I did a double header last Friday in downtown Austin, getting approved to shoot the first song of progressive jazz legend Return To Forever's reunion tour over at The Paramount Theatre, then covering Austin's notorious rap-rock, hip-hop act The Dirty Wormz at Austin's equally legendary Antone's.
The cool air conditioning smacked me in the face when I arrived at Austin's Paramount Theatre, drying the sweat that had beaded on my forehead quickly. I hooked up with Gary Miller shooting for the Chronicle, and in turn we ran into Raoul Hernandez, music editor at the Chronicle, as we waited for the show to start in the foyer. The Paramount is Austin's classic old theatre, with side balconies and all, and a gorgeous place to shoot. Usually it runs classic movies and world premiers by Austin's burgeoning film community, but every once in a while they stage a few concerts as well, but always top shelf talent. It was so unlike the other venues I have worked, I felt like I was desecrating a church as I tried to move about without obstructing the audience's view.
The Molson Ampitheatre. Toronto, Ontario.
May 26, 2008
It's a couple of days on and I'm still buzzing from this show. There was no way, even after the hour and a half drive home on the night-of, to just go to bed. I needed to look at my photos and relive this show.
I was cold and rain was threatening as I sat outside the media gate listening to what little of KT Tunstall's opening set filtered out to us photographers. Yeah, I had a couple of review tickets and my +1 was inside already but my big bag 'o camera gear meant no entry until after I shot Sheryl.
A little after 8 we're escorted to our position in front of the stage, and soon there she is in all her glory. Solo acoustic for the first song with a black curtain shrouding the rest of the stage. "God Bless This Mess" the lead track from her most recent Detours opened the show.
Then the curtain dropped and joined by her band Crow dove into over an hour and a half of her recent work, back catalog, and genuinely appreciative, and forthright between song banter. The set moved through "A Change Will Do you Good", "Leaving Las Vegas", "Can't Cry Anymore", and the new "Now That You're Gone". It was during "Favorite Mistake" that the audience began to rise to it's feet. Before Sheryl's (so hers that you don't even think of it as a cover) rendition of Cat Steven's "The First Cut Is The Deepest" she quipped that she had a nasty cold. I couldn't tell.
The Michigan Metal community is going to the dogs for a good cause. Mid Michigan Boxer Rescue and Grand Rapids Boxer Alliance have teamed together to bring out the most powerful force on earth (that would be where the metal comes into the picture) to help dogs in need. Not just boxers, but also the bull breeds, rotties and whatever else manages to find their way into these two rescues.
Cover is a mere $7.00, but bring your checkbooks kiddies. There will be a silent auction, raffles and much more to indulge in. And I hear there will be some great drink specials. All Proceeds are being split between the two rescues and will help dogs like the beautiful Shamrock from Mid Michigan Boxer Rescue find great homes.
A Full line up isn't quite ready but here is the important information along with confirmed bands.
As a general rule, I don’t really like compilations. I’ll listen to them, but I tend to only half listen. Most of the time it is a rehashing of best of clips from the summer tour I picked the CD up at as a free be. However “Thrashing Like A Maniac� does what compilations should do, bring you the best new titles in the genre. This genre being the sleeping Thrash. With old skoolers like Testament and Exodus seeing renewed interest, its great to see a groundswell of new thrash coming on their heels. Thrash is gaining some momentum again with acts like Bonded By Blood, Fueled By Fire and Warbringer receiving support from the major labels. It seems almost as though most everyone on this disc hails from CA, which after all is appropriate since thash was born in the Bay Area. I do also have to give props to fellow cheese heads Lazarus. We first covered them in September of 2006 and I was taken with them then. Heavy as hell chunk with the classic noodle solos, there is some new feel to it, but listening, I can pick out who inspired each act. Old Skool inspiration shows, but it doesn’t diminish the new sounds. I cant give each band a real review with a single song, this isn’t AI. Ill just tell you who were my faves , in no particular order.
This CD brought back a whole lot of old day memories. Memories of when I fell in love with the heavier side of music. It also gave me a whole new batch of possible new favorite bands.
I had heard way back in December that R.E.M. was going to headline SXSW in 2008 and immediately began hearing rumors that they were going to be this years surprise guests at Roky Erickson's Ice Cream Social. As the date's grew closer more and more confirmations came in, from very, very reliable sources. By the day of the Ice Cream Social the tension was palpable, everyone was hoping, and in fact the production schedule had an hour slotted for them right before Roky. Listed as "Special Guests" everyone had their fingers crossed.
It was just not to be.
It turned out that Austin City Limits had invited them to film a set and it was at exactly the same time they had been slotted to be at the picnic.
Instead of ME filming an intimate performance of R.E.M., the lucky bastards over at KLRU got the privilege. My loss, however, is definitely the worlds gain. Instead of my grainy, bouncy YouTube videos everyone will get to watch R.E.M.s performance on Austin City Limits in rich H.D., with excellent production quality audio, starting this Saturday on your local PBS stations. It's a great set too, R.E.M. was in rare form the night before and the energy just carried over to the ACL set.
Maybe next time Austin City Limits will invite me too.
To check out the set list, see pictures, and watch streaming video from the show online check out the Austin City Limits page at http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/
Well, I didn't get approved to cover Iron Maiden down in San Antonio tomorrow, but I did get approved to cover last Thursday's ZZ Top show at The Backyard.
It was hot, humid, and sticky from the preceding days storm's. With the parking area muddy, Jay West, Gary Miller and I all hopped a shuttle bus over at Home Depot for the last 5 minutes of our trek for what turned out to be a jam packed show. We all chuckled when the Direct Events valet admonished us with the "Remember no cameras" as we boarded. Between the 3 of us we probably had $20,000 worth of Cannon and Nikon gear, and what turned out to be the only 3 photo passes.
Great set. I took lots of pictures and had a lot of fun, even though I tripped in the mud in the pit and almost skidded to the ground. Billy saw me lose it from onstage and reacted. Ouch!
While we were busy out at The Backyard, club kingsnake photographer Jaime Butler was over at Stubb's BarBQ covering the Nylon Magazine Tour. She got to check out and shoot some neat bands including Be Your Own Pet, The Virgins, and the Switches. Look for more Austin concert pics from Jaime throughout the summer.
Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo (more photos...) photo by Clint Gilders - staff photographer
by andrea gilders - clubkingsnake contributor
May 6th, 2008
Showplace Performance Centre. Peterborough, Ontario
Seeing Blue Rodeo was, for me, the culmination of nearly 20 years of anticipation.
Honestly, the performance lived up to my expectations and to my delight even exceeded them.
Showplace is a fabulous venue, big enough to have great clear loud sound without overwhelming the audience but also, with only 17 rows of floor seating, giving everyone a sense of being an intimate distance from the stage.
Beginning the night with a very stripped down stage set Blue Rodeo opened with a fabulous acoustic versions of “Five days in May� (from their absolutely classic CD Five days in July), I was overwhelmed almost immediately by the fabulous timbres of the voices of the two singers, Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor. For anyone unfamiliar with Blue Rodeo, well simply I say look them up and give them a listen. A really long listen (they have recorded 11 albums) I simply don’t have the space here to do justice to explaining careers as long and solid as theirs.
The stage set was simply a black curtain, a single snare drum, two acoustic guitars, pedal steel, bass, keyboard and off to the far right, a lamppost.
I will never look at tuna fish sandwiches the same again.
I've wanted to read Les Claypool's novel since he released it in 2006, hoping for some insight into his skewed perspective on life, and this it has in spades. It reads like snapshots of his life growing up are used to provide the infrastructure around which the novel is wrapped. You get a feeling that Claypool lived many of these events in real life, though maybe not the gruesome parts, though his macabre sense of humor is certainly evident.
The book is basically a fishing tale of two brothers, gone very awry. Primus fans can almost picture Claypool and guitarist Larry LaLonde as the brothers, bobbing around in a small boat in one of northern California's backwater bays, drinking beer, eating stale sandwiches, and baiting hooks with grass shrimp. In fact Primus song and character references abound throughout the novel, the old diamondback sturgeon making an appearance, in fact playing a major role, and much of the story takes place in El Sobrante, the backwater town that features prominently in Primus songs and the place where Les and Larry grew up.
The book is a little slow to start, but becomes more engaging the deeper you go, by the final bloody climax your hooked like a sturgeon, and the twist at the end is disconcerting.
The jacket references the writing to be something akin to Hunter S. Thompson, but aside from the many drug references I don't see it. Thompson's drug referencing rants were always fantastic, beyond the pale of imagination, and usually bitingly satirical. Claypool's use of drugs in his work is a much more gritty, honest, pale, nauseous and sweaty portrayal of drug abuse with no satire at all.
It's a good read, not for everyone, graphic sex, drugs, and violence, and fishing. I took a 30 minute shower after I finished and still didn't feel clean. Felt a little seasick too.
Lean, mean, raw, this is probably R.E.M.'s best work in a decade or more.
Returning to a stripped down sound reminiscent of a younger, hungrier R.E.M. this is a buzzy, guitar heavy disc with an edge. With 11 tracks clocking in at just 35 minutes, it's almost like they took a page from The Ramones, short songs with lots of hooks delivered rapid fire. With a "garage like" sound production by Jacknife Lee (co-producer of U2, The Hives and Snow Patrol), this disc goes far to capture the energy I felt during their sold out Stubb's appearance during this years SXSW.
If your a long time R.E.M. fan you'll like this disc and the band stands to attract some of the younger audience as well. Some of my favorite songs on the disc include "Living Well Is The Best Revenge", "Hollow Man", "Houston", and "I'm Gonna DJ". Hell I like the whole disc. I put the whole thing on my iPod.
Ok back in the 70's there were these huge progressive rock dinosaurs like ELP (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), Yes, and UK that made these sweeping orchestral epics that rarely came in under 8 minutes. I loved every one of them, but unfortunately making good music with long track lengths was not enough for FM radio success where 3 minute pop/rock songs ruled and made or broke careers.
Eventually these bands shed their members in various directions, some of them landing in other bands, some of them starting their own groups. Asia was one of those bands started up by former members. With vocalist John Wetton of UK, Yes guitarist Steve Howe, percussionist Carl Palmer of ELP, and pop keyboardist and former Buggle Geoff Downes, Asia was a progressive rock "supergroup" unloved by critics, yet still managing to sell 15 million albums or so to pop fans based on songs like "Heat Of The Moment". I actually owned all 3 of their original releases on vinyl at one point. The first one was alright but it just went downhill from there.
After much shuffling in the lineup the actual original 4 members of Asia have reformed 25+ years later to release a new album and a tour. Unfortunately the new album sounds like it was recorded 25+ years ago.
While that may please hard core Asia fans, it is unlikely that the new disc will attract many younger listeners. The band is still trying to stuff 12 minutes worth or talent into 3 minutes, and the band's sound just sounds so dated at this point. I hear Howe straining to confine himself, as well as Palmer, trying to sqyeeze themselves into the format. Progressive rock is not pop and throttling these musicians with a 3 minute pop song is like making thoroughbreds pull a beer wagon. It was a mistake 25 years ago, and time has only made it worse. I did not like any of the songs on this disc. Sorry. I would go see them if their tour was coming anywhere near me though. Incredible musicians. If you really want a glimpse of the future of progressive rock, see the Mars Volta review below. I would rather have seen a UK or an ELP reunion album and tour.
Gee whiz, another venue bites the dust. One of my favorites too.
This summer will be the last season for Austin's The Backyard, at least in it's present location. Tim O'Connor owner of The Backyard and Direct Events announced back in April that the venue would close at the end of the summer and that they are working with the City of Bee Cave to develop a new Backyard. Until then we have all summer to enjoy a bunch of neat shows.
First off will be ZZ Top this Thursday and tickets are still available. We have a request in to shoot the show so we've got our fingers crossed that we will be there. I got to shoot Billy Gibbons backstage at Rocky Ericson's Ice Cream Social during this years SXSW, but have been dying to shoot the whole band for a long long time, and this might be my last opportunity for a while.
On June 1st The Backyard will host The Steve Miller Band along with Joe Cocker, then 311 and Snoop Dog will be pulling a 2 nighter on August 2nd and 3rd. I got to shoot 311 at The Backyard last year and it was a great show. In fact I saw a bunch of great shows at The Backyard last year including The Black Crowes, Incubus, Chris Isaac, Dream Theater. Redemption, Into Eternity, David Alan Coe, and Widepread Panic. I will really miss The Backyard. For tickets to any of their upcoming shows see http://www.thebackyard.net/
Bedlam In Goliath, the latest CD from The Mars Volta gave me a headache the first time I listened to it.
There was just so much musical information flying out of the little silver CD, my ears and my brain just couldn't keep up. An astoundingly rich melange of styles, sounds, and harmonics, that borrows from many, yet isn't derivative, sounds fresh, and is crunchy like a shovel to the face. Zeppelin, Zappa, ELP, Santana, Jeff Beck, there are hints of each interwoven into a whirling dervish of musical sights sounds and colors. My favorite songs included "Abernikula", "Wax Simulacra", and "Goliath". These guys play like they all have bees in their pants. If the Tasmanian Devil played in a band, this would be it.
Not the heaviest hardcore out there but a good taste of a lighter side, Kick to Tha Head's newest release is worth a listen for HC fans out there. The rhythmic guitar and blasting drums give it the classic sound. Kevin’s vocals sometimes have a bit of the Cookie Monster grumblings. The classic hc/punk sound that I remember from the area is the most evident on the songs “Fake� and “Heads Held High� and they are also my two favorite tracks. The almost march quality to the drums and guitar on “Fake� are classic and clean. “Heads Held High� holds a little extra after the music ends so hold out and don’t take the CD out. “Anthem� brings the speed down a notch to a slightly slower grind that has a very thrashy feel. However I suspect this one makes for the best pit on the album.
It looks like Austin might see a bit more of Pepper in the future, according to Yesod Williams, drummer for the dub/punk trio Pepper. Yesod's grandmother has re-located to right here in the river city, and to prove his point he brought her up onstage after the third song of their set to say hello, among other things, to the audience.
I was introduced last year, long distance, to Yesod and the band Pepper by my buddy Skillet, front man for the band Wanted Dead. I hooked up with them for their sold out gig at Antone's, and much as I like Antone's I was dieing to get the band under the lights at Stubb's. Antone's is a tough shoot when it's sold out and I wasn't happy with the pictures I took. Stubb's has a big stage, nice light kit and a big photo pit to work out of. I knew that no matter how much running and jumping they did, nor how crowded it was, I would be able to take a few good shots. Pepper has a very energetic stage act, are usually a fun band to see live and as a bonus they always attract the babest of babes. It must be those tan muscular surfer bodies.
Paula Nelson is at La Zona Rosa tomorrow photo by Jeff Barringer - Staff Photographer
Still looking for something to get Mom for tomorrow?
How bout a couple of tickets to the Pennywise show over at Emo's. If mohawks and slam dancing aren't her thing Wilco (sold out!) will be at Stubb's and Maroon 5 will be over at the Austin Music Hall. You could even take her out to see Richard Marx out at the One World Theatre. Really though the best mothers day show is over at La Zona Rosa. The Mother’s Day concert benefiting the Give Love Give Life campaign to promote ovarian cancer research and healthcare for American women and children. Featuring two of Willie Nelson’s daughters, singer-songwriters Paula Nelson and Amy Nelson, and a granddaughter, Martha Fowler, and their bands along with the show’s centerpiece and co-creator, Native American recording artist John Trudell, tickets are only $25 and mothers get in free!
All that happens in Austin tomorrow!
The rest of May looks pretty good too. Besides the second sold out night of Wilco at Stubb's on Monday, you have the Nylon Magazine tour with She Want's Revenge on Thursday, and then Stubb's has the Texas Rockabilly Festival Friday and Saturday with Reverend Horton Heat, Lee Rocker and a list of others.
May 15th brings Texas boys done good ZZ Top over to The Backyard for that venue's final season, at least at the current location (more on that later). Roky Erickson also plays that night over at Emo's. Mindless Self Indulgence is at La Zona Rosa on May 16th. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is at Antones on May 19th. Bob Schneider will be doing the Rock And Restock benefit over at Stubb's on May 22nd. Junior Brown is at Antone's on May 23rd. Big Head Todd & The Monsters will be at Stubb's on May 30th, the same night The Black Angels are having a CD release show at Emo's. For more Austin gigs in May check out Pollstar.