Artist Spotlight Big Hit Buda

Music fills my soul!  So does gymnastics!  This is how I met the incredible musical talent of Brad Turner, better known by his artist name Big Hit Buda.  In 2012, I attended the London Olympics where the USA Gymnastics Women’s Team brought home the Gold Medal, a worthy accomplishment by team members Gabrielle Douglas, Ali Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Jordyn Wieber, and Kyla Ross.  The USA Women earned a total of five medals, three Gold (All Around Gabrielle Douglas, Floor Exercise Ali Raisman, and Team), one Silver (Vault McKayla Maroney), and one Bronze (Balance Beam Ali Raisman).  For the USA Men, Danielle Leyva brought home the Bronze in the All Around.  My favorite USA Gymnast from the Men’s team, the incredibly talented John Orozco who hails from the South Bronx in New York, finished 8th in the All-Around. It was incredibly inspiring and I was honored and grateful to be there.

Of course I posted about all of this on Twitter.  I joined Twitter in October 2009 and immediately started following my favorite gymnasts and musical legends.  If you’re paying attention to my tweets, my passion is clear on these two subjects.  During the London Olympics, Brad was paying attention and invited me to watch his new music video, “Heart of A Champion”, dedicated to the USA Women’s Gymnastics Team.  The power of social media!  I can tell you this medium brought me back into the musical fold, and this particular song captured my heart! I should note that many musical Artists have reached out to me on Twitter, in the hopes that I will like their music.  Big Hit Buda stands tall against the competition!

Over the past nine years, I have come to appreciate just how difficult it is to create epic musical masterpiece that lifts your soul and gives you the inspiration to take on the world. I grew up loving a wide variety of music, with Classic Rock my mainstay.  I think it’s the grit and edge of anthemic melodies sitting squarely on top of electric guitar riffs that simply put, makes everything right in my world!

Big Hit Buda has a rare musical talent, rapping with a Rock&Roll and Soul infused sound, nothing short of WOW! His music takes on timely and relevant societal subject matter, and brings a message of hope and inspiration.  His newest project, just released on YouTube,  I Matter, confronts the struggles we currently face in our world on matters of equality.  The song has purpose and edge, and the lyrics are thoughtful and bold!

What inspires me the most though, and prompted me to feature Brad in this Artist Spotlight post, was the following.  Big Hit Buda was born with an abnormal blood vessel in his brain, a venous malformation.  A few years ago this condition required surgery, and unfortunately he suffered a complication and developed seizures.  He had one while driving his car, which caused him to get in an accident.  He was seriously injured and endured a lengthy period of recuperation, including three months in a body cast.  I hadn’t heard from him in a while and began to wonder what was going on with his music. I reached out and learned about the accident.  He said he wasn’t creating any music at the time, that he was focused on medical treatment. I was naturally upset and prayed for his recovery.  Knowing Brad as a person of integrity with a terrific attitude, I was very hopeful.

While we stay connected on Facebook and Messenger, we didn’t speak for a few years.  Then one day in September 2018, Brad reached out, with a link to his new video for “I Matter”!  He said his health was good and he was once again creating music.  I was thrilled and it really got me thinking!  I have tremendous faith in God and firmly believe that circumstances alone will never be able to stop someone from putting their gifts out into the world!  This is what motivates me every day to never give up!  Brad, you are a light in the world and your musical genius will never be silenced!

“I Matter”is a song of hope and inspiration and Big Hit Buda is an amazing Artist!  Please check out the video on YouTube here. and I’m sure you will be inspired to subscribe to his YouTube channel.

Big Hit Buda is currently working on his album “Victorious Underdog” so stay tuned for updates on this!  The sky is the limit!

Big Hit Buda Website

I Matter iTunes

Big Hit Buda on Spotify

Read More
January 1, 2019 By Cynthia Drew In Rock&Roll /  

L.A. Music Scene Winter 2018

It’s been a jam packed live music schedule this winter in the land of music and sunshine. Musical immersion. I wouldn’t have it any other way!

It’s only fitting to kick this off with Chuck Wright’s The Ultimate Jam Night (UJN) at the world famous Whisky A Go Go. What is it about this formula that channels pure unbridled Rock&Roll passion? The answer is an impressive lineup of talented musicians with a keen understanding and respect for the fans that pack the Whisky every Tuesday night. There’s a great vibe and energy, and a level of delivery and service rarely seen today. The entire staff is very professional and they make you feel right at home.  As a reminder, the UJN performances are largely unrehearsed. Artists are given their assignments ahead of time to research and practice and then it all comes together on the stage.  You will be blown away by the consistently high level of technical execution and musical mastery! Again I have to thank my terrific friend and music industry mentor Jeff Gray for turning me on to the Ultimate Jam. Jeff was my “One-on-One” at last year’s ASCAP I Create Music Expo. Huge thank you to the ASCAP team as they certainly knocked that one out of the park!

The Ultimate Jam Night impresses me on so many levels, including their support of local causes. On Tuesday night November 21, 2017 they held their “Jamsgiving” with proceeds supporting the food drive of the Midnight Mission. UJN regulars Paula Mattioli, Debby Holiday, and Keith England brought the house down with their trademark powerhouse vocals. Derek Day did as well, doing dual duty on the electric guitar. Of course it all begins with the very talented Ultimate Jam Night House Band, including UJN founder and bass player Chuck Wright from Quiet Riot and Alice Cooper, MC and lead singer Paulie Z from The Sweet and ZO2, veteran guitarist Mitch Perry from The Sweet and MSG, drummer Joe Travers from Billy Idol and Duran Duran, and multi instrumentalist Walter Ino from Survivor.

For the Tribute to Cheap Trick night on December 5, 2017, it was great to see regular UJN backup singer Maureen Davis from Mercury 5 performing out in front on lead vocal duties, as well as guitarist Chick Nielsen, AKA Rock N Robin, from the all female tribute band Cheap Chick. On December 12, 2017 theme “Paint It Black” featured tunes with the word “black” in the title, with powerhouse performances from UJN regular Joe Retta and Cherokee Fortune on lead vocals and Toshi Yanagi from the Jimmy Kimmel band on the electric guitar. On January 23, 2018, the Ultimate Jam celebrated it’s three year anniversary, with some fierce performances from Slipknot’s Sean McKnabb and UJN founder Chuck Wright on Bass, and Paulie Z, Paula Mattioli, and Debby Holiday on lead vocals. On February 13, 2018, the “Love Bites” theme, featuring songs with the world “love” in the title, included performances by UJN House Band members Paulie Z., Walter Ino, and founder Chuck Wright, and the very talented Debby Holiday once again on lead vocals! On March 13, 2018, a tribute to Slayer included first time UJN performer JD McGibney on the electric guitar. Gabriel Connor from Red Devil Vortex returned to the UJN stage on lead vocals and bass duty, as did the very talented Ira Black from I am Morbid and Westfield Massacre, on the electric guitar. While it’s not feasible to mention every talented musician who performs at the Ultimate Jam, I can tell you the list is long, diverse, and impressive. Check out their Facebook page which provides the entire list of performers each week and then you will understand the magnitude of this program.

Of course, the Whisky A Go Go was the place to be to ring in New Year’s 2018! Friday night December 30, veteran keyboardist Dizzy Reed from Guns N’ Roses performed with his band Hookers & Blow to a very enamored and devoted GN’R fan contingent. Saturday night December 31, Faster Pussycat and newly regrouped L.A. Guns brought down the house in epic form, featuring British born lead singer Phil Lewis back together with veteran guitarist Tracii Guns and Bass player Johnny Martin. Drummer Shane Fitzgibbon and guitarist Michael Grant rounded out this very talented ensemble, performing cuts from 80’s classic album Cocked & Loaded and newly released September 2017 album “The Missing Peace”. I haven’t been this excited about a new album in quite a long while! It’s chock full of classic rock influences that send my heart soaring! Check out “Speed”, “Kill it or Die”, “It’s All the Same to Me”, and title cut “Missing Peace”! I caught them again at the House Of Blues in Anaheim on January 27, 2018, this time with L.A. based rock band Budderside, featuring the very talented Patrick Stone on lead vocals, formerly of Adler’s Appetite, Colin Reid on the electric guitar, Michael Stone (AKA Stoneman) on Bass, and Rich Sacco on Drums.  They just returned from a tour in England and Scotland and I’m certainly looking forward to a new U.S. tour announcement.  They are really on top of their game performing some terrific material!  L.A. Guns returns to the Whisky A Go Go this summer for two nights July 13 and 14, 2018, although without guitarist Michael Grant who left the band in March. I can’t wait!

On Friday night, February 9, 2018, Long Island Rock&Roll trio Zebra debuted at the iconic Whisky A Go Go, a mere 35 years since the release of their Gold selling, self titled debut album. Growing up in Long Island, I remember Zebra well from their formidable start as one of the best Led Zeppelin cover bands out there. They kicked the night off with every track from that debut Gold selling album, including hits “Who’s Behind The Door” and “Tell Me What You Want” and led us out with a classic Led Zeppelin set. Incredible!

Hot Tub Johnnie’s live radio broadcast Hunnypot Live at The Mint is the place to be every other Monday night! On November 27, 2017 we were treated to master songwriter Jules Shear, whose impressive catalog includes hits “All Through The Night” recorded by Cyndi Lauper, and “If She Knew What She Wants” recorded by The Bangles. A long and storied career, Jules performed some of his new material as well, from album One More Crooked Dance, just released by the terrific team at Funzalo Records. Next, soulful singer songwriter Maggie Szabo from Canada offered up some inspiration from newly released EP “Don’t Give Up”. On December 11, 2017, Aloud, a wife and husband team originally from New England, served up some soulful, uninhibited Rock&Roll blues. As a follow up to critically lauded album It’s Got To Be Now, they just released Fan the Fury in February 2018, mixed by Guy Massey, who has done work for Paul McCartney. On January 22, 2018, the veteran musical talent of Power Trip brought down the house featuring an impressive ensemble of musical talent. Led by the passionate and mighty vocals of Garrett Holbrook, this band delivers classic Rock, Blues, & Pop covers. On the drums was veteran rocker Stephen Perkins from James Addiction. On the keyboards was Italian born Alex Alessandroni Jr, who has worked with top female talent including Christine Aguilera, Whitney Houston, and Pink to name a few. On the electric guitar, Rafael Moreira, a fixture on shows like The Voice and American Idol, who has worked with a wide range of Artists from Stevie Wonder to Steven Tyler, was outstanding. Bass Player Fabrizio Grossi, who has worked with Billy Gibbons and Glenn Hughes was equally impressive. They will be performing at Hunnypot Live again on April 16. Check them out, they are incredible! On February 19, 2018, Hunnypot Live delivered once again with some powerful women out in front, including an interview with two time Grammy Nominee and multi platinum selling songwriter Shelley Peiken. Taking the stage that night, singer, songwriter, recording artist V Torres, doing double duty at the mic singing and playing guitar, debuted new single “Restless Heart” and some other soulful blues cuts with her all female band. A former real estate fund accountant, this very talented Artist is now committed to getting her music out in the world. Terrific she’s amazing!

Gary Calamar’s Mimosa Music Series at The Federal Bar in North Hollywood is another great source of new showcase talent. On November 26, 2018, I got to see Jules Shear perform for the first time, followed by L.A. based rock band Dead Rock West performing a set of their new material from 2017 album release “More Love”, featuring single “Boundless Fearless Love”. On January 21, the incredible talent of Rock duo The Two Tens   debuted some cuts from new sophomore album “On Repeat”. L.A rockers  Prima Donna   followed with material from soon to be released album “S/T”.

Last but certainly not least, my Christmas present to my amazing and brilliant brother Geoffrey, was a platinum seat performance Monday evening, December 18 at the L.A. Forum for the incomparable Lady Gaga. My brother, who is also very musical, is a huge fan of New York born and raised Stephanie Germanotta. Both my brother and I were on our feet, swaying to and fro to “Poker Face”, “Alejandro”, “The Edge of Glory, “Born This Way”, and “Bad Romance”. What a night!

I’ll lead you out with this captivating performance. “…To the moon on a shooting star..”  “Speed” live from Milan

Cover Photo Credits: Ultimate Jam Night (UJN) February 13, 2018 with UJN Founder Bass Player Chuck Wright and MC and lead singer Paulie Z.

Photo Gallery:

Derek Day UJN "Jamsgiving" November 21, 2017 Whisky A Go Go

Derek Day UJN “Jamsgiving” November 21, 2017 Whisky A Go Go

 

UJN "Jamsgiving" November 21, 2017 Whisky A Go Go

UJN “Jamsgiving” November 21, 2017 Whisky A Go Go

 

Debby Holiday & Derek Day UJN "Jamsgiving" November 21, 2017 Whisky A Go Go

Debby Holiday & Derek Day UJN “Jamsgiving” November 21, 2017 Whisky A Go Go

 

Keith England UJN "Jamsgiving" November 21, 2017 Whisky A Go Go

Keith England UJN “Jamsgiving” November 21, 2017 Whisky A Go Go

 

Paul Mattioli UJN "Jamsgiving" November 21, 2017 Whisky A Go Go

Paul Mattioli UJN “Jamsgiving” November 21, 2017 Whisky A Go Go

 

Paula Mattioli and Mitch Perry UJN "Jamsgiving" November 21, 2017 Whisky A go Go

Paula Mattioli and Mitch Perry UJN “Jamsgiving” November 21, 2017 Whisky A go Go

 

Jules Shear Gary Calamar's Mimosa Music Series at The Federal November 26, 2017

Jules Shear Gary Calamar’s Mimosa Music Series at The Federal November 26, 2017

 

Dead Rock West Gary Calamar's Mimosa Music Series at The Federal November 26, 2017

Dead Rock West Gary Calamar’s Mimosa Music Series at The Federal November 26, 2017

 

Jules Shear Hunnypot Live at The Mint November 27, 2017

Jules Shear Hunnypot Live at The Mint November 27, 2017

 

Maggie Sazbo Hunnypot Live at The Mint November 27, 2017

Maggie Sazbo Hunnypot Live at The Mint November 27, 2017

 

Maureen Davis UJN "Cheap Trick" Night December 5, 2017 at the Whisky A Go Go

Maureen Davis UJN “Cheap Trick” Night December 5, 2017 at the Whisky A Go Go

 

Chick Nielsen AKA Rock N Robin UJN "Cheap Trick" night December 5, 2017 at the Whisky A Go Go

Chick Nielsen AKA Rock N Robin UJN “Cheap Trick” night December 5, 2017 at the Whisky A Go Go

 

UJN "Cheap Trick" night December 5, 2017 at the Whisky A Go Go

UJN “Cheap Trick” night December 5, 2017 at the Whisky A Go Go

 

Aloud at Hunnypot Live December 11, 2017 at The Mint

Aloud at Hunnypot Live December 11, 2017 at The Mint

 

UJN December 12, 2017 "Paint It Black" night at the Whisky A Go with Cherokee Fortune and Toshi Yanagi

UJN December 12, 2017 “Paint It Black” night at the Whisky A Go with Cherokee Fortune and Toshi Yanagi

 

UJN December 12, 2017 "Paint It Black" night at the Whisky A Go Go

UJN December 12, 2017 “Paint It Black” night at the Whisky A Go Go with Cherokee Fortune sharing duty on lead vocals.

 

UJN December 12, 2017 "Paint It Black" night at the Whisky A Go GoUJN December 12, 2017 “Paint It Black” night at the Whisky A Go Go

 

UJN December 12, 2017 "Paint It Black" night at the Whisky A Go Go

UJN December 12, 2017 “Paint It Black” night at the Whisky A Go Go

 

UJN December 12, 2017 "Paint It Black" night at the Whisky A Go Go

UJN December 12, 2017 “Paint It Black” night at the Whisky A Go Go

 

UJN December 12, 2017 "Paint It Black" night at the Whisky A Go Go with Paulie Z. and Joe Retta

UJN December 12, 2017 “Paint It Black” night at the Whisky A Go Go with Paulie Z. and Joe Retta

 

UJN December 12, 2017 Whisky A Go Go "Paint It Black" night

UJN December 12, 2017 “Paint It Black” night at the Whisky A Go Go  with Paulie Z. and Joe Retta

 

With my brother Geoffrey to see Lady Gaga at The L.A. Forum December 18, 2017

With my brother Geoffrey to see Lady Gaga at The L.A. Forum December 18, 2017

 

Lady Gaga at The L.A. Forum December 18, 2017

Lady Gaga at The L.A. Forum December 18, 2017

 

Lady Gaga at The L.A. Forum December 18, 2017

Lady Gaga at The L.A. Forum December 18, 2017

 

Lady Gaga at The L.A. Forum December 18, 2017

Lady Gaga at The L.A. Forum December 18, 2017

 

Lady Gaga at The L.A. Forum December 18, 2017

Lady Gaga at The L.A. Forum December 18, 2017

 

Dizzy Reed Hookers & Blow December 30, 2017 Whisky A Go Go

Dizzy Reed Hookers & Blow December 30, 2017 The Whisky A Go Go

 

With UJN Founder Chuck Wright December 30, 2018 Dizzy Reed Hookers & Blow at The Whisky A Go Go

With UJN Founder Chuck Wright December 30, 2017 Dizzy Reed Hookers & Blow at The Whisky A Go Go

 

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

L.A. Guns New Years 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

The Two Tens' Rikki Styxx Gary Calamar's Mimosa Music Series at The Federal January 21, 2018

The Two Tens’ Rikki Styxx Gary Calamar’s Mimosa Music Series at The Federal January 21, 2018

 

The Two Tens' Adam Bones Gary Calamar's Mimosa Music Series at The Federal January 21, 2018

The Two Tens’ Adam Bones Gary Calamar’s Mimosa Music Series at The Federal January 21, 2018

 

Prima Donna Gary Calamar's Mimosa Music Series at The Federal January 21, 2018

Prima Donna Gary Calamar’s Mimosa Music Series at The Federal January 21, 2018

 

Power Trip's Garrett Holbrook Hunnypot Live at The Mint January 22, 2018

Power Trip’s Garrett Holbrook Hunnypot Live at The Mint January 22, 2018

 

Power Trip's Stephen Perkins Hunnypot Live at The Mint January 22, 2018

Power Trip’s Stephen Perkins Hunnypot Live at The Mint January 22, 2018

 

Power Trip's Rafael Moreira Hunnypot Live at The Mint January 22, 2018

Power Trip’s Rafael Moreira Hunnypot Live at The Mint January 22, 2018

 

UJN Three Year Anniversary January 23, 2018 Whisky A Go Go Debby Holiday

UJN Three Year Anniversary January 23, 2018 Whisky A Go Go Debby Holiday

 

UJN Three Year Anniversary January 23, 2018 Whisky A Go Paula Mattioli

UJN Three Year Anniversary January 23, 2018 Whisky A Go Paula Mattioli

 

UJN Three Year Anniversary January 23, 2018 Whisky A Go Go Julia Lage

UJN Three Year Anniversary January 23, 2018 Whisky A Go Go Julia Lage

 

UJN Three Year Anniversary January 23, 2018 Mitch Perry Whisky A Go Go

UJN Three Year Anniversary January 23, 2018 Mitch Perry Whisky A Go Go

 

UJN Three Year Anniversary January 23, 2018 Founder Chuck Wright Whisky A Go Go

UJN Three Year Anniversary January 23, 2018 Founder Chuck Wright Whisky A Go Go

 

Budderside January 27, 2018 House of Blues Anaheim, CA

Budderside January 27, 2018 House of Blues Anaheim, CA

 

Patrick Stone Budderside January 27, 2018 House of Blues Anaheim, CA

Patrick Stone Budderside January 27, 2018 House of Blues Anaheim, CA

 

Patrick Stone Budderside January 27, 2018 House of Blues Anaheim, CA

Patrick Stone and Colin Reid Budderside January 27, 2018 House of Blues Anaheim, CA

 

Stoneman Budderside January 27, 2018 House of Blues Anaheim, CA

Michael Stone AKA Stoneman Budderside January 27, 2018 House of Blues Anaheim, CA

 

Rich Sacco Budderside January 27, 2018 House Of Blues Anaheim, CA

Rich Sacco Budderside January 27, 2018 House Of Blues Anaheim, CA

 

Zebra Soundcheck February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

Zebra Soundcheck February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

Zebra Soundcheck Randy Jackson February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

Zebra Soundcheck Randy Jackson February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

Zebra Soundcheck Felix Hanemann February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

Zebra Soundcheck Felix Hanemann February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

Zebra Soundcheck Guy Gelso February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

Zebra Soundcheck Guy Gelso February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

Zebra Soundcheck February 9, 2018 VIP Photo

Zebra Soundcheck February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go VIP Photo

 

Randy Jackson Zebra February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

Randy Jackson Zebra February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

Randy Jackson Zebra February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

Randy Jackson Zebra February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

Felix Haneman Zebra February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

Felix Haneman Zebra February 9, 2018 Whisky A Go Go

 

UJN February 13, 2018 Debby Holliday

UJN February 13, 2018 Debby Holiday

 

UJN February 13, 2018 Tosi Yanagi from the Jimmy Kimmel Band

UJN February 13, 2018 Toshi Yanagi from the Jimmy Kimmel Band

 

UJN February 13, 2018 House Band Drummer Chris Rales from Pat Benatar

UJN February 13, 2018 House Band Drummer Chris Rales from Pat Benatar

 

Hunnypot Live February 19, 2018 John Anderson and Jeff Gray interview with 2 time grammy nominee & multi platinum songwriter Shelly Peiken

Hunnypot Live February 19, 2018 John Anderson and Jeff Gray interview with two time grammy nominee, multi platinum songwriter, and SONA founding Board member Shelly Peiken.

 

V Torres Hunnypot Live February 19, 2018

V Torres Hunnypot Live February 19, 2018

 

V Torres Guitarist Hunnypot Live February 19, 2018

V Torres Guitarist Hunnypot Live February 19, 2018

 

V Torres Drummer Hunnypot Live February 19, 2018

V Torres Drummer Hunnypot Live February 19, 2018

 

UJN March 6, 2018 JD McGibney

UJN March 6, 2018 JD McGibney

 

UJN March 6, 2018 Gabriel Connor

UJN March 6, 2018 Gabriel Connor

Read More
March 22, 2018 By Cynthia Drew In Rock&Roll /  

ROCK ROYALTY INCARNATE

To be fully transparent, I had not planned to write another blog post on the planet’s greatest Rock&Roll band, my beloved Guns N’ Roses.   But after four hours of exquisite musical masterpiece Wednesday night November 29, 2017, in the final performance of the 2017 Not In This Lifetime tour, by the “full on” committed talent of these exceptionally gifted rockers now in their 50’s, following multiple decades of excess and strife hard to fathom, I couldn’t possibly maintain integrity of my musical brand, if I were to write nothing.

Since my Signature VIP experience the opening night April 8, 2016 at the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and spanning 2 years, 6 states, 11 electrifying performances, backstage tours, on stage photos, lots of swag and iconic limited edition apparel purchases, more VIP lanyards, a “jumbotron” capture, and an official GN’R Tweet Like and “Retweet”, my eyes and ears were wide open, no ear plugs please, as Guns N’ Roses rightly brought down the house Wednesday night at iconic music venue The Forum in Los Angeles, California, to close out year two of a once “never imaginable” #NotInThisLifetime tour!

I hope this post captures the essence of my awe and admiration. In the last three years, I have learned a lot about what it takes to create music to fill one’s soul. If you’re lucky, you write countless songs, over many years, with many collaborators and perhaps one or two will become a hit. Then of course you have the select few, in your genre of choice, that you can count on one hand, a group of musicians that somehow find each other and legends are sprung! Guns N’ Roses is that band!

Shortly after 8pm Wednesday night November 29, 2017, the seven band members of Guns N’ Roses, six men and one woman, three of which built this iconic act from the ground up, stormed onto the stage of the venerable and refurbished Forum in downtown Los Angeles. They would exit the stage about 4 hours later after playing a record 37 timeless classics that had fans on their feet swaying to and fro, arms in the air, singing along with passionate might, and some with tears flowing. From the early days in the late 1980’s and their meteoric rise to fame on the best selling debut album in U.S. history, “Appetite for Destruction”, to the Grammy Nominated Use Your Illusion I & II albums, to the 2008 release of Chinese Democracy, the collective talent, dedication, and relentless pursuit of excellence in this band, has arguably ignited one of the greatest resurgences in Rock&Roll history. Fans from across the U.S. and the world ascended upon L.A., as they similarly did in Vegas in April 2016, to bear witness to the majesty of Rock royalty incarnate, with the powerful & eloquent four octave vocal range of Axl Rose on Lead Vocals, Saul Hudson AKA Slash, Chief Shredder on the Electric Guitar, the commanding cool of Duff McKagan on Bass, the fierce and electric Richard Fortus on Rhythm Guitar, Dizzy Reed spinning exquisite lyrical yarns on the Keyboard, the mighty Frank Ferrer on Drums, and Guns N’ Roses first female band member, the very talented Melissa Reese on Keyboards and Backup Vocals.

They powered through timeless classics including “Welcome To The Jungle”, “Mr. Brownstone”, “Out Ta Get Me” and “Used to Love Her” that speak to the reckless abandon that first defined them. Axl Rose playfully offered up “You Could Be Mine” as a “touchy feely” love ballad. Awesome! We love engaging with our legendary frontman! The absolutely riveting and anthemic “Rocket Queen”, infused with epic guitar riffs that only Slash could craft and deliver, did indeed lead the charge for passionate love ballads, to which only a band like Guns N’ Roses could do justice, including “This I Love” from Chinese Democracy, and classics “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, “Don’t Cry”, and “November Rain”, with devoted fans erupting in emotion when Axl Rose’s Grand Piano arose from below the stage.

The intelligent and in your face “activist” persona of Guns N’ Roses certainly ignited  a powerful response Wednesday night with thunderous applause and energy for the very timely classic “Civil War”. Title cut “Chinese Democracy” kicked things off early in the set list, and recent addition “Madagascar”, also from the Chinese Democracy album, burst into the mix in the encore. Income inequality and hate are powerful forces in our country that demand thoughtful action. I just love the integrity and commitment of this band to raise important thought provoking issues. Of course, a live Guns N’ Roses set would certainly not be complete without the driving instrumentals and scorching vocals in “My Michelle” and “Nightrain”.

The global Rock&Roll community has been devastated this past year with the passing of Chris Cornell from Soundgarden and Malcolm Young of AC/DC, among others. In tribute to these extraordinary musicians, Guns N’ Roses added Soundgarden cover “Black Hole Sun” to the set list on May 27 at Sloane Castle in Ireland. On this particular Wednesday night, epic GN’R classic and Bob Dylan cover “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” followed. A fan favorite with audience participation, this ballad has evolved since the early days at venues like The Ritz in New York City. The exquisite combination of Slash on the double neck guitar, “Mr. Richard Fortus” as introduced by Axl, on rhythm guitar, Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese on the Keyboards will certainly bring you to your knees as you approach Heaven’s door. Perfectly placed following “Patience”, the band launched into AC/DC cover “Whole Lotta Rosie” to pay tribute to Malcolm Young, who was laid to rest days earlier in his hometown Australia.   Both artists also hold the composition copyright to these two classics, which means their estates will receive performance royalties for each live GN’R performance.

The band added three songs the final evening, “There Was a Time” and “Catcher In the Rye” from Chinese Democracy, and “Yesterdays” from Use Your Illusion II, which I should note, includes Guns N’ Roses’ very popular Road Manager Del James on the composition copyright, which means he will receive a performance royalty check as well.

Hailing to the very beginning, epic anthem “Paradise City” continued to take the anchor position in leading us out for the night. You can’t argue with success! The energy in the room was still at a fever pitch and a very humble and quite chatty Axl Rose was beaming from ear to ear. Slash, who spends much of the night flying through the air in a tuck position some are lucky to capture on film, continues to evolve his brand with a trademark handstand on stage, this after 4 hours of intense sweat dripping shredding. Bravo! Duff McKagan, who strategically struts around the stage strumming that Bass Guitar like no other, delights his fans by spraying guitar pics from each section of the stage. Richard Fortus, whose skill on the rhythm guitar is beyond measure, commands your attention with a simple quiet strength. The presence of Keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese, tucked away in their mighty musical setups, are lost on no one. The incredible precision and strength of Drummer Frank Ferrer, with a kick a** smile to light up the world, rounds out this incredible ensemble we have come to know and love quite well over the past 20 months.

They return one final time for a bow. Tears are starting to well …. To lead us out, perhaps we should return to the beginning. Welcome To The Jungle baby!

Thank you for the gift of passionate A** Kicking Rock&Roll that fills my soul! I hope you all have a joyous and peace filled Holiday Season!

Axlpiano Axl1 Slash1 Slash&Duff Axl2

 Slash2 Duff1 Duff2 Axl3 Axl4 Fortus Combo1 Slash3 Axl5 Axl6

Axl7 Slash4 Slash5 Slash6 Trio Trio2 Slash7 NovRain1 NovRain2 GNRLEADcopyright

Read More
December 2, 2017 By Cynthia Drew In Rock&Roll /   1 Comment

L.A. Music Scene

There are many reasons I moved to southern California, but the L.A. Music Scene certainly figures prominently. After arriving to Hollywood Burbank Airport Saturday night July 22, 2017 with my two mighty felines, I have hit the ground running! I should note this was fresh off an iconic performance two nights earlier at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, featuring none other than my beloved Guns N’ Roses. What a send off!

Thanks to a terrific new friend and industry mentor, the brilliant and very cool Jeff Gray, Music Supervisor and Copyright expert, I have found my musical home in the land of music and sunshine! I kicked off the musical trifecta Monday night July 24, 2017 at The Mint in West L.A. for Hot Tub Johnnie’s Hunnypot Live, a live Artist showcase and Music Industry talk show. Frequented by some terrific and veteran musical industry people, some of whom are now friends, the Hunnypot Live stage features talented performers across a wide variety of musical genre. I’d like to highlight two in particular. On my first visit, I had the great pleasure to meet Sarah Rogo, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from New England, who has taken the west coast music scene by storm, earning a nomination for Best Singer Songwriter at the 2017 San Diego Music Awards. Her first CD, “Sarah Rogo Live at Lestat’s West” was just released by the terrific team at Funzalo Records and she returns to The Mint Wednesday night November 8, 2017.

On October 2, the incredibly talented and full on personality of Addison Scott electrified the Hunnypot Live stage with a funky style R&B groove that absolutely commanded my attention! Hailing from New York, with clear energy and determination, this guy has definitely reeled in a new fan!  Featured Artist Addison Scott.

On to the Ultimate Jam Night at the iconic Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. When I say I have found my musical home, this is it! Every Tuesday night, some incredibly talented LA based musicians, that starts with the house band, who I’ll get to in a minute, then rotates in a vast line up of emerging and known Rock&Roll talent. Their largely unrehearsed, theme driven performances will blow you away! Talk about commitment and excellence in the Arts, I think we need a new Musical Award Category! The Ultimate Jam Night is broadcast live around the world on Zinna.tv.

As to this incredible house band, I have to start first with Paul Zablidowsky, aka Paulie Z., lead singer, guitarist and regular host of the Ultimate Jam. A passionate and charismatic artist, his leadership and musical talent is awe inspiring! I should tell you, that at my first night at the Ultimate Jam, the Whisky was at capacity for a tribute in honor of Paulie Z.’s 38 year old brother David Zablidowsky, who had been killed a few days earlier in a fiery motor vehicle accident while on tour in Florida. Despite the incredible pain and anguish he must have been feeling, he was front and center, passionate as ever as the evening’s Host, and performing some epic ballads, including Foreigner’s “Jukebox Hero”! I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.   Stars showed up to show their support including Twisted Sister’s Dee Snyder and current solo artist Sebastian Bach of Skid Row fame.   As Paul and David both hail from Brooklyn, NY, a music scholarship fund has been set up in David’s Name through the Brooklyn College Foundation. David Z Fund

I should note that the Ultimate Jam Night consistently stands up to support important causes. Paulie Z. was there once again at the hosting mic, for a benefit to raise money for the victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting. Other themes have included “Hot” to show support for California firefighters, who have been inundated with the worst fire season in the history of the state. All songs performed that night had the word “hot” in the title and included such classics as Rod Stewart’s “Hot Legs” and Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff”!

Artist Kacee Clanton brought down the house for her riveting performance of Janis Joplin on the Ultimate Jam Night’s “Woodstock” night. In her seventeenth year performing hits from this iconic legend gone too soon, she just wrapped a month long residence of “A Night With Janis Joplin” at Princeton’s McCarter Theatre Center and announced her retirement from the show. We look forward to her new musical adventures! Equally impressive was a seven piece instrumental collaboration that included a two piece brass section performing classics from Carlos Santana. Remember, these are largely unrehearsed performances. WOW!

Of course my final entry for the Ultimate Jam Night fall update, is Guns N’ Roses Night October 3, 2017, including a very special performance from original GN’R drummer Steven Adler! The Ultimate Jam Night and Whisky management pulled out all the stops to bring in the very best talent to perform some of Rock&Roll’s finest, yet very challenging musical masterpieces. They did not disappoint! Steven Adler came out to full on zeal from a packed and exuberant audience, to first pay tribute to Whisky and Rainbow Room founder Mario Maglieri, who passed recently. Joined by the very talented Patrick Stone on lead vocals, Jacob Bunton and Colin Reid on electric guitar, and L.A. Guns Johnny Martin on bass, they kicked of a formidable four song set with “Welcome To The Jungle”. Epic classic “November Rain” featured the magnificent voice of Jenna Syde of Paradise Kitty fame, Quiet Riot’s Alex Grossi on lead guitar, and regular Ultimate Jam Night bassist, the very cool and talented Sean McNabb from Lynch Mob, who just released their eighth studio album Brotherhood September 8, 2017.

Rounding out the musical genius of the Ultimate Jam Night house band regulars is UJN founder Quiet Riot bassist Chuck Wright, Mitch Perry from the legendary Edgar Winter band on the electric guitar, keyboardist and multi instrumentalist Walter Ino from Survivor, and Joe Travers from Duran Duran and Billy Idol on drums. This is a very special group of talented musicians. If you’re looking for me on a Tuesday night, this is where I’ll be!

Before I segue to my final new favorite musical hot spot, I must give a shout out to a very talented singer songwriter Jags, who I have not yet seen perform live, but had the great honor to meet.  His newest EP release, “I AM”, is awesome! Title cut “I AM” features Matt Sorum of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver fame on Drums. My favorite though is “Are You Listening”. You definitely want to check this guy out!

To round out my first quarter musical trifecta here in the land of music and sunshine, we now depart the Sunset Strip and travel up and over the majestic hills of Laurel Canyon to the Federal Bar in North Hollywood, for Gary Calamar’s Mimosa Music Series. Hailing from incredible music pedigree, as the daughter of legendary songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Louise Goffin brought down the house on September 17 with an impressive performance all around, ably supported by a full ensemble band! Check out her new hit Revenge  and you’ll begin to understand my excitement! This wildly talented singer, songwriter, recording artist, and multi instrumentalist is definitely a force to be reckoned with!

I’ll wrap with an absolutely incredible Mimosa Music performance, all the way from Australia, led by the amazing vocals and songwriting talent of veteran performer Paul Kelly, infused with the powerful and soulful R&B vocals of Vika and Linda Bull, accompanied by veteran talent Ashley Naylor on the Electric Guitar, Bill McDonald on Bass, Cameron Bruce on Keyboards, and Peter Luscombe on Drums. Oh my goodness I haven’t been this excited about a Rock&Roll band since I discovered Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators! Their 2017 album “Paul Kelly – Life is Fine”, distributed by EMI Australia, debuted at number one on the ARIA Charts and is Kelly’s first number one album in Australia! Well done! Their six week U.S. tour culminated at The Roxy in West Hollywood with a mighty performance to a packed and very engaged crowd Sunday night October 22! They returned home to Australia the next day and are now performing to sold out stadiums in their native Australia. I can’t wait for them to return to the U.S.!

I’ll leave you with Paul Kelly’s epic new ballad Rising Moon, filmed at a live performance September 27, 2017 at The City Winery in Atlanta. Enjoy!

Feature Image Credits: Ultimate Jam Night at the Whisky A Go featuring Paulie Z. on Vocals, Sean McNabb on Bass, Mitch Perry on Guitar, Walter Ino on Keyboards, and Joe Travers on Drums.

Sarah Rogo performing at Hunnypot Live at The Mint 9/18/17

Sarah Rogo performing at Hunnypot Live at The Mint 9/18/17

Addison Scott performing at Hunnypot Live at The Mint 10/2/17

Addison Scott performing at Hunnypot Live at The Mint 10/2/17

Cynthia Drew and Jeff Gray Ultimate Jam Night at The Whisky A Go Go

Cynthia Drew and Jeff Gray Ultimate Jam Night at The Whisky A Go Go

Steven Adler Guns N' Roses Night 10/3/17 Ultimate Jam at The Whisky A Go Go

Steven Adler Guns N’ Roses Night 10/3/17 Ultimate Jam at The Whisky A Go Go

Steven Adler Guns N' Roses Night 10/3/17 Ultimate Jam at The Whisky A Go Go

Steven Adler Guns N’ Roses Night 10/3/17 Ultimate Jam at The Whisky A Go Go

Louise Goffin performing Gary Calamar Mimosa Music Series at The Federal Bar 9/17/17

Louise Goffin performing Gary Calamar Mimosa Music Series at The Federal Bar 9/17/17

Paul Kelly and Zika Bull performing at The Roxy 10/22/17

Paul Kelly and Vika Bull performing at The Roxy 10/22/17

Vika Bull performing at The Roxy with Paul Kelly 10/22/17

Vika Bull performing at The Roxy with Paul Kelly 10/22/17

Ashley Naylor performing at The Roxy with Paul Kelly 10/22/17

Ashley Naylor performing at The Roxy with Paul Kelly 10/22/17

Read More
October 30, 2017 By Cynthia Drew In Rock&Roll /  1

Google and the Internet of Things 2017 Update

As a follow up to my first article on Google, the internet and technology juggernaut whose innovations in search and advertising have made their brand one of the most recognized in the world, this update will focus on the leverage such dominance brings. Google core products, including Search, YouTube, Android, Google Play, Maps, Chrome, and Gmail, each have over one billion active users monthly. 2016 Net Income totaled $19.5 billion, up 19% to 2015, driven on 22% growth in Google Properties revenue, formerly referred to as Google Websites revenue. Gross profit margin was 61%, down slightly (1%) to 2015. Net profit margin remained steady at 22%, and the effective tax rate was 19%.

Taking a closer look at Google Properties revenue, 2016 revenue totaled $63.8 billion, comprising 71% of total Google revenue. While Google doesn’t currently disclose the product breakout in their public filings, there’s enough public information available to estimate the pieces. Analysts Eric Sheridan at UBS and Justin Post at Merrill Lynch both estimated You Tube revenue to be about $12 billion in 2016. I estimated Google Search revenue at $50.5 billion and Android at $1.3 billion. Google dominates the global search engine market, maintaining a near 90% worldwide market share since 2010, although they have lost a little ground recently, currently holding a little under 87%. Android revenues, driven on mobile ad revenue, experienced strong growth in 2016, with my estimate reflecting a 60% increase to 2015.

While clearly Search revenue dominates the Google revenue story, investors are now paying closer attention to YouTube as analysts have become very bullish on this product segment and project revenues to reach $20 billion in 2018, and $27 billion by 2020.   Merrill Lynch now believes YouTube may reach a $90 billion valuation on a standalone basis. YouTube’s $90 million valuation.

The P&L success of the YouTube operating model finds its roots in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998, legislation enacted before user generated content sites like YouTube existed, and before the significant transformation in digital technology we enjoy today. Google’s YouTube takes full advantage of the DMCA “Safe Harbor” provision that provides full protection from infringement liability for content flowing through their lines. To qualify, Google must meet certain guidelines, including promptly blocking access to newly discovered infringing material, and terminating repeat infringers. However, the responsibility for surveillance and enforcement lies with the musical creator, not with Google. Most in the music industry view YouTube as a huge problem, a large global firm making billions of dollars, at the expense of the little songwriter who is struggling to survive.

Before we get into the latest key developments surrounding “Safe Harbor” protections for large powerful platforms, it’s important to note a recent operational change at Google’s YouTube, that also has a disparate impact on the songwriter with less than 10,000 YouTube views, and more importantly, that forces program loyalty provisions for all of their content providers. In 2013, Jack Conte, a struggling musician on YouTube, founded Patreon, a platform where musicians can post their content and find backers to support them. Content creators are projected to earn $150 million on the crowd funding platform in 2017.  Digital Music News reports that in order for musical creators to add external links to their videos, to sites like Patreon and Amazon, they are now required to join YouTube’s Partner Program, which carries an additional requirement, of a minimum of 10,000 views. It’s important to note that most content creators on YouTube depend on external links to earn money, that Google’s YouTube controls 60% of all streaming audio business in the world, and that it pays for only 11% of total streaming audio revenue artists receive. 1

Wait, there’s more. Are you familiar with Senate Resolution 1693 Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017? This bills amends the federal criminal code to include those who benefit from “participating in a venture” that supports child sex trafficking, to be subject to the same consequences as those who are directly engaged in this criminal activity. To achieve the intended goal, the bill seeks to amend the Communications Act of 1934, specifically Section 230 on Safe Harbors, to remove the protections communication and content delivery companies currently receive, should a sex trafficker use their company’s internet platform to advance their cause. Since introduction, the bill has received wide bipartisan support and additional sponsors, as well as support from companies like 21st Century Fox and Oracle. However, pro-internet groups like the Center For Democracy and Technology and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, powerful organizations well funded and with close ties to Google and similar minded Silicon Valley internet firms, are against this legislation. They are concerned that the removal of the Safe Harbor provision, as it relates to child sex trafficking, will set a precedent and open the door for further erosion of Safe Harbor provisions that could ultimately impact the organizations whose causes they are advancing. Background on the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act.

Huge thank you to the Association for Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) for a very informative panel discussion on these important matters, featuring Jonathan Taplin, Director Emeritus of the Annenberg Innovation Lab at USC Annenberg School for Communication, member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who also sits on the California Broadband Task Force. I highly recommend Mr. Taplin’s book “Move Fast and Break Things” How Facebook, Google, and Amazon cornered culture and under-mined democracy.

I’ll leave you with this epic performance from my beloved rockers, incredibly on point some 25 years ago, and always forward thinking…

“.. You can’t trust freedom when it’s not in your hands, when everybody’s fighting for the promised land.. I don’t need your civil war.  It feeds the rich, but it buries the poor..”

Guns N’ Roses “Civil War” Live Paris 1992

Enjoy!

1 Jonathan Taplin, “Move Fast and Break Things”

Feature Image Credit: Cynthia Drew with Rock&Roll soul sister Tammy Michaud on the GN’R stage Labor Day Weekend 2017, at The Gorge Amphitheater in the stunning Wenatchee Valley, just over the mountains from Seattle, Washington.

Read More
October 30, 2017 By Cynthia Drew In Music P&L, Rock&Roll, Technology /  

The Music Of Sound

‘.. Be sure that you have not reduced the filesize to the point where the audio has become mono – PRESERVE THE STEREO AUDIO..’ So read an important instruction I followed to the letter of the law, in the final assignment of my Music Supervision class at The Berklee College of Music. Professor Brad Hatfield, Emmy Award winning composer and creator of the Music Supervision program at Berklee demands excellence in the music of sound! I couldn’t agree more! Hence my recent purchase of Bose Soundtrue-ultra-in-ear-headphones-apple-devices. ‘..headphones designed so nothing will get between you and your music… At a retail cost of $129.95? Yes. Boes is in the music business. Apple is not. Where is this leading? The quest to find the best quality audio possible delivered at home and on a mobile device! MQA. Master Quality Authenticated. What is MQA? So glad you asked! Let me paint the canvas for you.

The very first 45 I bought was “That’s the Way I Like It” by KC and the Sunshine Band. Next came “Fly, Robin, Fly” by Silver Convention. These two hits traded the #1 and #2 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1975. My enduring love affair with all things music began with U.S. Top 40 Terrestrial Radio and Vinyl Singles. Every Friday I went to the Plaza Department store, eager to plunk down $1.04 for the latest chart topping single. I should note that since I moved to the land of music and sunshine this summer, I actually met a member of KC and the Sunshine Band, keyboardist Robert E. Lee! If you’re an “indy” recording artist, you must check out his unique operation at Creative Studios LA in the heart of North Hollywood’s famed Art District.

As my musical tastes continued to form in the 70’s and 80’s, I amassed a pretty extensive Vinyl collection from singles like The Bay City Roller’s “Saturday Night” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” to well over 200 albums. My very first Vinyl LP was Meatloaf’s “Bat Out Of Hell”. Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, and yes of course Guns N’ Roses followed. I would like to personally thank my parents who supported my Rock&Roll love affair by letting me join the Columbia record club, where you could purpose a gaggle of 10 albums or so for 1 cent, and commit to purchase x amount more over 3 years.   Who remembers that?

The quest to fill my world with epic musical masterpiece of course grew from there! I’ll never forget the day I convinced my mom to buy me my very first stereo console system, complete with equalizer and real speakers, where you actually had to plug in the speaker wires! It was like a right of passage and I felt invincible! In my first year of college I bought my very first full rack system made up of actual components! My heart rocketed to the moon and let me tell you there were many rockin’ parties on the 8th floor of Tower A at Hofstra University!

By the time I graduated from college in 1987, vinyl sales in the US had dropped by more than half since I had graduated from high school, and the world was introduced to the first digital audio format, the compact disc. By 1999, the industry soared to record high revenues on commanding sales of the compact disc, with a file format that consists of two channels, signed 16-bit Linear PCM (pulse code modulation) sampled at 44.1 kHz, basically setting in motion transformative change of the audio file format from analog to digital.

And so begins the debate on the music of sound! The Compact Disc Digital Audio format was developed by Sony and Phillips in the 1980’s and is the Red Book audio standard for encoding music on CD’s. While you can certainly argue that the CD is more durable than a vinyl phonograph record, there is endless debate as to the quality of sound between the two. From a technical aspect, it boils down to two things, how much space is available, and the level of noise discernible to the human ear. From a pure musical aspect, ask critically acclaimed and legendary guitarist Slash, who decidedly prefers analog tape to existing digital formats.  Check out this very up close look of the entire in-studio recording process of his 3rd solo album “World On Fire” with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. Slash Real to Reel  Drummer Brent Fitz tell us “…The most important thing for Slash and the rest of us is to capture a vibe that is almost a forgotten art form, which is recording to two inch analog tape… The music is what speaks the most….” Slash goes on to say, “It’s one of the few band oriented up and running Rock&Roll studios in town.”, referring to NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood where recording to two inch analog tape is still an option. Studio Barbarosa in Orlando, Florida is another.

To be fully transparent, while Brad Hatfield’s Music Supervision class has provided me a basic primer in music editing and audio file formats, I have no formal expertise in this area. What I do understand is that the maximum frequency at which humans can hear background noise is 20 kHz.  The experts at Sony and Phillips determined that the sampling frequency of the compact disc audio file must be greater than twice the maximum frequency. They arrived at 44.1 kHz.

Of course the recorded music industry was turned upside down and forever changed in 1999 when technology internet firm Napster arrived on the scene and introduced a peer to peer file sharing internet service that created a mechanism to exchange music in a new MP3 format that, among other things, accelerated the continued erosion of sound quality.  The MP3, designed by the Moving Picture Experts Group, and further developed for audio by several teams of engineers at The Centre for the Study of Television Broadcasting, Matsushita, Phillips, Sony, AT&T, Bell Labs, and others,  is a patented digital audio encoding format that uses a form of lossy data compression.  Basically this means that certain parts of the sound are compressed and the result is music that is not full quality audio. The compression is needed for the audio file to fit on a digital delivery medium, and the feeling was that most people will not notice the difference in sound quality. Additional formats have since been developed. iTunes downloads utilize the AAC format, generally regarded as higher quality than the MP3, yet still not considered full quality audio, also a compressed format. WAV and AIF formats have no compression, also referred to as lossless compression, and are considered full quality audio. ALAC and FLAC formats are also forms of lossless compression for storing digital audio, but they’re generally much smaller in file size than WAV and AIFF files, hence more practical for downloads and streaming.   They are considered “High Definition Audio” formats.

Fast forward to 2014 and newly patented digital audio technology MQA is about to revolutionize the music listening experience by delivering “better than full quality audio”! Bob Stuart, founder of Meridian Audio, launched MQA (Master Quality Authenticated), a revolutionary British born technology poised to change the way people enjoy music! From the same country that gave us the British Rock invasion in the 60’s and beyond, this breakthrough technology will reverse the trend, in which sound quality has been continually sacrificed for convenience. MQA allows listeners to experience every intricate detail the microphone heard, offering music fans the purest ever sound! In 2016, MQA recruited Warner Music Exec Mike Jbara to lead the newly spun off firm.

How does MQA work? MQA starts by capturing 100% of the musical performance. It then cleverly adapts to deliver the highest quality playback your product can support. After capturing the performance, MQA “folds” the audio file to make it small enough to stream. They call this “Music Origami” and it can be fully approved in the studio. Next comes the “unfold” process where the first level of “unfold” recovers all the direct music related information. Output is 88.2kHz or 96kHz. Products with a full MQA Decoder deliver three levels of “unfold” and the music listener is hearing exactly what the artist created in the studio. I’m told it’s incredible!

I can tell you with first hand experience, that MQA sound at the first level of “unfold” is amazing! Nugs.net, a firm dedicated to delivering the highest quality audio for live performances of many well known Artists, has partnered with MQA and currently offers Springsteen and Metallica concerts in full MQA format. I purchased a Hi-Res MQA Download of the 1/27/17 live performance of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band in Perth, Australia. Promise me you’ll do the same and listen to Bruce and his band perform the epic classic “Because The Night”, he co-wrote with the legendary Patti Smith. Even on a basic smartphone, at a default sample rate of 44.1kHz, it will blow you away! See how many instrumental stems you can hear! At the very least, ask me for a listen the next time you see me.  I can’t wait to see the expression on your face!  For the music production folks reading this, you can bring it a step further by loading the album into your DAW and adjust the sampling rate to 96kHz.  I used Amadeus Pro.

AudioBruce

MQA at its most primitive level will bring you to your knees. Please look at the Spectrum graph below.  The pink highlighted region represents additional musical sound and texture you will experience at a basic minimum MQA level of play. I can’t even imagine what it will be like at the full three levels of “unfold”! I won’t have to wait long. MQA has just partnered with LG to deliver the very first global MQA smartphone the LG V30!  

FrequencyBruce

And earlier in the year, MQA and Universal Music Group entered into a multi-year agreement to encode UMG’s extensive catalogue of master recordings in MQA’s industry leading technology! Imagine listening to some of the greatest Artists in the world, in the very best high definition audio format?   I’m hoping this will include all the labels under the Universal Music Group umbrella that include legends like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga, U2, Bob Marley and Guns N’ Roses, to name a few. Incredible! I’ll bet the GN’R guys would approve!  MQA and UMG collaboration.

Speaking of epic musical masterpiece, I’ll leave you with this live fan favorite from the opening night of the U.S. leg of the 2017 Not In This Lifetime Tour. Extraordinary musical genius absolutely committed to the very best in audio fidelity! How many instrumental stems can you hear? Perhaps the lovely thoughtful teams at MQA, Nugs.net, and Guns N’ Roses will provide us the opportunity to experience this in ultimate exquisite sound form, as it should be.  Check out the big screen on the left side of the stage, you might recognize someone you know at 9:19 and 9:46. Enjoy!

Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door Live St. Louis 7/27/17

Feature image credit:  Thank you to one of the awesome fans from the “GnFnR Fanspot #NotInThisLifeTime fan group for sending me this incredible photo, taken at extraordinary timing from the other side of the PIT; and to Margott Hinostroza for creating this wonderful worldwide network of GN’R fans!

 

Read More
October 9, 2017 By Cynthia Drew In Rock&Roll, Technology /  

Google and the Internet of Things

Continuing in my series on mobile and internet technology, this month I take a look at Google, the internet and technology juggernaut that generated $75 billion in gross revenue and $16.3 billion in net income in 2015. Net profit margin was 22% and the effective tax rate was 17%. The stock closed 2016 at $793.02 with a market capitalization of $554 billion. Google takes pride in not being a conventional company. Their innovations in search and advertising have made their brand one of the most recognized in the world. Their core products, including Search, YouTube, the Android mobile operating system, the Google Play app store, Maps, the Chrome internet browser, and Gmail each have over one billion monthly active users. Google believes they are just beginning to scratch the surface. In 2015 they created a new public holding company named Alphabet, a collection of businesses, the largest of which is Google, as well as new businesses Verily, Calico, X, Nest, GV, Google Capital, and Access/Google Fiber.

 google-pl

Focusing on 2015 Google Websites revenue of $52.4 billion, at 70.2% of total segment revenue, up from 67.4% in 2013, the firm’s SEC filings describe this segment as advertising revenue on Search, Google Play, YouTube, Gmail, Finance, and Maps. While Google does not publicly report earnings by product line, Search, YouTube, the Android mobile operating system, including the Google Play app store, are the key product lines in this segment. For 2015, researching multiple sources of earnings estimates, including these two by eMarketer and Forbes, I estimate the breakout to be:

google-websites-new

 

I should note that there is considerable debate about how much Android contributes to Google’s bottom line, with annual revenue estimates ranging from $300-$500 million to $1 billion, to as much as $31 billion, as recently claimed by Oracle in their lawsuit against Google.  Oracle is suing Google for copyright infringement, for using its Java software to develop Android, without paying for it. Five years of litigation continues following a January 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling where Google lost in their effort to derail the case. Any settlement figure would be a function of this estimate, where it may be appropriate to include “Search” ad revenue. We’ll leave that decision to the copyright finance valuation team assigned to the case.

In the Search space, competition is fierce. Competitor Microsoft’s Bing market share continues to increase, at 22.3 percent in October 2016, compared to Yahoo at 11.7 percent, with Google still leading the pack at 63.6 percent. Considering that Bing was first introduced in May 2009, and that it also largely powers Yahoo Search, Microsoft is certainly gaining ground. Bing finally catching up to Google. U.S. Search Engine market share.

The biggest advantage Bing has over Google right now is their paid advertising platform. Bing is closing the gap by offering more niche advertising, and at lower prices. New functionality in the Ad Preview and Diagnostics tool is starting to turn Bing Ads into a major player in the paid search advertising world. It’s likely that more marketers will start using Bing Ads as an online advertising platform for budgetary reasons alone. If combined with more design, functionality, and visibility changes, Bing could start closing that gap between them and Google faster than ever before. Another increasing threat is in Europe where the European Commission has instituted new personal privacy provisions. Further, many European countries have launched legislative attacks on Google’s ambiguous privacy policy. This presents a significant opportunity for Bing to rise up and force Google out of Europe.

In the smartphone space, Google’s Android operating system is the hands down leader at 86.2% market share, compared to Apple’s iOS at 12.9%, according to the latest Gartner research.  Android, which was launched in 2008, makes money for Google in two ways, advertisements supplied by Google shown on Android phones, and revenue Google takes from its mobile app store, Google Play, which some technology analysts predict will soon overtake the Apple app store. Google Play to overtake Apple App store.

Also, in 2013, Starbucks dropped AT&T to partner with Google to provide an improved WIFI experience to their customers. Google will also work with Starbucks at developing the next iteration of the Starbucks Digital Network to provide increased content. Interestingly, I should note that following a recent flurry of iOS 9.3 updates, the functioning of my Apple iPhone 6 has declined dramatically when connected to Starbucks WiFi. Starbucks Google partnership.

The final point of analysis, and of course near and dear to my heart, is the subject of music video and Google’s YouTube, which was estimated to gross $5.6 billion in revenue, and net $1.6 billion or 28.6% margin to Google’s bottom line in 2013. Advertising Age on Google’s YouTube.  In the U.S. they were expected to net $1.08 billion, just 6.3% of all of Google’s net U.S. ad revenues for the year, but 20.5% of the $4.15 billion U.S. online video ad market.  Forbes contributor Tim Worstall on Google’s YouTube.  We can only rely on estimates as I noted earlier, in that Google does not publicly disclose financial results by product line. My 2015 gross revenue estimate for YouTube is $7.5 billion.

The P&L success of the YouTube advertising revenue model finds its roots in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998, the most important amendment to the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976; legislation enacted before user generated content sites like YouTube even existed, and clearly long before the significant transformation in digital technology we enjoy today. Google’s YouTube takes full advantage of the DMCA “Safe Harbor” provision that provides full protection from infringement liability for content flowing through their lines. To qualify, Google must meet certain guidelines, including promptly blocking access to newly discovered infringing material, and terminating repeat infringers. However, the responsibility for surveillance and enforcement lies with the Musical Artist, not with Google. Once a user uploads a video from a concert for example, probably without a license from the Artist, a global marketplace with at least five billion active users monthly, is instantly able to access this creative work for free. While Google’s YouTube is clearly not the only source of music piracy, the sheer global volume of the user base and ease of access to musical content, certainly makes it a major player. In the U.S., music piracy is a serious problem and results in the loss of $12.5 billion in total output annually, another $2.5 billion to downstream industries, the loss of 71,000 jobs, and $422 million less in U.S. tax revenue. The RIAA on the true cost of music piracy.

Further, Google’s YouTube is permitted to operate under an advertising revenue model, markedly different from a royalty based revenue model that has long been the standard in the recorded music industry. Musical Artists are in the fight of their lives! Multiple advocacy groups, including The Grammy Creators Alliance, The Future of Music Coalition, and the Berklee College of Music’s Rethink Music Initiative to name a few, are waging in earnest, a campaign for U.S. Copyright reform that reflects today’s music delivery system, that will protect Artists’ compensation, and that will ensure an enduring legacy of creative expression for years to come.

Looking abroad, in September 2016 the European Commission proposed modernizing copyright rules to help European culture flourish. The EU has adopted the Digital Single Market Strategy to offer better choice and access to content online and across borders, and to promote a fairer and sustainable marketplace for the creative industry. EU Press Release.

The winds are shifting and the message is becoming more clear. As the global recorded music industry is gaining legislative ground, particularly in the EU, and as consumer and music industry awareness and activism are on the rise, and as the Google YouTube development team has begun to respond with technology advances like Audible Magic and ContentID, expect to see transformative change in digital copyright law and protections, that will ultimately put some pressure on the YouTube profit model. Further, here is an interesting point if you’re really paying attention.  Today’s technology graduates are more interested in the altruistic goals that silicon valley offers, like working on products that will change the world, as opposed to Wall Street, where attractive compensation packages apparently don’t carry the same level of gravitas. Talent wars: Silicon Valley vs. Wall Street. Then perhaps it’s not a stretch to say that these young grads will not want to play a role in the continuing erosion of the Artist P&L and musical creativity in our society.

Let me leave you with this thought. What value does music create in your life? Think about that first piano recital where your daughter was so excited to play Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”; or that hard fought comeback to competitive gymnastics performing the floor routine of your life to Bill Conti’s “Theme From Rocky”; or the incredible emotion flowing at the debut reunion performance, twenty three years in the making, of a legendary and iconic Rock & Roll band! What about the pure joy and hope you feel when your very special and brilliant 55 year old brother writes his first set of lyrics to the “Twelve Days of Christmas” and then sings them to his girlfriend! Yes! “…take me down to the Paradise City.. yeah yeahah!” For those of us who cannot possibly imagine a world without music to fill our souls, with pure unbridled emotion and purpose that inspires us every day, our message is simple. We’re on it and we’re in it for the Artist! Count on it.

 “Ten years ago they sent a machine from the future, “You Could Be Mine”

 

Read More
January 3, 2017 By Cynthia Drew In Music P&L, Rock&Roll, Technology /  

#NotInThisLifetime

If you had asked me this time a year ago, if Guns N’ Roses would ever get back together, I would have answered, “Not in this lifetime.” Perhaps I should have been playing closer attention. There were definite signs, but I just didn’t believe it. In a Renaissance period of my life, fueled by my passion for epic Rock&Roll, I am simply grateful they made this choice and I had the opportunity to immerse myself in all of it! Following the memorable debut Arena performance Friday night April 8, 2016 at Las Vegas’ brand new T Mobile Arena,  Masterpiece Guns N’ Roses historic reunion. my insatiable appetite for this band, no pun intended, demanded two more performances at hometown New York City area 82,500 seat capacity Met Life Stadium on July 23rd and 24th, and finally on August 12th to the magnificent city of Seattle, Washington, nestled between a thriving sea port and the majestic domes of Mount Rainier, a metropolis steeped in rich music history, and the hometown of GN’R Bass Player Duff McKagan. I have never attended more than one live concert event in one single tour, not even for the Stones, Led Zeppelin, or Aerosmith. Perhaps the twenty year void of the iconic live trio ensemble of Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan tugged at my heart strings. Perhaps the opportunity to experience the only true Rock&Roll band of my generation tugged even greater. Yes that sounds right. What about the fans? WOW! I have never seen such devotion from a fan base that spans continents. The final hook was the ensemble of new and old with the very athletic and masterful Rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus, the very cool and accessible Frank Ferrer, whose mastery of the drum kit keeps this band in precision timing, and the creative and melodic sound rising from the keyboards with long time member Dizzy Reed and GN’R’s newest member, the brilliantly coiffed Melissa Reese. As a pianist myself, inspired recently to make a new keyboard purchase, I love that this classic Rock&Roll band has evolved and strengthened the mastery of the musical experience beyond the beloved and traditional electric guitar.

Take me down to the Paradise City, where the grass is green and the rockers are gritty! In my Smartphone Blog post this month, I wrap up with a mesmerizing performance of Civil War, that opens with a young and very athletic Axl Rose adorned in a patriotic leather jacket with the words “REBEL” on the back. I am very purposeful in every media choice I make for my Blogs. Very athletic still at 54 years of age, young at heart, passionate, and completely on top of his game, Axl Rose personifies the Rock&Roll rebel heart that brings legions of fans around the world to blockbuster stadium performances, standing for hours in the pit, waving and swaying to the music .. “yeah yeauh “.

Slash, our beloved and very humble Top Hatted Rocker, face buried by a mass of gorgeous rocker curls, whose message to the world doesn’t come from his lips or face, but rather from epic Rock&Roll riffs that send fan emotions into the stratosphere, is simply the greatest guitar player ever to grace a musical stage!

Bass Player Duff McKagan’s first encounter with his friend Slash, took place at Canter’s Deli on North Fairfax in Los Angeles in 1983. A 19 year old Duff had just moved from Seattle and answered an ad Slash had placed looking for a bass player.   The conversation logically flowed for more than two hours, simply talking about music. Ultimately they would go on to form the original lineup of Guns N’ Roses in 1985, then releasing their epic debut album Appetite for Destruction in 1987. In Seattle, Duff had been playing with bands since he was 14 years old. A versatile rocker who also played lead guitar and drums, he finally settled in with the Bass. In recent years, he has fronted as lead singer for the various projects he has led since the breakup of the original GN’R lineup. In this tour, he performed lead vocals duty with a gritty rendition of “New Rose”. Also a songwriter, the band opened this tour with “It’s So Easy” GN’R’s first single release from “Appetite For Destruction” in June 1987 in the UK, written by Duff and Wes Arkeen.

So of course, the July 23rd and 24th NYC area performances couldn’t come soon enough, following the April 8th performance in Vegas. A Kick A** Rock&Roll weekend start to finish, with my longtime best friend since the 8th grade, the brilliant Robyn Bryson and her boyfriend Ron, the very cool David Paul, an innovative educator in the New York City school system, who hails from southern California, and a lovely new group of devoted GN’R fan friends Monni, Joe, Nevy, Joseph, Nir, Nick, and Margott. We kicked things off with a tailgate party in the parking lot before heading inside. This would be my first experience of an athletic and mobile Axl Rose since his seated and “throned” performance in Vegas, with his foot healed and free of the huge plaster cast! Live Nation delivered a terrific and well organized “Paradise City VIP” experience and my beloved rockers reinforced their commitment to their craft, this long awaited reunion tour, and their devoted followers. A very fit and athletic Lenny Kravitz opened the night and we never looked back!  A month into their U.S. stadium tour, all the worry was gone, and we were all back in the groove of epic Rock&Roll masterpiece by this band of ferocious and legendary Rock talent!

Axl Rose and Duff McKagan Met Life Stadium July 23, 2016 photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Axl Rose and Duff McKagan Met Life Stadium July 23, 2016 photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Axl Rose July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Axl Rose July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Slash July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo Taken by Cynthia Drew

Slash July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo Taken by Cynthia Drew

Duff McKagan July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Duff McKagan July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Lenny Kravitz July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Lenny Kravitz July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

In August 2015, I traveled to Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market for a very unique concert experience and musical fundraiser. Seattle’s public radio station KEXP had managed to raise a whopping $12 million to build new studios at the Seattle Center, studios specifically designed to elevate the musical fan experience with live participation. WOW! I am so impressed by that. They held a free outdoor concert “Raw Power” on the roof, on a gorgeous summer evening overlooking the harbor, in a musical tribute to Iggy Pop, with four legendary Seattle rockers. Yes you guessed it, Duff McKagan on Bass, his “Walking Papers” band member Barrett Martin on Drums, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready on the electric guitar, and singer Mark Arm from Mudhoney. Following the free concert, there was a VIP after party with these iconic rockers, KEXP management, and some influential local businessmen and women at top floor restaurant Matt’s In The Market. They ultimately reached their goal of $15 million and I am so proud to have played a small role in that. In keeping with the tradition of cool fan engagement this band promotes, I met a new Rock&Roll soul sister Jenn Iverson who, a year later, invited me to her lovely home on Lake Washington she shares with her husband Evan and their precious 3 year old daughter Edie, for the Guns N’ Roses August 12, 2016 Friday night performance at the 69,000 capacity Century Link Field. Life is an adventure and I plan to make the most of it! We began this adventure Thursday night at the iconic grunge bar “Linda’s Tavern”, the public place where Kurt Cobain was last seen alive, with yet another GN’R fan group pre party that brought in fans from across the U.S., Canada, and South America. The day of the concert, I decided to stroll around the Lake and amazingly I believe I caught a glimpse of Duff McKagan whizzing by on his bicycle in the early afternoon. An avid bicyclist, I’m guessing he was thrilled to be back at his hometown Lake home following two months of being on the road. Did I mention eldest daughter Grace, 19 years old in her sophomore year at Seattle U, and very talented lead singer of the Pink Slips, was set to open the night, along with Alice In Chains. Yes an unforgettable night steeped in rich Seattle music history!

Jill, Cynthia, Evan, and Jenn August 12, 2016 Century Link Field Seattle, Washington

Jill, Cynthia, Evan, and Jenn August 12, 2016 Century Link Field Seattle, Washington

My GN’R 2016 adventure continued with a terrific set by The Dead Daisies on September 8th at Webster Hall with appearances by Rhythm Guitarist Richard Fortus and Drummer Frank Ferrer. Both mingled in the club briefly following their performances, graciously giving their devoted fans exclusive access to rock royalty!  I even met a couple from the south of France, who were doing an Air BNB in Tribeca and who graciously took this lovely photo of me with Frank Ferrer. Yes the FB fan group #GnFnR Fanspot #NotInThisLifetime group is continually growing!

 

Richard Fortus Webster Hall September 8, 2016 Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Richard Fortus Webster Hall September 8, 2016 Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Frank Ferrer Webster Hall September 8, 2016 Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Frank Ferrer Webster Hall September 8, 2016 Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Frank Ferrer & Cynthia Drew Webster Hall September 8, 2016

Frank Ferrer & Cynthia Drew Webster Hall September 8, 2016

The pace continued with a scintillating performance Wednesday September 14, 2016 at Madison Square Garden! Our beloved Axl Rose, in commanding high power lead vocal force, substituted for an ill Brian Johnson with legendary Rock&Roll band ACDC! Founder and lead guitarist Angus Young, not a young man at 61, delivered an incredibly physical and impressive performance on the electric guitar! Yes another new GN’R Rock&Roll sister Tammy Michaud from Los Angeles, who I met in June at Slash’s Conjuring 2 movie screening, flew out for the event and we had a terrific time! The concert was book ended by fan before and after parties with good friends Tammy, Monni, Nir, Joseph, and Avi.

Angus Young AC/DC Madison Square Garden September 14, 2016 Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Angus Young AC/DC Madison Square Garden September 14, 2016 Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Axl Rose lead singer with AC/DC September 14, 2016 at Madison Square Garden Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Axl Rose lead singer with AC/DC September 14, 2016 at Madison Square Garden Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

I would be remiss if I did not mention the terrific surprise guest Drum performances by original GN’R drummer Steven Adler. I’m sorry that I missed them and understand it was much appreciated by the fans. I see Steven Adler’s tremendous enthusiasm for this reunion tour and I hope his recovery from back surgery continues in good fashion. Please know that I have equal appreciation for Frank Ferrer and would love for both of them to perform together. Why not? GN’R is a clear driving force in Rock&Roll trend! Where does it say you can’t have two drummers? Like many, I did miss seeing Izzy Stradlin on the Rhythm Guitar and am hopeful that each member of the original lineup can reach a happy accord.  Again, like Adler and Ferrer, I hold the same feelings on Stradlin and Fortus.

Sadly I have to wrap up, but I am joyful to end on a very poignant and emotional note. After a record 23 years of not speaking with each other, following a roughly 10 year span of extraordinary Rock&Roll brotherhood that created some of this genre’s greatest classics, I was delighted to see this tweet this morning, with Slash and girlfriend Meegan Hodges in attendance Tuesday night September 20 at AC/DC’s final 2016 tour performance at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, cheering on his legendary rocker brother Axl Rose.   Yes this is how it should be! Thank you Axl, Slash, Duff, Richard, Dizzy, Frank, and Melissa for re-energizing a global Rock&Roll audience and delivering some of the best damn music in the history of modern music!

Will sign off with this epic classic … Nothing lasts forever, even cold November Rain.  Official November Rain Video

Cynthia Front Row July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium

Cynthia Front Row July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium

Cynthia, Robyn, and Ron In the Paradise City VIP Lounge July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium

Cynthia, Robyn, and Ron in the Paradise City VIP Lounge July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium

Slash July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Slash July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Slash July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Slash July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Axl on the Piano November Rain July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Axl on the Piano November Rain July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Epic November Rain finale July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium

Epic November Rain finale July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Axl Rose Seattle August 12, 2016

Axl Rose Century Link Field Seattle, Washington August 12, 2016 Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Axl Rose July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Axl Rose July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Axl Rose July 23, 2016 met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Axl Rose July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Duff McKagan July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Duff McKagan July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Duff McKagan July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Duff McKagan July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Melissa Reese July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Melissa Reese July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Richard Fortus July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Richard Fortus July 23, 2016 Met Life Stadium Photo taken by Cynthia Drew

Read More
September 21, 2016 By Cynthia Drew In Rock&Roll /   1 Comment

Sebastian Bach and Santa Cruz Rock B.B. King’s Blues Club!

My 2016 Rock&Roll calendar marches on in grand fashion, most recently at Live Nation’s iconic Time Square B.B. King’s Blues Club Wednesday, May 18, 2016. It was yet another epic night of classic Rock&Roll with the incredibly talented Sebastian Bach of Skid Row fame, and an emerging and very talented young Rock band from Helsinki, Finland called Santa Cruz. And it was my first “official” VIP experience listening to a sound check. Performing live and delivering a masterful technical experience is no small feat. You can have all the talent in the world, but at the end of the day, the production elements have to be first rate when it matters most. The sound check must be a stressful situation that requires very coordinated concentration, under clear time pressure. To open that up to a small group of adoring, yet unpredictable fans, is very generous and I really appreciated that! Bobby Jarzombek kicked things off on Drums, followed by Brent Woods on Guitar and Rob De Luca on Bass. We may not know the names of Sebastian’s band so well, but I can tell you that these are very talented veteran musicians! And they’re nice guys. I had a brief interaction with them at the Meet and Greet following the performance.

Sebastian Bach May 18, 2016 at B.B. King's Blues Club

Sebastian Bach May 18, 2016 at B.B. King’s Blues Club

As Sebastian’s band was warming up, the band members from Santa Cruz were milling about before their turn on stage. It was a nice experience for the VIP fans to get a relaxed informal look at a promising young band that could very well achieve Rock&Roll superstardom some day. They seemed to be very focused on the business at hand, ahead of their performance on this big New York stage. Due to the usual time conflicts that arise around live performance, the sound check started late, which of course applied time pressure on these young musicians, yet they seemed to handle it just fine. They actually did most of their warm up as ticketholders starting filling up the club.

Santa Cruz finished their warm up and the club soon hit “sold out” capacity. This New York crowd was pumped and ready for a legendary Rock&Roll evening! The lights dimmed and the young Finnish rockers returned to the stage to great audience applause! Of Scandinavian ancestry on my father’s side of the family, I love that this young band’s talent, hard work, and perseverance has brought them to this iconic New York stage so early in their career! Of course this is my first time seeing them perform, but this is actually their third time performing in New York, as I understand it. Several points stand out. First, every band member sings. Lead Singer Archie Cruz (born Arttu Kuosmanen) has a powerful voice with great range, particularly appealing with his Finnish accent, also with tremendous confidence and charisma on stage. Lead Guitar player Johnny Cruz (Joonas Parkkonen), Bass player Middy Cruz (Mitja Toivonen), and Drummer Tazzy Cruz (Tapani Fagerstrom) all sing Back Up Vocals, that add a very powerful harmonic blend to the sound! Further, they are all very technically proficient musicians on their respective instruments. Lead Singer Archie Cruz is also very strong on guitar, in addition to vocals. This band is extremely talented musically! Of course they have the look all the ladies love, with thick blonde hair flowing down their shoulders. They’re also very athletic on stage, with hair and body moving succinctly to the musical beat. To round out the talent picture, they have great songwriting ability, including their newest hit single “Skydiving Without A Parachute”  that they debuted that evening; what a treat for this connoisseur Rock&Roll New York audience! I’ve already downloaded it to my iPhone and highly recommend you do the same. It was a big night for these young talented rockers from Helsinki, Finland and I look forward to the next time Santa Cruz returns to the New York stage! Of course, it was great for this to happen warming up for one of their idols, Sebastian Bach, who is such a great guy, always very enthusiastic and supportive of the talent around him. It’s a great energy!

Archie Cruz Lead Singer Santa Cruz May 18, 2016 at B.B. King's House of Blues

Archie Cruz Lead Singer Santa Cruz May 18, 2016 at B.B. King’s House of Blues

Middy Cruz Bass Player Santa Cruz March 18, 2016 at B.B. King's House of Blues

Middy Cruz Bass Player Santa Cruz March 18, 2016 at B.B. King’s House of Blues

Johnny Cruz Guitar Santa Cruz May 18, 2016 at B.B. King's House of Blues

Johnny Cruz Guitar Santa Cruz May 18, 2016 at B.B. King’s House of Blues

Sebastian Bach and his band took the stage shortly before 10PM to a packed and completely engaged B.B. King’s Blues Club audience! They actually did something quite unique, in that they first performed an acoustic set, which was then followed by a full electric show. Sebastian did not participate in the early sound check as “..the vocal experience at show time is always different!..” he explained. Makes complete sense! The acoustic set was Sebastian’s method to vocal sound check. Of course, the VIP ticketholders knew this ahead of time but certainly appreciated Sebastian’s authenticity in explaining the rationale. This is the first point that stands out about Sebastian, who has an extraordinary level of integrity in engagement with his audience. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. Moreover, he has an incredible energy and presence on stage! At 48, his voice is still mighty and powerful, and he is extremely fit and athletic for a guy who stands well over 6 feet tall with a very large frame! He was clapping arms over head, jumping up and down, and moving with incredible agility and tight synchronization to the beat. It was really impressive! It’s one thing to perform like that in your 20’s, even in your 30’s as he did on Broadway in Jekyll & Hyde and Jesus Christ Superstar, but in your late 40’s, and particularly with an aggressive live performance schedule with multiple consecutive evening performances, wow! Sebastian Bach and his band knocked it out of the park!

Sebastian exudes great energy and strikes you as one of the happiest guys around! He came out smiling and joking about a seat that David Grohl made for him, of course in tribute to his great friend Axl Rose and our legendary Guns N’ Roses band. He made reference to GNR several times during his performance, clearly with great respect and deference to this iconic band, who brought Sebastian up on stage April 9 in Vegas to sing “My Michelle”; very cool indeed!

Sebastian Bach May 18, 2016 at B.B. King's House of Blues

Sebastian Bach May 18, 2016 at B.B. King’s House of Blues

Sebastian and his band opened the acoustic set with a Jimmy Hendrix cover, “The Little Wing” before moving into their first Skid Row cover “Breakin’ Down”. Then they launched into a more recent solo hit “Battle With The Bottle” released September 30, 2008. Other than an “April Wine” and “PainmuseuM” cover, the rest of the night was devoted to the veteran fans who came to hear the iconic front man perform his stuff from the legendary Skid Row days. One guy in the audience shouted out that Skid Row was not Skid Row without Sebastian Bach. With complete Rock&Roll cool and humility, our very professional and consummate performer joked that “..clearly that wasn’t the case…” It was yet another poignant connection between this legendary singer and his adoring fan base. And if that wasn’t enough, Skid Row Drummer Rob Affuso, who was sitting at a nearby table, came up on stage to perform “Rattlesnake Shake” with his good buddy, 2/5th’s of a Skid Row reunion, and more jokes about complex math. Sebastian has a great sense of humor, which would explain his long run on the hit TV series “Gilmore Girls”.  It was great fun all around!

To wrap up the main set, Sebastian brought Santa Cruz back out on stage to perform “Youth Gone Wild” and to promote this young emerging band. Sebastian is forever a cheerleader and it was great to see these very talented, hard working rockers from different generations tear it up together!

For the encore, perhaps also in tribute to his buddy Axl Rose, currently helping out and performing with AC/DC, Sebastian and his band closed this incredible night with AC/DC cover “T.N.T.”! Well done guys! The fans definitely had a “Dynomite” night! Too bad House Speaker Paul Ryan wasn’t in the house. I’ll bet he would have enjoyed this.

A terrific Rock&Roll performance and we still had the Meet and Greet ahead! Sebastian was great, taking his time with each of us. I told him that I was sorry I missed his “My Michelle” performance April 9 in Vegas with Guns N’ Roses, as I only attended the debut April 8 performance, but thrilled that I could see him here in my hometown of New York. Sebastian revealed that the “My Michelle” performance “… caught me completely off guard. I didn’t even know that would happen. Axl texted me about 10PM, My Michelle. Be ready.” Wow! I love it!

If you want to learn more about this amazing performer, Sebastian Bach is set to release his first memoir this year. This read promises to be gripping and entertaining as it reveals the incredible highs and lows of his extraordinary talent and personal journey of Rock&Roll fame! Pre order here.

Thanks for coming to New York Sebastian, we hope to see you again soon!

Brent Woods Lead Guitar Sebastian Bach Band May 18, 2016 at B.B. King's House of Blues, with Sebastian's wife and son in the background

Brent Woods Lead Guitar Sebastian Bach Band May 18, 2016 at B.B. King’s House of Blues, with Sebastian’s wife and son in the background

Rob De Luca Bass Player Sebastian Bach Band May 18, 2016 at B.B. King's House of Blues

Rob De Luca Bass Player Sebastian Bach Band May 18, 2016 at B.B. King’s House of Blues

Cynthia and Bass Player Middy Cruz May 18, 2016 at B.B. King's House of Blues

Cynthia and Bass Player Middy Cruz May 18, 2016 at B.B. King’s House of Blues

Cynthia and Lead Singer Archie Cruz May 18, 2016 at B.B. King's House of Blues

Cynthia and Lead Singer Archie Cruz May 18, 2016 at B.B. King’s House of Blues

Cynthia and Drummer Tazzy Cruz May 18, 2016 at B.B. King's House of Blues

Cynthia and Drummer Tazzy Cruz May 18, 2016 at B.B. King’s House of Blues

Sebastian Bach Setlist May 18, 2016 at B.B. King's House of Blues

Sebastian Bach Setlist May 18, 2016 at B.B. King’s House of Blues

Read More
June 2, 2016 By Cynthia Drew In Rock&Roll /  1