St. Paddy's with the Reverend

My favorite band hit Dallas again! We went to Trees in Deep Ellum to see the Reverend Horton Heat play on St. Patrick's Day. I usually don't like going out on weekdays but it was a free show. So how could we not? It was fun, but I really wasn't interested in seeing any opening bands. We got there way early because of that fact it was free. The Reverend didn't even go on until 11:30 PM. I knew I was going to be in trouble the next day. But I remembered to wear earplugs so, I got that going for me.  The last drummer, Scott Churilla, showed up and played a few songs like one of my favorites, "Big Little Baby."  I saw him at the bar and I knew he looked familiar, but I couldn't place him.  I missed my chance to talk to him.  :(

Lee Harvey Oswald posters in Zini's Pizza.

The Trees Sign.

Trees Stage.

David waiting for the show to start.

A Dallas Observer guy took our picture.

A tree in Trees.

He busted out the green flame jacket.

Rockabilly's finest.

They are the baddest of the bad.

When I had to move back.  Too much moshing.

Scott playing drums.

Still rockin'.

Another Revernd Concert

The Reverend Horton Heat played at the House of Blues this past weekend. David and I went with his friend, Kevin. As we were waling to the building, we past the tour bus. And who stepped out of the bus right when we walked past? Jimbo!! He is so cool! He like me take a picture with him. We got inside and I went to the bathroom. As I was walking out of the bathroom, David opened the women's bathroom door and yelled my name. I thought the place was on fire or something! He grabbed my hand and we ran to the lobby where Jim Heath was standing in line at the merch table. OMG! He turned around and saw us and we talked to him for a little big. He let me take a picture too. I am so lucky. The show was great, as always. They place some new ones and the cover they did was "Ace of Spades" by Motorhead. Afterward, we went to Lee Harvey's for some water. I can't wait to see them again September.

The House of Blues is a nice place.

Lots of rockers at the concert.

Kevin & David rocking out.

Close up.

They are awesome live!

Me & Jim Heath.

Me & Jimbo. I look fat in this picture.

"Five-O Ford" by the Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Video

I figured out how to post it. Enjoy!

Another Reverend Horton Heat Concert

He has to recognize us by now!

This time we saw him Saturday night at the Main Street Live Festival in Pegasus Plaza. It was somewhere downtown. David and I were standing on a stone platform in a fountain that had been shut off. We had the perfect view. Plus, I remembered to bring my camera! I even took a video of "Rock This Joint" featuring Bill Haley's daughter, Gina. But I can't figure out how to post it. Hopefully I will figure it out soon. Other than drunk skinheads slam dancing in the corner, it was a great show! At the end, he threw his pic and it hit me in the stomach. We couldn't find it though. A girl told me he uses clear pics, so it wasn't worth searching for it. But wouldn't that have been a great thing for my scrapbook?

Jim Heath and Gina Haley rockin' this joint.

The Reverend standing on Jimbo's bass.

I love his jackets! This one was a cream color with red flames.

Bass Master Jimbo from Deer Park, Texasland.

He's awesome!

Another trick they do where they play each others instruments.

I can't surf! But neither can Jimbo! Only on his bass...

STP Concert

David and I saw Stone Temple Pilots last night for the 1st time. It was a great show at Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie. We sat off to the side, but our seats were still good. Scott Weiland started off looking like a 1920s era detective in skinny pants. They played all the hits, of course. During the encore they covered "We Will Rock You" by Queen. One of Jodi's friends, Sole, was in the pit and took these pictures with her iPhone.

Saying good bye.

Farewell smooch.

I think the background was a car chase seen from the movie Pacific Heights.

This is a great backlit shot.

Scott is hot!

10th Time's The Charm

Last night was my 10th time seeing the Reverend Horton Heat. David and I and few of David's friends went to see them at the Dallas City Arts Festival. This might have been the first time I have seen them where the Rev didn't wear a suit. He wore a button up shirt with a cowboy hat. I took some picures with my cell phone. I am not sure how to get them off, but I will post them when I do. They aren't that great quality. They did a string of covers again. It was great. They started with "Greensleeves" and ended with "In Bloom" by Nirvana. Every show is the best one!

Anderson-Farris Summer Concert Series

We kicked off our "Summer Concert Series" this year with the Black Crowes at Taste Addison yesterday. I'll see anyone for $5! They were good, but they didn't play enough old stuff to keep our attention. David didn't know too much about them. When they got up there, David pointed to Chris Robinson and said, "He looks like Jesus." And he sure did. No sign of Kate Hudson at this gig. Too bad.

If we have enough time, we are going to go to the Wildflower Festival in Richardson on Saturday. Everclear, Eve 6, Pat Benetar, and Bret Michaels are playing. We already have our Stone Temple Pilot tickets for the end of June. And we will be making our 10th and 7th respective journeys to see the Reverend Horton Heat again this summer.

My Ears Are Still Ringing...

...but it's worth it! Last night, David and I went to the Smirnoff Music Center to see Alice In Chains and Velvet Revolver. We got a late start. Between driving to his work, getting something to eat, and getting to the show I was in the car for 2 hours! Surprisingly, there was a bunch of parking spaces available in the $15 lot. We didn't even have to search. We got there halfway through the opening act, Sparta, and got a great spot on the lawn. I guess you could say we were front row center...in the front row was in the back. I brought the Neat Sheet and my high school blanket. The weather was perfect. We took off our shoes and just laid there waiting for the show to start. Alice in Chains was first. We saw them a year ago at Nokia. They were just as good, but didn't get to play as long. During "Drug of Choice" David was convinced the new singer, William DuVall, forgot the words. I think his mic went out. The sounds was kinda raspy the whole time. And the jumbo tron was fuzzy. At the end Jerry Cantrell introduced his dad, Rooster, and that was the song they ended with. Velvet Revolver was up next. The first time I saw them, after their 1st album, I was excited to hear Velvet Revolver songs. This time I really wanted to hear Stone Temple Pilot and Guns 'N Roses songs. They had a nice mix, but I didn't know any of the new songs. They don't get played on the radio here in Dallas anymore. They played, "Patience," "Sex Type Thing," "Interstate Love Song," "Mr. Brownstone," "Vaseline," and another GNR song that I didn't know. We stayed until the very end. Tommy Lee from Motley Crue came out for the encore. It's not as cool as it sounds. He played the drums for like a minute and he had his head down the whole time. I wouldn't have known it was him if Scott Weiland wouldn't have said something. We had no problem getting out the parking lot. It was amazing. I got in bed at 12:30 AM and had to wake up for work at 3:45 AM. I still can't hear much. And I am covered in bug bites from sitting on the grass. But it was a great show and it was worth every penny! So, David and Sara's Summer Music Tour ends here. Hopefully, we will have a good run in the Fall. Rob Zombie, Dandy Warhols, and maybe Jimmy Eat World.

Still Good The 7th Time Around

I worked so much this weekend! I worked 13 hours at a swim meet on Friday, 11 hours at the rec center on Saturday, and 8 1/2 hours on Sunday. So, my reward was going to see the Reel Big Fish Sunday night at the Palladium in Dallas. The Palladium is the old Gilley's on Lamar Street. I don't know if you would call that the West End or not. It's kind of out of the way. But it was nice inside. They had video monitors so people in the back could see. And there was even a bathroom attendant! When we walked in, they gave us ID bracelets with our names on them so we could drink. They swiped our licenses and they printed out. I have never seen that before. We sat through 2 bands I really didn't want to see: Streetlight Manifesto and Against All Authority. It was a year to the date that I saw them last time. But this time, I didn't have to go alone! David was as tired as I was. But he stuck it out until they started the encore. We left during "Sell Out." It was interesting to see what songs they cut out of the set for the new ones. Since I have seen them 7 times, I have the set list memorized. It was good fun, but I think I may skip the next one if it is not on a weekend.

Boogie Woogie in Big D

Last Saturday, we went to the Taste of Dallas. It was far inferior to the Taste Addison, but we weren't there for the food. We ate at Fish Monger's before we left. We met up with Dirk and his kids in the West End. The Reverend Horton Heat was supposed to go on at 11:00 PM. They ended up starting at 11:30 PM, but it was worth the wait. There wasn't many people there. David got a spot in the front; I stood back with Dirk and the kids. The Reverend wore a burnt orange blazer with embroidered longhorns on it and black tuxedo pants with a burnt orange stripe. Hook 'em Horns! David was convinced they were police pants. Jimbo was as cool as he usually is with his stand up bass painted with flames. They have a new drummer, named Paul Simmons. The format is the same for every show. A few old favorites, a few new ones, then requests. But this time, he heard my request for "Bales of Cocaine." And he winked at me! After Dirk and the kids left, David scooted me in front of him, so I was up against the barrier. The excited Mexican man next to me called out all the other requests for the night. Then they played a few covers. I had never heard them sing "Folsom Prison Blues" in person. Paul, the drummer, sung an Ozzy song. A few people got on stage around 1 AM. The roadies/bouncers were not pleased. After the show Jimbo came around and shook our hands. I was so excited!! David told him we would see him next month when they came to the House of Blues. Can't wait for the next one!

Our summer concert tour this year will also includes Reel Big Fish on July 29th and Velvet Revolver with Alice In Chains in September. I am on the fence about Queens of the Stone Age on September 16th.

Great Band Links:
Reverend Horton Heat
Reel Big Fish
Queens of the Stone Age
Alice In Chains
Velvet Revolver

Weekend in Rock

I don't remember when I have had a weekend that rocked this much! I just finished working 13 days in a row at one job or the other. So, even though I was tired, I was ready to get out and do something.

So, after a little convincing, Saturday night David and I went with his friends to see the Reverend Horton Heat at the Granada in Lower Greenville. I was actually planning on going by myself about a month ago. But, going with other people is much more fun and safe. His friends got there before us and saved a spot in the front to the left of the stage. I hadn't been that close to him since 1998! This was my 5th time seeing him and David's 3rd. He wore a black shirt, black pants, and a green suit jacket with purple flames and sequins. He looked a little bit like The Riddler from Batman. They played a few new songs and took requests. After the show we went to Cafe Brazil and ate french toast outside.

Sunday, we went to go see Alice in Chains at Nokia in Grand Prairie. I love that place. There isn't a bad seat in the house. The show was presented by VH1 Classic. Boy, does that makes me feel old. We sat in the middle section in the same row as the biggest and drunkest Alice in Chains fan ever. It was almost like 2 shows for 1. I thought the guy was going to set his face on fire with his lighter! We got off to a late start and the traffic was horrible. But, David knew what side streets to go down and we made it there by the 3rd song. In the parking lot, I tried the "oh my God, I forgot the tickets at home!" joke, but he saw right through me. The new singer's name is William DuVall. I looked him up on the internet, but I don't know any of the bands he's been in. He sang similar to Layne Staley, but it just wasn't the same. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I miss the original. Jerry Cantrell looked about the same with a Grizzly Adams beard. And the cardboard cut-out of the perfect grunge rock drummer, Sean Kinney, looked like he hasn't aged a day. Halfway through they took a little break and had a Layne Staley tribute musical montage. Then they came back with an acoustic set and one more rock set. The self-proclaimed "Air Guitar Master" had a "fun overload." I thought it was pretty awesome too.

On a side note, I think that an argument could be made that Jerry is actually the lead singer of the band. He sings just as much as Layne did. And many times I notice that Jerry sings the melody, where Layne sings the harmony. Plus, Jerry writes like all the songs. I am not saying this to discredit Layne in anyway, I love the guy. But it was just something I was thinking of. Discuss...

RBF was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Last night was the concert of the century for me. MxPx and Reel Big Fish played at the Curtain Club in Deep Ellum. Deep Ellum is a seedy place, but it was a Wednesday night and the doors opened at 5 PM, so I wasn't worried about going by myself. There were 5 bands playing, it was an all ages show, and I only wanted to see 2 bands. So, in rock math, I estimated if I got there at 8 PM, I would be okay. Well, I didn't' factor in a wreck on 75, so I got there at 8:30 PM. I only got to see the last 20 minutes of Reel Big Fish. They were still great though. This is the 5th time I have seen them. I found a spot on the top level, but I too short to see over most people. I caught a few glimpses of my main man, Aaron, then they were gone. He was wearing a white short sleeve shirt and a red tie. He is so gorgeous! Anyway, you know it's over when they play "Sell Out." In between bands, I bought the new RBF double CD/DVD, Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album. Turns out they all autographed the inside. Priceless! The Curtain Club does not have air conditioning. So by this time, I was sweating worse than a softball game. I got another beer and waited for MxPx, who came out the the theme to Kill Bill. They rocked and took requests in the middle of the set. They did a cover of The Proclaimers "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)." MxPx is the most inspirational band in my life right now. "Tomorrow's Another Day" was probably the best one they played. I am so glad I got to see them again. When they closed they said, "next time bring your friends." They are talking to you!