Sights and Sounds: Jeff Beck, Striking Matches, Neon Trees

What better way to get the week started than with a quick roundup focusing on forthcoming releases...

On June 2, 2015, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Jeff Beck’s Performing This Week…Live At Ronnie Scott’s – Special Edition on 2CD and Digital Audio. A 3LP Edition will be released shortly thereafter.

 

Now released for the first time with the full audio from these incredible shows, Performing This Week… features classic tracks from across Jeff Beck’s career including: “Beck’s Bolero,” “Led Boots,” “Scatterbrain,” “Where Were You,” “Angels (Footsteps),” “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers,” and his now iconic version of “A Day In The Life.” This amazing show includes guest appearances by Joss Stone, Eric Clapton and Imogen Heap, in addition to a 7-track set with the Big Town Playboys.

 

This 2007 series of concerts at the renowned Ronnie Scott’s club in London became a must-have ticket of the year, with a packed audience every night consisting of the famous and the fans. The CD and DVD releases of these shows (released via Eagle Rock Entertainment in 2008, 2009 respectively) have become the definitive Jeff Beck live recordings. Now for the first time on LP and CD, all of the live tracks are available (including those with special guests plus the Big Town Playboys set, which has previously only been on the Blu-ray release).

 

From his time with the Yardbirds in the sixties, through the Jeff Beck Group and throughout his solo career, Jeff Beck’s unique guitar style and constant desire to explore new musical areas and sounds has won him the admiration of peers and legions of fans worldwide. Performing This Week… Live At Ronnie Scott’s – Special Edition is a stunning representation of the unmatched live experience that only he can deliver. 

 

Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV and Digital Media in the world.  Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, High Definition programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney, Ozzy Osbourne, Genesis, Alice Cooper, Eric Clapton and Aerosmith. Eagle is a Grammy Award winning company and has received over 40 multi-platinum, over 80 platinum and over 144 gold discs, worldwide.  Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in London, New York, Paris and Hamburg.

 

Follow Eagle Rock Entertainment at:

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt

Twitter: www.twitter.com/EagleRockNews

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/eaglerocktv

Striking Matches' Justin Davis and Sarah Zimmermann

Striking Matches has officially taken the UK by storm, landing at No. 1 on the iTunes UK Country Albums Chart with their debut release, Nothing But The Silence. Produced by the legendary T Bone Burnett, the album showcases this dynamic duo (comprised of Sarah Zimmermann and Justin Davis), brimming with harmonies and plenty of guitars.
 

“Their debut album is an engaging blend of slick country storytelling scuffed up with rockier riffs. Imagine a noisier version of The Civil Wars: squaring up and trading electric licks before coiling their voices together in sweet harmony,” beamed The Telegraph UK.

While the guitar-driven duo has been steadily building their fan base here in the U.S., it was to their great surprise to be greeted by concert goers singing the words to their songs at their very first overseas show in London – before ever releasing a song in the country. Due to having eight songs they’ve written featured on ABC’s hit drama series Nashville, which has built a dedicated British following, the unprecedented early embrace by music fans in the UK has led to sold-out performances and demand for more (the band will return for a series of concerts in large venues as well as TV appearances in May), airplay on the country’s largest radio station Radio 2 and rave reviews, as well as a No. 1 album on the chart. Nothing But The Silence is available now: iTunes and Amazon.

 
Meanwhile, back at home, supporters include USA Today, who wrote: “Sarah Zimmermann and Justin Davis give off sparks as singers and writers, but they’re even hotter guitarists. Incendiary.” In additon, Nothing But The Silence was included on their  “Don’t Miss These Great March Albums” list stating, “Like Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt or Keith Urban, they're both fiercely talented guitarists who revere the songs that come out of their mouths every bit as much as the music that comes through their fingers.”

American Songwriter declared “these songs crackle and sizzle, walking on a tightrope between pop, rock, country and blues,” additionally noting, “Between the acoustic/electric twin guitar attack, easy flowing harmonies, peppy mid-western rootsy singer/songwriting and an unbridled enthusiasm, Striking Matches fires up a hot, often incendiary first impression.”

Striking Matches will continue their overseas charge with headline dates before they return to the U.S. for a co-headline stint with harmony-loving The Secret Sisters. The run will be part of the Fender Accelerator Tour as Striking Matches is one of a select range of rising artists in various genres chosen to represent the iconic guitar brand, who in turn will provide vehicles, gear and support. Following, the duo will join the festival circuit and share stages with country music superstars such as Luke Bryan and Brad Paisley, as well as an opening slot for Keith Urban.

STRIKING MATCHES ON TOUR

4/22 – Charlotte, N.C. @ Kat Country Jam benefit for St. Jude w/ David Nail and more

STRIKING MATCHES UK HEADLINE DATES

5/8 – London, England @ Union Chapel

5/9 – Bristol, England @ Fleece

5/10 – Manchester, England @ Deaf Institute

5/11 – Glasgow, Scotland @ Oran Mor

5/14 – Milton Keynes, England @ The Stables

STRIKING MATCHES/THE SECRET SISTERS US CO-HEADLINE DATES

5/26 – Boston, Mass. @ Brighton Music Hall

5/27 – Alexandra, Va. @ Birchmere Music Hall

5/29 – Annapolis, Md. @ Rams Head

5/30 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ World Café Live

5/31 – Hopewell, Va. @ Beacon Theatre

6/4 – Columbus, Ohio @ The Basement

STRIKING MATCHES HEADLINE AND FESTIVAL DATES

6/6 – Detroit, Mich. @ WYCD Downtown Hoedown *

6/17 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Mint

6/18 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Go Country’s Summer Under the Stars ^    

6/21 – Princeton, N.J. @ McAneny Theatre @ Princeton Festival

6/27 – New York, N.Y. @ Farmborough #    

8/21 – Thackerville, Ok. @ Winstar Casino +    

    

* with Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, Ashley Monroe and more

^  with Little Big Town, Ashley Monroe & David Nail

# with Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley and more

+ opening for Keith Urban

Neon Trees today announced their next tour "An Intimate Night Out With Neon Trees" will kick off June 6 in Seattle, WA at the Showbox and cross the country before winding down on July 25 in Boston, MA at Paradise Rock Club.  A full list of tour dates can be found below.

"At the end of last year we had made plans to take this year off, but honestly we got bored at home. We just love touring that much," said front man Tyler Glenn.  "We're going to play songs from all three albums and it will be an entirely new show.   We chose smaller clubs and theaters to make it a communal, fan driven experience for us and the audience."

Neon Trees - comprising Tyler Glenn (lead vocals, keys), Chris Allen (guitars), Branden Campbell (bass), and Elaine Bradley (drums, vocals) - released their third album Pop Psychology on April 22, 2014.   The album, recorded in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Los Angeles, CA, and their hometown of Provo, UT with longtime collaborator Tim Pagnotta spawned the RIAA Gold-certified single "Sleeping With A Friend," which won an award for BMI Publishing Award in 2014 and charted in the Top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100.  It is available HERE. 

Pop Psychology is the follow up to Picture Show, which featured the RIAA double platinum single "Everybody Talks," which charted in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Neon Trees' debut album, Habits, was released in 2010 and featured the double platinum smash single "Animal." The band has toured with Taylor Swift, The Killers, Maroon 5, Duran Duran, Flaming Lips, My Chemical Romance, and more.

Information: www.fameisdead.com

New Neon Trees album 'Pop Psychology' to be released on April 22 on Island Def Jam

Exciting news for fans of the wonderful Neon Trees! Here is a release that just landed in my inbox...

NEW NEON TREES ALBUM POP PSYCHOLOGY TO BE RELEASED ON APRIL 22ND ON ISLAND DEF JAM

FIRST SINGLE "SLEEPING WITH A FRIEND" 

AVAILABLE NOW

BAND TO STORM THE TV AIRWAVES WITH PERFORMANCES ON LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON, TODAY, AND THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO 

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 13, 2014 - Multi-platinum group Neon Trees today announced  their highly anticipated third studio album, entitled Pop Psychology, will be released on April 22, 2014 on Island Def Jam. Friday, the album's first single "Sleeping With A Friend" premiered at Rolling Stone and is now available to stream HERE.To purchase the song on iTunes, click HERE. 

Pop Psychology was recorded throughout 2013 in Cabo San Lucas, Los Angeles, and Provo and was produced and mixed by Tim Pagnotta, who also produced the band's smash hits "Animal" and "Everybody Talks". The new album continues Neon Trees' exploration of new wave, smart pop, and dance music, resulting in their most refined album to date. Pop Psychology boasts infectious alternative synth pop ready for the radio, shower, car and dance floor.

Tyler Glenn says of Pop Psychology, "The album is so special to me personally because it basically started from a place where I was broken and uninterested in anything to do with music. I had reached a breaking point. For me this record is a celebration, a cry for help, an admission of self doubt, and a revelation of self acceptance.  At the very least, it's a pop record, and to me the purest example of the sound of Neon Trees."

Neon Trees will kick off 2014 by storming the airwaves with several confirmed television appearances. On Thursday, January 16th, the band will return to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon followed by a performance the next morning on TODAY. On January 22, they'll return to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This spring Neon Trees will hit the road for a massive headlining North American tour. Dates to be announced shortly.

Pop Psychology is the follow up to band's 2012 release Picture Show which debuted at #17 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart and featured the RIAA platinum single "Everybody Talks" which cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Neon Trees' debut album, Habits, was released in 2010 and featured the platinum smash single "Animal". The band has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America, Conan, TODAY, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live, America's Got Talent, and LIVE! With Kelly & Michael. No strangers to the road, Neon Trees have previously toured with Taylor Swift, The Killers, Maroon 5, Duran Duran, Flaming Lips, My Chemical Romance, among others.

From Provo, Utah, Neon Trees is Tyler Glenn (lead vocals, keys) Chris Allen (guitars), Branden Campbell (bass), and Elaine Bradley (drums, vocals). 

Sights and Sounds: Ray Bradbury remembered at Comic-Con, Dead Sara to tour with Neon Trees and the Offspring

I'm happy to see Rock 'n' Roll Truth isn't the only music-focused site that ran a tribute to the late great author Ray Bradbury. I was at Comic-Con in San Diego last weekend, but was only able to score a ticket for Sunday so really only got to check out the floor (no RiffTrax, no PSYCH, no Star Wars, no Firefly, no Hobbit or much of anything of interest to me in terms of panels on that final day of the event).

Check out the nice post related to events (I sadly missed) regarding Ray Bradbury on Owl and the Bear here.

In music news, Dead Sara has announced a North American Tour with Neon Trees and the Offspring. Here is the media release:

Dead Sara has announced a new North American tour with renowned punk rockers The Offspring kicking off August 31st in Detroit, with Neon Trees slated to join the tour beginning September 6th in Boston. To further support the recent release of Dead Sara's self-titled debut album, the band has also added further U.S. and festival dates through the summer and into the fall including the Sunset Strip Music Festival in Los Angeles, Riot Fest in Chicago and the Epicenter Festival in Irvine. Dead Sara have been attracting major buzz for the ferocious spectacle of their high-octane live performances on The Vans Warped Tour earlier this summer. Revolver says "the buzz around LA-based hard-rock outfit Dead Sara is reaching fever pitch" and indeed it is. The group has been earning accolades from radio and critics alike, while winning over fans coast-to-coast on previous tours with Chevelle, The Used, and now The Vans Warped Tour. Rolling Stone recalled the band "blending blues, hard rock and punk into a whirling energy," with The Village Voice going on to illustrate them as a "sort of twisted-blues hard rock that feels like the product of people really enjoying playing the shit out of their instruments," adding "If there's any justice, especially in this year when the word 'rock' signifies a genre that is in flux enough so as to be anyone's game, Dead Sara will stake their claim as a new kind of standard-bearer." "We're super excited to have Dead Sara out on tour with us," said Dexter Holland, The Offspring. "Great players, great songs.  We'll be getting there early to see them tear it up."    The "L.A. quartet poised to breakout nationally" this year, was recently profiled by RollingStone.com as their debut single "Weatherman" continues to explode at radio, fast becoming the most requested song at stations across the country, and climbing its way up the charts. "Dead Sara rocks so hard they remind me of the days when alternative bands, like Soundgarden and Alice, got played on Headbangers Ball. See them, listen to the album, they never disappoint," says Julie Pilat of 98.7 KYSR. Dead Sara recently made their network television debut with a blistering, energetic performance of the single "Weatherman" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The band also performed the album cut "Sorry For It All" as an online exclusive for Jimmy Kimmel Live! View both videos now online. Dead Sara's 11-track self-titled debut, produced by Noah Shain (Atreyu, As Tall As Lions, Sonny Moore/Skrillex), is driven by the dynamic duo of two talented young women, singer Emily Armstrong and guitarist Siouxsie Medley. The band is rounded out by bassist Chris Null and drummer Sean Friday, creating an electrifying four-piece rock band whose supercharged music is propelled by Medley's exhilarating, monster guitar riffs and Armstrong's powerful, wailing vocals. Praised for their blazing impassioned rock and catchy guitar melodies, Dead Sara embody everything you want from a young, hungry, unpredictable and enigmatic rock band. DEAD SARA CONFIRMED TOUR DATES: DATE                                    VENUE                                                CITY/STATE August 11                        Birch Run Expo Center                 Birch Run, MI (WWBN Dirt Fest featuring: Clutch, Chiodos, In This Moment, Hurt, Royal Bliss and more) August 18                        Sunset Strip Music Festival          Los Angeles, CA (with Marilyn Manson, The Offspring, Steve Aoki, Bad Religion, De La Soul, Black Label Society and more) August 23                        Knitting Factory/KQXR show        Boise, ID August 24                        Knitting Factory/KHTQ show        Spokane, WA August 30                        On The Waterfront Festival           Rockford, IL         w/The Offspring August 31                        The Fillmore                                Detroit, MI            w/The Offspring September 2                    Echo Beach (MCA)                      Toronto, ON          w/The Offspring September 6                    House of Blues                            Boston, MA          w/The Offspring, Neon Trees September 8                    Sands Bethlehem Events Ctr.       Bethlehem, PA     w/The Offspring, Neon Trees September 9                    Stone Pony Summer Stage          Asbury Park, NJ   w/The Offspring, Neon Trees September 11                  Lupo's                                         Providence, RI     w/The Offspring, Neon Trees September 14                  Congress Theatre/Riot Fest          Chicago, IL September 15                  DC101 Kerfuffle                           Bristow, VA (with The Offspring, Sublime with Rome, Garbage, Anberlin, and Foxy Shazam) September 15                   The Fillmore/WEND show           Charlotte, NC September 19                   Terminal 5                                 New York, NY        w/The Offspring, Neon Trees September 20                   Terminal 5                                 New York, NY        w/The Offspring, Neon Trees September 22                   Verizon Wireless                        Irvine, CA (Epicenter Festival featuring: Stone Temple Pilots, Deftones, Bush, Scars on Broadway, Chevelle and more) September 27                   Fillmore Auditorium                     Denver, CO          w/The Offspring, Neon Trees September 29                   Gallivan Center/X96 Show           Salt Lake City, UT October 2                         San Jose Event Center               San Jose, CA November 10                    London Alexandra Palace            London, UK          w/Vans Warped Tour                                                 Visit Dead Sara online at: www.DeadSara.com Check out their videos on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/DeadSaraTheBand

Sights and Sounds: Styx, Blind Boys of Alabama with Daryl Hall, The Twilight Sad

Although the holidays are not quite here yet, announcements about new music releases slated to hit in 2012 are coming fast and furious. Here are some highlights of announcements that have landed in my inbox this week...


EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE STYX: THE GRAND ILLUSION/PIECES OF 8 LIVE

SIMULTANEOUS DVD, BLU-RAY AND DVD/2CD OUT JANUARY 31, 2012

Two of the most beloved albums in the Styx catalog are 1977's The Grand Illusion and 1978's Pieces Of Eight. Now, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Styx: The Grand Illusion/Pieces Of Eight Live on DVD, Blu-Ray, and DVD/2CD on January 31 [Pre-book Order Date January 6, MSRP $29.98 for DVD/2CD, $14.98 for DVD, and $19.98 for Blu-ray]. This show was recorded November 9, 2010 at the historic Orpheum Theater in Memphis, Tennessee, on the tour that saw them perform both these albums in their entirety for the first time.

This 20-song two-hour and 11-minute presentation features stunning high-definition visuals accenting the complex musical arrangements recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM Stereo. The staging of these two multi-platinum albums and the fevered response makes this concert a must for all Styx fans. The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live also includes the bonus feature "Putting On The Show," an inside look at the people and equipment needed to stage such a massive spectacle.

Selling millions of records worldwide since their 1972 Chicago inception, Styx have branded themselves as one of the greatest American progressive rock bands. The current line-up consists of James "J.Y." Young (vocals, guitars, keyboards); Tommy Shaw (vocals, guitars); Todd Sucherman (drums); Lawrence Gowan (vocals, keyboards); Ricky Phillips (bass, backing vocals) and Chuck Panozzo (bass guitar). Eagle Rock Entertainment has also released their Regeneration, Volume I & II 2CD set, a newly recorded retrospective (release date October 4, 2011).


Track Listing:
1) Intro/1978
2) The Grand Illusion
3) Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
4) Superstars
5) Come Sail Away
6) Miss America
7) Man In The Wilderness
8) Castle Walls
9) The Grand Finale
10) Great White Hope
11) I'm Okay
12) Sing For The Day
13) The Message
14) Lords Of The Ring
15) Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
16) Queen Of Spades
17) Renegade
18) Keyboard Interlude
19) Pieces Of Eight
20) Aku-Aku


BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT ON A SPECIAL 49th EDITION OF LIVE FROM DARYL’S HOUSE

Legendary, Grammy-winning gospel group will join Daryl Hall for a six-song set that includes seasonal classics “Go Tell It On the Mountain,” “Born in Bethlehem”

What better way to celebrate this time of year than a visit from legendary, Grammy-winning gospel group, The Blind Boys of Alabama, who join Daryl Hall for a very special 49th edition of Live From Daryl’s House, premiering Dec. 15 exclusively at www.lfdh.com.


“This was a very special show for me, as I have been a fan of The Blind Boys of Alabama since I was about 14 years old,” enthused Daryl about their appearance. “I used to listen to them and groups like them after church on WDAS radio in Philly.”

Daryl joins the group, whose career spans over 70 years, with no signs of diminishing, for a six-song set of seasonal classics which includes “Born in Bethlehem,” “Can You Give Me a Drink,” “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” “Last Month of the Year” and “Take the High Road.”


Since forming at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind at Talladega, Alabama, in 1939, The Blind Boys continue to tour nationally and internationally with founding member Jimmy Carter singing lead vocals. The group took home the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album four straight years from 2002 to 2005, then were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2009, they were awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.


The group’s appearance on this month’s installment of the Webby and MTV O Music award-winning Internet series, with Daryl marks a return to Hall’s own foundation in Gospel music.


“They were a big influence on how I approach harmony,” he says. “I can’t believe I got to sing bass with them! They represent my REAL roots!”


The Blind Boys have earned praise for their interpretations of everything from traditional gospel favorites to contemporary spiritual material, and now country, by acclaimed songwriters as varied as Curtis Mayfield, Prince and Tom Waits. They’ve appeared on The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, the Grammy Awards telecast, 60 Minutes and their own PBS special as well as big-screen appearances in The Fighting Temptations and this year’s HOP. They also have recorded and toured with such diverse acts as Peter Gabriel, Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt and Lou Reed. They also sport a daily Twitter message #BBwisdom. The group will wrap up an extensive U.S. concert tour, many of them with Nickel Creek’s Sara and Sean Watkins as opening act. Their critically acclaimed May 2011 release, Take the High Road, marked the Blind Boys’ first foray into country gospel, co-produced by Jamey Johnson, featuring guest vocalists Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Jr., Lee Ann Womack and the Oak Ridge Boys.


The past five years have marked a steady stream of superlatives and recognition for Live from Daryl’s House, with Hall receiving a Webby Award for Best Variety series from more than 10,000 entries at the 14th annual ceremony two years ago at N.Y.’s Cipriani Wall Street before garnering an O Music Award from MTV earlier this year.


Live from Daryl’s House is syndicated on TV nationally by Good Cop Bad Cop Productions in association with Scott Sternberg Productions and distributor Trifecta Entertainment & Media. Executive producers for the show include Hall and Scott Sternberg along with Daryl Hall manager Jonathan Wolfson.


Live from Daryl’s House is being shown weekly in over 80% of U.S. homes in the nation’s top 200 media markets, as well as all of the top 10, including New York (WPIX), L.A. (KTLA), Chicago (WGN), Dallas (KDAF) and Houston (KIAH). The show has also cleared in such key markets as Philadelphia (CBS-owned KYW), Boston (KBIN) and Atlanta (WATL), as well as a number of NBC, Fox and CBS-owned affiliates across the country. Most stations are airing a full hour with two original shows back to back on Saturday nights. The first week of the show did a .2 in national Nielsens, with the second week increasing 50% and several stations adding airings.


The 48 previous episodes of Live From Daryl’s House have featured a mix of well-known performers like Booker T and the MGs, Rob Thomas, Train, Smokey Robinson, The Doors’ Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek, Toots Hibbert, Nick Lowe, K.T. Tunstall, Todd Rundgren, Dave Stewart, Goo Goo Dolls’ John Rzeznik and Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump along with newcomers such as Nikki Jean, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Mayer Hawthorne, Eric Hutchinson, Chromeo, Matt Nathanson, Parachute, Plain White T’s, soul diva Sharon Jones, Diane Birch, L.A. neo-R&B party band Fitz & the Tantrums, hot new alternative band Neon Trees and veteran alternative mainstays Guster.



THE TWILIGHT SAD TO TOUR IN SUPPORT OF 'NO ONE CAN EVER KNOW'


The Twilight Sad will be embarking on a North American tour following the release of their forthcoming full-length, No One Can Ever Know. The album was produced by Andrew Weatherall and will be available February 7, 2012 via Fat Cat Records.


Freshly inspired by a listening diet of Cabaret Voltaire, Can, Liars, Magazine, Autechre, and Public Image Limited, the band turn to a dark, synth-heavy sound for No One Can Ever Know; the resulting LP shares thematic and sonic space with the most innovative offerings from Depeche Mode, The Cure, or even Nine Inch Nails.



As made clear already by widely-spread preview track "Kill It In The Morning" (dubbed "slightly evil-sounding" by Pitchfork) and first single "Sick" (which, according to Stereogum "ticks with post-Radiohead guitar and dread") The Twilight Sad's third full-length, No One Can Ever Know, marks a sonic shift for the band.


TWILIGHT SAD TOUR DATES

Feb 23 Washington DC – Rock and Roll Hotel

Feb 24 Philadelphia PA – Johnny Brenda's

Feb 25 Brooklyn NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg

Feb 26 Allston MA – Brighton Music Hall

Feb 28 Montreal QC – Il Motore

Feb 29 Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace

Mar 01 Grand Rapids MI – Pyramid Scheme

Mar 02 Chicago IL – Empty Bottle

Mar 03 Minneapolis MN – 7th Street Entry

Mar 05 San Diego CA – Casbah

Mar 06 Los Angeles CA – The Echo

Mar 07 San Jose CA – The Blank Club

Mar 08 San Francisco CA – The Independent

Mar 10 Seattle WA – Tractor Tavern

Mar 11 Portland OR – Doug Fir Lounge

Mar 14 – Mar 18 Austin TX – SXSW

Doheny Days set to return to Dana Point this weekend

Photo courtesy of Kelly A. Swift

This post actually features a highlight of material that was used in two previews I wrote of the event for The Orange County Register that were originally published on Sept. 7, 2011.


Doheny Days ready for revival after years away

While many people said goodbye to summer over Labor Day weekend, local music fans know they get to celebrate at least one more weekend of summer thanks to the return of Doheny Days on Sept. 10-11.

After a hiatus of seven years, fans of eclectic music can once again hit Doheny State Beach in Dana Point to soak in the sounds of modern rockers (Weezer, Cake and Neon Trees, above, all of whom appear during Day 2), reggae greats (Ziggy Marley, Black Uhuru), O.C.-spawned heroes (Donavon Frankenreiter, Ken Garcia, Common Sense) and genre-defying champions (Day 1 headliner Ben Harper). Other featured performers include G. Love & Special Sauce, JJ Grey & Mofro, Hyper Crush and Blitz the Ambassador, the moniker of Ghanaian-American hip-hop artist Samuel Bazawule.

“Festival-goers are much more experimental in 2011 than in 2004, the last year that we held Doheny Days,” explained Rich Sherman, president of Lake Forest-based Omega Events, which stages both this event and the annual Doheny Blues Festival.

“So it was very important to present an exciting mix of acts, ones that would fit the vibe of the festival. Very few festivals are as fortunate as we are — our backdrop is the Pacific Ocean, so acts like Ben Harper and Donavon Frankenreiter were a natural fit.”

The mix of acts from a variety of genres will perform amid a setting that includes a Ferris wheel, midway games, four stages and an overall experience that Sherman insists will be different from what Omega puts together for Doheny Blues every May. That makes sense considering the appeal of this lineup skews younger.

Neon Trees, for instance, is one of modern rock fastest-rising new bands, bolstered by the smash success of its single “Animal.” Since issuing its debut, Habits, in early 2010, the quartet from Provo, Utah, has toured with the Killers, impressed a large crowd at Coachella in April and did so again in Costa Mesa with a headlining performance at Pacific Amphitheatre in July.

“That Pacific show was absolutely one of my favorites of this last year,” Neon Trees frontman Tyler Glenn (pictured above) said during a phone chat shortly before a gig in Seattle recently. “There was a magical quality in the air and it never felt dull; it never felt like there was a lull in the set.”

Neon Trees — also including guitarist Chris Allen, bassist Branden Campbell and drummer Elaine Bradley — will play a 75-minute set on Sunday at Doheny Days, ahead of equally long or longer turns from Marley, Cake and Weezer. The group also has a number of dates with Duran Duran in September and October.

Glenn finds it highly flattering to be opening for so many of his heroes: “I have a lot of moments where I catch myself because bands I listened to four years ago as a normal Joe, I’ve (now) wound up playing shows with them. It’s insane.

“I grew up loving a lot of punk music — Social Distortion was a big band that I loved seeing down in Orange County, and Mike Ness came to watch our whole set and then wanted to meet us, which was completely mind-blowing. It used to be the other way around, but he wanted to meet us. Those kinds of things are crazy.”

Glenn said Neon Trees approaches each show uniquely, so local fans who caught the group at Pacific will get something new at Doheny Days.

“I think we treat festival shows and our headlining shows and our club shows all a little differently. The aesthetics are different. The kind of fans that are there are different. Festivals especially are a huge opportunity to get new fans or (encounter) ‘Oh, I’ve heard of this band’ or ‘I really love Weezer but I get to see Neon Trees, too.’ That’s our opportunity to wow them for 40 minutes or whatever. We usually choose more of the high-energy songs and try to create those dynamics — and hope for the best.”

Though most attendees will likely come to Doheny Days for the music, Sherman contends there are plenty other reasons to spend the weekend on the beach.

“We have produced 23 music festivals at Doheny State Beach, and it would have been foolish to reinvent the wheel, so there are certainly some similarities with the blues festival,” he says. “But our foremost goal was to create a new environment for Doheny Days. That will be evident from the first steps onto the boardwalk. The overall vibe will be fresh.

“For the last several years, we have been talking with the State Parks Department about bringing back (this festival), specifically what type of event would take shape – music, attractions, (the number of) attendees. They seemed comfortable with our original sketch, so it then became our job to deliver an event that exceeded all expectations — an event that would improve upon the eight-year history of Doheny Days.”

Doheny Days takes place at Doheny State Beach, 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. each day, with music ending at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and 9 on Sunday. Day 1 features Ben Harper, Donavon Frankenreiter, G. Love & Special Sauce and more. Day 2 includes Weezer, Ziggy Marley, Cake, Neon Trees, Black Uhuru and others. Tickets are $50 for single-day general admission ($60 day of show) or $80 for a weekend pass. Click here or call 949-360-7800 for full details, including VIP availability. Click here for a complete schedule of performances.



Here are my top three picks from each day at Doheny Days!

Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011

Ben Harper – On Ben Harper’s latest album, “Give Till It’s Gone,” the GRAMMY Award winner is joined by the celebrated likes of Jackson Browne and legendary Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. But when Harper performs in Dana Point, it will be songs such as the confessional “Don’t Give Up On Me Now,” psychedelic-reeling “Spilling Faith” and poignant “Feel Love” that will carry the weight.

JJ Grey & Mofro – Serving up a well-balanced menu of soul, funk, R&B, Southern rock and blues, Florida-based JJ Grey & MOFRO is may go into Doheny Days as one of Saturday's best-kept secrets. Don't expect JJ Grey (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and six-man troupe to be a secret when they have finished their performance.

Ken Garcia – Whether it’s dubbed surf rock, soft rock or folk rock, Orange County’s own singer-songwriter-guitarist Ken Garcia’s material is both infectious and intelligent. His set in Dana Point will feature songs from his forthcoming album set for release later this year.

Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011

Weezer – Whether they are cranking out crunchy power pop (“Buddy Holly,” “Undone”), infectious sing-along gems (“Island in the Sun,” “Beverly Hills”) or alt rock (“Hash Pipe”), few bands to emerge in the early ‘90s remain as relevant or remarkable as the Rivers Cuomo-led Weezer.

Ziggy Marley – A five-time GRAMMY winner, Ziggy Marley has released more than a dozen albums throughout his long career. He will likely be unleashing good vibes and great songs (“Tomorrow People,” “Tumbling Down,” “Look Who’s Dancing”) when he performs at Doheny Days.

Neon Trees – With songs that recall the best of ‘80s New Wave without being mired in the past, indie rock heroes Neon Trees consistently deliver concerts that get fans on their feet and dancing like there is no tomorrow. Singer Tyler Glenn & company are a force of nature, so the quartet should be right at home on the scenic shores of the Pacific.