Rock Music ~ KOME StyleRock Music The Old Fashioned Way

What about stock options? Yeah, I know… that whole economic crash thing has everyone all scared, but from what my folks have been telling me there is no reason to give into the fears. So stock options are a good way to begin to set aside some money by investing, but where do you go to do this and who can you trust to lead you along in this journey? Wickedprofits.com is a stock options advisory service that helps you out. AtWicked Profits you will be given all the knowledge and help you will need. To get into this though, you will need to have a brokerage account, they have one they offer or you can use any of the many they list on their website. If you are totally new to this whole thing, they are the best to be associated with because they tell you exactly what to do start to finish. I loved seeing that I could get started doing this for as little as $1000, I had always thought this kind of thing required a ton of cash , that will have to be added to my goals list for this year.

If you are interested in knowing more check out their FAQ page here, as it answers many questions. This has been a review of WickedProfits.com.

Work has been kicking my ass lately and some of my blogs are suffering a bit, such as this poor baby. So today while writing the articles for my job ( Ghost writer ) I decided to listen to Blazy and Bob and I heard their short interview with Ronnie James Dio about the new band Heaven and Hell , the album The Devil You Know ( which I am going to be downloading to my Zune shortly, yeah baby instant music gratification) and the tour. You can get ALL the info on this at the website Dio and also at Geezer Butler’s website

I will be posting my views on the album after I have listened to it.

9@9 today was 1980, good year ..no, okay year for me. what about you, how did 1980 treat you? My best years, 85-86, 88-91…..

Video for today ~ 18 has threatened me with an untimely death if I do not start stepping up the posts for her music choices. So in advance of my post tomorrow I give you this…….. Wolfmother * who I actually like, alot * . As I said, tomorrow I will have a nice bit of background etc on them so enjoy

Joker and the Thief ~

I was just reading over at Melodic Rock Concerts that Lita Ford will be appearing at the Moondance Jam in Minnesota. Lita  has been a special fav or mine since the day I first saw  her video on MTV way way back in the late 80’s.

Of course her career is much longer that that, going back to the late 70’s with the band the Runaways, as their lead guitarist. But she is so deep, so multidimensional and so very very good at what she does that I think many people  missed  her real abilities because they were so floored that a good looking chick could play guitar for real.

And yes, I like everyone else who head banged back in the 80’s was totally in love with Kiss Me Deadly, and why not? It was fun, heavy, noisy… all those things a true died in the wool head banger needed in life. And she was good.

I did something I never, I mean never do… I went and found Lita’s Official MySpace page and joined. Why you ask, well  not to many rockers will reach out to their fans is this way that I have found and also, its pretty cool to see her name in my list. I almost never go there because I am on so many social services but I will for sure check in with her page to keep up on what she is currently doing. For instance, she started her new album this week , so that is pretty cool. I will be waiting for this to come out and then I will know rock truly did not die in 1994.

So, tonight’s video choice is Lita Ford with Ozzy – Close My Eyes

No need for any other video tonight, I am feeling all emo and this fits the bill perfectly.

peace rockers

Each day that I work, I feel some amount of stress. My mom says I do it to myself and that may well be true. But I also spend a large portion of my free time seeking out what I like to call Zen moments. I have my ambiance music that I can not write without, and I have my nice deck for moments throughout the day where I just sit and relax listening to the sounds of the woods. All these things are great and I would never do without them, but lately I am desiring a more intensive and restorative measure against my stress.

I would love to visit a place like The Tiffiani Kim Institute Spa in Chicago. They offer a lovely sounding spa facial Chicagostyle that makes my inner soul yearn for a few days free and money to go. I never used to want a facial or massage but that was back when I thought stress was my not being able to stay awake all night. Now, its almost a deep need. I would love to have the Basic Anti_aging Alpha Hydroxy Facial. They exfoliate your skin with the alpha hydroxy and this in turn stimulates the skins collagen and elastin so you have smooth young beautiful looking skin. Then to add a bit to this, they put a seaweed collagen mask on your face, sounds like the perfect touch.

I think that this is something I would love to do on an annual, no monthly basis it sounds so great!

From the Contra Costa Times ~

NO NAME IS BACK: KITS-FM (Live 105) announced Monday popular host No Name has returned to the station, beginning his second stint at the alternative rock station this morning.

“No Name is a terrifically talented performer and I’m thrilled to welcome him back to LIVE 105 and CBS Radio San Francisco” said Doug Harvill, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, in a press release.

No Name (real name: Mike Nelson) got his start in radio at Santa Clara University. From there he worked at KOME-98.5, Live 105, and most recently KLLC-97.3 (Alice), where he was let go nine months ago when the station decided to aim for more of a female demographic.

Very cool, I think I sense a return to the cool ways of radio. Blazy and Bob are back, No Name is back… whose next?????

Since I began doing interviews 2 years ago I have become more comfortable but when I get the opportunity to do an interview with someone whose work I admire then I am back at square one. This is how it was for this interview with Matt Becker of Melodic Rock Concerts. His work is amazing, his blog posts about the different concerts he attends are fabulous but it is his photographs that are inspiring.

We all see the shots of the celebs, almost always the same pose or same mood is expressed. I know it must be hard to do original when your subject h as been photographed a million times, Matt does it and dose is extremely well. His list of concerts attended is extensive and built on the reigning Kings and Queens of Rock. I am so honored to have this interview and hope you enjoy it as well.

First let me say thank you for sitting down to do this interview, I have been a fan of your work on Melodic Rock Concerts for some time now and I know I am not the only one.

Thanks so much, it’s always great to know that what I put out there on the site is enjoyable to others.

So let me ask you how did get started in this gig as a Rock Fan and Photographer?

I shot my very first concert image at a Steve Miller show in 2006, and although I had no idea that I could turn it into something bigger, something must have stuck because the next year I was starting to draw up a list of concerts that I wanted to attend. The camera came along to every show, and although I of course enjoyed standing and watching my favorite rock groups perform, it was something special when I pushed that button and captured them in action. Eventually as I attended more and more shows, whether it was Rush or Boston, there were always dozens of people lining up around me and asking if I could send them a link to the photos. It didn’t take long for me to realize that a web site would be a great way to not only show the photos and reviews to those who I meet at shows, but also to anyone around the world who wants to check out high quality images of rock performers or read concert reviews. After launching Melodic Rock Concerts first as a blog in the Blogger network, the response was so strong that I eventually relocated it to its current home at www.melodicrockconcerts.com. All along the way I’ve had a blast, and the experience has been and will continue to be very rewarding.

It seems every generation has a Rock Photographer that simply works magic, do you have anyone whose work you enjoy or emulate?
Absolutely, I have taken notice of many fellow rock photographers and I’ve had the privilege of getting to know several of them. Ross Halfin comes to mind, he has been around for nearly 30 years and many know him from his work with Def Leppard. His images helped to define the era during the 1980s and 1990s; if you open up any old rock magazine issue you’re bound to come across a photo by Ross. I also have a great respect for Marty Moffatt, a photographer from the United Kingdom who has worked frequently with Journey. His images are truly stunning, and although I try to establish my own trademark in the images that I create, I do strive to live up to the standards set by photographers like Marty and Ross.

I read that your work is in the 2009 book ‘AC/DC: Maximum Rock ‘N’ Roll, do you also have your work published in other venues? Do you hope to have your own book out one day?

I’m very excited about the Maximum Rock ‘N’ Roll release, which should take place sometime later this year. This book is the definitive resource for all things AC/DC, and it’s an honor to have my photos eternalized in such a way. I try to stay in touch with a variety of publications, so you never know where a photo may appear next. I have given thought to various ways of putting what I do at Melodic Rock Concerts to paper, and a book would certainly be an appropriate way of doing just that. It’s definitely something I will consider down the line, without a doubt there is certainly a great and growing demand for live images of classic artists.

What is your favorite Rock Band and do you have bands that you hope to see soon?

The great thing about the bands that I photograph is that I love the music that is being played as I snap away. I have many favorites, and although I don’t want to single out just one I will say that I greatly enjoy the music of Toto, Def Leppard, Journey, Dokken, and Heart. Melodic rock is such a great genre to be involved with, the artists are very appreciative of fans that have stood by them through the years, and the music is timeless. There are so many names that get thrown out for artists from this era; whether it’s classic rock, hair metal, or hard rock, to me the only thing that matters is that the music is quality. Great vocalists, skilled guitarists, and a powerful rhythm section are at the heart of this type of music, and even some of the today’s newfly formed bands are embracing this and for that I have a great respect.

I’m thrilled about what lies ahead this summer, I will be seeing about 50 bands in concert and so the possibilities in terms of photography are endless. Every band will be great without a doubt, many of them I will be seeing in concert for the first time – Whitesnake, Heart, and Foreigner come to mind.

What concert stands out in your mind as the best show you have ever seen?

I have been extremely fortunate in that every act I’ve seen, whether it was Styx or Eddie Money, has put on an absolutely tremendous show. I think that there’s a certain standard that bands with 20, 30, or 40 year histories feel compelled to live up to; they realize that the people in the crowd could be die-hard followers or young, first-time concert goers, and so they give it their all each night. The concerts that stand out in my mind the most are those at which I not only heard great music, but made great memories with friends old and new, or with family. To quickly give a definitive answer to your question however, Toto and Rush are two bands that simply amazed me in the live setting.

Do you ever get contacted by the bands about upcoming concerts or do you just go in as a fan first?

Typically it’s me approaching bands or venues in a request for credentials, but it’s not uncommon for a band to contact me. Whether they enjoyed my images of themselves, or they took interest in what I did for other groups, it’s a blessing to be reached by an artist or a band.

What should someone who is hoping to take up a camera and document rock shows do to really follow their dream?

The advice I can give is that you should never limit the possibilities; always keep your mind open because you can never who what the future will bring. I would have laughed if two years ago you had approached me and told me that by April of 2009 I would be running a successful website dedicated to the live concert experience. It may sound cliche, but no dream is too big.
I want to thank you for taking the time to do this with me, I really enjoy your work so much can can’t wait until the next show is ready for you to photograph.

I want to thank Matt again for taking the time to do this Interview, it has been a pleasure.

You can read the latest article on Yes and Asia Touring and see all of Matt’s awesome photograph gallery here.