The film is a treasure chest of rare live footage and intimate interviews.
Written and directed by rock scribe turned acclaimed director and screenwriter Cameron Crowe, the film isn’t just a glorification of the band; their music and shows do that on their own. However, as a wonderful and maybe unintended byproduct, the retelling of singer Eddie Vedder, bassist Jeff Ament, guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCreedy and drummer Matt Cameron’s collective stories is virtually an inspirational tutorial on how to survive as an artist.

The lesson is really two-fold. The first level being never pack it up,…

NEWARK, NJ—The NJ PAC Center has a stylish, attention-to-detail slant to its architectural design, somehow balancing elements of spacious with elegant intimacy. Therefore, it was a suiting place for Stone Temple Pilots, a band famous for their Led Zeppelin ornate based foundation accentuated with a banging exhilaration that swiftly grabs you and pulls you in. And although there was also a newish band playing that night called The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, legions would argue that that title is more befitting for Stone Temple Pilots. Who hasn’t broken up over “Interstate Love Song,” felt totally desperation when hearing “Big…

Guitar Hero takes on a whole new meaning when it’s said in the same sentence as Tom Morello, The Nightwatchman, because the line between art and activism, and even his own identity, is virtually non-existent. While speaking with one of the most beloved guitarist of our time a few weeks before his show at New York’s City Winery, he confesses, “The more I dig in the depths of my psyche, sometimes it’s not clear to me which is the mask. Is it the Nightwatchman character who sings these dire songs of existential retribution or is it the jovial person…

NEWARK, NJ—Coheed and Cambria played their characteristic blend of chaotic strokes and intense arrangements as the audience filed into the cavernous Prudential Center to await grunge gods Soundgarden. Claudio Sanchez’s vocal strength and confidence has definitely grown since their early years. This show was a couple a dates prior to the unfortunate incident leading to bassist Michael Todd’s arrest, so we got to see Coheed at full strength.

Seattle royals Soundgarden were full of vigor, and in fantastic form. This isn’t an old band trying to recapture the past; this is a seasoned band poised to blaze a trail…

NEW YORK, NY—New York City’s Beacon Theatre is pristinely ornate and although acoustically crisp and lively, it offers an intimate experience, so there couldn‘t have been a more befitting platform for Eddie Vedder to display his latest solo work, Ukulele Songs. The voice of Pearl Jam admits that he would have climbed the shit out of the theater back in day, but now sans band and armed mainly with an instrument that many would dismiss as a mere prop from the set of Hawaii Five-O, the rock icon proves that he can elegantly scale heights of a different kind.…

With lyrics like, “I share a cigarette with negativity” and “I will rise from your ashes and kneel in your prayers,” his economy of words is priceless to the ear and bequeaths a high ransom to the heart. Vocally, he resides beside icons like Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury and Jim Morrison. He is also proficient at proving time and time again that he can break his rusty cage, run and reach the finish line of musical genius.

Of course, he is Chris Cornell. After establishing himself in the metal and punk community with records like Ultramega OK and Louder…

On March 1, the boundlessly provocative frontman from one of the most innovative metal bands ever, Serj Tankian, will have a special remix EP of songs from his second solo effort, Imperfect Harmonies available on iTunes. The follow up to Elect The Dead, like Tankian himself, is far from predictable and soulfully designs a new kind of sophisticated heavy. His flair for the dramatic is matched only by his dedication to experimentation.

Serj was supposed to make a stop in NY to support the initial Imperfect Harmonies September release date, and although that didn’t come into fruition, it’s the…

Everyone’s definition of courage varies, but one person who irrefutably has a huge amount of it is Times Of Grace frontman Jesse Leach. The singer left the promising and much beloved Killswitch Engage at their crescendo, and has now come around full circle with KSE partner and kindred spirit, Adam Dutkiewicz to form Times Of Grace. The band, completed by guitarist Joel Stroetzel, bassist Daniel Struble and drummer Dan Gluszak, are embarking on a tour without so much as a small club date to prepare. Now that is courage.

Their Roadrunner Records debut The Hymn Of The Broken Man…

Live On Ten Legs is an 18-track live, comprehensive retrospective of Seattle’s grunge pioneers, Pearl Jam, who are celebrating a 20-year long career. The slow winding pitch delivered in the beginning of the otherwise visceral, utterly cathartic ”Porch” instantly stands out.

The romantic, neo-classic “Just Breath” showcases the flexibility of the quintet who never fail to surprise with diverse soundscapes, while “I Am Mine,” off of 2002’s Riot Act, empowers one to regain ownership of the time given on this plane. However, above and beyond containing the band’s greatest hits, Ten Legs is also an abundantly crisp representation of a Pearl Jam concert. Even…

While Chi, who aside from being an exceptional bassist, is a wonderful spoken word artist recovers from the physical trauma, long time Deftones’ friend, Sergio Vega [former Quicksand] plays hero to both the band and fans alike.

With its seductively breathy yet violent vocal strokes, racy riffs, panic-inducing melodies and…