Category Archives: Concerts

Concert Review – Reckless Kelly, Hang Jones – Slims- San Francisco CA – 12/8/2010

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As a Texan expat living in the Bay Area I jump at any chance to catch a great Lone Star band coming through the area playing music that transports me back and reveling in the joy of raucous music and being in a crowd indulging in the spirit of the event.

Last night I braved the rain and jumped at the chance to see Austin’s red dirt heroes Reckless Kelly as well as the open and best Bay Area Americana band, Hang Jones.

Stephen Grillos has always been one of my favorite performers in this area since I first made his and hos lovely wife’s acquaintance in Nashville a couple of years back. Since adding his excellent full band – Scott Sneddon on Mandolin, Mike Andersonon doghouse Bass and Vocals, Marisa Martinez on Fiddle and Diana Lerwick on Accordion and vocals – a few months back the music has taken on a new dimension and the songs from his exceptional debut “The Ballad of Carlsbad County” as well as new numbers all sound fresh.

The crowd was a mix of Bay Area hipsters and extras from Friday Night Lights but everybody was loving the honky-tonk mood, wooting and boot stomping, created by the band.

Reckless Kelly and Cross Canadian Ragweed were mainstream face of the red dirt music movement. With the recent demise the CCR Reckless Kelly carries on the tradition with passion and love of the craft of a great song.

The show started with The Ballad of Elano de Leone from their newest Somewhere In Time and moved on to Micky & The Motorcars’ Nobody’s Girl. The set was tight, spirited and the croed was moved by the music.

One of my favorite songs, Wicked Twisted Road was on the set and it did not disappoint. Singer/guitarist Willy Braun and the band worked the club crowd like it was an arena show.

and band can also be judged by the covers it chooses and Reckless Kelly chose a couple of greats. “Castanets” by fellow Austin musician Alejandro Escovedo, “52 Vincent Black Lightning” by Richard Thompson and , in the spirit of the season, Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run,” and #
The Beatles Happiness Is a Warm Gun as an encore.

A great night of music shared with people that love it is a wondrous thing and there is no better way to end 2010 than with this one. See both of these bands whenever you get a chance.

Lucinda Williams To Release New Album – Blessed

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On March 1, the first lady of Americana Lucinda Williams will release Blessed, her first album since 2008’s GRAMMY nominated Honey. The record is produced by Don Was, and, according to American Songwriter, “features some of Williams’ strongest writing to date.” Blessed will also be available in a deluxe edition, which will include a bonus disc of the album in demo form, called The Kitchen Tapes.
Shortly after the album’s release, Williams will hit the road. Dates so far:

March
4-5 – Toronto @ Massey Hall
11-12 – New York @ Webster Hall
May
5 – New Orleans, La. @ New Orleans Jazz Festival
7 – Austin, Texas @ Stubb’s
8 – Houston, Texas @ The Houston International Festival

David Onley & Sergio Webb – House Concert – San Francisco, CA – 10/5/10

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I’ve heard about house concerts, intimate performances, usually acoustic performed for a limited number of people at someones residence, but until now had never had the opportunity to attend one. Then on Monday morning I received a tweet (a message on twitter for the uninitiated) from David Olney, who along with his side man Sergio Webb had recently played the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, would be performing a house party. Olney and his side man Sergio Webb had recently played the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival. I emailed the organizer (for whom this was a first-time endeavor) and I was in.

As instructed by the email I received from the organizer I arrived at 7 PM at the a high-end apartment building in the tony Ashbury Heights section of the city. I paid the $15. “donation” (one reason they like these gigs is that often 100% of the entrance fee goes to the performers) the small crowd milled in the make-do bar and buffet eating crackers and cheese and drinking wine and beer. After some conversations I surmised that I was probably the only one there that didn’t have a direct association with the host or the performers. I was the only outsider. Being a Texan in San Francisco, I was comfortable in this role.

Olney and his side-kick guitarist/singer Sergio Webb, set up in the living room in front of a large bay window, a grand piano (unused at this performance) and flanked by what I can only assume were large oil paintings of the relatives. Davis Olney is an artist whose name you might not recognize, but you would recognize the people who’ve worked with him or covered his songs – Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Del McCoury, Lonnie Brooks, Steve Earle, Slaid Cleaves, Dale Ann Bradley, Tom Rozum, Ann Rabson, Keiran Kane/Kevin Welch/Fats Kaplin and others.  An old friend, Townes Vant Zandt, when asked who his favorite music writers are stated “Mozart, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Bob Dylan, and David Olney.” Onley is the most famous men you’ve never heard of.

Decked in a formal Nudie-style Western jacket, dark fedora and coolly playing his ‘44 Gibson hollow body Olney cuts a dapper figure. Sergio Webb is his unkempt opposite in a wide-brimmed straw cowboy hat and think, braided beard, western shirt with playing cards embroidered on summons rockabilly heat and pedal-steel sounds from his vintage Telecaster.

Relying on no set list Olney channeled performers from the past, sprinkling dark and wry early 2oth-century  America tales with humorous anecdotes and self-depreciating asides like “These guys are great, how come i don’t know about them?!” Using a mashup of rock/blues/folk/country as a framework appearances were made by John Dillinger (Dillinger),  “Dizzy” Dean
(Heaven’s Game), Socrates (Sweet Poison) and the subject of Johannes Vermeer’s “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” (Mister Vermeer.) A few covers were added (“We’re not a cover band, really.” stated Olney after their third.)  With all their 70’s gaudiness I now realize how great a band the Bee Gees since hearing Olney’s cover of their New York Mining Disaster 1941 (the miners’ isolation given added poignancy from an experience Onley had a year in a New York City jail cell.) There was also a heartfelt rendition of Townes Van Zandt’s Snowin On Raton Lyrics

Besides providing musicians a new channel to make a few bucks between gigs on the road house concerts are attended by people are there to see the music instead of to be seen or to yammer. The audience watched the intimate show attentively and reacted passionately at a clever phrase by Olney or an especially hot solo by Sergio Webb. All in all I think for the kind of music I love I think house concerts are something I’m going to seek out more often.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass – Friday Picks

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If this years 10th annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is anything like last years it will be jammed with people. I guess the word got out that the best Americana and Roots music festival in the country was FREE!

As always there is no shortage of great live music to see, the only problem is getting from one of the 5stage to the other in time to see the. Sometimes an impossibility since performers like the Flatlanders, Steve Earle and Robert Earle Keen, are often playing opposite one another. What’s a Texan to do?!

Here’s my pass at who to see and when. There is some overlap or outright conflicts. i did this list believing that i could time travel and be at any stage at any time,blogger’s license. Look it up. Your mileage may vary so if this doesn’t lift your skirt head over to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and make your own damn list.

Fri Oct 1 (10:30am – Noon & 2pm – 7pm)

The early part of Friday on the Star stage PMW and MC Hammer will perform special educational program for local schools. My daughter is going to this. i hope she comes home singing “Can’t touch this.”

1:45 – Rooster Stage: Jerry Douglas w/ Omar Hakim & Viktor Krauss – A musician’s supergroup. Viktor Krauss (Lyle Lovett, Bill Frisell) on bass, Omar Hakim (Weather Report, Sting, Dire Straits) on drums and the man I consider the Jimi Hendrix on the Dobro Jerry Douglas (Ray Charles, Phish, Dolly Parton, Paul Simon, Ricky Skaggs, Elvis Costello, and Johnny Mathis, performed on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack)
2:00pm – Banjo Stage: The Ebony Hillbillies – billed as the “Only New York City Black String Band.” Being Gotham-based may may not sound like a ringing endorsement for mountain music but this group delivers.
2:45pm – Rooster Stage: Patty Griffin – Fresh from Robert Plant’s Band of Joy where Griffen is pure joy to watch. Will Percy make an appearance?
3:00pm – Banjo Stage: Blue Highway – This band is one of the only real Bluegrass bands on the three-day bill. even though the band if based in East Tennessee heir hot-shot Dobro player,Rob Ickes, is from the Bay Area. Represent!
5:45pm – Arrow Stage: the subdudes – New Orleans’ R&B swamp boogie at its finest.
5:45pm – Rooster Stage: T Bone Burnett Feat. Punch Brothers & Special Guests Karen Elson and The Secret Sisters -  The reigning Americana producer brings a stripped-down version of his Talking Clock Review to the HSB stage.

Review: Robert Plant and The Band of Joy – Meyerson Symphony Hall, Dallas, TX, 7/23/10

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Robert Plant has always been a cultural carpetbagger. He and the rest of Led Zeppelin were part of the second wave of the British invasion, those brazen English lads that stormed America in the 60’s and taught us about our own musical heritage – the blues. But Zeppelin , though, turned it up to 11 and as a result raked in millions, and left a trail of Rock and Roll debauchery that left the original sources – John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf and of sources Robert Johnson – wondering what hit them.

Plant, now 62, took part in a one-off Zeppelin tribute gig, promptly turned his back on a piles of cash, and the pleas of his ex-bandmates, and followed his muse to the same Southern climes where he first made his mark – but this time he rambled over the tracks to pilfer from the hillbillies. In his initial endeavor  down this dirt road Plant was smart in tap the right guides – T. Bone Burnett, Alison Krauss, Buddy Miller,  and covering Mel Tillis,  Townes Van Zandt and the Everly Brothers  – and it paid off in critical acclaim and 5 Grammy Awards and a successful tour.

So instead of  copying a successful formula down to the details Mr. Plant presents us with his Americana expedition 2.0,  or as he’s christened it The Band of Joy – a name he lifted from the band Plant and late Zep drummer John Bonham belonged to pre-Zeppelin.

This 2010 souped-up-hillbilly version features the fantastic Patty Griffin as his female counterpart on vocals and guitar, the extraordinary Darrell Scott on vocals, mandolin, guitar, accordion, pedal, lap steel and banjo (whew!) , Byron House on bass and Marco Giovino on percussion. and the only constant from the Raising Sand recording and touring band, Buddy Miller providing band leadership, guitar and vocals.

After an excellent (and unannounced) opening set by the legendary Great Lady of Soul, Bettye LaVette, Mr. Plant and his Band of Joy hit the stage of the I.M. Pei designed Mayerson Symphony Center in Downtown Dallas to a rousing applause by an audience mixed with old hippies and their hippie pups, preppies in dapper duds, glamed-out aged wanna-be groupies who 20 years earlier would have been a few miles away at the Lady GaGa show or the Mary Kay dinner across the street at El Fenix, and cowboys and cowgirls complete with pearl-snaps and  Stetsons. They all came expecting something grand from the aged rock-god, and many of them were going to go home, ah-hem, dazed and confused.

Plant served the whims of the many by covering no less then seven Zep tunes (well, six-and-a-half since In My Time of Dying was spliced to end of a rousing version of the  traditional Gospel number Twelve Gates to the City) and a couple of his early solo work. But these hard blues tunes were served up pretty much as they were on the Raising Sand tour – with a rustic and easy vibe. Well sorta…

Perhaps it was the absence of Americana stalwart T. Bone Burnett’s lo-fi stewardship but many of the songs veered toward the volume heights of Zep, with Buddy Miller giving Mr. Page a run for his sonic runes. But even with the bigger sound Plant showed the vocal restraint he displayed from the Raising Sand days. But Birds gotta fly and rock gods gotta preen and wail – an occasional mic stand twirl here, an ooo oooo there, but mostly tasteful restraint the material preferred.

In true communal spirit among the tunes from the upcoming self-titled The Band of Joy album (U.K./international – Sept. 13, on the Universal label, U.S. release Sept. 14, on the Rounder label) members of the band took a turn at the mic.  Buddy Miller played a bustling version of Somewhere Trouble Don’t Go, a song written by his wife Julie, with Patty Griffin sitting in on Julie’s part. Patty Griffin balanced sass and salvation with the Blind Willie Johnson piece If I Had My Way, I Would Tear This Building Down. But the showstopper was Darrell Scott deploying his booming voice on a song that Porter Wagoner took to #1 on the country charts in 1955- A Satisfied Mind. Take that rock god.

“Some things have to change,” Plant said smiling after a relatively modest version of Houses of the Holy. The crowd seemed pleased, if a bit perplexed as to Plant’s new venture and career choices. But as long as Plant continues to pursue his muse the song will always remain the same.

set list here

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB-3vYOPqRc&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbKhcSdNz3o&feature=search[/youtube]

Announcing The Twang Nation Jamboree 8/25

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Twang Nation JamboreeIt’s been a long time coming but it’s finally ready to take off the wrapping. From the home of the premier Americana music event in the country, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, yours truly, Twang Nation  is proud to present the first ever Twang Nation Jamboree showcasing some of the best of local Americana and roots bands and performers. The fun begins on August 25th at 8:30 at the Red Devil Lounge. Yelp |  Facebook

Appearing live on stage:
…
Porkchop Express – is a San Francisco Bay Area alt country band that has been playing together since 2002. They take the gristly scraps from the American traditions of folk, outlaw country, and rock ‘n roll, push it through a meat grinder, give it a crash course in honky-tonk and put it on stage for all to enjoy. Their sound is made up of country vocal harmonies; soaring fiddle work; a punk inspired rhythm section; noisy, garage-rock guitars and a ukulele for that extra dash of machismo.

Mars Arizona - No, you can’t get there from here. You can stare at the map all you want and you won’t find it. Mars Arizona has a population of two, and is best apprehended with the ears.High Desert is the fourth album from Mars Arizona, the name Nicole Storto and Paul Knowles use when they’re fashioning their brew of country, rock, and roll. As a matter of practice they’re joined by some talented helpers including drummers Billy Block (Frank Black) and Ken Coomer (Uncle Tupelo and Wilco), fiddler Ollie O’Shea (Hank Williams III) and lap steel guitarist Paul Laques (I See Hawks In L.A.), and a host of others.

Jenny Kerr Band - A multi-instrumentalist as well as a poetic and passionate songwriter, Jenny Kerr is known for foot-stomping live shows and powerful, authentic voice. Her self-produced debut release, Itch drew critical acclaim as well as comparisons to Delbert McClinton and Janis Joplin. The album sold out during her first year of touring. Kerr is a skilled player of fingerstyle guitar, clawhammer banjo, harmonica, piano, and dobro. Together with her band of road-tested rogues, she delivers a seasoned yet spirited sound with forays into swamp rock, straight-up soul, backwater honky tonk, and old-time blues.

Red Devil Lounge
1695 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA

Ticket are $3 in advance, $5 at the door

Post 4th of July Post

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I hope everyone had a great Independence Day. I spent America’s 234th birthday seeing some great music by Hang Jones, at the park with  family and friends eating, watching spectacular stuff bow up and watching Brock Lesnar stop being pummeled long enough to submit Shane Carwin with a arm-triangle choke. Ah, American values….I wanted to take some time to post some cool things I found around the web celebrating this great day.

S.P. Gass at NoDepression.com asked for recommendations for a Americana/roots Independence Day playlist. And the members (incl. yours truly) came up with a doozy.

Willie Nelson took his legendary picnic to Bee Cave, Texas’ Backyard  and featured Johnny Bush, Kris Kristofferson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Leon Russell, Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys Billy Joe Shaver canceled his showing at the picnic due to health reasons. We hope he ‘s doing well.

FrontLoader.com has posted some a mother load of independence goodness. MP3 outtakes from the quintessential American musician, Johnny Cash. These cuts are from his American recording sessions (of course) with Rick Rubin he did at the end of his life.

and s[peaking of the Man in Black…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifeeqnrd6gA[/youtube]

Independence Day

To all who have served.

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I want to share one of my favorite songs for this holiday weekend. The Ballad of Ira Hayes, written by the folk singer Peter La Farge,  tells the story of Ira Hayes, a Pima Native American and one of the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who raised the flag  on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. Hayes came home to a hero’s welcome, but after the grandeur had subsided he went on to live a troubled life of alcoholism and depression. On January 24, 1955, Hayes was found dead, lying face down in the mud. I don’t write to this to depress you, I, and I believe the song, just want to remind America we need to take care of these soldiers when they get home.

The song has been recorded many times; the most popular version is by Johnny Cash.Others that have covered the song are Patrick Sky, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and Kinky Friedman.

Thanks to all that serve and have served. We are proud of you.

Please share some of your favorites below.

The Revival Tour – Slims – San Francisco, CA – 11/6/09

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Me and many others have drawn a crooked, dirty line from old-time country, mountain and folk music to punk music. Working class themes punctuated by simple rhythms defined more by passion then artistry While I consider myself a music fan, I know next to nothing about current punk (or post-punk) bands, so I took it on the advice of a friend to check this tour out. I did some research and like what I learned.

The tour started last year as the brainchild of Chuck Ragan, frontman for  post-hardcore/punk band, Hot Water Music, and presented by Ragan’s own label Ten Four Records. The format gathers a revolving cast of musicians from various punk and post-punk bands to revive the old style jamboree and hayride format of organic collaboration. The musicians either stripped down their original material to fit the folk/ Americana acoustic format or they have written material that fits the genre structure for the show and egos are kept in check as musicians accompany each other in various combinations.

Aside from Ragan, this bill for the Orlando show featured Jim Ward (of At The Drive-In, Sleepercar and Sparta), Frank Turner (of Million Dead), Joey Cape (Lagwagon), folk/Americana singer Audra Mae, The Anderson Family Bluegrass Band, Konrad Wert (Possessed by Paul James) and featured the frequent and excellent fiddle playing of Jon Gaunt & Digger Barnes on the upright bass bringing up the low end.

The show starts with all the musicians on stage exhibiting the democratic and supportive ethos that characterizes the tour. It sounds like a recipe for chaos but all the performers are amazing and the caradre from the musicians spills out into an adoring crowd that whoops and claps along.

Audra Mae and The Anderson Family Bluegrass Band were the only full-time Americana acts on the bill and they delivered in spades. The former sang with a clear stream voice that warmed your heart and made you forget your troubles and the latter,  Mom Christy on upright bass, Dad Mark banjo and their family Paige (guitar/vocals), Aimee (fiddle), Ethen (mandolin) and Daisey (fiddle), tearing it up onstage and winning over an audience that probably could not name one song by Bill Monroe.

El Paso, TX based Jim Ward, formerly the rhythm guitarist of At The Drive-In, the vocalist/guitarist in Sparta, and currently fronting his Alt-Country project Sleepercar performed a spirited set and appears to be comfortable in his newly chosen genre (must be those Texas roots) and British folk/punk Frank Turner (formerly the vocalist of U.K. post-Hardcore band Million Dead) performed a rollicking set drinking songs from across the pond and remained us all that “What you call Americana and country has been kicking around my country for a couple of thousand years.” tis true. Both  performers left me wanting more.

Possessed by Paul James did a sit down set with a soar and yelp of his voice he embodied the best tradition of a one man band and local boy (well, Santa Barbara) Joey Cape played a great set to an audience that seemed to know his songs word for word and sometimes filled in. Cape’s  voice, more than the others,  lent itself well to the more subtle singer/songwriter format. Jon Gaunt was a great pick for fiddle support. He reminded me of O’Death’s Bob Pycior as a find of a guy that brings ferocity yet precision to the instrument.

As a master of ceremonies Chuck Ragan is a modest one. His graveled vocals and acoustic attack that can only come fro a guy that cut his teeth on punk’s intensity and he commands the stage during his set.  As he plays through his set the rest of the band enters the stage and things end as they began , camaraderie and revelry on a large scale. Check closed by saying “See you next year!” so it appears  that the Revival Tour will continue for years to come. I’ll be there.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMkuUxsQHzQ[/youtube]

News Round Up: George Jones Says Get Your Own Damn Genre!

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  • Happy birthday to Willie Nelson’s longtime drummer and the “Paul” of the Willie’s song “Me and Paul,” Paul English.  Happy birthday also to legendary Texas singer/songwriter Guy Clark.
  • The latest installment of Popmatter.com’s excellent Torch & Twang series Juli Thanki delivers a post exploring ithe intersecting careers of bluegrass legend  Bill Monroe and musician and folklorist Ralph Rinzler.
  • I’m a long time fan of Libertyville, Illinois rocker Ike Reilly. So when I read over at the fine 9513.com that Reilly was teaming up with on-and-off country outlaw 2.0 Shooter Jennings for the song The War On The Terror and Drugs (from Reilly’s upcoming release Hard Luck Stories) I was intrigues. Turns out it’s damn fine! (Song Illinois)
  • Front Porch Musings is offering a sweet playlist from performers playing the Americana-by-way-of-punk showcase showcase The Revival Tour.Featured are Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Jim Ward (At the Drive-In, Sparta), Frank Turner (Million Dead), and much more.
  • Country, roots, Americana- as the rest of us are grappling with nomenclature (fancy word for names) for music, George Jones uses his old-guard status to reclaim flag and call Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift “not country music.”