Columns

Seeing the boys from Leroy Justice on stage tends to remind me of the scene in Cheech and Chong’s Up In Smoke when Curtis first passes out the new uniforms to the band.

Man (Chong): No, hey man, if we’re gonna wear uniforms man, you know let’s have everybody wear something different.
Pedro (Cheech): Yea, that’s it. Yea, we want something wear everybody wears something different man, but the same, you know?

Always dressed to the nines in their “same, but different” vests and three piece suits, Leroy Justice have managed to differentiate themselves as a distinct up-and-coming rock band in New York City – no easy feat to say the least. In the past year, the band put out a killer record with producer John Siket (of The Siket Disc fame), shared the stage with some impressive names like Hill Country Revue, Backyard Tire Fire, RANA, & Cornmeal and struck up a friendship and distribution collaboration with the folks at Hittin’ the Note Magazine (an Allman Brothers & friends glossy). Trust me, it won’t be long before smaller acts hope to share the stage with them.

We caught up with lead vocalist and guitar player Jason Gallagher on the heels of the group’s big Halloween show at the storied old Greenwich Village haunt the Bitter End to check in on all the exciting developments throughout their banner ’09.

Ryan Dembinsky: First off, let’s talk about the Halloween show where you performed Steve Miller’s Greatest Hits in its entirety. Don’t get me wrong — I mean, who doesn’t like some Steve Miller — but this is a pretty random selection. Can you tell us how this choice came to fruition?

Jason Gallagher: Our friend Steve Zahn (actor, guitarist, and owner of a horse named “Dude”), suggested it a while back when we were talking about possibly doing another Halloween cover album. In high school, we pretty much listened to that greatest hits album daily, and I never got tired of it. It always represented this super sweet sounding “produced” rock ‘n’ roll. Also, it’s a ton of fun to play, and that’s what we like our Halloween shows to be. READ ON for more of Ryan’s chat with Jason Gallagher…

In less than two months Jam Cruise 8 will set sail from Ft. Lauderdale filled to the brim with amazing artists and the band fans who love them. Today, we’ve got our second Jam Cruise Files column which profiles a band or musician scheduled to perform on the MSC Poesia between January 3 & 8. This installment of Jam Cruise Files focuses on Karl Denson.

Name: Karl Denson – Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Sexual Chocolate
Bands: Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Karl Denson Trio, Greyboy Allstars, Sexual Chocolate, Tresexual Chocolate
Past JC Experience: KDTU (JC1, JC2, JC3, JC4, JC7), Greyboy Allstars (JC5), Special Guest (JC6)
2009: KDTU released Brother’s Keeper

Scott Bernstein: How much has Jam Cruise changed from your first cruise to last year’s cruise?

Karl Denson: Not that much. The jam room has changed the most. It’s gotten wilder and later every year.

READ ON for more from Karl Denson on Jam Cruise…

Hidden within the soul of certain cops is the feeling that they’re above the law. I’m not saying they’re not, mind you. They do get to sample the best dope, beat on the innocent and drive way past the speed limit. To Protect and Serve, as it were. But whom?

And speaking of The MAN, we slither into the City of Lost Angels in our latest thrill ride (and this one has a manic drive down the wrong way of a very crowded freeway), directed by William Friedkin, who made his name in the ’70s with two classics, The French Connection, and The Exorcist. The former, a tale about the devil on the outside; the latter, about the devil inside. In this week’s Hidden Flick, there is a sinister combination of the two wrapped into one character played by ex-CSIer William Petersen.

To Live and Die in L.A. should have been a comeback film for Friedkin, and a breakout performance for Petersen, who was a Chicago stage actor at that time (and, actually, went back to that role before, during, and after, his stint on that popular television show), while the director was mired in films that didn’t seem to capture the popular Zeitgeist. And who really gives a shit? What is popular? What is a stupid German term like Zeitgeist but an excuse to whip out the Andy Warhol card that says ‘15 minutes of fame happening’?

READ ON for more on this week’s Hidden Flick…

Audio Depth Device, made up of Wade “Wyllys” Wilby and Umphrey’s drummer Kris Myers, takes you on an improvisational adventure with each piece of music they play. You’ll hit many peaks and valleys along the way but you’ll never hear the same thing twice. Craig Pessolano put together five incredible videos from a recent ADD gig at the Tonic Room in Chicago that gives you a taste of the Audio Depth Device experience.

READ ON for four more Audio Depth Device videos…