by Robbie Gennet, senior contributor
Greetings from
sunny Southern California, where the waves are up, the nights are long,
and the music never stops! As always, there are too many great shows in
Los Angeles and not enough time to see them all. That said, I've been able to see some great live bands and
get some behind-the-scenes sneak peeks of some cool gear.
Last month, in
preparation for our upcoming Heavy Issue (where we cover great
and upcoming keyboardists in hard rock and metal), I visited the soundstage
rehearsals for the upcoming Ozzy Osbourne tour to meet keyboardist Adam Wakeman,
a fine gentleman who gave us a great tour of his gear and showed us how
to play the classic parts from songs like "Mr. Crowley" and "No More
Tears." Adam's got a sweet rig featuring a Korg SV-1, Triton, and M3
with a Yamaha Motif, plus a cool Bolt guitar rig and Motion Sound rotating speaker
cabinet. Do check out our exclusive videos of Adam Wakeman teaching
Ozzy tunes, which you can see here. Find Adam at www.adamwakeman.co.uk
On June 19th, I made
the long drive out to San Bernardino to see the mighty Iron Maiden rock
a huge outdoor crowd. Opening act Dream Theater laid down some serious
prog-metal in the evening dusk as long-haired heads banged in unison
across the crowd. Jordan Rudess had his spinning keyboard stand in
effect with a new add-on: an iPad rack, so he could play his new
app MorphWiz. It's not a toy, but it is really fun
to play with, giving you a new paradigm to express your musical vision.
Needless to say, it's pretty amazing and Rudess has moved the bar one
more notch into the future. The band was well-received and you could
tell they had some hardcore fans peppered throughout the audience.
However, the night belonged to Iron Maiden, who rarely tours North
America as much as they used to.
But before I tell
you how the Maiden show was, let me mention a very special gentleman by
the name of Michael Kenney. Since the early days of Bruce Dickinson-era
Maiden, Kenney has played keyboards from behind the stage while helping
out legendary bassist Steve Harris with his instruments. Kenney has
been along for an amazing ride for almost 30 years and has some great
stories to tell. Look for our story on Kenney and Maiden in the Heavy
issue this fall and by all means, check out Maiden's new album
The Final Frontier,
which is coming out in August. If you're lucky enough to see
them live, you will surely not regret it. They always deliver the kind
of show that sets the bar high for all other bands, and this night was
no exception. They played a set heavy on the best of the new-era
records, which I enjoyed greatly as I have spun those records many
times. Hearing songs like "Pachendale" and "Ghost of the Navigator"
side by side with classic cuts like "Wrathchild" makes you realize the
consistency of this band's output and energy. Though some in the crowd
missed the old hits, there was not a head left unbanged nor a fist left
unraised. Ending with an encore
featuring "The Number of the Beast," "Hallowed By Thy Name" and
"Running Free," the band capped off one of the most epic shows of the
year and showed us all how real rock and roll is done. Up the Irons!
Fast
forward to July 1, when one of North American's finest bands rocked
the House of Blues on Canada Day. I am referring to the most-excellent
Sloan, a band that is consistently top-notch live and completely and
utterly underrated. If you don't have at least two or three Sloan
albums, you're missing out on some of the best
rock music this side of Nova Scotia. My favorite disc is 2006's
Never Hear the End of It, a spectacular double-length album (on one CD) that holds up remarkably well years later.
I really fell for the band off the 1998 album Navy Blues,
which has some great piano playing all over it and some amazing
songwriting. Every time I see them live, I discover some songs I
somehow missed in their back catalog and wind up scrambling through my
discs to rediscover tunes. Though they played a few popular tunes this
time--"The Other Man" and "Money City Maniacs" among them--the set list
was heavy on obscure cuts, featuring some rarely played songs that
sounded pretty damn fresh to those who didn't know them. Keyboardist
Gregory Macdonald met up with us to discuss what it's like to play with
a band that some regard as Canada's Beatles. Macdonald admitted he was
a fan before playing with them, so his familiarity with their music
helped him integrate with their live shows, which can draw from a deep
and ever-growing wellspring of tunes. Sloan will be commencing their
next album this fall so we'll catch up with Macdonald during the
process and bring you a long-overdue Sloan piece in the mag by 2011.
Mid-month
I went to San Francisco to celebrate my birthday by body-boarding some
cool breaks up in that vicinity, and I got to hang with Keyboard editor
Stephen Fortner, who invited me to a show by a band called Moon Taxi.
Little did we know we were about to be blown away. because these guys put
on a super-tight rock show and really nailed their intricate tunes. The
band reminded us of Rush meets Maroon 5, with some Phish and Allman Brothers in
the mix, and each member really shined. When we chatted before the show, keyboardist
Wes Bailey was pretty humble about his musical contributions; little did we know, he was about to kill it onstage. Way to
lower our expectations before shredding, Wes! Their grooving 2008 CD
Live Ride
is worth picking up, but if you see them live, be prepared to see them
step it up even higher. We can't wait to hear their next record and
encourage you to check em out on the road. Get tour dates and info at www.ridethemoontaxi.com, and don't miss our exclusive video of the evening.
Last but not least,
I want to mention the monthly Valley Ragtime Stomp that I've been
attending the past year or two. To get together with a great group of
people and play old-school piano tunes for each other is a grand
pleasure. I always learn some new tips and tricks and hear some songs
from artists I never would have discovered had I not gone to the Stomp;
when was the last time you heard someone rock a Zez Confrey novelty
rag? I thought so. If I may, I encourage you to seek out a gathering such
as this or create one in your town and connect with other piano
players. Whether you go to watch or go to play, it's a great time. If
you're in the SoCal area, you can always come to the Stomp the second
Saturday of every month (August 14th is the next one) from 1-4 P.M. at Henri's in Canoga
Park, CA. You could also hit the Orange County Ragtime Society on the
third Saturday of the month (August 21) from 1-4:30 P.M. or the Roseleaf Ragtime Club at the historic Aztec Hotel in Monrovia CA on the last
Sunday of each month (August 29) from 2-5 P.M. All are free and a
stomping good time. Don't think you have to be a ragtime expert to play!
A few cool vids from past gatherings to give you a taste of the music:
Nan Bostick, "Whoa Nellie Rag" (George Gould)
http://s586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/vrstomp3/nov09videos/?action=view¤t=whoanellie-nan-gm09.flv
Andrew Barrett, "Farmhouse Blues" (unknown)
http://s589.photobucket.com/albums/ss339/vrstomp4/april09videos/?action=view¤t=farmhouseblues-andy-apr09-stomp6.flv
Gene Oster, "Temptation Rag" (Thomas Henry Lodge)
http://s608.photobucket.com/albums/tt165/vrstomp6/aug09videos/?action=view¤t=temptationrag-gene-stomp10-aug09.flv
So
that's the roundup for now~ I'm preparing for a David Cassidy concert
this coming Friday and, considering I'm a huge Partridge Family fan, I
am more than excited for this event. However, I know he won't dig deep
for the tunes that I really want to hear; if you're up for some
well-constructed '70s pop (courtesy of songwriter Tony Romeo) hit up
iTunes, find the Partridge Family and download the following: "You Are
Always on My Mind," "You Don't Have to Tell Me" and "It's One of Those
Nights (Yes Love)." They just don't write em like that anymore. (Paging
Greg Khin!) Great songwriting never goes out of style.
See you soon~ keep rocking the keys!
Robbie Gennet
www.robbiegennet.com
Los Angeles July 28, 2010