February 2008 Archives

In 1955, Freddie Bell and the Bellboys recorded a song called "Hound Dog." While performing in Las Vegas that year, a young up-and-coming singer named Elvis Presley caught their act, liked the song, and decided he would record the song too.
Presley's record was a hit and he became a huge star. Bell's record was not a hit and he continued playing casino lounges.
Sometime around 1990, I witnessed Freddie Bell's act in a casino lounge in Reno. He did some of the expected lounge standards and told raunchy, stale jokes like this one:
"While the astronauts were up in space drinking Tang, I was down in New Orleans getting some poon!" While half the audience groaned and the other half struggled to do the math, he punctuated his point with "Poon!" (rimshot) "Tang!" (rimshot).
He preceded his version of "Just A Gigolo/Ain't Got Noboby" with an angry diatribe against David Lee Roth, who he accused of stealing "his" song.

Freddie Bell died on February 11, 2008. He may have been the last of the old-school Vegas lounge singers. He was certainly the last of something.

I've only seen Kelly Willis - one of my all-time favorites - play live once, and hardly even that. It was about a 20-minute Rykodisc showcase at SXSW (Yes! Only twenty minutes - not even the "full" 40-minute set that comprises a normal SXSW showcase!) some years ago, so you can only imagine the panic I felt when I read on her website that she was taking an indefinite hiatus from touring to focus on being a mom and raising her children (by the way, it's not like Kelly tours all that much to begin with - so when she says she's not touring any more - I kinda take that seriously!). I called my friend Pam and begged her (okay, she's a Kelly Willis fan, too, so it wasn't like I was pulling her arm or anything) to go with me to Santa Barbara last weekend to see her show at the Lobero Theatre. She agreed, and off we went, Thelma and Louise style, to Santa Barbara.

I should back-up a bit, before I get too carried away, and mention the prelude to our evening in Santa Barbara. The previous evening, a Friday night, I went (yet again) to The Mint to see Hayes Carll and Chuck Prophet (Chuck produced Kelly's latest record, Translated from Love, and was also playing in Santa Barbara the next evening). I've seen Hayes in better form - I imagine that because this was his first trip to Los Angeles, he wasn't as surrounded by as many people who were familiar with his music as he's used to. The band scheduled between Hayes and Chuck was the Carnival Dogs, but it seems that most of the band was unable to make it, so as filler, they got some terribly boring coffee-house singer to perform for a half-hour, and then two members of the Carnival Dogs joined the founder of the Mint (I found this a little confusing, 'cause I thought the Mint was founded in the '30s, but it seems that this was really the guy who refurbished it a few years ago) for three or four really boring songs that made me seriously consider leaving. I stuck around, though, and got to see Chuck play for about 30 minutes before I had to go back to work. Chuck was so-oo good, and it was really hard to leave early.

I wish I could say that Pam and I headed up the coast to Santa Barbara early enough on Saturday to do some wine tasting and sit down to a nice dinner, but c'mon, we don't have our shit together THAT much. We made it in time to walk up and down State Street a bit, and have Ben & Jerry's ice cream (Brownie Cheesecake is DELICIOUS!) before heading back over to the Lobero. Outside, we marveled at how cool it was that so many people knew who Kelly Willis was, and then we realized that her show was part of a subscription series called "Sings Like Hell." It was a very different setting and crowd than we're used to at the smoky bar joints - a sit-down theatre with no alcohol allowed inside. We worried that people would complain if we tapped our feet too loudly, and backstage, even Kelly admitted that shows like that are terrifying - because those people are actually listening! Kelly played a fantastic set accompanied by only a couple of guitars (and Chuck and a drummer at one point for "The More That I'm Around You"). I also learned at the show that the Dixie Chicks had requested to record Kelly's "Not Forgotten You" for their debut album, which Kelly denied them, saying, "That's MY song!", not realizing that they'd go on to sell a gazillion copies of that album. Now, of course, she's a sister-in-law to one of them, and the song they recorded by Kelly's husband, Bruce Robison, "Travelin' Soldier," became "the fastest descending #1" in the history of the Billboard charts. I would have loved to hear Natalie Maines singing that, and it seems like it would have been such a great inclusion on their Wide Open Spaces record, but I'd take Kelly Willis singing her own song over that any day.

This show has definitely left me yearning for the day when Kelly returns to touring again.

is Willie Nelson. Went to his show at the new Nokia Theatre in Downtown L.A. Across the street from the Staples Center.
First of all the Nokia Theatre is a decent venue for once. Not to big and not a bad seat in the house.
This was my first time seeing Willie Nelson perform live. I missed Johnny, Roy and Jerry Lee is unreliable (sorry Killa) and well Willie is one of the last "outlaws". Highlights was nod to Crazy and then a triple treat of Hank Williams, plus a few hits.
He has a couple of his sons perform with him. One of his sons is awesome blues guitarist but when he sang I was a bit thrown off. I thought it would be deeper but it wasn't. Just didn't mix. Both sons are into Bob (Marley, that is) which I think brings musically a even more laid back/relax vibe to the night.
At the beginning of the show he played this mini movie/video of him kicking back in Lucky, Texas for the annual lawnmower race. Stars like Luke (I heart) and Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, who I thought was awesome in The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by the way, and unfortunately Jessica Simpson were featured. It was very cute and had a few laughs.
Willie played his anti war song A Peaceful Solution which got everyone on their feet. It has great lyrics. I really do think we need to take back America.
I was disappointed that he didn't perform Hello Walls, one of my faves!

There are only three of the original five members of The Duhks (pronounced "Ducks") left, and it was with much curiosity that I went to see them at the Knitting Factory last night. Much of the Duhks former appeal, I believe had to do with the look of former lead singer Jessee Havey - a girl who's arms and upper chest are covered in tattoos - singing old timey music. Certainly not the norm.

However, as much as I love Jessee, I found myself a quick fan of the new lead singer, Sarah Dugas, and thought her introduction was a perfect one - just enough fan favorite songs, plus plenty of songs from their forthcoming album, which they just recorded in Nashville. Sarah's voice is similar, albeit not identical, to Jessee's, but Sarah sang even the "old" songs with as much sass and confidence as if she was the one who had performed the songs on the record, too.

Appropriately, fiddler Tania Elizabeth and banjoist Leonard Podolak took over introductions on a few songs that had a place in the band's history prior to Sarah's inclusion, but in such a seemless way that one never knew she hadn't always been part of the band. Guitarist Jordan McConnell is still with the band, but percussionist Scott Senior has been replaced by Sarah's brother, the understated but very talented Christian Dugas (Scott has chosen to remain off the road, due to the birth of his second child, and ironically, Christian and Leonard also played together in a band called Scruj MacDuhk - from which Leonard came up with the current band name).

So, yeah, I'm anxiously awaiting the new album from the Duhks, and the next ripple in their pond.

For someone who didn't watch the Grammys on TV, I sure did go to a lot of Grammy-related events this weekend.

I take that back. I caught a glimpse of I think Kanye West singing something while waiting for my friend Pam to get ready (she had the Grammys on TV when I came over Sunday night). Unmistakeable? Irreplaceable? Something like that? I was clearly impressed.

Several co-workers playfully accused me of being a "show whore" when I told them that prior to the private Dierks Bentley show I was scheduled to attend on Friday night, I would also be attending Yep Roc's Grammy Showcase at the Mint, thanks to Wanda and her college radio magic. We were mainly there to see Jim Lauderdale, who was nominated for (and later won!) Best Bluegrass Album for The Bluegrass Diaries. Jim's Friday night bluegrass set was pleasant but quiet, and a couple of times I wanted to punch the ass holes standing in front of us for talking so damn loud.

You'll have to ask Wanda about Peter Case and Doyle Bramhall, who followed Lauderdale, because after Jim, who was our priority, I went over to the Knitting Factory. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I'm a Dierks Bentley fan mainly because the very first time I saw him perform live, he did a really, really great job - and the merits of that one show (although I've seen him several times since then) have made me forgive him for not having a personality. Anyway, when I learned that Miranda Lambert and Dwight Yoakam were scheduled to make appearances, the value of this show skyrocketed for me.

And the show did not disappoint. I've seen Dierks enough times to kind of know his formula - I know that he's going to play the "hits," as well as "can't-miss" album cuts like "Domestic, Light, and Cold," "Cab of My Truck," "Wish It Would Break," etc. However, Dierks strayed from the norm with this show: instead playing album cuts like "Can't Live It Down," and introducing a new song, "Life on the Run." Miranda Lambert was the first guest to join Dierks for a duet of "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way," which as you may recall, she performed with Jack Ingram on CMT Cross Country, and at this show, name-checked Jack - Nothin' wrong with that! (If you get that reference, know that I love you.) Following Miranda was Brad Paisley, who performed "Folsom Prison" and "Act Naturally" with Dierks. Next up - Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, who played guitar for another of Dierks' album cuts, "Distant Shore." The kids from Paramore were up next, and who knew Hayley could do "Jackson" so well?! They also performed the Foo Fighters' "My Hero," in honor of Chris Shiflett, who was scheduled but couldn't be there. The quote of the night belongs to my boss, who was in the restroom when Dwight Yoakam came out for the encore, to perform "Close Up the Honkytonks" and "Love's Gonna Live Here." "Wow, Dwight can really clear a bathroom!" was her comment upon returning to our post.

I took a breather from all-things Grammy on Saturday, before heading back over the Mint for the Americana Music Association's Grammy party, hosted by Sin City (I have now been to the Mint so many times in the past month, the girl at the door knows my last name). Pam and I are so cool that we said we'd be there at 9p, but we wound up leaving her place on the West Side at 9:30p. Fortunately, nothing really got underway until 10:30p, when the Sin-City All-Stars started their set. They're mostly a jam band, but guest appearances from Travis Howard (who performed "Famous In a Small Town," the song he co-wrote with Miranda Lambert, and which was nominated for a Grammy - but lost to Carrie Underwood) and Aaron from Shurman were much appreciated. Ted Russell Kamp was also in the audience, and if it was up to me, he'd have played, too. Jim Lauderdale was the well-deserved prince of the evening with his Grammy-win, and his hour-long set would have been awesome, enough....even if Lucinda Williams and Charlie Louvin hadn't come up on stage to sing with him! (Lucinda was standing right next to me for a little while - and I can honestly say I have never, ever been more nervous in MY LIFE).

People started clearing out around 1a, but they should have stuck around, because shortly afterward, Jim Lauderdale and Randy Kohrs started an impromptu acoustic performance by the bar. After two songs, it was suggested that the party be moved upstairs (I didn't even know the Mint had an upstairs!), but it was now 1:30a, and people, I had to be at work at 10a the next morning...and I don't like Monday mornings to begin with.

And now, I am Grammied out.

The Beatles make it (literally) across the Universe!

The Beatles have yet again, made music history, but this time in a bit of a different way...okay, a real different way. Last week, The Beatles song "Across The Universe" was literally catapult across the the Universe by NASA!

Scientists are continuously discovering things about the Universe they didn't know before. I will never say that there is not life on another planet, because there is too much we don't know. Every time I truly think of our "big" blue planet floating out there in space, it blows me away. We don't stop often enough to think about how miraculous that is. We're too busy trying to earn a living, take care of our families, etc. But, thought is infinite and the imagination can take us far in our journey. Who knows, maybe someone, somewhere far, far away will be listening and trying to make sense.

To read more (click on the link below):

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/across_universe.html

Engineers at JPL's mission control initiated a signal telling the NASA's Deep Space Network to send the song into space. Image credit: NASA/JPL.