#1 Stryper – No More Hell To Pay (Frontiers) With the original lineup intact, Stryper is back and better than ever, releasing the BEST album of their career! This album features melodic and powerful songs, fierce guitar solos, driving drums and bass, great harmonies and soaring vocals from Michael Sweet that I didn’t think were still possible. When people say the glory days of Stryper was back in the 80s, they stand to be corrected. It’s beginning now!
#2 Dream Theater – Dream Theater (Roadrunner)
The band made a bold statement when they decided to make this a self-titled album and they didn’t disappoint. The music sounds fresh, while having elements of the early Dream Theater sound. The musicianship is once again stellar, with James LaBrie’s singing in top form. It’s another great addition to the Dream Theater catalog.
#3 Steve Wilson – The Raven That Refused to Sing (KSCOPE)
On his third solo album, Wilson has created a truly mesmerizing masterpiece with the help of some incredibly talented musicians. For anyone who likes great music, especially in the prog rock genre, this is for you.
#4 Metal Church – Generation Nothing (Rat Pak)
After a five year hiatus, Metal Church return with another gem to add to their impressive body of work. While I thought it would be impossible to top their last studio release This Present Wasteland, this one does it by returning to the classic sound of their first two albums but still sounding fresh and reinvigorating at the same time. It’s one great song after another and a must have for any metal fan.
#5 Black Sabbath – 13 (Universal)
On their first studio album in 35 years with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, Sabbath return reinvigorated with Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler playing at their top form. It’s everything you expect a Sabbath album to be and it was definitely worth the wait.
#6 Rob Zombie – Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (T-Boy/Ume)
On this infectious release, Zombie comes closer to the sound of White Zombie than any of his other solo releases and cements his legacy as one of the most original artists in the shock rock genre. While not as radio friendly as his classic Hellbilly Deluxe, this album has an energy and intensity to it that has been somewhat lacking on his last two albums. All in all, Zombie delivers yet again!
#7 Deep Purple – Now What?! (Eagle Rock)
On their first studio album in eight years, the band makes a triumphant return, creating their finest album since Perfect Strangers. The classic Deep Purple sound is back with a few new twists along the way. The band is in top form once again!
#8 Orianthi – Heaven In This Hell (Robo)
While Orianthi’s last solo album geared toward a pop audience, this one is less commercial with a rock and blues vibe. It also features some great guitar work. Kudos to producer Dave Stewart (of The Eurythmics) for taking her under his wing and guiding her with this stellar release.
#9 Ed Kowalczyk – The Flood and the Mercy (Harbour)
On his second solo album, Kowalczyk serves up another batch of catchy tunes that is even better than his last solo release. True Live fans should like all of the songs here as well as anyone discovering Ed for the first time.
#10 Queensryche – Queensryche (Century Media)
After hitting their pinnacle with Promised Land in 1994, the band’s albums have been hit or miss ever since. But, with new singer Todd La Torre in the fold, the band has released their finest album since. The classic Queensryche sound is back, complete with complex multi-layered guitars and a driving rhythm section. Queensryche is reborn!!!
#11 David Bowie – The Next Day (Columbia)
Anytime that David Bowie collaborates with producer Tony Visconti, it’s more than certain the record is going to be great and this one is no different. The music is original and fresh, while being reminiscent of his older material at the same time.
#12 Boston – Life, Love and Hope (Frontiers)
It’s been over a decade since Boston’s last release and this album is a welcome addition to their catalog, featuring a collection of uplifting songs with the classic Boston sound intact. The more you listen the better it gets.
#13 Avenged Sevenfold – Hail To The King (Warner Bros.)
This band continues to evolve with each new release and this album shows their maturity and growth. By offering a modern take on the classic metal sound, Avenged Sevenfold reaches new heights as a band.
#14 Fates Warning – Darkness In A Different Light (Inside Out U.S.)
On their first record of new material since 2004, the band delivers a set of songs that emphasize guitar interplay, atmosphere and fascinating time changes. This album rock on all levels!
#15 Device – Device (Warner Bros.)
Featuring lead singer David Draiman of Disturbed, this album is a step-up from Disturbed’s last release. While there is nothing groundbreaking here, it has the right balance of industrial, hard rock, and alternative metal that make this venture solid from start to finish.
Horror magazine Fangoria is partnering with Screenvision to bring 1984‘s controversial movie, SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT back to the big screen beginning today, Dec. 4th, and running through the 17th. The film will be fully uncut and re-mastered using a high definition transfer.
The film tells the tale of Billy Chapmen, orphaned at age five after witnessing the murder of his parents at the hands of a Santa suit-clad madman on Christmas Eve. Now 18 and out of the brutal grip of orphanage nuns, Billy is forced to confront his greatest fear, sending him on a rampage, leaving a crimson trail in the snow behind
When SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT was originally released, angered parents picketed theaters where it was being screened, and asked oncoming patrons to sign petitions to have the film removed from theaters. Two weeks later, the film had been withdrawn. Now, it’s getting its most widespread release in nearly three decades.
We recently caught up with writer Michael Hickey, editor/second unit director Michael Spence, and producer Scott Schneid for an exclusive interview with Limelight Magazine.
ADAM P. CRAY: Scott-SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT is getting re-released in theatres in a stunning new HD transfer. Did you ever expect the film to get such a widespread re-release?
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: Ummmm…no. (laughs). I had had hopes a few years ago that perhaps. Michael Spence and I were talking about this on the phone a few days ago. We saw the picture at a revival theatre in Los Angeles back in 2006 or 2007. 400 people lined up around the block! It was kind of like being at a ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW screening and we just had a blast! It was like a revival meeting. Hooting and hollering and laughing just having a great time. At that point I was thinking “Wow, maybe there’s a market for SNDN as kind of almost like a ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW item you could show at post-Thanksgiving up until New Years. Maybe on weekends in college towns for young people at revival theatres.” So that’s kind of where I was thinking.
ADAM P. CRAY: Wow!
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: I did not expect distribution entities like Fangoria were going to come forward and actually get it out there on this many screens. No, I did not, and I am thrilled.
ADAM P. CRAY: Yeah, me too! Michael Hickey, question for you: how did the story first come about (the original screenplay)? And did the script evolve much from early drafts to the final shooting script?
MICHAEL HICKEY: The story had its original genesis in a script that was given to Scott by somebody whose name shall go unmentioned. Scott found the script useless except for the central idea of a slasher movie about Santa Claus. He never used any part of that script. I’ve never read it. Nobody’s ever described it to me, but he ran with the concept. Scott and his producing partner Dennis Whitehead brought me on board based on a spec script that I had written. We worked out the basic beats of the brand new story together then I went off and wrote a 30-page treatment fleshing out the plot and the structure and characters and some of the dialogue. On the basis of that treatment they got some money together to buy a screenplay and fortunately they bought it from me. I went off for I guess a couple of months and wrote the screenplay based on my treatment which was based on the story we’d worked out together. Of course with each step in that process the story became more elaborate and more completely fleshed and detailed. Once I handed in my screenplay, I would say that the movie changed virtually not at all on its way to the screen. So, the movie that you see this week is identical to about 99 percent of the screenplay that I turned in. All of the dialogue except a couple lines is word for word. Mr. (Charles) Sellier, the director, was very faithful to the written script when he made the film.
ADAM P. CRAY: And that leads into my next question for Michael Spence: so everything in the script was filmed and included in the final cut? Is there any of SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT that we did not see? Any scenes or shots end up on the cutting room floor?
MICHAEL SPENCE: Nothing that I remember, nothing significant. This was a very low budget picture with a fairly short shooting schedule. You don’t really have the opportunity a lot of times to overshoot stuff. As far as my memory is that virtually everything that was in the script ended up in the movie.
ADAM P. CRAY: Beautiful!
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: I just want to chime in for one second. Michael Hickey you might remember this as well. There were two short scenes in Michael Hickey’s original screenplay which did not make it into the movie. Michael-remember when the family first arrived at the mental hospital? There was a scene where they were walking down the corridor and some crazy old lady grabs Billy and says “He’s the dopey one, Doctor. Lock him in the room!” or something like that. Is that a scene we originally had in our script?
MICHAEL HICKEY: I don’t remember…There’s a extended edition out on video which has some footage in it that was not in the theatrical release. But having looked that version over on Youtube you can tell the new footage because it’s “work print” or something. Quality goes bad when the added footage comes up. It seems to me (and it’s been a few years since I wrote that) there were no complete scenes. There were trims and ends. It was just some stuff that was tightened for pace.
ADAM P. CRAY: And Scott: as producer, what was the biggest challenge during pre-production and then into production?
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: I wish I could answer that question because Dennis Whitehead and I had co-executive producer credits on the movie. We developed the script with Michael from inception. However, we brought the script to a gentleman who had a deal at Tri Star Pictures in 1984 named Ira Barmak who had a deal at Tri Star to make some low budget films. What ended up happening unfortunately for Dennis and I was that once we made a deal with Barmak, he got the picture funded by Tri Star. We were just young guys 26 or 27 years old and this was our first Hollywood experience and we were kind of frozen out of the production. So, Dennis Whitehead and I developed “the baby”. Michael was the writer. Dennis and I also raised approximately $40,000 at that time for seed money to hire Michael, to pay Michael. Part of that was Michael and we did a lot of the hard work and unfortunately did not get to see our “baby birth”. We were basically locked out of the situation which was sad for us. So, Dennis and I had developed it, raised a huge amount of money, came up with the concept. Michael did all the writing then we did not get to see it come to life. A lot of first time Hollywood people have that kind of experience. It does happen.
ADAM P. CRAY: Oh yeah. I’ve heard stories. (laughs) Scott-what was your reaction to the public’s reaction during the film’s initial release? Did you ever expect parents picketing theatres?
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: No, I did not. I don’t think Michael Hickey or I or Dennis were [when] developing the script. We were just psyched that we were in the middle of this maelstrom of genre movies getting made. Our horror movie/slasher movie seemed a little bit better than your then-typical formulaic slasher movie with a back story told in two minutes somewhere about halfway through the movie. You know the killer is anonymous and the back story is told in two minutes. We decided as we developed the treatment and the script that the back story was actually a really fascinating part of the story. We wanted to get to know this character and see what happened to him from when he was a child. How he was traumatized. So we were just excited about developing this cool script. We knew we were developing an R-rated movie for the teen audience at the time. I can’t speak for Michael but I never thought for one second that there was going to be that kind of backlash.
MICHAEL HICKEY: We’re often asked if we ever expected any of that and since it happened in such a big way there’s a feeling that it must have been inevitable, that you must have seen it coming. But, in reality, to my knowledge, nothing like that ever happened before. It was completely unpredictable. Completely unexpected by Scott and me and Dennis. I’m sure that Tri Star didn’t expect this because their hair caught fire when it happened. It was a total surprise. And who could’ve imagined that the CBS Evening News would cover the opening of a movie like this. What they were covering of course was the controversy. But it just took hold and the fire spread and it got completely out of control…which I thought was hilarious and wonderful. I think Scott did too. Up until Tri Star pulled it. But the movie’s still alive. It was the #3 top grossing movie the weekend that it opened.
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: The picture was made for $1,065,000 I believe it was a negative pickup and in ten days it grossed almost $4,000,000 or a little more at the box office and that was only really on about one-third of the screens in the country. Tri Star was going to release the picture wide to the rest of the country two weeks later but because of the controversy…It was my understanding that Coca Cola (which was a part owner of Tri Star at that time along with CBS and HBO) said “we want this picture out of theaters”.
MICHAEL HICKEY: I guess we showed them didn’t we! (laughs)
ADAM P. CRAY: For sure! Question for Michael Hickey: as you were writing the script, had you thought, or any of you, thought of a future franchise? With sequels being so prevalent today, you can plan for two or three films if the first is successful. Were you guys thinking ahead like this as you were producing the original?
MICHAEL HICKEY: As you can tell if you watch the last minute of SNDN, a sequel was very much on our mind. Basically our movie hands the sequel concept off to whoever would take it up. By setting up the character of Ricky, that last moment in which he looks at the axe on the floor and he has this demonic look on his face and he says “Naughty”. That moment is the reason that there is a younger brother Ricky in the movie at all. That’s the reason the infant is present in the car at the beginning (although his screaming in the night was effective). Yes, we had it in mind although I think that just the implication that there was something more to follow probably is an idea that fulfills itself just by making the suggestion. It could’ve stopped there without a sequel. I think that would’ve been just fine
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: When we were developing the material with Michael Hickey, Dennis Whitehead and I always felt this premise, the script developed and the treatment were something that yes, absolutely was franchiseable. It was going to lend itself to multiple sequels hopefully and we knew that we were pretty certain of that. Unfortunately, as I was telling earlier in the conversation, Dennis and I ended up getting frozen out not only in the production of the film but of any future involvement of any sequels. Had we had future involvement, we would’ve gone back to Michael (Hickey) to write SNDN2 and God knows how many other SNDN’s. (laughs)
MICHAEL HICKEY: Whoever it was that made the sequel clearly had no interest in a new script, a new thought, a new idea. 80 percent of the package is footage that they recycled from the original.
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: 3, 4 and 5 which were all made by LIVE Home Video had nothing to do with our movie. They just used the title: SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT Part 3, Part 4, Part 5. I don’t even think there was a Santa Claus character. They were just capitalizing on the title and the video boom of the mid-to-late 80’s and they were using the title just knocking out these crappy made for video sequels that have nothing to do with the original. For me it was a sad day in a way. Michael certainly would’ve loved to have a hand in steering the ship in the future for SILENT NIGHT’s “children” and he didn’t get a chance to do that.
MICHAEL HICKEY: I definitely would’ve. I don’t think we have anything more to do with the concept once SNDN is over. What can you do that’s not just a repetition?
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: Collect your royalties, Michael! (laughs)
MICHAEL HICKEY: Yeah, that’s true.
ADAM P. CRAY: I think Part 3 actually had the Ricky character, but didn’t have any other resemblance to the first film. That was about it.
MICHAEL HICKEY: I never saw any of them so I suppose I shouldn’t comment on their quality (which I think was atrocious).
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: I’m probably one of the few people in the world that saw Part 2 theatrically. It was released at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. in the back theatre. You know, the Egyptian has the main theatre, then two small theatre bunkers in the back and I was there with three people I think and I could not believe what I was watching. Half, if not more of the movie, was footage from our movie. And I heard that they did it for like $250,000 and just shot the new footage and wrapped the footage from our movie around the new footage.
MICHAEL HICKEY: Let’s talk about ours some more.
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: Yeah, I was amazed.
ADAM P. CRAY: (laughs) I heard that with that second film, they were just going to recut the first film and not even have new footage so that could’ve been much worse. (laughs)
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: (laughs)
ADAM P. CRAY: Why do you guys think the original film has become such a cult classic among horror fans? What do you think sets it apart?
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: Now that all that craziness from the mid-1980s is long gone (all the mothers and the madness and publicity) people can watch it now and appreciate what Michael said before. There’s a real edge of black humor to the movie and satire. A black humor edge to the movie that really comes across when you remove it from all that craziness that was going on in the maelstrom of publicity and craziness that was going on when it came out. And now all these years later you look at it and wow there’s actually a story there that’s a cut above (excuse the bad pun) the typical boring formulaic slasher movie from that era. And on top of it, it’s got that fantastic edge of black humor that Michael brought to the project. I think that’s the big reason it’s lived on.
ADAM P. CRAY: I remember watching it as a young kid and even thinking that the scenes are logical. Everything in the film is logical. How he becomes the killer. It’s organic and I appreciated that even back then. Not just being a cut ‘em up from the beginning. I really like the backstory and what you all did.
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: Thank you.
MICHAEL HICKEY: Thank you. That was really the challenge. That the film presented to us: how do you end up in a Santa suit with an axe in your hand? (laughs)
ADAM P. CRAY: Right!
MICHAEL HICKEY: And so we backed out of that. I’m glad to hear you say that it struck you as logical because that was really a big part of the effort: to sort of line up the dominoes in a way that is sequential. It’s not just the first one but then it’s always fun to watch them fall. You know they’re gonna fall. You know how it’s gonna end up. I always assumed the audience for this movie knew where it was going from the beginning. So watching it get there, watching what happens to Billy and how his descent into Santa Claus-clad madness is pretty ordained. It’s inevitable. He can’t extricate himself from his fate. And so we’re watching fate play itself out on him and I actually think it’s funny. It all is a little bit over the top, tongue in cheek and the audience seems to respond to it which is what I was going for.
SCOTT J. SCHNEID: It’s funny that you say that Michael because when we were trying to set the film up, with Dennis Whitehead, my partner, and get money prior to Tri Star coming into it, I had a meeting with a Canadian producer that had read the script. He said “It was kind of boring in the first half. I really like the second half when Santa goes on his rampage. Why do you have to have all that backstory in the beginning and all that?” I said, “That’s what’s different about it. That’s what’s interesting about it. So you almost sympathize with the character and you understand what that character went through. How the character became and why he became what he became.” I was just getting Formula Slasher 101 back from this money person. That’s not what Michael, Dennis, and I wanted.
ADAM P. CRAY: I remember watching it for the first time paired with HALLOWEEN I & II. At the end of SNDN when Billy dies, I felt terrible. Because of that back story, you understand him. You understand where he was coming from. Maybe over the top, but still very effective.
Adam P. Cray is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker and entertainment correspondent. His work includes killerfilm.com and morehorror.com and he has workedat various capacities for MGM and 20th Century Fox studios. His film work can be seen at facebook.com/cinemastarproductions and youtube.com/cinemastarprods.
More than a decade in the making, Life, Love & Hope features 11 tracks replete with the classic and beloved BOSTON sound, as well as the latest in the evolution of Tom Scholz’ musical artistry. Diverse yet cohesive, this long-awaited album has something for everyone and will fulfill the expectations of existing fans, while exposing a new generation to one of rock and roll’s great acts.
“These are songs from the heart, each of them taking many months of effort to write, arrange, perform and record, always up to the demands of BOSTON’s harshest critic, me,” said Scholz. “They have all been meticulously recorded to analogue tape on the same machines and equipment used for BOSTON’s hits for the past 35 years.”
BOSTON burst onto the music scene with their eponymous best-selling debut album in 1976, and never looked back. With over 17 million copies sold, Boston generated hits such as “More Than a Feeling,” “Peace of Mind,” and “Smokin’,” rock staples that are still in heavy rotation today. Their second effort, Don’t Look Back, was another chart-topper that confirmed their place in rock history, followed by Third Stage, which hit #1 on the charts, with the top single of 1986, “Amanda.” With over 31 million albums sold to date, BOSTON’s music has stood the test of time, as evidenced by live BOSTON audiences that span generations.
Life, Love & Hope includes lead vocals from Brad Delp and prodigy Tommy DeCarlo, as well as Kimberley Dahme, David Victor, and songwriter Scholz himself. This release features tracks that have the characteristic BOSTON trademark guitars, harmonies, and immaculately-crafted sound.
“I intentionally stayed close to the early BOSTON style on some of the songs, even using the same amps and instruments; on others I let my imagination run wild,” said Scholz.
A beautiful full-color booklet with notes from Scholz and detailed song credits accompanies Life, Love & Hope, which will be released in the U.S. on December 3rd.
Tracklist: “Heaven on Earth,” “Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love,” “Last Day of School,” “Sail Away,” “Life, Love & Hope,” “If You Were in Love,” “Someday,” “Love Got Away,” “Someone (2.0),” “You Gave Up on Love (2.0),” “The Way You Look Tonight.”
The audience at the sold out event which was held at Gallery X in New Bedford, Mass.The audience at the sold out event which was held at Gallery X in New Bedford, Mass.Buzzard’s Bay Film Festival Director Tom Gidwitz.From left, Mark Rasmussen, President of the Buzzards Bay Coalition, Elise Hugus, Producer of “Saving Paradise,” and Ben Gilbarg, Director of “American Dreams.”Roger Masson, Grand Prize Winner for his film “Cuttyhunk,” accepts his award.Roger Masson was the Grand Prize winner for his film “Cuttyhunk.”Mike Dunn was the Jury Prize winner for his film “Dune Day at Horseneck Beach.” This award came with a pair of tickets to every show booked by JKB Management & Booking in 2014.From left, Jury Prize winner Mike Dunn and Rachel Astore.
FALL RIVER – Popular stand-up comedian Jim Breuer, known best for his time on Saturday Night Live in the 1990s and for his role in the movie Half Baked, will be at the Narrows Center for the Arts on Saturday, November 16, 2013. With over 20 years of stand-up comedy experience, Breuer remains one of today’s top entertainers and continues to win over audiences with his off-the-wall humor and lovable personality.
Breuer is one of the most recognizable comedians in the business, known for his charismatic stage antics, dead-on impressions, and family-friendly stand-up. In addition to keeping busy on his current comedy tour, Breuer can be heard on his weekly Sirius/XM Radio show “Fridays with Breuer,” featuring guests such as Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby and Jeff Foxworthy.
Following his success as “goat boy” on Saturday Night Live, Breuer starred alongside Dave Chappelle in the cult favorite Half Baked. He has since appeared in the popular films Zookeeper, Titan A.E., and Beer League. On the small screen, Breuer hosted MTV’s popularBeach House and VH1’s Web Junk 20 and appeared on countless TV shows, including Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Breuer is also a frequent guest on the Howard Stern Show.
Breuer’s recent work is much different than his time on Saturday Night Live, focusing more on family and personal experiences. He says it is the comedy he has always wanted to do.
“I made a very conscious decision in 2008,” Breuer said in a press release. “I really wanted to go into the stand-up world. I was ready to start over cause that’s always been my bread and butter. And I also wanted to control my own destiny. If I can control it, I know in due time, people will get who I am cause I know what I put out there sells. It relates to people. It’s touching. It’s moving. It’s funny.”
Breuer said he’d like to eventually mix music with his stand-up routine.
Breuer’s first single comes out Dec. 2, entitled “Santa Ain’t Coming to Town,” and it’s billed as a stern warning from parents to their kids.
The Narrows Center for the Arts is located at 16 Anawan Street. Tickets to his show can be purchased online HERE or by calling the box office at 508-324-1926. For those wanting to purchase tickets in person, box office hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12 noon to 5 p.m.
Listen to Breuer’s November 6th interview with 94.1 WHJY of Providence HERE
For the past five years, we started taking nominations for our annual Limelight Magazine Music Awards on Election Day. However, this year we have decided to make a much needed change to the process. By starting the first week of November, we are leaving out two months of the year, when some musicians typically wait to release music. Since we want our awards to truly represent a full calendar year, we will begin the nominating process in January from now on.
Rather than solicit nominations over an eight week period, we’re hoping to do this over a two to three week span this year to steam line the process. One week later, public voting will take place and the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held at South Shore Music Hall in Quincy, Mass., on Saturday, March 22, 2014. Like last year, eight artists will be randomly selected from all the nominees on the ballot and asked to perform at the awards show.
Additionally, the nominating process will once again be completely fan driven, with the exception of the “Song of the Year” award which will be nominated by radio DJs who support the local music scene. The top eight artists who receive the most nominations in a specific category will be placed on the final ballot. However, anyone who won an award in a specific category last year is ineligible to be nominated for that same award this year. (Runner ups can be nominated since they didn’t actually win). The Legend and Unsung Hero awards are the only two awards that will not be nominated or voted on by the public. Instead, they will be chosen by the co-publishers of Limelight Magazine.
In closing, we thank you for your continued support of the local music scene and for supporting us in our endeavors.
As British hard rock pioneers UFO prepare to bring their show to the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, Mass., on Oct. 14, guitar hero Vinnie Moore took time out to chat with Paul Bielatowicz about his life-long love affair with music.
The name Vinnie Moore was revered in guitar circles long before he joined veteran British rockers UFO. Moore began playing guitar at the age of 12, “I got my first guitar for Christmas. I was really into guitar bands and wanted to play because of Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore and Brian May.” However, his first encounter with the instrument almost proved to be his last, “It was much more difficult than I had expected, and I almost quit.” Thankfully, Moore persevered, “There was a love, and that kept me going. As I progressed it seemed to become easier and more natural. At about the two-year mark I got more serious and started practicing for a couple of hours a day. Soon after that I became obsessed, and at that point I couldn’t stop because the guitar owned my soul!”
Moore began playing in local bands and, a few years later, a major guitar magazine featured him as an up-and-coming star. It was this article that led to his first big break, “A production company in Los Angeles was casting for a Pepsi TV ad which featured a rock guitarist. They saw my write up in Guitar Player Magazine and gave me a call one January evening. The next morning I was on a plane to L.A. I went through the audition process and was chosen to do the music for 30 and 60 second versions of the commercial. It was just amazing for me, hearing my playing on national television a few times a day. The ad was a great kick starter for my career as it helped create a bit of a buzz before my first record came out.” The ‘buzz’ did the trick, and his debut solo album was a huge success – seemingly overnight, Vinnie Moore had arrived!
Over the years, Moore has enjoyed a long and varied career. “Being a solo artist, a member of UFO, playing with Alice Cooper, guesting on several projects… man, it’s all been great and I feel very fortunate. There have been many highlights but I think that maybe the journey itself has been the best part.”
Aside from his reputation as a performer, Moore has also earned a name for himself as a world-class teacher. His two tuition videos, released back in the 80s, provided guitarists with an insight to the closely guarded secrets of a virtuoso guitarist. Today, Moore is still involved in teaching – when he’s not on tour or in the studio he can often be found giving guitar master classes. Asked what advice he gives to students, he responds, “I think that love and passion are the most important things. If you have those first, then all the other things will somehow fall into place. Listen to as much music as you can because you will learn from it all. Find a teacher because that will help you learn things more quickly. And find a group of friends who play, because you will learn from one another. Just play as much as you can. I learnt a lot from my teacher, listening to records and from playing in bands with guys who were more accomplished than I was. But nothing helps as much as sitting in the bedroom and putting the time in.”
Speaking to Moore, it’s clear that his childhood love and passion for the guitar is still very much alive. He remains hungry for musical development and the continued perfection of his art, “If I didn’t feel like I was making some sort of progression I would probably quit. This is what keeps it exciting for me. Music is so incredibly infinite and there is always something new to learn and explore. It’s not something where you learn it all and then you’re done. There always seems to be something that you didn’t know about before; it’s amazing what can be done with 12 notes.”
UFO is a band with a rich heritage of guitar players – Michael Schenker (Scorpions), Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake), and bassist Billy Sheehan (David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, The Winery Dogs) count among Moore’s predecessors. Moore has been a permanent fixture in their line-up for the past decade, appearing on four studio albums, including last year’s critically acclaimed release Seven Deadly that returned the band back to the charts. Although UFO boast a serious pedigree and have indelibly carved their name into rock history, one can’t help but notice their desire to have fun and enjoy the ride. This goodtime attitude is evident in their music and performance. Concertgoers can expect, “A lot of energy and inspiration. We do this because we still love expressing ourselves in front of an audience. The day that I don’t feel that, then I don’t want to do it anymore. We give every show our all and feed off the energy from the crowd. Song-wise you will hear something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.”
With a career spanning 30 years and counting, Moore’s eyes remain fixed firmly on the future, aiming to, ”Continue doing what I love, keep being inspired and fascinated by music and keep playing for people.” With a new solo album in the pipeline, Moore’s hunger and love for his art continues to propel him forward on his musical journey, as he wows audiences worldwide.
Louis St. August and Gene D’Itria of the Revere-based rock band MASS, who received considerable airplay on MTV and radio with their single “Do You Love Me” in the 1980s, will open the show with a rare acoustic set.
The Narrows Center for the Arts is located at 16 Anawan Street. Tickets can be purchased online at www.narrowscenter.org, by calling 508-324-1926, or in person at the box office. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. and during all shows.
With two Top 10 hits and more than a million albums sold, singer-songwriter Howie Day will be performing at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, Mass., on Sept. 20th as part of a northeast tour. Rebecca Correia, a singer-songwriter from Rochester, Mass., opens the show.
Along with a keyboardist, cellist and percussionist, Day plans to treat fans to an unplugged gig of new material yet to be released, plus his platinum single “Collide” and “She Says.”
“We call it ‘living room acoustic,’” said Day. “The four of us got together and were like, ‘if we can’t rehearse this in my living room then it’s going to be too much.’ It’s pretty laid back.”
Between shows, he’s been visiting Boston to record what will be his fourth studio release, an album that will likely be available in late 2013 or early 2014. While it’s yet to be titled, he’s laid down a few tracks and said having the opportunity to perform a majority of the songs before recording them has been a unique experience, as getting the chance to test the music on the road allows him to make adjustments in the studio.
“It’s the reverse of the way most people do it and makes it a lot more fun to play live,” Day said. “In the past, I’ve made albums and then I have to try to figure out how to play it live, whereas this one will be ready because we’re already playing it live. And it reflects a live show, which is great.”
He decided to record the album in Boston partly due to his longtime friendship with producer, Mike Denneen, who is based in Bean Town and produced most of Day’s music. Day trusts Denneen and often seeks his advice.
“He’s like my oracle,” said Day.
The writing process, he said, has been different to past albums. He’s done a great deal of collaborative writing, but he’s doing most of this one solo.
“With this album, I’m trying to write on my own a bit more, which is more difficult because you have to be disciplined about it,” he said, noting that singer-songwriter Sam Bisbee has encouraged and inspired him via “off the cuff” social meetings. “It’s like having a trainer at the gym: you have to show up. And you want to record and do things as best you can and not look back. It’s tough to not look back, but you have to just let each recording have it’s own moment. You have to keep evolving and move forward.”
During one of his trips to Boston, he performed with the Boston Pops at the Esplanade on the Fourth of July. He was flattered – and excited – when they reached out to him and asked him to join them for the show.
“It was one of the greatest days of my life and that’s not an exaggeration,” Day said. “It was amazing and fun.”
When he’s not writing, recording or performing, Day is taking pictures. He loves photography, and “is a sucker” for snapping shots of landscapes. Having a creative outlet he is able to explore is important for him as an artist.
“I’m really not good at it, but it’s soothing,” he said. “When you have a camera, you see everything differently because you’re looking for something to take a picture of. It makes you more aware of the world around you. Somehow that augments the whole writing process because you see things a bit more objectively than you would in your own bubble or routine.”
He often takes photos while on tour, noting that he enjoyed capturing special moments during a few visits to Iceland last year. These experiences creep their way into his music.
“I love it because when I play songs I think about, ‘this is when I was on that beach and it was snowing,’” he said. “It comes through to the audience.”
And while some audiences have enjoyed his cover of the “Game of Thrones” theme song at solo shows, it’s not played every night.
“We do that because we think it’s funny,” said Day. “It’s an icebreaker. If it seems a little tense, we’ll play that and it changes the whole direction. I like to make people laugh.”
But fans at the Narrows are sure to experience his charming and witty banter, as well as his use of effects pedals and loop-sampling techniques, a style he typically turns to at solo gigs. The band is working on injecting it into performances, along with a cover of Elton John’s “Come Down in Time.”
“It’s a very underrated Elton John song,” Day said. “We’ve been having a lot of fun with that one, too.”
Meanwhile, Correia, a guitarist and piano player who spends half her time in Nashville and the rest in her hometown of Rochester, said she can’t wait to open for Day.
“I’m super psyched,” said Correia, who has also opened for an array of notable musicians such as Natasha Bedingfield, Shawn Colvin, and Livingston Taylor. “I got to see him play in Nashville about a year and a half ago and I’m thrilled to be playing with someone who makes music similar to mine.”
The Narrows Center for the Arts is located at 16 Anawan Street in Fall River. Tickets can be purchased online at www.narrowscenter.org, by calling 508-324-1926, or in person at the box office from Wednesday through Saturday, 12 noon to 5 p.m. Tickets will also be available at the door on the day of show.
Singer-Songwriter Jacy Dawn, of Chelmsford, Mass., can now add the title of “Actress” to her long list of talents. Dawn will play the role of the “Restaurant Hostess” in an upcoming episode of ABC’s hit television show Nashville. The show received ratings of over 6.5 million viewers last season.
Now filming it’s second season, Nashville stars Hayden Panettiere, Connie Britton, Powers Booth and Kimberly Williams Paisley to name a few and revolves around the cut-throat world of music and politics. Dawn was hired for the part through the show’s casting agency and says she has her background in the restaurant industry to thank for landing her the role.
“I left my job as a waitress for an opportunity in the entertainment industry and they wanted an actress with previous restaurant experience,” said Dawn. “Whoever guessed I’d end up right back where it all started? I guess everything comes full circle!”
Dawn was a waitress, manager and hostess at Garrison’s Restaurant in Billerica, Mass., for eight years, before making her move to Nashville.
As a highly acclaimed singer and songwriter, Dawn’s long list of performance credits include singing for President Bill Clinton and performing shows with superstars Wynonna, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Tanya Tucker, Jo Dee Messina, Darius Rucker, Willie Nelson, Lorrie Morgan and Vince Gill to name a few. Her songwriting credits include 17 cuts since 2009 by both National and International artists. Dawn’s work as production coordinator on the newly released Pam Tillis/Lorrie Morgan album Dos Divas, garnered her the position as project manager for the duo. Dawn’s previous acting credits include being cast as an extra in the Sony Motion Picture, Country Strong starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw in 2010.
Dawn begins filming on the set of Nashville, August 22. The new season airs Wednesday, September 25,2013. An air date for Dawn’s episode has not yet been announced.
Jordan Paiva, of Dartmouth, Mass., is a 21-year-old musician and DJ who is living the dream. Since he was 11, he has been singing and teaching himself to sing in different languages. For many years, his idol was Josh Groban who he listened to for inspiration. In November 2011, he had the opportunity of a lifetime when Groban asked Paiva to come on stage with him and sing “You Raise Me Up” in front of thousands of people at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. He also runs a successful DJ business called Music of Our Lives. We recently caught up with Pavia who was gracious enough to answer our questions.
Limelight Magazine (LM): Please introduce yourself to our readers. Where did you grow up and when did you decide to get involved in the music business?
Jordan Paiva (JP):My Name is Jordan Paiva. I’m 21 years old. I was born in the Azores, which means I am 100% Portuguese. I have always been an entertainer ever since I was a little boy, but I started to grow into classical music and opera when I was just 11 years old. Classical music is now one of my biggest genres of music that I sing.
LM: On your last CD, you have a song that you sung in Italian, how many languages do you speak?
JP: On my first album called AMOR I sing in Italian and Latin as well as English, but I only speak English. I enjoy learning different languages when singing and that is one of my biggest hobbies. I am proud to say that I can sing in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Latin.
LM: You also won an award last year at the Portuguese Music Awards that were held in New Bedford. What award did you receive? How did you feel after receiving it?
JP: Back in February winning the award for BEST CLASSICAL MUSIC was absolutely SHOCKING! I never thought that in front of the whole Portuguese community around the globe that I would have won that award! It was such an honor and I cannot wait for next year! It made my Portuguese family proud that someone with NEW TALENT would take the award for such a beautiful song in Italian!
LM: According to your Facebook page, your next studio album is coming out in 2014. Have you begun recording the album yet? What can we expect?
JP: The next album that I will be releasing in 2014 is called International. This album is going to be my biggest challenge yet. I will begin recording in October. Facing the challenge of squeezing six languages (English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Latin) and the right songs to be “internationally” known for singing in the most popular languages so that I can one day perform them for different cultures.
LM: Do you plan to record the songs for your new album with a band?
JP: The music that each track comes from is beautifully made through different orchestras recorded then I sing to the music. I hope to one day get to record with an actual orchestra in the studio.
LM: Although it’s been covered already by local news outlets, you had the opportunity of a lifetime when you were asked by Josh Groban to come on stage and sing “You Raise Me Up” with him at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI, in November 2011. How did you get that chance? What was that experience like? Was that the largest crowd you ever sang in front of?
JP: Back in November of 2011, I attended a Josh Groban concert who is one of my BIGGEST IDOLS!! They had a Q&A section where you could ask Josh any question you wanted. So, at 19 years old, I told myself that I wanted to SING with my idol Josh Groban. Shortly after the last question out of 50,000 people, my question was answered with a YES!! The experience was more than overwhelming. I couldn’t stop smiling for the longest time. My DREAM had come true and to sing in front of all those people was my biggest audience yet and the crowd went WILD! I wasn’t nervous I was extremely happy! Hope to do it again at his next concert in October 2013 at the TD Garden in Boston.
LM: Other than Josh Groban, what other artists do you listen to for inspiration?
JP: Other than Josh Groban I enjoy singing classical music from Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole and so much more to go on!
LM: You also run a DJ business and have quite a following. How did you get involved with that? What do you enjoy about that type of work?
JP: Being a DJ is a fun job. When people book their parties with me, they don’t just get a DJ that stands behind his table and presses play…they get an entertainer!! I get out there and I dance with the crowd, teach them some new dances and get everyone active and playing games and making it a never ending party of FUN! So if anyone ever needs a fun and outgoing DJ they can always visit us at www.musicofourlives.us.
LM: Where would you like to see yourself in the next five years?
JP: In the next five years I hope to have the world know my story and how much passion I have in my music and my singing!
LM: How can our readers reach out to you?
JP: I can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JordanPaiva247 or as a DJ by going to www.musicofourlives.us. People can also go to www.reverbanation.com and search “Jordan Paiva” where they can buy my album. If they get bored one day, they can go to YouTube and key in “Jordan Paiva” and they’ll have over 400 videos to watch.
Bringing great entertainment to New England since 2011!
With the original lineup intact, Stryper is back and better than ever, releasing the BEST album of their career! This album features melodic and powerful songs, fierce guitar solos, driving drums and bass, great harmonies and soaring vocals from Michael Sweet that I didn’t think were still possible. When people say the glory days of Stryper was back in the 80s, they stand to be corrected. It’s beginning now!
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