Concert Reviews, Photos, Videos and Rock and Roll Stories from fans who love live music

Street Sweeper Social Club

I saw Tom Morello back in the late 90′s with Rage Against The Machine here in Toronto at the Phoenix Concert Theatre. The songs I knew… the guitrist I didn’t. I was blown away by a style I hadn’t seen or heard beofre in a live setting. Over a Decade later Tom’s new project Street Sweeper Social Club kicked off a great night of alt-funk-rock by hammering the “concert gas peddle” hard.

With Boots Riley on the Mic this band blasted through a 30 minute set that offered some “Rage” flavoured beats and guitar work that of course blew away 1st timers and basically had me nodding at buying the new CD when it arrives on June 16. Here’s a taste…

Nine Inch Nails

After my first NIN concert last fall ..I had seen one of the best light shows I had seen in years along with some great music. It wasn’t a Top 10 for me or anything & I didn’t know alot about the band…but the show was well worth seeing. Tonight’s show was different. Not as many lights and no 25 minute selections off  the slower instrumental “Ghosts”.  Trent Rezner @trent_reznor took the wheel from SSSC and unloaded the Nitric Oxide…. heavy

From the opener “Terrible Lie” till the “get your lighter out” closer “Hurt” These guys played harder then last fall’s ACC show in Toronto. Was it the Morello & Navarro sandwhich? Back in the 300′s behind the soundboard every song sounded bang on. The place was full to 16,000+… and full of NIN fanatics dancing, moshing and loving this show. The intensity of this band is so likeable… you don’t need to know the music… just step inside the NIN-Rock-Chamber. As I glanced around I spotted Richard Beland shooting for Chart… and as he flexed his professional lense I clicked on my trusty Sony while NIN delivered a nice version of David Bowie’s  ”I’m Afraid Of Americans”

By the time “Head Like a Hole” started to wrap itself around us all for the squeeze it seemed as though we were watching the headliners…. maybe we were? This was feeling like a Festival almost knowing there was another wicked band still to take the stage. When the music gets this loud and this good…. the only thing that gets better is when you get the “text message” saying to come down front after the NIN set from our favourite NIN soundmaster. So we get “Hurt” for an encore with lotsa lighters and then go for a walk on the intermission. I overhear some people saying some concert goers are leaving now as they only came for NIN.  We headed down front to stage left and saw Richard again and eventually got some passes in hand…

Janes Addiction

Even the above pass didn’t get us in the PIT but we managed to sneak into the 3rd row just as Janes Addiction took the stage. Right out of the gate that familiar vocal from Perry along with his Bowie-esque outfit and moves… it just drew me in… the presence of  Dave Navarro on the axe and a drummer & bassist that caught my attention right away. 

Navarro and Perry seemed to do their own little shows within the show… as did the drummer who assaulted his intrument…song after song….  the groove was good and it was obvious these guys were connected heavy. By mid set the vocals got even better and the Bass player seemed to shine at times even over the two flamboyant frontmen. 

As we were walking out of the Molson Amphitheatre I heard one fan say to another that “the” moment for him was during “Summertime Rolls” I didn’t know the song…but chose to video it and noticed it getting response from fans who obviously know Janes Addiction. If you look closely behind Navarro while he solos…you can see a couple of his friends grooving to the show.

This show was solid all the way around. A Total ride back to time where I had crawled out of highschool and was trying to figure things out…as was the music scene then. Now as we get “STOP” The band totally ERUPTS…. everyone seems to be on 12 Red Bull and part of Farrell’s costume is off exposing the Corset and his wirey frame as he gyrates on the monitor…holding the Mic out for us to participate!  We Did….

He talks about how nice Toronto the city is, dreadlocks and more and they leave… only to come back with the anticipated Jane Says

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…I heard about this show sometime in early to mid April. I didn’t hear it mentioned as Chickenfoot rather Sammy Hagar playing in a band with Joe Satriani on lead.  Interesting! Then I heard Van Halen’s, Michael Anthony would be playing bass, more interesting!  Finally I heard the name of the band was Chickenfoot and the band would be rounded out with Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the drums.

As of show time there had not been album out as of yet and there were only a couple of songs released on You Tube Down the Drain, Soap on a Rope and I think Oh yeah! Were the tunes with a scattered interview here and there.  This has all the makings of a great event concert, super group, small venue, hard to get ticket, wrist band policy and a sound / album that who knows may take off and become the next huge sound. You never really know. This was to be a 6 city tour to promote the album prior to release to get the buzz going kind of thing. So as I often do I hit ticketmaster on and off for days on end. Guess what?.. bang a couple of tickets show up. These tickets were selling for $300+ on Craigslist (if you could get one because of the wrist band policy & purchaser having to be present to enter with the guest).

Anyway I scored 2 tickets and away we go.  The of the day of the show I go down pretty early as I like to get into the whole vibe / pre show buzz, especially for this type of event. I get down to College Street and get in line. There are maybe 20 people already in line at 3:30PM. I quickly ascertain the process for the ticket sale etc. There is a fan club VIP line (maybe 20) then the line I was in. The game plan is to get a wrist band when you are checked against a list as a registered purchaser and upon entry we are given the hard ticket. I mean literally as you walk through the door into the venue we are handed a ticket.

The waiting is always fun. There are people from Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago, Winnipeg and Sudbury to name a few. Lot of travelers! As we enter the patio area they are selling Cabo Wabo tequila. Sammy’s booze line!! The shots were $12 bucks each and you got a hat or a t-shirt with the shot if you wanted one.   The Mod Club is small inside only holding about 600. As we entered I headed for the left the Satriani side and ended basically 2 or 3 people from the stage front. Nice spot. To be honest Sammy wasn’t the draw for here more Satch then the entire package before Sammy. Even the Hagar solo stuff and his Van Halen work  probably, would not have got me here but the whole band combination did.

Believe me 3 tunes in I was a serious Hagar fan. What a great show!! It was fun, fun, fun!!  Man Chad Smith hitting the drums was deadly. He just pounded the hell right out the skins. Satriani doesn’t miss a single note. He is fast and serious. Joe didn’t cheat a note. I have seen a lot of players get the general sound out of the guitar by cheating the notes. Joe is really beautiful to watch. Especially when he is playing his own signature series Ibanez guitars!!  In fact everyone was playing great instruments – Micheal had at one point this perfect bass decaled with hot peppers and peppers as fret board markers, Sammy pulled out a Cabo Gibson and as I said Joe with his own line. Looked good! I caught a video of Down the Drain and a few other tid- bits. The song Sexy Little thing really sticks with we and the whole sound is just really great.

It has all the elements you would expect. A hint of VH mostly from the bass lines, some serious RHCP funk and stinging lead guitar smothered Sammy Hagar vocals.  How could it miss? The whole vibe was amazing.  Sammy is a pretty funny front man. He tells jokes a lot and gives insight into the sessions the album was born out of. Someone through a wrapped gift up onto stage ( I guess it was near his birthday) , Sammy picked it up and said “hey these guys get nervous when I receive gifts…I will share it with them…it looks like 2 and half pounds of dope!”

We got the whole 11 tunes from the new album (I found after there are 11 tunes because at show time the Chickenfoot website was not running this info and I did not end with a set list) and a little encore thing. I caught a drum stick and scored a Sammy Hagar guitar pick. I can’t write enough accolades to explain this show.

All I know is the show was a blast and the music was really heavy and excellent. What more can you ask for?  Check out some of the – you tube video’s and buy the album when it comes out in June. Trust me!! Maybe on the next round after the album hits the band will be back for the full arena tour.

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The concert goal tonight was to get a cheap single on the street and get inside to where my contact was so he could assist me with getting down front on the floor.  There weren’t alot of singles floating around but after waiting about 6 songs in I grabbed a ticket for $20 and was into The Air Canada Centre now. This is the ticket here… wondering why it says “Rumour” on it? Anyone?

After seeing the band last week I did not have plans to go this week  until I found out a friend of mine from high school was going to the show and would be in the front row. This friend… Tina and I went to go see Fleetwood Mac together in October of 1987 at Maple Leaf Gardens here in Toronto. We had reminisced about this show once or twice over the years and how Christine McVie performed Songbird as the closer. ( Did you know Lindsey Buckingham didn’t perform on that tour?) Now for tonight I knew I could get down front where Tina & her sister Robin would be and I thought the 21 year concert reunion would be a blast.

Down to the floors & contact made with my friend and I am on the floor at the back, big lights full house and he tells me that no security is allowed up front and that I was on my own from about the red-line. No problem. I’m in my element. Total Pro. I stroll up and crank a hard left at the stage…it gets louder, I make no eye contact and…

I’m in.

There is 7-8 feet in front of the Row 1 seats that seem like a VIP Section gone wild. Cameras, dancing and the Mac groove is on. I figure these girls are dead centre. Yes. Tina turns her head and its them. I edge my way in and the reunion is on. Wow we are close. I mean no barrier, do what you want close. This is unique in that there is no security to be seen… heck we can’t see anything except Lindsey Buckingham’s boots.

This type of access changes things so much even compared to the 3rd row seats I sat in last week. One of the key factors( for those who haven’t put their elbows up on a stage before) is that you hear the show mainly from stage monitors… not the actual stacks of speakers that the rest of the Arena is listeing too. Right beside us was what looked like a centre channel from a home theater system and it was Lindsey’s vocals mainly…so at times Stevie’s vocals were abit distant.

This crowd did seem to respond at a more heightened level then the previous show. I won’t compare the two shows song for song as I noticed a few slip ups each night and at the same time some stronger moments for Stevie and John McVie during this Show 2! When you are only 4-8 feet from the performers you see everything. From the detail in Stevie’s costumes to Mick’s Red Shoes… everything is right there including the glances back and forth between Nicks & Buckingham… or better yet… eye contact & a nod from Lindsey that makes you feel like you are part of the show.

And we are.

In this video you will hear more from fans than you think you would down front… Never Going Back Again none the less is timeless.

Robin loved “Storms” and for me… the Drum beginning of Gold Dust Woman… just grabbed me… when I wasn’t expecting it. These are the moments the music lover goes for…. You sing along, your brain reminisces and your eyes get glued to the Gypsy that remains… doing her turns, her dance and finally a pose.

The setlist was identical almost to last weeks.. so we hear Lindsey wind it up on “So Afraid” including the guitar solo where he lets a few fans touch his strings…then came Stevie after another small break for her Stand Back and Go Your Own Way to close out the set.

Back onstage for the encore and here we get World Turning including Mick Fleetwoods Drum Solo. I actually sat my camera on the stage while video taping part of this. You can hear the groove being delivered here and we all joined in here heavy. Great Tune!

The crowd is in the ether. Don’t Stop…is in full motion …  my guess now is  all Robin and Tina can think about are the Roses they bought for Stevie… we knew Silver Springs was next. We were dead centre. Would Stevie take them or would Lindsey just pick them up for her like at some previous shows.  Silver Springs begins and Tina goes to get the flowers. We could be in no better positon.. It was a privilege now to see this unfolding… Robin had probably rolled this movie thru in her head numerous times … I leaned over and asked do you want this moment on video or a photo? She said “Video”…. I clicked on the camera and joined Lindsey right here…

How did it all finish…? ……..Just like this photo says above…

Mick Fleetwood’s Red Shoes,

Lindsey’s guitar on the floor 3 feet in front of us

and ….

Stevie Nicks holding our Dozen Roses.

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