Rock & Roll Times 3 at The Oyster Festival

The Milford Oyster Festival is well known for hosting great musical acts. In the past rockers such as Joan Jett, The Marshall Tucker Band and Bret Michaels haven graced their main stage. August 15^th of this year was no exception, showcasing a triple bill of bands: The Rembrandts, Fastball, and Gin Blossoms. In a way, it was a flashback to the 1990s as all three groups first found fame during that decade. They’re performing as part of the “Circle of Friends” tour. Opening act The Rembrandts are of course best known for their hit song, “I’ll Be There For You,” the theme song to the TV series Friends, but they delivered a solid set of acoustic-tinged rock, featuring tunes such as “Chase The Clouds Away” and “Johnny Have You Seen Her.” Members Danny Wilde & Phil Solem know their way around a good song, and the crowd enjoyed their solid vocals and fluid guitar work. The California based band wrapped up their portion of the show with the 1990 hit “Just The Way It Is, Baby” and of course, the Friends song, with a touch of the Green Acres theme played at the start as a joke, when they noted "This is a song we wrote for a TV show."

Next up was Fastball, who hit it big with the song “The Way” off their 1998 release All The Pain Money Can Buy. They powered through a fantastic 11 song set featuring several of their hits, including “Fire Escape” and “You’re An Ocean” as well as a deftly played cover of Steve Earle’s “Devil’s Right Hand,” and the rocking instrumental “Tanzania.” Miles Zuniga was marvelous on lead guitar & vocals and was matched by the excellent work of Tony Scalzo on vocals, keyboards & guitar, Joey Shuffield on drums and Lonnie Trevino, Jr. on bass. Not only were they fantastic musically, but they displayed a sly sense of humor as well. The crowd (which was filling up in front of the stage at this point) even did some singing along on “Out of My Head” & “The Way.” After that, the Austin, Texas outfit finished their set with “Always Never.”

Then Gin Blossoms took the stage, and rocked out for the rest of the afternoon.  Singer-guitarist Robin Wilson led the band through a generous selection of their catalog including “Until I Fall Away,” & “Found Out About You.” Wilson continually cajoled the crowd to sing along, clap & raise/wave their hands, and even passed a couple of tambourines into the crowd so people could play along. The Tempe, Arizona rockers (who first broke through with their 1992 release New Miserable Experience) also features Bill Leen on bass, Scott Hessel on drums, and Scott Johnson & Jesse Valenzuela on guitar. The enthusiastic crowd had jam-packed the main stage area by this point, and the group fed off the crowd’s energy, bringing the show to a climax with their hits “Hey Jealousy” & “Til I Hear It From You.” But the fun wasn’t over yet, and the guys returned for an encore that included a killer cover of The Plimsouls classic “A Million Miles Away” featuring a guest appearance by Miles from Fastball! Then the band closed the show with their hit “Follow You Down,” from 1996's Congratulations, I'm Sorry.

It was a tremendous afternoon of music, and all three bands delivered solid sets of well-played rock & roll. As always, the organizers of the Milford Oyster Festival provided solid entertainment, as well as great food and arts & crafts vendors. It’s always a wonderful event. And if you get the chance to see Gin Blossoms, Fastball or The Rembrandts on tour, you won’t be disappointed. Set lists for the bands are below:

Photo by John V

The Rembrandts:

1. Burning Timber

2. Johnny Have You Seen Her

3. Follow You Down

4. Chase the Clouds Away

5. Someone

6. St. Paul

7. If Not for Misery

8. How Far Would You Go?

9. This House Is Not a Home

10. Just the Way It Is, Baby

11. I'll Be There for You

Photo by John V

Fastball:

1. Rampart Street 

2. Sooner or Later 

3. Love Comes in Waves

4. Fire Escape

5. You're an Ocean

6. Devil's Right Hand (Steve Earle cover) 

7. Til I Get It Right

8. Tanzania (instrumental)

9. Out of My Head

10. The Way

11. Always Never

Photo by John V

 Gin Blossoms:

1. Lost Horizons

2. Somewhere Tonight

3. Miss Disarray

4. As Long as It Matters 

5. Found Out About You

6. Until I Fall Away 

7. Dead or Alive on the 405

8. Allison Road

9. Hands Are Tied

10. I'm Ready

11. Wave Bye Bye

12. Til I Hear It from You

13. Hey Jealousy

Gin Blossoms Encore:

A Million Miles Away (The Plimsouls cover featuring Miles Zuniga of Fastball) 

Follow You Down

Rogue Nation: The IMF Returns

Rogue Nation, the latest chapter in the Mission: Impossible franchise is another well-produced entry in the series. I wasn’t a fan of the initial two entries, which felt more like Tom Cruise centered action movies. And in the first film, 1996’s Mission: Impossible, they did a serious disservice to a beloved character from the TV show. But since J.J. Abrams took over the reins in 2006 when he wrote & directed Mission: Impossible III, he’s steered the films back toward the team-oriented feel of the original TV series. Abrams has continued on as a producer on the series, letting Brad Bird (The Incredibles) take a turn in the center seat for 2011’s Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol. This time out, Christopher McQuarrie, who wrote The Usual Suspects, takes over the director’s chair. McQuarrie also wrote the screenplay & co-authored the original story.

As Rogue Nation begins, it’s a bad time for the IMF. The director of the CIA (played by Alec Baldwin) pushes the government to disband the team, citing the fact that, while they’re successful, they answer to no one & have left too much chaos in their wake. Meanwhile, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is in the field, tracking down a group of former intelligence agents from various countries that have banded together to form a secret organization. This group, known as The Syndicate, is bent on spreading death & destruction throughout the world for their own nefarious purposes. Hunt is labeled a rogue agent, and must elude the CIA, while also stopping the villains from carrying out their plans. He crosses paths with Ilsa Faust, a disgraced British operative (Rebecca Ferguson), who may or may not be in league with the bad guys.

It’s up to Hunt and his former team-mates to stop this so called “anti-IMF.” But can William Brandt (Jeremy Renner, returning from the previous film), Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), help Ethan while eluding their new bosses in the CIA?  Just who is Ilsa, the lovely but deadly agent who seems to be playing both sides against the middle? What is The Syndicate’s ultimate plan? Is Brandt actually planning to turn Ethan over to the CIA? I won’t say any more about the twisty, deftly handled plot. Enjoy it on its own terms when you see the film. Director McQuarrie keeps things moving at a brisk, breathless pace. There are the usual amazing stunts, action sequences and chase scenes, including a cleverly executed sequence set at the Vienna Opera, where Ethan tries to foil an assassination.

The cast is excellent as usual, with Pegg getting some good comic moments during the story, and Renner and Rhames offering fine support. McQuarrie & his crew have done a wonderful job with the film, crafting an enjoyable action movie that doesn’t talk down to its audience. This is a series that has stayed consistently strong as it goes on, unlike some franchises, which are suffering from fatigue by the later entries. (I’m looking at you, Die Hard) It helps that the producers seem to have taken a page from the James Bond series, bringing in top directors & writers to work on each film. It’s a well-made popcorn flick that should please fans of the previous movies and older fans who recall the original show. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is now in theaters. Here’s a link to the film’s trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOW_azQbOjw.

Kansas & The Family Stone Perform in Hamden's Summer Concert Series

Kansas  - photo by John V

The Town of Hamden, CT always has a fantastic series of outdoor summer concerts (free of charge) during the month of July. This year was no exception: earlier this month, music fans were treated to a doo-wop show featuring members of The Drifters and The Tokens. The following week showcased a well-attended & warmly received performance by dance pop diva Taylor Dayne. But in the last two weeks, The Hamden Arts Commission outdid themselves once again. On July 24, Kansas arrived at Meadowbrook Park for a rocking show that featured well-known hits like “Dust In The Wind.” The band also performed a selection of songs from throughout their long career, including “Play The Game Tonight," "Sparks of the Tempest," and “Closet Chronicles.”

Over the years, the group has shifted its focus back and forth between their progressive roots and more pop oriented material, but they still have a very loyal cadre of fans who love their music. The band was amazing vocally and instrumentally, and sounded great on crowd favorites like “Point of Know Return” and “Hold On.”  The band recently released a long form documentary about their history, titled “Miracles Out of Nowhere.” Local rockers XYZ Revisited ruled the stage with a set of energetic metal to start the evening,  and laid the groundwork for Kansas’ awesome set. The huge crowd loved every minute of the concert. Seeing a national act like Kansas for free in an outdoor setting was fantastic, and the weather cooperated as well; it was a beautiful night. The show wrapped up with a fantastic encore performance of the classic “Carry On Wayward Son.” 

The Family Stone - photo by John V

Then on July 31, The Family Stone, with founding members Cynthia Robinson, Jerry Martini and Greg Errico brought the funk to town with an energetic set of their soul & r&b classics, including “Dance To The Music” & “I Want To Take You Higher.” While their original leader, Sly Stone, has been plagued with a myriad of personal problems over the last few years and doesn’t currently tour, the band has soldiered on to bring their classic sounds to their fans. The current lineup features Sly & Cynthia’s daughter Phunne on vocals, and she sounded wonderful. The group had an electrifying groove, and captivated the crowd. The band cajoled & entreated the audience to keep dancing & singing on every song they performed. And how could you not dance to tunes like to “Everyday People,” and “Stand!” The group sound sharp & powerful: they had the chops and they were The Family Stone, united in the funk, rock & soul.

It was an exhilarating night, climaxed by one final knockout dose of funk on "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)." The Family Stone brought the funk, kicked it up several notches, and then left us wanting more. By the way, Hamden resident (and former contestant on The Voice) Blessing Offor, opened the show with a wonderful set of soulful music. His album, Roots, is worth seeking out. If you get a chance to see either Kansas or The Family Stone in your area, I very highly recommend both groups. And keep your eyes on The Town of Hamden website (usually in late May or early June) for announcements of the shows coming up for next year. The hard work & dedication of the Hamden Arts Commission, their local & corporate sponsors (as well as donations from concertgoers during the shows) keep this amazing series going strong every year.

Jason Isbell Comes To New Haven

Jason Isbell - photo by John V

Jason Isbell has been making impressive music since his days with Drive By Truckers. Since going solo in 2007, he’s released several records, including 2012’s excellent Southeastern. He’s now on tour supporting his latest release, Something More Than Free. On Wednesday, July 22, he made a stop at New Haven’s College Street Music Hall. Showcasing selections from several of his albums, as well as some Drive By Truckers tunes, Isbell and his band, The 400 Unit, treated us to a magnificent evening of music. Songs ranged from the driving opener "Palmetto Rose," and the tongue in cheek “Codiene,” to the powerful, moving “Elephant,” & “Cover Me Up.” Isbell & the band were tight. focused, and completely in sync during the well-paced show.

Isbell’s incisive & evocative lyrics combine elements of rock, folk & country. You can hear echoes of Bruce Springsteen & Jackson Browne, among others, in songs like “Speed Trap Town,” and “The Life You Chose.” Isbell is a unique & talented artist, and I think he’s truly come into his own on this latest album. He's also a strong live performer and sounded superb vocally during the show. There were no false notes from Isbell, who had a solid rapport with the audience, and played some killer guitar. The 400 Unit were awesome as well, including the fantastic Jimbo Hart on bass, Derry DeBorja on keyboards, Sadler Vadlen on guitar & Chad Gamble on drums. From “Stockholm” to “24 Frames” and “Alabama Pines” it was a compelling, soulful & thrilling concert. Jason & his brothers in song know how to put on a stunning concert.

The show climaxed with a three-song encore, ending with the audience singing along to the playful “Super 8.” If you get a chance to see Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit on tour this summer, head out & do so. And I urge you pick up one of his excellent albums as well; I'd start with Here We Rest, Southeastern or Something More Than Free, but they're all phenomenal. I’d also like to note that singer-songwriter Blake Mills did an amazing opening set. He absolutely shredded on guitar, playing cuts from his 2014 release Heigh Ho and doing a wonderful version of Joe Tex’s “I’ll Never Do You Wrong." Mills also produced the latest album by Alabama Shakes, and counts no less an authority than Eric Clapton among his fans. Mills is definitely worth checking out live. Here’s a link to Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit performing “Codiene,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUedNbfQFSs and “Cover Me Up.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaUCDqWzy1k.

Set List:

Palmetto Rose

Stockholm 

24 Frames

Dress Blues

Decoration Day

Codeine

Different Days

Traveling Alone

If It Takes A Lifetime

The Life You Chose

How To Forget

Speed Trap Town

Cover Me Up

Children of Children

Alabama Pines

Elephant

Something More Than Free

Never Gonna Change

Encore:

Goddamn Lonely Love

Outfit

Super 8

The "Genisys" of The Terminator Saga

I really, really wanted to like Terminator: Genisys. I’m a big fan of the first two chapters in the saga, The Terminator & Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which were written & directed by James Cameron. The next two films, Terminator 3: Rise of The Machines, Terminator: Salvation and the TV spinoff, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, all had interesting moments, but could not live up to the amazing initial entries in the series. In this latest film, we get a story that wants to have it both ways. It pays homage to, and also reinvents, the original concept. It works on some levels, but it’s not quite as successful as it could have been. This time out, we revisit the now familiar war ravaged future Earth. The artificial intelligence Skynet has taken over after the apocalyptic Judgment Day. The human rebellion against the machines is still led by John Connor. Just like in the original film, Skynet sends a Terminator back in time to kill Sarah Connor, who will become John’s mother. John plans to send back his friend Kyle Reese to protect Sarah, and ensure the future of the human race. What he doesn’t know at the time is that Kyle not only protects Sarah, but also falls in love with her, and becomes John’s father. But something happens just before Kyle’s journey back in time, and there are ripple effects.

Suddenly, there are multiple Terminators, and multiple timelines. When Kyle arrives in 1984, Sarah Connor is already aware of Earth’s dark future, and her role as John Connor’s mother. Surprisingly, she’s being assisted by a Terminator who arrived when she was nine years old (portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger; who else?), and they’ve already neutralized the original T-800. They have an idea about how they can stop Judgment Day, and have built a time machine to travel to 1997. However, Kyle has new memories of a different future (and something called Genisys) after his time trip, and thinks the date & year when Skynet becomes self-aware has changed. Which means a new plan has to be forged to stop the dark future that Kyle & John live in from occurring. Meanwhile, our heroes must evade the Terminators that have been sent to stop them.

The script by Laeta Kalogridis & Patrick Lussier tries to be a new riff on the mythology, and wants to salute the original movies as well. While it essentially ignores the latter two sequels and the TV series, one or two elements from those films crop up. The story is a bit overcomplicated, and leaves a couple of threads dangling. There’s also a significant twist, which I won’t reveal, that actually attempts takes the story in new directions. But did we really need another entry in this series? Unlike the recent reboot of the Planet of the Apes films, this doesn’t feel like a relaunch that tells a classic story in a different way, but is still recognizable to fans, and also accessible to newcomers. You’ll really need to know your Terminator history to appreciate this movie, or study up before viewing it. The film also spends too much time trying to play off of Arnold’s classic lines & scenes from other entries in the series. Everyone loves those moments, but there are too many of them here.

The cast tries its best; Schwarzenegger could play this role in his sleep by now, and does a nice job; Jason Clarke is effective as John Connor; Jai Courtney is ok as Kyle Reese, and Emilia (Game Of Thrones) Clarke is quite good as the younger Sarah Connor. Oscar winner J.K. Simmons & Matt (Dr. Who) Smith also show up in small but significant roles. Director Alan Taylor and his crew stage some cool action sequences & keep things moving. The design of the movie & the effects stay true to the look of previous films, but there's also an attempt to update things for this new take on the story. The movie is mildly enjoyable, but it doesn't stick in your mind after it's over. The film just never reaches the level of the first two entries in the saga. Terminator: Genisys is currently in theaters. Here’s a link to the film’s trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62E4FJTwSuc. There is a brief mid-credits scene, so if you go, hang out in the theater for a bit as the credits roll.

Ken Sharp's Power Pop Heroes Return!

The 2^nd part of Ken Sharp’s exhaustive history of the power pop genre, PLAY ON! Power Pop Heroes, Volume 2 has now been released. The massive book covers the 70s & early 80s and features excellent interviews with bands such as Cheap Trick, The Ramones, Utopia & Squeeze. In addition to the exhaustive coverage of those groups, Sharp also profiles such lesser known (to the casual fan) but still influential bands such as Shoes, Blue Ash, The Toms, The Records & XTC. Like Volume 1, which I reviewed here; http://jveclectic.blogspot.com/2015/03/power-pops-greatest-artists-rock-on.html, the book is an amazing achievement. If you’re a fan of this music, you’ll love it. It’s 754 pages of pure power pop nirvana. As always, the prolific & talented Mr. Sharp (who's written extensively about rock music & is a talented musician) deserves kudos for a job well done.

You’ll encounter great stories & recollections from artists & band members, including John Waite of The Babys, Billy Squier of Piper and the one & only Rick Springfield. There’s in depth analysis & discussion of key albums & songs by the bands following their profiles. What’s especially cool about this edition is that it features the second generation of power pop rockers. These bands were influenced by the progenitors of the genre, including The Beatles, The Kinks & The Who. Want to know more about Dwight Twilley, Sweet, The Rubinoos or Pezband? Maybe you're intrigued after hearing a couple of songs by these bands, but want to know more before digging deeper into their catalog? You’ve come to the right place. Sharp treats these groups with the same love & affection as the big names. He has a knack (no pun intended) for making his interview subjects feel at ease, which is why the content here is more detailed (and insightful) than what's usually found in books of this type. 

This is a thoroughly enjoyable work that will appeal to true power pop fanatics, and music devotees who want to know more about this sometimes under-appreciated genre. Sadly, PLAY ON! Power Pop Heroes, Volume 2 is currently out of print. It sold out of its limited print run very quickly, just like Volume 1. There was eventually a small reprint run of the first book, so it’s possible this will be done with Volume 2 as well. Keep an eye out at: http://www.popgeekheaven.com. The site has a lot of info on power pop artists and has a lot of great items for sale. The final book in the series will be published later this year and will feature artists like Jellyfish, Matthew Sweet and Marshall Crenshaw. I’m very excited about that one, and can’t wait to see what cool information the brilliant Mr. Sharp gives us about the third generation of power pop rockers.

Haunter: Groundhog Day....of Terror!

Lisa Johnson has a problem. She wakes up every day and relives the same routine over and over.  Her parents & younger brother do & say the same things. She can’t seem to leave her house, which is surrounded by a mysterious fog. And her family doesn't realize that they're stuck in a continuous loop. Time goes on, and Lisa realizes she & her family are ghosts and that there is another family living in their former home. That’s only the beginning of the story in director Vincenzo Natali’s clever thriller, Haunter (2013). As Lisa tries to solve the mystery of her family’s deaths, she realizes there is also an evil force in the house, and that it wants to destroy the family that’s currently living there. And Lisa’s family may not have been the first victims of this evil force; can she warn the current occupants of the house and stop the cycle of violence & death?

The film offers a fun twist on the usual haunted house tale, as it’s told from the ghost’s perspective. Abigail (Little Miss Sunshine) Breslin gives a good performance as Lisa, and veteran character actor Stephen McHattie is creepily effective as the murderous spirit haunting the house. It’s an atmospheric, suspenseful and relatively gore-free terror tale. The film takes time to build its premise and tell the story, and should appeal to old school genre fans. If you're sick of the current cycle of slasher flicks and the overabundance of "found footage" horror films, Haunter offers a refreshing alternative. Director Natali also helmed Cube (1997) and the 2009 horror film Splice. The movie was written by Brian King, and has an eerie look courtesy of cinematographer Jon Joffin. Haunter is available on Blu-ray, DVD and for online streaming. Here’s a link to the film’s trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sClAdBHrZNg.