Thursday, October 27, 2011

Wilco Cali Run goes on Sale Tomorrow

As if you didn't know that Glenn would kill it in this setting. Wilco is going to play some of the best in California venues including one of my personal favorites; San Francisco's Warfield Theater. The band will also be hitting a fantastic venue in San Diego; Copley Symphony Hall, where I saw many a performance during my Master's studies for the lovely student rush price of 10 beans. The acoustics and setting should be lovely for a little orchestrated pop music. Other venues include the Fox Theater in Oakland and the Hollywood Palladium. Check the band's website.

Monday, October 10, 2011

God's Away on Business

I think Tom Waits might be pissed about this video and rightfully so, but then again the man obviously has a great sense of humor so maybe not. Personally, I think it's freakin' awesome and had to post it even it's two Tom videos back to back.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Tom Waits new Record "Bad as Me," Out 10/24 Two Singles Released from Anti

So......It turns out that it's true. Waits has a new record coming out on Anti and judging by the two singles already released it seems as though it's going to get the usual reaction. The hard core fan base will go ape s**t, "New record of all original material! First in 7 years!" Meanwhile, "Bad as Me", the title track, which seems most closely related to "Phillipino Box Spring Hog" (Cool Story, Uncompelling Track) is the first single released and will make it easy for the critics and haters to say that this new release is just more of the same old Waits: "Cliche, deranged caricature of his former jazzbo self," etc., etc., you know the lines. Waits is one of those characters in popular culture that evokes such a wide range of strange commentary. From intellectuals attempting to show off their personal knowledge of brake drums and piano strings whipped against dumpsters to rock classicists who haven't changed their opinions on the guy since 1972. Sure, he loves to feed this fire and fights to control his ridiculous fabled persona by attempting to keep it that way via any means necessary including not authorizing biographies or even interviews these days, but critics write about him like he's John Cage. They just don't know what the f**k is going on. Personally, I'm way more in to this here ballad, "Back in the Crowd", than "Bad as Me" at this time, but the other little snippets that fly out of the vintage stereo equipment and the ratty old car in the "Private Listening Party" video, which included something that sounded like a new rockabilly track reminiscent of "Lie to Me," have me ready to fork over some dough for a hard copy and maybe even the LP.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Jeff Tweedy: "Open Your Mind" Solo Acoustic

Jeff Tweedy looking a bit like Mike Myers performing "Open Your Mind." Talk amongst yourselves. The new album The Whole Love is out on the 27th and this kid loves it. YHF freaks will revel in some of the weird they've channelled and all fans should enjoy the fact that it is very different from (The Album), which in the grand scheme of all things Wilco might be considered a little bland. I'll let you decide for yourselves. Thanks to Wilco Club Spain for posting this fantastic solo rendition.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

SpiderGawd Performs "Celebration Day," at Brixton Southbay 4/2/11



SpiderGawd with special guest Ed Lyon who brought up doing this little bluegrass rendition of "Celebration Day, " by, of course, Led Zepplin. Pretty fun times and the video turned out nice as well...

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Jack of Hearts performs "Like a rolling stone" at Bisbee Repertory Theatre



Jack of Hearts footage from the Arizona Mini-Tour. The band finishes the sold out Bisbee show with "Like a Rolling Stone," which frontman Jamie Israel has become accustomed to introducing as "The greatest rock-n-roll song of all time." Hope you enjoy. Tommy.

Neil Young Inducts Tom Waits into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame pt. 1



Another video from the 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Neil Young's Speech and the short video for Tom Waits.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

"Make it Rain," and a bit of Speech from Tom Waits 2011 Rock Hall Inductee



A Clip of the Fuse TV Presentation of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2011 featuring Dr. John, Tom Waits, Neil Diamond, Leon Russell, Alice Cooper, and Darlene Love.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Jack of Hearts (Bob Dylan Tribute) take AZ


The Jack of Hearts band erupted in Arizona this past weekend with two explosive shows performed at two completely different venues. The first set was performed in Chandler, Arizona, a neighbor of Tempe and a part of the larger urban area of Phoenix. The boys took the main stage at the Ostrich Festival, a great family event put on by Universal Fairs and including: Live music, Ostrich racing, Medieval Jousting, Pig racing, a Seal show, local venders, rides, and more. The sound set-up was as good as one could ask for at such a large outdoor event and the band was in top form performing an hour set of Dylan's best tunes from '65-'76. Standouts included "Tangled up in Blue," "Quinn the Eskimo," and "Like a Rolling Stone," which frontman Jamie Israel has become accustomed to introducing as "The greatest rock-n-roll song of all time." The crowd was a mixture of older folks standing and sitting to enjoy the Bob Dylan song repertoire and a large group of young tweeny-boppers lined up in front of the stage to have good seats for the next act, The Ready Set. While, the youngsters up front weren't really there for us, they did cheer (or scream and pull out their hair) enthusiastically and yell out about which band members were the cutest. The two bands couldn't have really been farther from each other in style, but it did make for a nice mix of patrons and the overall size of the crowd was definitely a big positive for the group and Universal Fairs.


Next it was a trip further south to Bisbee, Arizona, a beautiful little town nestled in the mountains near the border. Bisbee is an old mining town, which changed into more of a tourist attraction and artist's haven in the 70's and is now a melting-pot of extremely eclectic and artistic people who love their small community and it's rich history. Local, Dylan Charles, set the boys up at the Old Bisbee Repertory Theater and together with Nowhere Man and Whiskey Girl he performed Pink Floyd's The Wall in it's entirety. The pull of Bob Dylan helped boost that of Dylan Charles and The Wall and together was enough to pack the house and leave a few fans to listen outside. The crowd was insanely attentive for the entire program and gave both band's standing ovations. At one point I commented from the drums that they were a great crowd to which a kind lady yelled, "You're in Dylan country." Perfect. Post show we went down to the Grand for wonderfully cheap and stiff cocktails and then back to the house of local DeadHead musicologist "Steve" where we traded songs and harmonized over tequila, beer, and conversation. Thanks again to everyone involved with everything....Dylan, Universal Fairs, Jamie and Ali, Mr. and Mrs. Israel, K. Kerfoot, Nowhere Man and Whiskey Girl for the crash pad, Steve, and Uncle Dave. Possible vids and audio to come.....