All I'm askin' is for a little respect.

A trendsetter is a person who leads the way in ideas.  A lot of times this applies to fashion, but it can also apply to music.  This is particularly true now, when there are so many resources to discover and listen to new music. How does the average listener even know where to start?  My sister-in-law Kally is loyal to Pandora, my wife Ranisa watches VH1’s You Oughta Know and my friend Margie is the entertainment manager for a casino and is always being sent new music.  Well in the lyrics of King Radio, but made famous by the Grateful Dead, “Let us put men and women together / See which one is smarter / Some say men, but I say no / The women got the men like a puppet show.” 

While living in Washington DC in the mid-1990s when I first started promoting concerts, I received the advice that I needed to get the college ladies on-board with the shows and then the gentlemen would follow.  This proved correct over the course of many, many shows.  Then years later while working at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, I have gotten to know some of the staff who work at the concerts. In fact, a majority of the concert-day staff are women and in late July when one of the female staff members referenced that I check out the opening act for Warren Haynes in late September, I took her musical recommendation seriously.  Although the artist was more country than I would typically seek out, something about the bluesy lines, “I used to spend my nights out in a barroom / Liquor was the only love I’ve known,” really jumped out at me.  Not surprising, since the lyrics belong to recent Country Music Award winning sensation Chris Stapleton.

Another example would be when Clean Bandit was dominating the airwaves this summer with their song “Rather Be”, their first UK Singles Chart-topping song, and I was fascinated with the vocals from the hook.  I would later find out that the singer was Jess Glynne, but she would then fall off my radar.  Flash forward to November when I would hear the song “Hold My Hand” (not to be confused with the Hootie & the Blowfish song of the same name).  Once again the vocals grabbed me and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was Ms. Glynne.  I then went home excited to share with Ranisa a cool new song, and she said she already knew all about Glynne from the song appearing in advertisement for Coca-Cola.

Forget the customer rule, women are always right.  Michele Anthony, is the Executive Vice President of U.S. recorded music for Universal Music Group. As the No. 2 executive at the world's biggest music group she's not running a label; she's overseeing those who do.  Julie Greenwald is the Chairman/COO of the Atlantic Records Group and has more than contributed to putting together a diverse roster that includes rock legends, up & coming pop artists and singer-songwriters.  The list continues, in fact Billboard’s Women In Music 2015 nominations are now open for submissions. 

Thanks for reading.

The Walls Have Ears.

I can hear Alex Trebek reading the following three places out loud, “Mason Inn (Washington DC); Static Nightclub (Pittsburgh, PA); 161 Hudson St Apartment Building (New York, NY)”.  And then my friends who all know music saying in unison from the live audience saying “What is currently occupying the space of the Grog & Tankard; Rosebud and Wetlands?” 

Then immediately cue the sad violin music.  Music venues of my youth that no longer exist.  I know that currently there are not a lack of places to see and hear concerts, but as I do my best to keep up with live music there is part of me that wishes these places were still around.   With cassettes and vinyl making a comeback, it would be great to take my boys’ to these places and share both the stories of the bands and shows that I have seen as well as talk about the successes of the musicians/bands who at one point graced the stages.

Walking along Wisconsin Ave with my cousin Anne recently, I recounted the $37.50 I was paid for the first-ever show I put together as a “professional” booking agent. I distinctly remember the manager of the club giving me 50 cents, and not in the form of 2 quarters.  Or the time that I saw the Spin Doctors (before the success of 1991’s ‘2 Princes’) just outside of famed performance space on the NYC-side of the Holland Tunnel.  Recounting an evening, Chan Kinchla (Blues Traveler guitarist) had the following to say about sharing the stage with the Spin Doctors in those days, “It eventually got to the point where one night we'd all go there, take their places one by one, and then they'd go back to where we had been playing and end up playing there for the rest of the night!”

There was a time in which a majority of my evenings (specifically the years 1996-2002) were spent inside the walls of venues plastered with posters advertising future shows and stickers of bands that had passed thru en route to another gig.  Sometimes I can still see the places while daydreaming or hear the songs from those years play in my head and of course, the grass is always greener.  I have to try very hard to forget about the people more interested in playing pool and talking at the bar than listening to the music.  And of course the images and grisly sights and smells of the bathrooms are hard to erase. 

But thankfully it is the music that brings me back.  I continue to listen to new music (to me), like Hayden Calnin or The Lone Bellow and maybe, just maybe you will see me on the South Side at the Rex Theatre.

Thanks for reading.

Slow ride, take it easy.

Although not all of their music has turned out to be hits, there is definitely something to say for Aerosmith, U2 and ZZ Top still having all of their original members.  But can you name all of the members of either band?

To add another band to the mix, while I can name all of the members of Pearl Jam, I have struggled to differentiate between songs from either of Eddie Vedder’s solo albums (“Into the Wild” or “Ukulele Songs”), and Pearl Jam’s extensive catalog of songs.   Unlike when I hear a Green River or Brad song (both bands featuring Stone Gossard on guitar), I am not thinking to myself that it sounds like a Pearl Jam song.  The same can be said for Bruce Springsteen’s 1992 albums, “Human Touch” and “Lucky Town” which featured session musicians* – most notably former American Idol judge Randy Jackson on bass and not all of the members of the famed E Street Band (Roy Bittan & Patti Scialfa being the exceptions).

So for the listener, where does the line between a solo song and a band song start and stop?  I was recently faced with that question upon hearing Craig Finn’s (of The Hold Steady) new single, “Maggie I've Been Searching For Our Son” for the first time.  I immediately got excited for a new record by The Hold Steady.   However that was not the case – it was just the unique vocal styling of Mr. Finn on his second solo record.  I do not want to make it seem that I only like the bands and would not encourage a front person to branch out and do solo work or a side project (potential opportunity to question Ringo Starr’s solo albums), but there is something to say for having a recognizable voice.

For example, when you hear Peter Gabriel singing, do you think Genesis or one of his 13 solo/soundtrack albums?  Do the other band members feel slighted?  Or is it a situation in which Eddie Van Halen knows the fans are coming to see him and not Gary Cherone?  I previously have discussed how the whole of the band is these days more interesting than the sum of its parts, but I also believe that there is a certain amount of weight that fans need to put on the vocals.  In fact, some bands, instead of breaking up, have found ways to continue making music.  There is Journey, who replaced Steve Perry in 1998 and again in 2007 or Rage Against the Machine who reinvented themselves as Audioslave.

Good news is that Rage Against the Machine has reformed since Audioslave’s break-up.  Bad news is that although there are bands out there who are specifically playing the music of its original members, unless the singer nails it, there most likely will not be too many future gigs.  As Kirk from the Mark Wahlberg film, “Rock Star” stated, “I understand you want to do ‘your own thing’, and I admire it in some small way, but if you want to stay with Steel Dragon, you're going to have to reconcile with yourself to do the "Steel Dragon" thing", and the "Steel Dragon" thing" is A.C. and I write the songs, and you sing the songs we write, are we clear?” 

I wonder if Foghat’s drummer Roger Earl, the only musician to have performed with the band throughout all of its 20 various incarnations is thinking the same thing.

Thank you for reading.

Blame Canada.

I was recently visiting Buffalo for work and stumbled across a Toronto radio station.  Not only was it playing surprisingly good music but I learned something new.  Did you know that The Band was 80% Canadian?

For a country with a relatively small population, our neighbors to the north have delivered the music world some notable musicians: in the 1960s, we met Neil Young and in the 1970s RUSH blazed a trail thru North America.  With both of these entities crossing geographical borders in popularity, I started to wonder why some artists/bands are popular in some markets, but not in others.  I know, I know, I can already hear my friend Jay-Ro calling me out on the Tragically Hip, but I still decided to dive into this subject.

Lack of success in markets but not in others, makes me think of the phrase “Big in Japan”.  Historically, this used to describe western based musical groups who achieve success in Japan but not necessarily in other parts of the world.  For example, the band Cheap Trick, which had been known as the "American Beatles" in Japan achieved widespread success with their multi-platinum live album ‘Cheap Trick at Budokan’.  The band had previously struggled to break in the mainstream American market with their earlier albums.   

Arcade Fire’s Reflektor Tour stopped at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, in March 2014 and was only half-full, but then the band drove north to 2 sold-out shows at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto a couple of nights later.  Yes – hailing from Montreal certainly played a role in that but there are other bands in the same boat.  Hedley is a Canadian pop-rock group originating in Abbotsford, British Columbia who have won/been nominated for Juno Awards in the double-digits but have never had any success south of the border.  But that does not mean things are not happening in Canada!

Although New York continues to be some of the most trendsetting cities in the world, Toronto is also trending.  Similar to New York and London, Twitter has even given Toronto its own “trending topics" section.  Personally, I have been trumpeting the talents of City & Colour, but unless the lead vocalist/guitarist Mr. Dallas Green is performing a duet with Pink, they are flying under the radar as well.  Or you can see for yourself this November & December when they are on tour.  Some notable dates are Wednesday, November 18 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles; Wednesday, December 2 at Stage AE in Pittsburgh; Thursday, December 10 at Terminal 5 in New York City & Friday, December 11 at Echostage in Washington DC.

With all of the musical resources that exist on the internet, you would think physical borders would be erased and more attention would be spent on listening to the music rather than inspecting passports.   But maybe it is just the opinion that Canadians are more humble?

Thanks for reading.

The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts.

Other than Sooner enthusiasts and fans of the 1990s NBA, I am going to guess that most people, let alone sports fans have never heard of Stacey King.  You may be surprised to know that he was a role player who contributed to three consecutive championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1991 to 1993.   Similar scenarios, although involving even lesser known individuals, have been infiltrating the music industry for decades.  For example, would there be hit singles such as “American Girl” & “Breakdown”, if there were no Heartbreakers?  The first Heartbreakers’ name that I ever learned was Benmont Tench, the organist/keyboardist of Tom Petty’s band.  The reason I came to know his name was by reading the liner notes of several 1990s albums and seeing him listed as a session musician. Green Day, The Wallflowers and Ryan Adams are the first to come mind.

Along these same lines there is Neal Casal.  This singer-songwriter had a modestly successful solo career (1995’s ‘Fade Away Diamond Time’ is a must listen), but what has had made him a career musician is the fact that he is best known as a member of Ryan Adams' backing band the Cardinals, and currently plays in the Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes) Brotherhood.  There is also Karl Denson, who had a triumphant run as a solo musician and band leader of The Grey Boy AllStars, but is now the touring saxophonist for The Rolling Stones.  Settling into the role of unheralded session player or band mate seems to be vogue these days, particularly if it allows you to become a career musician.

In fact, Fran Strine’s documentary film ‘Hired Gun’ which is targeted for a late 2015 release, tackles this very same subject matter.  It seems to me that some artists are more comfortable not being the superstar or household name and are more at ease with the idea of taking their names off the marquee.  Is there something about stepping out of the spotlight and being a part of the crowd that is more appealing?  There are numerous examples spanning  the late 1960s to the present day.   Groups like Blind Faith formed & disbanded in a whirlwind, leaving one unbelievable album in its wake.  Journey sprouted up as a side-project of musicians who had been playing with Santana and the Steve Miller Band.  The 1980s had the Traveling Wilburys and in the 1990s there was Temple of the Dog.  These days, Justin Vernon, (aka Grammy Award winning artist Bon Iver) can now be seen and heard as the lead vocalist for the band Volcano Choir. 

I believe this is the modern concept of synergy.  I once worked with a band that included a descendant of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner as well as a drummer of two different influential alternative rock bands and it was more than just a musical anthropology experiment.  The musicians worked extremely hard to blaze their own trail, and although the end result landed their one album in the discount record bin, it was a firsthand experience for me to see that music is not entirely all ego.  So next time, please keep an eye on the musicians standing in the shadows of the stage and listen closely to how they contribute. 

Thank you for reading

Just Say No.

Do you ever go to a concert only knowing one song bythe headlining act and the band actually plays that very same song first? To your surprise has it ever happened that when the band launches into song #2, the set actually gets better.  I typically do not write about one band at a time, but my brother-in-law Raimy has told me previously that he likes when I write about bands that I am listening to at the moment.  Well the two of us, along with our friend JJ decided to check out The War on Drugs and I was more than pleasantly surprised by their 15-song set.

 

It had been a journey to get to my first show of The War on Drugs.  A couple of years ago my friend Jen randomly met frontman Adam Granduciel’s father (feel free to go back & read my May post - My friend's cousin's band first), and once again, I was being encouraged to listen to a new band, unseen and unheard.   I did some digging online and what I heard I liked, but I was unable to see their Club Café show in September 2011, or their Altar Bar show in March 2014 so this past month that changed.  Along with approximately 750 other people, I was able to finally see the band live at Stage AE.

A lot of their songs scream both Dylan as well as E Street Band particularly the make-up of the band (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards & saxophone) as well as the anthem-like songs.  “Lost in a Dream” went to #3 in Belgium for a reason, right ;)?  And more importantly in light of some other recent shows that I have seen (i.e. My Morning Jacket) sonically they are doing everything right (except here & there when Granduciel literally takes my comparisons to Bob Dylan to a new level and could not fully be understood thru his vocal mic).  So in an effort to honor the 50^th anniversary of Dylan going electric at the Newport Folk Festival and the infamous remarks made by Jon Landau ("I have seen the future of rock and roll, and its name is Bruce Springsteen.") we might finally be seeing the offspring of those thoughts and its name is The War on Drugs. 

I know that I am not breaking any new ground.  The band has now been around the block a few times, having toured extensively and received numerous positive reviews, but I believe that when we stumble across new music that deserves a larger audience, it should be shared.  The band has a few more North American dates this summer before heading back to Europe, then headlines Radio City Music Hall this fall, so if you get a chance give them a listen before tickets are extremely hard to come by.

Thanks for reading.

Cassette culture.

When my neighborhood bar played ‘The Immortal Otis Redding’ and ‘Astral Weeks’ on vinyl recently, it reminded me that all of the songs from my past still have a place in current day.   The songs reminded me that when I was younger, I would capture those songs and share them with friends.  The songs even motivated me to dig through my attic and find a box of mix tapes that have survived my multiple moves.   ‘Jams from Joppa’, ‘They Might Not Have a Hockey Team in Minneapolis, but They Have Good Music, were just a couple of titles that jumped out at me.

Rob Sheffield wrote in "Love is a Mix Tape": “The times you lived through, the people you shared those times with — nothing brings it all to life like an old mix tape. It does a better job of storing up memories than actual brain tissue can do. Every mix tape tells a story. Put them together, and they can add up to the story of a life.”  These days, most people think of hip-hop when they hear the term mix tapes, but when I reference a mix tapes, I am not talking about 2002's "50 Cent Is the Future", but of a moment in time like hearing BRAD's "The Day Brings" on my way to work.  In fact, I believe at some point in time I will hear every song that I ever placed on a mix tape in a different setting.

But do people still make mix tapes to capture those moments?  Or has the word mix tape been replaced by playlist?  DJs in certain instances are no longer using vinyl, but I know that bands are putting time and energy into the track listings of their albums.  In fact, according an interview with Billboard, Coldplay (who has countless popular singles) views itself as an “album act”.  What was once an obsession for the LP generation, sequencing, for the iPod generation is a dying art form.  Think of all the time put into selecting a wedding song or the mix tape you made for your girlfriend in 1999?


My co-worker Sean O once told me that he no longer has time to listen to new music, let alone seek it out.  However in my life, I am still finding new music or putting myself in a place to hear it.  So if I was making a mix tape in 2015 (on a 90 minute Maxell tape of course), I believe I have my first 45 minutes:

When We Were On Fire – James Bay

All the Pretty Girls - Kaleo

We Don’t Eat - James Vincent McMorrow

Comrade - Volcano Choir

Old Pine – Ben Howard

The Wolf - Mumford & Sons

Travis County - Gary Clark Jr.

From Eden - Hozier

Houston Train - Houndmouth

Rich Girl - Lake Street Dive

Hero - Family of the Year

*AUTHOR'S NOTE from June 25, 2015* - I am excited to read that the cassette is not lost on musicians either.  Not even 3 weeks after writing this entry, I read about Martin Sexton's new album - Mixtape of the Open Road!  I highly recommend starting with the song "Pine Away".