Wayland - Q Casino June 29th, 2018

In life we have all seen the rise of "something" in a way that almost seems to be destined.  As a frame of reference I think of sports teams that have all of a sudden turned that corner and you can actually see that they are head and shoulders above the competition that they are on the field with or even in the same league with.  I hearken back to 1985 to my beloved Chicago Bears and the fact that it seemed like no one could touch them on the field while pitying those that had to actually attempt playing against them.  Very early on that season it became apparent how good they were and what their destiny was but what in the world so it came as no surprise to me on June 29th when I saw that again albeit in a much different format.

An Interview with Heidi Raye

After seeing Heidi Raye live at a performance for a local radio station and reviewing two of her EP's I decided to reach out to her and see if she would want to participate in an interview so we could all get to know her better.  Did she graciously accept?  Well...

Heidi Raye - Two EP's, One Review

When you think about country music what do you think of?  Is it "old" country music with personalities like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline?  Or do you think of the "new" stars of the genre like Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton and Tim McGraw?  Do you think that the only people in country music are from Nashville or the "Deep South" and are only Americans?  Do you just assume that the music is without depth or substance?  There is an artist out there today that might just change any negative thoughts you have about an entire genre that hearkens back to the days of old, with the edge of today's artists and so much more.  Who is it you ask? Well...

Brandon Gibbs - October Twenty Four EP

What if...  What if there were a performer that came from a small town in Iowa, belonged to a couple of "super groups" and has sang lead vocals for a legendary rock band and he released a new EP, do you think he would be interesting?  What if I told you this same guy recorded music with some of the biggest names in '80's heavy metal and he is as humble as a dove?  And what if I were to tell you that he is as big a talent as there is in music today?  Would you want to hear more?

Tom Petty - 1950 - 2017

We all have taken some things away from music that are odd to others and tragic to some, interesting to a few and confusing to most it's because of our individual music tastes.  For everyone of us that is a fan of Blues music, there are fifty that think it is stupid and for everyone that loves that one obscure song by KISS there are fifty that will tell you that they were never any good.  That is the beauty of music, it is a passion and a trigger for opinions like no other.  What if I told you there was a guy, a single performer that left such an indelible mark on music that regardless of his accomplishments my greatest memory of him references a child's fairy tale and a video?

P!nk - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - September 9th, 2017

Subjectivity in music is an incredible thing.  For many it is impossible to love more than one type or genre of music.  There are the purest of hearts that will tell you that if you like (insert genre here) then that's it, there is no secondary likes possible.  Sometimes music crosses genres and clouds those lines because of a message it gives or a personality that it or its star has that affords "crossover-worthy" status.  Then again there are times where it just doesn't matter and you take in something that no one would have ever expected you would and their reaction to your "revelation" is one of classic lines and stories for years.  What happens when a self-proclaimed punk rocker and thrash denizen enters the lions den and walks straight into a pop concert?  Well?

Don WIlliams - 1939 - 2017

On September 8th, 2107 country music lost one of the most beloved stars of the 70's and 80's: Don Williams.  He was 78.

Troy Gentry - 1967 - 2017

On September 8th, 2017 country music lost of it is legends: Troy Gentry.  Gentry, part of the iconic duo Montgomery Gentry was killed while the helicopter in which he was riding crashed in Medford, New Jersey.  Gentry was en route to perform with his band later that day killing he and the pilot of the helicopter.

Avatar - Rock USA - Ford Festival Park, Oshkosh, WI, USA July 13th, 2017

When you think of rock music what do you remember?  Do you remember just the music of the band or do you remember the way they look?  Do you gravitate toward a band based on appearance or shock value before you do their music?  Do you see the message of the band in their stage appearance and think to yourself that you really need to pay attention to this band because of it or do you discount them immediately based on appearance and refuse to give their music a chance?  It's a legitimate question isn't it?  It happens regularly in the workplace and in entertainment to this day, so which camp are you in?  What if the very first time you EVER encountered a band you were presented with a split second to see their appearance and then hear their music, would it then matter?

LA Guns - Poopy's In Savanna, Illinois - July 8th, 2017

The late '80s - early '90s where a very strange time for music.  There was a massive conglomeration of bands and artists all trying to look and sound the same while acting as if they were the true originals.  While every band that came from the Sunset Strip had the hair, the attitude and the music down there were some bands that stood above them all.  What if there was one man, a "Pied Piper" if you will that not only started one iconic band back then but started TWO?  Two bands that traveled the same dingy streets of LA and became two of the greatest bands of that generation.  What if one of those bands "reloaded" themselves and came back to do it all over again but this time even better?

Loud-N-Lima - Day 2 July 22nd, 2017

The world is a giant music festival, or at least that is how it seems to be for me.  I have traveled far and wide to go to even the smallest of music festivals.  I have battled crowds so deep I think that people gave up trying to walk to the bathroom and just went where they stood.  I have been to a festival that literally had a promoter asking people to foot the bar tab so they could still sell beer at the festival.  I have been so sunburned that a year after the sunburn I still had a vicious tan line and I have seen things that cannot be unseen at music festivals that not even bleach and a great IT guy could wipe clean.  But is it possible that another festival could make the list of obscure references that beg you for more information?  Well...

The Story of My Life or at Least Part of It.

What if we could look back at a part of our lives and have everything revealed with one simple trigger?  Sure we can see a singular event and have a flood of memories flood us but what if everything that happened was like walking back in the same footsteps in an ordinary day of our lives?  What if that one ordinary day really had no significance and it really was only just a standard day in our life but its meaning was everything we ever had or wanted?  This sounds complex, isn't this entire blog about music and not a jaunt down memory lane?

WARRANT - Poopy's in Savanna, Illinois - July 29th, 2017

The history of rock music has enigmas woven inside its very fabric so tight that at times it becomes what is the enigma and what is reality.  Any fan of music from the late '80's - early '90's surely understands because that whole time frame is that hazy.  While the number of bands that entered into the foray of "hair metal" was seemingly in the tens of thousands few remained viable in any capacity after the popularity began to fade like many hairlines.  What if one of those that remained was still out there, as popular as before and what if they went from enigma to stalwart?

Gene Simmons - Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Gene Simmons today!  Born August 25th, 1949 Chaim Witz became one of the iconic performers that formed the band, KISS.  For those of us that are mathematically challenged that means Simmons is 67 years old today.  While most 67 year old men are out playing golf on their birthday, Simmons and his bandmates are ON TOUR right now on the "Freedom To Rock Tour".

When KISS released their first, self titled album in 1974 it met with some success, reaching the US Billboard Top 200 peaking at 87 (and 82 in Canada). The album was certified Gold in the US and Canada but that was far from the last bit of success for the band.  In the forty-two years since the release of that album, the band has released a total of twenty studio albums, seven live albums, thirteen compilation albums, eight boxed sets, sixty singles, four solo albums, and three instant live albums.  That is fifty-five total albums (including the boxed sets) which is incredible.

August 20th, 2016 I saw Simmons and KISS at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford, Illinois and it didn't look like Simmons was 66 (now 67) years old.  There will be a review of the performance forthcoming so stay tuned for that.  Simmons was incredible, he performed at a level that I remember when I saw my first KISS concert in the '80's.

Happy Birthday Gene!!!

Check out KISS and The Dead Daisies on their 2016 Freedom To Rock Tour, for dates when they may be at a venue near you, click HERE.

The Dead Daisies - BMO Harris Bank Center Rockford, IL - August 20th, 2016

With a few exceptions there are some times of the year that are really, really special, take Spring for example.  As the snow melts (for those of us that see snow), we get the first peek at the grass as it takes in the rays of the sun, popping between the other dormant blades of grass and the patches of snow.  Summer brings the heat, and the world is renewed but as Fall approaches the green of the grass, and the petals of the flowers begin to fade and fall.  The leaves begin to cover the ground and the flowers die but what it I told you I have seen some dead flowers that are full of life right smack in the middle of Summer?  Would you believe it?  Well?

C'el Revuelta: Black Flag and Beyond

What do you remember about your last year in high school?  Do you remember the name of your US History teacher?  Your favorite move?  Your first girl/boyfriend?  I remember the events of my senior year because there were indeed life changing moments that I could have never anticipated.  That is the interesting part of our lives isn't it?  What?

Evanescence - 2016 Fall Tour Announced

I am proud to announce a new feature for musciallead.blogspot.com, that feature being announcements of new tours as they happen.  What an excellent band to announce first, Evanescence.

Evanescence was started in 1995 by Ben Moody and Amy Lee after meeting each other at a youth camp in 1994.  With three albums in their catalog and the iconic, haunting voice of Lee the band have sold over 25 million copies worldwide since the 2003 release of the album "Fallen."

Evanescence will begin their Fall your October 28th, 2016 at the South Side Ballroom in Dallas, Texas and will continue through November.  For more information about the tour, check out their Facebook PAGE, or their WEBSITE.

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?