Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Friday Cheers Line-Up Announced

Here is the lineup for this year's Friday Cheers, courtesy of Stephen Lecky of Venture Richmond. Note that they will be charging $2 to get in this year, which is nothing. I would usually donate $5 going in anyway but I guess not enough people were doing that. I put a quick note after each one on what type of music they are, mainly stolen from AllMusic. We'll of course have more details each week of the concerts. I'm looking forward to spending time outdoors on Friday nights with the family enjoying some fine music and OK beers.

May 7th - Lee Brice w/ Puddleduck. (Lee Brice is Americana, Outlaw Country. "As Brice puts it, his music sounds like what would happen if Hank Williams, Jr. and John Mayer had a love child." I don't know whether that is a good thing or a bad thing.)

May 21st - Railroad Earth w/ 6 Day Bender (Americana jam band. Members formerly of From Good Homes. Think Widespread Panic, Black Crowes, Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, Little Feat, Blues Traveler.)

May 28th - Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers w/ William Walter & Co. (Adult Alternative / Indie Rock / Folky Roots Rock. Think Counting Crowes or Wallflowers.)

June 4th - Karl Denson's Tiny Universe w/ DJ Williams Projekt (Jazz / Funk / Jam. Think Lenny Kravitz (Karl used to play sax for him), James Brown, Sly Stone, P-Funk, Maceo Parker.)

June 11th - Emmitt-Nershi Band (feat. members of the String Cheese Incident and Leftover Salmon) w/ A Good Natured Riot (Bluegrass jam. Think String Cheese Incident and Leftover Salmon (duh!))

June 18th - Deer Tick w/ Former Champions (Folky Alternative Rock. Think Los Lobos, John Prine, Neil Young, Byrds, My Morning Jacket,

June 25th - The Dynamites feat. Charles Walker w/ Whirlybyrd (New R&B Soul / Funk. Think Amy Winehouse, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings but with a guy (Charles Walker) who has been singing this kind of music since it started in the 50's.

ALL SHOWS ARE $2, SHOWS START AT 6:30...SEE YOU THIS SUMMER!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

EOTO, Wilco, Jello Biafra, DJ Williams Projekt


EOTO featuring Jason Hann and Michael Travis (percussionist & drummer) from String Cheese Incident in a live 100% improvised electronica project comes to the Hat Factory on Saturday night. Doors open at 9, show starts at 10, tix are $15 in advance, $18 day of show. Here you can check out an entire show they did with Michael Kang (multi-instrumentalis from SCI) in 2008 at the Trinumeral Festival. For some reason this reminds me of the Nerds band from the talent show in "Revenge of the Nerds":



Monday night, Wilco comes to The National. The show is SOLD OUT but if any tix do appear they'll be $35. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. No opener is listed on The National site or Wilco's site so get there early so you don't miss anything. You know you're good when you sell out the National and have a beer named after your band. Here they are doing "Impossible Germany" from Farm Aid last year:


On Tuesday, DJ Williams Projekt has their regular gig at Cafe Diem. The gig starts at 9:30 PM.

Wednesday night, Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys comes to the Canal Club with his band, The Guantanamo School of Medicine. Tix are $10 in advance, $13 at the door. Doors open at 7:30 and there will be three openers, Landmines, Worn In Red and The Ladies. Here's the band performing "Holiday In Cambodia" last year:


Now its time for the good, the bad and the ugly.

First the good. This is Derek Trucks when he was 13 years old (!) playing Layla and jamming when he opened up for the Allman Brothers on July 4, 1993. Derek was playing better at 13 than most guys will their entire lives.


Now for the bad & the ugly all rolled up into one. I had to look at the title of this to even figure out what song they were trying to play. I love when the roadie comes out and looks at the amp as if that is what's wrong with this. I wonder why no one is watching them play?


I hope that video sent you on your way to having a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Tears for Fears & Merle Haggard @ The National

TEARS FOR FEARS - Sunday September 5th @ 8pm at The National. Tickets on sale THIS Saturday March 27th at all Ticketmaster outlets, nattickets.com, ticketstobuy.com, and The National box office.

Always liked this band (at least the stuff they put out from '85 - '90). Never saw them live though so have no idea how they are in performance.

Country Legend MERLE HAGGARD Friday July 23rd @ 8pm at The National. Reserve Seats Balcony and Standing General Admission Floor tickets available THIS Saturday March 27th at all Ticketmaster outlets, nattickets.com, and The National box office.

Friday, March 19, 2010

moe. and Heart coming to Innsbrook

moe. & Yonder Mountain String Band will be coming to Innsbrook Pavilion on June 2. Show will start at 5:30 which is a good sign for hopefully a long set of YMSB and two full sets of moe like we got last time they played there. These bands have played together before so expect some musical cross-pollination too. And its GA only for this show, no stupid Gold Circle. Tix are $17 in advance.

Heart will be at Innsbrook Pavilion on 8/11. Tix are $20 in advance for GA and $40 for Gold Circle. Do not mock the Wilson sisters. I saw a recent show of theirs on VH1 Classic where they did the entire "Dreamboat Annie" album live and they can still bring it.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Church Hill Irish Fest, Ben Folds, Spoon, Amos Lee

Get outside this weekend and enjoy the Church Hill Irish Festival. The weather looks like it will be absolutely bee-yoo-ti-full. The fest takes place in Church Hill (duh) in front of St. Patrick’s Church on North 25th Street between Broad and Franklin Streets. It takes up about four blocks there in Church Hill. It runs from 10 AM - 7 PM on Saturday and 10 AM - 6 PM on Sunday. It will cost you all of a $2 donation to get in.

They have a big children's area with the usual moon bounces and other stuff for the kids to do. There is good food and beverages, adult and otherwise, available. We've been to this festival every year since 2001. We'll be there with the kids on Sunday and this festival is always a good time.

Bit of advice for those with wee ones: Try to leave the stroller at home or plan on moving very slowly through the crowd. It can get crowded but once you make it through to the kids area you can find a spot to park yourself and the stroller.

Below are the band schedules. Bands alternate between local Americana bands and Irish stuff.

Here is the band lineup for Saturday:
10:00 – 10:30 PARADE
10:30 – 11:00 Irish Dancers
11:00 – 11:30 Miles O’Brien
11:30 – 11:45 Irish Dancers (Bridget Boswell)
11:45 – 12:15 Hurricane Base
12:30 – 1:00 Haze & The Transients
1:15 – 1:45 Powder Keg
2:00 – 2:30 100th Monkey
2:45 – 3:15 Blue Line Highway
3:30 – 4:00 Ex-Patriots
4:15 – 4:45 Kelly Kennedy
5:00 – 5:30 Bart Chucker Band
5:45 – 6:15 Page Wilson With Reckless Abandon
6:15 – 7:00 Uisce Bethea

Bluegrass South Stage
11:15-11:45 am – Robin Sean Carns
12-12:45 pm – Dave Alltop
1-1:45 pm – Miles Obrien Band
2-2:45 pm – A Good Natured Riot
3-3:45 pm – Big Boss Combo
4-4:45 pm – Cary Streeet Ramblers
5-5:45 pm – Leather Britches
6-6:45 pm – Somerville

Here is the band lineup for Sunday:
10:00 10:30 Irish Dancers
10:30 – 11:00 Donnybrooks
11:15 – 11:45 Razen Caine
12:00 – 12:30 Susan GreenBaum
12:45 – 1:15 3 Bad Men
1:30 – 2:00 Atkinsons
2:00 – 2:15 Bagpipers
2:15 – 2:45 St. Baldricks Head Shave
2:45 – 3:15 Tinkers Damn
3:30 – 4:00 Gary Gerloff Tribute
4:15 – 4:45 Taters
5:00 - 5:30 Janet Martin
5:45 – 6:30 Andy & Cindy

Bluegrass – South Stage
12-12:45 pm – Swagger iii (Bryce Miller)
1-1:45 pm – Detox Mtn Boys
2-2:45 pm – Irish Dancers (Bridget Boswell)
3-3:45 pm – Cook County Bluegrass
4-4:45 pm – Easy Street
5-5:45 pm – Becky Taylor & Open Fire
6 pm – Poisened Dwarfs

Sunday, Ben Folds comes to The National. Tix are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Zach Williams. Ben Folds is best known for songs like "Rockin' The Suburbs" (featured in the animated film "Over The Hedge") and "Brick". Ben Folds has wonderful quirky sense of humor as you can see in this video for "You Don't Know Me". I was going to post his version of Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Sh*t" but that would hardly be safe for work, now would it.


Amos Lee will be at The National on Tuesday. Tix are $20. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Cary Ann Hearst. Amos is a soulful, singer-songwriter and you might dig him if you like Bill Withers, John Prine, Neil Young, Norah Jones, Jack Johnson or Ben Harper. Click HERE to check out the video for "Arms of a Woman". They won't let me embed it.

On Tuesday, DJ Willims Projekt has their regular gig at Cafe Diem. The gig starts at 9:30 PM.

Wednesday night at The National, Austin TX band Spoon will be there. Tix are $20 in advance, $23 day of show. Doors open at 6 and show starts at 7 with openers Strange Boys and Deerhunter. According to Metacritic, Spoon was the most critically acclaimed band of the last decade. Here is the video for "Written In Reverse":

Written In Reverse from Spoon on Vimeo.


That's all for now. See you at the Irish Fest. Have a great first weekend of Spring!

Tony Jordan

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Little Feat @ Hat Factory

Just Announced: Little Feat at the Hat Factory on May 12. Tickets on sale March 26.

Phish Summer Tour 2010 - Portsmouth VA

Phish announced their 2010 Summer Tour last night. The closes they'll be coming is Portsmouth VA on 6/15 (a Tuesday). There are also shows in MD and NC. To see all the dates, check out this quite entertaining video featuring the drummer, Jon Fishman:

PHISH SUMMER TOUR 2010 from Phish on Vimeo.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Live Webcast from SXSW

iclips.net is webcasting for FREE video & audio live from the SXSW Festival Tuesday -Saturday. Click the link back there to get there and to check the actual schedule. Here is what they'll have:

iClips.net is pleased to announce the LIVE broadcast of five parties from The Belmont in Austin Texas during SXSW. Each day is a different party with a different lineup.

Tuesday, March 16th is the Heatwave and Mike’s Hard Lemonade Party featuring celebrity guests, as well as performances from artists on Eminem’s Label. Also performing will be The Why, Junkie Nurse, and The Red Door.

Wednesday, March 17th is the Manic Fest Destiny Party featuring over 15 artists in a 12 hour period, going from noon to midnight

Thursday March 18th is the Gary Briggs, New West Records, UV Vodka Party featuring John Hiatt, Kris Kristofferson, Buddy Miller, and Corb Lund from. Also on Thursday there is music from Harper Simon, We Are Scientists at the Topspin, Mobile Roadie, AAT, PIAS Party. To close it out from the Favorite Gentleman Records/Columbia Party is Lush Life, Vonnegut, Joy in Tommorrow, Shotgun Lover, Winston Audio, Death on Two Wheel, and All Get Out

Friday March 19th is the Paste Magazine, Capitol Records, Vangyard Records Party with Street Sweeper Social Club featuring Tom Morello and Boots Riley

Saturday March 20th is the Manic Fest Destiny/Lala Music Party to closeout the week featuring close to 20 artists

This broadcast is free the entire week.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Shamrock The Block, Portugal The Man, Skydog, Wood Brothers

Let's get to it!

Friday night at the Capital Ale House, Chris Wood (of Medeski, Martin & Wood) teams up with his brother, Oliver Wood, to form the brilliantly named Wood Brothers. They'll be playing their blues/rock/folk music starting at 9 PM and tix are $15. Well, actually starting at 9 PM will be the openers Joe McGuinness & Sol. Here they are performing "Luckiest Man" for Paste Magazine:




Skydog, the Allman Brothers tribute band, will be at Cary St. Cafe on Friday night. Show starts at 10 PM and there is a $7 cover charge. Here's a bit of the band playing "Statesboro Blues" at the Canal Club in January:




Friday night at The National is REGWA, a band that is mixing country and reggae featuring members of Kenny Chesney's band, The Wailers and New Potato Caboose. Tix are $12. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7 with openers The God Fearing Snake Handlers and Whisky Bros. There was an article about REGWA in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch and you can read that HERE. Here is the band playing in April 2009:





Saturday, if the rain holds off or if you don't mind partying in a little rain, Shamrock The Block will be happening at the 17th Street Farmers Market. The event goes down from noon until 6 PM. Its pet & kid friendly and they said they have expanded their kids section this year. It is a FREE event and you can purchase food and adult and all ages beverages. Here is the band lineup:
12-12:45 - Uisce Beatha (Celtic Rock)
1-2 - Against Grace (Alternative Rock)
2:15-3:15 - Age of Excess (80's Hair Metal/Covers)
3:45-4:45 - Sludge's Build-A-Band (Rock/Rock Covers)
5-6 - 4Play (Rock/Rock Covers)

Saturday night, local Americana band, The Atkinsons, will be at Cafe Diem. The band will come on at 10 PM and there is no cover charge. Here they are performing on the PBS show, "The Music Seen", in September 2009:



Also on Saturday, twisted Johnny Cash cover band, Black Cash & The Bad Trips, will be at Cary St. Cafe. Show starts at 10 and cover charge is $5. This clip is from a show in the Outer Banks last summer. They are playing "Hey Porter":


On Tuesday, DJ Willims Projekt has their regular gig at Cafe Diem. The gig starts at 9:30 PM.

On St. Patrick's Day, Portugal The Man (they are actually a band, not a man) will be playing at The Canal Club. Tix are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Doors open at 7 with openers Port O'Brien and The Dig. They are an alternative rock band (does alternative really mean anything anymore)....ok, they are a rock band that formed in Ms. Palin's hometown of Wasilla, Alaska (but don't hold that against them) then relocated to Portland OR. Their last album, The Satanic Satanist, is critically acclaimed and has hints of Led Zep, Jane's Addiction, Motown, and the Stones in it but they put their own stamp on things. Here is their latest video, "The Sun". That's one sick sheep.:


Next Wednesday & Thursday, you can check out NPR's live broadcast from SXSW. Click HERE for the schedule which includes Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Broken Bells, and Spoon. If you can't stay up to listen, they usually archive those sets on the site so you can check them out later.

I think that's all for now. Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Thursday: They Might Be Giants, Jet

A couple of bands of note in town tonight (Thursday).

Kooky, classic alternative band They Might Be Giants is at The National tonight. Tickets are $23, doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Jonathan Coulton. TMBG will be playing their best-selling album Flood in its entirety (which contained the hits "Birdhouse In Your Soul", "Istanbul (Not Constantinople), and "Particle Man") and then doing a set of greatest hits. TMBG has also put out some excellent albums that have been geared towards kids but are quite enjoyable and amusing for us adults (or kids at heart) too. Here is one my kids and I enjoy called "7 Days of the Week".


Also tonight, Jet plays at The Hat Factory. Tix are $22, show starts at 8 with opener Crash Kings. Jet best known for two songs I really like "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" and "Cold Hard Bitch". They recently played at the Vancouver Olympics so if you meet them you can ask them if they met Canadian curling sensation, Cheryl Bernard. Here they are playing "Seventeen" at the Olympics:


I'll be back with another post later tonight to let you know everything that's going on this weekend. Just couldn't stay awake to do it last night thanks to the muscle relaxant I took.

Have a fantabulous day!

Tony Jordan

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Alice In Chains, Leon Redbone, CAA Fan Fest, DJ Williams Projekt

Friday night at The National, classic grunge band Alice In Chains rides into town. Tix are $40, doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with opener Middle Class Rut. The show is SOLD OUT but you may want to check later to see if any tix open up. Of course the band is missing deceased lead singer Layne Staley, with William DuVall taking over the lead vocals spot. Reports from a friend who saw the show in the DC area said "It was really good, Tony! Not Layne Staley amazing, but really good. :-) William DuVall did him justice at least." (Thanks, Beth!)

I'll share with you my brush with fame Alice In Chains story. In '92, I was working for WZZO in Allentown and was helping out with our broadcast backstage from the Ozzy Osbourne / Alice In Chains / Motorhead show at the Allentown Fairgrounds. Great show from all the bands. Met Ozzy when he did a meet & greet for some contest winners and he couldn't have been a nicer guy, taking Polaroids with all the winners, giving them a special live CD and signing stuff, including my "Diary of a Madman" album. Later on, I got Alice In Chains to sign my "Facelift" CD booklet and ended up talking with Mike Starr, the bassist (at that time) for the band. I was dying for a beer at this point and he invited me on the tour bus to grab one. We got on the bus and in the candlelit, back room of the bus, I could see Layne Staley and a shady looking guy & girl, all looking a little creepy. They looked up and closed the door to the room and Mike said, "Bad shit going on back there" with a chuckle. It didn't take a brain surgeon to realize that some drug use was probably about to ensue and as time would later tell, it was probably heroin. I'm glad they shut the door.

Here is a track from their latest album, "Black Gives Way to Blue", called "Your Decision":


Tin Pan Alley bluesman Leon Redbone comes to the The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen on
Saturday night. Show starts at 7 PM and tix are $30, but this show is reporting as SOLD OUT also. Again, you may want to double check to see if tix pop up. Brush with fame #2. In the summer of '91, I worked at a bar called "The Hearth" in Pipersville PA, outside of Doylestown. Leon played The Hearth a couple times and while The Hearth didn't have much of a dressing room, the place always extended as much hospitality and good food and drink as they could to the artists. Leon, however, in keeping with his mysterious ways, would politely decline and would stay on his tour bus (might have been an RV) until it was time to go on, requesting only a bottle of liquor. So I never met Leon but he put on a fine show. If you don't recognize Leon's name, you'll certainly recognize his voice (or maybe his whistling):


You've got your first outdoor event of the season (and it looks like the weather will cooperate) in conjunction with the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) basketball championship tournament going on at the Richmond Coliseum this weekend. I have not had a brush with fame with the CAA. The CAA Championship Fan Fest will be held in Festival Park, right next to the Coliseum, all weekend. Here's the dope on that from Venture Richmond:

"The Fan Fest will feature four large flat-screen TV's to watch all the action, live music - including CAA school pep bands, Wii games, Pop-a-shot basketball – all FREE! Food and beverages will be available for purchase too. There will also be free face painting and balloon sculptures, so bring the whole family!"

Fan Fest Tent Hours:
March 5, 11am – 9pm
March 6, 11am – 9pm
March 7, 2pm – 5pm
March 8, 5pm – 7pm

Live Music Line Up:
Friday, March 5
4:00-5:30 – DJ Mordecai
6:15-8:30 – See Double Eh! Allstars
Saturday, March 6
11:30-1:00 – Bush League
1:30-3:00 – Neatles
3:30-5:00 – Road Kill Roy
6:00-9:00 – Lightfields
Sunday, March 7
2:00-4:30 – Brand New Groovement
Monday March 8
5:00-7:00 – Debo & Friends

On Tuesday, DJ Willims Projekt has their regular gig at Cafe Diem. The gig starts at 9:30 PM.

A couple videos to share with you. Here is Grace Potter and The Nocturnals covering Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" from the "Almost Alice" album, an album of songs "inspired by" the new "Alice In Wonderland" movie. They, of course, had to have this song. Its a pretty faithful cover, a great version, and always nice to look upon Grace. Remember, they will be a the Dominion Riverrock Festival on Brown's Island on May 14.


Lastly, I'll leave with the new video from OK Go, who you may remember from the video on the treadmills a couple years that was a huge YouTube hit. For their latest song, "This Too Shall Pass", they have set up a Rube Goldberg-esque contraption of massive proportions. If this was truly done in one take, someone deserves a medal or an Oscar or a Grammy or a nice cup of coffee, because this is cool as hell:


That's it. Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan