Jason DeBord's Rock Subculture Journal

Rewind Fest ’17 Presents Lost 80’s Live at Thunder Valley Outdoor Amphitheater | Lincoln, California | 9/3/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“Cheers everybody!  Good health and be well!  Thank you for being lost with us!” Tony Hadley, formerly of Spandau Ballet, in his headlining performance at Rewind Fest ’17’s Lost 80’s Live concert at Thunder Valley Outdoor Amphitheater on Sunday night.  Filling out the line-up was Wang Chung, Berlin, Missing Persons, Cutting Crew, Naked Eyes, Trans-X, The Flirts, and Pretty Poison.  World One Presents continues to bring out the top 80’s era live shows to Thunder Valley every summer, and this one was really great.

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“iHeart80s Birthday Bash” at SAP Center | San Jose, California | 8/26/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“It’s lovely to be here celebrating beautiful memories”… Boy George in one of his asides during his headlining performance at the inaugural “iHeart80s Birthday Bash” live concert event at SAP Center in San Jose.  The special show on Saturday night featured Boy George, Tiffany, The Romantics, A Flock Of Seagulls, Farrington & Mann of the Original When In Rome UK, Tommy Tutone, Animotion and Nu Shooz, with former original MTV VJ Martha Quinn hosting along with radio personalities Christie James and Morris Knight.  It was really a stellar show with end to end 80s-era hits and hitmakers putting on non-stop entertainment for four hours.

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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…]

Coldplay North American Leg of “A Head Full of Dreams” Tour Kicks off August 1st

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Yesterday, Coldplay kicked off the second North American leg of their “A Head Full of Dreams” tour at at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  This is a follow-up to the first visit to North America in July, August and September of 2016.  The band’s seventh tour, it is a return to larger arenas and stadium and in total they will play over 100 shows across five continents.  Their latest EP, Kaleidoscope, came out last month. [Read more…]

Peter Hook & The Light’s “Substance – The Albums Of Joy Division & New Order” Tour Returning in 2018

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Peter Hook & The Light are bringing their incredible “Substance – The Albums Of Joy Division & New Order” back to the U.S. in 2018. Hooky and the band will be performing both the Joy Division and New Order albums Substance live, in their original track sequence and in their entirety.   Having reviewed the tour in 2016, Rock Subculture rated it the #3 show of all of 2016, so it is definitely expected to be one of the best tours in 2018. [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…]

The Psychedelic Furs at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium | Grass Valley, California | 7/23/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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The Psychedelic Furs aren’t too chatty on stage – they just get to work and seem to have an awesome time performing in front of their fans.  This was definitely one of my top shows of the year, and it really just made me want to see them again…  it was that amazing.  The pairing with Robyn Hitchcock was brilliant as well, and I thoroughly enjoyed both sets.  An awesome night of music in Grass Valley by The Center for the Arts.

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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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Boy George to Headline iHeart80s Inaugural Birthday Bash Concert with Martha Quinn at SAP Center in San Jose on August 26th

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iHeartMedia San Francisco’s iHeart80s @ 103.7 is hosting a massive ‘80s Music event in the San Francisco Bay Area on Saturday, August 26th at SAP Center in San Jose.  The special concert event and the inaugural “iHeart80s Birthday Bash” live concert event will feature Boy George as the headlining artists as well as special guests A Flock Of Seagulls, The Romantics, Farrington & Mann of the Original When In Rome UK, Tiffany, Animotion, Tommy Tutone, and Nu Shooz. Hosting the show will be iHeart80s morning personality and former original MTV VJ Martha Quinn as well as appearances by station personalities Christie James and Morris Knight. [Read more…]

Psychedelic Furs Bring “The Singles Tour” to North America; Joined by Robyn Hitchcock

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English post punk/New Wave band Psychedelic Furs embark on an extensive tour of North America and the UK starting next week, with a series of concerts keeping them busy through October.  The modern rock pioneers will be bringing the hits on their concert series, The Singles Tour.  With seven studio albums and 22 singles, fans can expect to hear favorites like “Pretty in Pink”, “Heartbreak Beat”, “Love My Way”, and “The Ghost In You”.  Joining The Furs on tour is English singer-songerwriter Robyn Hitchcock. [Read more…]