Myles Kennedy Solo Record - Year Of The Tiger

[mikeyd23]

This is to Evermind:  I don't know that I would go see Alter Bridge; I have a number of their records - two live, two studio - and while Myles is a beast, and Mark is a good - not great - guitar player, it just seems same-y to me.  A lot of the songs have that sort of "growling" chug on the E string (think Bumblefoot's riff on... either Coming Home or Signs of the Time, I forget which, which should  tell you all you need to know right there) that's not my go-to.   But his work with  Slash and solo is out of this world (and according to the roadie that dusted me, he  and Slash WILL be  doing another record in the fall).

AB needs a different producer. They have used the same one for the last 3-4 records I believe.

I think Myles confirmed that the record is done or that he already recorded vocals for it.

Yes, AB should certainly use a different producer, that would be great. And yes, Slash will have a new solo record out this year. Myles has already recorded some of, if not all, his vocals for it.

Oh and Stads - I've seen AB a bunch of times, they put on an amazing show, you'd really enjoy it.

[Anguyen92]

Bumping to announce that he's doing one more US leg of solo shows in November and December.  I would suggest that if you are a fan of his and you are within 5 hours of driving time, I would suggest going to these shows.  I've seen AB and I've seen Myles with Slash and honestly, seeing Myles solo was the best show I have ever been to.  I was standing in the 5th row of GA when I saw his solo show in LA and I paid $25 for that ticket comparing that to seeing Slash (for about $70.00) and AB (actually it was $26.00) in the nosebleeds.  It's well worth seeing it.  Here's the poster of dates below.

[Stadler]

Want to reinforce that.  I saw him at the Highland Ballroom in NYC and it ruled.  Hartford is 20 minutes, so there is no excuse.

[Adami]

Closest show is like 10 hours away.


I hate living here.

[kaos2900]

He's playing 20 minutes from on the one night I can't go! Looks like I'll be making a trip to KC.

[mikeyd23]

That Warrendale, PA show is like 15 minutes from my house! No brainer, I'll be there for sure! 

[lordxizor]

Like everyone else recently, he's skipping Minneapolis. Milwaukee and Council Bluffs are both too far for me to go just for one show. Oh well... Hopefully I'll catch him solo sometime in the future.

[mikeyd23]

BUMP.

Went to the Myles solo show in Warrendale (right outside Pittsburgh) last night. Awesome show.

Good mix of his solo record, AB, Mayfield, and covers. Really enjoyable performances, the band sounded great and Myles was fantastic. Small venue, probably a couple hundred people there but the crowd was good and into it. It was also Myles' birthday so the crew brought out a cake and the crowd sang to him, pretty fun.

Such a great experience to see Myles in such a small, chill setting.

[Stadler]

Band?   Not him and a guitar (and his roadie on about three songs)?   Hmm.  I had to bail on the Hartford show last minute, and while I'm a huge Myles fan, that he wasn't solo acoustic makes me feel less bad about  not going. 

[mikeyd23]

Band?   Not him and a guitar (and his roadie on about three songs)?   Hmm.  I had to bail on the Hartford show last minute, and while I'm a huge Myles fan, that he wasn't solo acoustic makes me feel less bad about  not going.

Yeah this run of the tour is Myles Kennedy and Company. The majority of the set was Myles on guitar and vocals, with a drummer (the drummer from the Mayfield Four) and a bass player. Myles did several songs acoustic by himself during the set as well. It was a good mixture of the trio playing and Myles playing solo. The majority of the time Myles was playing electric not acoustic. Still a pretty chill vibe, nothing too crazy.

[Samsara]

I contemplated flying up to Seattle for this with the fam, but its too close to Christmas. We had a blast in San Francisco on the first leg of the tour. Myles spotted my daughter a few times and motioned to his tech/other guitar player to give her a pick and setlist. She was thrilled beyond words and I framed those up and hung them on her wall. She (like my wife and I) love us some Myles. I'll never forget him hearing me ask for Summergirl, and you could tell that while he could do it, it just wasn't something he felt comfortable doing. The dude is so emotional. Its really refreshing.

Can't wait for the next AB record. As a fam, we're probably going to do a couple of shows.

[mikeyd23]

I contemplated flying up to Seattle for this with the fam, but its too close to Christmas. We had a blast in San Francisco on the first leg of the tour. Myles spotted my daughter a few times and motioned to his tech/other guitar player to give her a pick and setlist. She was thrilled beyond words and I framed those up and hung them on her wall. She (like my wife and I) love us some Myles. I'll never forget him hearing me ask for Summergirl, and you could tell that while he could do it, it just wasn't something he felt comfortable doing. The dude is so emotional. Its really refreshing.

There was a woman in a wheelchair right up front at the show last night and Myles went out of his way to rip his setlist off the ground after the show and hand it to her. When he handed it to her, he looked like he was just overflowing with gratitude to her for hanging out right up front and rocking out all night in her chair. So cool.

My buddy that I took to the show commented on the way home how impressed he was with Myles as a person. This is a dude that plays huge arena shows in the UK with AB, and plays huge shows all over the world with Slash - and yet in front of a couple hundred people in a small club outside of Pittsburgh, he gave it 110%, enjoyed every minute of it, and stayed out on the stage for several minutes after the show to shake a ton of hands and thank people for coming. Super humble, grounded dude. Love that guy.

[Samsara]

Love hearing that. Yeah, completely agree.

There is a sincerity from Myles that just is not present in a lot of other musicians. He truly appears to be quite grounded and thankful for the success he has had, after the way things went with Mayfield Four. Really nice to see in an era of really fake people who feign giving a shit.

[Stadler]

Look I'm a huge fan of Myles, talked about that a lot here, and at the last Slash show he made sure a little kid (7?  8?) wearing a cool Slash-like hat got a pick and a drumstick...  during that same show, I was second row and I waved and said "Thank you for the show!" and he pointed at me and said "No, thank you for coming out to see it!".     But I also was standing outside the Highline Ballroom after the solo gig in NY, and he had his roadies run interference - like, blatantly - so he could avoid the four or five of us standing there.   I felt really sour about that for a couple days after, and while I understand it conceptually, it's only fair to point out that he's human as well. 

[Samsara]

Always trust Stads will be there to rain on your parade.

 

Seriously though, everyone has a day. No one is ON, 24x7. I'm just saying he seems genuine. And if I remember that story right, wasn't his wife there, and it was obvious he had someplace to be or something? I could be way off, but I could swear you said that.

[Adami]

Can you fault a guy for wanting to avoid talking to Stads though? 

[Stadler]

Always trust Stads will be there to rain on your parade.

 

Seriously though, everyone has a day. No one is ON, 24x7. I'm just saying he seems genuine. And if I remember that story right, wasn't his wife there, and it was obvious he had someplace to be or something? I could be way off, but I could swear you said that.

His wife was there, but as to whether he had somewhere to go, I can't speak to that.  All I know is the roadie came over to talk to me and two people next to me like we were long lost buddies, while looking over his shoulder, and in mid-sentence - i.e., when Myles was clear - said "well, ok, bye!" hopped in the van and sped off.   Hey don't mean to rain, I really don't, and I'm over it, and consider him one of the best.  Just want/need the full story out there. 

[Stadler]

Can you fault a guy for wanting to avoid talking to Stads though? 

I had my talking points in bullet form on paper; I would have been brief! 

[Samsara]

Always trust Stads will be there to rain on your parade.

 

Seriously though, everyone has a day. No one is ON, 24x7. I'm just saying he seems genuine. And if I remember that story right, wasn't his wife there, and it was obvious he had someplace to be or something? I could be way off, but I could swear you said that.

His wife was there, but as to whether he had somewhere to go, I can't speak to that.  All I know is the roadie came over to talk to me and two people next to me like we were long lost buddies, while looking over his shoulder, and in mid-sentence - i.e., when Myles was clear - said "well, ok, bye!" hopped in the van and sped off.   Hey don't mean to rain, I really don't, and I'm over it, and consider him one of the best.  Just want/need the full story out there.

I'm just giving you shit. I get it man. 

Can you fault a guy for wanting to avoid talking to Stads though? 

 

Poor Stads. Myles sees him comin', dude fucking dives for the open door.

[Adami]

Can you fault a guy for wanting to avoid talking to Stads though? 

I had my talking points in bullet form on paper; I would have been brief!

I'm almost exactly on the same page with you, and I don't necessarily disagree with you, but you're wrong. I would never tell you what to think, but you should know that you're wrong.

[mikeyd23]

Poor Stads. Myles sees him comin', dude fucking dives for the open door.

  Seems about right.

[Stadler]

I'll have you know, neither guy called security.   At least not immediately (though I think Gary Barden was trying to lift my wallet). 

[Anguyen92]

New song for a new solo album.  The album called Ides of March.  This song is called In Stride and it's released now.  Preorders are up on sale on his website.    He's gone upbeat Southern Rock in this one, but I don't think this song is going to define the album, but it's probably going to be part of him wanting to continue exploring different styles that he couldn't do with AB or with Slash in big lengths.  I read somewhere, maybe from an interview, that he has a Motown-vibe song in this one.  I'm hoping he has another great acoustic centerpiece along the veins of Love Can Only Heal.  If he has that for this album, it's going to be a big plus for the album to me.  Anywho, here's the new song in the link below.

In Stride



https://myleskennedy.com/collections/build-the-mk-solo-record

[kaos2900]

Very excited for this!

[Anguyen92]

Another song out!!!!  The title track.  The Ides of March.  Released almost to the actual day of The Ides of March.  It's a lengthy one.  I don't know how he still does it, man.  Relish this man's talent.

The Ides of March

But I also was standing outside the Highline Ballroom after the solo gig in NY, and he had his roadies run interference - like, blatantly - so he could avoid the four or five of us standing there.   I felt really sour about that for a couple days after, and while I understand it conceptually, it's only fair to point out that he's human as well.

Looking back at these posts.  Wow, Stadler.  I ran into the guy in 2019 and all I had to do was be in the same airport going on the same airplane as him from Orlando to Raleigh.  I talk to him for a brief moment.  Told him what a swell guy he and everyone else in Alter Bridge is and told him I hope that it's not long before he does another round of solo shows (where he mentioned he wants to do another solo album so that he can do these shows.  This was pre-pandemic of course.).  Was a pretty chill guy.  He also took time to talk to a few fans from Australia that was also going to see AB in Raleigh.  They took this picture for me.  Greatest moment of my life.

[Stadler]

I'm happy for you!  That must have been quite the moment for you!

(And my experience shouldn't influence yours in any way; there are 15 or more reasons why things went the way they did, and only a small number are a measure of him or his character.  I'm still a fan, and I'll be at any solo shows he does in support of this record, god willing.  Who knows; maybe I'll meet him and tell him my story!  )

[Samsara]

Excited for the new Myles record. I liked his first solo album, and I think "Love Can Only Heal" is one of the best songs I've heard in many years. But to be honest, I didn't like the mostly acoustic direction (the tour was great though).

The first two songs he's put out from Ides of March, In Stride, and the title track, are really good. Different enough from AB, a little bit of Mayfield Four (which is inevitable, considering he's recording with the same drummer), but it's his own sound and vibe for sure. Can't wait to get it.

I've only listened to both those songs once or twice (In Stride twice, the title track once). I rather put on the album when it gets here. Fingers-crossed he finds time to tour it.

Regarding Myles, I have only met him at Meet & Greets. I've done three of them. Fortress tour, The Last Hero, and Walk the Sky. And while Myles himself has been the same guy all three times - great sense of humor if you come at him with a little something - the meet and greets have been getting more sterile. The first one was the longest and best, IMO.

We probably won't do it again (the M&Gs) because we go as a family and it gets expensive. We've met them multiple times and got stuff signed and personalized (from home, unlike now, where they don't really allow it), along with pictured. But the M&Gs for AB have certainly got more...corporate. Well organized, a credit to the people who run them, but not enough time with the band.

Anyway, I digress. Bring on the new Myles album.

[Samsara]

Shocked at how this thread hasn't been posted in since my last post in March 2021.

I thought The Ides of March was a great album. It had a blend of styles on it and really went a couple different directions that Myles likely would never fully explore in Alter Bridge. The title track is a great journey, something I could see AB doing (and they did with The Fable of the Silent Son this year on Pawns & Kings), but it has this great...not sure how to describe it...earthy, organic feel to the tune I don't think AB, as a band, would have done.

It's funny, when the record first dropped, I listened to it, then put it away, and it was my daughter and wife, both of whom fell in love with it, that inspired me to revisit it. And then I couldn't stop playing it for a month or two. I really like how Myles has brought on Zia Uddin for drums from his Mayfield Four days. Zia has such a great and different feel from Scott Phillips, and it really brings Myles' solo stuff to life.

Anyway, unfortunately, Myles never played remotely anywhere close to me on the Ides of March solo trek he did, which is a shame. He played by us on the Year of the Tiger tour, which was an amazing experience in this tiny club, all acoustic. It was an incredible night. Maybe once AB is off the road (assuming AB will tour through Q1 of 2024), he'll bring his solo live tour back to places he didn't play.

Edited to add: I really, really love Myles guitar solos throughout The Ides of March. You really get a sense of how talented he is. He's not a shredder at all, but his solos are so moving, and really fit the songs.