I'll Still Be Thinking of You...and the Times We Had

The other day I asked you about your favorite bands and first albums. Of course, I failed to ask how your paid for those first albums when you were young.

Some people, like my dear Christian, provided the answer. His way of paying was apparently "shoplifting." Having just spent several days with Christian at Rocklahoma, I can safely say he's been making amends for that ever since. I mean, I've never seen anyone buy more band merch in my life! 

Like most teenagers, I had a job - but it wasn't very strenuous. I did some light filing for my dad at his place of employment. No, I didn't work everyday. No, I didn't sling French fries, or bag groceries like my husband. See, my Eric had a pretty taxing job. He swears up and down he worked 40 hours a week during high school bagging groceries and pushing carts at the local Kroger. I remember going into Kroger and seeing him bag on occasion, but I don't know if his parents would have allowed a full time job during school. I digress.

My job paid just enough to keep me in new music. I can't remember buying many clothes, makeup or things like that - nope, it was always music. Back then (and we're talking about the 90s here) you could get good, unedited discs at Kmart. At that time, my one-horse hometown also had an independent music store, but the albums were more expensive there. Still, they had cool stuff like box sets, vinyl, CDs, rare cassettes, T-shirts, posters and more.

By the time I graduated high school I had a sizable music collection - it was the envy of my friends! During college, my music purchases plummeted to the lowest of my life. I didn't really have the money to buy music or go to shows, even though I had jobs then, too. I suppose I was responsible and chose food over entertainment. Now that I'm a full fledged adult, I've realized it's more important to be completely immature. As I write this, I have a case of Diet Coke and expired milk in my refrigerator. No, I'm not exaggerating. It's all about what is important in life.

So, how did you afford your music as a kid and teen? Did you beg, borrow, steal...or buy?

Poison: Live, Raw and Uncut 2007

Last night while surfing the channels, I was pleasantly surprised to find Vh1 Classic broadcasting Poison: Live, Raw and Uncut 2007. The show was taped in St. Louis, Missouri during the Poison'd tour.

Watching the concert brought back some good memories of last year. The Poison'd tour was the first time I had a special photo pass (I felt very important!) to the pit. I also convinced Heather to go to the show with me, even though it was during the week and she was on the night shift. When Poison is involved, you must rearrange life at all costs! I think I also wore a black sequin halter to the show and was a sweaty mess within ten seconds of arriving at the concert venue. Live and learn I guess.

The set for Poison: Live, Raw and Uncut 2007 looks like this:

Look What The Cat Dragged In
I Want Action
Ride The Wind
I Wont Forget You
What I Like About You
CC Solo
I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine
Something To Believe In
Can't See You
Your Mama Don't Dance
I Need To Know
Rikki Drum Solo
Unskinny Bop
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Fallen Angel
Talk Dirty To Me
Nothin But A Good Time

The classic Poison set list. Yes, I'll be seeing the same show next month in Cincinnati. No matter how many times the band does the same show, I'm entertained. Finally seeing Bret Michaels solo last week at Rocklahoma made me realize I do prefer the regular Poison show. I need the entire band for the ultimate concert experience. I just don't feel right if someone other than Bobby Dall strums the famous open E intro to "Unskinny Bop."

The crowd pans during Poison: Live, Raw and Uncut 2007 show an active group of fans. I'm sure Bret and company were whipping-up the crowd, saying they were taping the show. Still, the reaction is good with high energy through out the show. I will say Bret sounded a little hoarse midway through the show - this makes me wonder if he's developing some throat issues. After all, he's been singing for a very long time - it's only natural for the pipes to give out after awhile.

C.C. DeVille's guitar solo seems better on this taped performance than what I remember live. Conversely, I remember enjoying Rikki Rocket's drum solo more while at the show. Perhaps it was the moving kit or the energy of the live crowd that helped the solo along? I will say watching this classic concert got me amped for my turn at the summer Poison fun.

I think you can buy a copy of this St. Louis performance at Best Buy. I'm glad I captured the full performance on cable - I simply saved to my DVR as "do not delete."  I just realized of all the band T-shirts I own, none of them is Poison. I think I'll pocket the savings from not having to buy this DVD and use the money toward a Poison shirt at the Cincinnati show. Good times.

What I Like (Learning) About You

It's late and I'm exhausted...and also getting sick. I've been sitting, staring at the computer for about an hour. Often the words come easy, sometimes they are a struggle. Other days, topics are in between. I wouldn't say I'm necessarily struggling with this piece - it's more an issue of fighting fatigue.

It dawned on me yesterday - sometime after breakfast and before my second cup of overpriced coffee - that you know way more about me than I know about you. The single best part of Rocklahoma for me was meeting those of you who stopped by to say hello. Truly a blessing. Reflecting on those meetings lead to the realization that I pepper a lot of random facts about my life in what I write here.

Thanks to this website, you know my favorite bands are Aerosmith and Motley Crue. You know I'm married, I live in Ohio and that I'm an only child. I had a good childhood, with laid back parents and my mom really likes rock music. 

Sometimes I learn things about you, especially if you're a regular reader. I mean, I now know Christian personally - he traveled from Australia so we could go to Rocklahoma together. There are others I know personally too, and I count among my friends.

Some people like to read and never comment. I respect that - in fact, that's what I mainly do on a lot of websites. Still, I think just once in awhile it's good to let your presence be known.

I guess the easiest way for me to learn more about you - and the bands you want covered - is to simply ask.

Here's a few questions:

1. What is your favorite band?
2. What was your very first CD/album/cassette?
3. What bands do you want to read about more here on Bring Back Glam!?

I'll tell you that I have a laundry list of features planned for the coming weeks, including interviews and reviews of about 78 new CDs I have (and no, that number is not exaggerated!)

In case you're wondering, I do remember my first actual CD - it was Mariah Carey's self-titled debut, and I got it with a small CD player for a Christmas gift about a million years ago. I don't remember my first cassette - but I'm pretty sure it was Glam.

Here's Poison's cover of "What I Like About You"

Applause for Broken Teeth?

We all know Jason McMaster can sing and that Dangerous Toys are great...but what about Broken Teeth?

McMaster fronts both Dangerous Toys and Broken Teeth, and I'll be seeing both bands at Houston's Rock the Bayou festival later this summer. I've never seen either band and I'm really looking forward to the experience.

Broken Teeth sound a lot like AC/DC and that's good in my book.

I think Rock the Bayou is smart in having both bands because it stretches their travel budget and gives fans a taste of native Texas rock.

Broken Teeth were formed in Austin, Texas just before 2000 and have released quite a few discs. Electric came out not so long ago, but it's not a disc of all new tracks.  

The band has had some lineup changes, and these days Dave Beeson and Jared Tuten play guitar, Brett McCormick plays bass and Bruce Rivers plays drums. Of course many - including myself - consider McMaster's signature voice the cornerstone of Broken Teeth.

I can't help but wonder if Dangerous Toys/Broken Teeth shows are much different. At any case, I'm down for the experience and I want to meet and/or interview Jason McMaster for this website.

Here's the video for "Roll Over"

Hear more at the official Broken Teeth Myspace.

Kix Must Tour!

Kix must tour! Now that Rocklahoma is over and I'm at home, I've had time to reflect on all the bands. The two best were easily Tesla and Kix. Tesla tour all the time, but Kix never leave the east coast and only play a couple shows a year.

According to the band's official website, there are a few shows coming up, mostly during September in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. I'd love to go, but my husband would divorce me for spending more money on all these shows.

If Rock the Bayou promoters were smart, they'd try very, very hard to get Kix added to the bill.  I'm going to Rock the Bayou in Houston, but now I almost wish I was heading to Baltimore for the upcoming Kix show instead.

Saturday at Rocklahoma was pretty miserable after the bad weather, but Kix came on stage and got the job done and did their best to make good out of a bad situation. I really wanted to meet the band in person, but the storm stopped that from happening too.

Steve Whiteman is damn amazing when it comes to stage presence. He really does hop, skip and jump all over the place -- he gives people a show!

Glam musicians were often slagged by those who consider themselves more "serious" metallers, especially when they used choreographed stage moves and the like. Personally, I want to see a little thought put into a show for my money. Ticket prices basically start at fifty bucks these days, so I expect to see a little action. Actually, I demand a lot of action. I hate it when band members just stand in one spot and sing or play with a deer-in-the headlights look.

I got a fancy new camera to shoot Rocklahoma, and one of the bands I was most interested in capturing for you was Kix. Heavy rains ruined that goal, but I'm so glad I personally got to witness the band's marvelous performance.

Brian Forsythe really impresses me when it comes to guitar. No, he's not the world's best player -- but seriously, who is? Music is an art, and all art is subjective. Guitar playing comes from emotion -- and Brian plays with emotion. Match his emotion with Steve's enthusiasm and you've got a recipe for success my friends.

Kix now rank in my list of favorites -- right up there with Aerosmith and Motley Crue.

Brave souls risked it all and used camcorders during the rain at Rocklahoma. Here's a couple clips from the show - the audio was cutting a little in and out because of electrical issues, nevertheless, Kix still rocked the house.

Here's "Don't Close Your Eyes"

Here's "Cold Shower"

Too Long?

How long is too long for a music festival? Last year, Rocklahoma started as a three day event and then promoters added an extra "party" day in advance. Those extra bands were mostly cover acts, and the show was sparsely attended. VIP ticket holders were the only ones allowed in the gates.

This year, Rocklahoma once again had the fourth "pre-party" day, this time featuring name acts like Bret Michaels and Sebastian Bach. Once again, Thursday was only open to VIP ticket holders but the line-up for the "free" day was so strong, most made travel plans to allow for Thursday.

A few months before Rocklahoma, promoters announced an extra fifth day that would be free to VIP ticket holders and just 25 dollars at the gate general admission for all others. This "pre-pre" party featured RATT and Jackyl among others. Since I didn't arrive until Thursday, I've had to rely on second-hand accounts about the "pre-pre" show, but it seems just about every band that performed on this day was amazing.

Now, to the question: how long is too long for a music festival?

In theory, I think an extra day makes sense - but in reality, five days is a really long time to endure July heat. I've already read rumors (and I am sure these are 100% conjecture) that Rocklahoma hopes to expand to seven full days! This seems odd to me since one of the ticket agents said Rocklahoma was back to four days next year...but who knows. Since they don't have any acts booked, I guess they can expand to as many days as they wish.

My thought is that it is better to condense the best bands into three days instead of dragging acts out. When people stand in the heat for long periods of time, they get crabby. I can only imagine a tense crowd on the seventh day of a festival in July or August.

What do you think: how long is too long for a rock festival? 

Rocklahoma 2008 - Sunday

Rocklahoma 2008 is in the history books, and this remains true: Kix were the best band at the festival...but Tesla gave them a run for their "funny" money.

Bands set to perform on the final day of Rocklahoma included Axe, Zebra, UFO, Steelheart, Ace Frehley, Tesla and Queensryche. Lynam also got to play in a makeshift side stage.

I didn't see Axe and only half saw Zebra, so I can't really pass judgement there. UFO was a band I was least interested in watching, but I have to admit they were quite good. UFO performed "Mother Mary," "When Daylight Goes to Town," "Hard Being Me," "This Kids," "Only You Can Rock Me," "Baby Blue," "Too Hot to Handle," "Lights Out," "Love to Love" and "Rock Bottom." Christian was riled that UFO didn't play "Doctor, Doctor" but the band probably ran out of time: "Rock Bottom" seemed to go on forever and a day. Phil Mogg's stage banter was actually funny and provided a nice detraction from the heat. Happily, the band sounded tight.

Steelheart were great - and the crowd was quite sizable for them. Lead singer Milli road in on a motorcycle and then proceeded to wail the entire set. During "I'll Never Let You Go,"  Milli went into the crowd to sing and take photos with fans. The band closed with "Blood Pollution" from the movie Rock Star. Steelheart was out of time by this point but fans kept chanting "One more song!" It was definitely a few minutes before anyone could tell if the band would be allowed back on stage. In the end, they were not.

I had no desire to watch Ace Frehley because I don't like Frehley's Comet but it turns out Ace did mostly KISS songs during his set. He and his band performed "Shout It Out Loud," "Duece" and "Cold Gin." The crowd reaction was very good for Ace and it seemed like most people were happily singing along to the KISS tunes. I'm not sure who the members of Ace's backing band are, but it should be noted that they handle a lot of the singing duties.

Lynam was able to perform on a *tiny* make-shift side stage in one of the beer tents. The band made the best of things, and a small crowd of die hards stood in a mud pit to support the southern band. Lynam's set wasn't very long because they were trying to get done before Tesla, but they did perform "Tanis," "Better" and a cover of "We're Not Gonna Take It." I'm very happy they were allowed to perform in spite of the storm. Now, more people know of one of my favorite bands.

Now, Tesla. I think the crowd was at its largest all weekend in preparation for Tesla. The lawn seemed heavily populated, and many of the seats seemed crammed. Tesla performed "Comin' At You Live," "Into the Now," "Gettin' Better," "Hang Tough," "Mama's Fool," "Heaven's Trail," "Love Song," "Little Suzi," "Signs," "Man Out of Time" and "Modern Day Cowboy."  From the second the band hit the stage, Tesla gave an over-the-top, high energy performance. Moreover, the crowd actually seem excited. This isn't to say that other bands failed to excite, rather, Tesla impressed. Rocklahoma was my first time seeing Tesla live, and I didn't know what to expect. I'd heard that Jeff Keith's voice was shot - but this is not the case! By the time Tesla was done, people were demanding more songs. I heard people around me say "Tesla should have closed." I agree.

Queensryche had the responsibility of closing the festival. Last year, Queensryche were a late add and they performed a greatest hits set. This year, they performed Operation: Mindcrime in full. This was my first time seeing the stage production of "Mindcrime" and I'll admit it was very good and interesting - but totally not the right fit for a rock festival. When it's time for Mary to shoot herself, people behind me were screaming "Do it!" "Do it!" That's never a good thing. Still, the band sounded good and Geoff Tate seems to really love musical theatre. I'm not sure how many people followed the story to the conclusion, but the reward was a few of Queensryche's best known songs including "Empire," "Jet City Woman" and "Silent Lucidity."

I'll note here that I was impressed Rocklahoma officials cleaned up the VIP tent so quickly. By Sunday morning, all the water was gone from Saturday's storm and it seemed like the massive amounts of mud on the concrete floor had been washed away. Also, props to the person who quickly erected the small side stages so all the bands could play. The conditions were not ideal, but the show continued as scheduled.