Earlier this year, Rewind It Magazine were there at the Amway Center when WWE came through Orlando for Raw. This past Friday, July 21, the world’s largest wrestling promotion came back into town for their SmackDown brand, and Rewind It were once again there to catch all of the action. What made the occasion all the more special was being able to take my son Jacob Striewski to his first ever WWE event finally, where he once again acted as photographer for Rewind It for the third straight time in a row (and second consecutive time at the Amway).
The ladies kicked the night off with a sizzle as the lovely Tiffany Stratton effortlessly took out Kiana James in the first match. Afterwards, ringside announcers Wade Barrett and Michael Cole made their dramatic entrances.
The fatal 4-way between Rey Mysterio, Sheamus, LA Knight, and Cameron Grimes was no doubt one of the biggest draws of the night that saw stars like Austin Theory and Santos Escobar also get coaxed into the mix. But the wildest moment of the match came when all four of the original men fell from the top of the turnbuckle in a massive Tower of Doom maneuver. Ultimately, Mysterio walked away with the victory and advancement to the U.S. Invitational.
Second-generation wrestler Charlotte Flair (daughter of the legendary Ric Flair) then emerged to take on Iyo Sky. The ladies duked it out for some time before Flair ultimately took the W, only to be blindsided by Asuka, who left Flair writhing in pain on the mat.
Charlotte Flair takes down Iyo Sky with ease.
In a brief backstage segment, Kayla interviewed Dominick Myseterio with Rhea Ripley by his side. As he bragged on about taking on everyone and anyone for his title, Butch of The Brawling Brutes came out to challenge him. Then former WWE legend Shawn Michaels emerged to much delight of (most) of the crowd to say what a “great idea” this was, leaving everyone stunned.
U.S. Champion Austin Theory and LWO member Santos Escobar then picked up where they left off earlier in a non-title match. Despite being the underdog, Escobar walked away with a victory after initiating a Phantom Driver on Theory.
Current NXT champion Dominik Mysterion came out (with Rhea Ripley at his side) to defend his title against Butch. Mysterio seemed to be in charge before Butch’s partner Ridge Holland came from out of nowhere to bale out his teammate.
Dirty “Dom” Mysterio holds his NXT Championship belt high as Rhea Ripley looks on.
Things then took a turn for the hilarious as Kit Wilson pushed Elton Prince (both of the Pretty Deadly tag team) down to ringside in a wheelchair. The two quickly fled as the Brutes chased them off, only for Ripley to attack Butch and effectively help Dirty “Dom” retain his title.
But of course the true show-stopper and most talked about segment of the evening came when the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and cousin Jey Uso played out the drama of the “Rules of Engagement,” signing the contract for the upcoming SummerSlam match at a desk and chairs set up in the center of the ring.
Reigns and Uso stare each other down as Solo prepares to strike.
This ended with Reigns stopping Samoan Solo from attacking Uso, only to give Uso the opening to knock Solo out of the ring with a superkick to the face. A nervous Paul Heyman could only look on with worry as Reigns and Uso stared each other down afterwards, knowing that the “Tribal Chief” status of the Bloodline story was now on the line.
As if all of this was not enough, two dark matches followed, first between Grayson Waller and AJ Styles, followed by Drew McyIntyre appearing, raising his sword high among flames in the ring before taking on Ludwig Kaiser in an off-air match. Despite some exciting moments, the energy in the crowd had begun to dissipate as many dispersed, leaving the final battle of the night (which found McIntyre ultimately winning) somewhat anti-climatic.
With a lineup as full as the one at this past Saturday’s Freestyle Explosion Throwback Jam at the Amway Center on July 15, there was no doubt Rewind It Magazine would make an appearance there of some sort. Unfortunately, not all of us could attend this time due to other prior commitments, so for the first time ever, I’m actually taking the place of Jesse Striewski as reviewer, and stepped back from behind the camera lens the night of to let our son/apprentice Jacob Striewski shoot another show.
The title of the show did not let down, with one consecutive throwback act from the ’80s/’90s after the other coming on stage and getting straight to the point, launching one hit after another in quick procession. Cynthia was first up for the night, getting things going with dance numbers like “Break Up to Make Up” and “Thief of Heart.”
Cynthia and Johnny O performing “Dreamboy/Dreamgirl” together on stage.
The Jets have always been one of those quaint acts with catchy hits like “Crush on You” and “You Got It All” that were fun to hear live, and the windbreakers each member of the group adorned help keep the old-school vibe going for sure. But one-hit wonders Color Me Badd were not the best act to follow them, and it seemed apparent that some members of the band were only actually lip-syncing the words to songs like “I Wanna Sex You Up.”
Johnny O was up next with songs like “Fantasy Girl,” but the true highlight was without a doubt when Cynthia came back out and joined him on stage at the end of his set to tackle the 1990 hit “Dreamboy/Dreamgirl” together.
Freestyle were no doubt one of my personal favorites of the night, and are a true embodiment of ’80s freestyle music worthy of break-dancing on broken cardboard boxes to. I couldn’t help but move listening to tracks like “It’s Automatic” from 1986 while also wishing I could go back in time.
Freestyle doing their thing on Saturday night at Amway Center.
What ’80s freestyle party would be complete without such skating-rink anthems as “Lookout Weekend” and “When I Hear Music” by Debbie Deb? The singer gave it her all as she belted out some of the most memorable hits of the night.
Robb Base then broke out with his early ’90s hit “It Takes Two” before stepping aside for TKA K7, who I wouldn’t say are exactly in my music range per se, though they seemed to get the crowd moving with hits like “Come Baby Come.”
Then there’s Lisa Lisa, who burst on the scene in the mid-’80s as the leader of Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam. Sure hits like “Head to Toe” and “Lost in Emotion” were fun to hear live, but it seemed as though a little too much emphasis was put on her back up dancers, rather than the overall performance.
Lisa Lisa giving it all she’s got in Orlando on Saturday.
And finally, the one and only Stevie B closed out the night. His set did not stray far from when Rewind It Magazine last caught him in 2021, with “Party Your Body,” “I Wanna Be the One,” “In My Eyes,” “Because I Love You (The Postman Song),” and “Spring Love” dominating his set. And on that note, the crowd at Amway Center went home feeling just a little more fulfilled than they had been before stepping into the arena that night.
It’s been far too long since the last time I’ve been out to Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, FL for a show (probably since the late ’90s), but it’s been even longer since a band like Ugly Kid Joe has made it down to south FL to play, having not fully toured the U.S. in well over two decades (they’ve only really played some sporadic shows and festivals since reuniting a few years back).
My usual photographer/wife Brooke was unable to shoot this past Sunday, June 4 for various reasons, so for the first time ever, I allowed my teenaged son Jacob – who has apprenticed under Brooke a few times in the past – photograph the show from start to finish. It was a decision that we’re now both beyond glad to have agreed on (a couple of old friends of the Rewind It family, Kurt and Kevin, were also in tow for the evening).
Newcomers Pistols At Dawn were the first to grace the stage on Sunday night, and I was immediately put at ease by their youthful appearance, which I think helped to put Jacob’s nerves somewhat at ease prior to stepping up to bat for the first time in the photo pit. The band came on and ripped through an admirable set of hard rock/metal tracks with titles such as “Gauntlet,” “Fly,” “Cold,” and “The Truth.”
A cover of the Alice in Chains staple “Man in the Box” was decent enough, despite the track being overly played-to-death by this point. But the biggest highlight perhaps came in the form of a solo that saw guitarist Will utilize a lighted guitar to get his point across. Hopefully we’ll be seeing much more of these guys in the future.
Next up on the roster was Fozzy, who emerged after a brief intro of Journey’s classic “Don’t Stop Believin'” played on. While the rock fan in me is no doubt able to appreciate their old-school sound, the main draw has always been the appeal to the wrestling fan in me, with former ECW, WCW, WWF/WWE, and now AEW star Chris Jerchio at the vocal position (it also doesn’t hurt that Stuck Mojo guitarist Rich Ward and more recently, Trixter bassist P.J. Farley are also both in the lineup now).
Jericho and co. wasted no time to rip through tracks like “Sane,” “Lights Go Out,” “Do You Wanna Start a War,” “Nowhere to Run,” a cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax,” “I Still Burn,” “Burn Me Out,” (seeing a theme yet?) “Spider in My Mouth,” “God Pounds His Nails,” “Purifier,” “Enemy,” and of course, “Judas.” It was clear Fozzy were all about having a good time, which was no doubt punctuated when Jericho brought out a smoke gun and sprayed it above the crowd’s heads, all in good fun.
Another band that’s never been accused of lacking fun has always been Ugly Kid Joe. As a fan since their first album going all the way back to the early ’90s (when I was still a little scamp), it was great to finally get to cross them off my list, even with some considerable lineup changes (adding former The Sisters of Mercy/Ghost guitarist Chris Catalyst and Harvey Danger/Loaded’s Mike Squires on bass were indeed wise moves though).
Frontman Whitfield Crane (who also briefly served time in Life of Agony, and is still accompanied by original UKJ guitarist Klaus Eichstadt by his side) and company definitely came out swinging with “That Ain’t Livin’,” “V.I.P.,” and “Neighbor.” It was around this time that Crane pointed down at the photographers in the photo pit (including Jacob) and motioned for the two of them to come up on the stage. I watched in awe as my child fully embraced the moment and promptly ran to the stage, where he positioned himself for the rest of the night!
It was no doubt easy to enjoy the rest of the show from then on out, as a handful of classic tracks like “C.U.S.T.,” “Jesus Rode a Harley,” and “Panhandlin’ Prince” preceded a group of newer songs in the form of “Dead Friends Play,” “No One Survives,” and “Devil’s Paradise.” The classics “So Damn Cool” and their massive cover of Harry Chapin’s “Cats in the Cradle” had the crowd going at full steam by that point.
“I’m Alright” found the band and audience literally jumping throughout, while “Goddamn Devil” was probably the most welcomed surprise of their entire set (hearing Crane hitting the Rob Halford parts live was admittedly pretty awesome). Then instead of leaving the stage, the band asked their audience scream for its encore of either one or two songs (the loudest of course winning).
Then to everyone’s surprise, they actually broke out with three more tracks; “Come Tomorrow” (the one and only “weak” moment of the night in my book, which I would’ve much rather heard replaced by the likes of something like “God” or “Tomorrow’s World” instead), an intense cover of Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades,” and obviously, the immortal “Everything About You” (at this point I saw Jacob actually photographing from above the spiral staircase behind the band, at which point I could only shake my head once again in disbelief!).
After the show, Jacob and I were able to meet and personally thank drummer (and unsung hero) Cam Greenwood for the awesome moment the band just allowed a young photographer like Jacob to have (it should also be noted that various members of the band “checked” on him throughout the night, giving him fist bumps and pats on the back to show encouragement). Having covered many shows over the years and having similar experiences myself was nothing compared to being able to finally share something like this with my kid, and my heart’s filled with joy as I type this all out. I can’t thank the guys from Ugly Kid Joe enough for giving this father and son duo such a truly special moment to bond over, and a memory that won’t soon be forgotten.
Rewind It Photographer Jacob Striewski (left) with Ugly Kid Joe drummer Cam Greenwood after the show.
The last time Rewind It Magazine made it out to Daytona Beach for the annual rock fest Welcome to Rockville in 2021, the event was held at the end of the year, and the weather was nearly perfect. Thankfully we skipped last year completely, which by all accounts reached near disastrous levels with torrential downpours that caused delays throughout the festivities.
Thankfully things did not go as terribly wrong by the time we decided to make an appearance on Saturday, May 20 (the first two nights just didn’t have enough to offer of interest in all honesty), although by the time we did finally make it, we had just missed Kreator’s (one of the main selling points of the day for myself personally) set, arriving just in time to see their crew breaking down their gear.
So we waited for Sepultura’s set on the very same stage instead. Having already seen them once back in 2011, I already knew what to expect more or less, and only stayed to hear a handful of tracks from them in the form of “Isolation,” “Territory,” and “Means to an End” before making our way onto better things.
One of the other main selling points for me personally this year was actually Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, which is what we promptly left said Sepultura set early for in order to catch their full set. It was a blast hearing the likes of “Immigrant Song,” “Good Times Bad Times,” “Over the Hills and Far Away,” “The Wanton Song,” “Ramble On,” “Misty Mountain Hop,” “The Ocean Song,” “Black Dog,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and “Rock and Roll,” even if many of these by now are beyond overplayed radio standards.
Chevelle were the next act to catch, and although I’ve never had too much of an issue with their music (this would be my third time seeing them live, too), it was a perfect chance to take a breather and catch a bite to eat while listening to the likes of “Face to the Floor,” “The Clincher,” “Send the Pain Below,” and “The Red” in the background.
Then there’s good old Alice Cooper, who at this stage in the game feels timeless. And speaking of time, this marked my fourth time actually catching him in concert (and two of those instances I had actually worked security for him). “Lock Me Up,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “I’m Eighteen,” “Under My Wheels,” “Billion Dollar Babies,” “Fallen in Love,” “Snakebite,” “Feed My Frankenstein,” and “Poison” were all thrown out there before fans were given a guitar solo by the lovely Nita Strauss that ended in a jam of “Black Widow.”
“The Ballad of Dwight Fry” found Cooper singing in his signature straight jacket before his daughter Cheryl Cooper came on stage and decapitated him with a guillotine under the tune of “I Love the Dead.” The classic ’70s anthem “School’s Out” (complete with a few bars of Pink Fylod’s “The Wall” thrown in there for good measure) seemed to end the set before Cooper emerged behind a podium for an encore of “Elected.” Although far from my first time seeing him, it was surreal finally watching him with my two favorite people by my side, making it an especially fond memory for me.
For the life of me I’ve never really gotten the appeal of Godsmack, even though I have caught them live before as well (just once, back at Earthday Birthday in 2012). And how they were even remotely above Alice Cooper on the roster makes zero sense, but either way they opened with “When Legends Rise,” before going into the likes of “Cryin’ Like a Bitch!!,” “1000hp,” “You and I,” “Something Different,” “What About Me,” “Bulletproof,” and “Awake.”
By this time, frontman Sully Erna pulled back to have a “drum off” with drummer Shannon Larkin (who some may recall was the drummer for Ugly Kid Joe for many years). This lead to brief medlies of rock staples such as “Back in Black,” “Walk This Way, and “Enter Sandman” thrown in, and seemed like the perfect time to start heading over to the next stage.
And said stage contained what everyone had really came to see, the reunited Pantera. I was beyond lucky enough to see the band back at Ozzfest in ’97 when both guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul were both still alive, so it really didn’t bother me to see singer Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown now joined by Black Label Society’s Zakk Wylde and Anthrax’s Charlie Benante filling in for the departed brothers in tribute to them (it also gave my wife and teenaged son a chance to finally see them for the first time as well).
While my memory is somewhat fuzzy as far as what the band played way back over twenty years ago, there’s no mistaking the band ripped through “A New Level,” “Mouth For War,” “Strength Beyond Strength,” “Becoming,” and the recently added “Suicide Note Pt. II.”
“5 Minutes Alone,” “Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit,” and “Fucking Hostile” continued the non-stop aggression before the band slowed things down a bit, showing video footage of the Abbott brothers with “Cemetery Gates” draped over top of it before segueing into their trippy cover of Black Sabbath’s “Planet Cavravan.” More hard-hitting classics in the form of “Walk” and”Domination/Hollow” followed before they closed things out with “Cowboys From Hell,” effectively leaving even the biggest of naysayers with their jaws to the floor.
The following day, Sunday, May 21, paled in comparison after what was beheld previously. By the time we had made it, Senses Fail were already on stage and wrapping it up, so after catching a couple of tracks like “Buried Alive, “Chop Suey/Break Stuff,” and “Can’t Be Saved,” we proceeded to the one that post-grunge ’90s rockers Filter was appearing on. They wasted no time with their five-song set as they plowed through “Welcome to the Fold,” “Face Down,” “(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do,” “Take a Picture,” and of course, “Hey Man Nice Shot.”
More ’90s rock followed as legendary skate punks Pennywise then took over the Octane stage. It was my third time seeing them since the very first Warped Tour I ever attended back in 2001, and I was still genuinely excited to hear tracks like “Peaceful Day,” “The World,” “Straight Ahead,” “My Own Country,” “Same Old Story,” “Fuck Authority,” a cover of Nirvana’s “Territorial Pissings,” “Pennywise,” “Society,” and “Bro Hymn.”
Sets from the likes of mediocre acts such as The Mars Volta and Coheed & Cambria were again perfect opportunities to grab a bite to eat and check out the merch tents before watching the likes of trap rapper Ghostemane. For perhaps the first time ever, I fully understood what it felt like to be that fish out of water parent just there for their kid, as I endured songs with titles like “Nihil,” “Bonesaw,” and “Trench Coat” that made little to no sense to me.
Another band I can’t say I’ve ever had much interest in at all, Incubus, were somehow after all this. And while I still can’t say I’m a fan by any means, I never realized what a jam band they really are in concert (nor how easy-on-the-eyes their current bass player Nicole Row, who’s also served some time with Panic! At the Disco, actually is). All of their staple songs were present of course, including “Nice to Know You,” “Come Together” (Aerosmith cover), “Pardon Me,” and “Wish You Were Here.”
Another act I was there mainly for my kid were Deftones (it’s not that I have anything against them, they’ve just never been my style). But I was surprised to see their live set was actually quite entertaining, despite some of their songs still landing on the tedious side for me. But they managed to pack in sixteen tracks with non-stop energy that included “Genesis,” “Needles and Pins,” “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away),” “My Own Summer (Shove It),” “Diamond Eyes,” “Digital Bath,” “Tempest,” “Swerve City,” “Rosemary,” “Ohms,” “Minerva,” “Bloody Cape,” “Change (In the House of Flies),” “Rocket Skates,” “Nosebleed,” and “Engine No. 9.”
And finally, Tool. Sure, I was semi-into them when Undertow first came out back in the day like most sixth graders at the time. But I have long since disliked them ever since the first time I saw them live back in 2002, and frontman Maynard James Keenan performed with his back facing the crowd the entire time (exciting). I’ve seen them one more time since, in 2016 with Primus, where I promptly left soon after they hit the stage. On Sunday night, I did the same thing once again, making my way out of Rockville as they were performing “Forty Six & Two” (just their second track of the night).
I’ve since seen the images from the show and have heard others that stuck around for it express their disappointment as well. And Keenan’s drag outfit was far from some deep political statement about Florida or some meaningful artistic expression as some might try to spin it to be, but rather just another gimmick from an overrated, obnoxious hack. Hopefully this will be the final time I ever have to witness such a joke in person, and if anyone deserved to close out such a festival, it was definitely not them.
Things heated up at the Bandshell in Daytona Beach this past Saturday, May 6 for the Summer Throwback Bash featuring Taylor Dayne, Tiffany, and Freedom Williams of C+C Music Factory (I realize as I type this, these are mostly all artists I remember my older sisters listening to while growing up, and not so much my own – I was more the Iron Maiden type back then).
Upon arrival (fashionably late as usual, of course) local cover artists Are Friends Electric were well into their set already, and within moments they were having technical difficulties with their mics. After having a laugh or two at its expense, the issue was resolved, and the band was able to resume churning out more hits like “Love Shack” before bowing out and stepping aside for the rest of the acts.
Nineties rapper Freedom Williams, best remembered for his time fronting dance hit makers C+C Music Factory, was up next. He wasted no time as he and co-lead vocalist (whose name I want to say was Smooth Jenny?) ran straight through the hits; “Here We Go (Let’s Rock n’ Roll),” “Things That Make You Go Hmm…,” and of course “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” all made their way into the set.
I have long since flown the flag for ’80s pop sensation Tiffany, and I’ve said before and I’ll say it again; her lesser-known, more recent material is far more interesting than the hits she’s remembered for most. And while I’ve seen her live twice before, I was looking forward to hearing her with a full live band this time instead of acoustic (guitarist Mark Alberici was once again by her side, as well as former and current L.A. Guns members Johnny Martin and Scot Coogan).
After opening with “Keep on Swinging,” she launched into the title track of her latest album, “Shadows,” no doubt one of her best songs in recent memory. A couple more new tracks in the form of “Cried For the Last Time” and the ballad “You’re My Everything” followed before going through a trio of her most well-known hits in the form of “I Saw Him Standing There,” “Could’ve Been,” and of course, “I Think We’re Alone Now.”
And lastly, headliner Taylor Dayne – another female artist I can clearly remember salivating over on my big sisters’ LP covers – closed out the evening. “Prove Your Love” and “With Every Beat of My Heart” initially paved way for bigger hits like “Don’t Rush Me,” “Heart of Stone,” and “I’ll Always Love You.”
More than once Ms. Dayne gave a little back story on some songs before performing them, including with “I’ll Be Your Shelter,” “Love Will Lead You Back,” Can’t Get Enough of Your Love,” and of course, “Tell It to My Heart.” While these songs might not have been my cup of tea per se at the time of their original releases, it’s no doubt easier for me to appreciate them now all these years later as a father and husband (especially with my beautiful bride by my side; it turned out to be yet another one of our many adventures together).
At this point seeing Jackyl at Bike Week is becoming an annual tradition for Rewind It Magazine. And while we weren’t expecting to see too much change as far as the set list goes (can pretty much call the order of the tracks by now), our third straight year catching the guys at Destination Daytona this past Saturday, March 11, was by far the most unexpected and entertaining show of theirs we’ve caught yet.
Last year, the guys brought along a fairly generic cover band from Georgia (whose name already escapes me), but this time they pulled out all of the stops. After an introduction by new Destination Daytona owner Teddy Morse, Nashville, TN’s Beau Braswell kicked things off with a surprising mix of rock and country, introducing himself to the crowd with the twangy original “Whiskey I.V.” and a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Flosom Prison Blues.” He followed this up with the slightly corny (yet more than appropriate for Bike Week) “Bikers, Babes, and Booze.”
“Drinking Alone Again” sounded like something I might have wrote myself back in my playing days. A cover of The Georgia Satellites’ “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” followed before closing with another barroom anthem in the form of “I Need a Drink.”Braswell and his band then took their bows, and you could hear the sincerity in his voice as he thanked the audience for their time.
Three stunt bike drivers then entered the “Globe of Death” one-by-one located in the center of the pavilion as the danger-ridden sideshow served as an intermission in between acts. A couple of lovely female dancers also showed off their acrobatic skills for the crowd around this same time (to the delight most male attendants), too.
And finally, the mighty Jackyl emerged once again with a triple whammy that included “Blast Off,” “My Moonshine Kicks Your Cocaine’s Ass,” and “Get All Up in It,” with the typical banter from frontman Jesse James Dupree mixed in as usual for good measure.
A one-two punch of “Down on Me” and “Back Off Brother” from their first album followed before seguing into “Push Comes to Shove” and a cover of Grand Funk Railroad’s “We’re An American Band.” It was at this point the band paused to award a Harley Street Glide to one lucky contestant with the right key. Once again the winner’s name escapes me (sorry!), but I do know it was the very last of ten contestants that ended up driving off a lucky winner.
The band then came back to play some classic country with a cover of Hank Williams Jr.’s “A Country Boy Can Survive,” as well as their own “Just Because I’m Drunk.” But it was after this that things got truly interesting, with one of the most epic surprise guests in the history of Bike Week. Hip hop pioneer Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run-DMC fame came out to blow the roof off the joint.
Surprisingly, the band actually launched into a new song with DMC; of course I once again did not catch the name (I want to say the title was along the lines of something as simple as “America”), but McDaniels and Dupree assured fans it was something they were “hearing for the very first time.” As if that was not enough, the five musicians then tore through the classic Run-DMC hits “It’s Tricky” and their version of the staple Aerosmith track “Walk This Way.”
The night could’ve easily ended right then and there on that high note, but it wouldn’t be a true Jackyl show without hearing “I Stand Alone,” “When Will It Rain,” “Dirty Little Mind,” “Redneck Punk,” and of course “The Lumberjack” (complete with Dupree’s chainsaw-wielding frenzy that finds him annihilating a bar stool every time). It was, is, and always will be the only fitting way to end a Jackyl show.
I can’t say I’ve really kept up with the WWE – or any pro wrestling for that matter – for quite some time. But a trip to last year’s Sunday Stunner in Daytona Beach was enough to reignite a guilty pleasure I had not felt for many years since the likes of The Ultimate Warrior or Jake “The Snake” Roberts were mixed in among the various other He-Man or G.I. Joe action figures I had at the time while growing up (back when it was still known as the WWF).
So when the chance to cover WWE Raw at the Amway Center for Rewind It Magazine presented itself, I couldn’t resist (even if my wife/photographer was less than thrilled with the notion). And while I might not be completely up to speed with all the lingo per se, I got the gist of what was going on, and what exactly I liked. Case in point; the very first match of the night this past Monday, February 6, was between two extremely easy-on-the-eyes ladies in the form of Dana Brooke and Indi Hartwell that immediately caught my attention (Brooke walked away from said match victorious).
A tag team match between the Creed Brothers (Brutus and Julius Creed) and the Good Brothers (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson) followed (with the latter winning) before commentator Corey Graves introduced the one and only Edge and Beth Phoenix (one of the best moments of the night occurred when Edge stopped to take a selfie with a young fan during his entrance music, no doubt making said fan’s night). An all-out brawl then ensued as the two took on bad guys The Judgement Day, featuring Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, Rhea Ripley, and Damien Priest.
A little drawn-out drama (complete with seemingly every ref in the house stepping in) then ensued before Angelo Dawkins of The Street Profits took on Priest one-on-one, leading him to actually toss Priest onto the judges table at one point, although Priest would ultimately come out with the win. This was followed by one of the quickest matches of the night, seeing Dexter Lumis taking out Baron Corbin via pinfall in about five minutes time.
The crowd then got a brief taste of what was to come between Becky Lynch and Bayley with some behind-the-scenes drama before the mighty Brock Lesner emerged to call out (and eventually body slam) Bobby Lashley in an effort to get him to sign a contract to face him again.
Things really heated up once Candice LeRae struted out and onto the ropes wearing pixie wings, ready to battle Carmella, Michin, and Piper Niven in a four-way qualifying match. Carmella eventually reigned supreme in the match (in a red bikini top nonetheless) even after Niven laid the three other ladies out flat in one swift shot at one point.
Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin then joined forces to take down The Alpha Academy, hands down one of the most entertaining and fun tag team matches of the night with the antics of Otis and Chad Gable adding an extra layer of hilarity.
The crowd then got a look into what was to come next week between The Miz and Rick Boogs, before Chelsea Green took to the ring in what felt like the closest thing to a striptease of the night. Her optimism was short-lived though, as wild woman Asuka took her down quickly. Montez Ford and Elias also went at it (with Ford walking away with the W) to qualify for the elimination chamber before the main event of the night.
Superstars Bianca Belair and Cody Rhodes (with Paul Heyman by his side) also made some brief appearances before stepping aside for Seth Rollins and Austin Theory to briefly duke it out before said main event – the steel cage match between Bayley and Becky Lynch, which was every bit of pure adrenalized excitement as one would imagine a match in a steel cage between grown women could be. Lynch ultimately emerged with the victory after the one and only Lita made a surprise return to help see things through.
Although it might not be the same wrestling I knew growing up as I alluded to in the beginning of this article, it was still without a doubt a night to remember, and there’s a good chance you might just find Rewind It Magazine there the next time the WWE comes through town again.
Michael Winslow is best known for making a wide range of sound effects with his voice, a talent that led him to star in all seven Police Academy movies (and each of its two television series it spawned) from 1984 to 1994 as Sgt Larvell Jones, often delivering the biggest laughs. For better or worse, the series became a part of American culture during the ’80s heyday of National Lampoon, Mel Brooks, Porky’s, and the subsequent ‘slob’ genre. These comedies were simple, juvenile, and crude. But most importantly, they were fun.
This formula, derided by critics, was a big hit with audiences. The inevitable saturation of the genre made it hard to know where and when lightning would strike. Police Academy struck big and became a low-brow comedy success story. Growing up, I enjoyed the series’ stooge-like, raunchy antics. Winslow had an undeniable comic presence. And his brief part as a nameless radar operator in Spaceballs (1987) is one of the film’s many highlights, where he did all the sound effects himself.
And to be referenced in an episode of The Simpsons some years later is no small feat either. The seventh season Christmas-themed episode “Marge Be Not Proud” (1995) saw Bart struggling to regain Marge’s trust after he stole a video game, which led to one of Homer’s best rants; Homer: “STEALING! How could you? We live in a society of laws. Why do you think I took in all those Police Academy movies? FOR FUN?Well, I didn’t hear anybody laughing. DID YOU? Except at that guy who made sound effects [makes noises and starts giggling]. Where was I? Oh yeah, stay outta my booze!”
Winslow has performed live shows for decades. He’s also an accomplished beatboxer. I witnessed this firsthand at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, where Winslow delivered a two-hour set of comedy and music to troops abroad. In doing so, he made us all feel at home. I recently arrived in Kuwait as part of a nine-month Army deployment. Arifjan is a big base with lots of military personnel. Armed Forces Entertainment is a morale-based organization that sponsors and coordinates entertainment for service members.
I saw posters of Winslow’s upcoming performance and knew I had to go. Billed as ‘Michael Winslow and His Band of Armed Forces,’ the show was one of eight appearances at deployed locations throughout January. From what I saw, Winslow did not disappoint.
Josh Firestone, stand-up comic and former Army Ranger, had the thankless job of warming up the stone-cold sober crowd on a Tuesday night. He delivered several funny bits about military/post-military life, parenting, and other humorous topics. The initially subdued audience made me wonder how many were even familiar with Michael Winslow. Seeing someone I had admired from childhood was exciting. Maybe like me, they didn’t know what to expect.
Winslow then took the stage to hearty applause. Microphone in hand, he stood behind a dizzying array of electronics. This included a laptop, mixing board, vocal effects pedal, and cables running everywhere. His natural speaking voice was instantly recognizable. Drummer Bryan Lash provided some extra kick to the one-man show. The rest of the band, Winslow explained, couldn’t afford the airfare. It might have been a joke or an excuse to provide all the sounds of the instruments himself.
He belted out multiple genres of music with comedy bits in between. A few awkward pauses followed some technical difficulties, but Winslow effortlessly pushed on with energy, talent, and passion. Plus, the man can sing. Winslow joked about an ongoing bingo event next door by imitating the jittering ball sounds and the announcers blaring voice over the microphone. He then gave us all the sounds you’d expect from a supermarket check-out line. His Eddie Murphy and Chris Tucker impressions, among others, were spot on. There seemed no sound or voice he couldn’t imitate. Most of the show, however, was dedicated to music.
Utilizing vocal loops and effects, Winslow provided the tempo, bass line, guitar, and synthesizers for several familiar songs. He belted out Bob Marley, James Brown, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, Prince, the Beverly Hills Cop theme, George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone,” country, bluegrass, jazz, and some freestyle jams. His energetic, multilayered performance was a sight to see.
“This is what I do,” Winslow repeatedly said. “I make noises.”
He encouraged us to make our own around the base. “But remember, if you get in trouble, my name is Kevin Hart.” Winslow must have been exhausted by the show’s end, but it didn’t show. He stuck around to get pictures with every service member who wanted one. I thanked him for coming, and he told me, “Remember, you can make noises too.”It was a bit of inspiration from the self-proclaimed “man of ten-thousand sound effects.” Strangely enough, I heard he lives in Winter Springs, Florida like me. If true, that makes us neighbors on the other side of the world.
I’m always grateful when performers/celebrities come out to see us. I’ll never forget meeting Robin Williams during my 2004 Afghanistan deployment. Like Williams, Winslow was gracious and kind. I hope he enjoyed performing for us as much as we enjoyed having him.
2022 has been an unprecedented year of eclectic live events of all sorts for Rewind It Magazine, thanks largely in part to the various concerts held at Epcot in Orlando, FL, the most recent of them being Ray Parker Jr. at the park’s latest Eat to the Beat concert series on Friday, October 21.
Although forever known for being the composer and performer of the hit 1984 single “Ghostbusters” (which served as the theme to the film of the same name), Parker has been churning out hits since the ’70s as founding member of funk/R&B outfit Raydio, as well as his collaborations with numerous artists like Stevie Wonder and Barry White.
Parker’s set that night appropriately featured hits throughout his career, opening with two tracks from his Raydio days, “Jack and Jill,” “You Can’t Change That,” and “A Woman Needs Love (Just Like you Do),” three tracks that I had previously forgotten even existed (the middle number being what I actually refer to as a ‘Walgreens’ song, which is what I called songs that used to play while I worked there years ago).
Parker than followed this up with his 1982 hit “The Other Woman” from the album of the same name before indulging in a brief guitar solo. After that, he went into “that song,” and fans in attendance clutching their Ghostbusters records were finally able to fully rejoice.
The song is truly timeless, stretching across multiple generations and living on nearly four decades after its original release. Hooky no doubt but still fun nonetheless, especially in a live setting, and I’m sure everyone who was there to hear it in person last weekend would surely agree.
In 2017, I was able to photograph the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Amway Center in Orlando for another magazine I was writing for at the time. It was a flawless experience, and I walked away with some of my personal favorite concert shots I have ever captured. Knowing that former guitarist John Frusciante – who was absent from the lineup at said show five years ago – was back in the fold, had me even more excited to see the band again.
But a series of unfortunate personal events overshadowed the band’s recent Orlando show at Camping World Stadium this past Thursday, September 15. Beginning with…the photo pass. While I thought I had firmly secured one to shoot the band at least a good month before the show, I came to find out shortly prior that my request was never actually submitted. Strike one.
Then, the actual day of the show, while en route to it (in the pouring rain nonetheless) with the family, our vehicle decided to start overheating and eventually stall out on us completely. That was strike number two.
And lastly, even after having a friend of the family give us a ride and arranging towing all the same, we still had to wait nearly two hours in the car after arriving to the stadium thanks to the thunderstorms that continued to rage and delay the outdoor show from starting on time. That was absolutely strike number three of the night, and might have been enough to turn some people around.
Once we finally arrived and got to our seats (soaked mind you), everything we had endured up to that point slowly became worth it. Opening the stage was bass master Stephen “Thundercat” Brunner, who simply goes by the moniker Thundercat these days. I was lucky enough to not only see him perform on stage with Suicidal Tendencies in 2010 and even meet him afterwards (see attached photo below). Gracing the stage with a huge cat head on the stage behind him, Brunner went through his best licks possible with a quickness, playing a handful of songs and solos before exiting.
A much younger Jesse Striewski (left) with then-Suicidal Tendencies bassist Stephen “Thundercat” Brunner at the former Club Firestone in Orlando, FL on 11/10/10 (Photo by Pamela Bendezu).
Early 2000’s brooding rockers The Strokes followed, and were another act on the bill I was looking forward to seeing (in this case for the first time). But their sped-up, six song set didn’t leave a lot to the imagination, and it just felt as though the band was being rushed off stage as they went through tracks like “The Modern Age,” “Bad Decisions,” “Under Control,” “Juicebox,” “The Adults Are Talking,” and of course their most popular hit to date, “Last Nite.”
And finally, the Chili Peppers took stage well after the ten o’clock hour, and played what felt like an exhausting-ly long set that lasted well over an hour and a half, starting with an onstage jam that just included Frusciante, bassist Flea, and drummer Chad Smith, before frontman Anthony Kiedis joined the rest of the guys for a hyped up rendition of “Around the World.”
The group wasted no time giving the audience what they came for, playing an onslaught of hits both new and old from then on out in the form of “Dani California,” “Scar Tissue,” “Aquatic Mouth Dance,” “Snow ((Hey Oh))” and “These Are the Ways.”
One of my personal favorite moments came when they slowed things down and the rest of the guys stepped aside to allow Frusciante a moment to perform “I Remember You” by the Ramones with nothing more than his voice and guitar. It was a touching moment and fitting tribute to the band’s late guitarist Johnny Ramone, who had passed away exactly eighteen years prior on September 15, 2004.
While this seemed to confuse a good portion of the crowd, I enjoyed it much more than the following forgettable new track from the band, “Wet Sand.” But the guys quickly got back on track, playing a couple of numbers absent from their set the last time I saw them; “Soul to Squeeze” from 1993’s Coneheads film and soundtrack, and “Me and My Friends” going all the way back to 1987’s The Uplift Mofo Party Plan album (as far as they reached in their early repertoire).
By the time the band reached tracks like “Throw Away Your Television,” “Tell Me Baby,” “The Heavy Wing,” “Black Summer,” “Californication,” and “Give it Away,” (with another solo from Flea thrown in there for good measure) I had heard more than enough Chili Peppers music live to honestly last a lifetime. But we stuck with it until the band reappeared for an encore of “By the Way,” a decent enough track, but not really what comes to mind when I think of a “closer.”
Despite all of the setbacks and issues we encountered on the way, I’d say the fact we were able to still even make it was a success, and I know my teenaged son was thrilled to not only see them for the first time, but also get his first official tour shirt that night. And special thanks to local photographer Bailey Guinigundo, whose live shots made this article so much more special than it possibly could have been without them. And to our friend Kurt for coming to the rescue with a ride (without that none of it could have been possible). Thanks again guys!
