2007

Patton Oswalt: Werewolves & Lollipops

Lollipops is the latest offering from alt.comedian Patton Oswalt. Hopefully you know Oswalt as the mastermind behind the brilliant Comedians of Comedy – it’s the antithesis of Dane Cook and Blue Collar Comedy, meaning smart and funny. Odds are though you recognize him from his stint on The King of Queens or from this past summer’s Ratatouille – so you may need to forget your G-rated perception of him before settling into stand-up act.

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RatDog: North Fork Theater, Westbury, NY 10/30/07

Opening a two-night stand at this curious Long Island theater in-the-round, Weir and his crew were in satisfaction delivery mode, going for the familiar—Dylan chestnuts, Bob-sung favorites, a few fuzzy psyche-out moments—without taking too many chances until the end. Their opening run from "Shakedown" on was fun, but cursory; it wouldn't be until a slow-burning, wholly dramatic "Loser" that they'd really lock in. Steve Kimock too, was a colorist up until that point, and only keyboardist Jeff Chimenti—absolutely this band's undersung hero—had really grabbed the limelight, leaning barrelhouse for "Minglewood Blues."

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The Harlem Experiment: Various Artists

Producer Aaron Levinson and Ropeadope Records founder Andy Hurwitz return with another genre-bending musical tribute to a specific cultural breeding ground. But unlike Philadelphia Experiment and Detroit Experiment, this one spotlights a single neighborhood, Harlem, one of the most artistically fertile areas in the country. Structured as an imaginary AM radio transmission, “hosted” by Harlem DJ muMs—and featuring a talented house band—Harlem Experiment weaves an aural tapestry of funk, blues, jazz, salsa, hip-hop and beyond.

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Televised Tune: On the Tube This Weekend

Most people will be touching themselves to Arcade Fire’s performance on Austin City Limits this weekend, but really, will it get any better than Jay-Z sitting down with Chaz Rose?

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Friday’s Leftovers: Never Mind the Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols kicked off their reunion tour in Brixton last night during a raucous gig that lasted a little over an hour. Lead singer Johnny Rotten relied on a crib sheet to remember some of the lyrics he screwed up during the band’s recent warm-up gig in LA. We can’t imagine seeing a bunch of rich 50-year-olds play angry punk music would be any good, and according to early reports, we’re right.

And, finally, Umphrey’s McGee just announced their annual holiday shows in Chicago. Guitarists Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss break out the acoustics at the Vic Theatre on December 7th, while Joel Cummins leads the keyboard holiday show at Schuba’s on December 21st. The band will also play the last three nights of the year at The Aragon Ballroom, but you probably already knew that.

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Friday Mix Tape: Down The Slide

Thursday night laziness ensured our outsourcing of this week’s edition, so it’s Uncle Neddy time once more. The Ned claims to be a little liberal with his definitions here, but allow him to present a set loosely based on the slide guitar.

MixTape


01 Mississippi Bollweevil — North Mississippi Allstars: Electric Blue Watermelon
02 Concrete And Barbed Wire — Lucinda Williams: Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
03 Wild Mountain Nation — Blitzen Trapper: Wild Mountain Nation
04 Helpless — Fareed Haque: Deja Vu
05 Native Stepson — Sonny Landreth: Grant Street
06 Like a Rolling Stone — Drive-By Truckers: Highway 61 Revisited Revisited

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