After several years of relentless writing, recording and touring the world, the world's hardest working band Rush is up for a well deserved rest. In a jovial mood, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush sat down with me this week to chat about what's next for Rush and their latest DVD release "Snakes & Arrows - Live." Shot with 21 high definition cameras and presented in 5.1 surround sound, the technical quality is nothing short of breathtaking. Add in yet another spellbinding live performance from the band, hilarious comedy sketches, and the boys have upped the bar again on what a concert film can be.

(See Rush perform "The Spirit Of Radio" from their "Snakes & Arrows - Live" DVD here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuL_euRslTc&feature=related)

(See Rush perform "Far Cry" from their "Snakes & Arrows - Live" DVD here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OlU0JbOALU)

This week on the show, win tickets to catch the red hot Blackhawks take on the Ottawa Senators next Wednesday at the United Center.

This Thursday night at 9:30pm, lead vocalist of Staind, Aaron Lewis will be checking in with me to talk about their upcoming show this Saturday night with Seether and Papa Roach at the Venue inside the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond.

Also this weekend, due to popular demand, the Smashing Pumpkins have added a show at the Aragon Ballroom Sunday night to their schedule. The re-scheduled (due to illness) Auditorium Theatre show will take place next Monday.

(See the Smashing Pumpkins perform "Today" live at the first Auditorium Theatre show here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0DUfrU7mRo)

And last but not least, a heartfelt thank you to all of the Loyal Loopers who came out to support the 3rd annual "Byrd For Birds" food drive! I will be posting the totals as soon as the information becomes available.

This Tuesday is the 3rd annual "Byrd For Birds" food drive from 8am - 6pm at the Merchandise Mart, south entrance. As previously, I will be personally accepting frozen turkey's, non-perishable food items and cash donations that will be donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository so that less-privileged families will have a holiday meal, too. In these tough economic times, your donation is even more important than in previous years. Everyone who donates will be eligible to win a $500 leather jacket from the Loop and will receive "thank-you" freebies from Potbelly Sandwiches, Eli's Cheesecakes and Argo Tea. Kelly the 2008 Loop Rock Girl will be joining me as well during the lunch hours. Hope to see you and I thank you in advance for your thoughtful generosity. Happy Thanksgiving! Click here for more info: http://www.wlup.com/check_it_out/byrdSharingItDay.aspx

Monday night on my show, I will be playing more brand new Guns N' Roses tracks from the long-awaited, much anticipated "Chinese Democracy" CD.

(See a fan-made video for Guns N' Roses new song "Chinese Democracy" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ocbYLNdJT4

Tuesday night at 9:30pm on my show, Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee of Rush will be joining me to discuss their excellent new concert DVD "Snakes & Arrows - Live!" as well as giving you the chance to win a copy. Don't miss it!

I am sad to report that we have lost the last surviving member of the legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience. Wildly influential drummer Mitch Mitchell of the trio was found dead in his hotel room in Portland Wednesday morning at the age of 61. His death was ruled of "natural causes", but Robbie Krieger of the Doors/Riders On The Storm indicated that Mitch had been acting rather strangely in the previous few days leading up to his death. Robbie and Mitch (along with many other special guests) had just finished a nationwide tour called the "2008 Experience Hendrix Tour" which saw them perform at the Chicago Theatre less than six weeks ago. The symptoms that Robbie described suggest to me that perhaps Mitch had suffered a series of small strokes leading to his death. Sadly, Mitch was scheduled to catch a flight back to his native England later that day. In a strange twist of fate, Mitch Mitchell expired in Jimi's homeland, while Hendrix himself expired in Mitch's home country.

(See Mitch Mitchell perform with Johnny Lang and Brad Whitford of Aerosmith live at the Chicago Theatre here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXPo2ZyTD9g)

(See Mitch Mitchell perform with the Jimi Hendrix Experience live in 1969 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiMu_ZSbKn4)

(See an interview with Mitch Mitchell in 1973 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqMdlvhk7hA)

(See Jimi Hendrix speak about Mitch Mitchell here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUFYurV_qXA&feature=related)

The Australian Pink Floyd Show packed the house once again at the Rosemont Theatre this past Wednesday night during my live broadcast from the show. In the absence of the real Pink Floyd, this troupe does serious justice to their legacy. Loyal Loopers who have attended their shows have been awestruck by their attention to detail. No wonder then that the guys in Floyd actually endorse them and that they sell out theaters and arenas around the world. Seeing is believing!

(See The Australian Pink Floyd Show perform "Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2" live at the Royal Albert Hall in London here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_JeIpRHjuc)

(See The Australian Pink Floyd Show perform "The Great Gig In The Sky" live at the Royal Albert Hall here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV1rM_vKTLI&feature=related)

AC/DC is simply one of the most bone-crushing and exhilarating rock experiences to ever grace a stage. Stripped down, back-to basics, yet completely effective. Make it loud, make it fun... make a legend. That's exactly what AC/DC has done, and they demonstrated that simple formula with surgical precision last night and Thursday night at the Allstate Arena. From the moment the atomic schoolboy Angus Young and his partners in crime Brian Johnson, Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd took the stage, the sold-out crowd of Loyal Loopers were on their feet roaring their approval. Everywhere one looked, huge grins, blinking devil-horns, air-guitars, men and women, young and old alike diving head-first into one of the most satisfying rituals in all of rock. No one, but no one does it quite like AC/DC. Only those who have been baptised in their bombastic, earth-shaking live firepower can ever really, truly understand. The fact that the guys in the band are funny, down-to-earth working class guys with no airs, makes it even better. Even if you've never had the chance to meet them, you can sense it from seeing them live. Regular guys who you could have a pint and a laugh with at the corner pub. Having done just that several times, I can tell you they are exactly what they seem... the real deal. Brian cracking jokes and cackling, Angus giving a wry grin and cracking a few jokes himself while he tries to catch his second wind after expending a week's worth of energy on-stage. Malcolm, Cliff and Phil smiling and chatting about whatever strikes your fancy to whomever is around. Longevity because they're just normal blokes... who happen to have harnessed a monster!

(See AC/DC perform "The Jack" live at the Allstate Arena here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJGtKSlDl8A)

(See AC/DC perform "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" live at the Allstate Arena here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TBdZMqF03A)

(See AC/DC perform "TNT" live at the Allstate Arena here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBbakvHhlds)

(See AC/DC perform "Back In Black" live at the Allstate Arena here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3tpfofToMs)

(See AC/DC perform "For Those About To Rock" live at the Allstate Arena here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWvQQ304u2w)

(See AC/DC perform "Thunderstruck" live at the Allstate Arena live here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je_73t5aRmc)

After the show, AC/DC's road manager also gave us an extensive tour of the production behind the show. The sets, the stage, the lights, the sound and visual departments were all covered. Even though there is a massive amount of equipment involved, the basic design is remarkably straight forward. Angus gets that distinctive guitar sound by "daisy-chaining" 5 vintage 100 watt JTM45 Marshall amplifier heads right into his 5 4X12 speaker "stacks." No effects, no funny-business. Just a classic Gibson SG guitar plugged into a classic set-up, cranked up to 11. The same type of set-up that Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townsend of The Who used. Very simple, VERY LOUD!!! How loud? Bassist Cliff Williams has had to have two large Plexiglas shields built on either side of his bass amplifier so he can step back between them to hear what he is playing. (In fact, I have significant hearing damage in my left ear from standing front-row at an AC/DC show unprotected years ago... thanks Angus!)

(See photos from our "tour behind the tour" here: http://www.wlup.com/photo_gallery/acdc_concert_20081030.aspx)

Opening act The Answer delivered a short, but punchy set to start the evening. Loyal Loopers are very familiar with these up-and-comers and gave them a very warm welcome.

(See The Answer's video for "Come Follow Me" here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38WCbm0ZCMM)

This week, the Loop brings another band from the "land down-under" back to town. The Australian Pink Floyd hits the Rosemont Theatre Wednesday night performing "The Wall" in it's entirety along with a "greatest hits" set. If you are a Floyd fan, it is a not-to-be-missed event. I will be broadcasting my show live from the concert, so make sure you stop by to say hello.

(See the Australian Pink Floyd perform live here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvqkBzInrD0)

In only four days is the long awaited return of the legendary AC/DC to Chicagoland. This Thursday and Saturday at the Allstate Arena, the Loop proudly brings AC/DC back to town for the first time in some 7 years. If you have never had the pleasure to witness a live AC/DC performance, I highly urge you to do so. It is an experience you will not soon forget!

(See AC/DC perform "Riff Raff" live here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uXu067MTqI)

(See AC/DC perform "Back In Black" live here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzCiucn67zw)

(See AC/DC's video for "Flick Of The Switch" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKKhTyXLyQc)

The premiere of Paul Stanley of KISS' new concert film "One Live KISS" was one rollicking good time tonight. A packed house lapped up the proceedings which included an appearance by the director, giveaways and a KISS marketplace. After a short introduction by me, we got underway with the showing of the final product. Great audio, superlative filming and a top-notch performance from Paul coalesced into a must-have-filmed-in-Chicago concert flick.

Pinch yourself. After 13 years in production, the new Guns N' Roses "Chinese Democracy" CD is being readied for release through Best Buy stores and i-tunes November 23rd. Hear the title cut all this week on my show. It rocks!

ZZ Top played their re-scheduled show at the FMBA this past Thursday night. As always, ZZ brought the party... and the BBQ.

(See ZZ Top perform "Waiting For The Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago" live at the FMBA here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHevzYwWsEU)

Jeff Keith of Tesla celebrated his birthday last night by leading his troops into rock 'n' roll battle at the Venue inside the newly renovated Horseshoe Casino. After bringing the guys on-stage to a rabid house of Loyal Loopers, the terrific acoustics and great sight lines at the brand new facility (which is part of a mind boggling $500 million expansion at the casino) just added the cherry on top to another killer show from the no-frills Tesla. If you missed them this time, Jeff says the band will be back in Chicagoland for more shows in the near future.

(See Tesla perform "Getting Better" live at The Venue here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFeLwcwET8Q)

(See Tesla perform "Modern Day Cowboy" live at The Venue here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pxpskT2dTA)

(See Tesla perform their new song "I Wanna Live" live at The Venue here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx-vhDAsk28)

Also this past week, Joe Satriani shredded the Chicago Theatre with his fleet-fingered fretboard faculties.

(See Joe Satriani perform "Satch Boogie" live at the Chicago Theatre here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV3G6Xn7PgE)

This past Thursday would have been the late John Lennon's 68th birthday. After the Beatles broke up in 1970, it was accepted fact that he and Paul McCartney never played together again. Surfacing just recently is startling recorded evidence of a late-night, drug-induced (on John's part) one-off jam session in 1974 between John and Paul with the likes of Stevie Wonder joining in. Although hardly productive, it is of huge historical significance.

(Hear a portion of the 1974 recording studio jam session between John Lennon & Paul McCartney here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHE1R2RCteI&feature=related)

All this week on my show, a chance for you to win tickets to the world premiere screening of Paul Stanley of KISS' new concert film "One Live KISS" at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles this Sunday. Paul will be joining me on my show this Thursday night at 9:30pm to talk more about the film which was shot here in Chicago at the House Of Blues last year. In addition to taking a group of Loyal Loopers to Paul's sound-check that night and to meet him backstage, Paul also asked me to provide my voice for the film's movie trailer.

(See the movie trailer for Paul Stanley's "One Live KISS" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WUE9t-SSSo)

(See an excerpt from Paul Stanley's "One Live KISS" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GSTlk8Hfsk)

This Wednesday, the man who taught Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Steve Vai how to play guitar will be appearing at the Chicago Theatre with Mountain. Who do I speak of? The legendary axe-slinger Joe Satriani, of course.

(See Joe Satriani's video for "Satch Boogie" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1MJAyRN3Lg&feature=related)

(See Joe Satriani's video for "Big Bad Moon" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bFkROHv7OU)

After an 8 year absence from Chicago stages, the Smashing Pumpkins have announced their highly anticipated 20th anniversary concerts at the Chicago Theatre November 18th & 19th and at the Auditorium Theatre November 21st & 22nd. Grab your tickets early because these shows will sell out fast! http://wlup.com/Concerts/Listings.aspx

After Tesla played at Loopfest 2004, many Loyal Loopers (who had previously not had a chance to witness their excellent live performances) were suitably impressed and vowed not to miss their future shows in the area. You can catch Tesla in support of their forthcoming CD "Forever Now" as the Loop brings them to The Venue at the Horsehoe Casino October 11th.

(See Tesla's video for their new song "I Wanna Live" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egCdS_EtLio)

(See Tesla's video for "Modern Day Cowboy" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8xWcN6k_Es)

The Eagles played two sold-out shows at the United Center this past week. As always, they were stupendous and Joe Walsh was his usual entertaining self. Whether he is on stage or off, Joe knows how to have a good time. During one of his solo tours a few years back, Joe invited me out on the town with his band after appearing on my show. No slouch of a band, either. The legendary late session whiz Nicky Hopkins who played keyboards on famous albums and singles by The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Jefferson Airplane, John Lennon, George Harrison, Marc Bolan, Jeff Beck and many others manned the ivories, and the man who famously turned down the lead vocalist job in Deep Purple and Jimmy Page for the lead vocalist job in Led Zeppelin (but recommended an unknown kid named Robert Plant) Terry Reid traded lead vocals with Joe on that tour. After several libations, Joe's comedic nature was in full bloom, as were the stories from the others. Interestingly, Terry told me he didn't regret his decision about Zeppelin, adding that Robert Plant was perfect for them and that he doubted they would have been as big as they were had he been fronting the band.

(See the Eagles perform "Hotel California" live at the UC here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKTiqfZiGwY)

(See the Eagles perform "Rocky Mountain Way" live at the UC here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHbTA2xnVgM)

Tomorrow night at 10pm on my show, it's a very special edition of "Thinks Pink" featuring former Pink Floyd guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour's latest CD and DVD release "David Gilmour - Live In Gdansk." David will be discussing the new release and playing selected tracks from the concert recorded in Poland on his 2006 world tour. Sadly, this would be the last tour the late Richard Wright would be able to participate in. Much like the late George Harrison of the Beatles, Richard was the "quiet one" in Pink Floyd, but his contributions were immeasurable.

(See David Gilmour's video tribute to the late Richard Wright here: http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/09/24/david-gilmour-pays-tribute-to-rick-wright-with-remember-a-day/)

Ironically a few weeks ago, George Harrison's first wife Pattie Boyd passed through town. Pattie was a former fashion model who first met George on the film set of "A Hard Day's Night" in 1964 and later married him in 1966. George penned the iconic 1968 Beatles song "Something" about her. Eventually their marriage broke down and she would end up marrying George's best friend, Eric Clapton who in turn wrote "Layla" about her in 1970. Pattie recently wrote and published a book about her experiences entitled "Wonderful Tonight - George Harrison, Eric Clapton And Me." After admiring my snakeskin cowboy boots ("where on earth did you get those Byrd?!? I love them!") Pattie shared with me some more humorous anecdotes from her life and some of the photographs from her private collection.

(See a featurette on Pattie Boyd here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFKh4rdg1fQ)

Last night, the current line up of The Doors fronted by Brett Scallions (formerly of the band Fuel) now dubbed "Riders On The Storm" played before a capacity crowd at the House Of Blues. After an introduction from me on stage, the guys delivered a phenomenal show for the frenetic crowd of Loyal Loopers. Hard as it may be to imagine, they were somehow able to improve upon the classic recordings live. Easily the loudest, but best sounding show I have ever witnessed at the HOB, bar none. Exhilarating! South side Polish native Ray Manzarek invited his old classmates from Everett Elementary School to sit on stage with him near his keyboards during the show and then to visit with us backstage and later the next day, to lunch at Rosebud on Rush. Robbie Krieger and I had a chance to catch up as well while observing the parade (soft parade, perhaps?) of starry-eyed ex-school mates. To say they were proud of their former classmate would be putting it mildly.

(See Rider On The Storm perform "LA Woman" live at the HOB here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd7V_-fkpE8)

(See a fan's video for The Doors song "Back Door Man" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ4xsxQSarc)

(See The Doors video for "Peace Frog" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHDSnfHb5nc)

(See The Doors un-censored video for "LA Woman" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyeHgKyvmZU)

(See a pre-Doors Jim Morrison at college in Florida here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WIJd2sLuDA)

Tonight, Live played to a sold out crowd as well at the House Of Blues. As soon as I took the stage to introduce them, I could feel the giddy anticipation from the crowd. The band was in great form too, knocking out energetic note-perfect renditions of their numerous hits for the appreciative Loyal Loopers. After the show, the band and I gathered in the Foundation Room upstairs. Front man Ed Kowalczyk told me the guys will be staying in Chicago for several days as they ready a new concert CD which he informed me will include new songs as well. I'm looking forward to hearing it and sharing it with you in an upcoming edition of the "10 O'Clock News."

The Loop brings AC/DC back to Chicago for the first time in nearly a decade on October 30th at the Allstate Arena. I will have tickets to give away starting tomorrow (Friday) night at 7pm. Don't miss out!

(See AC/DC's video for their brand new song "Rock n' Roll Train" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX2xbqWtyJU&feature=rec-fresh)

I am saddened to report the unexpected death of founding Pink Floyd member Richard Wright after a short battle with cancer at the age of 65.

PINK FLOYD: Remembering Richard Wright

Richard Wright, one of the founding members and keyboard player of Pink Floyd, died yesterday in England at the age of 65 from cancer. His spokesman says, "The family has asked that their privacy is respected at this difficult time." He is survived by his third wife Millie, whom he married in 1996, and their son Ben. He has two children from his first wife. His daughter Gala is married to Guy Pratt, a session musician who has played bass for Pink Floyd following the departure of Roger Waters. Wright is the second member of Floyd to die. Syd Barrett died in 2006.

Wright was born on July 28th, 1943 in England. He met Floyd members Roger Waters and Nick Mason at the Regent Street Polytechnic College of Architecture. His keyboard work was a central part of the Floyd sound, and he sang lead on such early Floyd recordings as "Astronomy Domine" and "Matilda Mother." Two of his songs -- "The Great Gig in the Sky" and "Us and Them" -- are among Floyd's classics. But in the late '70s, during the recording of The Wall, he had a falling out with Waters and was forced to resign, only to be hired back as a paid employee. He was re-instated as a full-time member when David Gilmour and Mason resurrected the band in 1987 for the A Momentary Lapse of Reason album and tour. Wright also recorded two solo albums -- Wet Dream in 1978 and Broken China in 1996. He last played with Floyd at their 2005 reunion at Live 8 in London's Hyde Park. In recent years, he played on Gilmour's On an Island album and tour, and is featured on Gilmour's new C-D and D-V-D, Live in Gdansk, in stores next Tuesday.

Gilmour has issued a statement saying, "No one can replace Richard Wright. He was my musical partner and my friend. In the welter of arguments about who or what was Pink Floyd, Rick's enormous input was frequently forgotten. He was gentle, unassuming and private, but his soulful voice and playing were vital, magical components of our most recognized Pink Floyd sound. I have never played with anyone quite like him. The blend of his and my voices and our musical telepathy reached their first major flowering in 1971 on 'Echoes.' In my view, all the greatest Pink Floyd moments are the ones where he is in full flow. After all, without 'Us and Them' and 'The Great Gig in the Sky', both of which he wrote, what would The Dark Side of the Moon have been? Without his quiet touch the album Wish You Were Here would not quite have worked. In our middle years, for many reasons he lost his way for a while, but in the early '90s, with The Division Bell, his vitality, spark and humor returned to him and then the audience reaction to his appearances on my tour in 2006 was hugely uplifting and it's a mark of his modesty that those standing ovations came as a huge surprise to him (though not to the rest of us). Like Rick, I don't find it easy to express my feelings in words, but I loved him and will miss him enormously."

I hope you were able to catch my special tribute to Richard earlier tonight during the "Loop Thinks Pink" Monday nights at 10pm. More to come in the coming weeks.

(See Richard Wright's last performance with Pink Floyd during "Wish You Were Here" live at Live 8 in 2005 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLDv-etHBEY)

Before a record rain fell yesterday, Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick managed to get in their Friday night triple-bill show at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre. Packed with soaked Loyal Loopers, the show was nonetheless a night to remember... as much for the great performances as the conditions. Of particular note was the stunning performance of new Journey singer Arnel Pineda. A native of the Philippines, he was discovered (much like Boston's current singer) by the band via a video posted on YouTube.

(See Journey perform "Don't Stop Believing" live at the FMBA here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ChZWDBeeWw&feature=related)

(See Journey perform "Separate Ways" live at the FMBA here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFC1VgvF-os&feature=related)

(See Heart perform "Barracuda" live at the FMBA here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXOUqsj-xkk)

(See Cheap Trick perform "Surrender" live at the FMBA here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnB5FdUHwtI&feature=related)

After an 8 year absence, AC/DC is back with a new CD entitled "Black Ice" which will be released on October 20th. A little over a week later on October 30th, the Loop brings AC/DC back to Chicago for a show at the Allstate Arena. Tickets go on sale this weekend through www.wlup.com.

(See a sneak-peek of the AC/DC video for their brand new song "Rock 'n' Roll Train" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn9Y3wgr810)

Ever wonder who "Layla" was? A conversation with the woman the song was written about (who also happened to be George Harrison's first wife) Monday night at 9:30pm on my show.

Also this week, new tunes from Tesla and Dragonforce Tuesday during the "10 O'Clock News", a conversation with Rob Halford of Judas Priest Wednesday at 9:30pm, and a chance to win the newly remastered and expanded anniversary edition of ZZ Top's classic "Eliminator" disc.

Metallica fans... the long wait is over! This Thursday night at 8pm on my show, the guys from Metallica will be premiering their new "Death Magnetic" disc a full week and change before it's official release... exclusively on the Loop!

Not only that, but tickets for Metallica's January 26th & 27th concerts at the Allstate Arena will be available to Loyal Loopers only through www.wlup.com long before they go on-sale to the general public. Get 'em before they're gone!

(See Metallica perform live at the Metro in 1983 during their first ever Chicago concert here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex5UPPfSTGQ)

(See Metallica's video for their new song "The Day That Never Comes" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlahvvymkxc)

What a way to kick off the fall!

What a summer concert season it's been! This past Tuesday night, the Loop brought the "Metal Masters" tour featuring metal/hard rock pioneers Judas Priest, Heaven & Hell, Motorhead and Testament to Chicagoland at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre. As expected the legendary bands all put in stellar sets that saw them mixing their classics with some of their new material. Heaven & Hell was the lone exception in the new music category. Tony Iommi told me when he checked in with me on my show the night prior that they are currently working on a new CD (which they hoped would be ready this fall) but would forgo playing them live until they had been released. Rob Halford of Judas Priest discussed with me their future plans to tour a theatrical version of their latest double disc rock opera/concept album entitled "Nostradamus" to theatres. Don't be surprised if Priest's next stop is in our theatre district with a show of metal power that is to date unprecedented in that world. If any band could make a "metal opera/musical" a primordial success, it would be Judas Priest. On the other end of the spectrum, Lemmy and Motorhead have always been satisfied to consistently churn out what we decided was simply a supercharged and amplified diet of "'50's greaser rock", reflecting his first true love. Lemmy and I spent the rest of our conversation chatting about his time as one of Jimi Hendrix's roadies when he was younger. As you can imagine, there are a few stories there. Keep listening to my show as I will be presenting the highlights of those conversations with Rob Halford and Lemmy soon. Many thanks to all the Loyal Loopers who came by to say hello during the live broadcast of my show from the FMBA. You guys (and gals) are the best!

(See Judas Priest perform "Painkiller" live at the FMBA here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq-IaZGGuhg)

Last Friday during the "Loop On-Stage" I played several tracks from Judas Priest's concert here in 1981.

(See Judas Priest live at the International Amphitheatre in 1981 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLLyNDLvyDw)

Last night, the ever jocular George Thorogood rocked the house... the House of Blues, that is. Yet another light, tight and bright show from George for the capacity crowd. The moment I took the stage to greet the amassed Loyal Loopers, I knew we were all in for a good night. Amped up crowd + first rate entertainer + Chicago-style blues = P-A-R-T-Y!

(See George Thorogood perform Bo Diddley's classic "Who Do You Love" here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYmMhnM-y4Q&feature=related)

All this week on my show, win tickets to see Live... live at the House Of Blues September 21st!

In addition to the Scorpions playing in town last weekend, I also took in the Extreme/King's X/Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp show at the House of Blues last Saturday. The "opening act(s)" were numerous Loyal Loopers who signed up for the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp and got to open up for Extreme and King's X. The "camp counselors" were a collection of very accomplished musicians (Gilby Clarke of Guns n' Roses, Elliot Easton of The Cars, Earl Slick of John Lennon and David Bowie, Dave Ellefson of Megadeth, Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple, Chris Slade of AC/DC and Jimmy Page, Mark Slaughter of Slaughter, and Kip Winger of Winger and Alice Cooper) who coached and then jammed with the lucky Loopers on stage. The Loopers and counselors alike had a great time and were beaming from ear to ear.

(For more information about the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp click here: http://www.rocknrollfantasycamp.name/tour.htm)

King's X and then Extreme picked up where the Loopers and counselors had left off. It was difficult to fathom that Extreme has actually been an inactive outfit for some 13 years from the blazingly energetic reunion set they executed. The folks who came expecting to see a "ballads" band in Extreme were colossally shocked. Just as their name should indicate, Extreme was/are a blistering hard rock band featuring the awe-inspiring and endlessly inventive fretboard antics of one of the few guitarists in the same league as Eddie Van Halen... Nuno Bettencourt. Not only is Extreme back in fighting shape, they have just released a brand new CD named "Saudades de Rock" which is loose Portuguese (Nuno is Portugese) for "Nostalgic Yearning For Rock."

(See Extreme's video for "Decadence Dance" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykRxlPd6U4k)

(See Extreme's video for "Kid Ego" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDr2M94ejPQ)

After the show, all the bands and I gathered in the Foundation Room for an after show party that eventually saw the guys from Ratt (who were playing with the Scorpions the following night) join in.

This Tuesday night at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre is another huge Loop show featuring Judas Priest, Heaven & Hell (the Black Sabbath lineup with Ronnie James Dio on lead vocals), Motorhead and Testament dubbed the "Metal Masters Tour." I will be doing my show live from the FMBA that night, so stop by and say hello. To help get us prepared, Tony Iommi of Heaven & Hell/Black Sabbath will be checking in with me tomorrow night at 9:30 on my show.

(See Judas Priest's video for "Heading Out To The Highway" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoDbAd4fYBA)

(See Heaven & Hell/Black Sabbath's video for "Neon Knights" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhe1SuBGkiA)

(See Motorhead's video for "Ace Of Spades" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BstyQX-kQQ)

(See Testament's video for "Return To Serenity" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgdfHobqSjA)

Some tickets remain at http://wlup.com/Concerts/Listings.aspx. See you there!

The Loyal Loopers' love affair with the Scorpions continued unabated and unabashed last night at the Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island, 29 years to the day after their live debut here back in 1979 with the Loop at Navy Pier. The "Fountain Of Youth" is merely a myth, but you could swear the Scorps have found something akin to that in order to still be administering the same tight and exuberant style of show they became famous for three decades ago. This in spite of the fact that Scorpions lead guitarist Matthias Jabs nearly cut off the main fingers on his fretting hand in a kitchen accident only a few days prior. Maybe because this band has had to work at least twice as hard as anyone else to make it (having to first learn another language - english AND being from a part of the world that had previously never produced an internationally successful rock act), they still appreciate and cherish every opportunity to perform like no other act I know of. Especially when they are performing for the people who embraced them before any other... the Loyal Loopers of Chicago.

Shortly after an on-stage introduction from me, the Scorpions literally leapt to the stage and proceeded to deliver a mix of classic Scorpions rockers, plus a few surprises like "Make It Real," "Dynamite" and "I'm Leaving You" which were blended flawlessly with several new songs from their excellent recent disc "Humanity Hour 1" that kept the crowd on it's feet and roaring their approval all night. After the show, the band and myself adjourned to the Foundation Room at the House Of Blues for a post-show/end of tour celebration and surprise "birthday" party. After I mused on the air many months ago about the historical significance of the date on which they were to play Chicago again, word spread amongst the fans and management and we decided to surprise Klaus, Matthias and Rudolph with a "birthday" cake and a very warbley sung version of "Happy Birthday." Much laughter and good times were had by all. Particularly amusing were the remembrances we shared of one other very long Sunday night back in 1988 in a hotel suite at the Buffalo Hilton in Buffalo, NY. At the time, the band was part of the "Monsters Of Rock" bill that included Van Halen, Scorpions, Metallica, Dokken and Kingdom Come. That night, they had played before 80,000 people at the former Rich Stadium in Buffalo. One-by-one, Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen, Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Matthias Jabs and Rudolph Schenker (even Rudolph's family at one point) of the Scorpions as well as various other friends of mine piled into my room after the show. A kind of camping trip "around-the-campfire" type of atmosphere developed with singing, funny stories and general silliness that lasted well into the next day. By what seemed like noon the next day, I had hit the wall. Crawling into bed, I realized Matthias was still going strong and was urging me to stay up just a little bit longer with him. After managing to utter a weak "nein"... I was out. Rather appropriately, the Scorpions current album at the time was entitled "Savage Amusement" and the follow-up was titled "Crazy World." Indeed. Crazy times. Happy anniversary guys!

(See the Scorpions perform "Blackout" live at Charter One Pavilion here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw0F3l3bFnI&feature=related)

(See the Scorpions perform "No One Like You" live at Charter One Pavilion here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX7wdFVTebw&feature=related)

(See the Scorpions perform "Rock You Like A Hurricane" live at Charter One Pavilion here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOdRl0072Zw)

Unfortunately, Billy Corgan didn't make it to the Scorpions show last night to reprise his duet of "The Cross" from "Humanity Hour 1" with Klaus Meine and the Scorps as we had hoped. Billy grew up a huge Scorpions fan and was quite thrilled to be asked to contribute to the Scorpions latest CD. The previous night (Saturday), Billy and the Smashing Pumpkins played their first Chicago area show since reforming at the Venue at the Hammond Casino . A sold-out affair, the gig showcased the superb acoustics of the brand new room (part of a $500 million expansion at the casino) nicely.

(See the Smashing Pumpkins perform "Tonight, Tonight" live at The Venue here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNLb25l8yrU)

If nuthin' but a good time was what you were craving... Poison, Dokken and Sebastian Bach brought the party in abundance to a First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre packed with Loyal Loopers this past Sunday night. Between bringing the bands on stage, I alternately took in the show with Bret Michaels, Sebastian Bach and Don Dokken from the side of the stage. The camaraderie and enthusiasm the guys displayed for each others sets was downright contagious. After all the pyro, lights and killer performances were over, a completely satiated group of Loopers and tattooed minstrels went their separate ways, but only until the next convening of the youth gone wild.

(See Poison perform "Unskinny Bop" live at the FMBA here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eje4mJgejPA)

(See Poison perform "Talk Dirty To Me" live at the FMBA here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNNeYBk5Ck0&feature=related)

Also this past weekend, the the 4th staging of Lollapalooza in Chicago rolled through town. It proved to be the the most successful one yet, with a sell-out crowd of 225,000 taking in 130+ bands spread over three days. Easily the most anticipated act of the whole weekend (75,000 came just to see them alone) was the reunited Rage Against The Machine featuring Libertyville native Tom Morello. The years spent apart have done nothing to diminish their skills or their power to excite a crowd. Look for a new RATM recording to be released in the near future.

CAUTION... THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE!
(See RATM perform "Killing In The Name Of" at Grant Park here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWbzvGZfuOI&feature=related)

(See the RATM crowd from on-stage here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q7YLFcdIgg)

No time to come up for air! This coming Sunday, the Loop brings the Scorpions and Ratt to the Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island. I will be broadcasting my show live from the event, so make sure you stop by to say hello. Fittingly, it will be 29 years to the day since the Loop brought the Scorpions to Chicago for their very first appearance on August 10th, 1979 at the former Chicagofest at Navy Pier. This Thursday at 9:30pm, Matthias Jabs of the Scorpions will be checking in with me on my show to discuss the anniversary (and upcoming concert) and then on Friday at 10:00pm during the "Loop On-Stage", I will play a recording of that 1979 Scorpions Chicagofest show!