The Winery Dogs thread - Portnoy, Sheehan and Kotzen

[JayOctavarium]

I can't wait to see them in October


Did they have an opening act or anything?

[RodrigoAltaf]

Hi there...I“m new to the forum and this is my very first post, so please be gentle.

I live in Rio, and was fortunate enough to catch the first TWD concert in South America last Wednesday. And boy, did they rock! The venue was fairly small, with a 600-crowd capacity, and tickets sold out on the first weekend of sales. Personally I love their first record, especially Time Machine, Criminal and I“m no Angel. Live, it“s Richie that shines the most, his Cornell-like pipes and amazing shred-but-bluesy guitar playing mesmerizing everyone in the room. His interplay with Billy on all songs were also great to watch. And after seeing Mike on his last show with AMob in Sćo Paulo in June and this concert with TWD, I dare say he“s in a very happy place. I arrived quite early at the venue, and listened to the soundcheck from outside - loud and clear!

There were no opening acts, and selected covers were played: Mr. Big“s Shine, Poison“s Stand, and the unusual choice of the night, Elvin Bishop“s Fooled Around and Fell In Love. I was hoping for Mr. Big“s Static, which has Richie singing on the studio version, but it didn“t happen. Overall, they sound live Mr. Big with much better drummer and vocalist, and a raw edge.

Here“s a few pictures from the Rio show:

[Art]

I can't wait to see them in October


Did they have an opening act or anything?

No, it was "just" them.

At least here in the Brazilian leg of the tour.

[Mebert78]

Anyone from here seeing the band in NYC on Saturday?  Is there a DTF meetup?

[DarkyDan]

Love what I've heard of the album. 

Nice soulful, bluesy laid back rock at time, but has the up tempo numbers with a bit of shredding. 
Good fun.  Nice change from my usual Death Metal techfest.

Been having a lot of fun playing and singing "The Dying" on my acoustic, don't have the grungeblues in my voice enough to do it justice though sadly.

[Nick]

Anyone from here seeing the band in NYC on Saturday?  Is there a DTF meetup?

Nope, if I go to anything that day it'll be Yestival in Philly. However I work that day and will likely end up doing neither.

[Mebert78]

Anyone from here seeing the band in NYC on Saturday?  Is there a DTF meetup?

Nope, if I go to anything that day it'll be Yestival in Philly. However I work that day and will likely end up doing neither.

Doesn't sound like ZepDT is going either.  I was hoping a bunch of people from here would be attending, like the Flying Colors show last summer. 

[ZirconBlue]

I was with you until you said "better country".

Seriously though, Amazon's prices are pretty screwy. They can change drastically multiple times a day for no discernible reason.

To be fair, I never said 'better country'. No disrespect to America. Amazon genuinely tends to fuck us over on CD and DVD prices.

I have no problem with the US price being a little lower than the Canadian price, even if our dollar is doing better at the time, but Amazon were being complete assholes when I posted that. They lowered the price of the Winery Dogs album since then ($14 CAD vs $10 USD which is still bullshit), though they still have Impermanent Resonance at $18 CAD vs $10 USD, which is bigger bullshit, and honestly, I'll purchase from a non-Amazon source for more than that at this point, just on principal).

How do their prices compare to other Canadian retailers?  Are there any additional costs in Canada, such as VAT or GST that may be incorporated into the price?

[ytserush]

Anyone from here seeing the band in NYC on Saturday?  Is there a DTF meetup?

Nope, if I go to anything that day it'll be Yestival in Philly. However I work that day and will likely end up doing neither.

Doesn't sound like ZepDT is going either.  I was hoping a bunch of people from here would be attending, like the Flying Colors show last summer.

I'll be at Marco festival that night. I don't know when the opportunity to seem him live will ever happen to me again.

[PetFish]

How do their prices compare to other Canadian retailers?  Are there any additional costs in Canada, such as VAT or GST that may be incorporated into the price?

In addition to using any reason at all to incorporate higher costs INTO the actual product (duty, handling, customs, rust-proofing, undercoating, surcharge, additional overcharge, finder's fee, etc) we then also pay a national tax (5%) and then, depending on what province, you pay an extra tax (in BC it's another 7%).

I swear to cow it's ridiculous how much more things cost us when all they have to do is cross a line on a map.  Even buying from "Canadian" retailers is a total rip.

[Madman Shepherd]

How do their prices compare to other Canadian retailers?  Are there any additional costs in Canada, such as VAT or GST that may be incorporated into the price?

In addition to using any reason at all to incorporate higher costs INTO the actual product (duty, handling, customs, rust-proofing, undercoating, surcharge, additional overcharge, finder's fee, etc) we then also pay a national tax (5%) and then, depending on what province, you pay an extra tax (in BC it's another 7%).

I swear to cow it's ridiculous how much more things cost us when all they have to do is cross a line on a map.  Even buying from "Canadian" retailers is a total rip.

I travel to Canada quite a bit simply because I love the country but I would say prices have really leveled out since our big recession in 2008.  Overall, things are still more pricey in Canada but also keep in mind your minimum wage is higher and most of the jobs here have things like health insurance taken out of our paychecks and you guys...well yeah, healthcare.    I actually looked up the Canadian tax rates and overall, if you make under $40,000 a year, your tax rates are about equivalent to us too and in some provinces are actually better.  But yeah, Amazon sucks for Canadians (and Americans that have to buy stuff from Amazon.ca because our Amazon doesn't carry any CBC DVDs)

[PetFish]

I love Canada and love living here and everything is priced ok, just when you have to order stuff online is when it's insanely insane... like the opposite of especially special.

Also, in my last sentence I left out "online" before retailers so that was confusing.

[Mindflux]

#27 on the US billboard charts. Pretty damn impressive.

[Nick]

Yeah, with 10,000+ units being sold. Frankly I'm shocked by that number. It's sad that Flyers Colors only came to half that.

[RodrigoAltaf]

Apparently all three guys said that this band is now their main priority.

[BlobVanDam]

Apparently all three guys said that this band is now their main priority.

Given the news in the two posts before yours, that wouldn't surprise me. I still need to grab this album.

[bosk1]

Yeah, with 10,000+ units being sold. Frankly I'm shocked by that number. It's sad that Flyers Colors only came to half that.

Wow, so just to recap, the debut album from a side project sold 1.5 times more in its first week than Geoff Tate's "Queensryche" album.

[RodrigoAltaf]

 They have a full CD of cover songs already recorded which wil come out next year, and a live DVD was recorded on their second night in Japan.

 This song kicks MAJOR a$$ but was cut from the final tracklist, and is only included as a bonus on some versions of their debut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QujWr3_zFE Doesn“t Richie sound a bit like Coverdale here?

[bosk1]

Doesn“t Richie sound a bit like Coverdale here?

Wow, yeah, I totally get that.

[theseoafs]

Listened to the album a couple more times in preparation for the weekend (I'll be seeing them in NYC on Saturday).  I think the album's really strong on the whole, and I'm starting to get more into songs I didn't find that interesting at first.  Gotta say that I'm really excited for the future of this group -- the guys have indicated this is going to become sort of like their main project, and while MP also said that about AMob, I think they've got a lot of potential going forward.

[Phoenix87x]

Listened to the album a couple more times in preparation for the weekend (I'll be seeing them in NYC on Saturday).  I think the album's really strong on the whole, and I'm starting to get more into songs I didn't find that interesting at first.  Gotta say that I'm really excited for the future of this group -- the guys have indicated this is going to become sort of like their main project, and while MP also said that about AMob, I think they've got a lot of potential going forward.

Same thing happened with me. On the first listen, I was "yeah, this is alright I guess", but after a couple more listens, I have grown to love the album.

[TL]

Yeah, with 10,000+ units being sold. Frankly I'm shocked by that number. It's sad that Flyers Colors only came to half that.

That's great news for them. Glad to see the album doing pretty well.

Also, yeah, I really wanted Flying Colors to do a lot better than it did. I'm almost surprised that it didn't.

[Perpetual Change]

They have a full CD of cover songs already recorded which wil come out next year, and a live DVD was recorded on their second night in Japan.

What, really? Ok, haha. That doesn't bother me, I won't listen to it though, even though I like the band enough.

Quick question, and I hope this doesn't sound offensive... but do any of you MP diehards really enjoy listening to MP endlessly cover songs with his various bands? A cover here and there is OK, but why must every project now have a CD of covers somewhere in the discography?

[RodrigoAltaf]

Listened to the album a couple more times in preparation for the weekend (I'll be seeing them in NYC on Saturday).  I think the album's really strong on the whole, and I'm starting to get more into songs I didn't find that interesting at first.  Gotta say that I'm really excited for the future of this group -- the guys have indicated this is going to become sort of like their main project, and while MP also said that about AMob, I think they've got a lot of potential going forward.

Same thing happened with me. On the first listen, I was "yeah, this is alright I guess", but after a couple more listens, I have grown to love the album.

 I think that“s the case with most of the music released nowadays. There“s so much output and it“s so accessible, that we rarely give time for songs to grow on us anymore. Also, it“s a case of loss of innocense - we“ve seen too much already, and take for granted most of the stuff that is released.

 With the Winery Dogs though, I listened to the first songs they released but somehow they got stuck in my head days after I heard them...and I always found myself coming back to the youtube videos they released. Now it“s kind of addictive...every second or third day a new song off their CD kicks in and finds itself on repeat on my mp3 almost all day long. I honestly hope they“re here to stay!

[RodrigoAltaf]

They have a full CD of cover songs already recorded which wil come out next year, and a live DVD was recorded on their second night in Japan.

What, really? Ok, haha. That doesn't bother me, I won't listen to it though, even though I like the band enough.

Quick question, and I hope this doesn't sound offensive... but do any of you MP diehards really enjoy listening to MP endlessly cover songs with his various bands? A cover here and there is OK, but why must every project now have a CD of covers somewhere in the discography?

 It depends on which cover you“re talking about...I have the Adrenaline Mob covers album, and some of the songs work quite well (Romeo Delight, Kill the King), others not so much (Barracuda, Break on Through, Lemon Song). That was the case with DT as well. I really liked the bonus album off BCSL - they nailed each and every song here - but very often it just wouldn“t fit. The main reasons for that, at least in DT“s case, was that Jordan would come up with a keyboard part to replace something in the arrangement of the original song that would stick out like a sore thumb, or James“ voice not fitting with the song so well.

In the case of The Winery Dogs, I“d say you have a point. They“re on a good track, why not focusing on a brand new CD next year and leave the covers for the future?

[bosk1]

Just picked this up.  I expected to like it, but I am surprised at how catchy it is. 

One thing I was silently afraid of is that Mike would overdrum for this kind of music.  He does.  And it absolutely works!    It could be argued that all three guys overplay a bit.  But it really works for filling the sonic space that often sounds a bit empty with 3-piece bands.  Bands like Rush and King's X that somehow manage to sound huge as a 3-piece have really hit on something rare and special.  These guys defintiely do that.

[theseoafs]

Hey guys, just got back from the NYC show.  It was pretty incredible, all in all.  They played the entire album and a few covers; many of the songs from the record were extended with extra jamming and soloing.  A few observations:

- All of the guys were in top form.  I learned Richie doesn't play with a pick.  Billy and Mike were having a lot of fun; Richie didn't seem as into it, maybe a little more distracted or focused or something.  I've never seen him perform before so that could just be what his stage presence is like.
- Billy and Mike both got solos, and Richie had a chance to perform an acoustic number alone, so each of the guys got their own time to shine.  Mike usually tours with bigger kits than he had this time around, so during his solo he jokingly mimed hitting drums that weren't there.  Pretty funny.
- The full title of the event was "Eddie Trunk presents The Winery Dogs", and he quite literally did that before the show.  He talked a bit about the band's formation, his radio show, yada yada.  He also announced a few of the upcoming events at the club (it was BB King's).  They were Saxon and Fozzy (scattered cheers), Rik Emmett (cheers), and Bret Michaels (scattered boos).
- Jolly was a lot of fun; I hadn't heard them before, but they really impressed me.  The "centerpiece" of their set was a very long, mostly instrumental piece mainly in 7/8 (anyone know the one)?  Anyway, the pulse was reminiscent of The Great Debate, which a girl standing near me pointed out to a friend after the set.  "Of course," she later expressed, "that's real Dream Theater, not Dead Dream Theater."  I'm not certain what Dead Dream Theater is, but my powers of introspection tell me that she may be talking about post-Portnoy Dream Theater.  Hanging out on DTF you never hear that opinion, but people definitely have it.

All in all it was a really great show and I'd see them again in a heartbeat.  I'm really hoping this side project sticks around.

[axeman90210]

Yeah, definitely an excellent show tonight. While Flying Colors is still my favorite of the post-DT Portnoy adventures, Winery Dogs is right up there and I'd love to see these guys record and tour regularly. This was my first time seeing the other two guys perform, and despite his reputation preceding him, I was still blown away by Billy Sheehan's playing. Richie was killer as well, and his voice definitely holds up strongly live.

Also, my friend and I camped out right by what turned out to be the tables held for MP's guests, and I just have to say that his wife was super nice to the both of us, and I ended up watching the last five or so songs from his family's table

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Awesome stories, both of you.

[RodrigoAltaf]

Richie didn't seem as into it, maybe a little more distracted or focused or something.  I've never seen him perform before so that could just be what his stage presence is like.
/quote]

 I noticed that in the Rio show as well, and said that to a few friends who were at the show. They“d seen Richie“s solo show in Rio - he“s been here a few times - and said he“s exactly the same. My wife and I were standing right in front of him, and he seemed kind of detached in the first two or three songs, but then he seemed to "land" and opened up. As one of my friends said, "he seems to be in another dimension sometimes". But the man can shred and sing, and that“s a VERY rare combination, right?

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Listening through this album today on the drive to and from work and loving it.  They were in my backyard last night, in Lancaster, PA.  While I was in NJ, seeing Black Sabbath.  Kinda bummed that I missed them when they were SO close to home.  But I'm sure they'll be around for me to see them.

Also, I'm pleased to see more people being exposed to Billy Sheehan's playing.  Most people know Billy as "that guy from that band that did To Be With You".  Rage ensues when I hear that.  The guy is an absolute monster and I'm really happy he's back in a band like this.  His stuff from his original 3-piece, Talas, back in the 80's was pretty awesome stuff.  You hear some old Talas recordings and his bass tone will literally make you shit your pants.  Back then, the kind of stuff he does was pretty out of the ordinary.  Most people would plod along on E or A.  He plays in the pocket and manages to fill in with licks to make it interesting.  Sort of like Paul McCartney or Paul Samwell-Smith or Andy Fraser did, except he clearly took it to a whole new level.  Being known by most people as the "To Be With You" bass player is borderline criminal. 

There are things about this group that sound like later Mr. Big, which makes sense, given that RK was in Mr. Big for a while.  The chorus of Elevate is a good example.  Some of the interplay between the two of them is very reminiscent of the old Sheehan/Gilbert licks, with the unison solo lines (again, good examples in Elevate).  So while there's some Mr. Big in their sound, there's enough other things going on to give it distinction and keep it from being a Mr. Big clone.  I love it.

[ytserush]

Yeah, with 10,000+ units being sold. Frankly I'm shocked by that number. It's sad that Flyers Colors only came to half that.

Not surprised at all.  The music is more "traditional" and as such more easily marketable. Promoters are also getting more behind it and there is an extensive tour in support of the album.

For what its worth, more people know who Kotzen and Sheehan are than know anyone in Flying Colors.

That said. I still think Flying Colors will hang around longer.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Wow, I'm REALLY loving "Damaged".

[Phoenix87x]

Wow, I'm REALLY loving "Damaged".

Damaged is incredible.

[RodrigoAltaf]

Wow, I'm REALLY loving "Damaged".

 Dude, wait until all the other songs in the album creep into your brain...you“ll put them on repeat all day! That was the case for me with Criminal, I“m no Angel, The Other Side etc etc.

 Of all projects MP put together after leaving DT, this is the one I“m hoping sticks around for longer. They put on a great show, almost Rush-like, in the sense that you“re never sure where to look: all three guys are kickin“a$$ at the same time!!!