tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29963365162408751582024-03-16T11:51:16.793-07:00MUSIC ON THE MENU with Alan K. StoutMusic journalism and broadcasting on the radio, since 1992. AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-2964274696203637972023-11-01T10:24:00.023-07:002023-11-01T14:32:43.941-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 48pt;">A proper KISS goodbye</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 48pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 48pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0plOT-qXm1-Len9YNRvrCMNWXCciWUHcC2kFK2O1dAF6l-V9a3jZunJakfMtiIeCBX1mVIOXVqt3JbfQVKAyzmacHHcY-cgyZWdsRhHodasK-tlVeglUpSxcIhA3LkRzXwEbY1PlATJ49uo2USp2jv8hyln5HRE3gXkkWYFVS0qTV7dot6TRPOHdAaMA/s1312/attachment-kiss-msg-1312x738.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1312" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0plOT-qXm1-Len9YNRvrCMNWXCciWUHcC2kFK2O1dAF6l-V9a3jZunJakfMtiIeCBX1mVIOXVqt3JbfQVKAyzmacHHcY-cgyZWdsRhHodasK-tlVeglUpSxcIhA3LkRzXwEbY1PlATJ49uo2USp2jv8hyln5HRE3gXkkWYFVS0qTV7dot6TRPOHdAaMA/w640-h360/attachment-kiss-msg-1312x738.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Band’s final show, ever,
should be on December 2 in New York. And not anywhere else.</span></b></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">MUSIC ON THE MENU</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">November 1, 2023 </span></b></div></o:p></span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Exactly one month from today,
KISS will play the first of the final two shows of its epic “End of The Road”
tour, which began almost four years ago, in January of 2019. If it wasn’t for
the pandemic, the tour would have ended long ago, but KISS wanted to say a
proper farewell to every city and every country that had shown the band some
love over the past 50 years, and so the tour – as originally planned – has
circled the entire globe. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The reviews have been amazing. The shows have been
sold out. And KISS will pack it in as a touring unit while still sitting on the
top of the world of rock. Which is exactly how it should be for the Rock and
Roll Hall of Famers. They’ve earned it. And though it’s a bittersweet feeling
to think that this is really it for the powerhouse band, I hope that when they
step off the stage at Madison Square Garden on December 2, it is indeed their
final show.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Since the December 2 show in
New York is the final show of the final tour, you’d think that would be a
given. But - because the wording that was first used to </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">promote the show was, “The final show of the
final tour,” there seemed to be a little wiggle room for more shows to come
afterwards. Yes, I do believe that KISS is never going to tour the globe again,
or even just the United States. And, over the past few years, when the band
said it would be its last time playing in each city, I believed it to be true. They won’t be back to London, or Sydney, or Philly, or anywhere else. But
still, I kept coming back to those words - “The final show of the final tour” –
and I kept thinking, “Well, it is going to be the 'final show of the final tour.' But that doesn’t mean they still can’t do an occasional show without a tour.” Other fans picked up on this as well, suggesting that despite it being the "End of The Road," they could still do occasional one-off shows. And there was also some internet
chat of the band possibly doing a residency in Las Vegas. That’s not a tour.
Some have also called for KISS to do a show at the new Sphere in Vegas. KISS is perhaps the most visual live band of all-time, and some would like
to see what they could do in a new state-of-the art venue designed for
visuals. That, also, would not be a tour.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Please everyone, stop it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The last KISS show, ever,
should be on December 2, 2023, at Madison Square Garden. And there are a few reasons why …</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">First, that show has already
become a destination concert for KISS fans from around the entire world.
Diehard fans are emptying their bank accounts to get on airplanes, book hotels
and pay steep prices for tickets, just so they can be there for what should be
the band’s final concert. And if you’re KISS, isn’t that who you want to play
your final concert for? Don’t you want to do your final show in your hometown,
at the most iconic arena in the world, before not only some of your most
diehard fans from your original homebase, but also people that traveled from
all over the globe just to be there? The Hard Rock Café in New York is already
promoting a big KISS party at their venue on December 1 and have indicated that
people are coming from 20 different
countries. Isn’t that who you'd want to play your final show for, not a bunch of
high-rollers in Vegas who don’t know anything about the band but scored free
tickets from a casino just because they spend way too much time and money on blackjack?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It's absurd.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Another reason KISS should
never play live again after December 2 is because when they walk off that stage that night, it will be their decision and it will be on their own
terms. How many great artists never got that opportunity? The last time artists
such as Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, John Lennon, Tom Petty, David Bowie, Eddie Van Halen and Prince
walked off the stage, they probably all assumed they’d be back. But they weren’t. No one
ever really knows what tomorrow will bring. It is not guaranteed to anyone. Glenn Frey never did an announced final show with The Eagles. Freddie Mercury never did an announced final show with Queen. Aerosmith had just begun its final tour when it was totally derailed, and it
now looks like the band might never play live again. There probably won’t be final
show at the Boston Garden, which both the band and its fans deserve. KISS is
being given that opportunity on December 2 at Madison Square Garden. And they should
take it. When Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer walk off
the stage that night, they should know it’s for the last time. Stanley and Simmons,
who have held the band together for five decades, have said they may shed a few
tears that night. Let them flow, gentlemen. You have given your audience 100% at
every single show for 50 years. And your fans have been fiercely loyal to you.
There should be a lot of emotion in the arena that night both on stage and in the audience. It will be very
special. To do any type of show afterwards would diminish it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I’ve seen KISS in concert 37
times. I haven’t missed a tour in 40 years. I’ve already caught three shows on
the “End of The Road” tour (Philadelphia, Hershey and Allentown) and I have a
ticket for December 2 in New York. And I am incredibly grateful that the band’s
touring days didn’t end in 2001, with the first “Farewell Tour,” and with some
show that no one ever talks about or even remembers. Sure, it was great to see
Ace Frehley and Peter Criss back with the band from 1996-2001, but the fact is
there was nothing significant about the final show of that final tour with the original lineup. And the tours
that the band has done since that time with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer have been fabulous. And if weren’t for those tours, my two kids would have
never seen the band. I’m grateful, as a fan, that they marched on for 22 more years. But for all of
the reasons I’ve stated here, I am also OK with December 2 being the true and final end of the road.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">End it at home, in front of
diehard, globetrotting fans. And do it on your own terms.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Thankfully, KISS – despite that
original wording – seems to be leaning that way. When Stanley was recently asked
about the possibility of doing shows at Sphere,</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">he said he really can’t see it happening. And
the band has changed the wordage in recent months when describing the December 2
show. The group’s official website is now simply calling it the “Final Show.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">As it should be.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">And, as we all know, it will be utterly spectacular.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Blow the roof of the joint, guys. And then take a very well-deserved final bow.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">(Alan K. Stout has written about rock and pop music in
Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, "Music On The
Menu," airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on 105 The River in Wilkes-Barre,
Scranton, Hazleton, Bloomsburg.)</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">To read some of Alan’s other
KISS-related articles, click the links:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">KISS “End of The Road” tour a
victory for the music:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://musiconthemenu.blogspot.com/2019/03/kiss-end-of-roadtour-victory-for-music.html">https://musiconthemenu.blogspot.com/2019/03/kiss-end-of-roadtour-victory-for-music.html</a>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">KISS and the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://musiconthemenu.blogspot.com/2014/02/kiss-and-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-by.html" style="font-size: 14pt;">https://musiconthemenu.blogspot.com/2014/02/kiss-and-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-by.html</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p>AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-39472575909934343532023-07-25T08:12:00.005-07:002023-07-25T08:18:57.069-07:00<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> </p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcprNibL9C76fmd8YtOqcOnWgXwbih9RQePl413-3-Edz-Ln3EwzInhQWOHMTgWVOhENOeoTAK77Uug0i9VZd5WMLq3lv4N9-rI-uXdDzg9wHHewzRMujgDMwd9W1O1_WBbWiYm6hiDCwiM8uY1oWAfTIviTF_OV8qOQOMZ-WYD3S8ga_zOb2SO84n3-E/s2618/BADLEES%20-%20ROCK-RIVER2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2209" data-original-width="2618" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcprNibL9C76fmd8YtOqcOnWgXwbih9RQePl413-3-Edz-Ln3EwzInhQWOHMTgWVOhENOeoTAK77Uug0i9VZd5WMLq3lv4N9-rI-uXdDzg9wHHewzRMujgDMwd9W1O1_WBbWiYm6hiDCwiM8uY1oWAfTIviTF_OV8qOQOMZ-WYD3S8ga_zOb2SO84n3-E/w640-h540/BADLEES%20-%20ROCK-RIVER2023.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 20pt;">BADLEES RETURN TO
WILKES-BARRE FOR ROCKIN’ THE RIVER</span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 20pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;">WILKES-BARRE
– The Badlees will perform at the third and final show of the 2023 Rockin’ The
River music series on Friday, July 28. The free, all-ages concert will take
place at the Millennium Circle at River Common in Wilkes-Barre. Gates open at 5
p.m. Music starts at 6 p.m. There will be food, beer and wine vendors. Also on
the bill is special guests, Joe Burke & Co.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;">The
Badlees, a critically-acclaimed roots-rock band, spent its formative years
playing in clubs throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania, including the former
Jitterbugs, Market Street Square and The Staircase. In 1995, with a growing
regional and state-wide following and with the release of its “River Songs”
album, the band signed a national recording contract with Polydor/Atlas
Records. Two tracks from the album, “Angeline is Coming Home” and “Fear of
Falling,” hit the national charts. The band toured with Bob Seger and also
shared the stage with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page and The Allman Brothers. The
music video for “Angeline Is Coming Home,” which appeared on VH1, starred
Emmy-Award winning actress Julianna Margulies and was directed by Anthony
Edwards.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;">“That
was an amazing time, just to see everything that was happening around that
band,” said Alan K. Stout, executive director of Visit Luzerne County, which
presents the Rockin’ The River concerts. “I remember, in the spring and summer
of ’95, ‘Angeline’ being in rotation on four different commercial radio
stations in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area, and that was before they even
signed a record deal. It was unprecedented.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;">By
the mid-90s’s, in the Wilkes-Barre area, the band’s occasional homecoming shows
had outgrown the clubs and were held at venues such as the Genetti’s Grand
Ballroom, The Woodlands Grand Ballroom, the former Bud Light Amphitheater at
Harveys Lake and The F.M. Kirby Center. In 1999, the band signed a second
national recording contract with Ark 21 Records, which released the
critically-acclaimed “Up There Down Here” album. Still, the group remained
loyal to its Northeastern Pennsylvania roots and also appeared annually at the
former “Concert For Karen/Concert For A Cause,” which raised nearly a quarter
of a million dollars for local charities.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8xOwSUrw2irvR0zEMQmZjWH2E-qTNJkximg7xWQEsKfLrSlNtudYt8kMPP-OU9kVHRRBFGnN-kPmJr0v-wK7rFAaP40hiEMJyYVfnox2M5QpUM5pw1FrOiuLInvmcP_30LNzF45gQsTgD48tFM_dXapofPF8T2QrPR0rWjTiG126p6744-jB16pbJPE/s928/RTR%20LOGO%202023.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="928" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8xOwSUrw2irvR0zEMQmZjWH2E-qTNJkximg7xWQEsKfLrSlNtudYt8kMPP-OU9kVHRRBFGnN-kPmJr0v-wK7rFAaP40hiEMJyYVfnox2M5QpUM5pw1FrOiuLInvmcP_30LNzF45gQsTgD48tFM_dXapofPF8T2QrPR0rWjTiG126p6744-jB16pbJPE/s320/RTR%20LOGO%202023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 16pt;">“As
great as a band as they are, they’re just a great as people,” said Stout, who
as a former newspaper reporter and columnist wrote more than 40 articles about
The Badlees and its members side projects and, as a radio show host, produced
seven radio specials spotlighting the group. “And, after all of these years,
their fans still feel a deep connection to the music. The songwriting is in the
same caliber as Springsteen, Petty and Mellencamp. Their most recent album is
just as good as their first. But they’ve also really evolved as artists. You
can ask anyone that’s followed them over the years and they’ll all tell you the
same thing … the songwriting, the musicianship, the vocals, the harmonies, the
live performances … it’s the whole package.”</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;">Today,
The Badlees fan base continues to extend throughout Pennsylvania, from
Harrisburg to Wilkes-Barre to every town in-between. In 2021, the band was
inducted in the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame and in 2022, the group
released its ninth full-length studio album, simply titled “The Badlees.” In
the fall of 2023, the group will be inducted into the Luzerne County Arts &
Entertainment Hall of Fame.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;">Stout
says Visit Luzerne County is proud to be bringing the band back home for this
Friday’s Rockin’ The River event.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGU3DumRTmA-lNG-cqN-Bu5LctpHu7jSXIP0tj9EefqkCAYrloJqP6lNvBttfytqW2-NNqlaGyXZZWD57AF6pL6n2BhDja-vFTn8zVnKvNtPOOXRdliFMTK1I4kPRBhw3qOcJ41mZyYwGjgCy_9zq6utPJBvB9IKtO8uCt6GMC3nQD2xXsCSP9f9qZh0/s3141/Rock-River-1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2283" data-original-width="3141" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGU3DumRTmA-lNG-cqN-Bu5LctpHu7jSXIP0tj9EefqkCAYrloJqP6lNvBttfytqW2-NNqlaGyXZZWD57AF6pL6n2BhDja-vFTn8zVnKvNtPOOXRdliFMTK1I4kPRBhw3qOcJ41mZyYwGjgCy_9zq6utPJBvB9IKtO8uCt6GMC3nQD2xXsCSP9f9qZh0/s320/Rock-River-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 16pt;">“The
Badlees have been on our radar for a few years,” said Stout. “This year, it
finally worked out. And it just feels right. The band first built its following
in towns all along the Susquehanna River. The Susquehanna River is actually
featured on the cover of the ‘River Songs’ album. And so to be bringing the
band to Wilkes-Barre for a show right along the Susquehanna … I can’t think of
anything more fitting.”</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;">Major
sponsors of Rockin’ The River are Geisinger, DiscoverNEPA, the City of
Wilkes-Barre and Mountain Productions. For more info about Rockin’ The River,
visit </span><a href="http://www.vistluzernecounty.com" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt;">www.vistluzernecounty.com</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Badlees
photo credit: Jim Gavenus)</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; 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mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-19300916208511725192022-12-03T19:22:00.016-08:002022-12-04T05:38:48.266-08:00<p style="text-align: center;"> <strong style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 36pt;">Badlees still hold the cards</strong></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXUCrGnQp-ruEGl_VMI-IeqAokRBNNzne5U4nHgpulaZAgWvMmcHSZu5DIxE7rRyZiydKYqSrTJCecrLFxc221glf4GtbnHpsVxWBfrpPQ2QWOn-FNqmKX0HC-FBTzJc6vrgvPC08xmPhocSpKINiJ40Ot-LJ6IEs99Y9WRcEVvdB7cv6wH-RuWM0/s2700/Badlees%20promo%20shot%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2214" data-original-width="2700" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXUCrGnQp-ruEGl_VMI-IeqAokRBNNzne5U4nHgpulaZAgWvMmcHSZu5DIxE7rRyZiydKYqSrTJCecrLFxc221glf4GtbnHpsVxWBfrpPQ2QWOn-FNqmKX0HC-FBTzJc6vrgvPC08xmPhocSpKINiJ40Ot-LJ6IEs99Y9WRcEVvdB7cv6wH-RuWM0/w640-h524/Badlees%20promo%20shot%201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><strong style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Photo by Jim Gavenus</span></strong></div><p></p><p><strong style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">First album in nearly 10 years showcases band members' talents, flexes</span></strong><strong style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> power of the unit</span></strong></p><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>By ALAN K. STOUT</b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Music On The Menu</b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>December 3, 2022 </b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span style="font-size: 21.3333px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you were a betting man, you may have wagered that 2013's "Epiphones & Empty Rooms" might be the final album from The Badlees. And it would have been a pretty safe bet. Principal songwriter/guitarist Bret Alexander, who produced most of the band's albums, left the group shortly after its release. Bassist and fellow producer Paul Smith left as well. And though there were still some occasional live shows featuring new members, things never felt quite the same with the kings of Pennsylvania roots-rock and no new music was released by the band. And truthfully, if it were not for the group's induction into the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame last year, you very well may have collected on your wager. But when the band reunited for a few songs at that awards ceremony, which was held in Harrisburg, it wasn't just as though a spark was felt in the room. It was a lightning bolt. The kings were back. And in 2022, there is a new Badlees album. And with it they have laid down a royal flush. </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The album, fittingly titled "The Badlees," is the group's first release to feature all five original members since 2009's "Love is Rain" and the first that all five made full contributions since 2002's "Renew." For thousands of the band's fans scattered across the Keystone State, vocalist Pete Palladino, guitarist Jeff Feltenberger, drummer Ron Simasek, along with Alexander and Smith, are the Fab Five. And it is indeed quite fabulous to hear them making music together again.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The album opens with "1,000 Melodies Without Words," and right from the get-go, we are reminded of the band's gift of crafting memorable melodies matched, verse-for-verse, with gripping lyrics. It's got a thumpy gut-punch rhythm section, soaring vocals from Palladino, textured harmonies from Feltenberger and Alexander flexes his songwriting talents as only he can do. Bring it all together and it's Fab Five.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"My mind's an ambulance in traffic</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My heart's a flock of birds </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">How do I navigate this static</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Of a 1,000 melodies without words"</span></i><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Somewhere, Bruce Springsteen just smiled.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"10 Ton Heart," sounds as though it was written while speeding down a highway at twilight. It's a driving track, both literally and figuratively, with just a touch of pop. More than anything, it creates a mood. Music, when at its best, has an actual ambience to it, and when Alexander picks up his mandolin, as he does on this track, you can count on that happening. But that's just part of what makes "10 Ton Heart' so gripping. Palladino's inflections and the ripping guitars also help shape the song ... a song that will likely have you stepping on the gas pedal a bit harder. "Face Under Glass," a breezy track about Americana and family, comes with a fun vocal breakdown and "Tear It Down" offers a quick bridge-section that only Alexander could write. A great bridge is something even the best of songwriters can struggle with, but Alexander has been with penning them for three decades. Palladino, beautifully backed up by Feltenberger, also shines on the powerful track, as does violinist Nyke Van Wyk. </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The contemplative "What I've Wasted" has a chorus that pulls you in and won't let go and the thoughtful "Leaving Here," with Alexander on lead vocals, talks about making the difficult decision to move on from a place or situation - </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px;">a place or situation</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"> that was once important to you - simply because it doesn't feel the same as it once did. "Nasty Alcoholic" comes with a Warren Zevon vibe and longtime Badlees fans will take delight with hearing Palladino and Feltenberger trading off vocals on the insanely catchy "The Price You Pay." Though "The Badlees" is a very modern, very 2022-sounding album, this track offers an old-school Badlees moment that briefly takes the listener back to "Diamonds in The Coal."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Somewhere, 10,000 Badlees fans just smiled. </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">"These Days," with its stirring, cinematic, U2 feel, comes with a haunting chorus that sounds as if Palladino, Alexander and Feltenberger are all singing together. And considering some of the album was recorded remotely, it's also a fine testament to the unit's production skills. The album closes with the wonderful "My Friends," a brilliant country-inspired number with a surprisingly big/little moment that Johnny Cash and some of his buddies would have covered in a milli-second. </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Nearly 30 years ago, I called The Badlees "Pennsylvania's Best Band." A few years later, when they released some of their music on a national record label and were touring the country with Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, I called them "America's Best Band." Both still apply. Even if it's only when the mood strikes them, they are still the kings. And "The Badlees," which will be released on December 23, is another creative album loaded, track-for-track, with very creative songs. It captures the special talents that have been dealt to each member, yet it also captures the special magic that only happens when they work together.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Fab five.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Royal flush.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>(Alan K. Stout has written about rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, "Music On The Menu," airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on 105 The River in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Hazleton, Bloomsburg.) </i></span><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span 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style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div>AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-39442725712263067152020-07-10T10:39:00.001-07:002020-07-10T15:03:45.197-07:00<div align="CENTER">
<span style="font-size: 22pt;"><b><span lang="en-US">Luzerne
County Historical Society receives donation</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 22pt;"><b><span lang="en-US">of
COVID-19 interviews from radio host </span></b></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6X5g9sRADPZ-_p-Jjl37bH6tkmSDkm9CpvRfVpgiWaYdYFGZAG-aEUtMdY9kTgTcq2BEAoazxQZCTFlLxy-pjh5bnbSsRPoO1ZXY1Qo38Y6VlHo6ezS6CP13jxF3aS3-W2gaD55pXDMo/s1600/covid-interviews-donation-history.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6X5g9sRADPZ-_p-Jjl37bH6tkmSDkm9CpvRfVpgiWaYdYFGZAG-aEUtMdY9kTgTcq2BEAoazxQZCTFlLxy-pjh5bnbSsRPoO1ZXY1Qo38Y6VlHo6ezS6CP13jxF3aS3-W2gaD55pXDMo/s640/covid-interviews-donation-history.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Luzerne County Historical Society receives a donation of 19 recorded interviews focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. The interviews, which were conducted by radio show host Alan K. Stout, discussed how COVID-19 has affected the local arts, entertainment and musical community. Shown, from left: Mark J. Riccetti Jr., director of operations and programs, Luzerne County Historical Society; Alan K. Stout, radio host, The River; Mary Walsh, interim executive director, Luzerne County Historical Society.<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="en-US" style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">WILKES-BARRE - The Luzerne County
Historical Society, which is hoping to preserve </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">the oral history of
the COVID-19 crisis, recently received a donation of 19 recorded
interviews focusing on the pandemic. The interviews, which were
conducted by Alan K. Stout, discussed how COVID-19 has affected the
local arts, entertainment and musical community. Stout is a radio
show host with The River. (100.7-FM. 103.5-FM, 104.9-FM)</span><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Stout covered arts and entertainment for The Times
Leader and The Weekender from 1992-2011. His weekly music column,
"Music On The Menu" appeared in The Times
Leader from 1994-2005 and in The Weekender from 2005-2011. He
continues to contribute occasional stories to both publications as a
freelance writer. Stout's weekly radio show, also called
"Music On The Menu," has aired every Sunday
night since 2004. The show was put on hiatus on March 29 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic and the closing of Mohegan Sun Pocono, from where
the program is broadcast. Shortly thereafter, Stout began conducting
phone interviews from home with various people involved in the music
scene of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Titled the "Music On The Menu
COVID-19 Podcast Interviews," the conversations were posted to
the Music On The Menu channel on YouTube and posted to
the Music On The Menu page on Facebook. </span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">"Initially, when we put radio the show on ice for a
while, due to COVID-19, I thought I'd just take some time off from
Music On The Menu," said Stout. "Between the
newspaper column and the radio show, I'd been doing something with
local music, every week, for 26 years. But after about two weeks, I
guess the old newspaper reporter in me kicked in. I wanted to talk to
people. I wanted to interview people. I wanted to see how they were
doing, personally, and how all of this was affecting them
professionally. Because we'd never seen anything like it." </span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">The first interview was posted on April 15 and the last
on June 1. The series included conversations with Bret Alexander,
Jimmy Harnen, A.J. Jump, Bill Kelly, Joe Nardone Jr., Will
Beekman, Dustin Douglas, Richie Kossuth, Ellie Rose, Joe Wegleski,
Patrick McGlynn, Chris Hludzik, Richard Briggs, Eddie Appnel,
Loreen Bohannon, Tom Flannery, Mike "Miz" Mizwinski,
Aaron Fink and Michael Cloeren, Most interviews ran 30-40 minutes in
length. They have been donated to the Luzerne County Historical
Society as a 10-CD set and also in mp3 form. </span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">"They are timepieces," said Stout. "Some
of the first ones were done pretty early on when we were just getting
into the stay-at-home orders and everything was shutting down. And,
like everywhere else, the affect on the music industry was
pretty devastating." </span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">The interviewees ranged in age from those in their
twenties to sixties. Stout says his intent was to talk with not just
working musicians, but with people from all walks of life working in
the music industry. </span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">"Quite a few of those that I spoke with were
working musicians, and with all of their gigs suddenly being
cancelled, they certainly had a unique perspective on everything,"
said Stout. "Most of them got very creative right away and
started doing live web streams from home on social media. But the
series wasn't just about musicians. I also talked to people who
produced records in local recording studios, and people that managed
music venues, both large and small. And so you have A.J.
Jump from Karl Hall talking about postponing about 40 shows and Will
Beekman from Mohegan Sun Arena talking about postponing concerts and
sporting events. Jimmy Harnen, a native of Plymouth, is the
president of one of the largest record labels in Nashville, and he
shared his perspective. Joe Nardone Jr. talked about the challenges
of keeping his record stores in business. Richie Kossuth co-owns a
music store and sound company and plays in a band, so he had thoughts
on everything. Loreen Bohannon tours the country as a sound
technician and all of her summer tours were canceled. Richard Briggs
talked about canceling the Briggs Farm Blues Fest. Bret Alexander had
played with The Badlees. Aaron Fink had played with Breaking
Benjamin. Both were national recording artists and had seen a lot,
but nothing like COVID-19." </span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJqzoklY00qfXJlYlqAk9s2vh-yUUNpDyX-ztuCPSPTbb4KcchpF906XX7RhfXGgGH-AsWiRDxUysXw9O2J_O137hNqTDpIjmkL3Ug01UsbT_7Uw7twpSPeA-COdRHK-ccIIXczaJ1tQ/s1600/covid-everyone-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="630" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJqzoklY00qfXJlYlqAk9s2vh-yUUNpDyX-ztuCPSPTbb4KcchpF906XX7RhfXGgGH-AsWiRDxUysXw9O2J_O137hNqTDpIjmkL3Ug01UsbT_7Uw7twpSPeA-COdRHK-ccIIXczaJ1tQ/s400/covid-everyone-photo.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Stout says that some of the interviews were done shortly
after the passing of Jerry Hludzik, a legendary local musician
who had been a member of national acts The Buoys and
Dakota. Thus several of the guests in the interview series
who had known and worked with Hludzik also shared their
thoughts on him. In early June, when most of Northeastern
Pennsylvania began to enter the yellow and green phases of
re-opening, he felt the series had covered every topic and thus
decided to end it at #19. </span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">"Nineteen seemed like the appropriate number to
wrap up the COVID-19 series," said Stout. "When we started,
everyone was still a bit shell-shocked by everything that was
happening and nobody really knew what direction things were heading.
And about six weeks later, when we did the last one, Micheal Cloren,
who manages the Penn's Peak concert venue, was talking about trying
to put some shows back on the calendar for the fall. There was a
light at the end of the tunnel which, hopefully, will remain bright.
But there's still a lot of uncertainty." </span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">The Luzerne County Historical Society appreciates
receiving the recordings. </span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">"This is great donation," said Mark
J. Riccetti Jr., director of operations and programs at the
Luzerne County Historical Society. "I think it will be
a great impetus for future donations, and it also shows that
you don't necessarily have to be what we call one of the
'front-line' workers. It doesn't have to be the stories that you see
on TV. We're looking to collect any oral histories. We want to know
how this affects every single person in the valley." </span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Stout says that, through the interviews, he's grateful
to have helped play a small role in helping preserve some local
history. His weekly radio show will return to the airwaves on August
2. </span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">"I love the Historical Society," said Stout.
"I've worked on some projects with them in the past. And when I
saw a post on their Facebook page asking for people to contribute
some oral history stories regarding COVID-19, I thought the
interviews that I had done might interest them. Granted - they deal
mostly with arts, entertainment and music - but their stories are
also a part of the story. Everyone, no matter what your profession
may be, has a story. And these people from our local music community
talked about how the pandemic has affected people's creativity and
their livelihoods. And I'm grateful that they took the time to share
those stories. </span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">"Hopefully," he added, "more people from
all walks of life will do the same. If you're a doctor or a nurse and
you were, or still are, working in the ICU with COVID-19 patients,
take 20-30 minutes some night and document your story. If you worked
in a supermarket, do the same. If you had COVID-19, or someone close
to you did, document it. You can record your thoughts and memories as
a voice-memo right on your smart-phone and e-mail it right to the
Historical Society. It's easy. And it's something that future
generations will certainly be interested in. This has been one of the
most significant historical events of our time." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>(For information on submitting COVID-19 stories to the Luzerne County Historical Society, call (570) 823-6244) </i></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US"> </span></span></span></div>
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<br />AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-2796882280024401252020-01-29T13:54:00.001-08:002020-02-01T17:48:00.958-08:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 72.0pt;">Our friend, Bret</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9s6wB1mRmkZKW99gFUwCx76VJDaiL0cI8IkIRHy3suRA6tBibQJHrBRJmit_au-mwP8IQ3h7155Y9-ZUxYNQa_3xMrzOsyuZqaDe3Tfr7HHB5GDm4bjfpSwrEVda8fP5gvrR_aMG2mK0/s1600/blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1444" data-original-width="1600" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9s6wB1mRmkZKW99gFUwCx76VJDaiL0cI8IkIRHy3suRA6tBibQJHrBRJmit_au-mwP8IQ3h7155Y9-ZUxYNQa_3xMrzOsyuZqaDe3Tfr7HHB5GDm4bjfpSwrEVda8fP5gvrR_aMG2mK0/s640/blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 28.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Bret Alexander is admired as a musician and loved as a
friend<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: 28.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">MUSIC ON THE MENU<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">January 29, 2019</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">It was in Bearsville, New
York, near Woodstock, in October of 1997 when I learned everything that I
needed to know about Bret Alexander as a musician and as a songwriter. And that
knowledge came from his answer to one simple question …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">We were in the recording
studio, late at night, listening to some tracks from the Badlees “Up There Down
Here” album, which the band was recording at the time. I was there on
assignment from The Times Leader. The paper had asked if I’d like to do a story
about the recording of the album, which all of NEPA was eagerly awaiting. The
band said they were fine with me hanging around for a few days, and so off I
went.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">The Catskills, as you’d
imagine, are gorgeous in October, and the studio sat in a picturesque wooded
area that I’ve always felt helped shape the sound of “Up There Down Here.”
It’s as though the surrounding ambiance actually bled into some of its
tracks. And as Bret and I sat there in the studio listening to the music, I
asked him if what we were doing – listening to a completed track, perfectly
mixed, with all of its layers and instrumentation – was his favorite part
of making music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgJsSCpphAsOB2TliNxbhjAp-_emRzBRGoTjQpvbKFYsPtN1UtJECFwSlblUniFdzDNxf35vZytsO4ZjCuUbaLvqPy3j8HXqf_zv-Ui2qVEGs8oEhMsiJFnNzhOKkgVEKwUCDDwzquBg/s1600/bret-bears.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="351" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgJsSCpphAsOB2TliNxbhjAp-_emRzBRGoTjQpvbKFYsPtN1UtJECFwSlblUniFdzDNxf35vZytsO4ZjCuUbaLvqPy3j8HXqf_zv-Ui2qVEGs8oEhMsiJFnNzhOKkgVEKwUCDDwzquBg/s320/bret-bears.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bret in Bearsville, 1997</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“No,” he said. “The best part
is when you first write the song. I can kind of hear in my head what might
become of it later - with the band and in the studio - but the best part is
when you’re just sitting on your couch with a guitar and you know might have a
good song.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">For Bret, it’s always been
about the songs. Nothing more. And no one that I’ve known in my 28 years of
writing about rock music has written better songs. I saw, in him, a very
special talent back in 1993, when we first met, and between my former
newspaper column and my radio show, there is no other artist that I’ve
interviewed more. And that’s because his songs have always deserved the most
attention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Bret, it was revealed last
week, has a genetic degenerative kidney condition that requires a kidney
transplant. The operation will take place in February, and while he recovers,
he will be unable to play shows and work in the recording studio, which is how
he makes his living. And thus many of his friends here in NEPA have come together
to present “BANDing together for BRET,” a benefit show that will help him out,
financially, as he recovers from the surgery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">As mentioned, I’ve written a
lot of stories about Bret, the musician. But today I’m writing about Bret, the
musician, and Bret, my friend. I have never shared some of these stories
before, and so you might want to grab a coffee or something and get yourself
comfortable …<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemNT5F3UxWSO-cs4iadH8V3mUnAT7PH8C_VClsuC1vTEiVUG7Xy7ht7RTl1qqQOOPCZ5bPVSn9r9cCR0G9g8CQl9UQli2clc2B5PAnYtKFYs-QDhG_blv40mU8Y49i-pjcnTB28aHRXo/s1600/Bret-lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="644" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemNT5F3UxWSO-cs4iadH8V3mUnAT7PH8C_VClsuC1vTEiVUG7Xy7ht7RTl1qqQOOPCZ5bPVSn9r9cCR0G9g8CQl9UQli2clc2B5PAnYtKFYs-QDhG_blv40mU8Y49i-pjcnTB28aHRXo/s320/Bret-lake.jpg" width="279" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last night of the "River Songs" tour.<br />
Bud Light Amphitheater, Harveys Lake, 1996 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 20pt;">My review of the Badlees
“River Songs” album was published on the day it was first released,
independently, in February of 1995. I was absolutely floored by some of the songwriting, and in that review, I compared Bret Alexander to a young
Springsteen or Mellencamp. That same week, at the band’s CD release party, he
thanked me for the kind words and it was during that brief conversation that I
told him, for the first time, how I felt about him:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“You,” I said, “are a very
talented man.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">We didn’t know each other
that well at the time. I’d only done a few stories on the group back then, but
after reading the songwriting credits on “River Songs” I realized it was
Bret who was the creative force and the soul of The Badlees, and thus from then
on I always made sure to chat with him a bit at the shows and to make sure that
he was a part of any Badlees story that I was writing. To me, a band is all
about its songs. And Bret was the songs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">In 1996, The Badlees held a
video release party for “Angeline Is Coming Home” in The Woodlands Grand
Ballroom. It was, to this day, one of the biggest crowds that I have ever seen
there – probably about 1,500 people. The next day, the band was heading out to
go on tour with Bob Seger, and so I asked Bret to give me a call in a few weeks,
after they’d done some shows, to let me know how the tour was going. All of the
group’s fans were excited about what was happening and I knew they would enjoy
reading an update from the road. Bret said he would call and a few weeks later
my phone in the newsroom rang. It was Bret. We did the story. And I also knew
right then that he was not only a very talented man, but also a man of his
word. Today, 25 years later, he has never shown otherwise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEieQJTwaL_HahJUE2VKkVbSAxC5b3Dj66m8oBOSZdLolLlb5lzLKwf24mNn6uNK77zQBmawiGqTQXkirWfQ3a_iNZwdv4UxAyuAMAwKwQymZ4P4UY7KRMCvRQp5ZT5TwnyNLFHMX_NLA/s1600/Bret-shine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1087" data-original-width="795" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEieQJTwaL_HahJUE2VKkVbSAxC5b3Dj66m8oBOSZdLolLlb5lzLKwf24mNn6uNK77zQBmawiGqTQXkirWfQ3a_iNZwdv4UxAyuAMAwKwQymZ4P4UY7KRMCvRQp5ZT5TwnyNLFHMX_NLA/s320/Bret-shine.jpg" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bret performing at "We All Shine On."<br />
River Street Jazz Cafe, 2005 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Years later, after our
friendship began to develop, Bret would sometimes give me an early listen to
some of the band’s new recordings. The fact that he valued my opinion meant a
lot to me and I was very flattered. In 1998 he gave me an early and still unreleased
copy of “Up There Down Here," and when I heard the song “Don’t Let Me Hide” for
the first time, I once again realized what a brilliant songwriter he
was. And not just because it’s such a great tune, but because of the
backstory behind it, which I don’t believe has ever been told …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">The Badlees told their fans
on stage several times in 1997 that the follow-up to “River Songs” was going to
be titled “Up There Down Here.” The reason, they said, was because, sonically,
it contained some of their heaviest songs and some of their softest songs.
(Examples: “Middle of The Busiest Road” and “Running Up That Hill.”) But on
another occasion, I’d heard that the name of the album came from the sessions
themselves, as most of the recordings were done “up there” in Bearsville, while
some tweaking to the tracks was done “down here” in Pennsylvania. I was told
that “up there, down here” was a phrase that the band often used during the
sessions - ”We’ll do that up there. We can do that down here” – and thus the
name of the album. It was also about the journey of being on stage for so long and then finding yourself back in the audience, right where you started. The fact that there were a few stories floating around about
how the album got its title didn’t really matter. They all made sense and
it was a cool title. But there’s a much better part to the story …<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
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</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDhuYCo6_-3C7e6ikNIoLoJyxFZtuVAzgbW9hL5VLML0sZ7JGY7x650gzu93Zar1y5OQoeNQMOTdVyT9P6cK_rKeYYpnpzl_OAUF-iFq_vdO8BHVpy13QDU_MfVnQI9fYMRqe_2339D8/s1600/BRet-KAREM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="777" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDhuYCo6_-3C7e6ikNIoLoJyxFZtuVAzgbW9hL5VLML0sZ7JGY7x650gzu93Zar1y5OQoeNQMOTdVyT9P6cK_rKeYYpnpzl_OAUF-iFq_vdO8BHVpy13QDU_MfVnQI9fYMRqe_2339D8/s320/BRet-KAREM.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bret performing at "Concert For Karen."<br />
Voodoo Lounge, 2000.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“Don’t Let Me Hide,” which
would later become the album’s first single, was not recorded in Bearsville. In
fact, it wasn’t even written yet when the Bearsville sessions ended and when it
was initially thought that the “Up There Down Here” album was complete. But after
hearing the final Bearsville sessions, the group’s label, Atlas/A&M, told
the band they wanted a few more songs. What was it that Tom Petty sang? “Their
A&R man said, “We don’t hear a single.” That was the deal. And so Bret
wrote some more songs. But I remember him telling me that he wasn’t too happy
about it. He thought the record was done. And he really didn’t like having
someone else tell him that it wasn’t. Still, he got to work. And he wrote “Don’t
Let Me Hide.” And if you listen to it - now that you know this story -
you can see that parts of the lyrics are actually about writing a song that you
don’t really want to write. It’s about toiling away in the basement, working on
the song, while his wife was upstairs. That’s where the line in the pre-chorus
of song comes from … “You’re up there, and I’m down here.” It's about facing adversity, and not losing yourself in the process, and asking your loved ones for strength. That's what Bret wrote about. And in doing so, he not only delivered another fantastic song, but he
also brilliantly tied it into the name of the album – an album which had already been named several months prior. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“Don’t Let Me Hide,” which was
recorded in Los Angeles, several months after Bearsville, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was the lead single from “Up There Down Here.”
Ironically, one of Tom Petty’s Heartbrteakers played on it. And, now that you
know the story behind it, you know that even back then Bret was already
starting to flip the music business the bird.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“You want another song? How
about THIS.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Once “Up There Down Here” was
completed and Bret gave me that early version of it, I fell in love with it.
The songs were incredible: “Luther’s Windows,” “Thinking In Ways,” “34
Winters,” “Silly Little Man,” “Middle of The Busiest Road,” “Running Up That
Hill,” “Don’t Let Me Hide” … I thought it was even better than “River Songs.”
But just as the album was completed also came the $10 billion dollar
Polygram/Seagram sale, which later led to the formation of the Universal Music
Group. And for well over a year, no one heard the album. It, like the Badlees
and hundreds of other bands, was tangled up in corporate limbo. And as a fan and
friend of the band, it was killing me. I felt the album needed to be heard. I
felt it must be heard. But whenever I talked to Bret about it, he seemed
totally unconcerned. He said he enjoyed writing the songs and recording them,
but if no one ever got to hear them, it didn’t really bother him. He’d just write
more songs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLi8Dx6Y5-oWgU6xe6kJX3ySmokUpd1tH5feyT7qX41DlWllK4gv0YBZGtAUCbsInjnyYI6qNrXI49zw2WTokdJ6vd9b8P-8QdkMH7BieYrHC5oH9n0XYEhpAikOuXzIf7euDdyssKdg/s1600/BRET-CFC-guiatar-aaron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="285" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLi8Dx6Y5-oWgU6xe6kJX3ySmokUpd1tH5feyT7qX41DlWllK4gv0YBZGtAUCbsInjnyYI6qNrXI49zw2WTokdJ6vd9b8P-8QdkMH7BieYrHC5oH9n0XYEhpAikOuXzIf7euDdyssKdg/s320/BRET-CFC-guiatar-aaron.jpg" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bret at "Concert for A Cause"<br />
The Woodlands, 2007</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">And that’s what he did. And
that’s what he’s continued to do. But how he handled that turbulent time in his
career told me so much about him as an artist. He wasn’t about to mourn the
loss of those songs. He’d already gotten all that he could out of them and he was moving on to new creative projects and new tunes. And like he told
me in the studio that night, the best part is always when you first write them.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Eventually, in 1999, The
Badlees, tired of the ongoing delays, asked to be released from Polygram. And
as soon they were freed, they dropped a new album, “Amazing Grace.” Of
course it contained some of Bret’s best songs, including “Amazing Grace To
You,” “Time Turns Around” and “Poison Ivy.” All were done at his home studio. A
few months later, another label signed the Badlees, acquired the rights to “Up
There Sown Here” and finally released it. And so, within just a few months,
fans of the band got two great albums. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">I guess Bret was right when
he told me not to worry about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">One of the things that has
meant the most to me throughout my career in journalism and in radio is my
friendship with Bret and the fact that he has at times considered me a
confidante. Trusting me with an early copy of “Up There Down Here” was an early
example, and I remember a year or so later, when The Badlees released the “The
Days Parade” EP, he told me the band was thinking of including a cover tune on
the record and he asked me which song I thought they should record. I suggested
Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” because I loved they way he sang it at the band’s
shows. It ended up on the record. In 2002, he came over to my old apartment one
night and gave me an early listen to the “Renew” album, which was the first
Badlees record in three years. As we sat there listing to the tracks, I was
particularly captured by the song “Too Many Changes” and I told him that it
didn’t sound like anything the band had done before. He told me he was going
for a bit of a Motown vibe on the tune, and that he kind of imagined guys from
the ‘70s with old-school long skinny microphones and polyester suits singing along to the bridge
section. Once again, he nailed it. I think it’s one of his best songs. And I am
grateful to have had been able to have had such conversations with him about
his music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Bret and I have also gone to
see some pretty good shows together. We caught U2 in Philly, Springsteen at
State College and B.B. King at The Kirby Center. Bret loved the late B.B. King.
He always plays that black Gibson guitar because of B.B. And being able to meet B.B. with Bret after the show at The Kirby was a lot of fun. I don’t know
if I’d ever seen him so happy. When we went to see U2 do a big stadium show,
Bret took in the whole concert in silence. Anyone that knows him knows he’s not
going to be standing on his chair, singing along to every song or waiving a
lighter in the air. That’s just not his way. And so I had no idea what he was
thinking. After the show, when we were walking back to the car, I asked him if
he liked it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAut3_rf9V48o3a3xq7w5mANeX7-zPNhyv8SozkL6CRBG51Zf3i9hS2FRseJhoOyanUypo_5OmGg5xP5nwS669hLNBbOVd4T16wRS2JjQjnWJtfMcQNcBEoxeEg04mZilnZ8qVVAS2F8k/s1600/BRET-+Motors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="952" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAut3_rf9V48o3a3xq7w5mANeX7-zPNhyv8SozkL6CRBG51Zf3i9hS2FRseJhoOyanUypo_5OmGg5xP5nwS669hLNBbOVd4T16wRS2JjQjnWJtfMcQNcBEoxeEg04mZilnZ8qVVAS2F8k/s320/BRET-+Motors.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bret at Montage Mountain in front<br />
of the Saturation Acres stage.<br />
Anti-bullying benefit, 2012.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“Oh yeah,” he said. “I
thought it was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">great.</i> I don’t think
most people have any idea how hard it is to pull something like that off, on
that scale, and do what those guys do.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">I think if U2 ever heard some
of Bret’s music they’d say the same about him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Like everyone that knows him,
I also have some funny Bret stories. And the better you get to know him, the
more of his humor you’ll see. For 12 years, from 1999-2011, I worked on a
benefit show called “Concert for Karen/Concert For A Cause.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And at a few of the first few shows, I played bass
with The Badlees on the song “Laugh To Keep From Crying.” I am nowhere near the
musician that those guys are, but the song had a lot of meaning to us, regarding
“Concert For Karen,” and so I played it with them. The first few times that I
did it, I played pretty well. It sounded good. But by 2002, the show had grown so
much in size that we moved it to The Woodlands Grand Ballroom. We had two stages and twice as many bands on the bill, and as one of the show’s organizers, I
guess you could say that I was a bit too busy to spend enough time with my bass
in the days leading up to the show, and on stage, during “Laugh To Keep From
Crying’” I briefly lost my way. It probably wasn’t even noticeable to those at
the show, and I soon got back on track with the band, but musicians notice these
things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“Well, that was a (expletive) train
wreck,” I said to Bret with a smile after the set. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“Well, you had a (expletive)
year to practice,” he said with laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">We still laugh about that
one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">I’ve also recorded with Bret
at his studio, Saturation Acres, many times. Sometimes it’s been a song that
I’ve written and sometimes it’s been a cover song, just for fun. Those days in
the studio with him are always among my favorite days of the year because it
also gives us the chance to catch up on things. And as anyone that has ever
recorded with him knows, you are working with the best. And on one special
occasion, Bret went the extra mile for me. I’d written a song called “Summer
Days” that I thought was OK and that I wanted to record, but I knew it needed
something more. I knew it needed Bret. At that point, I’d already recorded
with him before, but for this song, I asked him if he would help me finish
writing the tune. I know that I can’t write a good bridge to save my life and
that I needed some help with the arrangement. And though we were already pretty
good friends by then, I idolized him as a songwriter, and I was still a
bit nervous about asking him to help me write a song.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“Sure, man,” he said. “You
know me. I love that stuff.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">A week or so later, Bret came
over to my place and I gave him a tape of what I had. He took it home and then
came back a week or two later with some ideas. He felt the chorus was strong
and that the song should begin with its chorus, which is something the Beatles
would sometimes do. He also, of course, had a bridge. And we sat at my kitchen
table and finished it. I still have a recording of it, which was done on an old
boom-box, and it is one of my favorite things. To me, it was no different than
if Springsteen was sitting in my house helping me write a song. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few weeks later, I went to Saturation Acers
to properly record it, and it later received airplay on 14 radio stations throughout
Pennsylvania and hit No. 5 of the NEPA singles chart.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20pt;">I don’t have the talent nor the
ability to write and record a song that could become a regional hit on the radio. But
working with Bret, that’s what happened.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Most of my sessions with Bret
have been fun and seamless. But there was one, when recording a cover of John
Lennon’s “Watching The Wheels,” that was not. I was excited about the session
all week, and the night before, I had total insomnia. Still, I drove to Danville,
where the studio was located at the time, and Bret spent all day laying down
the tracks for the song. Finally, after a long day in the
studio, it was time for me to sing. And I sucked. We could not get a good take on the vocals.
I tried a few times, but Bret finally told me to just go home and come back
again another day. I lobbied him to try again, but he was done. He said
it was his daughter’s birthday and that he was going home. I came back a few
days later to take another shot at it and got it right in no time, but we still
laugh about the day he kicked me out and sent me home. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">There have been lots of good
times and laughs at Saturation Acres. In 2010, on the night we recorded a final
song for the “Concert For a Cause 9” album – a cover of U2’s “Walk On” - Bret
began doing an imitation of me, adlibbing a tirade of lyrics about why we were
no longer going to do the annual charity concert. Eddie Appnel, John Smith,
Dustin Douglas, Tim Farley, Paul Young … we were all laughing so hard we were
in tears. It was honestly one of the best laughs that I’ve ever had. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20pt;">It was also at Saturation
Acres where I got a great glimpse of Bret’s humility. He’s accomplished a
lot with his music. He had two national record deals. He’s done shows Bob
Seger, the Allman Brothers and Plant/Page. Gregg Allman liked his tunes so much
that he once asked Bret if he’d like to write with him. NBC-TV used “Fear of
Falling” during the 1996 Winter Olympics. I once heard The Badlees on Muzak in
the supermarket and The Badlees were once the answer to a question on
“Jeopardy.” Here in NEPA, they headlined amphitheaters and the F.M. Kirby Center. It’s cool stuff. But you’d never know about any of it from just
talking to Bret. He is too modest. He is too unassuming. And on one occasion,
about 20 years ago, when I was recording a song with Bret and his partner Paul
Smith at the studio, I got to see just how much.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlG9tiRV_cVq_O9cJ9WPsT6QKFJOYqLoYrC4dRF9vK0QHGW6xv97mczwd6QiYxkBhxDBVmUsmY4A63gklgfDAlh2y2Pqfw8srqnv7H1jRZ4wetXoADZw-ogMmcbAvEPk8mUMfvMZ09WCw/s1600/Bret-CFK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">At some point during the day,
I started talking to an intern, who had been there for a few months. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“It must be pretty cool
for you to be working here with these guys,” I said. “They’ve done some great
stuff.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">He looked at me with look of
confusion on his face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“What do you mean?” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“Well, you know … working in
the studio with a few guys from The Badlees … that’s pretty cool,” I said.
“These guys are great.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“I know The Badlees,” he
said, as he rattled off the names of a few of their hit songs. “What do you
mean … I’m working with The Badlees?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7j14orYFM00I-lDsYEYNHpZNz8p1CvojQXSmTSlelq0_V0evhjJA4VLJEQfPVvcQqhxRX_TyOVd6hC8RQImN6EdSmMY5IYZP55iPfCDJyGrHw2xhx_gDUUxMA-XNh3mhDri8KppJXUk/s1600/studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7j14orYFM00I-lDsYEYNHpZNz8p1CvojQXSmTSlelq0_V0evhjJA4VLJEQfPVvcQqhxRX_TyOVd6hC8RQImN6EdSmMY5IYZP55iPfCDJyGrHw2xhx_gDUUxMA-XNh3mhDri8KppJXUk/s320/studio.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bret mixing a song at Saturation Acres</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Bret and Paul were behind the
studio glass at the time and could not hear the conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“Those guys right there are
Badlees,” I said, pointing to them through the glass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">I thought the kid was going
to fall right over. You’d think that at some point, it might have come up in
conversation. But not with Bret and Paul. There was not one thing in that
studio that would give any indication of some of the things they had
accomplished. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20pt;">Want another example of his humility? At one point, about 10 years ago,
Bret told me that he didn’t even own copies of most of his own records. Usually,
he said, if someone asked him about one of his albums, he’d just give them his
only copy. I burned him a whole bunch of his best songs onto a couple of CDs and gave them to him. “Someday,” I said, “Your daughters are going to want to have
these.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">In regards to the upcoming
“BANDing together for BRET” concert, there is something else about Bret that
I’d like to share …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Over the past 21 years, I
have personally been involved with 16 different charity events that have
involved music. From 1999-2011, there were 13 “Concert For Karen/Concert For A
Cause” shows, which aided numerous local charities, ranging from children's programs to homeless shelters to programs for veterans. There was a "We All Shine On" John Lennon tribute show, which took place in 2005, on the 25<sup>th</sup>
anniversary of Lennon’s death, with proceeds benefiting the John Lennon
Scholarship Fund. There was “Music, Motors & More,” which took place in
2012 at Montage Mountain, with proceeds benefiting local anti-bullying programs.
In 2016, there was “Maximum Respect: A Tribute to George Wesley” and in 2017
there was “Jane Jam.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Bret performed at every single
one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">And he has donated his time
and talents to countless other such benefits. He has always been there, sharing
his time and talents, to help others. Even the former “Concert for A Cause”
albums, which helped raised thousands of dollars for local charities, are
totally linked to Bret. It was Bret, in 2002, that suggested a companion CD to
accompany the annual “Concert For Karen.” And what he offered was
extraordinary. He offered an EP that featured the first new Badlees music in
three years. The band’s fans were clamoring for something new, and the first
time they heard the songs “Renew” and “See Me As A Picture,” it was on the
“Concert for A Karen” EP. And all of the money went to the Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society of America. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">The “Concert For Karen” EP
was such a success that we decided to do a companion CD, to accompany the show,
every year. It soon evolved into the “Concert For A Cause” compilation CD,
featuring songs from some of the region’s best bands. For 10 years, every
spring, those albums would often spend several weeks at No. 1 on the local album chart. They
helped countless people and numerous charities and they were great exposure for
local talent. And it all started with Bret.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0OjBzB9s0cT-jy3X513uitJyiCFdv6DWiXD19ySfjLk60zEkmAghnQ58-4lh8lTpLGEu6vho7Dhv6lI0pLVPlVkCh_7Q1w6pfcYrd5uUcNi3LuhY3jhZ8NooPSpW3Dml5u4KiWzzUTY/s1600/Bret-CFK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="827" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0OjBzB9s0cT-jy3X513uitJyiCFdv6DWiXD19ySfjLk60zEkmAghnQ58-4lh8lTpLGEu6vho7Dhv6lI0pLVPlVkCh_7Q1w6pfcYrd5uUcNi3LuhY3jhZ8NooPSpW3Dml5u4KiWzzUTY/s320/Bret-CFK.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Concert For Karen 4," The Woodlands, 2002</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">I am proud to call Bret
Alexander a friend and I am grateful for it. I recall, when my mother passed
away a few years ago, seeing him walk into the viewing and being so appreciative
of that kind gesture. I also recall the good time that was had at his wedding reception,
some 20 years ago, and I’m glad that he still has a strong woman like his wife,
Kelly, in his life. And I enjoy hearing him boast about his daughters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">I also love how, even today,
he always tells me, “The only time I drink gin is when I’m with you.” This is
usually towards the end of one of our recording sessions. I bring the gin. And we always have a good time. I can also recall, from 2015, what a privilege it was to write
the presentation speech when he received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at
The Electric City Music Conference and to be there for him that night. And I recall how, 10 years ago, when my daughter was only three years old, the first song she ever sang was "Drive Back Home." And I recall how, for the last few tunes that I’ve
recorded with him, I brought my bass to the studio even though I didn’t know
the bass-lines to the songs. Bret taught them to me on the spot. It just happened, again, just two months ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Bret, as I said in 1995, is a very talented man. And he is always the coolest guy in the room. And for all
of these years, he has been the heart, the soul and the center of this musical
community. From The Badlees, to his great solo work, to The Cellarbirds, to
Gentleman East, he has given us some of the best music that we have ever heard.
And as a producer, he has helped hundreds of other artists. And when it comes
to charity events, he has always been there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">To say we owe him one would be an understatement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">We’ve all owed him one for a
long time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">See you at The Woodlands on
April 11.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">For information about
“BANDing together for BRET,” visit <a href="http://www.facebook.com/musiconthemenu">www.facebook.com/musiconthemenu</a><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<br />AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-17415257423833043272019-11-20T07:57:00.005-08:002023-11-14T13:43:10.107-08:00<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b><span style="font-size: 28pt;">MiZ to rock Jazz Café with
full set of Clapton <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAD_KC85B_65E4v3Hzx1criBERWEHnjH4HU8_hHAFn6kHanF2vruWOmdoGUHk7-_DdEXTC35rwFeof0tW3zOCyqgGjHSkbZJHEVg9K6-U0igg_ub-f6Sdt8KBklTlwZnAHddic26OZVTM/s1600/MIZ-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1293" data-original-width="1600" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAD_KC85B_65E4v3Hzx1criBERWEHnjH4HU8_hHAFn6kHanF2vruWOmdoGUHk7-_DdEXTC35rwFeof0tW3zOCyqgGjHSkbZJHEVg9K6-U0igg_ub-f6Sdt8KBklTlwZnAHddic26OZVTM/s640/MIZ-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Mike Mizwinski, while
finding success in Nashville, <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">returns home for special
holiday show <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Special to The Weekender</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">For more than 10 years, Mike
Mizwinski has been regarded as one of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s best guitarists.
And on Thanksgiving Eve, he’ll be paying tribute to one of the greatest
guitarists of all-time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“MiZ plays Clapton, with
special guest Justin Mazer,” will blast the River Street Jazz Café on November
27 with a show featuring nothing but the music of “Slowhand.” Mizwinski, a
native of Pittston who relocated to Nashville last year, has done tribute-type
shows before celebrating the music of Tom Petty, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan and
The Grateful Dead. Wednesday’s show will be the third time he’ll be doing a
full night of Clapton. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“Growing up, I was a huge
fan,” says Mizwinski, calling from Nashville. “My father got me into him. The
first song I ever learned how to play was a Clapton song. The thing about
Clapton that's fun is his songs are great vehicles to jam on, and to improvise
on, and to extend and sort of interpret in your own way. With some artists you
have to kind of have to stick to book, and then there's some that are more fun
to just kind of interpret. I just have a blast interpreting his songs and
making them our own.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Clapton’s Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame career spans five decades. In the ‘60s, there was his pioneering work
with The Yardbirds, Cream and Blind Faith. Later, “Times Pieces,” a
greatest hits package that featured some of his best work of the ‘70s,
contained tracks such as "I Shot the Sheriff," "After
Midnight," "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," “Wonderful
Tonight," “Cocaine,” “Promises,” “Lay Down Sally” and “Layla." That
alone would have made for a remarkable career, but Clapton forged on into the
‘80s with hits such as “Forever Man,” “It’s In The Way That You Use It,”
“Pretending” and “Bad Love,” the latter two of which came from his
multi-platinum album, “Journeyman.” In the ‘90s, Clapton gave a landmark
performance on “MTV Unplugged,” which is best known best for his deeply
personal performance of “Tears In Heaven” and his brilliant reworking of
“Layla.” He has continued to tour and record, he has won 18 Grammy Awards, and
he is widely considered to be one of the greatest musicians of all-time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Mizwinski says he’s a fan
Clapton’s complete catalog of work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“I like it all,” he says. “If
I had to pick a favorite era, I’d say it was the Cream days. I love that
old Cream stuff. And I guess the reason that I love it is because it’s what got
me so interested in him. That’s what got me playing. ‘Journeyman’ was
also a big album for me growing up. My parents had it and we used to listen to
it. Later, when I went to college, I got into ‘461 Ocean Boulevard’ and the
‘70s stuff. Throughout my life I’ve gotten into different aspects of his
career. There’s a few ‘lost’ albums in there, too, that I‘ve heard recently,
but I hadn’t even heard of before. I really like his whole career.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><b>Success and artistic
growth in Nashville <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Mizwinski himself has been
actively recording for more than a decade and has released several critically
acclaimed, roots-rock albums, including “East Hope Avenue,” “Parking Meters”
and “A Year Ago Today.” And though he’s also lived in Central Pennsylvania and
in the New York City area - and though Northeastern Pennsylvania has always
been home - he decided last year to move to Nashville. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“I wanted to learn,” he says.
“I wanted to further my career. I wanted to sit down with guitar players and
songwriters that were better than me and that challenged me and that inspired
me. And I wanted to become a better guitar player and a better songwriter. That
was my real reason to come here. A lot of people come here and are straight out
planning on ‘making it.’ My plan was a little bit different. I came here
and kind of hung around in the background for a while and watched what's going
on and got to meet a lot of people that were influences of mine. I got to take
guitar lessons from some of my favorite players and got to do some recording. I
just wanted learn. And I felt like it was the right move for my career as a
musician.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbfBzDS2HB2FbYHttV_pXR-JkAVX7l3Yl9nvI2NWwd2y35kDro2_QkaWz-yiUIQ73GrJef8J18yWt_Oc4uUm8Xd2ckyTmmTHQn3c9oF1Kujjvx76YZZpF9jXIG2Uv1qhcl2kRmVSf0IE/s1600/MIZ-1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbfBzDS2HB2FbYHttV_pXR-JkAVX7l3Yl9nvI2NWwd2y35kDro2_QkaWz-yiUIQ73GrJef8J18yWt_Oc4uUm8Xd2ckyTmmTHQn3c9oF1Kujjvx76YZZpF9jXIG2Uv1qhcl2kRmVSf0IE/s320/MIZ-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Mike Mizwinski has found a welcome place for his music in Nashville </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Mizwinski says he received
encouragement about the move from everyone, including Bob Lewis, another
well-known NEPA musician that had also relocated to Nashville a few years
prior.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“He's been a big part of me
being down here,” says Mizwinski. “He’s over the house all the time and we've
been writing together a lot. My manager had moved down here, too, and there
were a few other people that I knew that were living down here. It just was
like to the next step for me, and the right step, and I'm really glad I did it.
I’ve really been loving it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Since his move to Nashville,
Mizwinski has recorded two new songs - “Virginia and “High For Now” - at Gold
Cassette recording studio, which is owned by multi-platinum country star Luke
Combs. Working with Mizwinski on the music were producer Alex Gilson and
guitarist Sol Philcox, who have also worked with Combs. And the tracks were
mixed by Craig Alvin, who recently won the “Album of The Year” Grammy for his
work on Kacey Musgraves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“That’s been really exciting
because obviously I hadn’t worked with Grammy-winning people before,” says
Mizwinski. “We’re going to be releasing the songs soon. We’re just waiting on
the mastering.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Philcox is known as one of
Nashville’s top session guitarists. Still, given his own capabilities,
Mizwinski is asked why he felt the need to have a session player play guitar on
his own original songs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“That’s a funny story,” he says.
“Sol and I barely even knew each other. He’s a mastermind in studio, but he
didn't realize that I played lead guitar. He hired all these musicians and
called in all of these all-star Nashville guys, and they charted out the songs.
At the end of ‘Virginia,’ he said, ‘We’re just going to jam out the end,’ and
he hits record, and we jam, and he plays a guitar solo, and I just kind of
ripped into one after him, and that take is the one that we kept. It was the
first time I ever actually did a live recording in the studio with five guys
just letting it rip. The vocals. Everything. What you hear in the recording is
five guys playing live in the studio. When we ended the song, Sol was like,
‘Holy crap. I didn’t know you played guitar like that!’ And since then - and
it’s been a joy for me - me and Sol became buddies.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">The new friendship has helped
open additional doors for Mizwinski, including performing live with Kashena
Sampson, Emma White and Jenna Paulette. All three women appeared on Rolling
Stone’s list of top-10 up and coming country artists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“Sol has been sending me a
lot of the work that he can’t do,” says Mizwinski. “He gets so many calls that
it’s just insane. But I kind of quickly found out that was not what I want to
do. Playing guitar for modern-country singers … it's just not my thing. It was
a killer experience I can't say enough about how great it was to work with
them, and their bands, and how nice they were. But it also made me realize that
I really want to stay focused on my own music.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Apparently, playing his own
music in Nashville is also working out just fine.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“I got to play ‘New Faces
Night’ at The Basement, which is one of the most prominent clubs in Nashville
for the type of music I play,” he says. “It's a really, really big deal to get
added onto ‘New Faces Night.’ After the owner saw our set, I got a
call, and he not only rebooked us, but he actually let me put my own bill
together for my own night at The Basement. I played and headlined and I had to
two other people come and play, too. It’s been great. My mindset coming down
here has been strictly that I want to soak this all in and I want to purposely
put myself around people that are that are better players, singers and writers
than and I am.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Even Mizwinski’s Nashville
roommate, an artist named Boo Ray, is a talented musician. Stephen Ferrone, the
former drummer for Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, appeared on his album and he’s
been getting airplay on Sirius XM Radio. Mizwinski has also recorded with Boo
Ray and, once again, has worked with some of the industry’s top producers. Boo
Ray also introduced him to the legendary John Hiatt, with whom he now sometimes
meets for lunch.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“That’s just crazy,” says
Mizwinski.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><b>Coming home</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">For the “MiZ plays Clapton”
show, Mizwinski will be joined by his friend Justin Mazer, another NEPA native
and dazzling guitarist who has also toured the country and has been featured in
national publications such as Rolling Stone, Relix, and Guitar Player magazine.
Mazur has also played some of the country’s top music festivals and is
currently working and touring with Ryan Montbleau.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“We’ve got backup singers and
we’ve got some other guests coming down,” says Mizwinski. “It's going to be
phenomenal.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Though Mizwinski is making
great strides in Nashville, he adds that it’s nice to come home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“It’s always great,” he
says. “I miss it. I'm one of these
people that loves Northeast PA. I think it's a great place, and I miss being
there. I miss home. I miss seeing the people.
Coming home feels good, and when I do come home to play I feel so lucky.
People are so good to me and they're so supportive of me. I’m so lucky to have
this dynamic, or this opportunity, to be able to come home every few months to
play, and to have people coming out and supporting me. It's really cool. Even
moving down here, people were really supportive of it and I can’t thank him
enough. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">“It's a great, music-loving
community.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">WHAT:
MiZ plays Clapton with special guest Justin Mazer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">WHERE:
River Street Jazz Café, Plains Township<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">WHEN:
Wednesday, November 27, 10 p.m. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">TICKETS:
$10 in advance, $15 at the door<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">INFO:
www. riverstreetjazzcafe.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Photos courtesy of Sam Watson. This story also appeared as the Weekender's cover story on November 20, 2019. The Weekender version can be found here: <a href="https://www.theweekender.com/wk_cover/32133/mike-mizwinski-while-finding-success-in-nashville-returns-home-for-special-holiday-show">https://www.theweekender.com/wk_cover/32133/mike-mizwinski-while-finding-success-in-nashville-returns-home-for-special-holiday-show</a><br />
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AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-66450812647730173502019-08-25T17:32:00.001-07:002019-08-27T06:20:05.488-07:00<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 28.0pt;">KISS kisses Pennsylvania goodbye in Hershey </span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_m3fJBvW0RhOVyPivrk_9qUogJ5qM8J3Evge-j_KuP0pa5nIXrv9mlOJYFburt54_Xe20hdOUqgCItyioQCbzIso5sJBTl_LkvhNrVeVOcGRx6jj5pxUrLsClEvVXIax7nlh7HTUbxB8/s1600/KISS-MAIN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="1600" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_m3fJBvW0RhOVyPivrk_9qUogJ5qM8J3Evge-j_KuP0pa5nIXrv9mlOJYFburt54_Xe20hdOUqgCItyioQCbzIso5sJBTl_LkvhNrVeVOcGRx6jj5pxUrLsClEvVXIax7nlh7HTUbxB8/s640/KISS-MAIN.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;">
Cara Lombardo and Adam
Nulton are all smiles before KISS’ recent show at Hersheypark Stadium.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Local fans share their thoughts on ‘End Of
The Road’ tour<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">MUSIC ON THE MENU<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">HERSHEY, PA - For the past 45
years, the state of Pennsylvania has been a frequent tour stop for the rock
group KISS. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Wilkes-Barre, Allentown, Harrisburg, Scranton,
Erie, State College … the iconic band has played them all. And on Wednesday,
with its show in Hershey, the group made what was probably its final stop in the
Keystone State. And for the 20,000 fans at Hersheypark Stadium – many of whom
had traveled from Northeastern Pennsylvania - it was apparently a most
memorable KISS goodbye.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Jim Donnelly of Back
Mountain, who had previously seen KISS about 15 times, was at the show in
Hershey. Afterwards, he had no regrets about traveling 100 miles to see the band again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I’d seen a lot of the new
show on YouTube, so I kind of had an idea of what it was going to look like,
but it was just incredible in person,” said Donnelly. “The guys were on fire.
There’s a lot of energy in this show. They’re saying it’s their last hurrah,
and I thought it was incredible.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySj_H-LXpLIwq0HV_mRfwrMKEdXov0IJJptjgeybdSMqDK4DR-4A0tjWZG11wTXWxyWYofRwVEkepGE1VzVSsGYuELG-J6SQRduqnIlG9TlT7gpj9IsdZWsiAlb5tZSdW-TF3UN5VMIM/s1600/KISS-H-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySj_H-LXpLIwq0HV_mRfwrMKEdXov0IJJptjgeybdSMqDK4DR-4A0tjWZG11wTXWxyWYofRwVEkepGE1VzVSsGYuELG-J6SQRduqnIlG9TlT7gpj9IsdZWsiAlb5tZSdW-TF3UN5VMIM/s320/KISS-H-1.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angela Thomas (right ) poses with a fellow<br />
KISS fan at Hersheypark Stadium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Donnelly has been on the
annual KISS Kruise four times and will be setting sail with the band again this
fall, and thus he will see the group perform again in a smaller setting. But
Wednesday’s show in Hershey will likely be the last time he saw a full KISS
arena/stadium show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“It’s kind of bittersweet,” he
said. “I had some friends there, and we were kind of looking back, because
there’s a very good chance it will be the last show that I’ll see them at the
level. But we say, ‘Thanks for the memories.’ ”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Adam Nulton of Wilkes-Barre
was also at the show on Wednesday, which he said was about his 10<sup>th</sup>
KISS concert. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I saw them a few years back
and I thought that was going to be my last chance to see them,” he said. “But I
think they felt the fans still needed the music that they deliver. And I think
a lot of the fans that are older want to share that experience with their
children and say, 'This is what I grew up on. This is what you need to
experience.’ And people definitely need to see the band before they call it a
day.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHUGqn-0Be5W7REliPRvWHbERRCGATDYyBb77HXpVPsMLuEkukqDvK_a6CdIbihJwgJP-mZ9m0-H1-WIIiht6qZC5AOdZWb2qJ_uPJKYYpAkbAK1tCSKnqpQH4Vc-C8Z-7UQIDPCTcJs/s1600/KISS-H-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1402" data-original-width="1600" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHUGqn-0Be5W7REliPRvWHbERRCGATDYyBb77HXpVPsMLuEkukqDvK_a6CdIbihJwgJP-mZ9m0-H1-WIIiht6qZC5AOdZWb2qJ_uPJKYYpAkbAK1tCSKnqpQH4Vc-C8Z-7UQIDPCTcJs/s320/KISS-H-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve Middaugh and his friend Bill Evanicki rock 'n roll all<br />
nite at KISS' 'End of The Road" show in Hershey<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Nulton made sure that his
girlfriend, Cara Lombardo of Tamaqua, was one of those people. And thus she was at
her first KISS show in Hershey.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I was so excited,” said
Lombardo. “I’d heard it’s an experience that you’ll never, ever forget. Since I
was so late in first getting to see them, I kind of wish they’d stick around a
little bit longer, but I get it. They’re getting older. But I feel blessed to have
been able to see them before it’s really farewell.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">According to Curt Gooch and
Jeff Suhs, the authors of “Kiss Alive Forever: The Complete Touring History,”
KISS has played Pennsylvania 84 times. Additionally, they’ve played nine shows
in Camden, N.J. – shows that were primarily aimed at the Philadelphia market. The
band has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, are members of the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame, and as an America band, has more certified gold albums
than any other group. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steve Middaugh of
Exeter saw his fifth KISS concert in Hershey on Wednesday. He said he’s been a
loyal fan for most of his life and that it’s always been the band’s music that
he enjoys the most. He added that he was not about to miss the “End Of The Road”
tour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“This is it,” said Middaugh.
“That’s why I really wanted to get to the show. And I thought it was great. I
really, really enjoyed it. We had a blast. The theatrics were so good and
they played some of the stuff from the non-makeup era (“Lick It Up,” “Heaven’s
On Fire,” “Crazy Crazy Nights”), and I liked that a lot. They really went all
out.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Traci Strungis of Mountaintop
caught her third KISS show on Wednesday. She agreed with Middaugh
about songs performed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1c6vJOMRD0roNFCrpgWwzJJRZqs57GBSu2qAo01uFahKJyTJPmgnS5xtXw-hum9loCrEOT92YkmDDZ239xVAhQC0yNagYNE1fOSNitRB5b_0kLZEWjb6w1qkD7iy9ptBla_7wFuYMYbQ/s1600/KISS-H-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="854" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1c6vJOMRD0roNFCrpgWwzJJRZqs57GBSu2qAo01uFahKJyTJPmgnS5xtXw-hum9loCrEOT92YkmDDZ239xVAhQC0yNagYNE1fOSNitRB5b_0kLZEWjb6w1qkD7iy9ptBla_7wFuYMYbQ/s320/KISS-H-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traci Strungis (left) and friends bid farewell to KISS in Hershey </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“The set list was really well
thought out,” said Strungis. “It had a mix of old KISS and songs from different
eras, so I think diehard fans were pleased, as well as first-time fans. It
covered their whole timespan. And I liked that. I really love when they segue
from ‘Lick It Up’ into ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again.’ That’s awesome. The guitar
work is incredible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the stage show
was fantastic … with all of the pyrotechnics, fireworks and confetti. Paul
Stanley flies out to the middle of the stadium on a zip-line so that you can be
closer to him. It’s definitely a great visual show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“They looked so good and
sounded so good that I think they should keep going,” she added. “But I realize
that they would probably like to go out on top. And they are. I’ve seen them a
few times before, and they just keep getting better. They were just
phenomenal.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Angela Thomas of Wilkes-Barre
attended her second KISS show in Hershey. She said that KISS, live in concert,
is still “The Hottest Band In The World.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I had a great time,” said
Thomas. “Paul Stanley is my favorite and I just absolutely love seeing
him. And there were so many people there that were there for the same reason
that I was – for the love of their music. It was just, ‘Wow.’ I just had an
amazing time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I get it,” said Thomas, when
asked how she feels about this being KISS’ final tour. “They’ve been around for
a long time. But hopefully it isn’t. They’re one of my favorite bands and I’d
like to see them again and again.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Dave Donati of Dupont has
seen KISS in concert 22 times, including every tour since 1992. Wednesday’s
show was his third time catching the band on this tour. Having seen every tour over
the past 25 years, he ranks ‘End Of The Road’ as among the band’s best.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I’ve enjoyed every tour, but
this one certainly has more energy and more feel,” said Donati. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The guys on stage have just given a new level
of energy and have really given something back to the fans. There’s no opening
band. There’s no foolin’ around. I saw the tours they did with Motley Cue and
Def Leppard and I loved those tours, but I’m not a co-headline kind of guy.
This is KISS’ show. Tommy Thayer has been on another level on this tour. I’ve
watched him with awe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Gene has always
been my favorite. That will never change. And I think he’s having a great time
up there right now saying goodbye. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I’m a concert junkie,” added
Donati. “I’ve been to more than 100 concerts and nothing compares to a KISS
concert. Nothing.”</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04Ml4GGYPfs1DLNaTJMR1m5CAa3rPxTXsBJunoZeBLuUwe8W-PdBux8VAbQmZJ3SXEdA1STCl4da6pFkdYfzypn6uGBdQ64MVVNK7pki2VxyMV_02LPN3OE1vnNZj3LYCZYyvj2qDb20/s1600/KISS-H-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1040" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04Ml4GGYPfs1DLNaTJMR1m5CAa3rPxTXsBJunoZeBLuUwe8W-PdBux8VAbQmZJ3SXEdA1STCl4da6pFkdYfzypn6uGBdQ64MVVNK7pki2VxyMV_02LPN3OE1vnNZj3LYCZYyvj2qDb20/s320/KISS-H-4.jpg" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Debra Ann Caruso channels her inner Starchild <br />
for her 50th KISS concert in Hershey </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">For Debra Ann Caruso of
Jermyn, Wednesday’s show in Hershey was her 50th KISS concert and marked the
fourth time she’s seen the band on the “End Of The Road” tour. </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">She says that at some point, during every show
on this tour, she’s been brought to tears. She also feels it’s one of the band’s
greatest tours, ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“The production is amazing,” said
Caruso. “The first time I saw this stage was at Madison Square Garden. Then I
went to Philly. Then I flew to Tennessee, to take my niece to see the show. And
I’ve been blown away. I’ve been blown away by the production, and I’ve been
blown away by how they’ve looked and how they’ve sounded. Paul Stanley is 67 and
looks amazing. He’s miraculous to me. They’re just amazing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Despite perhaps being the
band’s biggest fan in NEPA, Caruso says she’s OK with the group's decision to
stop touring sometime next year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“They deserve the break,” she
said. “And their families, more than anything, deserve the break. But
personally, I’m sad. I’m sad because it’s been a huge part of my life. When
people ask me, ‘How are you still a fan after all of this time?’ and ‘How do
you still get so excited and emotional?,’ I say that it’s the one singular
thing that’s been in my heart and been in my life for as long as my love of
family. I can’t imagine it going away. But I’m happy for them that they’re
going out on such a high, and that they’re retiring with grace and on the top of
their game. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I feel like they’re
doing that.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in
Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The
Menu,” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on The River. Reach him at
musiconthemenu@comcast.net)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br />AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-64649777718511210142019-08-20T04:18:00.001-07:002019-08-20T16:46:05.106-07:00<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 28.0pt;">Woodstock turns 50 at Bethel Woods<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqK0BkK5m428RolnbeSvGAUQW2dKTHKMKAVTfzrnE72YI9hncDGK56c5BNfzMeN2sNOugfX7w2KeM1wWqxNsIR4gf8Bv2U1tgnvGIhBJiqEUJ7qB-GEgTzgUlDYKDMzzjA5oNm-zQkbh0/s1600/colkkage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="1600" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqK0BkK5m428RolnbeSvGAUQW2dKTHKMKAVTfzrnE72YI9hncDGK56c5BNfzMeN2sNOugfX7w2KeM1wWqxNsIR4gf8Bv2U1tgnvGIhBJiqEUJ7qB-GEgTzgUlDYKDMzzjA5oNm-zQkbh0/s640/colkkage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 22.0pt;">Site of original 1969 festival celebrates golden anniversary<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“By the time we got to
Woodstock, we were a half a million strong, and everywhere was a song and
celebration” – “Woodstock,” Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">MUSIC ON THE MENU<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Despite what you may have
seen in the headlines this summer, Woodstock’s 50th anniversary celebration was
not cancelled. It went on as planned last week, for several days, on the
anniversary of the milestone event. Several acts that were on the historic
musical bill in August of 1969 – Santana, John Fogerty, Blood, Sweat & Tears,
Edgar Winter and Arlo Guthrie – also performed in August of 2019, as did Ringo
Starr, the former Beatle who has made “Peace and Love” his personal motto. And
it happened in Bethel, New York, at essentially the exact same site where
Woodstock took place 50 years ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The four-day celebration,
which happened at the Bethel Woods Center for The Arts, was planned long ago
and most of the acts that performed were announced earlier this year. And it
all went off without a hitch, which is why every time I saw a headline this
summer saying that “Woodstock 50” was postponed, or had been moved, or was
cancelled, I had to laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">For those that may be
confused, here’s what happened: Michael Lang, one of the producers of the
original Woodstock event in 1969 – and who had also produced Woodstock
‘94 and Woodstock ‘99 – had hoped to do another large scale event for the 50th
anniversary. And though he apparently has a nice relationship with the Bethel
Woods Center for The Arts and has made appearances there in the past, he felt
the original location, even with its gorgeous amphitheater, had become too
developed and was now too small to host Woodstock 50. And so he made plans
elsewhere. And those plans fell through. And thus all of the “Woodstock is
canceled” headlines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Thankfully, none of it had
anything to do with what was happening in Bethel. And it was a fabulous
anniversary weekend.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUJV7aJHmCjDxF20dY6MS9JdAe7V287n3IwinaXp-zfBuCLbD5YY_TR4c82f24_7eetBdi8Zh9rjjSOkfU-CLtQJyZcFsKFKe1rR0IeLm6MjCxlS8bYDJaJKELNIqyVlSYd25Nso-vxo/s1600/BLOG-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1600" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUJV7aJHmCjDxF20dY6MS9JdAe7V287n3IwinaXp-zfBuCLbD5YY_TR4c82f24_7eetBdi8Zh9rjjSOkfU-CLtQJyZcFsKFKe1rR0IeLm6MjCxlS8bYDJaJKELNIqyVlSYd25Nso-vxo/s320/BLOG-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woodstock - Bethel, New York, 1969 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">The Bethel Woods Center for
The Arts is one of the finest amphitheaters in the United States. On its
historic grounds </span><span style="font-size: 18pt;">you will also find a wonderful Woodstock museum and the actual
Yasgur’s Farm field where the original Woodstock event took place in 1969. A
large “peace” symbol is cut into the grass of its slopping fields, which are
nestled amid the rolling Catskills. An historical marker is also in place. It
is </span><i style="font-size: 18pt;">the place</i><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> where Woodstock actually happened, and thus where else
would you rather be on its 50th anniversary?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Apparently, for about 60,000
people over the course of four days, that place was Bethel Woods. And I was one
of them. I took a drive up on Friday and, in my own way, I tried to celebrate all-things Woodstock. Though the original event took place when I was only two
years old, I’ve always felt a connection to it. At the time that I arrived on
this Earth, America was changing, the war in Vietnam was raging, and thus, in
some ways, I am a product of those times. In the photographs from my third
birthday party, the balloons are decorated with “peace” symbols, and I grew up
listening to most of the bands on the Woodstock bill, especially The Who. And
though I’d been to a few shows in Bethel before, I was feeling a strong pull to
go back for the 50th, and so off I went … <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fRc1tpwoRlmnRFtZuGfhvcNQJYN55bdJC7-FVkEHQ20ZhPfR86M3osmlBkQ4NjL2SMxi2z26389LuJu6Yxo4QKSmqPS9sriG5Y0N8am0uTWbIhiyMcfCOZWxtANB1-jaH4E8LoOI7DQ/s1600/BLOG-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fRc1tpwoRlmnRFtZuGfhvcNQJYN55bdJC7-FVkEHQ20ZhPfR86M3osmlBkQ4NjL2SMxi2z26389LuJu6Yxo4QKSmqPS9sriG5Y0N8am0uTWbIhiyMcfCOZWxtANB1-jaH4E8LoOI7DQ/s320/BLOG-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Historical marker at the original site of Woodstock </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The night prior, on the night
they were showing the original Woodstock film at Bethel Woods, I was watching
it at home. In one segment, Lang was talking about how when the promoters,
after being displaced from two prior possible locations, were looking for a
site to hold the event, they found themselves driving all throughout the hills
and along backroads of the Catskills, looking for the right place. And when
they came across Yasgur’s Farm, they knew they’d found it. When I drove there
on Friday, my GPS, for some reason, took me on a different route from the way
I’d gone there before, and I found myself on lots of little backroads, riding
throughout the hills of the Catskills. And I loved it. I imagined those guys
travelling those same roads 50 years earlier, and all of the young people
jammed up in traffic trying to find this remote place without the use of anything
like GPS. I imaged all of the hitchhikers and Volkswagen vans, and in an effort
to try to harness some of that energy, I rolled down my windows, turned off the
air conditioner in the car and breathed in the spirit of ‘69. It was one
of my favorite parts of the trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Though I’d been there before,
I also visited the Woodstock monument, and for the 50th anniversary, you were
permitted to walk around on the historic field of the concert. I strolled over
to where the original stage was located, and of course I thought of Jimi
Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, Crosby, Stills & Nash and all of the
others. At sundown, I caught a glimpse of a beautiful golden sunset over the
Catskills. It was perfect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraNZQn1RrXhiN3uSlhCmBHda38mLupiDdoXpq2h9d-SDqa3iC2uFQsS8nA0oUiIgyHe0BPR56rmGks9XqNKXp46Yd81XG1JUD5AeQ8JkS2f8uBKcSDYOkkLZnt-P2yc1WLzZInJpSiWg/s1600/BLOG2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1138" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraNZQn1RrXhiN3uSlhCmBHda38mLupiDdoXpq2h9d-SDqa3iC2uFQsS8nA0oUiIgyHe0BPR56rmGks9XqNKXp46Yd81XG1JUD5AeQ8JkS2f8uBKcSDYOkkLZnt-P2yc1WLzZInJpSiWg/s320/BLOG2.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ringo Starr, Bethel Woods, 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Ringo Starr & His
All-Star Band, which performed on Friday night, were fabulous. Not only did
Starr sing his best Beatles and solo songs, but he also played drums throughout
most of the show. Any night that you can see a Beatle playing Beatles’ songs is a good might, but I also really enjoyed just watching him drum. At 79, he
played with sheer joy. He’s got to be the most youthful man on the planet.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">One of the members of Starr’s
All-Star band is Gregg Rolie of Santana, who actually performed at Woodstock in
1969. He talked about playing at the big how “right over the hill” 50 years
prior and sang songs such as “Black Magic Woman,” “Evil Ways” and “Oye Como
Va.” It was incredibly fitting for the vibe, and Starr closed the night with
“With A Little Help From My Friends” – which Joe Cocker had covered so
beautifully at Woodstock - and then segued into a few verses of John Lennon’s
“Give Peace A Chance.” Given how much the weight of the Vietnam War had hovered
over the original festival, it was most appropriate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">About halfway through Starr’s
set, a bright, beautiful moon rose from behind the amphitheater. It too seemed
fitting, almost cosmically, on anniversary weekend. And just as the band was
playing the final notes of its very last song, a dark cloud briefly moved in
front of the moon and hid its light. The spirit of Woodstock had spoken. Day #2
of the celebration was over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyAx596rl0BMuqzByD3w9m4s0-egOXUGzXvsyrvo55CsvJsh7RXRK8xLLMrEaZx6kIIRABxtlbeWzIZjN-rSD6WPA4OIgBoIOHY85FZ6S6uwIgKNZgtAIXa0uZOsrhjHllI0KORa7Mww/s1600/BLOG-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="530" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyAx596rl0BMuqzByD3w9m4s0-egOXUGzXvsyrvo55CsvJsh7RXRK8xLLMrEaZx6kIIRABxtlbeWzIZjN-rSD6WPA4OIgBoIOHY85FZ6S6uwIgKNZgtAIXa0uZOsrhjHllI0KORa7Mww/s320/BLOG-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock, 1969</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">At one point, shortly after
dusk, I walked from the amphitheater back over to the original concert
field and pretty much had it all to myself. I thought of the more than 400,000
people that had gathered there 50 years prior, and how that moment in time has
stayed with this country in so many ways for the past five decades. I also
realized that a good portion of those young people that we see in those video
clips may have since passed on. Woodstock, 50 years later, also reminded us of
our mortality, but not in a somber way. It reminded us of how important it is to
live life to the fullest and to appreciate the vibrancy of youth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The Bethel Woods 50th
anniversary celebration of Woodstock didn’t try to recreate anything. Traffic
was managed perfectly and there was plenty of parking, food and restrooms.
Nobody overdosed or slid down the hills in the mud. There were plenty of young
people there, but a good portion of them were of the Woodstock generation or,
like me, the following generation that also grew up with the music. And at this
point in our lives, we prefer a clean restroom and plenty of choices of good
food. Bethel Woods has all of that, as well as a great gift shop. Trying to recreate
Woodstock would have felt forced, but celebrating it in a very 2019 way did
not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">While walking in the concert
field, however, I did feel a sense that, like in 1969, we are once again a nation
divided. This time, it’s not over a war happening overseas, but rather one
happening right here in America. I found myself - at a place synonymous with
peace and love - thinking about gun control. And I was pleased to learn that
Michael Lang himself showed up in Bethel over the weekend to talk about that
issue. I'm glad he hasn't changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Woodstock’s 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary
celebration was not canceled. It went on, in Bethel, as planned. And, more than
anything, it was fun. And perhaps that was the best way to honor it. I recently
watched the new PBS documentary, “Woodstock: Three Days That Defined A Generation.”
At one point during the festival, Max Yasgur, the owner of the farm, can be
seen on stage addressing the enormous crowd. He was 49 years old at the time
and was viewed as an old-school conservative, or in those days, as one of the “establishment.”
Yet it was he who allowed Woodstock to take place on his land. And by all accounts,
Max was a pretty cool guy. When the event ran out of food, he sent food from
his farm. He said “we’ve got to feed those kids.” When the event ran out of
water, he sent water. And though he was surely no hippie, he looked at them all
– all 400,000 of them - as a bunch of nice kids having a good time. And he was
happy to have them there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1A73eCfvH-9LSvtfQHvVQlPwKboaNRMAQR6Va0N6v86XAhimSCsH6h514qoS_502H8hKq5h9yrqGig6ebhr3H1RaQbs0VhOlB6WLPrwws944mRhQYatyr4YhZ5lEkXFu-DW1T3waiN-A/s1600/Blog-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="750" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1A73eCfvH-9LSvtfQHvVQlPwKboaNRMAQR6Va0N6v86XAhimSCsH6h514qoS_502H8hKq5h9yrqGig6ebhr3H1RaQbs0VhOlB6WLPrwws944mRhQYatyr4YhZ5lEkXFu-DW1T3waiN-A/s320/Blog-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset in Bethel on the 50th anniversary of Woodstock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I’m a farmer,” he said on
stage that day, 50 years ago. “I don’t know how to speak to 20 people at one
time, let alone a crowd like this. But I think that you people have proven
something to the world. Not only to the town of Bethel and Sullivan County and
New York State … you’re proving something to <i>the world</i>. This is the largest
group of people ever assembled in one place. We had no idea there would be this
size group, and because of that, you’ve had quite a few inconveniences … but
the one thing that you’ve proven to the world is that a half a million kids –
and I call you kids because I have children older than you are – a half a
million young people can get together, and have three days of fun and music,
and have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nothing but</i> fun and music.
And God bless you for it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Three days of peace, love,
music and fun. There is still an aura there. You can feel it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Happy 50th Woodstock. And
well done, Bethel Woods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">(Alan K.
Stout has covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992.
His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on The
River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br />AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-71974422063397734352019-06-30T13:07:00.005-07:002019-07-01T18:15:57.737-07:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 36pt;">Frehley’s
guitar blasts Kirby<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozLyCBkePD0YjkL3BsXuNFix6blM-e1XlRvi4fsmJLAV6AP8CXZnu_QyJuiC_XaS2oIOI6X9WRcJsV5k9EsvcW6OVI2Xmzdk2shQL8qizD3QPKDgk0yepg2XGLMGaoCOnSWNBRB7uCoc/s1600/Ace-Kirby.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="564" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozLyCBkePD0YjkL3BsXuNFix6blM-e1XlRvi4fsmJLAV6AP8CXZnu_QyJuiC_XaS2oIOI6X9WRcJsV5k9EsvcW6OVI2Xmzdk2shQL8qizD3QPKDgk0yepg2XGLMGaoCOnSWNBRB7uCoc/s640/Ace-Kirby.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;">Photo courtesy of JA Donnelly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Backed by a polished and energetic
band, former KISS guitarist delivers <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">MUSIC ON THE MENU<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">WILKES-BARRE – Ace Frehley
must like Northeastern Pennsylvania. On Saturday night, the former KISS
guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer performed in the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton market for the sixth time as a solo artist, dating back
to 1985. This time, he was back at the F.M Kirby Center, where he had also
played in 2016. And, like last time, he rocked the joint pretty good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Frehley took the stage to the
sound of “Fractured Mirror” – an instrumental piece which closes his 1978 solo
album - filling the theater. He then opened the show with “Rip It Out,” the
opening track from that same album. “Parasite,” from KISS’ second LP, “Hotter
Than Hell,” followed, and chances are it probably wasn’t the first time Frehley
performed the song on that same stage, as KISS had played the former Paramount
Theater twice in 1974.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> “How ya doing
Wilkes-Barre?” said Frehley after the second number. “You ready to rock?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The answer was ,”Yes,” and
Frehley then tore into 1979’s “Hard Times,” a KISS gem that deals with Frehley’s
teen years and the tough street life of the Bronx. Frehley offered an extended
solo during the number, aptly displaying his lead guitar skills which have not
diminished over the past 40 years.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">One of the highlights of the
show was Frehley’s new backing band, most of which he discovered last year while doing
some shows with former bandmate Gene Simmons. Three members of the unit - guitarist/vocalists Ryan Cook and Jeremy Asbrock and bassist/vocalist Philip
Shouse - had previously backed Simmons at some
of his solo concerts. Frehley was impressed and hired them. The three additions, along with longtime drummer Matt Starr, give Frehley one of
the best bands he’s ever toured with. The triple-guitar attack bolstered his
sound and the harmonies were spot-on. Frehley was also generous to the
musicians, allowing them take lead vocals on some numbers and solo. That, and
their own charisma, made the concert experience even more enjoyable.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">A churning performance of
“Watching You” also connected with the KISS faithful and during a performance
of the new “Rockin' With The Boys” Frehley frequently tossed guitar picks into
the audience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“It’s starting to get hot up
here,” said Frehley, while taking off his blazer about five songs into the
show. “I don’t want to pass out like I did last time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The comment - referring to
his 2016 performance at The Kirby, during which he became ill, had to cut
the show short, and was treated for dehydration at Wilkes-Barre General
Hospital – drew a chuckle from both Frehley and the crowd. On this night,
however, all was well, and Frehley and the band then ripped through
guitar-heavy renditions of “Rocket Ride,” "Mission To Mars” and “Strange Ways,”
the latter of which featured another extended guitar solo. ”2,000 Man,” a song
written and first recorded by The Rolling Stones, but has become a signature
song for Frehley, also got one of the night’s biggest cheers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I’m looking out there and I
think I see a few rock soldiers,” said Frehley, before launching into “Rock
Soldiers.” The anthem-like song, which appeared on 1987’s “Frehley’s
Comet” album, remains a fan-favorite and also had the crowd singing along. And
for his performance of the 1978 hit “New York Groove,” he brought out his
famous lighted guitar which pulsated to the beat of the song. It, too, had
plenty of fists pumping in the air.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">It was during “Shock Me,”
however, that Frehley showed his fans why he is the quintessential lead
guitarist. Sure, he hauled out his trademark smoking guitar for a part of the
solo, which made for a fun visual, but it was what he played that seemed to
impress the crowd the most. It was one of the longest guitar solos Frehley has
ever performed, full of both beefy riffs and quick playing. Frehley was already
a guitar hero to many before the “shredders” of the ‘80s arrived on the music
scene, and that’s never really been his style, but on Saturday night, at least
for parts of his solo, Frehley was shredding. It was almost as if he was just
having some fun showing off. And it was impressive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The set ended with a pounding
rendition of “Cold Gin,” which also featured an extended guitar solo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Encores included “Detroit
Rock City” and “Deuce,” and it is when you see Frehley tearing through the guitar
parts of “Deuce” that you realize how important he was to KISS’ initial
success. His sound is very much the sound of KISS “Alive,” the band’s now classic
1975 breakthrough album, and it is clearly a sound that he still holds dear and
can still deliver.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Ace Frehley apparently
likes Northeastern Pennsylvania. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">And apparently it also likes
him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Another good show from the
Spaceman.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">------</span><br />
<br />
This story also appears in The Times Leader newspaper and can be read online here:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.timesleader.com/features/lifestyle/748533/frehleys-guitar-blasts-kirby">https://www.timesleader.com/features/lifestyle/748533/frehleys-guitar-blasts-kirby</a><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"></span><br />
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<br />AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-8401719095903180912019-06-26T06:55:00.000-07:002019-06-26T06:23:56.814-07:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 36.0pt;">Frehley ready for blastoff</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAJolSaLqGKf2-RvTYzZCIOqwzLbqLRGqL8GzNip40OzEV7l56EDFYryXh-y8QMRNKlwEwRQPILSoRiKc0WRr4NotfN-JbXiVGDAadc0GnCkxLuM5MSFnv8SC0dO8cjIOq5AOto4F_50/s1600/ACE+COVER-YES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="1600" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAJolSaLqGKf2-RvTYzZCIOqwzLbqLRGqL8GzNip40OzEV7l56EDFYryXh-y8QMRNKlwEwRQPILSoRiKc0WRr4NotfN-JbXiVGDAadc0GnCkxLuM5MSFnv8SC0dO8cjIOq5AOto4F_50/s640/ACE+COVER-YES.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: 24.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: 24.0pt;">Former KISS
guitarist set to </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 24.0pt;">take </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 24.0pt;">F.M. Kirby Center on a guitar-fueled rocket ride</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Special to The Weekender<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Ace Frehley is in fine
spirits. During a recent phone interview, the former KISS guitarist cracked his
trademark laugh several times as he chatted freely about his most recent solo
effort, “Spaceman,” his next album, “Origins, Vol. 2,” his two highly memorable
stints with KISS, and his upcoming show at the F.M. Kirby Center in
Wilkes-Barre. He also spoke about his complicated current relationship
with the members of KISS, his influence on younger guitarists, and of his last
appearance at The Kirby Center, in April of 2016, during which he became ill
and ended up spending a few days in a Wilkes-Barre hospital.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“Spaceman,” released last
fall, is Frehley’s ninth solo studio album and twelfth solo release if you
include live albums and compilations. It came exactly 40 years after his first
solo effort, which is why he says he originally considered naming the album “40 Years Later.” But when his former bandmate Gene Simmons, who co-wrote two
tracks on the album, suggested the “Spaceman” title, Frehley says he decided to
go with it. The title, of course, comes from the onstage persona that Frehley
had created with KISS in 1973. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“The mindset I was in during
the making of ‘Spaceman’ … I was really thinking about my first ’78 solo
record,” says Frehley. “It was the 40<sup>th</sup> anniversary, and I actually
did nine songs on purpose, as kind of a good luck thing. (His 1978 solo album
contained nine tracks, including the hit single “New York Groove.”) I
approached ‘Spaceman’ kind of like I approached my ’78 solo album. On the track
‘Mission To Mars’ I was using old delay effects and it brought back memories of
when I used to use an Echoplex in the studio with KISS, and live.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyseAKj2nWGzL3vtS-Ph0Ik9BudqAHyxcGb4tPSpCpyhyphenhyphenK7k3fV8zIq3gY8Fpzx7C_Xfbv-OIOSqY9msr_6cYeSLBAlYzyr9QkI-1cldGlu3Y98jkytROd-VbHYINv3_-tKmCN6PNrK1E/s1600/ace-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="992" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyseAKj2nWGzL3vtS-Ph0Ik9BudqAHyxcGb4tPSpCpyhyphenhyphenK7k3fV8zIq3gY8Fpzx7C_Xfbv-OIOSqY9msr_6cYeSLBAlYzyr9QkI-1cldGlu3Y98jkytROd-VbHYINv3_-tKmCN6PNrK1E/s320/ace-cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ace Frehley's "Spaceman" was released last fall. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">One track on the album,
“Bronx Boy” is reflective of Frehley’s youth and growing up in New York City,
which he had also touched upon with the 1979 KISS gem, “Hard Times.” Another
track, “Rocking With The Boys” was first penned in the ‘70s and, thematically,
is similar to the KISS classic “Beth” in that it tells the tale of a musician
that’s too busy working with the band to spend time with his lady. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“I wrote the chorus to that
song before ‘Beth’ ever happened,” says Frehley. “I have like three different
versions of that song. The problem with it, up until ‘Spaceman,’ was I was
never really happy with the bridge and the verses. You get a good hook, but
sometimes the rest of the song just doesn’t hold up. You can have a great hook,
but if you don’t have good verses and a bridge, it’s not going to cut it.
Finally, when I was writing songs for ‘Spaceman,” I decided to take a hard look
at that song and it worked out great. I’m really happy with the end results.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">With the track “Pursuit of
Rock and Roll,” Frehley sings of his love for the all-time greats, referencing
Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.
And, in other interviews over the years, he has cited Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page
and Eric Clapton as influences. Since the late ‘70s, however, it’s been Frehley
that’s been a major influence on others. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame, he is often named by musicians as the reason they first wanted to play
guitar. He has also forged friendships with some of those disciples, such as
Slash. Frehley says he enjoys the musical camaraderie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“I’m very good friends with
John 5 and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam,” says Frehley. “I was also really good
friends with Dimebag. I ended up spending a weekend at his house. I was in Las
Vegas when Vinnie Paul </span><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">passed away. I flew down to Dallas for the funeral and gave a little speech.
That came as a real big shock.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Frehley says he appreciates
the accolades he gets from other musicians, though he admits he’s still often
surprised by it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“It feels great,” he says.
“I’m dumfounded by it. I’m not classically trained, and it just amazes me that
I’ve influenced so many musicians. Not only superstar musicians, but just
regular guys off the street. Every time I do a meet-and-greet and I meet fans,
or any guitar player, they always say they picked up the guitar because of the
‘Alive!’ album.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi268O4J1x9vIJRbSIOLmoOw4hh-LWEhqBxgWQ22fzkRpPkT70JaC1HQYu0yOFl1yaBN4wCof6LS69HEukGdOXabctmjdseLQJbdy7eIFWofK2maEcG1PpVCGb4tshfcOX4zPOm9JBN0go/s1600/Press+01+Color+Credit+Jay+Gilbert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi268O4J1x9vIJRbSIOLmoOw4hh-LWEhqBxgWQ22fzkRpPkT70JaC1HQYu0yOFl1yaBN4wCof6LS69HEukGdOXabctmjdseLQJbdy7eIFWofK2maEcG1PpVCGb4tshfcOX4zPOm9JBN0go/s320/Press+01+Color+Credit+Jay+Gilbert.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ace Frehley is a member of the<br />
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Frehley was the original lead guitarist in KISS and was a member of the band from 1973 to 1982. He then
rejoined the group from 1996-2002. Like most bands, KISS has had its share of inner turmoil and Frehley has had his ups and downs with his former bandmates. Regardless, he looks back
at both of his successful stints with “The Hottest Band In The World” with
fondness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“The ‘70s were the highlight
of my life,” says Frehley. “Being voted in a Gallup Poll as the No. 1 rock
group in the world. Going over to Australia and getting the key to the city from
the Lord Mayor in Sidney and playing stadiums. My childhood dream had come
true. And it all fell apart, partially because of drugs and alcohol. Peter
(Criss) left. And then I decided to leave. But when we put together the reunion
tour, it was so bizarre. I remember the first night, at Tiger Stadium, I really
got a sense of deja vu. Here I am, years later, in the same make-up playing
the same songs, and I’m scratching my head going, ‘Did I ever leave the band?’
What happened?’ ”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a4yemrI8sHWPXNFU-vcTkphi_lt1GgRV2g9D7Jd8-rVezlFdNTmzg8sbmvqIIPRegtLzf0QuqM3YTferogiaWi-DCzlxu-TOY3voafKQ1FgwxsB_17ir-Z2jZ0NClCPZx4aTLuK9aCU/s1600/ace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="655" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a4yemrI8sHWPXNFU-vcTkphi_lt1GgRV2g9D7Jd8-rVezlFdNTmzg8sbmvqIIPRegtLzf0QuqM3YTferogiaWi-DCzlxu-TOY3voafKQ1FgwxsB_17ir-Z2jZ0NClCPZx4aTLuK9aCU/s320/ace.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ace Frehley served as KISS' lead guitarist<br />
from 1973-1982 and 1996-2002.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">What did happen? After
splitting from KISS in 1982, Frehley, at last initially, had a busy solo
career. Throughout the latter half of the ‘80s, he released several solo albums
under his own name or with his band, Frehley’s Comet. But, from 1989’s “Trouble
Walking” until 2009’s “Anomaly” there was no new music other than his
appearance with KISS on 1998’s “Psycho Circus.” Since 2009, however, he has
released four new studio albums and a fifth, “Origins, Vol. 2,” will be released
later this year. Frehley says sobriety has been the key to productivity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“I was beside myself, when I
got sober 13 year ago, and somebody came up to me and said, ‘Ace, do you know
you haven’t done an album in 20 years?’ ” he says. “That’s what alcohol can do
to you. I was completely oblivious to the fact that I hadn’t done a record in
20 years. I said to myself, at that juncture in my life, ‘It’s time to make up
for lost time.’ And I think I have.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Indeed. “Origins Vol. 1,”
released in April of 2016, featured Frehley revisiting some KISS classics and
putting his spin on songs from artists such as Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix.
One track, a cover of Free’s “Fire and Water,” featured guest vocals from
former bandmate Paul Stanley. For “Origins, Vol. 2,” Frehley says he’s taken a
similar approach and that it will again feature a Zeppelin tune, “Good Times
Bad Times.” Other than a final mix, the album is ready to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“I’m really excited about
‘Origins, Vol. 2’ ” he says. “It’s surpassed my expectations. I got Lita Ford
singing ‘Jumping Jack Flash,’ and she’s amazing. She came to my home and I
coached her for two days with vocals and she just (expletive) killed it.
I also have Robin Zander singing ‘30 Days In The Hole’ by Humble Pie. I
really wanted to do the Humble Pie song, but I just couldn’t cut it, vocally,
because Marriott’s just too good of a god-damn singer. I just couldn’t do
justice to his vocals. But I remembered that I had bumped into Robin Zander
years ago at a meet-and-greet and he had mentioned to me that he’d like to sing
on one of my upcoming records, so I remembered that and gave him a call. And he
killed it as well. He sounds like a young Marriott.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Frehley’s current
relationship with KISS is, as it has often been, complicated. Less than a year
ago, it appeared things were better than they’d been in quite some time. In
2016, Stanley had appeared on “Origins, Vol. 1” and, in 2018, Simmons had
co-penned two songs and helped name the “Spaceman” album. Frehley also made
several appearances with Simmons as the KISS bassist/vocalist promoted his
“Vault” box set and Simmons and Frehley actually did a short tour of Australia
together with Frehley using Simmons’ band for his sets. Photos of the two,
having a good time together, spread throughout social media. Frehley also
appeared on last year’s annual KISS Kruise and even joined his former band on
stage, sans make-up, for a few songs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyqAM-z7-cmlizOsv4iEs3RqKxX7L_wG3g5R8XrKJBvumE306AbN0nkQzDdqxF2ARAJsQRE0_hxQqWNuyO_vX8Rlz9-3xHME9ipIEHp5RX_20_YNgMSCV0fioaT_M7pvP_1dJDnQAQ7A/s1600/MAIN+PHOTO+Credit+Jay+Gilbert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyqAM-z7-cmlizOsv4iEs3RqKxX7L_wG3g5R8XrKJBvumE306AbN0nkQzDdqxF2ARAJsQRE0_hxQqWNuyO_vX8Rlz9-3xHME9ipIEHp5RX_20_YNgMSCV0fioaT_M7pvP_1dJDnQAQ7A/s320/MAIN+PHOTO+Credit+Jay+Gilbert.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ace Frehley plays the F.M. Kirby Center on Saturday </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">In January, however, KISS
began its “End of The Road” final tour, and though the band let it be known
they were open to the idea of having some guest appearances from former
members, Frehley let it be known he’d prefer to be included on the entire tour.
That didn’t happen. Shortly before the start of the tour, Simmons, in an
interview with Guitar World magazine, rehashed some of Frehley’s past problems
with alcohol, which irked Frehley and his wife, Rachel. A retaliatory post on
Frehley’s Facebook page, blasting Simmons and accusing him of inappropriate behavior towards Rachel, went viral. And just like that, all of the good will that had
been forged between 2016-2018 appeared to be gone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Frehley is asked if, since
the January blowup, he’s had the chance to try and mend things with Simmons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“I have had no contact with
Gene, and Gene hasn’t commented on Rachel’s accusations,” says Frehley. “He
hasn’t said ‘Yay’ or ‘Nay’ or denied it, or apologized. It’s just very
unsettling and an unfortunate situation that that had to go down. I don’t know
the specifics, exactly, because I did not witness anything. In reality, talking
hypothetically, if Rachel decided to sue Gene … in the court of law, I
would have to have to say, if they put me on the stand, that I did not witness
anything. It’s a tough situation. And that’s all I really have to say about
it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Frehley says that he has had
some contact with Stanley, who had recently written, in his new book,
“Backstage Pass,” that he’s glad to have redeveloped a friendship with Frehley.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“I spoke with Paul last
week,” says Frehley. “I just touched base. He didn’t really want to talk
about the feud between me and Gene. I heard he’d said some nice things (in the
book), and I actually sent him a text thanking him for the kind words …. That’s
what prompted me to get a hold of him and thank him, and wish him luck on the
European tour that they’re on right now. I always try to keep the door open.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">KISS’ “End of The Road Tour”
has been a success, selling out arenas in the United States and stadiums in
Europe. Stanley recently stated that the band does have a date and venue for
the final show, but it has not yet been revealed. It is assumed it will be in
New York. Frehley says that, despite the unresolved issue with
Simmons, he’s still open to doing some shows with the band, though he
admits it would be awkward to stand on stage with current KISS guitarist Tommy
Thayer, who has capably held the gig for the past 15 years, dressed as the
Spaceman. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“I’m not about to just show
up at a KISS concert,” he says. “If the situation presented itself, and it was
offered to me in the right way, sure. Even if I didn’t want to do it, I’d do it
for my fans, because I know my fans want it …. But unless I was invited, and we
could figure something out, where Tommy goes backstage and I takeover for a few
songs - I don’t know. It’s a difficult question. And it’s an awkward question.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">What is not awkward for
Frehley is playing solo shows, which he’s been doing since 1985. Even during
the years when he didn’t record, he always toured. His shows are peppered with
his KISS classics such as “Shock Me” and “Rocket Ride,” as well as KISS songs
that he didn’t originally sing, such as “Detroit Rock City” and “Cold Gin.”
There are also tunes from Frehley’s Comet and more recent numbers and, of
course, some smoking guitars. (Literally.) He says his band, which was once
Simmons’ backing group for his solo shows, is phenomenal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“They all sing lead, so we
can do three and four part harmonies,” says Frehley. “It’s a much more cohesive
unit. I enjoy working with these guys. They’re all out of Nashville and they’re
really professional.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Frehley’s return to the F.M.
Kirby Center on Saturday will be the fourth time he’s played the venue. He
performed there twice with KISS in 1974, when it was known as The Paramount
Theater, and he was there, solo, in 2016. That day was memorable, as it was also
the day that “Origins, Vol. 1” was released nationwide. That afternoon, Frehley
did a record store appearance at the Wyoming Valley Mall, where he signed
hundreds of autographs. Later that night, on stage at The Kirby, just before
the encores, he began to feel ill onstage. He was taken to Wilkes-Barre’s
General Hospital where he would stay for several days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Frehley remembers it
well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“I started to get palpations
towards the end of the how, and I kind of had to sit on my amp a few times,” he
says. “I just didn’t feel right. I started to get dizzy, and I had to cut the
show short. I really didn’t know what was going on. I went to the emergency
room and found out I was severely dehydrated and suffering from exhaustion. It
was a little too much for me. It may not have happened if I didn’t do the
in-store. I forgot to drink fluids that day and usually, when I do a concert, I
just lay in bed and order room service and watch movies and save my energy for
the concert. It took maybe a little more out of me than I thought it had, and
it affected the show. They decided to keep me overnight for observation,
because they thought something might be wrong with my heart – because of the
palpations and fluttering – and they gave me an angiogram, and it came back 100%
negative. In fact the doctor, who was about 45, said ‘Jesus Christ, Ace, I wish
my angiogram was a good as yours. You have absolutely no blockage.' So I don’t
have to worry about getting a triple by-pass anytime soon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">“Everything was fine. They
took good care of me.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Expect some encores on Saturday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">---</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">This story also appeared as
the cover story of June 26, 2019 issue of The Weekender, the No. 1 arts and
entertainment newspaper in Northeastern Pennsylvania, The Weekender version can
be viewed here: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">https://www.theweekender.com/wk_cover/31826/frehley-ready-for-blastoff)</span></div>
<br />
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Who:</span></b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"> Ace Frehley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">When:</span></b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"> Saturday, June 29, at 8 p.m. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Where</span></b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">: F.M. Kirby Center for The Performing Arts, 71 Public
Square, Wilkes-Barre<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Tickets:</span></b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"> </span><a href="http://www.kirbycenter.org/"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">www.kirbycenter.org</span></a><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"> or </span><a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com/"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">www.ticketmaster.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Info:</span></b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"> (570) 826-1100<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br />AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-88149213921990088792019-04-01T10:48:00.001-07:002019-06-24T10:02:23.383-07:00<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 26.0pt;">Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 26.0pt;"> gets you closer than ever to KISS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWApFjtSITQv7L2PnkXHs1IKhaP6dMtISDZAIdg4B5cPaC0Cu3dNAhckAGHhQDUQChI4QOzfecPkUEKBO01GHCTHigREr5d9uek2MwH6VKyKX23MIyImDM8jbt7nNXRacQjCe2bqMkhqM/s1600/EI2A1271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWApFjtSITQv7L2PnkXHs1IKhaP6dMtISDZAIdg4B5cPaC0Cu3dNAhckAGHhQDUQChI4QOzfecPkUEKBO01GHCTHigREr5d9uek2MwH6VKyKX23MIyImDM8jbt7nNXRacQjCe2bqMkhqM/s640/EI2A1271.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Special VIP tour offers much more than a typical
meet-and-greet<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">MUSIC ON THE MENU<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Imagine that you are a KISS
fan and that you have been so for many years. You’ve got all of the band’s
albums and, within the KISS Army, you see yourself as a five-star general.
You’ve got at least 20 ticket stubs from their concerts, and though it might be
a bit hard to squeeze into it these days, you’ve still got your concert t-shirt
from your very first KISS show. You’ve also got a sizable collection of KISS
collectables, and you might even joke that when it comes to KISS trivia, you
know more about the band than even Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">But … have you ever actually
walked on the KISS stage? Stood right before their mic-stands? Have you ever
held Gene Simmons' bass or Paul Stanley’s guitar? Sat behind Eric Singer’s drum
kit? Peeked inside Tommy Thayer’s traveling guitar case? Held Gene’s torch,
into which he breathes fire? Tried on Paul’s platforms and Gene’s dragon boots?
Hung out with KISS in a relaxed setting before the show, where not only can
you get a professionally-taken photo of you with the band, but you can also
mingle with the group and take some fun selfies. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Probably not.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Well, OK … definitely not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">But, with the “Ultimate KISS
ARMY Experience,” that’s exactly what you can do. It is the most deluxe VIP
package that the band has ever offered to its fans and includes a type of
backstage access and on stage access that has never been available before. You
literally spend about three hours backstage and then watch the show from
a special area, directly in front of the stage, which is actually several feet
closer than the very front row. And when KISS recently brought its “End Of The
Road” tour to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, a handful of KISS
die-hards did just that.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxWgyAIFuiYqjpDO-l6WcsesI_L6_ZH_s1PUO-lKzQlncTxbvJ12y16_M7AMAKo_ciUV9-oAbqTCKlH7CEd7Y4rBmeuaNmqG9KhuWKQ7QOH4iEyHfVCi9W14rKOxZi8lDO3gIXfF7Q8g/s1600/ray-gene-bass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxWgyAIFuiYqjpDO-l6WcsesI_L6_ZH_s1PUO-lKzQlncTxbvJ12y16_M7AMAKo_ciUV9-oAbqTCKlH7CEd7Y4rBmeuaNmqG9KhuWKQ7QOH4iEyHfVCi9W14rKOxZi8lDO3gIXfF7Q8g/s320/ray-gene-bass.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KISS fan Raymond Scipione holds<br />
Gene Simmons' bass guitar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“It was awesome, “ says Jodey
Mutcher, 49, of Stroudsburg, PA. Mutchler, who has been a KISS fan since she
was nine years old, says that since this is indeed KISS’ final tour, she felt
it would be her last chance to get a closer look at “The Hottest Band in
the World.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I’m surprised we had such
access to the stage, and were able to touch their equipment,” she says.
“That’s a lot of trust that they have in their fans.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The “Ultimate KISS ARMY
Experience” tours are run by Epic Rights, a company that also handles KISS’
tour merchandise. Cost, per person, is $6,500.They are hosted by Keith Leroux,
an assistant to the band who also handles its social media. Leroux was chosen
to give the tours because he’s not only an employee of the band, but also a
die-hard fan of the group with encyclopedic knowledge of all-things-KISS. That,
combined with his cheerful demeanor and enthusiasm, makes him the perfect tour
guide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I enjoy just being here,”
says Leroux. “It’s amazing. I love to see fans share with the band what I
get to experience all the time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Leroux says even he’s
surprised at how much the tour offers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“When we put it together, it
was intentionally expensive, so that it was limited,” he says. “They wanted it
to be limited. They wanted it to be for the die-hards, but not where there are
50 people showing up. I really didn’t think the band would allow us to do
everything we did. There was a wish-list. And they approved everything. The
pit, from where people see the concert – no one has ever been allowed there
before. And for all kinds of reasons … insurance, the pyro … the pyro literally
had to be moved back, because a person who doesn’t work for KISS can’t be
within a certain number of feet of the pyro. And so by allowing the fans in the
pit, it changed the layout of the stage show. Even most crew members and band members
don’t go where we go on the tour. They don’t need to. Their job might be in just
one area, and if you don’t need to go on stage, you don’t have a pass to go on stage.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmN_Z0YuFlHkA5kXQv6HygsJI1c7V5mJmmTH78ope0p-7ZGNpObFENGaLb4pifIu1xvIhq2-t2jrcpVd4pzSGgOLr_oeBkIDGt23NTCnBUPFM7u1KVE3xKTsAagtnigmVBcVBxEejtOQg/s1600/dwayne-drums.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmN_Z0YuFlHkA5kXQv6HygsJI1c7V5mJmmTH78ope0p-7ZGNpObFENGaLb4pifIu1xvIhq2-t2jrcpVd4pzSGgOLr_oeBkIDGt23NTCnBUPFM7u1KVE3xKTsAagtnigmVBcVBxEejtOQg/s320/dwayne-drums.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dwayne Wimmer poses behind the KISS drumkit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“Fans are truly going into
places where nobody can go,” he adds. “And again, when we put the list together
for KISS, I thought for sure they were going to pair it down. But they approved
every single thing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">KISS’ “End of The Road” show is
the most mammoth of its career. It convoys from city to city with more trucks
and buses than ever before. The KISS crew alone consists of 75-80 people and about 100 local stage-hands are also brought in for each show. Even
with nearly 200 people working, it still takes 10 hours to assemble. Once fans
begin an “Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience” tour, they are escorted to the
soundboard area, where they get their first glimpse of the stage. Soon, they
are on the stage, where they are not only permitted to take any photos they’d
like with their own phones or cameras, but they are also professionally
photographed by Leroux or other members of the KISS staff, who later provide
those photos to the fans. While on the stage, you can stand behind the band’s
mic-stands and sit behind the drum kit. (It is there, behind the drums, when
looking out into an 18,000 seat arena, when you truly feel as though you are
sitting in the cockpit of KISS.) You also hold Simmons' torch and walk inside
Simmons' special off stage area where he stores his basses and “blood” for his
on-stage antics. Later, you can
hold and pose with one of Simmons' basses and Stanley’s guitars, and before
it’s time to go and try on their boots and hang out with the band, there’s also
a special lounge with a catered meal and open bar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprs0dK3laJB9ccSywdDqsa2BOMic1IORm56ja0ulImGt5-DuavYf8MuLGcH-zWCaD8hcwG3t1Xn2vRJlXXelDMgFBAm92Q62x5PeM1T4kXejjT4Qkd-EyhNTleu1SyXlO968ZX87tm1U/s1600/gene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1325" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprs0dK3laJB9ccSywdDqsa2BOMic1IORm56ja0ulImGt5-DuavYf8MuLGcH-zWCaD8hcwG3t1Xn2vRJlXXelDMgFBAm92Q62x5PeM1T4kXejjT4Qkd-EyhNTleu1SyXlO968ZX87tm1U/s320/gene.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fans have never had a closer look at KISS<br />
than they can now have with the Ultimate<br />
KISS Army Experience, where they can<br />
watch the show from directly in front of the stage. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">There's also a chance, at any given time while on the tour, that you might bump into Doc McGee, KISS' legendary manager, or that even one of the members of the band might join in for a while, sans makeup and costume.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">The “Ultimate KISS ARMY
Experience” is usually comprised of about 6-10 people in each city. And,
as you’d expect, they are serious, die-hard KISS fans and ones with the means to afford it. Regarding the cost, some might compare it to attending a major
sporting event. Each year, thousands of NFL fans from around the nation make a
pilgrimage to the Super Bowl. They might spend thousands of dollars just for
the tickets, plus airfare, hotel costs, food, souvenirs … it all adds up,
rather quickly, to about the same amount as the cost of the “Ultimate KISS ARMY
Experience.” But those NFL fans don’t get to walk around on the actual field
before the game, or hold the footballs that are going to be used in the game,
or hang out with their favorite players just before they take the field and have photos taken with them, or watch the game from right on the sidelines.
That, in essence, is what “Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience” offers to KISS fans.
And for them, KISS is their favorite team and “The End Of The Road Tour” is the Super Bowl. And in most
cases, extensive travel isn’t even necessary, as the tour is likely coming
right to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtD77MBi2nIRLZ7ircXniHC-w1-Ke-7zmSmlyqNdOF7TprN0qGHrfoiMNN-Pgx2D2BH8_d5OGL-NF4AVFzif12Lv3YnsUedBSAdi8i8gAZm4BE2NYjKXv_o8JzVU1LtYGkvPchGRqzOY/s1600/PAUL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtD77MBi2nIRLZ7ircXniHC-w1-Ke-7zmSmlyqNdOF7TprN0qGHrfoiMNN-Pgx2D2BH8_d5OGL-NF4AVFzif12Lv3YnsUedBSAdi8i8gAZm4BE2NYjKXv_o8JzVU1LtYGkvPchGRqzOY/s320/PAUL.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get up close and personal with<br />
Paul Stanley with the band's new<br />
Ultimate KISS Army Experience </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Ray Scipione, 48, of
Hammonton, N.J. has been a KISS fan since 1979. Once he heard about the
“Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience,” he signed right up. The main reason, he says,
was to be even closer than the front row.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I really wanted to be up
close,” says Scipione. “All of this other stuff is icing on the cake.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Scipione says that though
it’s a costly VIP tour, it’s also a once-in-a-lifetime event. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“It’s an expensive night, but
I live life on experiences,” he says. “You can only buy so many cars, or
jewelry or clothes. For me, it’s this. It’s waking up five years from now and
saying, ‘Man, remember that night I did all of that?” There are people that
just save, and they never live their life with any experiences. They just save
and save, but they never do anything. I’d rather do this, where I can look
back, and have pictures and videos, and I can relive the night.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Joe Lagana, 58, or
Orwigsburg, PA, has been a KISS fan since 1974 and saw them for the first time
in 1976. He’s now seen them more than 75 times and he also took the
“Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience” tour in Philadelphia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“It was simply awesome,” says
Langana. “To get to try on their boots - it’s just simply awesome. And it’s a
very comfortable pace. Nobody was rushed. Keith is great.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AznuPzk2zx688b4Nhv-u0dba_34kNbaNFXU6Nv2JqSuSdSoMJrC74wq2vBHAL5MIknemPITbTsQfYBA8j-2jQy9RB2CjCnXAfRsyREbLxbIRRIhjlI4Tvl9vqPLlL2dS3ATxB72iSlo/s1600/Joe-Boots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AznuPzk2zx688b4Nhv-u0dba_34kNbaNFXU6Nv2JqSuSdSoMJrC74wq2vBHAL5MIknemPITbTsQfYBA8j-2jQy9RB2CjCnXAfRsyREbLxbIRRIhjlI4Tvl9vqPLlL2dS3ATxB72iSlo/s320/Joe-Boots.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If the shoe fits, where it: Joe Lagana<br />
tries on Gene Simmons' dragon boots</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Lagana said that though he’s
done other VIP packages in the past, he opted to do the “Ultimate KISS ARMY
Experience” because of all of the newly added extras.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“It’s ‘The End of The Road,”
he says. “It’s the final tour. You probably won’t have the opportunity to do
this again.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Dwayne Wimmer, 54, of
Haverford, PA, has been a KISS fan since 1976 and has seen the band more than
30 times. He agrees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“What’s cool about it is that
it’s a small group and we got to take our time,” he says. “You’re on the stage
for 20 minutes, or a half an hour, you’re walking into the areas where they go to
off stage in between songs. You get to hold their guitars, put on their boots –
that’s crazy. And you get to talk with like-minded fans, about your experiences
and how you became a fan. You’re building relationships and making friends. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“It’s great.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">(The Ultimate KISS ARMY
Experience is available before every show on the band’s “End Of The Road” tour.
For more information, visit <a href="http://www.kissonlince.com/">www.kissonline.com</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;">Alan K. Stout has
covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly
radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River.
Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-40106104757545307052019-03-31T07:32:00.000-07:002019-05-10T07:47:37.422-07:00<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 36.0pt;">Thank you, Mom and Dad …</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 36.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-_NoqrKHrf4byP3WY8xEDSjtcXbr2OTeG15XF6kvNiTrKuGWtI9C93FgTpQI91FxYzVc5V1FbT_JErQsfcbV8nBxWUWjXb2P_3eCLXyRR8MQx0Ntk71PH8-FMi5wexj52q5qdUehyphenhyphenMY/s1600/stage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="868" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-_NoqrKHrf4byP3WY8xEDSjtcXbr2OTeG15XF6kvNiTrKuGWtI9C93FgTpQI91FxYzVc5V1FbT_JErQsfcbV8nBxWUWjXb2P_3eCLXyRR8MQx0Ntk71PH8-FMi5wexj52q5qdUehyphenhyphenMY/s640/stage.jpg" width="578" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 36pt;">… and thank you, KISS</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">A lot of amazing things
happened in Philly for my son and I on March 29. Some people did some very nice
things for me. And I know, based on what they told me, that they did them
because they came to know and respect my work and that, over the years, I have
dedicated a good portion of my life to supporting good music and celebrating
good music.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">I posted quite a few photos of our
KISS experience on social media, mostly of my son. But this one here is one of
my favorites of me. Standing on stage at the Wells Fargo Center. I’ve seen
everyone from Paul McCartney, to Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Billy Joel,
Madonna, Eric Clapton, U2 and countless others stand on stage there. It
is, looking out over the 18,000 seat arena, a surreal feeling. And somehow I
found myself there, standing before, ironically enough, Paul Stanley’s mic-stand.
It was seeing him on stage, in Philadelphia 35 years ago, that helped put me on
this wonderful musical journey. He is the greatest frontman I’ve ever seen, and
his band is the greatest live band I’ve ever seen, and somehow my son and I
found ourselves walking on their stage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Later in the evening, after
the show, when all was quiet, I was thinking about how much I loved music when
I was a teen, and how my parents supported that love. They’d drive me and my
friends to the “Midnight Movies,” to see films like “Tommy,” “Let It Be,” “The
Song Remains The Same” and “Quadrophenia.” Sometimes, at age 15 or 16, my Dad
would pick us up after the movie at 2 a.m. When we weren’t yet old old enough
to drive out of town for big shows, my folks would drive us. Drop us off at the
arena. Pick us up after the show. Everywhere from Philly to Allentown to NYC.
And, before I got my first high school part-time job and had my own money,
they’d always give me a few bucks to buy that album or music magazine that I
wanted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Sometimes, my parents had to
reel me in a bit. I remember once, around 11th grade, my Mom felt I was
spending too much time in my room with my records, with my headphones on,
rather than on my studies. She was a sweetheart, but when she was mad,
sometimes her Irish would slip out a bit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“Alan,” she said. “All you
care about is the goddamn Who.” That wasn’t true. All I cared about was KISS,
Bruce Springsteen, The Police, The Beatles, Van Halen and The Who. And really,
my grades were fine. And they kept letting me go to concerts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">(Mom, by the way, actually
loved The Who.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">This photo is for my late
Mom, and for my Dad. Thank you. Thank you, for when you noticed that I found
something I really loved, just letting me roll with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">And thank you, KISS.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">As we were walking from the
arena back to the car after the show, my 10 year-old son said to me, “I’m still
trying to process what just happened.” And then he asked me if we could go to
see KISS again in Hershey. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Thanks for that as well,
KISS. It might be “The End of The Road” for you. But for him, the musical
journey is just beginning. And that, after tonight, I know is because of you.
And because of the things that my Mom and Dad did for me, all those years ago. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<br />AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-71508291489700724992019-03-25T10:09:00.000-07:002023-12-01T03:26:08.535-08:00<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 26pt;">KISS' ‘End of The Road’
tour:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 26pt;">A victory for the music<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjUBYJLoQf7Mua0GwfaVUTDQkstUEbYiMVYXA-pHCzSyfLaUnYSWrX1q_pHVKws1dYrsmxImxkdGGz1aJavxpESiQUYSQiOFBUHSO9iCUTIhjGPpZfnYsiba4KAYb_mf3WVlww1FzdFk/s1600/K-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1198" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjUBYJLoQf7Mua0GwfaVUTDQkstUEbYiMVYXA-pHCzSyfLaUnYSWrX1q_pHVKws1dYrsmxImxkdGGz1aJavxpESiQUYSQiOFBUHSO9iCUTIhjGPpZfnYsiba4KAYb_mf3WVlww1FzdFk/s640/K-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 20pt;">Legendary band will make
its final stop in Philly on Friday</span></b></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">COMMENTARY</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">MUSIC ON THE MENU<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18pt;">March 25, 2019<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">One of the more interesting
little tidbits within the history of the rock band KISS is the fact that the
group landed its first record deal based solely on the merit of its music. It
was 1973, and the president of the new upstart label was so impressed with a
demo featuring some of the group’s songs that, though he hadn’t even seen
them play live, he decided, immediately, to sign the band. Yes, KISS was
already developing a high-energy live show and was beginning to experiment with
a glam-rock look, but it was, quite simply, its music that first vaulted the group
into the big leagues of rock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Of course, once KISS got
there, they pretty much single-handedly changed the way rock concerts were
done. They redefined the modern stage show. They were “the hottest band in the
world.” It was the greatest show on Earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">But underneath all of the
flash and the pyro and the extravagance were, at the core, good songs. And it
is those songs, just as much as anything, that has allowed KISS to carry on and
thrive for the past 45 years. And it is those songs - just as much as the
brilliant staging and showmanship - that will help fill up the Wells Fargo
Center with KISS fans on Friday night. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">I’ve been on board with KISS
for most of their 45-year ride, having been a fan since 1976. I can recall the
older brother of one of my friends jamming “Alive!” is his room and allowing us
to listen, and being captivated by what I heard. Not long after that, I saw
the band on television for the first time, and not long after that, my parents
let me pick out one of their albums from the record club. I chose “Rock and
Roll Over.” Next, I picked up their hard-rock masterpiece, “Destroyer,” and
eventually, I had all of the rest. Like millions of kids around the globe, I’d sit in my room, in front of my record player, just listening to the
songs. Sure, KISS had great mystique and cool album covers, and their faces
seemed to jump right off of the magazine covers, but what kept you coming back was
the music. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">By 1984, I was 16 and was old
enough to start going to rock concerts. And when KISS came to Philly on its
“Lick It Up” tour, I was there. And it was one of the most incredible things
I’d ever seen. It was a transitional time for KISS. They’d lost two original
members and had, after 10 years, decided to drop their trademark war paint. It
was time to let just the music and their own charisma do the talking. And how did that work out? All of the
band’s non-makeup era albums in the ‘80s went gold or platinum, the group were
staples on MTV, and all of their tours filled arenas. And the main reason for
that, again, was the music. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSvusZYhofPJo2BeXaNYF1I3OXk2aT9tIcxvtUwd7U2l8nK53n25ZAfkcfyzowJ2EEP74eVLU7OMl6SNhKM_u6xBf2vvXJK4qW_HcYzJjeoT4sF5j8ih9Dws4_j4-uYeiGrZ0xmo8n84/s1600/rose.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="460" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSvusZYhofPJo2BeXaNYF1I3OXk2aT9tIcxvtUwd7U2l8nK53n25ZAfkcfyzowJ2EEP74eVLU7OMl6SNhKM_u6xBf2vvXJK4qW_HcYzJjeoT4sF5j8ih9Dws4_j4-uYeiGrZ0xmo8n84/s200/rose.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My rose and Paul Stanley's rose</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">If you’ve read enough
interviews with KISS founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley over the years, you know that they
are both virtual walking encyclopedias on the history rock. They both came of
age in the ‘60s and were schooled on The Beatles and other acts from the
British Invasion, and that foundation has always guided their sound. And they
have, for the most part, always made extremely smart choices when it comes to
their music. They replaced original drummer Peter Criss, a terrific swing-style
player, with the late Eric Carr, who was cut more from the cloth of Led
Zeppelin and helped power the band into heavier waters. They replaced original
guitarist Ace Frehley, a Hendrix/Clapton-style player, with shredders such as
Vinnie Vincent and the late Mark St. John, and eventually, the more textured
Bruce Kulick. All brought the right touch to each KISS album they played on.
They were the right musicians for the band at the right time. Other members,
such as Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, who have cemented the KISS lineup for the
past 14 years, have done the same. KISS, thanks to the guidance of
Simmons and Stanley, has always been a tight band with gifted musicians.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">There’s a great quote that
was supposedly once quipped by Angus Young of AC/DC: “People say we’ve made 10
records, and that they all sound the same. That’s not true at all. We’ve made
11 records and they all sound the same.” Whether Young actually ever said it or
not doesn’t really matter. It’s funny. And for the most part, it’s true. It’s
what makes AC/DC what they are. I like them. But for me, what makes KISS
special is that, like all truly great rock bands, all of their records do not
sound the same. KISS has never been afraid to tweak their sound or try
something new. Sometimes it may have been for the sake of art, such as the
ambitious 1981 concept album “Music From The Elder,” or for the sake of more
commercial appeal, such as 1979’s “Dynasty” and 1987’s “Crazy Nights.” The end
result, however - as a full body of work - is quite remarkable. It’s why, in
Philly on Friday night, you’ll hear everything from the power and crunch of
“Deuce,” to the beauty of “Beth.” You’ll hear both the grungy “War Machine” and
the disco-influenced “I Was Made For Lovin’ You.” You’ll hear some blues
within “Cold Gin” and you’ll hear classic rock in “Detroit Rock City.” And
you’ll hear those big anthems, such as “Shout It Out Loud” and “Rock and Roll
All Nite.” You will hear KISS. You'll hear a band that worked with gospel singers on 1989's "Hot In The Shade" album, recorded a pop gem such as 1980's "Shandi," and yet also gave us the gloriously churning "God of Thunder." You will hear what just might be the most musically diverse hard-rock band of all-time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhw3Dw2roHM60Tu2L8c7MXejq0bdCRcORm0biFqQ_SHZJ8KAUlQQBCB1mt1STxWNTzbMIUSvkYup-BKzJ8VVLLb7JyT46BwRxc3eBKuL7usoA6KPye81jVeacGHMMvVKwX-j18EInhN0I/s1600/K-3.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="918" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhw3Dw2roHM60Tu2L8c7MXejq0bdCRcORm0biFqQ_SHZJ8KAUlQQBCB1mt1STxWNTzbMIUSvkYup-BKzJ8VVLLb7JyT46BwRxc3eBKuL7usoA6KPye81jVeacGHMMvVKwX-j18EInhN0I/s320/K-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Albums such as 1985's "Asylum" embrace the concept of individuality</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">For me, as a teenager, it was
KISS’ songs about individuality that resonated with me the most. Tracks such as
“King of The Mountain” “Get All You Can Take” and “I” had an incredibly
positive impact on my life. They helped shape a philosophy that, in some ways,
I still carry with me to this day: Believe in yourself. And if you want
something in life, go for it. Those songs are a big part of the reason I’ve got
this Paul Stanley-style rose tattoo on my arm. They are why this Friday’s show
in Philly will be my 35<sup>th</sup>. A few years ago, I took my young daughter
to see the band. This time, I am taking my 10 year-old son. KISS, for many, has
become a rite of passage. And now both of my kids will know why Dad's got the rose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">I’ve been lucky in that,
through my work in music journalism, I’ve had the chance to have had some
personal encounters with the members of KISS. I’ve interviewed them about a
dozen times for newspapers and once hosted a three-hour radio special on the
band. And even in more casual settings, I’ve been able to tell them some of the
thoughts that I’ve shared here today. I once told Simmons about my love for
some of those ‘80s records, and some of the songs that impacted me. His tone
was kind and almost fatherly, and he advised that the most important thing in
life is to enjoy yourself as much as you can, every day. I also once had a chance to show
Stanley my rose tattoo, and he placed his right next to mine for a photo. That
one was a keeper. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-2cb6x0DflcM79o3CdtY0MmcSR9fh3dM2JrpcZZJV41fyIiTnUb4r2316xoIoGYGkDGW9kEiuVZmuDkR3fD3A2lO70UydS2huUBfwNWgCynUNBjCl18SeycB2kCWe9a53SQGuKrAcG8/s1600/week-cover.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="960" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-2cb6x0DflcM79o3CdtY0MmcSR9fh3dM2JrpcZZJV41fyIiTnUb4r2316xoIoGYGkDGW9kEiuVZmuDkR3fD3A2lO70UydS2huUBfwNWgCynUNBjCl18SeycB2kCWe9a53SQGuKrAcG8/s320/week-cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weekender cover story</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">In following the KISS
“End of The Road” on social media, I’ve seen the photos of sold-out
shows, night after night, in arenas across America. And I do see the tour, as
Stanley has called it, as one last “victory lap.” It is a triumph, particularly
for Simmons and Stanley, who have always – always – done things their way. It
is a victory lap for the KISS Army, and for the rock band that has earned more
gold records than any other American group in history. It is a victory lap for
the band that, again, got its first record deal not because of makeup, bombs and pyro,
but because of its brash and fresh style of rock and roll.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">It is a victory for all-things KISS.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">It is a victory for the
music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: 16pt;">KISS’ “End Of The Road” tour
comes to Madison Square Garden in New York on March 27, the Wells Fargo Center
in Philadelphia on March 29, the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on March 30 and
Hersheypark Stadium on August 21. For ticket info, visit <a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com/">www.ticketmaster.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net)</span></i></div>
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AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-233887788373537152018-10-31T06:26:00.000-07:002019-03-25T10:23:35.811-07:00<br />
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<span style="font-size: 36.0pt;"><b>Memories of Mercury</b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWOISqTKz1WbV2ahXDV9EOqWSodHHIOjzqWrsKhJaaCPf7fEmVgoQ27r2bO5VlrWW7dzIrNwkh-mV0medyXowdbWKD9gNq5EiOPbLGEWjp7JRR7uLxkelC60xR9ZL82ECsD82x9yNEzw/s1600/queen-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="573" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWOISqTKz1WbV2ahXDV9EOqWSodHHIOjzqWrsKhJaaCPf7fEmVgoQ27r2bO5VlrWW7dzIrNwkh-mV0medyXowdbWKD9gNq5EiOPbLGEWjp7JRR7uLxkelC60xR9ZL82ECsD82x9yNEzw/s640/queen-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dakota, with Queen, on tour together in 1980</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Members of Dakota have fond recollections of touring
with the rock legend<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Special to The Times Leader<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“Bohemian Rhapsody,” a
full-length feature film depicting the life of the late Freddie Mercury, opens
in theaters across America on Friday. It is expected to take viewers inside the
complex life of the late Queen frontman, who died in 1991, at the age of 45, of
AIDS. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Bill Kelly and Jerry Hludzik,
both natives of Northeastern Pennsylvania, have fond recollections of Mercury.
Though they came from the opposite side of the Atlantic as the British singer, the three men shared one
thing in common: a true love for music. And when their respective bands crossed
paths for several months during the summer of 1980, friendships were formed and
lasting memories were made.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Queen, at the time, was
already a huge act in the United States and around the globe. In prior
years, songs such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “You’re My Best Friend,” “Somebody To
Love” and “We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions” had lifted the band up the
charts and into country’s largest arenas. But in 1980, with the release of “The
Game,” the group climbed to new heights. The album hit No. 1 on the Billboard
chart and became the band’s best-selling record. Two of its tracks, “Another One
Bites The Dust” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” each hit No. 1 on singles
chart. And Dakota - a band based out of Northeastern Pennsylvania which
featured Kelly and Hludzik - opened most of the shows on Queen’s American tour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“It’s an amazing story,” says
Kelly, a native of West Wyoming. “Michael Stahl, a good friend of our band, was
running front-of-house sound for Queen on their tour. They already had an
opening act, but they had only done two or three shows when Queen realized that
they were terrible. And so Freddie fired them. The question then came up, ‘What
are we going to do about an opening act?’ And Freddie said, ‘Well, we just
won’t have an opener. We’ll just do a longer set.’ Well … that lasted about two
shows. Freddie couldn’t do it. He had terrible trouble with nodes on his vocal
chords. He could not pull it off. After the second or third show, he came into
the dressing room and said, ‘I’m screwed. I need an opening act. What can I
do?’ And Michael jumped up and said, ‘I’ve got your band, buddy. I’ve got your
band.’ And on the strength of his word, we got put on that tour.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">For Kelly and Hludzik it was
a second brush with national recognition. In 1971, while with the band The
Buoys, they notched a Top-20 hit with the song “Timothy” and were major label
contenders throughout the decade. By 1980, they’d moved on to a new musical
project, Dakota. The group’s self-titled album was released on Columbia Records
and featured the single “If It Takes All Night.” Coincidentally, Kelly says
that on the same day that they found out they had landed the Queen tour, he and
Hludzik had a meeting in New York where the two had two lobbied their record
label for more tour support.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“We needed some financial
backing, and we were not getting it,” he says. “They refused. And as we were
leaving, we said, ‘You know, there’s a very good chance we can get the Queen
tour.’ And they laughed at us. I’m not kidding. They laughed at us. When we
left there, Jerry and I felt like two bumbling idiots. But when we called home,
there was a message from Michael: ‘Be in Baton Rouge tomorrow by 5 p.m. You
have three shows with Queen.” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyZ8VupqCOzZLeu0SevqYrJ5wRqTp2IWVm4FSoYWq6qkgaF2PUdVs7PdU5N7KxTVubwoU6AD1aKprKtfAUmo8raZmQzhWTqlTdp_8zfvw63L2HlYGS8cJvAFHx1r9t-FoaWON7B183Go/s1600/q-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyZ8VupqCOzZLeu0SevqYrJ5wRqTp2IWVm4FSoYWq6qkgaF2PUdVs7PdU5N7KxTVubwoU6AD1aKprKtfAUmo8raZmQzhWTqlTdp_8zfvw63L2HlYGS8cJvAFHx1r9t-FoaWON7B183Go/s320/q-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> 'Bohemian Rhapsody,’ a
new film depicting the life<br />
of Freddie Mercury, opens Friday </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 18pt;">Their reaction was euphoric.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“We were out of our minds,”
he says. “Jerry and I, if nothing else - when we were after something - were
like two pit bulls. And so when this came through, we were totally over-the-top
excited.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Kelly says that although the
band and its crew were actually just about to go hiatus and were readying for
vacation, they were able to round up the troops and make it to Louisiana by the
next day. Dakota’s three shows went well, and thus an offer was made for the
band to stay on the road with Queen. It would last for two months, from June
through August, and also included shows in Canada. It ended with three nights
at Madison Square Garden in New York.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“What a thrill to take a look
at the marquee, at the Garden, and see, ‘Queen with Dakota.’ “ says Kelly. “Are
you kidding me?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Kelly says that though he had
great respect for Queen at the time, his own musical tastes leaned more towards
bands such as The Eagles and Poco. He adds that while he had always appreciated
Mercury’s singing voice, and the tone guitarist Brian May got with his
instrument, he admits he didn’t even recognize May when the musician introduced
himself to Dakota backstage on the first night of the tour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“Of course, after the tour, I
became such a huge fan,” he says. “And not only of their talent, but just
the type of people they were. They were the most humble, professional group of
guys we ever worked with. There was no axe to grind. There was no BS involved.
Anything that they could do to make us do better, every night, they did.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Kelly says that while standing
off to the side of the stage, he watched Queen’s show every night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I watched every single
show,” he says. “I was so blown away by this little 5’8, 140-pound guy who
could take his shirt off, and get out there and prance around in front of
10,000 or 15,000 people and transform into this 6’4, 210-pound guy. I’m
watching this like, ‘How did this just happen?’ He was larger-than-life. And
one of the nicest, most professional musicians I’ve ever been around.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">One of Kelly’s favorite
memories of the tour was knowing - because of the way Dakota was treated - that
the respect was mutual. Queen genuinely liked Dakota. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“So many nights, I’d look to
the side of the stage, and they’d be standing there watching us,” he says.
“They were just so supportive all the time. Thumbs up all the time. They’d
say, ‘Great show, blokes. Great show. (Kelly inserts a British accent.) You’re
making us look good.’ Stuff like that … it was really awesome.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Hludzik, a native a Hazleton,
agrees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“Freddie enjoyed what we did,
and that was kind of neat,” he says. “That was once in a lifetime. He, at that
time, was the king. Looking back at it, there aren’t too many headlining acts
that take that time. He could have just brushed us off. It was special.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Kelly shares another story that
reveals Mercury’s humility.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“We got to Detroit, and
‘Another One Bites The Dust’ was just exploding on the radio,” he says. “One of
the TV stations in Detroit decided they were going to come in and do a feature
on the band, and a part of it was going to be filming Queen in rehearsal,
during sound check. And so of course what that did to us was completely
eliminate our sound check. We had none. Well … Freddie felt so bad that it
interfered with us getting a sound check that he had all of the guys carrying
our gear. So picture Brian May grabbing a couple of my guitar stands and a
guitar and putting them in place and Freddie carrying cymbal stands and putting
them in place. I’m watching this thinking. ‘This is Queen. And they’re helping
us get our gear together so we can do our job.’ It’s totally amazing. Where do
you ever hear of any headliner doing that? They were wonderful.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQFrCUP_C_mm5WjP0RugWFm9-LW_-ihPIfmowgSegGBTqBfSYEB2JPjbx0rzReW2yaP_hGlmsz9evgPxwPcQI8ZYXy9Y3QQaAOL1aHEl7CH9UykVQjvjdI_of9IsrjVpAEihG-dM3spU/s1600/q-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQFrCUP_C_mm5WjP0RugWFm9-LW_-ihPIfmowgSegGBTqBfSYEB2JPjbx0rzReW2yaP_hGlmsz9evgPxwPcQI8ZYXy9Y3QQaAOL1aHEl7CH9UykVQjvjdI_of9IsrjVpAEihG-dM3spU/s320/q-3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actor Rami Malek
portrays Freddie Mercury in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">One of the great traditions
in rock and roll comes from when two bands that are on tour together are
getting along well and enjoying each other’s company. Usually, that results in
some pranks and hijinks. And the Queen/Dakota tour was no exception.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“Usually when an opening act
spends time with a headliner, you can tell that you’re in good standing when
they start pulling practical jokes on you,’” says Kelly. “Well, Freddie
had a section of his stage that they called his ‘Tooth.’ It was an extension
that went out beyond the stage, and it’s where he would go out and prance
around. It was made of this really shiny, slick material. Freddie came up to me
one night and said, ‘If you want to go out and dance around on the extension,
feel free.’ I thought, ‘Are you kidding me? Absolutely.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“There was a song called
‘Restless’ on the ‘Dakota’ album, and it had a fiery-type of solo,” he adds.
“I’d run out, just as I was starting the solo, and hit my knees, and slide out
to the edge of the stage. Of course when you slide out to the edge of the
stage, 10,000 people go nuts. It’s kind of fun. So one night, we’re in
Greensboro, North Carolina, and I hit the deck, on Freddie’s stage extension,
and I’m sliding, and I’m sliding, and I’m sliding. I get to the very edge of
the stage and I’m about to go off, and I kick my legs out, and somehow end up
sitting on the edge of the stage, instead of going off into the crowd. I look
down, and there were three members of Queen’s crew getting ready to catch me.
What they had done was super-polished the surface, so that when I hit it, I
went flying.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Kelly laughs at the memory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">In addition to celebrating
his music, the “Bohemian Rhapsody” film - which was done in cooperation with
surviving members of Queen - is also expected to delve into Mercury’s
sexuality. Though it was more taboo nearly 40 years ago, and Kelly says it was
obvious that Mercury was gay, he adds that it wasn’t given much thought by
anyone on the tour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“It was what it was,” says
Kelly. “He had a couple of different guys, and when they’d come out, we knew
that was the local boyfriend or whatever. It was never an issue. It was no big
deal. I was so naïve. I was in a conversation with Brain one night, and the
whole thing about ‘queen’ being a gay reference hit me for the first time, and
he just got the biggest kick out of that. He laughed at me for being so naive.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Kelly says that at the time
of “The Game” tour, both May and Queen bassist John Deacon were married, while
drummer Roger Taylor was a “lover of fine women” and enjoyed meeting them at
shows. Still, there was one night, at Madison Square Garden, when Mercury’s
decadence crept into the backstage area. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“There were two tents set up
backstage,” says Kelly. “If you were heterosexual you went into one tent, and
if you were gay, you went into the other. The heterosexual tent had beautiful
women, who were topless, and were your waitresses. They’d come over and pour
you a beer or get you something to eat. And of course all they were wearing
were little black leather panties. And on the other side, in the other tent,
they had these good looking stud guys in great shape and they’re wearing these
little leather short pants. And that was for the gay crowd. That was the
only blatantly sexual thing I saw on the tour.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Hludzik also remembers that
night and being backstage, in the straight tent, with his father.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“He was happy,” he says with
a chuckle. “He enjoyed it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoKH7GH5U8ldisYh5hKY15KYYY8IqXoWBnV-IcCqYnGtncc2tLIzp0axqI9IVGWEy7jpCLftRF5kTOOIu5-d_SYVWtYs7O1oBvu5I5OjBb3Jy2r6SbM9Cmn6xgkw0JNO44ww32RHJUkw/s1600/FRED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoKH7GH5U8ldisYh5hKY15KYYY8IqXoWBnV-IcCqYnGtncc2tLIzp0axqI9IVGWEy7jpCLftRF5kTOOIu5-d_SYVWtYs7O1oBvu5I5OjBb3Jy2r6SbM9Cmn6xgkw0JNO44ww32RHJUkw/s320/FRED.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"He was larger than life, And one of the nicest, most professional<br />
musicians I've even been around." - Bill Kelly, on Freddie Mercury</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">By all accounts, Dakota
enjoyed every minute of its time with Queen. And Hludzik says that as recently
as just a few years ago, he and his wife were guests of May at a show in
Philadelphia where the group was performing with vocalist Adam Lambert.
Backstage, he even got to spend some time with his old travel mate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“He was super nice to us,”
says Hludzik. “He could not have been any more kind. He was such a
gentleman.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">That, too, is how Kelly will
always remember Mercury.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“The greatest compliment I
ever had as a singer came from Freddie Mercury,” he says. “We were in
Baltimore, and had just finished sound check, and as I was walking backstage I
noticed that Freddie had been listening and watching. And he came up to me and
said, ‘Man, how do you do that night after night after night?’ With all of the
Dakota stuff, I sing atmosphere-high, all the time. I said, ‘That’s how I’ve
had to sing to put food on the table for the past 10 years.’ It was tough,
because he was really struggling with the nodes on his throat, and he’d get
very down on himself that he couldn’t do more than two shows without taking two
days off. And so it was just a wonderful compliment that he gave me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“Freddie was such a
flamboyant personality,” he adds. “And humility doesn’t necessarily come to
mind when you think of him. But with my one-on-one interactions, I found him to
be humble and sincere.” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><b style="font-size: 18pt;">This story also appeared in The Times Leader.</b></span></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<i><span style="font-size: 16pt;">(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br />AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-66488685374828866892018-10-22T09:07:00.001-07:002018-10-22T12:51:32.953-07:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 28.0pt;">Frehley proves he’s still
the ‘Spaceman’</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 28.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq68v1LvGyxgC0VY9fgZKmSAQ9AXa2iDrqR3ruC6g7xLIf5odfcEM8UC8M864x1Must7BpkY3V-EUw5Q2com1I1LMjDY0wEDe8lvqKFgGh5S7f4ZCbOJ9dP0HjpNH7I8Zxb64zWD_Sq94/s1600/ace-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="992" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq68v1LvGyxgC0VY9fgZKmSAQ9AXa2iDrqR3ruC6g7xLIf5odfcEM8UC8M864x1Must7BpkY3V-EUw5Q2com1I1LMjDY0wEDe8lvqKFgGh5S7f4ZCbOJ9dP0HjpNH7I8Zxb64zWD_Sq94/s400/ace-cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 22.0pt;">Former KISS guitarist's playing shines on new album <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">MUSIC ON THE MENU<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Ace Frehley was an original
member of the rock band KISS and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He is also considered to be one of the most influential guitarists of all-time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Frehley had two stints with
KISS: 1973-1982 and 1996-2002. He was with the group in the ‘70s when a Gallup
Poll named KISS the most popular band in the world. And when he rejoined the
group in 1996, its “Alive/Worldwide” reunion tour became one of the most
successful tours of the decade. And though his relationship with KISS founding
members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley has been rocky at times, things have
apparently smoothed over in recent years. In 2016, Stanley made a guest
appearance on Frehley’s album, “Origins, Vol. 1,” and also shot a music video
with his former bandmate. In 2018, Frehley made several public appearances with
Simmons while the KISS bassist was promoting his “The Vault” box set and also
did a short tour of Australia with Simmons, with both Frehley’s and Simmons’
solo bands sharing the stage. And Simmons has two songwriting credits on
Frehley’s new album, “Spaceman.” Simmons, it has been reported, even
helped Frehley name the record.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">All of this has the KISS Army
speculating the Frehley might be readying for a third go-around with KISS next
year when the legendary band kicks off its “End of The Road” tour, which it
says will be its last. And, judging from his work on “Spaceman,” Frehley is
certainly up for the task.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Spaceman,” Frehley’s eighth
studio solo album, rocks. His guitar work is scorching and his vocals haven’t
lost a thing since the days of “Shock Me” and “Rocket Ride.” And though it
isn’t his best solo effort, it does feature several tracks that make for fine
entries into the Frehley catalog. The album opens with “Without You I’m
Nothing,” a churning, beefy number which he wrote with Simmons. And though
it’s nice to hear the two working together again, it doesn’t pack nearly as
much punch as the following track, “Rockin’ With The Boys,” which would have
served as a better album opener. Here, Frehley – who says the song was
actually first written in the ‘70s – sings about being on the road with the
band, away from his love. In that way, it’s reminiscent of the KISS classic
“Beth,” which is perhaps why it never saw the light of day years ago. Unlike
“Beth,” however, which featured piano and an orchestra, “Rockin’ with The Boys”
is a straight-up, meat-and-potatoes rock song and offers a stinging Frehley
solo and a booming sing-along-chorus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Your Wish Is My Command,” the
second Frehley/Simmons composition on the album, comes with the clichéd-style
lyrics that Simmons sometimes gets a bit too lost in, but it too comes with
the few torrid riffs from Frehley. And with “Bronx Boy,” Frehley’s guitars
again bleed with energy as he celebrates and pays homage to his young life on
the streets of New York City. The song, nearly 40 years later, seems like a
companion track to “Hard Times,” which appeared on KISS’ “Dynasty” album. It’s
Ace singing about Ace. And that’s pretty cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">With “Pursuit of Rock and
Roll,” Frehley sings of his love for the all-time greats, referencing Elvis
Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He
also, once again, completely tears it up on the guitar. And with “I Wanna
Go Back” he offers a heartfelt cover of the 1986 Eddie Money classic. The
biggest difference? More guitars, of course. And if that wasn’t enough, the
fret-board wizardry gets even mightier on the rip-roaring, riff-heavy, sci-fi
inspired “Mission To Mars,” which also serves as the most fun track on the
record. The album ends with “Quantum Flux,” a stirring instrumental done
in the vein of the “Fractured Mirror” style compositions that have concluded
several of Frehley’s previous solo efforts. It’s a bit more jammy and less
melodic than some of those tracks, but it’s a solid continuation of a Frehley
tradition that now goes back four decades.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Spaceman” isn’t Ace
Frehley’s best solo album. He will never likely top his first, which was
released in 1978 while he was still a member of KISS and, in the world of hard-rock music, has become an
iconic record. And 1989’s “Trouble Walkin’” also stands among his best.
But “Spaceman” is another good album from one rock’s most beloved musicians. Lyrically, he’s not a wordsmith. Bono and Springsteen have nothing to worry about. He is,
however, still a fabulous, charismatic lead guitarist who continues to come up with great riffs and great solos, can still sing with plenty of zest and, with
every record, can always be counted on for a couple of really good songs. That,
“Spaceman” reveals, is what Ace Frehley can still do today. That’s also what
made him so perfect for KISS. And that is why, hopefully, in 2019, he’ll join
them once again at “The End of The Road.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in
Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The
Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River. Reach him at
musiconthemenu@comcast.net)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br />AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-90777122826845902982018-09-23T05:37:00.018-07:002023-09-29T12:04:26.355-07:00<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 36pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 36pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">(press bio)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Alan K. Stout is a rock music
journalist based out of Northeastern Pennsylvania who has written extensively for the
Wilkes-Barre Times Leader and The Weekender, a popular arts and entertainment newspaper in Northeastern Pennsylvania.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">He was voted
Northeastern Pennsylvania's "Favorite Newspaper Columnist" in 1997,
1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008 and 2009. In 1998, he was awarded a "Keystone
Press Award for Excellence in Journalism" for his music coverage. In 2011,
he was presented with the "Best Special Event/Achievement Award" by
the United Way of The Wyoming Valley for his charitable work with the annual
"Concert For A Cause." In 2014, he was presented with the
"Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Steamtown Music Awards, which
are a part of the Electric City Music Conference.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O_BojZ4Pt13SAKTtY30rLc55NtZqpAUo5IG7UnzZJuzZQAZfdOoMvqBx72Ptz20DzgOhMwmWBOEHlFkAPl6mp6kSZJ4ddORSWvDsRcWnvmG89Usz9wwkr2OPmVviv0TTRK_0ItOyfuk/s1600/me.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="503" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O_BojZ4Pt13SAKTtY30rLc55NtZqpAUo5IG7UnzZJuzZQAZfdOoMvqBx72Ptz20DzgOhMwmWBOEHlFkAPl6mp6kSZJ4ddORSWvDsRcWnvmG89Usz9wwkr2OPmVviv0TTRK_0ItOyfuk/s320/me.JPG" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Music journalist and radio host Alan K. Stout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Stout began covering music
for The Times Leader in 1992 and his weekly column, "Music On The
Menu," appeared in The Times Leader from 1994-2005. In 2000, he was named
music editor at The Times Leader. In 2005, "Music On The Menu" moved
to The Weekender, where he served as editor until 2007 and where the column
appeared until 2011. His concert reviews are still published by The Times Leader, The Weekender and the Bold Gold
Media Group.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Stout's focus in the
Northeast Pennsylvania region has often been on the local music scene, which
has produced national recording artists such as The Badlees (1995) and Breaking
Benjamin (2002). He was among the first writers to profile these bands and continues
to write about local talent in the NEPA region. In 2004, Stout launched his
own weekly radio show, "Music On The Menu," on 102.3-FM, The
Mountain. In 2013, the program moved to 105 The River (104.9-FM), and as his
column did for nearly 18 years, it continues to showcase local talent. From
2004-2013, Stout hosted of the monthly "Weekender/Mountaingrown Original
Music Series," a live radio broadcast which allowed local musicians to
showcase their songs to a wide audience. In 2014, Stout began to host a new
original music series, "Music On The Menu Live," which is broadcast
live on 105 The River from Mohegan Sun Pocono. In 2017, Stout, in
cooperation with SSPTV and the Bold Gold Media Group, launched a monthly
television version of the "Music On The Menu" radio show which aired on Comcast and Service Electric Cable TV throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Stout is also known for his
concert coverage and reviews. He frequently reviewed shows at the Mohegan Sun
Arena in Wilkes-Barre, The F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre and the Montage
Mountain Amphitheater in Scranton. He also sometimes covers major concert tours
that visit Philadelphia and has reviewed shows by The Rolling Stones, Paul
McCartney, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Plant/Page, Sting, Eric Clapton, The
Who, Dave Matthews Band, KISS and Billy Joel. In addition to appearing in the
Wilkes-Barre newspapers, Stout's reviews have also appeared on the national
entertainment newspaper wires, in papers from coast-to-coast, and - if
favorable - on the websites of the artists he covers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Stout's interviews include
conversations with Billy Joel, Steven Tyler, David Bowie, Eddie Van Halen, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Jon Bon Jovi, Ray Charles, B.B. King and
Don Henley. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of these interviews
have also appeared on national newspaper wires and have appeared in various
newspapers across the United States. Many can now be found on YouTube.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">In 1997, Stout broke a news
story regarding the Lackawanna County Commissioners office and its decision to
possibly end its relationship with the Metropolitan Entertainment Group.
Metropolitan had promoted concerts at the Montage Mountain Amphitheater in
Scranton, had run the facility, and had brought some of the biggest names in
music to Northeastern Pennsylvania. The county, however, had concerns about the
facility, particularly what it deemed as Metropolitan’s poor management of
concert traffic. Stout’s news coverage of the situation led to a mass movement
by the public to save the concerts at Montage. Radio stations organized
petition drives, elected officials were lobbied, and eventually, a new
agreement/contract was made between Metropolitan and Lackawanna County,
with Metropolitan committing to make improvements, including, in 2000,
constructing a new and improved multi-million dollar amphitheater. Stout’s
ongoing coverage of the situation, which was deemed fair and balanced by both
parties - combined with his commentaries/editorials, concert reviews, album
reviews and coverage of the local band and club scene – resulted in his
receiving a Keystone Press Award for Excellence in Journalism for his music
coverage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">In 1999, Stout worked with
the band Mötley Crüe when the group released digitally re-mastered versions of
its entire CD catalog. Titled "Crucial Crue," the series featured all
new liner-notes for each album, written by Stout with the band. He is credited
on each album.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Also in 1999, Stout helped
found "Concert For Karen/Concert For A Cause," an annual charity
event held in Northeast Pennsylvania that united the region's entire musical and media community.
The annual event, held each April, featured dozens of local bands, plus full
sponsorship from the local print, television and radio media. A rock auction
featured autographed items from John Mellencamp, KISS, Mötley Crüe, Dave
Matthews, Elton John and Bob Weir. Since 2002, the event also included a
limited edition companion CD for which Stout often contributed a track. His
recordings for the "Concert For A Cause" albums included covers of
The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, John
Lennon, KISS, John Mellencamp, Elvis
Presley and U2. In 2008,
the "Concert For A Cause 6" CD spent five weeks at No. 1 on the NEPA
album chart. In 2009, "Concert For a Cause 7" also spent several
weeks at No. 1 and in 2011, "Concert For A Cause 9: The Final Show,"
also hit No. 1. In 2009, to note its 10th anniversary, the mayor of the City of
Wilkes-Barre declared April 22 "Concert For A Cause Day." As of 2011,
the concert and the CDs had raised more than $204,000 for regional charities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">In 2003, one of Stout's
original songs, "Summer Days," received critical acclaim from others
in the NEPA media and the Billboard Magazine Songwriting Panel. Featuring
members of The Badlees, as do all of his recordings, it received airplay on 14
radio stations, hit the Top-5 on the NEPA singles chart and also appeared on
the "Concert For A Cause II" album.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">In 2005, Stout organized
"We All Shine On: A Tribute to John Lennon." The sold-out show was
held on December 8 on the 25th anniversary of Lennon's death. It took place at
one of Wilkes-Barre's most popular music venues and featured an all-star lineup
of NEPA artists performing Lennon's songs from both his time with The Beatles
and his solo career. It was also broadcast live on the radio. Proceeds
benefited The John Lennon Scholarship Fund.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-no-proof: yes;">In 2020, during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic
lockdown, Stout hosted the “Music On The Menu Podcast Series,” for which he
conducted phone interviews with members of the Northeastern Pennsylvania music community. Working
musicians, live music venue managers, concert event organizers, record producers, record store owners and sound and lighting companies all weighed in on how they were
navigating their way through the first few months of the crisis. The interviews
were shared on YouTube and were later donated to the Luzerne County Historical
Society.</span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">
</span><p><span style="font-size: 16pt;">In Northeastern Pennsylvania, Stout often serves as emcee for live events. He has done so at The F.M. Kirby Center, Mohegan Sun Arena, Scranton Cultural Center, Montage Mountain Amphitheater, Harveys Lake Amphitheater, </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Briggs Farm Blues Festival, Wilkes-Barre's Public Square, Wilkes-Barre's River Common, The Woodlands, The River Street Jazz Cafe and </span><span style="font-size: 21.33px;">Mohegan</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> Sun Pocono.</span></p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Stout's stories have appeared
in the Boston Globe, San Jose Mercury News, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Daily
News, San Diego Tribune, Dallas Morning News and Miami Herald. He currently
serves as a music correspondent for The Weekender, The Times Leader and the Bold Gold Media Group. Through that
work, and through his weekly radio show and music blogs, he continues to provide insight into the musical climate of Northeastern Pennsylvania. In addition to his freelance work in music journalism and radio show, Stout serves as the Executive Director of the Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Luzerne County) and oversees the annual "Rockin' The River" summer concert series in Wilkes-Barre. In 2022, he served as executive producer, writer and narrator of "Agnes," a critically-acclaimed documentary film that featured music by The Badlees. In 2023, he was presented with a "Community Champion Award" from The Luzerne Foundation and a "Change-Maker Award" from the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce. </span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px;">He also serves on the steering committee of the Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This bio was first published by The Times Leader.) <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-22820181763330750072018-09-22T12:17:00.002-07:002018-09-22T19:55:47.344-07:00<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 28.0pt;">Paul McCartney’s ‘Egypt
Station’ is at No. 1</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMWdPv-aQw5B_0qWK5_br1BpO79oe-iukOm31PO0KETkfehMAAU8Pa4vdERqOpO8akwNXOAgJgoVR0UT_l924klMSLyiqRcU1Czo0_G19oMUvYmMQEIJeugq_hY1UdWg_rwVyhrwdjNE/s1600/paul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMWdPv-aQw5B_0qWK5_br1BpO79oe-iukOm31PO0KETkfehMAAU8Pa4vdERqOpO8akwNXOAgJgoVR0UT_l924klMSLyiqRcU1Czo0_G19oMUvYmMQEIJeugq_hY1UdWg_rwVyhrwdjNE/s640/paul.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">And that says, and means,
much more than just a spot on the charts <o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">REVIEW</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">MUSIC ON THE MENU<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">As I write this, Paul
McCartney has the No. 1 album in America. It’s certainly not new
territory for the former Beatle. The Fab Four had topped the charts a
record-holding 19 times. McCartney’s incredibly successful post-Beatles
project, Wings, also hit No. 1 on five occasions. And his solo albums had
previously grabbed the top spot twice. But until “Egypt Station” jetted
straight to No. 1 earlier this week, it had been 36 years since Sir Paul had
sat atop of the Billboard 200.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">That’s not to say that a few
of his records since 1982’s “Tug Of War” didn’t deserve it. I’m particularly
fond of 1989’s “Flowers In The Dirt.” Tracks such as “My Brave Face,” “We
Got Married,” “Put It There” and “This One” are on par with some of McCartney’s
best work. And “Off The Ground,” from 1993, is another really good
record. (Check out “Hope of Deliverance,” “Biker Like An Icon” and “Winedark
Open Sea.”) I also liked 2002’s “Driving Rain.” But, for whatever
reasons, “Egypt Station” seemed to have gotten a bigger pre-release buzz than
any other McCartney album in quite some time. His wonderful “Carpool Karaoke”
TV bit with James Corden became a viral sensation – and rightly so – and in the days
leading up to its release, it was fun to see Jimmy Fallon wilt into such a
total fan-boy when Sir Paul sat with him on the “Tonight Show.” Howard Stern
also gave us an insightful McCartney interview, and perhaps we should have
known - just by observing what seemed like a confident twinkle in the 76
year-old musician’s eyes - that he had something special up his sleeve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">It was, of course, “Egypt
Station.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">If McCartney felt he was
about to drop a really cool album, he was right. “Egypt Station” is ambitious.
It’s contemporary. It’s engaging. It’s thoughtful. And, quite often,
it's just plain fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">“I Don’t Know,” accented by
rich piano, kicks off the record in a refreshingly introspective manner and,
in some ways, is unlike anything we’ve heard from McCartney before.
Penned during an albeit brief time when McCartney says he was feeling down, it’s
interesting, and comforting, to know that even one of most successful men of
our time has had moments of self-doubt and a sense of failure. Such moments in
life, which are a part of life, spare no one. It’s a song we can all relate to.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Things shift gears quickly,
however, with the rousing “Come On To Me,” a flirty and sexy romping track
about that moment when you spot someone across the room and feel a magnetic
attraction, but you’re waiting for them to make the first move. Beefed up by a
classic rock riff, rhythmic and grooving drums, horns, piano, a clever breakout
section, and marvelous pop sensibilities (didn’t McCartney invent them?), “Come
On To Me” is an instant Macca classic and one that will hopefully have a
regular place in the set-list on his 2019 American tour. It will sound good in
stadiums.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">On “Happy With You” McCartney
sings of how his marriage has inspired him to ditch some of his former habits
- getting wasted and stoned - simply because, in his life with her,
he doesn’t need it. With her, he sings, there is no sadness and no anger. With her, the
world is beautiful and in perfect focus and, simply stated, there are “lots of
good things to do.” It’s a chirpy gem. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">With the pounding “Who
Cares,” McCartney offers an inspiring anti-bullying message which is dismissive
of those that come with hurtful words, and with “People Want Peace,” he
revisits a theme famously first visited by his late songwriting partner,
John Lennon. “Hand In Hand” comes with more romanticism and celebrates the
happiness of such unions and “Dominos” touches on the concept of how one simple
action or small gesture can trigger something that can become much bigger. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">What’s perhaps most
interesting about “Egypt Station” is its musicality and contemporariness. The production is crisp and booming. “Back In Brazil” sounds as if it could only have been recorded in 2018 and
the sizzling, recently released accompanying music video is as hot as anything
PG-rated that you’ll see this year. “Caesar Rock” is equally fresh, and with
“Despite Repeated Warnings” McCartney takes on the perceived ambivalence of
Donald Trump towards global warming. But it’s not your typical chanty-protest
song. It’s a melodic, seven-minute, cleverly arranged bulls-eye aimed straight
at the President of United States. Lennon would have loved it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Despite the diverse themes
found on “Egypt Station,” it’s the fun songs that serve as its highlights. And,
like “Come On To Me,” the track “Fuh You” is one of them. It’s comes
with an insanely melodic pre-chorus and an amusing chorus about, well, feeling
a special connection with someone and just wanting to … um … get right to
it. It’s breezy and catchy and it could inspire even the most reluctant
homebody to get out there and look for love (or, at least sex). There’s
something to be said for an artist that’s been around for as long as McCartney
truly surprising you with a song, and with “Fuh You,” he’s done just that. It’s
fabulous. And it’s easy to imagine a local cover band of 23 year-olds playing
this one at your favorite club.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Today, Paul McCartney’s
“Egypt Station” is the No. 1 album in America. And that’s a good thing. And not
just because it is worthy, but because of who he is and what that says. I’ve been saying this for
years now: we are lucky to be living in these times, with such artists. The
contemporaries of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven – and perhaps even those artists
themselves - might not have realized that we’d still be listening to their
music long after they were gone. But we do know, right now, that people will
still be listening to Paul McCartney long after he and the rest of us are gone.
And they’ll look back at his entire body of work, and they’ll study it, and
they’ll wonder how the music that came much later in his life was received at
the time. And, at 76 years old, they will see a No. 1 album.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">They will see that his
contemporaries got it. We knew what we had. And we embraced it and cherished
it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">I spent most of the ‘90s and
a good part of the following decade covering concerts. For 15 straight years,
it was a huge part of my life. And then, about 10 years ago, when my children
came along, I pulled back quite a bit. But eventually, I felt a little
pull to get back at it from time to time. And so, over the past few years, I
covered some shows by people like Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Sting, U2 and Rod Stewart. I’d seen
them all before, but I was becoming more aware of the
fact that those artists aren’t just the greatest of our time, but they will long be
considered the greatest of all-time. I
realized we’re all fortunate to be here, right now, enjoying this music, from
such artists, and that when an artist of that caliber continues to record or
perform, we need to be paying attention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Paul McCartney sits at the very top of that list, and today, in September
of 2018 – with a wonderful new album, he is right where he belongs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Right on top.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">We get it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">And that twinkle in his eye was well-deserved. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">(Alan K. Stout has seen
Paul McCartney live three times and has covered rock and pop music since 1992.
His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on
The River. Reach him at <a href="mailto:musiconthemenu@comcast.net">musiconthemenu@comcast.net</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br />AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-9198705450036697382018-01-24T08:58:00.002-08:002020-11-11T17:13:27.568-08:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 36.0pt;">King Edward, where are you? <o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 36.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">If Eddie Van Halen wants to record new music, he
should consider working outside the band <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">COMMENTARY<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Bold Gold Media Group<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">About two years ago, I went
to see Van Halen in concert. It was the sixth time I’d seen the band live. In
the ‘80s, I saw them with David Lee Roth. In the ‘90s, I saw them with both
Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone. And, two years ago, Diamond Dave was back. Sometimes,
I went to the show as a journalist, covering the event for newspapers. Sometimes, I was there as fan. (Well, OK ... working or not, I was always there as a fan.) I saw them at venues in New Jersey, at The
Meadowlands, and in Philadelphia, at The Spectrum. I saw them in New York, at Bethel Woods, near
Woodstock. And I saw them twice in my home region of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, at
Montage Mountain. I’ve also seen Hagar, solo, a few times, including a few
stops on the 2002 tour that he did with David
Lee Roth. I was also able to interview Hagar on one occasion, and on two
occasions, I interviewed the great Eddie Van Halen, who I affectionately call “King Edward.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">If you grew up in the ‘80s,
Eddie Van Halen was the king of rock guitarists. He literally changed the way,
for many, the instrument was played. (In high school, I wore a "VH" necklace, just like Eddie's.) And honestly, when I went to see Van Halen
in concert two years ago - (and wore that same necklace) - he was the main reason I went. I love the band, and
songs such as “Mean Street” and “Dreams” will always resonate with me. But the
last time I went to see them, I was simply in the mood to see Eddie Van Halen
play the guitar. It had been a while. And I wanted to see King Edward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Somehow, Van Halen recently
came up in conversation with a friend, and I was talking about what I’d like to
see the guitarist do next. Hagar has stated he’d be OK with doing one last tour
with the band, and even went as far as saying that, for the sake of the fans,
he’d also like Roth to be a part of it, too. And, he'd want original and longtime bassist
Michael Anthony there as well. That would be cool. But that probably won’t happen. Maybe
they’ll do another tour with just Roth on vocals and Eddie’s son, Wolfgang, on
bass. That would be OK, but as a fan, that doesn’t really excite me too much.
Another studio album with Roth? Not too exciting either. The last one, 2012’s
“A Different Kind of Truth,” was alright, though most of the tracks were
re-worked songs that had been demoed in the late 1970s/early 1980s. And what
that tells us is that there is no longer any creative spark between Roth and
the Van Halen brothers. The fact that it was the first new Van Halen studio
album in 13 years, and the fact that they haven’t done another one since, also
tells us that there is no prolific songwriting happening in the Van Halen camp.
And there hasn’t been in a very long time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">So, what is King Edward to
do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I’ll tell you what I’d like
to see him do. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I’d like to see him pull a Santana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Flashback to 1999. Legendary
guitarist Carlos Santana releases “Supernatural,” an ambitious collaborative
album that featured an all-star roster of other musicians, some of whom were
among the most popular young artists at the time. Dave Matthews appeared on the
album, and its biggest single, “Smooth,” featuring Rob Thomas, became one of the biggest singles of
all-time. It spent 12 weeks at No. 1 and won three Grammy Awards: Record of the
Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. The album hit
No. 1 in 10 countries, including 12
weeks at No. 1 in the United States. It went 15 times platinum and, in total,
won eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. During the summer of
1999, it seemed that you literally could not walk down the street without
hearing “Smooth.” The brainchild of
Clive Davis, “Supernatural” was a remarkable career move for Santana and
introduced his guitar work to an entire new generation of fans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Four years later, in 2002,
Santana released “Shaman” and again collaborated with young artists. It too hit
No. 1 on the Billboard chart and featured the hit single "The Game of
Love," with Michelle Branch. It, like “Smooth,” was simply a really great song featuring one of the most beloved guitarists of our time. And I - as a fan - would like to see Eddie Van Halen borrow a few pages from that playbook. He should release an album like
“Supernatural.” And if he did, I think it could be one of the most exciting things
he’s ever done, both for himself, creatively, and for his fans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">The possibilities of whom Van Halen might collaborate with on such a record are fun to even just
think about. Bruno Mars. Adam Levine. Adele. Pink. John Mayer. Blake Shelton. Lady
GaGa. Justin Timberlake. Taylor Swift. Beyoncé. Dave Grohl. Trust me, Eddie Van Halen could probably choose whoever he wanted to be on
such an album and they’d be lining up to do it. He is, after all, Eddie
(expletive) Van Halen. Don’t think he'd have his picking? Who did Michael Jackson call to play on
“Beat It” all of those years ago? That time, however, the song was pretty much already done. Eddie just dropped in the guitar solo. This would be different. For this
project, perhaps he could write with some of these artists, and hash out some
of the arrangements together. And he’d be playing the guitar for the entire
song, on every song. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I think the people at radio
would get excited about such music because a lot of the people running radio stations these days grew up
with Eddie Van Halen, and the idea of matching him up with some of today’s
biggest stars could make for some really interesting songs. Bring some great
songwriters onto the project. Find a great producer. And just let Eddie do his
thing. Maybe he’ll stumble upon a “Smooth.” Maybe, without feeling the need to "shred" on every song, ala the band Van Halen, he’d show us a different scope of
his playing. Maybe Eddie Van Halen would not only surprise us, but also himself.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">How exciting is that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Eddie Van Halen doesn’t have
to do anything. His place in rock history is secure. He is one of the greatest
and most influential guitarists of all-time. And his band has released some of
the best hard-rock music ever made. But if he’s looking to do something
different and something special, and if he’s looking for a challenge, he just
might want to think a little bit about Carlos Santana. I think it would be a
very interesting move for a guy that, from what I saw just two years ago, can
still play that red Fender better than anyone in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I think it would be a great
way to remind everyone that he is indeed King Edward.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHD-rrEgdHEhdz7T_ew4bE9976Rgu9-7IgFmA_AxdDJMQ4GtnO7nk3Gle8AKwhv_qSponWXcl0RwGB3pZlHgaCsz6s-dZFlDRcE-PzCd-_bxhvKLIWZOxs_zaqFuSFaWE5TYpnZZgA5OU/s1600/BOLD.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="74" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHD-rrEgdHEhdz7T_ew4bE9976Rgu9-7IgFmA_AxdDJMQ4GtnO7nk3Gle8AKwhv_qSponWXcl0RwGB3pZlHgaCsz6s-dZFlDRcE-PzCd-_bxhvKLIWZOxs_zaqFuSFaWE5TYpnZZgA5OU/s1600/BOLD.JPG" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in NEPA
since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu” airs Sunday nights from
9-10 p.m. on 105 The River in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. His commentaries on music
and concert reviews are published by the Bold Gold Media Group.)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-14677873211732482322017-09-02T09:26:00.004-07:002017-09-02T11:48:01.852-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: 28.0pt;">Sting transforms Bethel in
a field of gold<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: 28.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_x-6RmmYey87FIegYjmKoueJvHzc0EjtZvfn1kyDTUsbWi7-det0-JCkOn2elzfx5xtKR0RoeOt1UwJiOBdSWXd-DX4uSzfyR6mxB2yk9GhMr_yig0Z_r0QORfD0myZWdZqg5lAJfC5w/s1600/Kevin-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="913" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_x-6RmmYey87FIegYjmKoueJvHzc0EjtZvfn1kyDTUsbWi7-det0-JCkOn2elzfx5xtKR0RoeOt1UwJiOBdSWXd-DX4uSzfyR6mxB2yk9GhMr_yig0Z_r0QORfD0myZWdZqg5lAJfC5w/s640/Kevin-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: 24.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: 24.0pt;">Former chief of The Police offers
perfect set</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 24.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">REVIEW<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">BOLD GOLD MEDIA GROUP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">BETHEL, N.Y. – The fields
that surround the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts are the most historic fields
in the history of rock music. They are the fields where, in 1969, Woodstock
took place. Sting was only 17 years old at that time and was living on the
other side of the Atlantic, but when he performed at Bethel Woods on Friday –
and the sounds of his music echoed over those same fields - he, too, created
something special.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">They became, for the receptive crowd of 8,000, fields of gold.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The former leader of The Police
and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer offered a remarkable set at Friday night’s
show. So remarkable, in fact, that some of the gold records that line his walls
were not represented at all, and yet somehow, one would have hardly noticed. It
was an engaging mix of solo material and Police material. And it did not
disappoint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Sting opened the show with the
rocking “Synchronicity II” and followed with an extended version of
“If I Ever Lose My Faith In You,” which featured thumpy bass, a rhythmic jam
and perfect vocals. A funk-fueled performance of “Spirits in The Material
World” and a fun rendition of “Englishman In New York” followed. (The New York state crowd gave a loud cheer during the chorus, as if to warmly welcome its British
guest. Sting smiled.) Next came a fabulous performance of “Every Little Thing
She Does Is Magic.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1LTTZW1YGtOihxXlDzwv0X6NzCFDM9vw9yw6vlLchB7PSHKCmSdy6qwcDVXE2CpoI-KVNNho1ay9FqNdkXsH4MkExcmd5JC5uQqxlorKiOJD29Jhjh2YRsf0ykIFCL6KRw7I-qmuuBc/s1600/tony-use.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1LTTZW1YGtOihxXlDzwv0X6NzCFDM9vw9yw6vlLchB7PSHKCmSdy6qwcDVXE2CpoI-KVNNho1ay9FqNdkXsH4MkExcmd5JC5uQqxlorKiOJD29Jhjh2YRsf0ykIFCL6KRw7I-qmuuBc/s320/tony-use.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">“It’s great to be back in
Bethel,” said Sting, prior introducing his tight and polished band. The unit
featured his son, Joe Sumner, and members of the group The Last Bandoleros,
both of which also served as opening acts on the bill. The musicians helped
bring a fresh energy to songs such as “She’s Too Good For Me” and a perfect touch to “Not The Shape Of My Heart,” both from 1993. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In addition to retaining his
fine vocals, Sting also remains an accomplished bassist and simply watching his
fingers slide about the fret board is enjoyable. And, he has great wit. He introduced “Mad About You” as a song that was
inspired by the Bible, King David and Bathsheba. “He fell in love with a
married woman,” he said. “Problem was, she was married … It ended badly.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">“Petrol Head,” from Sting’s
latest album, “57th & 9</span><sup style="text-align: center;">th</sup><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">,” came with the same zing and swagger
of early Police, and “50,000,” also from 2016 album, served as a tribute to
fallen musicians such as Prince, David Bowie and Glenn Frey and offered a look
at mortality through the eyes of a rock star. “Desert Rose,” from 1999, offered
a glimpse at Sting’s interest in Middle-Eastern music and came with a tribal flare
and a gorgeous performance of “Fields A Gold,” perfectly accented by some
stirring instrumentation, served as one of the show’s highlights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Still, for every soft moment,
such as with “Fields of Gold,” Sting was also willing to celebrate his own
pop/new wave roots, particularly with a torrid and driving rendition of
“Message In A Bottle.” The guitars soared and the songwriter seemed delighted
at how a song that he had written 40 years ago was still able to energize the crowd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Thank you!,” he said with a
broad smile. “I love it when you sing. It makes me happy.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The reggae influence on Sting
also remains evident, and numbers such as The Police classic “Walking On The
Moon” served as a nod and wink to that influence. “So Lonely,” from 1978 - with its
burning guitars and pounding drums - sounded as fresh on Friday as it did when
it first appeared on the band’s debut album. And with the set’s closing number,
“Roxanne,” Sting showed that he can still hit the high notes and - by seamlessly
segueing into a few verses of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” – that he’s not afraid to
tweak the arrangements of even some of his signature songs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Encores included “Next To You,”
“I Can’t Stop Thinking About You” and “Every Breath You Take.” The show ended
with “Fragile,” which Sting dedicated to the people of Houston.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Sting, as a solo artist and
with The Police, has sold more than 100 million albums. That is indeed a lot of
gold records. On Friday night in Bethel, he offered a set that didn’t even
include any material from “Dream Of The Blue Turtles” (“If You Love Somebody
Set Them Free”) or “Zenyatta Mondatta” (“Don’t Stand So Close To Me.”) The only
way an any artist can do something like that is if they have so much quality material that it doesn’t
matter. Sting is such an artist. And he did not disappoint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Fields of gold, over Bethel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i>(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in NEPA since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu” airs Sunday nights from 9-10 p.m. on 105 The River in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. His commentaries on music and concert reviews are published by the Bold Gold Media Group.)</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-87258627269183937782017-08-16T16:54:00.000-07:002017-08-16T10:44:57.689-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b><span style="font-size: 48.0pt;">Elvis remains King</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">40 years after his death, his legacy reigns supreme <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">BOLD GOLD MEDIA GROUP<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">He’s been gone now for almost
as many years as he lived. Elvis Presley died 40 years ago today. He was only
42 years old. He spent about 20 of those years living a remarkable life in the
public eye. He was the biggest superstar the world has ever seen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Lots of things come to mind
when I think of Elvis. Some of my first memories of my life are of sitting with my
grandfather and listening to Elvis Presley records. By the time I was in the
first grade, I was already a fan. I recall watching his legendary “Aloha from
Hawaii” concert on television, which was the very first satellite concert of its
kind and was reportedly watched by more than a billion people around the world. At age 6, I was one of them. And I remember, just a few years later, on August 16,
1977, when my mom had to tell me that Elvis had died. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Seeing the public’s reaction
to Elvis’s death, though I was just a kid, is something I’ve never forgotten. To
this day, four decades later, I’ve never seen such shock and grief over the
death of a celebrity. I recall, on the night that he died, watching some of the extended news coverage on television and feeling a great sense of loss. And when I think back on that now, and about all of those
people who were at the time, 20 or 30 years older than me, and had literally
grown up with his music, I guess I can see why. He was their brightest star. He
was the one that gave them rock and roll. He was still making hit records and
touring the country. And suddenly, like the supernova that he was, he was gone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Thankfully, however, his
music was not. And since he has passed on, I’ve discovered so much more of it, and
today I’ve got about 90 of his songs on my iPod. At Sun Studio, he gave
us “That's All Right" and "Mystery Train." When he first signed
with RCA, he gave us "Heartbreak Hotel," "Don't Be Cruel"
and "Jailhouse Rock." Not long after that, </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">at the height of his career,
he got drafted and served in the United States Army. And as soon as he
got home, he gave us some his best work, including "His Latest Flame,"
“It’s Now Or Never” and "Are You Lonesome Tonight." He spent much of
the ‘60s as a movie star, but towards the end of the decade - when he got back
to making great music - he gave us "Kentucky Rain," “Suspicious
Minds” and "If I Can Dream.” His stunning rendition of "Bridge
Over Troubled Water" just might be his finest vocal performance, and even
just weeks before his death, he was still nailing challenging songs such as "My
Way" in concert.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Elvis's health, due to his
own vices, failed him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">His voice never did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Let’s remember that. And let’s remember, on this 40<sup>th</sup>
anniversary of his death, that Elvis Presley was a good man. Let’s remember the
man who, even after his burst of fame, still referred to people as
"ma'am" and "sir." Remember the man who, while serving in
the Army, asked for no special treatment and quickly befriended the men in his
unit. Remember the man who loved to share his wealth - a man who would buy
friends and even strangers automobiles, and, if you admired a piece of jewelry
he was wearing, would often take it off and give it to you. Remember the man
who was always quick to give credit to the unheralded black artists which
influenced his early sound and led to the true birth of rock and roll.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">John Lennon once said, “Before
Elvis, there was nothing.” It’s a funny
quote, because there was, of course, plenty of civilized societies long, long
before Elvis. But I get what Lennon was saying. Some of the things that I love
the most in this life – such as music – which resonates with me and speaks to me
like nothing else ever has, would not be the same without Elvis. All of those
years that I worked at a newspaper writing about bands and covering concerts
and interviewing rock stars would not have happened – and I am quite certain of this –
if it were not for Elvis. The radio station that I work at today would not exist if
it were not for Elvis. So many things that so many of us enjoy every single day would not exist if it were not for Elvis. And the truth is, if you enjoy rock and pop music in any way at all, you should thank him. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The words "changed the world' are grossly overused. They are used far too often when discussing people and events that surround pop culture. Very few things actually change the world. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Elvis Presley did. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">And by offering everything from rock to pop, country,
blues and gospel in his music, he showed that music, at its best, should have
no boundaries. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">When Elvis first walked into Sun Studio, they asked him who he sounded like.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">"I don't sound like nobody," was his answer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">He was right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I finally made it down to Graceland
a few years ago. I toured Elvis’s house and saw his stage outfits, his cars
and his airplane. And I placed a flower on his grave. Today, they are expecting
up to 100,000 people there. Just think about that for a moment. How many artists
today, doing a live concert, could draw that many people? It’s a very short
list. And yet today, that many people will gather simply to pay respect to a
man who has not sung a song in 40 years. And, by sharing some of my thoughts on him
here today, that’s what I’m trying to do as well. Show him some respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">He’s been gone now for almost as many years as he lived, and though </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Elvis Aaron Presley may have
left us 40 years ago today, so much of what he was will never
really die. He is with us now and forever in music. And he will always be our
one and only King.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>(Alan K. Stout has covered
rock and pop music in NEPA since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The
Menu” airs Sunday nights from 9-10 p.m. on 105 The River in
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. His commentaries on music and concert reviews are published by the Bold Gold Media
Group.)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-86507134215126182022017-07-22T09:45:00.002-07:002018-07-19T12:55:26.769-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 28pt;">Stewart wears it well at
Bethel Woods</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwiII-_Ify58YkvpVG5GBqNp6xRQo_bL15ewncoLnfEP2zTx1DriDRaePcHnbByFlz1lBb45DBIh9u3Vp4nOkay0DrBY74ON4Gp3CBDnTHMWe2mrfwKJJoiWZcdRK-eZ1w_x5pDjusjM/s1600/rod-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwiII-_Ify58YkvpVG5GBqNp6xRQo_bL15ewncoLnfEP2zTx1DriDRaePcHnbByFlz1lBb45DBIh9u3Vp4nOkay0DrBY74ON4Gp3CBDnTHMWe2mrfwKJJoiWZcdRK-eZ1w_x5pDjusjM/s640/rod-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Rock and Roll Hall of
Famer remains primed and polished </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">REVIEW<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">BOLD GOLD MEDIA GROUP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">BETHEL, N.Y. – If we
could all make a deal with the devil to look as good as Rod Stewart still does
at age 72, we’d probably consider it. The legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famer
still brings a youthful bravado to the concert stage. And when he brings his
timeless songs with him – an endless stream of big hits going back some 45
years – it makes for a wonderful concert experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Stewart was in fine form on
Friday night at the Bethel Woods Center for The Arts. His voice was strong, his
band was tight and his stage show was glitzy yet tasteful. Dressed in a gold
blazer, he opened the show with a zesty performance of “Infatuation” and
followed with “Some Guys Have All The Luck,” both from 1984.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">“Good evening my dear
friends,” he said, following the second number. “Welcome!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">He then added how much he
loved Friday nights, and that whatever those in the crowd of 12,500 had
to do to get to the show, such as arrange for a babysitter, it would be worth
their while. And he did not disappoint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">The show’s opening act, Cyndi
Lauper, joined him on stage for a fun performance of “This Old Heart of Mine”
and Stewart then ditched the blazer and led the band through a terrific
rendition of “Tonight’s The Night,” which had the entire crowd singing along.
The band, which featured three female backing singers and several
multi-instrumentalists, was another highlight of the show. Some songs offered
triple-percussion, some came with fiddles, some with saxophone, some even came
with harp. Whatever the case, the music shined. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“May you stay “Forever
Young,’ ” said Stewart when introducing the song, from 1988, which has
become one of his staples. He later dedicated “Rhythm of My Heart “
to those who have served in the armed forces. With wartime images gracing the
large video screens behind the stage, Stewart noted that he himself was a “war
baby,” and he thanked those that have served for giving him the opportunity to
live the life that he has lived. The video also included images of Steward
being knighted at Buckingham Palace – an honor he received for his
contributions to both music and charity.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">“Young Turks” kept the fun
flow of the show rolling, and though Stewart introduced “Can’t Stop Me Now” –
which he wrote about his late father – as a “ a song many of you might not
know,” it was a highlight of the set. Stewart, with his
English accent intact, also frequently peppered the show with his great wit.
When introducing a soaring, saxophone-fueled performance of “Downtown
Train,” he noted that songwriter Tom Waits has thanked him many times for
covering the song, and that his version helped Waits “put a new roof on his
house and build a new swimming pool.” He then noted, more seriously, that Waits
is a “great, great songwriter.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">With Stewart and the band
seated on stools near the front of the stage, the show then shifted gears,
offering a few acoustic-based numbers. These included “The First Cut Is The
Deepest,” "Ooh La La" - from his days with The Faces – “Reason
To Believe,” “You’re In My Heart” and “Have I Told You Lately,” which was
delivered with emotion and sentiment. Things then got rocking again with a
cover of CCR’s “Proud Mary,” which was performed by just the band, sans
Stewart, then “Maggie May” and “Stay With Me.” For the latter, Stewart –
as is his custom – kicked soccer balls into the audience. “Do Ya Think
I’m Sexy” followed, during which Steward donned a cowboy hat. (And yes –
judging from the reaction of the women in the audience - he looked good, or sexy, in it.)
The show ended with “Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Though Stewart has aged
gracefully and remains a vibrant performer, he also deserves credit for not
trying to defy his years. His wardrobe changes throughout the show were funky
yet impeccably Rod, and by allowing the members of his band moments to shine
throughout the show, and adding the acoustic section, he’s able to pace himself
remarkably well. Father time spares no one. We do not stay forever young. But
music - or at least some music - is indeed timeless, and such is the case with
the music of Rod Stewart. And though he’s not trying to fool anyone – he’s a
proud war baby – he showcases all of his years in show biz with style and
grace. Or ... to borrow from the title of another fine number performed on Friday
night ... he wears them well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAoqkLlqUNAsO2g6YAIqRsaHmUlOvizjXAEn1tWMFRLf12_7IB9PK6rOorVH1erQ6xOFv4jXGaNfwzY3Q1aRCv3BbfQJIS1BYNVkbnEAt4yWfQB73cA8hQZuZVhoWYvuOcH-gmezUEvo/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="161" data-original-width="695" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAoqkLlqUNAsO2g6YAIqRsaHmUlOvizjXAEn1tWMFRLf12_7IB9PK6rOorVH1erQ6xOFv4jXGaNfwzY3Q1aRCv3BbfQJIS1BYNVkbnEAt4yWfQB73cA8hQZuZVhoWYvuOcH-gmezUEvo/s320/Capture.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in NEPA
since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu” airs Sunday nights from
9-10 p.m. on 105 The River in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. His concert reviews are
published by the Bold Gold Media Group.)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-56958138351355077412017-02-03T13:11:00.000-08:002017-02-03T18:36:36.068-08:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 48.0pt;">“Elvis Lives” at The Kirby<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpzMBhjL-WH6sINDHCBPu6Jy74mKhJZYlyBQcnO_P8flnAK3zR6j7ZFgpjkSNAByjXB7f1GRa9oiE1ADBxE6rYuw-f9MZMcdxY-sfHEW977MXsRALwCXr_-ZFifKKh9xJKr_HfaLds4g/s1600/KING+USE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpzMBhjL-WH6sINDHCBPu6Jy74mKhJZYlyBQcnO_P8flnAK3zR6j7ZFgpjkSNAByjXB7f1GRa9oiE1ADBxE6rYuw-f9MZMcdxY-sfHEW977MXsRALwCXr_-ZFifKKh9xJKr_HfaLds4g/s640/KING+USE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: 24.0pt;">Tribute show magnificently
celebrates The King</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">MUSIC ON THE MENU<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">FEBRUARY 3, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">WILKES-BARRE –<b> </b>This
year marks the 40<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. It’s
hard to believe The King has been gone for nearly four decades, especially when
you consider what an incredible force he still remains within the confines of pop
culture. I realized a few years ago that it’s still hard, even after all of
these years, to go for more than just a few days without hearing his name. And
what’s even more remarkable, when you really think about it, is that although Elvis has
now been a household name for more than 60 years, he actually only
lived about 20 years of his life in the public eye. He came into people’s lives
on the radio, and on television, and on the big screen in a way that was both
revolutionary and unique, and then, in a flash, he was gone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But, as we all know, Elvis
lives. He lives on through his music and his films and through the groundbreaking
impact and influence that he had on rock and roll music. He lives on through
the more than half a million people that visit his former home, Graceland, every
year. And, thanks to “Elvis Lives: The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Event,” he
lives on in concert halls across America.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Elvis Lives: The Ultimate
Elvis Tribute Artist Event” visited the F.M. Kirby Center on Wednesday. And for
fans of The King, it was a highly-entertaining musical and visual experience. The
show featured Dean Z., Jay Dupuis and Bill Cherry, three of the best Elvis tribute
artists in the world. And if for some reason the term “Elvis tribute artist”
makes you think of an old pot-bellied guy with lamb-chop sideburns and wearing
a way-too-tight jumpsuit fumbling through “All Shook Up” at your local karaoke
bar, think again. These three men were each winners of The Ultimate Elvis Tribute
Artist Contest, an annual event held in Memphis that is officially sanctioned by
Elvis Presley Enterprises. Each singer performs with respect, charisma and a genuine
flair for representing The King at his very best.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The show was broken into several
segments and moved forward in the proper chronology of Elvis’s career. It began with a video montage of his early
years and his initial recording sessions at Sun Studio. Dean Z. then offered fabulous
renditions of “That’s All Right” and “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” Later, wearing a
shiny gold blazer, he tore through some of Presley’s early RCA hits, including “Heartbreak
Hotel,” “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Love Me Tender.” His voice was about as Presley-like
as Elvis himself, his dance moves were fabulous and even his laugh and smile
seemed to channel The King. His performance, like most of the show, was also
shown on a large video screen behind the stage, and even with such tight close-ups, it felt as if you were actually watching Elvis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Next came a section that paid
homage to Presley’s love for gospel music, with Jay Dupis offering passionate
performances of “Peace In The Valley” and “Crying in The Chapel.” He then led the
show through a section dedicated to Elvis’s film career. This included
performances of “Return To Sender” “Bossa Nova Baby” and a few duets from “Viva
Las Vegas” featuring the sultry Carol Maccri as Ann-Margaret.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Dean Z. then returned for an
epic tribute to Presley’s most famous performance: his 1968 television show which
is now known simply as the "’68 Comeback Special.” With the vocalist dressed in black leather and
with staging that offered an exact replica of the set used on the TV special, one once again felt as if you had been transported back in time to the very day
that Presley reclaimed the throne of rock. “Heartbreak Hotel” grooved and “Hound
Dog” rocked, while “Jailhouse Rock,” “One Night With You” and “Can’t Help
Falling In Love” also respectfully displayed some of Elvis’s best work. Dean Z.’s
uncanny resemblance to Presley and his gift of completely mastering his mannerism
only made it better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The show ended with a tribute
to Elvis’s performing career in Vegas, which he began to do regularly in 1969
and he continued until his death. It was also during those years, in 1973, when he
performed live via satellite from Hawaii before an estimated billion people. And it
was during those years that he also frequently toured across America. And make
no mistake: Presley’s glitzy jumpsuit era also featured some great songs. And they
were delivered flawlessly by Bill Cherry. These numbers included “Burning Love,”
“Kentucky Rain” and “Suspicious Minds.” During the closing number, “American
Trilogy,” Cherry, Dupis and Dean Z appeared on stage together for the first
time. Whether there was symbolic intention or not was unclear, but it did seem
fitting, as all three vocalists, through the course of the evening, perfectly represented
Elvis’s own American trilogy. (The three major eras of his career.)
And that in itself made the show special ...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Elvis’s own concerts usually only ran for about
an hour. And because he always had an affinity for new songs that he heard
on the radio or new songs that he had recorded, he never really gave a full
two-hour-plus show packed with his own great hits. “Elvis Lives: The Ultimate Elvis
Tribute Artist Event” did just that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I’ve seen all of Elvis’s
concert films, I’ve got about 90 of his songs on my iPod and I have visited
Graceland. I am a fan. But perhaps the best review of this show came from my 10
year-old daughter, who joined me at the event. I was the exact same age that she
is now when The King passed away, and at one point, while she marveled at Dean
Z. dazzling up the stage, she turned to me and said: “Wow. Elvis does live!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Yes he does, darlin’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Yes, he does.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday night from 9-10 p.m. on 105 The River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-3984192003114269702016-09-15T09:52:00.003-07:002018-07-19T19:05:01.152-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 20pt;">GEORGE WESLEY: LIFETIME </span><span style="font-size: 27px;">ACHIEVEMENT</span><span style="font-size: 20pt;"> AWARD<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 20pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXpIE7yfxmDZ8RaaCMAO69DJilRTV9H98g2aGUbbvKS7Ms9JEL4JjluL-h4d0shWY7OSgTW12LdmwYQsu96FFKUfyDGgoNhXS3nBfJuAZeqRNhhx1vOYOMTNbBYPYQNsyObwGTvDkMuo/s1600/14292372_10157461180055644_3398466506143107759_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXpIE7yfxmDZ8RaaCMAO69DJilRTV9H98g2aGUbbvKS7Ms9JEL4JjluL-h4d0shWY7OSgTW12LdmwYQsu96FFKUfyDGgoNhXS3nBfJuAZeqRNhhx1vOYOMTNbBYPYQNsyObwGTvDkMuo/s640/14292372_10157461180055644_3398466506143107759_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">2016 STEAMTOWN MUSIC AWARDS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Thank you for the opportunity
to be a part of the “Steamtown Music Awards” and, especially for asking me to
be one of the presenters of George Wesley’s “Lifetime Achievement Award.” I
think it’s important to note that though this award is being presented tonight
to George’s family, posthumously, the decision to present this award to George
was made several months ago, long before any of us knew that he wasn’t well. I
was fortunate enough to be one of those involved in those discussions, and we
were all excited about the idea of having George here tonight and presenting it
to him. Ironically, the very same week that George was informed that he would
be the recipient of this year’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” was the same week
that we all first learned that he was ill. But tonight, I suppose we can all
take some comfort in knowing that George was aware of it, and that he
appreciated it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We, or course, appreciated
him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We appreciated his gifts as a
musician and a songwriter. He could play the guitar as well as anyone and with
songs such as “Thank You” and “Strong,” he could truly inspire. He performed in
this region for more than 30 years, he recorded so many fine albums and, to us,
he was the true reggae master. He was the king. He sang from his heart and his
soul and there was an undeniable spirit to every single performance. It
was true. It was genuine. And it was incredibly passionate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">George was also innovative. He always had great bands, but as most working musicians know, for some gigs, you
don’t always need a full band. The club or venue might just want you to perform solo.
George was cool that. He was all about working and gigging. But George - even
when playing solo - wanted to sound big. He wanted to sound like his records
and like a band. And with his loops and his effects he was indeed an orchestra
all onto himself. He was amazing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I once introduced George
Wesley on stage as the “coolest human being I have ever met." I'm glad I said it when he was standing right next to me and that he knew how I felt. And it was
true. Whenever you were around him, you just felt better. It seemed he was
always happy. Always centered. Always relaxed. Much of that came from his
spirituality, which, like music, was a very important part of his life. He was
also always there to help others and probably played more benefit shows than any other musician in our home region. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">He loved Northeastern
Pennsylvania. And Northeastern Pennsylvania loved him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Like all of us, I wish to God
- or Jah - that George was here with us tonight, but I am grateful that I
had the chance to know him, to spend time with him, and I know I speak for all
of us when I say we are all grateful for the music that he left us. And
there could not possibly be a more worthy or deserving recipient of “The
Lifetime Achievement Award.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Rest easy, old friend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And Maximum respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Maximum respect. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> - Alan K. Stout</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> September 15, 2016</span></div>
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AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-55518335520839701882016-09-02T09:11:00.001-07:002016-09-02T09:28:33.945-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 36.0pt;">KISS legacy spans the generations <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">‘Hottest Band In The World’ dazzles Allentown<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">MUSIC ON THE MENU <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">September 2, 2016<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">ALLENTOWN - “How many of you
are at your first KISS concert?” asked Paul Stanley on Thursday night at the
Allentown Fairgrounds. The venue was jam-packed on what was a gorgeous September
night, with more than 7,000 fans in attendance. And considering it’s been 42 years since KISS released its first album, and
considering the group had played Allentown and nearby Philadelphia and Scranton
many times over the years, you might have expected Stanley’s question to have
been answered with mostly silence. But that was not the case. There was a loud
roar. And that, in 2016, is a huge part of the legacy of KISS. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">KISS concerts are now a rite
of passage with a fan base spanning several generations. And no one seems to be
more aware of that Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, as well as guitarist Tommy
Thayer and drummer Eric Singer. And thus the KISS spectacle – big, loud and
proud – remains intact. If someone first saw the band in 1976, 1986 or 1996,
they’d still be satisfied with Thursday night’s performance. And if it was
their first show, everything Dad may have told them about KISS was right there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The legacy continues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">KISS opened the set with a
driving performance of “Detroit Rock City” and followed with a pounding rendition of “Deuce.” Musically, the band was tight and crisp. And though the
staging initially appeared to be stripped down and more streamlined than past
tours, the 2016 show, billed as the “Freedom
To Rock Tour,” came with KISS’ largest video screen ever. Mammoth in size, it
provided crystal clear close-ups of the band throughout the show, as well as
some fitting conceptual videos that helped accent the mood of certain songs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Destroyer,” arguably KISS’ finest
studio album, which is noting its 40<sup>th</sup> anniversary this year, was properly
represented by performances of not only “Detroit Rock City,” but also “Shout It
Out Loud,” “Beth” and “Do You Love Me.” During the latter, video images spanning
the band’s entire career were shown, including clips from the group's 1983-1995
non-makeup years. It was a perfect touch. Simmons flew high above the rafters for a
performance “God of Thunder,” also from “Destroyer,” and the rarely played “Flaming
Youth” – another gem from the 1976 album – was a welcome surprise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“I Love It Loud,” one of Simmons’
best arena anthems, had the crowd chanting along and Stanley, during the number,
not only allowed a young female fan to come on stage, but also helped her
strum along on his guitar. Thayer later offered a rollicking rendition of 1977’s
“Shock Me” and 1998’s “Psycho Circus,” a song that sounds as if it were
written with the concert stage in mind, was another nice surprise to the set-list.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Other highlights included a
churning rendition of “War Machine,” a groove-laced performance of “Cold Gin” and
an extended, fun and jammy rendition of “Lick It Up.” Stanley, one of rock’s
all-time best frontman - and whose voice gained strength deeper into the show - also flew across the audience, performing “Love Gun” and “Black Diamond” from
an elevated platform near the soundboard. In the spirit of the “Freedom To Rock
Tour,” KISS also brought some local veterans to the stage, thanked them for
their service, led the crowd through the recital of the “Pledge Of Allegiance”
and made a $150,000 donation to the Wounded Warriors Project. The show ended with “Rock
and Roll All Nite,” Stanley smashing his guitar, and so much confetti it looked
like a September blizzard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Still, after all these years,
remarkably impressive? Absolutely. And equally remarkable is that for KISS, it’s
still just a day at the office.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The legacy continues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in
Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His music-related stories appear in The Electric City and his weekly
radio show airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on 105 The River. This was his 34<sup>th</sup>
KISS concert.) <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2996336516240875158.post-34206216833984379592016-08-29T14:38:00.001-07:002018-07-19T18:46:07.665-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 22.0pt;">Area musicians show ‘Maximum
Respect’ to George Wesley</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjdmEXewlaQzSqDGzXp2S7CawDKjDRuA_5ASHki22eKSLzQY6W-t9gBBImPe4mlu1iJNBessMDXcd2UNd5F_1SllaEdpIVnZuWbWLNbff28o3N37HREDFSoYRumFI00TNHVS8h-an0PM/s1600/13895175_1057413137668081_4272188297546116305_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjdmEXewlaQzSqDGzXp2S7CawDKjDRuA_5ASHki22eKSLzQY6W-t9gBBImPe4mlu1iJNBessMDXcd2UNd5F_1SllaEdpIVnZuWbWLNbff28o3N37HREDFSoYRumFI00TNHVS8h-an0PM/s640/13895175_1057413137668081_4272188297546116305_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Tribute show for late
musician set for Friday at River Street Jazz Cafe <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">By ALAN K. STOUT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">FOR THE ELECTRIC CITY<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">September 1, 2016 </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">George Wesley died on July
19. He was only 62. It was only a few weeks prior when most people learned that
the local music icon was battling cancer, and a benefit show was already being
planned for September at the River Street Jazz Café. The hope of those
planning the event was that Wesley – who had always been there to help others
at such benefits - would be feeling better by then and would be able to attend.
But it was not to be. And many of Wesley’s fellow local musicians, and many of
his fans, were devastated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It was soon decided, however,
that the show would go on. And “Maximum Respect: A Tribute To George Wesley”
will take place at the River Street Jazz Café on September 2. All monies raised
will be donated to Wesley’s family to help offset medical costs incurred during
his illness. And, equally important, the event will serve as a celebration of
the life and the music of one of NEPA’s most beloved and respected musicians.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom Flannery, who was a close
friend of Wesley’s and who will perform at the tribute, says the reggae master
was simply an irreplaceable figure within local music community. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“He’s our man in black,” says
Flannery. “You know what the world says about Johnny Cash? Well, NEPA can say
the same things about George. If we had a musical Mount Rushmore in the valley,
his might be the only face on it. And the face would be 60 feet long, and the
beard would hang down until it dipped into the Susquehanna.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In addition to his talent,
Flannery says it was Wesley’s warm and caring personality for which he’ll
always be remembered best. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“People didn’t just say, ‘I
knew George.’ They’d say, ‘George was a friend of mine.’ That’s two totally
different things when you think about it,” says Flannery. “He died an
exceedingly rich man.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The name of Friday’s tribute,
“Maximum Respect,” comes from a phrase Wesley often used. When he said it to
someone, it was a gesture of thanks, or as a kind compliment. Flannery
says every musician in NEPA respected Wesley.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Last year we started writing
some songs together,” he says. “We planned on making a record. I had all these
lyrics and he came over one night and, one at a time, he’d read them. And a
melody would fall out of him. Not in an hour. Or a few minutes. Immediately. It
was instantaneous. Music was as natural to George as exhaling. We were friends
for over 20 years and I never stopped being in awe of him.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">John Shemo, who will perform
at the benefit with Mother Nature’s Sons, agrees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“George brought reggae music
to this area,” says Shemo. “He was also a pioneer, locally, with looping music.
George sounded like an orchestra every time he played - looping guitars, bass,
drums, horns, marimba, steel drum, etc. He was truly the ‘Small Axe Orchestra.’
And every time he stepped on the stage, he was the ultimate professional. He
was also a good soul and a very kind person who truly cared about his friends,
family and most of all, his audience. He always gave his best performance and
wanted people to enjoy his music and leave their troubles behind. He was
inspirational and motivational.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">One of Shemo’s favorite
memories of Wesley is quite poignant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“I’ve played many shows on
stage with George, but I’ll never forget when he asked me to join him, with
acoustic guitars, to play for patients in the hospital,” he says. “He
brought smiles to many faces with songs like ‘You Are My Sunshine’ and ‘Three
Little Birds,’ spreading encouragement and hope. While he loved to rock out on
stage, he was also kind and compassionate.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Other Wesley stories are
simply funny, such as this one from bassist Terry Cummings of Strawberry Jam,
who will also perform at Friday’s tribute.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggMAkTs2BMjY_YA_3sZ0isRaATbblj26t4wUzBlabNptb7E1vQBs0GJC0hJ1M4Jdjg8Ae6jGnu4-tg5Gz1y77YbXARhvQ1rz8d9v5RaDXvNNPVix6zUa2_Sas3ue7QcGSPJbMnRiYgqI/s1600/insert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggMAkTs2BMjY_YA_3sZ0isRaATbblj26t4wUzBlabNptb7E1vQBs0GJC0hJ1M4Jdjg8Ae6jGnu4-tg5Gz1y77YbXARhvQ1rz8d9v5RaDXvNNPVix6zUa2_Sas3ue7QcGSPJbMnRiYgqI/s320/insert.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">“I was out on the road for
about a six-month stint with George,” says Cummings. “George had generously
offered the gig, so I was very grateful and respected the fact that he was the
boss. He was totally cool, but it was his band, so I would have played or done
whatever he wanted. We were playing a gig in upstate New York - a big outdoor
festival with a great crowd. I was playing bass through two 18" cabinets
stacked on top of each other, powered by a big PA amp. Volume knobs only. It
was so beefy and loud that it vibrated my clothes. I started thinking that
George was going to turn around and tell me to turn it down. Just then, George
looked at me, looked back at my amp, looked at me again, looked back at my amp
again, and yells, ‘Turn it up!’ I yelled back, ‘I love you man!'</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“I can't believe he's gone,”
adds Cummings. “I'll always love and miss him. He should have been world
famous.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Christopher Condell, who
served as Wesley’s drummer for nearly 12 years, says Wesley had a way of
bringing people together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“His legacy is unity,” says
Condell. “He always respected all musicians. Rock, metal, blues, country, pop,
polka, and of course, reggae. We've had all types of musicians sit in with us.
He did not discriminate who you were or what type of music you played. It was
all music to him. No genres, no boundaries - just music.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Bret Alexander, formerly of
The Badlees and currently a member of Gentleman East, also sees Wesley as
someone that could play any type of music and still inspire people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“I was playing at an open-jam
at a place on Lake Sheridan,” says Alexander, who will also perform on Friday.
“Tiny place. Way out of the way. In walks George. I wouldn't have expected to
see him there. He comes up on stage and grabs an acoustic guitar. I'm
thinking, ‘OK, we are going to do some reggae.’ But no. He breaks into a
true-to-form rendition of ‘This Land Is Your Land.’ A pure folk version.
We all laid into it and the place went nuts. So you have bikers, hippies and
hillbillies all singing along to a Woody Guthrie song with a guy with the
inflections of Peter Tosh. It was one of the most ‘American’ moments I have
ever experienced. If I was from another country and I witnessed that
performance, I would have moved here immediately.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFRbEzGFS4yBzv1no14CJoP3pR5cAnf2PXxC9GthZkgqeB4XUhxKuXxDMrOOnQiFaTxtr9aJMbe8csC8uNMrT4DqGB1UQpSioFxUGPBMhJ1TegHu4Ti7H18u3MLfS4zLbPGyYJZSxL9Y/s1600/GW-cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFRbEzGFS4yBzv1no14CJoP3pR5cAnf2PXxC9GthZkgqeB4XUhxKuXxDMrOOnQiFaTxtr9aJMbe8csC8uNMrT4DqGB1UQpSioFxUGPBMhJ1TegHu4Ti7H18u3MLfS4zLbPGyYJZSxL9Y/s320/GW-cover.JPG" width="319" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Bryan Tomzak of the band
Lonesome Road also remembers Wesley as someone always willing to help others,
noting that Wesley had performed at several benefit shows which he had
organized. “He was giving, both personally and professionally,” says Tomczak.
“And he wasn't just a reggae player. He was talented all around.” Tom
Borthwick, the owner of SI Studios in Old Forge, says, “George’s legacy was his
creative vibe. Music flowed from him like a river. He enjoyed life and had a
very warm soul.” Blues artist Phyllis Hopkins, who was a close friend of
Wesley’s and had recorded with him, also marveled at his creativity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“His greatest musical legacy
is his incredible songwriting and musicianship,” says Hopkins. “And that comes
through on the CDs that he left for us. I remember George as a kind,
warm-hearted person who always wanted to make other people feel good. He had a
great sense of humor, too. Every time I saw him, I was inspired.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Perhaps no one is feeling the
loss of Wesley’s passing more than his son, James, who had drummed with his
father and who will also perform at Friday’s tribute. He says his family has
been overwhelmed by how many people have reached out to them since his father
first became ill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“I thought that I was
prepared for the love and support after his death, but the response was far
greater than I had anticipated,” he says. “I got calls, texts and e-mails from
all over the country. In fact, they're still coming in. The heartbreak that I
feel after his loss is somewhat softened by the beautiful stories I hear from
countless colleagues and fans. NEPA really pulled through for him and my family
and I couldn't be more grateful. Please know that the people of NEPA helped
make his last days much easier and his last thoughts were about trying to get
back on stage to show his appreciation the only way he could - with his music.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">What:</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> Maximum Respect: A Tribute to George
Wesley<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">When:</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> Friday, September 2<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Where:</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> River Street Jazz Café, 667 N. River
Street, Plains Township<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Music:</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Performing:</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> Don Shappelle, Bret Alexander &
Eddie Appnel, Strawberry Jam, Lonesome Road, Stingray Blues Band, Bobby Clark,
Tom Flannery & The Shillelaghs, Mike MiZ, Phyllis Hopkins Electric Trio,
Mother Nature’s Sons.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Raffle items:</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> SI Studio, Saturation Acres Recording
Studio, Photography from Jim Gavenus, Photography from Brittany Boote, The
Pennsylvania Blues Festival, The Pennsylvania Music Festival, Gallery of Sound,
Wayne's World, The Woodlands, Oyster, Bartolai Winery and more.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Donation:</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> $10 <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Info:</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> (570) 822-2992<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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AKShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04424124664076728290noreply@blogger.com0