The inaugural Hopscotch Music Festival went off far better than most could have anticipated. Enthusiastic, well-mannered crowds managed to fill the downtown Raleigh, NC streets for three days with barely any issues, save a few very packed shows that left many fans milling about in the cool night air. There was an awful lot of music to experience and a lot of concrete to tread, but a few moments stand out. Here are seven good and three bad things I managed to experience over the weekend.
It’s been a while since we’ve touched on anything Tea Leaf Green-related, so this week’s mix tape gives them the full treatment. Here we’ve got a supple mix of originals
Post-Grateful Dead act Furthur opened yet another tour last night at the Cuthbert Amphitheater in Eugene, OR and fans of the band who couldn’t make it were able to enjoy
When I went to LA, I got recommendations on where to go from friends, co-workers, chef’s I know, people they know…you get the idea. My chef friend who I was staying with said to me on my FIRST DAY in LA, before you leave on Sunday, make sure you go to Mashti Malone’s which is near the corner of La Brea and Sunset in West Hollywood. So on the day before I left, I went for a walk down Melrose Ave, starting at Fairfax and walking to La Brea, then made the left and took La Brea past Sunset eventually to 1525 North La Brea Avenue, home to Mashti Malone’s.
Inside is a very nondescript interior with the main focal points being all of the signs and information on the walls. You get the feeling real quick that these guys are passionate about what they do and have been doing it since 1980 (30 years!) at the same location.
Mashti Malone’s. For those expecting Iranian-Irish fusion, the only place you’ll get that is on the street sign. This is a classic ice cream store run by two Iranian brothers who took over a place called Bugsy Malone’s about 25 years ago and only changed half the sign. Whatever works — the ice cream sure does, and they’ll turn any flavor into a shake for you. You’ll find the traditional American flavors, but also some fabulous Middle Eastern infusions: saffron-rose water with pistachios is the most popular. Laced with floral notes and the terrific flavor and texture of the nuts, this makes a fabulous shake, though ginger-rose water and orange blossom are pretty fabulous too. Or try the pomegranate sorbet or “herbal snow,” a white, icy concoction made with basil seeds. 1525 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 874-0144,http://www.mashtimalone.com . Shakes, $4.82.
Phish Fall Tour 2010 just got a little bigger with the announcement that the band members will perform at the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, CO on October 9. The
While I’m still trying to listen to all the new music I grabbed on Super Tuesday, one of the albums that has immediately stood out and grabbed me was Harlem
IFC’s most excellent Dinner With The Band combines music, food and a talk show as bands join chef Sam Mason in preparing and eating a meal. You can watch six
The Gaslight Anthem touched down in the Pacific Northwest on Monday September 13th to play Seattle’s Showbox SODO and Portland’s Crystal Ballroom. Central Jersey’s finest export since Carmela Soprano became Nurse Jackie is making a jump in venue size since the June release of their critically acclaimed third full length, American Slang.
Listening to Dweezil Zappa’s Return of The Son of …, one is reminded of the genius and musical originality of Frank Zappa, who died at age 53, in 1993, of prostate cancer. Dweezil, one of Zappa’s four children, is a musical master and prodigy in his own right, and this heartfelt tribute is rife with Frank Zappa classics, fourteen to be exact.
A couple of weeks ago when I just featured longer segments from less bands, I saw the download count for the “Pocast” go up a little bit, so I’m going to start doing that more often. I’ll still have editions where I feature five different bands, but for today – just three bands, and leading off we’ve got a 30-minute segment spanning just two tunes.
You can download all of this week’s audio in one easy to listen to MP3 that we call the Last Week’s Sauce Podcast, click here to download.
[This week’s photo is actually courtesy of me]
the Disco Biscuits – Reactor > Shem-Ra Boo Date & Venue: 2010-09-10 Mountain Park – Holyoke, MA Taper & Show Download:Jesse Hurlburt
the Disco Biscuits have just wrapped up their big summer tour and from I can tell from fans of the band, it went very well. I personally went and checked out both shows in Massachusetts this past weekend and thought the band sounded great and they looked even better with the addition of the lasers. tDB are off until their Halloween run starts on October 27th in Baltimore, but Conspirator (featuring Marc Brownstein and Aaron Magner) plays tonight at Cervante’s in Denver, CO.
