Dark Star Orchestra, WRIR Benefit, Monte Montgomery & More

Got a couple concerts in town this week and some news to share so lets get into it.

Friday night, you can check out a benefit for local independent station WRIR. The "Party for the Rest of Us" starts at 7 PM at the Renaissance Conference Center, 107 West Broad Street. The line-up will feature Bio Ritmo, Horsehead, RPG and Hot Lava. The cover charge is $10. There will be complimentary food, birthday cake and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as a cash bar.
More information about the event can be found on WRIR's website, wrir.org.

For those of you who like the Grateful Dead but didn't want to spend $100+ to see them, go see Dark Star Orchestra on Tuesday night at The National. If you want to check out what they sound like before you go, they've launched a new live download site with nugs.net. The doors open at The National at 6:30, show starts at 7:30 and tix are $20 in advance, $25 day of show.

Coming to the National on Friday night is Austin TX blues artist, Monte Montgomery w/Darrell Scott opening. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 and tix are $15. You might dig Monte if you like artists like Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan, Mark Knopfler, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Wonder, or the Neville Brothers.

If you are more in the mood for World rhythms on Friday, check out Simon Shaheen at the Modlin Center for the Arts at the University of Richmond. The show starts at 7:30 and tix are $32. Here's what the Modlin site says about Simon: "Palestinian-American Simon Shaheen dazzles listeners as he deftly leaps from traditional Arabic sounds to jazz and Western classical styles. His soaring technique, melodic ingenuity and unparalleled grace have earned him international acclaim as a virtuoso on the oud (the traditional lute that his father also played) and violin. Shaheen and his band Qantara incorporate and reflect a legacy of Arabic music, while it forges new frontiers, embracing many different styles in the process."

At the Canal Club on Saturday night is Foxy Shazam, Dr. Manhattan, The A.K.A.s., Colin Healy & The Jetskis, and The Battle of Me. Show will go from 5 - 9 PM and tix are $12. Here's what Foxy Shazam says about themselves on their myspace site: "The self-proclaimed "Evel Knievel of Rock N Roll," Foxy Shazam is here to make a musical death defying stunt with their New Weathermen debut Introducing Foxy, to be released in January of 2008. The album, recorded with producer Casey Bates (Portugal the Man, Heavy Heavy Low Low) takes their piano propelled songs that layer spastic hardcore noise atop fractured Soul inspired pop to a new level, one that emphasizes…..well….good times, tells vocalist Eric Nally. "The whole point of the album is to be a feel-good dance party." You might dig Foxy if you like Panic At The Disco, Modest Mouse or My Chemical Romance.

In rock news, the bastards at Ticketmaster tried to swindle Bruce fans this week by switching people trying to get tickets for Bruce directly to Ticketmaster's scalping (er, secondary market) site, TicketsNow, when Bruce tickets sold out. Some people were confused enough that they accidentally bought tix at 2X - 3X the regular price. And somehow a lot of good seats were available on the the TicketsNow site within minutes of the onsale time. So if you don't think brokers, venues and Ticketmaster are all in cahoots to scam artists and fans, that's a point against you. Bruce fans got mad. Bruce got mad enough to write an open letter to Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster wrote an open letter to Bruce fans saying "Yes, we suck". In the meantime, Ticketmaster & LiveNation are talking merger which would lead to a ticket seller monopoly once again. For the full bloody war, here is the story from Rolling Stone: "Ticketmaster Apologies to Bruce Springsteen After Onsale Blunder ".

In other news, the first big music festival of the season, Langerado, is no longer the first music festival because they have canceled the gig. Whether this is due to the economy, or that they were moving the festival from a campsite to a park in the city of Miami with no camping, this doesn't bode well for festival season. We'll have to see what happens next. Bonnaroo meanwhile announced their schedule and ticket prices of about $225, including a layaway plan to buy tix. But with Bruce closing one night and Phish the other two, I suspect they'll sell a few tix. Its the smaller festivals that may go under.

After all this bummer news, I know you're sitting there thinking, "Man, if only a band would play my favorite Pink Floyd tunes in the style of a polka, all would be right with the world again". Well, friends, your prayers have been answered. I give you Polka Floyd! (thanks to Mike K.)

Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

New York Times article on Springsteen

Here's a link to the New York Times article on Springsteen from Wednesday, January 28: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/arts/music/01pare.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=eta1. Hope you all enjoyed the Super Bowl Halftime show. I thought it was great, though it was hard to see a 12 minute Springsteen show, when you are used to 3 hours.

Nighthawks, Terry Garland, Stephaine's Id, English Beat

Good evening or day, depending on when you read this.

Friday night, its a double dose for Nighthawks fans. The Nighthawks will be playing at the Canal Club at 8:30. The Jimmy Catlett Band comes on first, The Nighthawks will be second and then Bruce Courson and Mark Wenner from the Nighthawks will be backing up headliner and local Richmond blues man, Terry Garland. Should be a great night of blues-rock. Tickets are $14.

Also Friday night, Citizen Cope comes to The National. Show starts at 9, doors open at 8 and tickets are $23. Citizen Cope recently played in DC the night before the inaugaration at the "Hey America Feels Kinda' Cool Again" Inaugural Gala Featuring the Beastie Boys & Sheryl Crow. You'll dig Citizen Cope if you like G Love, Everlast, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Randy Newman or Stevie Wonder.

Saturday night, 80's Two-Tone band, the English Beat come to Toad's Place. You'll remember them from such tunes as Tears of a Clown, Mirror In the Bathroom and Save It for Later. Also, the Beat's song "Rotating Head," remixed and renamed "March of the Swivelheads," was famously used in the climactic chase scene of 1986's Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Doors open at 7 and tix are $20. This should be a fun show so bust out your skinny tie and your pork pie hat and wear your black and white.

Here's the video for Save It For Later, a song Pete Townshend covered. I met Pete Townshend once (not kidding) and asked him about some cryptic comments he made during his show "I bet you're wondering what this song is about" before he played Save It For Later. He told me the lead singer of the English Beat told him the song was about getting a blow job. So there you go.



Stephanie's Id plays with Sajak at The Triple on Saturday night. Show starts at 10. You might dig Stephanie's Id (out of Ashville NC) if you like Bjork, The Sundays, Radiohead, Sigur Ros or other somewhat trippy indie pop. Here's a song of theirs I like called "Cold Cold":


Andrew Bird comes to The National on Monday night. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30 and tix are $23. Here's what allmusic.com says about Andrew: "Chicago singer/songwriter/violinist Andrew Bird updates the traditions of small-group swing, German leider, and New Orleans jazz, mixing gypsy, folk, and rock elements into his distinctive style." You might dig Andrew if you like Squirrel Nut Zipper, Flaming Lips, Jeff Buckley, DeVotchKa or Brian Setzer.

With Bruce Springsteen being the best thing about the Super Bowl this weekend, here are a couple articles about the Boss for your pleasure:
"Springsteen can't save us" on salon.com
"Who Is Bruce Springsteen?" on slate.com

Finally, the Flight of the Conchords have returned to HBO. The second episode of the new season was better than the first episode which I found a little dull, but then again I was depressed about the Eagles losing. I was a little worried that they might be a one-season wonder, but the second episode renewed my faith. Here is a little number from the first season called "Most Beautiful Girl In The Room":


Have a great weekend.

Tony Jordan

Springsteen returns to C'Ville

Just got this email announcment:
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band tickets go on sale Mon., Feb. 2 at 10am for the Charlottesville, VA date on the first series of this anticipated 2009 Tour. Live Nation, Starr Hill Presents and AEG Live will present Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band at John Paul Jones Arena on Tues., May 5, 2009 at 7:30 PM.There will be no pre-sale for the Keeping Up with the Joneses.Tickets are priced at $67 and $97 and will be available at John Paul Jones Arena Box Office, all Plan 9 outlets, http://www.johnpauljonesarena.com, http://www.livenation.com or charge-by-phone at 1-888-575-8497. A limited number of dance floor general admission seats are available. ALL other seats are reserved.Bruce Springsteen's new album "Working on a Dream" has been set for a January 27 release on Columbia Records. "Working on a Dream" was recorded with the E Street Band and features twelve new Springsteen compositions plus the bonus track. It is the fourth collaboration between Springsteen and Brendan O'Brien, who produced and mixed the album Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band be will be performing in the BRIDGESTONE SUPER BOWL XLIII HALFTIME SHOW on NBC Sports at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Sunday, February 1, the NFL announced.Bruce Springsteen, whose title song for "The Wrestler," recently won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song -- Motion Picture category.Fans are encouraged to check in at www.brucespringsteen.net or www.shorefire.com for additional information.

Drive-By Truckers & Dar Williams

The big story this weekend is the return of the Drive-By Truckers to The National. They are working on a new album but have decided to squeeze in a few shows and thanks to their connection to Richmond (lead singer Patterson Hood named the Richmond show on 3/28 as one of his top five DBT shows of last year), they will be here on Saturday night. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8, tix are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the show. If you are planning to go, get your tix in advance because they sold out last time, which I unfortunately found out. I would totally be going to this show, but my string of bad luck/timing with DBT continues. My dad and his wife are coming this weekend and we couldn't change the date because they wouldn't be able to come down from Philly again for at least a month and they are anxious to get the kids their Xmas gifts before Valentine's Day hits. I will hopefully see them when they return again later this year.

If you are wondering whether you would like to see DBT, ask yourself, "Do I like rock n' roll?" If yes, then go. The music is a cross between Neil Young (who they play with on Booker T (of the MGs) new album), Lynyrd Skynyrd, 80s alternative/punk, Widespread Panic and Social Distortion and the lyrics are like if Bruce Springsteen grew up in Alabama in the 70s and read a lot of William Faulkner.

Also on Saturday night, Toubab Krewe play at the Capital Ale House Music Hall. Doors open at 8 and tix are $10. Here is what the Ale House web site says about them: "Blending Malian, American, and "Dirty South" influences into a genre all its own, Toubab Krewe "has set a new standard for fusions of rock 'n' roll and West African music," says Banning Eyre at Afropop Worldwide. Members of the group developed their unique sound over the course of numerous extended trips to West Africa, where they immersed themselves in the local culture and studied and performed with masters such as Lamine Soumano, Vieux Kante, Madou Dembele, and Koungbanan Conde. The magnetic instrumental quintet formed in early 2005 and has attracted a diverse and devoted national following, captivating crowds everywhere from the Bonnaroo Music Festival and the Blue Note to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The band's energetic performances and acclaimed self-titled debut have won them praise from the New York Times, Global Rhythm, and Afropop Worldwide."

On Monday night at The National, Dar Williams brings her folk-pop in. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8:30 and tix are $20. Joshua Radin and Jesse Harris are opening. This is a reserved seat show. In the article in today's Times-Dispatch, they mention that she had help on her new album from Gary Louris (of the Jayhawks), Rob Hyman (The Hooters) and Suzanne Vega. You'll like Dar if you like John Hiatt, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Jonathan Brooke, and Paula Cole.

That's all for now. Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Nighthawks parts, Cosmic Charlie, Cross Canadian Ragweed

Hey there! Hope you've all been having fun playing with David Lee Roth.

This is a good weekend if you are a Nighthawks fan. For those that don't know, the Nighthawks are a great blues and roots rock bar band (and I don't say that perjoratively because a good bar band is hard to find. Just ask Phil about the band he saw at Poe's last weekend.) that's been around for 30 years and have achieved a cult following in the mid-Atlantic. While the Nighthawks themselves aren't playing in the area, pieces of them are.

Drummer Pete Ragusa will be playing with the January Allstars at Shenanigan's Pub in the Northside. The show starts at 8:30 and the January Allstars are made up of Catfish Hodge, Tom Principato, Tommy Lepson, Pete Ragusa & Steve Wolf. Then on Sunday night, Nighthawks vocalist and harp player Mark Wenner plays with local Richmond bluesman Terry Garland and his trio at Lulu's in Shockoe Bottom. That is according to the Nighthawks web site. I can't get confirmation on the Lulu's web site so call Lulu's in advance to confirm.

If you have made a fiscal decision to pass on The Dead due to their high ticket prices but still need your Grateful Dead music fix, Cosmic Charlie will be at The Canal Club on Friday night. The show starts at 9:30 and you'll get two sets of music for the low, low price of $10.

Cross Canadian Ragweed will be playing at Toad's Place on Sunday night. Doors open at 7 PM, tix are $18 and this is an all ages show. Local Americana band The Atkinsons will be opening so be sure to get there early. You'll dig Cross Canadian Ragweed if you like Drive-By Truckers, Alejandro Escovedo, or other alt-country acts. Here is a video for their song "Carneyman":


Virginia Coalition will be at the Capital Ale House Music Hall on Saturday night. Doors open at 9 and tix are $15. I saw them a few years ago at Friday Cheers and thought they were OK. I'd heard they were better when they were a four piece band. But its been a few years so they may be worth another try. Their latest album, Home This Year, got a great review (4.5 stars out of 5) on the AllMusic web site.
Here's what they Ale House site says about them:
"Virginia Coalition's live show is a larger-than-life party that has helped the band garner a rabid fan base who affectionately call them “VACO.” It was also Virginia Coalition's extraordinary live show that got them signed to New York City based label bluhammock music. Based on a tip from a friend, the founders of the label came to a show to check them out. "Then they came back a second time, then they kept coming back until we got signed. That's pretty much how everything has happened for us. " Ottinger said. "All the success VACO has is due to people passing the word around and saying good things." Word of mouth is how they sold 60,000 records and it's how they won the 2003 Washington Post Reader's Choice Award for Best Local Band in 2003."

And if you feel like freezing in DC Sunday (starting at 2 PM) or perhaps just watching it on HBO (7 - 9 PM), the Inaugaral Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial will feature a few folks you may have heard of: Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder. Among those reading historical passages will be Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington.

Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Fun with David Lee Roth

Found this fun little doo-hickey, the David Lee Roth Runnin' With the Devil Soundboard. Tell me you won't sit there all day today making DLR say "AHHHYAAAAAH".

I had an idea for some of my friends who got laid off from Genworth but still have 30 days until they are let go. On your last day of work, pull up this web site, turn up your speakers as loud as they can go, and then begin clicking away. Don't stop until security comes and escorts you from the building early. Or better yet, if you can get a bunch of people with laptops, march on up to the CEOs office and all of you do it at once. Make sure you all have some big speakers to hook those laptops up to.

Tony Jordan

The Dead Cash In

Got the ticket prices for The Dead and it looks like they have decided to cash in with top tickets of $100. When they were still Grateful, they used to keep the prices at a resonable level. Guess they need to restock that retirement fund after the market losses.

Shhhh. Listen. You can hear the backlash beginning amongst the Deadheads.

The Grateful Dead are, and always will be, one of my favorite bands. But for these prices, and the fact that I would have to travel to see a show (albeit only to C'ville), I have decided to pass on this tour. I can hit at least three shows locally at The National or Toad's with great bands in a more intimate setting for those prices.

Anyway, for your perusal, here are the shows for The Dead tour, along with the ticket prices. If you want to go, the presale starts on dead.net tomorrow and below are instructions for mail order.

The Dead, featuring Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, joined by Warren Haynes and Jeff Chimenti, will play the following shows:

Sunday, April 12, 2009 at the Greensboro Coliseum
in Greensboro, NC. Reserved seats are available
at $93.00, $69.00 and $53.50 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. Reserved seats are available at $102.00 and $72.00 per ticket. Doors open at 5:30 PM. Showtime is 7:00 PM.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA. Reserved seats are available at $79.00 and $49.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Friday, April 17, 2009 at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY. Reserved seats are available at $100.00 and $60.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Saturday & Sunday, April 18 & 19, 2009 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. Reserved seats are available at $100.25 and $69.00. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, NY. Reserved seats are available at $100.50 and $60.50 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at the Wachovia Arena @ Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Reserved seats are available at $99.00 and $73.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM.
Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Friday, April 24, 2009 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY. Reserved seats are available at $102.00 and $57.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Saturday, April 25, 2009 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. Reserved seats are available @ $103.50 and $58.50 per ticket.
Doors open at 6:30 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Sunday, April 26, 2009 at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Reserved seats are available at $102.00 and $72.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Tuesday & Wednesday, April 28 & 29, 2009 at The IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ.
Reserved seats are available at $102.00 and $57.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM.
Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Friday and Saturday, May 1 & 2, 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA. Reserved seats are available at $99.00 and $69.00 Reserved.
Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at All State Arena in Chicago, IL. Reserved seats are available at $99.00 and $54.00 per ticket. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Thursday, May 7, 2009 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. Reserved seats are available at $98.50 and $63.50. Doors open at 6:00 PM.
Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Saturday, May 9, 2009 at The Forum in Los Angeles, CA. Reserved seats are available at $89.00 Reserved and $53.50 Reserved. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

Sunday, May 10, 2009 at Shoreline Amphitheatre In Mountain View, CA. Reserved seats are available at $105.00 Reserved and $45.00 Lawn. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

The only mail in dates for these performances are January 13, 2009 through January 20, 2009. Orders will be filled on a first come, first serve basis by postmark, not when we receive them.
Please do not mail in before January 13th as your order will be disqualified.

4 ticket limit per person per show.

Taper tickets will be available for all shows on the tour except for Shoreline Amphitheatre where taping will be permitted on the lawn.
Taper tickets are available at the higher ticket price for each venue.
Taper tickets are limited to 2 per person per show.

To reduce our carbon footprint our new address to mail in for this tour is:

GDTS TOO
P.O. Box 456
Stinson Beach, CA 94970

80s Burger Rap

Now I totally wish I had worked at Wendy's in the 80s:

Tour news: Bruce, Phish, Led Zep

Lots of music news this AM:

Bruce is gonna tour but no dates yet: http://www.backstreets.com/news.html

Phish is gonna tour and we have dates but closest to Richmond is Asheville: http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/01/08/phish-reunion-tour-takes-shape-report-lists-run-of-northeast-shows/

Led Zep is not gonna tour in any way, shape, or form: http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/01/08/led-zeppelin-are-over-jimmy-pages-manager-declares/

Stooges' guitarist Ron Asheton passed away on the 5th. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/25334692/the_stooges_ron_asheton_remembered