Our night with Tony Bennett
July 25, 2008
As mentioned in an earlier post, we went to see Tony Bennett last night at Chastain Park Amphitheater. He was great! He played with a jazz quintet and had a lot of interaction with the audience (including calling out one group who rudely stood up to walk out during the show and walked right in front of the stage – Tony interrupted saying, “What?? Do you need to run to catch a cab?”. The man looks great for 81. Tony told a few stories about the songs, his career and favorite peers (such as Rosemary Clooney and Frank Sinatra).
He sang most of the classics you’d expect, including I Left My Heart in San Fransisco; The Way You Look Tonight; Cold, Cold Heart; For Once in My Life; and The Best is Yet to Come.
Tony told one story I haven’t heard before about his name. When Tony was starting out, Bob Hope told him that he’d never make it in show business using his real name (Anthony Dominick Benedetto). So he changed it, obviously, to Tony Bennett.
We were pleasantly surprised… Here’s a picture that we took at the show, and you can check out the photos from the AJC here.
moe. — Keys To The City (Portland, ME)
July 25, 2008
From Jambase: This past weekend the band moe. received the Key to the City from Portland, ME Mayor Ed Suslovic for their performance in support of homeless services agency Preble Street. The band was presented with the key during their Pier Revue set at the Maine State Pier.
Last month, moe. played a private show for students at Bradley Elementary in Utica, NY, which raised money for the school’s music department. The band donated instruments and recording equipment with the help of their sponsors including D’Addario and Telefunken USA.
At moe.’s annual Labor Day Weekend festival moe.down, the band hosts a golf tournament for charity. This year the event will benefit The Samuel Stratton Veterans Hospital Hospice Unit in Albany, NY.
The band has donated nearly $300,000 to various charities in the last few years including Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
In other moe. news, The Ninth Annual moe.down will be held August 29, 30 and 31 at the Snow Ridge Ski area in Turin, NY. moe.down has become known as Upstate NY’s most musically diverse festival. moe. will perform a total of six sets throughout the weekend. This year’s lineup includes: moe., The Levon Helm Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, Sparrow Quartet featuring Abigail Washburn and Bela Fleck, and more.
Following moe.down the band will take the fall off to spend time with their families before hitting the road in 2009.
Wilco’s friends
July 25, 2008
We are huge Wilco fans and also huge fans of fellow music blogger Heather Browne and her “I am fuel, you are friends” blog. So we were very excited this week when she posted a bunch of covers that Wilco has performed, including songs by Bob Dylan, Herman’s Hermits, Led Zeppelin, Schoolhouse Rock, Queen, The Carter Family and more (how’s that for a random musical stew).
You can listen here.
Grateful Dead — Remastered SBD (11/20/1971)
July 25, 2008
Science Faxtion — Bootsy & Buckethead Team Up
July 25, 2008
From Rolling Stone’s Greg Prato: Bootsy Collins’ latest project, Science Faxtion, sees the funk great merging his unmistakable bass once again with guitarist Buckethead and drummer Brain — all of whom previously played in Praxis. But for their forthcoming debut on Mascot Records, Living on Another Frequency (which should be dropping sometime in September), their goal is new.
“We wanted to challenge artists and people in the music business,” Collins says. “We want to go somewhere where people haven’t been yet. It’s like taking that first shuttle to Venus — you don’t know what that trip is going to be like, you just know you’re going. People have taken the experience out of the experience, and we’re trying to put that back into music and make it fun.”
According to the group’s singer-guitarist, Greg Hampton — who also co-wrote and co-produced Alice Cooper’s latest LP, Along Came a Spider — Science Faxtion began more straightforward. “It started off that it was going to be a funk record. But we started exploring this concept of the future in 2099, that entails man being melded with computer, and how music will be made.” Tracks such as first single “Looking for Eden,” “Life is in Deliver,” “At Any Cost” and “What It Is” (which features Chuck D), certainly rock hard with an unmistakably futuristic funk sound. “We’re going to use technology, before technology uses us,” adds Collins. “Because that’s where we’re headed. We’re the Paul Reveres — ‘The British are coming, the British are coming! Technology is here!’
Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Klaus Voorman, Badfinger, etc., etc…
1971
Dave Matthews — Lie In Our Graves (w/ Trey Anastasio)
July 25, 2008
A completely gratuitous clip of Trey (h&h) cutting loose with a ripping solo as he flanked Dave. Taken from August of ’07.
Trey Anastasio Band
July 25, 2008
In anticipation of the classic TAB band show on August 7th at Brooklyn’s Music Hall Of Williamsburg, we’ve posted a vintage clip of them at the height of their collective powers.
Bonnaroo 2002, Push On ’til The Day
Wilco — Summer Tour Contest
July 25, 2008
From Jambase: JamBase is pleased to give away a pair of tickets to each of the following dates on Wilco’s upcoming tour! In addition, each winner will have their choice of one of Wilco’s Nonesuch releases:
Sky Blue Sky
Kicking Television
A Ghost is Born
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
RIP — Dr. Randy Pausch
July 25, 2008
Sadly, Randy Pausch left our world today. He has gained worldwide acclaim and praise for his “Last Lecture” delivered at Carnegie-Mellon. If you have the time, please watch the video of his “Last Lecture”.
