Adam Ant at the Showbox Market 09.07.2013

2013 has been a concert year that included a bunch of musicians from my childhood performing as if they had never had any lulls in their careers. I've seen The Specials, Paul McCartney, Presidents of the USA and Black Sabbath, just to name a few.

This weekend though, I had the opportunity to photograph one of my all time heroes. I have playlists of his songs on my iPod and my iPhone. I've even introduced him to my son. My 12 year old allows me to put songs on his iPod that I think he will enjoy. The Adam Ant tunes have not been removed so far.

Adam Ant.. I had to say it again. I really never thought I'd have the chance to see him perform live in 2013 let alone have the chance to actually photograph him! The opening band, Prima Donna, out of L.A. kicked things off right at 8pm. They were a great choice to open for Adam. High energy and great tunes and they had a modern take on the New Wave vibe of the 80's. Singer Kevin Preston had an interesting combination of fun intensity about him that made me really enjoy this band. I liked them to the extent that I bought myself a CD before I headed out.

I haven't been this impatient for a set change in a long time. I was in the pit as soon as they would let us in there. The band took the stage to an introduction that consisted of Tchaikovsky's '1812 Overture' and a quote by Lord Cardigan from the film The Charge of the Light Brigade.

The crowd was rowdy by now and ready for Adam. He took the stage and we were treated to 'Marrying the Gunner's Daughter' for our first song. He followed that up with 'Dog Eat Dog' and 'Beat My Guest' for the other two songs we could photograph.

We headed out of the pit during 'Kick'. I made my way to the back of the room and stood (danced) next to the soundboard for the remainder of the 29/30 song set:

Ants Invasion
Hardmentoughblokes
Stand and Deliver
Shrink
Room at the Top
Kings of the Wild Frontier
Wonderful
Whip in My Valise
Vince Taylor
Stay in the Game
Cool Zombie
Strip
Desperate but Not Serious
Cleopatra
Never Trust a Man (With Egg on His Face)
Zerox
Vive Le Rock
Antmusic
Goody Two Shoes
Car Trouble
Prince Charming

Encore:
Press Darlings
Lady/Fall In
Red Scab
Physical (You're So)

It was in the back of the room that I really got to listen to him. His voice - was - incredible. I could close my eyes and be taken right back to my room in junior high.... 'I got Marco, Merrick, Terry Lee... Gary Tibbs and yours truly. In the naughty North and in the sexy South, we're all singing and I have the mouth....'

Walking Papers at Slim's Last Chance benefit for The Heroes Project 08.17.2012

The weather was gorgeous, and a tad hot, for a great benefit at Slim’s Last Chance last night. Performing on the Slims’ outdoor stage were Jeff Angell & Barrett Martin’s Walking Papers, with special guests: Duff McKagan, Mike McCready, Benjamin Anderson and Jeff Rouse followed by To the Glorious Lonely.

Who was benefitting from this shin dig? That would be Tim Medvetz’s The Heroes Project.  An organization supporting active & retired military and their families. Duff will be joining Tim and Marine veteran Kionte Storey on a climb up Mt. Rainier this Monday or Tuesday. The door price of $15 and show posters at $10 directly went to help pay for this climb as well as getting Kionte down to Antarctica to climb Mt. Vinson. Did I also mention that Kionte is a single leg amputee? Talk about inspiration! 

You can read more about the climb on Duff's blog in the Seattle Weekly.

Walking Papers took the stage just after 6pm to a packed house opening with the first song off of their new CD ‘Already Dead’. Jeff and Barrett were joined by Benjamin Anderson and Duff for the first three or four songs. Then Mike McCready joined them for another 4 songs. Jeff Angell left the stage for the final song and Jeff Rouse made his way on stage to take his place on vocals for Mad Season’s ‘River of Deceit’. A proper ending to an incredible performance. 

I hadn’t seen Walking Papers before and I’m glad that I’m the one who got to be there. Sorry Mike ;) I did feel for the guys all dressed in full musician attire and in direct sunlight. 


I know how hot I was, so I can only imagine how hot they were! It’s great to be at a show where the musicians are completely relaxed and totally enjoying what they are doing. I grabbed myself one of their CD’s so I can keep enjoying this new band.

Show sponsor KISW had a great presence with Jolene (taking a well deserved night off for fun!), Thrill, Mischa and Ryan Castle in attendance. Queensryche members Michael ‘Whip’ Wilton, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren were also there in support of the show and cause. 

Slim’s provided everyone with a great venue for this sort of outdoor BBQ with your friends kinda feeling. Add in their freakin’ killer chili and BBQ from sister restaurant Pig Iron next door and you have a one stop food, spirits and entertainment locale.

Who are Walking Papers?

Jeff Angell - Post Stardom Depression, The Missionary Position

Barrett Martin - Screaming Trees, Mad Season, Tuatara

Their guests?

Duff McKagan - Loaded, Velvet Revolver, Jane’s Addiction, GNR

Mike McCready - Pearl Jam, Mad Season, Temple of the Dog

Benjamin Anderson - The Missionary Position, Rorschach Test, Pamela Moore (Sister Mary - Queensrych)

Jeff Rouse - Loaded, To The Glorious Lonely, Vendetta Red, Alien Crime Syndicate 

You can see the full set of photos here: Walking Papers photos

Passion Pit at the Gibson Showroom for 107.7 The End's End Session, Seattle, WA 06.27.2012

Thankfully, I was asked to photograph the recent End Session for Seattle's 107.7 The End radio station. I wasn't familiar with Passion Pit and hadn't had the opportunity to see the Gibson Showroom before. Win win for me!

Lets start with the venue. This is a gorgeous location. The room is all set up with different Gibson equipment. I'd have to guess that it holds about 100-ish comfortably for a little intimate show. There are guitars and artwork handing on the walls and a beautiful piano when you first set foot into the venue.

Passion Pit was a wonderful surprise as well. During sound check Michael let the team know that someone needed to press a key on his keyboard so it didn't time out or he'd lose his settings. Sadie got the assignment. She dutifully sad on Michael's stool and hit a key every minute or so for about 15 minutes. 

Two of the five band members were present for the 4 song acoustic set. Vocalist/keyboard/guitar Michael Angelakos and guitarist Ian Hultquist charmed the crowd with their performance and their humor. At one point Michael completely went blank and forgot the words during 'Sleepy Head'! Thankfully he wasn't shy and asked the crowd for the next line. Listener 'Sarah' called it out and he dedicated the rest of the song to her. He said he didn't care if you had sung a song 8,000 times, you'd forget the lyrics at some point. 

You can watch a couple of the songs from the End Session at http://www.1077theend.com/VIDEO--Passion-Pit-Endsession/11684737?pid=250350

Collective Soul - Dosage Tour - Neptune Theatre - Seattle, WA 06.17.2012

This blog is nothing but biased today. Collective Soul is my all time favorite band. Hands down. They are rocking', they are positive, they can be moody, they can be sung along with and they are truly nice Southern gentlemen.

Thankfully, Mike and I met Will and Ed at their Gretch/Fender performances at NAMM in January. I hit it off with Will and we became Facebook buddies. When the tour was announced, I new that I wanted to see it, but I also wanted to shoot it. Will hooked me up with the full show for photos instead of their normal first 2 songs. He also gave me my very first Plus 1 of my own so I brought one of my girlfriends with me.

Once we got inside to set up, I saw Will and was able to visit for a few before he had to get back stage. He let me know then that I had the whole show and the name of the tour manager if there were any problems.

Last night was a unique show in that they did not have an opening band. This show was all about spending a evening with Collective Soul. The band came on stage at 8pm and let us know how the show would flow.

1. Perform the 1999 album 'Dosage' in it's entirety.
2. Take a little break
3. Come back and sing the songs we (the fans) love

I did have to laugh a little during the Dosage portion of the show. Ed apparently doesn't remember all of the lyrics. He had a music stand up there with him to be able to reference if he needed to. There was a little hiccup after the second song. Security tried to cut me off but we talked and the lead security guard found the tour manager and it was straightened out. I missed out on a couple of songs while he was verifying, but that was better than missing out on the whole rest of the show!

They took their break and it was time for some hits off of the rest of the albums including songs like Gel, Hollywood, Precious Declaration... Love, love, loved it. I had made my way to the balcony during Precious Declaration so I could be positioned for some fisheye shots from above. They exited one more time before coming back for an encore that consisted of December and ending the night with Shine.

What a great venue. I hadn't been there yet and I will definitely go back. Great restoration and a welcome addition to our historic venues.

Collective Soul Photos!

• 1. Dosage
  1. Tremble for My Beloved 
  2. Heavy 
  3. No More No Less 
  4. Needs 
  5. Slow 
  6. Run 
  7. Generate 
  8. She Said 
  9. Compliment 
  10. Not the One 
  11. Crown 
  12. Hits
  12. Welcome All Again 
  13. Better Now 
  14. Forgiveness 
  15. Gel 
  16. Hollywood 
  17. Why Pt 2 
  18. Precious Declaration 
  19. The World I Know 
  20. Encore
  20. December 
  21. Shine 

Judas Priest, Black Label Society & Thin Lizzy at WaMu Theater, Seattle, WA 10.29.2011

This show really was a blur for me. We got there too late for me to grab a seat and get a little video. I tried, but it was really hard. All I got was Thin Lizzy. So I gave up and just did some listening and some people watching.

Black Label Society never fails to impress me with their merch presence. They have fans all over with their gear! We ended up going back stage afterward to meet a couple of the guys. It's cool how the WaMu Theater has indoor parking for the tour buses. I've seen fenced in parking for buses before, but not completely indoor parking. BLS photos are here.


Priest is Priest. They put on another great show. I still don't understand how Rob Halford can stand up in all that leather! Those capes have got to weigh a ton!!! Priest photos are here.

The highlight to the whole show for me was DJ Lady Starlight spinning the tunes between bands. She was great. Some may know her better as Lady Ga Ga's DJ. She can hold her own though! See Lady Starlight photos here!

Journey, Foreigner & Night Ranger at the Key Arena, Seattle, WA 10.21.2011

Another classic concert tonight. This time we saw 3 pop-rock bands from the 80's. I have seen the original line ups for both Night Ranger and Journey back in the day. Journey was the first concert I went to without my parents. It was a little odd seeing Journey without Steve Perry, but Arnell did a great job with the vocals. He needs more practice on stage though. He's a little bouncy bordering on cheerleader. You can see Mike's Journey photos here.

Journey's Deen Castronovo solo

Foreigner sounded great BUT there wasn't 1 original member on stage. Mick Jones may still be in the band, but he was either injured or ill and wasn't on this tour. This means that it was a cover band!

Foreigner 'Hot Blooded' & 'Dirty White Boy'

I loved Night Ranger the best. I can sing along to almost every song. They had the most energy and clicked with the crowd the best.

Night Ranger 'Sister Christian' featuring Deen Castronovo on drums

Tomato Battle Seattle @ Pyramid Alehouse with Super Geek League 09.24.2011

This blog is like no other. It starts with 300,000 pounds of rotten tomatoes being thrown at each other, beer drinking, costumes and ends with a music concert. Who would you expect to headline a tomato battle? None other than Super Geek League with Titanium Sporkestra opening for them.

My team at work decided to do this activity as a team building event. It was beyond fun!! Mike and I had on Super Geek League hazmat suits so we could just throw them away after the battle. That was a brilliant idea!

People gather around the tomatoes and once the word is given - All Hell Breaks Loose! Some of the tomatoes are green though. I got one of those right between the eyes. Thankfully I had on a pair of goggles so they took the brunt of the hit. Mike rented a Go Cam so he has some great footage of the mayhem further inside the crowd.

We stopped once the bands started to play, but others were over in the tomato pit for hours! I couldn't handle that smell for that long.

Titanium Sporkestra

Tomato Battle footage with Super Geek League at the 13:49 mark

Redhook's Birthday Party with Devo, The Psychedelic Furs & Tom Tom Club @ Redhook, Woodinville, WA 09.17.2012

This was a day that I was really looking forward to. I've seen Devo live several times and they NEVER disappoint. I was there for The Psychedelic Furs. But first we had to have a beer (we were at the Redhook Brewery for goodness sake!) and a great sandwich. We (or I, really) had to paint part of the birthday sign. We had to visit with Michael Pilmer (Devo's everything guy) and we had to wait through the very opening act - Mitten.

Mitten was OK, but I only liked the Depeche Mode cover they did. Other than that, I could have passed. Next up was Tom Tom Club. They were better, but their set was too long for a group with 1 actual song. They did more covers than originals and that annoyed me.

Tom Tom Club - 'Punk Lolita'

I was getting antsy for the P-Furs. They are a true part of my New Wave history. They sounded the same. There was no age to Richard Butler's voice at all. He was just a silky as ever. Yip, I even teared up when they took the stage. 

The Psychedelic Furs - 'Love My Way'

The Psychedelic Furs - 'Pretty In Pink'

Now it was time for Devo. The bad news is that it started raining REALLY HARD and our cameras were getting soaked. Since we had seen Devo several times before, we headed out after the 4th song. We'll be seeing them soon again. Time to save ourselves and our cameras. If you have never seen Devo live, make a point to do it. They jump around on stage like they are still in their 40's!

Devo - 'Peek a Boo'

Le Butcherettes opening for the Super Geek League CD release party on July, 29, 2012 at El Corazon, Seattle, WA

Normally I would talk about an entire show but this time I'm just too damn excited to discover this band so I'm going to completely gloss over the local bands they were opening for in this blog.

I got to El Corazon early. I was expecting to get there to see Post Modern Heroes start off the show followed by Witchburn and ending with Super Geek League's CD release show. What I didn't know was that a little known band out of Mexico/Los Angeles got added to the bill as the first act.

When the band took the stage, there were MAYBE 30 people in the house and most of those were band members for the other bands appearing later. I myself was up on the second level talking to Robot from PMH. It took about 30 seconds in to the first song before I was down on the floor right in front of Teri "Gender Bender" Suarez.

She came out on stage in a dress with a white apron covered in some fake blood as if she had been doing some recent butchering. Teri switches between guitar and keyboard with Omar Rodrigues Lopez on bass and Gabe Serbian of The Locust on drums. Think White Stripes with a female lead. Just raw beats with Teri captivating the show.

Not far into the second song, Teri had blood dripping down her face. Another blood pack. It was convincing. She had a kind of 'Carrie' thing going on if you recall the movie.

Once the show was over, I talked to her for a bit. Mainly, I wanted a CD and needed to know if they had any at their merch booth. She thanked me for dancing and said it was beautiful. If you weren't dancing to them, there is something wrong with you. Really wrong.

Anyway. I found out that they were touring with Queens of the Stoneage but since Queens was opening for Soundgarden at the Gorge that weekend, they decided to come to Seattle and book a show instead of taking a few days off. Lucky for me, they had no egos and were happy to open up a local bands show.

Back to the blood pack on Teri's forehead... I finished editing my photos and tagged the band in the album. Needless to say that I was shocked when Omar said that she had actually cut her head open on one of Gabe's cymbals. She didn't say a word. She just kept on performing and didn't let on she was injured! She became my hero right then and there. I still in awe of her not stopping to get attention to her forehead. She'd rather finish a set for 30 people than stop. Please take a quick look or listen to them on YouTube or Facebook.

May 2011: Loudness, Rammstein & Nolan Garrett

Wow... We actually had a pretty calm month! BUT, I know what's coming - London. So I think we planned it this way.

05.06.2011: Loudness at The Boardwalk in Orangevale, CA

OK, I had no knowledge of this band at all. Why did we drive down to the Sacramento area for this show? Loudness is one of Mike's favorite bands. They are an 80's rock band from Japan and they seldom tour the states. This worked out perfectly cause we had plans in Reno the day after the show so we drove down a day early to catch Loudness in Sacramento then drove to Reno the next morning.

The place was packed. I stayed up front and snagged a pic from the bass player. There were a ton of people there that knew all the words to the songs. Mike was the only photographer allowed. 

Here are the shots: Loudness - The Boardwalk - Orangevale, CA 5/6/11

05.15.2011 Rammstein at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, WA

OK.. WOW is the only way to start off talking about this show. Are you kidding me? Crazy good music and even crazier good show. How they get away with some of their antics and show posters, I have no idea! Check out my video:

05.27.2011: Nolan Garrett at Louie G's in Fife, WA

We go from 80's rock to a young blues guitar player. Nolan is only 13 and is already opening up for Randy Hansen (The composer and Jimi Hendrix tribuite musician). Nolan plays a lot. if you have a chance to catch him, please do. The youth musicians in this area are really something to be excited about. There is a new generation of musician that really have bright futures and they all play styles that are just a little bit different from each other.

Photos: Nolan Garrett Trio

April 2011: System of a Down, Deftones, Record Store Day & Syft

04.13.2011: System of a Down with Gogol Bordello at Key Arena in Seattle, WA
OK, I was VERY disappointed that this show was no pro photographers at all. However, this rule provided some of the best entertainment that I've had at a concert. BUT this meant that Mike nor I got photo passes so I can't re-live this show through our photos. AND I still got a guitar pick even though I wasn't even close to the stage :)

The Story: We knew there were no photographers for this tour so when we saw a guy walk by with a tripod and camera gear, we watched. It took just a few minutes to see the guy get escorted to the rear of the floor surrounded by security. Then SOAD's personal security guard arrived along with their manager Beno (Beno brought me my pic). Mike asked him what was up.
Summary of Beno's reply: He asked the guy who he was and who gave him the photo pass.
Guys reply: Their manager.
Beno: Really, Who is their manager?
Guy: His name is xxxxx xxxxx (Not Beno)
Beno: Interesting, cause I'm their manager and I didn't give out any photo passes
Security: Escorts guy out of the building

This show was especially fun for me cause we brought the kids. Ryan and Elisa had a good time, but for the second time, Ryan fell asleep at a major, and loud, concert. I'm sure he was snoring the way he was sitting in his seat. He's also done that at an AIC concert at the Paramount. We were standing on the side and he sat on my feet and fell asleep for almost an hour. I don't know how he does it.

Both SOAD and Gogol left me wanting lots more. This was the second time I'd seen Gogol and they were just as much fun the second time around. SOAD was a first for me. I absolutely loved them. They didn't sing my favorite song, Vicinity of Obscenity, but they sang 29 songs total. 29!
Here are some snapshots: SOAD/Gogol

04.14.2011: Deftones at The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, WA
LOVE their energy. I still don't know enough of their songs, but you don't have to to enjoy this band.
Here are some of Mike's shots from the 2010 & 2011 shows: Deftones/Chino Files 2010/2011
I was excited to see Dillinger Escape Project open, but they played in the actual dark which really wasn't fun at all.

04.16.2011: Record Store Day with Duff McKagen's Loaded at Easy Street Records on Queen Anne in Seattle, WA
I had no idea that Easy Street had a stage behind the garage door at the back of the store. You literally stand between records to watch a band play. We love Loaded. Love the guys, love seeing them play any time we can. This is a band that we support big time. Please take the time to have a listen. Duff has been in Loaded longer than he was in GNR now. Pretty amazing.
Here are my photos: Duff McKagan's Loaded - Easy Street Records - Seattle 4/16/11
I also have several videos up from the show on my Youtube channel: stefferzz1970
This one was my favorite video showing the garage door going up:

04.29.2011 S.Y.F.T. CD release show at El Corazon in Seattle, WA
Syft are a local rock/metal band with a bunch of promise. The lead singer, Sean, is a very good front man. Great stage presence and he gets the crowd going. Technically they are a 4 piece but sometimes bring an extra guitar along.
Photos: S.Y.F.T. CD release party @ El Corazon 04.29.2011 

March 2011: Dokken, SGL, Dirty Heads, Rock Out ALS, New Politics & Devo

03.05.2011: Dokken & Sword of Judgement at the King Cat Theater in Seattle, WA

It's been 4 years since I met my husband and I still feel like I'm in Metal 101 class. Yes I have always known of Dokken, but I didn't know a single tune. It was a good time though and I got to continue practicing with my new camera.

Sword of Judgement is a young local band and had some good shredding going on. They are a throw back to the 80's style metal bands like Megadeth, Flotsam and Jetsam & Rage. 

View photos of both bands here:

Dokken - 03.05.2011

Sword of Judgement

03.07.2011: Dirty Heads at El Corazon in Seattle, WA

I cannot praise this band enough!! Dirty Heads are amazing live. They and their fans are always full of energy. Good energy. Energy that is out to have a great time. This show was the first time I had seen them  headlining with a sellout of their very own. It was completely packed in there. It was so hot that the security guards, stage right, were squiring the crowd with Super Sucker water guns to cool them off. I was luckily up on the second level, but I still had to keep and eye out for the water to my camera was ok.

Here's a video from the show - 'Check The Level' and 'Paint It Black'. There are several up on my Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/stefferzz1970

Opening for Dirty Heads was a new band to us called New Politics. We left fans of the band as well as the guys. They were super nice to chat with after the show. I'm sure you'll recognize their hit!

03.11.2011: Super Geek League at the King Cat Theatre in Seattle, WA

You really really have to see SGL to understand their so called Sci-Fi Punk Circus. Circus is a very good adjective. Take a punk band, dress them up like Geek super heroes, add in an aerobatics act, Go-Go dancers, a priest and a devil and you can just barely begin to understand this spectacle... To see what I mean, see the photos! Super Geek League - 03.11.2011

03.12.2011: Rock Out ALS with Pretty Enemy, Late September Dogs and History For Sale at Club Motor in Seattle, WA

First, Rock Out ALS, is a non-profit group who have a mission to raise money for ALS (Lou Gherig's Disease) research through Rock 'n Roll shows around the Seattle area. As always, this show featured some great local bands from the Seattle area. It is always a good time for a great cause.

Pretty Enemy - Rock Out ALS, March 12, 2011

Late September Dogs - Rock Out ALS, March 12, 2011

History For Sale - Rock Out ALS - March 12, 2011

03.15.2011: DEVO at The Moore in Seattle, WA

I really don't need to say anything but DEVO. It's really all that needs to be said. If you've seen them live, you know. If you haven't, they put on a great show. You'd have no idea how old they really are! They move around like they are still in their 30's or 40's. You can see Mike's shots here:

DEVO - Moore Theater - Seattle, WA 03/15/11

It was a very good March!

Feb 2011: Slash, A7X, Stone Sour, Hollywood Undead, New Medicine

February only had a couple of shows this time around, but they were good ones!


Slash with Myles Kennedy:
February 5th was Slash at the Tacoma Dome opening for Ozzy. Mike shot Slash, but he didn't get a pass for Ozzy. Dailies and weeklies only this time around. No radio stations or blogs. We had great seats and I was allowed to bring in my point and click so I did manage to get a few shots in.

This was the second time that I had seen Slash perform with Myles Kennedy. I liked them better in the larger arena. Myles sounded better too. I think he may have had a cold the previous show.

Ozzy held his own. To this day it amazes me that he is coherent on stage but completely incoherent off stage. He is alive when he performs and seems to be really present. I'm not an Ozzy fan, but I did enjoy my first Ozzy show. Here's a video of 'Iron Man':

Ozzy Osbourne - 'Iron Man'

Toyota Center, Kenewick, WA 02.12.2011:
Headlining the show, Avenged Sevenfold of course killed it along with it's tech in this video of the opening song 'Nightmare'. He's just fine ;)
I've seen Avenged several times and am NEVER disappointed with their show, other than it ends.

New Medicine opened up the show and I got to use my new D7000 for the first time to shoot it. I only had a photo pass for them so you get videos of the rest. We are friends with the guys so I am completely biased when I say they totally nailed it. Next up was Hollywood Undead who I had never seen before. High high energy. It was interesting but a little much for me. Before A7X took the stage, we got to see Stone Sour. I've seen them a few times as well. This time though, I was actually distracted by Corey's hair. I'm used to seeing in shorn very short. After Stone Sour was done, Corey came out to the soundboard and was standing right in front of me visiting with either M Shadows OR Synyster Gates wife (they are married to twins dontch know).

Stone Sour - 'Digital'

Hollywood Undead - 'Young'

The Crying Spell at the Kirkland Performing Arts Center 01.29.2011

This is one of my absolute favorite local bands. I really like this venue for them. Being that it's all ages, the theater seats make it easy for kids to be able to see (and last through) the whole show.

Please check out The Crying Spell if you have a chance. Here are a couple of videos to get you familiar with the band and their sound!

Texas Hippie Coalition w/ Syztem7 at Studio 7 - 11.27.2010

I was really excited to finally see Syztem7 live. I had seen pictures that Mike had taken of Jaymez and his head dress from an earlier show and wanted to see it in person. I did not disappoint. This thing is insane!

Syztem7 is an industrial metal band. They have a unique sound that I really enjoyed. It reminded me of my New Wave days but was much heavier. The singer had a good stage presence and the band in general was pleasing to look at with their uniformed look.

Next up was Texas Hippie Coalition. All I can really say is wow. I had never heard of the band and really had no idea what to expect. By their name, I did suspect that they would be a southern rock type of band and I wasn't far off. They were great performers and had the crowd roaring. It's not really not my type of music, but I can always appreciate a good show no matter the style. Check them out of they make their way back our direction!

Since October - Thanksgiving 2010

We knew that Since October was coming to town to bless us with a performance at El Corazon the night before Turkey Day. What we didn't know was if they had any time off for Thanksgiving. So we asked. Sure enough, it was an off day and they had a show on the 26th in Spokane. Not that far away. Mike asked if they'd like to join us at my Aunt's house for a home cooked meal. Needless to say, they were all for it!

So the 24th came along as we met up with the guys at El Corazon. The stage was front loaded so the guys really didn't have much room and we all know that Ben is quite the mover on stage. Add to that the famous pole on El Corazon's stage and he was like a captured animal when he was trying to move around.

I was standing on the left of the stage getting shots of Josh. He was totally entertaining me pouring water on his hair and flinging it at some girls who were a tad prissy to be up in the front.

Their performance was great, as always. This is a high energy band that always keeps the attention of their fans and makes new ones along the way.

Thanksgiving day came and we awaited their arrival in the quaint little town of Sumner. The van arrived and out came 4 rockers and their merch guy Chad. My cousin David took one look at Audie said that guy could eat a whole turkey himself. :)

They got settled inside when we got a surprise and saw that Josh had shaved his head and the long locks he was watering down just last night were gone! In it's place was a stocking cap that he wouldn't remove except the one time to show us the new do.

The guys were very happy with the spread and took a bunch of it with them when they got on the road for Spokane. Little did they know, the snow had been coming down on the pass for a few hours and they ended up having to stay in North Bend for the night as the pass had been closed for avalanche control.

I felt really bad they we may have caused them to miss their show by trying to look out for our friends and give them a good Turkey day on the road. All was good! They made it through the pass on Friday and onto the show that night.

Have a look at some of our Thanksgiving fun!

Gorillaz - Key Arena, Seattle, Novermber 2, 2010

Gorillaz - Key Arena, Seattle, November 2, 2010

We lucked out and were able to get tickets on the day of the show. Our seats were on the floor about 15 rows back. Mike was back stage networking while I was out watching the opening band N.E.R.D.. I had heard of them, but didn't know their music. Kind of a hip-hop/pop sound. Good performers but I think they would have liked playing to a few more people. It was a late arriving crowd.

The seat to my right was empty, this was Mike's seat. A couple had sat down to my left. Our friend Lisa came out to say hi to the couple next to me and found me there too. I didn't think much of it at the time. Lisa went back stage and I got a text from Mike asking me if I knew I was sitting next to Ryan, Puddle of Mudd's drummer. I showed Ryan the text and he just smiled and said it was him. We chatted a bit between bands and Mike came and said hi to him before he had to get into position to shoot Gorillaz.

The orchestral opening introduced us to the humongous video screen that would distract me the whole show. Do I look at the videos or do I watch the band below it? Do I watch Murdoc or do I watch Damon and Clash icons Mick Jones and Paul Simonon? Too much eye candy!!!!!!

Here's a little piece of trivia...  The Gorillaz 'band' had more than 30 members and there were 111 members of the traveling stage crew.. WOW!!

The star of this tour was the the Plastic Beach CD with their previous hits in between. The first song was 'Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach' featuring Snoop Dogg. There were people arguing after the show if he was there or not. He wasn't. It was a video of him with the band playing below.

The show was AWESOME. I just love them. I was by no means disappointed with the live show. I was curious how it would be presented, but it was just fabulous.

View Mike's photos here: Gorillaz Photos

Set List:
Orchestra Intro/Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach/Last Living Souls (with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)/'19/2000'(Rosie Wilson)/Stylo (with Bobby Womack and Bootie Brown)/On Melancholy Hill/Rhinestone Eyes/Superfast Jellyfish (with De La Soul)/Tomorrow Comes Today/Empire Ants (with Yukimi Nagano)/Broken (with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)/Dirty Harry (with Bootie Brown)/El Mariana/White Flag (with Bashy, Kano & the American.. etc)/To Binge (with Yukimi Nagano)/DARE (with Rosie Wilson)/Glitter Freeze/Punk/Plastic Beach
Encore:
Cloud of Unknowing (with Bobby Womack)/Feel Good Inc. (with De La Soul)/ Clint Eastwood (with Bashy and Kano)/ Don't Get Lost in Heaven/Demon Days

October 2010 Concerts/Shows: Slash, Alice In Chains, Lucha Vavoom and Steel Panther

Slash – Showbox SoDo, Seattle, October 2, 2010

Thank you to KISW! Mike was shooting the meet and greet before the show and I was able to watch the sound check and get my picture with Slash!!! That was sooo cool!!

The opening band, Bad City, was pretty bad alright. I was not impressed at all. I just wanted to see them get over with.

Love, love, love Slash. Myles Kennedy has a great voice and rocked the covers big time. I had a big crush on the bass player, Todd Kerns. What a cutie!!

They played about 19 songs. Great set!

‘Ghost’, ‘Mean Bone’, ‘Nightrain’, ‘Sucker Train Blues’,  ‘Back From Cali’, ‘Civil War’, ‘Rocket Queen’, ‘Doctor Alibi’, ‘We’re All Gonna Die’, ‘Do It For The Kids’, ‘Watch This’, ‘Starlight’, Slash Solo/’Godfather Theme’, ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’, ‘Rise Today’ and ‘Slither’. The encore was ‘By The Sword’, ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, ‘Paradise City’.

This was a GREAT concert and I’d go again.

Alice In Chains, BlackDiamondSkye Tour - Key Arena, Seattle, October 8, 2010

Mike was at the Vancouver show on the 7^th and brought me back my all access pass so I could meet him at the Key after work. We went to the meet and greet so Mike could get some shots for the station.

Mike had a little corner of the production room to keep his equipment and I could sit out of the way waiting for the show to start. When it was time, I made my way to the side of the stage to take in the show.

First up: Mastadon

I’ve never seen them live before. Very dynamic band. They really reminded me of Jethro Tull without the flute. Super nice guys though. Brent is quite the character.

Next up: Deftones

I hadn’t seen Deftones live either. Wow… What energy. Chino jumps around that stage like he’s the Energizer Bunny! They lowered down the biggest disco ball I think I’ve ever seen during one of their ballads. I turned once to see Sean Kinney standing behind me for part of the Deftones set. I really like seeing the headlining band take in their openers.

AIC:

What’s not to love?!?

This was the second time I saw AIC live with William on lead. He really respects Layne’s memory and sings the songs beautifully. I love their new CD. It makes shows better now that it’s not only the songs with Layne being sung.

Jerry is Jerry. The AIC sound was as it should have been.  I absolutely love watching Mike Inez play bass. He is such a sweet guy and turns into some rock demon when he gets on stage. The transformation gives me chills.

The light show was spectacular! This show was being filmed in 3D for a DVD. That will be cool to say that I was there for it! If you’ve never seen Alice In Chains live, go. Even better, go in Seattle. They treat the home crowd well.

Lucha VaVoom – Showbox Market, Seattle, October 21, 2010

This isn’t a concert, but deserves a little blurb.

Lucha Vavoom is a combination of Mexican masked wrestling and burlesque dancing put to 1940’s through 60’s music. This was absolutely one of the best times I’ve had EVER.

The wrestlers were super tall, little guys and all heights in between. There were good guys, there were bad guys, there were chickens and there were dancers in between the matches. I had to buy my son a mask and myself a CD of the fabulous music.

The burlesque was really fun. My favorite was the guy that everyone thought was a girl to start with. There were many men in the room checking him out and then getting a little freaked when they realized he was not a she. Too funny.

I can’t wait for this to come back to Seattle. I think it should be at a different venue though. The ceiling was a little low for the flyers. I kept thinking they were going to hit their heads.

Steel Panther – Showbox Sodo, Seattle, October 31, 2010

LOL… Nothing could be finer than Halloween with Steel Panther. They guys were on as always. Total entertainers, musicians and showman.

The costumes in the crowd were interesting. I couldn’t believe there were actually 2 guys dressed up as the shocker.

I love being on stage to watch these guys. They just crack me up. I try to stand on Lexxi’s side. This time Jamie Nova, from Witchburn and formerly of Hells Belles, came up on stage and sang an AC/DC song with the guys.

Pain in the Grass Pre-Funk party: Aug 27, 2010 @ Studio Seven

The 2010 pre-funk featured Windowpane, Klover Jane, Post Modern Heroes & Astro-Creep. There were two other bands, but we didn't get there until after they were done performing.

This was the fist time I had seen Klover Jane with Rane Stone on lead vocals. I really liked Stefan, but I think Rane brought KJ up a level. This band is worthy of getting some good traction on an EPK.

Windowpane is just a great rock band. I like them more and more every time I see them.

PMH - Loved seeing them so hyped up to be the opening band for Pain in the Grass tomorrow!!! They were able to play early enough to get out and get home for some sleep. They have to be at White River at 8am tomorrow to get their gear front loaded for the 1pm start.

Post Modern Heroes: Pain in the Grass Pre-Funk at Studio 7

I didn't really know what to expect from Astro-Creep. This is a full costume cover band of White Zombie. What a fun band! Loved the costumes and the black light paints.

I love seeing so many great live acts in Seattle!! We are a pretty blessed area.

Half the World on August 9th, 2010 at El Corazon, Seattle, WA

If you haven't heard of this little gem of a metal band out of Boise, you should really get familiar with them!! I'll have a link to one of their official videos at the bottom.

Half The World are a much heavier femail lead band. The lovely Mary Magill leads this band of talented musicians. We've seen Half The World several times and have even traveled to Boise to see them in their home town.

Having them open for Karnivool in Seattle was a big treat! We didn't have to travel to far and Mike was able to shoot Karnivool! The kids and I didn't stay for the bands after Half The World though. It was a school night still. We just wanted them to be able to see Mary and the guys.

As usual, Mary didn't disappoint. She always sounds great. And the guys always sound heavy!!! Rock horns to you all!!!!!!!!!!!

Half the World - Carry My Dreams Away