Photo: Monsterofrock.com screenshot As always, the Monsters of Rock Cruise organizers put on a fun event that went smoothly, despite Mother Nature’s day and a half long tempest. But not a single person was in any less of a mood for it, the party started happily indoors, and the bands were rescheduled smoothly. Needless to … More 2023 Monsters of Rock Cruise – Back For More
One of my blog missives has been to post all of my concert ticket stubs, year by year in order, starting with my first Van Halen concert in 1980. I recently finished posting all of my 1980-89 stubs and intended to move on to the ’90s. But then 2020 came along. I started writing this post … More My 2020 Concerts, Coronavirus, and Memes
I’m not sure why it took me 38 years to see the Rolling Stones for a second time, but I’m so happy we made the four-hour road trip over to Jacksonville to see them on their No Filter Tour. Great show, great energy, great crowds – just one of those delightful concert experiences. I guess … More The Rolling Stones – 2019 in Jacksonville and 1981 in Orlando
Merrymaking: conviviality, festivity, gaiety, jollification, rejoicing, and revelry…that pretty much sums up the week. Great music, great people, great times – lovely weather and beautiful islands – another fun-filled escape to a happy, live music paradise. If I had to pick my three favorite shows from this year’s Monsters of Rock Cruise, I’d go with … More 2019 Monsters of Rock Cruise – Merrymaking
The 2018 Monsters of Rock Cruise was yet another fantastic vacation in the slew of well-organized On the Blue concert cruises. I have been lucky enough to be able to seek my personal respite, reprieve, hiatus – whatever you want to call taking a breath of life as it should be once in awhile – on seven … More 2018 Monsters of Rock Cruise Recap
I would imagine (as I’m not exactly sure) that whatever ideal state of universal contentedness people are supposed find in church is what fans found at the Tampa Santana show. It was the epitome of the experience you seek every time you go to a concert – a release into a chill, happy, perfect energy. … More Santana in Tampa 2017 – Happiness Perceived
The State Theatre in St. Petersburg recently shared a Science Alert Facebook post about a study that found that live music reduces stress hormone levels. Apparently, despite centuries of music being known to soothe the beast within, this was the first scientific study backing this up when it comes to live music. They actually took … More Lynch Mob at the State Theatre in St. Petersburg – 2017 Jam Session
This post started out as a review of the Van Halen show in Tampa back in September of 2015. But it turned out I had thirty-something years of Van Halen, and by association Sammy Hagar, commentary that I had to get out. Realistically, how could any self-respecting rock music fan not have quite a bit … More The Chronicles of a Van Halen and Sammy Hagar Fan – 1979 to 2017
It sounds like the start of a joke, right? But I felt the need to title this post in a way to let the reader know where I’m coming from, or perhaps where I’m not coming from: I don’t do and I don’t know rap music. When I mentioned to people my age that I was … More An Old Rocker Goes to See Machine Gun Kelly at Jannus Live
I watched the Guns n’ Roses reunion come together with interest but never quite committed to go – and then realized I should go, because “last” opportunities abound these days. It takes a certain show for me to commit to driving the traffic nightmare route to Orlando for a giant arena show with a nosebleed … More Guns n’ Roses in Orlando 2016 – And Back When
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