Watching this GRINDERMAN video turns me into Beavis and Butthead. YES!! Yeah yeah, kick ass! How badass is this band? Lead singer Nick Cave has always been known for his coolness leading bands like THE BIRTHDAY PARTY and THE BAD SEEDS over the years. I think he outdid himself with GRINDERMAN. Dudes with beards, long hair and slick suits just blowing the roof off the place and looking oh so cool doing it. My leg shakes to the beat of this song as it builds to its peak and then I just want to jump up and start doing karate kicks. Beavis and Butthead style. Go ahead. See for yourself. Turn it up!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
A night with a bunch of friends...
MIDDLE BROTHER, DEER TICK, DAWES w/ special guest JOHNNY CORNDAWG
3/6/11
BOWERY BALLROOM
Wow! Where do I start? WOW! WOW! WOW! Each bands gets a WOW! Each of these bands could headline and sell out this venue on their own so we should be so lucky to have all of them playing together on one night spitting out 3 1/2 hours of non stop great music. To give a little background on these bands, you have to start with the headliner, alt-country rockers MIDDLE BROTHER. To call them a supergroup may be a stretch, but this combination of three lead singers from different groups, John McCauley (DEER TICK), Taylor Goldsmith (DAWES) and Matt Vasquez (DELTA SPIRIT). They lead this tour in support of their newly released debut cd. I'll be reviewing this stellar cd in the coming days. DEER TICK are an americana rock n roll band whose live shows are similar to that of the Replacements. Rocking, sloppy and never a dull moment. DAWES, a southern California band that blends breezy harmonies that can easily taking you back to cool music of the 70's. Think Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Kind of. Not sure how Vasquez's band, DELTA SPIRIT, got shafted out of the line up and that is a shame. He arguably stole the show this night.
DAWES kicked off the night and if I'm not mistaken, it seemed like most of the crowd was there to see them. I saw these guys this past summer and they have definitely grown since then. They seem more polished and solid. Maybe because I'm more familiar with their songs now. I love it when songs and bands grow on you. These guys definitely have that quality. To really understand just how good they are as a band, the great Robbie Robertson who was the primary songwriter of THE BAND has recruited these guys to be his backing band as he tours supporting his first album in a decade. Their fantastic set became a bit of a downer as Goldsmith talked of how their van was broken into during their show the night before in Brooklyn. They had many of their personal items stolen including laptops, ipods, passports. It sucks to hear stories like that but he seemed to feel better talking about it to the crowd. Then they broke into their song beautiful song 'love is all I am' and everything seemed all right. Their set was taken to a different level when special guest JOHNNY CORNDAWG joined them onstage to perform a mini set of superior country tunes with a dash of humor. JOHNNY looks plucked right out of the 60's and 70's country music scene and his look matches the music. Their set ended with all three bands joining them on stage for a sing along of their best tune 'when my time comes' (video below from a different show):
After a very short break DEER TICK hit the stage. While they have been around much longer than DAWES and are veterans of 3 solid albums, DT have that rough around the edges feel. Their shows don't seem to have much structure and you never know what is going to come next, with MaCauley going off on hilarious tangents between songs and the band mixing in random covers thru their set. Tonight they give us classic Springsteen, Sam Cooke and an amazing Nirvana. I read recently that at South By Southwest, they even performed a set as DEERVANA, covering all Nirvana songs. They will do this again on June 19th at the Brooklyn Bowl as part of the NORTHSIDE FESTIVAL. If they ever come to your town, please go see DEER TICK and be prepared to drink and have a great fucking time. Check them out from a recent appearance on Letterman:
Not long after DEER TICK finished, the three boys of MIDDLE BROTHER his the stage and finally a chance for Vasquez to shine. He made some great cameos thru the night singing backup with the two opening bands and you could see this dude was probably having more fun than anyone. This set wasn't just about MIDDLE BROTHER, it was about everybody on stage and everybody in the venue. It is about people sharing great songs and a long a laughs. The banter between band members was top notch. McCauley even mentioned taking mushrooms between sets and Vasquez could never seem to make up his mind if he wanted to play guitar and sing or just sing. McCauley's story about falling in love with a bartender led into the beautiful 'daydreaming' to Goldsmith lonely 'wilderness' were beautiful tender moments on stage while great burners like 'me, me, me' and 'middle brother' made you just want to order more beer and sing at the top of your lungs.
This night was a classic show. I'm scared to think that this show happened on March 6th and it quite possibly could be the best show I'll see this year. You know what, I would be OK with that. This was three great bands and good friend playing collectively for almost 4 hours. Just them, their instruments, their humor and us. They played like it was a party in a basement and we were all invited. They way all live shows should be.
3/6/11
BOWERY BALLROOM
Wow! Where do I start? WOW! WOW! WOW! Each bands gets a WOW! Each of these bands could headline and sell out this venue on their own so we should be so lucky to have all of them playing together on one night spitting out 3 1/2 hours of non stop great music. To give a little background on these bands, you have to start with the headliner, alt-country rockers MIDDLE BROTHER. To call them a supergroup may be a stretch, but this combination of three lead singers from different groups, John McCauley (DEER TICK), Taylor Goldsmith (DAWES) and Matt Vasquez (DELTA SPIRIT). They lead this tour in support of their newly released debut cd. I'll be reviewing this stellar cd in the coming days. DEER TICK are an americana rock n roll band whose live shows are similar to that of the Replacements. Rocking, sloppy and never a dull moment. DAWES, a southern California band that blends breezy harmonies that can easily taking you back to cool music of the 70's. Think Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Kind of. Not sure how Vasquez's band, DELTA SPIRIT, got shafted out of the line up and that is a shame. He arguably stole the show this night.
DAWES kicked off the night and if I'm not mistaken, it seemed like most of the crowd was there to see them. I saw these guys this past summer and they have definitely grown since then. They seem more polished and solid. Maybe because I'm more familiar with their songs now. I love it when songs and bands grow on you. These guys definitely have that quality. To really understand just how good they are as a band, the great Robbie Robertson who was the primary songwriter of THE BAND has recruited these guys to be his backing band as he tours supporting his first album in a decade. Their fantastic set became a bit of a downer as Goldsmith talked of how their van was broken into during their show the night before in Brooklyn. They had many of their personal items stolen including laptops, ipods, passports. It sucks to hear stories like that but he seemed to feel better talking about it to the crowd. Then they broke into their song beautiful song 'love is all I am' and everything seemed all right. Their set was taken to a different level when special guest JOHNNY CORNDAWG joined them onstage to perform a mini set of superior country tunes with a dash of humor. JOHNNY looks plucked right out of the 60's and 70's country music scene and his look matches the music. Their set ended with all three bands joining them on stage for a sing along of their best tune 'when my time comes' (video below from a different show):
After a very short break DEER TICK hit the stage. While they have been around much longer than DAWES and are veterans of 3 solid albums, DT have that rough around the edges feel. Their shows don't seem to have much structure and you never know what is going to come next, with MaCauley going off on hilarious tangents between songs and the band mixing in random covers thru their set. Tonight they give us classic Springsteen, Sam Cooke and an amazing Nirvana. I read recently that at South By Southwest, they even performed a set as DEERVANA, covering all Nirvana songs. They will do this again on June 19th at the Brooklyn Bowl as part of the NORTHSIDE FESTIVAL. If they ever come to your town, please go see DEER TICK and be prepared to drink and have a great fucking time. Check them out from a recent appearance on Letterman:
Not long after DEER TICK finished, the three boys of MIDDLE BROTHER his the stage and finally a chance for Vasquez to shine. He made some great cameos thru the night singing backup with the two opening bands and you could see this dude was probably having more fun than anyone. This set wasn't just about MIDDLE BROTHER, it was about everybody on stage and everybody in the venue. It is about people sharing great songs and a long a laughs. The banter between band members was top notch. McCauley even mentioned taking mushrooms between sets and Vasquez could never seem to make up his mind if he wanted to play guitar and sing or just sing. McCauley's story about falling in love with a bartender led into the beautiful 'daydreaming' to Goldsmith lonely 'wilderness' were beautiful tender moments on stage while great burners like 'me, me, me' and 'middle brother' made you just want to order more beer and sing at the top of your lungs.
This night was a classic show. I'm scared to think that this show happened on March 6th and it quite possibly could be the best show I'll see this year. You know what, I would be OK with that. This was three great bands and good friend playing collectively for almost 4 hours. Just them, their instruments, their humor and us. They played like it was a party in a basement and we were all invited. They way all live shows should be.
Who?
Rebecca Black. Who is she? She is a 13 year old pop tart who has put out a absolutely horrible song and video that in less than two months has generated over 70 million views on Youtube. 70 MILLION! People say the music industry is dying. They say it's because of illegal downloading. Bon Jovi blames it on Steve Jobs. Bon Jovi is an asshole. itunes is awesome. Everybody has an ipod and everybody has itunes. Everybody has easier access to more music than ever. If anything, itunes killed record stores, not the record industry. Its a sad story and I miss going to record stores but i'll leave that rant to another day.
So while everybody is blaming illegal downloading and Steve Jobs on the dying industry, a 13 year old girl, that nobody has ever heard of and who probably hasn't even had her first french kiss, has managed to get her song watched on Youtube by more than twice the population of Canada. Rumors are she has signed to a major label. Huh?! Did I mention that the song is horrible. Maybe that's what's wrong with the music industry. Labels are struggling so much to stay afloat that they will fight for the rights to produce even more horrible music by her. And it isn't just labels. Jay Leno had her on The Tonight Show recently and had The Tonight Show Band back her as she lip synched her way thru her ONLY song. I sure hope the band took turns peeing in Jays coffee cup for putting them thru that.
What's my point? I feel bad for this girl. She is a 13 year old girl that is being used as an example. While she is being applauded, pawed at and put on a pedestal by some, she is also being destroyed and torn apart by many. Her video is close to breaking a record for the most 'dislikes' on Youtube. Even Miley Cyrus had the audacity to criticize her. Miley Cyrus!? Labels are so desperate that even with all the 'dislikes', they somehow see dollar signs and are going in full force to make it happen. Rebecca did say that she will donate all the profits from this song to relief efforts in Japan so big ups to her and her forward thinking. Bon Jovi, are you listening?
Ironically, around the time Rebecca Black's 'Friday' video was first posted on Youtube, a band that has been around for 10 years putting out 3 amazing albums and leasing the charge of putting the 'indie' back in indie rock was winning the Grammy for 'Album of the Year'. This band beat out Eminem, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Lady Antebellum. The internet went nuts the next day saying it was fixed. There is no way this band could have beaten out Em? College kids love him. How could they beat out Gaga? She performed in an egg! How could they beat out Katy Perry? She kissed a girl remember? And what about the other Lady band with two guys in in? Everybody loves that shiny new country music. People went nuts. How could this happen? They never even heard of this band. People said who? Who? WHO? Thank you Arcade Fire...
So while everybody is blaming illegal downloading and Steve Jobs on the dying industry, a 13 year old girl, that nobody has ever heard of and who probably hasn't even had her first french kiss, has managed to get her song watched on Youtube by more than twice the population of Canada. Rumors are she has signed to a major label. Huh?! Did I mention that the song is horrible. Maybe that's what's wrong with the music industry. Labels are struggling so much to stay afloat that they will fight for the rights to produce even more horrible music by her. And it isn't just labels. Jay Leno had her on The Tonight Show recently and had The Tonight Show Band back her as she lip synched her way thru her ONLY song. I sure hope the band took turns peeing in Jays coffee cup for putting them thru that.
What's my point? I feel bad for this girl. She is a 13 year old girl that is being used as an example. While she is being applauded, pawed at and put on a pedestal by some, she is also being destroyed and torn apart by many. Her video is close to breaking a record for the most 'dislikes' on Youtube. Even Miley Cyrus had the audacity to criticize her. Miley Cyrus!? Labels are so desperate that even with all the 'dislikes', they somehow see dollar signs and are going in full force to make it happen. Rebecca did say that she will donate all the profits from this song to relief efforts in Japan so big ups to her and her forward thinking. Bon Jovi, are you listening?
Ironically, around the time Rebecca Black's 'Friday' video was first posted on Youtube, a band that has been around for 10 years putting out 3 amazing albums and leasing the charge of putting the 'indie' back in indie rock was winning the Grammy for 'Album of the Year'. This band beat out Eminem, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Lady Antebellum. The internet went nuts the next day saying it was fixed. There is no way this band could have beaten out Em? College kids love him. How could they beat out Gaga? She performed in an egg! How could they beat out Katy Perry? She kissed a girl remember? And what about the other Lady band with two guys in in? Everybody loves that shiny new country music. People went nuts. How could this happen? They never even heard of this band. People said who? Who? WHO? Thank you Arcade Fire...
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Harry Caray Rock God?
Very few musicians reach the point of being able to play stadiums. U2 and the Rolling Stone are two that come to mind. Sure, they can sell out a few nights in a row, maybe 4 tops. Has there ever been a band that could play the same stadium, night after night (or 81 nights) over a period of six months and constantly fill the seats? No way you say? That couldn't be? Not possible. Yes I say! It can and it happened. HOLY COW!!! No, this wasn't Bon Jovi, Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd. It was only one man with a backing band of an organ. That man was Harry Caray and for almost 10 years, he rocked Chicago crowds of more that 35,000 fans nightly at Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field performing just one song. The song only lasted a minute but it never failed to bring fans to their feet during the pinnacle point of the evening. Young and old they stood, cheered and sang along with Harry as he held his microphone out to the crowd bring the song to a climatic ending. It was the one thing you could always count on being great each night at these stadiums.
Harry died in 1998 and a roving cast of characters regularly file into his old broadcast booth in Wrigley Field trying to fill his shoes singing this great song. Nobody has and nobody ever will do it as great as Harry did. Why is this man not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I don't know? After all, he saw a million faces and he rocked them all!!
So with opening day of baseball upon us, lets sing along with Harry. All Right! Lemmmeeeee hearrrr ya!! Ah one! Ah two!! Ah three!!!
PLAY BALL!!!
Harry died in 1998 and a roving cast of characters regularly file into his old broadcast booth in Wrigley Field trying to fill his shoes singing this great song. Nobody has and nobody ever will do it as great as Harry did. Why is this man not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I don't know? After all, he saw a million faces and he rocked them all!!
So with opening day of baseball upon us, lets sing along with Harry. All Right! Lemmmeeeee hearrrr ya!! Ah one! Ah two!! Ah three!!!
PLAY BALL!!!
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