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MatchBox 20 Review
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Sebastian Bach & Friends
Sebastian Bach & Friends
SEBASTIAN BACH & FRIENDS - Reds, Edmonton, AB - Written by Lori Munro Former Skid Row front-man Sebasitan Bach along with a band made up of friends Larry (on bass), Bam Bam (on drums), and Richie Scarlett (on guitar), (guitarist Jimmy Flemion was absent as his mother passed away during "Youth Gone Wild" when they played Winnipeg") rocked Red's on May 26th. The perfect phrase to describe the show is De Je Vu. I walked into the crowded 2 level playhouse to see that some things never change. I couldn't believe all the familiar faces, people I used to see at all the shows in the 80's early 90's. Skid Row always was one of my favorite bands and so I took to the front of the stage during the opening act "Stone Potion" to secure my place in line. Stone Potion opened the night with a set mixed with originals and covers (to be honest, sometimes I wasn't sure which was which), and the lead singer had a great voice and seemed to be enjoying himself, but his convulsions began to worry me (was he in need of medical attention??). FINALLY! The lights went down, the crowd went wild and the energy was intense to the extreme as the band broke into "Slave To The Grind"! Sebastian took to the stage with a roar. He sounded as raunchy and awesome as ever, and their image was proof that glam is coming back (not the 80's glam that I loved so, but more so the David Bowie glam of the 70s) with a vengence. Sebastian was decked out in a silver sequined suit, but soon the shirt came off and the pants changed to black stretchy pants that laced up the sides. The band played mainly Skid Row tunes, including "Monkey Business", "Youth Gone Wild", "I Remember You" and "In a Darkened Room" (in which Sebastian filled in on guitar due to Jimmy's absenteeism.) They only played one of Sebastian's new songs "Blasphemer" ; it was so heavy Bas admitted there was no way it would ever get on the radio. The crowd's response assured him it didn't matter. The vibe was awesome! It felt like being back in ‘92 watching Skid Row rock the house (at the arena). The crowd was going wild - people were stage diving (and squishing me up against the stage, I might add, but that's okay I was askin' for it). Sebastian proved he was still the ultimate front man and kept mentioning his Canadian heritage as he thanked the crowd. The band hung out after the show and signed autographs. This was my 4th time meeting Sebastian, and he was as sweet as ever. He signed a picture of me & him from ‘92 and grabbed my camera, which he passed it to his security guard insiting we take a pic for ‘98., (as we posed for the pictre) he gave me a big hug!
- Click on the picture to see more from the show!!!
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SEBASTIAN BACH & FRIENDS- Studabakers, Burnaby, BC - by Lori Munro I flew to Vancouver to visit my friends (I've lived there before - most of last year and also in 94- 95). My friend Mischa wanted to go see Sebastian, so we spent the $25 a piece (I had paid $8 in Edmonton) and headed out to our old stomping grounds - Studabakers - to catch the second night the band played there (they also did a show there night before). The "Loving Dead" opened the show, but unfortunately we came a bit too late and missed them. Studabakers wasn't as crowded as Reds was (I'm sure a lot of people probably went the night before and couldn't afford two nights), so since it wasn't too crowded by the stage yet, we hung out by the bar. Soon the lights went down, and I decided to make my way up front again to take more pictures. I met some nice girls, Chantal and her friend (who was dating the Loving Dead's manager); they were great and they kept helping me get up front against the stage to bring you the pictures on this page. Jimmy Flemion was on board this time, wearing his Notorious green sequined angel suit (or maybe it's a bird suit?). This time Sebastian came out wearing a gold sequined suit. I was standing right in front of Richie this time, and he was really sweet. He posed for a picture and came over to where I was standing and put his guitar pic in my hand. The show in Burnaby was a bit different than the one here in Edmonton. With Jimmy on along, they were able to play a couple of songs off the Subhuman Race album, "My Enemy" and "Beat Yourself Blind" as well as an awesome original "The Most Powerful Man In The World". (This was right before a killer version of "I Remember You", with just Bas singing and Jimmy on an accoustic guitar). Sebastian was once again an awesome frontman, frequently stopping to talk to the mass of people crowded up in front of the stage (and throughout the bar).Thanking everyone for forking out the steep $25 and coming down to party was also something he took the time to do repeatedly. After the show: This time the band didn't do a signing (as in Edmonton), but Bam Bam was sweet enough to take the pic of me & Sebastian (and my friend Troy's ticketstub from the night before) back to Bas for him to sign. All the guys were really awesome, both live and in-person (of the ones I met), and as a band, they are incredible live! They are doing a massive tour and will probably hit your city soon - GO CHECK THEM OUT - SEBASTIAN STILL ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can check out Sebastian's site at: http://www.sebastianweb.com
- Click on the picture to see more from the show!!!
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JAR & NOISE THERAPY - THUNDERDOME, EDMONTON, AB - By Lori Munro Jar & Noise Therapy played the Thunderdome with Edmonton locals Fat Man's Belly starting things off, June 24th. I was excited to be able to see both Vancouver bands, as I haven't gotten the chance to see either since I moved back here to Edmonton. Jar played a surprisingly longer set than most opening bands. I saw Jar play a few times in Vancouver last year. They opened for L.A. Guns, and it was funny because the singer of L.A. Guns kept thanking the opening band "Jug". Ah well, honest mistake, but man was it funny. Their music is quite heavy and I overheard a few people talking about the obvious "Henry Rollins" influence. The dance floor was filled with people jumping around (including the singer, Garth Allen at one point). Garth has a very strong voice, and it's cool how you can see the vein in his neck bulging as he belts out those powerful vocals. I was talking with Paul Ellingham (lead singer of the Las Vegas Crypt Keepers) and he was commenting on how Garth looked like someone on death row (they're good friends but I had to add that in, he was referring to Garth's nearly shaved head, blue shirt and navy blue Adidas type pants). Tom the bassist for Jar, was always thought to be one of the best bassists Edmonton has ever produced. He had played with Edmonton's "Fat Bastard", but after bassist Chris left Jar, Tom stepped in, and fellow Edmontonians seemed happy with the change, and a lot of his old friends came out to show their support. They played songs off their cd (which was being sold at the show) including one of my favorites "pull". A & M Recording Artists Noise Therapy have gotten so much tighter since I last saw them, mind you that was way back in ‘93 @ the (now defunct) Lunatic Fringe in Vancouver. They all looked younger than I remembered, but it must be because they all cut off their long hair since then. They played their radio hit "Loser Magnet" soon into the set, and that got everyone psyched and paying attention! Their music was high-energy, yet melodic! Although the feel in their songs ranged from the Ramones to Megadeath, they're definitely developing their own unique sound. I loved their "heavy" version of the Police's "Message in a Bottle". I agree with Matt Turpin (of LVCK) when he says this band definitely should be playing large venues, and deserve an international deal, to sum it up - THEY ROCK!!!!!!!!!
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LAS VEGAS CRYPT KEEPERS, - WRITTEN BY LORI MUNRO The night started out with my friend Nikki and I reuniting with an old friend Melodie. We used to be like the 3 stooges, tearing up the town and every bar in town. It's been over a year since we saw her and we decided we'd go out and see some old friends play in their "newest" band - the Las Vegas Crypt Keepers. (Herein referred to as LVCK) We walked into the "New City Likwid Lounge" paid our cover charge and finally found a table (in which we could see absolutely nothing.) The small dark room was crowded and full of action, people playing pool, pinball or up at the bar getting drinks. It was a really cool place that I could see myself frequenting, even more so if they'd invest in air conditioning, it was so hot in there. Darryl (the "Merch Guy") was sitting by the merchandise table, I was impressed at all the products LVCK were selling, numerous styles of T-Shirts, stickers, postcards, cds etc... I of course had to get a cd, have to support local talent you know. The "Handsome Devils" warmed up the crowd, with their loud, catchy rockabilly sounds. Unfortunately I couldn't see the stage from where we were sitting and I was too busy re-uniting with old acquaintances, but the music I heard in the background was definitely contagious. Soon after the stage was cleared and the Las Vegas Crypt Keepers took the stage. We left our table and went and stood by the bar where we had a clear view of the stage. LVCK are comprised of "Holy Pauly Pluckin' Plaid" (lead vocals, guitar) "Brad Hacienda" (backin' vocals, guitar), Matt "Chez", (bass) (say that one really fast ) and "Shawn Hudson P. Sheldon Smith" (drums). We've known Matt and Paul and Shawn for several years. When I met them they were in "Hippie Child" (which had several member changes) then came "FP2K" (which had the same members as LVCK but a different sound) and finally Las Vegas Crypt Keepers. If I can recall I think they were playing under this name a couple years back wearing really big Elvis wigs, but that's a whole other story. LVCK kicked off the 90 minute set with the "Intro" (as it says on the set list that I stole off the stage) and Paul closed the instrumental by saying "That was abit of Led Zeppelin for all us Wacky Tabaci Smokers". They went on to play a couple of songs off the cd, "Color Blind" and "Chevy" (which was kicked off by Brad yelling out "Get Off The Fucken Car"). I love their new sound. It's like 50's music with an edge, like rockabilly meets Punk with goth somewhere mixed in-between. The crowd loved it, people were up there (on the dance floor) dancing or grooving in their seats. Paul introduced the song "Sun Burnt" with some advice "If you ever get a sun burn rub tequila all over it, who cares about the smell!". The highlight of the evening was when Paul announced "We were kicked off this tour" and the band broke into a sped-up, powerful version of U2's "With Or Without You" and Paul screamed in a Johnny Rottenesque "With or without you I can live" Paul thanked everyone for coming down, paying cover and helping get them to get to Vancouver (the band was chosen to come out an play for the annual Music West Festival, this is truly an honor as hundreds of bands across Canada "try Out" for this Opportunity and they were among the few chosen) (this next part was said by Paul over the mic) "Where we will enjoy 2 days of drinking and partying right Lori?" (Referring to my living in Vancouver before). LVCK sounded so tight live, the grinding melodies coming out of those instruments were hypnotic, you could practically feel the walls shaking, and this was heightened even more so by Paul's aggressive voice. He even broke out the megaphone a couple of times, which had his voice continuously echoing throughout the room. I'm used to seeing Paul playing the role of guitarist but I was blown away by his skill of being a front man and how he was able to take a small room and completely envelop the entire crowd. They performed the song "Side Burns" (song 3 on the cd), it's a catchy little thing "I like my sideburns long, I like them big and strong, you don't like the side burns - you are gone" They also played a few new songs, my favorite being "T" (I believe that's the initial of the girl who inspired this song), it was a more-laid back song, yet still very strong, the lyrics were something like "This is how I learned to Kiss", and I also really liked The Big A" (which is about a guy who dies from Aids. I was really impressed when the guys dedicated a song to Frank Sinatra (who passed away on Thursday Night) after the song they announced "Frank did it his way" They went on introduce the next song with Paul saying "Here's some more Vegas for you, the guy who could wear a belt buckle the size of a Christmas Ham, no not Wayne Newton, he has hair the size of a Christmas Ham" and they broke into a revved up version of "That's Alright Mama", the dance floor was just a swingin'. The dance floor continued to stay packed while the guys rounded off the set with the last 2 songs, being songs from the cd "New York" and "Crypt Keeper Boogie" (the latter with Matt down on his knees in front of the amp just groovin away!) I really felt for the guys up there giving there 110% in a small, crowded, smoky, bar where the temperature had to be 100 degrees. Paul even commented by saying "It's hot in here, lose some clothes we wanna see some Nipple Rings". After the set, I talked to the guys and commented on how much I love the new sound. Matt told me about the upcoming ARIA Awards in Calgary and how they are up for several awards. I wished them the best of luck, and assured them that after the incredible show I'd just seen, I'd definitely be there to see them at the Thunderdome on May 27th, when they open for Junk House. (Stay tuned for that review!) Check their website out at: http://www.angelfire.com/ab/LasVegasCryptKeepers If you're interested in merchandise (cd's are available for $12 (including postage)there are also may styles of T-Shirt available. E-mail the band at: lvck@most-wanted.com or write to: Las Vegas Crypt Keepers Box 144 - 10756 Jasper Avenue Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA T5J 2A3
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MATCHBOX 20 CONCERT REVIEW - written by Lori Munro Well, it's been a long wait but I finally had the pleasure of seeing Matchbox 20 live in concert May 6th, 1998 here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I'm still an 80s girl at heart and I've had a very difficult time making the transition to the 90s, Matchbox 20 is the first band in a VERY long time that I actually got excited over getting the opportunity to see play live. Last year when they played Vancouver, BC (where I was living at the time) by the time I found out Matchbox was playing live, I had already had plans (and purchased tickets) to see Slaughter. It was a tough call and I always regretted not going. Several months later my chance came back and boy did I scoop it up. I feel like a teenager again, back in the 80s I remember camping out several days for concert tickets (had to have 1strow as I'm only 5"2 tall, well okay 5"1 and 3/4 ), hanging out at the arena the day of the show to meet the band, standing up front jammed against the security rail as the band on stage played 90 minutes of pure energy rock n' roll. Well Matchbox 20 was deja vu of my days of past, the day tickets went on sale I was ready and waiting on-line to order my tickets (and got through almost immediately. It's the 90s no need for camping out now days) it was a general admission show, but I had to make sure we got our tickets. We showed up concert night, picked up our tickets and went into the Shaw Conference Centre, (missing the opening act "Cool for August" as my friends take to damn long to get ready, it's too bad because I hear Matchbox 20's vocalist Rob Thomas joined the band on stage for a rockin' version of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car") there was a nice little space right up against the security rail that was perfect for me and my friend Nikki (how convenient ). Finally after hearing a varied mix of tunes over the PA (from Puff Daddy to Waylon Jennings) the lights went down, and on the big screen above the stage came the countdown, the band hit the stage with roaring energy starting off the set with "Busted" the heaviest song on the cd. They proceeded to play every single song off the album and I stood there in awe! It has been so long since I can remember seeing a band that can pull the music off way better live than on record (and Matchbox sounds awesome on cd!) The energy on stage was amazing! Even though many of Matchbox 20's tunes are considered "laid back" the backing arrangements by the band combined with Rob Thomas' expressive voice portrayed the songs as being very powerful melodic tunes that sent shivers down your spine! Too many times have I gone to see a band play live just to be disappointed to hear that the studio can do wonders to a persons voice and playing ability, because live - it's just not happening. This was definitely NOT the case last night! Rob Thomas has one of the most powerful, strong voices I have ever heard, it was so clear, it's refreshing to listen to a band in which you can actually hear the words clearly being sung (and not screamed!). Backed by a tight line-up Kyle Cook - Lead Guitar, Adam Gaynor - Rhythm Guitar, Brian Yale - Bass, Paul Doucette - Drums and Joey Huffman, a keyboardist who they claim to have "stole from Soul Asylum" Matchbox 20 went on to entertain a crowd of 4,000 people of all ages! What impressed me the most is that Matchbox 20 did something that bands rarely do! They played 3 songs of which I'm sure no-one (or at least almost nobody) have heard. They did a song called "Tired" which is apparently only available as a rare import, (and of course I hunted it down and purchased it today, it came as an bonus track on a cd single for "Push) "You & I & I" which was a song that didn't quite make the album (as they "couldn't put out an album with 20 songs on it") and "Happy" a brand new song which they previewed. All three songs were high energy faster-paced songs than on the album (except maybe Tired, that song would have blended in perfect with the rest of the songs on the album) and the crowd ate them right up! Everybody is already familiar with the songs on the album (granted it's an awesome cd) it was still nice to hear what else Matchbox were capable of coming up with! I thought that was so original for them to do this, bands like Bon Jovi (for example) have dozens of un-released killer songs (such as "Borderline" "Bitter Wine" etc...) And in all the times I saw them live in concert they never played any of them! Rob's clever introductions added to the entertainment of the evening. "Shame" was "dedicated to the bitch that gave my stuff to Goodwill". They then played the song "Kody" (my personal favorite) which was sure to "bum" you out (Kody is of course written about a homeless person). The band included some wicked covers, "You Can't Always get What You Want" (by of course the Rolling Stones" and even surprised us all by pulling off a well played version ("for all the sexy people out there") of Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me". Rob also performed an awesome acoustic set which included abit of "Suspicious Minds", it was amazing how excellent his short rendition of this Presley classic sounded, it was almost as though Rob has the same timber in his voice as Elvis had. (he didn't finish the song as he said he was just playing around and that he didn't know the words - Learn the words Rob!!! It sounded so cool!!!!) He then went on to play a dynamic version of the Barenaked Ladies' (cool, a Canadian band!!) "What A Good Boy". The set also included the last song on Matchbox 20's cd, "Hang" (along with keyboard accompaniment from Joey Huffman). One thing I found extemely impressive is that the band didn't bore the crowd with the typical long drawn out guitar and drum solos. They also didn't have to beg for audience participation by making the crowd sing along, the band was so entertaining this wasn't at all necessary. The crowd was with them 100% of the way and at times we could be heard singing almost as loud as the band, especially when they belted out their hit singles "Long Day" "Push" "3am" and "Real World". After the show Nikki & I talked about how impressed we were with the band and especially with Rob's voice and felt we should tell him, this lead us to do something we haven't done in years (8 years for me), we went outside and looked down at the busses wondering when they'd leave the building trying to decide if it was worth enduring the cold air that was chilling my bones. (Dummy me wasn't wearing a jacket, it was nice out but the wind had a brutal bite to it). We talked to a really cool security guard who told us we should stay, after over a good hour we heard him quietly say to us "they're here" next thing I knew Rob was right in our faces, Nikki responded with a loud "holy shit" and we let some of the young teenagers get their things signed. As they begged him to come home with them his response was a clever "will you feed me?". As he signed our shirts I complimented him on his incredibly strong voice and he was so humble and sweet about it all, thanking us and calling us "sweetheart" and "hun" we got hugs and proceeded to leave up the stairs. It would have been nice to stay around and talk to the rest of the guys but I was so cold at this point body parts were sure to start falling off, if I stayed much longer, so we called it a night (and what an awesome night it was!!!!) If you ever have the opportunity to see Matchbox 20 live, get those tickets as fast as you can, they are one band I DEFINITELY recommend to anyone of all ages! You will not be disappointed! Thanx for the memories guys - YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Check out Matchbox 20's Official Web Site at: http://www.matchbox20.com
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