Does the world need another Iron Maiden live video or album? Hell yes!!! Especially if it possesses the lavish visual quality of their latest offering En Vivo!. Filmed at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago de Chile during their 2011 world tour in support of the The Final Frontier album, this concert offers everything Maiden fans would die for. The well-balanced set list mixes classics like “The Trooper”, “Hollowed be Thy Name” and “The Wicker Man” with some the band’s recent material, including “The Talisman”, “When The Wild Wind Blows” and “El Dorado”.

This Blu-ray captures legendary guitarist Al Di Meola live in Morocco in 2009. Di Meola takes center stage surrounded by an unbelievably talented group of musicians. As a self-proclaimed hack guitarist, I found myself in absolute awe watching how effortlessly Di Meola moves about the frets of his acoustic guitar; it’s truly astounding what he is capable of. Di Meola’s performance is beautifully accented by a stage drenched in rich, vibrant colors and tons of slides and images of Morocco.

Very few people have had such a prolific and storied career as Carlos Santana. For decades this guitar great has created music that crosses genres and entertains fans of all ages, and this Blu-ray disc is no different. The 23 songs included in this set are extremely entertaining and at times off the cuff. As you would expect many of his wildly popular, crowd-pleasing tunes (“Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Como Va” to name but a couple) are present and accounted for.

This performance was filmed live at Montreux in 2011 and features Deep Purple accompanied by a full philharmonic orchestra.

Portlandia is an IFC series that is written and created by Saturday Night Live alumni, Fred Armisen, Jonathan Krisel and Carrie Brownstien and executive produced by Lorne Michaels. Shot entirely on location in Portland, Oregon the series is made up of a numerous short character-based sketches that are as quirky as they are funny.

Filmed in April of 2011 at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills, Lindsey Buckingham performs both new songs and classic older hits in front of a sold out crowd. As a longtime fan of Fleetwood Mac I was eager to dive into his solo stuff; he’s a legend and I really wanted to see what he was all about.

I have never owned a Pretenders disc, but I’ve always rather enjoyed whatever tunes of theirs I’ve heard on the radio. Needless to say when I sat down to watch this disc I was unfamiliar with the majority of the 26 songs they performed live that night. “Lie To Me” kicks things without much pomp and circumstance and the rest of the disc follows suit. There are no bells or whistles and no eye-catching visuals at all; this is just the Pretenders flawlessly playing songs from their extensive catalog in the most unpretentious unassuming manner.

July 16th, 2011 “Weird Al” Yankovic’s “The Alpocalypse Tour” stopped at Massey Hall in Toronto, ON for two filmed shows. With the footage captured a DVD was produced entitled “Weird Al” Yankovic Live! – The Alpocalypse Tour and released only a few months later.

Filmed in 1978 during the Some Girl’s tour, this Blu-ray disc captures The Rolling Stones at what I feel is the top of their game. They’re young and full of attitude and swagger and in total command of the stage. Mick Jagger prances around relentlessly posing for the crowd while the band tears through their critically acclaimed record, Some Girls, as well as some older more classic Stones tunes.

God Bless Ozzy Osbourne is a documentary about the man, the myth and the legend that is Ozzy Osbourne. Directed by Ozzy’s son Jack, this is an in-depth look at the incredible journey of one of the most well-known hard rockers in the world. The intimate interviews with family and friends, including Tommy Lee and Henry Rollins, give the film a depth that allows the viewer a sneak peek behind the scenes.

We Come In Pieces captures the British alt rock act Placebo performing live in front of a packed house at London’s Brixton Academy. My exposure to Placebo has been very minimal; while I’ve heard of them and perhaps have heard a few of their songs, I really wasn’t familiar with their extensive catalog and their incredible live show. But this is a band that has sold millions of records and toured the globe playing to millions of people, so I figured it was about time I got acquainted with them.

This is Peter Gabriel like you have never seen him before. Recorded live in London over two nights in March of 2011 this Blu-ray features Peter Gabriel and The New Blood Orchestra performing songs from throughout his career (minus guitars, bass or drums). This is a tremendous undertaking though because Gabriel does not just rehash his old hits by performing them in front of an orchestra.

Filmed in April 2004 at the world famous Budokan, this video captures Dream Theater at what I feel is the top of their game. They seem to be firing on all cylinders as they roll through most of their 2003 release, Train Of Thought, an album that carries on that long standing tradition of masterful musicality that we have come to expect from the band.