Bad Company adds tour dates in U.S. and Japan

BAD COMPANY ADD NEW CONCERT DATE IN TOKYO
DUE TO OVERWHELMING DEMAND FOR TICKETS TO THE BAND'S FIRST CONCERT TOUR OF JAPAN IN MORE THAN THREE DECADES

"THE VERY BEST OF FREE AND BAD COMPANY FEATURING PAUL RODGERS"
GREATEST HITS SET TO BE RELEASED IN JAPAN SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

NEW DATE ADDED TO THE U.S. - OCTOBER 1 IN SACRAMENTO, CA

Los Angeles, CA - September 15, 2010 - The original members of legendary rock band Bad Company have added new concert dates to both their North American and Japan concert tours. The band will extend their 2010 North American tour with a new date confirmed for October 1, 2010 in Sacramento, California. Following the band's final U.S. dates in 2010, Bad Company will embark on their first tour of Japan in more than three decades, recently adding a third show in Tokyo due to am overwhelming demand for tickets. In addition, Rhino/Warner Bros/Universal will release a greatest hits set "The Very Best of Free and Bad Company featuring Paul Rodgers" on September 22 in Japan, to coincide with the tour. For up-to-date information, please visit: www.BadCompany.com

Selling over 90 million records during his career, Paul Rodgers is and has been one of the most sought-after and recognizable vocalists in rock music. The Very Best of Free and Bad Company featuring Paul Rodgers greatest hits collection features Rodgers' greatest works during the legendary '68-'73 era of Free and '73-'82 era of Bad Company, the album collects 15-tracks from the very best of the chart-topping hits during that 14-year musical tenure. An exclusive iTunes deluxe version of the album, featuring bonus recordings, is also available. Alongside the UK release earlier this year, the original members of Bad Company reunited for their first concert tour of the UK in over three decades. The highly anticipated tour run culminated with a sold-out show at Wembley Arena. The collection became Bad Company's first top 10 chart appearance since 1979, Free's first since 1991 and was Rodgers' return to the charts following his 2007 certified Gold debut solo DVD "Live in Glasgow" which charted at #1 in Canada*, #2 in Japan, #3 in the US* and #4 in the UK.

Bad Company confirmed 2010 tour dates:

DATE VENUE LOCATION
October 1 Thunder Valley Casino Resort Sacramento, CA - new date added
October 2 LA County Fair Pomona, CA
October 4 Potawatomi Casino/Northern Light Milwaukee, WI
October 5 Potawatomi Casino/Northern Light Milwaukee, WI
October 7 Hard Rock - The Joint Catoosa, OK (Tulsa)
October 9 Little Creek Casino Resort Shelton, WA +
October 18 Zepp Fukuoka Fukuoka, Japan
October 20 Zepp Nagoya Nagoya, Japan
October 21 Namba Hatch Osaka, Japan
October 23 Hitomi Kinen Kodo Tokyo, Japan - new date added
October 25 Tokyo International Forum Tokyo, Japan
October 26 Tokyo International Forum Tokyo, Japan

+ denotes Paul Rodgers last solo date of 2010

Jimmie Vaughan rocks the Coach House

Jimmie Vaughan photographed by Bob Steshetz at the Coach House on Sept. 9, 2010

My review was originally published in the Orange County Register's Soundcheck blog on Friday, Sept. 10, 2010.

Blues music has come back in a big way in 2010, with artists not typically associated with the traditional scene — John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Steve Miller, even Cyndi Lauper — all having issued well-received blues-centered discs this year.

But clearly not to be forgotten in this parade of forays is Jimmie Vaughan Plays Blues, Ballads and Favorites, a Shout! Factory release that marks the guitarist’s first new studio album in nine years. And at the Coach House on Thursday (Sept. 9, 2010), Vaughan, now 59, spotlighted many songs off the strong collection of favorite covers from the far-flung likes of Little Richard, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Reed. He also was backed by a robust band (including a two-man sax section) that added heft and sonic elegance throughout his 21-cut set.

Vaughan’s set was essentially broken into two parts. The first featured the guitarist leading the charge, trading tasty Texas licks from his Fender with blasts from tenor sax pro Greg Picollo and other members of his group. During the second half, however, Stevie Ray’s older brother, who had provided vocals up to that point, brought singer Louann Barton (long a musical companion of the Vaughans) on stage to handle most of the lead work, while also assisting in duets (particularly “Sugar Coated Love”) to broaden the approach of this musical troupe.

Many tracks from Blues, Ballads & Favorites were featured, with the swing of “The Pleasure’s All Mine” and the Bill Haley-styled “How Can You Be So Mean” highlights of the first part of the show, while “Wheel of Fortune,” showcasing Barton’s compelling vocals, was clearly a standout later in the night.

Vaughan mentioned it was good to be back at the San Juan Capistrano venue, noting he hadn’t performed at the Coach House since 2001. Hopefully, he won’t wait another nine years before returning to temporarily transform the venerable club into a blues roadhouse. The Mike Eldred Trio turned in the most raucous set of the night. Featuring Eldred on guitar and vocals, plus bassist John Bazz and drummer Jerry Angel (the Blasters’ rhythm section), the group delivered some high-octane ’50s rock ’n’ roll over the course of 30 minutes, with tracks like “Louise” and “I’m Ready” illustrating the threesome’s retro attack.

As for second opener Shawn Jones, well, every time I have caught him live I’ve been more impressed. As outstanding as he was when I first saw him perform at the Doheny Blues Festival in May 2008, the talented singer-songwriter-guitarist just keeps getting better.

On Thursday night, he impressed mightily with accessible and infectious blues-rock, anchored by his dazzling guitar playing, formidable voice and original songwriting — all of which quickly won over many who were introduced to his craft during his forceful 40-minute performance. Songs such as the confessional “Glorybound” and the rocker “I Can’t Help Myself” proved how deftly Jones can blend Delta blues, gospel, folk and R&B into a winning style.

Yet, despite Jones’ clearly apparent all-around skills, the bandleader remains unsigned. The good news is that he performs in Orange County frequently, and his self-released albums deliver the same power he demonstrated here at the Coach House.

Kicking off this long night of excellent blues and Americana music was another singer-songwriter-guitarist, Jonathan Blake, who played a half-hour of acoustic blues. Well, mostly blues — the talented Blake also blended jazz and flamenco into his original songs.

Charlie Louvin salutes Gram Parsons with new album, AMA show with special guests Emmylou Harris & Al Perkins

On September 10, 2010, Charlie Louvin returns to live performance after surgery to treat pancreatic cancer. Louvin's performance during the Americana Music Association conference will welcome two very special guests to the stage. Emmylou Harris will perform "If I Could Only Win Your Love", a song written by The Louvin Brothers. Legendary steel guitar and dobro player Al Perkins will be lending his talents to the Louvin Brothers song "The Christian Life" and the Gram Parsons song "Hickory Wind." Perkins' career has seen him with both Gram Parsons & the Rolling Stones.

Louvin is set to perform at 10 p.m. (central) at The Rutledge - 410 4th Avenue South, Nashville.

Tompkins Square label has just released Hickory Wind : Live at the Gram Parsons Guitar Pull - Waycross GA, hailed by many media outlets including Influential website Swampland, who said the album "serves as a majestic recording where the soul of man never dies."

On February 22, 1956, The Louvin Brothers warmed up for Elvis Presley at City Auditorium in Waycross, GA. On hand was a nine year old boy named Gram Parsons. It would leave an indelible mark on the future legend, who went on to popularize several Louvin Brothers songs for the ages. On September 19, 2009, Charlie Louvin returned to Waycross to pay tribute to the granddaddy of "Alt Country"/"Americana", singing "Hickory Wind" for the first time ever, as well as Louvin Brothers songs Gram either recorded or must have heard in his early years.


Charlie's emotional return to Waycross was an artist truly going full circle. Having inspired a young Gram Parsons, who later turned a new generation of musicians and fans on to the music of the Louvin Brothers, Charlie walked around the peeling, corroded interior of Waycross' City Auditorium like a ghost. Except Charlie was still here, very much in the flesh.



In fact, the past few years have marked an extraordinary late career run for Charlie, who turned 83 on July 7, 2010. His Grammy-nominated, self-titled Tompkins Square debut album brought him firmly back onto the scene, featuring an array of admirers like Jeff Tweedy, George Jones and Marty Stuart. He fulfilled a long-time desire to record with a gospel choir, the great McCrary Sisters, on 2008's Grammy-nominated Steps To Heaven. Three months later he released the "hellish" side, the critically adored Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs. Charlie has recently played major festivals such as Bonnaroo and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and toured and recorded with Lucinda Williams. The music of the Louvin Brothers continues to resonate, most recently via the inclusion of "My Baby's Gone" on the soundtrack for the hit movie, Crazy Heart. Hickory Wind: Live at the Gram Parsons Guitar Pull, Waycross GA is a fond tip of the hat from one legend to another. If Gram is the granddaddy of "Americana", Charlie is the great-granddaddy; a Country Music Hall of Famer, and a legend in the truest sense of the word.

Really big shows! 'The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles' remastered

History repeats itself on September 7, 2010 when the digitally remastered version of The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles comes to DVD

When The Beatles stepped onto Sullivan’s New York stage on Sunday, February 9, 1964, to make their American TV debut, 86 percent of all TVs on at that hour--73 million Americans--tuned in. It was the most-watched program in history to that point and remains one of the most-watched programs of all time.

Nearly 50 years after the four landmark live performances of The Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” those legendary appearances with newly remastered audio and carefully restored video will finally be made available worldwide on home video through a major distributor. It was announced today (Sept. 1, 2010) by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) and SOFA Entertainment that The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles will be released Tuesday, September 7, 2010, by UMe, a division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company. The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles was produced by SOFA Entertainment.

“The Beatles changed music and popular culture forever,” says Bruce Resnikoff, President & CEO, UMe. “This DVD collection contains treasured performances and UMe is thrilled to bring these milestones of music and television history to fans, whether they saw the shows the first time or have never seen them.”


“We used the full extent of today’s technology,” says Andrew Solt, Executive Producer and CEO of SOFA Entertainment, which purchased all 1,050 hours of “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1990. “The quality is better than it ever was, in fact, better than when the shows aired, especially visually. For example, the February 16 performance was from Miami’s Deauville Hotel, not from a studio. The quality of the tape image was very fragile. We went back and improved it frame by frame.”

With a running time of more than 250 minutes, The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles presents those shows uncut, including not only all of the other performances but also all of the original commercials. The audio is available in both mono and a 5.1 remix. Also included on the two-DVD set will be material from other “Sullivan” shows, notably a short interview with The Beatles which has not been seen since its original television airing in 1964.

Few moments of The Beatles’ performances had ever been seen before a similar DVD package debuted in 2003, but distribution was via a small independent company. Now through UMe , The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles will be widely available at traditional retail as well as non-traditional retail such as book stores, major department stores, specialty and high-end stores.

In addition, the new DVD set has been augmented with approximately 13 minutes of additional footage. The added material, rare Beatles-related gems from other “Sullivan” shows, is placed at the end of each disc. Among them is a brief London interview with The Beatles by Sullivan which has not been seen since the day it aired (May 24, 1964); a 1966 black-and-white commercial for Beatles dolls introduced by Sullivan in color; and the host reading a 1967 telegram from The Beatles congratulating him on the renaming of the studio to “The Ed Sullivan Theater.”

“Usually when there is a major historic moment, it’s seen on every channel,” notes Solt. “What makes the first Beatles performance so unusual is that ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ was the only place you could see it. Even though their music was everywhere, we had never seen them live. It was a shared joyous moment for an entire generation and still is today.”

The Beatles appeared live on “Sullivan” three more times--the following Sunday from Miami , a third consecutive show (February 23), and finally September 12, 1965. In all, the Fab Four performed 20 songs (15 different ones), from “All My Loving” and “I Saw Her Standing There” (twice each) to “I Want To Hold Your Hand” (three times), “Yesterday” and “Help!”

The Sunday night variety show, which ran from 1948 to 1971, was seen live in the Central and Eastern time zones but fortunately was taped for airing in the Pacific and Mountain time zones. Yet few tapes had been transferred to a contemporary format until Solt obtained the rights. Today he continues to transfer and remaster them. Solt’s other credits range from the 1979 TV special “Heroes Of Rock And Roll” and 1988 feature documentary “Imagine: John Lennon” to the 1991 Warner Brothers theatrical feature film “This is Elvis” to the 1995 TV documentary series “The History Of Rock ‘N’ Roll” and 2006 home video “Elvis: The Ed Sullivan Shows.”

“For so many people who experienced those first shows originally, including myself,” adds Solt, “we remember where we were. But we never saw them again. Now we can, and in context--the complete shows--with all the raw energy and excitement, the audience going crazy. There’s also a new generation, one that has bought the reissues, the Rock Band videogame, seen Paul McCartney play on the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater that’s the home of ‘The Late Show with David Letterman,’ heard the songs on ‘American Idol.’ They know the music so well even if they were born decades later. A word like ‘timeless’ gets overused but it definitely applies to The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles.”

Neil Young to release 'Le Noise' on Sept. 28

Neil Young continues to challenge himself and his listeners with music that is powerful, beautiful and authentic. Here is a comprehensive update courtesy of Reprise Records on his forthcoming release.

NEIL YOUNG TO RELEASE BRAND-NEW SOLO ALBUM, ENTITLED 'LE NOISE,' ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2010, ON REPRISE RECORDS

ROCKER COLLABORATED ON GUITAR-DRIVEN ALBUM WITH MUSICIAN, SONGWRITER, AND PRODUCER DANIEL LANOIS

Burbank, CA –Neil Young will release a brand-new solo album, entitled Le Noise, on September 28, 2010 on Reprise Records. The eight-song album is a collaboration between the acclaimed rock icon and musician, songwriter, and producer Daniel Lanois, known for his work with U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, The Neville Brothers and many others. As producer or co-producer Lanois won Grammy Awards in 1987, 1992, 1997, 2000 and 2001.

Young and Lanois have crossed paths musically over the course of many years, including Lanois’ performances at Young’s Bridge School Benefit Concert and Young’s performance at Farm Aid when Lanois was Willie Nelson’s music director, but this is the first time the two have recorded together. Recorded in Lanois’ home in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles, Le Noise features Young on acoustic and electric guitars with Lanois adding his trademark sonic textures, creating one of the most sonically arresting albums Young has ever recorded. No band, no overdubs, just “a man on a stool and me doing a nice job on the recording,” as Lanois puts it.

“Neil was so appreciative of the sonics that we presented to him,” Lanois says. “He walked in the door and I put an acoustic guitar into his hands — one that I had been working on to build a new sound. That’s the multi-layered acoustic sound that you hear on the songs ‘Love and War’ and ‘Peaceful Valley Boulevard.’ I wanted him to understand that I’ve spent years dedicated to the sonics in my home and that I wanted to give him something he’d never heard before. He picked up that instrument, which had everything — an acoustic sound, electronica, bass sounds — and he knew as soon as he played it that we had taken the acoustic guitar to a new level. It’s hard to come up with a new sound at the back end of 50 years of rock and roll, but I think we did it.”

Le Noise will be released in several formats, including standard CD, vinyl, digital download, and as a deluxe CD/DVD. The DVD portion, shot by cinematographer Adam Vollick, will feature eight black and white films of Young performing each song solo on acoustic and electric guitar live in the studio. In November, Reprise will also release a Blu-Ray edition, featuring Lanois and Vollick’s beautifully shot films of Young.

Writing about Le Noise after hearing it at Lanois’ home, The Los Angeles Times commented: “What’s striking about Le Noise is the way it both summarizes and distills Young’s singular approach to music, predominantly just Neil and a guitar: his big, white hollow-body Gretsch electric slashing and burning for most of the tracks, a couple built around picked and strummed acoustic instruments. Both are recorded and amplified -- literally and metaphorically -- by Lanois’ signature soundscapes that loop vocals, and enhance the guitars’ bass notes through distortion boxes, synthesizers and other electronics.”

The track-listing for Le Noise is as follows:

Walk With Me
Sign of Love
Rescue Me
Love And War
Angry World
Hitchhiker
Peaceful Valley Blvd.
Rumblin'


www.neilyoung.com

Asia: twice was more than nice

Photo by Armando Brown; originally published in the Orange County Register. This photo of John Wetton and Carl Palmer was taken at Club Nokia.

Before catching Asia at Club Nokia on Friday night (Aug. 27) and then at the Grove of Anaheim on Saturday night (Aug. 28), I can't recall the last time I saw a major concert act play live two nights in a row.
Although the quartet's set was almost identical both nights, there were plenty of great reasons to catch singer-bassist John Wetton, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Carl Palmer and keyboardist Geoff Downes twice in two days.
Firstly, the current version of the band features the original line-up and all four members are still at the top of their artistic powers. Although there are those who don't like prog-rock or melodic rock, Asia continues to be among the best-ever at crafting songs that are inventive, accessible and showcase virtuoso musicianship free of bombast.
Secondly, Asia is touring in support of the second strong full-length album since its return in 2006. Phoenix was an unexpected surprise in 2008, and 2010's Omega makes it clear the band's return is a great one.
In fact, many of the highlights of Asia's concerts this past weekend came from those recent releases. The band opened both shows with the uplifting and driving "I Believe," and also featured the powerful political opus "Holy War"and confessional "Through My Veins" in the first half of the set. The second half of the set saw the inclusion of "An Extraordinary Life," a joyous song that celebrates survival that is a highlight on Phoenix and proved to shine in the live setting too.
A third thing to celebrate about both Asia shows was the audience. It has become the norm in recent years that a large number of concert-goers chat, yell over their cell phone while telling their pals that they are at so-and-so show, and are generally obnoxious. Both crowds were amazing, with just about everyone really listening to the musicians. What a concept: if you go to a concert, you actually care about the music.

Asia's setlist on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28:
1. I Believe
2. Only Time Will Tell
3. Holy War
4. Never Again
5. Through My Veins
6. Don't Cry
7. Steve Howe solo (two acoustic numbers)
8. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
9. Open Your Eyes

BREAK/INTERMISSION

10. Go
11. Time Again
12. An Extraordinary Life
13. End Of The World
14. The Heat Goes On (including Carl Palmer's drum solo)
15. Sole Survivor

ENCORE
16. Days Like These
17. Heat of the Moment

ASIA: A chat with keyboardist Geoff Downes

With ASIA currently on tour in support of the band's latest album Omega, I recently had the chance to speak with keyboardist Geoff Downes (on the far right of the photo) about the band's continuing journey, which includes an upcoming concert date at The Grove of Anaheim on Saturday night, Aug. 28, 2010.

What follows are highlights of my phone conversation conducted with Geoff Downes on July 20, 2010:

Robert: Hi Geoff, this is Robert Kinsler from the Orange County Register; how are you doing? I've been an ASIA fan since the early 1980s and it's a pleasure to speak with you.

Geoff: You're an Orange County man.

Robert: I am. I saw you play at the Long Beach Arena when your first album came out.

I thought we could start with how you and John (singer-bassist John Wetton) first work on the songs, and then how the rest of the band (guitarist Steve Howe and drummer Carl Palmer) work up the finished arrangements/recordings?

Geoff: Well, we do a lot of trouble-shooting beforehand. I go over to John's (home) or he comes around to mine; we collate our ideas really like in the old days. We've done quite a number of albums together (both ASIA and their musical group Icon) - three Icon albums. We generally have a couple of musical ideas and we see which ones are going to work with what (other ideas) and then quite often we have similar ideas about the direction of the material; it's pretty much the way we worked back in the old days (ASIA was formed in 1981). He had a musical bit and I had a musical bit and then we put them together and then we'd see how that transpires and what it suggests lyrically. And then John starts to put his touches in the lyrical department and that's really how we get it to that sort of stage. We put a rough demo into a recorder, just a piano and then we take it to the other guys and that's really when we start to really hone into the arrangements.

Robert: Do you arrange in the studio or or do you do pre-production including the final arrangements?

Geoff: Generally, naturally, I've done a lot of pre-production. So I generally have all the songs - including the ones Steve has written with John or the ideas that Carl has put forward - I kind of do very rough computerized demos of what we have discussed so when we go into the studio obviously certain things don't work as well as we thought so we sort of chop it up (fine tune the song) around then.

Robert: I'm thinking of "Holy War" - where you have that great instrumental break built around Carl's great drum solo with your keyboards that flow so well around that. Where does that chemistry come from; how all the parts of the song work so well together?

Geoff:In that bit particularly - I think that's one of the songs that is one of the standout songs on the album - we didn't really have the idea of that with all the frantic drum parts that Carl came up with. That's not something you can do around the piano. You can't conceive those kind of things will happen (in the demo stage) - the magic of something that Steve will put in a (guitar) line that will take it in another direction. So I think it's a constant kind of refining process as each person injects his bit into it. It takes on a whole different meaning; it's all about development. That's the great thing about working with the other three guys in ASIA. They're all great to work with and everyone has a common direction and a common goal.

Robert: This celebrated lineup of ASIA has been together longer this time around since reforming in early 2006 than when you were initially together from 1981 to 1983.

Geoff: Yeah, yeah. We've been together now nearly five years. It's pretty incredible really, because I think when we were first out we only did about three years from the inception of the band. So - as you know - Steve is off doing his bits and pieces with Yes and Carl doing some stuff with ELP (including an impressive recent reissue from Shout! Factory) and me and John have got our Icon project that we do, so it doesn't take totally center stage with everybody but I think once we do get together, everybody is 100 percent dedicated to it.

Robert: Are you enjoying working together more now that that huge success at the beginning?

Geoff: Yeah, I think so. That's something that will probably never be repeated (ASIA's self-titled album was the biggest-selling album of 1982. Released in March 1982, it sold four million copies in the U.S.) and I think that was a fantastic thing that came out of having these ideas around John's piano in Shepherd’s Bush in London and then all of a sudden six months later it was on every single radio station in America and you can't turn on the radio and not hear one of those songs. Some bands have that more than once in a lifetime, but for us, it was very much that period and those first couple of albums (1982's "Asia," 1983's "Alpha") were very successful. In some ways, that was not good for us because we started so high up - that first album was so enormous - that we never really had a chance to build the concept of the band at that point, and I think that's one of the reasons why we did get back together again five years ago is that we felt like we still had a lot to put forward and a lot to offer that we hadn't actually achieved before.

Robert: I think you've done that with Phoenix and Omega. And you've done that, despite setbacks such as when John had his health scare where he had heart surgery in late 2007.

Geoff: That's right, and Carl had a bit of a scare as well. None of us are getting any younger, that's for sure. I think the fact that the original band is still wanting to do it - next year will be 30 years since the inception of the band - that's not a bad go considering so many bands fall by the wayside.

Robert: I'm thinking the songs you are doing now are every bit as good as your early material. Not just "Holy War," but "I Believe" and "Through My Veins." Not just the musical textures - the songs are so good too.

Geoff: That's something we've always tried to attain, you know. I think songwriting has been the key to ASIA's success initially. I think it was a combination of having the songs we did (this part of Geoff's response was garbled from traffic noise where he was speaking on a cell phone while in the U.K.), the arrangements and musicianship that goes with it...each person was his own individual performer in his own right as well as collectively having the style of ASIA. You look at John's background and Steve's background and Carl's background - they were very much from the big English prog-rock arrangements. I think when we had the opportunity to do ASIA, it was very much a condensed version of that. We still had the musicianship, but it was supporting quite melodic and accessible rock songs.

The Call's Michael Been remembered

The Call in 1990, from left to right: Tom Ferrier, Scott Musick, Michael Been, and Jim Goodwin.

I was just preparing a post on several John Lennon-related news items (Lennon would have turned 70 this coming October 9), when I saw a news release in my inbox early this morning that Call singer-songwriter Michael Been has just died. I am floored. I was a long-time fan of the Call. I can remember back in the mid-1980s when I delivered a paper route, I used to drive around in the middle of the night cranking up the band's epic album Reconciled, a 1986 release I consider to be one of the best albums of that decade. I saw the band perform at The Coach House in 1990 when the band was on its Red Moon tour and it was an incredible show. If my memory serves me well, the show that I attended ended up as the band's live disc Live Under the Red Moon released in October 2000. My prayers go out to the friends and family of Michael Been.

Here is the release and I'll be playing lots of Call this weekend for sure.

MICHAEL BEEN OF THE CALL, AND FATHER OF
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB'S ROBERT BEEN,
PASSES AWAY TODAY IN BELGIUM

LOS ANGELES, CA - August, 19, 2010 - Michael Been, vocalist and guitarist of '80s band The Call, and father of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Robert Been, passed away today in Belgium, after suffering a heart attack backstage. Been was on tour with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, acting as their sound engineer. He was 60.

The Call erupted on the scene with a passionate sound and a strong political message, and earned numerous hits, including "The Walls Came Down," "I Still Believe (Great Design)" and "Let the Day Begin," which climbed to #1 on the Rock chart. Their fans included Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, and Bono, all contributing to albums, and Gabriel deeming them "the future of American music."

Been was not only the father of Robert Been but a significant part of BRMC's development. Often referenced as their fourth member, Been spent countless hours in the studio acting in many roles from mentor and guide, to helping the now internationally revered band capture their sound to tape. He acted as co-producer and engineer on numerous BRMC albums and was their loyal sound engineer for as many years.


# # #

Magical evening with John Mellencamp at the Grammy Museum

Photo credit: Courtesy of The GRAMMY Museum®

Photograph by Maury Phillips/WireImage ©2010


An Evening with John Mellencamp
Where: The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live
When: Aug. 17, 2010

Singer-songwriter John Mellencamp is not one to sing his own praises.
“I had to learn to write songs while I was making records,” Mellencamp said during the special “American Express presents An Evening with John Mellencamp” program at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, Aug. 17. The special discussion and mini-concert was held on the release date of No Better Than This, the celebrated Hoosier’s latest album.
Mellencamp, 58, noted that when he got signed to his first record deal in the 1970s, he was emerging at the same time as talented artists such as Tom Petty and Steve Forbert.
“I was the low hanging fruit,” he mused.
Much has changed since Mellencamp was forced to go by the moniker John Cougar with the release of his commercial debut Chestnut Street Incident in 1976. He has gone on to release discs such as Scarecrow (1985), Whenever We Wanted (1991), Human Wheels (1993), and Life, Death, Love and Freedom (2008), recognized as some of the best albums of the modern rock era. His just-issued No Better Than This marks another high mark in Mellencamp’s continuing journey to document his own life and that of the world around him – particularly those hit hardest by economic hardship, isolation and racial discrimination.
“I’m 58 – almost 59. I am not the guy who wrote ‘Hurts So Good’ (off of 1982’s American Fool album). It would be folly for me to do that (song now),” he told interviewer Robert Santelli, executive director of the Grammy Museum.
Like Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, Mellencamp has been able to mature through life and make music that reflects that passage.
No Better Than This is truly another leap forward for Mellencamp. The new disc, produced by T Bone Burnett, was recorded in three historic locations in the South: Savannah’s First African Baptist Church, Sun Studio in Memphis (used by Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley in the 1950s) and Room 414 of San Antonio’s Gunter Hotel where Robert Johnson recorded seminal blues tracks in the 1930s.
The Burnett-produced sessions were recorded using a single vintage microphone and a 55-year-old AMPEX 601 mono tape recorder. No Better Than This explodes with Mellencamp’s original songs incorporating country-styled blues, early folk and tinges of rockabilly and gospel. This isn’t music for the masses, but it is truly music that matters.
“The problem with music today is there is no moment to capture anymore,” Mellencamp said of the retro-approach to recording his new album, noting this was a project on the opposite side of the “fix it in the mix” mentality.
“Everybody was in the moment…it was a real joy to create the music.”
Musicians joining Mellencamp on the recording include Michael Wanchic (guitar), Miriam Sturm (violin), John Gunnell (bass), Dane Clark (drums), Troye Kinnett (accordion, keyboards) and Andy York (the guitarist who joined Mellencamp on stage at the Grammy Museum).
“It was fun to be a musician playing music once again,” Mellencamp said of the 13 songs recorded in a mere 13 days.
After more than an hour of discussion, and taking a few questions from the 200-person audience seated inside the intimate Clive Davis Theater, Mellencamp went through an acoustic-styled set of original material.
Opening with the first track on his new disc, the uplifting “Save Some Time to Dream,” he was cheered on when he briefly struggled to find the right chords on his acoustic guitar. But the rest of his brief set was flawless, including a stirring acappella version of “Cherry Bomb” boasting his authentic vocals and the tender acoustic ballad “Thinking About You” (one of the highlights on his new album).
He closed with a reflective “Small Town,” a song that showcases Mellencamp’s life-long love of his native rural Indiana.
He also promised those coming to see him open for Bob Dylan on Aug. 19 in nearby Ontario would see a performance stretching more than an hour.


Set list: Save Some Time to Dream / Cherry Bomb / Don’t Need This Body / Thinking About You / Small Town


John Mellencamp setlist:
1. Save Some Time to Dream
2. Cherry Bomb
3. Don't Need This Body
4. Thinking About You
5. Small Town

dada live: another memorable night at the Coach House

dada features guitarist-singer Michael Gurley (pictured below), bassist-singer Joie Calio (on the right, standing on a dinner table) and drummer-singer Phil Leavitt.

There was nothing unlucky about dada's sold-out show at The Coach House on Friday night, August 13th. In fact, even the the two opening acts were pretty good.
But back to dada. The outstanding trio didn't take the stage until 10:10 p.m., but proceeded to play a concert just under two and a half hours featuring long-time fan favorites and new tracks that are set to be included on a forthcoming album.
When I meet people and they discover I am a music writer, they often ask "Who do you like?" After I rattle off the obvious choices (The Beatles, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, etc.), I always note "dada."
Friday night's show reminded me why dada continues to rate as one of my favorite all-time rock outfits. The band (singer-guitarist Michael Gurley, singer-bassist-guitarist Joie Calio and drummer-singer Phil Leavitt) challenge listeners and celebrate rock 'n' roll with songs that are original and accessible whether heard on their excellent studio recordings or when presented in concert.
The mix of dazzling songcraft, creative harmonies and extended musical jams that never became self-indulgent brought life to familiar material ("Dim," "Dizz Knee Land," "Dorina," "I Get High"), and likewise made the new songs so effective. Both "Mercury Down" (highlighted by inventive harmonies and Leavitt's Keith Moon-styled drumming) and a song with the likely title of “I Need a Moment in the Sun" were every bit as great as dada's classic material from the '90s and early '00s.
"Ask the Dust" was one of the most epic tracks played, with Gurley performing a guitar solo utilizing the timeless melody from the Fab Four's "Eleanor Rigby" into the song.
Several times throughout the show, the band members thanked the audience and noted how much they love performing at the Coach House.
"I love playing with these two guys," Gurley said before the band peformed a mind-blowing cover of the Mamas and the Papas' 1966 hit "California Dreamin."
And later, after returning to the stage for the first of two encores, Gurley summed up a magical night: "I wish every Friday night could be like this."
I think he was speaking for every fan in the packed crowd. When Coach House shows stretch past 12:30 a.m., there are invariably a good number of concertgoers who head for home early. But dada fans mostly stayed and for good reason; these shows are the reason we fell in love with rock in the first place.
Both of the openers did a good job and seemed to respond to the capacity, music-minded crowd. While Groove Kitty played 45 minutes of covers, they did ultimately come off like a better-than-average bar band. However, the original music band Hobs Row was very good. Anchored by singer-songwriter-keyboardist Nic Gibbs, the group's sound is in the territory of The Fray and Jamie Cullum. Based on the 30 or so minutes that Hobs Row played on Friday night, this is definitely a group with the talent and songs to go far.

'All You Need Is Klaus" to premiere on Smithsonian Channel

Smithsonian Channel Special on Beatles & Klaus Voormann Premieres This Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010

This month SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL gets in tune with INSIDE THE MUSIC, a series of specials that tell stories about the music and musicians that have had an enormous impact on some of the most listened to sounds of our time.




The featured INSIDE THE MUSIC premiere, ALL YOU NEED IS KLAUS, premiering Sunday, August 22 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, is a journey into the incredible life of Klaus Voormann. Respected as one of the finest bass guitarists of all time, Voormann is best known for his association with the most popular and most influential band in rock ‘n roll history, The Beatles. ALL YOU NEED IS KLAUS also features Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Carly Simon, and Randy Newman, Joe Walsh and Simon are also interviewed in the film with Simon recounting Voormann’s influence on her biggest hit, “You’re So Vain.”




In 1960, Klaus Voormann met The Beatles, who at the time were completely unknown, in Hamburg, Germany, where he was an art student. Three years later, when Klaus moved to London and lived with George Harrison and Ringo Starr in their apartment, The Beatles had already become the embodiment of a new youth culture. In 1965, Voormann, who was working as a graphic designer at the time, was asked by John Lennon to create the album cover for their latest album. The highly influential piece of cover art for Revolver, earned Klaus a Grammy Award. That same year, he became the bassist for the Manfred Mann Band and, in 1969 for John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band. Klaus Voormann was on the frontlines of the pop era's meteoric rise and played on all the Beatles’ solo albums.




ABOUT SMITHSONIAN NETWORKS

Smithsonian Networks (SNI/SI Networks L.L.C.) is a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, formed to create channels featuring programs largely inspired by the assets of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum complex. Smithsonian Channel features award-winning original documentaries, series, and groundbreaking programs highlighting America’s historical, cultural and scientific heritage. Smithsonian Channel brings the American experience home in high definition and Dolby Digital 5.1 and is currently available to customers of DirecTV, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Cablevision, Verizon, AT&T, and more. Learn more at www.smithsonianchannel.com.

Rock on the Road to hit Orange County this weekend

The Popdudes, from left, features Mike Simmons, John Borack and Robbie Rist. The band will perform at the Orange County Fair on Sunday morning, Aug. 15 as part of the Rock on the Road Tour.

For fans of power pop who missed the arrival of the 13th annual International Pop Overthrow (better known as “IPO”) in late July and early August, there is an alternative to waiting until 2011 to catch many of the celebrated artists who performed as part of the event.
The Rock on the Road Tour is coming to Orange County for two dates this weekend, including a 21 & over-only 8 p.m. show at Fitzgerald’s in Huntington Beach on Aug. 13 and an all ages bill set for the final day of the Orange County Fair, playing out from 10:30 a.m. to 4:10 p.m. on Aug. 15.

Featured artists at the Friday night stop include Anny Celsi and Nelson Bragg, as well as singer-songwriter Adam Marsland (of Cockeyed Ghost fame). The OC Fair show will feature Maple Mars, Sparkle*Jets UK, Nushu and Dave Stephens. Orange County’s own Walter Clevenger & the Dairy Kings will close out each of the bills.
Organized by Adam Waltemire, the host of the popular online Pop Garden Radio show, Fountain Valley John Borack was approached about helping organize the Orange County dates.

“Adam has a radio show that airs out of Florida and he plays a lot of the (power pop) artists we all love,” Borack explained in a recent interview. “He had an idea for a mini-tour; a revue that goes to different cities and each is a day-long festival. He talked to me about doing something in California and through a Time Warner Cable sponsorship, we are able to put on the big show at the Plaza Arts Stage at the OC Fair on Sunday.”
Borack, who is both a music writer (Goldmine magazine, Garden Grove Journal) and drummer, was surprised when Waltemire asked if Borack’s Popdudes would appear on the OC Fair bill.

“I worked with Adam; it was a collaborative effort. He had some artists he definitely wanted, including the Popdudes.”
And while Borack loves to perform, he is just as excited to see many of the other artists on both bills.
“I think we’ll have a really big crowd on Sunday, that being the last day of the fair. There is a little something for everybody; from the psychedelic pop of Maple Mars and country-pop of Walter Clevenger to the covers we do in the Popdudes (a super group of sorts featuring Borack, musician-actor Robbie Rist and several members of Sparkle*Jets UK).”

In addition, the newly-issued “The Rock on the Road Tour: Season 1” 18-track CD will be sold for only $5 at both dates. The collection boasts unreleased material from all three Orange County acts on the set (the Popdudes, Walter Clevenger & the Dairy Kings, Sparkle*Jets UK) and features recordings from many other artists playing this weekend.
“I wrote some of the words and Robbie Rist set it to music,” Borack said of the Popdudes track “Joe Sincere” that appears on the new collection. “He has been playing the song at his solo shows and with Nice Guy Eddie. I’m excited the Popdudes get to play the song now with Robbie.”
Here is a rundown with more specifics on each of the events set for this weekend:

Rock on the Road
Pop Garden Radio presents "Rock on the Road" - hosted by Adam Waltemire

Friday, August 13th
Fitzgerald's Sports Pub
19171 Magnolia St.
Huntington Beach, CA. 92646
(714) 968-4523

$5 - tickets at the door
Doors open at 8 p.m.

8:00 - 8:30 p.m. Dennis Holseybrook
8:40 - 9:10 p.m. Michael Slawter
9:20 – 9:50 p.m. Dave Stephens
10:00 - 10:40 p.m. Nelson Bragg & Anny Celsi
10:50 - 11:30 p.m. Adam Marsland
11:40 p.m. - 12:20 a.m. Walter Clevenger and the Dairy Kings


Sunday, August 15th
Orange County Fair
Time Warner Cable Plaza Arts Stage
88 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, California 92626

Free with admission to the Fair

10:30 - 11:10 a.m. D Henry Fenton
11:20 - Noon Popdudes
12:10 - 12:50 p.m. Dave Stephens
1:00 - 1:40 p.m. Maple Mars
1:50 - 2:30 p.m. Sparkle*Jets UK
2:40 - 3:20 p.m. Nushu
3:30 - 4:10 p.m. Walter Clevenger and the Dairy Kings

For a complete line-up of artists and details about the upcoming Rock on the Road concerts, visit www.therockontheroadtour.com.

John Mellencamp Debuts New Album on Tavis Smiley

Iconic rocker John Mellencamp debuts new album on 'Tavis Smiley' in exclusive week of performances

Beginning Monday, Aug 16, rock legend John Mellencamp will perform each night for a week on PBS’ “Tavis Smiley,” sharing an exclusive preview of his new album No Better Than This with “Smiley” viewers. Mellencamp will also sit down with fellow Hoosier Tavis to explain his musical journey and why he decided to emphasize traditional American folk, country and blues on the album. Check your local listings for air times.



In a Tavis Smiley “first” from Aug 16 – 20, 2010, Mellencamp will close each show with a new song.



Mellencamp is currently on a 12-city, limited engagement tour to promote his most recent album, and “Smiley” viewers will have a rare opportunity to witness live performances of tracks from the album. The official first leg of the “No Better Than This” tour will kick off at Indiana University , Smiley’s alma mater, October 29, 2010.



No Better Than This will be released on Tuesday, Aug. 17 and early reviews have been positive. Rolling Stone says: “It’s musical storytelling for hard times: far-fetched, violent, sexy, played for laughs. Mellencamp has never sounded looser or easier on a record. It doesn’t get more timeless, or American, than that.”



The album was recorded on vintage equipment – a 55 year-old Ampex tape recorder with just one microphone — in Savannah at the First African Baptist Church, in Memphis at Sun Studios, and in San Antonio in room 414 of the Gunter Hotel.



About John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp is a Grammy Award-winning American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock. He is slated to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Americana Music Association this fall and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. Over the span of his career Mellencamp has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and has amassed 22 Top 40 hits in the United States . He also holds the record for the most tracks by a solo artist to hit number-one on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Mellencamp is one of the founding members of Farm Aid, an organization designed to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. Farm Aid celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Mellencamp lives in Indiana with his family.



About TAVIS SMILEY on PBS

TAVIS SMILEY is a unique hybrid of news, issues and entertainment, featuring interviews with politicians, entertainers, athletes, authors and other newsmakers. In 2009, Tavis Smiley was named to TIME’s list of 100 “Most Influential People in the World.”



TAVIS SMILEY is produced by The Smiley Group, Inc. / TS Media, Inc. in association with KCET/ Los Angeles . Major funding is provided by Walmart and Nationwide Insurance. Additional support comes from PBS and a one-time seed grant from the National Black Programming Consortium.



The 30-minute program airs weeknights on PBS. To get local listings and to watch past episodes, please visit www.pbs.org/tavis.

dada returning to The Coach House

This is a longer version of the dada preview published on The Orange County Register Web site earlier today.

I took these photos of dada in the recording studio on Thursday night, July 1, 2010.


dada
With: Groove Kitty, Hobs Row
Where: The Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano
When: 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 13
How much: $20
Info: Call the Coach House at 949-496-8930 or visit: www.thecoachhouse.com


dada is the rare band that combines stunning songwriting and inventive harmonies with virtuoso musicianship, and also delivers concerts that seemingly outdistance their flawless studio efforts.
Since emerging on the music scene in 1992 with their successful commercial debut album Puzzle (featuring radio favorites “Dizz Knee Land” and “Dim”), singer-guitarist Michael Gurley, singer-bassist Joie Calio and drummer Phil Leavitt have released five outstanding albums and built a reputation as one of rock’s most-consistently impressive concert acts.

Those who haven’t witnessed dada in action can catch the trio at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Friday night, Aug. 13.
Although dada hasn’t released a full-length studio album since 2004’s How to be Found (although the five-song EP A Friend of Pat Robertson was issued in 2006) followers of the band will be happy to learn dada is back in the studio working on an as-of-yet untitled new studio album. The nearly-completed song “Mercury Down” is an epic and powerful track that continues to showcase dada’s undeniable blend of classic Beatles psychedelic rock and post-Nirvana alt rock sensibilities all mixed up with touches of jam rock, jazz, folk, alt-country and blues.

“We don’t want to do anything less than an ‘Abbey Road’ from now on,” Calio told me in July, when dada made a rare invitation for this writer to visit them at producer Scott Gordon’s Santa Monica recording studio. Watching the trio work on new material – some of it nearly complete and other in a development phase – was thrilling and shed additional light on the band’s formidable talents.
“We hope to get this (the recordings) done by the end of the year,” Leavitt explained.

While Gurley and Leavitt live in the Los Angeles area, Calio calls the state of Washington home. So since February, Calio has been coming down for intensive one-week stints to work with the other guys on the new tracks.
The breaks also allow the members to step away from the studio and then re-examine tracks a few weeks later with a fresh set of ears to see if they pass their high standards or are scrapped.

“The songs are interesting; we are doing a lot of improvisation,” Leavitt said.
Indeed, over the course of five hours or so that I spent at the studio, Calio completed his driving bass tracks for a new song (possible title “I Need a Moment in the Sun”) before the full trio suddenly shifted sonic gears and had Gordon begin recording several extended jams that could well develop into finished songs as the process goes forward.

“By the end of the week, everybody is ready to go home,” said Leavitt, adding the marathon-length recording sessions routinely stretch out long after midnight.
“We’re at our best when we’re playing without any outside influence.”

The Black Crowes rock 'Artists Den' on Sunday

The Black Crowes (left to right) are Luther Dickinson, Rich Robinson, Adam MacDougall, Sven Pipien, Chris Robinson and Steve Gorman.


Fans of the Black Crowes won’t want to miss the next episode of “Live from the Artists Den” that airs on Los Angeles’ KLCS-TV at 10 p.m. on Sunday night, Aug. 8.

Having been genuinely impressed by the band’s outstanding performance at the Doheny Blues Festival in Dana Point back in May, I wondered if the Southern rockers’ power would translate to an hour-long television special. The answer is “yes.”

The episode was taped at the historic Lyric Theatre in the little town of Oxford, Mississippi in September 2009 and features the Black Crowes performing 10 songs; there are also several interview segments with singer Chris Robinson.

With the Black Crowes set to go on indefinite hiatus later this year after wrapping up their “Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys” tour, the band’s newly-issued double-disc Croweology (released Aug. 3 on Silver Arrow/Megaforce Records) is getting loads of attention. But the Crowes’ blend of blues, jam rock and psychedelic funk reaches its zenith in concert and this public television special does the troupe justice.
Indeed, as Robinson notes in one of the early interviews: “Without the audience it means nothing.”

Those simply looking for a greatest-hits trip with the Crowes will be disappointed, but discerning music lovers who admire the band’s deep catalog will appreciate the range of material offered up over the course of 60 minutes. The band plays Delta-styled blues (“Good Morning Captain,” “Let Me Share the Ride”), Southern blues-rock (a vocal harmonies-anchored “Shine Along”), tender folk-blues (“Appaloosa”), the Rolling Stones-styled ballad “She Talks to Angels” and genre-busting material (“I Ain’t Hiding” mixes up blues, psychedelic and funk effortlessly).

Things close out with the band roaring through the retro rock ‘n’ roll of “Thick n’ Thin.” There are few modern-day bands that jam with the kind of raucous and rollicking abandon of the Crowes without losing control and falling off the rails.

If you are a fan of the Black Crowes – or rock ‘n’ roll that celebrates the past and present – make sure to catch a great hour of music making courtesy of “Live from the Artists Den” on Sunday night.
For more information, visit www.theartistsden.com

Nils Lofgren: Cry Tough DVD coming August 10

Eagle Rock reveals more Rockpalast
Nils Lofgren: Cry Tough offers three separate performances in one set

New York, NY (July 29, 2010)—Eagle Rock Entertainment is building a mighty library of Rockpalast performances on DVD. On August 10, 2010, Eagle Rock will release the 2-DVD set Cry Tough from guitarist/singer-songwriter Nils Lofgren. [MSRP $19.98]

A kaleidoscopic view of his success as a solo artist, this DVD captures three performances from different stages in Lofgren’s career. With more than four hours of footage and 35 tracks deep, it showcases Nils stepping out into the spotlight on his own. Lofgren, formerly of the E Street Band and Neil Young’s Crazy Horse, wowed this crowd with his unfettered six-string talent, charismatic stage presence, moving songs, and impressive showmanship.

Disc 1 features his 1991 performance, when Lofgren returned from a stint with the E Street Band with his 1991 album Silver Lining (Ryco). Disc 2 backtracks to his earlier days playing solo, with sets from 1976, just after the release of his critically-acclaimed solo debut, and 1979.

In addition to this latest release, Eagle Rock has recently released Rockpalast titles from Joan Armatrading, Thin Lizzy, Meat Loaf, and UB40.

Eagle Rock Entertainment is an international media production and distribution company operating across audiovisual entertainment programming. Eagle Rock Entertainment works directly alongside talent to produce the highest quality programming output covering film, general entertainment and musical performance. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices based in London, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Hamburg, & Paris.

Track Listing:
Disc 1- 1991:
1.) Sticks And Stones
2.) Keith Don’t Go
3.) Rock ‘N’ Roll Crook
4.) Cry Tough
5.) Trouble’s Back
6.) Delivery Night
7.) Bein’ Angry
8.) Moon Tears
9.) Girl In Motion
10.) Valentine
11.) The Sun Hasn’t Set
12.) Across The Tracks
13.) Silver Lining
14.) Walkin’ Nerve
15.) Gun And Run
16.) No Mercy
17.) Back It Up
18.) Shine Silently
19.) See What Our Love Can Do
20.) I Came To Dance

Disc 2 – 1976/1979
1976:
1.) Cry Tough
2.) It’s Not A Crime
3.) Keith Don’t Go
4.) Going Back
5.) Share A Little
6.) Jailbait
7.) Like Rain
8.) Rock ‘N’ Roll Crook
9.) Back It Up

1979:
1.) Keith Don’t Go
2.) A Fool Like Me
3.) Beggar’s Day
4.) No Mercy
5.) It’s Not A Crime
6.) Like Rain
7.) Heart of Fire
8.) Cry Tough
9.) Going Back
10.) You’re So Easy
11.) I Came To Dance
12.) (Incidentally) It’s Over
13.) Back It Up
14.) Moon Tears
15.) Soft Fun

Sigur Rós’ Jónsi announces final American tour for 'Go'

Photo credit: Eva Vermandel

Following his incredible North American spring tour for his album, Go, Sigur Rós front man Jónsi has announced his second and final set of U.S. dates for this album. With an exclusive pre-sale on jonsi.com from now to Friday, July 30, this is the last chance for American fans to see what the Boston Globe has described as "nothing short of a revelation from start to stop."



Jónsi’s recent North American tour was met with an outpouring of enthusiastic praise from media and fans alike. He played material from his gorgeous recent release, Go (out now on XL Recordings), which received glowing reviews upon its release earlier this year. Jónsi’s collaboration with 59 Productions, a London-based design team known for their incredible stage shows for theatre and opera, has created a live experience that is truly like no other, complementing the album’s innate beauty and complexity. The combination of lighting, animation and set elements transform Jónsi’s music, making the live experience truly unique for the audience. The show is full of nature motifs, ranging from animals and insects to fire and rain, all of which serve to intensify the show’s emotional resonance.



Check out the list of dates below to see what everyone is talking about. Presale is going on now!



Praise for Jónsi’s live show:



"This Icelandic singer-songwriter’s solo album go is already one of my favorites this year, and the chance to see him showcase cuts off the newly-released nine-song disc drew me to the Outdoor Theatre early on Sunday. My expectations were high, yet the Sigur Rós frontman’s potent set exceeded them handily. When Jónsi (above) closed with an extended and emotive “Grow Till Tall,” it was as if the desert sky had been shattered by his tenor voice soaring high into falsetto amidst the layered backdrop of percussion, keyboards and other instruments.

One of the most original artists of the modern rock era, his blend of world music, rock, classical and experimentation continues to challenge, thrill and touch listeners on levels that defy most writers (this one included) to adequately convey it in words. If you haven’t seen Sigur Rós or Jónsi, please do — it’s a must." — my review of Jonsi's performance at Coachella 2010 published in the Orange County Register on April 20, 2010.


“Jonsi’s high, clear voice was not only the carrier of insistent pop hooks, but also a messenger of ecstatic hope.” – New York Times



“Jónsi played a lot of the real thing — a pop music of naked restraint and delighted release...” – David Fricke, RollingStone.com



“That voice…It was surely the evening’s main attraction, the most hypnotic sound you could ever want to experience in a concert hall with good acoustics.” – Boston Globe



“Sigur Ros is a beautiful thing, but when he goes solo, Jonsi does something amazing – he lets his freak flag fly.” – Spin.com



“The audience bursts into cheer, some with tears running down their cheeks, others embracing their lovers, and many still staring in wide-eyed, jaw-dropped amazement at the five musicians while they clasp hands and take a bow.” – KEXP



“The hour-and-a-half flew by in five minutes but I would've stayed for years…Jonsi seamlessly performed the most emotionally arresting night of music I've seen in as long as I can remember, both in its effervescent, life-affirming orgasmic joy and when it choked me up.” - Portland Mercury



“A performance so transcendent that many audience members seemed rooted in place"…”– UndertheRadar.com





“Jonsi’s gorgeous, angelic voice placed within inventive settings – remained a hallmark of the night.” - Kansas City Star





Tour Dates:



10/15/10 San Diego , CA @ 4th and b

10/17/10 Los Angeles , CA @ The Wiltern

10/19/10 Oakland , CA @ Fox Theater

10/21/10 Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues

10/22/10 Salt Lake City , UT @ The Complex

10/23/10 Tempe , AZ @ The Marquee

10/25/10 Grand Prairie , TX @ Verizon Theatre

10/26/10 Austin , TX @ Austin Music Hall

10/27/10 Houston , TX @ Verizon Music Theater

10/29/10 New Orleans , LA @ The Voodoo Festival

10/30/10 Asheville , North Carolina @ Moogfest

10/31/10 Atlanta , GA @ The Tabernacle

11/2/10 St. Louis , MO @ The Pageant

11/3/10 Chicago , IL @ the Vic Theatre

11/4/10 Detroit , MI @ The Fillmore

11/6/10 Columbus , OH @ Newport Music Hall

11/8/10 Washington , D.C. @ 9:30 Club

11/10/10 New York City , NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom





www.jonsi.com // www.twitter.com/iamJonsi

FRAN HEALY OF TRAVIS TO RELEASE DEBUT SOLO ALBUM

Last night, I caught Fran Healy (of Travis fame) open for Keane at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. He performed several Travis songs (including a great version of "Driftwood"), but also played several wonderful new songs that are headed for a solo debut scheduled to be released in the fall. Here is the media release on that album. Based on the strength of the outstanding new songs he played last night (notably "As It Comes"), I can't wait to hear Wreckorder when it comes out Oct. 5, 2010.

FRAN HEALY OF TRAVIS TO RELEASE DEBUT SOLO ALBUM

WRECKORDER OUT OCTOBER 5th ON RYKO RECORDS
CURRENTLY ON NORTH AMERICAN TOUR WITH KEANE

Fran Healy, lead singer and main songwriter of acclaimed Scottish rock band Travis, is excited to announce the release of his debut solo album WRECKORDER. Set for an October 5, 2010 release on Ryko, Healy’s first release on the label, WRECKORDER is the work of a quintessential pop songwriter. Known for songs such as “Sing” and “Why Does It Always Rain On Me,” among other hugely successful tracks, Healy has been recognized by Q Magazine, Rolling Stone, and NME, amongst others, for what Entertainment Weekly calls “a gorgeous mosaic of shimmering guitar pop.” Artists such as Coldplay, Noel Gallagher, The Doves and Gomez have cited Healy’s sophisticated and atmospheric arrangements as a major influence on their own sound.


Recorded in Berlin , New York and Vermont, the 10 tracks that make up WRECKORDER are as exceptionally literate as they are emotionally challenging. The collection of songs includes the Neko Case duet “Sing Me To Sleep” which bounces over warm melodies and a syncopated drum loop, the soaring “In The Morning,” the playful but serious “Moonshine,” and the dramatic waltz of “As It Comes” which features Paul McCartney on bass. The end result is the sound of a songwriter who embodied the spirit of Britpop and continues to artistically evolve.

Healy began his North American tour with Keane Tuesday, July 20th, in Oakland , CA. The dates will see Healy performing this new material, as well as classic Travis songs, in a solo acoustic setting. In addition, Healy will play solo acoustic shows along the West Coast. Tour dates below.

TOUR DATES:

* Indicates show with Keane

July 20 Fox Theatre Oakland , CA *

July 21 Greek Theatre Los Angeles , CA *

July 23 House of Blues Las Vegas , NV *

July 25 Warehouse Live Houston , TX *

July 26 House of Blues Dallas , TX *

July 28 Vic Theatre Chicago , IL *

July 30 Molson Amphitheatre Toronto , ON

July 31 Parc Jean Drapeau Montreal , QB

August 3 BOA Pavilion Boston , MA *

August 5 Merriweather Pavilion Columbia , MD *

August 6 Williamsburg Waterfront Brooklyn , NY *

August 7 Mann Music Center Philadelphia , PA *

August 10 Riverside Theatre Milwaukee , WI *

August 11 First Avenue Minneapolis , MN *

August 12 West End Cultural Ctr Winnipeg , MB

August 14 Grand Theatre Calgary , AB

August 15 Starlite Room Edmonton , AB

August 17 Vogue Theatre Vancouver , BC

August 18 Triple Door Seattle , WA

August 20 Aladdin Theatre Portland , OR

GRAMMY Museum to feature special events in August

Great Guitars: Lee Ritenour

Tuesday, August 3, 2010; 8 p.m.

Join as The GRAMMY Museum welcomes prolific jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour to the Clive Davis Theater. Before an intimate audience of 200, hear Ritenour in conversation about his diverse musical influences, impressive collaborations, and astounding guitar techniques. Afterwards, Ritenour will take questions from the audience and sign copies of his newest album, 6 String Theory. GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares Vice President Scott Goldman, a great guitarist himself, will conduct the interview. Doors open at 7:30pm. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased in-person at the Museum Box Office, through Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1.800.745.3000. On July 21, 2010, Ritenour and Dave Grusin will headline the Hollywood Bowl with special guests Taj Mahal, Keb Mo , and John Scofield. For more information, please visit www.hollywoodbowl.com.



American Express Presents An Evening With John Mellencamp

Tuesday, August 17, 2010; 8 p.m.

Join Executive Director Robert Santelli as he interviews legendary heartland singer-songwriter John Mellencamp the same day his hotly-anticipated new T-Bone Burnett-produced album, No Better Than This, is released. Before an intimate audience of 200, hear Mellencamp in conversation about his remarkable career, inspiring social activism, and the unique circumstances and locations that provided context for the new album. After the interview, Mellencamp will take questions from the audience and perform a few of his songs in a truly unique setting. Doors open at 7:30pm. American Express presale tickets are $40 and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com starting Thursday, July 15, 2010. Ticket purchase also includes a copy of the new album. American Express is the exclusive payment method for presale tickets. All proceeds benefit The GRAMMY Museum.

Pearl Jam's 'Amongst the Waves" Music Video Premieres as part of Web site launch

PEARL JAM’S “AMONGST THE WAVES” MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERES IN CONJUNCTION WITH LAUNCH OF IMPORTANT WEB SITE

Photo credit: Danny Clinch


Available Now on iTunes with Proceeds to Conservation International



New Video and Web Site to Raise Awareness on Ocean Conservation



SEATTLE — Pearl Jam rolled out their new music video “Amongst the Waves” June 30, 2010 in conjunction with the launch of Pearl Jam’s new web page www.pearljam.com/oceans. The third single from Backspacer, the “Amongst the Waves” video launch is part of Pearl Jam’s larger effort to highlight www.pearljam.com/oceans and raise awareness on the efforts of various organizations working diligently on ocean preservation.



“If we don’t consider the fragility and finite capacity of our planets oceans, we may destroy our most precious resource,” said Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard. “Our ocean will only survive if the world agrees to sustain her.”



Since the release, the video has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of fans and has been picked up and shared broadly with over 100 websites embedding it directly including National Geographic, Greenpeace, Oceana, Treehugger, VOLCOM and PlanetGreen.Discovery.



Available now on iTunes, proceeds from the US sale of “Amongst the Waves” benefits Pearljam.com/Oceans partner organization Conservation International's Marine Programs. Internationally, Universal Music/Island Records has also agreed to donate proceeds from the International sale of the video in participating territories for the next six months.



Created by Pearl Jam’s partners at VOLCOM and Trixie Films, “Amongst the Waves” continues to stream for free at www.pearljam.com/oceans and www.worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com.



For more information on Pearl Jam’s Ocean campaign and a complete list of Pearl Jam’s environmental partners, please visit www.pearljam.com/oceans. For more information on Conservation International’s ongoing efforts, please visit www.conservation.org/marine.



Pearl Jam’s Backspacer is available for purchase now at www.pearljam.com, Target, iTunes, or your favorite independent record store

U2 reschedules American concert dates for 2011

U2's postponed North American 360° dates have now been rescheduled for Spring/Summer 2011. Check out all the dates and cities.

With Bono's recovery from back surgery, the band are getting ready to open up the European leg of the tour in Turin next month.

On the eve of their return to the stage, they've filmed a message for everyone at U2.com: 'Thanks for standing by us'.

More news as we get it.

Best wishes
The U2.com Team

Just a quick note that the U2 dates originally scheduled to play out in Anaheim, California on June 6 and 7, 2010 have been set for Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18 in 2011. Hope to see many of you at Angels Stadium next year!

'Live from the Artists Den' features rocking Ringo Starr & Ben Harper

The upcoming episode of 'Live from the Artists Den' on PBS-TV features a performance by Ringo Starr with Ben Harper and Relentless7, as well as special guest Joan Osborne.

With Ringo Starr having just celebrated his 70th birthday on July 7, what better way to celebrate the legendary drummer-singer-songwriter than by tuning into watch him headline on the season premiere of “Live from the Artists Den” on public television this weekend.
Los Angeles’ KLCS-TV will air the episode, which kicks off the second season of “Live from the Artists Den.” In addition to Starr performing with Ben Harper and his band Relentless7, Joan Osborne provides additional backing vocals. If you live in Southern California, you can catch that episode at 10 p.m. on Sunday night, July 11.

I recently was able to view the show, taped at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in January 2010, and the concert finds the former Beatle in a decidedly-introspective mood. The loose and rollicking concert selections are the main draw, but the interviews with Starr (and those where he and Harper discuss their concert collaboration together) are equally illuminating.

“We’re still being fulfilled as musicians,” Starr says. “The beat goes on.”

The set starts with the troupe performing Starr’s hit “Photograph.” But with Harper and Relentless7, the band’s blues-folk-funk brew gives that song and those that follow a bit of an energetic twist to the set. In particular, Ann-Marie Calhoun’s fiddle provides sonic prose and layers around Starr’s distinctive vocals. And Harper’s fiery guitar playing does the same, notably when Starr celebrates the early days of the Fab Four with a raucous “I Wanna Be Your Man.”
Harper also gets to showcase his own material on the music special, particularly with the one-two punch of the beautiful “Faithfully Remain” and art house rocker “Up To You Now.”

While the episode definitely celebrates the enduring legacy of the Beatles, discerning music fans will also find plenty to admire in how the performers find plenty of new emotional territory to explore in Starr’s solo material, particularly the Americana-tinged “Walk With You” and power pop gem “It Don’t Come Easy.”
If you are a fan of Ringo Starr, or Ben Harper, tune in and turn the volume up.

John Németh to appear, perform on 'Memphis Beat'

Photo credit: Pat Johnson

Singer and harmonica player John Németh has been turning lots of heads lately in the music world, and now he's been discovered by Hollywood. He will sing and appear in an upcoming episode of "Memphis Beat," a new television series on the TNT network.

Evyen Klean, music supervisor for the program, was looking for someone to sing a Howlin' Wolf song. After hearing Nemeth's recording of "Daughter of the Devil," John's original Wolf-like song, he knew he had his man. Originally, John was just supposed to record the vocal for the track, and an actor would later lip-synch to his recording for the cameras. But after witnessing John perform at the Los Angeles recording session, Klean lobbied the producers of the show to hire John for the onscreen role as well. So Németh headed off to New Orleans to face the cameras.

Says Klean, "As soon as I heard John I knew he would kill 'Who's Been Talking.' His voice and harp playing just resonated the blues and of course he nailed it at the recording session. It was then it hit me, Geez John you should be in the show, and asked him if he wanted to be on camera...The whole scenario from start to finish was organic and honest, John's a true artist."

On the show, Jason Lee plays a quirky Memphis police detective with a passion for blues. Music plays a vital role in the show. In the words of co-creator Liz W. Garcia, "Music is a huge part of this show. It has to be. You can't live in Memphis and not have your life steeped in music."
Németh appears in Episode 6 of the series, entitled "Suspicious Minds," which will be broadcast on July 27, 2010. The TV appearance is the latest media coup for the singer since the May release of his CD, Name The Day! He was just featured on National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition," recorded an interview for the nationally-syndicated "House of Blues Hour" radio program, and is scheduled to sing the National Anthem in front of a sellout crowd in San Francisco prior to a Giants-Dodgers game later this month.

Happy Birthday Ringo!

Today is Ringo Starr's 70th birthday. So if you are looking for a way to help celebrate his birthday, read on...

Ringo Starr celebrates his 70th birthday on Wednesday, July 7, and WFUV 90.7 FM (wfuv.org), will join the celebration by featuring the legendary drummer’s music all day.

WFUV’s midday man, nationally-renowned Beatlemaniac Darren DeVivo, also promises to “sprinkle in a little something extra” -- whatever that means!

DeVivo is consulted widely by the media for his knowledge of the Beatles and their music. On Wednesday evening, he will attend the All Starr Band’s sold-out show at Radio City Music Hall.

WFUV 90.7 FM (wfuv.org), New York’s Rock and Roots public radio station, is a non-commercial, member-supported radio station, licensed to Fordham University for more than 60 years, serving approximately 250,000 weekly listeners throughout the New York metropolitan area and tens of thousands more worldwide on the Web.

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to approximately 14,700 students in its four undergraduate colleges and its six graduate and professional schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in Westchester, the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y., and the London Centre at Heythrop College in the United Kingdom.

Ringo Starr kicks off new season of 'Live From The Artists Den'

RINGO STARR KICKS OFF NEW SEASON OF 'LIVE FROM THE ARTISTS DEN'

ONE-HOUR PUBLIC TELEVISION MUSIC SERIES AIRS NATIONWIDE AS RINGO CELEBRATES HIS 70TH BIRTHDAY


New York, NY —The acclaimed, innovative music series "Live from the Artists Den" launches its second season with a once-in-a-lifetime performance by the legendary Ringo Starr, backed by folk-funk star Ben Harper and his band, Relentless7, plus special guest Joan Osborne at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Ringo Starr’s episode will air nationwide on public television beginning July 5, 2010—the same week Ringo celebrates his 70th birthday (7/7/40)
Live From The Artists Den airs nationally on public television stations including:

New York: WNET Fridays at 9:30 pm (beginning July 9)
New York: WLIW. Saturdays at 10pm (beginning July 10)
Los Angeles: KLCS Sundays at 10 pm (beginning July 11)
Chicago: WTTW Sundays at 12 am (beginning July 11)
Philadelphia: WHYY Thursdays at 10 pm also Saturdays at 11:30 pm (beginning July 8th)
Philadelphia: WYBE Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8pm
Dallas: KERA Thursdays at 10pm (beginning July 8)
San Francisco: KCSM Fridays at 9:30 (beginning July 9)
San Jose: KTEH Thursdays at 11 pm (beginning July 8)
Boston:WGBX Saturdays at 11 pm (beginning July 10)
Atlanta: WGTV July 28th, David Gray at 7pm
Washington DC: WETA Sundays at 12 am (beginning July 11)
Houston: KUHT Saturdays at 8pm (beginning July 10th)

Checking out the official Web site for "Live From The Artists Den," it looks like a few of my other favorite artists are scheduled for season 2. Can't wait to see Ringo, as well as The Black Crowes, and Booker T. and the Drive-By Truckers in other episodes. For more information, visit www.theartistsden.com.