Music
Concert Review
Foreigner
May 5th, 2011
Some bands are defined by their members—Ringo Starr and three other dudes are not The Beatles, for example. But Foreigner is a trademark sound: clichéd, superficial, but imminently singable lyrics driven by addictive, adolescent, crotch-rock power chords. Read more »
Concert Review
George Thorogood
May 5th, 2011
George Thorogood is stuck in the past, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Thorogood and his Delaware Destroyers blazed through 35 years of hits in more than 90 minutes at Texas Station’s Dallas Events Center on April 30, with the singer/guitarist paying his three-chord respects to inspirations such as Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley throughout. Read more »
Music
Lightning Strikes Twice
Local band Mama Zeus returns to the stage for a second time around
April 28th, 2011
A decade ago, before the Killers and Panic! at the Disco made the leap from Las Vegas clubs to national prominence, Mama Zeus seemed like they could be that band. Their sound channeled Led Zeppelin classic-rock boogie; their stage presence exuded a hippie vibe that appealed to the jamband crowd; and they had a fiery redhead up front who delivered soul and sex appeal with every note. They opened for acts such as Robin Trower and Sebastian Bach at The Joint and House of Blues, and also performed on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. They had even released two critically acclaimed independent CDs. Read more »
Music
Brohemian Rhapsody
The Makepeace Brothers don’t coddle each other’s songwriting
April 28th, 2011
When you’re listening to the uplifting world music-influenced folk-pop of the Makepeace Brothers, you can’t help but feel you should be soaking in the trio’s new album, Slow Down Feel Love, on a California beach as you watch the sun melt into the ocean. And when you’re a writer interviewing vocalist/guitarist Finian Makepeace via cell phone and you hear the crash of the surf and cry of seagulls and he says, “I’m just hanging out at Venice Beach,” and, “Cool, I just saw a seal in the water,” you wonder: Is it a music career or a lifestyle for these guys? Read more »
Music
Hearts of Rock ’n’ Roll
Yesterday’s Vegas rockers get the bands back together
April 28th, 2011
As a Vegas music writer, let me say that nothing’s cooler than discovering old forgotten rock bands that once ruled local clubs, listening to their recorded demos and albums, and reading their newspaper clips. OK, there is something cooler—getting to hear and see a bunch of these sockhop/soft-rock acts at a reunion show. Read more »
Soundscraper
Amplified violins, flamenco, Foreigner
April 28th, 2011
Still nursing your Coachella hangover? Alas, I’m not—deadlines and an allergy attack kept me home. Thanks to Benadryl, I’m now upright and, despite cottonmouth, in search of new and inspiring live music. I don’t have to look far. Read more »
Character Study
Rockin’ the Stalls
April 28th, 2011
It might sound like a bad joke about disgraced Sen. Larry Craig, but it’s true: You never know who you’ll bump into in the restroom—and the coed facilities at Todd English P.U.B. are no exception. “I’ve met a lot of important people here,” says Pedro Iuli, 24, who, as a personal valet, spends his evenings in the restroom. “It’s helping out people with quality service, but I add a twist to it. It’s all in the hustle. That’s why I started rapping.” Read more »
Concert Review
Bad Brains
April 28th, 2011
In the early 1980s, no band played faster, tighter or with more controlled fury than hard-core pioneers Bad Brains. Their blend of punk and reggae created a template for alt-rock giants such as the Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine, and their hyperactive live shows became the stuff of legend. Read more »
Concert Review
Dick Dale
April 28th, 2011
It was a potpourri of beach sound as the music started and a crowd appeared out of nowhere. All the chairs emptied, and, like high tide, the crowd pressed toward the Hard Rock Café stage on April 22 to see surf guitar legend Dick Dale. Read more »
Concert Review
Deep Dark Robot
April 28th, 2011
Linda Perry, the former lead singer of 4 Non Blondes, sat down at a keyboard and led her band, Deep Dark Robot, through a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Angie.” It was midway through their April 22 set at Beauty Bar, and they crushed it, like they did their entire performance. Read more »
