Paul Altobelli's Open Salon Blog

Rock Show's I've Seen Over the Years

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:08:09 -0400

I've seen a lot of FaceBook people listing their concerts over the last few days and I'd thought I'd share mine too. The above Don Henley concert was a show Jeff Haessler I saw 24 years ago this month. As you might guess, it was boring as hell. I would rather go to a dentist than see another Don Henley show.

Most of the concerts I saw took took place at the Philadelphia Spectrum. I saw so many concerts there and I'm just elated to be going to the Spectrum's final curtain call with Pearl Jam in October.

My favorite venue to see a show, however, is The Tower Theatre. Some of my favorite shows there include David Gilmour in 1984; The Rolling Stones in 2002; Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Lou Reed, Tangerine Dream, The Kinks, CSN (acoustic) and just recently I saw Eddie Vedder with Steve Oakley.

My favorite concert of all time, however, was Live Aid. Chris DeFranco, Jay Friel and I sat in 90+ degree temperatures that day soaking in the sun and tunes. Stupid me, I wore jeans and at one point I tried to use a pen to rip a hole in them so that I could make shorts. I was unsuccessful. So, as I sat and listened to the music I watched the shade move across the stadium towards me. Just about the time we were finally sitting in shade Led Zeppelin took the stage. Stairway to Heaven never sounded cooler.

Below represents most of the shows I've seen. The * represents artists I've seen multiple times. The + classifies this artist as an opening act.

To see my ticket stubs and set-lists visit http://budurl.com/concerts

A Flock of Seagulls
AC/DC
Aerosmith*
Alice in Chains+
Amnesty International
Anvil+
BB King
Billy Joel
Billy Squire+
Black Crowes
Blue Oyster Cult+
Blues Traveler+
Bo Diddley+
Bonnie Raitt
Bob Dylan
Bob Seger
Bruce Springsteen*
BTO+
Cars
Cheap Trick
Cinderella+
Clash+
Coors+
Crosby, Stills & Nash*
Dave Edmunds
David Bowie*
David Gilmour
David Lee Roth
Deep Purple*
Def Leppard
Del Fuegos+
Disposable Hero's+
Don Henley
Eddie Vedder
Ellen Foley+
Elton John
ELO
El Vez
Elvis Costello
Eric Clapton*
Firm
Foreigner*
Frank Sinatra (w/Sammy Davis Jr. and Liza)
Frank Zappa
Genesis*
George Thorogood*
Georgia Satellites
Gomez
Grateful Dead*
Guns & Roses+
Huey Lewis+
Icicle Works+
Iggy Pop+
INXS
James Taylor
Janet Jackson
Jeff Beck
Jimmy Cliff+
Joan Jett & Blackhearts*
Joe Cocker
John Cougar Mellencamp
John Lee Hooker+
Journey*
Katrina & Waves+
Keith Richards*
Kinks*
Live Aid
Living Colour+
Lone Justice+
Lou Reed*
Loverboy+
Lyle Lovett+
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Madness+
Madonna
Monsters of Rock Festival
Motels+
Nick Lowe (w/Paul Carrack)+
Nona Hendryx+
Outlaws+
Paul McCartney*
Paul Young+
Pearl Jam*
Pete Townshend*
Peter Gabriel*
Pink Floyd*
Police
Pretenders*
Primus+
Prince*
Ramones+
Ray Davies
Red Ryder+
REM+
Ringo Starr
Robert Cray
Robert Palmer
Robert Plant*
Rod Stewart*
Roger Daltrey*
Roger Waters*
Rolling Stones*
Rush
Santana
Smithereens+
Soul Asylum+
Squeeze*
Stanley Jordan+
Steve Miller
Steve Winwood
Stevie Ray Vaughn*
Stevie Wonder
Styx
Supertramp
Tangerine Dream
Ted Nugent+
Tom Petty & Heartbreakers
U2*
UFO+
Van Hagar*
Van Halen
Who*
Wynton Marsalis
Yes*
ZZ Top

Genesis, Duke Tour was the first show I ever saw. I saw them with Tom Hartman and Ronnie Hooker. Hard to believe that was 29 years ago.

Rolling Stones, Tower, 2002 (with Rich Masterson)

Rolling Stones, JFK Stadium, 1981 (with Jeff Haessler)

Eunice Kennedy Dies an Uneventful Death

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:08:00 -0400

My Brush with a Kennedy

A few years back, while living in Washington DC, I had the opportunity to view an advance screening of Terminator II. The movie was screened at The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Washington office. In all about ten of us watched the movie including JFK's sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who elected to sit directly behind me. I wished she had sat somewhere else because throughout the entire movie -- beginning to end -- she did nothing but talk and kick my chair. What a bitch. This was actually my second brush with a Kennedy.

My first brush with a Kennedy happened when I went to the big Washington DC ball and met the entire Shriver family including Eunice and her husband, Sgt. Shriver, Maria and her brothers, and Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger Shriver Kennedy. Finally, my third brush with a Kennedy occurred when I visited John-John's TriBeCa flat the day after he was killed. Obviously, I didn't meet him but nonetheless it was a brush with a Kennedy...once removed.

Given the size of the family I'll bet there are many people who have had a brush with a Kennedy Klan member. If you have one please submit it.

Never-Ending Pain, Never-Ending Hope

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 22:08:22 -0400

CHERRY HILL, NJ -- Paul Altobelli's iPod, iPaul, was only two years old when it vanished July 4th weekend, 2009.

iPaul was playing one of Altobelli's playlists one minute, gone the next. "Just like that," recalled Altobelli's wife, Lisa. "My husband loved that iPod," Lisa confessed, "and that's why he named it iPaul."

Last weekend, iPaul's owner returned to the garage and to the scene of the disappearance. He came to remember iPaul and to rededicate the almost one month mission to find him.

Even with the passage of time, his faith has not wavered.

"I've never doubted that it's ... out there," Paul Altobelli said. "Until its proven otherwise, I hope one day we will be reunited."

His hope has been bolstered by investigators with the FBI and the Camden County Sheriff's Office, which reopened the case yesterday after hearing of a recent conversation.

"A lead was sparked when Mamata Sahoo and Winona Wyatt were talking about what happened while at work," FBI spokesman Matt Henry wrote in an e-mail to the media.

As cold case cops know, a wisp of a lead can turn into a big break, a fact FBI Special Agent Tim Weaver believes can solve the iPaul mystery.

"Even if [people] think it's insignificant, it's probably not," Weaver said. "Each little piece of the puzzle may not mean something, but when you put it all together, you get the big picture."

"iPaul was a fifth generation, 80 gig, black iPod," Altobelli said proudly. "It rocked."

"iPaul was a great iPod that never seemed to need power," Andi Height tweeted July 20, 2009. "Paul took iPaul along with him when he came to England earlier this year. He loved that iPod and I can understand why he would miss it so much."

"I strongly believe that someone out there knows what happened to iPaul," an optimistic Altobelli said. "I hope to find it safe and sound soon."

The FBI is also seeking information on iPaul. It has published two photographs of it on its Web site. One shows the iPod, taken in the days before its was abducted. The other picture is age-progressed, depicting what iPod would look like today almost 4 weeks later.

If you have any information on the missing iPod case, email Paul Altobelli or contact the FBI, your local police or the Camden County Sheriff's Office in New Jersey.

Looking for a Great Italian Meatball Recipe?

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:07:15 -0400

If you're looking for a great Italian meatball recipe then wrap your lips around these balls.

I've known Tom Hartman since first grade. That means we've been friends for a long time. Since childhood Tom has always come across as a "worldly" type of fellow. He's always been very knowledgeable in politics, sports, the arts, history, and music. Especially music. He and I have listened, enjoyed, and argued about music for thirty years.

Tom is also knows a lot about food. He lives in Philadelphia and enjoys eating out often. Name the food and Tom has tasted it somewhere in Philadelphia or New York or around the world (Tom travels a lot. When it comes to food -- Tom has tried it all including Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Thai, French, and Italian. Now, given his background, experience, and his fondness for food I value his opinion and his recommendations about such matters.

I told you about Tom so you'll understand my disbelief when he told me that my meatballs were the best he's ever eaten. My meatballs? Tom has eaten thousands of meatballs in hundreds of restaurants in and around Philadelphia, New York, and other places, yet my meatballs are his favorite, "...the best I've ever tasted." Wow, what a compliment. Thank you Tom.

So given my new found respect for my meatballs I want to share my recipe:

The Best Meatball Recipe
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ingredients
1 pound combined beef, veal, pork (must be fresh)
3 large eggs
1 cup grated Romano Locatelli Cheese
1 cup bread crumb
1 clove garlic - minced
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation
(All mixing is done be hand) In a large bowl mix beef/veal/pork with eggs. Then add bread crumb, cheese, and salt. Finally add minced garlic in stages. Add a little then mix. Add some more, then mix. This way all the garlic does not end up in one meatball. Now, it's time to roll up the balls. Average size is roughly 2 inches in diameter. I usually get around 18 to 20 meatballs per pound. IMPORTANT! Do not cook meatballs in your pasta sauce! Meatballs cooked in sauce loose their flavor. The real key to a tasty meatball is cooking the them in an oven. So, heat oven to 375. Place meatballs on a rack - then on a cookie tray. Bake for 12 minutes on one side then 10 minutes for the other.

I freeze the meatballs in bags and take out what I need per dinner. I just drop the meatballs into the sauce as if heats up.

Buon Appetito!

Top Five Records: Male Singers

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:12:26 -0500

Freddie Mecury: Queen – Mustapha

Freddie Mercury the first name that came to my mind when I thought about this list. His vocal range was amazing - from soft ballads to full out rockers. Not only is he one of rock's greatest vocalists but he may be the best showman to grace the rock and roll stage. Check out Freddie's performance at Live Aid.

Robert Plant: Led Zeppelin - The Lemon Song

In my opinion, if Led Zeppelin had only recorded Zep I and Zep II they'd still be considered one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. As much as I enjoy the songs, music, Jimmy Page's guitar, I believe what really made those albums was Robert Plant's vocals. Talk about power, conviction, attitude, and sex appeal. And dig this, he was only 21 years old when Led Zeppelin recorded those albums!

Dave Grohl: Foo Fighters - The Pretender What I love best about Dave Grohl was that he was able to crawl out of Nirvana's ashes into a great, respected rock band. His tunes are full-out grab you by the balls rockers that represent every thing rock stands for - attitude, sex, and energy. Grohl's vocals are the perfect compliment to his songs - raw and powerful. Moreover, he may be the best screamer in rock since AC/DC's Bon Scott.

Eddie Vedder: Pearl Jam - Present Tense

Following in the footsteps of Roger Daltrey, Eddie Vedder sings in a way that grabs you by the throat and forces you to listen and feel the music in a way that will leave you breathless.

Ray Davies: Kinks - Apeman

Ray Davies does not have a great voice but there is something about his vocal style that gives his music life, personality, and English class. God bless The Kinks.

Jeff Tweedy: Wilco - Red-Eyed and Blue

Like Ray Davies, Jeff Tweedy is not a great singer. Some may even find his voice weak. But I feel his voice adds a realism to his music that I completely identify with. He and I are about the same age and what he sings about represents life experiences I can relate too. I don't know if I'd feel the same way about his music if he belted out songs like some of the others on this list.

Paul Rogers: Bad Company - Silver, Blue and Gold

Interesting to note that Freddie Mercury was the first singer I considered for this list and Paul Rogers was my number two choice. Isn't it ironic that Paul Rogers is singing with Queen now? Paul Rogers has that power and energy that every rock and roll singer should aspire to be. Coinincidence? I don't know. Rogers, along with Mercury, Robert Plant, and Roger Daltrey are the Mount Rushmore of rock singers.

Roger Daltrey: THE WHO - Bargain (live)

Roger Daltrey defined the quintessential rock and roll signer - young, hung and full of cum. But Daltrey was more than that. Through his singing he added a new dimension to Pete Townshend's lyrics. "I Can't Explain" worked because Daltrey conveys anger, frustration, and bewilderment. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" worked because Daltrey expresses Mod arrogance that can resort to violence.

Van Morrison - Caravan

I first fell in love with Van Morrison's singing the first time I heard "Caravan." Even today, I still find myself singing along with this song in a way that always puts a smile on my face. For this reason and Morrison's blue-eyed soul approach to his music is why he's on my list.

Prince - How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore?

With his high falsettos to a dig-deep-down-low soul register - Prince is a great rock and roll singer. With all his songs he sings with a arrogantly self-confident style that screams you better listen because this is important and I'm only going to tell you once.