Michael Anthony

The Best of iFest's Second Weekend: Aaron Neville, Sergent Garcia, Grupo Fantasma, etc.

Aaron Neville After four certified platinum albums and a few Grammys, Aaron Neville -- now 72 -- would have had every right to hang it all up years ago. Instead, to the delight of fans, the New Orleans soul singer found himself performing at iFest this weekend in support of his fourteenth studio alb ... More >>

The 10 Greatest Rock Bassists in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Geddy Lee Edition

I could sit here and write paragraphs about my appreciation of Geddy Lee. He was the first true influence I had as a bass player when I was in high school. For years after, I admired not just his talent as a musician, but his ability to improve and grow. He is also underrated for how great a "rock" ... More >>

Radioactive Duo

Classic-rock station 93.7 The Arrow yanks controversial morning DJs Walton and Johnson off the air.

15 Notable Houston Concerts of 2012

As we look back over 2012 this week, it is now time to revisit some of this year's memorable shows. It wasn't easy narrowing the list down to 15. Concerts are in chronological order. CHRIS GRAY DAY, The Continental Club So much local talent and so much love. Uh, if I'm maybe a little too biased on ... More >>

Rocks Off's 10 Biggest Musical Disappointments of 2012

Everyone's mother once told them, or should have, that life is not always going to be a puppy mill full of unicorns and rainbows. Remember why all those puppies are there. Sometimes life -- and especially pop music -- doesn't turn out like you were expecting, so now we present Rocks Off's Biggest Mu ... More >>

Squeezing the Lemon: Led Zeppelin & the 10 Most Shocking Rock and Roll Reunions

Five years ago this week, Led Zeppelin fans young and old squeezed their pants full of lemon juice when the band's three surviving golden gods -- Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones - announced that they'd be reuniting for a one-off concert in London. John Bonham's son Jason would man the s ... More >>

Last Night: Van Halen and Kool & the Gang at Toyota Center

Van Halen, Kool & the Gang Toyota Center June 24, 2012 We're two songs into last night's sold-out Van Halen show at the Toyota Center when lead singer David Lee Roth spots three comely ladies in the front row of the house with cameras. In the span of three seconds, he turns into the Diamond Dave we ... More >>

Years of Refusal: 8 More '80s Icons Who Should Follow Morrissey Into Retirement

Morrissey announced this week that he plans to retire in two years. That's tragic news in some circles, but we think it's a good move. In 2014, he'll turn 55, and the Smiths thing is never happening. How much longer is he supposed to do this? Another ten years 'til he's 65? He's Morrissey, not a Chi ... More >>

Last Night: Chickenfoot At Bayou Music Center

Chickenfoot Bayou Music Center May 29, 2012 To quote a signature Sammy Hagar tune, "there's only one way to rock." For the legendary Sammy Hagar, his way comes with bells, whistles and this time teaming up with legends such as Joe Satriani and Van Halen's Michael Anthony, among others. Chickenfoo ... More >>

Supergroups: 10 Bands That Sprang From Other Bands

From the remnants of other great bands are often birthed more great bands. Oftentimes these little side projects go under the radar unless you are a hardcore fan, or the new band itself gains a lot of airplay or word of mouth. Either way, some of the greatest rock bands of all time have been birthe ... More >>

Why Do We Always Expect Our Favorite Bands To Reunite?

John Hammond, the billionaire CEO of InGen and the curator of Jurassic Park found out the hard way that sometimes things from another time and place don't mesh well with different surroundings. A guy even got eaten by a Tyrannosaurus rex while he was taking a dump, and one of those spitting dinosaur ... More >>

Van Halen's A Different Kind Of Truth: A Track-By-Track Breakdown

First off, Van Halen's first album in 14 years, A Different Kind Of Truth is - in the words of my friend Lisa - "better than it should be." And I agree. The guys could have slacked off on this and coasted on their legend - however possibly tarnished in the eyes of fans - but Truth is no cash-in li ... More >>

Van Halen Announces 2012 Tour On Twitter, Official Site

Here it is folks, your first stirrings of Van Halen's 2012 tour, long rumored, but now a sweet reality. OK, we won't believe it until we have a tour tee in our hands outside Toyota Center and a sweaty, torn ticket stub in our wallet. Late Sunday night on Twitter, David Lee Roth tweeted a Vimeo and ... More >>

Sammy Hagar: Red Rocker, Crue-Shaming Sex Machine

​Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock By Sammy Hagar with Joel Selvin It Books, 256pp., $26.99 During the tour to support Van Halen's For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, singer/guitarist Sammy Hagar certainly took the record's title to heart. Because just about every night during Eddie's 20-minute guit ... More >>

Lady Gaga: Born This Way... As A Meme

John Robert Charlton via Wikipedia​Thursday, Lady Gaga created an Internet tizzy by merely releasing the lyrics to the first single and title track from her new album, Born This Way. It was as if she was released a perfume that smelled like semen and blood or something. The lyrics to "Born T ... More >>

Rocks Off's 10 Favorite Family Bands

​Tonight Kings of Leon plays their fourth Houston date in three years at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. The band of three Followill brothers and one cousin can't stay away from us, or touring, or recording. This date precedes the upcoming release of the band's new album, Come Around Sund ... More >>

Eddie Van Halen Can't Drive 55, But He Is 55

Daniel Kramer​Today marks the 55th anniversary of the world receiving the gift of the illustrious finger-tapping stylings of Eddie Van Halen. Hard rock wouldn't be the same without his goofy face on stage wailing away on his "Frankenstrat" and his strong arm tactics behind the scenes. Rocks Off ha ... More >>

Inquiring Minds: Chickenfoot Guitarist and "Completely Hopeless" Gearhead Joe Satriani

LeAnn Mueller​Joe Satriani is a hero to Guitar Player subscribers and a bit of an enigma to everyone else. His name is synonymous with a distinctive style of guitar playing - highly advanced fretboard wizardry, often referred to as "shredding," that draws equally from rock, metal, classical ... More >>

Trying to feed the homeless? Not so fast! Meanwhile, METRO blows $80K congratulating itself.

Highlights from the Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

Houston's Own Professor Gates Incident, Except With Homeless People

​It is not against the law to feed the homeless. Nor does this require a permit. Deputy T. McGilbray of the Harris County Sheriff's Office was apparently unaware of this during his patrol on July 19, when he interrupted a local church group's weekly Sunday afternoon homeless outreach in James ... More >>

KBR's Iraq Adventure Now Includes Child Porn

KBR (Halliburton to the old-schoolaz) has had its share of troubles on its way to making untold billions of dollars of profit in Iraq.There's the rape and sexual harassment (Female and male-on-male!). There's the electrocuting soldiers. There's the dogs running around chomping on human remains inten ... More >>

Free Tickets for Back In Black and Fan Halen

Fan Halen We have been given a handful of tickets to tonight's Fan Halen/Back In Black show at the House Of Blues to give away. Hurry up and come grab a few while they last. The Aqua-Net stench isn't too overpowering as of this posting so we should have a few left for you. Come get them at ... More >>

Get Lit: Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga, by Ian Christe

Guilty Pleasures, Part II

More music figures confess their deep, dark secrets

Feels Like Old Times

With Sammy Hagar back on stage, Van Halen trudges on

David Lee's Froth

Diamond Dave rants on fashion, being a digital gigolo, his rival/tourmate Sammy Hagar, a pending lawsuit and a bunch of other stuff

The Reverend Red Rocker

Platitudes on life, religion and music from the depths of a tequila bottle

Steady Eddie

Decades of torn-up road behind him, Van Halen's guitar god keeps chugging ahead

Rotation

Thriving -- or Simply Surviving?

After all these years, Alex Van Halen insists his band isn't "D.O.A."