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Midway through opening act My Chemical Romance's set, lead singer Gerard Way asked the audience to scream or raise their hands if this show was their first concert. A large number of kids screamed, my 14-year-old nephew among them. Way asked all first-time concertgoers to thank their uncles, fathers, mothers, big brothers and big sisters for being such cool (expletive withheld). I didn't consider myself to be that cool -- I just wanted my nephew to experience the performance of one of his favorite albums live, and loud. For first-time concertgoers, Green Day rolled out almost every tired concert cliché…

(Image courtesy of www.ginblossoms.net)If you think you've never heard a Jesse Valenzuela song, you're probably wrong.Between his role as guitarist/harmony vocalist/songwriter and now co-producer for 90s power-pop icons the Gin Blossoms, his songwriting work for the likes of Stevie Nicks and the Rembrandts, steady TV and production work, occasional gigs with old friends the Zubia Brothers, and a raft of other projects including his 2002 solo disc Tunes Young People Will Enjoy, Jesse Valenzuela has got to be one of the busiest guys in the music business. Based in Los Angeles, Valenzuela regularly travels to the Blossoms' Tempe, Arizona home…

Collective Soul is prepping the release of their new live DVD Home: A Live Concert Recording With The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. The live DVD -- to be released on the band's own El Music Group record label -- is scheduled to hit major retailers on February 7 and will also be available as a two-CD set. Recorded in April 2005, the concerts were filmed in the band's hometown of Atlanta during two special performances featuring the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. The 20-song collection spans ninety minutes and encompasses hits from throughout Collective Soul's seven studio albums, including their latest…

 Last Charge Of The Light Horse is the brainchild of singer/songwriter/guitarist Jean-Paul Vest, and their debut disc Getaway Car is the album I just named my favorite independent release of 2005. Jean-Paul was kind enough to spend some time over the holidays conducting the following interview. In the course of a series of e-mails we covered ground ranging from the inspiration for the new album, to the transition from JP's previous group Blue Sandcastle, the validity of rock as an art form, and the perils of navigating the New York grid in a car with Last Charge's father-and-son rhythm section,…

The sounds emanating from the Pabst Theater Wednesday night belied the ornate trappings and sculptures that surrounded them. What we were privy to were some of the great pop classics of the last half of the 20th century, as well as one of its greatest achievements performed in its entirety.Since the late '90s, Brian Wilson has been slowly recapturing his legacy, performing to audiences for the first time since his days as a Beach Boy. With the help of his backing band (the Wondermints), his attempts have been largely successful. But his greatest triumph has come in the past year,…