The Music Scene with Malcolm X Abram

Popular 90's alt-rock groups don't disband forever.
They just go away for awhile, realize that nothing else is as awesome (or pays as well) as being a rock star and then reform "rejuvenated" and ready to rock like its (place be$t year for band, here).

But, that doesn't necessarily mean that your old fans will still give enough of a poop to pay their own money to relive their salad days.

So sometimes band/promoters have to give fans a jumpstart.

Case in point: Reunited post-grunge stars Creed have teamed up with Akron's own classic/active rock station WONE 97.5 to gather the blood of fans, i.e. BLEED FOR CREED. In exchange for a pint of your blood, Creed & WONE are offering FREE LAWN TICKETS to the band's Wednesday night show at Blossom Music Center to folks who come down to the radio station (Akron Radio Center,1795 West Market Street-right by the West Point Market) and give up some of your precious life juice Tuesday, (8/25) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Now, this is a darn good thing Creed and WONE are doing because blood banks are always looking for a few good pints.

But from a business standpoint, FREE TICKETS for a show usually indicates that the number of PAID TICKETS is considerably smaller than the promoter/venue would prefer and really want folks to fill up some available space.

Nevertheless, their potential loss is your and the local blood banks gain.
So, if you've been itching to hear/see the now clean-headed Scott Stapp do the 2009 version of the dark leather panted-super-earnest-post-grunge-rock-god thing on monster hits such as Higher and With Arms Wide Open then cough up some blood–sorry, I mean donate some blood and see it all for free.

If you'd rather keep your blood, as of Monday afternoon you can still buy two tickets in the pit for a concert that is happening on Wednesday night.

Frankly, I'm a bit surprised that this show hasn't done better considering that Creed sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 skidillion records during their heyday (I may be off by a skidillion or two, but it was a lot) and sold out arenas around the country. Plus, 80's & 90's alt/indie rock nostalgia is all the rage.

Did all those Creed Fans have a musical epiphany and finally realize how derivative and boring Creed was back then?

Are they all so enamored with the bands that gained fame crawling out of Creed's sonic afterbirth (Nickelback/Daughtry/Shinedown/3 Doors Down, et al..) that they no longer have time/energy for the….."original?"

Whatever, it's a win-win for fans:

Free lawn tickets to Creed in exchange for the opportunity to do something good for your fellow humans.

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Alright all you BRUUUUUUCE! fans, it's time raid the kids' college fund, cash in your IRA or do whatever it will take for you to afford two tickets to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band when the Working On A Dream tour stops at Quicken Loans Arena on November 10.

Actually, only one of the kids might have to wait on college as tickets prices are relatively sane with general admission floor seating going for $92 and reserved seat tickets priced at $58 and $92.

For most fans, $58 and a nose bleed is a small price to pay to see their (filthy rich & famous) Working Class Hero live from the rafters of "Da Q."

Tickets will sell out fast as they always do (Springsteen has sold more than 2 million concert tickets in 2009 alone) so don't dawdle.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m., Saturday, August 22 and will be available at Livenation.com and ticketmaster outlets.

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Due to injuries suffered by singer Steven Tyler's after recent fall from a stage during a concert at Sturgis, Doctors have told the 61 year old rock legend to take it easy and the band has subsequently canceled the remainder of their tour which was to stop at Blossom Music Center on September 10.

Refunds for the show will be available at the point of purchase.

Tyler was attempting to keep the crowd entertained while the band was experiencing some sound problems, but the lithe sexagenarian apparently didn't see the edge of the stage until he had fallen off of it.

Through the magic of YouTube we can all enjoy the spill.

Ouch!

Tyler got up and waved to the crowd before being airlifted to the nearest hospital.

This one's kind of a bummer as the band had been playing their breakthrough 1975 album Toys In The Attic in its entirety and weren't we all looking forward to hearing Uncle Salty live?

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That's right folks.

Today, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced that it plans to celebrate its 25th Anniversary with two groundbreaking concerts, both of which are in New York at Madison Square Garden.
It's going to be quite a shindig with a slew of big names and another slew of big one-off collaborations.

October 29th
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Simon & Garfunkel
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Friends
Paul Simon
Stevie Wonder

October 30th
Eric Clapton
Aretha Franklin
Metallica
U2

The artists are supposed to perform both their own rock hall worthy material and some songs by the folks that inspired them.
All of the proceeds from the two big concert will go towards creating a permanent endowment for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and Museum (that latter of which is in CLEVELAND).

The event is being sponsored by American Express (I don't know how to make one of those copyright symbols, but it goes right here) and AmEx card holders will have the opportunity to get their tickets a bit early if they use their card beginning 9 a.m., July 27th through August 2nd at 9 p.m. through ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.
The rest of us (i.e. the general non-AmEx having public) will have to wait until Monday, August 3rd at 9 a.m.

Of course if you don't make the shows perhaps you can mollify yourselves with this soon-to-be released celebratory product.

The Rock and Roll of Fame Foundation and Museum’s anniversary celebration will also extend beyond the concerts, with both a book and a deluxe DVD set to be released this fall. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The First 25 Years, chronicling 25 years of induction ceremonies, will be published in September.

In August, Time Life will issue a nine-DVD boxed set of highlights of the past induction ceremonies, featuring speeches and all-star performances, many that have never before seen by the public.

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Though it will surely be difficult for some fans to listen to without some sadness, on Monday, July 13, LeVert II consisting of original LeVert members, Sean Levert and Marc Gordon plus new member Blaq Rose will release their debut album appropriately titled Dedication.

To celebrate the release the surviving group members will kick off a promotional tour for the album with a CD Pre-release Party and Fan Appreciation Celebration at 9 p.m., Saturday night at Club Alchemy located at 1575 Merwin Avenue on the East Bank of Cleveland Flats.

The album and group were inspired by the 2006 death of Gerald Levert and with the blessing of family patriarch Eddie Levert, Sr. the group reconvened to record Dedication which continues the original trio's mix of bedroom ballads and club bangers and sadly features the last recordings of Sean Levert who died in 2008.

The event will have a live performance by LeVert II and fans will receive a free copy of Dedication a few days before it hits the stores.

What: LeVert II CD Pre-release Party and Fan Appreciation Celebration
When: 9 p.m.-1 am., Saturday, July 11
Where: Club Alchemy – 1575 Merwin Avenue (East Bank of Cleveland Flats)
Tickets: $20
Information: (216) 574-8958, www.LevertII.ning.com

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OK,

For any Todd Rundgren fans who haven't gotten their tickets to the special performance of A Wizard, A True Star in it entirety will have another chance as a second show has been added for Monday night.

Apparently, there are fewer than 200 tickets left for the Sunday night, Sept. 6 and a whole bunch more for Monday.

Also, the All-Star band that will help Todd recreate one of his best records has been announced.

The Band will consist of: Todd Rundgren, Jesse Gress, Kasim Sulton, Prairie Prince, Greg Hawkes, and Roger Powell!!!!

That's right half of Utopia (Sulton, Powell), a member of the The Cars (Hawkes) and of course Mr. Prince.

Tickets for the second show go on sale Monday, June 29 presumably at the same price range ($50-$200) as Sunday night.

Here is some discussion with Todd about the album and the show from Rundgren Radio

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Going to a Toby Keith concert is like having a few beers (and shots of tequila, and maybe a little bit of Willie Nelson's weed) with an old buddy you only see a year.

Yeah, they'll be some new topics to discuss as you catch up with the latest happenings in each others lives, but mostly you'll talk about the same old stuff, and when its over you'll have had a fun and familiar time.

Friday night Keith and fellow big, burly, ex-oil-rigging, ex-football playing, baritone Trace Adkins opened up the Blossom pop concert season with a near sell-out crowd that was quite happy to party with their old buddy, the Big Dog Daddy, and his Toughest Tour.

Despite the local weather folks gleeful weeklong predictions of torrential downpours, most fans didn't seem to concerned with the threat as short skirts, short shorts sandals and flip-flops were everywhere, with fans seemingly having faith that Mother Nature is a country music fan.

Their faith was well placed as the forecasted rain never came, though there was plenty of muddy ground through which to trudge.

Keith kept up his end of the bargain with a show that followed the basic blueprint he has been using for the past several years, opening the show humorous short film starring Keith, a talking bulldog and a Ford F-150. This year's lengthy edition featured a "contest" between Keith and fictional bands–with names such as Fistful of Guts and the Jehova Brothers–for the title of "America's Toughest Tour" sponsored by Ford, of course.

Also, per usual, a part of Ford truck was embedded in in the middle of the stage, this years edition featuring the bed of a F-150 with working taillights . There was pryo, there was confetti, there was group toast to the men and women of the armed forces, firefighters and law enforcement and a set list designed to get people partying which they were more than ready to do.

The Blossom show was only the second on the tour and Keith wearing jeans, a black button down shirt and requisite cowboy hat was in high spirits as he and his 10 piece band (including bass playing Massillon native Chuck Goff) ran through many of his hits including a dust-kicking set opening Big Dog Daddy, Hottie, and a rollicking Let's Get Drunk and Be Somebody that had folks line-dancing in the aisles.

Though he is several years removed from the controversy of Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue, Keith is bit of a maverick in the country genre, flouting the general rule of thumb to keep your banter family friendly when outside of a bar. Keith dropped a several "S´´ and a few "F´ Bombs throughout the show and extolled his desire for a sisterly menage-trois at the end of I'm Just Talkin' Bout Tonight, none of which seemed to bother the crowd much. He played a few recent singles including the title track from his latest album That Don't Make Me A Bad Guy, and God Love Her and old concert favorites including the sing-a-longs Weed With Willie and Should Have Been A Cowboy.

Keith ended the show with a few of his patriotic tunes including American Soldier sending fans home satiated for another year.

Opener Trace Adkins, stated early in his set that "we ain't gonna mess around´´ and he did not, keeping fans on their feet for much of his 50 minutes onstage.

The setlist fed the party-hearty vibe Keith favors, highlighting Adkins popular uptempo and novelty tunes such as Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, I Got My Game On and the funny honky-tonkin' "ecomonic stimulus plan " Marry For Money. As promised, Adkins only performed two ballads the recent single Your Gonna Miss This and the gospel fueled Muddy Water featuring a small gospel vocal group and an impassioned and animated vocal from Adkins that surpassed the recorded version. Adkins ended his set with a surprisingly rocking arrangement of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground that saw Adkins reaching into both the upper and lower registers of his range and gave his his septet some room to to jam.

Fans may not get to many surprises at a Toby Keith concert and after you've seen him a few times it becomes fairly easy to predict the flow of songs and moods., But just as with that old drinkin' buddy, just because you've seen and heard it all before don't mean it ain't fun.

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OK, Springsteen fans, here is a chance for you and your brethren to gather and rumple and fetish an array of artifacts related to BROOOSE!!
All you grown-ass men I've seen standing around after a Springsteen show like school girls waiting for one of the Jonas Brothers

As the hall is fond of reminding folks From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen is the first big Boss sanctioned exhibit of his stuff "in the world " and the rock hall will surely make use of their opportunity.

As should you, Big Boss Fan.

In case you haven't heard:

From Asbury Park to the Promised Land is a comprehensive look at Springsteen’s music, from such early bands as Child, the Castiles and Steel Mill through his work with the E Street Band and as a solo artist. The exhibit includes several of Springsteen’s guitars, including the Fender Esquire that is on the cover of Born to Run. It also includes the outfit he wore on the cover of Born in the U.S.A., as well as numerous handwritten lyric manuscripts, posters and handbills from all phases of his career, and various awards and honors. In addition, the exhibit includes Springsteen’s 1960 Chevrolet Corvette, which he purchased after the success of Born to Run. The exhibit will run until Spring 2010.

The events begin Friday afternoon, here's the schedule:

Friday, June 12th
4th Floor Theater
* 12:48-2:27 p.m. – Bruce Springsteen’s Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – Highlight Footage. Springsteen inducted Bob Dylan, U2 and Creedence Clearwater Revival and following his own induction, performed with the E Street Band and Wilson Pickett.
* 2:28-3:46 p.m. – Blood Brothers- A documentary following the reunion of Springsteen with the E Street Band to release the Greatest Hits album. The film captures them behind the scenes and performing live.
* 3:47-5:25 p.m. – VH1 Storytellers featuring Bruce Springsteen

Saturday, June 13th
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Plaza

* 10 a.m.-1 p.m. – Food collection with the Cleveland Foodbank
As you dedicated fans know Springsteen and the Cleveland Foodbank have a standing relationship so if you wanna impress him you should bring a buttload of food….and none of that canned fava beans from 1973 refuse type stuff, either

4th Floor Theater
* 10:10-11:30 a.m. – Bruce Springsteen’s Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – Highlight Footage. Springsteen inducted Bob Dylan, U2 and Creedence Clearwater Revival and following his own induction, performed with the E Street Band and Wilson Pickett.

* Noon – 1 p.m. – Jim Henke, curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s exhibit From Asbury Park to the Promised Land will talk about the curation of the world’s first exhibit devoted to Springsteen.

In case you didn't know

Rock Hall Main Stage

* 2 -3:30 p.m. – Special performance by Colin Gawel of Watershed
Gawel is the guitarist/leader of longtime Columbus well-traveled power pop/rock band Watershed

4th Floor Theater

* 1:15-2:15 p.m. – Chris Phillips, editor of Backstreets, interviewed by Lauren Onkey, Vice President of Education.

* 2:30-3:30 p.m. – Jim Henke, curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s exhibit From Asbury Park to the Promised Land will talk about the curation of the world’s first exhibit devoted to Springsteen.

I told you they'd toot their own horn, didn't I?

* 3:45-4:45 p.m.: Rock and Roll Summer School Album Spotlight -Born in the USA -Lauren Onkey will teach a multimedia class on the making of Springsteen’s most popular album, released 25 years ago this month.

This is the kind of cool geeky stuff that interests me. If I wasn't STILL burned out on that album I might go.

* 7 -8:20 p.m. – Bruce Springsteen’s Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – Highlight Footage. Springsteen inducted Bob Dylan, U2 and Creedence Clearwater Revival and following his own induction, performed with the E Street Band and Wilson Pickett.

They really, really want you to see these clips.

Sunday, June 14th

4th Floor Theater

* 10-11:45 a.m. – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – Live in New York City (2001) film.

* 12:30-1:30 p.m.- Thom Zimny will discuss Springsteen on film and present rare film footage. Zimny is the Grammy-award winning filmmaker of Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run, and Bruce Springsteen’s personal archivist. He has collaborated with Springsteen on Live in New York City, Live in Barcelona, VH-1 Storytellers, and several videos.

How many of you hardcore devotees wish you had that guys job?

* 2-3 p.m. – Thom Zimny will discuss Springsteen on film and present rare film footage (repeat presentation).

Perhaps he needs an intern…

* 3:15-5:15 p.m. – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Hammersmith Odeon, London ’75 film.

Arguably, the Peace Day Resistawnce (sorry, I took Spanish in school) of the whole shebang, This film is probably already in the collections of most of the folks who'll come to see it. But hey, it'll be on the big screen and what could be better than watching Bruce in his young, scruffy-faced prime??
Giant Scruffy-Faced Bruce.

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Rootsy country-fried Akron band Blonde Boy Grunt & The Groans, featuring Akron Beacon Journal employee Mike Good will celebrate the release of their latest CD Never Buy A Skinned Rabbit at The Barking Spider Tavern Friday night (May 22) at 11310 Juniper Rd. in Cleveland.
The music starts around 10 p.m.

The quintet of good ol' poop kickers has been playing in the area for several years and aptly describe their music as "Freight Train Folkabily Bad Luck Blues," will have copies of the CD as well as new t-shirts available at the show. Also fans can purchase the songs online.
To try before you buy point your browser (in another window, please, cuz we need the page counts) to their myspace page where you can get a taste of their easy-going backporch-in-the-city musical ramblings.

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