Kings of Leon - A Coronation in Boston

Concert Date: 9/16/24

Venue: MGM Fenway, Boston

Genre:  Hard Rock

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In an ever-expanding landscape of sonic complexity, genres, sub-genres, and sub-sub-genres, it's comforting to return to where it all started: rock and roll. Kings of Leon embodies modern southern rock underscored by classic rock cool and indie rock indifference. Their current sound evolved from early garage rock and punk to a more refined, diverse, and complex alt-rock sensibility while remaining true to the core rock construct - three chords and the truth. Within this simplicity, KOL's songs are intricate masterworks. Delivered live, they simply explode.  

After a tepid opener, "Ballerina  Radio," from their latest album, "Can We Have Fun," KOL warmed up fast, ripping into "The Bucket," which set the tone for the night ahead. When the Followil brothers (and cousin) reached the chorus on On Call, "I'm on call..." they seemed surprised to hear the audience resoundingly respond, "to be there." Caleb remarked on the audience after the lights went up at the song's end. "I'll be honest, we didn't expect this on a Monday night in Boston."  

Not a single chair at the 5,000-seat MGM Fenway venue was empty, and everyone stood to share their appreciation for one of the best-kept secrets in rock music. The energy and sheer fanaticism were contagious across the intimate amphitheater. The connection between the band and the audience was palpable, and the power delivered onstage with musicianship and intensity was absorbed and reciprocated tenfold by the audience with wild cheers, singing, and... revelry. 

After the raucous "Razz" from their second album, Caleb paused once again to acknowledge the crowd. "Really. We were not expecting you guys to be this good." The fans erupted, demonstrating that the question "Can We Have Fun?" didn't need to be asked; they embodied the answer.

Throughout the 26-song set, fans of their raw early work or fully-baked later work were rewarded. Funky rhythms and delicious licks remain constant throughout. Highlights included "Manhattan," "Mustang," "Molly's Chambers," "Sex on Fire," and "Revelry." Heartfelt renditions of "Back Down South" and "Closer" completed the core set. The band returned for an impassioned trifecta of "Rainbow Ball," "Knocked Up," and "Use Somebody," the latter inspiring the band to open their arms to the crowd and sing, "...someone like you."

This tour only lasts a few more weeks, and if you missed this show in Boston, the good news is that they'll be back on October 7th. So don't miss your chance to see one of our time's most underappreciated rock bands deliver a tight, tireless, most unexpectedly outstanding show. 

Tour Dates

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen

Banging in Bangor - Greta Van Fleet Rocks the Cross Insurance Center

Score: 91/100 

Release Date: 8/2/23

Venue: Cross Insurance Center

Genre: Rock

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On a cool October evening in Bangor, Maine, the Cross Insurance Center buzzed with the vibrant sounds of the soulful Greta Van Fleet. 

First up was Robert Finley, a blues and soul artist, who wowed the audience with his powerful vocals and impressive guitar skills. His music transported everyone to the classic blues era, leaving a lasting impact.

Following Finley, Houndmouth brought indie rock vibes to the stage, getting the crowd dancing and singing along. Their harmonies were tight, and they seamlessly switched between upbeat tunes and heartfelt ballads, showcasing their versatility and infectious enthusiasm.

Finally, the much-anticipated moment arrived as Greta Van Fleet hit the stage, delivering explosive rock anthems. The audience was immediately captivated by frontman Josh Kiszka's soaring vocals and the band's exceptional musicianship. 

Greta Van Fleet’s performance cannot simply be classified as classic rock. It is a testament to their own unique talent, which infuses a fresh, modern edge while paying homage to their blazing hard rock influences. 

From the rootsy blues of Robert Finley to the high energy of Houndmouth, the night reached its crescendo with the explosive rock of Greta Van Fleet. It was a concert experience that exceeded all the audience's expectations.  

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen

Rock Review: Foo Fighters – Medicine at Midnight

Score: 75/100 

Release Date: February 5, 2021

Genre: Hard Rock

Similar Artists: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Audioslave, Pearl Jam

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Having risen from the ashes of grunge rock, Foo Fighters have gifted their hardcore fan base with a tenth studio release and the first since 2017’s Concrete and Gold.  With Medicine at Midnight, the band remains deeply entrenched inside a groove they’ve carved for themselves out of which it is so difficult to climb. Let’s face it, the formula pleases fans, supports the crew, appeases the record company, and further solidifies their standing in the pantheon of rock royalty.  

Make no mistake, their standing is well earned. Dave Grohl has carried the band forward through tragedy and travesty, proving that which does not kill a rock band only serves to make it stronger. Nirvana was but a starting point. Grohl seasoned that sound with flights of fancy taking it to new sonic heights. Remarkably, Foo Fighters come across as an amalgamation of the history of rock music.  There are traces of early ‘70’s Mountain and Foghat fused with ‘80s Rick James and ‘90’s Wu-Tang Clan. Alongside Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters rescued rock music from the fraudulent grasp of hair metal.

Medicine at Midnight starts with a bang and then retreats to the safety of the commonplace. 

“Making a Fire” is as fresh and intoxicating as you’ll hear from this band. Riding on a funk groove that would make Nile Rodgers sit up and take notice, “Shame Shame” is the real standout. The groove stays sharp on “Cloudspotter” while “Waiting on a War” turns back to an acoustic backbone supporting so many of their past hits. From this point on, the album takes a turn toward the typical failing to move the listener emotionally in any clear direction.  

All in all, Medicine at Midnight keeps the Foo Fighters legacy of hard-driving rockers with a hybrid sound replete with nods to their forefathers well intact.

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen

8.5.7

Rock Review: Tom Morello - Comandante

Score: 84/100 

Release Date: October 30, 2020

Genre: Rock

Similar Artists: Slash, Dave Navarro, Jimi Hendrix, Adam Jones

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Comandante is an onslaught.  The five-song EP, which includes a tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen, a Slash collaboration, and a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile, is a jump in the ocean in winter.  It’s a tumultuous 18-minute thrill ride stimulating all senses, leaving the listener rejuvenated and purged of any preconceived notions of who and what a guitar God should be.  

Master of the special effect, Morello bends feedback to his will.  His signature style comes through tapping and picking, leveraging the entire instrument and using it more as a channel for the sonic bending of electricity than the standard plug and play we hear in classic-rock songs of the past. The ripping, wailing sonic wave he produces on Comandante is well worth the ride.  

“Comandante” is Spanish for Commander, a rock rank Morello has earned and whose authority he takes out on his classic ‘Arm the Homeless’ Stratocaster hybrid electric guitar.  Is there rage? Yes, there is rage.  Rage that escapes not through the lyrics but in the spaces between the notes inside the blistering solos. 

It’s worth mentioning that due to the 2020 shutdown, the highly anticipated Rage Against the Machine reunion tour has been postponed to 2021.  Morello has been making the most of his time off the road. In addition to Comandante, he released a photo book entitled, Whatever It Takes.

All tolled, Comandante is an electric guitar-laden rock tour de force. On an EP, there are no shortcuts or mail-in tunes to fill the space.  Morello has delivered five great songs, which is quite considerate given the fact that it is rare to find five great songs on any full-length album. Simply put, Comandante commands your respect.

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen

8.5.2

Rock Review: Bruce Springsteen - Letter to You

Score: 85/100 

Release Date: October 23, 2020

Genre: Rock

Similar Artists: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, My Morning Jacket, John Mellencamp

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Though one may expect the album to open with a rocker, Bruce reaches back to a blend of Nebraska (1982), The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995), and Devils and Dust (2005) in “One Minute You’re Here” calling up the existential dread we all carry, particularly in this time of Covid-19, “One minute you’re here/Next minute you’re not.” 

Bruce takes the distilled spirits of Born to Run (1975),  Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978) and The River (1980),  splashing droplets onto his Letter To You where Bruce wails that he, “Dug deep in my soul and signed my name True/And send it in my letter to you.” Once again, “the streets busted open and these two lanes can take us anywhere.” With the title track, a love letter to the members of The Castiles, Bruce's first band formed during his teen-age years, Bruce reaches out to his global fan base and beyond in a time of increased isolation and delivers a strong and potent album.

“Burnin’ Train” continues the existential vein as Springsteen wails, “Take me and shake me from/this mortal cage” harkening back to the strong religious imagery of “Adam Raised A Cain” where he exclaims, “Outside the endless rain/Darlin’ I’m blessed in your blood/And marked by Cain.”
 
“Rainmaker” falls from the sky with the potent remembrance of The Rising, which spoke to the post 9/11 world and much of what that fateful day wrought. Now, in a time of global pandemic, and ravaging wildfires, Springsteen calls out for a healing rain.
 
“Ghost” brings one back to Magic (2008), an album which found Bruce returning to his rocking roots after the acoustic Devils and Dust (2005) and folk covers rendered on We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006) and serves as a fitting sequel to "We Are Alive," the last track on Wrecking Ball (2012).  
 
“Candy”, from Darkness on the Edge of Town,  comes back in “Janey Needs A Shooter” as Bruce sings about a woman who has interactions with other men, from her doctor to priest, though not sexual but is truly understood by that one special man who truly understands her, “A shooter man who knows her style/The way that I know her style/A man who knows her style.”

When George Theis, the next to last surviving member of The Castiles passed away at 68, it caused Springsteen to pause and go into a deep reflection on the significance of those formative years. "Last Man Standing" came out of that reflection in which Bruce stands at the mic as the soul survivor and howls, "Rock of ages lift me somehow/Somewhere high and hard and loud/Somewhere deep into the heart of the crowd/I'm the last man standing now."

This album is a meditation upon Springsteen's entire career, from The Castiles to the E Street Band and what the creative process has been for him as he sings , "If you get it right/It has the power of prayer" in the soul filled,  rock and roll church attending "Power of Prayer."
 
“I’ll See You In My Dreams” could be to Clarence Clemons, Danny Federici, members of The Castiles  or anyone else who Bruce has lost along the way and serves as a fitting end to Letter To You, as once again, he writes a letter to those lost souls, “And though my soul feels like it’s been/split at the seams/I’ll see you in my dreams.” 
 
Overall, Letter to You is a little bit of a lot of everything Springsteen’s ever done.

Richard Meadows | Guitar & Pen

8.5.2

Rock Review: Airborne Toxic Event - Hollywood Park

Score: 84/100

Release Date: May 22, 2020

Genre: Rock

Similar Artists:  Band of Horses, The National

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Being a sucker for what I'll coin as Literary Rock, I eagerly anticipated this latest Airborne Toxic Event release, Hollywood Park. The album is a soundtrack to founder Mikel Jollett's recently released memoir focusing on his experiences growing up in an infamous cult and subjected to a childhood filled with poverty, addiction, and emotional abuse. If the book is as powerful as the soundtrack, we're in for a great read.

It's worth noting that the band takes its name from a 1985 postmodern novel called White Noise, which centers around a chemical spill that forces the citizens to face their mortality and learn to appreciate the beauty of the natural world around them. 

 

The sonic experience involves a back-and-forth between propulsive anthems and subtle, evocative piano ballads. "Come on Out" is one of the album's real treasures. With a driving rhythm and deep, resonant vocals, it captures the thrill and angst of youth, all the while steering the listener boldly toward a new future.

 

As the album progresses, the songs slowly become stripped of their production and presumption. They become more personal. "The Common Touch" features Jollett in a folksy singsong number, which feels as if he's about to lighten the mood and then heads in a different direction.

 

With our heads soaked up in alcohol, one hand on a cigarette. I swear I still got some good moves left. I've been fifty-eight since I was twenty-three. I got sixty-nine problems but one ain't me.

 

In addition to "Come on Out," the standout track to me is "All These Engagements." The lyrics are rife with veiled allusions of deep and dark childhood trauma, which has followed the protagonist has carried with him all his life. It starts slow as a remembrance and rolls along forcefully building toward an ultimate crescendo of rage. "Common Touch" adds a folksy singalong number to the equation to lighten the mood.  

 

All in all, The longing, anger, and regret are palpable on Hollywood Park. Yet after a close listen, one feels a sense of earned wisdom, a that which does not kill me makes me stronger feeling. What Airborne Toxic Event delivers is a powerful collection of songs that blends rock music with a well-told coming of age story. The result is a highly gratifying listening experience.  

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen

Alt-Blues Review: Mark Lanegan - Straight Songs of Sorrow

Score: 83/100
Release Date: May 8, 2020

Genre: Alt-Blues, Grunge

Similar Artists:  Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen

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Mark Lanegan comes right out and says it, so don't say you weren't warned. These are Straight Songs of Sorrow. The deep lyrics riding upon guttural resonance evokes a cathartic empathy for the state of the world and the people inhabiting it which is nothing short of beautiful. It may not be the artist's desired effect, but after I put my headphones down, I feel a whole lot better about my own personal lot in life and the future of humankind. I suppose in this respect one could call this a blues album, but the blood mixed in makes it more purple. 

Founder of grunge pioneers and extremely underrated Screaming Trees, Lanagan rides the tailwind of his recent soul-bearing memoir, Sing Backwards and Weep. His book details the youthful search for "decadence, depravity, anything, everything." In it, Lanagan reveals the guilt he feels to this day about the death of his friend, Kurt Cobain. The vocals are reminiscent of classic blues singers yet bent with a blend of dark Iggy Pop mixed with Leonard Cohen, and infused with a twist of Nick Cave.

The distressed sonic texture strikes a chord from which the lyrics jump off and strike a nerve with tales of heartache and sorrow and warning signs of the hard road ahead. The album begins with Lanegan warning listeners not to take his advice. "Suddenly, everything I ever had is on ice. All those who tried to help me scattered like mice. No, I wouldn't want to say."

"Bleed All Over," the song with the most velocity in the collection, still reverberates with a vengeful sorry. "Don't you say it's over… I never wanted to… I'm a bleed all over." On "Skeleton Key," Lannegan laments, "I'm ugly inside and out… Love me, why would you ever love me? No one has ever loved me yet, pretty baby."

On Straight Songs of Sorrow, slow and soulful guitar travels on a gravel road of heavy bass and subdued drums. In the driver's seat, Lanegan couldn't care less what his passengers think. Unburdened by obligation and pretension, the artist is free to express his true self and travel wherever he wants. That is precisely what Lanegan has done, and we're all the wiser for coming along for the ride.  

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen



Spotify



Interview with Mark Lanegan

Hard Rock Review: Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary Man

Score: 71
Release Date: February 21, 2020

Genre: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal

Similar Artists:  Alice Cooper, Dio, Iron Maiden

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From the graveyard fog, The Prince of Darkness has reemerged with his first set of solo material in a decade. With a little help from his friends, Ozzy Osbourne has managed to pull together a respectable assembly of tracks that will satisfy the pop-metal audience he helped to define after striking out on his own in the early '80s. One look at the artwork on Ordinary Man and song titles such as "Under the Graveyard," "Scary Little Green Men," and "Straight to Hell," and you'll appreciate that Ozzy is serving up more of the same delights you've come to love over the years. On the other hand, you know what you're getting, and the menu hasn't changed much. It is not entirely Ozzy's fault. When you make your bed (or dig your grave) by defining a genre, it is hard not to lie in it.  

Overall, the sound on Ordinary Man is both dense and tight. Ozzy's all-star band includes Guns N' Roses alum Duff McKagen and Slash, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist Andrew Watt.  The sound fuses Ozzy's signature confessional soliloquies with the expected onslaughts of heavy metallic riffing. The resulting formula will scare demons from the darkness and into the light of day where they burn to ashes in the heat of the sun.  

Then, out of nowhere, Elton John appears, dueting with Ozzy on the oddest song on the album, the title track, "Ordinary Man". The pairing reminds one of an old Rodney Dangerfield joke. "I was an earth sign; she was a water sign. Together we made mud." The song pastes together so much of the past; it is hard to see the present or the future. Jeff Lynne of ELO might want to pay attention to the closing orchestral sequence, which borrows directly from his 1974 hit Can't Get it Out of my Head.  

Ordinary Man steers itself back onto the road with a handful of solid metal standards. "Straight to Hell" is textbook Ozzy with driving riffs, staccato bass, and drums.  His lyricism remains poignant on this track and prominent throughout the album. Ozzy calls back to "Sweet Leaf" peppering in a few "alright now"'s into the proceedings for old time's sake. "All My Life" is a thoughtful rumination that rises from a sentimental strumming reminiscent of "Goodbye to Romance" to a thrashing crescendo.  

"Under the Graveyard" is a flat-out metal anthem and worthy of inclusion on any Ozzy Greatest Hits collection. The inventor of the heavy-metal hook takes hold on this haunting canticle. "It's a Raid" is the one collaboration on the album that works well and finds Ozzy breaking at least a bit out of his comfort zone. The vocal riffing with Post Malone over the punk/hardcore metal backdrop is a blend of old and new, which is less like water and earth making mud and more like the pleasure, one derives after kicking a trash can over or smashing a mailbox.  Yet there are moments on this song and others where Ozzy appears as a cartoon parody of himself.  It is as if, the record execs took a listen and said there isn't enough ghoulishness or tacky Halloween decorations to scare the kids off the front yard.  This mischaracterization has followed Ozzy throughout his career, and the man and the music deserve better.  Trick or treaters were never quite Ozzy's audience.  Leave that to KISS. Kids in hoodies smoking cigarettes in the graveyard are.  

As the final track on Ordinary Man faded, I realized that the struggles of an aging rockstar are not unlike those of the disaffected and marginalize youth whom Ozzy influenced in his own youth. Even at 71, Ozzy skillfully pens lyrics to which either end of the spectrum can relate. This time, however, he's further from the cradle than the grave. With the recent cancellation of his 2020 tour due to health (Parkinson's) issues, this could potentially be the last new music he releases. If so, I give thanks to the Prince of Darkness. His legacy of hauntingly inviting demons into my soul and then exorcising them all within the constraints of a five-minute song will endure forever. 

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen

Rock Review: The Who - WHO

Score: 80
Release Date: December 6, 2019
Genre:  Rock
Similar Artists:  The Kinks, Yardbirds, Rolling Stones

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It's been said that before death, one’s life flashes before them. With threads from their 55-year history as the loudest and most influential band on the face of the earth woven into the music, The Who’s latest release, WHO feels like such a flash. It is a journey through the past, a reminder of their power and influence, and a defiant “Love, Reign O’er Me” cry from the front of the stage. No, The Who will not go gentle into that good night.

Pete Townsend has never been accused of holding back. Whether as the deaf, dumb and blind, Tommy or the alienated mod Jimmy, Pete bares the soul of the characters he’s created who are misunderstood and marginalized by society. Pete invented not giving a fuck conveying to disaffected youth, that not only is it okay to be true to yourself, you'll suffer if you don’t. The energy and aggression The Who as a band, bring to Pete’s songs, amplify both the sound and the fury producing enduring and inspirational anthems.  

After hearing the first lyric on WHO, “I don’t care, I know you’re gonna hate this song.” I pumped my fist with excitement and defiance. It’s not exactly “I hope I die before I get old,” but 54-years later, the attitude is the same. Who fanatics will agree that Pete’s lyrics can contain not-so-subtle digs at Roger, and I can’t help think that this is one of them. “…that’s fair, we never really got along.” The union of Pete and Roger has survived a half-century, and while oil and water don’t quite mix, they look pretty cool when you shake them up. 

While the surface of these songs is polished, the underlying structure is diverse and complex. Supported by accomplished musicians such as Benmont Tench (Tom Petty), Pino Palladino (The Who), and Joey Waronker (Beck, REM), and at times a full-blown orchestra, the arrangements are multifaceted, and the richness is palpable. It is apparent that perfectionist and original studio gear-head Pete Townshend fussed and fine-tuned until he got it right.

Many of these tracks bring to the present, echoes of the past. “All this Music Must Fade” unearths “The Music Must Change.” “I Don’t’ Wanna Get Wise” resurrects “My Generation.” “Detour” is a nod to the original band name and conjures the foot-stomping freestyling “Join Together.” “Rocking in Rage” is a soul-bearing confession reminiscent of the driving introspection of “The Real Me.”

These are all strong tracks, yet the real gems on WHO are not those which give us a taste of what was, but those that give us a taste of what might be. “Beads on One String” and “Street Song” are this reviewer’s personal favorites.

Not all these tracks hit the famed red, white & blue mod target, however. “I’ll be Back” is more of a love song that seems out of place and better suited for yacht rock than classic rock. “She Rocked my World” has a sleepy Latin jazz vibe making it feel tired and misplaced. “Break the News” is far more upbeat and a catchy Mumford & Sons-type romp.

Worth noting is the deluxe version, which contains three bonus tracks, two of which are forgettable. The third, however, “Got Nothing to Prove” is a previously unreleased early-60’s gem. Re-orchestrated, it exemplifies the ambition of the band at a young age and nothing short of groovy, baby, groovy.

All in all, this is one impressive offering. The Who have tapped into the well of ingenuity to create the most surprising album of the year. Now in their mid-70’s, Pete and Roger have produced a collection as big and bold as any fan could hope for. After all, old age should burn and rage at close of day, or as Roger sings in the closing track “Rocking in Rage,” “defying the clock in one last rampage.”.

Let’s hope this isn’t The Who’s life flashing before their eyes, but an example of what groundbreaking (and guitar breaking) bands are capable of in the twilight of their careers.  This Who fanatic is thrilled they didn’t die before they got old as this is where some of their best work has been born.

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen