Trent Carlini Beats Getting Stoned In Vegas

          Sometimes you get lucky in Las Vegas, sometimes you don’t. The key is always staying within your budget.  You gotta remember you can’t always get what you want but if you try sometimes you get what you need.

         I wanted to see the Rolling Stones in Las Vegas on May 11^th. I certainly did not want to pay the $150 face value of the cheapest ticket.  I’ve seen the band many times – twice at the MGM Grand Garden Arena – and the last time was at the L.A. Forum in 2006 for $65.  It was a terrific show with my good friends next to me and a fun tailgate party beforehand.  If that’s the last time I see the Stones I can live with it.

This poster was as close to seeing The Stones as I would get!

         Yet I came into some unexpected money and decided to make the drive to Vegas anyway.  After an afternoon at the pool I trudged over to the MGM in the 100 degree heat with $100 cash in my shirt pocket.  Usually I have no problem scoring a single ticket to a sold-out show, especially at the casinos who hold back seats for the big-spenders.  This was not your typical show.  Maybe because the Stones were celebrating their 50^th anniversary and those who’d never seen them figured it was their last chance.  I’d never seen so many single people trying to buy a ticket who were older than me (and with more cash to spend.)  When the show started I realized it was time to go back to the hotel empty handed.

The "special guest" at the MGM Grand was Katy Perry, not one of my favorites!

         I chatted a bit with some guys who came out to have a smoke and they said the band sounded “good but not great.”  Then one of them offered me a ticket for $100.  Seemed like a lot of money since the Stones had already reeled off 4 to 5 songs.  Someone else said they’d buy it and I surprised myself by letting it go.  Half an hour later I was back in the pool sipping a Corona and wondering if I’d made the right decision.

         The next day was supposed to be my last in Vegas and it was a scorcher.  My car was running great but the air conditioning was on the fritz.  I knew I’d have to leave the next day around 8am to make the drive back to L.A. tolerable.  Since I had that extra $100 I went to the front desk and arranged to stay an extra day.  That took up half of the cash.

         The other $50 I ended up spending on a ticket to see Trent Carlini perform as “The King” at the LV Hotel.  One of my biggest regrets was never seeing Elvis Presley in the 70s when I went to at least a couple hundred concerts.  I’d never even seen an impersonator!   I’d heard Carlini was the guy to see in Las Vegas and the way to get there was the Monorail.

         What a treat that turned out to be.  Not only did the clean and cool monorail drop me off at the concert doorstep but it also provided spectacular views of the city skyline and The Strip.  Then Carlini put on a great show that exceeded my expectations.  He does not pretend to be Elvis although he wears all the right outfits and sounds just like him.  What makes his act unique is the dancing of Ashley Belle, a gorgeous woman who takes the stage alone during Carlini’s costume changes and joins him for innocent cavorting.  On “GI Blues” she wore a skimpy Army outfit and a grass skirt for “Blue Hawaii.”

Ashley and Trent put on a helluva show!

         Its Carlini’s show however and his love for Elvis and his music comes through in a big way.  Although he does plenty of hits there’s also some surprises.  My favorite had to be “Viva Las Vegas.”  It may not have been the real Elvis singing it but when he was done I really felt like I’d hit the jackpot. 

Trent Carlini 

       

Getting Lucky With The Who and Rod Stewart in Vegas

          I made a road trip to Las Vegas hoping to see an old friend named Rod Stewart.  Of course I don’t know him personally but I’ve seen him many times in concert.  In fact, it was his show in Santa Barbara in 1973 that helped me decide to go to college there.  I’ve listened to his music for over four decades since his days with the Jeff Beck Group and the Faces.  He is the ultimate showman but to me he seems like an old buddy.

         Rod is doing one of those residency shows at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace, the best concert hall in the USA.  I’ve seen Sting and Elton John perform there and I know there’s not a bad seat in the house.  So I paid $75 at the box office to sit in the upper balcony without complaint.  I knew it would be a great show because I’ve never seen Rod play a bad concert.

         This one became even better when an usher came up to me and asked if I wanted to sit downstairs near the stage.  Suddenly my $75 seat became a $200 one at no extra charge.  I ended up in the 20^th row.  I’d been in Vegas for five hours and I’d already hit the jackpot!

         That’s why I prefer going to concerts in Las Vegas.  Not only

are the venues top-notch but tickets are always floating around since the casinos hold back some for their guests.  There’s really no such thing as a sold-out show in Las Vegas.

         Rod sang so many great songs that night including the obvious hits like “Tonight’s The Night,””Maggie May” and “Young Turks.”

My favorites were “Rhythm Of My Heart” and the surprising “Reason To Believe.”  On the rowdy “Sweet Little Rock n’ Roller” Rod roamed through the crowd slapping hands and posing for pictures.  Talk about a gracious performer.  His band was top notch, including some of the prettiest female musicians (not just back-up singers) that I’d ever seen on one stage.

         To finish things off, Rod sang the encore “Hot Legs’ while booting autographed soccer balls into the crowd!  Sticking to the rules he never used his hands and showed remarkable agility for a 68 year-old, holding the mike while fielding balls rolled and tossed to him from backstage.  He even did a few headers and some of his kicks reached the upper balcony!  That’s what I call showmanship.

         Two days later I decided to press my luck and walked over to the Hard Rock Casino on a freezing Friday night.  The Who were performing Quadrophenia there and I knew it would be a tough ticket at such a small venue.  The Joint at the Hard Rock is another great place to see a show and I’ve seen a few there: Ringo Starr, Santana and the Scottish band Travis.  This one was a $125 minimum face value ticket and I set my limit by bringing $100 cash with me.

         Arriving early I resisted the temptation to buy the first ticket offered for $80.  I knew from experience sellers get nervous right before show time.  So I made a little money playing video poker while keeping an eye on those milling about the entrance.  When I was ready to buy I found no takers.  I was about to give up when a guy came out of nowhere and offered me a balcony seat for $50.  I was so excited I almost spilled my beer on him!

As usual The Who put on a terrific show and it was great to hear all of Quadrophenia performed live.  Even better was knowing that I’d made the gamble to show up without a ticket and ended up finding one for less than half-price.  Talk about getting lucky!

Save The Santa Monica Civic!

            Did you make your New Year’s resolution? I made mine: to save the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium!
            The Santa Monica City Council announced plans to close the Civic by July 2013.  One of the few buildings that’s lasted over 50 years around here has now become just another financial burden facing the city.  Even though it played host to many Academy Awards shows and other events.  Unfortunately not much happens there anymore.  I’ve heard its too expensive to rent for concerts.  I’ve heard its out dated.  Bruce Springsteen just played the Sports Arena.  Nothing is more out dated than the Sports Arena.
            I saw Springsteen at the Civic in September 1976, driving down from UCSB with my girlfriend Patty.  It was a drive I made 18 times in five years and I remember every one of them.  Back then the Civic was big enough to draw the big names, but small enough to provide the intimacy that’s been lost in barns like the Staples Center.   
             I hope you’ve seen the recent DVD release of the legendary “T.A.M.I. Show” concert video.  Filmed in 1964 it has the innocence of Leslie Gore and Jan & Dean clashing with the brash Rolling Stones, rocking Chuck Berry and burning hot James Brown. Though the lineup was racially diverse, the audience was white kids wearing nerdy glasses.  They go crazy for everyone on the stage of an auditorium with a unique design.  That’s the Santa Monica Civic, one of the greatest concert halls in pop music history.  Its featured in the “T.A.M.I. Show” video and now its in trouble.
             It shouldn’t be. The Civic must be preserved even if they never have another show there. When I went in the 70s the vibe was loose in a smoky haze of dubious legality with crowds that looked a lot different than those at the “T.A.M.I. Show."  The Civic was where I saw The Kinks and David Bowie for the first time. Along with The Eagles, Loggins & Messina and a very young Peter Frampton opening for E.L.O.
            Back then bands would often play 7:00pm and 11:30pm shows on the same night. Such was the case when my buddy Alan and I decided to go see Traffic and Steve Winwood, riding high on the success of their popular “Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys” album.
            We checked the ticket booth to see if there were any last minute sales.  No luck.  We asked every single person standing outside but no one had a ticket to spare. We decided to stick around for the 11:30 show.  We went to the coffee shop at the hotel across the street and bided our time.
            Once again we couldn't find a single ticket for sale.  It was almost midnight when we decided to give up and go home.  On our way to the car a solitary figure marched toward us, shoulders hunched and long hair in his face. He told us he'd just split up with his girlfriend and was going to the show alone.  We offered him a total of $15.00 for the two tickets and he finally relented.  We found our seats in time to catch opening act Free with Paul Rodgers belting out their biggest hit "All Right Now.”  When Traffic came on stage I realized it was worth the wait. They were simply terrific.
            We had another reason to celebrate on that cold January night in 1973.  An agreement had been signed that day in Paris to end the Vietnam War. I had grown up in the shadow of the conflict and was almost old enough to register for the dreaded draft.  It truly was a memorable evening.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer at The Civic

The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium

            The Civic must be saved. With the right management I know it can provide many more memorable nights.  I’m hoping the City Council makes the same resolution.

Christmas With The Beatles

1964 started with the Beatles on Ed Sullivan watched with my family

           If you are a baby boomer like me your Christmas memories probably include something about the Beatles.  The band’s Christmas tradition in the USA kicked off in December 1965 with the release of one of their greatest singles: “We Can Work It Out”and “Day Tripper.” The picture sleeve (remember them?) of the 45rpm single depicted the boys looking cold and winter weary in their black coats but the music was both raucous and reflective.  Perfectly capturing the essence of the band.

            Then came “Rubber Soul, “ an album so good each of my sisters insisted on having their own copy.  So did I.  The music was more acoustic than electric, the title was mysterious and the songs absolutely gorgeous. Especially John Lennon’s poignant “In My Life” and Paul’s lovely “Michelle” the Grammy Song of the Year.

            At the end of 1967 The Beatles released “Magical Mystery Tour,” and of course it sounded nothing like their previous records.  I remember looking through the album’s picture book by the lights of the Christmas tree, trying to make sense of the strange photos taken from the movie of the same name.  This is a record I’ve grown to appreciate, especially side two. “Hello Goodbye,” “Strawberry Fields””Penny Lane””Baby You’re A Rich Man”and “All You Need Is Love.” On one side of an album!  That’s a career for most bands.  

          The ultimate Fab Four Christmas present had to be “The Beatles,” the two-record opus commonly known as “The White Album.”  The kind of gift that had kids calling each other on Christmas day with a million questions. Why was the cover blank? Why had The Beatles stopped shaving? Was that Yoko Ono on the poster that came with the album?  What the heck was “Revolution #9” about?  How come “Back In The USSR” sounded like The Beach Boys?  Years later people still have questions about the album Bono of U2 called “the complete encyclopedia of rock and roll.”  He’s right.  There’s just about every style of music, from the country of Ringo’s “Don’t Pass Me By” to the acid rock of Paul’s “Helter Skelter.”  “Dear Prudence” might be the prettiest melody John Lennon ever wrote while George’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” left no doubt of his songwriting strength.

            “The White Album” was the hot topic when I returned in January 1969 to Raymond Elementary School in Fullerton.  The Beatles were at the top of their game but something seemed off.  We heard about their surprise rooftop concert in London and later the rumors of their impending breakup.  When “Abbey Road” came out in September everyone agreed it was their best album ever.  I personally think it’s the greatest album of all time.  It was also the last one they recorded together and a few months later the band imploded.

Greatest Music Group Of All Time

A Holy Grail for collectors: The Beatles Christmas Album

         Although it broke my heart, I knew deep inside they were doing the right thing by splitting up in 1970.  The Beatles as a band belonged to the sixties and the sixties belonged to the Beatles.  Their music, however, remains timeless.  With so much holiday cheer in their history its surprising to note The Beatles never recorded any Christmas music.  Unless one digs a bit deeper into their catalog and discovers the existence of “The Beatles Christmas Album.”  This LP was made available exclusively to members of The Beatles fan clubs in the UK and USA in 1970.  Quirky bits comprised of song parodies and musical skits that showed the band at their most unguarded.

         You might find a copy on eBay.  Its not available on iTunes.  Thankfully, everything else you could want by the Beatles is now available digitally. As the Beatles would say: Happy Christmas!

TV Fall Schedule Is Hard To Trust

Elizabeth Mitchell

Jason as Mitt is always a gas!

Recognize anyone on the latest "Survivor?"

    It's been a helluva entertaining year.  It started with a thrilling football Super Bowl followed by a riveting futbol Champions League finale.  Then the Grammys with Adele's return to the stage and the reunited Beach Boys return to touring.  England was all over the calendar with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and London Olympics.  We survived three Friday the 13th's and a partial lunar eclipse, not to mention a Transit of Venus. Even a Perigee Moon in May, so big it gave me the creeps.  Outer space came down to Earth when the space shuttle Endeavour flew over my house last week.

    On the down side, a suicide (Junior Seau), a drug overdose (Whitney Houston) and unexpected death (Davy Jones) surprised the nation.  The NFL referee strike is ruining the integrity of the league.  Did I mention there's a presidential election in November?

    So it's hard to get excited about the upcoming Fall Television Schedule.  Especially after getting burned the last couple of years on highly touted shows that were abruptly canceled.  It bothers me to get hooked on a show, and then its gone without resolution.  Its already happened this year with "Alcatraz" on Fox.  Before that was "Flash Forward" and "Life On Mars", shows that started with good ratings which tapered off when ABC put them on an unexplained "hiatus."  I've learned to hate that word. It means the show is going to end after one year.  At least ABC gave the sci-fi series "V" a partial second season, allowing me to get a crush on Elizabeth Mitchell.

    Who is currently featured on the latest futuristic show to catch my eye: "Revolution" on NBC.  The premise is simple: something causes the electric power grid to shut off around the world.  It never comes back on.  Chaos and anarchy prevail.  15 years later a plucky band of survivors try to make their way through a devastated landscape.  Perfect setting for an arrow-shooting teenage girl (an obvious "Hunger Games" conceit) trying to find her kidnapped brother.  Obviously I like these kind of shows.  For some reason the networks keep bankrolling them.  Then they drop them like a toxic loan.  I hope they keep this one around long enough to tell us why things went wacky (something "Alcatraz" and "Flash Forward" failed to do.)

    Other new shows on my radar: "Vegas" with Dennis Quaid (CBS) because any series with "Vegas" in the title gets my attention.  "Last Resort" about a renegade submarine crew sounds interesting but its on ABC and I don't trust ABC.  Thank goodness CBS renewed "Person Of Interest" currently my favorite show which now has "Two And A Half Men" as a lead in, a show I will always watch as long as Jon Cryer is winning Emmys.  The best reality show "Survivor" has former baseball MVP Jeff Kent and TV star Lisa Whelchel and is off to a good start.  Saturday Night Live is always funny in an election year especially with Jason Sudeikis dong Mitt Romney.  There's even a behind the scenes show about my favorite soccer team called "Being Liverpool" that's been fun to watch.

    Throw in the NFL channel which has finally been added to my Time Warner Cable lineup and my TV will be busy this fall.  I'm just hoping the new shows I'm watching right now will be given a chance to find their audience.
     But I doubt it.      

London Olympics Had The Music, NBC Didn't!

Ray Davies singing "Waterloo Sunset" had him trending on Twitter all day long. NBC TV viewers did not get to see it!

The Who were not shown on the NBC prime time telecast! How do you leave out the Grand Finale?

Somehow The Spice Girls made it on the TV broadcast but MUSE did not!

    What's the deal with NBC? Talk about a love/hate relationship with your audience. They start out by showing some of the London Olympics live on the internet but not all of it. Especially the Opening Ceremonies. I mean, if you're gonna go for the gold then go all the way! There was so much grumbling that NBC changed their policy at the last minute and decided to show the Closing Ceremonies live on their web channels. Great idea since that topic trended all day long Sunday on Twitter and Facebook. They had people chirping during the day in the USA about the extravaganza as it happened live and then at night while NBC showed it on TV tape delay. Sounds like a win-win situation for everybody. So what's the problem?
    Seems like they cut out some of the best musical moments from the TV broadcast.  All day long I heard how great Ray Davies of the Kinks sounded singing his love song to London: "Waterloo Sunset." Ditto for Kate Bush singing the obvious Olympic anthem: "Running Up That Hill."  So I made rum and cokes and prepared to stay up until midnight PDT to hear those performances. I never saw them. Not only did NBC see fit to omit those great artists, they even left out Muse singing "Survival" - THE OFFICIAL SONG OF THE 2012 OLYMPICS!
    Hello? Ferris? Bueller? Anyone?
    Around 10:30pm when I realized I was not going to see the above songs I dozed off. I awoke to see some sort of sitcom on the tube. Later found out it was a pilot for a new NBC show called "Animal Practice." According to Twitter, it's now the most-hated sitcom on TV. Music fans who stayed up until midnight in California became outraged when NBC butchered the Who's performance at the Closing Ceremonies by making them sit through "Animal Practice" and the local news. Then returning to a promised "grand finale" which only included part of The Who's medley of "Baba O'Riley," See Me Feel Me" and "My Generation."
    It doesn't make any sense. NBC pays billions to televise the Olympics, does a good job for two weeks, then drops the baton on the final lap of the race.  I understand why they showed many of the athletic events on tape delay because they need the prime-time revenue advertising dollars.  I'm fine with that. I'm not fine with knowing the rest of the world was able to see Ray Davies and The Who and that the USA television did not get that chance.

The Beach Boys Are Better Than Ever!

The 5 Beach Boys gather for "Add Some Music To Your Day" with Foskett in the shadows

Brian, David, Mike, Al

Thanks for the pass, Foskett!

Johnston, Foskett, Love, Jardine in 1984

    If you went to college I'm pretty sure you remember your first week on campus.  Whether orientation week was an endless parade of parties or diligent preparation for upcoming classes (yeah, right!), it was all new.  For most of us it was our first time living on our own, with choices to be made, both bad and good.
    One of the best choices I ever made happened on Sept. 26, 1974, a Thursday night at UC Santa Barbara.  I was a seventeen year-old freshman having the time of my life and looking forward to the Jackson Browne & Honk concert the following night.  Then a girl named Gina said a band was playing in front of a dorm so I followed her on my bike until I heard the unmistakable sounds of The Beatles' "Day Tripper."  In '74 college kids were not nostalgic about the 60s, we lived through them if only through the eyes of our older siblings.  Most local bands, like the ones I played with in high school, favored current Allman Brothers guitar rock over the complex vocal harmonies of the Fab Four.
    When the band known as The Reverie Rhythm Rockers finally took a break I was waiting for them with tons of questions. How did they get so good? Did they love The Beatles as much as I did? The guitarist with the big smile and perfect falsetto introduced himself as Jeffrey Foskett and I think we talked rock trivia between every break they took!
    It was the start of a long and fruitful friendship.  On Jan. 31, 1979, my band Norman Allan's first gig was opening for  Foskett's band the Death Eggz.  Foskett had to loan me a bass so I could make the gig! By then the New Wave/Punk invasion had convinced every cover band to write their own songs.  My band had a couple good ones, Foskett and partner Randall Kirsch had so many they got serious and changed their name to The Pranks, the perfect non-serious name.
    Then one day Foskett was asked to join the Beach Boys and invited me to a few shows where I took photos, some of which I sold to the band.  I still have my laminated photo pass and many cherished memories from those days in the early 80s.
    Why am I telling you this?  Because I just saw Jeffrey Foskett perform with The Beach Boys on their 50th Anniversary Tour and he kicked ass.  While everyone is excited to see the surviving members of "the boys" back on stage together, make no mistake.   Foskett is the 6th Beach Boy, whose duties include singing those famous high falsettos and handling the intros at the start of the show.  On stage Al Jardine called Foskett the "hardest working man in show business."  He was the reason I was at the show on May 26th 2012 at Fantasy Springs Casino outside of Palm Springs.
    For the casual fan it was a night of fun, fun fun.  For a hardcore fan like me with personal connections it was a night I saw my whole life flash before me.  From Jeff's wonderful spotlight on "Don't Worry Baby" which always reminds me of my three sisters, to the encore of "Kokomo" which takes me back to working as a DJ in Santa Barbara.  The tributes to Dennis and Carl Wilson had me near tears, since I got to spend time with both of them in the early 80s.  Their brother weighed 300 pounds when I first met him back then.  Now Brian Wilson is belting out classics like "Sail On Sailor" right in front of me and sounding damn good.  Who would've believed he'd outlive his younger brothers?
    This is the Beach Boys concert every fan wanted, not just the hits, but choice "album cuts" like "This Whole World" and the gorgeous "All This Is That."  Mike Love has never sounded better on the surfing and car songs, and kills on "Be True To Your School."  Jardine gets his obvious turn on "Help Me Rhonda" but also the surprise "Cottonfields."  David Marks plays the original guitar riffs with just the right touch of distortion.  The only thing missing was Bruce Johnston singing "Disney Girls," a song performed earlier in the tour.  The band is powered by drummer John Cowsill (I jammed with him and his dear departed brother Barry many times back in the 80s) and 8 other talented musicians.  They are tight, the harmonies are spot on, and they keep the songs coming at break neck speed.
    The Beach Boys played 44 songs that night, or 44 memories for me.  Almost as many years as I've known Jeffrey Foskett.  Even if you've never met a Beach Boy, you know The Beach Boys.  You need to see this tour because it may never happen again.
    The Beach Boys sing "All This Is That:" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG8Vz9EZQvY
  

       
   

Frampton Comes Alive...Again!

The first time I saw Peter Frampton in concert he was the opening act for ELO in 1973! I was so impressed I went out and bought both of his solo albums and the ones he did with Humble Pie. Two years later I drove 300 miles with my college girlfriend Mary Blackwell to see him headline at the Marin Civic Auditorium. That show was recorded and some it ended up on an album called Frampton Comes Alive. You may have heard of it since it sold over six million copies to become the biggest selling live album of all time.

After that he made a series of terrible career decisions. He appeared shirtless on the cover of Rolling Stone, took the starring role in the ill-fated Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band movie and released a syrupy ballad "I'm In You." Then a string of bad luck, including a near-fatal car wreck in the Bahamas and a plane crash which destroyed his touring equipment, nearly finished him. In the five years since I first discovered him, Frampton went from being a hot-shot guitarist admired by few to a laughing stock derided by many. I always defended him because I loved his music and his guitar work. So did people like David Bowie, who asked Frampton to tour with him in 1987 and helped revive his career.

Since then he's won a Grammy for the 2007 album Fingerprints and last year began a tour celebrating the 35th anniversary (that really makes me feel old) of Frampton Comes Alive. I came close to seeing one of those shows and to my relief, I finally caught one at Pechanga Casino last month. I was happy to see that ol' Pete looks good (despite a shaved head instead of his once famous tresses) and his guitar work is still mind-blowing. He showed a good sense of humor and a greater sense of showmanship, performing for over two hours and concluding with a moving version of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."

It was like spending time with an old friend and I'm happy this one has got his act together, both on and off the stage.

Davy Jones More Than A Monkee

Davy Jones was a guy who was always in the right place at the right time. Growing up in Manchester, England Jones landed a role in a British soap opera at the age of 14. Four years later he found himself in New York City watching from the wings as The Beatles made their historic appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. A member of the touring cast of the musical "Oliver!," Jones made his American TV debut the same night as the Fab Four. In front of a record TV audience of 75 million people. You might say he was destined for stardom.

Small in stature, Davy Jones was good looking and a genuine nice guy. He could sing too. My favorite Monkees song when I was a kid was "I Wanna Be Free." The title and Jones' heartfelt vocals pretty much described how I felt when I became a teenager. I watched The Monkees every week on NBC and bought all their albums as soon as they were released. It was a time when the Beatles had stopped touring which brought a halt to Beatlemania. Once again Davy Jones was in the right place at the right time. His group ended up selling over 65 million records and are still heard on the radio today.

In March of 2001, before the world went upside down, I was in Las Vegas and heard The Monkees were in town. At least three of them since Mike Nesmith abstained from this reunion. I said "if I win $50 before the show starts I will buy a ticket!" Thank my lucky stars I won $100 in an hour playing blackjack so I hustled down to the MGM Grand. I made it to the small showroom and ended up at a front table for no extra charge. Now I was at the right place at the right time. Because The Monkees delivered a terrific show which featured all the phases of their career. Peter Tork turned out to be a multi-instrumentalist while Micky Dolenz hit all the notes when he wasn't hitting the drums.

It was Davy Jones who held it all together and radiated the same charisma in 2001 that he had in 1966. He did not sing "I Wanna Be Free" (though he heard my request) but to hear him sing "Daydream Believer" blew my mind. Right in front of me was a guy who represented all the good things I enjoyed while growing up in the 60s.

The news of his death shocked everybody. He was one of those ageless guys, always in the right place at the right time. Something tells me he still is!

Sting Gets Back And Sounds Great!

I first saw The Police in concert thirty years ago at my alma mater UCSB. I remember an angry Sting yelling at the bouncers to stop roughing up the kids! The Police were evolving from their original punk roots into a world-class rock band but still rough around the edges in 1981. Flash forward to their reunion tour of 2007 and The Police are a polished act with phenomenal musicians. Sting's voice is stronger than ever and barely needs amplification to fill the cavernous Staples Center. I'm amazed how good they sound after all these years.

In between those two memorable concerts were a few solo shows by the man himself: Sting, the noble Adonis among his rock and roll warriors. Talented, handsome and happily married, Sting likes to stay in shape, both physically and musically. That means playing all types of music with all kinds of musicians, all excellent at what they do. From Branford Marsalis in 1985 to drummer Vinnie Colaiuta , Sting hires the best and the results are often spectacular.

I never knew what to expect from a Sting show until this year's "Back To The Bass" tour. The title said it all so I decided to see him at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, the night after Thanksgiving. I was glad I did because Sting put on his best show yet! He played bass the whole night and sang his ass off for over two hours. His band had no keyboard player or horn section, and the sound was clean and tight. Opening with my favorite Sting song: "All this Time" the show got better and better. The pin-point accuracy of the band on the tricky "Seven Days" and "Love Is Stronger Than Justice" workouts was breathtaking. The tribute to Sting's father "Ghost Story," and the haunting "Stolen Car" were songs I'd rarely heard. "Fields of Gold" is just a beautiful song and Sting sang it like he meant it.

Sting didn't yell at anybody, in fact he told a few stories, both funny and sad, and made sure the crowd sang along on the appropriate tunes. His 3 song Police encore of "Every Breath You Take""Next To You" and "Message In A Bottle" brought back memories of 1981. Yet they couldn't compare to what I saw on stage at the Colosseum on a Friday Fall night in Las Vegas.

Five Decades of Rock In Three Months!

Do you ever wonder about time travel? Is it possible to go back and witness incredible events from the past? I went back to the future recently, and I really liked what I saw.

I was a teenager in the 70s when rock concerts were cheap and plentiful. By the time I turned twenty I'd already seen 100 shows including David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. Since then I've been a faithful rock and roller, both as a performer and journalist. Sometimes it seems like there's nothing else to see or do in the music world. This year proved me wrong. I saw five shows that took me through all the stages of my life and reaffirmed my love for the music of my youth.

The 60s came alive at the Santa Barbara County Bowl in June with the reunion of Buffalo Springfield. It was wonderful to see old heroes Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Neil Young on stage singing tunes like "For What Its Worth" and "Mr. Soul." Furay is the forgotten man, a guy who never quite made it with his group Poco or solo career. He was the star on that cool night, standing in the middle of his more famous brethren, his voice strong on "Kind Woman" and "On The Way Home." I was happy to see him finally get his due.

The spirit of the 70s took over Las Vegas when I saw Carlos Santana perform the last show of his two-year stand at the Hard Rock Casino. I play guitar but not like Carlos, who can make the instrument sing and cry. I almost cried when he settled into "Samba Pa Ti," a beautiful instrumental he rarely performs. There were plenty of hits like "Black Magic Woman" and "Smooth," but watching this guy play was the highlight for me. To celebrate the final show, every band member got a whipped cream pie to the face, including Carlos who kept right on playing. This was May 1st, the night bin-Laden was finally found, making it an evening I would never forget.

One of the top selling albums of the 80s was Purple Rain by Prince. The movie of the same name was also a hit and made Prince a multi-media star. I saw him twice in his heyday and what amazed me more than his great songs was his unbelievable musicianship.This guy could play guitar like Hendrix or tap out a cool ballad on the piano while crooning like Sam Cooke. I'm happy to say when he played The Forum in May he sounded better than ever! His opening 9-song medley started with "When Doves Cry" and ended with "I Would Die for You," two of the biggest hits from Purple Rain. Of course he played the title track at the end of the show. In between Prince showcased his dance moves and his airtight band, going from song to song without a break, even throwing in a Bob Dylan cover "To Make You Feel My Love." He did three encores and I left feeling he would have gladly played until dawn.

In 1991 the band U2 released one of the greatest rock albums of all time: Achtung Baby. When I drove down to Angel Stadium in June for their "360" concert, I had no idea U2 would showcase that masterpiece, beginning with "Even Better Than The Real Thing." After that they reeled off classic after classic in one of the best openings I've ever witnessed, including two of U2's biggest hits: "One" and "Where The Streets Have No Name." After seven songs I would have left a happy man but U2 was only getting warmed up. The giant stage known as "The Claw" was as much a part of the show as the band, changing colors and belching out smoke with a top spinning like a disco ball. It contained the best sound system I'd ever heard in a stadium, carrying Bono's powerful singing to the very back rows. More than just a rock concert, it was a grand spectacle, of the likes I'm sure I'll never see again.

In 2000 an unknown band from England released a song called "Yellow" which became a worldwide hit. That group was Coldplay, and in the past decade they've sold more than 50 million records and won seven Grammy awards. I've been a fan ever since their debut and I've been waiting to see them in person. Coldplay started out this summer playing festivals around the world and thanks to the internet I was able to see many of their shows on my computer. Out of nowhere came the news of a benefit concert at the UCLA tennis stadium, a much smaller venue than usual for Coldplay. I was lucky to get tickets through the fan club pre-sale. No matter where they play singer Chris Martin is always the focus of attention. He's a humble yet powerful front man who loves leading the crowd in sing-alongs on anthems like "Viva La Vida" and "In My Place." Out of all the acts I saw this year, Coldplay was the only one to focus on new material. They have another album coming out in October and it sounds like a winner to me.

Before Coldplay hit the stage at UCLA, the PA played the theme music from "Back To The Future." It made me think about all the music I enjoyed in the past few months, and all the great music that lies ahead.

Following The Tours With Twitter

Paul McCartney played Yankee Stadium last night. Alec Baldwin had a wonderful time and the full moon looked beautiful. The former Beatle sang a couple songs he hadn't performed in decades: "Junior's Farm" and "The Night Before." His voice was in top shape and so was his backing band. The crowd loved it.
I knew all of this before the show ended. I saw the entire set list and a picture of the moon over the neon "Yankee Stadium" sign. Another photo showed Paul looking good in a satin blue blazer. All of this was possible because of Twitter.
Twitter. What the heck is that? I'm a guy who loves email but hates texting. I'd rather eat blueberries than deal with a Blackberry. Heck, I don't even own a cell phone and the social network I belong to is called "Get Outta My FACEBOOK." I have my own web domain and web page so if people want to find me, they can hunt me down.
Yet I love Twitter While every other cyberspace device has left me cold, this one has warmed my heart. Once I got the hang of it I realized I could get information about anything anywhere, while its happening! From something as huge as Paul McCartney playing Yankee Stadium to the comments of those watching the movie "Road Trip" on KTLA in Los Angeles. There's room for everything and I'm surprised at the quality of the "tweets." Most people seem to enjoy sharing info about things they care about it and they can be damn funny!
During the Glastonbury music festival in the UK one guy asked: "If U2 and Coldplay are in England, who's saving Africa?"
McCartney had a quip retweeted around the world when he said from the New York City stage: "So who is this Derek Jeter guy? I hear he has more hits than I do!!"
Ever since I saw U2's incredible "360 Tour" show on June 18th I've been fascinated by the final days of the tour. On the day of a U2 show thousands of fans are sending messages and pictures. Locals talk about hearing the show from their backyards while others warn about bad traffic. Sometimes they try to stream the audio and video from their smart phones! No matter the quality, I enjoy the fact a total stranger is trying to provide me with entertainment.
So Paul McCartney has another show in NYC tonight. I'll keep an eye on things, from my apartment in L.A.

PRINCE Reigns At The Forum!

Prince blew the roof off the Forum and I saw it all for $25, no service fees from Ticketbastard on the internet! Like I always say, Staples (or soul-less center) is a joke for concerts or anything.
The 3 rows of luxury boxes mean the upper level seats are worthless. I won't sit up there for free.

But at the Forum the 8th row of the Colonnade was perfect to take in the spectacle of Prince doing his crazy thing. He opened with "When Doves Cry" and somehow got better after that! "Pop Life" "You Need Another Lover""Purple Rain""Sign O The Times"...you get the picture. He started on piano, went solo to the mike for a James Brown inspired medley (complete with killer dance moves) and finally made it to the guitar for some ripping solos. The encore brought up on stage all the people who paid $200 or so for VIP tix (which I guess made the $25 tix affordable) so more power to them! The sound, the effects, the big screens, were all top notch.

Biggest surprise was the cover of Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love." This one's been done by everyone from Billy Joel to Adele and Prince turned it into a gospel flavored celebration of love.

He is half way thru his reported 21 Night Stand at the Forum. The place looked completely packed to me ! Who else could do 10 shows at a 17,000 seat arena? And do 11 more? I will try to see another one. You should too.

The Forum used to seem so big to me! Now its like a local nightclub!

Santana's Night To Remember!

A great musician will put on a great show every night. That's what's called being a "professional." Yet sometimes one show is better than the rest. That was the case when I went to Las Vegas to see Carlos Santana perform at the Hard Rock on May 1st. It was the final show of his two year residency at The Joint, one of the best concert venues in the USA. Beginning May 27, 2009, Santana and his band played over 100 shows at the Hard Rock and the final one was a show to remember.
I'd read that the usual performance was just under two hours which was a bit longer than most casino shows. The honchos who run the resorts don't like to keep their guests away from the gambling tables. On May 1st the sold out crowd spent three hours
with Santana and they loved every minute of it.
My favorite tune is the beautiful instrumental "Samba Pa Ti" and it was the third song of the show. "They don't usually play this one," said a local standing next to me in the roomy upstairs balcony. Carlos picked a spot at the front of the stage to sit down and let loose with a gorgeous solo where he made one note sound like a symphony.
After that it was just one great tune after another: "No One To Depend On,""Maria Maria" and the usual hits like "Oye Como Va" and "Black Magic Woman." The first surprise was when he brought his wife on stage to perform an extended drum solo. Cindy Blackman received a standing ovation for her fiery performance before the show resumed with the old favorite "Jingo."
By the time the band kicked into the closing "Smooth" I was dancing along with everyone else in the joyous crowd.
That's the word that describes Carlos Santana and his show: JOY. He told the crowd that he still believed in the ideals of Woodstock, that a person's life is a reflection of their soul. "If you don't like the people you attract then maybe its time to change yourself." Despite the occasional aside, he was never preachy and allowed his guitar playing to do most of the talking.
Since this was the last night of a two-year stand, I expected some hi-jinx on stage. Sure enough, the band members were attacked by the road crew with cream pies to the face while balloons and confetti rained down on the crowd! Even Carlos was stalked by his wife with a pie in each hand. Watching him solo while the cream was dripping off his face was something I'll never forget. Even when the show was over, the good vibes continued. Outside on the street the word was getting out that Osama bin Laden had been found. I figured the news hit the airwaves about the same time Santana performed his final song "Freedom." A perfect ending to a perfect night.

Charlie Sheen Dancing In The Dark

CHARLIE SHEEN FIRED BY WARNER BROTHERS! I could not believe the headline. Who in their right mind would screw up a chance to earn another forty million dollars? Obviously, Sheen is not right in the head. Here is a guy from a famous family who appears to have everything in life yet seems intent on self-destruction. The former baseball player from Santa Monica High is the highest paid actor on television thanks to the #1 comedy Two and a Half Men. Sheen’s recent stint in rehab put filming on hold, now his fellow actors and crew are missing paychecks. He's been all over the internet and Twitter lately but for all the wrong reasons.

After getting kicked out of high school, Sheen went straight to making movies in 1984 and seems to have forgotten how fortunate he is to be a star in Hollywood. His troubles remind me of a quote from one of his Two and a Half Men associates:

"If you don't love the struggle, you have to get out of the business. Sometimes it seems like rolling a boulder uphill, but until you can love the boulder-rolling, you're gonna be disappointed."

Maybe that’s the problem with Sheen. He didn’t have to start at the bottom. He never had a boulder to roll. As for myself, I’ve been writing since high school and I’ve never stopped to ask why I keep writing! Its certainly not for the money. That quote helped me realize I keep at it because I love the boulder-rolling! I am a writer at heart but an office assistant by trade. For the last few years I've been working part-time in the afternoons and writing in the mornings. Except when I've been logging on to eBay to sell some of my rock and roll goodies. It's a simple way to pay the bills so I can keep on writing. Why? Because I love the boulder-rolling.

It wasn't always this way. I had a great gig in the music biz until the bottom fell out in 2001. For myself and thousands of others. Come to think of it, lots of things changed that year. Losing my dream job was a blow but I saw it as a sign to finally give writing a chance. The part-time shift was a good idea for awhile but after that my lifestyle caught up with me. I once had connections for Lakers tickets and backstage passes to the biggest concerts in town. After 2001 it was a struggle just to pay my grocery bill. I clipped coupons and ate every meal at home to save money.
I’m still living on hope and hot dogs, and begging the cable company to let me slide a bit so I can watch the Lakers on TV. I go to the beach almost every day because it's cheaper than going to the neighborhood pub. Not able to afford a health club membership I spend my weekends riding the South Bay bike path for exercise. When I do travel I stay at Super 8s, not super resorts. All because I love the boulder-rolling.

In the past decade I've written four books and a screenplay. I collect the rejection slips and almost look forward to getting them. It's nice to get something in the mail besides a bill. I’ve read countless books about writing. Stephen King once said that a good writer should "read a lot and write a lot." That's good enough for me. I've only read his baseball books but I know he has more money than god. So I read when I’m not writing and write when I’m not reading.

No matter how depressed I get by rejection, I'm always just a bit happier because I'm doing something I love. It reminds me of golfing. Thank goodness my sisters married guys who belong to country clubs or I'd never play at all. Every time I get frustrated on the course something good happens to make me try again. If I shoot over a hundred but make a twenty-foot putt I am overjoyed. If I write a hundred stories and get one published, I'm in heaven.

So imagine how ecstatic I was when I finally met a literary agent and gave him my latest book. The toughest thing for an unknown writer is finding an agent. It’s the famous Catch-22 thing. Publishers won't consider your work without an agent. Agents rarely consider anyone who hasn’t been published! Out of the blue, I met one without even trying.

I’d sold a rare Bruce Springsteen item on eBay and the buyer emailed, saying he lived in Venice Beach. If we met in person he would pay me cash. So I rode my bike over to the Rose Cafe and met up with the guy. We talked about the Boss and his latest music. Then he asked me why I was selling my collector's items. I told him I was a struggling writer and he said "it's your lucky day."

He gave me his card and yes indeed, he was an agent. He told me to send him my latest work and then he drove off in his BMW. I rode back laughing and singing all the way home. I've always believed in the power of rock and roll. Once again it came through for me.

Well, not completely. I sent the guy my book and heard nothing. I emailed him after a week and he said he was busy and hadn't looked at it yet. I sent him another copy with better graphics and formatting. He never returned my call. I’m okay with it because that ride home on my bike was better than the disappointment I would ultimately feel. I was high-fiving homeless people and running red lights and just having the time of my life. In that moment I was a believer. In that moment I was a damn writer! In that moment, I realized that I loved the boulder-rolling.

The quote that started this piece? It’s from Jon Cryer, who is Charlie Sheen’s co-star on Two and a Half Men. It came from an interview Cryer gave before the show became a smash hit. He sounded grateful just to have a job. He had good reason to be. Before Two and a Half Men, Jon Cryer had starred in three sitcoms. All three were canceled after their first season. His current show has been a Top Ten hit for over eight years and in 2009 Cryer won his first Emmy award. Two and a Half Men's future is now in jeopardy. Even if they never tape another episode, Jon Cryer has rolled his boulder to the top of the hill.

The Beatles from Ed Sullivan to iTunes

The other day I was driving out of Playa Del Rey on the 90 freeway when I saw a billboard depicting a lovely black and white photo of The Beatles, trumpeting their arrival on iTunes and the internet. With Christmas just three weeks away I felt it was perfect timing. Beatle albums were popular holiday gifts when I was growing up and always at the top of my wish list. The Fab Four had an uncanny knack for releasing new material at the end of the year and their joyous music fit perfectly with our family get-togethers. It still does.

Life before the Beatles is a vague memory. If you lived in the USA in 1963, you remember a year that began with high hopes and endless possibilities. The Cuban Missile Crisis had come and gone, the Civil Rights movement was underway, and for a brief moment in history America was at peace. The bullets that killed President Kennedy on November 22 changed everything. Suddenly the USA became a very scary place. All of the ideals we grew up with seemed to expire with the young president’s final breath.

Three and a half months after that dark day, America finally had something to smile about. On a cold winter’s night, 73 million people basked in the warm glow of their television sets while watching the Ed Sullivan show. When the host appeared on screen and said “Ladies and gentlemen, The Beatles!” everything changed again. Not only in America but throughout the world. In February of 1964 I was a six-year old kid whose father was battling hemophilia. I was old enough to cry when JFK was shot and old enough to know my father was living on borrowed time. My mother and three older sisters took care of me and took care of my ailing father. Times were hard and we needed something to lift our spirits. That something was called Beatlemania.
Thank goodness for The Beatles. When my father passed away later that year I had their music to fall back on. In the past four decades Paul McCartney specifically has been my muse, my inspiration and my hero. Last March at the Hollywood Bowl he sounded better than ever and I can’t describe how I feel when I see him in concert.

I think the Beatles Christmas tradition in the USA kicked off in December 1965
with the release of one of their greatest singles: “We Can Work It Out” and “Day Tripper.” The picture sleeve (remember them?) of the 45rpm single depicted the boys looking cold and winter weary in their black coats but the music was both raucous and reflective. Perfectly capturing the essence of the band. Then came “Rubber Soul, “ an album so good each of my sisters insisted on having their own copy. So did I. The music was more acoustic than electric, the title was mysterious and the songs absolutely gorgeous. Especially John Lennon’s poignant “In My Life” and Paul’s lovely “Michelle” which won a Grammy for Song of the Year. My sister Marti named her daughter after it!

At the end of 1967 The Beatles released “Magical Mystery Tour,” and of course it sounded nothing like their previous records. I remember looking through the album’s picture book by the lights of the Christmas tree, trying to make sense of the strange photos taken from the movie of the same name. This is a record I’ve grown to appreciate, especially side two. “Hello Goodbye,”
“Strawberry Fields,””Penny Lane””Baby You’re A Rich Man” and “All You Need Is Love.” On one side of an album! That’s a career for most bands.

The ultimate Beatles Christmas present had to be “The Beatles,” the two-record opus commonly known as “The White Album.” Ironically released exactly five years after the day Kennedy was shot, this was the kind of gift that had kids calling each other on Christmas day with a million questions. Why was the cover blank? Why had The Beatles stopped shaving? Was that Yoko Ono on the poster that came with the album? What the heck was “Revolution #9” about? How come “Back In The USSR” sounded like The Beach Boys? Years later people still have questions about the album Bono of U2 called “the complete encyclopedia of rock and roll.” He’s right. There’s just about every style of music, from the country of Ringo’s “Don’t Pass Me By” to the acid rock of Paul’s “Helter Skelter.” “Dear Prudence” might be the prettiest melody John Lennon ever wrote while George’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” left no doubt of his songwriting strength.

“The White Album” was the hot topic when I returned in January 1969 to Raymond Elementary School in Fullerton. The Beatles were at the top of their game but something seemed off. We heard about their surprise rooftop concert in London and later the rumors of their impending breakup. When “Abbey Road” came out in September everyone agreed it was their best album ever. I personally think it’s the greatest album of all time. It was also the last one they recorded together and a few months later the band imploded.

Although it broke my heart, I knew deep inside they were doing the right thing by splitting up in 1970. The Beatles as a band belonged to the sixties and the sixties belonged to the Beatles. Their music, however, remains timeless. As evidenced by their success on iTunes: 450,000 albums sold with over 2 million individual songs in the first week available. No surprise the best selling Beatles album on iTunes is “Abbey Road” and the most popular song “Here Comes The Sun” hails from the same record. It really is their masterpiece.

With so much holiday cheer in their history its surprising to note The Beatles never recorded any Christmas music. Unless one digs a bit deeper into their catalogue and discovers the existence of “The Beatles Christmas Album.” This LP was made available exclusively to members of The Beatles fan clubs in the UK and USA in 1970. It compiled the Flexi-disc holiday messages they sent to their fan club members from 1963-1969. These quirky bits comprise song parodies and musical skits and show the band at their most unguarded. Its not available on iTunes. Thankfully, practically everything else you could want by the Beatles is on the internet. That makes for a Happy New Year!

The Wall Comes Down In Las Vegas

Hey You!!

I saw "The Wall" by Roger Waters in Las Vegas last Friday.
I walked a mile in the 35 degree evening and I am glad I did. What a spectacle!
I have to say I am not the biggest Pink Floyd fan. "Dark Side OF The Moon" is in my all time
top 10 album list, however. I saw the original band perform it at the Hollywood Bowl in 1972 before it even came out! Yet most of their albums have left me cold. The WALL (LP and movie with Geldof) just seemed too depressing. But its one of the biggest selling albums of all time.
Finally I realized why.

I did not plan on going to the Vegas show until I hit a football parlay bet on Thanksgiving.
I took the money to the MGM Grand and scored a ticket for $50 (face value $75) from a couple who were happy to get the money. And there's not a bad seat in the MGM Grand, an arena without luxury boxes. I think I liked this more than seeing Waters do "Dark Side" on his own a few years ago. That album really needs David Gilmour as a singer (after all he sang "Money") and guitarist. "The WALL" is really a Roger Waters masterpiece and he did much more singing and performing. I loved it!

With the massive WALL looming you could have sat in the last row and not missed a thing:

-The dramatic opening with the airplane crashing into the just developing WALL.
-"Another Brick In The Wall" with local Vegas kids out on stage and miming the lyrics.
- Waters singing along to a video of himself performing "Mother" live in London 1980, maybe my favorite part of the night.
-"Comfortably Numb" with the guitar soloist (I know, not Gilmour!) spotlighted on top of the impressively tall WALL.
-The WALL almost complete so you can only see small squares with narrow glimpses of the band.
-The rocking moodiness of "Run Like Hell" which Waters (still looking like an older Richard Gere) dedicated to the audience.
-Those damn HAMMERS!
-And of course the WALL finally crashing down.

On my way out I asked a fervent fan the meaning of it all and he said:

"Each of us has our own WALL to break down."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Happy 70th Birthday John Lennon!

Last night I watched a fun movie called “Monday Night Mayhem” about the initial years of Monday Night Football. It’s a rollicking tale featuring the antics of Howard Cosell, Don Meredith and the rest of the crew that put the NFL on primetime TV. Right in the middle of it there’s a somber scene when Cosell breaks the news about the murder of John Lennon. I remember that night-30 years ago-as clearly as if it happened yesterday. I was watching football with my buddy Chris and both of us could not believe what we heard. We immediately left his house and joined up with other friends and headed out to Isla Vista park, where hundreds gathered to sing songs and cry on each other shoulders. It was a tragic evening with a strange Lennon-like twist. Up in the sky we saw a bright light streaking toward the heavens before bursting into a supernova of bright light. We all knew it was John’s spirit and it somehow made us smile amid all the grief.

The next day we found out it was an errant rocket fired from nearby Vandenberg Air Force base. It didn’t change our view of the matter. John Lennon was gone. It took a long time to get over it.

In the passing years the strangest observation is that Lennon's death actually preserved the legacy of The Beatles. Imagine the pressure the band would have felt to reunite and the money that would have been thrown at them. It would have been nearly impossible to say "no" and of course there would be no way they could meet the incredibly high expectations of a Beatles reunion. In 2000 the three surviving members were offered $100 million for one show!

Anyone who knows me knows I am a Paul McCartney fan. His music and its influence on my life cannot be measured. The Beatles on Ed Sullivan in 1964 is one of my earliest memories and Paul became my hero overnight. As I grew older I knew that Paul and John had a complicated relationship, especially after the Beatles broke up. Accepting John meant accepting Yoko and that wasn’t the easiest thing to do especially since she was the one who broke up the Beatles.

Now I know that isn’t true. Yes, Yoko was a divisive figure in the band’s final days. Just watch the film “Let It Be” and you can feel the tension she created by never leaving John’s side, even during recording sessions. She was just part of a bigger problem. The Beatles were losing money and the controversial Allen Klein was brought in to restore order to their finances. This did not sit well with Paul. George was frustrated in his attempts to get his songs on the group’s albums and Ringo’s presence faded with each argument. The greatest music group of all time imploded and John and Yoko were easy scapegoats.

I just finished reading “John Lennon: The Life” by Philip Norman. Its an excellent biography which explains the troubled soul who ended up writing such classics as “Imagine” and “In My Life.” Lennon was born during an air raid on October 9, 1940. His father was absent for most of his life and his mother was hit by a car when he was seventeen. His best friend-Stu Sutcliffe-died a few years later. No wonder the adult Lennon was a paradox of cruelty and humor, cynicism and hope. At first, Yoko was just another enabler, never saying “no” to John’s heroin addiction when they became a couple.

Yet even Yoko had enough of John’s bizarre behavior and kicked him out of their New York apartment in 1973. When he returned he got his act together and lived a peaceful domestic life until his untimely death in 1980. Every year it seems like I learn something else about John Winston Lennon. He was on Nixon’s enemies list and had to fight for years to become a US citizen. He once stayed at the infamous Peter Lawford beach house in Santa Monica where he entertained guests like Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson, and even McCartney. The recording of his “Rock and Roll” album was marred by lawsuits filed by gun wielding music publisher Morris Levy. While sailing he took over the helm during a fierce storm in the Bermuda triangle and guided the boat to safety. Even in 1980 he was still insecure and insisted on enhancing his vocals for the “Double Fantasy” comeback album even though he had one of the greatest voices in rock and roll.

John Lennon would have turned 70 on Oct. 9, 2010 and celebrations are being planned all over the world. All of his albums are being re-issued with plenty of rarities as well as a new movie about his early years called “Nowhere Boy.” His legacy as an artist and peace activist is secure. Will we ever truly understand this conflicted genius from Liverpool? I don’t think so but I do know he will never be forgotten.

Bad Company Is The Real Thing!

At the end of the summer of 1974, I was preparing to head off to college at UC Santa Barbara. During a Labor Day going-away party a friend of mine named Ollie handed me a present which was obviously an album. Remember the days of giving someone a 12" record and trying to disguise its distinctive shape? As I opened it, Ollie said: "Take this to school and every time you play it think of the "bad company" you used to hang out with." Or something like that. 36 years later I still remember Ollie, only because of that record: "Bad Company."

The band of the same name had just put out their first album with the distinctive black and white logo on the cover. I could not go anywhere that summer without hearing the smash "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love." The opening power chords and suggestive lyrics were hard to resist. The entire album was solid from start to finish and became a favorite at my freshman dormitory, along with the follow-up "Straight Shooter" with its massive hit "Feel Like Makin' Love." Singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke were former members of the band Free, who's signature "All Right Now" is still a staple of classic rock radio. I saw Free open for Traffic in 1973 and I knew guitarist Mick Ralphs came from the band Mott The Hoople. Bassist Boz Burrell had played with King Crimson, replacing Greg Lake who left to form ELP. By the time I finally saw Crimson live their bass player was John Wetton, who later formed the super group Asia. As unlikely as it seems, King Crimson's three bassists ended up selling millions of records once they left that band!

These are the types of things I think about whenever I hear the music of the 70s. All those groups were part of the soundtrack of my life: from high school through college, I went to over 100 concerts before I turned 20! Although Bad Company toured relentlessly, I never saw them live. The moment I heard they were reuniting for a brief summer tour in 2010, I knew I had to go. I had waited over three decades to hear Bad Company in person and I wasn't going to wait any longer. I'm glad to say the show exceeded my extremely high expectations.

The night was a perfect example of "less is more" and it started with the venue. Fantasy Springs Casino is my favorite Indian casino, a classy joint east of Palm Springs. The concert was held at the 3,000 seat Special Events Center. That's right, no corporate sponsored name and no advertising blanketing the arena. No charge for parking, no dreaded ticket service fees, no opening act. No video cameras following the band around the stage (although the back-drop images and light show were terrific.) Only two hours of the best rock and roll you could ever want to hear. The casino added a nice touch by giving $10 in free slot play to every ticket buyer. I used it and won $60 playing video poker after the show which more than paid for my ticket!

Anytime a classic rock band takes the stage, the first question I have is: "Can they still sing?" Well, Paul Rodgers can not only sing, he is a true rock and roll star who knows how to put on a show. From tossing and twirling his mike stand on "Rock and Roll Fantasy" (now that's a lost art!) to standing at the grand piano while playing "Running With The Pack", Rodgers looked and sounded great. He implored the crowd to sing along on the opening "Can't Get Enough" and the effervescent "Shooting Star" which received one of the loudest ovations of the night.

Rodgers joined Ralphs for a side-by-side all-acoustic "Seagull" in the middle of the show and I could only wonder about all the rock and roll memories these two warriors have experienced together and apart in the last four decades. Simon Kirke has always been one of my favorite drummers, and he looked like a happy surfer boy keeping the beat throughout the show. The encore began with a bluesy version of "Ready For Love" and then they rolled the grand piano out to the center of the stage. I knew the next song had to be "Bad Company" and sure enough Rodgers started playing the familiar opening riff while the crowd went wild. For a moment I went back to being a freshman in college, happy and hopeful, wondering what the future had in store. So many years later I was glad that future finally let me see Bad Company in concert. It was worth the wait.