Collectors Corner: Rockin' The Smiles

Rockin' The Smiles
VIP Spotlight: Dr. Brad Jennings

Dr. Brad Jennings

What do you get when you combine a passion for music memorabilia and the skills to create beautiful smiles? Well you get a "rockin' orthodontist"! Dr. Jennings is not only a Backstage Auctions customer but also resides in Houston. So we thought we would stop by his office and check out for ourselves what this "rockin' doc" is all about and find out a little about how he got into collecting music memorabilia.

How did you get into music collecting?

Always been a rock fan.  Been playing guitar for 20+ yrs, after buying orthodontic practice I wanted to liven it up with my style and thought a rock theme would be perfect for the kids and parents.  I had some Nugent stuff given to me from Ted in high school when my parents owned a large hunting store called Dunn’s in TN, and he wanted some bow equipment for his live shows.  My dad didn’t even know who he was when he talked to him.  Like a typical teenager I was so embarrassed when he told me that.

What is the focus of your collection (genre, band, era, type of item)?

I aim for bands that I liked growing up:  GNR, Van Halen, Zeppelin.  The parents all know them and kids know them from playing Rock Band of course! 

What is your method of collecting? How do you determine the authenticity and provenance of a piece of memorabilia?

Perry Farrell's Jacket

I got burned at first, and I’m sure I’ll get burned again!  I try to compare autographed things to other pics on the internet.  A lot of bands are selling their stuff personally like Nine Inch Nails and Smashing Pumpkins which makes buying a lot safer.  I’m staying away from buying autographs now.  I’m looking for unique things like personally owned things.  I have a jacket worn by Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction and a Nine Inch Nails flight case with travel stickers on it. 

What do you like most about collecting?

Sun Records
Sam Phillips Telegram

I like collecting stuff that has a story behind it.  I loved the Gene Simmons meeting and getting his stage played Axe bass.  I have a telegraph from Sam Phillips talking about Jerry Lee Lewis that I got from Backstage Auctions.  It means a lot since I grew up in Memphis with Sun Records.

What would you consider to be your "first" piece of memorabilia?

My first memorabilia would actually be some items from Drivin’ ‘N Cryin’, a band out of Atlanta, that I loved in high school.  Unfortunately, my mom tossed all my cool stuff out about two months before I started decorating the office!

What is your most-prized item (both in dollar value and sentimental value)?

Gene Simmons' Axe Bass
Check out the personal note...cool! 

Gene Simmons’ Axe bass complete with blood!  Getting to meet Gene was great and getting an actual stage played item that I have pictures and videos of him playing is awesome.

What is your favorite musical act or artist of all time?

I’d say Jane’s Addiction.  I’ve been listening to them from the mid-80’s and never seem to get sick of hearing them.

What was your most memorable concert you have ever attended?

I saw Smashing Pumpkins when they were just coming out in a small place in Memphis.  Billy Corgan said, “Here are 3 things about us:  We’re from Chicago, we don’t take requests, and we promise to kick your ass”  It was awesome. 

What advice would you give to someone that is new to the world of collecting music memorabilia?

I’d go after things that are personal to you.  I know Beatles stuff and Elvis items are worth a lot, but I don’t have a personal tie to growing up with them.  I love my Nine Inch Nails, Kiss, and Jane’s Addiction stuff b/c I grew up with them.

What does the future hold? 

Once a rocker...always a rocker! 

I plan to get a larger office in the future thanks to us growing as a practice, but I want to plan the rock theme into the building of it.  I’d like to have a room dedicated to items like the Hall of Fame or Hard Rock does.


Well Dr. Jennings certainly has a passion for collecting and his office was really cool. We really enjoyed visiting with him, his staff and yes we were tempted to sign up for braces. How cool is to to walk into your orthodontist's office and have this view? 

Dr. Jennings "pit"

Keep "rockin' those smiles" Dr. Jennings!

If you live in the Houston, Texas area and are interested in a consult with Dr. Jennings please visit his website for the office contact information:   http://www.rockingyoursmile.com/

CONCERT Review: ALICE IN CHAINS – Back on all Cylinders

ALICE IN CHAINS – Back on all Cylinders

Patriot Center, Fairfax, VA.

All Access FAN Review:  A

Having seen Alice In Chains over a dozen times, and seeing every tour since William DuVall assumed the microphone, I can say that this performance was the culmination of the band working their way back up the ladder to achieve greatness once again.

The event began with myself and a friend showing up at 4:15PM to get our VIP laminates and having the meet and greet in a small conference room at the venue. It was very coordinated and orderly. The assembly line of fans first walked along the table getting items signed and saying their hellos. I spoke with William about the various DC shows over the last year and we agreed that the show this past spring at DAR Constitution was odd on many levels (that is just not a good venue for a proper rock show). After shuffling through the line and having a polite chat with each of the guys, we made the second lap to get our pictures taken with the band. The fans were either stiff, or amusingly animated for their photo snaps, which is a fun thing to watch. After all of the fans had their pictures taken, we were let go to kill some time before the show started.

The show began a little after 7:00PM. As far as the support performances, Mastodon was a lot of fun to watch, but as with most support acts, their mix was very muddy. Deftones were also on their game and I was beginning to get excited for the main event.

AIC hit the stage with an almost perfect sound mix and light setup. They blazed through most of their popular repertoire and pulled out a few old school favorites like “We Die Young”. As is their new standard, they always take a minute to praise their fallen brother, Layne Staley. They said their peace, and went into a beautiful performance of “Nutshell”.

The rest of the set was peppered with tracks from the new record, and they absolutely shredded what is my favorite AIC song, “Dam That River”. The encore included “Got Me Wrong” and “Rooster” which had the audience singing along as loud as their throat muscles would allow.

Seeing the slow build since the 2007 acoustic tour, and watching William and the band gel over the last few years, I can say that the band has never sounded better and that they are clearly enjoying performing and interacting with the fans.

The only downside to the experience was that the company handling the VIP packages (Artist Arena) needs to work on logistics of the package. We were to receive a limited edition vinyl release and a t-shirt as part of the deal, however, about two weeks before the show, a stock email revealing instruction on the meet and greet indicated that those items may not be received prior to the show date. Given that tickets were purchased in June and the show was in September, I feel they should have better expedited these items…it would have been nice to get the vinyl signed by the band.

-Doug S.

Artist Links: 

Alice in Chains

Mastodon

Deftones

This review was submitted by a Backstage Auctions VIP. If you have a great story to tell about a recent concert experience, let us know.