REFRAIN MUSIC

“Inside every woman is a Pussycat Doll”…that’s the tag line of the PCD Burlesque review that appeared last night at the Center at Casino New Brunswick, starring Carmen Electra.  Not quite knowing what to expect with this show I entered to an almost packed house with a surprising range of ages from their early twenties and well into their senior years.

The Pussycat Dolls is a creation of Robin Antin (some of you may have seen her as a guest judge on this season’s So You Think You Can Dance) and were founded as a Burlesque troupe in 1995.  They called the “Viper Room” in Los Angeles home from 1995-2001 where they had a Thursday night show performing 50’s and 60’s standards in lingerie and pin-up costumes before moving to their current home ‘The Roxy’.  In 1999 they began to grow in recognition with a spread in Playboy, and went on to be features on MTV, VH1, and in Maxim magazine in 2002.  They’ve had many guest lead dolls from Christina Applegate, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, and the aforementioned Carmen Electra.  In 2003, under music industry stars Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair, Antin began the creation of the the popular singing group we all know today that featured former Edens Crush singer Nicole Scherzinger to coincide with the Burlesque show.

Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Review

The show started strangely I thought with a ‘guest dj’ playing for about the first 25 minutes of the show, which I could tell had some of the audience wondering when the real show was about to start, this was a nice feature at the beginning to amp up the crowd but went on for about ten minutes too long.   As the DJ played, the smoke began to ooze onto the stage, willowing around the half a dozen empty black chairs and dangling feather boa’s that sat waiting on the stage.  The lights got dimmer and dimmer as the DJ’s beats pounded through the center, and then the Dolls burst on to the stage to perform their first number.

Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Review - Casino NB

You could tell that this was a new experience for a lot of people as they didn’t quite know how to respond to half a dozen scantily clad women coming out in, basically their underwear, and singing to an old vaudeville style song.  This walking Victoria’s Secret commercial was a new experience for a lot of people but the crowd eventually was cheering and expressing their excitement at the urging of the PCD’s lead vocalist.

The stage blackened at this point and we were treated to one of several Pussycat Dolls features on the video screens in the Center on either side of the stage, I assume that this was to present time for ‘costume changes’, but still seemed like a bit of a ‘filler’.   Their return to the stage brought out one of the several appearances by the feature Doll, Carmen Electra.

Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Review - Casino NB - Carmen Electra

Carmen Electra, a four time Playboy playmate, has been with the Dolls since their early years performing countless shows, and was part of the troupe that got featured in Maxim magazine that garnered the attention of Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair.  She continues to dazzle audiences with the PCDBR and has had many side projects over the years from workout videos, movies, television (remember Baywatch), and music.  Once again she doesn’t disappoint on this night, dancing up a storm, and in a bathtub (faux taking a bath to music, in lingerie) and entertaining the crowd.

Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Review - Casino NB

The Dolls went through some classic standards in “Foxy Lady” and “Hey Big Spender” and also vocalized some of the best known pussycat Dolls songs like “Don’t Cha”, “Buttons”, and  “When I Grow Up” all to rave applause from the crowd.  Overall it was an entertaining evening with some high energy dancing, beautiful girls in lingerie, and some good music.   If you have the opportunity I’d highly recommend taking in a PCD Burlesque Show and once again I want to thank the Casino and PPRL for a great show and fun evening.

Once again back at the fantastic facility at the new Casino NB, the “Center” for a night of bluesy rock with George Thorogood and the Destroyers!  Having been here for several shows now, I was surprised at the seating configuration that was being utilized tonight, or should I say the lack of  seating.  They had the regular bleacher seats at the back of the room, but the floor seats had been removed and it was all standing tonight, perhaps in anticipation of some dancing!

George Thorogood

After 16 studio albums (two Platinum and six Gold), over fifteen million albums sold world wide, and countless tours around the globe, George Thorogood and the Destroyers are one accomplished and hard working act.  Bringing all walks of life together at their shows, they appeal to a wide variety of musical tastes, from the blues fan to the guitar rock fan.  The crowd on this night lingers around in the wide open expanse (no seats remember) of the the Center’s open hall, sauntering to the two bar’s set up at either end, and anticipating a fun music filled evening.   From their simple beginnings in 1970, after Thorogood gave up playing semi-pro baseball to become a full time musician, he put together the Destroyers in his home state of Delaware and they moved to Boston where they played regularly in the local blues clubs.  In 1974 they cut their first demos, which later became their “Better Than The Rest” album that came after their 1977 debut, and 1978 “Move It On Over” album that got them their first gold record.  In 1982, he released “Bad To The Bone”, with the title track becoming his signature song…with heavy saturation on MTV for the video, the album went Gold, as did their next three albums.

George Thorogood

Around 8:10pm this evening the lights dimmed and the rapidly growing crowd in the Center, roared to life as Thorogood and the Destroyers took the stage. Thorogood in his classic bandana, dark sunglasses, and dressed in all black took no time in ripping into guitar laden music and riling up the crowd.   Flashing his infectious smile, the ladies loved it when it when it was directed at them, he riffed his way into great classics like his cover of Hank Williams’ “Move It On Over”.

Thorogood now in his sixties, it’s obvious, has been doing this for a long time as he interacts with his crowd (one of the best things a performer can do in my opinion), he tells stories, and he relates to people.  Even the obnoxious aren’t left out, when one gent in the front was rather boisterous in his desire for one of George’s guitar picks, Thorogood talked to him and dedicated the next song to him…”Get A Haircut and Get A Real Job”…to much cheering from the crowd.

George Thorogood

Rolling through all of his classic songs this night in “Bad To the Bone”, “Move It On Over”, “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”, and “I Drink Alone”.  The excited crowd gyrating to some fantastic blues guitar playing, Thorogood being a fantastic slide guitar player, and some great saxophone solos by sax player Buddy Leach.  The crowd, ranging in age from their early twenties and well into their sixties were treated to a little over an hour or grinding bluesy rock that you couldn’t help but get your body moving too.

Buddy Leach of the "Destroyers"

That same crowd also brought Thorogood and his band out for two encore’s that featured song’s like “Madison Blues” and “No Particular Place To Go”.  At the end the crowd left satisfied and rocked out the door, guitars still ringing in their ears, the lights came on too early (the Center turned up the house lights while GT was still on the last song of his second encore which was bizarre) but the crowd didn’t care they kept on rocking.  Thorogood even made one final appearance after the band left the stage to come out and ‘bump fists’ and shake hands with the crowd that still lined the stage which, in my opinion, was a classy thing to do.  Until next time thanks to the Center and PPRL for a great show!

The term “Burlesque” launches most individuals minds towards the image of scantily clad woman gyrating to grinding jazz and blues in smokey dark nightclubs, and in most cases they wouldn’t be far off.  That said, most wouldn’t know that Burlesque has been around for over a hundred years in various incarnations, starting out in the early 1830’s taking a well known theatrical play and creating a musical parody of it, but most think of the more Americanized style of a ‘striptease’ style show that was as much about the sexiness and an extension of the music, which is what I ventured into on Saturday night.

Rock & Roll Burlesque Show

Prior to the show I hooked up with Tiffany from ‘Broken Chord Promotions’, whom I want to thank for contacting me about this show and giving me the opportunity to cover, she introduced me to the vibrant Kay Licious (Pink Velvet Burlesque), with whom I had a wonderful chat about her stepping into the world of Burlesque five short years ago and never looking back.  I want to take the time to thank Kay for speaking with me and showing me her ‘stupid human trick’ (too freaky to type), and talking to me about how she’d love to perform at the world renowned burlesque festival in Las Vegas someday, a personal goal I’m sure she’ll achieve.  You can see the passion in her eyes as she describes Burlesque and what it means to her, the energy that it brings into her voice, and the twinkle in her eye when she describes loving dancing to ‘dirty blues’.

Kay Licious

www.pinkvelvetburlesque.net

Being in the door a bit ahead of the general public I got to see the lovely Scarlett Sparks do her rehearsal and knew that were in for a bit of a treat tonight.  The band behind her was great and even though she was just getting a feel for the space she’d be working in we knew it was going to be fun.

Next I got the chance to chat with the, for lack of a better word, enthusiastic, Miss Magenta (Tainted Temple Burlesque).  I say enthusiastic because I could tell right from the get go that this young lady enjoys life, and has a magical ‘enthusiam’ for it and what she’s doing with it.  This thought was reinforced by the fact that when I asked her how she got her stage name, she replied; “if I was a color, that’s the color I think I’d be”, loved that.  A very energetic fan of house music I asked her what song would people be surprised to find on her music player, and she replied with a little smile; “Tequila Makes Your Clothes Fall Off”…which really, isn’t that surprising at all considering her chosen occupation.  One thing that I could tell from talking to both ladies, they have a great passion for what they do, they love their jobs, and not many of us can say that with honesty that I saw from these gals.

Miss Magenta

The show opened with the “rockabilly” family trio of “The Shakedown Combo”, originally from the UK and migrating to Western Canada, they now call Nova Scotia home.  All I can say is this family can play, young Kimmi plays a full stand up bass like she was born with it in her hand, I was mesmerized watching her play.  Guitar player, and ‘daddio’ of the group David Goode is a very good guitar player that fills the room with fantastic rockabilly riffs, while in center stage the matriarch of the group, Gill Goode belts out the vocals sometimes in a wail, sometimes in a purr that matches her leopard print outfit.  A very fun group to listen too and to watch perform.

Next up was “The Troubleshooters”, a bluesy rock and rock band that really got the groove going and brought out the burlesques girls for the first time.  With everything from saxophone to great guitar licks these guys rocked The Manhattan here in Moncton, while the lovely gals of burlesque performed in front of them.  Vocalist Chris Martin provided mc duties for the gals as they took to the stage with great flair, style, and to raucous applause.  Hitting us with a blues/rock style that had everyone dancing and grooving for a great part of the night.

Scarlett Sparks

www.scarlettsparks.com

   Closing out the night the burlesque girls performed once more just before Dapper Dan and the Drive-In Classics hit the stage to take us off into the night with some classic rockabilly rock and roll.  I want to thank the girls and the bands for making it a fun night, the girls were lovely to chat with and I look forward to seeing them perform again.  My only bad comment about the night, repeated by a few people I chatted too, “not enough burlesque”!!

For my first venture into burlesque I had a blast and I would recommend that people be open to taking in a burlesque show, it’s great fun, great music, and all around good time.  Until next time!

Amazing…Incredible…Stunning…Miraculous…Unbelievable…Breathtaking…oh and ‘muddy’…just a few of the words I heard used to describe one of the biggest events ever to hit the city, the province, all of Atlantic Canada.  The final stop of two years of touring, the culmination of the U2 360 Tour that started in June of 2009 in Barcelona, Spain…to end in Moncton, N.B. – Canada at one of the biggest events ever put on at the Magnetic Hill Music Festival.

U2 360 Tour Logo

When the show was confirmed back in January it completed six years, practically since the last note of the Rolling Stones ‘Bigger Bang Tour’ show in 2005, of wishing and waiting by fans, Facebook groups, letters to promoters, emails to the city, and just all around finger and toe crossing that one of the biggest groups of the last four decades would grace the ‘hill’.  So now, with the completion of this show, the end to the most financially successful tour of all time ($736M+), Magnetic Hill has seen five of the most successful touring acts of the last decade in The Rolling Stones, U2, AC/DC, Tim McGraw, and Bon Jovi…in the last six years.

Magnetic Hill Music Festival Logo

Concert goers woke early Saturday morning to a torrential downpour (guessing not many were up early enough to see that there actually was a ‘sunrise’ that morning) and many bought out local shops stock of rain ponchos, rubber boots, and rain gear (some even resorted to using shower curtains as rain ponchos).  It seemed as the day went on, it just rained harder and harder, those that had been on the Hill before knew what they were in for and were out in droves seeking ways to stay dry and warm.    As I made my way to the media checkpoint to be escorted into the site that afternoon I began to hear about the huge line-ups at the city’s newest creation the ‘park-and-ride’, a system of bussing people to the concert site from two predetermined off-site locations (more on that later).  As I was being escorted into the site by city officials and the RCMP with other media, I started to see some tweets that there was a problem at the main gate, only to hear later that someone had lost the keys to the padlock and a massive search was on for bolt cutters, crisis averted the main gate opened roughly an hour later than scheduled and the masses began to pour onto the still ‘grassy’ hill.

The "Claw" during the day "U2 360"

As we arrived at the media tent backstage I could tell that that ‘anticipatory buzz’ had started to take hold of the site, where everyone knew this was going to be a big day, check in time, stow your gear, get your media credentials, and wait.  I also started to get texts from friends that they had been in the ‘park-and-ride’ line-up for over an hour, that they were sure they would miss the first act (which they did) and they hoped they got there soon.   Around four-thirty the rain that had hampered us all day, that had since turned to a misty afternoon, came to a drizzly halt, and the clouds began to lighten somewhat.  Incidentally, from a report I got from a friend at the Greater Moncton International Airport, that was the exact time that Bono and his band mates stepped off their private plane (wow, I knew Bono was well connected but come on!).  As the sun broke through the clouds a little while later, the ever swelling crowd cheered and the promoter brought on the first of the day’s acts “Carney”.  Unfortunately, the media didn’t get their ‘three song’ jaunt to the stage for the opening act, so we resorted to listening to them from backstage.  The Los Angeles based band was impressive to say the least, I enjoyed their set quite a bit and found myself wishing that they had played longer than they did.  Equally impressive was their cover of the Queen Classic, Bohemian Rhapsody, which their attempt of surprised me and their achievement of satisfied me.

Carney

I look forward to hearing much more about and from these guys, they are a talented group that, at times, had a very Bono-esque sound to them.  Perhaps that’s why Reeve Carney was cast in the Broadway Musical, Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark, as Peter Parker/Spiderman, a musical that has music and lyrics composed by none other than Bono and The Edge!

As the media lingered backstage a rustle of the photographers became apparent as a security team came forward from backstage, I could see no reason for the commotion and then realized that ‘James Bond’ was standing in front of me, that is, Irish born actor Pierce Brosnan was being escorted into the VIP tent, then followed the premiere of New Brunswick, David Alward and the Mayor of Moncton, George Leblanc.  There had been reports of celebrity sitings and tweets of surprise visits flying around for days, Oprah, Brangelina, Clapton, Neil Young, BB King, Beyonce…only person I can confirm (and truly believe was there) that I saw with my own eyes (and have a picture of the back of his head) was 007.

We were then all rustled up and marched, soldier style, out to the media platform just inside the main barricade (by the foot of the left front claw) for the start of the next act, Montreal’s “Arcade Fire”.   This indie band from Montreal, can we even still call them ‘indie’ anymore, I mean, they’ve won a Grammy Award for crying out loud (2011 Album of The Year)!   A lot of people had never heard of Arcade Fire prior to their Grammy win, a ‘lot’ had and they are strong and dedicated fans, and I can see why.  One of the reasons I can see is for some of the things they do, not only did they play at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth a few short days earlier, but they dove into “Sappyfest” (indie music festival in nearby Sackville, NB) under the pseudonym “Shark Attack” and rocked the crowd there just hours before fronting U2 on the Hill.  That gains respect by fans, by critics, and by reviewers like yours truly!

Arcade Fire's - Win Butler - Magnetic Hill Music Festival

Arcade Fire's - Regine Chassagne - Magnetic Hill Music Festival

Arcade fire sports many musician who play many instruments, none quite like Regine Chassagne who even plays the ‘hurdy gurdy’ live on stage, she started the show on the drums, and at one point had an accordian in her hands…all the while sporting a golden dress that was brilliant enough to be seen far and wide even without help of the giant video screen…perhaps it was a sun substitute on the rainy and cloudy day.  I really enjoyed Arcade Fire and would definitely recommend their upbeat, energetic live performance to all of you.

With AF coming to an end everyone’s excitement began to build, they all knew what came next, what the majority of them had come to see was about to happen.  The ‘claw’ was about to stir to life, this powerful mother ship beast of a stage was about to awake from it’s slumber and join in on the performance.  As “Dallas” (U2’s guitar technician) finished getting the Edge’s guitars prepped, as the crowd packed in around the enormous feet of the claw that pierced the earth like it wanted to tear the wet muddy soil out in it’s grip, there came a massive roar from above.  Two Canadian Forces CF-18’s roared over the crowd and after they got over the shock of the jet’s enormous sound, the crowd roared back in appreciation.  With a circle of the Hill, and a couple more fly overs…the jet’s were gone…and everyone knew what came next.

Canadian Forces CF-18 flyover

Then it happened the years of wishing, the months of waiting, the days of anticipation were all about to come to an end…two solid years of touring, that saw 18 births, two marriages, and 8 separations among it’s crew.  The mothership was landing for the final time, the claw was coming to grab you in it’s final grip, the U2 360 Tour was about to come to an end…but not before one more gargantuan show.  Then it happened, the monstrous claw began to breathe, it’s expelled it’s breath in a cloud of white smoke, instead of fear it sparked cheers, roars of appreciation and excitement and the final stop on the 360 Tour was about to begin.  Those watching closely could see the band walking from back stage on the video screen and as Larry Mullin emerged and sat at his drums the crowd erupted, and the night was pieced by the familiar sound of the Edge’s guitar pulsating out “Even Better Than The Real Thing” (and I began snapping pictures like a mad man)!

The Claw comes to life - U2 360 Tour - Final Night!

U2 was a band I’d always wanted to see, since the days of “War”, and “October”, since Rattle & Hum, and Joshua Tree, since Sunday Bloody Sunday, but I never thought I’d get the opportunity…but here they were, in all their splendor, finalizing a record setting world tour in the city I live in…and Bono burst onto the stage.  Check another one of those ‘must see live’ bands off my list.
During the first three songs us media guys were in a bit of a frenzy snapping pictures like lunatics as we only get the first three songs to capture what we can from our special vantage point, so I barely heard, “Even Better Than The Real Thing”, “The Fly”, and “Mysterious Ways” but was certainly paying attention during the third song as The Edge made his way to us on the runway.

The Edge - U2 360 Tour Final Show - Moncton, NB Canada

Then like before we were marched off like good little soldiers to the backstage area to find our various vantage points from which to watch the show, I found several as you’ll not from my pictures to follow.  There were so many pleasing moments in this show, from hearing Bono say “Moncton…a town of Monks” (I know that’s silly but it was still cool), to watching the band soak in the vibrating excitement from the crowd on this final night.  A special moment was when Bono, acapella, sang a brief verse of the “Ballad of Springhill about the 1958 Springhill mining disaster that the band pulled out of mothballs due to the close proximity to the small Nova Scotia town.

Bono & Adam - U2 360 Tour Final Night - Moncton, NB Canada - July 30/2011

One of my person favorite moments was when Astronaut Mark Kelly flashed a prerecorded message on the giant video screen, actually mentioning “Moncton”, and popping floating words into the air and spelling out “Beautiful Day” which the band then played.  Also as part of this, midway through the song Kelly spoke the lyric “tell my wife I love her – she knows” which has special meaning as he is husband to gunshot victim US Republican Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.  Amazing addition to an already amazing show.

ISS Astronaut Mark Kelly

With a multitude of special moments, the bands biggest hit of the last decade “Vertigo” highlighting the elongation of the giant video screen to the stage and almost touching the band, to hearing “Sunday Bloody Sunday” live, to watching Bono swing around on his neon lit ‘steering wheel’ microphone…the night was filled with almost too many special moments to write about.

U2 360 Tour Final Night - The Giant Video Screen Extends!

Champagne was uncorked, “Hallelujah” was sung to raucous cheers, “Where The Streets Have No Name” encored us into the night and with the final song “40” (which the band probably had to look up the lyrics of this old gem from 1983’s ‘War’), where the Edge and Adam Clayton swap instruments and one by one the band shuts it down, until only Larry Mullin is the only one on the stage still playing (fitting as he was the first one on the stage in Barcelona).  Larry walks to the front of the stage, takes the microphone and says “We’ll Miss You…Goodnight”…and joins his band mates who wait for him at the rear of the stage for one final exit.  Thus ended the most successful tour of all time, with one of the largest crews, and certainly one of the biggest stages.

U2 360 Tour Final Night - Moncton, NB - Canada - July 30/2011

So came the end of another massive concert, successfully on the “hill”, to all those responsible we thank-you…to U2, Arcade Fire, Carney, DKD, Live Nation, City Of Moncton, and any others that made this event happen.  Yes there were glitches, the ‘park-and-ride’ didn’t work quite as well as expected but hopefully like everything else with the Magnetic Hill Music Festival, over time the Park-and-Ride system sees vast improvements.  The torrential downpours all day led to a massively muddy field (to those complaining…really?) but the promoters can’t do much about that.  Fun was had by one and all in the long run (even those that brought new born babies to the concert which I personally think is touching on insanity), even I bet by Mark Pinkerton who was there in Barcelona in 2009 when U2 started it all and he was here in Moncton to finish it with them.  So to one and all I say thank-you for a great time…and what’s next!?

Main Set: Even Better Than The Real Thing, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, Until the End of the World, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – Ballad of Springhill, Stay, Beautiful Day – Space Oddity, Elevation, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I’ll Go Crazy (remix) – Discotheque, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On

Encore(s): One, Hallelujah – Where the Streets Have No Name, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender, Out of Control, 40

5 / 5

First off I have to commend the staff at the Casino New Brunswick venue right from their media rep, to their fun and cordial box office staff, to the smiling bar tenders in the lobby lounge; this is a very pleasant venue in which to see a show.  Tonight, as you gathered by the title, it’s Australian rock band INXS!

The band first formed in 1977 as ‘The Ferris Brothers’ (three of the members are Ferris brothers) but later became INXS in 1979, and went on to chart their first number one hit with “Original Sin” in 1984 off their album “Swing”.  Original Sin was written by original front man Michael Hutchence who fronted the band for twenty years until the time of his shocking death in 1997.   The band had a string of hits through the 80’s and 90’s such as the aforementioned ‘Original Sin’, ‘Devil Inside’, ‘Need You Tonight’, and ‘Suicide Blonde’.  In 2005, INXS participated in the reality show “Rockstar” where they selected Canadian J.D. Fortune, originally from Pictou County, Nova Scotia, as their new lead singer.

INXS (J.D. Fortune) - Live @ Casino NB - Moncton, NB - Canada 07/07/11

Upon arrival at the show I graciously got my ticket upgraded by the ever so kind ladies in the box office and headed to the front row, not that I’d be in my seat long, I’ll explain that in a minute.  I would have been ok from the seat I was in because it was afforded a great view of the stage.  When the band came on, I almost thought they had an opening act because they started with three drummers on stage, I was a bit confused, but then their preemptive drum barrage that blasted us up to the next level of anticipation ended and the fellas manned their regular stations, and then I realized it was the three Ferris brothers who were our percussive introduction.  The band launched right into “Suicide Blonde” and out came J.D. to blast us back to 1990 and we were on our way!  Now I mentioned I wouldn’t be in my seat long, well many concert goers ran to the front of the stage, hesitant thinking security would make them sit back down (which being forced to sit in a seat at a concert is just silly to me), but the band encouraged people to come on down, so I leapt to the front of the stage right below guitarist/saxophonist Kirk Pengilly and that’s where I remained the rest of the show!

The band soared through all the great INXS hits of the past, some great new songs, and did some interesting adaptations on others including a rather odd ‘countrified’ version of ‘New Sensation’ that one of the female back up singers sang (conversations after the show told me this was met with mixed reactions)

INXS - Live @ Casino NB - Moncton, NB - Canada 07/07/11

There were some interesting breaks in which, as I already said J.D. left stage and one of the back up singers sang ‘New Sensation’, nearer the end Kirk and keyboardist Andrew Ferris played a number on acoustic guitars (Andrew Ferris wearing one of the most bizarre looking hats I’ve ever seen).  Speaking of hats, I’ve still yet to determine why guitar player Tim Ferris came on stage after a break in what looked like a jet pilot helmet and played a couple songs that way…that one kind of threw me off (anyone know what the heck that was about?), but hey I can’t complain the man’s favorite guitar is a 1956 Stratocaster which is just plain cool.

The band brought things to a close at one point, but the crowd wasn’t done with them just yet, banging their hands on the stage and cheering and clapping to bring the guys back onstage for a couple more songs leaving the crowd happy and wanting more!  I was impressed with J.D.’s ability to perform the classics with the same tones and inflections that we all know of former singer Hutchence (although he’s got to be one of the hardest singers to take a picture of I’ve ever seen!) and was thoroughly entertained by the band.

I have to say I can’t say enough about the venue, acoustically they just got it right when they designed this place as the sound is impeccable.  After an hour and forty-five minutes, I would definitely, recommend seeing INXS live if you have the opportunity, as they put on a tight and entertaining show!  Until next time!