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Jefferson Starship Rocked Charleston, WV!!
- Date of Concert: Sunday, July 6, 2025
- Location of Concert: Schoenbaum Stage at Haddad Riverfront Park in Charleston, WV
- Opener: Of The Dell
I had seen singer Mickey Thomas (Jefferson Starship, Starship) do his version of Starship in concert (review here), but I had not seen Jefferson Starship in concert.
For anyone who is confused, here is some history: the band was first Jefferson Airplane in the 1960s and early 1970s. Then the band morphed into Jefferson Starship in the mid 1970s. Then in the mid 1980s, the band morphed into just Starship. Then the band briefly was Jefferson Airplane again in 1989. Then the band became Jefferson Starship again in the 1990s and has remained that way ever since, although as I said, singer Mickey Thomas has Starship too.
Fascinating, but all very cool.
Anyway, I saw Jefferson Starship do a free concert in Charleston, WV and wow were they great.
As you can imagine with so many band name changes, there is probably personnel changes too? Yes indeed.
Sadly, some have passed away (Paul Kantner and Marty Balin), others have retired (Grace Slick), but this band keeps on trucking, playing the Jefferson Starship, Starship, and even some Jefferson Airplane songs too to all the fans who come to see them.
This band really cooks. Classic members David Freiberg (vocals (PHENOMENAL singer at almost 87 years of age) and guitar, who was also in Quicksilver Messenger Service before he briefly joined Airplane and joined Jefferson Starship) and Donny Baldwin (drums, who also in the Elvin Bishop Band, playing on the hit “Fooled Around And Fell In Love”) are in this lineup. The rest of the band includes singer/guitarist Cathy Richardson, who has been in the band for 18 years and is a PHENOMENAL singer, Jude Gold on lead guitar, and Chris Smith keyboards.
As I said, this band really cooks.
If you are a fan, you have to go see this band. Yes it’s not the complete original lineup anymore, but they really deliver the goods.
This was a very stressful week for me, and this concert was very much needed for me and I loved every second of it.
Thank you Jefferson Starship for all the great music and please keep bringing the music to the people because we need you.
Opening band, Of The Dell, from Huntington, WV, were very good too. Lots of great vocals and catchy songs.
Thank you all for the great night.
Jefferson Starship Set List:
- Find Your Way Back
- Stranger
- Call On Me
- Runaway
- With Your Love
- Sara
- Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now
- Miracles
- Embryonic Journey
- White Rabbit
- We Built This City
- Jane
- Fooled Around And Fell In Love (snippet)
- Somebody To Love
- God Bless America
- Volunteers
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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The Doobie Brothers Walk This Road Album Review
The Doobie Brothers are one of my favorite bands ever.
I’ve seen them in concert three times and have their albums.
They released their latest album, Walk This Road, on June 6 of this year.
It features original members Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons, as well as long time members Michael McDonald and John McFee.
If you are a fan of The Doobie Brothers, you will enjoy this album.
Lots of rocking and soulful songs, great singing and playing, everything you want in an album by The Doobie Brothers.
I’m really glad Michael McDonald is back in the band, having rejoined them for their 50th Anniversary tour a few years ago.
What can I say? The Doobie Brothers rule!!!!! And thanks guys for signing the album booklet too!!!
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Giuffria Discography
Giuffria was a rock band formed in the 1980s by keyboardist Greg Giuffria after leaving the band Angel (another favorite of mine).
Giuffria released two studio albums (Giuffria and Silk + Steel) and a live album/video called Live In Japan 1985.
They also appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Gotcha!
They were working on a third album but only got to the demo stage.
That album of demos, surprisingly, was released this year as The Unreleased Remastered Demos (Greg signed the CDs and Vinyl).
I still need to buy the live album and hopefully I’ll get that soundtrack someday, but I have everything else.
Like Greg’s previous band, Angel, Giuffria are another band I think should have been so much bigger.
Giuffria did have a couple of minor hit singles with the songs “Call To The Heart” and “Lonely In Love”, both from their first album.
Giuffria opened for some big bands, including Deep Purple and Foreigner, but unfortunately, they just never quite got to the top level of success.
They had all the tools. Great musicianship and songwriting, their singer David Glen Eisley was incredible as well as their guitarist on their first album Craig Goldy (later in the band Dio) and all the musicians really. And I really think the albums are really good, especially the first one.
Giuffria kind of sound of like Journey, but with a bit more edge.
So, if you are into catchy hard rock with great singing and playing, Giuffria is the band for you.
Greg later went on to form the band House Of Lords and ultimately became a multimillionaire because he invented a chip that’s in many of the slot machines you see and maybe play. I’m serious.
Anyway, check out Giuffria. They are awesome and should be more well known.
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Waxing On: The Karate Kid And Me Book Review
Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid 1, 2, and 3, The Outsiders, My Cousin Vinny, Cobra Kai, Karate Kid: Legends and more) released his biography Waxing On: The Karate Kid And Me in 2022.
It’s definitely a biography, but it is not a full on autobiography because even though he touches on his life a fair amount, the majority of the book is about his experiences making the first The Karate Kid movie.
If you are a fan of The Karate Kid, you must read this book.
Ralph tells you everything you want to know about the making of the movie.
He also talks about the other movies and Cobra Kai quite a bit and some of this other movies and shows.
Like I said, it is definitely a biography, but it’s not a full on one.
But it is an amazing and quick read and I love it.
And thank you Ralph for signing it (via Talk Shop Live).
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Karate Kid: Legends Movie Review
Karate Kid: Legends was released on May 30 of 2025.
It is set a few years after the series Cobra Kai and stars Jackie Chan, reprising his role as Mr. Han from The Karate Kid 2010 movie, Ralph Macchio reprising his role as Daniel LaRusso from most of The Karate Kid movies and Cobra Kai, and Ben Wang as the new Karate Kid and is Jackie’s character’s nephew in the movie.
If you are a fan of The Karate Kid movies and of Cobra Kai, there is nothing not to like in Karate Kid: Legends.
Ben Wang’s character, like Larusso’s character in the original movie, moves from his home to a new home and has to get acclimated. Along the way, he gets a girlfriend, who has a mean ex who is also a martial artist and bully.
Both Jackie and Ralph’s characters end up helping Ben’s character become an even better martial artist and prepares him for this tournament.
And of course, he ends up facing his girlfriend’s ex in the tournament.
For some, it may be business as usual, but if you want to have some fun, watch Karate Kid: Legends.
I’m not saying everything about it here, but trust me, it is a lot of fun.
And stick around for the end credits because there is a fun Easter egg.
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The Queen Of The Ring Book Review
I saw the movie Queen Of The Ring and enjoyed it, but it made me want to read the book about it.
Called Queen Of The Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend (released in 2009, author Jeff Leen went into a lot more detail about the life and times of wrestler Mildred Burke.
This book talks about how Burke got into wrestling and her relationship with her manager Billy Wolfe, both good and bad.
It talks about various wrestlers Burke faced and knew over the years, holding the women’s championship for many years, eventually getting away from Wolfe and training wrestlers, and so much more.
The movie is very good, but as usual, books cover a lot more, and this book is no different.
I highly recommend it. Even if you are not a wrestling fan, that’s OK. This is a book about a person who wanted to achieve something and she achieved more than she could have ever imagined.
Seek out this book.
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Ric Flair To Be The Man Book Review
Two time WWE Hall of Famer and 16 time (I think 21 time) world champion Ric Flair released his book, To Be The Man, in 2004.
Written by Flair and Keith Elliott Greenberg (and edited by Mark Madden), To Be The Man tells Ric’s story from birth, getting into wrestling, the 1975 plane crash he was in, recuperating from the crash and returning to wrestling, many of the feuds he had with many different wrestlers, title wins, and so much more.
If you are a fan of Ric Flair, you must read this book.
I got my copy signed by Ric when I met him in 2009.
WOOOOOOO!!!!!
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Meeting Ric Flair
WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
I met two time WWE Hall Of Famer and 16 Time (Really 21 Time) World Champion “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair on April 18 of 2009 at the Charleston Town Center Mall.
He was there doing a signing.
I was able to be one of the first in line and had him sign his book for me.
Like most of these events, it was brief but I got to thank him and he thanked me back, which was all I needed.
And I love the picture I got with him.
He’ll always be one of the greatest wrestlers ever and I’m glad I got to meet him.
WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
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L.A. Guns Leopard Skin Album Review
L.A. Guns have been on a roll in the last eight years.
They have released five great albums: The Missing Peace, The Devil You Know, Checkered Past, Black Diamonds, and now Leopard Skin.
Singer Phil Lewis, guitarist Tracii Guns, and the rest of the band (guitarist Ace Von Johnson, bassist Johnny Martin and Adam Hamilton plays drums on the albums and Shawn Duncan plays drums in concert) continue to put out stellar albums and I so wish that all my other favorite bands/artists were as prolific as L.A. Guns are.
Every song is really good and if you are an L.A. Guns fan, you should not be disappointed.
Get their new album Leopard Skin, as well as the last four albums they released.
Rock on everyone.
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Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo/The Vindys Concert Review
- Date of Concert: Saturday, May 24, 2025
- Location of Concert: Centennial Terrace in Sylvania, OH
- Opener: The Vindys
I went with Mariah and her parents to see the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Pat Benatar and her husband/guitarist/pianist/songwriter/producer Neil Giraldo.
We saw them at a nice venue in Sylvania, Ohio called Centennial Terrace.
A band from Youngstown, Ohio called The Vindys opened the show.
Mariah and I saw The Vindys in 2024 and we really liked them a lot, so it was great seeing them again.
They’ve been around about 11 years, but are still fairly young and I really think and hope they have a bright future.
All of the band are great.
The singer, Jackie Popovec, is especially PHENOMENAL.
The rest of the band includes guitarists John Anthony and Rick Deak, bassist Brendan Burke, drummer Owen Davis, and keyboardist Nathan Anthony (last time we saw them they had a horn section, which included trumpet player Kyle O’Donnell, saxophone player Garrett Kuchmaner, and trombone player Brian Mayle).
They only played about 30 minutes, but they were great and as I said, I hope their future is bright and will become much bigger of a band.
OK to the headliner.
I had never seen Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo before, but I knew they would be great. And they were.
Pat’s voice is still very powerful and Neil’s musicianship has always been great.
They truly are a great couple.
They’re still playing lots of classics, but also a new song not yet released (I hope this means a new album is coming), which is really good, as well as deep cuts!!
They and the band sound really good and tight and what can I say? They rock!!
Another show for the books.
We all had a great time.
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Set List:
- All Fired Up
- Invincible
- Ties That Bind
- Promises In The Dark
- Go
- In These Times (w/Jackie Popovec of Vindy’s)
- We Belong (w/Jackie Popovec of Vindy’s)
- Come Together (New Song)
- River Of Love
- Shadows Of The Night
- Hell Is For Children
- You Better Run
- Love Is A Battlefield
- Encore: Disconnected
- Everybody Lay Down
- Heartbreaker/Ring Of Fire/Heartbreaker continued
The Vindys Set List
- Don’t Tell Me, Just Love Me
- Electric
- Bang
- Save Me
- Morning Light
- Chasin’/War Pigs
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
Video Gallery (click on thumbnail to play video)
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The Doobie Brothers Walk This Road Album Review
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Giuffria Discography
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Waxing On: The Karate Kid And Me Book Review
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Karate Kid: Legends Movie Review
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The Queen Of The Ring Book Review
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Ric Flair To Be The Man Book Review
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Meeting Ric Flair
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L.A. Guns Leopard Skin Album Review
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Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo/The Vindys Concert Review