Hunnypot Live! has always been a safe space for the eclectic music music lover and this past show provided sanctuary from the left and right punches of real life.
Hot Tub Johnnie proceeded in to the night with burst bombs of musical revolutions in the air. Michelle Johnson took brought us an emotional musical response to how she's feeling these days, Katie Burden marched us through her indie/psychedelic rock pummeling, Alice Underground brought independent spirit with a ragtime rock & dance extravaganza, LIINKS was the progressive bringing future urban sounds, Daddy Issues "distorted" the truth and it sounded great and Conn Raney gave us hope for the future with his positive song messages. 11-14-16
-J. Gray
Michelle Johnson was born and raised in Southeast Texas. Descendent of farmers, she was the black sheep of the family and moved to New York City in 1987. She has a strong background as a musician and performed in various alt-country bands throughout the ‘90s; touring the vast NYC circuit as a guitarist and a vocalist.
In the late 90’s she started DJ-ing. She describes her set as “very eclectic” – ranging in genres from World, Dance, and Classic Disco to Indie Rock and Pop. Custom tailoring each set while she effectively reads the room. Her DJ performances include spinning at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for three years and Google events at their Venice location, as well as being hired for a range of industry parties, magazine launches, and private events.
Since she was a kid, the most important thing to her has been music, film, and television. Michelle started music supervising independent films after moving to Los Angeles in 2004. She worked on several features including The Custom Mary, Five Star Day, For The Love of Dolly, and Hooters! After being recommended to Thomas by a mutual friend, and realizing they coincidentally lived three houses apart, Michelle went on to join the SMV team. Coming in during Season 4 of AMC’s critically acclaimed Breaking Bad, Season 2 of the crazy popular AMC television adaptation of The Walking Dead, and the eccentric documentary Felix Austria!, Michelle added her creative insight to expand the team into new and exciting ways. She was also heavily involved in season one and two of AMC’s The Killing, the pilot of Good Christian Bitches on ABC, and all of SMV’s projects moving forward.
Michelle is a LGBT activist and is regularly involved in event planning and community programs. She also created a pseudo documentary in 2007 called Triple X Selects: The Best of Lezsploitation that hit the festival circuit and won several audience awards all around the world.
The dark and moody undercurrents of the new material called for Burden to dig deeper into her emotional well, something that she struggled with when performing the songs. “I have a hard time feeling emotions sometimes” the songwriter notes. “Art makes me less afraid to feel and also less alone.”
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Alice Underground is a time traveling caravan to an anachronistic era set in a locale that’s both familiar and fantastical. For the five members of the LA-based group, however, this has been a journey by happenstance. What was a one-off show now has the quintet chasing mythical characters and architecting a swamp cabaret aesthetic.
Five years after its fateful first show, the LA-based quintet now issues a stunning debut, Cambria Sessions. An album bathed in the blue hues of broken dreams, noir romance, and Golden Age Of Hollywood opulence.
Alice Underground whisks listeners and concertgoers away to an elegant underbelly teeming with deviant jazz, punk rock vigor, vaudevillian theatrics, and sensual emotionality. The group’s oeuvre varies between originals that feel like they were plucked from an American Songbook from a Tim Burton-themed time capsule, and jazz standards reimagined to showcase Alice Underground’s gift for conjuring longing and lasciviousness. The group counts as influences David Bowie, Ella Fitzgerald, Trent Reznor, and Billie Holiday. Fittingly, Alice Underground has been described as “gypsy jazz with a proto-punk edge.”
The quintet’s dark seductiveness, gothic glamour, and mythological imagery of the character Alice as a conceptual muse have endeared it to fanatics of steampunk, fantasy, and cosplay. Live highlights for the band include appearing at Los Angeles County Museum Of Art’s New Year’s event Golden Stag, hosted at the famous Los Angeles Park Plaza Hotel, and performing at the closing ceremonies for the Anime Expo in Los Angeles. There the group played originals, and backed cult artist Yoko Takahashi, singer of the theme song for the popular animated Japanese television series Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Alice Underground is Tash Cox vocals, bass, piano; Sasha Travis, vocals; Scott Landes, guitar, piano; Gordon Bash, standup bass, piano, guitar, vocals; and Steve Kefalas, drums, percussion. The band members boast eclectic and impressive resumes. Lead vocalist Tash Cox formerly sang with The Beta Machine, which included members of A Perfect Circle and Eagles of Death Metal. Tash has also sung in many operas, Neely Bruce’s, “Circular 14: The Apotheosis of Aristides” being her favorite. Scott Landes has played with Collide, Android Lust, I, Parasite, and ¡BASH!, among others. Steve Kefalas has also been a member of Android Lust, I, Parasite, and ¡BASH!. Gordon Bash is an active jazz and rock musician, that has appeared on America’s Got Talent playing with William Close. He heads up the punk/rockabilly band ¡BASH!, and is also the bassist for the popular ska band Save Ferris. Sasha Travis is a singer, producer, director, and all-around artist. She has directed and produced for the Labyrinth Masquerade Ball, and Golden Stag events, written and directed for the Astra Dance Theater, and been a long time co-collaborator at Sypher Arts Studio.
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The first song LIINKS ever wrote (prior to actually calling themselves LIINKS) was stolen from them and became a #1 radio hit in South Korea. The duo had decided to post one of their first demos, a song called We’ll Never Know (later re named Swing) to an online streaming service. A few months later they received an email from a Korean law firm letting them know their song had been stolen by a big name Korean producer, was released by mega K Pop star Hyori Li and had reached #1 on their Top 40 radio stations across the county. The duo settled out of court and the Korean producer ended up in jail. What seemed at the time to be really upsetting is actually what inspired the duo to create their partnership and eventually become LIINKS.
LIINKS is a Canadian born collaboration between singer/songwriter Georgia and producer DWhiz. Georgia's haunting vocals project a delicate image of soul music smattered with the eerie sensibility of classic trip-hop. Backed by cinematic beat-scapes created by DWhiz, the LIINKS sound is electronic pop with an organic quality. The independent duo launched on April 1st, 2014 with their first single The Break. A radio programmer in Victoria, BC played The Break on 107.3 Kool Fm and by April 8th The Break was the most added track to Canadian radio and went on to peak at #35 on CHR Billboard and #18 on the Emerging Artist Billboard charts in Canada. The success of The Break grabbed the attention of legendary producer Bob Ezrin who helped the duo land a publishing deal with Universal in Los Angeles where LIINKS currently resides.
Recently LIINKS was featured on several high profile electronic viral hits with artists Datsik, Mord Fustang and Ephwurd which combined have had over 3 million plays online. Their most recent collaboration was with Datsik and Blink 182’s Travis Barker on the song Dark Star which LIINKS co wrote and features Georgia on vocals. LIINKS is currently writing and recording in LA and working on their debut EP set for release in late 2016.
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Often hailed as “the B-52’s on steroids,” Daddy Issues is a high-energy band from Southern California that entertains audiences with fun, sexy shows and loud guitars to match. The band is the brainchild of singer/songwriter, Angela Alvarez, and bassist, Julia “Jules” Whelpton, and is known for its catchy tunes and on-stage antics. From fall 2013 to present day, Daddy Issues has played sold out shows in Southern California, Arizona, and Las Vegas at legendary venues such as House of Blues, Belly Up Tavern, the Casbah, and Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles.
The band began in San Diego when lead singer, Angela was in search of an original rock band after moving from Scottsdale, AZ. Using Craigslist, she found a band called The Justice Fire, where Jules played bass. Within a couple of months, the pair decided to split off and create a high-energy rock band that mashed other forms of popular music together. They tested the name Daddy Issues at a local acoustic show in November 2013 to positive reception, and then decided to pursue the full-band setting.
Their career was further boosted by local radio play, eventually the band got the attention of local rock legend, Roni Lee. Lee recently signed Daddy Issues to her label, Play Like a Girl Records.
Taking cues from No Doubt, Green Day, Arctic Monkeys and The Foo Fighters, the band's music is a blend of 90’s and modern tropes.
The songs contain catchy riffs and singalong choruses, an incorporate various musical styles such as reggae, punk and latin. Their wide variety of influences include The Beatles, Aerosmith, Queens of the Stone Age and Halestorm to name a few. Recording with Jim Wirt of Crushtone Records in Cleveland, OH, Daddy Issues released its first full-length album, Handle It, in September of 2016.
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Conn Raney is a recording artist born in Modesto, California. When Conn was in the 2nd grade his family moved from Modesto, California to Portland Oregon, so that Connor's dad could attend Multnomah Bible College. It was also in Portland, Oregon that Connor heard his first Rap song - 'Gangsta's Paradise' by legendary rapper Coolio. Once hearing this song, it completely changed his perspective on music and life. He eventually began writing and performing songs at his school! However, those close to Conn never viewed music as a legitimate career choice. Instead, he was always pushed to play sports and go to college, but never to continue creating music and pursue a career.
He earned the title of NCAA All American Kicker for Division 3 after his senior year at California Lutheran University and found himself trying out for professional teams ranging from Arena Football to the NFL - all the while creating music purely out of passion. During this time, some soul searching happened and Conn made some interesting and controversial decisions. He was offered a contract to play football for the San Jose Sabercats of Arena Football...and guess what...he turned it down. He had made the decision that he was not going to let anyone else's opinion of his career path influence him any longer. His focus was now on building a career in music. Since then he has been fortunate enough to write and produce theme songs for several high school football teams and one professional soccer team (Chivas USA) – all of which was achieved while maintaining a full time job working with kids and families in need. Having grown up struggling financially and being raised with a strong moral background he has always had a passion for helping those less fortunate and he plans on continuing doing so through his music. Stay in touch with Conn and join him on his journey to leave a mark on the world!
Imagine this. In America, people are just “Fat Pigs,” who “SPEAK ENGLISH ONLY,” and there are “no Muslims,” “no Mexicans”. “No small breasts are allowed.” Is that what you want your world to look like? “What do you want it to be?”
Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot just released a politically-charged video “Make America Great Again,” including footages of “burning and stigmatization” of labels like “OUTSIDER,” “PERVERT” and “FAT PIG” burned into Nadya’s body with a hot poker. She wants to warn people that “words do hurt physically,” and show that “Trump’s words are not just words,” she says. “Those words lead to violence.”
Main focus on the video is Pussy Riot’s view on the dangers of Trump becoming the U.S. President. Picturing America under Trump’s rule, “outsiders” are abused, raped and tortured, and shot dead. It is as dangerous as America can get.
Watch from link above and let Pussy Riot tell the story.
If you're full of candy and feel no shame about any mischief you got in to last night then you made it to our Halloween Party last night. If you're still trying to figure out how to get home in your costume then this review is for you.
Hot Tub Johnnie started the show up by waking the dead and making them dance with his chain rattling DJ Set. Jesse Blaze Snider joined us in the hot tub and on stage with scary good music and commentary, Hot Sauce Holiday gave us a full sized candy bar performance, The Slit opened new wounds on the audience by putting razor blade audio candy in our buckets and Khildlike treated us with his special guests and microphone tricks. 10-31-16
-J. Gray
Jesse Blaze Snider is here to save the world.
He is writing songs for NFL Monday Night Football, NASCAR, Smithsonian, A&E, ESPN, his father Dee Snider and more.
He has performed on live TV for millions and has been seen on MTV, VH1, HBO, A&E, AOL's Top 11 Countdown, Sony Playstation's Qore and many others.
His voice has been lent to countless products and networks, including runs as "the voice" of Pizza Hut, Cheetos, Gamestop, The Buried Life, Spike's Video Game Awards, "Once" the Musical and the Rooster from the original Burger King Chicken Fries commercial.
Currently Jesse is the voice of Kia Motors, narrates "Food Paradise" on Travel Channel, does promos for Nickelodeon, and top secret video games make him sign NDAs that preclude him from speaking about them.
Jesse is always looking for new ways to save the world as he builds a wonderful life for his family of 6 out in LaLa Land. His daughter Parker Pryde Snider was born 8/7/16 on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles.
On 9/16/16 Jesse will release "16" his first full length solo album.
All songs written by Jesse Blaze Snider and his fabulous friends!
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Hot Sauce Holiday is for everyone that wants to kick over their office desks and start dancing. We are for the eccentric outsiders, the burners, and the lovers. Join us in taking on the banality of convention.
Hot Sauce Holiday is a five piece cabaret rock band from Los Angeles. Their live shows emphasize crowd participation and a great deal of improv. Bongo-solos, skits, poetry, and dance numbers have been known to break out. They have been known to feature burlesque dancers, hula hoop artists, and scandalous routines involving Playboy playmates. Genre-wise the sound varies from song to song drawing influence from 60's psychedelic and folk, to early punk, 80's electro, disco, and even a bit of barbershop. The song lyrics are surreal and witty with every band member trading off on vocals or singing in harmonies. In addition to over 20 originals the band has a variety of party cover songs they are able to play ranging from George Michael to Motorhead. So leave the outside world behind you for a couple hours and come experience the originality, joy, and chaos that is Hot Sauce Holiday. Hunnypot Approved good time guarantee!
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The Slit is a fierce blend of aggression and angst packaged neatly in nuggets of throttling guitar rock; a tumultuous, pummeling titan, equal parts Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, with a psychedelic metal tinge and punk tendencies. Their tracks are exceptional, but you have to like heavy, grinding rock to appreciate it the whole way through.
The Slit is a band that combines elements of classic rock, metal, punk, grunge and psychedelia into a very unique style. They define what it means to fire on all cylinders all throughout their songs. But whether opting for maximum aggression or pulling back on the reigns a bit and dropping in an infectious melody, you would be hard-pressed to find a single moment of weakness.
In late 2011, a raw invention emerged into the music scene. khildLike (Yes, with a k) is a hip hop duo arising from southern kalifornia's 818, (San Fernando Valley). The duo konsist of a soulful singer (khosen) & an immakulate word smith (Life). Influenced by the hip hop legends; Fugees, OutKast, & Little Brother, the duo are well on their way to sweeping the industry and kulture alike with their raw street honesty and sweet soulful melodies.
In the spirit of Halloween, our next video pick is a live recording from 1990. Check out The Cramps covering Johnny Burnette’s “Tear It Up” in Amsterdam! This rockabilly/punk band formed in the 70s around founding members and offstage couple, lead singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy. Credited with being one of the first punk bands and part of the CBGB punk movement in New York, they are also considered the innovators of the subgenre “psychobilly.” The Cramps had a wide range of influences and became the influence for many genres afterward. Famous for their rambunctious and sexually suggestive live shows, The Cramps left their mark on the music industry forever. The Cramps played their last show in 2006 and disbanded completely after Lux Interior’s death in 2009.
This video is a perfect showcase of their quintessential performances, featuring Lux Interior-- clad only in sheer-panel underwear and heels-- crawling and climbing on speaker stacks, shoving microphone heads in his mouth, and tearing stuff up in general (get it?). Even in ladies’ underwear, Lux Interior is and always will be more punk than pretty much everybody.
On October 14th, Stryper made a triumphant return to Riverside CA supporting their eagerly awaited To Hell with the Devil 30th Anniversary Tour. Whether you had been a longtime fan of Stryper or had just recently discovered their amazing music, Friday’s show at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium had something for everyone and failed to disappoint even the most discerning Stryper fan. The band, comprised of all four original members including Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, Oz Fox, and Timothy Gaines, played all 11 tracks off of 1986 Grammy nominated album plus nine additional tracks that spanned their entire catalog of high-intensity rock and roll.
After a solid set from local acoustic sensation The J-Mann Band, lights at the RMA finally dimmed and the near-capacity crowd rose to their feet in anticipation of the start of the show. Red and yellow lighting began to glow on stage as a Stryper “pump-up” video began high above the stage. The 8-minute video took concert-goers through a chronological journey of Stryper’s amazing 30+ year career chock full of pictures, interviews, and live music footage. This definitely got the room energized and stirred up quite a bit of emotion with the legions of Stryper faithful in attendance. Immediately following the video, the lights went dark and “Abyss” began to pulse through the tightly packed auditorium. As the instrumental came to a close, Michael Sweet and company hit the stage in vintage yellow and black racing suits, launching into the opening track of the night, “To Hell with the Devil”.
And so it began, the 30th Anniversary of To Hell with the Devil was off and running at the historical RMA in Riverside, CA. Scanning the audience, there was not a fan around me that did not have their fist high in the air, singing along to one of the 80’s most iconic rock albums. My favorite live tracks from THWTD that evening included “The Way” and “Rockin’ the World”, while others seemed to gravitate towards “Honestly”, Stryper’s most commercial and well-known hit. Upon completion of the album in its entirety, the band took a short break to change out of their racing suits and into more comfortable attire for the remainder of the set. The second part of the show unleashed a litany of Stryper classics upon the crowd including “In God We Trust”, “God”, and fan-favorite “Soldiers Under Command”. However, my favorite song of the evening was “Yahweh”, off their 2015 release, Fallen. To me, this was Stryper at its best. The encore, “Makes Me Wanna Sing”, was chosen by the audience via Stryper app (very cool) and capped of an incredible night of music with the Yellow and Black in Riverside, CA.
Stryper’s performance at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium on Friday night was vocally crisp, instrumentally solid, and brought a consistent energy to the stage that unrivaled by many of their counterparts. Sweet’s vocals were pitch perfect while Robert, Oz, and Timothy were all crushing it throughout the 18-song set. The remarkable chemistry of the band was showcased all evening long, and left no doubt to the thousand + in attendance that this band was still the real-deal after all these years. Just six shows into their world tour, this band of brothers homecoming to Southern California was just what the doctor ordered and for many in attendance, one of their live performances in years. For those that came to show looking to relive the 80’s with classic Stryper, that definitely happened. More importantly, it gave many Stryper fans an opportunity to hear some of their latest material (which I honestly believe might be their best to date).
Hunnypot Unlimited’s Matthew Belter recently had a chance to catch up with Stryper frontman and guitarist Michael Sweet to discuss the 30th anniversary of the To Hell with the Devil LP as well as all things Stryper. Here is Part II of our exclusive interview:
Your collaboration with George Lynch on 2015’s “Only to Rise” was pretty tight and has received solid reviews all around the world. What was in like working with George? Will fans be seeing any follow ups to Sweet & Lynch’s debut album in the near future?
Really fun man. I loved working with it. George sent me a bunch of ideas. I took those ideas and wrote lyrics and melodies and finished them off. We're going to do it again. We're going to start writing in January. I think he's actually writing ideas now. We're going to start recording in February and release another album man, it's going to be cool. We're going to get a little edgier with it. We talked about it and a little bit more in the “Tooth and Nail” kind of direction. A little faster songs and more burning solos, so we're going to try and go down that road.
You had an opportunity to front one of my favorite bands of all time, Boston, back in 2008. What was that experience like and what was it like to work with Tom Scholz?
It was incredible. Definitely surreal, many times on stage did not feel real, felt like a dream. All that good stuff. Man it was a great time. Opportunity to stand on stage after stage, in front of those crowds and all those fans and singing some of my favorite songs of all time, and perform them next to Tom. It was just great, great feeling man. Short-lived, but an incredible memory I'll always have.
You left Boston back in 2011 to refocus your efforts on Stryper. Was that a hard thing to do seeing how good things were going at the time?
It was one of the easiest decisions I've ever made. It really was. I knew that I was supposed to leave Boston and devote 100% of my time to Stryper, and I think that's why Stryper has been really churning out a lot of stuff lately, because I have devoted more time to it. It was easy. I didn't even have to think twice about it.
Looking back over an amazing 35-year career (Stryper, solo, along with numerous collaborations), would there be anything you would do differently based on what you know today?
There are a few things that I might go back and do a little differently but I'm pretty happy with the choices I've made over the years and the things I've done over the years. I really don't have many regrets. I have a few, but not many, and they're all minor. The ones that I have are minor. Man, I've been brought to this place with a purpose and I'm not going to sit there and question it, or question God, or where he's taken me at all. It's been quite a ride and quite a blessing and I'm just thrilled to have been a part of it. I feel like there's a lot more in store as well.
It's not very well known but Azealia Banks is a big fan of ours and was trying to give Russell Crowe our latest compilation this week. I heard he didn't enjoy it. Too bad for him.
Hunnypot Live! #352 gave the "M Word" (Music) to all in attendance and those who tuned in to the live stream Monday night.
Hot Tub Johnnie started the show with great tunes and tales, Piel returned to the hot tub tell more stories and capture our attention, Amara had us on pointed toes with her emotional electronics, Flavia charmed and alarmed us with her illuminating dance rock, Senator was elected to wash us in a rock sound bath and Capyac book ended the dance party with seriously sick beats. 10-17-16
-J. Gray
When Tiki Lewis moved to Los Angeles from Chicago, she had no idea she'd meet Johnny Burkes and they'd subsequently join forces together to make some of the most memorable music in the world today, but through a combination of vision, empathy, melody, and rhythm, their sound has evolved into just that. While curating an absolutely remarkable stable of collaborators, they have played live shows that have made a distinct mark on a town filled to bursting with others who have fallen short of that and conversely inspired people all over the world with their online audio and video presence.
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Born in a small suburb city just outside of Los Angeles, Amara found her voice at a young age through poetry. Concerned about her brash introspective self expression, her parents enrolled her in ballet which opened the door to musical theatre in middle school and ultimately gave her all the tools necessary to create art. Her lyrical depictions of social issues and personal intimate struggle have lead audiences to refer to her as "wise beyond her years" and "an expert at expressing and invoking real emotion.
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Flavia is an electronic pop artist based in Los Angeles. Her debut EP, Embers, mixes dark pop and futuristic R&B, exploring the borderland of yesterday's soul and tomorrow's electronica.
Inspired by her vivid dreams and her love of space and the desert, FLAVIA takes her listeners on a magical journey guided by her lush vocals, her poetic lyrics cut to the core with their vivid imagery and emotional pull. She keeps you under her spell while her ethereal party-pop beats keep you dancing.
FLAVIA started to write music at a young age in Ireland and Italy where she spent her formative years. Having moved often growing up,, she feels the closest thing to home base is her music, "It's a part of me," she says, "I couldn't escape it even if I wanted to."
FLAVIA has toured and performed live on TV and radio across the United States and Europe, her live show is an encompassing experience with colorful visuals and energetic dance moves, fresh off of recent shows at the Troubadour in Los Angeles and Pop Brixton in London, FLAVIA will soon be releasing her long awaited EP, Embers.
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Senator’s sound draws from impressive but almost contradictory influences that range from his love of grunge (he credits Kurt Cobain and Beck as his biggest influences), to his childhood obsession with musicals and his appreciation for classical music. Senator’s debut album, slated for a 2016 release, is a hybrid of all of his inspirations that seamlessly fit together, almost cinematically, creating a magical blend of sound.
Danny Brown is theatrical, raw and unfiltered. He is known for his distinctive characters: one defined by a deep voice and more serious subject matter, and another high-pitched wacky character, all for partying, fame, and everything that comes with it. I became a fan after listening to his album Old a couple years back, and I’m honestly a little ashamed to be so late to the party. His new album, Atrocity Exhibition digs deep into the rowdier of his two personas, playing up the drama and of course, packing in tons of bangers including the pulsing “Really Doe” (featuring the beloved Kendrick Lamar) and soon to be dance floor breakdown “Pneumonia.” I, like many, been listening to his album on repeat almost exclusively since it dropped. For a rapper with such personality and such a great new release, I had high expectations for his live performance.
The crowd was one to tackle, as seeing between the plethora of 6-foot-or-taller men and catching a breath amongst the nicotine vaporizer smoke and suffocating testosterone was challenging before the dancing even started. The opener was decent but painfully cliché, and honestly made me question whether this show would live up to the expectation I built it up to be. However, when the lights shifted into place for his approaching set all my doubts went away, and I was tingling with excitement.
His set followed a pattern I had never seen before—working through his top hits from oldest to newest. Thus, as I am so much more knowledgeable about his more recent work, it took me a while to really get into his set. His performance was much simpler than I expected, with just a solid blue backdrop, and nothing on the stage but the DJ setup. Additionally, he had almost no interaction with the audience between songs other than when he stuck out his iconic pointy tongue and proudly thrust his hand in the air in a “rock on” symbol. However, something about his goofy presence was so endearing, the crowd went wild after every song. When he rapped he crushed every line, and even when he had the audience finish the lyric (one of my biggest pet peeves with rap shows) he looked so blissfully entertained that I never got sick of it. By the time he got to songs from the Atrocity Exhibition the audience’s energy was through the roof, and nobody in the crowd could stand still. I danced until I was drenched in sweat, going back and forth between moshing in the pit to getting down with my friends and then to the perimeter of the pit again. In the end, I could not have been more satisfied. With his simple set, likeable personality, and raw talent, Danny Brown has now become my definition for the perfect, quintessential Hip-Hop show.
-Veronica Irwin (Hunnypot Editor at Large)
@vronirwin
Photo Credit: Subterranean Suburbs
The first time I saw Steve Vai perform live was early in 1986 during the filming of David Lee Roth’s “Yankee Rose” video at the Orange Pavilion in San Bernardino, CA. I won tickets to the video shoot through 96.7 KCAL FM, and spent an incredible afternoon watching this super talented guitarist shred through take after take of Roth’s first single since departing Van Halen in 1985. As a 16-year old kid, I had very little exposure to Steve Vai at the time aside from hearing him on a few Alcatrazz tracks off a mix tape someone gave me. What I didn’t realize during the video shoot was that I was witnessing the emergence of a true guitar virtuoso right before my eyes. The stage could not have been brighter in 1986 and Steve Vai exploded onto the scene with a sound so unique it literally rocked the guitar world to its core. Fast forward 30 years and Steve Vai is back in the Inland Empire picking up where he left so many years ago, launching his 25th Anniversary Passion and Warfare Tour at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, CA on Saturday October 8th.
Kicking off the night’s festivities was fellow guitar phenom Tony MacAlpine. Supported by his band consisting of Aquiles Priester (Drums) and Bjorn Englen (Bass), Tony and company dazzled the Riverside crowd with amazing power and sheer guitar brilliance. The Fox was in awe as MacAlpine crushed his setlist comprised of his very best work spanning an amazing 30+ year career. My favorite track of his set was “Tears of Sahara” – it was technically flawless and to me sounded better than it did when it was first released back in 1987. I am so glad Tony is back in good health and absolutely killing it on stage. For those who have not seen MacAlpine live, his performances are truly epic. Get to the show early and take in every note this guy plays – you will definitely thank me later.
After a brief intermission, the house lights dimmed and Steve Vai finally hit the stage. He strutted out in a white hooded sweatshirt and neon sunglasses, carrying his signature Ibanez Jem guitar. The lights further darkened as Steve kicked off the show with his 1995 classic “Bad Horsie” off of the Alien Love Secrets EP. The crowd went wild as his mirrored guitar flashed across the audience, captivating his legions of fans with a hypnotizing melody that was nothing short of brilliant. After a few additional songs to get the crowd pumped up, it was time for Passion and Warfare to be performed in its entirety. For those who have never heard this 1990 masterpiece, it truly is an album to behold - and hearing it performed live from start to finish was simply astonishing. From opening track “Liberty” to album finale “Love Secrets”, Steve Vai absolutely crushed the 14-song album with guitar work so precise you would have thought he was a heart surgeon. And on top of that, his band (consisting of Dave Weiner - Guitar, Jeremy Colson – Drums, and Phillip Bynoe – Bass) was simply killer. You could see that this band had a solid chemistry on stage and absolutely loved playing with one another. It’s no wonder Steve choose these guys at this moment for this tour – brilliant.
Throughout the set, Vai was joined on stage virtually by guitar legends Brian May, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, and the late great Frank Zappa. This was a unique way to highlight some of the long standing friendships that Vai has cherished over years and highlighted the respect that each have for Steve and his many contributions to the craft they have all dedicated their lives to. My favorite was Petrucci and Vai shredding to crowd-favorite, “The Audience is Listening”. This duet sounded technically flawless and showcased Vai’s technical prowess on the 6-string to all in attendance Saturday evening. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, one of Vai’s oldest and dearest friends Billy Sheehan along with Tony MacAlpine joined him on stage for a rousing encore that had the entire crowd off of their feet and screaming for more. For most in attendance, this was definitely the highlight of the evening and capped of a kick-ass night of guitar wizardry.
For those who came out and rocked alongside of Steve Vai on his 25th Anniversary Passion and Warfare Tour, it was truly an epic evening with one of guitars all-time greats. Whether you call him a prodigy, a virtuoso, or simply a rock-star, there is no denying that Steve Vai has a unique talent that very few have ever been blessed with. When watching Vai play, one witnesses firsthand his natural connection between mind, body, and guitar which effortlessly transforms simple notes on a page to pure unadulterated ecstasy. Vai unleashed this magic on the Fox Performing Arts Center Friday night, and for one brief moment helped to transport all of us back to a simpler time when the music itself was all that mattered. Until next time….
Stay Frosty and Rock On!
The multi-platinum rock band Stryper will return to their signature yellow and black on Friday October 14th at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their iconic album - To Hell with the Devil.
Whether you have been a longtime fan of Stryper or have just recently discovered their amazing music, Friday’s show at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium will surely be a one for the ages. The band, comprised of all four original members including Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, Oz Fox, and Timothy Gaines, will be playing in it's entirety their 1986 Grammy nominated album, To Hell with the Devil.
Released by Enigma Records on October 24, 1986, To Hell with the Devil was the band’s third studio album and the first Christian metal album to achieve platinum status. Throughout 1987, the music videos for "Free" and "Honestly" ranked #1 on MTV’s list of most requested videos, and the video for "Calling on You" reached #2. Stryper was the first band to ever have two songs in MTV’s Top 10 simultaneously.
“Thirty years ago we made the record To Hell with the Devil,” says frontman Michael Sweet. “It was a turning point for the band. We saw how amazing our fans are, and the work God had planned for this band. We went from playing clubs to arenas, and we saw lives changed in the most miraculous of ways. We never imagined we would still be here thirty years later alongside the best fans in the world. We’re looking forward to hitting the road and seeing all our fans and friends that have helped keep the fire burning, all these years.”
Hunnypot Unlimited’s Matthew Belter recently had a chance to catch up with Stryper's Michael Sweet to discuss the 30th anniversary of the To Hell with the Devil LP. Michael shares some insight into this iconic album along with a preview of their upcoming show at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium.
Michael Sweet Interview – Part I
We’re quickly approaching To Hell with the Devil’s 30-year anniversary (I believe the release date was October 24th, 1986). Looking back, are you surprised that this album was Stryper’s most successful?
I think it was the most commercial album we did, and that's part of the reason it was so commercially successful. I think everything aligned perfectly at that moment in time. The look, the sound, the label, the market, all that stuff. To Hell with the Devil is one of my favorites, it wouldn't be my favorite though. My favorite albums by a landslide would be Solders Under Command, and then a tie for No More Hell to Pay and Fallen, the two most recent Stryper albums.
Knowing that “Honestly” was the biggest single off of THWTD, was there a song that you felt might have been bigger or even a bit underappreciated?
Aw man, we're playing “Holding On” lately, and I love that song. It's a more pop song, but it's just got something really cool about it. I love “Rockin the World” too, and we're playing that one on this tour as well.
I’ve always wondered why THWTD’s original album cover seemed to cause so much controversy. The original art was amazing and yet was fairly tame in comparison to some of albums that were released that same year. What was this controversy all about?
Well, we released it with the angel artwork, and they were casting Satan into the pit, the four angels, and there was a pentagram necklace that was being ripped from Satan's neck and thrown off into the distance. A lot of the Christian book stores took that as we just had a pentagram on our album. They felt offended by that and upset about it. They were even threatening to discontinue carrying the album. They weren't going to stock it. We decided to play nice and redo the album cover, and we did with just the black cover and the red lettering, that's what happened. And it's just because that side of the fence, the Christian side, especially at that time, it was so controversial. They didn't know what to think of Stryper.
You’re currently touring to support the 30th anniversary of THWTD. What are your initial thoughts of the tour so far?
We've only got 5 shows under our belt (out of 36) - so the tour really has just begun. But so far, it's been really amazing. We're starting to get into a flow in terms of how the set is performed and played and gone through. We're starting to feel like we've got it down and it usually takes a little while to start to feel that. Looking out at the crowds and seeing the reaction from the crowds, the smiles, the energy, just the reaction of everybody, it’s really been cool. It's going over fantastic so far.
Stay tuned to Hunnypot Unlimited in the weeks ahead for additional coverage of Stryper’s 30th Anniversary To Hell with the Devil tour including a full concert review, photos, and Part II of our interview with Michael Sweet.
For more information on Stryper’s 30th Anniversary To Hell With the Devil Tour (including Tickets and VIP Meet & Greet Packages), please visit www.stryper.com. Tickets for the fall tour are going fast and are expected to sell-out in most cities.
The Specials are by far one of the most influential ska bands of all-time. Founded in 1977, their unique brand of music helped to revive a little-known genre originating in Jamaica in the late 1950’s. The Specials fusion of traditional ska music with a formidable punk rock attitude and danceable rocksteady beats took the World by storm with a sound so unique it was re-branded 2 Tone. Who would have thought that four decades and over 20 albums later, this little-know group of from Coventry, England would still be around, playing the music they love at packed houses all around the world? At the time, probably not too many. However, The Specials have withstood the test of time and are still one of the most incredible bands to ever hit the stage. Their sold-out show at the House of Blues in San Diego on September 26th was no exception and failed to disappoint the legions of fans in attendance.
After an energetic set from The Far East (which by the way was brilliant in their own right), The Specials took the stage and opened with the 1981 classic “Ghost Town”. It was just want what the doctor ordered to get the anxious crowd off their feet and skanking to the beat for what would be a show like no other in downdown San Diego’s famous gas lamp district. For the next 2 hours, the nearly one-thousand fans in attendance were captivated by The Specials and their amazing setlist featuring 23 standards including hits such as “Nite Klub”, “Gangsters”, and "Concrete Jungle" Covers of Danny Livingstone’s “A Message to You, Rudy” and the Toots & Maytals “Monkey Man” were crowd favorites that continued to pump energy into an already rabid crowd. The night ended with a three-song encore with the Skatalites cover, “You’re Wondering Now”, capping off the evening’s amazing setlist.
If you happened to be one of the lucky ones in attendance Monday night at the House of Blues, you were most certainly treated to an amazing evening music from one of the most influential bands of our time. The Specials, led by Lynval Golding, Horace Panter, and Terry Hall, let it all hang out with a truly memorable performance that undoubtedly left the sold out San Diego crowd wanting more. Wire to wire, The Specials were loose, energetic, and musically spot on the entire show. And gauging the crowds’ energy all night long, I think it’s safe to say they were dialed in as well. As the show came to a close and the houselights flickered on, I noticed that most in attendance were thoroughly drenched with sweat from a night of non-stop dancing with a thousand of their closest friends. And in a time when the most of us are caught up in a day-to-day "Rat Race", who wouldn't want to spend an evening like this? Until next time......
Stay Frosty and Rock On!