Rockers of Radio @ The Willow Creek Winery Silver Creek, NY July 24, 2010

Last Updated on Thursday, 29 July 2010 10:47 Written by Dee Haley Thursday, 29 July 2010 00:58

    The Rockers of Radio took to the stage on Saturday at about 8:30 PM at the Willow Creek Winery in Silver Creek, New York.  The show started late because of inclement weather in the area.  Heavy rain, wind and even a nearby tornado touched down, but that could not stop the Rockers of Radio, Jimi Jamison (Survivor) and Derek St. Holmes (former Ted Nugent guitarist) from a thunderous performance beneath what became the glow of a full moon after the storm.
    Jimi Jamison opened up with "Burnin Heart" and after belting out a few more Survivor hits, he was joined by special guest Derek St. Holmes who played guitar and took over on vocals for "Cat Scratch Fever" and other Nugent staples. The crowd roared at the onset of "Stranglehold" as several Nugent fans began to holler out requests.
    Jimi Jamison returned to the mic for an extended cover version of "Road House Blues," which featured a little medley that included a portion of Grand Funk Railroad's "Some Kind of Wonderful," the introduction of the band and some trading places with Hal Butler on the keys.  Jimi's melodic voice sounded great and as strong as ever from start to finish.
    Derek St. Holmes then returned to the stage for "Eye of the Tiger,"  featuring a guitar solo by Jerry Riggs.  Riggs' lead guitar work was well complemented by that of Derek St. Holmes throughout the night.  The earlier downpour did not dampen the spirit of the performers or the audience as fans sang along.
    At about 10:15 PM, former Boston singer Fran Cosmo (Vocals, Guitar) hit the stage running with "Rock & Roll Band."  He was accompanied by his son, Anthony Cosmo (Boston) on guitar.  Fran impressively reached the high notes as his band poured out hit after hit.  His son was absolutely amazing and shredded Boston tunes with a sharper edge and less of the "phase" guitar sound that I'm used to.  Personally, I really liked it because he made it his own.
    For those who stuck it out through the thunderstorms, this show was worth the wait.  I feel sorry for the folks who missed this one.  If you get a chance to see these "Rockers of Radio" perform, don't miss out!  You won't be disappointed. Stay logged into www.backstageaxxess.com for an interview with both Jimi and Derek coming soon.

Set List:

Jimi Jamison & Derek St. Holmes

Burnin Heart
High on You
Is This Love
I'll Be There (Baywatch Theme)
Cat Scratch Fever
Stranglehold
Hey Baby
The Search is Over
Roadhouse Blues (Doors Cover)
Some Kind of Wonderful (Grand Funk Railroad Cover)
Roadhouse Blues (continuation)
Eye of The Tiger

We would like to thank all the staff at the willow Creek Winery for making Backstageaxxess.com feel right at home. For more information on the Willow Creek Winery, please go to: http://willowcreekwines.net/.

Blues Traveler (Molson Concert Series) Lockport, NY July 23, 2010

Written by TJ Jennings Tuesday, 27 July 2010 16:20

    If there is one thing that I took away from seeing Blues Traveler for the first time, it's that some bands simply can't be experienced through headphones. For the past 20 years, Blues Traveler has been developing a unique sound that you simply can't comprehend until you see them live. With mind blowing harmonica solos and extended jams, Blues Traveler should be a "must see" for every music fan.
    The band kicked off the Lockport, NY, show in some sort of strange Elton John style. The boys wore fluorescent light-up cowboy hats and 80's sunglasses as they walked on stage to "Love Me Sexy" from the movie "Semi-Pro." It was clear the band was ready to party and the crowd was feeling the vibe.
    Frontman John Popper wasted no time putting his harmonica to work.  Popper played wicked solos on "You Me and Everything" and "The Mountains Win Again," which was dedicated to former bass player Bobby Sheehan who died in 1999. Popper held up his glass and told the crowd "this one is always for Bobby" and the band was clearly putting their hearts into the song, which made for a simply remarkable performance of an already spectacular number.
    Sheehan's replacement and brother to the guitarist, Tad Kinchla, showed he deserved his spot in the band, leading the groove on a number of songs and a playing a wicked solo on "But Anyway." There is a unique chemistry between Tad and brother Chan Kinchla that adds a great deal to the band's performance.
    Chan's fretwork shined on every song, but his solos on "How You Remember It" and "Love and Greed" were absolutely mind boggling. Despite being the lead guitarist for a blues band, Chan shreds his guitar like a real rocker. Whether it’s a bluesy groove or an in your face rock number, Chan keeps the crowd in awe.
    Of course, you can't really have a rock band who says they are influenced by "The Blues Brothers" without a mean keyboardist as well. Keyboardist Ben Wilson kept the bluesy feel going, and even stole the spotlight on "How You Remember It" with a solid solo. With Wilson on the keys and Popper on the harmonica, the blues poured out of the speakers.
    Blues Traveler isn’t just a blues band though. They have meshed together folk, rock, blues, soul, and a little dash of southern rock. The band treated Lockport fans to two covers, both of which came as a complete surprise to the crowd. Sublime's "What I Got" was on the set list, and despite being a hardcore Sublime fan, I would listen to Blues Traveler's rendition over the original every day. If you think I'm blaspheming then you haven’t heard Blues Traveler's version.
    The band also played Radiohead's "Creep" which although nothing like the original, it was downright spectacular. It's hard to imagine a harmonica in a Radiohead song, but it really made for a sweet rendition.
    After "Creep" came "Sweet Talking Hippie" which featured a drum solo from Brendan Hill, and the fan-favorite "Hook." The crowd was singing along as Popper wailed away on the microphone and the band walked off stage to the sound of a roaring crowd. The band had already played through a number of hits like "Run Around" and "But Anyway" so everyone was itching to see what the encore would be. To the crowd's surprise, Popper took center stage with a guitar and jammed away the opening notes to "Alone." Popper's fretwork was surprising, especially his solo. If you thought a harmonica is the only thing he can play, than you definitely need to see him play guitar.
    Don't let the name scare you off, Blues Traveler isn’t just a blues band, they know how to rock and they definitely know how to play live. Fans of any genre can appreciate the unique sound of Blues Traveler.  If they come to your area be sure to go check them out. You won't regret it.


Setlist:

You, Me and Everything
Mullin it Over
Droppin Some NYC
Run-Around
How You Remember It
Love and Greed
Regarding Steven
What I Got (Sublime Cover)
But Anyway
The Mountains Win Again
Creep (Radiohead Cover)
Sweet Talking Hippie
Hook

Encore:

Alone

Photos by Steve Bowe

Black Veil Brides @ Extreme Wheels Buffalo, NY July 22, 2010

Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 July 2010 16:26 Written by Gus Griesinger Monday, 26 July 2010 21:27

    Black Veil Brides, who are headlining the “Hot Topic Presents” tour with Vampires Everywhere, Modern Day Escape and Get Scared, brought their unique element of screamo rock to Buffalo, New York on Thursday night. It didn’t seem like the show was promoted heavily as less than 100 people showed up to take in one of rocks up and coming acts. Nevertheless, the fans that were there created such an enormous decibel level that it was hard to hear the band perform.
    The band is led by engaging frontman, Andy Sixx, who had the crowd in his palm from the moment “All You Hate” was kicked into.  The guitar duo of Jake Pitts and Jinxx kept switching sides and kept the crowd amped-up as well.  Bassist Ashley Purdy also kept the energy flowing by posing for pics with and pointing at fans. It was hot, sticky, and sweaty inside the skate park to such a degree that drummer Sandra even took off her trademark dark sunglasses during the set. The set was short but an imprint was left without a doubt.
    This band just released their debut CD on July 20th, ‘We Stitch These Wounds’ and the first video from the album “Perfect Weapon” has close to 1 million hits in a little over a month. Backstageaxxesss.com will be posting a review of the new CD shortly.

Set List:

All Your Hate
We Stitch These Wounds
Children Surrender
Beautiful Remains
Morticians Daughter
Heavens Calling
Sweet Blasphemy
Perfect Weapon

Encore:

Knives and Pens

Ringo Starr and his All-Star Band CMAC Canandaigua, NY July 21, 2010

Written by Gus Griesinger Monday, 26 July 2010 21:16

    Former Beatle legend Ringo Starr brought his annual All-Star Band to the CMAC for a night of memorable music.  Ringo dazzled the audience with favorites from the Beatles catalog, his solo work, and hits from each member of his all-star band.  The band consisted of drummer Greg Bissonette, Waly Palmer from (The Romantics), Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer, Gary Wright, and Richard Page(Mister Mister).
    Ringo played drums on 11 of the 22 tracks the band performed. He also finished the 3rd song of the night behind the kit for the last chorus of “Choose Love.”  Ringo, even though he was a Beatle, never received full recognition for the precise drummer he actually is. Tonight he kept time with drummer extraordinaire, Greg Bissonette. He took vocal leads on 11 tracks while the other members sang their respective hits. The highlight of the evening was Edgar Winter.  He dialed up a terrific rendition of his hit, and first instrumental song to go to number one, “Frankenstein.”  Besides “Frankenstein,” Edgar played sax on “Talking in Your Sleep” and “Photograph.” Starr played two songs off of his new CD ‘Y Not’ called “Peace Song” and “The Other Side of Liverpool.”
    All members were grateful that Ringo took them out on this current tour and made some reference to him before each one played their respective song.  Lots of references to ‘Peace and Love’ and giving the peace sign were made by Ringo throughout the performance. The All-Star Band even ended up performing a quick melody of the John Lennon song “Give Peace a Chance” following Starr’s biggest hit with the Beatles, “With a Little Help from my Friends.”   
    Ringo’s commentary and quick wit made for a memorable performance. He joked when thanking the two people who bought his new CD called “Y Not’ that came out earlier this year.  Plenty of crowd interaction and his humorous nature always led Ringo to be a fan favorite. The crowd at the CMAC walked away with the same feelings they had after “All those years ago…”

Set List:

It Don’t Come Easy (Ringo Starr)
Honey Don’t (Ringo Starr)
Choose Love (Ringo Starr)
Hang on Sloopy (Rick Derringer)
Free Ride (Edgar Winter)
Talking in Your Sleep (Wally Palmar)
I Wanna be Your Man (Ringo Starr)
Dream Weaver (Gary Wright)
Kyrie (Richard Page)
The Other Side of Liverpool (Ringo Starr)
Yellow Submarine (Ringo Starr)
Frankenstein (Edgar Winter)
Peace Dream (Ringo Starr)
Back off Boogaloo (Ringo Starr)
What I Like about You (Wally Palmar)
Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo/Eruption (Rick Derringer)
Boys (Ringo Starr)
Love is Alive (Gary Wright)
Broken Wings (Richard Page)
Photograph (Ringo Starr)
Act Naturally (Ringo Starr)

Encores:

With a Little Help from my Friends/Give Peace a Chance (Ringo Starr)

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We would like to thank Elizabeth Freund and Kathryn Musilek from Beautiful Day Media and Mary Scott from Dixon Schwabel PR for allowing Backstageaxxess.com to review the show.