en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal The Last.fm journal for pinetree99. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/07/06/2ullxh_rothbury_day_4 Mon, 6 Jul 2009 14:44:43 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/07/06/2ullxh_rothbury_day_4 Day 4 – Rothbury Festival

My final day at Rothbury was highlighted by some serious legends: Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan each played substantial closing sets that hovered around two hours each.

A typical Dylan show these days (if there is such a thing) involves fundamental rearrangements of some of his most classic material. Thus it took me a moment to recognize songs that would otherwise be immediately familiar, like "Tangled Up in Blue," "Ballad of a Thin Man," or "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again." Of course, it's just this kind of constant reworking that keeps his shows active and vibrant, not just a run-through of his greatest hits.



If anyone can match Dylan for a song catalog it might be Willie Nelson, who takes a free 'n' easy (or so it seems) approach to his set list, calling out songs on the fly ("Still Is Still Moving"), and shifting from song to song as if he were free-associating, pulling in whatever melody grabs him at the moment. There's a good deal of instrumental solo time, too--which felt pretty old school, being that the band was just a handful of folks with minimal equipment, drummer Paul English for instance playing only a snare. They moved from a laid-back folk and country vibe into blues, pop, and even touches of jazz in how they naturally blend together, and how they can so easily move as a group from one melody to another.



Between those sets I caught a bit of Ani Difranco, who had a dedicated audience--and who can really kick up a storm on just an acoustic guitar.



Earlier in the day I caught a handful of songs from Guster, who impressed me not only by laying into a bit of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper," but through some excellent three-part vocal harmonies. Need to look into this band a bit more for sure.



Another band I want to spend more time with is The Hold Steady, who were easily the hardest-rocking of the artists I caught at Rothbury. They didn't have a huge crowd (the racket they produced likely scared off folks looking for a mellow Sunday afternoon), but the ones who stayed caught a set full of tight turn-around pop songs with energy, wit, smarts, and bite.



I also was impressed by Yonder Mountain String Band, who are giving traditional bluegrass new life among the younger jam-band crowds. Great playing, bucketloads of energy on stage:



And speaking of energy on stage, anyone who's seen Grace Potter live knows what I'm talking about. She may spend a good deal of time at the piano, but she's way more Etta James than Tori Amos.



This festival was truly impressive overall--great setting (check out our Flickr sets for shots of the amazingly serene and beautiful Sherwood Forest, complete with trippy colored lights at night), a packed four days of music, and a cool crowd of enthusiastic folks--who were obviously having a helluva good time.

]]> http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/07/05/2ujr19_les_claypool_at_rothbury Sun, 5 Jul 2009 20:45:36 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/07/05/2ujr19_les_claypool_at_rothbury Saturday July 3 – Rothbury Festival


Never been much of a Les Claypool fan, Primus or otherwise, but seeing him at Rothbury on day 3 gave me a whole new perspective on the guy.

.

He's always struck me as too much of a clown, his music overly quirky. All I gotta say is, what the hell do I know. Because up close, the guy was impressive--not only could he slap that poor bass up and down, he had a crack band with him that really took things to a whole other world. Quirky, sure, but in more of a Tom Waits way than anything Barnum and Bailey. The celloist was a madman, and the vibes player not far behind (drums rounded out the roster). There was energy in the songs that kept everyone alive and on their feet in the heat; but it also had complexity to keep things interesting--complexity not for the sake of itself, but making sense in context. Think free-ish jazz done with a super-funky big fat bass beat to keep it all hanging on the same tree.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/06/09/2sb2m3_scenes_around_bamajam Tue, 9 Jun 2009 19:12:12 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/06/09/2sb2m3_scenes_around_bamajam BamaJam Music & Arts Festival

The main stage on Thursday afternoon--not too crowded (yet):



Cigars and country music--what's not to love?



Rebel yell:



Peace:



Slap your Southern pride on a T-shirt:



Or try a pull-up with everyone watching--including a Marine blow-up doll sure to give you nightmares:





Double J Whitetails--a southern Alabama hunting camp:



Heading to the Alternative Stage:



Another storm on the way:



Soft-serve after dark:
]]> http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/06/09/2sahfh_alan_jackson_brings_%27summertime_blues%27_to_bamajam Tue, 9 Jun 2009 16:45:09 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/06/09/2sahfh_alan_jackson_brings_%27summertime_blues%27_to_bamajam BamaJam Music & Arts Festival

It's hard to believe Alan Jackson's been at it for over two decades, but think about it--his first album came out in 1987; he made his chart debut in '89; and here he is, headlining BamaJam's Friday night showcase, and he's still reigning as one of Nashville's megastars.



A neotraditionalist at heart, he plays a straight-up honky-tonk-based music that gives props to heroes like Haggard, Jones, and other mid-century icons (witness his album Under The Influence, which included such old-school gems as "Pop A Top" and "Farewell Party"). Yet he's no throwback--this is music made by and for contemporary ears. It's not watered down, but the edges are certainly smooth. Songs like "Gone Country" (his BamaJam opener) and his hit cover of "Summertime Blues" are catchy as hell but for the most part inoffensive--which is just how most fans want things, and part of why the reserved, good-natured, long 'n' lean Jackson has enjoyed such longevity. OK, he's a damn fine singer, an honest love of country music, and has a crack band to back him up--all of which was in full effect on the (thankfully rain-free) BamaJam stage Friday night.



]]> http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/06/06/2rz7xo_charlie_daniels_gets_his_redneck_on Sat, 6 Jun 2009 01:42:11 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/06/06/2rz7xo_charlie_daniels_gets_his_redneck_on Thu 4 Jun – BamaJam Music & Arts Festival



You don't have to listen long during a set to get a taste of the philosophy of Charlie Daniels. "I ain't nothing but a simple man, call me a redneck, I reckon that I am," he sings on "Simple Man," a dark, haunting song of caution toward anyone who gets in his face or space.



World views aside, though, bottom line remains that Charlie is a top-shelf performer who knows his crowd and knows what they like--good ol' mountain music done up with serious picking and a good-time attitude. Gotta respect the guy for that.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/06/05/2rxtb5_taylor_swift_at_bamajam Fri, 5 Jun 2009 17:08:35 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/06/05/2rxtb5_taylor_swift_at_bamajam Thu 4 Jun – BamaJam Music & Arts Festival



Taylor Swift was the undeniable star attraction on Day 1 of BamaJam 2009. Young female fans lined the fences at the front of the stage, held signs, waved, and screamed--some having been sitting there nearly 12 hours to get that front-row spot (and in the pouring rain for part of that time, too). Despite the rain, though, a white carpet was unfurled, and Taylor came out blasting. She wasted no time, too, diving straight into pop hits like "Our Song" and "Fearless," giving the crowd what they came to hear. She may be young and relatively new on the scene, and many of her songs may still be focused on high-school romance, but when it comes to performing she's a pro, no doubt about it.









]]> http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/06/05/2rw4e6_jamey_johnson_kicks_off_bamajam_and_kills_it Fri, 5 Jun 2009 01:32:02 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/06/05/2rw4e6_jamey_johnson_kicks_off_bamajam_and_kills_it Thu 4 Jun – BamaJam Music & Arts Festival


A guy playing the music Jamey Johnson plays--slow, sad country from a bygone era, mostly 70s--would be booed and/or ignored if he didn't look like he does, badass biker, the kinda that'd knock you to the floor for talking back in less time than it takes to sip a sarsaparilla. Well there's that other thing, too--his voice, as cool, deep, rich, and bold as Waylon Jennings, who's obviously a clear hero of his. Waylon, Merle, Willie, and George Jones, to whom he gave a bit shoutout during his BamaJam set (we hoped for an appearance during his cover of "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes," but Jones was No-Show--no, the Possum saved a stage appearance for a bit later, during John Anderson's set). Johnson had the crowd wrapped around his beefy fingers right from the get-go--they knew words to songs from his latest album, maybe most notably "In Color," a powerful ballad that starts slow and sad then builds, speaks to the heart, yet never simpers into schlock. He even got the crowd to sing along--though he sure doesn't strike you as the sing-along type. Great version, too, of "Give it away," a song he wrote George Strait. And Johnson's other big ballad, "That Lonesome Song," is easily among the best songs to come out of Nashville in well over a decade.



]]> http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/06/04/2rv6hf_hot_and_looking_like_rain Thu, 4 Jun 2009 19:37:04 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/06/04/2rv6hf_hot_and_looking_like_rain Thu 4 Jun – BamaJam Music & Arts Festival

Just arrived and set up at the Bud tent. Pouring rain this morning--and I mean POURING, complete with thunder--but decent now, if a bit on the muggy side. Still, we're ready to roll with our buddy Jamey Johnson, who's kicking things off at 345pm today.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/03/19/2kvid1_neil_young_at_sxsw%3F Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:28:34 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/03/19/2kvid1_neil_young_at_sxsw%3F Looks like Neil Young is in Austin this week for a previously unannounced visit. Don't know of any performances scheduled (tips are welcome!), but we do know there's a panel on Saturday discussing his legendary and long-awaited and much-talked-about Archives project.



Keep an eye out, too, for the LincVolt....

]]> http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/03/13/2kakur_doug_sahm_tribute Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:33:52 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/pinetree99/journal/2009/03/13/2kakur_doug_sahm_tribute

An artist I closely associate with Austin--SXSW or otherwise--is the late great roots/pop/rock/country/R&B/psychedelic artist Doug Sahm. I throw in all those genres not to bog down the word count but because the guy's career spanned so many styles. I won't go deep into his bio--you can get that on his artist profile page (http://www.last.fm/music/Doug+Sahm). I will though say he was a pioneer in bringing psychedlic sounds to Texas, then, when transplanted to Haight-Ashbury in the late 1960s, bringing those longhairs a true taste of Beautiful Texas Sunshine. Sadly Doug passed away too early (1999), but his spirit's all over Austin to this day.

Speaking of which: This year there's extra reason to celebrate. Vanguard Records is releasing Keep Your Soul: A Tribute to Doug Sahm on March 24, and there are some awesome-sounding related events this coming week in Austin during SXSW.


Wed. March 18, 9pm, Austin Music Hall
Austin Music Awards show featuring his son Shawn Sahm, Sir Doug bandmate Augie Meyers, and another Austin icon, Alejandro Escovedo.

Thur. March 19, 8pm, Antone's
Tribute show featuring Jimmie Vaughan, Dave Alvin, the Gourds, Sarah Borges & Broken Singles, Shawn Sahm & Texas Tornados and special guests.

Sat. March 21, noon, Austin Convention Center
"Mendocino: the 40th Anniversary": A panel discussion on one of his finest albums, with original members of the Sir Douglas Quintet, Margaret Moser, Jan Reid, Shawn Sahm and Wild Bill Bentley (moderator and coproducer of "Keep Your Soul"). Badges required for this one.


Doug and Shawn Sahm]]>