Walter Trout & the New Radicals- Auburn Hills, MI

On Thursday night, the lovely BLT and I were treated to a blues concert that "BLUE US AWAY". Our friend Barry had invited us to see "the 5th rated guitarist in history", Walter Trout at Callahan's. None of us were familiar with Walter Trout or this alleged high ranking. A little internet research verified the facts and a quick listen on You tube insured we were in for a special treat.

For those of you that have not been to Callahan's, it is the capital on The Michigan Blues Society and is frequented by International Blues artist's. Great sound, sight lines, and good service. I'd guess a full house would be 350-400. On Thursday the place was packed with blues loving diehards. The warm up act, Detroit and WCSX DJ, Mark Pasman and the Blues Session played an enjoyable, well played set. This was some southern style blues, crossed with a bit of Chicago. No drums; just a dude with a washboard, tamborine, and box! The fiddle player/singer, had blues to her core. Overall, we felt the blues and to us, that is the point.

Barry, Mike, Kelly, Brenda and I were ready for Trout! I've been bleesed to see Clapton, Gilmore, May, BB King, Knoephler, Steive Ray, Trower, Santana, Van Halen, Page, and literally a thousand other good to great guitar stars. None can keep up with Walter Trout! From the first song to the last, Walter displayed the most incredible speed, movement up and down the neck, clean, well spaced notes, and a keen ear for hittiing the right tempo and cord. From our second row perch (on lawn chairs), we bore witness to a great Blues and rock spectacle. The entire band performed flawlessly and were a tightly wound machine.

A highlight was a guitar war with Trout -vs- the keyboardist's 18 year old son. This epic battle was waged for at least 10 minutes, with Trout blowing him away with his last .45 second solo. Typical of a small venue, there were no special effects, special lighting, or vocal effects. this was stripped down rockin-blues at its finest. A more enjoyable listening night I can't recall. Walter Trout you have made a lifetime fan!

Weather C
Atmosphere A
Sound A Lighting/effects
C Crowd
A
Line up B

Overall an A show.

Kid Rock Birthday Bash 1/15/11

It's days like today that make being a music lover, concert aficionado, and supporter of Detroit that makes me get goose bumps with anticipation. The lovely BLT, Scott & Jamie, and me are off to party at 4:15. Supposed to meet various groups of friends around 5:00 at any bar we can get into near Ford Field. Cell phones are ringing non-stop, text messages are flying, and the consensus is: there is no restaurant or bar that does not have a 2 hour wait minimum in the area. Our final decision is to boogie to the Elwood and party in the garage.

What a great scene it was. My best guess is 2,000 people in the bar, tents and the garage. A DJ was playing awesome sets with a strong sound in the garage. It was sweet that they had numerous heaters to warm the place up. Beer was only $4.00 per can, so we drank copious amounts. At 6:45 it is off to Ford Field.

When we crossed the street, we found a crowd of approx 10,000 lined up and not moving well. We had no idea why the hold up, but after 45 minutes in the cold, we saw they were frisking everyone completely. Woman were to be in 2 cattle chutes and men in the other two. Of course, no one payed attention and it back us all up. Note to Ford Field: Make the signs 10' tall and larger so people can see them when in line. I had the privilege of being behind a mid-40's woman projectile vomiting while in line. What a pig! By 7:15 we are in our seats, approx. 4 area codes away from the stage.

Faces we spot in the crowd: Jim Schwartz, some of the cast of Detroit 187, Ryan Raburn, Chris Chelios, and numerous other Detroit celebs. As they say, "There ain't no party like a Detroit party"!

Ty Stone takes the stage to a respectful but somewhat distracted crowd. After all, we aren't here to see some relative unknown, but to party with the Kid. Ty actually rocks out and I'll look forward to seeing him in a more intimate environment. The big screens were blank when he played, so it was very difficult to see him from our area code in Club Level 215. All in all, not a bad opening act. however, a party such as this really needed a "big name" opener like 2009 Comerica shows.

At 9:00 the Twisted Brown Trucker Band takes the stage. Huge LED video screens 30x70feet flank both sides of the stage, with two smaller 30x30' screens were directly above it. While the band starts jamming, a montage of Bob Ritchie photos from his early childhood through his early rock years were played to the crowds appreciation. Conan O'Brien gives his birthday wishes. The band then unfurls the Beatles "Birthday" to get the night started.

Throughout the night, clips of birthday wishes are played from Conan, Jimmy Fallon, Jay Leno, David Letterman. Mid way through the show, NASCAR's Jimmy Johnson comes on the screen to wish our Kid a happy birthday. As a birthday gift to the Kid, a 2011 Camaro Z28 rises above the crowd as his gift. You could tell this moved bob significantly.

"All Summer Long" almost made us forget about the freezing weather outside and warm us all with thoughts of our beloved Michigan summers, short that they are. Uncle Kracker comes out as the nights first guest and Kid and him perform their duet "Good to be Me". This is starting to get real memorable already and its only about 9:30!

In a few minutes the next guest, Pete Wolf comes out to the sounds of "Centerfold" and the two quickly segue into "Detroit Breakdown". The place is really rocking now. A couple more songs then its time for Martina McBride to come out for their duet "Care". Performed flawlessly and the crowd is really digging the scene. Kid Rock announces a $100,000.00 gift to 4 local charities at the conclusion of the song. Kid, your generosity is much appreciated and you are a true gift to us all.

Next up Rev. Run and the Kid jam to "Walk This Way" and the place is hopping like never before. They then move into "Kings of Rock" by Run DMC and the crowd is at a near frenzy pitch. What a phucking show!!!!

After 4-5 more songs, played well, but just not all my cup of tea (mostly off Born Free and a little too country for my taste), start to bring the high I was on down a level or two. No worries, a couple of Rock Rap classics re infuse my party spirit. At this point I realize my mistake of being the DD tonight. I am pretty wasted!

Sometime around 10:50, my boy Matt's #1 fantasy girl, Sheryl Crow is onstage and looking fit and gorgeous. The obligatory foray in "Picture" was a highlight for most. They then played Free's "Alright Now" and kicked some serious ass. I think Christopher Reeves would have been up and dancing for this. Way too cool! Matt, I'll send you some pictures.

Now its time for a shot of 5 hour energy in the form of "Rock and Roll Jesus and "Bawitaba". Phuck yeah baby! Come on Kid, give up the country and stick to your roots.

At around 11:30, Cindy Crawford is on stage to lead the crowd in a 60,000 strong "Happy Birthday to You". The crowd is still going strong and few are seen leaving for the exits.

In a strange closing act, Anita Baker comes onstage and sings "the Star Spangled Banner". Detroiter yes! Someone who should be onstage with the previous talent, I don't think so.

The final song "Born Free" sends us all off to the frigid tundra outside around 11:50.

Great spectacle, strong line up, unique format, and a fired up crowd made this one hell of a night. Home by 1:00 AM, but still wanting more. BLT and I both felt this summers Pine Knob shows were better, primarily due to being summer and outdoors.

Kid, we love ya and wish you a very Happy Birthday on 1/17/11. As always, YOU DA MAN!

Atmosphere A
Weather C
Crowd A
Pre-party A
Warm Up act B
Set List B
Lighting A
Staging A
Effects A
Video A
Sound C+
Fun A++

Overall, a great time by all "A". That is based on the overall event. My rating compared to say last summers Pine Knob shows is a B. This was kinda like the Superbowl of concerts. The hype and pre-game stuff often exceeds the actual game.

2010 Year in Review

As 2010 comes to a close, it is time to reflect on all things, good and bad that would define the year of 2010. The Dogg and Lovely BLT have many things to be thankful for. We have our health, good careers, loving family and friends, awesome pets, and "Living in the epicenter of Rock & Roll". There is no performer worth their salt that would consider bypassing the Detroit area. This year, we were again blessed with many spectaculer events.

This year Brenda and her Dogg actually cut down a lot on the number of shows we attended. Our best count is 44-45 shows thyat we've seen live this year. Below are what I feel were the shows of the year:

1. ROGER WATERS- THE WALL 10/24/10: We have been huge fans of Pink Floyd and in particular The Wall since its release. With the impossible reunion of Pink Floyd due to political in-fighting, deaths, and lack of desire, we never thought we’d have a chance to see the Wall played in its full majesty. This was one show to cross off my bucket list. Spectacular in all facets: sound, lighting, performance, integrity to original, staging, and atmosphere. Certainly not the most fun show of the season, just the most fulfilling.

2. J. GIELS BAND & THE ROCKETS 8/21/10: When we saw the J. Giels reunion show at the Fillmore back in October, we all were in agreement that the sound and feel was spot on their heyday. When the show at Pine Knob was announced, with the added bonus of The Rockets on the bill, we knew we would have the entire gang together for the show. This show surpassed all expectations by our entire posse. As ususual their were no special effects, explosions, lasers, or anything that would take away from the high powered and non-stop energy of this concert. Near perfect in nearly every way. In my opinion it was the most fun of the year!

3. SANTANA & STEVE WINWOOD 7/10/10: 3 time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Stevie Winwood was the perfect opening act for a highly polished and professional Carlos Santana Band. Winwood by himself could have sold out Pine Knob and kept the fans jammin for 3 hours. The songs from the Spencer Davis Group and Traffic eras were played flawlessly and showcasing Stevie’s virtuosity. His solo works were the icing on the cake. When Santana hit the stage, I told all around us that in my opinion, we had just witnessed rock and roll royalty. Santana had his work cut out for him. Well…… Sanatana came, rocked the house some, then rocked us somemore! All I can say is; “Carlos you are a GOD”! What a show!

4. KID ROCK 8/14/10: Our absolute love of all things Kid Rock makes any show he does a guaranteed top 2 in my book. How the hell did this show end up at number 4 you ask? Weak warm up acts and the expectation of a Detroit style party! All ingredients were there to make the top two. Great weather, great crowd, great sound, effects, and nothing but fun. In short, nothing but great things to say about our man Bob Ritchie. This year however, the three listed above did just that bit more. Awesome show and a can’t miss.

5. GREEN DAY: We’ve never seen Green Day but have been long time fans. Fate always conspired to keep us away, but this year we bought early and had great seats. This show was so good it easily could have taken the top spot. The reason for the #5 slot is simple; Billy Joe, tone down your filthy and at times stupid banter. When you pulled the 3-year-old kid on stage and asked him if he was a virgin and dropped at least 8 F bombs on him was too much! Memo to all performers today: YOU CAN BE FUNNY AND MAKE YOUR POINT WITHOUT GRATUITOUS USE OF THE WORK FUCK!!! Not that we are prudes, you all know we are not. Just tone it down boys. Other than that, this show had it all! Great songs, great pace, great energy, strong sound, lighting, staging. Once again, we LOVED this show!

6. GOGOL BORDELLO & DEVOTCHKA 4/24/10: This was the surprize show of the year for me! My Dogg junior, Lindsay insisted I see this show. As a rule, Romanian/Russian Gypsy Punk rock is not on my radar. Personally, this was almost too much fun! The ppeople watching, the energy was just incredible! I’d see this show again in a heartbeat. Thanks to Lindsay and Brent for taking me to this spectacle. Well done.

7. AEROSMITH & SAMMY HAGAR 8/31/10: How can a double billing of two of our favorite bands of all time slip to number seven on this list? It is simple; Sammy got too little love from the crowd and Aerosmith was pretty much the same as always. Factor in the strong shows and circumstances listed above and you can see why they were placed at #7. Sammy and his band played great. They kept my party up and rocking from the first note. Too bad the rest of the crowd sat on their asses, unheard of at a Sammy party! Aerosmith played fantastic and Tyler was in near perfect form. A great show and a ton of fun for all that attended.

8. GOO GOO DOLLS & SWITHCHFOOT 7/18/10: We have always felt the Goo Goo’s were an under appreciated band in Detroit. All of their albums go instant platinum, shows are well attended and received, and they always schedule a strong warm up act. As usual, all of this applied to this show. Switchfoot kicked some serious ass and the crowd was very receptive. Goo Goo Dolls then exceeded expectations by playing a hit heavy 18 song set. The 3-4 new songs played were typically rocking odes to youth and partying. We partyied long and strong, left hoarse and happy. What more can a Dogg ask for?

9. THE MUSIC OF QUEEN 6/13/10: As long time supporters of “The Music of Led Zeppelin” tour for the past 6 years, we were looking forward to the Music of Queen with full Sympony Orchestra performance. The one thing that held us back was who the hell could play Freddies part? Suffice to say, the Las Vegas lounge singer “Brody” had 95% of Freddies vocals, 85% of his showmanship, and likely 100% of his musical talent. This show was spectacular for the entire 18 song set. A must see for any true fans of Queen!

10. THE ROCKETS 11/27/10: Our local homeboys make a triumphant return to the Filmore, showcasing new lead singer, Jim Edwards, and 4 new songs. Other than a weak couple of opening acts, this show rocked the house. The old Rockets classics were enthusiastically performed and played to 1980’s standard. Jim Edwards gives Dave Gilbert a real run for his money. Throw in 4 Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels classics with the 4 new songs and you get a recipe for a rockin good time.

The Rockets 11/27/10 Filmore Detroit

After pigging out on turkey, ham, and venison on Thanksgiving, a post partum triptophan experience was happening to the Dogg. What better solution than a good old fashioned "Detroit Rock Party" at the Filmore. Then Rockets were just the tonic needed to ensure a fun filled night.

When the Rockets played Pine Knob this summer, on the J. Geils bill, they truly kicked some Detroit ass! I had a chance to meet and speak with the new lead singer, Jim Edwards over a couple of beers in the VIP. He assured me the Rockets were back and had new music in the pipeline. Jimmy also shared that the Rockets were done playing the bar scene. He was true to his word.

The Dogg pound consisted of 18 friends that met up at Hockeytown for pre-concert food and drink. Despite a mix up over reservations, the Hockeytown staff quickly accomidated our crowd, despite being packed to the rafters. Kudo's to Jason for the hook up. Now it's on to the show.

Saturday nights show was a triple bill. Black Irish opened the show at 7:30. Never had heard them before and we all came away favorably impressed. Solid rythem section, strong guitars, and decent vocals complimented their hard driving style. Salem Witchcraft came on next and frankly were the most boring act I've seen this year. Virtually everyone I spoke with echoed the same sentiment.

The rockets hit the stage at 9:45 to a crowd of approx. 3,000 Rock Doggs. The very lively set consited of 8-10 Rockets standards, 4-5 new songs, of which 3 were steller, radio friendly rock that I believe will return the Rockets to our airwaves again real soon. 4-5 Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels classics payed homage to Jonny B and McCarty's early roots. the encore was Segers "Get out of Denver", played at a blisstering pace. Jimmy Edwards was an excellent frontman, channeling Dave Gilbert through his strong vocal chops. Jim McCarty was on fire with his guitar work and Jonny B., kicked out a steady, strong beat all set long. Hard to beleive that Jonny and McCarty are in their mid-sixties, yet jam like they are 30 years younger. Keep it up guys, Classic Rock needs its heros!

All in all, and excellent show by the Rockets. Can't wait for the next one.

Crowd B+
Venue A
Sound B+
Lighting C+
Effects C
Line up C
Song selection A
Atmosphere B+

Overall, I give the Rockets a strong B+.

Roger Waters- The Wall 10/24/10

As a 51 year old man (that's 357 in Dogg years), there are few major Rock shows that I've missed through the years. In my minds eye, the most meaningful album of my life was The Wall. Starting out with it on vinyl, moving to cassette, then to CD, VHS, and of course CD, I've burned out many a copy of the 1979 masterpiece. Truly never expected to see if performed life in all its glory. Well.... tonight is my night!

There will be the purist's in the audience that will maintain that The Wall was Pink Floyd, and should never be played without the full original band. I totally disagree; The Wall was primarily Roger Waters, with a little input from David Gilmore and Nick Mason. Since Mason has departed our earth, and Gilmore/Waters are still fighting, this show was a close as we'll ever come.

As always, the dogg was with his bride of 28 years, the ever lovely BLT. Also on hand were two of the biggest Wall fans I know, James and Virgie. Ralph and Christine rounded out our trio of couples. After a nice pre-show bar-b-que at the Townespeoples and a few cocktails in the Comcast Pavilion, it is on to the show. By 7:50 we are settled into our lower level seats in eager anticipation.


It was a rock production unlike any Detroit has seen in recent memory. An incredible and unrelenting spray of pyrotechnics blew us away to get the show started, as Waters and his band launched into “In the Flesh,” first in a nearly 2-1/2 hour set of songs. From there it was a wow-inducing onslaught of stunning visuals, massive inflatable characters and crystalline/perfect audio delivered through a precisely calibrated surround sound setup.

We were most impressed by the wall itself — a 250' long stack of “bricks” placed and layered by stagehands, one by one, through the shows opening half. It was half built when Waters’ vocal quartet unfurled the rich harmonies of “Goodbye Blue Sky.” By the time he reached his show’s intermission to the sounds of “Goodbye Cruel World,” the 40-foot-tall wall imposed itself across the entire stage vista.

The evening closely followed the album almost to the tee, although some songs were enhanced with instrumental breaks. Singing all night long, the Palace crowd was locked in with Waters and the familiar “Wall” story. When the question was sung in “Mother” — “Should I trust the government?” — the crowd broke out with a resounding “No!”


The 67-year-old Waters was in excellent form all night long. the story of the Wall unfolds before us in intricate layers. Could the Wall be based loosely on Syd Barrett's slip into madness in the early Pink Floyd days, or a trip into Water's mind?

There was little crowd interplay between songs, and only Waters’ speaking to the crowd during “Comfortably Numb” pulled the performance away from the story. The concert’s second half found him donning sunglasses and trench coat, his crisply uniformed band behind him as the show pulsed to its climax.

No Pink Floyd work belongs to Waters more than “The Wall.” But there’s no denying the album’s debt to David Gilmour, whose distinct vocals and guitar work are part of the record’s fabric, including a “Comfortably Numb” solo widely regarded as one of rock’s all-time best. Waters’ touring band was up to the task: That song, in particular, featured classy performances from singer Robbie Wyckoff and guitarist Dave Kilminster, appearing atop the wall.

Surround sound effects were absolutely awesome across the arena. Multicolored tears streaked down the wall. Pink Floyd’s old airborne pig, painted black now, floated overhead and at times looked as if it might make impact with the crowd in section 104. Video shown all night on the wall was quite emotional and stirring — scenes of soldiers greeting their families — and stark, including photos of children starved by hunger and war.

The sensory crush made for potent storytelling, the stuff of thrill and surprise even for those familiar with every nook and cranny of the album, who knew the twists and turns ahead. The show’s most-awaited visual moment — the massive wall crashing down into a heap just feet away from the front row — was as jarring as it was magnificent.

It’s rare that a concert is so perfect as this one was. a great crowd that really knew the album, Perfect sound, great visually, intellectually,and believe me, emotionally. This was one of the most intense and riveting rock spectacles we’ve ever experienced.

Crowd A+
Atmosphere A+
Sound A++
Effects A++
Lighting A++
Weather B


Overall A++ and a new show of the year, if not my lifetime!

KISS 9/11/10 Pine Knob

The summer outdoor concert season is rapidly coming to a close, so the lovely BLT and I decided to make KISS likely our closing show of the season. Joined by friends, Jane & Paul and Debbie & Steve, the night started with dinner and drinks in the VIP. As usual, Rebecca took great care of all of us. This lady is the real deal! Our drinks never are empty and her smiles always present, despite the weather, crowd, or problems. Rebecca, you are the BEST!

Another cloudy, wet and miserable day in Detroit, could not diminish the sold out crowds enthusiasm for KISS. As usual, there were hundreds of youngsters in full KISS make up, and the usual couple of dozen grown ups trying to relive their youth. With the members of KISS approaching retirement age, it might be hard to remember that Kiss invented most rock ‘n’ roll clichés that we all remember so well.

Boasting a larger than life stage show, and pulling out every trick in the book, KISS delivered the musical equivalent of a "the big game" on Saturday at the Knob. Yes, there were more explosions than a Fourth of July finale, there was a top-notch light show, and band members flew across the crowd. The night got off to a promising start, with a frenzied pyrotechnics display giving way to the band, in full makeup, rising on a platform from behind the stage as they played the opening riff to “Modern Day Delilah,” off their newest effort. The rock ‘n’ roll icons then worked through a solid mix of songs from their iconic back catalogue,including “Cold Gin”, “Let Me Go, Rock ‘N Roll,” “Deuce,” and “Firehouse,” which featured guitarist Paul Stanley comically putting on a toy fire helmet and prancing around the stage with it. Unfortunately, singer and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley had a lackluster vocal performance! Most songs his voice was below sub-par. We've seen over 20 shows, and this was his worst vocal performance we've heard. He did make up for it by interacting with the crowd and appearing genuinely happy to be on stage. The band shuffled back and forth between their older material and songs from their newest, playing newer cuts such as “I’m an Animal” and “Say Yeah.” Despite some questionable choices in regards to their set list, the band still delivered a memorable stage show full of excess.

The band still manages to outperform all of rock’s younger acts on the massive stage, which featured numerous microphones and platforms that the Gene & Paul played on and from.

As he’s done thousands of times, bassist Simmons capped off his signature bass solo by spitting out blood and being hoisted to the ceiling to deliver lead vocals for “I Love It Loud”. For those of you that think KISS stands for "Knights in Satans Service", this part of the show almost gives it credence

The band ended the show with what Stanley described as “The longest encore you’ll ever hear,” poking fun at the band’s tendency to sometimes play multiple encores. If my count was correct, 5-6 songs played as encores.

Weather D-
Atmosphere A
Crowd A
Sound C+
Lighting A+
Staging/effects A
Line up C
Set list C+

Overall, I'll have to give it a C+ or B- due to Paul's bad voice. Still a fun night out and man we do not want summer to end, but oh well.

Rocky Horror Picture Show- Live Meadowbrook 9/10/10

While not a concert or a play, this performance nonetheless intrigued us to relive our past. For those of you familiar with the "right of passage" ritual of midnight screenings of Rocky Horror during our youth, the live performance blows it away!

Friday was a damp, cold and dreary night. What a perfect setting for Rocky Horror. Upon arrival, you could purchase "participation" bags containing a hat, folded newspaper, toast, rice, squirt gun, bottle of water, flashlight and a noise maker. All for only $5.00! This ensured that the crowd of approximately 3,000 would be having the time of their lives.

The Dogg, ever lovely BLT and daughter Lindsay (recently returned from her research mission to Malawi, Africa) settled into our 7th row seats about 20 minutes prior to show time. Great people watching due to 400-600 people decked out in Rocky horror finery. The band was on a scaffold approx. 12' above the stage. They played quite well and kept the show moving at a brisk pace. The casting was spot on. Brad and Janet were the perfect foils to Dr. Franknfurter. The poor narrator (BORING) was squirted in the face by hundreds of guns everytime he tried to speak. F***ing hysterical. The yells of "SLUT" for Janet and "ASSHOLE" for Brad grew louder and more raucsous throughout the night. So much rice was thrown, we could have fed a small third world nation with it.

After the first acts, a 20 minute intermission, then on for the final acts. We have not seen a crowd have more fun at an event, ever! When they return next September, by the best seats you can (only about $20.00 for the Pit) and have a totally awesome time! Best money you'll ever spend! Great job by all!

Weather D+
Atmosphere A
Sound B
Staging B
Lighting/effects B
Casting A

Overall A