Music News aka Houston Music News - July 2023

Saturday, July 1 -

Lil

Friday, July 2 -

Circular Firing Squad

Drifters and Grifters

Saturday, July 8 -

Rotary Phones, Alien Shore, Social Distancing Band

Friday, July 14 -

Bad Trip

Saturday, July 15 -

Stray Goat, Westcreek

Misled, Livin Dark Days

Eyes Like Fire

Friday, June 21 -

Av8

Saturday, July 22 -

Byrd The Ghost B-Day Party!

Friday, July 28 -

Apex Fallen, Scream At The Day

Killing Daylight

Saturday, July 29 -

Crosswind

Hi Folks, Hello Music News readers. I hope you had a great June. We’re happy to announce that Concert Season is in full swing now. Our cover story for this month is Nickelback. They will be performing at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on July 23rd.

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 The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour with ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd on July 17th. Also in this issue are stories on Robbie Parrish, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton, Flor, Kolby Cooper, Ace Frehley, Between The Buried And Me, 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 Brother Stone, Electric Love Temple, Holland K. Smith, Hugo Jamz Trio, Jamie Lynn Vessels, Johnny Falstaff, Narcotic Wasteland, Shame On Me, The Convalescence, The Hates, Tim & Colin Branch, and Victim. 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 Enrique Guzman, Jesse & Joy, Ramon Ayala, and Luis R. Conriquez. 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

Page 6

Nickelback

Nickelback Perform At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion In Support Of Their New Album Get Rollin’

Page 12

ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd

ZZ TOP AND LYNYRD SKYNYRD ANNOUNCE COHEADLINING THE SHARP DRESSED SIMPLE MAN TOUR

Page 26

Flor

Page 16

Robbie Parrish

A musical journey through time reflective of life’s many doors

Page 22

Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton

Samantha Fish And Jesse Dayton Perform At The Heights Theatre July 16 In Support Of Their New Album Release Death Wish Blues

Page 20

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Performs At The House Of Blues

July 21

Page 64 & On Random Shots featuring Pictures of your favorite local musicians performing at venues around the houston area!

Flor Perform At White Oak Music Hall July 26

Page 28

Kolby Cooper

Kolby Cooper Performs At White Oak Music Hall

July 22

Page 42

Enrique Guzmán

Enrique Guzmán Performs At Smart Financial Centre On July 23

Page 50

Jesse Y Joy

Jesse And Joy Perform At The 713 Music Hall

August 5

Page 52

Between The Buried And Me Celebrate The Anniversary Of The Parallax II: Future Sequence At Warehouse Live

Page 43

Luis R. Conriquez

Luis R. Conriquez Performs At Smart Financial Centre On July 15

Ramon Ayala

Ramon Ayala Performs At The Arena Theatre

July 28 (En Espanol)

Page 56

Enrique Guzmán

Page 58

Jesse & Joy

Page 60

Ramon Ayala

Page

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

Page 62

Luis. R. Conriquez

Page 64 and On

Random Shots

Nickelback Perform At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion In Support Of Their New Album Get Rollin’

Canadian Supergroup Nickelback will be performing this month in Houston at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on July 23rd. The band is touring in support of their new album release, Get Rollin’. Nickelback’s first album in five years, Get Rollin’ was released November 18, 2022 via BMG and debuted at #2 across the Current Rock, Alternative, Hard Music and Digital Album charts. The record also landed on the ARIA Album Chart at #3 and in the Top 10 in the UK, Canada, Germany, Australia and Austria. Additionally, Get Rollin’ debuted at #1 in Switzerland, a career first for the band. The highly acclaimed new album is a

thrilling soundscape of adventure, nostalgia and emotional exploration. With the new record, Nickelback continue their incomparable legacy as “one of rock’s biggest-ever bands,” as noted by KERRANG and most recently celebrated another career milestone, at the 2023 JUNO Awards where they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

2023 Canadian Music Hall of Fame recipients, and Diamond-certified selling group Nickelback were named the “most successful rock band of the decade” by Billboard in 2009. Globally celebrated for their career defining and award-winning hits “How You Remind

Me,” “Photograph,” “Far Away,” and “Rockstar,” and more, the four-piece comprised of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger, and Daniel Adair is one of the most commercially viable and important acts of the past two decades. Their success includes worldwide sales of more than 50-million units, solidifying their status as one of the top-selling acts of all time and the second bestselling foreign act in the U.S., in the 2000’s decade, behind only The Beatles. Their inescapable and irresistible smash “How You Remind Me” was named Billboard’s ‘Top Rock Song of the

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Nickelback

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Decade’ and was the number-one most played song on U.S. radio (any format) in the 2000’s according to Nielsen Soundscan, with over 1.2 million spins.

Nickelback is now more than a quarter-century deep into a career that has seen them go from small- town Alberta, Canada, to a globally renowned, diamond certified rock band. They are one of the most commercially viable and successful acts of the 2000s, selling more than 50 million records. Next to The Beatles, they’re the second best-selling foreign act in the U.S.

“How You Remind Me” was Billboard’s Top Rock Song of the 00’s while the album “All The Right Reasons” was certified Diamond (more than 10 million copies sold) in America and 19 million globally to date. Among the band’s many accolades, they were named Billboard’s “Top Rock Group of the Decade.” That goes along with twelve JUNO Awards, seven MuchMusic Video Awards, multiple Grammy Award nominations, six Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, a World Music Award, a People’s Choice Award, Socan Awards, and in 2007 they were inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.

When the pandemic hit, everyone was locked into isolation. Chad Kroeger’s home studio in Vancouver, usually buzzing with activity, was suddenly quiet. While this was tough, uncertain and scary—we all remember those endless, months. It was during this time that Nickelback began to work on new material – during the quiet, and the uncertainty, with no distractions.

They had the place to themselves, and the privilege of time to spend writing songs and experiment with new sounds, while revisiting and re-working unfinished material from the vault.

Because Nickelback has arguably earned the right to manage themselves, they were 100% in charge, in full creative control and beholden to no one in terms of a timeline.

Bassist Mike Kroeger offered fans an update in the summer of 2021. “No

one can tell us what to do. It’ll be done when it’s done,” he said.

Well, it’s done.

Officially arriving on November 18, 2022, Get Rollin’, is the band’s 10th studio album and first since Feed the Machine in 2017. And make no mistake: This is a rock album. Produced by Chad Kroeger and Chris Baseford (who also helped with previous Nickelback albums No Fixed Address and Feed the Machine) with extra production assistance from Ryan Peake, serious recording sessions began in the fall of 2021.

“The lockdown (as difficult as it was for so many) actually gave us a moment,” says Chad Kroeger. “Creativity doesn’t love deadlines and because of the uncertainty that came with that moment in time, we had none. That meant there was an ease to recording the album because we were able to take our time. We made the record because we wanted to, not because we had to.

“And, this one is loaded with rock; the way Nickelback was intended to be.” While the record is filled with songs that kick down the door with big

rock riffs and screams into the microphone, fans will notice a few experiments, especially on a song like “Tidal Wave.”

Ryan Peake shares “Yes, we can do rock stuff. This album features plenty of hard-rockin’ songs mixed with material that’s more melodic.”

Heading into the release of Get Rollin’, Nickelback has amassed 23 chart-topping singles and 12 consecutive sold-out world tours which saw them perform in front of nearly 10 million diehard fans around the world.

Nickelback carried the torch for heavy post-grunge into the 2000s, an era that otherwise didn’t favor their particular brand of pumped-up angst and loud good times. By most measures, the Canadian group were the most popular rockers of the 2000s, ruling rock radio from the moment “How You Remind Me” went to number one in both Canada and the U.S. after its release in 2001. Over the next decade, the group dominated the rock charts, balancing cross

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Nickelback

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over power ballads like “Someday” and “Photograph” with salacious rockers like “Rock Star” and “Something in Your Mouth.” During the band’s reign, Nickelback’s presence seemed outsized thanks to its gruff-voiced leader Chad Kroeger stepping outside the group to record “Hero” for the soundtrack for Sam Raimi’s 2002 theatrical adaptation of Spider-Man, along with appearing on records by Santana and Kroeger’s thenwife Avril Lavigne — cameos that indicate how the band’s popularity extended beyond die-hard rock audiences. Nevertheless, those were the fans that stayed true to Nickelback, helping the band stay successful through the 2010s and into 2022, when the crunching “San Quentin” became the band’s first American Top Ten Rock hit in nearly a decade.

Chad Kroeger honed his frontman skills by performing with cover bands in Hanna, a small Canadian town 215 kilometers northeast of Calgary. After growing tired of playing other people’s songs, he borrowed money from his stepfather and relocated to Vancouver, where he recorded his first batch of original material. Mike Kroeger, Chad’s bass-playing sibling, decided to join his

brother’s band, as did fellow Vancouver transplants Ryan Peake (a guitarist who had befriended the Kroegers in middle school) and Ryan Vikedal (a drummer from Peake’s hometown of Brooks, Alberta). Nickelback officially took shape in 1995 and quickly set to work, releasing two albums — the Hesher EP and full-length album Curb — in 1996. By 1998, the bandmates were managing themselves; Chad courted radio stations, brother Mike handled distribution, Vikedal booked shows, and Peake maintained the band’s website.

January 2000 saw the arrival of The State, Nickelback’s second independent release. Issued at a time in which Canadian content requirements were increased (and, accordingly, local radio stations had begun to desperately seek out homegrown product), the album fared very well on indie charts. Nickelback toured ceaselessly in support of The State, logging approximately 200 shows while playing alongside other groups of the burgeoning post-grunge genre. Their commercial appeal wasn’t lost on the record industry, either, and The State’s distribution rights were quickly snapped up by Roadrunner Records in the U.S. and EMI in Canada.

As the band continued to tour, Kroeger kept writing new songs, many of which were polished in front of live audiences. Much of that material found its way onto Silver Side Up, which was produced by Rick Parashar (who rose to prominence in the early ’90s by helming Pearl Jam’s Ten, Alice in Chains’ Sap, and Blind Melon’s self-titled debut) and recorded at Green House, the same Vancouver studio used for The State’s creation. The combination of Nickelback’s growing popularity and Kroeger’s focused songwriting propelled Silver Side Up onto album charts across the world, spearheaded by the hit single “How You Remind Me.” Kroeger capitalized on that exposure by producing another Vancouver-based band, Default, and collaborating with Saliva’s Josey Scott for the Spider-Man soundtrack. The Long Road then arrived in 2003, featuring an increasingly polished sound and another high-charting single, “Someday.” While some listeners criticized the apparent similarities between “Someday” and “How You Remind Me,” The Long Road had little trouble maintaining Nickelback’s wide audience, eventually selling over five million copies worldwide.

In February 2005, Nickelback announced the departure of Vikedal. He was soon replaced by 3 Doors Down’s former drummer Daniel Adair, and Nickelback returned to Kroeger’s studio in Vancouver to begin work on another album. ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell (who unfortunately died before the album’s release) were guests on the chart-topping All the Right Reasons, which arrived in October 2005. It proved to be Nickelback’s most popular effort to date, remaining in the Billboard Top 30 for over two years and selling over seven million copies in the U.S. alone. It also spawned five Top 20 singles, a feat that attracted the attention of veteran producer (and demonstrated hitmaker) Mutt Lange. Nickelback traveled to Lange’s home in Switzerland to share songwriting ideas; impressed with the results, they also enlisted him to helm their next album. Recorded in a converted Vancouver barn, Dark Horse

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marked the band’s sixth studio album upon its release in November 2008. Nickelback’s seventh studio album arrived nearly three years after the multiplatinum-selling Dark Horse. The 11track Here and Now, which was preceded by the singles “Bottoms Up” and “When We Stand Together,” hit the streets on November 21, 2011.

The following year Kroeger began working on fellow Canadian rock star Avril Lavigne’s eponymous fifth album. Shortly after their working partnership began, they began dating and eventually married in early 2013. The band put together their first compilation, The Best of Nickelback, Vol. 1, which appeared in November of 2013; the 19-track collection contained no new songs. In 2014, the band’s contract with Roadrunner expired and they decided not to renew,

Nickelback

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signing instead with Universal Republic for their eighth album, No Fixed Address. The album included a number of departures from Nickelback’s usual fare, including the radio-friendly “What Are You Waiting For?,” the politicized “Edge of a Revolution,” and “Got Me Runnin’ ‘Round,” which featured a horn section and rapper Flo Rida. No Fixed Address appeared in November 2014, debuting at four on Billboard’s Top 200 and generating rock radio hits in “Edge of a Revolution” and “Million Miles an Hour.” As they worked on their ninth album in 2016, Nickelback released a cover of Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry” and negotiated a switch from Republic to BMG. Feed the Machine, their first record for BMG, was co-produced by Chris Baseford (Disturbed) and appeared in June 2017. The LP debuted at number

five on the U.S. Billboard 200, with its title track reaching 12 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. A non-LP cover of the Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” featuring guitarist Dave Martone appeared in 2020, as did a 15th anniversary edition of 2005’s multi-platinum-selling All the Right Reasons. Nickelback returned with new material in 2022’s “San Quentin,” the first taste of their tenth studio album, Get Rollin’. Another co-production with Chris Baseford, Get Rollin’ focused on heavy riffs and good times, a combination highlighted on the breezy single “High Time.”

Nickelback is Chad Kroeger (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Ryan Peake (Guitar, Vocals), Mike Kroeger (Bass) and Daniel Adair (Drums, Vocals).

ZZ TOP AND LYNYRD SKYNYRD ANNOUNCE CO-HEADLINING THE SHARP DRESSED SIMPLE MAN TOUR

the titans of American classic rock ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd have announced their first co-headlining tour – The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour –taking over twenty-two cities in North America this summer. Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off on Friday, July 21 at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, FL, and continues with stops in Fort Worth, Phoenix, Chicago, and more before wrapping up in Camden, NJ at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Sunday, September 30.

About ZZ Top:

“That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” has been at it for well over a half century delivering rock, blues and boogie on

stage and studio to millions of devoted fans. With iconography as distinctive as their sound, ZZ TOP is globally recognized with their beards, hotrod cars, spinning guitars and that magic keychain, all of which transcend geography and language.

It was in 1969 Houston when ZZ TOP coalesced from the core of two rival bands, Billy Gibbons’ Moving Sidewalks and Frank Beard and Dusty Hill’s American Blues. ZZ Top’s 1973 release, Tres Hombres, catapulted them to national attention with the hit “La Grange,” still one of the band’s signature pieces today. Eliminator, their 1983 album was something of a paradigm shift

for ZZ TOP. Their roots blues skew was intact and added to the mix came their hightech-age trappings that soon found a visual outlet with such tracks as “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” on the nascent MTV. It was one of the record industry’s first albums to have been certified Diamond, far beyond Gold and Platinum, a reflection of sales exceeding 10 million units.

As a touring outfit, they’ve been without peer over the past five decades, having performed before millions of fans over four continents and have been the subject of their own Grammy-nominated

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ZZ TOP AND LYNYRD SKYNYRD

documentary titled That Little Ol’ Band From Texas. The band’s line-up of the bearded Gibbons and Hill and Beard, who ironically is clean shaven, remained intact for more than 50 years. When Dusty temporarily departed the tour in the summer of 2021, Elwood Francis entered the picture accepting the directive from Dusty to be the perfect choice to stand in on the bass-guitar and now handles the low-end duties for the band for the present as well as into the future.

The elements that keep ZZ TOP fresh, enduring can be summed up in the three words of the band’s internal mantra: “Tone, Taste and Tenacity”. As genuine roots performers, they have few peers. Their influences are both the originators of the form – Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, et al – as well as the British blues rockers and Jimi Hendrix who emerged generations before ZZ’s ascendance.

They have sold hundreds of millions of records over the course of their career, have been officially designated as Heroes of The State of Texas,

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inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (by Keith Richards, no less) and have been referenced in countless cartoons and sitcoms. They are true rock icons and, against all odds, they’re really just doing what they’ve always done. ZZ TOP abides!

About Lynyrd Skynyrd: As Lynyrd Skynyrd approaches the 50th anniversary of the band’s critically acclaimed debut album ‘Pronounced ‘L?h-’nérd ‘Skin-’nérd’ in 2023, they resonate as deeply with their multigenerational fan base today as when they first emerged out of Jacksonville, Florida in 1973. Few ensembles have had the deep impact in creating a lifestyle as Skynyrd has. The band travels forward with a primary mission of celebrating a legacy that honors all whom have had a resonating contribution to the lives of hundreds of millions of fans globally. Former members Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, Ed King, Billy Powell, Bob Burns, Leon Wilkeson and Hughie Thomasson alongside others will forever remain significant contributors to this indelible repertoire and the band’s

colorful history. Today, Lynyrd Skynyrd rocks on with a current line-up featuring Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle. Gary Rossington continues to have a significant presence and creative influence with the band, while making select appearances on the road.

The rock and roll powerhouse continually tours, and as Van Zant shares, “It’s about the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and what it stands for, what the fans are all about. There’s nothing like getting out there playing a great show with Skynyrd and seeing people love this music.” Adds Rossington, “We’re still standing, Still keeping the music going. We wanted to do the guys who aren’t with us any more proud, and keep the name proud, too.”

With a catalog of over 60 albums, billions of streams, and tens of millions of records sold, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd remain a cultural icon that appeal to all generations.

A Robbie Parrish Production

A musical journey through time reflective of life’s many doors

There is something magical within the very make up of Parrish Production’s “Elements Of Friendship”. You do not just listen to this compilation you experience it much the same as one experiences the Moody Blues. The producer Robbie Parrish deploys thought provoking elements through the use of exacting memories. Memories which allow one to trip through this entire musical collage in complete relaxation while contemplating, philosophically speaking, what come to life over our years of existence. For his newest album Parrish invited his good friend and keyboard expert Michael Hall into the studio along with bass man extraordinaire Chris Maresh. Together they embarked on a special musical journey that stimulates the senses. The result would be a fourteen track combination spoken word musical masterpiece that became the final product. Hard to believe given today’s world of studio re-take after re-take but for the most part the seasoned trio captured their studio moments in one take just like a child might snatch a lightning bug in a glass jar but yet not harming it. The creations are presented in delicate form including soft spoken sentences that reside throughout the complete album. They are recollections, reflections that are presented in subtle hues and spacing. One can easily get lost within these presentations as they activate memories. The comforting delivery even allows enough time for the listener to take it in, digest the train of thought and be able to reflect on it a bit before the song ends. This journey is reminiscent of music with verbal presentations of the late 60s. Music and lyrics were presented as glimpses into deeper thought provoking questions such as one could not resist with the famous oratorical presentation: “cold hearted orb that rules the night and takes the colors from our sight”. Robbie, Michael and Chris have assembled a relaxing trip through time complete with appropriate accompaniments that infuse the experience while embellishing the questions. “Elements Of Friendship” is about those we remember throughout our lives. The album augments personal reflection by deploying glimpses of memories just enough so that the listener can reflect as well. The thoughts presented are revealing, you contemplate reviewing similar situations within your own life experiences while the music subtly continues to invite expansion. Continued on next page

A Robbie Parrish Production

Board the musical journey here

Starting with track one the only ticket required is curiosity.

Track one The Rainbow features a piano lead infused with soft rimshots along with cascading switches between various drums sounds introduced at the precise right time. The keys flow freely allowing the mind to settle in and fall away from the day’s tensions thereby inducing deeper reflective opportunity. At this musical juncture in time the mind vividly recalls like moments in time and allows for the amplification of those experiences. Within track two Green Cadillac the listener is treated to an upbeat jazzy presence by the skilled hands of Michael Hall on piano with Parrish delivering soft percussion accompaniment which delivers an easy to follow rhythm. The musical landscape is accented by the introduction of soft complimentary memories. As the song progresses there is another creative infusion, a blues like feel however the added placement does not over shadow the original jazzy feel. Track three To Marie delivers a statement: “just the thought of her” which leads the listener into a dream like transition created and carried on the keys. At midpoint the cymbals crash placing new found emphasis which suddenly pulls you away from the mesmerizing residence you acquired just gently enough to call attention to a bit of everyday life. The verbal presentation returns with “there are angels in our lives, we have had angels in our lives”. Continued on next page

A Robbie Parrish Production

The reflective oratory musical experience continues

Moving on to I Cry Out For You the softspoken tenor voice opens with words of personal reflection. The deflection in the voice stages a level headed view of the orator’s memory. The song’s melody is inviting and relaxation is at hand allowing for one’s own ride across time. The narrative recalling childhood freedoms and then the journey advances arriving at being older, wiser. A frozen memory in time one at which you would just like to say thank you to someone special for the ride. The song harbors a sexy dramatic feel as its sound envelopes the listening space It’s a slow blues tempo with a flowing melody that embraces reflective contemplation. Next up But I Like This imparts a super pleasant, noticeable bass introduction with the drums delivering a steady upbeat cadence revealing a happy time in life. The bass remains dominant throughout this adventure with subdued piano accompaniment while the drums embrace a musical narrative, one of walking a path forward. As Ships Go By The Sound of Time incorporates soft spoken narration setting up the scene. People passing through your life as time advances into the future. The change ups on the piano provide timely emphasis that delivers the listener back into the present and then the music marvelously moves from this added emphasis back into a cordial melody. The orator presents elements of complete thoughts regarding life’s choices regarding things and people. Just As I Remembered It opens with the sole tapping sound on cymbals that open recollections of memories of New York City and what an experience it was within this amazing wonderland of energy. It’s easy to relate to the bustle of NYC as the musical pace is set to a fast walking stride, one of awe and surprise. The narrative sweeps you up as the music and spoken thoughts collide into a collage. Meeting My Magic Man begins with one individual, Robbie Parrish, delivering his voice in two different octaves as if he’s talking to himself. It’s about meeting a muse, major names within real life experiences, then finally meeting the master songwriter. Remembering hanging out, taking it all in, expanding a personal horizon, moving forward as if enveloped by a divine plan. Peace Within Friendship sets yet another scene. The music is captivating as you embrace recollections. Memories of friendships over time that develop through professional associations. Snippets of conversations are revealed. The listener receives a passenger’s seat, an invitation into the artist’s experiences as the “Elements of Friendship” maze continues to unfold.

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Harbored in time Elements of Friendship

Movin on through this mystical recollection of time we enter into I’ve Got This Feeling That I Know You a selection that recalls a beautiful time of love and happiness. “I married an angel who rescued me. She’s so patient and understanding. Part angel, part mermaid, part teacher.” The music amplifies the loving memories that are revealed yet the emphasis, the musical changes, the musical embellishments are subtle. The passing of time stamped memories are unveiled as the spoken word and the music unite. The result is fulfilling as one’s own memories may well embark on a journey of their own. So Serious opens with a soothing spoken sentence this time however the use of a different tone, deflection and amplification calls our attention to a handful of words: what makes us so angry? Then after this introduction no more words, now it’s time for contemplation as a refined piano entry with subtle drum work deliver a hint of background presence. Uniquely placed to our surprise is a bit of barrel house blues effect. A rather toe tapping captivating confluence of sounds and soft voices. The presentation ends asking and answering rhetorical questions. Seven Steps To Heaven opens with dialogue referring to the act of communicating with someone that does not speak your language. Yet the two of you overcome the impediment quietly acknowledging the spiritual angelic quality of making such connections throughout life. Help Me I am Falling reveals feelings of pent up creativity that is locked inside, let it out, let it breathe, become free is the theme. Des Reflets houses a somber opening that accents the lower bass notes on the piano incorporating a slow tempo permitting each note to sink into the psyche for immense comprehension.

20% Off All Drinks For All Veterans

The First Monday of Every Month!

Saturday, July 1 -Koby , Channel 8 Groove, Ember Tone/ Wingate

Sunday, July 2 -Plague Beast, Sic Boi Clixxx, Branch, Tamagotchifro$t, Gr-o-th-Kali Crews, SixNickSix, Yvng Alvcard, Dexd Bois Club, Bad trip

Thursday, July 6 -Satri, Christian Elizondo, Skabb HQ

Friday, July 7 -Bar Rats Birthday Bash!

Saturday, July 8 -Snake Food, SaviorSkin, Mortalus, Kranc

Sunday, July 9 -Lockdowns, SinApuros 66, 2 Minute Warning

Thursday, July 13 -Staik Myst,The Revision, Sumrs

Friday, July 14 -Ok Goodnight, Challenger Deep, The Kidnap Soundtrack, Town Destroyer

Saturday, July 15 -#UWU-HTX23

Sunday, July 16 -Black Kennedy

Thursday, July 20 -End of Evergreen/Hatewaker/Voltreus

Friday, July 21 -Vernon Trumbull, Avoid The Moon, Neckpiece

Saturday, July 22 -Brotality , Amongst The Giants, Infuriator, Uppercut

Sunday, July 23 -AllAt Once, Perfect Season, Kill Lonely, Under Currents

Thursday, July 27 -Scott Collins,The Real McCoys

Friday, July 28-Terran Severance, It Kills You

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Performs At The House Of Blues July 21

There are few artists whose names are synonymous with one instrument and how it’s played in service to an entire genre.

Utter the phrase “young blues rock guitarist” within earshot of anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the modern musical vanguard and the first name they are most likely to respond with will be Kenny Wayne Shepherd. The Louisiana born axeman and songsmith has sold millions of albums while throwing singles into the Top 10, shining a light on the rich blues of the past and forging ahead with his own modern twist on a classic sound he has embodied since his teens.

In a 20-year recording career that began when he was just 16, Shepherd has established himself as an immensely popular recording artist, a consistently

in-demand live act and an influential force in a worldwide resurgence of interest in the blues.

From television performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (amongst others) to features in Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Maxim Magazine, Blender, Spin, USA Today and more, his musical career has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Signed to a major-label record deal by impresario Irving Azoff at the age of 13, blues-rock guitarist and songwriter Kenny Wayne Shepherd exploded onto the scene in the mid-’90s. His debut album, Ledbetter Heights, garnered massive radio airplay and media attention on its way to topping the blues charts and being certified platinum. This

was a curiosity in that FM rock radio was not a reliable home for blues and blues-rock, with the exceptions being Stevie Ray Vaughan in the mid-’80s and Eric Clapton and Johnny Winter in the early ’70s. Since then, his aggressive, clean, and meaty, rocking country-blues style has sent all but one of his albums to the top of the blues charts and seven of his singles into the Top Ten. Several of his albums have been certified platinum and gold. Shepherd’s signature song, 1998’s scorching “Blue on Black,” topped the rock charts as a single. 2014’s Goin’ Home not only hit number one at blues but landed inside the Top 100 on the U.S. album charts. He has been nominated for five Grammy Awards and has received two Billboard Music Awards, two Blues Music Awards, and two Orville H. Gibson Awards.

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Shepherd was born June 12, 1977, in Shreveport, Louisiana. He began playing at the age of seven, figuring out Muddy Waters’ licks from his father’s record collection (he has never taken formal lessons). At age 13, he was invited on-stage by New Orleans bluesman Bryan Lee and held his own for several hours, after which he decided on music as a career. He formed his own band, which featured lead vocalist Corey Sterling, and gained early exposure through club dates and, later, radio conventions.

Shepherd’s father/manager used his own contacts and pizzazz in the record business to help land his son a major-label record deal with Giant Records. Ledbetter Heights, his first album, was released two years later in 1995 and was an immediate hit, selling over 500,000 copies by early 1996. Most blues records never achieve that level of commercial success, much less those released by artists still in their teens. Influenced by (and having played with) guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Slash, Robert Cray, and Duane Allman, Shepherd is a performer who thrives in front of an audience. Ledbetter Heights is impressive for its range of styles: acoustic blues, rockin’ blues, Texas blues, and Louisiana blues.

.. Released in 1998, Trouble Is... earned a Grammy nomination and Live On followed a year later. In 2004, The Place You’re In was released on Reprise Records, and was the first album to feature Shepherd taking on the majority of lead vocals (singer Noah Hunt handled the lead on the previous two albums). Shepherd’s next project saw him traveling the American South with a documentary film crew and a portable recording studio as he backed up several veteran blues players on their home turf. The resulting album and film, 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, appeared in 2007, and Live! In Chicago followed in 2010. That November, Shepherd joined Jimmy Fallon’s house band on TV

for an evening, performing with the same Fender Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix played at Woodstock.

Although Shepherd stayed busy in the intervening years, 2011’s How I Go was his first studio album proper in seven years. In an attempt to revive the success of 1998’s Trouble Is..., he once again recruited Noah Hunt on vocals, as well as former Talking Heads keyboard player and guitarist Jerry Harrison, who had produced the sessions for that platinum-selling album. Shepherd followed How I Go with 2014’s Goin’ Home, a tribute to his musical heroes that featured contributions from artists such as Ringo Starr and Keb’ Mo’. The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band returned in 2017 with Lay It on Down, a record cut in Shreveport, Louisiana’s Echophone Studios and his eighth to top the blues charts.

In late 2018, Shepherd entered a Los Angeles studio with his band, vocalist Noah Hunt, drummer Chris Layton (ex-Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble and Johnny Winter And), bassist Kevin McCormick, and keyboardists Jimmy McGorman and Joe Krown. A pre-released single, “Woman Like You,” was issued at the end of March 2019, followed by the full-length The Traveler at the end of May, his first for Provogue. Shepherd made his debut at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival

later in the summer. The following year brought the live CD/DVD combo Straight to You Live recorded in Germany.

Twenty five years into his recording career Kenny Wayne Shepherd continues to create genre-defining bluesinfused rock n’ roll. Shepherd has built an enviable resume as an accomplished recording artist, a riveting live performer and one of the most talented and distinctive guitarists of his generation. Shepherd has sold millions of albums worldwide, received five GRAMMY® nominations, two Billboard Music Awards, as well as a pair of Orville H. Gibson awards, the Blues Foundation’s Keeping The Blues Alive award and two Blues Music awards. He’s had seven #1 blues albums and a string of #1 mainstream rock singles.

Samantha Fish And Jesse Dayton Perform At The Heights Theatre July 16 In Support Of Their New Album Release Death Wish Blues

The first-ever collaborative album from Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton, Death Wish Blues is a body of work born from a shared passion for pushing the limits of blues music. As one of the most dynamic forces in the blues world today, Fish has made her name as a multiaward-winning festival headliner who captivates crowds with her explosive yet elegant guitar work, delivering an unbridled form of blues-rock that defies all genre boundaries. Dayton, meanwhile, boasts an extraordinary background that includes recording with the likes of Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, touring as a guitarist for seminal punk band X, working with Rob Zombie on the soundtracks for his iconic horror films, and releasing a series of acclaimed solo albums. Produced by the legendary Jon Spencer of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Death Wish Blues ultimately melds their eclectic sensibili-

ties into a batch of songs both emotionally potent and wildly combustible.

As Fish reveals, the making of Death Wish Blues marked the culmination of a musical connection forged in her hometown of Kansas City over a decade ago. “It was always a big deal when Jesse came through town to a play a show—we first met when I was 20, and I kept up with him through the years,” Fish says of the Beaumont, Texas-bred musician. “I’d been wanting to do a collaborative project for a while and went to see Jesse perform in New Orleans, and right away I knew he was the guy. We got together and had this vision of making something of an altblues record, but it turned out to be so much more exciting and layered than I ever imagined.”

The follow-up to Fish and

Dayton’s 2022 EP Stardust Sessions—a three-song effort featuring covers of classic tracks like Townes Van Zandt’s “I’ll Be Here In The Morning”—Death Wish Blues took shape at Applehead Recording & Production in Woodstock, a studio situated on a 17-acre farm once home to The Band’s Rick Danko. Over the course of 10 frenetic days, the two musicians joined forces with bassist Kendall Wind, keyboardist Mickey Finn, and drummer Aaron Johnston, cutting most of the album live and unleashing a bold collision of blues, soul, punk, funk, and fantastically greasy rock-and-roll. With Fish and Dayton sharing vocal and guitar duties, the sonic power of each track is exponentially magnified by Spencer’s production work, endlessly tapping into the rule-breaking ingenuity that’s made him a cult hero. “Jon’s indierock royalty and he’s always been ahead of the game as far as moving the blues forward,” says Dayton. “For this album we wanted to keep everything bluesbased, with a lot of inspiration from people like Albert King and Magic Sam on the lead-guitar parts, but we also wanted to have fun with that and take it somewhere new and different and way outside our wheelhouse.”

One of the first songs that Fish and Dayton wrote together, the albumopening “Death Wish” immediately established the free-flowing nature of their collaboration. “Samantha sent me that melody and I went into my writing room and started coming up with some lyrics inspired by all these true-crime documentaries I’d been watching,” Dayton recalls. “It turned into a song about men taking advantage of women, and I knew that Samantha could really chew on those lyrics and sing them with a lot of attitude.” Anchored by a hottempered vocal performance from Fish, the result is a prime introduction to Death Wish Blues’ incendiary sound, at turns gritty, exhilarating, and indelibly hypnotic. Later, on “Riders,” Fish and Dayton offer up a ferociously grooveheavy track built on their fiery vocal back-and-forth, reaching a majestic frenzy in the song’s final moments. “‘Riders’ is about being musicians and troubadours and having one-night stands with whatever city you happen to be in,” says Fish. “Every city is personified as a love interest or partner, and in the end you just move on to whatever adventure is coming up next.”

Although Death Wish Blues serves

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up plenty of swagger and bravado, much of the album embodies a powerfully raw sensitivity. “As we were writing some of the love songs you hear on the record, I really had to open up my heart to Samantha to get to the core of what we wanted to express,” says Dayton. “It was good for me to allow myself to be that vulnerable, and I don’t know if it’s something I would’ve been able to do when I was younger.” On “Trauma,” Fish and Dayton spin a strangely thrilling portrait of heartbreak, taking on a furious momentum as Dayton lays his pain and frustration exquisitely bare. Building a heady tension between its slow-burning verses and hard-hitting chorus, “Settle for Less” unfolds as an achingly moving meditation on selfworth. “The sentiment of that song is that if you settle for anything short of what you deserve, that’s exactly what you’re going to get,” says Fish, who cowrote the track with her frequent collaborator Jim McCormick (Tim McGraw, Trisha Yearwood). And on “No Apology,” Death Wish Blues slips into a moment of heavy-hearted outpouring, with Fish’s graceful yet gut-punching vocals riding the line between tender longing and unapologetic self-possession. “‘No Apology’ is about fighting with the one you love and wanting to push through and make everything okay again,” says Fish. “It’s a love song but sort of twisted, because that’s the only kind of love song I write.”

Another irresistibly soulful track, “You Know My Heart” closes out Death Wish Blues with a spellbinding duet illuminating the pure magic of their musical chemistry. “That’s the first song that Jesse and I finished together,” Fish points out. “He sent it to me to one morning and told me he’d woken up the night before with that melody in his head, and we started singing it together and fleshing out the verses. It turned into a song about being far from your loved one and maybe things aren’t going the way you want, but you know they’ll love you through your worst and see your better intentions through it all. I thought

that was a really beautiful way to end the record.”

Throughout Death Wish Blues, Fish and Dayton let their more lighthearted side shine on tracks like “Supadupabad,” a gloriously carefree piece of blues-funk complete with references to sipping Courvoisier from crystal cups. “That song was way out of my comfort zone, but it felt good to get sort of silly and just have fun with it,” says Fish. “It’s like a two-minute party, and I don’t think I could’ve ever come up with something like that on my own.” Thanks in part to Spencer’s direction, the recording sessions for Death Wish Blues also included such unexpected moments as building the off-kilter beat of “Dangerous People” by banging on beer cans gathered from the backyard. “What I loved about working with Jon is that we brought in a bunch of songs that we’d demoed on acoustic guitar, and he’d go in and find a way to add all these unique parts that I never would’ve envisioned,” says Fish. “Sometimes it was jarring at first, but everything ended up fitting so perfectly.” Looking back on the albummaking process, Fish also notes that Spencer helped to uncover certain facets of her voice that she’d never explored

before. “Jon records vocals with character; it’s about attitude rather than perfection,” she says. “I learned a lot about taking on the character of the song, and about singing with different inflections to really get the emotion across.”

For both Fish and Dayton, the making of Death Wish Blues helped fulfill their longtime mission of opening up the blues genre to entirely new audiences. “I’ve played all kinds of music in my life, punk and country and Americana and so much else, and for me this was another wonderful rabbit hole to fall down,” says Dayton. “I love that it’s coming at a moment when we’re starting to see the resurgence of rock guitar for the first time in a long time, and I think it’s going to turn a lot of people on to a kind of music they’ve never experienced before.” Fish adds: “The main reason why I make music has always been the connection it creates with others. It’s a way to communicate with the world around me, to tell stories that people can then take and apply to their own lives and maybe feel more understood. We had such a fun time making this album, and I hope that it leaves everyone with the same feeling of joy that we all felt in the studio.”

Friday, June 9, 8-11 pm

PLEASE NOTE:CANCELED

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

Friday, June 16, 6-9 pm

Haak Winery

6310 Ave T -= Santa, Fe, TX 77510

Saturday, June 17, 6 pm-10

Two Mules Tavern

100 Cypresswood Dr - Spring, TX 77388

Saturday, June 24, 8 pm-12

Scotty’s Saloon

114 Agnes Rd - Richmond, TX 77469

Saturday, July 1, 8 pm-12

Backwoods Saloon 230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385

Friday, July 7, 9pm-1

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

Saturday, July 15, 7-11 pm

Papa’s On The Lake

14632 Hwy 105 W - Montgomery, TX 77356

Saturday, July 22, 9 pm-1

Aspens Bar & Grill

817 Clear Lake Rd - Kemah, TX 77565

Saturday, September 2, 7-11 pm

Papa’s On The Lake

14632 Hwy 105 W - Montgomery, TX 77356

Friday, September 8, 8-11 pm

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

Saturday, October 28, 8 pm-12

Backwoods Saloon 230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385

Saturday. December 2, 8 pm-12

Backwoods Saloon 230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385

Saturday, December 9, 9 pm-1

Jack’s Pub *Christmas Party!!! 11720 S Wilcrest - Houston, TX 77099

Flor Perform At White Oak Music Hall July 26

Flor (stylized as flor) (previously Sunderland) is an American indie band formed in Hood River, Oregon in 2014. The band currently consists of Zach Grace (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Dylan Bauld (bass), and Kyle Hill (drums).

The band got its start in Hood River, Oregon, when Zach Grace began experimenting with electronic music-making programs. After moving to Los Angeles, Flor connected with photographer/designer Jade Ehlers, who helped the band come up with distinctive visuals. Meanwhile, Bauld established himself as a producer working with Flor, as well as artists like Halsey, Lights, Smallpools, and Lostboycrow. The band released their debut single, “heart”, online in 2014, with the Sounds EP arriving that October. Following the release of the 2015 full-length Sights & Sounds, Flor signed to Fueled by Ramen in 2016, which reissued the Sounds EP that February.

Their debut album, come out. you’re hiding was released on May 19, 2017. The album title was teased in a tweet on March 23 before being confirmed in another tweet the next day. The album’s lead single, “guarded”, was released the same day.

On March 8, 2019, Flor released the single “slow motion”. On July 10, they

announced their second studio album, ley lines. It came out on September 6, 2019, and includes twelve songs. When asked about the inspiration behind the album, lead singer Grace said, “There’s a theory that important places of power like Stonehenge or the Pyramids of Giza are connected by invisible lines. As a parallel, I needed to find my own anchor points for belief and purpose. I realized you can build those roads yourself. Friends, family, and the band are my anchors. The music comes out of the ‘ley lines’”. On November 11, 2019, they announced their first North American tour.

In early 2020, the band launched the EP reimagined, new versions of four of their hit songs and a cover song. It was released in two parts: reimagined pt. 1, consisting of “warm blood”, “slow motion”, and a cover of Coldplay’s “yellow”, which featured Misterwives, in February; and reimagined pt. 2, consisting of “white noise” and “unsaid”, in July.

On August 19, they released the standalone single “lmho”, which was originally written around the time they completed their debut album. Grace described the song as his way of “spilling my sadness, confusion, and heartache into [...] music”. As a substitution for their lack of touring due to the COVID-19 pandemic,

the band premiered a live at-home performance exclusively on their YouTube channel in December 2020.

On December 1, 2021, they debuted the single “have yourself a merry little christmas”, a cover of the song of the same title. This was the only material the band released in 2021.

On February 17, 2022, Flor premiered “Play Along” as the lead single from their anticipated third studio album, Future Shine. The new album was announced on March 23, alongside the release of the singles “Skate” and “Big Shot”. It was released on May 6, 2022. In support of the album, they performed three shows entitled “flor in Twenty-Four”, where they toured New York City, Los Angeles, and their hometown of Hood River in only twenty-four hours. The shows were then followed by a North American headline tour in September and October 2022.

On September 2, 2022, the band released the single “Every Night”. It serves as an additional track to the DSP version of their latest album.

On February 24, 2023, Kitts announced his departure from the band to raise his family, making Flor a trio.

Kolby Cooper Performs At White Oak Music Hall July 22

Only three years out of high school, still living in his small East Texas hometown, Kolby Cooper started selling out shows and clocking millions of streams using only his songs as muscle, earning streaming numbers typically reserved for household names. Amassing over 113.5 million on demand streams to date, Kolby released his first EP as a signed artist, Boy From Anderson County, on August 6 via BBR Music Group / Wheelhouse Records in partnership with Combustion Music. The prolific songwriter has an uncanny ability to turn his and his friends’ life stories into relatable songs his rabidly zealous fanbase can’t get enough of, and his upcoming EP is no different, stacking the release with high-energy rockers, scorching break-up anthems and reflective love songs. With new music on the horizon, Kolby continues his strenuous tour schedule throughout 2021, headlining sold-out shows all over the country, bringing with him his signature blend of Lonestar State roots, rough-hewn vocals and wailing electric guitar. Fans will

have no doubt that his forthcoming EP is authentically Kolby.

Possessing a honeyed twang and an enduring affection for the smoother sounds of ’90s country, Kolby Cooper wasn’t as gritty as some of his peers on the Red Dirt circuit of the Southwest during the last days of the 2010s. His underlying sweetness and way with pop hooks, evident on the LPs Good Ones Never Last (2019) and Boy from Anderson County to the Moon (2022), helped earn him earn a loyal fan base and millions of streams.

Born and raised in the small east Texas town of Bradford — he’d later claim nearby Palestine as his hometown — Kolby Cooper started playing guitar at the age of 12, inspired equally by classic country and ’90s alt rock. His adolescence turned out to be tumultuous. His father died of cancer when Cooper was 14 and shortly afterward, he started writing songs, eventually finding his way to local talent competitions. When he

was 18, he became a father and husband in short order. Initially, he planned to attend nursing school but decided to give the music business a shot. Four months after graduating Cayuga High School, he entered the studio. One of his earliest tunes, “Every Single Kiss,” became his first single in 2017 and it was followed quickly by his first EP, the appropriately titled Vol. 1, in 2018.

The full-length Good Ones Never Last appeared on Combustion Music in 2019 and helped expand his following through the Red Dirt circuit in the Southwest. The 2020 hit singles “If I Still Had It” and “2 Words” appeared on his second EP, Vol. 2. Cooper continued to court mainstream success in 2021 with the Boy from Anderson County EP, which included the Jordan Walker cowritten hit of the same name. All six tracks from the EP appeared on Cooper’s 2022 full-length release, Boy from Anderson County to the Moon.

Ace Frehley

by Greg Prato

Along with Eddie Van Halen, Kiss’ Ace Frehley inspired numerous up-andcoming rockers to pick up the guitar in the 1970s, and by the next century he was listed by just about every contemporary rock guitarist as an important influence. Operating under the glossy, platform boot-bolstered persona Spaceman (sometimes Space Ace), Frehley played with Kiss from the group’s inception in 1973 to 1982, when he embarked on a successful solo career. He rejoined the group in 1998 for their international reunion tour, and stayed with them through 2002, eventually returning to his solo work in 2009 with the release of Anomaly. Having beaten his addiction to drugs and alcohol in the interim, Frehley enjoyed a creative surge in the 2010s, issuing a string of wellreceived albums like Space Invader (2014) and Spaceman (2018), and releasing a popular 2011 autobiography, No Regrets: A Rock ‘N’ Roll Memoir.

Born Paul Frehley on April 27, 1951, in the Bronx, New York, Frehley began playing guitar when he received an electric six-string for his 14th birthday in 1965. Already a big fan of the Rolling Stones, he was blown away when he caught a multi-band live show in N.Y.C. in early 1967, featuring both the Who and Cream, among others, which solidified his desire to pursue rock guitar more seriously (and put a promising art career on the back burner). Frehley began playing in local bands soon after, adding both Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to his influences — and around this time, adopted the nickname “Ace.” Although none of the bands he played with had taken off, he answered an ad in a local paper for a new hard rock, theatrically based group in early 1973.

A few weeks after his initial tryout, Frehley was hired as the lead guitarist for the new quartet, joining bassist/singer Gene Simmons, rhythm guitarist/singer

Paul Stanley, and drummer Peter Criss to form the band Kiss. By year’s end, the greasepaint- and costume-wearing band was signed to Casablanca Records, and by 1978, had become one of the world’s top hard rock bands. A string of platinum albums and sold-out tours lasted from 1975 until 1979, until the trappings of fame threatened to break up the band. Frehley’s best friend in the band, Criss, left Kiss in 1980, as the group unsuccessfully experimented with non-metal

Ace Frehley Performs At The House Of Blues July 18

styles. Ace Frehley’s use of alcohol and drugs increased due to his ever-increasing unhappiness in the band, and, by 1982, he’d exited Kiss.

Within a year or two after his split from Kiss, Ace began putting his own solo band together, Frehley’s Comet. The band played local N.Y.C. clubs, but failed to issue a record until 1987’s selftitled debut for Megaforce Records. Instead of following the heavy metal direction of his exceptional 1978 solo album, Frehley’s Comet tried to keep pace with the current pop-metal movement (Mötley Crüe, etc.), issuing two other albums (and a live EP) by 1989. Around this time, Frehley put his old art talents to use once again through computer graphics, with a few of his images even being featured in an art exhibit. Despite mudslinging in the press between Simmons/Stanley and Frehley in the early ’90s, all four original Kiss members made up in time to reunite for a 1995 taping of MTV Unplugged. The taping was such a success that it led to a full-blown reunion of the original lineup, resulting in the massively successful 1996-1997 Alive Worldwide Tour.

Frehley continued as a member of Kiss until the end of their Farewell Tour (lasting longer than fellow original member Peter Criss, who dropped out in 2001). Live appearances, including gigs at the massive Rocklahoma festival, kept Ace busy until 2009, when he released

the album Anomaly on his own label, Bronx Born Records. In 2011 he published No Regrets, a detailed and frank memoir that recounted, among other things, his aforementioned struggles with alcohol and cocaine addiction. In 2013 he celebrated seven years of sobriety and spent much of that year appearing at horror, sci-fi, and pop culture conventions.

The following April, after a long wait, Kiss was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, before August brought the release of Space Invader, a solo album that took a heavier approach than Anomaly. Released in 2016, Origins, Vol. 1 was an all-covers album featuring songs from Ace’s favorite bands, up to and including Kiss, with new versions of “Parasite” and “Cold Gin” sitting next to songs from Thin Lizzy and Cream. The following year, Frehley joined Kiss bassist/vocalist Simmons on-stage at a Hurricane Harvey benefit for the Children Matter organization in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the former bandmates had performed together in over 16 years. In 2018 Frehley issued his eighth solo long payer, Spaceman, which featured a power pop cover of Eddie Money’s “I Wanna Go Back” and the rowdy single “Rockin’ with the Boys,” the latter of which was written during Kiss’ ’70s heyday. He then released a second covers album, Origins, Vol. 2, in September 2020

Open

Tuesday

Check

Saturday, July 1 - DJ Mike Brown

Sunday, July 2 - Katie’s Jam with special guest host Hugo Jamz (4 - 8pm)

Wednesday, July 5 - Katie’s Wednesday Jam with Bob Emmons

Thursday, July 6 - James Wilhite

Friday, July 7 - Paul Ramirez

Saturday, July 8 - Entertainment TBA

Sunday, July 9 - Katie’s Sunday Jam with special guest host Bob Emmons (4 - 8pm)

Wednesday, July 12 - Katie’s Wednesday Jam with Keith Vivens

Thursday, July 13 - Hugo Jamz Trio

Friday, July 14 - Bayou Gipsies (8 - 12 am)

Saturday, July 15 - Tony Vega

Sunday, July 16 - Katie’s Sunday Jam with special guest host Mark May (4 - 8pm)

Wednesday, July 19 - Katie’s Wenesday Jam with Bob Emmons

Thursday, July 20 - John Riley & Handsome Bob

Friday, July 21 - Big Jordan Band

Saturday, July 22 - Eric Demmer Band

Sunday, July 23 - Katie’s Sunday Jam with special guest host Pierce (4 - 8pm)

Wednesday, July 26 - Katie’s Wednesday Jam with James Wilhite

Thursday, July 27 - Hugo Jamz Trio

Friday, July 28 - Chris Castaneda

Saturday, July 29 - Entertainment TBA

Between The Buried And Me Celebrate The Anniversary Of The Parallax II: Future Sequence At Warehouse Live

Grammy Award-nominated progressive metallers BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME have announced a tour that will find them performing 2012’s “The Parallax II: Future Sequence” album in its entirety. Support on the trek, which launched on June 16 in Charleston, South Carolina, will come from THANK YOU SCIENTIST and RIVERS OF NIHIL. They will be bringing the tour to Houston’s Warehouse Live on July 22nd

Prior to that trek however, it has been revealed that the band’s guitarist Dustie Waring would be stepping down for the time being. In his place, the band have recruited guitarist Tristan Auman of Sometime to fill-in for the trek.

The Parallax II: Future Sequence is the sixth studio album by American progressive metal band Between the Buried and Me, released

on October 9, 2012. The album’s concept is the continuation of the band’s 2011 EP The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues. Paul Waggoner and Dustie Waring (guitars) described it as being their favorite release up to now, being mature, dynamic, and with various metal influences from 1970’s progressive rock, to jazz and fusion.

The Parallax II: Future Sequence starts with the end of the story (“Goodbye to Everything”) where the two prospects wait for their planet to fly into the sun and burn. Following the opening song, the album picks up right where the 2011 EP, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues, ended. Prospect 2 (on a spaceship in the middle of space) finds that his home on the old planet has disappeared so he starts to think about who he is in a dream and he finds that he does not understand his purpose (“Astral Body”). Prospect 2

then decides to either end his own life on the ship, or go back to the new planet where he planted human souls for government. He decides to go back to the new planet and on the way there he feels remorse as he wishes he could have gone back and told his wife that he was leaving to go to the new planet (“Lay Your Ghost To Rest”). The next song, “Autumn” is described as a way to set up the atmosphere for the rest of the story.

Prospect 1 returns to his home from being adrift at sea (“Swim to the Moon”, The Great Misdirect) to find everything gone and not what he remembers of home. He then begins to have these dreams that show him meeting someone with identical looks but a different agenda and when he wakes from these dreams one day, he finds that a city is being

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built around him. He buries his head in the dirt because of how loud the construction is. Then someone pulls his head from the dirt. This person happens to be the same person he dreamed about, himself, or known as prospect 2 to the listener (“Extremophile Elite”). Then there is a flash back in the second half of Extremophile Elite that details Prospect 2’s landing on the new planet. Once he lands on the planet, he stumbles his way to what seems like machines building a city in the distance and this is when he finds Prospect 1’s head in the ground, but he thought it was just a dead man. So he pulls his head out of the ground to find the note that he left for his wife on the old planet under the mans skull. But finding the note turns out to be a dream.

Now that the prospects have met each other, they recollect over their loses and pains and know that they must decide what to do with the new planet (“Parallax”). The story then cuts to the beginning of time and introduces “The Night Owls”, the creator of all (“The Black Box”). Prospect 2 becomes determined to destroy the Earth and so he tries to persuade Prospect 1 to join him and he agrees only because of his fear of Prospect 2. However, Prospect 1 internally decides to start a new life and live with his new love interest, who is never introduced in the album. Then another flashback takes place, Prospect 2’s wife talks about how he has hurt her and left no note as to where he is. She then ends her own life by burning down their house (“Telos”).

The album then travels to between The Great Misdirect and The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues. Prospect 1 drowns. He sinks to the bottom of the ocean and is revived by a village of sea creatures. The

creatures analyze him to understand humans while he is hypnotized through their music. He is then sent back to the surface and The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues starts (“Bloom”).

A new character known as “The Black Mask” was hired by the government to prevent the note that was left for Prospect 2’s wife from being read on the old planet. The Black Mask never puts thought and feelings into his work. However, he kept the note and starts reading it years after. Eventually, the note gets to him and he tries to give the note to Prospect 2’s wife only to find the house burned to the ground with the woman inside (“Melting City”).

Now that Prospect 2 knows to destroy humanity and he discovers that The Night Owls and Prospect 1 have betrayed him. On the ship there is a box with instructions in it to use a gravity tractor to tow large asteroids. He will tow a large asteroid between the Earth and Sun to pull the Earth into the sun. Before he puts the

plan into action, he finds Prospect 1 (who had vanished to live his “normal” life) and gasses his house to kidnap him. Then the Night Owls leave the prospect’s life, leaving them for an unknown journey. Prospect 1 wakes on the ship and accepts his death and the death of humanity (“Silent Flight Parliament”).

Between the Buried and Me are a thinking man’s metal outfit from Raleigh, North Carolina. Their ability to move seamlessly from death, prog, technical, death, and math metal to the blues is unique. On 2003’s The Silent Circus they ground through the warehouse of extreme music’s subgenres. They referred to 2007’s Colors as “a 65-minute opus of nonstop pummeling beautiful music....” and critics agreed. 2015’s relatively accessible Coma Ecliptic revealed that BTBAM had widened their creative circle to the degree that critics lauded them as a “progressive metal” band. They underscored this

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impression with 2018’s conceptual two-part Automata, which offered stylistic shifts amid panoramic production aesthetics. In 2021, the band issued Colors II, a sequel to its 2007 cult classic.

The band formed in 2000 after the dissolution of vocalist Tommy Rogers and guitarist Paul Waggoner’s previous group, Prayer for Cleansing. Rogers and Waggoner completed their new lineup with the addition of guitarist Nick Fletcher, bassist Jason King (ex-Azazel), and drummer Mark Castillo, formerly of Bury Your Dead. An eponymous debut soon appeared, issued through the German indie Lifeforce, and the band supported its release with an avid tour schedule. Between the Buried and Me signed with Chicago hardcore powerhouse Victory in the summer of 2002 and began work on their debut for the label. The Silent Circus appeared in late October of the following year and showcased a more focused fusion of the group’s math rock, heavy metal, and posthardcore influences.

Several lineup changes ensued that saw Rogers and Waggoner rounded out by guitarist Dusty Waring, bassist Dan Briggs, and drummer Blake Richardson. Joining forces with producer Jamie King, who had recorded their self-titled effort, Between the Buried and Me

released Alaska in September 2005. Various tour dates with the Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, Bleeding Through, and Haste the Day followed. The band next paid tribute to many of its influences — from Pantera to Queen to Pink Floyd — on the covers album The Anatomy Of, which surfaced in June 2006, before hitting the road on a subsequent headlining tour. That fall, Victory reissued The Silent Circus with an additional bonus DVD of material. In 2007, they went into the studio with producer Jamie King and recorded Colors, which was released that September through Victory Records and described as “new wave polka grunge” by the band. The Great Misdirect, the band’s fifth studio album, appeared two years later.

Victory put out a Between the Buried and Me greatest-hits album in 2011, just weeks before the band released its first EP on Metal Blade, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues, the first entry in a two-part concept album. The second part, The Parallax II: Future Sequence, followed in 2012. In 2013, they embarked on the Future Sequence Tour, where they played The Parallax II in full. The group reentered the studio in late 2014 to begin work on a new concept recording — Metal Blade referred to it as a “rock opera.” Coma Ecliptic was produced by Jamie King and

mixed by Jens Bogren. The set’s prerelease single, “Memory Palace,” appeared in April of 2015; the album followed in July. In 2017, Between the Buried and Me released the concert LP Coma Ecliptic Live, which featured the band playing the album live in its entirety at the Observatory North Park in San Diego, California. It was their final album for Metal Blade.

The band signed to Sumerian that year and quickly hit the studio with King returning as producer. They developed a double-length concept album, Automata, to be issued as two separate recordings with different release dates. According to Rogers: “We can get music instantly, and with this luxury, the listener has a hard time sitting down with albums and exploring their every twist and turn. Because of this, we have decided to release our new album in two parts.” The album’s songs explore several central questions: What if dreams could be broadcast for the purpose of entertainment? Could you consume the innermost thoughts of another person onscreen? If you could, what does that say about an attention-starved audience? More importantly, what would become of the dreamer? The truly accessible Automata I was issued in early March of 2018; in July, its existence was nearly contradicted (musically) by its companion release, Automata II, an epic, emotional, and eccentric journey that found the group working not only through the usual panoply of genres but also jazz, swing, improvised music, and avant-rock.

In 2021, BTBAM issued Colors II. After the COVID-19 pandemic dictated being off the road and out of the studio for more than a year, the band decided they had something to prove, that their next album was a do or die effort — the same attitude that guided 2007’s Colors. In June they issued the single “Fix the Error,” that featured appearances from three guest drummers: Mike Portnoy, Navene Koperweis, and Ken Schalk. In July they followed with the epic nine-minute single “Revolution in Limbo.” Colors II was issued by Sumerian Records in late August.

Enuff ‘Z’ Nuff Perform At Warehouse Live July 20th

by Eduardo Rivadavia

A colorful pop-metal outfit with a sizable cult following, Chicago’s Enuff Z’nuff emerged in the late 1980s during the waning days of the glam metal scene. Their label Atco pushed hard to market the group as a glam-metal act, much to their detriment. But their sugary melodies and keen power pop smarts hewed more closely to artists like Cheap Trick, Elvis Costello, and Badfinger than the hair metal acts of the day. Released in 1989, the band’s eponymous debut yielded their highestcharting singles, “Fly High Michelle” and “New Thing,” both of which cracked the mainstream Top 40 charts, while 1991’s Strength pushed the group’s hooky hard rock bound-

aries even further. Despite enduring plenty of personal hardships, hiatuses, and lineup changes, the band spent the ensuing decades touring and recording, releasing dozens of studio albums and staying true to their flashy, power pop sensibilities. They continued to release a steady stream of albums, marked by occasional high points like 1999’s upbeat and muscular Paraphernalia, 2002’s Beatles-influenced Welcome to Blue Island, 2020’s timely Brainwashed Generation, and 2022’s raunchy, tuneful Finer Than Sin.

Musical soul brothers Donnie Vie (guitar and vocals) and Chip Znuff met in Chicago in 1984 and quickly set about writing songs together. Their relationship proved

extremely fruitful and in less than a year the duo had recruited guitar player Gino Martino and drummer B.W. Boski, named themselves “Enough Z’nuff” — they would shorten it to Enuff Z’nuff in 1989 — and begun shopping around a fulllength demo called Hollywood Squares to the major labels. Obtaining a contract proved more difficult than expected, however, and it was only four years later, after the arrival of virtuoso guitarist Derek Frigo and drummer Vikki Foxx, that the band finally signed a deal with Atlantic subsidiary Atco.

Released in August 1989, Enuff Z’nuff’s self-titled debut scored a

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couple of quick hit singles with “New Thing” and “Fly High Michelle,” but the frustrated bandmembers found themselves receiving more attention for their over the top, brightly colored, peace sign-infested wardrobe than their superlative hard rock songs. By the time they unleashed 1991’s Strength album, they had noticeably toned down their image and turned up their creative ambitions to deliver a masterful ’90s take on the crunchy power pop sound of Cheap Trick and Badfinger. America’s new alternative rock regime was not impressed, however, and their dismissal from Atco due to disappointing sales coincided with a growing rift with guitarist Frigo. And though they were quickly snapped up by Arista Records, drummer Foxx would abruptly leave for the greener pastures of former Mötley Crüe vocalist Vince Neil’s solo band as soon as the sessions for their third album, Animals with Human Intelligence, were completed. When this third effort also failed to connect with consumers, Arista shut its doors and Frigo quit for good.

Vie and Znuff hit rock bottom in 1994. With no record deal in sight and wallowing in deepening drug addiction, they decided to re-release their original 1985 demos as the next Enuff Z’nuff album, simply calling it 1985. Containing liner notes penned by the “King of All Media” himself, Howard Stern (by all accounts a rabid fan), the album proved a godsend, doing enough business domestically and in Japan to get them back on their feet. It also allowed them to record two new albums in 1995: an official release for Mayhem Records called Tweaked (featuring original guitarist Martino and drummer Ricky Parent) and the

Japan-only Chip & Donnie: Brothers — later released stateside as Seven in 1997. In between, Enuff Z’nuff recorded 1996’s Peach Fuzz as a trio following Martino’s departure, then released the retrospective Live in 1998. Guitarist John Monaco joined the group in time for 1998’s Paraphernalia (which was released by Spitfire Records, along with most of the band’s late-’90s output) and stayed on through 2000’s 10.

Unfortunately, this unusual spell of relative stability would not last for Enuff Z’nuff. Following the release of their 11th studio album, Welcome to Blue Island, by the Dream Catcher label in 2002, Donnie Vie quit to pursue a solo career in Los Angeles, leaving Chip Znuff and a rotating cast of players to carry on and tour sporadically as a trio. Then, just as reunion discussions with former members Derek Frigo and Vikki Foxx were getting underway, Enuff Z’nuff’s already shaky constituents were dealt another devastating blow on May 29, 2004, when Frigo was found dead from an accidental drug overdose outside his girlfriend’s apartment in L.A. The band had just finished recording ?, which was eventually released in November 2004 on the Pony Canyon label. A live album, Tonight, Sold Out, dropped in 2007, followed in

2009 by a new studio LP, Dissonance, which heralded the return of Donnie Vie — the reunion lasted until 2013, with Vie once again heading out to do his own thing. In 2016 the band and Frontier Records issued Clown’s Lounge, a largely archival collection of material taken from recording sessions from 19881989.

In 2018 the band returned with a new studio LP, Diamond Boy, which featured Znuff handling lead vocals (for the first time), guitarist Tory Stoffregen, ex-Ultravox guitarist Tony Fennell, and Chicago native Daniel Benjamin Hill on drums. Two years later the band returned with Brainwashed Generation, which featured guest spots from Mike Portnoy, Cheap Trick’s Daxx Nielsen, and a returning Donnie Vie. 2021’s Enuff Z’Nuff’s Hardrock Nite saw the band paying tribute to one of their biggest influences, the Beatles, with seven songs from the Fab Four’s catalog, two tunes from Paul McCartney’s solo career, and one from John Lennon’s post-Fab Four discography. Just a year later, Enuff Z’nuff were back with an album of original material, Finer Than Sin, that steeped their pop hooks in raunchy guitar-based hard rock.

Enrique Guzmán Performs At Smart Financial Centre On July 23

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.

Luis R. Conriquez Performs At Smart Financial Centre On July 15

Luis R. Conriquez is a songwriter, singer, and recording artist from Sonora, Mexico. A writer and performer of modern corridos and bandas, he recorded more than 100 songs between 2018 and 2021, spread over ten albums and a dozen singles. Luis R. Conriquez started his career by working in a gas station; while working for that job, he decided to pursue his musical career at a gig job. At that time, he was writing the lyrics for the corrido music, and he started to earn a decent amount of money for that song writing job. Thus, his heart allowed him to pursue his childhood dream, and yes, he left that gas station and fully concentrated on his music career.

In 2018, Luis R. Conriquez released his debut album “Mis Inicious” on May 28, and he translated that song into English; the English title is “My Beginning.” His album contains 16 tracks, some of which are popular: “Mi Aposo El 50, Los Pasos De Mi Gavilan, El Fifty, El Goofy, Noel 805, and Los Bullz De La Angelina.”

The “My Beginning” album was a major hit, and Luis R. Conriquez released his next batch of songs in the next year; some prominent albums are Poco Peros Locos, Aqui Seguimos de Pie, and Corridos Vol. 2. Signed to Kartel Music, he issued his debut album, 2018’s Mis Incios, which included “Mi Apodo El 50” backed by banda guests Los Minis de Caborca, as well as “Mi Clave El Sobrino” and “Los Bullz de Angelina.” He followed it with the live collection Corridos.

In 2019, he issued three albums: Poco Peros Locos, Aqui Seguimos de Pie, and the breakthrough Corridos, Vol. 2. Recorded in the studio, the latter included 20 original songs that careened across the tradition while showcasing his canny ability to compose in a modern idiom for unique instrumentation such as dueling lead guitars and fretless bass.

He is also the first artist to crack the top ten on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart. During the COVID pandemic, his popularity skyrocketed to new heights. His Spotify application has nearly 13 million

listeners. Luis R. Conriquez concert tickets are the hottest items in the Mexican music industry. Some of the Luis R. Conriquez trending songs are “Con la meta en mente,” “Huracanes cruzados,” and “Andamos tumbadones.” In addition, he is a social media influencer with 2 million followers, and now, he has posted around 1000 posts.

In 2020, Conriquez introduced modern production stylings on No Paramos de Chambear, with slick horn charts on songs such as “Andamos Tumbadones” and unusual guitar tunings on the bluesy “El 26.” He followed it with a 35-song retrospective of studio and live tracks called Corridos 2019. He also issued the smash streaming hit album Corridos Belicos, which boasted his biggest single, “El Buho.” In addition to charting in the upper rungs of streaming charts, the single’s video registered more than 50 million views. In 2021, Conriquez issued a banda version of Corridos Belicos, and followed it with the 18-track Corridos Belicos, Vol. 2 in September.

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

This July at Leon’s Lounge

Saturday, July 1 - Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute Band

Wednesday, July 5 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, July 6 - Thursday Sessions - Workshop Thursdays with Deraja

Friday, July 7 - Macahl Jett

Saturday, July 8 - House Tiger

Wednesday, July 12 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, July 13 - Thursday Sessions - Workshop Thursdays with Deraja

Friday, July 14 - Bobbits with As If The 90s

Saturday, July 15 - Blake Skipper & Shallow Water Band

Wednesday, July 19 - Brennen’s Birthday Bash

With Entertainment By Herschel Teper and the Groove Merchants

Thursday, July 20 - Thursday Sessions - Workshop Thursdays with Deraja

Friday, July 21 - Entertainment TBA

Saturday, July 22 - Same Old Circles

Wednesday, July 26 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, July 27 - Thursday Sessions - Workshop Thursdays with Deraja

Friday, July 28 - The Elevators

Saturday, July 29 - Brennen Nase and Lush Life

The Biker, The Blues & The Road Trip

(Sometimes you just want to get away and what better way to do it than by bike. It’s the people you meet and the things you see along the way that add to the experience of being up on two wheels. This was a doozy of a trip as all the factors fell into place to make it one great but harmless adventure, well sort of) The shot below left is a look at the Great Smoky Mountains near Athens Tennessee. Now getting to this spot is another story. You see you scoot on I-75 until you come to 411 and then you attempt and I want to emphasis the word attempt to navigate by verbal instruction. You see the two people that gave me directions kind of spaced on the landmarks. It went like this, “Ok now you turn your bike so that the back end is facing the BP gas station. Now you look across the road and you will see another road, take it.” Well there wasn’t a road across the street just this red brick building. I told him the situation and then I was asked which BP station I was at and that’s when he figured out which one I was sitting at. So we started over. Ok

leave the station and turn right and go until you come to this big white sign that announces a church up that road, turn there.” After a while I was asked if I saw it and I said no and gave him a landmark. He responded, “Oh you missed it so do a U Turn and watch for it on your left.” Well I did but the sign wasn’t big and neither was the church. But I finally got through a twisting maze of connecting roads and came up another hill to their driveway. Absolutely beautiful country and the place I was going to be staying at was top shelf. A three story 500k three year old home with a back deck view to die for as you could see three mountain ranges from the table on their upper deck. Very low humidity, about 80 maybe, and almost always a slight breeze blowing out of the west. I stayed for a day and then moved on to find my way up I-75 through Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland finally heading into Northwestern Pa. I found my way into a town named Edinboro Pa and stopped at a place named Fat Willies. Friendly place, their day business is made up of locals this time of year when the college is out for the summer and of course it was June so there you have it. The jukebox was set to keep playing country music and an older man maybe in his 70s shouted out “man doesn’t anyone play good ole rock and roll anymore?”

Well that was my cue and off to the machine I went. The track I chose was “Smooth” by Santana and not only did he like it but the bartender, Ally, did as well. He responded with “now that’s more like it”. So when I went back to my seat and sat down I passed a five to the Ally behind the bar and asked if she would play some music for us and

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The Biker, The Blues & The Road Trip

did she ever. I was deeply surprised when she lit the place up with Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way”. Who doesn’t like this tune and she was right on target because the place livened right up. When you are working day business you have to keep in mind that everyone there can go home and watch the same stuff and drink for less so when a good looking gal knows the numbers to punch up it certainly helps business. In a short while maybe four beers later I left that cute thing and the ice cold Stella and headed east on 6N until I reached an old country road and headed up into the thick of it. The scenery was reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell painting with its tall trees and the winding country road. Very cool. At the top of the road was a house sitting way back into the woods. (see home on left) This house is really cool. At the very top is reading room and you go up a spiral staircase to get to it. On the main floor is an octagon shaped living room with great sound opportunities as the music travels without getting trapped in corners, way cool. So I settled in and once again took in the silence of the moment. The next day I had a guide and so we caged it to a town named Saegertown and to a place named Hitchy’s. We arrived at about 10:45 am and they opened at 11. Now let me tell you something - once their front door was open and the open for business light went on this place got busy fast. You wouldn’t think that a small town bar would have such a big selection of food on their menu but this place did and let me tell you the Habanero Mango wings kicked ass. Not too spicy but not those retarded little wings most retailers try to pawn off as wings. So to me they kicked ass. The place is also home to some damn good southern rock and blues featuring a regional band named The Roadhouse Rockers. On top of that the place hosts such events as bike night and bike weekend sometimes getting up to 185 bikes. People this is in a small town and they got it working big time. Way to go! (above outside entertainment - nice crowd) Ok so we ate up and moved along. Next stop a town named Waterford whose big claim to fame is George Washington who really did sleep there. I don’t know who with but that’s probably another story for another day. Well we made it to a place named The Pour House which has been around for more years than only a few people can remember. That’s a real person standing out in front of the place. I don’t know if the guy’s name is George

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but he sure dresses like the old boy if nothing else. Really nice folks there and once you get them going they tell some very entertaining stories for sure. If you ever go up this way The Pour House is a good, friendly small town pub. Now the next place makes you scratch your head. A strip joint in the middle of nowhere, I kid you not. It must work because they tell me it has been there for years. I mean can you imagine driving along a state highway and out of nowhere you see this humongous adult playground. Whip me, beat me make me write bad checks this place is interesting as hell. But as luck would have it we could not stop because it was early in the day and they were not open. It’s just as well I only would have stayed a month or two until the newness would have worn off or then again maybe not. I am telling you Kandy’s is nestled in the middle of nowhere. There’s no huge population centers close by - maybe the closest of about 95,000 is twenty miles away. I am telling you being up on two wheels looking for everything America is cool - I think Forest had it right, “Life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you are going to get.” Well after this we made our way back to the remote nature farm (not the same kind of nature farm as I just wrote about) but a really cool place none the less. When we got there a rooster was crowing in the middle of the afternoon which was odd but the rooster didn’t think so. The friendly resident doggie cleared the sidewalk for us and the rooster that had been pecking people was gone. The weather changed and we were there just in time to be out of the rain as it was really coming down. In the morning I packed up and off again to head back west and then south. The early morning drive going west on 6N to 90 was a true delight. Smooth road and cool enough for a sweatshirt but not so much that you needed your leathers. Sun was coming up and a white tail female deer stood by the roadside checking out the scooter as I flew by. Got to 90 and headed what was labeled as west but really you are going south too. Made it back to I-75 and on down back through Alabama and then on in to Tennessee again. Back at the house in the hills and it was just as enjoyable the second time around. The next day called for a combination bike and car show and my host and his lovely wife took their bike over in support of the event. I packed up, thank them and made tracks for ports unknown. Life is good. Bikes, beer, friendships and the open road, hard to beat. Wait! Add a hand rolled cigar to that and 15 year old single malt scotch. Ok last thing for sure - add a girl hitching a ride on a long dark desert highway. Later…..

Jesse And Joy

Jesse And Joy Perform At The 713 Music Hall August 5

by Marisa Brown

Jesse & Joy are a best-selling, awardwinning sibling pop duo from Mexico City. Jesse Huerta plays piano, lead guitar, and sings harmony, while Joy Huerta is lead vocalist and plays rhythm guitar. They both write. Their sound is a bright, warm amalgam of hooky rock, sparkling folk, norteño, pop, and cumbia, delivered by voices that meld seamlessly amid infectiously memorable choruses. Their 2006 Warner debut, Esta Es Mi Vida, won multiple Latin Grammys on its way to platinum certification. 2009’s gold-certified Electricidad went all the way to number three on the U.S. Latin Pop chart. 2011’s ¿Con Quién Se Queda El Perro? won multi-platinum status due to the chart-topping single “Corre.” 2015’s Un Besito Más topped the U.S. Latin and Latin Pop charts and went to number three in Mexico; it took home the Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. 2016’s gold-certified Jesse & Joy was their first bilingual album; it contained some English versions of songs from their previous outings. In 2020, they issued Aire. Introducing reggaeton and trap to their production mix, the set featured collaborations with J Balvin on “Mañana Es Too Late” and Luis Fonsi on “Tanto.”

Born in Mexico City, the siblings didn’t seriously start writing songs until 2001, when they were 18 and 15, respectively, sitting down together with their father to see what they could produce. With Jesse on guitar, piano, drums, and background vocals, and Joy on vocals and guitar, the pair practiced constantly — hard work that paid off when they were signed to a major-label deal with Warner Music Mexico in April 2005 as Jesse & Joy. A few months later, they made their live debut in front of 100,000 people in their hometown at the bequest of popular duo Sin Bandera, the band that was sponsoring the event. More performances — including one opening for James Blunt in May — followed before Jesse & Joy’s debut single, “Espacio Sideral,” and their album, Esta Es Mi Vida (recorded in San Diego with producer Kiko Cibrian), came out in the summer of 2006. A U.S. release followed the next year. The Tom Russo-produced Electricidad appeared in 2009, followed by the Martin Terefe-produced ¿Con Quién Se Queda el Perro? in 2012.

Extensive touring ensued after the album’s release. The group performed internationally for the better part of two years with

multiple appearances at the Latin American Music Awards, the Latin Grammys, and Coachella. A live audio/video package with unreleased bonus material was released in 2014 as Soltando al Perro, while the duo were in the recording studio.

Jesse was joined behind the boards by Terefe, Fraser T. Smith, and Juan Luis Guerra, who produced and sang the title track “Besito Mas.” The album’s first single, “Ecos de Amor,” was issued in August and placed inside the Top 50 on various charts, followed by the full-length in December 2015. Un Besito Mas spent more than 26 weeks on the Latin albums charts and peaked at number one. 2017’s Jesse & Joy was a bilingual compilation, containing some Anglo versions of songs from previous outings.

In 2019 J Balvin collaborated with the duo on the hit single “Mañana Es Too Late.” The duo released Aire in 2020. Adding trap and reggaeton beats to their already heady mix, it also featured “Tanto” with singer Luis Fonsi, in addition to the Balvin collaboration. Co-produced with Terefe and Pooh Bear, Aire also included the singles “Te Espeé” and “Lo Nuestro Vale Más.”

Ramon Ayala Performs At The Arena Theatre July 28

Ramón Ayala is an Mexican accordionist and songwriter. Ramon Ayala has defined much of modern norteño music with his distinctive accordion playing and lyrics. Though he added electric guitars and drums to his music, it still retains a traditional northern ranchera style.

Ramón Ayala, the son of local musician Ramón Cobarrubias, began playing his favorite instrument, the accordion when he was six years old. Inspired and supported by his parents, he performed in different public places to help his modest family. Ramón Ayala’s first band experience was a group called Los Jilgueros de Marin. Later, Ayala joined Los Pavoreales.

After moving to Reynosa, a border town in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, the talented musician met Cornelio Reyna at a cantina called “El Cadillac” and formed Los Relámpagos del Norte; the group soon made a self-titled debut album which featured the hit single “Ya No Llores.” in 1963. Ramón was on the road to popularity.

For the next eight years, Los Relampagos Del Norte tore up the music charts by revolutionizing and re-inventing norteño music, a genre that was then considered exclusively cantina music. Ramón Ayala and Cornelio Reyna livened the music and lyrics in order to reach and appeal to more people. The talented duo recorded a total of 20 albums leaving behind many classics such “El Disgusto”, “Devolución”, “Mi Tesoro”, “Tengo Miedo,” and many others.

In 1971, however, Cornelio Reyna decided to leave Los Relampagos del Norte and to switch to the mariachi genre. At the time, many music experts felt that Ramón Ayala’s short career was doomed since Cornelio Reyna was the voice of Los Relampagos Del Norte and he was just the accordion player. Surprisingly enough, Cornelio Reyna’s mariachi career was only mediocre at best. He had been much more popular with Los Relampagos Del Norte than he had been as a new solo mariachi singer.

Ramón Ayala set out to prove that he could make it on his own and formed the legendary band, Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos Del Norte in late 1971. By early next year, Ramon Ayala was growing and already making a name for himself with his new vocalist, Antonio Sauceda. Sauceda had a similar singing style and voice tone as Cornelio Reyna, which proved to be perfect for Ramon Ayala. This made a smooth transition for his playing style.

After cementing his name at the top of norteño music charts once again, Ramón Ayala suffered the loss of his lead singer. Sauceda had a renewed interest in Christianity and had decided to join a Christian seminary. The loss of Antonio Sauceda proved to be the best thing to ever happened to Ramon Ayala as he was forced to find another lead singer.

The next lead singer he found was Eliseo Robles. Robles was at the

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time playing in another band called Los Satellites de Fidencio Ayala, Ramon Ayala’s brother. Robles decided to join Ramón Ayala, and together they forged a partnership that artistically surpassed all others and that to this day still remains as the premier perfection of the genre. They created a style that became the standard for norteño music. During the Eliseo Robles years, Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos Del Norte’s album sales reached peak high in Mexico and the United States mainly due to their ability to produce hit after hit such as “Un Rinconcito En El Cielo,” “Chaparra De Mi Amor,” “Tragos Amargos,” and many other hits.

Lightning struck again in the mid-80’s when Ramón Ayala found himself again without a lead singer. Ego problems from Eliseo Robles are thought to be the main reason for his bizarre departure from the band. Ayala set out to look for another lead singer, his fourth in his career, and found his man in Antonio Coronado. Coronado’s career and future with Ramon Ayala looked like it was going to be as successful as the Eliseo Robles years but he also reportedly had an ego problem and only recorded eight albums before leaving the band in 1992.

The next year, Ramon Ayala celebrated his 30th anniversary of his career with the arrival of his 5th and current lead singer, the friendly Mario Marichalar. With Marichalar’s arrival, Ramon Ayala modified his style once again which is something that hasn’t set too well with his fans. Once mainly known and successful for heart-felt ranchera and cantina-

style songs, Ramon Ayala’s new style proved to be too bland and soft as he now tries to appeal to a younger generation that doesn’t seem to accept him. However, Ayala continues to be a classic musician who is remembered as one of the founders of modern norteño music.

Beginning in 1998, Los Bravos del Norte kept to a prolific recording and touring schedule, often issuing more than two records in a single year — not counting the many compilations that flooded the market. Ayala and Los Bravos del Norte recorded for Freddie Records most often, but titles appeared on Rosita, P&G Music, and Fonovisia as well. Over 60 titles were released between 1998 and 2016, offering a wide range of love songs, rancheras, corridos, and dances done in classic norteño style.

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Jesse Y Joy

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Enrique Guzman

Ramon Ayala

Luis R. Conriquez

Enrique Guzmán se presenta en el Smart Financial Centre el 23 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.

Jesse Y Joy

Jesse Y Joy se presenta en el 713 Music Hall el 5 de agosto

por Marisa Brown Jesse & Joy son un dúo pop de hermanos de gran éxito de ventas y galardonado de la Ciudad de México. Jesse Huerta toca el piano, la guitarra principal y canta armonías, mientras que Joy Huerta es la vocalista principal y toca la guitarra rítmica. Ambos escriben. Su sonido es una amalgama brillante y cálida de rock pegajoso, folk chispeante, norteño, pop y cumbia, entregado por voces que se fusionan a la perfección en medio de coros contagiosamente memorables. Su debut en Warner en 2006, Esta es mi vida, ganó varios premios Grammy Latinos en su camino hacia la certificación de platino. Electricidad, con certificación de oro de 2009, llegó hasta el número tres en la lista de pop latino de EE. UU. 2011 ¿Con Quién Se Queda El Perro? ganó el estatus de multiplatino debido al sencillo “Corre”, que encabezó las listas de éxitos. Un Besito Más de 2015 encabezó las listas de pop latino y latino de EE. UU. y llegó al número tres en México; se llevó a casa el Grammy al Mejor Álbum de Pop Latino. Jesse & Joy, con certificación de oro de 2016, fue su primer álbum bilingüe; contenía algunas versiones en inglés de canciones de sus salidas anteriores. En 2020, emitieron Aire. Presentando el reggaetón y el trap a su mezcla de producción, el set contó con colaboraciones de J Balvin en “Mañana Es Too Late” y Luis Fonsi en “Tanto”

Nacidos en la Ciudad de México, los hermanos no comenzaron seriamente a escribir canciones hasta 2001, cuando tenían 18 y 15 años, respectivamente, y se sentaron con su padre para ver qué podían producir. Con Jesse en la guitarra, el piano, la batería y los coros, y Joy en la voz y la guitarra, la pareja practicaba constantemente, un trabajo arduo que valió la pena cuando firmaron un contrato con un sello discográfico importante con Warner Music México en abril de 2005 como Jesse. & Alegría. Unos meses más tarde, hicieron su debut en vivo frente a 100.000 personas en su ciudad natal como legado del popular dúo Sin Bandera, la banda que patrocinaba el evento. Más actuaciones, incluida una apertura para James Blunt en mayo, siguieron antes de que el sencillo debut de Jesse & Joy, “Espacio Sideral”, y su álbum, Esta Es Mi Vida (grabado en San Diego con el productor Kiko Cibrian), salieran en el verano de 2006. Un lanzamiento en Estados Unidos siguió al año siguiente. Electricidad, producida por Tom Russo, apareció en 2009, seguida de ¿Con Quién Se Queda el Perro?, producida por Martin Terefe. en 2012.

Se produjo una extensa gira después del lanzamiento del álbum. El grupo actuó internacionalmente durante la mayor parte de

dos años con múltiples apariciones en los Latin American Music Awards, Latin Grammys y Coachella. En 2014 se lanzó un paquete de audio / video en vivo con material extra inédito como Soltando al Perro, mientras el dúo estaba en el estudio de grabación.

Jesse estuvo acompañado detrás de las tablas por Terefe, Fraser T. Smith y Juan Luis Guerra, quienes produjeron y cantaron la canción principal “Besito Más”. El primer sencillo del álbum, “Ecos de Amor”, se publicó en agosto y se ubicó dentro del Top 50 en varias listas, seguido del álbum completo en diciembre de 2015. Un Besito Más pasó más de 26 semanas en las listas de álbumes latinos y alcanzó su punto máximo. en el número uno. Jesse & Joy de 2017 fue una compilación bilingüe que contenía algunas versiones anglosajonas de canciones de ediciones anteriores.

En 2019, J Balvin colaboró con el dúo en el exitoso sencillo “Mañana Es Too Late”. El dúo lanzó Aire en 2020. Agregando ritmos de trap y reggaeton a su mezcla ya embriagadora, también presentó “Tanto” con el cantante Luis Fonsi, además de la colaboración de Balvin. Coproducida con Terefe y Pooh Bear, Aire también incluyó los sencillos “Te Espeé” y “Lo Nuestro Vale Más”.

Ramon Ayala se presenta en El Arena Theatre el 28 De Julio

Ramón Ayala es un acordeonista y compositor mexicano. Ramón Ayala ha definido gran parte de la música norteña moderna con su forma de tocar el acordeón y sus letras distintivas. Aunque añadió guitarras eléctricas y batería a su música, aún conserva un estilo ranchero norteño tradicional.

Ramón Ayala, hijo del músico local Ramón Cobarrubias, comenzó a tocar su instrumento favorito, el acordeón, cuando tenía seis años. Inspirado y apoyado por sus padres, se presentó en diferentes lugares públicos para ayudar a su modesta familia. La primera experiencia de banda de Ramón Ayala fue un grupo llamado Los Jilgueros de Marin. Más tarde, Ayala se incorporó a Los Pavoreales.

Después de mudarse a Reynosa, un pueblo fronterizo en el norteño estado mexicano de Tamaulipas, el talentoso músico conoció a Cornelio Reyna en una cantina llamada “El Cadillac” y formaron Los Relámpagos del Norte; el grupo pronto hizo un álbum debut homónimo que incluía el exitoso

sencillo “Ya No Llores”. en 1963. Ramón iba camino de la popularidad.

Durante los siguientes ocho años, Los Relampagos Del Norte rompieron las listas musicales al revolucionar y reinventar la música norteña, un género que entonces se consideraba exclusivamente música de cantina. Ramón Ayala y Cornelio Reyna animaron la música y la letra para llegar y atraer a más personas. El talentoso dúo grabó un total de 20 álbumes dejando atrás muchos clásicos como “El Disgusto”, “Devolución”, “Mi Tesoro”, “Tengo Miedo” y muchos otros.

En 1971, sin embargo, Cornelio Reyna decidió dejar Los Relampagos del Norte y cambiar al género de mariachi. En ese momento, muchos expertos en música sintieron que la corta carrera de Ramón Ayala estaba condenada, ya que Cornelio Reyna era la voz de Los Relampagos Del Norte y él solo era el acordeonista. Sorprendentemente, la carrera de mariachi de Cornelio Reyna fue mediocre en el mejor de los casos. Había sido mucho más popular con Los Relampagos Del Norte que como

nuevo cantante solista de mariachi.

Ramón Ayala se dispuso a demostrar que podía hacerlo solo y formó la legendaria banda Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos Del Norte a fines de 1971. A principios del año siguiente, Ramón Ayala estaba creciendo y ya se estaba haciendo un nombre con su nuevo Vocalista, Antonio Sauceda. Sauceda tenía un estilo de canto y un tono de voz similares a los de Cornelio Reyna, lo que resultó ser perfecto para Ramón Ayala. Esto hizo una transición suave para su estilo de juego.

Después de consolidar su nombre en la cima de las listas de música norteña una vez más, Ramón Ayala sufrió la pérdida de su cantante principal. Sauceda tenía un interés renovado en el cristianismo y había decidido unirse a un seminario cristiano. La pérdida de Antonio Sauceda resultó ser lo mejor que le pasó a Ramón Ayala, ya que se vio obligado a buscar otro cantante principal.

Ramon Ayala

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El siguiente cantante principal que encontró fue Eliseo Robles. Robles tocaba en ese momento en otra banda llamada Los Satélites de Fidencio Ayala, hermano de Ramón Ayala. Robles decidió unirse a Ramón Ayala, y juntos forjaron una sociedad que superó artísticamente a todas las demás y que hasta el día de hoy sigue siendo la máxima perfección del género. Crearon un estilo que se convirtió en el estándar de la música norteña. Durante los años de Eliseo Robles, las ventas de álbumes de Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos Del Norte alcanzaron su punto máximo en México y Estados Unidos, principalmente debido a su capacidad para producir éxito tras éxito como “Un Rinconcito En El Cielo”, “Chaparra De Mi Amor”, “Tragos Am

El relámpago volvió a caer a mediados de los 80 cuando Ramón Ayala se encontró de nuevo sin cantante principal. Se cree que los problemas de ego de Eliseo Robles son la razón principal de su extraña salida de la banda. Ayala se dispuso a buscar otro cantante principal, el cuarto en su carrera, y encontró a su hombre en Antonio Coronado. La carrera y el futuro de Coronado con Ramón Ayala parecía que iba a ser tan exitoso como los años de Eliseo Robles, pero también tenía un problema de ego y solo grabó ocho álbumes antes de dejar la banda en 1992.

Al año siguiente, Ramón Ayala celebró su 30 aniversario de carrera con la llegada de su 5º y actual cantante, el simpático Mario Marichalar. Con la llegada de Marichalar, Ramón Ayala volvió a modificar su estilo, algo que no ha sentado muy bien a sus fans. Alguna vez conocido y exitoso principalmente por sus sentidas canciones estilo ranchera y cantina,

el nuevo estilo de Ramón Ayala demostró ser demasiado soso y suave, ya que ahora trata de atraer a una generación más joven que no parece aceptarlo. Sin embargo, Ayala sigue siendo un músico clásico que es recordado como uno de los fundadores de la música norteña moderna.

A partir de 1998, Los Bravos del Norte mantuvieron un programa prolífico de grabaciones y giras, a menudo publicando más de dos discos en un solo año, sin contar las muchas compilaciones que inundaron el mercado. Ayala y Los Bravos del Norte grabaron para Freddie Records con mayor frecuencia, pero también aparecieron títulos en Rosita, P&G Music y Fonovisia. Más de 60 títulos fueron lanzados entre 1998 y 2016, ofreciendo una amplia gama de canciones de amor, rancheras, corridos y bailes realizados en estilo clásico norteño.

Luis R. Conriquez se presenta en Smart Financial Centre el 15 De Julio

Luis R. Conriquez es un compositor, cantante y artista de grabación de Sonora, México. Escritor e intérprete de corridos y bandas modernas, grabó más de 100 canciones entre 2018 y 2021, repartidas en diez álbumes y una decena de sencillos. Luis R. Conriquez comenzó su carrera trabajando en una gasolinera; mientras trabajaba para ese trabajo, decidió seguir su carrera musical en un trabajo de concierto. En ese momento, estaba escribiendo la letra de la música de corrido y comenzó a ganar una cantidad decente de dinero por ese trabajo de composición de canciones. Así, su corazón le permitió perseguir su sueño de la infancia, y sí, salió de esa gasolinera y se concentró de lleno en su carrera musical.

In 2018, Luis R. Conriquez released his debut album “Mis Inicious” on May 28, and he translated that song into English; the English title is “My Beginning.” His album contains 16 tracks, some of which are popular: “Mi Aposo El 50, Los Pasos De Mi Gavilan, El Fifty, El Goofy, Noel 805, and Los Bullz De La Angelina.”

El álbum “My Beginning” fue un gran

éxito y Luis R. Conriquez lanzó su siguiente lote de canciones al año siguiente; algunos álbumes destacados son Poco Peros Locos, Aqui Seguimos de Pie y Corridos Vol. 2. Firmado con Kartel Music, lanzó su álbum debut, Mis Incios de 2018, que incluía “Mi Apodo El 50” respaldado por los invitados de la banda Los Minis de Caborca, así como “Mi Clave El Sobrino” y “Los Bullz de Angelina”. “ Lo siguió con la colección en vivo Corridos.

En 2019, publicó tres álbumes: Poco Peros Locos, Aqui Seguimos de Pie, y el gran avance Corridos, Vol. 2. Grabado en el estudio, este último incluía 20 canciones originales que cruzaban la tradición mientras mostraban su astuta habilidad para componer en un idioma moderno para instrumentación única, como duelos de guitarras solistas y bajos sin trastes.

También es el primer artista en llegar al top ten en la lista Regional Mexican Airplay. Durante la pandemia de COVID, su popularidad se disparó a nuevas alturas. Su aplicación Spotify tiene casi 13 millones de oyentes. Las entradas para conciertos de Luis

R. Conriquez son los artículos más populares en la industria de la música mexicana. Algunas de las canciones de moda de Luis R. Conriquez son “Con la meta en mente”, “Huracanes cruzados” y “Andamos tumbadones”. Además, es un influencer en las redes sociales con 2 millones de seguidores y ahora ha publicado alrededor de 1000 publicaciones.

En 2020, Conriquez introdujo estilos de producción modernos en No Paramos de Chambear, con listas de éxitos de viento en canciones como “Andamos Tumbadones” y afinaciones de guitarra inusuales en el blues “El 26”. Lo siguió con una retrospectiva de 35 canciones de estudio y en vivo llamada Corridos 2019. También publicó el exitoso álbum de transmisión Corridos Belicos, que contó con su sencillo más importante, “El Buho”. Además de ubicarse en los peldaños superiores de las listas de transmisión, el video del sencillo registró más de 50 millones de visitas. En 2021, Conriquez publicó una versión para banda de Corridos Belicos, y la siguió con Corridos Belicos, vol. 2 de septiembre.

RANDOM SHOTS

Jamie Lynn Vessels Performs At Green Oaks Tavern In Humble

Photos by Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Brother Stone Perform At

The Acadia Bar & Grill

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Houston’s “The Cult” Tribute Electric Love Temple Perform At The Concert Pub North

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Johnny Falstaff Performs At The Shady Acres Saloon

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Holland K. Smith Performs At The Big Easy

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

The Convalescence Perform At The Acadia Bar & Grill

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Victim Perform At The BFE Rock Club

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Shame On Me Perform At The Shady Acres Saloon

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Hugo Jamz Trio with Special Guest

Eric Demmer Perform At Katie’s Bar In Bacliff

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Tim and Colin Branch Perform At Leon’s Lounge

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

The Hates Perform At The 19th Hole

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Narcotic Wasteland Perform At The Concert Pub North

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Inner Image Perform At The Wildcatter Saloon

Photos By Greg Holleman

RANDOM SHOTS

Bag Of Donuts Perform At The Pasaden Strawberry Festival

Photos By Greg Holleman