Blue Öyster Cult @ le Trianon, Paris - October 30th, 2022

Blue Öyster Cult hadn't played Paris since a memorable double bill with Uriah Heep in September 2009 so when they announced their return to the City of Lights for a concert in 2020, the event sold out rapidly and they had to add another date. Of course, those two dates would end up being postponed twice because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but last night, at long last, the legendary band from Suffolk County, NY graced a Parisian stage for the first time in over thirteen years.

Listen to Iggy Pop's new single here!

I have to admit, I was really digging Iggy Pop's recent, more mature musical direction on the lounge-y Free in which he made great use of his rugged baritone. But there's something about hearing Iggy play furious rock n' roll that just makes me happy and this new song does just that. It's not the best song he's recorded, and it's certainly not the most subtle one either but when I close my eyes I can just picture the wild man thrashing his body around on stage, jumping up and down, whipping his hair, with his jeans coming dangerously close to falling down and revealing little Iggy. Crank it up and enjoy!

Marillion @ Zénith, Paris - October 23rd, 2022

British progressive rock legends Marillion is touring behind their new record An Hour Before It's Dark, another excellent slab of challenging compositions, virtuosic musicianship, though-provoking lyrical themes and majestic melodies. And on this tour, they are doing something very few veteran bands can pull off: they are playing their new album in full. In fact, the bulk of the setlist is culled from somewhat recent albums like the aforementioned An Hour Before It's Dark and its predecessor F.E.A.R. But then again few bands have as fantastic a second act as Marillion.

Dinosaur, Jr. @ Trabendo, Paris - October 22nd, 2022

Alternative rock legends Dinosaur, Jr. have been on a roll since their 2005 reunion: all of their albums have been excellent and they've been playing to full houses everywhere. When this show was first announced, it was supposed to take place in a much smaller club but demand has been so high that they've upscaled it to the roomier Trabendo, in the southeastern region of the French capital.

It's funny to think of them as a classic rock band, but that's what happens when you stick around long enough. Dinosaur, Jr. will soon be turning forty. When The Rolling Stones were forty, they were three years away from releasing A Bigger Bang. Let THAT sink in.

Trust @ Olympia, Paris - October, 19th 2022

Trust has been France's premier hard rock band for over forty years. When their contemporaries were singing about dungeons and dragons, they were more preoccupied with social commentary, and, unfortunately, their lyrics are as resonant today as they've ever been. In fact, the normalization of far-right ideology and urban guerrilla have become all too real and are no longer dystopian fiction.

Black Indians of New Orleans @ Musée du Quai Branly, Paris - October 18th, 2022

Black Indians of New Orleans is a wonderful exhibit at the Musée du Quai Branly which showcases artifacts and documents from the Louisiana African-American community, from the days of slavery up until the modern era.

Uriah Heep @ Olympia, Paris - October 16th, 2022

The last decade has been rather kind to the mighty Uriah Heep: the veteran hard rock band has released some excellent records, and have been playing to sold-out crowds the world over. They are touring to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary, quite an accomplishment for a band that has had as many members as the Harlem Globetrotters. The current line-up has been in place for a long time now, which explains the band's stupendous on-stage chemistry.

Heather Nova @ Alhambra, Paris - October 8th, 2022

Jonathan Frith @ Alhambra, Paris - October 8th, 2022

 

The Black Crowes @ Olympia, Paris - October 5th, 2022

When The Black Crowes broke up in 2013 in a cloud of drugs and acrimony, it seemed pretty definitive. Rich Robinson denounced his brother Chris' attempted hostile takeover of the band, and everyone went their separate ways. The brothers formed offshoot bands The Magpie Salute and The Chris Robinson Brotherhood in an attempt to re-create the magic of the band, and drummer Steve Gorman's fantastic book Hard To Handle: The Life And Death Of The Back Crowes was seemingly the final nail in the coffin.

Foreigner @ Salle Pleyel, Paris - October 4th, 2022

According to the marquee, a band that calls itself Foreigner was playing at the Salle Pleyel last night. Yet on stage, not one of the musicians from the original band was to be found, not even Mick Jones, who had anchored the band for nearly fifty years. In their stead, a group of seasoned, faceless pros did their best to recreate the classic songs that have been mainstays of classic rock radio since the release of the self-titled debut  in 1977.