OK, so this is mostly because I don't expect to go this year, but it's not much of an exaggeration.
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
February 20, 2013
Grumpy Cat reacts to Bonnaroo 2013 lineup
OK, so this is mostly because I don't expect to go this year, but it's not much of an exaggeration.
October 28, 2012
What song is John Shimkus sharing with Rodney Davis? Funny Video!
Someone took video of Congressman John Shimkus sharing his iPod earphone with Rodney Davis. What did Shimkus think so was good that he wanted to share it with his BFF, Rodney? This cracks me up...
October 15, 2012
Two sentence album reviews: First Aid Kit, Fiona Apple, J.C. Brooks, Heartless Bastards, Old 97's
I don't know how someone writes a good music review, but most of the ones I read leave me with no better idea of what the album is like. I'm keeping these reviews down to two sentences. If my reviews aren't any good, Beavis and Butt-Head will be able to repeat one of their best lines, "it sucked but at least it was short."
How can you not love two sweet swedes who sing about Johnny Cash, June Carter, Graham Parson and Emmylou Harris? The Lion's Roar has all the sadness and depth of an Ingmar Bergman film.
Fiona Apple has another album with a really long name
I would like to thank Fiona Apple for her inability to maintain a healthy relationship because she continues to produce beautiful, heartbroken, intense songs that I love. It sucks when one of your favorite musicians becomes happily married and starts producing sappy, happy songs *cough* Steve Earle *cough* Lucinda Williams*cough*.
Arrow by Heartless Bastards
This Cincinnati band Gone to Texas let a little bit of Austin mix with their reliable Rust Belt Rock. Good rock bands with great female lead singers are becoming some kind of Ohio tradition.
A not that new release but new to me:
The Grand Theater Volume One by the Old 97's
Alt country, roots rock: call it anything you like, including a great all-around album. I love the song Champaign, Illinois, but it sounds like they have some vaguely expressed hostility toward central Illinois.
Old 97's are on tour in support of a newer album. If I'm lucky, I may get to see these guys in St. Louis or Chicago this week.
How can you not love two sweet swedes who sing about Johnny Cash, June Carter, Graham Parson and Emmylou Harris? The Lion's Roar has all the sadness and depth of an Ingmar Bergman film.
Fiona Apple has another album with a really long name
I would like to thank Fiona Apple for her inability to maintain a healthy relationship because she continues to produce beautiful, heartbroken, intense songs that I love. It sucks when one of your favorite musicians becomes happily married and starts producing sappy, happy songs *cough* Steve Earle *cough* Lucinda Williams*cough*.
Arrow by Heartless Bastards
This Cincinnati band Gone to Texas let a little bit of Austin mix with their reliable Rust Belt Rock. Good rock bands with great female lead singers are becoming some kind of Ohio tradition.
J.C. Brooks and the Uptown Sound - Want More
Look out! Zombie Otis Redding and his band have risen, moved to Chicago, updated their Stax-style sound for modern listeners, and played a monster set at Lollapalooza. Aaaahh!
Look out! Zombie Otis Redding and his band have risen, moved to Chicago, updated their Stax-style sound for modern listeners, and played a monster set at Lollapalooza. Aaaahh!
A not that new release but new to me:
The Grand Theater Volume One by the Old 97's
Alt country, roots rock: call it anything you like, including a great all-around album. I love the song Champaign, Illinois, but it sounds like they have some vaguely expressed hostility toward central Illinois.
Old 97's are on tour in support of a newer album. If I'm lucky, I may get to see these guys in St. Louis or Chicago this week.
That's it for now. You can check out my last set of two sentence reviews here.
October 9, 2012
Louie Bellson Memorial Race heats up Quad Cities jazz legend rivalry
A Mississippi River cross-state jazz rivalry is coming to a boil in the Quad Cities!
For those who aren't familiar, Bix Beiderbecke was an early jazz innovator of the 1920's. As early as high school, he got his start playing with the riverboat bands that helped make the Mississippi River corridor the birthplace of American roots musical styles; jazz, blues, soul, and rock n' roll. He escaped Iowa, joining bands in Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit and eventually New York City. He died at age 28 in New York, probably due to a flu exacerbated by alcohol or drug abuse.
Ken Burns' Jazz documentary described him as one of the first white innovators who took the form in new directions rather than merely mimicking black musicians. Burns suggests that racial barriers of the time kept Bix from performing with his true musical peers, leaving him creatively stifled and personally troubled. He was well respected by musicians in his time but became famous years after his passing in novels as an archetype of the tragic jazz genius.
Louie Bellson's story is very different. He was born in Illinois and graduated from Moline High School in 1939. While watching bands, I've often thought it would be cool if drummers used two bass drums. Louie Bellson had that idea too and pioneered the technique as a teenager!
Bellson defied racial barriers, joining Duke Ellington's band in 1951. The Duke called him “not only the world’s greatest drummer...(but also) the world’s greatest musician.”
His drum solos are so good I'm surprised he didn't end each one by standing up and saying, "You're Welcome!" After playing with many of the greatest jazz legends, he spent years touring with his own band, The Louie Bellson explosion. He has been honored endlessly as a world class drummer, composer, band leader, and mentor.
Throughout his career he held drum clinics and tutorials across America. He still made it back home regularly to offer free sessions to students at Moline High School.
The Louie Bellson Memorial Drum Roll honors his tradition of supporting you musicians. Proceeds from the race go to support music education programs in Moline schools. You can register here for the race happening October 20th.
Of course, I hope people participate in both of the Quad Cities jazz races. Being an Illinois patriot, I'm biased toward the community minded drummer with a long, celebrated career over the Iowan who's remembered more for his legend than his music.
On the Iowa side you have a the Bix 7 Memorial Race and Jazz Festival, founded in 1975 in honor of Davenport native Bix Beiderbecke. On the Illinois side of the river in Moline, there's the newer, upstart Louie Bellson Mermorial Race coming up later this month.
For those who aren't familiar, Bix Beiderbecke was an early jazz innovator of the 1920's. As early as high school, he got his start playing with the riverboat bands that helped make the Mississippi River corridor the birthplace of American roots musical styles; jazz, blues, soul, and rock n' roll. He escaped Iowa, joining bands in Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit and eventually New York City. He died at age 28 in New York, probably due to a flu exacerbated by alcohol or drug abuse.
Ken Burns' Jazz documentary described him as one of the first white innovators who took the form in new directions rather than merely mimicking black musicians. Burns suggests that racial barriers of the time kept Bix from performing with his true musical peers, leaving him creatively stifled and personally troubled. He was well respected by musicians in his time but became famous years after his passing in novels as an archetype of the tragic jazz genius.
Louie Bellson's story is very different. He was born in Illinois and graduated from Moline High School in 1939. While watching bands, I've often thought it would be cool if drummers used two bass drums. Louie Bellson had that idea too and pioneered the technique as a teenager!
Bellson defied racial barriers, joining Duke Ellington's band in 1951. The Duke called him “not only the world’s greatest drummer...(but also) the world’s greatest musician.”
His drum solos are so good I'm surprised he didn't end each one by standing up and saying, "You're Welcome!" After playing with many of the greatest jazz legends, he spent years touring with his own band, The Louie Bellson explosion. He has been honored endlessly as a world class drummer, composer, band leader, and mentor.
Throughout his career he held drum clinics and tutorials across America. He still made it back home regularly to offer free sessions to students at Moline High School.
The Louie Bellson Memorial Drum Roll honors his tradition of supporting you musicians. Proceeds from the race go to support music education programs in Moline schools. You can register here for the race happening October 20th.
Of course, I hope people participate in both of the Quad Cities jazz races. Being an Illinois patriot, I'm biased toward the community minded drummer with a long, celebrated career over the Iowan who's remembered more for his legend than his music.
August 7, 2012
Lollapalooza 2012 Review!
I wasn't sure I would blog about my Lollapalooza experience this year but what good is taking lo-fi cell phone picks from the crowd if you don't share them?
One of the best benefits of large festivals is discovering bands that become new favorites. Headliners draw in the crowds but bands you didn't expect to see provide some of the most memorable highlights. One of those was the first band I saw at Lolla, First Aid Kit. How can you resist loving a couple of Swedes who sing about Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons?
Saturday started off right with the soulful J.C. Brooks & the Uptown Sound. The crowd loved their upbeat Stax-style cover of Wilco's I am trying to break your heart. They're a Chicago act so I'll have to catch them again.
I'm not sure how to describe the eclectic Bombay Bicycle Club that started off Sunday morning, but they're much better than those cheesy stores you used to find in malls. Later in the day, I was hoping Dum Dum Girls would sound as good as they look.
I'm still not sure. They sounded best when borrowing from Mazzy Starr.
Shortly thereafter, The Gaslight Anthem sounded best when borrowing lyrics from Ryan Adams.
I saw The Black Angels for the fourth time and they're still one of my favorites. It takes balls to end your Lolla show with a sitar solo. I randomly discovered them on a small stage at Lollapalooza in 2007. Their stages and crowds keep getting bigger. It reminds me of seeing The Black Keys building popularity each year they played festival shows with their own retro sound until finally becoming headliners.
The biggest scheduling conflict of the fest was Black Sabbath and The Black Keys playing at the same time Friday night. As much as that annoyed me, it's fairly impressive that there was only one major heartbreaking dilemma. Bonnaroo has many advantages over Lolla, but scheduling is one thing Lolla does better. Roo has a nasty habit of scheduling the five bands you're dying to see all in the same time slot against each other.
I've seen the Black Keys several times so I had to go with Sabbath. The reality TV show makes it a little difficult to take Ozzy seriously as a performer but Sabbath's stellar show removed all doubt. Even the songs that are played to death on syndicated classic rock radio found new life. War Pigs and Wizard alone made the show so awesomely wizard. And there's no better stage backdrop in the world than Chicago's Loop.
The biggest inconveniences this year were beyond the organizers' control. People who think it's a good idea to smoke a cigarette in the middle of a tightly packed crowd are always fun. The heat was unbearable on Friday and Saturday morning. The storm broke the heat but at the cost of evacuating the grounds. There were a couple of moments when I thought the crowd could turn ugly as they spilled into downtown Chicago. But, I ended up talking to more friendly people as we waited out the rain in a crowded bar than I did outside during the fest.
One of the funnier moments came right before everyone was evacuated for the storm when Neon Indian advised anyone taking psychedelic drugs for the first time that they shouldn't worry and everything was going to be OK. That was thoughtful of them.
No one could have finished the weekend better than Jack White, who continues to prove he's the great rock god of his generation. Most of the set was from his new album, including several country numbers with a fiddle and tabletop slide guitar in the band. He eventually pulled from his entire catalog, including the Raconteurs, and my two favorite White Stripes riffs Ball & a Biscuit and The Hardest Button to Button.
Lolla is a great way to find new bands you'll love, see that big name act you've always wanted to catch, and meet plenty of interesting people without spending thousands of dollars on individual shows. As always, I had a great time.
One of the best benefits of large festivals is discovering bands that become new favorites. Headliners draw in the crowds but bands you didn't expect to see provide some of the most memorable highlights. One of those was the first band I saw at Lolla, First Aid Kit. How can you resist loving a couple of Swedes who sing about Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons?
Saturday started off right with the soulful J.C. Brooks & the Uptown Sound. The crowd loved their upbeat Stax-style cover of Wilco's I am trying to break your heart. They're a Chicago act so I'll have to catch them again.
I'm not sure how to describe the eclectic Bombay Bicycle Club that started off Sunday morning, but they're much better than those cheesy stores you used to find in malls. Later in the day, I was hoping Dum Dum Girls would sound as good as they look.
I'm still not sure. They sounded best when borrowing from Mazzy Starr.
Shortly thereafter, The Gaslight Anthem sounded best when borrowing lyrics from Ryan Adams.
I saw The Black Angels for the fourth time and they're still one of my favorites. It takes balls to end your Lolla show with a sitar solo. I randomly discovered them on a small stage at Lollapalooza in 2007. Their stages and crowds keep getting bigger. It reminds me of seeing The Black Keys building popularity each year they played festival shows with their own retro sound until finally becoming headliners.
The biggest scheduling conflict of the fest was Black Sabbath and The Black Keys playing at the same time Friday night. As much as that annoyed me, it's fairly impressive that there was only one major heartbreaking dilemma. Bonnaroo has many advantages over Lolla, but scheduling is one thing Lolla does better. Roo has a nasty habit of scheduling the five bands you're dying to see all in the same time slot against each other.
I've seen the Black Keys several times so I had to go with Sabbath. The reality TV show makes it a little difficult to take Ozzy seriously as a performer but Sabbath's stellar show removed all doubt. Even the songs that are played to death on syndicated classic rock radio found new life. War Pigs and Wizard alone made the show so awesomely wizard. And there's no better stage backdrop in the world than Chicago's Loop.
The biggest inconveniences this year were beyond the organizers' control. People who think it's a good idea to smoke a cigarette in the middle of a tightly packed crowd are always fun. The heat was unbearable on Friday and Saturday morning. The storm broke the heat but at the cost of evacuating the grounds. There were a couple of moments when I thought the crowd could turn ugly as they spilled into downtown Chicago. But, I ended up talking to more friendly people as we waited out the rain in a crowded bar than I did outside during the fest.
One of the funnier moments came right before everyone was evacuated for the storm when Neon Indian advised anyone taking psychedelic drugs for the first time that they shouldn't worry and everything was going to be OK. That was thoughtful of them.
No one could have finished the weekend better than Jack White, who continues to prove he's the great rock god of his generation. Most of the set was from his new album, including several country numbers with a fiddle and tabletop slide guitar in the band. He eventually pulled from his entire catalog, including the Raconteurs, and my two favorite White Stripes riffs Ball & a Biscuit and The Hardest Button to Button.
Lolla is a great way to find new bands you'll love, see that big name act you've always wanted to catch, and meet plenty of interesting people without spending thousands of dollars on individual shows. As always, I had a great time.
June 3, 2012
Two sentence album reviews: Garbage, Jack White, Bob Dylan, Dr. John, Tom Irwin
Most music reviews leave me wondering what the hell they're writing about. I don't think verbosity adds much to music writing so here are two sentence reviews of new albums I've been enjoying.
Garbage, Not Your Kind of People
Techno-rock-pop that's what you would expect from Garbage but it's just enough of a departure to not sound recycled. Cynical lyrics make it an excellent gift for your bitter ex-girlfriend.
Jack White, Blunderbuss
White rediscovered Rock 'n Roll in the Lost and Found bin, and continues to save us from the wasteland of American Idol pop. But, the best songs on this album have Nashville country looking over his shoulder.
Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan
When covering Bob Dylan, don't attempt an imitation and do pick something less well known. A prime example is the surprise gem in this four-disc collection; Evan Rachel Wood's jazz cover of "I'd have you anytime."
Dr. John, Locked Down
Locking Dr. John in a room with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys was an epic idea and this album delivers. References to voodoo are obligatory for Dr. John album reviews, so...there ya go...voodoo!
Tom Irwin, Sangamon Songs
A new folk album that time travels to 1890's Illinois. A beautiful, jubilant, mournful, lazy, industrious and mischievous journey from behind the barn to Chicago's Colombian Exposition.
Garbage, Not Your Kind of People
Techno-rock-pop that's what you would expect from Garbage but it's just enough of a departure to not sound recycled. Cynical lyrics make it an excellent gift for your bitter ex-girlfriend.
Jack White, Blunderbuss
White rediscovered Rock 'n Roll in the Lost and Found bin, and continues to save us from the wasteland of American Idol pop. But, the best songs on this album have Nashville country looking over his shoulder.
Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan
When covering Bob Dylan, don't attempt an imitation and do pick something less well known. A prime example is the surprise gem in this four-disc collection; Evan Rachel Wood's jazz cover of "I'd have you anytime."
Dr. John, Locked Down
Locking Dr. John in a room with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys was an epic idea and this album delivers. References to voodoo are obligatory for Dr. John album reviews, so...there ya go...voodoo!
Tom Irwin, Sangamon Songs
A new folk album that time travels to 1890's Illinois. A beautiful, jubilant, mournful, lazy, industrious and mischievous journey from behind the barn to Chicago's Colombian Exposition.
June 21, 2011
Bonnaroo 2011 Sunday
By day four of Bonnaroo the volunteers were saying "thank you" every time I threw something away. I suspect they were tired of picking up trash off the ground but they did a great job of clearing the place every night. I also appreciate that Bonnaroo makes the extra effort of helping people sort their trash into separate bins for landfill, compost, and recycling. Vendors are forced to use compostable plates and cups.
Planning a festival of this size is impressive and I don't expect everything to go perfectly. Sound problems, schedule conflicts, and putting bands on stages that anyone should have known would be too small are usually the most irritating issues. But the one big inexcusable problem this year was the Great Bonnaroo Dustbowl. The dry dust gave me major sinus and allergy problems all weekend. It never let up. A look at the Bonnaroo discussion board shows that it kept many people sick a week or more after they got home. Dealing with dust isn't rocket science. After 10 years the organizers should know how not to send thousands of people home with bronchitis.
Now that I've got that out of the way, I can go on about the great day of music I heard Sunday. Friends raved about Railroad Earth and it turns out that my friends have good taste in music. I didn't see that many jam bands considering that Bonnaroo started out as a jam band fest so Railroad Earth filled the bill.
I went to see Mavis Staples on the big stage because I didn't want to pass up a chance to hear a living legend. Her performance was far beyond anything I expected. As she said, her gospel show was the closest thing to church service anyone at Bonnaroo was attending that Sunday.
After singing The Weight she let us know that her backup band was THE BAND. I had no idea they were at Bonnaroo! Then she brought out Patti Griffin and Buddy Miller who were there with Robert Plant's Band of Joy. If she had been the only main stage act that day I would have been happy.
On the Which stage, Amos Lee was very good. I loved Iron & Wine but my girlfriend got bored.
I couldn't miss seeing at least some of the set by Robert Plant and the Band of Joy. It's kind of funny to hear a pillar of British hard rock and metal sing traditional Americana music with a Nashville band.
It was even funnier to hear classic Led Zeppelin riffs done country-style on a pedal steel guitar. I loved it! Band of Joy is a good name. They had one of the most fun, joyful sounding sets this year.
The Strokes lived up to their name. I've wanted to see them for years and I liked what I heard. But they also started 15-20 minutes late and finished 15-20 minutes early. Can't handle playing for more than an hour, guys? I know having a hipster "too cool to care" attitude is part of their schtick but their near-contempt for the audience turned me off. It's Bonnaroo, fellas. Put in a little extra effort before going back to moping about being rich, famous and working a dream job.
Roger Waters seemed to enjoy them from backstage.
Widespread Panic were the visual and musical explosion I expected them to be.
The light show and non-stop jams are something you just have to see. I've never heard a recording that captures anything close to the incredible experience of seeing them live.
And after that I started waiting for next year.
Planning a festival of this size is impressive and I don't expect everything to go perfectly. Sound problems, schedule conflicts, and putting bands on stages that anyone should have known would be too small are usually the most irritating issues. But the one big inexcusable problem this year was the Great Bonnaroo Dustbowl. The dry dust gave me major sinus and allergy problems all weekend. It never let up. A look at the Bonnaroo discussion board shows that it kept many people sick a week or more after they got home. Dealing with dust isn't rocket science. After 10 years the organizers should know how not to send thousands of people home with bronchitis.
Now that I've got that out of the way, I can go on about the great day of music I heard Sunday. Friends raved about Railroad Earth and it turns out that my friends have good taste in music. I didn't see that many jam bands considering that Bonnaroo started out as a jam band fest so Railroad Earth filled the bill.
I went to see Mavis Staples on the big stage because I didn't want to pass up a chance to hear a living legend. Her performance was far beyond anything I expected. As she said, her gospel show was the closest thing to church service anyone at Bonnaroo was attending that Sunday.
After singing The Weight she let us know that her backup band was THE BAND. I had no idea they were at Bonnaroo! Then she brought out Patti Griffin and Buddy Miller who were there with Robert Plant's Band of Joy. If she had been the only main stage act that day I would have been happy.
On the Which stage, Amos Lee was very good. I loved Iron & Wine but my girlfriend got bored.
I couldn't miss seeing at least some of the set by Robert Plant and the Band of Joy. It's kind of funny to hear a pillar of British hard rock and metal sing traditional Americana music with a Nashville band.
It was even funnier to hear classic Led Zeppelin riffs done country-style on a pedal steel guitar. I loved it! Band of Joy is a good name. They had one of the most fun, joyful sounding sets this year.
The Strokes lived up to their name. I've wanted to see them for years and I liked what I heard. But they also started 15-20 minutes late and finished 15-20 minutes early. Can't handle playing for more than an hour, guys? I know having a hipster "too cool to care" attitude is part of their schtick but their near-contempt for the audience turned me off. It's Bonnaroo, fellas. Put in a little extra effort before going back to moping about being rich, famous and working a dream job.
Roger Waters seemed to enjoy them from backstage.
Widespread Panic were the visual and musical explosion I expected them to be.
The light show and non-stop jams are something you just have to see. I've never heard a recording that captures anything close to the incredible experience of seeing them live.
And after that I started waiting for next year.
Bonnaroo Day 3 - Saturday
It has been over a week and I'm finally getting around to writing down my experience. The first two days of Bonnaroo were amazing but Saturday turned it up to 11.
The day started off with a Nashville band called Cheer Up Charlie Daniels that won some kind of online vote to play at Bonnaroo. They may in fact be the most cheerful band I've ever seen.
They passed out fans with celebrity faces on them, had funny outfits, and there was some kind of robot in the background with Sarah Palin's face. The music was good too. Their polygamy song is hilarious. I only had a cell phone with me so the pics aren't so hot.
Next, I went to The Other Tent for a Mongolian folk/punk band I had never heard called Hanggai. They were without a doubt my favorite show of the festival. The throat singer and traditional instruments were unique and wild like nothing I've heard before (except for one traditional Mongolian hill song that sounded just like an Irish folk tune).
They had two singers. A throat singer seated on the right, plus a lead singer who fired up the crowd without speaking English. In between songs he would say something no one understood but with enough enthusiasm that everyone still shouted back.
Last year, the South Saharan band Tinarawin was one of the best shows of Bonnaroo. Expanding their world music bookings would be a better direction than some of the choices they made this year.
Allison Krauss and Union Station returned to Roo with another great show. A huge crowd went nuts for Mumford & Sons.
I was excited to see Loretta Lynn and she put on one of the best performances of the week. It felt good to see how enthusiastic and appreciative the crowd was for the Queen of Country. She said something about Jack White leaving her high and dry but she did fine without him. I never realized how many of her songs are about the struggles of working class women. You don't hear that much on the radio anymore.
The Black Keys were hard to enjoy while I fought my way back and forth between stages, but I got to hear them perform my favorite song of theirs, Ten Cent Pistol.
The Buffalo Springfield reunion was one of those "only chance in your life" shows and Neil Young even said that it was the largest crowd the band had ever played for. You couldn't tell that they don't play together all the time. Kind Woman was the highlight for me and they had a huge finish with Keep on Rockin in The Free World. How could I not love a band named after my hometown and my favorite mammal?
On the way back to camp I heard Eminem sing the chorus line of "Slim Shady will fucking kill you" while a giant, rotating machine gun graphic on screen shot bullets at the audience. I guess you could say it didn't fit in with the rest of the festival's positive vibe. Late in the set he did a medley with short clips of hits from older albums. I rested up to get ready for the late night shows.
Dr. John's hat topped the Bonnaroo gate this year, and he reunited with the original Meters to play the album Destively Bonnaroo. It was a fun, funky set.
I'm a little embarrassed that I wimped out and went back to camp after Dr. John without seeing Gogol Bordello. The day was exhausting in the best way possible.
The day started off with a Nashville band called Cheer Up Charlie Daniels that won some kind of online vote to play at Bonnaroo. They may in fact be the most cheerful band I've ever seen.
They passed out fans with celebrity faces on them, had funny outfits, and there was some kind of robot in the background with Sarah Palin's face. The music was good too. Their polygamy song is hilarious. I only had a cell phone with me so the pics aren't so hot.
Next, I went to The Other Tent for a Mongolian folk/punk band I had never heard called Hanggai. They were without a doubt my favorite show of the festival. The throat singer and traditional instruments were unique and wild like nothing I've heard before (except for one traditional Mongolian hill song that sounded just like an Irish folk tune).
They had two singers. A throat singer seated on the right, plus a lead singer who fired up the crowd without speaking English. In between songs he would say something no one understood but with enough enthusiasm that everyone still shouted back.
Last year, the South Saharan band Tinarawin was one of the best shows of Bonnaroo. Expanding their world music bookings would be a better direction than some of the choices they made this year.
Allison Krauss and Union Station returned to Roo with another great show. A huge crowd went nuts for Mumford & Sons.
I was excited to see Loretta Lynn and she put on one of the best performances of the week. It felt good to see how enthusiastic and appreciative the crowd was for the Queen of Country. She said something about Jack White leaving her high and dry but she did fine without him. I never realized how many of her songs are about the struggles of working class women. You don't hear that much on the radio anymore.
The Black Keys were hard to enjoy while I fought my way back and forth between stages, but I got to hear them perform my favorite song of theirs, Ten Cent Pistol.
The Buffalo Springfield reunion was one of those "only chance in your life" shows and Neil Young even said that it was the largest crowd the band had ever played for. You couldn't tell that they don't play together all the time. Kind Woman was the highlight for me and they had a huge finish with Keep on Rockin in The Free World. How could I not love a band named after my hometown and my favorite mammal?
On the way back to camp I heard Eminem sing the chorus line of "Slim Shady will fucking kill you" while a giant, rotating machine gun graphic on screen shot bullets at the audience. I guess you could say it didn't fit in with the rest of the festival's positive vibe. Late in the set he did a medley with short clips of hits from older albums. I rested up to get ready for the late night shows.
Dr. John's hat topped the Bonnaroo gate this year, and he reunited with the original Meters to play the album Destively Bonnaroo. It was a fun, funky set.
I'm a little embarrassed that I wimped out and went back to camp after Dr. John without seeing Gogol Bordello. The day was exhausting in the best way possible.
June 17, 2011
Bonnaroo Day 1 & 2 highlights
Wow. My third Bonnaroo. I'll write a few thoughts for my own memories and maybe somebody will find it interesting.
I already wrote about Thursday's big highlight; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaking at the screening of The Last Mountain. Two people passed out from the heat while we were waiting in line. After that they moved the line faster and people got their first warning about Tennessee weather in June.
I had to miss a few bands to see the movie but I made it to Deerhunter. They sounded kind of like what I was expecting from My Morning Jacket, which was good.
Tammy and I both won stuffed Stewie's playing Plinko at the Adult Swim carnival!
One of the best things about Bonnaroo is discovering new bands and Friday started off with an excellent set by Sharon Van Etten, who I'd never heard of. My picture isn't very good but she played a few songs with some kind of tabletop accordion. I've never seen that before.
I saw a long list of great performances Friday but Ray Lamontagne was probably my favorite. Besides his own songs, he knocked my socks off with covers of Momma Tried by Merle Haggard, plus a medley of Neil Young's Down by the River and Pink Floyd.
We caught Austin alt-country band Hayes Carll on the small Sonic stage. They were great but I was disappointed that they didn't play She Left Me for Jesus.
I saw enough of Lil Wayne to know I wasn't missing much. Arcade Fire impresses me more every time I hear them.
I was looking forward to the Black Angels late night show as much as any band and they didn't disappoint.
The crowd at Bonnaroo is always interesting. I noticed more public nudity from both genders than in previous years.
It's not the hippie jam band fest it was the first year or two. The hipsters, hippies, and various counterculture music lovers all get along well. The only group whose anti-social behavior makes them stick out in a negative way is the frat boy crowd that seemed larger this year.
For example, suppose you're standing or sitting while listening to a great band at one of the smaller stages. Someone stands in the middle of a group at the edge of the crowd, and after dropping a can of cheap beer on the ground, starts to obnoxiously yell over the band, "Josh! Josh! Where the fuck are you!" I guess he can't just look around like everyone else does. The proper response is to help him out by yelling, "Josh! Your douchebag friend is looking for you!"
Anyway, the first two days were a blast.
I already wrote about Thursday's big highlight; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaking at the screening of The Last Mountain. Two people passed out from the heat while we were waiting in line. After that they moved the line faster and people got their first warning about Tennessee weather in June.
I had to miss a few bands to see the movie but I made it to Deerhunter. They sounded kind of like what I was expecting from My Morning Jacket, which was good.
Tammy and I both won stuffed Stewie's playing Plinko at the Adult Swim carnival!
One of the best things about Bonnaroo is discovering new bands and Friday started off with an excellent set by Sharon Van Etten, who I'd never heard of. My picture isn't very good but she played a few songs with some kind of tabletop accordion. I've never seen that before.
I saw a long list of great performances Friday but Ray Lamontagne was probably my favorite. Besides his own songs, he knocked my socks off with covers of Momma Tried by Merle Haggard, plus a medley of Neil Young's Down by the River and Pink Floyd.
We caught Austin alt-country band Hayes Carll on the small Sonic stage. They were great but I was disappointed that they didn't play She Left Me for Jesus.
I saw enough of Lil Wayne to know I wasn't missing much. Arcade Fire impresses me more every time I hear them.
I was looking forward to the Black Angels late night show as much as any band and they didn't disappoint.
The crowd at Bonnaroo is always interesting. I noticed more public nudity from both genders than in previous years.
It's not the hippie jam band fest it was the first year or two. The hipsters, hippies, and various counterculture music lovers all get along well. The only group whose anti-social behavior makes them stick out in a negative way is the frat boy crowd that seemed larger this year.
For example, suppose you're standing or sitting while listening to a great band at one of the smaller stages. Someone stands in the middle of a group at the edge of the crowd, and after dropping a can of cheap beer on the ground, starts to obnoxiously yell over the band, "Josh! Josh! Where the fuck are you!" I guess he can't just look around like everyone else does. The proper response is to help him out by yelling, "Josh! Your douchebag friend is looking for you!"
Anyway, the first two days were a blast.
May 29, 2011
Gil Scott-Heron
I wondered why so many facebook friends were posting about Gil Scott-Heron this weekend. I wish I had gotten the chance to see him perform before he passed on.
May 4, 2011
The Rolling Stones are officially the greatest rock band of all time
There can no longer be doubt that the Rolling Stones are the greatest rock band of all time. Why?
You could argue that it's their ability to release quality hit records and still put on an amazing live show in six different decades. You could argue that it's producing some of the most recognized riffs, clever lyrics, and memorable live shows in the history of rock. But it really comes down to one thing.
The Rolling Stones are now the only band with two different pinball games released 30 years apart! Game over.
I was expecting the early 80's classic when I was told that Floyd's might get a Rolling Stones pinball game. I played it once while they had it at CP Pinball. The artwork is impressive but the outdated game play didn't make much of an impression.
So I was surprised when I saw that Floyd's has the completely new Rolling Stones pinball that was released earlier this year. After my first play I'm very impressed. The moving Mick Jagger target and a few other features remind me of the new Batman. That's fine since Batman is the best game I've seen released in years.
Like Elvis pinball, it plays songs during the game and one of the goals is to collect hit records that play when you score them. There was a lot of background noise when I played, but so far it doesn't sound as repetitive as the Elvis game could be.
So, you may ask, what about The Who? Pete Townshend wrote the Pinball Wizard anthem, after all. Well, I've played their Tommy pinball game and all I can say is that The Who can suck silver balls. Rolling Stones are the rock 'n roll kings of pinball now!
Here's a video from their Bridges to Babylon tour DVD filmed in St. Louis, which also happened to be the first time I saw them in concert. When I was tired of standing for two hours Mick was still strutting back and forth across stage.
You could argue that it's their ability to release quality hit records and still put on an amazing live show in six different decades. You could argue that it's producing some of the most recognized riffs, clever lyrics, and memorable live shows in the history of rock. But it really comes down to one thing.
The Rolling Stones are now the only band with two different pinball games released 30 years apart! Game over.
I was expecting the early 80's classic when I was told that Floyd's might get a Rolling Stones pinball game. I played it once while they had it at CP Pinball. The artwork is impressive but the outdated game play didn't make much of an impression.
So I was surprised when I saw that Floyd's has the completely new Rolling Stones pinball that was released earlier this year. After my first play I'm very impressed. The moving Mick Jagger target and a few other features remind me of the new Batman. That's fine since Batman is the best game I've seen released in years.
Like Elvis pinball, it plays songs during the game and one of the goals is to collect hit records that play when you score them. There was a lot of background noise when I played, but so far it doesn't sound as repetitive as the Elvis game could be.
So, you may ask, what about The Who? Pete Townshend wrote the Pinball Wizard anthem, after all. Well, I've played their Tommy pinball game and all I can say is that The Who can suck silver balls. Rolling Stones are the rock 'n roll kings of pinball now!
Here's a video from their Bridges to Babylon tour DVD filmed in St. Louis, which also happened to be the first time I saw them in concert. When I was tired of standing for two hours Mick was still strutting back and forth across stage.
April 16, 2011
Record Store Day goodies
I went early to Recycled Records to make sure I didn't miss out on any limited supply goodies for this year's Record Store Day. My house is currently filled with newly acquired noise but checking out the unique packaging is half the prize.
I've been wanting a Black Angels record for a while and I picked up two. "Another Nice Pair" came in red vinyl with a poster.
I first heard these guys on a small side stage at Lollapalooza a few years ago and I'm not surprised they're becoming more popular. I'll get the chance to see them again at Bonnaroo this year.
I also came home with a limited edition release of B-sides called Phosgene Nightmare.
Both Black Angels records came with a code for digital download. That's very important and not enough labels do it. No one should have to pay for the music twice to get it in a digital format.
I grabbed a Record Store Day re-release of a rare 7" single by the White Stripes. The record looks marble and came in an appealing fold-out cover.
Regina Spektor came out with an exclusive Record Store Day 7" vinyl that I'll be letting my girlfriend open.
I'm most excited about the numbered Steve Earl 7" 45 red vinyl single. The B-side is This City, which will be on his next album. The A side is an amazing cover of Hank Williams' "I'll never get out of this world alive." Supposedly it won't be on his upcoming album, despite it sharing the same title.
I love this song. I ended up with No. 986 of 2600. It was a good day.
I've been wanting a Black Angels record for a while and I picked up two. "Another Nice Pair" came in red vinyl with a poster.
I first heard these guys on a small side stage at Lollapalooza a few years ago and I'm not surprised they're becoming more popular. I'll get the chance to see them again at Bonnaroo this year.
I also came home with a limited edition release of B-sides called Phosgene Nightmare.
Both Black Angels records came with a code for digital download. That's very important and not enough labels do it. No one should have to pay for the music twice to get it in a digital format.
I grabbed a Record Store Day re-release of a rare 7" single by the White Stripes. The record looks marble and came in an appealing fold-out cover.
Regina Spektor came out with an exclusive Record Store Day 7" vinyl that I'll be letting my girlfriend open.
I'm most excited about the numbered Steve Earl 7" 45 red vinyl single. The B-side is This City, which will be on his next album. The A side is an amazing cover of Hank Williams' "I'll never get out of this world alive." Supposedly it won't be on his upcoming album, despite it sharing the same title.
I love this song. I ended up with No. 986 of 2600. It was a good day.
March 5, 2011
Hot Tuna is hot
Wow. Two very cool things happened Friday.
First, I discovered that the local public radio station, WUIS, has a new HD station called Xponential and it's very good. I've been listening online.
It gets better. For nothing more than liking their facebook page and leaving a comment I won tickets to Hot Tuna at Sangamon Auditorium!
The show was two hours with a stage full of virtuosos playing incredible blues, rock, country and folk jams. The first half was mostly acoustic with plenty of folk and old blues songs. After blowing the audience away, they took it up a notch for a plugged-in second set.
Jefferson Airplane members Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen are obscenely talented. It looked like Casady played the same bass all night, usually like a lead guitar.
Trying to keep up with what instrument Barry Mitterhoff had in hand was its own form of entertainment. He started out doing things I didn't know could be done with a mandolin. During a couple of songs in the plugged-in set I looked around to see which of the guitar players was doing the incredible solo jam and it was Mitterhoff on the electric mandolin! It looked like a tiny electric guitar for leprechauns. At one point he switched to an odd instrument with four strings, a short neck, and a wide, round body. Maybe a mando-bass?
G.E. Smith lived up to his astral reputation as a guitarist and sang lead on one song. Smith and drummer Skoota Warner stole the show with a cover of Arrowhead, which Smith dedicated to Abraham Lincoln.
Jim Lauderdale had the best voice of the group and transformed it into a country show whenever he walked onstage. Charlie Musselwhite lead several traditional blues songs and always played the harp exactly as it should be.
On top of seeing one hell of a show show my seats were next to two friends who also won their tickets. If I've seen a more talented lineup of musicians in Springfield I don't remember who.
First, I discovered that the local public radio station, WUIS, has a new HD station called Xponential and it's very good. I've been listening online.
It gets better. For nothing more than liking their facebook page and leaving a comment I won tickets to Hot Tuna at Sangamon Auditorium!
The show was two hours with a stage full of virtuosos playing incredible blues, rock, country and folk jams. The first half was mostly acoustic with plenty of folk and old blues songs. After blowing the audience away, they took it up a notch for a plugged-in second set.
Jefferson Airplane members Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen are obscenely talented. It looked like Casady played the same bass all night, usually like a lead guitar.
Trying to keep up with what instrument Barry Mitterhoff had in hand was its own form of entertainment. He started out doing things I didn't know could be done with a mandolin. During a couple of songs in the plugged-in set I looked around to see which of the guitar players was doing the incredible solo jam and it was Mitterhoff on the electric mandolin! It looked like a tiny electric guitar for leprechauns. At one point he switched to an odd instrument with four strings, a short neck, and a wide, round body. Maybe a mando-bass?
G.E. Smith lived up to his astral reputation as a guitarist and sang lead on one song. Smith and drummer Skoota Warner stole the show with a cover of Arrowhead, which Smith dedicated to Abraham Lincoln.
Jim Lauderdale had the best voice of the group and transformed it into a country show whenever he walked onstage. Charlie Musselwhite lead several traditional blues songs and always played the harp exactly as it should be.
On top of seeing one hell of a show show my seats were next to two friends who also won their tickets. If I've seen a more talented lineup of musicians in Springfield I don't remember who.
June 21, 2010
Bonnaroo pics and review
Last weekend I made my second trip to the annual Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester Tennessee. My first was in 2005.
I didn't get many impressive pictures without a press pass or a professional camera, but I'll post a few impressions. Click on any of the photos to see more and larger versions at my flickr site.
(Umphrey's McGee at Which Stage)
Best unplanned surprise: Tinariwen.
I didn't plan on seeing their show but I was drawn in. Their sound is unique and they looked great on stage despite the oppressive heat.
(Tinariwen)
Best up and comers: Regina Spektor and The National.
They're both getting more popular lately and they had two of the best sets at Bonnaroo.
The National will do well if they can avoid being pigeon-holed as another neo-80's band. That trend is just about played out.
I think this picture of Regina Spektor hamming it up for the camera captures her goofy stage presence.
It was nice to get away to the smaller Sonic Stage now and then.
The Postelles from New York were good.
(Sunset as Phoenix plays)
Dave Matthews Band didn't disappoint on Sunday night. They're an excellent group of musicians who are worth seeing live even if you're sick of their overplayed radio hits.
(Dave Matthews Band Sunday night)
Other personal highlights:
Rinsing off fake blood in the fountain after Gwar's show when the band joined in. The fountain was still running pink the next morning as it rinsed off dirty hippies. Gwar was easily the most offensive set at Bonnaroo in every way. I felt pretty good about being in the mosh pit four months after breaking my leg.
John Fogerty played the lesser known song I was most hoping to hear, Wrote a Song for Everyone.
(Fogerty on the main stage)
Dave Rawlings Machine with Gillian Welch was practically a spiritual experience.
Daft Punk is playing at my house. My house.
Dead Weather blew me away. I like this band much better than the Raconteurs. I hated leaving their set early to see Weezer, who were excellent.
My one gripe since I always have to gripe about something:
Bonnaroo made some bizarre scheduling choices this year. I understand that conflicts are always going to happen with a festival of this size, but I don't understand the point of having a gigantic main stage if you're going to cram some of the most popular bands into smaller areas playing against other bands with a similar fan base. I spent much less time at the main stage this year than in '05. Hopefully they do a better job next year.
Overall, Bonnaroo was another incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience that happens every year in June.
I didn't get many impressive pictures without a press pass or a professional camera, but I'll post a few impressions. Click on any of the photos to see more and larger versions at my flickr site.
(Umphrey's McGee at Which Stage)
Best unplanned surprise: Tinariwen.
I didn't plan on seeing their show but I was drawn in. Their sound is unique and they looked great on stage despite the oppressive heat.
(Tinariwen)
Best up and comers: Regina Spektor and The National.
They're both getting more popular lately and they had two of the best sets at Bonnaroo.
The National will do well if they can avoid being pigeon-holed as another neo-80's band. That trend is just about played out.
I think this picture of Regina Spektor hamming it up for the camera captures her goofy stage presence.
It was nice to get away to the smaller Sonic Stage now and then.
The Postelles from New York were good.
(Sunset as Phoenix plays)
Dave Matthews Band didn't disappoint on Sunday night. They're an excellent group of musicians who are worth seeing live even if you're sick of their overplayed radio hits.
(Dave Matthews Band Sunday night)
Other personal highlights:
Rinsing off fake blood in the fountain after Gwar's show when the band joined in. The fountain was still running pink the next morning as it rinsed off dirty hippies. Gwar was easily the most offensive set at Bonnaroo in every way. I felt pretty good about being in the mosh pit four months after breaking my leg.
John Fogerty played the lesser known song I was most hoping to hear, Wrote a Song for Everyone.
(Fogerty on the main stage)
Dave Rawlings Machine with Gillian Welch was practically a spiritual experience.
Daft Punk is playing at my house. My house.
Dead Weather blew me away. I like this band much better than the Raconteurs. I hated leaving their set early to see Weezer, who were excellent.
My one gripe since I always have to gripe about something:
Bonnaroo made some bizarre scheduling choices this year. I understand that conflicts are always going to happen with a festival of this size, but I don't understand the point of having a gigantic main stage if you're going to cram some of the most popular bands into smaller areas playing against other bands with a similar fan base. I spent much less time at the main stage this year than in '05. Hopefully they do a better job next year.
Overall, Bonnaroo was another incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience that happens every year in June.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)