Monday Night Danja
There’s one absolute in music: When something’s free, it’s usually pretty good. Last night’s gratis performance at the Knitting Factory, however, would have been worth whatever price of admission management attached to the ticket. A little bit of Joe Russo and a lot of Scott Metzger goes a long way, especially with a full slate of ironic alt-country songs about drinking, fighting and fucking.
Armed with a brand new guitar, his octopus-like house band and a captive room full of musicians, bloggers and old standbys, Metzger set up shop in the Knit’s Old Office for a glorious evening of solo material and Danjaboots tracks. Their first show of the new year, the lowercase duo provided the same creative musical tomfoolery that which fans have grown accustomed since the band’s debut. Read on below for a full taste of the New York night, the intensity and the wholesome fun…
Heaven and Hell Takes Manhattan (& Canada)
The Ronnie James Dio-led version of Black Sabbath has recorded an album and will embark on a world tour as Heaven and Hell. It’s a different type of H & H. The newly named band today announced the first 12 dates of the tour: Ronnie, Tony, Vinny and Geezer will play 11 Canadian dates before […]
Colts Beat Pats…and The Dead
We linked this morning to the New York Times’ review of the first performance of the two-night American Beauty Project. But we like to do things a bit differently than the Gray Lady, so we sent HT reporter Specs Toporczer down to the World Financial Center for a first-hand account of the latest Grateful Dead tribute.
Who schedules anything during the middle of the AFC championship game?
I had to put the Brady-Manning Bowl on pause to hit the second night of the American Beauty Project — a cover tribute to the Grateful Dead’s album of the same name — in the Winter Garden of the World Financial Center. The trip down to Battery Park City was extremely strange; the streets were empty, save for neglected women, Asian delivery boys and the handfuls of frozen old hippies scurrying across the West Side Highway. Everyone else was watching the NFL.
Read on for more of Specs’ review and a few photos snapped from the event…
The Return of Bustle
Everyone’s favorite glorified cover band is back…for a few shows, at least. Bustle In Your Hedgerow returns for a four-night engagement in late February and March, stopping in three states to fuck your face Led Zeppelin style. The rock quartet may only play together sporadically, but every time they hit the stage they’re ready to tear […]
Monday’s Hors d’Oeuvres
I sure was getting used to all those three-day weekends. This weekend just flew by, so let’s get back into the workday groove with the following tasty stories: The Police Reunion Watch: Andy Summers made a rare appearance at the NAMM 2007 trade show to perform Message In A Bottle Rage Against The Machine gets in […]
Arcade Fire & Brimstone Redux
Who says God is dead? The Canadian indie rock outfit followed up its recent announcement of five February dates at Manhattan’s Judson Memorial Church by playing a semi-secret show last night at St. Michel Church in Montreal. Thanks to a miracle from the Lord and an invention by Al Gore, you can already download the […]
Friday’s Leftovers
Welcome to the end of another working week. As usual on Fridays we try to keep you entertained with the following links: Apple Computers and The Beatles’ Apple Corps may finally put their long standing differences aside and do some business together The Live Music Blog has a nice review and great pictures from U2’s […]
The B List: 13 More Great Instrumentals
Back in November I posted a B List plugging 13 of my favorite instrumentals. This week, we revisit that concept — here are 13 more great ones to debate. I tried to be a little more obscure with this list, so check out these nuggets:
1. Groove Holmes – The Beastie Boys: This great Beasties tribute to acid-jazz legend Richard “Groove” Holmes was featured on 1992’s Check Your Head.
2. Freeway Jam – Jeff Beck: Jeff Beck solos over Max Middleton’s funky keyboards on one of the best tracks from 1975’s Blow By Blow.
3. Moti Mo – Medeski, Martin, and Wood: I get chills every time I hear MMW’s arrangement of this King Sunny Ade track. Chris Wood lays down a solid bass line, allowing John Medeski, Billy Martin and the horns a chance to build the theme to multiple climaxes. Just like a woman.
4. Star Wars Theme Song – Meco: Also Sprach Zarathrustra wasn’t the only symphonic song to get the disco treatment in the late ’70s. Meco Menardo, a famous music producer, attended the Star Wars premiere and was so impressed he rushed into the studio to make a dance version of John Williams’ theme song.
5. The Happy Organ – Dave “Baby” Cortez : Cortez entered a studio in 1959 to record a song called “The Cat and the Dog.” He was struggling with his voice and decided to just jam out with his band on an old standard called Shortin’ Bread. The recording engineer pressed record as Cortez turned the song into one of the first funky grooves. The rest is history: The improvised song that was recorded in one take hit number one upon its release.
Read on for eight additional instrumental classics from The Commodores, Santana, Joe Satriani, Tea Leaf Green and more…
Morning Listening: God Street Wine
I’m off to Miami for two days of beach-free work, but as always you’re left in the capable and sensitive hands of Scotty B. He’ll have his usual Thursday edition of The B List up shortly, and I’m sure there’ll be some debate in the comments. In the meantime I’ll leave you with a handful […]
Grousing The Aisles: Peak-a-boo
This week’s edition takes a look at bands as they hit their strides and delivered their best performances. Sure, determining when a band has reached its peak is totally subjective, but in this case I’m right, and there is no other correct answer.
Talk around the Internets are heating up about a possible Police reunion tour this summer. In order to help you prepare, check out this incredible show from a Outlandos D’Amour tour stop in Bahston. Not many people had heard of The Police in 1979, and you can feel the energy as the band tries and succeeds in winning over the audience. By the end of the show the crowd goes nuts anytime Summers starts a solo, Copeland plays a luscious fill, or Sting steps to the mic.
Highlights of this show captured from WBCN radio include a jammed-out So Lonely and a desperate-sounding Roxanne. I’m a little confused as to why Born In The 50’s is performed twice, but I guess their repertoire was small at the time. I’m putting together my dream Police reunion setlist as we speak.
Read on for more peakariffic downloads from the likes of Alice in Chains, Jane’s Addiction, Jerry Garcia Band and Keller Willams…