By Brad Devereaux

Phish brings a bursting three-night run in Broomfield

2010-10-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to take a week off of work to cathc nights two and three of Phish's three-night run in Broomfield, Colo. In retrospect, the Monday's show was great, and Sunday's was still pretty good despite a lackluster set list and discord among some fans.

Here are a few pictures I took and videos from Youtube.

An evening with Dark Star Orchestra

2010-04-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

While taking a quick vacation to Seattle last weekend, we found out that Dark Star Orchestra was playing at the Show Box Theater in downtown Seattle, near Pike's Place Market. I had never seen this band before (for a while I thought it was a classical tribute to the Grateful Dead) but I eventually found out the band is actually a straight-up tribute to The Grateful Dead, and they do a great job sounding like the legendary jam rockers, while adding some of their own musical tangents.

The crazy thing about DSO is how precise they aim to cover historically accurate GD set lists, while also "channeling the Dead" and transversing mystical musical jams that sound very natural and very Grateful Dead.

Seeing the band during the spring tour gave us a chance to see new lead guitar player and vocalist Stu Allen join the DSO. Allen, who has played in Melvin Seals and the JGB Band, Avalon Allstars, The Jones Gang, Workingman's Ed, Stu and Pat Nevins acoustic and more, does well to lead the talented group through interesting improvisations, landing back in the song's groove flawlessly.

Drummer Rob Koritz and Stu Allen get in-sync during the second set of the DSO show April 17, in Seattle. Allen joined the band on lead guitar and vocals beginning April 7, 2010. Photo by Brad Devereaux

The rest of the band members do their parts well, too, with drummers Dino English and Rob Koritz playing intricate tromping drumbeats in unison and Rob Barraco (keys) slipping out psychedelic melodies and laying down chords to fill out the compositions. Rob Eaton (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Kevin Rosen (bass, vocals) match the tone of the Grateful Dead with their instruments as well as vocals.

Actually, the entire band was impressive with the accuracy of their vocals. Not only that, each musician stays true to their original singing part in the Dead - Stu doing Jerry, Rob doing Bob, and so on (I can't say this is true for every song they played, but I noticed it on the majority).

The One Way or Another Tour continues through May 1 with dates in northern California. They will continue to tour through early August, including performances at Mountain Jam 6 June 4-6 in Hunter, NY, All Good Music Festival July 8 in Masontown, WV, plus more.

I would reccomend Dark Star Orchestra. They do a great job of making the Grateful Dead's sets come alive in all their glory. Also, it is nice to be able to see these songs played at smaller venues, where getting close to the band is easier and the crowd isn't packed into every crevice of the building. They do, however, draw a decent crowd, and the many people in the audience seemed to be spreading the good vibes just like the DSO.

A summer of music festivals in 2010

2010-03-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

10-14: Canadian Music Fest, Ontario; Our Lady Peace, Cage the Elephant, Great Lakes Swimmers.

12-14: BLOC, Somerset, UK; Salt N Peppa, Grandmaster Flash.

17-21: SXSW, Austin, Texas; a large lineup of bands.

21-23: Jam in the Dam, Amsterdam; The Bridge, Les Clypool, The New Mastersounds, Umphrey's McGee, Yonder Mountain String Band.

26-27: Birds on a Wire, Pullman, Wash.; Justin Townes Earle, Damien Jurado, Frontier Ruckus, Maldives, more.

26-27: Ultra Music Festival, Miami, Fla., The Crystal Method, Groove Armada, Carl Cox and more.

27-28: The Bamboozle, Anaheim, Calif.; AFI, The Bouncing Souls many more.

18-April 3: Savannah Music Festival, Georgia; Large variety of genres including Wilco.

9-11, 16-18, 23-25: Texas Crawfish and Music Festival, Spring, Texas; check site for updates.

15-17: Wanee, Live Oak, Fla.; Allman Bros. Band, Widespread Panic, Derek Trucks.

15-18: Old Settler's Music Festival, Austin, Texas; Joe Ely, 7 Walkers ft. Bill Kreutzmann.

16-18: Coachella, Indio, Calif.; DEVO, Echo and the Boneymen, Jay-Z, Phoenix, LCD Soundsystem, Gorillaz and many more.

16-18: Rhythym and Blooms Festival, Knoxville, Tenn.; Carrie Rodriguez, The Old Ceremony, Samantha Crain, Yarn, 18 South, the Black Lilies, more.
22-24: Florida Music Festival, Orlando; Third Eye Blind, Flogging Molley.

23-25: McDowell Mountain Festival, Arizona; Assembly of Dust, Robert Randolph and the Family Band.

23-May 2: New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival; Pearl Jam, Simon and Garfunkel, My Morning Jacket.

28-May 2: Sunfest, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Weezer, ZZ Top.

30-May 2: Gamble Rogers Folk Festival, St. Augustine, Fla.; Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Loudon Wainwright, Janis Ian, John Cowan Band, Pierce Pettis, Greg Brown, Patty Larkin, more.

30-May 2: Beale Street Music Festival, Memphis, Tenn.; Widespread Panic, Blues traveler, Jeff Beck, Earth Wind and Fire, Flaming Lips.

7-9: All Tomorrow's Parties, Minehead, England; Currated by Matt Groening; Iggy and the Stooges, Deerhunter, Panda Bear, the Residents.
14-16: Bluegrass from the Forest, Shelton, Wash.; Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper headlining all three days, several top regional bands, master workshops, band scramble, band contest, banjo contest, great jamming indoors and out, vendors and much more.

28-30: Summer Camp, Illinois; Umphrey's McGee, Keller Williams, STS9, Pretty Lights, Victor Wooten and Moe.

28-30: Florida Folk Festival, White Springs, Fla.; Visit site for details.
28-30: Desert Rocks, Moab, Utah; Emmitt-Nershi Band, The Motet and Friends, The Naked Eyes.

29-30: Detroit Electronic Music Festival, no lineup yet.

29-31: Sasquatcth, the Gorge, Washington; My Morning Jacket, OK Go, Minus the Bear, Massive Attack, Public Enemy.

4-6: Mountain Jam VI, Hunter Mountain, NY; Gov't Mule, Levon Helm and Friends, 70th birthday celebration (with very special guests), Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band, Matisyahu, more.

10-13: Bonnaroo, Manchester, Tenn.; DMB, Tenacious D, Weezer, Flaming Lips playing DSOTM.

11-13: Download, Donington Park, UK; AC/DC, RATM, Aerosmith, Wolfmother.

11-13: Isle of Wight, Newport, UK; Paul McArtney, Jay-Z, the Strokes, Editors, Friendly fires, Orbital. A Jimi Hendrix tribute band will play at the big top.
11-19: Riverbend Festival, Chattanooga, Tenn.; 5 stages, 100+ bands including Darius Rucker, Uriah Heep, George Clinton.

16-20: NXNE, Toronto - Check site for updates.
24-July 4: Milwaukee Summerfest, Wisconsin; 311, Jeff Beck, Tom Petty, The Moody Blues, STS9.

1-4: High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, Calif.; Railroad Earth, Cornmeal, Zach Deputy.

4?: American Music Festival, Berwyn, Ill.; Bands to be announced.

16-18 Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago; Modest Mouse, LCD Soundsystem and several others.

30-Aug. 1: Camp Bestival, Lulworth Castle, Dorset, UK; many acts including Madness, Friendly Fires, George Clinton and the Parliment Funkadelic, DJ Yoda and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

30-Aug. 1: Fuji Rock, Naeba, Japan; Flogging Molly, Muse, Air.

30-Aug. 1: All Points West, NJ; Jay-Z, Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

6-8: Lollapalooza, Grant Park, Chicago; Check Website for updates.

20-22: Hoxeyville Music Festival, Wellston, Mich.; Check Website for info.

20-22: The Green Man Festival, Wales, UK; headlined by the Flaming Lips.

September 2-5: Didmarton Bluegrass Festival, Nr Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK; Peter Rowan, Claire Lynch Band, Show of Hands, more.

*This list will be updated throughout the summer as more festivals are announced and/or discovered. If there are any summer music festivals going on in your neck of the woods, please leave a comment and it will be included in the list. Hopefully, this list will be more complete as the summer rolls on, and will serve as a guide to people looking for some great live music.

Also, please comment about which festivals or other shows you are most excited about this summer.

Missing acts

A few popular festivals aren't returning this year.

10,000 Lakes in Minnesota is on hiatus until further notice, according to their Web site, stating that the operation could not reach financial success.

The Rothbury fest in rural Michigan has also announced there will be no festival in 2010, citing a contributing factor of not being able to assemble a "cutting edge roster" for the weekend festival, according to a statment on the Rothbury Website.

"Despite the 2010 postponement, we intend to move toward continuing ROTHBURY in 2011. This event is something very special, and we are unwilling to potentially tarnish what ROTHBURY is, and can become, by working under conditions that will produce anything less than a magical experience," according to the statement.

The future of the Monolith Festival at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colo., is also unknown, but according to the fest's Facebook page, Organizers are working on a solution for 2010.

The Circle K Tempe Music Festival is on hold for 2010, citing similar roster problems as other fests.

The last Red Rocks Incident

2010-02-10T20:27:00.000-08:00

I am excited for the short string of cheese incidents that were announced by the String Cheese Incident. The Colorado band returns to the stage at one of their favorite backyard spots, Red Rocks.

Since The Cheese played their final scheduled show of 2007 at Red Rocks Aug. 9-12, they have made one other appearance as a band at the Rothbury festival in Michigan. The members have participated inb various solo and other musical ventures throughout the hiatus.

After the first night of these shows, Angie and I drove straight to Red Rocks without finding a place to stay (camp). Everyone at the show told us there was camping all around so we weren't worried.

But when the show got out it was late and we chose a random road to start out on. We drove for maybe an hour, before deciding to pull over and sleep on the shoulder of the road.

When we woke up we were in a wilderness looking area, with miles of forest in every direction.

We stayed in Denver the next day and made sure to head that way after the show.

The next day, we returned without tickets, but someone searched us out and convinced a stranger to give us free tickets.

The girl had been "miracled" the night before, and seemed to be trying to fulfill her karmic duties by bringing a miracle to another.

"Well maybe I'd take $20 for them," the man mumbled, but was swiftly interrupted by the girl with the fairy wings and Rainbow Brite hair.

"No way, you said miracle, you said miracle, man, that's not cool," she warned. The man gave in to her plea and gave up the tickets. We felt a little strange, but thanked him and went inside.

I attended the August Red Rocks shows, and I am excited to try to go to the next turn up the riverbed.

Some photos of the Aug. 2007 parking lot scene at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Golden, Colo., just a short drive West of Denver.

Bonnaroo to sport a psychadelic theatrical cap?

2010-02-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

Hello?

Hello

hello.

Is there anybody in there?

Just nod if you can hear me.

Is there any-one home?

When I noticed a supposed "leaked" version of the artist lineup for Bonnaroo 2010 was posted on the Web, I looked at the flier, scanning from the bottom up, waiting to see what it said the top few bands would be this year.

When I saw the words "Roger Waters performing the Wall" I was, to say the least, excited. I've always wanted to see The Wall, performed in all it's theatrical glory, played live in front of a huge roaring crowd. I read while ago that Pink Floyd would not give permission for any bands (or high school drama troupes, for that matter) to play the rock opera live, limiting the masterpiece to just a few live performances (beyond Floyd's original touring to support the album) over the past decades by Waters himself.

I have listened to Waters' performance of The Wall in Berlin in 1990 countless times, and the recording captures the original pompous British extravaganza and musical roller coaster to a T. I can't wait what it will sound like at Bonnaroo. Let's just hope this is not a rumor!

There are plenty of other cool bands on the leaked flier including 311, The String Cheese Incident, DMB, Jay-Z, Tenacious D, My Morning Jacket, STS9, Les Claypool, Phoenix and Stevie Wonder. See the flier below:

Last year was a great lineup and I appreciated that the Bonnaroo people brought in the Jam kings (Phish) to right the direction of the festival ship. This year looks like another good one, even if part of the flier is accurate. Though several acts are likely to be correct, the advertisement could also be a fabricated lie. We'll have to wait until Feb. 9 to find out.

There are bands from many genres, though the experimental jam-esque vibe of the festival's roots is well-represented. There is no lack of talent in this year's line up. And what better act to cap the night than the talented psychedelic storytelling of Roger Waters.

I wonder if concert-goers will be required to eat any pudding before going to see the show.

UPDATE:

OK, it looks like the flier was not entirely true, but there are a few bands that have matched up, as Bonnaroo announces the artists one by one on their Myspace page.

Confirmed true, also on the "leaked" poster: DMB, Phoenix, Jay-Z.

New confirmed acts: OK Go, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Neon Indian, Jeff Beck.

An interisting an awesome Pink Floyd twist: The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs perform "Dark Side of the Moon."

Phish - The Gorge, Washington, 2009

2009-11-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

311 Unity Tour 2009

2009-03-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

Nick Hexum plays on the 2008 311 tour. / 311.com

311 recently announced a Midwest / West Coast summer tour to follow their spring tour. The spring tour begins April 15 in Tuscon, Ariz., and finishes May 16 in Nashville. The Summer Unity Tour will pick up on June 3 in Bakersfield, Calif., and continue through July 12 with a closing show in Irvine, Calif., for a total of 47 dates in three months.

The tour will include such venues as Red Rocks in Golden, Colo., The University of Iowa Fieldhouse, The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC, The Austin Music Hall in Austin, Texas and The Saratoga Performing Arts Center, to name a few. 311 will headline with a variety of opening acts including Ziggy Marley, Full Service, Red Jumpsuit Aparatus, Passafire, The Urgency, Blue Island Tribe, The Movement and The 88, with others to be announced. Check out 311.com for details.

No Doubt's Entire Digital Catalog: Free With Online Ticket Purchase

2009-03-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

No Doubt, who recently announced a 2009 tour, will be giving away a digital copy of their entire discography to anyone who buys a top price level ticket (priced greater than $42.50) online for most dates on No Doubt's upcoming Summer tour, according to a statement on the band's Wbesite dated March 2, 2009.

"Since the band is heading back to the road, we wanted to find a cool way to get people listening to our music and stoke them with a great deal at the same time. With this download its easy for fans to get psyched up to hear our music live once again and that rocks," No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont said.

This download includes more than 80 songs from the band's seven studio albums:

The Singles 1992-2003 (2003)
Everything In Time (B-Sides, Rarities, Remixes) (2003)
Rock Steady (2001)
Return Of Saturn (2000)
Tragic Kingdom (1995)
The Beacon Street Collection (1995)
No Doubt (1992)

Also included is "Stand And Deliver" (originally by Adam And The Ants) - No Doubt's newest recording, only available with the download offer.

The 2009 No Doubt Summer Tour is the first tour since the band co-headlined with Blink 182 in 2004. The Sounds, Janelle Monae and Bedouin Soundclash will open for No Doubt on select dates.

Tour dates:

May 2, 2009 Atlantic City, NJ
May 3, 2009 East Rutherford, NJ
May 16, 2009 Las Vegas, NV
May 19, 2009 Fresno, CA
May 20, 2009 Bakersfield, CA
May 22, 2009 San Diego, CA
May 23, 2009 Phoenix, AZ
May 25, 2009 Salt Lake City, UT
May 27, 2009 Denver, CO
May 28, 2009 Albuquerque, NM
May 30, 2009 Dallas, TX
May 31, 2009 Houston, TX
Jun 2, 2009 Tampa, FL
Jun 3, 2009 West Palm Beach, FL
Jun 5, 2009 Atlanta, GA
Jun 6, 2009 Charlotte, NC
Jun 8, 2009 Raleigh, NC
Jun 10, 2009 Virginia Beach, VA
Jun 11, 2009 Philadelphia, PA
Jun 13, 2009 Pittsburgh, PA
Jun 14, 2009 Washington, DC
Jun 16, 2009 Toronto, CAN
Jun 17, 2009 Montreal, CAN
Jun 19, 2009 Darien Center, NY
Jun 20, 2009 Boston, MA
Jun 24, 2009 Uncasville, CT
Jun 26, 2009 Holmdel, NJ
Jun 27, 2009 Wantagh, NY
Jun 29, 2009 Cleveland, OH
Jun 30, 2009 London, ON, CAN
Jul 2, 2009 Milwaukee, WI
Jul 3, 2009 Detroit, MI
Jul 5, 2009 Saint Paul, MN
Jul 6, 2009 Kansas City, MO
Jul 8, 2009 St. Louis, MO
Jul 10, 2009 Indianapolis, IN
Jul 11, 2009 Chicago, IL
Jul 13, 2009 Winnipeg, CAN
Jul 15, 2009 Calgary, CAN
Jul 16, 2009 Edmonton, AB, CAN
Jul 18, 2009 Vancouver, CAN
Jul 19, 2009 Seattle, WA
Jul 21, 2009 Concord, CA
Jul 24, 2009 Sacramento, CA
Jul 25, 2009 Mountain View, CA
Jul 27, 2009 Universal City, CA
Jul 28, 2009 Universal City, CA
Jul 31, 2009 Irvine, CA
Aug 1, 2009 Irvine, CA
Aug 2, 2009 Irvine, CA

PHISH set to blow the top off: the Mothership, Internet bandwith, USA

2009-03-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

With Phish's reunion shows upon us, Friday through Sunday in Hampton, Va., the band's enoroumous weight and very entheustiac fanbase will culminate in an event that will rock musical history for years to come and test the city of Hampton and Internet bandwith everywhere.

Because of the high-profile nature of these shows, many ticketless fans will likely be outside the venue and hanging out on the streets of Hampton, a city of nearly 150,000 on the ocean. With the number of fans a Phish show can draw and the relatively low number of tickets sold for the small venue, it seems the influx of Phishheads washing up on the beach in Virginia is inevitable.

A similar influx was witnessed in 1996, when Phish played four nights at Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Golden, Colo. With Red Rocks being a premiere destination for bands of all types and seemed to be a favorite of the Phish crowd, the band sold out each night and the extra fans who didn't get a ticket spilled out onto the streets of Golden. One fan was hit by a truck and injured and there were fights and a police presence.

Phish Guitarist Trey Anastasio looks back on the Red Rocks situation with anger, sadness and resignation, according to the Phish Archive.

"Yes a kid did get hit by a car and I feel terrible about that," he said. "I always feel terrible if anybody gets hurt in any way at one of our concerts. But when you get that many people together, somebody is going to get hurt."

Phish posted a statement regarding this subject on their Website today, Friday, March 6, 2009.

"As most of you are probably aware, all three upcoming Hampton Coliseum shows are completely sold-out. If you don't have tickets to a particular show, we ask that you please refrain from going to the venue in hopes of getting one. Even if no ticketless fans show up, sold-out Phish shows in communities like Hampton are high-impact events that strain the normal daily flow. Add ticketless fans to the equation and the situation can quickly become overwhelming to the

local community. Thanks in advance for respecting the Phish scene."

Photograph by JWGammon

Another reason there may be more ticketless fans than ususal is because when tickets went on sale for these three shows, the Ticketmaster system was overwhelmed and sent many fans away with repeated error messages. This phenomon also happened during the summer tour tickets sale and has helped to prompt talks of a Ticketmaster/Livenation merger.

The Internet is being threatened again, as countless fans are buzzing about the shows and ready to download them when they come available. Phish.com is offering free, professionally-recorded Mp3 downloads of the reunion shows within 24 hours of each performance. Phish.com has a redesigned splash page that will list the sets live as they happen.

If you don't want to be spoiled, however, and want to get quality downloads of the shows ASAP, check out the No Spoilers Hampton Downloads on Mr. Miner's Phish Page. This page will offer two files to download -- set I and set II available in two formats. To take advantage of the crazy amount of traffic this will likely produce, download using the torrent link, which downloads the file from a network of users and speeds up as more users join in on the download/upload. Here are instructions on downloading a torrent file.

We've seen the Phish scene do some amazing things over the years; turning abandoned aircraft bases into the largest city in the state, lining a Vermont highway with cars as fans walked miles to a festival when mud prohibited their cars, and participating in the world's largest nude photo shoot. Let's hope the gravity of this event and the subsequent summer tour goes off without a

hitch and there aren't too many problems resulting from displaced fans. I can't say I would be able to resist the parking lot scene and dreams of a miracle if I lived anywhere near Hampton.

Photo by Rickvug

The line of cars on the highway in Coventry, Vt. before Phish's *final* shows in August of 2004.

Oak Ridge Boys join SXSW Fest Lineup

2009-03-06T13:11:00.000-08:00

AUSTIN, TEXAS – The South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference and Festival, scheduled for Wednesday, March 18 - 22, 2009, in Austin, Texas, announced this week that the Oak Ridge Boys will be playing this year's festival.

Through decades of mainstream success, the Oak Ridge Boys continue to reinvent themselves, meeting the challenges of the changing nature of the music industry. As their era of radio dominance wound down, they forged unique marketing partnerships and sought out innovative concert bookings.

The Oak Ridge Boys play more than 170 dates a year and are annually among the top grossing acts in country music. Their multi-platinum 1981 hit recording of "Elvira" started a chain of more hits with sales exceeding 30 million.

The Oak Ridge Boys will sit down for a SXSW Interview on Thursday March 19 at 3:30 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center. The group will expound upon their experience, offer advice to new artists, answer audience questions, and possibly offer an a cappella song or two. For the first 200 registrants, there will be a giveaway of free Oak Ridge Boys Blu-Blocker Magnum sunglasses. For more information on the Oak Ridge Boys, visit www.oakridgeboys.com.

The South By Southwest Music and Media Conference takes place March 18 - 22, 2009, at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. The previously announced Quincy Jones' keynote anchors four days of panels, interviews, workshops, peer meetings and the trade show exhibition covering a wide variety of topics, addressing the concerns and interests of musicians, executives and music lovers. Daytime events flow into the world-renowned music festival, which showcases over 1,800 acts on stages throughout downtown Austin.

For more information on SXSW or to register for the conference, please access the website at www.sxsw.com or e-mail sxsw@sxsw.com.

Bands Still Rocking and Touring in 2009

2009-03-05T22:32:00.000-08:00

2009 is shaping up to be another year that will feature many nostalgic bands (and members of bands) that were big in their heydays in the 1960s and 7os, and still rocking hard and selling out arenas in their golden years.

Paul McCartney will be appearing for three dates this summer, April 4 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, April 17 at Empire Polo Field in Indio in Calif., and April 19 at The Joint in Las Vegas.

The Dead will be playing 22 shows beginning April 12 in Greensboro, NC, and ending up May 16 at The Gorge in Washington. The 2009 lineup will feature original Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, along with guitarist Warren Haynes and Ratdog keyboard player Jeff Chimenti. Both Haynes and Chimenti are also veterans of the 2004 Dead Wave that Flag tour, according to the band's website.

I was lucky enough to see The Dead on their 2004 tour and also Phil Lesh and Friends at the 10,000 Lakes Festival in 2006. The true spirit of the Grateful Dead rings out loud and clear and the band rocks the choruses while also carrying out beautiful and spaced-out jams. Tickets for this tour are pricey, but The Dead will not disappoint.

Elton John is currently on a tour that is scheduled to go until Aug. 1. Sir Elton will be joined by Billy Joel on part of the tour, and Elton will play some shows solo, including a concert at the University of Wyoming to benefit Matthew Shephard, a gay man who was murdered near Laramie in 1998.

Other Bands still touring or returning to the tour circuit (some older than others) are Eric Clapton, Metallica, Phish, Fleetwood Mac, Joe Cocker, Ani DiFranco, Buddy Guy, The Who, Madonna, KISS, Radiohead, Dave Matthews, Jimmy Buffett, The Eagles, Peter Gabriel, Iron Maiden, the Allman Brothers and U2.

Michael Jackson will be playing 10 nights at the O2 Arena in London in what he said will be his final "farewell shows."

Nine Inch Nails will tour with Jane's Addiction in what will be a raging flame for NIN's final performances, according to band founder and frontman Trent Reznor.

Big Horn Mountain Bluegrass Fest promises to twang your strings

2009-03-05T16:24:00.000-08:00

Summer tour news is beginning to become known, and a great outdoor fun-in-the-summertime annual event is the Big Horn Mountain Bluegrass Festival, held at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains in Buffalo,Wyoming.

Advance discount tickets are now on sale for the July 10, 11 and 12, 2009. An outstanding lineup of Bluegrass, Old Time, Folk, and other acoustic music is scheduled. Tickets for the festival can be obtained at several locations in Wyoming and Montana, or on-line at www.bighornmountainfestival.com.

The Big Horn Mountain Festival will feature 13 bands including The SteelDrivers, The Greencards, The Wiyos, Special Consensus, Steve Smith and Hard Road, Bill Evans and Megan Lynch,Flexigrass, The Jalan Crossland Band, Anne and Pete Sibley, The Long Road Home with Peter Warnick, D. Michael Thomas, and The Teka Brock Band. The festival also features workshops, contests, demonstrations, instrument raffles, venders, arts and crafts.
"The Big Horn Mountain Festival has become a premier musical event in Wyoming. For our fifth annual festival we have attracted some of the nation's most outstanding performers," said Pau Jarvis, an organizer of the event. "We have band from Brooklyn, Australia,Nashville, Wyoming and all across the country.

"We are proud to continue to preserve and promote American folk music traditions through performance and workshops, and it's good for the community" Jarvis said. "We need local volunteers who can earn free tickets to the festival. Check out our web site for details."

The Big Horn Mountain Festival will begin early Friday afternoon, July 10, and run until late Sunday afternoon, July 12. In addition to the outstanding band performances, festival participants can attend several of the performer's workshops to meet the bands and learn about their singing and playing. Both RV and tent camping is available at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Buffalo where the event takes place. The festival will also host Wyoming's Mandolin and Banjo State Championships as well as fiddle and guitar contests. A Band Scramble contest will highlight pickers who want to compete in a fun and lively band contest. Food, refreshment, arts and crafts venders are also featured.

"Bring an instrument and enter a contest, or just jam around your campsite with new friends," Jarvis said.

Advance three-day passes for the Big Horn Mountain Festival are $75. Friday passes are $30, Saturday $40 and Sunday $20. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.bighornmountainfestival.com or at the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce, Joy Appliance and Video, or The Sports Lure in Buffalo, The WYO Theater or Java Moon in Sheridan, Haggerty's Music Works in Gillette and Hansen Music in Billings, Mont.

More information about the July 10, 11 and 12, Big Horn Mountain Festival can be found at www.bighornmountainfestival.com or by calling the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce at 307-684-5544.

Johnny Schizoid one man band

2009-01-24T11:02:00.000-08:00

John Steinhardt (aka Johnny Schizoid), a one-man-band from California was at the Waterhole #1 Bar in Cowley, Wyoming, Thursday, Jan. 22.

Schizoid's stage show employs electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, keyboards, trombone, trumpet, bugles, harmonica, drums and electronic percussion. He sings the songs and plays every instrument himself. He has a bachelor's degree in music and has been a high school music teacher in recent years.

A few songs I remember from his setlist: La Bamba, Freebird, Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001 theme), Rockin' in the USA, along with some originals.

While laying down a guitar groove, Schizoid jams along with an electronic drum loop and other instruments that he played and pre-recorded himself. He then picks up another instrument or begins soloing on a keyboard before leapfrogging to another voice. He plays covers along with some original tunes. His show covers a gamut of musical styles and varies in tone from silly to serious. He also uses several costumes and masks throughout the performance.

I have to say, Schizoid is a talented musician. He has been playing on the road for 30+ years and creates a wall of sound you would expect from three or four musicians. He has painstakingly set up his show to play accurate versions of the songs he covers. I was impressed, and I can't say i'm exactly a typical fan of one-man bands. You don't really expect a one-man operation to respond to shouts of "Freebird" from the audience...

Introducing... Schizoid Johnny

PHISH summer tour announced

2009-01-08T23:00:00.000-08:00

And so it begins. With the announcement of the 2009 Phish summer tour today on Phish.com, phans from every walk of life are quitting their jobs, sending in applications for fresh credit cards, selling their childhood toys and terminating the lease on their apartments to head out on the road and catch the first summer tour since the band called it quits in August of 2004.

But what about those of us who can’t afford to simply quit our jobs and head out on the road in this modern-day traveling Mecca musical experience? What about those of us who are still recovering from the financial upheaval that the band’s supposed last tour and show in Coventry in 2004?

For those folks, I have this to say: beggars can’t be choosers.

Everyone wanted Phish to stay together and the band has undoubtedly been questioned and pressured about a reunion since they first called it quits. Heck, even during the hiatus (2000-02) no one would leave them alone. Now that their ducks are in a row and some of their personal and other musical needs have been fulfilled, the band can go back on the road on their own terms. This reunion may be inspired, in part, by the fans that feed the band energy that can take a live performance to the next level, but the tour is kicking off on the band’s terms. It’s a time when band members are again ready to be a part of Phish.

From now through Saturday, Jan. 17 at midnight, a limited number of tickets are available through Phish’s online ticketing Website, http://phish.portals.musictoday.com/. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, Jan. 30, at 10 a.m. eastern time. Check http://www.phish.com/tourdates/ and http://www.ticketmaster.com/ to purchase tickets.

If the $49.50 each night is a bit much to swallow, try to check out a few shows, because who knows how long Phish 3.0 will last. Vending at shows is a great way to fund the trek. Grilled cheese, vege burritos, beer, cigarettes or a unique food or jewelry item are always favorites in the lots. Be sure to keep tabs on your budget, be respectful and pleasant to security personnel, make sure the item you plan to sell is in demand and check the legality of what you’re selling before counting on sales to fund the tour.

Whether you plan to see any live shows in 2009 or not, Phish is back and no one knows what to expect. Phish, a band that thrives on surprising their audiences and keeping the music new and inventive, probably has a few tricks up their sleeves for the upcoming summer tour. Be it the resurrection of Fluffhead, new onstage antics to go with new songs, or some totally original invention (such as the big ball jam, secret language, IT tower jam, etc.) there’s bound to be some wild and fun times on the tour.

Be safe, stay hydrated and keep the vibe positive. After all, this is a long-awaited day, a great second chance for those of us who didn’t get their fill of Phish before and a chance for new fans to truly appreciate the music. Do your part and make sure new fans get to see how truly kind the people surrounding Phish can be. See you on the road.

2008-12-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

Band names

2008-12-12T00:56:00.000-08:00

Band names have always been interesting to me. They can evoke emotions and compliment a band’s sound like the two were custom-made for each other. Some names are so interesting that they force you to listen to the band, sometimes with positive results. Some aren’t such a magic fit and spur annoying interview questions throughout the band’s career. Many names seem to come from popular culture phrases, random thoughts that just sound good or moments of enlightenment. Others are stumbled upon, stolen or forced by record company executives.

The Beatles spelled their name with an “a” because rock and roll was called “beat music” in England at the time. DEVO is supposedly short for “de-evolution.” AC/DC was inspired by an inscription on the back of Angus and Malcom’s mother’s sewing machine. Lynyrd Skynyrd was named after Leonard Skinner, a gym teacher some of the band members had in high school.

1960s psychedelic-rock pioneers the Grateful Dead picked their name randomly out of a dictionary, according to bassist Phil Lesh’s biography.“Jer [Garcia] picked up an old Britannica World Language Dictionary...[and]...In that silvery elf-voice he said to me, ‘Hey, man, how about the Grateful Dead?’”

Pink Floyd was originally called “The Tea Set.” The band later named themselves The Pink Floyd Sound after favorite blues musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Fans later abbreviated the band name to Pink Floyd, creating a perfect match for the band’s experimental sound.

The band “311” has caught much misdirected hostility for their numerical name. False rumors have spread that the numeral stood for the white supremacist group the Klu Klux Klan (K being the eleventh number of the alphabet; 3K). The band writes on their Website that 311 is the Omaha police code for indecent exposure, though they have given numerous ridiculous origins of the name throughout their 18-year career.

Chicago was originally called The Chicago Transit Authority, and their first album was released under that name. Soon afterwards, the band shortened their name to Chicago as they set out for their first national tour. The name was changed to better fit on marquee signs, according to the band’s Website.

Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns combined to form Guns N’ Roses, which was also the combined names of the bands’ founding members, Tracii Guns and Axl Rose.

Supposedly there are a lot of reasons behind the name Led Zeppelin, but to me it just looks and sounds cool enough to stand on its own without an explanation.

Marilyn Manson reportedly comes from the combination of actress Marilyn Monroe and serial killer Charles Manson. All original members of the band used this formula, with names like Madonna Wayne Gacy, Twiggy Ramirez, Ginger Fish, Daisy Berkowitz and Sara Lee Lucas.

From band interviews, drummer Lars Ulrich said a friend approached him to ask his opinion about a list of possible heavy metal magazine titles. On the list was the name Metallica. The drummer quickly recommended Metal Mania and kept the legendary name for himself with no remorse and no regrets.

Frank Zappa had joined The Soul Giants by 1964 and the band was playing clubs outside of L.A. Zappa renamed the band “The Mothers,” on Mothers Day 1964. Strictly commercial Verve Records later forced the band to re-title themselves “The Mothers of Invention” because “Mother” was short for an obscenity. Zappa was much more creative in naming his children Dweezil, Ahmet and Moon Unit and creating such song titles as “Hanook Rubs It,” “The Grand Wazoo” and “Zoot Allures.”

REO keyboardist Neal Doughty heard the phrase “REO Speedwagon” and decided to take the name for his band. An REO Speedwagon is a hefty truck built in the early 1900s that was sometimes used as a fire truck. The REO was named after its designer, Ransom Eli Olds, the founder of Olds Motor Co., which later became Oldsmobile.

The name of the country band Diamond Rio is apparently a misspelling of the Diamond REO truck company, which was formed by a merger of REO and Diamond-T merger.

There are always those clever musicians that devise a name to perplex their fans and annoy their critics by choosing a name like the String Cheese Incident, Disco Biscuits, Archers of Loaf, Hootie and the Blowfish or the Spock Baby Generation. And let’s not forget ironic rockers The Band, The Who, No Use For a Name and even better, The The.

No matter the inspiration, a band’s name can be entertaining and artistic in and of itself. But many of the best band names seem to pop up out of nowhere or naturally evolve to something that fits the band’s sound or image.

Mike Gordon and PHIX in Colorado

2008-09-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Angie and I went to a couple of awesome shows featuring Mike Gordon and Phix at the Mishawaka Ampitheatre, near Fort Collins, Colo. With rumors of a Phish reunion swarming heavily, this weekend was a great indicator of how Gordon is playing (he's the former bass player of Phish) and a reminder of all of those favorite Phish tunes, played by top-notch all-Phish cover band, Phix.

Mike Gordon and his new band, touring to support their newest album, The Green Sparrow, was nothing short of amazing, inventive and intoxicating all at the same time. We pulled up at the Mishawaka Ampitheatre and parked next to the rippling Cache La Poudre River. The stage is located right next to the river and you can hang out on a rocky embankment of the river while grooving to the tunes.

After a few technical difficulties, the sound system was set up and ready to go. The band walked onto the stage and after a quick apology from Gordon, they busted into "Dig Further Down," a new song off Green Sparrow. They then played "Morphing Again," a truly unique yet catchy song off the new album. They played mostly songs off the new album and though I wasn't farmilar with all of the songs, I thouroughly enjoyed the night.

The setlist: Dig Further Down, Morphing Again, Jaded, Ain't Love Funny >Kryermaten >Ain't Love Funny, Voices >River Niger, Another Door, I Got Loaded. Encore: Alphabet Street.

According to http://www.mikehyphengordon.com/, Gordon auditioned a multitude of musicians during the six months leading up to the tour. The band is made up of longtime collaborator Scott Murawski on guitar, Vermont musicians Craig Myers on percussion and Tom Cleary on keyboards and Brooklyn drummer Todd Isler.

The new band worked well, blending together to make a very full sound, with many improviasational trips to mars and back that one would expect from this all-electric four piece put together by Gordon, who is well known for his experimental music, lyrics and all-around ecentricness.

The group was definilty grounded by Gordon's ever-present bass line that hopped around from thick long thumps to quick arrpegios, each right in the pocket and very interesting musically. On top of Gordo's bass, Murawski took plenty of well-played solos and the playing of Isler and Cleary sent a wall of sound forward that kept the packed ampitheatre grooving all night.

Gordon has been in several musical ensembles since Phish disbanded in 2004, and this new band and album ranks in the top three for me. My other favorites have been Mike's collaborations with accomplished guitarist Leo Kottke (released an album in 2005 and toured, also worked together on an album and tour, Clone, in 2002) and his work with the Benevento-Russo Duo. Gordon filled in on bass and added a bottom end and a third dimension to the already-inventive sound of organist Marco Benevento and drummer Joe Russo. The duo, then trio, became a quartet in 2006 when they joined former Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio to co-headline a 10-date tour with Phil Lesh and Friends.

We went away to our campsite satisfied and anxious for the next day of music.

PHIX began their set earlier in the day, around 2 p.m. The vibe was much more relaxed, with several phamilies and younger kids dancing around the gravel ground. It was good to see a younger generation being turned on to the music of Phish. There were also a few people there to see PHIX that we recognized from the night before.

I didn't note the setlist, but I remember a great Stash, Maze, Run Like an Antelope, The Curtain With and a Tube closer. These are some of my favorite Phish tunes and the musicians of PHIX did a great job to keep the spirit of the music intact.

They didn't skimp, either. Band members played relentlessly accurate versions of some really complicated and composed Phish songs and added their own voice and emotion, playing in the moment and improvising with passion. Hat's off to the band, Paul Murin - guitar and vocals, Derek Berg - keyboards and vocals, Chris Sheldon - drums and vocals, Brian Adams - bass and vocals, for keeping the music alive. I found myself enjoying the music and occasionally thinking about Phish someday playing together again, wondering what Page or Fishman would be playing right now...

We returned home satisfied. Both bands were great, our first time at Mishawaka was a great experience, and Fort Collins is a very cool place to hang out and tour for the day. If you get a chance to check out either of these bands, I would recomend it.

By Brad Devereaux

Phish brings a bursting three-night run in Broomfield

An evening with Dark Star Orchestra

A summer of music festivals in 2010

The last Red Rocks Incident

Bonnaroo to sport a psychadelic theatrical cap?

Phish - The Gorge, Washington, 2009

311 Unity Tour 2009

No Doubt's Entire Digital Catalog: Free With Online Ticket Purchase

This download includes more than 80 songs from the band's seven studio albums:

The Singles 1992-2003 (2003)Everything In Time (B-Sides, Rarities, Remixes) (2003)Rock Steady (2001)Return Of Saturn (2000)Tragic Kingdom (1995)The Beacon Street Collection (1995)No Doubt (1992)

Also included is "Stand And Deliver" (originally by Adam And The Ants) - No Doubt's newest recording, only available with the download offer.

The 2009 No Doubt Summer Tour is the first tour since the band co-headlined with Blink 182 in 2004. The Sounds, Janelle Monae and Bedouin Soundclash will open for No Doubt on select dates.

Tour dates:

May 2, 2009 Atlantic City, NJ

May 3, 2009 East Rutherford, NJ

May 16, 2009 Las Vegas, NV

May 19, 2009 Fresno, CA

May 20, 2009 Bakersfield, CA

May 22, 2009 San Diego, CA

May 23, 2009 Phoenix, AZ

May 25, 2009 Salt Lake City, UT

May 27, 2009 Denver, CO

May 28, 2009 Albuquerque, NM

May 30, 2009 Dallas, TX

May 31, 2009 Houston, TX

Jun 2, 2009 Tampa, FL

Jun 3, 2009 West Palm Beach, FL

Jun 5, 2009 Atlanta, GA

Jun 6, 2009 Charlotte, NC

Jun 8, 2009 Raleigh, NC

Jun 10, 2009 Virginia Beach, VA

Jun 11, 2009 Philadelphia, PA

Jun 13, 2009 Pittsburgh, PA

Jun 14, 2009 Washington, DC

Jun 16, 2009 Toronto, CAN

Jun 17, 2009 Montreal, CAN

Jun 19, 2009 Darien Center, NY

Jun 20, 2009 Boston, MA

Jun 24, 2009 Uncasville, CT

Jun 26, 2009 Holmdel, NJ

Jun 27, 2009 Wantagh, NY

Jun 29, 2009 Cleveland, OH

Jun 30, 2009 London, ON, CAN

Jul 2, 2009 Milwaukee, WI

Jul 3, 2009 Detroit, MI

Jul 5, 2009 Saint Paul, MN

Jul 6, 2009 Kansas City, MO

Jul 8, 2009 St. Louis, MO

Jul 10, 2009 Indianapolis, IN

Jul 11, 2009 Chicago, IL

Jul 13, 2009 Winnipeg, CAN

Jul 15, 2009 Calgary, CAN

Jul 16, 2009 Edmonton, AB, CAN

Jul 18, 2009 Vancouver, CAN

Jul 19, 2009 Seattle, WA

Jul 21, 2009 Concord, CA

Jul 24, 2009 Sacramento, CA

Jul 25, 2009 Mountain View, CA

Jul 27, 2009 Universal City, CA

Jul 28, 2009 Universal City, CA

Jul 31, 2009 Irvine, CA

Aug 1, 2009 Irvine, CA

Aug 2, 2009 Irvine, CA