by DioZine.com's Ken Boyd

Thanks to KARL from AM Radio site and Ken Boyd for the Alb photos

Rockin’ with the Radio

By Ken Boyd

A concert featuring AM Radio, Pete Yorn, and Weezer

A four and a half hour drive is nothing new to me in order to attend a good show. The drive from southern to northern New Mexico proved rather pleasant as my companion on this trip was Killing The Dragon. So, I had a great opportunity to give it several more listens since my review—but that is another article altogether.

            This weekend was not just a show for me, I had just complete the last of my finals for the semester the day before, and so it was a break, a vacation, a chance to see a good concert, an opportunity to spend some time with an old friend, and a great time to spend some quality time with my sister and her family. Oh, yeah, and to finally catch the long awaited Spider-Man!!

            As I said, the well spent four and a half hour drive landed me at my family’s house mid afternoon with plenty of time to go get my tickets and a solid place in line for the show. To my total surprise, just as I arrived, I was greeted by a phone call from my wife saying that Rowan Robertson had called my house and left a number for me to reach him.

            When I called him I was floored to know that he had set me up with a pair of tickets and passes—very hard to get apparently due to Weezer’s security demands. WHOA! Now I was really stoked!

            I knew the venue to be in the heart of downtown Albuquerque. So I left with a good two hours before the show would start, only about an hour before the doors were scheduled to open.

            Initially I was met with a bit of frustration, as Rowan had told me to just go back to the busses and he would have the tickets and passes, and give us a chance to catch up a bit before the show. Naturally, security was the typical drunken out of work minimum wage moron who had an inferiority complex he wanted to assert himself by denying access and telling me, “You can’t not come back here, and you don’t know anyone in these bands. Jus’ you better get ‘fore I cause you some trouble.”  

            My initial thought to correct his double negative almost made me laugh more than his total red neck hick-ish mannerisms. Well, someone has to fill that workforce niche, right?

            Fortunately I had brought the contact number that Rowan had given me earlier. So, I called again, but from a pay phone it was 5 bucks for one minute at the first one I found and 5 for three minutes at another—QWEST, you gotta hate them, right? And, I never got through to anything more than a paging system and answering service. By this time the band was actually inside the venue working on the sound check.

            Well, I came up expecting to buy a ticket and just see a great show, so I didn’t let it bother me too much more than just that. When Will Call opened up I decided to check if the list had been brought up yet, just in case I was placed on that.

Finally, the will call opened and I check to see if the list was brought up yet—it wasn’t so I sat around talking to some of the Weezer fans. These guys are the craziest. Young and totally dedicated to their following of their favorite band—sound like anyone we used to know? LOL! The line was actually wrapped around the convention center—amazingly a group had been there since 5 AM!! PURE dedication.

Before long the list showed up and I was right on top—good old Rowan! Just as promised two passes and tickets. I only needed one so I gave my sister—whom I was visiting and who had dropped me off for the show—the extra and told her to give it to someone cool, pointing out the two scalper scum hanging about.

Now I always have wondered, Will Call is supposed to be a convenience, right? For those who pay for their tickets in advance. Yet, why the hell is it you buy your tickets in advance and pick them up after waiting in the Will Call line only to get at the back of the REAL line? This is a pretty shitty practice, if you ask me.

            So, off to the end of the LONG line I head, and low and behold, those self same fans of Weezer I was talking with earlier were right up front, first in line and insisted that I take a place with them. Likewise, when I got in the venue I landed a place right up front row center.

I discovered how old I really was—this was one YOUNG crowd! But, interestingly, I have never seen so many Evil Eyes in my life outside of a Dio show—apparently (according to Rowan) Weezer is actually a Dio fan and perpetuates the use of the symbol at his shows…interesting!

When AM Radio hit the stage, the crowd reacted well –sometimes opening acts do not get much feed back no matter how good they are and many fans are only their to see the headline act. This was not really the case with this show.

            Kevin worked the crowd well and the band as a whole has it together when it comes to putting it out live. Rowan was especially noticed, the other guys in the band kept commenting on how alive Rowan was the whole night.

            They played a nice set list that included:

I stayed right up front at the rail watching AM Radio, but got the hell out of there before the next band started—another sign of my aging, I guess, LOL!

From this point on, I checked out the crowd some more and there were about 4,000 people there I discovered. Pretty good turn out, a low end of average I was told for this tour’s ticket sales.

While I was wondering around, I ran into Bryce, the AM Radio bass player at the mixing board, and he grabbed Rowan. We just sort of hung out catching up on old times—though we pass e mail and talk on the phone upon occasion, we have not seen each other in a couple of years! This was quite pleasant, as Rowan is simply a great guy to sit and chat with.

Set List:
If This is the End of the World
The Sentiment
I Just Wanna Be Loved
Hush
Wow
Take Time
Heartattack

When Pete Yorn hit the stage his band proved to be one with a harder edge than AM Radio with a sort of 90s Seattle sound meets radio rock of the new millennium. They covered a David Bowie tune called “China Girl” which I previously disliked but they had done it really hard and heavy, and I liked it!

As the headliner took center stage I was quite surprised. I had expected some radio pop band, but they really put on a great show. They were energetic and aggressive and the lighting show was really well committed.

            I actually knew two of their songs—I guess I must listen to the radio a little more than I thought—LOL!—in fact they played a track off the new one getting ready to come out this month, called “Controlling Me” and it is some really hard hitting rock and roll!

            Additionally they covered a Turtles tune—done in a modern manner this turned out really cool.

As they closed out the show, Weezer simply utilized a lot of guitar feedback and smoke. This was really quite different, but I again found it rather interesting.

All in all I had a really great time!

After show I got a chance to meet all the guys. Kevin Ridel (singer)—he was actually friendly enough, being polite but just said hi, shook hands, nice to meet you and gone. He indicated that he was taking some girl to Tucson with them for the next night’s show, and that she would be taking a bus back the next night. It made me wonder if it was the same girl that he kept singing to and holding hands with that was at the rail with me.

            The other guitar player, Jason Moor was a really cool and laid back guy who likes movies with some pretty strange content—many of which I have never heard of, but sounded quite interesting none the less.

            Joe Higgins (drummer) was also really quite friendly with a great sense of humor.

Bryce Soderberg (bass) was actually the first guy in the band I met while hanging around the sound board. I really liked this guy. Bryce was young and friendly, and seemed to be taking some building renown in stride. We talked about girls in different cities (don’t tell the wife, eh? LOL!) and that Rowan has converted him as a Dio fan.

It was funny as they guys had just bought The Beast of Dio compilation the week prior and had been kidding Rowan about how great a player he was and that they were now his biggest fans. Bryce said he liked my jacket as it depicted the Lock Up The Wolves cover—his newly acquired favorite Dio release.

We sat back stage after all the bands were done playing, drinking a few bears and just yacking for about an hour and a half.  

            Rowan said he had heard the new Dio album and liked it very much—he says he misses the hard rock playing, but also really likes being in AM Radio and they are good to him. He actually likes PUSH, though I told him how I felt about it, and we agreed on many of the other tracks: Throw Away The Children, the title cut and Guilty as well as—and most especially—Scream!

            All in all a really great night of good shows. Again I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised and think it a fantastic way to spend a weekend after finals for some downtime!

            Interestingly enough I got interviewed by the Albuquerque Review Journel. They asked me my name, how far I had traveled to see the show, who I was there to see, and why I liked AM Radio. That was pretty cool, but I did not have a chance to hunt down the next day’s paper to see how it came out.

            I just want to pass on my best wishes to Rowan Robertson and the boys in AM Radio. I hope that you have a great time in Japan—knock them DEAD dudes!

Rowan, you know I think you are the greatest. A good friend and I wish you the best.

If you fans see these guys come to your area and want to have a great time and see a good show, I would recommend it with high regard.