Kickin' back with Screen Door Porch

After a night of music at Jean Ferris Winery, I caught Screen Door Porch members Aaron Davis and Seadar Rose for a bite to eat at Good Foods Co-op here in Lexington. This duo has been playing together for the last 4 years, starting out as a side project.  Over the last two years, it has become more focused with song writing and touring. For those interested in the origin of the band name, Seadar gives us some insight. The name “Screen Door Porch” comes from an Uncle Tupelo song, “Screen Door” The thought of it comes from the idea of playing music on a porch, chugging whiskey with your friends.”

For both Aaron and Seadar, music has been a part of their lives for quite some time. Aaron has played the guitar for the past 13 years and has since messed around with a slew of instruments, such as the mandolin, banjo, harmonica, bass, pedal steel, dobro, percussion and jaw harp. Aaron says, “There are endless possibilities with guitar, through effects and tunings, to create different textures.” Seadar sang a lot when she was younger and gave it up. Years later, when she turned 23, the singing came back with the aid of guitar. 5 years later, it’s only getting better.

In the group, not just one person is responsible for all of the musical direction. Both Aaron and Seadar bring songs to the table, some arranged, some with some missing pieces, but always needing the other to flesh out the song. “Sometimes it’s tough to think about what instruments we are going to play to create the sound” Seadar explains. Aaron adds, “As a duo, we bring a bigger sound than expected. We play in different octaves, misarrange and add layers to make the most of it.” Working in the studio can carry over into the live shows as well. Aaron says “When in the studio, you come out feeling that you made the songs the best they can be. When performing these songs, you want to show the true colors out of them.” Seadar also mentions the added dimension of the two. “When making music in the studio, that creates a foundation and bringing them live adds in the subtitles. We also have a full band in the studio, so we have to compose for the duo live without the support of the band."

SDP has shared the bill with some extraordinary artists with the likes of Willie Nelson, Wilco, Grace Potter and the Yonder Mountain String Band. This led us to talk about the influences that have helped move the music along. For Seadar, they range from country female powerhouses such as Lucinda Williams and Bonnie Raitt to Johnny Cash, Uncle Tupelo and Wilco and more recently the Avett Brothers. “A lot of times, we won’t hear the influences in our music, but hear it from fans and critics. It feels good to make our own music and be compared to the sound of our influences.” says Seadar.  As for Aaron, The Band holds a special place on the iPod, with other influences coming from Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Bonnie Prince Billy. During college, Aaron followed Phish and other jam bands, doing the festival scene quite often.  “I’m just a fan of good music, hip-hop to jazz. If it’s good, it’s good.”

Playing in Lexington isn’t new for Screen Door Porch. They have played several sets at Buster’s as well as just recently playing Jean Ferris Winery and doing a set for Red Barn Radio while in town. The upcoming show at Natasha’s gives them another venue to open their music to. Aaron suggests “We wanted to play an intimate venue. This will allow us to turn the crowd on to our music that might not hit the bar scene. “ Seadar confers and adds “We want to support Natasha’s because we like what they are doing here." They both agreed on looking forward to tasting the food offerings as well.

Of course, coming off of Thanksgiving, curiosity struck about the favorites of the feast.  “Always desserts, too many this year. The top picks were pecan and pumpkin pie.” says Seadar as she reminisces on the sweets.  Aaron goes another culinary path, “For me, it was the dressing, both cornbread and bread. Mom does it up” Aaron also mentioned that they receive a little care package of baked goods around this time of year, which makes for good post show treats. “Anytime we can avoid McDonalds is a good thing.”

Screen Door Porch will be bringing their sound live at Natasha’s this Tuesday, November 30^th at 9 PM. The show is all ages with a $6 cover; starting at 9 PM. Reservations can be made at: http://www.beetnik.com/reservations. “Kentucky has a lot of roots and it comes out in the music. It’s always great to see old friends coming back here.” Aaron states. “Kentucky has a special spot for us. Love seeing new faces coming out.” Seadar includes. For those who haven’t heard of or seen Screen Door Porch live, expect a blend of electric and acoustic sounds. They are not your ordinary folk duo, bringing an energetic and soulful mix with a folk/blues/Americana feel.

The Natasha’s show on Tuesday will be their last Kentucky stop this year. After Lexington, the group will head south to the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee before heading west for a score of shows in Wyoming, Utah and Idaho. Keep updated with their tour and music at: http://www.screendoorporch.com/.

Printed in Ace Weekly, 11/30/10

(Photo credits by Barry Lewis, Matt Kramer and Aaron Davis)

Rev. Al Green brings the Gospel of Soul to the Norton Center

 (pictures from HullabaLOU 2010)

In a near packed house at the Norton Center in Danville’s Centre College, Rev. Al Green gave us an intimate connection to himself and his music. Armed with a 16-piece band, stockpile of roses and endless bottles of orange Gatorade, the Rev. reached out to everyone in the audience. Starting with a roll call of Lexington and Danville residents, he shows love for Lexington and it was his first trip to Danville. He proclaims, “I want Kentucky. If I can’t have it all, I don’t want it at all”. He takes us across the ocean to Japan, wondering how the Japanese people can sing his songs so well, yet after they finish, he cannot understand them. However, it made him smile that his music is transcendent throughout the world.

Of course, like no other performer does it, his use of roses is a trademark. So much so that his rose toss is likened to an NFL quarterback with surgical precision. Several songs in particular were rose factories, such as Let’s Get Married, Let’s Stay Together and a song off the set list, just for Kentucky, Pretty Woman. The rose toss sometimes included the Rev. to take off his suit jacket. Every time he took it off, screams in the crowd followed. There was also a Motown revue, which also included two Sam Cooke songs as well as Otis Redding, or “Big O” as Al says. During a rendition of Amazing Grace, you could hear the crowd say, “Feels like church up in here”

There were moments where Al let his band showcase their skills. Starting with a guitar solo, he was begging the guitar to sing out. There was a dual drum solo, with percussion intertwining perfectly. He introduced three of the backup vocals as his daughters, calling them “Green Power” The keyboard player got into his solo so much, his throne flew back as he swept the keys, leaving him standing and waiting for a stagehand to help him back to earth. The horn section trio was featured in the standard closing song, Love and Happiness, hitting the notes we all recognize.

 

At one time during the show, Rev. Green says, “I know when you see me sweat, you want to turn the AC on. Leave the fans off, I am going to sweat anyway, it’s my 2^nd job” He further explains that #1 is preaching, #2 is sweating and #3 is singing. There were some short impersonations, with Louie Armstrong and even Elvis coming out of Mr. Green. His falsetto was elegant and strong, leaving no doubt the vocals were still fresh. He even backed off the mic on several occasions, using the amazing acoustics of the room to his advantage. Standing ovations were typical during the show, giving praise back. After 35 or more years of doing this, he humbly utters, “I have love for you all” as he reminded us throughout the show. 

Well, Reverend, Kentucky has love for you as well.



Printed in Ace Weekly, 10/31/10

Michael Franti Makes Himself at Home in the Crowd

At the venue that never sleeps, Busters brought in another living legend to rattle the Distillery District.  Lexington experienced the Michael Franti and Spearhead phenomenon last night that one will not soon forget. An energetic crowd greeted the band with an emotional fever pitch that took the show off the ground before it started. 

In the midst of an emotional Stay Human, Michael channeled some Louie Armstrong into What A Wonderful World. Another familiar cover was Steve Miller Band’s The Joker (perhaps as a subliminal hurrah for the Steve slayer) after an acoustic jam out. The guitar setup was incredible, all wireless system with at least 14 guitars in the cycle.

Michael created a feel good medley that though completely diverse from each other, made perfect sense. Starting with Sublime’s What I Got, Michael mentioned that the one song everyone was singing in the yard of San Quentin was the theme of Sesame Street. The Cookie Monster took over Michael’s body during the song, taking us back to good times. That flowed right into the title track of the new album, Sound of Sunshine, a personal favorite. To come full circle, the close was back into What I Got with a torrid guitar shredding exchange, building the energy from the spiritual journey to another echelon.

For the second night in a row at Busters, the front man gets close to the crowd by inviting some guest dancers. “Michael Franti is the man of my dreams, makes the whole crowds wishes come true.” Candice Healy gasped after her brush with Michael on stage.  Later on, Franti came out into the crowd and went into Smells Like Teen Spirit. He brought up a fan who was in a car wreck on her way to the show to lend support on Hey Hey Hey . 

Franti did connect with the crowd as he talked about him shoeless journey that just hit the 10 year mark. He noted that the Soles4Souls charity can turn $1 into a pair of shoes, http://www.soles4souls.org/ or text 20222 with the word "Franti" to give a $5 donation, putting shoes on an entire family. 

The close was with the familiar  
Say Hey, extended to solidify the bond between the band and the crowd. After the show, Franti stayed around and let anyone who wanted to meet him do so. Franti’s connection with his crowd is incredible, leaving each fan with a piece of him to take with them. 

It’s Rock and Roll and a whole lotta soul!
 

B.o.B. and Jason DeRulo at UK for Homecoming Week

For UK Homecoming Week, the Student Activities Board always tries to bring a show to the students that will pack the house as well as get the energy up going into the weekend. This year’s attraction was two fold: B.o.B. and Jason DeRulo.

Though both performance goals were different, the crowd embraced them both.

 

As Jason DeRulo came out, the female audience, being the majority, went into a hysterical fury. Armed with 4 dancers at his side, DeRulo channeled some Usher and sweat was pouring as he moved across the stage. He covered Justin Timberlake as well as “Tonight’s Gonna Be a Good Night" – Black Eyed Peas and several versions of his own “Ridin Solo” By the end of his set, he had taken off his shirt, and brought up a “special lady” to get down and dirty with, to the delight of the of the ladies.

B.o.B.’s set was geared to show off the musical talents he has been blessed with. That didn’t stop the ladies from screaming for some Bobby Ray. Most hip hop singers/rappers use the gift of gab as their weapon of choice. B.o.B. shows that his musical range is broad, playing several types of guitars for what each song called for (a major upgrade from the Lil Wayne attempts at guitar playing. The crowd favorite was “Magic,” featuring Rivers Cuomo from Weezer (no, he was not there). At the close of “Nothin’ On You,” B.o.B. went into a reggae breakdown, adding some flavor to the song that put him on the map. The DJ called on that the next platinum hit will be “Don’t Let Me Fall” one of the more emotional songs on the debut album. The encore included B.o.B. getting down on the piano for “Ghost in the Machine.”

It was interesting that the headliner for the Homecoming weekend against UGA is a Georgia native. That didn’t stop him from showing favor to the home crowd. His dancers were outfitted in UK shirts and B.o.B’s accessories showcased the blue and white. People who usually wouldn’t dance were moving and grooving.

Levy Bui said, “I think SAB did an amazing job this year. B.o.B. and Jason DeRulo was the best concert I’ve been to thus far at UK. They brought such high energy and excitement."

Hopefully, this energy that was stolen from one of Georgia’s finest will carry over into a UK victory. We will find out if they could really use a wish right now or if they have the magic in them. Go Cats!

Printed in Ace Weekly,  10/21/10

Keep Your Butts Away from my Mama

As I was driving around town the other day, I witnessed a crime, a crime I have seen repeated over and over in my lifetime — someone who had just finished a cigarette looks around and then throws the butt on the ground.

In Kentucky, littering is considered a Class A misdemeanor with a fine up to $500 (KY Statute 512.070). Just to clarify, this is an illegal act. This is not an attack on smokers, who make a personal choice to smoke. My beef is with the littering and the disregard for the environment, law and fellow Earth dwellers.

As my friend Dave Chappelle reminds us, let’s keep it real for a moment. 

According to a 2009 study by the United Health Foundation, Kentucky ranks third in the US for highest population of smokers, at 25.2 percent. The estimated population of KY is 4.2 million residents. That means there are about a million smokers here in KY.

According to several studies, the average smoker consumes between 10-20 cigarettes per day. This would equate to approximately 10-20 million butts or filters to dispose of daily, just in Kentucky alone. For the year, the tally would be between 365 million and 730 million pieces of toxic litter. 

So, “what is the big deal about a few filters on the ground?” you may ask. Filters are usually made with cellulose-acetate wrapped in a paper shell — a change made in the ‘50s to lessen the risk of lung cancer and other diseases. Basically, the filter is plastic and paper. This causes a problem:  cigarette butts do not decompose, but they degrade over 10-15 years. Thus, each one discarded will stay around for a while. Just look on the ground anywhere you walk, including this smoke-free campus. You would be hard pressed to find many areas that have no cigarette litter.

This means that there will be contamination of water supplies — animals will be at risk by eating them and even children picking up and eating them out of curiosity. Let me ask you, when you unwrap a CD, get a drink from a fast food restaurant or open a piece of junk mail, do you just throw it on the ground when you are done? No, you say? Then why would cigarette butts be so different?

Again, I’m not asking people to stop smoking, but reconsider your choice after the nicotine rush is over. We all live here together and should respect this planet responsibly.

So keep your butts away from my mama (Mother Earth).

(Photo credit to Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images)

Printed in the KY Kernel, 10/20/10

An Interview and Post Show Recap with Robert Randolph

Robert Randolph Brings Us Home on Sunday at Busters

Lexington has been blessed with a nice wave of music acts recently, mainly due to the Equestrian Games and accompanying Alltech Fortnight Festival. These next two days go a long way to continue the trend and prevent a musical hangover. Two current heavyweights of the music realm, Robert Randolph and the Family Band Sunday night, then Michael Franti and Spearhead on Monday will be jamming the walls of Busters. I was able to catch Robert Randolph on his way to Atlanta and get to know the man behind the Sacred Steel.

What drove him to play the slide guitar? Some of the greats he followed in the beginning were Henry Nelson, Ted Beard and Willie Eason and being a witness to the House of God main musical instrument, the pedal steel.

“Growing up in the church and watching guys play and by learning from those guys and listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn later on --really trying to take the pedal steel slide guitar to another world of creativity and the way other guitar players approach it like SRV and Hendrix -- for me was a big motivational thing.”

He wanted to take the pedal steel outside the mainstream. “It’s the next thing, I think of guitar music, because the history of just guitars period. This new way of sliding and, for me, mainly trying to imitate the human voice, such as Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke, with that kind of authority. That to me was the bones of what really started to drive me.”

Acclaimed as best of the best was a rare honor when he was included as part of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. It is even more rare when a musician is currently playing, growing and still reaching their prime. For keeping his ego in check. He says, “You gotta remain humble in order to grow in every aspect. Without being humble, you can’t grow, you can’t take any advice, you don’t want to listen to anybody. That’s just the way it rolls.”

When you talk about the Top 100 list, many people believe Jimi Hendrix to have the #1 headband. The last three years has been fortunate to have Robert adding the pedal steel guitar to the celebration of Hendrix. “It's been a treat to be a part of these eclectic guitar players and guys with different styles that get together to see how Hendrix has influenced everyone.”

Many artists strike while the iron's hot, but then fade out and lose their relevance, or hit a plateau. He comments, “You always want to make sure you are making good music, whether it's radio hits or not because we want to be doing this when we are 50 or 60 years old. I am nowhere near where I really want to be. I am learning new stuff everyday. That is the key, you want to get better, you want to make good music and work with other artists. Always make sure the core of the fans are happy. Those are the ones that we all make music for out there. That’s what its all about.”

Randolph is no stranger to Kentucky, having played the Master Musicians Festival in Somerset this past July. Asked what Lexington should expect tonight, he wants you to be ready for a loud, good, wholesome, rocking time where you sing and dance and let it all out. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.

Robert Randolph and the Family Band Delivers a Soul Explosion

 

A near sell out crowd witnessed a living legend call the shot and hit a bomb out of the park. Once Robert Randolph and the Family Band struck a chord, the musical journey took off. From lounging on the slide, playing on the ground and running in place in his chair while playing, Randolph brought a solid A game into Busters tonight. At one point, he called 20 ladies onto stage, of course after getting the crowd’s approval. After her moment with the soulful steel, Shawn Livingston says, “Robert Randolph feels my soul.”

 

Just when you thought the show was in a groove, you near a recognizable tune. That’s right, they covered Thriller in an instrumental style. The pedal steel can wail some MJ. Another cover they dropped was Black Water by the Doobie Brothers. Later on, he brought up a few different players up from the crowd to play a little guitar while Robert was on his feet, playing a candy red Tele. The house was officially brought down when the band whipped into "Aint Nothin Wrong With That." Since he asked so nicely, the crowd started to lose control, flailing arms and moving in unison to the beat.

This was a spiritual night on the most soulful level. The word is out about Robert Randolph. If you got this show, you probably still feel it. For the rest, just ask someone to share the soul. I am sure they won’t mind.

Printed in Ace Weekly, 10/17/10

An Interview with Sharon Jones (of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings)

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings will play Friday, September 17th at Busters. Earlier this week, she took a break from her spot "on a lake fishing in New Jersey," to answer a few questions.

Her voice takes us back to the old soul music, yet keeps it fresh. Asked about influences, she says, "the retro is someone who tries to sing and sound like someone. With me, I don’t. Whatever the music sounds like, I’ll sing it. I might sing a song or two that has a Tina Turner feel, or an Otis feel, or a James Brown feel, you know, but other than that, most of my stuff it’s just me, that’s my soul that’s coming from out of me. A mixture of growing up listening to all these other soul artists. I’m 54 years old, so it’s like these other artists were just a few years older than me. When I was like 10 years old, these guys are like 18. So that’s why what you hear of us is so raw and so real."

Jones has been singing her whole life. A lot of people sing in the shower, but when did she know she was actually pretty good? She laughs, answering, "When I was a little girl. My first solo at church, I remember I played an angel, and they had dressed me up, had little wings made and a little halo. And I had a little white gown on and I had to sing 'Silent Night' as an angel. I'll never forget standing in church and hearing 'Ooh, that little girl can sing.' And I was like wow. The gospel stuff, church stuff, you don’t think about that, that was just natural. Then when I got older and start to imitate and sing like anyone I heard, from Michael Jackson to Diana Ross to Aretha, and then Whitney came out ...I could imitate and sing like everyone that was out there and that’s when I knew that God had given me a gift. And even when they told me I didn’t have the look to make it on a record label, I said 'you know what, I may not have the look, but one day people are going to accept me for my voice and not for the way I look' and that’s what happened."

Not many professional musicians can say they were a Corrections officer before they actually made it big. So if she hadn’t ended up as a soul singer, what does she think she would have ended up doing instead?

She answers, "I knew Corrections wasn’t for me when I went in there, the things that happened, the accidents that I was in... It was like an omen. They finally said 'look, you come back in or we will fire you,' so I resigned. From there I went to Wells Fargo Armed security, and I am like 'what am I doing here when I just need to be singing.' I would have gone for a postal or a state job, something that secures you after 25 years to retire and have a nice home or something somewhere. I took the police test, the sanitation test I took it in the 70s, one of the first women that took it in NY and I even made the news. Who knows what kind of job I would have had? I could be laid off or fired by now. I am just grateful for everything the way it worked, the way it is. That’s why I know God had me in His plan. I just had to keep the faith and hold on and I think that’s what I did. That’s why when I met Gabe of the Dap-Kings, I knew that was it. That was like the glove, I was the hand and the band is the glove. And we just get out there and when we’re connected, we’re connected."

After a brief break to avert a sandbar, the interview resumes with questions about whether she prefers to play clubs or festivals.

She says, "Clubs are cool, they are better, but at festivals you get a variety of people that get to see you but never heard of you. The thing I hate about the festivals are the porta toilets."

As for geographic preferences, she says, "Australia is a beautiful country and the people are so hungry for soul music and to see the live performance. Over in Europe, like England and France, they get to the point where they don’t care. They like what we are doing, but there is so much variety like in the US."

Internationally, is there more craving of soul compared to the US? She responds, "I believe so, except for Europe like London and France, that’s where all the artists went, over there. Why do you think Tina Turner and all of them made it over there? It’s just that they appreciate it more over there. But Australia, they don’t have it there. And they have a lot of young groups coming out of Australia doing more soul and stuff too. I always tell people you don’t have to be all black just to do soul music. And a big example of that is Amy and Eli Paperboy, they’re young kids and they imitate those singers well from back in the day. And they are going to imitate them long enough and going to keep growing and become themselves."

“100 Days, 100 Nights” will probably be the most notable song to people who have only heard one Sharon Jones song and she says, "every night I sing that song, it’s different. To me, I will never get sick of these songs. I have had fans get mad because we didn’t play a song. I will sing 100 Days a million times if I have to, and I will enjoy singing it every time, as long as someone asks me to sing it and they enjoy it. That’s what keeps me going. Never gets old to me, I love what I am doing and I was meant to do this. I am going to do it until I can't do it anymore."

At 54, does she have advice for upcoming talent that’s trying to make it now? She says, "If I would’ve listened to what people told me, I wouldn’t be here right now singing. I would have given that up and just tried to work those jobs and raise a family and forget about singing. I’ve seen so many people [who've] done that now and then they go back and say they wish they could've continued their music. And me, I feel that I followed it all the way out and it just took me a little longer. Don't let anyone discourage and turn you away. I knew God had given me a gift and I knew a long time ago and whatever those people told me, I didn’t believe God had brought me this far not to let me sing. So I had to follow that."

(Photos credits to Steven Dewall and Laura Hanifin)

Printed in Ace Weekly, 9/14/10

Underage music lovers excluded from shows

So, you are an undergrad looking for something to do in Lexington. You round up your friends and head downtown. There are people running around in the street, bands playing and good times are in store. You get to the venue to check out some music you heard about and the dreadful words are asked, “Can I see your ID?” You only want to listen to music, not drink or get too wild (at least not in public), and your birthday doesn’t agree with the bouncer. You are turned away. 

While there are a handful of places that do offer 18 and over entertainment, those places typically are the restaurant/venue establishments. Unless your favorite band is playing at the 18 and over venues, you will miss out on them. If they continue to play at venues that aren’t 18 and over, you might miss them during your time at UK. As a long time Lexington resident and front man in a band, I see this as a solvable problem that could benefit the venues as well as Lexington. 

First of all, students who have an enriched experience in the city during their time in college have an increased chance that they will be holdovers when they graduate.

This exposure will increase the educational level, revenue for the city and have advocates for UK, based on their experience. Young, progressive and educated people help this city grow into the next phase and become a viable destination for young professionals. If someone doesn’t get to delve into the culture and nightlife of Lexington until 21, Lexington has a hard time competing with Louisville, Cincinnati, Nashville and other surrounding cities in those areas. That same person will be ready to leave Lexington upon graduation, for something “bigger and better”

Second, students will be able to find local music and latch on for several years. This helps the bands survive with not only the cover take from the door, but crowd support and fan feedback. Supporting local music is more difficult than supporting national acts. Local acts have about an average of three years, meaning if a band starts your freshman year, you may not get a chance to see them before they disappear. National acts have large ad campaigns, considerable followings, promoted music, etc. For local acts, you have to be in the know, referred to a band or stumble upon one when you are out and about.

Lastly, the venues could profit from this as well. Granted, the underage patrons would not be able to stimulate bar sales, but if they paid a premium cover ($10 instead of $5, for example) and possibly a two non-alcoholic drink minimum, they would be making up for some of that difference. Instead of putting the big black Sharpie “X” on the hands of the underage, put it on those who are of age. Chances are that a 21 and over patron will not wash the X off. 

The main reason why venues are not as friendly about this more often is the insurance/licensure liability. If one bad apple came in and was served drinks, the venue would face heavy fines and possibly lose their liquor license. The only way for it to work is for the underage respect the privilege. Once venues lock into a system and have safeguards built in to protect them, this would be a great way to draw the entire campus, instead of 25 percent. 

Until things change, you can always stand outside. DRM signing out.

Originally printed in the KY Kernel, 8/31/10

Re-printed in Business Lexington, 9/1/10

HullabaLOU 2010: Rev. for the Roses

If you could hear rumbles coming from the River City this past weekend, it wasn’t Thunder Over Louisville, but the HullabaLOU Music Festival at Churchill Downs in Louisville. An estimated 30,000 to 50,000 music lovers gathered for the weekend and populated the five stages. Like Forecastle, HullabaLOU spanned three days, which could be broken down into days or even individual show tickets. The weekend was packed with acts spanning across generations, bringing crowds young and old.

As I entered the Downs, I was greeted by Michael McDonald singing “I Keep Forgettin’,” a favorite of the extensive catalog. He played individual hits, mixing in Motown and Doobie Brothers tunes seamlessly. During “She,” he muscled through falsetto tones, matching the studio quality, yet adding an edge only available live in effect. Before Michael left the stage, he reached out to the crowd: “We love you, Louisville. Stay with peace and maybe next time I see you, it will be in a peaceful world.”

The show I most wanted to see was Rev. Al Green, making him the second bucket list artist I have seen this year (Stevie Wonder being the first at Bonnaroo). There was a 20 minute delay during sound check, driving some fans to see Govt. Mule. Others wouldn’t have traded their spot for the world, myself included. The crowd that remained started a “We want Al” chant, coaxing the legend out of the shadows. In a style most fitting to the Downs, the Rev. was loaded with roses to be flung toward adoring fans, mainly of the female persuasion. That riled up the crowd all the way through the show. The Rev. spotted a “Happy Birthday” sign and blessed the birthday girl from the stage. At one point he said, “I bet there are some people that wonder if he still got it. The preacher still got it.” Truth be told, he hit those high registers like he ran the Express line.

While watching Michael Johnathan on the Bluegrass stage, I ran into the Stealing Angels — Caroline Cutbirth, Jennifer Wayne and Tayla Lynn. This is a trio with family ties to Daniel Boone, John Wayne and Loretta Lynn, respectively. Tayla talked about getting blisters from dancing on the pavement, being shocked at the crowd singing their songs and trying to keep cool. When I asked her who she was most excited to see, she mentioned Dwight Yoakam, the Avett Brothers and, “I am going to see my grandmother Loretta play. Haven’t seen her much this weekend.” Jen and Carol scooted off to the Black Crowes, which had the largest non-main stage crowd of the weekend.

Carrying on the motif of the eco-friendly festival, I ran into the Clean Vibes crew I worked with at Bonnaroo. To help lighten the load for the crew, they had a recycling redemption station, earning you one point for each piece redeemed. Prizes varied from stickers and bug balm at 25 points, to a Dave Matthews Band poster signed for 1,000 points and a camping kit for 2,000. Dave Matushik, a manager of the Clean Vibes crew, said that the high point total was around 1,200 points and he expected a surge at the end of the festival. To put it in perspective, he said, “If everyone would pick up one piece of trash before they leave, that would be tens of thousands less instantly. It doesn’t take much to make a difference.”

Since this was the first year, things didn’t always go smoothly, including low ticket sales/turnout, multiple delays in sound check process and even dropping the whole stage’s sound during the Dwight Yoakam set. Another issue was not having a second main stage to allow a larger crowd not just for the main stage set on the track. This was exposed during the Black Crowes set that didn’t have enough space for the crowd. That being said, it was an overall positive festival with great music and awesome music lovers all on one field. Hopefully next year they will be able to build on this foundation, bring in more acts that cross genres and make this a festival you don’t want to miss.

Printed in the KY Kernel, 7/29/10

Doctor M's Top 5 Shows Witnessed
1. Al Green
2. Steve Miller Band
3. Taj Mahal
4. Michael McDonald
5. Avett Brothers

Doctor M's Top 5 Shows Missed
1. Gladys Knight
2. Doobie Brothers
3. War
4. Ben Folds
5. Colbie Caillat

Other highlights captured on the scene:

•  On my way to check out Steppenwolf and Joan Osborne, I heard Sara Evans covering, “I Want You To Want Me” by Cheap Trick.

• Avett Brothers crowd started sparse due to the Black Crowes stealing about 85% of the festival crowd. It built right after the Crowes went off, perfect timing for their intense string plucking close.

• Steve Miller had a tribute to a fallen band member, Norton Buffalo, with the song, Wild Mountain Cherry. He mentioned that he played the song with Norton over 3,000 times and never got tired of it. “Say hi to Les Paul for me.

• The Chill Zone provided 20,000 square feet of misted covered space through the grounds.

• Michael Johnathan tuned his banjo while talking to a newly married couple from Jasper, IN

• Al Green’s covers included: Sugar Pie Honey Bunch (Four Tops), My Girl (Temptations) Bring It On Home to Me (Sam Cooke), Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding) and Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison)

• Hog Operation, my surprise of the festival, covered The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby” to close their set on the Bluegrass stage.

Q & A with Michael Johnathon of the Woodsongs

The great thing about local music festivals is that they seem to have many local artists perform. Festivals such as Forecastle as well as HullabaLOU feature several Lexington acts. One of the most notable Lexington acts that will be playing at HullabaLOU is Michael Johnathon, founder and host of the Woodsongs Radio Hour. Johnathon is an accomplished musician, with nine albums, including the upcoming release “Ravenwood,” and is a prolific writer, with the play “Walden: The Ballad of Thoreau” firmly under his belt. Johnathon sat down with the Kernel as he was getting things ready for Joan Baez to take the Opera House stage for a Troubadour Series concert, the 299th of the series.

Q. How did HullabaLOU target you to be on the lineup?
A. They called my agent and made it happen. Looking to make an interesting day of it. I am a folk singer that plays the banjo with a string quartet, so they thought that would liven up the Bluegrass stage, not straight Bluegrass.

Q. Who are you excited to see at HullabaLOU?
A. I’ve worked with the Avett Brothers, they’ve been on Woodsongs three times. Rhonda Vincent has been on Woodsongs five times and is coming back in October. These are all friends of mine. Ben Sollee used to be my cellist on the broadcast, you know, and I am so proud he is taking off the way he is. I think because the classic nature of what she represents, I think Loretta Lynn is a special, that’s a special performance. This is a uniquely rare moment to see something of true legacy.

Q. How do you see the current generation absorbing their music, and how does a festival like HullabaLOU give an outlet?
A. Life moves at cyber speed. This is the first generation that is receiving all of their art in a two-dimensional art form. Young kids today don’t experience three-dimensional art. They hear an artist through their ear buds on their iPods and iPads and go check them out on YouTube, (they) don’t go check them out at a club. I think events like HullabaLOU is a great opportunity for families to enjoy music as a three-dimensional art form. A lot of it.

Q. Talking about your new album “Ravenwood” coming out soon, you wanted to make an album that felt like you were playing in a cabin in the woods. How did you get to the mindset to go to that good place?
A. I just came off of doing the big “Walden” play production, which was a play I wrote about Henry David Thoreau’s final two days in a cabin at Walden woods before he left. He was there for two years, two months and two days, so the play is the final two days before he left Walden pond. I am a tree hugger by nature, not the political kind, just the kind that loves the Earth. “Ravenwood” is the cabin in your heart; it’s the cabin in your mind, no matter where you live. It’s the cottage in the woods of your spirit, even though you may be living in an urban condo, third-floor high-rise. We need that centered place.

Q. You performed the song “Cars” on Woodsongs and infused comedy with musicianship. What kind of response or feedback have you had from that?
A. “Cars” has gone viral, cool internet song, radio is catching up with it. The national syndicated show “Car Talk” just featured the song on the air for the second time. As of this week, it’s on the New Music Weekly Top 30 for country radio, so its getting commercial country airplay, which is strange because I’m not a country artist. It features JP Pennington, the founding member of Exile, which is a country band, and John McEuen from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. To me, the song “Cars” is an ironic way to prais the greenness of the modern car. If you listen to the song, it’s praising the efficiency of the modern car and lamenting the fact that they’re just not cool anymore. Nothing compares to a 1968 Mustang 4-speed convertible. Nothing will. The era of the fun, sexy car is gone, as it should be, but it’s a shame. It’s a shame that we haven’t managed our resources in a way so we can still have fun. 

Q. Any surprises from the new album being received?
A. I was interested that XM Radio has picked up “The Ballad of Bojangles” because that is a complete rewrite of the classic Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. Bojangles.” It’s taking his story and completely rewriting it, from scratch. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band had the original hit of “Mr. Bojangles” and John MeEuen of the NGDB is performing with me on the rewritten ballad of Bojangles, validating the effort.
I was a little concerned. It’s like doing a complete rewrite of “Stairway to Heaven.” You know, who in the heck do you think you are? It’s a tribute to Jerry Jeff Walker, one of our finest Texan songwriters. It’s an American classic song and the fact that it’s number three on XM Radio is a validation for me as a songwriter.

Q. Have any other festivals or projects this summer?
A. I just came back from the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival in St. Augustine, just did the Florida Folk Festival, doing HullabaLOU. I do about 70 concert dates a year, 44 Woodsongs, record an album, do a “Walden” play. It’s pretty busy, but it’s fun.

Q. You wouldn’t change it for the world, I’m sure.
A. Not hardly, not hardly at all.

Michael Johnathon will be playing HullabaLOU on Sunday on the Bluegrass Stage from 4:30 to 6 p.m. with the Hippie Chick String Quartet.

Check out the rest of the HullabaLOU lineup at www.hullabaloufest.com and more about Michael Johnathon at www.michaeljohnathon.com and www.woodsongs.com.

Johnathon will also be playing with JP Pennington, J.D. Crowe, Alien Blue, Paul Felice and others for a fundraiser on August 3rd at the Kentucky Theatre to benefit Almira Fawn. For more details on the benefit, go to www.amirafawnbenefit.com.

Printed in the KY Kernel, 7/21/10 

Forecastle 2010: Rockin' the River City

The summer is marked with great music festivals across the country. One of the notable ones is in our backyard, so to speak. The 9th Annual Forecastle Fest was held at Waterfront Park in Louisville this year, a first-time use of the locale. With an estimated 30,000 in attendance, it has a more intimate feel than some of the larger summer festivals. This festival is perfect not only for the typical festivalgoer, but those who aren’t into camping or multiple-day events.

Forecastle can be broken up into individual days, which leads to being commuter friendly. You can also enjoy the full-scale festival, though it is in the city and camping isn’t the most ideal. Nonetheless, the festival is a blessing for the state to have. Like Bonnaroo, Forecastle is eco friendly, with free recycling games, various types of recycling receptacles scattered through the park and food vendors using compostable items for food service.

The thing about a music festival is the love and respect everyone shows to each other, unlike any other gathering in my experience. One thing I noticed off the bat was the amount of Lexingtonians who were jamming on the river. WRFL had a table, the March Madness Marching Band was roaming around, and many friends I may have crossed paths with more than once. Even J. Gumbo’s of Lexington treated me to a few meals. I talked with some of the owners about being a festival food vendor. “Forecastle is our first festival, which fell in our laps, being based in Louisville,” principle owner Charlie Farnsley said. “The Lexington store loses 50 to 60 percent of its customer base during the summer and festivals help soften the blow. “It’s rewarding to see repeat customers. We had one guy come by seven times.”

Just like at any festival, you are always on the go to witness great music and spectacles.

Working at the Coke Zero trailer, Alysha Harris, a 2010 UK grad in speech pathology pointed out that in addition to free Coke Zero from the tap, there was free wi-fi, Wii games, and an overhead deck area to view the main stage. “This is the true VIP section and all you have to do is come in, no charge,” Harris said. “It’s a nice change of pace to come to Forecastle where there is such great music and people.”

Highlight recap inside Forecastle Fest:

• CAKE covered Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” and hinted to a new album.

• Foxy Shazam’s lead singer, Eric Sean Nally claimed to want to jump into the river after the set. I missed if he held true to his claim.

• Quinn Erwin won the Battle of the Bands and the right to open the show up on the last day of the festival.

• DEVO changed outfits four times and Mark Mothersbaugh said, “Good night, Lexington” to end the show, which puzzled most festival goers but didn’t seem to faze their good time. Natalie Lile and Steve Baron of the MMMB both claimed this to be their favorite show. “DEVO was great. Older bands like that can sometimes be lame in concert, just going through the motions. But they really put on a fun show and their new material was just as good as the older stuff.” Steve Baron – Owner of CD Central and sax player in MMMB.

• Smashing Pumpkins were the last headline band added to the lineup. After Billy Corgan continuously absorbed waves of glow sticks, he broke down and said, “I didn’t know when I picked out this shirt that I would be the target of fucking glow sticks” before batting the glow sticks away with his guitar. He also mentioned that he asked what Kentucky makes, and was told baseball bats and bourbon. He was sure to add beautiful women to that list. Lauren Sexton from Louisville was more than excited: “The Smashing Pumpkins were worth the 22-year wait to see them. Awesome, awesome show!”

• Spoon had a solid set, but you could sense the crowd growing hungry for The Flaming Lips. That didn’t stop them from doing their thing and warming the crowd for the last show of the weekend. A horn section straight out of Louisville, keeping the local flair rolling along, also aided them.

• The three shows I wanted to see most, due to missing them at Bonnaroo were: The Flaming Lips, She and Him and Bassnectar. Bassnectar, or Lorin Ashton, is an electronic music artist who focuses on pounding you with bass beats that are organic. The light show that accompanies the music is perfectly balanced. It was a glow stick galore as Bass Heads unite for Bassnectar’s beats. Lorin Ashton says, “First time with the Kentucky Straight Bassbins. Perfect crowd, excellent event, I cannot wait for Round 2!”

• She and Him started the set hot and heavy with virtually no breaks in between songs. Zooey Deschanel thanked the “I Heart U Zooey” sign maker and commented on some sunglasses. Along with M. Ward, they kept telling the crowd how awesome they were and how much they enjoyed Louisville. They covered “Roll Over Beethoven” by Chuck Berry (M. Ward sang) and “I Put a Spell on You” Screamin Jay Hawkins (Zooey sang)

• To cap the musical tour that Forecastle had conjured up, The Flaming Lips were called to tear the stage down. Without question, this was the show I had been waiting for. I missed the Bonnaroo show due to getting crowded out at the Which Stage and The Black Keys playing at the same time. Along with She and Him and Bassnectar, this was the final piece of my missing Bonnaroo trinity. Wayne Coyne did a stealthy guitar sound check to Yoshimi, forecasting the acoustic version to be played later in the show. Wayne came out in a bubble and “crowd bubbled” to start things off. Loads of confetti and smoke filled the air, even before they played a single song. Wayne even hopped on the back of a bear that came on stage. You just had a feeling that this show was magical from the beginning. Opened with the classic, “She Don’t Use Jelly” and played many songs from the Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots album as well as At War With The Mystics. There was an emotional turn in the show where Wayne connected with the crowd just before playing, “In The Morning of the Magicians” and continued through “Do You Realize?” and “All We Have Is Now” At the end of the show, I got to meet Kliph Scurlock, the lead drummer. He was gracious to take several photos with fans that hung around after the show as well as make a station ID for WRFL. It was an incredible end to the most mind-blowing show I have ever witnessed. Though each show carries something unique, this show felt even more rare. “The Flaming Lips create the most wonderful concert experience imaginable. It’s equal parts theatricality and top notch musicianship that meld with each other to create a weird, crazy, psychedelic freakout.” – Travis Walker, WRFL DJ. Wayne made mention that they would like to play Forecastle again. Maybe The Lips will bless us for the 10th installment of Forecastle in 2011. Stay tuned, my friends.

Doctor M’s Top 5 Shows Witnessed

1. The Flaming Lips

2. She and Him

3. Bassnectar

4. Foxy Shazam

5. Cake

Doctor M’s Top 5 Shows Missed

1. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

2. Widespread Panic

3. The New Deal

4. That One Guy

5. we were promised jetpacks

Printed in the KY Kernel, 7/14/10