"The Greatest Rock Movie You've Never Seen"

I just received the latest issue of Spin Magazine (the Beck issue) and was intrigued by the "Greatest Rock Movie..." tag on the cover. Sure enough, they got this one right!!!! The movie in question is the early 80's release, "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains" starring future Oscar-nominated actress Diane Lane. She is spectacular! I've been watching a VHS copy I dubbed from a USA Network broadcast over 25 years ago, which should say a lot about the movie (or me). The movie is finally coming to DVD and I recommend it to anyone interested in the early punk rock scene - or just wanting to see a skunk-haired Diane Lane in some very "interesting" outfits. Ms. Lane is joined by another future Oscar-nominated actress, Laura Dern. There's also appearances by members of The Sex Pistols and The Clash, which adds punk credibility, despite their so-so acting abilities. Real actor(!?) Ray Winstone co-stars as Lane's mentor, love interest and rival. I won't spoil the plot, but will say, it's sad, sexy and funny (sometimes unintentionally). There's even a priceless cameo by Tubes frontman Fee Waybill. The music itself is surprisingly good. My one real complaint is the how quickly things change near the end of the movie. Again, I won't give out details, but I think you'll see what I mean when you watch. Regardless, give this one a try. It's a gem!

A Big "Thank You" to SyracuseShows.com

In the cultural desert known as Central New York, Syracuseshows.com has been a rare source for great rock shows the past several years. They have brought a literal who's-who of modern rock royalty to the local scene. Since 2001, everyone one from platinum selling bands like My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy, to current and future punk rock, hardcore and metal legends, have graced the area's clubs thanks to the efforts of Matt Dunn and Company. I recently wrote about last the phenomenal Chiodos show at the Lost Horizon. It was just the latest in a long list of great club shows I've been fortunate to catch in Syracuse. You can check out the incredible list of past shows at SyracuseShows.com, of course.

Yesterday, I received a couple blog updates from Matt. The exciting news was the announcement of more upcoming shows, including a noise-fest featuring Norma Jean/Haste The Day/The Showdown/Mychild Mybride (psych!). But that was followed by a more sobering blog - these may be the last shows SS.com promotes due to poor attendance at recent shows. Matt says he's been losing some big bucks so I support his decision completely. It seems the Syracuse rock scene is dying. Blame the economy? Maybe. Guitar Hero and Rock Band? Kids seem more interested in pushing some colored buttons on a plastic "guitar" than they are in actually going to see someone who actually plays the real thing. Plus for a lot of kids, the hip-hop culture seems to be rage. My advice to the kids...take off that stupid baseball cap with the flat brim and the shiny sticker and get in the mosh pit you fucking pussies. To the kids who still support the Syracuse club scene, my bent-brimmed hat's off to you. To the rest of you, well what more can I say...See you at Norma Jean?
Kotz

Wine tasting and Katy Perry?

I spent some time this weekend with Katy Perry's CD "One of the Boys", as it occupied my CD player on my annual trip to the Finger Lakes Wine Region in beautiful upstate New York. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. It's a polished, catchy effort loaded with offbeat lyrics, great dance beats and even some quieter moments. I've started a Katy Perry Fan Page which you can check out here.

A New Beginning For Chiodos?

This past Sunday, I was lucky enough to catch a truly amazing performance by emo-core band Chiodos. They made the 20-hour roundtrip from their home-base in Michigan to Syracuse, NY for what can be called their "comeback show". I won't get into singer Craig Owens' recent personal struggle, but you can read all about it with a simple Google search. The concert was held at the newly re-opened Lost Horizon club, a venue that's hosted a who's-who of punk rock royalty over the years. The first band up was local hardcore band Merrimac, who played to an energetic crowd familiar with their material. I didn't know them, but I approve! Next up was New Hampshire's Our Last Night who recently signed to Epitaph Records. I really liked their show and was disappointed to find that their CD was sold out at their merch table. Guess there's always Best Buy. Next up was The Sleeping, a band I've been fortunate to see in a previous Syracuse club show as well as on Warped Tour. Their energy was incredible and the new songs from their upcoming CD sounded great. Finally, we get to the headliners - Chiodos. If the crowd reaction was any indication, this was Chiodos at their best. I've only seen them at Warped Tour, so I didn't really know how good they were live. Despite the heat and humidity in the club, this was a show the fans in attendance will not soon forget. You can check out my photos from the show here, and my videos here.

"Kotz Rocks" Blog Intro

Now that I've got my feet wet with my Honor Bright Blog, I thought it was time I started rambling about my favorite interest/hobby - Rock music. So I'm going to use this space to let you know what I'm currently listening to, concerts I've attended, interesting TV and video appearances, and general music commentary. And since I'm one of the very few individuals who can carry on detailed conversations on everything from the early Rock 'n' Roll pioneers to today's heaviest hardcore bands, I may actually have something worthwhile to say. Maybe not. So beware, I might talk about Elvis one day, Fall Out Boy the next. Today The Beatles, tomorrow Underoath. You've been warned. Proceed with caution...Kotz