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It took me a while to realize why Sarah Palin is taking this bus tour of America at this particular time. She isn’t running for President. She’s angling for a shot to host the new season of Ice Road truckers! -JOBE
What good is jamming on guitar if your rhythm section isn’t tight, in the pocket, and simply a hearty backdrop on which you can slap melodies and riffs? The drums are the essential backbone of a band. A bad drummer loses the listener. A good drummer keeps the audience engaged and bobbing their heads along to the beat. Gibson.com is pleased to pay homage to such drums stars with our Top 10 Rock Drummers of All Time.
10. Ringo Starr (The Beatles)
Ringo Starr was far from a flashy drummer, and he saved his only drum solo in The Beatles for the last song on their final album. But even with a low-key profile, Ringo was an integral part of The Beatles. Not only did his inventive, offbeat drumming help give The Beatles a unique sound, but he fulfilled other band roles. Ringo was seen as the most relatable Beatle and eventually became the moderator during band arguments, especially in the later days. After the Fab Four disbanded, Starr went solo, and he had many great solo hits with “Photograph,” “You’re Sixteen” and “It Don’t Come Easy.” Without Ringo, The Beatles wouldn’t be The Beatles.
9. Stewart Copeland (The Police, Oysterhead)
Stewart Copeland is famed for his imaginative fusion of rock, jazz, Middle Eastern and reggae beats. As drummer for The Police, he brought momentum and excitement to Sting’s melodies. After The Police wrapped up touring in 1984, Copeland dabbled in experimental projects with Les Claypool (Oysterhead), Orchestralli (his orchestral project) and composed soundtracks for movies Airborne, Wall Street, Highlander II: The Quickening and others.
8. Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Devo, Nine Inch Nails)
One of the most sought-after studio drummers in rock music both for his precision and jackhammer groove, Josh Freese has appeared on nearly 300 records, including Puddle of Mudd, The Offspring, 3 Doors Down, Avril Lavigne and Tracy Bonham. He’s also the skins man for A Perfect Circle, Devo and The Vandels and has toured with Nine Inch Nails and Guns N’ Roses. Not many drummers can honestly claim to have experience in every given style of music, from rock to jazz to metal, but his capability runs the gamut of modern music.
7. Ginger Baker (Cream)
During his time manning the drum kit for Cream, Ginger Baker essentially invented the rock drum solo. His pioneering use of double bass drums marked Baker as one of the most influential drummers of the ‘60s, with a thick, thunderous sound that has inspired nearly every heavy metal drummer that’s followed. Even after Cream broke up in 1968, Baker went onto prove just as influential in world music and jazz, demonstrating a true talent that transcends genres.
6. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)
As drummer and founding member for Dream Theater, Mike Portnoy helped define the progressive rock drumming style with a basic but meticulous approach to technique. While Portnoy wasn’t the fastest player or flashiest soloist, his main objective was to serve the greater musical picture and experiment whenever it fit. It’s that careful attention to detail and creativity that caught the attention of young metaller Avenged Sevenfold, who recruited Portnoy to tour with them in 2010. While the move shocked Dream Theater fans, it showed Portnoy’s continued motivation to evolve and take on stunning challenges.
5. Lars Ulrich (Metallica)
Metal hasn’t seen a more interesting and perhaps eccentric drummer than Lars Ulrich. As a founding member, songwriter and drummer for metal goliaths Metallica, Ulrich has been the thrashing force behind some of the best-known metal tracks ever recorded. His drumming style is simple, but always smart and strong. He doesn’t get in the way of the message with flashy fills and double bass drums, but instead uses restraint with his drum parts, leaving the basic, muscular essentials. With Metallica’s massive influence, it’s no wonder Ulrich is one of the most popular and inspiring drummers of the past few of decades.
4. Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures)
Rock’s hardest working drummer during his time with Nirvana, Dave Grohl first took to the mic on “Marigold” off Nirvana’s, Heart-Shaped Box. Grohl has gone on to front the Foo Fighters on seven studio albums, but hasn’t left his drumming talents behind, making a much-anticipated return to the drums on Queens of the Stone Age’s albums and with the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. Grohl has come a long way since his early heavy-handed drumming with Freak Baby and Scream, and it’s a career filled with taking chances and following his heart. It’s no wonder everyone wants to jam with him.
3. Keith Moon (The Who)
Keith Moon’s wild drum technique was part of the Who’s core, and they haven’t sounded the same since he passed away in 1978. Moon played the skins with the kind of untamed recklessness that most schooled drummers before him would have seen as crazy, but it’s that intensity that brought such personality to the Who and made Moon’s wild, brash playing the soul of the band. His solo album, Two Sides of the Moon, captures his spirit, bringing a bizarre, haunting blend of ’50s/’60s rock ‘n’ roll, pushing character into every beat.
2. Neal Peart (Rush)
Drummer and lyricist for Rush, Neal Peart is hailed in many circles as the quintessential rock drummer. He’s known for his ingenious drum parts and intense solos with lead passages that rock hard and prove the drums, indeed, can be a lead instrument. No Rush concert is complete without Peart’s sparking, obligatory drum solo, and his syncopated drumming style certainly has its own distinct sound and aura. You can always tell when it’s Peart playing.
1. John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)
Bonzo was famous for his speed, intensity and swift right foot, but above all, he was a “soul” drummer. Even with all the attention given to his dazzling soloing, cool beats and fills, and bass drum know-how, in the end, John Bonham was simply a groover. For this ability to make a band sway and groove like no other, never hogging the spotlight but remaining the subtle champion of Led Zeppelin, Gibson.com recognizes him as our Top Rock Drummer, a talent unrivaled and irreplaceable.
Special thanks to ThisDayinMusic.com.
It’s May 31, 1976, and it’s a typically wet rainy night in London, England at the Charlton Athletic Football Stadium. The 60,000 people have been there all day watching the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Little Feat, The Outlaws, Streetwalkers and Widowmaker battle the elements. How many were there for Little Feat or Alex Harvey can’t be clear but the excitement grew tangible as the audience waited for the headlining act. As several tried to climb floodlight towers for a better vantage point, it was obvious that most were there to see one of the greatest live bands of all time, The Who.
The band were still on their ’70s creativity high, still pushing the boundaries of rock and roll performance.The Who by Numbers was just out and “Squeeze Box” had given them their first hit single in a while.Tommy would feature heavily in the set (which included “I Can’t Explain,” “Substitute,” “My Wife,” “Baba O’Riley,” “Squeeze Box,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Dreaming from the Waist,” “Magic Bus,” “Amazing Journey,” “Sparks,” “The Acid Queen,” “Fiddle About,” “Pinball Wizard,” “I’m Free, “Tommy’s Holiday Camp,” “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” “Summertime Blues,” “My Generation,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again”) partly because the Ken Russell movie was released the previous year. And they’d just set the record for the largest indoor arena attendance with 75,962 at the Pontiac Silverdome the previous December.
They were about to break another record.
Promoters had a 76,000-watt PA built for the show and with Pete Townshend at his fiercest, noisiest best, The Who pretty easily set a new record as the loudest band in the world by playing at a volume measured at 120 dB. It was a record they’d hold until the ’80s, when they were passed in the noise stakes by Manowar. For noise buffs, the record is held now by KISS for their 2009 gig the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest in Ottawa, Canada, when they reached a staggering 136 dB.
As the second half of the show began, Keith Moon took the mic: “You’d think you’ve got some kind of vested interest. I’ve seen your vests, and they stink… underneath this I’m totally nude, Peter! I don’t need any of your great flowing poncey robes. I don’t need all your glittering sequins to be a star! I don’t need to jump in the air, flash what little crotch I’ve got. And I must admit I’ve had no complaints.”
It was typical Moon. Irreverent, funny and utterly spontaneous and unpredictable. Sadly, the Charlton gig would be the last time he played a full concert with The Who in England.
Keith died on September 7, 1978, after he accidentally overdosed on the prescription drug Heminevrin. He’d been taking the pills to beat his alcohol addiction. Nothing Moon did, of course, was boring or typical. Even the house he died in was surrounded by rock and roll legend. He died in Harry Nilsson’s Curzon Place apartment in London’s Mayfair; the same flat Mama Cass died in, back in 1974.
Some of the most famous songs in music history are cover versions – whether it’s The Beatles doing Motown hits, Elvis tackling R&B tunes or just about everyone covering Bob Dylan songs. In honor of the artists who didn’t write the songs, but recorded legendary versions of them,Gibson.com is counting down the Top 50 Cover Songs of All Time.
Gibson.com recently enlisted its editors, writers and you, the readers, to vote for the greatest cover songs ever released. After announcing #50-41, #40-31, #30-21 and #20-11, we’re ready to reveal the Top 10 Cover Songs of All Time – with the original artist, or, in some cases, the most famous previous artist in parentheses.
10. “Respect,” Aretha Franklin (Otis Redding)
Otis Redding wrote “R.E.S.P.E.C.T” and recorded it initially in 1965, but Aretha Franklin took control of the track forever thereafter with her defining cover, which was recorded on Valentine’s Day 1967. “Respect” earned her a #1 hit (her first, to boot), two Grammy Awards the following year and, more importantly, inaugurated the Memphis-born singer as the Queen of Soul. In Redding’s version of the song, he begged for recognition from his lady. Franklin turned it around, singing from her gut with a gospel-charged sound as a woman who desired nothing more than her dignity and, yes, respect. “Respect” became an anthem for the feminist movement and remains one of the truly seminal compositions in pop music history. Listening decades later, there’s no mistaking the passion inside of Franklin’s delivery, and her message is clear: You want respect? Earn it. –Anne Erickson
9. “You Really Got Me,” Van Halen (The Kinks)
Van Halen’s cover of this Kinks classic was the first thing that most of the rock world ever heard of VH. The year was 1978 and the song’s pairing with “Eruption” on the band’s self-titled album of that year was one of the most devastating one-two punches ever delivered by four dudes from Pasadena. Opening with Eddie’s legendary “brown sound” (augmented by washes of reverb on the opposite side of the stereo spectrum), the guitar was right in your face, the energy was cranked up to burning point, and David Lee Roth’s sassy delivery made fans momentarily forget all about The Kinks’ version, much to Dave Davies’ later chagrin. The guitar solo has it all: syrupy phaser tones, two-handed tapping, wide bends and a cool toggle-switch stutter effect, all topped off with a killer pick slide. The breakdown after the solo would set the stage for future classics like “Mean Streets” and “Panama,” and the closing legato and hint of feedback made you hold your breath just in case there was more coming. – Peter Hodgson
Some of the most famous songs in music history are cover versions – whether it’s The Beatles doing Motown hits, Elvis tackling R&B tunes or just about everyone covering Bob Dylan songs. In honor of the artists who didn’t write the songs, but recorded legendary versions of them, Gibson.com is counting down the Top 50 Cover Songs of All Time.
8. “The House of the Rising Sun,” The Animals (Traditional)
When The Animals got the call to open for Chuck Berry on his 1964 U.K. tour, they needed something to help them stand out on the bill. Eric Burdon reached back to an old standard he’d first heard by English folk artist, Johnny Handle – though its history dates back to the early 20th Century, at least. With Alan Price’s pulsating Vox Continental organ, Hilton Valentine’s relentless, arpeggiated guitar and most importantly, Burdon’s own guttural howl, The Animals took the song to hell and back. By the time they got around to recording it, “House” went straight to #1. Sin and misery never sounded so good. – Michael Wright
7. “Mr. Tambourine Man,” The Byrds (Bob Dylan)
Bob Dylan wrote this surreal masterpiece, and the song was originally released on his fifth album Bringing it All Back Home in March 1965. But before that, a new Los Angeles band, The Jets, had been played an acetate demo of the song, provided by their manager. With a Bealtle-y beat, the song sounded pretty good and once the band changed their name to The Byrds, the song was selected as their debut single. Of the original Byrds, only Roger McGuinn played on the track, but his 12-string intro gives a near perfect jingle jangle musical soundtrack to Dylan’s surreal vision. Not only did the song start a new folk-rock movement but the Byrds’ version broke Dylan to the masses. – Andrew Vaughan
6. “Hallelujah,” Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
Leonard Cohen crafted “Hallelujah” in 1983, but Jeff Buckley made it ring as a masterpiece 11 years after. Buckley’s wavy, tender vocal lines and delicate delivery tell the story: This was a talent of a singer and player, anxious to make his own mark (aside from his father, singer-songwriter Tim Buckley’s influence), stripping down the noisy exterior to show his deep, soulful side with soft electric guitar playing and achingly sensual vocals. During his famous early stints at the New York club Sin-é, Buckley used to make the ladies swoon with his wraith-like version of this Cohen prayer, and the song lived on after his untimely death in 1997, via his retrospective live album, Mystery White Boy, where Buckley turns “Hallelujah” into a version of the Smiths’ “I Know it’s Over.” ”Hallelujah” remains one of the most moving songs sung by a performer who passed away before having time to fully voice his talent. –Anne Erickson
5. “Crossroads,” Cream (Robert Johnson)
Johnson’s landmark recordings of the late 1930s were only released as an album in 1961, as King of the Delta Blues Singers, so, in some ways, Cream were covering a “contemporary” song. Unlike The Rolling Stones’ later cover of “Love In Vain,” Cream totally reworked the tortured moan of Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues” into an electrifying rave-up. It’s regularly voted one of Clapton’s greatest moments, yet EC remains bemused. He’s said, “I’ve always had that held up as ‘one of the great landmarks of guitar playing.’ But most of that solo is on the wrong beat. Instead of playing on the two and the four, I’m playing on the one and the three and thinking, ‘That’s the off beat.’… it’s wrong!” Clapton is technically correct, but kinetic energy wins the day. Cream’s “Crossroads” chaotically captures the British blues explosion of the late 1960s that fired Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac and others into legend status. And notably, when Clapton released his Me and Mr. Johnson covers album in 2004, “Cross Road Blues” was absent. Perhaps Clapton always knew he couldn’t out-cut the Cream. – Michael Leonard
4. “I Fought the Law,” The Clash (The Crickets, Bobby Fuller Four)
Sonny Curtis penned this as a pleasant, bounce-along track for the post-Buddy Holly Crickets. Bobby Fuller had a go at it, but the song never truly came to life until 1977 when socially aware British punks The Clash lashed their own frantic venom and spite onto this rudimentarily tune and came up with a ballroom blitz of a song. From Mick Jones’ spiteful guitar intro to Joe Strummer’s peerless vocal intensity, this is a song re-born. Who said crime doesn’t pay? – Andrew Vaughan
3. “Hurt,” Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails)
Trent Reznor’s original version of “Hurt,” a song he wrote and included on Nine Inch Nails’ 1994 album The Downward Spiral, was already a dark and depressing masterpiece. It was already perfect. Then along comes the Man in Black, nearing the very end of the final chapter of his storied life, with his own highly personal interpretation of “Hurt,” and in the words of Reznor, himself, Johnny Cash made the song his own. At first, Reznor was flattered when he heard that Cash wanted to cover the song, but he was also a bit hesitant, fearing it might come off as a bit of a gimmick. Reznor’s fears were instantly assuaged after his first viewing of the video Cash made for the song. “I pop the video in, and wow…” Reznor told Alternative Press. “Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps… Wow. [I felt like] I just lost my girlfriend because that song isn’t mine anymore.” – Sean Patrick Dooley
2. “Twist and Shout,” The Beatles (The Top Notes, The Isley Brothers)
The Top Notes were the first to record this song (then called “Shake It Up, Baby” and produced by Phil Spector). The Isley Brothers were the first to have a hit with it (in 1962). But for many fans, “Twist and Shout” has been a Beatles song ever since the Fab Four recorded and released their version in 1963. The story behind the song is famous: producer George Martin saved it for last on that particular day of recording, when John Lennon was battling a sore throat. With nothing left on the docket, Lennon was able to really let it rip – and the band followed right behind their screaming leader. They tried a second take, but Lennon had given everything he had on the first – making “Twist and Shout” one of those magical one-take wonders. The song ended up being their only cover single to go gold and hit the Top 10 (it was held back from the #1 spot by another Beatles song) in the U.S. – Bryan Wawzenek
1. “All Along the Watchtower,” The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Bob Dylan)
The ultimate accomplishment for a cover artist is to take a song and, through his own interpretation and arrangement, make it something unique and truly his own. Perhaps no artist has ever done this on the scale of (and with the sizzle of) Jimi Hendrix’s fiery take on Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.” To take on Dylan would be too intimidating a prospect for most artists, but Hendrix grabbed the John Wesley Hardingtrack and ran with it, firing off one of the most melodic yet biting solos of his career along the way. The ultimate testament of Hendrix’s greatness came on subsequent Dylan tours when he began to coverHendrix’s version. In a later interview, Dylan said: “It overwhelmed me, really. He had such talent, he could find things inside a song and vigorously develop them. He found things that other people wouldn’t think of finding in there. He probably improved upon it by the spaces he was using. I took license with the song from his version, actually, and continue to do it to this day.” – Michael Wright
Votes for the Top 50 Covers of All Time were included from Michael Wright, Bryan Wawzenek, Andrew Vaughan, Sean Patrick Dooley, Cesar Acevedo, Paul Burch, Arlen Roth, Ted Drozdowski, Russell Hall, Peter Hodgson, Anne Erickson, Michael Leonard, Paolo Bassotti and the Gibson.com Readers Poll.
48 years ago, the greatest rock-and-roll touring machine ever kicked off their very first jaunt in Middlesbrough, England. The Rolling Stones had been playing in some form or other for about a year when they took the stage at the industrial Northeastern town’s Outlook Club on July 13, 1963. The gig may not have seemed notable at the time, but it was the launch of one of rock’s great legends. Gazette Live caught up with some of the eyewitnesses to the Hollies/Stones double bill to get their recollections of the historic evening.
“We arrived late and just caught the last number of The Hollies,” recalled Mike Gutteridge. “And just before the Stones went on, I received a signed copy of ‘Come On’ from Brian Jones. I distinctly remember looking at this guy with glossy blonde hair as he signed the copy to ‘Mike of the Bachelor Boys.’ We stood in front of the Stones for the whole of their set. As the stage was no more than a foot high, it was probably the best view anyone has ever had of a Stones gig.”
Gutteridge said the band were quite sociable after their set:
“When the club had cleared, we all sat on the stage drinking orange juice talking to Jagger and Richards. We asked them about their Chelsea boots and Jagger was very animated in discussing how fashionable they were. I think I had my Clarke’s finest on that night! I then asked Richards about the intro to ‘Down the Road a Piece’ (a Chuck Berry number that was just a knockout). He took me through all the moves on his Epiphone Riviera. It was the Stones’ first booking out of London and I class myself very lucky to have experienced that special moment of rock history.”
Tony O’Connor, who was also in attendance that night, added: “Mick Jagger and the Stones were different then, with their introduction of American-style blues. It was exciting to listen to. I’ve been a blues fan ever since.”
It’s been 35 years since Aerosmith unleashed their best-selling fourth album, Rocks. Earlier this week Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer celebrated the anniversary by convening to discuss the album for syndicated radio program “In The Studio” with host Redbeard.
The band used the in-depth interview to speak honestly about the songs, the personalities, and the drugs and alcohol that shaped the Rocks sound. They talked, too, about their modern-day projects and how they’ve evolved together for the better.
Reflecting back on the period when the band recorded Rocks, drummer Joey Kramer said, “We didn’t even know that what we were doing was later going to be called hip. We were doing what we were doing because we didn’t see any reason not to do it. From the day we put this band together, the one common denominator that we all had [is that] we wanted to be what we are today.”
Brought to you by ThisDayinMusic.com
Born on this day:
1948, John Bonham, drummer, Led Zeppelin
1952, Karl Bartos, Kraftwerk
1964, MC Darryl ‘D’ McDaniels, Run-DMC
1965, Steve White, drums, The Style Council
1961, Chuck Berry opened Berry Park, an amusement complex near St Louis. The park had it’s own zoo, golf course and ferris wheel.
1968, working on what will become “The White” album. The Beatles add overdubs of bass and vocals on “Revolution.” After numerous overdubs have been added, the final six minutes of the song evolved into chaotic, jamming, with Lennon repeatedly shouting “alright” and Yoko Ono speaking random phrases. The jam becomes the basis for “Revolution 9,” and this session is the first that Yoko attends.
1969, Jimi Hendrix was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 Cents.
1975, during a press conference held at the 5th Avenue Hotel in New York City to announce The Rolling Stones forthcoming American tour, the Stones themselves came down the street playing live from the back of a flat-bed truck.
1976, The Who gave themselves a place in the Guinness book of Records as the loudest performance of a rock band at 120 decibels, when they played at Charlton Athletic Football ground. For more on this story, see This Day in Music Spotlight.
1977, the BBC announced a ban on the new Sex Pistols single “God Save The Queen” saying it was, “in gross bad taste.” And the IBA issued a warning to all radio stations saying that playing the single would be in breach of Section 
4:1:A of the Broadcasting act. The single reached #2 on the U.K. chart.
1980, the Theme from M*A*S*H* (“Suicide Is Painless”) by Mash was at #1 on the U.K. singles chart, 10 years after it was first recorded after being championed by BBC Radio 1 DJ Noel Edmonds. Mike Altman the son of the original film’s director, Robert Altman, was 14 years old when he composed the song’s lyrics.
1994, the Eagles appeared at Irvine Meadows Theatre, California.
2004, U.S .guitarist Robert Quine was found dead of a heroin overdose in his New York City home. He worked with Richard Hell And The Voidoids,Lou Reed, Brian Eno,Lloyd Cole, Marianne Faithfull, Tom Waits and They Might Be Giants.
While Van Halen are preparing to hit the road in Australia later this year, former singers Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone will share the stage in Tucson, Arizona this weekend.
Cherone’s new band, Hurtsmile, will support Sammy Hagar and the Wabos at Casino Del Sol on Saturday night, creating a bill which brings to mind the Sam and Dave tour of 2002 (which was bombastically titled the Song For Song, the Heavyweight Champs of Rock and Roll tour), when David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar co-headlined to large crowds. Cherone made a few appearances during that tour.
After his stint with Van Halen, Cherone formed the band Tribe of Judah with his Extreme bandmates Pat Badger and Mike Mangini (now in Dream Theater) as well as Leo Mellace on guitar and Steve Ferlazzo on keys. Hurtsmile’s debut self-titled album was released earlier this year. Meanwhile Extreme are still active, and have begun writing material for their next album.
We’ve survived another incredible Woodsquawk Festival at the Keller Family Farm. Thanks so much for coming out. I’ll tell you, a lot of the artists commented on how much they enjoyed the Sacramento crowd. Eagle concert goers are boisterous, supportive and loyal in every way, many of whom were decked out in their new Woodsquawk commemorative T-shirts. This gorgeous souvenir is being made available for a couple more days… with all proceeds going to a dedicated local organization, the Domestic Violence Intervention Center. Grab yours here.
Woodsquawk. The final day. There’s so many people to thank:
- Navy Seal Team 6 for providing security, which mostly consisted of keeping the local county police out; many thanks.
- To Dos Equis for the beer; many thanks. Many, many thanks.
- To the volunteers in the food court, the side stages, and in the campground; many thanks.
- To those Eagle listeners who kept the beer on ice and the BBQ going at the Jobe Manor tent… for 4 days… many thanks.
- To the classic rocks acts who came from so far for no pay, and played just for love; many thanks. (Especially Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and John Bonham, who had so far to travel.)
- Especially for Sir Paul McCartney, who did set after set, walked the grounds and partied with everyone and anyone, and caught fish to fry in the VIP tent in Keller’s Creek even though he is a vegan. At one point Paul even ‘talked down’ a fellow who discovered his wife with another fellow and was ready to do violence. Paul sang ‘Let It Be‘ to the guy, and lent us his private chopper to get him to a lawyer. He even rooted for The Giants and swapped stories with the World’s Most Interesting Man. Thank you, Sir Paul.
- To Charlie Thomas, the bear of a man, who personally erected many of the tents; thank you. (And those people who got in his way, we apologize.)
- To Bob Keller, who hooked us up with Grandpa Max Keller in the first place, giving us this prime location for free; thanks, Bob.
- To Derek Moore, for searching the countryside for bells to open AC/DC’s Hells Bells, and for bitch-slapping Donald trump when he wouldn’t leave the Speakers Stage after his time was up. Thanks, man.
- To Doug Thomas, for convincing Charlie Sheen that prostitutes would be inappropriate for a family event.
- To Kat Maudru, who gave Sting back when she was done with him; thank you. (We were worried about that one.)
- To Tom Nakashima, for providing what came to be called The Baseball Tent for those of us who just can’t give up The Giants for 4 days; thank you.
- To station manager Curtiss Johnson and music director Brian ‘Booger’ Lopez, for their intense work scheduling and negotiating for the acts; many thanks to you, gentlemen.
- To general manager and VP John Geary, for staying the hell out of it, year after year. We appreciate it more than we can say.
- To our sponsors and sales department, which helped pay for the whole thing. The electricity alone was in 6 figures. (Maybe next year Pacific, Gas, & Electric could be a sponsor). Thank you.
- To the shuttle bus drivers and chopper pilots, who moved people in and out of an odd location for 4 days without incident; our thanks. In fact, this year we misplaced fewer people than ever before, only 22.
- And to the Eagle listeners, who came, partied, camped, and helped clean up the grounds before leaving; thank you. We’ll see you at the upcoming party for Bob Keller’s 50 years in broadcasting.
-JOBE
