KISS performs at Aftershock Fest in Sacramento on Oct. 7, 2022. Photos courtesy Steve Thrasher, Lexie Alley and Nathan Zucker. SACRAMENTO — Discovery Park sizzled both literally and figuratively Friday on the second day of the rock and roll circus that is Aftershock Fest. The heat ruled the day,…

Neil Diamond. Wednesday is Tishrei 10, 5783, which was Yom Kippur. I’m not Jewish. I’m not anything, really, as I tend to not really be a joiner and most groups would rather not associate themselves with me. Thus, I’m not going to make myself look foolish and probably offend…

RIFF photographers’ best work in 2021 included these shots of (clockwise from top left) Lil Baby, Lindsey Stirling, J Balvin, Murs, Black Veil Brides, Tinashe, Bleachers, MisterWives, J. Cole, Korn, Megan Thee Stallion and KISS. Concerts returned, first tentatively and then in full force. We asked our photographers to…

KISS performs at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif., on Sept. 10, 2021. Sean Liming/STAFF. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — A year and a half after wagging their tongues through Oakland mere days before lockdowns, KISS brought their End of the Road Tour back through the the Bay; this time…

Insert Foot vs. Iron Maiden haters. If you didn’t notice, it’s time to get hysterical again over Rock and Roll Hall of Fame selections. I don’t get a say in the critic’s vote, which I accepted a long time ago. One doesn’t give Metallica’s St. Anger a positive review…

The Foo Fighters should rename themselves The Old Standbys. No band produces as consistently at a decently high level. Dave Grohl and company can’t be accused of not doing their part to keep rock and roll alive. For a quarter century, they’ve waved the flag of uncomplicated guitar rock,…

RIFF photographers’ best work in 2020 included these shots of Poppy, Seventeen, The Struts, Colony House, Little Image, KISS, Injury Reserve, Suzi Analogue, Elbow, Tones & I, Thundercat, Thrice, Tove Lo, George Clinton and Ramblin’ Jack Elliot. In this abbreviated year of concerts, we asked our photographers to provide…

I read a story about baseball today, which was well-written … so much so that it actually made me miss baseball again. For about a half hour. I haven’t really cared much about baseball in years, which will likely be another sad, wistful column set to aching violin music…

Rendering: Adam Pardee/STAFF. I no longer like cockroaches. I never really did like them, but they had their uses. For example, as a young guy, my former roommate and I used to play the lights out game, where we’d sneak into our kitchen after the light was out for…

KISS performs at the Oakland Arena in Oakland on March 6, 2020. Gary Chancer/STAFF. OAKLAND — The Centers for Disease Control was likely not happy with KISS if one of its inspectors happened by Friday night’s show at Oakland Arena. At one point, bassist and professional gross demon-man Gene…