Ticket Giveaway: Late Night at the Compound with Steve Kimock & Crazy Engine
What are you up to this weekend? If you can make your way to north Scottsdale’s Compound Grill, you’ll find the surroundings taken over by the McDowell Mountain Music Festival. Vehicles will be kicked to the curb, sod will be laid down, a big stage will go up, and the people… they will come. Look forward to sets by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Trombone Shorty, Robert Randolph & the Family Band and others (see MMMF’s site for full lineup details).
Late Saturday night (showtime @ 11pm), within the cozy confines of the Compound Grill, Bay Area guitar whiz Steve Kimock will take the stage with his new band, Crazy Engine. Steve has been part of the jam/psychedelic/prog rock scene for a number of years. He co-founded Zero in the 80’s, formed his own Steve Kimock Band in 2000, and has played a part in Bob Weir’s Ratdog, Phil Lesh & Friends, and the Other Ones.
Joining Steve in Crazy Engine is longtime Jerry Garcia Band member Melvin Seals on Hammond B-3 and keys, Trevor Extor on bass and vocals, and his 22-year old son John Morgan Kimock on drums.
I’ll be there enjoying the show, so why don’t you? I’m giving away a pair of tickets. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment below. Keep in mind this is a late night show that starts at 11pm and will jam into the wee hours of the morning. If you’re serious about rocking out all night long with Steve Kimock & Crazy Engine, drop a comment in below. I’ve heard Steve’s a pretty amazing guitarist to see live, so this should be something extra special given the small club feel of the Compound Grill.
I’ll pick a winner from the Comments section on Thursday. Good luck!
New Music From The Guggenheim Grotto, “Wisdom”
Having seen the band a handful of times in the last month, I’ve heard the track “Wisdom” as many times in it’s raw form. The tune — which comes from the band’s forthcoming record, Master of the Universe — is partly inspired by the long hours the band has logged crossing the country in support of their brilliant Happy the Man. There is currently no date set for the release of the record, though I’d expect it would be sometime in June. Stay tuned!You can purchase “Wisdom” here.
The band is also doing a residency every Wednesday in June at The Bowery Electric, NYC, and every Thursday at the Tin Angel in Philly.
The Friday Five: April 16, 2010
Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
“Uptown Girl” by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (from Have a Ball, 1997)
This week’s shuffle accompanied me during my early morning visit to the gym. This sped-up version of the Billy Joel classic got my blood pumping!
“I Won’t Spend Another Night Alone” by The Ataris (from Blue Skies, Broken Hearts…Next 12 Exits, 1999)
Before the band covered Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer,” and climbed aboard the MTV-fueled wave of pop-punk in the early aught’s, they were just a little band from Indiana with a penchant for writing the intensely personal songs. This little ditty was sent to me by a friend back in 2000, and I promptly ran out and purchased the CD after hearing it.
“Would?” by Alice in Chains (from Dirt, 1992)
This is, without a doubt, my favorite Alice in Chains tune.
“Sweetness” by Jimmy Eat World (from Bleed American, 2001)
In the groove, just listen…
“Fell on Black Days” by Soundgarden (from Superunknown, 1994)
By the time this track came up, it completely disturbed my groove; I was mid-sprint and lost my steam. Making for a less-than productive treadmill session, I hit stop and headed to the next machine.
What’s on your shuffle today?
You Just Do: The xx at the Varsity in Minneapolis
With the big acts of my summer concert series set (Simon and Garfunkel, Tom Petty and U2), I was lamenting not jumping immediately at the chance of buying tickets for a smaller show in the form of The xx at the Varsity. I should have guessed that this emo, shoegazy band would sell out in less than a day in my emo, shoegazy home town of Minneapolis.
So, I poked around online to see what tickets were going for….75 dollars for a 25 dollar ticket! Great Scott!!!! I had more or less given up on going but then a phone call came about a week before the show. My friends Jeremy and Rea had an extra ticket and it was mine if I so desired. Mega.
We met up at the Loring Pasta Bar for pre-show conversation and then headed over to the venue at about 10:30pm. The xx were scheduled to go on at 11pm. The Varsity was packed but there as still plenty of space in the middle of the floor. As we watched the alarmingly sucky warm up band (a female performer named JJ who sang to pre-recorded tracks with a video of herself striking pretentious poses in the background), I thought about how different The xx are compared to the other bands I like.They are very sparse..almost hollow. I usually like lush sounds and a chorus of vocals. The guitar work is quite simplistic and they mostly use programmed drums. Yet their music betrays both a haunting isolation and a tender caress of comfort which I always thoroughly enjoy in my music. Take the lyrics to “VCR”:
“Watch things on VCRs with me…And talk about big love…I think we are superstars…You say you think we are the best thing…But you, you just know…You just do…”
This is EXACTLY what I look for when I listen to music..an illustration of intimacy that stirs a commonality. How many of us out there have felt like this before? Knowing someone who just gets you…without even saying a word. It’s magnificent. These were the thoughts and feelings that were comforting me as the first song began.
They opened, not surprisingly, with “Intro” and as they did, the white curtain in front of the stage kept the band hidden from us. Flickering lights bounced their shadows all over the venue. At the conclusion of the song, the curtain dropped to reveal the band-all dressed in black.
It was interesting to watch the audience, clearly revved up with excitement, try to make sense of how to cheer for the methadone-like tunage. The xx’s songs just aren’t mosh pit ready. They are sewn from a different quilt – one of introspection and quiet solitude. The song “Shelter” is a perfect example of this and one of the two best tracks of the night. The other was, of course, was “Islands.”
The song “Islands” will always be my favorite xx song. It’s a metaphor for all the wonderful aspects of romance. Romy sings by herself first – then she sings with Oliver – then they sing together, all they while backed by a happy-skippy melody and beat. I fell into that Bogart-Bergman in Casablanca dream when they sang:
“I am yours now…so I now I don’t ever have to leave…I’ve been found out…so now I’ll never explore.”
The dim lights and the red velvet of the Varsity really made my mood sublimely sanguine in the most exquisite of ways and that dreamer in me that I love so much was transported to a million worlds, known and unknown, across all of time itself.
Check out The xx’s tour page for their latest shows.
New Band of Horses – “Laredo”
It’s mid-April, and though the whole album doesn’t release until May 18th, Ben and the boys at Band of Horses have bestowed upon us another track from Infinite Arms. “Laredo” doesn’t stray far from the Band of Horses “sound” (if you can call it that) – that mellow folk-rock vibe spearheaded by Ben Bridwell’s crystalline higher register voice.
The song is for sale on iTunes. Go git.
New Deer Tick: 20 Miles
Rolling Stone’s Rock & Roll Daily blog tipped me off a few days ago to a new album from Providence, Rhode Island’s Deer Tick. The new album, The Black Dirt Sessions, will be released on June 8th. Born on Flag Day, their 2nd album, was one of my favorites last year – a collection of raw and earnest roots/country/rock featuring the raspy lead vocals of John McCauley.
In the meantime, RS included a taste from the new one – a catchy one called “20 Miles” – a song that I instantly liked. These guys are in town this week too – another show I’ll regrettably miss. I’ve heard they put on a great live show. Oh well, hopefully I’ll see them at the ACL Festival in October.
Deer Tick – “20 Miles”
Muse at U.S. Airways Center: A Newbie’s Review
Whoever is responsible for the lighting, laser, and multi-video screen spectacle that accompanies Muse‘s live stage show should be showered with awards. Last night’s show at US Airways Arena was something to behold – a complete frontal assault on the senses.
I was asked by an old friend a few weeks ago if I had any interest in going to see Muse, with openers the Silversun Pickups. Not knowing a whole lot about either band, but having heard here and there of Muse’s incredible live show, I said “why not” and accepted.
“Uprising”, of course, hit my radar a few months ago, and I loved it immediately. I’ll take an anthemic blast of a tune like that any old day of the week – and that’s the best one of its kind I’ve heard in years. So when the lights went out in the arena, three giant skyscrapers lit up, a draping fabric fell from the top down, revealing the English trio on tall, elevated risers (making up the bottom quarter of the skyscrapers) – and the opening pulses of “Uprising” kicked in – I knew I’d come to the right place.
At first glance, guitarist/lead vocalist Matthew Bellamy – diminutive and not the “handsome” rock star type – wouldn’t strike one as the quintessential frontman. But strap a guitar on that man, listen to him sing and work a stage – and you’d be hard pressed to find a better performer. Bellamy’s voice soars – from a lower register to a beautiful falsetto – and it was apparent throughout the show why the band is mentioned in the same breath as Queen. Soaring, epic songs like the closer, “Knights of Cydonia” illustrated this quite well. Sort of like super-electro-21st-century Queen.
Bellamy also showed off his piano chops for “Feeling Good” (made popular by Nina Simone). And right up my alley, he channeled his inner Prince in the super-funky “Supermassive Black Hole”.
He had the arena in the palms of his hands with the crowd favorite “Starlight” – the whole crowd clapping in rhythm and singing along.
But I’d be remiss not to mention bass player Christopher Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard – the tight rhythm section that have rounded out this power trio since their inception in the 90’s. The coolest moment with these two was midway through the show, when Wolstenholme stepped on to the drum riser behind Howard – which proceeded to elevate 20 feet in the air while they rotated around – and they tore into 3 minute bass and drum jam, complemented of course by a light show that added to the intensity and thrill, and which ended when the riser descended again to stage level.
The stage effects are a huge part of Muse’s show. They can almost be considered a fourth member of the band, they play such an important role. Throughout the show, the three giant columns that started off the show as skyscrapers, turned into a mind-blowing series of projected videos – psychedelics, dreamscapes, and some amazing live shots of the band. The accompanying light show was incredible as well.
And then there were the green lasers. They first made an appearance a few songs into the set during “New Born”. I can’t think of a more intense visual experience than what I witnessed during this song. The two subpar iPhone pics I included here were taken during the song, and don’t it justice in any way. I didn’t realize it until about halfway through, but I was grinning ear to ear as I watched these shards, patterns and lines of green light dance around the arena. I spotted who I think was the lighting tech shortly after the song. Standing at a console 10 feet behind the soundboard, headphones on and head bobbing, he manipulated the controls to the rhythm, clearly having fun while doing his job, and every part a member of the band as the three on stage.
I see what the fuss is about – and I’m glad I left my live show comfort zone to go check out something new. Muse has a new fan in me. As do the Silversun Pickups, whose 40 minute opening set showcased their distortion-driven indie rock.
Muse’s US Tour wraps up next weekend with a performance at Coachella. Then it’s off to Europe. The next time they come around my neck of the woods, you’ll find me there. And I’m dragging everyone I know.
Official Sites: Muse | Silversun Pickups
The Friday Five: April 9, 2010
Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
“One More Try” by George Michael (from Faith, 1987)
Oh, the overwrought teenaged melodrama that accompanies this tune in my memory bank. I could fill pages, upon pages, of the tales of the end of the world, listening to Chicago, Richard Marx, and so much more wuss-rock. It’s a wonder I didn’t get my ass kicked every day. (It was every-other day.)
“Runaway” by Bon Jovi (from 7800º Fahrenheit, 1985)
I never really gave a shit about Jon-Bon until Slippery When Wet, but I was fully aware of the band during the pre-slippery era thanks to the VCR tapes my aunt would send with 8 hours of MTV content.
“Feels Good” by Tony! Toni! Toné! (from The Revival, 1990)
This song was inescapable during the summer of 1990. In retrospect, I don’t think that I liked it then quite as much as I do now. To be fair, in 1990 I was likely still heavily under the influence of the crew of metal-heads that I associated with. I was forced – peer pressure is a bitch – to keep my guilty pleasures under wraps, stashing my Prince and MJ records in lieu of the latest Megadeth and Metallica.
“Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga (from The Fame Monster, 2009)
While on some level I agree with M.I.A.’s recent assertion that Gaga is “the industry’s last stab at making itself important,” I can’t help but secretly enjoy the hell out of her over-the-top shtick.
“The Dragon” by The Guggenheim Grotto (from Happy the Man, 2009)
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Ireland’s Guggenheim Grotto twice in the last month. With any luck, I’ll be seeing them again this weekend. If it seems a bit obsessive: I’ll fully admit it is, and with good reason. The duo’s songs are poetic and intimate, and tug at the heartstrings like few others can. If you are in the NYC area, I highly recommend making it to at least one of their upcoming shows. They are setting up residency at The Bowery Electric each Wednesday in June, and there is a good chance that you’ll run into me – and maybe Jason Hare – at any one of these shows.
What’s on your shuffle today?
Side Note: What do you guys think of the lala.com embedded tracks?
Elvis on The Frank Sinatra Show – March 1960
March of 1960 was a busy, eventful month for Elvis Presley. On March 1st, Elvis shipped off from Germany, returning home after a two-year stint in the U.S. Army. Colonel Parker scheduled a train ride from New Jersey to Tennessee, alerting towns along the way that Elvis would be rolling through. Throngs of fans greeted him at every stop.
On March 20th, Elvis and his entourage chartered a bus to Nashville for the first recording session that would become part of the Elvis Is Back album. “Stuck on You” and “Fame and Fortune” were two of the songs recorded, and within 72 hours, 1.4 million records were pressed and shipped out. Along with regulars Scotty Moore and DJ Fontana, some of Nashville’s top session pros were brought in to help – including jazz guitarist Hank Garland and piano man Floyd Cramer.
Less than a week later, on March 26th, Elvis was in Miami for a taping of The Frank Sinatra show. Elvis performed “Fame and Fortune” and “Stuck on You”. Sinatra then came out for some awkward banter, followed by a joint medley of tunes: Sinatra’s “Witchcraft” and Presley’s “Love Me Tender.”
What a month… Within 26 days, Elvis had returned from Germany, recorded his first singles, and performed them on Sinatra’s TV show.
How’d he do it? Well, the truth is that by this time, Elvis had discovered amphetamines – the little white pills that were introduced to him while on tank maneuvers in Germany. It’s hard to gauge to what extent drugs had become a part of his life, but there was no turning back at this point.
It doesn’t diminish his stature as a performer though – not in my opinion. Yes, fast forwarding 10-15 years, it’s clear that his lifestyle choices were taking their toll. But in this moment in time – March 26th, 1960 – it’s amazing to see how natural and at ease he is as a performer. Keep in mind that during his 2 years away, he didn’t perform at all. And to deliver something like this just a few weeks after returning stateside… it’s still incredible – fifty years later.
[Source: Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley]
New Band of Horses – “Compliments”
I’ve been trying to keep my cool about this new Band of Horses album. But with just a handful of weeks to go, the anticipation is building. And with the leak (?) of “Compliments” yesterday, well, I’m giddy with ants-in-my-pantsness.
Infinite Arms will be released on May 18th. You can pre-order the album right here.
“Compliments” is posted at a number of sites, including Get Up Stay Down, Knox Road, This Mornin’ I Am Born Again, and The Mad Mackerel.
Enjoy!
