Jonas Brothers dig '80s music
The Jonas Brothers Thursday night at Nokia Theatre. (Randy Eli Grothe/DMN)
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The Jonas Brothers Thursday night at Nokia Theatre. (Randy Eli Grothe/DMN)
Did you get tickets to the sold-out show tonight at Nokia Theatre? Parents, what did you go through to get tickets? Tell us your story.
And if you're one of the lucky ticket holders, don't forget to come back and tell us how the show went. If you're not, you can still shriek-and-freak when the bros come back to town next Tuesday.
I'm kinda' excited about Nick Lowe (real rock 'n roll royalty) coming to the Sons of Hermann Hall on April 17. (Presented by Mike Snider / Allgood Cafe.) I'm thinking a long neck, a wooden dance floor and "Cruel to Be Kind" is my kinda' night.
These gals are fun ... but don't mess with them. (Courtesy)
I've been in touch with Darcy, the extremely happy Barry Manilow fan who was brought up on stage for a dance during his Tuesday-night concert. She's desperately looking for a photo and/or video of her big moment. If you were in the audience that night and caught Barry and Darcy with your camera, please give me a holler, and I'll put you in touch with her.
She performed last night at Nokia Theatre — did you go? How was it? Tell us what you thought.
Did you attend the concert last night at American Airlines Center? Share some highs and lows of the show with us.
As if the announcements of concerts featuring Celine Dion, Alicia Keys/Jordin Sparks, Roger Waters, Bob Dylan and Kanye West/Rihanna within the past two weeks weren't enough, we get these gems from the Live Nation branch of the grapevine this morning:
Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige are pairing up for a 25-date "Heart of the City Tour" (c'mon: you playas can do better than that cheesy title!) that'll swing through Starp -- oops: I mean the Superpages.com Center on April 12. Tickets, which will range from $35.25 to (gulp) $250, will go on sale Feb. 23 at 10 a.m. through da 'master. Be wary, though: big-money bank Citi is underwriting the tour, and Citi credit card holders will get first crack at tickets beginning on Feb. 20.
That news only slightly dwarfs word that the Police will swing back through town one last time on May 21. Thankfully, this gig won't feature Sting's offspring in the opening act: Elvis Costello and the Imposters will support the Superpages.com Center date, tickets for which will go on sale Feb. 23 at noon through Ticketmaster. Prices? $40 for lawn seats, $225 near the stage. And get this: Citi is also underwriting this victory-lap leg of the Police's world tour, and card holders get first crack at tickets even before Police fan club members. Priorities, priorities ...
DJ Roxy Cottontail (Noel Spirandelli)
• Read: Lesley's Q&A with the DJ
Just down the pike within the past hour: two huge concert announcements, one in a few months and one very, very, very soon.
First, the quickie: three nights at House of Blues' Music Hall by none other than Bob Dylan, beginning a week from Thursday. The Feb. 21-23 shows are a warm-up for a Central and South American jaunt by he and his Band that will last through March 20. Don't panic, you've got time -- tickets for all three shows won't go on sale until Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster (they'll cost $59.50). But do note that the Feb. 22 show will start at 7 p.m., whereas the other two won't commence until 8 p.m.
Now, the other one: Kanye West will bring his Glow in the Dark Tour through SuperPages.com Center (formerly Smirnoff Music Centre) on May 1, and he's bringing "Umbrella" girl Rihanna, sk8er-boi rapper Lupe Fiasco and hip-hop collective N.E.R.D. with him. Tickets will start at $29.50 (lawn) and $34.50 and will go on sale Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. thru da 'master. Word!
Why? 'Cause Roger Waters is coming to town.
Just announced about 10 minutes ago: Dallas will be one of only four U.S. stops for Mr. Waters' raved-about and semi-controversial Dark Side of the Moon Live Tour, which features the ex-Floyd mastermind's take on both the seminal progressive arena rock band's greatest hits and a front-to-back, sequential performance of the band's mega-selling 1973 opus, The Dark Side of the Moon.
The concert will be May 2 at the Superpages.com Center (er, formerly Smirnoff Music Centre and longingly referred to as Starplex in the interest of avoiding a twist of the tongue). Tickets -- no word yet on pricing -- will go on sale on Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. through (who else?) Ticketmaster.
Easy, Tiger. (KRT)
The best:
To watch U2's 2002 performance, click here.
To watch Prince's peformance from last year, click here.
To watch the Rolling Stones from 2006, click here.
The worst:
To watch Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, click here. (remember what you're about to see)
To watch Aerosmith and 'N Sync from 2001, click here.
And finally, for Christina Aguilera and Phil Collins, click here.
• Story: The best and the worst of the Super Bowl halftime show
So, what does your best/worst list looks like?
Did you go to the show Sunday night? I'm curious … who brought it better, Wyclef or Lyfe Jennings? Tell us what else you thought of the concert.
David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen on the same stage together? And what about Eddie's 16-year-old son as bass player? (I said drummer before — geez, a slip of the keys, people!) We want to know if Saturday night's concert had you Dancing in the Streets! Hot for Teacher! If it was the Best of Both Worlds! If it made you wanna Jump!
But if Jamie's Cryin' (this is so fun!) because she didn't get to see the show, tell her not to. Van Halen's coming back to the AAC in March for a second concert.
Also, tell us if you liked the opening act, Ky-Mani Marley.
Jonathan Byrd (courtesy of artist)
Did you attend the concert Wednesday night? Thumbs up or down?
If you think you're a Fighter yourself, take Mike's quiz on all things Foo.
Ky-Mani Marley (from his myspace)
Listen to the music of a few Marley spawn. My picks are Stephen and Damian:
More Marley trivia you may or may not know: Lauryn Hill has five kids with former U of Miami linebacker Rohan Marley.
The Feb. 28 concert scheduled for Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie sold out quickly, so the Radio Disney darlings have added another Nokia show on March 4.
DMN special contributor Lorrie Irby Jackson recently chatted on the phone with Stephanie Mills. Here's her story and interview.
Stephanie Mills is not your average R&B diva. Performing since the age of 9, she first appeared on Broadway in the musical Maggie Flynn, but will forever be associated with her depiction of Dorothy in The Wiz, the African-American adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, and her signature, soul-shattering version of its closing number, "Home.”
In addition to recording with the Peabo Bryson, Teddy Pendergrass and Robert Brookins, Ms. Mills' buoyant, bubbly soprano has anchored hits like “I’ve Learned to Respect the Power Of Love," "I Feel Good All Over," “(You’re Puttin’) A Rush on Me” and “Never Knew Love Like This Before,” to name a few.
Appearing in Dallas tonight with the Whispers and After 7, the 50-year-old soul survivor, now based out of Charlotte, N.C., chatted by phone recently about her latest projects, why she gets choked up over Britney Spears and the most significant role that she’s ever played (hint, it’s out of the glare of the spotlight).
Here are Ms. Mills' answers to our Q&A:
Listen to jazz guitarist Bill Frisell perform on his Myspace page or watch him on YouTube.
Also, the Bill Frisell Trio performs at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Dan's Silver Leaf in Denton. $20 to $25.
• Story: Read Thor's "Guitarist Bill Frisell's diverse styles defy his jazz label"
Through this Thursday at 4 p.m., you can get two free tickets to the Jan. 20 Black Music and the Civil Rights Movement concert at the Meyerson in exchange for two clean gently used or new coats (there is a limit of two tickets per family). The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Good Morning America and Burlington Coat Factory have teamed up to collect coats for the those in need. For more info, call 214-743-2506.
Expect more local mayhem thanks to the Jonas boys. (Jim Mahoney/DMN)
Mario, Mike and Thor don't just hash about whose stock is going to soar in 2008, they tell you who deserves greatness this year. Listen to the artists' music and tell us what you think.
• Story: The next big names in Texas music
Listen to the critics' picks
• Ryan Bingham
• Fishboy
• Future Clouds & Radar
• Chris Holt and the Slack (or check them out here)
• Nikki McKibbin
• Jackson Taylor
• Jonathan Tyler
• Arthur Yoria (or check him out here)
• Zykos
Do you think the guys missed any Texas acts destined for greatness this year?
Granted, there are TWO on our list, for Christmas day-proper. That proves how things get a little dry on the local music scene on the days immediately around Dec. 25, but there's still plenty to catch throughout the next week.
(mariva.com)
• Mr. Dallas: Dive into New Year's Eve
• Holiday planner
What's the deal for that last night of '07? Got plans yet? Share.
For the second year, How the Edge Stole Christmas was split across two nights: Friday for the indie kids, Saturday for the hard rockers. Which show did you see? Was it worth the price of admission? Share your thoughts on the best and the worst and everything in between at the annual Edge holiday show.
Check back Saturday and Sunday to see Mike Daniel's take on both shows.
Need a little road trip this weekend? Check out modern electric blues/Americana artist Ruthie Foster just 90 miles east of here in Winnsboro at Crossroads Coffeehouse, which we recently wrote about. Our essential assessment? Some wonderful live music acts come through every weekend, and the venue itself is every bit as small-Texas-town cool as you please.
• Ruthie Foster, Emily Elbert perform Saturday in Winnsboro
• Cozy concert halls draw big names to small-town Texas
The new wave band performed with James Blunt during radio station "Mix" 102.9 FM's annual holiday concert. Did you go? Comment below and tell us how it went.
• Review
Good clean fun for the kiddies: Katelyn Hubbard and Dezi Eriksson dance to live music last year at Rock Steady. (DMN / File 2006)
For those of you who don't fall into any of these categories ... got any suggestions for soon-to-be-orphaned-teen-nightclub-goers?
• Story: Teen nightclub Rock Steady may close
Here's a little best bet for alt. country fans for this Friday night. I'd been meaning to write something about Randy Weeks at Allgood Cafe (coming up this Fri., Dec. 14) and I was having a hard time getting a toe hold on how to explain Mr. Weeks' music to Dallas folks (at least ones who dig roots rock and alt. country).
But I stumbled on something that I didn't know until now. Randy Weeks was 1/2 of the Lonesome Strangers (frontmen were Jeff Rymes and Randy Weeks), a rootsy cow-billy band from the late 80s LA scene. Mr. Weeks is now (obviously) gone solo.
Dallasites who listened to the KNON FM (89.3) country and rock shows back in the late 80s and early 90s will remember a song that we DJs used to play and play: "We Used to Fuss." That song pops into my head occassionally to this day - usually if I've done something outdoors that involves drinking and relieving one's self (see why, in my attempt at the lyrics in extended entry).
Fans would probably have to twist Mr. Weeks' arm really hard to get him to play that one live this Friday (he may have left that repertoire behind). But his solo stuff is singable, too: His "Can't Let Go" was on Lucinda Williams' Car Wheels on a Gravel Road - very catchy.
The three surviving original members of Led Zeppelin took the stage Monday night for a much-hyped reunion concert in London. Would you have forked over the $250 each for tickets? Would you still do it if they planned more concerts? Which bands would you shell out the big bucks to see reunited on stage?
Two nights of music by the Motown genius — last night and Thursday (tonight) at Nokia. If you attended, comment below and give us your review.
• Show info
• Our review
Did you go to the Billy Joel show Tuesday night? If you did, comment and give us your review.
The very Men In Trees John Gorka (Ann Marsden)
In other folkie news ... Minnesota folk artist John Gorka (a not-too-hard-on-the-eyes folk artist, too, if I may) performs Saturday at Jefferson Freedom Cafe, another acoustic coffeehouse mainstay.
• Story: John Gorka keeps coffeehouses filled to the brim
• Also online: Dallas/Fort Worth-area church coffeehouses
Commenter Okkervil River, below (are you a fan of Okkervil River or, like, actually part of the band? Curious), reminded me of a big bit of music news we didn't blog about. We covered the death of Casey Calvert on the website and in the band's event record (they were going to perform here Monday), but didn't make mention of it here. But I'm curious — who was planning to attend the HH concert next week?
Billy Joe Shaver (Allison V. Smith / DMN)
For those of you asking, "Billy Joe who?" ... His honky-tonk, athentico country influenced the likes of Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard back in the '70s. Without Billy Joe, there might not have been the Willie-as-we-know-him-today. Which would have been a terrible thing.
How was the songbird's show at Nokia Theatre Saturday night?
Did hometown girl Kelly Clarkson rock Nokia Theatre? Let us know.
You knew it'd happen. Bruce Springsteen's bringing the E Street gang to Dallas for a concert on April 13. The venue's not set yet, but judging from the sites listed for his tour's second leg, it'll be a big arena and not a mid-sized spot such as Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie.
What still bums me out: Van Halen still hasn't added Dallas to its ongoing reunion tour. Houston is now on the docket (Jan. 28 at the Toyota Center; tickets go on sale Dec. 1), as is Oklahoma City (Jan. 22 at Ford Center; tickets will be available on Dec. 8), but nothing here. Looks like if you're hot for teacher, you'll have to road trip it.
Kanye broke down Saturday night while trying to perform his song "Hey Mama" in Paris.
The funeral for his mom, Donda West, is tomorrow in Oklahoma City.
After 20 years, the Smashing Pumpkins can still fill a venue, eh? Did you go to Sunday night's show at Nokia? Comment with your Smashing review below.
Metro reporter Deborah Fleck follows up on last night's Hannah extravaganza:
The kids going on Kidd Kraddick’s trip to Disney World today got a special treat. The Jonas Brothers surprised them with a quick visit. Kevin, Joe and Nick were at the KISS-FM studios in Las Colinas this morning, and when they heard about the Kidd’s Kids event, agreed to stop by on their way to Bossier City for a concert. Nick told the kids he also has a chronic disease —diabetes. And older brother Kevin wished the kids a great trip. “God bless you guys,” Kevin said. “And know that we really care.”
Then the brothers posed for photos with every family. They also posed with several Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and a few Chick-fil-A cows. Southwest Airlines provides the plane and held the going-away festivities in one of its Love Field hangars. After Bossier City, the brothers next head to Los Angeles for the AMA Awards on Sunday.
Did you see Miley and the Jonas Brothers at their sold-out Fort Worth show? How was it? Comment below and let us know.
Also:
• Other Hannah Montana posts
• Other Jonas Brothers posts
... (and the parents of all Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus fans): Hannah/Miley mania will descend on Fort Worth this week, and what with fans going crazy and tickets going for equally crazy prices, we want to know:
What do you think of all the Hannah hype?
Whose music do you like better?
Looking for that special way to buy the love of your tween daughter? Today is your lucky day, as a limited number of tickets to the sold out Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus show will be sold Wednesday morning at 10. This happens from time to time when a tour figures out exactly how the staging will fit in a venue -- sometimes the stage takes up less space than thought, hence the extra tickets. Those tickets will be available through ticketmaster at either ticketmaster.com or by calling 214-373-8000. You'll have to pick 'em up at will call the night of the show (Nov. 14) beginning at 5:30 (remember to bring that ID and credit card you bought them with to prove it's you), and there's a 4 ticket limit. Good luck.
So, I drove over to Fort Worth Friday night to check out the Gretchen Peters show. Great show. But it was also an opportunity to check out McDavid Studio, the acoustic venue across the street from Bass Performance Hall. I was a bit disappointed with McDavid. They've done a beautiful job creating the space -- it appears they remodeled an existing building to create a small, intimate venue -- but the room was cold, and they were selling only soft drinks and alcohol. I really missed the warmth and intimacy of Uncle Calvin's. There was no coffee, much less the three or four exotic gourmet brands they have at Uncle Calvin's, and of course, none of those delectable pastries either. Even the Jefferson Freedom Cafe in Fort Worth has those. If the McDavid improves the food and drink situation, it might be a better fit. The acoustics were great. The sound could not have been better, and every time I go to downtown Fort Worth, it reminds me of what downtown Dallas is not.
Errr ... wrong blog? Naww, this is the right one ...
I took in the last hour of ZZ Top's shotgun show at Nokia Theatre last night, expecting fireworks, megawatts of flashing lights, vintage hot rods and women who know how to use their legs. I really saw only one of those things (the cars), and most of those were parked outside.
For a band that's known for milking the "everything's bigger in Texas" aesthetic for every ounce that it's worth, ZZ Top's DVD filming session at Nokia was disarmingly subdued. The stage setup was minimal though cool: dual asymmetrical tweed-colored amp stacks, an LED-curtain backdrop and big rig exhaust pipe-look mike stands that doubled as tube lights. The crowd was subdued, too, considering that they all knew they were being filmed; that the average age was in the 40s definitely had something to do with it. Guitarist Billy Gibbons appeared a tad frustrated with it, too: "Help me out here, just once," he pleaded just before playing "Gimme All Your Lovin'".
The two-hour set's second half had glitches as well as highlights, too. The bad: Mr. Gibbons let his verse chords ring during "Sharp Dressed Man," robbing the song of much of its drama; "Rough Boy" came off as half-conceived, especially since portions of the crowd decided to sit or leave; feedback and poor soundboard work ruined the set's closer, "Legs." The good: Mr. Gibbons' awesome slide playing during "Just Got Paid" and a terrific closing medley of "Tube Snake Boogie," "La Grange" and "Tush."
Weekend rescheduling alert: Smashing Pumpkins has postponed its concert this Saturday, Nov. 3 at Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie to Nov. 18.
On Oct. 30, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was hospitalized for chest discomfort in Atlanta. Though an angiogram revealed a partially blocked artery, he was released on Wednesday but ordered by doctors to rest for a week.
“The good news is that my heart checked out. No damage,” Mr. Chamberlin wrote in a message to fans on the Smashing Pumpkins’ web site. “[It’s] basically a small build up of plaque on one of my arteries. This combined with stress, fatigue and all of the other good things that go along with being on tour was the cause of my pain.
“It should only be a week or so until J.C. is ready to rock again.”
Shows in Atlanta, Austin and Nashville were also postponed.
Tickets for the Saturday show will be honored on the new date. For more information, contact the lovely lads and lassies at Ticketmaster.
Life Church will be holding its Fall Festival tonight from 6-9. Why should you care? Well, outside of some musical performances and general funitude, the event will feature a drawing for Hannah Montana tickets. That's right -- do no adjust your screen -- I said Hannah Montana tickets. The Church is located at 7850 Davis Blvd in North Richland Hills. For more information, head over to the Life Church Web site at www.lifechurchdfw.com.
Willie Nelson plays Saturday at Smirnoff with some guy named Pat Green.
But first let us know what you're planning to do this weekend!
(Club Dada)
Beard needs you
Deep Ellum loyalists think of John "Beard" Brewer as nothing less than a local music institution. So it's no surprise that they want to help out the longtime Club Dada doorman, who was recently hospitalized and spent some time in ICU after an unexplained seizure. There'll be a "Beard-A-Fit" on Sunday at Dada to assist him with mounting medical bills. Among the acts scheduled to play are the Felons, Brave Combo, Mr. Pink and the Backsliders.
Things start up at 1 p.m. Cover is $10.
Read today's story: Disney marketers making the most of 'Hannah Montana'
The Bomb. Apparently. (AP)
Well how about that Hannah Montana, aka Miley Cyrus, aka "You mean that's Billy Ray Cyrus' daughter?" Her Forth Worth concert in November has been sold out for some time now, and I just saw video about it that drove me nuts.
Parents are frothing at the mouth and paying ticket prices into the $jillions so their daughters can say they saw Billy Ray Cyrus' offspring and her hair extensions in concert. I mean, stubhub.com's got tickets for the Disney star's concert in LA on sale for over $9,000!
What's wrong with people? I'm sure she's a nice girl, and yes, she's immensely popular with the tween set. But even she seems to have some fiscal prudence: "It’s going to be a good show, but I don’t think it’s worth what it’s going for."
What's your take?
• Video: Hannah Montana tickets: Parents and their need to please
• Story: Hannah Montana: Hardest ticket to score
• Blog post: Even Miley thinks the price is too high
While perusing Ticketmaster for Concert Calendar fodder, I stumbled upon this gem: the great Texas rock trio ZZ Top is pit-stopping at Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie on Nov. 1 to shoot footage for a DVD. I guess the Boys Named Gibbons, Hill and Beard are feelin' fresh after a three-and-a-half-month U.S. tour ... No details can be found beyond the fact that tickets are only $25 (!!!) and have been on sale since Saturday; nary a word about it exists on the band's official web site. Sneaky, sneaky ...
I checked out System of a Down front man Serj Tankian's solo gig at the Granada Theater last night ... and was a little underwhelmed. Except for the encore.
The songs are as has been described in other sources; like System of a Down turned down to about 7 instead of 10, but with more direct political and personal content and less sheer and gratutitous goofiness. On-a-dime dynamics changes, intriguing pacing and Mr. Tankian's monophonic and wavy Armenian folk-inspired singing are all part of his deal by his lonesome. Mr. Tankian's stage presence was authoritative, but he rarely escaped from an stolid and statuesque -- dare I say operatic? I do! -- stage-front stance during the set's nine songs, and that was not offset by his relatively static but hyper-taut backing band, the F.C.C. (Primus' Larry LaLonde was his usual bashful and supportive self to Mr. Tankian's left). Also, Mr. Tankian's voice was not always on key, though with some of the leaps he had to make, that's somewhat understandable
Unless you're used to SoaD's whippy dynamics and Ritalin-like lyrical pathways, Mr. Tankian's songs are frequently difficult to follow unless you've ingested the content. Thing is, that was impossible; Elect the Dead came out today (though copies were available at the merch booth last night. Ah, the luxuries of owning your own imprint).
But the encore was notable. He did an obtuse cover of the Beatles' "Girl" that sounded like it was meant for an imaginary soundtrack to Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are if Tim Burton had directed it. And his swan song, a piano-only version of the new CD's title cut, wrapped the gig calmly just a hair past 10:15 p.m.
But the bonus happened after all of that. Mr. Tankian's already had five videos commissioned for songs on Elect the Dead (The first single, "Empty Walls," is already a top 10 mainstream rock hit and its superbly crafty kiddie-staffed video is No. 5 on iTunes' Rock Music Video download list). He had all five projected on the Granada's screens. About a third of the 750 or so that saw the show stayed behind to watch.
R&B singer R. Kelly certainly hasn't let his legal troubles get in the way of his music. Next month, he will launch a two-month tour that includes Ne-Yo, Keyshia Cole and J. Holiday. The show is Dec. 1 at American Airlines Center. No word yet on when tickets go on sale.
(Rex C. Curry / Special to DMN)
Thursday: The ear-splitting assault of the Melvins, complete with two drummers. My ears ringeth over.
Saturday: The Carter Albrecht Memorial Concert. Great music and a wonderful party vibe that spilled out on the sidewalk. More of a celebration of a life than a mourning. Read Mike Daniel's account here.
Sunday: The gypsy punk madness of Gogol Bordello, the frenzied Balkan badasses who went all-out for over two hours. Read Mike's review here.
And now I need a vacation from my vacation. At least my ears stopped ringing.
I cannot overemphasize how wonderfully uplifting Saturday's Carter Albrecht Memorial Concert was at the Granada Theater.
First: the mood was so social and familial, the event seemed more like a reunion than a remembrance. Famous-beyond-Dallas figures such as Old 97's front man Rhett Miller and the Drams signal caller Brent Best mingled freely with the attendees; even Carter's father, Kenneth, made rounds outside the theater. Everyone was approachable, and everyone I encountered was in at least controlled spirits.
That's not to say that there wasn't an undercurrent of mourning and solemnity. There was, but it was manifested most on stage instead of in public.
Cater Albrecht fans listen to Sorta at the sold-out concert. (Rex C. Curry / Special to DMN)
Two things impressed me the most about the event: Though many of the same video and audio tributes that appeared at his church memorial on Sept. 7 were played in between acts, those inside the theater stopped visiting to listen and watch when they were shown. Respect was paid properly by Dallasites usually known for talking over such diversions.
Also, that the event drew in so many of the city's music cognoscenti speaks to a side effect of Carter's passing that bodes tremendously well for the Carter Albrecht Music Foundation's mission to make Dallas a "destination" city for music. The indie-rock, alt-country and singer-songwriter scenes have coalesced to a degree that, in my mind, hasn't been experienced since the early-1990s halcyon days of Deep Ellum. A genuine sense of community existed at the Granada on Saturday night, and we can only hope it continues.
A side note: though Sorta has finished its album without Carter, the future of the band may be in jeopardy anyway. I overheard Ward Williams saying that he's contemplating a move to Nashville. Stay tuned ...
Serj (Darragh McDonough)
• He's got a solo CD out, Elect the Dead.
• He's a big fan of the Sulpher Springs-formed act, Fair to Midland, adding that, "I'm fans of very few rock bands, and they're one of them."
• He's playing at Granada Theater tonight at 8, with Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde as part of the backing band.
Read more about him in Mike's story from today.
Sometimes having to leave a gig early to file a review really, really reeks.
Reader Cliff filled me in on what went down during Ryan Adams' second set, which I missed because of a deadline for this, on Friday at McFarlin Auditorium. Turns out Mr. Adams played a little superhero game:
Says Cliff: "Ryan comes out in a muscle shirt and "Batman-y" wrist straps and does some "Ode to Judas Priest" bit for a couple of songs including the great "Goodnight Hollywood Boulevard." Then he says, "I feel a little vulnerable now" and runs off stage to change into a different outfit. The band vamped with a horrendous joke and time chatting with the crowd." "
The gig was already stellar, and Mr. Adams' stream-of-consciousness interplay on stage had already won over the throng. Looks like he made some more fans during the second set, which Cliff called "just wonderful. Far less guitar noodling and time between songs…he really was outstanding."
Slideshow: See photos from the concert
Coverage:
• Story: Carter Albrecht tribute concert reflects musician's life, work
• Story: Hundreds pay respects to Carter Albrecht
• Slideshow: Mural of Carter Albrecht featured in Deep Ellum contest
Peter Frampton took to the stage at Billy Bob's Saturday night. Did you go? What did you think of the show?
Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz (Jackie Canchola)
• Listen: Hear the band of gypunkers
• Read: Mike's story about them
Tell me what you think below.
Best-selling hip hop artist Kanye West will perform during the opening night of the LG Action Sports Championships on Nov. 9 at Reunion Arena in Dallas. The three-day national extreme-sports competition features BMX, inline-skating and skateboarding contests punctuated by performances by music artists each day. Ludacris and Cartel are other big-name acts scheduled to perform on Saturday and Sunday, respectively; Deftones headlined the opening night of last year’s inaugural event in 2006.
The Action Sports Championships is going head-to-head with the annual Texas Stampede pro rodeo contest and fundraiser at American Airlines Center; modern rock titan Daughtry is slated to perform on the same night that Mr. West will take Reunion’s stage, and other performers there include young country guns Josh Turner and Kellie Pickler on Sunday. Tickets for both events are on sale through Ticketmaster.
From left: Maya Ford, Torry Castellano, Brett Anderson, Allison Robertson (Neil Zlozower)
Bassist Maya Ford is undoubtedly the Donnas' black sheep. She's always been that (want proof now? See this), and not chiefly because of the vanity-related reasons some might think. Her odd behavior and gothic-American Indian getup at last night's gig crassly and succinctly derailed the set on numerous occasions.
One instance: after the band ran satisfactorily through "Like an Animal," a cut off its new indie CD, Bitchin', Ms. Ford appeared as if she was about to bite the head off of her microphone. Instead, she beat singer and Christina Ricci lookalike Brett Anderson to her charged punch by asking the audience this in a craggy, drill-sargeant-on-smack tone: "Hey! Do you wanna get me high? Do you wanna help get me high? Tonight? C'mon?!"
There were no takers. She paused, then stepped back, and Ms. Anderson awkwardly took over by announcing the next song: "You Wanna Get Me High," off of the 2002 disc Spend the Night. A-ha.
This line didn't make the print review, but it would have run if there was space: she "sounded like Bobcat Goldthwaite as a pirate right after swallowing Bloom County’s Bill the Cat." Arrrr.
Now I understand that the gals have been a band since junior high school, and they're basically joined at the hip since they're still close friends. But to get any better, something's gotta be done about Miss Emo Tonto.
I just can't stop screaming! (Courtesy)
Saturday's Carter Albrecht Memorial Concert at the Granada Theater is turning out to be a doozy.
First selling point: Dallas' dreamiest alt-country sons, the Old 97's (yep, the comma's still in the name these days, folks) is headlining it. The Old 97's sold out House of Blues' Music Hall, which holds 600 more patrons than the 1,000-capacity Granada, back in May. Shaaa!
Second: Sorta -- the band that Mr. Albrecht was so intimately intertwined in when he was shot dead through a door on Labor Day -- will perform for the first time since his passing. And word on the street is that the nearly completed next Sorta CD is now actually completed. I'm still in awe that has come to pass already.
Third: all proceeds will benefit the Carter Albrecht Music Foundation, which now has at least one defined aim; to aid emerging and independent Dallas-area pop music talent in both obtaining and paying for studio time to make and distribute recordings. Sensational, I say.
Finally: the roster below the headliners is crazy strong: the Drams (or: Slobberbone, v2.0), Salim Nourallah (the city's best songwriter, and a kind man to boot), Stephen Collins of Deadman (post-alt morosity a la Gram Parsons; and boy, does a set by this guy fit here) and Chris Holt's super new project, the Slack.
Get yer 30-buck passes quick, folks. If you still can.
D'Lynn Holt was at Annie Lennox's show last night at McFarlin Auditorium. Here's what she had to say in a brief email today: "Seriously, was that amazing or WHAT!!!????? Love her. There will never be anyone like her!" I must concur Ms. Holt. If you'd like to read my thoughts on Annie's gig, click here.
Radoslav Lorkavic, on the accordion, and Jimmy LaFave played at Crossroads recently. (Randy Eli Grothe / DMN)
Who would have thought prime singer-songwriters like Ray Wylie Hubbard, Sara Hickman, Billy Joe Shaver, Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines (Natalie's dad) would fill up the performance calendar at a coffeehouse in Winnsboro? Crossroads Coffeehouse & Music Co. is located in the isolated, small Texas town about 100 miles east of here, offering performances in a laid-back, authentically Texan atmosphere. Our staff writer Michael Granberry has a story coming out Sunday (check back on GuideLive.com) about how these kinds of venues are popping up in small towns all over the state.
• Tell us: What's your favorite coffeehouse for enjoying live music?
• Video: Go to GuideLive.com/video and see what the buzz is about.
• FYI: Here's a link of a few coffeehouse/music venues in the area.
Don't look now, Dallasites, but your suburbs have spawned a major-label emo-pop phenomenon. At least that's the hope for Universal Motown Records Group, which signed Forever the Sickest Kids in April. The six sufficiently adorable mop-haired laddies -- and honorable, too: three are former students at Dallas Baptist University -- are headlining yet another of Plano Centre's semi-underground emo-pop concerts tonight. The band's already developed a sizable regional fan base through peer-to-peer file sharing, MySpace.com and other teenager-approved digital-word-of-mouth methodology as well as an EP, Television Off, Party On, launched in July.
Funny fact: Plano Centre's web site doesn't mention the show, during which six other bands, including fellow incubating boy-rock acts Ivoryline (53,500 MySpace friends, from Tyler, Texas), Karate High School (42,300 friends; from San Fran) and the Dollyrots (15,000, from L.A.) are on the underage undercard for FtSK (53,100 and climbing FAST). Curious, children? The show starts in about half an hour, and door tix should be $12.
Neat-o music-broadcast bit of the day: HDNet documented Lindsey Buckingham's sold-out Jan. 27 concert at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, and the hi-def channel will premiere the performance on Oct. 14 at 8 p.m.
For those that weren't there: "Lindsey Buckingham -- Live at the Bass Performance Hall" features Fleetwood Mac's mack daddy performing mostly acoustic versions of both his own and FM hits, including "Tusk," "Go Your Own Way" and "Big Love." Of course a few cuts are from his most recent solo foray, Under the Skin. But don't let that dissuade you from watching if you're fortunate to have HDNet and a 1080i flat-screen.
Kelly Willis (Frank Veronsky)
This next story makes John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" look and sound like a day hike that barely makes you break a sweat:
The Love Hope Strength Foundation was founded several years ago by Mike Peters of once-lauded Welsh rock band the Alarm and James Chippendale, president of Dallas-based CSI Entertainment Insurance (which, uh, insures entertainers). Both are cancer survivors, and they formed the group to help provide cancer treatment to underprivileged patients around the world.
Starting today, both men, as well as Dallas resident Dan Sullivan and several other rock stars -- Nick Harper, Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats, Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, Cy Curnin and Jamie West-Oram of the Fixx -- are traveling to Nepal to hike/climb to Mount Everest Base Camp, which is just short of 18,000 feet above sea level. The entire trip will be captured by a documentary film crew, and the musicians will record acoustic music that will be podcasted each day here (followers can see photos and blog items, and even send text messages to the climbers). On Oct. 23 at the base camp, the musicians will perform a show -- which should break the record for the highest public concert ever -- and then will hike back down to Kathmandu for an Oct. 29 gig.
The purpose? To raise money for the Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital in Kathmandu to update its infrastructure. That's a plenty-worthy cause for rockin' the tallest rock on the planet.
All I wanted was to see the award-winning apricot preserves in peace. (Jim Mahony / DMN)
I took the day off yesterday with my boyfriend to do the State Fair thing, and the first thing I thought as we approached downtown was, "WHO or WHAT could be causing all this traffic?! It's a Monday!" We decided it was because everyone was off for Columbus Day and had a holiday hankering for fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Then in the swine and horse barns, I kept wondering why it sounded like 20,000 preteen girls across the fairgrounds were shrieking their heads off. Ends up, it was because there were 20,000 preteen girls shrieking their heads off. I'd forgotten about the cutie patootie trio Jonas Brothers show. No wonder I kept seeing 12-year-olds wearing love-proclaiming t-shirts like "Chelsea-n-Nick" and "Marry me Nick!" There were plenty of resilient parents in attendance dealing with the situation quite admirably — more admirably than me.
The combined assault of wet, hyper teenagers who've been playing in the founatins, the screams, the impossibly thick crowd, the poppy emo and the humidity were enough to decide that I'd had enough State Fair for one day.
Did you attend the Fair yesterday and witness the concert, whether on purpose or on accident? What did you think?
• Read our review of the concert, or read our story about the craziness.
Sometimes the do-it-yourself ethos of modern-day indie bands makes me smile ... and regret that I wasn't quite as free-wheeling in my younger days:
On Oct. 4, eclectic and spacey heritage-rock act Portugal. The Man and nuanced Seattle singer-songwriter Rocky Votolato (who was born in Frost, about 100 miles south of Dallas, incidentally) had a gig at the Rex Theatre in Pittsburgh. For some reason, the club refused to let about 50 under-21 concertgoers into the show, which had been advertised as all-ages. One of the underaged kids half-jokingly suggested that both acts could play at his apartment, which was about two blocks away, as penance for being shut out.
The acts did just that. After performing at the Rex, they threw down acoustic sets at the tiny apartment, which P. TM frontman John Baldwin Gourley said literally shook as the band closed its strumfest with a cover of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter." How's that for being responsive to your fans?
Programming note: both Votolato and P. TM come through town on Oct. 18 to play at House of Blues' Cambridge Room. That gig is definitely all-ages.
I didn't get a chance to fit in any words about the Meat Puppets' opening gig in my review of Sonic Youth's concert at the House of Blues last night (which, by the way, is easily one of the three best concerts I've seen this year). It was as significant an event as Sonic Youth's appearance in Dallas -- which will be its last anywhere for a while as Thurston Moore kicks off a U.S. and European tour for his new solo effort, Trees Outside the Academy, in a couple of weeks.
Why? Because the band, now based in Austin and once one of cowpunk's more melodic and high-quality (albeit star-crossed) outfits, is no longer simply a vehicle for Curt Kirkwood's post-'Pups output. Founding brother Cris is back after kicking a years-long and near-fatal drug habit. He did it the hard way, too: spending more than a year in Arizona State Prison for felony assault, during which he was shot in the stomach by a U.S. Post Office security guard after attacking him with the officer's own baton.
The 'Pups sounded decent on Sunday night. Curt's guitar work is as novel as ever -- his sound is somewhere between Mark Knopfler and a psychedelic J. Mascis if he were raised in the Southwest instead of Massachusetts -- though he tends to be stuffy and morose on stage. Maybe he's offsetting Cris, because the skinny hard-luck brother both looked and flopped around like a giddy homeless Vietnam war vet, and his crunched-in face appears downright frightening when he wants it to (he feigned a trip about a third of the way through the band's 45-minute set, and JEEZ was he convincing). His bass work was marginal at best ... but that somehow added an air of endearing melancholy to Meat Puppets' otherwise straight-ahead set of plucky noise rock.
For the curious: Meat Puppets will be headlining its own appearance at House of Blues' Cambridge Room on Nov. 16; it booked the gig just yesterday. Or: pick up its comeback CD, Rise To Your Knees, which is actually quite good.
You know how they put about 20 million flyers on your car during a show? Anyhow, I was cleaning out my car and saw a flyer for a performance by Timbaland at the Palladium on Oct. 13, one of those free, you’ve-got-to-sign-up marketing-type deals with a tie-in to Scion. Anyhow, more info here.
Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel with Kinky Friedman in San Antonio, 2005. Hook 'em! (Erich Schlegel / DMN)
You know, we've got Asleep at the Wheel, Larry Gatlin's new musical, the Frisco Bluegrass Festival and Cowboy Mouth this weekend. How's that for some old school/alt-school?
Larry Gatlin (Elizabeth M. Claffey / DMN)
Looking for something a little different this weekend? If you're not in the mood to hear a snoozy singer-songwriter, deafening metal or a DJ's um-che um-che at the club, you've got options.
• Tonight-Sunday: I've loved old-school country star Larry Gatlin ever since I was a little girl, if only because he was born in my mom's hometown of Seminole, Texas. He's written his first musical, Look Homeward Honky Tonk Angel, about a legendary country star and his even-more famous ex-wife. It's debuting tonight in Irving.
• Saturday: He's not just Livin' la Vida Loca anymore. Puertorriqueño hotstuff Ricky Martin brings more mature fare to Nokia Theatre on his Black & White Tour. (Check out what Mario thinks about Ricky's last ill-conceived English album).
• Sunday: Still a blues super power, you can hear him on local stations like KNON-FM (89.3)'s "Texas Blues Radio" and "Lone Star" KZPS-FM (92.5) almost as much as before he died. After the annual Stevie Ray Vaughan Remembrance Ride, you can catch all sorts of acts at the Palladium Ballroom giving homage to the Oak Cliff native.
• Sunday: If you love bluegrass, this is a rare treat. If you hate it, you can at least earn cultural cred in the American music heritage category for going. The Frisco Bluegrass Festival offers old bluegrass like Doyle Lawson, new bluegrass like Rhonda Vincent, and Beatlegras, a bluegrassed-Beatles cover band.
Or, check out these shows for your planning perusal.
Shout back and let us know what shows over the wekeend sucked or rocked.
Those that missed my review of cathartic Long Island post-screamo outfit Brand New's show in March at the Ridglea Theater in Fort Worth should be ashamed. Its show at the 1,600-capacity Music Hall at House of Blues sold out late last weekend, six weeks before the Nov. 11 appearance, so you're scot out of luck now.
Granted, primary openers Thrice have gained a higher profile now that the follow-up to Vheissu is nigh, so its presence on the bill surely helped ticket sales. But that Brand New gig in Cowtown is still the best concert I've seen this year (that show sold out the 1,000-capacity Ridglea a few weeks in advance as well), and the fact that it has gained such a following with virtually no press or radio presence is a testament to the power of both word of mouth and the internet (uh, word of keyboard?)
Actually, three of the 'new guard' of hard rock's most endearing live bands are playing at House of Blues within five days of each other. In addition to Brand New's date, New Orleans-conceived post-popsters Mute Math will take it over on Nov. 10 (with Tyler-sourced all-in-the-family outfit Eisley as the opener), and the proggy collective Coheed and Cambria wil engulf it on Nov. 15, after releasing the last chapter of its four-album sci-fi concept story, No World For Tomorrow, on Oct. 23.
To piggyback on your CD review, Mike, I want to remind errbody that Dashboard Confessional comes to town next week. Check out show info here.
King George rides into another national tour. (Courtesy)
Attention George Strait fans! The good news is the country music icon is touring next year. The bad news is he's not stopping in Dallas, or anywhere in North Texas for that matter. But for those adventurous car trip folks, he is playing Austin. In fact, the tour opens Jan. 10 at the Frank Erwin Center, University of Texas at Austin. The 19-city trek ends March 7 at Lubbock's United Spirit Arena. Those are his only two Texas dates. For more info, go to www.georgestrait.com.
It turns out that Velvet Revolver performed not one Guns N' Roses cover (as stated in my less-than-kind review here) at its concert on Thursday at Smirnoff Music Center, but three. I mentioned "Patience"; the band threw out "Mr. Brownstone" and "It's So Easy" as well after I'd left at the end of VR's 2004 hit "Fall to Pieces" to file my review on deadline.
I ran with that because Slash told me on Wednesday that the band "only had room to fit in" two covers by Stone Temple Pilots (lead singer Scott Weiland's former charge) and one by GnR in its set. What he apparently meant was that VR has added those to the covers already in its song plan.
My bad for not clarifying that with Slash and taking that as gospel in my review. It's not my bad for not being enthusiastic about the show. I've seen VR four times live, including its 2005 Ozzfest turn at Smirnoff, which very nearly stole that festival's stage. As I told a reader earlier: "I won't give a band credit in print when it doesn't return with near the same energy or flow, especially on its own headlining tour and with better original songs in its pocket."
Frontman Geddy Lee at Smirnoff Music Centre in August (Brandon Thibodeaux / Special to DMN)
... in Texas, anyway. Billboard's Boxscore lists the top-grossing concerts in August, and I noticed a little trend. Of the top 35 concerts listed, only four were in Texas — but three of the four shows were old schoolers Rush.
Yes, they have a new album, Snakes & Arrows, but I still think of them as classic. I can't dissassociate Rush from my childhood wrestling-watching ways, when Kerry Von Erich would come out to "Tom Sawyer." RAWK!
Rush's Aug. 11 show at Smirnoff came in at No. 20, with more than 13,000 in attendance.
The past two days have brought several concert cancellations, including not one ... not two ... but THREE shows on Oct. 16: Swizz Beatz (that's sooo hardcore rap of him ... but at least it was with plenty of warning), Twiztid (not surprised ... and don't really care) and Oh My God (see my shameless post from yesterday as to why).
Today, two more were halted: Palatable country ensemble Emerson Drive on Sept. 29 at Billy Bob's Texas (All that venue rep Pam Minick knows is that "there has been a tragedy in the ... band.") and Brazilian electro-dance trio Bonde do Role -- basically a cross between the Gossip and Cansei de Ser Sexy (and almost as good as the latter) -- on Oct. 5 at the Palladium Ballroom's Loft. Bonde Do Role's publicist cites exhaustion due to touring constantly since February to support its cool-as-heck debut, With Lasers.
An observation: with buzzy Mexican instrumentalists Rodrigo y Gabriela pulling the plug last month its ACL-centered swing through Texas (and Aleks Syntek postponing his appearance at Escapade 2009 until early November), it seems like Latin American acts may have stamina issues ... ???
Yes, after all that live blogging, we made him write even more about it. Mwahaha.
• Review: Delays, glitches weaken Wall of Sound
What does a singer/songwriter/guitarist do when he loses his voice? He teams up with a talented friend whose pipes work just fine. Earlier this month Dallas troubaduor Colin Boyd was struck silent in the middle of a show (read the whole tale on his myspace page here). A six-night-a-week barroom and coffee house singer, he was ordered by his doctor to give it a rest. So on Saturday, he enlisted local songbird Tammy Lynn Roe for a gig at Highlands Cafe, who sounded lovely on several Boyd originals (though she couldn't figure out where to come in on one song). He handled guitar duties. I told him his plight makes a good story. He corrected me: It will make a good story when his voice comes back. He has already decided the six-night-a-week schedule is a thing of the past. The Colin Boyd Band's new album, Shine, is due out soon.
As Midlake plays a new song destined to be on its yet-to-be-recorded third album, I'll wrap up my blogging for the evening.
I'm staying for Explosions in the Sky, but you're going to have to catch my formal review in Monday's GuideLive to read my impressions on the current national standard bearers of instrumental shoegaze pop.
WoS still has problems with patron amenities, security (I saw one policeman on the grounds the entire evening, and the baseball field has trash strewn across it) and keeping performance times on schedule, but this is an event that needed to be held outdoors. Let's hope that the folks with the Fort Worth Cats allow Spune (who I'll be calling tomorrow to ask about the Midlake issue) to hold this here in 2008. La Grave Field really does work well, as long as this event doesn't draw more than three or four thousand. And it didn't appear to even reach four figures this year.
In some ways, the jazzy little Denton band that could is topping its performance at Austin City Limits six days ago. The band feels peppier and a little more deft than then, especially now as it plays its most well known song, "Roscoe."
But a couple of oddities are surely causing it consternation. Bassist Paul Alexander's tone is very thin, and hi instrument has little sustain, which signals an amplification issue. And to me, at least, the band is playing slightly too loud.
And we just got an explanation from lead singer Tim Smith for why it was late. "Sorry that we didn't go on earlier," he said. "We've got all sorts of issues happening."
And that's it; nice and nebulous, kind of like Midlake's soaring indie pop. Guitarist-keyboardist Eric Pulido added a thanks to Ghostland Observatory for swapping slots last minute, too. Yes, it was worth the wait.
Here's a curiousity. Ghostland Observatory isn't a good here as it was at Austin City Limits last weekend.
Don't get me wrong; its electro-funk is still good. Heck, it's great. But the lack of bodies here at WoS, the delays, the dubious sound system (the board op just turned the master volume down a good three decibels) and the shackled sense of drama here is reducing the act's effectiveness.
Ghostland's music is meant for large places: for massive throngs of sweaty, horny young stylin' adults to get their groove on to. Without that sense of sweep and insistence, this band loses a little poignancy.
Interesting tidbit that I learned about the band earlier; it's self-released it's recordings and charges more than the usual cost for wholesale purchases of its CDs. And the difference isn't peanuts, either; it's along the lines of three bucks per CD.
I still think that Ghostland is major-label worthy. But does the act revel in controlling its own destiny, or would it hand over its marketing and publicity reins to someone else?
Here's the verdict: Ghostland Observatory and Midlake have flipped time slots. Though frankly, it's basically as if we're back on time here, but the MC promised that Midlake would be playing after Ghostland.
Which begs the question: what's up with Midlake? It's here; I ran into guitarist Eric Pulido earlier, and its tour bus is on the premises. Is a member missing? We shall see ...
Well, now the main stages are 50 minutes behind schedule, thanks to Om and an extended turn by Pinback. And now, Midlake is taking its sweet time getting on stage. The sound was dialed in five minuetes ago, and the band jasn't made it onto the blue-bathed stage ...
What're they doing? Huddling up? Does one of them turn into a pumpkin at midnight? C'mon, guys ...
Wall of Sound has promise earliee today in terms of staying on time. Now, it's devolving into what it ended up being in 2006: late-running and somewhat contentious. Oy.
Oooh. This Massachusetts-by-way-of-NYC-and-North-Carolina duo is the first to use the video-display screens behind both main stages, and the vertically spliced visuals of animals and machines are tres cool. They accompany the Books' electro-gothic lullabies succinctly. Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong's music is an acquired taste - it's not tremendously melodic, and it relies on a tapestry of voiceovers and seemingly random programmed effects and other aural flourishes.
But once past the experimental inderpinnings, it's haunting and pretty storybook stuff. One could picture the Books scoring a bevy of moody indie films, or perhaps contributing to more than its fair share of TV-show interlude scenes. It's currently playing a tune that interweaves a minstrel-esque acoustic lick with a swelling cello and a stampeding bass that makes me want to go skipping off into right field here. Aaaah.
I didn't expect this. Armistead Burwell Smith IV's indie pop outfit has always been among the genre's more obtuse and complicated listens, but live the band's rhythm section is solidifying the craziness that happens in the upper registers.
The effect is essentially transforming Pinback into a more thunderous and punchy dance band. Though if you wanted to dig on the interwoven harmonies and playground-free minor-chord workouts, they're there, too.
"Wheee!," Mr. Smith cries. Yep, he's at his playground, and he's one talented and gifted kid.
I gotta get me some of that. Whatever substances that these Denton spaz-rockers mainline before gigs, they must work really well.
I'm thinking Red Bull, spiked with herbal something or other. But I coulds be wrong ... heh.
The band looks like a trio of computer science majors who've skipped out on final exams to binge. They sound like Jimi Hendrix might have had he idolized T Rex and the Clash. Or: the B-52s without female representation and on so much speed that they swear that they're James Brown's indie-punk offspring.
It's set is sloppy, chaotic and almost masochistic in its looseness. But it's also energizing and attractive in a what-is-that-kooky-racket sort of way.
Om has performed for almost an hour on Stage One: the main-stage schedule is now almost a half-hour behind. Did Al Cisneros peeve Bobby Bare Jr. off so much that the latter has refused to perform now? p
Especially in indie-rock circles: why can't we all just get along?
No, wait. Mr. Bare, complete with his band's tenor sax and with daisy strings wrapped around his mike stand and amp stack, are doing a quick sound check.
Sounds like San Franciscoan Mr. Cisneros decided that the sound-check diss entitled him to an extra 25 minutes on stage. So why didn't the sound engineers just pull the plug on him, no matter how ornery and empowered he felt ...
Om. Yum. And Ow. Freaky stoner-pocketed stuff from this pair, who are the rhythm section for Sleep, one of the more trance-enhancing stoner rock outfits in the country.
Al Cisneros' Rickenbacker bass is so distorted and fuzzed out - on purpose, people! - that it's covering both the low and some of the high-end territory that's normally occupied by regular guitar. And drummer Chris Haikus is laying down beats so heavy that they threaten to pulverize the less-fortified eardrums of the country fans in the Stockyards about a mile north of here.
Mr. Cisneros is playing through two immense green speaker cabinets that would be entirely obscene if used by most other musicians. But here, his nasal vocal moans are totally indecipherable, flicked away as they are by his aggressive tone.
Om is significantly heavier than the Sword, and that's saying tons (pun quite intended, thank you). Criminy. Could Om be the heaviest act in America? It's the thickest music that I've heard live this year ... and this is coming from TWO MEN. Yes, the music is monotonous and relies on a very plebian 4/4 groove. But I feel 50 pounds heavier just standing here listening to it.
Whoa. And with attitude, too. "Could you not sound check during our set, please?," he snidely tells Bobby Bare Jr. and his band on the other main stage. It was not a kind request, either. Hey, now; aren't we all family here?
On Stage Two, the countrified pop of Brothers and Sisters is wafting out, and the only ones standing - even right at the front of the stage - are some folks playing Frisbee and a little pickup game of soccer.
The familial, music community-based feel of Wall of Sound is cool, to be sure. But it'll have to lose a lot of that to grow any bigger.
... "We're coming at you in mono tonight!," Noah Lit says. Yep: Oliver Future is at it without that left-hand P.A. speaker. Still sounds fine, since the small stage is, well, small and not very loud, so the band's own amps and speaker cabinets are filling things out.
These guys are kind of nerdy in an L.A. way. All are wearing black T-shirts - three are freakin' V-necks - and the bassist somehow felt the need to sport a red polo shirt to match his red bass. Guitarist Josh Lit's wearing a bowler hat that's too small for his head, too.
But man, this band's fun to hear play. It moved from Austin to L.A. in 2005, and hipster pop outlets out there are taking notice in Oliver Future's creepily melodic hyper-pop. It's first post-move release, "Pax Futura," has incredible potential, and frontman Noah Lit's got a whimsy in his pipes that simultaneously clashes with and soothes the band's crispy breakdowns and grooves.
One question, knowing that Oliver Future loves to play tiny holes-in-the-wall like the Cavern in Dallas and the Wreck Room and the Moon in Fort Worth: Why is it on the third stage? It should be on one of the two main stages here ...
Prolific and uber-cool (he was on the cover of Fader recently, hipsters) New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne's bringin' it to the people with this show. The End of Summer Blowout, featuring Mr. Wayne, his surrogate dad (Birdman, a.k.a. Cash Money Records CEO Bryan Williams) and Trae, is this Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Oil Palace in Tyler, which much more typically stages country, CCM and wrestling events.
So gas up the rim frame, peeps; you'll have a 125-mile drive due east ahead of you to see Weezy. One way. Though since Lil Wayne's fan club organized this concert, at least it's a reasonably safe bet that he'll show up. That, and he's got an upcoming project to start touting: Tha Carter III (out in early December).
Wonder why Eisemann Center in Richardson canceled its Kirk Whalum-Chuck Anderson modern jazz concert on Oct. 19 last week? Basically, ticket sales were being watered down by this show: a free "Guitars and Saxes" outdoor concert at American Airlines Center's AT&T Plaza on Sept. 28 with Mr. Whalum, Gerald Albright, Jeff Golub and Tim Bowman.
Typically, major regional performers stipulate in concert contracts that no other venue within a certain distance can book the artist within, say, a month of the performance. That protects the venue from having ticket sales siphoned off by another nearby appearance, and normally it helps the artist, too, with the same effect. But the AAC show is a free corporate-sponsored event, so ticket sales aren't a factor.
But they were for Eisemann Center. Shame on the saboteur who didn't consider the effect on it when booking the Guitars and Saxes event.
Live Nation just released a traffic bulletin about Saturday's sold-out concert with Dave Matthews Band (with Texan Robert Earl Keen opening) that emplores concertgoers to take alternate routes to Smirnoff Music Centre.
It's true: the construction on Parry Avenue next to Fair Park, which is related to the coming DART Light Rail line in 2009, is bad. In fact, it indirectly caused a fender bender that I was involved in early this month (caused $2,500 in damage, and my car was really just popped on one fender). With 20,000 heading to Smirnoff to see Dave and co., the jams won't just be on stage around Fair Park that evening.
Live Nation recommends taking Exits 48B if coming in from the west on Interstate 30, and Exit 49B (Dolphin Road) if coming from the east. Trust me: Exit 48B won't work, because the Mixmaster will be packed. if coming from the west, go through downtown on Young/Canton, turn right on either Good-Latimer Expressway (just before Deep Ellum) or Malcolm X Boulevard (in Deep Ellum), take a left on either Grand Avenue or Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and you'll spit out at the south end of Fair Park. Reverse this when leaving Smirnoff. Yeah, the neighborhoods aren't the greatest, but it's not that bad, people.
As if there isn't enough music to listen to already this fall, the season's also got a great slew of live concerts. Keep our arts and music guide bookmarked to ward against a sad, show-less autumn. If you're indecisive, our music types even share their top picks. Tragically hip? They've got ideas for under-the-radar shows, too.
What better way to christen our new music blog than with staff writer Mike Daniel's live observations, accolades, disses and more from the 2007 Austin City Music Festival at Zilker Park?
Ghostland Observatory (Austin-American Statesman)
This blog is so brand new, in fact, that Mike's musings from the weekend are still housed at sister blog Over the Top.
Check out ACL coverage here:
• Live blogging, Sept. 14-17
• ACL music fest wrap-up
