Music News aka Houston Music News - June 2023

JUNE

Friday, June 2Dog Jones

Saturday, June 3 -

Entertainment TBA

Friday, June 9

Life Starts Now

She Might Be A Beast

Telebastards

Friday, June16

Air Guitar Show benefitting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Adam Alvarado from DWI

Saturday, June 17Skabb

Wretched Kingdom

Friday, June 24Heavy Honeys, QN, Psycho Jenni, Forget-Me-Nots

Saturday, June 25 -

Entertainment TBA

Friday, June 30

Bullethead CD Release

June 2023

Hi Folks, Hello Music News readers. I hope you had a great May. We’re happy to announce that Concert Season is in full swing now. Are cover story for this month is Air Supply. They will be performing at The Arena Theatre on June 8th. Also performing this month will be Matchbox Twenty at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

Now, on to the new issue. In this issue, as usual, we have some great stories and information to pass on to you. Check out stories in this month’s issue on Les Claypool, Dream Theatre, Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia, Duran Duran, Otep, Uncle Lucius, Angela Aguilar, Enrique Guzman and more, as well as another installment of the original story, THE BIKER! Also in this issue are a ton of great pictures of bands performing around the Houston area. I’m sure you’re going to be familiar with a lot of these bands. Those bands include Aaron LaCombe, Alter Rock, Brad Boyer, Kevin Anthony & G-Town, Nathan Quick, Bag Of Donuts, Blue October, Bullethead, Dead Set Red, Inner Image, Silver Dose, Sonic Voodoo, Static Blues Band, Submit Thy Will, and Voodoo Punch. If you have pictures of local bands performing, please email them to us. I would really appreciate it and I know the bands do as well. Keep it up... We would like to see more pictures from you.

We’d also like to invite you to check out our Spanish music section. This month we feature stories on Angela Aguilar, Enrique Guzman, CNCO ,and Fonseca. Check these stories out in English and Spanish.

I sincerely hope that everybody reading this new 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.houstonmusicnews.net. 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 musicnew@airmail.net and in the subject line simply put “Sign Me Up” and we’ll email you a copy each month when it is published. Remember, for your convenience, Music News is also now downloadable. You can download the issue into your computer or storage device and save it and read it at your convenience without having to get logged on to the internet every time. Try it now and save every issue. It will make things a lot easier for you.

Kevin Wildman

Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher

Page 6 Air Supply

Graham Russell Talks About Air Supply’s New Album And Their New Tour The “Lost In Love Experience”

Page 26

Les Claypool

Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade Perform At White Oak Music Hall June 16

Page 36

Duran Duran

Duran Duran Bring Their “Future Past” Tour To The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

June 9th

Page 16

Matchbox Twenty

Matchbox Twenty Perform At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on June 30th In Support Of Their New Album

Page 30

Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia

Special Dosey Doe Big Barn Appearance On June 23rd

Page 38 OTEP

Otep Perform At Warehouse Live

June 9th

Page 22 Fonseca

Fonseca Performs at The Arena Theater

June 3

Page 34

Dream Theatre

Dream Theatre Bring Their “Dreamsonic”

Tour To Smart Financial Centre

June 18th

Page 42

Enrique Guzmán

Enrique Guzmán Performs At Smart Financial Centre On July 1

CNCO Bring Their Farewell Tour To The Arena Theatre June 17

The Biker

The Continuing Saga Of A Lone Biker On The Road To Explore The Freedoms Of America.

Uncle Lucius Uncle Lucius Perform At The Heights Theater

June 16

Ángela

Page

Carlos Santana (Show Review)

Ángela

Ángela Aguilar Performs At The 713 Music Hall

June 17

Page

Fonseca (En Espanol)

Page

Page 43

CNCO

Page 46

Page 54

Aguilar

Page 58

Enrique Guzmán (En Espanol)

62

64 and On Random Shots

Page 52

50

Page 51 Tom Jones (Show Review)

Page 59

CNCO (En Espanol)

Page 60

Aguilar (En Espanol)

Graham Russell Talks About Air Supply’s New Album And Their New Tour The “Lost In Love Experience”

This Month, Air Supply, The Kings of Love Ballads return to the stage with their most ambitious project yet, the “Lost In Love Experience. You probably remember the great hits that Air Supply recorded such as “Lost In Love,” “All Out Of Love,” “Every Woman In the World”, “Here I Am,” “The One That You Love,” and many more. They will be bringing their new tour to stages across the world with a “Greatest Hits Concert” that will rival any undertaking that they have taken before. In additon to that, the guys are actually working on material for a new album that they hope to have released later this year. We had a chance to sit down with Graham Russell, the principal songwriter of the group and he gave us a lot of insight into the tour, the new album, and a few personal things as well. We’d like to share that conversation with you right now. It was a lot of fun talking to Graham about Air Supply.’

Rock And Blues International: Hello, Graham. So, you’re going out on tour again and this is the “Lost In Love Experience” tour.

Graham Russell: Yes, it is. Yeah. We’ve already been gone, actually. So this will be another leg of it.

Rock And Blues International: When was the first leg of the tour?

Graham Russell: It was late last year. We began in Asia. We went to several countries in Asia to get things kicked off, and here we are almost six months later. Now we’re in the US. We’ve already done Asia, South America and we’ll be going to Caribbean in three weeks, so we’re gonna go in everywhere.

Rock And Blues International: Well, I was looking at the itinerary for this tour and it looks like you’re doing about 25 states or more, including Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Canada. Yeah, that’s quite a little jaunt there.

Graham Russell: It is, yeah and we’re

looking forward to it all, especially going to some different places. We don’t get to the Caribbean very often.

Rock And Blues International: What are the biggest differences you encounter between your audiences?

Graham Russell: Well, since we’ve been together for such a long time, the audiences are pretty much the same now. Even if they don’t speak English there, they react the same way. You know, we come out and people stand up and which is a great kind of show of respect, I think. And then people just want to sing they want to sing with us. So they sing at the top of the voice, pretty much every song, so that’s the normal thing these days.

Rock And Blues International: That’s pretty commonplace now.

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Graham Russell: Yeah, it is. Yeah. I mean, if we’re in, even in Canada, they’ll sing everything, St. Kitts or Dominican Republic, they will sing along to every single song. Yeah.

Rock And Blues International: What was it like the very first time you looked on your audience, and they were singing your songs to you? There had to be a time where it just started off for the first time and the two of you just looked at each other and said Wow!

Graham Russell: Yeah, I think it was in the early 80s, probably 1980, when we first toured as a headliner on our own in 1980. Well you know, we had several big hits, so they knew the songs, but they didn’t know what we looked like. And then it was… Oh, wow, they’re from Australia. This is what they look like. Then they want to just sing, but of course, that was a long time ago. But now they sing every single song. If we play a song from an album that they may not be too familiar with, they’ll sing along with it. They’ve figured it out and they sing. I think people at shows now just want to have a great time and they want to join in everything. I don’t think people, unless it’s a classical concert… I don’t know if people sit and don’t do anything anymore. They want to get involved and sing and laugh and cry and we help them do that.

Rock And Blues International: Well, I understand in earlier years, the Japanese audiences were almost required to sit still in their seats and now they’ve been quite animated.

Graham Russell: Yeah, when we first went to Japan in 1978, there were traffic lights on either side of the venue off the stage and when it was okay to applaud, it would go green, then 10 to 15 seconds, it would go amber or flash. That means you got to calm down. And then when it was red, you weren’t allowed to make a noise at all. That was throughout Japan, but of course they’re not there anymore. Japan is just as loud and vocal as any other place now,

Rock And Blues International: That had to be pretty bizarre to see something like that happen.

Graham Russell: It was, It meant that the government was deciding when you applauded and when you don’t and if you’re singing a hit song and the government don’t feel or didn’t feel that you should be applauding after 10 seconds, they would shut you down. There’d be people coming around to your seat and point at you like you weren’t supposed to be doing that. And it was kind of a bit, a bit creepy for the artists... for us anyway, having people tell you when the audience can laugh or sing along or applaud. Then they just shut up, and then they wait for the green light at the end of the song. Its like a couple of seconds interval before the green light goes on, then they applaud you know, it’s weird. That was a long time ago though, everything has changed now, but that’s what we were faced with when we first went there. continued on next page

Rock And Blues International: Amazing. Amazing.

Graham Russell: Yeah.

Rock And Blues International: Where would you say your most enthusiastic audience was?

Graham Russell: In those days, it would have been the U.S. I think once we came here with a few hit songs under our belt, they were pretty loud because when we first arrived, we played a lot of university campuses. In fact, our first two headlining tours were universities and, of course, a lot of younger people were listening to the radio and then we were all over the radio. So they were pretty boisterous in those days, and we loved it. We thought this was great, then it just kind of went up from there. Now it’s South America, Central America, they go crazy. And, you know we’ve been around forever, as you know, but these audiences, they just go nuts, they just love it. They love being entertained and hearing great songs and hearing a band that has a great track record I think,

Rock And Blues International: Well, you have you a fantastic repertoire of music.

Graham Russell: Yeah.

Rock And Blues International: You are the kings of love ballads without a doubt.

Graham Russell: Yeah, we are. Thank you for that. I think it’s a title that we’re very proud of. We really are. We never set out to be that, but it’s great. It means everything to us that our music, which has gone around the world now, means a lot to people, but it’s a positive energy. It’s a positive thing for people, bringing people together and I think that’s a great thing for us. It really fills us with great enthusiasm every time we go out.

Rock And Blues International: When you go out on tour, what do you do or you need to do to distinguish one tour from another. This is the “Lost In Love Experience” Tour. How different will the “Lost In Love Experience” Tour be from your tour five years ago?

Graham Russell: It’d be quite different, the set list would be the same. But we’re very similar because we’ve had so many hits. We have to play the hits, but the “Lost In Love Experience” in particular is like a greatest hits tour. We’re playing every one so most of the evening is taken up with that. On other tours we might lean more heavily on a particular album at the time, like “Across The Concrete Sky” was one of our albums. We may play

three or four songs from that, so that changes, but the “Lost In Love Experience” is all the big hits and everything people want to hear. And then you know, the set may change, the physical set. You know, it just changes, little incremental changes that when people see us, those small changes are kind of big changes. But for us, we keep changing arrangements and where songs are placed. So that it’s fresh all the time,

Rock And Blues International: Well you’ve got one new song now, “Be Tough”. I imagine we’re going to be hearing that in concert also.

Graham Russell: Yeah, you will, it’s brand new. We’ve just been rehearsing it. We’ve played it a couple of times and we’ll be playing it in our live show. New songs take about three months to really settle into the set, because they have to be as good as the big hits that they’re next to. Every song has to own its own place, so it has to be a great song that the audiences want to hear. But you know we need to play it for them first and let them be the judge. But it’s a really… it’s a great song. It sounds fantastic. It features Russell’s incredible vocals again, and we will be playing it. Yeah.

Rock And Blues International: Well, I’m sure you’re the writer of this song. You tend to write just about every song and Russell’s the voice. You’re the man behind the voice. So tell me about “Be Tough”. What is “Be Tough” about?

Graham Russell: Well, I started to write the song and I thought to myself, because I started to sing “Be Tough” as I always do. When I’m writing a song, I usually start singing some words, some lyrics and I started to sing “Be Tough” and I thought, “God, where’s that come from?” But then I realize that when you’re in a relationship, it’s not always perfect all the time. In fact, the imperfections of a relationship are what make it perfect. I know that’s a bit weird but relationships can be hard work. You have to give and take and you’ve got to learn about each other, whoever she or he is, and sometimes it can be tough. You’ve got to make decisions that may not be good decisions at the time, but you’ve got to decide things for the future. And I thought, well,

yeah, a relationship can be tough. There are things you need to do that to make it a great relationship and you have to work at it. It’s not easy in my experience anyway and I thought, I don’t think there’s a song that deals with that kind of content in a three minute love song. Usually they’re all... everything’s beautiful, but it’s not beautiful all the time. You have to make it beautiful?

Rock And Blues International: Well the topic of love seems to permeate a lot of your songs, and it’s involved in the titles of so many of them as well. I would think that you could just sell Air Supply shirts at the concert that just say “Air Supply. Love!”.

Graham Russell: That’s right. Yeah.

Rock And Blues International: You’ve done 16 albums and I know you have a recording studio. Your last album that was released was “Mumbo Jumbo” in 2010. Somehow I envision you’ve got a room in your house or on your ranch there… I know you have your own studio, so somewhere on the ranch I imagine there’s about 20 Air Supply albums that have never been released?

Graham Russell: Yeah. Yeah, there’s a lot. Yeah. But you’re right. I mean, it was. It’s been almost 14 years since the last album, but we only recently decided to make another one. We were in the studio recording tracks and Russell and I said to each other “well, it looks like we’re making another album.” And he said, “Yeah, I think so.” So that’s were we are. Were not finished with it. We’re about three-quarters the way through, but it’s the first one in almost 14 years. So we’re pretty excited about it.

Rock And Blues International: Well, I know we’re only going to hear at least one song from that album.

Graham Russell: Yeah, you’ll hear one song. Yeah, for sure, maybe two..

Rock And Blues International: Okay. Well, can you tell us a little bit about the album?

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Russell Graham: Yeah, I’m certain it’ll be the best album we’ve ever made. We made it the same way we make all the albums. We play everything live in the studio. We use computers. We play it live. Everybody plays at the same time, which is very unusual and rare these days. We went through about 25 songs, and we pick the 14 songs that we want to do record. And then we just set about recording and we’re having a great, great time. We’re taking our time with it, there’s no rush. And it’s sounding beautiful. The songs are fabulous and I think everybody’s going to be ready for it when it comes out maybe by the end of this year.

Rock And Blues International: The way the music business is nowadays, coming out with a new album hardly seems profitable for most bands, but for a band like yours with the reputation you have, I would imagine that your audiences will be jumping all over this.

Graham Russell: I hope so, but if they don’t, that’s okay, too. You know, where we come from, Air Supply is part of a generation of bands that make albums. I’m a songwriter, so I need to make albums. Air Supply needs to make albums. We are an album band. We always have been, and this one, this will be the best one ever. And who knows, it may

even be the last one. We don’t know, but we’re putting everything into it, but if people don’t go for it, that’s okay, because we won’t release it until we know it’s fabulous from our perspective. You never know if people are going to latch on to songs or if they’re going to even buy them, but that’s not really important to us. The important thing is that we decided to make another album and this will be it, but I think I’m pretty sure that everybody’s gonna love it just as much as we do. I hope so.

Rock And Blues International: Well, I’ve been told... I don’t know if this is true, but I’ve been told that you write every day?

Graham Russell: I do. Yes.

Rock And Blues International: Well, how many songs do you have in the in the can who that haven’t been published? Hundreds?

Graham Russell: Yeah, probably several 100. Yeah, I do write every day simply because I’ve always done that and it’s, it’s what I love to do. I always find time to play guitar or go into my studio and just play, but when I start to play, I will come up with something. Something will happen. I’ll go into a song… I’ll just start playing a song that

I don’t know and then it’s a brand new song. It always happens. But that’s what I love to do. So for me, it’s like part of my daily routine and I love it. I just love writing songs more than anything else. I’m so fortunate to be able to do that even now. I mean, this is my 60th year as a songwriter this year. That’s a long time.

Rock And Blues International: It is. That’s amazing. This is my 42nd year of doing one of my magazines. I’ve got another one that I started up during COVID because I have been doing a local magazine in Houston for 42 years and then COVID hit and everything shut down. But I’m realizing that there’s great music all over the world and God I’m a work junkie. I have to keep working on that, so I started a new magazine.

Graham Russell: Oh, great.

Rock And Blues International: And my biggest fear is if I stop and I try to retire, I will die because everybody I’ve known, that has retired, died.

Graham Russell: I know what you mean. I feel that too.

Rock And Blues International: So what drives you to continue on with what you do day after day.

Graham Russell: Just keep doing what you’re doing. I think, I mean, that’s why I just love to write every day. We do so many shows. We do at least 130 shows every year. I got back last night from three shows. I leave again tomorrow for Vancouver for four days, but I love it. I love every aspect of my work. My work to me is not work, it’s just something I love to do. And it sounds like you’ve found what you love to do as well.

Rock And Blues International: Well, yes, I think I have, at least until I become a multimillionaire, but who knows what happens then. But know that when you find something you love to do, I know that’s a very big driving force for you.

Graham Russell: Yes, yeah. It is. There’s a famous saying, I don’t know who said it, I think it was Walt Whitman. He said, “If in your work, if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” And I don’t work a day in my life, I just love doing everything. And you know, I live on a ranch too, so I feed animals. I’m moving hay, big 70 pound bales of hay all the time and cat food, dog food and digging on my garden. I’m a big gardener, so I’m always doing something, but at the end of the day, I’m playing my piano. So one thing feeds into the other and, and it keeps me young and keeps me fit. And it keeps me very positive. And that’s what I love, you know.

Rock And Blues International: Well, when you’re out on the road, it’s a totally different, different structure of work for you, as opposed to the ranch. So when you’re out there performing, does your mind ever wonder, “damn did I remember to feed this?

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Or did I remember to do that?

Graham Russell: Yeah, it does all the time. Yeah. Did I do this? Did I turn the electric off? Did I turn the water off out in the field? Yeah, there’s a lot of that. But I kind of usually remember everything. Sometimes I don’t, but I usually do. But yeah, I’m always worrying about something or other... is one of the animals okay, or their baby, wherever, or something like that, but that’s part of life. I think we need to worry a little bit about some things. You know?

Rock And Blues International: Well, hopefully that’s the only things you have to worry about.

Graham Russell: Thank you, Kevin. That’s great.

Rock And Blues International: Well, being an Englishman, you’re from England, right?

Graham Russell: Yes. Correct. Rock And Blues International: What made you pick Utah to move to?

Graham Russell: Well, I was already living in California. I’ve lived there for about eight years and we played in Las Vegas. We were doing two consecutive weekends and normally after the first, on Monday, I would go back to California, but I decided to rent a car and just drive north for a few days without any reservation or a hotel. I didn’t even know where I was going and I drove north about 300 miles and I entered Utah. I saw all the red rocks and the mountains and I went, oh my god, I had no idea this was here. So I drove further and I came to a little cowboy town, which was just so beautiful. It was like going back 60 years and I stopped at a little diner and I got a phone book and I called a real estate agent guy that I didn’t know and he met me. I said to him, I don’t want to buy anything, but I want you to show me around what’s going on here because it’s a beautiful area. And he said, “yes, it is.” And so he showed me a lot of places. He showed me about 20 houses and land and the first one he showed me I fell in love with and that’s the one. I bought it about four days later and that’s where I still live today, but the place is not as remote as it used to be because people have got to live somewhere, but that was 33 years ago. And now I just love it. It’s country life. But I’m 50 minutes from Salt Lake City Airport, so I’m not far away. But I love it. I love the mountains, the fresh air, the view. I even love the snow in the winter but it’s a lovely place. And for me, I mean, because I travel all around the world all the time, it’s a great sanctuary to come back to that’s peaceful and I have all my things around me and I’m looking at green fields and it’s

beautiful. I’m very lucky to be here.

Rock And Blues International: That’s wonderful. Well, let’s talk about a little dark time here in history, COVID. When COVID hit, touring was out of the question and so I would imagine you were confined to the ranch there.

Graham Russell: Yes, I was. Yeah, pretty much, but even though I was confined, I was able to go for hikes and walk around because I don’t have any neighbors, which is what I wanted. But I also write musicals so I decided... somebody asked me if I’d write a musical for them, and I said, Yeah, and then COVID hit. So that’s when I spent my COVID time doing that and that musical went on in Salt Lake last year and then I have another one going on in Canada, actually, in June. So I was pretty busy and very happy. I worked every day on the musical to finish it and then suddenly COVID was over. It was, it was one of those experiences that I hope we don’t go through again, but such a strange time. I was kind of prepared for it. I had my studio, and I didn’t go anywhere. Nobody did so I was able to go through COVID okay without going insane as a lot of people did.

Rock And Blues International: Right. The world kind of went crazy there for a while.

Graham Russell: Yeah, it did.

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Rock And Blues International: And at least while you’re touring schedule was affected, it didn’t affect the way you perceive life and that’s a good thing.

Graham Russell: Yeah, exactly. That’s a good way of saying it. Yeah. I still was at home and I had a lot of freedom at home and then I would work, write, write songs and write music, so I was happy.

Rock And Blues International: So it was pretty much like another normal day.

Graham Russell: Yeah, except we couldn’t go anywhere. Yeah, actually, we weren’t touring. But yes. Well, from that it was normal.

Rock And Blues International: When you’re back on the road, what is the hardest part with you for touring?

Graham Russell: The hardest part is the travel, the flying. Although I must say, I write a lot of my lyrics when I’m on planes because you never get disturbed. But sometimes it’s a long flight, sometimes eight, sometimes 15 hours on a plane. And that’s the, that’s the downside. But you know, it’s part of everything. Nothing’s perfect. You have to make, as I said earlier, you have to make it perfect. So I never complain about anything. But the travel gets harder because we’re a little older than we were a long time ago when you bounce back from things and have to make sure you stay fit. And because when you step on stage, that’s the ultimate goal of every day, stepping on stage and bringing the audience the greatest show that you can bring them.

Rock And Blues International: Is there a regimen that you go through to keep

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yourself fit?

Graham Russell: Yeah, there is, I work out every day. I don’t work out on Sundays. I work out. Not a real strenuous workout, but I lift a few weights. I have my stretch band I do. I stretch my body out, do some yoga. I don’t eat meat, or dairy. And I go for a walk in the afternoon, every day, even if it’s raining or snowing. So that’s my regimen on the road that I like to keep to. And when I keep that and I always do, I’m able to walk onstage feeling great, and to deliver what the audience wants to hear. That’s my goal. It really is.

Rock And Blues International: Well, while you don’t eat meat, I would imagine that’s a great relief to the animals on your farm. I mean, on your ranch there.

Graham Russell: Yeah, yeah, it is. I haven’t eaten meat for years and years and I won’t again. You know, that’s not for everybody, but for me, it works. I like that. It keeps me active and for someone in my time of life, I feel great and I want to stay that way. I don’t want to get bogged down and for me, it’s great. And even where I live, I’m able to grow a lot of my own food, so it’s great. When I’m on a plane, I pack my lunch. It sounds like I’m going to school or something. But I pack my lunch on the plane.

Rock And Blues International: Are you a box person or a bag person on your lunch?

Graham Russell: Box person! Yeah!

Rock And Blues International: Okay. You take your lunch box to work with you.

Graham Russell: I do. Yeah. And the show, because we have dinner at the show at 5:30. Then we all fill our boxes for the next day with food. It’s like we’re just like little school kids.

Rock And Blues International: All right. Well, when you’re traveling, do you go bus or do you fly?

Graham Russell: We do both. We bus whenever we can, but since COVID, there’s very few bus drivers now because during COVID, they all went on long distance hauling. So there’s not as many bus drivers... there’s buses, but no drivers, so we do get them occasionally, but we do. We do fly, mostly we fly.

Rock And Blues International: Let’s get back to the show a little. Russell does the majority of the singing, but you do occasional singing as well, you’re not completely silent on stage. Are there any songs in particular that you just can’t wait to sing?

Graham Russell: Pretty much all of them. I mean, I love all of them, but I sing. Well, Russell and I both sing the lead on “All Out Of Love,” and it’s always the last song in our show. I start it off by singing the verses and the bridge, so I’m always excited to play that simply because the whole world knows continued on next page

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that song and they’re waiting for it. So as soon as we start, the whole place erupts. It’s a great feeling. But I’ve never been a lead singer. I sing a few leads during the day, but I’m singing a lot of backgrounds and I let Russell sing. People come to see and hear his vocals and that’s great. I wouldn’t want to be a lead singer, there’s too much responsibility I think.

Rock And Blues International: I’ve heard that you tried to encourage him to write but he just refuses to do it.

Graham Russell: Yeah, I’ve asked him for years and years to write a song, even to write some lyrics, even if they don’t rhyme, just some thoughts and ideas. But he always says to me, “no I can’t do that.” He said, “I’d be too intimidated that they wouldn’t be any good because you’re such a master of the song after all these years. So that, you know, I couldn’t do it. I… I’d be embarrassed.” I said “no. Do it. I’ll turn them into something really cool.” But he never has. He just wants me to write the songs and I’m okay with that. He just wants to sing them, so it’s good.

Rock And Blues International: Well, yeah, it is good. That’s good. You have your place in the band where you feel the most comfortable with, and he has his place where he feels most comfortable with.

Graham Russell: Yeah, and it works beautifully. We’ve never had an argument in almost 50 years. And we have the best friendship. We never see each other when we’re not working, because I live in Utah, and Russell lives in California. So when we go out when we’re on tour, which we always are, we have a lot to talk about, lots to discuss and plan, so it’s a great relationship. It’s wonderful.

Rock And Blues International: Well, maybe that’s why I’ve heard that you’ve never had an argument with each other or fight or anything, anything out of line there.

Graham Russell: Never have to even think about that. Well, it’s kind of weird, you know, but we’ve never had an argument ever. We always we get on with everything. If there’s a difference of opinion, we say oh, okay, you want to do that, then let’s do it. One of us always gives in and it’s always the best way. Yeah,

Rock And Blues International: Well, being the primary guitarist in the band, are there any songs in particular that you play guitar.... I know that you love all the songs you do, but are there a couple of songs out there that you just love doing? And maybe one or two songs or you go, oh, this one’s always a bitch to play?

Graham Russell: Oh, not really because, well, I don’t play lead guitar. We have a lead guitar player. I’m terrible at it. Well, I can’t play lead guitar, but I play a really good rhythm guitar and during the show, I play a song on my own that I decide what it’s going to be. And it’s just myself and my guitar and that’s what I really enjoy. I never know what it’s going to be. It’s a song that people know, but I play it on my own while Russell has a little break and that could be anything.

Rock And Blues International: Okay. Now, you’re working on a new album, but I’ve heard that you’ve recorded an album in Europe with an orchestra.

Graham Russell: We did. Yeah, we recorded it... It was the “Lost In Love Experience” album with the Prague Symphony and we recorded it in Prague, simply because they’re regarded as one of the greatest orchestras in Europe. We’ve been wanting to play with them for a long time and suddenly they had an opening and we had an opening and we went and did it and it was just incredible.... This 50-piece orchestra was... it blew your mind. So that was the album that we put out with the Prague Symphony, which is just amazing.

Rock And Blues International: Is it out now or is it still being worked on now?

Graham Russell: Oh, no, it’s out now. Yeah. It’s a terrific album.

Rock And Blues International: Being an orchestral album, I’m sure it’s totally different from your regular songs. What added flavor does it give you that you were extremely proud of?

Graham Russell: Well, I think it told us that our songs and our music is really well adapted to the classical interpretations, because the arrangements were very classical and yet none of the songs lose anything. You’ve still got Russell’s soaring voice over

everything and it just sounds so majestic with this massive orchestra. And it’s just “what a thrill it was to play with them and to be there in that studio.” And I sat in the middle of the studio while they were recording, and it was just incredible. It’s just a different flavor. There aren’t a lot of artists that really respond well to the classical treatment, Ours fortunately does because of its nature I think.

Rock And Blues International: Right! Right!

Graham Russell: Yeah, Wonderful.

Rock And Blues International: Well, what haven’t I talked about so far that I’m that I should have touched on?

Graham Russell: I think you’ve touched on everything, Kevin. It’s been great.

Rock And Blues International: Okay, I try to make my interviews a little bit different from everybody else. We don’t care how Air Supply got their name. We’re just glad you have a name.

Graham Russell: I appreciate that! That’s great!

Rock And Blues International: So I hope these questions have been a little different. Probably not. But hopefully,

Graham Russell: They have. They absolutely have. Thank you very much.

Rock And Blues International: All right, well, there’s got to be something that you’ve always wanted to be asked, or you wanted to tell an interviewer that you’ve never had the opportunity because they were just so dumb not to ask it. So what have I not asked that you’ve always wanted to be asked or let the world know about?

Graham Russell: Ah, you know, I really don’t know. Probably the only thing I can think of is that I’m... I’m a big gardener and

continued on next page

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we never talk about gardening. People don’t know I’m an avid gardener at home, and I think that’s a great balance for my profession. But I think that would be the only thing. I love getting in the garden. I pretty much grow everything. I spend a lot of time in the garden and growing. I sound like George Harrison from The Beatles. He was too.

Rock And Blues International: Well, I didn’t know if I should go down that down that road. I had thought about it. For instance, like what is in your lunchbox when you’re out

on the road.

Graham Russell: Oh, I will make a wrap, a vegetarian wrap that I make here. And I like really spicy food. I make my own hot sauce that’s really spicy. I make it from the hottest peppers that there are, that I grow in my greenhouse. So I’ve got a vegetarian wrap. Maybe with a falafel and hot sauce on it that most people wouldn’t be able to eat, but I love really spicy food. I don’t know why I just do.

you wash it down with?

Graham Russell: Oh, well, it depends. If I ever show that day, it’ll be water. If I don’t have a show I might have a glass of wine, but only one. I never drink on a show day.

Rock And Blues International: But that’s a good philosophy to have. I’ve seen some performers stumble around a little bit on stage at times.

Graham Russell: They do. They do. I’ve heard that too. I’ve seen them. But yeah, I mean, both Russell... Russell doesn’t drink at all. But we pride ourselves on the show. When we wake up, it’s all about the show. Whatever we need to do to deliver the best show is what we’re going to do. In fact, even in our band and crew. I think I’m the only one... I’ll think my guitar player has a beer now and again, but nobody else drinks. You know, it’s unusual. Even the crew... crews have a reputation for being heavy drinkers, but not my crew. They just don’t drink.

Rock And Blues International: Are they older gentlemen.

Graham Russell: No, they’re young, they’re in their 30s and 40s, but I think that’s the thing, the modern thing now. People just, they don’t drink like they used to at all if at all. You know, it’s weird. People are more, well, certainly the people that come into my radar, are more health conscious.

Rock And Blues International: Have you always been health conscious?

Graham Russell: I have, Yeah, I have. I like to get out and walk. I used to run, but I don’t run anymore, but I go for a hike every day. If I’m home, I hike. If I’m on the road, I’ll go for a brisk walk, and then I’ll do my workout. It’s just staying on top of everything. I want to be doing this in another 10 years from now and to do that I need to make plans now and stay fit, and be able to work as long as I can.

Rock And Blues International: All right, did you manage to avoid all the perils of the road? The bad habits that musicians got into over the years?

Graham Russell: Yes. I mean, there are people, you know, especially musicians. They get into some bad habits, you know, but I think, as I just said, there comes a time you have to make that decision. Is this just fun for you or do you want to get serious? And do you want to be doing this when you’re in your 70s like I am, and Russell, Oh, you know, Paul McCartney is and the Rolling Stones are in their 80s. Now, do you want to do that? Yeah. My answer is yes. So if you want to do that, you’ve got to make sacrifices. But I think you realize when you make those sacrifices, you realize they’re not sacrifices at all. They’re just good decisions.

Rock And Blues International: I think you could hang out with someone like Mick

Rock And Blues International: What do continued on next page

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Jagger. From what I understand, he exercises every day, he has a strict regimen of things that he does. He’s running every day. He eats properly. He doesn’t abuse alcohol or other items. And he’s just... I think he learned a lot from Keith Richards on what not to do.

Graham Russell: Yeah, yeah. Well, Keith has always been my guitar hero. I think he’s a great guitar player. He’s a great rhythm guitar player, too. But Keith always thought... I’d read this, but he always thought he would be dead by the time he’s 40. Now, I think he’s just turning 80 this year. And what a poster child for having abused his body, and yet he’s still here, but now he doesn’t do anything anymore. He doesn’t smoke and I don’t know if he exercises, but he’s still there. And these are the people that young musicians need to look up to, because this is how you do it. You look after yourself. Look at Mick Jagger. I’ve heard he runs two miles before he goes on stage, has a running track back stage and good for him. He had a heart issue a couple of years ago. Now he’s back. I think that’s fantastic. Now he’s been in shape and being a vintage act, which they are, which we certainly are, and but still being able to play and deliver a fantastic show. That’s what it’s all about. Now, you know,

Rock And Blues International: Well, we haven’t talked too much about Russell. He’s been your partner for what… since... basically, since May 12, 1975.

Graham Russell: Yeah that’s right. Yeah.

Rock And Blues International: So when you get on stage with him, and you look over at him, what’s one of your first thoughts that comes to mind?

Graham Russell: Well, my thought is, where we are. He’s coming up to 74. I’ll be 73 and in a few, two or three weeks. And I look around here. Wow, he’s still doing it. You know, he does it and he does it well, and not just singing great, but he’s moving. He’s moving around on stage. He never sits still. He’s bopping around all over the place and it’s just a great, great thing to watch. And we have our language, the fingers or the eyes about the audience. You know what we will say? Great audience. Yeah, we have a little language and we go, yeah, we have a great time on stage. It’s amazing. And just to keep doing that is, is just a beautiful thing to witness.

Rock And Blues International: What’s one or two things about Russell that you just really admire?

Graham Russell: Well, one thing certainly is... Russell gets nervous. I never get

nervous. He’s really super nervous before every show, but you would never know it. Backstage, right before we go on, he usually likes to sit alone for five or 10 minutes. And you think, Oh, God is he going to... is he going to do his thing. But then when he steps on stage, boom, the switch goes on and he’s all over the place and he’s smiling and he’s in his lovely place. But to see that, that’s a great thing to have. And he’s always done that. When he comes off, he doesn’t to say much, and he’ll sit down for a while. And for that two hours, he’s all over the place. He’s a true professional.

Rock And Blues International: He’s quite the dresser too. I’ve seen him in some of his outfits there... unbelievably fancy.

Graham Russell: Yeah, he is. Yeah, he has a lot of tattoos. And now he’s kind of showing off his tattoos a little bit. He never used to, because he… I think he may have felt that it wasn’t the right thing to do with our music, but why not? Suddenly, he’s saying, Yeah, you know, this is who I am. And it may not be for everybody. But at least he’s been true to himself and people are asking him, where did you get this? Here’s mine. They will tell him. He just loves tattoos and that’s who he is. It doesn’t have anything to do with his voice, or his demeanor, it adds to it, I think, because now he can really be himself.

Rock And Blues International: Say, five minutes before you get on stage… Is there something that you and him do together or that goes through your mind five minutes before you go on stage every night? Is there? Is there a little prayer or something?

Graham Russell: Well, there is. We, we do a vocal rehearsal 25 minutes for we go on every night. But then we have two songs. There’s two songs that we play every night, right before we go on. And our tour managers say we’re rolling. So that means there’s eight minutes before we step on stage. So the first song goes on, then the second one, which is about five minutes. Russell and I will get into position and we just kind of thumbs up to each other. And the last thing we do... we give each other a big hug, which is just representative of our friendship for almost 50 years. We have a squeeze, I might say have a great show and we step on stage. And we do that every single night.

Rock And Blues International: Well, it sounds like you’re totally brothers.

Graham Russell: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.

Rock And Blues International: All right. Any more information you can give me about the current tour, anything that we should expect any special things that are going to be happening that haven’t happened on other tours?

Graham Russell: No, really, I mean, we get on and the bulk of our show is hit songs, because we’ve had so many. But we are going to, we’re going to start sliding in brand new songs from the album and that’s exciting for

people to hear. But apart from that, no, it’s just Air Supply live. And it’s a great show.

Rock And Blues International: All right. Well, I think I’ve tied up enough of your time already. You probably got a field to plow or something to do out there.

Graham Russell: I’ve always got a field to plow, but I can’t, it’s not quite the weather yet, but I’m getting ready to do it.

Rock And Blues International: I’ll ask one more time. What haven’t I asked that I should have asked? There’s bound to be one or two things I really should have asked. And you’re gonna… when you get off the phone, you’re gonna go, “I can’t believe he didn’t ask me that.”

Graham Russell: No, I never think that. No, I always enjoy interviews. I don’t think so. I think you’ve asked everything. We’ve covered pretty much everything. I’m very, very happy with the interview. It’s fantastic.

Rock And Blues International: Well, wonderful. I appreciate that. Well, then I will let you get back to whatever you’re gonna get back to. Oh, I got one question, not really music related. You’re sitting there doing the interview. Look around the room. Tell me what you see.

Graham Russell: My daffodils are all out. I have three deer in my backyard. The birds are coming down. Everything’s turning green finally, after all the snow and out the front all my big pine trees are swaying in the breeze. Which is beautiful. I love it.

Rock And Blues International: It sounds like a very serene lifestyle and something to be envied over.

Graham Russell: For me, it’s beautiful. I love it. Not for everyone. But I love it. It’s beautiful.

Rock And Blues International: All right. Well, thank you for your time. I’m looking forward to seeing you when you come to town. Hopefully one day we’ll be able to meet. I hate just being a voice on the end of the line, but I’m sure you’ve talked to a lot of voices on the end of the line over the years.

Graham Russell: I would love to meet you, Kevin, do you come back and say hello. I would love that if you come to the show.

Rock And Blues International: Okay. Well, you have a great day and we’ll talk again on the next tour or when the new album comes out.

Graham Russell: I look forward to that. Thank you so much, Kevin.

Rock And Blues International: Thank you. Bye bye.

Matchbox Twenty Release Their New Album Where The Light Goes

Matchbox Twenty Perform At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on June 30th In Support Of Their New Album

Multi-platinum, superstar hit making pop-rockers Matchbox Twenty have released “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” a second track from their highly anticipated fifth studio album Where The Light Goes (released May 26th via Atlantic Records). Produced by Gregg Wattenberg with Paul Doucette and Kyle Cook, the album finds the band surging with energy for another great batch of real, relevant, and relatable songs.

“A lot of times, when people have been together for years, you can have arguments that get really heated and keep you on edge. It’s only natural for someone to sometimes think it may be the end. This song was just someone saying, ‘I know I get mad sometimes, but I’m not going anywhere’”

– ROB THOMAS

“Don’t Get Me Wrong” follows the album’s energetic lead “Wild Dogs (Running in a Slow Dream),” which marked the band’s first new music release in over a decade. Already

boasting over 3 million global streams, the single features a vibrant music video directed by Jay Sprogell (watch here), was just performed live the first time on The Kelly Clarkson Show (watch here), and got stripped back for a stunning acoustic rendition (stream here).

The band – Rob Thomas, Brian Yale, Paul Doucette, and Kyle Cook — will be hitting the road this month for their 50+ date spring/summer “Slow Dream Tour.” Produced by Live Nation, the “Slow Dream Tour” will begin on Tuesday, May 16th at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC and conclude on Sunday, August 6th at Chicago’s Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. The outing is the band’s first since 2017’s “A Brief History of Everything” tour which marked the 20th anniversary of their Diamond-certified debut album Yourself or Someone Like You. The “Slow Dream Tour” will feature support from Platinum-selling singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson for the first half of the tour and chart-topping singer-songwriter/

producer Ben Rector on the second half.

Matchbox Twenty have quietly woven their songs into the very fabric of American popular culture. The band has sold over 40 million records worldwide, dominated charts, garnered multiple GRAMMY Award nominations, and played to millions of fans in arenas, amphitheaters, and stadiums across continents.

Earning hits in each of the last three decades, Matchbox has gone from perennially dominating radio airwaves and ruling MTV to piling up streams in the billions, speaking to the enduring appeal of their music. Fueled by such classic songs as “Real World,” “Back 2 Good” and the No. 1 smash hits “Push” and “3AM,” 1996’s Diamond-certified Yourself or Someone Like You proved a worldwide sensation and instantly established the band as global superstars. 2000 saw the band release the four-times Platinum Mad Season, containing the No. 1 singles “Bent” and “If You’re Gone.” Their third release, More Than You Think You Are, also was certified double-Platinum and featured the No. 1 hit, “Unwell.” 2007’s greatest hits compilation album with six new songs, “Exile On Mainstream” yielded yet another No. 1 track, “How Far We’ve Come,” while 2012’s North, exploded into the top position on the Billboard 200 release – Matchbox Twenty’s first-ever chart-topper and No. 1 debut.

Now nearly eleven years later, the band sounds refreshed as ever on Where The Light Goes, benefitting from the musicians’ respective solo journeys. Rob Thomas has proven one of the most highly decorated artists of recent years –releasing five solo albums and receiving three GRAMMY Awards, 11 BMI Awards, the first-ever Songwriters Hall of Fame Hal David Starlight Award, two Billboard “Songwriter of the Year” honors, and top 5 placement on Billboard’s Top 20 Hot 100 Songwriters of the aughts. Meanwhile, Paul Doucette has scored and contributed original music to film and television series such as Utopia, For All Mankind, and more.

Dog Friendly

June 1 Chris Chrochemore

June 1 - Chris Chrochemore

June 8 - Dusky Waters

June 15 - Hipwaders Flying Circus

June 22 - Good Train Sessions

June 29 - Beth Lee

June 2 Johnny Falstaff

June 3 Western Jelly

June 9 Shame On Me

June 8 Wild Earp

June 24 Eric Korb

-

6/3

6/8

June 15 Hipwaders Flying Circus

June 29 Beth Lee

June 25 Seymore’s Shootout

June 2023 Entertainment Schedule

6/11

6/15

6/17

- Shame On Me

6/18

- Wild Earp

June 30 Line Shack 6

6/22 - Goodtrain Sessions 6/23 - Havoc Wagon

6/24

6/25 - Seymore’s Sunday Shootout 6/29 - Beth Lee

6/30

Friday, June 2 Evelyn Rubio Band

Saturday, June 3 Jamie Lynn Vessels Band

Sunday June 4

Big Al Bettis Band

Friday, June 9 Alastair Greene

Saturday, June 10 The Mighty Orq

Friday June 16

James Wilhite & The Classix

Saturday June 17 Shawn Pittman

Friday, June 23

Murali Coryell & Ernie Durawa

Saturday, June 24th Hamilton Loomis and Chris Castaneda

Friday, June 30

Mamahawk, Paul Ramirez, Randy Wall, Corey Tice & Barry B-Luv Jackson!!!

20%

Thursday, June 1 - Hippie Jim, Brothers Cathey, Junction Home

Friday, June 2 - Omero, Strange Waves, The Prof.Fuzz 63, Garden Party

Saturday, June 3 - TMF 2 DATE 3 w/ WAKING THE CADAVER, CROWN MAGNETAR

Sunday, June 4 - High Voltage Rock Camp, Music Lab

Thursday, June 8 - Jeremy Noble, Paco Perez, Stringman’s Rock

Friday, June 9 - Rap & Roll With GR-O-TH & Kali Crews, Horizon Shyft, Johnny & The Hellhounds

Saturday, June 10 - Hitch, Hatbox, Honeycutt Southern, Atonement

Sunday, June 11 - Mouthskin, Same Old Circles

Thursday, June 15 - The Soap Girls at Acadia

Friday, June 16 - The Convalescence, Summoner’s Circle

Saturday, June 17 - To Tame a Land, Supernaut, I Despise, Life Starts Now

Sunday, June 18 - Tba

Wednesday, June 21 - Fraile, Contortion, Hotshot Kixxx

Thursday, June 22 - Planet Moon, Loose change

Friday, June 23 - Brother Stone, Christian Shields, Paper Anvil, Carranza

Saturday, June 24 - Justus Denied, Alien Shore’s, Sonic Voodoo, Caitlin Cannon

Sunday, June 25 - Tba

Thursday, June 29 - Amelia Presley, Dave Collier (Doc)

Friday, June 30 - From the Grave

Fonseca Performs at The Arena Theater June 3rd

by Evan C. Gutierrez

Fonseca is a best-selling, award-winning singer and songwriter from Colombia. His music is celebrated for its accessible meld of modern pop styles with traditional Colombian rhythms, evidenced on his charting album Corazón and the singles “Cómo Me Mira” and “Entre Mi Vida y La Tuya.” He is also a social activist who uses his voice to fight for social justice. He supported the national program “Canta Conmigo,” in which he offered training, lessons, and support to former FARC guerrillas and paramilitaries in the aftermath of a decades-long war. He has also assisted the United Nations in various programs including the “No More Violence Against Women” initiative, and joined his compatriot Juanes in the campaign “Dreaming Is a Right” against the military recruitment of minors.

Fonseca was born in Bogota with the given name Juan Fernando Fonseca. He began studying music before he was ten, and chose the surname-only stage moniker as a child. He sold his first compositions to friends and family by the age of 12. After graduating high school, Fonseca studied music (guitar, voice, and composition) at Javeriana University in Bogota and Berklee College of Music in Boston. Upon returning to Colombia, he began performing and recording demos, one of which came to the attention of Líderes Entertainment Group, a part of EMI Colombia, who signed him in 2001. Fonseca’s self-titled debut gained him considerable attention at home. Though neither album nor singles charted, the artist’s work nonetheless gained substantial national radio airplay, and consequently, the attention of artists such as Shakira and Juanes, who both offered subsequent collaboration and performance opportunities. Sharing the stage with Shakira on her Mongoose tour, and Juanes at Campin Stadium in Bogota earned Fonseca the recognition and momentum he would need for his second album, 2005’s Corazón, which explored the crossroads where pop/rock influences meet the vallenato, bullerengue, and tambora rhythms of his native land. Released

by EMI, Corazón was well-received, reaching number six on the Tropical Albums chart, while its singles charted in the Top 20 at Latin Pop and Tropical Songs. Gratitud followed in 2008. Its two singles, “Arroyito” and “Enredame,” both charted on the Latin Pop Songs charts and the album peaked inside the Top 10 on the Tropical Albums list.

Already successful, Fonseca rocketed to superstar status with the release of 2011’s Ilusion. While the album landed just outside the Tropical Albums Top 10, it was nominated for a Grammy as Best Latin Pop album and won the Latin Grammy for Best Tropical Fusion album. Its charting single, “Desde Que No Estás,” was nominated for Tropical Song of the Year. Within four months, the full-length attained quintuple-Platinum status and a Diamond Disc for its sales in Colombia. Fonseca, by then well-known as an ambassador of Colombia’s music to the world, recorded Sinfonico in concert with the 100-memberplus Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Colombia in 2013, issued a year later as Fonseca Sinfónico con la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia. It was Latin Grammy-nominated for Album of the Year, and won for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, becoming his third platinum record for sales in Colombia. It also placed inside the Top 20 on the Classical Albums chart. In early 2015, Fonseca was awarded La Musa Premio Triunfador by the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in May received the first-ever Contemporary Icon Award at the SESAC Latina Music Awards. In the fall, he released the album Conexión. It charted at number two on the Tropical Albums list thanks to the success of its pre-release singles “Y No Me Faltas” and “Y Tú” (a duet with Juanes). The set also included a second duet, “Amor Eterno,” with Victor Manuelle. The single “Vine a Buscarte” won the 2016 Latin Grammy for Best Tropical Song and was ultimately certified quadruple Platinum. That same year, he issued Homenaje (A la Música de Diomedes Díaz). Produced by Bernardo Ossa, it contained 12 of the best-known songs by the disappeared Colombian singer Diomedes Díaz, rearranged in Fonseca’s fusion-pop style. It earned him a Latin Grammy in 2016 for Best Cumbia/ Vallenato album. Between the pair, Fonseca hit the Latin Pop Songs chart with four different tracks.

Continuing with his social work, became the first Colombian Goodwill Ambassador for the Save the Children Foundation. In October, via a symphonic concert, he launched his Gratitude Foundation with Camilo Hoyos as director, ensuring the preservation of Colombian cultural traditions. He followed it with a fund-and consciousness-raising tour. In March of 2017, he received an award in the Tropical category for “Vine a Buscarte” during the 25th annual ASCAP Latin Music Awards. In November, Fonseca snuck out the single “Por Pura Curiosidad,” which hit airplay and Tropical Songs charts, and was later issued in a special version with participation from ex-Capital Cities vocalist and trumpeter Spencer Ludwig. A second single, “Cuando Llego a Casa,” appeared in December as the official theme for the Televisia soap opera Papá a Toda Madre was broadcast in México. Fonseca kicked off 2018 with the single “Porque Nadie Sabe,” featuring the Latin Grammy-winning Argentine singer and guitarist Nahuel Pennisi. In May 2018, Fonseca received the Diamond Album Award at the Sony Music Convention in Mexico from Sony Latin chairman and CEO Afo Verde and Sony Music U.S. president Nir Seroussi to commemorate his more than 400 million audio and video streams for the albums Conexion and Ilusion.

Friday, June 9, 8-11 pm PLEASE NOTE:CANCELED

3 Doors Down Bar 102 20th St - Galveston, TX 77550

Friday, June 16, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Haak Winery

6310 Ave T - Santa, Fe, TX 77510

Saturday, June 17, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Two Mules Tavern 100 Cypresswood Dr - Spring, TX 77388

Saturday, June 24, 8:00 pm - 12:00 Am

Scotty’s Saloon 114 Agnes Rd - Richmond, TX 77469

Saturday, July 1,8:00 pm - 12:00 Am

Backwoods Saloon

230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385

Friday, July 7, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

The Abbey Pub 2002 N Fry Rd - Houston, TX 77084

Saturday, July 15, 7:00 - 11:00 pm

Papa’s On The Lake

14632 Hwy 105 W - Montgomery, TX 77356

Saturday, July 22, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

Aspens Bar & Grill

817 Clear Lake Rd - Kemah, TX 77565

Saturday, September 2, 7:00 - 11:00 pm

Papa’s On The Lake

14632 Hwy 105 W - Montgomery, TX 77356

Friday, September 8, 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

3 Doors Down Bar 102 20th St - Galveston, TX 77550

Saturday, October 28, 8:00 pm - 12:00 Am

Backwoods Saloon 230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385

Saturday. December 2, 8:00 pm - 12:00 Am

Backwoods Saloon 230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385

Saturday, December 9, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

Jack’s Pub *Christmas Party!!!

11720 S Wilcrest - Houston, TX 77099

Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade Perform At White Oak Music Hall June 16

fter a two-decade hiatus, Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade shared they’ll set out on a goliath, 41date summer tour touted as the Summer of Green Tour 2023. The performance will mark the ensemble’s first reunion since 2003.

Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigader–comprised of Claypool (bass), Sean Lennon (guitar), Harry Waters (keys), Paulo Baldi (drums), Mike Dillon (percussion), and Skerik (horns)–will kick off their tour in Stateline, Nev. on May 17 before winding its way throughout the country. They will be appearing in Houston at White Oak Music Hall on June 16th

“In an age of calibrated chaos, moral constipation, and conspiranoia, it is reassuring to know that certain frogs can and do fly,” Claypool shared in a

press release announcing the event.

Also performing with them at White Oak Music Hall will be a coheadlining set with the Talking Heads members Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew, who will be on the road for their Remain In Light Tour.

Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, which Claypool once described as a “kind of a King Crimson meets Pink Floyd meets Frank Zappa type thing” – released three albums through the bassist’s own label Prawn Song Records: Live Frogs Set 1 (2001), Live Frogs Set 2 (2001) and Purple Onion (2002).

Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade (also known as The Les Claypool Frog Brigade) is a musical project with rotating personnel, led by

American singer/bassist Les Claypool. The Frog Brigade was formed during a hiatus from Claypool’s main group Primus.

The original band was formed in summer 2000 and consisted of Claypool, Todd Huth (guitars, vocals), Jay Lane (drums), Jeff Chimenti (keyboards), Skerik (saxophone), and Eenor Wildeboar (guitars, cümbü?). Les Claypool has described their sound as, “It’s kind of a King Crimson meets Pink Floyd meets Frank Zappa type thing.”

The band released two live recordings in 2001, Live Frogs Set 1 and Live Frogs Set 2. Set 1 is a mix of covers and originals, including “Thela Hun Ginjeet” (King Crimson) and “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” (Pink Floyd). Set 2 is a live cover of the entire Pink Floyd album, Animals. A studio album, entitled Purple Onion, was also released in 2002.

All three albums were released on Les Claypool’s Prawn Song Records.

Claypool formed the band to play the Mountain Aire Festival, a jam band festival that takes place in Northern California on Memorial Day weekends each year. Its initial lineup featured MIRV’s Marc Haggard on guitar, Skerik on saxophone, and both Jack Irons (exPearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Primus’ Tim Alexander on drums. Les had planned on naming the band Les Claypool’s Thunder Brigade, but was told by Mountain Aire organizers that the name might sound too heavy for the jamband crowd.

In August 2000, Claypool created a new line-up of the Frog Brigade and took it on a tour that fall. The band consisted of Jay Lane on drums and Todd Huth on guitar, who had worked with Claypool in Sausage (which in itself was a reformation of the first line up of Primus),

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guitarist Eenor, who got a place in the band by winning a mail-order competition, Jeff Chimenti, the keyboardist from Ratdog (Jay Lane also has worked with Ratdog), and Skerik continuing on saxophone. This version of the band played a show consisting of two sets – the first filled with covers and songs from Claypool’s previous bands, and a second set where the band would play all of the Pink Floyd album, Animals.

Reviews noted that although Claypool was turning towards jam band, the cover selections were adventurous and the cross over brought together a unique combination of fans. At the shows it was noted “a peculiar convergence of poncho punks, old Deadheads, extravagant funk fans and year-round Halloween revelers supplied one of the least likely rock audiences in recent memory” including both deadhead ‘noodle dancers’ and a mosh pit.

After this tour, the Brigade released two live recordings, both taken from the Autumn 2000 concerts by the band in San Francisco. Live Frogs, Vol. 1 contained material from the first, freeform set, and Live Frogs, Vol. 2 was a recording of the band performing Animals.

The Brigade headlined the first SnoCore Icicle Ball in early 2001. The

following summer, the band was composed of Claypool, Skerik, Eenor and a new drummer, Paul Svena. Les began writing new material and they began playing single-set live shows. In 2002, Mike Dillon was added as a percussionist and the Frog Brigade recorded their only studio album to date, Purple Onion.

In 2003, Eenor left the band and guitarist Bryan Kehoe joined. Throughout their touring schedule the band has changed drummers multiple times. Drummer Paulo Baldi also entered the rotation in 2003. Baldi, formerly of the

Bay Area trio Deadweight, who have disbanded, is a natural fit along the lines of Tim Alexander and Jay Lane.

In 2002 Claypool formed a new band, Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains, with guitarist Buckethead, keyboardist Bernie Worrell, and former Primus drummer Bryan Mantia (aka Brain). This band had much the same genesis as the Frog Brigade; Formed to play at the Bonnaroo Festival of that year, it has since gone on the road, and recordings have become subsequent live albums.

As of August 2011, the Frog Brigade has not recorded any new material since Purple Onion, and the band has not gone on a major tour since Summer 2003, but has occasionally reformed to play other one-off shows and music festivals. Claypool toured 2006 and 2007 with Paulo Baldi, Gabby La La, Mike Dillon and Skerik as Les Claypool’s Fancy Band.

In 2023, Claypool reformed the band for a tour entitled “Summer of Green,” featuring an almost entirely new line up of Sean Lennon on guitar, Harry Waters on keyboards, Paulo Baldi on drums, and Mike Dillon on percussion. Skerik is the only original member aside from Claypool to join the reformed group.

Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia

BLOOD BROTHERS Special Dosey Doe Big Barn Appearance On June 23rd

The dynamic duo of multi-Blues Music Award-winners Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia recently released their new album, the highly anticipated “Blood Brothers” this past March.The duo concluded a highlysuccessful string of “Blood Brothers” shows in the spring/summer of 2022 with new tour dates already announced beginning in June and running through the summer with a special Houston appearance at Dosey Doe Big Barn On June 23rd. Blood Brothers was produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith and recorded at Dockside Studio in Maurice, Louisiana. “Sweet Mama,” the album’s first single/video, droppeddosey February 10th.

“This album was a blast to make and I am even more excited to take this music out on the road and perform for the people,” says Mike Zito. “It’s just a bit more complex with an overall band dynamic that I think sets apart from what Albert and I normally do.”

“The making of this album was a ‘brotherhood’ in every sense of the word,” adds Albert Castiglia. “The production team of Josh Smith and Joe Bonamassa, along with Mike and I created something incredibly special. I hope our fans enjoy this collaboration as much as we did.”

Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia are true “Blood Brothers” in life and in the music they create both individually and collectively, joining forces in a collaborative effort of songwriting and performances to create a total listening experience greater than the sum of its parts. Added to that process are the talents of producers Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, who brought fresh ideas to the recording sessions, pushing Mike and Albert creatively and musically to present their best work to date.

“Mike and Albert have a special chemistry together when they plug in and play that few have. They finish each other’s sentences musically,” award-winning guitarist Joe Bonamassa said about the sessions. “Great tunes, great people, great hang! What’s not to like? It was an honor to be involved in this project.

For the Blood Brothers album, Mike Zito: vocals/guitars; Albert Castiglia: vocals/ guitars – brought together their two powerhouse bands, featuring Matt Johnson: drums; Ephraim Lowell: drums; Doug Byrkit: bass; Lewis Stephens: piano/organ. Josh Smith provided his additional talents on guitar to the sound, and Joe Bonamassa stepped up to be featured on the new song, “A Thousand Heartaches.”

“Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia have done something special,” added co-producer Josh Smith. “They have both found their musical confidante. Most solo artists never even look - let alone find - theirs. They have brought together a real ‘band’ using members

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of each’s solo acts. The sum of all these parts added with a tremendous effort to both write and perform the strongest record of their respective careers has paid off in a special album. Blood Brothers indeed! Joe and I are proud that these brothers trusted our partnership to produce this special album!”

Of the many insights into the songs on Blood Brothers, Mike Zito offered these two about “‘In My Soul’ and “One Step Ahead of the Blues”: “In the summer of 2022, my wife Laura was diagnosed with cancer. It was a surreal shock. Albert suggested I write songs about how I felt, but I said no. I just couldn’t bring myself to that place yet. ‘In My Soul’ is the only song that came out of what I was feeling at that time. I didn’t think about it or analyze it, I just started singing.

“For ‘One Step Ahead of the Blues’: I am a JJ Cale fanatic. I love his voice and his style. Although JJ did not write this song, his recording has always been on my playlist. It just fits this band and album with Albert. It turned into a great duet that makes for a strong bond.”

Albert Castiglia ventured inspirations for “A Thousand Heartaches” and “Tooth and Nail”: “In March of 2022, while on tour in Delaware with The Blood Brothers, Mike asked me to write a ballad for the new album, because we were well-stocked with up tempo numbers and needed to change the pace a little. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to write an unrequited love song like ‘Bell Bottom Blues’ by Derek & The Dominos or ‘We’ve

Got Tonight’ by Bob Seger. I’ve been through unreciprocated and forbidden love in my life, but never had the songwriting chops to express how I felt in the midst of it. Most of my songs of love gone bad or love never meant to be usually had me coming off as bitter. I wanted to change that, dig into my past and write something that had me taking the high road and coming off a little more dignified. I think my songwriting has come a long way and ‘A Thousand Heartaches’ is a result of that progression.

“And when Tinsley Ellis writes a song for you, you listen! Tinsley came to our Blood Brothers show in Atlanta last summer and told us he had a few songs that he had written for us. ‘Tooth and Nail’ grabbed my attention right away. It has all the elements that appeal to a blues-rock guy who grew up in Florida. To me, it’s the ultimate southern rock, Florida/Georgia blues tune. It’s signature Tinsley. It was an honor to sing and play on this one.”

Mike and Albert will be hitting the road again in support of the new Blood Brothers album, with dates booked by Intrepid Artists. With over 45 years combined in the music business, Zito and Castiglia have toured the world spreading joy and bringing the music to the people. For the upcoming “Blood Brothers” tour, both Mike and Albert will be onstage performing together for the entire show, so fans can enjoy the amazing chemistry and creativity that these two musicians share with each other – and the audience. In addition to their own rock, blues

and roots individual tunes, the set will feature a number of songs from the Blood Brothers album.

Both Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia are celebrating their most-recent albums: Zito’s double live set, Blues for the Southside (released Feb. 2021), debuted at number one on the Billboard Blues Chart; and Castiglia’s latest solo disc, I Got Love,(released in May,2022) also charted very high. On their last “Blood Brothers” tour, fans got to see Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia come together to create a special musical journey unlike anything seen before in the Blues and Roots genre.

Mike Zito won the 2022 Blues Music Award for “Blues Rock Album;” and Albert Castiglia won the BMA for “Blues Rock Artist.” With both artists on the exciting Gulf Coast Records label, it only made sense to join forces and give the fans what they’ve long been clamoring for: “Blood Brothers.”

Musicians:

Mike Zito: Vocals/Guitars

Albert Castiglia: Vocals/Guitars

Douglas Byrkit: Bass Guitar

Matt Johnson: Drums/Percussion

Ephraim Lowell: Drums/Percussion

Lewis Stephens: Piano/Organ

Featured Artist: Joe Bonamassa - A Thousand Heartaches

Additional musicians:

Josh Smith - Guitar

Joe Bonamassa - Guitar

Lemar Carter - Drums

Calvin Turner - Bass

Steve Patrick - Trumpet

Mike Haynes - Trumpet

Jimmy Bowland - Saxophone

Jonathan Salcedo - Trombone

Matt Jefferson - Trombone

Jade Macrae - Background Vocals

Dannielle DeAndrea - Background Vocals

Tracks

1. Hey Sweet Mama - written by Mike Zito

2. In My Soul - written by Mike Zito

3. Tooth and Nail - written by Tinsley Ellis

4. Fool Never Learns - written by Fred James

5. A Thousand Heartaches - featuring Joe Bonamassa - written by Albert Castiglia

6. My Business - written by John Hiatt

7. You’re Gonna Burn - written by Fred James / Berry Hill

8. Bag Me, Tag Me, Take Me Away - written by Graham Wood Drout

9. No Good Woman - written by Mike Zito

10. Hill Country Jam - written by Mike Zito / Josh Smith

11. One Step Ahead of the Blues - written by Roger Tillison

Thursday, June 1 - James Wilhite

Friday, June 2 - Jamie Lynn Vessels

Saturday, June 3 - Wake Zone @ 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Sunday, June 4 - Katie’s Jam with special guest host Chris Castaneda

Wednesday, June 7 - Katie’s Wednesday Night Jam with Bob Emmons @ 8 pm - 11 pm

Thursday, June 8 - Hugo Jamz Trio

Friday, June 9 - Pierce And The Purple Moon

Saturday, June 10 - Paul Ramirez

Sunday, June 11 - Katie’s Jam with special guest host James Wilhite

Wednesday, June 14 - Katie’s Wednesday Night Jam with Keith Vivens @ 8 pm - 11 pm

Thursday, June 15 - Shawn Pittman

Friday, June 16 - Big Jordan Band

Saturday, June 17 - Static Blues Band

Sunday, June 18 - Katie’s Jam with special guest host Hugo Jamz

Wednesday, June 21 - Katie’s Wednesday Night Jam with Bob Emmons @ 8 pm - 11 pm

Thursday, June 22 - Chris Castaneda Band @ 8 pm - 11 pm

Friday, June 23 - The Mighty Orq

Saturday, June 24 - Snit’s Dog & Pony Show

Sunday, June 25 - Katie’s Jam with special guest host Mark May

Wednesday, June 28 - Katie’s Wednesday Night Jam with Keith Vivens @ 8 pm - 11 pm

Thursday, June 29 - Eric Demmer

Friday, June 30 - - Mark May

Dream Theatre Bring Their “Dreamsonic” Tour To Smart Financial Centre June 18th

Grammy-winning, millions-selling progressive music titans DREAM THEATER have announced the first edition of “Dreamsonic”, taking place in North America throughout June and July and celebrating the summer’s ultimate progressive metal lineup. Kicking off on June 16, DREAM THEATER will be joined by special guests Devin Townsend and ANIMALS AS LEADERS on what is sure to be one of the hottest tickets of the summer. They will touch down at Smart Financial Centre on June 18th.

DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci said: “We are all so incredibly excited to present DREAM THEATER’s very own prog-metal music festival, ‘Dreamsonic 2023’! “The lineup for our inaugural run this summer features DREAM THEATER, Devin Townsend and ANIMALS AS LEADERS and is going to be absolutely epic!

“‘Dreamsonic’ promises to be a reoccurring musical event that will deliver historymaking nights of amazing music for many years to come! “You’re not going to want to miss this one!”

Long Island, New York’s Dream Theater are the globally celebrated standard bearers for progressive metal in the 21st century. Their ability to deliver tight, melodic, musically sophisticated songs and thematic concept recordings encompassing elements of hook-based hard rock, riff-fueled metal, syncopated prog, and refined lyrics have made them the act others are measured by. Their second album, 1992’s Images and Words, established their sonic signature, while 1994’s Awake and 1999’s Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory cemented their place in metal’s pantheon. Dream Theater is well known for high-energy concert

performances. While they’ve released several 21st century live albums — Live at the Marquee, Live in Japan, and Live Scenes from New York — they remain one of the genre’s most bootlegged bands. For 2016’s The Astonishing, a double-length dystopian sci-fi opera, they were accompanied by the Prague Symphony Orchestra and three choirs. In 2021, the band issued A View from the Top of the World.

Originally named Majesty (from a lyric in “Bastille Day”), the band was founded by Berklee College of Music students guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, and drummer Mike Portnoy; they soon expanded with the addition of keyboard player Kevin Moore and vocalist Chris Collins. Releasing an eight-tune demo, Majesty Demo, as

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Majesty, the group sold 1,000 copies within six months. The departure of Collins in late 1986 left Majesty without a vocalist, and after a long period of auditioning possible replacements, the group settled on Charlie Dominici in November 1987. They decided to change their name to Dream Theater, inspired by a now-demolished California movie theater. Signing with Mechanic Records, the group began working on their first full-length album. Delays caused by label mismanagement limited the group to performing at small clubs and bars. Frustrated by this experience, Dream Theater finally severed its ties with Mechanic.

This was only one drastic change in the band’s course of action. Firing Dominici, the group spent the next couple years searching for a vocalist. The search ended in late 1991 when a demo tape from Canadian vocalist James LaBrie, formerly of Winter Rose, arrived. After flying to New York to audition, LaBrie was invited to join the band. Signing with Atco Atlantic (which came to be known as East West), Dream Theater released its second album, Images & Words, in 1992. One of three videos based on songs from the album, “Pull Me Under,” became an MTV hit. Although Theater showed considerable growth with their third studio album, Awake, recorded between May and July 1994, the group continued to be hampered by personnel changes. Before the album was mixed, keyboardist Moore left the group to focus on his solo career. Hired as a temporary replacement for the band’s Waking Up the World tour, Derek Sherinian later became a permanent member. His first recording with Dream Theater was a 23-minute epic, “A Change of Seasons,” written in 1989 and released in September 1995 on the album of the same name.

TyrannyFollowing a mini tour, Fix for ’96, the members of Dream Theater separated for several months and became involved with a variety of outside projects. Petrucci was the busiest. In addition to joining Portnoy and keyboard player Jordan Rudess in the Liquid Tension Experiment — a group that included influential bassist/stick player Tony Levin — Petrucci played guitar with Trent Gardner’s Explorers Club and made a guest appearance on Shadow Gallery’s Tyranny album. Myung and Sherinian collaborated with King’s X vocalist Ty Tabor in the band Platypus. LaBrie worked with Mull Muzzler, a group

Dream Theater experienced yet another change when Rudess was tapped to replace Sherinian, who had been fired in 1999. The band released the progressive rock-heavy Scenes from a Memory that year, a conceptual piece that followed the story of the 1928 murder of a young woman and how a modern man is haunted by the crime. It was followed by Live Scenes from New York in 2001, which suffered from an unintentional bout of controversy when its original cover featuring the city of New York in flames was pulled due to the events of September 11. The group continued in the progressive metal vein in 2002 with Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, followed by the leaner Train of Thought in 2003 and Octavarium in 2005. The live album Score: XOX was released in 2006 and featured the band backed by a 29piece orchestra. It was followed a year later by the new studio album Systematic Chaos, and in 2009 by Black Clouds & Silver Linings.

Sherinian went on to record as a soloist and to play with a prog and jazz fusion band, Planet X. Petrucci released an eponymously titled solo album in 2003, featuring accompaniment by Dave LaRue of the Dixie Dregs and Boston-based drummer Dave DiCenso. In late 2010, Mike Mangini joined the group, replacing drummer Mike Portnoy, who left the band in September of that year. With a rigorous touring schedule that firmly broke in Mangini, Dream Theater somehow found time to record. They pre-released the track “On the Backs of Angels” on YouTube via their label, Roadrunner, in June of 2011, followed by the CD release of the aptly titled full-length A Dramatic Turn of Events in the fall. After a period of rigorous international touring, the band took a break, though its members continued writing. They reconvened

in early 2013 and returned with a self-titled studio album in September — this one with Mangini completely involved in the writing process — followed in November with the concert recording Live at Luna Park on CD and DVD, which was recorded during the Dramatic Turn of Events tour over two nights at the Buenos Aires soccer stadium. Recorded live at the Boston Opera House on March 24, 2014, the concert recording Breaking the Fourth Wall arrived the following year, and in late 2015 the band announced their upcoming 13th studio album, The Astonishing. A completely conceptual sci-fi offering, it was released in January 2016. After a world tour in which they performed the whole of the album, the band took an extended breather. At the end of 2018, Dream Theater released the single and video for “Untethered Angel” in advance of a North American tour. The fulllength Distance Over Time was the first album by the band to clock in at less than an hour in length in over a decade. Petrucci credited the more economical running time to a more collaborative writing process that took a mere 18 days to complete, and focused on harder-edged songs than on more recent recordings. Distance Over Time was released by Inside Out in early 2019. Taking the album on the road, Dream Theater played a sold-out show at London’s Apollo, which was recorded for prosperity.

Released in November 2020, Distant Memories: Live in London, not only featured live tracks from the album but a 20th anniversary celebration of their 1999 concept album, Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. In 2021, the band returned with A View from the Top of the World. Its seven extended tracks ranged from just over six to 20 minutes and comprised — for the first time in many years — an aural portrait of the band mapping out prog metal architectures and compositions without a guiding concept or theme.

formed with Matt Guillory and Mike Mangini.

Duran Duran Bring Their “Future Past” Tour To The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion June 9th

Duran Duran will embark on a 2023 North American tour in support of their 2021 album “Future Past” which will hit the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on June 9th British rock act Bastille and Nile Rodgers & Chic will join the band as special guests on all dates. Duran Duran is touring in support of its 2021 album Future Past, which hit No. 3 on the Official U.K. Album Chart.

“It’s remarkable to me that as a band, we are still hitting new milestones, and introducing the sound of DD to new generations of music lovers,” said singer Simon LeBon in a statement. “We are truly grateful that we get to do what we do on a daily basis, and that we still love our job as much as we did when we started out some four decades ago.”

Duran Duran epitomized the sleek, fashionable side of new wave, specializing in danceable, synthesized pop delivered with visual flair — a talent crystallized in a series of groundbreaking music videos from the early 1980s. The group had the good fortune to deliver their debut album in 1981, the same year MTV began broadcasting, and their success was intertwined: Duran Duran gave the network clever, cinematic clips for “Rio”

and “Hungry Like the Wolf,” which MTV played ceaselessly, helping to turn the Birmingham, England-based band into global superstars. Between 1982 and 1985, they were fixtures on the British and American charts, with “Is There Something I Should Know?,” “Union of the Snake,” “The Wild Boys” and the James Bond theme “A View to a Kill” reaching the Top Ten on both sides of the Atlantic. Unlike many of their new wave peers, Duran Duran managed to sustain a career that lasted for decades, withstanding a shifting lineup — the duo of keyboardist

Nick Rhodes and vocalist Simon Le Bon were the only two members to stay with the group throughout the years — and changes in musical fashion. The group forged an alliance with Chic’s Nile Rodgers for 1986’s funky Notorious, then refashioned themselves as mature balladeers in 1993 and landed one of their biggest hits with “Ordinary World.” The original lineup from the New Romantic era reunited for 2004’s Astronaut, a move that helped revive the band’s profile. Over the next decade, they collaborated with a number of prominent modern hitmakers, including Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Mark Ronson, and Blur’s Graham Coxon, who featured on their 2021 album Future Past.

Inspired by David Bowie and Roxy Music, as well as post-punk and disco, schoolmates Nick Rhodes (keyboards) and John Taylor (guitar) formed Duran Duran in 1978 with their friends Simon Colley (bass, clarinet) and Stephen Duffy (vocals). Taking their name from a character in Roger Vadim’s psychedelic sci-fi film Barbarella, the group began playing gigs in the Birmingham club Barbarella, supported by a drum machine. Within a year, Duffy and Colley both left the group — Duffy would later form the Lilac Time — and were replaced by former TV Eye vocalist Andy Wickett and drummer Roger Taylor. After recording a demo, John Taylor switched to bass and guitarist Alan Curtis joined the band, only to leave within a matter of months. The group placed an ad in Melody Maker, which drew the attention of Andy Taylor, who became their guitarist. However, Duran Duran were still having trouble finding a vocalist. Following Wickett’s departure in 1979, a pair of singers passed through the group before Simon LeBon, a former member of the punk band Dog Days and a drama student at Birmingham University, joined in early 1980.

By the end of 1980, Duran Duran had become popular within the burgeoning new romantic circuit in England and had secured a record contract with EMI. “Planet Earth,” the band’s first single, quickly rose to number 12 upon its spring 1981 release. Immediately, Duran Duran became the leaders of the new romantic movement, and media sensations in the British music and mainstream press. The group’s popularity increased through its cutting-edge music videos, especially the bizarre, racy clip for “Girls on Film.”

Although the BBC banned the Godley & Creme-directed video, the single became the group’s first Top Ten hit, setting the stage for the fall release of its eponymous debut album. Duran Duran reached number three upon its release and stayed in the charts for 118 weeks. The band quickly followed the album with Rio in the spring of 1982. Rio entered the charts at number two, and its singles — “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Save a Prayer” — became Top Ten hits. By the November release of the remix EP Carnival, the bandmembers were superstars in Europe, but only just beginning to make headway in America. Their exposure in the U.S. was helped greatly by the emergence of MTV, which put the group’s stylish videos into heavy rotation. MTV’s constant playing of the videos paid off, and “Hungry Like the Wolf” became a Top Ten hit early in 1983. Rio followed that single into the Top Ten, eventually selling over two million copies.

Duran Duran mania was in full swing across America, with “Is There Something I Should Know” reaching the Top Ten — it became the group’s first English number one that summer — and the group’s first album climbing its way to number ten. Duran Duran capitalized on their popularity by releasing

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Seven and the Ragged Tiger in time for 1983’s holiday season. The record hit number one in the U.K. and number eight in the U.S., spawning the hit singles “Union of the Snake” and “The Reflex,” their first number one U.S. hit and their second British charttopper. The band took an extended break after completing its year-and-a-half-long international tour in the spring of 1984. In November, the group released the non-LP single “Wild Boys,” which reached number two in the U.K. and the U.S., where it was added to the live album Arena.

By 1985, Duran Duran fever was beginning to cool off, and after completing the title track for the James Bond film A View to a Kill, the group went on hiatus. Andy and John Taylor formed the supergroup the Power Station with vocalist Robert Palmer and former Chic drummer Tony Thompson in January, releasing their eponymous debut album in the spring; it spawned the Top Ten singles “Some Like It Hot” and “Get It On (Bang a Gong).” The remaining members of Duran Duran — Nick Rhodes, Simon LeBon, and Roger Taylor — responded with their own side project, Arcadia, releasing an album called So Red the Rose in the fall of 1985; the album launched the Top Ten hit “Election Day.” Early in 1986, Roger Taylor announced he was taking a yearlong sabbatical from the group; he never returned. Several months later, Andy Taylor also left, reducing Duran Duran to a trio. Late in 1986, the band released Notorious, its first album in nearly three years. While it was relatively successful, going platinum in the U.S. and generating a Top Ten hit with the title track, it was noticeably less popular than their earlier records. For the remainder of the decade, Duran Duran’s popularity continued to decline, with 1988’s Big Thing producing “I Don’t Want Your Love,” their last Top Ten single for five years.

The greatest-hits album Decade was released late in 1989, followed several months later by Liberty, the first Duran Duran album to fail to go gold. By that point, former Missing Persons guitarist Warren Cuccurullo had become a permanent member of the group. In 1993, the band returned from a prolonged hiatus with Duran Duran [The Wedding Album], a mature, layered record of lite funk and soulful adult contemporary pop that became a surprise hit. “Ordinary World” and “Come Undone” became Top Ten hits in America and the U.K. as well; the album itself climbed into the Top Ten on both continents and went platinum in America. Not only did the record restore their commercial status, but it earned them some of their

best reviews of their career. The group followed the album with one of its poorest-received efforts, 1995’s all-covers Thank You, which managed to go gold in America despite negative reviews. While Duran Duran were recording the follow-up to Thank You in 1996, John Taylor left the band to pursue a solo career, leaving the group a trio of LeBon, Rhodes, and Cuccurullo. That followup, Medazzaland, was released in 1997 but failed to produce any major hits. Released in 2000, Pop Trash suffered a similar fate.

In March 2001, the three Taylors — Andy, John, and Roger — met up in Wales and worked with each other for three weeks. Around this time, rumors of a five-member reunion began to circulate. Two months after Rhodes and LeBon denied the rumors, the reunion was confirmed. Duran Duran recorded on and off for a new album over the next three years and also toured sporadically. After signing with Epic, they released Astronaut in October 2004. Red Carpet Massacre, produced by Timbaland and without Andy Taylor, followed in 2007. In 2011, Duran Duran delivered their 13th studio album, the Mark Ronson-produced All You Need Is Now; it was greeted with positive reviews and debuted at 11 on the U.K. charts and 29 in the U.S.

Duran Duran began recording for their 14th album in 2013 and worked on it over the next two years. When it finally materialized in September 2015, Paper Gods bore tracks produced by both Mark Ronson and Nile Rodgers, alongside additional contributions in this area from Mr. Hudson and the band’s engineer of choice, Josh Blair. The album also included vocals from Janelle Monáe, Kiesza, and Mew’s Jonas Bjerre, as well as guitar from former Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante. The record was their first to be issued through Warner Bros. and its release date coincided with a headline slot at Rob da Bank’s Bestival event on the Isle of Wight.

Duran Duran supported Paper Gods with an extensive tour, then turned their attention to recording its sequel in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the release of the ensuing Future Past until October 2021. Largely produced by DJ Erol Alkan and featuring Blur’s Graham Coxon on guitar, Future Past was their first record for BMG. It hit number three on the U.K. Albums Chart and cracked the Top 30 of the Billboard 200.

With a career that has seen more than 100 million record sales worldwide, 21 UK Top 20 tunes and 18 American hit singles, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction truly cements the multi-GRAMMY, BRIT Award and Ivor Novello winners as one of the most successful and influential bands of all time.

Duran Duran’s current album, ‘FUTURE PAST’ is available digitally as well as in a variety of physical formats: standard CD, cassette, a limited edition deluxe hardback book CD featuring three additional tracks, and colored vinyl here. It is also available in immersive Sony 360 Reality Audio on Amazon Music HD, TIDAL HiFi, and Deezer HiFi.

Enlisting the help of some of the most exciting names of the last 50 years, with ‘FUTURE PAST,’ Duran Duranhave delivered another incredible genre-spanning piece of work that once again sets them apart from the pack. Working alongside DJ / producer Erol Alkan and pioneering Italian composer / producer Giorgio Moroder, who added his magic to create two instant future classics (‘BEAUTIFUL LIES,’ ‘TONIGHT UNITED’), as well as some of the most unexpected and inspiring names in pop –including Swedish hitmaker, Tove Lo on ‘GIVE IT ALL UP,’ ‘Queen of Drill’ Ivorian Doll on ‘HAMMERHEAD’ and Japan’s CHAI on ‘MORE JOY!’. In addition, Blur’s Graham Coxon co-wrote and lends his guitar to several tracks on the record and David Bowie’s former pianist Mike Garson adds an exquisite sonic layer to album closer ‘FALLING’. The record, which was recorded across studios in London and LA over lockdown, also features long-time collaborator Mark Ronson who co-wrote and played on ‘WING,’ and was mixed by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent.

Otep Perform At Warehouse Live June 9th

by Bradley Torreano

A hard-hitting and outspoken female-fronted metal outfit from Los Angeles, California, Otep’s lethal blend of gothic, extreme, rap, alternative, and nu-metal draws from a wide array of influences, including the Doors, Metallica, Slipknot, and Deftones. Led by fiery singer/songwriter, poet, author, performance artist, and activist for LGBT rights and animal welfare Otep Shamaya, the band emerged in 2000 and quickly caught the attention of Sharon Osbourne, who invited Otep to join that years Ozzfest. The band spent the ensuing years blazing a trail of sonic destruction via career-best outings like Smash the Control Machine (2009) and Atavist (2011), while maintaining their penchant for pairing sheer volume with cultural and political provocation.

Otep (an anagram for “poet”) got their start in late 2000, when singer/band namesake Otep Shamaya brought her Marilyn Manson-meets-Kim Gordon style of singing to a crew of musicians known only as Rob, Moke, and eViL j. The foursome began gigging around Los Angeles and scored a deal with Capitol solely on the strength of their live show (they’d not yet recorded a demo), releasing the Jihad EP the following year. Rumors of cannibalism and dabbling in the mystical arts helped add to their

mysterious image, and they found themselves receiving nods of approval from the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Marilyn Manson for their antics.

Their eighth live show ever was at 2001’s Ozzfest, and Otep stepped into the studio with Terry Date at the tail-end of the year to record their full-length debut, Sevas Tra, which saw the light of day in the summer of 2002. That summer they again joined the Ozzfest tour, gaining a prime spot on the second stage. In 2004 the group released its sophomore effort, House of Secrets, which introduced elements of funk, hip-hop, and ambient into the group’s melting pot of metal. Working with producer Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Mudvayne), Otep followed up three years later with Ascension and supported it on spring 2007 dates with Static-X.

In 2009 the band signed to Victory Records and released Smash the Control Machine, which debuted at number 47 on the Billboard 200. Two years later the band released its fifth full-length album, Atavist, the first Otep outing that did not feature longtime bassist eViL j, who left the group shortly after the release of Smash the Control Machine. Arriving in 2013, the conceptual Hydra would be the band’s first album to rely solely on drum programming, while 2016’s Generation Doom, their seventh studio long-player,

saw Otep make the move to Napalm Records.

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In 2018 the band issued their eighth studio long-player, the politically charged Kult 45. On May 2, 2018, Otep disclosed the album title and artwork for their eighth album, together with disclosing interviews about the content of the album. The official Napalm announcement read: “You can expect a complete and total mutiny of the senses on Kult 45,” says Shamaya. “That said, it’s important for fans to know that this record is not just an indictment of Trump. The idea is rather to empower people to stand up and remind them this is our country and we have the power. It’s primarily a rallying cry for people with common sense and good-natured patriots to rise up and know that we own this nation.”

“Although the album is produced well technically, lyrically, it’s very raw. Musically, we explore different genres –we’re trying to reach everyone. I don’t want to be limited to one genre or to be anchored to a particular space where I can only reach certain political minds. It’s important to me that I’m sending a clear and concise message to the Resistance - the people out there bending the barricades and fighting for justice is this country.”

Kult 45 was recorded at The Lair in Los Angeles, completely utilizing the same equipment used for OTEP’s first album, Sevas Tra (down to Shamaya’s vocal microphone, a SHURE Beta 58), in order to create a sound reminiscent of their roots. Kult 45 was self-produced by the band, with assistant engineering from Larry Goetz, Nicolas Schilke and Lizzy Ostro. It was also mentioned that the lyrics will tackle subjects like the immigrant crisis, rape culture and the US government.

In an episode of ‘Wake and Bake’ (a weekly Facebook live stream on the Otep page) Justin Kier said that while creating this album the band had kept the fans in mind. Therefore, making it an album for the fans, rather than for selfexploration.

The first single of the album, “To the Gallows”, was released on May 25, 2018, along with a lyric video. The album sold 1,850 copies in its first week.

They are currently signed with Cleopatra Records, and are planning on releasing a new album in 2023.

Enrique Guzmán Performs At Smart Financial Centre On July 1st

One of Latin rock’s pioneers, Mexican singer/songwriter/guitarist/actor Enrique Sanchez Guzman began his career in the ’50s as a singing, acting teen heart-throb along the lines of Bobby Darin. Along with translating hits like “Jailhouse Rock,” “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Multiplication” for a Latin audience, Guzman also wrote hits of his own, including “Pensaba en Ti,” and songs for his late-’50s rock band, Los Teen Tops. Movies like 1965’s Canta Mi Corazon added to his prominence in the Mexican entertainment industry, and paved the way for his mid-’60s television show Silvia y Enrique, which also featured his wife at the time, actress Silvia Pinal. Throughout the ’70s and ’80s his acting and recording careers continued, and in the ’90s and 2000s, he worked with Alejandra Guzman, his daughter with Pinal, on some of her early albums.

Enrique Guzmán is a Venezuelan-born Mexican singer and actor. He is one of the pioneers of Rock & Roll in Mexico, along with César Costa, Angélica María, Johnny

Laboriel and Alberto Vasquez, among others. He is also the father of Mexican singer Alejandra Guzmán by his former wife, actress and singer Silvia Pinal.

Guzmán has been a rock star in Mexico throughout the last half of the 20th century, known primarily for his translation of 1950s rock standards, such as “Jailhouse Rock”, for Spanish-speaking listeners. In 1958 he joined “Los Teen Tops”, along with the Martínez brothers and piano player, Sergio Martel. In 1959 they debuted in the US on CBS radio, and they released their famous version of “La Plaga” (Good Golly Miss Molly). He also wrote several hits for himself “Pensaba en tí”, “La Ronchita”, and for other Latin stars.

He also appeared in films, such as Canta Mi Corazón in 1965. His hits include Spanish covers of “Put Your Head on My Shoulder”, “Rolly Polly”, “Bonnie Moronie” as well as the original “Dame Felicidad”

(“Give Me Joy”). During the mid-1960s

Guzmán formed a motion picture company and produced some films in Ecuador. In the late 1960s, Guzman and his wife, Silvia Pinal, starred in a television show called Silvia y Enrique. He has continued recording, including with his daughter Alejandra Guzmán, throughout the 1990s and 2000s. As with his ex-wife and his daughter, he has his handprints embedded onto the Paseo de las Luminarias; he was inducted in 1983 for his work in the recording industry.

His first wife was Mexican actress Silvia Pinal. Singer Alejandra Guzmán and musician Luis Enrique Guzmán are their children. He is currently married to Rosalba Welter Portes Gil, niece of actress Linda Christian and granddaughter of former Mexican president Emilio Portes Gil. They have two children together, Daniela and Jorge Guzmán. Daniela has participated in theater and musicals.

CNCO Bring Their Farewell Tour To The Arena Theatre June 17

Multinational Spanish-language boy band CNCO emerged in 2015 as the winners of Univision’s Simon Cowellcreated Latin American singing competition La Banda. After hitting the Top Ten of Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart with the next year’s “Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos),” their debut album, Primera Cita, topped the Billboard Latin Albums chart, and they served as openers on a world tour with Ricky Martin. CNCO had another Latin number one with second full-length CNCO in 2018, followed by the covers album Déjà Vu in 2021 and XOXO in 2022.

La Banda, which premiered in September 2015, pits contestants against each other in a competing band format as well as in individual performances. By the end of the 13-week run, the five top finishers were combined into CNCO, with producer and judge Ricky Martin serving as head of their management team. CNCO are Christopher Velez (Ecuador), Richard Camacho (Dominican Republic), Joel Pimental (Mexico), Erick Brian Colón (Cuba), and Zabdiel de Jesus (Puerto Rico). Over the course

of the show, they performed hits by Christina Perri, Ed Sheeran, Meghan Trainor, and Selena, winning with their renditions of Chayanne’s “Salome,” Maná’s “Bendita Tu Luz,” J. Balvin’s “Tranquila,” Sin Bandera’s “Kilometros,” and Justin Bieber’s “Sorry.”

CNCO signed with Sony Music Latin and recorded their debut album, Primera Cita, with producer Wisin. Their first single, “Tan Facil,” was released in January 2016. That same year, their multi-platinum song “Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos)” was an international hit, and Ricky Martin brought them on his One World Tour as openers.

In 2017, the band issued the infectious track “Hey DJ,” the lead single from their self-titled sophomore album. Released in April 2018, CNCO also included a 2017 remix of “Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos)” featuring girl group Little Mix that charted in the Top Five in the U.K. and hit number two in the Netherlands. Later that year, they issued an alternate version of “Hey DJ”

featuring American singer Meghan Trainor and Jamaican dancehall rapper Sean Paul.

In 2019, the group presented hit collaborations with Abraham Mateo, Manuel Turizo, and PRETTYMUCH in addition to their own singles “Pretend” and “De Cero.” The latter song appeared on their EP Qué Quienes Somos that October. 2020 saw the release of singles including “My Boo” and, with Natti Natasha, “Honey Boo.” Arriving in February 2021, CNCO’s third fulllength, Déjà Vu, offered covers of artists like Enrique Iglesias and Chayanne. Their version of Ricardo Montaner’s “Tan Enamorados” did well on the Latin airplay charts. Joel Pimental left the group shortly after the album’s release. Continuing as a four-piece, CNCO issued their fourth full-length effort, 2022’s XOXO, which featured the massive hits “Toa La Noche,” “Miami,” and “Party, Humo y Alcohol.”

Leon’s Lounge Is Now Available For Private Parties! Make Your Reservations Now!!

This June at Leon’s Lounge

Friday, June 2 - Tim Branch

Saturday, June 3 - Vernon Trumbull

Sunday, June 4 - Sunday Funday

Monday, June 5 - Mondays with Miles and Coltrane

Tuesday, June 6 - Karaoke with Craig

Wednesday, June 7 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, June 8 - HFPC @ 6-9:30pm • Houston Ensemble

Friday, June 9 - Hot & Heavies - Paiges Birthday Bash!

Saturday, June 10 - Howard Singer & The Lightnin’ Brothers

Sunday, June 11 - Sunday Funday

Monday, June 12 - Mondays with Miles and Coltrane

Tuesday, June 13 - Karaoke with Craig

Wednesday, June 14 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, June 15 - Houston Ensemble

Friday, June 16 - Wood & Steel

Saturday, June 17 - Scotty B.

Sunday, June 18 - Sunday Funday

Monday, June 19 - Mondays with Miles and Coltrane

Tuesday, June 20 - Karaoke with Craig

Wednesday, June 21 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, June 22 - Houston Ensemble

Friday, June 23 - Leo Sandoval

Saturday, June 24 - Nathan Mayes - The Quartet For The End Of Times

Sunday, June 25 - Sunday Funday

Monday, June 26 - Mondays with Miles and Coltrane

Tuesday, June 27 - Karaoke with Craig

Wednesday, June 28 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, June 29 - HFPC @ 6-9:30pm • Houston Ensemble

Friday, June 30 - Safer Alternative Band

1006 McGowen 713-650-1006

The Biker, The Blues & The San Francisco Bay Area

One of the best rides starts in the Lake Tahoe area and extends west into California. Jump on route 50 just south of the lake and head west through the mountains and enjoy the ride for about 100 miles. Very cool scenery and nice roads. Of course the world famous Donner Pass that was either the winning hand for or the death of early settlers is out this way in the U.S. but not on route 50. Donner Pass is northwest of Lake Tahoe up by route 80 but none the less a vivid historical reminder of the challenges due to weather. Of course down where I am on 50 a person can get thirsty so you look for a watering hole along the way. I found one such place named Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and yes I never made it out of South Tahoe before it popped up on the ole eyeball radar. There it was this massive guitar calling my name, sucking me in like a moth to a flame and I thought hell I’ve never valet parked a scooter before this could be fun. No I wasn’t going to let someone I didn’t know have a go with my pride and joy. However, it was fun riding up and just seeing their faces when I dismounted. I accepted their valet receipt and they pointed to a parking area close to them. Inside was one of the cleanest gambling establishments I have ever been in. I spotted a bar almost immediately and made haste for a stool. Interesting choice of music. Not the

greatest. Whoever programmed it moved the playlist between genres song after song. Not the coolest playlist but not super bad either. A couple of cold ones and out the door to head west. The trip to Sacramento was scenic and since it was only 100 miles from when I left Tahoe I decided to gas up and move on so I jumped on route 50 and headed southwest into downtown Oakland. Oakland has been blues like forever and one of their coolest places is Eli’s Mile High Club. Younger crowd for the most part with lots of blues rock happening. The joint gets jumping and they sell Olympia on top of all the music so what’s not to like? The place was cool alright but I had learned about a place in San Jose further south and thought ok I would chug on down to the Poor House Bistro. Now we’re talking some serious blues baby. PHB books a virtual who’s who when it comes to blues artists both within the region as well independents just traveling through. I gotta say so far this trip is panning out well (pun not intended). What’s really cool…..

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The Biker, The Blues & The San Francisco Bay Area

Look Out! Look Out! Look Out! These joints Are Jumping

If you look closely you can see that the Poor House has outdoor heaters ready to go in the unlikely event that the temp drops fast. However, it is my pleasure to tell you that with three fingers of 15 year old single malt scotch along with a hand rolled Cuban seed cigar can easily make a man forget about the temperature. If I am lying, I’m dying. I stayed the night in San Jose, probably stayed longer than I should have at the Poor House and the next day I moved north into Redwood City. Now let me tell you something if I might. When you have visited as many blues joints as I have there are some things you get to know real well. One of those noticeable items is how well the club you are at treats those that are headlining. Take Club Fox in Redwood City California for instance. If you go to their website you don’t see a lot about them but a lot and I do mean a lot about the acts that are going to grace their stage. That’s what it’s really all about, the music and those that can lay it down live. Club Fox is an upscale nightclub theater and when you go there you feel their appreciation for both the audience and the artists. It doesn’t hold the feel of a juke or a speakeasy but it’s not meant to, it communicates appreciation and success. Very clean, modern. I can see where this would be a great date night event for anyone in northern California, cool place. A record producer friend of mine had told me about another place too in Marin (close by) named Rancho Nicasio. When I went to learn about it on my phone I saw that Al and John Staehely played there (rock veterans mostly associated with the ‘70s rock group Spirit) and that increased my curiosity. Really nice outdoor open air concert area and the service is right in there. Plenty of parking and a nice ride getting there too. An interesting footnote on this trip - The Blues Foundation has an award they present known as the KBA award also known as Keeping The Blues Alive. It is a coveted award and rightly so but as a blues lover through and through I appreciate not only keeping it alive but attracting young people into the circle. When you visit these northern California clubs notice one thing, the number of young couples taking it all in. The blues is like no other music, the blues speaks to your soul and blues performers dare not be frauds because the genre will give it away. You either is or you ain’t. Live blues man! Boiling over and into the streets of San Francisco and da burbs baby! One of S.F.’s top get down places in the city is Biscuits & Blues. Man the entertainment flows like wine. I made my way from Tahoe into the Bay Area and while the ride was scenic and nice SF’s got it working if you like the blues.

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The Biker, The Blues & The San Francisco Bay Area

Look Out! Look Out! Look Out! These joints Are Jumping

So many blues greats live here and many others come to the Bay Area and the thing is the up and comers are hot here too. You just cannot go wrong in this part of the country. I had heard about Biscuits and Blues when I was in Memphis and thought well if I ever get there I am going to go there and so I did. I was not let down. The night I was there The Lucky Losers were kicking off a new album and these people were hot to the max. No matter where you live in the U.S. there’s a good chance you’ve had a chance to catch these touring marauders putting it down some place They nailed ten originals from start to finish, their show never stopped. Another super hot smokin’ group is an ensemble assembled by veteran record producer Neil Barnes. Neil’s “Hyde and Seek” album was and remains a blues feast if there ever was one. Every track recorded to perfection with a star studded line up that knows how to deliver. OMG this album is a collector’s item for sure. Along the Bay Area path there is another club that smokes from opening to close and it’s known as The Saloon. If there ever was a modern day juke in the S.F. area this is it. It’s got the look, the feel and it’s the real deal when it comes to those that love the blues. Check them out. All I can tell you is that someone there has a broken wrist because their drinks, be it call or well, kick ass, if I am lying I’m dying. This place is not for bubble gummers - go there to get immersed into the blues scene. Kick back and take it all in, enjoy the ride. Blues to the max, good blues, damn good blues. In the late sixties, early seventies, there was a genre of music known as bubble gum rock. It had its place with its innocence but what mature teens were looking for was not their daddy’s Oldsmobile if you get my drift. A station in Chicago, WLS Radio, was broadcasting artists such as Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters. The music had a back beat you couldn’t forget and lyrics that made adult sense. Today, hundreds of blues clubs and artists keep this art alive. The Bay Area kicks ass people.

Uncle Lucius Perform At The Heights Theater June 16

Hailing from Austin, Texas, Uncle Lucius are a band whose rootsy blend of classic rock, blues, soul, and country flavors has won them a loyal fan following. The Uncle Lucius story begins in 2002, when Kevin Galloway, then a 25-year-old who had played guitar for years and grew up on classic country tunes, decided he was tired of living in East Texas and chasing a career in banking. Wanting to pursue his love of music, Galloway relocated to Austin and began regularly playing open-mike nights in town, and eventually he crossed paths with Hal Vorpahl, a fellow musician who grew up listening to Willie Nelson and playing piano before he hit Austin and took up the bass guitar. The two began playing music together, and after a year, the group expanded to a trio with the addition of guitarist Mike Carpenter, who was steeped in classic rock and was already a veteran of the Austin music scene. With the addition of drummer Jason Armstrong, the first lineup of Uncle Lucius was complete, and the band was soon playing for packed houses at Austin venues like the Saxon Pub, Threadgill’s, and Antone’s.

In 2006, Uncle Lucius unveiled their first album, a self-released effort titled

Something They Ain’t, and the group supported the release with steady regional touring. Armstrong left Uncle Lucius as they were making plans for a second album, and they were considering hiring a session drummer for their recording schedule, but when they auditioned Josh Greco, a San Antonio native who came to Austin to attend college but soon fell into the local music scene, they decided they’d found just the man they needed. The recording of 2009’s Pick Your Head Up went off without a hitch, and in December 29, 2009, Uncle Lucius recorded a special concert at one of their favorite Austin venues that was released in 2010 as an album, Live at the Saxon Pub.

By the time Uncle Lucius recorded their third studio album, 2012’s And You Are Me, the band had signed with Nashvillebased eOne Music and added a fifth member, keyboard player and vocalist Jon Grossman. While the songs “Keep the Wolves Away” and “Pocket Full of Misery” gained some traction at radio, Uncle Lucius felt eOne was not a good fit for the band, and broke out the beer in a motel parking lot the day they learned they’d been released from their contract. They financed the recording of their

next studio effort with an on-line crowdfunding campaign, and the new album, 2015’s The Light, was released through their own Boo Clap label, with distribution through Thirty Tigers. After the album was completed, Uncle Lucius became a quartet when Hal Vorpahl parted ways with the group.

The tide has transferred and the forces have realigned. Uncle Lucius is once again making music. After a five year hiatus, the band will be bringing their methods of soul, job, and thunder to select stages across the country. All we’ve got is now. South Austin’s Uncle Lucius is a dream, conjured in the minds of five sonic mercenaries, a clarion call to arms for true believers. It is the voice that shake you from complacency, grabs you with both hands and implores: Get in the van!!!Like the city that brought them together, Uncle Lucius is a gumbo, with hints of Americana and folk juxtaposed with a slow-cooked roux that is steeped in classic rock n roll and the blues. The resulting flavor is familiar and unique, roots at its most refined, albeit with a gutbucket foundation.

Ángela Aguilar Performs At The 713 Music Hall June 17

Ángela Aguilar proudly embraces her family’s musical legacy. Her grandfather was the iconic Antonio Aguilar, emblematic Mexican singer. Her grandmother is the singer and actress Flor Silvestre and her father, the legendary Pepe Aguilar.

At age 15, she Ángela was nominated for the 2019 Grammys. In 2018, she was nominated for the Latin Grammys thanks to years of honing her art and establishing herself as a recording artist in her own right. She credits her family for guiding her career as a new generation of Regional Mexican singers, elevating the genre with fresh, modern and traditional musical styles.

“My grandmother once told me that every song is a story and you have to tell every song like it’s a story,” says Angela. “At the end of the day, you’re a storyteller using her voice to portray feelings, and you’re using your voice to portray stories.”

The Los Angeles-born teen, who

regularly excels academically and aces her algebra tests, has Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga and Queen, among others, on her personal playlists these days. She counts the late Spanish singer Rocío Dúrcal as one of her favorite singers. But it’s her family’s legendary musical contributions, she says, that taught her most of what she knows today as an artist with fans around the world. And it all started when she was a little girl.

At the age of 3, Ángela was already on tour with her family. A pivotal moment, she recalls, happened during those shows and it changed everything. “I was very little and my dad took us on stage out of nowhere, even though we didn’t say anything,” says Angela. “There was one time, very unexpectedly, when we were singing a song…my dad put the little microphone on me and I sang a part of the song, which is, ‘Si vieras.’ It was a very crazy moment for me. and it’s funny because that moment was captured. When you’re 3 years old you do things because you want to, like you don’t care about anything else and

that’s like a great reminder that that’s what it means to me and this is what I want to do.”

As a third generation recording artist, Angela grew up between two cultures; her Mexican heritage and her American side of hers. She knew that fans’ expectations of her and others would be very real if she pursued a career in music. She was determined to work hard, learn and keep an open mind with her family by her side and a father who has always been by her side. She was raised, she says, to stay focused on her passions and her craft. In 2018, Angela’s performance of the song, La Llorona during a live broadcast of the Latin Grammy Awards was seen in more than 80 countries. A global audience witnessed a young Angela transform into a young woman with an illuminating stage presence and her most prized instrument: her voice, catapulting her into a league of young, independent and bold leading female artists in music.

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Ángela Aguilar

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In 2019, the group presented hit collaborations with Abraham Mateo, Manuel Turizo, and PRETTYMUCH in addition to their own singles “Pretend” and “De Cero.” The latter song appeared on their EP Qué Quienes Somos that October. 2020 saw the release of singles including “My Boo” and, with Natti Natasha, “Honey Boo.” Arriving in February 2021, CNCO’s third fulllength, Déjà Vu, offered covers of artists like Enrique Iglesias and Chayanne. Their version of Ricardo Montaner’s “Tan Enamorados” did well on the Latin airplay charts. Joel Pimental left the group shortly after the album’s release. Continuing as a four-piece, CNCO issued their fourth full-length effort, 2022’s XOXO, which featured the massive hits “Toa La Noche,” “Miami,” and “Party, Humo y Alcohol.”

Ángela también fue nominada al Grammy 2019 como mejor álbum de música regional mexicana por su álbum Primero Soy Mexicana.

Ángela was also nominated for a

2019 Grammy for Best Regional Mexican Music Album for her album Primero Soy Mexicana.

In addition to keeping up with her academic work, recording music, touring, and finding time to spend with family and friends, Angela uses her highprofile platforms to speak out about voting rights and voter registration. “I can’t vote right now, but I’ll promote it,” says Angela herself. “Young people can pre-register. We have voter registration at our concerts in the United States. There are apps to help people register to vote, so there are no excuses.”

Well-versed in a variety of genres, Angela says Regional Mexican music is the genre she feels most connected to, but she hints that she’s always thinking of new ways to express herself musically as she grows artistically.

“I’m into the long takes, crying because I can’t hit the notes that I know I can hit,” says Angela. “The nerves of being in front of people and changing their minds, making decisions and

becoming a woman while also becoming an artist. It’s a lot, but my main goal here is to grow as a person and as a musician.”

Music is her life, Angela says, but her family is the greatest blessing she never takes for granted. It is that family foundation that is seen through the patriarch of the Aguilar family: Pepe, who produced her record and guides her daughter in the music business. The most common question she receives about her father is usually about how she feels about having a famous father.

“He feels like he’s my dad and that’s it,” Angela says. “Of course he’s a businessman... but I know he knows me and I know he’s doing what’s best for me and that’s really great. Dad’s taking care of me.”

En Español En Español En Español En Español En Español Angela Aguilar

En Español En Español En Español En Español En Español

Enrique Guzman

Fonseca

Enrique Guzmán se presenta en el Smart Financial Centre el 1 de julio

Uno de los pioneros del rock latino, el cantante/compositor/guitarrista/actor mexicano Enrique Sánchez Guzmán comenzó su carrera en los años 50 como cantante y actor adolescente rompecorazones al estilo de Bobby Darin. Además de traducir éxitos como “Jailhouse Rock”, “Blue Suede Shoes” y “Multiplication” para una audiencia latina, Guzmán también escribió éxitos propios, como “Pensaba en ti” y canciones para su banda de rock de finales de los 50, Los Teen Tops. Películas como Canta Mi Corazón de 1965 aumentaron su prominencia en la industria del entretenimiento mexicana y allanaron el camino para su programa de televisión de mediados de los años 60 Silvia y Enrique, que también presentaba a su esposa en ese momento, la actriz Silvia Pinal. A lo largo de los años 70 y 80 continuó su carrera actoral y discográfica, y en los años 90 y 2000 trabajó con Alejandra Guzmán, su hija con Pinal, en algunos de sus primeros discos.

Enrique Guzmán es un cantante y actor mexicano nacido en Venezuela. Es

uno de los pioneros del Rock & Roll en México, junto a César Costa, Angélica María, Johnny Laboriel y Alberto Vásquez, entre otros. También es padre de la cantante mexicana Alejandra Guzmán de su exesposa, la actriz y cantante Silvia Pinal.

Guzmán ha sido una estrella de rock en México durante la última mitad del siglo XX, conocido principalmente por su traducción de los estándares del rock de la década de 1950, como “Jailhouse Rock”, para oyentes de habla hispana. En 1958 se integra a “Los Teen Tops”, junto a los hermanos Martínez y el pianista Sergio Martel. En 1959 debutaron en Estados Unidos en la radio CBS y lanzaron su famosa versión de “La Plaga” (Good Golly Miss Molly). También escribió varios éxitos para sí mismo “Pensaba en tí”, “La Ronchita” y para otras estrellas latinas.

También apareció en películas, como Canta Mi Corazón en 1965. Sus éxitos incluyen versiones en español de “Put Your Head on My Shoulder”, “Rolly Polly”,

“Bonnie Moronie”, así como el original “Dame Felicidad” (“Give mi alegría”). A mediados de la década de 1960, Guzmán formó una compañía cinematográfica y produjo algunas películas en Ecuador. A fines de la década de 1960, Guzmán y su esposa, Silvia Pinal, protagonizaron un programa de televisión llamado Silvia y Enrique. Ha seguido grabando, incluso con su hija Alejandra Guzmán, durante las décadas de 1990 y 2000. Al igual que su exesposa y su hija, tiene las huellas de sus manos incrustadas en el Paseo de las Luminarias; fue admitido en 1983 por su trabajo en la industria discográfica.

Su primera esposa fue la actriz mexicana Silvia Pinal. La cantante Alejandra Guzmán y el músico Luis Enrique Guzmán son sus hijos. Actualmente está casado con Rosalba Welter Portes Gil, sobrina de la actriz Linda Christian y nieta del expresidente mexicano Emilio Portes Gil. Tienen dos hijos juntos, Daniela y Jorge Guzmán. Daniela ha participado en teatro y musicales.

CNCO trae su gira de despedida al Arena Theatre el 17 de junio

La banda multinacional de chicos en español CNCO surgió en 2015 como los ganadores del concurso de canto latinoamericano creado por Simon Cowell de Univision, La Banda. Después de llegar al Top Ten de la lista Hot Latin Songs de Billboard con “Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos)” del próximo año, su álbum debut, Primera Cita, encabezó la lista Billboard Latin Albums, y sirvieron como teloneros en una gira mundial con Ricky Martin. CNCO tuvo otro número uno latino con el segundo CNCO de larga duración en 2018, seguido del álbum de versiones Déjà Vu en 2021 y XOXO en 2022.

La Banda, que se estrenó en septiembre de 2015, enfrenta a los concursantes entre sí en un formato de banda en competencia, así como en presentaciones individuales. Al final de la carrera de 13 semanas, los cinco primeros clasificados se combinaron en CNCO, con el productor y juez Ricky Martin como jefe de su equipo de gestión. CNCO son Christopher Velez (Ecuador), Richard Camacho (República Dominicana), Joel Pimental (México), Erick Brian Colón (Cuba) y Zabdiel de

Jesus (Puerto Rico). En el transcurso del espectáculo, interpretaron éxitos de Christina Perri, Ed Sheeran, Meghan Trainor y Selena, y ganaron con sus interpretaciones de “Salomé” de Chayanne, “Bendita Tu Luz” de Maná, “Tranquila” de J. Balvin y “” de Sin Bandera “. Kilometros”, y “Sorry” de Justin Bieber.

CNCO firmó con Sony Music Latin y grabó su álbum debut, Primera Cita, con el productor Wisin. Su primer sencillo, “Tan Fácil”, fue lanzado en enero de 2016. Ese mismo año, su canción multiplatino “Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos)” fue un éxito internacional, y Ricky Martin los llevó a su One World Tour como teloneros.

En 2017, la banda lanzó la contagiosa canción “Hey DJ”, el sencillo principal de su segundo álbum homónimo. Lanzado en abril de 2018, CNCO también incluyó un remix de 2017 de “Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos)” con el grupo de chicas Little Mix que se ubicó en el Top Five en el Reino Unido y alcanzó el número dos en los Países Bajos. Más tarde ese año, emitieron una

versión alternativa de “Hey DJ” con la cantante estadounidense Meghan Trainor y el rapero de dancehall jamaiquino Sean Paul.

En 2019, el grupo presentó exitosas colaboraciones con Abraham Mateo, Manuel Turizo y PRETTYMUCH además de sus propios sencillos “Pretend” y “De Cero”. Esta última canción apareció en su EP Qué Quienes Somos ese octubre. 2020 vio el lanzamiento de sencillos que incluyen “My Boo” y, con Natti Natasha, “Honey Boo”. Llegando en febrero de 2021, el tercer largometraje de CNCO, Déjà Vu, ofreció versiones de artistas como Enrique Iglesias y Chayanne. Su versión de “Tan Enamorados” de Ricardo Montaner tuvo un buen desempeño en las listas de éxitos latinos. Joel Pimental dejó el grupo poco después del lanzamiento del álbum. Continuando como un cuarteto, CNCO lanzó su cuarto trabajo de larga duración, XOXO de 2022, que contó con los éxitos masivos “Toa La Noche”, “Miami” y “Party, Humo y Alcohol”.

Ángela Aguilar se presenta en el 713 Music Hall el 17 de junio

Ángela Aguilar abraza con orgullo el legado musical de su familia. Su abuelo fue el icónico Antonio Aguilar, emblemático cantante Mexicano. Su abuela es la cantante y actriz Flor Silvestre y su padre, el legendario, Pepe Aguilar.

A los 15 años, Ángela fue nominada a los Grammy 2019. En 2018, fue nominada a los Latin Grammys gracias a años de perfeccionar su arte y estableciéndose como un artista de grabación en su propio derecho. Ella atribuye a su familia por guiarla en su carrera como una nueva generación de cantantes Regionales mexicanos, elevando el género con estilos musicales frescos, modernos y tradicionales.

“Mi abuela me dijo una vez que cada canción es una historia y tienes que contar cada canción como si fuera una historia”, dice Angela. “Al final del día, eres un narrador que usa

su voz para retratar sentimientos y estás usando tu voz para retratar historias”.

La adolescente nacida en Los Ángeles, que sobresale académicamente y supera sus exámenes de álgebra con regularidad, tiene a Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga y Queen, entre otros, en su playlists personal en estos días. Cuenta a la fallecida cantante española Rocío Dúrcal como una de sus cantantes favoritas. Pero son las contribuciones musicales legendarias de su familia, dice, las que le enseñaron la mayor parte de lo que sabe hoy como artista con fanáticos en todo el mundo. Y todo comenzó cuando ella era una niña pequeña.

A los 3 años Ángela ya estaba de gira con su familia. Un momento crucial, recuerda, sucedió durante esos programas y cambió todo. “Yo era muy pequeña y mi papá nos subió al escenario de la nada, aunque no

dijimos nada”, dice Ángela. “Hubo una vez, muy inesperada, cuando estábamos cantando una canción ... mi papá me puso el pequeño micrófono y canté una parte de la canción, que es, ‘Si vieras’. Fue un momento muy loco para mí. y es gracioso porque ese momento fue capturado. Cuando tienes 3 años haces las cosas porque quieres, como si no te importara nada más y eso es como un gran recordatorio de que eso es lo que significa para mí y esto es lo que quiero hacer “.

Como artista discográfica de tercera generación, Ángela creció entre dos culturas; su herencia mexicana y su lado americano. Sabía que las expectativas de sus fans y las de los demás serían muy reales si seguía una carrera en la música. Estaba decidida a trabajar duro, aprender y mantener la mente abierta con su familia a su lado y un padre

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Ángela Aguilar

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que siempre ha estado a su lado. Ella fue criada, dice, para mantenerse enfocada en sus pasiones y su oficio. En 2018, la presentación de Angela de la canción, La Llorona durante una transmisión en vivo de los Premios Latin Grammy se vio en más de 80 países. La audiencia global fue testigo de cómo una joven Ángela se transformó en una mujer joven con una presencia escénica iluminadora y su instrumento más preciado: su voz, catapultándola a una liga de artistas femeninas jóvenes, independientes y audaces líderes en la música latina.

Ángela también fue nominada al Grammy 2019 como mejor álbum de música regional mexicana por su álbum Primero Soy Mexicana.

Además de estar al tanto de su trabajo académico, grabar música, hacer giras y encontrar tiempo para pasar con familiares y amigos, Ángela usa sus plataformas de alto perfil para hablar sobre el derecho al

voto y el registro de votantes. “No puedo votar ahora, pero lo promoveré”, dice Ángela. “Los jóvenes pueden preinscribirse. Tenemos inscripciones para votar en nuestros conciertos en Estados Unidos. Hay aplicaciones para ayudar a las personas a inscribirse para votar, así que no hay excusas”.

Bien versada en una variedad de géneros, Ángela dice que el género musical Regional mexicano es el género con el que se siente más conectado, pero insinúa que siempre está pensando en nuevas formas de expresarse musicalmente a medida que crece artísticamente.

“Estoy metida en las largas tomas de grabación, el llanto porque no puedo alcanzar las notas que sé que puedo alcanzar”, dice Ángela. “Los nervios de estar frente a la gente y cambiar de opinión, tomar decisiones y convertirme en mujer mientras yo también me convierto en artista. Es mucho, pero mi principal

objetivo aquí es crecer como persona y como músico ”.

La música es su vida, dice Ángela, pero su familia es la mayor bendición que nunca da por sentada. Es esa fundación familiar que se ve a través del patriarca de la familia Aguilar: Pepe, quien produjo su disco y orienta a su hija en el negocio de la música. La pregunta más común que recibe sobre su padre suele ser sobre cómo se siente al tener un padre famoso.

“Se siente como si fuera mi papá y eso es todo”, dice Ángela. “Por supuesto que es un hombre de negocios ... pero sé que me conoce y sé que está haciendo lo mejor para mí y eso es realmente genial. Papá me está cuidando”.

Fonseca se presenta en El Arena Theatre el 3 De Junio

por Evan C. Gutiérrez

Fonseca es una cantante y compositora galardonada de éxito en ventas de Colombia. Su música es celebrada por su combinación accesible de estilos pop modernos con ritmos colombianos tradicionales, evidenciados en su álbum Corazón y los sencillos “Cómo Me Mira” y “Entre Mi Vida y La Tuya”. También es un activista social que usa su voz para luchar por la justicia social. Apoyó el programa nacional “Canta Conmigo”, en el que ofreció capacitación, lecciones y apoyo a exguerrilleros y paramilitares de las FARC después de una guerra de décadas. También ha asistido a las Naciones Unidas en varios programas, incluida la iniciativa “No más violencia contra las mujeres”, y se unió a su compatriota Juanes en la campaña “Soñar es un derecho” contra el reclutamiento militar de menores.

Fonseca nació en Bogotá con el nombre de pila Juan Fernando Fonseca. Comenzó a estudiar música antes de los diez años y eligió el apodo escénico de solo apellido cuando era niño. Vendió sus primeras composiciones a amigos y familiares a la edad de 12 años. Después de graduarse de la escuela secundaria, Fonseca estudió música (guitarra, voz y composición) en la Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá y Berklee College of Music en Boston. Al regresar a Colombia, comenzó a realizar y grabar demos, uno de los cuales llamó la atención de Líderes Entertainment Group, una parte de EMI Colombia, quien lo contrató en 2001. El debut homónimo de Fonseca le ganó una atención considerable en casa. Aunque ni el álbum ni los sencillos llegaron a las listas de éxitos, el trabajo del artista, sin embargo, ganó una gran difusión en la radio nacional y, en consecuencia, la atención de artistas como Shakira y Juanes, quienes ofrecieron colaboraciones posteriores y oportunidades de actuación. Compartir el escenario con Shakira en su gira Mongoose y Juanes en el estadio Campín de Bogotá le dio a Fonseca el reconocimiento y el impulso que necesitaría para su segundo álbum, Corazón de 2005, que exploró la encrucijada donde las influencias del pop/rock se encuentran con el vallenato, el bullerengue y el ritmos de tambora de su tierra natal. Lanzado por EMI, Corazón fue bien recibido, alcanzando

el número seis en la lista de álbumes tropicales, mientras que sus sencillos se ubicaron en el Top 20 en Latin Pop y Tropical Songs. Gratitud siguió en 2008. Sus dos sencillos, “Arroyito” y “Enredame”, ambos figuraron en las listas de Latin Pop Songs y el álbum alcanzó su punto máximo dentro del Top 10 en la lista de álbumes tropicales.

Ya exitosa, Fonseca saltó al estatus de superestrella con el lanzamiento de Ilusión en 2011. Si bien el álbum aterrizó justo fuera del Top 10 de álbumes tropicales, fue nominado para un Grammy como Mejor álbum de pop latino y ganó el Grammy latino por Mejor álbum de fusión tropical. Su sencillo en las listas de éxitos, “Desde Que No Estás”, fue nominado a Canción Tropical del Año. En cuatro meses, el largometraje alcanzó el estatus de quíntuple platino y un disco de diamante por sus ventas en Colombia. Fonseca, para entonces conocido como embajador de la música de Colombia en el mundo, grabó Sinfónico en concierto con la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia de más de 100 miembros en 2013, publicado un año después como Fonseca Sinfónico con la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia. . Fue nominado al Grammy Latino como Álbum del Año y ganó como Mejor Álbum Vocal Pop Tradicional, convirtiéndose en su tercer disco de platino por ventas en Colombia. También se colocó dentro del Top 20 en la lista de álbumes clásicos. A principios de 2015, Fonseca recibió La Musa Premio Triunfador del Salón de la Fama de los Compositores Latinos, y en mayo recibió el primer Premio Ícono Contemporáneo en los Premios de Música SESAC Latina. En otoño, lanzó el álbum Conexión. Se ubicó en el número dos en la lista de álbumes tropicales gracias al éxito de sus sencillos de prelanzamiento “Y No Me Faltas” y “Y Tú” (un dueto con Juanes). El set también incluyó un segundo dueto, “Amor Eterno”, con Victor Manuelle. El sencillo “Vine a Buscarte” ganó el Grammy Latino 2016 a la Mejor Canción Tropical y finalmente fue certificado cuádruple Platino. Ese mismo año estrenó Homenaje (A la Música de Diomedes Díaz). Producida por Bernardo Ossa, contenía 12 de las canciones más conocidas del desaparecido cantante colombiano Diomedes Díaz, reorganizadas al estilo pop fusión de Fonseca. Le valió un Grammy Latino en 2016 por Mejor álbum de Cumbia/Vallenato. Entre los dos, Fonseca llegó a la lista de Latin Pop Songs con cuatro pistas diferentes.

Continuando con su labor social, se convirtió en el primer Embajador de Buena Voluntad de Colombia de la Fundación Save the Children. En octubre, a través de un concierto sinfónico, lanzó su Fundación Gratitud con Camilo Hoyos como director, velando por la preservación de las tradiciones culturales colombianas. Lo siguió con una gira de recaudación de fondos y concienciación. En marzo de 2017, recibió un premio en la categoría Tropical por “Vine a Buscarte” durante la 25ª edición de los Premios de Música Latina ASCAP. En noviembre, Fonseca sacó a escondidas el sencillo “Por pura curiosidad”, que llegó a las listas de éxitos aéreos y de canciones tropicales, y luego se lanzó en una versión especial con la participación del ex vocalista y trompetista de Capital Cities, Spencer Ludwig. Un segundo sencillo, “Cuando Llego a Casa”, apareció en diciembre como tema oficial de la telenovela de Televisia Papá a Toda Madre que se transmitió en México. Fonseca inició el 2018 con el sencillo “Porque Nadie Sabe”, con el cantante y guitarrista argentino ganador del Grammy Latino, Nahuel Pennisi. En mayo de 2018, Fonseca recibió el Premio al Álbum de Diamante en la Sony Music Convention en México de manos del presidente y director ejecutivo de Sony Latin, Afo Verde, y del presidente de Sony Music U.S., Nir Seroussi, para conmemorar sus más de 400 millones de transmisiones de audio y video para los álbumes Conexión e Ilusión.

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