The members of Rolling Stones, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger along with Don Was who is their recent producer had a discussion on the band’s 1972 album and the re-release’s that were never previously heard of. It was in the early 1970’s that Rolling Stones came out with their album “Exile on Main Stâ€.
This [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Keith Richards’
The Rolling Stones Plan a Reissue for ‘Exile on Main St.’
Saturday Eye Candy: Exile On Main Street
JIMMY FALLON ISN’T THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SALUTE THE STONES!
A deluxe reissue of The Rolling Stones‘ landmark Exile On Main Street hits shelves next Tuesday, May 18. We’ve decided to honor the occasion with a smattering of cover versions and fine tidbits from the Stones themselves related to tracks off Exile. Enjoy!
We jump off with the Waddy Wachtel Band knocking out a gnarly version of Exile opener “Rocks Off.” Waddy ought to know a thing or two about this one since he’s the lead guitarist in Keith Richards and the X-Pensive Winos.
Speaking of Waddy, here he is rockin’ a classic with Linda Ronstadt in her tough, beautiful prime in 1977.
Here’s State Radio‘s Chad Stokes getting into the Stones’ acoustic side at the Calling All Crows benefit concert last December.
Few rock acts have more tribute bands than the Stones, and these guys nail one of their deep album cuts really well.
This slow burner proved one of Phish‘s strongest versions during their Halloween performance of Exile last year.
1972 was a great year for the Rolling Stones. No matter how much one loves Ronnie Wood, it’s hard not to miss Mick Taylor.
Even if he stopped playing with the Stones, Taylor didn’t stop playing some of their favorite numbers like this Robert Johnson tune that made it on to Exile.
We wrap this week with an early version of “Shine A Light” recorded during the Let It Bleed sessions accompanied by some vintage footage of Mick, Keith and the others.
Stones Week on Jimmy Fallon Phish Plays “Loving Cup”
EXILE CELEBRATION CONTINUES
Inspired by the deluxe reissue of The Rolling Stones‘ justifiably legendary Exile On Main Street on May 18, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is hosting a week of shows celebrating the album’s legacy and influence. On Thursday night, Phish, introduced by Keith Richards, performed “Loving Cup.”
The week concludes tonight with the debut of Stones in Exile, a new documentary on the making of Exile. In the meantime, here’s the Stones pouring us something sweet back in the day.
Disney Slashes Budget For “Pirates Of The Caribbean 4″
Sailing the friendly seas with Disney has gone coach. The Mouse has drastically cut the budget for Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides — the long-awaited fourth film in the studio’s blockbuster Pirates franchise. In a recent chat with The Los Angeles Times, producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed that Disney chairman Rich Ross wants [...]
Saturday Eye Candy: Willie Nelson
HAPPY 77TH BIRTHDAY, RED HEADED STRANGER!!!
Willie Nelson is a treasure, pure and simple. One of the strongest, coolest voices to ever emerge from the country world, Nelson is also a ferociously talented guitarist, top notch songwriter, tireless performer and an inspired interpreter of other’s material on par with greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Yesterday, Willie turned 77-years-old and we couldn’t let the occasion pass without tipping our hat to him. In his honor, we’ve rolled up a sampling of some choice moments in his long, long career. Damn, we’re glad we’ve shared this past near-century with you, mister!
We begin with a smoking version of one of Willie’s most beloved songs.
Beneath the braids and clouds of smoke, Nelson can be one smooth character. He draws from Brazilian and tango strains on this number, which features Emmylou Harris.
No salute to Willie would be complete without this one, but we’re gonna let his friend and fellow Highwayman handle this one. Nifty, slightly melancholy reading.
The man really sings about drinking very, very well.
Willie has done his part to keep the tradition of cowboy songs alive. Here he is with pal Johnny Cash singing one of the finest trail tunes ever.
It’s not just for Muppets anymore! This is the sort of thing that makes Willie an adored icon across MANY generations.
Here’s “The Lost Highwaymen” – Keith Richards, Hank Williams III, Ryan Adams and Willie – doing a Stones classic.
Willie has done duets with nearly every noteworthy singer of the past 50 years. He seems to live and breath when entwining his voice with another’s, but as far afield as he’s roamed, this pairing with Sinead O’Connor on Peter Gabriel’s tune couldn’t have been predicted.
Nelson has made a number of films but this is the only one with Morgan Fairchild.
We wrap with a little ditty that Patsy Cline made famous but Willie penned. Classic stuff, but one can say that about a lot of things with Willie.
Willie Nelson Tour Dates :: Willie Nelson News :: Willie Nelson Concert Reviews
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Johnny Depp ‘wants’ Mick Jagger for next ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’
Johnny Depp wants Rolling Stones lead Mick Jagger to star in the next ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ film, sources say.
The singer’s bandmate Keith Richards has already been offered a role as the father of Depp’s character, Captain Jack Sparrow.
“Johnny is working closely with Disney on the next chapter and has put a lot of ideas [...]
Keith Richards wanted to be a Librarian
‘Rolling Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards has confessed that he has a passion for collecting valuable books.
Keith, renowned for his drug abuse, heavy drinking, chain smoking and partying, admitted that he actually wanted to be a Librarian.
“He has even considered professional training to manage the books at his homes in Sussex and the States,†the [...]
Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood together cope with life without the bottle
Rolling Stones rockers Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood are giving each other “plenty of moral support†after they recently gave up booze.
The two bandmates were reported to have fallen apart of late, with Keith believed to have been left unimpressed by Ronnie’s wild lifestyle, which turned him away from wife Jo for young Russian lover [...]
Johnny Depp Directing Keith Richards Documentary
Oscar-nominated actor Johnny Depp is work on a documentary on the life of Rolling Stones guitarist — and his Pirates of the Caribbean co -star — Keith Richards. Depp modeled his Pirates alter ego, Jack Sparrow, after Richards and is eager to bring the musician’s biography to center stage.
“I’m very touched that Keith has agreed [...]
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars New Album Due 03/23
SIERRA LEONE’S REFUGEE ALL STARS TO RELEASE RISE & SHINE MARCH 23, 2010
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars |
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars started playing music together in West African refugee camps while their homeland was racked by years of bloody warfare. Since then, audiences around the world have embraced the band and their utterly extraordinary story. On their forthcoming album, Rise & Shine, the All Stars’ sound, as well as their biography, evolves further; the music finds them “…establishing an identity based as much on skill, imagination and charisma as on their undeniably touching story” (The Los Angeles Times). Cumbancha will release the album on March 23, 2010.
For the follow up to their acclaimed debut, Living Like a Refugee, the band began recording in their hometown of Freetown, Sierra Leone then traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana to work with the highly accomplished producer Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, Angelique Kidjo, Rickie Lee Jones, Michelle Shocked, Alec Ounsworth, Jackie Greene) at Piety Street Recording. The All Stars immediately felt at home in New Orleans, not only because the hot climate and spicy food reminded them of Africa, but also because the residents of the Crescent City have firsthand experience with the bitterness of exile and the redemptive power of music. The local musicians who contributed to the record (including favorites Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Bonerama, and Washboard Chaz) lend it an infectious spirit of celebration and optimism in the face of struggle.
Rise & Shine reflects how far the band has come in the past few years, after multiple international tours and recording experience with the likes of Aerosmith and Mavis Staples. With an expert producer at the helm, Sierra Leone¹s Refugee All Stars have realized a unique and seamlessly coherent sound: a fusion of traditional West African music and roots reggae, inflected with New Orleans styles. The album’s 13 tracks embrace the wide array of musical influences the All Stars have encountered on their rise to international fame.
The band members are broadly diverse in age and character, although they possess a strong bond forged through common experiences and values: they all know war and have struggled to survive in one of the world¹s poorest countries, and they share an unwavering belief in the transformative power of music. The current lineup of the band was cemented when Reuben M. Koroma, the sage songwriter and guiding light of the group, returned home from the refugee camps, joined by Black Nature, an orphaned teenaged rapper; Mohammed Bangura, who suffered amputation at the hands of rebels; and Francis John Langba. Back in Sierra Leone, they reunited with family, friends and former band mates Ashade Pearce, Jah Son Bull, and Makengo Kamara (many of whom they believed not to have survived the violence).
The band’s journey (which culminated in the All Stars’ first recording in a studio) was documented in the multi-award winning documentary Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, by Zach Niles and Banker White. The resulting album, Living Like A Refugee, garnered the band international acclaim and high profile fans such as Keith Richards, Sir Paul McCartney, Aerosmith, Angelina Jolie, and Ice Cube.
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars deliver electrifying and uplifting live performances and will tour the U.S. in Spring 2010. They have already appeared at some of the most prestigious music festivals worldwide including Bonnaroo, Montreal Jazz, Fuji Rock in Japan, Central Park SummerStage, and Celebrate Brooklyn.
Most Important Shows of The Decade
JamBase’s Most Important Shows Of The Decade
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Everything changed over the last decade. Never mind the political, social and economic upheaval, musically everything changed. Ten years ago we didn’t own iPods or Smart Phones; we rocked a Discman and in some cases an old yellow Walkman. We didn’t download tracks or stream shows; we bought albums and traded live Maxell tapes. Then technology set us free and the record industry collapsed. After peaking in 2000, CD sales have plummeted by more than 50-percent, dropping further into oblivion every year. Meanwhile, digital sales continue to rise and free music (both pirated and authorized) is everywhere, flooding hard drives like never before. Surely this trend will continue for the foreseeable future.
The old model is dead. It’s a new game and the rules are still being defined. One thing, however, is for sure, the music industry needed a colossal change and it’s getting it. The days of boy bands selling 2 million units in a week are gone. And for that, you can thank the digital download. Online music is on the way to making radio irrelevant and no one seems sure if MTV even plays music anymore. It’s not that people listen to or want less music. The way we get it has simply evolved. We no longer need anyone to spoon-feed us lowest common denominator crap. Now we’ve got a billion ways to get turned on to the latest thing, and with advancements in how music is made there’s more to choose from than at any other time in history.
But one thing didn’t change in the past ten years. We still go see live music. As album sales fell through the floor, live music revenue has grown by 150-percent. Here at JamBase, we’ve always known the live experience is where it’s at, and now that all bands (not just the ones this site was founded upon) are forced to survive on touring dollars, the rest of the music world is catching on. That’s one change we’re happy to embrace.
At the beginning of the decade, JamBase was just starting to really take form. Surviving the dot-com bubble burst, we were a small team working out of an even smaller house in Mill Valley, California. Soon we sprouted legs, and as our vision and team evolved, we moved into a real office South of Market in downtown San Francisco, where we’ve been since 2003. Now JamBase has the most complete tour date information anywhere in the world, providing concert listings for AOL, Billboard, Spin, Rhapsody and many more, and our content has evolved into a leading source for live music editorial. Part of our mission has always been to use technology to help you get to the show and we know today’s music fan is often on the move, that’s why we created our lauded iPhone App that puts all our concert info straight into your pocket.
Even a cursory look at the articles on this website over the past decade indicates great change. From the way we look to what we cover, change has perhaps been the only constant at JamBase. Clearly, we report on more than just jam bands now (we like to think we cover the live music scene as a whole, with no genre being off limits), but if we go back to our roots and look at the band that started it all for JamBase (which grew out of Andy Gadiel’s Phish Page), we’re reminded that change is an essential part of life. It’s often hard, but almost always exciting, and if you aren’t changing and evolving, you’re probably dying.
In the past decade Phish quit (2000), came back (2002), quit again (2004), and finally got it right and resurfaced with purpose in 2009. For the most part, this was a messy decade for Trey, Mike, Page and Fish. With personal struggles taking center stage and the music falling off, when the band finished their final set at Coventry in 2004, in many ways, things couldn’t have been worse. The muddy fields were a metaphor for the state of the band and the sloppy performances an indication of just how bad it had gotten. But they overcame their challenges, and that’s certainly part of why we love them. Who amongst us hasn’t made poor decisions and paid the price? And if there’s one thing Americans love it’s a comeback story. During the ’90s this band dominated. The pressures of fame brought stress unlike anything they’d experienced, and in the 2000s they fell hard. But as we close the book on this decade, Phish is back on top in a major way. No band’s comeback has made a bigger impact on our world this decade than Phish, and we couldn’t be happier to have chronicled every step of their triumphant return.
But there’s more to Phish than just sick jams and transcendent rock shows. The ups and downs experienced by the band in many ways mirrored America’s path this decade. Coming out of the ’90s, everything appeared peachy. Mainstream music desperately needed help, but economically and politically, America was mostly doing great. September 11, 2001 thrust change upon us in ways we may never fully understand. Our collective psyche shattered, we’ve been at war ever since. Our economy has collapsed, and we’re facing a rising environmental crisis. Like Phish, America had a rough decade, but hopefully we can grab the strands of hope we’re starting to see and rise to the occasion like our favorite bands seem to do.
While it’s not likely that Phish’s trajectory had any tangible affect on our nation, it definitely affected the music scene. Phish’s hiatus (especially the first one) opened the door for a plethora of talent to flourish. With no one band filling the void, a wide array of acts like The String Cheese Incident, Umphrey’s McGee, STS9, The Disco Biscuits, Keller Williams, and many others were able to rapidly gain new fans and separate themselves from the pack as the premier new crop of jam bands.
Michael Jackson |
The changing scene and lack of a clear improvisational concert king also allowed a host of bands hovering on the borders of jam to emerge more prominently in the live music space. With the help of festivals like Bonnaroo, websites like JamBase and open-minded fans like you, artists such as My Morning Jacket, Jack White, Drive-By Truckers, The Hold Steady, Arcade Fire, and The Mars Volta all experienced incredible breakthroughs.
But, that didn’t mean the pillars of the jam scene crumbled in the 2000s. The granddaddy of ‘em all, The Grateful Dead found ways to reform, reinvent and move on after Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995. moe. proved to be one of the most consistent acts of the decade, Gov’t Mule survived the death of Allen Woody, and Widespread Panic managed to find new life with Jimmy Herring after Michael Houser passed away in 2002.
Though we lost some legends, including Johnny Cash, James Brown, George Harrison, Vic Chesnutt and Michael Jackson, we did get a bunch of reunions and even a few rebirths this past decade. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Cream, The Police, Van Halen, The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Polvo, Meat Puppets, Smashing Pumpkins, Gang of Four, Rage Against the Machine, Leonard Cohen and The Stooges all returned to the stage, and all were in consideration (some more than others) for this feature.
In fact, there were pages upon pages of possibilities pored over while creating this list. Trying to determine 10 shows that stood out in a decade packed with powerful performances proved daunting, and we’re sure we left off something critical, which is why we’d love to see you set the record straight by sharing your own list in the Comments Section. But this is our list. After serious internal debate, discussions with artists and industry insiders, and careful consideration of your comments and emails, these are JamBase’s Most Important Shows of The Decade, presented to you in chronological order. It all starts with a special night in Florida that many fans spent the next decade reminiscing about or wishing they’d attended. (Kayceman)
Continue reading for The List…
Phish | 01/01/00
Big Cypress | Seminole Indian Reservation | Everglades, FL
Photo of Phish at Big Cypress by Danny Clinch |
The decade began with Phish performing for over seven straight hours from midnight until sunrise in the middle of the Florida Everglades. The band arrived on stage riding their trademark giant Hot Dog as it paraded through the audience to a recording of their song “Meatstick.” As they took to their instruments and finished the tune, the final moments of the ’90s came to a close and an audience over 85,000 strong was led in a Millennium Countdown before the band launched into their anthemic “Down With Disease.” About an hour later, “Heavy Things” (cheesecake!) would be telecast live on ABC Nightly News‘ special New Year’s Eve coverage from around the world to over 100 million people.
Significant for its timing, location and endurance, the show featured some of the most powerful and definitive versions of the band’s staple songs including “You Enjoy Myself,” “Slave to the Traffic Light,” “Reba,” “Sand,” and “David Bowie.” They also showcased several beloved covers including The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll,” Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless,” The Who’s “Drowned,” and Ween’s “Roses Are Free.” The set was so powerful for the band that after leaving the stage at sunrise they opted not to return for an encore, instead leaving it to Mother Nature and a recording of The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun” to send the audience on their way. This ultimate “long gig” left those in attendance satiated, awe struck, and thankful that the world (Y2K) did not come to and end. (Andy Gadiel)
Setlist (courtesy of Phish.net)
Meatstick > Auld Lang Syne, Down with Disease > Llama, Bathtub Gin, Heavy Things, Twist > Prince Caspian > Rock and Roll, You Enjoy Myself, Crosseyed and Painless, The Inlaw Josie Wales, Sand > Quadrophonic Toppling, Slave to the Traffic Light, Albuquerque, Reba, Axilla, Uncle Pen, David Bowie, My Soul, Drowned > After Midnight Reprise, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, Bittersweet Motel, Piper > Free, Lawn Boy, Hold Your Head Up > Love You > Hold Your Head Up, Roses Are Free, Bug, Also Sprach Zarathustra > Wading in the Velvet Sea, Meatstick
Continue reading for the next Most Important Show of the Decade…
Phil & Friends | 12/31/00
Henry J. Kaiser Auditorium | Oakland, CA
Photo of Gordon, Herring, Lesh & Haynes on NYE 2000 in Oakland by Dave Vann |
In no small way, this night was the relaunch of The Grateful Dead NYE tradition. Despite the fact that RatDog had been playing December 31st since 1998, after numerous lineups, Phil Lesh & Friends settled into a stunning aggregate in 2000 that happily reminded many diehards why this music endures. The Dead tribe had set their calendars for decades around where the band would land on key dates like NYE, Mardi Gras, etc. and the buzz leading up to this evening had the same run-away-to-the-circus, butterflies-in-the-tummy vibe that The Grateful Dead always engendered. “The Quintet,” as they came to be known, of Lesh (bass, vocals), Warren Haynes (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Herring (guitar), Rob Barraco (keys, vocals) and John Molo (drums) attacked this music like it was alive – rangy and unruly like days of old – and that in turn put the electrodes to this beloved catalog. For perhaps the first time since Jerry Garcia passed, it felt like there was a real tomorrow for this music. The heightened atmosphere was further elevated by the recent passing of Allen Woody, putting the future of Gov’t Mule in question and leaving Haynes and Matt Abts to open the night as an acoustic duo. Toss in several guest turns by Mike Gordon, which poignantly reminded one that Phish was not holding their annual NYE festivities, and you had a gathering that directly and indirectly grappled with death and rebirth in stirring ways. (Dennis Cook)
Continue reading for the next Most Important Show of the Decade…
The Concert for New York City | 10/21/01
Madison Square Garden | New York, NY
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With the World Trade Center attacks of 9/11 still stingingly fresh in our collective memory, Paul McCartney gathered together The Who, Bon Jovi, Macy Gray, John Mellencamp, Backstreet Boys and more, plus film and political luminaries like Adam Sandler, Billy Crystal, Tom Daschle and Harrison Ford for a benefit concert that was a defiant affirmation of the United States’ ability to endure almost anything and thrive. Where most events of this sort truck in near-somber sincerity, The Concert for New York City welcomed in laughter and entertainment, both of which were in short supply for the many NYC firefighters and policemen and their families in attendance. Though studded with stellar turns like Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy doing “Hoochie Coochie Man” and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards getting gospel on “Salt of the Earth,” the pinnacle of the night might be Billy Joel‘s one-two punch of “Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)” and “New York State of Mind,” where MSG exploded as he punched lines like, “They turned our power down and drove us underground, but we went right on with the show,” with an emotion impossible to duplicate. An incredible example of where the worst in human beings can sometimes be a catalyst for the very best in us. (Dennis Cook)
Continue reading for the next Most Important Show of the Decade…
Widespread Panic | 04/28/02
Oak Mountain Amphitheatre | Pelham, AL
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| Photos of Widespread Panic at Oak Mountain on 04/28/02 by Jackie Jasper | |
As far as anyone knew, this was it. By all accounts, Sunday, April 28, 2002 at Pelham, Alabama’s Oak Mountain Amphitheatre appeared to be Widespread Panic lead guitarist and co-founder Michael Houser‘s last concert. It was the final night of a brief eight-show spring tour that felt like, and in many ways was, the “Goodbye Houser Tour.” Although not an official word had been uttered, most fans knew that Houser had contracted pancreatic cancer, and one could tell just by looking at him up close onstage that his time was drawing near. Although he would bravely perform seven more shows as he began the spring tour two months later, at this point, Sunday at Oak Mountain looked like the final one.
The venue, set in the heart of Panic Country, was packed with 10,000 serious fans and there was a tension and energy hanging in the humid Alabama air unlike anything I have personally ever experienced. The band rose to the occasion; from song selection (there wasn’t a dry eye during the “Trouble” encore) to execution to the Jerry Joseph guest appearance, it was nearly flawless and one of the best shows of the band’s legendary career. But it was more than just that. It was the way the weather coincided with the music, making it feel like bandleader John Bell had created rain during “Cortez The Killer.” It was the undeniable sense of community. It was the bittersweet, sad-yet-grateful feeling for the opportunity to say goodbye properly and rage it one more time. It was the weight of it all. Standing at Oak Mountain, bitter tears and warm rain washing over one’s face, wrapped in arms from friends both old and new, truly believing this was the final Houser jam, it felt like we were part of history on that day. (Kayceman)
Stream this show for free at Panicstream.com
Continue reading for the next Most Important Show of the Decade…
Bonnaroo Music Festival | 06/21/02 – 06/23/02
Manchester, TN
Photo of Phil Lesh and Friends with Bob Weir at Bonnaroo 2002 by Dave Vann |
Selling out 70,000 tickets in advance to an untried mega-festival in the Tennessee hills with roots in the jam scene would have been accomplishment enough, but the inaugural Bonnaroo had ripples far beyond great sales. In no small way, Bonnaroo put this subculture on the larger cultural map, joining Coachella and Lollapalooza as one of few festivals covered by MTV and other mainstream outlets. However, from the start Bonnaroo has embraced tradition and heritage artists AND cutting edge talent in a way no other super-sized fest had, putting the likes of Blind Boys of Alabama and the Del McCoury Band right next to Ween and Les Claypool. In going big from the get-go, Bonnaroo established itself overnight as a destination for music lovers worldwide. Using the abundant energy and vast subterranean network of live music loving jam fans, the organizers launched something part intrinsically “jam” that was also something much, much larger in scope and vision. While subsequent years have found the likes of Tool, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers headlining, for some ‘Roo vets there’s perhaps no more enduring, moving set than Widespread Panic performing one of their final shows with Michael Houser this first year, a pulsating, powerhouse display that included “Testify” with Dottie Peoples, where Dave Schools says he looked out over the crowd and they were “levitating.” In an age where small ideas and limited expectations prevail Bonnaroo actively reaches for grandeur and all those involved are encouraged to stretch beyond their normal limitations and ways of seeing. (Dennis Cook)
2002 Bonnaroo Artist Lineup: Widespread Panic
* Trey Anastasio
* Ben Harper
* The String Cheese Incident
* Phil Lesh and Friends (w/Bob Weir)
* Bela Fleck & Edgar Meyer
* Galactic with Trombone Shorty and Corey Henry
* Gov’t Mule
* Jack Johnson
* Norah Jones
* Jurassic 5
* Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
* Les Claypool
* moe.
* Ween
* Keller Williams (WMD’s)
* Acoustic Syndicate
* The Big Wu
* Blind Boys of Alabama
* Blackalicious
* John Butler Trio
* Campbell Brothers
* Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains
* Cut Chemist
* The Del McCoury band
* Dirty Dozen Brass Band
* The Disco Biscuits
* Gabe Dixon Band
* Donna The Buffalo
* Dottie Peoples
* Drums & Tuba
* Gran Torino
* Col. Bruce Hampton & The Code Talkers
* Corey Harris
* Lil’ Rascals Brass Band
* Llama
* DJ Logic
* Mofro
* North Mississippi Allstars
* Old Crow Medicine Show
* Particle
* RANA
* Soulive
* Amon Tobin
* Umphrey’s McGee
* Jim White
* Vinroc
* Z-Trip
* Mark Eddie
* Mike Birbiglia
* Vic Henley
Continue reading for the next Most Important Show of the Decade…
Gov’t Mule – The Deepest End | 05/03/03
Saenger Theatre | New Orleans, LA
Photo of Haynes, Abts, Newsted and Louis at Gov’t Mule’s “The Deepest End Concert” on 05/03/03 in New Orleans by Michael Weintrob |
If one ever needed proof that Gov’t Mule was a band adored by their fellow musicians, then “The Deepest End Concert” in New Orleans should provide all the evidence one needs. The culmination of three years of recording and mourning the loss of founding bassist Allen Woody, this five-and-a-half-hour marathon performance found this contemporary classic rock unit joined by some of the finest bassists in the world – Jason Newsted (Metallica, Ozzy, Voivod), George Porter Jr. (The Meters), Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Victor Wooten (Bela Fleck), Rob Wasserman, Paul Jackson Jr., Mike Gordon (Phish), Roger Glover (Deep Purple), Jack Casady (Hot Tune, Jefferson Airplane), Conrad Lazano (Los Lobos), Les Claypool (Primus), and then Mule regular Greg Rzab. If that weren’t enough, the night also had guest turns from Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk), Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Karl Denson and more. A largely unrehearsed affair, the show was rich in what Mule leader Warren Haynes calls “spontaneous composition.” The range of material was off the chain, including Sabbath covers with Jason Newsted, Purple’s “Maybe I’m A Leo” with Glover, and a blinding version of Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon” with studio whiz Paul Jackson Jr. whipping the low end every which way. The art of focused, meaty improvisation has rarely had a finer showing than this gig, which also served to highlight what a ridiculously diverse bunch Gov’t Mule is – a big tent capable of holding just about anything if these cats (and their collaborators) put their backbone into it. (Dennis Cook)
Continue reading for the next Most Important Show of the Decade…
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
04/28/06-04/30/06 & 05/05/06-05/07/06
Fair Grounds Race Course | New Orleans, LA
Photo of Bruce Springsteen at Jazz Fest 2006 in New Orleans by Michael Weintrob |
Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. One of the worst natural disasters to ever hit the United States, around 2,000 people died with several hundred more declared “missing.” When the levees broke on August 29, 2005 water covered 80-percent of the Crescent City. With the pathetic, disorganized response from our government and the days of bedlam that followed, it appeared that America’s most unique, most culturally significant city (giving birth to jazz is often considered this country’s crowning artistic achievement, not to mention the food!) might be gone forever, submerged under six feet of water never to return. And that’s why eight months later when the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival celebrated its 37th year it was much more than just another Jazz Fest.
No one was sure if the organizers would even be able to make the event happen, and there were serious questions about if anyone would come. What transpired was an emotional celebration that marked a critical point in our nation’s history. It was a symbol of hope and a statement of purpose from the city, the musicians and the fans. 4,000 artists performed on ten stages over the two-weekend event, with headliners including Bruce Springsteen, Dr. John, Dave Matthews, Lionel Richie, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint. It was a stake in the ground that said, “We won’t let New Orleans die.” The massive surge of tourist dollars clearly helped, but what New Orleans needed even more was the knowledge that we cared, that despite our government’s lack of commitment, the American people valued New Orleans and we would help bring her residents home. And while there is still so much more that needs to be done, we learned that no flood could drown New Orleans. Music is the blood of the city (and those who flock there), and Jazz Fest 2006 jumpstarted her heart and began the long, slow, still ongoing recovery of New Orleans. All you needed to do was step foot on the Fairgrounds that spring to know it was happening. The smell of crawfish Monica wafting in the air and the sound of The Boss singing, “We Shall Overcome” to hordes of weeping, dancing masses was enough to make us believe again. (Kayceman)
Continue reading for the next Most Important Show of the Decade…
Daft Punk | 04/29/06
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival | Indio, CA
Photo of Daft Punk at Coachella 2006 by Casey Flanigan |
Daft Punk built a pyramid of lights and broke down walls. Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo were hardly the first act to blur genre lines, but what they did at Coachella in 2006, their first U.S. appearance since 1997, shattered the boundaries of electronica. Transformed into robots and perched inside a 40-foot shape-shifting LED covered pyramid, the French duo manipulated the crowd’s movements (serious dance party) and emotions (laughter and tears were both common) with brilliant super anthems like “Around The World,” “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” and “One More Time.” It was pop music, but smart, funny and designed to make you think as well as move. It brought elements from the dance world into stadium rock and the over-the-top production felt like a Broadway play from the distant future. And the fact that two guys not playing any traditional instruments could be this completely captivating was revolutionary. When that pyramid touched down in Indio, all of a sudden music made by machines was for everyone. Rockers pumped their fists, hip hop enthusiasts bounced, teenage girls screamed, doubters instantly became believers and everyone was blown away by the most elaborate, intricate and arguably greatest light show ever put together. It was a life-affirming experience that brought every person to the table, and no one has come close to duplicating it since. (Kayceman)
Continue reading for the next Most Important Show of the Decade…
Radiohead | 06/17/06
Bonnaroo Music Festival | Manchester, TN
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| Photo of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke on 06/17/06 at Bonnaroo by Dave Vann | |
Few bands are more un-hippy than Radiohead, so their Saturday night headlining slot at Bonnaroo ’06 signaled a sharp turn towards modernity for the festival. It was hardly the first time these Glastonbury vets had played for mud flecked, long haired masses, but there’s something resolutely non-jammy about Radiohead and attendees were pretty evenly split between those thrilled to have arguably the greatest rock band in the world serenade them and those who genuinely thought they were a duck out of water at the ‘Roo. However, once they started playing their hyper-alive sound and permeating depth swiftly gathered up the packed crowd. A young, dreadlocked, peasant skirt wearing String Cheese fan told us before the show that she’d never heard a note by Radiohead but was curious based on their rep. A few songs in, having been splendidly tousled by “There There,” “2+2=5″ and a pre-In Rainbows “15 Step,” she bellowed from the back of the huge field, “I like your music!” It was a succinct, heartfelt exclamation and serves to illustrate how intensely moving Radiohead’s music can be. And the band appeared to be just as smitten with the Bonnaroo audience, with frontman Thom Yorke giving as good as he got in a glow stick war and shimmying like a jellyfish that’d just been hit with a car battery. The first encore was almost a second set with eight songs, including a blistering early “Bodysnatchers,” and the second encore delivered us to the celestial plateau of “Everything In Its Right Place.”
Afterwards, Yorke told BBC Radio, “We did this festival called Bonnaroo. We did 2.5 hours. And there’s 80,000 people, admittedly they’ve been smoking the sticky green all day – probably wouldn’t go anywhere anyway. It was just amazing. We played loads of new stuff. We did whole sections of quiet piano songs and it sounds like the most grotesque, self-indulgent nonsense, but it probably is my favourite gig for years and years and years.” (Dennis Cook)
Download Option #1 and Download Option #2
Continue reading for the next Most Important Show of the Decade…
My Morning Jacket | 12/31/06
The Fillmore | San Francisco, CA
Photo of My Morning Jacket on 12/31/06 at The Fillmore by Dave Vann |
There have been many epic My Morning Jacket shows over the past decade – their “coming-of-age” afternoon set in the rain of Bonnaroo 2004; their marathon late night set there four years later; the hometown party in Louisville at Waterfront Park in August 2008; and the huge NYE gig a few months later at Madison Square Garden. Any of these concerts could have made our list, but it was MMJ’s New Year’s Eve 2006 run at The Fillmore that takes the cake. The band was experiencing huge growth, both musically and in terms of ticket sales and would soon be dubbed “America’s best live band” by Rolling Stone, LA Weekly and many JamBase writers to name a few. This show put them on one of the most famous stages in the world on the biggest night of them all and they killed it.
The three-night extravaganza culminated in a sprawling NYE celebration that included an ambitious theatrical element inspired by the old video game The Oregon Trail. The mood was built upon a “Donner Party meets Little House On The Prairie” theme with the band dressed as settlers and native Americans, and the spirits came to life with a number of well executed skits that eventually found bassist Two-Tone Tommy coming back from the dead and killing his bandmates in retribution for eating him earlier in the show (food was scarce on the trail). And that was just the backdrop for a night of extremely well played classic Jacket tracks mixed with rare nuggets and a slew of covers including AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration,” Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long,” Wham’s “Careless Whisper” and Prince’s “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man.” The show was an instant classic. But like most of the bands that really stick with us, a Jacket concert is more than just a rock show. It’s big, heady stuff and has the ability to open us up and help us feel and connect. It’s an experience, and on NYE 2006 My Morning Jacket seized the moment and created something special. What The Fillmore run announced was a world class band with ambitions beyond just performing their songs well. (Kayceman)
JamBase | Happy New Year
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The Rolling Stones: Get Yer Ya-Yas Out: 40th Anniversary Ed.
By: Ron Hart
The fall of 1969 was without question one of the most pivotal periods in the career of The Rolling Stones, highlighted by the Thanksgiving release of one of their three best albums, Let it Bleed, and the winding down of a tour through North America in support of that album’s predecessor, 1968′s Beggars Banquet – a trek universally hailed as one of THE legendary tours in rock history, albeit one that was derailed by the tragedy at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival in December (immortalized in the Maysles Brothers’ 1970 documentary Gimme Shelter).
Originally released in 1970, Get Yer Ya-Yas Out has long been considered to be the Stones’ ultimate official live document, chronicling a sliver of the fervor and fury of that ’69 tour in the audio format. This 40th Anniversary Edition (released November 3 on Abkco) of Ya-Yas might have been short on bonus material, utilizing less than a quarter of a 79-minute CD for a second disc of tracks not featured on the original release (in spite of the fact that both Madison Square Garden shows and the stop in Baltimore were all recorded in their entireties for the album) and a DVD of concert and backstage footage that’s barely 15 minutes long, but the third disc containing the fiery sets of tour openers Ike and Tina Turner and B.B. King certainly makes up for the deficit in bonus Stones matter, not to mention the outstanding packaging and gorgeous hardbound book containing a intriguing essay by longtime Stones photog Ethan Russell on the making of the iconic album cover and Lester Bangs‘ review of the album from Rolling Stone. And even given their brevity, the bonus tracks, which include killer takes on “Under My Thumb” and “I’m Free,” are certainly welcome and do, in fact, complete the entire set list of the band’s ’69 tour (although the Altamont concert did feature the live debut of “Brown Sugar”, the one straying moment from the otherwise rigid performance regimen). As for the original ten tracks, they have never sounded better, right down to the blistering head cutting session between Keith Richards and Mick Taylor on “Sympathy,” cementing Ya-Yas as the quintessential live Stones album – even in its middle age.
JamBase | Stoned
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Gov’t Mule | 10.31 | Philadelphia
Words by: Jake Krolick | Images by: Jake Krolick & Allison Murphy
Gov’t Mule :: 10.31.09 :: Tower Theater :: Philadelphia, PA
Gov’t Mule :: 10.31 :: Philadelphia by Krolick |
Chaos from the previous evening had yet to be stuffed back into the hole that it crawled out from. You could gauge the craziness of this year’s Halloween in several ways. One way was hop into the back seat of a cab early the next morning and find it filled with the putrid stink of an evening of over-indulgence and what appeared to be the remains of some spooky rice dish regurgitated in the vilest of manners. The cabby apologized in a heavy Indian accent saying, “Crazy night in the city man.” It’s the kind of evening you would imagine Mick Jagger and Keith Richards shared more than once in their heydays. I’m sure that the band members from Gov’t Mule had also danced with that kind of devil before, but you don’t hear about Danny Louis snorting his dad’s ashes cut with a line of coke. Sure, Warren Haynes is a stud on the guitar, but the ladies aren’t exactly tossing their panties at him like they did with Jagger. However, what Gov’t Mule lacked in quintessential Rolling Stones rock star unruliness they compensated for in their musicianship. It just made sense that Gov’t Mule covered the Rolling Stones when you listen to how deeply both bands are rooted in American blues and R&B. No, it was not quite the death defying genre leap heard at previous Halloweens, but their performance was well executed and Matt Abts take on “Shattered” was more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
Greene :: 10.31 by Murphy |
The setlist onstage gave away the trick before the treat. Someone had created it and then changed their minds. Instead of waiting to cover the Rolling Stones during the second set at the Tower Theater, they jumped right in and played the second set first. We were treated to 12 first time played Rolling Stones covers spanning from the classic 1971 album Sticky Fingers to 1978′s Some Girls, and all that was around and in between. Lending Gov’t Mule a hand was guitarist/vocalist Jackie Greene and saxophonist Steve Elson. The set they unveiled proved that all of the musicians onstage were capable of handling multiple duties.
Haynes and Greene tackled the intricate Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood manner of weaving rhythm and lead guitar, while both clearly expressed their own stylistic flourishes. Greene took Keith Richards’ playing style and smoothed out the edges, while Haynes’ slide work was more a cross between Brian Jones and Ronnie Wood. Mule’s frontman was no Mick Jagger, and opener “Under My Thumb” lacked the song’s classic kick as the show took flight. Boundless pompous rock attitude and stage swagger did not suddenly emerge from the relatively subdued Haynes, whose first set was strongly played but found him staying out of the limelight while he let two of his bandmates strut their stuff. The haphazard beginnings fell away by the fourth song when Danny Louis traded spots with Greene for “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’.” Louis played a raw, gutsy guitar that was cranked full blast as he shimmied back and forth between Haynes and bassist Jorgen Carlsson. His Richards-like leg bends, power chords, and plethora of rock & roll faces were just the catalyst needed to get the Tower shaking.
Greene was good for a backing vocal on “Angie,” as Haynes wrapped his patient tones around the chorus in his unique way of singing every word like each of us were a lone audience member and he was talking directly to us. Greene earned his keep on a majestic version of “Ventilator Blues” as he traded guitar licks with Haynes before switching gears to work the harmonica. The action shifted quickly as Louis traded trumpet blows with Greene’s harp and Elson’s sax. Louis’ hands never left the keys as they did a dirty dance that really knocked our boots around. By all accounts, it’s doubtful The Rolling Stones themselves sounded this good when they played the Tower in 2002.
Abts & Greene :: 10.31 by Murphy |
By the middle of the first set all bets were off as Matt Abts ran out from behind his kit to play the role of Jagger on “Shattered.” Carlsson rotated into Abts’ spot on drums while Louis slapped the bass. Abts’ imitation of Mick Jagger was so fucking awesome that if you just caught one song all evening it should have been “Shattered.” Just seeing Abts do Jagger’s chicken strut back and forth across the stage in his tight white pants and black kneepads was priceless. Sure, his singing wasn’t perfect, but when he yanked a banana out of his crotch and sang, “Look at me, I’m in tatters,” we lost our shit. It was comedic and rocking all at the same time, and it showcased some seldom seen musical abilities within Abts, Carlsson, and Louis.
Gov’t Mule had teased “Play With Fire” the night before and they set aside their reggae take to keep the set steeped in the Stones’ classic rock sound. Greene’s added harmonies and Louis’ bravado on keys matched the hard-hitting bass pokes that Carlsson was tossing out. The Carlsson-era Mule has all the crudeness and excitement of the Allen Woody days without sounding like a step in reverse. The balcony was swaying and bouncing hard as Haynes steered us into “Paint it Black.” Drinks sitting on the edge of the balcony were actually sloshing in their cups. Haynes finished The Rolling Stones anthem with a simple shout to the audience, “This is what we call Mule-o-ween.” If only Abts had stepped back out for “Bitch” then that old outspoken lady of a song would have spread her legs wide and our costumed crowd would have charged right in. No matter, the second Haynes and Louis got their hands on “Brown Sugar” all was good as they faked an ending and gave us another round of house light flashes, arm waves, and sing-a-long (“I say yeah, yeah, yeah, WOOO!) to finish the set.
The cheers started to dissipate as we wandered through a sea of red and white Phillies garb. Those who chose to put the game aside and live in the moment of the concert were the lucky ones. Gov’t Mule’s new album, By A Thread (released October 26 on Evil Teen Records), was fresh on the record shelves as Haynes and crew dug through six tracks, including an extremely inspired “Monday Mourning Meltdown.” This new bit of Gov’t Mule peculiarity featured everything from Louis’ jazzy key work to Haynes’ thickly textured, head-throbbing guitar. He extended a peaking jam in around the fifth minute of the song that made me wonder where his wild, howling Gibson guitar had been earlier in the evening. His left hand bent the strings as his right played out some acrobatic fly swats that set the jam on fire. It was the first real face-scrunch I had seen from his lion-like mug all night.
Warren Haynes :: 10.31 :: Philadelphia by Krolick |
The extended intro to “Blind Man in the Dark” had a bit of a Dr. John “Walk on Guilded Splinters” echo, complete with Louis’ eerie, Thriller-like sound effects. This was the longest, most experimental jam of the evening, and even though its predecessors would be more talked about, it featured some of the best playing buried within its well-constructed walls. Abts switched the grip on his drumsticks and started a snazzy little shuffle on his cymbals as Louis and Elson worked out a stellar bit of bebop that ached to be a new fangled Peanuts theme song. The backset trio ripped the center of the song clear out and jazzed up the jam proper.
“Going Out West” could have been spotted from miles away with its familiar, flamboyant sounding low end intro. Haynes’ Peter Gunn tease was just more candy in the bag as he pummeled costumed fans with the Spy Hunter theme song. The crowd that had been perched out in the hallways watching the game now raced back in for the colossal encore as a cover of T. Rex‘s classic “Bang A Gong” launched us back into raucous Halloween fun. It wasn’t a Rolling Stones cover, but the Chuck Berry inspired ditty fit well inside that realm of inspiration that drove The Rolling Stones. The transition back into “Going Out West” rumbled as Gov’t Mule sent us out with a huge finale to another memorable Mule-o-ween filled with love and hope and sex and dreams.
Gov’t Mule :: 10.31.09 :: Tower Theater :: Philadelphia, PA
Set I: (full set with Jackie Greene) Under My Thumb*, Monkey Man*, Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo*$, Can’t You Hear Me, Knockin’*$, Angie*, Ventilator Blues*$, Shattered*$ (with Matt on lead vocal, Danny on bass & Jorgen on drums), Wild Horses, Slave*$, Gimme Shelter*$, Play With Fire, Paint It Black*, Bitch*$, Brown Sugar*$
Set II: Steppin’ Lightly, Broke Down On The Brazos, Railroad Boy > Monday Mourning Meltdown > Forevermore, Frozen Fear > Brighter Days > Blind Man In The Dark$
Encore: (Encore with Jackie Greene) Goin’ Out West$ (with Peter Gunn tease) > Bang A Gong (Get It On)$ > Goin’ Out West$
* 1st Time Played
$ with Steve Elson
Continue reading for more images of Mule on Halloween…
Images by: Jake Krolick
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JamBase | Philly
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Where Do Ideas Come From?

Since publishing a series of posts on dating and living in the last couple of weeks, I’ve been asked several times how I came up with the idea to see dating as a kind of metaphor for life. The immediate source of the story was pretty mundane – someone asked me a question about another article and I used going on a date as an example to illustrate my answer, and thought “hey, there might be something to this more generally!â€
But the response to those stories has gotten me thinking about ideas and creativity more generally. Writers are asked all the time about where we get our ideas. So are musicians, painters, actors, designers, and other creative people. It’s a source of fascination for many, who perhaps see in the talent of others something they feel is missing from themselves.
Interestingly, most of the creative people I know don’t see their creative impulses as particularly exclusive. What separates the creative from the not-so-creative isn’t so much the ability to come up with ideas but the ability to trust them, or to trust ourselves to realize them. That trust lies at least in part in knowing we have the skills to bring forth a finished product from an initial idea, which is why so many creative people tend to take a craftsman’s (or woman’s) approach towards their work (and resent those who squander their ideas by refusing to do the groundwork needed to make them real), but skill is only part of it. There are plenty of skilled but not-particularly-creative people – hacks – in every field. What separates the creative from the not-so-creative is the willingness to take risks with ideas, to push both the idea and the self beyond the safe and comfortable.
There are two schools of thought about where ideas come from. One is the “artist as antenna†concept, in which ideas float in some barely perceptible aether waiting for someone to pick them up, the way a radio picks up a song when it’s tuned to just the right frequency. This is Keith Richards waking up in the middle of the night with the main riff from “Satisfaction†fully-formed in his head.
The second school holds that ideas are the product of hard work and thoughtful concentration. “It’s just work,†says Andy Warhol to Lou Reed about songwriting in Reed’s album, with John Cale, Songs for Drella. Sit down with a pad and pencil and think, and don’t get up until you have something! This school is the writer grinding out his or her 4 pages a day, the mad poet storming up and down the street in search of the perfect word to express exactly what s/he’s feeling, and the designer who sits down with a brief and just starts working.
The reality is probably somewhere in the middle – we get ideas from within ourselves and from without, or more to the point, from the interaction of the two. It is in the active engagement of the artist with his or her world, through preparation, conscious attention, curiosity, effort, and a dash of serendipity, that ideas are born:
- Preparation: Ideas come to those who are prepared to receive them, whatever the origin. Scientists have ideas about science, not poetry – unless they have also practiced at the craft of poetry. And vice-versa – it’s the rare poet who is struck by an idea that advances our understanding of molecular biology. Skillful musicians have ideas that translate into beautiful songs, and skillful writers create daring novels that illuminate our lives. Those who haven’t prepared themselves to be creative rarely are.
- Attention: Paying attention to the world around us – whether the immediate activities of people in our vicinity or the distant events reported through the media, or anywhere in between – is one source of ideas. You’ve heard the saying that “necessity is the other of invention†but it also takes someone paying close enough attention to recognize that need in the first place.
- Curiosity: Creativity often comes from the drive to understand and take things apart, literally or figuratively. It stems from the desire to know “what if…†and to follow that question until it gets somewhere interesting.
- Effort: Whether you’re the antenna or the bricklayer, creativity takes a commitment to work. “Ideas are cheap,†the saying goes. “Execution is hard.†Ideas need to be captured, given attention, followed up on, and committed to a plan of action, or they disappear back to wherever they came – whether “out there†or deep in your unconscious mind. And they rarely come back.
- Serendipity: Serendipity is two things. First, it’s the luck to be at the right place at the right time, to be Newton at exactly the moment the apple falls from the tree. The second is the openness to making connections between unrelated things or events – to see in a bathtub a lesson about physics, or to see in a date a lesson about life.
These elements of creativity all play together, of course. How many millions of baths were taken before Archimedes had his “Eureka!†moment? Yet it was Archimedes who was prepared to understand what it meant when he climbed into his bath and saw the water level rise, Archimedes who paid attention to what he saw, Archimedes who was curious enough to wonder what was happening, Archimedes who was willing to do the follow-up work to translate his experience into a general principle about volume and displacement, and Archimedes who just happened to bring all this with him into the bath on that fateful day.
The thing is, these are all things each and every one of us can cultivate in her or his own life. They aren’t God-given gifts reserved to the few. And they apply well beyond the world of the arts – marketers, parents, teachers, factory workers, salespersons, electricians, computer programmers, and just about everyone else face situations that call for creative responses, though we often miss them for lack of preparation, attention, curiosity, effort, or serendipity. Start making a conscious effort to develop these elements, though, and I bet you’ll start engaging with your world more creatively in short order.
Dustin M. Wax is a freelance writer and project manager at Stepcase Lifehack. He is also the creator of The Writer’s Technology Companion, a site devoted to the tools of the writing trade. When he’s not writing, he teaches anthropology and gender studies in Las Vegas, NV. He is the author of Don’t Be Stupid: A Guide to Learning, Studying, and Succeeding at College.
Follow him on Twitter: @dwax.
When the Police or Courts are Involved, You Need Specialist Criminal Lawyer
Police and courts are nightmares to most of us. We always try to avoid issues related to police and courts. Keith Richards quotes, “I’ve never had problem with drugs, I had problem with policeâ€. This view is shared by the majority. But sometimes, you become a victim of ill fate and your stars are not [...]
Son Volt/Cowboy Junkies | 07.17 | Saratoga
Words by: Dennis Cook | Images by: Susan J. Weiand
Son Volt/Cowboy Junkies :: 07.17.09 :: Villa Montalvo Garden Theatre :: Saratoga, CA
Son Volt :: 07.17.09 :: Saratoga, CA |
There’s something so undeniably real about Son Volt. Dressed like workingmen and plying their trade with seriousness and purpose, speaking truth to power and calling out for love in songs that resonate on a foundational level with Woody Guthrie and Gram Parsons. With so many tunes situated somewhere on the intertwined highways of America, a Son Volt show takes one on a journey tinged with strong melancholy and a rugged refusal to be completely ground down by even the worst of circumstances. Surrounded by wine sippin’, well-heeled folks dressed in Men’s Warehouse casual and pretty, probably pricey summer dresses, I felt an outsider in denim and a red tee sporting an Old West gunslinger with the inscription, “If I were to shoot you, it would just be in the leg.” There’s a good deal of blood and suffering in Son Volt’s tales, and even more in co-headliners Cowboy Junkies, and I’d chosen the shirt with care, a small nod to the bands that some of us in the stalls have been paying attention as they’ve built up two of the sturdiest, more timeless catalogs in the past few decades.
With the sun still looming overhead but losing steam, Son Volt played first, setting us off on a trip towards a place that bandleader-songwriter-guitarist Jay Farrar said, “I know when we get there we’ll find mercy.” One of the joys of their music is how it never flinches at our scars or stupid decisions, offering rare blunt empathy for just being human. Farrar rode a thick organ wash, tossing in neck rack harmonica blasts as the band pumped out a sound perfect for rising, dancing and shaking off what cares we’d brought in with us. But, assess stayed planted or wandered the side areas full of sculpted vegetation and statuary. In many ways Montalvo Arts Center wasn’t really their venue, and the conscious foot on the brake that kept almost all overt “rockin’” for the very end of their set told one Son Volt was aware they were a touch out of their element. Unlike the Junkies they don’t have a string of FM radio hits behind them, little nostalgia to draw upon, and thus the material has to sink or swim on its own merits. It’s not hard to like but can blur together a bit, especially the mid-tempo stuff, if you’re unfamiliar with the album counterparts. Still, anyone with affinity for Woody or ’50s/’60s country or even the “Wild Horses” side of the Stones should find plenty to latch onto, even in their raw form.
Son Volt :: 07.17.09 :: Saratoga, CA |
One element that caught my ear throughout the show – and across their very strong new album, American Central Dust (released July 7 on Rounder), which formed the spine of their setlist – was keyboardist/pedal steel player Mark Spencer who excels at adding texture and emotional weight to these tunes. His steel work recalls the great Mike Nesmith sideman Red Rhodes, and there’s no greater compliment I can give someone brave enough to tackle this most challenging of instruments. The rest of this band – Dave Bryson (drums), Chris Masterson (guitar, lap steel) and Andrew Duplantis (bass) – is no slouch either, making for easily the strongest lineup Son Volt has seen in many years. There’s the palpable sense of shared heavy-lifting, each guy doing what he can to really make each number breath. While everything was played like pros they really caught some air on the Keith Richards inspired “Cocaine And Ashes,” undying fan fave “Windfall” and some of the rowdier numbers near the end, where they slashed and howled like Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds in best form.
“Thank you for coming out and braving the bugs. Have some beers,” quipped Farrar. As brainy and worldly wise as his songs can often be there’s an unshakeable bar band vibe to much of his work, and this lineup plays ‘em with the kinda of gusto that keeps folks from throwing glass mugs at the chicken wire around the stage. Closing my eyes several times I had no problem imagining folks mistaking some numbers for primo Waylon Jennings or Merle Haggard, and, as if to add confirmation of this outlaw country connection Son Volt finished the set with a galloping, too-fucking-right-for-words cover of Waylon’s “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way.” Torchbearers for rib-sticking, real people music, Son Volt delivered a lovely example of what they do best, whiskey sluggers amongst vineyard tasters but right gentlemen just the same.
Michael & Margo Timmins – Cowboy Junkies :: 07.17.09 |
I tend to like the Cowboy Junkies best when they misbehave a bit, play against the grain of the pleasant boutique gig existence they’ve carved out in the States. As a fan since day one, I know what terrible things and dismembered terrors lie within their music. While many only regard them as that band that played “Misguided Angel” and covered “Sweet Jane” so good Lou Reed liked it better than his own version, there’s a cantankerous, Flannery O’Connor side to them that’s always appealed to me way more than their more polite offerings. Thankfully, I got my silent wish when they opened with a raw, noisy version of Neil Young’s “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” followed by the run-for-your-life manic blues of “Hunted.” While it’s almost impossible not to stare at lead singer Margo Timmins, proving herself more and more like one of the few strong, self-possessed, classy ladies to front a band with every year, you miss a lot if you take your eye/ear off guitarist-primary songwriter Michael Timmins, who came out of the gate playing like a dirtier, more impolite Kimock – all the seated mastery with more rough edges and dark inking. Besides being responsible for the general thematic range of the band, Michael’s mood frequently dictates the tone of a given night, and he was intense, focused and seemed anxious to explore their catalog with real energy, and the others all followed suit.
A leaner configuration these days, the Junkies had only the core band – Margo, Michael, brother Peter Timmins (drums) and childhood friend Alan Anton (bass) – and longtime “fifth Cowboy” Jeff Bird on mandolin, percussion and whatnot. Together, the quintet generated a rising heat to meet the warm but cooling summer evening, weaving together murderous tales (“Lay It Down,” “Black Eyed Man”), emotional train wrecks (“Something More Besides You”) and a few clunkers (a cover of U2′s “One” just didn’t work on any level). Part of the fun of seeing them in such settings is how incongruous their subject matter is with the bucolic, privileged surroundings. It’s a community that’s strongly embraced them but doesn’t always seem particularly aware of what they’re bobbing their heads to. That’s no dig – music is meant to be enjoyed/consumed on many levels – but I sometimes wonder, as I did this night, what the Junkies themselves think of all the pastel button downs and Dockers looking back at them as they sharpen their dragging hooks and reload their revolvers.
Cowboy Junkies :: 07.17.09 :: Saratoga, CA |
Regardless of venue or crowd mix, I’ve never seen the Cowboy Junkies put on a poor show, and they were especially pleasant at the Garden Theatre. They abandoned the rough play about midway and went into a few acoustic numbers, first with Margo, Michael and Bird, and then just Michael and Margo, where the highlight was a yet-untitled new one with the chorus that begins, “Hey little princess, hey little pea, come down from your tower and dance with me.” Between lines like that and Margo’s between-song chatter, there’s a growing feeling of domesticity to the band and their work, the presence of kids and settled homes creeping into the infrastructure that’s often been built of bone and blood and hard feelings. It’s where the hope that’s emerged slowly in their work over many recent albums may spring from, and like them, Son Volt, too, seems to have snapped up some reasons to believe in recent times. Taken together, one felt like they’d been given something real, something well worth stuffing in the tight confines of their bindle, as they headed towards the shuttle buses and back down the hill to the parking lot.
What made this bill especially apropos was these are two groups operating only by their own internal logic. Nothing about either Son Volt or Cowboy Junkies plays to the fleeting whims of what’s hot and what’s not. Each band has built indestructible bodies of work and continued to refine what they do live. Sometimes this approach lacks flash and can be lost in all the bright lights and fireworks of newer, louder music, but this is how real deal artists do it. This is how one makes a life in music that’s not unlike the jobs many of us work except they give us the tunes we need to make it through our working days. This is how Hank done it and they should be proud.
Continue reading for more pics…
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Son Volt tour dates available here, Cowboy Junkies dates here.
JamBase | Bay Area
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Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

Michael Jackson
Photo of Phish at Big Cypress by
Photo of Gordon, Herring, Lesh & Haynes on NYE 2000 in Oakland by 


Photo of Phil Lesh and Friends with Bob Weir at Bonnaroo 2002 by
Photo of Haynes, Abts, Newsted and Louis at Gov’t Mule’s “The Deepest End Concert” on 05/03/03 in New Orleans by
Photo of Bruce Springsteen at Jazz Fest 2006 in New Orleans by
Photo of Daft Punk at Coachella 2006 by 

Photo of My Morning Jacket on 12/31/06 at The Fillmore by 
Gov’t Mule :: 10.31 :: Philadelphia by Krolick
Greene :: 10.31 by Murphy
Abts & Greene :: 10.31 by Murphy
Warren Haynes :: 10.31 :: Philadelphia by Krolick
Son Volt :: 07.17.09 :: Saratoga, CA
Son Volt :: 07.17.09 :: Saratoga, CA
Michael & Margo Timmins – Cowboy Junkies :: 07.17.09
Cowboy Junkies :: 07.17.09 :: Saratoga, CA
Masterson & Farrar – Son Volt
Andrew Duplantis – Son Volt
Chris Masterson – Son Volt
Mark Spencer – Son Volt
Margo Timmins – Cowboy Junkies
Margo Timmins – Cowboy Junkies
Michael Timmins – Cowboy Junkies
Margot Timmins – Cowboy Junkies