The Killers (w/ Ra Ra Riot) 8/10 Horseshoe Casino, Elizabeth, IN
If you aren't aware of it...The Killers are one of the best live shows out there, in the main stream market that is. And the show they have put together in support of their latest album, last year's Day & Age, is fantastic. The only draw back is that it allows for almost no variation in the setlist from show to show.
However, the band takes you on a nice voyage through out their career (although they curiously skip their highly under-rated b-sides collection Sawdust entirely). They go through all of the hits, cover the new material, and brush through a couple of deeper album cuts you might not have expected also. Opening with Day & Age's "Human" was explosive bringing the crowd right into the band's retro fusion world. And closing the main set with "Mr. Brightside" and "All The Things That I've Done" medley was almost too much to take at once...in such a fantastic way.
The lights and pyro-technics and stage set were awe-inspiring (as well as the occasional seizure, I'm sure). Lead singer Brandon Flowers' voice was on top of the whole night, as he chatted-up and worked the crowd from beginning to end, like he was some sort of counter-culture drum-major something. And until you see this band live, you have no idea how important drummer Ronnie Vanucci is to this band. The collective is built entirely on the back of versatile and eclectic style (even more so than most bands).
Ultimately, don't miss this show. But you only have to see it once, because they won't change it up much - but that in no way means to miss it.
And because the venue had no idea how to operate crowd control...I was in a 45 minute line during Ra Ra Riot's set - so I can't speak of their show. Sorry.
Have I ever told you how much I love Jeff Tweedy? Even when he disappoints me (i.e. A Ghost Is Born), I love him. It’s because I deserved it. I know how he gets when I act that way. He does it because he loves me. As Carole King once sang “He hit me and it felt like a kiss.” I’m just saying – Tweedy can use and abuse my musical faculties in any way he sees fit and I will continue to embrace him for it, because he is the man behind such musical masterpieces as Being There, Yankee Hotel Fox Trot, Sky Blue Sky, and the Mermaid Ave. series with Billy Bragg. Tweedy might be all I ever need.
That being said, he in no way abuses my sensibilities on Wilco (The Album). If anything he reminds me why I fell in love with him in the first place. All the way through his voice sounds like it’s caught on the verge of shatter between a whisper and a scream. Lyrically throughout Tweedy has bouts of depression (“Sonny Feeling” and “Country Disappeared”), introspection (“One Wing” and “Everlasting Everything”), hopeless romanticism (“You and I” the undeniably great duet with Feist, and “I’ll Fight”), and all around good humor (the sarcastic “Wilco (the song)” and “You Never Know”). More than any of their previous albums this collection feels like a roller coaster through fragile and temperamental psyche of Jeff Tweedy. We get to see him for better or worse in every frame of mind.
Musically, this does feel vaguely like a continuation of the aforementioned Sky Blue Sky, but that can in no way be taken as a criticism. My biggest problem is that there is very little tempo variation throughout the album, they found mid-tempo and stuck with it. But again, this is Tweedy and I’ll take what he gives me. Daddy knows what I need better than I do.
And really, when it comes to Tweedy doing anything, it goes without saying, one must tune in for his ability to craft darkly clever lyrics; like in “Solitaire” when he sings: “Once I thought the world was crazy/Everyone was sad and chasing/happiness and love and/I was the only one above it.” How can anyone not love his ability to be self-deprecating and sarcastic, while mocking the feeble minded people we all try to avoid?
SO if you’re not a Wilco fan, then Wilco (The Album) will not convert you, and if you are already a fan, it won’t surprise you. It’s just a healthy dose of medicine from Doctor Tweedy.
Most reviewers are having verbal orgasms over this CD/DVD set, and I don’t really get it.This is not to say I don’t get The Truckers, because believe me I do (if you’ve spent much time on this blog you know they’ve owned a place in my heart since the release of 2003’s Decoration Day).In fact, maybe the reason I don’t get this is because I’m a little jaded, having seen this band (or variations of its past and present members) dozens of times over the years, I have a point of reference.So don’t get me wrong, I would love to appeal to my emotions and rave, but alas, I must yield to my sensibilities.
First of all if you have never actually seen these guys live or never heard either of the band’s previous live documents Alabama Ass Whuppin’ or the DVD only release The Dirty South: Live at the 40 Watt.Then I can understand how this album would suffice, because they are exceptional live and you have nothing to compare it to.
But here’s the thing…
As a live band The Truckers are at their most glorious when unrefined, unhinged, and uninhibited…none of which is compatible with the sterile, soundstage atmosphere that they’re dealing with here.Because remember the whole show is from the band’s episode of the PBS live music series Austin City Limits, which they recorded last Fall.This is not done in a bar, a music club, or some other seedy dwelling (places where The Truckers flourish like fine bacteria) filled with members of their intoxicated but loyal devotees – but rather they’re playing in front of a reserved crowd of mostly sober music execs.This isn’t to say that I don’t understand what a badge of validation it is for these guys to finally get a “Live from Austin City Limits” release, because it is a big deal.But let’s not kid ourselves and pretend that the band on this set is the same Drive-by Truckers I have been (literally) following for six years now.
The whole thing is 13 songs…another symptom of t.v. taping.In their natural habitat this band is only getting warmed up after 13 songs…they’re regularly known for their two-and-a-half to three hour shows – so forcing them to condense it into 83 minutes, just feels wrong.There are some gems dug up from their first two records, but their middle four albums are ignored almost entirely to stack the set with songs from 2008’s Brighter Than Creation’s Dark.While still a great album – loading the set with its songs, while ignoring crowd favorites from previous records, makes this feel less like a live document and more like a promotional stop in an album cycle.
Ultimately, is it bad?Nope.It’s The Truckers, if there is anything this band can do, it’s play live.But is this the career defining live set that people are hailing it to be?Hell, no.Once again, buy a ticket to their next show, then check out Alabama Ass Whuppin’ (although it’s long out of print, you might still be able to download it somewhere), and the DVD The Dirty South: Live at the 40 Watt.After doing that, go back and listen to Live from Austin, TX…you’ll see what I mean.
Marcy Playground (w/ Hot Action Cop) 8/1/09 Phoenix Hill Tavern, Louisville, KY
Marcy Playground is remembered as one of the biggest one-hit-wonders of the 90's, but in retrospect I don't know why. I mean, I understand they did only have one REAL hit song, but the fact is that the band is so good...how did they never make it work? Seeing their concert last night, just reinforces that question.
The band is out in support of their new album "Leaving Wonderland...in a fit of rage", which is an astonishingly good album in its own right (album review coming soon). They tore through of their old songs like "Poppies" and "Saint Joe on the Bus" were great reminders of the days when people liked one song, and still ended up buying a really great album (although "Cloak of Elven Kind" was sadly missing from the set). Some of the great songs from their pseudo-dark period, like "Punk Rock Superstar" and "Rock n' Roll Heroes", also showed up throughout. And of course they played "the song". Which didn't seem contrived or nostalgic like when most 'one hit wonders' hit into their signature hit. The audience was excited for it and the band seemed just as excited to play it. And I'll admit, I'm one of the few people that is pro-concert sing-a-longs - and it filled the room amazingly.
John Wozniak's voice is a force of nature and how that has gotten passed me for the last decade is shocking. And when the band closed with a cover of (the nearly cliche) "Hallelujah", I was skeptical. But they sold me...full band, Buckley's arrangement, and Woz's voice - their rendition of that song easily shoots to the top of that rapidly increasing list of people who cover that song.
The weak part of the evening was opening act Hot Action Cop. They're a band that plays mediocre music very well. They put on a good show, but their musical style clashes badly with that of Marcy Playground. Hot Action Cop feels like a bad remnant from the rap-rock craze of the late 90's that we all try to forget. And the entire band should be sentenced to anafterlife in the flaming pits of hell for their cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb".
This is Vol. 2 in the Sweet/Hoffs collaborative Under the Cover series, and I am officially excited about their future ventures. The first one focused on their favorite music from the sixties, and this one focuses on the seventies. And as before, their song selection is surprising but reasonable…no real classic rock standards, but nothing too far left of the classic rock radio dial, either.
Their voices were meant to sing together, they weave lavish vocals around the melodies of the songs that you love but would never think to remeber. It might sound odd, but they do a very strong version of Grateful Dead’s “Sugar Magnolia” – with a slicing guitar part that does The Dead justice and makes it impossible for even the staunchest of Deadheads to criticize.
Sweet and Hoffs vocal interplay dwarfs that of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks when it comes to their version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Second Hand News”. But when you hit their glorious renditions of Eric Clapton’s “Bell Bottom Blues”, Mott the Hoople’s “All the Young Dudes”, and Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” back-to-back-to-back – you can’t help but think, “there’s no way they can top that run of searing covers.” And alas, it is. It crescendos with those, and while everything here is strong, nothing quite measures up after that. Save for inspired tracks like Yes’ “I’ve Seen All Good People: Your Move/All Good People”, John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth”, Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” (Hoff’s whiskey growl on this is enigmatic), and George Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness”.
Ultimately at sixteen songs, there are just too many for all of them to be as good as this album is at its best. I would say, scratch the Todd Rundgren and Bread songs all together, and perhaps pick a different Little Feat tune (“Sailin’ Shoes” instead of “Willin’” maybe?) and this album would have been as classic as the songs on it. Regardless, this does not foil my excitement for their future endeavors – hopefully they’ll follow this all the way through with Vol. 3 being full of 80’s songs, Vol. 4 being filled with 90’s songs, Vol. 5 picking through what's decent of the new millennium, and maybe throw in a Vol. 6 that dips all the way back to the 50’s – I don’t mean to plot their careers out for them or anything…but as a fan I would LOVE to see this trajectory.
I usually don't like to put up press releases...of course I don't USUALLY do anything around here, so who cares? But anyway, I got this one and it made feel tingly sensations in places I've never felt them before. So take a look...
LEVON HELM -RAMBLE AT THE RYMAN
PBS SPECIAL TO AIR IN AUGUST 2009
Unparalleled Group of Musicians Join Helm for an Historic Evening
On most Saturday nights since January 2004, Levon Helm has hosted evenings of music at the “barn,” his home studio in Woodstock, New York. These magical nights are called The Midnight Ramble Sessions. On September 17, 2008, Helm took the Midnight Ramble on the road to one of America’s treasured venues, Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, where — accompanied by such luminaries as Buddy Miller, John Hiatt, Sheryl Crow and Sam Bush — the Levon Helm Band gave birth to a night of stage magic. Captured in pristine high definitionLEVON HELM - RAMBLE AT THE RYMANis part of special programming airing on PBS in August 2009 (check local listings).
The performance is a veritable tour through the American songbook, featuring tunes from Helm’s tenure with The Band, as well as selections from the 2008 Grammy winning Dirt Farmer and classics from artists such as Chuck Berry, the Carter Family and more.
LEVON HELM - RAMBLE AT THE RYMANcame on the heels of Dirt Farmer’s debut. After overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds, Helm released the album, his first solo recording in 25 years, and won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album. The San Francisco Chronicle called Dirt Farmer “nothing less than a return to form by one of the most soulful vocalists in rock history.” Helm was obviously on a roll in 2008. Rolling Stone hailed his Midnight Ramble as “2008’s Best Jam
Session” and the Americana Music Association bestowed on him the Artist of the Year Award.
Levon Helm recently released his new album Electric Dirt (Dirt Farmer Music/Vanguard) which was hailed by critics and fans alike. The New York Times cited “His voice is vigorous and unbridled... the music struts and cackles through every earthly travail." Electric Dirt marked Levon’s highest in Soundscan era at #36.
...and yes, I am full aware that I am a "Band Geek". Get it? Did you see what I did there? "Band Geek"...The Band...Levon Helm...I know, I suck.
Here are all the bands' sets I saw while at Forecastle last weekend:
7/10 - Forecastle Festival Day #1 (Main Stage: Cage the Elephant, The Whigs, Zappa Plays Zappa, Pretty Lights, The Black Keys) (Second Stage: The Last Straw, The Lion's Rampant, Hackensaw Boys, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit)
7/11 - Forecastle Festival Day #2 (Main Stage: The New Mastersounds, Dead Confederate, The Black Crowes, Widespread Panic) (Second Stage: The Afromotive, The Deep Vibration, Royal Bangs) (Third Stage: Paul Dailey, Dory, Three)
7/12 - Forecastle Festival Day #3 (Main Stage: Umphrey's McGee, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Avett Brothers, Widespread Panic) (Second Stage: Gringo Starr, The Instruction, Backyard Tire Fire)
Christ, after three days of chronicling my adventures I feel like Doogie Hauser, but instead of a teenage doctor I’m a twenty-seven year old music writer, go figure. The shady afternoon was perfect for a third full day of music. The temperature was just right, and the sun could barely make its way through the overcast cover. We couldn’t have asked for better weather today had we thought about it. As the sun set, it smeared a neon glow through the low canopy of clouds and all over the downtown sky. When Widespread Panic took the stage for a second night, a radiant orange dusk was just falling over the crowd. They were going to be on tonight; even I could tell that – from the first song they were far more compelling than last night. They played a sick rendition of the J. J. Cale classic “Ride Me High” that would make even the biggest Jam Band skeptic think twice about dismissing these guys. Although it was during that song that Dave Schools knocked out the sloppiest bass solo I’ve ever heard from a concert stage; but I guess that’s their appeal…it’s live, warts and all. Tonight instead of two sets – the band did one long set…and by an hour-and-a-half in, I wish they had taken a break. The middle of the extended set fell flat like the dribble at the end of pee. It was at this lull in the action, that downturn toward boredom when Backyard Tire Fire took over for me. Their combustible brand of southern rock should’ve reduced Panic’s stage to nothing more than a pile of smoldering embers. These guys tore through some glorious covers like Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns, & Money” and Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl”. And by the time they closed with “How the Hell Did You Get Back Here” I was sold to whatever these guys were selling. By the time Backyard Tire Fire was finished, Widespread had risen from their lull like a phoenix from the ashes – and was back into the rockin’ set they had started with, and ultimately ended on a high note. So after two nights of Panic, I admit, I kinda get it. In the spirit of honesty, it might be the fact that I was in a different “mind-set” tonight than last night. Regardless though, I get it. A Widespread Panic show, where a $35 ticket and a half-sack of shwag you can make the whole night, last all day. The Avett Brothers were moderately disappointing to me. I love their modern twist on Appalachian folk music, and live music junkies have been telling me how great they are live for years. Well they were alright, they sounded good and all – but it wasn’t the life changing live show I had been led to believe I would see. But I only say disappointing in the sense that no one could possibly have lived up to the expectations that were built for those guys in my mind. When they played the beautiful heartache of a tune called “Murder in the City” I was almost bummed that the sun was still up. I can only imagine what it would’ve been like for that song to just float off into the abyss of the evening ether. Yonder Mountain String Band played a fun set of modern bluegrass that filled the belvedere with joy. Their stomping sound, and the good natured banter from its members, helped these guys fit perfectly into a mid-afternoon time slot perfectly. And Umphrey’s McGee played a hell of a set considering they were on stage in Norfolk, VA at four o’clock this morning, drove here, slept for four hours and was able to make it on stage here in Louisville by 3:30 in the afternoon. Kudos, to them and their crew, on that one. Gringo Starr was a pleasure to watch. Their spacey take on southern rock made for a really fascinating set on The LEO’s East Stage. Not to mention the fact that all the band members were trading instruments back-and-fourth and switching up vocalists from song-to-song. At the beginning of each song you never knew which would be singing and who would be playing what. And The Instruction was a solid hard rock band with an infallible ear for pop hooks – this is definitely a band that will probably be smeared all over Modern Rock radio stations in the very near future. After three days of total musical submersion at Forecastle, I’m sold. Fuck middle-of-nowhere farm festivals – urban music festivals are the way of the future. Swirling stage lights rising from the depths of a city skyline just seems to make sense.
Forecastle 8 – Day #2
July 11th 2009
The heat was either less notable or simply more tolerable after yesterday.But the crowd grew exponentially over night.On account of this onslaught, the smooth operating at the door of yesterday was long gone today.
There were hippies and patchouli everywhere.
But by now I know to expect the Xerox of a Xerox of a Deadhead when Widespread Panic is playing anywhere within earshot.But to their credit, hippies create a friendly and embracing atmosphere where anything goes – where unprovoked strangers will light your cigarette for you and then, out of courtesy, pass you a sparked joint.
Widespread worked their way through an impressive, yet unremarkable set; the stage lights twirled, the glow sticks flew, and the beach balls bounced over head.You saw the dancing girls in thrift store dresses, smelled the unmistakable aroma of weed, and embraced the cool night air as a soft breeze blew off the sleeping Ohio River.
In all, it was a Widespread Panic show.
Admittedly their jams aren’t as noodling or meandering as many of their Jam Band contemporaries.They still play with a certain amount of emotion without slacking on the knowledge that they can get away with anything and it would be deemed brilliant by their loyal masses.It’s a similar quality they share with The Allman Brothers (who they’ll be touring with later this year, by the way), in that they play music, real music – they aren’t there to be the Mad Scientists of music.This is something I deeply appreciate when being subjected to the Jam Band scene for an extended amount of time.
The Black Crowes played a very unique set compared to ones I’ve seen in the past.The set was mostly filled with deep album cuts and new songs from their upcoming album.The played none of their energetic live staples, except for a rousting rendition of “Jealous Again”.Although they did play two of the stand out tracks off of the band’s Warpaint, a grossly under-rated album from last year – “Oh Josephine” and “Movin’ on Down the Line”.On the whole the set was pretty mellow by Black Crowes standards – they kept everything right in mid-tempo, and strayed very little from there.But the imitable voice that originates in the throat of Chris Robinson will keep a crowd spellbound for hours no matter what.And with Luther Dickinson in top form, there was no reason to ever look away from the stage.Just as an aside, though, I think as Rich Robinson gets older, he is slowly morphing into Russell Crow – it’s eerie…really.
Dead Confederate has a distinctive quality to them.They’re almost a hard-rock/southern-rock band that seems out of place surrounded by hippies, but somehow right at home.When they first went on and through their first couple of songs things were tense, until it became clear they would be embraced by Widespread’s eagerly waiting fan base.I think what saved them was when they played a song that seemed to channel an edgier Radiohead from a bygone era (I know that description is neither hard rock nor southern rock – but hey, it is what it is).
And The New Mastersounds fit in perfectly with their surroundings.This British, instrumental Jam Band kept the crowd rolling through their entire set.With no words uttered from the stage (except between songs of course), the crowd was in the palm of their hand as they took turns showcasing each member’s talent the whole time.
Strolling up the sidewalk to The LEO’s East Stage, Ashville band Afromotive played a jam-heavy set, guaranteed to enthrall the gathering crowd.I might be biased, though, because I’m a sucker for any band that includes a saxophone and bongos – the pairing creates an organic sound, I can hardly resist it.The Deep Vibration put on a brutal, grueling set (even more so if you account for the heat), that I couldn’t take my eyes off of them.They’re a solid blues based trio that tore their way through a great set of original songs, and ripped through a killer version of the Sam & Dave classic “Money”.Royal Bangs were a band I couldn’t really buy into, I wasn’t sure exactly what I was listening to.Was it Indie?Was it Hard Rock?Was it Industrial?I don’t know – maybe I’m too simple in musical tastes, but I like to be settled if I’m going to be in this for the long haul; and they just didn’t settle me.
It’s late.I’m exhausted.I am preparing myself mentally and physically (the accumulative two day blisters on my feet) – for Day #3.I’m sure it will come and go before I ever knew it was here – but from this side of the hump, it still seems daunting (in a good way of course).
Forecastle 8 – Day #1July 10th 2009
It was hot. It was gross. It was amazing. By the time the first day of Forecastle ’09 kicked off, the sun was high in the sky, set somewhere between a simmer and a boil. Every face had been smeared in heat; every brow was glossed by a thin veneer of sweat; and yet, no one seemed to notice or care. This is the 8th year for the steadily growing festival – and this is by far the biggest growth it has ever seen. From last year’s bill packed with hip-hop has-beens, this year is packed with A-list headliners and promising up-and-comers. The flawless execution of tonight goes to show that the Festival is obviously in capable hands. Food and drink prices were by no means exorbitant, and the causes that filled the booths were informational without being confrontational. The overall lay out was perfect – all three stages were so close you could literally walk back and fourth between the bands with no more than two minutes of travel time. And the stages are setup in such a way, with all speaker cabinets aimed at the river, that one stage never bleeds over onto another.
West (main) Stage: To start with…Cage the Elephant. My God, folks. If you have not heard this record yet, it is entirely your bad. Hop off the My Morning Jacket bandwagon and hitch a ride with these guys, there’s plenty of room left in my stagecoach, I promise. The record is brilliant, and their live performance was enigmatic. Lead singer Matt Schultz (who almost passed out on stage from heat exhaustion) can carry a live performance as if he’s an earnest jumble of Julian Casablancas and Iggy Pop. These guys shred incendiary renditions of songs off their debut like “In One Ear”, “James Brown”, and “Back Against the Wall” effortlessly. Even if these guys were dull performers, the structure and natural charisma of these infectious songs won’t allow an audience to get bored…ever. And the band is fearless, letting loose of their rapidly climbing single “No Rest for the Wicked” right in the middle of their set; that’s a ballsy move for any up-and-coming act. And closing with a killer version of Pavement’s “False Skorpion” was absolutely breathtaking (although I admit I’m a little bias, I adore Pavement, and I love seeing someone cover them well). Seeing these guys felt like we were witnessing a moment of rock n’ roll history in real time. This band will be everything that it wants to be…and I can’t wait. The Whigs are a good band with a great story. Their performance was strong, tight, and in most ways impressive. The only problem is they look and sound like every indie-rock band that has broken in the past decade. Live, the songs don’t distinguish themselves that much, it all sounds it came from the Paul Westerberg school of lo-fi rock: thin wiry chord structures beneath infectious hooks. Their harmonies were on point and their singer’s voice is as strong as they come, the hardest part of these guys is that it just doesn’t sound like anything you haven’t heard somewhere before. When Dweezil Zappa took the stage with Zappa Plays Zappa (a stop on their Tour de Frank 2009 tour), I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. But now I know. Honestly, I had much more fun listening to Zappa Plays Zappa than I ever did listening to Frank Zappa himself. It’s sounded as if Dweezil mashed-up his father’s catalogue with Phish’s catalogue. A performance of “Nanu from the North” was a nice surprise I don’t think any of us saw coming. The slew of hippies danced, and a cloud purple haze lifted to the skies – a pyre that Frank himself would have been proud of I’m sure. Pretty Lights put on an interesting show…although admittedly I’m probably not the person to discuss them. Ambient, instrumental, electronica is not exactly my forte. Their light show was crazy cool – but the music was trance-like and indiscernible from one track to the next, however, everyone else seemed to be loving them…so what do I know? And I still don’t understand the necessity for a live drummer and a drum machine. I think The Black Keys are slowly morphing into The White Stripes…or into Jack White at least. Their show was brilliant, raw, and never deviated from a blues centered rock show. Sometimes they were channeling Zeppelin, sometimes channeling The Allman Brothers, while other times they sounded like R.L. Burnside on steroids. They blew through almost all of their critically acclaimed album, last year’s Black and Blue, as well as a couple of old songs, and a couple of new ones. As is the story with most second stages at festivals like these, they are jam packed with bands you most likely know nothing about…history, catalogue, etc. So I’ll do my best. While the sun was up, the Second Stage hemorrhaged with the hard rock sounds of The Last Straw and The Lion’s Rampant (the latter of which was actually turned up so loud it defied reason, good taste, or pleasure). But as the sun went down the Hackensaw Boys took the stage. They were a fun mix of country, bluegrass, and jugband as they sent their hillbilly vibes out over the river. With fiddles, mandolins, and banjos (along with the standard band oriented arrangement of bass, guitar, and drums) they kept their crowd somewhere between a foot tapping and an all-out hippy-shake. Last for the night was Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit. This guy is one of my absolute favorite road warriors out there right now. With his ear for soulful hooks, while singing of heartbreak and blue collar hardships, it’s a crime that he isn’t bigger than he is. Hailing from Alabama, Isbell and his band laced their set with songs off both of his solo albums, as well as tracks from his tenure with Drive-by Truckers (the cover of Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” is always a nice addition to his sets). “Grown” is a wonderful treat to hear live, with its rolling build-up into an infectious chorus, the song just lends itself to being played in front of an audience. And the heart wrenching “Goddamn Lonely Love” sucks the air out of the crowd when he sings: “Sister, listen to what your daddy says/Don’t be ashamed of things that hide behind your dress/Belly-up and arch your back/Well I ain’t really falling asleep; I’m fading to black”. Isbell is one of the most captivating performers on any stage right now, but tonight he was having repeated sound problems with feedback from his microphone. It’s a problem you would think the sound man should have been able to fix with a quick slide of a knob, but it just didn’t happen. Beyond semi-regular squeal that blew when he sang, Isbell was as on point as ever. One day of Forecastle down, two more to go…
Patterson Hood is singer/guitarist/songwriter for the band Drive-by Truckers. He has produced albums for artists like Bettye LaVette and Jason Isbell; as well as performed with Booker T., Cracker, Widespread Panic, and Michael Stipe.
Q:Are these going to be like your previous solo shows where you split pretty evenly between solo material and Drive-by Truckers’ songs?
Patterson Hood:It’s going to be pretty much solo stuff.I don’t expect to be doing any Truckers stuff…well I might do one song or somethin’, but the show’s going to be centered around the songs from Murdering Oscar; and maybe a few songs from Killers & Stars flushed out with a full band.Because I recorded Killers & Stars by myself with an acoustic guitar, so I’m kinda lookin’ forward to pluggin’ in and playin’ full band versions of some of those songs, too.This is a great band, The Screwtopians is a fucking hot band, ya’ know?So I’m excited to take them out and spend a couple of weeks playin’ songs with that line-up.This is the first time David Barbe has toured since Sugar broke-up in ’95.He went out with me for a weekend about a year ago, and we actually played Nashville show at the Mercy Lounge together on that little run, but he hasn’t done anything past a long weekend of touring since Sugar broke-up.So I’m really excited about that because he is such a great player.He’s known, now, mostly for what he does in the studio as a producer and engineer, but he is a phenomenal bass player and performer, so it’s going to be fun.And of course Will Scott, who’s in Centro-Matic, and that’s been my favorite band for a number of years.I’m an uber-fan of their band so having him at my disposal is going to be amazing; and he’s going to be opening solo, so that’s cool.That’s always a great show.
Q:Are you all working up any surprises for the audience, covers, etc.?
PH:Oh yeah, but I can’t tell ya’ or it won’t be a surprise.[He laughs] But yeah, we’ve got a couple things up our sleeve.The only hint I’ll give ya’ is:they probably come from the 70’s. But we’ve got a small list of songs we’re gonna work up to throw in, and I think they’ll be a lot of fun.
Q:You’ve come through Louisville a bunch of times with the Drive-by Truckers, but as far as I know this is your first solo show here.What are the audiences like here?
PH:It’s kinda hard for me to believe that I’ve never played Louisville solo, because it’s such a good city for our band.We really like Louisville, and I think it’s a really cool town.It’s been a good place for us for a lot of years.
Q:[Jason] Isbell (former singer/songwriter/guitarist for DBT) once told me that you won’t play “The Assassin” in concert, why is that?
PH:I don’t know I might work it up, one of these days, again.I like the song, but I kinda like what Jason does with it better.He plays it in his show with his band, and I’m really honored that he still does that song.From what I understand he’s still doing it.I really like the version he did, he even recorded a version of it for his first record, and then ended up taking it off.But it was a really cool version of it.So I’ve always told him, “ya’ know, you can have that one, man.As long as you wanna play it, it’s kinda your song.”But I don’t know, I might work it up again, at some point, with the band.I was in such weird state of mind at that time, when I made that record and wrote that song.It’s kinda like it’s not a really happy memory for me, so I don’t usually play it very often.I probably oughtta learn it and work it up, at some point, again.It is a pretty good song, I guess.
Q:What are you reading?
PH:I just finished reading a book on the history of the Wringling Brothers, and it was really interesting.I’ve been trying to finish Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, but it’s been taking me a long time, I keep putting it down, because I just have to take a break from it.It’s great, it’s just not an easy read.I have so many distractions with the band, the solo thing happening, my family at home, and all of that – reading something that’s that consuming, is hard for me to find the time to do it justice.So I kinda have to keep putting it down, maybe if I go on a vacation or somethin’ I’ll be able to finish it.But I read Wringling Brothers book the way to Australia, I read the whole thing on the flight over, and that was a great read.
Q:Are there any artists or bands out there that are exciting you right now, except Centro-matic of course?
PH:The thing about Centro-Matic is that a lot of people just don’t know about them, and it’s just a damn shame to me, I think they should be a much bigger band.They are a band that should be selling out much bigger rooms, and it’s just criminal, to me, that they aren’t better known; because they are phenomenal.
But yeah, there’s a ton of great stuff floatin’ around.I’ve been listening to the new P.J. Harvey record, and I listen to the new Wilco record a lot.There’s a younger punk rock band in Athens right now called Pride Parade that’s pretty cool.I think they’re about to have a record come out before too long.
Q:Do you all have any plans to release the Adam’s House Cat album, or re-release Alabama Ass Whuppin’?
PH:I wanna put both of those out, real bad.If I do okay on this record, the little label I did this with, Ruth St. Records, will put out the Adam’s House Cat record next and maybe they’ll put out Alabama Ass Whuppin’ too.I definitely want to do something with both of those.And it’s kind of shame not to.It’s more of a timing issue than anything, because I will have been a part of five new releases in the last year, by January when the new Drive-by Truckers album comes out.There’s the Booker T record we did that came out in April; there’s a Drive-by Truckers Live at Austin City Limits DVD coming out in July; an album of rarities and outtakes from the [band’s tenure with New West Records] called The Fine Print comes out September 1st; and of course my album is coming out in a couple weeks; and we just finished tracking the new Truckers record, we’ve got twenty-five new songs for that, and it’ll be out either the end of this year or the beginning of next.So it’s kind of a full slate.
But next year will be 25 years since the beginning of Adam’s House Cat and the 20th anniversary of when we recorded Town Burned Down, so that might be a good time to put that out.It will also be the 10th anniversary for Alabama Ass Whuppin’.
Q:You just gave a synapses of what the immediate future holds for you.What do you think you’re going to do with 25 songs for the new record?Do a double album or what?
PH:We’ll whittle it down to one, I think.We might do a special edition version that has everything on it or something like that.But we’ll definitely be whittling it down to a more manageable length for the general release.Of course, I don’t know exactly what that means yet, that’s the hard part, figuring out what stays behind.It’s pretty strong; it’s really looking like its going to be a good one.
Q:Shonna [Tucker, the band’s singer/songwriter/bassist] really came into her own on he last album.
PH:Wheeeew!You just wait, you just wait.She’s got some badass shit on this one.Her growth has just been phenomenal to watch, I’m really proud of her.
Q:I saw they are going to do a documentary about the Muscle Shoals Studio Band, for whom your father played bass, are you going to be a part of that at all?
PH:I don’t know.My dad certainly is.If they end up wanting to talk to me about anything, I’ll be happy to tell ‘em what I saw.I mean, I didn’t see a lot, because I was a kid and I wasn’t really allowed to hang-out over there or anything.But I’ve got a pretty good grasp for the history about it all, because I’ve been obsessed with it for so long.So I don’t know, if they want to talk to me, I’d be willing to for sure.
I’m as curious as the next guy about it, but I’mreally happy it’s happening, because someone’s really been needing to do it for a long time.I hope that Spooner [Oldham DBT’s keyboardist, and former Muscle Shoals Studio player] getting inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame this year, maybe will lead to the rhythm section getting inducted sometime, at some point, in the future.They’ve inducted Spooner and they’ve inducted Booker T & The MG’s, so I hope at some point they’ll get around to inducting the Muscle Shoals rhythm section.I think they deserve it.
Q:Well, I think you all deserve it when your time comes.
PH:Well, bless ya’.Thank ya’.I don’t know if I’ll ever see that day but I’m really proud of what we’re doing.I think we’re really doing good work.The Fact that we’re finishing up our tenth album and It think it’ll easily be as good or better than anything we’ve ever done; which is good, because not many bands are still interesting on their tenth record, so I’m pretty proud of that, that I actually think we’re still getting better.
Q:Is it fair to say that your working relationship with Cooley, that spans twenty-five years and two bands, is more than just friends or band mates?
PH:Maybe it’s like Sanford and Grady.Or maybe it’s Archie and Edith.Some days it’s Archie and Edith, some days it’s Sanford and Grady, some days it’s Fred and Lamont.And some days maybe it’s The Honeymooners, Fred and Alice and hanging out; I’m not really sure.
Check out the latest solo release from Patterson Hood, Murdering Oscar (and other love songs). Available now.
In case you were wondering, yes, Yim Yames is the clever alter-ego of Jim James, the tenor voice behind Modern Rock royalty My Morning Jacket. With that out of the way, we can get to the issue at hand, Tribute To. This is an EP of George Harrison covers that has been sitting on a shelf somewhere for 8 years since, being inspired by Harrison’s death, Yames went in the studio and recorded a set of Harrison penned songs for no reason beyond a cathartic exorcism of grief. Mostly acoustic, with minimal overdubbing, this feels like a deeply personal window into Yames’ soul, even though there isn’t an original song in sight here. With two Harrison songs recorded by The Beatles “Long Long Long” and “Love You To” Yames’ sinewy voice compliments Harrison’s knack for subtle melodies flawlessly. While the other four songs pulled from Harrison’s 1970 masterpiece All Things Must Pass – Yames proves how comfortable he is at handling undeniable classics like “My Sweet Lord” and his beautiful reworking of “All Things Must Pass”. What he does with “Behind That Locked Door” is achingly gorgeous as he utilizes the fragility of his wavering voice with perfection. And what might be the strongest cut on this record (and probably the least known of all the songs here) “Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (let it roll)”. Yames will truly convince you that he was born to sing “Crisp” while at the same time reminding you of how much we really do miss Sir George. Tribute To might be hard to find, but it’s a wonderful collection of tunes and is well worth the journey to seek it out.
Levon Helm Electric Dirt [Dirt Farmer Music/Vanguard Records]
# of spins (out of 5):
Levon Helm ain’t doing bad for a man who only a decade ago was diagnosed with throat cancer, and given the prognosis of maybe never talking again but definitely never singing again. It looks like Helm didn’t get that particular memo. With his second “post-cancer” album Helm’s voice sounds solid and strong, with only slightly more waver than he did in his late 60’s and early 70’s heyday as lead singer for The Band.
When Helm released 2007’s Dirt Farmer, the industry was knocked aback by his beautiful collection of wary, country-laden songs. He sang like a man triumphantly rising from defeat, who bears each song as a reminding scar of what he almost lost.
Electric Dirt, the follow-up to Dirt Farmer, is charged with equal parts emotion and reflection as its predecessor, but flushed out at a faster tempo and more complex arrangements. With Larry Campbell behind the console (and in various instrumental capacities) again, and Helm’s daughter Amy in tow, the record sounds like classic southern-rock fused with gospel harmonies. “Tennessee Jed” and “Move Along Train” are a perfect “1-2 combo” to open the record with. Levon’s whiskey-drenched voice meanders around melodies, and gets marinated in plush arrangements reminding us that he isn’t destined to lie back as the down trodden dirt farmer we last saw him as.
Helm's voice has never sounded as soulful as it does over the pounding blues shuffle of “Stuff You Gotta Watch”. “You Can’t Lose What You Never Had” is a mid-tempo blues tune disguised as a traditional country song, that is a sad reminder of failed relationships. And the reflective “When I Go Away” is strikingly optimistic view on death, reminding us as listeners what we were so close to losing in Helm just a few years ago.
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