Archive for the ‘Music’ Category

38 Special made a visit to Northeastern Ohio to share their traveling party and some really good music with their fans.  The fans got more than their moneys worth at the Packard Music Hall in Warren, as the Wild-Eyed Southern Boys delivered.  Don Barnes (left) and Donnie Van Zant (right) harmonized as well as anyone I have ever heard live.  The whole concert was very tight and proved that this band can still deliver in a big way.

Packed House Productions gets an attaboy for bringing such a big fish to the small pond.  The DeVengencie family, who runs the promotion, donated proceeds from the concert to charity and fans did not have to pay any service fees as they would when ordering tickets through Ticketmaster.

Having interviewed Barnes a few weeks ago, I was told that this band still had it.  I was promised that the concerts they play are a party and it is all about delivering for the fans.  I learned that there would be no auto tune gimmicks, no drum machines, no lip-synching, or visual distractions to cover bad sounding music.  Give Barnes credit for being an honest man.

Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers played a blistering set to open.  Grushecky was a solid choice to open because the music is pretty much in the same genre, hard-driven, blues-based rock and roll.

Once Grushecky and company wrapped up, John Batcho, aka Mr. Sports,hit the stage.  Batcho’s station, Y-103, did a really good job hyping the concert for the last several weeks.  Batcho got the honor of introducing the band.  A few minutes of introductory sound later, The first chord of Rockin’ Into The Night hit and the crowd erupted.  Right from the first note Barnes sang, it was obvious that the big sound was still there.  Van Zant harmonized through the chorus of that opening song, and people around me were all amazed at how much 38 Special still sounded like their recordings.

Barnes and Van Zant really share a role of being co-frontmen and both know how to work the crowd.  Danny Chauncey was also on the front line with the big guys and also participated in making sure his feet touched every section of the stage.  Bassist Larry Junstrom typifies a guy that is happier standing back and doing his thing.  Keyboard player, Bobby Capps, stepped forward and sang Second Chance, but otherwise was stationary because his instrument was immovable.  Drummer Gary Moffatt did a couple of fancy things, and I am sure he could have done more, but played his role as a consistent metronome, not missing a beat.

Anyone who saw the show can vouch that these guys are having a good time.  Van Zant was smiling all night (above) and seems like he enjoys himself.  Barnes just keeps busy.  Don’t get me wrong, he was having fun, or “big fun”, as he would call it, but he was switching guitars, singing, always playing, and still moving around.

The sound quality was fresh.  There were no feedback squeaks of horror or out of pitch lyrics.  For my money, a good sounding band that does not tinker with the arrangements and doesn’t have to move down a key because they can no longer hit those high notes is a band I will always pay to see. Barnes’ vocal range and consistency are amazing. I have always felt he has one of the most underrated voices in the music industry and his performance just backs up what I have been saying.

While talking to a “casual” fan at the concert in-between acts, he stated he was not sure he would know more than half of the songs, just the biggest hits.  After the concert, I sought him out to learn that he knew all but two.  The catalog that 38 Special offers is more vast than the casual fan realizes.

Before the concert, I got to meet the band.  When I told Barnes I was the guy who interviewed him a few weeks ago, he remembered my name, and for a few minutes, it felt like I was talking to a cousin who I only see every Christmas.  Guys like that are a dime a dozen in this industry and it is refreshing to know that five guys and their manager, Mark Rogers, were never too big for anybody who approached them at the meet and greet.  They signed anything put in front of them, took pictures, shook hands, and answered questions with everyone there.

After a solid two hour set, the band came back out for a three song encore featuring Hold On Loosely and covered Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s Travelin’ Band to close the show.  An appreciative audience gave a well-deserved ovation to the visitors from Florida on a job well done.

These guys are touring all Spring and well into Summer, they are a must see show if you like rock and roll played the way it should be, with heart and passion and unobstructed.  38 Special…. they never lost a thing.

Also, thanks to Ron Stevens who snapped some great pictures and to Craig Campbell who represents the band for the accessibility and courtesy.

There is a band that originated quietly enough in Jacksonville, Florida way back when.  That band is called .38 Special and they are coming to the Youngstown/Warren area to perform on March 17 at Packard Music Hall.   Songs like “Caught Up In You“, “Back Where You Belong“, “Hold On Loosely“, and many other recognizable classics are sure to be a part of this big show.

In the eighties, .38 Special dominated MTV, Billboard Charts, and arenas around the country.  One of the coolest things about this band is they are the prototype of what a blue-collar American group boundlessly strives to become.  They are charged up and ready to put on a great show worth seeing.  Don Barnes, along with Donnie Van Zant, is one of the founding members of the band which has exceeded the 20 million mark in sales.  I was recently lucky enough to speak with Barnes via telephone in hopes of asking him a question or two he may have never heard.  Enjoy the interview, but more importantly, grab some tickets and enjoy the concert!

Paneech: How did your band, .38 Special, end up on A & M Records?  Was it a luck thing or a case of knowing someone?

Don Barnes: Back then, there were bidding wars going on between A & M, Arista, and CBS.  Southern Rock, at that time, was a pretty big deal, kind of what grunge was to Seattle in the nineties.  We went with A & M Records because it was run by musicians.  They had a strong commitment to sticking with up and coming artists and aiding with artistic development.

Paneech: How can a band as big as yours endure personnel changes and retain that magical chemistry?

Don Barnes: When you do this for as long as we have, some will grow tired of living out of a suitcase.  There are musical differences that can push a band apart, like a marriage.  Over time, there will be a difference of opinions, and we have to do what is ultimately best for the band.  Jeff Carlisi had a little girl and took a different avenue in life.  He runs something called Camp Jam where they bring in a bunch of kids every Summer and have a smaller version of a rock and roll fantasy camp.  It is a great program and we all wish Jeff the best with it!  Our original drummer, Jack Grondin, was probably the wildest guy in the band and is now a world traveling evangelical minister and spends time raising money for orphanages.  You just never know.

Paneech: If the opportunity ever presented itself for Don Barnes to be on the panel of American Idol, would you take the opportunity, or do you think Steven Tyler of Aerosmith did the wrong thing by selling out?

Don Barnes: (laughs) You know, people take everything way too seriously.  An old gentleman who I remember seeing when I was much younger always used to tell me “Don’t forget to have fun”.  Steven Tyler has been laying the groundwork for over 40 years.  If he wants to step away for a bit, more power to him, just as long as he is having fun.

Paneech: Something I find particularly disturbing in today’s music is the use of Autotune.  What do you think of it?

Don Barnes: I dislike it because it used to be that a good singer had to learn control and pitch, and now it’s all synthesized.  We like to mess around with Autotune on a bass guitar from time to time.  Overall though, I am not a big fan of Autotune.

Paneech: How much longer can you and your bandmates keep up with the fast lane of touring?

Don Barnes: Ah, we are rolling until the wheels fall off.  We set out to create a heritage and we take great pride in the longevity that we have achieved.  Longevity is a goal, and that goal is reached when everybody gets along and respects each other.  We are laying some tracks at our studio in Atlanta with some new material.  We also just completed video production of some live performances we did in Texas that will be available for purchase real soon.  We have even had some fun with some of our hits in the sense that we have stripped them down and experimented with many different genres.  For example, we did an acoustic version of If I’d Been The One where the arrangement is very stringy and vibrant.  We are also tinkering with doing some soundtrack stuff, so we are keeping really busy.

Photo Courtesy of Carl Dunn

Paneech: Having done some research on you, I know you are an avid fisherman.  What else do you do in your spare time?  Are there any sports that the band follows?

Don Barnes: I am a football fan.  We all follow football through the playoffs and the Super Bowl.  Personally, I left the band for a few years because this career was hammering me.  During my time away, I loved to spend time in or near the water and would take my boat out.  I also started playing golf.  I even went snow skiing – imagine that, a guy from the South trying to ski.  I still try to relax and enjoy my time away from the touring as much as I possibly can.

Paneech: You have listed Eric Clapton as an influence.  Were there other influences?

Don Barnes: Growing up, I had pictures and posters of Eric Clapton all over my room.  My father would come in and I would say, “Hey dad, listen to this”, and play him something Jimi Hendrix did.  He would just shake his head and say it all sounded noisy to him.  In those days, we would put the records on a turntable and slow them down so we could pick up the licks.  I also liked Muddy Waters and really like Leslie West from Mountain.  West had that big guitar sound.

Paneech: Any messages for the fans?

Don Barnes: Come out and have a large time!  We are a premier band live and we play what the fans want.  You will see how much fun we are still having and we really feed off of each other having fun on the stage.  Our concerts are an explosive celebration and it is the best job in the world, making people happy.

One Word Answers

Favorite Meal of The Day: Dinner.

Favorite Athlete: Peyton Manning.

Song You Love Playing Live: Chained Lightning.

Favorite TV Show: The Office.

Toppings On A Pizza: Meat Lovers (and well done).

Favorite Drink: Grey Goose and Three Olives.

Biggest Phobia: Fear of Heights.

Favorite Movie: Planes Trains, and Automobiles.  Big John Candy fan.

Worst Habit: Eating Late At Night on The Bus.

Song On Your ipod That No One Would Believe: Britney Spears, Piece of Me.  I love that song, listened to it seven times in a row one night.

I respect the work of the great Neil Diamond.  He was already a legend in the 1970’s and kept gaining popularity.  He is what every artist wishes to be, both authentic and original.  The best compliment you can pay to any singer is that he has his own sound.  Kudos Neil Diamond, nothing but respect.

Sweet Caroline is one of the big Diamond tunes.  It’s a catchy song with a cool melody and has one of those easy to sing with tones.  The song was released in 1969 and I can still remember the hit from my elementary school days.  The origin of Sweet Caroline came from Diamond’s affection for Caroline Kennedy after seeing her in an equestrian outfit on the cover of Life Magazine.  He wrote and composed the song in about an hour in a Memphis hotel room.

I am confused, however, on when Sweet Caroline became a sports anthem.  There is no mention of sport whatsoever in the song about a girl named Caroline.  Maybe Caroline was a good right fielder in the forties when Diamond was growing up.  So good they called her Sweet Caroline.  Maybe not.

I can accept that maybe in the Carolinas, the song would be better understood as a timeout filler and the kids could go nuts.  Is it that big of a deal to go Ba-Ba-Ba while shaking your arm in the air three times?  I am lost on this whole movement.

Maybe Neil Diamond can issue his whole catalog to sports usage.  Here are some examples of better suited songs and where they might be used.

•  He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother – WWE’s Mark Henry can use this as his new entrance song.
• Song Sung Blue – Even sounds like Sweet Caroline a bit if you lift the lyrics.  Duke could use it.
• You Don’t Bring Me Flowers – Would be a heck of a backround song while showing Tiger Woods putting in slow motion to promote the Masters.

I could go on and on.  The Mets, Red Sox, New York Rangers, Boston College, and Pitt are all using the song.  Diamond performed it live at the Red Sox home opener against the Yankees Sunday night.  Mitch Miller would have been proud, but Simon Cowell would have ribbed Diamond and said his performance was pitchy and self-indulgent.

B-b-b-benny and the jets.  If Benny lives in Singapore, he might have scored tickets to see Elton John in Youngstown at The Covelli Centre on May 1.  The general sentiment of Youngstown area residents was frustration Friday morning.  At least 100 people who have talked to 100 people who have talked to 100 more have said five hours after the concert was announced sold-out, that nobody was able to buy more than one ticket online. 

The sellout will go down as the fastest in the arena’s four-year history smashing the old mark of seven-and-a-half hours that it took Carrie Underwood to fill all of the Covelli seats.  The Centre, and director Eric Ryan are on fire with pushing the right buttons to draw crowds these days.  The Ringling Brothers – Barnum & Bailey Circus, which was originally scheduled for seven shows, had to add one to meet the demands of the public.

Marketing Director Bridget Wolsonovich said those who could not purchase tickets online were just unlucky.  “When thousands of people all log into Ticketmaster at once to buy tickets for an event like this, many will be unsuccessful.”  When asked why all of the people who have conversed in circles all day were unsuccessful at 10 am,  Wolsonovich was quick to mention that people were successful online and that I just hadn’t come across anyone who did succeed yet.

Joel Hoskins, of Youngstown, was quick to cry foul.  “There were tickets available through brokerages and scalping agencies hours before the on-sale began.  I checked the same sites that had seats listed before the sale started and the information was identical.    I even called a couple of them who said that they did not have the tickets in-hand yet, but was assured that the seat numbers and sections listed on their sites were accurate and that for about double the face value, I could buy tickets.  They sold those tickets ahead of the advertised sale date, isn’t it obvious?”

Melanie Taylor, a Poland resident, claimed Eric Ryan went back on his word.  “Ryan was all over the media yesterday telling people that they would have a better chance online.  I heard that all of the people who went to the Covelli box office got tickets a half hour after the sale started, it is crappy business.”

In fairness, a show of this size creates so much more demand.  Elton John can sell out 100,000 seat arenas in an hour.  Our 7,000 seat venue is fractional in stature to Wembley Stadium.  One must wonder, is this show too big for Youngstown?  Wolsonovich didn’t think so.  “Nothing is too big for Youngstown.” 

Whatever the situation, a big tip of the cap to Eric Ryan and his staff for drawing an act as big as Elton John.  This is a good problem for the Youngstown area to have, demand has not exceeded supply very often here in the past thirty or so years.

Having seen this video about 50 times when the song “Closest Thing To Heaven” came out in 2004, I never knew who the girl in the video was.  I just recently was sorry to learn that the “damsel in distress” at sea was Brittany Murphy. 

Murphy passed away just over a month ago.  Oddly enough, the video is better produced than some of the movies she was in.  Tragically, in the world of music video, she was saved.  In reality, she couldn’t be.

Check out the video, Brittany Murphy at her absolute best!

I have been at this blogging stuff for almost a year and I have tried to get credentialed to as many things as possible.  I have had moderate success, but the rejection I have received is for what I think are the wrong reasons.  Most of the time when I am denied a credential to a concert or major sporting event, I am handed the line that the performing party will only credential major traditional media such as television or newspapers.  I understand that advertising is a reason why those outlets receive preferential treatment and I respect both the local newspaper and the local television stations.

My first break for a credential came with the now defunct Mahoning Valley Thunder arena football team.  I called and asked, explained that I get some hits and outlined what I could do to help promote their product.  The powers that be issued the credential and I was extensive in my coverage of a team that would pack it in at the end of the year.  When I look at my hits and where they are coming from today, people are still looking at player profile pieces I did on Quorey Payne, Larry Harrison, Blake Powers, and Tom Zetts.  I took about 95% of my own pictures, made sure to have a player profile up every week, did game previews and summaries, and received the respect of the people who took a chance on me.

My next big break was the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.  The Scrappers are the short-season Single-A affiliate for the Cleveland Indians with Travis Fryman as their manager.  I embraced the Scrappers project much the same way I did the Thunder.  Profiles, pictures, game summaries, and extensive coverage.  Overall, I feel the Scrappers also liked the efforts I put forth to cover their team. 

I consider Youngstown State to be a sports school.  With a national reputation as the school where Jim Tressel came from, I was so honored to gain access to YSU sporting events.  I am currently covering football, but mens and womens basketball are right around the corner and I will be as extensive as I ever have.  This was the biggest credential I have received to date and it really keeps me busy.  I know players see their profiles because I receive favorable feedback from them.  YSU has “traditional media” covering their games and I am thrilled that I am rubbing elbows with the best in the area.

The most recent credential came from the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL.  Same deal as above in the sense that I am trying to cover this team to the best of my ability.  It is harder to take pictures at these games because of the glass, but I am doing my best to give the readers a good shot.  This season is young but I feel comfortable with the coaches, players, and front office people who have extended the olive branch to the blogger.

Toward the end of the 2009 baseball season, I decided to take a chance and call the Pirates and Indians to maybe get a credential to one game at each place and interview anyone I could.  Both markets refused to give me a credential stating non-traditional media with no affiliation could not be awarded credentials.  I didn’t argue because if it is their policy, then so be it.  The way I see it, baseball attendance in these two markets is not soaring and if they want to roil in disaster, it is obviously less pressure on me to find positive things to write about.  The 4500 people who went to a Pirates home game surely would have spotted me and filed some form of complaint with Bud Selig or Pirate Management.  That nearly empty press box would have needed a good cleaning after I got done with one game and I am well aware that cuts were made and it might be hard to send Ryan Doumit back up there with a broom with his shin hurting so badly.

My latest endeavor of credential seeking failure comes from the land of music.  Concert promoters carry the same belief as MLB, an unlikely Rock & Jock connection.  They too feel that traditional media is worthy of a credential.  Mind you, a credential at a concert means you have permission to take pictures for the first three songs, there are no interviews or backstage access.  To be denied the privelage to snap a few photos was upsetting.  Traditional media was allowed to do so.  This is brilliant for many reasons. 

Firstly,  I have no beefs with the local newspaper, I think they do tremendous work and the promotional articles are on time and to the point, they work.  However, when a guy in New York is looking for a review on Styx, Daughtry, or Kelly Clarkson (all denials for me ), I don’t think he is going to hop in the Jeep and drive to Youngstown to read the local newspaper for a review.  If these people were on the fence about buying a ticket, they would probably Google a specific band and maybe use a keyword of “review”.  I know that is the route I would take.  They find a website that reviewed the concert, they read the review, they are impressed that Styx played “I Am The Walrus” as their third song and want to hear it, so they buy tickets.

Will there be newspapers in 15 years?  No one can answer that.  I read mine every day and will continue to subscribe.  But is there anyone with a brain cell who doesn’t think that websites are turning into mainstream media?  There is an unlimited audience, it doesn’t cost a penny to visit most sites, and the coverage is adequate.  Writers like Jay Marriotti have blasted the internet contributions in the past, probably because they feel threatened.  Yeah, kudos to those who went to school for four years and got a journalism degree, they have my respect and write some intriguing pieces.  Should they be allowed to have websites?  Do they have programming certification and/or even know what a widget is? 

I will continue to seek media credentials for any event I feel will generate this site more hits.  I will also be as diligent and prompt as I can be to ensure exposure of a positive nature to the group or organization who issued a credential to me.  Thanks to those who have said yes! 

To those who will only cater to traditional media:  Welcome to the future where typewriter ink rolls are going through the roof and black and white film is getting harder to come by.

Friday night I attended the Youngstown Phantoms USHL hockey game at The Covelli Centre.  Saturday, I made it to the Styx / REO Speedwagon / Night Ranger concert.  As I waited for Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon to finish a 20 or so minute rant on Vietnam and what it was like going to college at Illinois University, I looked around and started to take in the transformation process that had to take place in a 19-hour span. 

Tommy Shaw of Styx is good at what he does.  However, I don’t think Tommy Shaw can skate or take a hit from Richard Young off of the boards.  The first thing that had to be done was making the ice surface something sturdier for people to walk on for floor seating.  I looked down and noticed wood.  I was not sure if the wood I was standing on was on top of the hockey ice or whether they melted the ice and I was just standing on a normal floor.  After asking an employee of the arena, I learned that it was wood overlayed on the ice.  Once I learned this, I kicked at the wood a bit to see if it was loose in any way, which it was not. 

Assembling a stage and hanging the lights are not easy tasks.  This concert had plenty of lights hanging from the ceiling and it was no five minute project.  I am aware that bands hire crews to hang lights and assemble the stage, but they can’t do it on ice.  The stage itself would have basically covered the blue line to behind the goal, perhaps a little bigger.  Keep in mind, this stuff has to come apart and be put together at every stop. 

The doors for the concert opened at 6, and I am sure each band had to do a soundcheck which meant that all of this carpentry and wiring had to be done by 4 pm.  That means everything was done in 16 hours.  Seats had to be put down on the floor, coolers had to be restocked, bathrooms had to be cleaned, floors had to be swept, and people just had to be tired. 

It was quite a week at the Covelli Centre.  Last Sunday, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra brought all of their toys for two shows.  Wednesday, Daughtry was here.  Thursday and Friday were hockey games, and read the above three paragraphs for an inkling of things that converted the center into a concert hall.

I tip my hat to the crew at the Covelli Centre and applaud their hard work in the past week.  It is not often that Youngstowners have had such an array of events to choose from in one building.  Congratulations to Eric Ryan, Ken Bigley, Bridget Wolsonovich, Jon Jacubec, and the rest of the people who have buried themselves in work to see this place be successful.  

Any fan of Rock & Roll in the Youngstown area will want to mark November 7, 2009 on their calenders.  Usually when a band we have heard of and admired for so many years comes to our area, they bring an opening act who might have a hit or two.  On November 7, Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Night Ranger will invade Youngstown in the biggest concert value of the year.  All three bands qualify as dominant headliners.  Maybe they flip coins backstage to determine who plays first and see who closes.

Tommy Shaw, the backbone of Styx, and Jack Blades of Night Ranger have collaborated several times in the past.  Styx and REO Speedwagon have been touring together off and on for almost a decade.  Expect surprises.  Shaw and Blades were together in the 80’s supergroup Damn Yankees.  Not long ago, the duo also did an album of remakes from various eras in music with Shaw-Blades.  None of the three performing groups have anything new that is tearing up the charts, but all three groups have a catalog of hits that could make a four-hour concert special because the audience could recognize every single tune performed.

Below, I have showcased the 10 must hear songs for each band.  I can guarantee you will hear at least eight from each list.  I also predict there will be collaborating of some sort.  Expect all three groups to do something together at the end.  The starpower coming to the Covelli Centre is unheard of.

10 Night Ranger Songs To Expect

• Sing Me Away (Above Video)
• Sister Christian
• (You Can Still) Rock In America
• Goodbye
• The Secret Of My Success
• Don’t Tell Me You Love Me
• When You Close Your Eyes
• Four In The Morning
• Restless Kind
• Sentimental Street

10 REO Speedwagon Songs To Expect

• Keep On Loving You (Above Video)
• Roll With The Changes
• That Ain’t Love
• Take It On The Run
• In My Dreams
• Don’t Let Him Go
• Can’t Fight This Feeling
• Time For Me To Fly
• One Lonely Night
• Ridin’ The Storm Out

10 Styx Songs To Expect

• Fooling Yourself (Above Video)
• Lady
• Too Much Time On My Hands
• Renegade
• Come Sail Away
• Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
• The Grand Illusion
• Crystal Ball
• Suite Madam Blue
• Miss America

The above lists are in no way set in stone, but rather my predictions of which songs you may hear at the November 7 concert.  There are several songs from each band that I do not have listed that may well be played.  I think there is a shot of hearing High Enough, the Damn Yankees hit,  as some sort of encore.

The thing that makes this triple-headed monster of a rock concert special is the ability of all three bands to harmonize.  Put any Night Ranger CD on, wipe off a Styx album, pop in an REO Speedwagon cassette and you will find a very common element – very thick and rich harmonies that trademark each bands sound as their own.  Don’t blow your chance at missing the very best concert Youngstown will have to offer for a long time.

Tickets are flying, but there are still a few left.  You can call the Covelli Centre Box Office at 330-746-5265 or Ticketmaster by phone at 800-745-3000.  You can also purchase tickets online with a credit card at Ticketmaster.com, by clicking on the link.

Kudos to Eric Ryan and staff at The Covelli Centre for bringing this high-level of entertainment to Youngstown, Ohio!

Sonic Boom is the first KISS studio album in 11 years.  The last studio album, Psycho Circus, featured the original KISS lineup of Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Gene Simmons, and Paul Stanley.  Criss and Frehley are gone again.  Wearing the Catman makeup is Eric Singer, who was acive with KISS in the Mid nineties.  Donning the Spaceman garb is Tommy Thayer.  Criss left due to declining health and Frehley got pissed about opening for Aerosmith saying that KISS should never open for anyone.

Thayer replaced Frehley in 2003 and has received mixed reviews on imitating Ace.  Some fans are whining that Thayer is nothing more than a Frehley clone as he is copying solos note-for-note.  But let’s face it, if Thayer was doing original solos, there would be a much larger outcry for his lack of respect. 

The Tommy Thayer imitating continues on Sonic Boom.  Thayer’s solos are definitely Frehley inspired and unoriginal.  Again, what KISS is shooting for with Sonic Boom is a return to their trademark sound, so is Thayer and the band doing the wrong thing?  I feel it HAS TO be this way.  Poor Vinnie Vincent can tell you all about being original on a KISS studio album as he was run out of town for his efforts on Lick It Up.

On “Russian Roulette”, Thayer’s solo sounds nearly identical to Frehley’s in “Rock & Roll All Nite”.

Paul Stanley produced Sonic Boom and proves he still has the pipes on “Modern Day Delilah”.  Gene Simmons does his usual egotistical sex-driven tune on this album as well with “Nobody’s Perfect” with a lyric after the refrain of ‘but baby, I’m close’.

The Sonic Boom package, exclusive to Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club, also includes a bonus disc of older KISS classics re-recorded by the current lineup.  “Heaven’s On Fire” never sounded better than it does on the extra disc.  The package also includes a bonus DVD of concert footage from an appearance in Argentina in 2009.

Overall, the Sonic Boom package offers great value.  You get a new KISS studio album, a partial greatest hits remake by the current lineup, and a short DVD.  The band is supporting the package with their Alive 35 tour coming soon to a city near you.

I give the effort an A- rating.

Dave Grohl has seen plenty in his days as a drummer for Nirvana and the frontman of the Foo Fighters.  Warren, Ohio paid tribute to Grohl by renaming Market Street Alley.  The new name is David Grohl Alley.  Grohl was born in Warren in 1969 at Trumbull Memorial Hospital, which was in perfect view from the Trumbull County Courthouse lawn, the setting for Saturday’s festivities. 

My path to meet Grohl was awkward and lucky at the same time.  I was in a small shed-like building interviewing one of the event coordinators, Jennifer Campbell of an organization called Main Street Warren.  Luckily for me it was too loud to capture her answers as bands were playing in a closed-off area.  Campbell led me into the building where we sat and discussed how Main Street Warren could pull off such a fete.  As I neared the end of a ten minute interview, the door opened and in came Grohl with his father, Jim, and his stepmother Renie Grohl.

Jim and Renie are still residents of the area.  Jim seemed unphased by the gathering of people and Renie was more concerned that her friends and family had refreshments.  Before anyone else got in, I was able to snap many good photos and catch a few quotes.  If shaking hands with an icon like Grohl doesn’t put chills up your spine, nothing will – you may not have a spine. 

Dave was cordial with everyone who approached him.  A group of the organizers children swarmed for autographs and Grohl responded by signing every single item handed to him.  He posed with young and old.  The thing that impressed me most about this guy was how much of a normal person he ended up coming across as.  He talked with the young fans about getting his start playing in clubs and not losing sight of his dreams.

The direct dialogue I had with Grohl was brief.  I shook his hand before I had to exit the building and thanked him for being as cool as it gets.  “No, thank you for being here to cover something that means so much to me”, Grohl replied.

“When I was a kid, I used to love to come here”, Grohl said about the big park atmosphere, “This is one of my favorite places in the world.”

About an hour later, Grohl came out to a nice response and played with a local band Love Turns Hate.  He sat at a second drum kit, and jammed with a band whose song he never heard before.  He then collaborated with the band to cover a Led Zeppelin classic, Rock & Roll.  He can still smack the skins pretty well.

A formal presentation followed with Grohl getting a key to the city and thanking many people.  “This means a lot to me.  I’m very, very proud to have this, and you guys”, Grohl remarked.  Grohl also talked about his roots to the Mahoning Valley and how his grandfather worked at Republic Steel. 

Dave Grohl then showed everyone why he desrved something like this ‘In His Honor’.  The acoustic guitar popped out and Grohl played a solo acoustic set comprised of “Times Like These”, “My Hero”, and “Everlong”.  He sounded great and had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand.

Grohl’s appearance in Warren was in question up until the eleventh hour.  He gets back every now and then to visit family, but has a ‘rockstar’ agenda.  The event would have went off with or without Grohl, although it would not have been nearly as special without him.

The Trumbull Art Gallery artists made the alley sharp.  To see all of the images and paintings everywhere was truly special.  Main Street Warren spokesperson Jennifer Campbell said the artwork in the alley will continue to evolve and update with Grohl’s career.  It is pretty laid out and a must-see for any Nirvana or Foo Fighter fan.  Special thanks to Jenn for allowing me such private access to an icon in a music industry in need of people like Dave Grohl.