Good Rockin’ with Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators

October 26, 2015 DK Leave a comment

Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash with Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators performed Sunday night to a packed house at “The Warfield” in San Francisco in support of their new album “Live At The Roxy”. For the past 30 years, Slash has been at the forefront of creating some of the most powerful hard rock we all know and love. From Guns N’ Roses, Slash’s Snakepit, Velvet Revolver, his Solo project and now with Myles Kennedy, whom he met during his solo album in 2010, Slash’s unique style and sound has kept center stage in the classic rock world.

Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators' setlist at the Warfield. To see more setlists from the band go to . — Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators’ setlist at the Warfield. To see more setlists from the band go to setlist.fm.

What an amazing show. Slash has surrounded himself with top shelf musicians that allow him to be Slash and just rock the guitar. From the opening song, “You’re A Lie” to the last “Paradise City”; Slash set the world on fire with his furious guitar playing. He is the best guitarist I have ever seen live. When he brought out the double neck guitar with acoustic and electric strings to play “Civil War” and “Anastasia”, it was absolutely amazing. Their GNR cover of “Rocket Queen” stretched out 20+ minutes where Slash again shines where you’re left wanting more. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” came as a surprise when they played it towards the end of the show. They had just played excellent renditions of “Rocket Queen”, “Bent To Fly”, “World On Fire” and “Anastasia” and while I’m still trying to digest what I had just heard, they powered into “Sweet Child O’ Mine” causing the crowd to go insane. I must admit, I’ve heard that song at least a thousand times over the years, and I usually don’t seek out to listen, but to witness live was a whole other experience. It’s like rediscovering a song you forgot about. You know that feeling. The live version was that powerful. There setlist leaned more to Slash’s solo and Myles Kennedy work with the remaining setlist of GNR and 1 song by VR “Slither”. Slash played in his usual spot right of center stage allowing his bandmates the freedom to roam. In fact, Slash did not have a mic and finally spoke to the crowd towards the end of the set to introduce Myles Kennedy. Slash chose to let his guitar do the talking.

Slash has found a diamond in the rough with Myles Kennedy. A current member of Alter Bridge (Creed minus Scott Stapp) and formerly of Mayfield 4, Myles has finally gained the recognition he deserves as one of rock music most outstanding vocalists. Myles vocal range allows him to sing GNR and VR classics while making the songs his own. He doesn’t try to impersonate Axl Rose and Scott Weiland’s sound and style. He must be living a dream writing new music and being in a successful band with Slash. I must mention the Conspirators with Todd Kerns on bass, Frank Sidous on rhythm guitar and Brent Frits playing drums. This is a tight rhythm section which allows Slash to concentrate on his guitar and not concern himself with managing the band during the show. Todd has been showcased on 2 songs “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Doctor Alibi” providing lead vocals on the live album and on tour. He does a fantastic job on the covers providing high energy to the setlist.

I look forward to many more years of Slash creating music adding to his already impressive collection of music. There is a possibility of a GNR reunion in the near future which has potential to knock planet earth off its axis, which will give global warming a whole new meaning.

Concert Reviews, Funk Rock, Rock

Kravitz Jams at the Greek

October 25, 2015 Mikaela Leave a comment

I had the pleasure of seeing Lenny Kravitz at the Greek theater in Berkeley on September 13, 2015.

This was my first concert at this venue and I was so impressed with the set up and seating arrangement. It didn’t seem like there was a bad spot in the whole venue to watch the show. The upper seats were steep, but helped add to what felt like a pretty intimate location despite the thousands of people there.

Lenny played for a solid 2 to 2.5 hours and played a vast selection of hits from his early albums and off of the newer albums as well. He was energetic and engaging with the crowd as well as his band. You could tell how much fun they were having together and feeding off the crowd by the way the show changed from just a show to a jam session. A lot of the songs morphed from just a live version of the song into a ten minute solo / jam session that all of the musicians were feeding off of. There was so much spontaneous funk / rock happening between songs that Lenny played straight through what would of been his encore. He stated that that’s what happens when you are playing real music and not off a computer- you jam so hard your run out of time. I couldn’t agree more.

I can not find a set list from this show online. A few of my favorites that he played were let love rule and are you gonna go my way.

Overall this show was one of my favorites this far because of the amazing venue and energy of Lenny and his band and the crowd.

Concert Reviews, Heavy Metal

Trivium and Tremonti put on a Fireworks Display at the Reno, NV Knitting Factory

October 25, 2015 Logan Leave a comment

Lead singer and guitar player, Mark Tremonti

The electric night at the Reno, NV Knitting Factory kicked off with a spectacular set from Tremonti. The band opened their set with the title track off their second album, Cauterize. Opening with Cauterize set the theme for the show by showing the ability of the band to play some clearly thrash influenced songs while mixing in some songs with incredible melodies and sometimes songs with both characteristics. Cauterize being one of the latter. After Cauterize, Tremonti turned up the heat by playing a few songs leaning toward the thrash side from their first album, All I Was. The change in pace from the melodic songs that Mark Tremonti is known to write, from his days as chief song writer in Creed, created a circle pit that would not let up until the conclusion of the show. Intermixed within all of the great songwriting, Tremonti’s guitar sorcery was a spectacle to behold. Intermixing incredibly fast solos with melodic that you can sing to the man is a force on the guitar.

Tremonti's setlist for their co-headlining show at the Knitting Factory in Reno, NV — Tremonti’s setlist for their co-headlining show at the Knitting Factory in Reno, NV

Towards the middle of the set, Tremonti unveiled some more of the melodic tracks from the repertoire. Including songs such as The Things I’ve Seen, Providence, and Dark Trip. To my surprise, Tremonti passed off some of the lead guitar duties to Rhythm Guitarist, Eric Friedman. Eric impressed with some tasty blues licks that showed that he is more than just a Rhythm guitar player.

The final quarter of the show included what I think is the highlight of Tremonti’s set, Brains. Off of All I Was, Brains put the unison of the rhythm section and the incredible vocal delivery center stage and showed how much more power one song could have live than recorded. The set concluded with the thrashiest song in Tremonti’s repertoire, Wish You Well. After an incredible set from Tremonti I could not believe that there was another headlining act to follow.

Trivium's setlist for their co-headlining show at the Knitting Factory in Reno, NV — Trivium’s setlist for their co-headlining show at the Knitting Factory in Reno, NV

Trivium continued the night of melodic heavy music with the title track off of their brand new album, Silence in the Snow. Typically known for his incredible screaming on earlier albums, Matt Heafy, Lead Singer and Lead/Rhythm guitarist, displayed his incredible clean vocals during Silence in the Snow which I thought could not be replicated from the album. Following Silence in the Snow, the band’s performance of Down from the Sky ignited a mosh pit that would burn for the rest of the set. More fuel was added to the fire with the guitar virtuosity and epically heavy breakdown of Becoming the Dragon.

Towards the middle of the set, Trivium introduced their lead single off of Silence in the Snow, Until the World Goes Cold. Until the World Goes Cold encapsulated what Trivium is about at this point in their careers with excellent vocal harmonies from bassist Paolo Gregoletto in addition to the sweet guitar harmonies between Matt Heafy and lead guitarist Corey Beaulieu. The guitar virtuosity continued with an incredible performance from Corey in the always pleasing A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation. This was not the only time that Corey’s lead playing was impressive. He also dazzled during Becoming the Dragon and Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr. Trivium concluded their phenomenal performance with the title track from their fifth album, In Waves. The band displayed excellent stage presence throughout the show and did not disappoint.

I felt that the pairing of Tremonti and Trivium by the HardDrive Live was a good move. It brought together two bands who have a very different approach to metal. Tremonti’s sound being more melodic and closer to hard rock while Trivium’s sound being closer to the extreme genres of metal. Going into the show, I was already a huge fan of both of these artists, but I can’t help but think that if you attended the show to see one band that you would leave being a fan of both. You can get Trivium’s new album, Silence in the Snow and Tremonti’s new album, Cauterize at their respective websites or on iTunes and Amazon.

Corey Beaulieu (left) and Matt Heafy (right) trading guitar solos during A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation

Concert Reviews, Hard Rock

Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators: Setting the World on Fire, One Explosive Lick at a Time

October 25, 2015 Jennifer Leave a comment

Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators played a headlining show at the Warfield in San Francisco, CA on October 18, 2015. The band includes Brent Fitz on drums, Frank Sidous on guitar, Todd Kerns on bass and vocals, Myles Kennedy on vocals and some guitar, and of course Slash on lead guitar.

This band performed a rock show that left me awestruck. They are tight, and it is evident they enjoy playing music together. The set list was a great mix of old and new, including some Guns with no Rose epic anthems, with Todd Kerns taking the lead vocals on Doctor Alibi and Welcome to the Jungle and Myles Kennedy on You Could Be Mine, Civil War, Rocket Queen, Sweet Child O’ Mine, and Paradise City. Both performers vocalized masterfully, with power and passion. (I did not miss Axl).

Myles Kennedy has an incredible rock voice and a sensual presence, and when he sings Bent to Fly with this band I feel completely enthralled, similar to how I felt when I saw a young Robert Plant perform, though not to the Whole Lotta Love level. I understand that Myles tried out for Led Zeppelin after they played at the O2 arena in 2007, when Plant determined he wanted to focus on his solo career. Jimmy and John Paul, dial Myles digits! I would love to see Myles try some Led Zeppelin, because I feel like his voice and performance combined with those lyrics and music could knock us to our knees.

Some of my favorites from the show were Civil War, with Slash on the double necked guitar and Rocket Queen with a killer solo (how can anyone play like that for so long?). Slash is incredible. Also loved Slither from Velvet Revolver, Halo, Bent to Fly- still playing in my mind. “..the sky is calling, wind is at my shoulders….”, World on Fire, and Anastasia.

Don’t miss this explosive rock show. You can find tour dates near you on Slash’s website.

Concert Reviews, Hard Rock

Kyng Crushes for Small Crowd at Brick by Brick

October 13, 2015 Logan 1 Comment

Kyng headlined a four band bill at Brick by Brick in San Diego on October 10th. The bill also included: Clean Room, Dirty Work, and Quor. It became obvious that most of the show’s attendees were there to see Quor, a local San Diego band who blends the styles of heavy metal and indie to achieve a unique sound, since most of the patrons left before Kyng’s set even started. And I’ll tell you, what a mistake.

Kyng's setlist for their show at Brick by Brick in San Diego, CA. — Kyng’s setlist for their show at Brick by Brick in San Diego, CA.

Kyng opened their set with their title track off their second album, Burn the Serum, seemingly unfazed by the lack of attendance for their headlining show. Despite being a three piece, Kyng produced an incredibly sweet sound while maintaining a heavy hard rock/metal energy. In particular, Eddie Veliz, lead singer and guitar player, was incredible. The guitar tone that he has achieved in a live setting has to be one of the best around and on top of the guitar sound the man can sing with the best of them. His vocal performance during Self Medicated Man was dazzling. However, Eddie’s performance didn’t over shadow the rest of the band. The rhythm section of Tony Castaneda (bassist) and Pep Clarke (drums) pummeled you throughout the set with tasty grooves and some faster double bass and borderline blast beat sections. Kyng’s set even included a cover of Van Halen’s Hot for Teacher where Tony and Eddie (Veliz) traded off vocal duties that would have made David Lee Roth dance the night away.

The band was obviously disappointed in the turn out for their show. Eddie made numerous comments throughout the show about the lack of people present for their set and how most everyone was there to see Quor. However, low attendance did not impact their performance and most likely led to a few new fans that will support Kyng in the future.

If you have never heard of Kyng you should pick up their second album, Burn the Serum, and be on the lookout for their third album which is supposed to be released sometime during 2016. You can find Kyng’s albums for sale and tour dates on their website. Do not hesitate to go to a Kyng show if they are playing in your area. You will not be disappointed.

Concert Reviews

AC/DC at AT&T Park San Francisco, CA

October 4, 2015 Logan 1 Comment

This show had two firsts for me, it was the first time I would be going to a stadium show and I was seeing AC/DC perform for the first time. The show appeared to be sold out, easily 70,000+ in attendance. I thought that the atmosphere that AT&T Park provided was outstanding. I would not have wanted to see the show anywhere else. I knew going into the show that AC/DC was going to sound good, but I didn’t think it would sound as good as it did. The clarity of each instrument while maintaining a sound as a band was exceptional. Although, I felt that it could have been louder since I love the vibrations you feel from Marshall Stacks and crushing drums. This is really a minor complaint and didn’t take much of anything away from the experience overall. I was a little a little surprised with the lack of frontmanning going on with Brian Johnson. I can’t recall any time during the set that he interacted with the crowd between songs. That must be the benefit of being one of the biggest bands on the planet, you don’t have to engage the crowd since there isn’t any need to! I was impressed with the way Brian and Angus flew around the massive stage the whole night at their age. They exerted a lot of energy and the crowd matched their energy. I was also impressed by the showmanship of Angus. He did everything that he would have done back in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, the signature duck walk, the spinning in circles on the ground, and the interaction with the crowd. I can’t seem to think of many guitar players who are on his level in the showmanship category. I’d say that this show checked all the boxes in being one of the most memorable shows that I have seen. The only way this show could have been better is if Malcom was healthy and able to perform with the band.

September 25th 2015 Rock or Bust Tour, AT&T Park San Francisco. To see other AC/DC setlists visit setlist.fm

I am happy that they are pushing their new album Rock or Bust with them performing three songs. I don’t like it when bands become a pure nostalgia act without anything new to offer. I would have liked to see a couple more deeper cuts, maybe another song off of Powerage, maybe some Problem Child from Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, a song or two from Flick of the Switch. It has to be really hard for them to choose a setlist. They have so many hits that they have to play and a gigantic catalog to fill the other remaining slots with. With only twenty songs they don’t have much room for deep cuts.

There were so many great moments during the show, the bone chilling opening of Hells Bells, the energy and speed of Whole Lotta Rosie, the shred fest that is Let There be Rock, the crowd involvement of TNT. My highlight was the performance of Sin City. The execution was fantastic and sounded better than the original recording!

Kiff Rocks

Monthly Archives: October 2015