With the release of Tesla’s new covers CD Real to Reel comes what is sure to be a new beginning for the band and what’s more… the RETURN of REAL Rock N Roll which has been LONG overdue!! If you haven’t gotten your copy of Real to Reel yet then all I can say is… WHAT are you WAITING FOR?? This CD is unbelievable… a MUST HAVE for every rock/guitar enthusiast. Tesla has gone back to their roots and given us what I’m SURE will go down in history as being the greatest “covers” album EVER recorded!! Tesla’s reunion with original manager Tom Zutaut (who originally signed Tesla to Geffen back in the day) has lit a bright fire under ALL of the band members. Their attitude of “keeping it real” and going back to the old days of rock n roll have really paid off with this collection. They recorded these songs using 2 inch analog tape and a vintage console. They played the songs in a live format in the studio and for the most part the CD was mixed in a PT Cruiser!! The sound of this collection is so dynamic; each instrument played comes across crystal clear and much harder than their previous albums. Frank Hannon & Dave Rude’s guitar solos are WICKED and the songs that were chosen are the songs that gave many of today’s legendary musicians the inspiration and drive to learn to play in the first place. Without UFO, Robin Trower, The James Gang, Black Sabbath, ZZTop, Aerosmith, etc., there would be no Frank Hannon, Dave Rude, Kirk Hammett, Joe Satriani and so many more. Thanks to Tesla covering these specific “staples” in rock music history a whole new generation of young would-be musicians are going to hear this CD and they too will suddenly feel an incredible urge to pick up a guitar or a set of drums and learn to play and then the NEXT generation of “Rock Legends” will be born. Of course many of these songs were “Tesla-fyed” a bit but ALL remain quite true to their original versions. Troy Luccketta’s drums on this CD are incredibly strong as well as Brian Wheat’s basslines and Jeff Keith’s vocals… well… the words AWESOME and SOULFUL come to mind. You need to get out there and get your copy and you
will KNOW what I’m talking about.
As previously reported Real to Reel, which is available at most retail outlets, comes cleverly packaged to hold BOTH “reels” but only comes with Reel 1. In order to get Reel 2 you must buy a ticket to a HEADLINING Tesla show (fairs and festivals not included). You will receive your copy of Reel 2 upon entering the show with your paid admission which you can take home and place in your Real to Reel CD package.
On May 31st in downtown Sacramento Tesla put on a FREE concert at Ceasar Chavez Park. This was their way of saying “Thank You” not only to their hometown but to their long-time loyal, die-hard fans. The concert took place at around 6pm with local band Bullets and Romance opening the show. This group of young men have cut their rock n roll teeth under Tesla bassist Brian Wheat’s tutelage and I must say that they are incredible. They are currently working on their CD so keep your eyes and ears peeled for Bullets and Romance… this band is SURE to hit BIG real soon. Tesla took the stage just after 7pm to the largest group of fans ever assembled in downtown Sacramento. Every summer Sacramento puts on a concert series that takes place every Friday night… it’s their free concert in the park and they always feature local bands. Well, Tesla is Sacramento’s BIGGEST, most successful local band so the number of fans in attendance SHATTERED all previous attendance records! Approximately 12,800 fans showed up to ROCK with their native sons. Keep in mind that Ceasar Chavez Park is located on 10th & J Street and is a very small block….I could not BELIEVE how many people were there for this historic event. To say it was CRAZY would be an understatement. All I could see was a rolling sea of heads with waves of hands and fists held high.
Tesla’s new CD Real to Reel was available for purchase 5 days before its official release date and fans were quite eager to get their hands on it (myself included). They only had 1200 copies for sale and they SOLD OUT!! People were buying multiple copies. They also had special “Sacramento event only” t-shirts available and those were selling like hotcakes as well. The band played for about an hour and a half and played songs
off of the new CD. The fans response was WILD… they LOVED it. Of course they played Signs, Love Song and Modern Day Cowboy as well… GOTTA have those!! The love for Tesla was in abundance that day and the band was in top form…as ALWAYS!!
After the show, those that purchased the new CD were able to attend a special CD signing/listening party at the Hard Rock Café just a few blocks away. I was quite blown away at how many fans turned out for this event. The band got there at about 9:15 and were supposed to be able to eat first but with so many fans lined up to see them they decided to wait. Jeff Keith refused to order his dinner… he stated that he could not eat a meal in good faith knowing that there were so many people lined up outside waiting to see him and the band. That just warmed my heart cuz that is the way these guys are… it’s all about the fans and the music with them… NO EGOS and NO MACHINES!! They didn’t finish signing CDs (and MANY copies of last month’s issue of AAM) until around 1:00 am!! They were drop dead tired and could barely hold their pens when it was all said and done! I’m talking about more than three hours making sure every last fan in that line got their CD signed… BLESS THEIR HEARTS!! Once again Tesla proves to their fans that “It’s not what you got….it’s what you GIVE”!!
The Real to Reel Tour officially kicked off in Santa Rosa, CA on June 7 at the Wells Fargo Event Center. What a great venue….not a bad seat in the house. Plenty of anxious fans were outside waiting for those doors to open so they could get their copy of Reel 2 with their paid admission (again… myself included). This show was to be a night with Tesla… no opening band… again… just the way I like it! Tesla took the stage at 8:30 pm and played to a packed house
for more than two hours. They opened with Rock Bottom off of Real to Reel and played MOST of the songs from Reel 1. They also played many of their staple songs but MUCH to my delight (and the crowd’s) they took us way back and played EZ Come EZ Go off of Mechanical Resonance and Lazy Days, Crazy Nights off of The Great Radio Controversy… SWEET!! They were all fired up and FULL of energy and it was quite contagious as the crowd was going CRAZY for TESLA all night!! I’m telling you guys… you are going to be MISSING OUT if you don’t go out and see TESLA this summer. What an AWESOME show!!
I’ve been accused of being biased when it comes to Tesla and many of you that already know me know this to be true… I don’t deny it. What you need to ask yourselves is WHY… why am I so biased?? It’s not like this was an automatic thing… THEY made me this way. The music, the band, the vibe, the fans; there is no way that after more than 20 years of TESLA that I wouldn’t be and I PROMISE you… if you haven’t already fallen in love with this band then just give them a chance and YOU will be too!! You will NEVER find another band that is capable of their level of kindness, class and loyalty to their fans as well as to one another. Tesla IS 100% PURE AMERICAN ROCK N ROLL at its FINEST… let them ROCK your world today!!
