A Dude at Large in NYC...
|
I don’t remember ever having heard the 1979 classic Cruel to be Kind in concert before last month but I heard it twice in the span of a couple of weeks.
The first was at the Nick Lowe show at Town Hall on April 25th. The 63 year old Lowe has aged well and is touring behind last year’s fine The Old Magic which leaves no doubt his vaunted songwriting chops are as strong as ever. Nick must have done some recent reading about Town Hall which was recently designated a national historic landmark as he made references to occupying a stage once inhabited by the likes of Winston Churchill and Melanie. The quote that tells you all you need to know is, “If you cut me open, you’ll find one word – quality entertainment.”
Nick the white-haired crooner effortlessly delivered material he created as an apostle of punk and the Jesus of Cool. Strumming an acoustic and backed by longtime sidemen Bobby Irwin on drums, Johnny Scott on guitar, and Marc Radford on bass; Mr. Lowe pulled out crowd pleasing faves like I Knew the Bride when She Used to Rock and Roll, I Trained Her to Love Me, and Peace, Love, and Understanding . The new material was equally well received however and if anybody had turned up for the show without hearing his latest record, I’d bet they’ve tracked it down since.
The following week, I journeyed to the relatively bucolic Ridgewood, NJ for a solo acoustic Freedy Johnston show as part of the Society Cafe Concert Series.
Freedy filled the Unitarian church with tunes spanning his entire satisfying career and was generous
with remarks about some of his favorite forebears like Nick Lowe and Marshall Crenshaw. He even covered Someday Someway and, yes – Cruel to be Kind, the latter on a ukulele no less!
While there, I picked up an album that Freedy completed recently with Jon Dee Graham and Susan Cowsill. under the name The Hobart Brothers & Lil Sis Hobart called At Least We Have Each Other. These three fine musicians really clicked and the disc sounds like a collaboration rooted in mutual respect and carried off with joy.
Another new album that I’m spending time with is Nameless and Awake by Rubin Butchart and the Millworkers. Rubin, who is the former piano player with Antony and the Johnsons, adapted eight poems by John William Carroll accompanied by seven multi-instrumentalists. It’s a beautiful album that threatens to demand a spot next to albums like Joni’s Ladies of the Canyon and Reading, Writing and Arithmetic by The Sundays in my early morning rotation of faves.
I hosted a session with The Walkmen at The Alternate Side on Thursday, May 3rd. They played three songs off their new album and knocked them out of the park. Video will be posted…
Finally, I was at Rose Theater at Lincoln Center for The Music of Jelly Roll Morton this past Saturday evening the 12th. This was a a brilliant event as there was a handful of different kinds of gumbo being served beforehand which served as an apt appetizer to music of the seminal New Orleans pianist and composer. Marcus Roberts was immense throughout and most impressive during virtuosic runs on Freakish and The Chant. Marcus was accompanied by Rodney Jordan on bass and Jason Marsalis on drums as well as a sensational 5 piece horn section that wasted very few opportunities afforded them to shine. When they took a solo, they took it! The only decision I disagreed with trumpeter Alphonso Horne about was his bow tie – his playing was superb. Both he and Ron Westray on bone used plunger mutes to great effect. After having seen Dr.John’s tribute to Louis Armstrong last month (see below) – I felt especially fortunate to experience such first class tributes to two New Orleans giants.
I’m all about Dr. John and enjoyed him wildly recently in New Orleans and at Prospect Park so I was relishing the chance to see him in a venue with acoustics as opposed to outside. The circumstances were special – a three week residency (consecutive Thursday through Saturday engagements) at the Brooklyn Academy of Music with a tribute to Louis Armstrong the first week, material from his new album Locked Down the second, and a New Orleans bit the third.
I made it to a show on the first and second week and, against my expectations, the first was a lot better.
The Louis Armstrong tribute boasted a ridiculously talented rotating crew of A list talent including my favorite two trumpet players in the world Roy Hargrove (review of another RH show)and Arturo Sandoval. That would have been plenty but it was only the tip of the iceberg as The Blind Boys of Alabama and Rickie Lee Jones were involved among many others. The latter singing Makin’ Whoopee and the former most memorably singing Wonderful World. The love and respect the musicians showed to Armstrong’s legacy were the launching pad for a magnificent evening in which Dr. John shone brightly while, as he said, performing his duty to pass on the music of the man who turned the whole world on to jazz.
Coming off that performance, I was determined to hear his new material especially joined by Dan Auerbach who produced and played on Locked Down. Imagine the horror of Auerbach being so low in the mix that he was inaudible when the band was playing. Dr. John’s piano – fine, drums – fine, bass – fine, TWO Cowbells – fine, could even differentiate them but could not hear Dan Auerbach. Unbelievably frustrating. Unlike the week prior when 10 musicians on stage seemed perfect, this time ten (full horn section too) was too many by half the material the botched mix notwithstanding. Even when DA took solos, there was no sound of loud and his tone wasn’t near his usual dirty and muscular delight. It’s a fine album but this night was a missed opportunity.
Fortunately Howler rolled into the Mercury Lounge soon after to provide the grit and riffs I was craving. Howler is the best young rock band I’ve seen in years. I was well impressed when they did a few tunes for The Alternate Side but in the bonafide rock club confines of the Merc, I was knocked out. In the interview, front-man Jordan revealed his love of the Replacements whereas guitarist Ian grew up a Nirvana man. It’s even better than that sounds though as they’ve got other hip influences and stitch them into their tunes with such skill that what comes through the most is foot-stomping attitude. It was immense.
Before Rod y Gab did their show this past Friday at Radio City Music Hall I spoke to Gabriela for WFUV who broadcast the show live. She was lovely and I had to work a little to hold it together as she is beautiful, loves Black Sabbath, and is one of the most innovative guitar players in the world. Rodrigo and Gabriela’s breathtaking chops are being supplemented on this tour by a Cuban band and it was truly an embarrassment of riches. The supplemental sounds provided some great moments without overshadowing the mighty duo whose names were on the tickets. The interview with Gab will be edited with the concert and air down the line on FUV.
In a seven day stretch that started with Van Halen at Mohegan Sun and included TMBG at Terminal 5, (not to mention Boston Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall) Soulive at Brooklyn Bowl was not only my favorite show of the week but is the show to beat for the best of 2012. Of course if I had a ticket to the Apollo on Friday for Springsteen (see vid at this link), that might not be the case but even a dude at large can’t always get a ticket…
Beginning at the casino, the main questions were these –
Can EVH still blind us with speed and amaze us with inventive technique?
Can DLR still command the stage like a gladiator while guiding us through the raunch of Everybody Wants Some and bravdo of Unchained?
Answers…yes and yes. David’s California cocaine cool is undiminished. He moved like a yogi and instead of repeating spoken word bits in the songs verbatim, he riffed on things like losing all his income for the show before it started by playing Blackjack. He and Eddie even did a call and response thing in which David sang the notes that were played that was reminiscent of Ian Gillian and Richie Blackmore of Deep Purple. David didn’t kill himself reaching for notes. He stayed in his comfort zone while Eddie dazzled with his trademark tapping, hammer-ons and pull-offs.
Wolfy did fine but Michael’s backing vocals were missed. That’s hardly a deal breaker though. They didn’t go heavy on the new stuff but their new album A Different Kind of Truth is surprisingly strong and the tracks they did feature went over well. Something that you rarely see at an arena show and less so at a casino show; everyone was UP the whole time. It would have been unthinkable to sit…
And that goes for the Soulive show too at my favorite venue in NYC – Brooklyn Bowl. The principal three are loaded weapons:
Neil Evans’ Hammond organ and clavinet intoxicates and draws a template for his drummer brother Alan and guitarist Eric Krasno to riff over. They bob and weave, shake and shimmy, and groove in a monstrous way and were joined on stage for this, the eighth night of the ten night Bowlive residency, by a ridiculously talented and diverse crew. Citizen Cope knocking out Bullet and a Target and 107 Degrees was glorious but only the beginning as Alice Smith was stunning when it was her turn to sing. Billy Martin (One of the M’s in MMW) George Porter Jr. of The Meters, Questlove, and Kofi Burbridge all contributed to the celebration.
Whereas Soulive do better what a lot of bands try to do, They Might Be Giants are singularly idiosyncratic. I had forgotten what a large handful of their songs had burrowed into my brain. Particle Man, Birdhouse in Your Soul, Ana Ng, Don’t Let’s Start, and Istanbul all were welcome and familiar while a bit of Sabbath’s Paranoid accompanied by sock puppets, references to Sleestaks, and the two Johns’ psychic nickname power delighted as well. The audience was as engaged and obedient as any evidenced by a spirited Battle for the Planet of the Apes. That’s when one half of the audience chants “people!” and the other half chants “apes!” Add John Linnell’s bass clarinet, Mark Pender’s trumpet, and dog biscuits on video projection and you’ve got yourself a fun night. Opener Jonathan Coulton was a savvy pairing and he offered some memorable tunes including one from the perspective of Rick Springfield and another from Pluto’s moon. Suzanne Vega’s appearance on stage was an unexpected highlight.
As for Bruce, be sure to take a peek at the pictures and get the details from the Backstreets site that always does a good job on all things Springsteen.
 Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater & Eric Holland
Jonathan Meiburg is a fascinating guy and a wildly talented singer. He and the touring lineup of Shearwater favored me with four songs from their latest Animal Joy in WFUV’s Studio A this past Friday (2/24/12) before a show with Sharon Van Etten who, JM explained to me after the tape stopped rolling, used to be Shearwater’s tour manager! As his reputation as a birder and naturalist preceded him, I showed him my penguin calendar and was treated to some fun facts about the behavior of my favorite flightless fowl.
Air date TBD…
 The Zanes brothers with Eric & Woody As I told Dan Znaes, Warren Zanes, and Woody Giessmann in Studio A on February 9, 2012 – Boston, Mass was a…nay THE defining album in my high school experience so to have them roll into the Bronx after not playing for 20 years was astonishing and a little surreal. They played a handful of tunes from that album and Dan did a new one from the brand new Silver Star EP.
Here’s a link to the full session!
The Zanes brothers, in a long line of musical fraternal collaborators, have a reputation for not getting along but there was zero tension and, in fact, a palpable camaraderie between them. These days they are both living in the NYC area and talk frequently. The Bowery Ballroom show was a triumphant celebration and included covers of Gregory Isaacs’ Night Nurse and Little Walter’s My Babe. They’re doing another show in New York on Saturday, March 3 at the Bell House in Brooklyn.
 Dan Zanes and Tom Lloyd
Recently I had the chance to interview Chicago stalwarts Umphrey’s McGee and ballsy newcomers Howler at WFUV. It was the same day – Friday, January 20, 2012 and UM turned up in the late morning before the first of their two gigs at Best Buy Theater. Unlike the usual sessions, these guys wanted to play all of their music without interruption as opposed to the regular play & chat, play & chat format. The reason was Studio A was getting crowded with their full 6 member compliment and gear set up. They played a very unhurried and compelling four song set of tunes from Death by Stereo
released this past September. The very tough Domino Theory, the sexy Booth Love , Hajimemashite which dates back to Bayliss & Stasik’s pre UM band Tashi Station and Search 4
a pleasing template improvisation including blistering guitar work. I chatted the with three original members and confirmed that Rodney Dangerfield did indeed give them their name andsuggested, based on their fondness for Zappa, that they cover Cozmik Debris and change the lyric to Who You Jivin’ with that Umphrey’s McGee.
Howler is a very young band out of Minneapolis and they impressed with their set of tunes from their debut America Give Up. They remind me of the Replacements and their frontman Jordan Gatesmith copped to them being his favorite band. Guitarist Ian Nygaard professed to being more of a Nirvana man. Those are two excellent cornerstone influences says I.
Also caught the private WFUV Nada Surf show at the intimate Rockwood Music Hall on the Lower East Side which was spectacularly great. If you’re not on the Nada Surf train, resign your New York rock credibility immediately. (He said provocatively…)
Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band seemed a misnomer at the as they played a fair amount of blues but with Junior Mack fronting, hardly complaining. They did get around to some tunes that could have been played by Al Di Meola and peaked the Gramercy Theater‘s audience with Allmans material.
Lastly I witnessed Paquito D’Rivera holding court at the Mayo Performing Arts Center this past Friday, February 3rd. He regaled those intrepid enough to travel to Morristown, NJ from NYC and the locals with entertaining tales like one featuring Dizzy Gillespie dressed like a gaucho performing with a tuxedoed house band in Buenos Aires. His playing was characteristically fluid.
Catch the great session that Howler played as well as the interview on WFUV on Monday, February 20th at 9p. Get a taste of Howler on Friday of that same week (the 24th) in the Take Five segment at 7:40 AM and 4:45 PM. Later this week, I’ll interview Boston’s legendary Del Fuegos who are reunited and touring after 21 years of silence.
Brendan Bayliss, Ryan Stasik, Joel Cummins of UM
Jordan Gatesmith and Ian Nygaard of Howler – they grow ‘em big in “Minnieapolis”
 
Nada Surf: Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca, Ira Elliot w/ Doug Gillard
 I was toasting with him but my eyes were dead closed 
Juinor Mack & Jaimoes Jasssz Band
Paquito Rivera & pals
Right! Another year in the books and the time to go on the record (pun intended) about what recordings offered the most moving, cathartic, revolutionary, kick-ass, and/or ones with a good beat that you can dance too music. First, in case you missed it, my top ten of this year:
Top Ten Albums of 2011
1. Paul Simon; So Beautiful or So What
2. Tom Waits; Bad as Me
3. Danger Mouse & Danieel Luppi: Rome
4. Wilco; The Whole Love
5. Wild Flag; Wild Flag
6. Feist; Metals
7. Real Estate; Days
8. Girls; Father, Son, Holy Ghost
9. John Hiatt; Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns
10. Radiohead; The King of Limbs
A reminder of last year’s (2010) top top albums -
1 Spoon: Transference
2 Corrine Bailey Rae: The Sea
3 Grinderman: Grinderman 2
4 Black Keys: Brothers
5 Erykah Badu: New Amerika 2 – Return of the Ankh
6 Broken Bells: S/T
7 Dead Weather: Sea of Cowards
8 Citizen Cope: The Rainwater LP
9 The Hold Steady: Heaven is Whenever
10 Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings: I Learned the Hard Way
And from 2009
1 Green Day; 21st Century Breakdown
2 Brendan Benson; My Old Familiar Friend
3 Dinosaur Jr.; Farm
4 Corey Chisel; Death Won’t Send a Letter
5 U2: No Line on the Horizon
6 Dead Weather; Horehound
7 Sonic Youth; The Eternal
8 Wilco; Wilco (The Album)
9 Pearl Jam; Backspacer
10 Phish; Joy
Also, if you missed my interview with John Hiatt from a couple of months back, it’s here.
Now it’s time to, uh, do the dude…list and republish the essential 75.
At the end of 2009, I was asked to pick the top ten albums for the last five decades as part of a WFUV feature. Having to choose at least ten for every decade significantly changed the list compared to what it would be if the parameters were simply the best 50 albums over the past 50 years. If that were the case, the 70s would be wildly overrepresented in my picks. To ease my discomfort of having to limit myself to only ten per decade, I indulged in designating 25 honorable mentions. It was when I finished that I realized my 75 essential albums of the past 50 years had been born! A year later it occurred to me that the list should be a living thing reflecting fluctuations, maturation, and evolution of opinion. Now, at the end of 2011, I submit Version 3.0 -
A couple of notes: No compilations of course and tie goes to the other…that is, if I had a choice between putting another album on by someone whose body of work is well known versus a less well known band – I chose the latter if each offers about equal pleasures. That being equal, I give a slight weight to career representation. That is, if there are two great albums but only one spot and artist A has a body of work worth exploring and artist B has just the one record, then A gets it. However, career representation is a double-edged sword as three essential albums by any one band disqualifies them for any additional selections.
It’s also worth mentioning that I worked for years as a classic rock radio DJ. This experience shaped my picks by pretty much ruining certain albums for me. I put on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon for the first time in approximately twenty years last week because I played the individual tracks from it so often on the air. It sounded great and of course it’s genius but Meddle is still more essential in my view. Led Zeppelin 2 and 4 are similar cases and this works against the Stones, Who, and Beatles as well. However, this bias should generally make for a more interesting list. I put my feet to the fire and keep asking myself, “Do you want to hear that album right now?” or “Do you just remember that album being great even though now you are basically done with it?” If it is the latter, I let it go.
Note: 2010 Revision – Deleted G&R’s 1987 masterpiece Appetite for Destruction in exchange for Surfer Rosa. – the Pixies 1988 masterpiece. Axl’s personality doesn’t help him even though that’s not an official criterion.
Note 2011: I’m returning Appetite for Destruction. Let’s never fight again Axl.
Also, when Amy Winehouse died in July, I found myself defending her importance in a social media exchange and that helped crystallize my thoughts and spurred me to bump the Hold Steady’s Boys and Girls in America from 2006 in favor of her Back to Black from the same year. Mother Love Bone’s Apple from 1990 and Sonic Youth’s 1988 gem Daydream Nation (the horror!) had to be sacrificed from the Honorable Mentions to accommodate The Pixies and The Modern Lovers whose songs simply cannot be omitted. I’m especially sad to disrespect the Sonics as 2011 may mark their end along with the equally seminal and irreplaceable REM.
I hope you get a boot out of it.
Best Albums of Last 5 Decades:
60′s Ten
Bob Dylan; Highway 61 Revisited, 1965
Beatles; Revolver, 1966
Velvet Underground & Nico, 1967
Cream; Disraeli Gears, 1967
Jimi Hendrix Experience; Are You Experienced, 1967
Jimi Hendrix Experience; Electric Ladyland, 1968
Jeff Beck Group; Truth, 1968
Van Morrison; Astral Weeks, 1968
The Beatles (White Album) 1968
The Stooges, 1969
70s Ten
Derek & The Dominoes; Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs, 1970
Rolling Stones; Sticky Fingers, 1971
Curtis Mayfiled; Superfly, 1972
Who; Quadrophenia, 1973
Bob Dylan; Blood on the Tracks, 1975
Led Zeppelin; Physical Graffitti, 1975
Bob Marley & The Wailers; Rastaman Vibration, 1976
The Clash, 1977
Television; Marquee Moon, 1977
Gang of Four, Entertainment, 1979
80′s Ten
The Clash; London Calling, 1980 (Released 1/80 in U.S. – We are in America…)
AC/DC; Back in Black, 1980
Bruce Springsteen, The River, 1980
Replacements; Let it Be, 1984
REM; Fables of the Reconstruction, 1985
Guns and Roses: Appetite for Destruction, 1987
Nirvana; Bleach, 1989
Pixies; Doolittle, 1989
Neil Young; Freedom, 1989
Lou Reed; New York, 1989
90′s Ten
Massive Attack; Blue Lines, 1991
Nirvana; Nevermind, 1991
Teenage Fanclub; Bandwagonesque, 1991
U2; Achtung Baby, 1991
Matthew Sweet; Girlfriend, 1991
Lemonhead; It’s a Shame about Ray, 1992
Morphine; Cure for Pain, 1993
Alice in Chains; Jar of Sap (2 EPs: Sap, 1992 & Jar of Flies, 1994)
Radiohead; OK Computer, 1997
Elliott Smith; XO, 1998
00′s Ten
Radiohead; Kid A, 2000
D’Angelo; Voodoo, 2000
White Stripes; White Blood Cells, 2001
Beck; Sea Change, 2002
White Stripes; Elephant, 2003
Green Day; American Idiot, 2004
Spoon; Gimme Fiction, 2005
Raconteurs; Broken Boy Soldiers, 2006
Amy Winehouse; Back to Black, 2006
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds; Dig Lazarus Dig, 2008
Honorable Mention:
Traffic; John Barleycorn Must Die, 1970
Deep Purple; In Rock, 1970
T-Rex; Electric Warrior, 1971
Black Sabbath; Master of Reality, 1971
Joni Mitchell; Blue, 1971
Carole King; Tapestry, 1971
Rolling Stones; Exile on Main St., 1972
James Brown; The Payback, 1973
Led Zeppelin; Houses of the Holy, 1973
The Modern Lovers, 1976 (Recorded in 1971 & 1972)
Patti Smith; Horses, 1975
The Ramones; 1976
Aerosmith, Rocks, 1976
Sex Pistols; Never Mind the Bullocks, 1977
Pink Floyd; Animals, 1977
Neil Young; Live Rust, 1978
J.Geils Band; Love Stinks, 1980
Husker Du; Zen Arcade, 1984
Leonard Cohen; I’m Your Man, 1988
Temple of the Dog, 1991
Portishead; Dummy, 1994
Tom Petty; Wildflowers, 1994
Fiona Apple; Tidal, 1996
Surfer Rosa; Pixies, 1988
Tom Waits; Mule Variations, 1999
- EH 12/31/2011
Top Ten Albums of 2011
1. Paul Simon; So Beautiful or So What
2. Tom Waits; Bad as Me
3. Danger Mouse & Danieel Luppi: Rome
4. Wilco; The Whole Love
5. Wild Flag; Wild Flag
6. Feist; Metals
7. Real Estate; Days
8. Girls; Father, Son, Holy Ghost
9. John Hiatt; Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns
10. Radiohead; The King of Limbs
Ten Essential Albums of 2011 by NYC Artists
- Thurston Moore; Demolished Thoughts
- The Strokes; Angles
- KJ Denhart; Album No.9
- Battles; Gloss Drop
- Mike Doughty; Yes and Also Yes
- Tre Williams & The Revelations; Concrete Blues
- Steve Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra; MTO Plays Sly
- The Gaddabouts; The Gaddabouts
- Kirsten Thien; Delicious
- Asobi Seksu; Fluorescence
HonMen10
-Mr. Heavenly; Out of Love
-Gillian Welch: The Harrow & The Harvest
-Black Keys: El Camino
-The Kills; Blood Pressures
- Wye Oak; Civillians
-Greenhornes; Four Stars
-Fountains of Wayne: Sky Full of Holes
- The Head & The Heart; The Head & The Heart
- The Vaccines; What Did You Expect from The Vaccines?
- Mocean Worker; Candygram for Mowo
Songs of the Year
Lykke Li; Get Some
Amy Correia; Powder Blue Trans-Am
Garland Jeffreys: Roller Coaster Town
Covers of the Year
Norah Jones: Jesus Etc. (Wilco)
James Blake: Limit to Your Love (Feist)
Top Ten Concerts of 2011
1 Paul Simon at Webster Hall
2 LCD Soundsystem at Terminal 5
3 Deervana (Deer Tick playing Nirvana) at Brooklyn Bowl
4 Shemekia Copeland at Allen Room, Lincoln Center
5 FUV Holiday Cheer w Mavis Staples, Josh Ritter, The Head & The Heart, and Dawes
at the Beacon.
6 Mose Allison at Jazz Standard
7 Gang of Four at Irving Plaza
8 Peter Gabriel at Ed Sullivan Theater
9 Matthew Sweet at City Winery
10 Queens of the Stone Age &
11 Kyuss Lives at Terminal 5
12 Steely Dan at the Beacon – Royal Scam Night
Steve Earle and the Dukes (and the Duchesses) shined during a generous 2 and a half hour, 2-set evening at the Music Hall of Williamsburg this past Wednesday, September 14th which was also simulcast on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country. The eclectic set borrowed heavily from his latest album, I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive, which is also the title of Earle’s debut novel featuring a morphine addict and the ghost of Hank Williams.
The talented Dukes (guitarist Chris Masterson, bassist Kelley Looney, a longtime Earle collaborator, and drummer Will Rigby) and Duchesses (Allison Moorer & Eleanor Whitmore) ran the gamut between lilting mellow country, bluegrass interludes, and straight up rock. A handful of fans who had seen him play solo in recent years mentioned the tunes were enhanced by the solid rhythm section, slide guitar, and the occasional mandolin, harmonica, or Whitmore’s fiddle. Moorer shared the mike with her husband on one occasion and sang one by herself as well. The Duchesses also lifted City Of Immigrants to a place neighboring the spiritual with their backing vocals. In his introduction, Earle emphasized that we are all immigrants and called out those who would scapegoat them.
Other highlights for the night included Guitar Town, a satisfying and unexpected opening of the second set: 1988’s hit Copperhead Road, mid-tempo rocker Taneytown from 1997’s strong El Corazon, and the slow-burn guitar and harmonica jam Meet Me in the Alleyway.
Molly-O was prefaced with high praise of friend and singer/songwriter Joe Henry and gave off a 19th century sea chantey kind of vibe.
At another point, in perhaps his most thought-provoking comment of the evening, Earle suggested that strong labor unions are fundamental to democracy – one that we are sorely lacking in the states these days.
- EH w/ my pal Ken Foster
After seeing the first ever Horrible Crowes show at the Bowery Ballroom on Thursday evening, I was fortunate enough to host a session with them Friday. They were fantastic on both occasions and a bunch of good eggs. Brian Fallon (in the plain white T-shirt), whose established himself as a great rock voice with The Gaslight Anthem over the past six years, leads the Crowes with Ian Perkins (behind me with his eyes open). Gaslight’s Alex Rosamila is also involved in the project (eyes closed) as well as Steve Sidelnyk ( white T with design) on drums and Frank Marra on bass (penguins).
The interview including a generous five songs recorded live will air as a Words&Music program later this fall on FUV.
|
|
