Guitarmageddon 2005

The Rock School Hall of Famers/All-Stars at 2005 Guitarmageddon in Hollywood last Saturday.

...more to follow

Real quick - great news

Yay! Rock School has been extended at least another week (through June 30) at the Ritz Five!

Proud mother moment - Eric Slick rules!

The Rock School All-Stars at CBGB's following the NYC premiere of the movie
(and of course that's my son, Eric, in the black suit and sunglasses)


Pump up the volume: A crass course in rock
Sunday, June 19, 2005
By JOYCE J. PERSICO
Staff Writer

Before Paul Green even enters the room, you can hear him screaming from the floor above. Loudly. As loudly as any rock fan in any rock arena attending any rock concert ever screamed.

On the walls of Paul Green's School of Rock Music in Philadelphia there are lots of photos of him screaming. There are posters and reminders and mementos as well. But mostly there are photos of Green screaming.

The first time Green saw Don Argott's modest documentary "Rock School," he hated it because he thought he came off looking like a jerk. "Jerk" is not the word Green uses. He uses an expletive, just as he does in the film that illustrates his unorthodox method for teaching children ages 9 to 17 how to become rock stars.

"I tell my students, `Rock 'n' roll is sex, drugs and booze, and then there's the down side,' " Green jokes, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

He is 32, his conversation a mixture of arrogance and brutal honesty. He gives the impression he doesn't like being sized up, that despite his bravura, he really does give a damn. And that he is ambitious.

He'a whirling dervish in a three-story Philadelphia building only months from being razed to make room for the city's new convention center. There's already been one movie inspired by him - the well-received Jack Black feature "School of Rock," a movie Green denounces in a hail of obscenities.

"We're a formal music school," Green insists. "We have 180 kids, 40 percent of them female. Some of our teachers are former students."

As Green explains in "Rock School," he doesn't coddle students. Instead he tells them off, urges them to leave if they don't like the pressure and is honest enough to admit that he worries some might learn to be better guitarists than he is.

"Talent is a funny word," Green says. "Let 'em have fun."

The curriculum includes Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa and you name it - complete with encouragement to shake a long head of hair, if that's what it takes. Student shows take the place of written exams.

Forty-five minute private lessons on a student's instrument of choice and three-hour weekly rehearsals help the aspiring musicians prepare for the performances, which take place at places such as Philadelphia's Trocadero rock club.

Is CJ Tywoniak, the 15-year-old sitting next to Green on a worn couch, a better guitarist than he is?

"No," Green answers, quickly, as CJ nods in silent agreement.

Is CJ, so prominently featured in "Rock School" and so obviously talented, Green's best student?

"No," Green replies, just as quickly and, once again, the quiet, long-haired teen nods modestly in agreement.

That title falls to Eric Slick, a drummer, who later saunters into Green's aerie on Race Street near 13th Street. He makes a series of cell-phone calls as Green is promoting the movie on his school.

-- -- --

When CJ told his mom, Monique Lampson, that he wanted to attend Green's rock school, an hour's drive from their Downingtown, Pa., home three years ago, "we did not just drop him off here," she explains.

"I went with him. It took a solid year before I felt comfortable with it," says Lampson. "He clearly found his talent - and he's not about drugs, but he is interested in the girls."

What sold Lampson on Green's school was how her son reacted after he met Green.

"My son said something really poignant," Lampson recalls. "He said, `It scares me to death to do this and that's why I have to do this.' "

Anyone can enroll in the school. Students don't have to know how to play an instrument or read music, but they have to be willing to learn, because if there's one thing Green can't stand it's "waste of potential."

As Green asserts in "Rock School," "I can teach anything."

Green is vague about how much it costs to attend one of his schools, which are scattered around the country, but mentions there are scholarships.

With area schools already in operation in Cherry Hill and Huntingdon Valley, Pa., Green says he's thinking of opening another in Trenton or Princeton.

Green was studying philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania and planning a career in law when his love of music intruded. He opened his Philadelphia school in 1998 and suggests that his recent move to New York, where he has another branch, is proof of how good business is.

"I spend two days a week here and two days there," he explains as he sits in a worn pair of shorts and a black T-shirt. Formality isn't something Green seems to practice and he's as antsy as a child.

Capturing Green and his school on film couldn't have been easy for Argott, considering the restlessness of the teacher's nature and the narrow corridors of the facility.

"It's as fair a representation of his character as you can do in 90 minutes," director Argott says of "Rock School," which is opening slowly across the country.

A self-proclaimed "workaholic" who sometimes works from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m., Green has a simple answer for anyone who asks what it is about rock music that lures men in particular.

"Why does the male peacock have bigger feathers?" he asks.


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As stated, the photo at the top of this post is from an article which appeared about the kids performing at CBGBs following the NYC Rock School premiere and it appeared in the June 6, 2005 edition of Variety. I've been trying to access it by applying for a temporary free subscription, etc. but it's not working. If anyone has it, please send it to me because it looks like it might be a good review of the kids' performance.

The New Yorker Loves Rock School and Oh, Oh, it's ken*again!

Issue of 2005-06-27
Posted 2005-06-20
ROCK SCHOOL
A new documentary by the first-time filmmaker Don Argott, about the Paul Green School of Rock Music, in Philadelphia. Green takes a position of zero condescension toward his students, ages nine to seventeen—demanding a lot, loudly and profanely voicing his displeasure when they fall short. He can be a self-serving, if self-aware, pain in the ass, but there’s some topnotch comedy material in his rants. The film follows the students as they prepare for a Frank Zappa festival in Germany, tackling some of the most difficult and sophisticated music in the rock canon. Beyond the chords and the rhythms, Green’s method is about imbuing the kids with a confident look-at-me attitude. The finale at the Zappa festival is not only a musical triumph but also tremendously moving.—Ken Marks (Lincoln Square and Village Theatre VII.)
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So I see that review was written by "Ken" Marks, and therefore, this must be Happy Ken day in my life because in other news, I have a new short story published today in the summer issue of ken*again

(and yeah, yeah, I don't know what those two fingers are hiding, either, since it's common knowledge Ken has no genitalia. I figured this out when I was a kid, undressed him, and taped him to a naked Barbie in hopes she'd get pregnant and provide me with a Midge or Skipper doll but, you know, that, too, ended up being just another childhood fantasy shot to hell...)

Anyway, Happy Ken Day to all! And as you can see, Ken and Barbie are apparently eternal optimists...

Guitarmageddon 2005 and the death of an old friend

So Julie and Eric were in L.A. all weekend as the opening act for Guitarmageddon, a yearly contest sponsored by Guitar Center, which is basically the national championship for young guitarists who win at the local branches at the store, etc. It was held at the Wiltern, pictured above, a magnficent, historic building in Hollywood.

They had a blast but are totally exhausted - it was an eight hour flight each way because they had to change planes in places like Pittsburgh, PA and Charlotte, NC and on the way home...gulp...the fucking airline lost their guitars and Julie's Rickenbacker bass. Am I having heart failure? You betcha. Readers of this blog might remember that bass as the one I bought for her in NY for Christmas this year, right after which I had the great panic attack of 2004 in NY's Chinatown while awaiting a non-existent bus to get home. Also missing are C.J. Tywoniak's custom guitar and Teddi Tarnoff's one of a kind Telecaster. We are under the impression from the airline that these axes might very well be on their way to Germany right now because apparently that's where the plane was headed after the kids had their layover in Charlotte.

This is amazing to me. In these times of so-called stringent security, where everything has to be labelled and checked ninety times; how the fuck did they lose three giant guitars in cases. I'm trying not to freak out because Julie is still calm and thinks this will have a happy ending; not me; I'm busy looking for the receipt and wondering who is going to ultimately pay for this - the airline, my insurance company, or what. I am not happy. And this is right on the heels of my recent bout with airport security where I was body searched and had the contents of my suitcase dumped...I haven't written about that too much in this blog because it's currently a short story in the works...let's just say it includes something pretty funny/embarrassing that the attendants pulled out of my suitcase in front of 10 hysterically laughing kids. And airport security who were kind enough to point out where on my ticket it said I was flagged for a total search...I guess so I can alert my fellow "terrorists"? Forgive me if I am repeating myself here...I'm in no mood to go back and check all of my prior posts.

Anyway, luckily C.J.'s mom was with them on the plane and has all the airline contact info and supposedly once they locate the guitars (and bass) they will ship them to her house. Fingers crossed.

Anyway, I have to admit - for once I didn't live on line while they were away this weekend; I actually cleaned my house. Yep, it was time for that every five year event, and I found things I thought I lost, found things I wish I'd lost, found things I didn't know I ever had, etc. So at least I was productive. I wasn't in writing mode -- I had a queasy feeling about their trip this time, not knowing of course about the lost instruments. I read there were five earthquakes on the west coast this week and I was a little uneasy that they were there and I was unable to concentrate. So I figured physical activity would take my mind off things.

It didn't, but at least I have a temporarily clean house. I say temporarily, because I know me, I know my kids. Within two days, we'll be back to square one. I'll be late for work looking for a lost shoe; a CD out of its case on the floor will crack under someone's sneaker, an appointment will be missed. I'm willing to bet on it.

In other news, I wasn't going to write about this but I find my fingers flying on the keyboard so I'm gonna do it. I'm really sad today because an old acquaintance suddenly passed away. As anyone who knows me is aware, I worked for Larry -- a wonderful, incredible attorney for over two decades who was not just my boss -- I consider him one of my best friends and he is definitely the only real mentor I've ever had. Probably the only person I've ever respected 100 per cent...I mean, I never question one of his decisions and even if I don't always immediately agree with advice he gives me, I always end up coming around because he's so fucking wise. He broke my heart by retiring three years ago but he was approaching seventy and it was time, even though I was in complete denial that it would ever really happen. Anyway, his very best friend was a doctor named Mike Avallone with whom our office also did business and he'd call Larry every day and Mike and I would joke around a lot before I'd put the call through...of course once Larry retired, I lost all of his friends, too. I opened up the newspaper this morning and saw Mike's obituary and just about lost it. I know this is all part of getting older and I've said it before, the hardest part about it is that change occurs so fucking rapidly and there's not a thing we can do to stop it but it sure doesn't make it any easier to handle. I emailed Larry's daughter because I'm still too emotional to call him...afraid if I do it now from the office (I'm on my lunch hour) I'll break into tears but of course I'm afraid I'll cry even worse from home. Larry's daughter told me Mike had diabetes and a pacemaker in his heart but still snuck donuts (he was a jovial, dangerously rotund fellow) and was on Cumadin for his condition. Even though he'd just seen a cardiologist and was told he was doing well, he took a bad fall on Tuesday and the Cumadin caused terrible bleeding in his brain which basically killed him but he was on life support for a few days until the EKG confirmed no activity in his brain and that was that.

So the end of another era for me. I feel kind of paralyzed by the news and I thought maybe writing about it here would make me feel better and more prepared to call Larry but I find myself crying at the moment so...

Laterxoxoxo

Queer Eye meets Rock School; also news on a Monkee and a Monkeybicyle

Yes, it's true. A small group of Rock School All-Stars and Hall of Famers, namely, my son Eric and daughter Julie, Teddi Tarnoff, Madison Flego, Stevie Roberts, and C.J. Tywoniak were in New York City last night to play a gig for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy which will be seen later this year on the Bravo Network. The show's makeover contestant was someone from Donald Trump's Apprentice.

Anyway, the kids had an absolute blast; a representative from Gibson Guitars was there and laid all kinds of cool equipment on them including a silver Les Paul; they also got incredible goody bags which contained everything from cookbooks to CDs to poetry books to exotic lavender laundry detergent in a wine bottle; the fellows from Queer Eye were super nice and friendly to Julie, Eric and company and heaped loads of praise on them for their performance (Black Magic Woman, You Really Got Me, and Barracuda); and here's the best part that totally cracked me up: At the end of the evening, the producer for Queer Eye approached Eric with her business card -- apparently she wants him to be the next makeover candidate for the show. Ha! Like Eric would let anyone touch his shoulder length hair or fuck with his nifty thrift store seventies' wardrobe. Not to mention that my son is far too hip for a T.V. show -- he's more excited about playing with Chris Opperman (Steve Vai's keyboardist) and Andre from Project Object at the Lion's Den in NYC on July 9 and of course I'll be talking about that a lot more as the gig draws closer.

In attendance at the star-studded show was none other than --


No, no, not Sir Paul, but Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees! Ha!

And while I'm on the subject of Monkeys, I have a one sentence story, which, if you know me, is damn near impossible so it's more like a one sentence novella, in this week's edition of Monkeybicycle.
I have lusted after being in Monkeybicyle for two years so I am now vindicated and very happy - it's one of my favorite 'zines. Now. To crack into Eyeshot. Hahahaha - no chance of that; Lee (the editor) hates my writing and once threatened to beat me up and I'm not sure he was kidding. Man, they have a really jerked off way of letting you know your work is rejected. Instead of a standard form letter or the contemptible but becoming more and more common practice of ignoring submissions they don't like altogether (meaning, editors from other magazines who shall remain nameless) Lee sends you an email with a link with your story in the subject line. So, if you are like me and tend to get overly optimistic, you think you're going to click on the link and see your story posted in Eyeshot. Wrong. The link takes you to an obnoxious rejection letter. So I'll never submit to him again, and I hope some day I have a best seller and he asks me for something so I can say Screw you, fuckwit. (as if - meaning, I am probably the biggest wimp in the universe. But in theory...)

Anyway, that's the news for now. Happy Friday!

Rock School at the Troc - Part II

Hahahahaha - I'll let this blog entry speak for itself:



Nightvision (Philadelphia Weekly - June 15-21 edition)

Matt Rothstein, 18, Madi Diaz, 19, and Eric Slick, 18

by Emily Brochin

What do you do for a living?

MR: "I work at the School of Rock in Downingtown. I'm basically the bitch there."
MD: "I'm a student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston."
ES: "I'm a drum teacher at the Paul Green School of Rock Music and a drummer for a band, Flamingo."

Describe what you're wearing.

MR: "I'm wearing my Urban Outfitters shirt-which I'm not proud of. And my Gap jeans. And bright green Nikes."
MD: "Jeans. Underwear. A black shirt and a scarf that I got from Rome. And feather earrings."
ES: "I'm wearing my dad's 1973 velvet blazer from a wedding or something, and new white shoes from somewhere on Second and Market. And $6 Walgreens sunglasses."

What are you up to tonight?

MR: "I'm going to be playing 'The Lemon Song' by Led Zeppelin."
MD: "I'm at the Troc watching my brother play Slayer."
ES: "Playing some Led Zeppelin songs. And a bad Queen song."
*****************
In case anyone doesn't know this already, Matt Rothstein, featured above with my son, is my daughter Julie's boyfriend and also in the movie -- he has much shorter hair there (well, so does Eric) and is the one who has the line "Paul says I suck -- I practice and practice and he still says I suck". Or something like that.

Interestingly enough, Emily, who wrote the above article and was kind enough to send me the link with the photo, also reviewed Rock School the movie in last week's edition of Philly Weekly and I'm pasting it below:

Kids Rock

There's no stopping the Paul Green juggernaut.

by Emily Brochin

Paul Green is on the brink. The documentary about his school of rock music, Rock School, is garnering critical acclaim. He's opened eight other branches in addition to his original one in Philadelphia. He even has his own T-shirts.

But today Green doesn't want to talk about the movie. Or the kids. He wants to talk about Werner Herzog, whom he worships.

"I used to have a class in the basement called Philosophy for Ungrateful Teenagers," he says on the phone from a radio studio where he's just done an interview. "We used to have movie night where I'd show more accessible movies-things I thought they should see. I tried to show them Fitzcarraldo. They didn't go for it. But they liked Reservoir Dogs a lot."

Fitzcarraldo is a fitting metaphor for Green's mission. In the film the protagonist tries to build an opera house deep in the Brazilian jungle by carrying a riverboat over a mountain.

Green has charged himself with an equally daunting task: to corral hundreds of kids and teach them the lost art of rock 'n' roll. Ultimately, Fitzcarraldo managed to build his opera. And Green managed to build his rock school.

The Paul Green School of Rock Music began in 1998 when its foun-der started orchestrating weekly jam sessions among his private music students.

After seven years Green has his kids' ensemble performances down to a science. Teachers pick a theme centered around a performer or genre (for example, Queen teaches harmony, and punk rock teaches kids stage presence) and assign kids pieces according to their abilities. For the most part, the musicians are pretty advanced-as was obvious at the school's scholarship fundraiser at the Trocadero last Friday.

The Troc was packed with kids, parents and various musical instruments, and it exuded a potent mixture of adrenaline and sexual tension. Everyone was dressed up-some sporting ties, others carefully Aqua-netted mohawks and lots of eye makeup.

The upstairs was commandeered by the parents. (It's not only where the bar is, but where you can get the best shots with a camcorder.)

When a group of tow-headed kids took the stage and began to play "You Shook Me All Night Long," it seemed a little ludicrous at first. But then the singer opened his mouth, and a miniature version of Brian Johnson emerged. And the lead guitarist ripped off his shirt and started spinning on the floor while shredding.

The crowd went wild.

"I just hope the kids really want great things for themselves," Green says. "I tell them to look at their parents and how many of them are miserable in their jobs. And I hope they lay the groundwork and find what they want to do and then work hard and don't give up and all that corny stuff."

Green's statement rings true. How many of the dads here-in loosened ties, surrounded by other parents getting tanked-would gladly trade places with their kids?

Critics charge that Green's pedagogy in Rock School is, well, unusual. If a kid isn't giving it his all, Green will drag it out of him-whether by shame, force or a combination of the two.

"What's worse: me yelling at them, or them getting up onstage and not knowing their songs?" Green says.

It's certainly not the kind of education President Bush advocates in No Child Left Behind, but it's yielded real results. The kids are engaged and passionate. They've shared stages with some of the biggest names in music. Graduates have gone on to attend music conservatories, or remained at the school to teach.

And somewhere between the swearing, the throwing things, the hugs and the actual teaching, Green provides an education that'll forever affect his students' lives.

Watching the students onstage, it's clear Paul Green has built a new army-with guitars, not guns-to defend the future of America.

Rock School soundtrack

So in spite of glowing reviews from critics all across America, Rock School the documentary is not exactly bringing in major box office dollars and will probably not be in theaters much longer. This is really too bad and I have no explanation for what's occurred at all. It's a wonderful documentary..oh wait...it's a documentary, not a zillion dollar Hollywood blockbuster starring blank eyed anorexic young flavors of the month with trillions of dollars of publicity behind it. Silly me. But the good news is that my friends overseas tell me they've seen advertisements for its release in the UK and Australia so maybe the film will be like Jimi Hendrix (ha)....it needs to leave America to earn its respect and fame.

In any event, it will be out sooner than later on DVD and on T.V., and the DVD will include extra footage of the kids in the studio back in December/January of this year recording the soundtrack. You'll be able to see what the kids look like post-puberty (Rock School was filmed two years ago, which is like twenty years in teen life).

Speaking of the recording studio, what's really a shame is that the soundtrack CD is feeling the effects of the documentary, meaning, because the film isn't getting a large audience, you can't even find said CD in most stores. This is tragic because the kids put incredible effort into this project and it includes some amazing, amazing tracks. So I'm going to post some reviews I've found on line and at the bottom of this post, I'll put a link or two as to where you can purchase the CD as well.

This one appeared in www.allmusic.com, which is the definitive source for music on the web:

Review by Rob Theakston

In 2003 comedian Jack Black starred in School Of Rock, a comedy about a teacher who takes a pack of upper crust private school kids and turns them into a rock band. This idea was loosely inspired by the Paul Green School of Rock Music, whose sole simplistic mission is to teach future generations the fundamentals of rock and roll from the legends themselves. In 2005, a documentary aptly entitled "Rock School" focused on Green's academy and its faculty, a veritable who's who of classic rock and roll. This soundtrack features the students performing their 'professors', covering their finest moments in a different light. Faculty emeritus Billy Idol, Alice Cooper, Ann Wilson, Greg Rolie, Dave Mustaine and Stewart Copeland are among the teachers here, and the students are more than up to the task of doing each song justice. It's not as cheeky as Langely Schools Project, so those looking for something along those lines will be sorely disappointed here. This is full unabashed rock done by passionate students with equally passionate teachers hoping to pass the torch to a future generation the true definition of rock and roll.
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This one appears at www.seaoftranquility.org:

Various Artists: Rock School-Music From and Inspired By the Original Motion Picture

The Paul Green School of Rock Music - not to be confused with the Jack Black School of Rock movie - was founded in Philadelphia in 1998 “to help advance the art of Rock by connecting the future generation to the rich history that has come before them,” according to the school's namesake. That's why Green called on such rockers as Alice Cooper, Jon Anderson from Yes, Dave Mustaine, The Police's Steward Copeland, Heart's Ann Wilson, Billy Idol, Marky Ramone, Gregg Rolie from Santana and Journey, and Deep Purple's Ian Gillan to help teach at the School of Rock. Filmmaker Don Argott thought the concept was so cool that he even made a documentary about it and called it Rock School (opening this month in select theaters around the United States).

Lo and behold, this is Rock School's soundtrack, which features recordings of classic rock songs performed by the actual student-musicians who appear in the film, with their singing heroes. For example, Mustaine sings “Peace Sells” backed by a pair of guitarists named Dan Nitz and Louis Graff, a bassist named Julie Slick, and a drummer who goes by BK. Gillan does a raw but effective run-through of “Highway Star” with guitarists Phillip Kingsford and Jeremy Blessing, bassist Peter White and drummer Joseph Randazzo III. Pay attention: Those names could grace the credits of future metal albums.

In addition to playing with hotshot rockers, a handful of students also get the opportunity to take the mic themselves. Chuck Flavor makes for a creepily real-sounding Jim Morrison on “L.A. Woman,” while Madi Diaz could front an all-female Police tribute band after her performance with Stewart Copeland on “Don't Stand So Close To Me.” Classics that you've heard all your life also get a little reworking, especially Heart's “Barracuda” and Santana's “Black Magic Woman.” The biggest surprise, though, is Jon Anderson's appearance on Yes' “Heart of the Sunrise.” I'm not sure why that's a surprise, but trust me - it is.

Sure, this album could be considered one of those lame “classics reworked” records or even a glorified tribute disc. But in an era when public schools are eliminating music programs to cut costs, Paul Green emerges as a hero, a staunch believer in both the power of music and the power of the people who make music. Plus, any program with the tagline “Teaching kids the basics: power chords, head banging & being a rock star” deserves all the kudos it can get.

Track Listing:
1) Black Magic Woman
2) I Want to Be Sedated
3) School's Out
4) Barracuda
5) Highway Star
6) L.A. Woman
7) Heart of the Sunrise
8) Rebel Yell
9) Don't Stand So Close To Me
10) Iron Man
11) Peace Sells
12) Hocus Pocus

Added: June 1st 2005
Reviewer: Michael Popke
Score:
Related Link: Official Rock School Web Site
Hits: 72
Language: english
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And finally, the next three appear at www.amazon.com. We've been trying to verify the authenticity of one of these reviews (you'll be able to figure out very quickly the review to which I refer) but even if we can't verify it, it is still a mind blowing remark about the kids and their talent:

All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 5 out of 5 stars

5 out of 5 stars THE PAST,PRESENT AND FUTURE OF ROCK MUSIC!!!!, June 1, 2005

Reviewer: LOYAL FAN
THE PAUL GREEN SCHOOL OF ROCK MUSIC IS A MUSIC SCHOOL WHERE THE KIDS ARE TRAINED IN CLASSIC ROCK THEN PERFORM CONCERTS TO GAIN EXPERIENCE. THIS ALBUM SHOWCASES THE HARD WORK AND TALENT OF THE KIDS. THE KIDS PERFORM WITH SOME OF ROCK'S BIGGEST NAMES SUCH AS ALICE COOPER AND BILLY IDOL. THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ALBUM ARE THE SONGS WHERE THE KIDS TAKE CENTER STAGE AND PERFORM ALL THE VOCALS AND INSTRUMENTS THEMSELVES. THE GREAT VERSIONS OF L.A. WOMAN AND IRON MAN ARE SUNG BY CHUCK FLAVOR,WHICH IS A STAGE NAME OF DOMENIC MALANDRO,ARE EXAMPLES OF THE TALENT POSSESSED BY THE ROCK SCHOOL KIDS. ENJOY YOUR FAVORITE CLASSICS IN A NEW WAY AS THE FUTURE OF ROCK IS SECURE!!!!!
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5 out of 5 stars These are kids?, June 1, 2005

Reviewer: Mark Stevens (New York)
I had heard a buzz about this CD and since it contains some of my favorite classic rock performers, I bought it yesterday.

Can I tell you that the kids are better than the "stars"?

Track one - Black Magic Woman - is incredible. Besides the incredible Santana-like guitar work of C.J. Tywoniak, it contains some of the best drumming I've ever heard anywhere by Rock School student Eric Slick. The steady bass of Matt Rothstein and keyboards of Steve Roberts make this track just about perfect.

Track two - I Wanna Be Sedated. I dunno, I'm a Ramones fan and I think these kids have Johnny smiling up in heaven.

Track three - School's Out. These are kids? Sounds just like the original, but better.

Track four - Barracuda. Now this is the keeper of the album. Who is Louis Graff and why haven't we heard of him? He rules! Jalea Cooner? Another guitar god! Amazing! I see Eric Slick on drums again. This kid is going to be a major star, and there's a Julie Slick on bass who is equally wonderful. Sister/brother act? Watch out White Stripes!

Track five - Highway Star. Two kids named Jeremy Blessing and Phillip Kingsford on guitar will rock your world. Nice bass work by Peter White and drummer Joseph Randazzo, III holds it together nicely.

Track six: Holy moly, Jim Morrison back from the dead? Chuck Flavor is his reincarnate!

Track seven: Okay, my all time favorite on the CD. Louis Graff and the Slick Kids again with Allie Hauptman on keyboards. Jon Anderson must have thought he died and went to heaven. These kids can stand up to Steve Howe and company any day.

Track 8 - Rebel Yell. Can't tell it from the original. That kid Slick on drums again. CJ Tywoniak and Madison Flego on guitars. They rule! Matt Rothstein of Black Magic Woman on bass. Amazing.

Remaining tracks: Don't Stand So Close to Me, Iron Man, Peace Sells, and Hocus Pocus. All better than the original. For sure.

So. Remember these names: Louis Graff. C.J. Tywoniak. Eric Slick. Julie Slick. Matt Rothstein. Madison Flego. Chuck Flavor. Jalea Cooner. They're all gonna be famous.
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5 out of 5 stars Smashing! June 3, 2005

Reviewer: Charlie W. (UK)

This is my first Amazon review and I only ventured onto the site to see if others had anything to say about this CD. I am doing it as a favour to the wonderful group I saw perform at CBGB's Wednesday night. I did not see the movie but was invited by my mates to the after party and bought the CD solely based on the music I heard. I've been a drummer with what many say is the world's greatest rock and roll band for several decades and I have to tell you, any one of those kids could fill in for my mates in the band. I understand the little lad, C.J., is the star of the movie and he is just wonderful but for me, there were three heroes that night...the singer, Maddie, the bare chested lad Jeremy, and the drummer, Eric. Maddie has the voice of an old time rocker. No stony faced, spaced out monotones for her. She roared, she was the music. Jeremy Blessing (and is that a name!) is the stuff of the Mississippi Delta combined with Jimmy Page; in fact, I'd like Jimmy to see him live the next time he's in town. I intend to write to the School of Rock for his contact information. There was soul in every note and he owned the stage. But as a drummer, for me the main attraction was Eric Slick. This is a young lad who has obviously studied the masters. He has listened to people like Buddy Rich and Max Roach I am certain, and while I am loathe to say it, I believe he has also listened to me. This kid has no peers in terms of innovation; he has a deeply personal sound and approach. He had a fixed pulse on his cymbals as well as his bass drum; and while many of the young guitar lads would falter from time to time due to what I trust was a problem with the monitors, Mr. Slick never lost a beat and was the driving force that evening. He brought tears to this old man's eyes and he is another I intend to keep my eye on for future projects. He could fill my shoes any time.

I insist you people in the States buy this CD. Don't buy it for the old geezers; buy it for the kids and learn something from them.

****************

And here is where you can buy the CD and hear it for yourself!

www.amazon.com
DiscExpress
World Music
CD Universe
Overstock.com
Tower Records

Latest news...

Okay, here's the article on the shooting at tne North Star Bar last night - don't know how accurate this is:

Man, 20, is shot, wounded outside Fairmount club

By LEAH ZERBE

lmz120@temple.edu

A man was shot and critically wounded last night outside the North Star Bar, a popular music venue at 27th and Poplar streets in the Fairmount section.

Police said two men in their early 20s were seen running from the bar after the shooting at about 10 p.m. Police said the victim staggered back into the bar and was conscious while he waited for police to arrive.

Police arrived before an ambulance and the victim was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital in a patrol car. He was reported in critical but stable condition.

A police officer explained that cops feared he had a "sucking wound," a dangerous internal injury, and they didn't want to wait for an ambulance.

Witnesses said there had been no visible wound on the man, and no blood on the sidewalk.

Keith DeFeo, 33, manager of the bar, said that there had been some kind of altercation outside the nightspot but that he did not know the nature of it.

All he knew about it, he said, was that someone bumped someone else and it escalated from there.

Employees in the club indicated that the victim, who was not immediately identified, did some work in the bar but was not a full-time employee.

The club featured musical entertainment last night and stayed open after the shooting.
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So as I said, what a night. Great music, and a very strange and hopefully not too tragic ending.
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This is a crazy week for the kids (and me). Well, I'm the most nauseous; I have to go back to work today after missing all of last week with my bad back. What sucks the most about this is that it's a one woman office and if I'm not there, it's trouble. My biggest concern is that all of the files with which I work are huge accordian numbers, heavy and bulky, and I'm terrified of throwing my back out again. I think this is nature's way of telling me to throw in the towel after all these years. I'm tired, burnt out, and now I'm physically sick as well. I just want to write full time, but unfortunately, I have to figure out a way to maintain my high life style without money first. Ha.

But in Julie and Eric world, things are awesome. Right now they are both in New York City, about to appear on Channel 11 on the WB network to promote Rock School. They will do a song around 8:50; field some questions, then do another song, so if anyone reading this is in the NY area (and if you have a videotape and can send me a copy!), you can see these amazing musicians for yourself.

Thursday, Eric and a few other Rock School All-Stars will be in New York again to play a big party for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Apparently, Donald Trump will be there -- they are going to do a makeover of one of the Apprentice stars. Eric will probably be home god knows what time Friday morning; then he has a gig with Flamingo at the Fire in Philly, one of my favorite live venues here. Then, both Eric and Julie hop a plane at dawn the next day (Saturday) for L.A. where they will be playing Guitarmageddon (ha!) at the Wiltern at 7:00 p.m. that night. No hotel, they take a six hour flight back to Philly right after the show.

After that, Julie starts interning at Studio Four Records, Eric has a million gigs -- one of which is a very interesting private gig where he's going to drum for Steve Vai's keyboard player July 9 at the Lion's Den in New York; he has a lot more Flamingo gigs; then in mid July there are three concerts planned for Indre Studios as a warm up for the summer tour which I believe starts July 21 through August 2. Then they leave for Germany for the Zappa fest.

Oh god, I need a PDA for all of this.

Yeah, right.

So Eric Slick of Flamingo, Atlas et al play the North Star and the bouncer gets shot!

Eric, Joey Randazzo, and Teddi Tarnoff at the L.A. premiere of Rock School

Oh my god. Just got back from the North Star Bar where I heard an unbelievable set by War's End, my son's band, Flamingo...and then..when his dad went out for a cigarette break right before Atlas took the stage, he was told we were in a lock down...the bouncer...the guy who took our ticket money...got shot while my son was on stage playing.

They had us in said lock down; there were nine million police cars, every news station...arghhhh.....what a way to end an evening of unbelievably fantastic music.

I hope the guy's okay...I guess I'll be watching us all on the news in a few minutes.

But let me say this: All three bands are incredible. Each very different, each with amazing stage presence and musicianship...and I am so freaking proud to be associated with these kids. What really touched me were the parents who came out...whose kids aren't even in the three bands that played...Stevie Roberts' mom and dad, Joe and Kate; a lovely English woman whose name I can't remember but her young son was in Jesus Christ Superstar with Eric.

There's no jealousy, no competition between these three bands. They cheer each other on; when Haffie's guitar went out of tune during a Flamingo number, Jeremy (of Atlas) handed him his; in the meantime, Louie, who isn't in any of the three bands, tuned Haffie's guitar and jumped back on stage to hand it to him a few minutes later.

It's just a beautiful, beautiful thing to see (and hear!).

Again, I know I'm getting old with this, but I know who I have to thank for this, and I wish I could say it was me (ha), but it's not - it's Paul Green.

What an amazing night of music by his All-Stars out on their own.
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Holy crap - just watched the news. The bouncer is in critical condition, fighting for his life. Oh my god....