Jason DeBord's Rock Subculture Journal

Dido at The Masonic | San Francisco, California | 6/26/2019 (Concert Review + Photos) (Bonus Portland + Seattle Mini Reviews/Photos)

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“…one of the reasons it passed so quickly for me was actually – I had a kid.  He’s magic.  And I’ve basically wanted to hang out with him so I’m sorry I disappeared.” Dido offering some explanation of why she’s not done a world tour for the past 15 years, and as an introduction to one of two encore songs – her very personal “Have To Stay” – in her performance at The Masonic in San Francisco on Wednesday night.  I’m actually one of those people who have waited to see her for the past 15 years, so it was an amazing experience.  Supporting her brilliant new album, Still On My Mind, Dido played many hits and lots of new music, and still left us all wanting more, even with a 20-song set.  This was actually show #1 of 3 for me and Shelley (Mrs. Rock Subculture), as we took time to also catch the subsequent shows in both Portland and Seattle (mini reviews included below) as Dido wrapped up the U.S. leg of her tour in California and the Pacific Northwest.  Hopefully it won’t be another 15 years for her to come around again, but it was well worth the wait. [Read more…]

Long Awaited Dido World Tour Begins, Supporting New Album “Still On My Mind”

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Dido’s first world tour in many, many years kicked off in Prague this week.  Supporting her amazing new album, Still On My Mind, this is her first global tour in 15 years.  The tour reaches North America in Chicago in mid-June, and their are opportunities for fans to also buy tickets for a premium experience including meet and greet and an invite to the soundcheck.  It’s been twenty years since Dido’s multi-platinum debut in 1999, No Angel (ultimately selling 21 million copies!). [Read more…]

Garbage (20 Years Paranoid Tour) at Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino | Reno, Nevada | 10/2/2018 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“We’re now going to play another song you’ve probably never heard before.  You forgive me though, right?”  Shirley Manson of Garbage underlining one of the themes of the night for their “20 Years Paranoid” tour, which made a stop at the Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno on Tuesday.  The band is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their second album, Version 2.0, by touring a set list that features them playing the album in its entirety as well as very rare B-sides and just a handful of songs beyond the scope of that period of their career.  I’ve seen the band on most of their tours since they reunited and began recording and performing again after a long hiatus, and really it seems like they do something really different each time they come around.  Even I was unfamiliar with some of the songs played (many were rarities originally limited to B-side releases in the late ’90s), but I am catching up now with their newly released 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition / Remastered version of their album.  Shirley was pretty chatty and candid with the crowd in-between songs and it felt like quite a special show.  I really enjoyed it and it reminded me of what a stellar band they are live, and it provided some additional insights into what makes the band tick and what motivates them as artists.  It’s really worth catching up with them on this tour, even for casual fans.  One of the most unique bands of my generation, always staying true to themselves and keeping things interesting.

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K.Flay Kicking Off World Tour This Month With “Every Where Is Some Where Tour”

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K.Flay will be starting her massive Every Where Is Some Where Tour in Santa Ana next week, which will cover much of North America, though she will tour Europe and England with Imagine Dragons the last two weeks of February and into the start of March before returning to her own headlining shows back in the U.S. and Canada. [Read more…]

Evanescence “Synthesis Live with Orchestra” at Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino | Reno, Nevada | 12/15/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“This next song is one of our very, very oldest ones. One of the first ones… And I just wanted to say thank you, because it means a million times more to me now then it did years ago when it first came out and I owe that to you. Your hearts and your experiences and this whole thing that we’ve been sharing together for the past twenty years… so thank you!”  Amy Lee’s preface to the Grammy nominated song “My Immortal” in her live performance to a sold out crowd at the Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno, Nevada on Friday night.  The song was one of the singles off of their debut album, Fallen, in 2003.  In 2017, Amy Lee has brought that song and other Evanescence hits on the road in a completely rearranged and re-imagined form with this “Synthesis Live with Orchestra” tour, along with the release of their fourth studio album, Synthesis, which features the same music along with two new songs.  The concert itself was magnificent – marrying the original music and that incredible voice with her rock and roll band playing alongside a 28-piece full symphony orchestra – really it was a show unlike any I’d ever experienced.  I watched some snippets of past shows in advance to get some idea of what it might be like, but it is really something else to experience it and take it in at a venue like the Grand Theatre.  It was certainly the most impressive production I’d seen this year, and the performance overall was stellar.  It’s really one of the best tours going in 2017.

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Evanescence “Synthesis Live with Orchestra” Tour and “Synthesis” Album

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The two-time Grammy Award-winning group Evanescence currently touring their orchestra rearranged and reimagined catalog songs from the recently released Synthesis album which also includes two new songs.  The album and tour, “Synthesis Live”, both feature a reimagining of some of Evanescence’s most popular songs with a full orchestra and electronics combined with the band as well as Amy Lee’s incredible vocals and piano. [Read more…]

KISS at Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino | Reno, Nevada | 4/21/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“Are you ready?” Paul Stanley of KISS getting the audience prepped to sing along with “Say Yeah”, a song off of their 2009 album Sonic Boom.  24 studio albums (including their four solo albums), live albums and countless other impressions on pop culture at large going back to 1974, KISS have been a rock and roll phenomenon going strong for over four decades.  I am not personally a KISS “fan”, so this is written from the review of someone who has been alive as long as they’ve been together, but never before attended a KISS concert.  They are one of the biggest bands of all time and real icons in rock, so I finally took an opportunity to see what they’ve always been best known for – live concerts.  And now having experienced it, I can say that their reputation for putting on an amazing show is well deserved.  High energy, high production, and filled with many of the innovative elements that other artists have since copied over and over, it was really something to see and hear and feel.  I really could not have been more impressed and I really have a lot of respect for the band and their crew that help put it all together.  If you are a member of the KISS Army, you know all of this; if you are more like me and had never seen the band before, I give my highest recommendations to go and check it out.  And I am glad I was able to take in my first KISS show at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino’s Grand Theatre as it is one of the best concert venues for this type of show.  Everything was top notch.

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KISS “Freedom To Rock” Tour Coming To Grand Theatre at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno on April 21st

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Rock legends KISS will be performing at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino’s Grand Theatre in Reno on Friday, April 21st.  Along with a show at Laughlin Event Center, they are the last two U.S. dates before an extensive tour abroad as part of their “Freedom To Rock” tour, which circles back to North America again in July.  The iconic band have sold over 100 million records worldwide since forming in 1973, and are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  The current line-up consists of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer. [Read more…]

Book of Love at DNA Lounge | San Francisco, California | 2/19/2017 (Concert Review + Photos)

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“I guess we just wanna reinforce our message of hope and new beginnings; because anything can happen, hopefully…”  Susan Ottaviano speaking on behalf of her and her bandmates and a full reunion of Book of Love as preface to “Happy Day”, one of the bright and shiny songs off of their self-titled 1986 debut album.  Their music is in stark contrast to a lot of the self-perpetuating negativity permeating our culture today.  The band seemed to have more of an attitude about shaping the future by painting a picture of what they wanted it to be, rather than engaging in conflict.  Maybe they were onto something that might come around again someday?  Optimism is powerful.  And San Francisco turned out for a healthy dose of it Sunday night at a sold out show at the DNA Lounge… to be part of this special concert engagement in which all four members of Book of Love performed together, with not just the original hits but new music too, in celebration of their 30th anniversary last year. [Read more…]

Book of Love Special “Reunion Shows” Coming to San Francisco and Houston in February

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Book of Love continue to celebrate their 30th anniversary with two upcoming special concert dates in San Francisco and Houston this month featuring all four members: Ted Ottaviano, Susan Ottaviano, Jade Lee and Lauren Roselli.  The two “reunion shows” will be held at Numbers in Houston on February 18th and at DNA Lounge in San Francisco on February 19th.  [Read more…]