SEBASTIAN BACH TO PLAY 1ST SKID ROW ALBUM IN ENTIRETY IN CELEBRATION OF 30TH ANNIVERSARY ON UPCOMING TOUR

CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF SKID ROW’S LANDMARK, SELF-TITLED DEBUT WITH U.S. TOUR TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY!

Revered vocal powerhouse SEBASTIAN BACH will celebrate the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW’s acclaimed, self-titled breakout debut album with a U.S. Tour where he’ll be performing the record in its entirety plus other songs from his celebrated catalog. The tour will kick off in Nashville, TN on August 30th and will end in Pinellas Park, FL on November 2nd. Tickets and VIP Meet N’ Greet upgrades go on sale Friday, June 7th at http://www.sebastianbach.com/

In a statement from Bach“In 1989 we put out the first record ‘Skid Row’. 30 years later, people still dig the music we created in a garage all those years ago. In commemoration of this 30th Anniversary digital deluxe release, my band is going to perform the first Skid Row record, in its entirety, on the road, LIVE this fall! It’s going to be fun to do something that has never been done live before! We are looking forward to seeing you all for this one time event! Note: This concert is 100% live in every way! All real! All the time! No tapes! No fakes! Come and see a real rock band while they still exist! We give it to you straight from the heart ‘cuz that’s the only way we know how! See you on the road!” 

Released in the winter of 1989, SKID ROW’s self-titled record is one of heavy rock’s most successful debut albums, landing in Billboard’s Top 10 and going on to sell millions of copies around the world.  The record transformed the band from local New Jersey quintet into a global phenomenon whose rebellious attitude and jaw-dropping talent set the bar and tone for rock music in the late 80’s and early 90’s. SKID ROW’s singles, “18 and Life,” “Youth Gone Wild” and “I Remember You,” are among the decade’s most recognizable rock anthems that still receive heavy airplay on radio stations across the country. The group again achieved commercial success with its second record Slave to the Grind (1991) certified multi-platinum, reaching number one on the Billboard 200.  

SEBASTIAN BACH is recognized globally as a vocalist, television star, actor and beyond! Bach hit the spotlight in the late 1980’s as the iconic frontman for mainstream heavy metal / hard rock act SKID ROW. Since his departure from Skid Row in the mid 90’s, SEBASTIAN BACH still remains one of the most relevant rock figures in pop culture today, with over 20 million records sold, three solo records, network television appearances on AXS.tv, MTV, VH1 and CMT, guest appearances on “Gilmore Girls,” “Trailer Park Boys,” “Californication” and other popular television shows, and several acting stints on and off Broadway. BACH’s last album, Give ‘Em Hell, impressively, landed on the U.S. Top Hard Rock and Top 200 Billboard charts, proving his prowess decades after his initial debut. BACH’s critically acclaimed Harper Collins memoir “18 And LIFE on Skid Row” was released December 6, 2016. 

SEBASTIAN BACH’s band is : 

Drums: Bobby Jarzombek (HALFORDFATES WARNING) 2005-2019

Bass: Rob DeLuca (UFOSPREAD EAGLE) 2005-2019

Guitar / Backing Vocals: Brent Woods (VINCE NEILCHEVY METAL) 2012-2019 

SEBASTIAN BACH Tour Dates:
Aug 29 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
Aug 30 –  Anderson, SC – William A Floyd Amphitheater
Aug 31 –  Charlotte, NC – Amos Southend
Sep 2 – Huntsville, AL – Side Tracks Music Hall
Sep 3 – Columbus, OH – Skully’s
Sep 4 – Cleveland, OH – Phantasy
Sep 6 – Stafford Springs, CT – Palace Theater
Sep 7 – Block Island, RI – Ballard’s (afternoon show)
Sep 9 – Laconia, NH – Granite State Music Hall
Sep 10 – Hampton Beach, NH – Wally’s
Sep 11 – Portland, ME – Aura
Sep 13 – Harrison, OH – The Blue Note
Sep 14 – Flint, MI – The Machine Shop
Sep 15 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
Sep 18 – Kansasville, WI – 1175
Sep 19 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
Sep 20 – Lombard, IL – Brauer House
Sep 21 – Dubuque, IA – Q Casino
Sep 22 – Lexington, KY – Manchester Music Hall
Sep 25 – New York, NY – Sony Hall
Sep 26 – Harrisburg, PA – XL Live
Sep 27 – Lynchburg, VA – Phase 2
Sep 28 – Waterloo, NY – The Vine at Del Lago
Sep 29 – Warrendale, PA – Jergel’s
Oct 1 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
Oct 3 – Wichita, KS – WAVE
Oct 5 – Golden, CO – Dirty Dogs Roadhouse (Outdoor)
Oct 6 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Oct 10 – Ramona, CA – Ramona Mainstage
Oct 11 – Los Angeles, CA – Whisky A Go Go (Night 1)
Oct 12 – Los Angeles, CA – Whisky A Go Go (Night 2)
Oct 17 – Roswell, NM – Liberty Theater
Oct 18 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
Oct 19 – Waco, TX – The Backyard
Oct 20 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill
Oct 22 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
Oct 23 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theater
Oct 24 – Corpus Christi, TX – House of Rock
Oct 25 – Lafayette, LA – The District
Oct 26 – Miramar Beach, FL – Village Door Music Hall
Oct 28 – Miami, FL – KISS Kruise Pre Party @ Double Tree
Oct 30 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock
Oct 31 – Savannah, GA – Victory North
Nov 1 – Ft. Myers, FL – The Ranch
Nov 2 – Pinellas Park, FL – England Brothers Park 

For More Information:http://www.sebastianbach.com/

Book Review “Yours for Eternity: A Love Story on Death Row”

“Yours for Eternity: A Love Story on Death Row”
Authors: Damien Echols and Lorri Davis
Hardback/ 448 pages
Publisher: Blue Rider Press
Release Date: June 17, 2014

Our score: 3 out of 5 stars

Lorri Davis was a single woman, living in New York City, when she was invited by a friend to go to an early screening of a new documentary. What she saw changed her life. Lorri saw alienation, and she saw herself being represented onscreen. Coming from the South she had always felt like she didn’t belong there, and that she did not fit in with those around her. This documentary showed her a teen-age boy who had gone through the same situation: only a hundred times worse. The documentary was “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills” and the teen-age boy she identified with was Damien Echols; one of the West Memphis Three.

The story of the West Memphis Three, as told through “Paradise Lost” stuck with Lorri, and haunted her. She became relatively obsessed with Damien, and could not get him out of her head. So, like dozens of others whom viewed the same film, Lorri decided to write to Damien. And so began a love story like no other.

Damien and Lorri started to write each other letters, reaching a point to where they both would write several letters a day. They felt a real connection with each other, and within less than four years they were married. The ceremony being unique in and of itself: a Buddhist ceremony held on Death Row. Lorri Davis would soon quit her job, move to Arkansas, and lead a team of investigators and lawyers to one day bring release and exoneration to her husband. While the release has occurred, the exoneration still has not.

In “West of Memphis”, one of the four documentaries that cover the West Memphis Three case, Lorri mentions her and Damien having written somewhere around 5,000 letters to each other; all between 1996 and 2011 (the latter being the year Damien was released from prison). Lorri also states in the film that she had contemplated burning all of the letters; presumably as a way to start anew and move on. However, she and Damien did no such thing.

“Yours For Eternity: A Love Story on Death Row” is a collection of a very small portion of those letters; as well as present day notes to fill the reader in on the authors’ mindsets. Giving bits of notations to things referenced or alluded to. It truly is a wonderful journey into the minds of two people; two people slowly falling in love, no less. Damien has always been a writer and a poet. Having self-published a memoir in 2005 called “Almost Home”, and an updated version of the same book, with more content, in 2012 entitled “Life After Death”.

“Yours For Eternity” offers a unique perspective on the West Memphis Three case, in as much as it almost has nothing to do with the case itself; but offers a look at the circumstances Damien and Lorri were put in because of the case. Together they don’t spend their time delving into clues and information about who may or may not have committed the crimes; they leave that to the outside world. Within the letters they spend their energy trying to decipher and decode each other. They create a world and a life together using only their words. Damien and Lorri built a friendship, relationship, and a marriage, using the only thing Damien was allowed to have on Death Row: anything made of paper.

This book is a fast and easy read, and it’s rather beautiful. The reader is allowed access to the most intimate of thoughts and feelings and will allow you to view the people involved in this case in a whole new light. Damien Echols and Lorri Davis are currently traveling the United States in support of this book. Go see them if they come to your city.

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Concert Review: Skid Row “United World Rebellion Tour 2014”

“United World Rebellion Tour 2014”
Skid Row, Sakara, the JJ Lang Band, Exit Sky, Methanol
Date: Wednesday, July 9th 2014
Venue: Montage Music Hall, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

The hard rock band Skid Row kicked off their “United World Rebellion Tour” on July 9th in Rochester, NY in support of their upcoming release titled “”Rise of the Damnation Army, United World Rebellion: Chapter 2. The release is the second of several EP’s the band has planned for release this coming year. Though this was the first night of the US tour run the band seemed tight and ready to take their classic signature sound to the masses.

Montage Music Hall an intimate music venue tucked into one of the bustling side streets of Rochester, NY played host to a bevy of music artists all out to support their own endeavors along with setting the stage for the launch of Skid Row’s “United World Rebellion” Tour. Though the bill featured 5 bands in total the old saying “quality over quantity” seemed to have been ignored. Opening up the night was local act Methanol and though the band seemed well rehearsed they did little to capture the attention of those who came out to the venue early as their stage presence and crowd interaction needed some attention. Exit Sky another local act whose sound could be described as a mix between early Creed and Pearl Jam followed and seemed to garner quite a few cheers from the small crowd in attendance.

Closing out the list of local performers was The JJ Lang Band. The group’s performance was certainly my favorite of the 3 local support acts however; early on in the group’s 30 min set the band experienced some technical difficulties causing the lead singer/guitarist to throw his guitar on the ground in disgust. Though the guitar sound was noticeably thinner from there out I found the vocals to sound much better when that was all that was being focused on by the group’s front man.

The Massachusetts rock band Sakara would take the stage next as direct tour support a spot they will hold throughout this leg of the “United World Rebellion” tour. The band performed a solid set that seemed fairly well received by the crowd on hand who were anxiously awaiting the night’s headliner. After a rather length set change Skid Row would hit the stage helmed by lead vocalist Johnny Solinger who is celebrating his 14th year with the band. Flanked by original members Scotti Hill, Rachel Boland and Dave “Snake” Sabo and the groups newest member drum Rob Hammersmith the band flew through its 90 minute set playing a number of songs from their back catalog including “18 and Life”, “Monkey Business” and the always popular “I Remember You”. The band also performed one or two news songs which fans seemed to enjoy just as much as the older material.

Though it would have been killer to see/hear a 2 hour plus set from Skid Row and fewer local acts overall the show was a pretty decent night of music. Sure there were a few times where Solinger seemed to max out his vocal range however the solid combination of Boland, Sabo, Hill and newcomer Hammersmith provided the perfect support system to keep the night going smoothly and even though a full fledged Skid Row reunion may be just a pipe dream for those of us who grew up with the band the current incarnation of the band is just fine by me and certainly worth going to check out.

Skid Row Set List
1.) Let’s Go
2.) Big Guns
3.) Makin’ a Mess
4.) Piece of Me
5.) 18 and Life
6.) Thick Is the Skin
7.) Riot Act
8.) Darkened Room
9.) Kings of Demolition
10.) Psycho Therapy
11.) I Remember You
12.) Monkey Business
13.) Get the Fuck Out
14.) Slave to the Grind
15.) Youth Gone Wild

CD Review: Skid Row “United World Rebellion- Chapter One” EP

Skid Row
“United World Rebellion- Chapter One” EP
Megaforce Records
Tracks: 5

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Skid Row is back with their first new studio release in 7 years titled “United World Rebellion- Chapter One”. The EP features 5 new songs from the band who once dominated the charts with hits such as “18 and Life”, “Youth Gone Wild” and “I Remember You”. “United World Rebellion- Chapter One” is the bands first release since signing to Megaforce Records earlier this year and is the follow up release to the 2006 album titled “Revolutions Per Minute”.

Though the band may look a little different these days their style and attitude remains the same. Blistering guitars and razor sharp vocals blast your ears relentlessly over the EP’s 5 tracks. Vocalist Johnny Solinger who joined the group in 1999 stays true to the original sound of Skid Row while adding his own southern flare. Original members Dave “Snake” Sabo, Scottie Hill and Rachel Boland provide the complementary instrumentation while the bands newest member drummer Rob Hammersmith provides a steady back beat acting as the proverbial icing on the cake. Songs such as “Kings of Demolition” and “Get Up” are stand alone rockers while the country tinged “This Is Killing Me” slows things down a bit and gently tugs at your heart strings. Though not as strong as some of the bands other recent releases “United World Rebellion- Chapter One” is a good start and with the band planning to release a couple more EP’s later this year listeners will definitely want to start with a copy of “United World Rebellion- Chapter One”.

Track Listing:
1.) Kings of Demolition
2.) Let’s Go
3.) This Is Killing Me
4.) Get Up
5.) Stitches