Author Archives: Dean

I wrote a review for the benefit but I chose not to publish it. If I did, I could’ve called it West L.A. Fadeaway… I didn’t wanna be mean about it but, I didn’t have one good word to say. I was certain I wouldn’t make any new friends from it, at least friends that I wanted. I chose not to publish it in hopes that there would be a dramatic change in the 2 or 3 days leading up to the official tour opener at MSG. If they made a music video for that Touch of Grey from the benefit the video would feature old nuns falling down the stairs, still attached to their wheelchairs, in slow motion. One of the great songs of hope and encouragement that found a way to offer none of either. Mama Mia… Not Fade Away sounded like Nobody ever really loved anybody in the first place. I don’t wanna harp on that shit because there are always a lot of challenges when bands play events like that. Like Not Practicing… That presents a big fuckin problem. Where’s Bill Walton? Brother needs to talk to his pals about how Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. It was obvious that Improper Preparation Promoted Piss Poor Playing… Anyway, The real Tour opener was Sunday at “The World’s Most Famous Arena” according to the arena itself. I wondered if it would be possible to turn things around in such a short period of time… Here’s me and a bunch of my friends reviewing the benefit.

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When you’re from NJ, getting to Brooklyn is just slightly more problematic than going to Europe. Getting there takes about 2-3 hours longer than getting home since JRAD typically plays until after 1:00 AM. Once you arrive at Brooklyn Bowl, the trip is always well worth it. The vibe is filled with love and all the usual suspects are typically in attendance. For those of us that spent our youth at Wetlands, it’s really like Wetlands grew up, went to school and became the Brooklyn Bowl. Shap and Charley Ryan, who helped run Wetlands, really took so much of what was offered there and expanded on the concept. The combination of Music Venue/Bowling Alley is kinda fucked up. If you think of what a bowling alley sounds like and then think, “We should have concerts here at the same time! Put the stage right next to the lanes!” It might sound like an awful idea. The bigger bands typically don’t have to contend with the sound of pins colliding since the bowling area turns into a VIP Lounge equipped with its own bar stations and screens used to enhance the visual stimulation of the events. The visuals and lighting are outstanding and run by the venue’s Visual Master, Victor Cornette. The venue just got a new D&B sound system a couple of weeks ago and former Brooklyn Bowl Production manager, Pete Costello, who now manages JRAD, had the sound in that place dialed in. The coverage throughout the venue was much fuller than it had been previously and areas by the bowling lanes that used to have some sound deficits were definitely improved. Big thanks to Andrew Blackstein who provided the pictures! I wanted to give a shout out to some folks behind the scenes that don’t typically get acknowledged for their roles in making awesome shit happen! Thanks y’all!

One thing music venues and bowling alleys typically have in common is bad food. That’s not the case at BB. Make sure you come early and hungry because the food rocks too! The fried chicken and ribs are outstanding and the collard greens are some of the best around!

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