The Loss Of Voice And Venue… Why Both Matter – Richie Havens, Ray Manzarek And The Universal/Gibson Amphitheatre

For my daughter J, on her stunning and unique voice and her election as Middle School President.  You amaze me!  Keep singing and always let your voice be heard!

This was a post I had started writing a while back… and for whatever reason it never got published… But clearly there were other things that needed to be said… and sadly, other things that needed to happen…

So today is the day this needed to be finished… and so it is.

Sometimes things just aren’t on OUR schedule.  Life has its own schedule… its own timeline… and the sooner we give in to that and begin to live our lives to the fullest the better we will be.

Richie Havens passed away on April 22, 2013… Yes, Earth Day.  His voice was worldly and otherworldly… It was grounded, yet it soared.  It was one of a kind… filled with politics and poetry. Richie Havens sang with reason and beauty.

We live in a world where too many singers and bands all sound the same, and a lot of that has to do with chasing the golden cup… the chalice… the trophy… Trying to capture or recapture lightning in the artificially measured success of album sales and chart toppings.  How often do our artists really and truly sing for the sake of the song?

We all need to raise our voice, stand up and sing, but when we do it from our soul and our heart and for the right reasons, the sounds will always be special and unique.  Yes, skill and talent and a G-d-given gift helps… but when the human voice is raised and full, it is a powerful thing.  If the pen is mightier than the sword, think about the power of those words when given sound and music. They can do anything.

A tune, a song, a lyric can move us to our soul… They can give us peace and joy… comfort and consoling.  They can move us to social action and revolution.

So why do we try to silence that way too often?  Fear… ignorance… the thought that music is not enough… that we need more things… more shops… more money…

The Universal Amphitheatre, as I will always call it, is due to close its doors sometime this Fall.  The sounds of silence.  Yet another venue, another place for over 6000 souls to gather and commune will be gone.  Without being dramatic, this is a tragedy.  When they take away our culture… our places to come together… a common space where people talk and mingle and bond… they take away life and humanity.

In 1972 it was open air… ten years later it was converted to a more acoustically sound, indoor space.  In 2005 it sold its naming rights to Gibson… which I am okay with… but I hold dearly to the names and ideas and notions of my youth…

And sometime in the future it will be a fricking Harry Potter ride.  Hey, I like Harry Potter… a lot… truly.  I think those books gave many, many children a love of reading… created stunning worlds… and brought magic back to the page and screen… but can’t it go somewhere else???

We cannot afford the loss of more music venues… the loss of more areas to socialize and listen to live music and be human beings…

I think about the piazzas in Italy and how people will simply come out and sit and eat and drink and be with each other.  Talk… really listen… and just be…

As brilliant as the art and sites were… the history… the depth of it all… It was those evenings that I will always remember and long for.  I cherish the down time we get to spend with family and friends.  We do not do it enough in this 24/7, internet driven, smart phone world.  And yes, it is not lost on me that I am writing this for the internet, for people to read on their lap tops and phones…

But my messenger pigeons took the day off… And none of you were reading those bird-delivered posts!

On May 20, 2013 Ray Manzarek passed on.  While I am admittedly not a huge Doors fan… I appreciate what he and the band did for music… for Rock n’ Roll.  Out of film school and spirituality, came The Doors… Drummer John Densmore says: ”There wouldn’t be any Doors without Maharishi.”

And no matter what anyone might say about Jim Morrison’s antics and troubles, this was a pivotal and important band.

Greg Harris, CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, said it really well:  ”The world of rock ‘n’ roll lost one of its greats with the passing of Ray Manzarek… he was instrumental in shaping one of the most influential, controversial and revolutionary groups of the ’60s.  Such memorable tracks as ‘Light My Fire’, ‘People are Strange’ and ‘Hello, I Love You’ – to name but a few – owe much to Manzarek’s innovative playing.”

In a world where music is more accessible than ever before, where there are so many bands fighting to be heard… We need to make sure we listen… really listen… and support those artists who are playing for the right reasons… The ones who are playing from their souls, for our souls… From their hearts, for our hearts… The ones who are trying to move us to a better place, or perhaps just a different place…

We need to hear the music that speaks of revolution and change… of intention, and know that music is a gift that we can both give and share… that we can actually create.

I leave you with two videos I found today… One is a song and the other is a 22 minute documentary of sorts, but both so worth your time.  They are gifts from me to you.  They will give you hope, and tears, sadness and laughter… and hopefully make you understand how love and music and art can change the world… change people… and make this world a better place.

Well… thanks to the flaws of technology I cannot get working links… so please seek out Zach Sobiech’s music video on You Tube for “Clouds”, buy the download on iTunes… and find and watch the doc called “My Last Days”.  (Hopefully that last link will work).

And lastly let us all sing out loud… and sing for the sake of the song!

Will This Be The Last Time? – The High Flying, High Energy Rolling Stones Rock n’ Roll Circus Hits Staples Center

Perhaps it is a sign of age that I wake up after a concert, more often than not, with a ringing in my ear, and weary muscles from standing and dancing all night.

And then I think… Mick Jagger will be 70 years old in July.  That bitch!  I mean who out of all of us dudes would NOT want to be Mick Jagger.

Then again, I am guessing if I only had 100 pounds to shift around I MIGHT be able to move like that, too…

I said MIGHT!!!

Mick is utterly amazing and so were the boys on Monday, May 20… and let’s just say that the energy of the room was high… very high.  No… not that… Well, yes that… the air was filled with THAT… but I meant there was a literal and palpable enthusiasm and energy that LA crowds do not normally give off… and it fed the band, who had come out with an incredible energy on their own.

Wow… I actually exclaimed in a text, “Holy Shit!”

Mick danced and strutted and ran across every inch of the “Tongue” stage, and I can only imagine the training he must go through.  Man, I am so out of shape!  I literally had the thought of starting a fitness class based on the moves of Mick Jagger… It just popped into my head during one of his fist pumping, stage runs… Maybe I’ll do that.  Rock n’ Roll Fitness.  My idea… Copywritten here… Do NOT Steal it…

So… I went down to Staples solo.  If you know me, you know I HATE going to concerts alone… but even worse… I HATE going down to a venue with no ticket… though I do have very good concert karma and the recurring ability to find the really nice people who do not need to gouge every drop of blood from my concert budget.  I thank the Rock n’ Roll stars for that…

I wandered around for a bit, asking anyone for an extra ticket.  Most shook their heads or looked at me like I was insane or some kind of leper… Many probably thought I was actually selling, including one beautiful Russian woman who asked where my seats were…

While I felt positive and knew I would get something, it was most definitely frustrating for a long while… and as outgoing as I am, I do not like this process at all.  It just seemed rather… awkward…

Finally, after visiting the 100.3 The Sound Booth and the always delightful Amanda and Tanner… and the crazy drunk who kept asking me if I was a cop.  I took that as a compliment, by the way… I wandered into Chris, his sound engineer and guitar teaching buddy, Dan… and Chris’ daughter and her friend.  Chris told me what seats he had, and I said that there was probably no way he would take what I had to spend, but I was delightfully shocked when he said sure!!!  Karma, baby!  We wound up chatting for a long while, so I knew they were legit… and boom… Section 110, Row 14, lucky seat 11 was mine!

Into the Staples Center I went…

The Rolling Stones ended their California run last night, and the show was a really good one.  Was it the best Stones show I have seen?  Probably not, but it was a concert that will stand the test of time and most definitely add to the aura that these guys are still, as the gentleman next to me said, “the world champs.”

The setlist (see below) has stayed basically the same, with a few switches each night… and this is where a slight element of disappointment creeps in… and I mean slight.

Two nights before they did “Wild Horses”, one of my favorite Stones songs… and then “Bitch” with Dave Grohl, followed by “Shattered”.  Great songs… and Dave “Fucking” Grohl.  You know I love that guy!

The May 8 show in San Jose gave the audience both John Fogerty on “It’s All Over Now” AND “Let It Bleed” with Bonnie Raitt.  Wow!  Double wow!

So expectations were high (Yeah, there is that word again) for an amazing special guest or two, especially given that we were in LA and it was perhaps their LAST California date.

The pre-show rumors mentioned Dave Grohl, again… and also Neil Young… I would have killed to see Neil Young with the Stones… Okay not literally, but dang…

When Mick said tonight’s special guest was us and that he needed us to sing, I thought, okay, that’s cool… but when the show ended and nary a real special guest graced the stage… not that I’m not special, but come on… my friend Denise (who was sitting across the way) and I were both like… WTF?  We literally texted “WTF???!!!”

So WTF???!!!  What happened?  Inquiring minds REALLY want to know.  Was Neil there?  Why didn’t he play?  Who backed out?  What happened?  WHAT HAPPENED???!!!

It also seemed odd that there was no mention or tribute to Ray Manzarek, who passed away the night before.  The news had only broke about it that morning, but still.  I know there was not much of a connection between the two bands… and I am the first to admit that I am not a huge Doors fan, but Ray was an icon of Rock n’ Roll, as were The Doors.

Pushing that aside, and it is actually easy to do given how energetic and enthusiastic and happy the boys were on stage, the show gave me immense pleasure and kept a big smile on my face… and this particular show gave us Mick Taylor on at least FOUR SONGS…

That is what this setlist says, but I think he was out there for another one or two more songs… and he had only been playing on one or two total in all the previous shows!

Many folks will tell you Mick Taylor was the best musician the band ever had… and he was certainly right in the middle of an amazing album period, that included Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street.  Hell, that may be my favorite run of albums right there… Incredible!

Ego may have been part of what pushed him out of the band.  (i.e. Keith’s jealousy and Mick not giving him enough writing credits).  But he also says it was his own drug abuse that forced him to leave.

Either way it was incredible seeing the literal line up of Keith, Mick and Ronnie all jamming on their axes and all watching each other with true joy and amazement.

Thanks to Chris, the Santa Barbara dude who sold me a $600 seat for a tenth of the price… The seat kicked ass…

And thanks to Denise who always has the best Rock and Roll attitude!

So here is the Setlist…

1. Get Off of My Cloud
2. It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)
3. Paint It Black
4. Gimme Shelter
5. All Down the Line
6. Far Away Eyes
7. Sway 
(with Mick Taylor)
8. Doom and Gloom
9. One More Shot
10. Can’t You Hear Me Knocking 
(with Mick Taylor)
11. Honky Tonk Women 
(followed by band introductions)
12. You Got the Silver 
(Keith Richards on lead vocals)
13. Before They Make Me Run 
(Keith Richards on lead vocals)
14. Midnight Rambler 
(with Mick Taylor)
15. Miss You
16. Start Me Up
17. Tumbling Dice
18. Brown Sugar
19. Sympathy for the Devil

ENCORE

20.  You Can’t Always Get What You Want 
(with the USC Thornton Chamber Singers)

21.  Jumpin’ Jack Flash

22.  (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction 
(with Mick Taylor)

The Merry, Merry Month Of May… Marc’s Muse May Music Musts

I’m baaaack… and that is a whole lot of “M” words right there… Guess I am feeling homonymous… and yes, I made that up!

Sorry for the absence… sometimes life just wants you to take a break… but it is sure nice to know that people are still showing up to the site even with a gap of new content.

Since it has been a while, I figured I would give you a rundown of what I have been listening to… some old, some new and all great.

Marjorie Fair - Self Help Serenade

To be fair (ha) this album was given to me years ago… Well, I could not ever open the files, but my friend Eric thought I would dig it.  I did then, but never really delved deeply enough… Well, I finally own it now (thanks, Amoeba) and it is absolutely wonderful.  I also bought the 4-song Sessions EP on iTunes which has some great live versions and one “new” song.  Sadly, the band broke up a mere three years after this 2005 debut (2004 in the UK), but the psychedelic, Beatles influenced pop is something that will be played a lot by me… It already is!

AllMusic says:  ”… Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Evan Slamka… grew up in New Jersey before making his way to New York City… Eventually he and pal Chris Tristram landed in Los Angeles, and working with friends perfected a lush, sometimes melancholy pop sound that drew from influences both old (Beach Boys) and new (Red House Painters, Elliott Smith).”

A few more of my faves, right there by the way!!!  And let me just say… JERSEY!!!

“Slamka eventually caught the ear of Capitol, and around 2003 began work on the full-length debut of Marjorie Fair. (The name comes from a type of rose.) A host of big names worked on the record, including producers Rob Schapf and Jerry Finn, legendary L.A. music presence Jon Brion, organist and keyboardist Kim Bullard, and ace studio drummers Jim Keltner and Joey Waronker.”

Ummm… DAMN!

Blueboy - If Wishes Were Horses

Another band and record on my radar for a while, and from a random iTunes search, I believe… my fruitful trip to Amoeba also landed me this hard to find pop gem.  I would imagine Belle & Sebastian were massively influenced by this record.  This one came out in 1992, though I recommend the 2010 19-track edition, with its 11 bonus songs…

They are sometimes called a “twee” pop band, which was originally as derogatory as it sounds… but is now a more positive term used to describe some gentle, jangly British pop bands.

AllMusic says:  ”A gorgeous slice of pastoral English pop, the debut album from Reading, England’s Blueboy is one of those charmed releases that make you understand the obsessions of indie rock collectors. Clocking in at under 30 minutes, the disc is nevertheless packed with gentle gems, beginning with “Candy Bracelet,” a melancholic meditation that soars on a bed of shimmering, echoing guitars and turns on a deceptively simple harmony vocal from Gemma Townlet.”

Beirut – The Rip Tide

Who says reading the Hollywood Bowl schedule can’t teach you a thing or two.  First, it reminds me how much money I must actually have to go to all the shows I want to see… and second, it actually gave me two bands to explore.  Beirut is opening for Vampire Weekend (we’ll get to them, too… ) at the Hollywood Bowl on Sat. Sept. 28… And I want to run just so I can hear this “Orchestral indie pop”  tour of European and world influences.  This album came out in 2011 and though I have just found it, it blew me away… though I will admit it took a listen or two to do it…

AllMusic describes him as “a one-man cross between Jeff Mangum, Conor Oberst, and Sufjan Stevens. “

“One of 2006′s most unexpected indie success stories, Beirut combines a wide variety of styles, from pre-rock/pop music and Eastern European Gypsy styles to the alternately plaintive and whimsical indie folk of the Decemberists to the lo-fi, homemade psychedelic experimentation of Neutral Milk Hotel. At the heart of this sonic hybrid was a teenager from Albuquerque, New Mexico… Something of a musical prodigy, multi-instrumentalist Zach Condon began making one-man D.I.Y. bedroom recordings in his early teens.”

Yeah… okay… I am now feeling quite a bit unaccomplished.  Agh!

Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams

This is the other band I “discovered” reading the Bowl schedule… though I had heard of them before this.  I think… Anyway… They are opening the July 14th Hollywood Bowl show of Rodrigo y Gabriela (absolutely amazing) and  DeVotchKa (a KCRW discovery and fantastic band).

Lord Huron has simple beginnings reminiscent of Bon Iver… and there are definite musical similarities.

According to AllMusic:  ”Lord Huron began as a solo project by Michigan-born/Los Angeles-based musician Ben Schneider in the spring of 2010. On a trip home to Michigan, Schneider recorded three songs inspired by communing with nature. These songs were later released as the Into the Sun EP, and Lord Huron was born.”

They are not in love with this full length record as much as the EPs, though they call it “a pleasant enough listen”… and say that he is “conflicted between jubilant indie pop wanderlust and stoic traditionally structured Americana.”  I dig it… and the earlier EPs, too.  So there.

The Boxer Rebellion – Promises

I do not recall how I first came to this great Indie band… may have been KCRW… Either way, I love them and kick myself daily for missing them in concert on at least three occasions… though one show they had to cancel.  They are playing here (LA) on June 7 at The Avalon and I so need to get myself there.

This is a great release, truly, though it will not top my love for their last one, The Cold Still.  I don’t think it will… Hmmm… Regardless, I am really enjoying this one, and on multiple listens.

AllMusic chimes in:  ”With 2013′s Promises, Boxer Rebellion have once again delivered a set of yearning rock anthems, full of searing romanticism and brooding atmosphere, and the release ranks as one of their best.”  Good.  We agree!

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City

Still digesting this third release from the band.  I love the first two records, especially their debut which I discovered very early on and pre-hype… the way I always like and prefer.  My buddy Rob said he caught their second song on SNL and was not impressed.  I fell asleep and forgot to TiVo… Doh!  While it might not be as good or exciting as their first outing… the hugely successful and hugely Paul Simon’s Graceland-influenced, self-titled debut… there is something always interesting with this band.  I also dig their attitude.  Funny, on this one I hear a lot of Paul Simon’s musical The Capeman, at least in the opening track ”Obvious Bicycle.”  As with most music, I look forward to delving deeper and really discovering this record.  So far “Finger Back” is my favorite track.

May your May be filled with magical melodies and mellifluous music.

Powerful Words And Music At The Grammy Museum – Busking With Glen Hansard And One Holy Guitar

Well this should have been published last week.  Technology most definitely wields a double-edged sword…

So here it is now…

An empty stage… well empty of people, but filled with possibilities…

Two chairs… two bottles of water… two instruments… and soon… the most memorable musical magic.

For those of you who do not know Glen Hansard, he got his start busking on the streets of Ireland.  He knew if he truly wanted to pursue music, he needed to start at the bottom… and he did.  In the literal gutters of Dublin.

He was in the great film The Commitments, but apparently does not like to talk about that period of time in his life… and in 1990, at the age of 19 he founded the Dublin-based band The Frames.  This band kicks some major Rock n’ Roll ass, so if you don’t know them, pursue, my friends… pursue.

The band’s ex-bassist is John Carney, who wrote and directed the amazing and absolutely beautiful film Once, which is where Glen became a star and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, along with the equally stunning Markéta Irglová.  That tune “Falling Slowly” is simple and divine and filled with all of the powers of love.  Sigh…

And that film, by the way, scores a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and is a MUST SEE.  It is also the basis for the new Broadway Musical, Once!

From that film came a relationship between Glen and Markéta, and the band The Swell Season… More beautiful music to pursue, my friends…

And from the break up came Glen’s first solo record… and more music to add to your life’s playlist.

Glen has the gift of the gab, telling such meaningful stories and effortlessly waxing poetic about art and music and the creative process.  His was a lesson in how to pursue a career in the arts… how to stay inspired and how to be a true artist, and as these lessons almost always are… a guide to simply living a life filled with love and music.  It was a beautiful evening… one where we could have sat and listened to him talk all night.  But these programs have two parts… the chat and the music.

And so… moving to the holiest of holy guitars…

In front of a sold out crowd, including my buddies Rob, Alan and Jim… my friend Debbie from Northwestern… and right in front of me… the great Luc Robitaille and his family, the mad strumming began.  Glen’s voice is astounding, moving so easily from a raspy rage to the most lovely falsetto… His days spent busking are always evident in the power of his instruments… both voice and guitar.

He can draw in a crowd from a huge distance and then play so quietly, so poignantly…

The highlights of the evening were two songs from Once… “Say It To Me Now” into “Gold” and then the song that has been my constant companion for the last two weeks, “This Gift”, whose melody and lyrics have hit my very soul…

Here are two live versions of this thunderous song, including a special one with his niece Amy Hansard … and one at 3 Voor 12 Radio and some of the words for you to enjoy.

For anyone who doubts the universality and power of music… for anyone who questions whether or not music can truly touch your soul… go see Glen Hansard and listen to any music he is involved with.  Along with the 40-year flood, he has some 40-year songs… songs that you will keep close to your heart and turn to for comfort… songs that will feed and nourish you… songs that will last you a lifetime.

And if you see a musician on a corner “playing real good for free”… toss a coin or a bill into the case or the hat, and know that, that corner could be the start of something amazing… the training ground for glory… and something that will reward you even more down the line.

“If you’re strong enough
And you don’t give up
If you long enough
And you don’t give up
And…

You’ll be no harbor to the sorrow
Just let it go.

Don’t hang your head in sorrow
Don’t give up just before you win
Don’t wait around for tomorrow
Open up your arms and let it in…”

On Any Given Night – Why Live Music Matters

So this is how I was going to begin…

“I think I may have written this post before… or something similar.  But it bears repeating, it needs repeating.”

Just to make sure, before I continued, I went to the Marc’s Muse archives… and lo and behold, it turns out that this brilliant post (Hey, at least I think so…) was never actually published.  What?  I was so sure I put that one up there.

It was written in February of last year after going to see a friend of mine do a show at Molly Malone’s.  Ironically the same friend (DJ Julie Slater) that I just saw this past weekend.  It was called “In Praise Of Live Music – Why It Matters And Why We Must Support It”.

The gist of that one was how going to see live music can be a huge pain in the ass… For big shows dealing with the Evil Empire that calls itself Ticket Master… getting gouged for parking and disgusting food… For small shows finding parking, fighting traffic, chatty people in the audience, etc.

But once inside… once settled… once the music starts, it all changes.  Once the lights go down in the city… those chords and notes take you away.

So let’s take this one from there.

On any given night, in any given town, you can go out and listen to live music.

It’s not always easy to get to, it’s not always affordable, but it can be done… and it should be done… and it needs to be done.

On any given night, in any given town there is a stadium, an amphitheatre, a bar, a club, a small, darkened venue… a space in a corner of a room or a restaurant, where someone sets up a guitar and a mic.

On any given night, in any given town you can find a free show or live music that doesn’t break your musical bank or screw you to the wall.

And the reason you should go listen, must listen, is because live music is a communal experience, a shared, emotional experience… a shared human experience.  We stand next to friends or strangers… bodies touching, moving, swaying, dancing.  Eyes closed… eyes open.  We watch other people watching, listening… and see how the music moves them, touches them.  We see the bliss on someone’s face as they listen to a song.  It’s powerful, beautiful.  For that same bliss is on our face, for someone else to see.  We make the experience even more wonderful for each other, just by sharing… just by being in the same room, in the same space… and allowing ourselves to be moved by the music.

This past Saturday night I ventured to Genghis Cohen… lots of free parking… they don’t make you buy drinks… and the crowd is pretty respectful.  I missed dinner with the group, but got there shortly before they opened the doors to the stage.  My friend Chris Santoyo opened things up and he was great… two guys, two guitars and fantastic harmonies… They brought a few other buddies up and the guitars rocked… and the four-part harmonies soared.  On any given night…

Another friend, Julie Slater was next… She is always great, funny and charming, yet puts us guys on notice for the broken mess we sometimes leave behind.  She rocked the room and did a really lovely cover of Bon Iver.  I was supposed to play harmonica on a song, but I was never definite about the date, so next time… next time…

So that was it… evening done.  The gang walked outside, hung out for a bit and said our goodbyes.  Since we all came separately, I drove on my own.  Julie (a different one) said she was gonna go back inside, because the guy who was playing sounded good.  She liked his voice.  I had never heard of him, so I figured what the heck… I’m here, I have a stamp on the back of my left hand… and you never know.  And I always love that musical what if… What if this is your next favorite artist?  What if you are gonna discover something amazing?  What if you stay?

On any given night…

Chris Trapper was his name, and I would soon learn that he is one hell of a writer… His stories were genuine and set up the songs quite nicely… His humor self-deprecating and actually funny.  Hey, we all know that a lot of times singers’ stories and jokes fall flat… These did not… and oh yeah, he could sing and play guitar.  Then he’d mention about having this song in There’s Something About Mary (the wonderful pop tune “Everything Shines”)… and that song in August Rush (the stunning “This Time”)… He talked about his previous band The Push Stars and suddenly I recalled hearing a song or two.  This is the kind of alternative/rock/pop that I love… Just so in my musical wheelhouse.  Got a chance to chat with him afterwards, and he was so friendly and genuine and truly thankful folks were there… A class act.  It was a great way to end the night.

On any given night… if you put yourself out there… open your ears and your mind… you just mind find some new music you love.

So check out Chris Trapper and the Push Stars… and remember, there is so much out there, so much just waiting for you… Rock, pop, jazz, Afrobeat, Reggae, blues, metal, folk, grunge, hip hop, trip hop, alternative, R&B, Soul, Gospel, Indie, electronica, country…

Open yourself up… make the effort… and remember…

On any given night… Live music matters!

Beauty, Loud And Clear… The Silencers And A Blues For Buddha

It seems that winter may be already over in LA… Strangely, I hate how quickly it moves through the Southland.  I’d love to cling to that scarf and sweater just a little longer.  I’m not talking about Chicago cold… that is too often brutal and quite literally numbing… but just a little more cool… a little more rain… a little more grey… Just a touch.

But here I am in LA.  The trees are blooming, the air is filled with chirping birds, and today, there is not a cloud in the sky.  I took Bozie for a walk this morning and had some moments of true serenity and calm… Breathe, baby, breathe.

My goal for the future is simple… to always be present and live in the moment, and what comes, comes.  I heard Cindy Crawford, my first and way too-short-lived crush at Northwestern, say something similar this morning.  She said it was unrealistic to try to be happy every day, but the thing you CAN do, is be present every day.  Man, I dig that… and yes, I still have a MAJOR crush on Cindy.

So how does one truly become present?  I think you start my quieting the clutter and chatter in your brain.  Become comfortable in your own skin and just take in all that is around you.  There is great beauty in the world and all it takes to enjoy is the opening of all of your senses.  There is majesty right in front of us… so open yourself up and let inside.

So that was it… I knew today’s album had to be one of beauty… one that took me to another place, literally… metaphorically… visually… aurally…

I opened up the kitchen door to let in a nice breeze and it hit me almost immediately.

The Silencers – A Blues For Buddha

So many of my classic rocker friends do not understand my obsession with British Power Pop.  I wish I could win more of them over…

I know most of them will at least give a listen… but this music is something special and well worth embracing.

If you read this blog, you know I am partial to the pop bands from Scotland… And there are many, many great Scottish Pop bands… Trashcan Sinatras, The Pearlfishers, Teenage Fanclub, Travis, Belle & Sebastian. Simple Minds, the Proclaimers (who will be at McCabe’s next month!!!), Deacon Blue, Mogwai (considered more post punk or post-rock…) and Del Amitri… to name a good number.

Part of that love is because I spent a glorious month in Edinburgh for the Fringe Festival… part of it is for a lost lass named Louise, who I spent too little time with… and part of it is because Scotland is often where my brain goes when it needs beauty and calm and moments of past glory.  I have no family tartan… and not a Scottish bone in my body, but the music calls to me… it moves me… and enlightens my weary soul.  A single malt, some blood pudding or blood sausage… fish and chips with brown sauce and vinegar… all things I had firsts with in Scotland…

And now we all get to share this music.

SRM gets credit for introducing me to this band… and his love for Scotland exceeds my own.  Enjoy, my friends.

AllMusic says they “are consistently melodic and occasionally breathtaking. The optimistic, horn-driven “The Real McCoy” (the “be do, do be do do, be do do” is infectious) and the surging, pop-savvy “Razorblades of Love” are examples of the latter.   The title track is a bit heavy-handed (the similarly themed “Walk With the Night” works better), but even the weaker songs are still fairly enjoyable.”

I guess this album did not do well when it came out, but they did have a bit of a hit with the great track “Scottish Rain.”  This and “Answer Me” are my two faves.  I love the mix of pop and traditional Scottish music.  I just do!  And yes, while there are none here, I DO enjoy the bagpipes!  So just let yourself go and be swept away… and remember to always be present.  Life is beautiful and so are you.

A Son Volt Of Lightning, Some Hail And A Honky Tonk… From The Ashes Of Uncle Tupelo The Phoenix Keeps Rising

Apparently it was hailing in Hollywood today.  I did not get any of it, which is fine by me.  I like the theory of hail, just not the practice or reality of it.  Do I need to have tiny projectiles pummeling my car?  Hell no, I get that every day anyway from the trucks on the freeway, whose 18 tires shoot tiny pebbles at my windows like a drunk 15-year-old with his first BB gun.  Look at my car and you’d think I was in a shoot out… There are marks everywhere… though I suppose most of them are from the idiots who slam open their doors into me, clearly not caring about the dings and dents they leave behind… Ah, people…

So there was that!  And there is this.

Uncle Tupelo was a great band that hailed from Belleville, Illinois and was on the forefront of the whole Alt. Country movement.  They lasted from 1987 to 1994.  One of my biggest regrets was leaving Chicago so quickly… not only because of missing out on the amazing Second City, and whatever that may have brought me… but I imagine I would have been going to a lot of Uncle Tupelo shows.

Sadly, like so many great bands, they imploded… and broke up before major success even hit.

Luckily for us, out of those musical ashes came two other fantastic bands.  The first was Jay Farrar’s Son Volt.  The second was a continuation of Uncle Tupelo and a small band you have probably never heard of called Wilco and lead by Jeff Tweedy. 

Okay… ha ha.  Obviously Wilco has had some major success, and I am a huge fan of that band… though shockingly I have NEVER seen them live…

I know… I too, often ask, WHO THE HELL AM I???

But Son Volt is a band that should also require your attention.

I love Jay’s voice as well as his songwriting.  I felt like his tunes were some of the best on the New Multitudes/Woody Guthrie tribute project he did with Will Johnson, Anders Parker and Yim Yames (the clever and hard to decipher, alternate moniker of My Morning Jacket’s Jim James).  I highly recommend that album, as well as Jim’s new solo project…

And yes, I know that my post on that album is way late… it got lost in the mix… I mean my virtual dog ate it… Either way I am sorry, and will post it soon.  Today is about Son Volt’s amazing new record Honky Tonk.

Jay’s voice is at once recognizable and at the same time unique.  It sounds so familiar, as if you have heard it so many times before… Heck, many of you probably have… but I meant that in the more historical way.  It is just steeped in tradition… country and cowboy… But it is also quite his own.  That is a big thing I love about this band, too.  There is always an understanding of what and who came before, but a more Rock n’ Roll take on the music of Route 66 and Nashville.

The first track is “Hearts And Minds” which is ironic for me in that I literally just read an interview with the great David Scott (of The Pearlfishers and BMX Bandits) where he discussed, amongst other things, his first band, Hearts and Minds!  If you want to hear some stunningly beautiful, Brian Wilson inspired pop, you MUST listen to The Pearlfishers… I love that band.  Thanks, SRM!

I could totally hear this song as I pulled into the parking lot of the old Palomino Club in North Hollywood… sadly and frustratingly closed in 1995.  Actually, I could hear this whole record… and Honky Tonk hits it right on the head… They’re a little bit country… and a little bit Rock n’ Roll… Well… maybe a lot country on this one!

“Down The Highway”, “Livin’ On” and the closer “Shine On” are my standout tracks… but the whole record will rock you down a sweet country mile.  Enjoy the hay ride.

We’re All Alright… The Communal Spirit Of Rock n’ Roll – The Sound City Players Take Over Hollywood Boulevard

Legs sore… back sore… ears still ringing.  A cup of coffee to jump-start the day, but the pain lingers on.  A sign of age?  Or just a side effect of Rock n’ Roll?

Hollywood’s great divide was on full display last night, and I don’t mean the raised double yellow lines running the length of Hollywood Boulevard… I mean the haves and have-nots… or in this case the VIPs and VInots…

VIP access meant a standing room only space in the pit “pen”… Priority access meant a first come, first serve, standing room only spot in the Hollywood Boulevard “pen.”  That’s what they called the areas… the “pens”… and the cattle and farm reference was not lost on me.  As much as I love my VIP treatment, I don’t need to be on top of the stage… Well… not EVERY time.

What they failed to mention last night though, was that if you were not in the pit, you would be behind the lights and cameras and a fair ways back from the stage.  And when we rushed to get as far forward as we could, we moved in front of the large monitor… basically taking away almost any form of sight.  We could not see a thing, other than the seemingly much taller people in front of us.

I am really not saying this to complain… well, okay… maybe a little… I am simply trying to accurately “set the stage” for you.  As soon as the masses realized they would not be able to see very much, there was a loud, communal groan…

It was at that point I had a bit of a revelation.  Human beings are often put in the exact same positions… and most of the time, they react in the same positive, make it work way.  Thus last night we came together as a unified group… made the best of our situation and still Rock n’ Rolled.  It also made me realize that if a major sense is pulled away… the sense of sight… a Rock n’ Roll show could still be okay.  You could still smell the skunk weed… you could still feel the push and pull of those around you… and man, you could still hear the music.  Don’t get me wrong…  I love my sight… I love seeing the beauty around be… but even with that temporarily gone… what amazing music it was.

The only real negative of the night was the way too hip, probably full of shit, asshole couple who pushed their way in front of all of us mid way through the show… as if we had not all been standing there for hours.  It was a bold, rather surprising and obnoxious move.  He had on a grey Fedora, which unfortunately added to his already too tall height… and she had on some pretentious hat with a feather sticking out of it, that literally almost took a few eyes out.  We all looked around at each other with a “WTF” look.  The two young guys to my right with the miniature hookah pipe started blowing smoke in their faces… I reached my hand over the top of his hat, pretending to pull it off, which got a nice laugh from the crowd.  I did not mean to touch it, but when I did he immediately turned around looking to get into something… I stared him down, he turned around and that was that.  Eventually they left, which caused us all to applaud… but he made sure to announce that they were going backstage.  Either, yeah right… or who the f–k cares… they were gone… and we were back to being happy… mostly.

John Fogerty started things off and sounded great… though we knew that since we got to hear most of the sound check.  Then it was Rick Springfield… or as Dave Grohl likes to call him… Rick Fucking Springfield… who all the girls still love.  The guy looks good… still has great hair… bastard… and sounded really great, too.  It’s easy to forget that he can actually play and rock pretty hard… and wrote a few indelible hit songs in his day.  Ving Lee was up next and is probably what caused my ears to ring in pain.  I like punk music just fine, but the lightning speed 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3 count off almost did me in.

Finally one of my childhood hero bands took the stage… well… Rick Neilsen from Cheap Trick did anyway.  Taylor Hawkins moved from drums to lead vocalist… knocking off all of Dave Grohl’s mic picks in the process… Krist Novoselic from Nirvana came out and joined the already on stage Pat Smear and the place just rocked… especially when Dave came back out, grabbed a black and white checkered guitar and took lead vocals on “Surrender”… the anthem that really summed up the night for me…

He got the audience to chant “We’re All Alright, We’re All Alright”… which taken at face value is a mighty powerful thing.  But going just a step deeper we ARE all alright… and the sheer power of a group of people sharing the same experience at the same time, reveling in Rock n’ Roll and coming together in a common goal of joy and bliss should be the very definition of life and living.  This is not hedonism, but a communal and powerful way to find happiness.  Music is that essential to our lives and guys like the great and powerful Dave Grohl (not Oz) know this.

None of the people in our group could see really, but we came together and found a bond in that… found a joy in that, and still rocked our asses off listening to great music.  No one cared about age or religion or where you came from, we were all the same at that point… all human beings who not only loved music, but allowed music to enter our souls and quite literally move us.

I loved looking around and seeing all of us, young, older and in the middle, signing along to songs I grew up with… a sense of immense happiness and bliss on our faces… I was thrilled to listen to a fairly young girl talk about her honest, powerful and undying love for The Beatles… and no, Maca did not show!  I loved how we were all in it together… and yes, all alright.  So thanks to Julie for taking me… thanks to Dana for being in front of me and thanks to the crowd for truly supporting one another.

If you are ever feeling low or lonely… out of touch or out of place… like the world is beating you down and the bullies are stealing your grace… pull out a record and just listen to the music… or even better, go to a concert.  For there you will find people just like you… you will find your soul and your bliss… and you’ll realize, even if just for those few hours, that your pain is gone… your heart is full… and that we… all of us… We are all alright.

Happy Sad… Remembering George Harrison With A Tear And A Laugh And A Birthday Wish – Always Give Me Love

Life is a funny thing…

And a sad thing… and a beautiful thing… and an ugly thing… and a wonderful thing.

You get the idea.  Life is life.  All we have our the choices we make and the way we live it.  There are too many unknown factors… too many things left to chance… or a higher being, if you believe in that.

The idea should be to love as much as possible… and to leave the world in a better place then how you found it, how it was handed to you.  Not easy.  Simple, but not easy.

George Harrison understood that.  George Harrison understood a lot of things.

He understood spirituality and excess… peace and anger… love and hate.  He lived in the material world but yearned for something more, something higher, something deeper… but never once forgot that he was a man… a simple human being.

His struggle in life and music became our struggle, for he represented us in song, in word, in deed.

He would have been 70 today… younger than my Dad… which is an odd thing for me to ponder.  He left the material world in 2001… ascending to a higher place… but he left behind a fortune, not just a literal one, though there is that… but a musical legacy so rich and wonderful.

He was often overshadowed by John and Paul and while he did not leave behind as large a publishing library, he did create some of the most iconic and unforgettable pieces of music the world will ever know.  He is one of the most prolific and wonderful dark horses this world has seen… and heard.

For me, listening to The Beatles almost defines life… the ups and downs, the highs and lows, the joys and the tears…

One moment I will find bliss and utter jubilation… and in another, I will be struck by the tragedy of John Lennon and the loss of George Harrison and the tears will flow.  It’s funny that music can move us so… Funny, but powerful and hopefully a revelation.  A revelation that every human being in the world… well, almost… responds to music… is moved by music… can fall in love with music.

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is one of my most favorite and special Beatles tunes… Hearing it through Jake Shimabukuro’s ukulele just last week was as beautiful and powerful as ever.  You can check out the video that basically started his career here!

But a song that moves me just as much, is his equally iconic “Give Me Love”.  A simple desire, a potent wish… and a valuable lesson to live by… Love.  The simplest, most brutal, wonderful, deep and misunderstood thing in the universe.  At once totally visceral and understood… and then a life-long struggle and mystery.

I don’t feel I need to say anything more… Other than today is a tear day… a happy sad day…

Here is a video… and here are the lyrics.  All I ask is that you sit with this… let it wash over you like a musical baptism… or a mikvah (mikveh) in Judaism… let it meditate you and take you to a higher plane, like a Buddhist monk… and let it make you realize that we are all basically the same…

George Harrison – “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)”

Or see George playing here…

“Give me love
Give me love
Give me peace on earth
Give me light
Give me life
Keep me free from birth
Give me hope
Help me cope, with this heavy load
Trying to, touch and reach you with,
Heart and soul

Om m m m m m m m m m m m m m
Myyy yyy lord . . .

Please take hold of my hand
That I might understand you

Won’t you please
Oh won’t you

Give me love
Give me love
Give me peace on earth
Give me light
Give me life
Keep me free from birth
Give me hope
Help me cope, with this heavy load
Trying to touch and reach you with,
Heart and soul

Om m m m m m m m m m m m m m
Myyy yyy lord . . .

Won’t you please
Oh won’t you

Give me love
Give me love
Give me peace on earth
Give me light
Give me life
Keep me free from birth
Give me hope
Help me cope, with this heavy load
Trying to touch and reach you with,
Heart and soul”

Long Live Sound City – Dave Grohl And Friends Go Reel To Real

Dave Grohl is a dude… A normal dude.

He gets up in the morning, just like me.

He makes coffee, just like me.

He has a daughter, just like me.

He takes a morning dump, just like me.

The similarities pretty much end there.

He wants you to know that he is just a regular guy, and made a point of saying it several times at last night’s screening of the amazing and fantastic documentary, Sound City.  Though in my book, regular guys don’t travel around the world playing to sold-out arenas… or get to play music with legends like Tom Petty and Paul McCartney.

However, even before last night’s screening, if you asked me to name a few rockers I would love to hang out with… and think I COULD actually pal around with, Dave would have been on that list.  I don’t know that HE wants to grab a Scotch with ME… but he comes across as honest and sincere, down to earth… and yes, quite normal.  This has always been my perception, and last night not only solidified that, but put him up a good few notches.

Dave Grohl is one of the most successful musicians in history, from Nirvana to the Foo Fighters to whatever other projects he might have up his tattooed sleeve.  Everyone wants to play with him, and that is only partly because of what a killer player he is.  The man is downright cool.

The best musicians in the world are the ones who truly understand those who came before them… honor those bands and artists and in a way, serve as rock historians.  They are the torch bearers, the messengers, the story tellers… the ones who will give us the inside scoop and a lesson in why what came before them is essential and important.

Guys like Dave Grohl and Little Steven can discuss so many different groups and styles, what they did, how and why they did it… and the sheer passion and amazement in their voices when they tell these stories is infectious and powerful.

I liken it to Martin Scorsese in the world of film.  His knowledge is vast, and it informs who he is as a director and filmmaker, but also as an artist and human being.  Scorsese is one of the best filmmakers around, but I am also guessing he is one of the best film viewers.  The man LOVES movies.

Sound City is a beautiful film and one I cannot recommend highly enough.  It is a celebration of music… of Rock n’ Roll… It will make you yearn for the past and pray for the future.  It is charming and funny and powerful, and it shows the true magic that can be created by putting human beings into a room with a few instruments and some tape.  Though perhaps sadly, it captures a period in time that is too rapidly fading.

In my lifetime, we have moved from vinyl to 8-track and cassettes, to CDs and now to mp3 digital downloads.  I find it a bit ironic and very hopeful that vinyl is finding its way back on the shelves, but the times are not a changin’… they have changed.

The movie starts with the famous Neve console… the impetus for the whole project.  It shows the astounding albums that were recorded in what everyone describes as a dump in Van Nuys… and it talks about the history of Sound City and what it meant to so many people.

Dave is big on many things… dropping the F bomb for one… which is just part of who he is… and something I actually like because in this context it defines passion and truth.  He is about making great fuckin’ music… now he has me doing it… and making sure things are paid forward.  He wants you to hear a Nirvana album or a Foo Fighters record and get so fuckin’ inspired, that you make a great record of your own.  While I think my days of being a Rock Star or even a musician are long behind me… Dave has inspired me to write this… and hopefully make that next great Rock n’ Roll movie that lives in my head and heart!

Dave is all about human beings making human music.  This is what he meant in his comments at the Grammys last year, that got him in so much tepid water… and he’s right… people did not understand, and THAT is a major part of the problem.

What he said was that there was a lack of “human element” in contemporary music.  Watch his movie.  You’ll get it and you will agree with every fiber in your body.  If you want to have that “Ah Ha” Oprah moment of clarity… simply watch the film and look at the way people make music today and the way they did it then.  You’ll fuckin’ get it.

No one has an issue with technology, if it is being used to deliver the actual music that has been played and recorded.  It is all about letting music use the tools and not the other way around.  I loved how he pulled out his iPhone and said “I’m not Amish… the whole new Foo Fighters album is on this thing.”  How badly did we all want that phone at that moment?!

To Dave Grohl being a musician means knowing how to play an instrument, not the keyboard of a computer.  It means putting yourself in a studio with other musicians… other human beings… and allowing that connection, that interaction, to create true musical moments captured in time… and on tape!  Spontaneous, magical moments that can only happen during exploration and interaction and the ability to just fuckin’ play and let yourself go.

What do you think is more exciting… someone at home alone playing music by himself with drum tracks and machines, altering the way he sounds… fixing all the things that make him human… or sitting in a studio with live human beings, playing real live music?  Look, there has been some great music made with an artist alone in a cabin… Yeah Bon Iver, I am talking to you… but the best music is raw and immediate and grabs us by the balls and the throat and the heart… It shakes our booty and our soul.

You want to know what happens when tools use us?  Read some science fiction… Watch The Terminator.  It ain’t pretty.

This is what Dave meant.  This man has so much respect for musicians… so much so that he mentioned Sonic Youth on several occasions and made sure we knew, inside and out of that theatre, the debt he owes them.

This is part of the statement he made after all the brouhaha… Though after all his talk of the Budweiser brewery, perhaps it should be BREWhaha…

I found this on Rolling Stone.com… “I love ALL kinds of music,” Grohl said in a statement released earlier today. “Electronic or acoustic, it doesn’t matter to me. The simple act of creating music is a beautiful gift that ALL human beings are blessed with. And the diversity of one musician’s personality to the next is what makes music so exciting and . . . human.”

“I try really fucking hard so that I don’t have to rely on anything but my hands and my heart to play a song,” Grohl said. “I do the best that I possibly can within my limitations, and accept that it sounds like me. Because that’s what I think is most important. It should be real, right? Everybody wants something real.”

Folks, I have said this before… we are human BEings… so let us BE human.  Treat each other kindly, respect each other, love each other… Sit and have a conversation, spend time together.  It is not just real music going the way of the Dodo… it is civility and communication and human interaction.  The post office is on the verge of collapse because no one writes letters anymore… but incomplete and grammatically incorrect text messages, IMs and emails are on the rise.

Yes, the irony is you are reading this on-line… on your computer… but it is not the machine creating this… it is not the machine making up these words… Okay, yes, it is the machine spell checking them… but I am USING the tool to spread my creation, my art… using this technology to connect with you.  Would I rather do it in person?  Of course.  But here we are… and if this works… people from around the world are reading this and connecting with me.

Make art, make music, make love… creativity and collaboration will save the world.  So put down the damn computer (after you read this, of course) toss aside the auto tuner… and grab yourself a guitar.  Play those three chords… sing your heart out… inspire yourself and others… and along the way, you might just save the world… or at least a recording studio in Van Nuys, CA.