#kingsx — Public Fediverse posts

Thursday Night Rock and Roll Show

It took something like 36 years but I finally saw King’s X live. They played at a bar in Foxborough, MA. I spent the day working in our Foxborough office so that I could get there when the doors opened but I got slammed by a highway closure and was super late to work, so I worked super late to make up the missed time. 

I got to the venue a after the doors opened but a little bit before the opening act was scheduled to go on. I sat in the car eating dinner and watching that day’s new episode of Star Trek Strange New Worlds and I didn’t get in until about 7:15. The opening act was supposed to go on at 7:00, but when I got there they announced that they had one more song. Apologies to the band. Their name was Third Knuckle. 

During the one song I managed to hear I learned something important. The bar, which is called Six String Grill and Stage (I think) might be the single worst sounding room on the planet Earth. Seriously. I couldn’t hear anything. It was all bass and mud and nothing else. I could see that the band was working hard but I couldn’t hear any evidence of it. I could not see the sound board to see if the engineer was freaking out. I was pretty sure that it was the room itself. Brick walls and odd shape and a wooden floor. Just lots of weird choices for a live music venue. I wrote something on Threads about hoping King’s X had a sound crew who could make things work. They did… sort of… almost.

King’s X came on at 8:00pm and opened with Groove Machine which was what I expected (though I don’t really know why, other than it’s a killer opening song). The sound was definitely better than the first band but it also was not good. Most of what I could hear was just bass frequencies bouncing all over the room. Big booming bass rumble washing out the entire low end. The vocals were sort of getting through it, thankfully, and the lead guitar was also sort of audible, but the bass guitar, the kick drum and the toms and most of the rhythm guitar were just gone. 

For the first half hour of the show it was clear the band was struggling. They were playing fine. Excellent, even, but it was obvious that they couldn’t hear anything. They kept signaling the monitor guy and asking for changes but it never seemed to work. Eventually guitarist Ty Tabor spoke to the sound guy directly over this vocal mic and more or less begged for help. The next song started and almost immediately bassist Dug Pinnick actually stopped it. He went back to his amp, which he had already done a number of times, and did something that seemed pretty drastic. I don’t think he turned down, but he might have cut out all of his low end. It helped a little. They restarted the song and it was better. Over the next few songs the sound guy started to figure things out and the sound impoved some, but it was never good.

I think what we witnessed was a group of pros handling a really shitty room. That is the impression I got at least. I tip my hat to all of them. Had I been on the stage or working the soundboard I probably would have lost my shit and just given up. That’s why I am not a professional. That’s the difference.

Dispite the rough sound the band played great. They are all top of the line musicians and they’ve been playing together since the dawn of history and by this point in their careers they can probably lock in with each other in their sleep. They were as tight as a tight band can be. 

Dug Pinnick is an excellent bass player. Jerry Gaskill is an absolute animal on the drums. I mean, I knew he was good but he was so much better than I expected. Ty Tabor is pretty much the perfect guitar player in my book. He’s definitely a guitar hero for me. Gaskill and Tabor are also excellent singers and they both nailed everything. Dug Pinnick though… holy shit. He may be the best male rock vocalist I’ve ever heard. He’s 75 years old and I am not going to say he’s as good as he was 30 years ago because that’s probably not true. I will say that I’ll put 75 year old Dug Pinnick up against any singer in any rock band and Dug will absolutely destroy them. He’s just that good.

I mentioned in a post the other day that there are a bunch of songs in their catelog that I just don’t like, usually because the lyrics rub me the wrong way, and there are a couple that really piss me off. Fortunately they didn’t play any of them. It was almost as if they read my mind while picking the set. I was honestly relieved. There were a lot of somewhat recent songs in the set which I was really happy about. They could have played a show that never got more recent than 1994 and it would have been fine, but they didn’t. Their most recent record is a few years old now but they played three songs off of it, including my favorite song from the record. 

In guitar gear nerd news, Ty Tabor played a Les Paul for most of the show. It was gold with humbuckers but I doubt it was a 1957. If it was a standard it was probably a reissue or something. I hope it was a good custom shop model because he deserves top of the line stuff. He played a Fender Stratocaster for a couple of songs too. I couldn’t see his pedal board so I don’t know what sort of toys he had, but he was playing through a couple of Orange half stacks. I’ve never used Orange amps before but I’ve always like what I heard. The one cool thing was an e-bow. Is it e-bow or ebow? I am not sure. He’s only the second person I’ve ever seen use one. Eric Bloom from Blue Oyster Cult uses one for that super long sustained note coming out of the guitar solo on Don’t Fear the Reaper and I’ve seen him using it in person twice. Ty used it for a solo instead of using a pick. I’ve always been curious about those little suckers but I’ve never thought about actually buying one… am I going to have to think about it now? Maybe.

So in summation, the sound ranged between bad and really fucking bad. I think it was the room’s fault and everyone worked really hard to make things work. The band was fantastic. The performance was fantastic. The set was fantastic. It only took me 36 years to see this band but I am really glad I did.

Now a few pictures. Every shot I took sucked. Not surprising. It was dark in that room after all. Lots of blurry pics. I set the camera to burst mode so once in a while I would get four blurry nightmares and one marginally focused shot. I’ll take it.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/55492985716/in/album-72177720335334897/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/55492006727/in/album-72177720335334897/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/55493100218/in/album-72177720335334897/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/55492985766/in/album-72177720335334897/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/55493161404/in/album-72177720335334897/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/55493161364/in/album-72177720335334897/

Magic

I played Magic the Gathering for the first time ever tonight. Did I understand what was going on? Nope. Did I lose in spectacular fashion? Yup. We’ll play again tomorrow and see if maybe some of it starts sinking into my tiny little brain.

Weekend plans include (on top of playing Magic again) lots of music, writing and recording, maybe getting a little bit of work in, visiting the in laws, and maybe taking some pictures. We will have to see how it all shakes out.

Last night, after something like 36 years of fandom, I finally saw King’s X in concert. I’ll write up my thoughts later, but for now I will make one comment (it’s a question, actually) in response to the show that only the geekiest of guitar gear geeks will understand:

Do I have to buy an e-bow now?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/55492985751/in/album-72177720335334897/

One More Day

I have to work in the office 40% of each month. I didn’t go in at all for the first half of the month because I was under the weather and stuff. I had to squeeze it all in during the last two weeks. 

Tomorrow, when I work in the office, I will reach my 40% for August. Oh what a freakin’ relief that will be. My desk is 45 miles from my house and that is brutal. Worse, twice this week (yesterday and tomorrow) I will be working in a different building that is 74 miles from home. Yeah, you read that correctly. 74 miles.

I made that drive yesterday for some meetings that I wanted to attend in person. I will do it tomorrow because that building is very close to a venue where I will be attending a concert after work. Yup, Robbie’s going to a rock and roll show.

I started listening to King’s X in 1990 when they had a sort of almost hit record called “It’s Love.” Great song, out of this world vocals with ridiculous three part harmonies, and a shredding guitar solo that made all of those obnoxious hair bands from the ‘80’s look like talentless chumps. 

I thought about buying the album the song came from. I read a review in a guitar magazine that really surprised me. It basically said the band’s previous album was great but the new one, the one the article was acutally reviewing, kinda sucked. Based on the one song I knew I found that really hard to believe so I decided to ignore the advice and buy the record anyway. 

The next time I was at a record store they didn’t have the new album but they did have the previous album (on cassette, not CD) so I bought it. It was called Gretchen Goes to Nebraska and it was great. It was awesome. It was outstanding. Looking back I feel lucky that I bought that record first because when I eventually did get the record I wanted to buy in the first place… well… it kinda sucked. A few good songs, a few mediocre songs, a few terrible songs with lyrics that made me want to punch the band members in their friggin’ faces (if you know this band and this record then you know which song I’m talking about).

It was okay though, Gretchen was so good that I could overlook the shitty stuff in favor of the good stuff. A few years later they released an album called Dogman that was better than Gretchen. A few years later there was an album called Tape Head that was just as good. Those three records alone justify this band’s entire existance. Every record is good, even the couple of bad ones they’ve released over the years. As musicians, they might be the best band in the world. As lyricists… they are great instrumental performers. Yeah, they often rub me the wrong way. Religion and politics… the two things they tell you not to argue about… yeah. Sorry guys.

Anyway, I’ve been a fan since 1990 and I’ve never seen them live. The three band members ages range from 64 to 75 (I Googled it before I wrote this post just to make sure) and the days are probably numbered. The drummer almost died of a heart attack a few years ago and I thought I missed my chance to see them live. 

I had no idea they were touring but Spotify, of all things, told me they had a show in Massachusetts coming up and I bought a ticket. I didn’t ask anyone to go with me because I don’t know anyone else who likes them. That’s okay. I will work down the street from the venue and casually wander over when the doors open. I’ve never been to this place before. I don’t know if its a small theater or a bar or what. I’ll find out when I get there. I’ll bring my point and shoot camera because the guitar player has been known to play some seriously cool gear and I am a guitar gear junkie. I might be easily impressed by such things. That’s okay.

So the point of this rambling run-on-sentence of a post is… one more day in the office and then I can work from home again, and to celebrate I am going to see a fantastic live band that I’ve never seen before despite always really wanting to. It should be a good day. Wish me luck.

Farewell to Don Nelson, a Mavericks (and NBA) Iconoclast ⛹️‍♂️ 🏀

"Apologies to Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki, but it’s true. Nelson provided credibility to the franchise before Cuban entered the picture, and Nowitzki would not have been in Dallas were it not for the conviction of Nelson and the scouting expertise of Nelson’s son, Donnie."

https://www.dmagazine.com/sports/2026/08/don-nelson-obituary-mavericks-cuban/?utm_medium=activitypub

#DMagazine #DavidMoore #Dallas #NBA #Sports #Basketball #DonNelson #Mavericks #Maui #WoodyHarrelson #WillieNelson #KingsX #RIP

昔に中古でこの CD 買って聴いてから、いまも定期的に聴きたくなるアルバム（多分ここにも定期的にポストしている気がする

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mq2V-Ws2R2awVDQ9DC0n7d9brzr8qCce4&si=3--i31aIlnz58odK

#Rock #KingsX

Ich liebe die drei Typen.. ein Buch über die immer unterm Radar fliegende beste Rockband der Welt: King's X
Drei Leute. Schon seit ca 40 Jahren, Erfinder des Grooves

#kingsx #music #groove

#KingsX の XV というアルバム、噛めば噛むほど味が出るタイプのアレだな… :tony_smiling:

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kPeNEhsM_A5-vEMoRUtw915TGy6Vlg8rM&si=Co9drjotbpVdYsqm

それまであったダークな感じが、このアルバムではちょっと薄まってストレートな感じになってる気がする

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mHrn0_WMtRVr_yLnLRjpVrrCiB8khcrR4&si=VtoDL-INFEP3YngK

#KingsX

最近、「アルバムを通して聞いたときに感じるそのアルバムの楽曲全体にただよう匂い」みたいなものを感じる遊びにハマり始めている。昔はアルバムCDという単位で音楽を購入していたから無自覚にそういう「匂い」みたいなものを感じる聴き方していたんだけど、ストリーミング時代に入ってからなんか音楽を聴くことが以前ほど楽しくなくなっていて、その原因がこの「匂いを感じる」ということなんじゃないかという仮説のもと自覚的にこれをやってみているのだけど、今のところかなりこの仮説は正しいんじゃないかという気持ちになってきている。

最近は、昔1枚しかCD持ってなかった #KingsX をアルバムごとに聴き直していて、時系列で段々とよい意味でルーズになっていくバンドの音の雰囲気とか、アルバムごとの匂いの違いを嗅ぎ分けるみたいな遊びが捗っている

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nrEpf5AAIWuNyg6r-wLZCpVa0y6kfXfkA&si=ji9Sp9yjuQTOFN_T

もう20年以上前だけど、偶然中古CDショップで買った CD の最初の曲がこれでうおっ！ってなった思い出。
アタマから「なにそれ！？」ってなるひねくれたリフと3重のコーラス最高。

🔗🔊
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=AgM5lMpaPmE&si=t9quyqcRi41mJv4Q

#KingsX

#summer is over.
So time for a yearly, alltime classic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx_YpamL3WY

#music #KingsX #memories #wheniwasalive

[they rarely come over to europe and this song is like 40years old but the fans still...❤️ ]

#KingsX をまた聴き直してる。
これはセカンド・アルバム

https://music.apple.com/jp/album/gretchen-goes-to-nebraska/300950719

#TheJellyJam の最新アルバム "Profit" を聴いてる

https://music.apple.com/jp/album/profit/1600476545

昔、中古でジャケ買いした #KingsX の CD が期待以上に良くて、その後だいぶ経ってサブスク時代になってから「そういえば Kings' X 好きだったなー」ということで当時持ってなかった初期のアルバムとか最新作を聴いていて、そこからギタリストの #TyTabor つながりで見つけた The Jelly Jam の最新作アルバムがこの "Profit"

Ty Tabor は Kings' X のベース・ボーカルの
#DougPinnick よりもクセがない声で、ソロとか聴いてても聴きやすいし好みだなーと思ってたんだけど、この The Jelly Jam ではリズム隊に #DreamTheater ベースの #JohnMyung と #DixieDregs の #RodMorgenstein という人が加わってとにかくみんなめちゃくちゃに演奏が上手いんだけど、とくにこのアルバムは派手なテクニック推しのような感じがなく、（おそらく「コンセプトアルバム」ということもあって）全体的な抑揚とか緩急が心地良い感じ。

Ty Tabor の美味しいところだけを贅沢なリズム隊の味付けでじっくり味わってる感じがする。

#NowPlying #Music #Rock #ProgressiveRock

I Will Do the Right Thing

As mentioned in a post last night, I have decided to do the right thing today. What’s with the cryptic shit, Rob? Oh nothing, never mind. I am going to eat some lunch and then put on a nice shirt and then drive south for an hour and a half.

The only question left is, do I start a new audiobook or do I listen to music, and if I listen to music what should I listen to? I have been listening to a lot of King’s X lately. I have a playlist that skips over the song or two from each record that I don’t like, including the occasional super christian lyric. Musically speaking, King’s X might be the best band that has ever existed. Lyrically… there are a lot of things that rub me the wrong way. Fortunately for me, I have always been a music first, lyrics a distant second kind of listener so I can deal with it.

I have also been listening to a lot of Genesis stuff lately. If I spend three hours in the car round trip, I could listen to Supper’s Ready like… eight times? Almost nine times?

I don’t know… maybe I’ll listen to the Red Sox game. They are playing a day/night doubleheader today after getting rained out yesterday.

You know what? I had a point I wanted to make when I started typing this masterpiece, but I can’t remember what it was. I know for sure that I haven’t touched the intended topic at all… what was I going to write about? I don’t know. Lunch is ready. I’m going to eat it and then go. Wish me luck.

#Baseball #DoTheRightThing #genesis #kingSX #Music #offTopic #RedSox #toDoList #whatWasIGoingToWriteAbout_

Continuing to listen to the 1994 recommendations y'all gave me last year, now on King's X's Dogman. My only prior knowledge of this band was via an Internet friend from a Xian ska band forum back in the late 90s/early 00s, he was absolutely obsessed with them. I had no idea they were often labelled as a Xian band back in the day, or that they fought against that label. Weird.

https://album.link/ca/i/357900740

#KingsX

作業中、 #KingsX ばっかり聴いてる。
#X は見ていない。

https://music.apple.com/jp/album/shes-gone-away/60368398?i=60368245

今日の作業 #BGM ほぼだいたいずっと #KingsX
初期のアルバムを聴いてる。

自分がはじめて #KingsX 聴いたアルバムがこれ

https://music.apple.com/jp/album/kings-x/300973420?l=en-US

当時、中古の CD ショップで安くてなんとなく買ったんだけど、なんかなんともいえない良さがあってその後、ヘビロテしていた思い出。

#Nowplaying

#Listening to King X's Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (1989), I can hear their influence on Fishbone's 1991 album The Reality of My Surroundings, Bad Brains 1993 album Rise, and all of Living Colour's records. As well as the seminal Alice in Chains album Dirt, released in 1992, and late 80s/ early 90s albums by Soundgarden and Pearl Jam;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74cuidxGKK8

(Listen with NewPipe on Android or using https://redirect.invidious.io/watch?v=74cuidxGKK8)

#music #rock #PsychedelicRock #grunge #KingsX

OMG, King's X is playing San Juan Capistrano in March. I didn't even know they were back together/on the road! #CannotWait #KingsX #W00T https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2SYPzKzD94&list=PLA2K7Uhu9TwDxfibPBegc0gw0d_BSyUKP&index=2

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BLABBERMOUTH
KING'S X's DOUG PINNICK: 'We Hate Each Other As Much As We Love Each Other'

https://blabbermouth.net/news/kings-xs-doug-pinnick-we-hate-each-other-as-much-as-we-love-each-other

#KingsX #DougPinnick

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 September 3rd, 2024 🤘
IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, KING'S X, OVERKILL, IN FLAMES, DEATH ANGEL

https://bravewords.com/news/today-in-metal-history-september-3rd-2024-iron-maiden-judas-priest-king-s-x-overkill-in-flames-death-angel

#IronMaiden #JudasPriest #KingsX #Overkill #InFlames #DeathAngel #DougPinnick #EricBell #DonaldBrewer #SteveJones #Powerslave #Painkiller #Horrorscope #RollTheBones #Hungry #RerouteToRemain #Tripsis #TheFourthSeason #RelentlessRetribution #TheAvariceOfMan #PsychededlicEpisodes

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BLABBERMOUTH
KING'S X's DOUG PINNICK Says He Doesn't Have The Stamina To Perform Like He Used To: 'I'm Just Old'

https://blabbermouth.net/news/kings-xs-doug-pinnick-says-he-doesnt-have-the-stamina-to-perform-like-he-used-to-im-just-old

#KingsX #DougPinnick #BrutallyDeliciousPodcast