Sights and Sounds: Styx, Lindsey Buckingham, Sarah Brightman, more...

There is exciting news from many corners of the musical universe to share, starting with details about Styx having just announced plans to perform their The Mission in its entirety at a special event coming to Las Vegas in January 2019.

Styx performing at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, CA on July 15, 2016. From left: James "J.Y." Young, Tommy Shaw, Chuck Panozzo and Ricky Phillips. Photo: Kelly A. Swift

STYX to Perform Special Two-Act Concert Featuring THE MISSION in its Entirety and a set of The Classic Hits at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort

Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019 at 8 p.m.

Tickets on sale – Friday, Oct. 12 at 10 a.m.

LAS VEGAS – Oct. 8, 2018 – Legendary rock band STYX—Tommy Shaw (vocals, guitars), James “JY” Young (co-founder, vocals, guitars), Lawrence Gowan (vocals, keyboards), Todd Sucherman (drums) and Ricky Phillips (bass), along with the occasional surprise appearance by original bassist Chuck Panozzo—return to the Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019 at 8 p.m. where they will perform two sets in one night. Tickets start at $49.95 plus applicable fees and go on sale Friday, Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. 

After 14 years, STYX’s sonically sweet 16th studio album and its most ambitious, most challenging, and most rewarding album to date, THE MISSION, was finally released June 16, 2017 on the band’s label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. Now, for the first time ever, STYX will perform the album that critics have called “a masterpiece” in its entirety for the first time as part of a two-act concert event. The second act will feature all of STYX’s classic hits.

“The idea of performing THE MISSION live in its entirety for you is something we’ve envisioned ever since we recorded it,” says guitarist/singer Tommy Shaw. “That time is here! We’ve set the date! And we can’t wait to get our hands on the wheel of that rocket-mobile!”

THE MISSION debuted on various Billboard charts, including: No. 6 Top Rock Albums, No. 11 Physical Albums, No. 11 Vinyl Albums, No. 13 Current Albums, No. 14 Billboard Top Albums, No. 16 Retail, No. 17 Mass Merch/Non-Traditional, No. 29 Digital Albums, and No. 45 Billboard 200 (includes catalog and streaming). A special two-disc reissue of THE MISSION was released on July 27, 2018 via Alpha Dog 2T/UMe, which includes a CD of the original album, as well as a Blu-ray of THE MISSION mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound by singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw and producer Will Evankovich accompanied by stunning visualizations for each of the album’s 14 songs based on the album artwork. Other extras on the Blu-ray include: “The Making of The Mission Documentary” of exclusive interviews of SHAW and Evankovich, four music videos—“Gone Gone Gone” (official video), “Gone Gone Gone” (video created by NASA), “Radio Silence” (lyric video) and “Radio Silence” (live video from Syracuse, NY)—and three hi-res audio playback modes.

The six men comprising STYX have committed to rocking the Paradise together with audiences far and wide by averaging more than 100 shows a year every year since (yes) 1999, and each one of them is committed to making the next show better than the last. Founded in Chicago in 1972, STYX has the unique distinction of being the first band in rock history to have four consecutive certified multimillion-selling albums in a row: 1977’s The Grand Illusion, 1978’s Pieces of Eight, 1979’s Cornerstone, and 1981’s Paradise Theatre.

STYX draws from over four decades of barn burning chart hits, joyous singalongs, and hard-driving deep cuts. Like a symphony that builds to a satisfying crescendo, a STYX set covers a wide range of stylistic cornerstones. From the progressively sweeping splendor that is “The Grand Illusion” to the hunker-down fortitude of all that is the “Blue Collar Man,” from the majestic spiritual love for a special “Lady” to the poignant rumination on the fleeting nature of fame in “Miss America,” from an individual yearning for true connection as a “Man in the Wilderness” to a soul-deep quest to achieve what’s at the heart of one’s personal vision in “Crystal Ball,” from the regal reach-for-the-stars bravado of “Come Sail Away” to the grainy all-in gallop of that rugged “Renegade” who had it made, STYX draws on an unlimited cache of ways to immerse one’s mind and body in their signature sound.

Tickets for STYX are $49.95, $69.95, $79.95 and $129.95, plus applicable fees and go on sale Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 at 10 a.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. and guests under 21 must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be purchased at the Pearl Concert Theater box office, any Station Casinos Rewards Center or online at Ticketmaster.com. For more information, please visit www.stationcasinoslive.com or www.palms.com. For exclusive ticket pre-sale information connect with Palms Casino Resort and the Pearl on Twitter @Palms and @PearlatPalms, Instagram @Palms andFacebook.

About Pearl Concert Theater

The Pearl is Las Vegas’ premier concert theater boasting accommodations for up to 2,500 ticket holders. The newly renovated venue features a stage just four feet from the floor with the farthest seat a mere 120 feet back, offering the utmost in intimate concert viewing. Private and semi-private skyboxes are located on each side of the venue offering private bars, lounges, and restrooms. The Pearl is a marvel of modern technology boasting top-of-the-line sound and video equipment throughout. Hard wired to Studio at the Palms, The Pearl allows artists to create a cost-effective live album with efficiency. For more information, please visit www.palms.com.

About Live Nation Las Vegas

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation & House of Blues Concerts, LN Media and Artist Nation Management. Live Nation Las Vegas produces residency shows from Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Lionel Richie, Backstreet Boys and Florida Georgia Line at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino; Lady Gaga, Aerosmith, Bruno Mars, Stevie Wonder and Queen + Adam Lambert at Park Theater at Park MGM; Mariah Carey at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace; Blink 182 at Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms; and Il Divo, Rascal Flatts, Styx & Don Felder, Chicago, ZZ TOP and Earth, Wind & Fire at The Venetian Las Vegas. Live Nation Las Vegas also brings other world-famous artists to many of the city’s other premier concert venues including T-Mobile Arena, Mandalay Bay Events Center, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas Village, House of Blues, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, and more. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com. Find Live Nation Las Vegas on Facebook, Instagram and follow us on Twitter.

About Station Casinos Entertainment

Station Casinos’ concert and entertainment lounge venues include: The Railhead at Boulder Station, a 650-seat venue; Grand Events Center, a 2,000-seat venue, and The Backyard, a poolside venue accommodating up to 4,000 guests, at Green Valley Ranch; Club Tequila at Fiesta Rancho, a 380-seat venue; Rocks Lounge, a 350-seat venue, The Sandbar, a poolside venue accommodating 4,000 guests at Red Rock Resort; Chrome Showroom at Santa Fe Station, a 550-seat venue; Club Madrid, a 500-seat venue, and Sunset Amphitheater, an outdoor venue accommodating up to 5,000 guests, at Sunset Station; Dallas Events Center, a 1,800-seat venue and South Padre, a 300-seat venue, at Texas Station and Pearl Concert Theater, a premier concert theater accommodations for up to 2,500 ticket holders, and The Lounge at Palms Casino Resort. For up-to-the-minute news, connect with Station Casinos on Facebook or follow on twitter @stationcasinos.

LIVE FROM HERE WITH CHRIS THILE
SEASON THREE PREMIERES

Lindsey Buckingham / Photo: APM

WATCH PERFORMANCES BY
LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM AND
HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF

Hurray for the Riff Raff / Photo: APM

Live from Here with Chris Thile’s season three debuted on Friday, October 5 at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco, featuring guest performances from Lindsey Buckingham and Hurray for the Riff Raff.  

Listen to the complete episode here: https://bit.ly/2PjeTfd

Watch Lindsey Buckingham’s performance of “Never Going Back Again” here: https://bit.ly/2C4cAJ5

Watch Hurray for the Riff Raff’s performance of “Pa’lante” here: https://bit.ly/2C0VsUO

The next Live from Here episode will air on Saturday, October 13 at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul and feature a performance by the Dirty Projectors.

Live from Here is produced by American Public Media. Audio and video clips, along with scripts, photos and from information about Live from Here with Chris Thile can be found at www.livefromhere.org.

Fathom Events Presents Exclusive One-Night U.S. Screening of ‘HYMN: Sarah Brightman In Concert’ on Thursday night, November 8, 2018

Full Length Theatrical Performance Features Brightman’s New Music From the Highly Anticipated Album “HYMN” with Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Content

International Screening Dates To Be Announced in the Coming Months

  

DENVER – October 9, 2018 – From Fathom Events, “HYMN: Sarah Brightman In Concert” full length theatrical performance will hit cinemas in the U.S. on November 8 for a special one-night screening, including exclusive behind-the-curtain content. The cinematic event will coincide with the global release of Brightman’s new album “HYMN,” available beginning Friday, November 9 (Decca Gold/ Universal Music Group). The album is the first new recording in five years for international superstar and world’s best-selling soprano Sarah Brightman.

Tickets for “HYMN: Sarah Brightman In Concert” can be purchased at www.FathomEvents.com and participating theater box offices.

Sarah Brightman on Nov. 2, 2013. Photo: Kim Kinsler

Fathom Events presents “HYMN: Sarah Brightman In Concert” in nearly 500 select domestic movie theaters on Thursday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. local time through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change). Fathom will also distribute the feature to theaters in the UK, Ireland, Europe, South America and Australia in the coming months.

“I am delighted to share my special and new album ‘HYMN’ with moviegoers around the country,” said Sarah Brightman. “To me, ‘HYMN,’ suggests joy – a feeling of hope and light, something that is familiar and secure, and I hope that sentiment resonates through the music and this cinema special.” 

“HYMN: Sarah Brightman In Concert” was captured for the big screen from the Festspielhaus in the enchanted Bavarian Alps, known for its magical lakes, mountains, castles, ‘cuckoo clock’ houses, and the historic and captivating Neuschwanstein Castle. Conceived and created by Sarah Brightman, Anthony Van Laast (“Mamma Mia”, “Beauty and the Beast”), and Frank Peterson (“Enigma”), the 90-minute performance is a hybrid of a musical film, a classical-crossover program and a large-scale concert production. Sarah is accompanied by her band, the Bavarian Philharmonic orchestra, a 50-voice choir and the Ludwig Ensemble of dancers, Special guest performers include Yoshiki, Vincent Niclo, Mario Frangoulis and Narcis.

“As a continuation of Fathom’s dedication to provide exciting cinematic experiences for moviegoers everywhere, we are thrilled to have ‘HYMN: Sarah Brightman In Concert’ join our lineup,” said Ray Nutt, Fathom Events CEO. “Our international capabilities, vast domestic movie theater distribution footprint and in-theater marketing assets are some of the key unique elements we provide to give this prestige content the exposure it deserves.” 

About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is the leading event cinema distributor with theater locations in all top 100 DMAs® (Designated Market Areas) and ranks as one of the largest overall theater content distributors. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), Fathom Events offers a variety of unique entertainment events in movie theaters such as live performances of the Metropolitan Opera, top Broadway stage productions, major sporting events, epic concerts, the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series, inspirational events and popular anime franchises. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes for unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live Digital Broadcast Network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 941 locations and 1,496 screens in 181 DMAs. The company also provides corporations a compelling national footprint for hosting employee meetings, customer rewards events and new product launches. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.

About Sarah Brightman
Known for her three-octave range and for pioneering the classical-crossover music movement, Sarah Brightman has amassed global sales of more than 30 million units. The only artist to have simultaneously topped Billboard’s dance and classical music charts, Brightman has racked up more than 180 gold and platinum awards in over 40 countries. She is also known for her iconic star turn in The Phantom of the Opera, whose soundtrack has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. Her duet with Bocelli, “Time To Say Goodbye,” became an international success selling 12 million copies worldwide. Brightman’s albums Eden, La Luna, Harem, and Symphony were each chart-topping Billboard hits and accompanied by world tours. Additionally, Brightman has performed at such prestigious events as the 2007 Concert for Diana, the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Traveling Wilburys 30th Anniversary Edition Announced

What do George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne have in common?...

SALUTING THE ULTIMATE SUPERGROUP

 

THE TRAVELING WILBURYS VOL. 1 GETS A 30TH ANNIVERSARY

LIMITED EDITION 12-INCH PICTURE DISC

 

AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 2, 2018

Los Angeles, CA - The Traveling Wilburys would have never referred to themselves as a supergroup. Though comprised of some of the biggest names in modern music, the band was much more nonchalant than that. Formed out of friendship, spontaneity (and some would say pure kismet) the Traveling Wilburys were Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison.

The music they created together on their 1988 debut would win GRAMMY®s and garner platinum plaques, but, more than anything, it was a testament to the group's enduring chemistry and collective genius. Craft Recordings' 30th-anniversary 12-inch picture-disc reissue of The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 on November 2 celebrates this blue moon moment in rock 'n' roll history.

 

The limited edition picture

The Traveling Wilburys. From left, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom
 Petty, Roy Orbison and George Harrison. Photo: Neal Preston

disc is available for pre-order HERE.

 

The origin story of the Traveling Wilburys is a pretty simple one. It was really just about five friends gathering to make music together in a home studio-except for the fact that they all happened to be rock 'n' roll royalty. It began in 1988, when George Harrison and co-producer Jeff Lynne were tasked with recording a B-side for the former Beatle's album, Cloud Nine. In need of a place to record on the fly, the two borrowed their friend, Bob Dylan's, studio. They ended up spontaneously pulling Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and ultimately Dylan himself into the process. The resulting track was "Handle With Care," a collaborative effort which Harrison's A&R team knew was just too good to use as a B-side.

 

George later said, "I liked the song and the way that it turned out with all these people on it so much that I just carried it around in my pocket for ages thinking, 'Well what can I do with this thing?' And the only thing to do I could think of was do another nine. Make an album." And that's what the fivesome did, working quickly and informally, and operating as a full-fledged band, sharing lead vocals and songwriting duties. In keeping with that all-for-one spirit, they even created an alternate identity as a family band, the Traveling Wilburys, with each member adopting an alias: Dylan was Lucky Wilbury, Harrison was Nelson Wilbury, Orbison was Lefty Wilbury, Lynne was Otis Wilbury, and Petty became Charlie T. Wilbury Jr.

 

When you listen to these five musical giants trading lines and licks, there's an unmistakable spirit of creativity and fraternity; it's this pure enthusiasm that helped the record connect in such a widespread way.

 

The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. is bookended by two huge hits. Opening the album is the aforementioned "Handle With Care," with its blend of world-weariness and buoyancy set atop a chugging roots-rock groove, and Orbison's otherworldly tenor adding the cherry on top. "End of the Line" closes things out, and it's the perfect soundtrack for riding off into the sunset, with a sing-along chorus, stomp-along beat, and an overwhelming vibe of carefree contentment.

 

In between lie the swinging rockabilly of "Rattled," the tongue-in-cheek, double-entendre-laden "Dirty World," the vintage-sounding Orbison weeper "Not Alone Any More," the south-of-the-border stroll "Last Night," the sunny "Margarita" (where synth, sax, and slide guitar slug it out for dominance), and more. The once-in-a-lifetime nature of this historic partnership was underscored tragically by Orbison's unexpected death just six weeks after the album's release.

 

The 30th anniversary reminds us of a more recently departed Wilbury, as it arrives just over a year after Petty's passing. But all this only makes the time the five Wilburys spent together seem that much more special. And with an A-side featuring the band's bold logo, a B-side displaying an Alberto Tolot photo of the Wilburys, and a die-cut sleeve revealing the picture disc in all its glory, this limited-edition 12-inch vinyl version of The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 is an aesthetically stunning salute to the world's original, ultimate supergroup.

 

TRACK LISTING:

A1. Handle With Care

A2. Dirty World

A3. Rattled

A4. Last Night

A5. Not Alone Any More

 

B1. Congratulations

B2. Heading for the Light

B3. Margarita

B4. Tweeter and the Monkey Man

B5. End of the Line

TheTravelingWilburys.com

CraftRecordings.com

Garbage revisits glorious past; previews future in Las Vegas

Garbage performing in Las Vegas on Oct. 5, 2018.

Garbage, Rituals Of Mine
Where: The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas
When: Friday, October 6, 2018
Next: Garbage will headline at The Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona on Oct. 7. 
Information: Garbage is on tour through Nov. 3, 2018. For all of the band's upcoming tour dates and ticket information, visit Garbage.com



Performing for just under two hours on Friday night, Garbage performed a wide-ranging concert that celebrated the band's 25-year history while previewing a memorable new song that came in the encore.

Singer Shirley Manson and drummer Butch Vig of Garbage.

Garbage began its current tour in late September in connection with the 20th anniversary of band's terrific sophomore album Version 2.0 (originally released in May 1998), which was re-released as a must-own and expanded deluxe edition in June 2018. That album's original track listing and some of the wonderful B-sides and bonus tracks the quartet recorded in the late 1990s (also included on the recent deluxe edition) were presented at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas resort on Friday night, Oct. 5, 2018. 

Shirley Manson caught up in the moment at The
Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Through the fast-moving fog of time it's easy to forget how groundbreaking Garbage was when they emerged with their self-titled debut album in August 1995. In an era personified by American grunge (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, etc.) and a testosterone-fueled sonic aesthetic of the day, here was a band fronted by Scottish female singer Shirley Manson where the bona fide power of modern rock was artfully fused with electronica and an emphasis on creating masterful songs. In addition to Manson (lead vocals, guitar), top-tier American musicians Duke Erikson (guitar, keyboards), Steve Marker (guitar) and Butch Vig (percussion) have always been fully involved in the creation and production of the troupe's original material. 

Watching Garbage perform in Las Vegas was to be fully reminded how well the outfit's songcraft and talents as musicians have endured. Manson — with eye-catching makeup to match her dramatic attire — was engaged with the audience and relaxed even when their was a technical glitch forcing the band to re-start "Special" early on. "Let's take a moment to recover," Manson mused. "Good evening Las Vegas."

The subsequent 2.0 performance of "Special" was epic and thrilled the crowd, the song's iconic verses and soaring choruses hitting the collective mark. That masterful performance was followed by decidedly dark, post-goth take on the group's theme song for the 1999 James Bond flick "The World Is Not Enough." That alluring track had an almost symphonic feel, with the song growing in power to an impact-filled finale.

There was also a sense of paying tribute to seminal artists who came before Garbage, laying the groundwork for bands willing to make their mark in rock's rich tapestry. Early in the wide, on the band's cool "Wicked Ways" Garbage suddenly segued into Depeche Mode's blues rocker "Personal Jesus." Garbage pulled off a similar feat several times later in the set, finishing off the forceful rocker "13x Forever" with a bit of The Kinks' wistful 1965 hit "Tired of Waiting for You." Garbage ended its regular set with the fiery "You Look So Fine," wrapped up with a reworked slice of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams."

Shirley Manson and Butch Vig of Garbage in the final moments
of the band's memorable set in Las Vegas on Oct. 5, 2018.

"It's not a normal Garbage set," Manson explained before the band's performance of "Hammering In My Head," a song she added was the "only party song we've ever written." She then noted that this night would feature a set of songs "you've never heard."

Guitarist Duke Erikson.

Manson wasn't kidding about this night's foray into distant musical worlds. Among the cuts showcased was the group's absolutely stunning take on the Big Star classic "Thirteen" — the 1972 song chronicling adolescence retained its melancholy-draped moodscape even while reworked with Garbage's signature sound. Another strong cover, The Seeds' 1965 "Can't Seem To Make You Mine," included Manson even pounding out keyboards to fire up the garage rock classic.

For sure, many fans on hand at The Chelsea responded loudest with the performance of the band's best-known material ("Special," "I Think I'm Paranoid," "Push It"), but this writer was most impressed by the eclectic mix of originals and covers, played with a sense of artistry and pure fun.

Garbage delivered a solid three-song encore to cap a great concert, with the simmering rocker "The Trick Is To Keep Breathing," introspective 2017 original "No Horses" and the night-ending electronica-flavored "Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)."

Combine the musical instincts of Warpaint, Eddie Vedder and Björk and you might well come up with Sacramento, California' duo Rituals Of Mine. Performing a 30-minute set of hard-hitting songs whose lyrical tides dealt mostly with relationships, the crowd welcomed and cheered the twosome's high-octane electronica/rock fusion. 

Review and photography by Robert Kinsler

Garbage Setlist at The Chelsea on October 5, 2018

1. Deadwood
2. Temptation Waits
3. Wicked Ways (with Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" snippet)
4. Special
5. The World Is Not Enough
6. 13x Forever (with The Kinks' "Tired of Waiting for You" snippet)
7. Get Busy With the Fizzy
8. Hammering In My Head
9. Medication
10. Thirteen (Big Star cover)
11. Can't Seem To Make You Mine (The Seeds cover)
12. I Think I'm Paranoid
13. Sleep Together
14. Dumb
15. Soldier Through This
16. Lick The Pavement
17. Push It
18. When I Grow Up
19. You Look So Fine (with Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" snippet)
Encore
20. The Trick Is To Keep Breathing
21. No Horses
22. Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)

Johnny Marr unleashes stunning songcraft and guitar work in Los Angeles

Johnny Marr, the Belle Game
Where: The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles
When: Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018
Next: Johnny Marr performs at the Paper Tiger in San Antonio, Texas on Oct. 8
Information: JohnnyMarr.com


It's not often that I'm moved to tears at a rock show. I can recall over the years at select concert dates featuring Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, U2, Dead Can Dance and Peter Gabriel being deeply moved by a poignant performance. That happened again on Thursday night (Oct. 4, 2018) in the midst of Johnny Marr's sensational show at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. The uptempo synth pop-styled Electronic song "Getting Away With It" doesn't lend itself emotional currents, but Marr's shimmering and textured guitar solo was so beautiful I suddenly found myself crying (excuse the cliche) like a baby.

Johnny Marr creating magic with
his electric guitar. 

I was fully impressed when I caught Marr perform at Coachella back in April 2013, but fast forward five years to last night's masterful headlining turn from the Manchester, England native and I am ready to count the singer-songwriter/guitar great one of modern rock's top live acts. 

For close to 100 magical minutes in front of a capacity crowd, Marr and his skilled three-man band performed a mix of material reflecting his seminal role as guitarist of The Smiths, work with the aforementioned Electronic and his trio of wonderful solo efforts dating back to 2013's The Messenger.

While it's clear many ventured to the venue in hopes of hearing Marr cover Smiths classics (he did that, via spectacular takes on five of the band's best-known classics including a bewitching "How Soon Is Now" and night-ending one-two punch of "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" and "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby"), discerning listeners were treated to a 19-song set that featured some of the most alluring rock of this decade. Take "Walk Into The Sea," one of the standouts from Marr's 2018 album Call The Comet; the stage was bathed in green light as a deep drum pattern beat out before Marr's otherworldly guitar came in. The song grew in power as Marr's strong voice came in with the band's dynamics ever-building.

As I sit writing this review a flood of special moments from last night's concert come to mind. A crowd-pleasing run through The Smiths' "Bigmouth Strikes Again" was played early in the set. The infectious drive of "Hi Hello" and "Hey Angel" (both outstanding cuts from his latest album), the undeniable groove of "Easy Money" and a wonderfully wistful and melodramatic rendering of The Smiths' "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" were among the many standout performances in an outstanding night.

Now my only question is, when do I get to see Johnny Marr perform live again?

Opening the show was the emerging Vancouver, Canada-spawned quartet The Belle Game, a group whose lush keyboards textures, driving rhythms and soaring vocals from Andrea Lo were a good fit for the night.  The group's 30-minute set left this writer wanting to hear more.


Review by Robert Kinsler

TJR reflects on Geoff Emerick's legacy

Watch TJR's reflection of the life and legacy of engineer Geoff Emerick, best known for his work on many of The Beatles' most groundbreaking recording sessions.

Geoff Emerick (December 5, 1945 - October 2, 2018) Remembered

Geoff Emerick with The Zombies at the Greek Theatre on Sept. 20, 2018.

I was saddened earlier today to learn of the passing of Geoff Emerick, the legendary engineer who worked on some of the most legendary recordings of the rock era (The Beatles, The Zombies, Badfinger, America, Tommy Keene and many more). 

I had the honor to hear Mr. Emerick when he gave an incredible talk at the NAMM Show in January 2018, and it was amazing to hear him discuss what it was like to work on so many legendary Beatles recording sessions. Robert Kinsler


Here are the thoughts of Rod Argent of The Zombies:

It’s with incredible sadness that we’ve just heard of the sudden and unexpected demise of Geoff Emerick. It was only two weeks ago, in Los Angeles, where we were appearing with Arcade Fire at The Greek Theatre, that Col and I last enjoyed a long, all-encompassing chat with him, of maybe an hour or so, where we shared not only reminiscences but also definite plans to do some recording together again in the near future!

Geoff was so important to us with his terrific and intuitive talent as a recording engineer, during the time of our recording of Odessey & Oracle in 1967. I remember especially clearly being absolutely knocked out with the great atmosphere he achieved as we laid down “Time Of The Season” ... a track recorded like everything else on that album in a very short timespan - probably a single three hour session. Geoff immediately captured a sound that was not only highly individual, but also entirely in harmony with the song.

My goodness, another great one suddenly gone. We’ll all really miss you Geoff. R.I.P mate, and thanks so much for all you did for us.

Rod x




Here is Sir Paul McCartney's tribute to Geoff Emerick:

Geoff Emerick (1946 - 2018)

I first met Geoff when he was a young engineer working at Abbey Road Studios. He would grow to be the main engineer that we worked with on many of our Beatles tracks. He had a sense of humour that fitted well with our attitude to work in the studio and was always open to the many new ideas that we threw at him. He grew to understand what we liked to hear and developed all sorts of techniques to achieve this. He would use a special microphone for the bass drum and played it strategically to achieve the sound that we asked him for. We spent many exciting hours in the studio and he never failed to come up with the goods. After The Beatles, I continued to work with him and our friendship grew to the point where when he got married to his beautiful wife Nicole, it was in the church close to where we lived in the country.
 
He came with me to Lagos Nigeria to record my album 'Band on the Run'. I remember arriving at the half built studio with a handful of 45s which I played for him to explain what direction I wanted to take on this particular album. I remember asking him to make sure that the tracks had a lot of space and he was happy to deliver that. We kept in touch through the years and our phone calls or messages always gained a giggle or two.
 
Having seen him as recently as this year when he came to visit us at Henson Studio in LA, where we were putting the finishing touches to 'Egypt Station', he was his usual cheerful friendly self and gave me the thumbs up to the mixes we played him.
I’ll always remember him with great fondness and I know his work will be long remembered by connoisseurs of sound.
 
Lots of love Geoff, it was a privilege to know you.
 
Love
 
Paul

Here is the official media release that arrived courtesy of Carol Kaye at Kayos Productions today...

October 3, 2018, New York—Legendary Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick died yesterday at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 72. Preliminary indications are that the cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Geoff began his career at EMI Studios in London (later better known as Abbey Road) at the age of 15. On just his second day on the job, he was witness to The Beatles’ first-ever recording session, of the song “Love Me Do.” He would go on to serve as assistant engineer for many of the group’s most well-known early hits, including “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You,” and “A Hard Days Night.”

At the age of 19, Geoff was promoted to full engineer and in April, 1966, recorded The Beatles’ groundbreaking LP Revolver, followed a short time later by the two-sided hit single “Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever” and the album that many consider the group’s masterpiece: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. In the months that followed, Geoff would record tracks for Magical Mystery Tour and the White Album, departing midway through those sessions in the midst of rancor and tension within the group.

In 1968, he left Abbey Road to oversee construction and serve as studio manager for the Beatles’ Apple Studios. Soon afterwards, he was asked to record The Beatles’ swansong album Abbey Road, along with his longtime assistant Phil McDonald. Following the dissolution of the group, he worked with all four Beatles individually and manned the board for Paul McCartney’s Band on the Run, Tug of War, London Town, and Flaming Pie. He then took a position at AIR Studios, where he forged a career as an independent producer/engineer with artists such as Elvis Costello (for whom he produced the stellar Imperial Bedroom album), Badfinger, Robin Trower, America, Jeff Beck, Cheap Trick, and Art Garfunkel. He also recorded such iconic hits as The Zombies’ “Time of the Season” and Steelers Wheel’s “Stuck In The Middle With You.”

Geoff Emerick was the recipient of four Grammys, including a 2003 Special Merit/Technical Grammy Award. In 2006, he published his critically acclaimed memoir Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles and in recent years continued to work actively as both an engineer and a teacher. His pioneering approach to audio engineering resulted in many innovations used to this very day, and his work influenced an entire generation of musicians and recordists.

In a statement issued on Facebook this morning, Paul McCartney said of Geoff, “He was a great engineer and friend, and even though The Beatles had many great engineers over the years Geoff was the ONE. He was smart, fun-loving and the genius behind many of the great sounds on our records. I worked with him after The Beatles and it was always fun and the sounds he managed to conjure up were always special.”

Said producer Jack Douglas, who recorded John Lennon’s Double Fantasy: “Now one more member of the most influential team to ever make music is gone. Another piece of us all is missing.” Longtime David Bowie producer Tony Visconti, who worked with Emerick on Band on the Run, added: “Geoff was a humble man, not one to put on airs or beat his chest.”

Geoff will be interred in Westwood Cemetery in Los Angeles. Funeral arrangements are being made by his family and will be announced shortly.

Lumineers cover Tom Petty's "Walls", proceeds benefit MusiCares

Today being the one-year anniversary since the death of Tom Petty, this is news worth sharing...

THE LUMINEERS RELEASE COVER VERSION OF TOM PETTY'S "WALLS"

ALL Proceeds from Sales and Streams to Benefit MusiCares^®

Listen here:  http://smarturl.it/WallsTheLumineers

YouTube: https://youtu.be/DAUMCoD5I30

 

On the one-year anniversary of his passing, The Lumineers today release their version of Tom Petty's "Walls." "Tom Petty is a musical hero of mine, and 'Walls' is such an incredible song," shares the band's Wesley Schultz, continuing "When I got married, my wife walked down the aisle to the song."

 

The band opened up for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers three times, but it was playing "Walls" in front of Petty that resonated most. The band performed the song at the annual MusiCares^® Person of the Year Gala in 2017 where Petty was the honoree. "After we played," Schultz remembers, "Petty told me how much he liked and appreciated the version, which was a great honor. This is our way of paying homage to him."

 

All proceeds from the song will benefit MusiCares, a charity of the Recording Academy™, which provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need.

 

ABOUT MUSICARES:

A friend and ally of the music community, MusiCares was established by the Recording Academy to safeguard the health and well-being of all music people. A four-star charity and safety net in times of need, MusiCares offers confidential preventative, recovery, and emergency programs to address financial, medical, and personal health issues. Through the generosity of our donors and volunteer professionals, our dedicated team works across the country to ensure the music community has the resources and support it needs.

 

For more information, visit www.musicares.org, "like" MusiCares on Facebook, and follow @MusiCares on Twitter and Instagram.

The Monkees' 'Christmas Party' coming October 12

Exciting news and even more reason to get into the holiday spirit courtesy of the Monkees' plans to release their first-ever full-length holiday album!

The upcoming album titled Christmas Party (courtesy of Rhino Records) will include new original songs along with a number of holiday classics featuring the voices of Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and even the late Davy Jones (taken from vintage recordings, Jones' voice will be heard on two of the album's cuts).

"Silver Bells," "The Christmas Song," "Wonderful Christmastime" are favorite standards featured. New songs included on the disc have been penned by the celebrated likes of Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Scott McCaughey (the Minus 5, the Baseball Project), Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), Andy Partridge (XTC) and album producer Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne).

Christmas Party track listing 
1. Unwrap You At Christmas
2. What Would Santa Do
3. Mele Kalikimaka
4. House of Broken Gingerbread
5. The Christmas Song
6. Christmas Party
7. Jesus Christ
8. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day
9. Silver Bells
10. Wonderful Christmastime
11. Snowfall
12. Angels We Have Heard On High
13. Merry Christmas, Baby

Renowned Guitarist Laurence Juber releases new album 'Touchstones'

Here is exciting news on guitarist Laurence Juber's latest album "Touchstones" (you can read my latest concert review of a Laurence Juber performance here)...

Renowned Guitarist Laurence Juber Takes Listeners on a Captivating Musical Journey on Touchstones, available Sept. 28

Throughout 20 mesmerizing tracks, the master musician traces the evolution of fingerstyle guitar

Grammy-winning guitarist and composer Laurence Juber has released more than 20 albums of acoustic guitar music over the years, but on his newest recording, Touchstones – The Evolution of Fingerstyle Guitar, released on September 28, the internationally acclaimed virtuoso takes listeners on a captivating and deeply personal guided tour of the music that helped shape his distinctive style on the instrument.

“This album differs from my other recordings in that it’s based on a historical perspective of what became known in the 20th Century as fingerstyle guitar,” Juber explains. “While I was doing some events with the C.F. Martin Company, as well as working with various school music programs, I found myself delving into the history of the guitar, from the Renaissance period onward. The record started out as a research project that evolved into a transcription music book, and then it took on its own life. Finally, I said to myself, ‘Hey, this might make a cool album!’”

Laurence Juber, seen here performing at the NAMM
Show in Anaheim, CA, has a new album.
Photo: Robert Kinsler

For acoustic fingerstyle guitar fans, the 20 tracks on Touchstones allows them to “get under the hood” and trace the lineage of the music they love. It includes the first published Renaissance lute, vihuela and guitar pieces, then proceeds with Baroque, Classical and Romantic musical eras, before transitioning into the American parlor guitar repertoire, with the influential “Spanish Fandango.”

“It’s definitely ‘guitar-ology,’ for lack of a better term,” says Juber. “You’re hearing one person on a steel-string guitar playing music that, in its own era, represented the sounds of the times.”

But he is quick to point out that the appeal of the album isn’t limited to guitar players. “To somebody who knows nothing about this stuff, you can just put it on and get into it. It’s really a cool-sounding album to listen to!”

Juber’s interest in acoustic fingerstyle guitar started when he was a teenager in North London. Originally inspired to play the guitar after hearing the Beatles’ “She Loves You,” he first heard acoustic fingerstyle playing on Paul Simon’s recording of the Davy Graham composition “Anji,” which appeared on the Sounds of Silence album. “I then heard Bert Jansch’s version, and I taught myself to play it,” Juber recalls. “It was kind of a guitarist’s rite of passage – if you could play this descending bassline and the melody at the same time, you had really accomplished something. That kind of set me on my path.”

Some of the pieces on Touchstones are favorites that Juber “woodshedded” over the years. Others are significant for being the first of their kind, like the opening track “La Bernardina,” which is from the first book of lute music that was ever published in 1507. Similarly, there’s “Romanesca,” which represents the first piece of four-course guitar music ever published.

Juber notes that some tracks might sound familiar to modern ears in that they’re based on archetypal chord progressions. “’Guardame Las Vacas’ uses a chord progression that is the same as ‘Greensleeves,’” he observes. “This was basically the 12-bar blues of the 16th Century.”

And for Beatles fans, there’s “Recercata,” which Juber (who, coincidentally, was a member of Wings from 1978 to 1981) says “is pretty much the chord sequence that Lennon and McCartney used for ‘I Saw Her Standing There,’ whether they knew it or not.”

There’s even a Beatles connection to Bach’s “E Minor Bouree,” which Paul McCartney and George Harrison learned after they heard one of their guitar heroes, Chet Atkins, play it. “When Paul plays ‘Blackbird,’ live, he always throws in a bit of the Bach,” Juber says.

“Touchstones was such a pleasure to record,” Juber says. “I wanted to create a historical perspective on what I do as a musician who plays fingerstyle guitar. We tend to look at classical guitar as being this Spanish paradigm established in concert halls by Segovia in the early part of the 20th Century. But when I went back and found these other great fingerstyle players from other eras, I developed a feeling of kinship for these musicians, as I discovered that they did what I do – they made arrangements of popular material, wrote their own music, toured and did some teaching. They just didn’t have a recording industry back then, so their legacy is on the printed page. My role was to bring it to life from a modern fingerstyle player’s perspective.”

Juber is featured on the October 2018 cover of Acoustic Guitar magazine. Touchstones is available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and other streaming services. It can also be purchased from Juber’s own Merch Shop.

For more information, visit: http://www.laurencejuber.com/

Marty Balin Remembered

Robert Kinsler and TJR have recorded an episode where they discuss the career and legacy of Jefferson Airplane co-founder Marty Balin, who passed away on Sept. 27, 2018. He was 76: