Jason DeBord's Rock Subculture Journal

Steve Miller Band & Peter Frampton at Ironstone Amphitheatre | Murphys, California | 8/13/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“This is the 34th city on this tour.  And I woke up this morning with the cold from hell.  I made it through thirty three and a half days.  But however we do have a really great treat in store for you…  let’s get together and welcome Mr. Peter Frampton to the stage.  We’ve been having a really great Summer playing lots of different American blues tunes and we’re going to do three of them for you.  This very first one we do you already know, it’s called  “Mercury Blues” by K.C. Douglas”.  Steve Miller of Steve Miller Band on stage with co-headliner Peter Frampton playing to a sold out crowd at Ironstone Amphitheatre on Sunday night, bringing their popular tour to an end.  Both artists have made visits to Murphys in recent years, but it was nice to enjoy them on the same stage.  The crowd went wild for their performances both together and apart, as they had fans up on their feet much of the night. [Read more…]

Matchbox Twenty & Counting Crows at Ironstone Amphitheatre | Murphys, California | 7/24/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“And now here we are…  What are we going to do with this night, that’s the question right?  It’s up to us, and it’s up to you guys… what are we going to do with this night?  It’s a Monday night…  I propose that we had a Monday last week, and we’ll have a Monday next week…  but this is our Monday tonight.  And if we don’t make the most out of it, we’re just wrong.  So the only question I have is, who’s with us?  Front to back, side to side, who’s with us?  Alright, let’s do this…”  Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, bonding with the massive crowd at Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards.  Touring alongside Counting Crows on their “A Brief History of Everything Tour”, it’s all about giving the fans what they wanted, and it would seem that they delivered. [Read more…]

Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie at Ironstone Amphitheatre | Murphys, California | 7/21/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“That was a beautiful and circular moment…” Lindsey Buckingham talking about Christine McVie coming back to the world of Fleetwood Mac in 2014 – after a 15 break from the band – and then the two of them working on a new album together.  That album, Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie, was released to much acclaim last month.  Now touring together as a duo and playing a fairly even mix of old and new, the pair put on an amazing performance at Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards on Friday night.  Of all of the dozens of shows I’ve personally seen at the venue, this one might be my all-time favorite.

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Jason Mraz & His Superband at Ironstone Amphitheatre | Murphys, California | 6/25/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“Every little thing, is gonna be alright…  We’re just gonna do this for fifteen minutes!”  Jason Mraz & His Superband closing out the first of two sets, channeling a bit of Bob Marley.  Which seemed quite appropriate, given his fun and optimistic “an evening with…” style show at Ironstone Amphitheatre on Sunday night, marking his only Northern California show on this tour.  Early in the first set, he advised the audience, “you are permitted to sing… you are invited to sing… you are practically obliged to sing…”  The audience accepted this challenge and most were up on their feet dancing and singing throughout the night.  Mraz certainly has a distinct outlook on life that he carries with him and that is contagious with his fans (who span all ages, gender, and culture), and I’d have to say it was certainly the most joyful show I’d seen out of dozens at this beautiful venue, and that’s saying a lot.

 

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The Moody Blues at Ironstone Amphitheatre | Murphys, California | 6/18/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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Fans of The Moody Blues got to experience the band like never before on Sunday night at Ironstone Amphitheatre.  Featuring “an evening with…” style concert presentation, The Moody Blues played two full sets in front of the massive crowd in attendance, the first with various hits from their career and the second presenting a track by track playing of every songs from their groundbreaking album, Days of Future Passed, which celebrates it’s 50th anniversary this year.  They looked and sounded great, and there was a lot of magic in the air as they recreated this landmark album live on stage.

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John Mellencamp at Ironstone Amphitheatre | Murphys, California | 6/17/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“Now this next song, I must have been about 25 when I wrote this song…  I don’t even know why I play it anymore other than I know you guys want to hear it, right?”  John Melloncamp on stage at Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironston Vineyards Saturday night, talking about writing his hit song from the 80s, “Jack and Diane”.  The venue was packed with fans turning out to see their blue collar hero from decades past, though it is a strange kind of incongruity with what inspires the fans still today seems to be more of a thorn in the side of the man who captured their imagination with these songs for which he does not seemingly share the same sentiment himself today.  Regardless, he delivered an impressive set and supporting artists Carlene Carter and Emmylou Harris did the same.

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Boston with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts at Ironstone Amphitheatre | Murphys, California | 6/10/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“Let’s see some hands!” Tommy DeCarlo, vocalist from Boston, getting the massive crowd at Ironstone Amphitheatre in Murphys reaching up to the sky during “Cool The Engines”.  Essentially a double-header with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts performing earlier, it was a stellar night of classic rock spanning the last four or five decades.  The two artists were a great choice to pair up, in that they had great crossover in fans but were also a showcase in contrasting styles and approaches to bringing their music to life on stage.  Joan Jett & The Blackhearts were stripped down to just the instruments they needed to recreate their raw punk rock style as the sun set into the horizon behind the crowd while Boston had a fantastic spaceship themed backdrop across massive monitors that seemed to fuel their hard and progressive rock sounds.  Early on in Richter Entertainment’s Summer Concert Series, this show set a bar for high energy and pure rock and roll for all the artists to follow.

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Jason DeBord’s Top 100 Concert Photos of the Year: The Rock Subculture Journal 2016 Year In Review

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This is the first of my 2016 “Year In Review” articles. As with my articles in 2012, 2013, and 2014 and 2015, I reviewed a sampling of my concert photos from 2016 and compiled some of my favorites and stopped when I hit 100 photos in total. Please also check out my companion 2016 Year in Review article, which covers my Top 5 Albums, Top 50 Songs, Top 10 Concerts and more. [Read more…]

Grouplove at Fox Theater | Oakland, California | 10/6/2016 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“Oakland, San Francisco, how the hell you doing tonight? We played here almost six years ago opening up for somebody… Who here was there? Was anybody there at the show? I’m just sayin’, I do see a lot of people who have been with us all six years, and for all of you who have come to all these shows, all these years, thank you so much!” Andrew Wessen, guitarist of Grouplove, a band who always has their gratitude and appreciation on display. They played a scorcher at a packed Fox Theater on Friday night, supporting their third studio album, Big Mess. Just one date into their new U.S. tour running through the end of the year (followed by dates in Australia), they sounded and performed better than ever. One of my favorite live acts, they put on a high energy show that had the crowd bouncing throughout, embracing the excellent new songs as much as the favorites. Definitely a must see tour. The latest album, produced by Captain Cuts (Grouplove’s Ryan Rabin) and Phil Ek is characterized by their signature sound and style, and may be their best yet. With their “Big Mess World Tour”, one dollar for every ticket sold will be donated to the organization charity: water to help fund water projects like drilled wells, spring protections, and BioSand filters that help provide clean water to communities around the world. [Read more…]

ZZ Top at Ironstone Amphitheatre | Murphy’s, California | 9/30/2016 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“We been coming around here with you guys… well, hell, we’ve been coming around with you all for over four decades.  Same three guys right here…  Same three chords right here…”  Billy Gibbons, guitarist and vocalist of ZZ Top, sharing the stage with co-vocalist and bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard.  What can you say about a band that’s had the same line-up forever (since 1969!).  Really unheard of in the music industry.  In any event, having covered the Summer Concert Series by Richter Entertainment Group at Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards over the past several months, ZZ Top turned out a huge crowd that had a unique character all its own.  With Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band heating things up at the start of the evening, ZZ Top closed it out with both bands showcasing incredible work on guitar being the star of the show.

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