It Doesn't Count Any More

A good friend of mine teaches high school. The stories she comes home with involving petty jealousy, selfishness and senses of entitlement actually worry me as the direction our society is taking seems to be plummeting further south by the day.
Then she tells me about the students. Last week was the glorious home coming dance in which my friend coordinates as a responsibility that attaches itself to running the student government. Teenage girls furiously rush through a ritual of beautification activities. Teenage boys practice speech, struts and body language in front of the largest mirror in their homes for hours. Parents of teenagers age a decade that night. Each year permission slips are sent out to parents weeks before the dance with a list of rules and regulations listed on them including pick up time for their kids at the end of the dance. For the most part parents comply with the basic requests and the dances go off without a hitch, but a strange phone call almost derailed my friends perfect score of getting the dance finished without incident. A parent called to find out what accommodations were being made for the Phillies game which they had tickets to. It seems the game would not be over by the time dance ended and this concerned parent wondered aloud to my friend how the school would make sure their kids would be safe until they could find the time to pick them up. When the parent was informed that not only would no adjustments be made to the plan but the game would not be shown during a school dance inside a school cafeteria for his precious child, this parent became irate, informing my friend of her selfish attitude.

Does anybody fear or even prepare for consequence anymore or does everyone think there is an infinite supply of rule changes that will accommodate whatever adjustment someone requests? Apparently there is.

The NFL drastically changed its penalty rules after a rash of injuries took place during week 6. Desean Jackson from the Philadelphia Eagles looked like he was dead. It took him a good ten minutes just to get back to his feet after getting creamed by by Atlanta Falcons Corner Back Dunta Robinson. I argue the hit was clean but this incident coupled with a few others have inspired the NFL to inflict startling new penalties for helmet to helmet illegal tackles. The problem with this is what happens if its an accident? Accidents. Remember them? They're not allowed anymore. Consequences are truly illegal today. Football is a violent sport. Its downright brutal. Where is the outcry for boxers to stop causing brain damage to their opponents which is actually the purpose of the sport. You want your opponent beaten to the point where getting back to his feet is an impossibility. Football players actually have it a lot easier wherever saftey precautions and protection are involved. Sure there are risks. There are many risks in life. These men are paid for their risks. Sometimes accidents happen. Now a player has to pull back just a little further, think about his opponents safety more when his job is to knock him so silly he drops the ball, in case a hit becomes illegal with one shift of his opponents shoulders, one drop of his opponents head renders a legal tackle illegal. Whatever happened to risks? No one WANTS to see someone else injured but you can only go so far to prevent it before we're all watching low impact semi contact chess for fun.
There needs to be consequences and as adults, we need to risk them in order to achieve what we desire. We're taking the passion out of EVERYTHING by turning this society into a bunch of whining, self centered, female reproductive organs

The Passion Of Our Vice

Did you ever have an argument with a drunk person? Why? Why the fuck would you engage in a fight you can't win no matter how many facts you lay out, and how many points you make? It's the passion in us I guess. Pride and passion. You know you cant win, but you'll go down swinging because you won't be silenced for what you believe in. It's part of being We The People. Last week My buddy Sean named Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell as his dumbass of the day on his morning show. She not only couldn't name a Supreme Court case she didn't agree with but said she would post her answers to her web site later that night. When Sean posted the results of his Dumbass Of the Day poll to his Face Book page, a cyber war broke out that I helped fuel. I knew I couldn't win a political argument. No one can. If you think you EVER won a political argument with someone, I'll get drunk tonight and explain to you why you didn't you win shit. Someone on Sean's friends list took offense to Gods choice Christine ODonnells status and blamed the media for portraying her in a less than flattering light. When I shot back some simple facts like Christine O'Donnell listed three colleges on her educational resume that had no record of her ever being there, owes over ten thousand dollars in back taxes, and made 5000 dollars in 2009 which to me is a glaring indication that her plan to create jobs might not be the greatest. The O'Donnell supporter didn't back down. He didn't have an answer for any of my FACTS but he responded with: "Everybody lies". Then he proceeded to tell me that Obama was a liar and a Marxist and blah blah blah. The guy didn't care about the facts. He believed in something and NOTHING was gonna get in his way. That's passion.

Ever argue with someone about music? Bruce Springsteen is an average guitarist at best and if you look closely during certain songs, he doesn't seem to be playing at all. He crams five lines of lyrics into one line of music like a dying man desperate to get it all off of his chest before its too late and his voice sounds like feline rape victims final cry into the night sky. On paper Bruce Springsteen is a shitty musician. I've seen the guy with the technically poor songs and the phantom guitar work bring his gravely voice to 11 arenas over 23 occasions which is laughable to the "average" Springsteen fan. I can't explain why I do it but I'll fight you to the death if you tell me the Boss sucks. An adult who spends his last dime on touring the country to see their favorite band? It's insane. It's absurd. It's awesome. Christine O'Donnell is a rock star right now. Watch Oreilly. Watch Beck. When they scream at a guest, do you listen to what's being said or did the guy who's side you're on "win" the debate already? It doesn't matter. They're OUR people and sometimes passion blinds us from the evidence in front of us. Christine ODonnell can't do any wrong to her backers. Relax right wingers, Obama supporters have their goggles on too. It may not be the safest thing to use passion goggles with politics, but it's out of love for what you believe in that makes us drunk with the passion to believe what we believe in might be more important that a few facts here and there.
And if you rag on me for loving the Boss I have the passion to get drunk and kick your ass

The Greatest ROCK songs of all time

Rolling Stone did this list about fifteen years ago and chose to go with 100 songs. So you had 90 songs picked out of a hat and slapped down on a piece of paper and then 10 that arguably made sense as to why one rock songs was better than the other. All this stuff has been, is now, and always will be subjective. It doesn't mean we can't argue about it. What I don't understand is what people even consider rock any more. During the late 90's I found Jewel in the rock section of a corporate music store. So what I did, was take five songs, FIVE, that weren't just rock but to me represented the definition of what a Rock song IS.

Love Removal Machine- The Cult: I don't care what your opinion is, THAT'S a fucking rock song. Its got a great riff, heavy intro and a little cowbell. You don't need anything else to make a great rock song



You Shook Me All Night Long- ACDC: The Power chord sounding is all time best this side of Tony Iommi. There is an old saying, which isn't actually a saying but more of a mantra dedicated to a lifestyle choice. SEX, DRUGS, and ROCK AND ROLL. This song is all of that. In everybody's individual thought, the girl Brian Johnson sings about looks different. She could be a brunette, she could be tall, chubby, British, whatever, but she's something to strive for and the goal of getting out on the streets in search of some love inside those AMERICAN THIGHS. If this isn't rock then please tell me what is?



Sweet Child Of Mine- Guns and Roses: So many of rock's best work is about a girl. Rarely though does an artist leave himself so vulnerable after tearing his heart out for a girl. Axl Rose is one of rocks bad boys, and Guns and Roses is one of the most baddass, kick ass bands in the stratosphere, so the heart wrenching lyric of "Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place where as a child I'd hide, and wait for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by" might get drowned out by Matt Sorums thunderous beat, Duff's powerful bass line, and one of the greatest guitar intros to ever grace our presence.



Free Bird- Lynard Skynard: Go to any concert. See that blind opera singer and chances are some drunken wise ass who got dragged to the show by a potential conquest might yell out for FREE BIRD during the encore. It's been a part of American rock history since the day it was introduced to us. Losing close friends and family is a part of life, one that won't go away no matter how painful it might be. This song took an inevitable pain and turned it into something as beautiful to embrace as death is difficult to understand. By the time the six minute plus solo kicks in, you've been floored by those simple and honest lyrics, and you're just waiting to be lifted away



Born to Run- Bruce Springsteen: We all have been desperate to move forward. Weather it was getting out of parents house, high school, college, a new job, the state, the country, we all wanted to take that next step which was as scary as it was exciting, and we wanted someone to take it with. All of that desperation, and angst was suppressed in Bruce Springsteens heart for 25 years and let out the moment he sang the opening line. He never took a breath through the entire song, and by the songs end he ran out of words but NOT THE NEED TO BE HEARD. Tramps like us. Prisoners of rock. Music that helped us escape through the years, and the same music we'll never escape



These songs. To me. This is the definition of rock

"Well Maybe It's You Who Aint Got It Anymore"

You know there are music snobs out there like me and then there are pretentious assholes who could justify murdering or the burning down of their own home if that's what the artist "really wanted to do."

Over the weekend I saw the band Brad, which is Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam's side band. What makes this band so special to see is that they represent an entire movement that started in Seattle's late 80's music scene. Drummer Regan Hagar and Stone used to be in Mother Love Bone, Singer Shawn Smith and Regan were in Satchel and Brad has a small but passionate and dedicated fan base. What I was expecting last night was the band to return the feeling. Although Mother Love Bone died with Andrew Wood, their spirit is remembered by many with a love for this music, so when Brad came out and played a few Satchel songs, I figured a tribute to the band many believe started it all wouldn't be far behind, now maybe. (I'm such a geek) The shock of this concert wasn't that they only did one Mother Love Bone song. The shock was that singer Shawn Smith who was NOT in Mother Love Bone sat at his keyboard and sang MLB's Crown Of thorns by himself while Stone Gossard and Regan Hagar who WERE in Mother Love Bone AND helped write the damn song sat back stage and drank tea or whatever these guys do. The second shock was that Shawn Smith took this song with a beautiful melody and piano riff and played it to the tune of Prince's Purple Rain. I'm not kidding. He did Purple Rain, and then he sang Crown Of Thorns over it. It was insulting. You see there ARE fans who care about this stuff, who followed the history of WHY they bought a concert ticket, and WHY they are spending their valuable time watching a band. Having Shawn Smith sing some lines of a Mother Love Bone song over another seemed like a throw in done in haste to satisfy that annoying part of the audience who DARES get their money's worth. Just don't do the song. Brad is a mellow band with almost Jack Johnson style songs, just a whole lot more meaningful, but they do have some harder songs. The way they simply threw a whole bunch of songs down without reason or care for the flow of the set makes me wonder about who's actually at fault for the music industry's demise. I wrote a few weeks ago about how people just don't care anymore about things like music and movies and complex TV shows. Maybe its due to the artists not caring anymore. Watching Shawn Smith run from the main microphone placed in the center of the stage over to his keyboard set over to the left a half a dozen times took as much out of my interest as his tribute to man formerly relevant to fucking Alternative Rock band concert. I was told by the guy next to me that I was being selfish. Me, the guy who spent 30 bucks on a ticket and three times that on four beers and a diet coke (I'm watching my girlish figure)This "gentleman" informed me that the artists are NOT there to play for me. They are displaying their passion in public and me and my hard earned money should be honored to be a part of it. So consumer satisfaction is off the table when it comes to "art."
There are many who think this way. The sad thing about this mentality is the absence of one very simple fact: Its called the fucking music BUSINESS for a reason. An artist needs to recognize the reasons why their audience is standing there and do what they can satisfy that while expressing their art. Artists that REFUSE to play certain songs because they are sick of them, and refuse to acknowledge their significant air play by only playing track's 3 and 9 of every album fail to appreciate the only fucking reason their mortgages are paid off. The AUDIENCE is the CUSTOMER. If you don't want to feel like a prostitute , don't sell your albums. When someone buys a ticket to a concert, its a pact. Not a contract. A pact. A pact that you'll be sharing a common emotion, common love for something. To see Bruce Springsteen denying the audience the time honored sing-a-longs on the Magic Tour was watching a man literally tear apart his own legacy. After years of bonding with the crowd over passionate call and response segments of every show, 2007 was the year Bruce decided to say too bad, thanks for coming. Ironically enough, it was Bruce who was quoted in Crawdaddy magazine 30 years ago talking about how a kid in Cleveland only has a ticket to Cleveland and not Detroit or Houston, so as an artist you only have one shot to play for that kid in Cleveland. Springsteen got the message as the empty seats spread through the stadium and by his next tour he was taking request signs from people and giving thousands a memory exclusive to their own 89.95 ticket or whatever it was. Other bands need to find their way back. We appreciate your work, and we respect your desire to share your art with us. To make music work again, an artist needs to reciprocate that respect by honoring the reasons why the audience in the first place. People do still care out there, and if rock music is gonna survive, these artists need to care about THEM again.

A Hand In This Insanity

Fucking people. You have that lunatic tea bag party chick Christine O'Donnell wasting my airwaves with bullshit. Ironically enough she's been been jerking voters around for a few few months now after it was discovered she never went to or even graduated from the colleges she said she did, owes over ten grand in back taxes and has been living off her campaign money. Why is this all so Ironic? The chain yanking queen has been exposed as a major opponent of masturbation.



Seriously. This is not a joke. There are people out there who are against loving thyself before thy neighbor and other people actually vote them into office. Why are we so fucking uptight over sex? I'm just asking, if priests could marry, do you think so many Alter Boys would still be backing out of church in fear of stepping into some holy shit? Isnt that why staright guys have gay sex in prison, because there are no woman around? Forcing anyone away from sex is usually a bad idea. If we stopped worrying so much about what makes us feel good and stopped forcing such an unnatural thought, maybe we'd all be a little less likely to cap a bullet in the head of the gansta who disrespects us? Didn't Christine O Donnell
look like someone who really needs to get laid? Do these teenagers really think they're fooling God when they marry at 17 and turn fornication into just a whole bunch of failed procreation? What about teh girls who take in in the ass because technically its not a sin against god that way and WHERE THE HELL WERE THOSE GIRLS WHEN I NEEDED THEM? Why not just stop the bullshit and admit sex is good, it harms NO ONE if its consensual, and it makes everyone better for having it? Sex never hurt a single person. Maybe a few heart attacks but what a way to go. All of that sex addiction garbage? If more men were smooth we'd all be in sex anonymous.

Tomorrow......Then I Can Shut The Fuck Up

The Gracious Few is coming to the TLA. FINALLY!!!!! Since my JSE days, you have heard me carry on about this band. I never made a secret about my love for Candlebox and JSE played the snot out of Live. Therefor, you've probably listened to me rave like a lunatic for MONTHS when news of Candlebox lead singer Kevin Martin joining the members of Live broke. For me this is having sex while watching the Giants win a Superbowl. Two of my favorite, most UNDERRATED bands are coming to a small club, playing some amazing music that they've written for the occasion, and charging me TEN BUCKS to get in. Three years ago ten bucks was just about two gallons of gas. If you like one song by each of these guys and haven't picked up the Gracious Few album, you'll get more than your ten bucks worth seeing one of rocks greatest voices EVER and one of the most musically unique bands of ANY generation play together. The video I posted is called Crying Time. Seriously, I am a very hetero sexual male, but this guys voice really makes me question that from time to time. Anyway JSE fans, I miss the fuck out of you. It's been a while. Stop down at the TLA and lets have a few while rocking out. What a band to see while catching up huh?

Rushing To Dodge A Bullet?

A few days ago the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2011 inductees and Rush was not included in the group. Okay Rush fans, you have a point. Let me put in in perspective for you though. The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame lost all credibility in 2000 when they inducted the Loving Spoonful, a 60's band who had a handful of pop hits like many 60's pop bands did. They didn't however revolutionize a genre of music the way Black Sabbath did who at the time in 2000 were eligible for five years and still had not been inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Yeah I know that doesn't make you feel better. How about this fact then? Off the top of my head I can name four musicians in recent years who have died within four months of their hall of fame induction. Joey Ramone died a little before Eddie Vedder inducted them in, and Dee Dee Ramone died a few months later. Joe Strummer was a punk innovator but fell short by about three months of seeing his band the Clash get inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Bobby Hatfield wasnt related to Bill Medley but he left the Ritchous Brothers a man short soon after getting inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Not exactly the 27 club Jimi, Janice, Jim, Brian Jones, and Kurt Cobain made famous, but it might ease your pain about your favorite Canadian trio getting left out in the cold again. Do I like Rush? No. I can't stand them. I would rather be stripped naked, cut open, bathed in salt, and listen to Ann Coulter speak than sit through a Rush album. That's just my opinion. Who the Fuck am I? Do I think they deserve to get in over this years inductees of the Beastie Boys, Bon Jovi, and LL Cool J? Of Course I do. Then again, who the fuck am I.

Taboo Songs

I got caught at a red light singing to Bon Jovi's Bad Medicine the other day. NOT MY PROUDEST moment but it got me thinking. There are times in a guys life when he needs to know certain songs so that the softer sex can think he's sensitive. So what are the ten songs that girls love to dance to, make out to, and explore each crevice of the back seat of that Mitsubishi Spider to, yet wont make you feel like YOU should be the one bending over?

10- GIRL ALL THE BAD GUYS WANT- Bowling For Soup

Sure it's a little poppy, and immature. Like downing 4 beers before happy hour prices ends isn't? It's a great sing along song. The best part is the bridge. After whining for two verses about how the world stops when this girl walks into the room, and how she's the perfect woman for him, he sums up the true motive of every human that pees standing up : "ALL I WANTED WAS TO SEE HER NAKED!!!!!!!!!!!" Somehow girls love this song

9- SANTERIA - Sublime- It's no secret I prefer the heavy stuff, but this is THE grind against your girl/guy song on the dance floor of any bar. With your half priced beer in one hand, your special no no place grinding against someones thigh, and screaming about capping Sancho's punk ass, this song makes it a good night

8- SWEET CAROLINE - Neil Diamond- Yeah we wouldn't be caught dead playing Neil Diamond on JSE, but I guarantee you EVERYBODY at Jse knows this song word for word. It's built for drunken sing alongs. It's got places designed to fit your off key vocals all over it's 2 minutes and 21 seconds of awesomeness

7- MY OWN WORST ENEMY - LIT- Lit actually had a few decent songs in the late 90's. Miserable, Addicted and Over My Head were solid middle of the mix CD songs for a long road trip. Their first big single however is still being butchered by low talent cover bands across the nation. It doesn't brag about being a total F*%K UP, but it helps you celebrate the fact that your still alive "Please Tell me why my car is in the front yard, I'm sleeping with my clothes on......"

6- SUMMER OF 69 - Bryan Adams - Real simple. Certain songs get a free pass. I know your mom loves this song. I know it's written by the same guy who sings that horrible Robin Hood, Everything I Do For You song. I know I shouldn't like it. I love it. Any song that celebrates the nights your working so hard to have right now is good. Letting it all go on a Friday night with your best friends. Songs about doing things you can only do with the best of friends. Any song about playing in bands, drinking, eating wings, listening to great songs, and a finding the perfect place to party, is a great song.

5- GLORY DAYS - Bruce Springsteen - I grew up on the Boss. Sorry had to throw it in there

4- ENTER SANDMAN - Metallica - It was the beginning of the end of Metallica's integrity. The Black Album wasn't as bad as S and M or Reload, but songs that tore your face off like Harvester of Sorrow and Seek and Destroy were a thing of the past. When people party to your songs at weddings? Your not a bad ass band anymore. People love to scream the chorus, they stir when they hear Nuestead's bass intro, and they ......dance? Hey man, that's why this list is about songs that make you feel like you're selling your soul. Metallica sure as F*&K did

3- RUNAROUND SUE - Dion - See songs 8,6, and 5

2- LIVING ON A PRAYER - Bon Jovi - This is New Jersey right? It transcends genres, time and age. It's just a good song. To a guy with a tattoo of Ozzy Osbourne on his left arm, this is the true definition of a guilty pleasure

1- YOUR LOVE - The Outfield - I'm gonna let this one speak for itself. If you don't believe me, pop it on any jukebox, in any bar, in New Jersey tonight and watch what happens

Can't Buy Love and Affection?

You know, there are comebacks I've been waiting on my whole life. Since 2000 I waited for Pantera to kick my ass again until 2004 when some piece of garbage took that dream away. I'm still waiting on Guns and Roses. Hell, I'm now waiting on Velvet Revolver. There's a ton of bands out there that we're all desperatly waiting to see again, so you might understand my disapointement by the latest reunion?

This is from Blabbermouth.net:

"Lightning Strikes Twice", the new album from NELSON, is scheduled for release on November 5 in Europe via Frontiers Records.

On September 29, 1991 NELSON reached the height of the U.S. single chart with their evergreen hit "(Can't Live Without Your) Love And Affection". Their music has stood the test of time and now 20 years later Matthew and Gunnar Nelson explore fresh creative territory in the present with their new album, "Lightning Strikes Twice".

The new album goes straight back to the absolute brilliance of NELSON's first album, hence the title, featuring an amazing set of songs that are going to restore the faith in NELSON"

Look, on the air I never tried to let my true feelings about bands or songs out in fear of insulting a listener with a different view point. This time I'm going on my better judgement here by thinking no one reading this will get offended when I ask: WHO THE FUCK CARES ABOUT NELSON??????????? That line about this album restoring our faith in Nelson. Did they ever SEE the video for Love and Affection

Sex or Violence: What Hurts More?

Seriously? Seriously this actually caused parents to react? No movement to improve their children's education, No anger over the violence on T. V. or the public school system being under attack for years but Katy Perry wears a partially revealing dress and hell hath no fury like a mother sheltering her kid. Boobs are awesome. They're better than awesome. They're a necessary part of most Americans lives. So why are most Americans afraid of them? How could seeing a pair of boobs possibly hurt a child? Seriously, what idea could possibly get implanted in a kids head after seeing a woman's rack other than, "Hey, that's my old meals on heals fast food restaurant"
Could Katy Perry's Dress really do more damage to a kids fragile mind than THIS cartoon below?



Why are we so afraid of sex. STILL???? We got here because of sex and we can't talk about it? The Katy Perry controversy isn't even over sex, it's over a human body. A female body. You think we would have so many problems with girls jamming their fingers down their throats if we weren't so goddamn uptight about our BODIES? Violence we can see on T. V. A nude body needs to be swept under the rug and seen behind closed doors only. The second we drop all of this hysteria about nudity, a nude body won't be a big deal to ANYONE any more. What is this, the war on nature?

What's Going On?

Yo, it's Friday so I'll keep the news short, sweet, and simple to keep your focus on happy hour.

Classic Rock's own Bad Company have announced they are planning to hang it up soon, according to the Southwest Times Record. Bad Company probably should have spent more time announcing they were still together

Areosmith's Steven Tyler claims his band mates are jealous of his new job as an American Idol judge alongside Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson, according to rockradio.co.uk. As far as I know, J Lo still has her voice box and Randy Jackson? Joe Perry is so much fucking cooler that Randy Jackson it's laughable. I'd rather hang out with ZEBRA'S Randy Jackson than American Idol's Randy Jackson. Really Steven, who's behind the door inside that burnt out head of yours?

Heart's Nancy Wilson, the hot one, has filed for divorce after twenty years of marriage with Cameron Crowe. According to the Associated Press, Wilson cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the divorce. Okay look. I suck at relationships, so I'm not an expert here, but what differences can two people possibly have that would take TWENTY YEARS to realize they won't work out?

Duff McKagen left Janes Addiction after a short stint as the touring bass player to reform Velvet Revolver. Jane's guitarist Dave Navarro told K-ROC out in Cali that Velvet was auditioning singers as we speak. Okay, I know he's a dick but can I make a suggestion? Something tells me a band consisting of Slash, Duff McKagen, and Matt Sorum would sound GREAT with Axl Rose on lead vocals. Call it instinct

I've got more to tell, but happy hour doesn't last forever. I'll talk to you soon

Brad: A Side Of Pearl Jam And A Side Of History

Next week promises to be capped at both ends with two almost once in a life time concerts. On October 1st at the TLA in Philadelphia I'll be checking out the Gracious Few. I've been talking about them on JSE since the rumors of their formation started 18 months ago and have been as anxious to see these guys as the virgin who landed the town slut as his prom date. The Gracious Few is the sum of Candlebox lead singer Kevin Martin, and the musicians from the band LIVE. Kevin Martin has one of the most exciting, unique, and makes you question the team you play for voices in music and who doesn't love Live, even if you won't admit it. That's not who I want to talk about today though.

BRAD IS COMING!!!!!!! Who the fuck is Brad???????? The closest thing to Mother Love Bone and raw 90's Seattle Sound music that you can get to in 2010? Who the fuck is Mother Love Bone???????? The reason why every 90's song you love ever saw the light of day. What????? Who's Nirvana? Nah I'm just kidding and I'm not trying to take any credit away from the KK trio, but I do want to see credit placed where it's due. So check out the video for more on Mother Love Bone and lets talk about Brad. Brad is a band formed in Seattle back 1992 after Mother Love Bone lead singer Andrew Wood died. The other band to rise from Mother Love Bones ashes was Pearl Jam, so Brad definitely has been left in the dust. Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard is now coming back to his roots and touring with his old band mates Regan Hagar, and Jeremy Toback. You wanna hear where the 90's sound sprouted their roots? Brad is a good place to start. Vocalist Shawn Smith is top notch. You remember the movie Beautiful Girls with Matt Dillon and Uma Thruman? You remember that scene where Dillon shows up at his dates house that he stood up and gets confronted by her mother? The song that plays in between that scene and the ice skating at the park scene is Shawn Smith with his other band Satchel. The song is called Suffering. Brad is a little more laid back, at times treading into dreaded John Mayer territory but edgy enough to forgive the college stoner moments. Mother Love Bone's late lead singer Andrew Wood might be smiling right now. His brother Kevin Wood, who was in the locally influential Malfunskin with him should be joining Brad on tour. From what I understand, all pre Pearl Jam bands these gentleman were in will be represented in concert. That means this is the one chance you have to see some of the best music Seattle has ever produced. Why should you care? I don't know. Half of Alternative radios play list comes from Seattle and the bands influenced by the movement. See the band, then tell me Nirvana invented everything. Sorry. Sorry. Just had to get in one



Below is the report from Anti Music.com


Pearl Jam had this update for fans: Time to get excited cause Brad is hitting the road from September 27th to October 13th in support of their new album Best Friends?. Brad will headline shows in Seattle, Chicago, Philly, Baltimore, and New York.
They will also join forces with Band of Horses for concerts in Des Moines, Cleveland, Columbus, Louisville, Tulsa, St. Louis and Kansas City.

Additionally , the tour will include in-store performances at Ear X-tacy in Louisville and Vintage Vinyl in St Louis plus an appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (full list of tour dates follow).

To hear a track off their new album Best Friends ?, check out their single Believe In Yourself here

BRAD TOUR DATES

Sept 27 Seattle, WA High Dive
Sept 28 Seattle, WA High Dive
Oct 1* Des Moines, IA Val Air Ballroom
Oct 3 Chicago, IL Double Door
Oct 4* Cleveland, OH House of Blues
Oct 5* Columbus, OH LC Amphitheater
Oct 6 Louisville, KY Ear X-Tacy (in-store)
Oct 6* Louisville, KY Brown Theatre
Oct 8 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
Oct 9 Baltimore, MD The Ottobar
Oct 10 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Oct 11 New York, NY Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Oct 12* Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom
Oct 13 St. Louis, MO Vintage Vinyl (in-store) www.vintagevinyl.com
Oct 13* St. Louis, MO The Pageant
Oct 14* Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater

Rumors??????????????????

Not the Fleetwood Mac album. I'm usually not a big fan of ROCK RUMORS. Even if some information is born out of fact, this is the ROCK MUSIC WORLD. By the time it hits the air waves, someone could have ran over a cat, driven off a cliff, and irresponsibly and brilliantly at the same time have done any number of things to turn that fact into an unfounded rumor. I didnt believe the rumor that Marylin Manson was Fred Savage's brother in the Wonder Years. I don't think Jim Morrison faked his death. I would have been dead by 1996 if I held my breath for Pink Floyd to reunite for more than a one off show in London. This though, this is a rumor worth hoping blindly to come true for. Slash. THAT Slash. The one of a kind, kick ass legendary guitarist of Guns and Roses and Velvet Revolver might be touring his awesome solo album by opening for OZZY OSBOURNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Good Bye To Romance. Hello to the Sweetest Child Of Metal Ever. Here's the report from Bravewords.com

According to BraveWords.com sources, SLASH (VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N' ROSES) is rumored to be taking part in the second leg of OZZY OSBOURNE's North American Scream tour set to begin in early 2011. More news as it develops.

What's Going On????

Sometimes, what is will always be. Scott Weiland is a train wreck. He's the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots. Sure. He may be the last true American Rock star we have. He may have written some of the best lyrics the 90's have ever seen. He's also a train wreck. His destructive life style was part of what made the product we love, and it's probably going to tear that prouct away from us as well. It's hard to turn your back on something you love, and even harder to admit that something you love is not as beautiful as what you've convinced your heart that it is? Sound pathetically mushy? Good. I'm going for sensitive. I have a big female audience. My point is, the story below is what Scott Weiland is, and probably will always be. So if you're shocked by any of this, you might just be a little too naive for your own good.

Stone Temple Pilots just cancelled a few shows in Texas. Surprise!!!!! This comes after yet another debacle of a performance by STP front man Scott Weiland, who greeted Houston crowds only 1 hour later than usual and padded the set list with ramblings about his drug addiction and a failed marriage. I know, I know, he's an ARTIST. Who am I to expect fans to see the product they paid for WHEN they paid for it and in a condition worthy of the money they shelled out. According to Canoe.Ca This was Weilands rant

"I believe in music, I believe in rock 'n' roll, I believe in friendship and family. But you know what, on the 8Th December will be time (sic) when I stopped doing dope... I started drinking again. I got divorced, my wife... And my whole world basically spun around and so you know what, I'm gonna take care of myself (now) because that's what I need to take care of... Instead of just having a few shows, I wanna have a whole hell of a lot of shows."


Who doesn't love STP? Four of the best Alternative Rock albums and two okay ones belong to them. I think their best days are way behind them though. I caught them this summer in Camden New Jersey. Besides some of those classics sounding like they were being played in quicksand at times, Weilands stage act looked like a parody of a Scott Weiland stage act, which is really a better Mick Jagger performance than any Stone could Roll out in the last fifty years. It's sad to see legends fall.

Not a Care In The World

Yo, does anybody give a shit anymore? Seriously. Does anyone care about ANYTHING anymore. I ask this to everyone who is NOT one of the 90,000 that pack football stadiums across the North East every Sunday. Those football fans definitely care about something. With the price of a football ticket these days? They better care. Now how about the rest of the world? Take a look around you and tell me if people are as passionate today about anything as they were around 15-20 years ago. Back in the early 90's Pearl Jam's second album Vs's sold almost 900,000 copies during it's first week alone. Last year they put out Backspacer, a big mainstream comeback album that sold less than 200,000 in it's first week. A lot of the blame that poor album sales get today point toward illegal downloading and You Tube. Some might say the quality of music is just terrible and that's why sales are in the toilet. Have you ever wondered WHY everything sucks though? Could it be because people just don't care anymore, and those who are still interested in whatever junk their fed? Each year I try and make 25-30 concerts a year. Each year I less and less of a volume of voices singing songs back to the bands. 50 years ago the Beatles stood still on Ed Sullivans stage and the earth shook as girls fainted, guys looked on in envy, and parents feared the worst. Now the biggest pop stars in the world wont have a tenth of the career the Beatles did. There won't be a fill-in-the-blank-mania because people just don't care enough. Remember just 15 years ago when the Internet was in it's infancy? You still knew what town Nirvana was from, who the original drummer was, why the resented their own fame, and something about all three members of the band right? Back in 2004 my little brother was 14. He was born smack in the middle of the "information" era. Nirvana was his favorite band. He showed me his Myspace page that was decked out in Nirvana wall paper and sent me pictures of his notebooks with his Nirvana artwork all over them. I related. I used to draw the Ozzy and Randy Tribute album cover all over my notebooks while teachers bothered me with learning. I could tell you everything about Randy Rhoads back in 1992 when i was 14. How he started in Ozzy, how he began his career in Quiet Riot, how he died, when he died, where he died. My 14 year old brother asked me if I would take him to see his favorite band Nirvana when he was old enough. ??????? I slowly began to explain that a heroin addiction and an error in judgement with a shotgun made that impossible TEN years earlier. My brother had no idea. Not he seemed to care much that the lead singer of his "favorite band" had been dead for a decade and he was completely out of the loop. Maybe the reason bands today sing about how no one cares and sound like they don't care is because NO ONE CARES? What about T. V.????? I understood the defense of David Chase's cop out end of the Sopranos. I figured there would be some more outrage over the non ending to a show people followed religiously for 6 seasons over eight years, but the whole artistic aspect of the cut to black at least painted a valid argument. Steven Van Zandt who played Silvio on the show did annoy me with his quote about how people need to understand that they can't always have things their way and in real life, things don't always end the way they want them to. Really Steve? Thanks for the lecture on how hard life can be you multi millionaire, but the Soprano's was a TELEVISION show. In T. V. things have beginning, a middle, and an ending. It's a little insulting to think someone would invest eight years in a show and be okay with it not giving a conclusive ending. I found it more insulting that so many people were okay with it. How about LOST? Lost was a mystery, with intricate plot twists that unfolded with each episode and stretched years. A conclusive ending to that show was very deserving to those who stayed with it for six years. Instead of wrapping up small things like why they traveled through time and made half the cast live in 1977, why some characters were killed and then brought back to life, and who some of these villans were who kidnapped, killed, and manipulated others all in the name of the island over. You know small stuff. The writers scrapped about five years worth of mystery and gave viewers this flowery 1 hour spectacle of about how what you do in life doesn't really matter because you'll all meet up with your true love in heaven when it's over. Instead of getting angry that they invested six years in what became 400 unanswered questions, people swallowed it and accused others of "not getting it." Others said "Its just a T. V. show, so what. I loved the ending" Just a T. V. show? Then why the fuck did you spend six years watching it/ What the hell happened to people? Why would they just accept all of this GARBAGE that's being forced down their throats? When did people lose their passion for things? Sure things aren't pretty in the US right now. They weren't before either and people had the passion to call the country out. Today? No one seems to give a crap about much of anything. Those who watch, listen, read. It seems they only have a passing interest. I'm not expecting any B-O-O-K-S BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS chants in the parking lot of Barnes and Noble, but I am hoping people just start giving a shit again

The Rights of Being Right

Are you fucking kidding me? The headline alone is insulting in the fact that it's even an issue that's wasting your time. Wasting my time. Everybody's time is being wasted by the "news" of a female sports reporter claiming that she was sexually harrassed in the MENS LOCKER ROOM. I've talked to many about this situation and even those that defend the Jets say that athletes should learn to behave themselves better in front of female reporters. Think about this for second. Men should be on their best behavior because women are entering THEIR locker room. Why? I've been in men's locker rooms. They act like animals. Sometimes, athletes actions in the locker room make you wonder what team these guys actually do play for, but they have their own way of unwinding after a game and no one should have the right to change that because they want in on somebody elses world. We keep sterilizing this society in the name of Political Correctness. Political Correctness is boring. It's vanilla. Political Correctness is also incorrect. Smokers lose their rights to non smokers. Prudish people take away art from those who don't feel vulgarity should be determined by anyone but themselves. There's actually a debate right now about how male athletes should act when a woman enters their locker room. This is a dangerous situation. When do we finally grow a spine and stop letting other people fight our battles? There are schools right now that no longer count spelling as a requirement for a grade because telling children they are spelling words wrong will only hurt their feelings and discourage them from learning. Every body's a victim now. Remember the situation where the teenage girl about 14-15 committed suicide over an e-mail she thought came from a male classmate? It turned out to be a girls mother impersonating a 15 year old boy which WAS sickening, but throughout all the public outrage, no one asked one very simple question: "What the fuck was going through a teenage girls head that would make her so fragile that she killed herself over the insults that came from what she thought was a 15 year old boy?" We heard the word victim a lot. We heard a lot about cyber bullying. We didn't hear about the larger social problem that a few harsh words drove a girl to a self inflicted death. That's the scariest part of that whole story to me. Why did this girl feel the words of this teenage boy were so important that she killed herself over them? This society needs to toughen the fuck up. I feel like this all comes from intrest groups jumping up and down everytime someone says a word someone else doesn't like, which is all the time. No one lets anything roll off their shoulders anymore. Every insult, every joke became a reason to scream injustice. We need to stop worrying about who we're insulting anymore and start growing a thicker fucking skin. Too much worrying about who we're offending has not only watered down our AMERICAN RIGHTS, but also turned us into a spineless group of whiney school girls. Sorry whiney school girls, I didn't mean to upset you.

Ines Sainz is a female reporter who dresses like she's looking to get laid on a Saturday night. Smart strategy. She's smoking hot and it got her noticed. You're fooling yourself if you believe she got anywhere without the slutty outfits and ridiculous body. She entered a men's locker room and there were complaints of athletes making rude comments, and footballs being thrown "in her direction". Now Ines Sainz claims she didn't want to make an accusation of sexually harassment but others were appalled and fought on her behalf. Men in their own locker room. Acting like men in a locker room. What should be so appalling is that anyone thinks Ines Sainz is important enough to change the way a group of people should behave in THEIR domain. When do the football players get their rights? I hate getting burned. I don't stand too close to fires.

Who the F#%K do we think we are??????

What's up people? I couldn't believe my own eyes when I signed in tonight and saw my last post was June 30th. I want to apologize for forgetting my own attitude for a while. Just because I'm not on the air in A. C. anymore doesn't mean I can't get my opinion heard. So it's my opinion that everything out there pretty much SUCKS right now. T. V. politics, the economy, RADIO, it all fucking sucks, and its all YOUR fault. It's my fault too, relax. We have our heads so far up the asses of every dime store "celebrity" that lucked into 15 minutes of fame to see more than a foot ahead of ourselves. Our president declares the end of the line for the Iraq war last night. I'm in Starbucks, where I'm surrounded by what I presumed to be well educated 20 to 30 year old and you would think maybe just maybe, this monumental moment in U. S. history would be a popular topic? Nope. I was surrounded by half a dozen Latte swigging preppies who were flexing their intellectual muscle by debating weather Snookie deserved to be arrested and sharing the shocking unraveling of the Real House Wives of New jersey reunion special. America, why have we let such JUNK become the focal point of our lives. How stupid have we become to allow Reality T. V. and Political Commentators DICTATE how we think and live? 300,000 people showed up to listen to Glenn Beck speak. Put politics aside for a moment. I don't care who you vote for. When did Glenn Beck, a former top 40 DJ, generate the credentials to get 300,000 people to give a shit about what he has to say? The sad thing is how the words that people like Beck, Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh speak are mistaken for NEWS. They are not NEWS CASTERS. Their words a merely an opinion. When did we become so weak to let these men think for us? We have allowed ourselves to become distracted with pure junk, and continue to settle for more and more junk by the day. Remember the finale of Lost? For six years, that show had distracted us, entertained us with this complex mystery that twisted and turned into a mind blowing question involving Love, Religion, and Philosophy. The show reached its finale without more than HALF of the mysteries that kept us glued to the set every Tuesday, answered. Not just small stuff. Half of Season Five took place in a time traveled scene during the year 1977. Not even that was addressed. The writers clearly ran out of time to wrap up the show and instead spent the final hour focusing on a bogus reunion in heaven. People were okay with it. People accepted it. They bashed those that were angry by saying they were spoiled. That things dint go your way in real life and we should all accept that. A few years ago, when the Sopranos cut to black and left our balls as blue as a sex starved smurf, Steven Van Zandt was quoted in the papers saying that In Real Life, things don't always get answered and the ending was beautiful. Have we forgotten WHY THE FUCK WE WATCH TELEVISION? Have we all lost the line between entertainment and real life. Do we not care anymore about whats being said to us, who says it, and why? DJ's are now qualified to lead massive political rallies, and TV shows don't need to end at all because life's not fair? What a chubby Staten Island chick is news, and our politicians have to be good moral souls? It was Regan who said that politics was the worlds second oldest profession but it was very similar to the worlds OLDEST profession. We care more about who fucked who and fucked who over, and less about what anyone or anything can be done for us. We accept and excuse JUNK, over and over unto we have what we do today. A generic, boring, and toothless society. Speaking of morals, This country is always after a monogamous god fearing family man to lead us. Glenn beck spoke of such in his rally. He described Adolf Hitler who convinced his masses to murder a whole slew of people based on their religion. We need to be careful America. Go to Glenn Becks rally. Watch T. V. Just recognize what it is your watching and remember that with a little charisma, the wrong people can get you to do whatever they want. We can make this world better, just by standing up and paying better attention

The Death of JSE

Yo. Sorry it's been a while. The truth is I haven't felt the urge to do the right thing lately and that's wrong on my part. The truth is that Friday is the last day of JSE. After 14 years of being YOUR Alternative Rock radio station, some fat cats are gaga with the notion that South Jersey needs another top 40. So I haven't been as motivated as I should have been and posting video's, news clips, and interviews up on this blog and I apologize for that.

So as of now, Thursday will be my last night and I'm not lying when I say I will miss the fuck out of all of you. The boat cruises, the concerts, hanging out on the Morning Edge, hanging out at the Hard Rock and Chickies and Petes. For two and a half years I was a part of THE best radio station in South Jersey. Now I didnt agree with a lot that went on at that station. I felt you deserved a deeper playlist. How many fucking times can you hear Pearl Jam's Jermey? They have NINE albums and about 400 live CD's. I thought we could have talked longer and entertained you better by cutting the restraints of a 4 second Weezer intro, which was another song beaten to death by JSE. I wanted to do a lot of things that are no longer considered proper to do in radio, which is funny because all you hear about is how radio is not what it used to be. You would think if SOMEONE did radio the way it used to be, maybe the fucking ratings and quality of the product MIGHT be what it used to be?

All of this though is spilled milk, because a poorly run JSE was still head and shoulders above what you're getting now: Dance Party Atlantic City. You know because so many of YOU in SOUTH JERSEY fist pump all night long side by side with your visiting Staten Island buddies. Hey man, that's life. It will go on without JSE, it's just not gonna be as cool. I hope some of you lock in to some old school sounds of the Shark where you'll get some ACDC, Aerosmith, and Lynrd Skynrd to get you through the day. I had a great run. I started out doing weekends on the ACE, and then Sunday nights when the ACE became JSE again and then last year happened. I became JSE's night guy and YOU made me one of the highest rated night jocks in South Jersey. You won 311 tickets, and Drop Kick Murphy tickets and we saw Alice in Chains and laughed like hell when I sodomized Family Guys Peter Griffin. We had a blast and I thank you up and down for it. So no I dont have anything sarcastic to say like usual. I'm too fucking tired for that. It's been an emotional roller coaster for the past two weeks and sorry I've been a little bitch that didn't give his all. No Excuses. For the next two nights, I'll do what I can to give you what you deserve. 48 more hours of the GREATEST RADIO STATION IN SOUTH JERSEY. Thanks for listening

Drunk and Sloppy

My first thought was DAMN IT, I missed Sweet Child Of Mine. Then I saw this fat drunken biker dude almost kill Slash and kind of froze. The fact that Slash didnt even flinch just proves to me that they dont make guitar players like this anymore

YOU DECIDE

I talked about this the other day. This is a song by Killing Joke called 80's written in 1984. I guess Kurt Cobain figured 7 years was long enough for people to forget about it before he used the Intro to Come As You Are. You decide. Did Nirvana rip off Killing Joke?