Took in some great Loop shows this weekend. Saturday, Nickelback and Staind packed the house at Alpine Valley. Both bands delivered enthusiastic sets that had concert-goers on their feet for the entire night. Chad Kroeger of Nickelback was particularly polished at making the huge venue feel more like an intimate show in your living room than in a vast amphitheatre. From inviting a fan on-stage to propose to his girlfriend (she accepted setting off a roar of delight from the crowd), to making much light of a flub he made (starting the wrong song) and telling humorous stories, it was a casual and fun atmosphere that is much more difficult a task to achieve than one would imagine. Above all, the sound and performances rocked with Nickeback showing a significantly heavier side in concert than their records would indicate.

(See Nickelback's video for "Figured You Out" here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=XvGnCnWY5nY&mode=related&search=)

(See Nickelback's video for "Rockstar" here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=DmeUuoxyt_E&feature=related)

(See Nickelback perform "Animals" live here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=7OohSKHtPNo&feature=related)

On Sunday Deep Purple played before a capacity crowd at the House Of Blues after a great set by openers Supagroup. As soon as the crowd saw me take the stage to greet them, the excitement was palpable... the legendary Deep Purple were now only minutes away from assaulting their senses. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Deep Purple were responsible for laying down the foundation and blueprint for hard rock and what would become known later as heavy metal. It might be 2007, but Deep Purple sounded every bit as powerful as they did in 1972. Lead singer Ian Gillan was once again the thin, barefoot shaman of his youth, belting out the new songs and classics alike with that remarkable voice and passion we have come to know and love. Chatting with the guys after the show, they were in great spirits and very pleased to be back in Chicago. Roger Glover told me that after the current tour is complete, they will be going back into the studio to work on a brand new CD, which should be out sometime next year.