Re: Rufus Wainwright
On Fri, 12 Mar 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: as. I think he's a fucking hero for coming out guns a'blazing. Would you suggest that James Brown be less Black, or Oasis less British? Silly. Not less British, but definitely less asshole'ish. In out'ingly yours, JC NP: Pernice Brothers - Overcome By Happiness
RE: Covers v2.01 (was Re: Got my Grand Funk dose)
ns: "High and Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music" Er, that's "High Lonesome," Mitch; no "and" in it. That's what happens if you get a dose of Grand Funk Railroad first g. BTW, my favorite part of the movie is a brief clip of the Osborne Brothers on TV with Harley Gabbard playing guitar and singing the third part. He was only with them for a few months, and it's probably the only filmed record of that period. Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
Re: Rufus Wainwright
In a recent post, I suggested that the commercial failure of Rufus Wainwright's excellent record was due, in part, because "Rufus pushes the "gay thing" to excess, and I'm convinced it's this that has managed to turn off the straight audience completely. Had I been consulted, I'd have recommended he downplay the gay thing - which he emphasises to excess, all the time, and interminably - and just deliver the music." This upset Neil Weiss, who wrote: I understand where you are coming from, Richard, with your mindset being to help an artist achieve the maximum level of success that he/she can. But what price success? The suggestion that Rufus should keep his homosexuality to himself in order to sell more records is just the kind of crap that gives the record industry a bad name. What I did suggest was NOT that Rufus stay in the closet; anyone who meets him, sees him on-stage, or spends more than five minutes with him will get the message that he's gay. I did suggest, in a world that is still mostly straight, that Rufus' "guns-a-blazing" approach - which may or may not qualify him as, in Neil's phrase, as "a fucking hero" - has damaged his commercial prospects. That's the fault of society as a whole rather than of Rufus. Recognizing this, I would have said: "Rufus, you're gay. Enjoy. But a lot of people are going to have trouble dealing with this. Don't hide it - it's who you are. But don't throw it in peoples' faces." I have a pretty secure feeling that Lenny Waronker and Mo Ostin probably told him the same thing... But if Dreamworks DID spend a million bucks on this, and if it's true that it has sold a paltry 35,000 copies, I wouldn't expect another major investment in this artist in a hurry, and we'll all be the poorer for it. Audience members who are gay - instantly recognize "their own" and enthusasitically support them; k.d. had a gay audience from the get-go, long before she came out. Ditto Dusty Springfield, ditto Elton John, ditto George Michael. I must say that I found Neil's final line - "Would you suggest that James Brown be less Black, or Oasis less British?" - rather offensive. Of course not; James Brown IS black, Oasis IS British. And while Rufus is indeed gay, and that sensibility informs his music, I still think he and his music would have gained wider acceptance if he hadn't flaunted it so loudly, so interminably, and so insistently. Once he's made "star" he can do what he wants; till then, a bit of discretion may help. And if that's "the sort of crap that gives the record industry a bad name" I'm sorry... Cheers, Richard
Re: 16 Horsepower
[EMAIL PROTECTED] according to my liner notes. Iceman [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Anybody know how to contact this band these days? A friend of a friend wants to interview them on a radio show and asked me how to reach them, but all I have is an empty number at AM Thanks as always for your indulgence. BTW, the V-Roys rocked to beat all last night. What a fraggin' show! Eat- your-heart out moment: Kelly Hogan/Scot Miller duet on "Lie I believe"--a two kleenex song under the rockin'est of conditions, which that show pretty much was. Also noted, V-Roys currently leading the "Classiest-looking dewy-eyed groupies" category. Later, Linda, trying to figure out how to be less secure in what she thinks she knows, cuz it's wrong too often
Re: Rufus Wainwright
I must say that I found Neil's final line - "Would you suggest that James
Brown be less Black, or Oasis less British?" - rather offensive. Of course
not; James Brown IS black, Oasis IS British. And while Rufus is indeed
gay, and that sensibility informs his music, I still think he and his music
would have gained wider acceptance if he hadn't flaunted it so loudly, so
interminably, and so insistently. Once he's made "star" he can do what he
wants; till then, a bit of discretion may help. And if that's "the sort of
crap that gives the record industry a bad name" I'm sorry...
Cheers,
Richard
Wasn't Wainwright's musical agenda intent upon including his gay perspective
from the start? His lyrics do not cover up or belie his lifestyle ("Danny
Boy", "April Fools" etc;) and it seems to me that he wants to acquire an
audience based upon a more personal knowledge of his lifestyle and
acceptance of same. We all wear a badge of some sort which we either
proudly or unconsciously display to the world. Maybe this is the one
Wainwright chooses to wear. Seems to me being honest from the start is more
acceptable than playing the media games which the likes of Elton John tried
to support with his "marriage" or the frequent dodging seen by k.d. lang in
the past or the awful "I'm Bi" press from David Bowie and all that truth or
lies rumor-mill talk about Bowie and Jagger those years ago. Michael Stipe
hasn't seen his bands popularity wane due to his "tagging" and lack of
defensive posture regarding it. But, therein lies a a part of the
argument -
Stipe and band as well as John, lang and others haven't highlighted their
gayness as a raison d'etre for their musical pasts, while Wainwright pushes
the stereotypical boundary of acceptable pop/rock teenage/young adult
idolism with it. I have no doubt in my mind that you are correct in saying
that highlighting his lifestyle will cause him a loss of potential fans and
yet, somewhere deep within me I find myself saying that real art, that which
comes from the soul and the complete experience and emotion of a human
being; that which is honest and unpretentious and devoid of sublimation in
personal truism is the echelon of wisdom we were put here to aspire to, to
attain and to share. If Wainwright suffers a loss of public acceptance it
is only through his honesty, a decided attempt to break down barriers and
with knowledge that in doing so he will be subject to
controversy and negative criticism. It was his choice afterall.
Tera
CMR Playlist: 11th March 1999
Bob Paterson's Singer Songwriter Show Country Music Radio Thursday 11th March 1999 Wilco - ELT ["Summer Teeth", Reprise 1999] segue Kate Campbell - Bus 109 ["Visions Of Plenty", Demon Records 1998] George Jones - I Said All That To Say All This ["It Don't Get Any Better Than This", MCA Nashville 1998] David Gray - This Years Love ["White Ladder", IHT 1998] segue John Prine - Somewhere Someone's Falling In Love ["Aimless Love", Island 1983] Patty Griffin - Every Little Bit ["Living With Ghosts", AM 1996] segue Jo Serrapere - Now I Pray ["My Blue Heaven", One Man Clapping Records 1998] Kevin Meisel - Little Magnolia ["Coal and Diamonds", One Man Clapping Records 1998] Tim O'Brien - Kick Me When I'm Down ["When No One's Around", Sugar Hill 1997] segue Ralph Stanley and Gillian Welch - Gold Watch and Chain ["Clinch Mountain Country", Rebel Records 1998] segue Steve Earle and The Del McCoury Band - Harlan Man ["The Mountain", E- Squared/Grapevine 1999] Beck - O Manja ["Mutations", Geffen 1998] Hazeldine - Right To Feel ["Digging You Up", Polydor 1998] Angie McKenna - Going Back To California ["Angie McKenna", Fuzz Folk Records 1998] segue The High Class Family Butchers - Two Lane Black Top [Demo, 1998] Tony Moore (with Annabel Lamb on BVs) - Some Kind of Angel (Live at The Kashmir Klub, 23/02/99) Townes Van Zandt - Pancho and Lefty ["The Best of Townes Van Zandt", Charly Records 1996] segue Stacey Earle - Show Me How ["Simple Gearle", Gearle Records 1998] Jimmie Dale Gilmore - Sally ["Braver Newer World", Elektra 1996] The Blazing Homesteads - Lost Without Your Love ["Another Country", A New Day Records 1999] segue Those Magnificent Men - Got A Thing About You ["What Kind Of Country Is This?", Way Out West 1998] J.C. Grimshaw - Pretty Girl ["Dance When You're Living", Village Bike Records 1999] segue R.L. Burnside - It's Bad You Know ["Chapter VII: All Men Are Liars", Fat Possum 1998] Joe B Vaughan Jr - I'm Just From Texas ["Texas Twister Radio Records - Volume 1", 1998] -- Bob Paterson http://www.ursasoft.com/bob Current projects: CMR DJ (Thursday nights 10-12) Bob Harris Show on Radio 2 (researcher) Promoter at The Spitz Venue, London
Re: Covers v2.01 (was Re: Got my Grand Funk dose)
In a message dated 3/14/99 5:50:50 AM !!!First Boot!!!, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: BTW, my favorite part of the movie is a brief clip of the Osborne Brothers on TV with Harley Gabbard playing guitar and singing the third part. He was only with them for a few months, and it's probably the only filmed record of that period. My fave part is when Mr. Monroe is sitting outside the old abandoned house, and is explaining when his uncle would come over to play fiddle. He talks about the songs that he would play, then asks the interviewer, "Can I play you a song?" Yeah, right, deny THAT man to play a song for you. Like denying Jesus to pray for you. Mitch Matthews Gravel Train/Sunken Road
Re: dreaded artist of the decade (plus Rushmore)
In a message dated 3/14/99 4:05:10 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Oh..memories of Al Green... Alright! A kindred soul in the cult of Reverend Al. When I was home at Xmas my family was watching the "100 greatest artists.." on VH1. My grumpy Dad was complaining about almost every one, and when I commented that Al Green was my favorite singer in the world he almost fell out of the chair. Memory: A beautiful Spring night in Piedmont Park in Atlanta - the Staple Singers and Al Green doing a free concert in the early '90s. That was heaven on earth. Slim
Re: Covers v2.01 (was Re: Got my Grand Funk dose)
On Sat, 13 Mar 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I was hoping that there could be this P2 jam session going and we could do a bluegrass version of "Some Kind of Wonderful". That might be new enough to get past good ol' Mike Woods. But HTC would have to get pretty damned obscure to get *any* GFR past that guy. He knows every 70's song written; I only know all the rest. Geff nf: snow, and it's laying - no Sam's Crab House this evening, I bet...
RE: Rufus Wainwright
Apparently Wainwright's whatever isn't enough to keep Best Buy from making him a featured artist. Today's ad supplement led me to this, from http://www.bestbuy.com : If you limit your music collection to what video channels and local radio stations play, then youre missing out on much of what makes the music scene so exciting. Right now, there are hundreds of musicians out there with material better than anything on the charts, but the competitive forces of the music business can lay some pretty heavy land mines in front of getting airplay. That also makes it hard for fans to discover the new music out there, because not everyone has the time or patience to sit through all the mediocre bands in all the sweaty, smoky clubs for that one golden sound. Thats why Best Buy has designed the "Find Em First" campaign. Well be working directly with artists, managers, labels, distribution channels, and media partners to create a comprehensive path for deserving musicians to connect with millions of potential fans. Best Buy has always been committed to bringing new artists to the attention of our customers, and thats what this "Find Em First" campaign is all about. Among the initial set of "Find 'Em First" artists are Wainwright, Kelly Willis and Mary Cutrufello. For Wainwright, the individual copy reads: Music is definitely in the blood for Rufus Wainwright, 21-year-old son of musicians Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. Wainwright writes songs like no one else of his generation, and his self-titled debut, "Rufus Wainwright," features a surprisingly world-weary voice and emotional look at love and relationships. Now, look to the buttons on the right for a biography, reviews and more on Rufus Wainwright, one of Best Buys featured artists in Find Em First. And the bio says: Rufus Wainwright is the son of acclaimed singer/songwriters Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle (of the McGarrigle Sisters), and grew up in Montreal with his mother after his parents divorced. As a youngster, Wainwright listened to older performers like Al Jolson and Edith Piaf, and groups like The Beatles and The Everly Brothers, before opera captured his teenage years. "It was like being poisoned, intoxicated," Wainwright says. "Everything about opera was so foreign to anything Id ever heard or related to. I was really attracted to the different layers of the play, the sets, the music, the mythology. Just the pure and unabashed romanticism," said Wainwright. " During this time, Wainwrights mother asked if hed like to write a song for a film she was working on. Wainwright ended up performing his song in the film, and winning nominations for a Juno (the Canadian equivalent to the Grammy) and a Genie (equivalent to the Oscar) at the age of 14. Wainwright attended music school at Montreals McGill University for a brief time, but found the academic approach to music stifling. He then dove into Montreals café scene by writing, performing and partying the nights away. Wainwrights father eventually passed a tape of his sons songs to friend Van Dyke Parks, who then sent it on to Lenny Waronker at DreamWorks. "My initial response to Rufus music was, How could a 21-year-old be writing this stuff? It was amazing, but when I met him, I saw immediately that he was very much a kid of his generation. Still, hes doing something no one else of his generation is doing," Waronker says. The self-titled debut, "Rufus Wainwright," is indeed brilliantly unique, with songs that often sound like a blend of Tin Pan Alley and Tom Waits less gravelly younger brother. Wainwrights emotional songs are driven from the piano and backed by tasteful strings arranged by Van Dyke Parks. The music seems to come straight from the classic American songbook, but with a baritone that sounds surprisingly world-weary for a 21-year-old. The originality of his voice has already started to make things happen commercially, as the single, "April Fools," is a regular on many radio playlists, Wainwright was featured in a recent Gap commercial, and many critics have labeled this first album one of the most remarkable and assured debuts of the year. So it seems like the "flaunting" is a bit attenuated... Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
Re: Alejandro (was: need info)
geez, Junior, don't go gettin' all apologetic on me, ya wuss. for the record, there are many Escovedo moments i find unconvincing too. much less so in a live setting, and i think the live record is a lot more listenable than his studio albums, but, yeah, a lot of the time there's a sort of monotony there. ... my point was that i don't think there's anything wrong with someone seeking support to do more ambitious work. "seeking institutional validation" seems to me a specious accusation considering the kind of music that Escovedo plays; frankly I think he'd be playing his songs with much more straightahead rock instrumentation and more self-consciously Hispanic signifiers if he wanted that - he could easily work in the Los Lobos vein, but instead he makes very individualistic choices in the way he works with different configuraions, strings, etc. the point that the monotony of some of his work might have been a plus to the NEA's way of thinking seems pretty valid, though. carl w.
A couple of shows in SF
March 24, The Gourds and Jon Dee Graham at Slim's March 24, Nashville Pussy at the Edge, Palo Alto April 2, Sebadoh, Richard Buckner, lowercase at Bimbo's 365 Club April 18, Jeff Beck at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland May 8, Volunteer Jam Tour '99, featuring Charlie Daniels Band, Marshall Tucker Band, Molly Hatchet, at Concord Pavilion Just a couple of interesting shows on the agenda. More once I recover from last night. I played the cocktail hour at the Spinsters Society ball. Imagine 500 college educated, unmarried women between 25 and 35, dressed to kill (black tie formal, some stunning gowns) with gourmet nibbles, free drinks, and casino gaming, all to benefit a summer camp for children with cancer. One of those GOOD gigs...even if you don't get paid. ___ Brad's Page of Steel: http://www.well.com/user/wellvis/steel.html A web site devoted to acoustic and electric lap steel guitars
RE: A couple of shows in SF
I played the cocktail hour at the Spinsters Society ball. Imagine 500 college educated, unmarried women between 25 and 35, dressed to kill (black tie formal, some stunning gowns) with gourmet nibbles, free drinks, and casino gaming... Gee, Brad, that sounds just like the John Deere Day gig I played last Saturday. 500 farmers and families, dressed to eat free sausage and biscuits and check out this year's line of agricultural implements. g Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
Re: A couple of shows in SF
Brad: I played the cocktail hour at the Spinsters Society ball. Imagine 500 college educated, unmarried women between 25 and 35, dressed to kill (black tie formal, some stunning gowns) with gourmet nibbles, free drinks, and casino gaming, all to benefit a summer camp for children with cancer. One of those GOOD gigs...even if you don't get paid. Hm, Brad, I tell you what: you get tired of playing that gig, I know a band in Lawrence KS that'll drive out the coast and take the burden off your shoulders g. Sounds tough! --junior
pearls (was Kinky / Terry Allen)
Junior wrote: np: Lyle Lovett "Sold American" (from Pearls in the Snow) uh, what is Pearls in the Snow? (nice title when you stop to think about it). carl w.
Re: pearls (was Kinky / Terry Allen)
Carl! Pearls in the Snow is the Kinky Friedman tribute album that came out in December. It's pretty darn good, actually, both in itself and as an intro to Kinky's material. Check this out: Willie, Ride 'em Jewboy Delbert McClinton, Autograph Lee Roy Parnell, Nville Casualty and Life Asleep a t Wheel, Before All Hell Breaks Loose Geezinslaws, Twirl Dwight, Rapid City South Dakota Guy Clark, Wild Man from Borneo Mary Stuart, Lady Yesterday Tompall Glaser, Get Yer Biscuits in the Oven Chuck E. Weiss and the Goddamn Liars, Ol' Ben Lucas Kinky himself, Marilyn and Joe (RIP Joe!...) Billy Swan, When the Lord Closes the Door Lyle Lovett, Sold American Texas Jewboys, Medley Texas Jewboys, Silver Eagle Express Tom Waits, Hiway Cafe Kinky and Little Jewford, Thank You Kinky --jr.
Re: KC area McCoury!
Tuesday March 30 is the date for both the McCoury and Deke shows. Pardon that typo! --jr.
Re: Rufus Wainwright
I've been following this thread and trying to keep a lid on my temper, since I know that Richard was addressing career strategy and didn't mean his comments to sound the way they did - personally, when I hear someone say "flaunting it" and "shoving it in people's faces," the subtext that comes across is that gays should be shamed, thus discreet. And of course rock stars flaunt their heterosexuality all the time, so the double standard is annoying. But I know Richard was talking about a homophobic social context and talking about what RW should do to "make it." Ok, let's look at it that way. First of all, as Richard said, it takes (at most) five minutes to know that Rufus is gay - both in person and on record. So people who aren't open to a gay artist aren't going to like him, no matter what he says or doesn't say. This is important: Rufus really is bringing gay culture to the straight music world in the most blatant way, with the most label support and acclaim, that one can imagine. So the outcome will be telling. (New Wave etc. was full of queer music and subtexts, but that was tied to its Underground status, whereas Rufus is positioned as a mainstream, though left-of-centre, artist. And people like the Pet Shop Boys are very Britishly ambiguous and coy in their way of presenting sexuality, anyway.) But, more relevantly, Rufus's music is very dense, complex, with many non-rock influences (cabaret, show tunes, opera -- all very gay-identified too). I gather that both he and the record company are happy with sales so far, and that sales have been gradually picking up speed. The optimistic thing about Rufus's position from an industry point of view is that Dreamworks consciously signed him as a "career artist," accepting that it might take a few albums before he builds up a solid audience, and that he might never be a real hit-parade quantity. And this is ok with them, apparently, entrusting to Rufus's charm, looks, etc. that he'll get and hold a strong cult following. This is where his sexuality comes back in - Rufus can't afford to be more discreet and shy. A lot of the reason that his inaccessible music can be embraced by a pop audience, potentially, is that he is a very distinctive and attractive personality and performer. To downplay that personality - which would certainly be necessary if he wanted to tone down his gayness - would be to toss one of his main assets away. And considering the screaming young girls I saw at his show Tues. night here, I don't see the evidence that he's alienating "straight audiences." Might I gently suggest that to a large proportion of the younger audience, straight and not-so-straight, his sexuality is simply not that big a deal (or even a bit titillating)? Consider that experimentation with bisexuality etc. is fairly accepted, even fashionable, in liberal-arts schools in the late 90s - there might be a slight generation gap showing in Richard's analysis. Ultimately, I think opera is much more alienating to a pop audience than homosexuality is to college students. But if Rufus keeps expanding his status as an idol of that younger crowd, then he can afford to wait out the word-of-mouth process and let the mainstream pop world catch up later. Without having to compromise or dissemble about who and what he is. Carl W.
Re: Rufus Wainwright
Carl: Ultimately, I think opera is much more alienating to a pop audience than homosexuality is to college students. But if Rufus keeps This is very true At this point in time, with all the "out" performers there are, etc., I really wonder whether being out is a career detriment for artists. I kind of doubt it. Opera-association is the quickest way to deep-six a career though, for sure (can you say Michael Bolton? g). Seems to me that being out is not very alienating to most pop audiences (CW is another matter...), and a number of performers successfully use gay audience appeal to launch major hits (like Cher's "Believe"). I mean, how are you supposed to have a dance hit these days without the gay audience supporting you? So Carl, I'll go with your point that Rufus is representing a further stage of mainstreaming, following on the more "veiled" New Wave practices, etc... That's a good thing g. --junior npihm: visions of zillions of straight Americans at sporting events every day chanting lines from Gary Glitter and Queen songs g. Work it, baby!!
Re: Excuse me? (was: Re: SXSW)
Absolutely correct I have not been to Pittsburgh. To save a little face here allow me to bow out gracefully by saying that I am saving Pittsburgh to the last moment like the cherry on the icecream float. Doug.
Re: KC area McCoury!
KC folks, if you haven't seen it already, be aware that the McCoury / Earle show is coming to Roadhouse Ruby's in Olathe on Tuesday, March (Bill S and Jack C and I were talking about this last night at a great Big Sandy show here in town). Yeah, well, I hope you guys enjoy the show, as that date was originally penciled in for Des Moines at our beautiful old 1200 seat auditorium. Why they'd want to play some nightclub in front of a bunch of drunk Kansans instead of a group of quiet, appreciative Iowans is beyond me. g (Although I'm not kidding on the quiet part; so far this year I've heard Lucinda Williams, James McMurtry, and Hot Club of Cowtown all mention it from the stage. I think it's because we're all Methodists. . . or tapers.)
Re: KC area McCoury!
Junior wrote: In keeping with the booking traditions of that most beloved of KC venues, the McCoury band is scheduled right between Robin Trower and the Chippendale Dancers!!! Alright! And Larry replied: Why they'd want to play some nightclub in front of a bunch of drunk Kansans instead of a group of quiet, appreciative Iowans is beyond me. g Well, I suspect this'll be a quietly appreciated show, given that we'll be recovering from Robin Trower and pensively anticipating those Chippendales. And given your description of Iowans, Larry, I suspect Junior and Bill Silvers now think I must be a transplant from that fair state, given that I'm as prone to lurking in conversation as I am on this list, and MUCH LESS prone to drink! g But I'm doing much better now. Jack Copeland Shawnee, Kansas (and trying to figure if I can see Earle/McCoury in Olathe and then make the 45-min drive to Lawrence to catch Junior and Deke Mar. 30. It ain't impossible.) "I tried to sing rock for awhile. But when you have a hillbilly accent like mine, it's hard to sing 'Cold as Ice.' It takes too long to say 'cold.' " -- Danni Leigh in cable TV interview
Bluegrass At The Everson April 1 (No Kidding)
PSA For immediate release Date: March 16, 1999 Contact: Dan Ward at 315 435-8554 For artist interviews call: John Rossbach at 315 422-0718 BLUEGRASS FOLK MUSIC CONCERT AT EVERSON MUSEUM APRIL 1 (NO KIDDING) On APRIL 1, The EVERSON MUSEUM will present an evening of Bluegrass and traditional American folk music featuring four-time SAMMY award winning bluegrass ensemble, JOHN ROSSBACH CHESTNUT GROVE. A solo concert with guest artists will begin at 5:30 pm with the Eversons monthly First Thursdays After Hours open house featuring multi- instrumentalist John Rossbach and special friends performing in the Museums sculpture court. Admission is only $2.00 and food and drink will be available. Following the After Hours program, Rossbach and his full bluegrass ensemble, Chestnut Grove, will perform at 7:30 pm in the Museums Hosmer Auditorium. The show will feature Rounder and Alcazar Recording Artists John Rossbach, Lonesome Dave Kiphuth, and Doug Henrie with Perry Cleaveland and special guest fiddler extraordinaire Tom Hosmer. Cure those mid winter blues with the ring of the banjo, the mandolin, fiddle, and acoustic guitar along with glorious harmony singing and a hand clapping good time! The band concert will begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $8.00 for the concert but anyone who pays the $2.00 admission to the solo After Hours open house before 6:30 pm gets a free ticket to the evening concert. The Everson Museum is located at the intersection of State and Harrison Streets in downtown Syracuse. Parking is available.
Re: KC area McCoury!
At 02:53 PM 3/14/1999 Larry Slavens replied to Junior: KC folks, if you haven't seen it already, be aware that the McCoury / Earle show is coming to Roadhouse Ruby's in Olathe on Tuesday, March (Bill S and Jack C and I were talking about this last night at a great Big Sandy show here in town). Yeah, well, I hope you guys enjoy the show, as that date was originally penciled in for Des Moines at our beautiful old 1200 seat auditorium. Why they'd want to play some nightclub in front of a bunch of drunk Kansans instead of a group of quiet, appreciative Iowans is beyond me. g (Although I'm not kidding on the quiet part; so far this year I've heard Lucinda Williams, James McMurtry, and Hot Club of Cowtown all mention it from the stage. I think it's because we're all Methodists. . . or tapers.) As regards the Earle/McCoury show, be aware that Del N M's scheduled-for-months appearance at the Santa Fe Trails Bluegrass Festival on May 7th isn't showing up on Pollstar anymore, so this is apparently the only chance we're gonna get to see M for awhile. g The Freighthoppers are still scheduled all weekend though, and Ricky Skaggs is in town that Saturday as well, though not at the festival it appears. And as far as our meager KC upcoming shows calendar goes, Monday the 22nd Freedy Johnston is doing a show at the Grand Emporium. Sparklehorse and Varnaline play the Bottleneck April 6. Merle Haggard's playing Station Casino (anybody been to one of those casino shows? I don't know...) April 9. And I'd like to see Gene Watson at the Northtowne Opry on April 17th, but I'll be at the Fools Face!/Rainmakers AIDS Walk benefit show that night. And at Sebadoh's Bottleneck show, the night before. g b.s. n.p. Splitsville ULTRASONIC "The truth ain't always what we need, sometimes we need to hear a beautiful lie." -Bill Lloyd
Junior's FCC note wasn't a hoax...
... but it was vague and late. It took a while to find some confirmation of this -- http://www.wired.com/news/news/business/story/18420.html -- but I didn't want to say anything until I had it. Although I'm glad Dave posted CIAC's hoax page URL, and everyone should check it out before sending out that sort of thing, it's also good to make sure it *is* a hoax before labeling it one. Sermon over. np - WNUR's blues show seguing into Southbound Train Bob
Yin? Yang? Meet Twang
Just got back from Atlanta (a three and half hour drive) and The Mountain express, aka the Earle/McCoury extravaganza. I went in with high expectations -- they were exceeded. A large, appreciative crowd at the Variety Playhouse witnessed greatness Saturday night. There is combustion and (dare I say) synergy in the Steve Del pairing... However, the contrast took another form for me, for a while... Rather than a detailed review of this tremendous show, I'll simply shine a little light on a small dark spot.. Please visualize the great Mr. McCoury, his expressive and open face reflecting pleasant surpise at the sounds coming from his own voicebox and his band... ..and then listen as the great Mr. Earle -- onstage quiet and solo -- loses his (always tenuous) cool when a drunken fan begged for one song or another (I'm betting it was Copperhead Road, which was played with gusto later by the whole band). Would you shut the f#K up?! (another roaring request) Don't you know I could have you thrown outta here? (another shout from the lout) Man, do you even know I have a new record out? The guy shut up...or left...and to his credit Mr. Earle was his old pleasant self for the remainder of the show. Two very different voices (and temperaments). One great night of music. Tucker
Clip: Another interview with Jeff Tweedy
You'd think he was pimping a new CD or something... Q A With Wilco's Jeff Tweedy Aidin Vaziri Sunday, March 14, 1999 ©1999 San Francisco Chronicle URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/03/14/PK98714.DTL It's the morning after the Grammy Awards, and Jeff Tweedy, the soft-spoken front man for Wilco, is recovering in his Los Angeles hotel room. He is not exactly the type you would expect to find frequenting industry affairs; last night was the exception. Wilco was contending for the best contemporary folk album prize for its critically acclaimed collaboration with Billy Bragg on last year's ``Mermaid Avenue,'' an interpretation of lost Woody Guthrie songs. The prize went to Lucinda Williams, but Tweedy, 31, is still marveling at the recognition. As a former member of the acclaimed roots-rock band Uncle Tupelo, the singer-songwriter has been on the brink of success for so long he almost forgot the potential was still there. Wilco's latest album, ``Summer Teeth,'' a dark and emotional epic, may change all that. It is already being heralded in some circles as a clincher for album of the year. Q: Are you mad you didn't win the Grammy? A: No. We were pretty much expecting to lose. The thought crossed my mind that it would be pretty terrifying to make a speech. Whenever you're up for anything, part of you wants to win, but we pretty much knew from the moment the category was announced that Lucinda Williams was going to win. Q: Pretend that you did win and you're at the podium right now. Let's hear your speech. A: No, thanks. I escaped that -- why would you make me do it? Q: Just preparing you for next year when ``Summer Teeth'' sweeps. What prompted such a vulnerable record? A: I think lyrically, ``Being There'' was the same. Musically, we are very self-confident, but I don't know many people that maintain a self-assured mind-set all the time. They're just songs. I don't psychoanalyze them that much. Just because they're first-person doesn't mean there's any grand scheme behind them. I guess it takes a certain amount of self-assuredness to be vulnerable, but I don't know if that was the goal. Q: You illustrate a lot of your songs with violence. What would it take for you to become violent in real life? A: Probably someone in the service industry. Maybe if someone was trying to hurt my son? I don't know. I don't like to think about violence, but just because I don't think about it doesn't mean that it's not in me. I'm sure those lines are going to be misunderstood. You can't expect anything that you write to be read in the right way, but I don't think that should inhibit you. They're not really violent to me. They're more about passion. Q: Do you ever beat the other band members on the head with your guitar? A: Not on purpose. Actually, we get along pretty well. Q: Does this record accurately depict you as a downhearted person? A: Ideally, the record starts in one place and ends somewhere more hopeful. I don't think it has an overall mood. We just wanted to make a record that was interesting to listen to from song to song. Maybe something you could listen to in its entirety. As an overall feeling or mood to the record, I can't say. People either tell me it's happier or really sad. I think it's good that it's open-ended. Q: Is Wilco on the VH1 track of success, excess and tragedy? A: Well, we have to get to the first one first. Maybe we did it the other way around. I don't know. I barely know what you're talking about. Q: Are you going to freak out if this album becomes successful? A: The potential is always there. Every time you put out a record you have some high hopes that it will do good, not necessarily sales-wise, but that it will be received well. It's a pretty vague thing. I'm not any more apprehensive about success than I would be failure. I don't know exactly what would define it for me. I feel satisfied creatively. As long I have an outlet for creativity and to make records, that's about all I could hope for. If it became some huge record, then that's just what I'll have to deal with. That's just the next challenge. Maybe I've been in training. I've had the experience. The carrot has been dangled in front of my face for a long time, not just with Wilco but Uncle Tupelo. I'm used to it being there, and I'm used to it disappearing. Q: Are people still mad Uncle Tupelo broke up? A: I don't know if they're mad. A lot of people ask if we're going to get back together or if I'm still in contact with Jay Farrar. I'll say this, though. It's a lot easier to deal with now than it was five years ago. Q: Do you fall asleep when you listen to your former band mate's new group, Son Volt? A: Only at their shows. Q: Who do you think gets more girls? A: That is the important question, and I don't really know. I'd have to say that we do. We're a lot cuter and that's all that matters. Let's
Re: Clip: Another interview with Jeff Tweedy
I LOVE that! Thank you so much for posting it. . . np. Southern Line, different but equal
