The Sound Issue 155 October 2023 Music and Culture for CT and NY

FALL CONCERTS

Get tickets at TheKlein.org

prong: State Of Emergency

Reba McEntire: not that fancy

Colbie Caillat: along the way

Iron Savior: firestar

Of Mice & Men: tether

10.13

ringo starr: Rewind Forward

three crosses: Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete.

rival sons: LIGHTBRINGER

Forest Swords: bolted

Zach Bryan: Zach Bryan

10.20

dokken: Heaven Comes Down

Lynch Mob: babylon

DJ Shadow: action adventure

cruel force: dawn of the axe

MORE!

MORE!, the current project from Tom Hamilton is also his oldest. This group of artists combine elite songwriting skills with an incredible sense of adventure in improvising within those songs. They’re live debut came in early 2023 when they were invited to share the bill with Grateful Dead offshoot, Dead & Company at their destination event, Playing in the Sand. MORE! wowed 5,000 fans in attendance with two shows of their unique sound, and followed with a sold out hometown debut at Philadelphia’s Ardmore Music Hall.

October 7th, Stage One - FTC

LIVE: UNPLUGGED

+LIVE+ have sold over 22 million albums worldwide and earned two number one albums: Throwing Copper and Secret Samadhi. Their catalog is filled with such gems as “Lightning Crashes,” “I Alone,” “All Over You” and “Lakini’s Juice,” which live on today as classics on rock radio. Throwing Copper reached #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and eventually surpassed sales of 10 million albums sold, with Rolling Stone honoring the album with placement on their list, “1994: The 40 Best Records From Mainstream Alternative’s Greatest Year.”

October 15th, Garde Arts Center

Founded in New Jersey in 1980, The Smithereens have been creating electrifying, original rock’n’roll for 41 years. Jim Babjak (guitar,) Dennis Diken (drums,) and Mike Mesaros (bass) grew up together in Carteret and lead singer, the late Pat DiNizio, hailed from Scotch Plains. The Smithereens’ take no prisoners sound, reflecting their Garden State roots, has resonated with fans worldwide over the course of 17 albums and 2500+ live shows

The Smithereens’ most recent album, COVERS, features 22 of the bands favorite songs first recorded by other artists. The band’s albums have sold over 5 million copies worldwide. October 21st, Wall Street Theater

DARIUS RUCKER CAROLYN’S BOY

THEOCRACY MOSAIC

ROLLING STONES HACKNEY DIAMONDS

THE SMITHEREENS FT. MARSHALL CREENSHAW

10.28 kesha

@Foxwoods

A brash and driven, Grammynominated pop singer and songwriter, Kesha went straight to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2009 with her breakthrough recording, a feature spot on Flo Rida's "Right Round." Her own major-label debut, Animal, followed a year later and made her a bona fide star, showcasing her exuberant electro pop sound and reaching number one in the U.S. and Canada behind the international party-time hit "TiK ToK." The album spawned three more Top Ten singles as well as the Get Sleazy Tour, her first as a headliner. A second solo number one, "We R Who We R," was included on the 2010 EP Cannibal, and she reached the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 for the third time straight with her second full-length, 2012's Warrior. Clear Tote $35

smoke in the valley

Here at The Sound Magazine we felt once again it was important to emphasize that we had no affiliation with the Sound on Sound Music Festival. Though we have to imagine those readers who have attended our past events (Soupstock, Blues Views & BBQ, Riverfront Music Revival), already knew that. So if you’re looking for a festival with plenty of food and drink, plenty of FREE parking, plenty of bathrooms (with toilet paper), we have an event for you...that’s right folks, Craft Beer Festival season is upon us once again and Smoke in the Valley is returning!

This year we’re upping the ante with a Home Brew Competition with beers brewed with Halloween Candy! Can you say ‘Adult Trick or Treating’?!? There will also be a costume contest, music, food trucks & more!

october 21st: bad sons beer co., derby

THE WILD FEATHERS

11.02

nick lowe &

los straitjackets

@Warehouse - FTC

The ever-charming and British music legend Nick Lowe joins forces with Nashville-based luchador-masked surf rockers Los Straitjackets for a fun night of rock n roll. Lowe could hardly look less like a rock star - but don’t let appearances fool you.

Beneath the snow-white hair and Buddy Holly specs lurks a consummate stage performer and Los Straitjackets seem to have re-ignited his love of rock & roll. Clear Tote $35

badfish nye run 2023

Returning to Connecticut after their annual performance at the Mountain Music Series at Powder Ridge Park, Badfish returns to their indoor home at Toad’s Place in New Haven to kick off festivities to ring in the new year! Also make sure to check out the support act Crooked Coast, a favorite of ours we hope to see more of in the future! Buy your tickets soon, this event is bound to sell out!

december 27th: toad’s place

10.18

daryl’s house club, ny

James Maddock’s status as a fixture on the Folk and Americana scene is confirmed with every listen of any song in his prodigious catalog.

According to radio legend Vin Scelsa, Maddock's "heartbreakingly beautiful and exquisitely crafted" music "touches the soul." Relix Magazine put it this way: “James Maddock possesses the kind of lived-in craggy voice that would sound authoritative if he were singing the sports pages. Fortunately, he doesn't need to do that because his compositional skills are a match for his delivery.”

10.27

emelin theatre, ny

Rhonda Vincent is a firecracker of talent that powers one of the hottest bands in any genre of music today.

Rhonda Vincent and The Rage are the most decorated band in bluegrass, with over 100 awards to their credit. Among their honors are a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album; Song of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, and an unrivaled seven consecutive (plus an 8th) Female Vocalist of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). “When Rhonda Vincent opens her mouth, it’s great…whether she’s singing country or bluegrass, God gave Rhonda an unbelievable voice and I am so thankful that we get to enjoy it. I love her like a sister and enjoy her music as her biggest fan.” –

Dolly Parton

10.31

stage one, ftc

Fresh out of the cellar-studio of a tipsy Brooklyn shack lumbers the music of Pan Arcadia. Raised on the nutritious sounds of Television, Status Quo, Miles Davis and Sam & Dave, Pan Arcadia makes propulsive yet soulful indie music; melding garage rock with horn arrangements.

Pan released its debut album in February 2023. Leading up to its release, they organized the Save the Scene NYC virtual festival to benefit performers and venue workers affected by Covid, and got voted ‘New York’s Best Emerging Band’ by readers of The Deli Mag.”

the lords of 52nd street

The Lords of 52nd Street are Billy Joel’s original band… and they are coming back, by popular demand, to The Milford Performance Center! Lords of 52nd Street is the name Billy Joel gave to the band back in the 70’s. They do not need to copy or reinvent the original music… since they are the guys you saw playing at Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, Nassau Coliseum and the countless other venues during those Billy Joel concerts of the 1970’s and 1980’s. Oct 7th, Milford

sinister SOIRÉE halloween party

Calling all ghosts, ghouls, and creatures of the night! Creep, float or crawl on over to our Sinister Soirée Halloween Party! Hosted by the one and only, Christina Ricci - Saturday, October 28th at Centrale. Enjoy spooky signature cocktails, strut your stuff in the costume contest, and dance the night away with DJ Jay Spring. October 28th, Foxwoods

porno for pyros

After a 25-year touring hiatus, Porno For Pyros announced they will hit the road this fall for a North America tour 30 years since their self titled album. Produced by Live Nation, the 21-city tour kicks off on October 8 at Hard Rock Live Sacramento in Wheatland, CA making stops across North America in Las Vegas, NV; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; Atlanta, GA; Nashville, TN and more before wrapping up in Austin, TX at Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater on November 20.

October 29th, The Capitol Theatre, NY

shows we’ll be attending this month

Opportunities to meet & greet your favorite musicians

10/25

infinity hall, hartford

The Disco Biscuits are an entirely different band today than they were when they first broke out of Philadelphia in the mid-90s. That’s not to say that they’ve abandoned their foundation, switched gears or set sail for distant shores.

The Disco Biscuits are still very much the pioneers of “trancefusion,” bridging the gap between electronic music and jam bands. They still remain rock pioneers whose soul belongs as much to marathon dance parties as it does to live improvisational journeys. They still employ emerging technologies to help them create music that is 100 percent human although, perhaps, not entirely of this earth.

The Disco Biscuits

VIP Experience $100

• Early entry to each venue + early access to merch

• Pre-show soundcheck

• Group photo with the band

• Limited edition show poster

• Commemorative laminate & lanyard

• Admission Ticket Not Included

enter to win tickets to these shows and more at www.thesoundmagazine.com

WORLD C LA SS . R I GH T HERE !

ACTORS WITH A MUSICAL SIDE OR A BAND MEMBER STRIKING OFF ON THEIR OWN

After a few reunion gigs this summer, “John Wick” star Keanu Reeves is officially going on tour with his ’90s and early ’00s rock band Dogstar for the first time in over 20 years. The group’s ‘Somewhere Between The Power Lines and Palm Trees Tour,’ in support of their yet to be released 2023 album with the same name plays Oct 10th, at The Capitol Theatre

One of the premiere percussionists on the planet, Cyro Baptista leads his innovative quartet on a virtuosic trek through myriad musics of the world. A veteran of stage and studio work with the likes of Trey Anastasio (of Phish), Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock, Yo-Yo Ma, , John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, Cassandra Wilson, Sting and many others, Baptista is one of the most sought-after players around. His visionary approach to music-making stresses inclusion, community and pushing past boundaries, while remaining refreshingly fun & totally accessible. Oct 21st, Park City Music Hall

After an astonishing 60-year career in music that included pivotal positions in Buffalo Springfield, Poco, the Souther-HillmanFuray Band, induction in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Colorado Music Hall of Fame, plus several solo albums, Richie Furay is releasing his newest album, In The Country, where he focuses on his love of country music in a brand new way. It is the kind of collection an artist often waits their entire life to make. It is truly an artistic moment of reckoning that can come once in a lifetime.October 25th,

The Kate, Old Saybrook

Ben Ottewell and Ian Ball of Gomez will come together for an intimate run of duo performances. Ottewell and Ball’s first release with Gomez, the 1998 break-out Bring It On, launched a spectacular career punctuated with the distinguished Mercury Prize, multiple platinum selling records and legions of devoted fans spanning three continents. Taking a break from writing sessions for Gomez’s next record, the duo’s performances will draw from Gomez fan-favorites, highlights from their respective solo projects, and perhaps offer an opportunity to road-test some of their newest work. October 25th, FTC

MACWOOD FLEET PLAYS

SAT, OCT 21

NY’S MOST AUTHENTIC FLEETWOOD MAC TRIBUTE BAND

RHONDA VINCENT AND THE RAGE

FRI, OCT 27

MULTI-GRAMMY-WINNING BLUEGRASS

FRI,

WHAT A COUNTRY!!

Why Country Music is the New Outlet for Would-Have-Been Rockers words: Sco Yager

I will admit that I got inspired to write this editorial by a conversation I heard between Darius Rucker and Adam Carolla on the Adam Carolla Podcast. Rucker, who dominated the 90’s as the frontman for Hootie and Blowfish, navigating the pop and alternative scene with expert precision, has turned to country in recent years. The voice is the same, that iconic southern tone that those of us who grew up in the 90’s remember for hits like “I Only Want to Be With You” and “Hold My Hand” but that also seems to fit so perfectly into the modern country landscape as well.

Rucker is the rare artist to shift genres without abandoning anything about their true self. He’s also one of the few artists who has been embraced openly by the two worlds and fanbases, without alienating either one along the way. That is what makes Rucker a great voice in the ongoing conversation about why rock artists and rock bands in particular seem to be failing to connect with the next generation of both musicians and fans…while country music, a genre that used to fail to connect with the kids…has started to take over.

Let’s take the superficial example of what artists are selling out stadiums these days. Not arenas, but stadiums. Sure you have legacy acts like Metallica, Guns N Roses and U2 and maybe Green Day. But other than them it’s pop like Taylor Swift, Beyonce & Ed Sheeran who are selling the most tickets on a scale that was usually reserved for big rock bands. The other artists who have been able to creep into that stratosphere of success lately are country acts like Luke Combs and Zach Bryan, both of whom have already announced stadium tours for 2024, following in the footsteps of Morgan Wallen, another country star who took stadiums by storm in 2023.

Country music has already had its fans, particularly with older music fans and certainly in areas of the south. But now country acts are selling out across the country and doing so with the Tik Tok Generation. Rucker spoke eloquently on the subject and how the industry has shifted, and I encourage you to seek out that podcast for added thoughts on this topic…but I am going to do my best to dumb it down, add my two cents and paraphrase a bit.

The same reason Pop Music appeals to kids is the same reason Country Music has begun to appeal to music fans who might like a guitar, might be more lyric-based fans and might want to connect with the artist on a deeper level than your usual head-bopping radio fodder. In the 90’s, this might have been the alternative scene or the grunge movement. Bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice and Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam and even Hootie and the Blowfish and Counting Crows, connecting with their audience and drew them out of their homes and into clubs and arenas to sing along with their songs that dominated rock radio and eventually even some more diverse pop stations in the 90’s. Fans had the patience to read the liner notes in the album, watch MTV to see the videos and follow the band as a whole. It wasn’t too much to know Soundgarden was the name of the band, Chris Cornell was the singer, they were from Seattle and maybe even the guitar player or drummers names could be rolled off by a person here or there. T- shirts would fill middle and high school hall-ways. The degree of difficulty in being a fan was what appealed to the fans. It’s what separated the true lovers of the artists and the music from the “posers”, a term you don’t even hear anymore.

The reason Pop Music has always appealed to the more casual music fan is that you don’t need to learn the bassist’s name. You just need to know the artist. Whether it be a Hip-Hop artist or a Pop Singer, all you need to know is one name. Sometimes not even a last name, just Madonna, Beyonce, Usher, etc. Then we made the names even shorter, Pink. Started taking letters out of words, too many vowels, The Weeknd. You get

where I am going with this. These artists often play with dozens of backing vocalists, dancers and musicians…but for lack of a better way of phrasing it…none of them better. All you need to know and all you need to care about is that pop star or singular artist.

The same can be said with country. It’s easy for a young music fan today to follow Zach Bryan, connect with him and his posts and his vibe and his disposition…and not worry about his band. Far easier than for comparison, making sure your values line up with every member of the Lumineers. Not that the Lumineers aren’t successful and popular, cause they are. But there is a reason Bryan, who grew up worshiping the Lumineers and dreaming of a collaboration with them (one that is coming soon if it hasn’t dropped already), was able to ascend to greater heights than they have in record time. In today’s day and age, there simply isn’t even the potential for a band, with a name, and the appearance of a group of equally important band-members, to launch a career the way a Pop Star or a Country star can.

What Country stars have in common with rockers is the guitar, the bands, the music, the sound. Of course it has more of that twang than say a Slipknot or Green Day does. But the only difference between Zach Bryan or Luke Combs and say Pearl Jam and some of their songs is the marketing and some of the chords and tones. The same way a lot of pop punk style songs started going to the Avril Lavignes and Kelly Clarksons and Pinks of the world in the 2000’s, it seems like a lot of guys and gals picking up guitar these days are falling in love with the instrument as a gateway to their soul the same way they would have 20 years ago, but instead of turning up the distortion the way a Mark Tremonti did, they keep it Country and thus draw in the Country a whole lot easier. Pun intended.

Hopefully this trend doesn’t last forever. It’s fun to have bands that ascend to the heights of Aerosmith and Guns N Roses and Metallica and AC/DC. But it’s sad that for the most part, the only bands going around doing big rooms like those bands are…still those bands. One wonders if Axl Rose might take his trademark voice to the country realm if he was hitting his early 20’s today instead of the 80’s. One thing is for sure, kids are connecting with these country acts. Just like with pop stars they love following them and becoming acquainted with them as a person, in addition to as an artist. That is a lot easier to do and probably far less intimidating when it’s one person (or the appearance of one person) and someone who for the most part sings about small towns and drinking and other easy-torelate-to subjects.

There used to be room for dozens and dozens of rock bands that would break and become household names each year. You can point to the late 90’s and name tons of bands; Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park among them, who became legitimate stars and were able to headline massive tours, sell millions of records and were as recognizable to kids as the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. Those were weird times and likely times we’ll never have again, but even the generation after that: The White Stripes, The Strokes, The Killers, you wonder how many of them would have gone solo sooner or attempted to navigate a different aspect of the music industry if they were to come of age today.

I want to end this by saying that by no means am I mad at these artists’ successes. Taylor Swift is an example of someone who came up through Country but became an outright superstar and transcended genres to become her own phenomenon. Zac Brown Band is a country act that puts on a legitimately exciting show that rocks as hard as your average metal band. These guys like Zach Bryan and Luke Combs can write songs. Luke Combs ironically has had a massive hit with Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” a song that first gained popularity in that same era of the early 90’s I began talking about. These artists are just that, artists. They can

write. They can perform. They can hold an audience. They deliver on what are clearly growing and growing ticket prices for their large scale shows. So I am not saying they don’t deserve the success that has followed them. I am merely drawing attention to the fact that the Stadium Rock Band is something that doesn’t really get spawned anymore, whereas stadium Pop Acts and moreso, stadium Country acts, come more often and quicker than ever before. To me, there is a connection there. There is a portion of the music audience that would have been rock fans in a different era and there are artists who would have leaned into that part of their identity more if those fans were there to validate them for it.

Post Malone did a thing during the pandemic, probably out of boredom, where he streamed a performance of Nirvana’s Nevermind. He didn’t do it in a poppy way. He sang and played like Kurt. He showed he is definitely a rocker deep down. But in 2023 a musician like him is far more rewarded for putting out the heavily auto-tuned pop ballads that he puts out than attempting to recreate grunge, even if that might be a passion of his. Will this ever change? Who knows. For now, I recommend checking out Zach Bryan, cause he’s doing some really interesting things with his song-writing and his approach and feel. But it does make me long for the days that some of these tracks might have a guy like Slash alongside him, waiting to wail on a solo for the third act of these songs that never comes.

9.24 10.5

Aside from essentially defining the California half-pipe punk blueprint, Bad Religion has defied the usual trend-shifts or values-ditched ubiquities of the usual punk band storyline and morphed along with challenging album after challenging album amid astoundingly consistent touring, retaining their core audience while roping in subsequent generations of anxiously energetic kids.

The band has long settled into the current lineup who have arguably enacted to most muscular Bad Religion to ever grace a stage: Greg Graffin (vocals) and Jay Bentley (bass) join Brian Baker (guitarist since ’94), guitarist Mike Dimkich, and drummer Jamie Miller.

Bad Religion is in an almost singular position in the history of punk. Having formed right on the heels of the original explosion, they led the west coast arm of hardcore’s birth, adding their melodic riffs, zooming harmonies, and viciously verbose lyrical punch to the basic bash of hardcore. Then the band continued to expand their template through the ‘80s and into the indebted “neo-punk” sound of the early ‘90s, and weathered the questionable dichotomies of the “alternative rock” era by doing what they’ve always done – releasing explosive album after album to consistent acclaim from fans and critics. We had a chance to speak with guitarist Brian Baker about the upcoming show at College Street Music Hall.

SOUND: You joined the band back in 1994 after they had been established for a decade and as with any transition only some songs from that early era continued making their way into nightly setlists. That changed though with the pandemic with your live streams shows which featured a lot of early material. Was that how you spent lockdown? Learning those songs from the early catalog so they could once again have life on stage?

seem to be solely one hit wonders. Do you see it that way, the last of a dying breed of musicians who can make a life out of all this?

BAD RELIGION: I disagree with you on that. The reason why the Rolling Stones are still out there and the reason why you’ll still see My Chemical Romance perform twenty years later is because they were important to so many people at a certain point in their lives. It’s the same reasoning as someone driving around with a UCONN sticker on their back window even though they have no children. Some of the best times of their lives, the end of high school and the start of college. What was the soundtrack to that. For me it happened to be Bad Religion at the time, but for the majority of people today it’s Taylor Swift. I think this will always continue because this is what forms who a person is. As I age and understand things at 58 years old, I was fortunate not to have just a small period of my life to sustain that, but I can appreciate such a defining characteristic for people. That’s why we have oldies stations my friend.

SOUND: The band had a major pop culture crossover with the inclusion in the Tony Hawk Pro Skater video game series soundtrack. For a lot of people here on the east coast that’s where we had our first taste of the band. Do you credit the band’s explosive success to that inclusion or was it more a sum of everything that was going on with the band at the time?

BAD RELIGION: It’s an excellent question and you’re right that’s exactly what I did. I had a lot of time at home and am fortunate to have an immense guitar collection there so I was able to take a deep dive into Bad Religion which came in pretty handy when we started to stream concerts during the lockdown. With so many shows we started playing songs we hadn’t ever live and that I was not a part of so I was happy to be over prepared when those moments came around. I think you can still find them on YouTube. The good news is that when we play on this October tour in the U.S. were going to be playing some of those songs that we never considered before until this pandemic tragedy brought our attention to it. It’s an interesting way to mind your old good stuff when you don’t have any other options.

SOUND: You had an album release right before the pandemic. How do you juggle that post pandemic knowing you have to work the new songs into the set list for them to live and evolve while making room for the classics people are clamoring for to make them remember the good ole times before the pandemic?

BAD RELIGION: I think we are incredibly fortunate to have an incredibly deep catalog. The quality of the catalog is pretty insane as well. When we play there is an obligation to fill roughly 30% of the set with songs that are iconic, that brought people into the band and have a special connection with them. That is huge for older bands to create that experience. There are so many great songs that the band wrote that we can change that portion around every night to keep things fresh. As far as representing later works, we generally take the best songs of our later albums and play them. There isn’t enough time for much more than that. It gets harder when you get older to play and perform, but this is the job that we chose. You have to give people the experience they are paying their hard-earned money for. If you can’t do that then you shouldn’t. It’s striking a balance, that’s really what it is between old and new because out there in the audience there are also fans, old and new.

SOUND: Once a punk always a punk as the saying goes. Is that because punk is more than just a genre but a mentality?

9.24 10.5

BAD RELIGION: I think the thing about punk is that it’s folk music, it’s protest music. There’s a cerebral attachment there. It’s not easy listening and there was that fashion element to it when it first exploded onto the scene as well. But today everyone looks insane. Have you been to a Walmart lately? The tribal affiliation based on music is no longer apparent. No one knows what the other is doing or listening to based on what they look like anymore. The staying power of punk and the reason why it still attracts people is the same reason why people clamor to Bruce Springsteen and Dylan – there’s a connection to the lyrics and the social political aspect and language that’s used characteristically in punk that is the building block of how people think about everything beyond music. It’s an educational component and I think that that’s why once a punk always a punk.

SOUND: So you’re okay with this new generation wearing your merch or shirts featuring your band logo or album cover not caring at all about the band just because it’s fashionable?

BAD RELIGION: I think it’s the best thing in the world. I absolutely love it. The idea that people get curious about this music is great. You have to take a quiz to be part of the Bad Religion fan base and I’m well aware that our logo is much bigger than the band. Maybe someone wants to investigate a little more to see who we are and what we’re about or maybe someone just wants to get thrown out of their eleventh grade class because they wore the cross buster, it’s a win-win for us.

SOUND: The band has been around for almost four and a half decades which makes you more than a legacy act but quite possibly the last generation of musicians whose career can span generations versus the majority of new acts who

BAD RELIGION: The game was incredibly helpful but just another piece of the puzzle. Skateboarding and punk rock had been intertwined since their very beginnings. I’m certainly glad for the expose and a lot of ‘right place right time’ experiences, but I think it’s the fact that the band makes good records. There has never been a time in the band where the idea wasn’t to try and stay relevant that is of lasting importance. I think that’s the issue with a lot of bands turning into a greatest hits show whose successes were twenty years ago. Part of being an artist is to continue to be curious, keep your eyes open and to create music and performances of value. That is why you don’t lose your voice on the first show of the tour because you didn’t take the time to see what was coming up ahead of you.

SOUND: The band released Age of Unreason right before the coronavirus struck down the industry. Coming out of the pandemic is it the goal to infuse more and more of those songs into the setlist every night or to keep things fresh with such a large catalog to choose from?

BAD RELIGION: I think the point is to try and represent every record. It’s not the same set every night so you wont hear the same song every night if we can avoid it, depending on how close the shows are to each other. It’s also a way for the band to test itself as well. It’s fun to take a look down at the setlist every night and to test your muscle memory and hop right in.

SOUND: So it sounds like time off the road might afford fans a chance to hear some material that hasn’t graced the stage in years…

BAD RELIGION: In discussing what we are going to do with this latest tour we came to the realization that we have been underserving the stuff from 2004 and 2007. We had a couple really successful albums there and are taking a look at material that we could play live from those songs. There is a song called Another Abyss that we haven’t played live since it came out and another In Their Hearts is Right and that’s just off the top of my head. We have learned about 70 new songs that we called ‘we don’t play enough’ that will come up throughout this tour. The only thing to do is follow the tour diligently from show to show to hear them all and pick up a shirt at the merch booth while you’re at it!

stories about culture, it doesn’t make you political. I do songs about gun violence for example. Something that’s actually happening. I’m not telling people to take someone’s gun away. I’m saying can we care enough about our kids and our own safety so they we can do something about taking guns away from the people that shouldn’t have them. For me I have to question why there is even a discussion there or an argument.

SOUND: People like to politicize things, that’s why.

SHEMEKIA: True. They do a masterful job in getting us to argue about the stupid stuff that people don’t see what’s really going on around them. I’ve never been one of those people that listens to nonsense like that. There are too many people out there already that listen to it and are fooled by the nonsense. In reality we all want the same thing, and it kills me.

SOUND: How do you take to the negative feedback though that inevitably does arise?

the matter is that when you know better, but it doesn’t matter, that’s what is sad.

SOUND: Your father was also a famed musician and introduced you into this business at a young age, is that something you are looking to do as well with your son?

SHEMEKIA: I want my son to be happy in whatever he does and be a wonderful human as part of this society. My son loves being on stage which continues the family’s legacy, though I think he needs to know there needs to be more than that if you want to be in this business. You have to have a strong foundation to survive this. It's tough for those who have been doing this for a while on your physical and mental health. Right now I’m on the way to Las Vegas to cover for Beth Hart who had to take a break for her mental health. It’s all about teaching and guidance when he decides what he wants to do.

9.24

SHEMEKIA: The one thing that I’ve learned is that you can’t please everybody and I’m so okay with that in my life. Not everyone is going to be happy about what you’re doing no matter what. It could be a peace song or a song about war, some people like to find fault in everything. I can’t waste time worrying about those people. As an artist I’m proud of what I’m doing, and I accept myself. Those who get it will get it and those who don’t, well won’t. I love them both either way. While everyone is out there pushing their negative narratives, I’m saying what I’ve always been saying which is the opposite.

SOUND: As a parent now, has that changed your perspective in terms of what you put out there for the people now that you’ve created a little consumer?

SHEMEKIA: Everything absolutely did change for me. I call myself a weekend warrior. I don’t go out on tours, I perform only on the weekends so I can be home during the week because my baby needs me. Long tours aren’t my thing anymore and if I do take them on it’s because I can take my kid with me. Musically it changed me also because I’ve always taken on songs like domestic violence or religious hypocrisy but after I had him there was a shift for me because I had this need to try and make this world a better place for him and that’s where America’s Child came from and the follow up album. I wanted to call out the B.S. we all had been facing and the hate in this world and to call for an end of it all.

SOUND: So your last few albums weren’t originally planned as a trilogy?

SHEMEKIA: It really wasn’t. When I finished Ain’t Got Time for Hate I felt like that record just wasn’t done and that we could have kept going. When I finished Uncivil War at the end of 2019 it was right before the craziness of the pandemic, George Floyd, the list goes on and on. It ended up being three records because of what was going on at the time.

SOUND: Is there thought to cover some of the legendary material from these retiring artists to keep those messages alive in the wake of their business departure.

SHEMEKIA: I look at someone like Buddy Guy and what he had to go through and endure and I don’t know what he’s thinking but I know songs like Skin Deep address those issues he had. Everyone does that in their own way, Robert Cray had a similar song as well with This Man. I don’t know if it’s on me to cover those songs to keep those messages alive. I think those songs and catalogs remain with the artist who created them.

SOUND: Do we ever get to the point where we forget the past or come to a solution where the narrative changes?

SHEMEKIA: I really don’t know. Guys like him paved the way for me so I’m grateful for it. While I still have my fair share of things to endure it doesn’t compare to what they had to go through. They had to have guns to collect their money, it’s a whole mess but you know I always am positive in hoping that things can and will get better. I think if people could keep off the idiot box (TV-ed) and get outside and meet people and try to care and understand people things would get easier. I guess I just don’t understand peoples’ thought processes.

SOUND: I agree, it’s a lack of accountability, not thinking things through before you speak…

SHEMEKIA: What’s not okay is to not learn from your mistakes. I’ve always been taught that when you know better you do better. The fact of

SOUND: People love to draw comparisons and when you have a female fronted band they draw those comparisons to other female musicians, where male fronted bands are compared mostly to other bands. That being said it doesn’t seem to be so prevalent in Metal genre. Why do you think that was, because of the lack of female leads in comparisons to other genres? Or was there more respect paid amongst the bands in the genre where bands were compared strictly amongst themselves?

JANET: Of course, there is some of that, people want to put you in some sort of category. There was a lot of ‘oh she sounds like Pat Benatar’ and if it was a band comparison it was always with Heart. There was only a few to compare it to; yes there was that. It was always very flattering because the comparisons were to singers who I was fans of. It’s a weird thing, to think about it, a little rasp in your voice and ‘you sound like Janis’, but she really was the gold standard so anyone who might sound like her is going to pique interest.

SOUND: Was there a concern that other musicians that interviewed for the television show were going to reveal too much, and that you would be looped in with that by production association?

SOUND: So it’s safe to say you’re not going the ‘Taylor Swift route, working your emotions into the music to deliver a ‘message’ to your significant other?

JANET: That’s funny because when we’re writing and sharing ideas a lot of times we look at each other and ask ‘is this about me’? (Laughing). And we respond…’No, No No…it’s about a past relationship’. (Laughing).

9.24

JANET: Not really. There’s a classy way to talk about the past and going in there was an understanding that’s what we were all brought in to do. But there are publishers who only work with grit and think the public want juicy details from their favorite celebrities and their lives. Some people are going to give it to them. I don’t read any other those books or tabloids. Last book I read was from Richard Marx. He talked about his life in and out the business and had some funny anecdotes but that was it, none of this other crap.

SOUND: You are now a dental hygienist, so I have to ask, with your musical background there’s no way the soundtrack to all that dental work in the office features Kenny G right? I know the point of the background music is to keep the patient calm but it must drive you nuts sometimes right?

JANET: Fortunately if it’s driving me crazy I’ll make someone change it. We play a lot of old Motown that I really like and even some 70’s Yacht Rock stuff as well. I tend to like a lot of music, but no, we don’t play Kenny G or any of that ‘spa’ type of music, so it’s tolerable and doesn’t drive me nuts.

SOUND: Makes you wonder if Kenny G goes to the dentist and hears his own music and goes…damn again?

JANET: (Laughing) Probably.

SOUND: You parted ways with Vixen right before the pandemic. Impeccable timing though, do you think that would’ve still happened had the pandemic struck a bit earlier before you had made a decision?

JANET: The timing of it was kind of interesting because the pandemic struck right after that, and everyone was stuck. For me, it didn’t change my trajectory and wouldn’t have because Justin and I used that time to make an album. We couldn’t go anywhere or play any shows, so we went into creative mode. The pandemic gave us a lot to write about. We had total immersion, which we don’t have because we both work and have kids which takes up most of our time and attention. We have full lives without the music, so it gave us a chance to get down into the studio and take advantage. I don’t know what would have been happening had I been with Vixen, probably something similar with making music and emailing tracks back and forth. Interesting timing but I think it gave everyone a better impression of the impact music has on all of our lives and what happens when it’s missing, it sucked. It was awful.

SOUND: This is a tough business for working families especially spouses in the same industry and same band. What’s the secret to success here with you and your spouse, Justin James, where most others have failed?

JANET: We have a lot of respect for one another and what we bring to this relationship creatively, musically and as people. We work really hard to maintain our communication. In life you get into different modes or places where you stress about different things that end up affecting your partner by association, it’s how you talk and work through things that’s important. We really focus on listening to one another, if you don’t understand what the other person is going through as it relates to your involvement that’s where damage can be irreparable.

SOUND: How much "rekindling" is necessary with a body of work that is 15 years old? Are there songs that you have played so infrequently that you really need to get them down again or is it like riding a bike?

ERIC: I still play songs lik "Rock & Roll", "Ok, It's Alright With Me", and "All Over Now" regularly, so that wasn't a problem. Some of the deeper cuts, I did have to go back and re-learn. It was about re-teaching my fingers to play them on the piano. It was fun, unearthing the memories. Those songs are some of my favorites to play right now!

SOUND: Anything interesting or surprising that jumped out at you about the work itself or how you've changed since then?

ERIC: When I listen back to the songs, they are really the sound of me coming into young adulthood: figuring out responsibilities, figuring out love, figuring out life. It's fun to play these songs as a full adult now, and remember the big problems back then that don't seem so difficult now.

SOUND: The shows you are playing in Connecticut coming up in October are solo acoustic shows. What are the major differences for you personally when it comes to the preparation and the experience for these in comparison to the full band shows you also do?

ERIC: These shows will be solo acoustic and is really how I started out playing all these songs and touring for many years. I love getting to do the solo shows because I get to talk, tell jokes, tell stories about my life and the music. It's an intimate night and I try to make it work for everyone, whether you know every one of my songs or have never heard me in your life.

9.24

SOUND: What is one album by another artist that is coming up on it's anniversary, whether it be 15, 20 or 30 years...(you tell me)...that you would be first in line to see played in it's entirety?

ERIC: I already witnessed this record. The 25th anniversary of SPORTS by Huey Lewis & The News. I looooove this album and have such strong memories listening to it on vinyl as a kid. I got to see them at the Irving Plaza in Manhattan which was a really intimate night. It was excellent and all the more poignant now that Huey can no longer tour.

SOUND: You're pretty consistent with your output, creating new music every few years or so. Have you ever had a period where it was harder to write than others or does it just pour out of you?

ERIC: I find inspiration comes in batches for me now. I'll have a ton of ideas come flooding out in 2 days and then I'll spend a month or two editing, refining, analyzing. I tend not to believe in writer's block. I think if I don't have anything to write about, it's probably time to go outside, bump up against some people and live some life to inspire me.

SOUND: As a fellow singer-songwriter, I've gotta get your opinion on Taylor Swift and what she's doing right now. Any thoughts on her as a performer, artist and this unprecedented touring run she's on?

ERIC: She's incredible! One of my great friends Melanie Nyema is a singer on tour with Taylor right now, so I've gotten to live vicariously through Melanie and her stories. I think Taylor is the ultimate Pop Music Populist. She makes music that everyone can relate to and sing along with. I think she could be a senator one day. Or the president!

SOUND: When the live music scene shut down in 2020, how did it affect you? What did you do with the added free time and inability to connect with your audience face-to-face?

ERIC: Those were not particularly happy times for me. I'm used to coming and going in my life and then suddenly I was forced to be very still. I also didn't get very much work done like a lot of my artist friends. I have a daughter who was about eighteen months at the time and she kept us very busy. I was just trying to get through the days. However, I've certainly come back to performing live with new appreciation and gratitude for what I get to do.

SOUND: Especially given the Connecticut connection…you know I've gotta throw in a question about the Fantasy Focus Podcast....For those who don't know the backstory on how you came to write and perform the iconic theme song for the popular Bristol, Connecticut-based ESPN podcast, how did that come about a while back and is it something that affected your music career at all at the time?

ERIC: The 06010! I'm a big fantasy sports guy, mainly baseball and basketball. I was listening to this new-ish podcast many years ago and they were complaining they didn't have any celebrities on their podcast, so I emailed them and said I'd come on the show. They'd never heard of me, but they said yes and I did a little interview with them. That spiraled into making several versions of their podcast and becoming friends with the hosts. I still have at least one dude at every show who shouts out to request The Fantasy Focus theme song.

52 FARTS PLAYING CARDS

Tired of regular old playing cards? This pack of 52 Farts playing cards is sure to tickle a few funny bones during poker night with the lads. Each card describes, in unnecessary detail, a different type of fart, from the one-cheek sneak to the spontaneous eruption, and many more in between. The only downside of these cards is that you’ll struggle to maintain a poker face while you’re laughing out loud! $7 Firebox.comincorrectly, they have to drink! Once you’re out of the cuffs, you get to choose someone else to go in the clink. $25 Firebox.com

EXCUSES & LIES LINES FOR ALL

OCCASIONS: PAPERBACK EDITION

A helpful guide on how to convincingly make excuses (and perhaps some embellishments ie lies)! Useful for calling off work, or making excuses for unpaid bills or canceled plans with friends. 501 excuses included $10 ffTheWagonShop.com

a look at the gear you crave, and the toys that will drive your coworkers nuts.

SERIOUS LIP BALM DOLLY PARTON

"It costs a lot of money to look this cheap." Carry a little of Dolly Parton's wisdom around with you, and keep your lips feeling and looking great in the process! Makes a great little gift for any Dolly Parton fan. $5 offthewagonshop.com enter

SUNDAY, 10.01.23 | 3 PM

MANHATTAN SHORT is the only film festival of its kind where you are the judge with audiences around the world during a one-week period choosing the Best Short Film and Best Actor awards. These are movies you can only see on the giant screen!

BALLET HISPANICO

FRIDAY, 10.06.23 | 8 PM

America’s leading Latino dance organization, bringing communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures through dance for nearly 50 years.

CHRIS BOTTI

SATURDAY, 10.07.23 | 8 PM

For over two decades, Grammy Award-winning master trumpeter and composer Chris Botti has amassed a spectacular variety of honors, including multiple Gold and Platinum albums, to become the largest selling instrumental artist in The United States.

STEVE

HACKETT –GENESIS REVISITED

FOXTROT AT 50 + HACKETT HIGHLIGHTS

FRIDAY, 10.13.23 | 8 PM

Steve Hackett brings Foxtrot at Fifty to North America for a string of eagerly awaited dates following the huge selling UK 2022 tour.

+LIVE+ UNPLUGGED

SUNDAY, 10.15.23 | 7:30 PM

With some of the alt-rock era’s biggest hits up their sleeve, you don’t want to miss an evening with the multiPlatinum band +LIVE+. +LIVE+ have sold over 22 million albums worldwide.

KOLTON HARRIS FILM PREMIER

BREATHE RITE

PART OF THE MUSIC SHORT FILM SERIES

FRIDAY, 10.27.23 | 7 PM

New London artist Kolton Harris’s series of music short films combine storytelling with musical exploration around the themes of equity, justice, humanity and unity. Each film is based off of a song from his EP called 4Freedom. Join us for a screening of the series and the premiere of the last film in the series Breathe Rite.

BORED TEACHERS COMEDY TOUR

SATURDAY 10.28.23 | 8 PM

Bored Teachers presents the 2023 ‘We Can’t Make This Stuff Up’ Comedy Tour featuring the funniest teachercomedians in the world!

LET’S SING TAYLOR

A LIVE BAND EXPERIENCE

CELEBRATING TAYLOR SWIFT

SATURDAY 11.04.23 | 8 PM

So, let the games begin. Calling all Swifties to sing your hearts out and sport your Taylor-inspired attire. Let’s Sing Taylor is headed to the Garde.

EVIL WOMAN: AMERICAN ELO EXPERIENCE

FRIDAY, 11.10.23 | 8 PM

You will be left spellbound by the flawless musicianship and vocals of EVIL WOMAN’s 12 musicians as well as the fusion of Beatlesque-Pop and classical arrangements where cellos co-exist with guitars, and where classically tinged rock intersects with pop.

MASTERS OF ILLUSION: BELIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE

SATURDAY, 11.11.23 | 8 PM

Starring the world’s greatest award-winning magicians, this 21st century magic show is unlike anything you have seen before – filled with modern illusions and arts of deception, performed live on stage.

LEWIS BLACK: OFF THE RAILS

SUNDAY, 11.19.23 | 7 PM

Known as the King of Rant, Lewis Black uses his trademark style of comedic yelling and finger pointing to expose the absurdities of life. His comedic brilliance makes people laugh at life’s hypocrisies and the insanity he sees in the world.

A MAGICAL CIRQUE CHRISTMAS

SUNDAY, 11.26.23 | 4 PM

The world’s greatest entertainers unite for a spellbinding and incredible holiday production! Experience the enchantment of Christmas with an evening of dazzling performers and breathtaking cirque artists, accompanied by your favorite holiday music performed live.

ARTRAGEOUS

SATURDAY, 12.30.23 | 4 PM

Art, Music, Theater, Singing, Dancing, Audience Interaction… All on one stage. All done as a team of friends seeing the world and sharing a love of the Arts.

o r tribute

tribute bands - the next best thing until the actual artist returns

10.12

daryl’s house club, ny

Forming over two decades ago, the funk six-piece The Motet have learned to work as an interlocking unit, with each member bolstering one another towards the best creative output. This symbiosis has led to a unique style and cohesive musical chemistry, as seen in the band's immaculate live performances and seamless blend of funk, soul, jazz, and rock. With a fervent fanbase in tow, The Motet have sold out shows across the nation, performed six headlining slots at Red Rocks and sets at festivals such as Bonnaroo, Bottlerock, Electric Forest, Bumbershoot, Summer Camp, and High Sierra. They return after an amazing performance at the FTC this past spring.

10.19

the capitol theatre, ny

Lucinda Williams’ music has gotten her through her darkest days. It’s been that way since growing up amid family chaos in the Deep South, as she recounts in her candid new memoir, Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I told You. Over the past two years, it’s been the force driving her recovery from a debilitating stroke she suffered on November 17, 2020, at age 67. Her masterful, multi-Grammy-winning songwriting has never deserted her. To wit, her stunning, sixteenth studio album, Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart, brims over with some of the best work of her career. And though Williams can no longer play her beloved guitar – a constant companion since age 12 – her distinctive vocals sound better than ever. She returns after a sold out show at the Wall Street Theater this past spring.

STRAGELOVE: DEPECHE MODE EXP.

Los Angeles based STRANGELOVE-

The Depeche Mode Experience delivers a career spanning, pitch perfect “best of” concert that transports the listener through time and touches on several key points in Depeche Mode’s 40+ year career. Songs from throughout the Depeche canon are lovingly recreated; from favorites on DM’s debut Speak and Spell to the newest fare from ‘Mode’s latest- 2017’s “Spirit”. No detail of STRANGELOVE’s presentation has been overlooked. The visual presentation with stage set pieces and in-show costume changes reflect different eras of Depeche Mode’s story.

October 14th, Wall Street Theater

EWF: EARTH, WIND & FIRE TRIBUTE BAND

The Earth, Wind & Fire Tribute Band share a great love and appreciation for the style and musicianship of the premier band of the 70's, 80's and 90's, Earth, Wind and Fire. The Earth, Wind and Fire Tribute Band is based in Maryland and tours up and down the East Coast. The band pays homage to one of the greatest bands of its era, bringing to life the magical R&B, Funk and Jazz sounds that continues to inspire and influence even the contemporary entertainers of today. They perform all of the hits, including: Got To Get You Into My Life, Sing a Song, Shining Star, Boogie Wonderland, Let’s Groove, That’s The Way of the World, September, and many others. They will have the audience on their feet, clapping and singing along to all the iconic hits.

October 27th, Palace Stamford

BACK TO THE GARDEN 1969

Back to the Garden recreates the classic sounds associated with Woodstock. The musical performances are a tribute to the artists who made Woodstock great, including Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jimi Hendrix, Sly &The Family Stone, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin, The Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Canned Heat, Ten Years After, The Who, Mountain, Richie Havens, Melanie, Arlo Guthrie, Blood, Sweat & Tears, The Grateful Dead, Country Joe & The Fish,…and more!

November 4th, Edmond Town Hall