Upcoming Concerts
 

A place to talk about upcoming shows and reminisce about previous shows.

I just got 9th row tix for The Black Crowes that replace the tix I had for the recently cancelled Aerosmith/Black Crowes tour. I previously saw the Black Crowes in 1991 when they were supporting ZZ Top. Crazy how Chris Robinson totally dogged on ZZ Top during the set. He correctly pointed out that we would be hearing allot of sounds not being produced by the three members on stage!

Other upcoming 2024 shows that tix are purchased for; Pat Travers Band (2nd time), Teenage Bottle Rocket, Black Joe Lewis (3rd time), The Tubes (4th time).

Lots of shows that range from doubtful to maybe to probably. I'll probably see at least three of the following; Local H, ELO, Jon Spencer, Yardact, Gong, Billy Bremner's Rockfiles, The Godz, W.A.S.P..

October 3 - Jonathan Richman - Will be my 3rd time seeing him.

October 23 - Richard Lloyd - Really excited about this one. I never got to see Television live.

Does Richard Lloyd play any songs by Television?

Judging by the most recent setlists on setlist.fm, he does.

I don't have any shows coming up, but I did go to one earlier this year. Because I only discovered Mason Ramsey a year ago, I saw him for my first time on March 22nd and I pray so hard that it isn't my last time. I love him so much. :) :) :)

God bless you and him always!!!

Holly

Gonna see Bikini Kill in September cause why not

https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/me...?1707143274040

Cool. Have you seen them before?

Bikini Kill not coming to Cleveland...

Nor Cincinnati. The closest to either city appears to be Detriot.

Nope. I'm sure it will be fun.

I'll be back home in Montreal in September and want to catch a couple of shows while I'm there. Debating whether I want to see PJ Harvey. I love many of her songs, eps the older ones, but don't know if I feel like watching a huge show at an ice hockey rink.

Yeah, I prefer shows in club or theaters myself. But if you really want to see Ms. Harvey, maybe you should go. Up to you, of course, but you never know when (or if) you'll get the chance to see her again.

Last night was fun...

Who: Pat Travers Band
When: August 24, 2024
Where: Kent, Ohio (Kent Stage)

My introduction to Pat was around ’79 hearing him on the radio belting out an old blues number by Little Walter, “Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)”. In 1980, Pat had a hit album (Crash and Burn) that I heard plenty of on the radio and at parties but for whatever reason I never picked it up. After that, Pat retreated on my radar to being an artist I would occasionally hear on classic rock stations. Life moves on….

Sooo...fast forward about 42 years and there is a scheduled show by Foghat with the Pat Travers Band as the opening act. Ticket sales were so poor that the show was moved to a smaller venue a week before the show. As luck would have it, I had a pre-sale membership card at the new venue and scored a couple front row seats. Honestly, I felt bad for the fans that had front row seats at the original venue that were shuffled back with the change of venue. It seems life is not fair. (smiling)

Mrs. Buckeye and I regarded seeing Foghat as seeing a glorified cover band with the only original member being drummer, Roger Earle. The band was sort of a funky, southern rock version of Foghat with recently added vocalist Scott Holt but it really was surprisingly good. However, that was not the real surprise of the evening. The real surprise was the level of energy and musicianship by the Pat Travers Band. It was a really good set by a darn good three piece band fronted by a top shelf blues/rock guitarist. Since then, we have kept an eye out for the band’s return to the area.

The summer of ’24 has Pat Travers coming back to the very same venue but this time as the headliner; tix bought, let the festivities begin! Festivities begin with a pre gig Italian meal and a walk around downtown on a perfect summer evening in the college town of Kent. We ended our walk under the marquee of Kent Stage and hanging out on the sidewalk near the smattering of ‘Hammer Heads’ (nickname for fans of PT).

Kent Stage was a movie theater in a previous life but has been a concert venue for about 20 years. There was a renovation a few years ago to the stage and the lobby but the original theater seats remain the same. There is a small town charm to this 650 seat concert hall and they do an excellent job of bringing in national acts of all genres.

No opener tonight…hooray…what?? It seems ironic that I’m happy about no opener yet the only reason I’m here is because I heard Pat Travers as an opener. Pat begins every show with the same introduction, “We’re Here To Kick Yor Ass”! I’ve now heard him say this twice and I’m still debating if it is meant as a threat or a promise. Either way he delivers although on this night he is only delivering to a half empty venue. The attendance was disappointing but it made no difference to me perched in the front row directly in front of Pat’s Marshall amp.

The show started with “Rock n Roll Suzie” straight into “Life In London” with no break between until after the third song, “Crash And Burn”. The evening was divided into two sets, the first was a fairly tight 45 minute set and focused on early material that had the approval of long time fans.

The second set started with one of my favorites (“Ronnie”) that is a tribute to Ronnie Montrose. This track along with two others are from the 2022 release by PT (The Art Of Time Travel). The set also included two new songs from an upcoming album and virtuoso soloing by drummer Al Petrosky and bass player David Pastorius thrown in for good measure. The show ended predictably with the two best known song; “Snortin’ Whiskey” and “Boom, Boom (Out Go The Lights). The obligatory encore was the rousing Earl King blues classic “Come On, Pt 1”.

One of the highlights of the second set was when Pat left the stage and David Pastorius played the song “Natalie” on bass. The album version is flushed out with guitars but this live rendition had David carrying the entire song with melodic slapping and fret walking.

I’ve seen some great bass players in my concert life but I consider David Pastorius the best I’ve seen. It certainly helps that Pat gives him plenty of room to showcase his talent during the show. The bloodline probably helps as well, David is the nephew of bass royalty Jaco Pastorius who was most notably with the ‘70’s fusion band, Weather Report.

Over the years I’ve seen bands that play a great short set as an opener but have trouble carrying a crowd when playing an extended set as a headliner. Not the case with Pat because even when playing deep tracks it’s impossible to not be amazed by the musicianship by all members on stage. Sign me up for the next time Pat comes around.

Well Done!

Q: Do you peek at recent setlists to know what to expect at an upcoming show?
A: Almost always! I've been known to even make a Spotify playlist to prep for a show.

I'm going to a club show on Thursday to see Teenage Bottlerocket. When my son asked me if I wanted to go, I only knew (and really liked) two songs for sure. I feel no shame making a playlist based on a recent show and having it play as background music in the days leading up to my show. There will be a familiarity with songs when I see them.

Am I alone with this addictive habit?

I look at setlist.fm to see recent setlists. I may listen to a song or two on my cds or downloads if I have any by the artist in question, or on Youtube. But I don't make a setlist and don't use streaming services.

This year, I've already seen Thursday, Sunny Day Real Estate, and DIIV. Next month, I'm excited to catch Laura Jane Grace, PJ Harvey, The National, and the Weezer/Dinosaur Jr./Flaming Lips show. I might also check out Violent Femmes, but going to concerts on weekdays is tough with work commitments.

I like the song "Birds Talk Too".

Nowadays, I'm not much into the blues/rock music that I liked as a teenager. But this show coming up in November in my town is tempting me:

Samantha Fish with Mitch Ryder/Canned Heat with Bernard Allison (Luther's son)?Ghalia Volt

What will probably make me but a ticket is Mitch Ryder. I've never seen him before. Plus the pairing with Samantha Fish seems strange and logical at the same time.

I regret not seeing Samantha Fish the last time she was nearby. She sold out Kent Stage (650 capacity) well before the show.

Her 2023 song with Jeff Dayton is absolute gold and was my #2 song from that year.


Add in Mith Ryder and it sounds very interesting.

oh hell yes i hope it's as good as the london gig I went to

Thanks for the heads up. Tix bought for show at Robbins Theater in Warren.

You're quite welcome. I'd better get my tickets for the Cincinnati show the next night before it sells out!

Last night...

Who: Teenage Bottlerocket
Where: Grog Shop (Cleveland Heights, OH)
When: August 29, 2024

Excuse me while I get reflective for a moment. It’s great to watch kids grow and start their own families, it really is. However, I sometimes feel a void as their time demands don’t leave much time for hanging out with good ole Dad. Damn soccer practice.

My oldest son was my punk concert buddy when he was younger but as the number of grandkids increased our time going to concerts proportionately decreased. We’ve had some great times seeing countless shows including; Violent Femmes, Rancid, NY Dolls, The Saints, Dollyrots, Television, The Dictators, Dead Milkmen, Horrorpops, Japandroids, Buzzcocks, The Offspring, Bouncing Souls, DKM, Flogging Molly, Pennywise, Rev Horton Heat and The Supersuckers plus plenty of others not on my memory quick dial. I’m not even going to start listing bands from the three Warped Tours we saw together, we would be here all day as I fumble through my memory banks. My point is, we were going to many shows and now not so much.

Imagine my surprise last month when I received a text from my son, “Wanna see Teenage Bottlerocket”? I quickly said ‘yes’ even though I could only think of a few songs. Do I really need to know more? I learned many years ago that the concert experience is as much about who you go to a show with as it is the performance you see. I did a quick search on Spotify and it turns out I know more songs than I thought plus I now know dozens more as I prep for the show.

Sooo…I rummage through my concert t-shirts because I want to project the right punky vibe to let fellow punks know I’m no dweeb. It’s not the sort of show you would wear a shirt sporting a Journey logo (not that I own one). This pre-gig detail seems important but I only do this after I use the digital coupon for a five minute oil change before a road trip. Priorities can be a tightrope as we grow older! Car is ready and I’m ready (wearing Dead Milkmen t-shirt), time to pick up my son and start the trek to the Grog Shop. BTW, I had to call my son to make sure he wasn’t wearing his Dead Milkmen shirt!

The Grog Shop has a 400 standing room capacity and is located in an artsy district referred to as Coventry Village. The eclectic neighborhood is full of fun shops and eateries in the middle of Cleveland Heights which is 15 minutes from downtown Cleveland. I would not call this a suburb, the only thing that says you aren’t in Cleveland is the name on the police cars.

The sidewalk in front of the club is bustling with a pre-gig gathering of concert goers. A fun collection of rockers enjoying time before the show on a hot and humid evening with temps hovering around 80f. We spend a couple minutes out front enjoying pre-concert aromas then decide to go into the mostly empty club. Seats at the bar, an open table or just mill about before the bands begin. We decided on a table toward the rear, we spend 15 minutes there as the club slowly fills before choosing to stake our ground closer at the stage.

It’s funny how real estate near the stage is acquired and lost as the evening progresses. There are many techniques for bettering your pit position. The easiest is just filling space if somebody goes to the bar or restrooms, it’s a slow steady march. I’m quite proficient at the ‘side and slide’ where you stand sideways and shuffle forward as space becomes available. This requires a quick and disarming smile as incidental body contact can sometimes alarm people. My favorite is the most boring; arrive early and endure the openers. This technique requires minimal coffee and alcohol intake before a show because it’s not always possible to regain lost territory once surrendering to nature’s will. Before the second band we were against the stage.

The opener was a local band, The Vumms. Their brand of music is jangly at times and can lean toward garage rock. Not the worst opener I’ve seen and I would not shy away from seeing them again. Next up, The Last Gang…Wow! It can be fun seeing young bands learning the ropes but I prefer seeing bands like this that are a little more seasoned. Brenna Red’s ’s raspy vocals are out front over music that ranges from reggae to hardcore and all stops in between. Well done!

We are now properly primed for the real reason we are at the Grog Shop on a school night, an evening with Wyoming’s finest, Teenage Bottlerocket. The band has been releasing albums (9 total) since 2003 and ¾ of the current line-up have been together since 2006. If you’re looking for musical comparisons, it starts with Ramones. Wiki makes comparisons with Screeching Weasel and Bouncing Souls which seems like fairly reasonable references. I like the sound because it is fast paced melodies laden with humor and occasionally dips into dumb guy music. The band also has one of the coolest and most iconic logos in all punkdom.

The crowd at the Grog Shop on this Thursday was decent but the place was not overly packed. That suits me fine because when this club is at/over capacity it’s a little uncomfortable. I fully expected this to be an all guy crowd and I was totally wrong! It was mildly surprising that so many females were in attendance but really surprising was the number of teens and pre-teens. Some of the kids were family members of the band and others were there with parents that wanted to show their kids an evening of fun PG rated punk rock.

As the band took the stage, Guitarist/vocalist Ray Carlisle walked the front of the stage passing out guitar picks to anybody that put their hand out. The band manned their instruments and played maybe 10 songs before taking a moment to talk with the crowd.

Between song banter and antics were both informative and entertaining. The band didn’t seem to be patronizing us as they passed out compliments. They name checked many of the area clubs they played over the years and talked about things they liked about Cleveland including visiting the Rock Hall Of Fame.

Antics included Ray Carlisle tossing drumsticks through the ceiling trusses and drummer Darren Chewka attempting to catch them while keeping beat. They were oh for five until finally connecting which was met with cheers. The main vocalist/guitarist is Kody Templemen and his vocals were strong all night. The band is rounded out by bassist Miguel Chen who spent time off stage playing for younger fans. The band presents a great visual with wide stanced posturing and passionate expressions.

A fine evening complete with setlists, guitar picks and a cool t-shirt plus some father/son bonding. Teenage Bottlerocket played a highly entertaining show and I’ll be sure to catch them again anytime I can. Well Done!

Set List

1. In the Basement
2. Don't Want to Go
3. Bigger Than Kiss
4. Freak Out!
5. Stupid Games
6. Nothing Else Matters (When I'm With You)
7. Blood Bath at Burger King
8. Crashing
9. Bottlerocket
10. They Call Me Steve
11. Fatso Goes Nutzoid
12. Ghost Story
13. Radio
14. Strung Out on Stress
15. Commando (Ramones)
16. Why the Big Pause
17. Skate or Die
18. Via Munich
19. Don't Go
20. I Wanna Be a Dog
21. Headbanger
22. On My Own / Blitzkrieg Bop / The Spirit of Radio

Encore

23. Teenwolf
24. Forbidden Planet
25. Call In Sick
26. Be Stag
27. Necrocomicon

Got my tix for the Cincinnati show late this afternoon. I hate Ticketmaster with all the fires in hell, so I was going to stop at the venue after work to get physical tix with a much lower service charge. However, the tickets were going fast and I was wary of a sellout, so I bought online. Of course, you have to use your phone and can't print out tickets. And for some damn dumb reason I can't put the tix in the wallet on my iphone. Did I mention that I hate Ticketmaster with all the fires in hell?

Robbins Theater is using the user friendly etix. I’m with you on Ticketmaster, I had to buy tix for Black Crowes with them.

I do like that Ticketmaster has a feature where you look at prices with all fees included. Whatever the reason, a $75 ticket with additional $30 in fees pisses me off while a $105 ticket doesn’t.

I love that you do this. I always listen to the music ahead of time and sometimes I will look up who is opening and play some of their music in the background.

Back in the day I would buy the latest CD by the opener ahead of time if possible. Streaming services make checking out material by bands much easier (and cheaper).

Good review. It's great you have a son to attend concerts with. My daughter wouldn't be caught dead nowadays at a concert with her old man, unlike when she was growing up. Here's a cautionary tale from another thread about a concert I didn't take her to but should have:


Yeah, I like Weezer too. And I have a cautionary tale involving Weezer that all music fans with minor children should read. Several years back, I had vouchers for free tickets at certain concerts that I received as part of the settlement of a class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster. One of the shows was a double bill of Weezer and Panic At The Disco in Nashville. My daughter--a teenager at the time but not quite old enough to be repulsed by the idea of attending shows with her dad--said we should travel to Nashville to see the show since I liked Weezer and she liked Panic At The Disco. The tickets were general admission at a huge venue. I declined, since I don't like huge shows in general and didn't really want to travel that far to see a show where we would be far from the stage. Now I wish I had said yes. I missed a chance for some real bonding time with my daughter.

If this story helps anyone with a similar situation with their kid(s), it will have been worth telling it.

I know my story is more of an exception than the rule. I feel very fortunate to have attended shows individually and as a group with Mrs. Buckeye and our three kids plus their spouses.

It was a big deal when we took our kids to their first concert. This is something that was not part of my childhood. Mrs. Buckeye was lucky enough to have parents that took her to shows when she was young. The fact that she saw the Carter Family (June & Johnny Cash) and Elvis is a source of irritation to me when we play the 'dead musician game'. How can I beat those??

I'd go just to see Samantha Fish. The others would be the icing on the cake. I saw Samantha perform 3 times in 2016 and she was fantastic each time! Haven't been keeping up with her music career lately but I'd jump at the chance to see her again if I had the opportunity.

Here's a video I took of her with Lighnin' Malcolm at one of those shows...

Nice, I’ll be seeing her for the first time in Warren, Ohio. The venue is a block away from Dave Grohl Alley which will be a fun photo op. BTW, Dave was born in Warren.

I just found out about this tour a few days ago. A couple of the dates are happening in my area on a Friday & Saturday, so I might be able to see one of the shows if not both of them. Definitely looking forward to this!

OK, so I'll probably go to one and probably two the following shows coming to my area. If you were making the choice, which two would you attend?

The Surfrajettes
The Mountain Goats
Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
Derrick Gripper - yeah, I know, who's that? Google him and find out

Surfrajettes and Reverend Peyton if it were me.

Thanks for the input. I’ve seen the good Rev but that was a less than full set at a festival. Never seen the Surfragettes.

I'd see The Surfrajettes.

Not sure about which of the other three I'd pick at the moment.

Imagine Dragons are going to the European tour

The Black Crowes are a week away. They have a tune up in Vegas tomorrow that kicks off a 34 date North American tour. The second show which I'll attend is the following Friday in Northeast Ohio. The question of peeking at the set list will be tough to resist.

The crowd sure went crazy for it.

I was slightly jetlagged, annoyed by some idiot waving the Palestinian flag, unimpressed by Hanna's rather basic feminist banter about mansplaining and gaslighting and whatever else she was blathering about. I went with an old friend and her much older Gen X husband who works in the music industry and who was having the time of his life. Because I'm such a good sport I took to prancing about along with them to not make it about my "not feeling it" but I wasn't feeling it.

I imagine I would've had more energy for all of that at 20 years of age but I'm pushing 40 these days and have zero inclination to try dodging the "old fart" allegations.