OUR LADY PEACE WAS AMAZING!

7/29/09 Well! Well! Well! As anticipated, Our Lady Peace was AMAZING last night!! What an outstanding show they put on at the Troubadour, complete with Raine Maida doing his best Bono impersonation by climbing the club's rafters to get to the balcony during their song "All You Did Was Save My Life" from their new album, Burn Burn.

My thanks to Raine for our excellent conversation before the show, and to the band for putting on a kickass rock concert. Seriously…….GO SEE THESE GUYS LIVE!!!!

7/27/09 Last night I once again had the pleasure of seeing my friend George Thorogood at the gorgeous Greek Theatre. As always, GT kicked ass on stage, and we shared great conversation backstage after the show. It was also very cool to run into several old friends, including Jim Ladd and Cynthia Fox from KLOS, Roxane Requio, KLOS promotions guruess extraordinaire, and her husband.
And as an added bonus, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with another former Hawthorne High School alum: Susan Smeltzer. Susan accepted a very last-minute invite from me to join me for the show. We shared a fantastic show, killer seats, and lots of interesting conversation.

Tomorrow night it's Our Lady Peace at the Troubadour. I can't wait to speak with my old friend, lead singer Raine Maida, before the show, and I'm so looking forward to seeing them live again.

GEORGE THOROGOOD and JONNY LANG

7/25/09 Following my amazing night Tuesday at the spectacular Greek Theatre with the Counting Crows, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and Augustana, and tonight's show with The Rescues at the world famous Troubadour, I'll be right back at the Greek Theatre this Sunday for a night with one of my favorite people – and guitar players – George Thorogood. along with his special guest Jonny Lang. GT & the Destroyers' new album, the oh-so aptly titled The Dirty Dozen (don't tell anyone, but George is a HUGE Lee Marvin fan!), is in stores this Tuesday, July 28, and this sucker is packed with more hits (6) than Mike Tyson's fists, and more rarities (6) than a Chicago Cubs World Series win. And I can say that because I'm a lifelong, therefore, long suffering, Cubs fan. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with George to talk about The Dirty Dozen for my online series called Current Classics Conversations. Listen to our chat here. (Link coming soon!) And I'll see you at the Greek!!!

HEELING HAND: SORUM STEERS STILETTOS TO STARDOM!

7/17/09 Former Guns N' Roses, The Cult, and now current Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum has well, dug his heels into a new rock and roll side project dubbed the Darling Stilettos, a four member group of gorgeous girls who sing, dance, shimmy, and shake their way through a series of classic rock covers. The group performed last night at Cinespace in Hollywood, on Hollywood Blvd, in front of what could be described as a stack of women jealous of these girls' voices, bodies, and moves, and a pack of men jealous of Sorum for being such a lucky bastard! All in all, the entire crowd enjoyed what they heard, saw, and experienced. Here's my review:

HEELING HAND: SORUM STEERS STILETTOS TO STARDOM!
Studly Matt Sorum, former Guns N' Roses and The Cult drummer, and current stickman for Velvet Revolver, obviously knows a thing or two – or a thousand – about women and rock and roll. He's combined those two passions in his latest side project, the Darling Stilettos, a four female act that combines rock, raunch, dance and danger, much to the delight of men and woman alike. With Sorum on drums, Ace, Gina, Lindsey, and Allie strutted their stuff last night at Cinespace on Hollywood Blvd, wearing skin-tight black leather pants and barely there tops, and, as to be expected, stilettos, while singing classic rock anthems made so by bands such as Queen, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, T. Rex, David Bowie, The Clash, and the Sex Pistols, just to name a few. Historically, male rockers are said to have swagger; these sexy and sassy singers have an abundance of swagger with the added well, attraction of being able to shimmy and shake while belting a tune. As Sorum himself put it, while walking down the red carpet prior to the show, "This is Rock and Roll A-Go-Go." If you're into sex, pumps and rock and roll, the Darling Stilettos are a perfect fit!

VIDEO INTERVIEWS: Video 1 - Video 2 - Video 3

(AT THE KEY CLUB '08)

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD

7/15/09 If you've yet to experience the spiritual, tribal, communal feeling of seeing Michael Franti & Spearhead live in concert, do yourself a favor and catch him this Tuesday, July 21, at the equally spiritual, tribal, communal – and beautiful – Greek Theatre in the hills overlooking Los Angeles. Michael will be opening for the Counting Crows, so you'll get two incredible bands for the price of one. In fact, Augustana is also on the bill, so make it three! Only at the Greek!! Click here to hear a great conversation I had with Michael Franti earlier this year. And finally, pick up Michael Franti & Spearhead's current All Rebel Rockers album. If "Say Hey (I Love You)" doesn't immediately get you up and dancing, you need to check your pulse! See you at the Greek this Tuesday!!

KEATON SIMONS AT THE OPIUM LOUNGE

6/29/09 Singer-songwriter Keaton Simons tonight played a brief acoustic set at the Opium Lounge in Crustacean Restaurant in Beverly Hills. I'd never been to this venue before, and based on conversations I had with a few folks in attendance, it seemed like this may have been the first night ever music had been performed there. The setup in the room was a bit strange, with a mix of folks there for dinner, waiting for their tables, and those of us there strictly for the performance. Despite the unique surroundings, Keaton soldiered on, and delivered heartfelt performances of several songs found on his current Can You Hear Me (an appropriate title for tonight's performance, for sure) album. Standout songs from the CD, and tonight's performance, include "Without Your Skin," "Good Things Get Better," "Misfits," and the title track. Catch Keaton's cuts at www.keatonsimons.com. Thanks to my friend, April, for joining me tonight, and a special hello to my new friend, Lisa Hughes, whom I met this evening. It was a pleasure.

WARPED TOUR '09

6/28/09 Man, did Aly and I catch a break on the weather today at the Warped Tour stop in Ventura. This is the 3^rd or 4^th year Aly and I have covered and enjoyed the Ventura show, and each year it's been HOT!! VERY HOT!! Today, the ocean breeze was keeping the temperature down considerably. My thanks to Aly for videotaping my backstage interviews with Saosin, TV/TV, and Alexisonfire. I'm hoping I'll be able to share some of the footage here soon. Or I'll put it up on my website, www.currentclassics.com. All of these guys were very cool, and I enjoyed each of my brief conversations with them. For me, easily, the standout performance of the day was TV/TV. They have an excellent pop rock sensibility, and therefore are obviously much more melodic than most bands on the Warped Tour. And because this year's lineup didn't really include a real big name Aly and I wanted to see as a headliner, we left early, got lunch in downtown Ventura, and headed home. People, I was in bed by 10!!!!!! Next up: Keaton Simons tomorrow night.

ANGIE TURNS 25! and DRAMARAMA

6/27/09
HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY to my beautiful daughter, Angie!!! Last night a group of family members gathered at the Hard Rock Café at the Universal Studios City Walk for dinner and drinks. Today, Angie drove down to San Diego to continue her birthday celebration with friends.

And tonight, I went to the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip to see Dramarama, and hang out with my good friends John Easdale (singer, songwriter) and Mike Davis (bass). I brought along my sister Connie, my friend Erica Forster and her boyfriend. It's always fun to see Dramarama live because John is one of my favorite songwriters, and Mike works real hard onstage, while having a great time! Of course everyone knows Dramarama's biggest hit, "Anything, Anything," but I guarantee if you see them in concert, you will be blown away by what a powerful live band they are, and by the array of excellently crafted songs John's penned.



No rest for the wicked: tomorrow morning I'm off to the Warped Tour stop in Ventura, north of L.A. for some quality time with Aly, and some face-to-face time with a handful of bands. Yes, folks, the music never ends!!

6/26/09 I picked up a one-day job today, thanks to my beautiful friend, Tanya Hart from the American Urban Radio Network, to run sound for an all-day video shoot. The AURN partnered with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to shoot a series of public service announcements (PSA's) featuring a host of celebrities, encouraging the African-American community to get tested for HIV/AIDS. I was honored to be asked to help on such an important cause, and grateful for the opportunity to help. Some of the celebrities who stopped by to lend their voices – and in certain cases, considerably gorgeous face – included Angela Bassett, Iona Morris, Mateo, Laila Ali, Tamera Mowry, Jody Watley, Kevin Phillips, Fonzworth Bentley, Danny Granger, and the extremely beautiful Beverly Johnson. And they call this "work?" J Thank YOU, Tanya!

OUR LADY PEACE - RAINE MAIDA

6/25/09 As many of you know, I was fortunate enough during my days at Rockline to help kick start the careers of some of today's biggest bands. Collective Soul and Matchbox Twenty are just two examples. Our Lady Peace is a group who has achieved superstardom in their native Canada, but has yet to break it really big in America. Don't get me wrong, they've done OK, had a few songs on the charts, etc, but nothing to the degree of the two bands I noted above. Well hopefully that will all change with the July 21 release of Burn Burn, the band's 7^th studio album, and I believe one of their best. I'm predicting the album's first single, "All You Did Was Save My Life," will well, burn burn up the charts, and make these guys household names worldwide!! Lead singer Raine Maida is another one of a handful of musicians (rock stars) I'm blessed to say is a friend. He invited a tiny handful of people and me to his beautiful home studio here in L.A. tonight to hear songs from Burn Burn. Though we hadn't seen each other for years, it was as if we'd seen each other the night before. Raine is a very soft-spoken guy off stage – and in this case, at home – but he's anything but onstage! And I can't wait to see him and the band July 28 onstage at the Troubadour here in L.A. Again, Burn Burn arrives July 21: trust me, I'm sure you'll love what you hear in your own home just as much as what I heard tonight in Raine's home. Thanks again, my friend. It was great to see you again.

FATHER'S DAY, BBQ, and WILCO!

6/23/09 Following an uncharacteristically quiet week, capped by a beautiful Father's Day spent BBQing in the company of my two daughters at my sister Patty's house, last night Mark and I caught Wilco at the Wiltern (try saying that 10 times fast) Theatre. Both Mark and I are fans, but I'd never seen them in concert. Man, what a great, great show. The band was much louder than I'd expected, often playing big, brash tunes cranked up to 11, featuring a triple electric guitar attack I was not expecting. When I think of Wilco, I think more acoustic, more AAA, earthier, more twang. There was all of that as well, but the band flexed its muscle just as often as it turned down its amps. I'll say this: I'm a much bigger Wilco fan after last night's show.

UNRIVALED: RIVAL SONS BRINGS BACK BLUES-BASED ROCK!

6/13/09 What a day of diverse music I experienced yesterday. It began with my friend Todd Brodginski and I taking a quick road trip to Ventura, about 90 minutes north of L.A., to see perform and hang out with Brokedown Cadillac, a band I've written about in the past. These guys – and gal, lead singer Corri English – are as talented as they are cool. You can't beat a beautiful California day near the beach listening to great music and hanging out with great friends, old and new. My thanks again to Todd for inviting me to come along, and to Corri, Randy, Jeff, Don and Danny for the wonderful music and great conversation.

After the Brokedown Cadillac show, I hopped back into Todd's meticulously mechanically maintained BMW for the drive back to Hollywood for the Rival Sons show at The Roxy. WOW!!! I went in to the show with high expectations after hearing this young four-piece band's upcoming debut album, Before the Fire, and man, my expectations were met…and then some!! As Todd and my daughter Angie's boss, Mitch Schneider, the MS of MSO, the Mitch Schneider Organization, said several times during the set, these guys were almost too good to be true. If you miss hearing fresh classic rock (NOT an oxymoron with these guys) that takes you back to the early days of Led Zeppelin, Free, Cream and The Who, to name a few, then Rival Sons is the band for you. I can't wait to sit down and talk to these guys about their sound, their songs, and about what they have in their respective record collections!! In the meantime, here's my review of their show…"been a long time since I rock and rolled," indeed!

Profile Playlist by THE RIVAL SONS

UNRIVALED: RIVAL SONS BRINGS BACK BLUES-BASED ROCK! One of Led Zeppelin's greatest songs is "Thank You." Thank you is what Zeppelin fans, and classic rock fans of all ages will be saying to Rival Sons, a Los Angeles-based classic four-piece rock band that puts the "current" in "classic" with a sound and swagger so familiar, yet so fresh. If last night you'd walked into the world famous Roxy on the Sunset Strip and seen the size of the crowd on hand, you would have thought a veteran band with hordes of gold records on their walls and scores of sold-out stadiums under their belts would be headlining. If you'd walked in with your eyes closed and just heard the music coming off the stage, you still would have thought a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was playing a rare club gig. Rival Sons, a rock and roll recipe of Led Zeppelin, Free, Bad Company, and The Who, topped off with a little Cream, boogied through a bounty of blues-based gems off their forthcoming debut, Before the Fire, including the muscular-meets-psychedelic "Lucky Girl," the swampy "Memphis Sun," with singer Jay Buchanan channeling Paul Rodgers, "On My Way," a bluesy-Gospel concoction worthy of juke joint jukebox status, and "I Want More," an early Who influenced up-tempo rocker with more starts and stops than an L.A. freeway holiday weekend getaway, fueled by frenetic riff-filled Pete Townshend-like guitar, courtesy of Scott Holiday. Rounded out by a robust rhythm section consisting of Michael Miley on drums and Robin Everhart on bass, Rival Sons has no contemporary rivals to speak of, but easily rivals some of its rock and roll forefathers with its power, passion and panache. I want more, indeed!

BUTTERFLY BOUCHER

6/11/09 I had a doubly excellent night last night. I was blessed to reconnect with another one of my long lost dear friends, Kelly Winn, with whom I shared so many wonderfully wacky and fantastically fun nights during my days producing Rockline. Kelly worked with me there and she was always so much fun to hang out with. We'd lost touch for years and years, but through our mutual friend, April Gowdy, we got back in touch and I'm so happy we did. So Kelly went with me last night to see this wonderful artist, Butterfly Boucher, at my favorite L.A. Venue, the Hotel Café. But before I hooked up with Kelly for the show, I had a wonderful conversation with Butterfly, where we spoke in depth about her just released album, Scary Fragile. Her music is so hard to describe – and in this case, that's a VERY good thing – and yet so well, scarily familiar. Case in point: the very first line you hear on "I Found Out," the first song on the album, is: "I found out I can only be who I am." Sound familiar? I thought so. As engaging and fun as she was during our conversation, Butterfly was twice that later on stage. As I told her, the album's first single, "Gun For a Tongue," is as funky as it is spunky, and that just about sums up Butterfly Boucher herself. By the way, if you're a fan of Grey's Anatomy," you've probably already heard Butterfly. Some of her songs, including "A Bitter Song," have been played on the show, and she plays drums on Mat Kerney's "Breathe In, Breathe Out." Here's my review of last night's show:

SCARY GOOD: BUTTERFLY BOUCHER HAUNTS HOTEL CAFE!

Australian-born and now Nashville-based Butterfly Boucher last night played the second of her three-night residency at the Hotel Café in Hollywood, performing songs from her recently released second CD, Scary Fragile as well as her - as she called it – "old album," Flutterby. Highlights included "I Found Out," which features the profoundly personal yet unmistakably universal opening line, "I found out I can only be who I am," the album's first single, "Gun For a Tongue," which is as musically funky as it is lyrically spunky, "A Bitter Song" (featured on the ABC TV hit Grey's Anatomy), and the title track to Scary Fragile, which was produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Kelly Clarkson, The Strokes). Performing solo, using occasional backing tracks triggered by a foot pedal (no easy well, feat) Boucher commanded the stage and captivated the audience as if she were performing for 20,000 in an arena, something she already has experience at, having opened for Sarah McLachlan on her 2004 Afterglow tour. In a conversation before her set, Boucher, one of seven sisters, confessed she'd dreamed early in her life she would be performing in front of a lot of people some day. I pointed out that having been raised in a family of seven kids, anything she ever did she did in front of a lot of people! Whether she's in front of a house full of siblings, a club full of converts or an arena full of future fans, Boucher holds people's attention with her passionate songs and engaging personality. Last night was no exception…or so I found out. For more on Butterfly Boucher, visit www.myspace.com/butterflyboucher.

HOWARD LEESE - HEART GUITARIST

6/5/09 If Wednesday night at the Pennywise/Pepper show was as loud and aggressive an event as it can be, yesterday was the exact opposite. I had the pleasure of driving up the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway to the equally gorgeous Malibu, CA to spend some time conversing with Howard Leese, longtime Heart guitarist/producer, and most recently, guitarist and musical director for "The Voice," Paul Rodgers' band. Howard was kind enough to invite me to his beautiful home tucked in the Malibu hillside (what an INCREDIBLE view) to talk about his upcoming solo album, Secret Weapon. And I was lucky enough to have my dear, longtime (not OLD, right Cheri? J) friend, Cheri Smith join me to videotape our conversation. Look for it on www.currentclassics.com soon. As I told Cheri on the drive up, I've been blessed enough to have been invited to speak with several rock stars at their homes (Carlos Santana, Alice Cooper, Dave Mason, Carmine Appice, Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens, etc.), and it was wonderful to have our conversation while sitting in Howard's home studio, which was beautifully adorned with scores of gold and platinum albums as well as great photographs of him with Ann and Nancy Wilson, among other fellow musicians. Hopefully, you'll be able to see some of the décor when I get the video of our conversation up on my Current Classics website. My thanks once again to Howard for inviting me up to his home, for the great stories about Heart, Paul Rodgers, and Led Zeppelin, among others. And my very special thanks to Cheri for taking a few hours out of her workday to videotape our chat, and for lunch. Cheri rocks, Cheri rolls, Cheri really knows her way around a camera. Thank you!

PENNYWISE and PEPPER

6/4/09 Last night I was back at the Club Nokia for the Jagermeister Tour starring Pennywise and Pepper. As usual, Pepper was great, putting on a fun and sometimes – OK, often – raunchy show! The music is not exactly my favorite, and the crowd (in general) was far too aggressive (we saw several actual fights amongst the many mosh pits) for my taste. But by far the best parts of last night was running into my nephew, Danny Carlos, being able to hang out with him and talk music, and take in Pepper's entire set together, and, best of all, I was with the TWO coolest girls I know: my daughters Angie and Aly!!! I can't think of a better way to spend an evening than to be with my two girls (a rarity these days) and be listening to live music. Life is good, indeed!!!

COLIN DEVLIN of THE DEVLINS

5/29/09 I saw a very talented and dear friend, Colin Devlin of The Devlins, perform last night at the very intimate Largo, now on La Cienega Blvd. and NOT Fairfax as I discovered when my friend Mark and I walked up to the OLD location. I confess I love The Devlins music: it's equal parts sexy, soothing, and often a sonic lifesaver for what ails you emotionally. Colin debuted a host of songs off his forthcoming solo album, Democracy of One, including "Raise the Dead," "Strategies," "What Good Is Love," "The Heart Won't Be Denied," and "Refuge." The album isn't out in America…yet, but you can buy it at www.colindevlin.com, and I strongly encourage you to do so. Colin remains one of my favorite songwriters, and as I told him after the show when we had a few minutes to chat and get caught up, I've included many of his songs in LOTS and LOTS of mix CDs, and I've turned many people on (a few females, literally! ;-)) to The Devlins. If you're in L.A. on June 18, Colin will be back at Largo…on LA CIENEGA…for another acoustic set. Guys, bring a date and I guarantee you will be well, rewarded later, because as Colin sings, "The heart won't be denied!" Well done, Colin. I'll see you on June 18, my friend!!

201 SELF-PROMOTION TIPS FOR SONGWRITERS, MUSICIANS AND BANDS ON A BUDGET

The indie music marketing classic ...

Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook

201+ ways to promote your music, now revised and updated!

As seen in the major motion picture The School of Rock ... and in VIBE, Music Connection, Electronic Musician and American Songwriter magazines

There's never been a better time to be an independent artist. The rules have changed, and they keep on changing -- for the better. Artists have more power to control their own careers than at any time in history. But change and empowerment can be confusing (especialy when it comes to marketing and sales).

That's why you need this classic guide to low-cost, do-it-yourself music promotion -- now revised and updated for 2007.

With this manual, you'll discover that music marketing doesn't have to be expensive to be effective. Whether you're promoting a fast-growing indie label or a one-man or one-woman act from your basement, the Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook gives you the tools you need to get the maximum bang for your buck!

---

"The most directly applicable, start-tomorrow, creatively inspiring book I've ever seen on promoting your music!" -Derek Sivers, president of CD Baby

"Bob Baker's advice is practical and concise. There is GREAT material in this book, and it helped me put my Internet and alternative marketing ideas to good use. This is a fantastic book!" -Geoff Byrd, GarageBand.com's best-rated artist of 2004

"Applying many of Bob's ideas, and without any wholesaling or distribution, I sold more than 20,000 CDs and cassettes of my music over the last five years. Using his suggestions, I increased my fan base by 35% in just one year. Pretty good for a non-performing artist who does all studio work. Bob is the master of music marketing!" -Kris Lee-Scott, Hanai Music

"When you're ready for a Master Class on self-promotion, grab Bob Baker's Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook. There's a reason this has gone to multiple editions!" -Joe Taylor Jr., author of "Grow Your Band's Audience"

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH! Oh My!

5/26/09 Some "conversations" are more challenging than others. By that I mean some artists are far less interested in talking about their music than actually making it. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stephen Stills is firmly in this category. I just got back from speaking with him for about 20 minutes at a rehearsal studio in Burbank where Crosby, Stills & Nash were well, rehearsing for their upcoming tour. First: YES, I was in a rehearsal hall with CROSBY, STILLS & NASH!!! OK, sorry, I'll never be jaded enough to get over how very cool these moments are!!! Anyway, Stephen and I were scheduled to talk about Demos, an amazingly aptly titled new CD featuring 12 raw, early demos of some the band members' (collectively and individually) biggest hits, such as "Marrakesh Express," "Almost Cut My Hair," "Déjà vu," "Long Time Gone," "Chicago" and "Love the One You're With," among others.

From the moment I pressed "record," Stephen made no secret of his preference for making music and not taking about it. But like the professional that I am, I soldiered on, and eventually did get him to open up about songwriting, performing live, the magical musical connection that is CS&N, etc. But what really got him talking was when we got into politics. Man, I couldn't get him to be quiet about the bank bailouts, etc, etc. So, as tough a conversation as it was, I was eventually left to follow Stephen's own advice: "Love the One You're With."

GREEK GODS: ABB FILLS HILLS WITH SOUND OF MUSIC!

5/21/09 I was still coming down from Tuesday night's Chickenfoot show when I had to shift into a higher gear to catch The Allman Brothers Band and The Doobie Brothers at the Greek Theatre. ALL of this great music just in time for the loooooooong Memorial Day weekend, kicked off with a San Francisco road trip with my sister Connie and my daughter, Aly!! Congrats Aly: she just wrapped her first year at San Francisco State!!!

So, last night's ABB set was spectacular as usual, with some very special moments sprinkled in. But perhaps the most special moment for me was seeing my daughter, Angela, on stage rocking out to ABB!! I'm a VERY proud papa, and I have two very beautiful and talented daughters!

It was so great to hang with Davy Knowles again last night. He's going to come over to my place one day and I'm gonna break out a ton of great vinyl albums and take him back to school, musically speaking! What a cool guy. Also beautiful to be with my friend Maria Laing, and to see Laurie Nickoloff after so many years, and to spend more time with my new friend Holly Hall and her man! A fun time was hand by all. Finally, it was wonderful to be able to hang out with my old friend, Warren Haynes, and his wife Stef, after the show. Warren is the most amazingly beautiful human being, and one of the most talented guitar players in the world….a GREAT combination in my book!! Safe travels, my brother! Here then, is my review of last night's gig:

GREEK GODS: ABB FILLS HILLS WITH SOUND OF MUSIC!

The spectacularly beautiful Greek Theatre in the hills overlooking Los Angeles last night shared an abundance of "brotherly" love, presenting a double bill from the Gods: The Allman Brothers Band and The Doobie Brothers. The Doobies warmed up the audience with a long train of historic hits, including "Long Train Runnin,'" "Listen To the Music," "China Grove," ""Black Water," and "Rockin' Down the Highway," before their brothers from other mothers, ABB took the stage. Led by Gregg Allman's always tasty Hammond B-3 and classic gravely voice, ABB kept the party going with a variety of numbers such as "No One To Run With" off 2004's Where It All Begins to a sweet and sensitive delivery of "Melissa." A moving guest appearance by Ziggy Marley saw the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers back Ziggy on his father's "I Shot the Sheriff." The Brothers welcomed blues sister Susan Tedeschi for a tune or two as well, and the Conan O'Brien band's horn section filled out the sound on several songs as well. As always, the duel guitar engine of Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks traded licks and leads throughout the night, much to the delight of the L.A. crowd hungry to hear long jams like "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." The Brothers Allman and Doobie continue their tour Friday in Valley Center, CA, and Saturday in Indio, CA. Visit www.allmanbrothersband.com for more dates, and be sure to register at www.moogis.com to view shows on the band's 40th anniversary run.

FOOT STOMPIN': CHICKENFOOT FEEDS FUN AT ROXY!

5/20/09 Another week of great music is just getting started. Tuesday morning began with a wonderful conversation with an incredibly gifted young guitar player, 22-year old Davy Knowles, who leads his band Back Door Slam. I GUARANTEE you will be hearing lots more about this kid in the years to come.

I don't want to compare him with the greatest blues-rock guitarists, so I'll simply say this: he WILL be "The next Davy Knowles!"

Later Tuesday it was off to The Roxy to see Chickenfoot, the latest all-star collection of talented vets making amazing music, featuring Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. WOW!!! What a show! Hot, sweaty, fun, loud: EVERYTHING a rock show should be! Here's my review:

FOOT STOMPIN': CHICKENFOOT FEEDS FUN AT ROXY!



An elbow-to-elbow crowd packed the word famous Roxy on Hollywood's Sunset Strip Tuesday

like sardines to get a taste of Chickenfoot, the latest all-star lineup of top-notch talent to cook up some tasty classic rock, using just a slightly new recipe. Featuring Sammy Hagar on vocals and some occasional guitar (more on that in a minute), former fellow Van Halen bandmate Michael Anthony on bass and wonderful harmony vocals, Joe Satriani on red-hot lead guitar, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, the band ripped through several songs available on their upcoming self-titled album, due June 9. Stand out tracks included "Oh Yeah," "My Kind of Girl" (on homage to single moms), "Down the Drain," and the set closer, "The Future is the Past." Then, the all-star group ended the evening with two classic cuts: Montrose's "Bad Motor Scooter" (the first song Hagar ever wrote), featuring a wailing guitar intro from Sammy himself, and a pedal to the metal version of Deep Purple's "Highway Star." And speaking of stars, Queen guitarist Brian May was in the audience, and later up in the VIP bar, wearing a grin on his face, smiling with approval after Chickenfoot finally called it a night. The band's brief 9-city tour runs through May 29 in Philadelphia, but it's just the appetizer for a full-blown North American trek that kicks off in August. Get ready for full plate of Chickenfoot, coming to your town soon.

MINT CONDITION: BROKEDOWN CADILLAC FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS!

5/14/09 Last night, California-based Country quintet Brokedown Cadillac – fueled by songwriting duo Corrie English (lead vocals) and Randy Dunham (guitar, harmony vocals) – played famed Los Angeles venue The Mint, and once again proved they are a well-oiled musical machine indeed! Kick starting their set with "Chasing the Moon," English – whose powerful pipes defy her pint-sized frame – and Dunham tore through tunes off their debut album, Somewhere In America, including "Baby's Gonna Start a Fire," "Girl With a Broken Heart," "Big City," "Last Picture Show," and "Scarlett O'Hara," closing with the eponymous album opener, "Brokedown Cadillac." The set was also peppered with songs found on the soundtrack to Disney's Race To Witch Mountain, in which the band makes a cameo appearance, playing in a honky-tonk bar. Take Brokedown Cadillac for a test drive now at a honky-tonk bar or small club before they kick into high gear and play arenas nationwide.

JIM VILLANUEVA EXITS DIAL GLOBAL

After four years, DIAL GLOBAL West Coast Music/Entertainment reporter JIM VILLANUEVA exits due to budget cuts and is currently searching for his next opportunity.

VILLANUEVA is a 22-year radio/syndication veteran who spent years as the MD/Research Director for heritage Rocker KLOS/LOS ANGELES, as Producer for the syndicated show ROCKLINE, Producer/Writer for THE THE ALBUM NETWORK, and Owner/Producer/Writer of the weekly syndicated show CURRENT CLASSICS (www.currentclassics.com).

VILLANUEVA is ready to rock and eager to get back to work. Reach out to him at (323) 850-7005 or jvjv022@aol.com.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROCIO!

11/6/08 Happy Birthday to my cousin, Rocio. She turns….well, let's just say she and I are the exact same age. And by the way, I'm 50!! ☺

Today I was back at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills and had a chance to speak with Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, the two young stars of Slumdog Millionaire, the excellent movie I saw a couple of days ago. These kids could not be cooler and more excited to be in Hollywood and to talk about this film. They are both unknowns here in the States but after these performances, my guess is we'll be seeing lots more of them. And let me tell you: Miss Pinto is one of the most beautiful young girls I've ever seen. I mean she is stunningly beautiful. And if you go see this film - and I really hope you do - be sure and stay through the credits. That's all I'll say about that!

Tomorrow, I'm taking a day "off" work…because I have so much work to do! Allow me to explain: I've ask my New York peeps if they can "fill-in" for me and do all my daily writing tomorrow because here's ALL I have on my schedule: I'll be right back at the Four Seasons for the Transporter 3 junket, then at 5:30p I'm going to see Twilight (I know, I know Katelin, Aly, just about every other teen girl I know, I wish I could take you all), then immediately after that, I have to race across town to see the new Sean Penn movie, Milk, which I hear is very good. Sean Penn has always been one of my favorite actors anyway, so I'm really looking forward to it. CRAZY busy day tomorrow! I'll tell you about it on Saturday…maybe, because Saturday I have the Milk junket, the Twilight junket AND a 5:30p interview with the very cool young singer/songwriter Brett Dennen, who I first saw and heard at last summer's Coachella Festival, followed by his concert at one of my favorite L.A. venues, the Hotel Café in Hollywood. I know, pretty boring, huh!

Peace!

Three words: YES HE DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11/5/08 Three words: YES HE DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In between wiping away tears last night, I was calling and texting both my daughters, sharing with them true history in the making! I'm soooooooo proud of this country for making the creed that ALL men are created equal truer than it's ever been. All things are possible: LIFE IS GOOD!!!!

Just got back from another screening, but at least this time, we were treated to food and drinks before the movie. The venue was unique: a nightclub in the heart of Hollywood. They set up a large screen in what would normally be the dance floor so that a handful of us could watch Transporter 3. This movie is definitely not my cup of tea. Yep, people and cars fly in this movie and, oh, I don't know, about 50 people get killed!! The bottom line: if you like violent video games, you'll love this movie. As for me, thank god I had good food and a couple of glasses of wine, otherwise the night would have been a complete waste of my time.

Tomorrow I get to talk to the cast of Slumdog Millionaire. That I'm looking forward to.

Peace!

ELECTION DAY!!!

11/4/08 ELECTION DAY!!! I'm hoping today turns out to be a VERY historic day for this country! I've been a proud Barack backer since day one and though I still have no voice – literally – I will be leaving in just a few minutes to lend my voice – symbolically – to what I hope will be an Obama win tonight!

Last night began a very crammed movie week. Thankfully, I saw not one but two GREAT, GREAT (yes, TWO greats for EACH film) movies. If Slumdog Millionaire isn't in the Oscars hunt, it would be a crime. What a fantastic film, one I HIGHLY recommend. Without giving anything away, a kid who grows up in the slums of Bombay eventually goes on to win $1 million of India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. But that's not the story…the real story is how he did it and the journey he takes to get to where he ends up. Just a fantastic film!

The second great, great movie I saw yesterday was actually a documentary called Pray the Devil Back to Hell, an amazing true story of a group of African women who band together and demand an end to civil war in Liberia. This will be one of those incredible movies that you will not find at the local megaplex, so go out and find it and do yourself a favor: watch this movie in order to once again be educated on and convinced that non-violent protest does work. Remember: revolution begins in your own heart!

Peace!

VOODOO CHILLY: FANS EXPERIENCE HENDRIX IN L.A.!

11/3/08 I hope you can hear me. ☺ I SAID I HOPE YOU CAN HEAR ME!!! ☺ Last night I COMPLETELY lost my voice at the Experience Hendrix concert at the beautiful but very chilly outdoor Greek Theatre. No, I didn't lose my voice yelling and screaming at the show, I lost it because I've been sick for a few days now and the cold night air certainly didn't help matters much. So when Bill Thomas, my longtime friend Jackie Gilman's husband, came over here to meet me for the show, I'd already lost my voice. So I would not have been able to yell and scream even if I wanted to.

But enough about me, let me tell you about the show. Buddy Guy was amazing! Kenny Wayne Shepherd was fantastic! Jonny Lang was amazing! Robby Krieger of The Doors was spectacular! Eric Johnson was sensational! And Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford, a VERY special surprise guest, was outstanding! All those great guitarists, plus many more, and Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Billy Cox, played Hendrix music all night! And it was awesome! I'm so happy Bill enjoyed the show so much, and even happier that we got a chance to go backstage after at the end of the night and we got a chance to say hello to Brad and Eric, and to take a couple of pictures with both! Once again, here's my piece on the entire evening. Life is very, very good!!

VOODOO CHILLY: FANS EXPERIENCE HENDRIX IN L.A.!

Last night, the unseasonably cold – for California – yet always beautiful Greek Theatre in Los Angeles played host to an array of hot guitar players, all on stage and under the stars on a crisp November night celebrating the music and legacy of one superstar, Jimi Hendrix, as part of the traveling Experience Hendrix tour. The evening's highlights included Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford, former Hendrix collaborators Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox and guitar wizard Jonny Lang doing a red-hot version of "Fire," Kenny Wayne Shepherd performing six-string magic on "Voodoo Child" and Hendrix influence Buddy Guy smoking on "Red House." Other Hendrix disciples paying tribute to the original guitar hero last night included The Doors' Robby Krieger, Eric Johnson, Cesar Rojas and David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Doyle Bramhall II and Eric Gales. The Experience Hendrix tour moves on to San Francisco tonight, Wednesday to Spokane, WA, Thursday to Seattle and Friday to Portland, OR.

Peace!

10/31/08 I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason. Last night I had a wonderful time with Bree at the beautiful Pasadena Playhouse where we saw her friend Mimi Kennedy in the great one-woman play The Lady with All the Answers, the story of advice columnist Ann Landers. I had no idea until I saw this play how very cool Ann Landers was in real life. She was very hip, very forward thinking for her time. Kudos to Mimi for a great job! We went backstage to say hello after the show and after exchanging hellos and congratulations, we decided to go out and celebrate with a margarita…or two, where we got into a long and wonderful discussion about this Tuesday's election. Mimi is just as cool – and intelligent – as Bree is on all current affairs. It was fantastic to sit and listen to these two very smart women talk about stuff so near and dear to my heart as well. VOTE!

OK, so I told you earlier that I believe everything happens for a reason. This morning I was supposed to talk to Paris Hilton about her piece of crap movie, Repo! The Genetic Opera. Well much to my delight, when I got to the hotel where the press junket was being held, A) it turned out they decided to make it one big press conference with several cast members, but B) there were NO microphones set up for us radio guys to record sound. So guess what I did: I split faster than you can say…REPO!…uh, ME GO…HOME!! And I did. The studio people apologized left and right, and I let them, but I was happy not to have to talk to a seemingly "dumb blonde" (which, sadly, she is) about a dumb movie. I went home to finish my daily writing so I could be ready for Sunday night's Experience Hendrix concert at the Greek Theatre. I'm happy that I'll be taking Bill Thomas, my former St Joseph's School classmate Jackie Gilman's husband, with me. It will give me another chance to thank him – and her – for all the work they did for our reunion about a month back.

Peace!

10/29/08 Three nights ago, I was in the same room with Bono from U2, a man, who as anybody who's ever met me for 5 minutes knows, I admire tremendously, not just for the great songs he writes, records and performs, but for all of his fantastic work as a social activist, fighting against the spread of AIDS in Africa and working to eradicate poverty through his many charitable organizations, including the ONE Campaign, of which I'm a proud member. Well this morning I was on the phone with Shakira, someone I consider to be the Bono of Latin America, for all the same reasons I admire Bono, only her efforts are focused on helping children in Latin America. Picture the scene: It was 9 in the morning, I'm sitting at my computer desk, still in my PJs and I called into a special phone number to be a part of a nationwide conference call in which Shakira was talking about her efforts to stimulate and promote early childhood development and erase hunger and poverty. I'm on the phone….TALKING TO SHAKIRA!!!! It really doesn't get much better than that. She's bright, caring, informed, compassionate, passionate and extremely talented…and sexy as hell!! And she's on the other end of my telephone!! Pinch me! No, really, Shakira, PLEASE pinch me! ☺

God, on the COMPLETELY other end of that spectrum, this Friday I get to…make that, I HAVE to speak with Paris Hilton. She has an absolutely crappy new movie coming out called Repo! The Genetic Opera that is supposed to be a cross between Rocky Horror Picture Show and Blade Runner. I've seen it: it's a cross between really bad and horrible!

Thankfully, I've got something much more exciting coming up this Thursday: Bree has invited me to join her for the one-woman play The Lady with All the Answers, the Ann Landers story, starring Bree's friend Mimi Kennedy (the mom on Dharma & Greg).

Peace!

KINGS FOR A DAY: BONO, EDGE SHARPEN BLUES SKILLS!

10/27/08 Last night I was in the same room with Bono and the Edge from U2! Normally that would be all I would need to write to make this quite possibly the absolute BEST post in the brief history of this blog, but obviously this deserves further explanation. I was invited to cover last night's Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz's tribute to B.B. King and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen at the Kodak Theatre here in Los Angeles. That was cool enough, but when I heard Bono and The Edge were going to be on hand as surprise guests, presenters and, possibly, performers, well, my ass was down there faster than Michael Phelps through water!! And man, was I glad I went. Bono and Edge first showed up onstage to accept Allen's award, Bono joking, "We're not as smart as him, but we're certainly better looking." But later in the show, the real fun – and reason probably most of the crowd, including myself, was there – began when the two joined B.B. King onstage for a very loose but very cool version of "When Loves Comes To Town," originally found on U2's Rattle and Hum album, featuring of course, Mr. B.B. King, who also performed the song with U2 in the Rattle and Hum movie. Later still, Bono and Edge came back onstage to join a whole host of incredible musicians, including B.B. once more, for a rollicking good time version of the blues standard "Let the Good Times Roll." With the biggest smile on my face and spring in my step, I practically floated out of the Kodak Theatre, down Hollywood Blvd. and down to the Metro Rail train stop to catch the train back to my small apartment, where once again, alone and in complete silence, I just had to say to myself: Life is Good! Here's my review of the evening.

KINGS FOR A DAY: BONO, EDGE SHARPEN BLUES SKILLS!

U2 members Bono and the Edge last night helped honor blues legend B.B. King and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the latter two receiving special awards at the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz's The Blues and Jazz: Two American Classics Gala Concert. The two Irish rockers accepted Allen's Herbie Hancock Humanitarian Award, Bono quipping, "We're not as smart as him, but we're certainly better looking," while Edge called blues and jazz the "greatest gifts" America had given to music. Later, they joined King onstage for a spirited, spiritual, and eventual soulful version of U2's "When Love Comes To Town," a song off Rattle and Hum that Bono said was released "20 years ago this month…and B.B. told me then the lyrics were 'very deep for a young guy.' I'm not so young now, but I hope they're still deep coming from B.B.'s voice like a volcano." Later still, Bono and Edge came back onstage with B.B., Robert Cray, Keb'Mo, Hancock, keyboardist George Duke, saxophonist Wayne Shorter and a stage-full of fellow performers, who Bono said would have to "slum it tonight" to play with these two "very white Irishmen," for the very appropriately titled evening closer, "Let the Good Times Roll." The evening was taped for future broadcast, details to be announced soon.

Peace!