The voice of Queensryche, Geoff Tate, with his very capable band featuring Scott Moughton, Kieran Robertson, Jack Ross, and Daniel Laverde performed a solid evening of music featuring the Queensryche album Rage For Order in its entirety and the Queensryche album Empire also in its entirety, along with a pair of 'ryche gems for the encore. About 325 fans in attendance.

Ivory Lake was essentially former Geoff Tate drummer, Josh Watts, performing solo acoustic and he deserves a lot of credit for getting on stage alone with an acoustic guitar in front of a few hundred die hard Queensryche fans

GEOFF TATE RAGE FOR ORDER SETLIST:
Walk In The Shadows
I Dream In Infra Red
The Whisper
Gonna Get Close To You
The Killing Words
Surgical Strike
Neue Regel
Chemical Youth (We Are Rebellion)
London
Screaming In Digital
I Will Remember

Intermission

GEOFF TATE EMPIRE SETLIST:
Best I Can
The Thin Line
Jet City Woman
Delta Brown
Another Rainy Night (Without You)
Empire
Resistance
Silent Lucidity
Hand On Heart
One And Only
Anybody Listening?

ENCORE:
Last Time In Paris
Take Hold of The Flame

GEOFF TATE
IVORY LAKE

At a time when many concert tours have the backing of corporate sponsorship, this one would have been good for the folks at Geritol to get behind. While it may have been the 50th Anniversary Tour for the Marshall Tucker boys, only Doug Gray remains as an original member, flanked by a new band of musicians. At 74 years of age, he no longer sings all of the songs. This is primarily a cover band if you will. Hits such as Heard It In A Love Song were plagued by electronic feedback. All in all relatively enjoyable show, however as one fan put it as he was leaving..."That was worse than karaoke."

Dave Mason cannot escape the fact that his music hails from an even older past, however his performance was solid as he plowed through many familiar songs for which he has been associated throughout his career. In fact, I overheard many fans asking, did he write that song? Or Oh I didnt know this was Dave Mason. Just a glimpse of Mason's career puts him in the likes of Traffic, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, George Harrison, Cass Elliot, and Fleetwood Mac.

MARSHALL TUCKER SETLIST:
Runnin Like The Wind
Dog Eat Dog World
Heard It In A Love Song
Fire On The Mountain
Blue Ridge Mountain Sky
Take The Highway
Desert Skies
Ramblin
Can't You See

DAVE MASON SETLIST:
Only You Know And I Know
World In Changes
Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
Dear Mr Fantasy
Can't Find My Way Home
We Just Disagree
Look At You Look At Me
Road Dogs
Feelin Alright
All Along The Watchtower

MARSHALL TUCKER
DAVE MASON

Great night of music. Excellent new venue. Venue staff couldnt have been nicer or more helpful. Bob Weir and Wolf Bros featuring Wolf Pack was essentially a band of ten that delivered nearly 3 hours of music to a sold out crowd in Nashville, Indiana.

BOB WEIR AND WOLF BROS SET ONE:
The Music Never Stopped
Easy Answers
Standin' On Shaky Ground
Mission In The Rain
The Music Never Stopped Tennessee Jed
Althea
Hard Rains Gonna Fall
Mama Tried
Turn On Your Love Light

BOB WEIR AND WOLF BROS SET TWO:
Easy To Slip
Throwing Stones
Uncle John's Band
Supplication
Uncle John's Band
He's Gone
All Along The Watchtower
Wharf Rat
Sugar Magnolia

ENCORE:
One More Saturday Night

BOBBY WEIR

Jethro Tull alumni Martin Barre and Clive Bunker performed the 50th Anniversary of Jethro Tull's classic album, Aqualung. One might question a Jethro Tull performance without a flautist, however Martin and the band delivered the songs in a somewhat harder rock rendition. Venue was the Irving Theatre on the east side of Indianapolis - great place to see a small show. Special thanks to Mark Gasper for bringing this show and several other prog rock shows to Indianapolis.

MARTIN BARRE SET ONE:
Hunting Girl
A New Day Yesterday
Back To Steel
Love Story
Minstrel In The Gallery
Thick As A Brick
For a Thousand Mothers
Heavy Horses
Fat Man

MARTIN BARRE SET TWO:
Nothing Is Easy
A Song For Jeffrey
Aqualung
Cross-eyed Mary
Slipstream
Wond'ring Aloud
Cheap Day Return
Mother Goose
Up To Me
My God
Wind Up
Locomotive Breath

ENCORE:
Teacher

MARTIN BARRE

Progressive Rock tribute band featuring the talents of Michael Sadler (Saga), Ryo Okumoto (Spocks Beard), Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa Band), Matt Dorsey (Sound of Contact), Jonathan Mover (GTR)

Two hour set included a best of progressive rock featuring Dance On A Volcano, Cinema, Cygnus X-1, Xanadu, Solsbury Hill, Money, Wish You Were Here, Living In The Past, Karn Evil 9, Heart of The Sunrise, Roundabout, Have A Cigar, 21st Century Schizoid Man, Siberian Khatru and more

PROGJECT

Reckless Kelly made a welcome stop in Indianapolis at the Hi-Fi Annex. Great night early in the season for an outdoor show. The band had been without guitarist Dave Abayta for the past few years, but it was great to see him back with the band tonight!

RECKLESS KELLY SETLIST:
Get Out Of Denver (Bob Seger cover)
Nobody’s Girl
Under Lucky Stars
Always A Friend
Ragged As The Road
Thinkin bout You All Night
Wicked Twisted Road
Wild Western Wind Blown Band
Painted Lady
Seven Nights In Eire
Goodbye Colorado
1952 Vincent Black Lightning
American Girls
Buckaroo
Crazy Eddie’s Last Hurrah
Castanets / Jimi Hendrix / Rolling Stones / Castanets
You Made It (Teddy Thompson cover)
Mona

RECKLESS KELLY
JOE STAMM BAND

Back to the Ruoff Music Center, what started out as Deer Creek Music Center many years ago has gone through numerous corporate sponsorships and name changes. I really try to avoid this venue as much as possible. Its not all that convenient from a traffic perspective, ever since Noblesville has expanded with business and housing in the area. However for this night's performance, two solid FM staples, Sammy Hagar and George Thorogood.

We had premium reserved pavillion seats thanks to friends at The Ale Emporium, along with VIP parking and Coors Light Party Deck access.

George Thorogood and his band brought a solid set of retrospective hits. He is much older than his hey day but still plays the rocking blues like a pro.

Sammy Hagar and The Circle deliver a hits-filled set from Sammy's solo days, Montrose, Van Halen and of course Led Zeppelin. These days they call that a heritage set. They often play new music as well but not at this show. Michael Anthony, one of the most under rated background vocalists is rock history (my opinion), gave a crowd pleasing rendition of Ain't Talkin Bout Love, a Roth-era VH classic.

One thing I think could have made this a better show...George and Sammy together for one song, an old cover song, anything. That could have been a lot of fun.

SAMMY HAGAR SETLIST:
One Way To Rock
Poundcake
Three Lock Box
Top Of The World
Rock Candy
Finish What Ya Started
Mas Tequila
Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy
Best of Both Worlds
Rock And Roll (Led Zeppelin)
Ain't Talkin Bout Love
Right Now
Why Can't This Be Love
Heavy Metal
I Can't Drive 55
When It's Love

GEORGE THOROGOOD SETLIST:
Rock Party
Who Do You Love (Bo Diddly)
Shot Down (The Sonics)
Night Time (The Strangeloves)
I Drink Alone
One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer (John Lee Hooker)
Gear Jammer
Move It On Over (Hank Williams)
Bad To The Bone

SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE
GEORGE THOROGOOD

After a string of very hot days, it was a very pleasant but warm evening for an outdoor show at one of Indianapolis' most storied public parks. The show was very well attended. Hornsby and band were in good spirits and provided a lot of newer arrangements to older classics.

Interestingly, you could record audio at this show, but no photos of any kind were permitted. Security patroled the lawn stopping anyone who raised a cell phone to snap a pic.

I heard other fans complaining that the songs were not performed as they remembered them on the radio. Just stick to what works I heard one person say. Personally, I like new twists on the old familiar things. I appreciated the new arrangements and jams. I hope others did too. Its either become a heritage act or evolve and while both directions have their place, I liked that Bruce Horsby, a former member of the Grateful Dead for heaven's sake, is not a heritage act.

BRUCE HORNSBY SETLIST
Sticks and Stones
Across The Great Divide
Bright Star Cast
Walk in the Sun
Cast-Off
The Way It Is
Rainbow's Cadillac - Life of the Party - Rainbow's Cadillac
The Good Life
Is This It?
The Valley Road
On the Western Skyline
Funhouse
White Wheeled Limousine
Long Black Veil (Lefty Frizzell)
White Wheeled Limousine

BRUCE HORNSBY & THE NOISEMAKERS
BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN

Private show number 1 of 2 at the Dynamite Jet Saloon in Monticello, IN. A very nice evening of acoustic music from Mike McClure - some by request, cold Shiner Red Bird and the occasional Harley rolling by on Francis Street.

Mike McClure is a very down to earth guy whose talents are to draw from so many life expriences and adventures to tell terrific tales through music. Some tales are funny, some are sad and some are lessons learned...one might suspect even a lesson or two still in progress.

For the small number of folks who attended (by design) what a memorable evening. Off stage, McClure mingled as though he had known us all our lives and we him. I was particularly impressed that my teenage son enjoyed the show. This was certainly not his "go-to" kind of music, but he listened to the words and heard the meaning. We had an interesting conversation on the ride home. For that, I cannot thank Mike enough.

Setlist I cannot completely recall, but included several favorites...Saints In the Twilight, I Know and Calling All Cars from the Foam record and new to-be-released music from The Great Divide. Mike also tossed in some Cross Canadian Ragweed classics that he co-wrote, incliudng Fightin' For but also Carney Man. Pink OK was in there and I think Driftin was in there too. Lots more. The show ended on a Neil Young classic, After The Goldrush. However my unexpected favorite of the evening was World Go Around.

MIKE McCLURE

Private show number 2 of 2 at the Dynamite Jet Saloon in Monticello, IN. Once again, another very nice evening of acoustic music from Mike McClure - this time with a bit more plan to the setlist. Cold beer was of course a staple of the evening but thi stime in addition to the occasional Harley passing loudly by, we had Otis the town delinquent ya-hooing by and an emergency vehicle siren interrupting the show. Ever the professional, McClure rolled with it every time.

This time, a larger audience (again by design) and again what a memorable evening. There were songs re-learnt and rehearsed just for me...I cannot describe just how touched and honored I was (still am) Thanks Mike.

Setlist again included several favorites and surprises...Saints In the Twilight, Jack of Diamonds, Black Rose, Just a Train, San Isabella, Blind Man, Driftin', Pour Me A Vacation, After the Goldrush (Neil Young), Pink OK, Into The Mystic (Van Morrison), Belly of The Beast, World Go Round, Pirate Looks at 40 (Jimmy Buffett) and lots more.

MIKE McCLURE

Having seen the Grateful Dead numerous times and recently Bobby Weir and Wolf Brothers, this was a first for me to see Dead and Company, which features heavy doses of John Mayer. Dead and Company are not the Grateful Dead. The name makes that clear. However for those seeking a trip back in time to the 60's and 70's the vibe is still there - perhaps the faces of changed - both on the stage and in the crowd - but its still the brilliant techicolor spectacle that it always was.

We arrived early for a trip through Skaedown Street, the village of tent and trunk vendors in the parking lot selling trinkets, tshirts, glass pipes, cold waters and beer, and a variety of delicious foodie items cooked on bunsen burners, hibachis and portable pizza ovens.

DEAD AND COMPANY First Set
Viola Lee Blues (Cannon’s Jug Stompers)
Loose Lucy
Row Jimmy
Friend of the Devil
They Love Each Other (Jerry Garcia)
Foolish Heart
The Other One
Don't Ease Me In (Henry Thomas)

DEAD AND COMPANY Second Set
Lost Sailor
Saint of Circumstance
He's Gone
Terrapin Station
Drums/Space
All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan)
Standing on the Moon
Turn On Your Love Light (Bobby “Blue” Bland)
The Weight (The Band)

DEAD AND COMPANY

Sunday evening show at the Hi Fi featuring John Moreland. The opening act was advertised to be The Dead Tongues, however by showtime, there had been a change in plans and Cody Lee Meece was the support act.

John Moreland provided a quality set. Solid songs and lyrics, however nearly no audience interaction, no stories, just the man and his songs. Colored stage lights remained much the same all evening.

Cody Lee Meece on the other hand provided stories and talked to the audience

Just depends on your tastes whether you like the music stripped down or sauced up with some story telling.

JOHN MORELAND SETLIST
Losing Sleep Tonight
Old Wounds
God's Medicine
In Times Between
I Always Let You Burn Me to the Ground
Gospel
Lies I Chose to Believe
I Need You to Tell Me Who I Am
No Glory In Regret
You Don't Care for Me Enough to Cry
Blacklist
Hang Me in the Tulsa County Stars
3:59am
East October
When My Fever Breaks
Learning How to Tell Myself the Truth
Cherokee

ENCORE
Break My Heart Sweetly

JOHN MORELAND
CODY LEE MEECE

The Emerson Theatre is slightly improved since my last visit here in 1998. At that time it was the toilet bowl of venues. Tonight's show featured the greatest rock n roll band in their own minds, Eddie Spaghetti's Supersuckers. Extremely loud, as the sound and echo in this room is terrifying. Oddly a last minute setlist change omitted the Michael Monroe cover of Dead, Jail or Rock n Roll, replaced with a new song from Eddie's next solo album. Still, a solid setlist from the 'suckers.

Arrived late, missed Speedealer altogether.

SUPERSUCKERS SETLIST
Rock 'n' Roll Singer (AC/DC cover)
All of the Time
Ain't Gonna Stop
Rock-n-Roll Records (Ain't Selling This Year)
The Evil Powers of Rock and Roll
Hell City, Hell
Roadworn and Weary
Creepy Jackalope Eye
Get the Hell
Dead Inside
Deceptive Expectation
How to Maximize Your Kill Count
Mudhead
Psyched Out
Dirt Roads, Dead Ends and Dust
Luck
Rock Your Ass
- New Song from forthcoming Eddie Spaghetti solo album
Play that Rock 'n' Roll
Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers (ZZ Top cover)
Pretty Fucked Up
Cowboy Song (Thin Lizzy cover)
Born With a Tail

SUPERSUCKERS

Back to the Indiana State Fair for the Free Stage featuring Kansas. Overall the show as good, although may have sounded a little better in a theatre instead of the outdoor free stage. A very large crowd attended the show and for good reason - the evening was perfect, warm and sunny but not particularly humid as the Indiana summar can often be. But also Kansas has enjoyed a core audience in Indianapolis going back to the 70's when they were often heard on FM rock radio. Kansas toured here at least annually for much of the 70's and early 80's as well so lots of folks in attendance were familiar with the music and jusging by the various tshirts seen in the audience, many had seen Kansas before.

This is part one of a weekend musical journey...

KANSAS SETLIST
Point of Know Return
Whats On My Mind
Two Cents Worth
Icarus Born On Wings of Steel
Can I Tell You
The Wall
People of The South Wind
Hold On
Memories Down The Line
Dust In The Wind
Play The Game Tonight
Throwing Mountains
Sparks of The Tempest
Fight Fire WIth Fire
Paradox
Miracles Out of Nowhere

ENCORE: Carry On Wayward Son

After the show, back to the infield parking lot at just about dusk, hot air baloon teams were filling their balloons for a night lift off. A very colorful sight to see.

Following this show we would hit the road from Indianapolis to Memphis the next night...

KANSAS

Arrived in Memphis just about 4pm, checked in at the hotel and grabbed a ride down to Beale Street. Plenty of activity there including street acrobats and a Women's Pole Vaulting exhibition of all things. Some bars were open, some closed (too early?), some had long lines to get in. We selected Rum Boogie Blues Hall and Cafe for afternoon beers then Silky O'Sullivans for oysters, catfish and more beers. Time to grab a ride to the Robert Earl Keen show out in Germantown

Brent Cobb and his band opened the show with a short set of about 8-9 songs before Robert and his band took the stage. Only about a 20 minute intermission between bands which was nice. The venue was an exceptional modern theatre and the sound was great.

Robert Earl Keen performed about 2 hours. Set included lots of favorites including (among many others) Gringo Honeymoon, Corpus Christi Bay, Five Pound Bass, Copenhagen, Only One S in New Braunfels, Feelin Good Again, Mr Wolf and Mama Bear, I'm COmin Home, The Road Goes On Forever, MErry Christmas From the Family and a cover of Play A Train Song.

Indeed he kicked the footlights out - a terrific show!

Sadly Mr Keen will be missed when he leaves the stage next month for a very well earned retirement.

ROBERT EARL KEEN
BRENT COBB

Another fabulous evening at the Dynamite Jet Saloon with Courtney Patton and our hosts CHris and Kate. I had a few songs in mind that I hoped Courtney would play and damn if she didnt start the set with my favorite, Twisted. Another big highlight was a three-fer of covers featuring one each from Mike McClure, Jason Bolland and Cody Canada. Those were Yesterday Road, Somewhere Down In Texas, and Alabama. Sometimes She Flies, I've Got One Waiting, Gold Standard, So This Is Life, Little Black Dress and Twelve Days were some of the others.

Lots of stories and good times.

COURTNEY PATTON

Ludlow Garage is a favorite small venue and so back again for Dire Straits Legacy - which is a terrific show for fans of Dire Straits. Unlike many of the tribute bands performing the club and small theatre circuits, Dire Straits Legacy is comprised of mostly veteran Dire Straits members and sidemen including Mel Collins (Dire Straits 1982-83), Alan Clark (Dire Straits 1980-95), Tommy Mandel (Dire Straits 1982-83) and Phil Palmer (Dire Straits 1990-92). In addition, the band also included bass player and legendary producer, Trevor Horn and while Trevor may not have a history associated with Dire Straits, his production credits are A1 including YES, Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Tina Turner, Jeff Beck, Bryan Ferry and more.

This is as true a representation of Dire Straits you'll hear with founder Mark Knopfler

DIRE STRAITS LEGACY SETLIST
Private Investigations
Walk Of Life
Setting Me Up
Tunnel Of Love
Romeo And Juliet
Down To The Waterline
Owner Of A Lonely Heart (YES cover)
The Bug
Your Latest Trick
Telegraph Road
Brothers In Arms
Sultans Of Swing
Money For Nothing

ENCORE: So Far Away

DIRE STRAITS LEGACY

TCU Amphitheatre is a favorite venue in the Indianapolis area. The views are good and the sound is great inside the pavillion. Outside the pavillion, the lawn is good too. It's a smaller lawn area than most sheds, which means get there plenty early for a good spot. We arrived closer to show time and complimentary lawn chairs were already gone. The lawn was already packed, leaving only areas of grass that were less than desirable to drop a blanket. The landscape of the lawn is hilly, which is visually appealing for a show with a lot fewer fans. However for ZZ Top, the lawn was quite full and remaining spots were to be found on the other side of a hill or slope, separating the venue from the street. We could not see any part of the stage itself and relied on the big screens high above the stage to see what was happening. The sound on the back side of the hill is also muffled. Hence, the moral of the story is get there early for lawn seats if the headliner is expected to draw a large crowd.

Listened to Austin Meade on the way through the gates and while foraging for a spot.

ZZ Top played a no-nonsense set of about 75 minutes with very little talking between songs.

ZZ TOP SETLIST
Got Me Under Pressure
I Thank You
Waitin For The Bus
Jesus Just Left Chicago
Gimme All Your Lovin
Pearl Necklace
I'm Bad I'm Nationwide
I Gotsta Get Paid
My Heads In Mississippi
Sixteen Tons
Just Got Paid
Sharp Dressed Man
Legs

ENCORE:
Brown Sugar
Tube Snake Boogie
La Grange

ZZ TOP
AUSTIN MEADE

Classic
Spanish
Guitar

Those three words are appropriate in summary of the Al Di Meola show at Butler's Howard L Schrott Center for the Performing Arts. Still, probably one of my favorite parts of the show was the percussion break featuring Richie Morales and Amit Kavthekar.

The set clocked in at nearly 2 hours and included Fandango, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), Strawberry Fields, Mediterranean Sundance and more.

AL Di MEOLA

Very light attendence which may have been due to slightly higher ticket prices since the last time Chris Knight was here. All in maybe 50 people including the bartender, security and merch guy. Still, Chris Knight came out swinging right away with a fantastic set that any fan could have hand picked.

Among those in attendence, at least two incidents of fans being fully intoxicated and tossed out. One guy threw up, pole danced, then got thrown out.

CHRIS KNIGHT  SETLIST
Becky's BibleRural Route
Little VictoriesSend It On Down
William Callahan
Nothin' On Me
Heart of Stone
Down By The River
Lowdown
Old Man
Enough Rope
Ain't Easy Bein' Me
Oil Patch Town
Love And A .45
Cry Lonely
North Dakota
Up From The Hill
Down The River

ENCORE:
Jack Blue
Framed 

CHRIS KNIGHT
MIC HARRISON

A rather cool evening for an outdoor show, but a great night of music and a decent turnout for American Aquarium at the Hi Fi Annex. A setlist delivering 22 songs, which may have been a bit longer if not for the local curfew.

AMERICAN AQUARIUM SETLIST
Chicamacomico
All I Needed
The Long Haul
Casualties
St. Mary's
Jacksonville
Starts With You
Six Years Come September
Wildfire
Lonely Ain't Easy
Losing Side of Twenty-Five
Wolves
Tough Folks
O' Lover (BJ Barham song)
Betting Man
The Luckier You Get
Wichita Falls
I Hope He Breaks Your Heart
Burn.Flicker.Die.

ENCORE:
The First Year BJ without band)
One Day at a Time
Queen of My Double Wide Trailer (Sammy Kershaw cover)

AMERICAN AQUARIUM
JESSE DANIEL

Surfing with the alien in Brown County Indiana. Kenny Aronoff on drums. No opening act. Joe Satriani played over 2 hours of shredding, with only a brief intermission mid show.

JOE SATRIANI FIRST SET:
1980
Sahara
The Elephants Of Mars
Ice 9
Thunder High On The Mountains
One Big Rush
Blue Foot Groovy
Flying In A Blue Dream
Spirits Ghosts And Outlaws
Faceless
Crystal Planet
Summer Song

JOE SATRIANI SECOND SET:
Kenny Aronoff Drum Solo
Energy
E 104th Street NYC 1973
Rai Thistlewayte Keyboard Solo
Cool #9
Ali Farka, Dick Dale, An Alien And Me
Shapeshifting
Teardrops
Luminous Flesh Giants
If I Could Fly
Always With Me Always With You
Satch Boogie

ENCORE:
Crowd Chant
Surfing With The Alien

JOE SATRIANI

First time for Courtney Patton to plpay Indianapolis, her second all time appearance in Indiana. A cozy show with about 30 in attendance for a Wednesday night at Duke's. Courtney played selections from her new album, Electrostatic and took requests as well. She again played the Cross Canadian Ragwweed classic, Alabama, for which she performed previously at The Dynamite Jet Saloon in Monticello, IN back in August.

My first time also at Duke's Indy - enjoyed the venue and loved the fact that the stage is conveniently situated under a big pink neon sign that says Please Shut The Fuck Up

COURTNEY PATTON

Roughly 600-800 fans on hand for this show. This was Todd Snider's first show back at the Murat in quite some time after annual shows at the Vogue for the past few years. Had this show been held at the Vogue, it would have been pretty close to a packed house. However in the Egyptian Room, everybody had plenty of space and the quality of the room is far superior in terms of sound and up-keep of the building.

Todd was in great spirits and interacted with the crowd quite a lot, told stories and performed a terrific setlist.

TODD SNIDER SETLIST
Greencastle Blues
Old Times
Devil's Backbone
DB Cooper
Play A Train Song (excerpt from Folsom Prison Blues)
You Think You KNow Somebody
Beer Run
Statistician Blues
America's Favorite Pastime
Just Like Overnight
Looking For A Job
Working On A Song
Iron Mike's Main Man's Last REquest
Alright Guy

ENCORES:
Can't Complain
Moondawg's Tavern
Doublewide Blues

TODD SNIDER