The classic lineup of Santana has reunited and delivers “IV” to the masses. That’s right, Carlos Santana with Greg Rolie, Neil Schon and Michael Shrieve back on track with some thrilling material. This comes care of Santana IV Records.
Tag Archives: gregg rolie
Journey and Santana Announce Three Exclusive Live Dates!
Are you kidding me? Are you frigging kidding me!!!!!! Journey AND Santana doing a choice few gigs on the same stage with Neil Schon doing double duty in Santana with legendary members from the past? Color me interested. Below the poster for these choice appearances is the brief press copy and then some added thoughts on it all. Get rolling.
The Press Release:
JOURNEY and SANTANA will join up for three special concerts this April. The two legendary music artists will take the stage together starting in New York City at Madison Square Garden on April 13 with shows also lined up in Uncasville, CT at Mohegan Sun Arena April 15 and Allentown, PA at PPL Center April 16. A limited number of VIP Packages will be available, including premium seats, exclusive merchandise and more. Click here for on sale details: http://www.journeymusic.com/pages/news/journey-santana-team-up-for-special-concert-series
PiercingMetal Thoughts: The classic era of Santana with all those wonderful hits sung by the great Gregg Rolie are songs that I remember so fondly and can say that I grew up alongside. I was too young to be a part of the Woodstock experience of course and NO I was not conceived there in case you wondered, but my family always had music on and fortunately for me my Mom was someone who always left the Rock station on. I guess she realized I liked it when I was on the young side. So yeah that stuff is iconic to me. Then there is Journey who I first heard with the album “Evolution” and was hooked immediately. They became one of my very favorite bands and I was super stoked to even see them live during the blockbuster “Escape” and “Frontiers” tours. The idea of Journey acting as the support act and finding Santana once again working with the members of his historic and most groundbreaking period is making my hands shake with excitement. I am going to do my best to be a part of that Madison Square Garden show and you should too if you know what’s good for you. Please let me know what you think of the whole matter in the comments section below.
Official Websites:
Journey: http://www.journeymusic.com
Santana: http://www.sanatana.com
Gregg Rolie Band @ B.B. King Blues Club (6/18/2010)
Artist: Gregg Rolie Band
Venue: B.B. King Blues Club (New York, NY)
Opener: n/a
Date: 6/18/2010
Label: Independent Artist
It’s without question that keyboardist Gregg Rolie is a legendary musician and how could you say anything less about a fellow who had an important role in the formation of both Santana and Journey. You would have to be living under a rock to not recognize the juggernaut status of each of those bands. While Gregg has not been involved with either group for decades he has not been sitting idly by and instead tours with his own group playing music that is very reminiscent of his earliest roots. As a matter of fact, in 2001 he would release his third solo album which was entitled “Roots” and delivered a sound that all of his fans knew very, very well. In my own musical life, I have to say that the earliest years of Santana with Gregg are the best ones of them all and nowadays the legendary guitarist seems disconnected with that which made him so awesome to listen to back in the day. His move over to Journey with guitarist Neal Schon was an interesting one and for those fans that are only aware of the Steve Perry years, you should really check out the band in its beginnings since it’s a lot more progressive than you might be aware. I first caught the Gregg Rolie Band at a private media event that I was fortunate enough to be invited to and it was such a blast that I hoped for some area gigs so the wider demographic of fans could enjoy it as well. Thankfully it would not be too long in coming and here we are at the legendary B.B. King Blues Club and Grill. A venue that was absolutely perfect for this kind of event.
Continue reading Gregg Rolie Band @ B.B. King Blues Club (6/18/2010)
“Woodstock” 40th Anniversary Celebration @ Hard Rock Cafe Times Square
PiercingMetal.com was on hand this past Thursday, June 4th as Warner Home Video celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the “Woodstock” Film by holding a gala celebration at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square. The event was set to feature a number of key figures who had been involved in the production of the film along with several musical guests of note. As you see by the photo below, the entire tourist and business populace of the Times Square area were made aware that something special was happening inside this evening and being a part of it was indeed an honor.
After we walked into the Hard Rock Cafe we were led to the “Green Carpet” area where various media outlets were at the ready to bring the story about this event to the public. I stood off to the side and jotted down notes while Peter Parrella (aka “Skeleton Pete” shot all of the carpet happenings.
About The New DVD: “Woodstock” 3 Days Of Peace And Music is an Oscar winning documentary that not only captured an incredible music festival with amazing bands but also gave a keen insight to the way that America was back in 1969. The films director originally worked with almost 300 hours of film and from this a rather lengthy and gripping view of sixties culture was delivered. The show drew together a half a million people and was one of the largest gatherings for a single concert performance and would hold this title for many, many years to come. The Director’s Cut of the DVD now features an additional two hours of footage that was never before seen and offers up some musical performances that were omitted from the original. There are a number of versions that the discerning consumer can purchase.
In addition to the celebrities involved we also had the chance to enjoy some actual artifacts from the historic festival event such as authentic Woodstock clothing and a t-shirt that was purchased by Graham Nash who had also performed at the show. There were posters and some guitars as well.
Continue reading “Woodstock” 40th Anniversary Celebration @ Hard Rock Cafe Times Square
“Rain Dance – Live” by Gregg Rolie Band
Artist: Gregg Rolie Band
Title: “Rain Dance – Live”
Label: 33rd Street Music
Release Date: 6/24/2009
Genre: Rock
Rating: 4/5
Recently I was afforded the opportunity to enjoy a live performance of the Gregg Rolie Band who was on point to help celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Rock documentary film “Woodstock”. Rolie was in the film with the band Santana, a group in which he was a founding member, and resultant of the appearance on this particular stage Santana was forever imprinted in the minds of generations of Rock and Roll fans. He left Santana in 1971 and would form the eventual juggernaut of a musical enterprise Journey with fellow Santana alumnus Neil Schon. Fast forwarding a number of years found him forming groups like The Storm and Abraxas Pool and eventually The Gregg Rolie Band where he and his compatriots deliver what amounts to the closest thing to the original Santana vibe that one can enjoy anywhere. For the rare opportunity I attended Rolie and his band delivered a rousing set of Santana classics much to the delight of the room.
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