Red Bull Gypsy Cafe
Magical Misdemeanor Tour
This may be the most aptly named set of shows on record. The Magical Misdemeanor Tour, combines two of music's most independent spirits. Oklahoma's own Cody Canada has been packing houses in these parts for close to 20 years. Shooter Jennings embodies the outlaw spirit featured in much of his Daddy's music. These cats take no prisoners.
The Departed, Cody's hard-rockin red dirt supergroup, is poised to eclipse the memory of his softer CCR roots. While Shooter's new album "Family Man" is said to be a return to his country heritage. Drop this volatile mix into Tulsa's legendary Cain's Ballroom and sparks are sure to fly. Bob Wills may not have done it this way, but you can bet he wouldn't miss this show!
Next up: Kid Rock @ The Joint in Tulsa, OK.
2011 went out like a LION, what with the Pura Vida Tequila infused ZZ TOP run, KICKER Big Air show, and providing artist hospitality for our friends at ESKIMO JOE'S. That bedlam game and JTNL concert was one for the record books! Oh....and the whole getting engaged thing to my co-pilot Karri. Big thanks to Dierks for helping make that evening so special!
We will officially kick off the season with Malibu neighbor KID ROCK at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa this Thursday. We have several shows at Cain's following in March. Look for an updated Calendar to launch here in the next few weeks. BIG news for our West Coast peeps coming in April. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Motorcycle Cannonball Update
Things are happening fast since we left Sturgis over a month ago. Among other things, we signed on to travel with a film crew on the Motorcycle Cannonball Race. 45, pre-1916 motorcycles started the race in Kitty Hawk, NC. The goal is to make it to the Santa Monica pier by Sept. 26th. The UNLEADED ZEPPELIN is providing support in the form of a swanky place to congregate along the way. Below is a video of our Chattanooga stop at the Coker Tire headquarters. Coming soon...clips from our adventures with Kid Rock and the Zac Brown Band.
Sturgis 2010
With legends like KID ROCK, ZZ TOP, Bob Dylan, and Ozzy Osbourne leading the charge, and current favorites BUCKCHERRY, Disturbed, and Jason Aldean mopping up, you might expect fillers in between. Not at the Chip! Woody and his crew stepped up, and brought in classic acts that fill stadiums elsewhere... Motley Crue, John Mellencamp, Scorpions, & Tesla among many others!
A faulty regulator on the Moto Guzzi left the Zeppelin crew stranded once we docked at the Chip on Friday, the 6th of August. Fortunately, we never NEEDED to leave the premises, as the best entertainment, food, and beverage were found within spittin’ distance of our spot near MICHAEL LICHTER'S Eternal Combustion exhibit. SHADE TREE FABRICATIONS frontman Kyle provided plenty of eye-candy for bike-lovers, as well as all hetero males in attendance! Harem hardly describes the scene at the double-decker den of sin he calls a roadshow. 
New friends Danny & TJ from HARD NINE CHOPPERS dropped by to tease us with their crazy-cool ‘42 flathead (BMX chopper?). Nicknamed “Podium”, DMX ruled the bike show scene in Sturgis (at least the ones that mattered). The Unleaded Zeppelin was also proud to welcome our newest celebrity... Bird Raynolds. Stay tuned, as more B. R. info is forthcoming!
The week’s highlight came when Kid Rock asked us to pull up next to the tour buses (see video), and host his after-party on the Unleaded Zeppelin. An estimated 100,000 enjoyed his two hour set full of butt-rockin’ classics, as well as a few teases from his upcoming album “Born Free” set to drop in Nov.. Rock’s dad, Bill Richie, joined him and a dozen or so friends aboard the Airstream for nearly three hours, while the G5 sat idling on the runway across the street. RED STAG and White Label JIM BEAM flowed freely, as all in attendance were treated to a preview of what will surely be another multi-platinum effort from a Rick Rubin produced Kid Rock collaboration. Stillwater?
Who would have thought that a 3 week hiatus near this sleepy little Oklahoma college town, would lead to some of the highlights of our 2010 tour. The finicky air-bag system (and missing warning light) on our vintage Airstream motor-home caused us to miss a couple of scheduled events back east. Fortunately, Stillwater’s name is NOT indicative of the local scene. Livin’ Loud heroes KICKER Audio and legendary purveyors of fine food and fast times ESKIMO JOE’S are both headquartered here! The gods have once again smiled on our misfortune!Firstly, the aforementioned ESKIMO JOE’S happened to be prepping for their week-long, 35 year anniversary celebration. As fate would have it, the powers that be at Joe’s have AWESOME taste in music, and have tapped Zeppelin faves JONATHAN TYLER & THE NORTHERN LIGHTS to help kickoff the week’s festivities. I have a longstanding pact with JT, that states; if we are within 100 miles, they should consider the Unleaded Zeppelin THEIR tour bus. TIm at Joe’s was nice enough to carve out a parking space next to the venue, so we dropped anchor there for a couple of LATE nights. EJ’s owner Stan joined us the first night, to help kickstart the week with an epic after-party that had the NO JUSTICE boyz tapping out early! Our pals at Budweiser kept all the participants sufficiently hydrated throughout our stay!
JT and crew ripped the (removable) roof off the joint on Tuesday, and proceeded to do the same on the Airstream afterward. Country crooner & Stillwater alum KEITH ANDERSON dropped by and tipped a few with the fellas before jetting off for a gig in New York. Roger D., Kicker’s global marketing whiz, and ex-EJ’s GM, stopped in to validate the proceedings. Always a pleasure to kick it with my favorite 20-something bluesy southern rockers. Run, don’t walk to the closest Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights show...you won’t regret it!
A quick glance at Pollstar.com revealed that Rock & Roll Hall of Famers (and my FAVORITE band) ZZ TOP was slated for a rare, small venue appearance at the legendary Tumbleweed Dance Hall in Stillwater, later that week. The heat index was off the charts as ZZT’s crew loaded in the same equipment that had rocked London’s O2 arena just days before. Multiple tour buses were stuffed into the backstage area of what is one of the nicer outdoor facilities we have encountered. No room for the Airstream, so we posted-up just outside the backstage gates and began sweating. Newly-minted friends from Eskimo Joe’s and Kicker joined us to escape the sauna that is Oklahoma in July! That Little Ole Band From Texas did not disappoint, as everyone in attendance seemed genuinely excited to be in the presence of rock and roll royalty. After the show, we retired back to a much cooler Airstream for the post-gig debrief and re-hydration marathon. Billy F. Gibbons, himself joined us shortly after, and laid down an hour and-a-half’s worth of the finest yarn-spinning the Unleaded Zeppelin’s walls will surely ever encounter. You didn’t hear it from me, but look for a Rick Rubin produced ZZ Top album to drop sometime in 2011...
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