Saints of Las Vegas - Hard Rock Cafe, May 27th, 2016

It goes without saying that I am a big music guy, I listen to literally everything, no really you should see my iPod its packed full of music of so many genres I pull ligaments and tendons in my hand as I peruse it.  I debate myself constantly about many of those genres and what qualifies inside of said genres and I think the hardest area to define is "metal," "hair metal," and "hard rock."  The problem is never if music is good (or bad) enough to qualify itself for those genres, its actually more complex than that.  Think about it like this for a moment, what if there was a band that had its roots in the L.A. music scene, the L.A. club scene and tours with bands like Alice Cooper, Motörhead, KISS and Mötley Crüe, was still alive and kicking today?  Would that be a pretty important band?  Well?

Brandon Gibbs Band - Rascals Live - April 29th, 2016

Pedigrees are very telling instruments aren't they?  At times a pedigree can be chock full of unimportant sources that look like simple filler with nothing more than blah, blah, blah, blah, blah gushing through the ink on the paper that they cover.  When a pedigree exudes that kind of emotion it becomes quick work to discredit the pedigree in rather quick fashion.  Yes at times they can seem to be just dripping with droll moments in their history that are mere chaff upon the threshing floor but at times there are pedigrees that stand out and should be noticed.  Right?

Rascals Live - Moline, Illinois

Live music is a passion of mine, its cathartic to such an extreme with me that I feel almost lost not seeing a live show.  It's probably some type of addiction I have or just a way to extend my childhood  once again.  My childhood had so many layers inside of it that it is possible that some of the areas are in a strange way intertwined.  Without question I have seen to so many live shows that they at times melt together like those old plastic toy cars I had as a child.  What?

Firehouse - Mystique Casino April 16th, 2016

What defines us?  Are we defined by our personality?  By our choices?  Or are we defined by just random events and traits?  Those are fair questions but I would tend to think that for each of us we can't be defined the same way as any other person.  It's like the old adage "never judge a book by its cover" because until you open that book you can't make an accurate judgement and if you try to and you are wrong then you risk being judged yourself.  Right?

Prince - June 7th, 1958 - April 21st, 2016

Icon.  Pioneer.  Genius.  Eccentric.  Those four simple words define one of the greatest artists of all time and I think that artist is the right label for the man simply known as "Prince."  On April 21st, 2016 at 12:10 PM CST I was writing an article about a different artist and then I opened Facebook and all of my thoughts immediately switched gears to the "Artist formerly known as Prince."  What?

Lita Ford - Mississippi Moon Bar April 17th, 2016

Music is full of legends and inside of that are the stories of their life that at times are told in their music.  At times those legends are caught inside of their own environment or stereotypes which can muddy those legends.  All too often those legends aren't legends with just a little afterthought and deep introspective search.  What if we looked at those legends and tried to reshape their legend into its proper spot in music?  Well?

Hookers and Blow - Tailgaters - Bolingbrook, Illinois - February 12th, 2016

I am amazed by the bands I see every year, they are at times some incredibly well known, well established acts and other times they are little known bands.  In 2015 I saw 157 different acts perform, and much like a band on a massive tour it becomes cumbersome remembering where I was on a particular date.  Sure its possible to remember a music festival or one of the iconic acts but at times it is nothing more than a simple name that sticks out never to be forgotten.