90′s
Sinbad takes on Thunder Valley Casino
Sinbad - Click for more images
The purple one was in-the-house at Thunder Valley Casino Resort Friday.
Okay, not The Purple One (as in Prince), but the 55 year old standup comedian Sinbad, who was decked out in a freshly tailored purple shirt. I also wouldn’t say “in-the-house,” more like in-the-tent, since it was held in Thunder Valley’s Holiday Pavilion. While it’s a tent, it’s extremely spacious and exquisitely decorated, complete with several bars, restrooms and a whole lotta seats.
Sinbad put on a great show, playing to a full house of young and old alike. As soon as he hit the stage, he started talking about how this was such a great location for a casino like Thunder Valley.
There’s nothing around for miles except for cornfields and a landfill, he joked. He warned everyone that they should hold their breath when they walk outside and then come back inside and gamble some more, referring to the occasional minor aroma coming from the landfill a few miles down the road.
Continuing his rant about the location, he explained that after he put the address into his GPS, it asked him why he wanted to go there.
Sinbad wanted to know why it is 1200 Athens Road when there’s nothing around. Who came up with the number 1200, he wondered. There’s nothing around for miles, so why not a 1?
As he was going through his routine, bantering back and forth with audience members, he asked the ladies in the audience what made them angry. Several shouted out “Cheating!” To which he replied, if a man cheats or if he leaves the cabinet door open, you’re just as pissed. It’s the same thing, so why not cheat.
He’d rather not, but give us some options, he pleaded.
He also wanted to know why it is that everyone says it’s the man that’s cheating. There’s always a woman he’s cheating with. Take Cain for example (referring to Herman Cain). He cheated with 13 women. That’s one man and 13 women that were cheating. There’s more women cheating than men. That’s your people ladies, he shouted.
Continuing with his questions for the ladies he asked them what they wanted and in time, dealt with a number of responses; money, communication, sleep and sex among them.
The best part of Sinbad’s shows will always be his interaction with the audience, responding without skipping a beat, and joking about real life situations. A fun time was definitely had by all in attendance.
As Sinbad ages like a fine wine (in his purple shirt), his jokes remain fresh. Add to the mix his quick wit and audience participation, and you end up with a very entertaining night out.
It’s refreshing to listen to a comedian who doesn’t believe he has to be crude to make people laugh. Sinbad is one of the few remaining comedians that puts on a clean and entertaining show.
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CD Review – Nathan Dale’s “Major Keys Parade”
Nathan Dale is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Sacramento. Some locals may remember Dale as the founding member of Sweet Vine back in the 90′s. The band went on to sign with Columbia Records, recording their self-titled CD at the famed Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York. The band toured nationwide before separating in the late 1990′s.
Dale currently tours with The Jackie Greene Band and has recently release his own CD Major Keys Parade. After listening to his new CD, it became quite obvious that Dale is an extremely diverse musician. The CD has a little something for everyone including a little rock, folk, and even a tad bit of an Hawaiian sound.
The CD starts off with “Him” a brief instrumental with the sound of an old style film projector being turned on. As it happens, the last song, appropriately named “The End,” is another brief instrumental which winds down with the sound of the same old style film coming off the reel and being shut off. Nice touch.
As you get into the meat of the CD with “Ten Tiny Fingers ,” you feel like you just walked under the big top. Sounding more like a circus waltz, this song might have been better off being played on a calliope rather than a piano. I didn’t care for the circus beat, but about half way through it faded into the background. And what’s up with the ten tiny fingers? I’d prefer to think of them as ten very large and impressive fingers, and yes, I only have 8 large fingers and a couple of thumbs ““ sorry my lame attempt at humor.
Next was “Major Keys Parade,” which has an awesome driving beat with some equally awesome guitar riffs, couple that with some great background vocals playing off of Dale’s chorus, and you have one pumped up song that is deserving of the title slot.
“My Wonder Girl” is a great tune that really brings home the folk rock, weaving a tale of a young boy in love with a young girl followed by “Oh Messiah,” both great folk style tunes.
The CD takes a turn to the darker side with “One Bad Day,” followed by an even darker tune, “Way Down.” “Way down” has some really awesome guitar riffs bringing out the hard-rock side of Dale. This song reminds me a lot of some of Alice Cooper’s work . . . yes it’s that dark – exquisitely so.
“With the Sea,” is an Hawaiian style tune that really rounds out the CD, showing just how diverse of a sound Dale has.
Using his music as his canvas, Dale paints his heart and soul into everything he writes, each song painting a story for all to hear. His latest CD is worth a listen. It’s a great album with some very diverse songs, leaving you wondering what other sounds Dale might have up his sleeve. I guess we’ll have to wait for his next CD to find out.
You can find out more about Dale’s latest projects at http://www.nathandale.com
Catch Nathan Dale at Naked Coffee in Sacramento on January 4th at 8:30. They are located at 1111 H Street.
Halloween Sizzles at Thunder Valley
Click for more images of Bridget and her smokin hot costumes & friends!
Thursday night Thunder Valley Casino and Resort kicked off the Halloween spirit with the sexy Lodi native, and star of the reality TV show “The Girl Next Door,” Bridget Marquardt. Deric “DJ D-Wrek” Battiste from MTV’s Wild “‘N Out was – you guessed it – the DJ, and Tone Loc made a special guest appearance.
Pano Hall at Thunder Valley Casino was transformed into a nightclub, complete with semi-private lounge areas, a couple of dance floors, a popular DJ, a well-stocked bar, and a few hot babes thrown in for good measure.
Most of the attendees dressed for the occasion. Some wore evening wear, while others wore their favorite Halloween costume. Myself: Jeans and t-shirt (just thought you’d want to know).
Marquardt was a Playboy Playmate and one of Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends, which was the basis for the TV show. Luckily she brought along a few of her close friends and playmates along to show off her new line of Halloween costumes, called Bridget by Roma.
Marquardt wore her Peacock costume during the evening’s event. The costume was designed by Marquardt with the help of fellow playmate and Hefner girlfriend Holly Madison.
Smarty Pants - CJ Sparxx - Click for more images
Prior to the show, a number of the “girls” were working the room and taking pictures with audience members, while DJ D-werk was attacking the turntables. There was even a photo booth where people were taking their pictures and having them printed out, plus they could have them emailed to themselves.
Once the fashion show started everyone crowded around the runway to take a gander at the new costumes, or should I say the ladies.
Starting off the show was Branae Whitney a Playboy Live model wearing the Ring Master outfit. I won’t go into all the details of the ensemble other than to say it was red ““ as in red hot, but then all the costumes were.
There were ten costumes in all ending with the Fruit Cup worn by Leticia.
Click for more images of Tone Loc
Tone Loc took the stage armed with his deep, gravelly voice, a Nike t-shirt, sunglasses, and a towel wrapped around his neck. I’m
sure a large portion of the crowd was wondering how the rapper was doing in light of recent events.
A couple of weeks ago Tone Loc collapsed during a performance in Atlanta while singing “Funky Cold Medina.” He had a similar incident at a Pensacola, Florida concert back in 2009, again while singing “Funky Cold Medina.”
Loc made a wise choice and opened with “Funky Cold Medina.” Best to get that one out of the way before getting too far into the performance. He ended his set with “Wild Thing.”
Loc’s voice has stood the test of time. He sounded just like he did all those years ago and the audience ate it up. He walked up and down the runway shaking people’s hands while he belted out his hit songs.
He appeared to be in good health and spirits, joking around with the audience and remaining active through most of his performance.
Continuing with the Halloween theme Thunder Valley Casino is hosting a huge Sinners and Saints Halloween party, on Saturday at 9:00 p.m. I have it on good authority that the photo booth will be back. Sorry guys, the playmates won’t be there, but they will have go-go dancers!
Models
Ring Master – Branae Whitney
Colonial Cutie – Marlo
Mermaid – Heather Rene Smith
Smokin Bachelor – Kelly
Gypsy – Katarina Van Derham
Sexy School Girl – Melissa
Sexy Kitten – Brittney
Marty Pants – CJ Sparxx
Bavarian Beauty – Jenna
Fruit Cup – Leticia
Steven Tyler Rushed to Hospital
Front man and American Idol judge, Steven Tyler, was hospitalized in Paraguay’s capital Tuesday after reportedly taking a spill in his hotel bathroom.
According to a bellboy from the Bourbon Hotel in Asuncion, Tyler had taken a “nasty fall,” and lost several teeth.
Tyler was rushed to the La Costa medical center in the capital city. He spent almost four hours in the hospital, where doctors administered stitches, and affixed two dental implants to replace his lost teeth. He has since returned to his hotel to recover, after being discharged in “good condition.”
Tyler was scheduled to perform with Aerosmith later that night.
A spokesman for the concert organizers said, “Mr. Tyler had a small accident that prevents him from staging the concert tonight. He is fine, he’s in his hotel, but he’s not able to do the concert.”
Tyler is still scheduled to perform Wednesday night.
Tyler should be accustomed to tumbling about. However, he generally leaves that for his onstage performances. Back in August 2010, he was knocked offstage by guitarist Joe Perry during their performance of “Love in an Elevator”. Hmmmm – Going down? Who knows maybe they had a tiff just before the concert.
A year earlier he was spinning off a catwalk while performing the same song resulting in a shoulder injury. Soon after the incident Tyler entered rehab for pain killers.
Declan MacManus Releases Limited Edition Boxed Set!
Elvis Costello's The Spectacular Spinning Songbook
Declan MacManus will be releasing The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook.
This is a 3 disc – oh wait a second. You probably have no idea who the hell MacManus is, or do you?
Declan MacManus is the one and only Elvis Costello! Yes, I know, with a name like MacManus why would you change it to Elvis Costello? Call me crazy, but doesn’t Costello look like a Declan MacManus? I’m just saying.
The UK-born singer is best known for his unique style of performances. Costello was initially marketed as punk, but his music sounded more like pub-rock with a little bit of country thrown in for good measure.
In 1977 with his trademark geeky glasses and suit, Costello released his debut album My Aim is True, and the memorable single “Alison.” It was a classic debut, showcasing Costello’s witty songwriting and his unique sound. His follow-up album, This Year’s Model, featured three of his most famous songs: “Pump It Up,” “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea” and “Radio Radio,”
In 1986 Costello and the Attractions opened their Spectacular Spinning Songbook tour with Costello playing emcee Napoleon Dynamite.
Elvis Costello - Click for more images
Costello would ask audience members onstage to spin a large wheel of songs, creating a completely different setlist each night.
Elvis/Napoleon Dynamite returns with an awesome 3-disc (CD, DVD, 10″ vinyl LP) live box set entitled The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning
Songbook. This was recorded over a 2-night stand at the art-deco Wiltern in Los Angeles on May 11 and 12, 2011.
Only 1500 copies will be sold. Each set is individually numbered with a special commemoration card autographed by Elvis Costello. It will include a 40-page hardcover book filled with candid photos, a tour diary of Costello’s musings from each tour stop, a 20″ x 30″ concert tour poster and a limited edition postcard.
The DVD is from Costello’s show on May 12, 2011, and includes a special guest appearance by the Bangles, plus bonus footage including behind-the-scenes moments captured with the Imposters as well as extra performances not included in the main set of the show. The 10-inch vinyl record features four songs only available in this set.
All this is housed in a nicely put together box with a working spinning replica of “The Spectacular Spinning Songbook” on the front cover!
Only 1500 copies were printed and autographed so don’t miss out.
And it looks like Amazon already has them up for pre-order for $250 and they show a shipping date of November 21st. That looks like it will be a busy day for Amazon, since their new Kindle Touch ships the same day. For that kind of money I think I’d by two Kindles and then listen to Elvis Costello on my new Kindle, but that’s just me.
| DISC ONE THE MUSIC – I Hope You’re Happy Now – Heart of the City (Nick Lowe) – Mystery Dance – Radio Radio – Everyday I Write The Book – God Give Me Strength – Watching The Detectives –Tear Off Your Own Head (It’s A Doll Revolution) featuring Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles – Out Of Time (Mick Jagger-Keith Richards) – I Want You – Stella Hurt – All Grown Up – Lipstick Vogue – Man out of Time – National Ransom – (What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and UnderstandingRecorded Live at THE WILTERN, Los Angeles, CA, May 11 & 12, 2011 DISC TWO Bonus Tracks Filmed Live at THE WILTERN, Los Angeles, CA, May 12, 2011 DISC THREE (THE 10″) Side B: |
Tesla to Play at Ace of Spades!
Downtown Sacramento
As I mentioned in an earlier post Tesla will be celebrating their 20th anniversary of their legendary 5 Man Acoustical Jam, in full “Acoustic” fashion this November 2011 in support of their new album “Twisted Wires and the Acoustic Sessions.”
The new album features “acoustic” versions of TESLA classics such as “Hang Tough” and “What You Give” as well as a new hit single titled “2nd Street.” The concert tour will feature TESLA the band playing a stripped down acoustic set ““ No! Not stripped as in naked, stripped as in unplugged.
This CD/tour reinforces the fact that Tesla started the “unplugged” craze back in the 90′s. Their acoustic renditions of lesser known songs such as “Shine Away” and “Caught In a Dream,” are refreshing to listen to and have excellent guitar and harmonies.
The great news for everyone in downtown Sacramento is Tesla is going to play at Ace of Spades on December 2nd, but wait ““ that’s not all. They will be also be playing a second night at Ace of Spades on December 3rd. For you Bay Area concert goers you can catch them in San Francisco on December 1st.
I’m still not done!! You have to get over to their website and check out their new fan page and join the Tesla Troops!
Girls Night Out at Power Balance Pavilion
Girls’ night out at Power Balance Pavilion
Local radio station V101.1 hosted the Freestyle Explosion at Power Balance Pavilion, with radio personality Dr. Don Sainte-Johnn as the emcee and Expose headlining. Giving Expose top billing was a brilliant idea, since they are credited for bringing the freestyle genre of music to the forefront back in the ’80s.
The Freestyle Explosion revisits the freestyle sound that was popular in the late ’80s and early ’90s, an underground mixture of Latin hip-hop, electronic supplementation and the occasional house grooves. Despite their brief stint in the spotlight, the artists who brought freestyle music to the masses have been immortalized on the club circuit, with a die-hard fan base throughout Europe and in most major cities in the United States.
Friday night was definitely girls’ night out, as hundreds of women packed into Power Balance Pavilion, with a few guys dragged along, to see Expose, Lisa Lisa, Shannon, Debbie Deb and Cynthia. And there was some eye-candy thrown in for the ladies, like Johnny O, and Nice & Wild.
David Torres - Click for more images
First up was David Torres, one of the three original members of Nice & Wild. He opened with “Diamond Girl,” gyrating across the stage, much to the delight of all the women. I’m not so sure the guys were happy with the opening, but, hey, they could have grown a pair and stayed home. I found his vocals flat, but he put on a good show.
Next up was Cynthia singing a medley of her hits, including “Change on Me” and “Gonna Get Over You.” She was less energetic than the others, but she made up for it with her stellar vocals.
Cynthia - Click for more images
Following Cynthia was Johnny O singing a medley of his hits, which included “Fantasy Girl.” He was joined by Cynthia, and together they performed a great rendition of “Dream Boy/Dream Girl.” Johnny O was very energetic, eliciting screams from all the women and a few men “” but I’m sure you’ll never hear them admit it.
Debbie Deb - Click for more images
Debbie Deb came out with three ladies from the audience. She only introduced them as her backup dancers, without mentioning anyone by name. She sang two of her hits, “Lookout Weekend” and “When I Hear Music.” She sounded great.
The Cover Girls, consisting of Evelyn Escalera, Lorrain Munoz and Sabrina Nieves, came out singing “Wishing on a Star” and a number of other hits, ending with “Inside Outside.” They did a great job and had some old-school choreography going, which I think is just classy.
Shannon - Click for more images
Shannon came out and sang several of her hits, closing with “When I Hear Music.” Prior to taking the stage, several enlisted soldiers were introduced to the crowd. Shannon and Debbie Deb had performed in Iraq, where she met Specialist Gonzalez, Sargent Gray and Specialist Bradford.
I spoke to Bradford prior to the show, as he was sipping his cocktail ““ compliments of Shannon. Hailing from the 49th Military Police Brigade, Bradford first met Shannon at Camp Liberty. He said Shannon committed to the troops during her visit in Iraq, and that they were welcome at any show, wherever she was playing. As she tours across the country, her tour manager has been keeping in touch via Facebook and phone, letting troops know her schedule and arranging VIP passes. All three soldiers wanted to be sure I mentioned how thankful they were to Shannon for giving them the opportunity.
Shannon danced with the soldiers during her performance. Having two left feet, as I do, Bradford struggled with his moves, but he gave it a valiant effort. Both Gonzalez and Gray were having a great time, getting down with Shannon.
Lisa Lisa - Click for more images
After a brief intermission, the concert really took off with Lisa Lisa jumping up on stage. She played a number of hits, including “Can You Feel the Beat,” “Lost in Emotion” and “Kiss Your Tears Away.” She had the audience up on their feet the entire set. She sounded great, while her two male dancers rocked the stage. She looked like she was having a great time, showing us her infectious smile. From my perspective, Lisa Lisa should have been headlining, but I get it.
Finally Expose arrived singing “Seasons Change.” They sounded good and had a well-choreographed routine going. They sang several hits,
Expose - Click for more images
ending with “Point of No Return.” While they did a fantastic job entertaining the crowd, I believe Lisa Lisa stole the show. By the time they were finished, many people had already started leaving. This may have been due to the concert going well past 11:30 p.m.
It was fun watching young and old enjoy a bit of old-school music. I didn’t mind either. Let’s face it “” there was a bit of eye-candy there for the guys, too.
Tesla Announces New Tour – Twisted Wires
Jeff Keith - Click for more images
I know it’s kind of counter intuitive since Tesla gets their name from the famous Tesla Coil, but yes, they are going unplugged – Again!
Local heroes Tesla are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their legendary 5 Man Acoustical Jam, in full “Acoustic” fashion this November 2011 in support of their new album “Twisted Wires and the Acoustic Sessions.”
The new album features “acoustic” versions of TESLA classics such as “Hang Tough” and “What You Give” as well as a new hit single titled “2nd Street.” The concert tour will feature TESLA the band playing a stripped down acoustic set ““ No! Not stripped as in naked, stripped as in unplugged. I know! Of course they will have some things plugged in, just work with me here.
This CD/tour reinforces the fact that Tesla started the “unplugged” craze back in the 90′s. Their acoustic renditions of lesser known songs such as “Shine Away” and “Caught In a Dream,” are refreshing to listen to and have excellent guitar and harmonies. Keith’s vocals have definitely improved with age and remind me more and more of Steven Tyler. However, Keith continues to have a sound all his own, especially when backed by the likes of bassist Brian Wheat, guitarist Frank Hannon, drummer Troy Luccketta and newest member, guitarist Dave Rude.
I had the opportunity to cover the release of their latest CD “Twisted Wires and the Acoustic Sessions,” at Dimple Records in Sacramento, CA. where they played a few songs from their new CD, including “2nd Street.” Trust me, this is not something you want to miss. Click on the song of your choice below to have a listen. If you haven’t already purchased their CD, get it now.
R.E.M. Calls it Quits!
Holy rapid eye movement batman! Is this a dream gone bad?
Yes. The band that brought the alternative rock genre to the forefront of music with hits such as “Shiny Happy People” and “Losing My Religion,” has said they are calling it a day. I gotta say that’s a helluva long day since R.E.M. has been together for 31 years.
R.E.M. recently released their latest album Collapse Into Now, which some critics are saying is their best album in years. It was just a little over 30 years ago they released their debut album Murmur.
Posted on their website is this brief note:
“To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening.” R.E.M.
Each band member chimed in with their thoughts about “calling it a day”
MIKE
“During our last tour, and while making Collapse Into Now and putting together this greatest hits retrospective, we started asking ourselves, ‘what next’? Working through our music and memories from over three decades was a hell of a journey. We realized that these songs seemed to draw a natural line under the last 31 years of our working together.
“We have always been a band in the truest sense of the word. Brothers who truly love, and respect, each other. We feel kind of like pioneers in this–there’s no disharmony here, no falling-outs, no lawyers squaring-off. We’ve made this decision together, amicably and with each other’s best interests at heart. The time just feels right.”
MICHAEL
“A wise man once said–’the skill in attending a party is knowing when it’s time to leave.’ We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we’re going to walk away from it.
“I hope our fans realize this wasn’t an easy decision; but all things must end, and we wanted to do it right, to do it our way.
“We have to thank all the people who helped us be R.E.M. for these 31 years; our deepest gratitude to those who allowed us to do this. It’s been amazing.”
PETER
“One of the things that was always so great about being in R.E.M. was the fact that the records and the songs we wrote meant as much to our fans as they did to us. It was, and still is, important to us to do right by you. Being a part of your lives has been an unbelievable gift. Thank you.
“Mike, Michael, Bill, Bertis, and I walk away as great friends. I know I will be seeing them in the future, just as I know I will be seeing everyone who has followed us and supported us through the years. Even if it’s only in the vinyl aisle of your local record store, or standing at the back of the club: watching a group of 19 year olds trying to change the world.”
Sting: The Best of 25 Years
Click to see Sting performing with The Police
Cherrytree/A&M Records/Universal Music Group has announced plans to release a new album, STING: THE BEST OF 25 YEARS, slated for release on October 18, 2011. Featuring 12 remastered tracks, including several remixes and newly unearthed live recordings, selections for this compilation represent a diverse cross section of Sting’s enduring solo career.
Highlights include the No. 1 hits “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” and “All This Time,” as well as Grammy® winners “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You” and “Whenever I Say Your Name” featuring Mary J. Blige. The CD also includes a new mix of “Never Coming Home” as well as previously unreleased live versions of “Message In A Bottle,” “Demolition Man” and “Heavy Cloud No Rain” (full track listing included below).
STING: THE BEST OF 25 YEARS was produced by Rob Mathes and Executive Produced by Sting’s longtime manager, Kathryn Schenker.
Also recently announced, Sting: 25 Years, the definitive box set, will be released on September 27, 2011. This consummate collection contains three comprehensive CDs personally curated by Sting, as well as a DVD, Rough, Raw & Unreleased: Live at Irving Plaza, featuring previously unreleased live concert footage filmed at New York City’s Irving Plaza. The discs are housed in a beautiful, hardcover book containing rare photos, complete lyrics, and newly written commentary by Sting.
Embodying the highlights and rarities of his illustrious solo career, STING: THE BEST OF 25 YEARS and Sting: 25 Years(3 CD/1 DVD box set) celebrate the distinctive work of one of the world’s most dynamic artists.
| STING: THE BEST OF 25 YEARS1. If You Love Somebody Set Them Free 2. We’ll Be Together 3. Fragile 4. All This Time 5. If I Ever Lose My Faith In You 6. Fields Of Gold 7. Desert Rose 8. Whenever I Say Your Name 9. Never Coming Home 10. Message In A Bottle (Live) 11. Demolition Man (Live) 12. Heavy Cloud No Rain (Live) |
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