tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24519481098052315852024-03-13T09:53:05.752-07:00Feed Your HeadBradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.comBlogger419125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-48799101105991677172018-09-21T14:11:00.004-07:002018-09-25T14:29:27.779-07:00Arcade Fire at The Greek September 20, 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Arcade Fire</b> stormed the stage of <b>The Greek</b> last night, Thursday, September 20, and launched into a concert of their entire first full-length album, <i><b>FUNERAL</b></i>, from 2004, allegedly for the first time ever! It was as thrilling an experience as you can imagine for someone whose return to rock and roll was prompted initially by that very album.<br />
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<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-73569336157916629272018-09-07T17:44:00.000-07:002018-09-09T20:12:54.283-07:00Hot Tuna Electric at El Rey September 6, 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thursday night's show with <b>Hot Tuna</b> at <b>El Rey</b> is gonna get me to re-animate this blog, being as it was such a spectacular evening. 41 years have passed since I saw this band live and it was as if time has been standing still.<br />
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I knew the show was sold out, but still, it was a surprise to see a line wrapped around the block when I got there. And man, have we gotten old! But the spirit and enthusiasm was potent and everyone seemed as giddy and excited as if they were going to a <b>Jefferson Airplane</b> show. Standing in line waiting for the doors to open one struck up conversations with one's neighbors, comparing notes, who did you see and when?, which <b>Hot Tuna</b> songs are your favorites?, did you see them back then?, did you go to <b>Woodstock</b>?<br />
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Actually did speak to a couple of <b>Woodstock</b> alumni and it was a trip to share experiences, find out when they got there (for me it was 4 PM on Friday, August 15, 1969, see, I do remember the sixties), who they saw, how long did you stay, did you buy tickets...all the questions I've wanted to ask fellow concertgoers for 49 years. We all shared the same conclusion that we left with no idea that it changed our lives, and it took twenty years to realize it.<br />
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Inside, the <b>El Rey</b> had set up seating for the decidedly upper-middle aged (I love that term) audience and I gleefully slid into an aisle seat only nine or ten rows from the stage. Don't get me wrong, there was a huge variety of ages present and a lot of very youthful fans, as great music knows no generations.<br />
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Right at nine o'clock <b>Jorma Kaukonen</b> and <b>Jack Cassidy</b> strode on stage, accompanied by current drummer, <b>Justin Gulp</b>, and launched into "Been So Long" from their second album <i><b>First Pull Up Then Poll Down</b></i>, and suddenly the years melted away and it was 1971 all over again. It was all there, the nimble finger picking of Jorma, the driving undertone and plucked stings of Jack's bass, one could have been listening to any one of the improvisational instrumental jams that often punctuated the center of extended concert versions of <b>Jefferson Airplane</b> songs. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, that delicious, jangling <b>Airplane</b> sound.<br />
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The audience became euphoric as song after song poured out of them, with the energy and dedication that has always marked these musical icons. Joined by <b>Steve Kimrock</b> on electric guitar on a number of songs, they soared through "Trial By Fire", "Sea Child", "Hesitation Blues", and "Bowlegged Woman, Knock Kneed Man" before taking a break.<br />
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The crowd was abuzz and agog by now and the room glowed with astonishment at how fresh and vital everything sounded. Returning about twenty-five minutes later, they continued to play on and on <br />
into the night.<br />
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On stage banter was minimal, but when it came time to play "Good Shepherd", Jorma did take a minute to say that they probably would not be standing on this stage were it not for a woman named <b>Grace Slick</b>, It was a sweet and sincere acknowledgement, and he said "This is for you, wherever you are". The vocal she contributed to that song on the <i><b>Volunteers</b></i> album has been incorporated into one of the guitar lines in the song.<br />
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I had to work the next day so I was forced to leave around 11:30, but I understand they played till well after midnight. Seeing these two school-boy friends, who joined a band that happened to explode into worldwide fame, and still stay true to their musical roots and integrity, it truly awe-inspiring. It was an evening I will never forget.<br />
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whrabbit<br />
<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-79595641068589552922017-10-02T21:13:00.002-07:002017-10-02T21:13:17.045-07:00The Shins at The Greek - September 29, 2017<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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It was my fourth time to see <b>The Shins</b> and what better way than on a gorgeous night under the stars at <b>The Greek</b>. Nestled in the gentle hills of Griffith Park and surrounded by a thrilled audience as pleased as I was to see this 21 year old band still playing at the top of their game, it was an evening to treasure.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In March at El Rey</td></tr>
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I was very lucky when I scored a ticket to one of their early inaugural dates at <b>El Rey</b> this past March 10th and enjoyed hearing the newest album in its entirety, but couldn't help but notice that lead singer James Mercer seemed to either have a cold or he was no longer able to hit the high notes that characterize so many of their songs. The show was still good, though it made me appreciate the terrible choices a band has to make when one member is under the weather and they don't want to disappoint their fans by cancelling or by performing at less then their usual quality level.<br />
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Fortunately this band is so tight that the show came off as entirely successful, matched by the herculean effort by Mercer to stay on top of it, and the obvious excitement of playing all these great new songs. When this show at The Greek was announced, I knew I wanted to attend, and since I was able to score a ticket in the first row of Section B, right behind the sound booth with a clear, unobstructed view of the stage, I went for it.<br />
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I am so glad I did because it was immediately apparent that Mercer was in fine shape and his voice remains as supple and flexible as ever. And this show was like a compilation of greatest hits as they plucked tunes from their entire catalog. Opening with an early favorite "Caring Is Creepy" from their debut LP, <i><b>Oh, Inverted World</b></i>, they hopped, skipped, and jumped through all five of their albums. <br />
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Their 2003 album, <i><b>Chutes Too Narrow</b></i>, was my introduction to the band and I was so happy they played so much of it; "Kissing The Lipless', 'Mine's Not A High Horse", "Gone For Good", and "Saint Simon", all superbly reproduced. Highlights for me also included "Phantom Limb" from <i><b>Wincing the Night Away</b></i>, and "Simple Song" from <i><b>Port Of Morrow</b></i>.<br />
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As was the case at <b>El Rey</b> in March, they put on a stunning visual show to go along with the fully engaging music. Mercer even wore the same shirt. Surrounded by the huge paper flowers that adorn the latest album art, the dynamic lighting transformed the stage into a constantly changing kaleidoscope of shapes and colors, which slowly revealed the image of a skull hovering in the backdrop.<br />
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Adding to the enjoyment of the evening was that I took advantage of the LADOT shuttle service to and from the Vermont/Sunset subway station which makes for an entirely stress-free commute to the venue. No more walking up that giant hill to <b>The Greek</b> for me.<br />
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whrabbitBradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-57444664981590189962016-03-28T23:00:00.003-07:002016-04-07T13:14:44.133-07:00Joanna Newsom at The Orpheum (3/25/16) and Rob Crow's Gloomy Place at The Echo (3/26/16)<br />
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Time for me to get back to reviewing some recent shows, as I have been bad about new content, and I have seen some really great shows recently.<br />
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<b><a data-mce-href="http://www.dragcity.com/artists/joanna-newsom" href="http://www.dragcity.com/artists/joanna-newsom" target="_blank">Joanna Newsom</a></b> (above) very easily knocked my head off Friday night at <b><a data-mce-href="http://laorpheum.com/" href="http://laorpheum.com/" target="_blank">The Orpheum</a></b>. This may only have been the fourth time I've been to one of her shows but she is undoubtedly one of the most commanding and engaging performers I have ever seen. I know some people who just can't get past her distinctive voice, and I admit, it took me one or two listens before I warmed to it. But her live performances reveal a spontaneity and a tonal richness that's not as evident in her recordings where everything is precisely measured. And her between song repartee is candid, funny, refreshingly unguarded, and in the end, endearing. She even fielded questions shouted from the audience as she took time out to tune her harp.<br />
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I had to let go the possibility of seeing her on Saturday night, March 26th, because I already had a ticket to see <b><a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/rob.crow.1" href="https://www.facebook.com/rob.crow.1" target="_blank">Rob Crow's Gloomy Place</a></b> at <b><a data-mce-href="http://www.theecho.com/" href="http://www.theecho.com/" target="_blank">The Echo</a></b> that night. So I was living with that disappointment when suddenly she scheduled this Friday night show to accommodate all those unhappy fans who were sold out of her original date. Leaping at the chance, I was lucky enough to secure a fourth row ticket, thereby validating the rather expensive ticket price, while giving me the chance to witness the extraordinary range of her talent, and to observe it up close.<br />
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I arrived just as <a href="http://pitchfork.com/artists/28050-robin-pecknold/" target="_blank"><b>Robin Pecknold</b></a> was warming up the audience with a simple acoustic set that showcased his incredible voice on some unfamiliar songs and other <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Fleet-Foxes-24709128407/" target="_blank">Fleet Foxes</a></b> numbers<br />
adapted to a solo format. His six song set gained momentum with each number and was enough to prime the audience for was was to come.<br />
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Joanna strode out to her harp at 10 to begin weaving a web that held me in thrall from beginning to end. Her
music, impossible to categorize, is difficult and dense but the rewards
are enormous as she cast a spell that is irresistible. Surrounded by talented and versatile friends and family, many of whom shared the surname Newsom, they formed a chamber orchestra of extraordinary skill. Many effortlessly switching instruments between numbers and making an orchestra of a few sound like many. <br />
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An inability to quantify her music come from the simple fact that there are so many influences that it becomes impossible to list them all, from folk-rock of the seventies to medieval choral chants to nineties new-age to sixties jazz. I'm not even aware of them all. It has the excitement and the revelation of discovery that comes only a few times in a lifetime. I couldn't help but reflect back to when I saw <b><a href="http://jonimitchell.com/" target="_blank">Joni Mitchell</a></b> in 1969 knowing that I was experiencing something very special and very unique. These are the experiences that last a lifetime. <br />
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The lyrics are steeped in personal reflections and are often difficult to grasp, but the overriding themes of her clear-eyed world view regarding love and loss, life and death come through loud and clear. The heady tumble of words, which fill pages and pages in each of her albums, reveal a poetic nature and philosophical attitude which infuses this artist's life and compel her to share her inner dialogue with her audience.<br />
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She dipped into all four of her albums to present a comprehensive overview of the huge range of styles her music encompasses. I loved hearing the new songs, especially "Anecdotes", "Divers", "Sapokanikan", and a favorite of mine, "Waltz of the 101st Lightborne" with many of the musicians changing instruments and Joanna sometimes switching instruments mid-song, from harp to piano and back to harp again. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_36DKl172YqlqvW7kJngrFxxqM_kBVRKEwNch4jpmbiuNKNRyHsAO4Zv4LZn1qa0Dk4bQ6nZ4xGaSrZUNdvQHlTY3ls2UM_w7bnBAJdb6IQaZgfG-UHGBXOzEKT0PPoXVGU_Cy5fL-Nt/s1600/IMG_9031a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_36DKl172YqlqvW7kJngrFxxqM_kBVRKEwNch4jpmbiuNKNRyHsAO4Zv4LZn1qa0Dk4bQ6nZ4xGaSrZUNdvQHlTY3ls2UM_w7bnBAJdb6IQaZgfG-UHGBXOzEKT0PPoXVGU_Cy5fL-Nt/s400/IMG_9031a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Besides her impressive vocal rang, (her voice is often times mischaracterized as childlike when in actuality it is wildly flexible and filled with feeling and depth). She continues to grow as a singer, and near the end of her 1 hour 45 minute set she brought <b>Robin Pecknold</b> and <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_Coffman" target="_blank">Amber Coffman</a></b> (above, center) out to add their voices to a few songs which added enormous power to the already overwhelming vocals. It was art and it was like paradise! For those who find art rock pretentious, part of the creation of great art is the necessity of flirting with the pretentious and knowing when to pull back so you don't fall over the cliff, and that is something Ms.Newsom has mastered. She played again on Saturday night with a slightly altered set list.<br />
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On the following night I went to see <b><a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/rob.crow.1" href="https://www.facebook.com/rob.crow.1" target="_blank">Rob Crow's Gloomy Place</a></b> (Rob Crow at right) at an early evening show at <b><a data-mce-href="http://www.theecho.com/" href="http://www.theecho.com/" target="_blank">The Echo</a></b>, since this was the Los Angeles debut of his new band, and I've had the ticket for months. It was everything anyone who has been mourning the loss of <b><a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pinbackband/" href="https://www.facebook.com/pinbackband/" target="_blank">Pinback</a></b>
could have hoped for.<br />
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Opener <b><a data-mce-href="http://nickreinhart.bandcamp.com/" href="http://nickreinhart.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Nick Reinhart</a></b> lead the audience along a sci-fi induced hallucination of electronic music punctuated with severely stressed guitar distortion which was one long song that made up his entire set. We wandered the terrain of 1960"s spy movie scores, <i><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_Planet" target="_blank">Forbidden Planet</a></b></i>-type <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebe_and_Louis_Barron" target="_blank">Bebe and Louis Barron</a></b> 50's electronica and 70's <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Goldsmith" target="_blank">Jerry Goldsmith</a></b> <i><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan%27s_Run_(film)" target="_blank">Logan's Run</a></b></i> soundtrack. It was a score for an unknown space movie in your head and my head was about to explode. <b><a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/verticalscratchers" href="https://www.facebook.com/verticalscratchers" target="_blank">Vertical Scratches</a></b> brought us back to earth with a haughty and angular garage rock, even covering a <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Vegetable" target="_blank">Heavy Vegetable</a></b> song for Rob.<br />
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Then it was time for <b>Rob Crow's Gloomy Place</b>. I'm afraid they had a lot to live up to for my expectations. This year without <b>Pinback</b> has been rough, but the wonderful new album, <i><b><a data-mce-href="http://shop.temporaryresidence.com/trr264" href="http://shop.temporaryresidence.com/trr264" target="_blank">You're Doomed. Be Nice.</a></b></i>, laid to rest most of my fears. Fear not.<br />
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The pounding, throbbing bass lines are all there,
topped by the buoyant melodies and Rob's virtuoso guitar playing and
sturdy and flexible vocals. His voice is in great shape. The lyrics are
dark and earnest and imbued with a bracing honesty, a product of his
recent voyage of self-discovery. Newer songs with titles like "Autumnal Palette", "Paper Doll Parts", "Quit Being Dicks" and "Rest Your Soul" represent a new outlook and maybe even some optimism in the dark recesses. Rob looks healthy and well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisO9sQNNxLLhv1Xi_CORCtJIyUNwEe044Lj4UeVCKA5sFG1eZbn7-7ZNF-WvfZWcqS93QXNkdwkrThOqsZV0QPPStur2bAczjg6tbsxNGuISzIdDpB-BWi0xDBRKbKbiOo0LeMda4_lKde/s1600/IMG_9088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisO9sQNNxLLhv1Xi_CORCtJIyUNwEe044Lj4UeVCKA5sFG1eZbn7-7ZNF-WvfZWcqS93QXNkdwkrThOqsZV0QPPStur2bAczjg6tbsxNGuISzIdDpB-BWi0xDBRKbKbiOo0LeMda4_lKde/s320/IMG_9088.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The five-piece band plays with equal
dedication and the results sounded just as good as the recent record,
which they played most of. I was happy to hear all the material that has been pulled from <b>Rob Crow</b>'s solo albums <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Living-Well-CROW-ROB/dp/B000LMPFBG/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1459229193&sr=1-3&keywords=rob+crow" target="_blank">Living Well</a></b></i> and <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thinks-Hes-People-Rob-Crow/dp/B005HP9SNS/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1459229193&sr=1-2&keywords=rob+crow" target="_blank">He Thinks He's People</a></b></i> and reworked for this new ensemble. Each song in the set flowed directly into the next song with nary a pause for breath. They must have played 20 songs and only stopped three or four times during the entire set, just to give the appreciative audience a chance to applaud.<br />
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All in all it was a remarkable weekend for music and fired me up for more.<br />
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whrabbitBradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-37237463367035748882015-11-03T22:27:00.002-08:002015-11-03T22:35:13.734-08:003 Big Shows - First up: Mew at The Fonda 9/25/15Over the past month I've seen some remarkable shows and I want to put some of my impressions into words and post some of the shots I got. I'll start with the first one and post later on the other two.<br />
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<b>Mew</b>, on September 25, at <b>The Fonda</b> left me somewhere in mid-air for weeks afterward. So stimulating and played with such inspired beauty I was left awestruck. I was always left in a state of euphoria every time I saw them in 2008 and '09 and, after a hiatus of six years, it was super to see that they still have the power to overwhelm.<br />
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Typical of <b>The Fonda</b>, even though it was crowded, I was able to get a spot real close to the stage and bask in the sound wafting from the stage. Although the bulk of the set list was culled from their latest album, <i><b>+-</b></i>, they played enough from their prolific catalog to satisfy every need to hear their classic songs again. The first two songs were the first two songs from the newest album, in reverse order, priming the audience.<br />
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But when they launched into "Special" followed immediately by "The Zookeeper's Boy", from <i><b>And The Glass Handed Kites</b></i>, the audience fell into a deep reverie from which we didn't recover until the show was over. It was as if a mass hypnosis had taken place. Even when the more familiar songs were performed, at first the audience began singing along, and it was a bit annoying. But as quickly as it began, I think the audience realized they were drowning out the lead vocals of Jonas Bjerre, and we were all there to hear him sing, and everyone shut up! I don't think I've seen that before and it was most gratifying.<br />
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In fact all the band member sing, and the glorious harmonies that pervade their records is presented in all their astonishing glory right before your very eyes and ears. It's totally intoxicating, especially when backed by their sweeping "dreamy thunderstorm pop" as they describe their sound. I stayed right through the encores because I didn't want to miss a minute. This band should be far bigger than they are...so far.<br />
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The show went on for a good 90 minutes that swept by like an instant. I was so happy to hear almost all the new songs, and they performed all their material with a commitment and the obvious aim to please. They were grateful for the committed and respectful response of an adoring audience. Sometimes Los Angeles makes me incredibly proud when I see a band obviously moved by a truly knowledgeable and appreciative audience, which they don't get in every city.<br />
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Next I'll tell you about Beirut and Father John Misty.<br />
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whrabbit <br />
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<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-50170536210392631802015-10-15T01:08:00.001-07:002015-10-15T01:08:25.241-07:00My Life in Music.. so far<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm getting bitten by such a wave of nostalgia as I approach the tenth
anniversary of my going back to Rock shows and tonight's show at The
Echo with Fruit Bats (at right), one of my first favorite bands in 2006, was an
affair of overwhelming emotion. Leslie Stevens (below)opened the show followed
by a superb set by Tall Tales and the Silver Linings (below). After exchanging
greetings with Eric D. Johnson, who actually remembered me, I saw Fruit
Bats deliver an amazing set with original band members, plus, and
overwhelm the audience with the superb originality that always
characterized that band. Since Nov. 2005, it was the 1099th concert I've
attended. On Friday I hit 1100 shows and I can't believe it, I want
1100 more!!!<br />
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Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-9497218586928770782015-07-22T23:00:00.001-07:002015-07-23T17:49:53.408-07:00Donna Bummer - Challenging Stereotypes<br />
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Standing in the middle of the floor at the final celebratory show for the now-legendary <a href="http://echocountryoutpost.com/" target="_blank"><b>Echo Country Outpost</b></a> there was a sudden hush. From the back of the room, the twinkling sounds of toys as musical instruments and the quiet blare of a horn made their presence known in a dirge-like rhythm. A woman, diaphanous and ethereal, and a man dressed in a loin cloth and wearing angel wings, both encased in bubble-wrap walked in a slow procession through the audience toward the stage. Once settled in place they began their bizarre repertoire and totally enchanted the curious onlookers.<br />
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This band is a new-ish creation from the fertile and feverish brains of a member of the music groups <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tommysanteeklawsmusic" target="_blank"><b>Tommy Santee Klaws</b></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BloodyDeathSkull" target="_blank"><b>Bloody Death Skull</b></a> who goes by the name of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/donna.suppipat?ref=br_rs" target="_blank"><b>Donna Bummer</b></a>, and her musical partner, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/donna.suppipat?ref=br_rs" target="_blank"><b>Andy Bummer</b></a>. Her background in musical theatre shines through on this new project as there's as much play acting as serious musical endeavor going on. With dressing and staging that shifts with each new performance, this is real living theatre.<br />
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What sound, at first, like childlike nursery rhymes very quickly degenerate as you glean the subject matter, which is decidedly not childlike, with lyrics that express the innocent joy of a child learning its first swear words. Topics that range from voyeurism to safe sex to airline travel to racism and some -isms not appropriate for a family audience. I do occasionally resent that I have had to watch our culture become as child-proofed as the raging moralists have demanded for the past 40 years (most of my adult years), and I welcome some unadulterated, grown-up art.<br />
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Donna incorporates a high-pitched shriek into her usually soprano vocal range that finds a complete opposite in Andy's exaggerated basso profundo, not so much complimenting each other as demonstrating the polar opposites that the human voice can achieve. With Donna playing her symphonic toy keyboard and Andy on clarinet, it makes the brain race to try to put it all together in your head. Even the bubble-wrap made an appearance as a percussive embellishment. And the sing-song lullaby format of the music only points out the shocking inappropriateness of the lyric content.<br />
<br />
In "Penis Envy" they sing about gender re-assignment with the innocent abandon of two kids playing doctor and free of the self-censorship that comes with the rigid norms of social acceptance. They find numerous ways to address the surgical necessities of such an 'operation' and euphemistically (and humorously) list them all, while maintaining the impression of a couple of robots singing about human biology they don't quite understand with slang sexual expressions that we all know and love. It reminded me of the robots played by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Peters" target="_blank"><b>Bernadette Peters</b></a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Kaufman" target="_blank"><b>Andy Kaufman</b></a> in that movie, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbeeps" target="_blank"><i><b>Heartbeeps</b></i></a>.<br />
<br />
In "Twiddle Diddle Me", the topic can be as elementary as a pick up
in a public restroom, or go deeper and become somewhat accusatory as in
"Let's Have a Baby" which exploits a sort of blasphemous idea regarding
the unconscious selfishness of raising a child in this troubled world.<br />
<br />
Another
song is a riff of <a href="http://www.thebeatles.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Beatles</b></a>' "Why Don't We Do It In The Road" and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seuss" target="_blank"><b>Dr. Suess</b></a>' <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Eggs_and_Ham" target="_blank">"Green Eggs and Ham"</a> called
"Mash Up", with a non-stop run of rhymes like "We could do it in a boat,
we could do it with a goat" that go on and on with infinite ingenuity.
Or "Dear Mr. Cosby" that asks quarrelsome questions about the recent
shocking revelations concerning an iconic celebrity.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/donna.suppipat" target="_blank"><b>Donna Bummer</b></a>'s desire to surprise seems to match their ability to shock and in an era when that ability to shock has become increasingly
difficult. But the strange brew of
theatrical excess, wildly inappropriate musings, and shockingly
unadulterated language all wrapped up in the illusion of a child's song, is a successful and intoxicating blend. Hypnotically weird...and shocking.<br />
<br />
My first exposure came when I jumped at the chance to have them play my <b>Feed Your Head</b> show at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lot1cafe" target="_blank"><b>Lot 1</b></a> on June 13th. I didn't know what to expect and they didn't disappoint. I just stood there in mouth-gaping astonishment and the audience ate it up. One show was not enough so I had to attend the <a href="http://echocountryoutpost.com/" target="_blank"><b>Echo Country Outpost</b></a> show for a second dose to really believe what I had seen.<br />
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They have incorporated seven of their favorite songs to assemble their first EP called <i>Last Glance</i>, which gives one the chance to study the lyrics and appreciate the delicate, oddly orchestrated compositions with the keytar, musical saw and assorted toy accoutrements. It's unique, it's crazy, and it's creatively liberating. Their graphic image of an overturned ice cream cone melting on the ground with the cherry nearby seems entirely appropriate.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/donna.suppipat" target="_blank"><b>Donna Bummer</b></a>'s record release show is this Sunday, July 26th at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheVirgilLA" target="_blank"><b>The Virgil</b></a> at 4519 Santa Monica Boulevard at 9 PM presented by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AllSceneEye" target="_blank"><b>All Scene Eye</b></a>. Also on the bill are other equally envelope-pushing artists like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/GhIANT/107139969321519" target="_blank"><b>Ghiant</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MadameHeaddress" target="_blank"><b>Madame Headdress</b></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Del-Champi%C3%B3n/866934546650054" target="_blank"><b>Del Champión</b></a>. Here is the event page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/407296256136234/" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/events/407296256136234/</a><a href="http://donnabummer.bandcamp.com/"></a>.<br />
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whrabbitBradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-88035194297334346982015-06-29T20:03:00.000-07:002015-06-29T20:35:35.846-07:00Great Lake Swimmers at The Troubadour - June 12, 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
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<br />
Nature, reflection and emotion meet headlong in <b>Great Lake Swimmers</b> <br />
<br />
They periodically come down out of Canada to share their latest observations on life, love and the eternal struggle, usually accompanied with a new album. As a long time fan of <b>Great Lake Swimmers</b> it was most gratifying to see them reach an apex of their career as a performing band on Friday night, June 12th at <b>The Troubadour</b>. Fueled by the impact of their latest album, <i><b>A Forest of Arms</b></i>, their live performance was robust and energetic, not the usual laid back wistfulness I was used to. And love.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9l7Mnnkdrt3G4IJcL-EYsNNnVIv9L0_Q3uZWN3GaTwAVSJx1A2ETQ2ojItStWTwG4e6kCVYO7j9wjFil4v7DGTUnGZetehKtG5rg7ko0kM_vUX983t5wGkIBqsvpCkEV5_1XY09CnyXg/s1600/photo+3GLS2+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9l7Mnnkdrt3G4IJcL-EYsNNnVIv9L0_Q3uZWN3GaTwAVSJx1A2ETQ2ojItStWTwG4e6kCVYO7j9wjFil4v7DGTUnGZetehKtG5rg7ko0kM_vUX983t5wGkIBqsvpCkEV5_1XY09CnyXg/s200/photo+3GLS2+%25284%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tony Dekker, Erik Arnesen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I saw them first at <b>Hotel Cafe</b> in June 2007, though I can't remember what prompted me to check out their music in the first place. But I had <i><b>Ongiara</b></i> and was completely overwhelmed by it, particularly the song "Changing Colors" with its moving and prescient lyrics. It may be the best song about death I have ever heard. I remember meeting Tony Dekker that night and shaking hands, but it was hurried and I only got to say how much his music was meaning to me, and how good they sounded. In October that year they played <b>Spaceland</b>, where I could get up close and really observe just how tight a band they are.<br />
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I caught them twice on their tour for 2008's <i><b>Lost Channels</b></i> in April, 2009 at <b>Spaceland</b>, again, and then in October, up town at <b>El Rey</b>. And it was another fine album. In May, 2012, on tour with <i><b>New Wild Everywhere</b></i>, I saw the band with their present members, a wonderfully collaborative set of musicians who give the appearance of really enjoying working together.<br />
<br />
I arrived in time to enjoy the opening act, <b>Tamara Lindeman</b> of <b>The Weather Station</b>, also from Canada and on tour with <b>GLS</b> as a solo singer/songwriter in the early <b>Joni Mitchell</b> tradition. And she appeared worthy of the comparison with songs about relationships and the passage of life that had a rare and appealing quality. Her lovely soprano was strong and flexible, allowing her to explore upper, bird-like registers, but remaining robust in the mid ranges. I asked her about her band after the set and she usually plays with three other musicians. I would love to see that.<br />
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<b>Great Lake Swimmers</b> took the stage right at ten and launched right into the first song from <b>A Forest of Arms</b>, "Something Like A Storm" with a forceful and precise delivery. Now, they're always a very thoughtful and introspective band, and they still have that
quality, but <b>Tony Dekker</b>'s
vocals seemed stronger and more dynamic than I remembered. That may
have been the result of a superlative sound mix,but his voice was very strong . As much as I have
applauded this band through the years, I feel I have underestimated
them. They added a longer drum jam that ended the song at a fever-pitch. Very exciting.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miranda Mulholland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqDsoAmZ_i4ZDWOiay9Icos3gziEr20IyqDfpgZLkbKBY2C7dcGPBeGT9uBms4DoKQTyFGHOvFkyZrFKlbYJG7so17kuJWXehNrJb2jdO9BNdrI_urnuOafmVfru7mXfHiatksc8r7CgY/s1600/photo+1+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqDsoAmZ_i4ZDWOiay9Icos3gziEr20IyqDfpgZLkbKBY2C7dcGPBeGT9uBms4DoKQTyFGHOvFkyZrFKlbYJG7so17kuJWXehNrJb2jdO9BNdrI_urnuOafmVfru7mXfHiatksc8r7CgY/s200/photo+1+%25284%2529.jpg" width="105" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bret Higgins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Playing straight through the first six songs from the new album, but saving "Shaking All Over" for later, these sounded even more dynamic live than on the recording. Miranda Mulholland is an exuberant presence on violin and adds important vocal backing on many songs, Erik Arnesen on banjo and Bret Higgins alternating on upright bass and mandolin, round out the full sound and add a quality that makes <b>Great Lake Swimmers</b> much like a chamber ensemble. Special notice must be made of Joshua Van Tassel on drums who keeps the whole thing moving propulsively forward that has added a real punch to their sound.<br />
<br />
The set included ten of the twelve songs on the new album, with a sampling from their past like "Moving Pictures" and "Your Rocky Spine", all greeted with the same enthusiasm from a loving audience. They perform with all the enthusiasm and vigor of a new band<br />
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Cinematic soundscapes that evoke the imaginary visual image of an icy tundra landscape comes easy to this band and effect is almost physical. It was a perfectly balanced set with a sing-a-long version of "I Must Have Someone Else's Blues", a robust "Shaking All Over" for a finale, and an encore that brought the band down into the audience for an electrifying acoustic version of "Still". It all made for one of the best concerts I've seen this year .<br />
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And I really underestimated their last album, <i><b>New Wild Everywhere</b></i>, because it came out on top of a bunch of other records that buried it at the time. Revisiting it now, I see it as one of their strongest records and a real precursor for what was to come on the new album.<br />
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Tony Dekker: guitar; Erik Arnesen: banjo, guitar; Bret Higgins: upright bass, mandolin, piano; Miranda Mulholland: violin, backing vocals; Joshua Van Tassel: drums.<br />
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Set list: <br />
1. Something Like A Storm<br />
2. Zero In The City<br />
3. One More Charge At The Red Cape <br />
4. Don't Leave Me Hanging... <br />
5. ...I Was A Wayward Pastel Boy <br />
6. Put There By The Land...<br />
7. ...Pulling On A Line<br />
8. I Must Have Someone Else's Blues <br />
9. The Great Bear <br />
10. Your Rocky Spine<br />
11. A Bird Flew Inside The House <br />
12. Chorus Underground / Moving Pictures<br />
13. Palmistry / The Great Exhale<br />
14. Expecting You<br />
15. Easy Come Easy Go <br />
16. Shaking All Over<br />
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Encore: Still / Long May You Run<br />
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whrabbit Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-55809813768747560862015-03-09T23:21:00.002-07:002015-03-10T11:42:01.532-07:00A Genre-bending Trip to the Past with Swervedriver and Judy Collins - Feb. 5 & 6, 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What an interesting journey this has been. First an evening in the nineties followed by a night that spanned the sixties through the eighties. <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/swervedriverofficial" href="https://www.facebook.com/swervedriverofficial" target="_blank"><b>Swervedriver</b></a> and <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/GatewayDrugs" href="https://www.facebook.com/GatewayDrugs" target="_blank"><b>Gateway Drugs</b></a> played at <a data-mce-href="http://www.theroxy.com/" href="http://www.theroxy.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Roxy</b></a> on Thursday, Feb. 5 representing a piece of indie history along with a jolt of the new with the young upstart shoegaze/garage/psychedelic band.<br />
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Back in 2008, when I was still getting my feet wet regarding the indie rock movement, I knew that <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/swervedriverofficial" href="https://www.facebook.com/swervedriverofficial" target="_blank"><b>Swervedriver</b></a> were a profound influence on many of my favorite local bands at the time, including <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/filmschoolmusic" target="_blank">Film School</a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/XuXuFang" target="_blank">Xu Xu Fang</a></b>. So when I heard that they had come out of retirement for a reunion tour and were going to play <b><a href="http://www.fondatheatre.com/" target="_blank">The Fonda Theatre</a></b>, with <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/filmschoolmusic" target="_blank">Film School</a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/XuXuFang" target="_blank">Xu Xu Fang</a></b> as opening acts on May 31, 2008, I jumped at the chance to see them live. I consumed as much of their recordings as I could, leading up to that night and it turned out to be one of those evenings you never forget.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQijxVtBrPF7t3m_x-WIl6NYdngLLjSG4NAC01zpCAbn_NP1ev_zF8aCTrMmKgHxfp6u4cMvFA4_Y64gIv7QgGYo76dDirtZeqM7n5s3cEW5zoZxwJqxpvUkrhlFplSb55sZrVQ6g-0fgO/s1600/IMG_6618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQijxVtBrPF7t3m_x-WIl6NYdngLLjSG4NAC01zpCAbn_NP1ev_zF8aCTrMmKgHxfp6u4cMvFA4_Y64gIv7QgGYo76dDirtZeqM7n5s3cEW5zoZxwJqxpvUkrhlFplSb55sZrVQ6g-0fgO/s1600/IMG_6618.JPG" height="177" width="320" /></a></div>
It was fun to go back to <a data-mce-href="http://www.theroxy.com/" href="http://www.theroxy.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Roxy</b></a>, where I haven't been in quite a while. But I will say, as much as I enjoyed the evening, there was a bit of overkill in the arena-like sound that moshed all the low end into a distorted drone that all but obliterated the vocals on most of the songs and allowed little opportunity for subtlety. Still the energy and precision that went into the <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/GatewayDrugs" href="https://www.facebook.com/GatewayDrugs" target="_blank"><b>Gateway Drugs</b></a>
set was inspiring as this young band already have considerable stage
presence, led by<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwYV5je32hMZwYCjMRBceKQeRJZwCJKM4BYvDQf1O3MqvbYTgGsW4JnkkvXBMYQtoXdfxRy8sopEk_DtETKRxvulzSibdnxhW_xGjrExYN78YE7-F6Nr9QcJJG-rgbNN0zr_8zIZieGE5/s1600/IMG_6619b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwYV5je32hMZwYCjMRBceKQeRJZwCJKM4BYvDQf1O3MqvbYTgGsW4JnkkvXBMYQtoXdfxRy8sopEk_DtETKRxvulzSibdnxhW_xGjrExYN78YE7-F6Nr9QcJJG-rgbNN0zr_8zIZieGE5/s1600/IMG_6619b.jpg" height="200" width="116" /></a></div>
Liv Niles (at right) cool reserve, that is matched by the
confident songwriting skills they display. This attractive band is going places!<br />
<br />
I'm glad their album has
already burned its way into my brain so I could mentally fill in what
was missing in the vocals. It appears that all four band members are singers but the sound mix only favored one. Both <i><b>Magick Spells</b></i> and the <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/swervedriverofficial" href="https://www.facebook.com/swervedriverofficial" target="_blank"><b>Swervedriver</b></a> album, <i><b>I Wasn't Born To Lose You</b></i>, rely on stunning vocal harmonies, only some of which I got to hear that night.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimeHWbRZqnOvOwLSR-8nK91Ext2Z91Zwr6RfdwL92L1dqzDD-OSmJQMgxFk1KHyAkUwd3YgOeMAppUTa-Y9qngULU5lsktgsH1Q0wWvyj7Cce_OtBmIcovXlZ1TO5yDaaAeVwHjY7-LUR/s1600/IMG_6646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimeHWbRZqnOvOwLSR-8nK91Ext2Z91Zwr6RfdwL92L1dqzDD-OSmJQMgxFk1KHyAkUwd3YgOeMAppUTa-Y9qngULU5lsktgsH1Q0wWvyj7Cce_OtBmIcovXlZ1TO5yDaaAeVwHjY7-LUR/s1600/IMG_6646.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
In particular, the first <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/swervedriverofficial" href="https://www.facebook.com/swervedriverofficial" target="_blank"><b>Swervedriver</b></a>
album in 17 years reveals a mellowing from the sheer bombast of their
past to a more melody driven style which absolutely fits them. There are
so many reverential, hypnotic passages that make you feel as if you're
floating six feet above the earth in a meditative state. It's a truly
beautiful album, maybe their most beautiful and that may sound like a
sacrilege to their old fans, but I think it's true. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryrK8yCBRFFlDbMtWrvo-XJun28toFoua2x7uUnX5sAe3l0WfD_lISVlm2sAVH2C32dp-jKopSo6FOmi87RGcqY-ml6BrWdRYBgHXyJBxVYBNY9FdoUPUwEUdaZG05MzIwsM8rFlwe0_d/s1600/IMG_6654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryrK8yCBRFFlDbMtWrvo-XJun28toFoua2x7uUnX5sAe3l0WfD_lISVlm2sAVH2C32dp-jKopSo6FOmi87RGcqY-ml6BrWdRYBgHXyJBxVYBNY9FdoUPUwEUdaZG05MzIwsM8rFlwe0_d/s1600/IMG_6654.JPG" height="149" width="200" /></a>They fed a hungry audience a superb mix of old and new material which
fits together, matching the maturity of their new material with the raw
ferocity of their early work. Judging from the audience reaction they
delivered just what they wanted. Their new album makes them sound like a
fresh new band and their live performance was just as fresh. In spite
of my bitching about the sound, I
did enjoy myself and the energy level from both bands and the audience
was intoxicating.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxjYSY0B3ef9XQ-8D5tO48Qhi5JlouhU6mVHoaPrForkYuHERtgKPGg2vtvbDRjks-CMmRJHV5o1cp7y72-lbuQjIaN4KSrUHCH16HTSBMJfAbaNKhle4TmGDIR-UUXOEE4UyiwfA7cKh/s1600/JudyCollins_cr_Kevin+Mazur_2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxjYSY0B3ef9XQ-8D5tO48Qhi5JlouhU6mVHoaPrForkYuHERtgKPGg2vtvbDRjks-CMmRJHV5o1cp7y72-lbuQjIaN4KSrUHCH16HTSBMJfAbaNKhle4TmGDIR-UUXOEE4UyiwfA7cKh/s1600/JudyCollins_cr_Kevin+Mazur_2011.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
The following night represented the flip side of the coin, but great music is great music. Saw the legendary <a href="http://www.judycollins.com/index1.php" target="_blank"><b>Judy Collins</b></a> for the first time as she held a sold out <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sabantheatre.org%2F&ei=n2nzVMChF9ityATjw4GwBg&usg=AFQjCNEc86Fcc5AoV6faLmbRLfyN1ebRJA" target="_blank"><b>Saban Theatre</b></a><b></b> audience in
the palm of her hand on Friday, March 6. She sang a remarkable array of songs
in her 1 hour 45 minute set and with the accompanying pianist and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Passenger-String-Quartet/275954675780225" target="_blank"><b>Passenger String Quartet</b></a>, was able to sample all the many genres she has
explored during her 55 year career.<br />
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I had many of her albums from the 1968 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildflowers_(Judy_Collins_album)" target="_blank"><i><b>Wildflowers</b></i></a> through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_(album)" target="_blank"><i><b>Judith</b></i></a> in 1975 and she had a huge impact on me (and the blooming folk rock movement) achieving a life-changing effect with that 1968 album
which took me by the hand and led me toward the Hippie movement. I had just left home for college and was ripe for every new experience, having just barely being accepted to university in the nick of time to stay out of the draft. The album was a
huge best-seller and it also introduced the world to the writing of <a href="http://jonimitchell.com/" target="_blank"><b>Joni Mitchell</b></a> and <b><a href="http://www.leonardcohen.com/us/home" target="_blank">Leonard Cohen</a></b>, featuring two of her songs and three of his. So as a long-time fan, I was familiar with everything she played, beginning with "Song For Judith" which proved her voice can still soar...is still strong and
flexible and pure as a mountain stream.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2C5nqYJmM6LI9vXrbH4H-danYRIaC_JoB123RbeII3N26uNSWXc9wxrbJ8ib_gfLZvWUFmGoFHGLzlj2_sW8KDziP2arKCL05G2V1ihmLE_bQn2pZSZ5n-P0qmfj2dg6FTcd5OdQodS3/s1600/03_bobdylanpg-vertical.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2C5nqYJmM6LI9vXrbH4H-danYRIaC_JoB123RbeII3N26uNSWXc9wxrbJ8ib_gfLZvWUFmGoFHGLzlj2_sW8KDziP2arKCL05G2V1ihmLE_bQn2pZSZ5n-P0qmfj2dg6FTcd5OdQodS3/s1600/03_bobdylanpg-vertical.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Collins, Arlo Guthrie (1968)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What I didn't expect was what an expert raconteur she is. She paused between each number to either relate some history surrounding the next song, or regale us with stories of her past, including an unashamed admittance of her alcoholism 37 years ago. Her stories of the mid sixties
folk movement in New York City and the Laurel Canyon hippie scene a few
years later were both informative and incredibly amusing. Lasting friendships with <a href="http://www.joanbaez.com/" target="_blank"><b>Joan Baez</b></a>, <a href="http://www.stephenstills.com/" target="_blank"><b>Stephen Stills</b></a> and <a href="http://www.leonardcohen.com/us/home" target="_blank"><b>Leonard Cohen</b></a> and other has sustained her, as well as her family.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62JUDhe3WjKgL0B3SgsvUviNw1Olz7O6OR8XtrhxSn1NTlYjfYqvc8OlkBHTIsz0rUzL9UROqbhKRgHhFEWF1T4RLfsSnunIrtjkDgorabG71AWyWH81SWPr8gk8AHleygyWO8tvM9MQY/s1600/mama-cass-joni-joan-judy-1024x730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62JUDhe3WjKgL0B3SgsvUviNw1Olz7O6OR8XtrhxSn1NTlYjfYqvc8OlkBHTIsz0rUzL9UROqbhKRgHhFEWF1T4RLfsSnunIrtjkDgorabG71AWyWH81SWPr8gk8AHleygyWO8tvM9MQY/s1600/mama-cass-joni-joan-judy-1024x730.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cass Elliott, Joni Mitchell, Collins, Joan Baez</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
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<br />
Following the opening number she sang a series of songs written by contemporaries to which she lent her considerable interpretive skills that make hers seem like definitive versions. First, her biggest chart-topper, "Both Sides Now" by <a href="http://jonimitchell.com/" target="_blank"><b>Joni Mitchell</b></a> was performed at a slightly different tempo, revealing a jazz element I never would have associated with the song, but which was fresh and original.<br />
<br />
After telling a story of sitting in the stairwell of a Greenwich Village hotel, and being transfixed listening to a young musician behind one of the doors finding his way through the writing of a song, she sang that song; "Mr. Tambourine Man" by <a href="http://www.bobdylan.com/us/home" target="_blank"><b>Bob Dylan</b></a>. Her long friendship with <a href="http://www.joanbaez.com/" target="_blank"><b>Joan Baez</b></a> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNWkJfFBk5UT1PuZBwrl2_gYv1k2Eg-WFgnPTjsfRwFcpUNTbNL7ktielDaWIcq7JI3paFWdr5hh0bu-U5sxj2uBwGgx9KKvn2Ag3iugr2ItLyBxfCs8u0JbxaSVrfo3jNQg0opplk9PS/s1600/judystephen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNWkJfFBk5UT1PuZBwrl2_gYv1k2Eg-WFgnPTjsfRwFcpUNTbNL7ktielDaWIcq7JI3paFWdr5hh0bu-U5sxj2uBwGgx9KKvn2Ag3iugr2ItLyBxfCs8u0JbxaSVrfo3jNQg0opplk9PS/s1600/judystephen.jpg" height="136" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collins, Stephen Stills</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
seemed cemented when Collins recorded Baez' "Diamonds and Rust", which she had written about a bad boyfriend (Dylan). It's a beautiful song and she sang it to perfection.<br />
<br />
It was during the Laurel Canyon years when she fell in love with <a href="http://www.stephenstills.com/" target="_blank"><b>Stephen Stills</b></a> that he wrote "Suite Judy Blue Eyes" for her, but instead of performing that multi-part opus, she elected to sing "Helplessly Hoping". She also gave us a rendition of "Albatross" which is an intensely challenging song that she wrote evoking a very French/Piaf mood, and her voice, once again, was up to the sudden tonal shifts that would confound any normal singer.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.leonardcohen.com/us/home" target="_blank"><b>Leonard Cohen</b></a> urged her to try writing her own music after she had released a number of albums featuring other artists work and she answered with the lovely "Since You Asked" which she sat at the piano to play. Always one of my favorites of her songs, it was surprisingly moving to hear her sing it live.<br />
<br />
Tales of her childhood with a father, a disc jockey who loved show tunes, and his contemporaries who introduced her to folk music via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Seeger" target="_blank"><b>Pete Seeger</b></a> and <a href="http://www.woodyguthrie.org/" target="_blank"><b>Woody Guthrie</b></a> set her on a path toward music and an appreciation of a variety of genres. She studied, piano as a child and was expected to pursue that instrument, as she was quite accomplished, when folk music led her to discover her voice. She dropped everything to focus on that, much to the consternation of her piano teacher. <br />
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<span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.0"> </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">This story made poignant the medley of "Children And Art", "Sunday", and "Move On" from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Sondheim" target="_blank"><b>Stephen Sondheim</b></a>'s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_in_the_Park_with_George" target="_blank"><i><b>Sunday In The Park With George</b></i></a>, which got her the first standing
ovation of </span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxZq2qA4kKgI_vjiMD16nRKRe4peFKhQ3gZkLKscBwsLQAGYBNoKM2xNN1UaIqXTui7jywZIXQwW5RU3moa4syffOcu5sPfVUNTKKuZQQl7w9uO39hf3t7eom0ZHT7W_48sGnwyxkHnKN/s1600/thumbnail.php.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxZq2qA4kKgI_vjiMD16nRKRe4peFKhQ3gZkLKscBwsLQAGYBNoKM2xNN1UaIqXTui7jywZIXQwW5RU3moa4syffOcu5sPfVUNTKKuZQQl7w9uO39hf3t7eom0ZHT7W_48sGnwyxkHnKN/s1600/thumbnail.php.jpg" height="200" width="126" /></a><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">the
evening. We share a passion for Sondheim, as I got to see four of his
first shows during the 1970s in Boston before they went to Broadway. So
when she sang "Send In the Clowns" I
couldn't help but get one of those 'circle-of-l</span></span><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0">ife'
moments as I recalled sitting in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_Theatre_%28Boston%29" target="_blank"><b>Colonial Theatre</b></a> in Boston in 1973
watching <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glynis_Johns" target="_blank"><b>Glynis Johns</b></a> introduce the song to the world as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Little_Night_Music" target="_blank"><i><b>A Little Night Music</b></i></a> was in try-outs (photo at left).</span></span></span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0">She announced that she's taping a special for PBS called <a href="http://www.playbill.com/news/article/judy-collins-will-spotlight-songs-of-stephen-sondheim-in-pbs-concert-334433" target="_blank"><i><b>Finding Sondheim</b></i></a>
which will air later this year, that she had been in New York City that
morning, flown to L.A. for this show, and was at the Metropolitan Opera
the night before. At 75, this woman is unstoppable. Bravo.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0">Leaving the stage at the conclusion of "Send In the Clowns" to tumultuous applause, she returned a minute later to send us on our way with an encore that was no surprise, "Amazing Grace". Coaxing a very willing audience to sing along, her voice still soared above the rest with another one of her biggest successes. Reminiscing on the evening, one can't help but wonder at the range and impact she's had and how her reputation has yet to be assessed properly</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0">, a common problem with genre-hopping artists like </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><a href="http://www.judycollins.com/index1.php" target="_blank"><b>Judy Collins</b></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>. Perhaps the next 15 years of her career will remedy that fact.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".1n.1:3:1:$comment792666244153627_792711490815769:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0">whrabbit </span></span></span></span></span></span> Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-23798291944206502692015-02-14T15:49:00.000-08:002015-02-14T15:49:06.923-08:00Emily Gold<br />
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<i>Come out and see <a href="http://www.emilygoldmusic.com/" target="_blank"><b>Emily Gold</b></a> when her band plays <b>Hotel Cafe</b> next Thursday, February 19th. Info <a href="http://www.hotelcafe.com/calendar.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>. After a debut performance at <b>Los Globos</b> two weeks ago, the band is ready for prime-time and sure to garner attention. The following is an interview with Emily that I've been working on. </i><br />
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With all the new acts that come to Los Angeles, it becomes a daunting task to try to keep up with all the talent vying for ones attention, but this one stood out. A few weeks ago I received a message and a link to a song from a local artist asking me to take a listen to see if I wanted to feature it on my blog. The name on the message was <b>Emily Gold</b> and when I got to the line where she said she was the daughter of seventies singer/songwriter <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Gold" target="_blank"><b>Andrew Gold</b></a>, a light bulb went off in my head.<br />
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<b>Andrew Gold</b> was one of the large group of musicians and writers including <b>Jackson Browne</b>, <b>Bonnie Raitt</b>, <b>JD Souther</b> and many others who brought a Southern twang to the folk/rock movement started in the mid-60s by the likes of <b>James Taylor</b>, and spawning groups like <b>Little Feat</b> and <b>The Allman Brothers</b> and more. As a multi-talented multi-instrumentalist, he was an important part of <b>Linda Ronstadt</b>'s touring band during the mid-seventies and that would have been when I'd seen him around 1976 when Linda played the <b>Music Hall</b> in Boston. A concert I still remember well.<br />
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I became convinced of his musical bona fides, once I learned that his parents were Oscar winning film composer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Gold_(composer)" target="_blank"><b>Ernest Gold</b></a> (<b><i>Exodus</i></b> - 1960) and vocal artist, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marni_Nixon" target="_blank"><b>Marni Nixon</b></a>, who provided singing voices for three heroines of three of the top musical films of the late 1950s and early 1960s: <b>Deborah Kerr</b> in <b><i>The King and I</i></b> - 1956, <b>Natalie Wood</b> in <b><i>West Side Story</i></b> - 1961 and for <b>Audrey Hepburn</b> in <b><i>My Fair Lady</i></b> - 1964.<br />
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I bought his 1976 album, <b><i>What's Wrong With This Picture?</i></b>, around this time and loved some of the songs, understood his heritage, and the album was a popular one in my house with me and my friends. So listening to <span class="null">"Cyanide Lollipop" was fraught with a certain amount of nostalgia and maybe </span><span class="null">a </span><span class="null">misplaced parental pride. Similar to how I feel when I talk to <b>Inara George</b>, since her father, <b>Lowell George</b>, and his band <b>Little Feat</b> were so important to me in the seventies. I have no real right to feel proud, but I do.</span><br />
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<span class="null">It's a lovely song revealing the probability of an inherited songwriting talent from a family of wide-ranging accomplishments. Her mother was a classical pianist, though never professionally. <a href="http://www.emilygoldmusic.com/" target="_blank"><b>Here's</b></a> a link where you can hear the song. I wanted to find out her story so we traded questions and answers last month and here's what I found out.</span> Although born in London, her family moved almost immediately to Los Angeles, though annual travel back to England made her feel like a dual-citizen, and she still toys with the idea of settling there.<br />
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When Emily was seven the family moved to the East Coast settling in Connecticut, and over the course of the next seven years, her parents split up, with her father moving to Nashville and eventually back to L.A., while she stayed in Connecticut with her mother. At 14, she decided to follow her father to the West Coast and joined a pop group, making music an early career choice.<br />
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Not being a musician, and more of a visual artist, I've always been interested in the motivations that bubble up in a child compelling them to pursue the arts, whether it be music, the visual arts or writing. For me it happened before I can remember...maybe even before I learned to talk, and stuck with me through thick and thin. Like a third parent. I asked her when that choice became clear to her and whether her family's musical heritage played a part... and I'll let her tell it in her own words:<br />
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<i>Q: How early did you realize music would be your calling?:</i><br />
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"I used to tell people I wanted to be a singer in elementary school, it’s even in my 5th grade yearbook photo where you say what you will be when you grow up", she told me. " I let that dream go in high school cause it kind of got bullied out of me. I didn't think it was a possibility. Around 18 or 19 I started to go to a lot of shows and I would feel so sad that it wasn’t me on stage so I started to learn guitar and write songs. Then it became crystal clear that that was the most important thing to me and that I had to be a musician and I got tunnel vision.<br />
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I think as a kid I didn’t really appreciate the cultural context of what my
family did. But that’s just normal for a kid, I was concerned with kid things,
like playing Nintendo 64 with my sisters. My dad was just my weird, embarrassing
dad. It never seemed different that we always had a music studio in our house or
that my Grandparents were who they were. I started to appreciate my family’s
musical history when I got older and started to get into classic rock and
realized my dad played on a lot of those albums. Or looked through old photos of
parties my parents threw when I was a tot and seeing David Crosby in the
background and thinking 'holy shit! I did not care about this old man at all! I
had no idea!'<br />
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Something to keep in mind is that my parents split when I was about 9 and so
I didn’t see him as much and my grandfather had suffered multiple strokes and
was unable to really interact for what I remember. But I think I absorbed a lot
with out really being conscious of it and at the same time I came across all
these genres music in my own time.<br />
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I think what stuck with me was not the type of music but the feeling of being
in a studio. The smell of black leather couches and studio gear, seems funny but
it is a very specific feeling that feels like home for me."<br />
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<i>Q: I then asked about any formal musical training:</i><br />
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"I have kind of a hodge podge of 'training' with various stints in choir,
orchestra, theatre, dance, and piano throughout grade school. I never took much
of it seriously it was just a given, I could’t have imagined not doing some sort
of music or performing. [Meanwhile] my mom actually had a big part in
cultivating an appreciation for art and culture in me and my sisters. She always
took us to the ballet or theatre or whatever."<br />
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<i>Q: How did you develop your own musical style. I hear a bit of your father's musical vocabulary in the song I heard, plus
a little of the lush orchestrations I would associate with your grandfather:</i><br />
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"It’s hard to say how much I learned from my family and how much I just
happened upon my style. I was never directly taught by my father or really
listened to my family's music until more recently. I’m sure I subconsciously
absorbed certain tastes and styles but I always gravitated towards lush, thick
arrangements . I used to make songs in garageband when I was 14 with the preset
loops they have and I would have like 20 tracks weaving in and out of each
other. I just love layers and effects. I am very similar to my dad in that way,
I had to learn how to use restraint."<br />
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<i>Q: Did you find it helpful or a hindrance to have your family heritage when
breaking into the local music scene?</i> <br />
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"It had been both helpful and frustrating at times. Since my fathers passing,
many of his friends and colleagues have come out of the woodwork and offered me
advice and spiritual guidance. A few opportunities have definitely been handed
to me because of him, however I pride myself on being a self taught, self
sufficient musician and I don’t really push the family card too much, I don’t
feel entitled to peoples help but when it is offered or even just to hear
stories about my father in his earlier days I am super grateful. The only
annoying thing is when people tell me I should rearrange or rewrite songs to be
more like my dad. He was a frickin’ genius but I’m not trying to be like him,
I’m a different kind of artist completely."<br />
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<i>Q: And what are your goals for the near future?</i><br />
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I finished my LP this year and I am planning to release it in 2015, I also
hope to license some of the songs for film and TV. I am collaborating on a music
video for the single, “Cyanide Lollipop” with my drummer, Sean Draper, which
will also come out early next year. I do have a band of some awesome dudes [David Burris, Sean Draper, Nolan "Danger" Schneidermanand] and
we will be playing as many gigs as we can get our hands on all over town! We
love the east side venues such as the Bootleg, Echo, Satellite etc. so hopefully
we will be making the circuit!"<br />
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Thank you so much, Emily. It's so nice to hear about context and background from a developing artist. I'll be at the show at <b>Hotel Café</b> on Thursday, February 19th when <a href="https://www.facebook.com/emilygoldmusic" target="_blank"><b>The Emily Gold Band</b></a> takes stage at 11.<br />
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<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-84188724446903411842014-12-16T10:31:00.001-08:002014-12-17T09:45:44.863-08:00Cat Stevens/Yusuf Peace Train Tour - Nokia Theatre, December 14, 2014<br />
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How to describe one of the best and most rewarding shows I've ever seen is the dilemma facing me after seeing <b>Cat Stevens</b> for the first time in concert after waiting for over forty years. I had given up on the chance of his returning to the concert stage years ago, after he dropped out of public life for family and religious reasons. He became persona non grata for a lot of bigoted and narrow-minded people after his conversion to Islam in the late 1970s, changing his name to <b>Yusuf Islam</b>. It seemed he would remain a fondly (or not, depending on your politics) remembered pop superstar from a bygone age who we lost to religion, and that was that.<br />
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There were occasional noises here and there and a few random appearances beginning in the 1990s, giving hope that he might return to music at some point in the future. He credits his son with bringing a guitar back into the house to pursue his own music, which Yusuf picked up and began playing again. Acknowledging how much he missed making music, and spurred on to keep going, the result was the release of his first new recording of non- and less-religious music in almost thirty years called <b><i>An Other Cup</i></b> in 2006. I thought how remarkable his voice still sounded after all those years.<br />
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Still, the thought of new concerts seemed remote at best, considering the resentment of all things Muslim in the still raw aftermath of 9/11, and his short-lived (and ludicrous) appearance on our no-fly lists in the mid 00s. So the announcement this fall of a series of shows across the U.S. to mark his return to the land of rock and roll was as surprising as it was welcome. How I scored a ticket was pure luck as the tickets were gone almost as soon as the box office opened.<br />
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My own personal history with <b>Cat Stevens</b> goes back to April 1971 when I was 20 and purchased <b>Tea For The Tillerman</b>, because "Wild World" was a hit single, and it became one of the cornerstones of my record collection. When <a data-mce-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_and_Maude" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_and_Maude" target="_blank"><i><b>Harold and Maude</b></i></a> opened that December, I was already well aware of the music that helped that movie go from overlooked box-office flop to cult film within a few years. It came and went so quickly in it's first release that I didn't even get
to see it until it was screened a year later at the <b>Orson Welles Cinema</b> in
Cambridge, Mass in December 1972, before it became a cult classic. By 1974 it had been rediscovered and was playing year-long engagements in many cities across the U.S.A. <br />
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In spite of his disappearance, his music survived decade after decade, never losing a drop of it's emotional power or its relevance. He'd struck a nerve in the popular culture and we were determined not to give it up, even if he never re-emerged. I, and many others, never stopped listening to his records and I always regretted not seeing him on one of his tours through Boston.<br />
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By the time Sunday, December 14th rolled around, I had settled into a low grade excitement which only intensified as the time to take the subway downtown approached. Never having been to the <b>Nokia Theatre</b> before, I made sure to get there with plenty of time to spare. The buzz of anticipation was palpable among the crowd standing in line to get in, no matter what their age. The range of his appeal was still overwhelming and undeniable.<br />
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A glowing crowd filled the lobbies of the <b>Nokia</b> and I wanted to enjoy a beer and take in the whole scene before heading to my seat in the loge section. The stage was set up as a run down railroad station stop with a sign reading "Los Angeles" (interchangeable with the tour stops) and a backdrop that looked like a prairie landscape out of the dream ballet in the movie of <i><b>Oklahoma!</b></i>.<br />
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Onto this evocative and plainly symbolic set wandered <b>Yusuf/Cat Stevens</b> and members of his touring band and the first notes of "The Wind" hit the audience like a ton of bricks. Cue: squeals of delight! His voice sounded exactly the same. The arrangement, updated but remarkably the same, and the song itself was emotionally perfect for the state of excitement in the crowd, proudly stating the 'journey' theme of the whole show: "I let my music take me where my heart wants to go."<br />
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Ordinarily, I would complain about the size of the venue, as I was a quarter of a mile away from the stage but for this, it didn't matter. I was zeroed in on the stage. The next song was "Don't Be Shy" and that started the water works. To think he would perform one of the two songs he wrote specifically for <i><b>Harold and Maude</b></i> as the second song was more than I could take, through the tears I could envision <b>Bud Cort</b> hanging himself.<br />
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He seemed so at ease and comfortable on stage, and was obviously moved by the love he felt coming from the audience, that he was chatty and chummy, making the huge venue far more intimate. By the time he sang two more of his early hits, it was clear he would be reviewing as many of his most popular songs, along with newer compositions, as he could fit in his 32-plus song set. I think the whole audience relaxed together and realized we were in for a special night.<br />
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Surrounded by a powerful flock of musicians, including long-time guitarist <b>Alun Davies</b>, who has been with him since the beginning, and pianists, violinists, horn players, drummers, they made a formidable rock band. The songs stayed close to their original arrangements with only additional augmentation when called for. Passages of almost solo acoustic performances by Yusuf were contrasted with richly orchestrated celebrations, each appropriate to the song being rendered.<br />
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He seemed eager to acknowledge the wide range of influences that have affected his own songwriting, including songs by <b>Curtis Mayfield</b>, <b>Edgar Winter</b>, <b>Sam Cook</b>, and, beautifully, <b>Procol Harum</b> ("The Devil Came From Kansas"). His wonderful recent song "Maybe There's A World" proved his songwriting skills are undiminished, which then segued into a version of <b>Lennon</b>'s "All You Need Is Love" (which had all us old hippies singing along) and it was was a high point of the first act. As soon as he said the words <i><b>Harold and Maude</b></i> the audience erupted into wild applause. (pretty amazing for a movie that could have been forgotten 45 years ago) and he played "If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out", as the tears flowed copiously leading to an intermission.<br />
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The second act was even longer than the first, and continued alternating covers, old classics and new music. An additional thrill was seeing <b>Cat Stevens</b> playing the piano again, which he did on half a dozen numbers. Highlights for me were hearing "Oh Very Young", Where Do The Children Play?", and especially "Father and Son". I think that with all the singing he has been doing on this tour that his voice is showing far more flexibility that it did a few years ago, when he first started singing again. The muscles are oiled and in tip top shape. I can't believe he was ever better, even back 35 years ago. I'm glad we were the last stop on the tour, to enjoy the fruits of all that non-stop singing for the last month since he started this tour in London in November.<br />
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He came back for four songs on encore which included the climactic "Peace Train", "Sad Lisa" (on the piano again) and ultimately "Morning Has Broken" resulting in a sequence of standing ovations. I was like putty in his hands by this point, We all were.The love and appreciation he exuded was strong enough to envelope all 7000 plus audience members in the <b>Nokia Theatre</b>. It's a concert experience I will never forget, and here it is, 48 hours later and I'm still in a state of euphoria.<br />
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whrabbit Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-87535045936909214142014-12-06T19:26:00.001-08:002014-12-06T19:26:16.523-08:00Horse Feathers at The Satellite - December 6, 2014<br />
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I'd be hard pressed to say that there's a better live band around right now than <b>Horse Feathers</b>. This band is just about perfect. I'd seen them twice before, the last time they were in town and played <b>The Echo</b> in May and December of 2012, but when two years went by and I heard nothing from them, I was unprepared for the impact they would have on me this time.<br />
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Apparently after the last album, <i><b>Cynics New Year</b></i>, and supporting tour in 2012, band leader <b>Justin Ringle</b> felt the need to step back and reassess where the band was headed. Though lauded for their original and committed take on gothic/indie/chamber Americana music, there was a dourness to the material that some critics felt made them less than exciting. I disagree, but it was enough to revitalize Justin and led to the creation of <i><b>So It Is With Us</b></i>, perhaps the most accessible of their five albums.<br />
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They are another of those bands from the Pacific Northwest who come to
the table fully prepared but with a unique sound that sets them apart
from all the other bands from that region giving them all specific
identities. Think <b>Fleet Foxes</b>, <b>Blitzen Trapper</b>, <b>The Parson Red Heads</b>, <b>Mimicking Birds</b>, <b>Sallie Ford</b>,
these guys. Though, to me, with the soft-spoken vocals and chamber sound, they most closely resemble Canada's <b>Great Lake Swimmers</b> or North Carolina's <b>Lost In The Trees</b>, both in performance and in style. But the new album adds a bit more rock to their signature laid back appeal, enlivening things considerably, though still keeping their realistic and sombre outlook intact.<br />
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Recorded partially in a barn in Oregon (doesn't everybody?), which gives the music an ambiance of being played in a tall, dank, wooden cathedral and infuses the album with a sonic dampness that suits them. But live, the music springs to vibrant life on stage with an immediacy and punch that makes the songs even better. Silky smooth vocals sit atop a first rate chamber orchestra which includes violin, banjos, keys, two drummers, occasional mandolin and harmonica to lay a gorgeous carpet for the superb melodies to rest upon.<br />
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Right from the first song, a normally noisy Friday night Satellite crowd was hushed into rapt attentiveness as the seven member band overwhelmed with their cohesive, carefully structured compositions that are so clean that each instrument can be heard and appreciated for their contribution to the entirety of the texture. <b>Justin Ringle</b>'s (at right) voice sounds more supple and varied than on record, and his duets with mandolin/guitar player <b>Brad Parsons</b> are even more natural and powerful in person.<br />
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By the time they launched into their third song, "Middle Testament", I
figured each song was going to be better than the one before it and just had to go with it. I was already approaching that nirvana-like space where the music takes over and you feel alone with the band. <br />
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There wasn't a single lag in the entire set list that consisted of plenty of older material as well as a healthy sampling from their latest album, <i><b>So It Is With Us</b></i>. <b>Nathan Crockett</b>'s virtuoso violin was regularly rewarded with applause after each of his solo highlights during the evening and the presence of two drummers added immeasurably to the new power this band has found. Distinctive keyboards on certain songs and the anchored bass work all lent the perfect balance to the stunning orchestrations. <br />
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They seemed very relaxed and happy, saying they'd been looking forward to coming back to L.A. for a long time and it showed. They played an hour set and two encores. The perfect sound mix at <b>The Satellite</b> didn't hurt either (though I could have used some of <b>Rebecca Balin</b>'s lights). Even though I've seen them twice before, it couldn't have prepared me for this astonishing performance. Got to greet Justin and Brad outside after the show which put a perfect capper on this memorable night.<br />
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whrabbit<br />
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<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-49805780621511590732014-12-04T18:58:00.000-08:002014-12-04T19:04:08.384-08:00Gruff Rhys presents American Interior at The Echo (11/20/14)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">"Walk Into The Wilderness"</span></b><br />
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I really wanted to get some of these thoughts down on paper (so to speak) so I'm just going to go for it. Even though the <b>Gruff Rhys</b> show at <b>The Echo</b> was weeks ago. I have been a big fan of <b>Super Furry Animals</b> ever since 2005, when they were one of the bands I allowed to pull me back to rock and roll. I picked up <i><b>Rings Around The World</b></i> and <i><b>Phantom Power</b></i> at that time and devoured them. I'd been listening to rock and roll for the first time in 20 years, with nearly, newly virgin ears, since August 2005, so when I saw they were coming to town in November that year, I decided it was time to take the plunge and go out to a show!<br />
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November 29, 2005, was the exact date, at the <b>Avalon</b> on Vine St. I had no idea what to expect, didn't know if I'd get laughed out of the room as 'that old guy in the corner' or what. I knew no one who was into rock music at the time so I had zero expectations. This was the tour where they came on stage wearing space suits (at left). <b>Super Furry Animals</b> took me on a trip that night that launched me off in an entirely new direction in my life. Music, music videos, CD's, getting into the local indie scene, eventually blogging. I mean, you're reading this aren't you? See what I mean?<br />
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Passion for live music exploded like a bomb in me. Within 4 months I was seeing 7 concerts a month, within a year I was seeing 12 a month. Now nine years have gone by, and I have seen <b>Super Furry </b><br />
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<b>Animals </b>three times and <b>Gruff Rhys</b> once before solo on his <i><b>Candylion</b></i> tour in 2007 (at right). When I heard about this show on November 20, I didn't know what he was up to until I checked out his new CD, <i><b>American Interior</b></i>, and read about this latest solo project, which originated a few years ago.<br />
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Apparently, Mr. Rhys took a trip a couple of years ago across a great swath of the American Middle West, touring and performing and in search of any trace of a distant relative from a couple of centuries ago who scoured the Native American territory for evidence of an ancient tribe of Welsh Indians...??? Too bizarre to relate here, suffice to say, I was doubtful. But curious. And I love his music so I wanted to see this show.<br />
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I got there really early and saw the entire set by <b>East India Youth</b>. All pre-programmed beats and pre-recorded backing, still the vocals of singer <b>William Doyle</b> are stylized and varied enough to merit attention, all bathed in trippy swirling lights which filled the venue. But it was LOUD LOUD and I was either glad I wasn't tripping, or wished I was.<br />
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Gruff Rhys delivered one of the oddest sets of songs and storytelling events I've ever seen. When I first read about his latest project I wasn't sure that he wasn't telling a true story. Welsh Native Americans? How was I to know?<br />
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As soon as he took the stage, all doubt was erased. It was all a big fabrication of the devious, mischievous mind of Mr. Rhys. He welcomed the audience with an introduction to the short mockumentary we were about to watch with a series of cue cards he held up. Earnest sarcasm dripped from his lips. It was equal parts Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, and Mad Magazine.<br />
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We then watched the 20 minute film which traced <b>Gruff Rhys</b>' long lost "fictional" relative, "John Evans", who fled Wales to try to find out the history of a lost tribe of Native Americans who spoke Welsh, owing to the fact that they were rumored to have emigrated to America from Wales in the 12th century. One quickly picked up the tone of satire with the outrageous tale told.<br />
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Following the film, Rhys took the stage alone with a guitar and it was just him and us as he sang acoustic versions of the songs from the album. The pleasure of hearing his wonderful voice, up close and without adornment, was a treat that kept the audience transfixed. The songs range in style through multiple American folk and country idioms to illustrate the varied tales he had to tell. On the album, the songs are fully orchestrated in the inimitable Rhys style, but here, stripped down to basic acoustic versions, his voice was really given a chance to dominate.<br />
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Between songs he presented short stories about the trials and tribulations of "Evans", the adventurous explorer, with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation. Making his way through the plains states and the American south "John Evans" survived attempted murders, starvation, disease, animal attacks, hostile natives, until he was last heard from in New Spain under the name of "Don Juan Evans". He was never heard from again after the age of twenty-nine.<br />
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The whole presentation had a very free-form, almost improvisational, vibe as Gruff would sound like he was making it up on the spot. At various points he would bring out a doll to represent "John Evans" (at right) or invite audience members to join him onstage to pantomime characters he was describing (below). Overwhelmed by the creativity, startled once again at how wonderful his unique voice is, and impressed by the easy, relaxed and conversational rapport he achieves with his audience, it felt like being invited into his home to watch slides and listen to songs.<br />
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I have to say, though, that conditions at <b>The Echo</b> were not optimal for a show that was often intimate and quiet. Whatever was going on downstairs at <b>Echoplex</b> was bleeding sound and beats up through the floor, becoming occasionally distracting. The gracious Mr. Rhys didn't acknowlege that, but when the hand blow-dryer in the ladies room went off, he glanced back over his shoulder and asked, "Is someone using a leaf-blower out back?"<br />
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whrabbitBradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-75475663059507892562014-09-17T23:56:00.002-07:002014-09-18T15:27:41.866-07:00Owen Pallett, Avi Buffalo and Foxes In Fiction at El Rey - September 13, 2014<br />
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Saturday was one of those days that just restores all your faith in this crazy life pursuing rock and roll. First I go to <b>Amoeba</b> and pick up four albums, each one a special purchase in its own right. But my mission was to find the latest album by <b>Owen Pallett</b> (at right), as I was going to see him that night and wanted to acquaint myself with his product. As a huge fan of the violin, not only in its classical context, but particularly of it's use in the world of indie rock, I knew this was an artist I needed to catch up with.<br />
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Frankly, before Saturday <b>Owen Pallett</b> was only familiar to me as contributing string arrangements on <b>Arcade Fire</b>'s <b><i>The Suburbs</i></b> and <b>Beirut</b>'s <b><i>The Flying Club Cup</i></b> albums, and his Oscar nomination for the score of <b><i>Her</i></b>. Hearing that he employs a looping technique similar to <b>Andrew Bird</b>, I figured he was playing in a genre and a style I was already very fond of.<br />
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When I got to <b>El Rey</b> on Saturday, September 13, <b>Foxes in Fiction</b>
(at left) were already playing and I slid easily into the hazy, dreamy atmosphere
they had created in the theatre. Very much in keeping with the artful
line up of the night they sounded like serious students of shoegaze with classical elements. Hatched in the fertile mind of <b>Warren Hildebrand</b> as a<b> s</b>olo project<b> </b>he
now has a band and they create a hypnotic spell with ethereal vocals
and honey-drenched instrumentation. The songs were nicely varied so I
offered no resistance and became a fan. <br />
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My entire impetus for going to this show was actually to see <b>Avi Buffalo</b> playing at the beautiful <b>El Rey</b> and to hear his new music and to see what kind of band he has put together to represent his second album, <b><i>At Best Cuckold</i></b>, which was released last Tuesday and was my fifth album purchase of the week. I've been a friend and supporter of this band since the very beginning in 2008, so as soon as I heard the wonderful new album, I went right out and bought a ticket for the <b>El Rey</b> show, knowing I would regret it if I didn't go.<br />
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In the four years since the release of his first <b>Sub Pop</b> album, <b>Avi Buffalo</b> (below) has moved from teenage guitar prodigy to a professional musician in his mid-twenties with a large and dedicated fan base. Some hard luck came with the successful launch of his debut record when the band he had built his early triumphs on broke apart and he had to finish his first tour scrambling to find replacements that wouldn't disappoint fans who were anxious to hear songs from the album played live.<br />
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Time has gone by and I don't know why, but I hadn't expected the new album to be so cohesive, so lyrical, so closely related to the first album and so damned powerful. Steadfast drummer, <b>Sheridan Riley</b> (at right), has ridden the wave all this way with Avi, with the advantage that <b>Avi Buffalo</b> has one of the best young drummers around and who also has found a voice to blend with Avi bringing back the curious and strikingly original harmonies that were so instrumental to their early success. <br />
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I was glad I ran in to Avi near the back of the theatre before they went on, so I could tell him how much I enjoy the new album, and we got to chat a little while. Now a band of four musicians, with a keyboardist, Anthony Vezirian (below on right) and a bassist, Doug Brown (below below), he was glad I was there to hear the new music and confessed that it's only the tip of the iceberg. He has at least 30 more songs written and ready to record, so there may be another release in the not too distant future. Wouldn't that be great?<br />
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Once on the stage, <b>Avi Buffalo</b> launched into "So What" that kicks off the new album and it is a wonderful upbeat, ingratiating song with that familiar curlicue melody structure that keeps you guessing, even after repeated listenings, followed by the next album cut, "Can't Be Too Responsible", which I think we can all relate to. <br />
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Dipping back into their catalog they performed "What's In It For?" in newly refreshed edition that came off as striking as the original, with the keyboard part restored and particularly assured vocals by Avi. The band left the stage as Avi soloed on "Summer Cum" which was sung expressively enough to break your heart. Both songs sounded fresh and re-invigorated.<br />
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I felt like I was seeing a band reach a peak as a performing ensemble and felt completely vindicated in my devotion to them for so long. Rounding out the 40 minute set were more selections from the new album, so I was super glad I'd purchased it and listened to it so many times that the songs sounded like familiar tunes performed to perfection. I'd say that <b>Avi Buffalo</b> has finally hit it's stride.<br />
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The second <b>Owen Pallett</b> stepped on stage alone with only his violin and started playing and looping and playing back the multi-part confection he was sculpting, my jaw dropped open and I don't think I drew breath for an hour. His mastery of the instrument is astonishing enough, but when he open his mouth to sing and this mellifluous, subtle and strong voice comes out I was transfixed. Having only heard the album, <i><b>In Conflict</b></i>, a couple of times, the songs were new to me but eerily familiar, which added to the already haunting quality of his music and lyrics.<br />
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I think he played mostly from the new album, but every song was its own special movement in what added up to a symphony of strings and piano (yes, he even plays the piano), with a running confessional dialog in the tumble of words. Reminds me of <b>Will Sheff</b> in that regard. The entire set seemed over in ten minutes and I was walking twenty feet in the air as I left the theatre. I may not have known about <b>Owen Pallett</b> before, but I will never miss him again. I swear, I heard hints of <b>Ravel</b>, <b>Debussy</b>, <b>Sondheim</b>, maybe a bit of <b>Beethoven</b> String Quartet AND <b>Andrew Bird</b>. This was art, unadulterated and unpretentious.<br />
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By the way the other three albums were: <b>The New Pornographers</b> new album, the brilliant and completely addictive <i><b>Brill Bruisers</b></i> (can't wait to see them at <b>The Wiltern</b> on October 17th), <b>Kan Wakan</b>'s amazing debut album <i><b>Moving On</b></i>, and <b>Andrew Bird</b>'s <i><b>Bands Of Glory</b></i>, which highlights his <i>single-microphone</i> ensemble who are set to play at <b>Hollywood Bowl</b> this upcoming Sunday.<br />
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text and photos: whrabbit<br />
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Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-41886424038335925552014-08-23T17:55:00.002-07:002014-08-23T17:55:59.473-07:00Slint at El Rey - August 22, 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't really say where my anticipation level was for this show, yet I remembered how much I was surprised and pleased at their 2007 concert when <b>Slint</b> went out on a very select tour, reuniting 15 years after originally disbanding in 1992. They played their 'already-classic' 1991 album <i><b>Spiderland</b></i> front to back at only a few dates in Europe, America and Canada, landing at <b>The Fonda Theatre</b> on July 23rd, 2007. I learned about them through <b>Pinback</b>, who often sited them as one of their major influences, purchased the <i><b>Spiderland</b></i> album and quickly picked up on the similarities. Although <b>Pinback</b> take the style in a more tuneful direction, the references are striking and both explore a dark and the dour melancholy which gives both bands their trademark sad beauty.<br />
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When they launched into "Breadcrumb Trail" for their second song, I sensed we were heading in a <i><b>Spiderland</b></i> direction. Considering they only ever released two albums, I guess that's understandable, nevertheless, it thrilled all of us. Continuing with "Nosferatu Man" and "Don, Aman", the intense trance state was heightened by the sheer beauty of the music that grips one in a communal bond with other audience members. So beautiful in fact that you could feel waves of ecstasy coming from the crowd. Contrasted with the lyrics that explore dark and troubling realms, the effect is one of introspection and reflection. <br />
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<b>Slint</b> fans elevate the activity of head-bobbing to an art form. Looking out over the crowd at the packed <b>El Rey</b> was to observe the full range of head-bobbing styles. I only saw one person engaged in that (to me) odd habit of raising one's had over one's head and jabbing a finger toward the band on the downbeat. That's far too much activity and distraction for the true slo-core, shoe gaze fan, whose full focus is on the music at hand. <br />
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<b>Slint</b> has taught me not only lots of back history of early indie rock, they have taught me a lot about fans of this music and the seriousness of their devotion. The intense concentration combined with the euphoria make a palpable environment that is tough to shake, creating a memorable concert experience and a valuable music history lesson as well. <br />
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whrabbit Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-72537960285842376662014-08-08T21:15:00.001-07:002014-08-08T21:15:50.417-07:00Auditorium at Silver Lake Lounge 7/29/14<br />
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It was a lot of fun to see <b>Auditorium</b> again on Tuesday, July 29th, after the hiatus they've been on for a couple of years. Lead singer and writer, <b>Spencer Berger</b> (below,on the right) has hardly been inactive though, playing in a side project teamed with <b>Mike Rademaker</b> and performing a few solo shows, including the one he played for me at <b>Feed Your Head</b> in February at <b>Lot 1</b>. Speaking recently, he confided that he's <br />
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been doing a lot of writing and recording lately and he was anxious to get out there and start performing this new material.<br />
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Since his band is so much of a family affair (involving two families) it must make reassembling that much easier. His sister, <b>Elizabeth Berger</b>, on harmony vocals and his wife, <b>Daya Berger</b>, on bass, and the other family, <b>Jon Hogan</b> (above, on the left) and <b>Justin Hogan</b>, two brothers on voice and guitar and voice and keys. They have a familiarity that probably helps them fall back into their positions and contributes to the impressive coordination this band displays. I was so happy to see them on stage together again as a band. Chalk up another one for <b>Silver Lake Lounge</b>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jon Hogan, Spencer and Elizabeth Berger</td></tr>
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Even though there were some unpredicted obstacles, like no drummer, they mustered on, urged forward by a persuasive Spencer, after members voiced some concerns about no percussion. But this band is so powerful vocally they still sound complete even without the drums, which sat unattended during the set. Forced to play a revised set list, they dipped back into their catalog and performed beautiful versions of "Did Your Heart Shake Like This Song", " Karaoke Freight Train" and "Sex Offenders" in addition to a couple of the new songs, one played with full band and another played solo by Spencer when he gave the others a break and did a couple of songs by himself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daya Berger and Justin Hogan</td></tr>
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It's impossible not to be moved and impressed <b>Auditoium</b>. Even though it took a little time for the vocals to congeal, once they did it was again obvious they could be one of the most harmonically sound bands in the whole local scene. The tricky and clever songs are written to showcase this aspect with all their gloriously soaring voices pitched at the same level inducing wonder in this listener. Add in the coordinated guitar, bass and especially piano and you've got some of the best orchestrated, lyrically inventive and adventurous indie rock that I've heard. A new album is coming.<br />
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This set was followed by old friends of theirs from Brooklyn, <b>Chamber Band</b> (at right), who are currently on an East Coast/West Coast tour, who dropped in to regale us with their splendid psycho/math rock. I was trying to engage in conversation with members of <b>Auditorium</b> and fellow <b>Radio Free Silver Lake</b> writer, <b>Kathryn Pinto</b>, but out attention was consistently interrupted by the blast of machine gun-delivery of <b>Chris Littler</b> and <b>Ellen Winter</b> in a vocal duel. The songs are odd and original, with a hint of Broadway pizazz, and you must listen closely. We stopped trying to talk and just focused on <b>Chamber Band</b>.<br />
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whrabbit<br />
photos too <br />
<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-25255564500329606752014-07-29T20:02:00.000-07:002014-08-08T21:17:12.264-07:00Wages at Silver Lake Lounge - 7/24/14<br />
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What's going on at <b>Silver Lake Lounge</b>? They keep having great line ups with bands I already love teaming up with bands I need to know about. On July 1st I dropped in to catch a set by longtime favorites <b>Seasons</b>, but before they played I heard the set by <b>Psychic Love</b> which entirely bowled over the audience that had filled the venue with obviously devoted fans. And with good reason. This dreamy, shoegaze/neo-punk outfit is not only packed with good musicians, but the songs were all varied and memorable. Lead singer and songwriter <b>Laura Peters</b> is a formidable talent and has a natural and easy charisma on stage. I got lost in the swirl of their set and had to come back down to earth only to be lifted again as <b>Seasons</b> began their hugely orchestral big-band sound. They're new material highlight all aspects of their fully integrated band members with each one having moments to shine. <b>Nik Garcia</b>'s smooth vocals still pack a real wallop when he lets loose with a raspy howl that counterpoints the gentle and soothing passages.<br />
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Then last week I went over specifically to hear a set by <b>Wages</b> (at left), who have not played in a while. This was absolutely stunning. <b>Nick Campbell</b> has such amazing command of his vocal instrument, knowing exactly what it can and cannot do. Equally as powerful in the mid ranges as in falsetto, he can jump from one to the other with liquid ease. And the songs are constructed to showcase this ability as well as his dexterity on the guitar and his band mates, <b>James DeDakis</b> and <b>Dustin Robles</b>, sterling, and no less important contributions, on bass and drums. This three-man unit can sound like a band of eight or nine. They played a couple of new songs too, which added to the lustre of the evening.<br />
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I'm heading back over there tonight to see Auditorium, another band that has been quiet for some time and are ready to emerge again. I can't wait.<br />
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whrabbit<br />
photo of Wages too Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-67258774390319392572014-06-24T23:31:00.001-07:002014-06-24T23:34:01.537-07:00Chad VanGaalen at The Echo - June 18, 2014<br />
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I've seen <b>Chad VanGaalen</b> three times before and each time was different, whether he was solo or traveling with other musicians, he has never been quite the same twice. But I was fairly shocked when the deep electronic noise of this tour almost knocked the wind out of me, nearly cracking a rib. He's always had a penchant for weird electronic background noise but it's usually in a more winsome vein. His recordings tend to be intentionally reedy and thin, a very purposeful low-tech sound, that perfectly compliments the tremulous and heartbreaking vibrato of his vocals as his odd and surprising lyrics take you on unexpected journeys.<br />
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I first learned of this artist through his music video and animation for the song "Red Hot Drops" back in 2006 when music videos were my only window to new music. His animation is as spare and oddly haunting, weird and witty as his music. When <b>Band Of Horses</b> played at <b>Avalon</b> in October 2006, <b>Chad VanGaalen</b> was on the bill with them and I went. I'd seen <b>Band Of Horses</b> in a small Hollywood Club (<b>King King</b>) before and wanted to see them on a bigger stage, but it was <b>VanGaalen</b> who captured most of my attention that night. It was hypnotic the way he was able to command the room with just his hushed voice and tiny guitar, playing songs of such delicate beauty it was almost heartbreaking. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YlGG9cLSUn4Zhfq2S4K5aLpcMyI83kwKjTIgUCvtJ571ZHYcdQpsUxSAsotmOCqunIslYbJAaqdQxPlk62EU7oIgraJKvGhQVrv5NH4Ss-AS4ICP7j8UXw7e3OYe6kHlu5EWjuXQ8izJ/s1600/IMG_5082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-YlGG9cLSUn4Zhfq2S4K5aLpcMyI83kwKjTIgUCvtJ571ZHYcdQpsUxSAsotmOCqunIslYbJAaqdQxPlk62EU7oIgraJKvGhQVrv5NH4Ss-AS4ICP7j8UXw7e3OYe6kHlu5EWjuXQ8izJ/s1600/IMG_5082.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a>He came to <b>Spaceland</b> on Mar 28, 2009 to tour on the release of the <i><b>Soft Airplane</b></i>, which was his best album so far. That was a hugely memorable show and forever committed me to seeing him every chance I got. This was a remarkably unique talent that piqued my curiosity in the subversive nature of his art. It seems simultaneously childlike simple and intellectually dark and intense. <b>At the Culture Collide Festival</b> in October 2011, I saw him next, but as he was in town for this show as a solo, and not on tour, it was not the best venue for him on the big outdoor stage in the parking lot outside <b>Taix</b>. He was not able to make much of an impression on a crowd that had been watching bands for hours already.<br />
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Releasing his latest album, <i><b>Shrink Dust</b></i>, in April, I'd had a chance to be confused, challenged, curious and finally pleased by this latest entry. It took a bit of getting used to, but I think I've come to like it best of all. Appearing at <b>The Echo</b>, last Wednesday, June 18, I was really excited to see this show, so that when he began the set, with another guitarist and a drummer, the album was turned into a rock show. A hard rock show, and that was a surprise.<br />
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Beginning with the first few songs of the album in order, they were, frankly barely recognizable, and when on "Where Are You?" he crouched down on his soundboard and blew the back wall off <b>The Echo</b> with chest crushing noise, I wondered what was to come. Was he morphing into <b>My Bloody Valentine</b>? Things calmed down considerably after that and the charms of each song became apparent. "Frozen Paradise", "Lila" "Hangman's Son" and "Evil" are really beautiful songs and even though some were overcome by passages of pure noise, I began to see the point of it.<br />
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Taking all into account, I could have wished that Chad's vocals were mixed a little bit louder, but this was the first time I saw him play in arena rock-style and even though it was a bit much for the tiny <b>Echo</b>, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Oh, and the place was packed, so I guess a lot of people agree with me.<br />
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Here's more pictures I took.<br />
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whrabbit<br />
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<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-35737310097728632662014-06-19T01:26:00.001-07:002014-09-19T19:33:54.020-07:00Thoughts From Grace Slick on Grace Slick At The Grammy <br />
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What a magnificent opportunity to see and hear the legendary <b>Jefferson Airplane</b> singer, <b>Grace Slick</b>, as she reminisced on her life and career as a major figurehead of the 1960s rock and roll youth/protest movement at <b>The Grammy Museum</b> on Tuesday night (June 17). I attended this event with <b>Azalia Snail</b> of <b>LoveyDove</b>, who managed to get a picture with Grace (at right). And I want to thank my friend Adam Valentin Villanueva for getting us in.<br />
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The woman is smart, bold, funny and unfiltered. Her mind, at 74, appears as sharp as it always was, with that withering sense of humor intact. No wonder she was always my favorite rock star. She shied away from no subject and was forthcoming on any topic. Her embrace of the free-thought life-style of the hippie era, her place and stature in the band, her thoughts on her contemporary musicians, her battles with alcohol. Nothing was out of bounds.<br />
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Moderated by <b>Scott Goldman</b>, he was prepared with many insightful questions after bringing Grace to the stage. She strode up from the side, long white hair flowing, and stood before the audience as they cheered and applauded. She looked healthy, strong and very happy and with the same striking blue eyes. Asked about her earliest interest in the arts, she confessed that she started drawing at a very early age, maybe 3. While listening to her mother, who had been a semi-professional singer before marriage and motherhood got in the way, go
around the house singing "I'll be with you in apple blossom time" she developed an interest in singing. She sang a lot in school, so there was a background in voice there.<br />
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She recounted the many moves her family embarked upon, moving from Chicago, to Los Angeles and then to San Francisco all before she was 6. How she was a blonde overweight kid until about 13, when she became tall and thin and auburn haired. She jokes that she's back to being blonde and overweight. After high school she took off for New York City before beginning higher education at Finch College in Florida. A call from a friend urging her to come to San Francisco came after that, and the rest is history.<br />
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Her early career with <b>Jefferson Airplane</b> was in the heady first days of the Haight-Ashbury scene and all the bands played together and became one big community until major label interest zeroed in on the ever-more-famous San Francisco scene. The <b>Airplane</b> was the first to be signed, and it was <b>RCA</b> who took the chance on one of these hippie/acid rock bands. Followed almost immediately by <b>The Grateful Dead</b> to <b>Warner Bros.</b>, <b>Big Brother and the Holding Company</b> to <b>Columbia</b>, <b>Steve Miller Band</b> to <b>Capitol</b>. All the major labels wanted a piece of the pie, but once that happened they were sent out on the road so often they lost touch with each other and the sense of community was gone.<br />
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She covered the years with the band with fascinating tidbits about what piqued her interest as a songwriter. which was the fact that finally they could tackle subject more diverse than just "Oooh, my boyfriend/girlfriend left me" She loved the expanding social and cultural concerns that lyrics were finally able to address. Decrying <b>The Beatles</b> early career: "Christ, you guys are 24 years old and you want to hold somebody's hand?! defined my own exact opinion of their early empty pop songs. "After they took LSD that all changed," she said. The opinion that their music became much more complex and interesting, post acid, is a viewpoint I always held and certainly think it is now pretty universally accepted.<br />
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While on tour in Europe with <b>The Doors</b>, each headlining every other gig, they were in Amsterdam and people would come up to them offering drugs. Grace said "Thanks I'll save them for later, whereas <b>Jim Morrison</b> would sit right down on the sidewalk and do them all up. He treated his body as one giant pharmaceutical experiment."<br />
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When <b>The Who</b> were their alternating act on another tour, <b>Roger Daltry</b> walked over to the edge of the stage one night and kicked all eight monitor off the stage because, Grace confessed, the sound technology back then was frequently terrible. "They would hiss, pop, crackle and never sounded like your real voice coming back at you." I remember that, after seeing <b>Jefferson Airplane</b> at the <b>Music Hall</b> in Boston in October, 1969 and April 1970, my ears were still ringing more than a day after.<br />
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Scott asked her what she thought made her and <b>Janis Joplin</b> so successful and her answer was simple: "We were doing what we really wanted to do." And I will add: and because they were so damned good at what they did.<br />
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Of her contemporaries, she identified <b>David Crosby</b> as, really, the one she has remained close to, and I immediately thought of their great voices together on songs like "Triad" from <i><b>Crown of Creation</b></i>. Citing the M<b>onterey Pop Festival</b> as the best of all the festivals, she recalled the astonishment of seeing artists like <b>Ravi Shankar</b> and <b>The Who</b>. <b>Jefferson Airplane</b> also played <b>Woodstock</b> and <b>Altamont</b>, the only band to play all three.<br />
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She said that no one is making good music anymore, but I suspect she has not been exposed to a lot that is not in the mainstream, where her opinion would certainly be valid. I thought to myself, "if only she could be listening to what I hear every night I go out to the clubs, some of which is so rooted in style and substance to the sixties. She does say she still likes <b>The Rolling Stones</b> and thinks <b>Steve Perry</b> is the best rock and roll singer of all time, (to some audible disagreement from the audience) just to test our preconceptions.<br />
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It was just great to hear her wit again. Some nuggets:<br />
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She is driven crazy by <b>Celine Dion</b>'s chest pounding while singing: "Dear, we know where your heart is."<br />
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She admitted she really developed a strong self confidence by the age of 25. That would be just about the time she joined the Airplane. Believes that the RCA recording studio on Sunset was the best studio they ever recorded in. <b><i>Surrealistic Pillow</i></b> and <i><b>After Bathing At Baxters</b></i> were recorded there.<br />
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She had choice words for the music she was forced to sing in the last days of a band now called <b>Starship</b>. "We Built This City". "Really?" she said, "What city?, There's no city built on rock and roll. San Francisco was built on gold and trade." Hastening her retirement in 1989.<br />
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She began expressing herself through painting not long after that... and has never stopped. She recalled that, during her childhood, her father had a hobby as a stamp collector, and she would notice that occasionally he become so involved in the process of fastening the stamps to the pages he would forget to breathe and suddenly gasp a small, sudden intake of air. As if the lungs were becoming desperate. She experiences the same sensation when painting. Becoming so lost in the singular focus of the act that breathing seems a break in the concentration. I have to admit I know this sensation.<br />
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The evening was over as quickly as it began, and I was floating on air, just to have been in the room. It was great to see that her built-in bullshit detector is still 'laser point' accurate. She told an amusing story related to her artwork and I think it goes like this: Her first subjects were animals because they <br />
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were comforting and made her feel good. Particularly as she was in a relationship with a bi-polar partner, which was making life difficult.<br />
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Eventually they evolved into her first <i><b>Alice in Wonderland</b></i>-themed paintings of the White Rabbit, and at an exhibit someone came up to her to try to find out the hidden meaning, or what her intentions were, or what was he not seeing, and she deadpanned in a flat voice "It's a bunny."<br />
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whrabbit<br />
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<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-91581047067926461652014-06-17T08:41:00.002-07:002014-06-17T18:56:31.929-07:00A Conversation with Grace Slick at The Grammy Museum - June 17, 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It just doesn't seem right not to post something at this aptly named blog in honor of <b>A Conversation with Grace Slick</b> taking place at <b>The Grammy Museum</b> tonight (Tuesday). To this very day I can recall the absolute shock I experience upon listening to the <b>Jefferson Airplane</b> album <b><i>Surrealistic Pillow</i></b> for the first time on my 17th birthday (8/19/67). It was the first album I ever heard where every single song was great. <br />
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In January 1967, I'd been listening to "My Best Friend" on the radio, which was the first single from that album and loved the song, though I didn't realize that there was a female voice in the mix (all radio was monaural in those days, so it was hard to tell), until "Somebody To Love was released in April and I became curious who this powerful voice belonged to. It was the release of "White Rabbit" in late June (Summer of Love) '67 that clinched it for me.<br />
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We had studied <b>Ravel</b>'s <i><b>Bolero</b></i> in music appreciation in school (yes, we had such classes back then, before Reagan and the republicans had gutted public education) and I loved the progressive layering upon layering of the piece.Tied in with my love of <i><b>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland</b></i> by <b>Lewis Carroll</b> and the potent and specific references to that text by Slick in her lyrics, along with the invitation to a different lifestyle, and I was the ideal target for the song.<br />
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Over the course of their career, <b>Jefferson Airplane</b> repeatedly pushed the boundaries of rock and roll and I happily went along for the ride. Each subsequent album stretched and pulled and pushed my musical tastes into areas I would never have considered and it was always thrilling to hear where Grace would take her voice on each new record. They also became more political as I became more political and seeing them in concert was always an adventure.<br />
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Now, these many years later, I still appreciate what they did for me and I have felt that influence to this very day. <b>Grace Slick</b> continued to be a force in rock and roll till she retired her voice in the mid 1990s. Channeling her talent to a paint brush, she began to be a serious visual artist, penned her autobiography and pulled back from a public life. Tonight's conversation will cover both her music career and her painting endeavors, accompanied by an exhibit of her art. For me, it will be as thrilling as it is emotional.<br />
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whrabbit<br />
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<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-39676437642214362762014-05-21T08:00:00.000-07:002014-05-21T19:00:37.257-07:00Jefferson Starship 40 Year Anniversary<br />
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Just had to post a note about the upcoming show on Friday, May 23 at <b>The Saban Theatre</b>. As the name of this blog indicates, and anyone who knows me knows, this is an extra special treat for me as I have been following <b>Jefferson Airplane</b>/<b>Jefferson Starship</b> since 1967. Whatever the band's make up, I'm still looking forward to hearing whatever they choose to play live again after all these years. The last time I saw <b>Jefferson Starship</b> was in 1977 at <b>Boston Garden</b>, not long before I moved to the West Coast, and they were performing material from both entities and the band was in tip top shape. By the time I was living in Los Angeles they were hugely popular and played only stadiums (which I refused to attend), so that's why it been 38 years. I'll let you know how this turns out.<br />
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whrabbitBradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-23109337658374232382014-04-08T19:00:00.000-07:002014-04-08T19:06:41.642-07:00Aaron Embry Begins April Residency At Hotel Cafe - April 1, 2014<br />
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Tuesday night, April 1, was the first night that <b>Aaron Embry</b> introduced his new material during a bi-weekly residency at Hollywood's <b>Hotel Cafe</b> which will continue throughout the rest of this month. He performed for an audience full of friends and acquaintances in a set that sounded as intimate and comforting as sitting around a fireplace in someone's home. His eagerness to get these songs out there was matched by his wide-eyed shyness about singing lyrics that are even more personal and deeply felt than much that has come before. The small figure on the stage suddenly swamped the place as he sang and sustained a total grip on the audience.<br />
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The unabashed delight he takes from singing a line like, simply, "I love you Nikki" to his wife, he explained, becomes a declaration that strengthens their bond each time he says it. Revealing a window into his creative process, he shared stories about each song. Especially touching was the sing-song rhymes and burbling vocals for the song dedicated to daughter, Mayla. It was so personal it felt like eavesdropping.<br />
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Accompanying himself on the guitar and harmonica, his voice is still the wondrously flexible instrument it's always been. With, perhaps, a bit more tenderness as these deeply felt songs demand. The thrill of his first public performance of these works was transferred directly from performer to observer as both Aaron and his fans and friends were giddy with delight. Many of the songs deal with his firm grip on his spirituality which informs and comforts his soul and ignites his creativity.<br />
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As a finale, he put down his guitar and moved over to the piano for a couple of more familiar song which, nonetheless, were beautifully delivered with a freshness and clarity that made them feel new. On April 15th and 29th, <b>Aaron Embry</b> will be returning to <b>Hotel Cafe</b> to further develop the live performances of this material and I expect to be there every step of the way.<br />
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whrabbitBradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-13928910215151892052014-03-21T23:07:00.003-07:002014-03-21T23:18:57.882-07:00Lost In The Trees at The Echo - March 20, 2014 <br />
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I always end up being unexpectedly overwhelmed by <b>Lost In The Trees</b> every time I see them. Thursday night, March 20, at <b>The Echo</b> proved to be no exception. Touring for the first time as a stripped down combo, departing from the large orchestral make up of the band before, they look more like a rock band now. It's an interesting direction for them to take, with no loss whatsoever on the impact they have on stage.<br />
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And this new ensemble is what makes their new album, <i><b>Past Life</b></i>, such a surprising departure from their previous releases. I'll have to admit, I was surprised at the crowd that pushed their way to the front as the band came on stage, with an urgency usually reserved for big, popular bands. Their audiences usually remind me of the studious and academic audience you would see at an <b>Andrew Bird</b> or <b>Okkervil River</b> concert. They now have an expanding fan base, probably from the heavy radio play of <i><b>Past Life</b></i>. This makes me very happy as they have always deserved more acclaim.<br />
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Starting off with a couple of songs from the new album, I got used to the new sound coming from the new configuration of the band. Unfortunately, from where I stood, the vocals were lacking in the sound mix during "Excos" which has subtle vocals to begin with, so I began moving around the crowded room to try to find a better sounding spot. I wasn't sure whether it was my geographical adjustment or else they had fixed the sound, but from then on the mix was perfect.<br />
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The title song, "Past Life", was next and represented precisely and flawlessly revealing the newer, almost upbeat, attitude that permeates most of the album. With many of the formerly orchestral passages replaced by funky dance beats and some prerecorded backgrounds, it surprised me to hear that it is so effective and engaging...and powerful in a live setting.<br />
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"Neither Here Nor There" from <i><b>A Church To Fit Our Needs</b></i> came next and was brilliantly rearranged for a five piece band sounding every bit as complex and dense as the fully orchestrated version. That took me by surprise and I realized then that his was going to be an astonishing show. From that moment on it all became a blur of new and old material, all performed for maximum impact, and lifting me higher and higher.<br />
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The new songs are no less deep, thoughtful or penetrating than their predecessors, it's just more dancey. Most of the new album was played, mixed in with some material pulled from their first two releases.All the piercing power of <b>Ari Picker</b>'s sweet voice is here, and more, as he appears more vocally relaxed than ever. The clear, high, ethereal soprano of <b>Emma Nadeau</b>, a defining characteristic of <b>Lost In The Trees</b> since the beginning, provides the important counterpoint and is as vital to this new ensemble as ever. I have to admit the new album hadn't had time to make a big impression on me as I only bought it Tuesday. But, as has happened to me many times, to hear it live raised it way, way up in my estimation. It's a gorgeous and serious work of great inspiration and beauty. It just goes to show you, the time to make up your mind about an album...is never. That gets truer as I get older.<br />
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The whole show was startlingly unconventional in it's stage lighting, going for stark and jarring changes that were both fueled by the music and intense in their bold contrast. The background was frequently lit up by a white light version of the <b>Past Life</b> album art, which would blanch out Ari's face like a headlight in the night. He asked for his mic to be upped during the song "Rites" where his writing really gets to shine; "and every harm, every violent moment, all of our faults aside, drift through rooms of white light." Stunning. The whole set sped by and I was left reeling from it, vibrating the whole next day.<br />
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whrabbit<br />
photos too Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-36735452768343576762014-01-08T22:14:00.004-08:002014-01-09T13:58:11.651-08:00Starting the New Year Right, Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After all that fun at the <b>FOMO Fest</b>, I was well primed for my own show on Saturday, January 4th at <b>Lot 1</b>. I was able to enlist the help of <b>Rebecca Balin</b> in booking the show, and she got all the talent to sign on, so this whole evening was very much thanks to her.<br />
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Two of the acts I knew by reputation, for both <b>Charlie Clark</b> and <b>Meredith Meyer</b> have substantial followings. <b>Jill Avilez</b> is a talent I had witnessed first hand when she dazzled me with one of her bands, <b>The Love Absurd</b> (she plays in five) last year when they played at my show in June.<br />
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Opening act was <b>Teena May</b> who, with her straightforward candor and raw emotion, simply and completely "blew the roof off the place". She brought in her own large following and it was easy to see why. A part-time New Yorker, her songs have a sophistication and intelligence that are characteristic of many East Coast artists. Even reminding me of the early and challenging confessional work of <b>Laura Nyro</b> that I enjoyed as a teenager - like exposed raw nerves, along with the definitive jazz influence. She calls her songs 'stories' and indeed, they have a definite narrative flow, but with the maturity to turn personal pain into triumphant art.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf027iOHPGQCIIB-XUZhTsF6_RuMU-bkLCcmsmwnEe1NhyZF62gKKA1j2G-TvRSwlxiC7FnVPuG3cLxzZSyQJxw5Z7evyXGSC2j-42m3dOTgHpxmjEWAL5320h8FnOK8s4gE4ydkwhLzEk/s1600/teena2photo%252B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf027iOHPGQCIIB-XUZhTsF6_RuMU-bkLCcmsmwnEe1NhyZF62gKKA1j2G-TvRSwlxiC7FnVPuG3cLxzZSyQJxw5Z7evyXGSC2j-42m3dOTgHpxmjEWAL5320h8FnOK8s4gE4ydkwhLzEk/s1600/teena2photo%252B2.jpg" height="181" width="200" /></a><br />
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Accompanying herself on guitar, she has a gorgeously strong and expressive voice which she handles like a complex instrument. Joking about how some have told her to temper her broken relationship songs with some lighter fare between the romantic rants, she had a nicely modulated sets with some positively uptempo numbers here and there.<br />
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Because she had struck up a conversation before her set with <b>Runson Willis</b>, the multi-faceted musician I met last year when he played my show in Dec. '12, she invited him onstage to join her with his harmonica for a couple of songs. Uncanny how well he fit into her songs, it was truly inspirational to see two accomplished artists make an instant musical connection that sounded like they have been playing together all along.<br />
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After the excitement of the first set, we were able to wind down with an intimate set by <b>Meredith Meyer</b>, and she and her guitar enchanted with perfectly crafted folk/pop songs that build on the tradition of the great female singer/songwriters who came to prominence in the late sixties/early seventies, from <b>Joni Mitchell</b> to <b>Melanie</b> to <b>Bonnie Raitt</b> to <b>Stevie Nicks</b>, etc. She seems to have an uncanny talent to compose catchy tunes that never sound derivative and she presents them with a refreshingly unflashy vocal style.<br />
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Personal stories were turning out to be a theme of the evening and the cool, calm, almost stately demeanor of <b>Ms. Meyer</b> offered a wonderful contrast to the previous performer's emotion. She has a steady and confident presence and, though petite in stature, she filled <b>Lot 1</b> with the soft, melodious sound of her reflective and specific songs. The lyrics sound autobiographical in their attention to detail and the exactness of the references to real life. She even has written a song called "Storyteller Girl". That's an apt description.<br />
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Headliner <b>Charlie Clark</b> was next, and even without a full band, the man from Glasgow, with just one accompanist, who added wonderful harmonies as well as playing the harmonium on a couple of songs, presented a well rounded set that incorporated songs from his impressive catalog, as well as a tune that (he said) he had just written that afternoon. His music is a happy collaboration of American roots music and the ancient tradition of early European folk songs. Also a storyteller, he sings song about growing up in Scotland and about living in America with a yearning nostalgia that I found touching.<br />
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He told a familiar story I could relate to about growing up in a picturesque and idyllic pastoral location, but filled with people he couldn't wait to get away from. Afterward, he and I talked about how I empathized with the childhood spent in a kind of environmental paradise (in my case a seacoast town near Cape Cod) and the ever-gnawing need to get the fuck away. I mean, there was no where to go but OUT. So his song reflect a kind of restless desire for growth and new experiences, cogently told. I look forward to hearing him play with his full band.<br />
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And finally <b>Jill Avilez</b> took the stage to shake the very foundations of <b>Lot 1</b> with a sultry, sexy and sly solo performance that made the hair on the back of you neck stand straight up. Armed with her tall upright double bass violin, which she strokes and strummed and plucked and slapped, she lets her heroic voice steer the songs. Ironic humor laces her lyrics which are already wry takes on life, love and other things, and which are complimented by the swaggering personality of the singer. She can purr and coo or let loose with a piecing bellow that keeps you on the edge of your seat (if one were sitting).<br />
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It was a swinging and seductive set that the audience just ate up. <b>Teena May</b> came back in and became an enthusiastic supporter on the spot. Admitting to me later that she had been nervous about playing solo, Jill must have found the overwhelming appreciation of the people who had stayed enough to assuage that fear. It was a hair raising ending to the night. I'm looking forward to booking her four other bands this year.<br />
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Of all the <b>Feed Your Head</b> shows I've done (and that's now over 30) this was one of my favorites. A big thanks to <b>Rebecca Balin</b> for the line up and huge gratitude to the wonderful performers who gave so much for us to enjoy. And thanks to Eileen and Jason for their hospitality, as always. And Sean Guerin for sound duties, always the best.<br />
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whrabbit Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2451948109805231585.post-76910583372717457032014-01-06T19:57:00.004-08:002014-01-06T20:30:53.105-08:00Starting the New Year Right, Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've apparently made an unconscious New Year's resolution to dive in head first and get out to more shows this year. Apropos to this revelation I went out last Friday night to see the fabulous <b>FOMO Festival 2014</b> taking place at <b>The Echo</b> and <b>Echoplex</b>. 'FOMO' stands for Fear Of Missing Out, and this also fit in with my desire to catch up with the numerous recently sprouted bands that have cropped up over the past couple of years that I have been missing out on.<br />
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One of the main attractions was <b>Avid Dancer</b>, who I HAVE seen a few times already, but as they are making incredible strides with each performance, it's worthwhile to check in with them every few weeks.<br />
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Quite a large crowd was gathered at the entrance to the upstairs/downstairs club when I got there around 9:40, and once I got in, <b>Kera and the Lesbians</b> was holding the whole <b>Echo</b> audience in the palm of their hands. This is a band whose lead singer, Kera Armendariz, is a ball of pure energy, and whose impressive guitar and voice punctuates the music with a fierce and electric stage personality. Part funk and all rock, this band has talent to spare and there wasn't a soft spot in the portion of the set I got to witness. They are unique and memorable.<br />
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Knowing that there was no way to enjoy all the bands performing that evening, I opted to focus on particular sets. Next up was <b>Lo-Fang</b>, downstairs in the <b>Echoplex</b>. But before they took the stage there was a spoken word artist named <b>John Tottenham</b>, who recited some wonderful and bizarre pieces that hovered close to the edge of tasteless, but were so truthful and highly humorous that it was just kind of wonderful.<br />
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<b>Matthew Hemerlein</b> is the mastermind behind the band <b>Lo-Fang</b>. With a voice that sounds classically trained and an equally adept talent for the violin and guitar, he commands full attention because you don't want to miss one note of his beautifully complex compositions. Accompanied by a keyboardist and drummer and occasional pre-recordings, the three build gorgeous, swirling arrangements that easily move from synthy/dreamy/dance music to a classically structured adagio for strings, all tethered to Matthew's phenomenal voice which never sounds forced or over done. I was totally blown away.<br />
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They were a tough act to follow, but <b>Avid Dancer</b> was up to the challenge...and then some. Jacob Dillan Summers has fashioned music that recalls the best of sixties pop and tangled it up with melodious contemporary indie rock and the result is magic in the ears. The songs shimmer and shine with a hazy psychedelic ambiance as he discusses love, life, hope, disappointment, and trying to fill prescriptions.<br />
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I've known Jacob for a while now and had enjoyed his former band, <b>The Rhone Occupation</b>, but here he leaps to a whole other level. And each time I see them there is marked improvement, even though each time I was convinced they were at the top of their game. Where they go from here is anyone's guess.<br />
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Final band, <b>Fever The Ghost</b>, came on around midnight and sounded like a shot of adrenaline, but I had to get home to have energy for my <b>Feed Your Head</b> show the next night, so I couldn't stay. But they have a date at <b>Bootleg Bar</b> next Thursday, January 16th, on a bill with <b>Nightmare and the Cat</b>, <b>Carina Round</b> and <b>The Peach Kings</b>, so there's hope. That sounds like a great show.<br />
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Part 2 coming soon...<br />
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whrabbitBradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541626866535388843noreply@blogger.com0