RIP Denny Laine

 

Tuesday on Handful of Brains, we’ll pay tribute to the late Denny Laine of Moody Blues & Wings. (originally aired on 12/12/2023, 7 – 9 PM on WRIR 97.3FM Richmond Community Radio). We’ve also got music from Jaime Wyatt, Cory Branan, Future Islands, David Bowie, Pogues, Peter Gabriel, MGMT, The Beatles, Kevin Gordon, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, The Reverend Shawn Amos, Mikaela Davis & Southern Star, & more!

You can listen to the show anytime you like here https://vault.wrir.org/shows/202312121900.HandfulOfBrains.mp3 and here's a link to the playlist https://www.wrir.org/2023/12/12/rip-denny-laine/#playlist

You can listen to the last two months of shows whenever you want here https://www.wrir.org/show/handful-of-brains/

Weekend Picks: Of Montreal, Moody Blues, Drivin' N' Cryin', No BS! Brass Band, The Low Counts, Goldrush plays REM, Horsehead, Virginia Beer & Bluegrass Mini Festival, Life on Mars

The weekend starts Thursday with psychedelic art rock band Of Montreal at The Broadberry. Tix are $18 advance, $22 day of show, doors open at 7, show starts at 8 and Pillar Point opens. [UPDATE 3/23 9:39 AM - The Broadberry says this show is now SOLD OUT!] There aren't many tickets yet so get them soon if you are getting them. You might dig Of Montreal if you like The Decemberists, REM, Syd Barrett, The Kinks, Beck, or Robyn Hitchcock. Here's the band performing "Empyrean Abattoir" earlier this month:



Classic art rockers Moody Blues are at The Altria Theater Friday night. Tix range from $55 to $90. Show starts at 8 and there is no opener. Here's the press blurb:

The Moody Blues – Justin Hayward (lead guitar, vocals), John Lodge (bass guitar, vocals) and Graeme Edge (drums) – have been at the forefront of the classic rock music scene for almost 50 years, with their multi-Platinum, Platinum and Gold albums and singles hitting Billboard at #1, Top 5, Top 10, Top 20 and Top 40. Their illustrious roster of hits include: “Nights In White Satin,” "Tuesday Afternoon," “Ride My See Saw,” “The Story In Your Eyes,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” “Question,” “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)” and “Your Wildest Dreams,” and many more.

The band named the tour “Fly Me High” to mark the 50th Anniversary of Justin Hayward and John Lodge joining Graeme Edge, Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder as lead guitarist and bassist for the iconic band.

And here's the Moody Blues in 1968 performing "Nights in White Satin":



Goldrush plays tribute to one of the greatest bands of all time, at least in my mind, REM at Savory Grain on Friday night, In the 80's and 90's, every album by the band was met with great anticipation and they provided the soundtrack for my college and post-college years. I'll never forget when I was working at WZZO in Allentown and the single "Drive" came in the mail one Tuesday morning. Before it even went on the air, I grabbed it and threw it in the closest CD player, determined to be the first on Earth, or at least in the Lehigh Valley, to hear it. The song started with a feeling of dread that sucks you in, the violins swirl and lull you into a false sense of well-being and when the electric guitar riff kicked in, I got goosebumps that I still get today. The show starts at 10 when Goldrush does a set of originals followed by REM tunes for the rest of the night. This is a FREE show so you have no excuse not to go. Drink specials too! Here's "Drive" from REM:



And here's Goldrush with "Pale Blue Dot":

Saturday at Capital Ale House Downtown, it's the Virginia Beer and Bluegrass Mini Festival. Doors open at 2, show starts at 2:30, tix are $15 advance, $20 at the door. Here's the lineup:

• James Justin & Co. 
• Cabin Creek
• South Hill Banks
• Strong Water
• Sturgeon City
• The Tide Rose
• Woody Woodworth & The Rebel City

Here's James Justin & Co.'s "Slid":

Hardywood busts out the Bourbon Raspberry Stout with Vanilla (mmmmmmm!) on Saturday and celebrates with music from garage rock n' rollers The Low Counts out of NC. This band will work here. They make me want to drink beer. Festivities start at 2. Music starts at 5. It's FREE to get in. There may be some other bands but if there are, they ain't sayin'. Here's "Keep It Burning" from The Low Counts:



More brewery fun on Saturday as the Bowie tribute band Life on Mars is at Strangeways Brewing as they break out the Martian Spring Bier de Mars. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 and it's $10 to get in. Here's Bowie in 1973 singing about "1984" on the 1980 Road Show:

No BS! Brass Band things gets funky because Spring is finally here at The Broadberry Saturday. Tix are $15, doors open at 8, show starts at 9. Planet Hunting Methods opens. Here's the band's full performance for Audiotree a year ago:

Country/Soul/Rock n' Roll band Horsehead is at The Camel Saturday night with New Boss (same as the old boss?) and Prabir opening. Tix are $5 advance, $7 day of show, doors open at 8, show starts at 9. Here's Horsehead's "Casual Dracula":

Tuesday night at Capital Ale House Downtown is the underrated Drivin' N' Cryin'. I recently realized that I had 3 CDs from them that I hadn't listened to since about 1995. I popped them in the old CD player and was reminded what a great band they were/are with their Southern rock/psychedelic/blues mix. Tix are $15 advance, $18 at the door, doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with openers Great Peacock. Here's the press blurb:

Celebrating their 30th Anniversary together, Atlanta-based southern hard rock act Drivin’ n Cryin’ was also inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in the Fall of 2015. 

In October 1985 Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ played their first show at Atlanta’s famed 688 Club. The band quickly gained attention for its blistering live shows and amassed a rabid fanbase in the fertile soil of the late-1980s music scene in the Southeast. Now 30 years later, founding members Kevn Kinney and Tim Nielsen find themselves enjoying a milestone anniversary for the band, having survived the pressures of fame, a shifting musical landscape, multiple lineup changes, and miles of back roads and highways to arrive here.

With a gold record, 10 full-length albums and a handful of EPs to their credit, the band still refuses to rest on its laurels, adding Jason and the Scorchers axe man, Warner E. Hodges, to the lineup and continuing to tour the United States and Europe to great acclaim. In 2015, a vinyl-only collection of 10 choice cuts from the band’s 4-EP ‘Songs’ series, entitled Best of Songs, was released on Nashville’s Plowboy Records. Comfortable with their past and confident in their future, the band has an arsenal of songs, a full tank of gas, and no plans of stopping any time soon. 

And here's "Build a Fire" from 1991:



Have a great weekend! I'll leave you with one more from REM.



Oh, hell. Let's make it two more.



Tony Jordan

Weekly Picks: Robert Randolph, Drive-By Truckers,Moody Blues, Blitzen Trapper, WRIR Benefit, St. Pat's Day Parties, Floodwood

If you've got iTunes or can download it, you can watch the iTunes Festival from SXSW this week. Wednesday night sees a rap lineup with Kendrick Lamar (11 PM), ScHoolboy Q (10:10) and Isaiah Rashad (9:40). Thursday is the highlight for me with Soundgarden at 11 PM where they'll play their classic album "Superunknown" in it's entirety starting at 11 PM, Band of Skulls (9:45) and Capital Cities (9). Friday sees a pop lineup with Pitbull (11 PM), ZEDD (9:45 PM) and G.R.L. (9). Saturday it's country with Keith Urban (11 PM), Willie Nelson (9:45), Mickey Guyton (9).

On Thursday night, Robert Randolph & The Family Band will be at The Beacon Theatre in Hopewell. Tix range from $17.50 to $30. Doors open at 6 and the show starts at 6:30 with a "special guest" opening, which usually isn't all that special but there will be an opener. Robert Randolph plays pedal steel guitar and is quite simply one of the greatest guitarists alive right now. In fact, Rollling Stone recently put Robert on it's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list. Damn, I think I just talked myself into going to this show. Here's Robert and the Family Band doing "Peekaboo" for Radio Woodstock on Valentine's Day:

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If you like your 80's songs done bluegrass style, and who doesn't, head to Ashland Coffee & Tea on Thursday for Love Canon, the band that plays 80's songs bluesgrass style. Show starts at 8 (no opener) and it's $12 in advance, $15 day of show. Here they are dropping the sledgehammer on ya:

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Friday, Tarrant and Wayfarer play at Lounge 207 at 207 W Broad. Doors open at 6:30 and it's $11 to get in. Here's a short video from Tarrant's recent sessions at Sound of Music studio and it should give you a good taste for their Americana sound.

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At Strange Matter on Friday, it's a benefit for WRIR with The Milkstains, The Trillions, Tungs & Dave Watkins. Doors open at 9, show starts at 10 and it's only $5 to get in. Here's The Milkstains at Strange Matter on 9/28/13:


The Milkstains - 2013 Sept. 28 - Live at Strange Matter - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger on Vimeo.

Also, Friday night, world renowned salsa band from Richmond, Bio Ritmo is at The Camel. It's $10 to get in and the show starts at 9:30 with Quatro Na Bossa. Here's a remix of Bio Ritmo's "Majadero":



Saturday is just filthy with St. Patrick's Day parties. I'm just gonna list them here. You can click the links to check them out and help decide which one to go to. The biggest and I'll say the best based on their band line up is Shamrock on the Block, which somewhat controversially moved to The Boulevard this year from the 17th Street Farmers Market. It's FREE, they've expanded the kids area and the band lineup along with the amount of space. Should be a good time. Highlights bandwise are The Southern Belles from 2 - 2:45 and Black Girls from 4 - 4:45. Here's the rest:

- Shockoe Fest - taking the place of Shamrock the Block at the 17th Street Farmers Market.
- 15th Annual St. Patrick's Day Party at Sine' - this one goes the latest for those that want to party into the night.
- St. Paddy's Palooza at Innsbrook - the most family oriented but they still have beer. Because it's St. Patrick's Day.

If you are still standing after the St. Patrick's Day parties, there are two great bands playing. First, one of my favorite bands of all time, Drive-By Truckers will be at The National. I am all tore up that I can't make this show, but I'm hoping they'll visit Charlottesville on the second leg of the tour. Tix are $30, doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with Blitzen Trapper and get there early to see them. If you like great, rootsy, Southern, punk rock n' roll with hints of Springsteen, Skynyrd, Social Distortion, AC/DC, Rolling Stones, go see this band. The music will make you move, the lyrics will make you laugh, they'll make you cry, they'll make you get drunk (along with the band) and by the end of the show, you'll be a sweaty, hoarse mess after seeing one of the greatest rock bands you'll ever see. Here they are on Conan the other night doing their new single, "Sh*t Shots Count":

Over at Capital Ale House Saturday night, Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico from moe. get a little bluegrass thang going called Floodwood. Jackass Flats will be opening and that ain't too bad either. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9, tix are $12 in advance, $15 day of show. Here's Floodwood doing "Spend Some Time" in Buffalo. Not a place where I want to spend time, though I do hear they have some tasty chicken wings.

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Sunday, classic rock band Moody Blues will be at the Landmark Altria Theater. (It's gonna take me a while to get used to saying that, if ever). Tix are $55 - $90, show starts at 8 PM, and there does not appear to be an opener. It's not too late to get a cabin on the Moody Blues Cruise which starts April 2 and features Roger Daltrey, The Zombies, Carl Palmer, Starship, and Little River Band. Here's the Moody Blues at the famous Isle of Wight festival in 1970:

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If you are looking for somewhere to go on St. Patrick's Day proper (Monday 3/17), check out all the locations of Capital Ale House with much Irish music and beer, beer, beer.

Just downloaded this show the other day from the Pearl Jam site. Found this on YouTube tonight. It's the full Pearl Jam show from Charlottesville on 10/29/13 with HQ audio and the editor put the video together from multiple audience shot video. Really well done. Maybe you can spot me in the audience.

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Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan