I’ve been keeping a secret of sorts for the last week from you all. It has to do with music so I hope none of you are too shocked… I have two shows lined up this week that I am attending.
Tomorrow I am headed to Columbus to one of them.
Who am I seeing you ask? Good question.
First let me tell you who I am seeing this Saturday with Matt and two of my out of town friends…
On the night of Gaslight Anthem a couple of weeks ago Matt gazed into my eyes and asked “do you like Mastodon and would you be interested in catching them in a couple weeks?” My answer was of course yes. The show is sold out at the Beachland in Cleveland and until Matt hooked me up I really thought I was not going at all. My friends Shannon and Josh from West Virginia reached out to me a month ago stating they were driving all the way up here to see them. I told them we would all go so it will be even more enjoyable now.
A lot of people are loving Mastodon’s new album Crack the Skye with the progressive metal wizard rock. Some on the other hand think the band went soft because this album is not as hard as the others and there is actually harmonic singing this time. I think it is awesome and from what I heard the band will be playing the entire Crack the Skye album start to finish during one set followed a second set full of older material. I can not wait! The CD is one of my favorite releases so far this year.
Still wondering who I am seeing tomorrow? I will give you a couple of hints…
-I am not a fan at all
-Under normal circumstances I would not be caught dead at this type of show
-I own nothing by this artist
So if I am not a fan and would not want to be caught dead at this show then why am I going you wonder?
Well I used to be a part of an alt-girl pin up website where I met a lot of cool people. After leaving I stayed in touch with a few of the members who were more so friends. Actually Shannon and Josh, my WV pals, are from the site. Anyways one of the guys on the site went by the name Prendick. He and I became good friends while I was on that site and continued to keep in touch after I left.
Prendick had something happen to him last week that will change his life forever. To respect his privacy I will not discuss what happened but he reached out to me last week saying he had tickets to a show in Columbus and asked if I would take the place of someone. Under the circumstances I told him of course I would attend.
Brokenheadphones at a Britney Spears concert??? Yes, I laugh at it too but I am actually looking forward to it now. Mostly I am looking forward to hanging out with Prendick but I have been told the show has been entertaining. I will do my best to take a few photos and post them here.
So this week is all about pop rock and metal. This shockingly is not the first time I have been through something like this.
Years ago during the same week I saw Pink and a couple days later Slayer. I remember sitting 4th rock center at the Pink show surrounded by screaming girls in pink shirts as I slammed beers and wore a CKY shirt. Pink actually looked at me for a second because I stuck out so bad.
Anything is possible I guess.
Have you ever been to a live show that you did not tell your friends about or have you ever gone to a show that you never in your life thought you would? I want to know!
I just viewed a clip of an amazing video taken from a Bruce Springsteen live show recently where he brought punk rock legend Mike Ness on stage to play “Bad Luck”. Have you seen it?
This was just another one of those random concert highlights made possible by a live show with a performer who had a good idea for the evening and the fans who were all in attendance that night now have ultimate bragging rights as they can say “I was there.”
I have always been a fan of live shows and will always be. It’s one of those things in life that I enjoy doing and can not see myself quitting anytime soon. The atmosphere alone with screaming fans and endless smiles makes the experience worth returning to. I love being a part of the evening and telling friends what I saw the next day followed by a bold “I was there” bragging statement about something only the ticket holders that night got to see before anyone else.
I admit I do not attend as many shows as I used to but I still make an effort to hit a few local venues and festivals every year just to keep the momentum going. If a band I am a fan of rolls through town I do what I can to make arrangements to get to the venue that night to see them.
When not driving downtown to see shows I like to occasionally listen to a live show from the comfort of my home. It’s easy to say I would rather be in a packed club listening to live music as the experience is like none other, but sometimes just hanging out at home is good enough as well.
Having a decent collection of live albums I thought I would narrow things down a bit and ask myself:
What Are My Top 10 Live Punk Rock Albums?
Scratch that…
What Are My Top 12 Live Punk Rock Albums?
Twelve is much better of a number to work with where there is so many live CDs to choose from.
Sure I could have a top live shows list from all genres but that would take me forever. As a music lover there are a ton of recorded shows out there that I own or have listened to that have had a huge impact on me. I think it would be best to start with baby steps with the genre of music that means the most to me; punk rock. I also decided to keep it to actual releases by record labels and include no bootlegs (although I have some amazing live shows that never were released…)
After pondering this question for a couple of days I soon realized how hard this was for me to answer. I had a nice sized list of live shows in my head but found it was no easy task to narrow down. For the record, this was a very difficult list to compile for me as a fan. There are so many other bands that deserve to be on this list but these top twelve mean the most to me.
In no particular order I here are my top twelve live punk rock CDs:
Social Distortion – Live At The Roxy Mike Ness and crew always put on a good live show and this CD is listening proof. Having been a long time fan of this band it was clear that this CD needed to be on my list. Mike Ness more than a punk rock legend, the guy, to me, is a god and will be playing his heart out on stages all over the world until he is 100 years old. I will never grow tired of this CD ever.
NOFX – I Heard They Suck Live Without a doubt this was one of the most entertaining live CDs I have ever heard. I remember buying the cassette and playing it over and over memorizing even the talking in between songs. NOFX puts on a fine show as well featuring all sorts of independent hits. I find it humorous that I list this CD directly after Social D because this show was played at the Roxy as well to a crowd of rowdy fans. If you have not heard it you are missing out, unless you are not a fan of NOFX.
The Clash –From Here To Eternity Live Ok I am sure you are wondering why this album has a big line through it. Truth is I loved this CD for years until I heard a recent live release…
The Clash –Live At Shea Stadium Now before you all jump on me and remind me that this CD is just The Clash (minus the original drummer) playing more popular songs hear me out. This show was not even a headlining show (they were opening for The Who) and the year was 1982; right about the time The Clash was headed on a downward spiral the would lead to the dismissal of the group. The set was shorter than their other live CDs but to me it was a great listen start to finish. I have listened to this CD a lot since it was released and it has made me reignite my love for one of the greatest punk bands of my time.
The Dead Kennedy’s – Live At The Deaf Club Just thinking of how this shoe was recorded in 1983 still amazes me. My first and only taste of a live performance by this band was when I heard the improv “Night Of The Living Rednecks” on Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death. I was sucked in by Jello Biafra’s method of story telling on this track and of course a fan of The Dead Kennedy’s so it was more or less a bonus to me when a full length live CD was finally released. It also kills me that I was 2 years old when this concert took place. I’d love to hear from someone who was at this show just to hear their personal experience.
Ramones – Loco Live Do I really need to explain myself here? Over thirty quick punk rock classics on one CD from the band that started punk rock in the states. I don’t think many folk can disagree that this CD belongs in anyone’s live punk CD list. It’s not top quality but it sure is fun as hell.
Bad Religion – Tested This CD was not added into my collection for quite some time mainly because the CD was not readily available locally to me. Once I did get my hands on it though it became one of my favorite CDs to listen to by Bad Religion. I loved how the band recorded this CD, by plugging directly into their mics which in turn eliminated a lot of the crowd making for a more solid listen. With a solid setlist and exceptional performance by the punk rockers this is one of my favorite love CDs out there.
Flogging Molly – Alive Behind The Green Door This Irish punk rock act is, without a doubt, one of the greatest bands to see live in my opinion. One thing I love about this disc is that it was released before any of their studio albums and recorded at Molly Malones, the bar where this band got their start. There are not a lot of bands out there that have followed this approach by releasing a CD full of songs that later would be studio recorded on to various releases over the years. The performance is clearly under the influence but ever so much fun.
Misfits – Evilive The recording of this live show is horrible yet I love it. It is about the closest listen I have ever gotten to true live Misfits from back in the day. I did once witness the Misfits when Michael Graves took over the singing duties but it was no Glen Danzig and spite the good time I had it was not a genuine Misfits experience. This is a show I only dreamed of saying “I was there.” Full of classic songs, I also loved hearing Henry Rollins guest sing on “We Are 138.”
Death By Stereo – Death Alive Many people may have not heard this CD when it first released as it was first given out for free with issues of the Volume 3 issue of Law of Inertia magazine in 2003. In 2007 the live performance was reissued by the band as Law Of Inertia went out of print and many fans missed out on this incredible recording. If you are a fan Death By Stereo or just good wholesome hardcore punk you really should check out this CD. This benefit show is full of so much energy I am surprised no one was hurt in the recording of it.
Face To Face – Live: Face To Face Trevor Keith and crew have always had a special place in my punk rock heart. I love this band, always will, and this CD is listening proof of how great they are. The songs are all raw and full of energy and just impress track after track. When I think of a live album that I could listen to over and over again this is the one.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Live From The Middle East Ska is not dead, never was, never will be. Ska may not be very popular these days but if you are a fan of the genre I suspect will be making a comeback soon, I am sure you know who the Bosstones are and very well have heard this CD. The performance contained in this CD makes it worthy of multiple listens. Such a great CD from beginning to end.
Against Me! – Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live In London!!! Singing and shouting and good times for all on this CD. If you only have New Wave in your collection I think it would be best to put that down and go out and find this CD. I find myself singing along as if I were actually at the show while listening to this CD. That to me is a good live album.
Again, this list was so hard to compile. I would make a list of a whole bunch of band’s live CDs and then start crossing them out once I thought of another. I am sure I will be hearing from a lot of folk telling me I missed someone and at that time I will smack myself in the head and hate myself for 9 seconds because I forgot about a phenomenal show. I am ok with that though because I know there are a lot of awesome shows out there. A lot of artists can be put in this list but after all, it is my top 12.
I’d love to hear what your top 12, 10, even 2 are! As music fans we are entitled to what we like and sharing the love for music is a great thing.
The weather finally broke free of the evil cold chill the other day and boy did I take advantage of it.
I have an interesting work schedule so I have Thursdays and Fridays off. That my friends is my weekend and I made damn sure I was out doing things the entire time.
On Thursday I did the typical cleaning of the house and jammed out to some good tunes while doing so. I headed to Big Lots and picked up a receiver shelf I had my eye on for a while now so I could make my living room look less of a dorm room (I had 2 TV stands in there before – classy).
After putting the shelving unit together in one try I took my boys for a walk around the neighborhood and just soaked in the good weather.
That night I finally had the chance to meet up with Matt and pick up the records he so kindly purchased for me on Record Store Day while I was working. As a special thank you I brought him a gift, something he was looking for…
The vinyls he scored for me were awesome and I could not wait to get home and listen to them. I am not even sure if I am going to open a couple of them as they are collectors items for sure.
I also brought a box of old magazines and such from the 90’s I collected and later stored at my parent’s house. Matt had a smile that looked like he was opening J-Day presents when he starting going through all the back issues. I’ll let him explain why later.
After catching up for a bit and what not we headed to Angelo’s Pizza on Madison for some grub. If you are ever in the mood for pizza and find yourself on the west side of Cleveland I think it would be in your best interest to stop at this joint. We shared an amazing seafood pizza, which I might add intimidated me at first because I did not think it could be done. I have a new favorite pizza now. The crust alone is like eating breadsticks. I am serious about to call off work right now and head out there for lunch…
Friday I was the landscaper of sorts and mowed my lawn for the first time this year. I love having a lawnmower with a bag on it so I can just vacuum up all the leaves and sticks I missed cleaning up last month. After I did a so-so job I spent a few hours with these guys playing:
See that blue ball? Sweet Lou (the tan dog) is addicted to it. Seriously, I call it the crack ball because he is obsessive about it and will cry if he can not play with it. He chews on it like it is bubble gum and will try and bring it to you when he wants to play “ball”, but usually he grabs it and runs away when I reach for it. The good thing about “ball” is that it keeps his attention and he stays in my unfenced yard and I can do my thing around it without having to chain him up. The bad thing is trying to get him away from the “ball” when it is time to go in or what not.
After a couple hours of playing “ball” the infamous ((RAD))am stopped by and him and I headed out to go thrifting. It was a good day for thrifting and I scored a few select apparel items that will make me look super cool.
From there we swung back to my house to pick up a beautiful lady who just got home from class and headed for some Skyline Chili. It was the first thing I had ate all day and furthermore the last too. I stuffed myself silly.
The cutest girl on the block I had the pleasure of taking to lunch soon got called into her job so after lunch we headed back to the house and ((RAD))am split to go impress the ladies with his sweet Jeep. I just hung around the house and tried my best to get my record player working on my new receiver and finally discovered I need to buy a preamp…boo.
The weather was perfect and I know I got a lot more done than I listed here but I do not want to bore you.
Today sucks though… I have to work the next 5 days, 10 hour shifts. I am not looking forward to it but I am looking forward to next weekend when my friends Josh and Shannon come invade Ohio so we can caravan to a metal show. More on that later.
Roadrunner Records and CKY (Camp Kill Yourself) are bringing their fans an early sneak peek of their new album, Carver City, with a FREE mp3 download of “Hellions On Parade” starting on 4/15. The digital single goes up for sale on 4/21 but you can hear it first at ckyalliance.com and roadrunnrerrecords.com! Just visit the page and supply your email address and you will get the download in return…
I’ve have been a longtime fan of CKY and I have Bam Margera‘s CKY skate videos to thank for that. Back in 2000 a kid I worked with at Borders found out I liked skateboarding and made me a VHS tape that had Landspeed : CKY & CKY2K on it. I remember taking that tape home and watching it twice. Once for the shock factor and hilarity and the second time to find out more about some of the music that was chosen for the soundtrack.
One band in particular on the videos was CKY. For those of you who may not know, CKY is a band that Bam Margera’s older brother Jess drums for. The band caught my ear in a good way and before I knew it I was doing everything I could to find their CD.
It’s been 4 years since the band last released new material so needless to say I am really looking forward to their new material.
While I am on the subject I might as well tell you all a little story about stupid ol’ me…
I think it was October 2002, in fact I am pretty sure it was then. CKY came to Cleveland and I was overexcited to finally see them live. They played Peabody‘s in Cleveland with Atreyu and other bands on a week night and I made sure I bought 2 tickets seeing how I missed them the previous time they played at Blossom Music Center opening for some band that does not come to mind. For all I know they played Cleveland even before then but I missed it… The point being, I finally got to see this band that I quickly became a huge fan of.
It turned out that CKY brought along their friends Ryan Dunn and Rake Yohn from Jackass fame and being the generous guy I was I bought them drinks. A lot of drinks. I also drank a lot and I mean A LOT. Drinking with people on shows I adore is fun. Forgetting how much I actually drank before I left was not fun; more on that in a second.
I befriended former CKY touring bassist Vernon Zaborowski that night who kindly introduced me to the band before their show (more on him at the very end of this blog). We chatted and drank and drank some more. I felt like I was a rock star that night…woo.
Let me stop here. I am pretty sure the following clip is an exact portrayal of how I was…
I’ve learned that when you drink a lot you do not act how you think you do… For all I know I could have been annoying the hell out of the band. I know drunk people annoy me these days and I don’t even drink anymore! Point being, I am pretty sure I was making an ass of myself that night.
Throughout the night I hung around the bar with Ryan Dunn, Rake Yohn, and the lead singer of Atreyu even, who by the way was really nice as well. I don’t even think I left the bar stool while CKY played. I was too busy talking and sharing drinks with Ryan Dunn and Rake Yohn. I watched the band from afar and kept to my debauchery.
I do remember CKY owning the night. They sounded amazing live and had more energy on stage than I had seen in any band for years. The fans, or CKY Alliance, were full forced as well surrounding the stage and singing along with fists in the air. It was indeed a rock show that night.
After the impressive show my friend and I were invited upstairs to hang with CKY some more. One of the members, I think it was Chad Ginsburg, later asked me if I was ok to drive home when we were saying goodbye. I thought I was, my friend who went with me thought I was too…
I should have listened to Chad Ginsburg because apparently I was not.
That night I got my first, only, and last DUI. I honestly thought I was ok to drive or else I never would have gotten behind the wheel. I was not too far from home when I was pulled over. When I got out of the car I suddenly felt real drunk. Being the honest guy I am, I admitted drinking and when I felt myself stumbling I just gave up and was arrested.
I regret my poor decision in life and paid my fines, did my time, and moved on with life being a little smarter with how I do things.
A couple years later CKY returned to Peabody’s and the band remembered me. Chad Ginsburg asked me if I ever made it home that night. When I told him no he, rightfully so, laughed and took me back to tell the rest of the band. We had a good laugh at my expense.
True story. I am an idiot, got hammered with CKY, and got a DUI as a result. Let this be a lesson to you kids. If you want to get hammered with a band, go ahead, but make sure you have a sober friend who will drive your drunk ass home. It is a lot cheaper.
Speaking of cheap. How about free videos?
I was wondering what ever happened to Vern and found out he is currently in a band called Eastern Conference Champions. Check them out on their MySpace page.
