KyndMusic

The House that Widespread Panic Fans Built

2009-04-21T12:59:00.003-04:00

We all know that the band (Widespread Panic) gave a very generous dontation of $150,000.00 to the Make It Right Foundation to help the people of New Orleans.

We think it is time for the fans to do their part, and try to match the band's contribution.

We have created a team on the Make it Right website

"The House that Widespread Panic Fans Built"

You can follow the link below to donate. Once you select your donation amount, then you can select which Team/House you want to donate to. Scroll down and look for our team.

http://www.makeitrightnola.org

New Orleans has been very good the the Widespread Panic community over the years, and this is our chance to give back. Every little bit helps, so please give whatever you can.

Thanks

http://www.myspace.com/wsphouse

by Greg Lake

TDB West Coast Tour Kick Off Parties

2009-03-31T18:18:00.002-04:00

Mission Rock & Paesano Productions Presents
TDB West Coast Tour Kick Off Parties

Paesano Productions is so proud to announce 2 very special nights, Thursday, April 2nd & 3rd, at Mission Rock in San Francisco to celebrate the kick off of the Disco Biscuits West Coast Tour.

Bass Without Borders, an epic evening of East and West collaborations starts things off with a bang Thursday night. Featuring East and West Coasts finest including Disco Biscuits side projects Barber’s M80 DUBSTATION & Allen’s DR FAMUES. Along side some of San Francisco ’s hottest dub step, glitch, and grime DJ’s including BOGL, SEXYTIME (Sleepyhead vs. Mimosa) and more.Immediately following the Biscuits performance Friday night at the legendary Fillmore will be the Official TDB SF Late Night at Mission Rock. We are excited to continue the party and welcome Twisted Records UK artist OTT (also opening the Fillmore) to headline what is sure to be a long and epic night. This party will feature 2 levels of non stop music till 5am and including performances by OTT, KJ SAWKA, COLLAB PROJECT, ANTISERUM, ABAI, iNi, DR DYLON, ETHERIC DOUBLE, AD/AM, BEN THOMPSON & more.Mission Rock is a 2 level waterfront nightclub located in the Mission Bay district of downtown San Francisco , CA . Pounding sound, mind melting lights, live art, gems, lasers, and inflata Bill décor will transform this incredible venue in to a virtual playground of sights and sounds.Tickets are only $8 adv and $12 door for each show!4/3 is $10 door with TDB Fillmore Ticket Stub, while they last
For more info check out www.PaesanoProductions.com or www.missionrockcafe.com

by Greg Lake

Preview Midnight Masses "Heaven" - DL It!

2009-02-06T14:59:00.003-05:00

Midnight Masses have announced a Winter 2009 Tour With ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, along with the release of the “Heaven” Tour 7” Single Out March 10th (Digital) Via 1776 and available on tour starting February 19th. But you don't have to wait that long...

Download "Heaven" here!

Need more info? The principal members are Autry Fulbright, Destiny Montague, Giselle Reiber, Jason Reece, Eric Rodgers, and Miyuki Furtado.

Members of Midnight Masses have played or currently play in …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, Shock Cinema, Rogers Sisters, Dragons of Zynth and Santogold

Fleet Foxes Release Two Mykonos Videos - Watch 'Em Here!

2009-02-05T20:11:00.004-05:00

The Fleet Foxes Uk label, Bella Union, recently released the Deluxe Fleet Foxes Package containing their self-titled debut, the Sun King EP, Winter Hymnal 7" and a cool funky poster. To celebrate this very cool mini-box set, not band for a band with only one full album under it's belt, a brand new video for "Mykonos" has been released.

Watch "Mykonos" (video credit: Sub Pop / Bella Union, director Sean Pecknold)

Also, as a special extra, the director created a making of video for this as well.

Watch the making of the video "Mykonos" (director Sean Pecknold)

Hoodathunk's Mardi Gras Carnival

2009-02-05T13:50:00.000-05:00

Bust out the beads, masks, and costumes, it's time to get funky! Hoodathunk Entertainment presents a Mardi Gras Carnaval taking place Friday 2/20 at the Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, CA featuring live music, live performance painting, decor, and nothin' but a party with the booty-shakin' sound of Delta Nove headlining the night. Also performing will be the Charlie Hitchock Band featuring Charlie Hitchcock(formerly of Particle), Norwood Fisher (Fishbone, Trulio Discracias), and Ryan Krieger (Blu Sirkuit). Opening the night will be Groove Session , guaranteed to fire things up for this funky-ass evening. This show is 21+ and doors open at 8pm. Admission to this event is $15, however, advance discount tickets are now available for only $10 by visiting www.saintrocke.com . Come prepared to party and celebrate the new change with 2009!

Langerado 2009 Cancelled!

2009-02-03T13:38:00.000-05:00

Today, the 2009 Langerado Music Festival is cancelled due to sluggish ticket sales. The 7^th annual event was slated to happen March 6-8 at their new home in downtown Miami's Bicentennial Park.

Langerado's independent local promoters, faced with a very tough decision in a dismal economy, cancelled the 2009 event only after every possible option was exhausted.

As Langerado Co-Promoter Ethan Schwartz explains, "Langerado has always put the fan experience first. Unfortunately, during these difficult economic times, and facing a first year in a new venue, it's become apparent that we cannot execute a production that lives up to the high standards of our past events. Putting Langerado on hold was the toughest decision we have ever had to make. We are very grateful for the support of the greater-Miami community and the music community during this difficult time."

All tickets purchased will be refunded. Please look for ticket refunds to be processed in the next 5-7 business days. Each order will be refunded to the credit card in full, minus the included order processing fees. Shipping fees will also be credited for those orders that did not select the free shipping promotion. Visit www.musictoday.com for more information.

Bonnaroo Memories & Will This Year Be As Good?

2009-02-03T12:02:00.009-05:00

With today's announcement of the '09 Bonnaroo lineup, it's fun to look back at last year's performances...ahhh the memories.

Kynd bud Dave Oppenheimer of Performance Impressions recently published, with streaming audio, another of his trademark flash photo shows on their site here. Listen, watch, relive...and get in line for your tix this year.

And let us know what you think of this year's lineup. Springsteen, Phish...no Phil?

Will 2009 Bonnaroo be as Good/Better/Worse Than Last Years (yay Phil!) ( surveys)

by KyndDave

Bonnaroo Lineup to Include Springsteen & Phish

2009-02-03T09:00:00.003-05:00

Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment are excited to announce the initial lineup for the 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The eighth annual four-day camping and music festival will be held on June 11 - 14 on the same beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville. Every year Bonnaroo seeks to make history by offering unique and exclusive performances by rock's greatest legends as well as its most significant newcomers. A full list of confirmed acts follows, and more will be announced in the coming weeks. The final Bonnaroo 2009 lineup will total over 120 bands and over 20 comedians performing on 13 stages over four days.

Continuing the Bonnaroo tradition of diversity and dynamism, the 2009 lineup draws top-flight acts from a staggering range of musical worlds. This year the festival features Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Phish, The Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, TV on the Radio, Wilco, Al Green, David Byrne, Snoop Dogg, Merle Haggard, Animal Collective, Lucinda Williams, Femi Kuti, Mars Volta, Coheed and Cambria, The Del McCoury Band, Alejandro Escovedo and Rodrigo y Gabriela to name a few. This will be Springsteen and his band's only North American festival performance this year. This also will be Phish's only festival performance in 2009, and their presence at Bonnaroo holds a great deal of significance -- besides the fact that each of its members has shown the event great support, performing at the festival in various incarnations over the years, Phish's own festivals were notably one of the major inspirations for Bonnaroo's creation and operational strategies. Many of the organizers of those events (large scale, multi-day camping festivals with Phish as the solo performer) were brought on to help birth Bonnaroo in 2002, and continue to play a major role in the festival to this day. Phish will play two shows at the festival - a full two-set performance as well as an additional late-evening set.

As part of this initial Bonnaroo 2009 artist announcement, festival organizers have teamed up with Ghost Robot to create an innovative video that incorporates a new experimental process called stratostencil animation.

The largest and most revered music and camping event in the country, Bonnaroo has elevated the American rock festival to an unprecedented level. As the only round-the-clock major U.S. music festival, Bonnaroo packs an unparalleled amount of entertainment options into its four days. The event has offered its attendees the amenities and community spirit of a small city, with 24 hours of activities including a comedy theater, cinema festival, jazz club, silent disco, arcade, Internet cafés, restaurants, yoga classes and hundreds of high quality craft vendors. Since its inception, Bonnaroo swiftly earned its status as the country's premier music and arts event. According to the New York Times, "Bonnaroo has revolutionized the modern rock festival." The event is famous for the incredible energy that emerges from its crowds, who make the Bonnaroo pilgrimage to immerse themselves in its unique camping community and witness four days of historical music moments. Honoring the festival's unique spirit, Rolling Stone called Bonnaroo "one of the 50 moments to change the history of rock and roll." The festival was also just voted the Best Festival in the magazine's Readers' Poll, and won similar honors at this year's Billboard Music Awards.

This year, Bonnaroo has created a couple of unique ticketing options for its fans. The festival is now offering a special payment plan in which tickets will be available for five (5) payments of $50.00 plus applicable fees. In addition, fans will have the option to purchase a Bonnaroo Green Ticket that will help to support the development and implementation of sustainable improvements at the festival for years to come. Festival organizers are constantly looking for ways to be aggressive with mitigating the event's environmental impact and raising awareness about green issues.

As part of Fuse's three-year deal with Bonnaroo, the network will be the exclusive television partner of the festival. It will continue to be the only place to watch Bonnaroo on national television and will include live on-air coverage as well as OnDemand and online content. On-air, Fuse will bring viewers live hits, backstage interviews, "Best of Bonnaroo" concert specials and a highlight show of this year's greatest performances. The network will once again have their headquarters set up in its landmark barn in the middle of Centeroo, enabling them to bring the Fuse experience directly to fans onsite. Leading up to the event, Fuse will run four 60-second news packages that will air throughout the day on Tuesday, February 3rd, providing an insider's look at the 2009 Bonnaroo lineup. Online, at fuse.tv/bonnaroo fans can find essential information on tickets, further line-up additions and interviews from last year's festival.

In addition, ATT Music will be hosting a live webcast of the event. After the festival is over, you'll also be able to relive your experience with exclusive featured content only online at ATT Music.

See the full line up at Bonnaroo.com

- press release by Big Hassle

Hannah's Buddies Charity Event '09

2009-01-28T19:08:00.000-05:00

John Bell of Widespread Panic shares information About Spinal Muscular Atrophy and The Charity Golf, Silent Auction, and Music event taking place for the 10th year in a row in Orlando, Fla. Feb. 27th & 28th

by Greg Lake

Jimmy Herring Band Tour 2009

2009-01-27T15:09:00.001-05:00

Jimmy Herring (guitar), Oteil Burbridge(Bass), Jeff Sipe (Drums), Scott Kinsey (Keys), Greg Osby (sax)

Jimmy Herring has put together a solo band to tour behind his first solo album, Lifeboat. The Jimmy Herring Band will feature the guitarist’s Aquarium Rescue Unit collaborators Oteil Burbridge(bass) and Jeff Sipe (drums), along with Scott Kinsey (keyboards) and Greg Osby (saxophone). The group’s tour will kick off at Greenville, SC’s HandleBar on April 24, before making stops in Savannah (4/25), Athens (4/26), Macon, GA (4/28) and Charleston, SC (4/30). After a month off, the group will come together again for appearances at Wakarusa (6/4), as well in Telluride, CO (6/7), Boulder, (6/10), Ft. Collins (6/11) and Denver (6/12-13). In other news, Herring will join Audley Freed, Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman, and Nick Govrik to form Trigger Hippy next month. The jam-rock group will make it debut at Macon’s Cox Capitol Theatre on February 7. The gig will benefit the Allman Brothers Band’s Big House Museum.
Upcoming Shows

Feb 7 2009 7:30PTrigger Hippy @Cox Capitol Theatre MaconApr 24 2009 8:00PJimmy Herring Band @HandleBar Greenville, South CarolinaApr 25 2009 8:00PJimmy Herring Band @The Melting Point Athens, GeorgiaApr 26 2009 8:00PJimmy Herring Band @Savannah Savannah, GeorgiaApr 28 2009 8:00PJimmy Herring Band @Cox Capitol Theatre Macon, GeorgiaApr 30 2009 8:00PJimmy Herring Band @ Charleston, South CarolinaJun 4 2009 8:00PJimmy Herring Band @Wakarusa Music Festival ozark, ArkansasJun 7 2009 8:00PJimmy Herring Band @Telluride Town Park Stage Telluride, ColoradoJun 10 2009 8:00PJimmy Herring Band @Fox Theatre Boulder, ColoradoJun 11 2009 8:00PJimmy Herring Band @Aggies Theatre Ft Collins, ColoradoJun 12 2009 8:00PJimmy Herring Band @Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom Denver, ColoradoJun 13 2009 8:00PJimmy Herring Band @Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom Denver, Colorado

by Greg Lake

Dear Phish,

2009-01-25T04:10:00.005-05:00

First, congratulations on your upcoming 2009, should be a very big and exciting year. During your "breakup" between 2004-2009, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and you were even individually quoted as saying at the time, "Trey (Anastasio) added in a statement on his web site, "New Orleans is in trouble, so music itself is in trouble...anything we can all do now to help is crucial. If you love music, please do whatever you can.""
Well, now that it's 2009 and you are out of retirement and again getting ready to play concerts, you have a great opportunity to “do something.” You've sold all the tickets to your first three shows at Hampton Coliseum in March and the demand for your Summer Tour dates is high and so no need to worry about your marketability even in these tough economic times. So, I present to you an opportunity to “do something,” play a benefit show (or two) in New Orleans as your comeback shows next month and donate all of the money, minus obvious expenses, like renting the arena, etc. to the city and to the important revitalization process. You know your return is going to be major news, so why not have this be an opportunity to show how much you want to give back? The Dead, for example just reunited, newsworthy, but also reunited for Barack Obama. See how that works? You could be newsworthy as reuniting, for New Orleans.
Luckily for you, two venues in town have a great window of opportunity for you to perform, the New Orleans Arena, capacity 20,000, is open from February 19-24 or the Lakefront Arena, capacity 10,000, is available February 20-25. That gives you a day of setup in either place, time for a show (or two) and a couple days to clean up the party. Don’t fret about the fans that already have tickets to Hampton, you “retired” remember? Just seeing you perform after five years is all that they ask for and to come back for such an important cause would be more than justifiable.
How much to charge? Well, if one tries to purchase tickets to your first announced show on March 6, 2009 through Ticketmaster, you are given a message, “Sorry, no exact matches were found, but other tickets may still be available,” at which point there is a prompt to buy tickets through TicketsNow, starting at $327. So, start there, $300 x 20,000 or even $300 x 10,000 + the boost to the city; restaurants, hotels, etc. (and right before Mardi Gras too, February 24), why not charge $500 a ticket, or even just do all different price levels from $1,000 to $300, after all it's the comeback show(s) and a benefit for New Orleans, "Phish's Mardi Gras" I can see it now, just think of what that can do…

by Greg Lake

10KLF Lineup July 22 - 25

2009-01-21T14:24:00.002-05:00

The 10,000 Lakes Festival has announced Dave Matthews Band, two nights of Widespread Panic, and Wilco as headlining artists for four days of music and camping at the 7th annual music festival held at the Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota July 22 - 25.
The 10,000 Lakes Festival's artist lineup will feature over sixty acts performing on the festival's four stages. The first round of confirmed acts includes:
Dave Matthews Band Widespread Panic (2 nights) Wilco Umphrey's McGee Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings Railroad Earth Tea Leaf Green (2 nights) Junior Brown WookieFoot Trampled By Turtles Cloud Cult Everyone Orchestra Kathleen Edwards Pretty Lights BoomBox William Elliott Whitmore& many more! Located in Minnesota's beautiful North Country, the 10,000 Lakes Festival gives attendees an unmatched camping and musical experience. The Soo Pass Ranch's 500-acre grounds encompass expansive lakes and rolling forests, offering the natural beauty of over one mile of freshwater shoreline and spacious shaded camping. Numerous conveniences including over 100 hot water showers in multiple campgrounds, permanent bathroom facilities and running water stations provide an easy and enjoyable camping atmosphere.
A limited number of Tier 1 General Admission tickets are now available for $159 which includes four nights of music and camping. Upgraded VIP packages are available that offer a first-class festival experience including catered hot meals, drink tickets, two exclusive VIP Main Stage box seating areas as well as preferred camping located directly behind the Main Stage.
Children ages 6 and under are admitted at no charge with paid adults and children 6 to 11 are half price. Complete festival details including artist information, photos, campground reservations, event activities, and door to door directions (www.10klf.com/gettinghere.php) are available at www.10KLF.com.
Tier 1 Festival General Admission tickets, VIP tickets and campground reservations are now available online at www.10KLF.com, MusicToday Ticketing (http://10000lakestickets.musictoday.com), TicketMaster.com ( http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/49313/) and all TicketMaster locations.

by Greg Lake

Pnuma vs Paesano

2009-01-20T19:02:00.001-05:00

The Pnuma Trio teams up with Paesano Productions for 3 very special live performances on the West Coast, January 29, 30, & 31, 2009.
Dynamic, scene-setting electronica youngsters The Pnuma Trio have been known for their forward-thinking compositions and moving, powerful improvisations since their explosion onto the scene in 2004. Not so young anymore, Ben Hazelgrove, Alex Botwin, and Lane Shaw are proud to call STS9's very hot 1320 Records their new home as they release their debut studio album, 'Character'. With a refined, glitch-informed electro/hip-hop feel and all the dynamic energy of their DJ-killing live show, this new album represents a significantly evolved version of Pnuma's futuristic sound; tighter, more focused, and higher resolution.
Kicking the weekend off will be a two night run at one of the hottest new venues in San Francisco , Mission Rock Café on Thursday, January 29 & Friday, January 30, 2009. This two level waterfront nightclub will no doubt provide the perfect location to let loose and get down.
Special guests at Mission Rock Café will include Abstract Rude one of hip-hop’s most accessible healers, Lynx & Jamie Janover elusive perfect balance between the acoustic and the electronic, The Flying Skulls a nu school, crunked-out three piece that plays live improvisational dub-step, breaks, and electro, and Launchpad Design painting live through out the entire weekend.
Then it’s off to beautiful South Lake Tahoe , NV Saturday, January 31, 2009 where the Opal Ultra Lounge in MontBleu Resort will host the final throw down of the weekend. The super chic hookah lounge opens up and goes late for a party like no other. Jacuzzi rooms available just upstairs, so you can stay in the same building and not miss a minute of music.
Special guests at Opal include Snareface of the Flying Skulls and DJ AD/AM drummer for Chip Chop & Absynth.
Don’t miss your chance to catch these amazing artists live on stage in incredible, intimate venues and pick up your new copy of ‘Character’.
Advance tickets are available at http://www.inticketing.com/ and special discount ticket packages are available for all nights.
For more Pnuma Trio http://www.pnumatrio.com/
More Paesano Productions http://www.paesanoproductions.com/

by Greg Lake

A Benefit For Sweetwater

2009-01-20T18:58:00.001-05:00

To ancient Egyptians life was a quest for spiritual ascension which unfolded in stages — twelve in this life and a thirteenth beyond, thought to be the eternal afterlife. The number 13 therefore symbolized death, not in terms of dust and decay but as a glorious and desirable transformation. Happy New Year Sweetwater Fans!
The quest to keep Sweetwater's much anticipated transformation on track continues Friday, February 13, 2009 at the Red Devil Lounge in San Francisco. Join us at 8:00 pm for a fantastic evening of live music — with proceeds going toward the effort to re-open the legendary Marin music venue.
$15.00 at the door
8:00 PM — Members of the San Francisco Songwriter's Coalition, Featuring Performances by:: Joel Streeter, Megan Slankard, Eoin Harrington, Brad Brooks, Eliot Randall, Jesse Brewster, and Rick Hardin.
10:00 PM — Mike Gibbons
10:30 PM — Pine & Battery
11:00 PM — Aidan Hawken ** featuring members of Counting Crows, and Jerry Becker (member of Pat Monahan's band and touring member of Train)
ADDRESS: 1695 Polk Street (at Clay), San Francisco, CA 94109
From the North Bay Take the Lombard Street exit. take Lombard to Van Ness Ave. Turn right on Van Ness Ave. Turn left at Clay. Drive one block up to Polk and Clay. The Red Devil is on the corner of Polk and Clay. Victory!
From the East Bay Take Highway 80 across the Bay Bridge to the 101 North. Exit at Mission Street exit. Veer to your right onto Mission Street. Take your first left at Van Ness avenue. Go about 2 1/2 miles north up Van Ness Ave and make a right on Clay Street. Go one block up to the corner of Polk and Clay. Viola...
From the South Bay Take Highway 101 north to San Francisco. Stay on Highway 101 North until the Mission Street exit. Veer to your right on Mission Street. Take your first left at Van Ness Avenue. Go about 2/12 miles north up Van Ness Ave and make a right on Clay Street Go one block up to the corner of Polk and Clay. Look to your right. That's us waving. Now park!

by Greg Lake

Bush' Legacy - Lest We Forget (to push Obama for prosecutions)

2009-01-18T10:42:00.010-05:00

George Walker Bush. 43rd president of the United States. His legacy (paraphrased from and (courtesy of Mr. Keith Olbermann)...

Al Qaeda & Iraq Prologue

Early in 2001 the U.S. fingered Al Qaeda for the bombing of the USS Cole. Bush counter-terrorism adviser Richard Clarke had a plan to take down Al Qaeda. Instead, by February, the NSC had already discussed invading Iraq, and had a plan for post-Saddam Iraq.
By March 5 Bush had a map ready for Iraqi oil exploration and a list of companies.
Al Qaeda? Rice told Clarke not to give Bush a lot of long memos; "not a big reader".
August 6, 2001: a CIA analyst briefs Bush on vacation: "Bin Laden determined to strike in U.S." Bush takes no action tells the briefer—quote "all right, you've covered your ass now."
Next month Clarke requests using new predator drones to kill Bin Laden. The Pentagon and CIA say no.
September 11th; Bush remains seated for several minutes to "avoid scaring school children by getting up and leaving". He then flies around the country and promises quote-"a full scale investigation to find those folks who did it".
Rumsfeld says Afghanistan does not have enough targets, we've got to do Iraq.
When the CIA traps Bin Laden at Tora Bora, it asks for 800 rangers to cut off his escape.
Bush outsources the job to Pakistanis sympathetic to the Taliban. Bin Laden gets away.
In February General Tommy Franks tells a visiting Senator Bush is moving equipment out of Afghanistan so he can invade Iraq.
One of the men who prepped Rice for her testimony that Bush did not ignore pre 9-11 warnings later explains-quote "we cherry picked things to make it look like the president had been actually concerned about Al Qaeda. They didn't give a 'bleep' about Al Qaeda".
July and Britain's intel chief says Bush is "fixing intelligence and facts around the policy to take out Saddam".
January 03: Bush and Blair agree to invade in March, Mr. Bush still telling us he has not decided, telling Blair they should paint an airplane in UN colors, fly it over Iraq and provoke a response, a pretext for invasion.
- The man who said it would take several hundred thousand troops; fired.
- The man who said it would cost more than a hundred billion; fired.
- The man who revealed Bush's yellowcake lie; smeared, his wife's covert status
  exposed. The White House liars who did it and covered it up; not fired. One convicted. Bush commutes his sentence.

Then, in Iraq, "stuff happens":

Iraq's army, disbanded.
The government de-Baathified.
200,000 weapons, billions of dollars, just lost.
Foreign mercenaries immunized from justice.
Political hacks run the Green Zone.
Religious cleansing forcing one out of six Iraqis from their homes.
Abu Ghraib.
The insurgency.
Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Other "stuff" does not happen:

WMDs.
Post-war planning.
Body armor for our troops.
Vehicular armor for our troops.

The payoff?

Oil and billions for Halliburton, Blackwater and other companies.
Mr. Bush denies VA healthcare to 450,000 veterans.
Tries to raise veterans healthcare fees.
Blocks the new G.I. Bill.
Increases his own power with the USA PATRIOT Act.
Increases his own power with the Military Commissions Act.
Increases his own power with public orders exempting himself from a thousand laws.
Secretly exempts himself from the Presidential Records Act.
Secretly exempts himself from The Geneva Conventions.
Secretly exempts himself from FISA.
Sparks a mass rebellion at the Justice Department.
Secret star chambers for terrorism suspects, overturned by Hamdan v Rumsfeld.
Denying habeas corpus, overturned by Boumediene v Bush.
200 renditionings.
Sleep deprivation.
Abuse.
Rumsfeld warned in 2002 that he was torturing, that it would jeopardize convictions.
Out of 550 at Gitmo, hundreds ultimately go free with no charges. Dozens are tortured; eight fatally. Three are convicted.
On U.S. soil twelve hundred immigrants rounded up, without due process, without bail, without court dates, without a single charge of terrorism.

It wasn't just Mr. Bush no longer subject to the rule of law:

He slashed regulations on everyone from banks to mining companies.
Appointed 98 lobbyists to oversee their own industries, weakening emission standards for mercury, and 650 different toxic chemicals. Regulators shared drugs, and their beds, with industry reps.
- The Crandall Canyon mine owner told inspectors to back off because his buddy, Republican Mitch McConnell, was sleeping with their boss. McConnell's wife is Bush Labor Secretary Elaine Chao. Her agency overruled engineer concerns about Crandall Canyon and was found negligent after nine miners died in the collapse there.
Mr. Bush's hands off as Enron blacks out California, doubling electric bills.
After months of rejecting price caps, Mr. Bush bows to pressure. The blackouts end.
Mr. Bush further deregulates commodity futures, midwifing the birth of unregulated oil markets, which, just like Enron, jack up prices to an all time high, until Congress and both presidential candidates call for regulations and the prices fall.
Deregulating financial services and lax enforcement of remaining rules created a housing bubble, creating the mortgage crisis, creating then a credit crisis, devastating industries that rely on credit, from student loans to car dealers.

Firms that had survived the Great Depression could not survive Bush. Those that did got seven hundred billion dollars; no strings, no transparency, no idea whether it worked, unlike the auto bailout, which cut workers' salaries. A GOP memo called it "a chance to punish unions".

But Bush failed even when his party and his patrons did not stand to profit:

Investigators blamed management cost cutting communication for missed warnings about Columbia.
Bush administration convicts include sex offenders at Homeland Security, convicted liars, every kind of thief in the calendar, and, if you count things that were not prosecuted, the vice president of the United States actually shot a man in the face. The man apologized.

Mr. Bush faked the truth, all the time:

With paid propaganda in Iraq.
With paid propaganda on his education policy.
He tried to silence the truth about global warming.
He tried to silence the truth about rocket fuel in our water.
He tried to silence the truth about industry influence on energy policy.
He politicized the truth of science at NASA.
He politicized the truth of science at the EPA.
He politicized the truth of science at the National Cancer Institute.
He politicized the truth of science at Fish and Wildlife.
He politicized the truth of science at the FDA.

His lies; exposed by whistleblowers from the cabinet down:

"Complete BS," the treasury secretary said of Mr. Bush on his tax cuts.
Rice's mushroom cloud.
Powell's mobile labs.
Iraq and 9-11.
Jack Abramoff.
Jessica Lynch.
Pat Tillman.
Pat Tillman again.
Pat Tillman, again.
The air at Ground Zero; most responders still suffering respiratory problems.
Global warming.
Carbon emissions.
A Clear Skies initiative lowering air quality standards.
The Healthy Forests initiative increasing logging.
Faith-based initiatives.
The cost of medicare reform.
Fired US attorneys.
Politically synchronized terror alerts.
The surge causing insurgents to switch sides.
That abortion causes breast cancer.
That his first recession began under Clinton.
That he did not wiretap without warrants.
That we do not torture.
Tat American citizen John Walker Lindh's rights were not violated; that he refused the right to counsel.
"Heckuva job Brownie".
Some Katrina survivors still in trailers.
New Orleans still at just two-thirds its usual population.
The lie that no one could have predicted the economic crisis except the economists who did.
No one could have predicted 9-11 except one "ass-covering" CIA analyst, or thirty.
No one could have predicted the levee breach except, literally, Mr. Bill in a PSA that aired on TV a year before Katrina.
And Bush actually admitted that he lied about not firing Rumsfield because he did not want to tell the truth.

Look it up. Look it all up. All of it, all of it and more leaving us with ten trillion in debt to pay for 31% more in discretionary spending.

The Iraq War.
A 1.3 trillion dollar tax cut.
Median income down two thousand dollars.
Three-quarters of all income gains under Bush going to the richest one percent.
Unemployment up from 4.2 to 7.2 percent.
The Dow, down from 10,587 to 8,277.
Six million now more in poverty.
Seven million more now without health care.
Buying toxic goods from China.
Deadly cribs.
Outsourcing security to Dubai.
Sill unsecure in our ports and at our nuclear plants.
More dependent on foreign oil.
Out of the international criminal court.
Off the anti ballistic missle treaty.
Military readiness and standards down.
With two unfinished wars.
A nuclear North Korea.
Disengaged from the Palestinian problem.
Destabilizing eastern european diplomacy with anti-missile plans.
And unable to keep Russia out of Georgia.
2000 miles of Appalachian streams destroyed by rubble from mountaintop mining. At his last G-8 summit he actually bid farewell to other world leaders saying quote—"goodbye from the world's greatest polluter".
Consistently undermining historic American reverence for the institutions that empower us:
- Education? Now "academic elites".
- And the law? "Activist judges".

And Bin Laden; living today in a Pakistani safe haven created by a truce endorsed and defended by George W. Bush.

And among all the gifts he gave to Bin Laden, the most awful, the most damaging not just to America but to the American ideal,
was to further Bin Laden's goal by making us act out of fear rather than fortitude, leaving us with precious little to cling to tonight save the one thing that might yet suffice:

hope.

Deal would see New Orleans' Saenger Theatre reopen by 2011

2009-01-14T18:29:00.000-05:00

New Orleans officials today are set to announce an innovative plan for a city agency to take ownership of the majestic Saenger Theatre while leaving management in the hands of its longtime owners, who intend to reopen the shuttered playhouse by 2011.
The deal counts on $38 million in federal and state money and tax credits to restore the iconic movie palace that has festered since Hurricane Katrina. And while the transaction would take the building off the property tax rolls, it guarantees the city a minimum of $100,000 in rent payments annually, plus $50,000 a year toward major renovations, officials said Monday.
"We're hoping it will serve as a foundation for the resurgence of the other theaters along Canal Street, " including the Joy, State Palace and Orpheum, said Cindy Connick, executive director of the city agency that will administer the project.
"The Saenger is the sentimental favorite in the city. I have heard of more people who had their first date there, their first kiss, maybe saw their first Broadway show there, " she said. "It's important for the city to have the Saenger come back."
Under the deal, the property's current owner, Houston-based Saenger Theatre Partnership Ltd., would donate the property to the Canal Street Development Corp. in return for the right to operate the theater for at least 50 years, according to an attorney for the city agency and a partner in the management group.
The former owner also would manage a massive renovation with financing secured by the Canal Street agency, including $13 million in federal grants authorized by the state, said the attorney, Scott Whittaker.
The rest of the money would come from state and federal tax credits, including the new state benefit dubbed "Broadway South, " said Connick and Kirk Feldmann, the theater group partner.
"Tax credit investors have been identified. They're real. We're way down the road for all of that. The tax credit component is solid, " Feldmann said.
City officials are expected to sign an agreement today allowing the development corporation to administer the federal grants. Because the Saenger was privately owned at the time of the storm, the money would not be available without the public-private partnership.
Under its lease, the management group will commit to hosting at least 80 shows a year at the 2,700-seat theater and to selling 100,000 tickets annually, Whittaker said, though he said managers hope to draw closer to 160 shows every year.
The firm will pay $1 per ticket in rent, plus 50 cents per ticket toward renovations. The fees will be fixed for 10 years, and then increase with inflation.
If the thresholds are not met in the first three years, the city may seek a new manager, Whittaker said.
'Authentic restoration'
Built in 1927 at the corner of Canal and North Rampart streets, the Saenger was known as an ornate movie house before a 1979 makeover transformed it into the city's showcase for touring theater companies.
It was poised for a major renovation when Katrina struck, damaging the roof as well as the building's mechanical, operational and electrical systems.
Within months, city officials approached the Saenger Theatre Partnership with various proposals, including closing off a block of Iberville Street to accommodate large deliveries, Feldmann said.
Since then, he said, owners have invested "several million" dollars into roof repairs.
According to city records, the property was appraised this year at $1.58 million and billed for $22,826 in city property taxes. Likely owing to storm damage, the appraisal is only slightly less than the $1.7 million the property sold for in 1985, records show.
As part of its agreement with the Canal Street Development Corp., the theater group will oversee efforts to renovate with an eye toward the theater's original decor, including gold-leaf accents, life-size statues and lavish chandeliers, said David Anderson, another partner.
"Most of that has been lost because of the storm damage, " he said. "There is a huge amount of time and money that is going to into the authentic restoration of the interior."
Working together
The firm will be responsible for attracting major stage productions, comedy shows and musical acts, a task Feldmann said will be handled in tandem with another recently revived performance space in New Orleans.
Through its principals, Saenger Theater Partnership has close corporate ties with Arts Center Enterprises Inc., the firm hired to operate the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts, which reopened last week.
Feldmann said operating two theaters in post-Katrina New Orleans poses a risk because the level of demand for live performance is "unknown, " but the company at least will be able to ensure that runs of popular shows don't overlap.
"Hopefully, we can avoid the classic scenario of booking 'Cats' right on top of 'The Nutcracker, ' " he said.
Hopes are that both properties will attract a large local audience, as well as theater-goers from eastern Texas to Mississippi. The city likely will benefit from ongoing good will among producers, actors, musicians and other artists to help New Orleans get back on its feet, he said.
"There is a huge love affair with the entertainment community and their desire to come back to New Orleans and show their allegiance and support for this community, " Feldmann said. "They're dying to come."

by Greg Lake

Steve Kimock Crazy Engine Heads West

2009-01-14T13:12:00.001-05:00

Steve Kimock will be hitting the road this spring with his new project Steve Kimock Crazy Engine. Exploring a new direction, Crazy Engine is a Steve Kimock project unlike any other. Pushing the boundaries of rock and roll, rhythm and blues, gospel and soul, the repertoire will include Kimock classics as well as an energized catalogue of covers and fresh material.
For nearly four decades Steve Kimock has earned a reputation as a guitarist with an enlightened approach to melodic improvisation and has captured audiences from around the globe with his tasteful guitar speak and brilliant tone. Labeled the “guitar monk” by Relix Magazine for his relentless pursuit of the art of guitar, Steve Kimock blends all of his influences, capturing the spirit of the music wherever he goes, while tuning into sounds from some unseen dimensions.
The long-awaited project will also feature legendary Hammond B3 player, Melvin Seals, best known for his work with the Jerry Garcia Band. The glistening new line up also includes the cookin’ rhythm section of Janis Wallin on bass (Family Groove Company) and Kimock’s own son, John Morgan Kimock on drums. Rounding out the configuration with their soulful crooning are “The Girls” on vocals, featuring Cheryl Rucker and Shirley Starks (Melvin Seals and JGB).
Crazy Engine will begin the ride on the West Coast in late March of 2009. With dates filling in quickly from coast to coast, there is no stopping the tour-de-force that moves Steve Kimock and his dynamic band.

TOUR DATES:03/26 – Crystal Bay Club – Crystal Bay, NV03/27 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco03/28 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco03/29 – Mystic Theatre – Petaluma, CA03/31 – Red Fox Tavern – Eureka, CA04/01 – Red Fox Tavern – Eureka, CA04/02 – The Domino Room – Bend, OR04/03 – Aladdin Theatre – Portland, OR04/04 – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR04/05 – Big Room @ Sierra Nevada Brewing Company – Chico, CA

by Greg Lake

Wakarusa Initial Artist Announcement

2009-01-09T14:03:00.000-05:00

Wakarusa is excited to welcome the following artists to the 2009 lineup: Yonder Mountain String Band (2 big sets!), STS9 (2 big sets!), Galactic (late night set), Buckethead (late night set), Sly & Robbie, Railroad Earth (2 sets), Cross Canadian Ragweed, Digable Planets, Porter, Batiste & Stoltz (2 sets), Steve Kimock & Crazy Engine, Perpetual Groove (2 sets), Split Lip Rayfield (2 sets), Lucero, The Egg, 20/20 Soundsystem, Jimmy Herring Band, Cornmeal (2 sets), EOTO, Boombox, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Secret Chiefs 3, Joe Purdy, Dirtfoot (2 sets), Pretty Lights, Big Smith (2 sets), Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Ott, Heavyweight Dub Champion, DJ Rekha, Underground Orchestra, Moonalice, My Dear Disco, Blue Mountain, Truckstop Honeymoon, Elephant Revival, Burnin' Smyrnans, Euforquestra, Hana Pestle . . . and many more to be announced!

by Greg Lake

Led Zeppelin 'will tour and record album with new singer'

2009-01-09T13:59:00.001-05:00

Jimmy Page's manager today confirmed that Led Zeppelin are planning to tour and record a new album with a replacement singer for Robert Plant.
Plant confirmed in December that he wasn't interested in a full Led Zeppelin reunion, despite still remaining on good terms with his former bandmates.
In October, Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones hinted that the band were willing to continue with or without Plant.
Speaking about Led Zeppelin's future plans, Page's manager Peter Mensch confirmed that the band would indeed carry on - if they can find the right singer.
"Jimmy Page has been playing guitar professionally since he was 16 years old. Jimmy Page likes being a musician. That's what he does! He doesn't want to be a race car driver or a solicitor," Mensch told 6Music.
"So they [Page, Jones and drummer Jason Bonham] did the show [at London's O2 Arena in 2007] with Robert Plant; they had a really good time rehearsing, the three of them, before Robert showed up.
"And they decided that if they could find a singer that they thought would fit their bill – whatever their bill was at this stage in their career – that they'd make a record and go on tour.
Mensch said that he supported the trio's decision to carry on playing together, although he refused to comment on who Plant's replacement might be.
"John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page enjoy playing with each other, Jason Bonham is a really good drummer so why not? We just need to find a singer," he said.
While rumours of who Plant's replacement will be have included Soundgarden's Chris Cornell, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Mensch remained tight-lipped on the issue.
"It's gonna be a long and difficult process," he said. "And we're not soliciting people! So don't call me about it!"

by Greg Lake

The Dead To Tour In 2009

2009-01-05T20:21:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year, everybody!! Hope and change are in the air! So what better way to kick off 2009 than to confirm what’s been buzzing in the rumor mill for some time: The Dead will be touring for the first time in more than four years, with nearly twenty shows spread across a month from mid-April through mid-May!

The lineup for this edition of The Dead will be the same one that rocked the house at Penn State last fall at the Obama benefit: The Core Four of Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, joined by guitar monster Warren Haynes and RatDog keyboard ace Jeff Chimenti (both veterans of the 2004 Dead "Wave That Flag" tour). The mood of the band for this Spring Fling is way up, so it’s sure to be a great tour!
Dead.net will be your official hub for ALL news about the tour, including dates and ticket info... and perhaps even a few surprises along the way!
So gas up the Tourmobile, get out that really wild tie-dye--you know, the one with the red spiral melting into the purple and green that’s in a heap of clothes in the back of your closet--and start getting into Show Shape!
You know it’s gonna get stranger, so let’s get on with the show...
April 12 Greensboro NC Greensboro Coliseum April 14 Washington DC Verizon Center April 15 Charlottesville VA John Paul Jones Arena April 17 Albany NY Times Union Center April 18 Worcester MA DCU Center April 19 Worcester MA DCU Center April 21 Buffalo NY HSBC Arena April 22 Wilkes-Barre PA Wachovia Arena @Casey Plaza April 24 Uniondale NY Nassau Coliseum April 25 New York NY Madison Square Garden April 26 Hartford CT XL Center April 28 E. Rutherford NJ IZOD Center April 29 E. Rutherford NJ IZOD Center May 1 Philadelphia PA Wachovia Spectrum May 2 Philadelphia PA Wachovia Spectrum May 5 Chicago IL All State Arena May 7 Denver CO Pepsi Center May 9 Los Angeles CA The Forum May 10 Mountain View CA Shoreline Amphitheater

by Greg Lake

10th Annual Hannah's Buddies Charity Classic

2009-01-05T20:15:00.002-05:00

HOUSE OF BLUES PRESENTS 10TH ANNUAL HANNAH'S BUDDIES CHARITY CLASSIC FEAT. JOHN BELL & FRIENDS
House of Blues Orlando 1490 E. Buena Vista Dr. Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 407.934.BLUE
price : $39.50 date : Sat, February 28 door : 7:30pm show : 8:30pm genre : Jam Rock Roots Rock Rock age : all
http://hob.com/tickets/eventdetail.asp?eventid=55764

The Hannah's Buddies Charity Classic

The first Hannah’s Buddies Charity Classic was held in Orlando in 1999. Seventy-five golfers gathered with John Bell of Widespread for a round of golf, dinner, silent auction and sold-out concert at the House of Blues. The golf tournament now occupies two golf courses with more than 250 golfers from around the country and the concert has continued to draw massive crowds and a variety of performers. It all started with Bell wanting to do something to help his goddaughter, Hannah, and children like her afflicted with the neuromuscular disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). In its first nine years, more than $1.5 million dollars has been raised for SMA research through this event. Year ten promises to bring even more needed funds for this fight against the number one genetic cause of death in children under two.
The Golf Tournament - The Hannah’s Buddies Charity Classic is a four-person scramble played at Grand Cypress Golf Resort in Orlando on Friday. An 11:30 a.m. shotgun start sends more than 250 golfers onto the Nicklaus-designed courses to battle for great prizes and awards. The golfers range from scratch to high handicappers with a few first-time players sprinkled in for the fun. The competition is friendly and fierce at the same time – low score of 56 in 2008 took top honors by one stroke. Following the golf is a cocktail and award ceremony hosted by John Bell and entertainment provided by a regional music act.
The Dinner and Silent Auction at House of Blues - Participation in the golf tournament includes access for each golfer and their guest to the dinner and silent auction at the Orlando House of Blues on Saturday. The dinner consists of buffet of the infamous House of Blues Cajun-influenced cuisine. The silent auction consists of sports and music memorabilia displayed throughout the HOB music hall. Autographed music items from previous years have included guitars from Widespread Panic, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen and Dave Matthews as well as posters, photos and other musical instruments. Sports items have included autographed pin flags from the Major victories of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and others. The auction also offers great vacation destinations and packages donated by supporters across the U.S.
The John Bell and Friends Benefit Bash at House of Blues - The weekend climax occurs on Saturday night when the House of Blues doors open to the public for the JB and Friends Benefit Bash. John Bell invites his friends to join in a night of music always filled with surprises and great performances.
Previous individuals and bands that have performed with Bell at this event include North Mississippi All-Stars, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Galactic, Bobby Lee Rodgers and The CodeTalkers, Robert Randolph and his Family Band, Bloodkin, Barbara Cue, Aquarium Rescue Unit, Jerry Joseph, Kevn Kinney, Gibb Droll, JoJo Hermann, Michael Nichol and others.
http://hannahsbuddies.org/

by Greg Lake

Haynes XMas Jam Photo Gallery & Streaming Audio

2008-12-21T21:44:00.001-05:00

Title on this kinda says it all, don't you think? Courtesy of our bud Dave Oppenheimer of Performance Impressions.

Check it all out here.

Smooth Kentucky's Bluegrass Bobby Dylan

2008-12-19T22:02:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I know this is three posts in less than 20 minutes and I swear I was done, but then Dave from Smooth Kentucky e-mailed an achingly beautiful bluegrass rendition of Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me". I have to share it. Download it here.

Oh, and buy their kick-ass debut cd here.

A Maniacally Ambient William Burroughs Christmas?

2008-12-19T21:38:00.004-05:00

You really have to hear how Flowers of Doom have turned the classic Christmas carol "Do You Hear What I Hear" into a Leonard Cohen-esque funeral march and "O Holy Night" into a condensed but soaring electronic ditty. Listen to both, and DL "All I Want for Christmas is You" here.

These guys are the shit. Their debut album, featuring vocals from ex-Simian Simon Lord is coming soon!

Catapulting Christmas with the Jews...Really

2008-12-19T21:11:00.003-05:00

Elizabeth and The Catapults, that quirky and jazzy pop outfit from New York, has embraced the holiday spirit with a new song and video; "Christmas with the Jews". Watch it here.

Bluegrass Stairway To Heaven

2008-12-19T13:54:00.003-05:00

Charlie Louvin's Steps To Heaven has been nominated by the Grammy folks for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel. DL "Precious Lord, Take My Hand".

The Radiators: 30 Years of Jams and Loving It

2008-12-08T16:11:00.055-05:00

City Limits

Delray Beach, Fl

November 28-29, 2008

The best thing about going to see the Radiators play live is that you are guaranteed to be shakin' your stuff from start to finish. In the 27 years I've been catching the band, never once have I been disappointed. Tell me -what other band can you say that about? And like fine wine, the Radiators keep getting better as time goes on. For those who witnessed the shows last weekend at City Limits in Delray Beach, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

City Limits is more and more becoming the venue of choice for those of us up in the 561. And why not - the place is chill. There's plenty of room to dance, the sound is excellent, staff is friendly, and it's a step away from Downtown Delray, where there is always something to do before and after showtime. The floor is more or less wide open, with a couple of cocktail tables scattered towards the back. Upstairs there are couches to relax on, and 2 bars which are easily accessible. Nice setup. Comfortable. But we don't go see this band for 'comfort', so let's get right to it.

The Radiators are Ed Volker (organ, vocals), Dave Malone (guitar/lead vocals), Camile Baudoin (guitar/backing vocals), Reggie Scanlan (bass) and Frank Bua (drums). They serve up a smorgasbord of musical styles including, but not limited to - Blues, R&B, Funk, Soul, Swing, Zydeco, Cajun, Jazz and, of course, Rock 'n' Roll. We would have the good fortune of experience all these genres over the course of these 2 magical nights.

Friday Night
First set highlights: 'River Run' thru 'Give Me a Rainbow', with Dylan's 'You Aint Going Nowhere' and 'Daniel in the Lions Den' sounding especially sweet. I love Volker's playing and vocals on 'Lion's Den'. And you could tell they were just getting warmed up, with each passing song offering a little more improvisation and energy than the one before it. With 'Wild and Free' and The Dead's 'Morning Dew' closing out the set, we got a taste of what was to come. The 'Dew' really showcased what Camile and Dave bring to the table, trading licks as if they were baseball cards, back and forth, louder and stronger, with each passing verse. Camile couldn't bend his strings any more than he did, often glancing over at Dave, challenging him to take it further as the jam moved forward. The crescendo was huge, and the crowd seemed more than satisfied as the set came to a close. Nicely done!

Second set opened a little quiet with 'Dreaming Out Loud', a nice, melodic tune from their same-titled record, but you could tell the audience was ready, really ready, to shake their collective asses. Good thing is, we wouldn't have to wait long. Creedence Clearwater's 'Green River' came next, and just like that, the show took off - and mean OFF!! Segueing nicely into 'Blue Monkey' then 'Bitch', the band was firing on all cylanders. Volker's vocals were hypnotic, Frank's drumming consistently brilliant, and Reggie's bass lines were making me very happy. Probably my favorite part of the show was the melody beginning with Lucinda', segueing nicely into the 'Theme from the Magnificent Seven', and finally right into The Meters' Sissy Strut' - that was worth the price of admission itself. Frank's playing really stood out during 'Lucinda', with the rest of the band following suit as they moved through 'Seven', with a nasty, balls-to-the wall jam during 'Sissy Strut'. Must be a NOLA thing - that tune rips! A rockin' 'Fishead Man' closed out the set nicely, with The Impressions' People Get Ready' and the jam-laden 'Rosie' offered as encores. One down, one to go.

Saturday Night
For some reason expectations are always much higher for a Saturday night show, as bands always want to leave the city they're playing with a lasting impression and the fans want that same impression to last long after the show has ended. With 'One Monkey Don't Stop No Show' and 'Every Dog's Got Its Day' opening up the set, the band returned to its roots and got the crowd into it from the first note they played. Reggie's bass on 'Dog' was loud, much louder than the previous night, as we could feel the floor vibrating next to the speaker. Dave and Camile's leads were just screaming, and the band, as a whole, seemed much more animated than the previous night.

After a beautiful rendidtion of 'Ooh La La', they picked it up with a couple of my favorite tunes: 'Where Was You At', 'Ace in the Hole', and 'Stealin' a Feelin'. Is there a better "feel-good" song than 'Ace'? For some reason, you just want to dance you ass off when they break that out - quintessential Rads!! The set closer was off the chain, as they went all out with a 9 minute medley: You Can't Take It With You When You Go>There's Something Fishy Goin'On>Go to New Orleans>Land of 1000 Dances>Can't Take It With You When You Go. Again, back to their roots, showing why they've lasted for as long as they have. Good stuff!

Wars' Low Rider opened up the 2nd set, and there were nothing but smiles all around. Frank set the beat, and the boys galdly followed suit and delivered the funk. It was nice to hear Peter Musso on the harmonica, as he really added alot to the jam. Again, the band seemed highly animated as they moved through the song, with Camile bending every which way as he layed down the nastiest riffs of the weekend. Man, can he play guitar or what?

Other highlights: The Talking Heads 'Burning Down the House', 'Total Evaporation' and the rockin' trilogy of Looka Py Py>Jump into the Fire> Looka Py Py . 'House' got everybody into the mix, even the people who were there by accident. And as Ed's keys led into 'Like Dreamers Do', it felt like we had come full circle, the band and the crowd, united as one, feeling pretty good about one another, that we both had a purpose coming in to the weekend and we both accomplished what we set out to. Then Dave started to sing, and we lost ourselves in all that is the Radiators. One of their most recognized songs, 'Dreamers' always puts everyone in a great mood - it's just one of those tunes...and the band took it as far as they could, naturally.

After exiting briefly, they came back out and did 'Blackjack >Got to Find Somebody to Treat Me Right', which was downright nasty, followed by Muddy Waters' Got My Mojo Workin'. A perfect ending to an incredible weekend.

Both nights featured not only exceptional musicianship, but also showed the band to be really enjoying themselves as performers. And with their recent release of "Wild and Free", they show no signs of slowing down, even after 30 years of hardcore touring. Amazing? Sure. But not surprising, as we've come to expect the unexpected throughout this long journey the band has taken us on. And the best thing is, there's is no end in sight - only beginnings.

It was Frank's birthday Saturday, so "Happy Birthday, Frank", and thanks to the rest of the band for two great nights of exceptional music and good times. And with Monkeyball just around the corner, S. Florida should be counting its blessings. We'll see you in January. Until then...

Stream and download the first night
Stream and download the second night
Video of Low Rider from Saturday night

The Radiators Official Website
The Radiators on My Space

Grateful Dead out with New Road Trips & Audio Stream

2008-12-06T09:50:00.008-05:00

Check out the new Grateful Dead Road Trips Volume 2 #1 Listening Party, from the band's epic 6-show run at Madison Square Garden in September 1990. "Uncle John's Band", "Truckin" and especially "Let it Grow" are mind-bendingly powerful. And when they segue from the "Let it Grow Jam" into "Dark Star" at the beginning of disc two...wow...hold onto your seat, headphones, iPod or whatever else is nearby.

Stream the entire Road Trips here

Read More and Order A Copy of Road Trips

Holiday Jam 2008

2008-12-05T13:05:00.002-05:00

Get in the holiday spirit as Hoodathunk Entertainment presents the 4th anual Holiday Jam taking place Wednesday Dec. 17 at the Blue Cafe in downtown Long Beach, CA.
A complete evening of festive decor, fun music and very merry fans.
Headlining the night will be the new-grass rootsicana sound of S. Lake Tahoe's Blue Turtle Seduction who recently held their own festival in California, "Las Tortugas" featuring other acts such as Melvin Seals with JGB, ALO, Tea Leaf Green and Delta Nove to name a few.
Getting things warmed up will be a special drumming performance by Long Beach's own Delta Nove, guaranteed to get your ass shaking and make you lose a couple of those extra pounds put on this time of year.
Also performing is the always all-around fun time of Mojow and the Vibration Army featuring John Whoolilurie along with his wife Moriah.
If you have ever attended a festival in the west you probably have seen John and his red Radio Flyer wagon with looping pedals attached to his waist, a saxophone strapped around his neck, and a microphone in hand, along with Moriah and her platform shoes and funky dance moves parading around the grounds.
Opening the show will be Delta Nove's drummer Dominic Feedam on guitar performing his solo looping side project.
Music starts at 8pm, so please plan to arrive early. Festive attire is encouraged, admission only $10.
For more info on this show and other Hoodathunk events please visit www.myspace.com/hoodathunkentertainment
Holiday Jam 2008
Wednesday 12/17 at The Blue Cafe
210 The Promenade
Long Beach, CA 90802
doors: 7pm show: 8pm
21+ $10

by Greg Lake

Widespread Panic 2009

2008-12-05T13:01:00.004-05:00

Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz, percussionist, has put the rumors of Widespread Panic taking significant time off in 2009 to rest.

"Q: Word on the street is the band is taking most of next year off. Why is it time for a break?
A: There are rumors out there that we are going to take the year off, but that is not true. We're really excited about next year. We are going to tour. We usually wait to start until April or May and then hit the amphitheatres in the summer."

by Greg Lake

Feist Sprinkles Faerie Dust, Elvis Gets Mauled

2008-11-24T13:23:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the folks at Stereogum for this great clip of Feist's performance during Stephen Colbert's Christmas Special on Comedy Central Last night. Can she sprinkle me with faerie dust (without the Elvis being mauled part)?

Link to full Videogum piecehere.

Click Your Atomic Heels, Welcome to the Machines

2008-11-23T20:29:00.008-05:00

Finally getting caught up on my blog-reading and thank god for it. Being a bit behind the curve (manic 2yo daughter laying waste to my free time), I was sadly oblivious to the fact that The Secret Machines had re-organized with former Tripping Daisy’s member Phil Karnats on guitar and released a self-titled sort of "re-debut" album.

I have Some Dude over at the always incredibly informed Hidden Track/Pullin' Tubes blog to thank for filling me in on this glorious news.

Check out the highlighted video of the Machines' first single "Atomic Heels":

Frances' Proper Madness Expands with All The While

2008-11-22T21:31:00.003-05:00

Last night, chamber pop outfit Frances celebrated the release of their debut full-length album All The While at the Mercury Lounge, on NY's lower east side, with La Strada and Hospitality. The anticipated follow up to the Night Light ep was received with anticipatory glee by the faithful audience, and for good reason. Blending experimental, power-pop, Beatlesesque symphonic arrangements and 'finger in your eye' bombastic punkitude, the Frances collective has dropped a gem. Grab an mp3 of the single "Lighthouse" right here.

Petra Haden & Miss Murgatroid Go Tragically Operatic (Again)

2008-11-12T10:40:00.003-05:00

When your Dad is Jazz legend Charlie Haden, when you're part of the famed indie band The Decemberists, when Pitchfork themselves actually like your new album and declare decisively that it is NOT "navel-gazing frivolity"...well, what else is there to say?

Petra Haden finds a lot more to say in her second collaboration with Miss Murgatroid in Hearts and Daggers. As the aforementioned Pitchforkians reference, this collection of 9 elfin and paradoxically tragic operettas veers, at times, close to some 'my cup runneth over' moments but Petra and Murgatroid always seem to know just when to pull the curtain closed. And in between those rare moments they entrance the listener.

Moody and often bi-polar, the pair frolic across a richly imagined musical and lyrical landscape, often times conjuring both savagery and innocence with the simplest noncommital note. Then there's "Hummingbird". You can listen to the avant-garde and psychedelic vocal orchestration on NPR's All Songs Considered here.

Rio en Medio's "The Umbrella"

2008-11-12T10:31:00.003-05:00

Can't get enough of the isolated mythical music of Rio en Medio's newest album Frontiers. Check out the very cool video for ""The Umbrella".

Rio En Medio - The Umbrella from Eli Stonberg on Vimeo.

Bill Kreutzmann's Trio - Keeping the Fire Burning

2008-11-07T10:25:00.028-05:00

Having seen all but one of the original Grateful Dead members play live with their various side projects since the band called it quits in '95, I was beside myself as I made my way to The Culture Room in Ft. Lauderdale last Friday night to catch Bill Kreutzmann's new ensemble, The Bill Kreutzmann Trio. This would be my first time seeing Billy play live in 13 years.

Joining Bill on stage were two legends in their own right - Oteil Burbridge (bass, vocals) and Scott Murawski (guitar, vocals). You may know Oteil as the bass player for The Allman Brothers and his own project, Oteil and The Peacemakers, and Scott from Max Creek and The Mike Gordon Band. To call this group a "supergroup" would be quite appropriate, although they probably wouldn't care for the label. Having sat down with Scott and Oteil for about an hour prior to the show, I realized how humble and appreciative they are to be doing what they're doing.

The Culture Room, by all accounts, is a dump. But it's my dump, our dump, and it truly is an acoustically perfect venue. You never know what you're walkin' through or what type of drink will be spilled on you next, but that's half the fun. The open floor goes right up to the elevated stage, with a bar upstairs overlooking the audience down below. If you get a spot on the railing, you feel as though you're right on top of the artists -literally right there!! But as long as you can find a decent place to stand, it doesn't get much better, especially when it's packed-in tight and the band you're listening to is tearing it up.

From the band's opener, everyone knew, and I mean everyone, that this was going to be something special. Eyes of The World out of the gate got the juices flowing, and they sounded better than I had imagined in my wildest dreams. Tight, soulful, melodic, jazzy, potent, mad - they did justice to a song few can, and ever will. Next up was Murawski's Cruel World, which was really sweet, offering us a real good look at what Scott brings to the table. His riffs are outstanding, as are his vocals. And he pushes Oteil to the limit - you can see the interaction between these two throughout the entire night, as they bounce notes off each other while grinning from ear to ear -good stuff. The Neville Brothers Yellow Moon followed, with a twisted jam segueing seemlessly into the set closer and fan-favorite, The Dead's Bertha. Our collected breath had been taken away. Nice job guys...

After having caught their sound check earlier in the day, and hearing a blistering Help>Slip, I was more than ready for the real deal. What I wasn't ready for was a 35 minute musical novel, consisting of masterful improvisation, melodic jazz, Oteil scat-singing, and a Tower-jam that ripped my eyeballs out of my head. I really wasn't ready. Help>Slip>Tower opened her up, and I could tell Bill was definitely in 'second set' mode. I've seen that look in his eye almost 200 times before, and lo and behold, there it was again. He truly was having the best time of all, and his playing reflected the mood of the band - there were smiles everywhere!! As the set progressed, I must have seen Oteil and Scott look at each other no less than 20 times in disbelief, daring the other to take it to a higher level. Not one time did either of them back down - sensational!

Other highlights of the set: We heard 3 originals sprinkled amongst a collage of Dead tunes, and I truly enjoyed each one of them. 'Murderland', Chains of Life, and my favorite of the three, 'Fly Away All', were all great songs - both lyrically and musically. Having penned Robert Hunter to write a bunch of lyrics for their upcoming record, I was very interested to hear what kind of music would come from his words. I had only known Jerry's interpretations, but I must say, musically speaking, the Trio nailed it. And why not? All three band members have written music their entire lives, so it must have come somewhat natural to do the same with Robert's words. 'Sugaree', 'Althea', and the set closer 'Big Railroad Blues' left the audience begging for more, and more we got.

After Bill took his bows and gave props to Oteil and Scott, they broke into The Dead's Scarlet Begonias, which took on a life of its own. Twenty minutes later we were left dumbfounded as the Trio left the stage, the Scarlet truly capping a magical night spent with extended 'family' and good friends.

The one thing I got from this performance was that this band can do no wrong, because there is no 'right' or 'wrong' - they just love to play, and whatever comes of it is what it is. Now how can you go wrong with that kynd of attitude? You can't - and with Bill, Oteil, and Scott willing to go where no band has gone before, the future is as bright as they want it to be.

Download the torrent here

Read Scott and Oteil's interview here

**The band dedicated the show to Merl Saunders, who past away earlier that day. RIP Merl, you made a difference.

**Most pics and videos courtesy of AD Firtel. You can check out AD's array of videos here

1st moe. Dates of 2009 Announced

2008-11-02T21:02:00.003-05:00

moe. will hit Denver, New York and Chicago with 2-night stands in each city beginning January 30th, 2009. The Winter tour will consist of ONLY these six shows, and pre-sales start Wednesday, November 5th through moe.ticketing. General on-sale begins on Saturday, November 15th through Ticketmaster. More details to follow - stay tuned! Click here for the dates.

Rare Grateful Dead Tracks on Anniversary of Return from Egypt

2008-11-02T20:44:00.007-05:00

30 years ago the Grateful Dead celebrated their triumphant return from Egypt with a series of legendary concerts at Winterland. Among many magical moments, these shows feature Hamza El Din, the renowned Egyptian oud player. His inspired collaboration with the band on "Ollin Arageed" weaves east to west in rhythmic bliss.

Guess what was discovered on the end of a studio session reel? It's a rehearsal recorded back in August of 1978 with Hamza El Din on oud, Mickey Hart on tar, and Jerry Garcia on acoustic guitar. Dead.net is y sharing these rare and unreleased tracks with you.

Click here and enjoy the ride.

Barack Rock Delivers Exclusive MP3s and Artwork

2008-11-01T10:17:00.004-04:00

Musician Jack Dolgen (Maricopa, Sam Champion) had a song and an idea: use his track to raise money for Barack Obama after a run in with the man himself. He told Barack, "You've been running, I've been recording." The first song released from that recording project was "Daytime,” a song about bridging divides and coming together. As he and designer Andrew Ackermann tossed the concept around to their friends in the music and design worlds, one man's idea grew into an organization called I Wrote You a Song: trading art for political action.

The first campaign is BarackRock.org, launched one week after the Democratic Convention and has featured daily contributions from artists like Tapes N' Tapes (go to the site today to download their exclusive "The Dirty Dirty Amplive Fuct Remix"), Ra Ra Riot, The Honey Brothers, Mobius Band, Au Revoir Simone, Port O'Brien, Sam Champion, Sera Cahoone, and many more. The effort is building with multiple posts each day during this final stretch till November 4th.

BarackRock.org uses music and design to bring people from around the world together under one banner and channel their energy into a unified force. BarackRock.org is an ever-expanding archive of free, exclusive mp3s, each with its own individual art, meant to build funds, excitement and action for the Obama campaign

Read more about BarackRock.org at:

Rolling Stone
Huffington Post
The Fader
Salon.com

The political change we're working towards won't come by itself. The more downloads we get, the larger our impact can be, so spread the word! These are unreleased tracks and demos, only available here, and only available now, so plug in your headphones and make a difference. Visit www.BarackRock.org

Oteil Burbridge and Scott Murawski - Getting There...Together

2008-10-27T10:19:00.093-04:00

This past Friday, The Bill Kreutzmann Trio rolled into S. Florida and took The Culture Room by storm, literally. To be honest, the show was downright nasty. And although Bill's name is front and center, he could not have pulled off such an incredible night of music without the assistance of his bandmates, Oteil Burbridge (bass, vocals) and Scott Murawski (guitar, vocals).

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Oteil and Scott just after their sound check. My thought was get to the goods on the Trio, as so much has been written about each of their main projects, Oteil with The Allman Brothers/Oteil and The Peacemakers, and Scott with Max Creek/Mike Gordon Band. I started off by thanking them for taking the time and letting both know how much I am in awe of their musicianship.

KM: Tell us about how this project came about. We've heard there was meeting in Costa Rica that Mike Gordon set up. I think Bill called you Scott, right?

Scott: Mike had been playing with Bill and Steve Kimock in Hawaii, and he was calling and texting me about what was going on. After that ended, Mike gave me a call and asked if I wanted to do something with Bill, and since I had never met Bill or been to Costa Rica, I was very excited.

KM: So did you think you'd be playing with Mike on the bass or was Oteil's name mentioned at that point?

Scott: It was going to be just Mike.

KM: So how did things evolve once you got down there?

Scott: It was suppose to be a one-shot deal. We played one gig in Costa Rica, and there was such good chemistry, Bill wanted to do more. Mike said he'd love to but he had just spent the entire year writing music, coming out with an album, and putting a band together, so he couldn't commit to anything else at that time. Bill asked Mike if he minded if I played with him, and also who he would recommend we get to play bass. So Mike thought about it and recommended we get Oteil.

KM: Oteil, who called you and what was your first reaction?

Oteil: Mike called me and said he's got so much going on this year he couldn't do it, and wanted to recommend someone who would fit, who's got good chemistry. He couldn't say enough. He said, "Oteil, you really have to try playing with these guys at least once. It was one of the best things I've done in my entire life". We've had such a good time touring, laughing, even recently joking around we should call ourselves the Mike Gordon Band, but obviously, that would lend itself to much confusion.

KM: So had you met Scott before that?

Oteil: I didn't think we did but Scott, didn't you say we played your festival (Camp Creek) one year?

Scott: In '91...then we met briefly 3 years ago at the Wanee Festival...we met for like two seconds.

Oteil: And when I met him for this project, I said, "How come I don't know you...how did I miss you all this time? When in fact, I had met him twice (laughing). I hadn't listened to any Grateful Dead records so I wasn't familiar with those guys. Thanks to Blues Traveler, I had an opportunity to see them once before Jerry died, in Vegas.

KM: Was that in '95? I was at all 3 of those shows.

Oteil: With the thunder and lightning...I was like, "Impressive!"

KM: So what was your first rehearsal like?

Scott: Neither of us had met Oteil (except for a few seconds) prior to that, so when we met we said, "Hey, what's up"...picked up our instruments, and played one song, which turned out to be a 40 minute jam..we looked around at each other and said, "whoa, what was that?!? There was something definitely going on...

Oteil: There was just a burst of enthusiasm..it was evident immediately there was a chemistry going on. Everytime you get in a situation you never know what it's really going to be like..it's been rare it takes off that hard by itself...it was so obvious. Even after the first show, which was magical, we would be rehearsing and going off and I'd look at Scott and he's be doing the same thing I was doing.

KM: Is this something that's out of the ordinary, that's unexpected, even unnatural, yet seems so natural?

Scott: I think it's unusual to have 3 players who are so receptive to what's going on. Usually with a group of guys, someone inevetibaly wants it done their way. Usually the weakest link is the person with the weakest ear. In this band, everyone has such huge ears and is so sensitive to what's going on...I think it's just the perfect combination.

KM: So what does Bill bring to the table, do differently, compared to other drummers you've worked with?

Oteil: That's such a subjective question...The only way to describe it, or to know, is to play with Bill. He's so different than any other drummer I've ever worked with. It's like trying to describe to a martian what chicken tastes like. One of the things I do love about playing with Bill he has a need, an overwhelming need, to abandon all boundaries. You better be willing because he's gone. We've literally got into jams where I was like, "I'm not really sure what song we're suppose to go back to", and that doesn't even matter, because we may not go back to that song, and that's just fine. Half our songs don't even have any endings.

Scott: We have 2 songs that have endings -the one that ends the first set and the one that ends the second set (laughter abounds)

Oteil: Another thing I love about Bill is he is so childlike, but in a good way. It's like when you just started getting good, jammin' in your garage, and you had that wide-eyed eagerness, he has that all the time.

KM: That has to to rub off on the both of you.

Scott: Even just now, at the end of sound check, when I did that riff that ended the song, he was ready to just kept going.

Oteil: Plus, what you said about that chemistry thing...you hope to find that..and it is rare. I've done all kinds off All-Star Jams where they're like, "This is gonna be great". It's not bad...it just looks better on paper than when it happens. Then the three of us get together and we know within seconds. I like when I'm playing and I feel like I'm in the audience.. that's when I know I'm hitting the highest level.

KM: Are you taking this band day by day, enjoying each moment as if it were a gift, or have you set goals for yourselves?

Scott: I think both. We talk about the future alot. We are doing the record and we definitely hope to do more touring. And as our other projects get a less-busy, this band will hopefully get busier.

Oteil: You wait your whole life for something like this. There are these times that it happens...there may have been 4 bands which completely changed my life, and this is one of them. You can't just stop it - it's taken on a life of it's own.

KM: This record that's coming out. Is it completed?

Scott: It's written...not recorded yet

KM: What was songwriting the process? Who wrote the music, the lyrics?

Scott: We got a dozen sets of lyrics from Robert Hunter. For the most part, it's the three of us collaborating on top of those lyrics. Then there's a smattering of originals, maybe one or two, from each of us.

KM: So we're going to be listening to all original music?

Oteil: There are no covers on it. You've got Phil and Bobby's band doing their stuff, and I'm sure they're doing originals to, so we can't just come out and do that. We wanted to give the fans something that they can't get anywhere else. We all write, have ideas, so it would be crazy not to write.

Scott: It was really cool. Bill came in, and he had studied the lyrics, and said this is what I hear, and one of us would come up with the progression, and someone else would build on that progression..ideas just flowed..

Oteil: Usually when I come in I have the tune finished, then the other guys add stuff to it...this went faster than I've ever gone..We were up there for 9 days, and on Day 5, we were done.

KM: You both play so much in front of live audiences. Seems like making record would bore you?

Oteil: It used to (laughs). But we wanted to do it. I have no doubt whether we're in the studio or live we're going to make it happen.

Scott: I've never been in a band where our main goal was making a good record, but I'm looking forward to this one.

KM: Musically speaking, what have you learned from your bandmates that you didn't know about them before?

Scott: An encyclopedia's worth. Take Bill -I've been listening to the Dead for so many years, I know their music inside and out. So going in playing with him, I almost had pre-conceived notions what it would be like, not really considering he was actually going to respond to my playing, then to change his playing based on what I was doing. That just blew me away. And Oteil, besides sending waves of joy over my whole body, it's an education on so many different levels. He's so bad-ass, but so tasteful in the notes that he plays, or doesn't play. His solos, his melodies, so alive...it's overwhelming.

Oteil: After I got this gig, I got a bunch of Dead records in hopes of learning their music. So I thought this was going to be a fairly mellow band. So I get to rehearsal and Bill plays hard as shit! Sounded like he was 10 feet tall - completely threw me. And with Scott, well it's my fault -guys this good don't normally escape my attention. After I got Bill's thing down, I would throw stuff Scott's way, and he would just bat it right back to me -like it was a tennis match. He has no ceiling. He'll take it as far as it can go. And I like to go pretty far

KM: Do you consider yourselves successful, in the way each of you define success, whether financial or otherwise?

Scott: Last year before all this stuff started happening with this band and Mike Gordon, I came to a crossroads. Max Creek was winding down, I was doing a lot of hanging out, spending time with my kids, riding my motorcycle, working for a good company. Looking back, I met a lot of people, a lot of people heard me play, and they seemed to really enjoy my music. I felt I had gone as far as I could go...and I was fine with that, I was OK. I was satisfied...I was letting it go. That's when all these opportunities came my way. This is all just a bonus.

Oteil: I was like what's the one thing I can do that I'll be happy going to work whether I'm rich or dirt poor, and I knew music was it. I was always in it for the long term. I've made some good money over the years with the Allman Brothers, not enough to play when I want to and ride motorcycles all over the world. But I'm getting there, we're getting there, and I think we'll get there...together.

We then started talking politics, which could easily have lasted until showtime. They both are very passionate about the direction our Country is going, as I am. I settled for a picture and thanked them for their time. Oteil and Scott are true road warriors, in every sense. And they truly know how lucky they are, waking up every day, doing what they love.

That's what I call success.

Over the next few days, go here to look at some outstanding video of the show, shot my good friend, AD Firtel

Treasure Island Music Festival 9.20.08

2008-10-14T14:04:00.008-04:00

After arriving on 'the island' in the midst of the Bay Bridge that connects Oakland to San Francisco, albeit a tad late, via the shuttles from the Giants baseball stadium parking lot, I was a little disappointed to have missed Aesop Rock, but more on why later. We were told however, that he had the crowd turned into 'a tiny fascist army full of chanting and unusual hand movements.' How's that for a review?

The first band that I saw take the stage was Hot Chip, a pop-synth band from England that took Treasure Island back to the time of David Bowie. Now IF the Talking Heads were to announce a tour, (and wouldn’t that be incredible although very unlikely) Hot Chip would be a front runner for their opening band. Their sound is full of danceable grooves that come by way of a multitude of instruments. From my vantage point about twenty rows back on the left, there were many performers on stage and I’m quite sure that I heard many different instruments. At one point, I saw someone with an accordion and another time they had a xylophone looped through a synthesizer. Their music could be described as danceable funk, electro, rock and almost any genre of music except maybe country and classical. I wish I knew more about this band and their songs, so I could give a more detailed report using the names of their songs, but sometimes the musical experience is about first reaction. The songs had a deep guitar funk backed by a synthized instrument of some sort, but most notably the Casio. This band would be great to have as a late night show at The Mezzanine with a dance party lasting all night. They keep your attention and are engaging also. I will be sure to check out this band in the future, and hopefully that be at The Mezzanine (in SF) around 5:00 a.m!

With two alternating stages there was little time to wait until the start of the next band and my next musical experience was from CSS, a Brazilian pop band who took the stage by storm. This band had superb energy and so did the fans. I thought it would be fun to get into the mix and try to get closer to the stage, which turned out to be my first mistake. Once the band took the stage, it was an all-out dance party full of people frailing every which way they could. The crowd was full of young hipsters with even a couple of young Asian lesbians making out right next to me! The train called CSS, was engineered by a spastic lead singer who came on stage wearing what could only be described as 'fluffed up trash bag.' During her screaming vocals the sound was transcended by the two female lead guitarists who could shred with the best of them. Again, I was experiencing all of this music for the first time and am not familiar with their songs, but was not disappointed to say the least. After losing the battle for space in the front, I retreated to the back of the crowd. All in all, CSS was a fun band with a stage presence and crowd response that could not be beat.

JUSTICE, up next, in the words of a friend, killed it. I don’t know what they put in the water in France, but the DJ’s that come out of that place can't be beat. Their stage had what appeared to be an upside down cross illuminated with a bright yellow light. During their set, it turned into an all-out dance party, with people throwing drinks and whatever they could to express their bliss. I even recognized a gentleman who I had seen at Rock The Bells at Shoreline Amphitheatre from a few weeks before. The guy was 'a legend,' decked out in biker spandex and doing high leg kicks while sweating profusely. JUSTICE, came to town and conquered the little island in the bay.

Describing the overall scene on a gorgeous day at Treasure Island was a fun experience with young kids and aging hipsters. The booths were engaging with everything from Sheppard Fairy paintings, who had an exhibit nearby in downtown SF, to another booth selling tiny replica guitars of past greats, not quite your run-of-the-mill festival nick-knacks.

I’m looking forward to the festival next year and won’t be making the mistake of taking the shuttles, as they encourage you to, when I want to see a band perform, when there is plenty of parking on the island right next to the music.

Remember - Music + a Ferris Wheel = A Wonderful Festival!

by Matthew Burns

Bon Jovi, Panic Get Touring Conference Honors

2008-10-14T13:04:00.002-04:00

Bon Jovi's Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation and Widespread Panic will be honored with special awards at the 2008 Billboard Touring Awards on Nov. 20 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.

Additionally, Widespread Panic will play the intimate Fillmore at Irving Plaza in New York on Nov. 19 in a special benefit concert for the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation. Registrants for the Nov. 19-20 Billboard Touring Conference will be able to take part in a pre-sale on Oct. 16 for the "evening with" Panic show; the general public on-sale is Oct. 18.
Bon Jovi's Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation will be honored with the Humanitarian Award, which recognizes the philanthropic efforts of a touring professional. Jon Bon Jovi's mission to provide affordable housing to those in need has spread across the country and internationally, and began even before he and the ownership group of the Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul decided to structure the nonprofit Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation in October 2006.
Most recently, 51 units of housing in partnership with HelpUSA were announced for Newark, N.J., bringing the number to 140 of affordable housing units Bon Jovi and the Foundation have been involved with since 2005.
Previous Humanitarian Award winners include Clear Channel Entertainment (2004), Dave Matthews Band (2005), Music Rising (2006), and Kevin Wall/Live Earth (2007). "Few efforts are more 'humanitarian' than helping provide shelter for people in need. We're proud to recognize the efforts of Jon Bon Jovi and the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation with the 2008 Humanitarian Award," says Ray Waddell, Billboard's executive director of content and programming, touring and live entertainment. Also at the Billboard Touring Awards, Widespread Panic will receive the first-ever Road Warrior award. This honor was conceived to recognize work ethic, steadfast dedication to touring year after year, and a commitment to the art and craft of live performance.
"The Road Warrior award acknowledges a band that might not always grace the top of the Billboard Boxscore charts, but whose professionalism, on-stage charisma and ability to sell tickets over a long period of time provide a huge boost to the overall touring industry," says Waddell. "As promoters, venue managers and, of course, fans from coast to coast know, Widespread Panic more than meets all these criteria."
The Bill Graham Memorial Foundation was formed in November of 1991 following the death of the legendary rock impresario Bill Graham. The Foundation awards grants primarily in the areas of music, the arts and education, while also supporting social work, environmental protection, and spiritual and compassionate projects in communities.
"We're thrilled to give our conference attendees an opportunity to not only see one of the great live bands ever in this intimate setting, but to also support a wonderful cause in the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation," says Waddell.
The Billboard Touring Awards honors the most successful tours, artists and professionals of the year, primarily determined by the Billboard Boxscore charts. Also this year, the Allman Brothers Band will receive the Legend Of Live award.

by Greg Lake

RatDog, Phil Lesh & Friends to Welcome 2009 in San Francisco

2008-10-14T12:48:00.005-04:00

Bob Weir & RatDog & Phil Lesh & Friends to Co-Headline each night.
Jackie Greene to support each night.

Dates: December 30 & 31, 2008
Venue: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
City/St: San Francisco, CA
Doors: 5:00 PM Showtime: 6:00 PM
Pre-sales through GDTS Too and Musictoday shall start accepting postmarks for GDTS Too and be initialized for internet sales via Musictoday, starting on Thursday, October 16. Musictoday to start at Noon EST. Pre-sales for GDTS and Musictoday shall conclude on Friday, October 31 at 6:00 PM EST.
Public OnSale is Sunday, November 2 at 10:00 AM PST.
http://dead.net/features/news/ratdog-phil-lesh-friends-welcome-2009-san-francisco

CHANGE ROCKS - The Setlist
CHANGE ROCKS
Bryce Jordan Center
Pennsylvania State University
State College, PA
October 13, 2008
Filmed greeting by Senator Barack Obama, Truckin'>U.S. Blues, Help On The Way>Slipknot!>Franklin's Tower, Playing In The Band>Dark Star, St. Stephen>Unbroken Chain>The Other One>Throwin' Stones>Playing Reprise
Encore:Touch of Grey>Not Fade Away
Bob Weir, Warren Haynes, gtr; Phil Lesh, bs; Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, dms; Jeff Chimenti, kbds.
http://dead.net/features/news/change-rocks-setlist

by Greg Lake

I Still Love Living In The USA

2008-10-13T04:31:00.007-04:00

In the midst of "Goodpeople" at Widespread Panic's opening show of their 2008 Fall Tour this past Friday, October 10th in Austin, TX at The Backyard.
Listen to the show here:
http://panicstream.com/streams/wsp/2008_10_10/player.html

John "JoJo" Hermann's lyrics transcribed:

"To all my friends, slash rednecks, I dedicate this song to you, I can't help but feel, This time it's really real, So I just want you all to know
I still love this country, God help us all, in the USA Ya Gotta love this place we call our home I still love living in the USA
If you still believe your politicians, I've got a bridge for sale in Brooklyn No money down, and an interest only loanand if you act right now, You'll get a supply of free gasoline for your automobile
Cause I still love this country Gob bless us all, in the USA Ya Gotta love this place we call our home, I still love living in the USA
To all my friends, slash evengelicals, OK, fine, Christ is real, And I cant help but feel, That if Jesus Christ were here, He'd Say, "What the hell, in my name, Are you doing to my Daddy's world?? Well, ya got it all wrong."
And I still love this country God help us all in the USA Ya Gotta love this this place we call our home I still love living in the USA I still love living in the USA I still love living in the USA I still love living in the USA Well, I feel so much better, To utter these letters
Barack Obama please help us now... In the USA"

JoJo Hermann and the Mardi Gras Band have performed this song as well, (titled, "God Bless the USA" on the recording) at their show on September 27, 2008 during their performance at The Windjammer on the Isle of Palms, SC, northeast of Charleston, SC. Download here http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=518927.

by Greg Lake

PBS with Page - Funked Up in NYC!!

2008-10-05T00:04:00.096-04:00

Porter Batiste Stoltz featuring Page McConnell

BB King Blues Club

New York City, NY

9/26/2008

Never mind this was my first time seeing PBS live. And just ignore the fact they were playing at my favorite venue in the greatest city in the world, BB Kings Blues Club in NYC. I cannot tell a lie: I had come to see Page McConnell, piano man for the newly-reborn king of jams, Phish. I've only caught Page with Phish, always in front of huge audiences, so naturally I was psyched to see him perform in an intimate setting with a band whose sole purpose is to lay down the funk. And lay it down he did, with a little help from his friends. I heard a couple of comments early on which seem to indicate the first set was somewhat tame, with Page playing in the background. I didn't get that impression at all.

Right out of the gate, "Back in the Basement" was all funk, with Page front and center. You could tell immediately they had come to play, with "Seven Desires" and "Wings" segueing nicely into the first "New York City Jam". We could feel Porter's bombs and Batistes' skins vibrate under our feet as we danced without pause. I ask you: Is there a better rhythm section out there than these two cats? I think not. And Brian Stoltz' leads were right in line, if not out front, as the set progressed. They opted to slow it down a notch with Page singing John Lennon's "Jealous Guy", which I thought was killer. Standing 5 feet away from the man himself didn't hurt, as I truly felt connected to Page for the first time in all the years I've seen him play.

The rest of the set was pure, unadulterated, in your face, funk . From "Funky Miracle" thru the set-closing "New York City Jam 2", the exchanges between the band were mesmorizing (even Dylan's Rainy Day Women had the crowd on their feet). And as the set closed, it was becoming clear to me why the "P" in PBS came first - Porter's riffs lead the way for the others to follow. Nicely done.

Second set was non-stop from start to finish, no shit. And in retrospect, one would feel as though the first set was 'quiet' after listening to the second. They definitely amped it up couple of notches, and as I stood on Stoltz's side for the remainder of the show, I got a real appreciation for his guitar playing. Holy shit - that man can play!!

Some highlights: The funky "Wah Wah Mee", the jam-laden, in-your-face, "I've Been Hoodooed", and the NOLA-inspired "Litta Liza Jane". Once again, Dylan was brought into the mix, with "Rolling Stone", which was good, but not on the level of their playing throughout the evening. They finished strong with "Bring the Flood", but not before Russell Batiste came out before the others and gave us a real treat with some outstanding drumming, with a little freestyle rap thrown in for good measure.

All in all, quite the evening. Bottom line: PBS brings the funk, and they bring it hard. I would advise those not willing to shake their ass for 3 hours to spend the night at home. And as for Page, you could tell he was having the best time of 'em all - all except me, of course.

S SHOW

Download the show here!!

**Most pics courtesy of Jeremy Gordon and Hidden Track, Glide Magazine's awesome blog.

And I want to invite all our readers to come say hello to me and my good friends over at Greene Daze, where it never gets boring!!

By Scotty Greene

Starling Electric Goes DIY, So Does NYCTaper - DL This Show

2008-10-03T15:06:00.008-04:00

From NYC Taper - "The story of Starling Electric is one of those tales about how the music industry is supposed to work. An excellent band from a small midwest city produces their own CD and releases it by themselves in 2006. The CD somehow finds its way into the player of an open-minded musical heavyweight (Bob Pollard of Guided By Voices), who spreads the word about the band. A year later, the same band finds themselves signed to a legendary indie label. Bar/None released Clouded Staircase in August and Starling Electric came to NYC for the CD release party at Mercury Lounge on August 19. The set at Mercury featured eight of the eighteen tracks on Clouded Staircase and four new numbers. The strength of the new songs bodes well for an anticipated new release in 2009."

"We recorded this show from the same location as the Hotel Lights and Shannon McArdle recordings from the same night and other than some minor fan-created draft the sound is superb. Enjoy!"

DL This Show: http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=374

Wanna Have Supper with Steve Kimock?

2008-10-03T15:02:00.004-04:00

Check this out...tonight Steve Kimock and Billy Goodman along with John Morgan Kimock (drums) and Trevor Exter (cello, bass) will play an exclusive table-side dinner performance at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ. This special sit-down concert will be one of the few fall performances, while Kimock delves into developing new live & recording projects. This night promises to be an intimate evening of guitar magic and song, as Goodman & Kimock join together stateside for the first time, following their critically acclaimed European Spring tour. Tickets are available exclusively at www.kimock.com.

Could be fun. What questions would you ask the maestro and Dead performer?

Stream Dylan's New Album Free

2008-10-03T14:53:00.003-04:00

Ok, so this is cool. Columbia recently gave listeners an early taste of Tell Tale Signs by offering the track "Dreamin' of You" as a free download from Dylan's Web site. Earlier this week, NPR Music started offering a sneak preview of the entire two-disc set as a free stream. The album will be officially released in stores and online on Oct. 7.

Paesano Welcomes Lynx & Janover to the Sierras

2008-10-03T13:00:00.007-04:00

Our friends over at Paesano Productions are welcoming 'Folk-tronic' prodigy LYNX & Jamie Janover to the Eastern Sierras for two performances:

Thursday, October 16th, 2008 *Cooper's - Nevada City , CA $10.00 http://www.coopersnclive.com/

Friday, October 17th, 2008 *Opal Ultra Lounge - MontBleu Resort, S Lake Tahoe , NV w/ special guest Drinking With Clowns $10.00 http://www.montbleuresort.com/

LYNX and Jamie Janover create an eclectic harmonic blend of all original hip-hop and down-tempo electronica grooves with folk style song writing, guitar playing, beat boxing, rhyming, amplified mini-kit percussion and the sounds of the hammered dulcimer. Together they have achieved the elusive perfect balance between the acoustic and the electronic, using today's most advanced technologies mixed with ancient live instrumentation to create a unified sound reflective of the polarized nature of our times.

Closing out both nights is long-time Kynd bud Alfred Howard and the K23 Orchestra (AHK23) who combines in the pocket funk, staccato spoken word, classic soul, aggressive rock and vintage psychedelic. The group has invented its own genre by combining limitless sounds capes to create something new and impacting.

Opening the Tahoe show is Reno favorites Drinking with Clowns, who are a band with a unique blend of Latin rhythms and funky sounds that will send you grooving into the ecstasy of dance. Their music ignites a sense of freedom unparalleled to any other musical experience.

Sounds like good times.

Bluegrass Legend Ralph Stanley Endorses Barack Obama

2008-10-02T14:14:00.008-04:00

Now this is a good ad. There's a new radio spot that Obama is airing in the southern part of the state -- it stars homegrown bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley vouching for Obama's values and character to the tune of some banjo pickin' in the background.

Click To Play

"Howdy, friends. This is Ralph Stanley, and I think I know a little something about the families around here," the spot runs.

"Barack'll cut taxes for everyday folks -- not big business -- so you'll have
a little more money in your pocket at the end of the year," he continues. "I also know Barack is a good man. A father and devoted husband, he values personal responsibility and family first."

Did someone say Obama was having problems with the old white rural vote?

Phish 3.0

2008-10-01T04:25:00.002-04:00

Phish returns to the stage for three concerts at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia on March 6, 7 and 8, 2009.

A limited number of tickets are available directly through Phish Tickets' online ticketing system at http://phish.portals.musictoday.com/ . The ticketing request period is currently underway and will end on Wednesday, October 8th at 11:59AM EST.

Tickets go on sale to the public on Saturday, October 18th at 10 AM EST and may be purchased online at http://ticketmaster.com or by phone at 757.671.8100, 757.872.8100 or 804.262.8100. Tickets will not be available at the venue box office and there is a two-ticket limit per show.
The band intends to announce additional touring in 2009 early next year.

Phish reunited featuring Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Page McConnell and Jon Fishman.
http://www.hampton.gov/coliseum/event_details_ver4.php?event=10

by Greg Lake

Delta Nove - The Collab Lab

2008-09-30T14:27:00.005-04:00

Delta Nove presents The Collab Lab weekly concert series taking place every Wednesday in Oct & Nov. at the Blue Cafe in downtown Long Beach, CA.
Each night will feature 2 complete sets of music and will feature a very special guest artist playing with the band. We may be doing some of our guest's songs, some of our songs, some covers, and some total improvisation, we've left it up to each guest and what they want to do. A unique live experience taking place each week that you don't want to miss.
Special collaboration guests include members of Ozomatli, Parliament/Funkadelic, String Cheese Incident, Black Crowes, the Mars Volta, Fishbone, Banyan, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Black Flag, and more TBA.
Doors open at 8pm and admission is only $10 each week. Check website for for complete details and dates for guests artists. This week to kick it off our very special guest is "Blackbyrd" McKnight from George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars. Definitely a show not to be missed!
Also...
This Thursday 10/2 David Byrne of the Talking Heads will be performing solo in concert at Humphreys on the Bay in San Diego, CA. at 7pm.
Delta Nove will be performing a special "after-party" inside the lounge at Humphrey's taking place from 10p-? This show is free to all ticket holders and only $5 to non-ticket holders. To purchase advance tickets to the David Byrne show please visit http://www.humphreysconcerts.com/ for more info.
http://www.myspace.com/deltanoveband

by Greg Lake

Keller Williams / Cornmeal on iClips Tonight

2008-09-24T18:45:00.002-04:00

Tune in to www.iClips.net tonight - Wednesday, 9/24 - for an exclusive webcast of the Keller Williams w/ Moseley, Droll & Sipe concert at the Barrymore Theatre in Madison, WI. Cornmeal will be opening the show, and their set will also be broadcast on iClips. The show will begin at approximately 7:30pm (Central Time), with Keller hitting the stage around 8:45pm. No matter where you are located, you'll have the best seat in the house as iClips delivers the excitement of KW's live performance right into your home!

by Greg Lake

Guitar Solo Threeway

2008-09-23T02:39:00.002-04:00

Guitar Solo Threeway

http://www.gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooogle.com/guitarsolo.html

by Greg Lake

Slide Ranch/Grateful Dead Celebration

2008-09-22T00:02:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, October 7 - 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Cavallo Point Lodge, Historic Ft. Baker, Sausalito, CA
Box office: 415-381-8758 Tickets are pretty pricey (this IS a fund-raiser)Info and reservations, please email: charles@slideranch.org

This is the 2nd Silver Trowel fund-raising Dinner honoring Slide Ranch, the Marin Co. treasure dedicated to environmental education and outreach to children and familes. Also honored will be the Grateful Dead, who have supported Slide Ranch for years. Special guests will include: Bob Weir and Henry Kaiser, who plan to join Wake The Dead on stage.

by Greg Lake

Change Rocks: A Concert to Benefit Obama for America

2008-09-18T14:25:00.009-04:00

Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA
Mon, Oct 13, 2008 05:30 PM

This is a concert in support of Obama for America and includes performances by Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, as well as Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks, Jaimoe, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Marc Quinones, Oteil Burbridge, and Jeff Chimenti.
For VIP tickets starting at $2,500, please email the campaign at changerocksvip@barackobama.com.

For security reasons, do not bring large bags. Please limit personal items. No signs or banners permitted.
To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, please visit http://www.pa.barackobama.com.to/ register to vote, please visit http://www.voteforchange.com/
Internet Onsale Info Onsale to General Public:Fri, 09/19/08 12:00 PM EDT

Why is this performance not billed as The Dead and The Allman Brothers Band? It likely has to do with the politics associated with the event. Fourty years later and the members of these two legendary bands still can't put their band names on a political cause that they support, now that's politics!

by Greg Lake

Bridge School Benefit

2008-09-18T14:25:00.004-04:00

The 22nd Bridge School Benefit Concert will be on October 25th and 26th, 2008 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. Details about the line up and ticket sales are not yet available. We will post all concert related information on our website as we receive it.

They are announcing the line up tomorrow (Friday, September 19, 2008) at noon.

http://www.bridgeschool.org/events.html

by Matthew Burns

New Year's Eve with Les Claypool

2008-09-18T14:25:00.002-04:00

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA - Spend New Year's Eve with Les Claypool!
Spend an extra special NYE with Les this year at the beautiful War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco.

Ticket presale has begun, and the public on sale date is Sunday, 9/21 at 10am Pacific.

This very special venue offers private premium box seating, in groups of 6 or 8. These boxes are available through a special seating auction through Ticketmaster, starting Sunday, and will include souvenir posters, complimentary champagne and other beverages, waitress service and an exclusive box seat holder only lounge/bar with video broadcast of the show.
Presale tickets: claypooltickets.musictoday.com

by Matthew Burns

Langerado 2009

2008-09-17T19:16:00.009-04:00

For 2009, the Langerado Music Festival moves to one of Miami's most scenic spots - Bicentennial Park on Biscayne Bay. It's a new home for the seventh annual event, which will take place March 6-8, 2009; Langerado has enjoyed impressive success and growth in Broward County since 2002. The move to downtown Miami promises to make Langerado a City Festival that the Magic City can truly call its own.

Initial artist lineup announcements and ticket information for Langerado 2009 - including VIP experiences, public transportation incentives and hotel/travel packages - will be announced in early November.

This looks to be a welcome change from the rainy conditions present at last year's event and looks to also make this festival a greener, Florida equivalent to Chicago's Lollapalooza, Seattle's Bumbershoot, San Francsico's Outside Lands, etc.

Greg Lake

Greyboy Allstars NYE in SF

2008-09-17T19:16:00.007-04:00

The Greyboy Allstars are pleased to announce New Year’s Eve 2008 at The Warfield in San Francisco. This will be a co bill with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic with both bands playing full shows.

Whether The Bay Area will get a Grateful Dead related New Years show still remains to be seen.

by Greg Lake

Gov't Mule: New Bassist & NYE

2008-09-16T15:32:00.006-04:00

GOV’T MULE WELCOMES NEW BASS PLAYER
New Bassist Jorgen Carlsson To Debut on Fall Tour
Balancing evocative songs and expressive improvisation, Gov't Mule is a band rooted in both the personal and musical chemistry between its members. "It's not one of those groups that can make a change overnight," explains founding guitarist/vocalist Warren Haynes. It is only after six months of rehearsing, jamming, and hanging out with bassist Jorgen Carlsson that he has been added to the band as their new permanent bass player, replacing Andy Hess, who joined in 2003.

Where this will take the band heading into 2009 and Warren Haynes possible involvement in a lineup of The Dead remains to be seen.

NEW YEARS 2008-2009
For the 7th consecutive year, Gov't Mule will celebrate New Year's in New York City. Due to the on-going renovations at the Beacon Theatre, the band will be relocating, and for the first ever during its New Year's Run, play 4 shows and do so in 2 different venues. On December 27th and 28th, Gov't Mule will play acoustically in the magnificent Angel Orensanz Center on The Lower East Side and then on December 30th and 31st Gov't Mule will play the historic Hammerstein Ballroom. Keeping with tradition, the band will play 3 sets on New Year's Eve.

The Anel Orensanz Center looks like an intriguing spot, I'd like to know more about anyone's experiences attending a concert there.

by Greg Lake

Jimmy Herring :: Lifeboat

2008-09-16T15:26:00.007-04:00

"Lifeboat" by Jimmy Herring
This outstanding effort which insiders and fellow musicians calling it an absolute musical masterpiece is full of surprises that elevates Jimmy's already fantastic reputation to be an outstanding guitarist. Jimmy Herring wrote six of the tunes along with Kofi Burbridge who wrote two tunes as well. They also do scintillating versions of Wayne Shorter's "Lost," as well the "Overture" from Walt Disney's "Jungle Book." Get ready for one of most impressive musical statements by one of our very favorite musicians.

Whether we will see Widespread Panic, Jimmy Herring's current project, perform any of these songs live on their upcoming fall tour remains to be seen.

by Greg Lake

STS9 Red Rocks

2008-09-15T17:28:00.005-04:00

We're pleased to welcome Andy Smith back to KyndMusic with his report from STS9 at Red Rocks in Colorado during his move out to Seattle, WA. We wish him the best of luck in the Pacific Northwest and hope for more of his contributions from the Seattle scene.

Sept 5th, 2008

I stumbled out of the car, wet misty fog greeting my flushed face, and scanned the parking lot of Friday nights STS9 show at the great Red Rocks. Skipping around me were the usual amalgamation of stylish tribe heads, but off on the horizon I spotted something that caught my eye. Perched on top of school buses, a group of people with sunglasses the size of Texas were already getting down. Dancing and popping, a sizable crowd was taking in the DJ set from the kids with The Basic Fund.

This group of philanthropic visionaries provides transportation to shows all over Colorado's front range. Each person riding in the bus pays a small fee to travel safely to and from the show, with optional after parties. With the money generated, The Basic Fund provides insurance for artists in need. As this tribe of beat-loving mammals grows ever bigger, it is nice to see some taking the honorable approach, turning our love of music into something helpful and representing the lot. Check out The Basic Funds at www.thebasicsfund.org.

"RRRRRKKKCX". The sound quality was poor as it burped out of the PA from atop the school buses. I was earnestly trying to hear what was being spun, but that became totally hopeless as I whipped around to hear what was making that terrible scraping sound. Not to worry, it was only my old buddy Alex Hull and his friend Josh. These two were dragging recycling bins around the lot, moving them as crowd dynamics changed, always trying to maximize usage. They had contacted www.friendsofredrocks.org and were not afraid to get down and dirty. Their stained gloves provided a slimy handshake as I complimented them on the clean parking lot. To have real faces validating that yes, these cans and bottles are actually getting recycled brings it on home. I saw them later at the show and I noticed they were getting down just a little bit harder than everybody else.

Finally, it was time to make the march up to the amphitheater to see the show. On the way up the steep incline I bombarded my friends with factoids I had learned after a brief Wikipedia search of Red Rocks. Some the choice nuggets included the fact that Red Rocks has been open for shows since 1947 and hosted a fest of lanterns all the way back in 1908. The most conversational tidbit I learned concerned a Jethro Tull concert on June 10th, 1971. During what is now know as "The Riot at Red Rocks", tear gas used to break up ticket-less fans inadvertently drifted into the paying audience. What followed was a 5 year ban on rock shows at the amphitheater. Fortunately the ban was long dead and my friends and I mused about what kind of show we were going to see: rock, jam, electronic?

What we initially heard was none of the above. For it was Hip-Hop and the silky flows of Talib Kweli and his DJ High-Tec that greeted us. Talib, shinning in his blue jacket like the pleiades, his hands flowing with his verse like he was molding clay. For just two guys, they really got the crowd moving. Fortunately I was able to get close to the stage. Talib's stamina and breath control allowed for clean delivery of complex lyrics. They were using their noodle and their muscle. It was so nice to hear some lyrics and mingle before the instrumental heavy weight took the stage. With the current trajectory of STS9, it would not have surprised me if they had come flying into Red Rocks in an inky black stealth bomber and were transported to the stage using technology from the future, peaceblasting everything in their path. This sleek enigmatic stage presence allows for total focus and that is what we got Friday night at Red Rocks. Slipping past the Sector Inspector and gangs of vibing folk, my ears finally tuned in during the opening of Somesing. That effervescent into, like spacy ping-pong balls, gets me every time. The more I listen to that intro, the more I hear something like it in a new song, EHM. While different, they both exude that professional production that makes listening to STS9 such a treat. Somesing gave way to Water Song. Everybody could hear the rain and it coincided so nicely with the foggy precipitation that hovered in the amphitheater. It was downright chilly on Friday night. The natural fog blob swirled together with the fog machines coming from the stage, allowing Saxton's light fantastic to reach out even farther. While STS9's summer light rig was tight while touring with Umphrey's McGee, the set-up at Red Rocks held everyone's attention. The kaleidoscopic cartwheels, the whirling cones, the stacked layers, the LED UFO landing zone above the band, truly this was a visual feast. I asked Saxton recently how he got into lighting. He simply responded "By watching Kuroda". Referring to Phish's Chris Kuroda and his revered history behind the light-board. The second set went by in a blur. My buddy Sticky was especially pleased with the Equinox opener. One a Day held down the dance groove and Instantly took us farther. Instantly has become a song for Hunter Brown to show his triggering ability. As the breakdown gets stronger and more intense, he seems to weave the words Time and Instantly into one. This linguistic merger is ripe with opportunity for listener transportation. To close the set Rent was played. Easily one of the most danceable songs that Tribe does, I had not heard it played that well since Baltimore. A solid, full evening of STS9. While not as raucous as Saturday night, I enjoyed the smaller crowd and room to dance. They enocred with Empires. This was the first time I had really appreciated the cocoon of bass the song provides. With a highly unusual finish, the band soaked our souls in deep, almost sub-sonic bass. Casually waving bye as the sound still hit us in the chest. Definitely one of the most unorthodox endings to a STS9 show I have ever heard. I was lost in the wonderful museum at the venue during most of the Flying Lotus set-break and as a result I was not able to enjoy his set, but I heard it was fun. Set-up in the middle of the crowd, I heard it was almost like a raffle tent. I was nearly foolish enough to purchase a $7.25 can of Fat Tire. I heard rumors about a no-fly zone over Red Rocks because of the flashing lights, although this has yet to be confirmed. Rarely has a band been able to incorporate new material as seamlessly as STS9. Their new album PeaceBlaster is played strongly at nearly all of their shows. While more glitchy, dark, and unforgiving, the material speaks to the future of the band. With a documentary movie on the horizon, Re:Generation, STS9 continues to flesh out their organization to encompass much more than music. Their home page now provides updates from their sister page PEACEBLASTER.com and is a honest source of information. The future is bright for Sound Tribe and I look forward to watching, listening, and dancing where they go next. Their triumphant residence at Red Rocks put a glowing period on my summer, I really hope they do it again next year.

by Andy Smith

Win Tickets to Widespread Panic!

2008-09-13T22:06:00.003-04:00

Win tickets to see Widespread Panic at Mud Island Amphitheater Wednesday, October 15th!
We're giving away a pair of tickets each week until the show. Each week is a different drawing and each week the tickets get better! Enter as many times as you like, as often as you like. Winners will be notified by email on the morning of each drawing.
Here are the dates for the weekly drawings:
5th Row 9/10 – 9/16 Drawing on 9/17.
4th Row 9/17 – 9/23 Drawing on 9/24.
3rd Row 9/24 – 9/30 Drawing on 10/1.
2nd Row 10/1 – 10/7 Drawing on 10/8.
1st Row 10/8 – 10/12 Drawing on 10/13.

by Greg Lake

4th Annual Tunes For Tots

2008-09-13T22:04:00.004-04:00

We are pleased to announce the 4th Annual Tunes For Tots Charity Concert will be held on October 19th at the newly renovated Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA.

Only 100 VIP cocktail party tickets will be sold at a cost of $500 per person. The Private VIP Cocktail Party with Widespread Panic is from 5 – 6:30 pm and includes: Heavy hors d’oeuvres, catered by the renown chef Hugh Acheson from Athens’ 5 & 10 restaurant, an open premium bar, early admittance into the venue and a 2008 Tunes for Tots poster autographed by the band.
For the concert , there will be only 1600 General Admission tickets available for $125, leaving plenty of dancing space. Doors are at 7pm with Showtime at 8pm. Tickets go on sale to the public on September 20th. Online sales ONLY at http://www.ticketmaster.com/
Proceeds from this concert go directly to purchase musical equipment for Georgia Public Schools. The 2007 recipients, Rothschild Middle School, received instruments for their orchestra and a 27 station music computer lab with the latest version of Music Maker Finale on them.
Widespread Panic believes that art education, and in particular music education, is integral to the overall education and advancement of children. Art allows for personal expression, appreciation of ideas, celebration of cultural awareness, sharing emotions, and gives purpose to life. Widespread Panic agrees with research findings that art education supports more traditional academic subjects as well as being a worthy pursuit in its own right.
We hope you can join us.

by Greg Lake

Sweetwater Sessions

2008-09-13T22:03:00.003-04:00

Monday, September 22, 2008 7:00 PM Doors: 5:30 PM
Sweetwater Station LARKSPUR, CA
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 7:00 PM Doors: 5:30 PM
Sweetwater Station LARKSPUR, CA
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 7:00 PM Doors: 5:30 PM
Sweetwater Station LARKSPUR, CA
Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:00 PM Doors: 5:30 PM
Sweetwater Station LARKSPUR, CA

Tickets for the Sweetwater Sessions are limited to 2 per show per person. Any orders that exceed this 2 ticket limit may be cancelled without notice. Ticket delivery is will call only and you may pick up your tickets at the venue no earlier than the day of the show. NO WILL CALL NAME CHANGES. When you place your order you must enter the name of the person who will pick up the tickets. If you do not enter a specific name, the tickets will be held at will call under the name of the person who placed the order for the tickets. Once your order is placed there are no will call name changes.

The rumored lineup for these shows includes Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Billy Kreutzmann. Is it a warmup for a second Deadheads For Obama show in State College, PA?

by Greg Lake

Experience Hendrix 2008 Tribute Tour

2008-09-11T12:49:00.001-04:00

The critically acclaimed Experience Hendrix Tour returns this October and November with a 19-date nationwide tour that kicks-off October 15th in Hampton Beach, NH.

The 2008 Experience Hendrix Tour follows on the heels of successful mini tours in 2004 and 2007; this time featuring an expanded natiownide tour schedule and artist line-up the features the likes Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin (Howlin' Wolf), Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson, Brad Whitford (Aerosmith), Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Gales, Mato Nanji (Indigenous), Chris Layton (Double Trouble) and special guests at selected locations including Cesar Rojas and David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Bernard Allison, Robby Krieger (The Doors) and many more.

by Greg Lake

The Beacon Reborn

2008-09-11T04:20:00.003-04:00

The Beacon Theater in New York is also re-opening in February of 2009. Glenn Collins of the New York Times provides an article of this event.

It almost became a grocery store in the 1970s. In the 1980s, it was nearly jackhammered into a cavernous disco with a triple-tiered restaurant. Somehow it escaped becoming a multiplex. And through 78 years, the neglect of the Beacon Theater in Manhattan — aside from occasional spasms of partial renovation — has often been profound.
Funny thing, though: neglect has an upside. The Beacon “is very worn, and there is damage throughout, but by luck and happenstance the theater survived,” said Christopher T. Cowan, an associate partner at Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners, which is conducting an ambitious restoration of the ornate 1929 former movie palace. “Most of the interior detailing is intact,” he said, “and even most of the light fixtures are original as well.”
The Beacon, at 2124 Broadway, at West 74th Street, is familiar to generations of New Yorkers living on the West Side who grew up there when it was a movie house, performance space and, in recent decades, what some have called the Carnegie Hall of rock rooms.
The Beacon went dark last month for a six-month, $15-million restoration by Madison Square Garden Entertainment, a division of Cablevision Systems Corporation, which announced in 2006 that it was leasing the theater for 20 years. The interior face-lift is to be completed by Jan. 31, in time for a February opening.
Originally conceived as a sumptuous mecca for vaudeville acts and silent movies, it ultimately featured talkies and, through the decades, a galaxy of headliners including Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Jerry Garcia, Tina Turner, Aerosmith, Queen, George Carlin, the Dalai Lama and even Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 60th birthday party.
And the theater was a star in the Martin Scorsese documentary “Shine a Light,” his celebration of the Rolling Stones’ 2006 performances at the Beacon.
The Beacon “has a great vibe, it’s not either a coliseum or a club,” said Gregg Allman, whose Allman Brothers Band holds the record with more than 180 performances at the Beacon since 1989, and whose appearances there have become an annual Manhattan rite of spring. “There’s a connection with the audience, and when they give back, we keep giving.”
But the theater’s condition meant “that you didn’t want the house lights all the way up, given those cobwebs with the big hunks of dust,” said Mr. Allman, 60.
Thomas J. Travers, a spokesman for the Beacon Broadway Company, which has long owned the theater, said that Cablevision “is doing a fine renovation; they guaranteed they would spend a minimum of $10 million on it, and obviously the theater needed it.”
The terms of the lease are closely guarded by officials of Madison Square Garden Entertainment, which also runs the Knicks and Rangers sports franchises, Radio City Music Hall and the Chicago Theater in Chicago.
Three years older than the Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon was never quite a sibling of its larger counterpart, since the theaters were owned by different companies. But they are together now in the Cablevision empire.
“Mr. Dolan wanted a state-of-the art restoration,” said Jay Marciano, president of Madison Square Garden Entertainment, referring to James L. Dolan, Cablevision’s chief executive. Since Mr. Dolan has been oft-criticized by New York Knicks fans during years of the team’s decline, did Mr. Dolan think of it as some form of penance to spend $5 million more on the Beacon restoration (and an additional $1 million on new air conditioning) than was required by its contract?
“I can’t speak for how he thinks,” Mr. Marciano said of Mr. Dolan. “But he has a lot of personal passion for this project. We view the Beacon as iconic, a beloved city landmark, and restoring the Beacon will be good for New Yorkers and a profitable business venture.” The cost will be recouped during the lease, and ticket prices, which range from $25 to $125, will not increase after the reopening. “Not one dollar,” Mr. Marciano said.
The refurbishment of the theater, whose interior was declared a landmark in 1979, began last month with the removal of 2,800 seats. An important part of the initial work has been a kind of detective story calling upon archival photographs, architectural plans and even the recollections of former theater employees.
Restoration researchers have peeled back layers of what is — literally — house paint slathered on through the decades, and conducted an extensive analysis of the original paint, said Marc Tarozzi, a vice president of facilities at Madison Square Garden.
The Beacon, which critics originally celebrated as a bit of old Baghdad on Upper Broadway, was the brainchild of the impresario Samuel L. Rothafel, known as Roxy, who commissioned a Chicago architect, Walter W. Ahlschlager, to design a vaudeville and silent-film theater called Roxy’s Midway.
It was intended to be part of the Roxy Circuit, joining Rothafel’s 1927 Roxy Theater on West 50th Street, billed as the “Cathedral of the Movies,” which was ultimately demolished in 1960. “The Beacon is a smaller version of the original Roxy,” Mr. Cowan said. “That’s why it’s so important — it’s a window to another world that existed then.”
The opulent theater with its neoclassical rotunda is a pastiche of Greek, Roman, Renaissance and Rococo elements, and an “Arabian Nights” fantasy motif. But when the stock market crashed in 1929, the theater was taken over by Warner Brothers, redesigned and opened as the Beacon on Dec. 24 of that year.
“There never has been a truly major restoration of the Beacon,” Mr. Tarozzi said. And so, a first look at the refurbishing reveals a host of upgrades, including a new maple stage floor and repairs to the roof to fix leaks that have caused damage to the theater’s original murals. New concession stands and dressing rooms will also be installed.
The 1929 sconces and lighting fixtures are being rewired, and the robust network of original ceiling, wall and mural lighting “will be brought back,” Mr. Cowan said. “The lights burned out, and nobody replaced them, so the theater hasn’t been seen in all its glory in 50 years.”
In the rotunda, the ceiling will be cleaned and repainted after decades of blackening from cigarette smoke and grime. A long-lost oil-on-canvas mural, depicting a classical scene, had been replaced by a sheet of now-peeling, faded scenic wallpaper. It will be recreated from historic photographs.
More than 2,100 square yards of custom-patterned wool carpeting in gold, yellow, green and maroon will adorn the lobbies, auditorium and stairways.
And in the auditorium, murals depicting caravans and elephants will be restored, and technicians will repair and repaint sculptures of animals, masks, urns and statues of Greek figures, not to mention richly decorated cornices, ceiling moldings, pilasters, scrolled brackets and medallions. A 30-foot high Venetian-inspired auditorium lighting fixture will be refurbished as well.
Also to be restored will be a multicolored, Moorish-inspired main theater ceiling that presents the stage as if it were behind the open flap of a giant tent.
As the restoration recovers more and more of the Beacon, the survival of so many of its architectural elements is “remarkable,” Mr. Cowan said, “since so few venues like this are left. We are unveiling a true work of art.”

by Greg Lake

The Warfield To Re-Open

2008-09-11T04:03:00.005-04:00

An article about the upcoming re-opening of The Warfield, a San Francisco musical landmark, by Jim Harrington in the Contra Costa Times:

Five days before the re-opening of the Warfield, house manager Rick Bates looked around at all the construction and refurbishing going on inside the building. The sounds of driving nails and whirling drills brought a big smile to his face.

“It’s nice to see somebody put some money into her _ spruce up the old girl,” said Bates, who first captained the good ship Warfield back in the mid-‘90s. “Because she’s a great old gal.”
Well, now, that old gal is back. And most expect her to look _ and sound _ better than ever.
The legendary San Francisco venue, which opened on Market Street in 1922, will make its re-entry to the Bay Area live entertainment scene this weekend, as it hosts comedian George Lopez Saturday through Monday.
The theater has been closed since mid-May, following a five-night stand by Phil Lesh and Friends. Those Lesh gigs served as the last hurrah at the building for longtime operators, Live Nation/Bill Graham Presents.
Since May, the Warfield’s new management team _ Golden Voice/AEG Live _ has put in much effort and money to upgrade the facilities at the venue. Golden Voice is remaining silent as to how much cash is being poured into the building, but it’s clearly enough to make a noticeable difference at a venue that many believed needed some major attention.
The most noticeable change is that the soundboard has been moved downstairs, which opens up 30 prime new seats front and center in the balcony. Also of significance, the tenants have put in a new sound system and added permanent stage lighting. They’ve also improved the look, with new carpeting and a fresh coat of paint. Framed photographs of acts like Phish, Bjork and Jerry Garcia decorate the lobby and serve to underscore the venue’s distinguished history.
The new Warfield will be a key component in Golden Voice’s attempt to make a go of it in the Bay Area. The promoter, already a major force in Southern California, will bring such acts as the Dandy Warhols, Patti Smith and Nick Cave to the 2,250-capacity venue in the weeks ahead. Golden Voice also regularly hosts concerts at the 1,400-capacity Grand Ballroom at San Francisco’s Regency Center.

by Greg Lake

We the People Festival

2008-09-09T00:11:00.004-04:00

Sept 27th, 2008
Los Angeles State Historic Park (Not a Cornfield)

Unity Through Diversity
The organization of the WE THE PEOPLE festival was conceived due to a great need for a stimulant in social awareness and an encompassing platform within the urban community to inspire the involvement and active participation of the conscious urban youth populous throughout the country.
While providing a vastly artistic and intellectually satisfying array of talent at the concert series, The WE THE PEOPLE festival's primary objective involves reaching out to the myriad of organizations, groups, like-minded promotion firms, and of course artists, in order to conceive the greatest arena in which to engage and then garner participation from a grossly uninformed youth audience, including all other age groups affected by contemporary matters that involve our communities.
By in large, the WE THE PEOPLE festival aspires to continue to promote and suggest a much needed platform that calls for a voice for the youth of our nation and those artists they credit with acknowledging their daily struggles within the environments that surround them, socially, culturally and politically.
The "We the People" festival promotes non-partisan, non-violent, environmental and politically conscious views.

by Greg Lake

Phish 2008 Reunion

2008-09-07T00:44:00.007-04:00

After two 'retirement' shows in Vermont more than four years ago, Phish reunited September 6, 2008 in New York City at the wedding of former road manager Brad Sands.

The band performed a three song set, "Suzy Greenberg," "Julius" and "Waste".

For a picture check out: http://www.glidemagazine.com/hiddentrack/breaking-phish-reunites-for-sandsios-wedding/

by Greg Lake

A Pissed Off Deadhead

2008-09-05T17:45:00.005-04:00

The following letter references a blurb on the last page, the music charts, of Rolling Stone magazine, RS 1060 (http://www.rollingstone.com/issue1060).

Dear Rolling Stone,
I am a longtime subscriber that has recently come to question the morality of your magazine because of an ethical issue that I have with a recent post. Now, when I first receive my magazine, I like to to look at the back cover page in the section where you present current, previous and a specific town's music charts as well as classic Rolling Stone covers. In issue RS 1060, you were showcasing a classic issue from 1993 with Jerry Garcia on the front cover. Underneath the picture you had a single excerpted quote from Mr. Garcia stating that if he didn’t change the way he was living he would be dead in two years. I’m personally appalled that you would print only this single quote and question your blatant disregard for human life. How his family and especially his daughters would feel upon reading this is beyond me. Jerry did indeed die two years later as we all know, after struggling to confront his demons in a rehabilitation center no less. That you had the audacity to even print this is horrid to say the least, but especially on the anniversary of his death, August 10th, 1995.
Have you no respect???

Sincerely,
A Pissed Off Deadhead

by Matthew Burns

This is our first article written by Matthew Burns. We at KyndMusic appreciate his contribution and look forward to more of his writing in the future.

That ‘70s show keeps on rolling

2008-09-05T12:51:00.004-04:00

http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/Content?oid=794924

Interesting read to say the least, a couple of key excerpts that really struck me as being well, odd:

"Even the much-maligned Grateful Dead drew from such seemingly disparate genres as rock, blues, jug-band folk, country and various world-music forms."

'maligned'???!

ma·lign (m-ln) tr.v. ma·ligned, ma·lign·ing, ma·ligns
To make evil, harmful, and often untrue statements about; speak evil of.adj.1. Evil in disposition, nature, or intent.2. Evil in influence; injurious.3. Having or showing malice or ill will; malevolent.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/maligned

"Gaffney is backed on the disc by Jackie Greene, another artist with a decided affinity for post-Blonde on Blonde Americana, along with jam-band staples Steve and Jim Kimock and Ben Harper’s band the Innocent Criminals."

Who is Jim Kimock?

by Greg Lake

NEW YEARS 2008: DENVER, CO

2008-09-04T01:36:00.003-04:00

Ring in the New Year with Widespread Panic and Yonder Mountain String Band December 30th-31st at the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver, Colorado!

Mail Order Tickets are available for the two-night run only; Orders will be accepted beginning September 8th.
Public on-sale for these shows will be on October 11th at 10am MST at The Pepsi Center, Ticketmaster & phone 303.830.8497.
On December 29th, Yonder Mountain String Band will be playing a benefit concert for Tunes For Tots at the Ogden Theater. All Mail Order participants will receive a special code with their tickets allowing them access to purchase tickets to the YMSB show on the 29th.

by Greg Lake

Oakland Rocks For Change

2008-09-02T19:14:00.003-04:00

Benefit concert event featuring jazz duo Tuck and Patti, legendary rocker Tommy Castro, comedian Marga Gomez, local songstresses Blame Sally, and post-modern stringband Hot Buttered Rum.

Additional performers and special guests to be announced soon!
Location Oakland Museum of CA
1000 Oak St. (10th Street entrance)Oakland, CA 94607(510) 238-2200
Ticket pricingFans: $50 General admission-outer garden seating
Roadies: $100 donation priority seating Groupies: $250 donation priority seating in first 10 rowsRockstars: $1000 includes VIP cocktail reception with special guests, priority seating in first 10 rows
Event Schedule5:30-6:30 p.m., VIP cocktail reception with special guests (TBA)6:00 p.m., Doors open for general admission 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m., concert
General Information Our goal is to build awareness and support for Barack Obama in key swing states. This event also will help protect Democrats in U.S. Senate and House of Representatives' seats currently threatened by Republicans.
What better way to make that happen than through an evening of great music?
Come out and show your support: Buy Tickets Now!
Music for Democracy is a grassroots political action committee devoted to promoting and facilitating musical events that raise public awareness of crucial issues, progressive candidates for federal office, and the importance of getting involved in the electoral process.

by Greg Lake

Shocking Choice by John McCain

2008-08-30T19:02:00.005-04:00

Senator John McCain just announced his choice for running mate: Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. To follow is a statement by Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund.

“Senator McCain’s choice for a running mate is beyond belief. By choosing Sarah Palin, McCain has clearly made a decision to continue the Bush legacy of destructive environmental policies.
“Sarah Palin, whose husband works for BP (formerly British Petroleum), has repeatedly put special interests first when it comes to the environment. In her scant two years as governor, she has lobbied aggressively to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, pushed for more drilling off of Alaska’s coasts, and put special interests above science. Ms. Palin has made it clear through her actions that she is unwilling to do even as much as the Bush administration to address the impacts of global warming. Her most recent effort has been to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the polar bear from the endangered species list, putting Big Oil before sound science. As unbelievable as this may sound, this actually puts her to the right of the Bush administration.
“This is Senator McCain’s first significant choice in building his executive team and it’s a bad one. It has to raise serious doubts in the minds of voters about John McCain’s commitment to conservation, to addressing the impacts of global warming and to ensuring our country ends its dependency on oil.”
###
The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund (http://www.defendersactionfund.org/) provides a powerful voice in Washington to Americans who value our conservation heritage. Through grassroots lobbying, issue advocacy and political campaigns, the Action Fund champions those laws and lawmakers that protect wildlife and wild places while working against those that do them harm.

by Greg Lake

Grateful Dead Back Together For Obama

2008-08-29T13:30:00.003-04:00

By Roger Friedman
Barack Obama’s run for the presidency has launched many different grassroots campaigns. The most interesting may be the revival of the Grateful Dead.
I am told that on Oct. 13, possibly either in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, the Dead will get back together for at least one show to raise money for and awareness about Obama.
All four living original members will play together — Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh and Bill Kreutzmann. The band's leader, Jerry Garcia, died in 1995 from a heart attack.
Substituting for Garcia will be Allman Brothers and Gov't Mule master musician Warren Haynes.
If all goes well, my sources say, the band will then set out on a major tour in summer 2009.

by Greg Lake

YMSB at the DNC Today

2008-08-28T18:20:00.008-04:00

Yonder Mountain String Band, from Nederland, Colorado (forty miles northwest of Denver), is performing at this year's Democratic National Convention held in Denver August 24-28. Yonder will take the stage on the final day of the convention, today - August 28th, at INVESCO Field at Mile High Stadium - just prior to Barack Obama's highly anticipated acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination. Also scheduled to perform at the event are will.i.am, Jennifer Hudson, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder.

by Greg Lake

Tune-In to the First Ever Outside Lands Festival

2008-08-21T18:00:00.008-04:00

Get ready for the first ever Outside Lands Festival, taking place August 22-24 in sunny San Francisco. A great lineup is poised to make music history as the festival takes over the beautiful Golden Gate Park. But don’t fret if you are unable to make the trek because blue room has you covered. Tune in to watch Primus, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Andrew Bird, Galactic and many, many more!

Watch the festival and then check back with KyndMusic for exclusive coverage.

by Greg Lake

You too Can Jam with Phish

2008-08-16T11:19:00.002-04:00

Now you can jam with Phish, live. Guitar Hero is releasing a Phish in Concert module very soon. Check out this video featuring quick interviews with Trey and Mike. Thanks to Greg Lake for sending me this link. We really need to get his login set up for this new KM, don't you think?

Mental Music - Top Ten Psychedelic Songs

2008-08-15T22:49:00.004-04:00

I've been struggling lately trying to create playlists for my MP3 player. How in hell am I supposed to pick my top 10 Beatles or Grateful Dead songs? I just can't. So instead I started divvying my tunes by vibe or mood, like Best Angry Songs or Best Depressed songs. It's been a bit easier and inspired me to share, always a good thing with my daughter toddling about...life lessons and all that shit. So to start it all off, here's my Top Psychedelic Songs:

10. Are You Experienced - Jimi Hendrix: I first heard this song when I was about 12 and it was musical hit of acid at the time. That chunky stacatto rhythm, those mind-bending backwards guitar riffs, Jimi's "well I ha-aaavve" refrain...I still get chills today. Here's a great 1968 live recording.

09. White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane: the intro bass line to this song getting smothered by the vaguely foreign sounding guitar riff and then...that voice..."one pill makes you smaller". Feed your head indeed. Check out this video of the song from 1967.

08. Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles: this last track from The Revolver album drew from Lennon's exploration of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, was written in one chord (C) and received it's title from a flippant Ringo Starr comment. And it melts my brain every time I hear it. Somebody put a video for the song with Tibetan imagery together here.

07. I Had too Much to Dream (Last Night) - Electric Prunes: as one of the songs that helped define the genre from a pop consciousness, this song is a great listen, has incredible hooks and anthemic chorus. Watch the Electric Prunes perform it on the Mike Douglas show in 1967.

06. Eight Miles High - The Byrds: chaotic intro landing gently into those soothing vocal harmonies and the lyrics; "when you touch back down you’ll find that it’s stranger than known". Then when McGuinn lets loose on the solo...where have you gone Major Tom? Watch The Byrds perform the song.

05. The Half Remarkable Question - Incredible String Band: a lot of folks are going to say that A Very Cellular Song should be representing the String Band and the argument is, I'm sure, a good one. But for me, this sitar-drenched medeival-themed ditty is way to on point to not be in this list. Watch them perform it live in 1968.

04. See Emily Play - Pink Floyd: Syd Barrett remains a musical genius of epic proportions. Check out the 1967 promotional video for the tune.

03. Journey to the Center of the Mind - The Amboy Dukes: Ok, Ted Nugent is a dickhead but the Amboy Dukes penned one of the greatest psychedlic tunes ever written and young Ted's guitar soloing is pretty sweet. This video is friggin' hilarious but gives you a great listen to this kick ass song.

02. Scent of a Mule - Phish: yeah I know it's bluegrass but c'mon, the places they took this song were beyond trippy. The Muppets on acid nature of this song just can't be beat. Watch the boys playing it live at Madison Square Garden in 1994.

01. Dark Star - Grateful Dead: I was hoping to have a shocking "oh my god, no he didn't" kind of #1 for this first top ten list but, well, it's Dark Star by the Dead. No song has ever taken me to as many places in my own head as this song. This August 27th 1972 version, from the Springfield Creamery Benefit Show, is one of my favorites. There is a beautiful mellowness to this late summer outdoor show.

Stay tuned for more Top Ten lists.

Music Can be Evil and Free

2008-07-27T09:28:00.007-04:00

Received an email the other day about an online music promotion and digital distribution company called Apollo Audio. It's run out of Philly by one of the guys from the psych-pop band called The Asteroid No.4. This group of brilliant musical neo-bohemians are preparing to release their 6th album These Flowers of Ours: A Treasury of Witchcraft and Devilry (The Committee to Keep Music Evil) in September. Read more...

Of course you can stream the entire album (for free!) from Apollo Audio. And that's not all. From a music-lover's perspective this Apollo Audio site is a wet dream. On the home page alone I counted well over 150 albums available for streaming and/or very inexpensive purchase from bands like Brian Jonestown Massacre, Devendra Banhart, Yo La Tengo and Stellarscope among dozens of others. This is how music should be presented and made available today. You can listen before you buy, buy it at a reasonable cost and with none of that Digital Rights Management (DRM) crap that big labels and iTunes restrict their music with. It's just beautiful.

While you're wandering about like a kid in a candy store listening to all of the incredible music available, remember to buy some to support our underground musical allies. And make sure you give a listen to The Asteroid No. 4's These Flowers of Ours: A Treasury of Witchcraft and Devilry (The Committee to Keep Music Evil). It's a loosely crafted collection of fuzzy garage band psych-pop that calls to mind The Byrds at their spaced out 60's apex or the iconic neo-psych-rock My Bloody Valentine. It is music that will burrow into your brain and not leave.