Posts by Leslie Michele Derrough

Jonny Lang, best known for fiery guitar licks and from-the-gut singing, has been playing onstage since he was fourteen. His debut album hit big in 1997 with the single “Lie To Me”, propelling him into a meteoric rise to fame and fortune, partying and drugs. Along the way, Jonny also became a well-respected musician, playing at the first Crossroads concert with Eric Clapton, winning a Grammy, and jamming alongside legends like Buddy Guy and BB King.  With his new live CD, Live At The Ryman, Jonny is getting back to his roots.

With a new CD  coming out August 31, the Goo Goo Dolls have not just been sitting around waiting for it to be released. They have actually been out there on the road, playing those new songs for their fans on the first leg of a tour that will have them hopping on and off the tour bus for many months to come. Titled Something For The Rest Of Us, this is The Dolls first CD of original music since 2006. Recently, barefooted bass player Robby Takac took some time out of his busy schedule to talk (and laugh) with GLIDE about the new album, the Dolls longevity, and finally figuring out where the notes are on his bass.

With only 12 American concert dates scheduled this year, Robert Plant walked out onto the stage of the historic Saenger Theatre in downtown Mobile, Alabama, with a gleam in his eye and a smile on his lips. Resuscitating one of his first bands, The Band Of Joy, Plant is moving forward by actually stepping backwards.

In Melissa Etheridge’s hit song “Like The Way I Do”, she asks, “Does she know just how to shock and electrify and rock you?” On this blistering hot night in Biloxi, this woman did just that. Bringing forth a plethora of soul exposing songs skyrocketed to the brim by a red hot band featuring guitarist Peter Thorn, bassist Dan Rothchild, drummer Blair Sinta and keyboardist Kristopher Pooley.

Every few years Ringo Starr has assembled a hodgepodge of musicians to go out on the road with him and canoodle out fun songs from their past. The sold out performance in Biloxi recently proved that Ringo loves what he does and has fun doing it. He seemed so laid back, whipping off jokes while begging good-naturedly for everyone, “anyone please”, to buy his latest album.  The 2010 lineup of All Starrs include the great Edgar Winter, the still hot-fingered guitarist Rick Derringer, Richard Page of Mr. Mister, Gary Wright, former Romantic Wally Palmer, and Gregg Bissonette who drummed behind another famous front-man by the name of David Lee Roth.

New Orleans was lit up recently by a full moon hovering over the city, creating an enchanting ambience to an evening filled with music from one of today’s biggest stars. Backed by the divine Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, former Police front man Sting cradled and released compositions from his vast oeuvre of songwriting accomplishments.

Gregg Allman took the stage on a Friday night to such a round of applause it would have humbled a hardened man. His congregation loves him deeply and it shows in the way they follow him around from town to town, state to sate, just to hear him sing songs that he has sung hundreds of times. It was in the air, this electricity that causes the hair on the back of your neck to stand up straight, as Gregg and his band took over that stage and held this crowd till the last note of “Statesboro Blues”.

Their names are Brooklyn, Nick, Austin, Connor and Will. Collectively they are known as Picture Me Broken. Hailing from the bay area, and with one hot EP already under their belts and a following other young bands could only wish for, they are about to be known as the next big thing in "hardpopternative-core.". With a new record deal with Megaforce Records, a new album called Wide Awake coming out in July, and some of the best sounding vocals you’ve heard in a very long time, PMB are ready for the big time.

And here you were thinking the glory days of Arena Rock were long gone. The mullets have become a bit grayer and the lighters have turned into cell phone screens swaying high in the air, but the music has survived intact; for the most part. In fact, after listening to Styx slam-bang out a set of songs from their very successful past, it has actually gotten stronger.

If you have never seen Derek Trucks live, then you have no clue what is about to hit you. All innocent of face and with such a laid back stage persona that he would be invisible if it wasn’t for the spotlight beaming down upon him, Derek was sweating out a batch of new souled-out blues that kept you out of your seat and on your feet swaying for the entire set.

Jazz Fest in New Orleans draws thousands upon thousands of music worshipers every year. The food, the music and the atmosphere are an aphrodisiac of mythological proportions. And on this first Saturday of the two weekend event, the crowd standing in ankle deep mud and loving every minute of it, were treated to a rare performance by the legendary Simon & Garfunkel.

On a Friday night, just a hoot and a holler from the Big Easy, a band was playing at a small intimate club in Mandeville called The Howlin Wolf Northshore. Known for their eclectic variety of shows, the band playing on this particularly warm night was Josh Garrett and the Bottomline.  Yes, this guy has been around a few years, humping the circuit with his funky brand of horns and guitar spice. He has a reputation that preceeds him and it is well deserved. For on this night, he lit up this little southern enclave like a red-hot smoking firecracker of bluesy sauce spilled on the grill. Smoke and sweat. You can picture it, I know you can.

Well, Joe Perry is still out there rocking with the best of them, proving he still has the stuff that rock n roll wet dreams are made of. With all the commotion going on within his home band, Joe decided to pull out his Joe Perry Project, get some great guys together, record a cd and hit the road. I caught up with them on the coast of Mississippi and was knocked backwards by the onslaught of a powerfully tight band having fun.