Styx does it again in the Big Easy

Styx open up their 2012 concert dates with a show at the House of Blues in New Orleans, LA

The more things change, they more they stay the same. While we may be getting less and less rock concerts in my hometown of Memphis, I can always count on classic rock band Styx to at least come close (and for the record, they not only played Memphis late last year, but they filmed their latest live DVD at the historic Orpheum Theater. Still bummed that I was on a business trip while that took place.)

Last weekend I loaded up the car to visit one of my favorite bands in one of my favorite cities in the world... New Orleans. After traipsing around the French Quarter on foot all day, I finally made my way to the House of Blues where the band put on a stellar show that evening. It was their first night back on the road in 2012, after having several weeks off for the holidays. And the guys didn't dissapoint, bringing a rapture of energy that transended all in attendance.

Original band member and bassist Chuck Panozzo was also in attendance, making his appearance on stage toward the end of their set to help out with a few songs. On a personal note, I even got to play Tommy Shaw's guitar during "Come Sail Away," as he leaned precariously over the ledge of the stage and I attempted to grow an extra inch just so that we could reach each other. I'm just glad they turned down the sound on his guitar, because my playing was atrocious.

Want to check out all of my pictures? Click here to view my Flickr account.

New Year. New Ideas.

Happy New Year, folks! I hope you all had a rockin’ holiday season! Personally, I’m gearing up for the New Year and have been inspired to try some new things around the Rocker by Night blog.

First and foremost, I wanted to tackle the problem of regularity. No, I’m not talking about the need to increase one’s fiber intake. (Get your mind out of the gutter, or toilet as it may be.) As you’ve undoubtedly heard me complain about time and time again, my hometown just doesn’t get a lot of rock concerts. No modern rock radio station = no one to promote said shows. And if there isn’t anyone to promote it, then tickets don’t sell.

So I started thinking about all of the resources that I do have. I go to a lot of shows, some of which I don’t post about because they aren’t really modern rock bands, or I’ve already posted about the band before. Either way, this gives me additional items to pull from. So starting right now, I’m beginning the Music Monday (#MusicMonday for you Twitter followers)Photo of the Week.

Sometimes it will be one of my own photos, but it could also be from some of my favorite rock photogs, including you! Let me know if you have a photo you want me to check out. No need to be a professional. Some of the best shots have been taken by amateurs with the most basic of cameras.

So what’s this week’s selected photo? It just happens to be one of my personal favorites from last year. This photo of P.O.D. was taken during the 2011 Epicenter Festival in Anaheim, California. The band headlined the Monster Energy Drink Stage and had fans backed up as far as the eye could see. Apparently everyone wanted to catch the P.O.D. show rather than move over to the first act on the main stage. I even caught a glimpse of the guys from Buckcherry and Asking Alexandria walking through the crowd, obviously intent on seeing some of this veteran band’s performances first hand. Good times!

Click here to view all of my P.O.D. photos and more from last year's Epicenter Festival.

It’s my birthday!

If you can’t dream big on your birthday, when can you? As I celebrate turning 29 for the third year in a row, I couldn’t help but plan my dream birthday party. I’d rent out this cool venue in Mid-Town, invite all my friends, offer limitless sushi and a beer fountain. Yes, a beer fountain. So redneck chic.

But most importantly, I’d have an all star lineup of my favorite bands rock out into the wee hours of the morning. And after each band plays, they would come hang out with me in the VIP area. (Just because it’s my birthday party doesn’t mean I want to hang out with all the common folk, after all.)

So check out my birthday roster and let me know who would be on yours!

*Egypt Central (gotta have the hometown boys set the stage for the evening)

*Halestorm (because I want to be Lzzy Hale when I grow up)

*Stone Sour (because Corey Taylor is my future ex-husband and one talented musician)

*Five Finger Death Punch (because they’ve provided some of the best concerts experiences of recent memory, and I would expect no less on my birthday)

Year in Review

They say that music is the soundtrack to your life. That fact is none the more apparent than as I am looking back over all the concerts I've attended this year. With rock concerts declining in the Memphis area, its definitely been much more about quality rather than quantity. And oh what quality I've seen in 2011.

Here's a few of my "Best Of..." picks from the year. What are yours?

Best Live Concert Photo (or my favorite of the year anyway): Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch during their show in Little Rock, AR

Best Album: American Capitalist by Five Finger Death Punch

Best New Artist: Art of Dying

Best Concert: Guns N' Roses (at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN)

Best Concert Moment: Celebrating with MIGGS drummer Walker Adams when he realized that Candlebox frontman Kevin Martin was sporting a MIGGS tshirt during the band's Memphis concert.

Best Guest Appearance: Zach Myers joining in on guitar with Nonpoint for their hit "Bullet with a Name" during their Memphis stop.

Rockin' on the Midway with 3 Doors Down

October 15, 2011
Jackson, Mississippi
Mississippi State Coliseum
3 Doors Down, Theory of a Deadman, Pop Evil


3 Doors Down on the Jackson, MS stop of their "Time of My Life" Tour

       Fall is finally upon us here in the South, which made for a scenic trip down I-55 as I traveled for yet another concert out of town. I headed three hours south of Memphis to Jackson, Mississippi where the Mississippi State Fair was taking place and boasting quite the entertainment lineup. Amid other state fair staples like the smell of barnyard critters, questionable thrill rides and fried… well fried everything, was the next stop on 3 Doors Down’s “Time of My Life Tour.”

Conquering Cali & the Epicenter Festival- Part II

September 24, 2011
Irvine, California
Epicenter Festival, Part II: Redlight King, Asking Alexandria, P.O.D.

(Be sure to check out Part I of this review for Drive A, Crossfade and Middle Class Rut)

Continuing on with my experience at the 2011 Epicenter Festival…
The fourth band on the Monster Energy Drink stage brought about much more than just the halfway point. Redlight King, the only Canadian band on the bill, was one of the bands I most anticipated. Prior to the concert, I’d only heard two of their songs. “Old Man” is a slower paced tune that samples Neil Young’s classic of the same name. It’s become a staple on alt rock stations around the country. On the flip side, “Bullet in my Hand” showcases a heavier beat and gritty chorus, landing the single solidly on modern rock channels. So I was curious where the band would end up during their live performance. Alternative? Hard rock? Or somewhere neatly in between?

Growing Old and Rocking Out to Candlebox

September 30, 2011
New Daisy Theater
Memphis, Tennessee
Candlebox with Cowboy Mouth

Kevin Martin fronts Candlebox at the New Daisy Theater in Memphis, TN.

Kevin Martin smiles onstage. A lot. Maybe he took his happy pills. Maybe he believes everything’s alright. But one thing’s for sure. You couldn’t douse that Colgate spokesperson smile with 10,000 horses.

Alright, alright. That’s enough corniness for one blog (maybe.) But I can’t help it. This is what Candlebox does to me. Listening to their music evokes a carefree feeling, taking me back to when the worst of my worries was turning in my US Government paper on time and finding a ride home from high school in a car deemed “socially acceptable” (a rarity indeed.) One of the first times I ever saw the Candlebox live was during high school (sometime around 1997) as the headliner on the final night of the MidSouth Fair.

Conquering Cali and the Epicenter Festival - Part I

September 24, 2011
Irvine, California
Epicenter Festival - Part I: Drive A, Crossfade, Middle Class Rut

      

Last week, I headed to Irvine to catch my first ever California rock experience at the Epicenter Festival for its second year. From the moment I touched down at LAX, it was apparent that I wasn’t the only rocker in town for the show. Fans galore, decked out in their finest band apparel and cameras in hand, lined the same baggage claim as me. It was my first indication that, while many of the fans to fill the 20,000 seat Verizon Wireless Amphitheater were from Cali, many others were “just visiting.” I even met one guy who flew over from France! 

Loud music and high-flying stunts during the Outbreak Tour

March 2, 2011
Huntsville, AL
Monster Energy Drink Outbreak Tour: Rev Theory, Pop Evil, The Black Cloud Collective and Aranda

Pop Evil's Leigh Kakaty gets a few helping hands from the crowd during the Monster Energy Drink Outbreak Tour stop in Huntsville, Alabama.

They say desperate times call for desperate measures. Though there have been some great local band shows in Memphis lately, the number of national acts rolling through is severely dwindling. So I once again hit the road, on a weeknight nonetheless, to catch the Monster Energy Drink Outbreak Tour on its closest stop to me. The locale - a mere three hours away in Huntsville, Alabama.

For Those Women About to Rock

Lzzy Hale at Rock on the Range 2010

This week brought us the centenary celebration of International Women’s Day, so I thought I’d take a look at some of the women currently turning the rock world on its ear. Unlike their pop counterparts of recent years, these women are more than just a pretty face and hot body (though they’re pretty smokin’ too.) For each, its never a case of either/or. They can sing AND scream, write AND play. They can do it all. And with their “anything you can do, I can do better” attitudes, they’re showing the boys who’s boss.

Nonpoint Brings Out Memphis’ Finest

Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Newby’s –Memphis, TN
Nonpoint with Dirge Within, Red Line Chemistry, Inner 61, and Surrender the Fall

Nonpoint's Elias Soriano works the crowd during the Memphis stop of their tour.

Midweek shows are usually the bane of my existence. They don’t mix well with those like me who have to commute to work for an 8:00 am start the next day. And, as my luck would have it, they’re lately associated with concerts I’m dying to see but too far away to drive over and back on a “school night.” But the stars aligned when my hometown bar Newby’s announced a mid-week show featuring Nonpoint. And I wasn’t the only one to come out for the occasion.

My Thoughts on Winning New Fans & Hustling

Looking back at all the shows I attended in 2010 (and even the few I've been to in 2011,) it’s amazing all the little “side stories” that I remember from each event. They don’t all make it in the final concert reviews I post to my blog, but there are quite a few still floating around in my brain that really stick out to me. Considering how slow my concert schedule is right now, I figured this would be a good time to highlight one of these miscellaneous tales.

A Nightmare in Kentucky

Friday, January 28, 2010
Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY
Nightmare After Christmas Tour: Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, Hollywood Undead and New Medicine

Fans rocking out during the Nightmare After Christmas Tour in Lexington, Kentucky.

It’s been a slow start to the year, as far as hometown shows go. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and drive the six hours north to Lexington, Kentucky for a stop on the Nightmare After Christmas Tour. I was still pumped from seeing the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival in Atlanta last year where I caught several of these bands. Add in another band that’s been that’s been on my “List” for some time now, and my RSVP for this event was an emphatic YES!

Experienced Rockers in the Big Easy

Thursday, January 6, 2011
House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
Styx

(L-R) Tommy Shaw, original bassist Chuck Panozzo and Ricky Phillips of Styx at the House of Blues New Orleans.

It’s a New Year and time to restart my yearly concert calendar. It’s always an exciting time for me, wondering what the year holds and who I’ll see next. And it’s just as exciting to know that I’ll kick it all off with an “old friend” of sorts. Yes, folks, we’re starting 2011 with a tried and true favorite of mine… Styx.  I guess it’s ironic that the last concert review I posted was from a Styx show. Ironic, but not surprising.

A blog, a fan and slapstick videos

Well, folks. It’s a new year and I have a new pet project. After spending a few weeks getting the hang of Blogger and backlogging some of my concert experiences from 2010, I’m “officially” launching my rock blog. Many of you know it was a long time coming, so I’m proud to finally put it out there. It’s your average fan’s perspective on things such as concerts, album releases and rock news. Plus, there’s a whole load of my own random thoughts mixed in. Which is where we begin today…

Final Classic Rock Show of the Year

Friday, November 12, 2010
Hard Rock Casino and Hotel – Biloxi, MS
Styx

(L-R) Tommy Shaw, James "JY" Young and Ricky Phillips of Styx.

I know. This is typically a blog about hard rock music. I guess everyone has their vices and Styx just happens to be mine. I can think of worse things.

So before I start with this entry, let's get a few things straight. Don't bother asking how I got into their music. That's a story for another time. Don't ask how many shows I've been to. I lost count after 30. Don't comment just to tell me that you think Styx sucks without Dennis DeYoung. I really don't care. And don't ask me for tickets or backstage passes. Just because I've been to a crap-load of shows does not, in fact, mean that I actually know the band. Now on to the show...

Unexpected Show Introduces Me to the World of Robots

Thursday, October 28, 2010
Emo’s – Austin, TX
Powerman 5000

You know how some of your family and friends ask for list of gift ideas around the holidays? Or maybe your birthday? You spend time thinking about suggestions based on appropriateness and cost. You might even be careful to not give the same ideas to different people so you don’t end up with the same gift. When you open that gift you are grateful, but not surprised, at what you find. But every once in a while, someone goes out on a limb to buy you something you didn’t ask for. And sometimes those are the best gifts of all.

Concert-going is a lot like this. I spend a lot of time planning who to see next. I check online resources for concerts and my favorite bands daily, keeping my fingers crossed for a show near me to be announced. But once in a blue moon, I happen to be in the right place at the right time. Unexpected. Unplanned. Fly by the seat of my pants kind of stuff. Such was the case with Powerman 5000.

Memphis Boy Comes Home for Rare Performance

Friday, October 22, 2010
Hard Rock Café – Memphis, TN
Zach Myers Band

Zach Myers looks back on a photo of the group from when he was just 14 years old.

It seems a rarity that I actually get to see a rock show at home nowadays. There just don’t seem to be that many coming through Memphis as compared to some other nearby cities. But this night was an exception as hometown boy Zach Myers took a break from touring with mega-group Shinedown for a rare performance with his original namesake band, the Zach Myers Band.

Back to Atlanta for Project 961

Sunday, October 3, 2010
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre – Alpharetta, Georgia
Project 961 Family Reunion Concert

Another outdoor concert in Atlanta. I feel like I was just here. At least this time I’m not melting from unbearable heat. Local station 96.1 put on a concert with a lineup strong enough to entice me into a quick weekend trip. Unlike last time I headed further into the “Dirty South,” this trip went smoothly. And a couple of unique concert experiences made it all the more worthwhile.

Uproar Music Festival Hits "Hot-lanta"... Part III

Saturday, September 4, 2010
Aaron’s Lakewood Amphitheater – Atlanta, GA
Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival
Part III… The Main Stage Headliners

(From Part II…) Avenged Sevenfold was up next, but how would their set be received during their first tour without drummer, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan?

After 20 minutes filled with the anticipation of the ginormous crowd, it was finally time. A long, black curtain had been drawn across the stage to hide the massive set being built just a few feet beyond. With an explosive bang, it dropped to reveal a stage the likes I haven’t seen since Motley Crue’s Carnival of Sins tour back in 2006. But we’ll get to that in a minute, because there was something else to quickly gain our attention.

For months leading up to this show, I’ve been hearing rumors about a crazy opening to the A7X stage show. It’s been perpetuated in recent weeks by the DJ’s on Sirius/XM satellite radio’s Octane channel, who caught an earlier show on the tour and went as far to say something along the lines of “… if you miss the first five minutes of their set, you’ll never forgive youself.”