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"The Bad Boys from Boston” returned to Chicago with a flair and command that could only be associated with Aerosmith. This time taking stage at the Fist Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, singer Steven Tyler and company delivered a thorough set of classics opening the show with “Same Old Song and Dance” immediately followed with “Train Kept A-Rollin’” and “Love in an Elevator”. The large set included three large projection screens – one on each side and one above the stage, overhead panels to enhance the band’s light show that were lowered and raised, and a catwalk that protruded out into the crowd about 30 or so rows from center stage.

The band’s musical performance was pinpoint precise, with guitarist Joe Perry effortlessly nailing each lick and solo, while Tyler, dressed in classic Aerosmith frontman attire, danced around like a thirty-year-old and utilized his vocal range to perfection. The show included staple elements from the repertoire of rock and roll essentials such as a booming drum solo in which Joey Kramer pounded the skins with his hands in a thumping symphony of blistering beats. Perry also dueled his Guitar Hero counterpart (appearing overhead on screen) ultimately defeating him thanks to masterful fingerwork in a series of tasty progressions.

In addition, the band found themselves defending a crowd member at one point. Tyler reprimanded house security after they pinned down a woman who merely ran up to toss a pink boa onto the stage when the band went into the song, “Pink”. “Leave the woman alone,” shouted the famous singer before continuing with, “Security must not get laid around here.”

Included in Aerosmith’s fun-filled set were favorites “Livin’ on the Edge”, “What it Takes”, “Rag Doll”, “Sweet Emotion”, “Cryin’” and a superb rendition of the Beatles’ “Come Together”. The band also integrated a couple more obscure numbers before finally ending the show with a bang, performing encores “Dream On” and “Walk this Way”.  

The Venue at Horseshoe Casino had a very special guest recently. “Oh what’s his name” played a show with a group of very worthy musicians performing some rock hits while the crowd chair danced the night away. Ringo Starr (A.K.A. Billy Shears) and his All Star Band was just an absolute joy to see. The former drummer of ‘Rory Storm and The Hurricanes’ and that other group he was with has been a band leader for the last four decades.

The band started to play “It Don’t Come Easy” and out walked the main attraction, Mr. Richard Starkey. This 1971 single got people pumped up and ready for the evening. The song referring to the breakup of The Beatles delighted everyone. The night started on a high note and never came down.

As the night continued, Ringo and the boys pressed on with great songs such as; “I Wanna Be Your Man” and “Photograph.” The crowd had a sing along with the well known song that children still sing today like it was a nursery rhyme, “Yellow Submarine.” His baritone vocals in the song and comical bridge make this just a wonderful ditty for people of all ages.

The band would play a few of Ringo’s songs and then he would take a backseat during parts of this show while the other members of the band stepped forward and took the lead. Each member of the All Star Band came to the center of the stage for two songs of their own.

Guitarist Rick Derringer played his fingers down to the bone on every guitar piece during the night. During his presentation the first song he played was “Hang on Sloopy” from his days with the McCoy’s. He did the original version with parts of the song that never made it to the record. As he talked during the middle of the song explaining how the record company had cut out a verse, he proclaimed, “I’m here tonight to set the record straight.” For his second song he made the most obvious choice, “Rock and Roll, Hoochie-Koo.” During this song Rick was just on fire. He ended the song with a flashy guitar solo that included fast runs and tapping that would make the 1980’s guitar shredders look on with amazement. One of the most under-rated guitar players in the world had taken the lead role in this band.

Wally Palmar from the Romantics completed the guitar rhythms and some great background vocals for this group. He played a variety of different guitars, but it was quite obvious that he was in some way influenced by the Beatles. At some points he was playing a Rickenbacker guitar and his amp of choice was a Vox. He impressed the crowd with an updated version of “Talking In Your Sleep.” For the people in the audience the show kept rocking out when he did the jam “What I Like About You.” His amazing abilities and sweet vocals were definitely a tremendous addition to this band.

The bass playing done by Richard Page from Mr. Mister was a complete shock. This man really knows his way around the lower register of the music staff. His expertise was provided on every piece, but when he presented his number one singles to the audience no one was sorry to hear them. The songs “Kyrie” and “Broken Wings” were a nice fit within the other songs chosen for the concert performance. His vocal and musical contributions were very well received.

Gregg Bissonette filled out the night on drums completing the rhythm section. On most of the songs Ringo played alongside him, but Gregg was definitely the main drummer for the evening. He held the rhythms and kept them tight. His timing could not have been knocked off beat with a wrecking ball. His dynamic range on the drums was perfect and he knows how to hit hard or with finesse.

Gary Wright filled out the band on some great keyboards and vocals as well as the rest of the band. One of the most memorable moments or the concert was when he stepped up to the front of the stage for his first number and sang “Dream Weaver.” The song that had been played on every classic rock station for years was being played before the eyes of the concert goers and most of them couldn’t believe how flawless it was. There was no lip syncing being done during this performance; this man was just that good. When it came time for his next song “Love is Alive” his performance was just impeccable as well. Two smooth songs with a crooner of a voice that has remained polished over the years.

One of the jam band masters Edgar Winter had his time during the show as well. His first song he did was the awesome riff jam “Free Ride.” The song rocked just like the record! His contribution was complete when he played one of the coolest instrumental jams ever, the song “Frankenstein.” The man made an impressive jump from keyboards, to drums, to sax and back again. He was the very first keyboard player to put a strap on a keyboard and walk around the stage with it. He stated during the show, “I got tired of being stuck behind a piano.” This night would not have been the same without hearing this awesome man play everything that he did. Winter is truly one of the greatest musicians to ever take a stage.

The night continued on passing the torch from Ringo to the band and then back to Ringo again. The mix of songs from the 1960’s to the present was just a great combination of music for everyone. Ringo did a few songs from his new album Y Not. “The Other Side of Liverpool” was a great song to bring out for the night. It fit the classic Ringo writing style and was accepted by the crowd that didn’t know the new material.

Another song that was done was “Act Naturally” which he explained it was almost a biographical song, making fun of himself. He played a great piece from the early days called “Back off Boogaloo” that was sang around the room. He then introduced a song that he described as not going over well the previous nights before and he wasn’t sure if he was going to continue to play it. He asked the audience to be the judge. They then started in singing the opening line “Billy Shears” to one of his most popular songs “With a Little Help from My Friends.” The place went nuts!

At the end of the night as Ringo takes his bows the band went into a few choruses of “Give Peace a Chance” which sent chills up and down the spines of the members of the audience. Everyone throughout the room could almost feel the presence of John Lennon. Goose bumps were everywhere!

Ringo gave his goodbyes, the band continued on with a few more bars, and then it was over. Billy Shears and the All Star Band galloped off into the sunset to the next town. What a fantastic evening as “Oh what’s his name” got by with a little help with his friends.  

Has it ever ran through your mind what celebrities look like during a certain predicament, event or activity? After seeing Jonny Lang perform at the House of Blues on the 16th of July, I have a solid feeling I know what he really looks like when he is reminiscing, heartbroken, angry, passionate, intimate, thankful and going poo-poo and potty!
 
I hate to disturb any graves or upset any folks who consider Elvis as one of their faves, but his hip "thang" is pale in comparison to the mojo of Jonny Lang!
 
That is, Jonny's jerking movements of his entire body, tensed-up facial expressions and strong, animalistic vocal explosions and guitar playing throughout his show, I swear, must be how he appears during experiencing the big "O!" With that said, I came to conclude that while he performed at last Friday's show he seemed to have 69 or so!
 
Jonny Lang has had quite a ride, given the strapping young lad was invited to play at Mick Jagger's 56th Birthday Bash, where he jammed with Jagger, Bono, Elton John and Ron Wood side by side. (www.jonnylang.com 2010)
 
Plus, when Lang journeyed into the Gospel sound, he was awarded a Grammy for his album "Turn Around" (www.jonnylang.com 2010.)
 
Another notch was added to Jonny's belt when he performed at the White House when Bill Clinton was in office, and gave the President something heartfelt--Rather than giving Clinton a cigar, Jonny gave the President a Fender guitar! (www.jonnylang.com 2010)
 
Now, back to Jonny's Chicago performance where some of the songs he played were "Red Light," "Thankful," "Livin' for the City," "Breakin' Me," "Rack Em' Up" and an encore including "40 Days and 40 Nights" as well as "Lie to me," proving he and his band are undoubtedly some of the most talented jam musicians in existence!
 
Jonny had a Gospel singer do a handful of solos that gave me goosebumps from my gourde straight down to my toes!
 
Also, Jonny revealed he played at the old Fitzgeralds and Buddy Guy's Legends his first trip to Chicago. He elaborated he was really nervous to play at Buddy Guys, and while he did, he looked over and saw Buddy Guy watching him. "So I have a lot of good memories in Chicago," said Jonny while the lights were dim.
 
Right after Jonny left the stage of the House of Blues, I asked fans for their reviews.
 
"Amazing--nothing was missing from the show. It couldn't have been better, and I saw the Rolling Stones twice, and he was better than them," asserted Jill Matthews.
 
(Poor old slick, Mick Jagger, has seemed to have lost some of his swagger.)
 
Breck Reich, another satisfied concert-goer, confessed [Jonny Lang] "was better then John Mayer, and he loves John Mayer!"
 
Additionally, Mark said "the expressions on Jonny's face are real--they show what he's feeling. And we [he and his slightly buzzed buddies] like it best when he whales on the guitar and he did tonight," I agree with Mark whole-heartedly.
 
Lastly, before the interview I had with Jonny on Thursday, his PR had professed he hasn't been up to par and is in need of rest. Nonetheless, the show of his "Live by Request" tour screamed Jonny is still one of the Music Industry's best!
 
Sources:
www.jonnylang.com

*Photos by Tracy Walsh 

The Casualties rocked the Metro on the 24th to two stories of skinny jean wearing, eyeliner drenched, spiky haired Chicago youths. From the beginning of their hour long set to their final number, the band seamlessly transitioned from song to song, giving an eardrum shattering, head banging performance.

During their final number, lead singer Jorge Herrera took off his sweat covered shirt revealing a Che Guevara cutoff and holding a scarf above his head. Herrera launched the scarf into the mosh-pit where hundreds of fans wrestled for ten minutes after the band had left the stage, battling screaming girlfriends, rowdy entourages, and even muscled bouncers, for one young man to hold the frayed and tattered trophy above his head and scream out “Yea! Casualties!” Talk about a loyal following.

The Casualties' music is a mix of angry anthems, hardcore punk rock, with just a touch of “I-hate-my-parents”; just the type of music 16-year-old, pre-pubescent, angry, disenchanted youths could relate to. While it's generally not the genre I would plug into my IPod, I have to give the band credit for their nonstop energy, powerful vocals, and incredible stage presence. With ‘Meggers’(Mark Eggers) on the drums, Rick and Jake on bass and guitar (respectfully), and Jorge at the mic, these four men played with an intensity and a wildness  that even an argyle-sweater wearing concert goer such as myself could appreciate.

The Swellers opened at the Metro, energizing the restless crowd, and Less Than Jake rocked as the headliner, but as the stage crew set up for The Casualties, it was clear who the audience wanted to see. The Casualties immediately began playing as soon as they took the stage, and didn’t come up for air, or to rest their hands, until their final number. This band definitely eats their Wheaties.  

As one fan with spiked orange hair (one of Jorge’s old looks as I am told) informed me, “The Casualties are old school, hardcore punk.” Hardcore? Yes. Old School? Beats me. What I can say is that amidst the extraordinarily fast drum beats, finger-crippling guitar chords, speaker-breaking bass, and vein popping vocals, this band screams (literally and figuratively) that they are a force to be reckoned with on the hardcore punk scene. They have an incredibly loyal Chicago-based following, so expect the next time they roll into Chicago to be just as rocking as this time around.

Fans of punk will appreciate this band’s style and power. For the rest of us, if you’re having a really bad day and need one song to verbalize what you are feeling, check out The Causalities’ new CD “We are All We Have” available in stores now. Songs like “Carry on the Flag,” and “Depression-Unemployment Lines,” will definitely help you get all your aggression out. For more information on this band and to upcoming tour dates check out www.myspace.com/thecasualties.

The bands fun., Anberlin and Taking Back Sunday stormed The House of Blues for this Q101 show with high energy and charged the crowd with positive vibes. Every once in awhile there is that band that you feel iffy about and can’t decide whether or not you want to like them. At this concert I had this fork in the road and made my decision.

Who doesn't love to have fun? Personally, I am all up for fun of any kind. So imagine my excitement when I get a call to interview the band 'fun.'. Haven't heard of them? You're missing out. The name is more than a band; it's a state of mind...

Hanson? Yes, I did happen to go to a Hanson conert……and oh boy was it an interesting crowd to say the least. Oh yeah, Hellogoodbye played as well, although some might not have known who was a HGb fan in the crowd swimming in a sea of giddy Hanson fans.

The Fleet Foxes have changed. Last summer they were good live, but they were timid and withdrawn. Saturday night at the Metro was a different band playing the same songs and a few more. A year on the road has taught the Foxes how to have confidence, and that folk songs can rock.

Opening for the Fleet Foxes was Dungen from Sweden, a psychedelic-folk-rock band who seemed surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response from the audience. They said, “You guys are here to see the Fleet Foxes, right?” before beginning their encore.