Michael Jackson Experience 7/15/11 Meadowbrook

The Dogg Days of concert going season are upon the Townespeople. Good shows for free, nearly free, and moderate prices to choose from. Friday, on a whim, we trekked off to Meadowbrook to give the Michael Jackson Experience a try. This show is put on by the same folks that have been doing the Pink Floyd Laser show for 25 years. This show would be more than just lasers and some movie clips. This had all the Pink Floyd lasers + a 4 screen multi-media backdrop + professional dancers + a Michael Jackson look alike and move alike. The show starts at the period of his death and backtracks to his Jackson Five days.

With little to no expectations for this show, we were rewarded with 5th row VIP seats for $10.00 each. The crowd was around 5,000 strong and most were life time Michael Jackson fans. Showtime happened at 9:20 due to the late sunset. Once it began, it was fast paced, visually stimulating, and a whole lot of fun. The dancers were very professional and well choreographed. Multiple costume changes to suit the song and era added to the scene. Michael Jackson impersonator was spot on his moves, looked quite similar, same build, and lipsynched fantastically! It was too cool to see Michael change from White to Black.

Personal highlights for me were: Smooth Criminal, Beat It, Thriller, Off the Wall, and the oldies like ABC and Ben were quite nostalgic for us. Frankly it was the best $10.00 I've spent in a long time. Great fun, professionally done, and what the hell, Michael is the BOMB!

Weather A
Crowd B
Atmosphere B+
Sound B
Lighting A+
Staging A+
Effects A+
Set List A

Overall this was an A event. We can't call it a concert, but since we knew what we were going to see, it made no difference.

Frampton Comes Alive 35th Annivesary- 7/8/11 Pine Knob

One of the most influential albums of my youth, had to be Frampton Comes Alive. I had it on vinyl, 8 track, cassette, CD, and now DVD. The memories of a smokey Cobo Arena, hair down the middle of my back, and a group of 12 of my best friends at the 1976 show, are indelibly etched into my brain. With this memory, off to Pine Knob we go. Dinner and drinks with friends Ed & Maureen and meeting up with Jimmy & Peggy after dinner. This is going to be an epic night!

The weather was perfect for an outdoor show, 84 and sunny. The crowd was mostly 40 and 50ish, but here to have a great time and chill to good old rock and roll. I'd guess the crowd size at about 10,000. The VIP Starlight Lounge was buzzing with anticipation of tonight's show.

Tonight, there is no warm up act, just 3 hours of Frampton. When we went to take our seats, much to our surprise, we were held at the concourse for the first 4 songs (just like at a hockey game) due to filming and the band not wanting any additional movement in the shots, or some crap like that. Being the 50 something, loud mouth, get my own way sort of brat that I am, I put up severe protest and tryed in vain to rally an uprising. ATTICA, ATTICA or whatever. Once we were in our seats, the sound, crowd appreciation, and interplay between band mates was excellent. Even in his best days, Frampton never went for elaborate sets or lighting. tonight was no different. Just the usual screen and overhead lights that all acts have. Side one and two were played in sequential order with a few cuts from other Frampton albums thrown in. From 7:30-9:15 the band played flawless renditions of all the songs and the crowd was truly into this Rock Legend! Intermission from 9:15 to 9:35 went by real quick. Just enough time for a quick JaeggerBomb and another Long Island.

Set two was album sides three and four, with a few more oldies thrown in. Just like the first set, this set rocked the house. For the most part, the crowd was on their feet dancing and singing in mass. When the show ended at 10:55, by my count, Frampton played 33 songs. No one should have felt short changed by this show.

Also feel the need to toss out a big vote to Brandon, owner of BAB Tickets. This local reseller of tickets is the most ethical and trustworthy reseller I've ever dealt with. If you ever need tickets, check out his Facebook site or on Craigslist. His prices are fair and when a show date is near and he has tickets unsold, prices drop exponentially. Twice this season, Brandon has called me with great seats at the last minute at prioe's I can't refuse. Brandon you my friend, are a class act! Thank you for the great seats.

Weather A+
Crowd B
Atmosphere B
Sound A
Lighting C
Staging C
Effects N/A
Line up A

Overall this was a very enjoyable night out and I give the overall show a strong B.

6/4/11 Led Zeppelin Symphony- Pine Knob

A great day to party at the Knob. Free 16th row VIP tickets, 88 degree and sunny weather, the lovely BLT at my side, and Steve & Mary to share the evening with. The evening starts as usual with dinner and drinks in the VIP Starlight Lounge. Hooray, they have changed the menue up and we must say for the better. Us four share 4 differnt dinners and they all were quite good. As usual with smaller shows at the Knob, service was exemplary! Kudo's to young Travis for keeping us well plyed and GM Dan for sharing his humor and concert updates with us. After a great dinner, good conversation and numerous drinks, it is finally showtime. On a night like this, what could possibly screw things up???? We take our seats during the first song, "Black Dog", just in time to see the lead singer Randy Jackson, projectile vomit off to the side. Not a good sign for the night. when you have a 50 person orchestra, 7 person band, and 1 lead singer, it is near impossible to keep the crowd happy. After a few minute delay, the band is playing again with lead guitarist, George Cintron singing the hard to do Robert Plant vocals. While no Plant or even Randy Jackson, George pulls it off to the crowds delight. At this point the band leaves the stage so they can figure out how to perform the rest of the show without a singer. We retreat to the VIP for more libations and GM Dan thinks the show will be cancelled. After a 20 minute break, the band is back out and George Cintron is singing lead vocals and playing lead guitar, likely for the first time in his life. The crowd of 3,500 appreciative fans gives him an ovation after nearly every song. What a team player and what a pro! We were all so impressed by "The Show Must Go On" attitude of everyone concerned, we overlooked any vocal weakness you may have had on certain notes. All in all, you sounded very good and you made this a far more memorable night in my mind than it otherwise would have been. Well done George. The set list covered the usual 18 song Zeppelin greatest hits formula, topped off by a rousing version of "Stairway to Heaven". A real fun and intetresting night. Weather A Crowd B Sound B+ Lighting C Set list A Special effects/staging C Fun Factor B+ Overall i give a strong B. To George Cintron an A+++ for effort!

Bob Seger - Palace of Auburn Hills

One of Detroit's legendary sons, came home to roost for a 3 day run at the Palace. Bob Seger has always been one of the best things to ever come from the "D". You'll never here about him beating his wife, falling down drunk, wrecking a hotel room while hopped up on smack. Our own "Uncle Bob" is a true class act and an ambassador for us all. Welcome back Bob!

The Saturday night show was welcomed with weather worthy of a show at Pine Knob. Around 75degrees and sunny. Too bad we are stuck indoors. The lovely BLT and I were here to party with 17,000 friends and fellow Rock Doggs! We were joined by Nate, Karen, Ed, Maureen, Dan and Bonnie for dinner and drinks in the Palace Grille prior to showtime. Our friend and "worlds best waitress" Rebecca was on hand to cater to all our needs. As usual, Rebecca made the night perfect for us all! Well done.

Due to the fun we were having in the Grille, we missed the entire warm up act. In fact, about 15 minutes prior to showtime, Chris called from the seats to say he and his wife Rita were there waiting. I told him we'd be in our seats with 1 minute to spare. Sure as shit, we arrived just as the band was walking out. Perfect timing! It helps when you've already seen the set list and times.

Now I'm going to rant again about Ticketmaster policies. We had 4 different presale codes to buy the best tickets prior to the general public. We were online at 9:59 on Thursday, logged in with VIP, Palace, Live Nation and AmEx passwords. 2 minutes later, the best seats available were upper deck, 12 rows back, side stage???? I cry bullshit! No offense, but I do not know anyone that spends more money than me at Palace functions (other than corporations) and VIP passwords should mean something. Same day I go on Craigslist and Ebay and there are over 1000 tickets avaiable at double/triple face, in way better sections. Most were out of state ticket brokers. Once again, I cry bullshit! Limit sales for the first 24 hours to in-state only. We fans deserve the chance at good seats, at face value! By the way, these crap seats were $84.00 with all the surcharges.

On top of the bad location and over pricing, we are located in the "Section of the Living Dead"! No one but us would get up and rock. We must have been asked nicely to sit down 20 times. Sometimes we did, but if you are not up and rocking to Nutbush City Limits, Old Time rock and Roll, Beautiful Loser, Rambling Man, slow dancing to Turn the Page or Night Moves, then why come at all?

The band was tight as hell, all your favorites and a few obscure songs were played to near perfection. Bob's voice for the most part was strong and on pitch. Alto Reed is ageless! He played and looked like he was 20 years younger. The sound was pretty good from our side perch. I'm sure it was better from the front. The lighting, effects, props, and visually staging were largely absent. This was a show to focus on the musicianship, band interplay, and overall cohesiveness of a tight unit. The extent of Bob's performance was to raise both his arms into the air as if to signal a touchdown. My friends, there were many touchdowns this night, to be sure. A fun night for all.

Weather A
Crowd A-
Atmosphere A-
Sound B
Staging C
Lighting/Effects C
Line up C
Fun factor A

Overall, I give this show a B. Better seats could have moved it to B+./

Eddie Money 5/27/11 Pine Knob

There are certain things that occur every year to signify the changing of the seasons: Tigers opening Day is the official start of Spring, Lions losing their first game signifies the start of Fall, Red Wings first home game the start of Winter, and finally Eddie Money at Pine Knob the official start of Summer! Last night summer officially kicked off in the "D", even though the calender says 6/21/10 as the start of summer.

The lovely BLT and her favorite Rock Dogg were on hand for opening day and our 34th Eddie Money concert. Cool, misty weather, a crowd of approximately 8,000, and the Money man was in rare form tonight. For those who have been witness to the rise and fall of the Money man, we never know which dude is showing up. The band that played yesterday was incredibly tight, perfect sound, decent staging, and they even rolled out 3-4 new songs that were all quite good. Detroit has always supported Eddie Money better than any venues on earth! Why? Because we like to party and Eddie can throw a great party, which he did last night.

The opening act, Jessie Money (papa's little girl) came out and threw down a very entertaing and energetic set. Eddies little girl has grownm into a HOT LADY! What legs, boobs, and smile! Strong voice with good range added to her outward appearance. The 40 minute was mostly possitively received by the late arriving crowd. The parking lot was full of tailgators until about 8:45, then a steady stream of people filled the hill to capacity and the pavillion was 2/3 full.

FYI, smoking is still permitted everywhere except the pavillion and Starlight VIP lounge. Great news, the Starlight has improved its buffet significantly and added more ala-cart choices.

When Eddie took the stage at 9:00, the band spun into Two Tickets for Paradise, Baby hold On, and Shakin to get the crowd into it. All of the classics were played with great entusiasm by the band and Jesse Money complimented all with strong backing vocals. The fast paced, 19 song set wrapped up just before 11:00. This dogg feels it was Eddie Money's best performance in many years! Perhaps our 16th row seats helped, but all I can say is "great job, guys"!

We were joined by Jane & Paul and Steve & Debbie for the evening. Perfect company, both! Ran into a lot of old friends and long time Pine Knob employees. Good times had by all. Sidenote to those in attendance that do not want to stand up, dance and rock it out. Buy a phuckin CD and stay home. Concerts are meant to party at. Other than that ogre, all was cool.

After the show, we had the treat of meeting and having a drink with Jesse Money. What a FOX and seems like a sweet kid.

Great way to open the outdoor concert season.

Weather D
Crowd B
Atmosphere B
Sound B
Staging C+
Warm Up act C+
Lighting C+
Good Times B+

Overall I rate this performance a strong B.

Rockets- 3/26/11, Royal Oak, MI

Some readers of my "drunken Dogg Reviews", feel I pass around too good of reviews, too often claim "Concert of the Year", or "Best I've ever heard them". Historically, I am probably an easy grader. For me, the entire experience of the concert is the factor that matters most. That encompasses the sound, sights, weather, atmosphere, staging, lighting, crowd, food, booze, and of course the bands. One problem for me is, I seem to always have a great time, see good shows, and be with awesome people. Makes it easy to give high gades and praise.

Last night was one of those nights that had high hopes for a perfect night. We were out with friends Jeff & Jenn, had a few cocktails in their palatial Birmingham estate prior to the show. A real nice dinner and more drinks at The Towne Tavern, then on to the show.

In fairness to this evening, we did arrive 35-40 minutes late to the show. We missed both opening acts and at least 30 minutes of the Rockets. When we got there, i estimate the crowd at 1,500-2,000. All seem to be having a good time, but immediately, I noticed the sound was poor. Royal Oak Music Theater is renowned for its good accoustics. For whatever reason, the sound was flat and tinny. Way too much emphasis on the vocals and some off timed mixing. Then on top of this, The Rockets played 6 out 8 songs in a row of new music! Jim McCarty was magical on guitar and Jonny B kept a constant rythem pounding on his drum kit. Sorry Jimmy Edwards, it was an off night for you, primarily due to sound issue. A couple of classic Rockets songs, Oh Well and Can't Sleep sent them off for an encore. The Stooges "Be a Dogg" was played as a tribute to our own Detroit Rock Dogg, I'm sure. Well done boys!

Weather D
Crowd B
Atmosphere B
Sound C-
Lighting C-
Staging C
Set List C
Line up N/A

Overall, I regretfully must only give this show a C. Come on boys, you've got the moxie, talent, and songs. Get the sound right. FYI, they were awesome at the Fillmore!

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.