Tag Archives: BLues

RIP B.B. King

14 May

Sad sad evening to just hear of the passing B.B. King. We most definitely lost a legend this evening. The King of the Blues was 89. Read more HERE.

Now Playing: White Denim – “It’s Him”

22 Jun

Lately I’ve really been digging White Denim, the four-piece from Austin, Texas. Love their sound and can’t get enough of the new album D.

Video: My Bonnaroo

18 Jun

It took a week but I was finally able to put my Bonnaroo 2011 photos into a video slide show.  Everything is in sequential order from the moment we arrived until the final show.  Unfortunately I wasn’t able to capture every band I saw but hope you enjoy what I did capture.  Can’t wait until Bonnaroo 2012.  Let the countdown begin.

Advertisement

Revisited: Bonnaroo 2011

13 Jun

10th anniversary of Bonnaroo is in the books and I’m ready to get tickets for next year. Being a Bonnaroo rookie, it was all about taking in as much of the experience as possible. After an afternoon waiting for everyone to fly in, rent the truck and an off the reservation experience at Walmart, we were on the road.  Some 60 miles and one wrong turn later, we arrived.  After finding the RV and unpacking enough food and booze to feed the entire stage crew for the festival, it was time to get the party started.  Meandering through the festival grounds at night it was hard to capture just how big the Bonnaroo fields are and how over 100,000 people flow in and out.  The first time you see it during the day, your jaw drops at the sight of an entire city being created in virtually the middle of nowhere.  If that’s what it takes for people to get along, be polite and just have a good time, I can live with that.

I also learned that no matter what bands you plan to see, you can go ahead and throw that plan out, it just isn’t going to happen and that’s a good thing.  Getting a chance to pop in and out of shows, listening to some new bands (and some old), wandering around the festival grounds and just kind of going with the flow seemed to be just fine.  Photos will be coming soon (I promise) but here are some of my highlights from Bonnaroo X.

My First Show: The Walkmen

My Final Show: Apache Relay

Best What Stage Show: The Black Keys

Best Which Stage Show(s):
G.Love/Warren Haynes

Best Tent Show: Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses

Best Overall Show: Walk The Moon

Biggest Surprise: Childish Gambino

Best Legend Show: three way tie – Robert Plant, Dr. John, Gregg Allman

Random Moment Of Awesomeness: blue blinkers dropping from the sky for Arcade Fire’s set

Overall Stage With The Best Performances: On Tap Stage – shows included Band of Heathens, Apache Relay, Chancellor Warhol, Mat McHugh, Pimps of Joytime, JEFF The Brotherhood, Bobby Long and more

Most Entertaining Show: Lil Wayne for the fact that at least 40,000 festival goers/hippies knew all the lyrics to his songs – you had to be there to understand where I’m coming from

Most Disappointing Moment: Terrible sound quality for the Buffalo Springfield show made it almost impossible to listen to (this saddened me more than anyone will ever know)

Next Big Thing:  Walk The Moon and Apache Relay

Top Party: the overflowing sea of madness for Girl Talk at 2:30am

Oddest Show That Was A Blast: Primus

Funky Good Time Show: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears

Band I Was Sad To Miss: GIVERS

Angriest Performer: Eminem

Best Intro: Lewis Black for Warren Haynes

What Would Have Been Great: a late night set from a headlining DJ

Top Roo’er: Guy trying to make the “World’s Biggest Glow Stick” (if you saw/met him, you know what I’m talking about)

Top Sports Bar Moment: Game 6 of the NBA finals was like the March Madness scene in Vegas (video coming soon).

Best Festival Eats: Bear Creek Farms’ hand cut French fries and Gravy

Best Broo’ers Festival Beer: Ashville Brewing Company’s Ninja Porter

Best Place To Cool Off: the cinema (if no line to wait)

Biggest Waste of Time: anything that involved a line

Shocker Of The Festival: no rain

Worst Part: Dust everywhere and if you didn’t have a bandana, you were SOL

Clutch Move: renting a pickup truck

Tip For Next Year: less junk food and more healthy food, bring laxatives and don’t go off the reservation

More Tips: flip flops are your enemy, dust sucks, that fountain water is filthier than Vegas’ Rehab, expect rain, drink water and more water

Countdown to Bonnaroo: 1 Day – Artist of the Day: Buffalo Springfield

8 Jun

It’s finally here, Bonnaroo Eve!  As the Countdown has reached number one, there is no band that deserves this spot more than Buffalo Springfield.  I mean never in my lifetime could I have dreamed about the opportunity to see them live in concert.  Wish granted as living original members Richie Furay, Stephen Stills and Neil Young bring their reunion tour to Tennessee (with Rick Rosas and Joe Vitale as well).  I’ve seen Neil Young and Crazy Horse, CSN, CSNY and now this is going to be icing on the cake for a heck of a 10th anniversary celebration.  Hope everyone is as excited as I am.  See you on the farm!

Saturday 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM – Which Stage

Countdown to Bonnaroo: 3 Days – Artist of the Day: Warren Haynes

6 Jun

Arguably one of the most talented musicians around, Warren Haynes is simply an ace in the hole; whether it be fronting Gov’t Mule, jamming with the Allman Brothers Band, pulling double duty with The Dead or riding solo (among too many more collaborations to list) you are in for a thrilling ride seeing him live.  Relentless touring and righteous jamming has made Haynes not only a commodity in the music industry but a legend among fans.  That sweet southern rock sound will be one of the Bonnaroo 10th Anniversary highlights.

Friday 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM – Which Stage

Countdown to Bonnaroo: 7 Days – Artist of the Day: The Black Keys

2 Jun

Here we go, one week from today the 10th Anniversary of Bonnaroo commences.  The best thing to come out of Akron isn’t Lebron James but The Black Keys.  It took a while but Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney finally hit it big with last year’s Brothers and have been riding a high since.  I’ve seen the duo twice already this year and the gritty rock riffs from Auerbach and Carney’s wailing on the drums left me craving more both times.

Saturday 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM – What Stage

Revisited: Little Hurricane – 5 28 11 – Las Vegas

31 May

Last weekend I had the opportunity to check out San Diego based Little Hurricane at Chandelier Bar at Cosmopolitan.  In the fairly short amount of time I had listened to their music prior I was impressed but after seeing CC and Tone live, I’m now a huge fan.  Their sound of dirty blues/rock just works and I can’t picture the music with more than just the duo on stage.  Between Tone’s raw voice and skills on the slide guitar and CC providing solid beats (and also easy on the eyes), Little Hurricane are a force to be reckoned with.  Big things are in their future, get onboard now; pick up their album Homewrecker while you’re at it and see them live.


 

Now Playing: Little Hurricane – “Give Em Hell”

27 May

Vegas here is your alert. Little Hurricane performing at Chandelier Bar over at Cosmo on Saturday and Sunday. Check em out.

Countdown to Bonnaroo: 15 Days – Artist of the Day: Galactic

25 May

If you’re ready to get funked up, Galactic will do just that.  The New Orleans legends who were part of the inaugural Bonnaroo and a staple band throughout the decade long run of the festival return to bring some funk and jazz to the masses.  Exuding energy and pure happiness, Galactic shows are memorable for sure and just about always include surprise guests sitting in for a song or the whole show.  Knowing the grand stage of Bonnaroo, I think we can all rest assured this will be one performance to catch.

Sunday 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM – What Stage