Kick

TOUR DIARY – RockStar Date 05.14.11: Hey folks, checking in on the eve of the band’s 15th anniversary performance this evening. Like everyone, the band has been keeping the birthdays a little more quiet now than we used to. (Today also therefore marks the fifth anniversary of our epic 10th anniversary, full-band reunion show at Rookies.) But the alarming part is that we are every bit as excited to perform tonight as we were that first night of our first show ever at Spanky’s in Marlborough in 1996 (which, I guess, is why we’ve had so many birthdays). We’ve seen a million faces since then, and rocked – if not all – an awful lot of them. The people we get to meet at shows are the coolest people in the world, bar none. We make each other rock harder. Which is why I wholly expect to be typing a similar entry five years from now for our 20th aniversary (backstage before our show in Las Vegas, if Web sites even exist then).

Speaking of technological advances, followers of this Blog/Tour Diary section may want to follow us on Twitter or Facebook (at Kick tunes) for the most frequent and up-to-date information. Those darned smartphones just make it so bloody easy to post pictures, quips, and updates in real-time that I foresee that forum taking the role of the diary/blog and lending it greater immediacy. I mean, now I can shoot you pics of Simon LeBon borrowing our tambourine and then giving it away to a fan, as it happens. We can trade narrative, observations, and thoughts during American Idol. And we can share video of us nearly falling of the St. Patrick’s Day parade float or engaged in varous forms of backstage hyjinks (some of which may soon come to KICK TV in the form of an extremely unusual reality show, don’t say you weren’t warned).

But that’s what we’ve been up to – learning a pantload of new songs, shooting video, and going in the studio for some new demo stuff. It’s going to be a good summer, let’s keep in touch! 

TOUR DIARY – RockStar Date 02.12.11: Passing through, again, catching up after a wild weekend. Friday we snagged some new gear from our friends at Ovation (thanks Danny and Nikki!) As with everything Ovation builds, we can’t wait to show you how well it works and how great it looks and sounds onstage. And then we basically walked into a time machine, traveling four years back in time and 30 miles up I-91 to rock Geraldine’s, circa 2007. It was like the end of Wizard of Oz. The place had been transformed back to its original pre-renovation charm. And there was Richie! And those girls from East Longmeadow…even the crowd looked the same (only better). Bottom line, it felt like a true classic KICK show at Geraldine’s. It was great catching up with everyone and showing you what we’ve been up to for the past several months.

TOUR DIARY – RockStar Date 02.04.11- 02.05.11: Passing through, catching up…what a weekend. We hit JR’s Bourbon Street Rockhouse for the first time in a long time Friday night where we geeked out to opening act FalsePositive and were reminded why we like that stage so much. Then, we set sail for points a couple hundred miles to the west to melt the windows at the Black Bear Saloon in lovely South Norwalk, CT. Then we watched football. Big week ahead. Getting some new gear from our friends at Ovation (thanks Danny and Nikki!) and returning to Geraldine’s, which we hear will feel just like old times. To those of you who know what that means, we encourage you to come check out what we’ve been up to.

Tour Diary – RockStar Date 01.28.11 – 01.29.11: OK, wow, that was a great weekend. Friday evening began for this writer with a trip to the Mohegan Sun Spa to train, bask, and get otherwise decadent with various fellow musicians from the “other” bands performing that evening – Disturbed, Korn, Sevendust and In This Moment. While those bands’ collective work ethic cannot be questioned and they did in fact play to a somewhat larger crowd, I don’t think any of them had as much fun doing it as we did at our show at Margaritaville (or anywhere, for that matter). The guys packed up the next morning and headed over the Pell Bridge to Newport, RI, a place that we were reminded is every bit as beautiful in the winter. The town was far less populated, but one would never have known it from inside The Pelham, a great local club on the main drag that actually served as the site of KICK’s third show ever. That was a long time ago. In fact, while we’re getting nostalgic, I am reminded that the band is celebrating a birthday this month. And for that, we are grateful to you to be able to celebrate yet another year in service of the rock.

TOUR DIARY – RockStar Date 01.22.11: KICK finally got down to Gillary’s in Bristol, RI to see what all the fuss was about. And not surprisingly, the fuss was completely warranted. That room really knows how to rock. This place is a classic old school “bar”: good bar food, good bar games, a good sounding bar stage (not some “ultraclub” trying to be something it’s not), a real, honest-to-goodness, unapologetic bar, as in a cool place to hang out and drink and have a good time with unpretentious people. Needless to say, we had a great time getting to know the folks in this lovely little seaside town (a very well-kept secret) and met a bunch of really cool people whom we hope to see again as we expend our presence throughout the Ocean State.

TOUR DIARY – RockStar Date 11.14.11 – 01.15.11: KICK spent the weekend in local style, with a Friday evening rampage at the intimate Murphy & Scarletti’s and a Saturday performance on the anything-but-intimate, entirely massive stage at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in downtown, Hartford. Friday’s show was an always-welcome chance to check in with our Farmington Valley friends at the longest-running venue of its sort in the area. Saturday’s show was a dream come true – for us and for dozens of area youngsters whose wishes will soon be granted thanks to the incredible work of the Connecticut Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The event, and everyone we met – from the organizers to the guests to the fantastic union stagehands – were the crème de la crème and pure class, all the way. We quickly found that we could really easily get used to chilling Sinatra-style in the “Star Room” backstage while a team of veteran stagehands from the local union set up our stuff. And if it all ended with us playing to over 400 of the nicest, most generous people you’d ever want to meet in the most prestigious and elegant theater in the state, that would be enough. But to do so in the name of one of the most-respected charities in the world is something we will always be grateful for. Photos of the event are all over Facebook (and if we are on your Facebook page, feel free to link us up through “Kick Tunes” so we can stay in touch!)  

TOUR DIARY – RockStar Date 12.31.10 – 01.01.11: Well, happy New Year, everybody! We hope your holiday season was enjoyable, that you got everything you wanted, or everything you deserved, or both if you were good. And we hope you had a great New Year’s Eve, because we sure did. We got a chance to party with some outstanding people at the Rusty Nail in Stowe, VT and quickly learned how it had garnered the title “#1 Ski Bar in America.” Our trip to the great white north turned out to be very white indeed, although the ride up and back were uncharacteristically crystal clear and almost balmy, especially when considering our proximity to the Canadian border. The two-night stand began Friday night, a great night to hold New Year’s Eve, watching the ball drop and dropping some jams on a full house of very healthy-looking people, every one of which looked like they could kick your butt on a snowboard or skiing. We sightsaw the next day (ed: is that a word?) at various galleries, cafes, lodges, and even lunched with the Von Trapp family and then spent the evening ensuring that the hills really were alive with the sound of music. Night two was, naturally, a more restrained, evening after affair, but that hardly stopped us from firing up some heat for our new friends, too many and to mention. Let’s just say that so far, 2K11 looks like it’s going to be a very good year.

TOUR DIARY – RockStar Date 01.07.11 – 01.08.11: So yeah, it’s winter, and that means snow becomes a factor, which means you should always check KICKband.com or Kick Tunes on Facebook before heading out into the elements for a show. The threat of snow last Friday unfortunately threw a damper on the size of the crowd at City Side in Woonsocket, RI, but those who toughed it out made up for it with volume and enthusiasm. Volume and enthusiasm were in huge supply the following night when we debuted at a brand new club at a familiar venue – City Sports Grille in Vernon, CT. The club is located inside the Spare Time bowling alley, where KICK has performed twice on the lanes. We thought we knew what we were getting into when they asked us to play the bar there. We were wrong. They completely blew the place out, installing one of the nicest sports bars in the area with more flat screens than Best Buy. Even more shocking was the hundreds of people who braved the elements to come hang with us.

TOUR DIARY – RockStar Date 12.10.10 – 12.11.10: KICK tore through its last regular public performances of 2K10 with a monster homecoming show at Black Bear Saloon in Hartford, CT and a full-on rage at a great new club on our roster - City Side at River Falls in Woonsocket, RI. The Bear on Friday night generated ample proof once again that it is easily the city’s best club/bar/drinking establishment of any sort/live rock venue, and the joint was well-stocked with a festive, beautiful crowd who knew all the words. The next night, we paid our first of what we hoped would become a series of visits to City Side, a nice, big room on the river in north/central Rhode Island. We threw a little bit of everything at the uninitiated crowd, got to know each other, and kicked out the jams for one last time before our New Year’s Eve shows in Stowe, Vermont. It soon became clear that we were witnessing the beginning of an excellent relationship. We will be back in mere weeks, on January 7, and have added shows there through next December. So it is that we will end 2K10 with shows at City Side and Rusty Nail, and then start 2K11 with shows at Rusty Nail and City Side. (Which, if that mirror-image scheduling trend keeps up, means we will be bringing in New Year’s Eve 2K21 at J.J. Toon’s in South Windsor.) 

TOUR DIARY – RockStar Date 12.03.10 – 12.04.10: Last Friday night marked the band’s third consecutive weekend at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at the truly awe-inspiring Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino and our last visit of the year to that fine venue. As seems to be the case virtually every time we play there, the unique locale brought out an equally unique mix of patrons desiring music as eclectic as themselves. Fortunately, we came prepared with a couple performance premieres and a sack of holiday cheer we hope hold everyone until next year. Saturday night, we paid our first-ever visit to Playoffs in Fall River, MA, where a very special happy birthday wish was extended (and is extended again, here) to superfan Jenny Jenny.  The club has a similar look and feel as some of our favorite old school haunts, and like most venues in that area, the people there take their rock seriously.  

TOUR DIARY – RockStar Date 11.24.10 – 11.27.10: Last Wednesday night, as has been the case now for 10th consecutive years, KICK was honored to host the increasingly legendary Thanksgiving Eve party at Rookies in Cromwell, CT. Dubbed KICKsgiving, the event is a perennially enjoyable opportunity to hang with old friends and family in town for the holiday, win swag onstage by eating pies and donning frozen T shirts, and rock the heck out like you just don’t care. This year was no exception. Mixed among three sets of anything-goes rock & roll, we kicked off the season of giving by blasting out 80 tickets to see the inaugural game of the all-new Connecticut Whale (thanks Joe Lee and 96.5 TIC FM!) and had a great time catching up with folks, a couple of which accurately recounted memories of the first KICKsgiving. Friday night, we headed back north for our second visit to Bar 131, a nice-sounding room off the main drag in Torrington, CT to work off – and salt – the proverbial turkey. And the extended weekend came to a close at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville in the Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino, where we rocked a really nice-sized crowd well into Sunday morning. We even went ahead and left our gear set up since we’re back for our final visit of 2K10 this Friday.

TOUR DIARY RockStar Date 11.19.10 – 11.20.10: There’s really no other way to put it and no point in mincing words, so we’ll just declare it: KICK absolutely destroyed Murphy & Scarletti’s Friday night with the help of a few hundred close friends and some who soon became such. In a night of countless noteable onstage hyjinks, we would be remiss if we did not again wish a young woman named Shana all the best as she leaves for Afghanistan this week, reminding us all how much we have to be thankful for. Saturday, we hit the casino for the first in a three-week residency at Margaritaville that continues this week and ends next week. Jimmy’s house was bubbling and shall continue to for the next several days if we have any say. Both shows featured some twisted and mashed up new material as well as our responses to some of your requests, so keep them coming, we have some interesting surprises planned for next year.

RockStar Date 11.13.10  As anyone who knows us knows well, we’re all for getting a jump on just about anything, but skiing the second week of November is a premature luxury they don’t even get to enjoy out West. But there we were, on the patio of our chalet at the foot of the Beast of the East, soaking up the 60-degree sun as it reflected off the scant but definitely there snow cover of Killington Mountain, deep in the Green Mountains of Vermont, comfortably nestled in one of those gaps in the 3G coverage map. Conditions were sketchy, suited for only the most hell-bent, so it was a pleasant surprise to see so many people gather for our Saturday night rockshow at the Pickle Barrel Nightclub (many of whom had actually seen us before!) This place gets better and better with each visit, and as we blow out the 2K11 tour calendar, we have our fingers crossed that we can squeeze in a return in the prime winter months to come.

 
RockStar Date 11.05.10: KICK revisited an evergreen hometown autumn tradition with the band’s first visit to Manchester, CT’s legendary Hungry Tiger in roughly a decade. Located scant miles from the site of the band’s birth and one-time rehearsal studio, the Tiger was for years an early and ardent supporter of the band (and live music in general, they have it literally every night). The original venue’s stage area was only slightly bigger than the aforementioned rehearsal space, but the renovated room now boasts a nice little dance floor which was immediately put to good use. The band basically cranked up the amps and went for it, essentially exactly the way we do at practice when we’re letting off steam. Foregoing our usual sound and lighting systems in favor of a more stripped-down performance, what the show lacked in audio/visual effects it made up for in immediacy and intimacy. A giant KICK “thanks” are certainly due to Don and the whole Tiger family for their continuing unfailing commitment to live musical entertainment.

RockStar Date 10.29.10 – 10.30.10: KICK celebrated All Hallow’s Eve with a double shot of Mischief Night hyjinks at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, CT Friday and Saturday nights. Joining us in the musical masquerade were, among others, the cast of the Flintstones, several variations on the “sexy ____ (insert virtually any costume idea here)” theme, a number of not-very-intimidating cops, Jesus Christ, and Justin Bieber (I think, or maybe the dude just really needed a new haircut). Personally, I can’t imagine anything being more fun that standing at a craps table dressed like Jesus, but if you missed us this time, we will be back three more times over a three week spell in late November through Thanksgiving and into the first week of December, so if you have been looking for a chance to combine KICK and the casino, we encourage you to start planning your holiday season now.

RockStar Date 10.15.10 – 10.16.10: KICK hit Brown University Friday night to see what all the hype was about with this Olives place we’d been hearing about up in downtown Providence, RI. Well, Olives was everything they said it was and then some: a great, classic, old-school, local watering hole with a really nice stage and a crowd that absolutely knows how to throw down. What a cool, very pleasant surprise! The next night, we played to a “full house and then some” crowd at Black Bear Saloon in South Norwalk, CT in a steamy, packed-to-the-gills rockfest that looked like a cross between a Bacardi commercial, KISS Alive II, and a scene from Caligula. We bid the rapidly growing tribe of Kick Kult – Fairfield County members a heartfelt show of gratitude for the unreal groundswell of support they have shown these past few months and a warning that we will be back.

RockStar Date 10.08.10 – 10.09.10:  KICK played the ING Hartford Marathon this weekend for the third year in a row (thanks, organizers for thinking of us!) and held a musical marathon of our own, performing for over 20,000 people over nine hours on three stages in a 27-hour period. The pre-race carbo-loading took place at <b>Murphy & Scarletti’s</b> in Farmington, CT where we debuted a bunch of new stuff, including the majority of the Billboard Top 10, a fun, well-received new ritual we intend to perpetuate. A mere four hours later, we were loading into Bushnell Park in downtown Hartford, CT on one of the loveliest fall mornings ever concocted for show number two, a mix of everything, much like the surprisingly still-energetic crowd. Congratulations to all of the athletes (and non-athletes alike!) A little gel and Gatorade later, we were en route to Milford, CT for rockshow 3 of 3, our anxiously awaited return to the Black Bear Saloon in the Connecticut Post Mall for an enjoyable nightcap that somehow left us all wanting more.

RockStar Date 10.1.10 – 10.02.10: KICK set the GPS for southwest and the rockometer to “stun” this weekend and tore through two absolutely jam-packed rockshows straight out of the history books. Actually, it was more like one and a half, Friday’s show at the simply unbelievable Marisa’s in Trumbull, CT actually got shut down after the first 90-minute set when the fire marshal basically had to declare “no mas” as the crowd of several hundred strong appeared poised to grow by at least another hundred more queued up in front of the venue. All said, there are definitely worse things than having too many people in your club, and from the excellent fine dining to the neighborhood-style lounge to the first class octagonal ballroom, the folks at Marisa’s have clearly cracked the recipe for nightlife excellence. (Happy birthday, Shannon, we’ll pick up where we left off some time soon!) Thus it was that we segued into Saturday with energy and songs to burn, which worked our really well for the 10 busloads of primed, prime party people at Daniel Street in Milford, CT, a club that once again proved the perfect mix of cozy and crazy. Thanks to all the Sacred Heart University Alumni who came out, many of whom we had rocked here in years past as part of their  graduation week. It was great to be part of your homecoming and to see you all looking and doing so well. Who says you can’t go home, indeed.

RockStar Date 09.25.10: For reasons we still haven’t been able to figure out, we all concluded that just an unusually enjoyable time rocking old-school-style at our show last Saturday at Burke’s in Niantic, CT. The club had changes quite a bit since our last visit (which seems like forever ago, and almost kinda was). But we were pleased to see that the venue’s trademark great-sounding stage and eager-to-rock crowd remain unwaveringly (and refreshingly) intact.

RockStar Date 09.18.10 – 09.19.10: Well this weekend sure was different – two shows at two clubs we’ve played a combined total of once. Friday night, we weren’t kidding when we said we had no idea what we were getting into when we pulled into Torrington, CT for our debut at Bar 131. Then again, even if someone had tried to tell us, it probably wouldn’t have properly prepared us for the really, really nice time we had with the fantastic people there. Even without having seen the property in its previous incarnations, it’s clear that the new club has clearly undergone some extensive renovations. The result is an intimate, classy rock room adjoining a neighborhood-style tavern and rooftop patio that provided a welcoming between-set retreat on a balmy Friday night. We are looking forward to checking in again in 2K11 with the dozens of new friends we made. The next night, we went due southeast to Fall River, MA to play the Entourage Multiclub, a room we were only one show more familiar with. This building is really something: state-of-the-art dance club aside (and the sports lounge isn’t even open yet), the rock room is A-rate all the way (as is the staff, most notably soundguy extraordinaire Luke). Big ups to the Carver Crew for making the trek down!

RockStar Date 09.11.10 – 09.12.10: How appropriate that our first show after our summer expedition be the club we’ve played more than any other. Although returning to Murphy & Scarletti’s after three months away was almost like seeing an old friend that looked great, although a little different in ways you can’t quite put your finger on (You dyed your hair! Did you lose weight?) Apparently, the folks there blew out a couple walls, took out some of the less-feng shui wood beams and added a DJ booth to create a massive, open space that was even easier to rock than before. With the whole club now affording a straight sightline to the stage, we were able to pull the entire venue into a rock and roll tirade that at times bordered on insanity. The following evening, we took the ride to Margaritaville Mohegan Sun for a tear at the casino, marked by (as usual) folks celebrating virtually everything.

RockStar Date 09.04.10: KICK put an exclamation point on the end of the Endless SummerTour 2K10 with a wild throwdown at an appropriate place for rock, recreation, rest, and reflection: King Neptune’s in Lake George, NY. This Saturday night of Labor Day weekend was yet another perfect day in a summer filled with them, and yet another great time in a summer that will easily go down as one of the best ever. Think about it, every major holiday not only avoided being a washout, each was perfect. (We actually got to play both of our Pavilion Beach Club shows!) The village was actually quiet by day, but hardly so at night as the LG faithful (thanks to all of you, see you soon!) and a whole bunch of new faces from as far away as Northern Canada came to sweat, jive, and wail with us.

RockStar Date 08.27.10 – 08.29.10 The band set up shop in the southeastern corner of Connecticut this weekend for a late-summer trilogy of The Rock that may well rank among our top five favorite weekends of summer (and that’s saying a lot). The mayhem began with a pre-gig primer set by Skid Row at the Wolf Den Friday night in Mohegan Sun Resort and Casnio, which fueled us through our own evening up the way at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. The show was so fun, we literally returned for an unexpected encore performance the following night to light it up all over again. Thanks to the dozens of people who celebrated their birthdays and special evenings with us. The cross-section of people we get to meet at the casino is astonishing, and we have been enjoying the heck out of getting to know the range of people we get to entertain at this world-class establishment. Saturday night’s post-concert festivities had barely ended when it was time to start preparations for the following morning’s assault on the beach. The only thing more beautiful than Soundview Beach in the early morning when there’s barely anyone there is Soundview Beach in the afternoon when there are hundreds of people there. Long story short, The Pavilion was ablaze (almost literally) with 95-degree temps and nary a cloud in the sky. The Coors Light was icy cold. Even the water was perfect. We have but one more weekend before the summer of 2K10 disappears into the annals of KICKstory along with so many other amazing chapters, but one would be hard-pressed to find a more fitting bookend than  Sunday’s final set. The sun had begun its descent and the power had been shut down, but it became clear via the inspired chants for “one more song” that no one was really ready to go home. So Greg did what Greg does, grabbing his sweet custom Adamas acoustic and leading the crowd in a completely unplugged and completely inspired singalong encore of Sublime tunes. Until next year, adios and vaya con dios, Mother Ocean.

RockStar Date 08.20.10 – 08.22.10 Michael Bozzutto is a very special guy. More on this statement later, I just figured that if you don’t read any further, I wanted you to at least read that. This weekend was an incredible one for more reasons than the immediately obvious. Three shows over 40 hours with hundreds of miles in between… Sign us up! The Four For Four Tour concluded with a balmy midsumer’s Friday night blast at King Neptune’s in Lake George, New York for a gathering of old friends and some that will be. Bars stay open late in New York, which can be good, but can also make for a rather painful morning after. Fortunately, we had the kind of Saturday night planned that makes getting up easy: a short trip to our good friends the Gundel’s for their 2nd Annual Summer Jam. Somehow, this year’s party topped last year’s, capped by an impromptu acoustic singalong encore in the driveway. Shortly thereafter, we were en route to Dream Ride 2010 in Farmington, CT. I could go on and on about what a wonderful organization this is, but words can’t do justice to the electricity you feel being there among the thousands of riders, volunteers, and athletes, gathered to raise money for the Special Olympics (now over $1 million, thanks to the tremendous generosity and tireless efforts of the aforementioned Michael Bozzutto. Check the shots on Facebook.com/Kicktunes if you want to see what a good time looks like.

RockStar Date 08.12.10 – 08.14.10 The all-new supercharged, non-stop, non-stock KICK continued its Four For Four Tour with a Thursday Bike Night show at the all new and entirely righteous Sinners & Saints in downtown Springfield, MA and a Saturday rage at the Black Bear Saloon in South Norwalk, CT. New axeman Greg was formally unveiled to the KICK public, and as expected, came through in grand fashion, clicking immediately in every way, particularly in his big-stage debut at Sinners & Saints. The show had the feel of a Geraldine’s reunion, with dozens of alumni from that great, now defunct venue paying us a visit (on a school night no less!) This was a wonderful thing to see – primarily because those are some of the greatest people we’ve ever met. With a beautifully done stage and system that rivals any in the Northeast, Sinners & Saints is clearly the real deal. Saturday’s show at the Black Bear in SoNo was surprisingly jam-packed and hopping as well, especially for August (hey, we missed all you guys, too!) So then, from an unplanned debut on a small stage in the waterfront village of Newport, RI to a huge stage at a bike rally in the city, Greg pretty much bookmarked the range of shows in store for him as the newest member of the band. Most remarkable, aside from his boundless energy and enthusiasm, are how some songs in the band’s repertoire have taken on a whole new life, with a broader range of textures and a fresh reassessment. We look forward to witnessing the continuing evolution of a very exciting new KICK as we visit our fourth state this weekend: New York, for a doubleheader in Lake George.

TOUR DIARY: 08.07.10 KICK announced the addition of Greg Gioia to the family on lead guitar Saturday evening – not via verbal announcement per se, but through a completely over-the-top rockshow at The Rhino Bar in the heart of downtown Newport, Rhode Island. Greg – a tone guru of the highest order and all-around nice guy – got a baptism with fire on mere hours’ notice, displaying his dizzying versatility before an unusually extroverted crowd on a hot summer night by the water that marked the beginning of what is sure to be the most exciting chapter in the band’s extensive history. The show marked the beginning of the Four in Four Tour, which will take the band to four states over four days (not sequential, but you get the idea). Friends of the band will get their first (planned) opportunity to meet Greg Thursday night when the tour moves to Sinners and Saints in Springfield, Massachusetts as part of that city’s Bike Night festivities, and then again Saturday night at Black Bear Saloon in South Norwalk, Connecticut and King Neptune’s in Lake George, New York Friday, August 20.