Norton Records' 25th Anniversary looked like a great time. Lots of great rock and soul acts, all over the course of a single weekend in NYC.
However, for a variety of reasons, the weekend didn't pan out for me, and I had to pass - with the exception of the Sonics Saturday matinee show at Maxwell's in Hoboken.
I saw the Sonics in 2007 at Warsaw in Brooklyn, where they appeared at part of the Cavestomp! festival. It was the first show they had done in over 30 years, and it was quite the event to their cult following. Thankfully, unlike many reunited bands, the Sonics delivered a good performance, even though they were without their original rhythm section.
Now, four years later, here they are at Maxwell's, with another new bass player. Don Wilhelm (of 60's Northwest band the Daily Flash) had been replaced by Freddy Dennis. No matter - they sounded as good as, if not better than, they did at Warsaw.
Dennis took the lead vocal on a few songs, including "Cinderella." He did a fine job - on "Dirty Robber," he sounded eerily like late Wailers keyboardist/vocalist Kent Morrill - but I really wish Sonics mainman Gerry Roslie had tackled at least "Cinderella." (He hadn't sung it at Warsaw, either - Wilhelm did.)
Speaking of Roslie, he sang great when he did sing, and the band as whole seemed relaxed and confident.
They also did four new songs, which they played well, but none of them were a match for the old classics, and they definitely sounded more like 70's hard rock than 60's garage-punk. My friend Matt Berlyant liked them more than I did, so I'd recommend his Big Takeover write-up if you want to find out more about them. Still, all and all, well worth the trip to Hoboken.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
None More Blacklight, or, How I Spent My Friday
I'm actually still stunned by this...
I received an e-mail from Ben Brower a couple of weeks ago. In it, I was asked if I wanted to play keyboards on a few songs for a Spinal Tap tribute on 11/11/11.
I was surprised to say the least. My last gig where I played keyboards in any capacity was with the Three 4 Tens in London in 2002. I didn't even have a gig-worthy keyboard - however, a friend was thankfully willing to loan me one.
I got to work. I learned every song from the "This Is Spinal Tap" album, plus "Bitch School" from their comeback "Break Like The Wind" CD.
I quickly noticed that Spinal Tap songs are not easy to play. I had to work harder than I would have ever imagined. Every song has at least one tricky muso-part that's somehow essential.
The whole gig was quite an undertaking. There were over a dozen players. I ended up playing on every song with the exception of Wastoid's one-off performance (and the only non-Spinal Tap tune) of "Get On Top," which was played by a conglomeration of two Wastoid lineups.
Anyway... It was an absolute blast. The place was packed and the crowd absolutely dug it. I realized right before we started playing that, 27 years into my musical performance "career" that this was the first gig I had ever played where the only instrument I played was keyboards. I also sang - I belted a lead vocal on "Sex Farm" and covered the David St. Hubbins parts on "Stonehenge", "Hell Hole" and "America."
This was the first time I had played with my former Three 4 Tens bandmate Jon Kois in 10 years. He was always a good drummer - but he's even better now.
I knew going into this gig that it was going to be my last gig of any sort for a while. I need some time off to rest, recover, and figure out my next move. I was able to play with a lot of talented, amazing people - really, I couldn't ask for a better one before a hiatus.
I received an e-mail from Ben Brower a couple of weeks ago. In it, I was asked if I wanted to play keyboards on a few songs for a Spinal Tap tribute on 11/11/11.
I was surprised to say the least. My last gig where I played keyboards in any capacity was with the Three 4 Tens in London in 2002. I didn't even have a gig-worthy keyboard - however, a friend was thankfully willing to loan me one.
I got to work. I learned every song from the "This Is Spinal Tap" album, plus "Bitch School" from their comeback "Break Like The Wind" CD.
I quickly noticed that Spinal Tap songs are not easy to play. I had to work harder than I would have ever imagined. Every song has at least one tricky muso-part that's somehow essential.
The whole gig was quite an undertaking. There were over a dozen players. I ended up playing on every song with the exception of Wastoid's one-off performance (and the only non-Spinal Tap tune) of "Get On Top," which was played by a conglomeration of two Wastoid lineups.
Anyway... It was an absolute blast. The place was packed and the crowd absolutely dug it. I realized right before we started playing that, 27 years into my musical performance "career" that this was the first gig I had ever played where the only instrument I played was keyboards. I also sang - I belted a lead vocal on "Sex Farm" and covered the David St. Hubbins parts on "Stonehenge", "Hell Hole" and "America."
This was the first time I had played with my former Three 4 Tens bandmate Jon Kois in 10 years. He was always a good drummer - but he's even better now.
I knew going into this gig that it was going to be my last gig of any sort for a while. I need some time off to rest, recover, and figure out my next move. I was able to play with a lot of talented, amazing people - really, I couldn't ask for a better one before a hiatus.
Friday, October 28, 2011
NPR's 8 Completely Embarrassing Music Videos
OK... As I am enough of a geezer to remember these glorious clips from such sources as WPHL-17's "Video Rock" and ABC-TV's "Friday Night Videos," I will give you my thoughts on each - from then, without the benefit of hindsight, of from rose-colored glasses, because I was still waiting for them to come in. After all, the comic book said it would take 6-8 weeks for them to arrive. Oh, right - the link is here:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/10/28/141798852/8-completely-embarrassing-music-videos
1) Hall & Oates, "Adult Education": Not sure what's going on here. What does Oates do? To go by this video, J. Oates : D. Hall :: A. Ridgeley : G. Michael. Are they a couple? (In the early 80's, that mustache usually indicated homosexuality - and the album cover for "H2O," where they are all sweaty and their faces are inches away from each other, certainly skewed things that way.)
2) Loverboy, "Hot Girls In Love": My (three years older) sister loved these guys. She had a poster of Mike Reno on her bedroom wall. Me, I'm still puzzled. I had no feelings about them whatsoever then, and little has changed. Is a bandanna really a trademark?
3) Scandal, "The Warrior": Don't remember the video at all, but I definitely remember the song. They later became "Patty Smyth and Scandal." Radio DJ's always made sure to tell you it was Patty SMYTH and not Patti SMITH. Did anyone really confuse the two?
4) Toto, "Hydra": I have never heard/seen this song before. According to Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, "We spent millions on shitty videos, and they'd never get shown. It's like, 'Why don't I just take $50,000 into the backyard and light it on fire?'" Go fuck yerself, Steve. Your videos for "Rosanna" and "Africa" were EVERYWHERE. Sorry you spent all the money on coke. Also, two mediocre keyboardists do not add up to one good one - just ask the early-90's Grateful Dead.
5) Stevie Nicks, "Stand Back", with - what would be it be, actor's? singer's? unwitting participant's commentary?: "We were young" = "We were out of our minds on cocaine and who knows what else." Her manager was right. I have no further comment, your honor.
6) Run-DMC - "Rock Box": I am really tired of this "it wasn't our idea!" crap. You made your bed, now lie in it. This one could have been much worse, but probably not better. Why did every guitar player make those constipated faces in 1984? What was the purpose of pretending that the only folks at a Run-DMC show - which was, apparently, happening at a CBGB's near you - be white? (Hey - franchising ahead of its time!) As far as songs go - leaving video aside - this is my favorite on the list so far.
7) Journey, "Separate Ways": Oh, here we go again. Keyboardist says they're "anti-video," but a video exists nonetheless. Glad to see Steve Perry shopped at Chess King. Bass player is working the porn-star (or over-21 underage-date-rapist with weed, booze and van) look, and you gotta dig the keyboard player's Viv Savage-esque decision to mount his keyboard on the wall. I don't hate this song, primarily because the older, cute, denim-jacket clad, maybe-stoner girls at my high school all seemed to love this band. They never gave me the time of day, but their hair was feathered immaculately, and they sure looked cute in jeans. What was I talking about again?'
8) Heart, "Never": Hey Nancy, per your comments, I do not mean to take anything away from your rack - I have always enjoyed viewing it, and I'll forgive you for that whole Cameron Crowe thing, and I doubt I would have been able to sit through the "These Dreams" video without it even once - but it was the focus not just because it was nice but also because your, uh, directors took every means necessary to hide the fact that your sister was overweight. Take comfort in the realization that your 80's look has "inspired" Taylor Swift in every conceivable way. Oh, the song? It ain't much.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/10/28/141798852/8-completely-embarrassing-music-videos
1) Hall & Oates, "Adult Education": Not sure what's going on here. What does Oates do? To go by this video, J. Oates : D. Hall :: A. Ridgeley : G. Michael. Are they a couple? (In the early 80's, that mustache usually indicated homosexuality - and the album cover for "H2O," where they are all sweaty and their faces are inches away from each other, certainly skewed things that way.)
2) Loverboy, "Hot Girls In Love": My (three years older) sister loved these guys. She had a poster of Mike Reno on her bedroom wall. Me, I'm still puzzled. I had no feelings about them whatsoever then, and little has changed. Is a bandanna really a trademark?
3) Scandal, "The Warrior": Don't remember the video at all, but I definitely remember the song. They later became "Patty Smyth and Scandal." Radio DJ's always made sure to tell you it was Patty SMYTH and not Patti SMITH. Did anyone really confuse the two?
4) Toto, "Hydra": I have never heard/seen this song before. According to Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, "We spent millions on shitty videos, and they'd never get shown. It's like, 'Why don't I just take $50,000 into the backyard and light it on fire?'" Go fuck yerself, Steve. Your videos for "Rosanna" and "Africa" were EVERYWHERE. Sorry you spent all the money on coke. Also, two mediocre keyboardists do not add up to one good one - just ask the early-90's Grateful Dead.
5) Stevie Nicks, "Stand Back", with - what would be it be, actor's? singer's? unwitting participant's commentary?: "We were young" = "We were out of our minds on cocaine and who knows what else." Her manager was right. I have no further comment, your honor.
6) Run-DMC - "Rock Box": I am really tired of this "it wasn't our idea!" crap. You made your bed, now lie in it. This one could have been much worse, but probably not better. Why did every guitar player make those constipated faces in 1984? What was the purpose of pretending that the only folks at a Run-DMC show - which was, apparently, happening at a CBGB's near you - be white? (Hey - franchising ahead of its time!) As far as songs go - leaving video aside - this is my favorite on the list so far.
7) Journey, "Separate Ways": Oh, here we go again. Keyboardist says they're "anti-video," but a video exists nonetheless. Glad to see Steve Perry shopped at Chess King. Bass player is working the porn-star (or over-21 underage-date-rapist with weed, booze and van) look, and you gotta dig the keyboard player's Viv Savage-esque decision to mount his keyboard on the wall. I don't hate this song, primarily because the older, cute, denim-jacket clad, maybe-stoner girls at my high school all seemed to love this band. They never gave me the time of day, but their hair was feathered immaculately, and they sure looked cute in jeans. What was I talking about again?'
8) Heart, "Never": Hey Nancy, per your comments, I do not mean to take anything away from your rack - I have always enjoyed viewing it, and I'll forgive you for that whole Cameron Crowe thing, and I doubt I would have been able to sit through the "These Dreams" video without it even once - but it was the focus not just because it was nice but also because your, uh, directors took every means necessary to hide the fact that your sister was overweight. Take comfort in the realization that your 80's look has "inspired" Taylor Swift in every conceivable way. Oh, the song? It ain't much.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
All New Potato Caboose: Wild Flag @ Union Transfer
All right...
First off, let's get the well-deserved venue praise out of the way. Union Transfer is a great place to see a show. Friendly staff, great sound, good sight lines - I love to complain, but y'know, I just can't.
Now... Wild Flag are a pretty damn great psychedelic band - and yes, a psychedelic band is what they are. Granted, my definition of psychedelic may not match yours. It ain't about drugs, son - it's about musical approach - and the Wild Flag gals have that in spades.
Psychedelia also has absolutely nothing to do with extended jams. (The Disco Biscuits, for example, don't have a drop of psych in 'em.) Now, Wild Flag did go off on two occasions - once during "Glass Tambourine," and also "Racehorse" - but their stretching-out never devolved into outright wankery. They ended up in spaces far closer to those inhabited by the '68-era Grateful Dead, or the "Live At Leeds"- era Who - and I see nothing wrong with that. Regardless of extended whatsits, they played well together as a band, and their launches into the unknown wouldn't have meant shite if they weren't completely locked in as a unit. Thankfully, they were.
Rebecca Cole fills the "secret weapon" role in this band just as Seth Justman did in the late (though occasionally revived) J. Geils Band. She has an uncanny ability to inject just THE right elec. piano and/or organ riff when you least expect it, and I could always feel the impact. Janet Weiss' drumming is solid, ballsy and fool-proof - if she reminds me of anyone, it's Roxy Music's Paul Thompson. Mary Timony and Carrie Brownstein did well as singers and guitarists, and they had a lot of onstage interplay. I'm surprised they didn't cross guitars like E. Bloom and Buck Dharma of BOC. The vocals were good as well - I had no idea Timony could be an utterly convincing garage rock snarler?
Also, their songs were pretty killer. Their s/t LP is well worth checking out.
Should I mention that, on top of all this, they're easy on the eyes? I feel that I should.
Opener Eleanor Friedberg was an utter snooze. Never mind how pretty her sky-blue guitar was. She and her band played a bland, mid-tempo set of wanna-be early 80's bottom-of-Kasey Casem's Top 40 fodder. Yawn.
First off, let's get the well-deserved venue praise out of the way. Union Transfer is a great place to see a show. Friendly staff, great sound, good sight lines - I love to complain, but y'know, I just can't.
Now... Wild Flag are a pretty damn great psychedelic band - and yes, a psychedelic band is what they are. Granted, my definition of psychedelic may not match yours. It ain't about drugs, son - it's about musical approach - and the Wild Flag gals have that in spades.
Psychedelia also has absolutely nothing to do with extended jams. (The Disco Biscuits, for example, don't have a drop of psych in 'em.) Now, Wild Flag did go off on two occasions - once during "Glass Tambourine," and also "Racehorse" - but their stretching-out never devolved into outright wankery. They ended up in spaces far closer to those inhabited by the '68-era Grateful Dead, or the "Live At Leeds"- era Who - and I see nothing wrong with that. Regardless of extended whatsits, they played well together as a band, and their launches into the unknown wouldn't have meant shite if they weren't completely locked in as a unit. Thankfully, they were.
Rebecca Cole fills the "secret weapon" role in this band just as Seth Justman did in the late (though occasionally revived) J. Geils Band. She has an uncanny ability to inject just THE right elec. piano and/or organ riff when you least expect it, and I could always feel the impact. Janet Weiss' drumming is solid, ballsy and fool-proof - if she reminds me of anyone, it's Roxy Music's Paul Thompson. Mary Timony and Carrie Brownstein did well as singers and guitarists, and they had a lot of onstage interplay. I'm surprised they didn't cross guitars like E. Bloom and Buck Dharma of BOC. The vocals were good as well - I had no idea Timony could be an utterly convincing garage rock snarler?
Also, their songs were pretty killer. Their s/t LP is well worth checking out.
Should I mention that, on top of all this, they're easy on the eyes? I feel that I should.
Opener Eleanor Friedberg was an utter snooze. Never mind how pretty her sky-blue guitar was. She and her band played a bland, mid-tempo set of wanna-be early 80's bottom-of-Kasey Casem's Top 40 fodder. Yawn.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
First gig for the new band
My new band the Mud Falcons played its first gig on Saturday night, and the gig went really well. I'm really glad they did, as there are nights when I question why I still go out and play gigs. Saturday night was most certainly not one of those.
Don't get me wrong - I always love playing, and I plan to play music as long as I'm physically able. It's the other stuff that gets in the way, and my tolerance for the other stuff has dropped over the years. Sitting in bars for hours on end, crappy food, very little sleep, vans with bench seats that always cause a metal pole to lodge itself in a very uncomfortable place, the mystery band who was not on the website/e-mail from the promoter/newspaper ad but is somehow on the bill nevertheless, driving for 9-1/2 hours only to find the club has no electricity and your gas won't even be covered, being combined in very close quarters with the same people for days at a stretch, ridiculously hirsute male non-promoters in 70's mesh tank tops who can't even provide a functioning PA, bars who don't even give you a buck off their already overpriced drinks, unreasonable bands on the bill - it can all combine to wear you down - and I was most certainly worn down by the end of 2010. My social life was non-existent, my wallet was empty, and I was wondering just exactly what I had to show for it.
That's not to say I didn't have fun on the road - in fact, I usually did. I met a lot of great people that never would have figured into my life otherwise, and there is something exciting about taking your band somewhere where either (1) you're not a known quantity and you might just blow some minds or (2) going back to a town where people know you and are happy to see you. I did, however, reach the point where the cons outweighed the pros.
So, when we started the Mud Falcons, we decided not to tour at all for the first six months of gigging. We'd play locally, and at places that were a very short distance away, and possibly re-evaluate things down the road.
Tritone was the first gig, and while, sure, things were a bit sloppy, everything felt really good. All the things I was sick of handling weren't a factor. No inter-band drama, no 11-hour drive to the show, no payment in cold Tater Tots. We played great and the crowd really dug us. It also helped that we had that sweet middle slot on the bill, and that the other bands (Blessed Muthas and the Tulanes) are cool, down-to-earth folks.
So, we're off to a good start, and our next gig will be... a house party in West Philly? As Steve (Mud Falcons drummer) said, it must be 1985 again.
Don't get me wrong - I always love playing, and I plan to play music as long as I'm physically able. It's the other stuff that gets in the way, and my tolerance for the other stuff has dropped over the years. Sitting in bars for hours on end, crappy food, very little sleep, vans with bench seats that always cause a metal pole to lodge itself in a very uncomfortable place, the mystery band who was not on the website/e-mail from the promoter/newspaper ad but is somehow on the bill nevertheless, driving for 9-1/2 hours only to find the club has no electricity and your gas won't even be covered, being combined in very close quarters with the same people for days at a stretch, ridiculously hirsute male non-promoters in 70's mesh tank tops who can't even provide a functioning PA, bars who don't even give you a buck off their already overpriced drinks, unreasonable bands on the bill - it can all combine to wear you down - and I was most certainly worn down by the end of 2010. My social life was non-existent, my wallet was empty, and I was wondering just exactly what I had to show for it.
That's not to say I didn't have fun on the road - in fact, I usually did. I met a lot of great people that never would have figured into my life otherwise, and there is something exciting about taking your band somewhere where either (1) you're not a known quantity and you might just blow some minds or (2) going back to a town where people know you and are happy to see you. I did, however, reach the point where the cons outweighed the pros.
So, when we started the Mud Falcons, we decided not to tour at all for the first six months of gigging. We'd play locally, and at places that were a very short distance away, and possibly re-evaluate things down the road.
Tritone was the first gig, and while, sure, things were a bit sloppy, everything felt really good. All the things I was sick of handling weren't a factor. No inter-band drama, no 11-hour drive to the show, no payment in cold Tater Tots. We played great and the crowd really dug us. It also helped that we had that sweet middle slot on the bill, and that the other bands (Blessed Muthas and the Tulanes) are cool, down-to-earth folks.
So, we're off to a good start, and our next gig will be... a house party in West Philly? As Steve (Mud Falcons drummer) said, it must be 1985 again.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Group Doueh, Johnny Brenda's, July 3, 2011
Odd week... Three shows I wanted to see, all at Johnny Brenda's, which is conveniently located in my neighborhood.
Group Doueh are a guitar-driven band from the Western Sahara. I've been a fan of theirs for a few years now. I was pleasantly surprised to discover they would be playing at JB's on 4th of July weekend. I attended a BBQ in the Great Northeast, then hopped a ride over to the show.
Johnny Brenda's was packed to the gills. I can't say I expected that.
Group Doeuh put on a good show. The band was minimal - main guy on guitar, a keyboardist, and three women on percussion, one of whom doubled as their vocalist. M. Doueh had an immaculate sense of timing as a rhythm guitarist, and his leads stretched into Zappa/Hendrix territory, with a bit of Garcia randomness thrown in.
There were some chaotic moments, but once that band locked into a groove, they sure could ride it. (I'm told that their usual drummer, Doueh's son, could not make the tour as his high school graduation was impending.)
The crowd, on the other hand... Utterly bizarre...
There was such an extreme amount of reverence in the room. It reminded me of the crowds who went to see the dearly departed Grateful Dead in 1994 and 1995, in that what was going on onstage didn't matter so long as the performers were present ON the stage. There were, in fact, two separate occasions where Group Doueh tuned for 25-30 seconds, and at completion of said tuning, the crowd went nuts as if they had just played a great song.
I don't wish to diminish the good show that Group Doueh put on, but man, can we treat these folks like any other band? They've certainly got the chops and songs to stand up against anybody on the club circuit.
Next in the series: Khaira Arby...
Group Doueh are a guitar-driven band from the Western Sahara. I've been a fan of theirs for a few years now. I was pleasantly surprised to discover they would be playing at JB's on 4th of July weekend. I attended a BBQ in the Great Northeast, then hopped a ride over to the show.
Johnny Brenda's was packed to the gills. I can't say I expected that.
Group Doeuh put on a good show. The band was minimal - main guy on guitar, a keyboardist, and three women on percussion, one of whom doubled as their vocalist. M. Doueh had an immaculate sense of timing as a rhythm guitarist, and his leads stretched into Zappa/Hendrix territory, with a bit of Garcia randomness thrown in.
There were some chaotic moments, but once that band locked into a groove, they sure could ride it. (I'm told that their usual drummer, Doueh's son, could not make the tour as his high school graduation was impending.)
The crowd, on the other hand... Utterly bizarre...
There was such an extreme amount of reverence in the room. It reminded me of the crowds who went to see the dearly departed Grateful Dead in 1994 and 1995, in that what was going on onstage didn't matter so long as the performers were present ON the stage. There were, in fact, two separate occasions where Group Doueh tuned for 25-30 seconds, and at completion of said tuning, the crowd went nuts as if they had just played a great song.
I don't wish to diminish the good show that Group Doueh put on, but man, can we treat these folks like any other band? They've certainly got the chops and songs to stand up against anybody on the club circuit.
Next in the series: Khaira Arby...
Yes, I'm blogging now
The world needed more internet rantings, so I am now in on it. I'm not entirely sure why.
I'll write about music, and some other stuff. I will not give releases by musicians letter grades. I may write to say what certain musical releases mean to me. I will give my opinion on live shows. And I may just write about other stuff.
I will not write about my day job. It ain't gonna happen.
I'll write about music, and some other stuff. I will not give releases by musicians letter grades. I may write to say what certain musical releases mean to me. I will give my opinion on live shows. And I may just write about other stuff.
I will not write about my day job. It ain't gonna happen.
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