DEVO reveal results of first-ever song study focus group

For fellow fans of DEVO, I wanted to share the good news that many of the excellent new tracks the legendary band has been performing in concert are set to be included in an upcoming release. I saw the band perform "Fresh" and other new stuff at Coachella last month and I can't wait!

12 Tracks selected for band's June 15, 2010 album 'Something for Everbody,' by fans and critics

Catch DEVO performing live on the "Late Show With David Letterman," "The Colbert Report" and "Live With Regis & Kelly" the week of June 14

Burbank, CA –At last, DEVO have announced the results of their first-ever online Song Study, which has determined which 12 songs are included on their upcoming album Something For Everybody, due from Warner Bros. Records on Tuesday, June 15, 2010.

In a bold maneuver, never before attempted by any band, DEVO invited fans and members of the music media to take part in the album’s final song selections process by casting their vote for their favorite 12 of 16 recorded tracks that would ultimately comprise SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY. The results of the Song Study, in order of votes, were announced via a May 18th online press conference with band members Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale. They are as follows: "Something For Everybody," in order of fan votes: "Watch Us Work It, " "Fresh, " "Sumthin'," "Don't Shoot, (I'm A Man)," "Step Up," "Signal Ready," "What We Do," "Please Baby Please," "Let's Get To It," "Mind Games," "Later is Now," and "Human Rocket." Watch the online press conference, announcing the results of the online Song Study here: http://www.ustream.tv/DEVO.

Though the songs recorded for Something for Everybody are built on DEVO’s signature mechanized swing, the recording and presentation of the album saw the band experimenting with an entirely new approach. Greg Scholl was brought in to serve as COO for Devo, Inc., and — working with the advertising agency Mother LA — conducted a series of studies through the band’s official site, http://www.clubdevo.com, to help the band with its creative decisions, from color selection to song mixes. To illustrate this fact, fans and music critics were invited to listen to snippets of 16 songs and vote on which 12 should make the final cut for Something for Everybody.

"We decided to actively seek comment and criticism from outside people and use that as a tool, rather than shunning or ignoring it," says Gerald Casale. "Our experiences participating in secondary creativity — things like corporate consensus building, focus groups — make you appreciate the connection that an artist has to society."

The long-rumored, wildly-anticipated album (which was launched with a pair memorable performances in Vancouver at the Winter Olympics and also at the Coachella Music & Arts Festival in Indio, CA.) features the band's classic line-up—Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, Gerald and Bob Casale—joined by drummer Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, Guns n' Roses, Weezer). Produced by Greg Kurstin (The Bird & The Bee), the album also includes contributions from John Hill and Santi White (better known as hip-hop star Santigold), John King of the Dust Brothers, and the Teddybears.

DEVO will be making several high-profile television appearances the week that Something for Everybody is released. They will perform on The Late Show With David Letterman on June 15th, The Colbert Report on June 16th, and Regis & Kelly on June 18th.

DEVO will also kick off their summer tour with a performance at the 2010 KROQ Weenie Roast on Saturday, June 5, in Irvine, CA. Confirmed DEVO tour dates are as follows:

Sat June 5 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Irvine, CA
Sat June 19 The Crown Theatre Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
Sat July 3 Zoo Amphitheater Minneapolis, MN
Sun July 4 Summerfest-Miller Stage Milwaukee, MI
Tues July 6 Power Center for the Performing Arts Ann Arbor, MI
Thurs July 8 The Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY
Fri July 9 Amphitheatre at Station Square Pittsburgh, PA
Sat July 10 Forecastle Festival Louisville, KY
Wed July 28 TBA
Sun Aug 1 Osheaga Festival Montreal, QC
Wed Aug 4 Ohio City Fair Columbus, OH
Fri Aug 6 Lollapalooza Chicago, IL
Sat Sept 18 Tempe Beach Park Tempe, AZ

###

13th Annual Doheny Blues Fest is coming!

Jackie Greene Photo credit: Jay Blakesburg

Here is a reposting of my full-length feature published on the Orange County Register Soundcheck blog on May 18, 2010. I hope to see many of you at the festival this weekend!

New faces, old friends slated to perform this weekend at 13th annual Doheny Blues Festival

For those who might be on the fence, still determining whether it would be better to attend the annual Doheny Blues Festival on Saturday or Sunday this weekend, there’s an easy answer:

Go both days.

With such a wide-ranging lineup of legendary veterans, blues-fest favorites and powerful, genre-defying up-and-comers scheduled to play across three stages, the fact that the O.C.-based concert promoter staging the event hasn’t raised ticket prices enables die-hards and lookie-loos alike to take in the whole relaxed shebang next weekend just off the sand at Doheny State Beach.

That said, act fast: VIP and Gold tickets for both days are already gone, “the earliest sell out in our 13-year history,” reports Rich Sherman, president of Omega Events.

This year’s star-packed lineup pretty much guarantees that both days will attract record crowds. The Black Crowes headline Saturday, topping a bill that includes Taj Mahal, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and touted newcomers Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, while the decidedly un-blues Hall of Fame group Crosby, Stills & Nash will close out the proceedings Sunday evening, after performances from soul legends Booker T. and Bettye LaVette as well as blues greats Robert Cray, Otis Taylor and Duke Robillard.

Neither the Crowes nor CS&N has ever appeared at Doheny Blues. “Both were on our radar for years,” Sherman explained, “but each had a significant end to 2009, which is the timeframe when we begin sending offers.”

The Crowes, riding high off last year’s critically lauded double-album Before the Frost … Under the Freeze, recorded at Levon Helm’s barn studio in upstate New York, are arguably the weekend’s chief attraction, heightened by the recent announcement that the band will go on indefinite hiatus at the end of the year, following a December show at the Hollywood Palladium.

“The Crowes released one of their finest albums in years,” Sherman believes, “and they are definitely as vital a blues-rock outfit as any in the U.S.” As for CS&N’s inclusion: “In October, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concerts, (they) stood out as a pillar of American music … a band that was as important to the growth of the California music scene as any.”


A DOUBLE SHOT OF JACKIE GREENE

Yet, beyond standard offerings that keep concert-goers coming back year after year — the laid-back atmosphere, tasty food choices and unusually scenic location — there are smaller though no less significant reasons to check out both days of Doheny Blues this year.

For starters, San Francisco-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jackie Greene — one of the sharpest new figures on the Americana scene — will perform with his band on Saturday, then return to play an early-afternoon acoustic set on the Backporch stage on Sunday.

Greene is accustomed to performing for huge crowds as a sideman with the Dead and bassist Phil Lesh, yet his own work finds him filling intimate clubs. “It was my goal to present both sides of Jackie’s music,” Sherman says, “so our offer was firm — it’s two sets of music or none.”

Greene will likely spotlight material from his outstanding 2008 disc, Giving Up the Ghost, as well as his wonderful forthcoming disc, Till the Light Comes (due June 29 from 429 Records). Those who have seen the 29-year-old Salinas native as he’s come up through the ranks (notably opening for hotshot guitarist Jonny Lang throughout this past decade) may recall how much his focus had been on acoustic material, especially from his 2002 album Gone Wanderin’. Fans who haven’t seen him since then may be floored by his phenomenal growth as a songwriter and musician.

“It’s funny — if somebody had Gone Wanderin’ and then heard this (new) record, they wouldn’t even think it was the same person,” Greene explained in a recent phone interview while he was putting finishing touches on his latest album at the San Francisco studio Mission Bells.

Now, after spending much of his first decade in music playing as many live shows as possible, Greene’s undeniable talent and work ethic are paying off, leading not only to high-profile slots like his coming Doheny sets but collaborations with many of his musical heroes. Thus far, he has shared the stage with Lesh, Bob Weir’s RatDog ensemble, Warren Haynes and Gov’t Mule, as well as former Band drummer and singer Helm.

Given so much work with such jam-leaning friends, it’s not unthinkable that Greene’s Doheny performances will be somewhat stretched-out. “We definitely have more of a psychedelic element where we experiment on stage,” he admits. “We tie songs together, kind of like the Grateful Dead,” though the extent of such out-there forays “depends on our set time. If we only have one hour, we may not get too crazy. It really depends how I’m feeling … I don’t know what’s going to happen. That’s what makes it fun for me.”

As does ditching the jams and going for a mellower approach instead — for instance, last year’s acoustic tour that found Greene performing with one of his closest friends, Mother Hips frontman Tim Bluhm, under the moniker Skinny Singers. The guitarist also has a prominent role on Greene’s next disc.

“I had a whole group of songs that I needed some help with to finish,” Greene explains, “so Tim and I took a retreat up the coast and he helped me.” It’s the first time Greene has included co-written songs on one of his albums. “Sometimes you need someone else to help you step back from yourself. You need the perspective of someone you trust to step back from your own work and then give you new perspective on it and inspire you to do different things. That was definitely the case with Tim.”

A SIDEMAN GETS HIS BIG BREAK

Here’s one more Bay Area-based reason to head to Dana Point next weekend: John Németh, a rising star known for his triple-threat talents as a soul singer, harmonica virtuoso and songwriter.

Németh first appeared at Doheny Blues in 2007, performing with guitarist Junior Watson on the heels of his debut, Magic Touch. He also shared the stage with Elvin Bishop in 2009, but finally arrives this year as a featured performer, bringing his John Németh Revue to the Renaissance Stage Sunday afternoon in support of Name the Day!, due Tuesday from blues mainstay Blind Pig Records.

Admirers of the giants of traditional R&B — Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Otis Redding, Solomon Burke — should definitely arrive early to catch Németh’s set, as he boasted during a recent chat from his Oakland home that he’ll be playing his latest album in its entirety.

“Fortunately, the musicians who like recording with me also tour with me, (so) I have the same most of the time.” That also enables him to cut records down and dirty and in a hurry. “I book a couple of days and knock out 12-13 cuts. Then I take a couple of days to mix it up …I like that. If you spend (too much time) to work on it, maybe you should work on it before you go in.”

But Németh realizes that if it weren’t for events like Doheny Blues, he might languish even longer in relative obscurity. At a time when it’s harder than ever for blues artists to find supportive audiences, Németh says the contributions of Sherman and other champions of the live circuit are inestimable. It’s because of such growing festivals that he’s been introduced to potential fans.

“The only reason I’m around and doing it (is) there are people who want to support the musicians and the music,” he says. “The records I make aren’t commercial tools; they are made to present cool music.” For them to ever get heard, then, “You have to have people who support cool music … like Rich Sherman.”

Walter Trout's 'Common Ground' set for release on Tuesday, July 6

Photo cutline: I caught this image of singer-songwriter-guitarist Walter Trout at the Doheny Blues Festival in Dana Point, California on May 21, 2005.

New York --- Provogue Records has announced a July 6 street date for Walter Trout’s 19th solo album COMMON GROUND. From the origins of his career as a sideman for Percy Mayfield and John Lee Hooker, through his tenure with Canned Heat and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and then a successful solo career that has seen the release of 18 albums thus far, Walter Trout has emerged as one of America’s musical treasures. The Huntington Beach, California resident has enjoyed a career that spans 35 years, and has performed in front of millions. BBC Radio One placed Trout at number six on their Top 20 guitarists of all-time, offering tribute to a player whose place in history continues to become more significant as the years go on. On titling the album COMMON GROUND, Trout shares, “In this modern world which seems to be so filled with polarization, disagreements, and cruelty, I feel that it is important that we try to find SOME place where we can bond and come together in our common humanity!”

Trout’s forthcoming solo album COMMON GROUND was produced by John Porter (The Smiths, B.B. King, Buddy Guy), and straddles the worlds of Rock and Blues. His vocal intonation and affinity for timeless riffs deliver a collection of tracks that are destined to be instant classics. These songs simply are the core essence of feeling, and demonstrate Trout’s keen ability to craft moving compositions as a songwriter and lyricist. On working with Porter, the musician reflects, “John Porter has an uncanny ability to draw performances from me that I didn't know that I was capable of. I would play a solo or sing a song and think that I had done well, and John would just say to me: ‘that was good - but I know you can do better!’ And I would try it again, only to find out that he was right! He is really brilliant at what he does.” Drummer Kenny Aronoff, bassist Hutch Hutchinson and pianist John Cleary join Trout as his backing band for the sessions that delivered this special recording.

Trout just wrapped up the first-leg of his worldwide tour, and returns to the road May 19th with a string of dates overseas before returning to the U.S. in June. Visit http://www.provoguerecords.com/ or www.waltertrout.com for more details.

The complete track listing for COMMON GROUND is:

Maybe A Fool
Open Book
Her Other Man
Song For My Guitar
Excess Baggage
Hudson Had Help
Common Ground
Danger Zone
Eyes Of A Child
No Regrets
Loaded Gun
Wrapped Up In The Blues

Folk duo to play Dana Point show

Photo credit: DANIELLE SUPOLA

Please note; this is an extended version of my story published earlier today on the Orange County Register Web site.

Though Andrew "Dawson" Heringer and Marlana "Marie" Sheetz both attended UC Irvine, the musical pair known as Dawson & Marie rarely performs in Orange County.

That will change Friday night (April 30) when the eclectic folk duo performs in Dana Point as part of the Lord of the Strings concert series.

"We are based out of Sacramento at this point," said Heringer, a theater major who earned his bachelor's degree at UCI in 2007. He responded to a series of questions I posed via email earlier this month. "We both grew up in a small town in the Sierra Nevada foothills ... called Placerville (home of the 1849 Gold Rush), although Marie and I didn't meet there. We met through mutual friends at UC Irvine."

Dawson & Marie are on tour in support of their superb debut album, "Months Vol. 1," a collection of seven original songs, six of which feature months in the title.

"When we started writing together, we wanted to create something that stood out from each of our solo projects," Heringer said. "We knew we wanted a concept but couldn't decide on anything. One day I sent her a text message after playing music at a cold and windy wedding on Pismo Beach saying, 'It feels like December at the beach,' to which she responded, 'Wait, I've got it; our CD should be songs about the months of the year.'"

There is little secret, but plenty of magic about the sound that Dawson & Marie create together. They write great songs and their distinctive voices sound great when singing those songs. Their soundscape is a blend of traditional Americana and indie folk styles ideally suited to the intelligent and artful selections featured on “Months Vol. 1.”

"With some songs (on the album), we wanted to capture the mood of the month for the song. 'August' is a great example of this. I think 'May, It's Raining' also does a great job of capturing the vibe of an unusually wet late-spring day. Other songs (notably 'July') were more about a particular story that came up for us."

In addition to their original material, Dawson & Marie also play a few reworkings of material from the likes of Kings of Leon ("Use Somebody") and Iron & Wine ("Naked As We Came") popularized via YouTube.

But when the duo performs in Dana Point on Friday, it’s likely that it will be the duo’s original songs from “Months Vol. 1” that will be the most compelling songs of the night.

“Most of the time, people are very enthusiastic about the month of their birthday,” Heringer noted. “Before performing these songs live, neither of us had any idea people took so much pride in their birthday month.”




DAWSON & MARIE


Where:Dana Point Community House, 24642 San Juan Ave.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 30, 2010

How much: $15

Phone: 949-842-2227

Online: www.LordOfTheStringsConcerts.com

'Sgt. Pepper Live' Featuring Cheap Trick Rocks Paris Las Vegas

Photo credit: MICHAEL GRAHAM

This landed in my inbox earlier today. I count my experiece of seeing Cheap Trick perform "Sgt. Pepper Live" at the Hollywood Bowl as one of my top concert experiences. Ever.

Read the latest on Cheap Trick's return to the music of the Fab Four; a trip to Las Vegas in June or July could well prove to be a real-life Magical Mystery Tour...

LAS VEGAS, April 27, 2010 -- "Sgt. Pepper Live" featuring Cheap Trick, a dazzling musical experience featuring world-famous rock stars, the Sgt. Pepper Symphony Orchestra and a live interpretation of one of the most beloved rock albums in history, will take the stage for a limited engagement beginning June 11, 2010 at the Paris Las Vegas Theatre.

A Bill Edwards Presents Inc. production, tickets for "Sgt. Pepper Live" featuring Cheap Trick are now on sale. Tickets are priced at $75, $100, $125 and $250 and a VIP package priced at $275. All ticket prices are plus applicable tax and fees and may be purchased at the Paris Las Vegas box office or on-line at http://www.parislasvegas.com/ or http://www.ticketmaster.com/ or by calling 1.888.727.4758. Show dates on sale include June 11-12, June 15-16, June 18-19, June 22-23, June 25-26, June 29-30, July 20-21, July 23-24, July 27-28 and July 30-31. Showtime is 8 p.m.

A celebration of The Beatles' influential album, “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,” the show is an energetic performance that features an orchestra and a captivating experience of light and sound as Cheap Trick perform the entire album live as well as select Cheap Trick songs that lend themselves to orchestral arrangements. Geoff Emerick, the renowned engineer of The Beatles' classic 1967 album, supervises the audio production. Never performed in its entirety by The Beatles due to the complex studio technology of the day that was employed in the making of the album, "Sgt. Pepper Live" allows Cheap Trick to incorporate their brand of power-pop into the classic songs while paying tribute to music legends in an unforgettable musical experience.

"Paris Las Vegas, at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, is the perfect venue for this world-class musical experience," said Bill Edwards, CEO of Bill Edwards Presents Inc., and executive producer of the production. "Bringing the music of The Beatles together with the performance of Cheap Trick creates an unforgettable show that brings to life one of the most beloved albums in rock and roll history in a truly innovative way."
Cheap Trick is best known for its classic singles, "I Want You To Want Me" and "Surrender." The American power-pop progenitors recorded the album All Shook Up in 1980 with Sir George Martin and Geoff Emerick, producer and engineer of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Emerick will continue to oversee the audio production for "Sgt. Pepper Live." He received Grammy Awards for the engineering of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road.

About Paris Las Vegas

From its dramatic 50-story replica of the Eiffel Tower to authentic architectural reproductions, Paris Las Vegas features elegant decor, European-inspired boutiques and a distinctive array of fine cuisine, including Chef Joho's acclaimed Eiffel Tower Restaurant, Les Artistes Steakhouse and French-bistro Mon Ami Gabi. The resort celebrates the romance and excitement of the European City of Light. In the heart of the famous Las Vegas Strip, the passion and sophistication of Paris Las Vegas transports guests to Europe's most romantic city. Paris Las Vegas is a Harrah's Entertainment Resort.

About Bill Edwards Presents Inc.
A premier live entertainment company, Bill Edwards Presents Inc. has been producing world-class concert attractions for more than a decade. With a mission to maximize the live concert experience, Bill Edwards Presents Inc., is committed to booking, producing and marketing live concerts for artists around the globe. Based in St. Petersburg, FL, the company has produced events in marquee venues around the United States and the world with artists such as Cheap Trick, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Josh Groban, Kool & The Gang and countless others.

John Mellencamp's 'ON THE RURAL ROUTE 7609' coming June 15

On The Rural Route 7609 is a four CD set that chronicles, in a most unique way, the arc of John Mellencamp’s career, with a focus on his songwriting. Universal Music Enterprises has set June 15, 2010 as the release date for the collection through its Mercury imprint. The package, unlike typical box sets that tend to slavishly offer a chronological presentation of hits and near-hits, is programmed as if each of the discs were a freestanding album. The 54 tracks included in the collection are presented, in essence, as four albums with songs juxtaposed in a manner that offers the listener the experience of hearing them in a context that sheds new light on the themes and artistry that have made Mellencamp’s music so cherished by so many over the course of four decades.

While On The Rural Route 7609 offers a wealth of well-known material, a significant number of the tracks included are less familiar but equally compelling, especially in terms of providing an in-depth picture of Mellencamp's spectrum of creativity. The concept behind the four “albums” of the collection is to give long-term Mellencamp fans and newer listeners alike, a more complete and insightful view of the artist's role as a writer and artist whose catalog of songs and recordings resound with substance and nuance.

The songs selected reflect the artist’s pop idol origins through his ascent to the ranks of America’s most respected and socially active writers and performers. On The Rural Route 7609 offers 17 tracks previously unreleased on any John Mellencamp CD including guest readings of Mellencamp’s lyrics by Academy Award® winning actress Joanne Woodward and best selling author/educator Dr. Cornel West. The discs are packaged within a 72-page book that includes an exhaustive essay and comprehensive track-by-track annotation by award-winning writer Anthony DeCurtis. His marathon interviews with Mellencamp were conducted in Bloomington, IN where DeCurtis, coincidentally, earned his PhD in American literature at Indiana University. Mellencamp tells the story behind each of the songs included in the set and there's a scholarly introductory essay by DeCurtis as well. The package, a truly lavish assemblage, includes rare and evocative photos printed on heavy stock that make On The Rural Route 7609 a distinctive set of albums, in the sense that albums -- as originally conceived in earlier times -- are cohesive collections of music.

While such Mellencamp hits including “Rain On The Scarecrow,” “Jack and Diane,” “Jackie Brown,” “Pink Houses,” “Your Life Is Now,” “Our Country” are presented, less familiar songs as well as demos for “Cherry Bomb,” “Authority Song” and other recordings serve to chronicle the maturation of Mellencamp as both an artist and songwriter over the years. As quoted by DeCurtis in the 4500 word introductory essay included in the package, he explains, “We tried to make it like a process of discovery, that perhaps somebody could listen to this set and discover these songs.” Material from early works through his most recently released album, Life Death Love and Freedom which Time Magazine called his "best in a decade" and Rolling Stone ranked #5 in its listing of 50 best albums of the year, gives the listener an opportunity to consider more than 30 years of Mellencamp's output in a musically coherent manner.

The title of the package is reflective of Mellencamp’s continuing role as a troubadour who conveys the hopes, heartbreak and realities of the heartland – that part of the country that politicians are wont to call “the real America,” a divisive jab that is at odds with Mellencamp’s true themes. Per DeCurtis, “..the set takes its title from a scarifying murder ballad on Freedom’s Road, ‘Rural Route.’"
Mellencamp explained to DeCurtis “I started making records in ’76, and the most recent track on the collection was done in ‘09. So Rural Route 7609; it’s like an address. I thought it sounded cool.”
Adds DeCurtis, “It does. But, more important, for anyone interested in finding the real John Mellencamp, this is where he’s been, and where he lives.” On The Rural Route 7609 is a musical journey that sheds new light on an American musician who, as both a songwriter and social activist, has never rested on his laurels or past accomplishments.
On The Rural Route 7609 tracklisting:
* indicates track selection has never before been released on a John Mellencamp CD
More detailed information here: http://www.mellencamp.com/?module=news&news_item_id=553

Disc 1

1. Longest Days
2. Grandma’s Theme
3. Rural Route
4. Jackie Brown
5. Rain On The Scarecrow
6. * Jim Crow with Cornell West

7. Jim Crow
8. Big Daddy Of Them All
9. Deep Blue Heart

10. Forgiveness
11. Don’t Need This Body
12. * Jenny At 16

13. * Jack And Diane (writing demo)

14. Jack And Diane

Disc 2

1. * The Real Life with Joanne Woodward

2. Ghost Towns Along The Highway
3. The Full Catastrophe
4. * Authority Song (writing demo)

5. Troubled Land
6. To Washington
7. * Our Country (alternate version)

8. Country Gentlemen
9. Freedom’s Road
10. * Mr. Bellows (remix)

11. Rodeo Clown
12. Love And Happiness
13. Pink Houses

Disc 3

1. If I Die Sudden (live)

2. Someday
3. Between A Laugh And A Tear
4. * Void In My Heart (acoustic version recorded at Chess Studios)

5. Death Letter
6. * Sugar Marie (acoustic)

7. Theo And Weird Henry
8. When Jesus Left Birmingham
9. * L.U.V. (remix)

10. Thank You
11. Women Seem
12. * The World Don’t Bother Me None

13. * Cherry Bomb (writing demo)

14. * Someday The Rain Will Fall

15. A Ride Back Home
Disc 4

1. My Aeroplane

2. * Colored Lights

3. Just Like You
4. Young Without Lovers
5. * To M.G. (Wherever She May Be) (acoustic)

6. Sweet Evening Breeze
7. What If I Came Knocking
8. Country Fair
9. * Peaceful World (writing demo)

10. Your Life Is Now
11. For The Children
12. * Rural Route (acoustic)

www.mellencamp.com

A wonderful look back: Coachella 2010

Photo information: I was in the VIP area on Sunday, April 18 when I ran into singer-songwriter Jónsi.

Although it was just a week ago when I was beginning my Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival experience for 2010, it really does seem like a lifetime ago.

Although I posted several video blogs from the Empire Polo Club and the Orange County Register published a series of four posts on my experience at the three-day event earlier this week on the Soundcheck blog, I wanted to offer up a final rundown of my trek to Coachella here.

Friday, April 16
Coachella for me got started with a roar. Indeed, New York's As Tall As Lions was the first artist I caught and ultimately proved to be the biggest surprise of day one. Performing in the Mojave tent, the Long Island quartet focused on songs from 2009’s excellent You Can’t Take It with You, including its excellent title tune and the lead-off track “Circles.” The band clearly is ready to make that leap to the Big Leagues, with singer-guitarist Dan Nigro leading his mates through an undeniably powerful 45-minute set. It can be exceedingly difficult for a young band to make an impression in the early and hottest part of the day, amid an overwhelming and conflicting schedule of Huge Names. But As Tall as Lions stood out all the same.

Hockey is an energetic quintet whose sound recalls '80s dance rock. The Portland, Oregon band's strong 40-minute set (played out in a very hot part of the day) included "Work," "Wanna Be Black" and several other standout tracks from 2009's "Mind Chaos" album.

Although I can't recall any day at Coachella in my previous years of attending the fest that I didn't catch at least one set on the main stage, this day was different. After Hockey finished up around 5:10, I headed over to the Outdoor Theatre and ended up spending the rest of Friday afternoon and night there. She & Him delivered a breezy, fun and memorable set of retro-'60s tunes from the duo's releases. As good as the two albums from singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel and multi-instrumentalist M. Ward are, I wondered how the music would go over in a spacious outdoor setting. No worries; songs such as "Over It Over Again" (from "Volume Two") and "This Is Not a Test" (off "Volume One") sounded great. The duo's 45-minute set was among the most fun I saw all weekend.

Passion Pit also had success here. The Boston-band ensemble definitely impressed in its Coachella debut. Lead singer-songwriter Michael Angelakos noted playing at the festival was a “Dream come true” and noted the Massachusetts band had never played a show with this many people.

Passion Pit featured songs from the band’s impressive 2009 debut “Manners,” including a riveting “To Kingdom Come.” The group’s mix of ‘80s synthesizer, techno and other dance-pop styles was a great fit as the sun dropped down over the mountains and cooling temperatures were taylor made to get the huge crowd to move to the music.

After the high-powered set delivered by Passion Pit on the Outdoor Theatre stage on Friday night, it appeared that someone took a gigantic broom and swept everybody away. Indeed, at 8 p.m., it seemed that Echo and the Bunnymen might well be performing in front of a sparse crowd despite the ideal time frame.

However, Ian McCulloch (pictured above) and his band mates had no cause for concern. By the time the ‘80s hit makers took the stage just after 8:30 p.m., a large crowd was on hand to hear the outfit play many of its greatest songs in the magical setting at Coachella that seems to make even classic rockers sound like they have plenty to prove.


The biggest cheers came for Echo & the Bunnymen’s fantastic “The Killing Moon” and “The Cutter,” however the band scored early and hard with “Do It Clean” (an older song that was a hit for the band in England) and “Nothing Lasts Forever” (a medley that included bits of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” also came in that song). McCulloch sounded strong and his voice hit all the notes like it was 1985 again.

Although many artists come to Coachella to define and validate their status as an up-and-comer, Echo & the Bunnymen’s 50-minute set offered up a chance to see this band – as well as its songs – still matter.

Mission accomplished.

Vampire Weekend drew the lively response from the audience that Passion Pit had several hours earlier. I have to admit to having not yet fallen under the spell of the band, but there is no doubt that just about everyone else crowded in front of the Outdoor Theatre couldn't get enough of the troupe.

Day one ended with a strong set from Public Image Limited. My favorite performances proved to be of the songs I knew from radio airplay ("This is not a Love Song," "Rise"). John Lydon is an interesting and outspoken frontman and made good use of his late-night platform to rant, rave and rock.

Saturday, April 17
Although I had caught a mind-bending seven full-length sets from seven artists on day one, I was in for an even longer day of music listening on day two.

But pity those who didn’t get to Coachella early on day two.

Two of the best performances I caught on Saturday amounted to a one-two punch on the Outdoor Theatre stage, thanks to Seal Beach-based Rx Bandits’ 55-minute set and Porcupine Tree’s near hour-long foray on the same stage that was to follow.

Rx Bandits made the most of their early showtime (12:30 p.m. is early, especially with the sweltering early afternoon sun), performing in front of a relatively small but rabid fan base that was here to see “their” band.

When the band originally formed in Orange County in the late 1990s, Rx Bands (then billed as the Pharmaceutical Bandits, the group was part of the popular ska movement (think No Doubt, Jeffries Fan Club, etc.). No more.

The band now plays a masterful blend of folk, blues, jam rock and doses of just about everything else. Master chops and strong song selection were key to RX Bandits’ solid outing at Coachella, including several tracks where singer-guitarist Matt Embree and lead guitarist Steve Choi would dual on electric guitars. Bassist Joseph Troy and drummer Christopher Tsagakis were part of the well-armed outfit.

Porcupine Tree proved to best several more high-profile hard rock bands that I also saw perform on Saturday, including buzz trio Band of Skulls and main stage rockers Coheed and Cambria. Indeed, I thought the relatively-unnoticed English group performed one of the most impressive sets of day two, with several concert-goers coming up to me and asking “Who are these guys?”-styled queries.

The nuance of the British folk-meets-progressive rock of Porcupine Tree was a revelation, notably the beautiful and reflective “Lazarus” featuring lead singer Steven Wilson seated at the keyboard and singing one of the key songs from “Deadwing.” Later in the set, he set out with his bandmates on the ambitious “Time Flies.” One of the featured tracks on 2009’s “The Incident,” “Time Flies” featured him playing both acoustic and electric guitar and showcased the natural comparisons that can be drawn between this band and genre pioneers such as Pink Floyd.

Although the quartet has been around since the late 1980s, it’s nice to see Porcupine Tree getting some well-deserved accolades. Count me among the group’s newest fans.

Next, I headed over to the Gobi tent to check out Girls. The San Francisco outfit played its loose Big Star/Brian Wilson/Lou Reed mix of neo-psychedelic power-pop to an enthusiastic crowd. Although I enjoy the band's disc "Album" more than the show itself, versions of the Everly Brothers' "All I Have to Do Is Dream" and the group's own songs provided plenty of thrills to keep me parked in the hot tent for all of the band's 45-minute set.

Maybe the second biggest disappointment of the fest for me was the set from English trio Band of Skulls. I am a big fan of the outfit's 2009 disc "Baby Darling Doll Face Honey." The group struggled early to get its sound and/or equipment working well and they didn't seem to be geared toward connecting with the packed crowd in the Gobi tent. "Death By Diamonds and Pearls" definitely got the headbangers going, but the set fell flat for me. In fact, after four songs, I bolted in search of an early dinner.

Americana quintet Old Crow Medicine Show made its first-ever appearance at Coachella over the weekend, performing on the main stage on Saturday at 3 p.m. Because I was waiting to see Girls, I missed the group. Well, not entirely.

Wanting to make the most of the day, Old Crow Medicine Show decided rather than simply do interviews in the VIP area, they would actually play an unannounced acoustic performance for fans gathered to meet and greet the band. I caught the end of that short set.

After watching the fiery Nashville, Tennessee-based troupe perform “Jimmy Sutton” (a traditional square dance-minded classic), lead singer-guitarist Willie Watson talked about coming to Indio to be a part of the legendary festival.

“It went over great,” Watson told me. “It was an enthusiastic California crowd ready to dance and shake to old-time fiddle music.”

With Old Crow Medicine Show’s two performances complete, Watson said he was hoping to catch a few of the other acts performing later on Saturday.

“I am really looking forward to seeing Devo,” he said.


I grabbed something to eat (a burger I think) and then decided to watch Coheed and Cambria. The first act I was really able to see on the Coachella Stage, the band displayed good chops, but the music itself is simply not that original. I felt as if I had heard all the hard rock chops before. Sorry guys.

Although a reunited Faith No More proved to be much stronger than Coheed and Cambria, it were Saturday's headliners that delivered the goods. Muse simply rocked Coachella in the way you want it to happen. Opening with a powerful "Uprising" and "Supermassive Black Hole," the band never looked back. The group's bigger-than-big sound reminded me of the Queen shows I caught when I was a youngster, and there is a powerful blend of classical music and arena rock that really works. Count me as impressed.

Day two ended and merged into day three as I watched Devo thrill the masses not afraid to keep the party going as long and late as possible. Sure, Devo has been performing its artsy mix of new wave, punk, alternative rock and art damage since the early ’70s. But how wonderful to see the band pack the Mojave tent late Saturday night and generate the kind of excitement that usually greets newer acts playing the fest. What’s more, Devo’s new material — notably the infectious rocker “Fresh” — was just as powerful as the group’s big 1980 hit “Whip It.” The outfit still sounds timeless and modern, and the creative use of video juxtaposed with each song provided something magical that will surely (and quickly) become part of Coachella lore.

Sunday, April 18

By day three, I was pretty tired. The long days of standing in the blazing sun and getting up early to email posts to my editor had started to take their toll. But the good news, I saw some incredible performances on Sunday. Singer-songwriter Kevin Devine kicked things off just after noon with a politically-charged set in the Gobi tent and things only got better from there. L.A.'s Local Natives, Mutemath, Deerhunter and Sunny Day Real Estate all performed fantastic sets. But it were the trio of sets from Jónsi, Phoenix and Thom Yorke (with his outfit Atoms for Peace) that I will long remember.

Jónsi – 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 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.

In terms of the sets from Phoenix and Thom Yorke's supergroup Atoms for Peace, these were also fantastic. Phoenix was upbeat and fueled a dance-styled craze on the field, while Yorke's show was intense and artful.

I did check out some of Gorillaz' night ending display on the Coachella Stage, but truthfully I was so exhausted from the weekend that I headed for my car early. Coachella continues to be one of the strongest concert events on my calendar and I hope to be able to make it an annual event.

Coachella: Day 2 highlighs

Coachella Day Two: Rx Bandits, Porcupine Tree get it going

Pity those who didn’t get to Coachella early on day two.

Two of the best performances I caught on Saturday amounted to a one-two punch on the Outdoor Theatre stage, thanks to Long Beach-based Rx Bandits’ 55-minute set and Porcupine Tree’s foray on the same stage that was to follow.

Rx Bandits made the most of their early showtime (12:30 p.m. is early, especially with the sweltering early afternoon sun), performing in front of a relatively small but rabid fan base that was here to see “their” band.

When the band originally formed in Orange County in the late 1990s, Rx Bands (then billed as the Pharmaceutical Bandits, the group was part of the popular ska movement (think No Doubt, Jeffries Fan Club, etc.). No more.

The band now plays a masterful blend of folk, blues, jam rock and doses of just about everything. Master chops and strong song selection were key to RX Bandits’ solid outing at Coachella, including several tracks where singer-guitarist Matt Embree and lead guitarist Steve Choi would dual on electric guitars. Bassist Joseph Troy and drummer Christopher Tsagakis were part of the well-armed outfit.

Porcupine Tree proved to best several more high-profile hard rock bands that I also saw perform on Saturday, including buzz trio Band of Skulls and main stage rockers Coheed and Cambria. Indeed, I thought the relatively-unnoticed English group performed one of the most impressive sets of day two, with several concert-goers coming up to me and asking “Who are these guys?”-styled queries.

The nuance of the British folk-meets-progressive rock of Porcupine Tree was a revelation, notably the beautiful and reflective “Lazarus” featuring lead singer Steven Wilson seated at the keyboard and singing one of the key songs from “Deadwing.” Later in the set, he set out with his bandmates on the ambitious “Time Flies.” One of the featured tracks on 2009’s “The Incident,” “Time Flies” featured him playing both acoustic and electric guitar and showcased the natural comparisons that can be drawn between this band and genre pioneers such as Pink Floyd.

Although the quartet has been around since the late 1980s, it’s nice to see Porcupine Tree getting some well-deserved accolades. Count me among the group's newest fans.

Video post from Coachella - Day 2

Crazy Coachella: day 1

I got to bed around 3 a.m. this morning and I'm realizing I won't be able to post any in-depth accounts of my music experience at Coachella until I return to The OC next week. I just don't have the energy and I want to process what I've seen.

However, I will tell you I saw many fantastic performances and Coachella lives up to its legacy yet again.

As Tall As Lions, Passion Pit and Hockey were among the newer artists I had not seen before that delivered fine performances, and it was fantastic to finally see Echo & the Bunnymen for the first time.

I'll have more to share for sure in the days ahead, including news, reviews and photos!

I'm off to day two of the fest now...

Cramming for Coachella

What have I been listening to lately?
A bunch of new discs ranging from the latest disc from Thom Yorke ("The Eraser") to Jonsi's "Go." But the list goes on and on: As Tall As Lion's "You Can't Take It With You" and Band of Skulls' "Baby Darling Doll Face Honey." You get the idea. Lots of music from bands set to perform at Coachella this weekend.

I always look forward to heading east out past the wind farms and Palm Springs, and to Indio, where cutting-edge artists perform in the most amazing of settings amidst a sea of music fans ready to brave the scorching sun during the day and unpredictable weather at night. I hope to update this blog on a daily basis with mini-reviews of the music, artwork and overall experience that is Coachella.

My hope is the three-day concert is worth the lack of sleep, aching feet, stench of humanity and lackluster food that come with a huge music fest.

Some of the artists I plan to see (if things line up since there are five stages and many of the performances overlap) include Muse, Phoenix, Porcupine Tree, Jonsi, Girls, Band of Skulls, Grizzly Bear, Hockey (whose 2009 album "Mind Chaos" is very good), She & Him (I love the duo's latest disc), aforementioned As Tall As Lions, Thom Yorke, DEVO and many, many more!


I'll check in with you on Friday or Saturday this week. To be continued.

Eddie Money to perform at benefit concert on April 10

Friends of Arts Education at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts presents 17th Annual Gala Benefit Concert Two Tickets to Paradise on Saturday, April 10

CERRITOS, CA - Two Tickets to Paradise is the theme for the 17th Annual Friends of Arts Education Gala on Saturday, April 10. The event, to be held at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, will benefit arts education outreach programs. Each year this event benefits arts education outreach programs and offers guests two ways to support the cause - guests can purchase a concert-only ticket for Eddie Money's performance - or enjoy the full-evening festivities which includes cabaret seating for the performance, an elegant dinner by Choura Event Catering and silent and live auctions. Full-evening Gala tickets are $185 and are available from the Friends of Arts Education at (562) 916-1272. Concert-only tickets are $52 and $37. Tickets are available at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts Ticket Office, by calling (562) 467-8818, or at www.cerritoscenter.com. All proceeds support Friends arts education programs.

For more information on this event and how to get tickets, please visit www.cerritoscenter.com or www.friendsofaecc.com.

The Church concert is one to remember

The Church may be celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2010, but after catching the Australian quartet deliver a dynamic and wide-ranging performance before a packed house at the Coach House on Friday night, April 2, fans can certainly be thankful this is no farewell tour.
The band kicked off its self-dubbed “The Church: An Intimate Space” 30th Anniversary American Tour” at the Coach House with a fantastic show that included a few technical glitches in the early minutes, but quickly evolved into a dramatic and wide-reaching celebration of the outfit’s distinctive sound and approach.
As promised in the promotion of the tour and the free colorful program passed out to everyone as they stepped inside the venue (what a contrast to the $30 necessary to purchase a program at the Paul McCartney concert earlier in the week), bassist-lead singer Steve Kilbey, guitarists Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes and drummer Tim Powles started the show with a song (“Pangaea”) from their latest album (Untitled #23) and proceeded to offer other songs from earlier albums in reverse chronological order as the night went on.
Although the group didn’t follow that formula perfectly, it was hard to argue with a set list that allowed the band to play songs that showcased its dreamy neo-psychedelic alt-rock in all its various shades.
There was edgy rock (“Space Needle”) with Kilbey (seen above in a picture I snapped on Friday night) kicking off the song singing to the accompaniment of his bass guitar, which he strummed like a guitar before the rest of the group kicked in. And the Church offered up a reworked version of its hit “Reptile” like a jazz song – except for the classical-styled solo that Willson-Piper added with his acoustic guitar.
While many casual fans likely counted the band’s “Under the Milky Way” as a favorite performance of the night, there were other selections that easily equaled that hit thanks to the enthusiasm of the band and lush arrangements offered up by the Church. Indeed, all four members of the troupe played a variety of instruments throughout the two-hour concert.
The beautiful “Ionian Blues” and “Invisible,” the Americana-tinged “Louisiana” with Koppes adding some textured mandolin and the up-tempo rocker “Comedown” came in the first set, while the second half of the show surprised at every track thanks to the momentum of the performance.
“Metropolis” allowed Willson-Piper to display his talents playing flamenco guitar, while the use of 12-string guitars, keyboards and harmonica gave added life to the big hit “Under the Milky Way.”
During the first of the group’s several encores, Kilbey explained that because Smashing Pumpkins had once covered a Church song, now the Church was going to return the favor. The band then proceeded to offer up a powerful and haunting cover of “Disarm.”
This was truly a night to celebrate a great band whose music and songs still resonate. It’s no wonder that relatively few in the near-capacity crowd left before the concert came to a close at midnight.

Paul McCartney fires up the Hollywood Bowl

Paul McCartney, as photographed on the video screen. The shot of the Hollywood Bowl and fireworks were taken during "Live and Let Die."

I still can't believe that it has been more than 40 years since The Beatles broke up, and nearly 50 years since the Fab Four arrived on the international stage.

Watching 67-year-old Paul McCartney tear through a mind-boggling set of material dating from the early 1960s to the dawn of this century in a sold-out show at the Hollywood Bowl last night (Tuesday, March 30) was worth the ticket price for sure. But what is even more impressive is how McCartney and his music (whether performing his own songs, or gems penned by John Lennon and George Harrison) defy the "here today, gone today" mindset of modern-day celebrity and pop culture.

Although I was seated way in the back of the gigantic venue (I purchased my tickets through American Express pre-sale and despite getting online immediately, got terrible seats), McCartney and his strong four-man band delivered magic for close to three hours.

While McCartney's best-known staples were all delivered in fine form ("Let It Be," "Hey Jude," "Yesterday"), it were many of the alternative choices that delighted me most. I first caught McCartney live with his band Wings back at the Forum in the late 1970s (I think it was in 1976) and he played few Beatles songs at that show. Nowadays, McCartney raids music's most illustrious catalog and we fans can only shout (and sing along) at our good fortune.

On Tuesday night, McCartney offered up a two-tier take on Harrison's "Something." He began the song alone accompanied by the actual ukulele (a small four-string musical instrument) given to him by Harrison before the rest of his band came in with an arrangement resembling the version on Abbey Road. Lead guitarist Rusty Anderson provided the wonderful solo.

A few songs later, McCartney noted that he was going to perform a song he had not played on tour in America until this current one; what followed was a lively, feel-good "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" that pleased kids of all ages.

He also performed Lennon's haunting lines in "A Day in the Life" (as well as his own), before going into a crowd-rousing "Give Peace a Chance" in tribute to his old bandmate.

But what made this show particularly memorable for me was the inclusion of more rare stuff.

When it came to choice Beatles tracks, there was "Two Of Us" and an extended "Paperback Writer."

One of my favorite songs from the Wings era is a great soulful rocker "Letting Go" from his Venus And Mars album. And while the original recorded version boasts a horn section and had a slight funk groove, the guitar-anchored take offered up at the Hollywood Bowl was fantastic.

Sir Paul and company even kicked off the night with the title track from that great disc, a song that boasts the apt lyric "rock 'n' roll at the Hollywood Bowl." And there is no doubt that the Bowl's incredible outdoor setting was the perfect place to stage the dazzling fireworks that soared into the cold night as the band rocked out playing "Live and Let Die."

It takes a lot to drag me up to the Hollywood Bowl on a weeknight, to fight the gridlock and fork over $21 to park (no kidding! I paid just over $11 for my ticket to see McCartney & Wings 35 years ago!), but this was a concert experience I'll always remember. A Magical Mystery Tour indeed.

Here is the setlist from Tuesday (the concert began at 8:13 p.m. and ended at 11 p.m.):

1) Venus and Mars

2) Jet

3) All My Loving

4) Letting Go

5) Got to Get You Into My Life

6) Highway (The Fireman)

7) Let Me Roll It

8) Foxey Lady (a short instrumental jam of the Jimi Hendrix classic)

9) The Long and Winding Road

10) Nineteen-Hundred and Eighty Five

11) Everything's Fine

12) My Love

13) I'm Looking Through You

14) Two Of Us

15) Here Today (a moving tribute to John Lennon)

16) Dance Tonight

17) Mrs. Vanderbilt

18) Eleanor Rigby

19) Something

20) Sing the Changes (Fireman)

21) Band on the Run

22) Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

23) Back In The USSR

24) I've Got a Feeling

25) Paperback Writer

26) A Day in the Life

27) Give Peace a Chance

28) Let It Be

29) Live and Let Die

30) Hey Jude

31) Day Tripper

32) Lady Madonna

33) Get Back

34) Yesterday

35) Helter Skelter

36) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise

37) The End

Orianthi, Piebald and others standout at Bamboozle

Photo credit: Drew A. Kelley

This story was originally published earlier today on the Orange County Register Web site in the Soundcheck blog.

With any kind of festival featuring so many artists spread across a trio of stages, there are sure to be hits and misses. Fortunately, there were a number of highlights strewn throughout Sunday's (March 28) second half of the Bamboozle California to make the even worthwhile.

Strumming awy on the side stage was Bobby Long, a British singer-songwriter with a rick, authentic baritone, who delivered his songs to the lone accompaniment of an acoustic guitar. He got a small but enthusiastic crowd to listen to winning songs such as "Penance Fire Blues."

Following Long on the side stage was San Diego-based We Shot the Moon, a gifted quartet that performed a 30-minute set highlighted by the infectious "Miracle," the driving "Red Night" and the piano-anchored "The Brightside." Singer Jonathan Jones' voice (notably his use of a distinctive falsetto) and inventive keyboard playing provided the extra element to bring depth to the group's mix of indie, Britpop and modern rock, blended into a sound all its own.

Although Orianthi (pictured above) has performed or appeared on recordings with the far-flung likes of Michael Jackson, Steve Vai, Carlos Santana and Carrie Underwood, there is no doubt the 25-year-old Australia native is rapidly becoming a star on her own. Performing on the main stage, the virtuoso may not yet have found the ideal way to combine AC/DC-esque riff-rock ("Think Like a Man"), 1980s-mining Van Halen ("Feels Like Home") and commercial pop (her biggest hit, "According to You had everyone dancing around). But she can sure shred on the guitar.

Her half-hour appearance was noteworthy simply because it was such a break from so many of the other alt- and indie-styled rockers. With her mix of blues and metal sensibilities, Orianthi wound up one of few truly alternative acts of the festival. And on song after song she provided dazzling and stylish guitar work, whether in quick licks or extended solos.

Not every act was so convincing, however. I grew bored with the Ready Set, out of Fort Wayne, Ind., and walked away after two songs. The quartet worked hard to involved the audience and played its alt-pop with zeal, yet their songs and music just weren't strong enough to sustain my interest.

The same can't be said, though, of the powerful reunion set from Piebald. The four-man outfit, celebrating a number of upcoming reissues this spring (as well as a live DVD, Nobody's Robots - A Farewell to Piebald), the group rocked hard, immediately connecting with a fanatical crowd positioned in front of the side stage. The band's mix of hardcore, emo, Americana and Devo-ish quirkiness continues to be a winning formula.

And this post wouldn't be complete without a nod to the amazing performance by Something Corporate. The headliner took the stage right on schedule (8:30 p.m.) and proceeded to play 14 great songs over the course of 65 minutes. It was great to see one of Orange County's best bands back in action again. Writer George Paul reviewed their set at length and you can read that in the Soundcheck blog at www.ocregister.com.

Reunion of Something Corporate a wonderful thing

Photo credit: Drew A. Kelley

The timing couldn't be more perfect. Last night, I caught Orange County's own Something Corporate in a glorious reunion show on the Main Stage at The Bamboozle at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The band was great and the crowd packed in front of singer-pianist Andrew McMahon, lead guitarist Josh Partington, bassist Kevin "Clutch" Page and drummer Brian Ireland was enthuasiastic. Big time.
Today comes a press release with more exciting news about Something Corporate, a band I have covered dating back to the mid 1990s when all of the members were attending high school in South Orange County:

The Reunion of Alt-Rock favorite Something Corporate includes concerts, new recordings and retrospective "Played in Space: The Best of Something Corporate"

LOS ANGELES, March 29, 2010 -- After a multi-year hiatus, Something Corporate has reunited, marking the occasion with a return to the studio and the stage, as well as a retrospective 2-CD collection. Played in Space: the Best of Something Corporate (Geffen/UMe) will be released April 27, 2010 and brings together 14 highlights from the acclaimed Orange County, California band's career to date. The first disc contains alt-rock favorites "I Woke Up In A Car," "If You C Jordan," "Punk Rock Princess" and "Space." The bonus CD includes a new recording, "Wait," an exclusive remix of "Forget December," the fan-favorite rarity "Konstantine" (played with power in Anaheim last night too!), the previously-unreleased in the U.S. "Watch The Sky," and a new remix of "I Woke Up In A Car" by Owl City's Adam Young. A version exclusive to iTunes also includes a new recording, "Letters To Noelle."

Just having played Bamboozle Left, the performance at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on March 28 was a homecoming for singer-pianist Andrew McMahon, lead guitarist Josh Partington, bassist Kevin "Clutch" Page and drummer Brian Ireland. They will also play Bamboozle Chicago on May 15 and Bamboozle East on May 1. To coincide with the announcment of these shows, the Something Corporate online merch store, http://www.somethingcorporate.com/soco/store is also relaunching. The new store features both new T-shirt designs as well as a few classics.

Since going their separate ways in 2004, McMahon founded Jack's Mannequin, released two critically acclaimed albums and defeated leukemia, while Partington formed the band Firescape. Only a brief appearance at Bamboozle Left in 2006 had brought them together until January 2010 when they re-entered a studio to "revisit a couple of demos ("Letters To Noelle" and "Wait") that," said McMahon in an interview with the Orange County Weekly, "we still loved and that we always wanted to get to."

Something Corporate's piano-driven punk-pop tunes debuted with the indie release Ready...Break in 2000 before its widely-avaiable 2001 EP Audioboxer, which included "Walking By" via Drive-Thru. The band made its major label debut with 2002's Leaving Through The Window. Played in Space: the Best of Something Corporate culls eight of that album's tracks: "I Woke Up In A Car," "Hurricane," "Fall," "I Want To Save You," "Cavanaugh Park," "If You C Jordan," "Punk Rock Princess" and "The Astronaut." 2003's North contributes "Space," "She Paints Me Blue," "Mee and the Moon," "Down" and "Ruthless."

At the dawn of the new millennium, Something Corporate was hailed as one of rock's most promising new forces. A decade later, Something Corporate is back.

Laurence Juber to perform in O.C. twice this weekend

This article was posted on the Orange County Register Web site on March 25, 2010. I took the photo seen here a few years ago at the NAMM show in Anaheim.

One of the world's best-known acoustic guitarists is returning to south Orange County for two performances this weekend.

Laurence Juber will appear in Dana Point on Friday, March 26 and in Mission Viejo on Saturday, March 27 as part of the Lord of the Strings Concert Series. Juber's latest album, "Wooden Horses," released in October by Seal Beach-based Solid Air Records, features the two-time Grammy-winning guitarist performing instrumental works that showcase his technical virtuosity and artful arrangements.

The 14 tracks on "Wooden Horses" allow the composer and fingerstyle guitarist to showcase acoustic guitar on the Latin-tinged "Guitar Noir" and the tender "Being Here with You" while delivering a "wow" factor with speedy fretwork on the jazz-minded "Maple Avenue Strut" and the ragtime-mining title track.

"Wooden Horses" was released a few months after another album featuring Juber's guitar work. "Poppin' Guitars: A Tuneful of Sherman" features instrumental guitar arrangements of songs by the Sherman Brothers. Juber's take on "A Spoonful of Sugar" (originally featured in the movie "Mary Poppins") is part of that 15-song collection.

Juber, a member of Paul McCartney and Wings in the late 1970s and early '80s, earned a Best Rock Instrumental Grammy for the track "Rockestra" (featured on Wings' 1979 album "Back to the Egg"). During Juber's solo career, he picked up a second Grammy for his guitar arrangement of "The Pink Panther Theme" featured on the "Henry Mancini - Pink Guitar" collection released in 2004. Juber has released more than a dozen full-length discs since hsi debut, "Solo Flight," in 1990.

Highlights of his solo discography include "LJ Plays the Beatles" (2000), "I've Got the World on Six Strings" (2006) and "PCH" (2007). Juber will perform at the Dana Point Community House, 24642 San Juan Ave., Dana Point, at 7:30 p.m. on March 26. He will also perform at Mission Viejo Civic Center, 200 Civic Center, Mission Viejo, at 7 p.m. on March 27. Tickets are $25.

For more information, call 949-842-2227 or visit www.LordOfTheStringsConcerts.com.

The Rolling Stones ink DVD deal with Eagle Rock Entertainment

This arrived in my box today. For fans of The Rolling Stones '70s-era gems, this news is epic.

New York, NY (March 18, 2010) - Eagle Rock Entertainment are delighted to announce that they have signed a deal with the Rolling Stones to release two DVDs this year. The Rolling Stones have long been viewed by many as Britain's most important rock 'n' roll band and these releases, concentrating on some of their finest work laid down in the 1970s, will certainly cement that reputation.

The first of the releases Stones In Exile is the story of the making of the classic album Exile On Main Street, which was released in 1972 as a double LP and is considered by many to be their masterpiece. This title is due to be released in June 2010 with substantial bonus material and follows the boradcast of the main show by the BBC in late May, and the reissue of the album at the same time.

The second of the releases is Ladies And Gentlemen...The Rolling Stones, the legendary Rolling Stones concert film from 1972. Fully restored from the original film, it will be released nationally in cinemas and then receive its first ever authorized DVD release. The title will also be released in high definition on Blu-ray in the Autumn of 2010.

The Rolling Stones line-up featured on both Stones In Exile and Ladies And Gentlemen...The Rolling Stones is: Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (guitars) Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums) and Mick Taylor (guitars). NOTE: Mick Taylor is scheduled to make a rare live appearance here in Orange County, CA when he headlines at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Thursday night, May 13, 2010.

Geoff Kempin of Eagle Rock commented, "We are delighted to add a band of such unparalleled caliber as the Rolling Stones to our catalogue and are delighted to bring to consumers a pair of such important and high quality titles."

Music of Ireland celebrated on 'Welcome Home' collection

'Music of Ireland - Welcome Home'

With the arrival of St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, now is the perfect time to celebrate the music of the Emerald Isle.

A new collection Music of Ireland - Welcome Home was released March 2, with both CD and DVD/CD versions of the release serving as companion media for the two-part Public Television (PBS) special aired this month. Ireland is a small island in the north Atlantic, but its musical influence is as mighty as any nation on the planet. While U2, Van Morrison, Bell X1, The Saw Doctors, The Corrs and The Cranberries are among my favorite of Ireland's musical exports in the rock era, there are countless more artists worth embracing that draw on the traditional Celtic roots of Ireland.

Music of Ireland boasts more than a dozen selections showcasing the authentic spirit of a sound that has influenced Americana folk, bluegrass and modern rock. When those mostly unfamiliar with traditional Irish music have asked me why I enjoy it so much, I tell them it is a combination of the rousing sing-alongs, jigs and haunting ballads performed courtesy of a palette of fiddles, mandolins, banjos and various other instruments that magically blend with the voices and melodies that are seemingly part of the DNA of those who come from Ireland.

The Music of Ireland features new material from Grammy Award-winners Moya Brennan, The Chieftains and Sinead O'Connor, as well as Academy Award-winner Glen Hansard (The Swell Season), Damien Rice, tenor Ronan Tynan, Damien Dempsey, Andrea Corr (who is the lead singer and plays tin whistle with The Corrs) and more. From O'Connor's fusion of traditional Celtic and world music styles in her "Song to the Siren" to the gorgeous blend of Uilleann pipes, fiddle, flute and Irish harp that enhance a collaboration between The Chieftains and Moya Brennan ("Lullaby for the Dead"), this fine disc serves as both an introduction for the uninitiated or a welcome addition to long-time fans of Irish music.

There are several ways to get either the CD or DVD (which features a bonus music CD of material not included on the regular CD release) version of Music of Ireland - Welcome Home. Shoppers can get them at Barnes and Noble stores that sell music, and can also purchase the tracks digitally via Amazon.com. And they will be bundled as a bonus gift for those who donate to their favorite PBS station during pledge drives.

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

And Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Toad the Wet Sprocket impresses in show at The Galaxy

Although Toad the Wet Sprocket hasn't released an album of new material since 1997's outstanding Coil, the quartet still performs a few dates every year to the delight of the band's enduring fan base.

On Friday night, the outfit proved that there are few acts better to revisit the past without being buried by it. While the majority of songs in the band's 21-song set came from TTWS's trio of best-known '90s releases (Fear, Dulcinea and the aforementioned Coil), the group offered up some rare music from its earliest days with a shimmering "Way Away" from the band's 1989 debut Bread and Circus the uptempo pop-rocker "P.S." (unreleased until 1999 when it was included on a retrospective) and the evolving ballad-to-rocker "Torn" from 1990's Pale.

Although there was a looseness to the set (notably singer-guitarists Glen Phillips and Todd Nichols having to frequently tune their own guitars), Toad continues to use the power of its songbook and its ability to perform those songs with precision to please audiences like the large one that filled the Galaxy on Friday.

Phillips' voice continues to marvel, whether singing the haunting lines of "Something's Always Wrong" or fiery folk rock of "Fall Down," and Nichols' guitar work was displayed in all ways subtle ("Crowing") and straightforward ("Brother") over the course of 90 minutes. And the use of spot-on two- and three-part harmonies added power to many of the songs, especially on the country-folk of "Windmills."

The set list included all the band's best-known hits ("All I Want," "Whatever I Fear," "Good Intentions" and the night-ending "Walk on the Ocean"), but was clearly lifted with the inclusion of Toad's line-up (including original members Randy Guss on drums and Dean Dinning on bass and backing vocals) backing Phillips as he sang his solo material (including a wonderful "Everything But You" from his album Mr. Lemons).

As time marches on, these Toad outings become more precious. And as Phillips sang so movingly as the concert moved to its inevitable conclusion: "And somebody told me that this is the place / where everything's better, everything's safe."

Area band Whalen opened the show with a solid mix of country-styled rock in the tradition of the Eagles and Poco. The highlight of the band's set were the catchy "Better All the Time" and "Live Like a Daydream."

Watch DEVO on TV's 'Yo Gabba Gabba' on March 11

It's about time that the influential band DEVO returned to the well-deserved spotlight. Here is the latest news about the band and how you can tune in/Tivo/DVR to catch the group play a new song on Thursday, March 11, 2010:

Burbank, CA – Oh No, it’s DEVO! That’s right, D-E-V-O performing a new song on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.’s YO GABBA GABBA this Thursday, March 11, at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. respectively.

Mark, Jerry, Bob 1 and Bob 2 will perform “Watch us Work It,” on the YO GABBA GABBA show this coming Thursday carried on both Nickelodeon at 10:30 a.m. and again on Nick Jr. at 1 p.m. PST. Check local listings in your time zone for details. Can also check www.nickjr.com for further info.

Once again, go directly to http://www.clubdevo.com/colorstudy to be part of a public color study to help determine the outcome of necessary and important data to be used by DEVO! It’s fun and you’ll help make history before history is made!

Spud Fashion never dies! Display your allegiance with new DEVO merchandise @ www.clubdevo.com/shop. If you haven’t already, hear “Fresh” now at: www.clubdevo.com

The Bird and the Bee's tribute to Hall & Oates

John Oates, guitar in hand, made a surprise guest appearance with The Bird and The Bee on March 5.

Anybody that is a frequent reader of this blog or my music coverage in The Orange County Register knows I am a long-time fan of Hall & Oates.

So it's no surprise I'm pleased with The Bird and The Bee's Interpreting The Masters Volume 1: A Tribute To Daryl Hall and John Oates, set for release by EMI's Blue Note Records on March 23, 2010.

Here is the release from EMI that landed in my inbox earlier today:

The Bird and The Bee, the duo of singer Inara George and multi-instrumentalist/producer Greg Kurstin, kicked off a musical scavenger hunt for their fans today by premiering all nine songs from their new album Interpreting The Masters Volume 1: A Tribute To Daryl Hall and John Oates on nine different Web sites: AOL Spinner, BrooklynVegan, Entertainment Weekly, Idolator, MySpace, PerezHilton, Prefix, and SPIN, and USA Today. The acclaimed band's third full-length album, which will be released March 23 on EMI's Blue Note Records, is a love letter to famed "rock and soul" duo Hall & Oates that features eight classic covers along with one new (and awesome, I might add) original song "Heard It On The Radio."

The Bird and The Bee played a once-in-a-lifetime concert on Friday night (March 5) at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles to celebrate the album release, and were joined on stage by very special surprise guest John Oates for performances of "Maneater," "She's Gone" and "I Can't Go For That." In a rave review in today's Los Angeles Times, writer August Brown wrote that Oates "couldn't have asked for a more articulate love letter than the one the bird and the bee just gave him." The entire concert was webcast live at Livestream.com, and will be archived on the site starting on Monday, March 22.

I know I was at writer Whitney Matheson's popular Pop Candy blog on USA Today earlier today and they were streaming "Private Eyes." It sounded so great that I had to go back and listen to my digital advance of the full tribute album. I'll have more to say about this wonderful The Bird and The Bee tribute the week of its release.

Upcoming shows aplenty: BugGiRL, The Church & more

BugGiRL will be in Huntington Beach on March 2, 2010.

For those of us who live in Orange County, the good news is that bands going on tour that land in Los Angeles increasingly offer up shows behind the OC too.

March and April 2010 offer up plenty of great shows. While we'll have to drive to Hollywood to see Sir Paul McCartney or head east to see Muse, Devo, Band of Skulls and tons of others at the Coachella fest in Indio April 16-18, there will be plenty of concert choices in our own backyard.

Things kick off tomorrow, March 2, when the Australian sister/brother duo BugGiRL (Amber and Clinno) perform at Fitzgerald's Pub, 19171 Magnolia St., Huntington Beach. Since forming in 2004, BugGiRL has performed throughout Europe, North America and their native land Down Under. They are touring in support of their latest release, the five-track EP Blood, Sweat & Beers. This record, the band's third, is described in a press release as "a blast of fearless rock 'n' roll."

If you don't catch the band in Huntington Beach on Tuesday, they play in Banning, CA on March 3.

Information: http://www.buggirl.net/.

One of my favorite power-pop bands of the '90s, the Gin Blossoms, will return to The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday night, March 27. Also on the bill is one of OC's best Americana outfits, The Fallen Stars.

Also coming to the Coach House is Australia's The Church. The legendary band, which formed in 1980 and is best known for its 1988 hit "Under the Milky Way," is kicking off its tour of the U.S. as part of the band's celebration of its 30th year together with this special acoustic-styled show.

Finally, for those not making the trek out to Coachella next month, Canadian singer-songwriter-guitarist Bruce Cockburn is headlining at the Coach House on Friday, April 16.

For more information on any of the upcoming concerts at The Coach House, visit http://www.thecoachhouse.com/ or call the venue at 949-496-8930.