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- Written by: Bluebird
Gentlemen Hall. Best Live Video of the Year. Pop Artist of the Year.
Review by Bluebird.
Photos by Micah Gummel. 
While listening to the bands on the 2011 Nominee List, Gentlemen Hall caught my attention. When I heard them for the first time, I double checked the category. I didn't hear this band as pop. They seemed to me to be more indie, techno, rock and even a little funk. Oh, what do we call a band that is open minded, talented and offers a range of listening? Pop the way it should be. Quality, popular rock.
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- Written by: Rachel Lange
Yngwie Malmsteen is credited for aiding the establishment of neoclassical metal, so named because of the influence of classical music on the genre. It’s safe to say that Yngwie Malmsteen’s first album, 1984’s “Rising Force”, ensured Malmsteen’s place in the pantheon of rock guitarists. This classical music influence manifests itself in very fast, highly technical guitar playing, eventually becoming closely related to what many now refer to as “shredding”. Put another way, achieve a 1,000 note streak in “Guitar Hero 2” and you’ll win yourself the Yngwie Malmsteen award.
Read more: Yngwie Malmsteen: The Fillmore, Silver Spring, Maryland October 15, 2011
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- Written by: Bluebird
Photography by Micah Gummel.
Joe Bonamassa ROCKS Boston, November 3, 2011.
Joe Bonamassa descended on the Wang this Thursday playing to a crowd of 3,000. This self made Blues Titan stayed close to his roots, yet soared through the roof with classic and electric blues. Just a day before taping a live DVD of his solo work, he performed a wide range of songs from his deep catalog, including the recent release, Dust Bowl. He started off sleek and fantastic, building a show that ended with sporting a Bruins jersey and jamming ZZ Top and Zeppelin. Fans who had seen him several times told us after the show that this was one of his best performances. He was completely on his mark.
Read more: Joe Bonamassa: Wang Theatre, Boston, MA, November 3, 2011
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- Written by: Stephanie Hussey
Republished with permission by S.A. Hussey from Rock It Write.
Check out here website here.
Rival Sons
(Supporting band for Evanescence)
The Palladium, Worcester, MA
Review by Stephanie Hussey
October 28, 2011
Jay, Scott, Robin and Mike rocked the Palladium in Worcester, MA. From the head banging
opener "Gypsy Heart," and the blues-rock sound of "Torture," to the funky beats of "Pressure and
Time," RIVAL SONS held you spellbound with their down and dirty, raw blues and soul, mixed
with old school Rock-n-Roll sound.
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- Written by: Rachel Lange
In what is obviously an attempt by the music industry to bankrupt and frustrate me, October and November 2011 will go down as two months overwhelmingly chock full of concerts. In October alone, I counted no less than 10 shows I was interested in, including one doozy of a weekend (October 14-17): Buckethead’s last tour date on Friday in New Orleans; 80’s guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen in Silver Spring, MD on Saturday; Duran Duran and Dream Theater in DC on Sunday and Monday, respectively. The prospect of such a weekend was daunting. Ticket prices aside, I had a Saturday afternoon guitar lesson I didn’t want to cancel, and there was the major detail of Buckethead performing almost 1,000 miles away from home.
Read more: Buckethead: New Orleans House of Blues, October 14, 2011
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- Written by: Led Zeppelin Ultimate Fan Page
This would be my first time seeing Jeff Beck live. 
While I have not been a follower of his music, I wanted to take my son to see him and in all honesty, to say "I've seen Jeff Beck in concert". Being a long time Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page fan, I've been familiar with Jeff's work with Jimmy alongside the Yardbirds, and on rare stage appearances. I thought this would make a nice outing for my son and I to see a "Legend".
Read more: Jeff Beck with Tyler Bryant: Kitchener, Ontario, October 19, 2011
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- Written by: Rachel Lange
DAR Constitution Hall 
A little history lesson before I get started: the early 1980's brought with it the New Romantics. A backlash against 1970's punk, the movement celebrated glamour and fashion and its adherents – male and female –dressed androgynously. Boys wore makeup just like the girls did, as I remember from watching music videos from bands like Culture Club and Spandau Ballet. The hair on that guy from Flock of Seagulls will haunt me until I die. While the movement proved to be mostly just a passing trend in music and on the streets, it also left us with the one, the only, Duran Duran. An entire generation of women (and men) would be affected. Arguably the prettiest and most glamorous band from that time, they are also among the longest lived and best of that era.
