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Papa Roach pulls out of UPROAR Festival
Jacoby Shaddix – Click for more images
Papa Roach pulls out of UPROAR Festival after only playing five of the scheduled 30 dates.
This after the 36 year old lead singer, Jacoby Shaddix, announced that he had to undergo vocal cord surgery in order to remove a nodule that has been causing him problems.
“It’s no secret that I’ve been having issues with my voice lately,” Shaddix said, “I was hoping to be able to go out there and kill it on this tour by resting and doing vocal exercises, but my voice has just gone out on me. I hate to let our fans down, but unfortunately surgery is the only way to fix it.”
The Rockstar Energy Drink sponsored tour also includes Shinedown, Godsmack, Staind and Adelitas Way. The tour continues through September 30th, when it wraps up in Albuquerque, NM
The Vacaville-based band is responsible for hits “Last Resort”, “Between Angels And Insects”, “She Loves Me Not”, “…To Be Loved”, “Scars”, “Forever”, and “Hollywood Whore”.
Papa Roach will be releasing a new album The Connection in early October.
Rock Allegiance Tour at Power Balance Pavilion
Josh Todd of Buckcherry - Click for more images
The Rock Allegiance Tour pulled out all the stops for the last night of their summer tour.
Sacramento’s Power Balance Pavilion hosted an unforgettable evening of loud riffs and primordial deafening screams. Seven bands were schedule to perform. Drive A, Crossfade, Red, P.O.D. and Puddle of Mud were scheduled to perform, as well as co-headliners Buckcherry and Papa Roach. Puddle of Mud was unable to attend due to an illness. Me be thinking hangover, but what do I know?
This concert was off the charts with people jumping over barriers to get to the bands and the bands jumping over barriers to get to fans. I didn’t know whether I should be watching the bands or the crowd. Both were entertaining, both were over the top and both were screaming at each other. It was a mess!
Out of all the bands, I think Buckcherry had the best performance of them all. While just as crazy as the other bands, they had a modicum of
Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D. - Click for more images
control to the point of sounding like a real band. Not to rip the other bands, but when these guys are screaming into their mics with their guttural growls and flying through the air like Mighty Mouse on crack, it’s hard to hear them because they’re out of breath – or headbanging with someone in the crowd. It was obvious that absolutely nobody agreed with me, since everyone was screaming and singing along with each and every band.
Once Buckcherry took the stage there were a number of people jumping the barriers, only to be rewarded with the ever so gracious security team greeting them and quietly and politely dragging their sorry arse to the curb. Once Buckcherry jumpstarted the crowd into a renewed frenzy, they passed the baton to Papa Roach to finish the night off in style.
Papa Roach hit the stage in full stride and had heads bopping, fans rocking and people jumping off the stage. It was quite an event and all caught on tape, since Papa Roach was filming their part of the show for a new music video. They even had a $100,000+ camera on a boom moving over the crowd to catch all the action.
This really was a night to remember ““ such a bestial display of pure testosterone all on one stage. As I was heading home listening to the Backstreet Boys I kept wondering what it would be like to fly around like Mighty Mouse on crack, maybe next time.
 Bruno Mascolo with Drive A - Click for more images |
 Ed Sloan of Crossfade - Click for more images |
 Michael Barnes of Red - Click for more images |
 Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach - Click for more images |
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.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Plays at Thunder Valley Casyno
Click for more images
Lynyrd Skynyrd arrived with both barrels blazing promoting their latest album, “God and Guns,” in their Florida’s Finest tour at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Thursday night. The band entertained and delighted a full house of die-hard Skynyrd fans ““ a.k.a. the Skynyrd Nation.
It was obvious that their music is enjoyed by a number of generations, as I watched young and old stand up and cheer. Crowds of non-ticket holders gathered in the parking lot area and on the sidewalks outside the amphitheater.
When they took the stage, the crowd erupted into cheers, with the band kicking it off with “Working for MCA.” As they were leading into “I Ain’t the One,” lead singer Johnny Van Zant said hello to the crowd and thanked everyone for being there.
The audience never sat down the entire concert, even through the slower medleys, such as “That Smell.” The band sounded great and had a solid stage presence, keeping the audience engaged throughout the evening.
Guitarist Rickey Medlocke was tossing out guitar picks to the audience and I thought to myself, how does he know they need a guitar pick, let alone that they play guitar? But it didn’t matter. They were gobbled up before they even had a chance to hit the ground.
They dedicated “Simple Man” to our troops as a huge backdrop fell into place showing the U.S. flag and emblems of the various armed services.
Click for more images
It was a touching moment, with the crowd going quiet but remaining standing.
Toward the end of the concert, Van Zant waved an Alabama state flag attached to a microphone stand. He was encouraging the audience to scream “Alabama!” to prepare for their next song, “Sweet Home Alabama.” As soon as they started up the song, they were met with the wildest and loudest cheers of the show.
For their encore the band came out with Van Zant taunting the crowd.
“You know what you want to hear,” he said.
“Free Bird!”
“In the words of my brother Ronnie Van Zant, what is it you want to hear?”
“Free Bird!” And with that last request, they started up the song.
Lynyrd Skynyrd has a rich but tragic history. Producing over 60 albums, they have sold well over 30 million records and continue to sell a million records each year.
They got their start in Florida in 1964 and were known as The Noble Five. They later changed their name to Leonard Skinnered, which ultimately morphed into the spelling they use today. They got their name from high school teacher Leonard Skinner, who strictly enforced the school’s policy against boys having long hair.
Their rise to fame finally came in 1973 when they released their first album, “(Pronounced ‘LÄ•h-’nérd ‘Skin-’nérd).” The album contained the hit song “Free Bird.”
Tragedy strikes
On October 20, 1977, right after the release of “Street Survivors,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s chartered airplane ran out of fuel near the end of their flight. The plane went down in a forest in Gillsburg, Miss. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick and both pilots were killed on impact. Other band members and crew suffered serious injuries.
The remaining members disbanded, reuniting once to perform an instrumental version of “Free Bird” at Charlie Daniels’ Volunteer Jam V in 1979.
Of the surviving band members:
Allen Collins crashed his car while driving drunk near his home in Jacksonville, killing his girlfriend and leaving him permanently paralyzed from the chest down. Collins died on January 23, 1990, due to pneumonia.
Leon Wilkeson, Skynyrd’s bassist since 1972, was found dead in his hotel room on July 27, 2001. His death was attributed to emphysema and chronic liver disease.
Billy Powell died on January 28, 2009, at the age of 56. An autopsy was never performed. It is assumed he died of a heart attack since he had missed a doctor’s appointment the day before for a checkup on his heart.
Powell’s death left Gary Rossington as the sole pre-crash member of the band.
Newer band members:
Hughie Thomasson died in his sleep on September 9, 2007, of an apparent heart attack in his home in Brooksville, Fla. at the age of 55.
Ean Evans (bass) died on May 6, 2009, from cancer.
As it states on their website, “Beyond the tragedy, the history, the raging guitars and the killer songs, ultimately, Lynyrd Skynyrd is about an indomitable will. About survival of spirit; unbowed, uniquely American, stubbornly resoluteCurrent band members:
Gary Rossington- Guitar
Johnny Van Zant- Vocals
Rickey Medlocke- Guitar
Mark “Sparky” Matejka- Guitar
Michael Cartellone- Drums
Robert Kearns – Bass
Peter “Keys” Pisarczyk – Keyboards
Dale Krantz Rossington- Backing Vocals
Carol Chase- Backing Vocals
| Set list: Working for MCA I Ain’t the One Skynyrd Nation What’s Your Name Down South Jukin That Smell I Got the Same Old Blues I Know a Little Simple Man T for Texas Gimme Three Steps Call Me the Breeze Sweet Home Alabama Free Bird |
