so. She didn’t hug me or kiss me and I just sat there sipping the head off the draft the bar lady had just delivered. She said well I only want to sit here if you are going to come back with me to my motel for a few hours or rather make that for a few minutes. I mean I do know you. Now the guy on the other side of her was looking into the mirror behind the bar and he had this real curious look on his face. Well sometimes you know when you have someone right at the point of scoring on them big time and this seemed advantageous. So I looked right at her and said now sis we promised Dad we would quit doing that remember? Now at first the guy was befuddled and then he caught on quickly and said you two should have your own late night talk show. We smiled, nodded in agreement and that was that. She ordered a cosmopolitan and I couldn’t resist so I said oh slowing down these days? She said no I just need something to help me endure this chance encounter with your raggedy ass. We finally settled down and got to brass tacks. The conversation turned to recent exploits on the road and the path forward. Someone dropped a dollar in the juke box and the song they chose was the Rolling Stone favorite “Miss You”. Nice beat and it usually gets a place upbeat with many people singing along. Great beat and interesting lyrics for sure: “I’ve been holding out so long I’ve been

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The Biker, The Blues & This Month

An Old Flame Still Burns Bright

sleeping all alone Lord I miss you.” Kind of appropriate for that moment in time but like I say neither of us are ever going to settle down so you take what you can get out of things like this and move on. She was still dancing (stripping) and she told me her mother and sister both ok and then looked at me and said I suppose you aren’t going to say much about your end are you? I responded as I had in the past that there wasn’t much to say about folks back home just that I was certain I was born to ramble. I am still enjoying life and taking it all in. Been thinking about maybe writing a book about America, the people of America that I have met. She asked if I would write about her and I told her well maybe but I am not sure the book publisher wouldn’t have a heart attack. I mean you are so sensuous and free. I could see a bit of sadness come over her for some reason so I changed the subject. How about dinner just you and me and I will pay as long as the place you choose has golden arches. She laughed and said well only if I can super size. We didn’t go there but it was meant to be funny and move the subject along, mission accomplished. The guy next to us told us a good choice for dinner was a place named Panzano so we went there. He was right, nice clean place, friendly attentive workers and the food was a step up from the usual food travelers find along the way. One of the common interests we have always shared is music, basically blues rock. So the conversation went there. She told me how a song that Maria Daines does “Low Down Dirty Love” has been sticking with her for months now and she said you know it’s odd because I am not in those lyrics but I certainly get it. Maria Daines and her partner on guitar, her husband, deliver gut level real true blues lyrics and styles. A huge success in Europe and internationally by music video. Very expressive. I told her I was somewhat familiar with it but not deep into it but I listen to it again. Another song Maria Daines does really well is “Ain’t You The Man”. It’s on their Whisky Moon album. I told her that I heard that AC/DC’s “The Jack” was originally about a girl telling a band member that he gave her the clap but the sensors made them change the lyrics. So it became The Jack and about a deck of cards. Interestingly enough the song made the cut and was approved under its new guise. Once that was in place, coincidently, the band was on a talk show and they were asked about The Jack. The show was in syndication reaching literally millions of blues rockers and the group decided to tell the complete story including what it was really about originally. The viewers ate it up and the album “High Voltage” went viral internationally. The news spread like wild fire. Think about it - the song was approved, published and now being sold like hot cakes on a cold Vermont morning. So chalk it up as rockers one and sensors zero. To this day the song remains one of the most requested live performance tracks requested. Kind of cool how life works out sometimes. It was time to get some air and and check on the bike. So we paid up and walked outside. Everything was cool so we started to chat again and I asked her if she had ever seen the size of the

The Biker, The Blues & This Month

An Old Flame Still Burns Bright

rabbits out by the airport? She said she had never been near the airport so we decided to go to the end the runway and check it out and yep those suckers are huge and plentiful. A guy and his wife and kids were there. The kids kept wanting to take one home and we offered to help corral one but their Mother with a huge smile said no thank you. I could smell marijuana in the air and that reminded me that the state had legalized it. My friend was getting cozy with me and I thought ok enough with the rabbits, time to head back to her car. We got a couple of thumbs up on the way back and I wasn’t sure if they were meant for the bike or the sweetie I was packing but either way that was ok. We arrived at the restaurant where we left her car and she got off the bike. I didn’t shut it off but instead said hey we could order in some pizza at the motel and listen to some tunes. She asked me where I was staying and I told her Motel 6 on 49th. She said she would meet me there. We parted and I thought you know if I was ever going to settle down it could be with her but then I thought nah that ain’t never going to happen. I want to keep on rolling like in the Robin Trower song I am “Too Rolling Stoned”. Rolling along taking it all in checking out people and places and this is one big country. It could take a while to see it all and then I wonder what place will stand out to me in the end? There’s just so much to check out. “Like those rivers I just want to flow to sea” Got to the motel and the parking spot in front of my room was taken so eventually I was going to have to turn the bike slowly as I pushed it into the room after it cooled down. No big thing. I laid the bed roll on the bed and took out the portable boom box and a cigar. Grabbed a chair, not a cushioned one but one of those kind of kitchen chairs looking things. Out the door and found a pizza place on my phone that delivered to the motel and placed the order. Snipped the end of the stogie, went back inside got some drinking water and one of those little travel size bottles of single malt scotch. I mean after all a man has to have his priorities. The pizza arrived first before she did but she came looking really good. I smiled and before I could get a compliment out she asked what smart ass thing was going to say now? I said nothing I was just wondering what smelled better that pizza or the perfume you are wearing? She said she didn’t know why she even bothered with me with a big grin on her face. I started to get up to go get her a chair but she said no, no, you sit right there on your brains I’ll get it. We cut up for a couple of hours and enjoyed each other’s company. It was time for her to go and I said it was nice running into her again. She said do you really think that was by accident? I said you mean it was spiritual and she said no dummy it was Mapquest and your iPhone locator program. I said no way, she said way… I said that can’t be I have it turned off. She said well maybe then it was spiritual but actually it was your locator. I said bullshit and she said take care I got to go. Always the last word, she always finds a way to screw with me. She thinks she’s brighter than me, well she probably is but that’s no reason to leave me hanging.