April 2024

Enuff Z’Nuff singer Donnie Vie to headline four West Coast shows including Richmond’s Baltic Kiss. April 12.

Eddie April 7, 2024 No Comments

Blue Island, Illinois’ own Enuff Z’Nuff was originally formed by singer Donnie Vie and bassist Chip Z’Nuff some 42 years ago. And while they enjoyed massive MTV airplay during the first self-titled record’s cycle, it was their two radio hits – “Fly High Michelle” (Billboard #47) and “New Thing” (Billboard #67) – that catapaulted the quartet into veritable headliners across the globe. Sadly, their sophomore effort ‘Strength’ (1991) didn’t sell as well and eventually led to their exit from Atco Records. The band would issue one more record – ‘Animals with Human Intelligence’ (1993) – before releasing a slew of records on much smaller indie rock labels.

Although there has been great turmoil since Vie’s exit in 2002 to go solo, he has been quite prolific releasing a handful of well-received records under his namesake. For those looking for a point of entry into his own solo work, Vie’s fabulous ‘Just Enough!’ (2003) is highly recommended. Additionally, he has toured and gained quite a cult-like following releasing his own brand of power pop. For those paying attention, Vie has also been featured on countless Enuff Z’Nuff compilations featuring studio outtakes, live offerings, and rare versions of previously recorded songs.

As luck would have it, the 60-year old singer / songwriter will be playing four West Coast shows featuring guitarist Alex Kane of Life, Sex & Death and drummer Jesse Mendez Jr. from Newsted. Cities included on the brief itinerary are The Boardwalk in Orangevale on 4/11, Baltic Kiss in Richmond on 4/12, Fulton 55 in Fresno on 4/13, and the infamous Rainbow Bar & Grill in Hollywood on 4/14.

We caught up with Donnie as he was preparing to go on the road.

Capital Chaos TV: Enuff Z’nuff had a great run on Atco Records even though only two full-length records were released. Did your record deal allow for full tour support and living expenses while on the road and in between albums?

Donnie Vie: Yeah. We had a full-blown $12 million dollar / 8-record deal with Atco / Atlantic. How that really turned out is a whole different story, but we had everything we needed for making the record, the videos, and all the other living costs. Only just recently and in the last couple of years, did we start making royalties off those songs again. I became a little wiser over the years when it comes to finances and business.

Capital Chaos TV: What were some of your most memorable tour moments?

Donnie Vie: The first headlining show at the Marquee in London sold-out and was on my birthday. That was amazing. I do believe one of our videos might have came out that day, too. It was pretty special seeing our video debut on MTV. Watching the tour bus pull up for the first time was pretty cool as well. The Arista Records deal was more special to me because I looked better (laughs). That’s when I peaked (as far as my outward looks go) and we got featured in magazine centerfold pull-outs.We got full tour support and went out with Def Leppard in arenas. They were one of the coolest bands I ever met and probably the most talented band we ever toured with. I love them.

Capital Chaos TV: Are you able to make money today from the Enuff Z’Nuff back catalog?

Donnie Vie: We got our first two records back from from Atco / Atlantic as that contract finally expired. It’s a long story of why we were so in debt so badly, but they (the label) were getting all the residuals for the longest time. We never did any other publishing deals besides the two initial ones. Neither one actually did nothing for us and they never placed any songs on TV or film of any magnitude. In the very beginning, I think a couple of songs were used in a couple shows, but that was it. I thought the catalog was too good for it not to be worked. We’re currently looking at a big publishing deal.

Capital Chaos TV: Could you and Chip ever make amends or is that conversation off the table? Would be wonderful to have you, Vikki and Chip back together for a proper tour.

Donnie Vie: I’m not going to go too far into that stuff anymore because I’ve cried and whined for so long. Whenever I see bands do that, I think that guy looks lame. If anybody knew the magnitude of what was done to me, you would understand burying the hatchet is not happening anytime soon. I’ll bury it for sure, but where I’ll bury it, I still don’t know. As far as plugging in with Chip again, it would have to be abundantly worth it. It would be like getting back together with my ex -wife. In any case, the answer would be no thank you and have a good one. As far as drummer Vikki Foxx ever playing with me again, that would never happen.

Capital Chaos TV: You’re doing four West Coast shows in April. What other tour plans for 2024?

Donnie Vie: I have three more in upper New York in the beginning of May 2024 and there’s some some support dates later with Zebra. I am also playing one of those big pot conventions at the end of the Summer. There’s a lot more stuff coming.

Donnie Vie plays The Baltic Kiss located at 135 Park Place in Richmond on Friday, April 12th. Support acts to be announced. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $15. Doors open at 7pm and show starts at 8pm. All ages are welcome. For more info visit www.donnievie.com and www.baltickiss.com.

(Capital Chaos TV)

Ex-Scorpions guitarist Uli Jon Roth to play a rare Sonoma County show at Vintage Space. April 7.

Eddie April 2, 2024 No Comments

69-year-old Uli Jon Roth may have only played guitar with Scorpions for only four years, but his songs have aged considerably well. Longtime fans still consider his work on ‘Fly To The Rainbow,’ ‘Taken By Force,’ In Trance,’ and ‘Virgin Killer’ some of the band’s finest moments. And while ‘Tokyo Tapes’ – arguably the best live hard rock album ever – would signal Roth’s inevitable exit, it was songs like ‘Sails Of Charon,” “We’ll Burn The Sky,” “All Night Long,” and “Dark Lady” (to name just a few) that would make his catalog a cult favorite many decades later.

For the uninitiated, Uli formed his own Electric Sun project which would eventually issue three fantastic records: ‘Earthquake’ (1979) steeped in the tradition of the late Jimi Hendrix, ‘Fire Wind’ (1981), and ‘Beyond the Astral Skies’ (1985) dedicated to the late Martin Luther King Jr.. It wasn’t long until Roth found a new calling which found the guitarist composing four symphonies and two concertos with a smattering of live performances with / for symphony orchestras throughout greater Europe. Consequently, Uli adopted the moniker Uli Jon Roth for every release thereafter.

Dubbed the ‘Interstellar Sky Guitar’ North American 2024 tour, Uli and his six-piece band kicks off their run on April 2nd in Mesa, Arizona and follows with a a whopping seven California shows while inevitably ending on May 18th in Houston, Texas.

UJR’s three-hour multi-media show will be split into two parts with an intermission featuring new and old pieces, excerpts from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and Uli’s Metamorphosis Concerto. He will also be speaking about his new (er) book, ‘In Search of the Alpha Law.’ The second half of the show will see Roth revisiting his own Electric Sun records, also recently released on vinyl, along with his highly influential Scorpions fare.

Said Uli about his mission statement for his upcoming tour, “We are only temporary thoughts in the Mind of the Universe. If we want to survive and evolve as a species, we need to become better human beings first and strive towards World Peace with all our hearts. We can only do this together.”

We caught up with promoter Christine Lommori aka Lommori Productions who already has a rich history promoting Uli Jon Roth’s area concerts.

Bohemian: When did you initially start promoting concerts?

Lommori: I started some 30 years ago at a small club called Hobie’s in Concord. I loved music and was a fan that eventually turned my obsession into a business.

Bohemian: How many times have you presented Uli?

Lommori: I’ve done about 16 UJR shows throughout the years.

Bohemian: What does his music mean for you?

Lommori: I am a huge Scorpions fan and also love Uli’s beautiful guitar work. He is quite a magical person and a really nice guy.

Bohemian: Will Lommori Productions be doing more concerts in Sonoma County?

Lommori: Definitely. The North Bay is special to me as I lived in Sonoma and went to Sonoma High School.

Bohemian: Why the Flamingo Resort?

Lommori: I have a working relationship with Vintage Space and the new owners who did the remodel. It’s a beautiful resort and has that retro vibe I love.

Bohemian: Are these the same shows you booked originally in 2020 before Covid?

Lommori: No. These are shows are a re-booking from a few months ago when Uli had to postpone for personal reasons.

Bohemian: Will we be seeing more from Lommori Productions in 2024?

Lommori: Yes. This year will be quite busy and many more shows are in the works.

Lommori Productions presents an evening with Uli Jon Roth at Vintage Space inside the Flamingo Resort located at 2777 4th Street in Santa Rosa. Tickets are $25 advance and $30 day of show and can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/uli-jon-roth-tickets-599708332767. Doors open at 7pm and the show kicks off at 8pm. 21 and over patrons only.

(North Bay Bohemian)

Conductor Timothy Myers discusses his upcoming night with the Sacramento Philharmonic on April 6

Eddie April 1, 2024 No Comments

Conductor Timothy Myers will lead the Sacramento Philharmonic on April 6. Photograph by Curtis Brown

The Sacramento Philharmonic is continuing to showcase some of the most able musicians that the area has to offer, and lately doing so at ticket prices that any tax bracket can probably afford.

For those looking for a perfect entry point into classical music, this weekend’s program couldn’t be more appropriate. 

Besides the fact that a world-class conductor is in town, one of the most appealing things for many about the Philharmonic’s upcoming performance is the acoustics of a newer venue and its particularly enticing lines of sight. Once considered a drab hall with an outdated sound system, the newly-improved SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center is now great for showcasing classical, opera and musical theatre gatherings.

“As part of the renovation, the Constellation Acoustic System, designed and manufactured by Meyer Sound, was installed in the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center for acoustical enhancement of orchestral and choral performances,” noted Sid Garcia-Heberger, the venue’s manager. “The room is also outfitted with a Meyer line array for amplification of speaking engagements, comedy and music performances. Our board is a Yamaha CL5.”

We caught up with Timothy Myers, the guest conductor from Raleigh, North Carolina, while he was prepping for the April 6 show.

SN&R: What year did you start conducting and what were the pieces?

Timothy Myers: My professional career began in 2003 when I was completing graduate school and had the opportunity to make a professional debut in Boston, conducting Bernstein’s “Candide.” I’ve been very fortunate to maintain a career that encompasses a wide variety of both symphonic and operatic works.

SN&R: How long does it typically take for you to fully understand and grasp the cadence and feel for any given piece?

Myers: For me, length of preparation tends to depend on the size of the piece and how experienced I am with that specific composer or even that specific piece. My preference is to start pieces very early, sometimes over a year before I’ll conduct it, so that I can get the basic shape and sound in my head and let it “cook.” Then a few months before the engagement I can pick it back up and do much more detailed studying, and start to cement my knowledge of it and a developed interpretation … It’s always a treat to return to pieces, which is the case with Peer Gynt. Though I haven’t conducted it since 2006, it was definitely still cemented in my brain and came back to the forefront with some focused review.

SN&R: What is the biggest misconception about being a conductor and how integral the role is to a symphony?

Myers: As you might imagine, I often get the question “What does a conductor actually do?”A fuller answer would be lengthy and broad-ranging, but I typically sum it up as two of the most critical aspects of my my job are to give the musicians the information that they need to do their jobs well, and then show them something they don’t already know. The musicians of the Sacramento Philharmonic are very familiar with the music of Grieg and Beethoven and could play most of it without me. It’s my responsibility to give more of the ‘how’ of the music-making, so that the result is much greater than the sum of the parts.

See and hear the Sacramento Philharmonic perform Beethoven’s 2nd Symphony along with Grieg’s ‘Peer Gynt Suite No. 1’ and Carlos Simon’s ‘Fate Now Conquers’ at SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center located at 1301 L Street in Sacramento on Saturday, April. Doors at 6:30pm and show to follow at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $21 while premium seats are $81 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com.

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(SN&R)