Start Making Sense...

Indulge me while I get a little nostalgic with these video clips. Despite the fact that Loverboy was my first real concert (hey, it was all too new...and the lasers were cool), I quickly turned myself in a preferred direction with my second big show, a Talking Heads performance in Oxford, Ohio (mid 80's). Here is clip from the Talking Heads concert movie, Stop Making Sense. If you ever have the chance to see David Byrne perform live, he is a great showman...you can tell he loves what he does. Psycho Killer is one of those songs where the phrase "less is more" holds true. Definitely true visionaries ahead of their time! For major TH fans, Rhino Records has released a CD compilation, called Brick, which is includes all 8 studio releases and a bunch of other goodies. Rhino has mastered the art of CD compilations...scan their catalog sometime.

Taking Root in Detroit...

A quick shout about The Roots, as previously mentioned on this site.
Here are a few dates, just announced...and a show in Detroit...nice!...."now wave your hands in the air."

5/27 Nashville, TN - City Hall
5/29 Memphis, TN - Premier
6/1 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room
6/2 Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ
6/3 Houston, TX - Hush
6/5 Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
6/8 Los Angeles, CA - House of Blues
6/9 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
6/10 San Francisco, CA - The Grand
7/5 Toronto, Ontario - Kool Haus
7/13 Washington, DC - Fur Nightclub
7/15 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
7/17 Pittsburgh, PA - Margarita Mamas
7/27 St. Louis, MO - The Paegant
7/29 Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
8/3 Detroit, MI - State Theatre
8/7 Boston, MA - Avalon

A Murmur From the Past...

R.E.M. was a band that pulled my early music tastes in a whole new direction. Here is a look at their first television appearance, which was on Late Night With David Letterman (10/6/83). Was it that long ago? Anyway, I thought it was worth sharing. "Old School" at it's best...enjoy! And if it takes you back, add a comment about your favorite R.E.M. song...So. Central Rain always brings me to a complete stop.

Firing On All Pistons...

Detroit Motor City is weighing in with more than just a solid NBA effort. The 2006 Comerica Tastefest is scheduled to take place from Friday, June 30th through Tuesday, July 4th. The Comerica TasteFest is a FREE five-day outdoor food and entertainment festival in Detroit's New Center...The event is a family affair which offers free national and local talent on four stages & over 40 Michigan restaurants selling "tastes" of their specialties. I gotta hand it to whoever books the bands for this event. Some of the highlights include: Common, Cat Power, The New Pornographers, Ray Davies, Mavis Staples, Kings of Leon, All American Rejects and The Hard Lessons.....ALL FOR FREE!!! Definitely check out Cat Power, she is even more elusive than the Dalai Lama!

Give Peace a Chance...

No, the 14th Dalai Lama hasn't joined a band, but I guess you could say he is on a solo tour. I just thought some people who read this might be interested to know that His Holiness will be visiting the University at Buffalo from September 18th - 20th. (No word on any tee times with Bill Murray...sorry, bad Caddyshack reference) The university has set up a website to share information about his schedule. His appearances are rare (even more so in the midwest). Pre-sale tickets for events go on sale Monday, May 22nd. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Incoming Additions...

Make a note...Show & Tell:

6/6 DMB & G. Love @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
6/8 Fiery Furnaces @ St. Andrews
6/9 Snow Patrol @ Clutch Cargos
6/10 Band of Horses @ Magic Stick
6/11 Bobby Bare Jr. @ Magic Stick
6/22 Jason Collett @ Blind Pig
6/25 Biirdie @ Lagerhouse
7/1 MOE & Gomez @ Tower City Amphitheater
7/5 Calexico @ Magic Stick
7/18 Toad the Wet Sprocket & Big Head Todd @ Tower City
7/25 Xavier Rudd @ St. Andrews
7/28 Black Crowes/Robert Randolph & Drive By Truckers @ DTE
8/4 Slaid Cleaves @ The Ark
8/4 The Flaming Lips @ State Theatre
8/22 Reggae Sunsplash @ DTE
9/23 Eric Clapton @ The Palace

Music That Sounds "Purdy"...

A quick note about a show coming to Toledo. Blues Traveler will be playing @ Headliner's on Friday, June 9th. They kinda fell out of the scene for a minute...but the opening act, Joe Purdy, is one of those singer songwriters that should be around for a long time. Maybe they hooked up with him for his harmonica skills. Support good, live music when it comes to town.

Austin's Power, Yeah Baby...

The initial lineup for the for the 2006 Austin City Limits Festival, taking place September 15-17 at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, was just released. Here is just part of the lineup:

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, the Flaming Lips, Massive Attack, Ween, Gnarls Barkley, the Raconteurs, the Shins, John Mayer, Feist, Stars, Cat Power and the Memphis Rhythm Band, Thievery Corporation, the New Pornographers, Sparklehorse, Son Volt, Aimee Mann, Nickel Creek, Nada Surf, Wolf Parade, Iron & Wine, Calexico, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, Ted Leo/Pharmacists, KT Tunstall, Secret Machines, the Rocket Summer, Okkervil River, José González, Matisyahu, Gomez, Galactic, G. Love and Special Sauce, Kings of Leon, Explosions in the Sky, Guster, Damien Rice, Damian Marley, Alexi Murdoch, Buckwheat Zydeco, Ben Kweller, Kathleen Edwards, String Cheese Incident, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Los Lonely Boys, Jack Ingram, Kasey Chambers, Centro-matic, Marah, the Black Angels, Sara Hickman, Trish Murphy, Asleep at the Wheel, South Austin Jug Band, Palm Elementary School Choir

Don't Pity the Acoustic Foo...

The Foo Fighters are performing acoustic this summer with a string of theater dates in July and August. They will be adding to their line-up with Petra haden (violin), Rami Jaffee (keyboards), Drew Hester (percussion) and former guitarist Pat Smear. This will be the first tour that the group will perform songs from disc two of its latest release, "In Your Honor" (RCA). Tickets go on sale Friday (May 19) for the first seven confirmed dates. Timmy Curran will be opening act in July, while Frank Black supports in August. More dates are expected.

More dates may follow:
July 11: Seattle (Paramount Theater)
July 13: Berkeley, Calif. (Berkeley Community Theater)
July 17: San Diego (Civic Theater)
Aug. 16: Philadelphia (Tower Theater)
Aug. 21: New York (Beacon Theater)
Aug. 22: Boston (Wang Theater)
Aug. 25: Chicago (Auditorium Theater

Sometimes I Rhyme Slow...

Sometimes I Rhyme Slow is the name of a Remix Tape by Dert. Word is starting to get around about this work of art. As I said in an earlier post, I am a huge fan of Jose Gonzalez' style...but sometimes you gotta speed things up. So take that and add a twist....funky hip hop beats and some emcee magic. This sound gave me the same energy as DJ Danger Mouse's Grey Album....a combination of The Beatles White Album and Jay Z's Black Album.....get them together and look what you've got. You can order this masterpiece on iTunes or go to www.isolatedmusic.com.
This is how they describe it...
"Hip hop meets acoustic as José González’s Veneer gets reworked and blended with verses from some of today’s most elite underground and mainstream emcees (Common, Kanye, Nas and more). Taking inspiration from Nice & Smooth’s “golden-era” track of the same name, Sometimes I Rhyme Slow is a updated take on fusing acoustic guitar samples with funk, soul and breakbeats. This mixtape, while not meant to overshadow the original tracks, provides a much needed ‘feel-good’ alternative to rap’s current heavy rotation."

Strum & Strummer...

LET’S ROCK AGAIN! is a one-hour music documentary following rock icon Joe Strummer as he tours across America and Japan. The film had a limited release , but look for the home video to be available sometime in June of this year.

After a montage of Strummer’s glorious past with the seminal rock band the Clash, we are treated to a slice of life eleven years later on the comeback trail. Strummer’s main objective is simple -- to get his music out to the people and break his record even so that he can have another chance to rock again.



This is achieved through photo shoots, magazine interviews and press appearances. In his humble quest, we even see Joe handing out flyers on the boardwalk and making a blind visit to a radio station in order to get his latest CD on the air and attract fans to his concert. Live performances feature songs from the Clash, as well as material written with his new band, the Mescaleros.

More importantly, however, is the intimate portrait depicted. For all of his fame, the life of Strummer has always been that of a genuine working-man. He is a salt of the earth guy following his passion with 100% effort, and this above all, makes him the true hero he is.

At the close of 2002, the world lost Joe to a congenital heart condition. LET’S ROCK AGAIN! is his final message, a story about never giving up.

*Text as seen on film producer, Dick Rude's website.

We Live in Doughty Times...

Mike Doughty's , Haughty Melodic was one of my favorite CDs in 2005! His unmistakable vocal style and his simple but steady guitar backed by some funky beats always makes for a good listen. This is the kind of music you can jam on a road trip and it leaves you wishin' there was a longer route. So Good. And if Haughty hooks you, then get on iTunes and download Skittish and Rockity Roll.....2 earlier albums both packed with solid stuff. One other Doughty note...He is scheduled to perform for FREE (& Ray Davies is playing the same day) at this year's Taste of Chicago on Tuesday, July 4th in Grant Park, which is downtown near the lake. It's a food festival, but the music is always just as tasty! Should be a good time, if you have the chance to be there.

Table Scraps from Beck...

Most people would have to agree that Beck is one of the most innovative musicians out there right now. He always explores his musical abilities and interests to their fullest...but most of all, he has fun doing it. Here is a link to an amazing clip of Beck and his back up band taking a little percussive dinner break during a performance. You gotta see this! ...and the beat goes on, till the break of dawn.

Breaker, Breaker.....Come In Houston....

If you ever get invited to go to a break dancing party on the International Space Station, RJD2's, Magnificent City Instrumentals, may be the CD to pack in your spacesuit. It is futuristic, but fly. Trust me, you'll blow their minds....no one in space has this CD yet! Intergalactic DJs everywhere will be all over this. He also did the same tracks with lyrics provided by a rapper named Aceyalone....solid. (Can you break dance in space?)

In his latest effort, RJD2 collaborated with a producer named Blueprint (they call themselves Soul Position), to make an album called Things Go Better With RJ & Al. This Columbus based duo has gained critical acclaim as well......even considered by some to be better than Magnificent City. I read a review that calls them the heir apparent to Gang Starr's reign...works for me.

No Way, Jose...

As the saying goes...."If you learn one thing from this entry" (and if you live near Detroit) take a minute to get a ticket (quickly) for a much anticipated performance by Jose Gonzalez (Check the link in On The Radar section of this site). Gonzalez' acoustic style is so subtle and understated, but strong enough to knock you out. Some of my favorite new songs are strummed on this guy's guitar. Jose will be at the Magic Stick in Detroit on Sunday, June 25th...but tix go on sale this Saturday morning (May 6th) at Ticketmaster. I believe this is the first area performance for JG. Don't be late!

Who Ordered The Chili?

They're warming it up....it'll be right out.

North American Tour Dates for the Red Hot Chili Peppers...
Aug. 11: Portland, Ore. (Rose Garden)
Aug. 15: Boise (Taco Bell Arena)
Aug. 16: Salt Lake City (Delta Center)
Aug. 18: Denver, Colo. (Pepsi Center)
Aug. 21: Phoenix, Ariz. (Glendale Arena)
Aug. 22: San Diego (Sports Arena)
Aug. 24: Oakland, Calif. (Oakland Arena)
Aug. 27: Fresno, Calif. (Selland Arena)
Sept. 14: Vancouver, British Columbia (GM Place)
Sept. 16: Calgary, Alberta (Pengrowth Saddledome)
Sept. 17: Edmonton, Alberta (Rexall Place)
Sept. 19: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan Credit Union Center)
Sept. 20: Winnipeg, Manitoba (MTS Centre)
Sept. 25: Toronto (Air Canada Center)
Sept. 28: Montreal (Bell Centre)
Oct. 1: Quebec City (Pepsi Coliseum)
Oct. 17: East Rutherford, N.J. (Continental Airlines Arena)
Oct. 20: Boston (Fleet Center)
Oct. 21: Albany, N.Y. (Pepsi Arena)
Oct. 23: Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
Oct. 26: Atlanta (Gwinnett)
Oct. 30: Columbus, Ohio (Nationwide Arena)
Oct. 31: Cleveland (Quicken Loans Arena)
Nov. 2: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Van Andel Arena)
Nov. 3: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills)
Nov. 5: Minneapolis (Excel Arena)

Radiohead U.S. Tour Dates..

Nothing fancy just dates...
June 1-2: Upper Darby, Pa. (Tower Theatre)
June 4-5: Boston (Bank of America Pavilion)
June 7-8: Toronto (Hummingbird Center)
June 10-11: Montreal (Salle Wilred Pelletier at Places des Arts)
June 13-14: New York (Theatre at Madison Square Garden)
June 17: Manchester, Tenn. (Bonnaroo)
June 19-20: Chicago (Auditorium Theatre)
June 23-24: Berkeley (Greek Theater)
June 26-27: San Diego (Bayside)
June 29-30: Los Angeles (Greek Theater)

The Black Keys will open for Radiohead in Montreal, New York & Chicago.
Can you say, "Crazy Double Bill of the Year"?

The Sign Up Ahead...

Just saw two solid bands up at The Ark in Ann Arbor. Neither were too far off the beaten path...but young bands have to start somewhere. The first was a band called The Alternate Routes. Their sound makes me think of a band like The Jayhawks, similar vocals on some songs and really good lyrics...I think the songwriting will give this band some staying power. Melodic and poppy, but strong...Listen to their song, Ordinary....what a great song...lyrics can't get much better...a perfectly crafted alt-pop song.
The second act was a guitar wizard named Justin King...really jaw dropping guitar ability. This guy has been getting some buzz....his vocals reminded me of a cross between Jeff Buckley & John Mayer...passionate vocals. He kept a pretty aggressive pace all night. I still don't know much of his stuff, but give it a chance.