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Vol. 39 - No.11 • AUGUST 2021 • www.houstonmusicnews.net • FREE

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THE BLACK CROWES

Also In This Issue Megadeth Lamb Of God Dirty Honey Dangerous Toys The Wailers Stephen Pearcy 38 Special Simple Plan and More!

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Music News • August 2021

August 2021 Hello Music News readers. I hope everybody had a great July.

First of all, I’d like to extend my condolences to the Hill family and ZZ Top on the recent passing of Dusty Hill. It’s hard to imagine that we won’t be seeing him perform with the band again. His last wishes were to see ZZ Top continue on without him, but I know for some of us, it’s still going to seem strange not to see him punching out that low end on stage again. We’re going to miss you Dusty. R.I.P It’s great to see that things are starting to return to normal. There are so many concerts coming, it’s unbelievable. I knew it would be coming, but the list of shows are awesome. Here’s a few more: The Black Crowes, Hall & Oates, Maroon 5, Disturbed, Cheap Trick, Dokken, George Lynch, 38 Special, Alice Cooper, Ace Frehley, Slaughter, Kix, and many, many more! I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be going to as many of these shows as I can. I have over a year’s worth of concert withdrawl to take care of. If you see me there, wave and smile. I’m sure we’re going to have a blast!

Now, on to the new issue. In this issue, as usual, we have some great stories and information to pass on to you. Check out stories in this month’s issue on The Black Crowes, Dirty Honey, Megadeth & Lamb Of God, 38 Special, Dangerous Toys, The Wailers, The Convalescence, Simple Plan, Marty Stuart, Stephen Pearcy, The Gatlin Brothers, Beaqrtooth,Steve Gilbert and another installment of the original story, The Biker. Also in this issue are a ton of great pictures of bands performing that were submitted by you, the Music News Readers. Thank you so much for sharing your musical experiences with me and all my readers. I really appreciate it and I know the bands do as well. Keep it up... We would like to see more pictures from you.

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.

Kevin Wildman Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher

Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher Web Address http://www.houstonmusicnews.net Mailing Address Box 1162, League City, TX 77573 Phone 281-650-1953

For Advertising email us at musicnew@airmail.net or call 281-650-1953 For A Free Subscription email us at musicnew@airmail.net and in the subject line put “Sign Me Up Now” August 2021 • Music News

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Contents

VOL. 39 NO. 11

AUGUST 2021

6

6

ISSUE NO. 502

THE BLACK CROWES The Black Crowes Perform at The Cynthia Wood Mitchell Pavilion on August 14

10 MEGADETH & LAMB OF GOD

10

Megadeth and Lamb Of God Co-Headline the biggest metal tour of the Summer

14

14

38 SPECIAL Those wide-eyed Southern Boys Perform at The Arena Theater for a special concert on September 3

DANGEROUS TOYS

16

16

After Dark Production Present Those Texas Legends Dangerous Toys at The Westwind Club

20

20

THE WAILERS Reggae Superstars Return To The Scout Bar for One Night Only, August 19

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Music News • August 2021

Contents

VOL. 39 NO. 11

AUGUST 2021

ISSUE NO. 502

Also In This Issue

26

24 SIMPLE PLAN Simple Plan Perform at Warehouse Live On September 2

8 12 26 30 32 34 36 40 42

DIRTY HONEY DOKKEN MARTY STUART STEPHEN PEARCY GATLIN BROTHERS BEARTOOTH STEVE GILBERT THE BIKER RANDOM SHOTS

26

August 2021 • Music News

5

The Black Crowes Perform at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on August 14 Thirty years ago, The Black Crowes, led by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, released their debut album Shake Your Money Maker.

The album was, as Rolling Stone described, “a guitar-party cracker that marries Southern R&B crunch and Anglo cock-strutting attitude.”

At a time when journalists were mourning the death of rock as cheesy pop and hair metal dominated the charts, The Black Crowes emerged from Atlanta to resuscitate it. The authentically gritty blues-rock album, whose title is an homage to blues legend Elmore James, went double platinum in its first year. Needless to say, in a pre-social media, pre-smart phone world, the quick rise to stardom coupled with a zero fucks attitude led to complete chaos. The Melody Maker crowned them “The most Rock n’ Roll Rock n’ Roll Band in the world” and The Black Crowes didn’t disappoint.

Within their first years, The Black Crowes had toured with rock legends AC/DC, Robert Plant and Aerosmith, and their first Rolling Stone cover story retold a firsthand account of the band notoriously being kicked off the ZZ Top tour for their anti-establishment, anticorporate rants on stage. Their storied history has the common denominators of any famous band: bad label deals, addiction, band break ups and make ups, epic sold out tours (including one where Jimmy Page joined the band), marriages and divorces, all while prolifically releasing eight studio albums, four live albums and selling over 35 million records. The two things that make and break the band has always been the dueling rockstar brothers. Chris and Rich wrote several hit songs all before the age of 23, while infamously butting heads their entire career. The band called it quits forever in 2013 with

6 Music MusicNews News •• November Augusst December2021 2020

each brother vowing to never play or speak again.

February 13, 2020 marks the official 30th anniversary of quintuple platinum album Shake Your Money Maker. On November 11, 2019 radio legend Howard Stern, one of The Black Crowes earliest supporters, shocked fans and rock journalists alike by announcing the reunion of Chris and Rich Robinson, who will tour as The Black Crowes once again, playing the iconic record start to finish.

In 1990, when journalists were lamenting the death of rock, as cheesy pop and hair metal dominated the charts, Atlanta’s Black Crowes gave the genre a swift and much-needed kick in the ass with Shake Your Money Maker. Fueled by singles “Jealous Again,” “Twice As Hard,” “She Talks To Angels,” and the break-through cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle,” the band immediately took the rock world by storm, topping Rolling Stone’s “Best New American Band Readers Poll” in late 1990. The Black Crowes went on to release eight studio and four live albums, selling in the tens of millions along the way; they sold-out shows around the world; had legendary guitarist Jimmy Page join as a member; got kicked off a tour with ZZ Top for insulting the sponsor; got screwed by bad record deals; got married and divorced, fought amongst themselves and against the rest of the world. In other words, they’ve done everything a legendary rock group should do.

At the time of their 1990 debut, the kind of rock & roll the continued on next page

The Black Crowes continued from previous page Black Crowes specialized in was sorely out of style. Only Guns N’ Roses came close to approximating a vintage Stones-style raunch, but they were too angry and jagged to pull it off completely. The Black Crowes, on the other hand, replicated that Stonesy swagger and Faces boogie perfectly. Vocalist Chris Robinson appropriated the sound and style of vintage Rod Stewart, while brother Rich Robinson fused Keith Richards’ lean guitar attack with Ron Wood’s messy rhythmic sense. At their best, the Black Crowes echoed classic rock without imitating their influences, a blend that pushed the band to the top of the charts in the early 1990s, with 1992’s The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion reaching number one on Billboard. While they didn’t sustain that commercial peak, the band refashioned themselves as a harder-rocking jam band in the mid-’90s, a makeover that helped them stay on the road through lineup changes, hiatuses, and other assorted drama.

The Robinson brothers originally formed the Black Crowes in Georgia in 1984. By the time the group released their first album with 1990’s Shake Your Money Maker, the lineup comprised vocalist Chris Robinson, guitarist Rich Robinson, bassist Johnny Colt, guitarist Jeff Cease, and drummer Steve Gorman. “Jealous Again,” the first single from Shake Your Money Maker, was a moderate hit, but it was the band’s cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle” that made the Black Crowes a multi-platinum success. “Hard to Handle” climbed its way into the Top 40, propelling the album into the Top Ten along the way.

The acoustic ballad “She Talks to Angels” became the band’s second Top 40 hit in the spring of 1991, and Shake Your Money Maker eventually sold over three million copies.

The Black Crowes delivered their second album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, in the spring of 1992. It entered the charts at number one but lacked strong hits, as none of the singles cracked the Top 40 and only “Remedy” and “Thorn in My Pride” made the Top 100. Nevertheless, the band established itself as a popular concert attraction that summer, selling out theaters across America. During 1992, the band added keyboardist Eddie Harsch as a permanent member. The Black Crowes’ third album, Amorica, arrived in late 1994 and debuted in the Top Ten. Even so, none of the singles from the album made a significant dent, and the album slipped from the charts after going gold.

Three Snakes and One Charm, the group’s fourth album, was released in July 1996. The album quickly slipped out of the Top 50 after making a strong entrance, yet it also received the best reviews of any Crowes album since The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. Guitarist Marc Ford was fired from the Black Crowes in August 1997, and bassist Johnny Colt left the lineup in order to form the Brand New Immortals. With Rich Robinson handling all guitar parts, the band recorded and released By Your Side before collaborating with one of the world’s most celebrated guitarists, Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. This partnership was captured by the concert album Live at the Greek, an eclectic mix of newly recorded Zeppelin covers and additional classic blues cuts. Greatest Hits 1990-1999: A Tribute to a Work in Progress, a 16-track best-of compilation, was released several months later in 2000.

The band enlisted Don Was to produce their new album, 2001’s Lions, whose lyrics were influenced by Chris Robinson’s highly publicized relationship with actress Kate Hudson. A month-long summer tour with Oasis — dubbed “the Tour of Brotherly Love” due to the prevalence of siblings in both bands — followed in June. All was apparently not well with the group, however, and the band announced its decision to go on hiatus in January 2002. Drummer Steve Gorman was fired, and Chris Robinson began planning a solo career. It was Rich Robinson who was first out of the gate with a solo project, though, releasing Paper in 2004. In 2005, however, the Black Crowes reunited for a show at San Francisco’s Fillmore, a concert that was released in both CD and DVD formats as Freak ‘N’ Roll...Into the Fog in 2006. That year also saw the release of The Lost Crowes, which contained two previously unreleased albums, 1993’s Tall (parts of which were heard on Amorica and in other places) and the 1997 never-before-heard Band. Following a series of lineup changes, the retooled band hit the road for a proper tour before setting to work on its first studio effort in seven years. Joined by newcomer Luther Dickinson, guitarist and co-founder of the North Mississippi Allstars, the Black Crowes combined the rootsy appeal of their early work with a newfound political awareness on 2008’s Warpaint. A live performance of the album, available as both a DVD and a two-disc CD set titled Warpaint Live, appeared a year later in 2009. Before the Frost/ Until the Freeze arrived that same year, marking the band’s eighth studio effort and gathering warm reviews.

The Black Crowes continued their prolific streak with 2010’s Croweology, a double-disc album that featured new acoustic recordings of the band’s past work. The album’s release was bittersweet, though, as it coincided with a farewell tour followed by another indefinite hiatus. Rich Robinson released his second solo album, Through a Crooked Sun, in 2011 and his brother Chris released two albums with his new band, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, in 2012.

The Crowes lurched back to life in 2013, announcing a spring tour and releasing the live album Wiser for the Time on vinyl and MP3. This proved to be the last time for the Black Crowes: in January 2015, Rich Robinson announced the band was breaking up.

The Robinson brothers spent five years apart before reuniting in 2020 with a new Black Crowes lineup for a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their debut album Shake Your Money Maker. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their tour was postponed into 2021, as was the release of Super Deluxe Edition of Shake Your Money Maker.

Augusst 2021 • Music News

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“‘California Dreaming’ was the last song we wrote,” said bassist Justin Smolian. “We finished it about two weeks before we recorded it, so the song was still so new, and we were trying out different things, so every take was a little different. But there was that one where we just captured it, and it was magic.”

Although each band member started playing music as kids—at the age of eight, Notto’s parents even bought him a red-and-white Stratocaster—each one brings eclectic influences to Dirty Honey’s sound. For example, drummer Coverstone has studied with jazz and L.A. session drummers but loves heavy metal; Notto grew up listening to ’70s funk and R&B as well as rock ‘n’ roll, and bassist Smolian has a bachelor of music in classical guitar and loves Tom Petty and The Beach Boys.

Dirty Honey Perform at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on August 14 Some musicians take a while to build an audience and connect with fans. For the Los Angeles-based quartet Dirty Honey, success came right out of the gate. Released in March 2019, the band’s debut single, “When I’m Gone,” became the first song by an unsigned artist to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. Their second single, “Rolling 7s,” went into the Top 5 and was still headed up when COVID changed everything. That same year, Dirty Honey opened for The Who, Guns ’N Roses, Slash, and Alter Bridge and was the “donot-miss-band” at major rock festivals such as Welcome to Rockville, Rocklahoma, Louder Than Life, Heavy MTL, and Epicenter. On its first U.S. headline tour in January and February 2020, the band sold out every date.

When it came time to record its self-titled full-length debut album, the band—vocalist Marc LaBelle, guitarist John Notto, bassist Justin Smolian, and drummer Corey Coverstone—wasn’t about to mess with what was already working. Teaming up with producer Nick DiDia (Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam), who also produced the band’s 2019 self-titled EP, Dirty Honey again captured the lightningin-a-bottle dynamics and energy of their live sound.

“As a guitarist, I’m always inspired by the everlasting pursuit of the perfect riff,” says Notto. “I also wanted to extend the artistic statement that we had already made. We weren’t looking to sound different, or prove our growth, necessarily. It was more about, ‘Oh, you thought thatwas good? Hold my beer.’”

“Because of the pandemic,” added drummer Coverstone, “we had a lot more time to write and prepare, which was great. It meant that we were able to workshop the songs a lot more, and I think it really made a difference.”

Dirty Honey’s album indeed builds on the band’s output to date, with airtight songwriting that plays up their strengths: sexy, bluesy, nasty rock’n’roll, melodic hard rock, and soulful 70s blues-rock. On “The Wire,” LaBelle reaffirms his status as one of contemporary rock’s best vocalists, while “Another Last Time” is a raunchy, timeless ballad about a toxic relationship that you just can’t stop saying goodbye to. “Tied Up” and the album’s lead single “California Dreamin,’’ both feature smoking guitar solos bookended by massive riffs and hooks.

8 Music News • August 2021

LaBelle meanwhile, takes cues from his songwriting idols (to name a few, Robert Plant, Steven Tyler, Mick Jagger, Chris Robinson, and the late Chris Cornell) when coming up with lyrics. As a result, the songs on the Dirty Honey album hint at life’s ebbs and flows— shattering heartbreak, romantic connection, intense soul-searching— while giving listeners space to draw their own conclusions.

“Sometimes, if you just let lyrics pass behind your ears, they sound like cool shit is being said,” LaBelle says. “And then once you dive in, you realize, ‘Oh, that’s really thoughtful.’ But it still doesn’t have a meaning that’s easy to pinpoint. There’s an overarching idea that is really cool, but it’s not necessarily on-the-nose.”

Although the Dirty Honey album may sound effortless, its genesis had a bumpy start. The day before the band members were due to fly to Australia to track the album, Los Angeles entered lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and traveling was off the table.

However, Dirty Honey was still eager to work with DiDia, so they devised a Plan B: recording the full-length in a Los Angeles studio with one of DiDia’s long-time engineers, and the producer beamed into the proceedings via the magic of modern technology.

“He was able to listen to what we were laying down in realtime, through this app,” says LaBelle. It was like he was in the room with us. It was surprisingly seamless the way it all went down.”

Having to switch gears delayed the start of recording slightly, although this extra time ended up being a boon. Dirty Honey rented a rehearsal space and demoed the album’s songs in advance, meaning the tracks were in good shape when DiDia came onboard. Notto mixed and recorded these workshopped tracks himself, which helped him rediscover one of Dirty Honey’s biggest strengths: being wellrehearsed while not over polishing their work.

“I’ve learned just a little bit more about what people might mean when they say, magic—you know, ‘This one has the magic,’” he says. “We would do two and three different demos of a song, so there would be a few versions. On a few occasions, the version that people kept going back to was the sloppiest, if you look at it from a performance standpoint.”

LaBelle agrees. “It’s just about getting the performance right and not thinking about it too much. I never like to be perfect in the studio. None of the stuff that I really liked as a kid was. I don’t really see myself getting away from that too much in the future just because I think you lose the soul if you do it too many times, if it’s too perfect.”

Notto also admits that the creative process isn’t necessarily always all fun and games. But for him and the rest of Dirty Honey, pushing through those tough times and coming out stronger on the other side is worth it. “When you finally come through on those moments, that’s where the real magic comes in,” he says. “What makes all of our songs fun to play and listen to is we don’t allow ourselves to stop short of getting the best possible results out of each one of them.”

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by Jeff Fasano JACKSON USA • CHARVEL • ELLIS • GRETSCH • COLLINGS • SANTA CRUZPhoto • GALLAGHER • 18 Rock and Blues International • August 2020 Augusst 2021 99 8 Music News • July 2021 January 2021• International •Music MusicNews News 35 February 2021 • Rock and Blues NATIONAL • MARTIN • YAMAHA • TAYLOR • EASTMAN • DEERING

Megadeth Megadeth & Lamb Of God Co-Headline Tour Kicks Off This Month With Special Guests Trivium & Hatebreed Credit: Mcabe Gregg

Tour Touches Down At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion On Sunday, August 22nd This month, the must-see Metal Tour Of The Year co-headlined by MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD will lay waste to cities across North America as the highly anticipated trek finally hits the road. Joining them as previously planned will be special guests TRIVIUM, however it has been announced today that due to international visa issues, special guests IN FLAMES will not be able to join the tour. Fans should not fear, joining the tour in their place will be none other than HATEBREED. Tickets and VIP packages for this most epic metal extravaganza are on-sale now from LiveNation.com.

Megadeth, fueled by Dave Mustaine’s triumphant return to the stage following his diagnosis and recovery of 10 Music News • Augusst 2021

throat cancer, will finally embark on their first North American tour since 2017.

Speaking on the long-awaited announcement of the rescheduled run, Megadeth’s leader and frontman, Dave Mustaine says, “Can you hear that sound of armies on the march - of destruction on the horizon? That’s this tour, coming for you. We cannot wait to return to the stage and I promise you you do NOT want to miss these shows. You’re not going to know what hit you!”

LAMB OF GOD pressed ahead with the release of their crushing selftitled album, Lamb of God, which was one of the best- selling metal albums of 2020. The band now looks to take the

show on the road as they return to the stage for the first time since the release of the record. Randy Blythe, inimitable frontman of Lamb Of God, adds, “It’s been far too long since we got together to do our thing— by ‘we’ I mean bands, road crew, bus drivers, truck drivers, local venue staff, vendors, audience, parking lot attendants, the freaking janitors- the whole damn enchilada. ALL OF US. TOGETHER. Everyone has been waiting, but the time has come to put the puzzle back together— I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been more ready to hit the road with lamb of god. See y’all in a few months with Megadeth, Trivium, & now Hatebreed. Over a year with no live continued on next page

Lamb Of God Megadeth & Lamb Of God

Credit: Travis Shin

continued from previous page music? These shows are gonna be INSANE...”

Produced by Live Nation, the epic, rescheduled tour will now kick off on Friday, August 20th in Austin, TX and hit a further 27 cities before wrapping in Quebec City, QC on Saturday, October 2nd . Full tour itinerary below.

It was over 30 years ago that Dave Mustaine founded Megadeth, in the process pioneering the sound that would become known the world over as thrash metal. And from the very beginning, the band proved to be the most lethal and audacious unit on the heavy music scene, pushing thrash to the limits of musical ferocity and instrumental virtuosity on early efforts like their 1985 debut, Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good! and 1986’s seminal Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?.

Megadeth have taken their place as one of metal’s most influential and respected acts—not to mention among its

most successful. They have gone on to sell more than 38 million albums worldwide, earning numerous accolades including a 2017 GRAMMY® Award for “Best Metal Performance” for the title track “Dystopia,” 12 GRAMMY® nominations, and scoring five consecutive platinum albums. With sheer determination and a relentless recording and touring schedule, Megadeth worked their way up from headlining clubs to headlining arenas, festival and stadiums, cementing a legacy that continues to grow and spread throughout the world.

Megadeth are slated to release their 16th studio album later this year.

Lamb Of God propelled heavy metal into the new millennium two decades ago with the prophetically titled New American Gospel. They followed with 2003’s As the Palaces Burn, which made the Rolling Stone list of the Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.

Ashes of the Wake, released in 2004, was the first Lamb Of God album to be certified gold by the RIAA, as was

2006’s Sacrament, which also made a Top 10 Billboard 200 chart debut. In 2009, Lamb Of God released Wrath, their first with Josh Wilbur as producer, and earned the number one album spot on Billboard’s Hard Rock, Rock, and Tastemaker charts, with a number two position on the Billboard 200.

Those number one positions were repeated with 2012’s Resolution, which swung effortlessly between thrash, traditional metal, sludgy doom, with flashes of crust punk swagger and bravado. LAMB OF GOD’s last album, VII: Sturm und Drang (2015) made its debut on the Billboard 200 at number three and finished number 2 in the world charts, reaching Top 5 in five countries and six additional Top 15 positions.

In 2020 Lamb Of God released their critically acclaimed self-titled opus, the band’s best work to date, featuring new drummer Art Cruz, Lamb Of God is re-energized and unrelenting, ready to lay claim to the metal throne.

Augusst 2021 • Music News 11

Perform At The Arena Theater On August 6th

by Barry Weber At a time when the charts were ruled by pop-metal acts, Dokken were a major attraction throughout the 1980s. With vocalist Don Dokken’s captivating stage presence and guitarist George Lynch’s high-energy style, the band combined rockers such as “Kiss of Death” and power ballads such as “Alone Again” in order to create a number of best-selling albums.

Dokken’s roots date back to the late ’70s, when Lynch, along with drummer Mick Brown, teamed up with Don Dokken to form the Boyz. In 1981, Don moved to Germany and was signed to Carerre Records. The band, now simply known as Dokken, recorded and released its first studio album, Breaking the Chains, in 1983. While the record failed to achieve a decent chart position in the United States, the group was immensely popular in Europe.

After a tour in Germany, Dokken were signed to Elektra Records, and Jeff Pilson became their first official bassist. In 1984, the band released Tooth and Nail, which featured the hit songs “Into the Fire,” “Just Got Lucky,” and “Alone Again.” With heavy MTV and radio airplay, Dokken found themselves topping the charts worldwide, and Tooth and Nail eventually sold over a million copies in the U.S. alone. Following a tour with the Scorpions, the group recorded Under Lock and Key in 1985, which had similar success due to the hits “In My Dreams” and “It’s Not Love.” In 1987, Dokken released Back for the Attack, which featured “Dream Warriors,” a track they had written as the subtitle for the third Nightmare on Elm Street film. The coinciding music video, which included scenes of the band interacting with the movie’s characters, was their most popular ever, and Back for the Attack became Dokken’s third record to reach platinum status. Their subsequent tour resulted in a live compilation, Beast from the East, which was released shortly before the band broke up in 1988 due to Don Dokken’s and Lynch’s creative differences.

After the disbanding of Dokken, Don pursued a solo career with Up from the Ashes, and Lynch formed the Lynch Mob, releasing an album in 1990; both releases failed to chart. The band reunited in 1992, signing with Columbia Records and releasing 1995’s Dysfunctional, which was met with harsh reviews and poor sales. Tensions once again seemed to hover around Dokken as they recorded the live acoustic release One Live Night for the CMC label. In 1997, the band released Shadowlife, which was met with a similar response to their past two recordings. In 1998, Lynch left a second time to reunite the Lynch Mob, and was replaced with Winger guitarist Reb Beach for 1999’s Erase the Slate. This was followed in 2000 by another concert record, Live from the Sun, which captured the Beach lineup at Anaheim’s Sun Theater. Beach left the group and was replaced by John Norum, and the group recorded Long Way Home for release in the spring of 2002.

In 2003, ex-Warlock guitarist Jonathan Levin and ex-Ted Nugent and Yngwie Malmsteen bassist Barry Sparks joined the band, resulting in the release of Hell to Pay the following year. Dokken returned to the studio in 2008 for the well-received Lightning Strikes Again, which proved to be their highest charting outing in years. Due to a scheduling conflict, 2012’s Broken Bones was the first Dokken release to not feature drummer and co-founder Mick Brown — session drummer Jimmy DeGrasso filled in — but he returned for Return to the East: Live 2016, a concert album that was released in 2018 and also included George Lynch and Jeff Pilson.

12 Music News • Augusst 2021

June 2021 • Music News

13

38 Special Perform At The Arena Theatre September 3

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.

songwriter, performer, guitarist, instrumentalist, 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.

Their many Gold and Platinum album awards stand in testament to the endurance of a legendary powerhouse.

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 ever-changing 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.

With sales in excess of 20 million, most associate the band with their arena-rock 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 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.”

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.’

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.”

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Don Barnes is the consummate musician. He is a gifted singer, Music News • Augusst 2021

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 full-service 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 continued on page 22

After Dark Productions Present Dangerous Toys August 28th at the Westwind Club When Dangerous Toys released their self-titled debut album on Columbia records in 1989, their raw southern rock and metal served as an immediate attack on glam metal’s reign on MTV and rock radio. Their two hit singles, “Teas’n, Pleas’n” and “Scared,” gained the band a rabid following and helped the album go gold.

Dangerous ToysDangerous Toys was founded in Texas in 1987 by vocalist Jason McMaster along with guitarists Scott Dalhover and Danny Aaron, bassist Mark Geary, and drummer Mike Watson.

Dangerous Toys is an Austin, Texas-based rock band with often humorous lyrics. Founded in 1987, Dangerous Toys released four full-length albums and one live album before unofficially disbanding at the turn of the millennium. The band found mainstream success with its debut album Dangerous Toys (1989), which featured the singles “Teas’n, Pleas’n” and “Scared” and was certified gold by the RIAA five years after its release. Their next two albums, Hellacious Acres (1991) and Pissed (1994), were not as successful as the self-titled debut, but also received acclaim. Although they have not released any new material since their fourth studio album The R*tist 4*merly Known as Dangerous Toys (1995), Dangerous Toys have continued to perform live over the years.

Dangerous Toys was formed in October 1987. Jason McMaster, singer for Watchtower, was invited by Tim Trembley to join his band, Onyxx, as singer. Onyxx included Scott Dalhover (guitar), Mark Geary (drums) and Mike Watson 16

Music News • Augusst 2021

(bass).

In 1988, now calling themselves Dangerous Toys, the band was signed to Columbia Records after a publishing representative had signed them to a deal in March at South-BySouthwest. Soon afterwards Tim Trembley left the band and they were without a second guitarist. On their eponymous debut album, which was produced by Max Norman (Megadeth, Ozzy Osbourne), Scott Dalhover played all the guitar tracks.

Shortly before its release, guitarist Danny Aaron joined; despite not playing on the album, he appears on the back cover.

Released in May 1989, Dangerous Toys gave the band its major breakthrough, peaking at number 65 on the Billboard 200, receiving gold certification by the RIAA, and the singles “Teas’n Pleas’n” and “Scared” enjoying heavy rotation on MTV’s Headbangers Ball. Dangerous Toys toured worldwide in support of the album during 1989 and 1990, performing from clubs to arenas and amphitheaters with such acts as The Cult, L.A. Guns, Stryper, Faster Pussycat, The Almighty, Bonham and Junkyard.

Dangerous Toys also contributed to a song on the soundtrack for the 1989 Wes Craven movie Shocker, “Demon Bell (The Ballad of Horace Pinker)”.

In 1991, their second album, Hellacious Acres, was released. It was produced by Roy Thomas Baker, who had produced albums for several major rock artists (The Cars, Queen, Journey), and featured the singles “Sticks and Stones” continued on page 18

and Crash Helmets Tour-Live Greatest Hits (Deadline/ Cleopatra). After that, band activity slowed.

Singer Jason McMaster performs in various Austin-based rock-bands, including Sad Wings, Capricorn USA, and Broken Teeth a band formed in 1999 with Dangerous Toys guitarist Paul Lidel. Lidel left Broken Teeth in 2006 and now writes and performs with Adrenaline Factor, Jokerville, and 99 Crimes.

Lidel is also a music instructor who trains future would-be guitar rockstars. Drummer Mark Geary and bassist Mike Watson record and perform in an Austin-based heavy metal band called Proof Of Life.

Dangerous Toys continued from page 16 and “Line ‘Em Up”; videos were shot for both of them and received some airplay on Headbangers Ball. However, the singles did not chart and the album was not as successful as the self-titled debut, ending up at number 67 on the Billboard 200 chart. Shortly after embarking on the Operation Rock & Roll tour with Judas Priest, Alice Cooper, Motörhead and Metal Church, Dangerous Toys was dropped from Columbia.

In 1992, Danny Aaron left the band and was replaced by Kevin Fowler. Fowler never played on a Dangerous Toys album, but he did tour with the band - performing in over 200 live shows during 1993. In January 1994, Paul Lidel of Dirty Looks, a hard rock band from Erie, Pennsylvania, replaced Fowler.

The third Dangerous Toys album, Pissed (DMZ/Dos/ Antones [USA], Bullet Proof [Europe]. 1994), was full of pent up anger, bile, and venom. The band’s lyrics and attitude became harsher and the music had a darker tone, with song titles like “Loser” and “Hard Luck Champion.”

In 1994, just after they finished recording the Pissed album, bassist Mike Watson was replaced by Michael Hannon from Salty Dog (Geffen). Hannon toured with the band, performing in over 200 shows during 1994 and 1995.

After touring, Hannon left, so Jason McMaster played bass in addition to performing lead vocals. The band considered changing their name, but stuck with Dangerous Toys, even poking fun at their name on the title of their fourth (and final) studio album to date; The R-tist 4-merly Known as Dangerous Toys (DMZ/Dos/Antones. 1995). The humor backfired: fan reaction was not favorable and the album barely sold.

In 1999 Dangerous Toys released a live album, Vitamins 18

Music News • Augusst 2021

In 2001, they played a few shows in their hometown of Austin, Texas and in Tokyo, Japan, rejoined by their original bassist, Mike Watson. They reunited for another set of live shows in Austin and Tokyo during February 2003, Austin in May 2005, and at Bat Fest (an annual Austin event) with Rhino Bucket in September 2006. Portions of the 2006 show were recorded and initially intended for release as XX, a 20-year career retrospective CD/DVD. The XX project was postponed indefinitely in mid-2007. The band was also rumored to be working on a new album during this period, but nothing has come out of it.

In 2006, “Teas’n, Pleas’n” was covered by Shadows Fall on their compilation album Fallout from the War, featuring guest vocals from Toys’ vocalist Jason McMaster.

In 2007, Dangerous Toys recorded a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s hit song Simple Man for An All Star Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, (Deadline/Cleopatra). Also in 2007, they performed an unannounced short set at the end of a show featuring the member’s current bands (Adrenaline Factor, Proof of Life and Broken Teeth).

In 2008 they performed a handful of shows. Most notable was a 20th Anniversary show in Austin, TX, on November 8, with all original band members.

In March 2012, McMaster married photographer Kate Patten in a private ceremony in West Hollywood, CA. In 2017, it was announced that Dangerous Toys had signed a deal with EMP Label Group, the label of Megadeth bassist David Ellefson to reissue remastered versions of several of the band’s catalog releases including Pissed, The R*tist 4*merly Known as Dangerous Toys, and XX: Live. Pissed was re-released on September 8, 2017 on Vinyl LP, Picture Disc, and CD. Though not a full-time ongoing band, Dangerous Toys is still active as of 2020, performing at least one live show every year. McMaster had stated in interviews there would be no new material under the Dangerous Toys name, but would never rule it out.

Despite McMaster’s previous statements, Dangerous Toys guitarist Scott Dalhover revealed on his Facebook page in September 2018 that he was working on demos with him for what will be the band’s fifth studio album. During their performance at the Rocklanta festival in Atlanta on March 30, 2019, they performed their first song in 24 years “Hold Your Horses”.

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included past members such as Barrett, Al Anderson, and Tyrone Downie. The Wailers performed in India for the first time.

On August 21, 2020, Barrett’s band released the album One World, credited to the Wailers. The album includes the single “One World, One Prayer”, cowritten and produced by Emilio Estefan, featuring Skip Marley, Farruko, Shaggy, and Cedella Marley.

The Wailers Perform At The Scout Bar August 19th Bob Marley and the Wailers recorded, toured and made history together between 1972 and 1981. It was Bob Marley himself that requested the Wailers stayed together. Today, carrying on the mission are legitimate members, children-of-legends and a host of immensely talented musicians. The afore mentioned Aston Barrett Jr delivers startling echoes of his uncle’s (Carlton ‘Carly’ Barrett) one drop drumming sound. Guitarist Donald Kinsey is joined

by Wendel ‘Junior Jazz’ Ferraro, shaping that classic sonic identity. Owen ‘Dreadie’ Reid (Julian Marley’s Uprising Band and a former student of ‘Familyman’) and Andres Lopez (Albrosie, Lutan Fyah) add yet more quality to an incredible line up that also includes the youngest of the earliest formation of the Wailers, Tyrone Downie, saxophone player Glen Dacosta and Dennis Thompson, the engineer who was there from the very beginnings of the band. Anne-Marie Thompson (a gospel singer of stunning ability) and Tamara Barnes who has been in the music industry for over 20 years, providing backing vocals in studio and on stage for I-Threes, Jimmy Cliff, KyMani Marley, Beres Hammond and Freddie McGregor among many others.

Together they bring the smoothest backing vocals, contributing to this unique melting pot, both classic and 20 Music News • August

excitingly fresh at the same time After the death of Bob Marley in 1981, the Wailers continued, led by Aston Barrett and Junior Marvin. The band continued to play a heavy worldwide touring schedule, and recorded as backing band with several singers.

Carlton “Carly” Barrett, 36, was murdered at his Jamaica home in 1987. In 1989, Aston Barrett formed the Wailers Band, releasing the album I.D., and continued using the Wailers name when collaborating with other artists. Former Wailer Marvin joined in the early 1990s.

The duo, along with a varying lineup recorded under several names, including the “Legendary” Wailers, and simply the Wailers, In 2008 Marvin joined another former Wailer, Al Anderson, in The Original Wailers, leaving in 2011.

In 2014, The Wailers Band embarked on worldwide “Legend Tour”, marking the 30th anniversary of the release of the best-selling reggae album of all time.

In 2015, Aston “Familyman” Barrett began the process of reuniting past members of the Wailers, using the name the Wailers Reunited. Shows occurred in South America which

In 2017, Aston Barrett Jr. received a Grammy certificate as co-producer with Damian Marley for the track The Struggle Discontinues, featured in the Album “Stony Hill” which won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.

Aston Barrett Jr. is a co-owner of BAD Lions Productions, LLC. who operates a studio in Pompano Beach, Florida. He can be heard playing guitar, drums, bass, and organ for Stephen Marley, Junior Reed, Julian Marley, Kwame Bediaco, Aka Beka, Jessee Royale, Reggae Force, and many more.

His sponsors include Rupert Neve (whose pro audio gear is heard on every album he has played on and every live Wailers show), as well as Fender, Mannabasso, Black Lion Audio, and Pigtronics.

A multiple Grammy Award winner, Emilio Estefan is a musician, songwriter, record and television producer, bestselling author, filmmaker, and cultural ambassador. He has shaped and directed the careers of many musical talents, including Shakira, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Jon Secada, Jennifer López, and many others. He is one of the founding leaders of the Latin Grammy Awards. Estefan was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him with a lifetime achievement award. He was selected as the second vice chair to the Commission for the National Museum of the American Latino by President Barack Obama, and President George W. Bush appointed him as a member of the President’s Committee of the Arts and Humanities. He is an entrepreneur owning and operating seven (7) restaurants, two (2) hotels, and an internationally recognized publishing company. In 2019, along with his wife Gloria, received the coveted Gershwin Prize by the Library of Congress for excellence in songwriting.

The Convalescence was founded in Toledo,OH in early Spring 2011 by Keith Wampler. The band now consists of Vocalist Keith Wampler, Guitarist Zac Lunsford, Guitarist Toby Wright, Bassist Ron Buckley, Drummer Charles Webber, and Keyboardist Katie McCrimmon. The Convalescence has spent the last several years touring nearly non stop and earning a rapidly growing worldwide fan base including tours with Venom Inc, Goatwhore, Toxic Holocaust, Testament, Sepultura, Otep, Suffocation, Cattle Decapitation, Cryptopsy, Ill Nino, The Faceless, Dyscarnate, As Blood Runs Black, Rings Of Saturn, and many more as well as appearing on select dates of the 2017 Summer Slaughter tour with The Black Dahlia Murder, New England Metal & Hardcore Festival 2017, Full Terror Assault Festival 2017 with Overkill, Dirtfest 2016 & 2017 with Killswitch Engage, Rock Fest 2016 with Slipknot, Mayhem Festival 2015 with Slayer and King Diamond and many more!

Since the band was formed in 2011 they have released five full length albums and one EP and have toured relentlessly racking up over 600 live shows across 7 countries.

The Convalescence brings a high energy horror filled live show that includes corpse paint, blood, animal skulls, and much more.

Having recently released “Monument Of Misery” which made it’s debut at #3 on the iTunes Metal Charts, #64 on the iTunes Rock Charts, #189 on the Top 200 Albums, and #8 on Billboard Heatseekers Charts The Convalescence continues a very busy tour schedule to support the album.

38 Special continued from page 14 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”.

22 Music News • August 2021

The Convalescence Perform At The Scout Bar August 23rd 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.

Along the way, through his friendship with many amazing artists, 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 19831993.

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.

group, and Simple Plan was born.

The band quickly hit the road and joined the annual Vans Warped Tour in 2001. By this point, Simple Plan had carved out a spunky, energetic punk sound, textured like Cheap Trick but raw like Pennywise. The following year, Simple Plan headed into the studio to capture the sound on tape. Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden and Mark Hoppus of blink-182 joined Simple Plan during those sessions, and the end result was the fiery, fun No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls, which was released in early 2003 on Lava Records. The group took home a 2003 MuchMusic Video Award for People’s Choice Favorite Canadian Group in June, and the album became a genuine success, selling over four million copies worldwide while going double-platinum in Canada and America. The Bob Rockproduced second album, Still Not Getting Any..., appeared the next year and also did quite well, scoring hits like “Crazy” and “Welcome to My Life.” Simple Plan continued touring in support of both releases, and released the concert album Live from the Hard Rock in 2005.

Simple Plan Perform at White Oak Music Hall September 2

by MacKenzie Wilson Simple Plan emerged out of Montreal in the front half of the 2000s to become one of Canada’s most successful poppunk acts with a devoted international following who helped turn hook-laden anthems like “Welcome to My Life” and “I’d Do Anything” into significant hits. A perennial staple of the Vans Warped Tour, they have made major appearances ranging from the 2004 Live 8 benefit and the 2010 Winter Olympics to the MTV Music Awards. While later albums didn’t quite reach the lofty multi-platinum heights of their debut and 2004’s Still Not Getting Any..., Simple Plan have nonetheless maintained a fairly consistent chart presence stretching up to their 2016 outing, Taking One for the Team. Over the years their music has shifted somewhat from its pop-punk origin toward a more alt-rock and power pop-driven sound.

Although the band — whose lineup is comprised of former high school friends Pierre Bouvier (vocals), Jeff Stinco (guitar), David Desrosiers (bass), Sebastien Lefebvre (guitar), and Chuck Comeau (drums) — came together in 1999, their roots stretch back to 1993 when Comeau and Bouvier founded a band called Reset at age 13. Reset ultimately proved to be a modestly successful band in Canada, touring the country with other punk groups like MxPx, Ten Foot Pole, and Face to Face.

A debut album followed in 1997 , after which Comeau bowed out quietly to attend college. Two years later, he pushed his studies to the back burner and returned to music, this time working with Stinco and Lefebvre to put a new group together.

Meanwhile, Bouvier was still in charge of Reset, but he’d grown tired of being both a frontman and a guitarist. After he and Comeau reconnected at a Sugar Ray show in late 1999, Bouvier agreed to join Comeau’s new project. Desrosiers, who briefly replaced Bouvier in Reset, was also asked to join the 24 Music News • August 2021

The band scaled back their touring schedule in 2006, looking to concentrate on writing new material instead. Simple Plan entered the studio in June 2007 to begin work on their third studio album, the self-titled Simple Plan, which appeared in February 2008. Although not an international best-seller like its two predecessors, the album still went platinum in Canada, where demand for their music remained strong. A year after making an appearance at the closing ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the band issued their fourth album, Get Your Heart On!, which featured cameos from Rivers Cuomo, Natasha Bedingfield, and All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth. Its sequel, the EP Get Your Heart On - The Second Coming!, was released in 2013 in conjuction with a for-thefans live recording, which was released as an online stream. In 2015, Simple Plan began to release singles to garner buzz for their fifth album (and first full-length in as many years), starting with the catchy ’80s-vibed “Saturday.” Although that song would not make it to the album, “Boom,” “I Don’t Wanna Be Sad,” and “I Don’t Wanna Go to Bed,” which featured rapper Nelly, would all be included on Taking One for the Team (Atlantic), which was released in February 2016. In keeping with their brand of catchy pop-punk, the release also featured appearances by New Found Glory singer Jordan Pundik, R. City, and Juliet Simms. The group spent much of 2017 celebrating the 15th anniversary of of their debut album, No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls, with a special deluxe reissue of the album and corresponding tour.

On 5 September 2018, Music in Minnesota reported that members of Simple Plan spent a day in Owatonna, Minnesota to appear in scenes of a punk rock musical titled Summertime Dropouts. The feature film was released in the fall of 2019.[46] Simple Plan recorded a song called “Bigger”, which was released on the soundtrack of the film La course des Tuques on 16 November 2018.

On 8 June 2019, the band reunited with Desrosiers in Cleveland, Ohio, marking his official return to the band.

In October 2019, Simple Plan released a collaboration track with State Champs and We the Kings called “Where I Belong”; the three also conducted a tour together.

On 10 July 2020, it was announced that Desrosiers had parted ways with Simple Plan for the third time.

Marty Stuart Performs At The Heights Theater August 28th record a more high-profile solo album, Busy Bee Cafe, an informal jam session for Sugar Hill with guest spots by Cash, Watson, and Earl Scruggs, among others. The following year, he married Cash’s daughter Cindy. He left Cash’s band in 1985 to pursue a solo career.

He signed with Columbia and released a self-titled label debut album in 1986. Despite a Top 20 country hit in “Arlene,” the record didn’t sell very well, and Columbia refused to issue his completed follow-up, Let There Be Country. Stuart’s marriage also broke up in 1988, and he returned home to Mississippi to gather his wits. Jerry Sullivan invited him to rejoin the Sullivans as mandolinist, which recharged Stuart’s confidence for a return to Nashville.

Stuart landed a deal with MCA in 1989 and released his label debut, Hillbilly Rock, later that year. This time he was more successful, landing a Top Ten hit with the title track and earning positive reviews from critics, who compared his sensibility to that of Dwight Yoakam. Released in 1991, Tempted was successful critically and commercially and spawned three Top Ten hits in the title cut, “Little Things,” and “Burn Me Down.” In the wake of Stuart’s breakthrough, Columbia finally released Let There Be Country in 1992. Stuart also completed his official follow-up, This One’s Gonna Hurt You, which featured a Top Ten hit in the title duet with Travis Tritt, and became his first gold albums. Though he’d earned a fervent following, Stuart found these successes hard to duplicate — 1994’s Love and Luck saw his sales slipping, and perhaps in response, MCA issued the hits and rarities compilation The Marty Party Hit Pack. That in turn led to a series of Marty Party concert specials on the Nashville Network.

However, 1996's Honky Tonkin’s What I Do Best failed to win the wide critical acclaim of its predecessors.

by Steve Huey Love and Luck One of country music’s most historically minded new traditionalists, Marty Stuart is also one of its more flamboyant showmen, supporting his party-hearty image with a wardrobe of rhinestone-laden Nudie suits. Despite his fondness for flash, Stuart was one of the most eclectic country artists to rise to stardom in the ’80s, moving between honky tonk (1994’s Love and Luck), rockabilly (1986’s Marty Stuart), country-rock (2003’s Country Music), traditional country (1992’s Let There Be Country), Western music (2017’s Way Out West), gospel (2005’s Souls’ Chapel), and bluegrass (1982’s Busy Bee Cafe). Stuart easily balanced the various sides of his musical personality, with his love of country music’s past and present the common bond between it all.

Stuart was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, in 1958 and grew up obsessed with country music. He learned guitar and mandolin as a child and by age 12 was performing with the bluegrass group the Sullivans. He soon met Lester Flatt bandmember Roland White, which led to an invitation to play a Labor Day gig in Delaware with the band in 1972. Flatt invited Stuart to join the band permanently and took responsibility for overseeing the teenager’s continued education.

Stuart stayed with Flatt up until the legendary bluegrass master broke up his band in 1978 for health reasons; he passed away the following year. Stuart moved on, playing with fiddler Vassar Clements and guitarist Doc Watson while doing session work, and was invited to join Johnny Cash’s backing band in 1980. In 1978 Stuart had released his first LP, With a Little Help from My Friends (re-released in 1992 as The Slim Richey Sessions), but in 1982 he stepped out to 20 Music News • August 26 Decemberr 2021 2020

Stuart was already moving on to other concerns as well. He’d acquired an extensive collection of country memorabilia by that point and in 1996 won his first term as president of the Country Music Foundation (which oversees the Country Music Hall of Fame); he would serve in that capacity through 2002. He also remarried in 1997, to fellow country singer Connie Smith (who’d first made an impression on him during his teen years). When he returned to recording, it was in 1999 with The Pilgrim, a concept album based in country tradition, yet with a distinct progressive inclination. Despite strong reviews, it didn’t sell well, and Stuart later parted ways with MCA. He went on to sign with Sony’s Nashville division and released his label debut, simply titled Country Music, in the summer of 2003, followed

by Souls’ Chapel and Badlands in 2005. A live bluegrass record, Live at the Ryman, appeared early in 2006. Stuart returned to recording in 2010 with a fast-paced traditional honky tonk album called Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions, recorded at RCA’s legendary Nashville facility, his first release under a new deal with Sugar Hill Records. His second album for the label, 2012’s Nashville, Vol. 1: Tear the Woodpile Down, was a follow-up of sorts to Ghost Train.

In 2014, the exhibition American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart took place at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville. Its catalog was published as a hardcover book. The musician followed it up with a double concept album entitled Saturday Night/Sunday Morning, devoted to traditional country and gospel. The recording was issued on September 30, 2014. Next, Stuart and his band the Superlatives teamed with producer Mike Campbell — best known as the guitarist in Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers — to pay tribute to California country & western. Appropriately titled Way Out West, the album appeared in March 2017 and featured the single “Whole Lotta Highway (With a Million Miles to Go).” For Record Store Day 2018, Stuart released Way Out West — Desert Suite (Trip One), a vinyl-only EP of rare archival material including a performance of “TB Blues” featuring Merle Haggard. Later that year, Stuart and the Superlatives teamed up with Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman of the Byrds for a special concert tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of the Byrds’ country-rock milestone Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

THE BIG EASY IS BACK AGAIN! JOIN US THIS MONTH AS WE CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAYS OF: ANNIKA CHAMBERS - AUGUST 7th STEVE KRASE - AUGUST 13th TRUDY LYNN - AUGUST 14th

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Music News • August 2021

Stephen Pearcy Performs At Warehouse Live On September 4th As the founder, lead singer, and songwriter of the metal rock band Ratt, Stephen Pearcy led his creation to Mega Multi-Platinum Success Year after Year from 1984 - 1991. Capturing critical acclaim for his performances, style, and uniquely salacious vocals. Pearcy formed Ratt in Los Angeles in 1982 from his previous band Mickey Ratt.

Known for their overtly sexual appearance, rebellious attitude, and take no prisoner approach to metal, Atlantic Records recognized Ratt’s potential and star power thus signing the band to a contract resulting in the 1984 album “Out of the Cellar”, which became one of many multi-platinum successes. Ratt climbed up the charts with singles from “Out of the Cellar”, soaring past Prince’s “Lets Go Crazy”, Van Halen’s “Panama”, Madonna’s “Borderline” and David Bowies “Blue Jean”.

The record generated top ten singles followed by sold out tours throughout the world. This momentum remained with every proceeding Ratt album to include their most recent release of “Infestation” in 2010. Their last recording from that time in 1991 is Ratt “81-91” of which marked the end of an era, and to the chagrin of many die hard metal fans who seemingly could never get enough of Pearcy, it seemed to mark the end to a selfproclaimed “dynasty of rough & tough metal” that ruled the better part of the 80s.

Throughout Ratt’s nearly four decades of success with Pearcy at its helm, they released 8 albums and played thousands of shows worldwide all the while selling over 20 30 Music News • August 2021

million records.

In 1992 Pearcy explored other areas of interest and created Arcade with Cinderella’s drummer, Fred Coury. With the release of his first solo debut in 2002, “Social Intercourse”, and 20 CDs to his credit, he continued to record and tour vigorously to the delight of a new emerging fan base of metal fans.

Added to his list of achievements is 2002’s Cult Horror Classic, “Camp Utopia” with Pearcy playing the notorious camp slasher and cult leader, Timothy Bach.

Ratt & Mickey Ratt songs are featured regularly in film & TV; Point Break, Weird Science, The Golden Child, Academy Award winning movie “The Wrestler”, Emmy Award winning Stranger Things, Wicked City, Cobra Kai, The Goldbergs, Young Sheldon...

by over 15 million viewers in its first 2 weeks on air, Ratt’s “Round and Round” re-charted on Billboards Top Ten Hard Rock Digital Song Sales and a New found fanbase was born. Live Nation scheduled Ratt to headline “The Big Rock Summer Tour”, Ratt was ready to Take Over the Rock World once again.

By February covid crept in and by March venues struggled to remain opened, Ratt was forced to shelf the tour until further notice. Although, in true form, nothing stops Stephen Pearcy....he released a series of songs called “The Covid Tapez”. “All That I Want,” “Making Crazy,” and “I Don’t Care” “Night Flight”... then began putting together his Docu-Series in collaboration with ASY/TV, filming begins January 2021. ASY/ TV (Streamimg through Roko, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV).

Pearcy’s continued exploration away from music is as a New York Times Best Selling Author, “Sex, Drugs, Ratt ‘n’ Roll…

My Life in Rock” by Stephen Pearcy. Hailed as “A jaw-dropping tell-all from the lead singer of the 1980s supergroup Ratt: the groupies, the trashed hotel rooms, the drugs— and just how much you can get away with when you’re one of the biggest hair metal stars of all time.”

His stylized vocals and performances have been the trademark of RATT & Stephen Pearcy’s Solo Band throughout his career. He gained press and notoriety for his sexual lyrics and hedonistic lifestyle on and off the road.

2020, “Year of the Rat”, started in a positive direction with Ratt landing a Geico Insurance commercial that would introduce Ratt to a whole new breed of fans with the catch phrase “We have a Ratt Problem”, seen

The Pearcy legacy is here to stay. His fans are loyal and always wanting more of him…after all, he is the original “Wanted Man”.

Today, he heads Top Fuel Entertainment, as CEO. He continues to write, record and produce new music. As well as, perform in his own solo band!

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Hall, Houston Symphony, Madison Square Garden Venetian Room, West Point, Dollywood, The Mall in D.C. for July 4th, the Greek Theater, Billy Bob’s, Radio City Music Hall, Disney World and Wembley Music Festival. In addition, they have graced the stage with legendary entertainers, from all over the world, like Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill and Gospels acts, including the Oak Ridge Boys, the Gaither Vocal Band, the Isaacs and many others.

The brothers have also proudly entertained our U.S. Troops in Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Germany, & at many military bases in the United States as well. They have appeared at famed sporting events performing the National Anthem for the ’85 and ’89 World Series, the US Open Tennis Tournament, at Yankee Stadium, the Astrodome, Nissan Titans Stadium, Candlestick Park, Chicago White Sox Ballpark, NHL All Star Hockey Game, Darlington NASCAR Speedway, the Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, Giants Stadium, New Orleans Saints Superdome, Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Houston Texans’ Reliant Stadium and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. They continued performing throughout the USA for the next 10 years & in 2015 the brothers celebrated 60 years of making music together and released a new album, The Gospel According To Gatlin. Larry wrote & produced a musical, “Quanah” which was performed in April 2017 to rave reviews.

The Gatlin Brothers Perform At Dosey Doe Big Barn On August 22nd Larry, Steve, & Rudy, the Gatlin Brothers are a Grammy Award-winning trio who have dazzled audiences for more than sixty years with a lifetime of noteworthy achievements in their storybook career, including a Grammy for Best Country Song (“Broken Lady”), three ACM awards for Single of the Year (“All The Gold In California”), Album of the Year (Straight Ahead) and Male Vocalist of the Year for Larry Gatlin, along with five nominations for CMA Vocal Group of the Year, Single, Album and Male Vocalist of the Year. (DOVE Awards – AMA’s – PEOPLE’S CHOICE info here) The Brothers have accumulated 7 # 1 Singles, 32 Top 40 Records, 22 Studio Albums and 5 BMI “Million-Air” Awards. Larry ranks 4th as Solo Writer’s with the most selfpenned top 40 Billboard Hits! His massive song catalog has been recorded by the Who’s Who of entertainers, including Elvis Presley, Barbara Streisand, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Glen Campbell, Kris Kristofferson, Sir Tom Jones, Dottie West, Charlie Rich, Johnny Mathis and dozens of others, securing his legacy as one of BMI’s top solo songwriters of all time.

For more than 62 years now, the Gatlin Brothers have entertained audiences in some of the world’s largest venues and from some of the most iconic stages, including the GRAMMY Awards, the American Music Awards, the People’s Choice Awards, the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Oprah, Hee Haw, Love Boat, the Midnight Special with Wolfman Jack, the Merv Griffin Show, Solid Gold, the Barbara Mandrell Show and their own variety special on ABC – “Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers”.

In 1976, the Gatlin Brothers were on the fast track, thanks to the chart-topping success of the Grammy Award-winning single “Broken Lady”. The hits continued throughout the decade with their signature song “All the Gold In California” followed by “Houston” (Means I’m One Step Closer To You). The next decade brought number one hits with “I Don’t Wanna Cry”, “I Just Wish You Were Someone To Love”, “Statues Without Hearts”, “Love Is Just A Game”, and “Night Time Magic”.

They have performed at famed venues, including the White House, the President Reagan Library, Air Force One, Ford’s Theater, Camp David, President Bush’s 80th Birthday Party, The Lincoln Theater, with the New York Pops Orchestra at Carnegie

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It all began in Abilene, Texas in 1955 when Larry was seven, Steve four and Rudy two. The brothers grew up singing gospel music after listening to James Blackwood and the Blackwood Brothers, Hovie Lister and The Stateman Quartet as well other accomplished gospel artists. As children the brothers would sing for anyone that would listen. Soon they were singing from coast to coast and appeared at the World’s Fair in 1964 in New York City. They recorded four Gospel records early in their career. In 1966 Larry went to college where he studied English and Law at the University of Houston. In 1971, he auditioned for the legendary group, the Imperials, Elvis’ backup group. While he did not get the job, he met Dottie West, who was the opening act for Jimmy Dean. Dean would later become one of Larry’s oldest and best friends. Dottie was initially taken with Larry’s resemblance to Nashville songwriter Mickey Newbury. Dottie told him one night in their backstage dressing room at the Landmark Hotel in Las Vegas that he looked so much like Mickey Newbury, that he had to be able to write great songs. Larry returned to Houston and wrote eight songs. He sent them to Dottie and she liked them so much she sent him a plane ticket to Nashville.

Through Dottie, he met Kris Kristofferson, who championed Gatlin’s talent as a writer and singer. Kristofferson introduced Larry to Fred Foster at Monument Records which resulted in a recording contract with the label. Larry’s first album, The Pilgrim, was released later that year. Johnny Cash wrote the liner notes for the album and dubbed him “The Pilgrim” a name Cash called Larry his entire life. Steve and Rudy were still in college at Texas Tech University and in 1975 they moved to Nashville to sing backup with Tammy Wynette. The two later joined Larry in 1976 to form Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers.

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Beartooth Perform at The House Of Blues Houston on September 4 An Ohio-based metalcore unit with a punk edge, Beartooth were originally formed by frontman Caleb Shomo as an alternative creative outlet during his time as lead vocalist for Attack Attack! Signaling a departure from Attack Attack!’s heavily produced electronicore, Beartooth’s debut EP, 2013’s Sick, delivered a sonic gut-punch that felt both raw and rooted, a sound that the band would continue to explore on future full-length releases like Disgusting (2014), Aggressive (2016), Disease (2018), and Below (2021).

The group’s founding lineup included guitarist Taylor Lumley, bassist Nick Reed, and drummer Brandon Mullins. They signed with Red Bull Records in 2013 and released their debut EP, Sick. Rhythm guitarist Kamron Bradbury (City Lights) joined the fray in 2014, just as Beartooth issued their first LP, Disgusting. Before the follow-up, Reed and Mullins parted ways with the band, replaced by Oshie Bichar and Connor Denis, respectively.

In 2016, Beartooth released their sophomore effort, Aggressive, featuring the anthemic title track. It debuted atop the Billboard Alternative chart and at number 25 on the Billboard 200. A year later, an expanded deluxe edition of the album was issued, featuring acoustic and live versions recorded in London and their hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

B-Sides The group’s third studio effort, 2018’s punishing Disease, used frontman Shomo’s battle with depression as its catalyst. It also marked the debuts of ex-Like Moths to Flames guitarist Zach Huston, who replaced outgoing shredder Taylor Lumley, and former session/touring drummer Connor Denis. An EP titled BSides arrived in 2019, followed by a deluxe edition of Disease that included two extra studio cuts. Longtime guitarist Kamron Bradbury left the fold in 2020 and was replaced by the band’s guitar tech Will Deely, who made his studio debut on 2021’s more hard rock/heavy metal-oriented Below.

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Music News • August October 2021 2020

History - Blues Artist Songwriter Steve Gilbert Recalls Meeting Texas Guitar Slinger Joe “Guitar” Hughes

Like so many artists years ago Steve Gilbert left Texas for the bright lights of the Los Angeles night club scene. He played the clubs until 1998 and then returned to his beloved Houston where blues had originated in his life. It was here that Steve would see an old concert poster that included the late, great Joe “Guitar” Hughes. Steve harbored a great respect for Mr. Hughes and kept the poster. As luck would have it Steve learned the Joe would be performing nearby and made sure he attended that evening. The master did not disappoint and his student was mesmerized and then it happened. As Steve went outside for a bit of fresh air there was Joe Hughes visiting with fans and signing autographs. Quick thinking Steve remembered the poster and it was in his trunk. He went to get it and returned with pen in hand. He approached Mr. Hughes and proudly declared that this was his poster and asked if the bluesman would autograph it

for him. Without missing a beat Joe told Steve in front of everyone that he never played that bill and Steve felt very embarrassed, however, Joe smiled and took the poster from Steve and signed it.

To this day that poster is hung in Steve’s home with the fond memory of the bizarre twist that occurred and how Joe brought a good end to a rather strange evening. Steve Gilbert picked up his first guitar at age six. It was an acoustic six string purchased at Sears, a Stella Harmony. Today, the man performs with a modified Epiphone and soon will be performing at The Big easy in Houston Texas. He recorded his most recent album “Hempstead Highway” in Houston co producing with Texas music legend Rock “Dr. Rocket” Romano. In fact track six Steve’s rendition of “If Trouble Was Money” by Albert Collins

is currently producing notable online sales. Steve slows the number down and takes his time presenting it which really accents the topic exceedingly well.

There is a definite Texas feel to all of the songs Steve Gilbert performs and that feeling is deeply rooted within due to the influences of T Bone Walker, Joe “Guitar” Hughes and Jimmie Vaughn.

He’s been on such top blues radio programs as Howlin’ The Blues hosted

by James and Coleen Nagel and Blues On The Move with show hosts Mr. and Mrs. V. The cool thing about Steve Gilbert’s originals is that they are hard 36

Music News • August 2021

for to pigeon hole in regard to sub-genre.

Steve writes from the heart based on a lifetime of personal experiences and while some are slightly veiled true stories others are so real that he masks them with metaphors, different locations, dates and times. He may remember something that occurred in his past, either to himself or to someone he knew. He casually writes the memory down on scratch paper. In a day or two he goes back to the scratch pad, sits down, and the song comes together.

Currently Steve is writing the lyrics and music for an upcoming album and now that the pandemic may have settled down Steve will be performing in greater Houston in the near future. To learn more about Steve Gilbert - Steve Gilbert (stevegilbertmusic.com)

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Sunday, August 1 - Katie’s Jam with Chris Castaneda Thursday ,August 5 - James Wilhite & The Classix Friday, August 6 - Jay Hooks Saturday, August 7 - Pee Wee Bowen Sunday, August 8 - Katie’s Jam with Ricky Jackson Thursday, August 12 - James Wilhite & The Classix Friday, August 13 - Sparky Parker Saturday, August 14 - Tony Vega Sunday, August 15 - Katie’s Jam with James Henry Thursday August 19 - James Wilhite & The Classix Friday, August 20 - Johnny Riley Saturday, August 21 - Doug Strahan Sunday, August 22 - Katie’s Jam with Mark May Thursday, August 26 - James Wilhite & The Classix Friday, August 27 - Brad Stivers Saturday, August 28 - Mark May Sunday, August 29 - Katie’s Jam with Hugo Jamz Thursday, September 3 - Eric Demmer Friday, September 4 - Mighty Orq

August 2021 • Music News

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1006 McGowen

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This Month at Leon’s Lounge Monday, August 2 - Monday - Keeton Clark - 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm No Cover Thursday, August 5 - Variety Jones - 8:00 pm - 12:00 am Friday, August 6 - Rizzen - 9:00 pm - 1:00 am Saturday, August 7 - The Drift with special guest Meli Gonzales - 9:00 pm - 1:00 am Monday, August 9 - Doug Westcott - 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm Thursday, August 12 - Singer Songwriter Song Swap with Randy Soffar and Kris Collins 8:00 pm - 12:00 am Friday, August 13 - Mark Zeus and Kristin Jensen - 9:00 pm - 1:00 am Saturday, August 14 - Birthday Bash with the Cosmos Street Band - 9:00 pm - 1:00 am Monday, August 16 - Scarlett’s Birthday Bash with Mighty Orq & Dose - 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm Thursday, August 19 - Joshua Roberts Trio - 8:00 pm - 12:00 am Friday, August 20 - Grayson Shindler Group - 9:00 pm - 1:00 am Saturday, August 21 - Wild Rabbit Salad with special guest - 9:00 pm - 1:00 am Monday, August 23 - Russell Garcia No Cover - 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm Thursday, August 26 - Singer Songwriter Song Swap with Randy Soffar and Bob Bridges 8:00 - 12:00 am Friday, August 27 - John Barraza Project - 9:00 pm - 1:00 am Saturday, August 28 - Kim Foushee and The Alliance Band - 9:00 pm - 1:00 am Monday, August30 - Marshall - 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm - No Cover

Coming in September The Monicas - September 3 Band On The Run - September 11 Castaneda Project - September 24

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August 2021 • Music News

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The Biker, The Blues, And An Afternoon Dive Bar Some years back the world famous blues singer Trudy Lynn told me that the blues is a feeling and she’s right. Albert Cummings sings a song with these lyrics “the blues makes me feel so good. Both of them right on the money. Growing up I listened to blues artists on the radio such as Willie Dixon performing his “Spoonful” and John Lee Hooker’s really cool delivery of “The Healer”. Back in the late 20s and early 30s it was the female blues singers that packed the speak easy joints. They would sing about life experiences, sometimes through mythical humor and sometimes bringing real life situations into the mainstream that shall we say may not have been proper for the church going crowd. As time moved forward female blues singers like Ruth Brown who famously released “If I can’t sell it I am just going to sit on it” opened the door for even more female blues acts such the Sapphire Sisters who released “Too Much Butt”. On the blues rock side of the genre in the late sixties Eric Clapton and Cream were introducing white audiences in America to blues from our own country. Their over the top presence led the way for other super groups like ZZ Top that killed audiences with their thumping, driving get it done blues rock tracks. Plus the trio were also releasing cool slow blues numbers such as “Blue Jean Blues” and “I’m A Fool For Your Stockings”.

So today when you are out and up on two wheels from time to time you might stop in a strip joint or a blues bar or a dive bar and they have great blues selections on the juke and you feel at home. If you find yourself digging the place and the vibes then you are a fortunate soul. Buckle up this month as we are going deep - here’s the latest……

I had just finished a routine registration and license check by a state trooper and was on my way. I received a verbal warning as my inspection sticker was on my primary case and not above or below the license plate. The folks that were trucking along with me on this part of the journey waited for me. We started our engines and took to the highway in groups of two heading east. In a short while the routine traffic stop was out of my mind but my thirst alarm was going off big time. Time to do some billboard watching for a possible location and I had another idea too.

Maybe the folks that I was traveling with would know where to wet my whistle, which they did but they also wanted to keep moving but not me. I was ready for a good, cold glass of ale. So we parted company as they pointed out a place I might like so I pulled in, parked and went in. Now sometimes you know right away when continued on next page

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Continued - The Biker, The Blues, And An Afternoon Dive Bar you enter a place if it’s probably going to be a good experience and this was one of them. Maybe it was the long legs in the Daisy Dukes that was stretching over the pool table that caught my eye. When she turned around she had a million dollar smile, maybe her Dad was an orthodontist, but no matter I smiled back. Courtesy you know. Turned out that she was on the day shift and tending bar too. She wiped her hands with a bar towel and asked me if I preferred cold beer in a frosty mug or a pilsner glass? I opted for the pilsner glass. As the saying goes, “if money can’t buy happiness explain motorcycles and beer!” She drew a beer and went back to shooting pool and I began tackling a really nice glass of ale. On one of her trips to help others from behind the bar she stopped and said that Clay Melton out of Houston would be playing that night. She told me that this guy lights up the room and he always attracts nice crowds. She told me that he is twenty seven years old with another new EP coming out and that one of the tunes on the release was “Jesus Just Left Chicago”. I had not heard that song in quite some time and what I remembered about it was that ZZ Top had recorded it. She went back to the pool table and I accessed my cell phone and went to You Tube and sure enough Clay Melton’s rendition of the song was there. She was right it was kick ass to be sure. It was then

that a man and a woman came in and sat down to my left. He was the furthest away with her sitting next to me. The bar maid didn’t even ask them what they wanted and drew two beers and brought them over. She took the liberty to tell them that I was passing through and she was hoping that everybody would stick around for Clay’s show. We exchanged hellos. The man drank

his brew rather quickly and said goodbye to the gal. After a few sips more the gal next to me asked me what the words were under the tat of the screaming eagle on my left arm. I said Harley Davidson. She said she had one too and stood up. She was wearing tight fitting white denim jeans and commenced to loosen the button and lower her zipper. She peeled the material back and under her navel but down a bit further was a tat of a roadrunner with a cherry in its mouth. She volunteered that she got it a couple of years back and I just replied with, “really?” So we started chatting and a few beers later I felt like I had known her my whole life. It was about this time that two men were having a, shall we say, lively conversation of the placement of the cue ball after a scratch situation. A guy who had been sitting at the far end continued on next page August 2021 • Music News

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Continued - The Biker, The Blues, And An Afternoon Dive Bar of the bar got up and walked over to the pool table. He said something to them and they calmed down but one of them thumped his cue stick onto the table as he sat it down. I believe he was invited to leave and complied, if that wasn’t what caused him to leave he was just ready to go then I guess. About five beers into it I decided to take out the ole trusty dusty cell phone and find a motel. I wasn’t ready to retire but I also knew I wouldn’t be going too far if I stayed in the bar for much longer. I looked around and spotted the juke and decided that I would like to hear The Doobie Brothers “Black Water”. For reason Dr. John came to mind and I couldn’t help myself and punched in “Such A Night (Live)”. If you have a few or more cold beers Dr. John’s up tempo “Such A Night” is always a crowd pleaser. I added a touch of En Vogue with “Give Him something He Can Feel”. Bar keep more beer please. I called the motel of choice got a bit curious about my bike and opened the front door and yep it was still right there and my things were intact. I remember another tune came to mind as I turned to go back to the bar, Cream’s version of “Stormy Monday” as performed at the Royal Albert Hall. Eight minutes and ten seconds of pure blues bliss. Yep it came up when I searched for it. I was digging my afternoon severely. Happy Hour started and their happy hour contained bar food too. Wings, cold beer, fine ladies, and great blues what else could a man possibly want? A fine cigar maybe.

There as a man in the place, pretty big guy with his dog, shooting darts by himself.

He began to sing “Stormy Monday” when the song came up and man he was good.

Miles of smiles were developing that afternoon.

Turned out that he was the cook but for years the barmaid told us he toured with a rock group playing lead guitar. I wondered if I should approach him and ask about his travels but before I could complete the continued on next page

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Continued - The Biker, The Blues, And An Afternoon Dive Bar thought the barmaid told us that since his Mother passed he’s a different guy, stays to himself, rare to hear him sing The musician’s road is a strange place and while they can give their all to audiences in city after city there is just something about coming back home and being with family and friends. If they are away and someone close passes that can get their mind to thinking about cutting grass for a living, anything, just stay closer to home. I remembered one time being with Milton “The Gentleman” Hopkins and his wife at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis. Milton, who is normally a rather quiet soul told me a road story from his eight years on the bus with B.B. King and the guys in the band. I mention this because he volunteered that although he liked being home every night if that man were to call him he would go back out on the road in a second. He had shared that glimpse of the road before B.B. would pass a couple of years later. I went back over to the juke and selected Albert Collins performing “But I Was Cool”.

The place was up for grabs as the song progressed. If you haven’t heard it, it’s guaranteed to bring you a smile. If you like good blues this place is the place for it. Crossroads Saloon in Big Springs Texas. All across America there are cool blues bars if you know where to find them this one has it working big time. Texas itself takes about thirteen hours to cross from its east border to its west border and the place is packed with good down home people and good blues. On this day I would leave Crossroads and go to the motel. A bit of getting situated, taking a shower, and heading back out into the night. When I returned the Clay Melton band was setting up and the place was beginning to get a bit crowded. I went outside and the view from their terrace hit the spot. A young lady stopped by the table and asked what I would like to drink. Seemed like a scotch night so I began with a bit of Glenmorangie with a water back. Their outdoor speakers were on and the music was pure blues rock. Whoever was punching the numbers knew their blues. Robin Trower was on and the track was “Fine Day” and it was “So good being alive on a fine day“. So here I was somewhere in Texas just west of Abilene, good scotch, good music, good food, and not a care in the world.

For anyone that wants to get away, go ahead set yourself free.

If only for a weekend or over a holiday or until the money runs out. You owe to yourself and those around you, call it a musical sabbatical, come on it’ summertime. You know you want to, you really know you do, you know I am right. Set yourself free. Nobody dies and asks the man upstairs for another eight hours to work but my guess is there may have been some that told Him they missed some of life’s experiences due to working almost all the time. In the words of Steppenwolf “I like to dream yes, yes, right between my sound machine, On a cloud of sound I drift in the night, Any place it goes is right, Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here.

Well, you don’t know what we can find - Why don’t you come with me little girl On a magic carpet ride.”

To Be Continued August 2021 • Music News

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Big City Nights at Mancuso Harley Davidson (Photos by Brian Lambert) 44

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Saturday, August 7, 7:30 - 11:30 pm Bad S Icehouse 2315 FM 523 - Oyster Creek, TX 77541 Sunday, August 8, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Drifter’s Icehouse 29293 FM 149 - Richards, TX 77873 Friday, August 13, 7:00 pm - 1:00 am American Legion 3105 Campbell Rd - Houston, TX 77080 Saturday, August 14, 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm Papa’s On The Lake 14632 Hwy 105 - Montgomery, TX 77356 Thursday, August 19, 10:00 pm - 12:00 am Fat Boots Trailer Park Bar 4218 Washington Ave - Houston, TX 77007 Friday, August 20, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am Scotty’s Saloon 114 Agnes Rd - Richmond, TX 77469 Saturday, August 21, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am The Bar at Friends Uncorked 111 S Friendswood Dr - Friendswood, TX Friday, August 27, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am The Abbey Pub 2002 N Fry Rd - Houston, TX 77084 Saturday, August 28, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am Aspens Bar & Grill 817 Clear Lake Rd - Kemah, TX 77565 26

Music News • November 2020

Sunday, August 29, 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm The Hawg Stop Bar & Grill 11335 Sheldon Rd - Houston, TX 77044 Saturday, September 4, 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm Papa’s On The Lake 14632 Hwy 105 - Montgomery, TX 77356 Saturday, September 11, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am The Watering Hole 30503 Misty Meadow Dr - Magnolia, TX 77354 Sunday, September 12, 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Woody’s Beach Bar 11149 Termimi San Luis Pass Rd - Galveston, TX 77554

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Xero Tolerance (Photos by Brian Lambert) 52

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Vincikade Perform at the BFE Rock Club (Photos by Music News)

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Loose Change Perform at the BFE Rock Bar (Photos by Music News)

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Sweet Digs Perform at the Jailhouse Saloon (Photos by Music News) 64

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Every Sunday is Sunday Funday At Rise Rooftop

August 2021 • Music News

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The Monicas Perform at Leon’s Lounge (Photos by Music News) 66

Music News • August 2021

July 2021 • Music News

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Stellar (Incubus Tribute) Perform at The Scout Bar (Photos by Music News) 68

Music News • August 2021

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Sonny Wolf Performs At Katie’s Bar in Bacliff (Photos By Music News) 70

Music News • August 2021

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Steel Woods Perform at Goode’s Armadillo Palace (Photos By Music News) 72

Music News • August 2021

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Esparza at The Zum Barrel (Photos by Alex Lozano) 74

Music News • August 2021

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The Mighty Orq and Jason Ricci at Green Oaks Tavern (Photos by Music News) 76

Music News • August 2021

RANDOM SHOTS Down For Days Perform at Rockefellers (Photos by Brian Lamber)

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Music News • August 2021

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Guns N Texas at Big Rivers Waterpark (Photos by Brian Lambert) 80

Music News • August 2021

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Ten Four at Big Rivers Waterpark (Photos by Brian Lambert) 82

Music News • August 2021

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When in Rome at Big Rivers Waterpark (Photos by Brian Lambert) 84

Music News • August 2021