No fighting!
When was the last time you had a free Saturday night? No $100 music festivals, no weddings, no family golf outings . . . is this the big one? ‘Cuz we have stuff for you to do!
After a highly successful multi-decade career and some 100 million albums sold, German rockers Scorpions are trying to head into retirement in style – with a three-year, five-continent tour and one final album (until the next one?). Sting In The Tail can best be compared to . . . all the other Scorpions albums. This leaves anyone looking for evolution by the band or some current relevance disappointed, and it leaves all the die-hard fans thrilled. Klaus Meine’s instantly recognizable vocals haven’t aged a bit, and the band proves it can still rock your face off (“Raised On Rock,” “Slave Me,” “No Limit”) and still drop a power ballad (“The Good Die Young,” “Lorelei”). The closer is called “The Best Is Yet To Come” – a teaser or an omen? (@Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont.)
— Carter Moss
Next up is the record-release party for Sundowner, the acoustic side-project from The Lawrence Arms’ Chris McCaughan. His dayjob has been one of the steadiest Chicago punk bands of the past decade, holding the fort on Fat Mike’s (NOFX) Fat Wreck Chords, so it’s surprising that McCaughan would go with the more locally related Mike Park’s Asian Man imprint. No matter, the surprise about We Chase The Waves is how needless the acoustic arrangements are. While that sounds slightly odd, given most rock musicians write on acoustic guitar, McCaughan would stand to either amp up or develop these straightforward tunes. By now, the acoustic-punk record has gone from trend to tired. (@Subterranean with The Sidekicks, American War, and This Is This.)
At first it seemed risky, even downright stupid for George Thorogood to release Live In Boston 1982 (Rounder) and then tour to support it. Why would a 60-year-old man remind everyone how potent he was at his 30-year-old peak and then hobble onstage to approximate it. Even 10 years ago, commanding the same stage he’ll captain on Saturday night, he was stalking when he used to run and talking about drinking scotch, bourbon, and beer as much as he used to actually drink them. But then it struck us as genius: Everyone in attendance knows what year it is. But this weekend, it’s back to ’82 and the “new” record will extend that feeling for the ride home. (@House Of Blues with Eddie Shaw.)
— Steve Forstneger
Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly
