The 2024 Year in Live Music is already off to a good start and this continues into February with some solid shows like the upcoming Sony Hall gig by the legendary Mr. Big who are out on their “Big Finish” tour.
The Details: Mr. Big was truly a powerhouse of a band when they first came onto the scene in 1988. The combined musical prowess of singer Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert, bassist Billy Sheehan and the drumming of the late Pat Torpey, there were far too many amazing tracks to choose from. While the band returned after a hiatus in 2009 and have continued on with recordings and live music. The sad passing of Torpey in 2018 finds the band employing the talents of Nick D’Virgilio on their farewell tour with the banner “The Big Finish”. Thanks to the marketing team of the Blue Note Entertainment Group, PiercingMetal is going to be putting a few of their readers into the Sony Hall show.
When and Where: Tuesday, February 6th at Sony Hall (235 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036) at 7:30PM.
To Participate: The Mr. Big concert at Sony Hall is the first of our concert ticket giveaways since 2022 which means that I’m going to make anyone interested work a little bit to secure a ticket. The band is said to be performing their entire “Lean Into It” album from start to finish and with that being the main part of the show, its now the main part of the giveaway inquiries. Please tell me what your three “3” favorite tunes are off of the “Lean Into It” album and why each one means something to you. The second and third part of this questionairre is easier and asks what two “2” other albums by the band are your favorites and just a little something about what makes that the case. You can add a track or two to emphasize this for good measure and in the world where sometimes “less is more”, I stand firm on a “more is more” mindset. Now before you get started please review some important guidelines on this to make it easier.
* Enter only once. All comments are moderated and don’t appear immediately after submission so be patient and don’t enter numerous times. You should see “your comment is awaiting moderation” once you submit it. It will appear once approved. It’s important to make sure you that you are entering a NEW comment and not replying to another contestant’s entry as that will get confusing.
* Number the requirements for ease of knowing if you followed the instructions or not.
* The entry should be a good read, so a sentence or two of facts that make up your required three items. Saying “because it rules dude” will not impress me and not help your cause.
* Please enter your full real name in the comment form along with an email address that you can be reached at if you win. This is super important because we might also be sending you a confirmation email and sharing with the house in case they have last minute audience updates. We stress that you do NOT place this information in the comment itself out of privacy concerns.
* Please only enter if you really have interest in attending and its possible for you to do so. As this is a NYC performance, if you live a couple of hundred miles away we don’t think you should be entering.
* Subscribe to the comments and check back to see them so you know if you won or not.
* Its recommended that you compose your entry on a text editor and then paste it into the comment form so you don’t lose any work. We’ve learned that sometimes a mobile feed is tricky so be sure to have a strong signal or use a laptop when doing this.
Get to work because this one will close by Monday morning on 2/5/2024 unless the provisions are depleted before that time.
Restrictions: The PiercingMetal Giveaways are open to our regional site visitors and Social Networking Followers (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) and we always look for submissions from those who might not have won in the past. As your name will be on the guest list there are NO physical tickets to claim on site and this is for a single ticket only with no exceptions.
If You Win This Contest: If you are marked as one of the winners for this giveaway, I will be leaving a comment directly below yours informing you about the win. I will also be sharing the information you will need should you encounter any issues on your arrival to the venue. You can also expect an email to the provided address reminding you of the win so make sure that @piercingmetal.com is listed as a safe domain to receive notes from. Just in case, the claiming details are that the winners of the giveaway will go to the podium at the venue entrance and ask for the “House Guest List”. Your name will be there and if you run into any difficulty, politely ask for a House Manager and explain that this giveaway comes care of the Blue Note Entertainment Marketing Team and PiercingMetal. Remember this is a single ticket only with no plus one and there are no exceptions to this rule. If you do post about your attendance care of our giveaway we ask that you include PiercingMetal in your social media shout outs to help direct more followers to our outlet.
Official Links:
Mr Big: http://www.mrbigsite.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mrbig
Sony Hall: http://www.sonyhall.com
1. My favorite jams off Lean Into It are by FAR “Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy”, “Green-Tinted Sixties Mind” and “Take My Heart”. I love Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy because of the monstrous drill solo and the theatrics they put into their live performances during that song. Green-Tinted Sixties Mind is on my list because of the harmonies. They bring me to a place of absolute serenity both on and off the stage. Take My Heart takes my heart simply because it’s written from such a place close to home. Even while performing it live, you’re instantly transported back to the first time it was written and that’s beautiful.
2. The bands debut album is out of this world, just like many bands from that same decade. They saw what everyone else was doing, turned against that norm, and deserved more attention than what they really got. There are some huge songs on that record like Blame It On My Youth and 30 Days In The Hole that seriously put the BIG in Mr. Big.
3. Live! Raw Like Sushi is an AMAZING compilation of live tracks from the boys performing on the Rush “Presto” tour in ‘90. It’s fun, rocks hard, and is LOUD! It’s mostly hits, but being able to hear the early fans is otherworldly. Besides, with a name like Raw Like Sushi, you can’t help but LOVE it!
Hey Kaylie, that was a terrific entry and congratulations as you are getting one of the tickets that’s in this giveaway. Please refer to the part of the post that says “If You Win This Contest” for the full details on how you claim it that night.
All three of my favorite tracks come off the 91 album ‘Lean Into It’ which coincidentally is the same year I first saw them open for RUSH on the Roll The Bones tour. Alive and Kicking is just so full of energy and brings you write back to that time.
Billy’s playing is phenomenal . ‘Be with you’ is an amazing track and an incredible video , the way the video switches from black and white to color at the halfway point really adds to whole the ambience and mood of the song.
Just take my heart is another great track and if you’ve ever been in love this song will also suck you right in .
Lean into it is such an incredible album and should be a staple to any collection and be in any conversation of that eras music.
Another album I greatly enjoy is 2014″s ‘The stories we could tell’ it’s also the last album to feature drummer Pat Torpey . My favorite tracks include ‘I forgot to breathe’ , ‘ The monster in me’ and ‘ Gotta Love The Ride’
Good stuff Brian so let’s give you one of the tickets for this giveaway. Please refer to the part of the post that says “If You Win This Contest” for the full details on how you claim it that night.
Thank you so much , you guys rock !!!
1. My three favorite songs off “Lean Into It” are Green-Tinted Sixties Mind, Alive and Kickin’, and My Kinda Woman. Green-Tinted Sixties Mind is the first song I heard that really pulled me into the band. These were the first lyrics I heard that really resonated with me. Combined with the amazing musically of the members, I could really connect with this song on every level. Alive and Kickin’ is such a feel good song, and blasting it while speeding out of your hometown with “blacktop blazing, hometown fading / out of sight in the rear view mirror” is an unforgettable memory. My Kinda Woman contributed to my style inspiration as I delved into all sorts of retro/vintage styles as my taste in music turned towards cassettes and vinyls. To this day I still use “fire engine” red lipstick.
2. The “Mr. Big” self-titled album was the second one I bought after “Lean Into It.” Blame it on My Youth was another inspirational tune to me, as I felt it described me perfectly. I’ve spent many times speeding down the highway screaming “angels with dirty faces / a little lost but not innocent.” This entire album is full of hits, but if I had to choose my other top two would be Rock & Roll Over and Merciless.
3. And my final choice of favorite album would have to be “Bump Ahead.” Colorado Bulldog is an unstoppable song that can’t help but to be noticed. The story it tells is one so wild it draws you in and spits you back out once the song is over. Promise her the Moon is a beautifully bittersweet song, and ties in perfectly to this unskippable album.
Great stuff Isabel and you like a few of the songs that are my own favorites so let’s give you the third ticket for the Mr. Big show on Tuesday. Please refer to the part of the post that says “If You Win This Contest” for the full details on how you claim it that night.
Hi Ken! Due to personal circumstances I will be unable to attend the concert. Sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused in the giveaway, and thank you for your kindness!
Thanks for letting me know Isabel.
Green tinted sixties kind is def my fav track off lean into it. That intro riff is one of my favs all time, and a ton of fun to play! PG once said the song started out HEAVILY influenced by a Beatles song, and that riff was the only thing that distinguished it from a very well known Beatles song and to this day idk which Beatles tune it is!
Second would be “My Kinda Woman” again, bc the intro riff is so good. I feel this song was written about Marilyn Monroe but I never knew if that was true or if I just guessed it. Can’t go wrong with a song about a beautiful girl!
Third – “Road to Ruin” for that vocal harmony right off the bat! All the members of Mr Big are great players, but also great Harmo users! That goes totally under appreciated I think. Rip torpey, that voice is going to be missed on this track.
My favorite mr big album is the self titled, bc addicted to that rush is a gosh darn banger!! And havin Billy and Paul go OFF live must be unreal.
I’m also a really big fan of Defying Gravity from 2010. Almost 20 years after the self titled, but a quality record nonetheless. Undertow is the standout track. Mr big always had great album openers.
And if all my fav bands, I’ve never seen these guys live! Can’t wait!
Hey Robbie, good stuff for sure and I am going to need to immerse myself into the other tracks you mentioned since I am not always 100% up on every band. Let’s give you the fourth and final ticket in this giveaway. Please refer to the part of the post that says “If You Win This Contest” for the full details on how you claim it that night.
Well my friends, since we’ve run out of tickets to give away I am going to wrap up this little freebie. Congratulations to all of you who have won a single ticket for the show on Tuesday. While we’ve said to refer to the “If You Win This Giveaway” part of the post, remember that on the night of the show you will ask for the House List at the entrance and your name will be checked off. If for some reason there is an issue, you must politely ask for a House Manager and tell them that the giveaway was in partnership with Blue Note Entertainment and PiercingMetal.
I’ll be at the show too and hope to see you all. Remember to tag #piercingmetal on Social Media to help spread the word.
1. My three favorite songs off “Lean Into It” are Green-Tinted Sixties Mind, A Little Too Loose, and Voodoo Kiss. Have you ever heard Green-Tinted Sixties Mind live because it’s OTHERWORLDLY. The experience they place the audience in is nothing short of incredible. A Little Too Loose gives me a slow swing feel that is 100% necessary in this album. It slows things down with an ominous feeling lurking overhead. As for Voodoo Kiss it’s got a grinding bass sound that’s simply delicious. It got me interested in jumping back into playing the instrument again!
2. I’ll go quite basic with my first favorite album with “Bump Ahead”. As a kid I loved Wild World and had since forgotten about it, so after coming back to the record and hearing it brings back so many smiles that only a child could understand. I went back in the bands discography and noticed how many albums/songs I’ve never heard of before; I’ve got my next free day packed full of new music now!
3. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with the self-titled debut record. Like many bands at the time, the debut record is usually THE best or something very close to it. It’s got hit after hit (Take a Walk and Want To Be Wanted for example) that just blow every artist at that time out of the water for me personally. There’s simply no BAD songs on this album.
Really, really good stuff Ben and since we had a cancellation from one of our winners, you will be taking their place at the show on Tuesday. Please refer to the part of the post that says “If You Win This Contest” for the full details on how you claim it that night.