Category Archives: Photo Galleries

REVIEW: Toto’s “40 Trips Around the Sun” Takes Them to Circle Inside Celebrity Theatre (9-21-19)

PHOENIX — Toto’s “40 Trips Around the Sun” world tour in support of last year’s eponymous greatest hits collection, and in celebration of their milestone 40th anniversary, came to the Celebrity Theatre. The theatre’s circular structure with its round center stage means there’s not a bad seat in the house, with every spot offering a close vantage point. This was perfect for the night’s show because it removed the feeling of barriers from the fans who so love a band that so clearly loves their fans in return. 

Joseph Williams (Lead Vocals), Toto
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Before the show started, the audience was promised that it was going to be two hours long, “with no opening act and no intermission,” and that we wouldn’t want to miss a minute — practically an understatement for the night to come. This tour has been a well-earned victory lap for Toto. The audience was not only filled with long-time fans, but also with younger fans who were new to the band; finding them through an occurrence of events starting just as they were making plans for the then-upcoming release and tour. 

Toto’s signature song, and most enduring hit, “Africa” features one of pop music’s greatest hooks: “I bless the rains down in Africa.” A perfect storm occurred on the cusp of Toto’s 40th anniversary that reignited them, restored their proper place in popular culture, and reminded everyone exactly how incredible of a band they have always been. In December of 2017, nearly two months to the day before Toto would release their career-spanning greatest hits collection, a young Weezer fan began tweeting the band asking them to cover Toto’s “Africa.” When Weezer finally relented and performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live, with a guest appearance from Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro, a new generation of fans flocked to Toto to discover what so many of us already knew: Toto is one of pop music’s most consistent bands, churning out catchy, crowd-pleasing songs for 40 years. 

As soon as Toto emerged on the ramp and took their spots at their instruments at 8 o’clock, the energy they brought to the round stage in the center of the theatre was palpable. The show’s opening number was “Devil’s Tower,” a previously unreleased gem originally recorded during the sessions for Toto IV but left off. It felt fresh and immediately energized the crowd that was ready to pop in anticipation of Toto’s arrival.

Toto
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

The second song of the set, “Hold the Line,” from their self-titled debut, brought the crowd to their feet for the first of many times in the night. It was during this moment that the stage began to rotate, as they played through a rolling wave of audience members singing the chorus of “Hold the line, love isn’t always on time.” What made this moment truly special was to see the fans in attendance who had been with the band for all 40 of those trips around the sun, singing the song alongside their own children, who are new converts. 

Band Lineup:

  • Joseph Williams:
    Lead Vocals
  • Steve Lukather:
    Guitar and Vocals
  • Steve Porcaro:
    Keyboards
  • Lenny Castro:
    Percussion
  • Warren Ham:
    Saxophone, Harmonica, and Flute
  • Shannon Forrest:
    Drums
  • Shem von Schroeck:
    Bass
  • Dominique “Xavier” Taplin:
    Keyboards

Keeping with the tour’s mission statement, Toto’s setlist was a journey through their history with stops at every album along the way. “Lovers in the Night,” from their 1982 landmark album Toto IV, was followed by the brand new track “Alone” from last year’s greatest hits collection; a song whose foot-tapping rhythm seated it firmly alongside so many of their classic songs. 

After runs through “I Will Remember” from 95’s Tambu and “English Eyes” from 81’s Turn Back, they cut loose on the extended bluesy jam of “Jack to the Bone” from 92’s Kingdom Of Desire. With the crowd energized, and the musicians clearly having a good time on stage, they next went into “Rosanna,” also from Toto IV, and arguably Toto’s second biggest hit. With the stage turning, and the crowd rocking, singer Joseph Williams made stops with each part of the crowd to let them have their moment to sing the infectious chorus “Meet you all the way, meet you all the way, Rosanna, yeah.” They kept the song going well past its album length, so that everyone had a chance to have their moment with the band. 

Joseph Williams (Lead Vocals), Toto
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

As “Rosanna” closed out, chairs were brought out on stage, and the show took an intimate turn, as members told stories of the origins of a couple of the songs, in a style reminiscent of VH1’s classic series Storytellers. Founding member Steve Lukather told the story of keyboard player David Paich writing “Georgy Porgy,” and though Lukather at first thought the song was a little silly, it ended up being the first vocal he recorded for Toto and one of the staples of their live shows ever since. 

Next, keyboardist Porcaro told the story of picking his daughter up from school, on the same day Toto was recording “Africa,” and she was crying because a boy had pushed her off the slide. As he drove her home, she asked him repeatedly through her tears, “Why?,” and though he tried his best to explain to her that the boy probably liked her, she kept asking “Why?” By the time he dropped her off and got back to the studio, her question of “Why?” had given way to a chorus of, “Why? Why? It’s only human nature,” and would turn into the song “Human Nature” written by Porcaro and performed by Michael Jackson on his album Thriller. On this night, they played a lush rendition of the song, with Porcaro singing the words inspired by his heartbroken daughter. 

Dominique “Xavier” Taplin (Keys), Warren Ham (Vox), Shem von Schroeck (Bass), Steve Lukather (Guitar), Steve Porcaro (Keys); Toto
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

At this point, the chairs went away, and the musicians ran through the thematically-linked 1-2-3 punch of “I’ll Be Over You,” “No Love,” and “Stop Loving You,” before all members briefly left the stage. Meanwhile, touring keyboard player Dominique “Xavier” Taplin, filling in for original member David Paich, played what initially felt like a piano interlude but gave way to a longer, beautiful arrangement that left the crowd in awe. Taplin had previously played in Prince’s last touring band and this solo piano performance made it evident why Prince had enlisted his talents. 

“Lion” from 1981’s Isolation was followed by a brief story of writing music for the David Lynch film Dune and trying to make the music sound “as David Lynchian” as they could. The ensuing performance of “Dune (Desert Theme”), so fitting for Arizona’s own dry landscape, showed the song was vintage Toto, even if they were trying to make it sound Lynchian. Lukather talked briefly of their 2002 album Through the Looking Glass, a collection of cover songs by artists that had either influenced the band early on or of whom they were fans. Identifying George Harrison as both his first guitar hero and later his friend, Lukather led them in a cover of The White Album classic “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” that both paid loving tribute and also featured some Toto flourishes, including Lukather adding an extended guitar solo to the end of the song. 

Steve Lukather (Guitar, Vocals), Toto
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

After playing “Make Believe,” them gave the crowd the moment they wanted: “Africa.” It should be noted here that song’s reputation is well-earned, as it is indeed truly a pop masterpiece. On a night where it was obvious how much fun Toto was having on the tour, this was the moment you could tell they relished the most. The performance was note-perfect, and set up the final moment of goodwill and love between a band and their audience, as they turned the singing over, giving the crowd one more chance to come together and show their love for Toto. With everyone on their feet, singing and dancing, Toto played on but stepped back from their mics, and the audience took the final chorus. One by one, the founding members left the stage, leaving the touring members to keep the groove going, while the crowd sang on. Percussionist Lenny Castro, who has played with Toto from their early days, took the lead on congas to accompany the crowd. 

Lenny Castro (Drums), Toto
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

When Toto returned to the stage for the encore, a rollicking performance of “Home of the Brave” from a 1988’s The Seventh One, the end of the show and the band’s choice for a closer felt like a parting piece of advice to the crowd. Just as Toto has made their 40 trips around the sun, staying true to the ethos they established for themselves on trip number one in 1978, this moment was a reminder to all to keep themselves moving forward with each of their trips, and that we are in charge of our future and our fate with the show’s final lyrics: “You gotta remember, you don’t have to be afraid. You still have the freedom to learn and say what you wanna say. You gotta remember, don’t let ’em take away the land we call the home of the brave.

Photo Gallery

Photographer: Rodrigo Izquierdo

Toto – Celebrity Theatre 9-21-19

Setlist:

  • “Devil’s Tower”
  • “Hold the Line”
  • “Lovers in the Night”
  • “Alone”
  • “I Will Remember”
  • “English Eyes”
  • “Jack to the Bone”
  • “Roseanna”
  • “Georgie Porgy”
  • “Human Nature” (Michael Jackson cover)
  • “I’ll Be Over You”
  • “No Love”
  • “Stop Loving You”
  • “Goodbye Girl”
  • “Lion”
  • “Dune (Desert Theme)”
  • “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (Beatles cover)
  • “Make Believe”
  • “Africa”
  • ENCORE
  • “Home of the Brave”

Band Lineup:

  • Joseph Williams: Lead Vocals
  • Steve Lukather: Guitar and Vocals
  • Steve Porcaro: Keyboards
  • Lenny Castro: Percussion
  • Warren Ham: Saxophone, Harmonica, and Flute
  • Shannon Forrest: Drums
  • Shem von Schroeck: Bass
  • Dominique “Xavier” Taplin: Keyboards

Photography © Reagle Photography
All Rights Reserved

REVIEW: Spark Jack Daddy Kept the Crowd Dancing Past Midnight at CB Live (9-14-19)

PHOENIX — Reviews commonly found on Burning Hot Events cover shows of performers who are on tour and simply visiting the Valley of the Sun for a night or two. However, there is nothing more refreshing than finding a talented band right in our own backyard. Such was the situation on Saturday evening at Copper Blues Live at Desert Ridge Marketplace. Spark Jack Daddy ignited the stage, making people dance all night.

Spark Jack Daddy
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

The night began with the packed-out dining area filled with football fans watching the Nebraska Huskers pummel Northern Illinois. Once the clock ran out, the massive projector screen lifted to reveal an army of musicians.    

Mike Krill (Tenor Sax), Paul Brewer (Baritone Sax), Mike Fowler (Trombone), Spark Jack Daddy
Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

The fourteen-wide lineup included a quartet of vocalists (each singing lead and harmony), a four-piece horn section, a dueling pair of guitarist (who also sang lead/harmony vocals), a rhythm section of bass and drums, all topped off with a keyboardist and percussionists. They poured out a wide variety of hits from yesteryear and today, ensuring that the diverse crowd remained engaged for their 3-set, 35 song performance.

Rick Danis (Guitar, Vocals), Spark Jack Daddy
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Folks danced in their seats, next to their tables, and sang along between sips of beer and hefty nibbles on enormous nachos and other delicious bar fare while Spark Jack Daddy gave a memorable performance. 

Natalie Lucas (Vocals), Spark Jack Daddy
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Soulful and familiar songs permeated the room that ranged from Bruno Mars to Chicago, Stevie Wonder to Maroon 5. Additionally, attendees had the distinct pleasure of hearing an original Spark Jack Daddy song written by Burning Hot Events’ own Mark Greenawalt, who is typically behind the lens or the other kind of keyboard that contains the alphabet.

Mark Greenawalt (Keyboard), Spark Jack Daddy
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

If you missed the entertaining performance, don’t fret; Spark Jack Daddy, led by singer, guitarist, and founder Marty Lucas, will be gracing the stage at the Four Peaks Oktoberfest at Tempe Town Lake on October 13 at 2:00pm. One thing is for certain: you’ll definitely have a good time, as Spark Jack Daddy is one of the most entertaining acts in the valley, and their wall of sound is a must-see.

Photo Gallery

Photographer: Rodrigo Izquierdo

Spark Jack Daddy – CB Live 9-14-19

Setlist:

  • Long Train Running – Doobie Brothers 
  • Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin
  • Blow – Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton & Bruno Mars
  • Easy Lover – Phil Collins
  • Signed Sealed Delivered – Stevie Wonder
  • Harder to Breathe – Maroon 5
  • Smooth – Santana ft. Rob Thomas 
  • Rock Steady – Aretha Franklin
  • Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz
  • Saturday In The Park – Chicago
  • Respect – Aretha Franklin
  • Get It Girl – Spark Jack Daddy original song (by David Armstrong and Ryan Eibling)
  • Sting Me – The Black Crowes
-BREAK-

  • Valerie – Amy Winehouse
  • Any Way You Want It – Journey
  • Son Of A Preacher Man – Dusty Springfield
  • My Own Little World – Spark Jack Daddy original song (by Mark Greenawalt and Chris St.Croix)
  • Hello Stranger – Barbara Lewis (Samantha Fish version)
  • Red House – Jimi Hendrix
  • Sugar – Maroon 5
  • Don’t Let Me Down – Beatles
  • Use Me – Bill Withers
  • Girl – Maren Morris
  • Shallow – Song from A Star Is Born 
-BREAK-

  • Sledgehammer – Peter Gabriel
  • I Wish – Stevie Wonder 
  • Ex’s and Oh’s – Elle King 
  • Give Blood – Pete Townsend
  • Ain’t No Other Man – Christina Aguilera
  • Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder
  • Mercy – Duffy
  • Faith – George Michael
  • Uptown Funk – Bruno Mars
  • September – Earth, Wind, & Fire
  • Honky Tonk Woman – Rolling Stones

Band Lineup:

  • Marty Lucas – Guitar/Vocals
  • Rick Danis – Guitar/Vocals
  • Paul Fenix – Bass
  • Ryan Eibling – Drums/Vocals
  • Natalie Lucas – Vocals
  • David M. Armstrong – Vocals
  • Felicia Penza – Vocals
  • Bernadette Miotke – Vocals
  • Paul Brewer – Baritone Sax
  • Mike Krill – Tenor Sax
  • Mike Fowler – Trombone
  • Scott Yandell – Trumpet
  • Mark Greenawalt – Keyboards
  • Ted Miotke – Percussion

Photography © Reagle Photography
All Rights Reserved

SPECIAL REVIEW: The Paper Kites Breeze into Neptune Theatre (9-16-19)

SEATTLE — Like a gentle breeze, The Paper Kites brought in a soothing and refreshing performance to Neptune Theatre, accompanied by special guest Harrison Storm. Purely cathartic, The Paper Kites’ dreamy indie/folk rock music serves as a lullaby, the stitches that mend broken lovers, escapism for the weary and hopeless. 

Neptune Theatre’s interior architecture
| Photography:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design © All Rights Reserved

Held in a historic theatre with ornate Renaissance-influenced architecture and folding chairs, there seemed to be some ambiguity as to whether the crowd should handle themselves formally or casually, whether they should keep silent in reverence or cheer, sit or stand. Singer-songwriter Harrison Storm helped assure the audience that they had permission to applaud, although the presence of chairs still persuaded all to stay planted in their seats for most of the night.

Harrison Storm
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved

Storm was a good lead-in for The Paper Kites, with a personal and minimalist style. He will be parting ways with the band following their September 20th show in San Luis Obispo, and embarking on a headlining tour in the UK and Europe beginning on October 11.

The Paper Kites
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved

Being a performing arts venue, Neptune Theatre didn’t have overhead lighting directed toward the band, and the lights on the edge of the stage were low, leaving The Paper Kites mostly backlit. This lent itself to the midnight mood of their music, and also often illuminated drummer Josh Bentley and bassist and synthist Sam Rasmussen more than the others.

twelvefour

Sometimes the combination of blue and magenta lights resembled the neon sign on the cover of twelvefour, creating an even deeper sense of immersion.

The lone woman of the group, keyboardist and guitarist Christina Lacy, has a humble stage presence despite the prominence of her vocals within the harmonies in their songs. On this night, her entrancing vocals, along with those of Dave Powys, were nearly as soft as a whisper.

Christina Lacy, The Paper Kites
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved

Powys entranced onlookers when he played the lap steel, an instrument that many had undoubtedly never seen.

Dave Powys (Lap Steel, Guitar, Vocals), The Paper Kites
Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved

Frontman Sam Bentley brings authenticity to the stage, sharing endearing stories that brought some levity, and visibly drawing on his emotions as he sang verses and held notes like a long, slow yoga exhale. Seeming to channel a trance-like state, each musician in the five-piece band performed with otherworldly control and subtlety.

Sam Bentley (Lead Vocals, Guitar), The Paper Kites
Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved

We often like to impose our own lives onto the music we listen to, giving it particular relevance to ourselves, but it was interesting to hear some of the tales behind the songwriting that Bentley shared that night. The meaning behind the lyrics is often so much more interesting and creative than what you would assume. Some of the best parts of the show were a couple of times when every member of the band came together to sing into a single microphone. One of the most shining moments for Bentley’s vocals was the climax of “Give Me Your Fire, Give Me Your Rain” off of On the Corner Where You Live — the second of a two-part album release in 2018. They closed out the night with all five  on a guitar (incl. bass) for “Standing in the Rain” from the first 2018 release On the Train Ride Home. Including the encore, The Paper Kites performed a 16-song setlist.

On the Train Ride Home
On the Corner Where You Live

Beginning in British Columbia, this was the second stop on The Paper Kites’ 2019 fall tour that will be traveling down the United States and passing over Phoenix, Arizona  — home of Burning Hot Events. They will be making stops in the south, working their way north up the eastern seaboard, visiting the Midwest, and heading back up to play their last date in Alberta. In 2018, they toured in support of their two releases that year. The 2018 fall tour was concentrated primarily in California, Canada, and the northeastern US, so Phoenix wasn’t privy to this tour either, whereas Seattle had the privilege of being slated for both tours. However, Seattle holds a special place in their hearts, being that it was a location they ventured to in 2015 to record the one and only twelvefour. On this night at Neptune Theatre, Bentley called Seattle a “second home”.

It seems that Arizona was last graced with their presence in 2017 when they performed at Club Congress in Tucson. Since they have performed in landmark venues such as Club Congress, Seattle’s Neptune Theatre, and San Francisco’s The Fillmore, perhaps one day they will be hosted by The Van Buren in Phoenix — converted from a historic vintage auto dealership. Good luck Phoenix… You could use a chill night like this.

The Paper Kites tour dates can be found here.

Fans of The Paper Kites might also like Faunts, an electronic rock/pop band from Canada

Photo Gallery

Photographer: Katherine Amy Vega

The Paper Kites & Harrison Storm – Neptune Theatre 9-6-19

Photography © Kataklizmic Design
All Rights Reserved.

SPECIAL REVIEW: CAKE and Ben Folds Enliven Marymoor Park (9-6-19)

Redmond, WA — CAKE, Ben Folds, and special guests Tall Heights seemed to be right where they belong as they performed amidst the tranquil atmosphere of Marymoor Park. The Seattle Eastside amphitheatre is surrounded by trees, and the crowd was content to sit and chill on the lawn from the get-go. This is the second time CAKE and Ben Folds have commenced on a summer co-headlining tour accompanied by Tall Heights. Summer of 2018 saw the joint tour spanning the east side of the country, and this year it was along the west coast. This 2019 tour wraps in Grand Prairie, TX, which makes it slightly surprising that they’re not stopping in Phoenix between Los Angeles and Austin. Following the final date, CAKE is headed to France, and Folds to Milwaukee, WI.

Tall Heights

This isn’t the first time electro-folk duo Tall Heights has toured alongside Ben Folds — Burning Hot Events reviewed their concert at Marquee Theatre in September of 2017. “Spirit Cold” is one of their most recognizable songs, and it was that very song that I could hear in the distance as I approached the amphitheatre after getting stuck in the concert traffic, reminding me of CAKE’s “Long Line of Cars.”

Their soothing folk vibe and harmonies could not have been more perfect for an outdoor show closing out the work week. With their discography currently comprised of three albums, their most recent release was Pretty Colors for Your Actions on October 5, 2018. It is moving to know that they have come this far from their beginnings of busking in Boston.

Ben Folds

When Ben Folds hit the stage, Tall Heights continued to perform in his live band alongside him. Folds casually yet energetically strolled onto stage with a demeanor that read like we are all old friends. He began his set with upbeat “Annie Waits” — an uplifting contrast to the gentleness of Tall Heights’ music. Despite this, Tall Heights paired with Folds seamlessly, and it was apparent how much fun they have up there with him. The accompaniment is demonstrative that despite going solo, Folds loves to perform as a group.

Ben Folds, Live Band Incl. Tall Heights
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved
Photo Gallery

It was probably about 7:00pm when Folds started. He told the crowd that he thought he was going on at 8:00pm, so he was performing in the clothes he slept in. He said that he had let himself go, and asked the audience who else had let themselves go. Oddly enough, a majority of the crowd honestly raised their hands and there was laughter all around. He even improvised a “Let Yourself Go” song later on in his set. With the use of his quirky sense of humor, Folds has a gift for generating a feeling of camaraderie at his concerts.

Ben Folds
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved
Photo Gallery

During the following song, “You Don’t Know Me,” Folds encouraged the audience to fill in for Regina Spektor. It would have been amazing to hear Spektor singing the parts herself, but it was quite enjoyable to participate in the sing-a-long.

The sun went down as his set progressed, and strings of lights surrounding the stage lit up. It was a beautiful environment. Even this, however, was not without some typical aggro displays amongst the crowd in which some of the concertgoers that obviously don’t attend shows often yelled at others that wanted to stand during the concert because it was preventing from seeing while they sat on the ground. It’s expected to see this type of aggression in the Arizona heat, but less so in the more passive and down-to-earth Seattle area. It just goes to show there’s one in every crowd.

But there were also bemusing moments where some women danced along to Ben Folds in a completely mismatched style — as if they were dancing in a nightclub. It was heartwarming to see a female security guard subtly bobbing along to the music, and a male fan passionately singing along. Folds also made a touching statement about having to pinch himself for being able to tour with CAKE.

Ben Folds
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved
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In April 2018, Rolling Stone recorded high praise from each of the co-headliners directed at the other. CAKE’s frontman John McCrea was quoted, including the sentiment, “In a culture often conflicted about its relationship to melody, and songwriting generally, Ben continues unapologetically to provide melodic clarity and musicality.” Folds stated, “Cake – my rough contemporaries, comrades and heroes – to me, they make universal, poetic, identifiable music with a groove.” Both artists were sure to make mention of Tall Heights, and the last sentence in McCrea’s quote summed things up rather well, when he said, “This co-headline line up seems like a good combination of musical styles-disparate but not antithetical to each other-and it should be a solid evening of music.” The fact that they decided to tour together again the next year shows that their feelings remained unchanged after they joined up the first time.

Two songs from Ben Folds Five were included in the setlist: “Battle of Who Could Care Less” and “Do It Anyway,” both of which were everything they should be with the backup vocals lent by Tall Heights. It would have been nice to have a video camera on Folds’ hands when he was playing, with the footage displayed on a screen, especially on a song with the impressively high-speed tempo of “Do It Anyway.” One of the best parts about his stage presence, though, is that his dynamic movements at the piano help compensate for the lack of visibility of his bandaged fingers.

Ben Folds
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved
Photo Gallery

The contribution of the cello and harmonica to the new song “Moscow Mitch,” unambiguously inspired Mitch McConnell’s new nickname, added great layers to an otherwise simple song. 

A personal favorite moment was during “Rockin’ the Suburbs” when Folds emulated the vocals of Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine, and he did it surprisingly well — even better than on the album. Despite his debut solo album Rockin’ the Suburbs being released in 2001, the song’s topic of “white boy pain” is apropos in current times. There seemed to be a consensus amongst the crowd as they laughed knowingly during his dialogue leading up to the song about unnecessarily angry suburban white guys. Good Charlotte’s “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” (released in 2002) has a very similar theme, and even a similar chord progression.

Although he has released multiple LPs, the album the most songs were taken from was Rockin’ the Suburbs. Folds closed out his 15-song set with “Not the Same”. He stood on his piano gesturing grandly toward the crowd like a conductor, bringing his set to an engaging and dramatic finale.

Ben Folds
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved
Photo Gallery

CAKE

CAKE had an epic lead up to their entrance with the entirety of the song “War” by Vince DiCola from the Rocky IV soundtrack. The venue was buzzing with excitement for a one-of-a-kind band that many had been waiting seemingly an eternity to see live. Thankfully they were able to perform, despite the fact that 5 of their instruments were recently stolen by some heartless heathens in Portland.

Originally formed as a somewhat antagonistic answer to grunge, CAKE’s democratic processes, defiant self-reliance, and lucid yet ever-inventive music has made them a nation-state unto themselves, with no obvious peers, belonging to no school.” 

CAKE
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved
Photo Gallery

The band opened with “Sheep Go to Heaven” from their third album, Prolonging the Magic. A disco ball added eye candy behind them, on and off throughout the night. The signature sound of the trumpet and the vibraslap bring about a certain sort of familiar comfort that’s rooted in the simpler times of the 90s. 

Vince DiFiore (Trumpet), CAKE
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved
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CAKE has released 6 studio albums, with the most recent one, Showroom of Compassion, having been released in 2011. The singles “Sinking Ship” and “Age of Aquarius” were released within the past year. While McCrea has discussed an eventual album release, no date or title have been provided as of yet.

John McCrea (Vocalist), CAKE
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved
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CAKE and their pithy music still remains very much of its time even in 2019. Their politically-charged social media presence has divided fans, driven some away, and drawn others closer. McCrea donned a white t-shirt with the Kool-aid Man busting through a brick wall with barbed wire at the top, and it read, “FUCK YOUR BULLSHIT WALL!” Amusingly, after having the crowd at the concert battle in a loudness war, he made the punchy comment, “There’s good people on both sides,” which was responded to by many with, “BOOOO!” 

John McCrea (Vocalist), CAKE
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved
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It was nice to experience something fresh from CAKE as they performed “Sinking Ship,” their first new original song in 7 years, which laments a self-inflicted apocalypse. Interestingly, Showroom of Compassion was recorded in a solar-powered studio. In between songs, their environmental consciousness was displayed after McCrea said he could not concentrate until they gave away the tree sitting next to him onstage. CAKE has a tree map on their website under a “Forest” tab. The website offers no explanation regarding the map, but a great many know what it’s about since they’ve been giving away trees at their concerts for over a decade.

During the tree contest, fans shouted to McCrea, and he responded to one man saying, “That’s not your tree yet. That’s called white male entitlement.” The crowd roared with laughter, and he followed with, “No he’s just having a good time.

It turned out to be a honeycrisp apple tree, which was won by a woman named Josie, who guessed the type of tree correctly. McCrea continued to elicit laughter as he called to her, “Get up here and get your damn tree… Don’t jump up and down and hug your friend. Come and get your tree.

Tree winner Josie w/ John McCrea (Vocalist), CAKE
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved
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The duality of the monotonous vocals with sarcastic lyrics versus Vince DiFiore’s vibrant trumpet and upbeat music is an interesting experience, and CAKE gives a show that feels enthusiastic overall despite McCrea’s somewhat deadpan nature. He breaks out of that mold as he raises his guitar in the air, gestures and raises his arms toward the crowd, and it seems that he greatly enjoys playing the vibraslap and pointing it at individuals in the crowd.

John McCrea (Vocalist), CAKE
| Photographer:
Katherine Amy Vega, Kataklizmic Design
© All Rights Reserved
Photo Gallery

With a somewhat laid-back stage presence, CAKE’s performance seemed effortless during their 12-song set and they sounded perfect. Their last 5 songs were arguably some of their most popular: “Love You Madly,” “Never There,” “I Will Survive,” “Short Skirt/Long Jacket,” and “The Distance.” I would have loved to experience one of my personal favorites: “Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle,” which was actually their very first single, released in 1995. 

At one point, McCrea mentioned that he once spoke with a physicist that said, “hope is something you have to do,” it doesn’t just happen to you. This message resonated strongly as a reminder that we must make cognitive effort and take action if we want to improve our lives. There is always a different kind of impact from a show that is more than only rock ‘n’ roll. This wasn’t a concert for those that are totally intolerant of leftist leanings, and it was otherwise a show that was impressive, communal, light-hearted, nostalgic, and cathartic. CAKE, Ben Folds, and Tall Heights at Marymoor Park was an experience that brought excellent entertainment value and generated lingering positive energy. We’re looking forward to the announcement of CAKE’s album release date, and a first listen to their newest compelling lyrics.

Photo Galleries

Photographer: Katherine Amy Vega

View Separately: CAKE | Ben Folds

CAKE & Ben Folds ft Tall Heights – Marymoor Park 9-6-19

Photography © Kataklizmic Design
All Rights Reserved.

REVIEW: Supergroup Angels & Airwaves Plays to a Sold Out Marquee Theatre (9-4-19)

Tempe, AZ — Supergroup Angels & Airwaves headlined an amazing night, supported by The New Regime and Charming Liars, at an absolutely full Marquee Theatre. Angels & Airwaves is led by singer Tom DeLonge (blink-182), who is accompanied by David Kennedy (Box Car Racer) on lead guitar, Matt Rubano (Taking Back Sunday) on bass, and Ilan Rubin (Nine Inch Nails, Paramore, The New Regime, Angels & Airwaves) on drums. 

Charming Liars

This show commenced with Los Angeles rock band Charming Liars, who just released their new EP, Bare Bones on August 2nd.

Kiliyan Maguire (Charming Liars)
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved
Photo Gallery

The audience’s engagement crescendoed, beginning with a feeling of curiosity and enthusiasm and ending with full crowd participation of chanting and clapping. The pumped-up fans were rewarded by a visit in the pit from vocalist Kiliyan Maguire.

Charming Liars Photo Gallery

The New Regime

Next up was The New Regime, led by child prodigy and Guinness World Record holder Ilan Rubin. Rubin brought years of experience and tremendous talent and dedication to the stage. He served double duty as the drummer for Angels & Airwaves, and he was recently called “Nine Inch Nails’ secret weapon” (Metal Injection) and “one of rock’s most in-demand drummers” (Louder).

Ilan Rubin (Angels & Airwaves)
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

In addition to his world record for being the youngest musician to ever play at Woodstock, Rubin contributed his talents to Beck & Paramore’s Grammy-winning albums, and he closed The Grammy Awards with Nine Inch Nails, Queens of The Stone Age, Dave Grohl, and Lindsey Buckingham. He has toured with Muse, The Killers Nine Inch Nails, Alice In Chains, The Used, and The Joy Formidable.

Ilan Rubin (The New Regime)
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved
Photo Gallery

The New Regime performed tracks off of their forthcoming album Heart Mind Body & Soul, which will be released in four installments between the end of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020; Heart is part 1 of this album.

Despite technical issues during the third song of The New Regime’s set, “Turning A Blind Eye” from Heart, the band gracefully handled the hiccup with a sense of humor. They joked that the song “should sound like this” and the crowd erupted with laughter.

Closing their set, The New Regime led them in a chant of “I want your heart, mind, body, and soul,” which echoed throughout the venue above the throng of happy concertgoers.

The New Regime Photo Gallery

Angels & Airwaves

As the dark theater lit up to welcome Angels & Airwaves to the stage, Tom DeLonge appeared and the sold-out crowd sang along with him to every song.

Tom DeLonge (Angels & Airwaves)
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

After singing their fifth song, “Everything’s Magic” from I-Empire (For Puretracks), DeLonge finally addressed the audience, making fun of himself for not yet giving an introduction. This showed how engaged and dedicated to their music the band was. He then announced the hit song “Paralyzed” and the crowd went crazy.

Matt Rubano (Angels & Airwaves)
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

He poked fun at the heat in the Valley of the Sun by explaining that his friend visited the Sahara desert and stated that it was almost as hot as Tempe. DeLonge then began to engage the audience much more often, sharing his experiences while growing up in the punk scene and his love of his music and the opportunity to share a positive message with his fans via his lyrics. 

Tom DeLonge (Angels & Airwaves)
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Phoenix was the first stop on Angel & Airwaves’ comeback tour, their first in seven years. They performed an ambitious setlist of 21 songs with friendly crowd engagement throughout, and a quick encore of the final 2 songs: “Do It for Me Now” and “Heaven.” Angels & Airwaves demonstrated the next-level show that a culmination of great established artists brings, and it was well-worth the wait to watch them grace the stage of Marquee Theatre.

Photo Galleries

Photographer: Rodrigo Izquierdo

Openers: The New Regime | Charming Liars

Angels & Airwaves – Marquee Theatre 9-4-19

Note: The article previously had David Kennedy incorrectly labeled as James Kennedy, which has since been corrected.

Photography © Reagle Photography
All Rights Reserved

REVIEW: Ringo — An All Starr Band Lead by a True Starr at Celebrity Theatre (8-26-19)

Phoenix, AZ — On June 26 of this year, Sir Paul McCartney brought an evening of legendary music to Talking Stick Resort Arena. Exactly two months later, Ringo Starr became the second Beatle to grace the stages of Arizona. This is the 30-year anniversary of this touring rock supergroup, Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band, with a shifting lineup that has included legends such as Joe Walsh, Todd Rungren, Clarence Clemons, Peter Frampton, John Entwhistle, and so many more (see list below). Starr is really the only constant member.

This year’s line up is no exception to Starr’s history of building a stellar lineup:

  • The dueling guitarists were the unlikely pairing of Steve Lukather (Toto) and Colin Hay (Men At Work). These two master songwriters brought along their biggest hits to add to the already incredible setlist. Fans were treated to Toto’s “Rosanna”, “Africa”, and “Hold The Line” and Men At Work’s “Down Under”, “Overkill”, and of course “Who Can It Be Now.”
  • On the Hammond organ was none other than Gregg Rolie (Santana, Journey) who chipped in the classic Santana songs “Evil Ways”, “Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen”, and “Oye Como Va”, but unfortunately nothing from his days with Journey.
  • Bassist Hamish Stuart (Average White Band) was back after his stint in the lineup from 2006 to 2008. He switched over to guitar when the band dove into the Average White Band standards “Pick Up The Pieces” and “Cut The Cake.”
  • Gregg Bissonette on drums and Warren Ham on… well, everything else (saxophone, flute, keyboards, percussion, etc.) rounded out the lineup. Both have toured extensively with major recording acts, such as Bissonette’s time with “Diamond” David Lee Roth during the “Eat ‘Em And Smile” era, and Ham’s contributions to Kansas and Toto (now that’s an ironic combo of band names).
Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band
| Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

All that talent on the revolving stage of the Celebrity Theater culminated in the focal point of the evening; a man who’s former band is arguably the most famous band in the history of rock & roll. And yes, Starr brought a few songs to the setlist from his days with the Fab Four, starting with the only song credited to Lennon–McCartney–Starkey, “What Goes On.” Ringo Starr is the stage name of Sir Richard Starkey, knighted by Prince William on March 20, 2018. The two most popular Beatles songs that featured Starr’s voice where the whimsical “Yellow Submarine” and the song he sang in the guise of the one-and-only Billy Shears, “With A Little Help From My Friends.”

Ringo Starr
| Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

Starr’s credentials make him a legendary musician, but he seemed very unassuming. There was no fabricated swagger or false bravado in his delivery. He was reverent of the talent of his bandmates while clearly letting loose to have fun on stage.  Even his attire hinted at high fashion with a jacket and black leather pants, but they were offset by a pair of comfortable sneakers and a rhinestone shirt that said “Peace Rocks”. The peace sign proved to be a prevalent theme throughout the show, from holding up the hand sign for peace to wearing peace necklaces. Starr looked spry and healthy wearing his signature sunglasses and sporting the kempt beard and mustache.  Though he is 79 years old, there was nothing lethargic or geriatric about this performance. It was quite the opposite: an energetic and youthful performance from start to finish.

Ringo Starr (Vocalist), Hamish Stuart (Bassist), Steve Lukather (Guitarist) –
Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band
Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

Although there are some Ringo Starr hits embroidered in the fabric of our collective memory, it takes a show like this to remind us of just how many there have been. Eight songs from his solo career broke the top 10 in the US charts and two hit number one (“You’re Sixteen” and “Photograph”). Between 1970 and 2017, Ringo has released 19 solo studio records. The second song of the set started the audience down memory lane with “It Don’t Come Easy” from the 1975 album Blast From Your Past.

Gregg Rolie (Keyboardist, Vocalist), Steve Lukather (Guitarist, Vocalist), Ringo Starr (Vocalist, Drummer) –
Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band
Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

Starr shared the spotlight and lead vocal duties with the singers that made their respective songs famous. It was like a karaoke dream where everyone sounded exactly like the record. One highlight was hearing Rolie breathing life into “Black Magic Woman,” and then hearing Lukather shredding on the soulful solos of Carlos Santana, was magical. As the song transitioned to “Gypsy Queen”, it was Gregg Bissonette’s turn to shine as he vamped on the drumset.

A majority of the crowd were old enough to remember the quirky videos of Men At Work on MTV’s heavy rotation in the early 80’s. There were possibly a handful of people that didn’t recognize Colin Hay playing guitar on stage, but everyone recognized that distinctive voice singing “I come from the land down under,” Ham obviously broke out the flute to play the infectious solo on “Down Under” and then later in the show played the famous sax line on “Who Can It Be Now.”

Steve Lukather (Guitarist), Warren Ham (Saxophone), Ringo Starr (Vocalist) –
Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band
Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

While out of the spotlight, Starr was still an archetypal presence as he rose to his drum throne and commandeered the instrument that he is best known for. The bass drum of his Ludwig drum kit that once sported The Beatles logo, now has a symbolic star and lotus flower logo, presumably in support of the Ringo Starr Art Lotus Foundation.

Ringo Starr’s Ludwig drumkit
| Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

Being the drummer in the back typically garners less notoriety, especially when you’re standing on the shoulders of giants like Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison. But throughout his career, he has received 9 Grammys, and has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, first as a Beatle and then as a solo artist. Starr played in perfect synchronicity with Bissonette and reminded all of the musicians in the room why he is considered by many to be included in the category of best rock drummer of all time.

Ringo Starr
| Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

The wonderful evening of hit music was capped off with a resounding message of peace when Ringo and the boys joined in on the anthem “Give Peace A Chance,” the anti-war chant that John Lennon and Yoko Ono voiced 50 years ago from room 1742 that still needs to be heard today.

Photo Gallery

Photographer: Mark Greenawalt

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band – Celebrity Theatre 8-26-19

Setlist for the Evening

  • Matchbox (Carl Perkins)
  • It Don’t Come Easy (Ringo Starr)
  • What Goes On (The Beatles)
  • Evil Ways (Willie Bobo with Gregg Rolie)
  • Rosanna (Toto with Steve Lukather)
  • Pick Up the Pieces (Average White Band with Hamish Stuart)
  • Down Under (Men at Work with Colin Hay)
  • Boys (The Shirelles)
  • Don’t Pass Me By (The Beatles)
  • Yellow Submarine (The Beatles with ‘Day Tripper’ tease intro by Steve Lukather)
  • Cut the Cake (Average White Band with Hamish Stuart)
  • Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen (with Gregg Rolie)
  • You’re Sixteen (Johnny Burnette)
  • Anthem (Ringo Starr)
  • Overkill (Men at Work with Colin Hay)
  • Africa (Toto with Steve Lukather)
  • Work to Do (The Isley Brothers with Hamish Stuart)
  • Oye como va (Tito Puente with Gregg Rolie)
  • I Wanna Be Your Man (The Beatles)
  • Who Can It Be Now? (Men at Work with Colin Hay)
  • Hold the Line (Toto with Steve Lukather)
  • Photograph (Ringo Starr)
  • Act Naturally (Buck Owens)
  • With a Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles with ‘Give Peace a Chance’ by Plastic Ono Band chorus at the end)

Back to Top

All Starr Band Alumni

  • Joe Walsh (1989-1992, various guest appearances from 1992 onwards)
  • Nils Lofgren (1989-1992, opening act for various 1995 shows and made a guest appearance in 2013)
  • Dr. John (1989, guest appearance in 2008)
  • Billy Preston (1989, 1995)
  • Rick Danko (1989)
  • Levon Helm (1989, guest appearance in 2008)
  • Clarence Clemons (1989)
  • Jim Keltner (1989, guest appearance in 2010)
  • Todd Rundgren (1992, 1999, 2012-2016)
  • Dave Edmunds (1992, 2000)
  • Burton Cummings (1992)
  • Timothy B. Schmit (1992, guest appearance in 1997)
  • Zak Starkey (1992-1995, guest appearance in 1989 and 2010)
  • Timmy Cappello (1992, 1999)
  • Randy Bachman (1995)
  • Mark Farner (1995, guest appearance in 1997)
  • Felix Cavaliere (1995)
  • John Entwistle (1995)
  • Mark Rivera (1995-2003, 2012-2013, guest appearance in 2011)
  • Peter Frampton (1997-1998)
  • Gary Brooker (1997-1999)
  • Jack Bruce (1997-2000)
  • Simon Kirke (1997-2000, guest appearance in 2003)
  • Scott Gordon (1998)
  • Eric Carmen (2000)
  • Roger Hodgson (2001)
  • Ian Hunter (2001)
  • Howard Jones (2001)
  • Greg Lake (2001)
  • Sheila Escovedo (2001-2006)
  • Colin Hay (2003, 2008)
  • Paul Carrack (2003)
  • John Waite (2003)
  • Billy Squier (2006-2008, guest appearance in 2014)
  • Richard Marx (2006)
  • Edgar Winter (2006-2011)
  • Rod Argent (2006)
  • Hamish Stuart (2006-2008)
  • Gary Wright (2008-2011)
  • Gregg Bissonette (2008-present)
  • Wally Palmar (2010)
  • Rick Derringer (2010)
  • Richard Page (2010-present)
  • Steve Lukather (2012-present)
  • Gregg Rolie (2012-present)
  • Warren Ham (2012-present)

Photography © Mark Greenawalt. All Rights Reserved

REVIEW: The Growlers Kickoff Tour with Heaven in Hell — A Sold Out Show in Phoenix (7-17-19)

PHOENIX — Opening their headlining Arizona show with an aptly titled track, “Heaven in Hell”, California beach goth rockers The Growlers played to a sold-out Van Buren venue that prepared them for their ambitious 2019 tour. The tour will include 52 concert nights over the next four months, finishing up in the heavenly City of Angels and Stars on Halloween night. Supporting The Growlers is Rinse & Repeat, an Orange County post-punk band.

Rinse & Repeat
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Rinse & Repeat

Rinse & Repeat can be best described as a space age psychedelic synth group that have a perfect mix reminiscent of The Aquabats, Divo, and maybe even some Peter Gabriel. Full of energy and theatrics, the nice commenced with their performance that was engaging, fun, and showed much dedication from the band members: Aaron Bones on bass, Riley on guitar, and Rodney on the drums. They put on a show that went beyond their songs and took us through their “space” struggles and successes. 

The Growlers

Sufficiently warmed up and likely grateful the show was in the climate-controlled venue, the crowd thoroughly enjoyed and sang along to each and every song with lead singer Brooks Nielsen, as if the lyrics popped up before them like a karaoke video.

The Growlers - Photo Credit: Rodrigo Izquierdo
Brooks Nielsen (Vocalist), The Growlers
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

The Growlers went through a total of 23 songs and 2 encore pieces, and unlike most mainstream bands, did not spend much time talking to the crowd in between songs, instead engaging them through their music. 

Setlist:

Heaven in Hell
One Million Lovers
Dope on a Rope
Orgasm of Death
Naked Kids
The Daisy Chain
Someday
Love Test
Beach Rats
Rare Hearts
Hiding Under Covers
Who Loves the Scum?
Problems III
When You Were Made
Monotonía
Pavement and the Boot
Empty Bones
Vacant Lot
Night Ride
City Club
Drop Your Phone in the Sink
Chinese Fountain
I’ll Be Around

Encore:
Humdrum Blues
Going Gets Tough

With such a jam-packed setlist, the fans got what they paid to see, The Growlers singing their favorite songs live, with an extensive sample of their successful discography. Perhaps, referencing lyrics from the opening song, their fans were able to “find a haven” in their immersion in the music and energy of one of their favorite bands. 

Nielsen seemed shy and tired, as he himself mentioned after singing just a few songs, “I’m tired, and it is only day one”, but as the show evolved, so did his energy and engagement. As their night ended, he expressed his gratitude to the audience for the boost, saying “Thank you Phoenix, we’re ready to tour now!

The lyrics from their closing song “Going Gets Tough” seemed to be applicable for The Growlers that night:

Still always remembering
When the going gets tuff
That the labor of our love
Will reward us soon enough

Photo Gallery

Photographers: Rodrigo Izquierdo (Reagle Photography) & Andrea Stoica

The Growlers and Rinse & Repeat – The Van Buren 7-17-19

Photography © Reagle Photography & Andrea Stoica, Respectively.
All Rights Reserved

Featured (top) photo by Rodrigo Izquierdo

 

REVIEW: Black Pistol Fire Engulf Phoenix Fans In Rock n’ Roll (7-19-19)

PHOENIX — Time and again, rock n’ roll has proven that it’s a genre that staunchly refuses to die. Two good reasons for this phenomenon were proudly on display this past Tuesday evening at Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix; the opening act of the night, Seattle rock band Thunderpussy, and the incomparable two-man rock powerhouse known as Black Pistol Fire.

Thunderpussy

The evening couldn’t have kicked off better as Thunderpussy took the stage by storm, captivating the audience immediately with their slick style along with some effortlessly proficient musicianship. Lead vocalist, Molly Sides (a Tucson native) had undeniable charisma and grace from the moment she strode across the stage towards her iconic Elvis-style microphone.

Molly Sides (Vocalist) & Leah Julius (Bassist), Thunderpussy
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Donning a vibrant, glittery and flowing outfit, she was the centerpiece that completed the unmistakably rock n’ roll spectacle the band was giving off. As her darkly-colored vocals soared to the stratosphere with an excellent cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love”, she dazzled fans with her fluid dancing that seemed far too natural to be choreographed.

Molly Sides (Vocalist) & Leah Julius (Bassist), Thunderpussy
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

The charisma didn’t stop there either; it comes pouring out of each member as you see them thoroughly enjoying themselves on stage. Lead guitarist, Whitney Petty opened the show wielding a violin bow, grazing it across the strings in ways that would make Jimmy Page’s jaw drop. The rhythm section could easily hold their own with the best of them as Leah Julius’ bass and the battering proficiency of the drums made up a rock-solid foundation supporting the rest of the music. The band was an excellent choice for an opener and definitely one to keep your eyes on as they inevitably ascend to greatness.

Black Pistol Fire

As palpable as the excitement in the room was for the main attraction, it was still hard to imagine the night getting much better. However as soon as singer/guitarist Kevin McKeown and drummer Eric Owen rushed the stage, it was obvious that the night had only just begun.

Kevin McKeown (Vocalist, Guitarist), Black Pistol Fire
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Ripping into the first lines of “Suffocation Blues”, you could feel the desperation behind every note being bent out of McKeown’s beautiful SG guitar. Deeply rooted in the blues and garage rock of the dirtiest varieties, Black Pistol Fire must feel right at home back in the thriving Austin, Texas music scene. As a rock duo featuring no bassist, the superficial comparisons to other famous rock duo groups like The White Stripes and The Black Keys are inevitable, but don’t be fooled; Black Pistol Fire brings many unique qualities to the table in a genre saturated with copycats.

Eric Owen (Drummer), Black Pistol Fire
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Owen’s creative contribution of playing the synth bass while he simultaneously drums with one arm is a sight that must be seen to be fully processed. This is not something that can be pulled off easily but he makes it look like the easiest thing in the world, which is a testament to his raw musical talent. Shockingly, this also does very little in simplifying his drum parts because his merciless whacks on the toms and snare drum are just as strikingly heavy as if someone were playing with two burly arms.

McKeown’s vocal and guitar chops are both solid, with attitude aplenty. It’s so powerful to see how the themes behind the lyrics of songs like “Hipster Shakes” directly translates through his guitar into this emotional downpour of soulful distortion. The songs exude this fiery, sensual energy that’s simply magnetic and is sure to make anyone loosen up a bit. He screams with this begging and pleading tone that perfectly complements the gyrating motions he does on stage. It’s almost as if you’re watching someone go through an exorcism the way he shakes, tearing away at the pain of past experiences and shedding them from existence. There was even a moment when McKeown’s exorcism took him off the stage and into the crowd with the help of a dedicated stagehand. This personal journey of his took him all the way from the back end of the room onto the bleachers, all the way to standing on top of the bar as the bartender proudly handed him a splash of whiskey, all during the same guitar solo.

Kevin McKeown (Vocalist, Guitarist), Black Pistol Fire
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Crescent Ballroom proved to be the ideal venue for the performance of both bands, balancing high sound quality with the intimacy that only it’s dark walls can provide. The light show was also complimentary without it being too blinding or distracting for the audience. The reactions you gather from watching both of these bands are visceral ones and each of their reputations are definitely elevated because of it. Black Pistol Fire and Thunderpussy are as rock n’ roll as they come.

Photo Gallery

Photographer: Rodrigo Izquierdo

Black Pistol Fire & Thunderpussy – Crescent Ballroom 7-16-19

Photography © Reagle Photography
All Rights Reserved

REVIEW: Chase Atlantic and A Hot Stop in the Desert With a Sold Out Show at Crescent Ballroom (6-27-19)

PHOENIX — On the cusp of their sophomore album release, Chase Atlantic and opener Lauren Sanderson celebrated at Crescent Ballroom with contagious energy. Touring the US from coast to coast with 29 stops, and their self-produced PHASES set to release on June 28, the alt-pop three-piece have played to sold out venues in Pittsburgh, Nashville, Charlotte, Ft. Lauderdale, and now Phoenix.

This album feels as though it is truly a work of astronomical measures,” says lead vocalist, Mitchel Cave. “It’s the first time we were able to honestly and openly hone into something so monumentally special and raw without compromising even an inch of our integrity as artists. We’ve developed a completely new sound within a matter of months that has never been tapped into before. Chase Atlantic is now dwelling within a realm of its own; it’s both scarily isolating and blissfully euphoric at the same time. Welcome to a whole new era.

Lauren Sanderson

Lauren Sanderson - Photo Credit: Rodrigo Izquierdo
Lauren Sanderson
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Lauren Sanderson, an Indiana native with a huge Twitter following of over 100,000 people, gave her first Ted Talk, titled “Stay Positive N’ Stay You”, only a year after graduating high school. She hit the stage with a bright smile and a burst of energy that set the table for the main course of the night: Chase Atlantic.

Lauren Sanderson - Photo Credit: Rodrigo Izquierdo
Lauren Sanderson
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

During the intermission between Sanderson and Chase Atlantic, the music kept the audience energized and singing along as they played one of Lauren’s songs, to the crowd’s delight. 

Chase Atlantic

Chase Atlantic - Photo Credit: Rodrigo Izquierdo
Chase Atlantic
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

When the lights went out, the crowd went wild with anticipation. The back LED screens came on, and a fantastic and electrifying drum solo by Jesse Boyle got everybody screaming. A few seconds later, the shouts intensified as frontman Cave walked onto the stage, followed by band members Christian Anthony, Clinton Cave, and Patrick Wilde.

Mitchel yelled to the crowd, “Make some noise if you came with a friend!” The crowd roared and the song “Angels” began a night of jumping and motion that could practically induce seasickness. 

Chase Atlantic - Photo Credit: Rodrigo Izquierdo
Mitchel Cave (Vocalist), Chase Atlantic
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

During “What U Call That”, “Her”, “The Walls”, “Friends”, and “StuckInMyBrain”, the madness continued with nonstop singing, jumping, and partying like the world was about to end. 

As they hit the stage again, following a quick and well-earned interlude, they made the announcement everybody was waiting for: their new album PHASES was just made live a day early, and Cave encouraged the whole crowd to open up their cell phones and download the song right then and there. He even asked to get a thumbs-up once each audience member had finished the transaction. An ocean of cell phone screens lit up the inside of Crescent Ballroom as the download frenzy went on for a few moments, to the delight of the band. Thumbs started to go up enthusiastically and smiles filled the faces of the musicians. 

The crowd was rewarded for their instant downloads with one of Chase Atlantic’s most popular and well-known songs, “Swim”, followed by “Love Is Not Easy”, then by Cave and Anthony taking off their shirts suggestively right before their song “Lust”. 

Chase Atlantic - Crescent Ballroom
Mitchel Cave (Lead Vocalist) & Christian Anthony (Rhythm Guitarist, Vocalist)
Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Cave’s statement matched that of the opener by saying that “this has been the best show of their whole f***ing ride.

“Drugs & Money” kept the energy as high as it had been since the opening and continued with “Heaven And Back”, followed by Anthony asking the crowd, “Who feels like a rockstar?”, then pointing towards Cave and telling him, “I know you do,” then playing “Like A Rockstar”.

Chase Atlantic - Photo Credit: Rodrigo Izquierdo
Mitchel Cave (Vocalist), Chase Atlantic
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

During their last song, “Uncomfortable”, Cave took a cell phone from the audience to take a selfie with the crowd, then carefully returned it to the fan without breaking or slowing down the energetic performance. 

Chase Atlantic - Photo Credit: Rodrigo Izquierdo
Mitchel Cave (Vocalist), Chase Atlantic
| Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

As they walked offstage, they said to the crowd, “We can play a f***ing encore if you want one more!” The crowd chanted incessantly and, over the speakers the band instructed everyone to scream “F*** yeah!” in unison. The crowd again obliged and chanted until the band returned to the stage.

Chase Atlantic - Photo Credit: Rodrigo Izquierdo
Christian Anthony (Rhythm Guitarist, Vocalist)
Photographer:
Rodrigo Izquierdo © All Rights Reserved

Chase Atlantic closed the show with their last song, “Okay”, commanding the crowd in a way seasoned musicians do. The band coerced the whole crowd get down low, almost lying on the ground, and brought them back up to dance and jump. They welcomed Lauren Sanderson back to the stage for a high-octane rock n’ roll sound with heavy guitar riffs and powerful drum beats, and the night ended by leaving the audience exhausted and excited, as only great and memorable shows can do.

Photo Gallery

Photographer: Rodrigo Izquierdo

Chase Atlantic & Lauren Sanderson – Crescent Ballroom 6-27-19

Photography © Reagle Photography
All Rights Reserved

REVIEW: Paul McCartney — An Evening of Legendary Music at Talking Stick Resort Arena (6-26-19)

PHOENIX — Paul McCartney delivered the soundtrack of our lives in a three-hour marathon performance at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The sound was perfect and the light show was amazing, but the magical and elusive ingredient was the way McCartney could make everyone feel the songs. This stop on his “Freshen Up Tour” was an emotional rollercoaster that took a nostalgic journey down memory lane and then ventured back to the more recent entries into the most incredible catalog on earth. The tour kicked off last September in Canada and has literally traveled the world including stops in Asia, Europe, South America, and finally back to North America. Phoenix is so fortunate to be included in such a short list of international dates.

Paul McCartney - Photo Credit: Mark Greenawalt
Paul McCartney
| Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

Pulling from a catalog of hits by the Beatles, Wings, and solo material that everyone knew and loved, McCartney modestly proved why he is the world class entertainer all others aspire to. There were happy moments where the audience was giddy and singing along to “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” like drunks in an Irish pub. But there were also more solemn moments when McCartney became the storyteller and reminisced about some people that we have lost – people we know as celebrities, but he knew as friends. 

There was excitement in the air when the gentle verse of “Live And Let Die” exploded into a shocking display of pyrotechnics that brought out the inner child, wide-eyed and watching a finale of fireworks. At the opposite end of that spectrum was a simple rustic shack stage set for the performance of a stripped-down acoustic set of songs that included Beatles classics “From Me To You”, “Love Me Do”, and all the way back to The Quarrymen song “In Spite of All The Danger.”

Paul McCartney - Photo Credit: Mark Greenawalt
Paul McCartney
| Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

There is no denying that McCartney is a class act, and it was evident from the moment he walked on stage wearing a stylish black jacket, white shirt, black pants and wielding the iconic Hoffner bass guitar for a splash of color. The jacket lasted eight songs before he announced, “This will be the one-and-only wardrobe change,” and revealed the white shirt, in stark contrast to the rest of the band dressed in all black. 

Rusty Anderson (Guitarist), Paul McCartney (Vocalist, Bassist), Brian Ray (Guitarist, Bassist)
Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

Cast for the Evening

  • Paul McCartney – Lead vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, piano, electric guitar, ukulele, mandolin
  • Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens – Backing vocals, keyboards, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bongos, percussion, harmonica, accordion
  • Abe Laboriel Jr. – Backing vocals, drums, percussion
  • Rusty Anderson – Backing vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar
  • Brian Ray – Backing vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass

    Plus guest appearance by 3-piece horn section

The band included the dueling guitar team of Rusty Anderson (on McCartney’s right) and Brian Ray, who takes on the role of playing bass when McCartney transitions to tickling the ivories. Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens was the multi-instrumentalist who was predominantly on keyboards, but also shined on harmonica. Drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. was the highly animated and always entertaining drummer who has been with McCartney since the 2001 Concert for New York City. Laboriel brought some levity and comic relief to the stage as he performed goofy dance moves behind the stoic McCartney singing “Dance Tonight.” And to add icing to the already delicious cake, McCartney introduced a 3-piece horn section that elevated the authenticity of songs like “Hey Jude” while we sang the “Na-NaNa-NaNaNaNa” part and the uplifting “Got To Get You Into My Life.”

McCartney’s narration paid tribute to the late Jimi Hendrix (telling the story about Hendrix playing “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”  live at a show in England the day after the song was released) and to the late Sir George Martin who is often cited as the fifth Beatle. But the two most touching tributes were to the two fallen Beatles. 

Paul McCartney - Photo Credit: Mark Greenawalt
Paul McCartney
| Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

He recalls a story of sitting with George Harrison and showing him that he had learned the Harrison hit “Something” on ukulele. He mentioned how Harrison was a great “uke” player and said “Let’s hear it for George.” The crowd responded with a swell of cheers as McCartney raised his hand in the air for a moment of reverence and then started into the song playing a ukulele that Harrison had given him. Any song on ukulele seems light hearted and “cute”, but when the band orchestration kicked in for the guitar solo and the images of Harrison filled the screen the emotions cut deep. Many tears were shed in the audience at that moment. “Thank you George,” said McCartney as the music faded, “for writing such a beautiful song.

The other tribute was, of course, to John Lennon. One can only imagine the loss that McCartney felt when he lost his co-writing partner and friend to a senseless act of violence that brought the world to a standstill in 1980. Reflecting back on their time together he shares a message with the audience that sometimes we don’t tell friends what they really mean to us. If you have something nice to say about someone, say it. He advised, “Sometimes it’s too late and you wish you had said it.” As he introduced a song he had written for John shortly after he died, he called it a “conversation that they never got to have.” Then with just an acoustic guitar and his emoting voice he delivered the beautiful tribute “Here Today,” and everyone old enough to remember Lennon alive recalled all of those precious memories.

Paul McCartney
| Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

At 77 years old, you might expect him to have the feeble voice of an old man. Although there may have been a few moments where time revealed itself on the vocal cords that have been singing songs like “Helter Skelter” and “Maybe I’m Amazed” for decades, his voice was still powerful, eloquent, and mesmerizing throughout the three-hour marathon. The focus of the show was on the songs, so the physical stage antics were kept to a minimum, but this doesn’t mean that there was any loss of showmanship. McCartney commanded the stage as he glided from bass on songs like the opener “A Hard Day’s Night” to the Yamaha grand piano for an epic rendition of “Let It Be” that could be described as a spiritual experience.

Paul McCartney
| Photographer:
Mark Greenawalt © All Rights Reserved

Even the casual McCartney fan knows most of the songs on the setlist from “back in the day,” but McCartney has continued to produce music that hasn’t necessarily made it into heavy rotation on radio stations. McCartney said they know which songs the audience wants to hear by looking into the audience and seeing a sea of cellphone lights when a classic Wings or Beatles song begins to play.  “When we play the new songs,” he said, “It’s a black hole.” Then with a cheeky grin he said they are going to play them anyway as they dove into “Fuh You” from the album Egypt Station released last year. Not sure if it was guilt or just some brilliant power of suggestion, but before the first verse was complete, there was a sea of cellphone lights illuminating Talking Stick Resort Arena. Brilliant.

Setlist

  • A Hard Day’s Night 
  • Junior’s Farm 
  • Can’t Buy Me Love 
  • Letting Go 
  • Who Cares
  • Got to Get You Into My Life 
  • Come On to Me 
  • Let Me Roll It 
  • I’ve Got a Feeling 
  • Let ‘Em In 
  • My Valentine
  • Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five 
  • Maybe I’m Amazed
  • I’ve Just Seen a Face 
  • In Spite of All the Danger 
  • From Me to You 
  • Dance Tonight 
  • Love Me Do 
  • Blackbird 
  • Here Today 
  • Queenie Eye 
  • Lady Madonna 
  • Eleanor Rigby 
  • Fuh You
  • Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
  • Something
  • Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
  • Band on the Run
  • Back in the U.S.S.R.
  • Let It Be
  • Live and Let Die
  • Hey Jude

Encore:

  • Birthday
  • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
  • Helter Skelter
  • Golden Slumbers
  • Carry That Weight
  • The End

The setlist contained 38 songs, and each one was worthy of a paragraph in this review, but for the sake of relative brevity, here are just a few highlights. “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” with it’s spooky carnival melody has some of the most visual and strange lyrics. McCartney said he’s often asked where the ideas for songs come from and he said for this one they quite literally saw a poster for an upcoming circus with the tagline, “Being for the benefit of Mr. Kite there will be show tonight on trampoline…” Earlier in the show, McCartney dedicated the song “My Valentine” to his wife and mentioned that she was there in the audience with us in Phoenix. This song also has a hauntingly beautiful melody and the jumbo screen played a black and white film of Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp doing sign language while the song played. Another highlight was for the song “Black Bird.” The stage rose several stories high and revealed a video wall of a starfield of lights in the form of an animated bird on a black background. At the top of the stage, high over the audience, McCartney delivered the song that has inspired singer/songwriters all over the planet to pick up a guitar and learn to play these challenging chords. To be present this night and hear it straight from the source was truly moving.

If you were there, you understand there is no way to put into words how wonderful this show felt. You may be able to find clips or maybe even the entire concert on YouTube, and that might give you a glimpse of how the songs sounded and what was generally happening on stage, but there was an immersive blanket of sound and laser lights that just can’t be captured on any media. Sir Paul McCartney was talking to us like we were his friends and passing down stories like an elder might share with the youth to keep the stories alive for future generations. The end of the night was drawing near as McCartney addressed the audience saying, “We’ve had a great time, but there comes a time when we’ve got to go home…and it ends up the same time you’ve got to go home too.” He took a moment to thank the traveling stage crew, many of them he even thanked by name, and then closed the night with the apropos medley of “Golden Slumbers”, “Carry That Weight”, and “The End”.

(Author’s Note – I used to sing “Golden Slumbers” as a lullaby to my kids when they were babies, so this song was very special to me.)  

The last lyric of the night seemed to sum up the overarching positive message from Paul McCartney to the world:

“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

Amid a rain of red, white, and blue confetti and streamers the show came to a physical end, but the memories of this chance encounter with a legendary icon will live on in our hearts and minds.

Photo Gallery

Photographer: Mark Greenawalt

Paul McCartney – Talking Stick Resort Arena 6-26-19

Photography © Mark Greenawalt. All Rights Reserved

Cast for the Evening

  • Paul McCartney – Lead vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, piano, electric guitar, ukulele, mandolin
  • Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens – Backing vocals, keyboards, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bongos, percussion, harmonica, accordion
  • Abe Laboriel Jr. – Backing vocals, drums, percussion
  • Rusty Anderson – Backing vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar
  • Brian Ray – Backing vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass

    Plus guest appearance by 3-piece horn section

Setlist

  • A Hard Day’s Night 
  • Junior’s Farm 
  • Can’t Buy Me Love 
  • Letting Go 
  • Who Cares
  • Got to Get You Into My Life 
  • Come On to Me 
  • Let Me Roll It 
  • I’ve Got a Feeling 
  • Let ‘Em In 
  • My Valentine
  • Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
  • Maybe I’m Amazed
  • I’ve Just Seen a Face 
  • In Spite of All the Danger 
  • From Me to You
  • Dance Tonight 
  • Love Me Do
  • Blackbird 
  • Here Today
  • Queenie Eye 
  • Lady Madonna 
  • Eleanor Rigby 
  • Fuh You
  • Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
  • Something
  • Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
  • Band on the Run
  • Back in the U.S.S.R.
  • Let It Be
  • Live and Let Die
  • Hey Jude

Encore:

  • Birthday
  • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
  • Helter Skelter
  • Golden Slumbers
  • Carry That Weight
  • The End