KILLER Rock n Roll- Bullet Boys & Tracii Guns, SuperMonkey & More

Tickets are still available at ilovesupermonkey.com for the show of the summer. If you're looking for a show with just electric guitars, amps and great rock n' roll, this is the one for you.

Doors at The Rex Theatre in South Side open tonight at 8pm.

I had the privilege a few months ago to interview Tracii Guns and he is certain to put on an energetic show.

Guns started playing guitar at the age of 6 and practiced every day because it was his passion. "I used to record songs I liked from the radio onto cassette and I'd sit there and strum my guitar until I got it perfect," recalls Tracii.

Tonight's concert is going to happen rain or shine, so make sure you get your tickets.

"My memories of Pittsburgh are good and bad, just like the weather there," Guns joked. His favorite memory, however, involves a dive bar downtown and meeting a Playboy Bunny when he was 22.

I saw on Guns' Facebook that he likes to choose a guitar pick out of his "pick jar" when he sits down to play. I asked if he could estimate how many picks he has and he said, "Picture your uncle or dad's coin jar, I have that but with guitar picks. I have picks in that jar that belonged to people from Keith Richards to Jimmy Paige."

If you come to the show tonight, maybe you can score one of Tracii Guns guitar picks that he'll be tossing into the crowd.

All the other bands performing tonight are in your face rock n roll too. Check out SuperMonkey's hit "Falter," that they will be playing live this evening.

Get your tickets NOW for the rock concert of the summer. ilovesupermonkey.com

"That Got Weird," Taime Down from Faster Pussycat

SuperMonkey Recording Company will be bringing Faster Pussycat, an American Glam-Rock and Metal band that emerged in the late 1980's, to Altar Bar in Pittsburgh on May 3, with special guests Loveblast, Midknight Rose, Chip Dimonick and Trailer Park Pimps.

(ILoveSuperMonkey.com)

(Taime Downe, Faster Pussycat, Photo: Wikipedia)

I had the privilege of speaking with lead singer of Faster Pussycat, Taime Downe, and let's just say, I got to know him pretty well in those 10 minutes.

We started with an innocent game of Fuck, Marry or Kill. Pretty self explanatory game but Taime told me he was hungover and asked me to explain the directions.

I named three people and he had to choose which one he'd rather fuck, chuck or keep.


ROUND ONE:
Monica, Rachel, Phoebe

"I'd honestly fuck and marry them all. Do I have to kill any of them? This game is hard," said a hungover Taime.

Well ladies, looks like you all get to live. If it were me, I'd sleep with Rachel (duh), marry Monica because she cooks and cleans and kill Phoebe, sorry.

ROUND TWO: 

Peggy Bundy, Leela, Gemma (all played by Katey Sagal)

"I'd fuck Peggy because she's hot, marry Gemma because she's a bad ass, and kill that one-eyed alien cartoon. I'm not into aliens," Taime told me.

"That got weird," he laughed.

Finding humor in everything is something that I think is very important. One thing that Taime suggests everyone do at least once in their life is to do a cross country roadtrip.

"I did 36 days, 31 states and over 8,700 miles on my motorcycle on a trip across the country. That was one of my best experiences," he recalled.

In his travels, he has been to Pittsburgh before. Although, he told me he's a Seahawks fan since he's from Seattle, he said he loves Pittsburgh. "It's a great city. We've played in some funky venues before, they are always memorable."

The show on Sunday May 3rd at Altar Bar in the Strip District is sure to be memorable as well.

"We are definitely going to rock hard and give the crowd some surprises," Taime told me. 

One more game before we go. This one's called Would You Rather:

For the rest of your life, Would You Rather only be able to listen to every song on your ipod but only if they're covered by Nickleback OR only have a SONY Walkman with 1 CD of your choice?

"SONY Walkman. No questions asked," said Taime. 

Check out Faster Pussycat on Facebook and Spotify. They are currently working on new music.

And be sure to get your tickets to the show on ilovesupermonkey.com! 

                                 

Get Uncaged at the Hard Rock Pittsburgh

Tomorrow night in Pittsburgh will be a rock event you won't want to miss.

Chip DiMonick is back with their fifth album, Uncaged. The night will feature a new and extended set from them plus performances by Lucky Me and The Dirty Charms.

If you haven't yet, check out Chip DiMonick on Youtube and be sure to like them on Facebook.  Below is their official music video for "You Ain't Punk" that has me super excited to check these guys out live:

"With a new lineup, new songs and a new sound, we've prepared a really fresh sounding set for our CD Release Party. But longtime fans will still get some of their old favorites too. It should be a fun balance and a memorable night. We aim to please," Chip told me.

The show at the Hard Rock in Station Square tomorrow, 4/10/15, starts at 10 pm and it is a 21 and over event. You can get your tickets for $7 in advance or $8 the day of the show.

CD's and merch will be available at the show so if you're there come say hi to me, I'll be manning their merch booth! And be sure to rock hard at the Hard Rock tomorrow!

Tracii Guns: Remembering Randy Rhoads

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, 3/21/2015,  for a truly legendary event here in Pittsburgh.

SuperMonkey Recording Company is promoting Randy Rhoads Remembered with some exceptional artists to remember late guitar player, Randy Rhoads, who played with Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne before dying in a plane crash at the age of 25; which was 33 years ago yesterday. 

The artists coming together for this tribute event have all been impacted by Rhoads personally. Brian Tichy, creator of Randy Rhoads Remembered, will be on drums and has worked with Whitesnake, Billy Idol, Ozzy, Foreigner, Slash and Zakk Wylde. Rudy Sarzo will be on bass and he also worked alongside Ozzy, Quiet Riot, White Snake and Queensryche. Kelle Rhoads will be doing vocals and is a family ambassador for Randy. Dewey Bragg is another vocalist and sings for bands Kill Devil Hill and Moth. Stephen Leblanc, keyboardist, from Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience will be there as well. Phil X, Marzi Montazeri, Mike Orlando and other soon to be announced special guests will also be in attendance. 

I had the privilege of talking to Tracii Guns, guitarist from LA Guns and Devil City Angels, who will be playing guitar on this special night. 

(photo from Tracii Gun's Facebook)

Tracii didn't personally know Randy Rhoads, but he feels like he did. "I remember being in grade school and riding in the truck with my dad and hearing Ozzy's 'Crazy Train' for the first time and thinking how unbelievable Randy's guitar part was and knowing I had to hear more," Guns reminisced.

Tracii had started playing guitar at the age of 6, but hearing Randy made him even more hungry to get better.

"I heard his live show and recorded it on a cassette and practiced guitar every day. He was my inspiration," said Guns.

Brian Tichy started the Randy Rhoads Remembered shows and this will be the first one in Pittsburgh. Tracii has a few memories of playing in the steel city in the 1980's with his former band, LA Guns.                                           

"My memories of Pittsburgh are good and bad, just like the weather there," Tracii joked. His favorite memory, however, involves a dive bar downtown and meeting a Playboy Bunny there when he was 22.

You can expect a lot of hard rock at the tribute show. But plan on feeling some good energy too. "I don't want to play these shows just to mimic his sound, I want to mimic his soul. He was such an energetic performer," Guns told me.

(photo from Tracii Guns Facebook)

I saw on Tracii's Facebook that he likes to choose a guitar pick out of his "pick jar" when he sits down to practice. I asked if he could estimate how many guitar picks he has and he said, "Picture your uncle or dad's coin jar, I have that but with guitar picks. I have picks in that jar that belonged to people from Keith Richards to Jimmy Paige."

#ToriOnTourTopics with Tracii Guns

1. What is one thing you can't leave home without?

"Besides my phone and guitar, I can't travel without this little blender I have. I enjoy eating healthy and that keeps me balanced."

2. What's currently on repeat on your iPod?

"Always Led Zeppelin. Always."

3. When touring, do you prefer the window or the aisle seat and why?

"Window because I can sleep against it. I hate flying so when my eyes are closed, it's better."

Tracii's current band, Devil City Angels, will be touring a lot in the coming months and are currently working on new music. Be sure to check them out on Facebook and don't miss the Randy Rhoads Remembered show at Altar Bar in Pittsburgh on May 28th. Tickets are available at ILoveSuperMonkey.Com

Friday the 13th Flashback

The only thing that's going to be scary this upcoming Friday the 13th, is how these tributes bands truly resemble their idols.

Next Friday, March 13th at Crossroads in Garland, New Jersey, four tribute bands will be showcasing their talent.

I've been a fan of the Incubus tribute band for about a year since we found each other on social media and I reviewed some of their work.  They are a talented and down to earth group of guys, so I'm very excited to see their stuff live, especially now that they have added a DJ to their group to mix tracks like DJ Kilmore does for Incubus.

Check out their soundcloud and like them on Facebook. And if you can't make the trip in the next few months to see Incubus in Asia- head out to Crossroads in Garwood, NJ because Enjoy Incubus Tribute is the next best thing!

I'm also super excited to see Spiral Out, the Tool tribute because that's a band that I love but have never had the opportunity to see live. I watched a few of their videos on YouTube and they are damn close to the real thing. Phil Timpson on vocals really captivates the sound of Keenan.

Other bands performing that night will be Lounge Act a Nirvana Tribute band and Sixx Seconds to Mars, a tribute to Motley Crue. 

Stay tuned to my blog after the show next week where I will be reviewing their live performances. 

"I Got a Fever... And the Only Prescription is MORE COWBELL!"

Never question Bruce Dickinson. Or Zodiac Production's ability to bring a rockin' show to The Palace Theater in Greensburg, Pa.

On March 21st, legendary rock band, Blue Oyster Cult, will be performing at the beautiful Palace Theater. They are most known for their hard rock songs like "Godzilla," "Burnin' for You," and "Don't Fear the Reaper," which got a huge success from the hilarious SNL skit featuring Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken where the producer keeps interrupting their practice and demanding more cowbell.

All fans who enter the coupon code "cowbell" and purchase tickets by February 9th, will receive a free Blue Oyster Cult cowbell! Additionally, 10 fans in attendance will be chosen at random for a VIP meet and greet with the band.

Don't worry, there is still time to cure your fever. Tickets are still available at www.palacetheatre.org.

Dancing Shoes On, Laces Out

Laces Out is a band from southwest PA who covers hits from the 80's, 90's and 2000's. Last night I had the chance to check them out at a local restaurant and bar in Charleroi, Pa called The Riverhouse. This place has great food, lots of space and TVs to watch your favorite sports.

The band consists of some people I've known for years. Wayne Brown is the lead vocalist. Bill Huffman is on the bass and sings as well. Ray Rossi is lead guitar. Chris Huffman is on guitar and vocals too. Their drummer is Dennis DiNardo.

They started the night with Wayne singing Billy Idol's "White Wedding" and that really set the tone for the night. They busted out some Sublime, which I love, and other 90's tunes from bands like Eve 6 and Blind Melon.

I was most impressed by their cover of "Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys. I've seen the keys live twice and to cover them so well is something that is not easy to do.

Switching vocals for certain songs really gives the band more diversity. Bill sang AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and The Outfifeld's "Your Love" and hit every note.

Chris really impressed me by singing Kings of Leon and Neon Trees. Two bands that have very unique vocals.

Wayne, Bill and Chris came together to sing the Foo Fighters "The Pretender" and really rocked it.

My favorite part about Laces Out is their originality. They all have great personalities and know how to have a good time. You can see that by looking at their hilarious band photos on their Facebook. 

(Laces Out photo from Facebook)

If you're looking for a band to really get the crowd dancing and singing along, this is the band for you. They not only have the musical ability but they are all around entertainers. For booking check out their social media including their Twitter.

If not, check them out at the Friendship Lounge in Richeyville in a few weeks!