Category Archives: SHOW “G”-Views

The stage was set for a time that sticks into my memory, like all moments that tug at my emotions and feelings. Just as mentioned in my conversation with Anoushka the week prior, there were Indian Classical instruments that were being stretched beyond even some of the most captivating music I have yet to discover. As Anoushka mentioned, there was a piece that started the second “set” that was a mixture of the giant sitar sounds and a flamenco beat and rhythm, it had me moving in a way that my mind seemed to lead my tapping soul and I could feel the roof rising underneath this exploration. There were pieces written by Anoushka, by her father, as well as collaboration between Anoushka and the guys in the Project. Speaking of the band, for me there is a special energy that radiates from the vibe (not only the music created by) of Tanmoy Bose. He is famous for his tabla playing and has accompanied by Anoushka and Pundit Ravi Shankar for years….there is an unspoken something that he possesses with each other musician on stage, but the looks between he and Anoushka make the music travel….to well…places I am always thankful to be a part of. Ravichandra Kulur was stellar on the flute, it is easily recognizable why he is one of the most sought after flutists in India, performing solo and experimental music globally. He has mastered the art of playing the Kanjira (Tamborine) and that too was well evident in this evening performance. Pirashanna Thevarajah (joined in for the second set) is a speedy percussionist (Mridangam) playing both eastern and western percussion and showed off some rather speedy vocalizations that were bouncing off the walls like a rubber ball. Nick Able is a disciple of maestro Ravi Shankar and is an amazing artists in many spaces of media, tonight he was featured on the Tanpura. Those who know me and my likes of different sounds and how they weave into others sounds that one might not expect, will have to believe me when I say my respect and admiration for Anoushka Shankar grows immeasurably at time because of her vision gained through her sound exploration, she is on wavelengths I have not shared musically with many people and I am so honored to be a part of what she does. Here’s the evening’s performance from the Stoughton Opera House:

Madhuvanti
Yaman Manj
Vachaspati
(INTERMISSION)
Buleria
Ragu Vamsa Sudha
Janasanmodini
PD8
Voices of the Moon

As the Blues Tuesdays at the Frequency makes it weekly roll into our lives, there are times where I am certain the be there…you know, put things aside that I usually do in the studio and support the scene. Tony Brown graced the stage with AJ Love along side with drums and bass and man, this cat becomes part of the stage. More than a show of any sorts, Tony Brown delivers all kinds of music one way….from his soul. That’s why to me on what was obviously a night of blues music, it was all roots based and presented to us with love. I felt what this artist was feeling and that isn’t always the case, especially when the deepness of some blues gets digging down into parts of you where it hurts, Tony Brown brought that spot some sunshine and it was just what the whole space needed.

Tony’s new album!

The Majestic had a certain feel and smell to it Sunday night, on an Easter Sunday with the students away there was a beautiful room of people that really felt their rockin’ grOOves together. John Brown’s Body and Toubab Krewe are sharing the bill, flopping headliner positions nightly on this recent tour and for me when the boys in John Brown’s Body opened up the show, I was ready to get ready. The dubbed reggae sounds filled the room with instant joy and plenty of innovative dance expressions. The trio of horns sent shiver me timbers down to my feet and took perfect care of my musical head. Overall this 8 piece outfit brings a sense of powerful journey to the future riddems landscape, like flying into the unknown in a Boombastic air balloon. After I interviewed drummerTommy Benedetti on the show last week, we chatted heavy on out Boston connections….Mr. Rourke, Micro and the Red Sox and we had a chance to catch the end of the home opener at Fenway together backstage with results that cause an ear to ear grin…and the Sox won too!! Toubab Krewe smashed onto the scene with their deep rock and roll rhythms accompanied by those traditional Malian instruments, causing a storm to blow over the crowd that reminds me that certain collaborations are just meant to be. I love the storm that takes over the group in a room as Toubab does that jamming thing that they do best in a live setting..So man, can you just imagine the positive vibes sent out into the cosmos as these two acts are touring around together. And even I got in some of those innovative dance grooves as the night quickly turned into morning time. Yes To Live Music.

A jam packed house at the High Noon Saloon got what they were looking for with P.O.S. who later on in the even ing mentioned to the crowd that it felt like this was the largest crowd to witness a P.O.S. show. NICE!!! Being ill didn’t stop Dessa and her producer, DJ Plain Ole Bill from setting the scene a blaze with timely serious lyrics and timing that made a duo like this seem like more. Doing tracks off her latest release “A Badly Broken Code” keep the start of my evening fresh and I think I could have done with even a few more moments with Dessa, which I will seek out from the album. Sometime after midnight P.O.S. hit the stage, and kept the truth spitting out deep and real. The crowd was more than willing to be connected to the performance, as it often is here in Madison and they made P.O.S. feel at home here. As the lyrics twisted around his tongue and slapped the faces out there, the beat was kept steady with DJ Plain Ole Bill and later on opening acts Dessa and Astronautalis (who I sadly missed) onstage separately, too, for a few right-on collaborations. Lesson….if P.O.S. comes back to town, get a ticket EARly. No NO, EARlier than that!

When I got there Break Science was just in the swing of that dub-steppin’ live mix drum sampling sweetness that was a sure fit opening up for the explosion that RJD2 had in store for the huge crowd inside the Majestic Theater. They got real nasty with the last jam, looping the soulful from the beat and keeping it sustained until it was in time with the crowd heart beat. This crowd had an identity of its own by the time RJD2 hit the stage with his massive turntable/production/mixing center. The visual stimulation is not a strong as those soaked in with the ears, but my eyes were left in a thankful state. Taking what he feels inside and what our togetherness brought to him, RJD2 ripped some serious funked up grooves without the need for headphones, with the feel of a fighter pilot he took us to a sound battle and we cam back a scene on a billboard. A moment in RJD2’s time is a place to be. He balanced time between mixing/singing some and strumming a guitar with the band….which added that rock-step to the live exploration going on, that bomb dropping with rhythm, a sonic scene with ears of its own that had a perfect musical guide. When a show makes me feel like I couldn’t get it back if I missed it, I am left remembering why it is we love the thing(s) music can do.

Break Science

The Barrymore Theatre did on Saturday night and man, was it just what the doctor ordered. Opening the night was Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, with their reggae dub-rock grooves that satisfied the urges of the swaying masses, and got people ready to get ready. But it was G Love and Special Sauce that the people came to hear and feel and slap five with….they hit us hard in the beginning of the set with some heavy hip-hopped rock, that led right into a long drawn out jazzy versions of classic sounding tracks dripping with some special sauce~ a recipe special for a night made under a Madtown moon. After several Sauce heavy tracks, it was time for Garrett to get one on, well…way more than one as the balcony had little room left..he sat with his acoustic guitar and gave us some blues reminiscent of our old pal John Hammond Jr and the crowd really seems to dig that slowed down portion of the show, kinda personal….kinda cool. What was even better is when the Sauce dripped back out on the stage and we got to get down with our Superhero Brother, do a little wiggling like a worm and the question was finally asked at us….”Who’s got the ….?” and as it turns out, not only did many in attendance come prepared to answer that skunky kinda question, but even G himself seemed to have a little smoke pouring out of himself as the first note dropped..I always have a fun time checking on the current tour of G Love and Special Sauce and this time was no different as my ears were psyched to sample some new tracks sure to be on the next album. Thanks to Paco T for introducing me to this sound way back when I was a step taller than a shorty.

There are unique events, and I want to be a part of them. Tuvan throat singers and traditional instruments meet electronica….ahhh yes please!!! I have loved listening to and sharing Huun Huur Tu‘s music on air for years now and when I found out about the project they had going on with the multi-talented Carmen Rizzo, I just knew it would do me right. The album “Eternal” easily takes the listener on the journey to and through a mystical place to so many, and sometimes with the workmanship of Carmen, you can even find places yet known, the ones you go to when you are deep in. The show at the beautiful Stoughton Opera House transformed a room in a landscape, took sounds and united a front where all good things meet, and best of all assisted in opening some new eyes to the cross-pollination of what people call genres (borders). The first set was mainly Huun Huur Tu‘s time to be acoustic, with tales behind the songs shared, each moment pulled an audience closer to the artists homeland. The ability to create such sound from one’s throat and keep it harmonious within the music while plucking and striking or blowing into traditional Tuvan instruments is a sight I can not describe in words, as the sound created such a mask. In the second set, Carmen added to what Huun Huur Tu started with light beats, heartbeats…giving another life to this already incredibly living sound creature, keyboards and devices fed this being and seemed to pump the blood, not only onstage, but the house seemed to take on a new persona. It is always fascinating to watch people see things for the first time. I want to thank both the fellas in Huun Huur Tu and Mr. Carmen Rizzo for seeing beyond musical borders & boundaries and making a new paint to add to the tapestry.

I am so glad I made it out to see Rickie Lee as she made her way back to Madison after a 4 or 5 year hiatus from our fair city. She was radiant in her magical musical ways, transforming the Barrymore Theater into a blast from the past, almost a 1970’s “feelin’ it for the first time” as she attempted to (successfully I believe) go chronologically through her albums and send her voice, words and tunes into that space place a nice sized crowd filled. The stage murmurs as she talks to or around the crowd would make even the exact same show as unique as the artist herself is, and to be in her world for just that few hour period really did make for a time travel experience. While there were many highlights of this night, there was none finer for me then watching Rickie Lee Jones hit the drum kit for a great rendition of Traffic’s ‘Low Spark of High Heeled Boys’ off here 2000 release “It’s Like This”, which she nailed down as her own with her deep lyrical twists and the turns of her bandmates caused this tune to really stand out. The show is still a show and the legend that Rickie Lee Jones has become is just starting to be truly defined and no better way to have your two cents heard then to go see her live and find out for yourself.

On certain Tuesdays at the Frequency here in Madison, there is a “BLUES TUESDAY” event that has been building itself quite a solid reputation, and this week it was friend of the show Seth Walker who was in town to show off his Americana Blues sound, his Willie Nelson impersonation and his fantastic ability to craft songs that make you want to listen. Seth writes songs that people have felt before, but the way he puts himself into is vocally makes the song still an unknown that you want to get to know better…..In our recent interview it was easy to tell that Seth Walker loves music, he was raised by parents who were trained classically and was playing the cello by four. I ‘ll let him tell you the rest of the story, hell..I bet he can sing it to you. He played a lot of things off his new album “Leap of Faith” and easily had captured the crowds feet, as the place got a good stomp-a-going….and sometimes even on rhythm. This venue allows all in attendance, (did I mention what a nice big crowd was there?) to feel like the artist is right in your living room, and I think Seth was feeling right at home with us and something tells me we’ll get a chance to see our old pal Seth Walker back here sometime in the near future….and if you happen to see that he is playing out where you can get to, take a chance and go feel good, be a part of that night’s story.

I have been listening to the ample selections that Yo La Tengo has put out over the years for quite some time now, sharing much on the radio show but this was my first chance to catch the trio from Hoboken. The crowd at the Barrymore was strong in numbers and there was a surplus of cool in the room as the band mixed their sometimes softer calming side (often accompanied with acoustic music) with a moment or two of punked out quickies and my favorite of their work are those psychedelic rock jams that get filled with space and last over seven minutes. So many tunes carry a heavy bass that a heartbeat and pulse formed from the stage……The trio often shows its flexibility as drummer Georgia sings and strums as well as kicking it behind the kit. Ira Kaplan keeps the vibe alive on keys and really sets you back some with his guitar jams and sound exploration while James McNew really was spot on with his bassin’. All three members carry steady harmonies and together, I would surely agree that They’ve got it. They ended the evening with two encores. The first a fine rendtion of a Fairport Convention tune and the final song was a beautifully haunting Velvet Underground sound. After the show had a quick chance to chat with Ira about, well…what else, you guessed it…baseball. So, when the time presents itself again, I will go…Yo La Tengo.

This evening is a time for classical change. Going to see the Emerson String Quartet this evening and here is the evening’s program:

IVES: Quartet No.1
DVORAK: String Quartet in E-flat, Op. 51
***INTERMISSION***
BEETHOVEN: Quartet in E-flat Major, Op.127

Really looking forward to the after intermission BEETHOVEN….more to share after.

What can you say about the line up other than stellar. The cold outside was no match for what was happening inside the Congress Theater in Chicago, as the 2nd Annual Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival was in full effect. Eddy Clearwater gave me what I was looking for in the way of that true original Chicago Blues styling, been waiting a long time to catch his act, well worth it. The Emmitt Nershi Band has my attention since I started slinging tracks off their new album, they left me with a down-home goodness feeling, that strings like theirs tend to do. I stomped my feet and felt a giant Yee Haw brewing up for most of their set…..reminded me of days by the barn as a youngin’. Dr. Dog was the act i had never seen that was tops on my list for getting a taste of, and i was not disappointed. I can certainly appreciate the direction that the music is taking and I must admit, at times it felt like the music was made entirely for the day that it was being played on. From the “I didn’t see that coming” file, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones with Tuvan Throat Singing group, The Alash Ensemble, doing tracks from their latest holiday release and man, this was something else…no really….the experience made me wonder how the decision was made to intersect these two styles into a holiday festival of it’s very own. The hearty earthy richness of Bela’s Banjo mixed with the soul drenching, hold me captive with that sound, Tuvan Throat singing is a match made for, well, my ears for certain. And well, you know the deal with those Flecktones…the unique spirit they conjure up is at times unexplainable and always worth being there for.

Remember the days of walking down the streets with the boombox position high upon your shoulder, pointing the tunes right into your ear….well here is something you’d like to do that with again,and they call themselves “BOOMBOX”. BoomBox is Producer/Engineer/DJ/Drummer Russ Randolph and Producer/DJ/Vocalist/Guitarist Zion Rock Godchaux. This pair of dynamic artists uses their rich musical history and their vision of music and popular culture to deliver a style of music distinctly different from anything heard or seen in music today. This signature sound and show brings live music to a new, elevated level. BoomBox evolved through the common visualization of two forward-thinking artists from diverse musical backgrounds. Raised by supportive and musically inclined parents, both Godchaux and Randolph had an obsession with music at very young ages. Godchaux, who grew up with deeply embedded rock and roll roots, began playing drums at the age of two, and played guitar and wrote his own songs as a teen. During the 90s, Godchaux was a well-received touring DJ based out of the San Francisco area. Randolph began as a young drummer, but it’s what was happening behind the scenes that attracted him most. As much producers as they are musicians, it is Randolph’s understanding of soundscape and Godchaux’s knack for songwriting that keeps BoomBox resonating at higher levels…and now, this grand duo is making a splash as they rock & roll electroland-like through the musical world of their own that they created….it might seem like the path less chosen until you get an ear full.

The Vagabond Opera.

The Barrymore Theatre has been my one time a week stop, this time for more twang and stringed instrumentation. Old Crow Medicine Show gave the sold out crowd a “humdinger” of two sets. Raucous Bluegrass and country rock, jams into fiddle psychedelia lead the evening into a that feeling I had when first drinking beers in the back woods where only the four-wheel drive equipped vehicles could get you in and out. The music of this night gave me a sense of my youth as it is still being tamed by my adult (some would say) life. I have been spinning these guys on my show since I began some 6 years ago and would easily bump several acts in the similar vein to the side over if they were around playing. The gig is more than a gig, it is a hoe-down party built for overalls and smiles, flannel shirts and tie dyed skirts……It was nice to hear the variety in their on stage “twangings” and the variety in the crowd.

Charlie Cheney & Delaney Davidson

It has been many years since I was told I should check out Railroad Earth doing their thing live and each time something either came up or it just never worked out….well, this time I made sure to make sure I was there and I was not disappointed. There is something to their “jamgrass rock” that really gets me feelin’ more than alright. While I missed the opening act of Vince Herman’s Great American Taxi this time around to watch baseball, I am sure that the billing of there two acts made so much sense (after all I caught G.A.T’s set last time around), and drew the right kind of crowd for each set…certainly I couldn’t get enough of that down home feeling I was getting from the people in attendance. I love the fiddle, I love the mandolin and I love rockin’….so put those three things together and you got such a trip on the Railroad Earth that you don’t care to know where or when your stop arrives. For their part, RRE kicked it into overdrive towards the end of their first set and the explosiveness continued when they returned to the stage, leaving me to ask myself, “What took you so long to get to one of their shows?” And I am now able to say simply…FINALLY.

JULIAN MARLEY & THE UPRISING featuring STEPHEN MARLEY “AWAKE” NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2009 hit Madison at the Barrymore and was there a feeling of unity inside the walls. The conscious awareness of the music made it easy to get immersed in the positive vibe Julian brings around with him, and shares in the message of his lyrics and the island rhythms of the band. The crowd was diverse and never divided as we were always under the guide of the Rastafarian spirit as it too was AWAKE with this night’s uprising. Featuring many tracks off the new album, the songs were traveling throughout the hall on the wings of smoke and gladly they collided with a couple of Bob Marley classics~because after all, why not start from the beginnings. With a few songs left for the night, Stephen joined on stage and the electricity of that collaboration took off with more power than any man made facility could conjure up, the attitude & altitude of the performance was on the rise..

…the bouncing, the smiling and the IRIE feelings were the bond that kept this night’s unity alive and breathing. It was a time when Reggae music came to life as Autumn has been ready to change to Winter, and this show helped keep a little summer time in my mind.

Had a chance to catch the action as the Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company was at the Memorial union for a night of whirling, stepping and happy times. I made sure to have some German Wheat Beer and spoke in my best Slavic accent all evening. It was just the type of event I needed to throw me back into the world of culture and differences i enjoy celebrating….just wish I had my clogs on.