Items filtered by date: November 2007

8/20/2010 at the Metro

The last night of what seems to have been a bit of a bonding tour, Kevin Read from the Freelance Whales got up crowd interaction (lyrics and timing for a sing a long participation) with The Arkells, and played along with Tokyo Police Club, and then Greg Alsop of Tokyo Police Club came and played drums with Freelance Whales, you could feel the bond of the bands.

Freelance Whales hit the stage and I’m delighted with how many seem to know them. They seem to have gathered a following during the Lolla visit, just so you know they will actually be back late November/early December. They also recorded some songs with Marty Lennartz, who is the host of The Big Beat on WXRT 93.1 fm, Mondays at 10 p.m., this Monday 8/23 they will be on the program, if you don’t know them you should become familiar before they come back for their headlining tour. They are a group of multitalented, multi-instrumentalists, which keep the variety going on stage as they play a game of music instrument duck goose. They hit all the sweet notes (erratic, eccentric, irrelevant as they seem) but you don’t even realize all the effort that is required to make such a tranquil harmony of noises, cause really they make it look easy. They played most of ‘Weathervanes’, a highlight of the set included them being joined on stage by Greg Aslop , and adding even more to ‘generator ^2nd floor’. Really who am I kidding though, the way they are able to experiment even more with the songs as they wander, but wander together as a band, and keep the sound’s going that take you on a unique experience with them.

Tokyo Police Club enters the dark stage area, to an under current that resounds for the length of their stage time. They seem to ride this electricity for the performance, they even have a light show with them, and I think they have actually figured out mind control through keyboards, that’s just my guess though. They made people that had not moved for the entire show bob their heads, or people that were unfamiliar with the music feel familiar with it. They seem to have crowd interaction down to a science as they keep the crowd singing, clapping, and swaying the whole show and into the 2 song encore that ended this U.S. tour with a Weezer cover and ‘Your English is Good’.

Overall I would have to give this show an outstanding rating. When I arrived pre-doors at 7:45 the reader board said there was still tickets available, but watching the crowd fill in by band I would say that it was a sold out show by the time Tokyo Police Club was setting up for the performance. It was nice to experience such a harmonizing show.

This year’s Warped Tour brought variety, fandemonium and all of the teen-age angst that one could shake a stick at.  This year’s festival brought a variety of acts such as Andrew W.K., Reel Big Fish and pop sensation Michael Posner.  All of the acts held meet n’ greets and did whatever it took to get your money, and for good reason: most of the bands don’t get paid much money.  In fact, most of the bands on the Warped Tour literally only make money from selling merchandise and CD’s. The tour started June 25th in California and will end August 15 at the Washington Fairgrounds in Hillsboro Oregon.  With the bands almost practically playing a new show in a new city just about every day, this tour is known for being grueling and rewarding.  Along with playing their shows and holding their meet n’ greets, all of the bands are more than willing to hold interviews with the press to expose who they are and what their music is about.  I was able to get a few minutes with Andrew W.K. and Adam (formerly of Lucky Boy’s Confusion) from AM Taxi to discuss their comfortability and inspirations of creating music.

While I was waiting for my interview with AM Taxi, Andrew W.K. walked into the pressroom read my name off of the sheet of interviews and sat down for a quick interview about the blending of musical styles and his preference of playing the piano over other instruments.



Andrew W.K. walks into the pressroom wearing black Adidas pants, his own tank top that reads “party hard”, a black trucker hat and a pair of black sunglasses.  He is extremely proud of who he is and wants everyone in the
world to feel as good about themselves as he feels about himself.  He talks to everyone with extreme enthusiasm and makes you feel that you are most important person on the Earth.



Buzz:  You’ve been known for blending lots of music styles together.



Andrew W.K.:  Not jazz yet.  I haven’t gone into that realm as much.  There’s a lot of World Music that I haven’t been as familiar with.  There’s certain genres of rock, such as rock-a-billy or psycho-billy that are areas that I haven’t ventured.  But as straightforward rock n’ roll goes, I try to make it as exciting as I can and use whatever I can to get to that place.



Buzz:  What makes you want to use as much music knowledge as possible in each song of yours?



Andrew W.K.:  I never really thought of it that way.  I sit down at a piano and just start playing chords until they sound exciting and then I try to use whatever instrument I can to amplify that excitement on the recording.  I admire people who listen to different songs or different styles and want to make it a combination of those.  I always just thought, “What’s the most exciting guitar sound to me?”  For me, it’s just a very loud and over-distorted guitar.  What’s the most exciting keyboard sound?  Just a very loud piano/organ combination.  What other instrument combinations add the excitement?  For example, if you are watching a movie and you hear that orchestra kick, there’s power in those sounds.  That’s why I want to use them, because they work.  Whatever sound works is what I am interested in.




Buzz:  What is it about the sound of a piano that specifically interests you and why does the piano seem to calm you down the most out of any instrument?



Andrew W.K.:  It’s simply because that was the first instrument I ever learned.  So similar to your mom and being the first woman you ever see and you have that special bond with her.  Your dad is most likely the first man you see and the first man you ever likely got to be friends with, so you have this feeling for him.  Piano was the first instrument I ever learned.  Four and a half years old, I started taking lessons with my parents’ help and support.  It’s similar to that first book you remember hearing, like *Good Night Moon.  * You’ll always have a soft spot for the first thing that turned you onto that new venture.



Buzz: When do you hit that new venture with a song and say to yourself: “I want to place this song on my next album?”



Andre W.K.:  I am not sure I look at it that way, I think the song more or less tells you that it’s ready to heard by other people.  Most of my recording experience has been relatively solitary.  Of course you try to trust their judgment, as well as your own as to whether or not other people around the world should have the chance to listen to it or not.  At some point, I think the song tells you and it’s just a no-brainer.  It’s really not up to you.  It’s really clear that the song is meant to be heard.



The interview with Andrew W.K. closes as we are politely interrupted about time being finished from his touring manager.  Andrew W.K. is in high demand and is more than willing to take the time to talk to anybody and everybody. As Andrew W.K. starts another interview, I am aimed towards a quiet gentleman who is standing in the corner texting on his phone.  One can tell that Adam from AM Taxi is tired and exhausted.  He is a musician who has great passion and allows his music to do the talking for him.  He can easily be missed if you don’t know who he is or what he looks like.  I was able to interview Adam with five minutes left of AM Taxi’s interviewing time.



Buzz:  How has the tour been for you guys?



Adam:  It’s been great man.  We’re about two thirds of the way done with this thing.  About three quarters actually.  It’s been long and well worth it, a lot of fun.



Buzz:  What’s it like coming to your home city?

Adam:  It’s a little overwhelming to do the hometown stop.  It’s a lot of fun and always good to run into familiar faces.



Buzz:  On your band’s website, you say: “if it’s not broken, break it.”  What made you guys want to break your style of songwriting for the album “*We Don’t Stand a Choice”?*



Adam:  The method behind that is there are a lot of different ways of doing something.  Sometimes the first initial way of doing it isn’t always the best. I think it’s good for people to be open-minded and try things from different angles before making a decision. We could do it one way and that would be the obvious choice. We try different methods to find the smartest way of doing things.



Buzz:  So then do you guys always write collaboratively?



Adam:  Well, I write all of the lyrics, melodies and chords.  When it’s time to arrange them, the whole band comes in and puts in their two cents.



Buzz: Who were your influences behind this record and how did the writing process for this record differ than that of writing a song with Lucky Boys of Confusion?



Adam:  Not much has changed from the influence side.  I have always loved The Clash and The Replacements.  I wasn’t collaboratively working with anybody else, so it was 100% of what I was bringing.  We specifically try not to latch to any trends.  The influences are older, everything from Little Richard, to The Ramones or Weezer; bands that we would consider to be classics.



Buzz:  What was your main decision to make classic record rather than a current record or a record that uses trends?



Adam:  We look at it as though we are trying to do this for a while.  Anytime you try to jump on something that happens immediately, seems to go away.   What you are doing seems to be irrelevant.  Doing something like this, seems to be that people can pick it up five years from now and still get into and not sound like a record that came out in 2010.



Buzz:  That’s a smart and interesting way of looking at it.  What makes you decide that a record should be classic?

*photos from top (by Carl Burke)

The crowd at Warped Chicago

Andrew W.K.

Adam of AM Taxi

Chicago Writer John Kramer interviews Chicago Comedian Shelly Gossman about Second City and her

SNL audition.

Shelly has recently become a Saturday Night Live Writer. Congratulations!

A BuzznewsTV Comedy Review Special Feature Presentation!

Special thanks to John Kramer!

See more of John HERE!

Click here for a total list of SNL Writers over 36 Seasons so far!

Enjoy!

August Comedy

Feature!

This August in Comedy on BuzznewsTV!

Featuring the works of Film Maker/Writer

JOHN KRAMER

Chicagoland Producer

John Kramer has a long-standing comedy career in Chicagoland receiving notoriety on CNN, FOX CHICAGO SUNDAY, The New York Times, and has even worked alongside comedy stars Jim Belushi, Chris Farley, and Tina Fey to name a few. 

John Kramer produces a variety of comedic material.

You can also see some comedy animations by John in a Buzz Cartoon & Animation search at the top of the page.

Enjoy. Stay tuned for another great episode next week.

Also Featuring

THE SONG A WEEK PROJECT

with

Matt Griffo & Andy Gailor

Enjoy!

Stay Tuned. More to Come.

Click HERE for more BuzznewsTV!

We all have certain memory triggers that have the power to invoke our past. For me, music has always been my greatest trigger- even allowing me to transcend time and revisit yesteryear.

Authority Zero came to town for a gig at the Cubby Bear to promote their new album, Stories of Survival. The ticket included performances from The Frantic, Lionize and Whole Wheat Bread. Each band brought something unique to the stage and on a whole delivered something spectacular.

I have to confess hearing Authority Zero was coming to town made me feel stoked and sentimental. Despite the passage of time, the band has been able to stay true to their original sound and reminded me why I fell in love with their music in the first place.

Here's my backstory with the band... My love affair with their music began during my first year at the University of Arizona. The boys from Mesa were asked to be an opening act for the annual Welcome/ Welcome Back show for the students.  My roommate and I, neither originally from Arizona, had never heard of Authority Zero before that night but quickly fell in love with their brand of reggae fused skater/pop punk. Their charisma was electric and surged through the audience in a way most bands will never experience. Thanks to the mellow sounds of a dub guitar, infectious choruses and the uniquely haunting vocals of lead singer Jason DeVore, Authority Zero stole the show and walked away with a new legion of fans. The boys were always gracious and indulged their fans with kind words, autographs and pictures. Their music a captivating live performances proved to be a major bonding point for my roommate and I (so much so we went to all of their local shows and in store appearances at Zia Records).

For close to two decades, Authority Zero has been creating Latin and reggae infused skate punk music that has helped solidify a strong following while insuring survival through the rocky tides of the skater/pop punk genre. With heavy influence from bands like Bad Religion, Pennywise, and Sublime, Authority Zero is able to deliver tracks that are both mosh and sway worthy. In the post millennium, many would argue the punk scene has become diluted and, for lack of a better word, stagnant. However, Authority Zero continues to shine thanks to their talent, passion and willingness to incorporate many different genres to create their sound.

Thanks to a spellbinding performance, I was able to revisit my college glory days and be reminded why Authority Zero is one the best live bands around.

Suggested sampling of Authority Zero's music:

1). Over Seasons

2). One More Minute

3). Revolution

4). A Passage in Time

5). Super Bitch

7). The Remedy

8) Brick in the Wave

9). 12:34

10). Mexican Radio

The sky down poured all night long and into the morning leading up to the show. Skittish people afraid they would melt started to proclaim that the out door party would be cancelled. As luck would have it for the second year in a row the sky cleared up and the sun peaked out. The ground started to dry up and mother nature allowed Woods Bash 2010 to go on as planned. Big Randy put together a great show as always. The entertainment consisted of four incredible bands that played throughout the day. This was a true party!!

First band up was the new group out of the O’Hare area of Chicago called Ballistic. This group warmed up the place in style. Performing mostly cover songs from the classic rock genre, the band played their set of songs to wake the crowd up, and that is exactly what they did. The songs “Crossroads” and “Sunshine of Your Love” were definite highlights for the lunchtime crowd. The crunchy guitars, sweet vocals, and in sync rhythm section was a great start to the party. They finished up with an original song called “Red Ducati” that was the best performance of their set and it blended into an extra long jam of Nugent’s “Stranglehold.” They were fun.

Rhino 39 took the second spot with a vengeance. This group was a solid head bangers band every step of the way. Performing a song from Metallica seemed to be an easy task for such a rock solid band. The bass player and drummer paved the road for the rest of the group to follow. The grooves were deep and heavy old school metal. They brought out a Drowning Pool song with a little count off, getting the crowd to be involved with the show. “One, Nothing wrong with me – Two, Nothing wrong with me.” As the opening line “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor” started the song, concert goers were carrying a devilish grin. Once Rhino started in with Pantera’s “Walk” most heavy metal enthusiasts couldn’t contain themselves any longer.

Rising Up Angry out of Florida had some issues and showed up late so their set was cut short. This highly professional band came in and performed a short set blowing the woods apart. Louder than the previous two bands, this group was over powering the vocalist and PA on every move. They band was so powerful and was just amazing. What bleed through on the vocals was incredible as well, but could barely be heard. They were just a high energy band; they were super tight and never made a mistake musically. It would be suggested to see this band in a setting with a PA that can keep up with their enormous sound levels. It might be nice to actually hear them with vocals. Oh yeah, they were that loud!

The AC~DC tribute band Problem Child was undoubtedly the best band of Woods Bash 2010 and had the most seasoned musicians of the party. This group came in sounding just like the group from down under with all the power and the show of the heavy rocking band. The boys jammed a bunch of the old classics from this band and a few of the “B Side” songs as well. They played the songs “T.N.T.,” “Whole Lotta Rosie,” and “Sin City” imitating one of the most popular bands in the world. The guitar player came out dressed like Angus Young playing solos note for note just like the master. The vocalist did a great job of putting on a show when he climbed on the roof of the pavilion. Problem Child was definitely as close as you could possibly get to being AC~DC without actually being the real McCoy. They were just awesome and definitely the main event!!

Kimberly Katz’ Platinum Press

“This Brilliant Jew is No Dummy!”

I have been eager to see the brilliant comedian and actor Don Rickles live and in concert for so many years. I saw him perform finally at The Venue in Hammond, Indiana last week and I was blown away by his abundant energy and razor sharp rapier wit. Even at 84, Don is still knockin’ ‘em dead with his own, unique brand of insult comedy.

The audience in the sold out house roared as Rickles’ hysterically skewered those in the front rows. “Hey look it’s a black guy in the front row, isn’t that nice, that’s lovely, send them some champagne. Oh and you the Jap, why don’t you take a picture of the nice black couple in the front row with their champagne - you’re never gonna’ see that again!”

I am Jewish too, and there is kind of an unspoken thing that if you ARE Jewish, you can joke about Jews, and since your people survived the Holocaust, well… you can pretty much safely joke about everyone else.

Rickles’ is a long time Democrat, and the thing that actually makes his insult comedy politically correct is that instead of spewing hate, he is actually defusing all the stereotypes and generalizations that most people have bubbling under the surface, and he allows them to come out into the light of day and pop like so many soap bubbles in laughter.

I was surprised to find out that this long time friend of Frank Sinatra is actually in possession of a great set of pipes himself. Rickles’ performs a couple of great tunes in his act with a full orchestra behind him and with great force and emotion. I was very impressed and had no idea he could sing so well!

I also loved the general atmosphere of his show. Many of my relatives, my grandparents and great aunts and uncles have all passed and being there with Don and his audience, which happily had a lot of alta cockers - old Jews in it, was like being back at home at my grandparent’s house in Miami, Florida as we kibitzed around trying to make each laugh. What a wonderful evening it was and I have rarely seen an audience this size and with so many races and ages in attendance, leave a show laughing and with such huge smiles on their faces!

One of my favorite bits was about his wife of 45 years, Barbara. Don says

”I still have to give her what she wants once in a while. When I come home and hear her saying, ‘Pussycat? Pussycat?’ I know I have to jump under the bed and say ‘Meow? Meow’ -Yeah, I still do it for her…because everything is in her name!”

Rickles continues to be very active on the stand-up comedy scene, and is still a popular performer in Las Vegas with many dates booked through the end of 2010. He has no plans to retire and as he recently said in an interview: "I'm in good health. I'm working better than I ever have. The audiences are great. Why should I retire? I'm like a fighter. The bell rings and you come out and fight. My energy comes alive. And I still enjoy it!”

Once up a time there was a very successful movie franchise, about a green ogre and his desire to live alone in a swamp. As with so many fairy tales, the path to happiness did not run smoothly, and soon his stinky corner of the world is disrupted by all manner of fairytale creatures. He sets off to preserve his solitude, but before he knows it, he has befriended a talking donkey and is on a mission to battle a dragon and save the princess. Along the way, he learns that girls can fart just as loudly as boys, and true love doesn’t always come packaged as you’d expect.

The beauty of Shrek was the way it took standard fairytale conventions and twisted them, just a little, to keep the parents on their toes and capture the imagination of their offspring. Shrek the musical doesn’t depart too far at all from this concept, with plenty of quick fire lyrics that sail just over the heads of the children and high-energy songs to keep the story moving along.

Eric Petersen (Shrek) holds the musical together, doing a great job of bringing emotion, humor and pathos to the role, while wearing the theatrical equivalent of a foam hot-dog suit. It’s a tough role to pull-off; everyone knows the storyline and Petersen could just do an impression of Mike Myers. Instead, he brings his own charm to the role. Alan Mingo, Jr. (Donkey) brings masses of passion and energy, but does sometimes fall into impersonation territory. His donkey is a cross between Little Richard and Eddie Murphy but while he’s always entertaining, it can get a little over-played. This show belongs to Haven Burton (Fiona) as she tap dances with rats in “Morning Person” or assures us of her faith in fairytales in “I Know It’s Today”. She gets the best of both the choreography and lyrics for the majority of the show, only being upstaged by Carrie Compere (voice), as a sensational dragon brought to life by a three person puppet in “Forever”.

Shrek the Musical has been a long time coming. High-brow British director Sam Mendes suggested the idea to DreamWorks Animation’s Jeffrey Katzenberg back when the second movie was in production. This is Dreamworks Theatrical’s first venture into legitimate theatre, and the first night audience reponse suggests that this is going to be a successful one. There’s enough here for repeat visits and both children and adults will be enchanted by the high-energy show in which everyone lives happily ever after.

Shrek the Musical is brought to Chicago by Broadway in Chicago and is at the Cadillac Theatre (151 W. Randolph St) until September 5^th. For more information, visit www.shrekthemusical.com and www.broadwayinchicago.com .

Shrek the Musical features a book and lyrics by Pulizter Prize winner David Lydsay Ahare, music by Olivier Award-winner Jeanine Tesori and is directed by Tony Award-nominee Jason Moore and Tony and Emmy Award-winner Rob Ashford. Set and costume designs are by Tim Hatley, lighting design by Hugh Vanstone, sound design by Peter Hylenski, choreography by Josh Prince, music supervision by Tim Weil, music direction by Andy Grobengieser and orchestration by Danny Troob and John Clancy.

Josie’s on vacation far away. Come around and talk it over.

The opening lines to The Outfield’s “Your Love” implore the packed house at Duffy’s Tavern and Grille (420 ½ W. Diversey) to take part in an illicit encounter with a dude whose girlfriend is way out of town, and on Wednesday night the people respond favorably. Eager screams and empty glasses dominate the spacious bar’s back room topography. I feel my own fist inexplicably rise above my head and begin to pump back and forth. Two young women rush up to the stage, and then they climb onto it.

Perhaps we are so excited about being prompted to commit adultery because the suggestion comes from Louis Stigwood, enigmatic nerd vocalist for The Spazmatics, Chicago’s best 80’s New Wave Synthpop cover band, the band that has played Duffy’s Tavern and Grille every Wednesday night for nearly five years.

Donning his trademark suspenders, horn-rimmed glasses and rainbow propeller hat, Louis fits right in – at least on stage. His fellow band-mates are garbed in white button-down shirts, ties of varying lengths and widths, a protective helmet, slicked back hair and, of course, pocket protectors; these rockers appear more likely to subscribe to Mental_Floss than to Rolling Stone. The cumulative effect of the motif and their outstanding stage presence sets The Spazmatics apart from any band you’ve seen in the last ten – wait, make that twenty-five – years. They’re an hommage to the great New Wave bands of the 80’s, bands like Devo, The Buggles, and Men At Work, who celebrate nerd culture instead of stepping on it.

Importantly, beyond costumes, synchronized dance moves, and over-the-top ribald banter, The Spazmatics are solid musicians who consistently put on a good show. Louis’ impressive vocal range allows the band to transition seamlessly from Billy Idol to Cyndi Lauper, while Shureman Larusso’s guitar shredding always makes me stop and appreciate, about four dollar-beers in, how these guys are talented, and how I’m lucky to live in a city that houses professional cover bands.

The night wears on but the music keeps coming. It’s nearly one in the morning, and everybody knows that this set will soon end. The band starts up one of my favorite songs, The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven,” with Shureman on the mic; I go crazy, I am afforded extra personal space, and then they say goodnight as the last reverb fizzles away. The DJ starts to play Top 50 radio jams. Duffy’s is somber for a drunken mass of young people. We’re somber because the night is over, because the Brown Line is no longer running, and because, for almost a whole week, it is no longer 1985. Thankfully, sometimes The Spazmatics play Friday nights at Uncle Fatty’s Rum Resort (2833 N. Sheffield). Let’s be grateful for small mercies.

To learn more about The Spazmatics, follow them on Facebook, check out their recently renovated website, www.chicagospazmatics.com, or come to Duffy’s next Wednesday. We’ll all be there.

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.