dada is back! Band's highly anticipated return begins tonight at The Coach House

Concert preview by Robert Kinsler

dada, from left, features Joie Casio, Phil Leavitt and
Michael Gurley. The band's tour kicks off at The Coach
House in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, Feb. 24,.

dada is back! The celebrated trio performs at the legendary Coach House tonight, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. The band will also perform at Pappy + Harriet's on June 7, at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on June 8, and at The Rebel Lounge in Phoenix on Aug. 1.

Beginning with the release of dada's incredible 1992 full-length debut album Puzzle, singer-guitarist Michael Gurley, singer-bassist Joie Calio and drummer-singer Phil Leavitt have effortlessly and artfully created memorable rock songs blending progressive rock musicianship, breathtaking vocal harmonies and melodic power pop ear candy. In addition to Puzzle, the band's other great album releases include American Highway Flower, El Subliminoso and How to Be Found.

This writer has seen dada in concert a score of times since the early 1990s and the band's performances are always exhilirating; (read my review of dada's 2017 performance at The Coach House HERE).

dada was founded when Gurley and Calio began writing songs and performing as an acoustic duo. Their additional strengths as top-tier songwriters was bolstered when virtuoso drummer Leavitt completed the lineup in time to record Puzzle (released Sept. 8, 1992).

The album's first single "Dizz Knee Land" found widespread airplay on both alternative and mainstream rock outlets. The band was soon touring around the globe, opening for the acclaimed likes of Crowded House, Sting and Depeche Mode.

For more information on dada's upcoming tour dates and to learn more about the band, visit the band's official website HERE.

David Crosby releases new live track "Guinnevere" from his first ever live album and full concert DVD set

Celebrated singer-songwriter David Crosby has just released "Guinnevere," an advance track from his first ever live album! I last caught Crosby live at The Troubadour back in 2014 and he was fantastic (revisit my review of that concert HERE)...Robert Kinsler

DAVID CROSBY
RELEASES NEW LIVE TRACK “GUINNEVERE”
FROM HIS HISTORIC FIRST EVER LIVE ALBUM 
AND FULL CONCERT DVD SET
DAVID CROSBY & THE LIGHTHOUSE BAND 
LIVE AT THE CAPITOL THEATRE
OUT DECEMBER 9, 2022 VIA BMG
LISTEN TO “GUINNEVERE (LIVE AT THE CAPITOL THEATRE)” HERE

Photo credit: Maxine Evans

Two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and co-founder of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, David Crosby, today releases another live offering with the song “Guinnevere” from his forthcoming first ever solo live CD/DVD set. The folk-rock legend and cultural force for over fifty years continues his late period renaissance with the release of David Crosby & The Lighthouse Band Live at the Capitol Theatre, arriving December 9, 2022 via BMG. Pre–order/pre-add/pre-save the set on CD and digital here. STREAM / DOWNLOAD / SHARE “GUINNEVERE (LIVE AT THE CAPITOL THEATRE)” HERE WATCH THE PERFORMANCE OF "GUINNEVERE" HERE Continuing to forge new paths in his eighth decade, Crosby again joins forces with Becca Stevens, Michelle Willis and Michael League, the three musicians known as The Lighthouse Band, who he’s been working with since 2016’s Lighthouse album.  Far from just a solo live album/DVD, working with his first new band since CPR (Crosby, Pevar and Raymond), Crosby and The Lighthouse Band quickly discovered their chemistry took a collaborative leap during their 2018 tour together in support of Crosby’s seventh solo album Here if You Listen (2018, BMG) culminating in this live recorded set on the last night of the run.  Recorded and filmed at the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, in a particularly meaningful turn for Crosby, the sixteen track live offering also includes an uncut gem with the song “1974” - a long-lost demo track that Crosby had floating around on his computer hard drive for decades.  Peter Shapiro (Owner, The Capitol Theatre) says, “Hosting David Crosby at The Capitol Theatre was an honor for us and when David came out and crushed his performance it elevated things even further. We feel very fortunate that this legendary moment was captured forever.”  This very special live performance acts as a celebration of sorts as it spotlights the kindred relationship Crosby shares with League, Stevens and Willis.  Stevens offers, “The Lighthouse band is family. David and I tease about my not “understanding the magnitude of his brilliance”. I didn’t grow up with his music. I knew his name, but that was about it. I’ve gotten to know him purely through my experience of him in the present moment, generous, endlessly inspired, ambitious, and completely insane (in all my favorite ways). A man who has known immense fame, and yet would start a band at seventy something with three youngish weirdos, begging them to share the light with him. There’s something truly wonderful in that, and truly David.”  Willis adds, “He (Crosby) has gifted us his friendship, care, wisdom, humor, family, and community. And in addition, he has given Mike, Becca and I endless tools to create something of beauty to offer. This is because he truly believes in music, and its ability to profoundly change and make better those who encounter it. I’m so grateful to have a fighter like Croz in my life.”

Live at the Capitol Theatre 2018 Photo credit: Scott Harris

David Crosby & The Lighthouse Band Live at the Capitol Theatre  CD & DVD tracklist  The Us Below Things We Do For Love 1974 Vagrants of Venice Regina Laughing  What Are Their Names  By The Light of Common Day Glory The City  Look in Their Eyes Guinnevere Janet Carry Me Déjà Vu Woodstock    Album Credits: Recorded at Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY 12/8/18 ​​Produced by David Crosby Mixed by Kevin Madigan, Michael League, David Crosby & Nic Hard Dolby ATMOS Mix by Kevin Madigan Mastered by Brian Lucey at Magic Garden Studios   DVD Production Credits: Director of Photography, Editor - Simon C.F. Yu  Camera Operators - Nikki Birch, Tariq Khan, Brad Wagner, Sloan Copeland, Darah Golub

Photo credit: Anna Webber   CONNECT WITH DAVID CROSBY Official | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Gin Blossoms bring infectious firepower to the Coach House

The Gin Blossoms in concert at the Coach House on Sunday,
Sept. 9, 2018. Photo: Bob Steshetz

Performing the fifth date of their North American tour in support of their latest album Mixed Reality, the Gin Blossoms were clearly firing on all cylinders and performed a flawless 90-minute set at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Sunday night (Sept. 9, 2018).

Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms

The spirited and fast-moving turn from the Tempe, Arizona-spawned '90s hitmakers (whose multi-platinum album New Miserable Experience turned 25 last year!) was not lost on the capacity crowd who frequently cheered, clapped and sang along to the wealth of favorites performed by the quintet.

Opening with "Lost Horizon (the opening cut from New Miserable Experience), the wistful melodic track set the tone with singer Robin Wilson working his tambourine whilst guitarists Jesse Valenzuela and Scott Johnson, bassist Bill Leen and drummer Scott Hessel locked in with a loose and inspired approach that would also mark the rest of the band's 18-song set.

The set was heavily weighted in favor of the band's best-known material, but was clearly enhanced by the inclusion of a handful of newer songs that proved to be just as potent and reflected the growth of the group. Take "Angels Fly," one of many wonderful tracks from Mixed Reality played on Sunday. It was among the most shimmering of the group's melodic tracks featured this night, with Johnson's nuanced fretwork and Wilson's reverb-adorned vocals giving the song an apt ethereal air. From there, Gin Blossoms charged right into another new cut, "Break," a lovely song bolstered by deft lead guitar work from both Johnson and Valenzuela.

Jesse Valenzuela (rear) and Robin
Wilson at the Coach House

Time has been kind to the Gin Blossoms' approach, whose sound resonates as well in 2018 as it did at the dawn of the '90s. Simply put, the outfit's sonic brew comprised of jangle-rich power pop and alternative rock is timeless. Wilson's personable approach (he would often hand tambourines to members of the crowd to get them to participate in the music making) and time-honed skills of all the musicians gave the concert a party-like vibe.

Add to that the performance of reflective ballads ("Until I Fall Away," "As Long as it Matters," the new "Wonder") and freewheeling delivery of solid rockers ("Found Out About You," "Allison Road" and "Hey Jealousy," the latter that ended the band's regular set) and this was certainly a night to remember.

Jesse Valenzuela

Gin Blossoms' three-song encore was also not to be missed. With Wilson and Johnson taking the stage first, the two settled into a country folk take on the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" (the seminal track is from the 1971 album Sticky Fingers). Their band mates soon came on stage, providing additional layers to intensify the song; Valenzuela's work on an electric mandolin was especially affecting in the performance.

The band then launched into one of their best known tracks, the rousing "Follow You Down" complete with Wilson's powerful work on the harmonica.

"We're just a dusty band from the Sonoran desert," Wilson said after the track, acknowledging the wild reception.

The crowd would have surely been happy with that as a finale, but there was more. The band charged ahead, closing things out with a potent take on Tom Petty's "Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll."

Big Mother Gig performing at the Coach House on Sept. 9, 2018.

Opening the night was Los Angeles quartet Big Mother Gig, which received big cheers for a solid set of tuneful and crunchy melodic rock. Among the tracks that caught my ear on a first listen were the compelling "Nametag," Shoes-flavored "Alvarado," and guitar-anchored "Reflecting Flashlights."







You can catch Gin Blossoms at a number of upcoming concert dates, including at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Information: GinBlossoms.net.

Review by Robert Kinsler

Photos by Bob Steshetz


Picture on right: The Gin
Blossoms performing at 
the Coach House on Sunday,
Sept. 9, 2018.

Colin Blunstone reflects on The Zombies enduring legacy

Colin Blunstone, seen second from right in this 1960s photo, is
with (from left) Chris White, Rod Argent, the late Paul Atkinson
and Hugh Grundy. Photo courtesy of The Zombies

Groundbreaking British Invasion troupe the Zombies are coming to Southern California to perform a string of dates this month including two headlining slots at the legendary Troubadour in Los Angeles on Sept. 10 and 11, an appearance at the KAABOO Festival at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Sept. 14, an opening slot for Arcade Fire at the Greek Theatre on Sept. 20, and an intimate acoustic performance at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs on Sept. 21, 2018.

Formed in England in 1961, the Zombies scored some of the most beloved and original hits of the 1960s including "She's Not There," "Tell Her No" and "Time of the Season."

The band's final album of that decade – 1968's brilliant Odessey and Oracle – is ranked 100 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time published in 2012. The Zombies' run appeared to be over when quintet dissolved following the release of Odyssey and Oracle if not for a small series of reunion shows staged in 1999.

"We enjoyed it so much that we just kept going," said lead singer Colin Blunstone in a recent telephone interview. "And here we are; originally six concerts and it's nearly 20 years that we have been playing. It amazes me how much in life is just chance. We got together for those six concerts really by chance and it has led to a 20-year adventure on the road. And so what more could you ask for. You go off around the world touring with your pals and playing the music you love. That wouldn't have happened without those six dates."

The Zombies in 2018, from left, Colin Blunstone,
Rod Argent, Steve Rodford, Tom Toomey and
Søren Koch.  Photo courtesy of The Zombies

In addition to Blunstone (lead vocals) and Rod Argent (keyboards, backing vocals), the Zombies' line-up also includes long-time members Steve Rodford (drums), Tom Toomey (lead guitar) along with newcomer Søren Koch on bass guitar (who replaced bassist Jim Rodford, who died in a tragic fall in January 2018).

Since reforming in 1999, the Zombies have released a trio of wonderful new albums – including this decade's Breathe Out, Breathe In (2011) and the Billboard-charting release Still Got That Hunger (2015). The good news for fans is there are early plans to record and release a seventh studio album of new material.

"We're just talking about songs now. We're touring now pretty solidly through Christmas, so there's not going to be a lot of chance to record (in 2018)," Blunstone explained. "But what we can do on the road is to is rehearse new tunes and set arrangements and keys and things like that for new songs. So I would hope early next year we will start recording. But for us, because we are a touring band it's quite difficult to get everyone into the studio to record. As soon as there is a gap, I'm sure we'll be back in the studio."

Colin Blunstone performing at The Observatory in Santa Ana, CA
in September 2013. Photo courtesy of Kelly A. Swift

Anyone who has heard the Zombies or seen the band live knows how special Blunstone's voice is; armed with a distinctive and high-reaching tenor, it is as powerful as ever. The collective power of Blunstone and his bandmates makes the band's performances unforgettable.

The Zombies influence has continued to grow with the late Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Beck, Paul Weller, Belle and Sebastian, a collaboration between Daryl Hall and Company of Thieves (on an episode of "Live from Daryl's House"), Jason Falkner and Santana having all covered the band's songs in the studio or on the concert stage. 

The performance of tracks from Odessey and Oracle is always a highlight at the Zombies' concerts.

"To me, I've got to be honest, there is an air of mystery about it because I can't equate the fact that it was fairly ignored when it was released (in April 1968)," Blunstone said of the band's 12-track masterwork. 

Rod Argent performing at The Observatory in Santa Ana,
CA in September 2013. Photo courtesy of Kelly A. Swift

"I can't quite work out how it can be so revered now when it was so ignored at the time. It's a strange concept, so it is a bit of a mystery. But it's a wonderful mystery. And its been really, really exciting that its been acknowledged after all this time as a fine piece of work. Of course it's fantastic that it is held in such high esteem now. It just intrigues me how it slipped through the net when it first came out. I'm not saying that in any bitter sense; I'm just saying I just don't understand it but it's fantastic that it has the acknowledgement that it has now." 

The Zombies' wealth of masterful songs and their top-tier talents as singers and virtuoso players are only a part of what make their concerts so special. 

"I think we play because we love to play, and the thrill is definitely still there playing live. We love it. I think where it does get a bit more challenging is in the traveling. It's tough for anyone to travel in the way a band travels, the distances you know. But as you get older it gets more challenging really. So that side of it can be a bit tough; but we go on remote control, automatic pilot and get that side sorted."

The Zombies' will wrap up their upcoming U.S. tour with a special acoustic performance in Palm Springs. 

"It's just Rod and I doing an acoustic show," Blunstone said of that final date in the Coachella Valley. "We might talk more when there is two of us ...(it's) more intimate and they'll be more stories, and slightly different songs as well." 

The Zombies' acoustic performance at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club will feature an intimate performance featuring Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent, as well as an interview with Joe Wong of The Trap Set podcast.

The event will be held at 8 p.m. on Sept. 21, 2018 at the Ace Hotel, 701 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. 


For more information on any of The Zombies' upcoming concert dates, visit: www.TheZombiesMusic.com/tour-dates.