Last entry of the year –
Enjoy!
Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas Extravaganza – December 11th – Allen Event Center – Allen, TX
This year might mark Brian Setzer Orchestra’s 12th Annual Christmas Rocks! Tour, but it earns the distinction of being the first in ten years supported by new holiday music with this year’s excellent Rockin’ Rudolph. That plus a sea of solo, band and Stray Cats songs, the rockabilly/jump swing revivalist had loads of material for an amazing Christmas celebration.
Our second time seeing this show, the first time in 2013, sadly we missed last year so we were happy to be in this company once again this year.Some other less famous but just as fantastic segments included a rollicking, Stay Cats-styled jam through Fishnet Stockings & tipped its hat towards the Million Dollar Quartet era for Setzer’s own Let’s Shake and Jerry Lee Lewis’ Great Balls Of Fire.Along with a 16-piece band and two backing vixens, Setzer came out swinging on a bandstand filled with kitschy cool snowman, toy soldiers, trees and rotating backdrops.
The trope also while also peppering Rockin’ Rudolph with shades of “James Bond” jazzed up The Nutcracker Suite totally upside down for the better miles more festive than so many others, further indicating Setzer and company’s Christmas kick-off is a truly a celebration like no other.
Setlist –
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (Brenda Lee cover)
This Cat’s on a Hot Tin Roof
Stray Cat Strut (Stray Cats)
Boogie Woogie Santa Claus (Mabel Scott cover)
(She’s) Sexy + 17 (Stray Cats)
Here Comes Santa Claus
Sleep Walk (Santo & Johnny cover)
Angels We Have Heard On High
Let’s Shake
Jump, Jive an’ Wail (Louis Prima cover)
Jingle Bell Rock (Bobby Helms cover) (w/ a cappella reprise)
Great Balls of Fire (Jerry Lee Lewis cover)
Fishnet Stockings (Stray Cats)
Rockabilly Rudolph
Rock This Town (Stray Cats)
Encore:
Yabba Dabba Yuletide
Nutcracker Suite
Jingle Bells
311 – August 1st – South Side Ballroom – Dallas, TX
Still releasing records & touring annually – 311 coming to town is something I still look forward to every Summer & am grateful their still doing it.
This year my usual companion Chris, my life-long friend couldn’t make it but in his place I was joined by two of his High School buddies Erik & Ian whom he introduced me to over 20 years ago ironically right at the time we were all getting into the band so a perfect reunion was in-store for the evening.
It was also special on several other accounts, the first being that in the spirit of the craft beer boom, they were debuting their own brand called 311 Amber Ale.
We got there just as the last of it was being sold so thankfully I was able to try it and it was pretty decent. The second thing was (& this was unbeknownst to me right up until showtime) that they had just released a box set of archival & unreleased material so in the spirit of some old school friends getting together, they were gonna be playing some of their rarest material.
Now, that’s all fine & dandy but one thing 311 fans can be thankful for is that they need not to release such a thing to have on occasion to play rarities as even after all these years, they radically change the setlist up every single night, so now it was time to really get excited about what was to come.
Their self-titled 1995’s Blue Album turning 20 this year (can’t even believe that) was celebrated by playing most of the LP including some of it’s lesser known b-sides from that project. My pal P-Nut their bass player usually anticipated solo was made even more memorable as he included the unmistakable bass line from Rage Against the Machine’s Killing in the Name Of that led to the entire crowd screaming the chorus in unison. Good times.
Setlist –
Homebrew
Sick Tight
Do You Right
My Stoney Baby
Outside
Beautiful Disaster
Showdown
Purpose
Don’t Stay Home
Who’s Got the Herb?
Applied Science
What Was I Thinking
Come Original
Large in the Margin
Amber
Friday Afternoon
All Mixed Up
DLMD
Random
Creatures (For a While)
Encore:
Omaha Stylee
Down
Their management was hospitable as always by leaving tickets & passes for me. I had met this super cute Asian gal Stella a few weeks prior at a Judas Priest show & we made plans to meet up after this show. This is us doing the after-show hang.
Much thanks again to P-Nut & 311 for having us, look forward again to next Summer as always.
Hanson – Oct 24-25th – House of Blues – Dallas, TX
As being the best big brother to my little sister I can be, a tradition since 1998 when she a mere 13 years of age is that I take her to see her favorite band Hanson – an obsession of most 13 year old girls in 1998. What started as a duty soon became a pleasure as by the second or third time we went I looked forward to not only how happy the shows made her but also how much I genuinely enjoyed the music & performance. I’m pleased to say 17 years later it’s a tradition we keep with the same anxious anticipation.
Night 1 –
Their seemed even more to be excited about as they were coming this time for two nights as a part of a special tour called Roots & Rock N Roll, an ambitious project where the first night they play mostly covers that have inspired them throughout their career for which they recorded for an EP of the same name earlier this year.
What followed was a 25 song over 2+ hours journey of music & memories & fun & laughter as all of the songs were performed flawlessly with the perfect pacing.
This band so good, their voices so sweet that I became a convert of their version over some of the originals they were covering. Perhaps the best set we have ever seen them perform & one of the best times we have had at any of their shows.
Setlist –
Teach Your Children (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover)
Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover)
Shake a Tail Feather (The Five Du-Tones cover)
I Want to Take You Higher (Sly & The Family Stone cover)
Hold On, I’m Comin’ (Sam & Dave cover)
I’ve Got Soul
You May Be Right (Billy Joel cover)
Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) (Billy Joel cover)
Voice in the Chorus
God Only Knows (The Beach Boys cover)
Stand by Me (Ben E. King cover)
This Time Around
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (Paul Simon cover)
Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
Penny & Me
Chain of Fools (Aretha Franklin cover)
Dancing in the Street (Martha Reeves and The Vandellas cover)
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours (Stevie Wonder cover)
Never Been to Spain (Three Dog Night cover)
Get Up & Go
In a Little While (U2 cover)
Desire (U2 cover)
Lost Without Each Other
You Can’t Stop Us
I Believe in a Thing Called Love (The Darkness cover)
In keeping with the ambitious nature & the special vibe of this tour their were many other events & activities they band had planned during the weekend.
On the first night, after the main show, everyone was made to exit for about an hour & then re-enter for an after-party with the band celebrating the release of their branded craft beer – the apt titled MmmHops with Taylor Hanson providing the entertainment with a DJ set.
Sadly this portion of the weekend was a complete failure across the board – After lining back up to be let back into the venue, unbeknownst to us this event required an additional ticket for re-entry for an additional expense. I can’t complain because we were on the band’s guest list but when we claimed our tickets their was no mention that we would need the extra tickets for the after-party & Will Cal to purchase them was now closed.
I explained this to the usher & saw my press pass and thankfully waved us in. Once back inside however, only to be told that for reasons beyond their control the beer didn’t pass TABC inspection and could not be served, meaning the guest of honor was not present at it’s own party. Lastly, while Taylor is an accomplished musician & excellent singer & clearly has good tastes based on the selection of covers played earlier in the evening, he is not a DJ. A lot of people think because it looks so easy that anybody can just walk up & do it only to find out it’s much more involved. He was trainwreckin’ the whole time and blew his onstage monitor in the first 10 mins and the whole set was compromised with mic leaks & static. I was shouting directions to him which he smiled and appreciated but there was nothing anyone could do to save this disaster.
We stayed all of about 30 mins before heading home.
Night 2 –
Another event Hanson had planned for this special weekend was the latest iteration of their Take The Walk campaign.
The initiative, which the group has led since 2007, is that you join them to walk a mile barefoot ahead of the show to raise money for and awareness of AIDS initiatives in Africa, and for every person who shows up to walk with them, the group donates a dollar (and participants can also make separate donations).
This is something that we have wanted to do since they started doing it but life gets in the way & it’s rare we can commit an entire day to the show as they are usually an hour away and getting there 6-8 hrs before the show to do this would mean finding something to do after the walk and before the show during that time.
We were determined and I’m proud that we took part in our first walk this year.
Later that night we were ready for Night 2 – Though they still did a handful of covers, including a rendition of Michael Jackson’s Remember the Time that rivals the original it was so good, we were now looking forward to hearing their songs.
Another blazing 20+ song set over two hours long came henceforth – Of the 24 songs played 5 were covers & of the 19 originals I only think I knew 5 of the songs played in the main set but the encore included a one-two punch of my two of our faves Fired Up and In the City – However, all they really needed to play was Minute Without You, which they did early in the set – That song is the connection of my relationship/friendship with my sister, so much so that we danced to it together at her wedding. Good times.
Setlist –
Tearing it down
Look at you
Minute without you
Thinking of you
Been there before
Juliet
Broken angel
Thinking out loud (Ed Sheeran cover)
Remember the time (Michael Jackson cover)
I want you back (Jackson 5 cover)
Wheres the love
A song for you ( Taylor solo – Leon Russel cover)
Hand in hand ( Isaac solo into full band )
Scream and be free
Waiting for this
Thinking bout somethin
Mmmbop
Get the girl back
If only
Watch over me
Encore:
Fired up
In the city
Roller coaster love /
Whole Lotta love (Led Zeppelin cover)
Adult (Female) Hanson Fans –
Let me say something about this briefly – I love how we have grown up with this band as the soundtrack to so many good times. I’m grateful they were not just some fad back in the late 1990’s that’s over but limps on in some half-baked way, no, in fact I would say that currently they are at the height of their powers.
Now, having said that I’m also happy to see others that have been coming to the shows since the beginning like we have who are also now adults and also bringing new, younger people all the time. It’s been an easier transition than you would think – The press made a big deal about Zac , being the youngest, turning 30 and what an intense dose of reality that was. Them even introducing their own beer let alone being reminded that they are of and have been for quite some time, of legal drinking age is too much reality for some to deal with. However let me say this – surprisingly, although we did not let it compromise our weekend, the adult female fans (which is 99% of the audience naturally) the ones that we were forced to deal with either by proximity or simply social grace were some of the rudest, obnoxious & self-involved jerks I’ve ever had to tell fuck off in my life. These are nice guys, playing sincere music to a usually appreciative & friendly crowd.
What we got was like a freaking dozen drunk girls in front of us, grinding on each other, having twerk competitions & generally ignoring what was happening onstage. Later that night upon re-entry for the after-party some uptight barista looking gal took exception to us entering before her and was yelling obscenities & rude hand gestures. And don’t get me started on the cell phone in my face blocking the show so no one can see behind them selfishness. I know I sound like an old curmudgeon, but this was the last crowd I’d thought I’d be dealing with that shit from. Still we didn’t let it bother us too much.
The Toadies – December 30th – Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, TX
My old friends the Toadies have made playing legendary Honky Tonk Billy Bob’s Texas on December 30th an annual thing as this is the third year in a row they’ve played this date. I missed the first year and originally didn’t plan to be here this year as I was planning on being in Los Angeles for the final Motley Crue shows.
Plans change and thankfully instead of standing around wondering what to do – I now had this show to look forward to & enjoy.
Earlier this year they released a unique LP – Herectics – that saw new songs written in an acoustic Americana style that added old songs re-recorded & arranged to fit that style & did an entire tour this Fall playing smaller venues that were suitable to the intimate nature of the record performing the songs in this new fashion with my buddy Duane (who normally handles guitar tech duties for them) as a masterful auxilary player (dude is one of those guys that can play anything you put in his hands). Didn’t know if this show was gonna be in that same fashion but I had feeling it wasn’t going to be this time and this would be the Toadies in Rock Show form (I was right).
And it rawked – great way to end a very tumultous year (& for me personally one of the most taxing last few couple of months of my life) I needed the release of their music and was happy to be surrounded by the support of my friends. Happy New Year!
Setlist –
Rattler’s Revival
Backslider
Little Sin
I Am a Man of Stone
Happy Face
No Deliverance
Away
Heart of Glass (Blondie cover)
Dollskin
Sweetness
Possum Kingdom
In the Belly of a Whale
Queen of Scars
Push the Hand
Tyler
Encore:
The Appeal
I Come From the Water
I Burn
Photos –
Roy Turner
