NASCAR Goes Glam...Sort Of

This is insanity.

SPEED network created some crazy video with NASCAR drivers...set to Mr. Big's "To Be With You." The drivers look, well, uncomfortable. Or maybe they just look stupid. At any rate, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch have no rhythm. Also, I'm pretty sure that none of the drivers has ever heard of Mr. Big, let alone this particular song. At any rate, watch this. It's definitely cringe-worthy.

Finally, a Glam Nod from the Rock Hall

Finally, Alice Cooper and Bon Jovi receive official nods from the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. Both are nominated for induction. Also nominated are the Beastie Boys, Neil Diamond, Donovan, Dr. John, LL Cool J, Darlene Love, Donna Summer and Tom Waits.

The Rock Hall committee always baffles me, but judging from the nominee list, I'd say both Jovi and Cooper should get in without any hassle. Oh, and the Beastie Boys will probably get in this time too (they were originally nominated in 2008).

To be truthful, I didn't even want to write about this topic today...but since Bon Jovi and Alice Cooper are in the list, I had no choice. Bon Jovi is a legitimate Glam band – and Alice just rules.

I suspect Bon Jovi will be the only Glam band we see in the Hall – at least for a very, very long time. I also think Motley Crue will get nominated and, much like Kiss, be passed over. Thing is, the Rock Hall is a joke. The Alice Cooper Band deserved to be in long ago – same for Kiss. Rush, once again, was unfairly passed over...and really, you're telling me LL Cool J has done more for music than Rush?

The good news is that if Alice and Jovi do make the cut, the induction ceremony might be less of a giant bore than usual. I'm not sure who would pay homage to Bon Jovi...Nickelback maybe? I wonder if Slipknot would induct Alice? Or maybe Rob Zombie?

I hope that – if Jovi does get in – the artist display inside the Rock Hall in Cleveland pays homage to the band's 1980s heyday. Sure, Jovi has beat the odds and stayed relevant...but their party began in the 80s...and they, along with the Rock Hall board, must always remember that.

New Live Alice Cooper DVD Recorded at London’s Hammersmith Apollo Out Today!

Hands up, who is getting this? Alice Cooper is a BBG! favorite and today he's got a new DVD. I'm awful about my music DVDs. I get them...and then watch once and put away. I know people who watch the same concert DVD over and over again. I just don't have the patience. Still, I'd like to add this to my collection. Here's a release:

The godfather of shock rock captures the gore, the grit and the grand spectacle of his Theatre of Death Tour on a new live DVD filmed at the tour's stop at London’s legendary Hammersmith Apollo last year. The concert features all of the massive hits from "The Coop" including "School’s Out," "I’m Eighteen" and "Poison" in a no-holds barred performance the slogan for which is "They Keep Killing Him, He Keeps Coming Back." During the course of the performance Alice is "killed" no fewer than four times. Guillotine, gallows and other diabolical implements of death plus a cast of unique performers and henchman shock, terrify, amaze and, most importantly, entertain through the 90 minute concert. The Theatre of Death Tour has been lauded by fans and media alike. "As visually stunning and entertaining as the show is to look at, the real attraction is the music," noted Creative Loafing. In its Theatre of Death review, The Adelaide (Australia) Advertiser called Alice "one of modern music’s most timeless and consistent showmen." "Everyone’s favorite make-upped rock star is known for the elaborate ways in which he is killed at the end of his shows. So what could be better than a show where this happens not once, but four times?" queried The Schenectady Gazette. The Times of London characterized the Theatre of Death show as having "all the subtlety of a Boeing 747 loaded with nuclear weapons crashing into the Moon." It is estimated that the show has played to audiences worldwide totaling over one million since it was launched thirteen months ago.

Theatre of Death will be released through Bigger Picture Group on September 28, 2010 just in time for Halloween. It's Alice Cooper's seventh long-form video release, three of which have been Gold certified, joining seven Platinum albums, nine gold albums and two Gold singles over the course of a career that has spanned forty years. The Theater of Death DVD is packaged with a companion audio CD offering the consumer yet another way another way to make a killing, so to speak. Of special note is the fact that the audio was mixed Bob Ezrin, the legendary producer of such Alice Cooper album classics as Billion Dollar Babies, Welcome To My Nightmare, School’s Out and Love It To Death. The two recently joined forces again and are working together on an album of new material to be released next year.

Alice is currently reuniting with Rob Zombie for the Halloween Hootenanny Tour, building on the success of this year’s Gruesome Twosome Tour.

The Van Beckons

If you watch NFL football, then you probably saw the new Honda Odyssey commercial yesterday. The Odyssey is a seemingly un-metal mini-van (shudder) but the ad concept is smart: a family man, checking out a hot looking van, while Judas Priest plays in the background. There's a Marshall amp and "guitar hero" on the van monitor, too.

Heavy metal music is increasingly used in ad campaigns. Target is running one right now with a woman making pancakes while AC/DC blares in the background. I assume ad execs think the use of classic metal bands adds an element of "danger" to otherwise banal products geared toward a post-Boomer generation. If my thesis is true, what does this say about Metal overall? Perhaps Metal isn't underground at all anymore. Sort of takes all the danger out of the genre, eh?

Trixter Talk

Were the guys in Trixter victims of grunge...or a confused Glam image?

I don't talk about Trixter much. I actually quite like them – and they are awesome live. But when their name pops up on festival rosters, people always laugh. And by people, I mean Glam fans...basically you.

Why is that?

You guys are loyal to the death over the bands we love here. If a classic Glam band releases a song that I don't like and I give it a bad review, there is usually hell to pay.

But not so with Trixter.

I've written that Trixter were awesome at both Rocklahoma and M3. The running joke, then, is that God hates Trixter and that's why He (She?) tried to kill us with a massive storm at Rocklahoma 2008. So what did Trixter do that upset so many of you? Was it the flannel? I'll agree, the flannel wasn't a great idea – but they tried! I remember watching old school MTV and seeing Trixter vids mixed in with the other metal bands and they definitely stood out...because their look didn't match their sound.

Was it that Trixter was just not Glam enough? Just because you have long hair doesn't make you a Glam band, yes? You need a little crunch to the guitars...oh and the guitarist better be amazing, too.

Was it that “Give It To Me Good” was just too pop? Honestly, when I heard the song on the radio back when it was new, I just figured it was a pop band...until I saw the video.

So what is it? What hurt Trixter? What should the band members have done differently to cement their rock – Glam – cred?

Porn Star Dancing

This video is a hoot - the theme is 100% Glam, just like Girls, Girls, Girls. My Darkest Days teamed up with Zakk Wylde and Chad Kroeger for the tune. Have a look:

I might buy this album. I don't know much about My Darkest Days, but at least they made a real "rockstar" video, so that's a start.

The Coolest Newspaper Article Ever: How Bands Got Their Names

The Daily Mail recently ran an online article explaining how some bands got their crazy names. Now, obviously, some of the stories we already know (AC/DC) but others were new to me (ZZ Top). The list has a lot of rock bands like Iron Maiden, Green Day, Led Zeppelin and more. Definitely check out the list.

Now, this article was a great thought provoker for me. Obviously, I know how Damn Yankees and Motley Crue got their names...but I can't say the same for Bang Tango. I don't know about Steelheart or Thunder. Babylon A.D. is another band with an awesome name...but I've got no clue where it came from! The thing about Glam Bands is that they just generally have awesome – or awesomely kooky – names. No music genre can touch Glam when it comes to band names. Sure, it's fun to mock the names of emo bands (because, let's be honest, some of their names are just too much) but still. Poison. W.A.S.P. Judas Priest. All are awesome names for metal bands.

A lot of you that read this site have – or have had – your own bands. How did you pick the name? I mean, it's sort of like naming a child – a band's name is of the utmost importance. After all, it will be splashed across T-shirts from here to infinity. Plus, these days you have to worry how a band name will look in a web address and on a Facebook page.

So, can anyone tell me how Steelheart got their name? Or even better, Steeler? How about Kick Axe? Are you a musician...and do you regret your band name?

It's finally Friday, people! Rock on!