Vol. 40 - No.8 • MAY 2022 • www.houstonmusicnews.net • FREE
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Mike Zito Also In This Issue Kenny Chesney Ace Frehley Rivers Of Nihil Justin Hayward Steely Dan Roberto Carlos Alexandra Guzman Paulina Rubio and More!
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Music News • May 2022
MAY 2022 Hi Folks, Hello Music News readers. I hope everybody had a great April. As you can probably tell, Concert Season is up and running. Perhaps some of you made it out to the Bon Jovi Concert this past month at Toyota Center. Maybe some of you will be going to see my favorite band, The Who, at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. They also have the Dave Matthews Band, Kenny Chesney, Steely Dan, and Jimmy Buffet coming there as well. At any rate, this year looks like all the big acts will be out in force and we plan on being there at as many of them as we can make it to. We hope to see you there also 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 Mike Zito, Kenny Chesney, the Tom Craig Band, Justin Hayward from The Moody Blues, Rivers Of Nihil, Alexisonfire, 38 Special, Ace Frehley, Steely Dan and another installment of the original story, THE BIKER along with a lot more! 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. 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. Not only does it support the Spanish music community, it does so in Spanish. It would appear that Music News has now become the only bilingual music publication in Houston. Check out great stories in it this month on Christian Castro and Manuel Mijares, Alicia Villarreal, Carin Leon, Pesado, Alejandra Guzman, and Paulina Rubio. We hope you like it 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. For your convenience, Music News is also now downloadable. You can download the issue into your computer or storage device and save it and read it at your convenience without having to get logged on to the internet every time. Try it now and save every issue. It will make things a lot easier for you.
Kevin Wildman Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher
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Contents
VOL. 40 NO. 8
MAY 2022
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ISSUE NO. 511
BUZZFEST 94.5 THE BUZZ presents BUZZFEST with Papa Roach, Seether, Bush, The Hu, Seether, and 10 years
10 KENNY CHESNEY
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Kenny Chesney Brings His Here And Now 2022 Tour To The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion June 2nd
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MIKE ZITO Mike Zito Brings His Blues For The Southside to Dosey Doe Big Barn May 25
JUSTIN HAYWARD
Justin Hayward Performs At The Heights Theatre May 13
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ACE FREHLEY Ace Frehley Performs At Warehouse Live On May 21
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Music News • May 2022
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VOL. 40 NO. 8
MAY 2022
44 26 Page 44 STEELY DAN Steely Dan Perform At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion On June 3
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ISSUE NO. 511
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 18 Tom Craig Band 24 Rivers Of Nihil 26 Alexisonfire 30 38 Special 42 The Biker 46 Alicia Villarreal (English) 48 Roberto Carlos (English) 51 Pesado (English) 52 Alejandra Guzman and Paulina Rubio (English) 68 and on RANDOM SHOTS
En Español 56 60 61 62 63 64
Roberto Carlos Alicia Villarreal Carin Leon Pesado Christian Castro Y Manuel Mijares Alejandra Guzman and Paulina Rubio May 2022 • Music News
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PAPA ROACH
by Heather Phares Starting out as a hardcore punk- and rap-influenced outfit, Papa Roach eventually grew into a straight-ahead hard rock ensemble with strong metal leanings and a knack for pairing uncompromising power with pop acumen. Emerging in the mid-’90s, the group broke big in 2001 with the release of their sophomore effort and major-label debut, Infest, which went triple platinum on the strength of “Last Resort,” a single inspired by nu-metal and hip-hop. A move toward a rockforward style on lovehatetragedy (2002) and Getting Away with Murder (2004) did little to hurt them commercially (the former went gold and the latter went platinum), and by the time of the release of their ninth and tenth albums, 2017’s industrial metal-tinged Crooked Teeth and 2019’s Who Do You Trust?, the Grammy-nominated group had sold over 20 million albums and outlived virtually all of their altmetal contemporaries. In 2022, they returned with their 11th album, Ego Trip. Consisting of Coby Dick, Jerry Horton, Dave Buckner, and Tobin Esperance, Papa Roach formed in 1993 and began releasing EPs soon after, including 1994’s Potatoes for Christmas and 1995’s Caca Bonita. By 1996, the group had replaced original bassist Will James with Esperance and hired a new manager; the following year, 6 Music News • May 2022
Papa Roach released their first full-length album, Old Friends from Young Years, which became a surprise hit on local radio. The band’s regional success led to more prominent gigs, including dates with Suicidal Tendencies, Sevendust, and Powerman 5000, and a deal with Dreamworks Records, which released Papa Roach’s second album, Infest, in early 2000. The set went triple platinum thanks to the success of “Last Resort,” an intensely popular single that helped make Papa Roach one of the most beloved hard rock acts of the new millennium. Two years later, frontman Coby Dick opted to go by his given name of Jacoby Shaddix, and a new album, lovehatetragedy, was released that June. Stylistically, the band had begun to grow beyond their rap-rock roots and the new tracks showcased a slightly more mature, melodic, and straightforward hard rock sound. That same summer, however, the group joined a number of rap acts — including Ludacris and Xzibit — on Eminem’s Anger Management Tour. In 2004, Papa Roach released their fourth studio effort, Getting Away with Murder. Buoyed by the success of the single “Scars,” the record sold well and eventually went platinum. Two years later, Papa Roach began work on their next studio album at the infamous and historical Paramour mansion in Hollywood, once the home of silent movie star Antonio Moreno. Released in fall 2006, The Paramour Sessions featured a heavy L.A. rock aesthetic and generated two Top Ten rock singles, although its sales stalled at around 400,000 copies. Drummer Dave Buckner exited the lineup one year later; after filling the empty seat with Unwritten Law’s Tony Palermo, Papa Roach hit the road to support The Paramour Sessions with tour dates alongside Seether and Staind. They remained on the road after joining Mötley Crüe’s Crüe Fest in 2008, but the band also found time to return to the Paramour mansion, where they launched songwriting sessions for another album. Released in early 2009, Metamorphosis found Papa Roach reprising their interpretation of metallic hard rock and reuniting with Infest producer Jay Baumgardner. Papa Roach parted ways with Interscope in 2010 and signed a deal with the independent Eleven Seven label. The band’s first album for Eleven Seven, Time for Annihilation, combined new cuts and live re-recordings of their hits and appeared in August 2010. Also that year, they released the career-spanning collection The Best of Papa Roach: To Be Loved. In 2012, Papa Roach delivered their seventh studio album, The Connection. Featuring production from Sixx: A.M. continued on next page
South African bandmates, who changed their name to Seether, given that sarin gas is the name of a lethal nerve agent used in chemical warfare.
continued from previous page frontman James Michael as well as Goldfinger’s John Feldmann, the album showcased a mix of the styles and sounds the band had touched on over the years, from rap to more straight-ahead hard rock, as well as incorporating a distinct electronic influence. The electronic element became even more pronounced on their next album, 2015’s F.E.A.R. (“Face Everything & Rise”), which boasted an even more radiofriendly, industrial-tinged pop-metal sound. After spending much of the following year in the studio, Papa Roach emerged in May 2017 with their ninth full-length album, Crooked Teeth. Produced by Nicholas “RAS” Furlong and Colin Brittain, the record included the singles “Crooked Teeth” and “Help.” It reached number 20 on the Billboard 200, and hit number one on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart. Two singles, “Who Do You Trust?” and “Renegade Music,” were issued in October 2018 ahead of the release of a new studio LP. Also titled Who Do You Trust?, the album was released in January 2019, hitting number 73 on the Billboard 200 and topping the U.K. Rock and Metal Albums chart. A stand-alone track, “Domination” featuring Kayzo and Sullivan King, appeared in 2021, as did “Swerve” (with Fever 333 and Sueco) and “Kill the Noise.” The latter two tracks were included on the group’s 11th album, Ego Trip, which arrived in April 2022.
An EP release and a spot on the Ozzfest tour preceded the unveiling of Seether’s full-length debut in the summer of 2002. Issued that August, Disclaimer featured the modern rock single “Fine Again” and led to a year-long tour, during which singer Morgan’s relationship with Evanescence siren Amy Lee blossomed. But while the tour ensured increasing commercial status for Seether, it also delayed the band’s return to the studio. In March 2004, a few tracks appeared on the Punisher soundtrack, including a duet version of Disclaimer’s “Broken” featuring vocal contributions from Lee. Disclaimer II appeared that June, collecting a handful of new tracks with remixed or re-recorded versions of the previous album’s tracks. Seether viewed the record as an opportunity to re-evaluate their debut’s release (whose mix was, according to the band, subpar) and give listeners new content as a holdover until a proper follow-up. The promised sophomore effort, Karma and Effect, was released in May 2005 and entered the Top Ten, while the acoustic CD/ DVD package One Cold Night appeared in 2006. Following Morgan’s breakup with Amy Lee and a successful stint in rehab, Seether returned in 2007 with Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces, introducing the album with the snide and catchy single “Fake It.” In 2009 the bandmembers took a break from touring and headed into the studio with producer Brendan O’Brien to work on their fifth album. They went back out on the road for another year before eventually releasing Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray in 2011. Isolate and Medicate, the group’s sixth studio long-player, appeared in 2014, and shot to the top of Billboard’s Top Rock, Alternative, and Hard Rock charts. In February 2017, Seether released “Let You Down,” the first single from their much-anticipated seventh studio long-player, Poison the Parish, which arrived later that May. They toured the album in the U.S., first with support guitarist Clint Lowery (Sevendust), then his brother Corey (Saint Asonia); the latter went on to become the band’s permanent second guitarist. They hit the studio in Nashville in late 2019 to record their eighth album, Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum. The set, whose Latin title means “If you want peace, prepare for war,” was released in 2020 and spawned the active rock hits “Dangerous” and “Bruised & Bloodied.” In 2021 the band issued the companion EP Wasteland: The Purgatory.
BUSH
SEETHER by Bradley Torreano One of the more enduring acts to come out of the post-grunge/ alternative metal boom of the early 2000s, South Africa’s Seether have managed to remain true to their roots while maintaining enough forward-thinking momentum to stay relevant. The group broke into the mainstream in 2002 with the active rock hit “Fine Again” and cemented their status at the fore of the scene two years later with the international hit “Broken,” which featured guest vocals from Amy Lee of Evanescence. Subsequent singles like 2005’s “Remedy” and 2007’s “Fake It” charted high for such a heavy band, while Seether’s fulllength work also proved popular: 2011’s Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray and 2014’s Isolate and Medicate both reached the Top Five in the U.S. The group continued to find success into the next decade, releasing their acclaimed eighth long-player, Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum, in 2020. Comprising members Shaun Morgan (vocals, guitar), Dale Stewart (bass), John Humphrey (drums), and Corey Lowery (rhythm guitar), Seether emerged in 1999 as Saron Gas (a name taken from the back of a sound-effects compilation) and released their debut album, Fragile, the following year on Musketeer Records. In a country whose musical tastes center around pop and Indigenous music, Fragile found impressive chart success. Across the Atlantic, the U.S.-based Wind-Up Records caught wind of the group’s growing popularity and signed the
by Neil Z. Yeung English rock band Bush emerged during the grunge boom of the early ’90s, becoming the first British band post-Nirvana to hit it big in America. Following the release of their breakthrough debut, 1994’s Sixteen Stone, they carried that international, multi-platinum success to greater heights with their chart-topping follow-up, Razorblade Suitcase. A hit on radio and MTV, the band — fronted by guitarist/vocalist Gavin Rossdale — rounded out their peak period of popularity with 1999’s experimental The Science of Things. By 2001, shake-ups to their founding lineup and the poor performance of Golden State led the group to disband; they would not return for almost a decade. In the meantime, Rossdale went on to form a new band and work on solo material, eventually kick-starting the group again in 2010. They made their big comeback the following year with The Sea of Memories, the beginning of a new phase for Bush. Rossdale and his bandmates remained busy in the 2010s, issuing an additional pair of efforts (2014’s Man on the Run and 2017’s Black and White Rainbows), while maintaining a rigorous touring schedule. Formed in late 1992 by Rossdale, Bush landed an American record deal before they even had a British label. Their debut album, Sixteen Stone, produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (producers of early-’80s hits by Madness and Elvis Costello, among others), was released in late 1994 by Interscope Records. By the end of December, Bush’s “Everything Zen” video had landed in MTV’s Buzz Bin and the album began to take off; by spring of 1995, the record had achieved gold certification. By that time, the band was continued on next page May 2022 • Music News
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of their Woodstock ’99 performance) and Zen X Four (a double-disc live album/music video collection) were issued in 2005, Bush would not be heard from for a decade.
continued from previous page
In 2011, after years of planning, Rossdale re-formed Bush with Traynor, bassist Corey Britz, and founding drummer Robin Goodridge; Pulsford and Parsons declined to rejoin the band. That year, they released the Bob Rock-produced The Sea of Memories, their fifth studio album and first since 2001’s Golden State. The album performed modestly well — lead single “The Sound of Winter” topped Billboard’s Alternative Songs and Rock Songs charts, with the record peaking at 18 on the Billboard 200 — and the group toured behind the album into 2012. Reinvigorated by being back on the scene, Rossdale returned to the studio almost immediately after coming off tour and began writing another record. The sixth Bush album, Man on the Run, was recorded in 2014 with Nick Raskulinecz and Jay Baumgardner, and released in October of the same year. They promoted the effort into 2016, returning to the studio for a follow-up. The next year, Bush issued their seventh album, Black and White Rainbows. Led by the ballad “Mad Love,” the set was promoted with a 2018 summer trek alongside Stone Temple Pilots and the Cult. In 2019, Goodridge parted ways with the band and was replaced by Nik Hughes. Bush ushered in the 2020s with their eighth studio full-length, The Kingdom. In addition to lead single “Flowers on a Grave,” the LP also included “Bullet Holes” from John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum.
BUSH continued from previous page successful enough in the U.S. to land a British record deal, although they weren’t able to match their American success in the U.K. Over the course of 1995, Sixteen Stone became a major hit in the U.S., with “Little Things” reaching number four on the modern rock charts in the spring; later that year, “Comedown” and “Glycerine” both reached number one on the modern rock charts, as well as crossing over into the pop Top 40. Despite their mainstream success, Bush received negative reviews from the press and attracted scorn from alternative rock insiders. To counter the criticism, the band asked Steve Albini — notorious for his abrasive productions for not only Pixies, Nirvana, and PJ Harvey, but also countless indie bands — to helm their second album. The resulting Razorblade Suitcase was released in time for the Christmas season of 1996. The record was greeted with mixed reviews that were nevertheless more positive than those surrounding Sixteen Stone, entering the U.S. charts at number one and showing at number four in the U.K. By the spring of 1997, the album produced the hit singles “Swallowed,” “Greedy Fly,” and “Cold Contagious.” Later that year, the band recruited the likes of Goldie, Philip Steir, Dub Pistols, and Tricky for the electronic remix set Deconstructed. In the fall of 1999, Bush returned with The Science of Things. Peaking at number 11, the effort was certified platinum on the backs of singles like “The Chemicals Between Us,” which topped the Billboard Modern Rock chart. In late 2001, they went back to basics with the guitar-driven album Golden State. Although it didn’t storm the charts like previous albums, fans still supported Bush, as was evidenced by their sold-out tour across North America. During this time, Helmet guitarist Chris Traynor was added as a touring member. Shifts within the band, however, took a sharp turn several months later when founding member Nigel Pulsford announced his departure in May. Pulsford, who had started a solo career as well as a new family, left without much drama and disapproval. Traynor stepped in to fill his shoes, but the tour would still be the last for the original Bush lineup. They ultimately disbanded in 2002, with Rossdale returning to music in 2004 with a new project, Institute, as well as a solo album, Wanderlust, in 2008. While a Best Of set (which included a recording 8 Music News • May 2022
THE HU
The HU is a band from Mongolia that blends heavy metal and traditional Mongolian throat singing. Their first two videos (“Yuve Yuve Yu” and “Wolf Totem”) immediately went viral garnering the band over 100 million views. The explosive reaction to The HU resulted in a number of features about the band in international media such as NPR, ET India Times, Playboy Mexico, Jack Canal+Fr, Hong Kong 01, DW News Germany and others. The band’s name The HU, is the Mongolian root word for human being. They call their style “Hunnu Rock”…inspired by the Hunnu, an ancient Mongolian empire, known as The Huns in western culture. Some of the band’s lyrics include old Mongolian war cries and poetry. Founded in 2016 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia by their producer Dashka, along with the members Gala, Jaya, Temka, and Enkush. The HU combines Rock Music with traditional Mongolian instrumentation like the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), Tumur Khuur (jaw harp), guttural throating singing and the bombastic bass and drums of rock. All four members have earned Bachelor’s or higher degrees in music and have several years of touring experience throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim. Since the formation of the band, they’ve been working on their first album, The Gereg. The word Gereg was used as the first Diplomatic “Passport” by the Mongol empire during the time of Genghis Khan. The album contains nine songs including viral hits continued on next page
The Covers EP. That same year, Dead Sara signed another major-label deal, this time with Atlantic, which released their EP Temporary Things Taking Up Space in 2018. Two years later the band issued the gritty standalone single “Hands Up,” followed in 2021 by the rousing “Heroes.”
continued from previous page “Yuve Yuve Yu” and “Wolf Totem”, and was released on September 13, 2019 via Better Noise Music (f/k/a Eleven Seven Music). The Hu is: Gala (Lead Throat Singer and Morin Khuur), Enkush (Lead Morin Khuur and Throat Singer), Jaya (Jaw Harp, Tsuur, Flute, and Throat Singer), Temka (Tovshuur).
10 YEARS DEAD SARA
by Mark Deming Offering a Southern take on the moody atmosphere, seismic heft, and brash dynamics of modern rock, Tennessee rockers 10 Years emerged in the early 2000s with a versatile fusion of post-grunge, hard rock, and alternative metal. The group’s gold-certified third studio LP, The Autumn Effect, brought them into the mainstream, where they have since remained firmly established via chart-climbing subsequent efforts like Feeding the Wolves (2010), From Birth to Burial (2015), and Violent Allies (2020).
by Jason Lymangrover Although they’ve been active in Los Angeles since the early 2000s, dynamic alt-rock combo Dead Sara broke through in 2011 with the fiery “Weatherman,” a single that channeled the wailing rally cries of Rage Against the Machine and the urban blues-punk of the Kills, filling a gap left after the decline of grunge. In 2015 they issued their sophomore LP, the crowd-funded Pleasure to Meet You, which soared to the number two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. They inked a deal with Atlantic ahead of the release of the 2018 EP Temporary Things Taking Up Space, and in 2021 they issued the anthemic single “Heroes” ahead of the release of their next studio LP.
10 Years were formed in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999. Guitarist Ryan “Tater” Johnson and drummer Brian Vodinh filled out the group’s first lineup with lead vocalist Mike Underdown, guitarist Matt Wantland, and bassist Lewis Cosby; in 2001, Cosby left the band and Andy Parks became 10 Years’ new bassist. That same year, the group recorded and self-released an independent album, Into the Half Moon, and they set out to expand their brand with more live work. In 2002, Mike Underdown stepped down as lead singer, and 10 Years recruited Jesse Hasek to take over the vocal spot; shortly afterward, Lewis Cosby returned as bassist, and in 2004 the band issued a second self-released album, Killing All That Holds You.
With straightforward, guitar-driven rock & roll anthems in the spirit of L7 and Hole, Dead Sara is fronted by the powerful rasp of singer Emily Armstrong and lead guitarist Siouxsie Medley. The band earned the admiration of female rock icons like Grace Slick and Courtney Love, rising from D.I.Y. heroes releasing music on their own Pocket Kid Records to landing songs in television shows like Banshee and video games like Playstation 4’s Infamous: Second Son in 2013, to signing with Atlantic Records in 2017.
As their popularity grew, 10 Years were signed by Republic Records, and their major-label debut, The Autumn Effect, arrived in 2005. One of its tracks, “Wasteland,” rose to the top of the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, and went gold, while the band joined the lineup for the 2006 Family Values tour alongside Deftones and Korn. Division, 10 Years’ second album for Republic, was issued in 2008, and Feeding the Wolves appeared in 2010, the latter recorded after Matt Wantland left the band, with Vodinh adding additional guitar in the studio. Republic Records and 10 Years parted ways after the release of Feeding the Wolves, and rather than sign a new deal, 10 Years opted to launch their own label, Pale Horse Records (distributed by Warner Music’s Independent Label Group).
Friends since their teenage years, Armstrong and Medley played their first official show as Dead Sara in 2005, releasing their first EP, The Airport Sessions, in 2008 on Viscount Productions. After several different rotations, the band’s rhythm battery was eventually rounded out with bassist Chris Null and drummer Sean Friday, both of whom have previously played with Sonny Moore (Skrillex). As the group started gaining a fan base by touring, Dead Sara’s acclaim reached the ears of Courtney Love, who invited Armstrong to sing on an upcoming Hole album. After seeing them live, Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick talked the band up in several music publications, feeding the hype for their self-titled full-length, released on Dead Sara’s own Pocket Kid Records label in spring of 2012. Having gained some attention and success through their debut and the “Weatherman” single, the band signed with Epic Records in 2013. The union would prove to be short-lived, with band and label parting ways the following year, leaving Dead Sara to release their follow-up, Pleasure to Meet You, on Pocket Kid in 2015. Following the departure of Null, the band carried on as a trio, compiling several previously released cover songs, including one of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box,” for 2017’s
10 Years kicked off Pale Horse with 2011’s Minus the Machine, which debuted at number 26 on the Billboard Top 200 charts (it also came in at number eight on the Top Current Rock Albums ranking). In 2015, 10 Years returned with their second Pale Horse release, From Birth to Burial; it also marked the departure of Lewis Cosby from the group. The official lineup became a three-piece (Hasek, Johnson, and Vodinh), with additional musicians joining them for live dates (Chad Huff on guitar, Ryan Collier on bass, and Kyle Mayer on drums). The band’s eighth set, (How to Live) As Ghosts arrived in late 2017. Featuring production by Nick Raskulinecz, the LP soared to the upper echelons of multiple Billboard hard rock charts. In 2019 the band decamped to a studio in Los Angeles with Grammy Award-winning producer Howard Benson to lay down tracks for their topical, ninth full-length effort. Spearheaded by the muscular first single “The Shift,” the resulting Violent Allies arrived in 2020. May 2022 • Music News 9
eight-time Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney. “The idea that it would be three years before I would stand in the end zone of Gillette Stadium, where No Shoes Nation was born, wasn’t something any of us could conceive. “I still can’t really believe it. But in the middle of all of this, I know it’s true... and I know how much I miss being out there, being in the thick of the most passionate place in the world: No Shoes Nation. Anywhere they plant their flags, bring their passion, their friends and their will to rock, it reminds me that to be in the moment is everything No Shoes Nation is about! Photo Credit: Allister Ann
Kenny Chesney Brings His Here And Now 2022 Tour To The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion June 2nd While eight-time Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney is known for his stadium shows, performing to more than a million fans each summer of touring, leading The Wall Street Journal to deem him “The King of the Road,” the songwriter/superstar from East Tennessee is equally taken with the intimacy and under-the-stars feeling of every summer. “There is something about amphitheaters that creates an immediacy that is so intimate,” Chesney says. “The energy is very different from a stadium show, and it almost opens the songs up in completely different ways. It’s pretty cool to feel that difference between the two kinds of venues, but I can tell you: both are absolutely the greatest sensations in the world. “Whether it’s a stadium full of people screaming ‘Noise’ at the top of their lungs, or ‘When The Sun Goes Down,’ or being quieter on ‘You & Tequila,’ or seeing all the lighters and cell phone lights out on the lawn at an amphitheater as people sing that first chorus of ‘Anything But Mine,’ you can 10 Music News • May 2022
sense how much these songs mean to people, and it’s incredible.” Chesney, the only country artist in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Top 25 Live Artists in 25 Years, has created the soundtrack for coming of age in the flyover for the 21st century. With his high energy shows, enduring songs and a fanbase who often follows him across the country, the Here And Now 2022 Tour promises to make for a memorable year. “I never thought we’d be away from No Shoes Nation for three years,” he continues. “Now that we finally have the chance to spend the summer together again, I really wanted to provide as many opportunities as possible for everyone to come out and celebrate the music with us; the sense of community and the way we all feel so alive when we’re together celebrating what we love. Whether stadiums or amphitheaters, I can’t wait to see my favorite people in the world.” “When we hit pause on our 2020 tour, I never thought we would go much past the fall, let alone into 2021,” says
“With every city, county and state having their own protocols, with capacity numbers shifting every day, I didn’t want to announce until we knew we could come full on... strong... and without a care in the world. I always want to be that place where you can let go, feel safe and have the time of the summer. After a lot of work on a lot of people’s parts, a lot of cooperation from the folks at the stadiums, the places we’re coming and the teams we share those venues with, we’re ready to announce the Here And Now 2022 Stadium Tour.” For Chesney, coming back was everything. Concern about who would not be able to attend sold-out stadium shows, last minute changes in protocols and the challenges of mounting stadiumsized concerts week-after-week with shifting local crews tipped the scales to waiting. But Blue Chair Bay Rum Presents Here And Now 2022 Fueled by Marathon promises to be full-on, full-tilt Kenny Chesney, emblematic of the man The Wall Street Journal touted as “The King of the Road” and The Los Angeles Times deemed “The People’s Superstar.” “Like it does for everyone, the idea of music, live music, fills me up,” Chesney explains. “Nothing is so in the moment, so completely alive. I want to start 2022 with the awesome rush that embodies everything playing for No Shoes Nation is. We’re calling the tour Here And Now 2022, because when we get together, there is only the present – continued on page 12
Shady Acres Saloon www,shadyacressaloon.com 1115 W. 19th Street, Houston 77008 713-534-1112
NEVER A COVER! Dog Friendly
Thursday Night Heights Blues Series
May 5 Beth Lee w/ Chris Duarte
May 5 - Beth Lee & Chris Duarte May 12 - The Hightailers May 19 - Little Screamin’ Kenny May 26 - Ray Cashman
May 12 The Hightailers
May 19 Little Screamin’ Kenny May 26 Ray Cashman
May 8 & May 15 May 13 Seymore’s & May 28 Sunday Western May 7 Bling Wonderfolk Shootout
May 14 Hardluck Revival
May 20 Danno Simpson
May 21 Gus Clark
May 27 Mitch Jacobs
May 29 Fools On Stools
Sundays - Bingo @ 3 - 6 pm • Mondays - FREE Bar Trivia Night @ 7-10pm Tuesdays - Steak Nite & Movie • Wednesdays - Bocci Ball League Play 5/1 - Band TBA 5/5 - Beth Lee w/ Chris Duarte 5/6 - Eric Korb Band 5/7 - Wonderfolk 5/8 - Seymore’s Sunday Shootout 5/12 - The Hightailers
April Entertainment Schedule 5/13 - Western Bling 5/14 - Hardluck Revival 5/15 - Seymore’s Sunday Shootout 5/19 - Little Screamin’ Kenny 5/20 - Danno Simpson
5/21 - Gus Clark 5/22 - Shame On Me 5/26 - Ray Cashman 5/27 - Mitch Jacobs 5/28 - Western Bling 5/29 - Fools On Stools May 2022 • Music News
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Photo Credit: Danny Clinch
Kenny Chesney continued from page 10
embraces the genre’s forward progression and is confident in what she wants to say. In a full circle surprise, iconic superstar and Grand Ole Opry member Dolly Parton extended the coveted invitation to Carly after 85+ appearances. Lighting a fire with her debut album Every Little Thing and the Platinumcertified history making title track, Pearce’s Double-Platinumcertified “I Hope You’re Happy Now” with Lee Brice, won both
the CMA and ACM Vocal Event award, as well as the ACM 2021 Single of the Year. A committed songwriter, she believes truth and songs are the greatest form of resilience, whether facing the loss of her longtime champion and producer Busbee or the break-up of her marriage. Teaming with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne to create the in-themoment 29, their creative dialogue turned into the 15-song 29: Written In Stone. 29: Written In Stone traces the arc of realizing, accepting and moving on wiser for the experience. Leading the collection is “Dear Miss Loretta,” a from-the-heart outreach to Country Music Hall of Famer Loretta Lynn, and the pained ballad features fellow Kentucky icon Patty Loveless. Her current single, “Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” is a duet with Ashley McBryde that the two female singer/ songwriters penned for the project.
and it’s so electric and good, I know I don’t want it to end. I just want to be 100% there with all of you.” Kicking off April 23 in Tampa, Fla. at Raymond James Stadium, Chesney will play 19 stadium concerts, closing Here And Now 2022 down with a double-play August 26 and 27 at New England’s Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Look for a fresh line-up to be announced in the coming months, but know you can keep that seat you worked so hard to get! All current ticketholders remain in the seats they’ve already purchased for Here And Now 2022. “I can’t wait,” enthuses the songwriter/superstar from East Tennessee. “Literally, here and now. In the moment. All of us together, like we’ve been so many times, but fresh and alive and in the music. That’s why we’re calling it Here And Now 2022. It’s the perfect name for this tour.” Kenny Chesney will be bringing his Here And Now 2022 Stadium Tour to Houston on June 2nd for a fantastic evening of entertainment on June 2nd. Opening the show will be Carly Pearce. Pearce, a current CMA Female Vocalist and Album of the Year nominee, the show kicks off with a woman who honed her skills as a teen doing five shows a day at Dollywood and has since topped the charts at Country Radio. Fiercely rooted in the classics, the girl who left her Kentucky home and high school at 16 to take a job at Dollywood has grown into a woman who Music News•• November •December May 20222020 612 Music Music News News
Carly Pearce Credit: Allister Ann
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Zito, “I wanted to do this album in my old hometown. I haven’t lived there for almost 20 years now. Of course, I always go back there. I’ve got family there, I have a son in college there, but it was more important for me to kind of come back to my roots and make that record there. Specifically in my neighborhood, which is in the city. It’s kind of rough. It’s not rich or easy, to say the least. And I wanted a club that was kind of near the old neighborhood. Really, that’s one of the best clubs that I could find, that was the right size, but also in the neighborhood. I’ve been playing there for years. I know the owners, and it’s also on the same street where my dad was born and raised in St. Louis. That was kind of cool.” Performing on the album with Mike was his great band of musicians, Matthew Johnson (drums), Lewis Stephens (Organ/piano), and Doug Byrkit (vocals/bass). In addition to this great lineup, Mike also had a few guest artists on it as well. Guitarists Dave Katz and Tony Campanella also lent their talents as well. They are both label mates of his on Gulf Coast Records.
Mike Zito Brings His Blues For The Southside To Dosey Doe Big Barn May 25th By Kevin Wildman Blues guitarist Mike Zito has just released his new “live” album, Blues for the Southside. As would be expected, the new album was released on his own Texas-based Gulf Coast Records, of which Mike is the co-owner. The new album was just released this February and it has been getting rave reviews. For the recording of this album, 14
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Mike selected a very sentimental town to record in, St. Louis. Mike was originally from St. Louis and he wanted to return to his hometown, in particular to the same area of town that he was raised in to record this new album. The location that was chosen was the Old Rock House, and recording took place on November 26th of 2021. “First and foremost,” says Mike
The last ingredient to this fantastic recording was Eric Gales, who though was not planned on being added to the show, was also rehearsing in St. Louis and dropped by to join in a song with Mike. This led to an incredible performance on the Hendrix song, “Voodoo Chile”. Now here’s an incendiary performance you are definitely going to have to check out when you finally get your hands on this fantastic album. “ I wanted Tony Campanella and Dave Kalz to join me as guests, says Mike. “I grew up with both of these guys playing in the scene in St. Louis in the 1990s. They are also both Gulf Coast Records artists. I was surprised by my dear friend Eric Gales who happened to be in town for a rehearsal. He showed up and I got him onstage to do an impromptu version of the original ‘Voodoo Chile,’ which turned out to be 12 minutes of pure guitar bliss. I am proud of this album and my band. I’m most proud of my hometown and my neighborhood, South St. Louis.” Besides performing a great selection of his own original songs, Mike continued on next page
Mike Zito continued from previous page also wanted to pay tribute to a few of his fellow musicians that he highly respected and cites them as influences on his career. Those musicians are none other than Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter, Jimi Hendrix, Tampa Red and Chuck Berry. The Jimi Hendrix song that Mike selected was the aforementioned “Voodoo Chile.” For Stevie Ray Vaughan he picked the legendary, “Texas Flood,” and to round things off, in order to pay homage to Johnny Winter, he selected “Life Is Hard.” For Tampa Red, he selected the song “Love Her With A Feeling.” To finish out his performance, he selected Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry. This song also appeared on his “Tribute to Chuck Berry album. Mike picked the song “Texas Flood” because as he explains, “I always loved that song and I loved Stevie Ray Vaughan. He was always a big influence on me and still is. I think now even more so. I think every time it rains it might flood. I think that’s an old Larry Davis song originally, a Houston guy. So I just thought, ‘I’m just going to make this my own.’ Every time we find a good cover and start playing it, we can make it our own. If the crowd likes the way I’m doing it, it can become a part of our repertoire. Sometimes people don’t want to do pretty obvious songs, so I just started playing it in the last year or two and everyone really responds to it. The only other person I’ve seen performing it live now is Jimmie Vaughan, so I thought, ‘what the hell, let’s record it.’ And then, the Jimi Hendrix song was kind of the same thing. It was on the spur of the moment because Eric Gales had shown up and that was unannounced, out of the blue. I know he likes to play Hendrix and he likes to play the most famous version of Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile,” the one with the wahwah pedal, Earlier in the album, the one we recorded, it’s not “Slight Return,” it’s just “Voodoo Chile,” the Muddy Waters song. It just happened… He said, what are we going to record and I said “Voodoo Chile.” I’ve played that song many times and when he showed up I thought, this makes perfect sense, we gotta do this.” Mike tells us that he thinks this is one of the gutsier performances he’s ever performed of this song.
Mike also selected for this album, songs from his earlier career, which he had recorded on other labels. He realized that the only way he could get these songs translated over to the Gulf Coast Records label was to record them live. So he went and selected songs for his previous albums, First Class Life, Gone To Texas, Make Blues Not War, and Tribute To Chuck Berry. He also added another special track to this recording. He wrote a new song to be included in this performance, which is also the title of the album, “Blues For The Southside.” Zito penned songs on the album include, “Mississippi Nights,” “First Class Life,” “Hell On Me,” “Back Problems,” “Make Blues Not War,” “Wasted Time,” “Dying Day,” and “The Road Never Ends”, which was also cowritten by Devon Allman. This isn’t a hastily thrown together CD, it was well thought out and it turned out to be a 2 CD set, something that seems to be a bit unheard of nowadays with the economy the way it is. “I knew I wanted to make this album,” continues Mike, “I knew I wanted to record the older songs off my older albums. I would never use the words, “Greatest Hits,” cause I don’t really have any big hits, so we’ll call them “fan favorites”, songs that I know the fans really enjoy and we play pretty regular. This album is on my record label, so these are songs that are not on my record label. These are songs that are on other record labels, so one of things that I wanted to do was record these songs on my label, or a version of them recorded on my record label. I don’t have any qualms about them being on other labels, but I wanted a copy of these songs hat I love on my record label and I wanted to get them all on one record. I wanted it to be more of a bluesier outing, more of kind of what we do live with more guitar, and more
blues. Sometimes the albums can get a little more artistic on the songwriting. You try different things and I wanted to keep it a little more tried and true, so I picked out all these tunes that I thought would make a good album and they ended up being way too long for one CD, just way too long. So we ended up with a double live album. I was almost going to call it “Double Live Zito,” but I didn’t” As we mentioned before, the name of the album turned out to be titled after the new song, “Blues For The Southside.” Mike doesn’t regret naming the album after the song at all, as he tells us, “I had the idea about the album title right away. I thought it was cool because… like I said, I don’t live in that neighborhood anymore, but I lived there all my life. I live in Nederland, Texas now. It’s kind of living in Mayberry,” Mike explains as a reference to the old Andy Griffith show. “I don’t know if people in Nederland realize it. When you grow up in south St. Louis and you move to Nederland, it’s like night and day. It’s very easy to live here. There’s not a lot of crime or shootings. It’s easy living. That’s what I call it. So, I had that title and then I thought, I wanted to do kind of a melancholy instrumental song to go along with it that would kind of have the mood that I thought was like living in St. Louis. I don’t really write instrumentals very much, so I just kind of wrote some chords that I thought were continued on next page May 2022 • Music News
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on the Delbert McClinton cruise. He’s played in Freddie King’s band and Delbert McClinton’s band. He’s been around a long time. He’s one of the best. And we just get along. Most of all, all three of these guys are great musicians. They’re great people. We spend way more time together as people than we do onstage. They’re easy to get along with. They’re peaceful. They’re lighthearted. They’re fun. They’re funny. It’s never a chore. No one is ever arguing or fighting about anything. And I think all of that leads into the fun we have on stage.
Mike Zito continued from previous page pretty and had the right feeling to me. We played it a few times, and that was it and we recorded it. That was probably the fifth time we ever played it.” Without a doubt, the song choices on this album are superb and show a lot of thought when it came to lining up the playing order on the album release. Mike and the band did play a lot of other songs the night they recorded the album, but the song choices were definitely very well thought out. No doubt some of his fans will want to hear a couple more that didn’t appear on the album, but even with the choices represented here, it still turned out to be a double CD. “I’m happy with the flow and what we have,” says Mike. “I didn’t want to include more of the songy songs. Some of the songs like “Going To Texas” or “Greyhound”… We like to play them. I’ve recorded those live before and that’s when they’re a little more Southern Rock. I specifically wanted the songs to have a bluesy blues guitar, blues rock vibe and I thought that we captured that. There might have been a song or two that we could have included, but I have another live album that came out ten years ago, so a lot of those older songs were on that one. So these songs over the last ten years…. they haven’t been recorded live. I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out. It’s a good collection for the last ten years of albums. It’s pretty relentless. It’s all Blues.” 16
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One thing is for sure, you can’t really talk about this album release without discussing the players. Besides Mike, there is a great lineup of musicians that make up the Mike Zito Band. Mike has been playing with the same guys for quite a while now and has built up a great camaraderie with the band. They have been playing with him so long now, that they know what he’s going to do before he even does it. That is truly the basis for a great backing band, and this one is truly excellent. But don’t take our word for it, just ask Mike. “Matt Johnson plays drums and sings backup. Matt’s been playing with me for about seven years now. I like Matt because he’s very musical. He’s very loose. He sings really good. Of course he’s a great drummer, but you’d expect that. It’s what we want. His style is very soothing and he listens. He listens to what’s going on and what we’re doing. We’re a good match. Doug Byrkit is our bass player. Doug and I go back to 1997. We made my first album together that year and we’ve played together for many years. We’ve been friends for a long, long time. He had a band of his own for a while. I was helping them make records. Finally he came back on to play with me so it’s having an old friend around. Doug has always been the perfect fit. We get along. He plays well with me. And then finally, there’s Lewis Stephens who’s my piano player. Lewis has been playing with me uninterrupted for thirteen years. We started together in 2011 and we met
Without a doubt, Blues for the Southside is a great piece of work. Mike’s vocals throughout the album are up front and in your face and really have that gritsy blues sound to him. His guitar work is equally impressive. It’s just some of the finest work you’ve ever heard him do. The solos are stellar and sound as if they have been well thought out, but are probably straight from his heart at the moment. Zito’s band just couldn’t sound stronger. Matt Johnson steady rhythm keeps the band on course and in time throughout the whole performance, throwing in the occasional drum licks where needed. Zito’s interaction with Lewis Stephens is fantastic also. Lewis knows just where to interject his leads when needed and gels perfectly with Mike’s guitar throughout the entire performance. Besides his piano playing, Stephens organ sound is incredible as well, setting the background tone for some of the songs freeing up Zito from having to keep the rhythm flowing to interject leads where needed. And what can we say about Doug Byrkit. It definitely sounds like he’s been together with Mike for a lifetime. Their sounds just compliment each other to a ‘T’. Of note on this album is guitarist Eric Gales. His performance on “Voodoo Chile” is truly inspirational. Clocking in at 12 minutes, this song really soars to great heights within this set. I would definitely recommend this album to anybody wanting to experience the live sound of a Mike Zito performance. It is truly one of his best and this album definitely belongs in your collection. From now on when I think of great live Blues albums and performances, this one will stick out in my mind as one of the finest. Pick your copy up today and you’ll be thanking me for letting you know about it.
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stages of a new studio release. From Miami to Maine,Tom Craig has shared his brand of original Blues, Soul and R&B, impressing critics and fans along the way. Tom got his first guitar for his eleventh birthday. With 40 over years of guitar playing, formal training as a jazz vocalist and his passion for the Blues, he gives you all the ingredients for a memorable live performance. Tom’s debut CD, “Get Ready for Me”, received worldwide radio airplay and critical acclaim. In January 2017 he represented the Central Delaware Blues Society in Memphis, Tennessee at the 33rd International Blues Challenge. His song, “She Did It To Me(She’ll Do It to You)” was a semi-finalist in the 2017 International Songwriting Competition. Tom’s second CD, Good Man Gone Bad consists of 13 original songs and was released on April 20, 2021. It has received rave reviews and continual radio airplay; debuting at #19 on the Roots Music Report Radio Chart! In 2021 Tom toured extensively through Florida and New England and quickly made an impression on audiences.
The Tom Craig Band Perform at Green Oaks Tavern on May 20 and The Big Easy May 21 Philadelphia native Tom Craig, who now splits his time between there and South Florida, plays a special brand of Chicago Blues, Memphis Soul and R&B. Tom got his first guitar for his eleventh birthday. Combining 40 years of experience playing his guitar, formal training as a jazz vocalist and his passion for the Blues, gives you all the ingredients for a memorable live performance. In January 2017 he represented the Central Delaware Blues Society in Memphis, Tennessee at the 33rd Interna18 Music News • May 2022
tional Blues Challenge. His song, “She Did It To Me (She’ll Do It to You)” was a semi-finalist in the 2017 International Songwriting Competition. Tom’s second CD, Good Man Gone Bad consists of 13 original songs and was released on April 20, 2021. It has received rave reviews and continual radio airplay, debuting at #19 on the Roots Music Report Radio Chart! Tom has adapted his body of work to produce a dynamic live show that still captures the spirit of both CD’s. He is preparing to release a live recording very soon and is in the beginning
Tom has adapted his body of work to produce a dynamic live show that still capturing the spirit of both CD’s. He is preparing to release a live recording very soon and is in the beginning stages of a new studio release. His high energy live performances impress even the most critical fans of blues and roots music. Don’t pass up the opportunity to catch him at Green Oaks Tavern on May 20th.a Tom and his veteran band will be performing songs from his critically acclaimed albums “Get Ready for Me” and “Good Man Gone Bad”. Both Tom’s first CD and his newest release have received world-wide radio airplay. His high energy live performances impress even the most critical fans of blues and roots music!l.
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the Top Ten globally in 1978 with ‘Forever Autumn’ – created for Jeff Wayne’s ‘War of the Worlds’ album. Becoming, even for a writer of his stature, a signature song, this was the spur to him taking to the stage – for five years, from 2005 – 2010, and starring in the spectacular live stadium production. In the 1980s he was made a member of the famous ‘SODS’ (The Society of Distinguished Songwriters) and in 2012 he was elected ‘King SOD’. He also collaborated in 1989 with Mike Batt and the London Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded the album ‘Classic Blue’.
Justin Hayward Performs At The Heights Theatre May 13 Having chalked up nearly fifty years at the peak of the music and entertainment industry, Justin Hayward’s voice has been heard the world over. Known principally as the vocalist, lead guitarist and composer for the Moody Blues, his is an enduring talent that has helped to define the times in which he worked. Over the last forty-five years the band has sold fifty five million albums and received numerous awards. Commercial success has gone hand in hand with critical acclaim, The Moody Blues are renowned the world over as innovators and trail blazers who have influenced any number of fellow artists. Justin is honoured with the Moody Blues on the Rock Walk Hall of Fame on Sunset Boulevard. Born and brought up in Swindon in the UK, Justin’s interest in music started early when he was five years old and his grandfather bequeathed him his large collection of 78 rpm recordings. “It opened a world of imagination to me,” says Justin. Having taught himself to play the ukulele, he soon progressed to guitar and by his early teens he was playing in local groups. Upon leaving school at 17 he answered an advertisement in Melody Maker newspaper and successfully auditioned for UK Rock and Roll hero Marty Wilde. “I got the job playing guitar for Marty – it was a dream come true for me”. Justin credits Marty with encouraging him to become a songwriter; he made several recordings with Marty’s ‘Wilde Three’ and also appeared with them at the London Palladium. They remain close friends to
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this day: “Marty is still my hero”. Having started the ball rolling as a songwriter in his own right with a couple of solo singles, he joined the Moody Blues in the summer of 1966. Hitting his stride immediately with the single ‘Fly Me High’, he followed it up with the classic hit songs ‘Nights in White Satin’ and ‘Tuesday Afternoon’ from the seminal album ‘Days of Future Past’. This album went on to become a favourite of the NASA astronauts and was taken aboard the Atlantis shuttle space craft by Chief astronaut “Hoot” Gibson on many missions. This purple patch showed no sign of abating as Justin created other classic, era and genre-defining hits ‘Question’, ‘The Voice’, ‘I Know You’re Out There Somewhere’ and ‘Your Wildest Dreams’. These laid the foundation for the incredible success story of the Moody Blues – as well as his solo work – which continues to this day. When the Moody Blues took a break from touring in 1975, Justin worked on the Blue Jays album, followed by the hit single ‘Blue Guitar’ (recorded with the members of 10cc). Although the Moodies continued to record and tour at the highest level, Justin also found time to create several solo albums: ‘Songwriter’, ‘Night Flight’, ‘Moving Mountains’ and ‘The View From the Hill’. Proving that he could write massive hits outside of the Moody Blues, Justin hit
In March 1997 Justin was chosen as the subject for the TV show ‘This Is Your Life’ in the presence of many of his friends including Marty Wilde, Lionel Bart and astronaut “Hoot” Gibson. In 2005 he was presented with ‘The Golden Note’ award from ASCAP, the top honour for a British writer, and he has appeared in Nashville regularly with other songwriters in showcase events. In 2013 The Performing Rights Society in the UK awarded him his second Ivor Novello statue for ‘Outstanding Achievement’. Whilst releasing solo albums and DVDs and working on many different projects, including new solo recordings, Justin continues to tour with the Moody Blues all across the world. Justin records in Italy and France of which he says, “Spending time making music in a beautiful place with your friends is every songwriter’s dream”. His latest album of new songs ‘Spirits Of The Western Sky’ – for Eagle Rock – was followed by several solo tours, and most recently a ‘live in concert’ DVD ‘Spirits…Live’, which reached No1 on the Billboard Video chart. “My acoustic solo tours give the perfect balance to the big production of the Moody Blues concerts. I’m so lucky to have both”. His live solo show is currently being shown all over the USA on PBS TV. He’s been touring the UK, Europe and the USA/Canada with The Moody Blues, and as a solo artist – accompanied by Mike Dawes, one of a new generation of young exceptional and gifted guitar players. “I have spent most of my life, so far, on the road”, says Justin. “Playing live and creating a small piece of magic in a room is like a drug to me, one that I never want to give up”. His is a talent that has helped soundtrack more than a generation and created a legacy that remains undimmed.
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the album, Biggs elects to keep the specific details to himself so that listeners can relate to it in their own way, but he explains where the title comes from. “What does life all really boil down to in the end? You can be lovey-dovey about the good times, and savor the sweetness that life sometimes provides, but beneath everything is work, struggle, someone is always getting a raw deal, someone’s always sweating it out in the mines somewhere so you can enjoy your diamonds. This has always proved true in everything I’ve ever done in life. Most people reading this know me as a member of a successful band, but beneath it is constant work. Physical, emotional, spiritual work. All the time. Every day. And I know that it’s like this across the board for just about anyone in at least some capacity, so I figured this subject would be relatable to a lot of people.”
Rivers Of Nihil Perform at The Scout Bar May 18th Rivers of Nihil are hitting the road in support nof their latest album, The Work. The band has embarked on a spring headline tour that will include support from Fallujah, Alluvial and Warforged. An innovative progressive and technical death metal band from Reading, Pennsylvania, Rivers of Nihil courted the metal underground before expanding their fan base with the release of 2018’s Billboard-charting Where Owls Know My Name. The group continued to integrate more progressive elements into their sound on 2021’s shape-shifting The Work. Reading, Pennsylvania’s Rivers Of Nihil have never fit neatly into a box, but with 2018’s Where Owls Know My Name, they transcended all labels applied to them. Returning in 2021 with The Work, they have forged further into new territory, delivering an album that is as cerebral as it is visceral, and that covers a staggering sonic range, definitively placing them in a category of their own. With the first track penned in the fall of 2018, while the band were touring Owls, the writing process for the album was long, lasting well into 2020. Even before the music industry shutdown that happened concurrently with the Covid pandemic, the band intended to take most of 2020 off to focus on writing, meaning that their schedule was not disrupted. However, even with the whole album demoed out musically, they were not initially sure what they were working with. “We didn’t really know if it was all going to connect together in any kind of logical or interesting way. It wasn’t until we got the vocals done that it was clear what we had on our hands: something that actually somehow all worked together,” says guitarist Brody Uttley, who describes the album as a “Sound World,” a term coined by a friend. “It’s an album that almost sounds like a place rather than a thing. It puts you in this world where you’re not exactly sure what is going on at certain points, but eventually, it all comes together. It’s harsh and cold, but also warm and inviting,” he adds. For the guitarist, writing music came together smoothly, never having to push to find ideas, and in spite of the raging pandemic. “I 24 Music News • May 2022
don’t think on any other release I was able to insulate myself from external noise like I did on this one. The amount of work that went into it is obscene, but I felt like I was just floating through this ‘sound world’ the whole time, kinda grabbing ideas off of the vine and seeing how they worked.” Lyricist and bassist Adam Biggs’ experience was somewhat different, finding the process more challenging, but this was ultimately to the The Work’s betterment. “It felt like a huge demand to get this record written during one of the weirdest times imaginable. It gets to the point sometimes after a lot of touring that you can forget how to be creative, because you’ve just been playing your - now old - material for several years. Writing this record, for me, meant almost entirely reconnecting with creativity after what I’d consider to be a lengthy hiatus.” While The Work is a very dense, inarguably heavy collection, it is far too dynamic to consider it solely a metal record, and there is a genuine warmth that shows through, particularly on “Wait” and the gorgeous “Maybe One Day,” and the band have included far more clean vocals alongside the screaming that tears through many of the heavier tracks. Adds Biggs, “It spans a lot of different styles, ideas, and emotions. The twists and turns are pretty drastic for your modern day metal record. There’s a lot of what you already know we do, and a lot of what you’ve never heard us do before.” Courtesy of their friend Zach Strouse, saxophone once again adds extra layers of atmosphere to the collection, utilizing baritone, soprano and alto saxes to great affect. “We really wanted the sax to be more of a texture on this album rather than a featured instrument. So while it may seem like there is more sax, the only ‘true’ sax solo is in ‘The Void From Which No Sound Escapes.’ For most cases on the rest of the album, he is just sort of reinforcing the songs in his own way, which is exactly what I wanted. I didn’t want to tell him how to sound or what to do really. I just wanted his response to the material, and he definitely did a fantastic job.” While there is a central concept driving
“Focus,” one of the album’s standout tracks, is a meditation on the writer’s - and possibly the listener’s - relationship with drugs, starting with having been medicated for ADD as a kid. “That was not uncommon for the time. Maybe it was for the best, maybe not. But it did kick off a relationship with drugs that has been pretty interesting. I’ve gone through long periods of sobriety, and I’ve been on the complete other end of that. What I find is that drugs are largely disappointing. The expectation is that they can relieve your mind, or change your thinking. But for me, it always just feels like a slight shift in focus.” Then there is “The Void From Which No Sound Escapes” and “MORE?”, which are thematically linked. “It’s about expectation and delivery. ‘Void’ is the expectation, they want what you have, and you have to give up a bit of yourself to give it to them. The ‘what’ and ‘they’ in that sentence aren’t super important. But I think everyone has a ‘what’ and they know a ‘they’ that wants that from them, and we all feel some obligation to deliver.” With guitars and synths/keys tracked at Uttley’s home studio, the band then we went back for the third album in a row to Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland at Atrium Audio to do drums, vocals, bass, sax, and mixing. “We’ve done so many sessions with those guys that they’re basically an extension of our band at this point. They usually know what we like, and we always encourage them to roast us to make stuff better,” says Uttley. Alongside the band, James Dorton from Black Crown Initiate provided some vocals on “Episode,” Grant McFarland played cello on “The Void From Which No Sound Escapes”, and Uttley’s friend Stephan Lopez helped out with all of the field recordings, an integral part of the sonic textures of the record. There’s no denying that the finished product is something unique and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Rivers Of Nihil, though Biggs states he has never gotten anywhere by thinking about the future of the band. “We always just sort of do this thing and it grows. I guess that could change at some point. But thinking about things that way doesn’t seem to get me anywhere either. Better to focus on the work in front of us, as it turns out,” he adds, referencing the album’s title. “If we’ve learned anything for certain in the last year or so, it’s that the future can be murky, we’re not really owed anything, and it can all be taken away any second. But for now, we press on.”
May 2022 • Music News
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after (he joined British hardcore band Gallows), and the band’s attempts at recording a fifth album soon came to a halt. Alexisonfire reunited in 2012 for the farewell tour they thought their fans deserved, and in 2013, released a box set collecting their work. Another reunion tour was announced in March 2015, spanning major festival dates throughout the summer. On February 12, 2016, the band released Live at Copps, a recording of their performance on December 30, 2012, at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, which was the last show of their 2012 farewell tour. The album was released for download through iTunes, as well as in a special 4-record set, and as a Blu-ray video.
Alexisonfire Perform at White Oak Music Hall May 27 Alexisonfire (pronounced ‘Alexis-on-fire’) is a band from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Their music is characterized by turbulent and explosive dynamics with intricate guitar melodies. Consisting of five friends, they formed in late 2001 as the result of a three-band break up. The band’s name is inspired by a lactating contortionist stripper named Alexis Fire. This caused problems when she discovered that they were using her website name (alexisonfire.com) as their band name, and threatened to sue. However, since she had never trademarked the title nothing became of these threats. In the end, the band decided to change their website’s URL in spite to theonlybandever.com The combo that brought post-hardcore to the Canadian mainstream, Alexisonfire formed in 2001. Vocalist George Pettit, guitarist/vocalists Dallas Green and Wade MacNeil, bassist Steele, and drummer Jesse Ingelevics debuted in 2002 with a self-titled effort for the Toronto-based Distort imprint. The album did very well in Canada, garnering a lot of support for the band from MuchMusic video network. That exposure led to a distribution deal with the respected American hardcore and punk label Equal Vision, which then issued Alexisonfire’s sophomore effort in June 2004. Watch Out! was even more ambitious than its predecessor, mixing moments of melodic grace with the wiry explosiveness that Alex had already trademarked. The next year, Ingelevics exited the group to be replaced by ex-Jersey drummer Jordan Hastings. A split with fellow countrymen Moneen appeared on Vagrant that November. Green also began working on some acoustic solo material, debuting the moniker City and Colour with 2005’s Sometimes. (Subsequent full-lengths by the project became even more popular than Alexisonfire’s work.) Alexisonfire’s lyrical topics range from relationship troubles to go-karting. They have two primary vocalists, screaming duties carried out by George Pettit, and singing by Dallas Green, with support from Wade MacNeil. Alexisonfire had become an official part of Vagrant’s roster by summer 2006, performing on their Warped Tour side stage and releasing explosive full-length number three, Crisis, that August. The guys then hit up the Reading and Leeds festivals in the U.K. prior to embarking on an extensive fall tour of Canada. MacNeil soon followed Green’s City and Colour success with a side project of his own, Black Lungs, which debuted in 2008 with the album Send Flowers. Fourth album Old Crows/Young Cardinals was unsurprisingly a hit in Canada upon its release in 2009, and it also earned the band their highest chart position in the U.S. An experimental EP titled Dog’s Blood followed in 2010. By the end of the year, however, Green had decided to leave the band. MacNeil’s departure followed soon
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On June 22, 2016, Alexisonfire was announced as the main headliner for the 2017 Unify Gathering in Victoria, Australia, and announced a tour with The Dirty Nil, Behind Crimson Eyes and The Getaway Plan through Australia and New Zealand. The band was then announced as a headliner at the annual Quebec festival Montebello Rock and, on February 27, 2017, the band made a surprise three-song appearance at the Toronto stop of Billy Talent’s Afraid of Heights Tour. They played Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall in December 2017, and spent the following June touring Germany and the UK before heading back to Canada to play the Festival d’été de Québec. On February 1, 2019, the band posted a black image on their Facebook page. Later in the day, the band posted a teaser video featuring a building with a green neon light spelling out the words “Familiar Drugs.” Later, on February 12, 2019, the band posted 3 illusive black pictures on their Instagram page. Fans soon figured out that by changing the brightness and contrast on these black pictures, it revealed the numbers 2,15 and 19. On February 15, 2019, the band released a new song called “Familiar Drugs”, their first new material in nearly nine years.On April 16, 2019, the band released the music video for “Familiar Drugs,” which was shot completely on VHS and cellphones. On May 24, 2019 the band released another standalone single called “Complicit”, followed by “Season of the Flood”, on January 13, 2020. Alexisonfire went out on a short tour in 2019, playing shows in London, New York City, Los Angeles and Toronto as well as a show at Ottawa Bluesfest. This was followed by 2020 performances in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Seattle. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the band hosting a special one-time watch party on YouTube, showing a filmed performance of the final show on their farewell tour in December 2012 in Hamilton, Canada. Starting before the livestream was the premiere of their music video for their song, “Season of the Flood”, which is made up of footage shot exclusively by AOF concertgoers in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver during the tour in January. In an interview with the Toronto Star in 2019, George Pettit revealed that, in 2015, he had become a professional firefighter and that, even though the band had reunited, that new career would be his priority.[90] He also remains the lead singer in his side project, Dead Tired. Wade MacNeil continues as the lead singer for Black Lungs and Gallows. On May 21, 2021, MacNeil presented his latest project, Doom’s Children with his first single and video, “Flower Moon”. Jordan Hastings continues with his long-time side project, Cunter. Dallas Green has continued on with City and Colour, and with You+Me, his collaboration with Pink. In a June 2021 interview, he stated that Alexisonfire was “trying to get all these new songs together for the first time in like ten years” implying that more new music was in the works. On March 10, 2022, the band announced their upcoming fifth studio album Otherness, their first album of new studio recordings in thirteen years. It is set to be released on June 24, 2022. While their largest fanbase is in their home country of Canada, they also became more popular in other parts of the world, including Japan, Australia, Europe and the US.
https://www.thebigeasyblues.com
Thursday, May 26th Houston Blues Society Jam Hosted by Devon Rismay
Saturday, May 14th
Jonn “Del Toro Richardson’s Birthday Bash!
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Music News • Decemberr May 2022 2020
October 2021 • Music News
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38 Special Perform At The Arena Theatre June 2 After more than four decades together, 38 SPECIAL continues to bring a signature blast of Southern Rock to over 100 cities a year. And at each and every show, thousands of audience members are amazed by the explosive power of the band’s performance.
their live shows. “We never wanted to be one of those bands that had maybe gotten a little soft or complacent over the years. We’re a team, and it’s always been kind of an unspoken rule that we don’t slack up, we stack up. We go out there every night to win.”
Their many Gold and Platinum album awards stand in testament to the endurance of a legendary powerhouse.
Since 1976, the band has released more than 15 albums. And from the start, they’ve toured relentlessly, bringing their signature brand of ‘muscle and melody’ to fans worldwide. It is that steely determination that lives on in the hearts of these ‘Wild-Eyed Southern Boys.’
With sales in excess of 20 million, most associate the band with their arenarock pop smashes, “Hold On Loosely,” “Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Caught Up in You,” “Fantasy Girl,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” “Chain Lightnin’,” “Second Chance,” and more – Timeless hits that remain a staple at radio, immediately recognizable from the first opening chord, and paving the way to their present-day touring regimen. Guitarist/vocalist Don Barnes says it’s all about maintaining that intensity in 30 Music News • May 2022
For 38 Special, being onstage is a celebration of camaraderie and brotherhood, a precision unit bringing the dedication and honesty to a long history of classic songs, as well as surprisingly fresh new material. The current lineup includes Guitarist/vocalist Don Barnes, keyboardist/vocalist Bobby Capps, drummer Gary Moffatt, bassist Barry Dunaway and guitarist Jerry Riggs.
Barnes adds, “This music keeps our wheels on the road. We’re a band that’s tried to stay honest with what has driven us over the years. We started out with nothing but bold determination to make our own history and to endure. Looking back now, it has been our greatest pride to have persevered and attained that level of success and longevity. For us, it’s the ultimate validation.” “The magic’s still there,” adds Barnes. “It’s an emotional high for us to keep ‘bringing it’ after all these years. When those lights go down and we all walk up those steps to the stage and hear that crowd roar, it’s a real rush to the head. It feels like we’re getting ready to strap ourselves in and it just takes off from there.” Don Barnes is the consummate musician. He is a gifted singer, songwriter, performer, guitarist, instrucontinued on next page
38 Special continued from previous page mentalist, and producer. However, his talent is not merely the result of inherent genius, but of years of persistence, determination, self-discipline, sweat, and good old-fashioned hard work. In essence, Don is a self-made man. As a seasoned music veteran, Don is one of those exceptional artists who continue to improve over time. He still possesses the passion, skills, and confidence needed to excel in the everchanging musical landscape. Always one to challenge himself, and driven to perfection, Don’s soulful vocals, prolific songwriting, and red-hot guitar-playing have never been better. Offstage, there is more to Don Barnes than meets the eye. He is as witty, intelligent, and personable as he is talented. Although his love for music is consistently apparent, it is his appreciation of the fans that leaves a lasting impression. The man pounding the boards! Having played throughout Florida’s local club scene, Arkansas native Bobby Capps has found his home as keyboardist and vocalist for 38 Special. Since 1991, Bobby’s contributions have helped round out the band’s distinctive southern sound. Although he usually provides backup vocals, takes the lead on the song, “Second Chance,” a staple of the band’s live medley. Along with Chris Henderson of 3 Doors Down, Bobby, owns the fullservice Rivergate Studios in Hendersonville, TN. MONSTER Drummer Gary Moffatt has the admiration of the band’s die-hard supporters. He is one of the few percussionists who can entertain a crowd with an extended drum solo. Gary’s electrifying, skin-pounding talents even “scare” Donnie - a compliment, to be sure. His tight fills and steely-hard backbeats are the foundation of 38’s hard-driving rhythms. Despite his intimidating, massive
presence, Gary is a humble, friendly man who enjoys meeting the fans. Gary has recently complete work on an instructional video for Drum School This amazing video is for drummers of all levels. Gary demonstrates the ultimate goal...he utilizes all the sticking patterns and hand & foot combinations contained throughout this video. Gary shows you how to apply these exercises to music. He adds his own personal technique and style to his performance. Gary also displays his versatility around the drum kit, by playing a few different styles of music. The music Gary performs encompasses a wide variety of styles ranging from Funk to driving Progressive Rock with numerous timing changes, feels, and moods. This video is a MUST HAVE if you are learning to play the drums. Endorsements: PEARL Drums, EVANS Drumheads, SABIAN Cymbals, VIC FIRTH Drumsticks, AUDIX Microphones, & GROOVEJUICE For more information about Gary check out his personal website: GaryMoffatt.com Barry is a gifted and versatile bassist, singer and songwriter. With his growling bass tones, kinetic stage persona and soulful vocals, Barry brings to the 38 family an undeniable amount of talent and experience. Barry is previously best known for his work with Swedish heavy-metal guitar virtuoso, Yngwie Malmsteen. In the late 1980’s & ‘90’s, Barry performed on nine of Malmsteen’s albums—two of which have gold status in Japan, “Facing the Animal” and “Alchemy”. Also to his credit, Barry has four world tours with Malmsteen. Other notable bands include Riggs, Whiteface, Joe Lynn Turner, Saraya, The Pat Travers Band and Survivor. Barry has also been a prominent member of Voices of Classic Rock/Rock & Pop Masters which was a collaboration of many rock legends such as Ronnie Hammond-(Atlanta Rhythm Section); John Cafferty-(Beaver Brown Band); Bill Champlin-(Chicago); Steve Augeri (Journey); Mike Reno (Loverboy); Glen Hughes-(Deep Purple); Alex Ligertwood-(Santana) and many others.
Barry has also been a proud member of the American Airlines All-Star Band which benefits Susan B. Koman for the Cure and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. While not on tour, Barry is producing several projects in his home studio in St. Augustine,FL. During Barry’s 40+ professional years, he has also had the pleasure of performing/touring/recording with many other prominent musicians. For more info, check Barry out at BarryDunaway.com Finally, 38 Special is proud to be introducing our newest member, legendary guitarist and vocalist Jerry Riggs! Jerry has been an old friend of the band for many years and comes with an impressive pedigree as a titan in the southern rock field, a virtuoso guitarist and vocalist with a long history as a recording artist and bandleader in his own right. Jerry was signed by Irving Azoff in 1981 to contribute songs and sequential music for the platinum-selling soundtrack album from the movie “Heavy Metal.” This led to additional work contributing songs for the Warner Brothers movie, “Nightshift.” As lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for his band RIGGS, Jerry secured a record deal with Warner Brothers Records in 1982 and released his eponymous album, following it up with a year touring throughout the U.S. as special guest on the Rush “Moving Pictures” tour. In 1983, Jerry was invited to join up with the Pat Travers Band and toured worldwide with him for 10 years from 1983-1993. Jerry has shared the stage with many icons of rock over the years and played with over 100 different recording artists, many who were Grammy winners. He was profiled in Vintage Guitar Magazine in 2016 as a legendary artist maintaining his passion and fiery style. He has already made an intense impact on the band and can bring the heat to what is shaping up to be a group of legendary players.
Along the way, through his friendship with many amazing artists, May 2022 • Music News
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Ace Frehley Performs at Warehouse Live On May 21 The legendary original lead guitarist for KISS, Ace Frehley, brings their hits and much more to the stage at the Warehouse Live for one show only on Saturday, May 21. After co-founding KISS in 1973, Ace Frehley and his bandmates went on to rock the world and become what can only be described as a true “phenomenon.” They established themselves as a force in the music industry with their rock anthems and incredible live shows. KISS went on to become one of the best-selling bands of all time with over 75 million records sold worldwide, 30 gold albums, 14 platinum albums and 3 multi-platinum albums. Establishing himself early on as the coolest member of KISS with his rock ‘n’ roll swagger and laid-back, mysterious demeanor – Frehley quickly became one of the most admired lead guitarists in rock history, going on to have the most successful solo career of any KISS member. With his latest recording, Spaceman, Frehley returns to the spirit of his first 1978 solo record, even enlisting the help of drummer Anton Fig who played in Frehley’s solo touring band, Frehley’s Comet. Rock out to Frehley’s solo hits, including “New York Groove” and “Rock Soldiers” plus KISS classics, like “Parasite,” “Love Gun,” “Detroit Rock City,” “Cold Gin,” “Deuce” and many more. Here are a few things you probably
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know about Ace Frehley: He’s the original lead guitarist for KISS (which he co-founded in 1973). He was also their best—his song-within-the-song guitar solos are as much a part of KISS as the band’s seven-inch platform boots. And he’s always been the coolest member of KISS—rock ’n’ roll swagger, laid-back, mysterious—just ask Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, or Naoko Yamano of Shonen Knife, or Abbath of Immortal. Hell, even people who don’t like KISS still love Ace. What you may not know is that Ace Frehley has not been a member of KISS since 2002, when he left his second tenure with the band (there’s a “spaceman” currently playing leads for the band, but it ain’t Ace). In his time away from KISS (1983-1996, and 2002-present), Frehley has put together the most successful solo career of any member—current or former. And Ace is on a roll. He’s ready to embark on his next musical journey with Spaceman, his third solo outing in four years. Of all Ace’s post-KISS recorded output, Spaceman might be the closest link to his widely acclaimed 1978 solo record, both in spirit and execution. First off, Frehley played all of the guitar parts on Spaceman, as well as bass on all but two songs. Longtime drummer Anton Fig, whose friendship with Ace began in that 1978 record, also appears on “Off My Back” and “Pursuit of Rock and Roll”. There’s also a thematic, almost biographical, thread running through the album of a long life in rock ’n’ roll, although Ace admits it wasn’t intentional.
The first single “Bronx Boy” lays out Ace’s pre-KISS roots, running wild with an Irish street gang called the Ducky Boys. It might be his grittiest song to date, with an opening riff that lashes out like a switchblade. His reconnection with Simmons and fellow KISS vocalist-guitarist Paul Stanley might be chalked up to the fact that Frehley has been sober for more than a decade (he celebrated 12 years of sobriety in September). Ace’s clean living no doubt has a lot to do with his productive streak, which began with the release of his top 20 Anomaly album in 2009, his top 10 Space Invader LP in 2014; and continues with Spaceman. Spaceman is a lean-and-mean nine tracks, and includes what has become a trademark for any Ace joint, a cosmic instrumental. “Quantum Flux” is a classic prog ’n’ roll song from Frehley, with lush acoustics and twin-leads. Fans might also notice the song’s doomy outro, which nods to “Black Diamond” on KISS’s 1974 debut. Along with writing and recording new material, Ace has also been tirelessly hitting the road, playing festivals, as well as dates stateside and in Australia and Japan. As always, Ace is traveling at an altitude us mere mortals will never understand—a life lived to the fullest, and one that has defied… well, everything. That said, if you ever see the Space Ace in the cosmos, there’s only one proper reaction: “Hey look, it’s rock ’n’ roll!”
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Music News • May October 2022 2020
April 2022 • Music News
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Friday, May 6, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am Andy’s Bar & Grill 27200 Hwy 290 - Cypress, TX 77433 Saturday, May 7, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm State Farm Insurance Blood Drive 5507 Morton Rd Suite 101 - Katy, TX 77493 Friday, May 13, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am Aspens Bar & Grill 817 Clear Lake Rd - Kemah, TX 77565 Saturday, May 14, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am Jailhouse Saloon 310 Preston Ave - Spring, TX 77373 Friday, May 20, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am 6th St Garage Bar & Kitchen 522 6th St N - Texas City, TX 77590 Sunday, May 22, 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm The Hawg Stop Bar & Grill 11335 Sheldon Rd - Houston, TX 77044
Friday, June 3, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am The Abbey Pub 2002 N Fry Rd - Houston, TX 77084 Wednesday, June 15, 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm Two Mules Tavern 100 Cypresswood Dr - Spring, TX 77388
Friday, May 27, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am Capone’s Oven & Bar 2303 Richmond Ave - Houston, TX 77098
Saturday, June 18, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am Jailhouse Saloon 310 Preston Ave - Spring, TX 77373
Saturday, May 28, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am Backwoods Saloon 230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385
Sunday, June 19, 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm The Hawg Stop Bar & Grill 11335 Sheldon Rd ?Houston, TX 77044
Sunday, May 29, 1:00pm - 5:00 pm Papa’s On The Lake 14632 Hwy 105 W - Montgomery, TX 38 Music News • April 2022
Open 6 Days A Week Tuesday thru Sunday
Sunday, May 1 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Paul Ramirez Thursday, May 5 - Starr Jernigan Friday, May 6 - Eric Demmer Saturday, May 7 - Mighty Orq Sunday, May 8 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Mark May Thursday, May 12 - Eric Demmer Friday, May 13 - Gary Cain Saturday, May 14 - Mark May Sunday, May 15 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Chris Casteneda Thursday, May 19 - Tom Craig Friday, May 20 - Brad Stivers Saturday, May 21 - Pee Wee Bowen Sunday, May 22 - Katie’s Jam with guest host James Wilhite Thursday, May 26 - Shawn Pittman Friday, May 27 - Sparky Parker Saturday, May 28 - Jonn Del Toro Richardson Sunday, May 29 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Hugo Jamz
May 2022 • Music News
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MANGO MADNESS ALL MONTH LONG! Happy Hour Prices All Night Long On Mango Enfused Drinks! Margarita’s Screwdriver’s 1006 McGowen and more!
MANGO MADNESS ALL MONTH LONG! Happy Hour Prices All Night Long On Mango Enfused Drinks! Margarita’s Screwdriver’s 713-650-1006 and more!
Leon’s Lounge Is Now Available For Private Parties! Make Your Reservations Now!!
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This May at Leon’s Lounge Sunday, May 1 - Facilitator Games presents Game Night at 4:30 pm followed by Bad Trip Monday, May 2 - Kevin Jeffries Tuesday, May 3 - Ryan Matthew Hatcher Wednesday, May 4 - Music News Open Mic Night with Joe Cain Thursday, May 5 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap with Special Guests Friday, May 6 - RYEM the Duo Saturday, May 7 - Kim Foushee and The Alliance Sunday, May 8 - Bad Trip Monday, May 9 - Kevin Jeffries Tuesday, May 10 - Ryan Matthew Hatcher Wednesday, May 11 - Music News Open Mic Night with Joe Cain Thursday, May 12 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap with Special Guests Friday, May 13 - Wild Rabbit Salad Saturday, May 14 - The Chill Sunday, May 15 - Bad Trip Monday, May 16 - Kevin Jeffries Tuesday, May 17 - Ryan Matthew Hatcher Wednesday, May 18 - Music News Open Mic Night with Joe Cain Thursday, May 19 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap with Special Guests Friday, May 20 - Band To Be Announced Saturday, May 21 - Mark And The Misphits Sunday, May 22 - Bad Trip Monday, May 23 - Kevin Jeffries Tuesday, May 24 - Ryan Matthew Ha Wednesday, May 25 - Music News Open Mic Night with Joe Cain Thursday, May 26 - SVS Pre-Show @ 5:00 - 8:30 pm (No Cover) Friday, May 27 - The Octanes with Nick Gaitlan Saturday, May 29 - Tailspin Sunday, May 8 - Bad Trip Monday, May 30 - Kevin Jeffries Tuesday, May 31 - Ryan Matthew Hatcher Music News • August 2021
Hosted by
Joe and Cain Leon’sLounge present
1006 McGowen St. Houston, Texas 713-650-1006
OPEN MIC WEDNESDAYS 8-12:00 AM All Musicians’s and All Genre’s of Music Welcome! Bring Your Instruments and Play! Guitar Bass Drums Keyboards Harmonica Vocals If it makes music, bring it!
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June 2021 • Music News August May2022 2021•• ••Music MusicNews News 45 March Music News February 2022 Music News 2021
The Biker, The Blues And An Artist Named Tom Waits Sometimes a good song impresses you immediately because of its sound or its beat, others reach you because the lyrics hit home. Something catchy in the message, something about the way the artist comes across with not just the words but the vibe. Enter Tom Waits. Tom Waits writes about life from the view point of an observer just passing through, he gets just close enough to the song material to make it relational to listeners and this sentiment comes through rather well, even if it’s sad content it draws a relatable smile. In one of his songs “Semi Suite” he writes about the steam heat dripping off the wall as the man showers ready to leave a one night lay over. Earlier in the song he places emphasis on the last two words. He uses a rest beat between the words lay and over to drive the point home on why he’s in the shower. In another song he presents a poetic portrait of a man that can see himself falling in love but he’s afraid to fall in love again “I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You”. He expresses the man by refraining, “I hope that I don’t fall in love you ‘cause falling in love just makes me blue”. Sort of a potential been there, done that kind of situation for any of us. One has to wonder where does this creative posturing come from that reaches so many so perfectly? Surely a songwriter has to envision a mental image of the subject matter first but then how does he convey the message through street verbiage using precise street slang in order to paint additional hue into the piece? Tom Waits has the ability to do just that as he writes about strip joints, ladies of the evening, bums, all night diners, people in jail, people hopelessly detached from those they love, people giving their money to strangers, one bit of street level reality after another. We’ve all felt restlessness motivated by a common denominator such as being dumped, left behind, broke, or destitute for one of many reasons. Tom Waits pens his messages marvelously. Yet conversely the man writes excellent love songs albeit through his interpretation of a man just passing through life just wanting to be accepted but who’s vulnerable. When Mr. Waits received his induction into the rock and roll hall of fame Neil Young was the master of ceremonies. Mr. Young’s fascination with Tom Waits included how surprised he was at how many songs Tom had written that have been covered by others including the Eagles no less. He invited Tom to the stage and the inductee was polite but also mentioned that he was skeptical about accepting the award. He said something to the effect that he wished the award had come on a key chain so he could wear it. This way if he were ever arrested they would say we can’t arrest this man why he’s won an award from the rock and roll hall of fame. The room of creatives immediately acknowledged the levity. Typical Waits tongue in cheek for sure. Some poets, songwriters have a gift, a great connection to observing life and they write about it masterfully. In another Tom Waits song he describes a waitress in a late night diner. His description is brought to you in diner lingo as he comments about her having maxwell house eyes, marmalade thighs and scrambled yellow hair her rhinestone star studded moniker reads Irene “The Ghosts Of Saturday Night”. He picks up on the pace of the place, the vibe of this all night diner and uses diner slang to describe orders being passed along to the cook. “Adam and Eve on a log you can sink them continued on next page
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Page 2 - The Biker, The Blues And An Artist Named Tom Waits damn straight, hash browns, hash browns you know I can’t wait.” He writes about attraction, the possibility of love, and the softness of a woman yet at the same time he expresses the aloofness of a hesitant man admiring this potential from basically afar. He writes about people being in these kind of situations as if he is in the first person. He presents an admirer who for whatever reason feels he knows his place in society and colors inside those lines. In his “Fumbling With The Blues” song he shares: “Friday left me fumbling with the blues it’s so hard to win when you always lose.” He captures the lingering spirit of a lonely person who feels left out. A person on the other hand who is out and about on a Friday night, who hasn’t experienced this to some degree? The songwriter paints this situation rather well and it begs the philosophical, has the songwriter lived these various portraits he brings to life? Where does his understanding of these common but very different street life situations originate from? He’s observing life in various subcultures. He envisions it, feels it, and crafts what he envisions. His street level descriptions are crystal clear, you get it right away. Anyone that has even remotely been close to even just one of the situations he presents totally gets it. Being able to craft mental images into street lingo lyrics is an art form. In another song “Virginia Avenue” he sings: “Cause I’m walking on down Columbus Avenue the bars are all closing ‘cause it’s quarter to two, every town I go to is like a lock without a key, those I leave behind are catching up on me, let me tell you they’re catching up on me, they’re catching up on me, catching up on me, catching up on me, catching up on me. The phrasing does it, it’s like an echo that reveals desperation as the man shares what is going on mentally. The music sets the tone and then the phrasing places the emphasis on a specific mood. Here’s a drifter moving from one frail reality into another living with this daily mental anguish. We witness a private inward cry, one through verses reveal a person moving away from heir past and the past continually follows along in his mind where ever he goes. The songwriter pens this living hell, this anguish, with precision. As listeners we get it. We may not have experienced life with a daily haunting memory to the degree of the man in the song but we get it. Personally, in my own life I keep moving from one city to another, one strip joint to another, one blues bar to another, moving between one short intimate moment into another somewhere down the road. I am out here because this is who I am. I am a soul that is not looking for purpose but observing and celebrating life for what it is. Not running away but then not embracing long term commitment either. The good news is that I meet lots of people that like me are happy being themselves. They are not trying to climb any social ladder, they are just experiencing life being as free as they can be given their choice in lifestyle. Sometimes I think these are the people in life that have won. They have found inner peace as they are not humans attempting to be spiritual but rather free spirits in their own right attempting to be human. Their world is a place of acceptance with very little to no condemnation toward anyone. They work late hours, odd jobs, often times judged by the straights of conformed society as outcasts, some say low life. Nah, that’s wrong. They get it. For the most part they are happy with who they are and of course everyone wishes things could be better but then again they are ok with where they are in life. Pretty cool if you ask me. I am going to keep riding, meeting people, sharing what I find with you. Observing shift changes, the waving down of an early morning taxi by a tired late night waitress, the motel maid that arrives at work early in the morning armed with a song and a smile knowing what lies ahead. The late night tow truck driver, the third shift nurse waiting at the bus stop vulnerable but doing what she has to do, the night time cop doing his or her job but reluctantly so, and as Mr. Waits writes, the street sweeper that is sweeping up the remnants of Saturday Night. May 2022 • Music News 43
Steely Dan Perform At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion June 3 by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Most rock & roll bands are a tightly wound unit that developed their music through years of playing in garages and clubs around their hometown. Steely Dan never subscribed to that aesthetic. As the vehicle for the songwriting of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan defied all rock & roll conventions. Becker and Fagen never truly enjoyed rock — with their ironic humor and cryptic lyrics, their eclectic body of work shows some debt to Bob Dylan — preferring jazz, traditional pop, blues, and R&B. Steely Dan created a sophisticated, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the recording studio. With producer Gary Katz, Becker and Fagen gradually changed Steely Dan from a performing band to a studio project, hiring professional musicians to record their compositions. Though the band didn’t perform live between 1974 and 1993, Steely Dan’s popularity continued to grow throughout the ’70s as their albums became critical
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favorites and their singles became staples of AOR and pop radio stations. Even after the group disbanded in the early ’80s, their records retained a cult following, as proven by the massive success of their unlikely return to the stage in the early ’90s. Walter Becker (bass) and Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards) were the core members of Steely Dan throughout its various incarnations. The two met at Bard College in New York in 1967 and began playing in bands together shortly afterward. The duo played in a number of groups — including the Bad Rock Group, which featured future comedic actor Chevy Chase on drums — which ranged from jazz to progressive rock. Eventually, Becker and Fagen began composing songs together, hoping to become professional songwriters in the tradition of the Brill Building. In 1970, the pair joined Jay & the Americans’ backing band, performing under pseudonyms; Becker chose Gustav Mahler, while Fagen used Tristan Fabriani. They stayed with Jay & the Americans until halfway through 1971, when
they recorded the soundtrack for the lowbudget film You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It, which was produced by the Americans’ Kenny Vance. Following the recording of the soundtrack, Becker and Fagen attempted to start a band with Denny Dias, but the venture was unsuccessful. Barbra Streisand recorded the Fagen/Becker composition “I Mean to Shine” on her album Barbra Joan Streisand, released in August 1971, and the duo met producer Gary Katz, who hired them as staff songwriters for ABC/Dunhill in Los Angeles, where he had just become a staff producer. Katz suggested that Becker and Fagen form a band as a way to record their songs, and Steely Dan — who took their name from a dildo in William Burroughs’ Naked Lunch — were formed shortly afterward. Recruiting guitarists Denny Dias and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, drummer Jim Hodder, and keyboardist/vocalist David Palmer, Becker and Fagen officially formed Steely Dan in 1972, releasing their debut, Can’t Buy a Thrill, shortly afterward. Palmer and Fagen continued on next page
Steely Dan shared lead vocals on the album, but the record’s two hit singles — the Top Ten “Do It Again” and “Reeling in the Years” — were sung by Fagen. Can’t Buy a Thrill was a critical and commercial success, but its supporting tour was a disaster, hampered by an under-rehearsed band and unappreciative audiences. Palmer left the band following the tour. Countdown to Ecstasy, released in 1973, was a critical hit, but it failed to generate a hit single, even though the band supported it with a tour.
variety of studio musicians — including Dias, Porcaro, guitarist Elliot Randall, saxophonists Phil Woods, bassist Wilton Felder, percussionist Victor Feldman, keyboardist Michael Omartian, and guitarist Larry Carlton — as supporting musicians. Katy Lied was another hit, as was 1976’s The Royal Scam, which continued in the vein of its predecessor. On 1977’s Aja, Steely Dan’s sound became more polished and jazzy, as they hired jazz fusion artists like Wayne Shorter, Lee Ritenour, and the Crusaders as support. Aja became their biggest hit, reaching the Top Five within three weeks of release and becoming one of the first albums to be certified platinum. Aja also gained the respect of many jazz musicians, as evidenced by Woody Herman recording an album of Becker/Fagen songs in 1978.
Steely Dan replaced Hodder with Jeff Porcaro and added keyboardist/backup vocalist Michael McDonald prior to recording their third album, Pretzel Logic. Released in the spring of 1974, Pretzel Logic returned Steely Dan to the Top Ten on the strength of the single “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.” After completing the supporting tour for Pretzel Logic, Becker and Fagen decided to retire from live performances and make Steely Dan a studio-based band. For their next album, 1975’s Katy Lied, the duo hired a
Following the release of Aja, ABC was bought out by MCA Records, resulting in a contractual dispute with the label that delayed until 1980 the release of their follow-up album. During the interim, the group had a hit with the theme song for the film FM in 1978. Steely Dan finally released Gaucho, the follow-up to Aja, in late 1980, and it became another Top Ten hit for the group. During the summer of 1981, Becker and Fagen announced that they were parting ways. The following year, Fagen released his solo debut,
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The Nightfly, which became a critical and commercial hit. Fagen didn’t record another album until 1993, when he reunited with Becker, who produced Kamakiriad. The album was promoted by the first Steely Dan tour in nearly 20 years, and while the record failed to sell, the concerts were very popular. In 1994, Becker released his solo debut, 11 Tracks of Whack, which was produced by Fagen. The following year, Steely Dan mounted another reunion tour, and in early 2000 the duo issued Two Against Nature, their first new studio album in two decades. It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Steely Dan followed it in 2003 with Everything Must Go. Fagen’s solo album Morph the Cat was released in 2006, and Becker released Circus Money in 2008 as Steely Dan embarked on another tour. In September 2017, it was announced that Becker had died in Maui, Hawaii. He was 67-years-old. Fagen carried on with Steely Dan after Becker’s passing, often calling the group “the Steely Dan Band.” This new lineup was showcased on a pair of live albums released in September 2021: Northeast Corridor: Steely Dan Live and Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly Live, both recorded between 2018 and 2019. May 2022 • Music News 45
Alicia Villarreal Performs At The Arena Theatre May 20 by Drago Bonacich After participating in different bands in her native city, regional Mexican singer Alicia Villarreal joined successful Grupo Límite, playing along with accordionist Gerardo Padilla, guitarist Sergio Ponce, bassist Jesús Cantú, percussionist Carlos Ramírez, and drummer Juan Cantú. Grupo Límite debuted with the release of Por Puro Amor in 1995, becoming a top-selling group soon after. Alicia Villarreal’s first solo album, called Soy Lo Prohibido, was produced by Homero Patón and released by the Latin division of Universal in 2001. Cuando el Corazon Se Cruza appeared in early 2004, and 2006’s Orgullo de Mujer cracked the Billboard 200, landed at number eight on Top Latin 46
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Albums, and earned the singer a Grammy nomination. A Mexican and US tour followed that lasted well over a year. When Villarreal re-emerged with La Jefa in 2009, it relied much more on the traditional Mexican fare of her earlier career than on the fusion of norteno and Latin pop that made her a star. Its bouncy rancheras and sanguine ballads were rife with accordions and tubas dominating the mix. It resonated with fans, too: The album placed well within the Top 200 and hit the number four spot on Top Latin Albums, spending 14 weeks on the chart. In addition, it topped the Mexican Regional albums chart after debuting at number 11 and spent nine weeks in the number one position. Her tour plans were interrupted when her 36-year-old brother José Víctor Villarreal Esparza,
was killed in a car accident; other than compilation albums, La Jefa was her last release for eight years. She spent her time raising two young sons and collaborating behind the scenes with with her husband, hit producer and bandleader Cruz Martinez (Los Super Reyes). In July of 2017, Villarreal announced her return to music with the pre-release ranchera single “Haz Lo Que Quieras” (whose video racked up two million views in its first month) and followed it with “Te Aprovechas,” a cumbia-cummariachi duet with LatinX pop duo Ha*Ash. A live video version of the cumbia/merengue medley “Yo Sin Tu Amor/El Príncipe” hit a million views after its first release in August. Her Martinez-produced full-length La Villarreal arrived in stores on August 17.
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Roberto Carlos Performs At Smart Financial Centre May 15 by Alvaro Neder Best-selling Brazilian singer/ songwriter Roberto Carlos is known as “the King of Latin Music.” He has sold over 120 million records globally, and with his partner and co-writer, Erasmo Carlos, he has penned over three dozen Top Ten charting singles. Still active and successful in the 21st century, he initiated a major revolution in Brazilian music during the 1960s thanks to his fusion of Anglo-styled pop and rock and the second wave of Brazilian samba. His initial success coincided with the emergent youth movement in pop (started by the Beatles) that took over the world. Carlos was the leader of the country’s Jovem Guarda. He was the host of the TV show that became a generic denomination of a musical style and what was a definitive change of face to the Brazilian phonographic market and of the very art of marketing itself (with the advent of an aggressive merchandising of the Jovem Guarda’s top figures, including films, clothes, and more), encompassing deep behavioral/gestural/language influences widespread through his entire generation. His light music, derived from British pop, and his (and Erasmo Carlos’) lyrics (happy, humorous, full of fashionable 48 Music News • May 2022
youth slang, and naïve though unexpectedly sexual) were deeply contrasting to the more serious MPB, with its somber images and protest songs. After all, Brazil was living in a dark period of the military dictatorship, or the “years of lead,” as they became known. A few years later, in the late ’60s, Carlos (counseled by his advisors) changed his style to become the most successful romantic artist in Brazil. Having written (always with Erasmo Carlos) some of the most beautiful songs in this style (such as “Detalhes,” “Sua Estupidez,” “Jesus Cristo,” and “Debaixo dos Caracóis dos Seus Cabelos”), Carlos accumulated virtually all possible accomplishments as a highly successful artist, including a solid international career with awards like the Grammy and top positions on Billboard’s Latin charts. Though the adherence to a worn-out sentimental formula proved to be effective in commercial terms, it ultimately led him to be known, in the ’80s and ’90s, as a cheesy artist by youngsters and a portion of adult listeners. Nevertheless, the mid-’90s witnessed a resurgence of Jovem Guarda talents through tributes by new rockers, and Carlos reached the 21st century uncontestedly enjoying his
absolute title: the King. Roberto Carlos was from a lowermiddle-class family. At six, he lost one of his legs and began using a prosthesis. At nine, he debuted on his home city’s local radio. In 1955, he moved to Niterói (Rio de Janeiro) and then to Lins de Vasconcelos (a suburb of Rio), where he started to get into rock through Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, and Little Richard, at the same time he met Carlos Imperial, also from his hometown, who, as a TV and radio producer, would be of considerable importance to Carlos’ early professional years. Two years later, Carlos performed at TV Tupi, singing “Tutti Frutti.” In that period, he was scheduled to open a Bill Haley show at the Maracanazinho (Rio) when he became acquainted with Erasmo Carlos (then Erasmo Esteves). In 1958, Carlos met the “Matoso gang” — future artists Tim Maia, Jorge Ben, and the same Erasmo Esteves, among others — who would meet at Matoso Street at Tijuca (a neighborhood of Rio). Carlos, Erasmo, and Tim Maia (together with Edson Trindade, Arlênio Lívio, and José Roberto “China”) formed the group the Snacks (later the Sputniks), playing balls and continued on next page
Roberto Carlos continued from previous page performing on TV (including at Carlos Imperial’s Clube do Rock on TV Continental, where Carlos was already a regular). The group was soon dissolved due to the incompatibility between Carlos and Maia. After working as an extra in several films such as Agüenta o Rojão and Minha Sogra é da Polícia (in which they backed up Cauby Peixoto on one song), Carlos and Erasmo played together in Erasmo’s quartet the Snakes until Carlos was called by Imperial to take Carlos Lyra’s place in the Os Terríveis band, which played Elvis Presley covers on TV shows and live performances contracted by Imperial. Soon, Carlos left the band to try to become a bossa nova artist. Strongly influenced by João Gilberto in that period, Carlos often tried to “sit in” at the famous Temples Plaza nightclub and the clubs of the Beco das Garrafas, but to no avail. A testimony of his ephemeral and unaccomplished bossa nova phase is Carlos’ first album, with “João e Maria” and “Fora do Tom” (both by Imperial). In August 1960, a new release was launched, again in the bossa vein, “Brotinho Sem Juízo” and “Canção do Amor Nenhum” (again, both by Imperial). At the same time, Carlos would participate regularly in shows presented by Imperial, Os Brotos Comandam (TV Continental and Rádio Guanabara) and Festa de Brotos (TV Tupi). In 1961, during the same year in which Carlos recorded his first LP (a move toward boleros and ballads, Louco por Você) that earned some acceptance at the time (3,500 copies sold in one year), he accepted the suggestion of the record company CBS and changed his style to youth music, starting to write songs with the composer/lyricist who would become his most important collaborator: Erasmo Carlos. The duo’s first hit was Carlos’ rendition for an Erasmo version of “Splish Splash” (Bobby Darin), having as the B-side another classic written by them, “Parei na Contramão.” The album was recorded and launched in 1963 as Carlos’ fifth 78-rpm record, accompanied by Renato e Seus Blue Caps. It sold 7,500 copies, a modest amount today, but it represented a considerable amount then and the milestone of a new time. In 1964, the LP É Proibido Fumar
(backed by the Youngsters) had hits with the title track (by Carlos/Erasmo) and with Erasmo’s version of “Road Hog,” “O Calhambeque.” It sold almost 12,000 copies in 18 months and was considered high-selling then, but still behind the leader Carlos Alberto (a bolero singer), who was selling more than twice as much. Nevertheless, Carlos’ nationwide success was ascending, with more and more invitations for TV and radio shows and CBS wanting to take him to Argentina. That year, Carlos recorded the same repertory in Spanish, also backed by the Youngsters, and the album Es Prohibido Fumar was released by the end of 1964 in Argentina. It was planned to also be distributed in Brazil, but as the military government considered anything in Spanish (the language of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara) dangerous to the country, the album was simply taken out of the catalog by the recording company. In 1965, Carlos was elected the King for the first time by direct vote of the audience in a contest promoted by Antônio Aguillar on his Reino da Juventude show. Later, the title would be confirmed at the highly popular Chacrinha show and it would be his for life. In the same year, Roberto Carlos Canta Para a Juventude broke all records established by the singer until then, by far surpassing Carlos Alberto and his Amor Perdido. Carlos’ album reached fifth place according to IBOPE (a most-accredited public opinion research institute); however, it quickly fell several positions. In fact, he would only have an album at number one of the hit parade by the end of the year, with his next LP. Until then, his rising success would sell over 20,000 copies of the double single with “História de um Homem Mau” (reaching fourth place on the charts) and 50,000 copies of his single “Não Quero Ver Você Triste.”
until then. Scoring hits in Argentina and Brazil, Carlos became the best-seller for CBS. Carlos’ double single with “A Garota do Baile” reached number two in November, behind the Beatles’ “Help!” But his album Jovem Guarda, also launched in November, took only one week to push “Help!” out of number one on the Brazilian charts, selling almost 200,000 copies in one year. “Quero Que Vá Tudo Pro Inferno” became a nationwide hit and with the exception of brief periods of time, it reigned absolute at number one on the hit parade during the entire first half of 1966. After performing in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay — countries in which the Spanish version of “O Calhambeque” continued to have success — Carlos went to Europe in April 1966, singing in Portugal (where “Calhambeque” and “Quero Que Vá Tudo Pro Inferno” were in first place on Lisbon charts).
On September 5, Carlos opened the legendary show Jovem Guarda as the main host and also featuring Vanderléa and Erasmo Carlos by his side. The show gave the name and directives to the first musical scene produced especially for Brazilian youth, representing a major cultural/behavioral/commercial breakthrough. After the show’s debut, Carlos’ popularity reached levels unimagined
Returning to Brazil, he soon departed for a tour that started in South America, then Central and North America, where he sang in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, then Europe (London, Paris, Berlin, and Lisbon). Roberto Carlos, released in December continued on next page May 2022 • Music News
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already recorded albums in Spanish, Italian, and, naturally, Portuguese), having won the Globo de Cristal trophy, awarded by CBS to Brazilian artists who sell more than five million copies outside Brazil. At the same time, his albums continued to break records in his country. “Caminhoneiro” (1984) was aired 3,000 times in a single day, another record soon beaten by his own “Verde e Amarelo” (1985), with 3,500 spins. In 1986, he had success at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and, two years later, won the Grammy as the Best Latin American Pop Singer. In 1989, his Sonrie album reached first place on Billboard’s Latin chart.
Roberto Carlos continued from previous page 1966, went right to number one in the second week (remaining there until April 1967), and sold 300,000 copies in less than a year. Also in 1967, Carlos starred the feature film Roberto Carlos em Ritmo de Aventura (whose soundtrack sold 300,000 copies, staying at number one from December 17 until June 1968; the film also broke all box office records until then); won fifth place at the III FMPB (Festival of Brazilian Popular Music of the TV Record, São Paulo) with “Maria, Carnaval e Cinzas,” by Luís Carlos Paraná (reaching number one as a single in November); participated in the MIDEM Festival in Cannes, France; and won the Chico Viola trophy for the songs “Quero Que Vá Tudo pro Inferno” and “Esqueça” and for the LP Jovem Guarda. In June of the same year, Carlos departed for a series of shows in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the U.S. In Italy, he participated in the Venice Song Festival. In 1968, Carlos left Jovem Guarda, which due to his absence would soon cease to exist. His departure was a result of a mature decision to migrate from a youth idol profile to that of a romantic singer. In the same year, Carlos won the San Remo Festival (XVIII Festival della Canzone Italiana) with “Canzone Per Te” (Sergio Endrigo) and starred in the film O Diamante Cor-de-Rosa (also a box office success), opening his own show, Roberto Carlos à Noite (TV Record) on March 15.
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As a romantic singer, Carlos had several hits in the 1970s that still had his creative impetus, such as “Sua Estupidez,” “As Flores do Jardim de Nossa Casa,” “Jesus Cristo,” “Amada Amante,” “Detalhes,” “Debaixo dos Caracóis dos Seus Cabelos,” “A Montanha,” “A Proposta,” “Além do Horizonte,” “Olha,” “Amante à Moda Antiga,” and “A Ilha” (all with Erasmo), along with “Como Vai Você?” (Antônio Marcos/Mário Marcos), and two songs written by Caetano Veloso especially for him, “Como Dois e Dois” and “Muito Romântico.” In that decade, Carlos also consolidated his international career, doing regular shows in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. In 1970, he did his first show at the prestigious Canecão, which would be the first of his highly successful annual seasons at the most important Carioca hall in terms of media resonance. In the early ’70s, Carlos became the top record-selling Brazilian artist, a position he would keep for many consecutive years. After 1976, his albums were selling over 1,000,000 copies. His 1977 album Roberto Carlos, with “Falando Sério,” sold 2.2 million copies. His 1978 show also beat all records, with 250,000 spectators in six months throughout Brazil, while the album with “Café da Manhã,” “Força Estranha,” and “Lady Laura” sold 1.5 million copies. In the ’80s, Carlos also started to record in English and French (he had
In the 1990s, Carlos became the first Latin American artist to sell more albums than the Beatles (in 1994, having by then sold over 70 million copies of his albums). In the mid-’90s, with the retro Jovem Guarda wave, Carlos, whose appeal had been limited among the younger generations who had only known his romantic and sentimental hits directed at a middle-aged audience, had his importance reinforced by young rockers such as Cássia Eller, Chico Science & Nação Zumbi, Barão Vermelho, and Skank, who recorded Rei, a tribute to him with his old Jovem Guarda hits. In 1998, his second wife, Maria Rita, discovered she had cancer (she would die in 1999), which shattered his peace of mind. Trying to keep on with his career, Carlos continued to record and perform after one year of seclusion. In 2001, he broke his contract with Sony (ex-CBS), the recording company through which he had released a vast majority of his albums, due to commercial reasons related to his wife’s demise. That relationship was restored shortly thereafter, and he continued with a long string of successful recordings for the label, including Leyendas Solamente los Mejores (2004), Duetos (2006), Música de Tom Jobim with Caetano Veloso (2008), Esse Cara Sou Eu (2012), and a second Duetos volume in 2014, as well as many compilations and singles. In 2015, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards. Later that year he released Primera Fila, an audio and video package of hits performed live at London’s Abbey Road Studios. In 2017, his self-titled EP hit the digital charts, while the following year saw the release of the Spanishlanguage Amor Sin Límites. Produced by Afo Verde, it included four new songs as well as another six that previously appeared only in his native Portuguese but were translated. The set’s first single, “Chegaste,” was delivered in duet with Jennifer Lopez.
by Jason Ankeny Originally known as Grupo Pesado, the norteño group Pesado was founded by frontman/accordionist Beto Zapata and Pepe Elizondo (bajo sexto, vocals) in 1993 in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. They debuted with the album Ayudame a Olvidar, released by MCM. Llego el Amor followed in 1994, soon achieving gold status. The following year, they scored a major hit with “Eso Me Gusta.” In 1997, original bass player Rodolfo Gajardo was replaced by Juan Antonio Pequeño. A new lineup change occurred in 1999 when ex-Grupo Límite drummer Luis Mario Garza took Mario Padilla’s place. By the time of their seventh LP, 1999’s A Tu Encuentro, Pesado had signed to the new WeaMEX imprint, which would issue a series of greatesthits albums for the group at the turn of the millennium. Todo Tuyo was issued in early 2001 and marked the first time Pesado entered the charts. Several more albums followed (as their discography continued selling to gold and platinum status) before Pesado issued 2006’s Piensame un Momento, which continued their streak and earned the group a Grammy nomination for Best Norteño Album. They struck again quickly with Gracias por Tu Amor, a controversial album that challenged physical abuse and the traditional notions of male machismo in Latin America. The album and its title track single were the subject of hot discussion on radio and television talk shows, but they only served to grow sales and airplay. Corridos: Defendiendo el Honor Pesado had another “thank you” on tap for 2008. As a celebration of their own 15th anniversary, they released Corridos: Defendiendo el Honor, a collection of classic corrido covers by artists such as Los Cadetes de Linares, Ramón Ayala, and Los Tigres del Norte. They followed it a few months later with a collection of new songs titled Sólo Contigo. A second corrido tribute date, Desde la Cantina, Vol. 1, was recorded at Pico’s Bar in Nuevo Leon and released in 2010. In rowdy fashion, it celebrated the historic songs of artists from the ’40s including Eliseo Robles, Lupe Tijerina de Los Cadetes de Linares, Don Cesareo Sánchez, and Los Cardenales de Nuevo León. In 2011, Pesado delivered the
Pesado Perform at The Arena Theatre May 7 studio album Una Historia para Siempre. Its single, “Mientras Dormías,” referenced Zapata’s then-recent marriage. Its romantic theme played well to fans, pushing it up the charts. They followed with a tour, but re-entered the studio quickly. Mi Promesa was issued less than a year later. It included three charting singles in the title track, “Que Bonito Es el Amor,” and “Le Creí,” and it proved one of the most romantic albums in the band’s history. In January of 2013, Pesado released the single “Mi Primer Amor.” Written by Zapata, it was dedicated to mothers. The video proved especially popular. Rather than issue an album immediately, Pesado had other plans. The single “Cuando Estas de Buenas” dropped in August, followed by “Por Ti” in September. These proved to be precursors to the band’s celebration of its 20th anniversary at the Arena Monterrey. They also issued a pair of retrospective concert albums to mark that occasion: Directo 93-13, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2. The retrospective recordings featured guest appearances by Mariachi San Luis, Celso Piña, and Los Tigres del Norte’s Raul Hernandez. Four pre-release singles were released in early 2015 and built up public demand: “Que Aún Te Amo” appeared in January while “Te Quiero, Te Adoro” and “Pude Olvidarte” hit the airwaves in March. The charts could hardly keep up. In April, the title track of Abrázame was
issued as a fifth single on the same day as the album’s release. They had four tracks on the airplay charts simultaneously. The radio and video play the singles received kept the album in front of the public for the rest of the year. As their tradition dictated, Pesado followed its album of originals with another tribute; this one differed from the rest in that it was dedicated to the work of a single historic force in norteño music: Tributo a los Alegres de Terán was released by Disa in February of 2016 and peaked at number two on the Mexican Regional Albums chart. At the end of September, they issued the pre-release single “Me Estorbas”; it peaked at number seven on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart. In an interview, Zapata announced that the full-length Los Angeles Existen was set for a summer 2017 release, prefaced by its title track as a second pre-release single that peaked at 17 at Regional Mexican Airplay and spent 20 weeks on the chart. A label change to Remex Music and intense touring commitments delayed release. In October, “Yo No Tengo Remedio” was issued as a third single and reached number ten at Regional Mexican Airplay. Pesado and Remex finally issued Los Angeles Existen in April of 2018. In addition to its singles, it included ten more songs penned by Zapata, Elizondo, Elías Medina, and Felipe. May 2022 • Music News
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ALEJANDRA GUZMÁN AND PAULINA RUBIO WILL FACE ‘FACE TO FACE’ IN HISTORIC “PERRÍSIMAS” US TOUR 2022 Paulina Rubio, La Chica Dorada and Alejandra Guzmán, La Reina de Corazones, are getting ready to meet face to face in a series of unrepeatable concerts that will be part of the largest and most controversial tour in the history of Latin pop rock: “PerrÍsimas” US Tour 2022. Across more than three decades, multiaward winning and legendary global superstars Alejandra Guzmán and Paulina Rubio have built impressive careers that have seen them claim the titles of “Queen of Latin Rock” and “Queen of Latin Pop”, respectively. After years of rivalry, for the first time, Rubio and Guzmán will appear on the same stage to settle scores and offer US audiences a spectacular and electrifying experience at Smart Financial Centre on May 7. Produced by the same superstars, the “Perrísimas” tour will kick off in April 2022 and will make more than 20 stops in cities such as Chicago, New York, Miami and Las Vegas before ending on May 22 in Los Angeles. As two of the greatest artists in the
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history of Latin music, both Alejandra Guzmán and Paulina Rubio have left a huge impact on the industry and global culture, having sold more than 50 million records between them. With countless awards, achievements and successes, his music has transcended generations and has served as a soundtrack for the lives of millions of listeners around the world. The “Perrísimas” US Tour 2022 will be the only opportunity that fans will have to witness the long-awaited and unprecedented meeting of these two international icons and, without a doubt, it will enter the record books as one of the greatest tours of all time. “It’s time to go back to the concerts, break with patterns and reset with Music. Going back to concerts is to live again!!!” Pauline Rubio “This is going to be a dangerous summer.” Alejandra Guzman ABOUT ALEJANDRA GUZMAN Singer-songwriter Alejandra Guzmán, known as the “Queen of Mexican
Rock” and the “Queen of Hearts” and recognized by The New York Times for her “grubby melodrama” and her music that Billboard calls “rock anthems” and characterized by his “husky voice and fierce, rebellious attitude,” has achieved one of the most illustrious careers in Latin music. With more than 25 million albums sold over more than 30 years, “Alejandra Guzmán” has had 23 albums charting with multiple Top-10 hits, sold out 19 world tours and amassed 28 gold and 13 platinum records, as well as 41 awards and 68 nominations for awards such as the Grammys, Latin Grammys, Premios Juventud, Billboard Latin Music Awards, Premio Lo Nuestro, Latin American Music Festival and Premio ERES. Alejandra is also an acclaimed television, film, and stage actress and, more recently, an acclaimed jewelry designer. Alejandra Gabriela Guzmán Pinal (born on 9 February 1968 in Mexico City, Mexico), better known as Alejandra Guzmán, is a Latin Grammy Award– winning Mexican rock singer and actress. continued on next page
ALEJANDRA GUZMÁN Y PAULINA RUBIO continued from previous page She has had a dedicated fanbase throughout Latin America since the late 1980s, and is known as the “Queen of Rock” in the Hispanic world. She has sold 15 million albums. Guzmán is the daughter of Mexican actress Silvia Pinal and Venezuelan-born Mexican rock and roll singer Enrique Guzmán. She is the half-sister of actresses Sylvia Pasquel and Viridiana Alatriste. Her niece Stephanie Salas is also a well known entertainer in Mexico.
Album for Soy. In 2006, she released Indeleble. The first single was “Volverte a Amar,” which became one of her biggest hits in Mexico and hit the Top 10 in the Billboard’s Hot Latin Tracks, peaking number #6 and number #1 in Hot Latin Pop Airplay chart. The album (which reached the #1 spot in Mexico) has been certified doubleplatinum and won two awards at the Premios Oye! 2006 (Mexico’s most important music awards), including Best Album of the Year and Pop Vocal Female. She was also nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards for Best Rock Vocal Album Indeleble and Best Rock Song for “Volverte a amar”. In 2007 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Undergoing treatment immediately, she beat it and became a spokeswoman for Iniciativa Ser, a Mexican organization devoted to awareness about the disease and fundraising for further research. Guzmán seemed invincible. By the end of the year she had signed with EMI and released the new album Fuerza.
After travelling with her mother’s theatre troupe, Guzmán decided she wanted to focus on singing and recorded her début album Bye Mama in 1988, which yielded “La plaga”, the first of many hits. In 1990, Guzmán scored one of the biggest hits of her career, the song “Eternamente Bella” (“Eternally Beautiful”), which became a number one hit in Mexico and other Latin countries. The song is considered a classic by many Spanish rock fans. In 1991 she released Flor de Papel. One of the album singles, “Hacer El Amor Con Otro”, became a smash hit for Guzmán, not only in Latin America and México, but also in the U.S. The album was well received by critics and fans, and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Pop Album in 1992. The albums Libre and Enorme followed in 1993 and 1994, respectively. Her musical output in the late 1990s was often overshadowed by the many controversies she was involved in. In 2002, Guzmán won her first Latin Grammy Award for Best Rock Solo Vocal
Its charting single, “Hasta el Final,” detailed her battle with the illness. In 2008, Guzmán began recording in studios in Nashville and London. The end result was 2009’s Único, the album she lovingly referred to as her “British rock album.” Not only did it chart, but it achieved gold status. That same year, after undergoing a cosmetic procedure, Guzmán fell gravely ill. The surgeon had injected her with an infected implant. He was prosecuted but Guzmán intervened on his behalf and he was acquitted. In 2010, she and singer Ricky Martin openly discussed a romantic relationship they shared in 1992. Shortly thereafter, she joined the television program Mira Quién Baila as a panel judge. This was short-
lived. She left the show under a shroud of controversy and rumor before the season ended. Guzmán released the live CD/DVD package Con Moderatto: 20 Años de Éxitos en Vivo in 2011. She toured to support the recording for nearly two years. She released the single “Mi Peor Error,” a new song for the best-selling, more intimate live album Primera Fila. She also joined the cast of La Voz Mexico as a coach. In June of 2015, La Guzmán surprised fans with the pre-release single of “Adios,” a reggaeton collaboration with Puerto Rican singer Farruko. It failed to chart. A second single, “Qué Ironía,” — whose video was shot in Iceland — fared better. In September of 2015, back with Sony, she released A + No Poder, her first studio album in six years. Guzmán cowrote its songs and co-produced the record with José Luis Pagán. Other than the urban single “Adios,” its balance of material marked a return to the rock & roll and power ballads that established her reputation. While a singles collection marked the following year, Guzman was thinking big, touring hard and planning a career defining event. In 2017, Guzman and sister Latin rock legend Gloria Trevi teamed for the collaborative album Versus, issued by Sebastian Krys’ Rebeleon Entertainment label. It was released as the pair undertook an arena tour of Latin America and the U.S. The album debuted atop the Top Latin Albums chart — the first collaborative album ever to do so. It was Trevi’s fourth number one, and Guzman’s first. ABOUT PAULINA RUBIO Recognized as the Latin Madonna by Rolling Stone, Paulina Rubio began her career as a founding member of the revolutionary youth group Timbiriche. In the 1990s, after her departure from the project, “La Chica Dorada” undertook an even more successful career as a solo artist that would transcend borders, and today she is in the top 5 of women with the most #1 songs in the world. Billboard Top Latin and two singles placed on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Her global successes have been a constant throughout almost forty continued on next page May 2022 • Music News
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ALEJANDRA GUZMÁN Y PAULINA RUBIO continued from previous page years of experience. This has translated into multiple awards including 7 Grammy nominations including nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Paulina Rubio is recognized by Forbes as one of the 50 most powerful women in Mexico. The Mexican singer with the greatest international projection returns stronger than ever. Her passion for her craft and her creative spark remain intact in this expansive return that promises as many surprises as it does satisfaction. Few Latin pop stars have shone as brightly – and for as long – as Paulina Rubio. The Mexican artist has an incomparable journey of professional milestones and global successes. An original member of the group Timbiriche – one of the most enduring phenomena of Aztec pop–, she began her solo career in 1992 with an album whose title, La chica Dorada, became a professional nickname and opened the doors of the American record market for him. Since then, her popularity has grown steadily both in North America and Latin America, definitely exploding at the turn of the millennium after her signing by Universal Music. Paulina (2000) and especially Border Girl (2002) made an extraordinary audience crossover whose shock wave was felt throughout the planet. Turned into a world-renowned pop idol, Rubio was the best-selling Latin artist during the first years of this century thanks to the impact of songs like “Y yo sigo aqui”, “Yo no soy esa mujer” or “The One You Love”. The publication of “PauLatina” in 2004 marked her return to Spanish after the successful English-
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speaking incursion of “Border Girl” and marked a substantial advance in her career. Paulina involved three dozen composers, producers and arrangers, broadening her artistic vision and creating a list of incontestable singles –“Te quise tanto”, “Algo tú” and “Give me another tequila”– that reigned on the Latin Billboard charts and cemented her stardom. From there, she continued to move up the creativity board to publish Ananda in 2006. Under the tutelage of the renowned producer Cachorro López and surrounded by a sensational team of songwriters in which figures such as Julieta Venegas, Juanes, Coti, Gustavo Celis or Xabi San Martín (Van Gogh’s Ear), delivered another crucial work in her career, taking part in all stages of the process. Fueled by songs like “Ni una sola voz,” the album reached the top of the US Latin Pop chart and went Double Platinum
in Spain. Ananda was album of the year at the Latin Billboard awards and the Spanish edition of GQ magazine considered Rubio to be Woman of the Year in 2007. Increasingly involved in the composition and elaboration of her works, the queen of Latin pop returned in 2009 with Gran City Pop, an unprejudiced and danceable album that included hits like “Causa y effect” and “Neither roses nor toys”. ”. The album expanded the stylistic palette of the Mexican woman, combining elements of genres such as ranchera, hiphop, Eurodisco or eighties British pop. It returned to reap great sales success in countries such as Spain, Mexico and Puerto Rico, reigning at the top of the US Latin chart in mid-2009. With Brave! (2011) Paulina Rubio opted for a skilful combination of songs in English and Spanish. The album’s artistic roster included long-time hitmakers like RedOne, pop stars like Taboo of The Black
Eyed Peas, and flashy Mexican songwriters like Espinoza Paz. Marked by her first motherhood, but also by the death of her father, Brava! explores the maturity of an artist determined to celebrate the cycle of life. The album expanded Rubio’s overwhelming range of hits thanks to songs like “Me gustas tanto” –composed half with Nacho, by the Venezuelan duo Chino y Nacho– or the vibrant dance proposals of “Heat of the Night” and “All Around the World”. In 2013, the compilation Pau Factor hit stores, a nod to her participation as a jury in the talent show The X Factor. The album covers part of the successes that mark her career and allows us to obtain a grateful panoramic view of it. Successes that would continue to accumulate in successive years thanks to the warm reception given to songs like “Mi nuevo vice” in 2015 – in collaboration with the Colombians Morat, a real hit in Spain that resulted in a Double Platinum Record plus number one on the list. by Promusicae– and “Si te vas” in 2016. The latter returned to the top of the Billboard Latin chart, adding to the impressive collection of hits that Paulina treasures. 2018 saw the release of her eleventh studio album Deseo. To celebrate this new success, Paulina made her eleventh tour ‘The Wish Tour’, in 2019, visiting Latin America, Mexico, Spain and the United States. 2021 will be another pivotal year for our golden girl. A new song, a book and many surprises is what her fans have been waiting for. Pauline is back. Go get ready. For more information about Paulina Rubio, visit: https://www.instagram.com/paulinarubio/ https://www.facebook.com/paulinarubio https://twitter.com/PaulinaRubio For more information about Alejandra Guzmán,visit: https://www.instagram.com/laguzmanmx/ https://www.facebook.com/laguzmanoficial https://twitter.com/Al3jandraGuzman
MAYO 2022
En Español
ROBERTO CARLOS Also Inside This Section Alicia Villarreal Alejandra Guzman Paulina Rubio Christian Castro Manuel Mijares Carin Leon Pesado
Roberto Carlos se presenta en el Smart Financial Centre el 15 de Mayo por Álvaro Neder El cantautor brasileño de mayor venta, Roberto Carlos, es conocido como “el rey de la música latina”. Ha vendido más de 120 millones de discos en todo el mundo y, con su socio y coguionista, Erasmo Carlos, ha escrito más de tres docenas de sencillos que figuran en el Top Ten. Todavía activo y exitoso en el siglo XXI, inició una gran revolución en la música brasileña durante la década de 1960 gracias a su fusión de pop y rock de estilo anglo y la segunda ola de samba brasileña. Su éxito inicial coincidió con el movimiento juvenil emergente en el pop (iniciado por los Beatles) que se apoderó del mundo. Carlos era el líder de la Joven Guarda del país. Fue el presentador del programa de televisión que se convirtió en una denominación genérica de un estilo musical y que supuso un cambio definitivo de cara al mercado fonográfico brasileño y del propio arte de la comercialización (con el advenimiento de un merchandising agresivo de la Jovem Guarda’s figuras principales, incluidas películas, ropa y más), que abarca profundas influencias conductuales, gestuales y lingüísticas generalizadas a lo largo de toda su generación. Su música ligera, derivada del pop británico, y sus letras (y las de Erasmo
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Carlos) (alegres, humorísticas, llenas de jerga juvenil de moda e ingenuas aunque inesperadamente sexuales) contrastaban profundamente con la MPB más seria, con sus imágenes sombrías y de protesta. canciones Después de todo, Brasil estaba viviendo un período oscuro de la dictadura militar, o los “años de plomo”, como se los conoció. Unos años más tarde, a finales de los años 60, Carlos (asesorado por sus asesores) cambió su estilo para convertirse en el artista romántico más exitoso de Brasil. Habiendo escrito (siempre con Erasmo Carlos) algunas de las canciones más bellas de este estilo (como “Detalhes”, “Sua Estupidez”, “Jesus Cristo” y “Debaixo dos Caracóis dos Seus Cabelos”), Carlos acumuló prácticamente todo lo posible logros como un artista de gran éxito, incluyendo una sólida carrera internacional con premios como el Grammy y las primeras posiciones en las listas latinas de Billboard. Si bien la adherencia a una gastada fórmula sentimental demostró ser efectiva en términos comerciales, finalmente lo llevó a ser conocido, en los años 80 y 90, como un artista cursi por parte de los jóvenes y una parte de los oyentes adultos. Sin embargo, a mediados de los 90 se produjo un resurgimiento de los talentos de Joven Guarda a través de los homenajes de los
nuevos rockeros, y Carlos llegó al siglo XXI gozando indiscutiblemente de su título absoluto: el Rey. Roberto Carlos era de una familia de clase media baja. A los seis años, perdió una de sus piernas y comenzó a usar una prótesis. A los nueve debutó en la radio local de su ciudad natal. En 1955 se muda a Niterói (Río de Janeiro) y luego a Lins de Vasconcelos (un suburbio de Río), donde comienza a incursionar en el rock de la mano de Bill Haley, Elvis Presley y Little Richard, al mismo tiempo que conoce a Carlos Imperial, también de su ciudad natal, quien, como productor de radio y televisión, sería de gran importancia en los primeros años profesionales de Carlos. Dos años después, Carlos se presentó en TV Tupi, cantando “Tutti Frutti”. En ese período, tenía programado abrir un show de Bill Haley en el Maracanazinho (Río) cuando conoció a Erasmo Carlos (entonces Erasmo Esteves). En 1958, Carlos conoció a la “pandilla de Matoso” -los futuros artistas Tim Maia, Jorge Ben y el mismo Erasmo Esteves, entre otros- que se reunirían en la calle Matoso de Tijuca (un barrio de Río). Carlos, Erasmo y Tim Maia (junto con Edson Trindade, Arlênio Lívio y José Roberto “China”) formaron el grupo
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Roberto Carlos Continuación de la página anterior Snacks (más tarde Sputniks), jugando a la pelota y actuando en televisión (incluso en el Clube do Rock de Carlos Imperial en TV Continental, donde Carlos ya era asiduo). El grupo pronto se disolvió debido a la incompatibilidad entre Carlos y Maia. Después de trabajar como extra en varias películas como Agüenta o Rojão y Minha Sogra é da Polícia (en la que respaldaron a Cauby Peixoto en una canción), Carlos y Erasmo tocaron juntos en el cuarteto de Erasmo, The Snakes, hasta que Carlos fue llamado por Imperial para tomar El lugar de Carlos Lyra en la banda Os Terríveis, que interpretaba versiones de Elvis Presley en programas de televisión y presentaciones en vivo contratadas por Imperial. Pronto, Carlos dejó la banda para intentar convertirse en un artista de bossa nova. Fuertemente influenciado por João Gilberto en ese período, Carlos trató a menudo de “sentarse” en el famoso club nocturno Temples Plaza y en los clubes del Beco das Garrafas, pero fue en vano. Testimonio de su efímera e inconclusa etapa de bossa nova es el primer disco de Carlos, con “João e Maria” y “Fora do Tom” (ambos de Imperial). En agosto de 1960, se lanzó un nuevo lanzamiento, nuevamente en la vena de la bossa, “Brotinho Sem Juízo” y “Canção do Amor Nenhum” (nuevamente, ambos de Imperial). Al mismo tiempo, Carlos participaría regularmente en programas presentados por Imperial, Os Brotos Comandam (TV Continental y Rádio Guanabara) y Festa de Brotos (TV Tupi). En 1961, durante el mismo año en que Carlos grabó su primer LP (un giro hacia los boleros y baladas, Louco por Você) que obtuvo cierta aceptación en la época (3.500 copias vendidas en un año), aceptó la sugerencia de la casa discográfica. CBS y cambió su estilo hacia la música juvenil, comenzando a escribir canciones con el compositor/letrista que se convertiría en su más importante colaborador: Erasmo Carlos. El primer éxito del dúo fue la interpretación de Carlos para una versión Erasmo de “Splish Splash” (Bobby Darin), teniendo como cara B otro clásico escrito por ellos, “Parei na Contramão”. El álbum fue grabado y lanzado en 1963 como el quinto disco de 78 rpm de Carlos, acompañado por Renato y Seus Blue Caps. Vendió 7.500 copias, una cantidad modesta hoy, pero representó una cantidad considerable entonces y el hito de una nueva época. En 1964, el LP É
Proibido Fumar (respaldado por los Youngsters) tuvo éxitos con la canción principal (de Carlos/Erasmo) y con la versión de Erasmo de “Road Hog”, “O Calhambeque”. Vendió casi 12.000 copias en 18 meses y se consideró de gran venta entonces, pero aún por detrás del líder Carlos Alberto (un cantante de boleros), que vendía más del doble. Sin embargo, el éxito nacional de Carlos fue ascendiendo, con más y más invitaciones para programas de radio y televisión y CBS queriendo llevarlo a Argentina. Ese año, Carlos grabó el mismo repertorio en español, también respaldado por los Jóvenes, y el disco Es Prohibido Fumar fue lanzado a fines de 1964 en Argentina. Estaba previsto que también se distribuyera en Brasil, pero como el gobierno militar consideraba que todo lo que estuviera en español (el idioma de Fidel Castro y el Che Guevara) era peligroso para el país, la discográfica simplemente lo sacó del catálogo. En 1965, Carlos fue elegido Rey por primera vez por voto directo del público en un concurso promovido por Antônio Aguillar en su programa Reino da Juventude. Más tarde, el título sería confirmado en el muy popular show de Chacrinha y sería suyo de por vida. En el mismo año, Roberto Carlos Canta Para a Juventude batió todos los récords establecidos por el cantor hasta entonces, superando con creces a Carlos Alberto y su Amor Perdido. El álbum de Carlos alcanzó el quinto lugar según IBOPE (el instituto de investigación de opinión pública más acreditado); sin embargo, rápidamente cayó varias posiciones. De hecho, solo tendría un álbum en el número uno del hit parade a finales de año, con su próximo LP. Hasta entonces, su creciente éxito vendería más de 20.000 copias del doble sencillo con “História de um Homem Mau” (alcanzando el cuarto lugar en las listas) y 50.000 copias de su sencillo “Não Quero Ver Você Triste”. El 5 de septiembre, Carlos inauguró el mítico programa Jovem Guarda como conductor principal y contando también con Vanderléa y Erasmo Carlos a su lado. El espectáculo dio nombre y directivas a la primera escena musical producida especialmente para la juventud brasileña, representando un gran avance cultural/ comportamental/comercial. Después del debut del programa, la popularidad de
Carlos alcanzó niveles inimaginables hasta entonces. Con éxitos en Argentina y Brasil, Carlos se convirtió en el éxito de ventas de CBS. El doble sencillo de Carlos con “A Garota do Baile” alcanzó el número dos en noviembre, detrás de “Help!” de los Beatles. Pero su álbum Joven guarda, también lanzado en noviembre, tardó solo una semana en impulsar “¡Ayuda!” del número uno en las listas brasileñas, vendiendo casi 200.000 copias en un año. “Quero Que Vá Tudo Pro Inferno” se convirtió en un éxito a nivel nacional y, salvo breves períodos de tiempo, reinó en el número uno absoluto del hit parade durante toda la primera mitad de 1966. Después de presentarse en Argentina, Uruguay y Paraguay - - países en los que la versión en español de “O Calhambeque” siguió teniendo éxito — Carlos se fue a Europa en abril de 1966, cantando en Portugal (donde “Calhambeque” y “Quero Que Vá Tudo Pro Inferno” ocuparon el primer lugar en las listas de Lisboa ). De regreso a Brasil, pronto partió para una gira que comenzó en América del Sur, luego en América Central y del Norte, donde cantó en Los Ángeles, Miami y Nueva York, luego en Europa (Londres, París, Berlín y Lisboa). Roberto Carlos, estrenada en diciembre de 1966, subió directamente al número uno en la segunda semana (quedándose allí hasta abril de 1967) y
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Roberto Carlos Continuación de la página anterior vendió 300.000 copias en menos de un año. También en 1967, Carlos protagonizó el largometraje Roberto Carlos em Ritmo de Aventura (cuya banda sonora vendió 300.000 copias, manteniéndose en el número uno desde el 17 de diciembre hasta junio de 1968; la película también batió todos los récords de taquilla hasta entonces); obtuvo el quinto lugar en el III FMPB (Festival de Música Popular Brasileña de la TV Record, São Paulo) con “Maria, Carnaval e Cinzas”, de Luís Carlos Paraná (alcanzando el número uno como sencillo en noviembre); participó en el Festival MIDEM en Cannes, Francia; y ganó el trofeo Chico Viola por las canciones “Quero Que Vá Tudo pro Inferno” y “Esqueça” y por el LP Jovem Guarda. En junio del mismo año, Carlos partió para una serie de espectáculos en Europa, África, Asia y Estados Unidos. En Italia, participó en el Festival de la Canción de Venecia. En 1968, Carlos deja Joven Guarda, que por su ausencia pronto dejaría de existir. Su partida fue el resultado de una decisión madura de migrar de un perfil de ídolo juvenil al de cantante romántico. En el mismo año, Carlos ganó el Festival de San Remo (XVIII Festival della Canzone Italiana) con “Canzone Per Te” (Sergio Endrigo) y protagonizó la película O Diamante Cor-de-Rosa (también un éxito de taquilla), inaugurando su propio programa, Roberto Carlos à Noite (TV
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Record) el 15 de marzo. Como cantante romántico, Carlos tuvo varios éxitos en la década de 1970 que aún tenían su ímpetu creativo, como “Sua Estupidez”, “As Flores do Jardim de Nossa Casa”, “Jesus Cristo”, “Amada Amante”, “Detalhes”, “Debaixo dos Caracóis dos Seus Cabelos”, “A Montanha”, “A Proposta”, “Além do Horizonte”, “Olha”, “Amante à Moda Antiga”, “ y “A Ilha” (todas con Erasmo), junto con “Como Vai Você?” (Antônio Marcos/Mário Marcos), y dos canciones escritas por Caetano Veloso especialmente para él, “Como Dois e Dois” y “Muito Romântico”. En esa década, Carlos también consolidó su carrera internacional, realizando espectáculos regulares en Estados Unidos, Europa y América Latina. En 1970, hizo su primera presentación en el prestigioso Canecão, la que sería la primera de sus exitosas temporadas anuales en la sala carioca más importante en cuanto a resonancia mediática. A principios de los años 70, Carlos se convirtió en el artista brasileño con mayores ventas de discos, posición que mantendría durante muchos años consecutivos. Después de 1976, sus álbumes vendían más de 1.000.000 de copias. Su álbum de 1977 Roberto Carlos, con “Falando Sério”, vendió 2,2 millones de copias. Su espectáculo de 1978 también batió todos los récords, con 250.000 espectadores en seis meses en todo Brasil, mientras que el álbum con “Café da Manhã”, “Força Estranha” y “Lady Laura” vendió 1,5 millones de copias. En los años
80, Carlos también comenzó a grabar en inglés y francés (ya había grabado discos en español, italiano y, por supuesto, portugués), habiendo ganado el trofeo Globo de Cristal, otorgado por la CBS a los artistas brasileños que venden más de cinco millones de copias fuera de Brasil. Al mismo tiempo, sus discos seguían batiendo récords en su país. “Caminhoneiro” (1984) se emitió 3.000 veces en un solo día, otro récord que pronto batió su propio “Verde e Amarelo” (1985), con 3.500 giros. En 1986, tuvo éxito en el Radio City Music Hall de la ciudad de Nueva York y, dos años después, ganó el Grammy como Mejor Cantante Pop Latinoamericano. En 1989, su álbum Sonrie alcanzó el primer lugar en la lista latina de Billboard. En la década de 1990, Carlos se convirtió en el primer artista latinoamericano en vender más discos que los Beatles (en 1994, habiendo vendido para entonces más de 70 millones de copias de sus discos). A mediados de los 90, con la onda retro Joven Guarda, Carlos, cuyo atractivo había sido limitado entre las generaciones más jóvenes que solo habían conocido sus éxitos románticos y sentimentales dirigidos a un público de mediana edad, vio reforzada su importancia por jóvenes rockeros como como Cássia Eller, Chico Science & Nação Zumbi, Barão Vermelho y Skank, que grabó Rei, un homenaje a él con sus viejos éxitos de Jovem Guarda. En 1998, su segunda esposa, María Rita, descubrió que tenía cáncer (moriría en 1999), lo que hizo añicos su tranquilidad. Tratando de continuar con su carrera, Carlos continuó grabando y actuando después de un año de reclusión. En 2001, rompió su contrato con Sony (ex-CBS), la compañía discográfica a través de la cual había lanzado la gran mayoría de sus álbumes, por razones comerciales relacionadas con la muerte de su esposa. Esa relación se restableció poco después y continuó con una larga serie de grabaciones exitosas para el sello, incluidas Leyendas Solamente los Mejores (2004), Duetos (2006), Música de Tom Jobim con Caetano Veloso (2008), Esse Cara Sou Eu (2012), y un segundo volumen de Duetos en 2014, así como numerosos recopilatorios y singles. En 2015, recibió un Premio a la Trayectoria en los Premios Billboard de la Música Latina. Más tarde ese año lanzó Primera Fila, un paquete de audio y video de éxitos interpretados en vivo en los estudios Abbey Road de Londres. En 2017, su EP homónimo llegó a las listas digitales, mientras que al año siguiente vio el lanzamiento de Amor Sin Límites en español. Producida por Afo Verde, incluía cuatro canciones nuevas y otras seis que anteriormente aparecían solo en su portugués nativo pero que fueron traducidas. El primer sencillo del conjunto, “Chegaste”, fue entregado a dúo con Jennifer López.
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Alicia Villarreal se presenta en el Arena Theatre el 20 de Mayo Alicia Villarreal se presenta en el Teatro Arena el 20 de mayo por Drago Bonacich Luego de participar en diferentes agrupaciones en su ciudad natal, la cantante regional mexicana Alicia Villarreal se unió al exitoso Grupo Límite, tocando junto al acordeonista Gerardo Padilla, el guitarrista Sergio Ponce, el bajista Jesús Cantú, el percusionista Carlos Ramírez y el baterista Juan Cantú. Grupo Límite debutó con el lanzamiento de Por Puro Amor en 1995, convirtiéndose poco después en un grupo de mayor venta. El primer álbum en solitario de Alicia Villarreal, llamado Soy Lo Prohibido, fue producido por Homero Patón y lanzado por la división latina de Universal en 2001. Cuando el Corazón Se Cruza apareció a principios de 2004, y Orgullo de Mujer de 2006 rompió el Billboard 200, aterrizando en el número ocho en Top Latin Albums, y le valió a la cantante una nominación al
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Grammy. Siguió una gira por México y Estados Unidos que duró más de un año. Cuando Villarreal resurgió con La Jefa en 2009, se basó mucho más en la comida tradicional mexicana de su carrera anterior que en la fusión del pop norteño y latino que la convirtió en una estrella. Sus rancheras animosas y baladas sanguíneas estaban plagadas de acordeones y tubas que dominaban la mezcla. También resonó entre los fanáticos: el álbum se ubicó bien dentro del Top 200 y alcanzó el puesto número cuatro en Top Latin Albums, permaneciendo 14 semanas en la lista. Además, encabezó la lista de álbumes regionales mexicanos luego de debutar en el número 11 y estuvo nueve semanas en la posición número uno. Sus planes de gira se vieron interrumpidos cuando su hermano José Víctor Villarreal Esparza, de 36 años, murió en un accidente automovilístico; Aparte de los álbumes
recopilatorios, La Jefa fue su último lanzamiento en ocho años. Pasó su tiempo criando a dos hijos pequeños y colaborando detrás de escena con su esposo, el exitoso productor y líder de la banda Cruz Martínez (Los Super Reyes). En julio de 2017, Villarreal anunció su regreso a la música con el sencillo ranchero de prelanzamiento “Haz Lo Que Quieras” (cuyo video acumuló dos millones de visitas en su primer mes) y lo siguió con “Te Aprovechas”, una cumbia-cum -Dúo de mariachis con el dúo de pop LatinX Ha*Ash. Una versión en video en vivo del popurrí de cumbia/merengue “Yo Sin Tu Amor/El Príncipe” alcanzó un millón de visitas después de su primer lanzamiento en agosto. Su largometraje producido por Martínez, La Villarreal, llegó a las tiendas el 17 de agosto.
Carin Leon trae su gira Pistiembre Todo El Ano al Smart Financial Centre el 20 de Mayo Carin Leon trae su gira Pistiembre Todo El Ano al Smart Financial Centre el 20 de mayo Carin Leon traerá su Todo El Ano Tour 2022 al Gila River Arena el 30 de abril. El cantautor latino traerá su música hipertradicional llena de cuerdas, trompetas, acordeones, guitarras acústicas, bajos y cajas a Glendale. Un concierto lleno de energía y canciones románticas que no querrás perderte. Poseedor de una rica y dramática voz de tenor, el don de un narrador para la narrativa y deslumbrantes habilidades instrumentales, el músico sonorense Carin León es una triple amenaza: es el principal compositor, guitarrista y productor de la exitosa banda regional mexicana Grupo Arranke, un compositor profesional para artistas como Christian Nodal, Cutaes de Sinaloa y Adriel Favela, y un artista solista en las listas de éxitos. Su misión artística radica en recuperar las raíces y la esencia ranchera en el seno de la música regional mexicana. Las canciones de León constantemente desdibujan las líneas entre ranchera, banda, mariachi y corridos. Desde que lanzó una carrera en solitario en 2018, León ha grabado más de 80 canciones, incluido el éxito regional mexicano Top Ten “Me La
Avente” del popular álbum de larga duración El Malo de 2019. Además de lanzar sus propios álbumes como Inédito de 2021, sigue siendo miembro del Grupo Arranke, una máquina de listas de éxitos por su cuenta. León nació Oscar Armando de León Díaz La Huez en 1989, en Hermosillo, una ciudad en el centro del estado de Sonora, en el noroeste de México. Nació en una familia de músicos aficionados y es el único miembro de su clan en convertirse en profesional. Aunque disfrutó de la música y cantó desde que era un niño pequeño, Leon no comenzó a tocar la guitarra hasta que estaba en la escuela secundaria. A los 15, aprendió por sí mismo recogiendo cosas en la radio y de amigos. Un estudio rápido, formó su primera banda al año siguiente con compañeros de escuela y decidió dedicarse a la música como carrera. En 2010 se convirtió en miembro fundador, cantante y compositor de Grupo Arranke, una historia de éxito en las listas de éxitos tanto en México como en los Estados Unidos. El éxito en solitario de Leon coincidió simultáneamente con el de su banda. Su primer gran éxito, “A Traves del Vaso”, subió una docena de listas latinas en 2017 (ha sido cubierto por varias bandas desde entonces). Al año siguiente, León entregó la friolera de
cuatro álbumes en solitario: Desvelada con Banda y Mariachi, A Puro Pelo, Pa Las de Vidrio (todos en vivo) y la salida de estudio Amanecida con Todo y con Todos. Musicalmente, todos tenían un espíritu cercano al del Grupo Arranke, pero la marcha pronto cambiaría. León lanzó el innovador El Malo en 2019. Liderado por el éxito de su sencillo principal número seis “Me La Avente”, el álbum recibió difusión en todo México y el suroeste de los Estados Unidos debido a su fusión perfecta de subgéneros regionales mexicanos, desde polkas y bandas. a mariachis, rancheras y corridos, a veces en la misma canción, la música hipertradicional de León llena de cuerdas, trompetas, acordeones, guitarras acústicas, bajos y cajas, resonó no solo entre los fanáticos mayores, sino también entre una generación más joven que divisiones estilísticas preferidas que no están remotamente conectadas con la territorialidad del género. Luego de una intensa gira con Grupo Arranke y en solitario, lanzó la colección digital de 34 pistas Borrachera con Taka Takas en enero de 2020 y la siguió con el vivo Encerrados Perro Enfiestados en abril. El largometraje Inédito llegó en mayo de 2021, anclado por el sencillo “Otra a Tu Salud”. Mayo 2022 • Music News 61
En enero de 2013, Pesado lanzó el sencillo “Mi Primer Amor”. Escrita por Zapata, estaba dedicada a las madres. El video resultó especialmente popular. En lugar de publicar un álbum de inmediato, Pesado tenía otros planes. El sencillo “Cuando Estas de Buenas” salió en agosto, seguido de “Por Ti” en septiembre. Estos resultaron ser precursores de la celebración de la banda de su 20 aniversario en la Arena Monterrey. También publicaron un par de álbumes de conciertos retrospectivos para conmemorar esa ocasión: Directo 9313, vol. 1 y vol. 2. Las grabaciones retrospectivas incluyeron apariciones especiales del Mariachi San Luis, Celso Piña y Raúl Hernández de Los Tigres del Norte.
Pesado Se Presenta En El Arena Theatre El 7 De Mayo por Jason Ankeny Originalmente conocido como Grupo Pesado, el grupo norteño Pesado fue fundado por el líder/acordeonista Beto Zapata y Pepe Elizondo (bajo sexto, voz) en 1993 en Nuevo León, México. Debutaron con el disco Ayúdame a Olvidar, editado por MCM. Llego el Amor siguió en 1994, y pronto alcanzó el estatus de oro. Al año siguiente, lograron un gran éxito con “Eso Me Gusta”. En 1997, el bajista original Rodolfo Gajardo fue reemplazado por Juan Antonio Pequeño. Un nuevo cambio de formación ocurrió en 1999 cuando el ex baterista de Grupo Límite, Luis Mario Garza, tomó el lugar de Mario Padilla. En el momento de su séptimo LP, A Tu Encuentro de 1999, Pesado había firmado con el nuevo sello WeaMEX, que publicaría una serie de álbumes de grandes éxitos para el grupo en el cambio de milenio. Todo Tuyo se emitió a principios de 2001 y marcó la primera vez que Pesado ingresó a las listas. Siguieron varios álbumes más (ya que su discografía continuó vendiéndose al estado de oro y platino) antes de que Pesado publicara Piensame un Momento de 2006, que continuó su racha y le valió al grupo una nominación al Grammy por Mejor Álbum Norteño. Volvieron a golpear rápidamente con Gracias por tu amor, un álbum controvertido que desafió el abuso físico y las nociones tradicionales del machismo masculino en América Latina. El álbum y el sencillo que da título al álbum fueron objeto de acalorados debates en los
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programas de entrevistas de radio y televisión, pero solo sirvieron para aumentar las ventas y la difusión al aire. Corridos: Defendiendo el Honor Pesado tuvo otro “gracias” preparado para 2008. Como celebración de su propio 15.° aniversario, lanzaron Corridos: Defendiendo el Honor, una colección de versiones clásicas de corridos de artistas como Los Cadetes de Linares, Ramón Ayala y Los Tigres. del Norte. Lo siguieron unos meses después con una colección de nuevas canciones titulada Sólo Contigo. Una segunda fecha de tributo al corrido, Desde la Cantina, vol. 1, fue grabado en Pico’s Bar en Nuevo León y lanzado en 2010. De manera ruidosa, celebró las canciones históricas de artistas de los años 40, incluidos Eliseo Robles, Lupe Tijerina de Los Cadetes de Linares, Don Cesareo Sánchez y Los Cardenales de Nuevo León. En 2011, Pesado entregó el álbum de estudio Una Historia para Siempre. Su sencillo, “Mientras Dormías”, hace referencia al entonces reciente matrimonio de Zapata. Su tema romántico funcionó bien para los fanáticos y lo empujó hacia arriba en las listas. Siguieron con una gira, pero volvieron a entrar al estudio rápidamente. Mi Promesa se emitió menos de un año después. Incluyó tres sencillos en las listas de éxitos en la canción principal, “Que Bonito Es el Amor” y “Le Creí”, y resultó ser uno de los álbumes más románticos en la historia de la banda.
Se lanzaron cuatro sencillos de prelanzamiento a principios de 2015 y aumentaron la demanda del público: “Que todavía te amo” apareció en enero, mientras que “Te quiero, te adoro” y “Pude olvidarte” llegaron al aire en marzo. Los gráficos apenas podían seguir el ritmo. En abril, la canción principal de Abrázame se publicó como quinto sencillo el mismo día del lanzamiento del álbum. Tenían cuatro pistas en las listas de reproducción al aire simultáneamente. La reproducción de radio y video de los sencillos recibidos mantuvo el álbum frente al público durante el resto del año. Como dictaba su tradición, Pesado siguió su álbum de originales con otro homenaje; este se diferenciaba del resto en que estaba dedicado al trabajo de una sola fuerza histórica en la música norteña: Tributo a los Alegres de Terán fue lanzado por Disa en febrero de 2016 y alcanzó el puesto número dos en la lista de Álbumes Regionales Mexicanos. A fines de septiembre, lanzaron el sencillo de prelanzamiento “Me Estorbas”; alcanzó el puesto número siete en la lista Regional Mexican Airplay. En una entrevista, Zapata anunció que el álbum de larga duración Los Ángeles Existen estaba programado para su lanzamiento en el verano de 2017, precedido por su canción principal como un segundo sencillo de prelanzamiento que alcanzó el puesto 17 en Regional Mexican Airplay y pasó 20 semanas en la lista. Un cambio de etiqueta a Remex Music y compromisos de gira intensos retrasaron el lanzamiento. En octubre, “Yo No Tengo Remedio” se emitió como tercer sencillo y alcanzó el número diez en Regional Mexican Airplay. Pesado y Remex finalmente emitieron Los Ángeles Existen en abril de 2018. Además de sus sencillos, incluyó diez canciones más escritas por Zapata, Elizondo, Elías Medina y Felipe.
Christian Castro y Manuel Mijares llevan su gira de éxitos al Arena Theatre el 27 de Mayo Christian Castro y Manuel Mijares llevan su gira de éxitos al Teatro Arena el 27 de Mayo Una presencia perenne en las listas desde principios de la década de 1990, el creador de éxitos del pop latino Cristian Castro es conocido por sus baladas románticas. Castro ha demostrado ser uno de los artistas pop latinos más consistentemente exitosos de su tiempo, regresando a los tramos superiores de la lista de sencillos más de 30 veces. Una presencia perenne en las listas desde principios de la década de 1990, el creador de éxitos del pop latino Cristian Castro es conocido por sus baladas románticas. A pesar del hecho de que su vida privada es a menudo el tema de relatos espeluznantes de publicaciones sensacionalistas, Castro demostró ser uno de los artistas pop latinos más exitosos de su tiempo, regresando a los niveles superiores de la lista de sencillos más de 30 veces, demostrando una ética de trabajo incansable. Su tenor suave y aireado es disciplinado, experto en música pop, tradicional e incluso clásica. Su debut en 1992 fue nominado a un Grammy al mejor álbum de pop latino. Mi vida sin tu amor de 1999 también fue nominado después de casi una década de
exitosos sencillos. Amar Es de 2003 rompió uno de los modelos más estrictos del pop latino al combinar varios lenguajes con estilos musicales correspondientes. La canción “Por qué” se entregó con ritmos de pista de baile y letras en inglés, mientras que “No Hace Falta” combinó el pop japonés de Shibuya con el pop latino. El sencillo más exitoso del conjunto (número tres, pop latino), “Te Llamé”, permaneció firmemente arraigado en las raíces de Castro. Desde 2010, además de incesantes giras por América Latina y Estados Unidos, Castro ha dedicado casi exclusivamente sus grabaciones a homenajes a sus héroes e influencias musicales. Vive el Principe de 2010 y Mi Amigo el Principe del año siguiente rindieron homenaje a José José (y posteriormente alcanzaron el primer lugar en las listas de Latin Albums), mientras que el aclamado Mi Tributo a Juan Gabriel de 2018 estaba listo para lograr lo mismo 31 álbumes de estudio, innumerables éxitos #1, más de 20 millones de discos vendidos; así como varios premios nacionales e internacionales son solo algunos de los números que Manuel Mijares ha alcanzado en su carrera convirtiéndolo en uno de los íconos más grandes y reconocidos del pop latino. Manuel Mijares es un cantante de pop
contemporáneo adulto de México que actúa bajo su apellido. Poseedor de un barítono resonante y teatral, es uno de los artistas más notables de América Latina. Después de ubicar tres sencillos en el Top Five de su debut en EMI en 1986, Soñador, subió a las listas de sencillos y álbumes latinos con diez certificaciones de oro, siete de platino y cinco de diamantes y ha ganado innumerables premios. Mijares ha vendido más de 20 millones de discos. Sus grabaciones más importantes, Un Hombre Discreto de 1989, el tributo a José José de 2005 Honor a Quien Honor Merece, Canto por Ti de 2013 y No Se Me Acaba el Alma del año siguiente, lo han ganado el cariño de los fanáticos de todo el mundo. Además, sus canciones han aparecido como temas y pistas en una amplia variedad de programas de televisión y películas, incluyendo Oliver y Su Pandilla, La Bella y la Bestia y El Camino a El Dorado. En 2016 lanzó la retrospectiva en vivo Sinfónico Desde el Palacio de Bellas Artes con su road band, dos orquestas sinfónicas y un coro. En 2018 grabó Rompecabezas y su homólogo de 2019, Rompecabezas II, íntegramente en Los Ángeles. Incluyeron no solo canciones nuevas, sino versiones y dúos de estrellas. Después de embarcarse en un par de giras por Estados Unidos y México con entradas agotadas, lanzó su primera colección navideña, Feliz Navidad, en 2020. Mayo 2022 • Music News 63
ALEJANDRA GUZMÁN Y PAULINA RUBIO SE ENFRENTARÁN CARA A CARA EN HISTÓRICA GIRA “PERRÍSIMAS” US TOUR 2022 Paulina Rubio, La Chica Dorada y Alejandra Guzmán, La Reina de Corazones, se alistan para verse cara a cara en una serie de conciertos irrepetibles que formarán parte de la gira más grande y controvertida de la historia del pop rock latino: “PerrÍsimas” US Tour 2022. A lo largo de más de tres décadas, las multipremiadas y legendarias superestrellas globales Alejandra Guzmán y Paulina Rubio han construido carreras impresionantes que las han llevado a cobrarse los títulos de “Reina del Rock Latino” y “Reina del Pop Latino”, respectivamente. Luego de años de rivalidad, por primera vez, Rubio y Guzmán se subirán al mismo escenario para ajustar cuentas y ofrecer al público estadounidense una experiencia espectacular y electrizante en el Smart Financial Center el 7 de Mayo. Producida por las mismas superestrellas, la gira “Perrísimas” arrancará en abril de 2022 y hará más de 20 paradas en ciudades como Chicago, Nueva York, Miami y Las Vegas antes de finalizar el 22 de mayo en Los Ángeles. Los boletos saldrán a la venta al público en general el viernes 17 de diciembre a las 10 am, hora local. Para más detalles sobre la preventa, visite
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www.perrisimastour.com
GUZMÁN
Como dos de las mayores artistas de la historia de la música latina, tanto Alejandra Guzmán como Paulina Rubio han dejado un enorme impacto en la industria y en la cultura global, tras vender más de 50 millones de discos entre las dos. Con infinidad de reconocimientos, logros y éxitos, su música ha trascendido generaciones y ha servido de banda sonora para la vida de millones de oyentes alrededor del mundo. La gira “Perrísimas” US Tour 2022 será la única oportunidad que tendrán los fanáticos de presenciar el esperado e inédito encuentro de estos dos íconos internacionales y, sin duda, entrará a los libros de récords como una de las mayores giras de todos los tiempos.
La cantante y compositora Alejandra Guzmán, conocida como la “Reina del Rock Mexicano” y la “Reina de Corazones” y reconocida por The New York Times por su “melodrama ronco” y su música que Billboard llama “himnos de rock” y caracteriza por su “voz ronca y actitud feroz y rebelde,” ha logrado una de las carreras más ilustres de la música latina. Con más de 25 millones de álbumes vendidos a lo largo de más de 30 años, “La Guzmán” ha tenido 23 álbumes en las listas de éxitos con múltiples Top-10, agotado 19 giras mundiales y acumulado 28 discos de oro y 13 de platino, así como 41 premios y 68 nominaciones a premios como los Grammy, Latin Grammys, Premios Juventud, Billboard Latin Music Awards, Premio Lo Nuestro, Latin American Music Festival y Premio ERES. Alejandra es también una aclamada actriz de televisión, cine y teatro y, más recientemente, una aclamada diseñadora de joyas.
“Ya es hora de volver a los conciertos, romper con patrones y resetearse con Música. Volver a los conciertos es volver a vivir!!!” Paulina Rubio “Éste será un verano peligroso.” Alejandra Guzmán ACERCA DE ALEJANDRA
Alejandra Gabriela Guzmán Pinal (nacida el 9 de febrero de 1968 en la Ciudad de México, México), más conocida como
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ALEJANDRA GUZMÁN Y PAULINA RUBIO Continuación de la página anterior Alejandra Guzmán, es una cantante y actriz de rock mexicana ganadora del premio Grammy Latino. Ha tenido una base de fans dedicada en toda América Latina desde finales de la década de 1980 y es conocida como la “Reina del Rock” en el mundo hispano. Ha vendido 15 millones de álbumes. Guzmán es hija de la actriz mexicana Silvia Pinal y del cantante de rock and roll mexicano nacido en Venezuela Enrique Guzmán. Es media hermana de las actrices Sylvia Pasquel y Viridiana Alatriste. Su sobrina Stephanie Salas también es una conocida animadora en México. Después de viajar con la compañía de teatro de su madre, Guzmán decidió que quería concentrarse en el canto y grabó su álbum debut Bye Mama en 1988, que produjo “La plaga”, el primero de muchos éxitos. En 1990, Guzmán obtuvo uno de los mayores éxitos de su carrera, la canción “Eternamente Bella” (“Eternamente Bella”), que se convirtió en un éxito número uno en México y otros países latinos. La canción es considerada un clásico por muchos aficionados al rock español. En 1991 estrenó Flor de papel. Uno de los sencillos del álbum, “Hacer El Amor Con Otro”, se convirtió en un gran éxito para Guzmán, no solo en América Latina y México, sino también en los Estados Unidos. El álbum fue bien recibido por la crítica y los fanáticos, y recibió una nominación al Premio Grammy. a Mejor Álbum Pop Latino en 1992. Le siguieron los álbumes Libre y Enorme en 1993 y 1994, respectivamente. Su producción musical a fines de la década de 1990 a menudo se vio ensombrecida por las muchas controversias en las que estuvo involucrada.
En 2002, Guzmán ganó su primer premio Grammy Latino por Mejor Álbum Vocal Solista de Rock por Soy. En 2006, lanzó Indeleble. El primer sencillo fue Volverte a amar , que se convirtió en uno de sus mayores éxitos en México y alcanzó el Top 10 en Hot Latin Tracks de Billboard, alcanzando el puesto número 6 y el número 1 en la lista Hot Latin Pop Airplay. El álbum (que alcanzó el puesto #1 en México) ha sido certificado doble platino y ganó dos premios en los Premios Oye! 2006 (Premios musicales más importantes de México), incluyendo Mejor Álbum del Año y Pop Vocal Femenina. También fue nominada a dos premios Grammy Latinos por Mejor Álbum Vocal de Rock Indeleble y Mejor Canción de Rock por “Volverte a amar”. En 2007 le diagnosticaron cáncer de mama. Sometida a tratamiento de inmediato, lo venció y se convirtió en vocera de Iniciativa Ser, una organización mexicana dedicada a la concientización sobre la
enfermedad y la recaudación de fondos para futuras investigaciones. Guzmán parecía invencible. A finales de año firmó con EMI y lanzó el nuevo álbum Fuerza. Su sencillo en las listas de éxitos, “Hasta el Final”, detalla su batalla contra la enfermedad. En 2008, Guzmán comenzó a grabar en estudios en Nashville y Londres. El resultado final fue Único de 2009, el álbum al que se refirió cariñosamente como su “álbum de rock británico”. No solo entró en las listas, sino que alcanzó el estatus de oro. Ese mismo año, luego de someterse a un procedimiento cosmético, Guzmán enfermó gravemente. El cirujano le había inyectado un implante infectado. Fue procesado pero Guzmán intervino en su favor y fue absuelto. En 2010, ella y el cantante Ricky Martin hablaron abiertamente sobre una relación romántica que compartieron en 1992. Poco después, se unió al programa de televisión Mira Quién Baila como jurado del panel. Esto duró poco. Dejó el programa bajo
un manto de controversia y rumores antes de que terminara la temporada. Guzmán lanzó el paquete de CD / DVD en vivo Con Moderatto: 20 Años de Éxitos en Vivo en 2011. Realizó una gira para apoyar la grabación durante casi dos años. Lanzó el sencillo “Mi Peor Error”, una nueva canción para el álbum en vivo más vendido y más íntimo Primera Fila. También se unió al elenco de La Voz México como entrenadora. En junio de 2015, La Guzmán sorprendió a los fanáticos con el sencillo de prelanzamiento de “Adios”, una colaboración de reggaetón con el cantante puertorriqueño Farruko. No se pudo trazar. Un segundo sencillo, “Qué Ironía”, cuyo video fue filmado en Islandia, tuvo mejores resultados. En septiembre de 2015, de vuelta con Sony, lanzó A + No Poder, su primer álbum de estudio en seis años. Guzmán coescribió sus canciones y coprodujo el disco con José Luis Pagán. Además del sencillo urbano “Adios”, su balance de material marcó un regreso al rock & roll y las baladas poderosas que establecieron su reputación. Si bien una colección de sencillos marcó el año siguiente, Guzmán estaba pensando en grande, haciendo giras intensas y planeando un evento que definiría su carrera. En 2017, Guzmán y su hermana, la leyenda del rock latino Gloria Trevi, se unieron para el álbum colaborativo Versus, publicado por el sello Rebeleon Entertainment de Sebastian Krys. Fue lanzado cuando la pareja emprendió una gira por América Latina y los EE. UU. El álbum debutó en la cima de la lista Top Latin Albums, el primer álbum colaborativo en lograrlo. Fue el cuarto número uno de Trevi y el primero de Guzmán. ACERCA DE PAULINA RUBIO Reconocida como la Madonna Latina por Rolling Stone, Paulina Rubio inició su trayectoria como integrante fundadora del revolucionario grupo juvenil Timbiriche. En la década de los noventa, tras su salida del proyecto, “La Chica Dorada” emprendió una aún más exitosa carrera como solista que trascendería fronteras, y hoy se encuentra en el top 5 de mujeres con la mayor cantidad de canciones #1 en el Billboard Top Latin y dos sencillos colocados en el Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Sus éxitos globales han sido una constante a lo largo de casi cuarenta años de trayectoria. Esto se ha traducido en múltiples
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ALEJANDRA GUZMÁN Y PAULINA RUBIO Continuación de la página anterior premios que incluyen 7 nominaciones al Grammy incluyendo nominaciones para Canción del Año y Grabación del Año. Paulina Rubio es reconocida por Forbes como una de las 50 mujeres más poderosas en México. La cantante mexicana de mayor proyección internacional regresa más fuerte que nunca. La pasión por su oficio y la chispa creativa permanecen intactas en este retorno expansivo que promete tantas sorpresas como satisfacciones. Pocas estrellas del pop latino han brillado con el fulgor –y durante tanto tiempo– como Paulina Rubio. La artista mexicana tiene un recorrido incomparable de hitos profesionales y éxitos de carácter global. Componente original del grupo Timbiriche –uno de los fenómenos más duraderos del pop azteca–, inició su carrera en solitario en 1992 con un álbum cuyo título, “La chica dorada”, se convirtió en sobrenombre profesional y le abrió las puertas del mercado discográfico estadounidense. Desde entonces, su popularidad creció de forma sostenida tanto en Norteamérica como América Latina, explotando definitivamente con el cambio de milenio tras su fichaje por Universal Music. “Paulina” (2000) y muy especialmente “Border Girl” (2002) efectuaron un extraordinario crossover de público cuya onda expansiva se hizo sentir en todo el planeta. Convertida en ídolo pop de calado mundial, Rubio fue la artista latina más vendedora durante los primeros años del presente siglo gracias al impacto de canciones como “Y yo sigo aquí”, “Yo no soy esa mujer” o “The One You Love”. La publicación de “Pau-Latina” en 2004 marcó su regreso al castellano tras la satisfactoria incursión angloparlante de “Border Girl” y supuso un avance sustancial en su trayectoria. Paulina implicó a tres decenas de compositores, productores y arreglistas,
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ampliando su visión artística y gestando una terna de singles incontestables –“Te quise tanto”, “Algo tienes” y “Dame otro tequila”– que reinaron en las listas latinas de Billboard y consolidaron su estrellato. A partir de ahí, siguió avanzando por el tablero de la creatividad para publicar “Ananda” en 2006. Bajo la tutela del reputado productor Cachorro López y rodeada de un sensacional equipo de songwriters en el que sobresalían figuras como Julieta Venegas, Juanes, Coti, Gustavo Celis o Xabi San Martín (La Oreja de Van Gogh), entregó otra obra crucial en su carrera, tomando parte en todas las etapas del proceso. Impulsado por canciones como “Ni una sola palabra”, el álbum alcanzó la cima de la lista pop latina de Estados Unidos y fue Doble Disco de Platino en España. “Ananda” fue disco del año en los premios Latin Billboard y la edición española de la revista GQ consideró que Rubio era la Mujer del
de una artista decidida a celebrar el ciclo de la vida. El álbum amplió el apabullante abanico de éxitos de Rubio gracias a canciones como “Me gustas tanto” – compuesta a medias con Nacho, del dúo venezolano Chino y Nacho– o las vibrantes propuestas dance de “Heat of the Night” y “All Around the World”. En 2013, llegó a las tiendas el recopilatorio “Pau Factor”, un guiño a su participación como jurado en el talent-show The X Factor. El álbum recorre parte de los éxitos que jalonan su trayectoria y permite obtener una agradecida vista panorámica de la misma. Éxitos que seguirían acumulándose en años sucesivos gracias a la calurosa acogida dispensada a canciones como “Mi nuevo vicio” en 2015 –en colaboración con los colombianos Morat, un auténtico pelotazo en España que se tradujo en Doble Disco de Platino más número uno en la lista de Promusicae– y “Si te vas” en 2016. Esta última volvió a ocupar la zona alta de la lista latina de Billboard, engrosando la impresionante colección de hits que Paulina atesora. En 2018 vio la salida de su undécimo álbum de estudio “Deseo”. Para celebrar este nuevo éxito, Paulina hizo su undécima gira ‘The Deseo Tour’, en 2019, visitando América Latina, México, España y Estados Unidos.
Año en 2007. Cada vez más implicada en la composición y elaboración de sus trabajos, la reina del pop latino regresó en 2009 con “Gran City Pop”, un álbum desprejuiciado y bailable que incluía hits como “Causa y efecto” y “Ni rosas ni juguetes”. El disco ampliaba la paleta estilística de la mexicana conjugando elementos de géneros como la ranchera, el hip-hop, el eurodisco o el pop británico ochentero. Volvió a cosechar un gran éxito de ventas en países como España, México y Puerto Rico, reinando en lo alto de la lista latina estadounidense a mediados de 2009. Con “Brava!” (2011) Paulina Rubio apostó por una hábil combinación de canciones en inglés y español. La nómina artística del álbum incluía a hitmakers de largo recorrido como RedOne, a estrellas del pop como Taboo de The Black Eyed Peas y a compositores mexicanos de relumbrón como Espinoza Paz. Marcado por su primera maternidad, pero también por el fallecimiento de su padre, “Brava!” explora en la madurez
2021 será otro año fundamental para nuestra chica dorada. Una nueva canción, un libro y muchas sorpresas es lo que sus fans estaban esperando. Paulina ha vuelto. Vayan preparándose.
Para mayor información sobre Paulina Rubio, visite: https://www.instagram.com/ paulinarubio/ https://www.facebook.com/ paulinarubio https://twitter.com/PaulinaRubio Para mayor información sobre Alejandra Guzmán, visite: https://www.instagram.com/ laguzmanmx/ https://www.facebook.com/ laguzmanoficial https://twitter.com/Al3jandraGuzman
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No Tin Godz Perform At The Scout Bar No Tin Godz unleashed the fury of their new self-titled EP this past month at The Scout Bar. When you get a chance, check out the new video from their first single, “I Walk Alone,” at httpts://youtu.be/ OuXo3jimW-M (Pictures by Greg Holleman)
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Homegrown 420 Fest Rocks The Drunken Dog We had a blast this past month at The Drunken Dog this night for Homegrown 420 Fest. The Homegrown 420 Fest is produced by the United Music Alliance & Alex Lozano. We ran into a lot of old friends there and it made for a great evening of entertainment. Here are just a few of them. Pictured in the top photo is Michael Kennedy’s band, Black Kennedy. On the bottom row you can see Devon Ris, who put on his own one man show that really kicked ass! Next to him is concert promotor Alex Lozano and last but certainly not least is our good buddy, Ty. Everybody needs to dorp by The Drunken Dog on Jones Road and check it out. The Club looks great inside and they’ve got a lot of cool events coming. (Photos by Music News) 70 Music News • May 2022
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Blood Red Sky Brings U2 Alive At Rise Rooftop Last month, Houston’s Premiere and maybe only U2 tribute act, Blood Red Sky brought the iconic band to live high above the city at Rise Rooftop. It made for a cool afternoon of U2’s greatest songs. If you’re a U2 fan, then make sure to mark this band down on your list of bands to see. They may not be U2, but I swear, at times you just couldn’t tell the difference. They were fantastic. (Photos by Brian Lambert) 72 Music News • May 2022
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William And The Texas Starlight Band Perform at Shady Acres Saloon One of our favorite places to party at is the Shady Acres Saloon on 19th Street in the Heights. They always have great entertainment and tonight was no exception. We were treated to the Country sounds of William and The Texas Starlight Band as they performed some great tunes from George Strait (“Amarillo By Morning”), Buck Owens (“Streets Of Bakersfield”), and Merle Haggard (“Today I Started Lovin’ You Again”), along with a really cool original called “Late For My Own Funeral.” They also performed a bitchin’ version of “Folsom Prison Blues.” It made for a really great evening. (Photos by Music News) 74
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Riot The Witness Perform at The Concert Pub North Riot The Witness put on an intense show this past month at The Concert Pub North as they brought their special blend of Rock, Rap, Hip-Hop, and Pop into full force. This isn’t your usual rock and roll group, this is a band that really knows how to create something completely different. (Photo By Brian Lambert) 76
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La Skandaloza Perform At The BFE Rock Club Spanish rockers La Skandaloza bring their cool mixture of Punk and Rock to the BFE Rock Club this evening for an intersting night of entertainment. (Photos By Music News) 78 Music News • May 2022
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The Eli Young Band Perform at The Wildcatter Saloon (Photos by Greg Holleman) 80
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Glenn Bryant Performs at Leon’s Lounge In Midtown (Photos By Music News)
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The Black Rose Perform at The Concert Pub North It was an evening of Black Crowes music at The Concert Pub North this night when The Black Rose, Houston’s Black Crowes Tribute. This is another great act you need to see. The do a fantastic job recreating all The Black Crowes hits. (Photos By Brian Lambert) 84 Music News • May 2022
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Staci And The Big Blue Perform at Leon’s Lounge in Midtown This night Staci And The Big Blue put on a great show at Leon’s Lounge. We found their variety of music very refreshing. The performed songs by Chris Isaak, The Rolling Stones, and even a cool arrangement of Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love.” Check them out sometime, you’ll be glad you did. Also be sure to check out Leon’s Lounge. Leon’s, Houston’s oldest club in Houston, presents great live music 7 days a week. Check out their ad in this issue of Music News to find out who will be there this month. (Photos By Music News) May 2022 • Music News
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Twelve Years Driven Take Over The Stage At The Acadia Bar & Grill (Photos by Music News) I’ve seen Twelve Years Driven a number of times, but this night at The Acadia Bar & Grill just may have been their best show that I’ve ever seen them do so far. They were on fire! Every member of the band was performing at the top of their game and the crowd there was going wild. On top of that, they were performing some new material that was just f#@kin’ great! I really like their new material. Yeah, without a doubt, this was a balls-to-the-wall show and they were just fantastic! Can’t wait to see them again soon! 86
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Spectrum Blues Band Perform at Katie’s Bar In Bacliff (Photos by Music News) So, where should I start with this one... This is one of the best Blues-Rock bands that I’ve seen in quite a while. The band is spearheaded by a young guitarist named Devon J Rismay. I really think that you’re going to be hearing a lot from this guy in the future. He is extremely talented. This night at Katie’s Bar, the Spectrum Blues Band performed a lot of really cool old material. Each song just sounded fantastic as he moved from Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” to The Allman Brothers Band “Whipping Post” and then on to Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “Blue On Black”. A couple of standout performances were definitely Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile” and “Hey Joe”. To top things off, he even performed one of his own originals while we were there and that was simply fantastic. I predict a very lucrative future for this young man. If you get a chance, be sure to see him and his band, Spectrum Blues. It will definitely be well worth the trip. May 2022 • Music News
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Phoenix Perform At The Concert Pub North If you like the music of Peter Frampton, then Phoenix is the band for you. This esteemed Peter Frampton tribute does real justice to the music of this man. Everyone we’ve talked to about this band jusst raves about it and says that they’re the best Peter Frampton tribute band they’ve ever seen or heard. This night at The Concert Pub North, they put on a helluva show and the audience there just couldn’t get enough of them. (Photos By Mike Lambert) 88
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Shovelhead Runway Perform At The Jailhouse Saloon Shovelhead Runway put on a good show for us this past month at The Jailhouse Saloon. These guys perform a mixture of Rock Classics combined with a little electrified Blues-Rock. This night they did a really cool version of Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way and then later on performed a bitchin’ version of Ted Nugent’s “Cat Scratch Fever.” The show was highlighted when drummer Charles Long dropped by to perform on a couple of songs. It made for a great evening of Rock and Roll. (Photos By Music News) May 2022 • Music News
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Jason Elmore & Hoodoo Witch Performs At The Big Easy (Photos by Music News) 90
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Perfect Strangers, the Deep Purple tribute, Perform at The Concert Pub North (Photos by Music News)
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The David Joel Band Performs At The Wildcatter Saloon (Photos by Greg Holleman) 92
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Static Blues Perform At Katie’s Bar in Bacliff (Photos by Greg Holleman) Static Blues brought their great formula of Blues and Rock to Katie’s Bar in Bacliff this night. The band put on a fine show performing songs from SRV (“Angel”), Gary Moore, and The Eagles (“Hotel California”) May 2022 • Music News
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