"STAGE PASS" REDUX:

Michael Stanley Band fans rejoice. The outfit's former guitarist-vocalist Jonah Koslen is re-creating the group's popular 1977 concert album "Stage Pass" in its entirety (sans Stanley). Koslen, who conceived the idea six months ago, said nothing was going to change his mind when he decided to strike up the band one more time, hoping MSB fans would waste a little time for a special show that invariably will end around another "Midwest Midnight." "At that point, the band was just really hot. We'd been touring around the country, and it was such a peak experience recording a show at the old Cleveland Agora, which was our home turf," said Aurora resident Koslen. "It was just a magic thing. So I just had a real desire to get back to that true experience and that youthful excitement of playing rock 'n' roll and having all the dreams and the possibilities in the world." Koslen, who said Michael Stanley may be present but has no plans on performing, will be joined by Donny Thompson (guitar, vocals), Bill March (bass, vocals) Rik Williger (keyboards) and Van Eidom (drums). The "Stage Pass" concert will be at 9 p.m. at the Winchester Tavern & Music Hall, 12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood. Tickets are $15. Call 216-226-5681. - John Benson

MSB MINUS MS?

Michael Stanley Band alumnus and co-founder Jonah Koslen and friends have assembled a show called Stage Pass Now that's an expanded, complete recreation of the MSB double-live album Stage Pass. They're playing the two-hour show at the Winchester (12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood) Saturday, April 18, and at the Tangier (532 W. Market St., Akron) Saturday, April 25th.

It's one of the Michael Stanley Band's signature records, though its title player won't be onstage. The Stage Pass Now lineup comprises Northeast Ohio veterans Donny Thompson (Easy Street Band), Bill March (Beau Coup and Koslen's Heroes), Rik Williger (the Short Circuits) and Van Eidom (Taxi, ESB).

"I told Michael what I intended to do, and he liked it," says Koslen, the lead guitarist who co-wrote and performed many classics with the bandleader from 1974-77. Koslen says he didn't ask Stanley to participate, because Stanley didn't seem interested in revisiting past glories. "He was more interested in [playing] his new material."

Koslen says the two remain close friends. The guitarist performed two songs with Stanley's Resonators at the Tangier last month. And Stanley's label, Line Level, has issued Koslen's last two releases.

The band will recreate the arrangements from the record, plus songs from the era. An expanded acoustic segment will include four extra tunes: "Ladies' Choice," "Blue Jean Boy," "Gypsy Eyes" and "Among My Friends Again."

Culled from four October 1976 sets at the old Agora Ballroom on E. 24th Street. Stage Pass was released by Epic in 1977. "It shows how great the band was," says Koslen. "It's a recording that holds together as a whole piece of music. I think it could be pointed to as a milestone in Cleveland music. I'm told all the time by people that it's their favorite live album." — D.X. Ferris

In the fall of 2008, as my summer gig season drew to a close, I found myself wondering, "What next?"

My island music CD, "Telling on Myself", had been completed and released on the Line Level Music label in May of 2008. I had bid a fond farewell to "Breathless" for the time being. The new musical/theatrical project I had been envisioning had been relegated to the back burner, another casualty of the economic downturn.

How was I going to occupy myself during the dreary grey, mid-west winter months that lie ahead?

Driving home from a gig late one night, my mind wandered back to the early days of my music career.

Man, was it ever fun.

M.S.B., the Michael Stanley Band, we were the real deal and it was a blast. Life was about the music and the music was about the life. And when we were up in front of a crowd, and the band was hot, and the audience was getting off, there was no better high. It was what I had dreamt of since my 12th birthday, February 9th, 1964, when I watched my family's black and white TV as the Beatles played the Ed Sullivan Show and went on to conquer the hearts and minds of America.

Being in a band. I remembered the camaraderie of band members; the inside jokes; the backstage antics; the insane roadies; the groupies; the drugs, the sex, the rock-n-roll. The joy of working with a great record producer, going into the studio and meticulously laying down the tracks. That magical moment when the album is mixed, the songs are sequenced, and you kick back and listen to your hard work on those big studio speakers, that are so loud that your album's still ringing in your head as, sleepless, you triumphantly fly home the next morning.

Soon there's the new album cover. There's publicity photos. There's signing autographs and making appearances. And through it all, still rehearsing the band and writing new songs.

Then, finally, the day the record hits the record store racks. And what was once a dream is now a shrink rapped reality of Vinyl and cardboard. Have you ever held a dream in your own two hands?

And if that weren't the be all and end all, you're driving down the road in your beat up Mustang, your turn on the radio, and there it is for all the world to hear, "Nothing's Gonna Change My Mind". Because, most of all, it was about the songs. The songs gave it all a purpose, a focus and a relevance to you, to your band and to your audience.

Yeah, I guess you could say I missed the old days. It's just not the same working as a solo and recording your new CD on your Macbook.

Wouldn't it be great to perform those songs again, just how they were originally recorded? From time to time, thru the years, Michael had resurrected some of the older songs for a show or two. But the 30th anniversary of the release of Stagepass had come and gone and he hadn't shown any real interest in doing the old material again.

Can you blame him. He's in one of his most prolific periods of his recording career. Turning out one excellent CD of new material after another. He has two great bands. His life is good. It's just not up for him right now.

But man, it was sure up for me. I wanted to perform the Stagepass album again. The whole thing, from start to finish. The jams, the harmonies, the inspirations and the brilliant mistakes. I wanted that experience again and I was pretty sure I wasn't alone in that desire. Hardly a gig would go by that I wouldn't hear from some longtime fan how much they loved the Stagepass record, and how they had just taken it out the other week and how great it still sounded. The inevitable questions would soon follow. "Do you still ever get up on stage with Michael anymore? Where can I get a CD copy of Stagepass? Are you going to play "Nothing's Gonna Change My Mind" tonight? How about "Strike up the Band" acoustic unplugged?"

I just had to do it. So I telephoned Michael and told him I wanted to stop by and tell him about a project I really wanted to do. I drove over and we talked. I told him my desire was to put together a Jonah Koslen Band and perform the entire Stagepass album in concert. I explained to him that it was my understanding that he really had no wish to do a similar project himself.

In typical Michael fashion, he tilted his head slightly, looked me in the eye and said, "Go for it Kos. Knock yourself out. Sounds like a great idea."

So, after clearing it with Michael, it was time to put together the band. I already knew I wanted to work with my old friends, bassist/vocalist Bill March and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Rik Williger. In the last year I had been bringing drummer/bassist/guitarist/vocalist Donny Thompson into the fold on several projects. The question was, who would be the 5th member and what position would Donny ultimately fill? After kicking it around for a time, Donny brought Van Eidom on board on drums, which moved Donny up front to rhythm guitar. The band was in place and the line up was really strong. Great playing, great vocals and they knew and loved the music. The sound and feel were right on the mark. I was impressed and I think you will be too.

Come check us out live and in concert.