The British Invasion is Playing the Hollywood Casino This Saturday Night and Ricki C. Is Going To See Them

I don’t go to the Hollywood Casino much.  I fully admit I’m one of those former West Siders who thought it would be great to put the Columbus casino on the West Side rather than downtown, who thought that it would revitalize the entire West Side and be really great for my former neighbors.  Of course, that’s not the way it turned out.  The casino ABSOLUTELY should have been downtown, where it might have actually attracted clientele from the Convention Center, Huntington Park, etc., and been better positioned for people from all over the city to converge at one CENTRAL LOCATION to gamble their hard-earned money, as opposed to the West Side senior citizens pissing away their Social Security checks at the penny slots, the way I see it now.

But I digress………

The British Invasion is playing the Hollywood Casino this Saturday night, May 7th, 8-11:30 pm in the H Lounge (formerly the O-H lounge) and that’s more than enough to lure me back to my old neighborhood.  (I could throw a softball from my first apartment in Lincoln Park West and hit the casino.)  The British Invasion is five guys playing all the 1964-1967 British Invasion tunes I cut my musical teeth on, but more importantly, not just the normal mishmash of Beatles ‘n’ Stones tunes bands of this genre normally play: The British Invasion goes Deep Cuts on The Kinks, The Small Faces, The Hollies, The Zombies and The Troggs – among others – and charms the hell out of this West Side rocker's heart.  (And, you’ve gotta understand, normally Ricki C. is not gonna venture out on a Saturday night ANYWHERE – let alone the Hollywood Casino – to see a cover/tribute band: has Ricki EVER seen The Menus or The Reaganomics?  Not on your sweet, short life.)

My sister’s coming up from Grove City to meet me for the show, too, and that’s cool, because she’s the one who turned me on to The British Invasion to begin with.  A coupla years ago they played some downtown street bash in Grove City and all I heard for the next two weeks was Dianne babbling, “You’ve gotta see this band I saw!  They’re called The British Invasion and THEY WERE GREAT!  We’ve gotta find out where they’re playing next and go see them!  You’d love them!”

Now let’s keep in mind, ladies & gentlemen, my sister’s tastes in music run to the likes of The Four Seasons, Lawrence Welk and Wayne Newton.  (She once actually called me up in the 1980’s and announced breathlessly, “Ric, Wayne Newton is playing at Beulah Park!  We should go!”  When I replied, “Dianne, I wouldn’t go out in my backyard to see Wayne Newton,” she was genuinely crestfallen.)

So I didn’t have particularly high hopes for whatever outdoor show Dianne dragged me to that summer to see the band, but damn, if The British Invasion DIDN’T DELIVER BIG TIME!  First off, they dress up in matching 60’s outfits (which Di loved) and anybody who knows me well realizes that I’m a TOTAL SUCKER for bands in uniforms, from Paul Revere & the Raiders in 1965 to The White Stripes in this 21st century.  (The Strokes also kinda fall in that category, come to think of it.)  (So do The League Bowlers, but that's a different blog for another time.)

Secondly – and most importantly – The British Invasion doesn’t just PLAY mid-60’s rock & roll music, they UNDERSTAND mid-60’s rock & roll music.  They understand that all the little hooks – guitar arpeggios, backing vocals, little drum-breaks coming out of solos – are all JUST AS IMPORTANT as the words & music of the songs.  It’s those little touches in the songs that put these guys heads & shoulders above the middling cover bands I have to think litter The Hollywood Casino stage week in and week out. 

Anyway, I’m WAY over my allotted 500 words, so let me just say this: If you like rock & roll that is equal parts MELODY, SMARTS & POWER; if you like rock & roll that is as far from alternative hipster bullshit as you can get; if you like rock & roll that is FUN, come and see the British Invasion at the Hollywood Casino this Saturday night.  It don’t cost nothin’ and I GUARANTEE a good time.  See ya there.  -  Ricki C. / May 3rd, 2016  

Let's Go Crazy. The Best of Prince. Shows, Clips, Stories, Concerts, Everything. Enjoy.

There have been a ton of great postings about Prince since his untimely and tragic death two weeks ago. Ricki and myself chimed in with a couple thoughts ourselves, but here is a shortcut guide to some of the best of the rest. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did putting it together. R.I.P. Prince.

Now.... Let's Go Crazy - Colin G

Prince was so amazing, I proposed that he just be given the Super Bowl halftime show as a regular gig. In fact, I suggested the whole event be renamed "Prince's Annual TV Blowout with Special Guest Football Game." 

Super Bowl halftime shows are almost always worthless. A few pop stars who capture the current pop-music mood lip sync their hits, and two days later we barely remember the game, let alone the uninspired halftime show. But not the Super Bowl XLI halftime show, in 2007.

And then there is this too..

Prince - Baby I'm A Star (live, 1984) Rest in Peace, Prince!

fair use for ... well ... just to know how spaced out people work ... and a good laugh for the masses.

 

Bob Mould's eulogy for Prince

The Day Prince's Guitar Wept the Loudest - New York Times

Ok, the previous story was behind the scenes of Prince's famous solo during the George Harrison tribute at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Three things before we post the clip. 

1) Without the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this moment never happens. So pipe down rock hall haters.

2) Before Youtube, the ONLY place you could see this was at the actual Rock and Roll Museum. I know because they had this continuous loop of induction ceremony highlights playing and suddenly this clip popped up. I was flabbergasted by it's greatness. I gathered everybody up and said, "You HAVE to check out this clip of Prince playing While My Guitar Gently Weeps." We waited patiently the 30 minutes or so for the clip to come up again and it was better than the first time I saw it. We waited the loop one more time to see it again. 

3) Even before Prince passed away, if you googled "World's Best Guitar Solo," this is what would come up first.

4) Hell, let's make it an even four. The red hat looks bad ass with that Telecaster.

Prince, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne and others perform "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the 2004 Hall of Fame Inductions. http://rockhall.com/ ⁍ Buy "While My Guitar Gently Weeps": https://goo.gl/8sEuNp ⁍ Buy the Rock Hall of Fame Vinyl: http://goo.gl/fVR2Go ⁍ Buy the Rock Hall of Fame 3 DVD set: http://goo.gl/W7mKXa Visit us!

FULL SHOW from First Avenue 1983.

Perhaps the most significant time capsule of all live shows, the legendary August 3, 1983 benefit gig at First Avenue was the first time anybody on the planet would hear several soon to be career defining staples all at once.

 

Prince covering "Creep" at Coachella.

Featured in Time Magazine: http://time.com/4140876/prince-radioh..., The Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/8/9873886/prince-creep-radiohead-cover-coachella-youtube, Fuse.tv: http://www.fuse.tv/2015/12/prince-rad..., Music.Mic: http://mic.com/articles/130011/you-ca..., Slate: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2..., Entertainment Weekly: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/12/08/..., US Weekly: http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainme..., Esquire: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/..., Billboard: http://www.billboard.com/articles/new..., and countless others. STATEMENT FROM RADIOHEAD: "Well, tell him to unblock it. It's our ... song."

 

We were recording at The Loft with Watershed in 2014 when Biggie said, "You guys have to take a break to check out Prince on SNL. I taped it." Needless to say, it was way beyond what normal people do. The point being, I remember exactly where I was when I watched this. Like 9/11, but groovier. I really liked the records he put out around this time.

Farewell to a great musician and artist who has left us too soon. Just one of his many great performances over the years. Instead of doing the usual two songs on SNL, Prince did a single 8 minute set. Enjoy. This is a TRIBUTE post.

This interview with Larry King is classic. "So when did you start referring to yourself as the artist formerly known as Prince?" "Uh, Larry, I don't refer to myself that way. Others do."

Prince appeared on a December 10, 1999 episode of CNN's Larry King Live and talked about his career, his new album and why he changed his name.

Eleven songs you didn't know were written by Prince.

FULL Concert Lovesexy Tour 88. Amazing. (Duh)

Tremendous concert back then. I visited the show in Dortmund, Sept. ,9th 1988, when it started to change my life forever. In heartful remembrance to PRINCE, who left us much too soon. .... enjoy it, friends. "until the end of time"! ##### due to blocking I had to cut out the PurpleRain sequence at aprox.

And last but not least, the artist kills it on the Muppet Show

Uploaded by VampyreBarbieDoll on 2016-04-21.

I Cried So Hard Listening To Bruce Pay Tribute to Prince, I Had to Pull Over - by Colin Gawel.

Editor's note: The following was something I wrote after the passing of Prince. I decided not to publish as it's pretty obvious nobody needs to hear my thoughts on the subject. In fact, I was going to delete it until Ricki C. talked me into posting it. So here you go. For the official Pencilstorm prose on Prince, click here to read Ricki C's excellent story. - Colin Gawel

 

I'm not qualified to write about the passing of Prince and I'm not going to spend much time doing it here. Of course, I was a fan. Everybody was a fan. But I am no Prince aficionado. I knew the hits and followed along the best I could through the years. An occasional Prince bender to get caught up on all that I had missed. I was lucky enough to see him perform live one time. Needless to say, it was jaw-dropping. Whenever Watershed played Minneapolis, we would stop by Prince's store and look through the windows. The way you stop in front of Graceland to take a look. Or stare at the full moon on a clear night. 

But, back in the mid 80's, I wore big, clunky blue radio headphones on my paper route and was bombarded with cuts from Purple Rain and Born in the USA on a daily basis. PRINCE and BRUCE were the soundtrack to the Reagan era before I even knew what that was. I suppose Madonna would be the other big name, but as a boy heading into puberty, you might say I was watching her more than listening.

To hear that Prince had passed, it was a body blow. Way more intense than the passing of any other musician of my lifetime to this date. And I like I said, I don't even consider myself a truly hardcore fan. But driving home from the coffee shop today listening to BRUCE pay tribute to PRINCE, the tears started flowing. CEO's and politicians come and go, but they are always replaced. When Prince goes, we do not get to vote on a new Prince. Nobody gets promoted, it's just empty space. 

Ok, this probably doesn't make much sense. But neither does the passing of Prince. I suppose my strong reaction is because If Prince can go, anybody can go. Enjoy today. Put on some big blue headphones and crank up some tunes. Life is short. Clicking post.........now. - CG

Uploaded by Stan Goldstein on 2016-04-24.

Prince (in very few words) - by Ricki C.

I was born in 1952, making me chronologically OLDER than rock & roll itself.  Further, I have now lived through five complete decades of rock & roll and two partial decades.  The 1980's were - by far - the WORST decade of music I spent ten years in.  In fact, if I really had to break it down, Prince might have been the ONLY truly POPULAR artist of the 1980's I really liked.  (And I'm talking widespread, mass, man-on-the-street popularity here, not The Replacements or REM popular.)  Michael Jackson?  Don't make me fucking laugh, Prince portrayed more rock & roll heart and talent in any ONE of his guitar solos than Jackson did in his entire career.  

So when I was driving home today from the cancer clinic where my sister gets her chemotherapy treatments and CD102.5 was playing "The Cross," my first thought was, "Wow, this is a weird programming choice, even for No Repeat Thursday."  And when the DJ came on and said Prince was dead at 57 I just thought, "Jesus, that can't be right."  I can deal with Bowie and Glenn Frey and Buffin from Mott The Hoople being gone, they were all older than me.  But Prince was only 57 and - to paraphrase an old Rolling Stones bootleg - "Live'r than I'll ever be."

Prince was brilliant.  He was a born performer, played KILLER guitar, and wrote so many great songs he could just farm them out to other acts (The Time, Vanity 6, Sinead O'Connor, Sheila E, The Bangles, etc.) when he got tired of scaling the charts himself.  (And let's face facts, if Prince never did anything cooler than making it with Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles, he'd STILL be one of my Top 5 Rock & Roll Heroes.)

I don't know what he died of, I really don't care, I just know my world is a little quieter, and a lot less rock & roll than it was yesterday.  - Ricki C. / April 21st, 2016

 

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band paying tribute to Prince, 4/23/2016 

 

 

Record Store Day 2016 Wrap-Up - by Scott Carr

Record Store Day 2016 is officially in the books. Saturday April 16 was one of the biggest shopping days for the record buying community and vinyl fans were out in full force. On a normal Saturday when you walk into a local indie record shop you will find people calmly milling around digging through bins of records looking for a lost gem and discussing why Pink Floyd's records with Syd Barrett are the only ones that matter. The scene is a little different on Record Store Day. On RSD shops open bright and early and typically have a long line of customers waiting in line to come in and snatch up exclusive limited edition albums released specifically for the event. Some people wait in line all night long. Once the doors open there is a constant stream of people coming through the door all day long. Most shops add additional staff for the day and offer extended hours to handle the additional business.

By all accounts this years RSD was the most successful yet. Local shops reported having huge lines all day long and record sales. 

So, you are probably wondering what all the fuss is about surrounding RSD exclusive releases. I have compiled a list of titles that came out on RSD that I think are some of the best. Keep in mind there were probably around 400 releases that were released on RSD and these are just a few that I think are among the best.....

Cheap Trick - At Budokan - The Complete Concert.

Finally available on vinyl for the first time! Cheap Trick's classic Budokan concert in its entirety. This is a release that I have been hoping would happen for awhile now. I actually told someone a few years back that this would be a perfect RSD release and here it is. The Record Store Day Gods were listening, now maybe we will see an official release of the Wicked Lester demos. If you love the original At Budokan, this one is twice as good.

Note - Cheap Trick also released a limited edition 10" record for Record Store Day this year called Found New Parts which is sort of a sequel to their 1980 Found All The Parts. The new ep features songs from the band's latest record Bang Zoom Crazy...Hello along with one exclusive track called "Arabesque." Not as exciting as the Budokan release or even 1980's Found All The Parts, but a must for Cheap Trick fanatics..

Fleetwood Mac - The Alternate Tusk

Just as the title implies, this release is an alternate version of the entire Tusk album from Fleetwood Mac. Previously only available as part of the deluxe box set of Tusk, this is the first stand-alone vinyl version of the alternate version of the album. Of all the Buckingham/Nicks era Fleetwood Mac albums Tusk is without a doubt my favorite and is often considered their masterpiece. 

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - Kiss My Amps Vol. 2

RSD exclusive release featuring deep cuts, hits, and handpicked covers from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. Recorded during their 2013 tour and sounds as good as ever. This release is a follow-up to Petty's 2011 RSD Black Friday release Kiss My Amps Vol. 1 that was recorded during The Heartbreakers 2010 Mojo tour. 

Note - Record Store Day also saw a release from Petty's band Mudcrutch. A limited edition single featuring two songs from a new Mudcrutch album that will be released later in the year. 

Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers - Vive La Revolution: Live Paris 1977 At The Bataclan

Tom Petty's Heartbreakers weren't the only ones with a limited edition release for Record Store Day. Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers see the first official release on vinyl of show that was recorded at the last date of their 1977 European tour. The show was to be the soundtrack of a film but the film never got produced. Terry Chimes of The Clash fills in on drums as drummer Jerry Nolan had left The Heartbreakers prior to this show. 

(editor's note: The 1970's were definitely the last decade that you could have TWO major bands in the same genre of music with the same name and the situation got settled without lawsuits.  You've gotta kinda love that fact.)

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Sinner

Joan's 2006 Bob Rock-produced album Sinner released on vinyl for the very first time. Limited edition clear vinyl with a download card featuring bonus material. Most of the songs on this record originally appeared on Joan's Japan-only release Naked in 2004, but many are different mixes. Joan delivers some of her strongest original material in some time and Sinner also features excellent covers of Sweet's "AC/DC" and The Replacements "Androgynous." Joan has done several Record Store Day releases in the past and Sinner is one of her best.

Those are just a few of the official RSD releases that caught my eye this year. It's also worth noting that local Columbus artists were well represented with their own RSD releases, including two new singles on the Lost Weekend Records label from The Electric Hand and Mr. Tiger, and Pat Dull's Break Up Records released their third installment of the Columbus Blood compilation series featuring exclusive tracks from some of the best bands in the city.  There was also a new single from The Girls. 

Lydia Loveless also made an appearance on a new RSD release. The 12" single for a song called One Voice brings Lydia together with Norah Jones, Aimee Mann, Suzanna Hoffs, Neko Case and Brian May. The song is from an animal welfare documentary called A Dog Named Gucci. Yes, you read that correctly: Lydia Loveless is on a record with Brian May from Queen. That's pretty cool.

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH  bands Radio Tramps andReturning April.  Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

Chris goes through many of this year's Record Store Day exclusives.

Provided to YouTube by Sony Music Entertainment Come On, Come On (Live At Budokan: The Complete Concert) · Cheap Trick / 廉價把戲合唱團 BUDOKAN! (30th Anniversary) ℗ 1978 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment Released on: 2008-11-11 Associated Performer, Producer: Cheap Trick / 廉價把戲合唱團 Guitar: Rick Nielsen Composer, Lyricist: R.

Tusk is the 12th album by the British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Released in 1979, it is considered experimental, primarily due to Lindsey Buckingham's sparser songwriting arrangements and the influence of punk rock and New Wave on his production techniques.

Official video for Androgynous. by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts http://www.joanjett.com http://www.facebook.comjoanjettandtheblackhearts https://twitter.com/joanjett Buy on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/joan-jett-the-blackhearts/id916203

Local Drummer Weighs In On Rolling Stone's "100 Best Drummers" - by Pete Vogel

Above all things, I’m a drummer.  It’s what I love the most: it’s what I listen to when a song comes on the radio; it’s what makes me feel the most alive as a musician.  When Colin asked my impressions of Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Drummers, I told him I’d write my reflections on it.  It would take too long to reflect on all 100, so I thought I’d focus on 10 points that are significant to the list.

94. Meg White – Sadly, she shouldn’t be on the list.  She probably shouldn’t even be on a Top 200 list.  I’m not trying to disparage women and drumming—I’ve had several chick drummers as students—but I know a seventh-grade girl who plays better than Meg.  I imagine you probably do, too.

54. Questlove – I’m sorry, but Questlove is a mediocre drummer in a mediocre band that just happens to be on television five times a week.  That doesn’t qualify.  For him to be ahead of such luminaries as Manu Katche, Mick Fleetwood, Max Weinberg and Tony Thompson is a travesty, IMHO.  

15. Buddy Rich and 14. Ringo Star – Again, I’m not sure what the powers-that-be were thinking, but Buddy Rich completely revolutionized the Big Band/Swing era and Ringo was the least influential Beatle of the four.  Buddy was one of the first drummers to add an extended solo into the choreography of a concert; (click here for a sample video) Ringo is the reason for drummer jokes.  Ringo was an average drummer in a great band; his only noteworthy contribution (IMHO) was his unique drumming on “Come Together.”  Everything else was pretty much par for the course.  His son, Zak Starkey, is far better, and he’s not even on the list.  Buddy Rich should be top 5 and Ringo should be in the 50's or 60's, if not further down.

12. Charlie Watts - A prime example of a jazz drummer who took the better-paying gig.  His musical contributions to the Rolling Stones were vanilla at best; he took no risks in his playing, minimized his role to the backbeat (and backseat) and looks bored out of his skull in the process.  This drummer is so lazy: he takes the 4th beat of every measure off…watch him play the hi-hat and you’ll see he skips the fourth beat practically every time.  I know he plays for the band this magazine was named after, but 12 is 88 spots too high.  I’ll give him props for his beat on “Beast of Burden,” but that’s it.  People don’t go to a Stones concert to watch Charlie Watts.  Never.

7. Gene Krupa – I’m very glad he was voted this high on the list.  He begat the modern era of drumming, putting the drums on a level-playing field with other instruments.  He influenced Keith Moon, Mitch Mitchell and Ginger Baker with his bombastic playing, showmanship, stick twirling and double-bass kit.  He really was the first showman behind the drums, so I’m glad he’s given props for this.  Well played, RS. (click here to see Gene Krupa vs Buddy Rich)

4. Neil Peart – Neil sits at number 4, and I think that number is too low.  Neil revolutionized rock drumming: he actually created compositions with his drumbeats/fills/solos and anyone who sees him live knows he plays these parts with consistency.  He plays with precision and intention—the same way a guitarist or keyboardist would write a solo.  Whether or not you’re a Rush fan (I happen to be), Neil’s contribution to drumming is in a class by itself.  Fans of his obsess over his drumming, his drum-kits, his lyric writing, his travel books and his legacy to rock drumming.  People take pictures of his rotating drum-kit the same way others take pictures of models.  He brought a beauty and originality to drumming that is unsurpassed by any of his contemporaries.  By the fact that he played in the same band with the same guys for over forty years also says something about the staying power of his genius.  In my opinion, he should be number one.  (Click here to see Neil playing at the Buddy Rich tribute)  and  ( click here to see Neil playing a drum solo on David Letterman. Yes, he got his on solo spot on network TV)

3. Ginger Baker – Ginger is great, but not number 3.  Definitely better than Charlie Watts and Meg White, but Manu Katche?  Bill Bruford?  Carter Beauford?  Not so sure about that.  Top 15 for sure.  His marriage of jazz and rock is his greatest contribution, on par with Bruford and Beauford. ( Beware of Mr. Baker is an excellent movie about Mr. Baker )

2. Keith Moon.  The Who is my favorite band, bar none.  I love Keith Moon.  But Keith peaked around ‘71 or ’72 and became victim to the excesses of rock and roll shortly after that.  His playing diminished considerably by ’74 or ’75.  That said, what Keith Moon did to rock and roll from ’65 to ‘69 was a quantum leap for rock drummers.  Prior to him, drummers sat in the back and were rarely seen or heard; their job was to be a metronome for the other players.  Keith put the drums at the forefront of rock music and made the instrument as loud, bombastic and unforgettable as the guitarist or lead vocalist.  He completely changed the face of rock drumming.  If you want to get a sampling of his skills, watch The Who perform “A Quick One” on video and you’ll see genius pouring out of that man.  Sadly, drugs and drink affected his playing so much that by the time his career (and life) ended he was a shadow of his former self.  For that reason, he should be top 5, but not number 2.  (click here to see Keith in action on Amazing Journey)

1. John Bonham.  He’s great.  A beast.  A back-beat god.  A groovemeister.  But not number 1.  How about number 2?  With Neil being number 1?   Works for me.  He’s been dead since 1979; I think longevity, staying power, and creating an everlasting legacy should be included as qualities for the “greatest.”  I give the nod to Neil on this.  Bonham is number 2. (listen to this)

Dishonorable unmentionables: What about Carl Palmer?  Mark Brzezicki?  Dave Weckl?  Omar Hakim?  Simon Phillips?  Mark Portnoy?  John Panozzo?  Zak Starkey?  There were a lot of greats that were a no-show here.  At times it seems like these lists go the way of American Idol: more of a popularity contest than a critical examination of talent.  For Travis Barker to get the nod over Simon Phillips is just wrong.

I also want to address two great drummers from Columbus who should be on this list: Pete Retzlaff (who hails from Bexley, but teaches in NYC), and Tony McClung: who is the best drummer in town.  These guys are at the top of my list!

I’m happy to report that I’m at the top of two peoples’ list: my brothers Jim and Andy.  I’m glad somebody out there likes me!  ;-) 

Click here to see the entire Rolling Stone "100 Best Drummers" list.

 

Pete Vogel is a drummer, musician, teacher, movie director and many other things. Click here to visit his website.