#Quartet Sings Powerful Rendition of 'He Lives'

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Living Stones Quartet’s latest cover music video of the song ‘He Lives’- a classic Christian chorus that has been sung and cherished by believers for generations, is not only uplifting but renews the listener’s faith with the eternal hope of heaven.

[newmusicradionetwork]

William Lee Golden and The Goldens Release “Why Me Lord” Music Video, Premiered By Singing News

Country and Gospel Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member William Lee Golden and his sons ‘The Goldens’ have released their latest music video for “Why Me Lord” featuring Aaron McCune on bass vocals paving the way with a fresh new sound to this Kris Kristofferson classic. “Why Me Lord,” directed by Jeff Panzer, is from their three-album set, ‘Golden Classics’ and pays tribute to the songs that have influenced their lives throughout the years. During the recording process, it became clear to The Goldens the importance of catching these special moments on video and sharing them with their fans. “Why Me Lord” can be found on their ‘Old Country Church’ gospel album included in ‘Golden Classics’ along with ‘Southern Accents’ and ‘Country Roads.’ ‘Golden Classics’ is the highly anticipated three-volume set that contains over 30 songs spread across several genres that all have had an impact on the lives and careers of William Lee Golden and The Goldens. The music video for “Why Me Lord” was premiered by Singing News and the single is available to download on all digital platforms! “From the first time I heard Kristofferson sing “Why Me Lord,” I knew it would be one of my all time favorites,” shares William Lee Golden. There was a special way he delivered it without overdoing anything. The message is real to this day. We decided to have Aaron McCune take the lead on it and give it a different sound. In the end, I think it still remains something we can all relate to and Aaron’s vocals fit perfectly. I hope you enjoy the video!” “William Lee Golden has assembled a powerhouse quartet. You have that family sound with his two sons and then Aaron McCune who rounds out the bottom. Singing News is honored to have the exclusive on this video release! I know the fans will love it” – Scott Godsey, CEO and President of Singing News Brands  ‘Southern Accents,’ ‘Country Roads’ and ‘Old Country Church’ were recorded when Golden gathered his sons Rusty, Craig, and Chris, his grandchildren Elizabeth, Rebekah, and Elijah, and friends Aaron McCune, and Ben Isaacs to bring their fresh interpretations to longtime favorites. William Lee Golden and The Goldens deliver reminiscent renditions of Johnny Cash’s “I Still Miss Someone,” and Jim Reeves’s “Welcome to My World.” Chris shines on Tom Petty’s “Southern Accent,” while Rusty delivers a vibrant take on Bob Seger’s hit “Hollywood Nights” and Craig, the rarely heard Golden, revives Gregg Allman’s “Multi-Colored Lady.” William Lee Golden and The Goldens have recently released other videos including “If I Could Only Hear My Mother Pray Again,” “Bobbie Sue,” “Old Country Church,” “The Long And Winding Road,” and “I Saw The Light.” Country Roads 1. I Still Miss Someone 2. Four Walls 3. Welcome To My World 4. Take Me Home Country Roads 5. You Are My Sunshine 6. The Great Speckled Bird 7. Green Green Grass Of Home 8. Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On 9. For The Good Times 10. I Saw The Light Southern Accents 1. Take It Easy 2. Me And Bobby McGee 3. The Long And Winding Road 4. Stand By Me 5. Jambalaya 6. Peaceful Easy Feeling 7. Long Black Veil 8. Southern Accents 9. Elvira 10. Multi-colored Lady 11. Bobbie Sue 12. Hollywood Nights Old Country Church 1. Come And Dine 2. Old Country Church 3. It’s Suppertime 4. If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again 5. Until Then 6. Why Me, Lord? 7. I Know Who Holds Tomorrow 8. Too Much To Gain 9. Sheltered 10. Softly And Tenderly 11. Love Lifted Me 12. Power In The Blood About William Lee Golden and The Goldens: There are few things more powerful than family harmony and rarely has that been more evident than on the three new albums recorded by Country Music Hall of Fame and Oak Ridge Boy member, William Lee Golden who, along with his talented sons have created William Lee Golden and The Goldens. The Brewton, Alabama native cements his considerable legacy in the music industry with three distinctive collections that reflect his musical roots and the journey that has made him one of America’s most unique troubadours. From revered gospel classics to beloved country gems and iconic rock favorites, Golden leads his family through the songs that have been stepping stones on his well-traveled musical journey. It all comes together as a rich sonic tapestry that fans will cherish. For more, visit williamleegoldenandthegoldens.com. Suggested post: William Lee Golden (@wlgolden) and The Goldens release #WhyMeLord music video off their three-album collection #GoldenClassics! The video was premiered by @SingingNews! Visit williamleegolden.com for more info Read the full article

[thecrownnet]

From the period-specific tunes of “The Crown” to the surprising instrumental reworkings of modern pop hits in “Bridgerton,” this season’s Emmy contenders in music supervision showcase the growing field’s continued influence.

Alexandra Patsavas

“Bridgerton” may give veteran music supervisor Patsavas her best shot yet at an Emmy thanks to her clever use of chamber music-style covers of modern pop songs, which help trace the emotional journey of Daphne and Simon (Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page) in Regency-era London.

The Vitamin String Quartet’s renditions of Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next,” Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You,” Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood” and Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” along with Duomo’s cover of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams,” sent streaming numbers into the stratosphere soon after the Netflix series debuted in December.

According to Patsavas, discussions about “how a period project could be relevant and inviting,” musically speaking , began months before shooting with producer Shonda Rhimes and series creator Chris Van Dusen. Says Patsavas: “How could the source [music] moments be seamless, presented with a wink and yet still feel appropriate to the beautiful costumes and production design? [Listeners] might sense that they knew the song, but it wouldn’t be an immediate recognition. You’d hear the lyrics in your head.”

Another cover was tailor-made by score composer Kris Bowers, playing piano, and cellist Hillary Smith, of Celeste’s “Strange,” for the couple making love for the first time. Not all the music is faux-classical. Many numbers are the real thing: selections by Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Vivaldi and Chopin are also heard in the background of “Bridgerton.” Themes in Bowers’ dramatic underscore were inspired by Ravel piano pieces initially suggested by Van Dusen. Patsavas, who is now director, music creative/production for Netflix, is a trailblazer in the music supervision sector, with early credits on “Grey’s Anatomy” and the “Twilight” films. She has three Grammy nominations and eight more from the Guild of Music Supervisors but has never won a major industry honor.

Maggie Phillips

Kansas City in 1950 is the setting for the fourth season of “Fargo,” and that time and place influenced many of music supervisor Phillips’ choices of songs.

As Phillips explains, show creator Noah Hawley sends her (and composer Jeff Russo) his scripts six to eight months prior to shooting. “He writes with music in mind,” she says. “He gives us some initial jumping-off points, me for listening and Jeff for writing.” To wit: Hawley had Duke Ellington’s Jazz standard “Caravan” in mind for the opening of the season’s first episode, which chronicles the history of ethnic businessmen during the first half of the 20th century. Phillips licensed the Ellington tune as the centerpiece, and Russo adapted the music into different period-appropriate arrangements over the first 20 minutes.

Not all the music needed to be specific to that period, though. Jazzman Art Blakey’s “Moanin’” dates from 1959; Willie Dixon’s “Insane Asylum” from 1968; and Johnny Cash’s “What Is Man” from the 1970s. Says Phillips: “It’s important to capture the emotion.

Jeff Richmond

Richmond, composer-songwriter-music supervisor on “Girls5Eva,” is no stranger to coming up with songs in a hurry. “All those years of writing pastiches and jingles and musical numbers on ‘Saturday Night Live,’” he says. “The train is moving, write it quickly, get a demo out.”

The Peacock series imagines a short-lived ’90s girl group plotting a comeback after a rapper samples their one big hit. It fell to Richmond to re-create that decade’s “girl-power ballad” style for the song flashbacks as well as the new tunes to drive their hoped-for resurgence.

Creator Meredith Scardino’s early scripts had “pieces of songs,” and at first, Richmond says, “we didn’t necessarily know if they were going to be full-length.” “Dream Girlfriends” was designed as a big comeback number, but “Space Boys” was a comedy cutaway and “New York Lonely Boy” was a minute-long song playing in the mind of Dawn (Sara Bareilles).

Many were penned by Richmond and Scardino, but as Dawn begins to write her own material in the series, “we knew that the arc of the music should be a little more honest, sound a little more like Sara’s songs would sound.” So she began contributing too, and the finale song, “4 Stars,” is hers alone.

The pandemic complicated the process, as Richmond was writing and producing in his home studio, sending music to arranger-mixer-guitarist Hanan Rubinstein for improvement, the cast was often singing live during shooting (and tweaking the vocals during post-production), and Richmond was adding strings — all recorded remotely — for the final mix of songs and score. “Things got very hectic,” Richmond says.

Sarah Bridge

Season 4 of “The Crown,” which focuses on Princess Diana’s time in Buckingham Palace, featured more songs than in previous years. “It’s a natural progression as we step into the ’80s, but also the introduction of the younger generation of the royal family becoming center stage,” says music supervisor Bridge.

Photo: Ollie Upton/Netflix

The opening and closing of Episode 3, as Diana celebrates, and later regrets, her marriage to Prince Charles, is especially compelling for its use of Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen.” At first, Diana is euphoric, and she and her flatmates dance to it in a nightclub. Bridge persuaded Nicks to let the production access her raw vocals, heard a cappella under the end titles.

Says Bridge: “Hearing the power and fragility as well within it, it really reflected where Diana ends up. It felt a perfect end-credits moment, to leave it in a kind of isolated, lonely feeling, reflecting Diana’s emotion and where she is at the end of that episode. Stevie was really happy for us to feature it.” That same episode features Elton John’s “Song for Guy,” as Diana dances herself into a frenzy. Bridges re-recorded “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” for a scene where Charles and Diana are touring Australia, and gained permission from Andrew Lloyd Webber to re-record “All I Ask of You” from his “Phantom of the Opera” with a 28-piece orchestra for Episode 9, as Diana presents Charles with a tape of her performance of the song.

*Emmys Nominations-round voting begins on June 17, 2021.

[justforbooks]

Jimmy Cobb obituary

By John Fordham

Jazz drummer who continued to perform for half a century after recording Kind of Blue with Miles Davis

There are sublime moments in music that only the cognoscenti notice, plenty that millions love, and some that many sense without quite knowing why. Kind of Blue, the 1959 recording led by Miles Davis, had enough of all of them to become the bestselling jazz album ever.

Jimmy Cobb, the drummer and last surviving member of that landmark session, who has died aged 91, was not just a crucial contributor to a jazz revolution unleashed by it, but the instigator of a split-second playing choice on one of its best known themes that seems to define the here-and-gone magic of the best of jazz.

Cobb’s magic moment on So What, Kind of Blue’s opening track, was the quintessence of perfect timing and the definition of his receptive musical character. The tune’s setup seems to suggest at first that the music has nowhere to go, with the pianist, Bill Evans, apparently lost in preoccupied reflections around a slowly shifting three-chord motif with the bassist, Paul Chambers.

Evans then implies he has found a route out, thickening the chord harmonies before Chambers brings in the tune’s famously catchy bass hook, while Cobb ticks off a quiet pulse with a cymbal sound like someone idly shaking a bag of loose change, and Davis and the saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley repeat a minimally simple rising and falling two-note hook.

Then Davis hangs out a single sustained note as if dangling it over a long drop, resolves it with an answer an octave beneath and Cobb breaks into a disruptive drum hustle and a cymbal smash as the trumpeter’s solo eases into swing, and such a captivating improvised trumpet solo that composers have since transcribed it for performance as if it had been laboured over note by note.

Cobb was to react instinctively to situations like that all his working life. That moment was not fortuitous for him, but the obvious option at the time for the astute 30 year-old percussion accompanist who had already partnered the vocal-toned R&B saxophonist Earl Bostic, the gospel-rooted and pop-savvy singer Dinah Washington , and Davis partners including pianist Wynton Kelly and Adderley. Those connections taught Cobb the patience to wait for the turning moment – in jazz, usually unscripted – of a soloist’s entry, the drive to power a blues, and much more.

Born in Washington, Jimmy was the son of Wilbur Cobb, a security guard and taxi driver, and his wife Katherine (nee Bivens), a domestic worker. As a teenager in the mid-1940s he became obsessed with jazz, staying up at night to listen to the American wartime DJ Symphony Sid’s broadcasts and washing dishes in diners to save money for a drumkit – on which he aimed to learn the polyrhythmic innovations of the bebop drum gurus Max Roach and Kenny Clarke. Largely self-taught, though he briefly studied with the National Symphony Orchestra percussionist Jack Dennett, Cobb had accompanied Billie Holiday in Washington and partnered Charlie Parker and Davis on Symphony Sid’s roadshow before he was 20.

By 1950, he was on the road with Bostic, whose hit-making R&B band of the period included such jazz-sax luminaries as Coltrane, Benny Golson, and Stanley Turrentine. Cobb and Kelly then accompanied Washington for some years, a period in which Cobb was having a relationship with her, and a young Quincy Jones was writing some of the singer’s arrangements.

The drummer’s antennae were retuned by the musical differences between his own Catholic background and Washington’s Baptist one. “When I heard that Baptist sound, it took me over,” Cobb later told the jazzwax.com’s blogger Marc Myers. “I wasn’t used to hearing that. It would make the hairs stand up on my arms and neck, where people are singing and shouting in church. That struck me right away. She taught me to put the passion into what I was doing.”

In 1956, Adderley hired Cobb to play on his Verve Records sessions Sophisticated Swing, Quintet In Chicago and Takes Charge, with the latter two staffed by the Miles Davis band without the trumpeter. Those connections led via brief stints with Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie to Kind of Blue, though Davis’s work in the period following ran on different tracks, with Coltrane and subsequently Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock exploring more modally stripped-down, scale-based music rather than the songlike forms Cobb had experienced with Bostic and Washington.

Cobb and Kelly played with the jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery between 1962 and 1965, formed a trio with Kind of Blue bassist Paul Chambers that recorded with guitarist Kenny Burrell, and from 1970 to 1978 the drummer partnered the operatically eloquent vocalist Sarah Vaughan. He worked thereafter with many leading younger musicians of the postbop generation including sometime Miles Davis saxophonist David Liebman, trumpeter Art Farmer, and pianists Kenny Drew and John Hicks.

Cobb taught in summer schools in Europe organised by Duke University, North Carolina, and for the New School for Social Research. New York, in the 1980s, worked regularly with Adderley’s cornetist brother Nat, and toured and recorded regularly in the US and Europe in the following decade.

Drawing from his New School student connections among others, Cobb formed the quartets and quintets he called Cobb’s Mob in 1998, performing and recording with them into the 21st century in lively postbop lineups including a young Brad Mehldau, the composer-guitarist Peter Bernstein, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, and the Marsalis family patriarch, the pianist Ellis Marsalis.

On the 50th anniversary of Kind of Blue, an 80 year-old Cobb memorably went to the UK with a group including the uncannily Miles-like trumpeter Wallace Roney and the saxophonists Javon Jackson and Vincent Herring – spurring those timeless themes with his old lazily springy dynamism, even if the renditions might have been a little lighter and funkier for some.

In June 2008, he received the Don Redman Heritage award from Michigan State University, and the following year a National Endowment for the Arts NEA Jazz Masters award. Cobb continued to perform and teach, aided by his wife, Eleana Tee (nee Steinberg), and daughters Serena and Jaime, all of whom survive him. He had previously been married to Ann Porter, who died in 1987.

He was often asked for the secrets of his light and buoyant drum sound and hair-trigger reflexes, but he had no magic formula. “The first thing is they have to love it” was his advice.

• Jimmy (James Wilbur) Cobb, drummer, born 20 January 1929; died 24 May 2020

*  John Fordham is the Guardian's main jazz critic. He has written several books on the subject, reported on it for publications including Time Out, Sounds, Wire and Word, and contributed to documentaries for radio and TV. He is a former editor of Time Out, City Limits and Jazz UK, and regularly contributes to BBC Radio 3's Jazz on 3

© 2020 Guardian News

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[themusicenthusiast]

Saturday, February 3rd, 2018 – Doll Skin Dominates a Spectacular Female-centric Lineup at The Curtain Club

Photos by Jordan Buford Photography There was something kind of special happening at The Curtain Club on this Saturday night. It revolved around the fact that the Phoenix, Arizona-based Doll Skin was returning to Dallas for a headline show, and being an all-female group, it only made sense to feature similar type bands on the bill. Presented and curated by IRock Entertainment, that was precisely the kind of show that had been put together. There was at least one woman in every band; and out of the five local support bands, two of them were also all-female groups. That’s something you don’t see all that often; the concert offering concertgoers a reminder of just how many talented female artists reside in the area, with a great up-and-coming national touring act to cap it off.

Things began with Plato’s Theory, a trio of siblings who made their (mostly) classical instruments fit in quite well in the hallowed hall of rock that is The Curtain Club. Maegan and Rose McKey played a cello and violin, respectively, while Mia rounded it out with a ukulele and provided the lead vocals. The only thing more surprising then the instruments they used was the vast array of songs they tackled. Originals were peppered in, though there were also a decent bit of covers, including what they came out of the gate with: Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”. I don’t imagine anyone had ever heard such a young girl sing that song before, and they owned it, their rendition being something totally different. Vocally they kept its hip-hop roots intact, though also gave it a slight spoken word feel. It was something different and certainly unexpected, the McKey sisters getting the night off to an excellent start, playing some fun and lovely music in the process.

This was THE night for trios. Most of the bands on the lineup were just three-piece outfits; Vannah Red being next up, and they kicked the show into high gear. Their brief set passed by quickly, which speaks to how engrossing they made the performance. They were teeming with energy, Harrison Stringer leaping into the air on occasion, at least when he could break away from the microphone. Bassist Sam Thornton and drummer Megan Garcia comprised the dominant rhythm section, that force guiding the songs as they delivered their brand of fiery rock.

Following them was Not Ur Girlfrenz, who, in their own right, were the most impressive band of the night. Barely teenagers (and in the case of one, slightly younger), the still fairly new group has been generating a lot of buzz lately. From winning a battle of the bands competition to already becoming regulars on the local club circuit, Not Ur Girlfrenz seem to be on the fast track to becoming local heavyweights. Those not aware were going to get a crash course as to why they have been so hyped; a throng of supporters out in full force this night. One of the most striking things about them was the level of showmanship they have already developed. The young girls already looked right at home on stage, radiating confidence as they ripped through their assortment of covers and originals. Singer and guitarist Liv Haynes did a great job at addressing the spectators and pumping them up; while much of what would have been dead air was filled by Maren Alford, the drummer laying down some light percussion, building to what was coming next.

They were at their best when performing though, their budding talent as musicians and the chemistry they struck up as a group being beyond impressive. Bassist Gigi Haynes even demonstrated that certain swagger that so many bass players seem to possess. Their covers were wide-ranging, from stuff with a slight pop flare to full on rock songs (which included a surprising and topnotch rendition of Ram Jam’s “Black Betty”). The handful of originals they performed were great as well, being well ahead of what one might expect from musicians their age. A prominent talent on the rise, it should be fun to watch how Not Ur Girlfrenz progress in the coming years. They’ll be releasing an original song on digital retailers soon, and will be back at The Curtain Club on February 22nd. Other shows they have coming up include one at Three Links in Dallas on March 18th as well as one in The Colony at Lava Cantina on April 18th supporting Bowling for Soup.

Xor had the job of finishing warming everyone up, bringing a little something different to the table. More alt-rock, they treated everyone to some cuts from 2017’s Defiance EP, the singer using a keyboard on some of the songs; and they even worked in a cover of a Paramore song for the sake of playing something most everyone would be familiar with.

Then it was time for what everyone had been waiting for, a strong gathering of Doll Skin fans turning out at The Curtain Club. It was 11:20 when they hit the stage, frontwoman Sydney Dolezal beginning by urging everyone to come in closer, as she had a “secret” that she wanted to share. Sitting on one of the monitors, she put the microphone down and in a hushed voice built some suspense regarding what she was going to say, laughing some and as she tried to keep a straight face. “We are Doll Skin…” she whispered, abruptly shifting to a shout as she proclaimed they were there to rip “your faces off!”

With that they were off, “Road Killa” setting their dynamic 44-minute long set in motion. It provided an exceptional start, the intensity instantly going through the roof; the rapid-fire assault on the drum kit that Meghan Herring unleashed along with the flurry of soaring riffs practically demanding everyone’s undivided attention. 2017’s Manic Pixie Dream Girl would be their main focus for the night, and they followed that opener up with a couple more of the most spirited songs on it. That included what Dolezal noted was their “jumpy song”, encouraging everyone to join in with them. Indeed, quite a few patrons did, bouncing around to the energetic “Shut Up (You Miss Me)”. The pronounced beats and pulsating bass lines courtesy of Nicole Rich made it conducive for such behavior; and it showcased just what a threat they are in the vocal department, Herring, Rich and guitarist Alex Snowden chiming in with the backing vocals on those vibrant choruses. What resulted sounded stupendous, “Shut Up (You Miss Me)” standing out as a favorite of their set.

The next original song they did found them digging back a bit, to their In Your Face (Again) EP. It was for a special occasion, as some parents had brought out their young daughter to see what was her first ever concert. Dolezal pointed all that out, and wanting to make the night as memorable as possible for her, stated they had every intention of playing her favorite song. That wound up being “Let's be Honest”; Dolezal kneeling at the edge of stage left at one point, singing right to their young fan. Moments later the frontwoman was seen leaning against Snowden as she began to shred on the sizzling solo the track boasts.

There had been no indication of it, but after wrapping up “Baby's Breath” Dolezal admitted to battling some sickness. Plagued by congestion, it came in handy on “Persephone”, as she remarked beforehand that the sinus issues made screaming easier. Their heaviest song of the night, the blistering number escalated their performance into something vicious and raw. Seething anger punctuated every second of it; Dolezal laying down on the floor in the final stretch and giving an impassioned performance. She seemed to have stronger reservations about how being sick might affect their Alanis Morissette cover, telling the audience she was about to “butcher” it. Herring left her kit for the beginning of “Uninvited”, briefly taking over the mic on stage left, providing a mix of backing and lead vocals before they really kicked the song in. If battling sickness did impact the song, it sure wasn’t noticeable, that cover being even more riveting live than it is on their latest album. It comes across as an atypical song choice for the quartet, yet also fits so well with their style as they keep it true to form while injecting it with their own flare. It’s gritty and in-your-face, just like Doll Skin.

Their abundant energy and enthusiasm only grew more powerful as they knocked out a couple more tracks from their EP, before arriving at their final song. One every fan had been waiting for. “It’s about a pest control problem we currently have…” Dolezal stated in advance of their most punk song they have in their arsenal: “Puncha Nazi”. From the message to the urgency, it’s rooted in true punk and provided a fun and exhilarating finish to what had been an incredible show. This event as a whole hadn’t just been shining a light on female musicians, but also young ladies in the industry who are cutting their teeth and/or starting to make a name for themselves. In the case of Doll Skin, most of the members are still in their late teens, or not much older. It was easy to forget that, though, the way they carried themselves and the caliber of performance that they delivered making them look more like seasoned veterans. A clear sign that their rigorous touring schedule has pushed them to be the best possible live band that they can be.

They owned the stage, emitting an authoritative aura that compelled everyone to give Doll Skin their complete attention. Fierce and aggressive, they gave everyone a no holds barred performance; Snowden constantly demonstrating a mastery of the guitar, while Herring hammered out the beats with unrelenting force. Rich was a livewire at times, yet also radiated that certain charisma that bassists have, while Dolezal worked to build a rapport with the crowd and make sure the patrons felt a connection with they were doing. Their chemistry as a unit was every bit as impressive as their individual talents. Dolezal frequently interacted with Snowden during the show; and Rich and Snowden often convened in front of the drum riser, and along with Herring demonstrated their sheer might.

As impressive a live act as they proved to be, their music is every bit as enthralling in its own right. Doll Skin has made themselves rather versatile, being a mix of anything from rock to punk or hard rock, with some pop sensibilities thrown in for good measure. They have a core style, though every song sounds different, which goes a long way in keeping the music fresh. All together that has it looking like Doll Skin is poised for much bigger things. Already having logged five years together, the dedication is certainly there, as is the passion, which should see plenty more successes come their way. They’ll be embarking on a European tour in March, with a hometown show in Phoenix, AZ planned for February 23rd at Crescent Ballroom. More info on their upcoming dates can be found HERE; and preview or purchase Manic Pixie Dream Girl in iTUNES or GOOGLE PLAY.

It was late, though the night wasn’t quite over yet. Holly West was closing out the show, making her return to the stage of The Curtain Club. “I haven’t played The Curtain Club in years,” she remarked during her set. “I haven’t, either,” Vinnie Parma added, both of them having been part of the band Honey a few years back. Since, West has been pursuing some solo stuff, and just this past fall released her debut EP, Mokita. They would play several of the cuts from it and then some as they delivered a show that was pure, no frills rock ‘n’ roll. Those who stuck around late enough seemed entranced by it, thoroughly enjoying what they were witnessing. Seeing her on her own was a first for me. Her material sounds great, especially in the live environment; West’s rich and powerful voice having a distinct quality that is unlike many other vocalists out there. They wrapped up the show in style, and what a night it had been. Every band that performed was different in their own way, yet the various styles meshed together exceptionally well. That made it all the more enjoyable, because nothing every felt repetitive. Best of all, it was awesome to see some of the fine female talent out there. Lineups like this just don’t happen often enough, and unless you pay a lot of attention to everything going on in the North Texas area, it can be easy to forget just how many female fronted bands or women singer/songwriters are out there. It’s a more substantial amount than some would think, so it was cool to see even a small selection of them on the same bill. From established veterans of the local scene to touring acts on the rise and the next crop of musicians looking to make their mark, it was an absolutely stellar night of music.

[youngandhungryent]

Lovely Grooves: 10 Classic Hip-Hop Songs That Sample Bill Withers

Source: Soul Train / Getty

Soul singer-songwriter William Harrison “Bill“ Withers passed away earlier this week (it was announced today) due to heart complications. The legendary singer was 81 and while his spirit has moved on, his music is eternal and its DNA has been flipped by plenty of Hip-Hop artists.

A native of West Virginia, the three-time Grammy Award winner first burst onto the music scene with numerous chart-topping hits including “Aint No Sunshine,” “Use Me,” “Lean On Me,” “Lovely Day,” “Lean on Me,” and more. His album, Live at Carnegie Hall, is still regarded as one of the greatest live albums ever.

Withers’ songs have been covered and sampled by numerous artists, bringing his music to multiple generations although he hadn’t recorded new material since the ’80s. In 2015, he received the ultimate recognition of his artistry by being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

To honor his legacy, here are10 Classic Hip-Hop Tracks The Sampled Bill Withers Songs

T.W.D.Y. “Player’s Holiday”

Song Sampled: “Lovely Day”

West Coast supergroup T.W.D.Y. (an acronym for “The Whole Damn Yay”), was comprised of Ant Banks, Rappin’ 4-Tay and Captain Save ‘Em. On their hit “Player’s Holiday” featuring Too Short, Mac Mall, Otis & Shug, they sampled Withers’ “Lovely Day.”

 Will Smith “Just the Two of Us”

Song sampled: “Just the Two of Us”

After becoming the biggest movie star on the planet, Will Smith aka The Fresh Prince returned to his roots and dropped “Just the Two of Us” as an ode to his son. The track is a remake of Bill Withers and Grover Washington’s classic “Just the Two of Us.”

 Kendrick Lamar, “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst”

Song Sampled: “Use Me”

Bill Withers “Use Me” is one of his most sampled songs because of the funky drum break at the beginning. Giving it a modern twist, Kendrick Lamar looped it on his classic “Sing About Me, I’m Thirst.”

DMX. “Aint No Sunshine”

Song sampled: “Aint No Sunshine”

At the peak of his powers, DMX was Hip-Hop’s biggest rapper and was a budding film star. Off the Exit Wounds soundtrack, X’s “Aint No Sunshine” was a haunting rendition of the Bill Withers classic.

 UGK, “Use Me Up”

Song Sampled: “Use Me”

Houston’s dynamic duo UGK brings some Southern Hospitality to Bill WIthers’ “Use Me” with their version. Just like Withers, Pimp C is smitten by a bad sister and just wants to be used up.

 Kanye West, “Roses”

 Song sampled: “Rosie”

Off his sophomore album Late Registration, Kanye West lifts Bill Withers’ melancholic tune “Rosie” for his remake “Roses.”

 Cam’ron featuring Mase, “Horse and Carriage”

Song Sampled: “Who Is He (And What Is He To You)

The second single from his debut album Confessions of Fire, Cam’ron collaborated with fellow Harlemite Mase on “Horse and Carriage that kept the dancefloors packed. The track samples Bill Withers’s paranoid bop, “Who Is He (And What Is He To You).”

 Big Daddy Kane, “Rap Summary”

Song Sampled: “Lean On Me”

When Lean On Me was released in theatres in 1989, Big Daddy Kane was tapped to remix one of Bill Withers’ signature songs, “Lean On Me.” Not only did Kane sample the song but Club Nouveau had a major hit when they covered it in 1987.

 Dr. Dre, “Let Me Ride”

Song Sampled: “Kissing My Love”

 The classic funk break on Bill Withers “Kissing My Love” has been sampled by notably Eric B. and Rakim on “In the Ghetto” and by The Jungle Brothers on “Straight Out the Jungle.” But Dr. Dre’s G-Funk version on “Let Me Ride” is some of the Doctor’s best work.

 Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen, “No Diggity”

Song sampled: “Grandma’s Hands”

Teddy Riley gave his quartet Blackstreet a classic with “No Diggity,” featuring Dr. Dre. and Queen Pen. “No Diggity” samples one of Withers’ most revered songs, “Grandma’s Hands.”

 source https://hiphopwired.com/851037/lovely-grooves-10-classic-hip-hop-songs-that-sample-bill-withers/

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source https://youngandhungryent.blogspot.com/2020/04/lovely-grooves-10-classic-hip-hop-songs.html

from Young And Hungry Entertainment https://ift.tt/34aYGRE via Young And Hungry Ent.

source https://youngandhungryent.blogspot.com/2020/04/lovely-grooves-10-classic-hip-hop-songs_4.html

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[krispyweiss]

American Acoustic - Punch Brothers, I’m With Her and Julian Lage at Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, Ohio, Aug. 12, 2017

“Good luck,” Chris Thile said.

These final words came at the end of a powerful encore on the Cincinnati stop of the American Acoustic Tour, in which nine musicians - the members of Punch Brothers and I’m With Her and guitarist Julian Lage - performed a dichotomous, two-song encore that began with a bursting-with-joy version of Three Dog Night’s “Mama Told Me Not to Come” and ended with the melancholic strains of the Brothers’ “This is the Song (Good Luck).”

It was the end of nearly three hours of music - delivered in sets of 70 and 100 minutes, respectively - in which the bands played together and alone and in various combinations and took the nearly full Taft Theater and its hard-listening audience on a tour through the power of music and the human voice. Not only acoustic, this show was unplugged - fiddles, guitars, mandolins, banjos, basses, et al. were not tethered by cords; they were channeled through center-stage mics - no amps allowed.

The result was breathtaking. And the audience sat silently rapt through it all, exploding into cheers only as songs ended and after particularly powerful solos. Concertgoers knew the nuances of these performances were important.

This was a low-frills presentation. A large, beige backdrop touted the tour’s title and the players played under minimal lighting and engaged in understated, but sincere, banter, which showed they were beyond happy to be where they were, with whom they were with and doing what they were doing.

The nine musicians spent the final 55 minutes of the show sharing the spotlight, sometimes playing in a nonet, other times in various combinations while colleagues sat in chairs on either side of the stage, taking in the show like the fans they were. A staggering run of performances, this segment featured a mini Nickel Creek reunion on “Destination;” the entire group playing Thile’s hilarious and timely “Comey’s Waltz;” a jaw-dropping rendition of the Beatles’s “Julia” with Thile, Aoife O'Donovan and Sarah Jarosz singing tender harmonies while fiddlers Sara Watkins and Gabe Witcher added plaintive violin melodies; and other traditional and original numbers that seemed designed to ease the tension after a day in which America was rocked by neo-Nazi terrorism in the South.

This set- and show-closing segment segued directly out of Punch Brothers’ 45-minute, second-half-opening performance in which the quintet gathered around the mics to share its quirky take on bluegrass music. Dressed in various versions of office attire - jackets, ties, vests, smart shoes - the Brothers oozed virtuosity whether they were reinterpreting Debussy’s “Passepied” or inserting jazzy riffs into the proceedings with original numbers such as “Julep.”

Although Thile is the clear ringmaster, he never dominates his Brothers and together they create a family-style performance that takes bluegrass to places its never been while - and this is the truly amazing part - never straying too far from its home base. This was a powerhouse demonstration that - because of the setting in which it occurred - was not the highlight of the evening.

That honor belongs to I’m With Her, the trio of Watkins, Jarosz and O'Donovan, which formed spontaneously in 2015 to open for the Punch Brothers.

Resplendent in floor-length black dresses, the Americana supergroup sang like sisters, Watkins’ willowy rasp, Jarosz’s smooth alto and O'Donovan’s confident whisper-to-wail blending to create on instrument that raised skin and neck hair early and often during their 40-minute showcase.

Watkins and O'Donovan are pregnant - with children and songs - and the band debuted new tracks to be included on a forthcoming album. The set that could have been longer included the title track from their new EP, Little Lies, and well-chosen covers like Jim Croce’s “Walkin’ Back to Georgia” and John Hiatt’s “Crossing Muddy Waters.” They all played guitar - with Watkins alternating on fiddle and Jarosz also playing mandolin and banjo - and switched off on lead vocals.  

Brothers bassist Paul Kowert made I’m With Her a quartet, adding bubbly bottom end to the final song that lead to a short, 20-minute break before the headliners took over. This was rewarded with an exuberant standing ovation from the audience and gigantic smiles from the performers.

After his single-song, solo performance, Punch Brother and banjoist extraordinaire Noam Pikelny - looking like he’d just woken up with hair on end, a wrinkled jacket and tie askew - introduced I’m With Her as the best band going for his money and they lived up to the lofty billing.  

Pikelny’s slot was the capper on a rotating 30-minute, opening sequence that began with Thile, Lage, O'Donovan and Jarosz kicking things off sweetly with the first of many awe-inspiring pieces that would follow and ran through Watkins leading a large grouping through her own “Young in All the Wrong Ways” and featured 29-year-old Lage - performing alone - building the foundation of a reputation that will one day place him along side the likes of Tommy Emmanuel and Leo Kottke on the Mount Rushmore of acoustic pickers.

Each of these musicians and bands could easily carry a show on their own. But they’re stronger together. And together, they carried some 2,500 music lovers to a high plane only rarely attained - a rare state of contentment where nothing outside the happenings at hand matters and where the problems of a bleak world disappear, if only temporarily.

Grade card: American Acoustic - Punch Brothers, I’m With Her and Julian Lage at Taft Theatre - 8/12/17 - A+

[caveartfair]

The Strange and Stunning Results of Artist-Directed Music Videos

Music videos, of course, have always involved artistry, from Michael Jackson’s epic mini-movie for “Thriller” in 1983 to Björk’s 2004 video for “Triumph of a Heart,” which famously features a love affair with a human-sized cat.

But something undeniably odd and inspiring can happen when visual artists who don’t normally work within the medium try their hands at it. Here, we look at 15 clips that showcase the beauty, inventiveness, and occasional disaster that can result when artists step outside of their comfort zones and collaborate with musicians.  

Jon Rafman for Oneohtrix Point Never’s “Sticky Drama” (2015)

This clip for Oneohtrix Point Never opens slow and strange—imagine the gravitas of the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan transposed onto a lo-fi battle between cosplaying adolescents—and it only gets wilder from there. Jon Rafman is an artist known for his mastery of digital animation effects, creating grotesque universes that bend the rules of logic and physics (and traverse the uncanny valley). For one series, he creates creepy CGI renditions of his own dreams—consider him a 21st-century Surrealist with superior software.

“Sticky Drama,” from the 2015 Oneohtrix Point Never album Garden of Delete, is a viciously attention-deficit mix of robotic pop and sheer electronic noise. To accompany it, Rafman chose to go mostly live-action. A vast army of child actors stage their own brutal war, replete with ultra-violent battle scenes and a surplus of green slime (a mood board for this video would likely include both Game of Thrones and Nickelodeon’s Double Dare). A feature film’s worth of epic drama is crammed into less than six frenetic minutes.

David LaChapelle for Blink-182’s “Feeling This” (2003)

How best to conjure the snotty, rebellious energy that made Blink-182 one of the enduring names of pop-punk? David LaChapelle chose to film in a defunct L.A. jail, but don’t expect a treatise on the importance of prison reform here. Instead, the photographer (who has also directed clips for Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, and many others) presents a sort of horny penitentiary stocked with nubile young things who are sick and tired of institutional conformity. As in Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall,” these oppressed prisoners don’t need no education—but in this case, they will fight for their right to hump each other during visiting hours.

We see a classroom full of fed-up boys and girls overtaking their fascistic teacher, climbing on their desks in what reads like a punk-rock riff on that climactic scene in Dead Poets Society. That turns into a full-blown riot; a jailbreak; what might be an outtake from a Victoria’s Secret commercial; and a rowdy concert on the roof, where Blink-182 gets anthemic within the safety of a barbed-wire enclosure.

Marco Brambilla for Kanye West’s “Power” (2010)

Clocking in at under two minutes, this slim, supremely dramatic video feels more like the trailer for an action movie starring Kanye West. We see the rapper draped in chains, standing still as a painterly scene comes to life (with half-naked women featured prominently). The general mood—epic surrealism with a dash of kitsch—is in keeping with Marco Brambilla’s other video work. Anyone who has ever stayed at The Standard in New York, or visited its bars, has likely seen his Civilisation (Megaplex) (2008), a Boschian dream that screens in the hotel’s elevators.

But if the video for “Power” manages to jam a lot of bombast into a short space, West’s 2010 short film for “Runaway” (with art direction from artist Vanessa Beecroft) would prove as expansive as his ego. Stretching to nearly 35 minutes, it includes a massive explosion, a fireworks display, a marching band, and an extended ballet performance, among other things.

Alex Da Corte for St. Vincent’s “New York” (2017)

This lush video is a decadent indulgence in color and pattern, from baby-blue blinds to leopard-print tights, a cherry-red shoe telephone, and acres of bodega flowers. St. Vincent’s Annie Clark deadpans through an ode to lost romance in New York City, with cameos from some famous city sculptures—Tony Rosenthal’s Alamo cube in Astor Place; Forrest Myers’s The Wall on West Houston at Broadway—as well as studio installations that recall Alex Da Corte’s own irreverent, Instagram-friendly practice. Despite various absurdities—a random swan; a microphone stand surmounted by what appears to be burning kale—the overall effect is both seductive and eerily moving.    

Ryan McGinley for Sigur Rós’s “Varúð” (2012)

Atmospheric Icelandic band Sigur Rós—famous for singing in a made-up language—tapped 12 creatives to direct short films to accompany their 2012 album Valtari. Ryan McGinley has earned well-deserved acclaim for a photographic practice that celebrates the nostalgic glow of youth; here, he crafts what he called his “poem to New York City.”

The camera tracks a young woman—wearing nothing more than a gold wig, an oversized T-shirt, and underwear—as she skips barefoot through the metropolis. (Editor’s note: Always wear shoes when skipping in Lower Manhattan.) The footage is shot from a great distance, as if captured by an eye-in-the-sky satellite. At certain points, the woman keeps dreamily moving, even though her surroundings—pedestrians on the High Line, yellow cabs—have frozen in place. The video is something of a woozier, romantic counterpart to James Nares’s short film Street (2011), which likewise skewed the way we see New York’s everyday foot traffic.  

Damien Hirst for Blur’s “Country House” (1995)

Damien Hirst won the Turner Prize in 1995, another step on the ladder to international fame for the British artist. But that same year, he also directed this doozy of a music video for the pop quartet Blur, which truly needs to be seen to be believed. It opens with four blokes in a shabby apartment playing a board game called Escape from the Rat Race; the game soon explodes into a surreal reality, one that is decorated with giant skulls and populated by people riding pigs and taking cheeky bubble baths.

The cheeseball factor is off the charts here—Hirst would have made a stellar mid-’90s maestro of beer commercials. Rather than waxing poetic, the artist also shows himself to be a shockingly literal thinker, directly illustrating many of the lyrics: When Damon Albarn sings “He’s reading Balzac and knocking back Prozac,” we get a demonstration of…exactly that. The video’s protagonist is a rich everyman who seems plucked from one of René Magritte’s bowler-hat paintings, and there’s enough cleavage and sophomoric sexual hijinks to satisfy even the most avid fan of the Naked Gun franchise.    

Pipilotti Rist’s “I’m a Victim of This Song” (1995)

Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist is known for her immersive video environments celebrating color and nature, offsetting any earnest New Age vibes with a healthy dose of irreverence. (Her work indirectly entered the popular imagination after the motifs in a 1997 piece were liberally borrowed by Beyonce in 2016.) The original video for this Chris Isaak song “Wicked Game” was directed by David Lynch in 1990; Rist completely altered the effect with her version, which is almost painfully vulnerable, with helium-high missed notes that devolve into a sort of desperate shrieking.

Meanwhile, the grainy video itself seems almost entirely arbitrary, with scenes of rolling clouds, vintage photographs, and random strangers sitting in a restaurant. Rist’s brittle rendition of “Wicked Game” poses a thorny question: Is the song itself the thing plucking brutally at our heartstrings? And would any random collage of footage have the same effects, given the proper soundtrack?

Robert Longo for Megadeth’s “Peace Sells” (1986)

Robert Longo, a member of the “Pictures Generation” who is best known for his hyperrealistic graphite drawings, teamed up with Megadeth for this clip in 1986, and what a hot metal mess it is. Full of flickering, strobe-like cuts and found footage of war and riots, it hiccups between the goofy and the graphic. Fist-pumping fans are interspersed with images of bombed buildings; a man falling down the stairs; a burning Constitution; statues of the Buddha; and several extreme close-ups of singer Dave Mustaine’s oral cavity. (Things slow down around the two-minute mark, when Longo himself seems to grow bored of yet another interminable, noodling guitar solo.)

Fast forward three decades, and everyone involved with this has aged quite differently. Longo is still a sought-after artist dedicated to capturing our fraught political moment; Megadeth’s Mustaine has been a guest on Infowars and has fondly trafficked in any number of conspiracy theories.

Tony Oursler for David Bowie’s “Where Are We Now?” (2013)

American artist Tony Oursler brings his video-sculpture techniques to bear on this bittersweet anthem from his friend, the late David Bowie. “There’s a theme of looking back and moving forward to ‘Where Are We Now?’, of abandoning things and carrying things forward,” Oursler said at the time. Watching this clip now, in the wake of Bowie’s 2016 death, is almost pleasantly crushing; if your eyes aren’t watering at the 3:30 mark, there might be something wrong with you.

The video is also a marvel in terms of how it achieved heightened emotional effects with limited means. We see a static tableaux in the artist’s studio: a few props (an empty wine bottle; a giant sculptural ear) along with a large screen, upon which grainy footage from Berlin and elsewhere is projected. The focal point is a lumpy doll with two projected faces of Bowie and the painter Jacqueline Humphries, Oursler’s wife. Bowie sings while Humphries stares placidly ahead—at one point, she licks her lips, poised as if to sing, but that moment never comes. “As long as there’s sun,” Bowie intones, his words floating before him. “As long as there’s me. As long as there’s you.”

Harmony Korine for Sonic Youth’s “Sunday” (1998)

Harmony Korine got his start in 1995 as the screenwriter for Larry Clark’s brutal teen drama Kids, and has since gone on to produce an unpredictable oeuvre, from Julien Donkey-Boy (1999) to Spring Breakers (2012). He’s also a visual artist, showing on occasion with blue-chip powerhouse Gagosian—and despite any urge to accuse him of dilettantism, Korine’s painting practice is both sincere and impressive.  

This video for a track off Sonic Youth’s 1998 album A Thousand Leaves puts the viewer in an aggressively uncomfortable place. As it opens, we see a young Macaulay Culkin staring drowsily into a mirror, redolent of an Elizabeth Peyton painting. Wearing Hugh Hefner-worthy pajamas, he begins making out, in slo-mo, with a young woman.

Korine cuts to equally slow, dreamy footage of a young ballerina practicing her moves in a dingy apartment, and then cuts to a scene of the Home Alone child star headbanging over dueling banjos with Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore. Culkin pulls off the rockstar vibe better here than he would in the later phase of his career, when he earned internet disbelief for The Pizza Underground, a cover band that repurposed Velvet Underground songs with lyrics about…pizza.

Ebony Hoorn for Lost Under Heaven’s “Bunny’s Blues” (2018)

This sinister, P.J. Harvey-inflected track comes with a seductive, lurid video directed by the band’s frontwoman, Ebony Hoorn—a recent art-school graduate from Amsterdam. Incorporating both a striptease, a magic ritual, and a murder, the clip nods to director David Lynch, the 1976 film Carrie, and the saturated color palette of Italian horror icon Dario Argento (an admitted influence of the artist-musician).

The germ of “Bunny’s Blues” came from a performance project Hoorn launched in the Netherlands in 2015. “I created this character Bunny Blue while writing my thesis,” she told Artsy. “I started dressing up and going to empty bars and cafés in Amsterdam, exploring the tremendous amount of freedom experienced without the mundane expectations regarding your identity.” That led her to explore virtual reality and online identities as presenting other sides of the self. “Bunny, for me, is like a research tool,” she continued. “It allows me to look with fresh, new eyes. It sets me apart from myself.”

Make sure to keep watching until the bitter end, where a blood-drenched Bunny flaunts the head of a man she’s just decapitated with a scythe—a visual rhyme with any number of paintings of Judith and Holofernes.

Jimmy Joe Roche for Dan Deacon’s “The Crystal Cat” (2007)

Jimmy Joe Roche and Dan Deacon both cut their teeth as part of the Baltimore-based art collective Wham City. They’ve collaborated on longer, more conceptual projects—like Ultimate Reality, a 2007 film that appropriates footage from Arnold Schwarzenegger films—but this bite-sized video is an easier place to start.

Roche’s aesthetic for this clip mirrors motifs that reappear in his own drawings, paintings, and sculptures, with endless Rorschach-like patterns in psychedelic colors. Deacon, clad in an unglamorous grey sweatshirt, presides over a cast of characters seemingly plucked from amateur public-access television. The parade of flickering neon mandalas builds to an almost unbearable climax that might permanently alter your brain chemistry.

Allison Schulnik for Grizzly Bear’s “Ready, Able” (2009)

Allison Schulnik, a Los Angeles-based artist, goes overboard when she paints, applying impossibly thick layers of oil to create her depictions of cats, clowns, flowers, and landscapes. That handmade tactility carries over into her claymation work for the indie band Grizzly Bear.

In this video, creatures with gaping eyes and mouths are constantly evolving, melting, turning inside out, or being sucked into ominous spacecrafts. The aesthetic is purposefully rough and lovingly handmade. “You go into this zone, there’s nothing like it,” Schulnik toldL.A. Weekly, discussing her very labor-intensive process. “You’re in a little black room all by yourself…alone in the dark for hours and hours in this little mini-world that you created and have complete control over. It’s complete escapism. I love it. And when you see the result, it’s magic.”

Wolfgang Tillmans for Powell’s “Freezer” (2017)

Wolfgang Tillmans loves to buck convention—he’s notorious for installing his gorgeous and poetic images of male anatomy, fruit, landscapes, and countless other subjects in inventive, unprecious ways. It makes sense that Powell tapped the photographer to direct one of his videos: “Oscar Powell’s music is often deemed difficult,” Pitchfork once surmised, and Tillmans accompanied this track with an equally difficult, occasionally maddening video.

Scenes of exceedingly mundane things—a pot threatening to boil over; leaves gently blowing in a breeze—are intercut with a slideshow of still photographs of military members and riot cops. The quiet, restrained pace of the clip is at odds with the electronic song’s insistent, thumping beat, and the video itself almost seems like a parody of a stereotypical art film in which nothing of substance occurs. Still, one can’t help but appreciate the brazen disregard for the clichés and conventions of the form. Don’t expect to see it on MTV anytime soon.

Kara Walker and Ari Marcopoulos for Santigold’s “Banshee” (2016)

Ari Marcopoulos, a photographer known for his casually evocative portraits, teamed up with Kara Walker for this hard-to-classify video. While Walker is synonymous with cut-paper silhouette works that spotlight the horrors of America’s racist past, here, she contributed shadow puppets that gyrate and cavort in a comparatively lighthearted way. This freewheeling dance party is preceded by an incongruous black-and-white segment, in which we see Santigold sitting on a city sidewalk holding a sign that reads “Will Work For Blood.”

It might not add up into one cohesive whole, but the energy and enthusiasm that went into the shoot is palpable. “We decided to just all get together in the studio with the puppets, a bunch of lights, and just have a good time and made decisions as we went,” Marcopoulos told the New York Times. “It was a total team effort. My son Ethan was the cameraman and Kara’s daughter [was] the stills photographer.”

from Artsy News

[lindsay36ho]

Zlata Chochieva: As an artist, you have to be unique

Zlata Chochieva is a unique pianist of the highest calibre. From Salzburg, where she lives and teaches at the Mozarteum, she enchants music-lovers all over the world with her exceptional artistry, combining natural musical expression with outstanding and self-evident technical ability.

Photo: Vgeny Evtyukhov

Stephen Kovacevich called her ‘one of the most interesting and unconventional pianists of today’. She appears at many prestigious festivals, for example in Husum, Miami and Lucerne. This season, concert tours have taken her to the USA, Russia, England, Italy, Sweden, Mexico, Switzerland and Argentina.

Because Zlata was too young to be left at home alone, her mother took her along to her oldest brother Vadim’s piano lessons. She, too, wanted to play the piano – and her brother’s teacher, Nina Dolenko, was also sympathetic to the idea, although she had never worked with a four-year-old child before. A year later, Zlata was already appearing at small concerts in Dolenko’s class, and when she was eight she played for the first time with orchestra: Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. When she was twelve, one of her recitals was broadcast by Russian television, and was praised by the press. When I remark that she must have been exceptional, she laughs: ‘Oh, Russia is full of talent, there it’s quite normal.’ She no longer remembers exactly what she played on that occasion, but promises to check on the recording that she still possesses; in any case she thinks she remembers it including something by Tchaikovsky, mazurkas by Scriabin and Rachmaninov’s Vocalise.

Free

Zlata Chochieva participated in many competitions, particularly in order to gather experience of performing on stage. ‘Practising at home and the concert stage are two completely different worlds. At the Moscow Conservatory I had little opportunity to play in public, but it’s such an important thing. Competitions give you stage experience, also – above all –of playing with orchestra. In addition, competitions help you to master a large repertoire. That was a fundamental reason why I joined in. Later, though, I was no longer so happy to do so and couldn’t summon up the motivation to take part. As an artist, you have to be unique, you have to show your own face, find your own way, take risks and be allowed to be different – not average and predictable, as is expected of you in competitions.’ In this respect she was certainly supported by Mikhail Pletnev, her mentor for three years. ‘I was fourteen and it was incredible good fortune. For me, the three years of study with him were unforgettable. It’s so great to have the possibility to speak with such a great artist and extraordinary human being. There were just two of us studying in his class, and he was very demanding – for example we had to know about all types of music, orchestral works and opera. He advised us to be brave, to risk setting forth our own ideas as artists. For me this was a turning point: he treated us like artists, not like students. And therefore I felt that I could be myself; I felt free.’

Close Ties

Later she studied under Pavel Nersessian at the Moscow Conservatory and attended masterclasses with, for instance, Jacques Rouvier – who, after her second year, took her into his class at the Mozarteum and asked her to be his assistant. Today she lives in Salzburg, but spends a lot of time travelling. She still retains close ties to Moscow, where she was born and grew up, where she studied and where a lot of her friends still live. She also has close ties to Ossetia in the Caucasus because that’s where her parents come from. ‘I love it with all my heart, it’s small, interesting and very beautiful. Its culture isn’t Slavic at all; it’s more Oriental. We have our own roots, our own culture, history and language, which is derived from Sarmatian and Scythian, and our cuisine is very much out of the ordinary.’ Since 2005 she has been an Honourable Artist of the North Ossetia Republic.

Sharing

She enjoys teaching. ‘Yes, it’s a great privilege to share experiences with younger people. I myself also learn a lot from it. It’s a shared experience; you build something together. The development of a student into an artist is a very interesting process. The moment arrives when you must forget everything you have learned, when you mustn’t remain rooted in your studies, when you know that you must fly, be yourself, and take everything as it comes.’

Photo: Theo Kwant

Time and Space

She has also issued a series of brilliant CDs – including a virtually definitive interpretation of Chopin’s Second Sonata in 2005, when she was just 20, and a colourful rendition of Pletnev’s piano transcriptions from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty. She has also recorded a very idiomatic version of Schumann’s Humoreske, as well as extremely fine Scarlatti and a very exciting account of Prokofiev’s Seventh Sonata – and, above all, Rachmaninov. Her recording of his complete Études-Tableaux was nominated for a Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, and the music critic Jeremy Nicholas in Gramophone said of her disc of the Chopin Études: ‘certainly one of the most consistently inspired, masterfully executed and beautiful-sounding versions I can recall.’ In addition, numerous concert programmes testify to her special affinity with Rachmaninov’s music, whom she also admires greatly as a person. ‘Yes, nobody else can match him.’ She can’t explain why this should be the case. He’s like ‘an explosion of nature’, unique in every respect. ‘In the case of other great pianists I can tell you exactly how they play something, and why. Of course it will never be the same twice, and it should never be an imitation, but at least you can reason out what’s going on. But with Rachmaninov – and, for that matter, with Horowitz – I can’t do that. Art comes from the cosmos and cannot be grasped by our human minds and psyches. Music, in fact art in general, gives us another perspective. It lets us fly, escape from human limitations, elevate ourselves into another dimension. You must avoid any form of routine or fixed notions of certain things.’ Is there perhaps a comparison with her experience as a pilot, with flying in the literal sense, when time and space acquire a new dimension? ‘Yes, I fly a lot as a passenger to my concerts, but in the cockpit it’s a wholly different matter. I perceive time and space in a different way; you could certainly compare that with being an artist. It has given me a strange feeling that the world is far more interesting and unknown than we realize. We know so little. I hope I’ll have the chance to fly again.’ Rachmaninov himself described a similar experience when driving a car: ‘When I conduct, I experience much the same feeling as when drive my car – an inner calm that gives me complete mastery of myself and of the forces, musical or mechanical, at my command.’

In the Moment

Another great passion is Mozart. Does she also admire the way Horowitz played Mozart? ‘Yes, it’s incredible, he’s one of my favourite performers. I was too young to hear him play live, but my father was at his Moscow concert.’ For her, Horowitz and Rachmaninov are essentially great musicians, not just great pianists. ‘Not that the piano is too limited – for me the piano is the most fantastic instrument of all, because it can sing but can also attain an orchestral fullness of sound. I like listening to orchestral music and opera best. Even as a child, I spent hours listening to recordings and couldn’t get enough of the sound of the orchestra. Sometimes I regret that I don’t play another instrument as well; I’d like to learn the violin, for instance. If you play Beethoven, you have to have a string quartet or an orchestra in your mind, and similarly you can’t understand Rachmaninov’s musical language without knowing his orchestral works, songs and choral music – or The Bells, one of my favourites.’ Are The Bells a sort of icon for Russia? ‘Yes, certainly; when I think of Russia, I always hear the bells of the Russian Orthodox church, and then tears come to my eyes – it’s a powerful emotion. Now I have a piano duo with Misha Dacić; I admire him greatly, he’s a fine artist, a musician from another world. He has made a transcription of The Bells for two pianos. We gave the première at the Ivanovka estate, where Rachmaninov wrote a lot of his works.’ Zlata Chochieva is also a great fan of jazz. ‘I’m in the process of discovering it; it’s another world. Sound, timing, it’s all different. It’s incredibly refreshing to play in other styles; even in classical repertoire it gives you more possibilities, because even though I have a well-defined concept of a piece, this changes in a flash the moment I go onstage. Music is born in the moment. The concert stage is exciting, full of risk, and what we achieve there is a mixture of what we have prepared intellectually and the spontaneity that inspiration gives us.’

Author: Eric Schoones

More about Zlata Chochieva: zlatachochieva.com

This article is a contribution from the German and Dutch magazine Pianist through Piano Street’s International Media Exchange Initiative and the Cremona Media Lounge.

Pianist Magazine is published in seven countries, in two different editions: in German (for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxemburg and Liechtenstein) and in Dutch (for Holland and Belgium). The magazine is for the amateur and professional alike, and offers a wide range of topics connected to the piano, with interviews, articles on piano manufacturers, music, technique, competitions, sheetmusic, cd’s, books, news on festivals, competitions, etc. For a preview please check: www.pianist-magazin.de or www.pianistmagazine.nl

from Piano Street’s Classical Piano News https://www.pianostreet.com/blog/piano-news/zlata-chochieva-as-an-artist-you-have-to-be-unique-9188/

[dawnajaynes32]

A Seeworthy Vessel of Enchantment

A Seeworthy Vessel of Enchantment

By Tom Wachunas

    Translating a classic cartoon into a live stage production, such as Disney’s The Little Mermaid, can be a particularly daunting endeavor for any director, if only due to certain (inviolable?) expectations on the part of the audience. Understandably enough, we might look to be immersed in all the splashy special effects presumed to be necessary for evoking the experience of pure enchantment remembered from watching the animated film.

   In this case, however, director Jonathan Tisevich and his production team (including scenic design by Joshua Erichsen, lighting and sound by Scott Sutton, and costumes by Stephen Ostertag) have opted for a relatively more reductive approach. Call it an understated if not raw abstraction of a fantasy water world. An aesthetic gamble to be sure, the ocean kingdom is largely symbolized by wooden sculptures -  curved ramp-like structures that sweep vertically upwards to subtly suggest both big waves and sailing ships. Yet for the most part, the gamble pays off.  Including the use of simple, unimposing mechanical hand puppets for some of the characters (designed and created by Kevin Anderson) rather than elaborate full-body costumes to imitate the film, the overall minimization of expected dazzling visuals becomes a curiously special framing effect in itself. It’s a directorial decision that maximizes our focus on the story and the flesh-and-blood characters as played out by the cast members, all thoroughly captivating and indeed delightfully real in their own right.

    With a deftly soaring voice that cuts to the heart, Kaelin Curran is mesmerizing in her role Ariel, the mermaid who yearns to be human. Her singing is an intense, wholly believable embodiment of longing to be with the man, Eric. As Eric, the charming earthly prince who feels out of place in the royal trappings of his own world, Zach Stark turns in an equally compelling performance. Late in Act II, for the song “If Only,” Curran and Stark are joined by the marvelously sonorous Mark Dillard (playing Ariel’s father, King Triton) and Matthew Horning, who holds his authentic Jamaican accent very well throughout the evening as he plays Sebastian, the lovable crab who’s as skittish as he is watchful. The quartet’s stirring emotive harmonies take on a particularly spiritual dimensionality. 

      Meanwhile, Stanley Niekamp is notably endearing as he brings delicious flavor to the youthful Flounder, who clearly has a schoolboy crush on Ariel.  As the frenetic seagull, Scuttle, Bobby Severns is a jubilant purveyor of goofy malapropisms, declaring a salvaged fork to be a “dinglehopper” for combing Ariel’s tresses, and a tobacco pipe a “banded, bulbous snarfblatt,” to be blown as a horn. And gut-splitting hilarity ensues when cleaver-wielding Tyler Ferrebee, as Chef Louis, cavorts about the stage during “Les Poissons,” singing his praises of all the seafood he’s preparing (including a nearly boiled-alive Sebastian) for a royal dinner.   

         Especially memorable is Loralee Myers in her role of the diabolical Ursula - a large, electrifying presence in every way. With her snaky, sycophantic attendants (Flotsam and Jetsam, played by Matti-Lynn Chrisman and Justin James Ollis) in constant tow, she’s a tentacled, luminous wonder whose every word, giggle, and guffaw is delivered with show-stopping bravura. Her powerful renditions of “Daddy’s Little Angel” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” are gripping moments, infused with equal parts dark sarcasm and palpable menace.

   The live orchestra under the direction of Steve Parsons is consistently excellent in navigating the score’s sparkling mélange of musical genres. Similarly, the choreography by Michael Lawrence Akers is performed with infectious abandon, including the ensemble tap dancing choreographed by Molly Weidig for “Positoovity,” a giddy number led by Scuttle. When not dancing, ensemble members still often convey a sense of moving through water via the gentle, waving motions of their hands and arms as they traverse the stage.  

        After all was said, sung, danced, and done on opening night, I looked to my wife and our accompanying grandchildren. Standing in ovation, we smiled at each other and nodded our agreement that this evening was positoovely enthrallimizing.

 Disney's The Little Mermaid /  Players Guild Theatre Mainstage, Cultural Center for the Arts, 1001 Market Ave. N, Canton, Ohio / through May 28 / Shows at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday TICKETS: $27 adults, $19 ages 17 and younger, $24 seniors, at  www.playersguildtheatre.com   and 330-453-7617.

   PHOTOs, by Michael Lawrence Akers, from top: Kaelin Curran as Ariel and Zach Stark as Eric; Kaelin Curran; Loralee Meyers as Ursula; Matthew Horning as Sebastian; pencil drawing by me

A Seeworthy Vessel of Enchantment syndicated post

[theagingboomer]

BoomerCafe.com A second chance for singers over 55

We just had to run this story. It’s exciting, it’s inspiring. Writing for our partners over at NextAvenue.org, Deborah Quilter tells of a show called “Alive! 55+ and Kickin’,” with performers who give new meaning to familiar songs.

On a chilly spring Saturday afternoon, a group of singers gathered at the Mama Foundation for the Arts, located in a tony brownstone in New York City’s Harlem. Keyboardist Edward Cleghorn, Jr. warmed up on the stage at the far end of the living-room-cum-rehearsal-hall. Gold theatrical curtains lined one wall. The group sat in a semicircle, bantering with each other until Ken Wydro, director of Alive! 55+ and Kickin’, announced that it was time to tell their stories and sing their songs.

As the title suggests, performers are 55 or older and this musical revue features gospel, R&B and pop music. But it also includes the singers’ personal stories.

One after another, the mic was passed to members of the troupe. One by one, their histories unfolded.

Heart Attacks and Heartache

Gladys Mitchell had auditioned for another production co-written years ago by Wydro and Vy Higginsen. It was called Mama, I Want to Sing. But when she was called back for a second audition, she doubted her talent and chickened out. Instead, she got a job as an emergency dispatcher for New York City. Mitchell was on the job September 11, 2001, when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center. The stress of that day led to a heart attack.

When Mitchell auditioned for Alive! 55+ and Kickin’ — which offers second chances to older singers— and once again got a call back, this time she went. Now, as part of the group, she fulfills her lifelong dream of singing for the public.

Another singer, Matthew Burke, was abandoned by his mother in a tenement hallway when he was 2-½ weeks old. He suffered horrific abuse in various foster homes.

“If they didn’t like what I did or said, they beat me. Every time I got beaten, it was in the ‘little room,’ where I slept,” he recalled. “I thought if I burned down the room, I wouldn’t get beaten. In my four-year-old mind, I didn’t realize the whole house would go with it.”

Burke spent 23 years in and out of jail for various offenses. Through it all, he always loved to sing— in fact he was the choir director in prison. Now his powerful renditions of Georgia— the name he gave to the mother he never knew— and of I Can’t Stop Loving You (“Those happy hours I never knew, tho’ long ago, they still make me blue”) mine new meaning in the lyrics. Burke says he still suffers from abandonment issues, and those are real tears he cries on the stage.

He now focuses on assisting other people, including helping fellow cast member Theo Harris raise money for medical treatment.

There was plenty of inspiration to go around. Matthew Brown, 77, whose bass-baritone is reminiscent of Paul Robeson, hadn’t learned to read by the age of seven. By 16, he had discovered alcohol. But at age 50, he decided to go to school to learn to read and write. He has since won prizes for his poetry and essays and has been sober for 32 years.

“I have no give-up in me,” he says.

Each song, curated by Wydro, fits each singer’s voice and story like a glove. Renee Connell delivers an oh-so-moving If I Could, an anthem to mothers everywhere who want to protect their children from life’s hurts. Sharon Patrick wows with Mahalia Jackson-like delivery of gospel hymns.

There was even a happy story: Rick Vega met the love of his life on a blind date and urges the audience to take hold of a good thing when it comes to them.

God of Second Chances

The show includes “Sunday morning” songs, though it also has its fair share of Saturday-night fare. There are belters and crooners, trios and quartets. But it was Theo Harris who had me in tears by the second stanza of his song.

Since August, Harris has been suffering from liver cancer, and the handsome man is gaunt and thin. (He looked a lot better in a segment on 60 Minutes a couple of years ago.) Wydro told him he could sit for his song, but Harris stood: frail, pale, a gloved hand on the mic, and told his story.

Theo had come to New York at age five, and his role models were drug addicts, pimps, and players. He learned to do drugs (his ultra-realistic imitation of a junkie nodding off nearly brought some people to the stage to help him stand), and was in and out of prison for 40 years. During that time, he soothed his fellow inmates by singing, and wrote a play to entertain them. When they needed someone to play the role of his wife, Phyllis Harris— who volunteered at the prison with a church group— stepped up to the plate. The two had instant chemistry, and married for real while he was still in prison.

At night, he would take her picture from under his pillow and wonder, “Will she wait for me? Will she be there when I get out?”

Theo Harris

During the performance, Theo Harris gives thanks to the “God of Second Chances” and then, standing alone and still stage center, in a soft, hoarse voice, launches into the first line of Unchained Melody:

Oh, my love, my darling

I’ve hungered for your touch

a long, lonely time

Time goes by so slowly

And time can do so much

Are you still mine?

Keeping the Music Alive

The show came about almost by accident. Several years ago, Vy Higginsen was auditioning older adults to be the parents in Mama, I Want to Sing. Higginsen was struck by the talent of the older people who were auditioning. “They had amazing voices, and I said ‘I’m going to write a show just for you’,” she recalls.

Robin Campos

Originally, Wydro and Higginsen planned to write a story for each singer, but found that fiction couldn’t compare with the performers’ actual life stories. “We give them a chance and a place to express their story,” Wydro says. “Whatever our hurts and wounds and doubts and worries, by coming together, we heal.”

This holds for the audience, as well. The show brings a sense of triumph, redemption and joy to listeners, who are usually on their feet singing along during the final number. These older adults may have taken a lickin’, as the lyrics go — but they are alive and kickin’ and singing. And uplifting themselves and others in the process.

The post A second chance for singers over 55 appeared first on BoomerCafe.com.

x

[themusicenthusiast]

Thursday, August 23rd, 2018 - Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner Shares Raw, Personal Stories and Witty Banter with Listeners at Lexus Box Garden at Legacy Hall

Photos by Jordan Buford Photography 2018 has been quite the year for Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner. The group that was founded by John Pedigo (one half of the Dallas-based duo The O’s) released their debut self-titled record back in March, and more recently they even took a little jaunt around the Midwest, supporting the Old 97’s for a handful of dates. Even if it’s just personal milestones (and really, that’s all that matters in the grand scheme of things), they’ve accomplished a lot in the year or so that they’ve been together; and on this Thursday night the quartet was returning to the stage of the Lexus Box Garden at Legacy Hall to entertain patrons with their brand of country/Americana. The turnout was decent for a Thursday night, a few dozen or so people scattered about the actual Box Garden, while more were perched on the balconies of the second and third levels of Legacy Hall that overlook it. Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner would wind up sharing all of their intimate stories (and then some) with the people this night, using the atmospheric and equal parts ethereal and dynamic “Orion” to launch them into the 84-minute long set that that they had planned.

What immediately became apparent was the significant emotional weight that these songs boasted in the live environment. It’s noticeable on the record – which is arguably the most compelling thing about Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner – but live the feeling and gusto packed into the music was so much more prominent and palpable. “I need you. I’ll never ask again. I need you to fight, sometimes it’s right to say goodbye.” That refrain was steeped in emotion that came straight from the heart and did an excellent job in setting up everything that they had planned for the show. “Let me check out the ol’ set list,” Pedigo said aloud as he peered down at the piece of paper. He chuckled. “That’s a good song!” he remarked, somewhat having fun as he initiated the banter that would be a fixture of their show while also seemingly attempting to hype up those who were most receptive to what they were doing on stage.

The first few numbers found them going down the track listing of their album, the poignant “The Comedian” highlighting what a robust rhythm section Trey Pendergrass and Rocky Garza – the drummer and bassist, respectively – were as they injected the track with some raw power. Pedigo embraced that, breaking free from the mic stand when he could and pacing about the stage, often picking at his acoustic guitar in an aggressive manner. “Where's The Fire” was even more conducive of that, allowing Pedigo to channel his inner rock star, particularly when he suddenly grabbed his guitar and brandished it in the air. It felt wild. Chaotic even. Chad Stockslager infused that track with some soul and even a hefty groove as he hammered away on his keyboards, appearing totally spellbound by the moment, his mastery of the instrument evident.

The jokes continued as Pedigo was setting up another song of theirs, noting that they had done a music video for it that could be found on the internet. “…You can find almost anything there…” he continued, using Garza as an example, essentially saying he had everything at his fingertips, just as soon as he “fires up AOL” Having so much time to fill, and armed only with ten songs that comprise their debut record meant that there was a healthy serving of covers peppered in throughout their set. Many of those found them changing things up a bit, Stockslager taking up the role of lead vocalist. “The Image of Me”, made famous by Conway Twitty, was one such song – their selection of covers mostly focusing on classic country standards. Stockslager’s smooth, announcer like voice was perfect for songs from that bygone era, allowing him to evoke the spirit of those original renditions while also adding his own touch to them.

He also often acted as spokesman for the fine establishment that is Legacy Hall. “I hope everyone is easting some of the best food of their lives,” Pedigo remarked at one point, Stockslager quickly following that up with, “Out here at Legacy Hall that’s not hard to do…” and subsequently shouting out the “sweet and savory barbecue” that one of the food stalls offers. You had to be there in order to fully appreciate it, though it was quite entertaining. Moments like that provided a sort of relief from the more somber tones that accented some of the songs. That doesn’t necessarily mean they were sad, more just raw and honest, Pedigo having penned a host of songs that are real, touching on several facets of life, such as “Warning Shot”, which was steeped in heartache and delved into aspects of mortality, death and what comes after.

Pedigo did keep the lead for some of the later covers in their set, which included a great rendition of Merle Haggard’s “Working Man Blues” that was simultaneously true to form yet also had Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner’s own twist to it; while “No Better Than You” began setting them up for a striking finish as they entered the homestretch. It included several “spicy meatballs!”, in the words of Stockslager. “That one’s called ‘No Better Than You’. That’s why we kept saying it over and over,” Pedigo said real matter-of-factly, the drier side of his sense of humor shining through. After a couple more covers they arrived at their final number, “Wet The Line” being nothing short of triumphant, providing a sort of silver lining to a show that was teeming with emotional highs and lows and took those who were watching on a brief journey. Pedigo, Stockslager, Pendergrass and Garza took advantage of that. Coalescing, their chemistry became more robust than it had been at any other point this night, transforming that cut into a wall of sound. Their enthusiasm had a lot to do with that, radiating from them by that point, and that was no more noticeable than with Pedigo, who, in the final moments, proceeded to ferociously attack his guitar, even somewhat shredding before removing it and holding it above him in a victorious fashion. It was fitting, as they had just conquered the Box Garden, giving it everything they had in them in the process.

To reiterate an earlier statement, the live show is where it’s at for these guys. Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner is an excellent listen, though as great as the recordings may be, it’s the live environment where they’re their most potent. The grand scale of the emotion was immense, Pedigo, in his somewhat twangy voice that’s marked with a light Southern accent, investing himself fully in what he was singing and striving to make onlookers feel the depths he and his band mates were digging into. It was a personal and intimate experience because you could tell how these songs were practically sacred to him, Pedigo bearing a bit of his soul during the process of performing them. That’s something of a rarity these days, seeing an artist give that much of themselves or even work to connect with people in that manner and it didn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated.

Point is, seeing a Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner show will definitely be entertaining, and not just because the musicians have a good rapport amongst themselves that leads to some witty banter. Pedigo has surrounded himself with other veterans of the D-FW music scene; and while his solo endeavor may be in the same musical realm of what he has done (and continues to do) with The O’s, it also explores new territory. There are spirited Americana songs that are conducive of dancing (at least one patron was spotted doing some of that on this night), while others more closely resemble traditional country numbers or even folk songs, the singer/songwriter aspects of them being prevalent. Still in the same wheelhouse of what fans have come to expect from him, yet unique enough that it highlights different aspects of his abilities as a musician. Even at a place like Legacy Hall, where patrons are as likely to be caught up in conversation with friends as they are the music from whatever act happens to be on stage, Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner managed to turn a few heads, and rightfully so. It was a barn burner of a show. Stay tuned to their FACEBOOK for news of other upcoming shows; and check out/purchase their record on iTUNES or GOOGLE PLAY.

[youngandhungryent]

Lovely Grooves: 10 Classic Hip-Hop Songs That Sample Bill Withers

Source: Soul Train / Getty

Soul singer-songwriter William Harrison “Bill“ Withers passed away earlier this week (it was announced today) due to heart complications. The legendary singer was 81 and while his spirit has moved on, his music is eternal and its DNA has been flipped by plenty of Hip-Hop artists.

A native of West Virginia, the three-time Grammy Award winner first burst onto the music scene with numerous chart-topping hits including “Aint No Sunshine,” “Use Me,” “Lean On Me,” “Lovely Day,” “Lean on Me,” and more. His album, Live at Carnegie Hall, is still regarded as one of the greatest live albums ever.

Withers’ songs have been covered and sampled by numerous artists, bringing his music to multiple generations although he hadn’t recorded new material since the ’80s. In 2015, he received the ultimate recognition of his artistry by being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

To honor his legacy, here are10 Classic Hip-Hop Tracks The Sampled Bill Withers Songs

T.W.D.Y. “Player’s Holiday”

Song Sampled: “Lovely Day”

West Coast supergroup T.W.D.Y. (an acronym for “The Whole Damn Yay”), was comprised of Ant Banks, Rappin’ 4-Tay and Captain Save ��Em. On their hit “Player’s Holiday” featuring Too Short, Mac Mall, Otis & Shug, they sampled Withers’ “Lovely Day.”

 Will Smith “Just the Two of Us”

Song sampled: “Just the Two of Us”

After becoming the biggest movie star on the planet, Will Smith aka The Fresh Prince returned to his roots and dropped “Just the Two of Us” as an ode to his son. The track is a remake of Bill Withers and Grover Washington’s classic “Just the Two of Us.”

 Kendrick Lamar, “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst”

Song Sampled: “Use Me”

Bill Withers “Use Me” is one of his most sampled songs because of the funky drum break at the beginning. Giving it a modern twist, Kendrick Lamar looped it on his classic “Sing About Me, I’m Thirst.”

DMX. “Aint No Sunshine”

Song sampled: “Aint No Sunshine”

At the peak of his powers, DMX was Hip-Hop’s biggest rapper and was a budding film star. Off the Exit Wounds soundtrack, X’s “Aint No Sunshine” was a haunting rendition of the Bill Withers classic.

 UGK, “Use Me Up”

Song Sampled: “Use Me”

Houston’s dynamic duo UGK brings some Southern Hospitality to Bill WIthers’ “Use Me” with their version. Just like Withers, Pimp C is smitten by a bad sister and just wants to be used up.

 Kanye West, “Roses”

 Song sampled: “Rosie”

Off his sophomore album Late Registration, Kanye West lifts Bill Withers’ melancholic tune “Rosie” for his remake “Roses.”

 Cam’ron featuring Mase, “Horse and Carriage”

Song Sampled: “Who Is He (And What Is He To You)

The second single from his debut album Confessions of Fire, Cam’ron collaborated with fellow Harlemite Mase on “Horse and Carriage that kept the dancefloors packed. The track samples Bill Withers’s paranoid bop, “Who Is He (And What Is He To You).”

 Big Daddy Kane, “Rap Summary”

Song Sampled: “Lean On Me”

When Lean On Me was released in theatres in 1989, Big Daddy Kane was tapped to remix one of Bill Withers’ signature songs, “Lean On Me.” Not only did Kane sample the song but Club Nouveau had a major hit when they covered it in 1987.

 Dr. Dre, “Let Me Ride”

Song Sampled: “Kissing My Love”

 The classic funk break on Bill Withers “Kissing My Love” has been sampled by notably Eric B. and Rakim on “In the Ghetto” and by The Jungle Brothers on “Straight Out the Jungle.” But Dr. Dre’s G-Funk version on “Let Me Ride” is some of the Doctor’s best work.

 Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen, “No Diggity”

Song sampled: “Grandma’s Hands”

Teddy Riley gave his quartet Blackstreet a classic with “No Diggity,” featuring Dr. Dre. and Queen Pen. “No Diggity” samples one of Withers’ most revered songs, “Grandma’s Hands.”

 source https://hiphopwired.com/851037/lovely-grooves-10-classic-hip-hop-songs-that-sample-bill-withers/

from Young And Hungry Entertainment https://ift.tt/2x0TBz9 via Young And Hungry Ent.

source https://youngandhungryent.blogspot.com/2020/04/lovely-grooves-10-classic-hip-hop-songs.html

from Young And Hungry Entertainment https://ift.tt/34aYGRE via Young And Hungry Ent. source https://youngandhungryent.blogspot.com/2020/04/lovely-grooves-10-classic-hip-hop-songs_4.html

[youngandhungryent]

Lovely Grooves: 10 Classic Hip-Hop Songs That Sample Bill Withers

Source: Soul Train / Getty

Soul singer-songwriter William Harrison “Bill“ Withers passed away earlier this week (it was announced today) due to heart complications. The legendary singer was 81 and while his spirit has moved on, his music is eternal and its DNA has been flipped by plenty of Hip-Hop artists.

A native of West Virginia, the three-time Grammy Award winner first burst onto the music scene with numerous chart-topping hits including “Aint No Sunshine,” “Use Me,” “Lean On Me,” “Lovely Day,” “Lean on Me,” and more. His album, Live at Carnegie Hall, is still regarded as one of the greatest live albums ever.

Withers’ songs have been covered and sampled by numerous artists, bringing his music to multiple generations although he hadn’t recorded new material since the ’80s. In 2015, he received the ultimate recognition of his artistry by being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

To honor his legacy, here are10 Classic Hip-Hop Tracks The Sampled Bill Withers Songs

T.W.D.Y. “Player’s Holiday”

Song Sampled: “Lovely Day”

West Coast supergroup T.W.D.Y. (an acronym for “The Whole Damn Yay”), was comprised of Ant Banks, Rappin’ 4-Tay and Captain Save ‘Em. On their hit “Player’s Holiday” featuring Too Short, Mac Mall, Otis & Shug, they sampled Withers’ “Lovely Day.”

 Will Smith “Just the Two of Us”

Song sampled: “Just the Two of Us”

After becoming the biggest movie star on the planet, Will Smith aka The Fresh Prince returned to his roots and dropped “Just the Two of Us” as an ode to his son. The track is a remake of Bill Withers and Grover Washington’s classic “Just the Two of Us.”

 Kendrick Lamar, “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst”

Song Sampled: “Use Me”

Bill Withers “Use Me” is one of his most sampled songs because of the funky drum break at the beginning. Giving it a modern twist, Kendrick Lamar looped it on his classic “Sing About Me, I’m Thirst.”

DMX. “Aint No Sunshine”

Song sampled: “Aint No Sunshine”

At the peak of his powers, DMX was Hip-Hop’s biggest rapper and was a budding film star. Off the Exit Wounds soundtrack, X’s “Aint No Sunshine” was a haunting rendition of the Bill Withers classic.

 UGK, “Use Me Up”

Song Sampled: “Use Me”

Houston’s dynamic duo UGK brings some Southern Hospitality to Bill WIthers’ “Use Me” with their version. Just like Withers, Pimp C is smitten by a bad sister and just wants to be used up.

 Kanye West, “Roses”

 Song sampled: “Rosie”

Off his sophomore album Late Registration, Kanye West lifts Bill Withers’ melancholic tune “Rosie” for his remake “Roses.”

 Cam’ron featuring Mase, “Horse and Carriage”

Song Sampled: “Who Is He (And What Is He To You)

The second single from his debut album Confessions of Fire, Cam’ron collaborated with fellow Harlemite Mase on “Horse and Carriage that kept the dancefloors packed. The track samples Bill Withers’s paranoid bop, “Who Is He (And What Is He To You).”

 Big Daddy Kane, “Rap Summary”

Song Sampled: “Lean On Me”

When Lean On Me was released in theatres in 1989, Big Daddy Kane was tapped to remix one of Bill Withers’ signature songs, “Lean On Me.” Not only did Kane sample the song but Club Nouveau had a major hit when they covered it in 1987.

 Dr. Dre, “Let Me Ride”

Song Sampled: “Kissing My Love”

 The classic funk break on Bill Withers “Kissing My Love” has been sampled by notably Eric B. and Rakim on “In the Ghetto” and by The Jungle Brothers on “Straight Out the Jungle.” But Dr. Dre’s G-Funk version on “Let Me Ride” is some of the Doctor’s best work.

 Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen, “No Diggity”

Song sampled: “Grandma’s Hands”

Teddy Riley gave his quartet Blackstreet a classic with “No Diggity,” featuring Dr. Dre. and Queen Pen. “No Diggity” samples one of Withers’ most revered songs, “Grandma’s Hands.”

 source https://hiphopwired.com/851037/lovely-grooves-10-classic-hip-hop-songs-that-sample-bill-withers/

from Young And Hungry Entertainment https://ift.tt/2x0TBz9 via Young And Hungry Ent. source https://youngandhungryent.blogspot.com/2020/04/lovely-grooves-10-classic-hip-hop-songs.html

[youngandhungryent]

Lovely Grooves: 10 Classic Hip-Hop Songs That Sample Bill Withers

Source: Soul Train / Getty

Soul singer-songwriter William Harrison “Bill“ Withers passed away earlier this week (it was announced today) due to heart complications. The legendary singer was 81 and while his spirit has moved on, his music is eternal and its DNA has been flipped by plenty of Hip-Hop artists.

A native of West Virginia, the three-time Grammy Award winner first burst onto the music scene with numerous chart-topping hits including “Aint No Sunshine,” “Use Me,” “Lean On Me,” “Lovely Day,” “Lean on Me,” and more. His album, Live at Carnegie Hall, is still regarded as one of the greatest live albums ever.

Withers’ songs have been covered and sampled by numerous artists, bringing his music to multiple generations although he hadn’t recorded new material since the ’80s. In 2015, he received the ultimate recognition of his artistry by being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

To honor his legacy, here are10 Classic Hip-Hop Tracks The Sampled Bill Withers Songs

T.W.D.Y. “Player’s Holiday”

Song Sampled: “Lovely Day”

West Coast supergroup T.W.D.Y. (an acronym for “The Whole Damn Yay”), was comprised of Ant Banks, Rappin’ 4-Tay and Captain Save ‘Em. On their hit “Player’s Holiday” featuring Too Short, Mac Mall, Otis & Shug, they sampled Withers’ “Lovely Day.”

  Will Smith “Just the Two of Us”

Song sampled: “Just the Two of Us”

After becoming the biggest movie star on the planet, Will Smith aka The Fresh Prince returned to his roots and dropped “Just the Two of Us” as an ode to his son. The track is a remake of Bill Withers and Grover Washington’s classic “Just the Two of Us.”

  Kendrick Lamar, “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst”

Song Sampled: “Use Me”

Bill Withers “Use Me” is one of his most sampled songs because of the funky drum break at the beginning. Giving it a modern twist, Kendrick Lamar looped it on his classic “Sing About Me, I’m Thirst.”

DMX. “Aint No Sunshine”

Song sampled: “Aint No Sunshine”

At the peak of his powers, DMX was Hip-Hop’s biggest rapper and was a budding film star. Off the Exit Wounds soundtrack, X’s “Aint No Sunshine” was a haunting rendition of the Bill Withers classic.

  UGK, “Use Me Up”

Song Sampled: “Use Me”

Houston’s dynamic duo UGK brings some Southern Hospitality to Bill WIthers’ “Use Me” with their version. Just like Withers, Pimp C is smitten by a bad sister and just wants to be used up.

  Kanye West, “Roses”

  Song sampled: “Rosie”

Off his sophomore album Late Registration, Kanye West lifts Bill Withers’ melancholic tune “Rosie” for his remake “Roses.”

  Cam’ron featuring Mase, “Horse and Carriage”

Song Sampled: “Who Is He (And What Is He To You)

The second single from his debut album Confessions of Fire, Cam’ron collaborated with fellow Harlemite Mase on “Horse and Carriage that kept the dancefloors packed. The track samples Bill Withers’s paranoid bop, “Who Is He (And What Is He To You).”

  Big Daddy Kane, “Rap Summary”

Song Sampled: “Lean On Me”

When Lean On Me was released in theatres in 1989, Big Daddy Kane was tapped to remix one of Bill Withers’ signature songs, “Lean On Me.” Not only did Kane sample the song but Club Nouveau had a major hit when they covered it in 1987.

  Dr. Dre, “Let Me Ride”

Song Sampled: “Kissing My Love”

  The classic funk break on Bill Withers “Kissing My Love” has been sampled by notably Eric B. and Rakim on “In the Ghetto” and by The Jungle Brothers on “Straight Out the Jungle.” But Dr. Dre’s G-Funk version on “Let Me Ride” is some of the Doctor’s best work.

  Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen, “No Diggity”

Song sampled: “Grandma’s Hands”

Teddy Riley gave his quartet Blackstreet a classic with “No Diggity,” featuring Dr. Dre. and Queen Pen. “No Diggity” samples one of Withers’ most revered songs, “Grandma’s Hands.”

  source https://hiphopwired.com/851037/lovely-grooves-10-classic-hip-hop-songs-that-sample-bill-withers/

[themusicenthusiast]

Friday, December 30th, 2016 – The Toadies Wrap Up 2016 with a Passionate Performance at Billy Bob’s Texas

On this New Year’s Eve, Eve The Toadies were back at Billy Bob’s Texas in their hometown of Fort Worth, continuing the tradition of taking over the world’s largest honky tonk. Now in its fourth year, it’s not that uncommon to see the venue that typically hosts acclaimed country artists transformed into a rockers sanctuary; cowboy hats being something your eyes had to struggle to find on this night. (Normally, you wouldn’t even be able to count them all.) The people of D-FW turned out in droves to see the hometown heroes one last time in 2016, and while I missed their show here back in 2015, this was by far the biggest crowd they’ve pulled here in comparison to the first two years. Upon arriving, Los Skarnales (the Houston-based ensemble having been one of the bands that performed at this year’s Dia de los Toadies) was getting the crowd warmed up. They were doing an excellent job at that, their more unique blend of music that includes some ska elements (thanks to a trumpet and trombone) with hints of punk and even some traditional Mexican music mixed in having everyone captivated. They’re as high-energy as they come, several jumps being worked in to the performance, while the primary singer, Felipe, did all he could to ensure they had everyone’s attention, often surveying the spectators from the edge of the stage, encouraging them to sing along. It didn’t matter that the lyrics were all in Spanish, the people enjoyed it and cheered often. The Los Skarnales official drinking song seemed to a crowd favorite; and as they walked off the stage, thanking everybody for listening, they had made at least a few new fans. The wait began for The Toadies, chants of “TOADIES!” ringing out, while the bass sound check earned some surprising screams, the audience clearly eager to get to the main course. The wait was minimal, and a few minutes after 10:30 the theme to Star Wars blared out over the sound system, presumably as a tribute to the late Carrie Fisher. That ushered the musicians out underneath the spotlights, serving as quite an epic intro as Doni Blair, Mark Reznicek, Clark Vogeler, and Vaden Todd Lewis appeared. “I didn’t expect to see you here!” Lewis commented, cupping his hands over his eyes as if to see everyone better, feigning some slight surprise at the turnout. The crowd continued to roar, ceasing only a few seconds in to “Mexican Hairless” that instrumental cut and lead track from the platinum selling Rubberneck acted as a prelude to another revered track from the album.

The segue was rather seamless, though people were cheering and applauding so loudly they drowned out the opening riffs of “I Come From the Water”, recognizing it only when Reznicek jumped in with the percussion… which only pushed the fanfare louder. “I COME FROM THE WATER!” the fans collectively shouted on what’s made into a fervent sing-along in the live environment, many even jumping around wildly, capitalizing off the euphoric rush that hit brought with it. “Thank you,” Lewis remarked during a brief pause, which was soon broken by the hard-hitting “Push the Hand”; the singer holding up his hands during that dreamy, even eerie bridge, “Feel that weight, feel that weight pushing down. I thought I knew you, I thought I knew myself…” drawing his fingers towards him as he crooned. It was that song that began a trend for the night. The instrumental segment sounded a little more fiery than normal, and it was the first of many to come. The quartet next dusted off an old gem, “Song I Hate” being a mainstay for quite some time after their revival with the release of No Deliverance, though it had been a few years since I had last heard what stands as one of my absolute favorite Toadies songs. “I’m giving up on you. How could I ever call you mine? …And I won’t miss you when you’re gone. You never moved me anyway…” There’s so much emotion in it as it captures how grueling a relationship was, with letting go and moving on being more of a task than expected. It was great hearing what anymore would be classified as a deep cut. The tried and true formula works for The Toadies, playing everything people want to hear, though they have a slew of other great songs at their disposal. Songs that were staples when the respective albums were new (speaking of the three completely original ones they’ve released since reforming) many of which aren’t played often enough, and for the sake of keeping things slightly unpredictable, it would be nice to hear them peppered in more often. (“Waterfall”, “Suck Magic”, “Nothing to Cry About” and “Animals” are just a few examples.) “So, this band has been working on a new record that this band will have out next year…” Lewis informed the onlookers, inexplicably referring to he and his band mates in the third person. “And this band would like to play a new song…” he finished, as if seeking the approval of the fans before carrying on. They were all right with that, curious as to what “this band” had been cooking up; Blair kicking off “Polly Jean” with some slick and pronounced bass riffs. It has a great ebb and flow, shifting from a moody rhythm driven number to a blistering rocker, often combining the two moods for something grand. It sounded even better the second time around and created some genuine excitement for what the next release will offer. “Away” came in quick succession, inducing some more raucous singing; and upon finishing it, Lewis gave a shout-out to Los Skarnales, noting how “cool” they were, the kind of cool he strived for. “Y’all have a good holiday?” he then asked, several people shouting things at him once he said, “Tell me about it.” What one person said was a mystery to those standing further back from the front, though it earned a “that’s weird” from Lewis. “I’m not saying it’s wrong, just saying it’s weird you would blurt that out,” he chuckled. The bullet mic was really put through its paces for “No Deliverance”; the most aggressive instrumental segment of that track sounding magnificent, the drums and guitars being quite raw, the playing adorned with passion as they cut loose and injected even more life in to it, to the point they made it one of the best songs of the night. “You guys having fun? I’m having fun! Seems like we’re all having fun!” commented Lewis over the cheers. A lot remained for this 73-minute long set, the intoxicating “Little Sin” being a great follow up; while “I Am a Man of Stone” boasted one of the most primal soundscapes of the night, the growly vocal performance only aiding that quality. There were still several classics to get to, and one person had waited long enough, loudly shouting their request of “BACKSLIDER!” They called it, the musicians sharing a quick glance of amusement before busting out what Lewis later said was a song that got him in a bit of trouble with “the folks” back in the day. Fittingly, much of “Backslider” was delivered like a preacher giving a fiery sermon, making this stand out as the best rendition I’ve personally heard of the song; Vogeler helping close it down with some wicked licks that expanded on things just ever so slightly. That brought them to the acoustic portion of the night… sort of. Lewis swapped out to an acoustic guitar for one of the two new originals found on 2015’s Heretics, an album that otherwise featured some reworked versions of other hits, done in more of a stripped down manner. “In the Belly of a Whale” drew a surprisingly strong reaction from the several hundred people in attendance, few going as far as to sing along with it, though they clearly enjoyed the spellbinding number. The statement that a lot of people interpret the next song as being about smoking pot was enough to give it away, Lewis noting he wasn’t going to tell anyone what to think. However, after being reminded his daughter was there, he quickly added he couldn’t talk about things like that. “Let’s go with self-mutilation…” he said in regards to the topic, cracking, “That’s much more uplifting.” While the song he was referring to was obvious, “I Burn” still earned some hefty screams from the spectators, grateful to hear another favorite; the use of the acoustic ensuring it sounded identical to the recorded version. The vocals sounded a bit gruff, which was a good thing and quite behooving of the song; and as usual, a couple of their stagehands brought some additional toms to add to the percussion. However, Reznicek stepped down from his kit to instead use one of those toms, their roadie—Duane—taking over for him. “I think we’re about set to start the whole show…” Lewis quipped during the downtime as they cleared the excess gear off stage, the singer going back to their new album, saying it was going to be “a lot of fucking rock ‘n’ roll”. Backing that up was “Take Me Alive”, a song patrons seemed to be enthralled by. I believe I said this before when they debuted it at this year’s Dia de los Toadies, though I’ll say it again, that song is a cross between their two best albums. It takes components from the writing styles of both Rubberneck and Play.Rock.Music., the result being something powerful. It’s an intense cut; the verses being more refrains, though they’re done in a way only The Toadies could pull off, sounding almost haunting. The first verse for example, “…Squeeze me just a little bit tighter…” feeling more like a command then a desire. No sooner had they finished it and Vogeler took control, the feedback from his axe increasing in volume, Lewis soon following suit as they held it momentarily before ripping into “Quitter”. The show may have been winding down, though everyone appeared as though they were still just warming up. Several people in the crowd continued to bounce around, while Blair, Vogeler, and Lewis all huddled together during the ferocious instrumental part, each sharing a grin as they tore it up. The steamy “Sweetness” was as great as always; while “Happyface” kicked things up even further as they closed the show down with a string of oldies. That included “the good one”. “You came for the ‘good one’, here’s the ‘good one’,” Lewis said before they launched into “Possum Kingdom”, which, to no surprise, earned the most sonorous fanfare of anything this night. As it drew to a close, he approached the edge of the stage, picking at his guitar as he made the transition into their oldest song of the night. “Got a Heart” appeased the true die-hard Toadies fans, feeling like an added bonus to what had already been an incredible set; Reznicek’s drumming sounding impeccable as they capped it off in style. There was no way they were done just yet though, fans still expecting a few songs from them, and in the process, they would be treated to a few surprises as well. That included the first song of their encore, one that found Lewis acting purely as a frontman, unraveling the microphone cord from the stand as he informed everyone it was a song they had stolen from someone else, a cover that would quite possibly be on their forthcoming release. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You” has been covered by many, though The Toadies would have been one of the last bands anyone would have expected to do it. More stunning was how great it sounded, the music bed being kept more or less the same, rather minimal, allowing Lewis’ pipes to shine. Fans were elated to hear the ravishing “Doll Skin”; while Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” was another song they’ve “stolen” and made their own, their cover of it coming as a genuine and delightful surprise. They put their own mark on it, transforming it more into a rock song, and it’s still a good one to hear them do. Before carrying on, they explained why Duane possibly played the drums for a portion of “I Burn”, Lewis noting it was his last show working for them after ten years or so. Shortly after he began chuckling to himself, explaining that he thought about adding, “Because he has cancer”, “But I decided that was a bad idea,” Lewis finished. Their roadies aided them one last time, chipping in on the rip-roaring “Rattler's Revival”, the song standing as one of the best songs The Toadies have written, as it’s just a high-energy, adrenaline pumping tune. Lewis even had a good thought afterwards, not merely challenging, but double dog daring Los Skarnales to cover that song, just knowing they could do an awesome rendition of it. The 22-minute encore concluded with “Tyler”, which was pure ecstasy to everyone’s ears as they sang along to the almost soothing number. “You guys have been fantastic!” Lewis remarked, waving as he headed for the wings of the stage, Vogeler, Reznicek, and Blair following suit. This performance was truly one for the books. The Toadies always deliver a solid rock ‘n’ roll experience, but this night it was something different. Somehow or another they tapped into an even deeper well of energy, a primal force being something to marvel at as they continuously pushed themselves and ultimately left everyone in absolute awe. Perhaps they were excited to be back in their hometown, finishing one year and turning their attention to what’s bound to be a busy 2017. Maybe it was the fact they’ve spent some of this past year in the studio, working on new music rejuvenating them to an extent, helping to rekindle the fire. Even those favorites that have been played hundreds and hundreds of times over the years had more of a flare to them this night. Whatever it was, it was dazzling. Hopefully, they’ll retain that spirit, bringing more vim into their performances, because this was one that reminded everyone just why they love The Toadies so much to begin with. Their calendar is bare at the moment, though that will surely change relatively soon. And as you wait for them to drop a new album, check out Heretics or any of their past releases in iTUNES or GOOGLE PLAY.