Category : TRUNK REPORT

4/13: RECAP OF KISS AT THE HOF, MEXICO, JOE ELLIOT, MORE

Just back from another crazy run of travel and rock insanity over the last few days. It started Thursday night with the HOF ceremony in Brooklyn. If you followed on Twitter you saw a ton of great photos and coverage I sent out as it happened from the very first row of the arena. I also have the complete Kiss induction speeches on my Iphone from the first row. I will post when I can. It was a great night and I am grateful Ace and Peter included me among a very very small amount of people they had sit with them at their tables. The HOF only gives every inductee a plus one for free. Everyone else they bring as guests must pay an extreme amount of money per seat. Ace and Peter’s tables were at opposite ends of the very first row. Nothing in front but the stage. Just an awesome view. I mostly hung with Ace and sat with him since that was where my seat was. But I did walk over and sit with Peter for a bit as well. The Kiss table with the current band and Bruce was slightly behind Peter’s. I did say hi to Bruce briefly but there was no interaction with any of the other guys which honestly I did not expect or seek out. I was there as a guest of Ace and Peter’s to celebrate this historic and long overdue moment. There was no real interaction I was aware of between Ace and Peter and Gene and Paul until they went up on stage. From my view it seemed at times awkward while they were all up there and at times okay. Obviously there was a ton of drama leading up to this with all kinds of things said from all corners, but in the end it was fairly uneventful as far as them all standing there and accepting. I thought they all looked good, said good stuff, and did the best they could under a fairly stressful build up to the induction. A few observations:

 

*Kiss was pretty much the only band who played by the rules and kept their speeches to the 2-3 minute time limit. They were up there maybe a total of 10 minutes. Most artists took a TON of time, especially the E Street Band.

 

*Tom Morello did a GREAT induction speech. Really fired up the Kiss fans and captured the moment perfectly!

 

*Paul Stanley’s speech was last and very very good. Loved how he called out the HOF

 

*Because Kiss choose not to perform they really ended up being somewhat of a footnote in a very long night. All the other acts had much longer inductions and played 3 songs or so. Kiss’s moment was all of 15 minutes total with a simple video package, Morello and the speeches. Could only think if Gene and Paul would have allowed just one song with the original four they could have blown the place up! Sucks to think what could have been.

 

*As a result of no performance from Kiss the Kiss fans in the building were much less than I expected. Maybe third biggest reaction from the crowd after E Street band and Nirvana to be honest. I also know some tickets were given away to help fill the building at the last minute. No way that happens if original four did even one song.

 

*The original four did pose for photos in the press room after their speeches but did not take questions. I tweeted out some of these shots which likely will be the last time the original four are photographed together.

 

*I was stunned in Gene’s speech when speaking about Ace how many guitarists try to imitate him but none come close. I’m sure Tommy Thayer sitting right there loved that!

 

*Ace stayed until the end of the very long night. He was asked to jam with Nirvana and Tom Morello to close the night on a cover of “Highway To Hell” but at the last second the jam was called off by the HOF because the event ran way too long. Ace was ready to go and even had his guitar with him! He would have been the only member of Kiss to play on stage if it had happened and was clearly bummed when it was cancelled.

 

*Bill Aucoin’s sister and partner were also at our table along with a photo of Bill. Ace said he was really thinking of Bill all night.

 

*Tommy, Eric, Vinnie, Mark, Bruce and Eric Carr were all mentioned during the induction to minimal reaction from the crowd. A few cheers, a few boos, and many cries of “Ace” and “Peter” from the stands.

 

*All four members of Kiss wore sunglasses on stage. Weird but I guess they thought it looked cool?

 

For me it was a weird night in the sense that I had been screaming so hard for so long like many fans to see this finally happen, but then we only got an abbreviated section for Kiss since they wouldn’t play. But there were also times I went back to being that kid in high school made fun of for liking this band and relished the moment and let out a cheer when they all stood on stage. It was sweet vindication for Kiss fans to see this happen right in front of the critics who tried to keep them out. But you can’t help but to think how much more special this night would have been if Kiss would have taken the stage to play. They were the only band to not have some music represented on the stage. As Kiss continues to inch closer to being a full time sanctioned tribute band (and that is what is in the works soon) I have to think this may have been the last great moment for fans of the original band to see them at least standing there one final time. So much more to discuss but that’s how I saw it. I’ll take your calls on all of this live Monday 6-10P ET on SiriusXM 39 TRUNKNation. Joe Elliot and Chris Von Rohr of Krokus will also be guests.

 

As of the rest of the night all the performances sounded good from the other artists inducted. I thought Joan Jett with Nirvana sounded really good and was a cool surprise.

My thanks also to Matt Swanson for his hospitality at the HOF event and the many fans I met that night who thanked me for pushing to help get Kiss and other hard rock bands in. The HOF still has so much wrong with it but progress being made with Alice, Rush and Kiss now in. Purple MUST go next!

 

Thanks to all in Mexico City and Puebla! Just returned home from live shows there this weekend with Don & Jim. Was a blast and the Mexican TMS fans were amazing and sold out both of our appearances. Thanks also to Christian Beristain and his entire team for having us and treating us well. We will be back Mexico, thank you!

 

See you live on the radio tomorrow night!

4/9: HOF IS HERE, JOE ELLIOT, MEXICO APPEARANCES THIS WEEKEND, MORE.

Well the R&R HOF induction is finally here, and for Kiss fans the moment we have all waited for is about 24 hours away from when I type this. Honestly I never thought I would see the day. I have literally screamed and yelled about this insane injustice (as did others) for the last 15 years. I agree with Paul Stanley’s comments that the HOF really doesn’t want Kiss there, but it was becoming so absurd with so much fan pressure they had to cave. So this is a victory for us the fans! After all the insane BS that has gone on the last couple months the bottom line is the founding members of this iconic band will finally get their due tomorrow night in Brooklyn. I will be there with Ace and Peter and I appreciate them having me as part of their group. I’ll do my best to update you via Twitter @EddieTrunk with info and photos when I can. Sucks there won’t be a performance but at least as fans we can finally see justice done for one of this institutions biggest snubs!

 

Headed to Mexico with Don and Jim this weekend. I fly to Mexico City early Friday AM. We will have a live show in Mexico City at Casino Life this Friday night. Then we are at McCarthy’s Pub in Puebla Mexico this Saturday night. The Puebla gig is a free show but you must have a ticket. Can’t wait to meet the great Mexican fans and thank them for their support of TMS! See you all soon and we will have some fun for sure. I will also have limited copies of both of my books available for purchase at both gigs.

 

This Friday’s Q104 radio show is a brand new special I’m calling “family tree”. Connecting two or more songs to related artists. Hope you like it. Debuts 11P ET on Q104.3 NYC or with the free stream via uHeartradio app.

I will be live this Monday on SiriusXM 6-10P ET for TrunkNation on channel 39. Guests will be Joe Elliot of Def Leppard and Chris Von Rohr of Krokus.

 

More when I can next get online and via Twitter and FB. Many more appearances TBA so please keep an eye on the home page listings. Also for those in the NYC area keep an eye on the concert calendar and win tickets for those shows on my radio show.

4/7: RECAP OF ACE FREHLEY VISIT TO MY RADIO SHOW TONIGHT

Had a great hang with Ace Frehley tonight on the SiriusXM show. Ace was in great spirits and said all the Kiss drama would not take down his fun finally going into the HOF this Thursday. I’m sure the audio will be everywhere on Youtube and elsewhere soon if not already. It will also be on the SiriusXM On Demand app likely by tomorrow. A few highlights:

 

*His new album Space Invader will be released June 24th. He did record a cover of Steve Miller’s “The Joker” as one of the tracks. He will also assemble a new live band to tour behind it.

 

*He still wishes there would have been a performance for the HOF, wanted to play with another band, but HOF would not allow. Joked he might do a solo “NY Groove” during his speech. He has no plans of wearing a Kiss costume or makeup.

 

*The individual speeches have been cut from 3 minutes each to 2. He and Peter speak between Gene and Paul who start and finish in the speaking order. Said he likely would not use a teleprompter and just go for it.

 

*Said the recent anti semetic claim by Paul is absurd and noted his fiance is Jewish. Was aware of recent photos of Paul himself in Nazi regalia and said he can’t figure out what’s going on with Paul these days.

 

*Did not rule out jumping up and joining in the all star jam at the end of the night but wasn’t sure.

 

*Said he can’t speak on other members not being inducted into the HOF with Kiss since he has nothing to do with the decision and there are precedents for both scenarios.

 

Ace answered everything that was thrown at him including a ton of calls for the listeners. I will be sitting with him and Peter at their tables for the big night Thursday and will provide info as I it happens when I can via Twitter @EddieTrunk More soon no doubt. Appreciate him coming in. He really was in a great mood and committed to having a fun week in NYC and not letting all the sniping dim this event as you will hear in the audio.

4/6: BACK FROM PORTLAND & SEATTLE, ACE, HOF, TMS, MORE

Just back from a busy weekend in the Pacific NW with Don & Jim doing our live stage show. These are so much fun and it’s been great to meet so many TMS fans as well as fans of my radio shows. We each do 20 minutes on stage of stories and comedy, then a Q&A with the audience, then a little live trivia with prizes. Usually bands play when we are done. Saturday in Seattle we had a sold out crowd 700 strong at Studio 7. Michael Wilton and Parker Lundgren of Queensryche jumped on stage with us for some Q&A as well. They said the name decision with the two bands is very close to being announced. Last night was another great gig in Portland at Tonic Lounge. Smaller club but also a great turn out and tons of fun with some cool local live acts after we left the stage. Thanks to all who came to these gigs. We have more being added based on our schedule. They are listed on the home page under Appearances as they are confirmed. Remember NONE are TMS tapings. Special thanks to promoter Tony Lopez for taking good care of this on this latest run. Next up, this weekend, we come to Mexico City and Puebla! Mexican fans so supportive of TMS so can’t wait. Dates on the home page.

 

Tons of pro photos will be posted soon from my recent hosting of the MOR Cruise. Some already on the site in news.

 

Thoughts and prayers to my friend and guitarist Karl Cochran. Karl is an old bud from NJ and a talented musician who has worked with Ace Frehley, Joe Lynn Turner and many more. Was stunned to hear the news he was stricken with a serious stroke. Get well Karl!

 

Thanks to all for the kind words about the season finale of TMS last night. That was the last of our 12 episode new season and many felt it was one of our best seasons yet. VH1 Classic decides when and where we do season 14. Likely not until the Fall from what I am hearing with location and details TBA. I’ll keep you all posted. Most of the Spring and Summer will be a reshuffle of many repeats so a good chance to catch shows you may have missed. Thanks to all our great guests for being on and all of you guys for watching. Can’t wait to start again but VH1C makes all the calls as to when. Also please note I do NOT control where the show airs outside the USA and how it can be accessed online. I also have nothing to do with TMS merch. Please see the merch I do have for sale on this site, including the all new just released “That Eddie Trunk/ Stump This” shirt!

 

I will be live on SiriusXM tomorrow 6-10P ET on channel 39 TRUNKNation (Hair Nation). Ace Frehley will be in studio around 6:15PM ET. MUCH has gone on around Kiss and the HOF induction which is this Thursday. We will get into all of it. So much has been said from so many sides last couple months. Sucks as Kiss fans waiting so long for this not only are we getting no performance but the sniping has really been pretty brutal. Today’s NY Post story with Paul the latest example (in the News section). Not sure any band has gone into the HOF with this much drama before. Hopefully at least for a few minutes they can stand at the podium and make their speeches and then be done with this. It has certainly not been the celebration Kiss fans have hoped for fighting to finally see this day. More to come no doubt and we will discuss with Ace and let you speak with him as well tomorrow on Eddie Trunk LIVE TrunkNation!

 

Have some cool new announcements coming for more upcoming gigs and hosting events. Keep an eye on this space, Twitter and the Appearance section.

 

Finally if you’d like to see Iced Earth in NYC at Best Buy Theater 4/18 email me through the site with “Iced Earth Tickets” in the subject line. Include your name and address in the email. You will get a confirmation email if you are a winner. Please only send one email. YOU ARE ONLY A WINNER IF YOU GET AN EMAIL SAYING YOU ARE IN, OTHERWISE YOU ARE NOT ON THE LIST. THANKS.

4/3: LIVE SHOWS IN PORTLAND & SEATTLE THIS WEEKEND, FULL UPDATE.

The month of April is pretty much the busiest travel schedule I have ever had in my life. Not complaining, happy to be busy, but very important you check this space and follow on Twitter @EddieTrunk for updates and changes. Back from the cruise yesterday, leave for Seattle today. See me, Don & Jim Friday in Seattle and Studio 7 and Saturday in Portland at Tonic Lounge. These shows are NOT That Metal Show tapings. They are live stand up shows with Q&A, trivia and more. Hope to see you. At both shows I will have copies of both of my books available for sale as well as T Shirts, etc.

 

Monday live show on SiriusXM with Ace Frehley in studio! Ace should be on around 6:30PM ET on TrunkNation channel 39 (Hair Nation). Thursday I will be attending the HOF event in Brooklyn as a guest of Ace and Peter’s. Friday I leave for Mexico City with Don & Jim to live gigs next weekend in Mexico City and Puebla. Dates on the home page. Later in the month L.A. for the Golden Gods and Maryland to once again host M3. I will be doing signings and selling my books at M3 at the Washington Music Center tent on the festival grounds. Tentative times are 3 and 6PM for an hour or so each on Saturday. Q104.3 radio shows are all new but recorded during the Friday’s I am traveling. More to come, just keep an eye on the appearances on the home page.

 

Final new TMS of our current season this Saturday. Yngwie plays again, Joe Satriani, Jim Breuer and Artie Lange are guests. Prepare for some laughs as we wrap up a great season 13 of TMS and thank you all for watching! One quick note, I get a TON of email about the show not being on in countries outside the USA. I would love to be able to help but I have NO control at all over the shows distribution. I often only find out we are in other countries from fans who email me. Maybe contact your local carrier but nothing I can do from my end sadly. I do not control that aspect of the show and wish it was on everywhere of course! Thanks.

4/2: BACK FROM THE CRUISE, FULL UPDATE ON ALL KINDS OF STUFF!

Just back from hosting this years MOR Cruise. Amazing 3 1/2 days hanging with so many fans and bands! I can not thank all the fans on board for the amazing love and support they show me. Pretty sure I took photos with every person on board! Was an honor indeed! SO many highlights, way too much to type here. This is very much a working gig for me running around this huge ship and hosting shows and Q&As, so I don’t get to see every artist or band sadly because the promoter makes my schedule. But some things I did se that I can comment on:

 

*Tesla: Did one acoustic and one electric set. Still one of the best bands to come from the 80’s. They also played me their new album coming in June called “Simplicity”. Really strong!

 

*The Winery Dogs/Richie Kotzen. Kotzen was THE guy everyone was asking me about. So many people are now discovering him after more than two decades because of TWD and are being blown away. Since my involvement with the band was mentioned often in the press by the guys everyone was asking where he came from. So thrilled to see so many finding out about his brilliance. In addition ton two TWD gigs (both AMAZING), Kotzen also did two shows with his own band and just annihilated the room! Every guitar player on the ship was watching and amazed. Many joked after seeing TWD they are wanted to toss their gear overboard and give up. Amazing and so happy for Richie to finally be getting the attention he is long overdue through TWD success. Contrary to what some think I have NO business dealing at all with this band, just a fan who helped out three friends and glad to see it working so well for all. The cruise performances were the latest example.

 

*Loudness. One word: Akira. The guy is unreal to watch play and the band is so good and so heavy. They come from Japan just for the cruise and kill it every time. New album coming soon.

 

*Y&T: Meniketti still delivers vocally and playing. Band sounds great and so many great songs. See them this Saturday at Stage 48 NYC.

 

*Kix: They are still so much fun and great energy from Steve as always.

 

*Red Dragon Cartel: Night and day difference from the first show. More energy from Jake and singer Darren Smith WAY better. I knew as I stated earlier he would be fine with a little more experience and he is now dialed in. Jake has cancelled some dates due to some back pain issues but has really gotten this band humming. Great set of material too.

 

*Faster Pussycat: Played two late night sets and KILLED it. This is a perfect band to play late when everyone is buzzed and wants sleazy hard rock and Taime and the boys were great both shows I saw!

 

*Cinderella: Only shows of the year for them on the cruise. Band was tight and Tom sounded great.

 

SO many bands on this cruise. If I didn’t mention them it’s because I didn’t see them or saw much of them. There is stuff overlapping and going non stop so very tough to get it all in. Also had a great chat with industry legend Tom Zutaut who signed Tesla, Motley and GnR to name a few. Great swapping stories over lunch. I’ll get into more when I can. Just wiped out now and preparing to leave for Seattle tomorrow where I have gigs with Don and Jim this weekend (Portland on Saturday, see the home page). Thanks to all who came out to MOR Cruise, was a blast!

 

Live SiriusXM show this Monday with Ace Frehley in studio! As has now been announced Tom Morello is inducting Kiss. Not what many guessed but I can tell you the HOF loves Tom and he had a big role behind the scenes finally getting Kiss in. The Kiss drama is reaching new heights of craziness as the HOF draws closer. Unfortunate to see some of the barbs being tossed in so many directions with these guys. Even Paul selling his book has said stuff about Gene that surprised me. Not to mention the harsh critique in Guitar World of Mark St John, a guy they hired and who sadly passed away. I will be attending the ceremony as a guest of Ace and Peter and will keep you posted as I learn more and as things transpire that night best I can. Just hope for us fans the night is respectful for the legacy of the band and glad to hear Bruce Kulick will be in attendance. He deserves it for sure, as well as some acknowledgement of the late great Eric Carr.

 

More soon including tons of pro photos from the cruise. Updates when I can and see you this weekend I hope if in Seattle or Portland. Also a quick thanks to all who came to my signing in Largo FL last Friday and the Cultural Center for having me. Great venue!