Michael Franti & Spearhead, Zoso

Doing the blog a little early this week. Wednesday night is "Lost" night while there are new episodes being shown. Gotta keep up on what's going on on the crazy, time-shifting island. Thursday night I want to try to get to sleep early because I'm going to be up late on Friday to see Michael Franti & Spearhead at the National.

Doors open at 7 and the show starts at 8. Tix are $26. If you aren't worried about them selling out (I was) and can wait to buy them at the door, then you can avoid the Ticketmaster surcharges which came out to an additional 40% on top of the ticket price. I hate Ticketmaster.

I'm not totally sure if there is an opening band. The show is listed as "Featuring Cherine Anderson and Courtney John" so I don't know if they are opening and/or playing with Spearhead. Get there early just in case. You don't want to miss a minute of Spearhead's blend of reggae, hip-hop, funk and world music. I have seen very few entertainers who can have a whole crowd on their feet dancing and hugging complete strangers by the end of the show. If you want to check out some Spearhead, here is a link to video of his complete show at All Good this year: http://www.iclips.net/content.php?content_id=21192. If you are going to the show, let me know and I'll keep an eye open for you.

If you are totally bummed that it looks like Led Zep will never be getting back together, you can check out Zoso, the Led Zep tribute band at The National on Saturday night. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 and tix are $12.50.

That's about it for this week. I'll leave you with a little ditty called "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears. Only this version of the song shows what would happen if they just sang about what was happening in the music video. Enjoy.

Head Over Heels: Literal Video Version - watch more funny videos

Have a great weekend and I'll see you at Spearhead!

Tony Jordan

Jason Isbell, Wrinkle Neck Mules, Prabir & The Substitutes

Hello, hello, hello.

Jason Isbell (formerly of the Drive-By Truckers) comes to the National on Saturday night heading up his new band, The 400 Unit. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8, tix are $15. Be sure to get there early because Richmond act DJ Williams Projekt is opening and the always get the party started right. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit just released their self-titled new album this week. The album got a 7.4 (out of 10) on the Pitchfork web site. Here is Jason and the band doing one of my favorite songs from his DBT days:


Wrinkle Neck Mules will be at Toad's Place on Friday night. Doors open at 7:30, tix are $15 and 6 Day Bender and The Hotdamns are opening. Wrinkle Neck Mules play bluegrass influenced roots rock. You might dig them if you like The Silos, The Eagles, Wilco or The Jayhawks.

Local act Prabir & The Substitutes play at Plaza Bowl on Saturday night w/openers You Guys Are Girls and David Sholtz & The Skyline. Plaza Bowl is at 521 E Southside Plaza and featurs duckpin bowling, bands and beer. Show starts at 8 PM. You'll dig Prabir & The Subsitutes if you like The Beatles, Flaming Lips, The Kinks, Elvis Costello, Ben Folds Five, or Tom Petty.

That's about it for this week. I'm tired so I'm out of here.

A heads up for next week: Michael Franti & Spearhead will be at the National on Friday night. I already got my ticket so I hope to see you there.

Tony Jordan

Out O Blue Stage Revue, CJ Chenier, Mae, Prince

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I guess because V-Day falls on a Saturday this year, its a pretty slow weekend for music.

But if you feel like heading out on Sunday afternoon and showing your honey you support good causes, go on down to the Canal Club for the Out O Blue Stage Revue to benefit The Positive Vibe Cafe, the Central VA Food Bank, the Eric E Stanley Foundation and Page Wilson. The show runs from 2 - 1o PM and costs $20 donation. Here is the musical lineup:
2:30 - Page Wilson with Reckless Abandon (Billy Lux, Charles Arthur, Jim Skelding, Jay Gillespie), 3:20 - Kip Williams Quartet featuring James "Saxsmo" Gates & Anthony Dowd, 4:10 - Susan Greenbaum, 5:00 - Terry Garland with Bruce Courson, 5:50 - Janet Martin Band, 6:40 - Brad Spivey & the Honky Tonk Experience, 7:30 - Gary Gerloff Band, 8:20 - L'il Ronnie & the Grand Dukes, 9:05 - Bruce Olsen & the Offenders.

Should be some great music. A lot of you are off on Monday and its going to get chilly again this weekend, so get warm by moving your butt and warm someone's heart with your kind donations. There will also be a Raffle & Live Auction.

Tuesday night, get ready for Mardi Gras with CJ Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band at the Capital Ale House Downtown. Doors open at 7 and tix are $15. Here is what the Ale House site says about CJ: "C.J. Chenier was literally born into the musical tradition of southwest Louisiana and Texas Zydeco, a chugging, accordion-led blend of French Creole and African-derived influences. Born the son of great Zydeco king Clifton Chenier, the first Grammy Award winning musician of his genre, C.J. was totally immersed in R&B, funk and jazz from childhood.
Coming into adulthood, C.J.'s interest in the music of his ancestors grew and after college graduation he joined his father's legendary Red Hot Louisiana Band on the road. After his father's death in 1987, C.J. assumed leadership of the band. While he continued to develop his personal accordion style, C.J. also gradually began grafting on influences from his boyhood. As C.J. explains, "I play it the way I play it. All my father really told me was to do the best I could do with my own style.""

On Wednesday night at the Canal Club, Mae plays with Conditions, Against Grace, The Bigger Lights and We The Living opening. Show starts at 6:30 and tix are $15. Mae play alt-pop and hail from the Norfolk/VA Beach area.

Since its a slow week its time for another installment of Remember the Spectrum. For this one we go to a historic tour, Prince's Purple Rain tour, pulling into Philly on Thanksgiving night, November 22, 1984. I had been a Prince fan for a few years beginning with the 1999 album and of course 1984 was Prince's biggest year with the release of the Purple Rain movie and album. The tour was sold out but my girlfriend, Jennifer (also a big Prince fan), and I had managed to get seats in the third level but on the railing and close to stage so they weren't bad. If I remember her brother went with us, which was good because we weren't driving yet and the show was a late start due to the holiday, 9 or 10 PM, I think. The parts that stand out in my mind were the opening song, "Let's Go Crazy", when Prince rose from underneath the stage surrounded by smoke and light as he delivered the opening monologue ("Dearly beloved....").
The other moment that stands out was the "I Would Die For You/Baby I'm a Star" finale with Sheila E. (the opener) and her band. Must have gone on for 15 minutes with Prince conducting his giant funk orchestra and dancing and whirling about the stage. This show solidified my Prince fandom, with Prince extending and manipulating songs with one of the tightest bands EVER (The Revolution) and moving non-stop for the length of the show. I would not miss another chance to see him over the next 25 years.

Couldn't find video of either (Prince is pretty notorious for keeping his videos off of the web), but here is one of underrated songs from Purple Rain, live from the Purple Rain tour, "Computer Blue". This feature Wendy simulating fellatio on Prince, great Prince guitar work, band choreography and some typical Prince weirdness (the voiceover stuff at the end) all in less than five minutes. Enjoy!

Computer Blue - Purple Rain Tour 1985
Uploaded by samsarax

We thought they were dead and gone but the band that ruined rock music for a good five years is making a comeback. Yes, its Limp Bizkit. Does anyone really want this? Couldn't someone put a stake into these guys before they play again?

Now I couldn't leave you on that note, especially on this holiday of love. In the spirit of the day, please enjoy this video from Finland's Armi & Danny, "I Wanna Love You Tender".

I Wanna Love You Tender Viral SPIKE.com

Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Your ticket price just doubled

Listen.... Listen..... What's that I hear? Its the cost of arena & amphitheater tickets doubling:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/10/news/companies/ticketmaster_live_nation/?postversion=2009021013

It may not be a done deal though. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY said, "As the Springsteen bait-and-switch shows, even on its own, it is very hard to trust Ticketmaster," Schumer said in a statement Tuesday.
"This merger would give a giant, new entity unrivaled power over concertgoers and the prices they pay to see their favorite artists and bands. It must be viewed skeptically and scrutinized with a fine-toothed comb by the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission," he added.

It will be interesting to see what will happen if the deal goes through. Could large acts who aren't under the Live Nation umbrella band together and start a new ticketing service? Would they then be shut out of all venues Live Nation/TM own or control forcing them to play in open fields and high school gyms? Would new bands be forced to kowtow to Live Nation/TM or risk never being able to move above the theater level?

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