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  Cheap Trick is one of the greatest bands ever, the first 4 albums are absolutely perfect from start to finish with a lot of great material and even another masterpiece scattered throughout subsequent releases. Seen them close to 50 times but not much in the last 5 years are so. Some great shows in 1998 and 2001 were untouchable by any bands standards, so the inability to top themselves along with rising prices and static setlists had me pulling back a bit in recent years.   With a new album, a revamped setlist and a show at the House Of Blues, which has become the band's natural habitat the last 15 years, I decided it was time to see them again. But at $65 it was a pricey ticket, just $10 less than my 3 night ticket in 1998. And they are still playing 75 minute sets, which usually is fine with me, just not at over a dollar a minute.   I was more excited to see my friends who I almost never hang out with any more. Some of them were getting there early so I

  After many delays and cancelled tours due to Visa issues, original Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'Anno is touring the U.S. for the first time since 1992. After last month's Michael Monroe press conference & mini-set, he was also at the top of the list of people I have never seen before. Iron Maiden has always been one of my favorite bands and though I have always enjoyed the current lineup, the first 2 albums had a certain rawness to them and are a bit more experimental in nature as they also had yet to perfect the formula they have stuck to almost ever since.   Unfortunately due to many club closures and uncertainties in Hollywood, the closest gig to me was in Redondo Beach which is a tough venue to get home from in the middle of the night. Thankfully I was able to reach a mutual agreement with my friend David, a ride in exchange for helping him sell stuff on Craigslist. He also digs Iron Maiden but seemed disappointed when I told him we wouldn't

At the Paul Di'Anno show about ten minutes before he went on.   Some really drunk dude approached me and asked if I had weed, which I didn't. "Damn it, I can smell it but I can't find it." I couldn't smell it. He said something to 2 women in front of us and they walked away. I wish I had that luxury but I really wanted to be in that particular spot.   Then he started singing along to Whitesnake's Crying In The Rain, hitting some catsex high notes, then some awful power ballad I didn't recognize. After it was over he said to me "Come On Dude, That's A Classic." I just shrugged. He said "This is what I listened to when I was your age." Is this dude 60 years old or did he just hear the song for the first time yesterday? I would have estimated he was pretty close to whatever age I am right now. When I was however old he thinks I am now I went to great lengths to avoid stuff like that.   Then he asked me who I