Brilliant review of 'Apple' by Mother Love Bone

Tom over at the None But My Own blog has a rather spectacular look back at Mother Love Bone's only full album release, Apple.

In honor of the rather stunning Ten reissue by Pearl Jam released last week, I think it's important to remember that the seeds of Pearl Jam were planted in MLB. Tom digs deep and this is a soul searching review and one I've read twice. I need to dig out Apple.

Read his review here.

A Beautiful Day For U2 Fan Club Members (2009 Pre-Sales)

I've ranted and raved about fan clubs a lot as of late. I find it disturbing when acts scalp their own tickets, add on unnecessary service charges and well, flat out manipulate their fans for every last cent. I'm a believer that most acts shouldn't even have fan clubs, it's pointless unless you plan on serving the fans. I find most clubs to be pointless and fruitless hence why I stay away from them. However, I belong to two of them; Pearl Jam and U2.

Pearl Jam still charges only $20, you get a 45 rpm Christmas single every year, a magazine and access to tickets. It's a no-brainer and even though my tickets aren't often great (I joined late), I give them credit for rewarding their most loyal and long standing fans first. U2 is another story. Without question, they're the biggest band on the planet. Almost every single show they have done post 2001 has sold out (there were 1,400 unsold seats in Kansas City in 2001). Their fan club came under scrutiny in 2005 when their pre-sale tickets for their 2005 tour were horrendous and everyone seemed to have been shut out. However, I give them credit. They didn't hide and ignore the uproar, they publicly acknowledged their mistake and took care of their fans on the next go round.

Ever since then, they have managed to rise above the impossibility of being an enormous band while still having an connection to their fans. They offer a 20% discount to existing members when renewing (only $32 a year) and offer a 2 cd set to their fans every year. It's amazing how a little touch can go a long way. However, the cynic in me felt that I'd be here ranting about them when their tickets went on sale for their current tour. The pre-sale is put into three distinct categories for the fans.

Day One: For Long Standing Members
Day Two: For those who have small breaks in their membership
Day Three: For new members

I scored a day one pre-sale code and was pleasantly surprised when GA tickets seemed to be plentiful, but that wasn't what impressed me most. I was able to score amazing 100 level seats (for a stadium) for $95 a ticket. How? It appears that in every section around the stage in the lower level, there are both $95 and $250 tickets. They appear to be spreading the wealth and not limiting some sections to those who have the most money. With the entire floor being GA, my hunch is that GA's will not be as tough to come by as on previous tours.

U2 is the biggest band in the world and they shouldn't care about taking care of their most devout fans, but they do and they proved it today.

The Biz: The Price Isn't Right

The Price Isn't Right
By Anthony Kuzminski

Have you ever tried getting into a buzz restaurant only to never be able to get a reservation? What happens? Chances are you skip going there all together, forget about it and settle for something easier and more accommodating. I often compare the concert industry to restaurants because in reality, they are the same. Both are luxuries we love, but ultimately in difficult climates like this one, do not need to survive. Whether the artists, their handlers, the promoters and ticket sellers realize it or not, their success is tied directly to service. Just because you are a celebrity and a multi-millionaire doesn’t give you the right to treat people like crap. This is what the record industry did in the 1990’s with the advent of cd’s. The prices never came down cassette and LP levels, even though they were cheaper to make. Even worse, they eliminated the single, meaning you had to overpay to get the song you loved on cd, even if it was the only good track on the album. What happened this decade? A revolt. When the advent of MP3’s came about, I scoffed at them and thought to myself, “These sound horrible, there’s no way these will ever replace CD’s”. I was wrong. One can point to the iPod, the easy availability of MP3’s and dozens of other reasons why the record industry has seen eight-straight years of dwindling CD sales, but the reality is that the consumers felt ripped off. They still do. I can’t tell you how often I speak to someone who justifies their illegal downloading on the fact that they overpaid for CD’s for a decade or the fact that artists who charge $100 for a concert ticket, deserve to be downloaded. Regardless, nary a day goes by where I don’t encounter a music lover who holds the industry at a whole with great disdain. It amazes me how industries thrive or die based on their service and celebrities appear to be given a pass. However, that could be changing.

For the last eight years, the concert industry has seen its numbers double. However, even though on paper it appears to be a boom industry, I think we all know that due to recent economic events that just because something is on paper doesn’t mean it is real. The industry appears to have doubled its concert grosses, but this is largely due to ticket prices that didn’t just double, but tripled, quadrupled and skyrocketed to heights where the average person can no longer afford a ticket. Overall attendance has dropped. For weeks leading up to Fleetwood Mac’s two recent Chicago shows, I was able to pull up rather good lower level tickets daily. How is this possible? They were $150 and around $177 after Ticketmaster took their cut. This is in Chicago, the third biggest concert market in the US. Arena shows by superstar acts should sell out immediately but in recent years, tickets have proven to be plentiful and it’s all tied to price and add on charges.

So far, the concert industry hasn’t had the same woes as recorded music because the action is in the flesh. It’s tangible, it’s real, you can see it and in some cases feel it. However, in the latter case, more and more artists and promoters are withholding the best seats for those with the thickest wallets as evidenced by recent article by industry insider Bob Lefsetz and the Wall Street Journal. People always assumed this was going on, but now that it is out there for everyone to see, this may prove to be a mistake that will haunt the industry for decades to come. While everything may appear to be happy-go-lucky at the moment, there is a revolution beginning. I receive at least one email a day from a fan who wants me to write about “Artist XYZ” and their ticket prices. Most fans are disenchanted at the skyrocketing prices which they can no longer afford. Some will go above and beyond and pay the price, but at a cost. Instead of seeing twenty or thirty shows in a year, they are only seeing ten. Instead of seeing a specific artist five or ten times on a given tour, they are seeing one. The fan that would see ten shows a year is now seeing one or two. Then there is the fan that just can not afford it and opts out of going all together or finds a cheaper alternative. The artists pockets are widening, but the fans are becoming disgruntled and disenfranchised. This is not a good thing for the industry. I don’t care how much money one makes, whenever actual attendance declines in any industry one needs to step back and think about their business model. Why? Because eventually even those with deep pockets will tire of paying exorbitant prices whether it is a play, a concert, a ball game or even dinner at a restaurant. If you went to a bar every night of the week and they doubled their price of beer, would you still go every night? If you bought a book every week and all of a sudden your book store tripled the price of every book, would you still buy one a week? Any industry that has declining attendance is in trouble and in the next few years, the bubble of the concert industry will burst.

How did this happen? Artists became greedy, plain and simple. They want a guaranteed seven-figure salary for two hours work. It’s no longer about the connection to the fans or doing it because you love it, it’s become about they money, much like many of our favorite athletes. Now, don’t get me wrong, everyone has the right to charge whatever they want, alas I have the right to criticize those prices and more importantly, not buy a ticket to their show. People don’t seem to understand how ticket prices teetered between $15 and $30 for arena shows for well over a decade and now the cheapest ticket is around $50, but then you find out its $70 after charges. I have a fan email me a few weeks back how they bought a lawn ticket for Kenny Chesney this summer and the price was $26.50, but after add on fees, it was over $50. That is a 100% mark-up. Could you imagine going to a restaurant and them including a 75% gratuity on the bill? You would argue with them and more importantly, you would never go back.

The recent Crue Fest should be an example of how not to run a tour. There were auctions, prices north of $100 and what happened as a result? None of the shows sold out and in some markets, only a few thousand shows up. The recent Blabbermouth report of their ticket earnings (found at this link) shows that instead of going out and selling every seat for $50 and $25 (the correct price point for a band that tours every year), they got greedy and would rather make a higher profit margin even if it means having empty seats. In 2005 Motley had almost all of their tickets for the winter and spring portion of their shows on sale for between $20 and $65. The result? Sell-outs across the board. I don’t think Motley has properly sold-out a show ever since then (I don’t count the intimate Vegas gigs). There is no value to their current show and even if they are performing Dr. Feelgood in its entirety, I just can’t justify spending $100+ to merely see three songs I’ve never seen live before. When they toured together with Aerosmith in the fall of 2006, their Chicago show had a mere 13,000 people at it. To put things in perspective, the same venue in 1990 had 30,000 fans there just for Aerosmith. The same summer Motley Crue sold 70,000 tickets over two nights at Alpine Valley. Combined in 2006, they barely had enough people to fill a small arena. Why? Exorbitant ticket prices. If I were either artist, I would be embarrassed to perform to that many empty seats.

One artist that should be admired is Keith Urban. His most recent tour went on sale recently and in light of the recent economic downturn, he reserved a section at $20 per ticket with no service fees. There are acts that have affordable tickets, but all too often, a $17.50 ticket all of a sudden becomes $33. When I was younger, that was the difference between going to a show and staying at home. It’s admirable to see someone understand this and ensure that no fees are collected for a ticket this cheap. Not everyone can afford to spend $50 or even $100 on a ticket in this day and age. Fall Out Boy is another act whose business model should be followed. They are playing arenas this spring with a ticket prices between $25 and $40 and the bill includes numerous bands. They understand their audience and are not pushing their luck for a few extra bucks. I should also mention that the arena show I saw by them back in 2007 was among the greatest arena rock shows I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen hundreds. Their mini I club tour last December had a top price of $35 and the Chicago show had $10 tickets available. They easily could have charged $50 and $75 for the intimate venues and still sold out, but they didn’t. They understood that it’s far sexier to have an easy sell-out rather than making more money from fewer seats sold. The artists that charge a reasonable amount of money will be the ones that win out in the end and have careers that will thrive and be admired.

I believe that if there is a turning point, it will because a veteran act will realize the stupidity of prices, make every seat affordable and as a result, will be “the” tour to see. Let’s use the summer of 2004 as an example. Van Halen reunited with Sammy Hager and despite not playing together for nine-years, there were loads of empty seats at many of the shows. The average ticket was over $100 and people decided to sit it out and see someone else, like Prince. That year, Prince triumphantly returned and he had tickets as cheap as $20 in certain markets and his highest price was $75, which included a copy of his new cd and the stage was configured as in-the-round which allows for the best overall concert experience with all seats having an advantageous viewpoint. His shows sold-out anywhere and everywhere he played. It wasn’t just because he’s a phenomenal performer but because there was value in the whole package and most importantly, the price was right. KISS, Van Halen, Aerosmith, No Doubt and dozens of other acts toured that year and played to crowds a fraction of the size they once did. It isn’t because the fans went away, it was because they can only afford a few shows and they were more discriminating in who they saw. In 2004, Madonna made more money on paper, but Prince’s take home earnings were higher due to less overhead. It was proof that charging less can mean a higher profit margin. Not just that, the Prince shows were religious and whenever he tours again (he’s due) everyone I know who went will be there again.

So the question one has to ask themselves is whether they want the highest gate receipts or the highest attendance? Do you want to be Madonna or Prince? If you choose the latter, then you won’t just be a prince, but the king of the road. The fans will reward you will untold riches you never imagined. It’s only a matter of time until one superstar act decides to price all tickets between $25 and $75 and have the tour of the year. The question is who will take that first step into a brave new world?

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.

There's a reason you may see delayed postings...

My wife gave birth to our first child, Suzy Lee, last night so we're running mad and totally in love. Posts will still appear, just a tad less frequently in the next few weeks. The real rock n' roll goddess has arrived.

Fall is here,hear the yell
back to school,ring the bell
brand new shoes,walking blues
climb the fence,books and pens
I can tell that we're going to be friends

Walk with me,Suzy Lee
through the park and by the tree
we will rest upon the ground
and look at all the bugs we found
then safely walk to school
without a sound

Well here we are,no one else
we walked to school all by ourselves
there's dirt on our uniforms
from chasing all the ants and worms
we clean up and now its time to learn

Numbers,letters,learn to spell
nouns,and books,and show and tell
at playtime we will throw the ball
back to class,through the hall
teacher marks our height
against the wall

And we don't notice any time pass
we don't notice anything
we sit side by side in every class
teacher thinks that I sound funny
but she likes the way you sing

Tonight I'll dream while I'm in bed
when silly thoughts go through my head
about the bugs and alphbet
and when I wake tommorow I'll bet
that you and I will walk together again
cause I can tell that we're going to be friends

WSJ Article "Concert Tickets Get Set Aside, Marked Up by Artists, Managers"-My 2 Cents

There is going to be a revolt in the concert industry worse than the one the recording industry is seeing now. In the last decade tickets have gone from semi-reasonable to downright out of reach for 90% of the population. Then comes this article from the Wall Street Journal telling us that it is the artists selling all of those seats on Ticketsnow and other secondary scalping sites.

Bob Lefsetz blew the door open last week in a blog post at this link where he says:

Let me explain this to you. A certain number of tickets are pulled from the manifest and ultimately sold on TicketsNow. Ticketmaster guarantees a certain gross payment to the act for these tickets, far in excess of the usual payment per ticket. If the tickets don’t sell at the predicted high prices? Too bad for Ticketmaster.

Blame the acts for this. Ticketmaster Is taking the heat.

The question arises...how long until the public revolt? Not too long ago, it wasn't about where your seat was, but whether or not you could get in. Can you experience the religious nature of the show? It's now become all about how close you can be. In recent weeks I have had numerous people tell me that they would only go to show "x,y,z" if the seats were good. Why? Well, to start with, cheap tickets and lawn seats aren't so cheap after service fee's. More importantly, there is the feeling that there should be some fairness in obtaining the seats. Fifteen years ago, you were OK with being the last row in the balcony because you felt that the people up front were there merely because their luck was better than yours. It's not true anymore.

I've witnessed a number of shows in recent years where the first twenty-rows of the floor have killed the mood of the show. There are people who sit in the front row. The front row! These aren't fans, but merely people willing to overpay for what they deem as a privilege, to be near a superstar. I've seen shows in the last year from the front row and the last row. It is an experience to be up close, but why do the acts reserve these seats for those who have the most money? What's next? Milk and bread at the grocery store?

Now that the cat is out of the bag that artists do indeed scalp their own tickets, the question arises; How long until the fans revolt? If they have no chance of getting good seats, then will fans continue to go?

Lastly, one piece of the WSJ article just slayed me:

According to several managers of top artists and Ticketmaster executives, the company routinely offers to list hundreds of the best tickets per concert on one of its two resale Web sites -- and divides the extra revenue, which can amount to more than $2 million on a major tour, with artists and promoters.

This is interesting, because what it is basically saying is that the artists will sell out their most fervent and loyal fans for $2-million. Is that a lot of money? Hell yes, but when you are Madonna and Neil Diamond and you are earning in the range of $80-$100 million per tour, do you really need the extra $2-million? Is it really worth it to alienate your most important asset as a touring artist, the fan, for a mere $2-million? Couldn't that extra $2 million be made up by adding two shows to the itinerary? It's the equivalent of risking your job that pays you $75,000 all because you want to steal an ink jet cartridge at work. Why risk it?

The link to the full article WSJ can be found here.

U2 Officially Announces 2009 Tour Dates With Virtual Demo of Stage!

I hate stadium shows but count me as jazzed for this tour. This could be a way to revolutionize stadium tours in the future. Here are the tour dates below. Only one Midwest date. I am guessing that Chicago, Toronto, Boston, New York/New Jersey will each get at least one show added (and in NJ's case, I am guessing 3 total).

Check out a virtual demonstration at this link. (Wow is all I can say)

Those who are subscribers to the official website, check out this link with all of the FAQ's at this link.

Here are the dates according to the website u2Gigs.com. It should be noted that the first four US dates are the only ones that are official:
1st leg: European dates

2009-06-30 - Barcelona, Spain - Camp Nou (25 March)
2009-07-07 - Milan, Italy - San Siro (13 March)
2009-07-11 - Paris, France - Stade de France (20 March)
2009-07-15 - Nice, France - Parc des Sports Charles Ehrmann (20 March)
2009-07-18 - Berlin, Germany - Olympiastadion (27 March)
2009-07-20 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Amsterdam ArenA (14 March)
2009-07-24 - Dublin, Ireland - Croke Park (20 March)
2009-07-31 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi Stadion (13 March)
2009-08-03 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Veltins-Arena (27 March)
2009-08-06 - Chorzow, Poland - Slaski Stadium (20 March)
2009-08-10 - Zagreb, Croatia - Stadium Maksimir (27 March)
2009-08-14 - London, England - Wembley Stadium (20 March)
2009-08-18 - Glasgow, Scotland - Hampden Park (20 March)
2009-08-20 - Sheffield, England - Don Valley Stadium (20 March)
2009-08-22 - Cardiff, Wales - Millennium Stadium (20 March)

2nd leg: North American dates

2009-09-12 - Chicago, Illinois, USA - Soldier Field (30 March)
2009-09-16 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Rogers Centre (30 March)
2009-09-20 - Boston, Massachusetts, USA - Gillette Stadium (30 March)
2009-09-24 - East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA - Giants Stadium (30 March)
2009-09-29 - Washington, District of Columbia, USA - FedEx Field (6 April)
2009-10-01 - Charlottesville, Virginia, USA - Scott Stadium (4 April)
2009-10-03 - Raleigh, North Carolina, USA - Carter-Finley Stadium (6 April)
2009-10-06 - Atlanta, Georgia, USA - Georgia Dome (6 April)
2009-10-09 - Tampa, Florida, USA - Raymond James Center (18 April)
2009-10-12 - Dallas, Texas, USA - New Cowboys Stadium (20 April)
2009-10-14 - Houston, Texas, USA - Reliant Stadium (20 April)
2009-10-19 - Norman, Oklahoma, USA - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (4 April)
2009-10-20 - Phoenix, Arizona, USA - University of Phoenix Stadium (20 April)
2009-10-23 - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - Sam Boyd Stadium (TBD)
2009-10-25 - Los Angeles, California, USA - Rose Bowl (6 April)
2009-10-28 - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - B.C. Place Stadium (6
April)


Lastly here is the Soldier Field configuration for the show:

The Screen Door's Links You Should Read March 8, 2009 (Bon Jovi, U2, Springsteen, Dylan, Motley and more)

U2 biographer Neil McCormick has his review of the new U2 disc at this link. He may be biased, but it's a damn great read. Jeff Giles of Bullz-Eye has an excellent review of the disc as well.

Jamsbio Magazine has a great review of the new Bruce Springsteen record at this link. I don't agree with it and am sticking to my 2 1/2 star review, but this is a good read and well written. It's worth checking out.

Blabbermouth has the stats on the most recent Motley Crue concerts and it's underwhelming. After a dozen shows, not one broke the 10,000 barrier. The full outline is here. In a day and age where Motley's core audience is out of work, one would think they would have every ticket between $10 and $60. Besides, what are they performing on this leg that they've never done before?

The jam band Phish reunited this week and the first two shows appeared to be for the books. Billboard has a report from night one here and the second show with some killer covers. Here's the best part, the first two shows are available for FREE download at this link.

Bob Lefsetz even hops on the Phish bandwagon praising them at his recent blog post.

U2 has officially announced the outlines for their world tour. It appears less than 50 shows will be performed in 2009 with the tour to continue in 2010. The tour hits America shores on September 12th at Chicago's Soldier Field. While the $250 price tag is utterly insane for a stadium, it's good to see the band will have 10,000 tickets per show at $30 each and all field tickets will be $55.

Bob Dylan appears to be shocking everyone with the release of a new record in April.

Bon Jovi announced an official bio this week, the full press release is here. I have one comment on a title, Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful, seriously guys...this was the best you could come up with? It's another um, *another* stellar title in a long line of releases (Lost Highway, Bounce, Have A Nice Day, Crush)...I would have offered up another dozen for a small fee. My email's on the side of this page, seriously guys, contact me in the future before you make these decisions.

Lastly, U2 smoked on David Letterman all week with one inspired performance after another. However, the highlight may have been when they delivered the Top Ten list. Check out the link below

Metallica: Resilient and Recession Proof (Concert Review Chicago Night #2 January 27, 2009)

Metallica: Resilient and Recession Proof
Allstate Arena-Rosemont, IL
January 27, 2009
By Anthony Kuzminski
Phototo's Courtesy of Rob Grabowski and Unrated Magazine {Link}

You rise, you fall, you’re down then you rise again
What don’t kill you make you more strong
-“Broken, Beat & Scarred”

There is a poetic and authentic beauty to multi-night stands. Whether there are two or three shows in one city, each one often proves to be significantly better. Why? I chalk it up to nerves, the lack of press at latter shows and an overall confidence of what an honor it is to sell out multiple nights in the same city. This is where ego thrives, chances are taken and really phenomenal shows occur. It’s almost as if you’re hosting a party for acquaintances on the first show and then its family the second where you are allowed to be yourself. Metallica is no different. Right from the opening moments of “That Was Just Your Life” at their second of two sold-out shows at the Allstate Arena (just outside Chicago) the crowd was more spastic, the band more fluid and ultimately the show combined with these two factors was more exhilarating than the previous night’s.

Night two found the band switching the set list up with a few more classics dusted off to interact with the six songs from Death Magnetic (which remain unchanged). “Harvester of Sorrow” was sly and seducing while “For Whom The Bell Tolls” gripped the crowd like a head in a vice because the crowd’s possessed reaction. “One” is about the destruction of the human soul. While the images of the video will forever remain entrenched in our minds, it is much like the characters that embody their best work. Feeling trapped with no place to go, the narrator views the only way out as death. These are the moments that if you were filming a movie it would have to be computer generated, because these genuine reactions of the crowd are just that, genuine and outside of the context of this music can not be replicated. Following in the footsteps of “One” was the flipside of death on “Broken, Beat & Scarred”, where one overcomes adversity to triumph. “Broken, Beat & Scarred” found the band playing to their strengths. They know their audience and are embracing them and not seeking larger ones. Sure, the Rolling Stones got away with “Miss You” but that was because it had a grimy riff and an undercurrent of sex, which is what all the greatest Stones songs are rooted in. Most of Death Magnetic is rooted in darkness, the battle for life and comprehensive metal riffs that leave you shaking in your shoes. They made an album that is a testament to their earlier work. By doing this, their classics are all that more potent and resonate even stronger. Metallica makes vast and complex records that are studio creations, but amazingly they find their groove live and if anything they send you back to them for items you may have missed the first time.
I’ve seen great studio records mangled in concert, but if anything, Metallica makes them more organic. “All Nightmare Long” and “The Day That Never Comes” sounded even more vital on the second night with renewed passion. The 2004 set lists were a tad more adventurous, but that was because they had to be. Extended interludes, deafening jams, luminous solos all converged into a crashing and deafening finale that was just as heady as classic Metallica. I was speaking with my friend Tom before the show and he said something that stayed with me; “This was the right album at the right time”. Sadly so much of music is about timing. This is something that can’t be marketed. If the band had released this album five or six years ago, it would not have had the same impact, but fortunately for Metallica, they played their cards right and they have delivered an album that their fans are dissecting and divulging with great fervor. The road to Death Magnetic was a long one and in many ways, the band had to reestablish themselves with their fans after the release of St. Anger in 2003. However, the inner tensions within the band had already begun to soothe (as documented in the brilliant film Some Kind of Monster). They then had to reintroduce themselves in ways on their eighteen-month tour in 2003-04, which they did. Little by little, thy rebuilt their credibility and the apex was Death Magnetic where they silenced the naysayers. James Hetfield’s stoic lyrics comfort the soul if you delve deep enough. In place of his anguished rage from two decades earlier, he sings from experience like a sage hoping to help you find your own way down the dark corridors of life. It’s one thing to grasp onto music to expunge demons and it’s another to find a way to deal with them, which is far more complex and brave than hiding beneath them. Not everything in life involves a physical or chemical escape and this is why Death Magnetic is so captivating. “Nothing Else Matters”, from 1991’s self-titled Black album means more today being sung from a very aware and vital James Hetfield than the one who sang it throughout the 1990’s. He sung it nightly at almost every show from 1992 to 2000, but I’m not sure if he ever allowed himself to enter the sacred emotional depths of it in concert. Now he does and the song just pours out of him.
The show goes by in the blink of an eye; it’s unrelenting and devours all who witness it.
Eight songs were performed before one from the 1990’s appeared (the crushing “Sad But True”), yet no one seemed to notice or care as every note performed was with a renewed intensity almost as if they are performing some of these songs for the first time. “(Welcome Home) Sanitarium” found bassist Robert Trujillo viciously teasing his hair with metal anguish. Trujillo joined the band in 2003 and his stage presence is that of a hurricane. Metallica has been blessed with three great bassists throughout the course of their life and Trujillo deserves to be on stage with this band. I love it when an artist barely has to perform as featured on “Master of Puppets”, where the crowd swallowed the song whole. I merely sat back in awe and amazement of it all. Guitarist Kirk Hammett and Hetfield dual harmonic solos are like watching the convergence of two light sabers in slow motion that ends in a wicked crash. “Fight Fire With Fire” was the sound of an earthquake where the ground trembled and the walls decimated. “Die, Die, Darling” and “Whiplash” prove that no matter what stadium heights they ascend to, at the end of the day they are still a garage band at heart. During the encores when the house lights were on, I was able to take in guitarist Kirk Hammett’s playing with a keener eye. It’s one thing to be proficient and virtuosic at your instrument and it’s another to feel the music as it runs through your fingers as they move across those six-strings, which Hammett does with finesse and ease, a near impossible feat in heavy metal. During the finale, dozens of large black balls ascended from the balcony on “Seek and Destroy”. With the house lights on and a full house frenzy on their hands, there was little doubt about the impression they left when the final note was hit.
Heavy metal may never fully gain mainstream acceptance but its fervent followers will always ensure it has a bona-fide niche that is unmatched. How many bands in this economy can sell-out arena shows, let alone multiple nights? Metallica is a band who instead of chasing after fans who may or may not buy their record is embracing those who put them where they are today. Chasing after the same audience who bought the Black record would be a mistake. However, regardless of whether or not you love them or not, you have to admire how they are handling their business. Tickets to both shows only cost $4.50 more than they did in the summer of 2004. That’s approximately a $1 a year increase. Not only that, but if you ordered your tickets through one of their many pre-sales, you got a MP3 download of the show you attended. Metallica may not be making as much money on paper as Madonna “appears” to be; however, I can guarantee you that few (if any) tickets were papered. The dollar amounts reported to the Billboard Boxscore are genuine and not inflated. And the best part of this is that the band still clears over one-million per show, not to mention but they have a higher attendance numbers due to the brilliant use of the in-the-round stage. While there are no super cheap tickets, their prices of $79.50 and $59.50 are the most inline tickets I have seen in years. Not only that, but the band gives away fifty-cents of every ticket to charity. Unlike other acts who “claim” to give a portion of the money to charity, Metallica prints it right on the ticket so you are aware of exactly how much is being donated. If every artist was this up-front and honest with their fans, they too would have legions of fanatics who would follow you wherever they man roam.
Trying to be the biggest band in the world is a mistake. By attempting this, you limit yourself artistically. Few artists can say the same as most acts chase after the casual fans that may or may not buy their records. If you are fortunate enough to have a core following, embrace them, reward them and treat them like family. They will never abandon you. Few acts in the music industry understand this, but those that do (Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, and Metallica) will thrive and survive. Ironically, Metallica’s embracing of the metal community has made them recession proof. In some ways they are limiting themselves, but on the other hand, no matter how bad the economy gets, their fans will follow them down any path. Is there anything worse than the front end of a week in January where the stock market crashes and the temperature outside dips below zero? Somehow, Metallica provided the ultimate remedy, the ultimate rock n’ roll escape. The music of Metallica is biblical to their devout legion of believers. It’s almost as if when witnessing the power of their live show that it has to ability to cleanse the soul and wash away our sins and renews us like a baptism. It allows you to return to the world, where your problems still exist, but to face them with a renewed sense of optimism. Faith above all else can save people. However, sometimes we need that extra push and reminder to find it. Metallica’s music does just that for their vast following. There are dozens of acts out there deserving of your time, but Metallica stands atop the mountain as the master of metal. Over the course of two shows Metallica didn’t just reward their loyal followers, but unleashed a set chock full of all highs and no lows proving that they aren’t just one of the best concert draws in the world at this moment in time but also one of the most vital, important and relevant ones as well. This isn’t about being the loudest or fastest metal band around…but the best.

Metallica Chicago Night #1 review at this link.

'Death Magnetic' album review at this link.

Metallica 2004 Chicago Night #2 review at this link.

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer whose daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.

U2-‘No Line on the Horizon’ Album Review (The Screen Door Review)

U2-No Line on the Horizon Album Review
Three-and-a-half-Stars (***1/2)
By Anthony Kuzminski
There is a reason U2 is viewed as not just the world’s most significant and ingenious band, but often its best as well. What differentiates U2 from almost all other acts is their wide stream appeal. I’ve never witnessed a band, which is still together-with their original line-up no less, who can tap into every generation with each new record. Most artists have a niche audience and struggle to make the same connection with a multi-generational audience. U2 is among the few acts that have everyone’s attention when they release a new record and head out on tour. However, as everyone found out in 1997 with the release of Pop, just because the music is new doesn’t mean it will be accepted. No Line on the Horizon, U2’s twelfth studio LP, is a sprawling, decadent and widescreen affair full of evocative imagery. I scoff at reviews that say this is or isn’t U2’s best record, because the truth is that no one knows…yet. Whenever one listens to a new record by a favorite artist of theirs, I often hear “I need to give it a few more spins”, which is a clever way of saying “I’m disappointed”. If you listen to something enough, you can find a lot to like, unless it is garbage. However it’s one thing to need to give an album further spins and to want to listen to it again. After the final notes of “Cedar of Lebanon” drifted off into the air, I immediately wanted to hear it again; always the sign of a great album.

U2 takes far too long between records but it’s hard to argue with when the results are this luminous and revealing. The production and arrangements are daring, yet sound vaguely familiar. Have you ever had a dream where a day or two later you can’t remember if you dreamed the occurrence or it actually happened? That is what No Line on the Horizon sounds like, a familiar album we think we know, but ultimately don’t. Credit must be given to producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno is they have helped the band push the envelope even further than I deemed possible. This isn’t just a recreation of the lush soundscapes of The Unforgettable Fire but it’s novel while staying true to the band’s soul. It also harkens back to 1993’s Zooropa which was all about ambiance amidst a few of the greatest tracks the band ever wrote (“Stay” & “The First Time”). Zooropa wasn’t an album that I loved on my first listen, but the ethereal soundscapes always brought me back for repeated listed. No Line on the Horizon is more about mood than singles. In fact, there isn’t a single anywhere to be found on the record, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t arms-to-the-air anthems ready to roar amidst stadiums later this year.

Opening the album is the lush title track as Bono and the boys take us into a dreamy underworld where anything is possible which surges into “Magnificent”, a classic anthem even if no one knows it yet. This will be one that will bring the crowds to their knees within stadiums. This isn’t so much a band that is re-imaging what they do as stretching out for the untouchable. Let’s be honest, a band can only truly reinvent themselves one time. The Beatles did it with Sgt. Pepper, the Rolling Stones did it withLet It Bleed and Exile, Green Day did it with American Idiot and U2 did it with Achtung Baby. It’s rare for a band to delve even deeper and try to make work that is simultaneously an enigma laced with melody and pensive lyrics. U2 succeeds all of this on No Line and even two songs into the record, it’s clearly evident. What differentiates U2 from almost revert other band that has ever existed is that no one of them is more important than the next. Bono and the Edge may steal a lot of the limelight, but the band is nothing without the rhythm section of Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton. Throughout No Line Clayton’s bass delicately pushes the emotional momentum of the songs while Mullen’s drums anchors the entire song. This is a band in the truest sense of the form where all have an equal say. Ego may exist, but they can be crushed just as quickly. This is what almost every other act on the planet is missing; honest collaboration

“Moment of Surrender” was done as a first take recording. For a band known for writing and rewriting songs dozens upon dozens of times, this is the rare gem that came out perfect on a first impression. As the chorus of “Unknown Caller” hails, “Re-start and reboot yourself”, this is an album about facing the world amidst adversity. "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" showcases some of Bono’s most brutally truthful lyrics in a tongue in cheek manner (“Every beauty needs to go out with an idiot“). He has a way of making the obvious sound profoundly poetic. “Breathe” is about finding your solace in the world that allows you “to find the courage to walk the street”. Sonically it’s the song I believe the band wanted “Acrobat” to be, but here it’s given a more sturdy arrangement with lyrics full of finesse. “White As Snow”, an esoteric ballad full of tranquil imagery of leaves a haunting impression. There’s a lesson here, but Bono uses his pen to weave a veiled moral tale without being in-your-face. About a soldier dying in Afghanistan, it’s a gem that only makes this record more essential. “FEZ- Being Born” is among the bands most experimental tracks ever. Complimented by co-producer Brian Eno’s influence. A track more about ambiance than lyrics, but still, the entire song is filled with a breathy intimacy that provides the listener with a surreal experience. The album’s only misstep is the sprightly lead single, “Get On Your Boots”, which I am convinced was chosen as the lead single primarily for its length (3:23). The song feels unfinished and an odd choice for lead single amidst a collection of hymns so profoundly poetics and sonically pleasing, I still can’t figure out why they chose it. There was an immense stink around this album because of this song and having the album leak a few weeks early is the best thing the band ever could have hoped for as the other ten songs easily overshadow “Boots” in terms of depth, complexity and spirituality.

U2’s music lives in a world where heaven and hell are at odds and fighting. U2 are the angels set to drive Satan’s army back into hell. They stand in between heaven and hell trying to appease the two worlds and keep the uprisings from hell down. Am I making more out of this than I should? Most likely. However, when we live in times where the world around us is falling apart and nary a day goes by without some dramatic life altering news. U2 has risen to the challenge to make a metaphorically poignant and ingenious record that proves to be a refreshing soundtrack to your escape. No Line on the Horizon is about rising above it all and overcoming the pessimism that surrounds you. It’s also about standing on top of a bar and dancing your problems away. Music can be more healing than any bottle or medication and U2 proves to us why they’re still the world’s most important rock band. There is a sweeping romantic urgency to the songs that takes you away where you feel free and confident. It’s one thing to listen to music that you like and another to feel alive when listening to it. The songs as a whole are like a great piece of architecture, to be admired for its vast and complex beauty amidst the layers of sonic textures. I hear a band not so much striving to be the biggest band in the world, but the best. When you’re the best, in my opinion, the rest will follow.

No Line on the Horizon is chock full of vast and wide landscapes where romanticism and salvation are all within reach. These eleven songs may not make sense to you upon an initial listen, but I guarantee you after seeing the band live later this year; you’ll be retreating to this record once again in search of what you may have overlooked the first time. Every once in a while you experience an album where you feel that every song was written just for you. The veiled lines between your life and the lyrics are none existent. I’m not sure if No Line on the Horizon will attain classic status in the coming year, but I’m excited for my next listen, I’m jazzed to see these songs live and I can’t wait to see how these songs unfold over time. That is all one can ask for from a record and when it comes to down to it, is there anything else that can make your day more beautiful?

Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.

U2's new album lands today and amazon.com is selling it for $3.99

U2's No Line on the Horizon lands in record stores today (if any are still left), but if you don't feel like shelling out $10 for the album, Amazon is selling the entire album in MP3 format for a whopping $3.99

Grab it now because this is apparently a one day only sale.

If you choose to buy, click on the amazon link at this website. It will direct you to a site that matches all contributions made through his site via Amazon.

Josh Freese Commerical For New Album

Drummer Josh Freese is getting even more creative with his new album. It's not enough that he has a $75,000 option for it (read about it here), but now he has a pretty wacky video showing just what you are buying into. Even in a recession where none of these five figure items may sell, this could still be a mighty promotional move, as I have to tell you, even I want to hear this record now. I smile fondly upon his creativity and for more, check out the video below.

The Screen Door's Links You Should Read March 1, 2009

I'm very late to reporting this, but Bon Jovi was crowd as 2008's top touring act by Billboard magazine back in December with a gross of $210 million. One important thing that should be pointed out; if Springsteen had held back all of his tour receipts from October 2007 until after November 14th, 2007, he would have been number one with a gross around $230 million. Regardless, that's a hell of a lot of money made by two guys from the Garden state.

File this one under "I'll believe it when I see it": Ticketmaster chief thinks recession will knock down ticket prices. The concert industry is a bubble waiting to burst. People needs cars, gasoline, food, shelter...they don't need concerts whose tickets are almost as much as their convenience fee's.

The Bellingham View blog has their list of the best films of 2008 at this link. A wonderful read and even though there are not daily postings, this blog is all about quality over quantity.

Green Day may have made the album of the decade with American Idiot, can they do it again? Billboard reports that their latest album, 21st Century Breakdown arrives in late May.

Seattle Sound Magazine has a detailed review of the new Pearl Jam remaster of their debut, Ten at this link. This is proof that a re-issue can be as good as any new release.

Want some Poison with your "Sugar" Mr "Dream Police"? Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick will hit an amphitheater near you this summer.

If you hate film critic Ben Lyons, read this and you may hate him a little more.

Has an unheard Beatles song leaked? A new take of "Revolution 1 (Take 20)" appeared via YouTube earlier this week. Many have questioned it's legitimacy, but it appears to be the real deal. Check it out here.

Motley Crue's new DVD had a full press release this week. A whopping 14 songs. If the Cruefest shows wasn't a big enough rip off, this appears to be. Motley should go out, hit the road, play 2.5 hours every night and keep all they money to themselves.

The Chicago Sun Times has been blogging during the Live Nation/Ticketmaster hearings and you can read about them here. If that isn't enough, AEG may cancel their contract with Ticketmaster if their merger with Live Nation goes through. The Hitsville blog is also an essential link to reading about what is going on and how this will affect you.

U2's new record will hit stores shelves this Tuesday. The band played a surprise gig this past Friday on a London rooftop. There is a track by track review of the album at this link. The Chicago Tribune review can be read here, Bullz-eye has an excellent review from Jeff Giles at this link and lastly U2 biographer Neil McCormick gives his review of the album at this link.