By Emilie Rusch

I wasn’t around when rock and the Rocket Man were young, but Elton John and his piano had my toes tapping tonight at the Barnett Arena.

A couple of times, I had to stop myself from singing along with the crowd — especially when Sir Elton launched into “Tiny Dancer.” Maybe it’s just me, but whenever I hear that song, I immediately think of that scene in “Almost Famous,” right after Billy Crudup’s character almost jumps off a roof. The band isn’t speaking, but one by one, they join in singing “Tiny Dancer” and all is forgiven.

For Jen Harder of Rapid City, it’s “Your Song” that’s magic for her. For Chuck Conlee of Rapid City — who by the way, outdressed the Rocket Man in a rainbow boa and piano-patterned bowler hat — it’s “Nikita.”

And in a concert clocking in at nearly three hours, Sir Elton offered a lot of options for the fans. The group sitting next to me said a couple of times that they were definitely getting their money’s worth.

For a casual fan like me, the rock legend may have spent a little too much time on his lesser known songs, but he’s a performer and knew right when to bring the crowd back with classics like “Candle in the Wind” and  “I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues.” And even I couldn’t argue with how he closed out the set with high-energy numbers “Bennie and the Jets” and “Crocodile Rock.” How a 62 year old managed to have that much energy after 2 1/2 hours is beyond me.  I was tired just watching him from the comfort of my seat.

What about you? Was it worth all the build-up?

By Eric Lochridge

Here’s my track-by-track review of “No Line on the Horizon,” U2’s new album. It’s a good as you’d expect, but at first blush not as good as you’d like it to be. The strong tracks are super, and the others will grow on us, the way they do.
It’s a good album — maybe not the five-star masterpiece Rolling Stone says it is — but it shows a band still trying to be creative at a point in its career when most other bands are bereft of any new ideas. So if a few songs feel like overreaching, it’s easily forgivable, in my book.

“No Line on the Horizon” – “You can hear the universe in half seashells.” Distorted guitar, slightly raspy/gritty vocals. Not your typical U2 album opener.

“Magnificent” – “Only love can leave such a mark.” Big chorus, soaring vocals and guitar, all the hallmarks of great U2.

“Moment of Surrender” – “Playing with the fire till the fire played with me.” Gospel feel, Springsteenian vocal performance.

“Unknown Caller” – “Restart and reboot yourself, you’re free to go.” The Edge’s distinctive guitar chime, nice long lead in, infectious chorus likely to be heard emanating from many a pub at closing time.

“I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight” – “The sweetest melody is the one we haven’t heard.” Upbeat, uplifting. Better song than the title suggests.

“Get on Your Boots” – “You don’t know how beautiful you are.” Oh yes I do.

“Stand Up Comedy” “Can I stand up to beauty, the dictator of the heart?” Refrain echoes Marley. Longtime fans are going to have trouble with this one.

“Fez — Being Born” – “African sun at last,” atmospheric, excellent song, one of this album’s best.

“White As Snow” – “Once I knew there was a love divine. Then came a time I thought it knew me not.” Has kind of an Old West kilter.

“Breathe” – “There’s nothing you have that I need.” Edge and Bono bring it. Why is this song buried so deep?

“Cedars of Lebanon” – “Squeezing complicated lives into a simple headline.” The profound closer — one of this band’s consistent strengths.

By Todd Williams

It will always have a  prominet place on my iPod.

49:00, the subversive, covert and now commercially unavailable release by the Godfather of Alternative Music, Paul Westerberg, is probably Westerberg’s best work since “Let It Be” or “Hootenanny” when he was a member of the seminal alt. rock band, “The Replacements.”

In many ways, it musically isn’t that far from some of his better solo work such as the “Mono” and “Stereo” era. But in other ways, it easily stands out as Westerberg’s best work.

Perhaps it is the way it so perfectly captures Westerberg. It leads off with somewhat darkly, foreboding almost. Over the course of the album, though, it gives way to a more optimistic, more uplifting vibe, culminating with a final track that features his pre-teen son barking vocals like dad used to do when he was thrash.

And it is done as an album. There are no tracks, thus the title. When it is downloaded (the only format it was available in), it is a single 44:55 track. Thus, it is delivered in a way to make the user take it whole, warts and all.

Still, what is even more Westerberg is the way the album moves. It begins with near full songs and pop gems, fading into one another. After a few songs, it breaks down into shorter, song fragments that are sonically strong. Pretty soon, it’s a jumbled mess, much like Westerberg’s career or a Replacements concert. As it approaches its ultimate destiny, the album surges back to life with an odd medley of covers that range from the Beatles to the Partridge Family.

It’s this penultimate offering that likely forced the album’s removal. Or perhaps its the fact that Westerberg plays some of the outtakes that he had recorded when he was under a previous recording traffic.

Regardless, it is now off the market, available only to afficiandos and those clever bit torrent downloaders.

It is fitting that Westerberg’s best work will be barely available. It fits his career to a T. And like a series of albums largely unavailable to the general public (Brian Wilson’s ‘Smiley Smile,’ Prince’s ‘Black Album,’  or even Wilco’s ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’ before they re-signed and released it), “49:10″ most certainly will gain status as much for its mysteriousness as it will for what it is.

Which is unfortunate. It is certainly a must have.

By Crystal Hohenthaner
Journal staff

When I was in high school and college there were always those aspiring rock-star guys who would bring their guitars with them everywhere. (I always secretly suspected that they were trying to get the ladies). Plus there were those theater folks who always had a new Broadway-style audition piece that they were willing to perform for anyone. Or does anyone else remember that guy who always managed to find a piano to sit behind?

Those are the folks I would consider “living room musicians.” And their tours usually didn’t go much further than the city – or neighborhood – limits. Well, imagine my surprise when I heard that there is a guy who is going all across the country touring people’s living rooms! Plus he’s doing it for only $100 a venue.

Check out his press-release:

Living room Musician to visit Rapid City on 100-dollar tour

Finding an audience for your music is always a challenge for a young musician, but Jon Troast isn’t waiting around for listeners. Armed with a guitar and a tank of gas, Troast is currently embarking on what he’s calling the “100 Dollar Tour.”

The concept is simple: For one hundred dollars, Troast will come to your house and play. For the money, you’ll receive one hour of acoustic music and some CDs. People from Massachusetts to California have been taking him up on his offer, hosting parties for friends with Troast’s music as the centerpiece.

“I’ve played in plenty of noisy bars,” Troast says. “It’s so great to play for people who are actually listening.”

With an easy guitar style and a Jim Croce/David Gray voice, Troast’s music is full of hope and heart. During his one hour set, Troast answers questions, explains the stories behind the music and is as approachable as a performer today will ever be.

“The show was much more than we ever expected,” says Lisa Merchant, a recent $100 Tour host from South Portland, Maine. “Jon gave us a great reason to throw a party and an unforgettable night with our friends. It was like getting to hang out with James Taylor at the start of his career.”

Troast was recently featured on “Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor. He’s a native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. To learn more about the tour or to contact Jon Troast directly, visit www.jontroast.com.

So, how crazy is that? Well, the craziest part might be that Troast is going to be performing in a Rapid City Living room tonight.

More from the release: “Wisconsin singer/songwriter Jon Troast will be playing at the home of Linda and Tom Kushman in Rapid City on July 30 at 7 p.m. This private concert is the latest stop on musician’s unique “Living Room” tour.”

Tom Kushman took some time to talk to me about tonight’s event. Tom and his wife actually heard Troast when he was recently featured on Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor.

“After the show we went to his website and got one of his albums,” Tom Kushman said. “We really like it and we started corresponding with him about the living room tour.”

After the Kushman’s living room was added to Troast’s tour the Kushmans sent out invitations. I asked him if the event was open to the public.

“It was by invitation, but if some one shows up to hear him I don’t think we will turn them away,” Kushman said.

It is a private living room which means the Kushmans won’t be able to accommodate a whole throng of people. So, for folks who are interested in seeing the Rapid City portion of this living room tour, Tom said you could give him a call: 484-4963.

I just think this is such an interesting idea. If there’s any way to swing it I might try to go down to the Kushmans to catch a bit of the concert.

So, how famous do you think a person can be if he performs cross-country one living room at a time? Does this inspire any of our local musicians to try a living room tour? Personally I think it sounds a little dangerous…but then I don’t really have that adventurous rock-star spirit. I’m a writer, not a rocker.

By: Aubrey Watts

Journal staff

“Alkaline Trio”, a band that I have liked for a few years now is dropping a new CD on Tuesday entitled ‘Agony & Irony’. I had the chance, along with many others through Myspace to listen to it before it comes out. I am thankful I did. I am very much dissappointed by this new album. It seems as though signing to a major label has made this once wonderful band switch gears into the mainstream created genre of Pop-Punk. 

Don’t get me wrong Pop-Punk isn’t all bad, but it’s just not my cup of tea.

I believe with this album they have lost sight of the band they once were. Or they are starting anew. Either way this is the one album of theirs I will not be buying.

Have you seen any bands go mainstream, or shift musical gears as of late, giving you a feeling of dissappointment?