The Oingo Boingo Dance Party and the nearly 500 fans who packed the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano ignored Cinco de Mayo but celebrated nonetheless.
This group that was formed in 2006, a full 11 years after the original Boingo played its last gig on Halloween Night 1995 at the Universal Amphitheatre, is led Boingo’s easily recognizable Mohawked drummer Johnny Vatos and includes five other members from the original Boingo band’s hit-filled days of the ‘80s.
Full of incredible life and energy as always, the 11 virtuoso band members filled the club with the early, quirky, jumping fan faves for which they’re known, including “Nasty Habits,” “On the Outside” and “Wild Sex.”
Of course, led by singer Brendan McKian (formerly McCreary), they showcased such KROQ hits as “Just Another Day,” “Private Life,” and “Stay,” before calling it a night by delivering the biggies “Weird Science,” “Dead Man’s Party,” and encoring with “Only a Lad” and finally, appropriately, “Goodbye, Goodbye,” that was the song played during the ending credits song in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”
During the opening number, “When the Lights Go Out,” the band got a little help. Thomas Lowery, a 14-year freshman drummer at OC Performing Arts High School, sat in and beat the dickens out of his four-tom-tom set-up.
“Is This,” is a lovely, rare straightforward romantic pop song about wanting a second chance at love from 1990’s “Dark at the End of the Tunnel” album. Neither Oingo Boingo nor the Oingo Boingo Dance Party ever played it in concert prior to Friday night. It was performed as a request from an audience member, me.
The Oingo Boingo Dance Party returns to its old stomping ground when it plays the fabled Whiskey A Go Go on Friday.
ROLLING STONES SET 2017 TOUR
The Rolling Stones first European tour took place in 1965.
More than half-a-century later, that fabled warhorse comprised of Mick, Keith, Charlie, “new member” Woody (who joined in 1975) and touring bassist Darryl Jones, who replaced Bill Wyman when he retired from the group in 1993, will again tour Europe.
This summer, The Stones will invade Europe for the 18th time, by which time all four members will be in their 70s (the youngest, Ron Wood turns 70 on June 1), but you’d never know it from their performances: Mick Jagger, who turns 74 on July 26, still runs miles around the stage and sings and dances for almost all of the band’s two-and-a-half-hour shows.
By the way, Keith Richard turned 73 on December 18 and drummer Charlie Watts hits, unbelievably, 76, on June 2.
The 13-date tour stops in 12 cities and kicks off Sep. 9 in Stadtpark in Hamburg, Germany. It includes stops Munich, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm and concludes with a pair of concerts at the 40,000-seat U Arena in Paris on Oct. 19 and 22.
LYNN SUFFERS STROKE
That Coalminer’s Daughter, Loretta Lynn, has been hospitalized last Thursday in Nashville since suffering a stroke at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tenn., according to a statement from her management.
Lynn, who celebrated her 85th birthday last month with a special concert at Nashville’s historic 2,362-seat Ryman Auditorium with guests Martina McBride and her younger sister, Crystal Gayle, is “under medical care and is responsive and expected to make a full recovery,” according to the statement.
Her doctors advised her to stay off the road and take the time she needs to recover. Lynn’s concert dates through June 9 have been postponed. However, at press time, her website shows 19 shows remaining this year. Tickets for those shows, including Oct. 14-15 at the Andy Williams Theatre in Branson, Mo., are on sale on her website (http://www.lorettalynn.com/tour-2/).
Lynn’s 41st studio album, “Wouldn’t It Be Great” will be released Aug. 18.
Lynn is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame. She is the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is the recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
THE WHO, GUNS N’ ROSES UNITE
The Who and Guns N’ Roses will team up for gigs on Sept. 23 at the massive Rock in Rio fest on the beach in Rio de Janeiro, Argentina and then on Oct. 1 at the 53.000-seat Estadio La Plata in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Rock in Rio show could draw up to two million fans. In 2006, The Rolling Stones drew 1.5 million fans celebrating on the beach.
Blabbermouth.net reports that additional Guns N’ Roses-Who shows have been set in Brazil, Peru and Chile, but they have yet to be announced.
From July 29-Aug. 11, The Who will perform a six-night residency at the relatively-intimate 4,296-seat Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. GNR will spend June and July touring Europe before touring North America through the first week in September.
DION CELEBRATES “TITANIC”
Celine Dion will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 1997 mega-hit film, “Titanic” by performing the movie’s theme song, “My Heart Will Go On” at the upcoming Billboard Music Awards.
The 49-year-old Canadian songstress with the volcanic pipes won’t have to go very far because the May 21 awards ceremony will take place at the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, right down the street from the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace, where she has played a lengthy concert residency on and off since 2002. The Billboard Music Awards airs live on ABC.
The music for “My Heart Will Go On” was written by noted film composer James Horner and Songwriters Hall of Fame lyricist Will Jennings (he wrote “Higher Love” “The Finer Things” and “Back in the High Life Again” with Steve Winwood). It is one of the best-selling singles in pop music history, with sales of more than 15 million.
The 45 debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 pop singles chart. It hit No. 1 in dozens of countries. Such was its popularity and staying power that it spent 17 weeks at No. 1 on the Eurochart Hot 100, and 15 weeks in Switzerland, and 13 weeks in Germany and France.
McCARTNEY RICHEST BRIT MUSICIAN; ADELE RICHEST UNDER 30
Paul McCartney remains Britain’s wealthiest musician, according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List.
McCartney and his wife Nancy Shevell (she’s wealthy in her own right via her family’s trucking business in which she was vice-president) together are worth $1.14 billion, an increase of $26 million over last year.
Adele made the list for the first time this year, entering in 19th place, tied with Queen’s guitarist Brian May. She was named the U.K.’s richest under 30, with a net worth of $162.5 million.
Broadway and London West End composter Andrew Lloyd Webber (“Phantom of the Opera,” “Evita,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Cats”) is second overall, worth $962 million.
The rest of the top five are U2 (a collective worth of $712.4 million), Elton John ($377 million) and Mick Jagger ($325 million). Other notables are Mick’s Rolling Stones cohort Keith Richards ($305.5 million), Ringo Starr ($260 million), Sting ($240.5 million), Eric Clapton and Rod Stewart ($227 million each), former Pink Floyd leader Roger Waters ($214.5 million), Tom Jones ($208 million), Ozzy and is TV hostess wife Sharon Osbourne (a combined $182 million) and The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts ($169 million).
MAHAVISHNU McLAUGHLIN SETS LAST SHOW IN L.A.
Prog-rock and jazz fusion guitar legend John McLaughlin will undertake his final U.S. tour this fall, according to his website.
The 75-year-old master will say adios on a joint tour with 55-year-old American guitarist Jimmy Herring of Widespread Panic.
The 24-date jaunt begins Nov. 1 at the intimate 1,750-seat Center for the Arts at University at Buffalo in New York. McLaughlin will perform his final American concert on Dec. 9 at another intimate venue, the 1,500-seat Royce Hall at UCLA. Tickets for all shows are on sale (see http://www.johnmclaughlin.com/tour-dates/).
The Yorkshire, England, guitarist began his half-century career in the early ‘60s playing with British pioneer Alexis Korner, then with jazz and pop singer-piano player Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames, and in 1963, he was a founding member of The Graham Bond Organization with keyboardist-saxman Bond, bassist Jack Bruce, drummer Ginger Baker. Around this time, to make some extra money, he gave guitar lessons, to, among others future Yardbirds and led Zeppelin leader Jimmy Page.
In 1969, he moved to America, where he first joined hotshot jazz outfit Tony Williams Lifetime and then in Miles Davis’s group, where he recorded the classic 2-LP, “Bitches Brew.”
In 1970 in NYC, the deeply spiritual Sri Chinmoy devotee formed the wildly progressive Mahavishnu Orchestra and added Mahavishnu to his name. in the mid-‘70s, he formed the Indian classical group Shakti, which means “energy” in Hindu.
McLaughlin has always stretch the bounds of music, always playing with new groups, new musicians. His collaboration with Carlos Santana, 1973’s “Love, Devotions, Surrender” and his work with two other crazy virtuoso guitarists, Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucia, are all highly regarded.
OBIT: ENGLISH BEAT SAX PLAYER SAXA
Jamaican saxophonist Lionel Martin, aka Saxa, founding member of English reggae-pop and rock band The English Beat, and The Beat, died in his sleep at age 87 at an undisclosed location, according to Facebook posts from founding members Ranking Roger and Dave Wakeling. Roger mentioned that Saxa was his mentor.
In 1978, the trio, along with guitarist Andy Cox, bassist David Steele and drummer Everett Morton, formed the band in the industrial city of Birmingham, in central England that was home town to, among others, Black Sabbath, The Moody Blues, Traffic, Judas Priest, ELO and Duran Duran.
Before co-founding The Beat, Saxa was a member of one of the first Jamaican bands to score an international hit, Desmond Dekker and The Aces, whose “Israelites” hit No. 1 in Britain and No. 9 here in 1969.
Saxa played on The Beat’s first three LPs that included the hit covers of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles’ “Tears of a Clown,” Andy Williams’ “Can’t Get Used to Losing You” as well as “Save It for Later.”
Saxa played with various versions of The Beat until he retired to Birmingham in 1992.
Steve Smith writes a new Classic Pop, Rock and Country Music News column every week. It can be read in its entirety on www.presstelegram.com. Like, recommend or share the column on Facebook. Contact him by email at Classicpopmusicnews@gmail.com.
