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Blog, Music, News and More! 12 Years strong!The Rocklahoma Review ( Day 3 ~SunFunDay~ )
Posted onJune 10, 2011Hello day three of Rocklahoma!! Ticket holders had the choice of buying single day passes, three day passes, VIP which included access to the VIP tent where the Pryor Chamber of Commerce deserves a gigantic thank you and thumbs up for serving home cooked food all weekend and free drinks as well. The VIP tent also was air conditioned which was a good thing because temperatures with the heat index were over 100 degrees on SunFunDay. The stages were even hotter. With music that is. One of the media groups that also assisted bands and stages( Axis and Camp Jager among others) was BleachBangs Radio. I would like to give them a big shout out and let you know you can tune their show in every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. EST. www.bleachbangs.com will take you there! Charlie, Randy, John and Ben, are the broadcast along with a great gang of people! They have rock, interviews with bands, and also have a blast!
When we woke up or arrived on Day 3 at Rocklahoma 2011 we knew it! Everything was more intense, more exciting, hotter, a lot more fans, media, security, production and artists moving quickly all across the grounds. For the first time ever, Rocklahoma was sold out. HELL YEAH ! Buckle up and let’s ride…
Wildstreet, Pretty Little Suicide, New Cool World and many more all rocked the Retrostage once again and fans were packed in and rockin’ their asses off! Despite temperatures rising into triple digits. The Hard Rock stage was amazing SunFunDay!
Art of Dying from Vancouver Canada is trail blazing up the billboard charts and also do a modern hard rock concert that you won’t soon forget! Sharp, steady passion from Tavis Stanley’s guitar, Jonny Hetherington seducing you with deep expression and lyrical genius. Cale Gontier’s bassline is a pulsating wall. Drumming that crashes down around all this music. Jeff Brown’s live Drum work will rip your heart out and give it back after the show…maybe. Art of Dying does not miss a beat. I am not exaggerating one bit. The rest of the free world agrees from what I can see. Live concert heaven. Also really fun, good guys! They signed autographs and visited with fans and you could see the sincerety between them. Vices and Virtues is the name of their album. Don’t walk, run and get one. It is that good. One of the best bands I have seen, ever. Rocklahoma enjoyed every minute of the Canadians. I will have an article soon individually on Art of Dying !
Black Label Society who by all means could have packed the main stage, instead played on the Hard Rock Stage. In between Poison and Motley Crue’s sets the musical brilliance of Zakk Wlyde was in full force. BLS opened with Crazy Horse and Zakk in a full Indian head dress !HELL YEAH! A sea of Black Label Society family as far as you could see showed up had the night of their life! The whole band just pulsated all 400 acres with pure, real, rock. This was one of the best shows of the weekend by far. I did get to meet and interview Zakk Wylde and he was very open, honest and personable. His motto, “Don’t take yourself too damn seriously.”
Another band I saw that really got my attention on SunFunDay was Papa Roach. They put on an excellent live show. Great sound team. No slow dance in this show. Papa Roach delivered on their rock. 100%.
One thing that did seem really off was the sound at the Hard Rock Stage at different points throughout the weekend. As if they did not have it turned up enough or tuned up enough. Not sure why. I heard others also say the same for Sebastian Bach’s show too. All in all the festival was success. I haven’t talked to anyone who doesn’t want to be at year six.
Saving Abel blew me away. I have seen Saving Abel in concert before they were great. At Rocklahoma, Even better. Jarod, Scott, Jason, all of them really were amazing this Memorial Day Weekend. After all they are all about thanking our military which is cool! The album is “Miss America” , if you don’t have it, really go get it. They will definitely keep your rock hand up!
With soaring temperatures and hot rock came dehydration and heat problems for some that I saw unfortunately. When at these festivals, please do take care and drink plenty of water and get cool every couple hours. Also wear sunscreen and reapply! It can save you missing the shows and spending the day or more at the E.R.
I would like to say how awesome radio row was this year in particular. KMOD of course in the booth near the Main Stage ROCKED! Lynn Hernandez did some announcing and also his broadcast live and was a HIT! HELL YEAH LYNN! www.kmod.com Also Mr.Pretty and Greg of Q102.3 they had a Semper Fi (Marine) Flag flying in the booth and totally rocked! They interviewed bands, entertained fans and just in general were fantastic! Check them out. http://www.woodwardradio.com/Q102.html
Seether’s show was a mix of all things real and rock. It honestly was kick ass. Many concert goers reviews across the net raved about this particular show as well. I do have to agree. It was fabulous to see them play live.
The original members of Poison looked good and sounded even better. Bret appeared very healthy and did not have a weak point in his show that I saw. They are on tour with Motley Crue currently, Rocklahoma kicking off their US dates. One thing that stuck out was ALL day SunFunDay on the Main Stage was the “25 stage” setup. Standing for twenty five years rock with Poison. I am not quite sure how Papa Roach, Saving Abel, and Seether felt about that but it appeared odd.
Motley Crue was a blast from the rock past that was just as awesome as in the day! They gave fans exactly what they came for. A rocking Motley Crue Concert. Tommy Lee at one point, screamed “Put your cameras and phones down! Buy a drink! Rock concerts are not a F@@king kodak moment!!” he then offered to give everyone a kodak moment. Hmmm… POSSIBLY, Bret Michaels and Tommy Lee thought they were the only ones playing today.
My festivals favorites this year were so amazing to see live in Rocklahoma form. Art of Dying, SKILLET, Black Label Society, Firstryke, Gypsy Pistoleros, Hinder, and Rev Theory and Pretty Little Suicide. Yep that’s them. Bucket list…Check, Check.
Joseph Garza is the photographer in most of the photos in my stories and I am sending him a massive thank you for the work he did to bring us these shots. Please stop by his site or facebook and say hello. http://josephgarzaphotography.webs.com/
Thank you to all worked Rocklahoma ! Amazing job. And big thank yous to the artists as well as our Military. And one inparticular, Michael. YOU ROCK!\m/
Check back for my credits list and individual band articles as well as more photographs!
The Rocklahoma Review ( Day 2 ~SatURday~ )
Posted onJune 10, 2011Can you feel that?
You better hold on
This one’s about to get bumpy
Hahahahahahaha…
– Rev Theory –
Welcome to Sat-UR-day at Rocklahoma 2011! Rocklahoma had a record breaking attendance of over 35,000 people this year. Organizers had it right when they booked one ground pounding band after another! No matter what your taste for rock was, there was something to excite and entertain you throughly for sure. Just when you think it can’t get any better, it did. The Hard Rock Stage on Day 2 was pumping and bumping all day to great bands including Pop Evil and Adelitas Way who put on a hard hitting show that made concert attendees jump up and down. Go see them Live! Cavo brought some St. Louis, to Rocklahoma and kept the Hard Rock Stage full of rock energy ! You can get your fix of new Cavo FREE at www.cavofan.com – A new single called, ” Hold Your Ground”. Put out early and exclusively for fans to honor a fan who built the site entirely on information given to her by Cavo.
All the way from across the pond (Worcester, Worcestershire, UK) our friends, those dam Gypsy Pistoleros are up at the Hard Rock Stage and these guys have Rocklahoma written all over them. An explosive rock show! You never know what is coming next with these glam machines but you know it will be an ass kicking good time! Lee and Iggie Pistolero have made a constant connection with listeners that you could see the entire time they were here at Rocklahoma. On and off stage these guys know how to Rocklahoma! Thank you Lee!
Now it’s all about a beer!! (get me one lol) Taddy Porter! No it’s a band! Taddy Porter, that is right, named after an ale. Taddy Porter’s live shows just get better and better a southern, gritty, fast paced, crowd pleasing concert that really added a lot of character to the Rocklahoma lineup. I also had a chance to interview Taddy Porter at the Media tent Saturday. Watch for that interview out soon here at Kick Acts Magazine.
The Air National Guard was doing fly overs in observance of Memorial Day in a Blackhawk which is always very cool. A massive thank you to them from all of us here at Kick Acts Magazine and from Oklahoma. It was defiantly heating up on SatURday in Pryor, OK. Summertime never felt so good. Driving through the two massive sections of VIP and General Admission camping was a show too! Happy campers (literally), truckloads of girls in bikinis and people even enjoying the country of Oklahoma by fishing, swimming, enjoying delicious food, ice cold drinks, entertaining vendors at every corner, radio row visiting with fans and facilitating meet and greets, a sea of familiar faces of friends from last year, fans visiting with their favorite bands, And of course constant rock!
On the Main stage Staind was sharp like a knife and precise. He sang a set of fifteen songs one being ” Country Song” which made the crowd roar with excitement. Drowning Pool …YOU FREAKIN’ STOLE SATurDAY!!! Right on time this band formed in 1996 and through up and downs keep true to their music and their performance at Rocklahoma could not have been any more punch in the gut awesome than it was! I did not see one person at the Main Stage that would’ve disagreed with that. Well done. Rev Theory on tour supporting their current album ” Justice” did not disappoint ! They handed fans a solid hard rock show! I also interviewed Rev Theory and cannot wait to tell you about that in an upcoming article! HELL YEAH!??
The Retrospect Stage had so much musically to offer. Fantastic lineup for this Memorial weekend SatURday. There was also the Axis Stage where Siva Addiction served up all the metal you could take, from the first beat! Awesome music. Sweatin’ Bullets a local alternative metal band nailed their show to the ground! Formed in 2005 these guys have said a big “HEY CHECK THIS OUT!!! We are here to stay!”. Many many more bands thrilled the Camping Rocklahoma crowd at all hours of the day and night! The party at Camp Jagar was contagious! A stage there as well. Here is where I heard Aura Surreal from UT. This band is a metal force to be reckoned with! I went to the front of the stage to see what my ears were loving. And they are hard rock hypnotic. Head banging thrash kick your ass metal. And proud. They should be they rocked Oklahoma! Camp Jager and everyone who worked there made it the coolest place to hang out after hours, no doubt!
A HUGE thank you to each of you who made the Camp Jager stage possible! Great food, awesome drinks and even a wedding! Yes that’s right. A couple was united in Holy Matrimony at Rocklahoma 2011. Ceremony was performed by BleachBangs.com(s) Charlie Owens. Sweet! More on the BleachBangs gang in day 3. They will even BANG your ugly friends!! \m/
Sleep??! No one is getting any.
And we are fine with that.
We are here to Rock.
Ride with me into Day 3!?…
The Rocklahoma Review ! ( Day 1 ~FryDay~)
Posted onJune 10, 2011Due to the amount of band coverage, photographs, videos and interviews, this year I will have a three part review of Rocklahoma. And many individual band articles to follow. All bands and sites as well as participants/contributors mentioned will be credited on the Day 3 article. Make sure to check back daily for more Twisted Metal from me, Turbo !
Life, liberty and the pursuit of rock is the Rocklahoma slogan/theme. Feverfest nailed it when they came up with the slogan and logo! Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year Rocklahoma was in its best form ever in my opinion. Rockers, reporters, artists, and production from all over the world came to get a piece of the action! I could feel ROCK festival in the air weeks before. Scores of Rocklahoma fans/contributors in a facebook/twitter posting frenzy just hyped the anticipation for the festival ! Let’s rock! A great way to spend a long Memorial Day Weekend! All Rocklahoma articles from me and dedicated to the men, women and families, past and present who preserve and protect our freedoms and lives. Thank you !
Arriving in Pryor, OK is amazing. It is 40 miles east of Tulsa out in the beautiful heartland and is all country. You immediately get the relaxed down home, small town, positive vibe when you arrive. You then pull up to 400 acres of ROCKLAHOMA !! Many arrived days ahead of time. Packing camping areas, hotels near and far to capacity, months in advance. Three days, three main area stages and even more stages for camping and after hours. (More on those later)
Rocklahoma is a literal carnival (yes complete with rides) of rock. Also vendors from all over the country gave a variety of booths to concert comers that was excellent. You could buy anything apparel related, souvenirs, car accessories, even a Chevrolet if you liked. Along with beer, all kinds of food stands with GOOD eats and ice cold beverages or waters. Its a party …all 400 acres. With something for young and old, classic or modern, and more.
Did you get a chance to go to Rocklahoma 2011? No?? Awww we did miss you, but no worries. Hop in and I’ll take you for a Rocklahoma ride!
~Fryday~
The incredibly crowd/ fan interactive My Darkest Days takes the main stage first and they kicked off the festival with a HELL YEAH! Their performance for Rocklahoma was contagious musical energy ! During the performance of the song” Porn Star Dancing”, I look up and on stage are a group of knock out beautiful girls in bikinis dancing for the ticket holders pleasure ! HOT!
Next up was a well balanced mix of modern rocking on the Hard Rock stage from acts including KMOD’s Battle of the Bands Winner, Delay The Day. Also New Medicine who really keep the rocking loud and proud. Fantastic show from them. Texas Hippie Coalition and Jonathon Tyler & The Northern Lights also gave awesome rock shows on the Hard Rock stage. Sick Puppies are one of the most talented trio musically that I have ever had the pleasure of watching Live. All the way from Australia, America was happy to show them how glad we were that they played Rocklahoma! Every note, every chord this band was the hammer…they nailed it. If you can get a live show ticket for them, grab it quick!
The first band to take the Retrospect Stage was Pretty Little Suicide. As soon as they got on stage, you could feel the energy rising. And when they began to play their set I knew why. These rockers from Boston, MA have a unique but familiar rock that makes you want more and more. They manage to mix their influences such as GNR with their own modern rock style and add talent and dedication to their show that’s undeniable. Mike Patton comes together with his guitar as one, while Izzy Rock the drummer creates a drum line explosion of power. J.C.s bass line is a guitar wave that brings it all home as Ed Earle of Los Angelos melts you with vocals that you don’t just hear but you feel, head to toe!! AWESOME show! These guys played Fryday and again SunFunday we wanted MORE! I had a chance to visit with them in an on camera interview and I can tell you right now, these guys are here to stay and rock your world! You can get their self titled Debut CD now all over the net.
Words fall short to review this next Retrospect stage performance. They are the REAL deal in rock n roll. FIRSTRYKE originally formed in 1984 when two of Tulsa OKs best bands, Slayer and Lazarus combined forces and headed for the stage. Twenty seven years later they are still rockin’ with Rick Adams blazing through deep gritty rock lyrics with ease. On stage these guys are a cut above. They put on an incredible concert! Lights, guitars, sound all combined in just the right time! When I walked away from this show way late into the night, I still had a huge smile on my face from having a blast!
Back at the Main Stage, next up was the band that I would say stole the event. The best of the best. One word, Skillet. The American Christian Rock band formed in Memphis in 1996 originally. Skillet served up an opera themed ground pounding, full blown show. Jam packed with energy and raw power. They used smoke, hydraulics, violins, and every other tool the stage had to offer along with their own talents musically to beautifully deliver one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. The hard hitting drummer Jen Ledger has the voice of an angel. In the air all I saw was every fist raised and rockin’. Hard Rock in its finest hour.
Where was the party you ask? Well it was on stage..with Hinder! They are also one of my top shows of the Memorial Day Weekend. Austin Winkler really knows how to get a crowd rockin’ and having the time of their life! Excellent drumming. Guitars that scream your name. WOW! Austin Winkler took a stroll all the way through VIP to General Admission to serenade his crowd and we loved every minute of it. I also had a chance to interview Austin and Blower (Joe Garvey) so watch for that interview here at Kick Acts.
To wrap up Friday, of course it was Whitesnake. Three decades of rockin’ and David Coverdale and the rest of Whitesnake still is as strong and talented live as ever. Whitesnake released their latest record, “Forevermore”, their eleventh album in 2011. The crowd LOVED this show. And so did I. There was no Still of the Night in this concert.
Being true to you the reader I do have to say there were some noticeable sound glitches on the Hard Rock stage ~Fryday~. However they seemed to be worked out and the show went on. Rocklahoma regrouped in 2010 and made several upgrades to the facilities and combined the lineup to be the best of several generations of rock/metal/modern and indie bands to have rock music to offer just about any ear. It was a success. After clicking a few photographs with friends from past Rocklahoma family members and locating Camp Jagar (more on that very soon) the day was night and rolling into Saturday. Time for some zzzz’s well OK (to be honest) three hours of sleep. I don’t wanna miss anything!
Foo Fighters Kickoff their Wasting Light Tour in Tulsa OK May 17th Without Missing A Beat!
Posted onMay 23, 2011[youtubehd]feb13uMAUkI[/youtubehd]
Tuesday night in Tulsa OK, the Downtown BOK Center all but exploded with the energy of the Foo Fighters kickoff of their US Tour. This band appeared, sounded, and performed at the top of their game. Sixteen years of Foo Fighters and just when you think it can’t get better live …it did. After a two year hiatus to work on individual projects and record, it appeared they never missed a beat. As a matter of fact, they stepped it right up.
The show opened with the song Bridge Burning, only to slither into a musical frenzy to Rope and then roll with the intensity never stopping into The Pretender. Dave Grohl took each concert go-er right along with him through each song, kicking, screaming and head banging straight up Rock Proud. Not a single arm in the arena was not raised. I was also impressed with the light show. It was very dynamic and entertaining, if you could look past Dave Grohls perfect blue guitar, although that was hard to do. Also, Taylor Hawkins, who I could’ve watched and never looked away, with his heart pounding affair between his drum set and himself was music erotica, intense. The rest of the guys we call ” Foo Fighters” have managed to thrill us all once again, each member really putting it all on the line live.
If you can get a ticket for this tour, you won’t be disappointed. Foo Fighters deliver concert fans every dimes worth here in Tulsa, OK. Playing for over two hours and encore you ask? Eight of them. Twenty eight songs total. One track being “Shake Your Blood” with Lemmy Kilmister, who Dave Grohl called one of his Icons. Motorhead opened the show and rocked the BOK Center with undimished power all in their own right. WOW! Awesome! The crowd swooned as they got more Foo, as did I (have to admit). It is rare I would be at a loss for words to describe a rock concert but I have to admit, Foo Fighters have got …The Best of Me!
Live Hinder, Saving Abel, My Darkest Days and Kopek Concert REVIEW! Sold Out Show!
Posted onFebruary 26, 2011
Time for Turbo (that’s me lol) to get into some Twisted Metal! That is exactly what I did this past week at the Osage Event Center here in Tulsa, OK. Even being a small venue, about 1000 people at capacity, the line up of bands I personally was thrilled to see LIVE! So I have been looking forward to this show for a couple months. Before we get into the metal of screaming guitars, the metal edge through and through of music and all things twisted beautifully by fabrication. No intention of saying, I went, they rocked, I came home. Whats next? A glimpse for those of you who might not have made it to the concert or haven’t heard some of the newer songs these bands are out there rocking tours with. Or even if you did, a perspective for the love of. Just an insight to what I intend to deliver…an honest ROCK SHOW review. On that note, if you will. Please welcome the first act of the evening, KOPEK!
KOPEK is a trio band having played together for a decade, from Dublin Ireland that traveled 10,000 miles to rock the United States and that is exactly what they did. On tour for their 2010 Debut Album ” White Collar Lies”. Kopek delivered nothing short of a enthusiastic “HEY AMERICA, WANNA PLAY?” to the Tulsa crowd ! Sixty seconds or less into this performance of rock layer upon layer of talent, I found myself looking to see if I had mistaken and possibly they had more members but they were indeed a trio. Very talented group musically speaking. The thing that really grabbed me not only as writer but as a music lover was Kopek’s Charisma on stage ! Their music has a lot of power. It says rock and roll in so many ways, words fall short. Concert goers could visibly feel that and loved every beat as did I. The lyrics are well written and run deep. Overall Kopek leaves you wanting more, a lot more. Debut album? Dark, edgy, inspiring and talented, rock and roll. Delicious introduction !
Next out comes a sharp, stylish My Darkest Days. Hailing from Ontario, Canada. Each member of My Darkest Days were very crowd interactive. My Darkest Days put on a fun, high octane show that almost made you feel as if you were a member of the band too! Matt Walst is at home on stage and keeps the interactive modern rock vibe going at all times and still manages to throw out a very strong voice with amazing range. Matt has raw talent dripping off of him, live. The Lead Guitarist Sal Coz Costa has a mesmerizing sound that just won’t quit! Shred. rinse, repeat. Fantastic! Brendan McMillan the bass guitar player rocked with a unique bass style that taunted us all! The drumming of Doug Oliver just revved up the audio of all of this together. Reid Henry on keyboard/guitar is all guts and passion in playing. My Darkest Days belted out “Coming Undone” the Duran Duran cover and the switch over to the alternative sound of the song with ease. Having the crowd pose for Live Facebook pictures was an instant hit! Another interactive thing My Darkest Days did was have a meet and greet after the show with…the fans. No one left out. This band has heart. I am not sure who is having more fun the concert go-er or the musician but it worked awesome, live. Move Your Body and the closing song Porn Star Dancing (on the billboard charts 30 weeks now) many have termed “provocative”. Well, that is exactly the word I would use to describe this bands sound and show. Provocative Rock that has a very promising future! If my guess is right My Darkest Days is here to, play and stay.
Almost pouncing onto the stage next was Saving Abel! What a concert!!! These guys rocked the house! I was indeed impressed. On Tour for their current album Miss America. Giving homage to those who have served and are serving which Saving Abel did twice during the concert here in Tulsa. The audience loved it and so did I, classy for sure. They also talked about the small town in Mississippi (Corinth) that they came from with nostalgia in their voice that was unmistakable. These guys did not only rock their hearts out, they shared some of themselves with the audience as well. I interviewed lead guitarist Jason Null before the show (see here at Kick Acts) and the thing that struck me most about how he felt about Saving Abel’s progressive was that they all were still having a blast making and playing music!! He also said they felt “very blessed”. Playing the red, white and blue American flag themed guitar Null never missed a beat during the Tulsa Concert. Jared Weeks voice is a weapon! WOW! the drumming was screaming! Just an all around awesome rock show! This is what rock should be and is ! Jared Weeks visited the interview with a splash of pre-show fun and a couple laughs! Down to earth doesn’t cover it. I also had a chance to visit with Jonathon Martin, Saving Abel’s Tour Manager who said the guys from Saving Abel really are all about the music. More from Jonathon Martin in my next article on “Saving Abel – Miss America ” look for that in the next week or so, only here at Kick Acts. Saving Abel has come a long way since 2005 and performed a slamming good old rock show! No pyro, no hydraulics, no dragon side show, just great stage presence and letting their music do the talking and it was screaming ROCK ME AGAIN SAVING ABEL – THE SEX IS GOOD!
After all this great rock music the crowd was excited and rocking that was easy to see and then it happens! Lynn Hernandez of KMOD (97.5FM) Tulsa, OK get on stage to announce the sold out Headliner and really get the crowd going, clapping hands in the air, chanting HIN – DER, HINDER, HINDER out comes the amazing lights and the band and yes the crowd goes wild! I thought I couldn’t possibly see a better performance than the night had already delivered. But Hinder did steal the show ! They are at the top of their game in my opinion. Playing their guts out, loving every minute of it, each member giving it 100% on stage and a lot of talent in each member. They sound AWESOME Live! Playing several songs from the recently released All American Nightmare CD, Hinders third album. Austin Winkler and Hinder nailed a live version of “Better Than Me” the ballad off Extreme Behavior. It was refreshing to hear the range Hinder can carry. Ground pounding rock that will break your windows to ballads that reach in and touch your heart right in the place where it …beats. After touring since 2004 at least I couldn’t believe how hard these guys rocked. Guitar shredding at its finest. One of a kind drumming and gritty, almost southern rock style with a unique splash of hinder modern rock and roll. This band has proved they have staying power and have something to say. They ripped the knobs off and rocked Tulsa in All American Nightmare fashion. Tulsa will sleep well tonight.
The only thing I really felt lacked was the Event Center and its staff. A filthy square room with 2 small entrances. And staff that had no interest in assisting in anything. With great shows like this and others visiting the Osage Event Center would do good to step it up a notch with a new coat of paint, if you know what I mean. We rocked anyway! \m/
Until next time, keep the Metal twisted, in the player!
I would like to thank Joseph Garza of www.okfightnews.com for assisting me at this event. See his photography in the Saving Abel article coming soon!
Whether you ROCK or you ROLL it’s time to KICK ACTS 2011!
Posted onFebruary 19, 2011
The 2011 concert season is in full swing already. Even with most of the country snowed in the past few weeks there are many bands on tour. The best place to see if your favorite band is coming to a town or city near you is to check their website and/or social networking sites such as Myspace music or Facebook.
Tonight, Kick Acts will be rocking to Hinder, Saving Abel, My Darkest Days and Kopek at the Osage Event Center (http://www.milliondollarelm.com/event-center) Tulsa, OK. A tentative interview is in the works with one of these awesome rockers (it’s a surprise) stay tuned here for the show review and individual band stories to come! It promises to be a night of kick ass fun!
I am going to list a few of the bands on tour currently and in the near future. Get to a LIVE show soon, you will be glad you did! Linkin Park, Ozzy Osbourne (who played here in Tulsa OK this month also) SLASH, The Avalanche Tour featuring Stone Sour, Art of Dying, Halestorm, Theory of a Deadman and Skillet. Other bands on tour or have upcoming tours include but are not limited to Korn, Whitesnake, Rise Against, RUSH, Bob Segar, Kid Rock, U2 and the list goes on and on! So it is a great year for the concert go-er its a great year to get out and ROCK OUT!
Also the ROCKLAHOMA 2011 line-up has been announced with more bands to come and let me just say WOW! Motley Crue is headlining along with many other great groups! Check it out! www.rocklahoma.com. Pre-sale tickets can be bought now. Time for Turbo’s Twisted Metal to go KICK ACTS in 2011 !
Taddy Porter brings it, home!
Posted onJanuary 20, 2011
On an almost blue in color rigidly cold January eve, the sound of steel guitars crying in the night was not only heard but felt at the legendary Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK. One of the first things that caught my attention as I was standing stage-front while Taddy Porter walked by getting ready to set up was that I made eye contact with Andy Brewer. Immediately he stopped and shook my hand, I said hello I’m with KICK ACTS MAGAZINE and he said “I remember visiting with you at Rocklahoma!” I was surprised! That is how down to earth each member of Taddy Porter is, even with 2010 being very successful for them. Taddy Porter, hailing from Stillwater, Oklahoma, show how much they enjoy coming home to Oklahoma (Tulsa being 77 miles from Stillwater is “home” also) calling the Tulsa Concert at the Cain’s “The time of their lives” on their Facebook page the day after. Being at the Cain’s Ballroom with all of the history there is in itself surreal. Open since 1924. You can see more about one of the country’s most historic music destinations anywhere. Look for that story in the near future as well here at KICK ACTS.
Taddy Porter have traveled at almost warp speed on the tour circuit and done as much PR as humanly possible in my opinion while staying in touch with fans on tour and online at Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and their website. The members of Taddy Porter have hometown sincerity, that is great to see and hear from musicians. It was an “All Ages” show which The Cain’s Ballroom holds unless otherwise specified so it was fantastic to see people of all ages rocking along with the bands playing this night. I would never tire of seeing this band perform. Now … the performance!
The opening acts were Red Line Chemistry and Vandevander. Red Line Chemistry played a ground pounding, awesome rock show all in their own right. I will be writing a review on Red Line Chemistry’s performance from this show very soon. Keep an eye out for that here at Kick Acts Magazine. Vandevander was a pleasure to listen to as well and I expect to hear their name and music more over 2011.
Lynn Hernandez from KMOD’s (97.5FM – Tulsa, OK) took stage and was the MC for the nights activities. He got the crowd’s excitement going with fun filled announcing! Lynn…bravo!
Now it was time for Taddy Porter to take the stage. That is exactly what they did. Took the stage and set it a blaze with rock n roll. The show delivery nothing short of, delicious. An unmatched blusey, gritty, southern, old fashioned smoky roadhouse sound with a splash of modern rock on top at just the right time show! That really is the best way I could sum up the musically awesome night! One rock pulse after another collectively as all things “rock” should sound and feel. It is obvious to see that these four are having a blast putting on the show! Lets face it, they DO have great hair too!! Worth every dime to see them and then some. Also their Debut CD you gotta get! I highly recommend it. They have the musical range that comes with not just rocking your ass off but making several styles of rock, that kind of talent. Every time I hear Joe Selby’s guitar solos they seem more amazing and unique in the best way! One in the song “Big Enough”. “Shake Me” the first release from the debut CD is so true. Concert comers were “Shaking” and dancing and it can’t be helped. Exciting rhythms. The smooth bass line guitar is as if Kevin Jones has been playing bass live for decades. Brother Doug on drums throws out a unique beat, demanding your attention. The drumming at the same time melts into the other band members sound. That is almost hypnotic. Different! Uniquely Taddy Porter but unmistakably … all rock. You would recognize this band’s music apart from the stream of rock and roll as a cut above in my opinion. When you hear Taddy Porter on the radio, they will make you wanna …rip the knobs off and sit there rocking out in the car even if you are in the driveway at …home. The rock Taddy Porter is bringing is truly contagious. Catch it! You will be glad you did. There is no place like home, I agree. Taddy Porter was right at home in all the rock glory at the Cain’s last Thursday night.
They will return to the Cain’s Ballroom in the 2011 Original Music Showcase, March 4th 2011. You can get the DEBUT CD on Sale now at the Taddy Porter website www.taddyporter.com be sure to bookmark that page. It’s a keeper.
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The Dragon – 1/2 Machine 1/2 Man
Posted onDecember 1, 2010
Most of the car show, drag, street racing and stock show car season slowly is going to sleep for the few months of winter. Don’t close your garage door just yet. There is one car that has been lighting up the New England (hailing from Maryland) car show circuit all summer, not going without notice. Seen recently at a show, November 6th 2010 in New Jersey. The DragOn. Ken Waldron’s 2004 Nissan 350Z. Modified…yes. Fantastically. From the outside….in. This machine is a collaboration of Nissan (manufacturing) Ken Waldron, Tom Bostic, Tom Strait and a whose who of sponsors that would make any car lover… grin. More on the collaboration soon.
Screaming down the highway this automobile sounds like a Jet is landing next to you …that would be the Vortec Supercharger delivering massive boost to the already sporty 350Z engine. In 2003 the Nissan won the International Car of the Year ” Most Sex Appeal” award from Road and Travel Magazine. In 2006 Nissan 350Z wins Best Performance Award from Auto Express. The awards don’t stop there rest assured.
Under the hood the Z comes stock with VQ35DE 3.5 L (210 cu in) V6, 287 bhp (214 kW) at 6,200 rpm, 274 ft·lbf (371 N·m) at 4,800 rpm.
With the master modifications of Tom Bostic and his team these numbers grow each year. This automobile is a rolling canvas you just have to HEAR to believe. While you are listening, your eyes surely will widen with The Dragons appearance. No detail left out. The theme is tantalizing mix of Japanese, Dragon, Good, Evil, and for sure POWER, as well as the power of each mentioned. You can see this in the amazing paint job and airbrushing detail of Tom Strait of Air Asylum. A hand painted, airbushed bottle that is art at its finest..in metals. The rollcage is painted a beautiful enticing bamboo with what appears to be a hollow end…which of course is solid metal. Katana swords grace the inside of the doors and I do mean grace fluidly. The MTX audio sound system in the dragon is nothing short of stereo nirvana. Custom made snake skin designed leather bucket seats that invite and tempt. Iconz Wheels will almost hypnotize you if you are looking to long. Paddle shifters make the gear change just that much faster. No detail left untouched. A delicious blend of metal and machine with a seductive touch this automobile is. Well done doesn’t cover it.
So what is in the future for such a fine polished machine you ask? More edge. More aggression. More Power. More detail. Rumors of a Corvette LS-1 engine, larger concave wheels, bigger injectors, cut throat front end body work a rear diffuser and so much more. I have to admit I am on the edge of my seat as I listen to Ken describe…an industrial edge not duplicated. That’s right this collaboration is on going and sure to be catching even more eyes and ears during the 2011 season.
If you’re lucky one of the eyes will be yours. Drag…on.
Ken Waldron would like to sincerely thank all the collaborators as well as the sponsors on his 2004 350Z in this article. They are as follows, Tom Bostic – Tommy Built, Tom Strait – Air Asylum Kustoms, On A Dime Performance Brakes – Alex Byrd, Iconz Wheels, Assaultech – Danny Spitery, MTX Audio, StreetWires -RedLine Design Justin Good
