IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT IN TEMPE, AZ AT THE FABULOUS YUCCA TAP ROOM!
A PHOENIX PUNK RE-UNION OF SORTS, THE OLD SCENESTERS CAME OUT FROM UNDER THEIR ROCKS AND MADE IT A NIGHT FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS!
THE SHOW OPENED UP WITH JIMMY PINES & WASHBOARD JERE DOING A FANTASTIC SET BEFORE HEADING OUT TO DO A 2ND SHOW ELSEWHERE. GLAD TO GET TO FINALLY MEET THEM! CLASS ACT ALL AROUND! HEAR THEIR VERSION OF "SECOND TO NONE" ON TFTD VOL 2!
NEXT UP WAS JIM BACHMANN Y LOS FUEGADEROS. A TRUE PROFESSIONAL WITH A CRACK SHOT BAND! GOT TO MEET HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME TOO AND WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH HIM IN THE FUTURE. LOOK HIM UP & HEAR HIS VERSION OF "MILE HIGH ROCK" ON VOL 2 AS WELL!
IN THE THIRD POSITION WAS THE SUPER GROUP KNOWN AS STICKY DOG KING, FEATURING THE MONSTER TALENTS OF MICHELLE AIGNER, STEVE BORICK & CHRIS ORF! AS INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS THEY ARE AMAZING, BUT COLLECTIVELY... HELL, YOU HAD TO BE THERE. FORTUNATELY THOSE IN ATTENDANCE GOT TO WITNESS SOMETHING SPECIAL. THEIR SET CONSISTED OF ALMOST ALL KEVIN DALY COMPOSITIONS AND I HAD A SHIT EATING GRIN PLASTERED ON MY FACE THE WHOLE TIME! COMBOING FOR 3 SONGS ON THE COMP, HEAR "STAGGERIN' DOWN" ON VOL 1 AND "SAD GIRL" + "1968" ON VOL 2. ALSO THE FIRST TIME I MET STEVE & MICHELLE. ORF I'VE KNOWN FOREVER. IF YOU WANT TO SEE/HEAR SOME TALENT LOOK THEM UP!!! GREAT SET YOUSE GUYS!
BATTING CLEAN UP WAS EVERY ONE'S FAVORITE WEST SIDE SCRUFFIANS, THE NOVA BOYS. PLAYING THEIR FIRST SHOW IN THE VALLEY SINCE 12/31/86, THEY SHOWED THAT THEY HAD BEEN PAYING ATTENTION AS APPRENTICES UNDER KEVIN DALY ALL THOSE YEARS AGO! THEIR SET INCLUDED ALL THEIR SONGS FROM THE ONLY E.P. THEY RELEASED, PLUS A FEW MORE ORIGINALS AS WELL AS PAYING HOMAGE TO K.D. WITH "SWAMP SHACK" (VOL 1) AND CHAIN OF THE UNSEEN 7'S VERSION OF "HEY ANNE" (VOL 3). GO HAVE A LISTEN!
UP NEXT WAS TUCSON LEGEND AL PERRY. AL PLAYED AN ACOUSTIC SET WITH KEVIN ACCOMPANYING ON ELECTRIC. WHAT CAN I SAY? THESE TWO ICONOCLASTS HAVE A DEEP HISTORY OF CREATING SOME GREAT MUSIC TOGETHER AND DID NOT DISAPPOINT! AL PERRY HAS A KNACK OF TRULY DOING JUSTICE TO KEVIN'S SONGS AND THE SET WAS HISTORICAL! "SHE DON'T LOVE YOU" (VOL 2) AND OTHER SELECT TFTD CUTS WERE PLAYED AND THE SET SEGUED INTO A MORPHED VERSION OF CHICKEN AND WAFFLES, KEVIN'S COUNTRY STYLED COMBO.
THIS STARTED THE HEADLINER OF THE NIGHT! THE REASON FOR THE WHOLE DAMN THING, KEVIN DALY!
BACKED BY MIKE WOLFE, RICH MERRIMAN AND DAVE KANES WITH STEVE BORICK ON BANJO, C&W RIPPED THRU A STELLAR SET OF K.D. ORIGINALS AND CHOICE COVERS! A PLETHORA OF GUEST STARS PEPPERED THE SET INCLUDING STEVE LARSON WHO GAVE US "DARK AND BLOODY GROUND" (VOL 2) AS WELL AS CHRIS ORF LENDING HIS SIX STRING TALENTS TO A FEW CUTS.
K.D. TOOK A SHORT BREAK TO ALLOW GRAVE DANGER BASSIST, RYAN O'SULLIVAN, TO BRING UP THE DYNAMIC GARAGE SHOCK TO DO THEIR VERSION OF "HERE KITTY, KITTY" (VOL 1) AND SOME MORE SONIC
GEMS!
A BONUS OF THE NIGHT WAS THE REUNION OF K.D. AND CHUCK HOLDER, BASSIST FOR THE GEEZERS AND HELLFIRE! THEY PLAYED SOME CLASSIC HELLFIRE TUNES THAT WE ALL LOVE! I HAD THE HONOR TO BE INVITED ON STAGE TO PLAY DRUMS WITH MY MENTORS AND HEROES ON "CLEAR MY HEAD" (VOLS 1 & 3) AND "CROSS OF LOVE" (VOL 3)! IT IS WELL KNOWN AMONGST THE ROKNROLLERS OF THE VALLEY MUSIC SCENE, THAT WHEN YOU GET ASKED TO PLAY WITH ONE OR BOTH OF THESE MONSTERS, IT IS A RIGHT OF PASSAGE THAT SAYS "YOU MADE IT"! THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE THE STAGE WITH YOU AGAIN!
IT WAS NOW TIME FOR THE MAYHEM TO GET TURNED UP A NOTCH! GRAVE DANGER STARTED THEIR SET AND BLASTED THRU ALL THE CLASSIC DALY SONGS THAT THEY DO SO WELL! AT ONE POINT, LEADER OF THE HELL CITY GUNFIGHTERS ("HOWL IN THE DARKNESS"-VOL 1) & BADASS GUITAR SLINGER, RUDY ESQUVIAS TOOK THE STAGE AND SHOWED AGAIN THAT THIS TOWN DOES NOT LACK IN TALENT.
ALL IN ALL KEVIN PLAYED ABOUT 2-2 1/2 HOURS AND LED EACH COMBINATION OF PLAYERS AS A CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL. IF I HAVE LEFT ANYONE OUT OF THIS REPORT THAT PLAYED, PLEASE FORGIVE ME AS I WAS RUNNING AROUND CATCHING UP WITH OLD FRIENDS AND DIDN'T GET TO SEE ALL THAT HAPPENED ON STAGE. I'M SURE KEVIN WILL COMMENT BELOW IF I AM GUILTY OF OVERLOOKING ANY OF YOU.
I HAVE HIGH LIGHTED THE SONGS AND ARTISTS ABOVE WITH A LINK TO THEIR PAGES & THE DOGPILE WEBSITE TO DOWN LOAD THE ALBUMS. I REALIZE IT IS A PAIN IN THE ASS IN THIS FORMAT BUT FEAR NOT! WITHIN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS, THE ALBUMS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON iTUNES, AMAZON etc.! STAY TUNED!
I'VE ALSO POSTED A LINK TO JASON PAUL PHILLIP'S YOUTUBE PAGE WHICH HAS VIDEO DOCUMENTATION OF THE NIGHTS FESTIVITIES HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/user/jasonpaulphillips?feature=watch
BIG MAHALOS TO EVERYONE WHO PLAYED & EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED! GRACIAS TO KEVIN DALY, RYAN O'SULLIVAN, DAVE KANES, MIKE WOLFE AND TODD JOSEPH FOR SUPPLYING THE BACK LINE INSTRUMENTS AND AMPS. PROPS TO ED MASLEY AND THE AZ REPUBLIC FOR THE GREAT ARTICLES AS WELL AS ERIC SWEDLUND AND THE NEW TIMES FOR THE BLURB. CHEERS, JPP FOR RUNNING THE VID CAMERA & THE YUCCA TAP ROOM FOR HOSTING THIS HISTORICAL EVENT!
BE SURE TO FOLLOW KEVIN DALY FOR FUTURE LIVE AND RECORDED MUSIC IN THE NEAR FUTURE!
THANKS AGAIN TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE COMPILATON! GLAD WE FINISHED ON A HIGH NOTE!
AL PENZONE
or THE PHARAOH!
