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/ Credits / Gigs |
/ Interviews |
Wachtel Band |
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/ Credits / Gigs |
/ Interviews |
Wachtel Band |
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 Reviews and News - October 2007 Review by Nina: The Waddy Wachtel Band returned to the Joint last night and gave us just what we wanted...... Energetic, masterful, loud, rockin' music! Since they were gone for 3 weeks, this girl was "rockin' horny." Everyone else at the Joint seemed to feel the same way, as they danced, smiled, clapped and begged for more. Yeah, we all had a wonderful time. The guys in the band were as eager for some loud rock as we were. Yay! Waddy Wachtel (lead guitar, vocals, musical director) and Al Ortiz (bass) had just returned from the Stevie Nicks gig and taping in Chicago. (Good thing they missed the fires and smoke here in L.A.) They both had a great time hanging and playing with Stevie, but were also happy to get down to biz - Rockin - on our stage at the Joint. Brett Tuggle (keyboards, guitar), Phil Jones (drums) and Jamie Savko (vocals) were happy to be back at TJ as well. Put those five guys together on a stage, and you won't find a disappointed ear in the place. Their voices blend in harmonies that blow your mind. Not to mention the musical talent that allows them to play off each other, making one of the biggest and most musical sounds you'll hear. Keith Allison (guitar, vocals) returned after being away for over a month, and it was great to hear him play and sing those songs he "owns." He was happy - we were happy! And we had a special guest...... Johnny Rivers! Someone asked me: Isn't he the "Secret Agent" guy? Oh yeah...... And lots more than that. Johnny Rivers is a true legend, having pumped out tons of albums over the years. He's the original "Los Angeles Rockin' Guitarist". He was Rockin' It at the Whisky-A-Go-Go on Sunset Strip before some of you were born. Waddy and Phil have played on several of his albums, and it's always a treat when he gets up on stage with them. And did they all have a good time! You can see the big smiles in the slide show I've posted at the bottom of this review. Set List: 1st set: "Bitch" (Stones) Jamie Savko lead vocals "Girl's Got Rhythm" (AC/DC) Jamie lead vocals "I Feel Fine" (Beatles) Brett Tuggle and Waddy Wachtel vocals "Lawyers, Guns and Money" (Warren Zevon) Waddy lead vocals "Pump It Up" (Elvis Costello) Keith Allison lead vocals "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" (Warren Zevon) Keith lead vocals "Hound Dog" (Elvis Presley) Johnny Rivers lead vocals "Let It Rock" (Chuck Berry) Johnny lead vocals "What's Next to the Moon" (AC/DC) Brett lead vocals "Eight Miles High" (Byrds) Jamie, Brett and Waddy vocals 2nd set: "Supermassive Black Hole" (Muse) Jamie lead vocals "Honky Tonk Woman" (Stones) Jamie lead vocals "Till the End of the Day" (Kinks) Brett lead vocals "Misty Mountain Hop" (Led Zep) Jamie lead vocals "Shot Down in Flames" (AC/DC) Jamie lead vocals "Stop Breakin' Down" (Robert Johnson) Keith lead vocals "Like a Rolling Stone" (Dylan) Waddy lead vocals "Sin City" (AC/DC) Jamie lead vocals We had an extra long first set since Johnny was ready to give us some delicious Rock, so the second set was a little short, but everyone left last night completely satisfied - We CAN get some satisfaction! Other news: WWB won't be performing at TJ next Monday 11/5 because Waddy will be doing some session work that day. I'll let you know more details about what he's working on later. Here's the great news...... Waddy told us they'll definitely be back at TJ on 11/12 and will play every Monday after that for the rest of the year. Yay! So, all of you out-of-towners don't have to wonder if WWB will be performing or not for the next 2 months. Get your plane reservations now - we'd love to see all of you there. Also special..... Waddy said they'll play Christmas Eve (which is a Monday night) if we want them to. I said: "Hell, yeah!" I can't think of a gift I'd rather have than a WWB Xmas. I'll have the list of Waddy's guitars and amps for you soon. Keep checking back. Sorry, but we don't send out MySpace Bulletins - there are already soooo many of them. If you want to know when something new is posted, check back to this page or sign up to receive notifications of new blog posts. Waddy, Brett, Phil, Jamie, Al and Keith send their love to all of you. As Waddy says: "Stay safe, my babies, and keep rockin'."  A note from Nina: Hi Rockers- First of all, I want to say what a great honor it is to have the approval and support of Waddy Wachtel for this MySpace page. It's truly a great honor to be able to give kudos to one of the most incredible musicians/composers/producers on this planet. I'm also honored that Phil Jones, Rick Rosas, Brett Tuggle and Jamie Savko have endorsed this page for the Waddy Wachtel Band and am grateful for all the input they give me in running it. And a special thanks goes out to all you friends and fans who've given me assistance with this page by providing photos, videos, comments and encouragement. We're all Rockin' It together! I know we're all waiting impatiently for WWB to return to the Joint for their regular Monday night gigs on 10/29. And those of you who live in different places around the world are probably waiting for reviews and photos of WWB's gigs. We'll be back Rockin' It VERY soon! Various news: Waddy Wachtel and Al Ortiz are having fun in Chicago rehearsing for the Stevie Nicks PBS Soundstage taping. The show will air some time next year, and it will also be available on a dvd. Waddy is like the Energizer Bunny - non-stop energy - but he's always sweet enough to drop a line and say how much he misses all of us here in L.A. Waddy and Al will be performing a show with Stevie in Chicago tonight 10/19 - I'm sure it'll be wonderful! For info on what Phil, Rick and Brett are up to, check their MySpace pages - and I'm sure they'd enjoy hearing from you all. Feel free to drop a line to Jamie at this page since he doesn't yet have a MySpace page. Jamie is itching to get back on stage with WWB, and misses the band as much as we do when they're away. I'm still trying to get a list of Waddy's arsenal: the guitars and amps he uses at the WWB gigs at the Joint. When John Philbrick gets me the list, I'll post it here for all of you guitar players. I've added a new video to this page - one recently put up on YouTube of Waddy playing with Keith Richards in the Xpensive winos in 1993 in Boston doing "Happy". It's fabulous! Check it out on the main page. For those of you who haven't discovered another WWB page I've put up, it's called "WWB With Friends" and I moved it into our first Top Friends line. On that page you'll find one of the songs from Waddy's album "Ronin", Brett singing Dylan's "Meet Me in the Morning" on Jason Becker's cd, Jamie singing Ozzy Osbourne's "Bark at the Moon" on an Ozzzy tribute cd, and a live version of Waddy singing "Stop Draggin My Heart Around" with Stevie Nicks. If you're going through major withdrawal (like I am) by not seeing WWB at the Joint, check out the live videos of them performing at the Joint. Just click on "Videos" below the Default photo on the main page, and you'll find them. Lots of love goes out to all of you old and new friends from Waddy, Phil, Rick, Brett and Jamie! And from Al! Oh, and lots of love from me as well. Still Rockin' It with ya- Nina Review by Nina: Just when you think it couldn't get any better........ The Waddy Wachtel Band really wowed us last night by pulling out all the stops and shaking the rafters. Literally. As they were doing their rehearsal before the actual sets, big pieces of sparkly glitter fell from above. It was like magical Rockin' dust coming down all around us. That set the tone for the whole evening - WWB Magically Rockin It. The rehearsal consisted of WWB playing "Kashmir" (Led Zep), a song the band hadn't done in a while, which wasn't played during the actual sets later in the night. The band also worked out a new song they'd never played before: "Supermassive Black Hole" (Muse). I'd never heard that song before, so I asked everyone in the place what it was - no one knew! Waddy told me later the name of the song, and said he'd heard it on the radio a couple days earlier and decided to play it on Monday night. From listening to them working on that song, you'd think they'd been playing it for years - that's what happens when talented musicians and vocalists have one day to learn a song without a band rehearsal. :-D Waddy took that song and made it into a really Rockin' delight! We all liked it so much, they played it in the second set as well! Loved it! WWB paid homage to John Lennon on his birthday by playing 3 Beatles songs. Lennon is dearly missed, but his legacy will live forever. What a great and talented man - a true inspiration. There wasn't a bad musical moment in last night's show, but here are some highlights: Waddy Wachtel's guitar solos flew around the music like the glitter cascading from the rafters. As a friend said last night: It's like his fingers are One with his instrument - you can't tell where he leaves off and the guitar begins. His vocal harmonies on "Supermassive Black Hole" were exquisite, and when he sang "Like a Rolling Stone" it seemed like he was off in another world - one we were lucky enough to e included in. Brett Tuggle really got a chance to show how versatile his voice is by crooning through "Tomorrow Never Knows" then screaming through "What's Next to the Moon". Plus his keyboard solo on "Walrus" was other-worldly. Phil Jones sailed through all the tempo changes and 3/5 beats in "Kashmir" during rehearsal effortlessly. Then he went on to amaze us with his energetic playing and smiling face throughout both sets. Jamie Savko blew minds with his vocals on "Supermassive Black Hole". There are high notes in that song it's hard to believe anyone could reach - but Jamie hit them perfectly. He can also hit the low notes, like in "All Down the Line." I don't think his range is limited at all. Al Ortiz showed us again what an exemplar musician he is. He kept up note for note on his bass throughout all the songs - some he'd never played before! And when they reached the crescendos at the end of some of the songs, he matched Waddy's fingers note for note. Set List: 1st Set: "Tomorrow Never Knows" (Beatles) Brett Tuggle lead vocals "Girl's Got Rhythm" (AC/DC) Jamie Savko lead vocals "Supermassive Black Hole" (Muse) Jamie lead vocals "The Rover" (Led Zep) Jamie lead vocals "Ohio" (Neil Young) Waddy Wachtel, Brett, Jamie vocal harmonies "What's Next to the Moon" (AC/DC) Brett lead vocals "Lawyers, Guns and Money" (Warren Zevon) Waddy lead vocals "All Down the Line" (Stones) Jamie lead vocals "I Am the Walrus" (Beatles) Brett lead vocals 2nd set: "Revolution" (Beatles) Brett lead vocals "You Shook Me" (AC/DC) Jamie lead vocals "Honky Tonk Woman" (Stones) Jamie lead vocals "Trampled Underfoot" (Led Zep) Brett lead vocals "Shot Down in Flames" (AC/DC) Jamie lead vocals "Like a Rolling Stone" (Dylan) Waddy lead vocals "Eight Miles High" (Byrds) Waddy, Brett, Jamie vocal harmonies "Supermassive Black Hole" (Muse) Jamie lead vocals "Sin City" (AC/DC) Jamie lead vocals Other notes: Sorry, no slide show for last night's gig. I had to get completely involved in the music with no distractions since the band won't be back at the Joint until 10/29. Waddy and Al will be joining Stevie Nicks in Chicago to tape the Soundstage show for PBS. They're also working out some new/old songs to include in that show with Stevie. Stevie's a really lucky girl, huh! Jimmy Paxson has been showing up the last few Mondays to hang with his buddies, but we haven't been able to coax him up on the stage to play drums on a song or two yet. Maybe............ If anyone has some good photos they took at the Joint of WWB, please forward them to me. I can never have too many photos, and some of them might be used in a future banner for a gig. Although I won't be posting reviews for the next two Mondays (no gigs), I'm working on getting some other info to put up instead so you Rockers won't feel abandoned. ;-) Look forward to a list of guitars used in Waddy's arsenal. Also, we might get some notes from the guys while they're away. If there's any song the band plays you want the lyrics to, just let me know and I'll add them here as well. Oh, if you want to hear what "Supermassive Black Hole" sounds like, I added the song by Muse to my Playlist on my MySpace page. Keep Rockin' It!!!!!!!!! Review by Nina: The energy was really soaring Monday night 10/1 at the Joint when the Waddy Wachtel Band hit the stage, plugged in and pumped it out. There's just nothing like it anywhere! Those of us who got there early were treated to a band rehearsal when the guys worked out some songs with our special guest Al Ortiz on bass. Even the rehearsal rocked! Listening to and watching these pros work out the songs, taking just a matter of a few minutes to get the parts down, is a truly electrifying experience. It's like the Cliff Notes of Rock! Al Ortiz definitely added to the magic on that stage. Not only did he play the bass parts with astonishing accuracy, but he was having a great time doing it. Perfection! A bit about Al..... He comes from a musical family - all of them play instruments and sing - so he's got the musical gene for sure. After playing with lots of local musicians and doing studio work in his home town of Phoenix, he hooked up with Stevie Nicks in 1998, recording and writing with her. His first tour with Stevie was the Trouble in Shangri-La tour in 2001, where he met Waddy and Brett. Al also toured with Stevie on her most recent tour Crystal Visions. We were so lucky to have him join WWB Monday night - And he'll be back to delight us all next Monday 10/8. Since Phil, Brett, Jamie and Al were at the top of their game with exquisite playing and singing, Waddy was able to pound out excellent vocals and guitar solos. He always seems to go one step beyond what's expected and thrill us with his expert guitar techniques. How does he get those incredible sounds out of a guitar using no pedals or effects? I think it's a natural energy coming directly from his heart into the music. Not to mention that he loves Rockin' It! Phil is the bedrock - every drummer's paragon (yeah, "paragon" - look it up :-) ) - never rushing or slowing down, but consistently in perfect time. Brett easily moves from his keyboards to strapping on his guitar and letting his fingers fly comfortably on either instrument - while moving just as easily from singing a soft crooning melody into a screaming rock bit. Jamie's voice seems to be coming through a mixing board - how could someone reach those notes so clearly without some special effects added? - but he just lets the notes sail out of his mouth with astounding clarity. Yeah, they're all incredible! Set List: 1st Set: "Bitch" (Stones) Jamie Savko lead vocals "You Shook Me" (AC/DC) Jamie lead vocals "Cinnamon Girl" (Neil Young) Waddy Wachtel and Brett Tuggle vocals "Trampled Underfoot" (Led Zep) Brett lead vocals "Happy" (Stones) Waddy lead vocals "I Feel Fine" (Beatles) Waddy and Brett vocals "Till the End of the Day" (Kinks) Brett lead vocals "Eight Miles High" (Byrds) Waddy, Brett and Jamie vocals 2nd set: "Tomorrow Never Knows" (Beatles) Brett lead vocals "Honky Tonk Woman" (Stones) Jamie lead vocals "Girl's Got Rhythm" (AC/DC) Jamie lead vocals "Misty Mountain Hop" (Led Zep) Jamie lead vocals "What's Next to the Moon" (AC/DC) Brett lead vocals "All Down the Line" (Stones) Jamie lead vocals "Live Wire" (AC/DC) Brett lead vocals "Jumpin Jack Flash" (Stones) Waddy lead vocals Other notes: WWB played at a private party last Tuesday night and were joined on stage by Joe Walsh and Bernard Fowler with some introductions by Billy Bob Thornton. No, I didn't go - it was a private party - but I hear they rocked the whole place! Waddy and Al performed in Hawaii with Stevie Nicks at a private event last Saturday night, sharing the bill with Aerosmith. Hope you rockers make it to the next WWB gig Monday 10/8. Waddy and Al will be gone for 2 weeks recording the Soundstage show with Stevie, so get your dose of Rock before the break. Okay, here's your slide show from 10/1 at the Joint: | WWB June 2008 | WWB May 2008 | WWB April 2008 | WWB March 2008 | WWB February 2008 | WWB January 2008 | WWB December 2007 | WWB November 2007 | WWB October 2007 | WWB September 2007 | WWB August 2007 | WWB July 2007 | WWB June 2007 | WWB May 2007 | WWB April 2007 | WWB January 2007 | WWB 2006 | WWB July 2008 | WWB August 2008 | WWB September 2008 | | Special Guests Page 1 | Waddy Wachtel Band Reviews and News | About the Waddy Wachtel Band | Waddy Wachtel Band Videos | Brett Tuggle | Waddy Wachtel Band Posters 2008 | | Return Home | Discography / Credits / Gigs | Articles / Interviews | Photos | Contact | Waddy Wachtel Band | Calendar | Search | |
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