This article is written by Elizabeth Zwolsky on behalf of Rock Along Productions, but does not necessarily reflect the views of Rock Along Productions. All opinions are solely those of the author.

For the second time this Summer, we here in The Valley of the Sun have been treated
with a concert, known as a low-dough show at The Clubhouse in Tempe(note address be-
low) sponsored by Arizona’s rock station 98KUPD.

At $15.00 to see four bands, this is an aptly named event. This low-dough show took
place Saturday July 24, 2010. With a band line-up of Echoes the Fall, Taking Dawn, Sea-
sons After and the headlining act of 2 Cents.

Being the first band to open a show, is probably the hardest in the lineup. The band has
to catch the attention of the crowd, who are still sober and engaged in conversations. So I
was quite happy to see and hear Echoes the Fall, take control right off the bat. Being a lo-
cal Arizona band, I always listen and watch closely, for I take pride in the music this State
produces. With Vocals by Dave Mackey, Guitarist Mike Gable, Bassist Trevor Keeling and
on the Drums Mitch Gable, it was a pleasing, enjoyable and fun performance. Hope to catch
more of them in the future.

I had been anticipating the next band, Taking Dawn, for I knew they had just come back
from touring in Europe with KISS. Without hesitation these four guys, consisting of members,
Chris Babitt, Mikey Cross, Alan Douchette and Andrew Cushing took to the stage full force,
as if they were still playing in an arena. Even with The Clubhouse’s technical problems and
glitches, they made it work. Never stopping, melding from one song to the next,always in total control of their craft.

Taking Dawn, who hail from Las Vegas, seem to have the art of entertainment flowing through their veins. When they broke into their last song, a re-make of Fleetwood Macs, The Chain, they made sure that they would leave an imprint on people’s mind’s, on how to end a show.
As they swayed in perfect unison, the Guitarist, leaped off the stage, and continued playing throughout the the club, then with out a warning, he managed a cat like move, which had him on top of the bar counter, which made for a lot of cheering, and maybe a confused bartender! So there he performed moving on top of the bar counter as if it were another stage,till the songs end.

I had hoped that they would have continued on, for they are,entertainers. Would I be willing to see Taking Dawn again? Yes, and I would love to see how they treat the larger venue! So this brings me to a statement at this point – I would like to say Thank you to Echoes the Fall and Taking Dawn, for their obvious dedication to their music and fans (in my case, new fan) I am stating this, for this is where the concert started to go towards a sour note.

Before Seasons After hit the stage, the thought of a not so stellar performance by them had started to cross my mind. The reason for this, was some of the members heavy consumption of double shots next to me at the bar. Since this was taking place before the show,I was beginning to wonder if it would effect, their playing and singing. So I was pleased when these five guys from Wichita, Kansas seemed to be handling their alcohol so well.

Well, with Chris on Vocals, it seems maybe partying is starting to take a toll on sounding fit for any more live gigs. This not so fit feel was also seen in the other members, James and Dawson on Guitars, Michael with Bass and Tim keeping it together on Drums.Yes I can say they played good but; being how much better they sound on their album and previous concert dates I have watched on video, I was a bit let down on their energy, and heart while performing.

I will now move to the headline act of 2 Cents.Well to start with, Adam O’Rourke who is the Drummer and Lead Vocalist, had an injury of some sort, so instead he had center stage, while another drummer filled Adam’s spot, whom I would gladly name but; I am not able too, because of my lack of understanding most of what Adam was saying! Other band members that showed themselves to be far beyond the intoxication point were Jason Wendell with a Bass and Adair Cobley weaving with a Guitar. The other Guitarist, Dave O’Rourke and an un-named Keyboardist along with the fill-in drummer where somehow able to hold the group together, and to them I give a big round of applause.

I could go on about how after 10 minutes of performing and stopping over and over, along with the excessive yakking in regards to drugs, sex and inaudible rantings, had me wanting to jump up onto the stage, and scream, especially when Adair who was having constant problems due to his drunken and highly drugged mind (which they happily mentioned) was unable to stand still long enough to tune his Guitar! All in all I was left with the impression of a bunch of stoner kids in a garage who think they sound like pros, but lack the sense to know better because their head’s are too fried!

Just for the record, I become highly disappointed when Bands of obvious talent, seem to think drugs and alcohol in excessive amounts will make them stars? I hope that for the sake of Seasons After and 2 Cents, they straighten up a bit, and remember to take their job back to the performances they are able to do in a more polished fashion. I enjoy their music recordings, but even this wont save them if they continue in a self-destructive path.

So I must end this with a little happiness, I wish to say thank you (again) to Echoes the Fall and Taking Dawn for giving a great show,and to 98KUPD for bringing us these bands. Also I look forward to the next low-dough show, with Powerman 5000 on August 21.

*The Clubhouse is located at 1320 E.Broadway Rd.Tempe,AZ (480)968-3238

An all-new Michael Jackson collection featuring 10 unreleased songs will be released this November, a rep for the Jackson estate exclusively tells Rolling Stone. At the time of his death Jackson reportedly left hard drives filled with unheard music, much of it recorded during the King of Pop’s ’80s peak. Jackson’s manager Frank DiLeo told RS that he estimates that Jackson’s vaults contain more than 100 completed and unreleased songs, including collaborations with Akon, Will.i.am and Ne-Yo. “There are a couple of songs we recorded for the Bad album that we had to cut that are just sensational,” DiLeo said.

Track Michael Jackson’s legacy in the year after his death.

“Every time that [Jackson] recorded, he over-recorded. He would record anywhere from 20 to 30 songs for each album,” former Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola told RS last year. Any of them could have been as big a hit as the ones that came out.” One of the most noteworthy tracks was a Thriller outtake titled “Don’t Be Messin’ Around.” Other candidates include any of the reported five songs that Jackson recorded with Will.i.am.

Last year, a pair of unreleased Jackson tracks, “Another Day” and “A Place With No Name,” leaked, and recently Rodney Jerkins, who co-produced Jackson’s 2001 album Invincible, revealed to VladTV that he’s currently working on the collection.

Look back at Michael Jackson’s life in photos.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, the album of never-before-heard Jackson songs will be the first in a 10-project, seven-year deal the Jackson estate inked with Sony Music in March 2010 — a $250 million pact that will also include reissues of Jackson’s classic albums, new greatest hits sets, a DVD collection of all Michael’s music videos and possibly a Cirque du Soleil show. The hybrid karaoke and dance simulator Michael Jackson: The Video Game is also expected out by the end of 2010.

At a near-capacity show for their recently launched Hottest Show on Earth Tour in Pittsburgh last night, Kiss proved why they are the reigning kings of theater rock, delivering an electric two-hour, 21-song set of glam-rock smashes, newer tunes, over-the-top pyrotechnics and plenty of blood-spitting.

With three massive video screens and bright LED lights, Kiss kicked the show off with fiery jams like “Modern Day Delilah” and “Cold Gin,” but the band hit their stride once they launched into “Let Me Go, Rock ‘N’ Roll,” which found Kiss saturated in blinding white light and sent the crowd into a frenzied clap-along. (Dozens of die-hards dressed in full Kiss fatigues while hundreds more donned the band’s trademark makeup.) Throughout the gig, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer filled in solidly for original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, especially when Singer reprised Frehley’s sparks-shooting guitar solo in “Shock Me.” When Criss left the band in 2004, Kiss abandoned playing the fan-favorite “Beth” but they revived their 1976 classic — to date, their highest-charting single ever — for their current tour. “The band is bigger than the members,” Stanley told RS. “The idea that some people can be replaced and not all of them would be a little pigheaded and big-headed of me. Gene and I, there are people out there who could do what we do at least as well, if not better. I don’t have to be there for it to be Kiss.” Stanley added that the band could “absolutely” continue if he and Simmons decided to retire.

While the band delivered fan favorites like a show-closing “Rock and Roll All Nite,” Kiss mined their catalog for deeper cuts like the faux-disco 1979 single “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” during which Stanley zoomed over the crowd suspended by wires. (Another surprise: “Crazy Nights,” the no-makeup-era single that sounded 10 times better as a summer-evening singalong than it did broadcast on MTV in 1987.) Kiss’ show was also big on tunes from 2009′s Sonic Boom and even those heavy, anthemic songs could have been long-lost tracks to albums like 1976′s classic Rock and Roll Over.”Sonic Boom was something that fortified us and really united us in the sense that we’re now celebrating everything we’ve done in the past, the present, and where we’re going in the future,” said Stanley. “Sonic Boom is not the last album. It’s the first album in the next phase.”

Stanley said that the band plans to go back in to the studio next February and release an album as early as next summer, but in the meantime, Kiss are content to deliver a hit parade for the Hottest Show on Earth tour. “We don’t want to fall into the thing where you have to play obscure songs,” said Stanley. “I’m a big believer that a song is obscure for a reason: Songs that aren’t as popular aren’t as good.”

Set List
“Modern Day Delilah”
“Cold Gin”
“Let Me Go, Rock ‘N Roll”
“Firehouse”
“Say Yeah”
“Deuce”
“Crazy Nights”
“Calling Dr. Love”
“Shock Me”
“I’m an Animal”
“100,000 Years”
“I Love It Loud”
“Love Gun”
“Black Diamond”
“Detroit Rock City”

Encore:
“Beth”
“Lick It Up”
“Shout It Out Loud”
“I Was Made for Lovin’ You”
“God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll To You II”
“Rock and Roll All Nite”

Shona Germino president of Rock Along Productions talks about her revolutionary new E-book about breaking into the businesses of How to be a Band Promoter. It’s a complete starter kit, so amazing you will not want to miss this!