Pink Spiders November 09, 2018 Soundbar Orlando, Florida

More than a decade had past since we first saw (a variation of) these guys, opening for Good Charlotte. Matt Friction, the only remaining original member of the Pink Spiders, brought this version of the band to the City Beautiful in support of The Smoking Popes. A great double bill, right? My first visit to the now defunct Soundbar, I ended up in the "balcony", a maybe 10'x10' stage overlook on the second level. It was a great spot to see the show, but not optimal for recording. Now, five years since seeing it, I post this as the Pink Spiders have released FREAKAZOID, their 5th studio album .

1. Teenage Graffiti
2. Sleeping On The Floor

3. Black Dagger

4. So Dumb

5. Capital F

6. Little Razorblade

7. Hollywood Fix

8. Still Three Shy

9. Modern Swingers

10. Easy Way Out

11. Gimme Chemicals

Download this show HERE.

Pick up FREAKAZOID and/or see these guys when they come to your town and buy a t-shirt for everybody you know.

Smoking Popes November 09, 2018 Soundbar Orlando, Florida

Full disclosure here. I went to this show to see the Pink Spiders. I had seen them several times back in the mid-2000's, and have enjoyed their albums throughout the years. It was great to hear they put out a new album and were touring (albeit with Matt Friction the only original member). 

I hadn't heard anything by the Smoking Popes up to this point, but heard their name enough to know they had some cred. Anticipating this show, I downloaded their new disc, "Into the Agony" and liked it quite a bit on first listen (which doesn't happen often for me). I don't get the Morrissey comparisons I've read, but really don't care enough about his music to try and draw a comparison. I think I do like the Smoking Popes though, and can't wait to dig deeper into their back catalog. Enjoy this show. I certainly did!

1. Before I'm Gone

2. Simmer Down

3. Let's Here It For Love

4. Rubella

5. You Spoke To Me

6. Amanda My Love

7. That's Where I Come In

8. Midnight Moon

9. No More Smiles

10. Mrs. You and Me

11. Megan

12. Grab Your Heart and Run

13. Writing a Letter

14. I Can Feel You

15. Pretty Pathetic

16. Need You Around

17. I Know You Love Me

18. encore break

19. Into The Summer Sky

20. Brand New Hairstyle

Download this show HERE.

Check out the web presence HERE.

Slim Jim Phantom November 3, 2018 Veranda Live Orlando, Florida

I was pretty excited when this show was announced. Not only was it an opportunity to see one of the early '80's Rockabilly legends, and former Stray Cat Slim Jim Phantom, but I'd been wanting to catch locals Rocket 88 (who opened) since reading about them shortly after moving to Orlando. The packed (outdoor) house witnessed the evening quickly slipping into quite the throwback shindig. Phantom's tight three piece consisted of current love and future wife Jennie Vee on bass (Eagles of Death Metal) and Dibbs Preston (Detonators) who was more than capable on guitar and did a bang-up job on lead vocals on several tunes. A really, really good time was had by all who attended.

1. Rumble In Brighton
2. Matchbox
3. C'mon Everybody
4. Stray Cat Strut
5. Little Sister
6. All Over Now
7. Say Mama
8. Not Fade Away
9. Happy
10. Hound Dog
11. Stood Up
12. Runaway Boys
13. Rocky Road Blues
14. That's Alright Mama
15. Rock This Town
16. encore break
17. Summertime Blues

Download this show HERE.
View all things Slim Jim HERE.

Good Charlotte October 16, 2018 Hard Rock Live Orlando, Florida

Good Charlotte kicked off their 2018 US tour here in Orlando. It had been over seven years since I had last seen them (in Indianapolis), and several things were immediately apparent, if irrelevant: Billy looks more like Just Jack from Will and Grace since he is wearing less eye liner these days. He also spent the entire evening on guitar and his keys weren't even on stage. Paul has lost a good bit of weight, and he still can't dance. Dean works a lot harder drumming for Good Charlotte than he does for Sugar Ray.
The music sounded as great as any of the six times I've seen them previously, albeit delivered with a bit more maturity. This was even addressed in the between song banter. Growing older and the accompanying life experiences tend to lend a slightly different perspective on some of their songs, evidenced by the inclusion of "Life Changes" from their 2016 effort "Youth Authority". This song, and two played from the brand new "Generation Rx" release were the only tunes played post 2007's "Good Morning Revival" (2010's "Cardiology" wasn't represented at all).

The love of Good Charlotte's music and going to their shows is something my daughters and I have enjoyed doing together forever (my youngest was six when their first album came out). At least one of them have been with me every time I have seen this band live. This, to me, is what's special about Good Charlotte!

1. Generation Rx
2. Self Help
3. The Anthem
4. The Story of My Old Man
5. Keep Your Hands Off My Girl
6. banter
7. Girls and Boys
8. Riot Girl
9. Life Changes
10. banter
11. Prayers
12. banter
13. Predictable
14. banter
15. Hold On
16. banter
17. Little Things
18. The Young and the Hopeless
19. banter
20. The River
21. Dance Floor Anthem
22. I Just Wanna Live
23. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (cut)

Download this show HERE.
Check out the Good Charlotte web site HERE.
A pretty good video of Boys and Girls is HERE.

Sugar Ray September 25, 2018 America Gardens Theater Orlando, FL

Despite their all but forgotten start as a nu metal band, Sugar Ray morphed into this pop phenom in the late 1990's with their mega-hit "Fly". They went on to score a handful of other hits into the 2000's, when it was virtually impossible to turn on the radio without hearing one (or more) of them. With less success on their more recent albums, Mark McGrath teamed up with similar bands to create successful 90's nostalgia tours (first "Summerland", then "Under The Sun"). 
This recording captures the third show from night two of their tenth year playing the International Food and Wine Festival at Disney's Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (Epcot). This was forty minutes of absolute fun for all, including the band. I lost count of the times McGrath was in and out of the audience, pausing for selfies with countless fans. As if Sugar Ray didn't ooze enough 90's sentimentality, they decided to throw in a cover of Chumbawamba's "Tubthumping" for good measure. Although officially fall, this was a hot Florida evening spent with family enjoying a trip down memory lane.

1. Words To Me
2. Every Morning
3. band intro
4. Someday
5. When It's Over
6. Tubthumping
7. Fly/What I Got

Download this show HERE.
Photo credit goes to Ryhan Wickerham
Check out all things Sugar Ray HERE.

B-52s August 19, 2018 House of Blues Orlando, Florida

Back in my high school days, it was cool to be different than the masses. Aside from having a blue or red (depending on the day) bandanna hanging from your back pocket, being cool meant listening to the right music. While the masses were listening to Kiss, Journey or Foreigner, I was listening to new music by the B-52s and Devo. I was cool.
I finally saw the B-52s 40 years after the release of their first single (Rock Lobster). The show was good, really good and fun! The music sounded as fresh as it did back then even though these guys are now in their 60's and they haven't released any new music in 10 years. My only complaint music-wise, was that 1986's "Bouncing Off The Satellites" was not represented at all. I guess they can't please all of the people, all of the time. I also found it odd that the staff was hassling people for using cell phones to take pictures/video. In this day and age, it was an impossible task to keep 3,000 people from doing so, but security kept at it all night. Clearly Fred Schneider has an aversion to cameras. "Turn off your God damn cameras" followed "Private Idaho", and he often held a cow bell in front of his face when he saw someone in the crowd taking pictures/video. Strange.     

For me, music tends to take me back to the time I first heard it, or when it was prevalent in my life. It was good reliving some of the memories I have of those other cool, bandanna toting high schoolers. Enjoy this one!

1. Cosmic Thing
2. Dance This Mess Around
3. Mesopotamia
4. Private Idaho
5. Lave
6. Funplex
7. Revolution Earth
8. 52 Girls
9. Roam
10. Party Out Of Bounds
11. Give Me Back My Man
12. band intro
13. Love Shack/Low Rider
14. Planet Claire
15. Rock Lobster

Download this show HERE.
Visit their web presence HERE.

Newsboys (United) May 1, 2018 First Baptist Orlando, Florida

Well, honestly I wasn't sure how I felt about this tour. Michael Tait has always been one of my heroes, and I don't use that term lightly, but turning the stage over to his Newsboys predecessors, didn't quite sit right with me. I guess I could still be sore that I really enjoyed his solo period, before the Newsboys, and was a bit bummed when he joined them (although I absolutely love the Newsboys with Tait at the helm). Or, it could be that I had no frame of reference for the Newsboys before Tait, that left me a bit apprehensive. In any event, I thoroughly enjoyed this show. Some bands go through countless metamorphoses; each iteration contributing something to the legacy. This show helped me bridge the gap between past and present, while understanding that he massage has always been consistent.

1. Born Again
2. That's How You Change The World
3. banter/band intro
4. Live With Abandon
5. Your Love Never Fails
6. Love Riot
7. banter
8. Guilty
9. He Reigns
10. Shine
11. Wherever We Go
12. Take Me To Your Leader
13. Million Pieces (Kissin' Your Cares Goodbye)
14. Entertaining Angels
15. You Are My King (Amazing Love)/It Is You
16. Lost The Plot
17. banter
18. I'm Not Ashamed
19. Something Beautiful
20. I Am Free
21. Breakfast
22. Restart
23. Crazy
24. banter
25. We Believe
26. My Church
27. The King Is Coming
28. Jesus Freak
29. God's Not Dead
30. encore break (Billy Graham tribute)
31. The Cross Has The Final Word

Download this set HERE.
Check out the Newsboys website HERE.

Foghat April 7, 2018 America Gardens Theater Orlando, Florida

As part of the Garden Rocks Concert Series for the International Flower and Garden Festival at Disney World's Epcot, bands play three half-hour sets per night (5:30, 6:45 and 8:00), for two to four nights. Here is the second (and last) night of Foghat's run. Just as the 6:45 set ended, a torrential downpour sent fans running for cover. I'm not sure if the third set happened, as I headed for the gate as soon as rain let up enough to get there without getting soaked.

Foghat's first album in 1972 was in heavy rotation in my house as a kid, and still ranks in my top 101 all-time favorite albums. I lost track of them after that, although Boogie Motel was played frequently  by friends, and I have seen them live a few times before this (twice in 1981 and in 1988).

Roger Earl
Bryan Bassett
Charlie Huhn
Rodney O'Quinn

5:30 Set
1. intro
2. Fool For The City
3. Home In My Hand
4. I Just Want To Make Love To You
5. Slow Ride

6:45 Set
1. intro
2. Drivin' Wheel
3. Stone Blue
4. Hot Mama
5. Fool For The City
6. I Just Want To Make Love To You

Download these sets HERE.
Check all things Foghat HERE.