AM Taxi-Uncovered on Playboy.com! Watch the punk rockers burn up
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Tuesday, April 20, 2010
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Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Puddle of Mudd, Burn Halo and the Veer Union - April 5, 2010
We went to see Puddle of Mudd in San Francisco and found out they were playing at one of my old stomping grounds; Slims. If you haven't read it yet, my previous post covers Slim's and what a great place it is! The tickets for the show were only $25 and was a great deal since we found out that there would be two opening acts! $25 for three bands. The kids (my son Ryan and his friend, Javier) were really excited about that since they are soon building their history of bands they have seen in concert.
When we got there, of course the boys went straight to the merchandise tables and Ryan rushed to buy the autographed drum head to add to his growing collection! They were even more amazed when they found the band members of the opening band selling the merchandise. They took no time to ask them to autograph the CDs and the posters!
First up was The Veer Union. This band comes from Vancouver, Canada and consists of five very energetic and charismatic guys who seem to be very close and have a lot of fun together. This can be seen later in the night as they recited something in unity prior to inbibing a beverage. (Black Label and smooth is all I will say!)
When they came out on stage, the first thing you notice is Crispin Earl's (the lead singer)incredible and super long mohawk. It made you wonder if it was real it looked so perfect. Then they rocked it! They had a sound which mixes alternative rock and garage band grunge. The song that really got everyone to take a good look at this band and remember the moment was "Seasons". "Seasons" displays incredible guitar work as well as powerful vocals. The crowd went wild to that song as well as "Darker Side of Me" which reminds me of Hinder. This is a band to watch out for and I am sure they will be taking over the charts soon.
Next up was Burn Halo, a five member band from California and Oklahoma. The frontman for Burn Halo turns out to be James Hart who was the awesome lead singer for the Southern California Punk Band, Eighteen Visions. When I saw him, I knew it was going to be a great show and they did not disappoint! The incredibe charisma of these guys shows throughout all their songs. Joey Roxx the guitar player would have you just watching him and wondering how in the heck did he get so good and he looked so young! I could only imagine what the next years bring them! Dillon Ray banged on those drums hard and with the vocals of Brandon and Aaron it all came together. I was surprised to find out that they are just on their first album, self titled Debut Album. They seemed to make it look like they had been playing together for years and having a great time doing it. The song favorites would be 'Dirty Little Girl" which has some great vocals and shredding guitar. "Save Me" is another great song that eerily reminded me of Guns n Roses and had me wanting more. You will have to check this band out.
Headliner, Puddle of Mudd was next up and the crowd was really ready. Puddle of Mudd was formed in 1992 but broke up in 1999 and left Wes Scrantin as the original member who would put a new band together the following year. These four guys came out with intense energy and Wes shows his care free personality and definitely makes you feel like you are in a garage and you are just all hanging out together jamming. It is amazing to watch how he engages the crowd and you can tell is just having fun performing! Paul Phillips on guitar is like a caged tiger on stage, he just moves around and is pure energy!! You feel like he is just going to jump out off the stage and just play right in the crowd. The chemistry with the band is well displayed and Doug Ardito on bass and Ryan Yerdon on drums just makes it all fit.
The crowd went crazy for "Psycho" which is their smash hit from 2007 Famous album. The vocals of Wes had everyone screaming, "Maybe I'm the one...." Old, young, women, men; everyone was on their feet screaming and jumping! Another great song is their latest single, "Stoned" which had extraordinary guitar work and I can see it fast climbing the charts. Every song they played was great and it was hard to leave when they finished. Everyone wanted more including myself. Of course, I am now searching when any of these three bands are coming back to town because I will check them all out and so should you!!!
When we got there, of course the boys went straight to the merchandise tables and Ryan rushed to buy the autographed drum head to add to his growing collection! They were even more amazed when they found the band members of the opening band selling the merchandise. They took no time to ask them to autograph the CDs and the posters!
First up was The Veer Union. This band comes from Vancouver, Canada and consists of five very energetic and charismatic guys who seem to be very close and have a lot of fun together. This can be seen later in the night as they recited something in unity prior to inbibing a beverage. (Black Label and smooth is all I will say!)
When they came out on stage, the first thing you notice is Crispin Earl's (the lead singer)incredible and super long mohawk. It made you wonder if it was real it looked so perfect. Then they rocked it! They had a sound which mixes alternative rock and garage band grunge. The song that really got everyone to take a good look at this band and remember the moment was "Seasons". "Seasons" displays incredible guitar work as well as powerful vocals. The crowd went wild to that song as well as "Darker Side of Me" which reminds me of Hinder. This is a band to watch out for and I am sure they will be taking over the charts soon.
Next up was Burn Halo, a five member band from California and Oklahoma. The frontman for Burn Halo turns out to be James Hart who was the awesome lead singer for the Southern California Punk Band, Eighteen Visions. When I saw him, I knew it was going to be a great show and they did not disappoint! The incredibe charisma of these guys shows throughout all their songs. Joey Roxx the guitar player would have you just watching him and wondering how in the heck did he get so good and he looked so young! I could only imagine what the next years bring them! Dillon Ray banged on those drums hard and with the vocals of Brandon and Aaron it all came together. I was surprised to find out that they are just on their first album, self titled Debut Album. They seemed to make it look like they had been playing together for years and having a great time doing it. The song favorites would be 'Dirty Little Girl" which has some great vocals and shredding guitar. "Save Me" is another great song that eerily reminded me of Guns n Roses and had me wanting more. You will have to check this band out.
Headliner, Puddle of Mudd was next up and the crowd was really ready. Puddle of Mudd was formed in 1992 but broke up in 1999 and left Wes Scrantin as the original member who would put a new band together the following year. These four guys came out with intense energy and Wes shows his care free personality and definitely makes you feel like you are in a garage and you are just all hanging out together jamming. It is amazing to watch how he engages the crowd and you can tell is just having fun performing! Paul Phillips on guitar is like a caged tiger on stage, he just moves around and is pure energy!! You feel like he is just going to jump out off the stage and just play right in the crowd. The chemistry with the band is well displayed and Doug Ardito on bass and Ryan Yerdon on drums just makes it all fit.
The crowd went crazy for "Psycho" which is their smash hit from 2007 Famous album. The vocals of Wes had everyone screaming, "Maybe I'm the one...." Old, young, women, men; everyone was on their feet screaming and jumping! Another great song is their latest single, "Stoned" which had extraordinary guitar work and I can see it fast climbing the charts. Every song they played was great and it was hard to leave when they finished. Everyone wanted more including myself. Of course, I am now searching when any of these three bands are coming back to town because I will check them all out and so should you!!!
Slim's San Francisco - an old friend
Yesterday I was going to cover another concert in San Francisco. When I learned the venue was going to be Slim's - it was like finding an old friend on Facebook. My history with Slim's is a long one. Slim's which was opened in 1988 by legendary R & B Artist; Boz Scaggs and was right around the time that I was going to concerts on a 3 x week basis. Slim's was my favorite place to see concerts since it would book big name acts but you would be able to see them in an intimate setting. I could remember that it was always a clean nightlcub with very good service at the bar as well as a balcony where you could order some "good eats" and kick back and watch a great show.
It has been at least 10 years since my last visit to Slim's and when I turned down 11th Street and saw the familiar neon Slim's sign I was growing more excited to visit my old friend and wondered how it may have changed. For this concert, it was a lineup of Puddle of Mudd and two opening bands; The Veer Union and Burn Halo. My son Ryan is a big Puddle of Mudd fan and he when he stood in line next to me, he commented how he couldn't believe that it was a smaller venue. The thought of watching a concert from the front stage and not having a 10' spacer betweent the crowd and the stage was increasing his excitement by the minute.
They had the security patdown at the door and we had to check the camera that we brought. I never remember having either of those experiences there but I was ready to check it out. As soon as I walked up the stairs to the open floor, my mind flooded with memories of awesome concerts long forgotten. It was nice to see that it really didn't change much. Slim's was like Dick Clark, the years went by but it was hard to tell the wear and tear of it. I looked around and saw the balcony filling up with concert-goers who were ordering dinners, there were the die hard PoM fans right up at the stage ready for action. The setup of the venue is really ideal for all types of fans. You have a long L-shaped bar that runs the length of the open floor. You then have a small area with high chairs and tables near the bar area. Towards the back of the nightclub are stairs that lead you to a balcony with tables for dinner or just to sit back and enjoy the show from above.
We found some seats at a table near the bar and ordered some appetizers. The service was exceptional and to my surprise; good food. I have been to concert halls where the last thing on their mind is offering good food. It seems they are more interested in running up the bar tab than providing good service or good food. That is not the case at Slim's. They had great drinks and great food and our server was pleasant.
I have to tell you it is every bit as great as it was in the late 1980's! If you have not been to Slim's before, you will have to check it out. They have acts throughout the week as well as the weekend so I am sure you will find something to fit your schedule. Later I will tell you about the concert but I felt that Slim's deserved their own post!
Great Job Slim's! Just like those old friends you find on Facebook, I will make more of an effort to revive our friendship by visiting often.
If you would like more information on Slim's you can check out their website at http://www.slims-sf.com/ They are located at 333 11th Street San Francisco, CA
It has been at least 10 years since my last visit to Slim's and when I turned down 11th Street and saw the familiar neon Slim's sign I was growing more excited to visit my old friend and wondered how it may have changed. For this concert, it was a lineup of Puddle of Mudd and two opening bands; The Veer Union and Burn Halo. My son Ryan is a big Puddle of Mudd fan and he when he stood in line next to me, he commented how he couldn't believe that it was a smaller venue. The thought of watching a concert from the front stage and not having a 10' spacer betweent the crowd and the stage was increasing his excitement by the minute.
They had the security patdown at the door and we had to check the camera that we brought. I never remember having either of those experiences there but I was ready to check it out. As soon as I walked up the stairs to the open floor, my mind flooded with memories of awesome concerts long forgotten. It was nice to see that it really didn't change much. Slim's was like Dick Clark, the years went by but it was hard to tell the wear and tear of it. I looked around and saw the balcony filling up with concert-goers who were ordering dinners, there were the die hard PoM fans right up at the stage ready for action. The setup of the venue is really ideal for all types of fans. You have a long L-shaped bar that runs the length of the open floor. You then have a small area with high chairs and tables near the bar area. Towards the back of the nightclub are stairs that lead you to a balcony with tables for dinner or just to sit back and enjoy the show from above.
We found some seats at a table near the bar and ordered some appetizers. The service was exceptional and to my surprise; good food. I have been to concert halls where the last thing on their mind is offering good food. It seems they are more interested in running up the bar tab than providing good service or good food. That is not the case at Slim's. They had great drinks and great food and our server was pleasant.
I have to tell you it is every bit as great as it was in the late 1980's! If you have not been to Slim's before, you will have to check it out. They have acts throughout the week as well as the weekend so I am sure you will find something to fit your schedule. Later I will tell you about the concert but I felt that Slim's deserved their own post!
Great Job Slim's! Just like those old friends you find on Facebook, I will make more of an effort to revive our friendship by visiting often.
If you would like more information on Slim's you can check out their website at http://www.slims-sf.com/ They are located at 333 11th Street San Francisco, CA
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Music Junkie Press
Here we are years later and after high demand: I finally have my blog dedicated to music. I know many of you personally have been waiting for this moment. Tired of all the emails I send out of new and upcoming bands or my review of an old album, etc. Well here it is, all in one place. Enjoy!
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