Concert Reviews

[Bone Roller]

QUOTE (ReGorLaTroy @ Apr 2 2012, 09:37 PM)

Just had front row tickets to see Van Halen at the Consol Arena in Pittsburgh. They must have been in an inspired mood that night, because they just sounded so good. The new songs fit so well in the set and mixed well with all of the classic VH songs that you'd expect to hear. Diamond Dave's voice sounded much better than I thought it would...he even made some pretty impressive jumps and splits for a man his age. Eddie was just simply amazing...one of the very best, that's for sure. Alex's drum solo was fantastic...really made me wonder why he isn't higher rated in the arena of public opinion. Wolfgang was pretty solid...great interaction with his dad, which couldn't help but bring a smile to one's face. (Still missed Michael up there though...no disrespect to Wolfgang). Was flipping the coin on this one and really glad I decided to catch them live on this tour. Of course, the biggest surprise was how good Kool and the Gang was as an opening act...they are a really tight band, even if it isn't your cup of tea. All in all, it was a great trip down memory lane and a great chance to be 17 again!

good review. i saw them the night before in DC and thought the show was great.

 

eddie was fantastic and it was so great to see him in good form. he really shredded it.

 

i thought wolfie was pretty good but i did miss michael's backing vocals.

 

dlr did the "i forgot the words, i'll catch up at the chorus" bit and it was pretty funny.

 

the setlist was all VH1-1984 plus a few from the new album. it was a great, great setlist of old skool favorites. my only complaint was that there weren't enough songs from the new album played...besides Tatoo, it's really that good.

[beherit]

Haven't been to a show since December unfortunately. Mastodon. It was cool

[tel]

saw FOCUS on friday in manchester, a very small 500-600 seater hall (a plus by my reckoning) it was a greatest hits package and a great show but i felt a little sad that such a fantastic band were reduced to playing these types of venues,and when the legendary theis van leer announced he would be signing copies of the new cd in the foyer my heart sank.

Focus...perhaps the most underated prog rock band ever

 

[beherit]

Sounds great.

[RushCanuck]

Stepping outside of my usual rock & roll/prog rock box, I recently attended a Yanni concert.

Playing non stop for almost 2 1/2 hours, Yanni and his musicians delivered an amazing and enjoyable experience. He has assembled top notch musicians from all corners of the world. He allows them spotlight opportunities to showcase their 'beyond the stratosphere' mastery of their instruments. The cello player from Moscow, the violinist from Armenia and the harp player from Paraguay blew me away. I also enjoyed the drummer's solo. A song called "Nightingale" featured a stunning performance from a female vocalist.

I really enjoyed the music in this concert. Yanni also has a pleasant audience-engaging stage presence. I used to think he was some new ager, but my eyes were opened last night.

He will be on tour for quite a while, so if you have the chance, go check him out. You won't be disappointed.

[beherit]

MAIDEN!!! kicked ass

[MCM]

QUOTE (ReGorLaTroy @ Apr 2 2012, 09:37 PM)

Just had front row tickets to see Van Halen at the Consol Arena in Pittsburgh. They must have been in an inspired mood that night, because they just sounded so good. The new songs fit so well in the set and mixed well with all of the classic VH songs that you'd expect to hear. Diamond Dave's voice sounded much better than I thought it would...he even made some pretty impressive jumps and splits for a man his age. Eddie was just simply amazing...one of the very best, that's for sure. Alex's drum solo was fantastic...really made me wonder why he isn't higher rated in the arena of public opinion. Wolfgang was pretty solid...great interaction with his dad, which couldn't help but bring a smile to one's face. (Still missed Michael up there though...no disrespect to Wolfgang). Was flipping the coin on this one and really glad I decided to catch them live on this tour. Of course, the biggest surprise was how good Kool and the Gang was as an opening act...they are a really tight band, even if it isn't your cup of tea. All in all, it was a great trip down memory lane and a great chance to be 17 again!

Do you live in Pittsburgh? I was at this show too, I was first row of the second section on the floor. I thought it was an excellent show, good enough to negate what I thought was a horrible show the last time I saw them over at the Arena. That was awful! I love the new album and thought the songs sounded great. I thought Dave's voice was pretty rough towards the end, but not enough to say it was bad.

 

I really enjoyed K&tG, it was a fun trip down memory lane, I had a lot of their songs on K-Tel records back in the day.

 

I decided to go earlier that day, picked up my ticket on Ticketmaster so I didn't even pay scalper prices for it. Was an excellent night.

 

[The Cat 3]

QUOTE (MCM @ Jun 25 2012, 08:25 PM)

QUOTE (ReGorLaTroy @ Apr 2 2012, 09:37 PM) Just had front row tickets to see Van Halen at the Consol Arena in Pittsburgh. They must have been in an inspired mood that night, because they just sounded so good. The new songs fit so well in the set and mixed well with all of the classic VH songs that you'd expect to hear. Diamond Dave's voice sounded much better than I thought it would...he even made some pretty impressive jumps and splits for a man his age. Eddie was just simply amazing...one of the very best, that's for sure. Alex's drum solo was fantastic...really made me wonder why he isn't higher rated in the arena of public opinion. Wolfgang was pretty solid...great interaction with his dad, which couldn't help but bring a smile to one's face. (Still missed Michael up there though...no disrespect to Wolfgang). Was flipping the coin on this one and really glad I decided to catch them live on this tour. Of course, the biggest surprise was how good Kool and the Gang was as an opening act...they are a really tight band, even if it isn't your cup of tea. All in all, it was a great trip down memory lane and a great chance to be 17 again! Do you live in Pittsburgh? I was at this show too, I was first row of the second section on the floor. I thought it was an excellent show, good enough to negate what I thought was a horrible show the last time I saw them over at the Arena. That was awful! I love the new album and thought the songs sounded great. I thought Dave's voice was pretty rough towards the end, but not enough to say it was bad.   I really enjoyed K&tG, it was a fun trip down memory lane, I had a lot of their songs on K-Tel records back in the day.   I decided to go earlier that day, picked up my ticket on Ticketmaster so I didn't even pay scalper prices for it. Was an excellent night. I actually live in New Jersey, about 15 miles outside of New York City.   I lived in Seven Fields for about a year when my company opened a store there.   I have family that lives in Cranberry, so I try to coordinate my trips with a concert.   Visit me Mum, catch a show!   The Van Halen front row tickets was a birthday present to my sister.   I'm actually coming out for the Def Leppard gig at Niagra Pavillion (formally Post-Gazette) in August.   I may have 1 or 2 extra front row tickets to that show if you know anyone who may be interested, as my sister may have a business trip then and might not be able to make the show.   Pittsburgh is such a great place to see a rock concert, the fans are amazing.   Not to mention catching a Steelers game...where the fans are just a bit beyond definition!

[MCM]

QUOTE (ReGorLaTroy @ Jun 28 2012, 11:37 AM)

QUOTE (MCM @ Jun 25 2012, 08:25 PM) QUOTE (ReGorLaTroy @ Apr 2 2012, 09:37 PM) Just had front row tickets to see Van Halen at the Consol Arena in Pittsburgh. They must have been in an inspired mood that night, because they just sounded so good. The new songs fit so well in the set and mixed well with all of the classic VH songs that you'd expect to hear. Diamond Dave's voice sounded much better than I thought it would...he even made some pretty impressive jumps and splits for a man his age. Eddie was just simply amazing...one of the very best, that's for sure. Alex's drum solo was fantastic...really made me wonder why he isn't higher rated in the arena of public opinion. Wolfgang was pretty solid...great interaction with his dad, which couldn't help but bring a smile to one's face. (Still missed Michael up there though...no disrespect to Wolfgang). Was flipping the coin on this one and really glad I decided to catch them live on this tour. Of course, the biggest surprise was how good Kool and the Gang was as an opening act...they are a really tight band, even if it isn't your cup of tea. All in all, it was a great trip down memory lane and a great chance to be 17 again! Do you live in Pittsburgh? I was at this show too, I was first row of the second section on the floor. I thought it was an excellent show, good enough to negate what I thought was a horrible show the last time I saw them over at the Arena. That was awful! I love the new album and thought the songs sounded great. I thought Dave's voice was pretty rough towards the end, but not enough to say it was bad.   I really enjoyed K&tG, it was a fun trip down memory lane, I had a lot of their songs on K-Tel records back in the day.   I decided to go earlier that day, picked up my ticket on Ticketmaster so I didn't even pay scalper prices for it. Was an excellent night. I actually live in New Jersey, about 15 miles outside of New York City.   I lived in Seven Fields for about a year when my company opened a store there.   I have family that lives in Cranberry, so I try to coordinate my trips with a concert.   Visit me Mum, catch a show!   The Van Halen front row tickets was a birthday present to my sister.   I'm actually coming out for the Def Leppard gig at Niagra Pavillion (formally Post-Gazette) in August.   I may have 1 or 2 extra front row tickets to that show if you know anyone who may be interested, as my sister may have a business trip then and might not be able to make the show.   Pittsburgh is such a great place to see a rock concert, the fans are amazing.   Not to mention catching a Steelers game...where the fans are just a bit beyond definition! I've given up on all the name changes out there in Burgettstown, I refuse to keep track and I call that venue "StarLake" I passed on the DL show as no one wanted to go with me. We'll be out there Labor Day for Kiss and Motley Crue tho.   Rational or not, we do take football to a whole new level here in the Burgh. I do love this city. Makes me happy to hear that others who don't live here enjoy visiting.   Will you be attending the Rush show at Consol? or taking in shows closer to home?

[The Cat 3]

I was in Pittsburgh whent hey won their last Superbowl.

 

Hines Ward was one of my customers.

 

We had a wager that I'd wear a Steelers shirt if they went to the Superbowl.

 

(I told him that I'm a die-hard Redskins fan and had never worn any other team's clothing!)

 

He called me Monday morning after winning that final playoff game and said, "well...?"

 

So, I bought a cool vintage looking Steelers T Shirt for my wife and I at Nordstrom.

 

Still have it, still wear it...The Steelers are now my official AFC team.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Yeah, Catching the 11 September gig at Consol!

 

Should be at TGI Fridays beforehand...

 

...we hung there before the VH gig and had a great time.

 

Then the 2 NY/NJ gigs here in October.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Seeing KISS/Motley Crue here in September...just got 4th row dead center ticekts for that one...should be fantastic.

 

~Cheers, RGLT

[Enemy Within 77]

Saw The Melvins last night, and holy fukk! These guys are so crushing live! Anyone into heavy/experimental/weird needs to see them if they're in your neighborhood. Been a fan for a long time and they still continue to amaze me with their awesome music.

[Steevo]

QUOTE (Enemy Within 77 @ Jul 3 2012, 05:53 PM)

Saw The Melvins last night, and holy fukk! These guys are so crushing live! Anyone into heavy/experimental/weird needs to see them if they're in your neighborhood. Been a fan for a long time and they still continue to amaze me with their awesome music.

I saw them open for Tool on the Lateralus tour down here.

[Enemy Within 77]

QUOTE (Steevo @ Jul 3 2012, 02:28 AM)

QUOTE (Enemy Within 77 @ Jul 3 2012, 05:53 PM) Saw The Melvins last night, and holy fukk! These guys are so crushing live! Anyone into heavy/experimental/weird needs to see them if they're in your neighborhood. Been a fan for a long time and they still continue to amaze me with their awesome music.     I saw them open for Tool on the Lateralus tour down here. What'd you think of them? Adam Jones of Tool has done some albums with them.

[Steevo]

[ridertoo98]

CS&N last nite with my GF/SO/ love of my life...

Anyway, they did 2 sets played little @3 hrs, were good. Felt like a kid, all the old hippies that were there.. I was surpised they did a good job. This weekend is a Rush band cd party...

[Enemy Within 77]

[Steevo]

Thanks dude, I'm onto it

[Enemy Within 77]

QUOTE (Steevo @ Jul 4 2012, 03:00 AM)

Thanks dude, I'm onto it

No prob , man. Enjoy!

[USB Connector]

I saw Def Leppard yesterday. Setlist spoilers for Poison (minor) and Def Leppard (major)

 

Lita Ford opened for poison: she had her ass to the crowd most of the time trying to be sexy (sorry ma'am, but you have no sex appeal left and I'm glad there were no cameras to do close ups for the projector). Between songs she kept bringing up how her new album was available. She didn't seem interested at all. It was painful to watch and painful to listen to. I had already made my round at the merch booth so I had nothing to do but sit through it.

 

Poison opened for Def Leppard: I don't like their songs for the most part, but I was looking forward to their last few songs on the set (unskinny bop and talk dirty to me). Bret Michaels caught me off guard. He packed a ton of energy and despite the fact that most of the music isn't exactly my cup of tea I was very much engaged and enjoyed it. Every rose has it's thorn was particularly amazing to hear live (I hadn't heard it before). The drum and guitar solos were quite impressive. I wasn't phased so much by the drumming after having seen Neil Peart's solos but I must give Poison the benefit considering Neil's amazing skill. I went in with low expectations, wound up loving it despite the crap lighting and no cameras for the projector. I was very happy.

 

Def Leppard: They opened with Undefeated, a song I found mediocre by studio recording, but DAMN they had style while performing it. It sounded much better live. They moved into Rocket, amazing, especially during the chorus. They keep that up during Let it Go. On comes Foolin' when suddlenly, Joe Elliot's voice dies during the chorus. Instant state of WTF. It was like the vocal track just died on the part of the song everyone wanted to hear during the song everyone wanted to hear. I didn't expect him to hit the notes, but I expected to hear the words "Is anybody out there" at a higher pitch than the chorus. Nothing came from the speakers, meanwhile on the projector you can see him forcing pretty hard with no results. It was sad to watch. Every time he had to hit a high note this happened, which completely ruined Animal, Love Bites, Hysteria, Bringin' on the Heartbreak and Armageddon it. After that he drank something and he nailed Photograph, Pour some sugar on me and Rock of Ages, but I don't think it was enough to save the concert, especially for how long they took to start the encore.

 

On the plus side, everything else was spot on. There was an acoustic section where every band member sat with a guitar on a box to do an acoustic medley. Thirty seconds after everyone sat down Rick Allen came on with a shaker. One of the guitarists got up and gave him his spot next to Eliot. It was a beautiful moment on stage which had some very beautiful arrangements. I loved the acoustic section.

 

Despite how Def Leppard exceeded my expectations of the concert going in, Elliot's shotty voice ruined almost half the setlist (all of which were the band's signature songs). The concert was good, but I left disappointed because my favorite songs were missing a vocal track and only had a picture of a struggling man on stage as compensation.

[launchpad67a]

QUOTE (USB Connector @ Jul 17 2012, 07:04 PM)

I saw Def Leppard yesterday. Setlist spoilers for Poison (minor) and Def Leppard (major) Lita Ford opened for poison: she had her ass to the crowd most of the time trying to be sexy (sorry ma'am, but you have no sex appeal left and I'm glad there were no cameras to do close ups for the projector). Between songs she kept bringing up how her new album was available. She didn't seem interested at all. It was painful to watch and painful to listen to. I had already made my round at the merch booth so I had nothing to do but sit through it. Poison opened for Def Leppard: I don't like their songs for the most part, but I was looking forward to their last few songs on the set (unskinny bop and talk dirty to me). Bret Michaels caught me off guard. He packed a ton of energy and despite the fact that most of the music isn't exactly my cup of tea I was very much engaged and enjoyed it. Every rose has it's thorn was particularly amazing to hear live (I hadn't heard it before). The drum and guitar solos were quite impressive. I wasn't phased so much by the drumming after having seen Neil Peart's solos but I must give Poison the benefit considering Neil's amazing skill. I went in with low expectations, wound up loving it despite the crap lighting and no cameras for the projector. I was very happy. Def Leppard: They opened with Undefeated, a song I found mediocre by studio recording, but DAMN they had style while performing it. It sounded much better live. They moved into Rocket, amazing, especially during the chorus. They keep that up during Let it Go. On comes Foolin' when suddlenly, Joe Elliot's voice dies during the chorus. Instant state of WTF. It was like the vocal track just died on the part of the song everyone wanted to hear during the song everyone wanted to hear. I didn't expect him to hit the notes, but I expected to hear the words "Is anybody out there" at a higher pitch than the chorus. Nothing came from the speakers, meanwhile on the projector you can see him forcing pretty hard with no results. It was sad to watch. Every time he had to hit a high note this happened, which completely ruined Animal, Love Bites, Hysteria, Bringin' on the Heartbreak and Armageddon it. After that he drank something and he nailed Photograph, Pour some sugar on me and Rock of Ages, but I don't think it was enough to save the concert, especially for how long they took to start the encore. On the plus side, everything else was spot on. There was an acoustic section where every band member sat with a guitar on a box to do an acoustic medley. Thirty seconds after everyone sat down Rick Allen came on with a shaker. One of the guitarists got up and gave him his spot next to Eliot. It was a beautiful moment on stage which had some very beautiful arrangements. I loved the acoustic section. Despite how Def Leppard exceeded my expectations of the concert going in, Elliot's shotty voice ruined almost half the setlist (all of which were the band's signature songs). The concert was good, but I left disappointed because my favorite songs were missing a vocal track and only had a picture of a struggling man on stage as compensation.

I've seen them a few times and once from the front row, "in the round". Always amazing concerts. They are as Pro of a band as you'll find anywhere. Shame you had to see a show where Joe lost his voice, at least you know the vocals were real...

Their live mix is always killer and they can all really play their parts. Total pros.

Thanks for the review!

[USB Connector]

QUOTE (launchpad67a @ Jul 18 2012, 01:59 AM)

QUOTE (USB Connector @ Jul 17 2012, 07:04 PM) I saw Def Leppard  yesterday. Setlist spoilers for Poison (minor) and Def Leppard (major) Lita Ford opened for poison: she had her ass to the crowd most of the time trying to be sexy (sorry ma'am, but you have no sex appeal left and I'm glad there were no cameras to do close ups for the projector). Between songs she kept bringing up how her new album was available. She didn't seem interested at all. It was painful to watch and painful to listen to. I had already made my round at the merch booth so I had nothing to do but sit through it. Poison opened for Def Leppard: I don't like their songs for the most part, but I was looking forward to their last few songs on the set (unskinny bop and talk dirty to me). Bret Michaels caught me off guard. He packed a ton of energy and despite the fact that most of the music isn't exactly my cup of tea I was very much engaged and enjoyed it. Every rose has it's thorn was particularly amazing to hear live (I hadn't heard it before). The drum and guitar solos were quite impressive. I wasn't phased so much by the drumming after having seen Neil Peart's solos but I must give Poison the benefit considering Neil's amazing skill. I went in with low expectations, wound up loving it despite the crap lighting and no cameras for the projector. I was very happy. Def Leppard: They opened with Undefeated, a song I found mediocre by studio recording, but DAMN they had style while performing it. It sounded much better live. They moved into Rocket, amazing, especially during the chorus. They keep that up during Let it Go. On comes Foolin' when suddlenly, Joe Elliot's voice dies during the chorus. Instant state of WTF. It was like the vocal track just died on the part of the song everyone wanted to hear during the song everyone wanted to hear. I didn't expect him to hit the notes, but I expected to hear the words "Is anybody out there" at a higher pitch than the chorus. Nothing came from the speakers, meanwhile on the projector you can see him forcing pretty hard with no results. It was sad to watch. Every time he had to hit a high note this happened, which completely ruined Animal, Love Bites, Hysteria, Bringin' on the Heartbreak and Armageddon it. After that he drank something and he nailed Photograph, Pour some sugar on me and Rock of Ages, but I don't think it was enough to save the concert, especially for how long they took to start the encore. On the plus side, everything else was spot on. There was an acoustic section where every band member sat with a guitar on a box to do an acoustic medley. Thirty seconds after everyone sat down Rick Allen came on with a shaker. One of the guitarists got up and gave him his spot next to Eliot. It was a beautiful moment on stage which had some very beautiful arrangements. I loved the acoustic section. Despite how Def Leppard exceeded my expectations of the concert going in, Elliot's shotty voice ruined almost half the setlist (all of which were the band's signature songs). The concert was good, but I left disappointed because my favorite songs were missing a vocal track and only had a picture of a struggling man on stage as compensation. I've seen them a few times and once from the front row, "in the round". Always amazing concerts. They are as Pro of a band as you'll find anywhere. Shame you had to see a show where Joe lost his voice, at least you know the vocals were real... Their live mix is always killer and they can all really play their parts. Total pros. Thanks for the review! Thanks for the heads up. I was on the second floor closest to the stage, so all we got was a ton of bass (there was a speaker about 20-30 meters from us). I was impressed with the songs the did nail (Let's get Rocked, Rocket, Undefeated and the acoustic section) but even the guys in the front row were saddened by his voice. There was no energy in the crowd at the end of the show. Many people in my section skipped the encore to beat traffic. I'm glad this doesn't normally happen. Hopefully they'll come back next tour.

[GeddyLeeRoth]

Rockstar Energy Mayhem Fest in KC, Tues 7/17. The best sounding show I have seen in years and years aside from Rush. I watched four bands--Anthrax, Motorhead, Slayer and Slipknot. Everyone of them sounded incredible. This was the first time seeing Motorhead and I've always heard they playing biligerently loud. Not the case this time, and every instrument stood out and clicked. Thats the way it was for all four of these bands and this usually isn't the case with package tours. This is the 10th time I've seen Slayer, but it was the sickest sound ever. They sounded like their Decade Of Aggression album, only thicker and with more presence. I hate to say it, but I think they may be better without Hanneman. In the 80's and 90's Jeff was the better player, but I don't think he tried anymore. I noticed his picking attack is a lot more laxed the last few tours. The crazy thing with this last show was, guitar god Gary Holt was mixed way down, but Kerry King was playing his best I've ever heard him. The rhythms were precise and venomous and his leads were sicker than ever. I love Gary Holt, but from where I was standing (on Kerry's side) he was just faint background filler for Kerry's one man axe onslaught.

[daveyt]

just saw Dream Theater in boston and they were OK but i expected some more technical stuff and I wish portnoy was there.

 

you know who was reDQulous? the crimson projeKct. their show was so frickin good i will never miss them again. adrian belew belew me away as did tony levin and the rest of the cast.

[deathlikesilence]

[Enemy Within 77]