Between the material and the musicianship there is no doubt that the Lone Bellow will be at the arena level in short order. Their live show removes some of the record's Nashville slick, production varnish which allows the music's roots and influences to shine through- in part its almost like attending a good ol' Southern Revival.
The thunder rolled, the rain poured down and the fans danced and sang, bringing the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to a joyously muddy conclusion. For the past few years, the Fest has lucked out with decent weather; and for the most part, the three day weekend was lavished with partly-sunny skies, some late afternoon breezes and typical sweat-conjuring humidity. So the raindrops were long overdue and not unexpected, if you paid attention to local forecasters all week.
Following a disappointing cancellation during the 2010 Vans Warmed Tour stop in Minnesota, Sum 41 had finally found its way back to The North Star State, performing at Mill City Nights amidst an ongoing tour to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their 2012 album Does This Look Infected?
Though the atmosphere made it hard to listen objectively, especially through the visible marijuana haze and palpable energy, there were some artists whose performances didn’t live up to expectations. Maybe it’s puberty finally setting in, or a lot of vocal editing in the studio, but Joey Bada$$’s voice was much deeper than in his recorded tracks. It was most noticeable in “Waves,” when he began it was hard to believe it was even him. In addition to that unexpected factor, his energy seemed to die of during the second part of his set on the Due’s Paid stage.
Declaring the hiatus over the band has returned this spring with the “Lay Down With Number 13” tour. Many of the shows sold out quickly. Therein lies the rub, as the fans of Moneymaker and the follow-up The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion prefer the known quantity whereas the Fillmore fans look for the unknown, experimental side of the group. On Thursday the Crowes did their best to appease both camps.
Respect flowed both ways last night, between the individual and the collective, the fans and the band, and after two hours, everyone walked away a little more at peace than they'd been before.
True to its title, The Terror is indeed a woozy fright of a record, one long song in nine parts, like a padlocked dream with no beginning or end. Yet where 2009’s elaborate Embryonic offered the occasional break and variation, The Terror provides no such escape. Its tempo creeps along at little more than a crawl, underscoring a level of unsettlement never quite felt from a Flaming Lips record, and that’s saying something. Imagine a venomous cousin of The Soft Bulletin’s “Spiderbite Song,” and you’re getting close.
Whether it be the opening of the tour or the change in the line-up, these recent shows have featured the same set list which is an oddity for Dylan, with the emphasis on his last few studio releases, 2012’s “Tempest”, 2009’s “Together Through Life” and 2006, “Modern Times”. Regardless, Dylan seemed to be enjoying himself, not necessarily smiling but smirking. But that’s what makes Bob Dylan and if you’re a fan its always an honor to be in his presence.
Despite having been named the best band in Austin, Texas along with a Top 10 American Music Association album for 2008, the critical recognition hasn’t always translated nationally for Band of Heathens. Being recognized as best in Austin is like being named best Mormon in Salt Lake City. As Austin is now the epicenter of the American music scene the title is no minor platitude.
Any music fan with knowledge of San Francisco’s turn-of-the-nineties “acid jazz” scene knows that Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola share a lengthy and profound musical history. From the much-loved T.J. Kirk project to several of Hunter’s own records and other one-off collaborations, the pair has met frequently in their orbits through the music industry. In October 2012, they released a duo album (Not Getting Behind Is The New Getting Ahead) and they’ve been touring behind it since. Billsborough Music Hall in Hillsborough, NC (just outside Chapel Hill) hosted Hunter and Amedola on a bustling Friday night and found the pair in a loose, jovial mood.
