Chewing the Clef

2008-03-03T19:17:00.003-05:00

Rufus Wainwright & Lucy Wainwright Roche -- Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh

No. Not THAT Carnegie Hall. Sorry. Rufus and his half-sister played the Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh (Homestead), PA, on January 3, 2008. What a fantastic way to kick off the new year!

I've been a Rufus fan for a number of years and was anxious to hear him live. I wondered if he would perform in drag or not. Not. Before I ever got a glimpse of him, his sister Lucy strolled onto the stage at the beautiful Carnegie Music Hall, appearing somewhat awkward and shy, and performed a great set of songs. She's a very funny story teller and likes to rib Rufus whenever she gets a chance. And she has a great, soaring, voice that belts out her lifestories in somewhat "Roches" reminiscent phrasing of amusing little vignets. Her mom is Suzzy Roche of the great girl band, The Roches. I loved the Roches when I was in my twenties. I loved Lucy too!

She shared a story about when she and Rufus were children. He used to make her lie, silent and motionless, on the family couch while he performed various operatic arias over her. Lucy was a school teacher for most of her early years and recently quit teaching to perform full time. She gets lost (a lot) on the road and spends a lot of hours alone in her car. She'll tell you all about it when you see her.

Rufus came out dressed in clog shoes, a black jacket, jeans, and a nice shirt. As soon as the first notes of his first song came trickling out of the stage piano, I knew we were in for a treat. He is such an accomplished pianist! He actually studied piano and added his voice later.

His song phrasing is as delicate as any studio CD ... even more pronounced and theatrical on stage. He talked a lot when the mood hit him -- otherwise, he does and sings whatever he pleases. He's so flamboyant ... and you can't help but love him as he stands alone on the empty stage with his piano behind him and a desire thrust forward to be "the next huge STAR" (dammit!) He actually whined that he should have been a much bigger star by now with his accomplished family credentials and that Carnegie Hall, NY, Judy Garland stint. Agreed. He really is amazing. Word has it that his next CD will be an opera. That's fitting for Rufus.

I love this guy. He's talented and funny and deserves a big shot at stardom. Problem is ... his art should be enough to propel him and not his "why not me" declarations. Don't get me wrong. I think he deserves a lot of attention. Awww, who knows? Maybe his whining will get him noticed after all. And wouldn't that be a gift to so many?

I wish I could have seen him with his sister, Martha, though. I really liked Lucy (she's very talented and very entertaining on stage) but I LOVE Martha! Oh well ... maybe next time. He seemed to like the quirkiness of the 'Burgh and the incredible Carnegie Music Hall venue so maybe (fingers crossed) he'll be back again some day.

2008-03-03T18:36:00.005-05:00

Tori Amos -- "American Doll Posse"

Tori and her band played Pittsburgh's Benedum Center October 30,2007, to a sold out crowd. I was a "Tori nut" when she first broke into alternative radio playlists with Cornflake Girl. I really liked her sound and was impressed with her lyrics. I purchased "Under the Pink" and "Little Earthquakes" and then nothing until "Boys for Pele." They were all good CD's. I wouldn't have gone out of my way to see her live show but my girlfriend REALLY wanted to see her and got some good tickets.

Her shows are attended by fanatical fans (was that redundant? LOL!) They know every lyric and nuance to her stage performances and, in the end, become part of the show. The woman next to me actually squeeled several times during the first few notes of a song. We ran into a few fans beforehand at a local watering hole. Evidently (we didn't see the message from the band) the show was a Halloween Show and everyone was supposed to dress up. The themes from her songs include a lot of references to organized religion and the fans we ran into were dressed up as Satan and three Altar Boys. They had met her earlier in the day and were very complimentary of Tori's personal attention to their doting. It's nice to hear about such a huge star actually spending time with fans before a big show.

The show itself was mesmerizing. I really didn't know about the concept for the CD or the fact that Tori often dresses up as various evil/good personas named Santa, Isabel, Pip, Clyde, and Tori. Over the years, Tori has suffered from numerous bouts of depression and a very public retelling of a rape. All of the personas represent different aspects of her being. It was a very entertaining part of the show as she totally "became" each persona on stage.

She played simultaneous organ and piano for several of the songs -- stretching her arms and turning around to play the organ at points. I was very impressed with her voice and her ability to really jam. And her costumes were fabulous! My favorite song of the evening was "Caught A Light Sneeze." What an amazing performance vocally.

I would really recommend seeing her live but make sure you dust off the old CD's and watch some of her videos (there are six of them) before going. Otherwise, you'll miss out on all of the audience participation. She has been nominated for a Grammy nine times since she began packaging CD's in 1990. She has sold more than 12 million CD's and is considered one of the most active touring artists in the world.

I'm sure there aren't many folks out there that haven't heard Tori's amazing voice but just in case you're one of them, you may want to check out these sites for more information: http://www.toriamos.com/ and http://thepiratebay.org/ for some great bootleg concerts. Of course you can always read all about Tori at wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tori_Amos
She is truly a gem.

Oh ... and Bruce? Thanks for the nudge. This post is LONGGGGGGGGGGG overdue.

2007-07-23T16:49:00.000-05:00

Neko Case -- "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood"

Do you know how a really great show lingers for days afterward; starry refrains of absolute perfection suddenly floating through your mind at the oddest of moments? I've been hearing strains of Neko's lush vocal opening to John Saw That Number over and over again -- completely offset by the throbbing under beat of Deep Red Bells. Neko has been on continuous loop in my brain and it seems that no matter how hard I try, I can't go back to the exact moment in time when she stood a mere four rows from me with her red mane of hair trailing behind her as she began her 90-minute slice of vocal heaven.

To say that her live performance at the Byham Theater last Thursday was spellbinding would be an understatement. A lot of artists rely upon the magic of the studio to enhance their vocals. Not this woman. She can wail like Patsy Cline reincarnated. I also heard strains of Lorretta Lynn and kd Lang which, I guess, is why reviewers always tag her as alt-country. She doesn't seem to care for that label nor anyone photographing her because it makes her extremely nervous. What really struck me about her stage performance was how quickly she transitioned from laughing and kidding around with her long-time friend and backup singer, Kelly Hogan, to the hushed sweet opening lines of Maybe Sparrow two seconds later. It blew my mind!

Her backing band (the Jon Rauhouse Quartet featuring Paul Rigby on upright bass, Barry Mirochnick on drums, Jon Rauhouse on banjo, lap steel and steel guitar, Kelly Hogan on backing vocals, and Tommy Connell on guitars) was tight and well-rehearsed. Jon's been playing with her for a very long time and does an incredible job laying down the tempo with Barry.

Kelly is in a league of her own, truly. She has a fantastic set of pipes that perfectly complement Neko's soaring vocals and quieter refrains. So many reviewers have mentioned their hysterical stage rapport and it's true, it's all true.

At one one point during the show, Neko mentioned something about Virginia baked ham and pickles and Kelly went off on her own tangent about pickles with Neko prodding her on by asking whether she liked dill pickles or sweet pickles.

"Oh, I love pickles ... any kind ... you can just line 'em all up in front of me here on this stage," Kelly answered, using her hand to point out the make-believe pickle jars arranged before her.

At another point in the show, Kelly was coming back onstage and her ring (well, it was supposed to be a ring but it was HUGE and had caught my eye earlier because I swore it was blinking) flew off of her finger and into the audience. A woman sitting in the first row searched around and found it for her. Neko deadpanned, "Thanks 2B ... you know, the kind woman sitting in seat 2B." Evidently, as Kelly explained, she had just applied some hand lotion. She then proceeded to set her Dr. Pepper chapstick on the stage near Neko and it rolled away.

"Would you like some Dr. Pepper chapstick, Neko?" Kelly asked her, after she retrieved the renegade lip balm. Neko smiled and said that Dr. Pepper chapstick reminded her of the very first time she made out with a boy. It was her best friend's older brother who had a real thing for David Lee Roth. In fact, as she explained, he had this photo of himself and Roth displayed right next to his bed. Her friendship with his sister ended that day and all she was left with was the memory of him pulling away in his MG Midget wearing super short shorts. Evidently, Tommy Connell has a cousin by the name of the guy she made out with and she was very quick to reassure Tommy that it was definitely not his cousin.

BANG! Right into the next song without a pause.

It was strange at times, laughing so hard in one moment and then hearing Neko's ethereal voice filling the Byham to the gills. I loved it and never wanted it to end. But end, it did, after two encores. She played a fantastic set, mixing in old, older, and new(er) (Fox Confessor having been released last year). She joked that she couldn't real say that this was from her new album anymore.

Hey, when you have an album as good as Fox Confessor, keep playing it. She did every song complete justice - spot on! She didn't play the entire Fox CD but those she did perform sounded absolutely dreamy, even the scarier tunes like Dirty Knife (she called them her Halloweeny songs). She has finally peeked out from behind the instruments long enough to find her voice and let it shine. Welcome home, Ms. Case. You have arrived.

After the show, we wandered out to the merchandise table to pick up a CD or two. I was trying to decide which CD to buy (Blacklisted or Canadian Amp) when suddenly, the crowd erupted with clapping and cheering. I looked up to find myself face to face with Neko! What an unexpected and perfect ending to an unbelievable show. She is just as lovely up close as the photos would have you believe only more naturally beautiful. Stunning!

You can read my full review of Fox Confessor here. If you like Neko and don't already have her Austin City Limits DVD, buy it. It is very beautiful but lacking the onstage banter between Kelly and Neko. Still ... amazing! It's pre-Fox Confessor (Maybe Sparrow aside, as she was first starting to perform that one but not with the full range of vocal power she uses now) so don't expect to hear Hold On Hold On or Margaret vs. Pauline.

I guess I should mention the opening act, Eric Bachmann. He didn't blow me away by any stretch. If I heard one more song about the ocean or including "the depths" in the lyrics, I was honestly considering heading out to the bar. His drummer (and I use the term drummer VERY loosely) also played guitar and forget to plug it in for the first song she played. The highlight, by far, was his violinist Kate O'Brien. She was fantastic! Okay, as my mother used to tell me ... if you can't say something nice ... don't say anything at all. I said something but not as much as I could have.

Thanks for reading. Please drop me a line with your favorite Kelly and Neko moment.

2007-06-25T17:58:00.000-05:00

WYEP Summer Music Festival -- Featuring Jon Check, Ike Reilly Assassination, Kim Richey, Sinead O'Connor, and M.o.e.

WYEP FM 91.3 does a free music event every year to cap off their "Live at the Warhol" World Cafe tapings which is just such a fantastic idea. Major kudos to our local independent radio station for being the frontrunner in creating venues for independent artists. This is their tenth year of the event and the attendance just keeps growing. The audience was a real mix - young and old, straight and gay, homeless (thank you, homeless dancing man with the empty fifth in your hand), educated and working class. It's just so great to see so many different people turn out for these shows. The World Cafe broadcasts will take place in July.

Jon Check was up first as the ice breaker. He's a Philadelphia boy that attended the U. of Pittsburgh for a journalism degree and stuck around. WYEP plays his soulful music on occasion and I've always liked his voice and groovy tunes. He played with two backup singers from the area which lent a little more breadth to his sound. I liked them but it was pretty early (i.e. not enough wine and cheese just yet) to really engage me. His voice is deep and reminiscent of Michael McDonald though some have compared him to Van, the man, which I just don't hear. His background includes a blue grass band and a deep love of Otis Redding. He's trying to get picked up in Hollywood right now. You can hear his music at his band's site. "If You Come with Me" is his best-known tune. Catchy and smart.

Ike Reilly Assassination, playing second, is a band I really don't know much about. They had a low key stage presence and the performance (aside from his four rabid fans seated in the middle of the lawn) left me feeling kind of ho-hum. I kept watching the fans to try and tune in to what this guy was about but it just wasn't happening. What kind of ticked me off about him was his total diss of WYEP and the three (THREE) live performance opportunities in Pittsburgh(the Three Rivers Arts Festival, the World Cafe taping, and the free WYEP show). He should have been grateful for the exposure.

His May release, "We Belong to the Staggering Evening," has received some decent reviews and he's considered a long-overdue "up and comer," a "genius drunk" or "brilliant lyricist" depending on which review you read, but I still didn't find any real connection with the outdoor live show having never heard his music first. He's playing the Austin City Limits Music Festival - check him out and let me know what you think. You can hear his music on myspace. Some gritty guitar. Some punk themes. Some hard driving rock. I'm going to check out more of his stuff before pronouncing that I don't care for him.

Kim Richey, the third performer in this day of free music, was as funny and as endearing as ever. She played a great set and garnered some new fans which is great! She deserves more fans that treasure her songwriting although I'd hate to start fighting for tickets to see her intimate shows at Club Cafe. Out of the front three bands, she was the only one to thank the fans and WYEP for providing a great venue for performing. And she knew enough to ask for free beer when she played her last song. My co-worker's husband, Jim, was kind enough to give her one as I'm sure many other fans did too.

One highlight of her performance was when the huge river boat, the Gateway Clipper, cruised past her on the river and blared its river horn a few times. She only heard the last deep blast after her song ended and asked the crowd how long that thing was blowing its horn because she thought it was her guitar player ("What in the WORLD is going on over there?!").

Her new CD, "Chinese Boxes," is due out July 10th and I love the title track and Jack and Jill. Yet another fabulous effort from Kim. We love you, Kim ... keep playing Pittsburgh a few times a year! Still don't know about Kim?! Check out her myspace page and read her blog. The airport entry is funny stuff! Keep your switchblade from Ray Kennedy (a great English footballer ... as in soccer) at home next time, dear.

Next up, the venerable (yes, still adorning a crew cut) Sinead O'Conner dressed in a green frock shirt over green pants (I swear, it was an Irish pantsuit from where I was sitting!). I guess having four children (the eldest now 20+ years old) takes its toll on your fashion options. That's okay ... I wasn't there to see her outfit. I have to keep my natural instinct in check to say something cheesy like ... it's been seven years ... and fifteen days ... since she last released a new CD ... even though it HAS BEEN seven years since her last release. Okay ... and not so much in check. Sorry.

Her shredding the photo of the Pope on Saturday Night Live (still fresh as ever in some people's minds), her dark comments that always seem to make the front page, many references about her leaving live shows because she didn't "feel well," and life since being thrust into fame at age 23 filled with thoughts of suicide and philosophical meanderings about life and death and religion that very few outwardly express to the media, be damned! Actually, I have always admired her truthfulness even if it crushed her career in some ways although it would have ROYALLY pissed me off if she left a show I'd paid good money for because she didn't feel well (I'm catty that way). I should mention here that she was finally diagnosed with bipolar mental illness although swears that didn't cause any of the more notable outbursts. Her meds have really regulated her life into a peaceful calm of family life.

A lot of my friends had come to hear her and her only and I can't say that I really blamed them for leaving early (okay ... in a way, I thought that was just ignorance ... she's a brilliant vocalist and songwriter ... and I had to secretly wonder if they had been living under a rock) but they didn't do their homework on her newest double CD release "Theology." Tsk ... tsk ... early leavers! You missed "Black Boys on Mopeds" for an encore with her soaring legendary voice. And hey folks, she's only playing three U.S. dates - one in NYC, one in LA LA land, and one in Pittsburgh of all of the places! This was special.

Anyhow, I was in absolute awe from the first note to be sitting twenty feet from her. I mean ... OH MY GAWWWWWWWWD ... there's tiny little SINEAD freaking O'CONNOR tuning up on a stage just feet from me!!! Let's just say, she's still angry after all of these years but in a super subdued, let's get 'em with the truth in their faces and no shouting involved, way. She made a good point during her show. God is a much different conversation than religion.

She talked about God and the Palestinians and Israel. She was quiet and purposeful and the audience appreciative of even seeing her. At one point in the show, she scanned the crowd for a rastifarian but could find none until the bald man in the first row let her know that, even though he was bald too, he was, indeed rastafarian. I saw many, many fans with dreds. She played a few reggae inspired tunes including "Redemption Song" with her own twist to the lyrics. Her new CD, a double one, features the same tracks recorded in two different places - a small venue and a fully produced version. I can't say that I'll run out to buy it but it does make for intriguing music. It was such a thrill to see her, no matter what she sang.

M.o.e. closed the evening with a really interesting set of jazz/fusion guitar infused jam band music. The hillsides filled with patchoulli-wearing, glow stick throwing, fans and lots of high end audio recording equipment. They played a great show and, if my ears didn't deceive me, threw out more than just a few licks of Pittsburgh native George Benson's songs. At one point, the dancing throng shouted back "On BROADWAY... on broadway" which so took me back to growing up in Pittsburgh and listening to one native son who made it big. We danced the night away to M.o.e.'s great sound.

It was a fabulous day filled with interesting music in a fantastic venue (Alleghey landing ... with the Pittsburgh skyline and the Allegheny River in the background). I feel so lucky to live in Pittsburgh. Oh ... and we WERE voted Most Livable City once again. Rock on, 'Burgers! Rock on!

2007-06-19T20:08:00.000-05:00

Jackie Greene -- "American Myth"

I missed Robert Randolph's band the first weekend of the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Arts Festival (TRAF) because he was a "no show" and stuck in some airport in New Jersey (many, many BOO HISS's followed that announcement amidst the Grateful Dead and Dave Matthews tee shirt-adorned crowd -- we headed over to the Market Square venue and got to catch Phat Man Dee live which was a real treat aside from the Original Oyster House beer nazi but that's a story for another day -- and word has it that amazing mini concerts and drumming circles broke out after that announcement -- DAMN!).

There were plenty of other free music shows to be seen during the TRAF but Jackie Greene and Rickie Lee Jones were high on the "gee ... wouldn't it be GREAT to see them live" list. Kudos to WYEP FM yet again! They bring great shows to the TRAF every year. Jackie Greene highlighted the "Album of the Year " list for WYEP last year so I figured he was a good bet for a free live show. And, while I would have love, love, loved to see Rickie Lee live .... it wasn't meant to be.

Jackie is young looking. Very young looking. And, in fact, if wikipedia holds true, he's only 26. Okay ... yeah ... so ... I'm freaking ANCIENT then at 42 and could, truth be told, be his mother. *snicker* We guessed he was 21. Not bad. But oh, what an ancient soul sings at the mics. Two mics. One a standard and one from the old B movies with the wide, deep sound (sorry I don't know what the name of the mic is ... fill me in, if you do). Reviewers that compare him to Dylan are misguided, I think. Yeah, he's got that Dylan vibe on a few songs but he doesn't pretend to be Dylan in any way, shape, or form. Nor does he pretend to be Mick Jagger. He's just Jackie and he loves what he does which is play amazing live shows.

He entered the stage with black pants, black blazer, black sirt, and black shades ... Johnny Cash or Tom Petty or Dylan ... reincarnate? Nah. Just a Monterey, CA, boy with a great sense of rhythm and nice set of pipes.

His facial expressions, tightening this way (lip curling and cheeks up on high) and then releasing that way (eyes opening and mouth drooping), as he pulled the top note on his Gibson guitar ... tight and filled with vibrato. He appeared calm and reserved and into delta blues overdrive love or harmonica hooting (strung around his neck) ... for the tunes that sunk into that groove (many). His band was really tight and loose, at turns, but he definitely held the lead with his guitar virtuoso and stage presence.

The music carried him (and us) away, at times. He wailed on his numerous guitars and played, simultaneously, the organ and piano. He wailed on the harmonica. He smoked a lot on stage (as much as a live performer can smoke before the next refrain starts - much to the chagrin of a boisterous Mom behind us that kept shouting out -- "JACKIE! DON'T SMOKE!"). He bitched about the piano stool they gave him because it made it hard to play both keyboards at the same time ... but the crowd, they cheered on and he lit into his show closer after a standing ovation, which was so Rolling Stones ... oh SO ROCKING ... and delicious ... we didn't spend a moment's time on the poor stool selection or his lighting up another smoke ("Farewell, So Long, Goodbye").

Women shouted out "I'll Be Thinking 'Bout You" throughout the show and it is a good song but he didn't play it. Two fans near us in the second row sat there for hours with prime spots and were so happy to talk about Jackie and how he hooked them. We were just happy we had a spot to eat our $10 arts fest meals. One guy hopped up on a chair to get his autograph ... screaming his name into the travel trailer. Cool. It's always nice to encounter devoted fans.

Standouts for me included: I'm so Gone (great guitar intro and melody), Closer to You, and Farewell, So Long, Goodbye. Jackie's got a great delta vibe that can really only be experienced live. His CD falls short of his great skill.

If you want to find out more about Jackie Greene, check out his My Space page and his web site which features a huge warning that he doesn't appreciate live photos. Ah well ... Jackie, my man .... puffy eyes ... be damned! You're still cute. Streamjackiegreene.com is no longer active. Bummer. JG is best experienced live. Go see him if he's around.

2007-05-31T20:32:00.000-05:00

Anne McCue -- "Koala Motel"

Theresa and I finally got to see Anne McCue perform May 11, 2007, and it was worth the wait. We had tix for Valentine's Day but she was snowed in and canceled. Serious bummer when your Valentine's Day vibe is a no show. Uh huh. We made out somehow. *wink*

We were offered tix to a Scott Miller and the Commonwealth opener instead. Scott ... he's an okay performer and a great conversationalist. He's a little bit country and a lot boring, if you ask me, but maybe I've seen too many Pittsburgh homeboys and gals up there strumming their tales with as much acumen. Ech ... maybe. I dunno. He's alright. I like him as a human being. Now ... headliner Miss Anne McCue ... well, that's another story!

Man, can that woman wail on the guitar! She's an awesome musician. One of the tracks (I Want You Back) features Lucinda Williams which sounds great. Her drummer had to fill in for Lucinda's vocals at the show and joked that he probably wasn't drunk enough yet (guess either Lucinda fell off the wagon or he doesn't know she's sober these days). Driving Down Alverado was worth the price of admission. Truly.

Her fingers fly across the frets and her hair hides her expressionless expressions ... as she powers through it with musical dexterity rarely seen in a female guitar player. I was absolutely blown away, as was the crowd that had gathered to see Scott Miller and the Commonwealth. We were two of the few she greeted to sign her CD that had actually come to see HER perform. She seemed amused when she questioned first Theresa and then me about finding her by mistake. We reassured her that we were there to see HER. The rest were converts, I'm sure. Maggots.

She is an absolute master of the guitar and does this unbelievable lap steel guitar gig that had people asking what the hell the instrument was. Classic moment. For sure. The woman three tables back shouting out "what is THAT?!"

Whatever stringed instrument is laid before her, she plays it well. On Hellfire Raiser, you seriously could have heard a pin drop. She is not a great vocal performer. Not by any stretch. But her guitar virtuoso has to be witnessed in person to be believed. Honestly. She is waaaaay up there with the greats. And screw that asshat that questioned who she was on her My Space video of her Jimi Hendrix cover Machine Gun. She ain't no singer ... but MAN ... can that GIRL PLAY!

If you want to learn more about Anne McCue (and you should) check these sites out: her web site: http://www.annemccue.com/ or her My Space page. This is a guitar player to watch. She'll crop up on tons of songs. Just you wait and see.

2007-05-31T19:21:00.000-05:00

Patty Griffin -- "Children Running Through"

First off, the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh is an excellent venue so I was REALLY excited to see Patty play there again. Second, her sound man was awful. But ... it WAS Patty after all ... and thank God for that! This woman CAN SING like few others live.

She came out, quietly, and sat down at the (poorly tuned) piano to begin her set and successfully crooned out two incredible tunes (set list below). Her fans love her so much. It's evident in the quiet envelope of her first two acoustic choices and it gave her a chance to show off her pipes. Much appreciated.

There were numerous posts to the Mad Mission fan board following the show but none of them commented on the crappola sound. I wasn't surprised because Patty fans are of the rabid variety that lean toward the "glass is half full" reviews. I still have some semblance of "well, .... okay" left in me to be objective. And I have to add, for those of you trying to figure out if you want to go see her as a newbie with little to no previous adoration embedded, she puts on one hell of a great solo artist show and she was nominated twice for a Grammy. Okay? And ... her voice is like pure velvet streaming down your back.

That said. Onto the other stuff.

Her set included:

J'irai La Voir Un Jour - solo/piano
First Star - solo/piano
Get Yourself Another Fool (Sam Cooke song)
Stay on the Ride
Trapeze (no Emmy Lou Harris but it lovely, nonetheless)
Useless Desires
Burgundy Shoes - piano
Kite Song - piano
As Cold as it Gets - solo
Mary - solo
Be Careful - Patty & Doug
When it Don't Come Easy
No Bad News
Love Throw a Line
Heavenly Day
I Don't Ever Give
Up Up to the Mountain - Patty vocals/Doug guitar Truth #2

Encores:
Sweet Lorraine
Rain
Getting Ready

Personally, because I am such a crazy, rabid, nutball, off-the-charts "Flaming Red" CD fan, I love the harder rocking stuff on this new effort. The Heavenly Day song is ... um ... so, so for me. It's beautiful to hear her sing it live -- there is NO questioning THAT -- but it might have been a better second single off of this CD. Just my opinion. Burgundy Shoes is an absolute RINGER for the soft rock stations -- push THAT instead. Once again, my humble opinion. America needs some home comfort right now. That's an ace in the hole. Total Americana.

Her band totally rocked out on Truth #2 and No Bad News! It was a joy to watch her turn her back to us and fully engage with some hard strumming. WHEW! Man, she rocked those two and left us wanting more. Me, at least. *grin* The best part of the hard rockin' portion was watching Doug .... play a white wash bucket with his sticks ... the bucket flew off five feet in the air at the end. AWESOME!

Thank goodness that Dave Matthews' ATO Record label picked her up after that debacle with the Silver Bell CD. We are better human beings for having listened to her art. And how exciting is this? In 2007, the Atlantic Theater Company will produce "10 Million Miles," a musical based on the music of Patty Griffin, with book by Keith Bunin, directed by Michael Mayer. I mean ... really ... a TRIBUTE to her craft. It should be, if it's done right, awesome. It opens June 14th Off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company at The Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20th Street).

If you want to find out more about Patty or listen to her stuff, check out: her Mad Mission posting board for emails on her shows; her own site; or her My Space page. Enjoy! Bad sound men, be damned! Patty girl? You ROCK!

2007-05-31T18:56:00.000-05:00

G. Love & Special Sauce -- "Lemonade"

Philadelphia native Garrett Dutton III, born a day after me nearly a decade later, offered up some tantalizing mixes that got the crowd movin' and groovin' at Mr. Smalls Theater April 11, 2007. This guy puts the punctuation on all of the right high notes with his gritty pseudo-rapping and harmonica wailing. Everything that comes out of the microphone is slurred to the point of no return for 40-somethings ... but you get the gist of it.

The place was packed and we hung out in the back bar, far from the swaying masses and drunken loan Harley dude off to the right. This guy could barely stand, let alone sing, and SING (loudly), he did. It was an interesting mix of young and old, hardcore biker dudes, and preppy frat dudes. *note to self: only two african americans spotted ... interesting. Theresa and I stood out like sore thumbs. We simply didn't fit the demographic but that didn't dull my enthusiasm for singing along with "My Baby's Got Sauce" and "Rodeo Clowns," his hit featuring Jack Johnson which I love, love, love ... no sauce, please.

The "G." in G. Love stands for "Good" and good, they are. No mystery there. The band, which started out in 1994, is now known for its live shows and I have to say, having seen him twice (once in Austin at the Austin City Limits Festival and once in Pittsburgh in a packed indoor show), he delivers. He has this great way of connecting with the audience and engaging them in the show. The band is really rocking and backs him superbly. You can't help but shout, "You CAN'T GO BACK to Jersey" when the full band is grooving away. And you know? You just can't. Go back to Jersey, that is.

Check out more information about G. Love & Special Sauce at their My Space page or their Fan Site page and, for God's sake, check them out live in your home town!

2007-04-02T20:48:00.000-05:00

Alejandro Escovedo -- "The Boxing Mirror"

I really wish I could say that I saw some really incredible guitar playing last Saturday night. I can't. What I was able to discern five feet and two inches above the crowd (which ain't above the crowd when you're dug in near the bar, mind you) was an absolutely incredible artist with an amazing backing band tear down and rebuild a standing room only crowd at Club Cafe in Pittsburgh's South Side. How could I have missed this guy for so many years?! Okay, so I missed the drunken ride and got to hear his sober passion (that's PASSION, all in caps) strung out across the venue like Christmas lights.

Alejandro played with two celloists, a violinist, and two guitarists. My tall scouts for the stage reported back the instruments before the show started.

"No drumset?" I asked.

"No drums," came the reply from their tip-toed position above the crowd.

The three of us stood in awe for a moment, comprehending the immensity of his band's sound with the fact that he don't need no stinkin' drums, man. Well, alrighty then! Bring 'em on!

I kind of cheated for this show, having seen his live set on Austin City Limits (ACL), but figured there was no way in hell's half acre that he could load up that tiny stage with a quintet. I failed to register the fact that he had no drummer. Blame it on a late night or one too many beers, I reckon'. I was ecstatic that the entire ACL band was in attendance for the night's show.

My friends, Jeff and Christine, had caught his ACL act too (blew them away) and that was the only reason they were out slumming in the South Side with us that night. My girlfriend, Theresa, asked me what he looked like and I described him like this: he's tall, very hispanic looking, dark skinned, thin, wears a suit, and has very tidy hair. I can't say he's all that tall after having him wade past me to get to the green room to prep but the rest of the description fit. He wore a ruffled tux shirt underneath a black jacket and literally glided through the packed room. The guy's got mojo on top of mojo.

His band is tight. Think shoehorn tight and you'd be close. They complement each other and work through the expanding punk-like instrumental segues like butter gliding across an english muffin. It's rough in spots and gels in heavenly pools at moments. It's almost more than your lyrical brain, tapping toe, and personal spiritual journey can simultaneously take all in one crescendoed moment. (is that a word?) It's great jamming passion reminiscent of the old Doors or Dead but not nearly as long ... although some songs must have clocked in around ten minutes. He opened with Baby's Got New Plans, a soaring testiment to the tightness of the band and his vocal abilities. He hooked me on the first swell.

Stand outs included Dear Head on the Wall penned by his wife, poet Kim Christoff, from a truck stop with the only phone reception in the area that unfortunately for the vegan (then girlfriend of Alejandro) Christoff featured all sorts of dead animals on the walls. Alejandro told a great story about the poem yet confided that he really didn't understand it entirely but got the gist of it. Lucky for us, eh?

His quintet really broke loose for Break This Time, a rollicking tune underscored by life's tragedies (perhaps his nearly life-ending battle with Hepatitis C a few years back?) He performed a good number of songs from his acclaimed 2001 "A Man Under the Influence" CD with great gusto. All of the material seemed fresh: he played them with an incredible sensitivity and connection with the material that's often lacking after so much time.

He introduced Castanets with chagrin in knowing that Tony Snow published this as one of President Bush's iPod favorites. Eeeeee-GADS! I'm with you, Al.

All in all, a fantastic show, with many memorable moments and great sidebars from this humble, very talented man and his unbelievable backing band. I really lucked out on this pick and I'm grateful for it. Who knew that a punk upstart could create such musically dense, engaging, and satisfying music filled with strings? And who knew that Sheila E's uncle was such a rocker? And who knew that his entire family (damned near) is just as talented? Not me, that's for sure. What a delightful introduction to a new fav.

I can definitely see how he uses his musical ancestry intermingled with his life path to create his vibe. From latin jazz to rock to punk and alt-country; from Austin to San Fran and all the trips along the way, it's in there. It's a beautiful creation culled from years of artistic influences and personal observation squeezed through the seive of his triumphs and tragedies. When he yells "And everybody says they love me but I don't know why," it's as genuine and resounding today as when he performed it more than eight years ago. Only this time, when he sings the refrain, I'd bet that he gets a lot more love from the audience.

If you want to learn more about Alejandro Escovedo, check out his web site or his my space page for the latest information. Make sure you line up tickets if he's in your town. He will rock your soul.

2007-03-21T19:20:00.000-05:00

Erin McKeown -- "Sing You Sinners"

Erin's show at Club Cafe March 3 was my first introduction to her live act. The place was sold out for the first show - not sure how the second show faired but I'd guess that it wasn't sold out based on Erin's cajoling the audience several times to "stick around for absolute insanity and general mayhem" that might ensue later. I had to wonder how many Erin McKeown fans there might be in Pittsburgh when I saw she was playing two shows back to back. I figured it was a good portence for her live side. I was kee-rekt! In a few more years, she might sell out two shows in one night.

Theresa and I mistook her similarly coiffed drummer, Allison Miller, for Erin when she and keyboardist Todd Sickafoose strolled through the front door 10 minutes before show time. Although, in retrospect, Allison's hair was much more controlled and intentional. Not that Erin's hair isn't, mind you. She intentionally cuts it herself and gels certain sections for maximum volume (I learned this by reading her myspace blog - evidently, she receives a ton of emails asking her how she makes her hair do "that" which, if you've never seen her live, shall remain a mystery). The overall effect, however, is random hair. I dug it.

She's a waif on stage, standing under 5' 2", with powerful runners' legs usually posed in a wide- open guitar-wailing stance and a smile that appears frequently as more of a commanding grin. She owns the stage and works the audience like a seasoned pro. I was amazed at how much voice eminated from this tiny, charismatic woman. For this tour, she and Allison sport neckties over collared shirts with a tee shirt underneath and bitchin' worn out shoes. The familiar tattoo of her birth date peers out from her shirt sleeve as a constant reminder to her and the audience - that this woman has come far in her 28 years and has a lot of options for growth. The fact that she tours endlessly (averaging 200 shows a year) lends credence to her love of music and her fans. And the fact that she doesn't own a TV.

The audience was a really mixed bag. There were two much older couples (let's guess 60's or older) with seats that were hard to come by and, we assumed, parents of the keyboardist and some other relations (we swore one woman looked like Erin's mother which could be since they live in Virginia, I believe) with a horde of twenty somethings seated up front on the floor with sprinklings of 30-and 40- somethings mingled within. It's always nice to see such diversity in a music venue.

Erin's newest CD might be pegged as yet another artist's attempt to redo the classic jazz songs of the 20's through the 50's but do not be mistaken with face value. Her take on these gems is unique and decidedly tongue in cheek. She culls out the dark and sexy side of these songs to claim them as her own. Theresa and I had fun trying to guess which songs Erin wrote and which were truly jazz classics although Theresa has an uber grasp of all things jazz and old, correcting my disillusioned assumptions quickly. Take for instance "If You a Viper" which starts out:

"Dreamed about a reefer 5 feet long, mighty miff but not too strong, you'll be high but not for long ... if you a viper"

Could have been written yesterday, I reckoned. But I'd be wrong. This little ditty was written in 1938 and Erin does it great (insert her onstage 30 second inhale and exhale) justice with her interpretation. Fabulous stuff! And fun, fun, fun!

You'll get all of the insight and subliminal "outsight" from Ms. McKeown at her live show. I wouldn't want to spoil all the fun and the absolutely uplifting take on an interesting period of music. She's a fantastic guitarist and vocalist. Allison Miller is only icing on the cake with her mean drumming and their rehearsed "Erin throws Allison's cymbal on the ground" interaction toward the later half of the show. It's all well worth the small price of admission.

Erin has a brandy spanking new CD due out this summer. Evidently, Sing You Sinners was only a time-killer of pure desire in her march toward funky creation. With a smile and talent like hers, she can't lose. Check out her web site for more information on this diverse indie artist.

Oh ... and Bruce? Thanks for the kick in the arse! Congrats to you and your fiance!

2006-12-29T15:10:00.000-05:00

Jenn Wertz-- "Shotgun Sessions"

It was nice to get out and see a live show after the hectic holidays. Theresa and I went to see her sister, Jenn Wertz, perform at Club Cafe in the South Side December 27 with opener, Gary Musisko. We got there early enough to grab some seats -- lucky thing, too, because the show sold out early.

I've seen Jenn perform with Rusted Root but never with her old band, Isabella, featuring guitarist Frank Danyo, drummer "Shaggy" Frank Marcello, and bassist Randy Venturini. Jenn played acoustic guitar and sang up a bluesy, alt-country, rockin' storm. She's personable on stage and connects with longtime and new fans by sharing insights about the songs and joking with fellow bandmates. You can tell they're old friends by the way they work together and have fun. Her voice sounded GREAT!

At one point during the show, a woman began dancing in front of the stage and before we knew it, strolled up behind Jenn onstage and began dancing very closely to her. Everyone was taken back and Jenn played it off well before the bouncers grabbed her. Guitarist Frank Danyo put her and the audience at ease when he playfully moved behind her, mimicking the dancing drunk. Note to self: Unless you've been asked to share the stage, it's just rude to assume you can.

Root fans should get out and see them on their next tour opening February 7 in Allentown and continuing across the east coast until March at the Chicago House of Blues. Jenn mentioned that this may be the last tour with her as she branches out in different directions. She's been touring with RR since 1990. Liz Berlin has also done some solo work as has Michael Glabicki. Michael has formed a new group on the side. Former Root drummer, J.D. (Jim Donovan), will be drumming it up for Pittsburgh's First Night celebration New Year's Eve.

I can't close without mentioning the awesome performance by opener Gary Musisko. Gary's voice reminds me of Jeff Buckley or Thom Yorke from Radiohead. His show was passionate and engaging. It's a shame that more of the people crowding in didn't get to hear his show because they were talking and ordering up drinks. Damn shame! They missed a great show. Gary has a lot of promise and is currently recording his first CD due out in a month.

Jenn will be performing January 13th in Erie (at Docksiders) and in July at the 16th Annual Great Blue Heron Music Festival. Get out and support local bands!

2006-12-13T20:25:00.000-05:00

Raul Malo -- "You're Only Lonely"

I got to see Raul play Pittsburgh's Byham Theater, a gorgeously restored place with gold-infused paintings on the Michealangelo level, December 1st. Theresa is a huge Raul fan and we attended with fellow fan, Tammy, and her husband, Bob.

The show started out really strong with Raul sweetly crooning away his newest "You're Only Lonely" CD hits and his sweet-talking/joking with the audience about how great Pittsburgh was and how he's always going to play here. He played with a three-piece backing band consisting of an organ, drummer, and bass player. I enjoyed the show for the first few songs and then lost interest.

First, as Bob (a drummer himself) later commented, the drummer kept dropping his sticks. Second, Raul could not remember the lyrics to songs like "Moon River." And third, the band had to send out the lyric handbook so Raul could sing approximately two-thirds through the show. Fourth, Raul would erratically stop playing lead guitar several times throughout the show to shake hands with female fans. WTF?

It was a Raul debacle on the highest level, if you ask me. He needs to reassess how much he enjoys touring and playing music in general. My two cents. For what it's worth.

Did anyone else have the same experience? I'm curious. Drop me a line.

Raul? Buck up. And respect your fans. We're loyal in as far as you can perform for your ticket price. Further than that and, my friend, you're pushing the limits.

Nuff said.

2006-12-13T19:42:00.000-05:00

Citizen Cope and Alice Smith -- "Every Waking Moment" and "For Lovers, Dreamers & Me"

I got the chance to see Cope at Mr. Smalls Theater in Pittsburgh November 10th. His opener was Alice Smith from NYC. The place was absolutely packed and not 40-something friendly in terms of navigation or hearing your friend standing a foot away. Otherwise, a really fabulous show in a great space.

Rusted Root band member Liz Berlin owns Mr. Smalls with her husband and they made a great effort to restore a church to performance-worthy levels. They used old doors as sound bevels on the walls above and a cadre of sound deadeners on the overhead structure to increase the ambient sound. If they can bar the unruly twenty-somethings shouting out "COPE COPE COPE" throughout the show, it would be truly world class. All kidding aside, it's a great space. They also have an actual recording studio that's been well-used.

Theresa and I broused the tour merchandise table for a few moments before an older woman spoke up, enthusiastically recommending Alice Smith's newest CD.

"Have you heard her?" we asked.

"Oh yes! She's really good. You'll love her! I know her personally" the woman responded.

In retrospect, we realized the woman was probably her mother. And, you know what? She was right! Alice Smith is the greatest find we've had this year. She is a little bit Macy Gray and a little bit Fiona Apple and a just a smidge of Aretha Franklin. She soars across four octave ranges and winds in and out of Violent Femmes backbeats fused with R&B, gospel, and jazz with fresh lyrics and emotion rarely captured in a voice. Her CD is really good and offers a different view with each listen. There are many musical layers to it and hidden vocal gems. It's quite simply NUTS good.

Cope introduced her as the "freshest musician he's heard in a very long time" and we'd have to agree. The audience was unsure at first; hooked into her infectuous vibe and seering vocals after two songs. I highly recommend her. Two thumbs up. Enthusiastically. Vehemently. Non-stop in the CD-player, you'll love her, buy-it and get it on ... yes. She's under the radar for now but not for long. Her live performance using Cope's band was unbelievable. She obviously LOVES what she's doing every minute of the performance. Alice Smith is up for 'Female Artist of the Year' in the PLUG: Independent Music Awards! She deserves it! Word had it she just signed with Sony.

Cope performed in his usual laid-back style. Reserved for the most part and letting his music and lyrics shine. Clarence Greenwood is not one to say a lot other than to thank the audience for singing along to the more notable hits. "Awwwww ... that sounds soooooooo sweet," a typical aside. He brought Alice back out to sing with him at the end which was truly inspiring. She would make a great addition to his band line-up but will sail off to her own fame and fortune, I'm sure.

While I commented that "Every Waking Moment" was memorable but not on a par with his earlier releases, I have to say the CD has really grown on me. It stands on its own but recycles a lot of his earlier releases rhythms. It's okay. It's Cope, after all, and his band is excellent.

Theresa and I ended up huddling at the back bar, far from the main throng, at the end and it was a great perch to watch the Cope fans and slip out the side door after the show ended. Clarence never fails to perform and has never disappointed. Alice was an extra-added bonus. HURRAH!

2006-09-22T19:42:00.000-05:00

Austin City Limits Music Festival -- Austin, Texas, September 15-17, 2006

It's been awhile, eh? Yes. I've been a busy 'Burgh gal these past few weeks. Managed to see a few shows in between posts that I can briefly comment on here including Kim Richey at Club Cafe July 26th and The Pretenders at the Benedum Theater August 9th. Also picked up autographed copies of Citizen Cope's newest CD Every Waking Moment (decent albeit not on an energy level of his previous two efforts) and Ray LaMontagne's Till the Sun Turns Black (a much more subdued effort but definitely worth a few listens).

Kim Richey, as always, was chatty and laid back and performed with a fellow songwriter, Jesse, from England whom she met at a songwriting camp. It was the beginning of their tour and somewhat chaotic at moments but overall, a nice collection of old and new. Kim seems to be trying to find her way in her musical career and it shows in her performance. I like that she sticks around after the show to talk and swap stories with long-time fans. She's personable and warm with a touch of that awkwardness you notice while she's on stage. Touring appears to be both a delight and a trial for shy Kim. I bought tickets at the last minute and dragged Theresa to see her. She did a few fan favs and two sing-alongs that left the audience wanting encores to which she obliged several times. Theresa's a new convert if that's any indication of her musical prowess. Always a must see.

Chrissie Hynde freaking rocks! She's 54 and still kicking out the post punk attitude. Note to self: Don't FUCK with Chrissie! She can still kick my ass. There are only two original band members, Hynde and drummer Martin Chambers. She shouted out requests for audience favs and bristled when the songs were screamed back. "Predictable," she sighed, and then launched into yet another Pretenders hit. They played nearly every hit they've ever had to a far from sold-out audience (the fools!). We had great seats in the third row. She's toned down the non-vegan bashing but still admonishes the meat-eaters in the crowd; only now it's with more of a velvet glove approach. Chrissie's still got an edge to her that only Pretenders fans can love. And, love her, we did through two standing ovations.

Have you ever been to Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas? Do you like heat? I mean 92-degrees-in-the-shade heat? If you said "HELL YEAH" then this is the music festival for you. Theresa and I left Pittsburgh Thursday morning and the temp was 57 degrees farenheit. Friday morning at nine a.m., it was already 80. Blistering heat, I mean to tell you, although we lucked out on Saturday and Sunday with clouds that kept the heat tucked under 90. The bands all mentioned it (the heat) except for Texas-based bands. God Bless them!

Thanks to my fellow music blogger, Bruce, we learned early that drinking beer during the day would only mean disaster. We guzzled water bottles at $2 a pop and sweet tea touched with mint at $4 a pop like camels and enjoyed three days of bands for around $120. Can't beat that with a stick, I say, hotter than hell days or not.

When the sun sets at ACL, it's like a mystical trick of light and dark and cool and hot that meld together with some of the greatest bands in ways you can only experience at ACL. Talk about the gloaming hour. It was like Glenda, the good witch, took her magic wand and waved it over the 65,000+ crowd telling us it was all going to be just fiiiiiiiine ... ohhhh soooooo fine ... when that ball of fire hestitated over the horizon. And it was. Yesss it was. People began swaying and moving and talking ... when daytime activity consisted of inter-group beehives of lilting eyes on their chair castles and murmuring discussions of the next act to see, maybe, if the heat let up. It was like watching the sea of music lovers blossom as the sun set. If you missed the day acts though ... you missed a lot.

What we saw:

Friday: Guster, Stars, Gnarls Barkley, Gomez, Ray LaMontagne, and Van Morrison
Saturday: Ben Kweller, Los Lobos, Ghostland Observatory, Raconteurs, and Willie Nelson
Sunday: KT Tunstall, Buckwheat Zydeco, Matisyahu, Son Volt, Flaming Lips, G. Love and Special Sauce, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Our ACL Standout Performances:

Ghostland Observatory -- Is it man ... or is it woman? What a freaking voice and great thumping atmospheric band backing him/her ... we'll be buying that CD for sure -- man, they RAWKED!

Gnarls Barkley -- Under blood red sun, Gnarls came out with a cover of Thomas Dolby's "Blinded Me with Science" (white coats, chics, and nerd glasses included) and blew the crowd away -- didn't let up -- asked the women to show their tits -- performed "Crazy" to a frenzied crowd wanting more and more and more of him. Theresa almost passed out from heat exhaustion at this point and we headed for the ACL base of food/drink tents. We had become trapped near the front of the stage and remained on the fringes of the other acts -- close to the nearest clean (relatively) port-a-john or BAR.

Flaming Lips -- I really wanted to check these guys out and wasn't disappointed (much). Lead singer Wayne Coyne entered the show in a plastic bubble and rolled out onto the front row audience over soaring music. It was FREAKING amazing to see and the crowd went nuts! He did a stage ad-lib about Ben Kweller's unfortunate and unstoppable nosebleed the previous day (wherein Ben asked female audience members to throw tampons onstage so he could stem the flow of blood ... humorous and agonizing for Ben ... as he really wanted to play) and poured fake blood over his face and, of course, asked for tampons. They did an amazing show with a lot of audience participation but evidently, not as much as Wayne would have liked as he kept stopping what would have been an INCREDIBLE SHOW to ask for more audience singing. It became a real drag at points and a young college student behind us began shouting out "FREE BIRD" at one point just to shut him up. Obnoxious on both parts and disappointing in a way. If it ain't workin' Wayne, move on, dude. God, I hope he reads this.

Ray LaMontagne -- What can I say about Ray? He's got some fire under his belt with Trouble's success and a really heart-felt "I'm not anywhere else but right here at this moment" style of performing. Everyone loved him even though his show was somewhat Ray subdued. Ray's new CD may be getting panned but I think it's a great follow-up effort. It's not hard emotionally gritty get-down-in-the-dirt of the heart and bass raw like Trouble, but damn, it's fine overall. If you liked Trouble, it's still a worthwhile purchase.

Los Lobos -- Theresa and I took shelter under the trees by the port-a-potties for this one. We sat in the mulch chips layed out overnight to keep the dust bowl from happening again and faintly smelled potty disinfectant at times but this show really ROCKED from the opening notes! Some nearby festival fans took pity on us and gave us their chairs for an hour while they checked out another band. It rejuvenated us in a miraculous way. Or maybe it was the searing guitar and vocals of David Hidalgo that revived our spirits to the way of the wolf making its way across the sun-seared land. It's easy to see why Los Super Seven were such a great addition to the Tex-Mex collaboration with two Los Lobos members contributing.

G. Love and Special Sauce -- I cannot say enough about this band. Truly one of the most stand out of the stand out performances. The audience knew all of the lyrics to their famous hits and we just smiled and danced along with the swelling crowd. They are definitely one of my new favorites and a true find on this long trip south. Imagine the blues guitar mixed with Beastie Boys and you've got a feel for these guys. Garret Dutton as the front man is explosive on guitar and harmonica; working the crowd into a frenzy and then laying them back again to sing along. We danced, we sang, we fell in love.

Raconteurs (known as the Saboteurs in Australia)-- We had no idea what to expect with this band having no frame of reference musically or review-wise other than knowing Jack White of the White Stripes played in the band. What a fantastic beat and a great groove! Jack White can play gee-tar like very few. He was amazing and a true jewel in a day of mediocre performances. When he started playing, you could sense a "step-up" in the crowd emotion level -- and when front man, Brendan Benson, gave a nod to Jack -- the crowd went NUTS! Look no further for a rocking good time. Definitely a great find.

Son Volt (previously Uncle Tupelo) -- Another band we knew very little about. Many of the previous year's ACL festival fans murmured here and there about an unbelievable set the previous year so we stopped by for a listen. They're good. Especially front man Jay Farrar. I vaguely recall Uncle Tupelo but not enough to engage a life-long love for Son Volt -- still, though, awesome show and the audience loved, loved, loved them ... again. Glad we caught it.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers -- It was dark and slightly cool (I'd guess 80 degrees) when Tom hit the stage for the closing show. The crowd was unbelievably large and emotionally raw after three days of 90-degree days and a soft Saturday line-up. I had never seen Tom Petty but man, was I impressed! I had heard he's often showed up 'luded out and incoherent. His performance was far from that on this night. He was tight with his band and played all of his hits with enthusiasm. "American Girl" and "Free Fallin'" sounded just as fresh as the first time he played them. It poured down rain 40 minutes into the set but Tom came back with full band and finished up long past the 10 o'clock curfew for Ziler Park, God Bless him.

Van Morrison -- He was good but after a very exhausting day, almost too relaxing in a way. His backup singers kicked ass! We wanted just a glimpse of them on the big screen but the place was so packed, that was almost impossible. He sounded great albeit far, far away. He played Moondance which felt like home so many times in a life that we'd almost come full circle and had another two days to go. Maybe a premature climax? Maybe. He still sounded great and looked ... well, old. We're old. He's old. Most of the crowd is older. It fit and felt comforting like an old shoe.

ACL Hints and Tips:
As soon as the ACL dates are announced, pick up the phone and book a hotel/motel room. Don't linger a second to sip on your iced tea or coffee or beer. Call at that moment. Expect to pay $200+ in town and lower rates for surrounding areas. We stayed at the Days Inn University of Texas at Austin on 31st Street for $99/night and rode the public bus into town each day to catch the ACL shuttle for free. We caught a taxi each night back at $8 a fare. Not too shabby although the Days Inn there is subpar, it's liveable for $99.

The ACL food vendors were excellent! We munched on pulled pork sandwiches, fish tacos, plantain and coconut encrusted shrimp, and nachos. The prices were decent: we paid approximately $10 to eat each day.

There's a fabulous walking/bike trail you can take each night after the shows to avoid the shuttle lines (some said they were four hours long ... OUCH). You walk out of the main entrance to the park and make a left toward the bus shuttle lines and just keep walking until you come to the first bridge -- make a left down into the woods and enjoy a leisurely, beautiful, river walk back to town (about two miles but goes much faster and feels much shorter than two miles). You'll love it!!! We did all three nights although we never did find the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue that's supposed to be near the river. Bruce? Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

We carried backpacks each day filled with: sunscreen, tissues (you never know when the port-a-johns will run out, ladies), maps of the venue and town, snacks (well- hidden and not allowed although security didn't perform scrutinizing searches of anything because the lines to get in were long), bandanas for drenching with water during the day and draping around our northern necks, bottled water purchased at the show (beer after the sun set), a hat to shield our heads, hand-held fans purchased at Dick's Sporting Goods for $1.50, soft stadium seats that allowed you to inflate them with more air (great for sore behinds and lighter than chairs), and various sundries. The backpacks always felt so much heavier at the end of each day so pack light. What were we hauling? Bricks? It felt like it after nine hours in the Texas sun filled with swaying and singing along and, post-sunset beer drinking.

Austin, Texas, is exciting and full of life. The service we experienced there was way above par. Everyone is ready to go above and beyond what's required to make their travelers happy. We even had a waiter's roommate run out into the rainy last night to find a pack of cigarettes for us after a long day. It's a lot of walking and pretty architecture to gaze upon. Best place to catch a cab after a busy day is around Colorado and 5th or 4th. Walk toward the downtown hotels and you're sure to score a ride.

We both loved ACL and were extremely glad we went, despite the heat and obscene amounts of people there. I'd go again after I forget the pain -- like childbirth and getting pregnant again. Some pain is meant to be experienced again in all of its grandeur and greatness. Good show Austin! Thanks for having us.

2006-08-07T19:02:00.000-05:00

Neko Case -- Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

This CD is my favorite (so far) this year. Every time I hear a track on the radio, I have this insatiable urge to hear the entire CD. Neko was featured on NPR's "World Cafe" tonight in which David Dye described her vocals as "rapturous." I missed most of it and had to head over to the NPR site to hear the entire interview. She intrigues me for a number of reasons.

She's done country covers and originals, punk bands, pop bands, and alternative music during and after graduating with a BFA from Vancouver, Canada's Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. She was voted "Sexiest Babe of Indie Rock" in a Playboy online poll. She left home at age 15 and remained homeless for some time before finishing high school and then obtaining her bachelor's degree. She grew up in Tacoma, Washington, and moved to Seattle after graduating and then, Chicago, because she felt Seattle wasn't doing justice to local artists. She's back in Seattle now.

She has done a few CD's with The New Pornographers that met with critical acclaim (Mass Romantic in 2000; Electric Version in 2003; and Twin Cinema in 2005). She is incredibly articulate, a gifted artist, and a haunting songwriter. She started out as a drummer/singer and now plays guitar and various percussion alongside her hauntingly edgy vocals. She still includes former bandmates from The Sadies (1997) on this CD.

Fox the Confessor came from Ukrainian Russian folklore sans flood. She feels a strong connection between animals (most passionately, birds) and humanity and heralds the dark meaning of folklore to light with her sparse, sometimes humorous in a dark comedy twist of fate, way. Her songs balance drums, reverberating guitar, rising and falling vocals reminiscent of Loretta Lynn in her early years, and acoustic strumming in dreamy ways that hang in the air like hummingbirds at the feeder - flitting anxiously this way and that with purpose although you're never quite sure which direction she'll head next.

Her most-played song from the twelve-track Fox the Confessor Brings the Flood is "Hold On, Hold On" which she describes as a soul-searching tribute to being 30-something and alone instead of married and starting families like many of her friends. The song floats like a Mama's and Papa's feel-good pop anthem of the 60's with a gray underbelly of questioning and forced hope. Her voice is truly stunning in its simplicity and starkness.

"The most tender place in my heart is for strangers," her quivering voice opens on "Hold On, Hold On," the only autobiographical song on the CD. "I know it's unkind but my own blood, it's much too dangerous, hanging 'round the ceiling half the time ... hangin' round the ceiling half the time. Compared to some I've been around. But I really tried so hard. That echo chorus lied to me with its "Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on." The song ends with her eating a Valium the bride gave to her and the soulful exclamation that "it's the devil" she loves which is "as funny as real love ... as real as true love."

She says she likes to write about other people's lives because talking about your own life too much is sinful or vain which, she says, comes from her upbringing. She's a self-described control freak that doesn't care for live performances or photographers. She's playing Brooklyn, New York, at the McCarren Pool with Martha Wainwright on August 24 (tickets still available) followed up by two California shows: Pioneertown at Pappy and Harriett's (tickets still available) on September 9th and the Hollywood Bowl with Willie Nelson and Ryan Adams (tickets still available) on September 10th.

The CD is a beautifully crafted homage to life away from home and new meanings found along the way. It's the kind of CD that you can safely put on "repeat" and find new meaning each time you listen. Whether it's the rambling piano underscoring the CD's opening track "Margaret vs. Pauline" or the banjo on "John Saw That Number," you'll flit across soaring vistas of sound and emotion and find new perches from which to view the emotional flood.

If you want to learn more about Neko, check out her awesome website featuring some interesting Neko blogs. She is not touring with The New Pornographers, in case you were hoping. There's also a fansite that you need to register for at Porchlight that offers the usual circumspect opinions mixed with some good information.

2006-08-03T18:25:00.000-05:00

Kim Richey -- On Tour 2006

I received an email that Kim was touring in Pittsburgh a mere two days before her sold-out show at Club Cafe on Pittsburgh's South Side. I called Theresa (the fabulous girl) and bought tickets within the hour. I think it sold out moments after I got mine. Club Cafe only holds about 200 people and it was filled with folks that I've seen many times before at Kim Richey shows which was nice. It felt warm and accomodating for Kim and that's important because she thrives on people that know her worth.

I wasn't sure if she was traveling with a band or acoustic ... no matter ... it was sure to be a rare treat of stage performance and interlaced commentary about what's been happening in Kim's life. She loves to interact with the audience and this was no exception. (Not much information about her mother this time though)

Her Kim Richey web site is down (BOO HISS). You'll have to travel to MySpace to get the latest which is sparse. She has a little red book that she's traveling with where she asks for people's emails. Let's hope we get some more information in the future. At one point in the show, she alluded to the fact that she hadn't sent out a newsletter in over a year. I heckled her a bit with "we KNOW!" That made her laugh out loud which is such a sweet sound from Kim. Her house in Nashville is on the market if you're interested -- she's taking bids on that too.

Kim is such a gracious and talented woman. She's touring with Jesse (no mention of his last name or if she did mention it, was swept away by her next song), a guy she met at songwriting camp a few years ago. He doesn't know the song list (at least, not for the first few stops on this tour) and ran upstairs to grab Kim's coveted "red book" filled with fan information on her request (and a beer) which turned into a rather funny moment. Kim sidebarred "Jesse isn't really working out," as we awaited his return. Badump bump. Evidently, they wrote a few booze-soaked songs together at camp that neither one can recall.

Her vocals were so amazing halfway through the show that it, quite literally, took my breath away. This woman CAN sing with raw emotion and lilting high notes that are SPOT ON! Highlights of the show included an audience sing-along to "I'm Alright" from Bittersweet and "Didn't I" from Glimmer.

She sticks around to kabitz with the fans and sign autographs after the shows which is always nice. A couple in front of me talked to her for 10 minutes before I got to thank her for continuing to play Pittsburgh. The guy after me was greeted with a huge "it's soooo good to seeeee you" and a bear hug and another autographed poster/CD to add to his complete collection. These are some dedicated fans. Rightfully so.

As I've said before, catch her live. She puts on an intimate, unforgettable show, if you enjoy laid back intelligent "girl-jilted" songs. Kim ... my hat's off to you, lady! Great show!

2006-08-03T17:30:00.000-05:00

Rusted Root -- Live (2004)

Rusted Root has been awing Pittsburgh audiences with their live shows for decades. They started out doing the Pittsburgh club circuit and ended up playing back-to-back sold out shows all over town in the 90's. I never went to see them back then because, quite frankly, I thought they were just another Grateful Dead knock-off jam band. They've matured since then and grown to embrace solo careers although their hometown band, Rusted Root, binds them still (Jim Donovan a.k.a. J.D. aside).

I went to see them last Sunday and was blown away by two things: the audience and their energy. Perhaps it's because they were playing to a hometown bunch, the same dredlocked, flowing skirt, patchoulli-wearing crowd that launched their career, that evoked such energy. I can't say. Maybe it's the fact that all band members were present for this show (Jenn Wertz occasionally stays home to raise her young son). Or perhaps it was the incredible thunder storm that raged around us as they came on stage. One can't say for sure what makes an incredible performance.

It's great fun to attend Rusted Root shows. The people-watching factor is off the scale with so many fans zoned out on ecstasy and acid, floating and skipping past to the first strains of "Tree" and "Ecstasy" that you can't help but be engulfed in the pure joy of the moment. I could not COMMAND myself not to dance or sway -- the environment breeds it. I'm not the wallflower type to begin with, which helps.

I was surprised, as a new fan, to hear their rendition of Neil Young's "Powder Finger" but felt so-so about the performance for that song. Neil has a way of underplaying the gravity of the lyric that Micheal Glabicki hasn't mastered yet. Still, it was fun to sing along.

The thing that really engages me with the band is their love of family and friends. The backstage area was teaming with well-wishers that have been part of this Root tribe for a long, long time. I watched Jenn Wertz playing with her toddler, Gibson, in the rain puddles and felt the joy shared between them. Michael Glabicki spent time with his son, Tree, and Patrick Norman got to see his parents after the show. Liz Berlin is always a whirlwind of energy, saying "hello" to fans and family alike. I miss seeing J.D. around and his wife Tracy. Tracy lived a few houses down from me on two occasions and we always enjoyed catching up. J.D.'s doing a lot of work with drumming and meditations, his true passions in life.

Rusted Root is touring a lot of college towns and music festivals this year. They're playing the hits and the Roothead favorites across America. I've seen some reviews praising their efforts and some that were left "flat" with their performance. I can say this about the latter: there is more to come, either as solo artists or a band, this story is not quite finished. It's like the ebb and flow of the ocean landing against the shore -- sometimes the sound is quite hypnotic and one can't hear anything else and other times, the boy with the frisbee 10 feet away lends more meaning to the day.

However it plays out, solo or band, ebbing or flowing, this is one CD worth owning. As always, do yourself a favor and go see them live. If anything, you'll be entertained by the Rootheads. They're a great bunch to have around!

If you want to find out more about Rusted Root, check out their web site or the Wikipedia listing. For now, I'll send you on your way.

2006-07-12T18:29:00.000-05:00

Sufjan Stevens -- Illinois

You'll hear Sufjan's (pronounced SOOF-YAHN's - an Arabic/Persian name that predates Islam) electronic keyboard beginnings in the midst of swelling orchestral arrangements and hideously-long-titled songs [case in point, "Oh God Where are you Now? (In Pickeral Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?"] about growing up in Detroit, Michigan, on his first concept release, Michigan, issued in 2003. He had three previous releases, A Sun Came, Enjoy Your Rabbit, and Seven Swans. He has a Christian bent and following but self-promotes saying he does not "overtly advertise himself in this respect." I never detected any preaching in my listenings.

The media didn't really find Sufjan until his second concept CD, Illinois, was released two years later. *Note: the actual CD is titled Sufjan Stevens Invites You to Come on feel the Illinoise. Avalanche (subtitled The Avalanche - Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album), Sufjan's sixth release, was just released featuring embellished and honed outtakes from the Illinoise CD conceptual library.

He has promised no less than 50 concept CD's - one for every state in the union (although at times, the gesture comes across as tongue-in-cheek and garnered him more acclaim for his second concept album, Illinios, than might have otherwise been garnered). Oregon and Rhode Island are rumoured to be next. He has some serious catching up to do if he's going to complete this outrageous goal. His Avalanche tour begins this month with select larger cities on the list and a small string ensemble and brass section (see Austin City Limits Music Fest reference/rumour at the end of this post).

Stevens is one of those "you'll either love him or hate him" falsetto-range artists that issues grandiose productions filled with extensive lists of instruments he's learned how to play since first sitting down to pound out a note on his trusty Casio keyboard with inserted loop sounds (like crickets chirping). His music is filled with horns, woodwinds, banjos, keyboards, and all manner of percussion (from shakers to sleigh bells). He writes, arranges, and produces his own recordings released by two independent music organizations -- Sounds Familyre and Asthmatic Kitty Records (a label he founded with his step-father).

For every blasting review you read, there's an equal counter of praise for his stylistic interpretations of life in Michigan and Illinois. Avalanche uses Illinois to cull his young adulthood memories into an outtake for the remaining second CD for the original epic. The material he developed was simply too unwieldly for one CD so he broke it into two instead.

Stevens uses well-known poets, writers, celebrities, and news clippings from each state to form the backbone for his songs. He researchers them voraciously to find new ways to incorporate their genius. I wonder who might stumble upon his genius to develop a visual accompaniment to the musical playground he's created. The CD's play like grand visceral operas much like Rufus Wainwright's work.

The tempo, emphasis, and vocals cry out for careful listening but you can't help but throw his CD's on for background filler. Some songs clock in at more than nine minutes on Michigan -- a more manageable seven minutes on Illinois. Not that elapsed song time has any indication of sheer enjoyment: "Green Grass and High Tides" and "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida" as illustrations of that point.

Illinois is much more upbeat than Michigan, to be sure, but it also harbors its share of melancholy meanderings. You'll also find more female background singers on Illinois which adds to the bouyancy of the effort. And ... a humanizing look at serial killer John Wayne Gacy, Jr. (some say he has a fascination with him - of that, he's not alone, I'm sure). Some (one reviewer in particular: Stephen Thomas Erlewine at allmusic dot com) compare him to a teenager that never grew beyond writing impish, self-effacing, overblown songs. I have to disagree. Sufjan studies such a diverse array of people and subjects so voraciously that his reach is far beyond that of a child.

My favorite song on both albums is the six-minute "Chicago" on Illinois. It's big and bold and driving one minute and then, filled with a chorus reminding me of how life changes in small steps with recognition far behind the actual event that drove the change.

"You came to take us. All things go. All things go. To re-create us. All things go. All things go. We had our mind set. All things know. All things know. You had to find it. All things go. All things go."

They're both gorgeous CD's and worth a few listens on a foggy Sunday morning that eventually gives way to a beautiful sunny afternoon filled with good friends and memories of life in your town.

If you want to find out more about Sufjan Stevens or buy his CD's check out Asthmatic Kitty. The rumour mill is churning on whether or not Sufjan will play Austin City Limits Music Festival this September 15 at 9:00 p.m. Will he, or won't he? It would make my ACL trip a much greater one, I'm sure. Methinks he's playing the Paramount Theater for $30 seated in Level One in Austin for two dates at the same time. Hopes be dashed to hell and back!

2006-05-23T21:19:00.000-05:00

The Pretenders -- Pirate Radio

Released in March, 2006, this sprawling 81-cut CD (with bonus DVD of 19 songs) features every song a Pretenders' lover could conjure up. I don't own it; not yet. Chrissie Hynde's is an artist whose voice immediately conjures a strong falsetto embraced by rock driven alto-istic flats. If one could successfully submerge an opera singer into a glass of stout, you'd find Chrissie's voice. That, and a timbering drawl honed during her days of growing up in Ohio (no offense).

I almost landed a gig fronting a college band with my rendition of "Back on the Chain Gang" so Chrissie will always rank high in my book. It was college music to me in those days and so rife with life that I couldn't overlook the political undertones of the fresh new sound. When I hear her today, I'm transported to those days and yet recognizant of today's innuendo. It's timeless music and from the heart.

And so, when I received an email today from the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust that advertised The Pretenders coming to town, I looked at it for several moments before the news actually sunk in enough for me to squeel with delight! What a musical transcendental experience I have ahead of me this summer!

Not only do I get to see all of the artists posted in my last post for free at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, the Austin City Limits Music Festival line-up (we booked our airline and hotel accomodations Sunday), Aimee Mann, and Ray LaMontagne ... but ... I get to see The Pretenders in a fabulous venue! I'm in musical heaven (or should that be backwards which is the most popular baby name these days ... neveah?) to be sure.

Not to be outdone ... tonight's order from Amazon.com. It's been a while since I placed a huge order from Amazon and tonight made up for it. Does anyone know of a cheaper place to buy with the same selection? Oh, universal musical fund spirits, please tell me.

Slated for delicious Amazon delivery this week: "Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State" Sufjan Stevens; "Graceland" Paul Simon; "Illinoise" Sufjan Stevens; "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" Neko Case; "Eye To The Telescope" KT Tunstall; "You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker" Willie Nelson; and "I'm Not Dead" Pink.

I figured I'd work my way through Sufjan's state-to-state tribute in order (he started with Michigan and his second effort is Illinois) so I had to order both CD's. *shrug*

Sometimes you have to adhere to the natural law of creation, creationists aside. Did you read about the astounding recent discoveries of the biblical creatures? Some still alive and some just bones? Makes me wonder what auditory discoveries some will make 200 years from now and which will stand out as indicative of our culture. I've got to think The Pretenders will stand out. Which bands/artists would you nominate to be indicative of our culture 200 years from now?

Now, that, is a question to ponder.

2006-05-18T19:06:00.000-05:00

Kim Richey -- "Glimmer"

This is one of my all-time favorite slow burn (a.k.a. requiring repeated listening to fully appreciate the brilliance) CD's. That's saying something when you stop to consider I own hundreds of discs and this one was made in 1999 and I'm still listening today. Kim Richey is a great act to see live because by the end of the show you feel like she's an old friend. She talks about her music and her mother and living in the sticks and always hangs around to talk and autograph her CD's. Her father, who died when she was only two years old, is present in her lyrics as the hopeful melancholy that pervades her life but is never spoken about in her shows.

I remember saying something incredibly trite the first time I met her. She's very tall and unassuming; her blonde hair trailing across her face in wisps -- nearly a Meryl Streep look-alike -- oh, that gorgeous nose and sinfully high cheekbones! It was my second time seeing her live and I remarked on how fantastic her voice sounded compared to the first time I saw her -- something about really finding her voice. She just smiled and laughed a forced laugh and asked, "Really? You think I sounded that different?" I retorted with something about her always sounding great but that show was really "spot on" vocally. She seemed to like that response but who knows ... she's a really easy going person to begin with. Not too shabby for someone who's penned number one hits for Trisha Yearwood and Radney Foster.

Her songs are life stories packed with irony and inside jokes and she sings them with force on Glimmer meshed with cleverly spaced chorus up-tones in tempo and nostalgia. On "Lay it Down" you'll hear a voice reminiscent of Mary Chapin Carpenter singing about leaving regrets in the past. This is definitely a CD about turning the corner on a failed relationship and gaining perspective. It's craftier than most and well scripted with plenty of other views along the way.

She has five CD's out to date, the last two on Lost Highway and the first three on Mercury's Nashville division. Glimmer was the fourth full length effort with a collection of her hits issued in 2002. I can hope she signed up for a two record deal with Lost Highway and is considering a sixth release on another label although it's been a mighty long time since we heard from her. Glimmer may leave you yearning for more as it did me. Her self-named debut came out in '95 followed up by Bittersweet in '97 and Glimmer in '99.

Maybe she's reevaluating things and won't put out a follow up to Glimmer but I really hope she keeps making music. Music's in her bones. She grew up in Ohio and got her picks of 45's from her aunt's music store in Dayton. She played in college and traveled a good bit after that both in the U.S. and abroad, landing in Nashville, Tennessee, and then finally Austin, Texas.

Glimmer has so many talented artists that she included a matrix of the song tracks and the artists that contributed. Kim shares co-writer credits with Paul Thorn, Maia Sharp, Randy Scruggs, Tim Krekel, Tom Littlefield, Chuck Prophet, and Bill Deasy (a Pittsburgh native that always plays with her at Pittsburgh shows).

You'll experience hints of Nashville twang on Glimmer but it's more of a pop alternative experience overall and delightfully so. Her voice will hold you tightly in dreams of past loves and losses with a thrill of possibility for new beginnings. Let's hope that she's got good luck in her pocket, and a good shine on her shoes, a silk shirt in her closet that she's not afraid to use, a little fortune cookie that told her help is on the way, and tables turning that could happen any day. (lyrics rendered from Can't Lose Them All)

Kim is an artist that has all but disappeared and leaves me wanting more. I might just have to break down and buy her entire catalogue to tide me over. Maybe I'll see her in Austin at the Austin City Limits (ACL) music festival in the fall. Hell, maybe she'll even play a local venue when I'm there. That would be a sweet treat not to be missed. Maybe she has finally found her home in Austin (A Place Called Home from 2002's release Risen).

ACL's boasting a tremendous lineup this year, as always -- more to come on that . I also have tickets to see Aimee Mann and Ray LaMontagne in Pittsburgh this year. Things are also shaping up for a fantastic line-up at the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Arts Festival as well with Raul Malo, Andrew Bird, Betty LaVette, Roseanne Cash, Buckwheat Zydeco, Soulive, Gov't Mule, the Eels, moe., the English Beat, the Tragically Hip, the Yellowjackets, and Alejandro Escovedo. WOW! All for free in the 'burgh! And 100's of artists for $34/day at ACL. Yee Haw!

Reasons for living and loving life abound. Sorry for the long delay in posts but life caught up with me and too many things that required attention. If you're going to ACL or seeing any Pittsburgh Three Rivers Arts Festival acts, give me a comment and maybe we can hook up for a beer and some fantastic music. Music has a profound way of binding us all together, doesn't it?

Check out Kim's stuff on Glimmer. You won't be disappointed come your fourth listen. Promise.

2006-04-03T20:26:00.000-05:00

North Mississippi All Stars -- "Shake Hands with Shorty"

Besides it being fun to type "Mississippi," there are many head-bobbing, rocking hips, dancing feet, Grammy-nominated reasons to review this CD and their live show. This male trio out of, where else, Mississippi, play a show like a miniature version of the Allman Brothers or Led Zeppelin. A jam-band formed in 1996 and best experienced live and at full volume, two of the band members are sons of the legendary Nashville producer, Jim Dickinson (Luther and Cody Dickinson) with Chris Chew rounding out the band on bass. Daddy Dickinson layed down tracks for the likes of The Spin Doctors, the Replacements, and Spiritualized and took his sons along with him to watch the tapings. They met bassist Chew by performing at his senior class homecoming dance.

R.L. Burnside's son, Duwayne Burnside, played steel guitar on Polaris (sweeeet stuff). They received support from Lucinda Williams on Electric Blue Watermelon with backing vocals. A former punk band (DDT), the North Mississippi All Stars can kick it up for live shows -- occasionally venturing into extended jams for songs like Shake 'Em on Down (with a very R.L. Burnside opening lyric) and All Night Long (the kind of jam-band song you never want to end).

I had the very distinct pleasure of seeing them perform with opening act BR-549 (a band that has opened for the likes of Tim McGraw, Bob Dylan, Nick Lowe, and George Jones) years ago and left the show trying to figure out which band rocked more. I especially enjoyed seeing bluegrass maestro Earl Scrugg's son, Chris, rock in BR-549 with a guitar to a dancing audience. They proved a great lead-in to the rock-edged North Mississippi All Star show. My friends, Jeff and Christine, are still recovering from the amped up audio with mild tinitus (hey ... join the crowd, right?). **snug foam earplugs recommended if you see these guys live and up close**

Chris Chew can spit out some mighty funky bass riffs that sit nicely underneath Luther Dickinson's lead guitar, punctuated by Cody Dickinson's powerful drumming. These guys obviously love playing live shows. Some of Shake Hands is spacey, righteous in the end, psychodelic mantra punched out with metal snips of hardcore blues with that familiar blues refrain. Live ... this stuff rocks the crowd in waves of pounding surf. This ain't your daddy's blues band, that's for sure.

The North Mississippi All Stars offer a fantastic live show. Their CD's really don't do them justice. They're tight and funky and rockin' and they keep the audience surging just a pace ahead of the next wave of driving blues. They've put out several CD's since 2000's Shake Hands with Shorty including: 51 Phantom; The Word (with R.L. Burnside playing pedal steel); Polaris (not so great reviews but a studio version of my favorite NMAS song, Eyes); Hill Country Review: Live at Bonnaroo; and Electric Blue Watermelon released last year with Lucinda backing on Hurry Up Sunrise.

If you want to learn more about NMAS, check out the Tone Cool Website with the most comprehensive bio I've seen on this band anywhere (unusual for a record company, I might add.) You can check North Mississippi All Stars their website for tour dates which are MUST SEE'S! Long live jamming blues rock bands!

2006-03-27T22:20:00.000-05:00

Patty Griffin -- Impossible Dream

Two-time Grammy nominee (always the maid of honor and not yet a bride) Patty Griffin tours endlessly, honing her performances and retelling her stories to sold out shows across the U.S. The recently turned-42 singer pours herself into each show, releasing the emotional latch on the suitcase of her lyrics just before she strides onto the stage with an unmeasured precision and power only a truly gifted singer can unleash night after night. She's touring the east coast in April with some dates in the south and California later this summer.

Unassuming on stage, her physical stature is sparse in contrast to her soaring heart-wrenching guitar and vocals. She stands at the mic, a waif-like strawberry-blonde with a powering alto voice crooning out slice-of-life stories to tempos both fast and slow, hard and soft.

I was torn for years about the greater worth in a Patty Griffin collection between Flaming Red and 1000 Kisses and was somewhat underwhelmed by Impossible Dream (she also released a live CD, A Kiss in Time, in 2003) Patty is certain to please if you connect with her storytelling yet wanes with time as shows become somewhat mundane. Perhaps I expect too much from this prolific songwriter/singer? Perhaps ... although she still puts on one hell of a fantastic show for those who are new to her art. I've seen her no less than six times so maybe I just experienced "Patty burnout." She is currently writing songs for an upcoming CD without a release date.

I saw her perform alongside some really standout acoustic performers with the "Concerts for a Landmine Free World" 2001 tour which was done round robin style with all of them sitting on stage next to each other and I have to say, she really stole the show from the likes of Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bruce Cockburn, Steve Earle, and Nanci Griffith. There was a very pronounced hush when it was her turn to sing: it was as if the entire hall sensed something amazing around the bend. We weren't disappointed each time Patty performed previews to her gorgeous 1000 Kisses melodies alongside gems from Flaming Red and her debut, Living with Ghosts.

Living with Ghosts, released 10 years ago, was recorded much like Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Songs, a raw demo tape made in her kitchen. It was almost released in a highly edited, band heavy, format but she fought that battle and won. At one point, you can hear a siren wailing outside. It's pure Patty and glorious in her stripped down essence.

Flaming Red, her most rocking CD to date, was released two years later followed by an unreleased Silver Bells in 2000, some of which was re-worked and re-titled 1000 Kisses, an acoustic set of intensely personal stories, released in 2002. Dave Matthews met her during an Austin City Limits recording in 2000 and was so blown away by her talent that he asked her to join ATO records to release 1000 Kisses. Her live CD, Kiss in Time, came out in 2003, and Impossible Dream hit the airwaves in 2004.

Incidentally, she never got the master tapes to Silver Bells but the songs are actively traded online. Her exposure as an act in the Lilith Tour and several recordings by the Dixie Chicks and Emmylou Harris helped catapult her career to larger audiences. Two Grammy nominations for Best Contemporary Folk Album didn't hurt either (one for 1000 Kisses and one for Impossible Dream).

Thunderous applause meets her live performances of "Making Pies" and "Let Him Fly." Not many artists can pen a song about masturbation ("Wiggley Fingers" from Flaming Red) and receive artistic merit for such mental meanderings but Patty sure can. She has also written about Native Americans in "Chief," the inspiration for which probably stemmed from her youth in Maine growing up next door to the Penboscot Indian Reservation.

One of her more talked about songs is "Tony," a song about a young girls' observations in her homeroom seat behind a misfit teenager who takes his own life. Clearly, she feels the tug of how unfair life can be, especially to the innocent. This song does a good job of exposing how incredibly Patty can spin a life incident into a song any listener can "see" and connect with through images. We've all known a "Tony."

Tony
"Does anyone remember Tony?
He was a quiet boy, a little over weight
He had breasts like a girl
When I wasn't too busy feeling lonely
I stared over his shoulder at a map of the world
He always finished all his homework
Raised his hand in homeroom
For the morning attendance
And to pledge allegiance to the gloom

Hey Tony what's so good about dying?
(He said I) think I might do a little dying today
He looked in the mirror
Saw that little faggot staring back at him
Pulled out a gun and blew himself away

I hated every day of high school
Funny I guess that you did too
It's funny how I never knew
There I was sitting right behind you
They wrote in the local rag
Death comes to the local fag
So I guess you finally stopped believing
That any hope would ever find you
I knew that story I was sitting right behind you

Hey Tony what's so good about dying?
Think I might do a little dying today
He looked in the mirror
Saw that little faggot staring back at him
Pulled out a gun and blew himself away

He pulled out a gun and blew himself away
He pulled out a gun and blew himself away

Tony"

I'd suggest starting your adventure with Patty Griffin by listening to Living with Ghosts and then proceeding onto Flaming Red in huge doses followed by a healthy dollup of 1000 Kisses. Repeat as needed (and it's sure to be needed every so often as a yardstick against which you can measure other acoustic/folk/rockers).

Her website, Patty Griffin, is awful. She definitely needs to hire a better web designer. You'll learn more and get access to all of her lyrics on Patty Net. Another great site that includes a sign-up for a Patty Griffin mailing list is Patty Griffin Net. All Patty all the time.

2006-03-20T21:08:00.000-05:00

Rufus Wainwright -- Poses

"Cigarettes and chocolate milk. These are just a couple of my cravings." These two lines open the Poses CD and hold the listener rapt. His voice rises and falls, lulls and inspires, over acres of intelligent lyrics meant for repeat listenings at high volumes underneath the Sunday crossword and a giant slab of java or full tilt for a very long road trip. This is Rufus Wainwright's loves, missteps, and New York City lifestyle laid out on a platter for gulps of borderline operatic pleasure tinged with top-40 aspirations.

Rufus Wainwright, child of Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III and sister to Martha Wainwright, produced a stellar CD on Poses released in 2001. I didn't find this gem until 2003 but it was well worth the wait. Once you find it and connect with the 14-song artistic swell, you can't stop listening to it for months. I had the same reaction to David Gray's White Ladder in 2000 and, prior to that, Sarah McLachlan's Building a Mystery released in 1997. Poses mesmerizes the mind and strings its catchy hooks into cranial regions yet explored.

I won't pretend to know everything there is to know about Rufus nor his music. You can read all about that on Roger Bourland's "Red Black Window" web log. Roger Bourland has even taught college courses about Rufus' music -- way out of my Rufus league.

I can only speak to the enormous and instantaneous attraction to Rufus' lyrics, and incredible orchestration. The CD is filled with the standard drums, guitars, and piano accented by the unusual use of dobro, slide guitar, mandolin, and strings. The CD's gorgeous melodies swell underneath Rufus' storybook lyrics.

You can throw this CD into the player and close your eyes for transportation into stories filled with longing, drugs, gay club culture, and love. To say that Rufus is tender would be the understatement of the year, perhaps the decade. In a world filled with cruising men, he takes the brunt of the injury into his genius songwriting and culls it to dramatic heights as "poses."

Even the liner lyrics are written across the double page, requiring you to concentrate on the words and punctuation until it forms one blurred, wave-like roll of hurt, anticipation and heaving emotion.

This is the kind of CD you can build an entire dinner party around. It's that provocative and funky in a soulful way. Make sure you put on "Tower of Learning" just as the second or third bottle of red wine is uncorked and the main entree is served. The song begins to the half-notes of looking for the tower of learning and swells instrumentally and lyrically accompanied with a driving drum beat, a chorus, and funky guitars to the leaning tower in Paris.

He's slated to recreate Judy Garland's "Live From Carnegie Hall" at, where else, Carnegie Hall in NYC this June for two shows (not sold out according to the Carnegie Hall ticketing site as of today -- damned near sold out though with tix in the waaay back). Rufus' last two CD's Want One and Want Two were kind of lost on me. They didn't hold the same fascination and adoration I had for Poses, perhaps because they were more operatic in nature. I can say that Rufus fans adore them. They were recorded back-to-back but released a year apart.

"Grey Gardens" on Poses was written about the musical "Grey Gardens" based on a very sad documentary from the Mayles' Brothers made in the mid-70s or so. It's the name of a mansion that an old mother and her slightly crazy middle-aged daughter lived in, in squalor. Cats. Squirrels, other animals roam the house. The daughter talks about how she was going to be a singer and marry Joe Kennedy Jr. She wears wacky clothes and blames her mother for keeping her there. They're pack rats and seem to live in a time warp of when things were better. Rufus actually uses a sound bite of Edie saying something like "it's very difficult to keep the line between the past and the present, you know what I mean?" They're famous because of the documentary and because they were Jackie Beauvior (sp?) Kennedy's cousins. The mother died in the 80's and Edie died a few years ago. Yup. it's a laugh riot. Perfect material for a musical . . . NOT [blatantly stolen from Leigh Hampton in an email to me about the song].

My fondest memory of this CD will always be introducing my good friend to it on a drive to New York City to see our friend battling cancer and him falling in absolute love with it. We played it 10 times that trip up and back from Pittsburgh to NYC. It was adoringly fitting that my friend fell in love with it on the way up because when we walked in the door of our dear friend's apartment, it was playing in the background. One of those beautiful days in life that live on long after they're gone.

This CD will bring years of joy to your audio listening and transport you to places best experienced alone or with the best of friends or with family (hey, it's all over the map). If all else fails and you hate the CD, you should at least appreciate Rufus' take on "Across the Universe" by the Beatles. It closes this brilliant CD with a force de-jour that may just make you a convert.

If you want to check out Rufus Wainwright's music, check out his tasteful (yet slow loading) and expansive website. After all "life is a game and true love is a trophy." Well said, Rufus ... well said. Poses is his most accessible CD to date and a fine introduction to this incredible singer/lyricist. NOTE: Not for the squeemish or those who admonish gay and lesbian people as satan's brother.

2006-03-10T18:10:00.000-05:00

Lucinda Williams -- "Live @ the Fillmore"

Lucinda Williams, affectionately called Lu by adoring fans, has been strumming her guitar and belting out contemporary country/blues songs since the late 70's when she issued her first studio effort featuring cover songs on Ramblin'. Throughout her extensive touring over the last three decades, it was a pretty safe bet that she was three sheets to the wind on stage. During last night's show at The Byham Theater in Pittsburgh, she seemed more alert and interactive with the crowd. I can't say for sure but I'd bet there was something tasty in the two huge red cups she sipped throughout her 90-minute show. At one point, when Doug Pettibone stood up and moved across the stage to play pedal steel, she asked him where he was going in this little girl voice reminiscent of Bette Midler in The Rose.

I've been watching this gritty powerhouse since the early 90's when I was lucky enough to catch her show at the now defunct Graffiti Showcase on Baum Boulevard. I've been wracking my brain trying to remember who she played with but it hasn't come to me yet. Back then, she was touring her Lucinda Williams CD released on Rough Trade Records (also now defunct) and she appeared on a dimly lit stage with her namesake "beat to hell and back" cowboy hat and dirty cowboy boots. She was shy as a performer, almost uncertain she could sing the next song after mumbling hushed song titles to a small appreciative crowd. I bought her CD that night without hesitation and played it often over the next six years. She played my favorite at last night's acoustic duo with Doug Pettibone, "Am I Too Blue." It was a standout in the show as was her performance of "Right in Time."

Williams has a knack for "he done me wrong and now I'm going to make him pay" song lyrics. In a novice's hands, these songs might fail as country knock offs. Perhaps the ability to capture life's darker moments in words is in her blood. Her father is a published professor of poetry and joined up with her a few years ago to do a live reading of his poems between her songs. I missed that show but it got some decent reviews. We heard a new song last night "Rescuer" that sounded like a little girl's lament about father's not being able to make everything perfect in the world. She also sang "Jailhouse Tears" and "Tears of Joy" back to back, the latter of which she explained is a song about her new life of happiness with her man.

She reassured the audience that she has plenty of dark moments in the well that she can dip into for inspiration and went on to say she realized that life doesn't have to be so hard in order to write good songs. It was odd in a way, hearing Lu talk about her desire for a fulfilling, loving relationship, and happier days ahead. She did mention a ring in "Tears of Joy" so I can only assume she's engaged or at the very least, very taken.

The Sweet Old World CD, which followed Lucinda Williams, focused on a world sweet in comparison to bad relationships ("Lines Around Your Eyes") and a family suicide ("Pineola"). This was a stunning follow up to Lucinda Williams and deserved far greater acclaim than she received. Her next album, released six years later, would change everything. The public would know all about Lu with the release of Car Wheels on a Gravel Road in 1998 (titled Car Tires on a Dirt Road before being finalized). We could all kiss the intimate club dates goodbye after the album went gold.

Mary Chapin Carpenter (whose sister, McKenzie Carpenter, writes for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) recorded "Passionate Kisses" from Lucinda Williams and earned them both a Grammy. I much prefer Lu's original version with her raw nasal-sounding inflections and tell-tale Texas drawl although last night's performance of the song was far too rushed -- she furiously sang and played it at nearly double the original tempo (a disappointment). Lu earned a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album (Car Wheels on a Gravel Road) and another for Best Female Rock Performance ("Get Right with God" from Essence released in 2001).

Lucinda went on to release World Without Tears in 2003 that contained some really stellar reflections about life on the road and broken relationships. Stand outs included "Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings," "Those Three Days," and "Sweet Side." Live @ The Fillmore, her most recent CD, is laid back and lacking in her typical audience banter. It was recorded during two nights and spliced together. She also has a DVD out titled Live from Austin Texas, which I haven't seen. There are more than a few bootlegs floating around; one featuring her four-hour tour closer in Baltimore, Maryland. I'd love to hear that one.

Lu did not mention her native city Lake Charles, Louisiana, last night. Maybe it's too painful to talk about. Still, I was surprised she never once talked about Hurricane Katrina.

Lucinda Williams will continue to be a dynamic, down-to-earth, singer with enough edgy blues riffs to fill concert halls in the years to come. Something tells me, she'll mature into an even more eloquent lyricist given time and some reflection on what her life has given her. Her web site is so-so and she commands $25 to join her fan club (I hope that isn't a trend). If you want to listen to Lucinda, check her site out or go to Amazon and load up on her "sweet sweet ba-beeeee" drawls. If you venture out to her show, let me know what you thought and pay attention to the two-inch thick book of songs she thumbs through on stage. AMAZING catalogue!

2006-03-01T11:43:00.000-05:00

Kathleen Edwards -- Back to Me

Kathleen Edwards' second CD "Back to Me" came out in March 2005. I had the chance to see her in Pittsburgh a few months later. At the time, I didn't own any of her CD's but enjoyed the songs WYEP 91.3 played from "Failer," her first CD.

Some of the Ottawa native's songs come off as "in your face, I am woman" statements but this wouldn't appear to be an entirely accurate depiction for this emotional tour through her travels, loves, and hurts. She achieved notoriety playing the late night television circuit in a whirlwind debut that included raves from Rolling Stone. She is currently touring the U.S. with east coast dates in the coming months. She pulls into Pittsburgh for two dates at Club Cafe in April.

During her May 2005 appearance in Pittsburgh, her voice wavered and halted during the second half of the show until she finally burst into tears during a solo encore of "Away." She fought back the tears, started again, and then succumbed to an all out on stage cry that left most of the audience bewildered. There was a long pause as she collected herself, faltered, and then found enough presence to explain that sometimes "you just lose it. This has never happened to me."

We all stood there, a few feet away from the distraught Edwards, unable to do anything to ease her pain. Someone in the crowd shouted "We love you, Kathleen" which seemed to diminish some of the awkwardness. It was a strange moment for everyone involved with an undercurrent of "you can do this" empowerment gushing toward the crumpled Edwards.

She tried the song again through tearful sniffles and muffled lyrics to finally finish. You could have heard a pin drop as she struggled through the song. The crowd roared loving approval as the final note hung over us.

Mary Gauthier opened for Kathleen that night so the audience was already in a heady mood. I left the show with such a mix of feelings that it was hard to pinpoint my feelings about her as an artist. I had just witnessed a human being fall apart on stage to a sold out audience -- she was more than just Kathleen Edwards, the musician, after that.

Her band, including her husband guitarist Colin Cripps, rocks on songs like "Back to Me" and "In State." Kathleen's voice is high and wavering during the more emotional cuts like "Away" and "Hockey Skates." I've seen some comparisons to Lucinda Williams but I wouldn't say her voice or her style is that pronounced at this point in her career. Perhaps earlier Lucinda, yes. I'd compare her more to Beth Orton's ethereal sound on "Trailer Park" and "Central Reservation." (Beth has a new CD "Comfort of Strangers" and is currently touring the U.K. and Ireland with 20 U.S. dates to follow. The new CD song samples included on her web site are intriguing.)

Kathleen Edwards' web site features tour dates and song samples. She's a bourbon drinker, straight up, if you get the chance to see her this spring.

2006-02-20T22:03:00.000-05:00

Southern Culture on the Skids (SCOTS) -- MOJO Box

In the mood for some foot stompin' singing and good times? Do you like the B-52's? Southern Culture on the Skids (SCOTS) may just be the ticket. These guys and gals from North Carolina (shouldn't that be SOUTH Carolina?) put on one hell of a southern tongue-in-cheek show. Think white trash meets Einstein and you've got a little idea of what this band's all about. They toured a great deal before band member Rick Miller and his wife Sarah had a bouncing white trash boy this month.

Intelligent southern stereotypical bashing has been their claim to fame and not so much fortune. But I have to tell you, I try to catch them everytime they're in town. Their live shows remind me of Moxy Fruvous and Bare Naked Ladies ... long before their incomes doubled and they forgot how much fun singing memorable songs could be.

You'll have to do your homework before the show to sing along but it will be well worth it with songs like "House of Bamboo", "Camel Walk", "Eight Piece Box" (which features the band tossing KFC chicken into the audience), "Daddy Was a Preacher but Mama was a Go-Go Girl", and "Banana Puddin'" to guide your way. Good bets for their CD's include "Liquored Up and Lacquored Down" and "Plastic Seat Sweat." Self-described swamp pop, garage, R&B, and monkey-paw surf can't be wrong, can it? No ma'am. It's just what the winter blues doctor ordered on a blustery Friday night.

I've seen some mighty battles ensue over the fried chicken bit. They invite real purdy ladies up to join them for this song and hand out KFC chicken that usually gets tossed about or eaten in drunken gulps.

SCOTS shows are good (not so clean) fun and are appropriate for most ages. You'll enjoy the huge hair doo on bassist Mary Huff and the fun drumming of Dave Hartman nestled up in screaming crescendo to Rick Miller's energetic singing. Mary and Rick have been singing together since 1987 so they add subtle barbs to previously released songs that only diehard SCOTS fans can appreciate but hey, you're becoming part of the trailer park with this band.

Can you say "Too Much Pork for Just One Fork?" Thought you could. This band's too much fun for one night. Check out their website at WWW.SCOTS.COM.

2006-02-09T19:03:00.000-05:00

Mary Gauthier -- Mercy Now

Her name is pronounced "go-shay" and her "Mercy Now" CD is absolutely stunning in its direct assault into the unknowns of life. She's a "what if" person that likes to play with possibilities and she's lived a harsh life filled with enough dark paths and philosophical fumblings to fill a concert hall.

I connected with her music at once. Maybe it's because I've known darkness and despair long enough to develop my own musings about the randomness of fair and unfair. Mary has a super-talented ability to retain gut-wrenching grittiness while exploring the humor in it all. Her lyrics juxtapose good and bad, light and dark, all the while bathing them inside of her deep throaty interpretations. You get the sense that she's just a bystander watching life go by in some dark alley but her stage banter corrects that assessment quickly. These are lyrics written by a woman who's been there and back again.

Imagine Lucinda Williams touched by Patti Smith and honed by John Prine and Neil Young and you may just begin to sense what a gift Mary Gauthier has for storytelling behind the acoustic guitar. Not only was I blown away by her songs but her road diary is amazing to read. It's a shame she hasn't kept that going -- it really gets inside of road life in a way I've never experienced before.

"Mercy Now" is her fourth effort. She started writing at age 35. That was 10 years ago and all of her albums have created a stir among the Boston crowd where she began and then, Nashville, where she now resides. She tours endlessly so you have a good shot of getting to see her live show which is really something to behold.

She saunters onto the stage in ragged blue jeans with holes in them, an old suede fringed jacket, and silver bangles and says "Hi Y'all ... thanks for coming out," in a deep throaty drawl earned by drinking loads of whiskey and smoking packs of cigarettes that shook me back to my days exploring the Big Easy. You won't hear the romping New Orleans sounds of Buckwheat Zydeco; instead you'll hear the underbelly of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina sung by a simple woman in a simple outfit with simply amazing grace.

Throughout the catcalls of songs the audience wanted to hear and hoots of appreciation, Mary stands calmy; sometimes amused and others downright amazed at how much her fans know about her music. I was certain we'd get an "aw shucks" at some point in the show but that never happened (at least verbally although her facial expressions spoke volumes).

She told tales of a vacation in the Keys of Florida that helped her pen "Christmas in Paradise" and childhood memories living with an alcoholic father that created "I Drink." She's got a story for every song and sometimes she shares that background in her live shows. "Wheel Inside a Wheel," for instance, was written for her dear friend, Dave Carter who passed away in July 2002. The stand out song on the CD is the title song which Mary wrote following the events of September 11 and the ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In "Mercy Now," she sings,

My church and my country could use a little mercy now
As they sink into a poisoned pit
That's going to take forever to climb out
They carry the weight of the faithful
Who follow them down
I love my church and country, and they could use some mercy now

Mary Gauthier is definitely an artist to watch and her incredible sound can be found on her website at www.marygauthier.com

2006-02-03T11:59:00.000-05:00

Raul Malo -- The Nashville Acoustic Sessions

Raul Malo hasn't put out a new CD in years but he continues to tour with a solid line up of his Mavericks material and top picks from 2001's "Today" and 2004's "The Nashville Acoustic Sessions." Many fans of his work with the Mavericks were worried when he left the band to pursue his own career; however, the worry didn't last long. He still does his solo shows and collaborates with a slew of other artists so perhaps we get the best of both Malo's. He has also performed on a number of collections such as "Los Super Seven" and "Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster" which features Raul's incredible rendition of the title track.

I got to see Raul perform at Dowe's on Ninth last September as part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trusts "CD Live" series. This was another artist I knew very little about aside from the Mavericks hits "Dance the Night Away" and "What a Cryin' Shame." My girlfriend gushed about Raul and commanded me to see his live show. Anyone that can do justice to Pittsburgher Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer" must be okay, right?

He's extremely personable on stage, even going so far as to accept a shot of tequila a very drunk woman bought for him (he saved it for after the show). The women went nuts as soon as he started singing in a velvety smooth tenor reminiscent of Roy Orbison. His voice, while deeply toned, soars through the microphone in a measured tremble. Raul did not have a backing band on this tour; just an accompanying piano player and his acoustic guitar.

Raul debuted as lead singer for the Mavericks in the early 90's. He was born in Miami, Florida, to Cuban parents and developed a deep affection for classic country artists like Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash. "What a Crying Shame," released in '94 turned platinum a year later and launched the phenomenon known as The Mavericks. The Latin vibe started to seep into the Mavericks songwriting in the late 90's. Raul has joked that he's probably the only Cuban American to stand on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. The Mavericks took home a Grammy in 1995 for "Here Comes the Rain."

Word has it that his new CD "You're Only Lonely" hasn't surfaced yet because he's still shopping around for a label. Incredible! Who wouldn't want this guy on their line up? He's doing some touring now with new songs from the CD so keep your eyes open for a performance near you. He covers Etta James, Willie Nelson, the Bee Gees, and others as well as the title track cover of J.D. Souther's song. I've also heard he'll be releasing "Live in '05" featuring his live performances sometime this year.

You can find his songs on Amazon (I don't know who developed their personal sites but they aren't very user friendly) under the Mavericks or Raul Malo. He's a well-kept secret in a long list of outstanding alt country artists flavored with a healthy dollop of Latin music. You'll want to sing along and dance the night away with the songs "I Want to Know," "What a Crying Shame," "Every Little Thing About You," and "I Said I Love You."

2006-01-30T21:39:00.000-05:00

Buddy Miller -- Universal United House of Prayer

I had so many exceptional surprises last year when it came to seeing artists I knew absolutely nothing about. Buddy Miller was definitely a stand out performance. He's been playing since his teens in Ohio and then in Nashville and all over the world; sometimes with his wife and fellow musician/writer Julie Miller and sometimes with Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, or his own band featuring some "tear it up" gospel singers, the McCrary sisters. He released "Your Love and Other Lies" to little critical acclaim in 1995.

There's an affinity with Buddy's music that cuts to the core on this CD. This is one stand-up musician admired by legions of Nashville writers and performers. When it came down to it, he figured that his remake of the 1960's Dylan hit "With God on Our Side" had to be included. Clocking in at more than nine minutes, it was a long shot but the song really holds up in concert and on the CD with Buddy's long drawling tenor accentuating all that can go wrong with religion. He's been writing Christian Country music with strong themes that are at times both clever and harsh. Make no mistake, though, Buddy doesn't write harmonic, gushy, Christian music: his music has a defiant edge.

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Lonesome Bob at the Buddy Miller show. As fate would have it, the hulking mass stood next to me at the bar, hanging on every word and relating his personal kinship with Buddy. Lonesome Bob lived in Nashville for a good many years and has released a very personal, searing, CD recounting the death of his son.

"That Buddy," Lonesome Bob quipped before the show started,"he's a really stand up guy. Everyone loves him. I feel so much when I get to see him. His lyrics are hard to beat." I had only asked Bob if the guy was any good.

And yes, Bob was right. Buddy can write and sing some awfully powerful lyrics that, in the hands of lesser figures, might come off wishy washy or preachy. Buddy connects with the audience in a way that overcomes the Christian messages. His band is tight and complementary, pausing to let him drawl out one long Texan note and then rushing to catch up with the audience's admiration. He gets inside of a feeling and stays there only long enough to rush the crowd into the next thought. I must say, Buddy Miller can play the guitar like a heartstring, hammering into a deep tremolo that sits inside of you like an eggshell waiting to be cracked.

Buddy started out in Austin, Texas, with the likes of Shawn Colvin singing backup for him in Partners in Crime. Maybe that's where Shawn learned those lilting harmonies couched by sharp punctuation of a flat note.

He grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and traveled to Austin, Texas, where he met Julie, his wife. He's spent time writing and performing in Austin, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, and finally Nashville. Brooks and Dunn recorded Buddy's "My Love Will Follow You" which secured him financially and continued his dream of writing and producing albums.

Perhaps I liked Buddy for his charismatic style and gentle gnawing on the Bush administration's right wing televangelism. Buddy's on a mission with this CD and he aims to set the record straight when it comes to abusing religion in the name of politics and war.

Sometimes, when researching an artist, I find a nugget worthy of repeating. Apparently, Buddy's brother-in-law was struck by lightning and died 20 years to the day after he suffered nearly deadly injuries in a motorcycle accident at exactly the same spot. Eerie and infusing this CD with its uncanny look at religion and life purpose.

This is a gritty, heartful, CD full of purpose and human spirit. You can't help but love the guy. I had been hearing for years how I "had to get out and see Buddy and Julie Miller." Little did I know just what a show I was missing. You can see and hear Buddy here: http://www.buddyandjulie.com/

2006-01-12T18:58:00.000-05:00

Ray LaMontagne -- Trouble

Ray LaMontagne's story is a great example of destiny finding you. What are the chances that a young man who barely graduated high school, moved around with his Mom and five other siblings, and never studied music or voice would eventually be signed to Chrysalis Records, would release his first effort ("Trouble") and be nominated for "Best New Touring Artist" at Pollstar? I mean, really, what are the chances? Slim to none.

Ray never spent his childhood engulfed in music. Nothing captured his interest except making a living where he finally ended up at a shoe factory in Maine. It wasn't until he heard Stephen Stills' "Tree Top Flyer" one morning that things changed for Ray LaMontagne. You can listen to the Stills song on Amazon here Treetop Flyer. I just had to hear the song, of course (thought you might like to as well).

"Stills Alone" which featured "Treetop Flyer" was released in 1991. Ray ran out and bought it that day instead of heading into the shoe factory. He spent the next eight years learning to sing and play guitar and imitating Crosby, Stills, and Nash; Neil Young; Otis Redding (who he sounds a lot like); Bob Dylan; and Joni Mitchell. He even taught himself how to sing using his diaphragm instead of his nose. He quit his job at the factory and started his musical journey.

Destiny would intervene yet again in 1999 when he recorded his first demo of 10 songs, never having performed on stage, and met Jamie Ceretta of Chrysalis Music Publishing. Meanwhile, Ray did some intimate shows at a little club in Maine where he honed his stage skills. Again ... I ask ... what are THE chances? Destiny was calling.

Jamie hooked him up with other execs at Chrysalis who funded a deal for Ray's first effort before they even knew where they'd put his disc. Jamie knew Ray was a special artist and pushed his career forward.

If you've ever seen Ray perform live, you'll understand just how shy this guy is. He barely made eye contact with the sold out standing room only (and there were PLENTY of us standers) show at "The Rex" on Pittsburgh's South Side. Women were screaming his name and throwing God knows what lingere on stage and he would just shuffle his feet and quietly chuckle, launching into his next song as if he might be standing alone in his kitchen eyeing the pots and pans. He really relies on his band mate (one lone upright bass player) to keep him secure at live shows.

I went to the show not knowing ANY-thing about the guy. A friend talked me into going; not that I'm never up for live music in smallish clubs for any reason but I'd just been to see four shows before Ray strolled into town.

There we were, standing at the back of the former movie theater being jostled around by some nearby drunks, when Ray walked on stage with his bass player. The place went NUTS! When things quieted down, Ray began his 90 minute show with "You Should Belong to Me." His voice, raw and gritty, was soulful and booming at times, silky quiet at others. I kept thinking to myself, "who does he sound like?" when it finally came to me: Otis Redding with a little Michael McDonald thrown in.

His performance, though subdued in terms of audience banter, was mesmerizing stylistically. The show stoppers for me were "Shelter" and "Trouble." I simply cannot get over how closely his CD mimics his live presence. There was no tinkering in the studio with this one.

He has toured extensively in Europe to sold out shows as well. If you catch him in your town, get tickets immediately because he sells out within days. Rumour has it, he's in the studio again which can only mean great things are coming although no touring at present. I read one account this evening of a woman trying to buy his CD in England but none of the stores had any copies left. She finally found one that had a single copy left but Elton John was on the phone asking if they could hold it for him. She ended up the victor (awww, poor Elton).

If you'd like to check out Ray's unbelievable sound go to his web site at Ray LaMontagne.

2006-01-11T18:12:00.000-05:00

Maia Sharp -- Fine Upstanding Citizen

I have been following Maia Sharp since she released her first CD "Hardly Glamour" which featured her first independent radio hit "I Need This to be Love" in 1997. There was something undeniably remarkable about Maia's lyrics and musicianship that latched onto my interest. I continued playing "Hardly Glamour" and listening to her play sax (her first love which launched her career), flute, clarinet, guitar, keyboards, and sing until she released her second solo effort "Maia Sharp" several years later.

In between solo CD's, she did a CD with Art Garfunkel titled "Everything Waits to be Noticed" and harmonized with him on several songs she also co-wrote. Cher recorded "Don't Come Around Tonight" from Maia's "Hardly Glamour" and other artists began to really notice her songwriting.

She's written for The Dixie Chics ("Home"), Bonnie Raitt, Lisa Loeb, Edwin McCain ("Say Anything"), David Wilcox, and Kim Richey. She recently toured with Bonnie Raitt who had this to say about her: "Maia is making some of the most innovative and soulful music around with songs that are head and shoulders above the rest. She has become one of my favorite artists. Fine Upstanding Citizen is a brilliant album, start to finish."

I've had the privilege of seeing Maia live several times over the years and it's wonderful to see the audiences growing with their appreciation for her work. She is, as they say, a musician's musician. At the November show in Pittsburgh, she opened for Raitt to an audience that knew very little about her work. I watched the audience reaction when she stepped away from her keyboards to wail on the horn and they were as enthralled as I was when I first saw her perform. She amazes with lyrics and harmonies that cascade, crescendo, and ebb back and forth between your heart and mind.

In an earlier show this year at Club Cafe (fabulous small venue), she performed with her Dad, Randy, in an intimate show that included lots of dialogue with the audience about her songs and growing up in a musical family. She autographed CD's afterward and was really personable with everyone that wanted to talk to her. Her voice, in person, is just as saltry and intriguing as it is on her CD's.

She gives special thanks to her "sweetheart for life (yeah, you're stuck with me) for your unconditional, sometimes unbelievable love and support" on the credits for "Fine Upstanding Citizen" so I guess she's off the market, ladies. *wink*

If you would like to find out more about Maia and listen to her music, please visit:
http://www.maiasharp.com/main_index.html She writes constantly so perhaps we'll get some new material soon. I can only hope. She continues to improve with each effort.

2006-01-04T18:57:00.000-05:00

Citizen Cope -- The Clarence Greenwood Recordings

Citizen Cope, aka Clarence Greenwood, first appeared on my music radar last fall when our local radio station announced his concert. I didn't know anything about Citizen Cope or the music I was about to discover. I bought some tickets to a show at Dowe's on Ninth, a little jazz club that hooked up with WYEP to bring live artists to Pittsburgh's cultural district.

The place was packed and sizzling with anticipation. I was excited to hear a band that was voted one of the "Top 100" on Amazon and made Rolling Stone's "10 Artists to Watch" for 2004. I knew one song "Bullet and a Target." The opening chords caught my attention immediately with a driving drum beat, crooning reminiscent of Al Green, and catchy hand clapping. The rest of the show built momentum with most of the audience obvious fans that knew every word to every song.

Impressive.

His band is tight and they work around his repeated choruses with a magical backbone of Moog synth, cut to your gut pounding drums, and bass/lead guitars supporting Greenwood's acoustic strumming. The drummer had a really interesting skin on his bass made out of some heavy hide with a groovy painting I couldn't quite make out. It didn't matter; I was reveling in this band's awesome rich sound and Greenwood's interesting lyrical style.

His voice rises and falls, stumbling and connecting again, with chorus hooks you'll recall for months. I often find myself strolling through the grocery store or driving to the melodies of "The Clarence Greenwood Recordings" pouring through my brain. This is one of those bands that once you get that "Cope" vibe inside of your head, you just have to play the entire CD. It's infectious pop with an edge.

Clarence is a shy performer by nature. He starts with a quiet mumbling but by the end of the show, if people are singing along, he really lets loose. He does very few covers but they're memorable.

"Nite Becomes Day," the CD opener, sets the stage for the societal storytelling that fills this disc. Drugs, politics, murder, madness, spiritual resurrection, and fame. There aren't many artists that can sing 16 lines over and over again for more than five minutes and still capture your attention. Citizen Cope does this beautifully with "Sideways," arguably one of the most Googled Cope lyric searches (... these feelings won't go away, they've been knocking me sideways...)

His song "Son's Gonna Rise" sparked a lot of interest for him when it was featured on a Pontiac commercial in April, 2005. He has also made appearances on the late night talk show circuit. You can find many of his performances and videos using the link below.

I've seen his band perform three times now and I can't wait to see him again. If you're looking for something fresh for your CD player and like some hip hop rhythms, some reggae, and the occasional high-pitched Moog, I highly recommend this CD. If you want to check out his music first, go to www.citizencope.com/media.cfm
For what it's worth, his audience spans all ages, races, and sexes. He is not currently touring which hopefully means he's writing.

2006-01-02T14:45:00.000-05:00

I am a card-carrying public radio devotee

When I do stray from the lower bands, it's excrutiatingly difficult to listen to advertisements, babbling DJ's, and recycled play lists. Independent publicly supported radio offers a depth of music and special programming that you simply cannot find on the commercial dial.

This has been a great year for music -- Mariah Carey aside. A lot of sites have their 2005 Top Picks listed. I'll have to think about mine a bit more.

Meanwhile, my favorite IPR station, WYEP, has just opened shop in their fabulous new space in the South Side of Pittsburgh. It's a state of the art facility complete with a concert hall. WYEP brings a wide array of new artists into town each year. I'm very excited about the possibilities for compilation CD's drawn from studio performances in their new digs, not to mention some kick ass shows!

I saw quite a few live acts last year. Among the best performances:

1. Citizen Cope
2. Maia Sharp with Bonnie Raitt
3. Ray LaMontagne
4. Buddy Miller
5. Raul Malo
6. Mary Gauthier

Any of these are good bets for your concert dollars. I'll write more about each artist in the next Chewing the Clef.