Bobby and the Renegades

I've had the pleasure of seeing Bobby and the Renegades a couple of times recently, and have yet to be disappointed.
Regardless of the size of the room or the number of people in the crowd, the boys play with the same level of intensity.
Comprised of members of hard rock band Beauty to the Moon and blues rockers The Helldorados, Bobby and the Renegades was formed just under a year ago.

Vocalist Greg Magnanti may be new to the group, but is clearly a good fit with the rest of the band. The ease and chemistry with fellow members is evident in his performance.

Guitarists "Mean" Dean Haddox and Steve Laudicina are fun to watch: alternately grinning and trading licks or getting swept away in a passionate solo that fills the room.

Drummer Harry Brooklyn and Bassist Mason Randall provide a solid foundation, keeping a steady beat for covers and originals alike. Their experience shines through in their playing, both members show a combination of precision and relaxed confidence.

It's a blast when everyone gets in on the fun, and the band's cover of Muddy Waters' Got My Mojo Workin' gets a crowd on their feet with ease.
On the other end of the spectrum, the guys wrapped up a recent set with Bill Withers' "Aint No Sunshine", a great match for Magnanti's vocals.

Join them on Facebook for upcoming shows: Bobby and the Renegades

SW 3rd Ave Music Festival Recap

When you love as many local bands as I do, you're often faced with difficult decisions. How do I divide my time when attending local shows? Do I support my friend's band, or see someone new? Do I travel across county lines, taking a chance on a show that might be less-than-stellar? What's a music lover to do?
SW 3rd Ave fest was the perfect cure to my woes. I was able to see a bunch of great bands in Downtown Fort Lauderdale, close to home and in venues I love.

After chowing down on tacos at T-Mex, my friends and I made our first stop at the PoorHouse for Juke Singer Eric Garcia greeted me from the stage as we walked in, and it was like being welcomed home at the end of a long day. The band blew through a few blues tunes in what seemed like a split second, reminding me of my least favorite thing about festivals: short set times. It was a tease, leaving me mentally arranging my schedule to catch them later in the week, at The Stage in Miami.


After a quick load out, Joel DaSilva and the Midnight Howl took the PoorHouse stage. This lineup may be new together, but the members are hardly new to the scene. Frontman/Guitarist DaSilva is a member of The Hep Cat Boo Daddies, and drummer Stefano Rotati sat behind the kit for Juke. Bassist Kevin Simonelic rounds out the trio, along with Scott Rowell appearing on keyboards. The 'Howl is currently working on their debut album, set for release late summer/early fall. The boys sounded great, and the band was in good spirits coming off last week's big show at SunFest, alongside several national acts. A mix of originals and covers made for a fun set.


When J.D. and the Howl wrapped up, I grabbed a friend and walked over to the Green Room to see what was going on at the New Times Stage. I'd never seen a performance at Green Room, so I tried to find my bearings as John Ralston's band did their setup. I took in the decor (lots of white furniture!) and the crowd (music geek chic!) and determined I may not be cool enough for this place. John Ralston came highly recommended, and I was excited to see him perform. His band sounded incredibly tight, and I enjoyed his vocals and stage presence. I bopped around to the music for a couple of songs, but I was anxious to get back to PoorHouse for The Shakers.

The PoorHouse was packed for The Shakers, and they were already onstage when I re-entered.
The energy in the room was more intense than I've ever seen it at this venue. I couldn't help springing up and down like a pogo stick, letting the music move me for roughly two and a half minutes at a time. This was not my first time seeing the Shakers, and definitely won't be my last. These guys had everyone's attention, as the crowd bounced and raised their camera phones. An illuminated hula-hooper at the front of the stage lit the room with glowing swirls.


When the set ended, I stepped onto the street for some air, plotting my next move. It seems one group of my friends had convened at Fat Cat's, so I made the trek down the street for shots and good times. Justin Enco Band was playing a set strictly comprised of covers, and it made for a nice change of pace. We perched on stools on the sidewalk, starting a Sublime sing-a-long and talking about the night's events. The perfect way to wrap up a night of excellent music!

The Cure For What Ails

I've never been one for change. If things could stay exactly as they are, in my happy little routine, with no shake-ups or upheaval, I'd be completely content. But life is at times tempestuous, and I'm clinging to my ideals in a world that demands constant reevaluation. What's a slow-moving Taurus girl to do?

FOCUS ON THE MUSIC

The music is my consant. Even when it changes, it stays by my side; lifting my mood and supporting me in times of need.
Every morning I wake up with a song in my head. Sometimes, the song is a carry over from the previous day. Other times, it crashes my thoughts like a drunken partygoer, and I never fight it. I come to work and look it up on YouTube, then post the performance on Facebook to share with my fellow music lovers.

I focus on lyrics, finding the ones that suit my feelings best.
I focus on the bass line or the kick drum, wishing I had that kind of rhythm.
I focus on supporting my friends in their desire to play music to larger audiences, channeling their talents and passion into making their dreams a reality.

When you don't think anyone else can relate to what you're going through, share a song with them. You might be surprised.


Photo Credit: Kristina DaSilva

A Return to Form, Plus Random Musical Observations

I've been absent from this blog for some time. When the rock station I was a jock for flipped formats, I took myself out of the loop for awhile. There is still no mainstream contemporary rock station here in South Florida. I focused my writing efforts on other pursuits, using all of my free time to food blog for New Times Broward-Palm Beach. Looking over my last few entries here, I realized how much I missed talking about music, and sharing my love for it with all of you. (All 5 of you that read this, anyway!)
Soooo, I'm back.
In four months, this is where I'm at:

I can't tell you a damn thing that's going on with mainstream rock right now, save for a new Foo Fighters album and A Perfect Circle going on tour. And I like it that way. Not having to do repetitive research for bands I barely care about is refreshing.

In my cd player and/or my iTunes for the last month? Elvis Costello, The Drowning Men, The xx, The Black Keys, Dropkick Murphys, Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Dave Matthews Band, A Perfect Circle, Beach House, The High Strung, and Timo Raisanen. The only one of those we ever played on 93 Rock was Weezer...and just one song: Hash Pipe.

It's liberating to not give a shit. I don't have to pretend to like Creed, I don't have to find nice things to say about Nickelback. I can just enjoy the music I like, and not have to make excuses or apologize.

On another musical note (wow, unintetional pun) my kid loves Weezer. I put the Green album in with him in the backseat one day, because I was looking for something happy and upbeat to stop him from being cranky and fussy. Before I knew it, we were listening to the Green album every day. He sings the "woah oh oh" backup vocals for "Don't Let Go". He does the handclap fills for "Photograph". He bobs his head to "Island in the Sun". Admittedly, I'm getting tired of hearing this damn album every day. But every time I stop at a red light and see his smiling face clapping away, I laugh with him and am less annoyed at hearing the same Weezer album for the sixth time this week. I figure, at least it's not the Barney song that was popular in the generation following mine.

So now you're all caught up with my musical life.
Please suggest new topics for me to write about, visit the comment section below.
As always, thanks for giving a damn :)


Timo Raisanen-My Sweet Marie

Moneybrother-Born Under a Bad Sign

The High Strung-The Luck You Got

Willie Nelson Busted for Possession...Again.

Everyone knows drug use among musicians is as commonplace as ramen in a college dorm room.
The sex, drugs, and rock n' roll mentality prevails long after other cliches of the 70s have lost their steam.
It's no surprise, then, that Willie Nelson was arrested for pot possession on Friday morning. The 77-year-old musician is just as well known for his love of chronic as any song in his lengthy catalog.
Most bloggers and journos would take the next several sentences to chastise law enforcement to leave ol' Willie alone and let grandpa smoke his pot.
Here is where I differ from most: Whether we take a liberal or conservative stance on the use of marijuana, it is still an illegal substance. Law enforcement will continue to, y'know, enforce the law.
My question is, why hasn't Willie learned how to keep the law off his back? As a lifetime pot smoker, one would think he'd know how to be more stealthy.
If rock star addicts like Nikki Sixx and Anthony Kiedis can be routine heroin users and manage to avoid being arrested for possession, how does Willie find himself in this situation multiple times?
Perhaps Sixx and Kiedis, both reformed, could teach Willie a thing or two when it comes to steering clear of run ins with the law.

Review: Hialeah Fest at Churchill's Pub

A spontaneous trip to Churchill's for last night's Hialeah Fest exposed us to some great bands, both old and new. For a $7 cover, we walked into the sounds of infamous Miami-based band Humbert. I've heard much about these guys over the years, but every time I was at a festival they were playing, I was in another area doing some sort of promotional hustle.

I observed the end of set from across the bar, peering through a sea of bad hairdos as I nursed my Jack and Coke. The band lived up to their hype: Catchy, dance-worthy indie rock. They're the kind of band you find yourself declaring you're totally in love with, halfway through the first song of theirs you've ever heard.  I'm glad I finally had the chance to see them live.

The stage was divided in two by a crudely hung white sheet, and as Humbert tore down, Low Visibility began their set on the opposite end of the stage. I honestly don't have much to say about these guys. The fifteen minute set rotations meant for me that they were sandwiched between Humbert, whom I had been excited to see; and Hit Play.

Hit Play is my friend and former 93 Rock co-worker Gaston de la Vega's band. They were the motivation for me to take my ass to Miami in the first place. The band kicked off their set with "...Progress, I Think?" from their debut EP "In Case of Emergency". Singer Alex Calente lead the band through a killer set that also included "The Lie Detector Determined That Was a Lie" and others. Equal parts power pop and punk, these guys deliver with catchy tunes that make you want to bounce and sing along, even if you don't know the lyrics. Of the four bands we saw, Hit, Play sounded tightest of all. They opened and finished strong, chugging through the fifteen minute set with as much energy as you would expect from an hour or more.

The last band we caught was Change Is Great. Giz Forte leads this Hialeah-based three piece with soulful reggae tinged vocals. The slow groove was a complete 180 from Hit Play; but a welcome change indeed. I'll definitely have to catch this trio again in a longer format.

Hialeah Fest was a great way to sample some local music, without having to wait impatiently though lengthy sets when a band you're not into hits the stage.

Rock n' Roll Samsons

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, I'm rarely attracted to guys with long hair. There are few who can pull it off, but there are exceptions to the rule. When it's done wrong, it looks messy. It prevents me from seeing your gorgeous face. You get my point.
Regardless of my feelings about the look, one thing remains clear: The amount of which you rock, as a frontman, is directly proportionate to when you decided you shear your locks.

I submit to you the following:

James Hetfield- The cowardly lion of metal, Hetfield was known for thrashing those locks around as he kicked ass to "Seek and Destroy" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls".
He cut his hair right before the release of Load in 1996, which brought us gems like "Ain't My Bitch" and "King Nothing".

Current length: Still close cropped. The suck has somewhat abated since the release of Death Magnetic, but imagine a return to power if Hetfield grew his hair once again.



Eddie Vedder- Despite tireless research, I had trouble pinpointing exactly when Eddie Vedder cut his hair short. My best guess is he started cutting it sometime during the No-Code era, one of the last Pearl Jam albums I liked. The shorter he cut it, the worse the music got. Yield had a few good tracks, Binaural even fewer. By the time Riot Act was released in 2002, I had stopped purchasing their albums. Eddie's hair cut in 2002? A mohawk. Do the math, friends.



Current length: Just above the shoulders. Not enough hair length to recover from the free fall that started with the mohawk. Sorry, Ed.



Chris Cornell-Cut his hair halfway through Superunknown, which is widely considered to be Soundgarden's breakthrough album. Superunknown is also regarded by hardcore fans as the turning point in their career from a heavy band to a more mainstream band. I enjoyed Superunknown, but less hair definitely equaled less heavy. Cornell continued to wear his hair short through the end of Soundgarden, just one album later.


Current length: Just past his shoulders, with no signs of stopping. Soundgarden has recently reunited, and re-recorded the track "Black Rain", which is originally from the Badmotorfinger recording sessions. It rocks...HARD. Hair is back, heavy Soundgarden is back. Cornell becomes a success story the others should model themselves after.


In conclusion, I find these men far more attractive with short hair. But for the sake of all things rock n' roll, the only way they can salvage the music is to grow back the hair!

Who else in the music industry have you witnessed this phenomenon with?