Posts by Ace Cowboy

Quick, what’s the first song you heard this morning? For me it was moe.’s Plane Crash from the Treymoe.deski Tsunami Benefit at Roseland Ballroom in February 2005. To this day that night stands out as one of the best nights of pure music I’ve ever experienced, almost every song better than the one that preceded […]

“Is that the hippest pop band you’ve ever seen in your life?,” a winterbearded friend asked me after the hour-long set at Lakeside Lounge on Saturday.

You know, it really was. Of course, that’s only if you’re willing concede the “pop” label to a band that’s roots lie somewhere in between ’70s Miles fusion and alternarock. To be sure, if one of them newfangled indieblogs with high traffic reviewed this weekend’s A BIG YES…and a small no show and linked to a couple tracks, Kevin Kendrick’s cellular telephone may never stop ringing.

Kendrick’s the impressive driving force behind the fluid band and a commanding figure front and center, an interesting diction choice on my part considering his physical stature aligns more closely with that of a halogen lamp. On this night, the classically trained vibraphonist’s 30th birthday, all six of his old bandmates from the tragically underrated Fat Mama joined him “on stage” for a show following a five-year layoff (as well as Big Yes/Small No vocalist Moira Meltzer-Cohen).

And just when you think you’re gonna go to a show and have a decent night, along comes a band that sneaks up and fucking floors you. Read on for more…

The recently reunited Rage Against the Machine has added three more dates to its touring schedule. Rage will join the Wu-Tang Clan at the top of the bill of the Rock The Bells hip-hop festival that kicks off in New York at the end of July. Great, sounds like another show my parents won’t let me attend (Mom, […]

John Mayer’s getting a lot of ink lately. Between the Rolling Stone “New Guitar Gods” cover and the recent Grammys appearance with John Legend and Corrine Bailey Rae, Mayer’s opened many close-minded eyes and successfully transformed himself from mainstream pop artist to mainstream blues guitarist. I’m not sure what Fall 2006 show this clip’s from, […]

We’ll be live-blogging the Oscars tonight, so I thought I’d get the week-in-review post up a bit early today. Okay, we’re not live-blogging the Academy Awards. But we are offering this small sample of the nonsense you may or may not have missed ’round these here parts while watching that Anna Nicole Judge weep on […]

Gene Ween’s continuing his (han)solo routine, announcing two new tour dates for some lucky fans in the New York and Philadelphia areas.

On March 22nd and 23rd, Gene will hit Johnny Brenda’s in Philly > Gramercy Theater in the Large Apple, and if he’s anything like me, he’ll make a brief and desperate a stop in Atlantic City between the two gigs. No surprise, Chris Harford and the Band of Changes will open both dates for Gene.

One quick note germane to this post: This will be part of the first batch of live music shows at the newly refurbished Gramercy on the east side of Manhattan. The former Indian-run, Bollywood-themed cinemaplex-cum-off-Broadway theater is now operated and booked by Live Nation. More venues, I like it.

It ain’t Bobbi Fleckman, but the May 26-27th Sasquatch! Music Festival at The Gorge has announced its own hostess with the mostess: Sarah Silverman. I’m not sure what she’s gonna do while hosting, but I bet she’ll look good and make inappropriate jokes that some people who take themselves too seriously won’t enjoy. (Silverman joins Bjork, Arcade […]

Our associate Mr. Trowbridge just pointed us to these three YouTube videos of Zappa and the Mothers of Invention from the German television program Beat Club. So as we coast into the weekend, coast into a little ambient Frank…  [youtube]ycoppjN10TI[/youtube] When you’re done there, two more videos await: Sleeping in a Jar Medley and Let’s Make the Water Turn […]

Is Pitchfork parting with their trusted brand of elitist indie snobbery, or does someone over there genuinely dig an album that many of us wretched jamband fans have been plugging for some time? Either way, imagine our surprise when the holiest than thou music blog gave the Benevento/Russo Duo’s Play Pause Stop album a 7.6 rating and pretty fucking solid review. […]

This photo has been making the rounds, popping up all over the headiest message boards and dankest e-mail servers. And while there’s something inherently racist about our visceral reactions to Africans wearing Phish shirts, you gotta admit that it’s a pretty funny image. I like the guy in the middle with the Gin shirt. Admit this too: That’s […]

On Monday we posted Podcaster General Mike Newman’s semi-review of Yes’ Jon Anderson playing his band’s old tunes with Paul Green’s School of Rock All Stars at BB King’s. And if you’re counting, by the way, there were five possessive nouns in that sentence — just some terrible grammar on my part. A helpful HT […]

At each of his last two solo shows at the Knitting Factory, Scott Metzger has nailed Richard Thompson’s 1952 Vincent Black Lightning. Now I’m hooked. [youtube]AxKTzwaEa2o[/youtube] If you prefer a live on stage version, especially a live on where Thompson wears a ridiculously flimsy teal hat and a sleeveless shirt, here’s a great one from a […]

Want to see Jim James in a powder-blue tuxedo? Head on down to Athens…

MMJ can really use a copy editor, but this sounds like an incredible event:

For all of you who missed your prom back in 1956 or 1986 or 2006 for that matter, we will be hosting the 1st annual MMJ 2 night prom, March 6th and 7th, at the fabulous, prom-ready, 40 watt club in Athens! The first time we walked thru those hallowed 40 Watt doors we said to ourselves, “this place looks perfect for a prom!” And now the dream will be a reality. The theme is a futuristic/retro under the sea vibe – costumes (tuxes, suits, robots, mermaid and lobster costumes, anything prom/ocean related) are not only encouraged – they are MANDATORY!!! NO ONE will be admitted without proper attire!** There will be cake, balloons, fishnets, classic cars, chaperones, spankings, and a whole lotta shakin goin on – 2007 style upin this bitch ya’ll. Come prepared to dance the night away, and make up for all the proms you missed…

• Tickets for this Under the Sea event are on sale now [MMJ.com]
• Previously on Hidden Track: MMJ: That’s a Fucking Rock Show [HT]

Read on after the jump for an unconfirmed special guest (via Deputy Girard)…

So I wanna post…some vids on the face of today…and then they’ll paint it. Let’s lead off with Blind Melon’s Shannon Hoon hopping on stage with Guns N’ Roses in Chicago back in 1992 for a rousing rendition of Don’t Cry. This video is simply amazing, and I’m left wondering why Axl and Hoon never […]

Alphabetically, I find it damn near impossible to even get into the Cs each time I call up the SugarMegs streaming archive. Those awesome fuckers host so many amazing shows on their site that unless I scroll down blindly or search for something specifically, I can never make it past the As and the Bs. So don’t fight it, me thinks. […]

Twenty-three more posts this week makes 45 in a fortnight, a pace that’s both tiring us out and pissing off our respective employers. But just as the music never stopped, neither does the news. So, since maybe only eight and a half of you have read every single one of those posts of half-baked intellect […]

On the recommendation of my indie-bent pal Doc Hoobs, I legally downloaded the 19-track, Pete Townshend-infused Attic Jam off of iTunes. The playlist features songs recorded from Rachel Fuller’s online music chat program, In The Attic. And after just one listen, I’m starting to agree with Hoobs’ viewpoint that by listening to many of the […]

As we (and the entire music blogging community) reported yesterday, Al Gore’s invented an epic global warming awareness summertime concert. The lineup so far looks pretty blah, but now three big names have been tossed into the fray: “ROLLING STONE has learned exclusively that we can add three more music heavyweights to the bill: The Police, […]

We’ve got Neddy’s Arcade Fire review and a slew of Leftovers today, but that all pales in comparison to Max Weinberg’s thoughts on Britney Spears’ ham wallet.   [youtube]aCa9Y5AHiYo[/youtube] I sure miss Andy Richter (still), but Max really has the comedic timing thing down.

One story that’s slipped through most of the live music blogging cracks this week is the demise of another famed outdoor venue: Antioch’s Starwood Amphitheatre. According to the Tennessean, “Starwood Amphitheatre in Antioch has been closed by its parent company, Live Nation, in advance of a likely sale to an undisclosed buyer, a company spokesman […]