| TOUR DIARY: Su-um-mer Nights |
| Tue, Sep. 2 2008 |
 RockStar Date 08.29.08 - 08.30.08: From the "better late than never" file: KICK finally squeezes in a visit to 125 Riverside Drive in East Hartford, CT Friday night. Long a favorite in the KICK rotation, this riverfront gem again proved a fine outlet for a Labor Day weekend kickoff. We're loving the new stage and tiki motif, and we're hearing rumors that the new owners are considering taking the concept even further (a notion that exites us greatly). Speaking of "excited" and "great," we got really excited Saturday night and played a great show at The Black Bear Saloon in South Norwalk, CT. Now, it's important to note that this Saturday night, folks who are sick of hearing about how wonderful the Black Bear is but haven't yet found out for themsleves will have a new, perhaps closer opportunity to do so when KICK christens the Black Bear Saloon - Hartford on Saturday, September 6. We're excited. It's going to be great. If you can't make that, we'll be tearing up the Red Door Friday night. If you can't make either, well that stinks. And if you can make them both, you get a special prize. (We'll figure something out.) |
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| TOUR DIARY: Afternoon Delights |
| Mon, Aug. 25 2008 |
 Well that was different. For the first time, KICK played a doubleheader entirely in sunlight. It was weird, man. It was like, wicked bright and all that. The sun was out, and so were we (outside, that is), and it was hot and sunny and it was just weird! (But it was nice!) The weather did us a huge favor and hovered right at the 80-degree mark the entire time, which made for two of the most glorious late-August-type afternoons you'd ever want to see. And yeah, it was nice to come out of the dark. The weekend began Saturday afternoon with our second visit to Johnny's Atlantic Beach Club in Middletown, RI. Newport Beach was abuzz, wonderful, and absolutely fabulous - much like the crowd, much like the show itself. Hundreds of KICK faithful turned out to get some last-gasp rays, some final glimpses of the surf and sand, and a few of those red, white, and blue fru-fru drinks they make.  The next day, we played one of the biggest motorcycle and classic car rallys in the country (and certainly one of the coolest): Dream Ride 2008. Put on by the fantsatic folks at Bozzuto's, this was a truly amazing, top-notch event, raising over $100,000 for Special Olympics. We'd like to thank everyone involved for the opportunity to perform for the attendees, staff, and especially the athletes who received their medals beneath the Olympic torch at stage left. Micke would like to thank everyone for their empathy and encouragement as he rocked forth, grinning and bearing it through migraines, heat, and agony, scant hours removed from some relatively minor (and, thankfully, successful) surgery. He promises to make up for it and be 110% this weekend at the weekend's two Labor Day celebrations: 125 Riverside Drive Friday and Black Bear in South Norwalk, CT Saturday. |
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| KICK to Perform Aug. 24 at Dream Ride |
| Sun, Aug. 17 2008 |
 FARMINGTON, Conn. - KICK has been afforded the tremendous honor of being asked to perform at Dream Ride 2008.
Needless to say, we said, "Definitely!"
Since 2001, Dream Ride has been bringing people together on the open road to celebrate the achievements of Special Olympics Connecticut athletes. Each year thousands of motorcycle and car enthusiasts rev up their engines for a ride through scenic Connecticut to the lovelly Farmington Club. There, everyone enjoys an amazing day of fun, food, music, motors and inspiration.
After seven years and over $740,000 in fundraising, Bozzuto’s Inc. and Hometown Foundation, Inc. are back to spnsor the 2008 event. Organizers stress that this is more than a charity ride for motorcycles and a show for cars, it’s a gathering of people interested in camaraderie, helping out a good cause and having a great time.
9 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
11 a.m. Departure for a 40-mile scenic ride.
1 p.m. Party - Return of the Dream Ride and arrival of satellite locations, live music, delicious steak and chicken dinner, prizes, and an unforgettable time. KICK will be performing as will a band called On Call.
The fist 500 registered will receive an official Dream Ride T-shirt and pin set. Minimum donation is $30 Driver/$20 Passenger. For more info or to pre-register contact Chrissa Caramia at 203.250.5660 or pre-register online. |
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| Scotty Weds Kylie! |
| Sun, Aug. 10 2008 |
 MYSTIC, Conn. - In what can only be considered one of the most extreme instances of "marrying up" in recent memory, Scott Robinson Armstrong, famed lead axeman for the Connecticut-based rock combo KICK, managed to get the lovely Kiley Shana  Mielczarek to marry him Saturday evening, August 9, in an unspeakably beautiful ceremony at the Eolia Mansion at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Conn. The rest of the band KICK served as attendants in the groom's wedding party. Additional photo evidence of the nuptials will follow right here, so check back often throughout the week. The editorial staff of KICKband.com would like to extend a most heartfelt "best wishes" to Scotty & Kiley. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Off to the Chapel |
| Mon, Aug. 4 2008 |
 RockStar Date 08.01.08 - 08.02.08: Hey, KICK is on vacation, and that means even a vacation from writing these tour logs, so this one will be brief: Friday we played Rookies in Cromwell, CT. It was fun! The next night, we went to Boston, MA and played at Hennessy's. That was wicked fun! Now, we're in special secret undisclosed locations. (I think I just saw Dick Cheney, THAT'S how secret this place is!) Soon, we'll be reporting from Scotty's wedding. We'll post some pics, fret you not. And we'll also be posting details on Dream Ride 2008, the special Special Olympics event we're playing at the end of the month. But for now, enjoy your summer, I'm off to share a mai tai with the vice president. |
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| TOUR DIARY: King Pins |
| Tue, Jul. 22 2008 |
 RockStar Date 07.18.08: In what could easily be the most surreal KICK performance in recent memory, the band performed on a stage in the middle of a bowling alley in Bristol, CT. Not like, in the middle on the side, I mean like back between the pins and the ball returns in the middle, over four lanes, in the middle, while people bowled all around us and the "rock & bowl" lights blared. I had always thought you couldn't walk on bowling lanes with anything but bowling shoes, but that was apparently revealed to be a myth when we wheeled in three tons of gear, bedecked in very un-regulation footwear. The place was the City Sports Cafe and the event was a special live luau with 106.9 WCCC, so hey, of course we said "yes." And ironically, people actually danced during our tight hour-long set. At a bowling alley. (A scene Micke couldn't stop comparing to similar scenes from the show "Happy Days.") It was eye-opening to experience life from a bowling pin's perspective, with rows of people huffing 16 lb. balls at you. We were inclined to show off our own ball-huffing prowess, but alas, we had another show to do, a real one at Red Door in Watertown, CT. This was a good time. It was unspeakably hot out, and we did all we could to make it even hotter inside. But then came the bummer part: The next night, we were unfortunately canceled from our expected performance at Geraldine's. Please note that this was due to a scheduling conflict between the venue and booking agency. KICK did not cancel the show. In fact, KICK doesn't cancel shows. KICK has played the day their children were born. KICK has played with broken feet. KICK has driven six hours when their flights were canceled to make shows. KICK hasn't canceled a show for a KICK-related reason in over four years (when we missed a pre-UConn Husky football game show when Kev was in the emergency room, an absolutely excused absence). So please know, we want nothing more than to rock you and apologize for any inconveniences caused by external elements out of our control. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Enter Sand, Man |
| Mon, Jul. 14 2008 |
 RockStar Date 07.11.08 - 07.13.08: It would be painful if it didn't feel so good. Then again, what was supposed to be three shows over three days became two with a break in between, so we're really just sore from a perfect day in the sun on a perfect Sunday afternoon in perfect company. Can I say "perfect" any more? Probably not! But come on, 85 degrees, little puffy clouds here and there, and hundreds upon hundreds of lovely beach people, gathered to keep themselves creatively hydrated and rock out with us at the Pavilion Beach Club on the sands of Soundview Beach in Old Lyme, CT"? What part of "perfect" don't you understand? Among the luminaries sitting in were representatives from Explicit, Jimmy Hat, Vivid, and that guy who sang "She Hates Me" who turned out to be surprisingly good. For Micke and Brian at least, this is the one show we look forward to all year, and this year's was unusually enjoyable. I mean, hey, no one got towed! Kevin didn't lose his pants! Saturday night's show was canceled by the venue late Friday, as you've hopefully read by now (VERY hopefully if you were going to attend, we apologize for any inconvenience), which brings us to Friday night's tear through Murphy & Scarletti's in Farmington, CT. Once again, we were blown away by how many people came to hang indoors with us on such a perfect summer night, so yeah, big bonus on top of the original bonus of being there in the first place. We, and a compendium of "oh my God, no way, you're here!?!?" types partied like it was 1999. Literally in some cases! Congrats on your impending nuptials (you know who you are). And thanks everyone for doing it and doing it again. |
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| KICK NEWS FLASH: Lou-au's Show Canceled! Save it up for Sunday at Pavilion Beach Club! |
| Sat, Jul. 12 2008 |
| EXTRA!!! This Just In!!!: Tomorrow's show scheduled for New London has just been canceled by the venue (sorry folks, we really were looking forward to rocking with you all). Instead, save it up for the Sunday afternoon throwdown at The Pavilion Beach Club in Old Lyme, CT. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Boys and Girls of America, Let's Rock! |
| Mon, Jul. 7 2008 |
 RockStar Date 07.04.08 - 07.05.08: The weather didn't look at all promising. Leaving Connecticut Friday morning with three iffy-at-best days of clouds and rain in the forecast did not bode well for our Independence Day jaunt to Lake George, NY. But, alas, the Adirondack Mountains have very little in common with Southern New England, and even less in common, as it turned out, when the topic of compare and contrast is weather patterns. So while we would have doomed ourselves to a tripleheader of gray skies had we kept it local, we lucked out in grand style with three consecutive slam dunk days of perfect summer sun and bliss. I'm only saying this because, come on, how often does it happen that you luck out like that and the place you're going actually has better weather?! The big yellow ball in ths sky created the perfect backdrop for not one but two big rock & roll sessions at the now-legendary King Neptune's, home of some of the wildest, craziest, and, yes, silliest Kick shows ever. Friday's post-fireworks performance fell largely in the latter category, the pure elation of the holiday and just being up there with our old friends proved simply intoxicating. Someone said beer can do that too, but we think it was the pure joy and adrenaline, thus it was that we loosened up the rock shoes and began busting out heavy metal chestnuts and songs we'd never attempted before, just because. Thanks to all of the familiar faces, too numerous to mention, who came by to party with us. Saturday's show was a comparatively no-nonsense affair heavy on tight, thick, floor-shaking dance music. Again, just because. Is it too soon to start looking forward to next year, in hope that we may be able to do it again? We say "nay." Long live the King. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Subpoenaed in Texas, Sequestered in Memphis |
| Mon, Jun. 30 2008 |
 RockStar Date 06.28.08 - 06.29.08: The first full weekend of summer brought two quintessential hot summer nights of rock & roll, first at the Rock the Block party on Allyn Street in Hartford, CT Friday, and then at Black Bear Saloon in South Norwalk, CT. Friday's show was a late rescheduling of our originally slated show at 125 Riverside (our apologies for any inconvenience). Apparently, both venues are owned by the same organization, and they figured we could raise more heck out on the streets of Hartford. Heck was indeed raised, with excellent sets by Driven and Blonde Soul on stages throughout the area priming a crowd that grew continually into the night. I mean, come on: Drinking outdoors + food tents + girls in dunk tanks = Good, good stuff. The next night, a much wilder than even we could have anticipated crowd greeted us at the Bear on another absolutely perfect, balmy late June eve. That place is emerging as one of the most consistently enjoyable on our roster and while we sure aren't about to wish summer away, we can't wait for September to begin what we hope is a lengthy relationship with their soon-to-be-opened Hartford outpost. But alas, summer is just hitting its stride, and this weekend we celebrate the ultimate summer holiday: the 4th of July, with a Friday/Saturday doubleheader of fireworks and Kick at King Neptune's in Lake George, NY. Please do yourself a favor: make every effort to get up there. If not for yourself, do it for your country. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Boys of Summer |
| Mon, Jun. 23 2008 |
 RockStar Date 06.21.08... It was the shortest night of the year, so we had to get right to it and make it count. The key consolation: it was also the fist day of summer (and a beautiful sunny one). And while that typically means people stay home and barbecue or visit outdoor venues, we really couldn't believe that goshdarnit, Geraldine's was still archetypical Geraldine's: a nice big, loud crowd of all types. Hands-down highpoint of the night: being blessed with the onstage presence of the legendary Richie Sky sitting in on a song for (somehow) the first time. Happy birthday to bouncer Dan, best of luck Mandee. We had so much fun that we're doing it again, soon. We'll actually be back in just a few short weeks on the evening of July 19. |
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| 125 Riverside Show Moved to The Pour House Block Party! |
| Sat, Jun. 21 2008 |
| EXTRA!!! This Just In!!!: Next Friday's show, originally scheduled for 125 Riverside Drive, has been moved. Instead, KICK will be playing the Pour House Block Party on Allyn Street in downtown Hartford. An added plus: The show will be rain or shine. If it's nice, we play outside. If it rains, we play on the top floor of Hartford's hottest club: The Palace. So either way, we're rocking, and you win. The show starts at 10:00. |
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| TOUR DIARY: GNO |
| Mon, Jun. 16 2008 |
 RockStar Date 06.13.08... Let's get one thing straight right off - rule number one: What happens at the MGM Grand Resort and Casino should most definitely probably stay there. Just as you don't talk about Fight Club, it's really none of our floormates' business what that donkey was doing in our suite, all that matters is that Scotty is getting married and that's all the excuse we need to make yet another excuse to party like rockstars. I mean, is there any other way? With Alan from Zoom in charge of festivities, there really was no chance Scotty's last gasp would be anything but magnificent. And so it was, Saturday night - eating like pirates, gambling like really lousy gamblers, rocking out with one of the best Rolling Stones tribute bands ever (and still managing to drink Keith Richards under the table). All of which was quite impressive since we were a bit low on sleep from the night before, which was spent debuting at The Crazy Horse in West Bridgewater, MA. That's a really neat place, good chow, a cool patio, a full-blown family arcade and a good-sized stage - all the better for us to rock on. Sorry to our vanload of fans who got kicked out, thanks for coming anyway! And thanks Lindsey, just for being Lindsey. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Summertime. And the Living is Easy. |
| Tue, Jun. 10 2008 |
 RockStar Date 06.06.08 - 06.08.08 It's hot out there kids. Just like that, Mother Nature seems to have sorta woken up and said, "Whoa, I forgot to turn on the summertime!" She's making up for lost time, particularly Sunday afternoon, bestowing us with our second consecutive year of 95-plus degree weather when we play outdoors at Atlantic Beach Club in Newport, RI. But we ain't complaining. It was actually a bit cooler and breezier than points north and remarkably pleasant, so remember when we return in August: it's not really too hot to go to the beach, it's too hot not to. Hot was a constant theme, people were saying it a lot, although probably more in regard to their opinions of the hundreds of attendees. All said, everything about the day was just beautiful. Friday, we got to visit our friends at Rookies in Cromwell, CT. We'd like to thank everyone who forewent the prime barbecue weather and made it through the DUI spotcheck up the street to spend their evenings with us. Interestingly, we're back there for our annual two-night residency, Thursday, July 31 and Friday, August 1, where we will be busting out all sorts of fun. Put it on your calendars now. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Party Like a Cover Band |
| Mon, Jun. 2 2008 |
 RockStar Date 05.30.08 - 05.31.08 The month of May marks the anniversary of the first KICK show, and we've had enough anniversaries at this point that we don't celebrate them anymore, so long story short: we've played more than a few gigs (nearly 1,000 at last count) and at this point have seen just about everything. All of which makes our utter amazement over Friday night's Hartfordpalooza festivities all the more utterly amazing. Impossibly, we hadn't played our hometown of Hartford in nearly three years, yet it proved to be one of the most enjoyable shows we've played in years. First, the weather: blue-skied perfection. Second, the setting: perched on a festival stage in front of Union Station in downtown Hartford, beer tents lining the street between sponsoring venues Up Or On the Rocks and Pig's Eye Pub. A well-earned late spring Friday happy hour. Ahhh. As the only cover band and first act on a bill made up of modern rock legends Filter as well as the truly ill Red and one of our local faves, Livintrust, we went in expecting little more than free beer, a largely empty street, and - if all else failed after our three-week layoff - a chance to catch some great bands. The fact that everything went and felt just so right, and that we were treated like true rock royalty by absolutely everyone involved with the event, was truly an unexpected and tremendously appreciated bonus.  The folks at 106.9 WCCC, the Up Or On the Rocks and event staff, the bands themselves, the staging and sound crews, the roadies - top-notch, professional and second-to-none, all of them. We hit the stage at 7:00 sharp, tearing through a blistering barrage of high-octane rock faves through one of the sickest PAs in the business. And whattayaknow? People loved it! For Kick, there's nothing like having some room onstage to rage, so we were like five very happy pigs in mud with all that prowling space. As much fun as it was to play rock god during the show, this writer's favorite part was when our work was done, when we could decompress and enjoy the impending performances with a celebratory shot, and watch professional roadies tear down our gear and rush it to our cars. I mean, THAT'S living! Livintrust were unreal, I don't think anyone was ready for how good Red was, and Richard Patrick and Filter held absolutely nothing back in their very, very hot performance. We can only hope that this event will someday be referred to as "The 1st Annual" Hartfordpalooza.  Video and tons of photos to follow here and on MySpace. To everyone involved, especially our fellow musicians, we thank you for a truly memorable experience. It was only fitting that this show mark the beginning of a "Four Shows in Four States" summertime kickoff tour. Saturday night, we began said tour in Albany, New York, playing there for the first time in over a year (state capitals, extended absences, coincidence?) in a return to the Bayou Cafe. Not only does this place have one of the best beer selections anywhere, but my God, their Cajun-spiced steak and chicken burrito is worth the trip alone. But I digress (I'm hungry). The Bayou is right in the heart of downtown, a really cool old-school four-roomed storefront cafe. The crowd was marvelous, with a surprising number of familiar faces. The best thing about New York clubs can also be the worst thing, depending on your perspective: but as good as a 4:00 a.m. closing time sounds on certain nights, it can sometimes have a painful effect as well. Simply put, we had a ton of fun, but Sunday got here too soon. The Kick whirlwind rock & roll geography test next hits Connecticut and Rhode Island, as in Rookies in Cromwell Friday and the sandy shores of Atlantic Beach Club in Newport Sunday afternoon before our debut at Charlie Horse in West Bridgewater, MA the following weekend. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Mercy Mercy Me |
| Tue, May. 13 2008 |
 RockStar Date 05.09.08 - 05.10.08 This weekend, KICK commemorated the anniversary of our first show by playing two of our favorite clubs on earth: Murphy & Scarletti's in Farmington, CT and JR's Bourbon Street Rockhouse in Cranston, RI. It was a study in contrasts: the smallest stage we play followed by one of the biggest, which made for two very different shows. Friday's was a fun, lighthearted, in-your-face affair among our somehow-still-growing roster of new friends in the Farmington Valley (so great to meet you all, and happy birthday to every one of you, there were so many). Saturday's was an exercise in over-the-top, massive, raw brutality in one of the most rocking cities in the United States. We've come to expect nothing less from our peeps to the East. Congratulations to all the moms and the bachelorette/moms-to-be - once those party buses pull up, it is so on! At the risk of sounding all hippie, thanks everyone for all the positive energy you shared throughout the weekend. We definitely feed off it and try to give it back tenfold. Next up was a very special private affair midweek for the great Sacred Heart University Class of 2008 (best of luck tpo all of you) before a little pre-summer break and gearing up for our first Hartford show in almost three years at the Pig's Eye/Up Or On the Rocks Block Party with Filter and a jaunt back up to Albany, NY's The Bayou. See you in summer, kids. Happy Memorial Day! |
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| TOUR DIARY: Do They Really Have to Kill Injured Horses? And Immediately? |
| Sun, May. 4 2008 |
 RockStar Date 05.03.08 "Good Times Start at the G" read the red and black T-shirts worn by the staff of the "G," which, for those of you who for whatever reason haven't made your way to the best club in Springfield, MA in a while, is the venerable Geraldine's, a regional rock & roll icon if ever there was one, now reimagined in a somewhat hipper, more spacious, and very well done new form. Good times did indeed begin at the G spot Saturday night. In fact, I frankly can't remember the last time we laughed so hard or so often onstage. Thanks to a loose "among friends" vibe and the extremely easy-to-rock-on stage, Kick dove headfirst into a classic yet entirely different assault at the G. (I'm liking that, "the G.") Gee. Great crowd as always, nice and loud, more new faces than we're used to there, which was great. It's always fun to meet new folks, especially when they offer such positive feedback on the show with that almost surprised tone: "Wow, you guys were really good!" they say incredulously. Well thanks, we try (like heck). A great time, just pure fun; we had even more fun than it looked like we were, except Micke who is still curled up in a ball reeling from Kevin's incessant teasing. He'll get over it. Someday. Because hey, it ain't nothing but a G thing. We're actually back there next month (June 21 to be exact.)
KICK NEWS: With all this focus and activity on myspace.com/kicktunes it's easy for us to forget that several thousand of you still prefer to visit us through kickband.com. Shame on us! In the weeks to come, we will be uploading dozens of new pictures, including the Winter 2K8 scrapbook. If you have any good ones you think we should have/would like us to display, please send them to micke@kickband.com. |
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| TOUR DIARY: A Pocketful of Shells |
| Mon, Apr. 28 2008 |
 RockStar Date 04.25.08 They say that when life gives you lemons, you're supposed to make lemonade. Which actually sounds really good right now. Citrus aside, I guess what they mean is that with some intestinal fortitude and the right mindset, you can turn a perceived negative into a positive. Such it was when Scott's amp blew up about five songs into our Friday night show at Rookies in Cromwell, CT. Ever the trooper, he not only forged ahead valiantly, but afforded Kick the rare opportunity to perform with a one-guitar configuration, thereby freeing Brian up to play co-lead vocal duties with Kevin (something he does anyway, but it was fun to see him not have to also play). The result was a wild and wildly entertaining romp that allowed us a unique change in look, sound, and feel onstage. Micke got the chance to flesh out some melodic parts that normally wouldn't need the flesh, Kevin got to ringlead an entirely different circus, and Paulie somehow just held it all together. Thanks, everyone for all the pictures and positive feedback. We had a blast. We're back at Rookies soon, actually (early June, when we will be celebrating yet another key fan birthday, as we did Friday). We hope to see you there, it really is the best sports bar around. Honest. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Full Moon Fever |
| Mon, Apr. 21 2008 |
 RockStar Date 04.18.08 - 04.19.08 I'm not superstitious, but I get a bit leery whenever anyone reminds me that there is a full moon. An old man with his arm in a sling mentioned that to the bartender the other night, hinting that it would mean all the crazy people would be coming out. I don't know if he was just giving a heads up on behalf of all the other crazy people, but he was right. There it was, a huge full moon, and there they were, a bunch of crazy people. A bunch came to celebrate the first nice day of the year Friday night at Red Door in Watertown, CT, a bunch of others came up for our return visit to Maximum Capacity in Chicopee. MA. We debuted no fewer than five new tunes, so if you haven't been to see us in a while, be sure to change that soon. Spring has completely sprung, and it is indeed time to get crazy. |
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| KICK to rock with FILTER @ WCCC/Pig's Eye Pub Block Party! |
| Sat, Apr. 12 2008 |
 KICK is honored and completely stoked to be sharing the summerstage outside on the streets of downtown Hartford with modern rock legends FILTER at a very special show sponsored by WCCC, Friday night, May 30. Led by former Nine Inch Nail Richard Patrick, the multiplatinum band behind such classics as "Take a Picture" and "Hey Man, Nice Shot" hits the Pig's Eye Block Party to promote their fifth release Anthems for the Damned. Check officialfilter.com or myspace.com/filter1 for more on that release and their "Operation: MySpace" trip to entertain the troops in Kuwait with Disturbed, Jessica Simpson, and Pussycat Dolls. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Perhaps Fritalian |
| Mon, Apr. 7 2008 |
 RockStar Date 04.04.08 - 04.05.08: Talk about making up for lost time; inclement weather forced us to miss out on our last scheduled Murphy & Scarletti's show, so we doubled up on the rock Friday night and crammed the excitement of two rockshows into one before a slew of rambunctious Farmington, CT party-types including a half dozen birthday celebrants, representatives from Vivid (who joined us for an all-star jam), and the guy from Channel 30. We've often drawn comparisons between Murphy's and the Black Bear Saloon in South Norwalk, CT, and those similarities were reinforced once again Saturday night when a sold-to-capacity and characteristically top-notch crowd greeted our return visit to this downstate rock mecca. Whoever, wherever you are, if you're ever at a loss for something to do, we urge you to make a roadtrip down to SoNo sometime, this place is just plain fun.
KICK NEWS: Check back, Kick will be announcing a very special performance with a very major international act, deets to be announced later this week. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Out Like a Lamb |
| Mon, Mar. 31 2008 |
 RockStar Date 03.29.08 The first rockshow of Springtime 2K8 redefined March Madness as only a JR's Bourbon Street Rockhouse show can. The evening began with a doubleshot of Smithfield, RI's own Dirty Kitty and roared to a blistering crescendo, accented by one of the most spirited crowds in recent memory. The evening was made all the better by the presence of several packs of GNO revelers (in certain cases, literally busloads of them) and birthday celebrants who proved they were unafraid to scream really loudly and dance like no one was watching. Bless you, one and all. |
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| TOUR DIARY: It's Not Easy Being Green |
| Mon, Mar. 17 2008 |
 RockStar Date 03.14.08 - 03.15.08 Kick commemorated the life of St. Patrick in a way that, let's face it, has absolutely nothing to do with him or with anything that would typically earn one sainthood, but gosh was it fun! (Ultimately exhausting and somewhat painful, but oh yes, fun with a capital "F.") Speaking of Fun, how better to kick off one of the rockingest 26-hour periods in recent memory than with a very special guest appearance by Darik and Chris Funbag? The boys shared a rare night off and the stage with us Friday night at Rookies in Cromwell, CT, and helped us effectively set the theme for the next several loud hours. 7:00 a.m. arrived awfully quickly, but hey, that's when the McKinnon's flatbed was arriving and that was to be our rolling stage for the Hartford St. Patrick's Day Parade so there we were: in the pouring rain, hoping it was true - that God really IS Irish. That's still up for debate, but I'll be darned, the skies cleared and away we went. For the record, it's hard enough to get onstage and make music. Harder still on a rolling stage, what with the starts, stops, the inherent danger of a potential asphalt faceplant and the less-than-stellar logistics (sorry about the generator, Joe.) But there we went, our tempo speeding and slowing with the flatbed as 30,000 Irishmen and Irishwomen got a jump on their day's festivities. We no sooner got our sealegs back over corned beef sammmiches at McKinnon's than we had to spruce up and head north to Geraldine's in West Springfield, MA. We're definitely digging the new setup there, and always love rocking with our Western Mass. contingent, so we made sure to pour every last drop of rock & roll energy we had into this one. Mission accomplished. We're taking Easter off, but are already chomping at the bit to get back onstage March 29 with a slam up at JR's in Cranston. |
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| TOUR DIARY: De Ja Vu All Over Again |
| Tue, Mar. 4 2008 |
 RockStar Date 02.28.08 - 02.29.08 This writeup isn't going to start the way it was supposed to because the weekend didn't start the way it was supposed to. We were supposed to have rocked a jam-packed house at Red Door in Watertown, CT Friday. And if that sentence sounds familiar it's because last week's blog entry began the same way. Mother Nature had her way with us again, but we more than made up for it the following night with a truly brutal exercise in rockdom at Black Bear Saloon in South Norwalk, CT. It's a bittersweet pill to see a line out the door and around the block the entire show. I mean, as someone in the band, it's great to feel so loved, but then you feel bad for the people who couldn't get in (especially the ones who literally waited their entire Saturday night outside and never got in. We hope the view through the window helped). Perhaps next time? For those of you who got in, thank you, thank you, thank you. BTW, we hear there may be yet another Black Bear Saloon opening in Connecticut, to which we say "there can never be too many." We look forward to doing much more with this fine group. They definitely know how to throw a party. |
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| Tonight's Show at Red Door in Watertown, CT Has Been Canceled |
| Fri, Feb. 29 2008 |
| Sorry for any inconvenience. Watertown has a parking ban which means parking is banned, which means you wouldn't be able to park and if you can't even park, you wouldn't be able to stop and leave your car anywhere anyway, so stay in, be safe, and either come see us tomorrow night at The Black Bear Saloon in South Norwalk or save it up for our return there in April. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Snubbed for an Oscar, Again! |
| Mon, Feb. 25 2008 |
 RockStar Date 02.22.08 - 02.23.08 This writeup isn't going to start the way it was supposed to because the weekend didn't start the way it was supposed to. We were supposed to have rocked a jam-packed house at Murphy's Friday night for a few hundred, no, thousand people. There coulda been a bunch of special guests. The Foo Fighters might have come by, done a few tunes. Jon Bon Jovi could have jumped onstage, Eddie Van Halen might have shown up with his axe. Y'know. It stinks because we'll never know, it could have been a really great night. But alas, Mother Nature dealt us the first weather-related cancellation in a (knock on wood) pretty darned long time, so we can't really complain about that. And the weather was crisp, clear, and wintery beautiful the next day for the trek down I-84 to Saturday night's show at The Empty Bottle in Middletown, NY. Every time we play, that place gets fuller and fuller, and this weekend, this great venue was particularly stacked and packed with an ever-growing, ever friendly bevy of fine people ready to get their rock on. Thanks to all of you for the love, we're back in just a couple months, so we'll see you soon, K? |
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| NEWS FLASH: The Friday 2/22 Show at Murphy's Has Been Canceled Due To Snow! |
| Fri, Feb. 22 2008 |
| Sorry for any inconvenience. Stay in, be safe, and save it up for our return there April 4. |
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| TOUR DIARY: We Might Get Rich, You Know, We Might Get Busted |
| Sun, Feb. 17 2008 |
 RockStar Date 02.15.08 Here's an informational tidbit you may or may not be aware of: Maximum Capacity in Chicopee, MA completely rocks! If that's news to you, it's probably because you don't live in southwestern Massachusetts, because everyone there seemed in on this, asking, "Why haven't you guys played here before?" and we were like, "played where?" Heck, I must have passed the place three times just trying to find it. But no, there it is, a new and true Springfield-area rock institution - huge, cool, and funner than a bag full of silly monkeys. If there's one thing that brings out the best in Kick, it's having a big canvas upon which to undertake the art of the Rock, and the ginormous stage at the Max fully enabled said rocking. Actually, I guess the "Max" is the equally cool downstairs sports bar and "Maximum Capacity is the rock room. Details. Anyway, the folks there were fantastic, it was great to see our regional fans come support us in our first visit. Mad, mad props to our new favorite band, Check Your Head, a Beastie Boys (and more) tribute, members of which (including the soundguy) joined us for a raucous "Fight for Your Right to Party" complete with an actual leprechaun. (Seriously dude!) We're looking forward to many happy returns, including one in late April that we're already counting the days for. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Great Caesar's Ghost! |
| Sat, Feb. 9 2008 |
 RockStar Date 02.08.08 After a Friday night like the one we just had at Rookies in Cromwell, CT, who needs the rest of the weekend? We're already ready to go back to work. I mean, we've long since exceeded our fun quota. There's really no point in trying to outparty the fabulous droves who cam to rock with us last night. That's all the weekend we need. Well, we'll enjoy the rest. We have a debut next week at a new club, Maximum Capacity in Chicopee, MA. And we have to push the envelope entirely when we return to Rookies the Friday of St. Patrick's Day weekend. (And we will.) Big happy birthday to Rose, a fan of the band pretty much for as long as there has been such a thing, who graced us with her grace. Speaking of birthdays, happy birthday also to us. Yes, the band formed this week, a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Thanks to all the great people we've had the pleasure to rock over the years. We're only getting warmed up. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Turn the Page |
| Mon, Feb. 4 2008 |
 RockStar Date 02.01.08 - 02.02.08 Well kids, it's February, the winter equivalent of the dog days of summer. The snow has finally started melting around the Kick Kompound, and it only seemed right to do a little tour of New England to start up Super Bowl weekend. So we packed up the Pacer and hit the storied hamlets of Boston, MA and Providence, RI for some midwinter Groundhog Day merriment. Friday night's visit to Hennessy's marked the one-year anniversary of our debut there. Gosh you meet some interesting people there, and needless to say, Boston was primed and partying (this was Friday, remember). From there, we drove due southwest to Cranston, RI for an unbelievably enjoyable Mardi Gras preparatory rage at (where else) JR's Bourbon Street Rockhouse at the Mardi Gras. Perhaps it was the opening set by local band Inside Out that helped get us so fired up, but when we got onstage, dude, it was so on. To our friends and fans at both venues, it really is always wonderful to see so many smiles in the crowd, familiar faces and new ones that we hope become familiar ones. Happy birthdays to Ashley (representing Lynn, Massachusetts' very, very finest) and the always-up-for-fun Christin Queen of Cranston. See you in spring kids! Next: our first Hartford area show in over a month at Rookies in Cromwell, CT. |
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| TOUR DIARY: The State of the Union is On So I May As Well Update the Website |
| Mon, Jan. 28 2008 |
 RockStar Date 01.26.08 De ja what? Have you ever been somewhere totally familiar, yet it seemed kinda unfamiliar, like you sorta knew it really well, but everything seemed just a little different? Walking into the newly renovated Geraldine's in West Springfield, MA felt like seeing an old familiar friend who just got a nosejob. A good one, mind you. It's still got the same vibe, full of the second-to-none revelers we've grown to know and love. There's just more room, it's more open, it's cool - there's simply more room to rock. You should check it out if you haven't. And if you haven't, that means you sadly missed our show there Saturday night, where we debuted five new tunes including a Guitarzilla reading of "Eruption" that got so blazingly hot the fire alarm literally went off. To the credit of the local emergency crews, the cops and fire brigade were there in under two minutes. While the false alarm was unfortunate, their promptness was quite reassuring. Big love to our ever growing roster of fans at that fine room (especially the legendary Mandy, who we finally had the pleasure to meet). We're back the Saturday of St. Patrick's Day weekend, after the Hartford parade, which is an exercise in fun so extreme it's almost irresponsible. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Don't Tase Us Bro! |
| Mon, Jan. 14 2008 |
 RockStar Date 01.11.08 - 01.12.08 Wow. Read it backward, read it frontward, it applies every which way: Wow. The weekend began with an absolutely incredible party at Murphy & Scarletti's in Farmington, CT and ended, impossibly, with an even more amazing one. First things first: by 9:45 Friday night, Murphy's was literally full to capacity before we even set foot onstage. So we turned it on early, turned it up, and just kept on turning. Happy birthday to all of our celebrants, especially Bree, whose enthusiasm earned her the first official Kick Birthday Kupcake. By the time we tore into "Bodies" (during which Kevin redefined ironic headwear in his birthday princess tiara), the Kick Army - Hartford Chapter had loudly and graciously reminded us why we love calling ourselves your local band. Saturday night, we ventured to Greenwich, CT for a very, very special private rock & roll-themed 40th birthday party for an absolutely wonderful, beautiful couple and about 150 of their closest friends including, among others, Angus Young, Keith Richards, and Rosanna Arquette. At least that's what they were dressed like. Out of respect for their privacy, we will not be sharing pictures of the completely off-the-chain setup, but if you combine an episode of "MTV Cribs" with an episode of "My Super Sweet 16," you're on the right track. Basically, picture the  coolest, most well-stocked bar you've ever been to, then picture it in someone's basement, replete with party room, food everywhere, an ultralounge, craps table, cigar patio and Kick onstage at the Hard Rock Live. This was one for the books. To the lovely couple (Elvis and Priscilla), we were humbled to be part of your special celebration, and would like to sincerely thank everyone involved for having us, allowing us to rock you, and have a ball. We're off for two weeks, but will be back with a bunch of new material when we return to the stage at Geraldine's in West Springfield, MA at the end of the month.
 KICK NEWS - This Just In! It's official! Kick has once again been selected as the official band of the Hartford St. Patrick's Day Parade. OK, well, actually we get to ride the McKinnon's float again, and that's awesome because that means that after we rock throughout the streets of downtown the float has to come back to McKinnon's to let us off, which gives us front door access to the most unreal corned beef and Guiness consumption festival imagineable. Ah spring. Bring the fam! |
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| TOUR DIARY: Partial Assembly Required |
| Sun, Jan. 6 2008 |
 RockStar Date 01.05.08 What better a joint to drop our first show of what promises to be an amazing 2K8 than at the venerable Black Bear Saloon in lovely South Norwalk, CT. I don't know that we've ever played a Saturday there, so we weren't sure what to expect. Pleasingly, we got exactly what we've come to expect any other time we've been there: a big room full of great, ready-to-rock party people, paired with a bunch of giant screen TVs to watch the wild card games on, and the best cajun chicken wrap north of the Mason-Dixon line. Special thanks and big love to the birthday celebrants, and to one fan who came all the way from Uruguay (yes, "Uruguay!" OK maybe not entirely for us, but that's a haul and a first). So, while you're here, check out the new shots in the Pics section. Next up: Our only Hartford-area show all month, Friday night at Murphy & Scarletti's in Farmington, CT! |
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| TOUR DIARY: ...and a Happy New Year! |
| Tue, Jan. 1 2008 |
 RockStar Date 12.31.07 - 01.01.08 Where better than the stage of Rookies in Cromwell, CT to bring in 2K8 (a year that is clearly destined to rock like none other?) We couldn't answer that question either, so it was that we did just that. Rookies fed the crowd thick slabs of prime rib, we fed the crowd thick slabs of prime rock and roll. It worked out great - everyone went home full. Over the course of two extra-long sets, we covered a lot of musical ground and milked the late closing for all it was worth, making this the latest we've ever performed on a Monday (!?!?) Proof that some Mondays don't stink. Tuesday kinda hurt, though. We'll be posting pics to the "Kick Pics" section of KICKband.com and to mympace/kicktunes soon. We're back at Rookies in February, this time on a weekend, and look forward to tearing in again with a slew of new stuff for 2K8. Happy new year to all of you! We look forward to rocking the hck out of you. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Merry Christmas |
| Sat, Dec. 22 2007 |
 RockStar Date 12.21.07 'Tis the season, people. The week before Christmas can be really nice, relaxing, and enjoyable if you let it - and have finished your shopping. The great City of Boston was resplendent in its Christmas finery Friday night, particularly in the old town section of Quincy Marketplace. There, Kick played our final show of the Christmas season, nearly roasting our chestnuts on an open fire in the process. Hennessy's was the gracious host venue and once again lived up to its billing as the best Irish bar in town. Thanks to all the warm folks we met, both working and playing there; power thanks to Alan from Zoom for sharing a rare night off with us and sitting in on a couple tunes; and mad-primo-thanks to the folks at Coors Light. The show marked the fourth anniversary of our sponsorship alliance with that fine organization, and were kind enough to send over two of the most memorably-attired, Coors Light hostesses ever to give away tickets to Boston's profoundly dominant sports teams. (Peppermint sticks, anyone?) To absolutely anyone we had the pleasure of rocking in 2K7 we wish you a tremendously Merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year. Let's make it a great one. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Bumbles Really Do Bounce |
| Mon, Dec. 17 2007 |
 RockStar Date 12.14.07 - 12.15.07 Once again, it looks like that seasonal slowdown hasn't slowed anyone down, at least not at Murphy & Scarletti's in Farmington, CT, where we swapped seasons greetings with a really robust and hearty group of friends old and new. Even with the threat of another (?!?!) major winter storm the following night, Geraldine's filled up quite nicely as well. Congrats to the newly wed Timmy and his bride, and to Richie and Teala on their engagement. The nice thing is that we're back at both these favorite rooms in just a matter of weeks, so check the Tour Dates section of KICKband.com or MySpace.com/kicktunes so we can do it again. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Rock You Like a Candy Cane |
| Mon, Dec. 10 2007 |
 RockStar Date 12.07.07 - 12.08.07 Contrary to historical logic, this weekend's shows atThe Red Door in Watertown, CT and JR's Bourbon Street Rockhouse in Cranston, RI were surprisingly well-attended. Thanks to all of you for the love and well-wishes, and for braving the snow and bitter cold as well as foregoing more responsible holiday-related party and shopping endeavors to make the trip out to wish us Merry Christmases and rock with us. Due to the snow, there was literally no one in the club when we arrived, and assorted pesky little sound demons got the better of us Friday, but both issues were sorted out by night's end and made for an enjoyable time with a good bunch at that fine room, one we look forward to hanging at often throughout 2008. Saturday's bender at JR's Bourbon Street Rockhouse in Cranston, RI was, well, a classic JR's visit: big, big fun with an amazing array of people on a true concert stage. Mad props too the maddest prop we've ever seen, a 10-foot tall, sound-activated inflatable snowman at stage right, who shimmied and shook to the beat, first joyfully, then aggressively toward Scott, eventually beginning to look outright sinister. "Here I am," he sneered, "rock you with my candy cane." I mean, it just doesn't get any better than that. Actually, we're back at both venues quite soon, including a redo at JR's (ironically on Groundhog Day), so check KICKband.com's Tour Dates section or myspace.com/kicktunes to get a jump on your '08 festivity planning. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Rocking in a Winter Wonderland |
| Mon, Dec. 3 2007 |
 RockStar Date 12.01.07 Our first show of the holiday season and whatta- yaknow? It feels every bit like the holiday season! Our return engagement to the Empty Bottle Saloon way out in the hills of Middletown, NY was marked by the first single-digit temps of the year's second half and nearly half a foot of snow by the time we rolled out the following morning for that long, lonely trip along the parts of I-84 you usually don't ever touch. But that's life on the road, kids. There we go. Playing songs again. There we go. Turn the page. We're cowboys riding steel horses, after all. Fortunately, we had the rockshow and an ever-growing crowd of Kick enthusiasts to keep us warm (easily twice as many as our first visit, always a good sign). We're back in February, which won't likely be any wamrmer, so we're going to need even more of you to come steam it up with us. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Something To Be Thankful For |
| Fri, Nov. 23 2007 |
 RockStar Date 11.22.07 Things we're thankful for (in no particular order): Rock & roll. Rookies Sports Bar in Cromwell, CT asking us to come play Kicksgiving Eve again for the 7th year running. The fact that there is actually something called "Kicksgiving." Cool people.  The invention of the frozen T shirt (see accompanying visual evidence). Turkeys (because that's where turkey comes from). The electric guitar. Our fans. Our friends and loved ones. (Again, no particluar order.) The United States of America. Umm, sports. Indoor plumbing. Free market economics. The diminished control of the Grinch on the rest of our world. Red Rider BB guns. Corrective eyewear. Aspirin. And (again, obviously not in order), you for reading this far. We'll be out and about, playing frequently during the holiday season, paying social calls to New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. What say we make this a particularly festive one? |
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| TOUR DIARY: Well Isn't That Special? |
| Mon, Nov. 12 2007 |
 RockStar Date 11.09.07 - 11.10.07 Is it just me or did everyone you saw this weekend seem completely crazy? It all started in decidedly non-sane fashion with a Friday Murphy's show punctuated by sit-ins with Danielle Jimmy Hat, TJ & Mike Vivid, and the return of Tambourine Willy and just got progressively weirder, ending the following night in a whirlwind of insanity at JR's Bourbon Street Rockhouse in Cranston, RI. Freaks come out at night, indeed. Then, as quickly as it started, it was over. Just like that. A blur. I know it was fun, I'm smiling giddily and uncontrollably. I see pictures of it so I know it wasn't just a dream. But man, there was no moon at all, let alone a full one, so if this is a harbinger of things to mcome, I'm scared to even think what could happen next month when we return mere weeks from now for Christmas Specials at both these fine venues. All I know is I'm never eating Aqua Dots again. |
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| TOUR DIARY: All That and Then Some |
| Sun, Nov. 4 2007 |
 RockStar Date 11.02.07 What a day to be a Kick fan and sports fan in Boston. Friday night, the streets were still strewn with remnants of the Red Sox tickertape parade three days earlier. Their college and pro football teams haven't lost all year. And the Celtics were hosting their home opener in dominant style, kicking off a season that could very well see them win Boston's third pro sports championship of the year. Given this, it only seemed appropriate that the great city would celebrate its good fortune with a visit by Kick. We threw down for a great group of friends old and new at the legendary Irish pub Hennessy's by Quincy Marketplace. Congrats to the newly married Mel. And hooray for Me and Julio, our new favorite happy hour duo. We're back there right around Christmas (12/21 actually), a truly remarkable time to stroll the city. Come on up. Make a weekend of it. Finish your holiday shopping and rock with us. You deserve a present, too. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Boo! |
| Sun, Oct. 28 2007 |
 RockStar Date 10.26.07 - 10.27.07 Whew, what a weekend. These past few days were bookmarked between an extended happy hour kicking it all off at Rookies and the Sox winning a World Series. In between, there was more gore than a Rob Zombie movie. Yes, it was truly a weekend of blood, sweat, and tears. And more blood. Whether you're a fan of Boston's baseball team or not (congrats to those who are), we know you're a fan of Kick, which is all that really matters and why you knew to come here and read this and why we feel eternally indebted for the mad love you show us. Rookies Friday was a classic, ultra-enjoyable, raucous rave-up - two sets of virtually anything and everything, unseasonably warm temperatures, and some GTs with our central Connecticut contingency. Saturday at Geraldine's was literally like something out of a horror movie. We were dressed to kill (again, literally) as Pinhead (Kev), Hannibal Lecter (Micke), Jason (Brian), and the Scream guy (Paulie). Scotty played our victim (let's just say that some of those bruises and blood weren't fake). We're accumulating photo evidence from fans by the hour, so watch the Kick Pics section for newly added shots throughout the week. Congrats to Beck the gangster chick for taking home the $100 grand prize in the costume contest. You were all winners. It's said that Halloween is a great chance to let your "other side" out. Which, if that's what we were doing, is a far scarier thought than any haunted house. Although it gives girls a pass to dress as tramp-like as they want without being called names, and more than a few accepted that pass to intriguing effect. Gosh, now, the actual Halloween is going to be anticlimactic. Perhaps we'll just look ahead then to hitting Boston Friday night for some tickertape and a show at Hennessy's. |
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| TOUR DIARY: That's Hot. |
| Mon, Oct. 22 2007 |
 RockStar Date 10.19.07 - 10.20.07 It was hot. Real hot. We did shots. Yep, Hot Shots in Glens Falls, NY sure lived up to its name. Preposterously unseasonable humidity, boundless onstage energy, and our best crowd at this room yet made for a steamy mid-October night's rockfest Friday night in the Adirondack Mountains. Big love to the staff and our growing crew there, especially the mighty Gordie, a big band proponent (literally and figuratively), back from a rough hospital stay but now clearly better than ever. The foliage was peaking. The Coors Light was flowing. And we were rocking, oh yes we were, almost literally all night long (I'm sorry, being onstage after 3:15 a.m. still takes some getting used to). The next evening, we got to play a very special party for a very special pair of newlyweds in a very special location that was so special we aren't even going to talk about it. But it was lovely and fun and we were honored to be part of it all the same. Next up: a pre-Halloween doubleheader back home (relatively speaking) at Rookies and Gerladine's. Ahhooo! |
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| TOUR DIARY: Kick Rock the Rockhouse |
| Mon, Oct. 15 2007 |
 RockStar Date 10.13.07 In the entertainment biz, it's tough competing with a playoff Red Sox game 45 minutes outside of Boston. It's even harder when they lose. But within moments, all within JR's Bourbon Street Rockhouse in Cranston, RI were reminded that everything was going to be just fine - not every series can be a sweep. And once we realized that, we were able to rock anew. Which we did, for a great and strikingly fabulous crowd who chose to dance rather than cry in their collective beer. We're back at the Rockhouse two more times before the year is over, which is awesome. Because they are. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Game On |
| Sat, Oct. 6 2007 |
 RockStar Date 10.05.07 October rules. I know I always talk about how great summer is, but if it can't be summer, it may as well be October. Even better: it can be a sweltering, hot night in October. With the Red Sox and Yankees in the playoffs. And Kick could be lighting up the boards at Murphy & Scarletti's like it's a humid seaside nid-July eve. Wait, that's exactly what it was like at our favorite Farmington, CT bistro/rock club Friday night! And it was a great - a balmy 80 degrees at night, just like summer. To the dozens of new faces, especially those of you who introduced yourselves as such, we hope you had at least a fraction of the fun we did and that we get to see your new face again. Eventually, you'll become an old face. Not, like, an "old" face necessarily, a face we see a lot. There were a lot of those, too. This was our first Murphy's show in three months, which is hot, sweltering mid-July for real and that's an unusually long time for us, so it was particularly great to catch up with some old friends. Well, not necessary old. Just ones with experience. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Westward Ho! |
| Mon, Sep. 24 2007 |
 RockStar Date 09.21.07 - 09.22.07 We always thought of The Black Bear Saloon as "west." Being in the lower left-hand corner of Connecticut, that's west right? (Wait, it IS right?) So imagine driving another couple hours west. Did you know I-84 just keeps going and going into Pennsylvania? It's weird! Well, you'll want to stop before Pennsylvania to get to the other club we played last weekend, The Empty Bottle Saloon in Middletown, NY (what the town is in the middle of, I'm not sure, but certainly not the state). The Black Bear Friday night was its typical wonderful self, so marvelously consistent - the food, the service, the staff, the crowd - even with thew Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox games going simultaneously, the show was just marvy. Moving left (west) to the Empty Bottle the next night: Nice room, that one, with one of the highest stages we've ever nearly fallen off and one of the wildest bridal parties we've seen (and that's saying a lot). They're just beginning to have bands, so we're honored to have been asked to help show people how this rock & roll thing is done. We're back in December for a refresher course. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Back to the Grind |
| Mon, Sep. 17 2007 |
 RockStar Date 09.14.07 - 09.15.07 At 12:33, from the stage at Geraldine's in West Springfield, MA, the announcement was made: "Ladies and gentlemen, at this time I'd like to bring Chris Daughtry onstage to do a song with us." Based on the response, it sounded as if some people actually thought he was there. (You'll note that I said "I'd like to" bring him onstage for a song, certainly not that I could.) No, he was a mile up at the Big E. And that's the real story behind Saturday's show: the fact that despite so many regional distractions and entertainment alternatives, we still had one of the best crowds we've ever had there. Thank you to all of you. Saturday's show capped off a raucous two-fer "Return to the Rockshow" that began the night before at Rookies in Cromwell, CT, now and forever one of our favorite rooms in central Connecticut. We were off for an unprecedented three weeks (just two weekends, but man, it felt weird to put a guitar on, I tell ya). We were callous-free but recharged and refreshed with a bunch of new material and a throng of smiling, familiar faces. The Yankees/Sox rivalry was at its most fascinating, football is on again. In other words, it's early fall, and there's arguably no better time to go out and get your rock on, so please make it a point to treat yourself well this autumn by coming to a Kick show. Check the "Kick Pics" section throughout the week for visual evidence.
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| TOUR DIARY: Reach the Bleach, Then Off to the Beach |
| Sun, Aug. 26 2007 |
 RockStar Date 08.24.07 Well, that just about does it, Kick Army. It seems like, gosh, just a couple months ago we were all getting hepped up for our summer schedule and now, it's over. Done. Just a memory now. Albeit an absolutely wonderful one. Is it just me or was summer 2K7 unusually great? We're off to our oceanfront retreat in Belize for a couple weeks - all that partying really got us in the mood to do some partying. So Friday night's show at the always-enjoyable sports pub that is Bleachers in Bristol, CT was not only our summertime sayonara but our last show until mid-September. Can you wait that long? Amid hot-air balloon festivals, fairs everywhere, and a billion other late-summer distractions, we debuted five new tunes (well, four I guess since one was a mashup). And since we're actually going to practice, we expect to have perhaps another half dozen for you at our Friday and Saturday shows at Rookies and Geraldine's, 9/14 and 15, respectively. So don't accept lameness into your life, make it a date.
THIS WEEK IN KICK HIZZISTORY: 2000 - KICKband.com goes live (that's right, you're visiting a piece of hizzistory right now!) Several hundred thousand hits later, KICKband.com has become the longest continually operating band Website in Connecticut, thanks for the readership. Without you, this all sure would be self-indulgent wouldn't it? |
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| TOUR DIARY: Well, Blow Me Down! |
| Sat, Aug. 18 2007 |
 RockStar Date 08.17.07 Kick almost got blown off the stage Friday night. Not by another band, silly, that can't happen, by gale force winds barreling through the Connecticut River corridor and all but sweeping us and our gear from the 125 Riverside Drive stage. Actually, the most surprising element was that we played at all. Thunderstorms perfectly timed with the prime post-work happy hours drenched the Hartford area and ominous lightning blasts that would have kept lesser bands indoors flashed in the not-so-distant distance. We kept waiting for the assumed cancellation, which never happened. The guys at 125 persevered, and so did we. And goshdarnit, for a cold, rainy night, the place actually had a surprisingly big crowd. For the next 100 minutes, we ran through one of our most varied song lists ever. Then the tables started flying and it got outright scary. Fortunately, we were able to cram in all the "happy birthdays," a couple social calls, and just enough Kick mayhem to hold us until next week's show at Bleachers in Bristol, CT. That's our last show of the summer and the sendoff before a rather lengthy break (for us, anyway), so please please pretty please make a special trip to tear it up with us one more time. Thanks to the great folks at the new 125 Riverside Drive for sticking it out and for a great year. We love what you've done with the place and look forward to an even bigger 2008. Speaking of 2008, the 2K8 Kick show schedule has been posted to the "Tour Dates" section of KICKband.com and to myspace.com/kicktunes. The list is current as of like right now, it will certainly expand, but there's enough there to start making travel plans.
THIS WEEK IN KICK HISTORY 2000 - Scott plays his first show with Kick, at Murphy & Scarletti's in Farmington, CT. Inexplicably, we ask him to do it again, and thus began the longest tenure of a "replacement" member in the band's history. Here's to the next seven, buddy (at least). |
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| TOUR DIARY: Three Degrees of Separation |
| Mon, Aug. 13 2007 |
 RockStar Date 08.07.07 - 08.10.07 As anyone who has seen Kick can attest, we like to mix it up. One of our several guiding missions is to be able to entertain absolutely anybody, anywhere, anytime. Each show is a Zen-like step toward attaining that utopian rock & roll id. This week brought an unusual opportunity to test our progress over three very different nights on three radically divergent stages for three profoundly diverse audiences. Wednesday brought the unique chance to play for a crowd composed almost entirely of people who had never seen us before. At the truly beautiful Veteran's Memorial Amphitheater in Rocky Hill, CT, we were honored by that town's Parks and Rec Department to be asked once again to play for a couple hundred locals at Elm Ridge Park, this time on a classic hot August night. Town concerts are a rare opportunity to play for kids of all ages from one to 81 (at least), many of whom may not have been at a rock concert in years (if ever). Needless to say, we had an absolute ball, running among the picnic blankets, teaching preschoolers how to dance, play drums, or simply frolic onstage like rockstars, and - we sincerely hope - getting people excited about music. Special thanks also to the three dozen young ladies (OK, grade school girls, but what a cheering section!) Now we know how the cast of "High School Musical Live" feels.  Friday night, we returned to The Red Door in Watertown, CT for an eve of big noise captured on video by the guys at Metrocrawl.com. The two long sets were marked by a revolving door of special guest appearances, including jams with Little Kev, the WB, and Danielle. Check back here, or visit that fine site soon for footage. That brings us to Saturday night at King Neptune's in Lake George, NY. A combination of unreal summer weather and the fact that this was our only appearance this year at this great waterfront club made for a den of iniquity 180 degrees removed from the family fare of the Rocky Hill show. Memorable moments were many. Some, may best be forgotten. But we won't soon forget the image of piles (yes, literally piles) of women being dragged (again, literally, dragged) offstage by security only to make room for another dozen to take their place. And to the rows of guys up front whose enthusiasm made the entire stage shake (once again, literally) during "Bodies," we salute you. When the uninitiated ask what kind of music we play, we often respond: "anything from Neil Diamond to Metallica." The implication being that somewhere in there, we like to think you'll hear something you like. Saturday, we literally played those two back to back. And over three stages before three crowds that almost couldn't be more different, we were pleased to see that goal is being realized. Ample photo evidence can be viewed in the "Kick Pics" section of KICKband.com (more will be going up all week, thanks to all of you who sent yours, we're still sifting through them all. And we've added some amateur video of the Guns & Roses medley at Neptune's (as well as the official Kick demo video) to the "Audio/Video" section of KICKband.com. This is the second installment of a running series here and on myspace.com/kicktunes called "KICK Video Du Jour." Please feel free to send a YouTube or MySpace link to any vid you shoot at a show (or before, after, it really doesn't matter, as long as it's somehow related to KICK), and we'll split the 15 minutes of fame with you. We have our last 125 Riverside show this Friday the 17th, so please try to come out and do it one more time with us. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Three the Hard Way |
| Mon, Aug. 6 2007 |
 RockStar Date 08.02.07 - 08.04.07 This is it, folks: August '07. We've looked forward to this one all year, knowing it was going to be an unusually rocking month, but we weren't even four days in and we had already racked up three gigs, and it only gets better from here. Each year around this time - generally coincident with the Advocate's Grand Band Slam, actually - we play a Thursday/Friday doubleheader at the venerable Rookies in Cromwell, CT. Thursday shows can be painful. We work day jobs after all. And since most people do, we certainly cannot assume anyone else will be as inclined to tie a few on with us on a school night. But then, this is Rookies. And it was Becky's birthday. And the boys from Vivid showed up. And next thing you know, the room is pumping and it looks and feels like a weekend, which it soon sort of became - TJ and Mike sat in on a few tunes and by the time it was done, we were directly responsible for at least a dozen sick days. The best part is that we just get to leave and show up again the next morning, our gear is ready to go (so THAT'S what it feels like to have roadies!) So Friday, we'd already had a dress rehearsal, and we did it all over again. When the dust settled, we had ably entertained a few hundred central Connecticutians at the best sports bar in these here parts. Scant hours later, we were beelining over the Newport Bridge on our way to Middletown, RI for our annual pilgrimage to the absolutely idyllic patio of the Atlantic Beach Club, right there on the beach. The weather couldn't have been better (I'm knocking on wood right now, outdoor shows can be a crapshoot, but man have we gotten lucky this year). We came, we conquered, and we bid Elaine and the staff a fond adieu until next time (hopefully some time soon). The sun set on another perfect Newport beach day, we beat the Folk Festival traffic out, and slept really, really comfortably. Which is goood, we need the rest, this is another three-show week, beginning with a Wednesday show for the Town of Rocky Hill at Elm Ridge Park and Friday/Saturday double whallop at the Red Door and King Neptunes in Lake George. |
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| TOUR DIARY: These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things |
| Sun, Jul. 29 2007 |
 RockStar Date 07.27.07 - 07.28.07 We don't generally pick favorites, especially not with respect to the rooms we play, but we're only human and we'd be lying if we didn't acknowledge that our rockshow just works better in certain places. Diplomacy aside, we returned from our little band vaca with a back-to-back doubleheader at two of our top 10 all-time faves, and were reminded exactly why they're both high on the list. JR's Bourbon Street Rockhouse in Cranston, RI is a big rock & roll room with staging and lights that would make mid-80's Motley Crue jealous. Geraldine's is a smaller, neighborhood stage with great sight lines and an atmosphere that's impossible not to enjoy. Both rooms sound great, thanks to schweet house systems run by seasoned sound vets - Steve at JR's, who was actually celebrating his birthday with us (happy biirthday, buddy!) and Richie at Geraldine's who always manages to make us feel like gods. The barstaffs at each are second to none - friendly, knowledgeable, and eminently fun to party with. And the patrons are a good-looking, attitude-free, diverse array of folk that just know how to have a good time. Everything I just typed stood in spades this past weekend. Another thing both rooms had in common - they were all but empty when we started the show, then filled in beautifully as our campaign to win over every person in the house, one at a time proved wildly successful, particularly at Geraldine's, talk about going from 0 to 160 mph in three songs! We're a bit sore from the brief layoff, but we'll have our full tilt mojo back in preparation for a tripleheader this weekend that starts Thursday (yikes!) We'll be posting a bunch of new photos in the days to come, so check the "Kick Pics" section periodically. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Friday the 13th |
| Sat, Jul. 14 2007 |
 RockStar Date 07.13.07 When you have your choice of spots in the Murphy & Scarletti's parking lot on a Friday after work, you might be inclinced to assume it will remain a quiet night. Alas, we were pleased to be very wrong (and how often do you get to be happy to be wrong?) While warm, non-humid temperatures presumably lured the fair weather set to outdoor entertainment options, true Rock & Roll Citizens came in and quaffed a cold one with Kick at the best Irish/Italian restaurant/club in the hemisphere. Birthdays, bridal parties, was an event left uncelebrated? We certainly did our share, celebrating not only another incident-free Friday the 13th (knocking wood now) but the beginning of (gasp) band vacation week. We promise to return tanned, relaxed, rested, and ready to go berserker when we return to the stage July 27 and 28. And with that, I must log off and bid you a fabulous week, there's a pina colada with my name on it. Literally, right next to my computer. And I'm going to drink it now. |
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| TOUR DIARY: The Great Outdoors |
| Mon, Jul. 9 2007 |
 RockStar Date 07.06.07 - 07.08.07 Nothing beats a hot summer night. Nothing. Except maybe owning a penguin. But man, hot summer nights dude? They've been writing songs about them forever. They've been happening a lot more often lately, too, seeing how it's summertime and all. And we've capitalized on that with an open-air doubleshot this past weekend. Friday night we hit 125 Riverside Drive in East Hartford, CT, where, as Murphy's Law would have it, rainshowers passed through at intervals perfectly timed to scare large chunks of people home every 20 minutes. But those who were unafraid enjoyed a great night by the Connecticut River, especially (we hope) longtime Kick  fan Mel, who was celebrating the return the next day of the man she'll be marrying tonight, back from nine months in Iraq. Good luck and best wishes to both of you! Sunday afternoon, it was off to the beach for our first stop at Old Lyme, CT's Pavilion Beach Club in like four years. The good news: It's better than ever. The 95-degree heat brought out Connecticut's finest party people (photo evidence is being continually posted to the Kick Pics section. Feel free to forward your own or post them to myspace.com/kicktunes). Mad props to freestyle rapper extraordinaire Saiyid, who stepped up and sat in with us on a few songs, adding tasty flava (I misspelled that on purpose) to some R&B and hip hop classics. All in all, it was the perfect beach day. (Except perhaps for Scotty, who found his car had been towed. Sorry buddy!) Thanks for coming out everyone. We have one more show at Murphy's Friday, then a vacation week, so come get your Kick fix. |
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| It's a Girl! |
| Wed, Jul. 4 2007 |
| Brian and Ann are pleased to announce the birth of a 6 lb. 8 oz. daughter, Arianna on July 3 (that makes one of each, rock on!) Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes, guys. |
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| TOUR DIARY: I-95 Is a Long Road |
| Mon, Jul. 2 2007 |
 RockStar Date 06.29.07 - 06.30.07
It's been said that the last week of June is summer at it's purest (by me, I just said it, but isn't it great when you're one week into the official season, the 4th of July hasn't even happened yet, and you have two whole months of hot weather and GT's to look forward to?) Ahhh. Summer. Where was I? Oh yes, celebrating summer at the Black Bear Saloon in South Norwalk, CT, of course. SoNo is particularly beautiful this time of year. We managed to play there on some pretty brutal winter nights, so the freedom to stroll Washington Street on a warm-weather post-work Friday eve and enjoy fresh crabcakes with a view of the water canceled that all out perfectly. Steve and crew run a great venue, which, per usual, allowed for a remarkable evening of rock & roll entertainment at its most enthused. To our single fans: you really, really want to make the trip there some time. Trust us. That's all we're going to say. The next night (that would be Saturday for those keeping score) we headed in the entire opposite direction, up to JR's Bourbon Street Rockhouse in Cranston, RI. There's nothing we can say about this flawless-sounding rock room that hasn't been said already, so I'll stop right there and throw up my devil horns. There. Giving us that big a stage to stalk is really just wrong. They just added a Jimmy Buffet-style patio out front, so even if you've been before, you haven't really. So you should come down when we're back at the end of July (tie it in with a day at the beach and chill there with us). Next up, two outdoor shows to celebrate the second half of Independence Day: 125 Riverside Drive in East Hartford, CT, then the Pavilion Beach Club (yes, like ON the beach!) on Soundview Beach in Old Lyme, CT at 1 pm Sunday. But first and most important, this week marks the coming of the event of the year we've all been waiting for: the arrival this week of Brian's new baby! (Ann's too, she had a lot to do with it as well.) Check KICKband.com for immediate notifications and - if we can outbid the paparazzi - your first look at pictures! |
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| TOUR DIARY: Boston You're My Home. For Two Nights, Anyway |
| Sun, Jun. 24 2007 |
 RockStar Date 06.22.07 - 06.23.07 Aside from a passing sunshower that actually ended up making it even nicer out, Friday you really couldn't pick better weather than what we got this weekend in Boston for our two-night residency at Henessy's, the club voted best Irish pub in Boston six years running (and that's saying something). Both nights brought out hundreds of freshly bronzed revelers wearing their beamingest "first weekend of summer" smiles. Friday's was augmented by the happy hour/no more work element. By Saturday, the sound really settled in and so did we for a radically energized second show. All good, people, thanks to everyone involved at that great venue and to all our new friends for the love. |
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| TOUR DIARY: The Red and The White |
| Sun, Jun. 10 2007 |
 RockStar Date 06.08.07 - 06.09.07: Traditionally, I keep this blog about Kick and our shows and very third person, but since I write it, I'm going to use it like everyone else uses theirs - to spout a bit. So, I wake up in Phoenix, Arizona Friday morning at 4. I'm flying home early that day because I have a show at the Red Door in Watertown, CT that night. Fun club, should be cool, can't wait. I land from the cross-country trek for a 2:00 lunch in Philly, after which it's just a short hop home. Everything is beautiful. We board the Embraer 130m and taxi away when suddenly the airline decides there is "weather" (isn't there always weather?!) and we can't fly. Come to find out, we can't fly at any time for the rest of the night either. Laguardia's radar is down. Flabbergasted, I do everything you would normally do: swear, cry, scream, try to steal people's boarding passes, drink doubles, and pray that things clear and I can get home in time to rock. I decide that at 4:30 mI have to either have a sure-thing flight or cut bait. 4:30 comes. I run to the Hertz desk in my suit, which is a half mile away and outside (it's way more humid in Philly than Arizona, by the way), rent an overpriced car and begin a trek from Philly to Bradley Airport (where my car and gear are) that takes me through Friday summertime rush hour traffic in: Philadelphia, Newark, and then (because the chick on the car's GPS had no clue where she was taking us): Brooklyn, Queens, the Long Island Expressway, Staten Island, and Manhattan proper. At 9:30, I get to Bradley Airport where I was at least able to then jump in my car with my gear and begin the hour drive to the club. Long story short: I got there a mere 20 minutes late. And I rocked. Hard. I was shaking, but man, it was like a pressure release valve had been pressed. It felt good. Now I ask: would the other bands you follow go through that much trouble to entertain you? I didn't think so. But enough about my trials and tribulations. The club was like 130 degrees and just fun as heck. We're back in August, so come check it. Saturday (basically, like an hour prior to my typing this) we got to go be part of the wedding of two really amazing people at Avon Old Farms School. We'll keep them nameless for privacy's sake, but suffice to say, the amount and degree of the love their family and friends showed them was humbling, and you would be hard pressed to find a cuter couple. People told us the venue looked like something out of Harry Potter and holy cow, dude, it looked JUST LIKE SOMETHING FROM HARRY FRIGGIN' POTTER! There was even a Headmaster's parking space in front. Fun was. But it's bedtime. We have a big weekend off coming up. It's my birthday and I'm going to celebrate it. Just you watch me, I've had a rough week. Good night and God bless. See you for the doubleheader at Hennessey's in Boston, MA! |
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| TOUR DIARY: The Heat is On |
| Sun, Jun. 3 2007 |
 RockStar Date 06.01.07 - 06.02.07 Just like that, summer is in full swing. The weekend was once again nice and steamy in every conceivable way, not the least of which was the weather, which made for great beach afternoons and even better quintessential hot summer rock & roll nights, two prime examples of which we hosted this week at Rookies in Cromwell, CT Friday and The Harp in Boston, MA Saturday. To top it all off, the Yankees were playing the Red Sox, and no matter what side of that debate you're on, it makes for great baseball. But there was no debating the extreme energy levels onstage and in the crowds. Friday night we celebrated a slew of birthdays (hi Trish) with a barnburner  of a show, ample photo evidence of which was captured by photographer to the stars Rich Cianci. His MySpace Pics page contains 83 prime examples of how he made even us look good, and some of his other great work of bands, people, inanimate objects and anything he can point his camera at. Visit www.myspace.com/ rich917 and prepare to be blown away, this guy is good. We'll be interspersing several other photos from this show into our Web site over the next several days as well as last week's (thanks to all the fans who have send some in to us!) so check the "Kick Pics" section of KICKband.com often throughout the week. Where were we? Oh yes, Rookies (did I mention we love it there?) And then we were in Boston on a Saturday in June and there really ain't no place better to watch the boys of summer than that. Or Kick for that matter, and that evening's show at The Harp over by the Garden or FleetCenter or whatever it is now was packed and raucous. Thanks to superfans Chris and the girls for taking the bus trip out, we hope you had as much fun as it looked like you were. Then again, we hope that of everyone. Have a great June folks. Hey, while we have you, the Hartford Advocate's Grand Band Slam balloting has begun, so if you think we're worthy of note, log onto hartfordavocate.com and cast a vote for us in the Covers/Tribute category. |
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| TOUR DIARY: A Memorable Memorial Day |
| Mon, May. 28 2007 |
 RockStar Date 05.25.07 - 05.27.07 OK, so summer doesn't really begin for like another month, but can we all just agree that it started Friday the minute we left work? I mean, what a weekend! What weather! What a great excuse to remember the soldiers among us and above us and share some fun times with friends while kicking off the seasons at two clubs synonymous with the warm weather months. Friday, we were honored to be asked to open the all new 125 Riverside Drive at - you guessed it - 125 Riverside Drive in East Hartford, CT. So far, the new ownership seems to be doing everything right, and we were stoked to be able to christen the new stage. This is the place to be this summer folks, cocktails on a massive patio overlooking the Connecticut River? I mean come on! The lure was too great for several hundred people who jammed the venue as we KICKed off the weekend and summer itself with a truly marvelous rockshow that we hope will be a harbinger of things to come. One thing though: The old men's room is now the ladies room! We found that out the hard way. Sunday night, we got to milk the weekend at Paddy's Beach Club on Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, RI. The weather stayed favorable, and thus did the response of the lovely group that assembled at this - arguably the greatest mainland beach club in New England. It's going to be a good year, folks. Make it a point to get out there. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Steel Anniversary, Steel Got It |
| Sun, May. 20 2007 |
 RockStar Date 05.18.07 - 05.19.07 If you're not in a band, indulge us a moment here, K? Imagine you're supposed to do a show for some really nice people who own a club, and they're willing to actually pay you money to do it, so you really want to make them happy. And it's, like, an hour before the show is going to start and there's almost nobody there and you kinda panic, like you're hosting a party and no one has shown up yet. You don't freak, you just sit there, ready, and hope things change. Well they did, and how. At Murphy's Friday night, the place almost immediately filled in totally and amply enough to accommodate stage diving (it was WICKED cool! But please kids, do not try this at home). The boys from Vivid came up for a tune, we tore stuff up and laid waste to anything in our paths. All good. The next night, same thing: crickets, then near-immediate mayhem, at Black Bear Saloon in lovely South Norwalk, CT. It was practically sleeting for crying out loud, and that ain't right, not in mid-May. So the appearance and appearances of so many beautiful Kick fans showing such mad support was enough to warm our cockles. Whatever a cockle is. On the topic of heat and Kick rockshows, Memorial Day is upon us, so things ought to be toasty from here out. Read the next shows section for deets on how ill that's gonna be. And/or get on our VIP Mailing List and you'll never get left out in the cold. Hey, while we have you poking around the site, check the newly expanded Audio/Video page. To commemorate our 11th Anniversary,we added a dozen or so morsels of classic Kick from throughout the years. Thanks to all of you for making our 11th birthday special. And possible, for that matter. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Steel Anniversary Kickoff |
| Thu, May. 17 2007 |
 RockStar Date 05.12.07 So we caught you up on the bar mitzvah and the Sacred Heart University rage at Daniels Street, right? (Midweek shows mess with our easily messed with heads.) So that leaves Geraldine's, right? Now THAT was a good time. Always is. No surprise here: folks in Western Mass sure know how to rock (even though, let's face it, that's really Central Mass.) We got a jump start on our 11th anniversary celebration week (the traditional gift of which is, ironically and conveniently, steel) by mixing up a surefire recipe: Couple a nice, loud crowd with that wide stage, with the extensions on each side and all those rafters to hang from, and gosh, it just brings out our inner rock & roll juggernaut every time. This show prompted the largest number of Myspace friend adds since we launched the site in fall (thanks to all of you, welcome aboard). The only bad news: We won't be back there until the Big E (that means fall), so hold tight, hold steady, and keep rocking. We will be back. |
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| TOUR DIARY: If You Rock and You Know It, Clap Your Hands (Part 2) |
| Sun, Apr. 29 2007 |
 RockStar Date 04.27.07 - 05.09.07: The only thing that may possibly have been better than our Friday swing through the venerable Rookies in Cromwell, CT (on the day of a Yanks/Red Sox game in spring, no less) is our Saturday show at JR's Bourbon Street Rockhouse in the Mardi Gras Multiclub in Cranston, RI. It was a toss-up: two great, loud, hyper-responsive crowds. Two eminently enjoyable nights at fave clubs with great people. Reflecting yet again now, I guess we have to give it to JR's for the simple reason that - thanks to Steve's knob-twisting wizardry and a monstrous PA - we sound so otherwordly and god-like there. We'll be back at both very soon. Happy birthday, Mariana, by the way. Over the days that followed, we were honored to play not one but two consecutive private events, which we normally wouldn't even mention because that would be like rubbing your face in the fact that there was a killer party and you weren't invited. But we're going to do it anyway. (Briefly.) Saturday we played at the New Haven Jewish Community Center (believe it or not, a first for us!) The event was the bar mitzvah (another first for us!) of a very special young man who has some of the coolest family members and friends you'd ever want to see. Thank you, Alan, and clan for asking us to be part of this very special day. We're so glad we were able to enhance your enjoyment. Enjoyment was easy to come by last night. I mean, whenever 10 buses full of college grads pulls up and dumps 500 primed, ready-to-rock coeds in front of your stage, you know you're in for a special night. Wednesday at Daniels Street in Milford, CT, was just such a night as we helped send hundreds of Sacred Heart University grads off on the first night of the rest of their lives. Today, we enrolled in night school. Once the headache went away. |
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| TOUR DIARY: It's Spring Again |
| Mon, Apr. 23 2007 |
 ROCKStar Date 04.20.07 - 04.21.07: As Biz Markie so eloquently put it: "It's spring again." Biz also said "You, you got what I need. But you say he's just a friend. But you say he's just a friend, OH BABY YOOOOUUUUU!..." but that's a different blog. Finally, the weather we'd been waiting for all year arrived here in Southern New England Friday night, just in time for our show at Red Door in Watertown, CT. They don't call spring "mating season" for nothing. Everyone seemed to have that "good to be alive/let's drink some beer and prowl for some booty" thing going. Maybe it's the fact that it happened to be 4/20 (coincidence?) Either way, hormones were clearly pumping throughout the room, and not only because Darik of Funbags fame sat in with us on a few tunes, although I'm sure it helps, he is quite the strapping lad (...did I just type that?) See the accompanying pic for proof. By Saturday night, we had endured the first nice weekend day of the year (82 degrees and dude you should see my new grill!) The Red Sox were playing the Yankees and spring had so completely sprung that our Bleachers show was decidedly a more low-key affair than the packed and raucous room we'd played the night before roughly seven miles up the road. But hey, it was so nice out that we all took up smoking, just for an excuse to go outside. Check the Kick Pics link for photo evidence of the weekend's debauchery. |
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| NEWS BRIEFS: Kick Kills Murphy's, KICK on TV? And Grand Band Slam Nominations |
| Tue, Apr. 17 2007 |
 It's been a busy month here at KICK HQ, let's catch up. We're firming up our summer schedule, which already includes stops everywhere from Lake George, NY to Boston to Misquamicut and Newport Beach, RI. Check the Tour Dates tab and start booking some warm weather fun now. We're set to appear on JCT TV, channel 13 with Poppa T Saturday morning, April 28 at 10 a.m. We'll be doing some radio promo for that too, so keep an eye out for deets. It's available to Cablevision and Optimum Cable customers in Western CT, New York State and the five boroughs, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. That'll be fun. We'd been traveling a lot throughout the tri-state area, so it was nice to do a smoking hot homecoming show on a butt cold night at Murphy & Scarletti's in Farmington, CT last Friday. As always, a wonderful time and beautiful crowd at a club so completely among our favorites that we're returning to play our 11th anniversary show there scant weeks from now (on May 18). And it's almost time to start nominating bands for the Hartford Advocate's Grand Band Slam Poll ballot. Voting begins next month, and we'll let you know when and how that's all going down. Every year, that's the biggest and best night in Connecticut music, so we encourage you to support it. If you vote for us, all the better. Well, that's enough news for now. See you out soon? Good. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Easter Western Exposure |
| Wed, Apr. 11 2007 |
 ROCKStar Date 04.06.07 - 04.07.07: Good Friday lived up to its name in our visit to the always fab Black Bear Saloon in South Norwalk, CT, a club/restaurant combo so good they keep making more. God bless you guys, you've rightfully become one of the fastest expanding venues around (we just saw the New Haven one about to open soon, sweet!) The crowd, the club, the staff, all ooze of class (so what, then, was Kick doing there you ask?) Connecticut bars close at 2:00 a.m., so road trips west over the New York border are a common, evergreen ritual. We made one of our own, ending up all the way up in Albany. There, we again gave it heck at the always enjoyable Bayou Cafe, right in the middle of everything. Now THAT'S a fun bunch of people. We rang in Easter '07 onstage, jammed 'til the wee hours, cashed roughly 90 minutes at the room, and slowly sauntered home. Needless to say, post-Easter dinner naps never felt so good. |
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| TOUR DIARY: Boston You're My Home |
| Tue, Apr. 3 2007 |
 ROCKStar Date 03.30.07 - 03.31.07: The only thing better than playing Hennessey's in Boston on an impossibly beautiful early spring day is doing it and then doing it again the next day. No wait, the BEST thing is rocking out for a big Friday crowd, leaving your gear set up after a show, hitting the hay, enjoying a full day in one of the nation's great cities, and then having an even better gig the next night. It's clearly bridal party season (ladies, send pics of your bride-to-be/former best friends and we'll post them, we know you have them) and more than a few revelers looked to be thoroughly enjoying the hypnotic draw of spring fever. Including us. More of that to come. |
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| TOUR DIARY: That's More Like It! |
| Mon, Mar. 26 2007 |
| ROCKStar Date 03.24.07: That's more like it. We finally got out there on the McKinnon's float in the rescheduled Hartford St. Patrick's Day Parade, on an impossibly perfect spring morning in lovely downtown Hartford. We passed roughly 50,000 happy Irish folk and a few who weren't (Irish, that is), and rallied back at the pub for some corned beef and camaraderie. But we couldn't stay, we had an evening show at Geraldine's in West Springfield, MA, which - I know we say it all the time but it's true - was absolutely outrageous, thanks in large part to Trish and the Springfield contingent that is just so good at showing us so much love. Thanks to all of you. It's worth noting that the weekend didn't end there, we made a trip down to New Haven, CT Monday night for a visit to a place we've had mo | | |