Tribute

TRIBUTE: ANDY WILLIAMS

In every band, there’s always at least one member that has a heart of gold. That one guy in the band that goes out of their way to be nice, cool and fun. While already being an absolute force of nature on stage. Which is why it’s really hard to come to terms with Andy Williams being gone.

From his time in Every Time I Die, to becoming a professional wrestler, and starting a new band, Atomic Rule, Andy Williams made sure to follow his passions. The way he played guitar with such love showed in the shows and songs. When you listen back to Every Time I Die songs, you can actually hear Andy’s parts, as they had a distinct tonality and dynamic drive. His stage presence was intimidating but also welcoming. This is a guy who attempted to set the Guinness Book Of Records for most hugs in a day. That tells you what kind of guy Andy was.

The few times I caught him wrestling on TV for AEW, was awesome to watch. As a wrestling fan growing up, seeing Andy as his character “The Butcher” felt like I was watching a classic wrestler.

I had the opportunity to meet Andy after a few Every Time I Die shows and he was always there to take time to talk with you. He was a gentle giant with a heart of gold. One of the nicest people you’d ever meet. He’d talk to you about whatever questions you had and make you feel like you were the only one there he was talking to.

Andy Williams will always be remembered and revered by so many. To all his family, friends, bandmates, and fans everywhere, my deepest condolences and sympathies. Andy was one of a kind and should be celebrated as such! Here’s to Andy!

By: Brian Lacy

My Favorite Every Time I Die Albums:

The Big Dirty:

New Junk Aesthetic:

Ex Lives:

Low Teens:

Radical:

ATOMIC RULE:

Cover Songs: Trent Reznor (David Bowie)- Fantastic Voyage & Fashion
Trent Reznor Covered "Fantastic Voyage" & "Fashion" For David Bowie Tribute Livestream: Watch

A couple days ago there was a huge David Bowie celebration. Tons of artists took part in this by performing Bowie’s songs. A good portion of these performances were accompanied by Mike Garson, David’s longtime piano player. Among the people performing on this night were, Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan, Dave Navarro, Ian Astbury, Gavin Rossdale, Corey Taylor, Taylor Hawkins and so many more. I saw a few of these performances floating around and there were 2 that really stood out to me. It’s no surprise that the ones Trent Reznor performed were my favorite. He picked “Fantastic Voyage” from Bowie’s album, Lodger as well as “Fashion” from Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). He was joined by Mike Garson and Atticus Ross on both songs along with his wife Mariqueen on the latter. Both of these turned out great. I do have to say that Trent’s dance moves during “Fashion” are quite fun to watch.


Fantastic Voyage & Fashion:

Tribute: Riley Gale of Power Trip

Tributes Pour in for Power Trip's Riley Gale

2020 sure has been a rough year. It’s like we are living in a really crazy episode of The Twilight Zone mixed with Idiocracy. Yesterday, it was announced that Riley Gale the singer of the band Power Trip had passed away (no cause of death has been mentioned as of yet). It’s incredibly sad and unsettling. Over the past few months, I had really started to get into his band Power Trip. The bands album, Nightmare Logic has been in constant rotation while I work from home. They had a real knack for making great thrash metal with the right amount of groove to it. And from all the live videos I’ve watched, they put on one hell of a show. Riley was on his way to being one of the best frontmen as well. His presence on stage and energy was undeniable. It’s truly a shame that he has passed. It kind of hits home a bit since he was so close to my age, which is a major bummer. Hopefully, if he was in any sort of pain, he can find peace now. I know I’ll be blasting his bands albums for a couple days!

 

Power Trip- Nightmare Logic:

 

Power Trip Live:

At House Of Strombo:

 

 

 

At The Electric Factory 2016:

 

 

At The Regent Theater 2019:

Tribute: Chris Cornell

chris_cornell.jpg

I’m in absolute shock over the news of Chris Cornell. It’s mind boggling to think that he is gone. Chris had such a profound impact on rock music with his voice, lyrics, and songwriting. I would even put Chris on the list of greatest singers ever. I remember the first time I heard Soundgarden way back when I was a little kid around 7 or 8 and “Outshined” came on. I was mesmerized by it. My mom was really into it and she’s the one that went out and bought Bad Motor Finger. From that point, I was hooked on Soundgarden. I spent many a night when I was young listening to music and studying the lyrics of my favorites. Chris Cornell had such a poetic touch to his words. My personal favorite Soundgarden album is Down On The Upside. There is something about that album that really hits home. I can’t tell you what, but, there is something really magical about that record.

When I heard that Chris had joined forces with the remaining members of Rage Against The Machine, I was beyond excited. Then I heard “Cochise” and was instantly sold. Audioslave became such a great vehicle for Chris to expand his already poetic sensibilities, and share a different side of himself. It wasn’t until the bands last album Revelations, that Audioslave truly found their sound but, Chris really went for it lyrically and vocally on that album. Check out the songs “Wide Awake” and “Moth” and you’ll hear what I mean.

I feel lucky to have seen Chris perform 4 times over the years. Twice with Audioslave, once solo, and once with Soundgarden when they toured with Nine Inch Nails a few years ago. Chris was always great live. His presence on stage was gripping and captivating. I’ve had this thought for a while that, if Robert Plant really didn’t want to be a part of doing shows with Led Zeppelin that, they should get Chris Cornell to fill the spot. If you think about it, you know that would be something great and amazing.

Here’s to all the great music and words Chris left us. His legacy is intact with great songs and performances. I feel for his children. I hope at some point they can come to terms with this loss.

 

Here are a few of my favorite songs Chris has been a part of.

Soundgarden-

Burden In My Hand:

 

Fell On Black Days:

 

4th Of July:

 

Outshined:

 

Audioslave-

Cochise:

 

Wide Awake:

 

Moth:

 

Chris Solo-

 

Temple Of The Dog-

Say Hello To Heaven: