5.25.2017

★FREE★ PRE-VIEW OF UNTOLD STORY OF TUPAC SHAKUR BIO-PIC


DATE: THURSDAY, JUNE 1st

LOCATION: EMAGINE THEATER - 200 N. MAIN STREET - ROYAL OAK, MI 48067

OPEN: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

ADMISSION: FREE

ABOUT ALL EYEZ ON ME:
All Eyez on Me, in theaters June 16, chronicles the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur, including his rise to superstardom as a hip-hop artist, actor, poet and activist, as well as his imprisonment and prolific, controversial time at Death Row Records. Against insurmountable odds, Shakur rose to become a cultural icon whose career and persona both continue to grow long after his passing.

All Eyez On Me, helmed by Director Benny Boom, and produced by LT Hutton (Morgan Creek Productions), stars Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Kat Graham, Dominic L. Santana and Jamal Woolard. #ALLEYEZTOUR

RSVP:  FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

ll Eyez On Me, helmed by Director Benny Boom, and produced by LT Hutton (Morgan Creek Productions), stars Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Kat Graham, Dominic L. Santana and Jamal Woolard. #ALLEYEZTOUR


5.21.2017

RADIO BIRDMAN: MY GANG DADDY-O! WRITTEN BY CHRIS KLONDIKE MASUAK


Chris Masuak May 21, 2017

Radio Birdman used to mean something...used to stand for something! The band attached concepts like “brotherhood”, “honour”, “loyalty”, and “integrity” to itself while slowly but surely disappearing into the kind of vanity driven and posturing black hole that we used to disdain.

I had just been instructed that I “was not invited to participate” in the upcoming tour to promote the band’s “definitive boxed set” and I was certainly not interested in facilitating the ongoing personal fantasy that the band’s history had been relegated to.


However, the filmmaker Jonathan Sequeira assured me that no one was calling the shots on this project except him! No one had the power of veto…there was no one (and the emphasis was on a particular “one”) running interference.



So, I thought sure…if I’m going to make an asshole of myself at least I’ll be in good company!

Jonathan was circumspect. He never let on what the other guys had to say. He was letting us all reveal ourselves for who we were despite ourselves. He was assiduously objective.

It was crazy timing! Like I said…I had only just “officially” fallen out of favour. It was inevitable and a long time coming and a relief when it finally did. In that culture you’re a bully or you’re a sycophant or you’re simply not in the gang.



I didn’t miss it.

But, it reminded me that it was great being in the gang in the old days. We were comrades, fighting a real and (we truly believed) noble fight. We were different and my new teachers and role models and heroes were patient and tolerant and kind to their young and naïve bandmate.

We were champions of a music that no one else knew about. I learned about all this stuff through the guys and because of my more formal musical training, I had something to give back.

I think that this documentary will capture a sense of that early unity and the genuine excitement that we felt for our music.

I know that the audience felt that, too! I had been in the audience and knew what it was like to be swept along on a tsunami of sound and energy.


In later years I would meet and play with some of the guys who we admired and who we helped introduce into the culture. Ron and Scott from The Stooges, Wayne and Dennis from the MC5. God, I even played in a band that blew Iggy and his band offstage night after night on his first tour of Australia!

I related to them like normal people. It felt like we were friends at the time.

I don’t know if they ever realised how much Radio Birdman did for them. Even before Birdman, Warwick, Ron, and Younger were playing their music in The Rats. I mean…who did that in those days?!

I didn’t really hear any of that stuff until I started hanging out with the guys, even though I’d seen the Raw Power ads and reviews in Time magazine and seen The New York Dolls album covers in record stores back in Canada.


Back at the Birdman “clubhouse” we were always listening to The Stooges, The MC5, The New York Dolls, Alice Cooper, The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones and surf music. The Blue Oyster Cult helped up the ante just that little bit!

It was a real education. We were filtering all that stuff through our collective hands and making new music in the process. Those were thrilling times!

And, we were a gang. No one else could join. Everyone wanted to.

We were a gang and an alchemical reaction. I think that the documentary will finally make that clear. I think everyone’s getting a bit tired of that tired lone gunman's attempts at re-imagining the band’s history.
Chris Masuak

5.19.2017

TOM GUERRA: TRAMPLING OUT THE VINTAGE


Detroit Music has influenced millions including East coast lead guitarist Tom Guerra (Mambo Sons). Chatted online with Tom last night and he released a new LP a few months back "Trampling Out the Vintage"...Click the links to listen to each track. We loved it! 


Popa Chubby with Tom Guerra

Creem Magazine was the bible that I grew up on, and some of my all time favorite guitarists are Jim McCarty and Steve Hunter (who both did time in Mitch Ryder's bands!). From a songwriting perspective, the great Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland who wrote many of Motown's greatest hits were huge influences. Tom Guerra




ABOUT THE ALBUM: “Trampling Out the Vintage” is the second solo album from Mambo Sons’ guitarist Tom Guerra. The title is from a line in “Battle Hymn of the Republic” aka “Glory Glory Hallelujah”), and refers to the old guitars and amps used in the recording process. Like “All of the Above” (Tom’s first solo disc), “Trampling…” is an old school rock and roll record, but one written for these times. Joining Tom in the studio this time was…

Kenny Aaronson and Tom Guerra

"Most recently, Tom has been busy writing new original music with world class bassist Kenny Aaronson (currently touring with The Yardbirds) for a future recording project. "

• Kenny Aaronson – Bass guitar
• Morgan Fisher and Matt Zeiner – Piano and Hammond
• Mike “Double Dog” Kosacek – Drums and percussion

Here’s a blurb about each track in Tom’s own words…

All Purpose Song – In the old days, we’d have to tune our radios to pull in a song, and then “static evolved into grace.” This is a sort of riff rocker about how music can mean so many different things to people.

Dr. Nick and Elvis – I had a dream that Elvis and his good friend Dr. Nick ran a church to help cure the type of ills detailed in the verses. While writing it, I heard Lemmy had passed, so I included a line in about “The Ace of Spades.”

Purchase Click the Icon Below


Tell the World – The conflict between being feeling guilty to be happy when the world is going to hell in a handbasket, set in a 2 minute 43 second pop song.



BYOB – I’ve read that the NYC rock scene had some great parties in the ‘70s, and this is how I imagined them to be...

Make Your Own Kind of Music – As a kid, I fell in love with Mama Cass’ version after seeing her sing this Mann/Weil pop ditty on the Sammy Davis Jr. show. It is re-imagined here as a rock and roll tune.

Love Will Forget You – The flip side of love, in a funk styled tune. Kenny’s bass sort of propels this song along.


Pay In Blood – My favorite guitarists have all covered Bob Dylan, so here’s my contribution to that list, re-arranged with a more “Stonesy” vibe in open G tuning.

Supermoon – I was thinking of David Bowie and his space themed songs when I wrote this, about a rare celestial happening (also called a blood moon) that according to legend is a sign of the End of Days. Side Note: The ’63 Strat I played on this was formerly owned by Howlin’ Wolf, and is now on loan to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame until 2018.

Grow On Your Own – I wrote this about a friend of mine who was afraid to be alone.

Hard to Love – A simple ballad I wrote on piano about a not-so-nice guy that leaves his bride at the altar and ultimately realizes he’s the problem.

TG with vintage Gibson Firebird

More About Tom:

Since the late 1970s, Guerra has been on the New England club circuit, playing blues, rock and roll and R&B acts. Influenced by Rory Gallagher, Paul Kossoff, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and Joe Walsh, Guerra first gained notoriety after being featured in Guitar Player (March 1991).

Over the years, Guerra has recorded or played with Rick Derringer, The Dirty Bones Blues Band', Max Weinberg, Mark Nomad, Sticky Fingers (for which he wrote and arranged original music for the group's debut CD), The Easton Brothers with Muddy Waters bassist Charles Calmese, Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson from The Allman Brothers Band, Second Son, Guitar Shorty, Adolph Jacobs of The Coasters, Kenny Aaronson, and The Delrays.

Since 1998, he has written for Vintage Guitar, and has endorsed Brian Moore Custom guitars, Colby and DST-Engineering amplifiers and a variety of guitar related effects.

Tom and Scott Lawson

In 1999, he formed Mambo Sons with singer Scott Lawson, based upon a songwriting partnership that dated back to the early 1980s. Their debut album, released in 1999, featured Rick Derringer. This twelve-song effort contained both new music as well as songs the two had originally written a decade before. Read Full Bio on WIKI

5.18.2017

DRC ANNOUNCES MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT 2017 RIVERDAYS FULL LINEUP!


DETROIT (18 May 2017) - The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy is excited to share the complete national and local music lineup of nearly 50 musicians and bands, as well as exciting programming for the 11th annual GM River Days presented by Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort. Many local favorites, as well as new acts, will perform on the Michigan Lottery Stage and Chevrolet Stage, which feature a mix of rock, pop, blues, alternative, soul, funk, and country.

This year’s GM River Days festival will feature a star-studded music lineup on the Quicken Loans National Stage, including rock superstar Ann Wilson of Heart along with local tribute band FiftyAmpFuse on Friday evening. Soul sensation The Isley Brothers featuring Ron Isley, along with Grammy-nominated Soul and R&B singer Freddie Jackson, will perform on Saturday night. Grammy-winning R&B group 112 will perform on Sunday evening, followed by Grammy-nominated R&B singer Joe.

While all GM River Days performances are included with admission to the festival, VIP premier seats are now available for the headlining performances taking place on the Quicken Loans National Stage. The limited VIP premier seat tickets are available for purchase from RiverDays.com/Music. VIP tickets are $35 and include admission to the festival and seating for the national entertainment. These tickets are only available for purchase in advance of the festival, and quantities are limited.

QUICKEN LOANS NATIONAL STAGE SCHEDULE:

Friday, June 23
1:00 p.m. Emcee for Tuskegee Airmen Museum Airshow
4:30 p.m. The Gia Warner Band
6:15 p.m. FiftyAmpFuse
8:30 p.m. Ann Wilson of Heart

Saturday, June 24
3:30 p.m. Emcee for Tuskegee Airmen Museum Airshow
4:30 p.m. Notorious
6:25 p.m. Freddie Jackson
8:30 p.m. The Isley Brothers featuring Ron Isley

Sunday, June 25
3:30 p.m. Emcee for Tuskegee Airmen Museum Airshow
5:00 p.m. Brielle Lesley
6:50 p.m. 112
8:45 p.m. Joe

MICHIGAN LOTTERY STAGE SCHEDULE:

Metro Detroit’s R&B, reggae, rock & roll and country acts will fill the Michigan Lottery Stage, located along the Detroit Riverfront just east of Beaubien Street, featuring:

Friday, June 23
12:00 p.m. Josh Birdsong (Indie Pop)
1:00 p.m. Emcee for Tuskegee Airmen Museum Airshow
2:00 p.m. Sami Mei (Pop/Rock)
3:45 p.m. Speak Easy (Rasta-Funk)
5:00 p.m. Madelyn Grant (Neo-Soul/R&B)
6:45 p.m. Jennifer Westwood & The Handsome Devils (Roots Rock/Americana)
8:30 p.m. The Persuasion Band (High Energy Party)

Saturday, June 24
11:30 a.m. Ali McManus (Americana)
1:00 p.m. Lilac Lungs (Alternative Pop)
2:30 p.m. King Mellowman and Mellow Runnings (World/Reggae)
3:30 p.m. Emcee for Tuskegee Airmen Museum Airshow
5:00 p.m. Scarlet Lies (Glam Pop Rock)
6:45 p.m. LaShaun Phoenix Moore (R&B/Soul)
8:30 p.m. Matt Austin (Young Country)

Sunday, June 25
11:30 a.m. Zander Michigan (Singer/Songwriter)
1:00 p.m. The Boa Constrictors (Rockabilly)
2:30 p.m. Fangs and Twang (Monster Country)
3:30 p.m. Emcee for Tuskegee Airmen Museum Airshow
5:00 p.m. New World Soul (R&B Soul)
6:45 p.m. The Messenger Birds (Rock/Alternative)
8:30 p.m. The Orbitsuns (Outlaw Country)

CHEVROLET STAGE SCHEDULE:

The best of metro Detroit’s alternative, country, funk and soul bands will play on the Chevrolet Stage, located along on the GM Plaza in front of the Renaissance Center, featuring:

Friday, June 23
11:45 a.m. Grace Elizabeth (Indie Pop)
12:45 p.m. Eye on Detroit Trivia presented by EyeGlass World (Trivia Contest)
1:00 p.m. Emcee for Tuskegee Airmen Museum Airshow
2:00 p.m. Escaping Pavement (Americana)
3:05 p.m. Eye on Detroit Trivia presented by EyeGlass World (Trivia Contest)
3:30 p.m. Rev. Marc Falconberry (Blues)
5:30 p.m. Harlow (Hard Rock/Alternative)
6:40 p.m. Eye on Detroit Trivia presented by EyeGlass World (Trivia Contest)
7:00 p.m. The Ruiners (Party Punk)
8:30 p.m. Kaleido (Rock)

Saturday, June 24
9:30 a.m. 3rd Annual Outdoor “Yoga on the River”
11:15 a.m. Maticic (Folk/Americana)
12:20 p.m. Eye on Detroit Trivia presented by EyeGlass World (Trivia Contest)
12:45 p.m. Jaime Marvin (Singer/Songwriter)
2:15 p.m. Melophobix (Reggae/Rock/Funk/Fusion)
3:30 p.m. Emcee for Tuskegee Airmen Museum Airshow
4:30 p.m. Eye on Detroit Trivia presented by EyeGlass World (Trivia Contest)
4:45 p.m. Austin Scott (Family Friendly Country)
6:05 p.m. Eye on Detroit Trivia presented by EyeGlass World (Trivia Contest)
6:30 p.m. Stewart Francke (Rock & Soul)
8:30 p.m. Stone Clover (Paddy Slag)

Sunday, June 25
9:30 a.m. 3rd Annual Outdoor “Yoga on the River”
11:30 a.m. Acoustic Ash (Singer/Songwriter)
12:35 p.m. Eye on Detroit Trivia presented by EyeGlass World (Trivia Contest)
1:00 p.m. Al Bettis (Soul-Funk)
2:05 p.m. Eye on Detroit Trivia presented by EyeGlass World (Trivia Contest)
2:30 p.m. The Reefermen (Rock)
3:30 p.m. Emcee for Tuskegee Airmen Museum Airshow
4:45 p.m. The Flutter & Wow (Americana)
6:05 p.m. Eye on Detroit Trivia presented by EyeGlass World (Trivia Contest)
6:30 p.m. Alise King (R&B Soul)
8:30 p.m. Larry Lee & Back in the Day (Funk/R&B)

FLAGSTAR BANK KIDZONE

Located at Rivard Plaza, the Flagstar Bank Kids Zone produced by The Parade Company is introducing a new carnival-themed kids zone. This year’s Kids Zone will include a larger-than-life “Monster Mural,” as well as face painting, craft stations and interactive activities with the Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan Science Center, Arts & Scraps and more. New this year to the Kids Zone, families will be able to enjoy carnival games and strolling carnival buskers. Additionally, an entertaining lineup will perform on the Meijer Kids Stage including DynaMike, Storytime with VB and Animal Magic. Parents can pick up a free sticker for additional activities in the Kids Zone from the Flagstar Bank booth at the festival.

MEIJER KIDS STAGE SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, JUNE 23
11:00 AM GM River Days Kickoff Ribbon-Cutting
12:00 AM Michigan Science Center Stage Show
1:00 PM Emcee for Tuskegee Airmen Museum Airshow
2:00 PM DynaMike, Master Magician
3:00 PM Michigan Science Center Stage Show
3:45 PM Storytime with VB
4:45 PM DynaMike, Master Magician
6:00 PM Storytime with VB
7:00 PM DynaMike, Master Magician

SATURDAY, JUNE 24
11:15 AM Michigan Science Center Stage Show
12:00 PM DynaMike, Master Magician
1:00 PM Michigan Science Center Stage Show
1:45 PM Storytime with VB
2:45 PM DynaMike, Master Magician
3:30 PM Emcee for Tuskegee Airmen Museum Airshow
4:30 PM Storytime with VB
5:00 PM DynaMike, Master Magician
6:30 PM DynaMike, Master Magician

SUNDAY, JUNE 25
11:15 AM Storytime with VB
12:00 PM Michigan Science Center Stage Show
12:45 PM Storytime with VB
1:45 PM DynaMike, Master Magician
2:45 PM Michigan Science Center Stage Show
3:30 PM Emcee for Tuskegee Airmen Museum Airshow
4:30 PM Animal Magic
5:45 PM DynaMike, Master Magician
7:00 PM Animal Magic

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will provide a variety of hands-on activities, including a rock climbing wall for children and adults in the William G. Milliken State Park & Harbor during the festival. Guests can stroll through the park and talk with wildlife and fish experts, foresters, and conservation officers. There will also be a laser gun trailer to educate families on hunting. Booths will be set up across the park with education games tables, live animals and fishing demonstrations. Festivalgoers will also have a chance to try their hand at archery and other outdoor skill challenges.

AARP Block Party

For the first time ever, AARP will be bringing its Block Party to GM River Days. The Block Party will feature radio personality Donnie Simpson, a virtual reality experience, special prizes, and other activities for the entire family. The AARP Block Party is a traveling exhibit that engages attendees with interactive experiences that relate to AARP’s programs and mission. Visitors who stop by the AARP Block Party can experience virtual reality and receive a free AARP-branded Google Cardboard VR viewer.

The Block Party will also include a photo booth, prize wheel, a free ice pop stand, and a “commitment wall,” where attendees can leave heartfelt messages to the city. As a part of AARPs efforts to support the local Detroit community, they will be making a $1 donation for every ice pop given away at the AARP Block Party (maximum donation of $5,000) to the Neighborhood Services Organization (NSO), a nonprofit, multi-service agency founded in 1955 in response to the needs of low-income families and communities in Detroit. The check will be presented to NSO on Sunday, June 25. Simpson, a long-time radio DJ and movie and TV personality with Detroit roots, will have a meet and greet at the Block Party tent. Check aarp.org/mi for his appearance schedule.

Eye on Detroit Trivia presented by Eyeglass World®

Festival guests will be invited to compete in Eye on Detroit Trivia presented by Eyeglass World, a contest challenge with a focus on Detroit music and sports. The winner of each trivia contest will receive VIP tickets to the Main Stage performer for that evening of GM River Days. The Grand Prize Winner on Sunday will receive a weekend getaway to Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, a $750 value.

Airshow by the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum

The air show, a crowd favorite, will return over the Detroit River for its third year. Staged by the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum, show performances will be at 1 p.m. on Friday and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. New this year, the show will include a Heritage Flight which consists of a WWII aircraft and its modern equivalent flying individually and then joining together for passes with the modern aircraft flying on the wing of the WWII aircraft. Also scheduled to appear are aerobatic pilots flying upside down and sideways, jets from the World Heritage Air Museum, an airplane flown by the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, several racing airplanes and a demonstration of precision formation flying by the museum’s own four-aircraft demo team. The airshow will feature emcees at all festival stages. This is one of the very few airshows in all of North America that features mostly local performers.

Coast Guard Cutter Tours

A fixture on the Detroit River since 1874 and a unique representation of Detroit’s distinction as being an international border, the United States Coast Guard will have a presence this year at GM River Days. The USCGC BRISTOL BAY (WTGB-102) will be onsite and free to tour during the festival. The cutter will be docked at GM Plaza. Tours take place on Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25 from 11am-5 pm.

The primary mission of USCGC BRISTOL BAY (WTGB-102) is icebreaking. The 140-foot cutter, which is homeported in Detroit, conducts its icebreaking mission in the Great Lakes.

Detroit Marriott – The Official Hotel of GM River Days

As the official hotel of GM River Days, the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center invites families to explore the Detroit Riverfront during the festival or any weekend this summer and stay downtown in their guestrooms. For reservations visit DetroitMarriott.com or call 1-800-352-0831.

Presented by the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, buskers and street performers are back at GM River Days. The entertainment will include circus-style performances including stilt walking, aerialists, fire-breathing and more. Scheduled performances will be located at the GM Fountain area and on the RiverWalk west of Rivard Plaza.

Volunteer positions for GM River Days are still open for afternoon and evening shifts. Volunteers receive a GM River Days Festival Volunteer T-shirt, complimentary parking, and opportunities to receive festival food vouchers and more. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please visit riverdays.com/volunteer/ for more information.

GM River Days presented by Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort is supported by General Motors, Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Flagstar Bank, AARP, Pepsi, Michigan Lottery, SPAM®, Meijer, Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, National Vision, Imperial Beverage, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Sprint, L.L. Bean, MetroPCS, T-Mobile, Eagle Security, Help Eliminate Auto Thefts, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Barefoot Winery, Made in Detroit and Detroit Pistons.

5.15.2017

SEAN PAUL: SOUND BOARD MOTOR CITY CASINO JULY 28


Sean Paul
July 28 - Sound Board at MotorCity Casino Hotel
Special Presale Opportunity
Tuesday, May 16 at 10 a.m. - Wednesday, May 17 at 10 p.m.
Use Code: PAUL
Please Note: There is a four-ticket limit for this presale.


5.11.2017

JAMES WILLIAMSON AND DENIZ TEK LAUNCHED A NEW EP "ACOUSTIC K.O."

Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman) and James Williamson (Iggy & the Stooges) photo Anne Tek

FROM DENIZTEK.COM 

Fans of The Stooges and Radio Birdman are in for a real treat this spring as guitarist James Williamson and singer/guitarist Deniz Tek have teamed up for a new spin on four classic Williamson compositions from the early/mid '70s. The two proto-punk icons have unplugged their amps for drastic, yet no less gratifying reworkings of two numbers from Iggy & The Stooges’ seminal Raw Power album (“I Need Somebody” and “Penetration”) as well as two tracks from Pop & Williamson’s often-unsung masterpiece Kill City (“Night Theme” and “No Sense of Crime”). These songs were orginally composed by Pop & Williamson, with the exception of "Night Theme" which was penned by Williamson and Scott Thurston.


Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Williamson explains hooking up with Tek and working with him on this effort, “I first met Deniz in 2011 when doing the Ron Asheton Tribute show at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor. Deniz had been a good friend of the Ashetons (having come from Ann Arbor like them) and had been asked to play on some of the old Stooges tunes that night.”

“Later we stayed in touch during the times I would visit Australia on tour with the Stooges, and it also turned out that he visited the Big Island of Hawaii frequently, as do my wife and I. In fact, during one of our get togethers on the Big Island Deniz mentioned that we should record some acoustic songs together. Maybe do some of my old stuff. It was later that day, hiking in a remote area, that we came across some abandoned trucks. His wife, Anne, got her camera out and said 'there’s your record cover!’”


ACOUSTIC K.O. TRACKLISTING:
I Need Somebody
Penetration
Night Theme
No Sense Of Crime

Oddly, in a parallel development, a long time fan and incredible collector of Stooges memorabilia, Hakan Beckman, had suggested to James a couple of years earlier that “Night Theme” should be orchestrated. Further, he had developed a fantasy album cover called Acoustic K.O. James loved these ideas and now, with Tek, had the vehicle to realize them.

“That’s how it all started,” Williamson admits. “However, once we began recording, the project took on a life of its own. If this was to be called Acoustic K.O. it needed to be entirely acoustic. Michael Urbano broke out his old 1920s drum kit and Gregg Foreman used my old 1930s pump organ and a piano. Guitars, of course, were acoustic, and the only exception was the bass that Bob Glaub played - an old hollow body Kay since an upright just didn’t sound right for these songs. The horn section rounded everything out.”


“For ‘Night Theme’ I enlisted the help of Mark Culbertson, musician extraordinaire who had played contra-bass for me on the albums Ready to Die and Re-Licked, to do the arrangement. He did an extraordinary job! I was able to find an incredible group of players called The Awesome Orchestra from Berkeley, CA under the direction of David Moschler to realize Mark’s arrangement and I couldn’t be happier with the results.”

“It all came together once we layed down Deniz’s vocals while in Hawaii, and with the help of Petra Haden doing some backing vocals and violin, along with Annie Hardy (Giant Drag) doing the duet with Deniz on ‘No Sense Of Crime’ we had performances to be proud of.”

Deniz Tek and James Williamson’s Acoustic K.O. EP will be available March 31st on vinyl and digital (iTunes, Amazon, etc.) formats. Read Full Article Here

5.09.2017

LITTLE STEVEN SHARES NEW SONG: LOVE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF TOWN


Little Steven shares his new song "Love On The Wrong Side Of Town," co-written with Bruce Springsteen, from his eagerly anticipated new album, SOULFIRE (Wicked Cool/Big Machine/UMe). "Love On The Wrong Side Of Town" is the third song the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has released from the album set to arrive everywhere on Friday, May 19th. Entertainment Weekly premiered the song last week. Pre-order SOULFIRE here: https://UMe.lnk.to/LittleStevenSoulfire


People originally heard "Love On The Wrong Side Of Town" on Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes' 1977 LP, THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL. "Bruce had the riff and I did the rest," says Van Zandt. "When you wrote, arranged, and produced the original versions, it's not always easy to redo them. They become definitive. You did it that first way for a reason. I found it difficult to do much with this one, but when we got to the end of the song I found an opportunity to change it up a little bit. I changed little things here and there on all the songs on the album but it definitely took a minute."

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY: CLICK THE LINK BELOW


SOULFIRE is Stevie Van Zandt's first solo album in close to two decades and without question his purest and most uniquely personal artistic statement thus far. The album sees the rock legend revisiting songs that span the length of his career as artist, performer, producer, arranger, and songwriter, focusing directly on the hugely influential "soul horns-meet-rock 'n' roll guitars" approach he first pioneered on Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes' classic first three albums.


Each of Van Zandt's prior five solo albums had seen him expressing his utterly personal songwriting through a changing variety of sounds and approaches, an ambitious adventurousness that has fueled much of his creative output these past two decades. He expanded his parameters, as an actor on The Sopranos and Lilyhammer, as host, historian, and rock 'n' roll advocate on Sirius XM's one-and-only "Little Steven's Underground Garage" (not to mention creator of Sirius XM's long-running "Outlaw Country" format). Van Zandt kept his skills sharp by composing the score for all three seasons of Lilyhammer and continued to work as producer and songwriter, lending his distinctive craft to records from an array of international garage rockers, but couldn't kick a lingering sense of unfinished business.

"I felt a bit guilty about having walked away from Little Steven the artist," he says. "I left that part of myself behind and I shouldn't have done that. I let the material down by not continuing to perform it," he says. "I betrayed the work and I want to fix that. I didn't give up on the material - there were a lot of other factors - but I do have a sense of wanting some redemption for it."

Van Zandt - who will remain a touring and recording member of The E Street Band - is now looking forward to hitting the road with his own big band. Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul will celebrate SOULFIRE with an epic international tour schedule, with headline gigs and festival dates around the world. A full-scale North American headline tour will be announced soon - for regular updates and ticket information, please visit http://littlesteven.com/index.php/tour-dates.

5.06.2017

LEGENDARY ROCK GUITARIST ADRIAN BELEW US TOUR DATES


King Crimson / Zappa / Bowie Guitar Legend Adrian Belew Announces Massive Spring 2017 North American Tour!

Asheville, NC – Legendary guitarist Adrian Belew, best known for his work with King Crimson, Frank Zappa and David Bowie, as well as his own critically acclaimed solo work, is happy to announce his Spring 2017 North American tour! A celebration of Adrian's massive body of work past, present, and future! The tour, which spans across 23 US States and 3 Canadian Provinces, starts on February 28 in Vienna, VA. Adrian is touring with his Power Trio featuring Julie Slick on bass and drummer Tobias Ralph, both virtuoso musicians.


Adrian recently scored the music to “Piper”, a short movie by animation studio Pixar, which was released on June 17, 2016. The six-minute production tells the story of a small bird that lives on a beach, and must challenge herself to find food while avoiding treacherous waves. It was screened before “Finding Dory”, the full-length sequel to 2003's “Finding Nemo”. Meanwhile, Adrian continues to work on the latest additions to his FLUX project, including an album called FLUXbybelew Volume Two and an in-app addition entitled FLUXation Pack Two.

Adrian Belew Power Trio tour dates:

5/04/2017 - Asheville, NC - Isis Music Hall - Tickets: http://tinyurl.com/h6fgnm4
5/05/2017 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle - http://www.catscradle.com ;
5/06/2017 - Ardmore, PA - Ardmore Music Hall
5/07/2017 - Annapolis, MD - Rams Head On Stage - Tickets: http://tinyurl.com/h285drv
5/09/2017 - New York, NY – Iridium - Tickets: http://tinyurl.com/gpgz6ly
5/10/2017 - New York, NY – Iridium - Tickets: http://tinyurl.com/jhdjofs ;
5/11/2017 - New York, NY – Iridium - Tickets: http://tinyurl.com/jtvd46y ;
5/12/2017 - Albany, NY – Swyer Theatre at The Egg - Tickets: http://tinyurl.com/hsd36pb ;
5/13/2017 - Montreal, QC - Le Club Soda - http://www.clubsoda.ca ;
5/14/2017 - Quebec City, QC - Salle Jean Paul Tardif - http://www.sallejeanpaultardif .com/
5/16/2017 - Toronto, ON - The Mod Club - Tickets: http://tinyurl.com/hg8aogc ;
5/17/2017 - Ferndale, MI - The Magic Bag - Tickets: http://tinyurl.com/h8rpkas ;
5/18/2017 - Cincinnati, OH - 20th Century Theater - http://www.the20thcenturytheater.com ;
5/20/2017 - Nashville, TN - 12th & Porter - http://12andporter.com/ ;
5/21/2017 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West - Tickets: http://tinyurl.com/zp 3v5rq ;

Adrian Belew is a legendary guitarist well-known for his diverse travels around the musical map. He is a multi-instrumentalist whose solo records are critically acclaimed. His moving singing voice and prolific songwriting has endeared a loyal fan base of music lovers. His music is being discovered everyday by more and more listeners thirsty for great music with a creative standard not often pushed by the commercial music industry.

Adrian first appeared on the guitar-world radar when he toured with Frank Zappa who later said, “Adrian reinvented electric guitar”. Adrian's signature tones, unique use of effects and whammy bar remains completely different, and his techniques continue to be a huge influence on today's guitarists. He was guitarist, songwriter and frontman Progressive Rock Powerhouse King Crimson for over 30 years. “Discipline”, Adrian's first record with King Crimson, is listed among the most important rock records ever made.

Adrian has had a career that commands both awe and respect from fellow musicians and loyal fans, from his first solo record “The Lone Rhino” to the Atlantic Records hit album “Mr. Music Head” or any of his other 20 plus solo records that push sonic boundaries while maintaining artistic integrity. Adrian shreds on guitar but also writes beautiful songs that will make you cry. Yes, Adrian has taken his fans on a wild ride through countless world tours and albums with David Bowie, Talking Heads, Laurie, Anderson, and Paul Simon. He truly is the Twang Bar King!

5.05.2017

BOB SEGER/IGGY & THE STOOGES @ ROCK N ROLL FARM BY PHOTOGRAPHER KEN SETTLE


Article/Photo from Photographer Ken Settle

From The Film Archives: Very early Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band photo, taken on February 12, 1974 at a little bar in Wayne, Michigan called The Rock'n'Roll Farm. Admission was $3.00 at the door. The band that opened for Bob was called The Brooklyn Blues Busters, an outfit out of New York that had recently relocated to Ann Arbor. The singer and harp player was a guy named John Leslie, who would soon embark on a career in porn where he became one of the first male porn stars of the "Golden Age" of porn, acting in something like 300 films!!!!

The Rock'n'Roll Farm was an amazingly colorful little bar, which was also the hangout for a motorcycle club known as The Scorpions (they would kind of float between The Farm and a place down the street called The Dog House).

About a week before this Seger show, Iggy & The Stooges played The Farm, and Iggy squared off against one of the Scorpions right on the dance floor and was knocked out cold! That ended that gig, but it set the stage for the cacophonous end of the band five days later at Detroit's Michigan Palace, which was forever preserved on the Metallic K.O. album.


A suburban doctor named Leo Speer ran the Rock'n'Roll Farm, and he also ran the famous Michigan Palace in Detroit. So often times, Mr. Speer would showcase bands at The Farm that were also playing at The Michigan Palace. One such band was Aerosmith, who played at The Farm about a month after I took this Seger shot!!

Again, you could get in with three bucks at the door! Some of the other artists that played The Farm in its brief three years on the music scene was blues greats Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Luther Allison, James Cotton, as well as artists like Tim Buckley, Spooky Tooth, Spirit, Mitch Ryder and Wayne Kramer in The Knockdown Party Band, the earliest incarnation of the legendary Rockets, and local favorites like Salem Witchcraft and Stonebridge.

The Rock'n'Roll Farm eventually became a bar called Baby's. A bar called US-12 now resides at that address.

Photographed with a Canon rangefinder camera, 35mm 2.0 lens, one of those big 1950s era pan reflector flashes that took those huge bulbs, and Kodachrome X 64 ISO film.

Contact KEN SETTLE
HIS WEBPAGE IS HERE
FACEBOOK HERE

5.03.2017

DSC CELEBRATES IT'S 5TH ANNIVERSARY



The Detroit Sound Conservancy’s 5 year anniversary 
 Ferndale’s newest restaurant and performance venue Otus Supply.
Story by Tosha Owens

The Detroit Sound Conservancy (DSC) is an organization headed by Executive Director Carleton S. Gholz, PhD and made up of about 30 musicians that strives to preserve the music history of Detroit. 


They were established in 2012 and have since rallied to save the historic United Sound Recording Studio by making it a historical marker in 2015 and they are also responsible for rebuilding Veridian Sound Stage of the historical jazz club The Blue Bird Inn.


The stage has been shipped to France for this year’s Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Etienne festival. As far as I know, this is the only organization of its kind here in the D.

One member of the DSC is local musician James Wailin (The Reefermen) who also, preserves, repairs and sells old music equipment such as Turntables, Victrola’s, Jukeboxes, and Stereo HiFis just to name a few and many of which he had on display and demonstrated each item.


The event was well attended by many musicians and supporters and I got to catch up with friends. The Otus Supply is a great venue for dining or entertaining. They did it right with four different rooms in the ‘hollow rooms’ to dine in and a separate room, The Parliament Room, for live entertainment. Tosha Owens

Great work thank you so much Tosha and Jane!!


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...