Late Night Pick: The Black Keys

The Black Keys will be on Colbert Report tonight on Comedy Central at 11:31 PM (no kidding, it says 11:31 PM on the Comedy Central schedule). You'll hear a song off of their new album, Turn Blue, which getting their usual good reviews. You'll also be able to decide if you want to buy tickets to their upcoming show at Richmond Colisuem on December 6. St. Vincent will open. Tickets go on sale on Friday, May 16 at 10 AM through Ticketmaster. They will be at the reasonable price (at least for stadium shows) of $35 - $65. I'll be on the computer on Friday trying to get some good seats. Here's The Black Keys, "Tighten Up":



Here's Neil Young & Jack White on last night's Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon explaining what a Voice-O-Graph Machine is:


And here's Neil performing "Since I Met You" on the show:

Late Night Pick: Neil Young & Jack White

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is one not to be missed tonight. Neil Young and Jack White will perform together (hopefully more than once) in what should be a feedback filled, bluesy blowout. As an added bonus, my favorite comedian (currently) Louis CK is the other guest. Neil and Jack will record the song they do and press it to vinyl right then and there on the show. If you're wondering why these two are playing together, Jack helps out on two songs on Neil's latest covers album, A Letter Home, and Neil used Jack's Voice-O-Graph booth to record the album (check the link to the album info to find out what the heck a Voice-O-Graph is). Here's Neil doing "Needle of Death" from that album:



Here's tUnE-yArDs performing "Water Fountain" on the Tonight Show on Friday:

Late Night Pick: tUnE-yArDs

On the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:35 AM), check out the crazed rhythms of tUnE-yArDs. tUnE-yArDs is the music project of Merrill Garbus and her third and latest album, "Nikki Nack" is getting great reviews like the first two. Here's "Bizness" from tUnE-yArDs second album:



Here's Rodrigo y Gabriela on last night's Conan:

Weekend Picks: Lord Huron, Jamey Johnson, Rockn' for Lockn' 2, Chromeo, Blood Red Shoes, Balloon Fest, Beer Fest, Fear of Music

The weekend begins, as all weekends in May & June, with Friday Cheers on Brown's Island. This week it's alt-indie-folk-rock band, Lord Huron. You'll dig these guys if you like Fleet Foxes, My Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend, Jake Bugg, Bon Iver, or Crosby, Stills & Nash or just great vocal harmonies over dreamy, folk rock. Lord Huron will be on at 8. Local band, The Northerners, will open at 6:30. Lord Huron will be hitting many of the big festivals this summer including High Sierra, Summer Meltdown, RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest (in GB), Mo Pop Festival, Shaky Knees (on Saturday), and Forecastle. Here's their latest video, "Ends of the Earth" featuring some really cool animation:



Down in Pocahontas Park this weekend it's the Country Music Campout. You can get tickets for both Saturday or Sunday or just pick one day or the other. Two day tickets run $40 - $80. Friday features Dustin Lynch, Frankie Ballard, and Chris Stapleton (tix run $20 - $40, show starts at 5:45). Saturday is Jamey Johnson, Charlie Worsham and Chris Hennesse (tix run $25 - $40, show starts at 4:40). Jamey Johnson is the real deal. You won't hear songs about sitting on the tailgate of his pickup truck, drinking beer by the river with a girl like 90% of pop country these days. This dude writes songs in the classic country tradition about booze, drugs, jail, hookers, and losing everything you've got. That's why you don't hear him on country radio and why you should listen to him. Check out this tune, "High Cost of Living":



Friday night at the RVA Theater (formerly known as Epic Theater, formerly known as Hat Factory, formerly know as Toad's Place), the second round of the battle of bands known as Rockn' to Lockn' goes down. The ultimate winner gets to play at the Lockn' Festival this September. This round features Downbeat Switch, Seth Stainback and Roosterfoot, The Trongone Band, and Horsehead. Show starts at 8, it's $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Expect mucho jamming.

At Meadow Event Park up in Doswell, VA Saturday, it's the Mid-Atlantic Balloon Fest. I don't mean party balloons or nitrous balloons (calm down, hippies) but big-ass hot-air balloons. It'll run Saturday & Sunday from 6 AM to 9 PM Saturday and 6 AM to 5 PM Sunday. Tix are $15 for adults and $5 for kids. Besides the 20 hot-air balloons, there will be live music, arts & crafts, wine tasting, food, craft beers and a kid's area.

Also on Saturday, you've got the 4th Annual Virginia Hops & Barley Festival where 288 meets Huguenot Rd. It'll go from 1 PM to 8 PM. There will be lots of craft beer (duh), food and live music. Taster tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Non-taster tickets are $10.

UK alt-punk rock duo Blood Red Shoes will rip it up at Strange Matter Saturday night along with Radkey and Imaginary Sons. Doors open at 9 and it's $10 to get in. BRS will be at a ton of major festivals in Europe this summer and they hit Richmond as they begin to dip their toe into the USofA. Here's their latest video, "Speech Coma". Warning: don't watch this video while you are eating lunch. It's kind of gross.



If you are a mom and you like the Talking Heads, then head to Forest Hill Park on Sunday evening for a FREE performance from Talking Heads tribute band, Fear of Music. I can't recall any Heads songs about mothers, but if there is one, Fear of Music will find it and play it. Or they'll just play "Drugs" which really rocked the last time I saw them. Because moms sometimes need drugs to get through their day. Remember "Mother's Little Helper"? The show will start at 6. Here's the Talking Heads doing "Drugs" with Adrien Belew in 1980 in Rome: (sorry can't embed, go HERE. It's worth it.).

Tuesday night at The National, it's the campy, fun, 80's-ish, electronic dance music of Chromeo. The show starts at 8 and it looks like it's just Chromeo so get there on time. Tix are $22 in advance, $27 at the door. You might dig Chromeo if you like Prince, Zapp, Cameo, Rick James, Giorgio Moroder, Daft Punk, LCD or Soundsystem. Here's Chromeo's 'Jealous (I Ain't With It)". If you are reading this at work or Friday, save this one for 4:30 PM and you'll be ready to dance out of work right to happy hour.

Have a great weekend! See you at Cheers!

Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: Rodrigo y Gabriela

Tonight on Conan (TBS, 11 PM), the Latin guitar stylings of Rodrigo y Gabriela will be a fitting end to this first sultry day of spring. They're our promoting their new album "9 Dead Alive". Here's their version of tune from a little band called Led Zeppelin:

Late Night Pick: Chuck E. Weiss

LA roots rock, singer/songwriter (and subject of Rickie Lee Jones' "Chuck E.'s in Love", for those of you old enough to remember that one) Chuck E. Weiss will be on Last Call with Carson Daly tonight (NBC, 1:35 AM). Chuck E. has a new album out, "Red Beans and Weiss" that is getting great reviews and was executive produced by his friends, Johnny Depp and Tom Waits. Here's Chuck E. performing in 1988:

Late Night Pick: Cerebral Ballzy

Brooklyn punk rockers Cerebral Ballzy make their US TV debut on Last Call with Carson Daly tonight (NBC, 1:35 AM). You'll dig these guys if you like 80's punk like Black Flag, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks and Minor Threat. Here's their ode to that dreaded subway dilemman, "Insufficient Fare":



Here's the two tunes Future Islands did last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live:

Late Night Pick: Future Islands

Tonight on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC, 11:35 PM), it's new wave inspired/alternative/indie band, Future Islands. Here's a full show from Future Islands. The show was streamed live on NPR on May 1. These guys are starting to pick up a good buzz so check them out now.

Friday Cheers, Vintage Trouble, Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers, Rob Zombie, Conspirator, People's Blues of Richmond, Southern Belles, Hot Seats

Friday Cheers is here again! And there was much rejoicing in River City. Yes, RVA's favorite music series is back for another two months. It looks like the weather will be beautiful and dry. We kick things off with a little something for everyone and $10 to get you on the island. Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers get the show started at 6:30 with rootsy, bluesy rock n' roll that will appeal to fans of Fleetwood Mac, Black Crowes, Tedeschi/Trucks Band, and Grace Potter. Here's a taste from Lincoln Hall in Chicago in September of last year:



Vintage Trouble hit the stage around 8 and they bring the soul & blues like Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett & Led Zeppelin but with an updated twist that fans of Black Keys, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and Black Joe Lewis will dig. Here's "Run Like the River" from their debut album, "The Bomb Shelter Sessions":



If Cheers isn't your cup of beer, you can head to Hardywood Park Craft Brewery for the old-time music of Hot Seats. That'll run from 5:30 to around 9 and it's free to get in. The Hot Seats are going international this summer with a tour of the UK including Scotland (if they are still in the UK) in late July/early August. Here's the slightly smaller version of the band, the Hot Seats Short Band as they refer to it, at the Richmond Folk Festival last year:



Wanna keep the party rolling after Cheers? Then I hope you like jam bands because that's the place to be on Friday night. Jamtronica bands rule at the Canal Club with Conspriator, Manic Focus, The Former Champions and The Polychrons. Doors open at 7 and it's $20 to get in. If you can't make it to the show, you can listen to it on the interwebs or on your phone via Phoncert. Here's Conspirator at the Aura Music Festival last year:

Over at The Camel, Richmond's country-funk jam band, Southern Belles, are back in town for their monthly First Friday gig. Supatight  from Raleigh NC will open. It's $7 to get in. Here's the Belles doing "Every Little Thing" at the Some Kind of Jam 9 Festival in Schuykill Haven PA last weekend:



If you have AXS TV, please invite me over this weekend to watch the New Orleans Jazz Fest, as Comcast doesn't carry the channel. They are all Jazz Fest all weekend including performances from Alabama Shakes, Irma Thomas, Anders Osborne, Marcia Ball, Phish, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Theresa Andersson, John Fogerty, Arcade Fire, The Radiators (they're back! at least for Jazz Fest), Dumpstaphunk, Santana, String Cheese Incident, Jason Isbell, Galactic, Robert Plant and more. Really invite me over. I'll bring the beer and other stuff. We'll totally rock out.

After we watch AXS TV all day, we'll be ready to get out to some music not on a video screen, so we'll head to The Camel for People's Blues of Richmond, who are returning from their tour of the South including a stop at SXSW. KO & Company and Jordan Tarrant will open. McArthur Lighting will have the psychedelic light show going so smoke 'em or drop 'em if you got 'em. It's $8 to get in and doors open at 8. Here they are doing "Cocaine" (that's the name of the song, it's not a video of them snorting coke and it's not the Clapton/JJ Cale song) at SXSW:



Sunday night, all you godly folk shouldl stay far away from The National where Rob Zombie brings his psychosexual, phatasmahorrordelic rock show to town. I also hope you ungodly folk got your tickets already because it's sold out. But perhaps your buddy has one. If you are going, doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Disco Death Rock. Here's Rob's early band, White Zombie, with "Thunder Kiss '65":


Have a great weekend! See you at Cheers, maybe PBR and at your house if you have AXS TV!

Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: Midlake

Tonight on Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35 AM, NBC) is a band I really dig that goes by the name Midlake. From their sound, you might think they've been around since 1970 and were part of the English folk rock scene and produced by Alan Parsons. But they actually started in 2000 and hail from Denton, TX. Here's a 20 minute set they did on KEXP in December 2013:



Here's The Both (Aimee Mann & Ted Leo) performing "Milwaukee" on last night's Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: