The B-Side

Review: 'Bob Dylan Revisited'

Alex Biese — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:23:09 GMT

Graphic interpretations of Bob Dylan songs: it's one of those concepts that seems so obvious, so on-point, that the most shocking aspect of it is that it's taken this long for someone to actually go ahead and do it.

After all, similar volumes have already been released for acts such as the Beatles and Tori Amos, so it was only a matter of time before the work of the man often referred to as "the poet laureate of rock 'n' roll'' got the pen and ink treatment.

Well, wait and wonder no longer -- this week sees the release of "Bob Dylan Revisited,'' which features the work of 13 different artists from around the world assigned with the task of setting images to Dylan's words.

As a storyteller, Dylan's gifts lend themselves to both the vividly real and the sublimely surreal, and in "Revisited'' both of these sides of the writer's style are explored to mixed but generally favorable results.

For many readers, the centerpiece of this collection will be English artist Dave McKean's epic rendering of the Dylan classic "Desolation Row,'' a song which first appeared on Dylan's 1965 album "Highway 61 Revisited.''

McKean, known to some readers for his spellbinding work on the covers for Neil Gaiman's "Sandman'' series, draws on his full bag of stylistic tricks for "Desolation Row,'' creating something that, like the original song, is both nightmarish and heartbreaking on a nearly subconscious level.

Great pleasure can also be found in a pair of the more intimate works in "Revisited'' -- Francois Avril's take on the 1963 gem "Girl from the North Country'' and Jean-Claude Gotting's interpretation of 1969's "Lay, Lady Lay.'' Neither of these works last very long ("Lay, Lady, Lay'' clocks in at just two drawn pages) but both capture the timeless romanticism inherent in so much of Dylan's work.

It should be noted, however, that there are a few creative misfires contained in "Revisited.'' For his take on 1965's "Tombstone Blues,'' Bezian takes a song that is packed to the gills with lyrical imagery and discards all of it in favor of his own impenetrable narrative. Jean-Philippe Bramanti's rendering of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door'' is fine on its own, but the song, unfortunately, already has the perfect images for its haunting words: the sequence in Sam Peckinpah's 1973 film "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' that it was written for.

However, the fact that Dylan himself and Sony Records have authorized this collection gives the impression that there is at least an air of emotional truth to each of the works in this collection, a volume which barely scratches the surface of what Dylan's songbook has to offer.

With hundreds of songs to Dylan's name, a second volume of "Revisited'' seems logical. Here's hoping the wait isn't too long.

"Bob Dylan Revisited," by Alfred, Francois Avril, Bezian, Jean-Philippe Bramanti, Christopher, Benjamin Flao, Jean-Claude Gotting, Mael Le Mae, Raphaelle Le Rio, Lorenzo Mattotti, Dave McKean, Henri Meunier, Thierry Murat, Nicolas Nemiri, Gradimir Smudja and Zep, published by W.W. Norton and Company, $24.95.

Review: The Cranberries at the Count Basie Theatre

Alex Biese — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:44:01 GMT

"I think that in the palm of your hand you can hold three or four people who really, really carried you to where you are today," Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan told the adoring crowd at Red Bank's Count Basie Theatre as a way of introducing "The Journey," one of the final songs of the band's Monday night (Nov. 16) performance.

Taking in O'Riordan's words, and seeing her on stage with the Cranberries as part of the band's first tour in nearly seven years, it was hard not to think of the journey these musicians have taken since forming as teenagers in Limerick, Ireland nearly 20 years ago.

The band's legacy was on full display on Monday night, with songs pulled from across their career and even a few, such as "The Journey," taken from the pair of solo albums O'Riordan released since the band went on hiatus in 2003.

When O'Riordan left the stage three songs in to walk through the crowd and give the early hit "Linger" a joyous, communal vibe, it was easy to feel worried that the show was peaking a bit too soon. However, the band had a large catalogue of hits to call on for the remainder of the 90-minute show, including "Zombie," "Dreams" and "Salvation," that left the crowd on its feet and singing along for much of the night.

Looking like she could have walked right off of the covers of one of the band's classic ‘90s albums, O'Riordan spent much of the night prancing, hopping and skipping around the Basie's stage, except on the numbers where she strapped on her guitar, such as the still-lovely number "Free to Decide."

And what about O'Riordan's one of a kind voice? As anyone who's heard her latest solo album, this year's "No Baggage," can tell you, it's still pretty much intact. For all of the showmanship she exhibits on stage, O'Riordan still maintains a remarkable amount of control over her wildly dynamic voice.

However, due respect must also be paid to O'Riordan's fellow Cranberries -- this is, after all, a reunion tour. The rest of the band, including brothers Noel and Mike Hogan on guitar and bass, respectively, and Fergal Lawler on drums, made its presence felt with playing that was crisp but understated, never taking the focus off of O'Riordan and always delivering the goods on these fan-favorite tunes.

The audience's enthusiastic response to the show, which saw fans breaking out into applause mid-song, rushing to touch O'Riordan and one fan even handing her a flower necklace at the start of the band's set, proved that fans' love of the Cranberries doesn't just linger on, it thrives. Hopefully it won't be another seven years before they come back this way again.

Opening the show with a solo acoustic set was engaging and endearing Ohio native Griffin House. Sporting an Americanized Damien Rice sound and a bit of a countrified Jeff Buckley look, House delivered folksy originals and a cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" during his 40-minute set.

Here's the Cranberries' Monday night set list:

1. "How"
2. "Animal Instinct"
3. "Linger"
4. "Ordinary Day"
5. "Wanted"
6. "Just My Imagination"
7. "Dreaming my Dreams"
8. "When You're Gone"
9. "Daffodil Lament"
10. "I Can't Be With You"
11. "Ode to my Family"
12. "Free to Decide"
13. "Waltzing Back"
14. "Switch Off the Moment"
15. "Salvation"
16. "Ridiculous Thoughts"
17. "Zombie"

Encore:
18. "Lunatic"
19. "Empty"
20. "The Journey"
21. "Dreams"

Head on down to 'Dirty Country'

Alex Biese — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:40:24 GMT

Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett know a great find when they see one.

As the hosts and curators of the Found Footage Festival, Prueher and Pickett have toured from coast to coast and on both sides of the Atlantic for the past five years screening the oddest and most unintentionally hilarious public access shows, local commercials, exercise tapes and home movies that they can find.

And, as it turns out, it was also a chance find on the road that eventually inspired the duo to direct the documentary "Dirty Country," which was released last week on DVD.

"17 years ago, we were on a road trip, and we were looking to entertain ourselves, keep ourselves awake while driving and we stopped in at a truck stop and found a cassette in all the truck stop comedy rack, and the cassette was called ‘Songs for Studs' and it was like X-rated country songs and we were like, ‘Oh, this is going to be worth a listen,'" Prueher recalled in a recent conversation with Metromix Jersey Shore.

"So, we popped it in and we just could not believe our ears. I mean, it far surpassed anything we had expected. It was well-written, original country songs, but just with the filthiest lyrics you could possibly imagine, all sung with a straight face, no winking or anything like that and we were just like, ‘Who is this guy?'"

The guy, it turned out, was Larry Pierce, an aspiring country singer-songwriter from Middletown, Indiana who has released more than a dozen raunchy country albums to date, including "Dirty Old Man," "Horny Hits" and "I Want to Be a Pimp."

According to Prueher, he and Pickett were hooked on Pierce after hearing "Songs for Studs," an album which featured songs such as "Girlie Magazines" and "The Sheriff Wore a Dress."

"Every subsequent road trip, we'd stop by a truck stop looking for the new tape by this guy, Larry Pierce, and over the years we just found he had a dozen albums, had written hundreds of dirty country songs, and finally five years ago we just decided to track him down and see if there was a story there.

"We found out that he was this factory worker who lived in small-town Indiana, worked the third shift, married with kids and then would write these filthy songs on the side and had never played them in public before. And then, all of this stuff started happening to him, he was being forced into early retirement, he didn't know what he was going to do for money, he found out that there's a touring band that had been playing his songs as covers for years and wanted to be his back-up band."

Recognizing a great story when they saw one, Prueher and Pickett both quit their day jobs and followed Pierce for the next four years, eventually resulting in "Dirty Country," which was released in 2007.

"His story turned out to be far more interesting than we ever thought it would be," Prueher said.

To read my interview with Prueher in advance of the Found Footage Festival's show on Saturday night (Nov. 14) at the Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, click here.

For more information on "Dirty Country" and to view the film's trailer, visit the film's official Web site.

Steve Conte to release 'the Crazy Truth'

Alex Biese — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:41:05 GMT

2009 has been a good year for Steve Conte fans.

This May the Matawan native, along with his fellow New York Dolls, released the powerhouse Todd Rundgren-produced album "‘Cause I Sez So," Conte's second studio album with the band and the band's fourth studio LP overall.

Conte's solid year on record continues this month with Tuesday's release of the self-titled debut album by his down and dirty power trio, Steve Conte and the Crazy Truth, on Varese Vintage Records. And as someone who's had the opportunity to give this disc a spin, I can tell you first-hand that it is simply a great album.

Local Conte fans who remember his days crafting solid pop-rock with brother John Conte (currently holding down bass duties with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes) in the Crown Jewels and the Contes will be happy to hear that Steve's ability to craft catchy, honest tunes hasn't withered at all, while folks who discovered Conte through his work with the Dolls will be more than satisfied with the albums gritty, rough-around-the-edges feel.

The band recently shot a video for the rock-solid cut "Gypsy Cab" and deep tracks like "Texas T" and "Busload of Hope" speak to these uneasy times we find ourselves in, but for my money the standout track on the album has to be "The Truth Ain't Pretty," a song that, in a perfect world, would be an inescapable hit single.

And trust me, I'm not the only one out there digging this album. Grammy-winning producer Steve Lillywhite, who has worked with artists such as U2, the Rolling Stones and the Smiths, had this to say: "There is very little genuine rock and roll out there at the moment but Steve Conte has hit the nail on the head with this one."

You'll get a chance to help Conte and the Crazy Truth celebrate the release of their debut at a few events this fall. At 7 p.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 20), Conte will hold an in-store performance and signing at Vintage Vinyl in the Fords section of Woodbridge, and at 8 p.m. on Nov. 11, Conte and the band will be holding a record release party at Bowery Electric, 327 Bowery, New York City.

For more information on Steve Conte and the Crazy Truth, check out the band's MySpace page. Also, be sure to check out my Q&A with Conte from last year here.

When Candi met Mandee

Alex Biese — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:41:09 GMT

Hip-pop, that incredibly danceable grey area where pop music and hip-hop meet in the form of radio-friendly artists such as Fergie, early Pink and Gwen Stefani, now has an act the Jersey Shore can call its own: Candi Lynn.

The Manahawkin native, who recently released the debut album "ILLMissBehavin" on the Ill Miss Musick label she co-owns with her mother/manager, will be showing her hometown some love this weekend when she performs at 3 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 17) at Mandee, located at 733 Rt. 72 East.

According to a news release, the 21-year-old Ocean County native will use Saturday's CD release show as the kick-off of a national mall tour that is expected to include of Mandee retail stores in support of "ILLMissBehavin."

Produced by Chris "The Hitman" Conway, an Album of the Year Grammy nominee for his work on Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP" (2000), Candi Lynn's debut album combines party tunes, slow jams and political statements.

"I draw inspiration from everything," the singer told the Courier Post this fall. "It just depends on where I am that day or what I might be thinking about.

"I think a lot of people's inspiration is drawn from many of the same things: love, beauty, hate, war, heartbreak, self impurities, growth, family and upbringing. So if you think about it, inspiration really does come from everything. It just depends on where you are in life for that moment."

For more information on Candi Lynn, visit her official Web site.

Vampire Weekend drop 'Horchata'

Alex Biese — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:09:17 GMT

If you're anything like me, you've probably come close to wearing out your copy of Vampire Weekend's 2008 self-titled debut. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the band's combination of "Graceland"-era Paul Simon and New York indie rock worked like gangbusters.

For those of us no longer content with the 11 tracks contained on the band's debut, this week brought a little light on the horizon in the form of "Horchata." Currently streaming and available for free download on the band's Web site, the track is off of the band's upcoming sophomore LP, "Contra," which is set to be released on Jan. 12, 2010 in the U.S., one day after it hits shelves in the U.K.

So, how is the song? Basically, it sounds like Vampire Weekend, only bigger. The sweetly melodic vocals from lead singer and New Jersey native Ezra Koenig and the Afro-pop-influenced polyrhythms remain intact, and they're joined on the three-and-a-half-minute track by a choir of multi-tracked backing vocals, marimba and a string section.

And while it is easier to groove to Vampire Weekend's bouncy sounds in warmer months, the lyrics of "Horchata" come tailored for the days of coats and mittens, with lines such as "winter's cold is 2 much 2 handle" (as written in the lyrics sheet accompanying the song download) and the opening lyric of "In December, drinking Horchata, I'd look psychotic in a balaclava." (Horchata, by the way, is a milky traditional beverage popular in Latin America, while balaclava is a type of head-covering also known as a ski mask.)

All in all, it's a cool, concise and fun track that seems to expand on a lot of what folks liked about Vampire Weekend the first time around. Consider the level of my anticipation for "Contra" raised.

Anvil brings the metal to Vintage Vinyl

Alex Biese — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:44:31 GMT

There are few bands so hard-rocking that they need two days for an in-store event. But then again, Anvil doesn't have a whole lot in common with most bands.

The hard-driving Canadian metal outfit will be celebrated with two days of events at north Jersey music mecca Vintage Vinyl, located on Lafayette Road in the Fords section of Woodbridge.

For anyone not in the know, Anvil have been pounding out the jams since their 1981 debut album, "Hard and Heavy," and spent the 80s rocking crowds around the world and sharing the stage with the likes of Bon Jovi, Motorhead, Scorpions and Whitesnake.

However, for years it seemed like the band would be relegated to the back pages of heavy metal lore until earlier this year, when writer, director and Anvil fan Sacha Gervasi brought the world "Anvil! The Story of Anvil," a documentary chronicling the trials and tribulations of the band's long-suffering members, lead singer Lips and drummer Robb Reiner (insert "This is Spinal Tap" joke here.)

"What a sad, funny, inspiring story," Metromix movie critic Matt Pais wrote in his review of the film. "Even those who hate metal may appreciate the form when seeing these guys' commitment to each other and to the music, and the supportive families who understand how important it is to Lips and Reiner. ... The movie rivals ‘The Wrestler' in its look at middle-aged dignity, dreams and disappointments."

For anyone who didn't catch "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" in theaters, Vintage Vinyl will be screening the movie for free at 7 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 25).

The band themselves will be in the house on Sunday (Sept. 27) for an in-store performance and signing at 2 p.m. Fans who pre-order Anvil's newest album, the recently re-released "This is Thirteen," on the Vintage Vinyl Web site will get a wristband for entrance to the performance. With the wristband, Anvil fans can also pre-order "Anvil!" on DVD. For more information, visit Vintage Vinyl's official Web site.

Oswalt and Siegel talk 'Big Fan' soundtrack

Alex Biese — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:24:19 GMT

The last time a film scripted by Robert Siegel hit the big screen, it came complete with a crowd-pleasing and critic-friendly soundtrack packed with monster hits and a Golden Globe-winning original song. (The movie was "The Wrestler," the hits included "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot and "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses and the awards bait was Bruce Springsteen's "The Wrestler.")

So, it should come as no surprise that "Big Fan," the next Siegel-scripted work which also marks his directorial debut, also boasts a soundtrack music fans are sure to dig.

For a drama focused on New York Giants superfan Paul Aufiero (played by comedian and actor Patton Oswalt) who is known on local sports talk radio as "Paul from Staten Island," it's fitting that one of the driving voices on the soundtrack is the Bronx's own Dion DiMucci. The former of the leader of the Belmonts chimes in with a pair of haunting, hard-hitting and mood-setting oldies, "Two-Ton Feather" and "Daddy Rollin' in Your Arms."

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk "Big Fan" with Oswalt and Siegel, and at one point the discussion turned to talk of the film's soundtrack. (For more from that conversation, click here.) Since "Big Fan" clearly draws inspiration from the gritty character-driven dramas of the early-70s, it seemed appropriate that both the star and the director were quick to bring up the work of east coast auteur Martin Scorsese when discussing great soundtracks.

"The music was all (Siegel's) decision, and because the music itself was such a completely written vision, I didn't know all the music but I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he knows what he's doing and I think it's one of those soundtracks like ‘Drugstore Cowboy' or ‘Goodfellas' that is so perfect, it just perfectly tells the story of the movie underneath what is going on," Oswalt said.

"Right off the top, I knew I couldn't get ‘Bad to the Bone' and ‘Born to be Wild,' because I couldn't afford those," Siegel explained. "But also, I love really perfectly-chosen gem lost classic kind of thing in a movie, where you just get tingles down your spine when you hear (it)." Siegel then asked Oswalt, "Like, is it ‘Goodfellas' where they have ‘Atlantis' by Donovan?"

"Or (in ‘Goodfellas') when they're pulling in on (Robert) DeNiro and they start the guitar from ‘Sunshine of Your Love' when he gets the idea to start killing everybody," Oswalt added.

"If you watch stuff like ‘Repo Man' and ‘Dazed and Confused' and ‘Drugstore Cowboy,' they just use pop songs but they use them orchestrally, and I know that sounds really pretentious but they are these moments that actually deepen what we know about the characters," Oswalt said.

Other standout tunes to be heard in the film include John Prine's rock-country stomper "Sweet Revenge," Velvet Underground co-founder John Cale's "Big White Cloud" and "Bad Trails" by indie rockers Battles.

"As a music fan and a movie fan," Siegel said, "when those two come together it's just magic when you get that."

Big Fan opens Friday (Aug. 28) in New York and Philadelphia.

Update: Counting Crows show at the Basie postponed

Alex Biese — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:38:37 GMT

Bad news for anyone planning on heading to Red Bank tonight (Aug. 26) to check out the Counting Crows at the historic Count Basie Theatre: tonight's show, a fundraiser to benefit the completion of the Basie's restoration, has been postponed until next Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 8 p.m.

All tickets for tonight's show, which had to be postponed due to illness on the part of Counting Crows frontman Adm Duritz, will be honored next week. While scheduled support act Augustana will still be on hand to kick off the proceedings, tonight's other scheduled act, Michael Franti and Spearhead, are unable to reschedule, according to a news release sent out this afternoon.

According to the release, ticket holders with questions should contact the Basie's box office at (732) 842-9000, or e-mail info@countbasietheatre.org.

Here's what I had to say earlier this week about this show on The B-Side:

The band will be bringing its current trek with Michael Franti and Spearhead and Augustana -- dubbed the Saturday Night Rebel Rockers Traveling Circus and Medicine Show -- to town on Wednesday (Aug. 26) for a special benefit to help raise funds for the completion of the Basie's restoration.

And, rather than taking on the standard "support act followed by support act followed by headliner" format that most shows adopt, the Rebel Rockers tour is looking to bring more of a Midnight Ramble or county fair vibe to the historic theater. Crows frontman Adam Duritz explained the format of the tour in a note posted on the Basie's Web site:

Dear Everyone-Who-Happens-To-Read-This,

I know you're all used to showing up at 8:30 or 9PM for concerts that started at 7. It's understandable. You're there to see YOUR band and you're showing up when you think they're gonna play, right? Well, starting on Thursday July 16th at Marymoor Amphitheatre in Redmond, Washington, that's all going to change.

Ladies and Gentlemen, at 7:15PM, when the curtain goes up on The Saturday Night Rebel Rockers Traveling Circus & Medicine Show, Augustana AND Counting Crows are all going to be walking out onstage together and that show is going to start with EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US onstage singing and playing our brains out. We'll do a few songs together and then it may be Counting Crows that plays the first set alone. I don't know exactly how the shows going to run every night. It'll definitely be different a few days later in Friant, CA when Michael Franti & Spearhead join up. It'll probably be different every night. The only thing I know for sure is that EVERY show on this tour is going to start with EVERYONE onstage together and we're going to all be running on & off stage all night playing on each others songs and playing songs all together and basically just playing whenever we feel like playing. So you get my point, right?

GET HERE ON TIME!

Cuz when the curtain rises...THE CIRCUS BEGINS

ad

Well, there you have it. Arrive on time and help out a great cause. More information on the show, as well as tickets for the event, can be found on the Basie's Web site.

Counting Crows bringing tour to Red Bank

Alex Biese — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:33:12 GMT

When Berkeley, California-bred radio rockers Counting Crows headed through Jersey last year, they headlined the reopening of the historic Wellmont Theatre in Montclair. (To check out our photos from that show, click here.) This year, Adam Duritz and company are back in the Garden State and they're paying tribute to another classic Jersey venue: the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank.

The band will be bringing its current trek with Michael Franti and Spearhead and Augustana -- dubbed the Saturday Night Rebel Rockers Traveling Circus and Medicine Show -- to town on Wednesday (Aug. 26) for a special benefit to help raise funds for the completion of the Basie's restoration.

And, rather than taking on the standard "support act followed by support act followed by headliner" format that most shows adopt, the Rebel Rockers tour is looking to bring more of a Midnight Ramble or county fair vibe to the historic theater. Crows frontman Adam Duritz explained the format of the tour in a note posted on the Basie's Web site:

Dear Everyone-Who-Happens-To-Read-This,

Review: Tori Amos at the Count Basie Theatre

Alex Biese — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:12:57 GMT

"There are some, some who give blood; I give love." So go the lyrics to "Give," the first number performed by fiery-haired songstress Tori Amos during her Friday night show (Aug. 14) at Red Bank's historic Count Basie Theatre. ("Give" is also the lead-off track on her latest album, this year's "Abnormally Attracted to Sin.")

And, true to her word, Amos provided the adoring crowd with plenty of love, which they in turn reciprocated, over the course of her bewitching two-hour set.

It's been 17 years since Amos released her solo debut, 1992's "Little Earthquakes," and in that time countless piano-pop songstresses have cropped up in her wake (for examples see the Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer, Fiona Apple, Vienna Teng and many, many more). And while each of the post-Amos artists surely has their merits, Friday night's show proved once again that there is, after all, only one Tori.

Taking the stage to an eruption of adulation in epic high heels and a black and yellow dress that looked like something Uma Thurman's "Kill Bill" character the Bride would wear if she decided to go to a ball, Amos had full command of the jam-packed crowd at the Basie before she even played or sang a single note.

With an elaborate and mood-setting lighting scheme that most likely worked just as well the night before when the tour stopped at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Amos' show looked just about as good as it sounded. This attention to visual detail also carried over to Amos' playing: for the evening, she was flanked by the ivories with a grand piano on one side of her and a keyboard rig on the other, meaning that as she switched from one to the other, or played both simultaneously, everyone in the grand theater was treated to a fine view of the artist at work.

While her current trek is dubbed the Sinful Attraction Tour, and Amos certainly performed a number of tracks off of her latest strong LP, over the course of the evening she touched on practically every corner of nearly 20-year solo career, leading to highlights such as a haunting delivery of "Pandora's Aquarium" off of "From the Choirgirl Hotel" (1998), a crowd-pleasing run through "Cornflake Girl" from 1994's "Under the Pink" and the positively jubilant live debut of "Not Dying Today" off of "Abnormally Attracted to Sin."

Those in attendance on Friday night included younger couples, baby boomers, hipsters, tattooed young ladies and more than a few folks wearing "Sandman" t-shirts -- for those who are not in the know, "Sandman" author Neil Gaiman is a long-time friend of Amos who often finds himself name-checked in her work. Such is the standard of devotion adhered to by Amos fans that even when Amos decides to tip her hat to the past -- such as by closing the evening with "Take to the Sky," a song released as a B-side to the 1992 hit single "Winter" -- the crowd was more than willing to go along for the ride.

(While we're on the subject of fans, I have a quick word of advice for any guys thinking about singing along at an Amos show: don't. Few things kill a vibe faster than someone who tries to prove he knows the words to every song by singing along at a louder volume than the act on stage.)

This February, piano pop balladeer Rufus Wainwright delivered a powerful and stripped-down solo performance at the Baise, and about midway through Friday night's performance I began wishing for a similar tour from Amos in the future.

Sure, her two-piece backing band added great backbone to her work and never over-played. But, when they left the stage for Amos to deliver tender performances of "Taxi Ride" from 2002's "Scarlet's Walk" and the Carly Simon cover "Boys in the Trees," the show was transformed into something much more intimate and revealing.

For my money, the high-water mark of the show came early on, when Amos followed a hushed take on "Horses" from "Boys for Pele" (1996) with a thoroughly blissed-out performance of "Glory of the ‘80s" off of "To Venus and Back" (1999). While the two numbers seem to come from very different places and a lesser performer wouldn't have been able to deliver them back-to-back, Amos knocked both numbers out of the theater, and the songs were two great moments in an evening full of them.

Kicking off the proceedings on Friday night was UK-based alt-art rock combo One eskimO. The band's atmospheric sounds worked very well in a theater setting, and the crowd responded warmly to their half hour-long set of alternative, high-minded pop. All in all, their work exhibited the type of atmospheric but accessible sound that could earn them plenty of fans on both sides of the Atlantic.

Here's Tori Amos' set list from Friday night:

1. "Give"
2. "Beauty of Speed"
3. "Cornflake Girl"
4. "Horses"
5. "Glory of the ‘80s"
6. "Pandora's Aquarium"
7. "Siren"
8. "Tear in Your Hand"
9. "Hotel"
10. "Doughnut Song"
11. "Taxi Ride"
12. "Boys in the Trees"
13. "Josephine"
14. "Not Dying Today"
15. "Bliss"
16. "Fast Horses"
17. "Precious Things"
18. "Strong Black Vine"

Encore:
19. "Big Wheel"
20. "Take to the Sky"

Status Green's summer of fun

Alex Biese — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:51:30 GMT

This summer, it looks like all systems are go for Status Green.

After a summer filled with what would have been career highlights for many up-and-coming acts, the Monmouth County-based pop-rockers' lucky streak will continue on Sunday when they take the main stage at the PNC Bank Arts Center, supporting the recently-reunited Creed.

"The Arts Center is actually the first place I've ever seen a concert; it was the Beach Boys in 1990," Status Green frontman and Howell native Lou Montesano told Metromix Jersey Shore in an e-mailed statement.

According to Montesano, the band submitted for the chance to play the show through the promotional Web site Sonicbids and were notified earlier this week they were the lucky band selected to open the show. Also appearing on the bill on Sunday night will be Canadian outfit Like a Storm.

Status Green's summer of fun has also included performances at the Vans Warped Tour, including the trek's July 19 stop at the Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, as well as an appearance on the main stage at the Florida Music Festival in downtown Orlando this past May. The band also scored a trio of performances on the side stage at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY, including Nickelback's July 15 gig and both Blink 182 dates, Aug. 9 and 25.

Hopefully, all of the momentum the band is gaining this summer will carry over to the fall: they're currently at work on their third LP, which is set to be released Oct. 31.

To check out my interview with Montesano from last summer, click here. For more information on Status Green, visit their MySpace page.

Review: All Points West 2009, day one

Alex Biese — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:09:25 GMT

Oh what a day.

Whether your musical poison of choice is hip-hop, indie rock, roots music, or something else entirely, it was all available for the listening for any tri-state area music fans willing to make the trek to Jersey City's Liberty State Park for the second annual All Points West Musical Festival, which ran from Friday (July 31) through Sunday (Aug. 2).

For my part, I was among the rain-soaked thousands who attending the festival's opening day, which was headlined by rap music titan Jay Z, and also featured performances by Jersey-connected acts Vampire Weekend and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, as well as Fleet Foxes, the Knux, Heartless Bastards, Seasick Steve and more.

But, before I get to the music -- and there was plenty of it to go around -- I'd like to take a second to voice my opinion on the logistics of the event.

Maybe I've been spoiled by spending a piece of my last three summers at the incredibly efficient and ridiculously fun Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival held annually in Manchester, Tenn., but from where I was standing on Friday, All Points West did not appear to be the most tightly-run ship in the increasingly crowded seas of the American festival scene.

There were little things about All Points West that could certainly be improved. Although this may not have been the case, many of the fenced-in portable toilets often appeared like they could only be accessed through the beer gardens, beer could only consumed in certain designated areas and the whole layout of the festival didn't seem to have a very strong flow to it.

These issues, combined with the relative lack of access to the festival site -- for my round trip, I employed the services of six train rides, three bus rides and what felt like a few miles of walking -- make me think that while bringing a festival of this size to the Garden State is certainly a worthy idea, Liberty State Park may not be the best of locations.

And while having the main stage face the Manhattan skyline provided a good bit of scenery, the biggest benefit of the festival's location was almost subconscious. Sitting in the shadow of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, a place where over the years millions of people came from countries around the world to start new lives in America, it felt fitting that performers from genres across the board had come together to entertain the teeming masses.

Kicking off the live proceedings early Friday afternoon were rootsy, Ohio-based garage rockers Heartless Bastards. Their daytime-friendly sound, which was reminiscent of Drive-By Truckers, showed early on that while there was cause to complain about the festival from a logistical standpoint, one factor All Points West had covered was good music.

After seeing a good portion of Heartless Bastards on APW's second stage, named the Bullet stage, I headed over to the main stage, code name Blue Comet, for the tail end of the performance by the Knux, a crowd-pleasing hip-hop outfit that utilized a live band and rock elements in a way that should surely appeal to fans of the Roots and make the Knux a festival staple in the near future.

After the Knux on the Blue Comet stage was one-man blues wrecking crew Seasick Steve. Really, the best words I can think of to describe this performer are "hot damn." He's been met in recent years with plenty of acclaim across the pond and has worked in the studio with everyone from Nick Cave to Modest Mouse. But, even if most of the folks who caught his midday set at All Points West had never heard of him before, they certainly left that performance as fans. A hard-livin', whiskey-drinkin', three-string guitar-pickin' force of nature, Seasick Steve, for my money, was Friday's must-see act.

Following Seasick Steve on the main stage, and setting up just as ominous storm clouds began to creep through the early-afternoon skies, were indie folk darlings Fleet Foxes. Now, I've never been shy about the fact that the band's debut album from last year did absolutely nothing for me. Live, however, it was a different story. Maybe it was the fact that there were two electric guitars and a drum kit employed, or the element of the impending storm, but I felt that the band rose to the occasion and delivered a dynamic and powerful set, albeit one which was greeted halfway through by a downpour.

Fortunately, the clouds opened up just long enough on Friday afternoon for Syracuse, New York-based indie rock ensemble Ra Ra Riot to take the second stage. For those unfamiliar with the band, their sound is similar to that of occasional touring partners Vampire Weekend, with the added bonus of a two-piece string section which brought an interesting extra level to the band's sound.

Speaking of Vampire Weekend, they brought their sunny, "Graceland"-era Paul Simon-like sounds to the main stage, and despite thunder, lightning and heavy rains, the crowd seemed reinvigorated by the band's winning performance.

The last time I caught Vampire Weekend live, at Bonnaroo 2008, my principle complaint was that the music sounded a bit too stiff; a year later, the same songs sound road-tested, lived-in and filled out. I've never tired of the band's debut LP from last year, and hearing tunes like "Mansard Roof" and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" live reinforced my appreciation of them. A highlight of the day was lead singer and New Jersey native Ezra Koenig name-checking his home state on "Walcott." The band also showcased a couple of new tunes, showing great potential for their upcoming sophomore album.

Keeping the Garden State theme going, north Jersey native Karen O and Yeah Yeah Yeahs were up next on the main stage. The trio -- which expands to a quartet for live shows these days -- are on the road in support of their latest album, this year's synth-heavy "It's Blitz!" but their killer 60-minute set drew on material from each of their three studio LPs, including the savage "Fever to Tell" (2003) and the acoustic-leaning "Show Your Bones" (2006).

While Karen O is indeed a wonder of a live performer, combining raw energy with a flair for the theatrical, the key to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs has always been the band's material, and their song selection on Friday was top-notch. High points included "It's Blitz!" cuts "Zero" and "Skeletons," as well as older gems such as "Cheated Hearts," "Turn Into" and "Date With the Night."

However, it was likely that the act many in attendance Friday night were the most curios about was Jay Z, and with good reason. The show was promoted as Jay Z's first American festival date, and the performance itself was only announced less than 10 days before the event due to the Beastie Boys being forced to bow out of the slot due to Adam "MCA" Yauch's diagnosis of throat cancer.

From the start of his bombastic set, Jay Z seemed determined to silence anyone who doubted whether or not he could pull it off. Backed by a tight and heavy backing band, Jay Z kicked off the proceedings with a reverent cover of the Beastie Boys' classic "No Sleep Til Brooklyn" and spent the bulk of his set plowing through guitar-heavy renditions of cuts such as "99 Problems" and "Can I Live" as well as a sampling of the massive amount of radio hits he's had over the years, including "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," "Big Pimpin'" and "Hard Rock Life (Ghetto Anthem)."

The emotional high-water mark of the set, and possibly of the entire day, came during Jay Z's performance of "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," a song based on a sample of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back." After the MC and his band completed their part of the song, there was total silence except for one thing -- the solo vocal track of young Michael Jackson, his voice ringing out like it had when the track was recorded 40 years ago. When it came time for the chorus, the live band kicked back in to finish the song off, and Jay Z referred to Jackson as "the greatest entertainer of all time."

"If you take one thing from this concert, remember this," he told the crowd. "We don't mourn death; we celebrate life."

Tori Amos heading to the Basie

Alex Biese — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:50:30 GMT

One of pop's greatest redheads is coming to Red Bank.

Piano-playing songstress Tori Amos will be bringing her Sinful Attraction Tour through New Jersey with a stop at Red Bank's historic Count Basie Theatre on Friday, Aug. 14.

After fracturing herself into five separate musical personalities for her knockout 2007 concept album "American Doll Posse," Amos has pulled herself together for her latest album, this year's "Abnormally Attracted to Sin."

Amos' 10^th studio album, "Abnormally Attracted to Sin" ably exhibits all of the elements which have endeared Amos to her devout fans for more than 15 years: the melancholy balladry of "Maybe California," the overt sensuality of "Strong Black Vine" and "Give," the arresting orchestration of "Welcome to England" and her signature tinkling of the ivories exhibited throughout.

Produced by Amos, "Abnormally Attracted to Sin" is nothing if not powerful, and in a recent interview with the Associated Press Amos said the concert of power itself plays an important role in the record.

"Power is kind of a central component for this record," she said. "How do we define it? And then how does our idea of what is a powerful man? I've been exploring that for years. But if we associate it with money and success, our world has turned upside down, and then a lot of people right now are not feeling very successful. But if you change the definition of what is power, somebody that is able to create even under adversity - then when I say create I don't mean write songs necessarily; I'm talking about a creative spirit - then power starts to redefine itself."

Theatrically-minded folks may also recognize the fact that the title of Amos' latest album was borrowed from the classic musical "Guys and Dolls." Amos, who grew up a minister's daughter, explained that reference in her conversation with the Associated Press.

"Musical theater has entered my life because I'm working on something called ‘The Light Princess' and have been for a while. . . . So I just happened to be watching a lot of musicals, and ‘Guys and Dolls' was something that was on replay. So when I heard (key character) Sarah Brown, someone else who has been influenced by religion . . . say, ‘abnormally attracted to sin,' I know that very well. And that became the title of then project."

Since releasing her debut album, "Little Earthquakes," in 1992, Amos has sold more than 12 million albums and has been nominated for 10 Grammy Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards. She will be joined at the Count Basie Theatre by London-based indie quartet One eskimO.

MGMT turn back 'Time'

Alex Biese — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:13:03 GMT

The super-cool disco hippies in MGMT are taking a dip back into their vaults with the re-mastered rerelease this week of their sophomore EP, 2005's "Time to Pretend," on Cantora Records.

For folks such have myself who have all but worn out their copies of the band's latest LP, 2007's triumphant "Oracular Spectacular," the "Time to Pretend" rerelease should make the wait for the band's next full-length effort a little easier.

Co-produced by David Perlick Molinari of French Horn Rebellion, the six-track "Time to Pretend" EP contains primal early takes on a pair of the band's most popular numbers, the title track and "Kids" -- both of which later appeared on "Oracular Spectacular."

In celebration of this release, Cantora is giving fans a free listen to one of the cuts exclusively available on the EP, "Destrokk," here.

MGMT, which first formed in 2002 during Ben Goldwasser and Andrew Van Wyngarden's freshman year as students at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, will be one of the many acts taking the stage in a few weeks as part of the All Points West Festival in Jersey City. (Click here for a photo gallery showing who else will be rocking All Points West this year.)

CD review: 'The Toxic Avenger Musical'

Alex Biese — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:46:41 GMT

If pressed to rifle off a list of topics occupying the forefront of the public consciousness, most of us would probably include superheroes, the environment and corrupt politicians (I know I would).

Fortunately for the arts-conscious folks out there, those topics -- along with violence, sex and a heaping helping of Jersey jokes -- have all been thrown together in a vat of chemical waste to create "The Toxic Avenger Musical," a relentlessly entertaining show currently boasting an off-Broadway run and an original cast recording now out through Time Life.

Inspired by Lloyd Kaufman's cult classic 1985 film, "The Toxic Avenger Musical" had its live debut last fall at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick. Co-written by Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan and "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" author Joe DiPietro, the show is now playing at the New World Stages in New York City.

As in the film, the musical is set in the fictional locale of Tromaville, NJ and centers on Melvin, a much-bullied nerd who is thrown into a vat of toxic waste and transformed into the Toxic Avenger, a crime-fighting superhero.

You don't need me to tell you here that the show is very good; for that, you can check out my review from when it played in New Brunswick, or you can take the three Drama Desk Award nominations, two Drama League Award nominations and two Outer Critics Circle nominations as proof enough.

Now that the original cast recording is out, what all the Toxie, Bon Jovi and Lloyd Kaufman fans out there probably want to know is how good the disc is.

Well, "The Toxic Avenger Musical" and its accompanying CD are fine examples of the art of the rock ‘n' roll musical, and that's no faint praise. For every rock musical that works, there are many, many more that don't.

It is, after all, a rather tricky art form. Rock too much and you risk alienating theatrical types. Lean too strongly on the musical side of things and rock fans will be hesitant to embrace a show. And finding performers who can act while being vocally convincing in the disparate realms of rock ‘n' roll and the Great White Way is another challenge in its own right.

Fortunately, "The Toxic Avenger Musical" is a success, and the proof is now on disc for all to hear. Some tunes, such as the show-starting "Who Will Save New Jersey?" progress the story while having you tapping your toe and laughing at the same time. (The song describes Tromaville thusly: "A place between heaven and hell, don't need a map, just follow the smell.")

On the softer side of things, the show also boasts a great pair of power ballads, "Hot Toxic Love" and "You Tore My Heart Out," which would sound pretty much right at home being performed by Bryan's full-time band -- although it would be a bit strange to hear Jon Bon Jovi croon lines like "I've torn some arms off, I've torn some heads off, I've behaved quite violently," from "You Tore My Heart Out."

In my review of the show from last October, I wrote that "if the show does have a stumbling block on its way to greater success, it's that it is so very Jersey. Packed to the gills with Jersey jokes (‘If the pollution doesn't get you, the aroma will') and shots at Garden State politics ... it's hard to tell if audiences outside of our state will ‘get' the show as much as the crowds in New Brunswick."

Well, that shows how much I know. The show has gone on to be a hit across the Hudson, and now boasts even more Jersey jokes -- many of which are contained in "Jersey Girl." Sung by the state's villainous governor, the song wasn't part of the show's New Brunswick run, and it contains a couple of Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi references that frankly fall flat.

However, the jokes that don't work are the exception, not the norm. For the most part, "The Toxic Avenger Musical" is a funny, entertaining, even charming experience that wowed ‘em in Jersey, is currently winning over "the beautiful conceited people of Manhattan" (as they're labeled in the show) and is now available on CD. Whether you're a theater fan, a Bon Jovi acolyte, a horror fiend or a New Jersey resident with a sense of humor, you should give this a listen.

Here come the Feelies

Alex Biese — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:57:32 GMT

Haledon-bred indie rockers the Feelies are back and they will be celebrating their triumphant return with a run of shows July 2, 3 and 4 at Maxwell's in Hoboken.

And whether you were holding your breath for years in anticipation for the band's return -- which was signaled last July with a pair of shows at Maxwell's -- or you're still unfamiliar in the ways of the Feelies, you owe it to yourself to pick up the forthcoming reissues of the band's first two LPs, 1980's "Crazy Rhythms" and 1986's "The Good Earth."

The discs, showcasing the band's jangly, Velvet Underground-inspired sounds, are set to be released by Hoboken-based label Bar/None Records in conjunction with the band's Sept. 11 performance at the All Tomorrow's Festival in Monticello, N.Y., where they are scheduled to perform "Crazy Rhythms" in its entirety.

Rolling Stone named "Crazy Rhythms" one of the top 100 albums of the 1980s, while "The Good Earth" was co-produced by R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, and there's no denying the Feelies' influence on Buck and company's debut LP, 1983's "Murmur."

According to a news release, "The Good Earth" was also an early release on Coyote Records, the label founded and run by Steve Fallon, the original owner of Maxwell's, giving the band's July shows at the indie rock landmark an even deeper sense of meaning. "The Good Earth" is also the album which introduced the Feelies' line-up that continues to this day.

Both albums, according to the news release, will feature deluxe packaging and bonus material -- including demos, b-sides, EP tracks and some new live recordings from the reunited group -- will be included on digital download cards.

Tickets for the band's performances at Maxwell's are $25 and are still available for the July 2 and July 4 shows, which start at 8:30 and 9:30 p.m., respectively. The band will perform two sets each evening.

Review: David Grisman Quintet at the Count Basie Theatre

Alex Biese — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:35:29 GMT

Mandolin master David Grisman may work the names of various musical genres and styles into the titles of some of his tunes (for example, see "Bluegrass at the Beach," "Blues for Vassar," "Dawg's Waltz," "Dawg's Rag"), but sometimes labels can be deceiving.

While he may take his influences from many genres, Grisman's style is entirely his own, as he showed during his epic set on Friday (June 5) at the historic Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank.

Over two sets and nearly three hours, Grisman provided the appreciative audience at the Basie with a master class in "dawg music," the term he uses for his unique sound which draws on bluegrass, jazz, blues, folk, country and swing music. Dawg is a nickname that was given to Grisman by longtime friend and collaborator Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead.

Grisman and his supremely-skilled ensemble promptly took the stage just after 8 p.m. on Friday, and the five musicians were locked in from the first downbeat, with Grisman quickly off and shredding on the mandolin. (And yes, as anyone who has seen Grisman live can attest to, it is indeed possible to shred on the mandolin.)

In fact, the show's prompt start and the lack of an opening act seemed to take many of the attendees by surprise, and concert-goers were still searching for their seats several songs into the first set.

However, once they found their seats, the folks in the crowd -- everyone from baby boomers in button-down shirts and ties to 20-somethings in Allman Brothers Band and Grateful Dead shirts and even a couple of younger girls with their hair in dreadlocks -- dug whatever Griman's quintet threw at them, from the up-tempo sounds of "Dawg's Rag" to the cool and breezy vibe of "Bluegrass at the Beach," which was heavy on the beach, light on the bluegrass.

For his part Grisman, who looked comfortable in a button-down Big Dogs shirt and happy to be back in home state of New Jersey, never stopped moving throughout the evening, constantly shuffling his feet, bobbing his head or cuing his top-notch band.

Grisman even maintained his cool and laid-back attitude while one woman in the crowd kept shouting, "Do an old tune!" between songs. Eventually, Grisman responded with, "It's all old. What are you talking about? If you haven't heard it, it's new."

With that, Grisman moved onto a song that was likely familiar to most of the folks in attendance: "Grateful Dawg," which was co-written by Garcia and appeared on the 1992 album "Garcia/Grisman."

The track also provided the title for a 2000 documentary chronicling Grisman and Garcia's friendship and working relationship, and on Friday night Grisman dedicated it to Middletown's Tom Bernard, co-president and co-founder of Sony Pictures Classics, the company which released "Grateful Dawg." Grisman referred to Bernard as "the man who made the ‘Grateful Dawg' movie possible."

Other than "Grateful Dawg," the song that got the biggest reception of the evening was the show's grand finale, "Shady Grove," a traditional number that served as the title track for a 1996 Grisman and Garcia album. While Grisman had been content to let his band's playing exist on its own for the rest of the evening, he got behind the microphone to sing on this number and the crowd ate it up.

Throughout the rest of the evening leading up to "Shady Grove," Grisman and his quintet let their rich, lyrical stylings and complex interplay do most of the talking. When it came time to introduce the band, Grisman explained that he has been touring with one incarnation or another of the David Grisman Quintet for 33 years.

"Of course, I'm the only original member," Grisman said, "and even I tried to leave." Thankfully, he decided to stick with himself.

First the Basie, then Bonnaroo

Alex Biese — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:44:47 GMT

A pair of legendary performers, David Grisman and Elvis Costello, will be bringing their tours through Red Bank's Count Basie Theatre in the coming week before heading down to Manchester, Tenn. for the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, which is set to be held this year from June 11 to 14.

Born and raised in Passaic, Grisman is a musical virtuoso and one of the world's most well-known mandolin players. Grisman, who will be performing Friday (June 5) at the Basie, is known for leading his quintet through folk, country, bluegrass, jazz and blues without skipping a beat or a note.

"I think every individual musician wants to be known by their own identity rather than be lumped into some musical category," Grisman told the Asbury Park Press in 1999.

While the amalgamation of styles can sure feel overwhelming to a new listener, just use the term of the Grisman's own choosing to describe his unique sound: "dawg music."

The nickname "Dawg" came to Grisman from the late Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia, a friend and collaborator of Grisman's over the years.

"People kept asking me, 'Well, what is this music?' and I figured if I just had a generic term, they wouldn't ask me that. Jerry gave me that nickname ‘Dawg' and I just decided to call this music ‘dawg music' for lack of a better term," Grisman explained.

Another artist known for his genre-spanning musical acrobatics, Elvis Costello has dabbled in everything from New Wave to opera over his long and storied career. The singer/songwriter released his latest album, the country-folk offering "Secret, Profane and Sugarcane" today (June 2), and he will be playing in support of that LP next Tuesday (June 9) at the Basie.

The new album was produced by roots-rock king T Bone Burnett during a three-day session at Nashville's Emporium Studio, according to a news release.

Burnett previously produced the classic Costello albums "King of America" (1986) and "Spike" (1989) and he also produced Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's 2007 album "Raising Sand," a collaboration which yielded five Grammy awards.

Among the tracks on "Secret, Profane and Sugarcane" are "Sulfur to Sugarcane" and "The Crooked Line," both of which were co-written by Burnett, and "I Felt the Chill," Costello's second recorded songwriting collaboration with country legend Loretta Lynn.

Continuing the thread of country and roots royalty on the new album, the disc also features vocals from famed songstress Emmylou Harris as well as a pair of tunes Costello wrote for Johnny Cash, "Complicated Shadows" and "Hidden Shame."

As if hitting the same venue before taking the trip down to Tennessee wasn't enough to link Grisman and Costello, the two performers are also set to play Bonnaroo on the same day, next Saturday (June 13), with Grisman playing the Other Tent from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and Costello hitting That Tent from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m.

For any Shore music fan headed down to the ‘Roo this year, the only sensible way to make sure you catch both of these great acts without having to run between stages in Tennessee is to see them in the comfort of the Basie.

Bon Jovi coming to 'Guitar Hero 5'

Alex Biese — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:06:23 GMT

It's getting really easy to think that the listening public out there loves Bon Jovi songs more than they love the Sayreville-bred band itself.

Exhibit A, which will be crystal clear every weekend for the next couple of months, is the prominent place the tunes of Jon Bon Jovi and co. hold in the hearts and minds of Shore cover bands and the bar patrons who love them. Honestly, when was the last time you saw a cover band and didn't hear "Bad Medicine" or any of the other countless Saturday night favorites that these Jersey rockers have cranked out?

Exhibit B, though less obvious than the ever-present power of cover bands, is what got me thinking along these lines this afternoon: "Guitar Hero." Last year, the band's smash hit "Livin' on a Prayer" popped up in "Guitar Hero: World Tour" alongside classic jams such as Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" and a special "guitar duel" with Jackson's own Zakk Wylde, whose Black Label Society also contributed the track "Stillborn" to the game. (To read Wylde's thoughts on "Guitar Hero" and much more, click here.)

It was already seeming for those playing along at home that all it would take was a few plastic instruments and the next-generation console of your choosing to create your own virtual Bon Jovi cover band. Then came this morning's exclusive announcement from Rolling Stone that Bon Jovi will be joining the likes of Santana, Weezer, Kings of Leon, Queen and David Bowie on the soundtrack of "Guitar Hero 5," due to hit shelves Sept. 1.

The only thing Rolling Stone left out of their announcement was the actual set list for the game, so as of right now we don't know which Bon Jovi track will be hitting the latest installment "Guitar Hero." My money's on the 1986 "Slippery When Wet" single "You Give Love a Bad Name." To me, it just sounds like a "Guitar Hero" song.

But what does everybody out there think? If you had to pick a Bon Jovi song to hit "Guitar Hero," what would it be, and why?

Wave Gathering lineup announced

Alex Biese — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:29:13 GMT

The Wave Gathering, the annual music festival celebrating the Asbury Park music scene and some of its most active performers, is set to return to the Shore next month (June 19 to 21) and the festival recently announced its initial artist roster on its Web site.

The fourth annual festival, which is sponsored by Metromix Jersey Shore, looks to be striving to offer something for everybody, judging by the 70 acts that are currently listed on the festival's site.

Looking for an evening of blues rock? Then check out red hot up-and-coming Shore band Outside the Box or local stalwart Matt O'Ree. Craving the sonorous sounds of local songstresses? Then give the Eryn Shewell Band, Jillian Rhys or Jerzy Jung a try. If you're in the mood to check out some locals who have done good, rock out to former Styx guitarist Glen Burtnik or "Ugly Betty" co-star Val Emmich.

And folks who love to haunt local coffeehouses will have no shortage of top-quality singer/songwriters to pick and choose from, with acts such as Christine Martucci, George Wirth, Rick Barry and Anthony Fiumano on the bill.

Other acts set to rock Asbury Park for the Wave Gathering include Belmar-based party band Barry and the Penetrators, pop-rock quartet Status Green and experimental ensemble Chemtrail.

Here's the current lineup for the Wave Gathering, according to the festival's Web site:

Amanda Duncan, Anthony Fiumano, Ari Hest, Arlan Feiles, Aster Pheonyx, Barry and the Penetrators, Bob Denson, Bret Mosley, Carlon, Chemtrail, Chris Ayer, Chris Batten and the Woods, Christine Martucci Band, Dave Pittenger, Deena and the Laughing Boys, Dirty Sweet, Divine Sign, Eryn Shewell Band, Friends of Bill Wilson, Geena (Dragster), George Wirth, Glen Burtnik, Green Underground, Guggenheim Grotto, Highlines, Holtz, Howard Jennings, Jerzy Jung, Jessy Tomsko, Jillian Rhys, Joanna Burns, Joe Harvard Band, Joshua Van Ness, Kagero, Keith Kenny, Krista, Last Perfect Thing, Laura Warshauer, Lisa Bianco, Luke Brindley, Madi Diaz, Matt O'Ree, Maybe Pete, McRad featuring Chuck Treece, Mieka Pauley, Mossejaw Muldoon, My State of Attraction, Outside the Box, Quincy Mumford, Red Wanting Blue, Rick Barry, Scott Liss and the Sixty-Six, Stacie Rose, Stand, Status Green, Stringbean and the Stalkers, the Agreements, the Aviation Orange, the Bloodsugars, the Fave, the Grip Weeds, the Honors, the Lights Out, the Mill Stone, the Milwaukees, the Obvious, Todd Alsup, Tunnels to Holland, Val Emmich and Wellbaby.

Scorsese takes on Sinatra

Alex Biese — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:02:28 GMT

No film fan could argue with the claim that director Martin Scorsese knows a thing or two about music in the movies. (For proof, check out "Layla" in "Goodfellas," "Comfortably Numb" in "The Departed" and "Gimme Shelter" in, well, just about every one of his pictures.)

And, whether through documentaries ("The Last Waltz," "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan," "Shine a Light") or feature films ("The Aviator," "Raging Bull") the director has also never had a problem bringing the lives of iconic figures in American culture to the big screen.

And so, the announcement yesterday (May 13) by Universal Pictures and Mandalay Pictures that Scorsese will be helming "Sinatra," a film based on the life of Hoboken native Frank Sinatra, while very exciting, is far from surprising.

In an Associated Press story dated yesterday, Mandalay Pictures President Cathy Shulman, who is co-producing the film, described "Sinatra" as "an unconventional biopic."

"It's not a cradle-to-the-grave traditional portrait of the consecutive events in a man's life," Shulman said. "Instead it's more of a collage and, in many ways, it will feel like an album itself. It's a collection of various moments and impressions in his life and together we hope they'll tell the full story and present full themes."

That description sounds an awful lot like "I'm Not There," the kaleidoscopic 2007 biopic of Bob Dylan directed by Todd Haynes. While many critics (including me) loved that film, it wasn't exactly embraced by paying audiences, so one has to wonder how crowds may react to an experimental presentation of the life of Ol' Blue Eyes.

According to Shulman, it took two years to acquire the rights to Sinatra's life and music. While the screenplay is being written by Acadamey Award nominee Phil Alden Robinson ("Field of Dreams"), no casting decisions have been made and no production dates have been determined, according to the Associated Press.

So, the question is: who should play Sinatra, who was an Oscar-winner himself for 1953's "From Here to Eternity"? I can't think of anyone off the top of my head who would be a good fit for the part, but I'm open to suggestions.

(And, here's a suggestion for Scorsese: if you decide to cover Sinatra's tumultuous marriage to actress Ava Gardner, bring back Kate Beckinsale, who was great but underused as Gardner in "The Aviator.")

Live Nation announces Asbury Park summer concert lineup

Alex Biese — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:02:00 GMT

This morning (May 12), concert promoter Live Nation announced its slate of shows coming to Asbury Park this summer, and it looks like at least an act or two for just about everyone should be playing the waterfront in the coming months.

For folks wanting to rock out to the sounds of local artists, Monmouth County songstress Nicole Atkins will be kicking off the summer with a show with former Soul Coughing frontman Mike Doughty at the Stone Pony on May 22, Jody Joseph will be playing tribute to Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks on May 30 at the Paramount Theatre and north Jersey stalwarts the Smithereens will be rocking the Stone Pony on June 27.

A pair of last July's biggest Stone Pony events will be repeated, with local legends Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes making their annual trip to the historic venue on July 2 and Buffalo-bred jam band moe. staking their claim on Independence Day weekend with shows on July 3 and 4. (For our photo gallery of moe.'s July 5, 2008 performance at the Stone Pony, click here.)

If you like your music a little, well, out there, then Asbury Park's got you in mind this summer, too. Experimental Pennsylvania-bred rockers Ween will be taking the Stone Pony's Summerstage by storm on July 18 and Zappa Plays Zappa -- a tribute act dedicated to the work of late composer and musician Frank Zappa fronted by his oldest son, Dweezil -- will serve as support for Dream Theater on August 7 at Convention Hall.

And, if spending the summer at the Shore has filled you with some inexplicable urge to check out a cover band or two, have no fear -- a few tribute acts will be swinging through Asbury Park as well. Along with Zappa Plays Zappa, the city will also host Tool surrogates Schism at the Wonder Bar on June 28, famed Sublime tribute act Badfish at the Stone Pony on July 25 and Hammer of the Gods, an ensemble billed as "the Led Zeppelin Experience" at the Paramount Theatre on August 14.

For my money, one of the biggest, most fitting and sure to be talked about shows rolling through town has to be the one going down at the Stone Pony on Aug. 9: the Pretenders, Cat Power and Juliette and the Licks.

The Pretenders -- the band behind classic hits such as "Brass in Pocket" -- are as good as ever, Cat Power proved herself to be moving, powerful and refreshing when I caught her at Bonnaroo last year and the Licks, which are fronted by Oscar nominee Juliette Lewis, are one of the more acceptable actor-turned-musician excursions in recent years, and their live show should be interesting, to say the least.

Here's Live Nation's summer slate for Asbury Park so far, with more shows to be announced:

May 22: Nicole Atkins and Mike Doughty at the Stone Pony
May 24: The Toadies, the Willowz and the Black Clouds at the Stone Pony
May 29: Gregory Isaacs and Live Wyya Band at the Stone Pony
May 30: One Legend, One Diva, One Woman: Jody Joseph - A Theatrical Tribute to Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks at the Paramount Theatre
June 6: New Riders of the Purple Sage at the Stone Pony
June 19: Mishka and Zaki Ibrahim at the Stone Pony
June 20: Peaches at the Stone Pony
June 26: Schism at the Wonder Bar
June 27: The Smithereens at the Stone Pony
July 2: Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at the Stone Pony Summerstage
July 3 and 4: moe. at the Stone Pony Summerstage
July 10: State Radio at the Stone Pony Summerstage
July 11: Over the Rainbow at the Stone Pony
July 12: Staind with Shinedown, Chevelle, Halestorm and Lo-Pro at Convention Hall
July 18: Ween at the Stone Pony Summerstage
July 24: Donovon Frankenreiter and Gary Jules at the Stone Pony Summerstage
July 25: Badfish, a tribute to Sublime at the Stone Pony Summerstage
Aug. 7: Dream Theater and Zappa Plays Zappa at Convention Hall
Aug. 8: John Cafferty at the Stone Pony
Aug. 9: The Pretenders with Cat Power and Juliette and the Licks at the Stone Pony Summerstage
Aug. 14: Steve Kimock Crazy Engine at the Stone Pony
Aug. 14: Hammer of the Gods, the Led Zeppelin Experience at the Paramount Theatre
Aug. 30: Peter Frampton at the Stone Pony Summerstage
Sept. 19: Stryper at the Stone Pony

Billy McCarthy's bartending lessons

Alex Biese — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:29:16 GMT

He may be rocking appreciative live crowds for a living these days, but Pela frontman Billy McCarthy didn't always depend on his musical gifts to pay the bills.

In fact, the northern California native and current Brooklynite used to earn his keep by tending bar, and in a recent conversation with Metromix Jersey Shore, McCarthy filled us in on some of the lessons he learned during his days behind the bar.

"Sometimes it's better to call the cops than to try to get somebody out of the bar yourself when they're wasted, because you might catch a right hook," McCarthy advised us, adding, "Keep your eye on your tip jar, don't throw drug dealers out because they'll come back and pull a knife on you (and) it's always nice to work with a girl bartender because fighting words happen very quickly with guy bartenders and drunk thugs. It was a pretty rough experience. I had a knife pulled on me, I've been punched, I've been jumped; it was pretty rough."

Maybe McCarthy can offer those words of wisdom to some of the fine bartenders at the Stone Pony when Pela and the Gaslight Anthem hit the historic Asbury Park club tonight (May 8) and Saturday (May 9).

Pela's debut LP, 2007's "Anytown Graffiti," is a must-listen for alt-rock fans (especially those who wish the Kings of Leon had never gone mainstream), and McCarthy told us the band's next album is expected to be released in August.

For more from Billy McCarthy, check out our interview with him here.

Review: Writers in the Raw at the Count Basie Theatre

Alex Biese — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:31:47 GMT

Before the start of Friday (May 1) night's installment of Writers in the Raw in Red Bank, summing up what was in store for the evening could sound like the setup of a joke: "So a proto-punk with blues tendencies, a rising Southern starlet, a country rocker from Texas and an indie tunesmith walk into a theater..."

Sure, it took a minute or two to get used to the sight of the New York Dolls' David Johansen, Rhett Miller of the Old 97's, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's Alec Ounsworth and up-and-coming traditional country singer Ashton Shepherd sharing the stage at the Count Basie Theatre, but ultimately the most surprising facet of the evening was how well this particular configuration of artists seemed to click. (For shots of the evening's performances, check out our photo gallery here.)

With the performers seated in a line across the stage and each taking turns playing tunes and telling stories, all the show needed was an on-stage campfire to feel complete.

Johansen kicked off the show with words of wisdom that seemed to guide the loose and casual evening: "We don't know what we're doing, but we're gonna do it." Along with sideman and former New York Doll Brian Koonin, Johansen then quickly launched into a fun and rootsy take on the Dolls' 1973 gem "Looking for a Kiss."

Next up was Shepherd, who impressed the crowd with the Loretta Lynn-like song "I Ain't Dead Yet" off of her 2007 album "Sounds So Good." On the song, and throughout the night, Shepherd came across as genuine, humble and fun, and the Red Bank crowd responded accordingly. And, as he would for every performer throughout the evening, Rhett Miller pitched in during "I Ain't Dead Yet," picking his guitar alongside Shepherd's.

On his first song of the night, "Murder (Or a Heart Attack)" off the Old 97's 1999 album "Fight Songs," Miller showed himself to be full of energy and more than capable of moving a room as large as the Basie with nothing more than his guitar and his powerful, earnest voice.

Rounding out the lineup was Ounsworth, and while the music he makes with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is a quintessential example of New York indie rock, performing in a solo acoustic setting while wearing a sweater he seemed downright Dylan-esque, hushing the crowd with his folksy and tender tunes and earning rave reviews from Johansen thanks to his unique voice.

And so the show went for about two hours, with the performers politely taking turns playing and Miller more than happy to join in. For a New York Dolls fan such as myself, it was a treat to hear Johansen deliver knockout, stripped-down takes on the 2006 Dolls track "I Ain't Got Nothing," the sensitive new song "Wandering Spirit's Prayer" and a show-stopping performance of his 1981 solo track "Heart of Gold" that featured Koonin on piano and Miller on backup vocals.

For their own parts, Shepherd and Ounsworth each won the crowd over throughout the evening, with Shepherd delivering earnest and endearing originals as well as a cover of Hank Williams Jr.'s "Outlaw Women" and Ounsworth impressing those in attendance with his bare and occasionally poetic folk-rock.

However, Miller was, without a doubt, the evening's M.V.P. Whether he was singing originals such as "Question," delivering a stunning cover of David Bowie's "Five Years" that can be found on a upcoming iTunes-only Old 97's EP or pitching in to play with the other artists on stage, Miller seemed genuinely happy to be in Red Bank on Friday night, and he even had a moment of fanboy glee while reminiscing about growing up with Johansen's cover of "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" in the early days of MTV.

It seems that Miller, along with the audience, was appreciating the uniqueness of the evening and the special kind of chemistry that can happen when four top-notch performers from seemingly disparate genres get the chance to share the stage.