Playin' in the band

The dynamics of a band teeters, from brilliance to disaster, depending completely on how its players mesh. I have never personally been part of that experience, but have been around it enough to know that one bad apple -- a superstar ego, someone who is perpetually late or absent -- can change those dynamics and destroy a band. And while I am not saying this was the cause of the split-up of cellist extraordinaire Rushad Eggleston from Crooked Still, I would like to think after seeing them a bunch of times and reading about them, there was something to it.
First, let me say that I love the band, and after seeing a few YouTube clips (one of them below) with their new lineup, I'm happy to report they look energized and should be just fine. I think I blogged last year after seeing them at Passim that after the show I had this crazy fear that they would not stay together long. They seemed like a group, with a star cellist and star banjo player, with a ton of talent but not much chemistry. In the middle was this diminutive but powerful singer Aiofe O'Donovan trying to hold things together. I also saw them at Rushad's final concert at Sanders Theatre, and while they were all saying nice things, I didn't find his departure to be overly emotional for the band. And finally, Stills' bassist Corey DiMario, on his blog "Play the Bass, Drive the Bus," writes this about recording the group's new CD with new bandmates violinist Brittany Haas and cellist Tristan Clarridge: "It's really hard to express how excited I am about this music. It's exceeded every expectation I had going into the process by miles. It really feels like we are a band now, both musically and otherwise."
Here's to hoping that Crooked Still continues to make that crazy bluegrass music that we've come to love. I can't wait for the new album.

Sarah rocks!

We've come to expect a rockin' show by Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, and last night at the Lizard Lounge she did not disappoint. After debuting her new video for her song "Stop and Think It Over," which had a fun '50s-type girl band feel to it, she proceeded to blister her way through a set of songs mostly from her new album "Diamonds in the Dark." Sarah and the band are so much more polished even from a year ago when we last saw her. The band just really hammers every song, and Sarah is just a great presence in front of it all. She and her bass player Binky have great personalities and keep things light, while drummer Robert Larry Dulaney smiles his way through each tune. And I've left guitar player extraordinaire Mike Castellana for last because he deserves special attention. His electric and pedal-steel playing is ferocious and tasteful at the same time. If you have a chance to catch these guys, do it! To see more pics, click HERE. To view a couple of clips click HERE and HERE.

The lull is over

The holidays are over, which means the clubs get busy again and it's time to get back into the music scene. There are many shows I'd like to see, but two I HAVE to see. The first is Sarah Borges at the Lizard Lounge a week from tonight. It's been a while since I've seen her live and that's way too long. Sarah's latest album, "Diamonds in the Dark," which I reviewed last September (click HERE to read the review), made many "best of 2007" lists, which she so deserves. But it's on stage where she really shines, and the Lizard -- one of our favorite venues -- is a great place to see her.
The other must-see show is Michelle Shocked (with special guest guitarist Erin McKeown, oh yeah!) at Passim on Feb. 5. For those not familiar with Michelle, well, she is one of a kind. She definitely marches to her own beat. What I have always loved about her is that she follows her muse, changing styles and genres as it suits her. And I follow right along... Lately, she's been into a gospel thing. It's not my favorite style of hers, but I'm willing to listen. One thing you can be sure of with Michelle is she throws her heart, soul, and wonderful voice into whatever genre she takes on. And with Erin along for the ride, I can't wait to see and hear what happens!
A little taste of Sarah live!:

Videos!

In my attempt at being a full service bloggerator, I've posted all my concert video clips on YouTube. Among the artists so far are Josh Ritter, Lori McKenna, Crooked Still and the Wailin' Jennys. You can check them out by going to www.youtube.com/modernacoustic.
Here's a taste of what's been posted

A great night!

What an inspiring and incredibly fun night of music by Josh Ritter and a couple of his bandmates, Sam and Zack, at Passim on Tuesday. The show (actually shows, there was an early set as well) was a benefit for their friend Kate (see entry below), who is battling cancer. The music was wonderful and varied, ranging through all of Josh's albums, from early-career favorites ("Hotel Song") to "Historical" ("Temptation of Adam" and an acoustic "To the Dogs or Whoever"). I don't have a complete setlist, but among the tunes were (in no particular order): "Kathleen," "Harrisburg," "Lawrence, Kansas," "Come and Find Me," "Jiggs," "Good Man,""Wolves,"Here at the Right Time,"Still Beating," and "Empty Hearts." I think this is about right (feel free to correct me!)
Zack played his "Cowboy Song" and there were plenty of laughs and lighthearted moments amid the poignancy of some of Josh's songs to the cause. In all a great night. Below, is a clip from the show.
For a few more pics, click HERE.

Concerts for a Friend

On Tuesday, Dec. 11, Josh Ritter will perform two shows at Passim in Cambridge, Mass. to benefit Kate Filanowski who is battling breast cancer (click HERE to read her Caring Bridge blog). Kate, who has a great spirit and a smile to match, is a close friend of Josh and the band as well as the extended band family and, at age 30, is facing huge medical bills for her treatment. We all wish Kate a speedy recovery and these shows, in which all proceeds go to help her out, are a marvelous and thoughtful idea from Josh. The only problem is both shows sold out very quickly and many of Josh's fans, most who don't even live close enough to Passim, would like to help Kate out in some way. So Josh and the band will be auctioning off some really fun items on Ebay, again with all proceeds benefitting Kate's medical costs. There is also a way to donate directly to Kate's cause through Paypal (click HERE).

Below are the items that are available on Ebay. They are available right now!

*Vinyl copy of "The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter" signed by the whole band
*Autographed songbook
*Actual drumhead from concerts, autographed by Josh
*Josh records personalized outgoing message for your phone
*Handwritten, autographed lyrics to "Kathleen" from Josh
*Personalized serenade from Zack on "Nessie" the tuba
*Sam and Zack write, perform and record song just for you
*Drumsticks used on Irish tour and "Jools Holland Show," signed by Josh

Hanukkah CD swap, a great tradition

Last year, my sister came up with a fun idea for our family Hanukkah celebration, which usually includes a large group of people coming together for Latkes and boisterous, prop-enhanced renditions of traditional holiday songs (The non-Hanukkah sing-along of "Mule Train" is an added bonus!). My sister's idea was to include a CD swap where everyone has to bring a homemade CD of tunes. Numbers are randomly picked and matched to a CD, one for each person. Everyone leaves with a CD of new music. It's a great way to bring everyone together talking about the really interesting compilations people come up with. I, of course, can't resist coming up with a theme or a reason for my songs. Last year was unusual cover music -- Gillian Welch singing Neil Young's "Pocahontus"; Dar Williams doing Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb," etc.
This year my theme is the "Voice Crush." As I explain on the CD cover, "A voice crush is when you fall in love with someone solely based on the tone of his or her vocals. For them, I’d put a poster of their voices on my wall ... if that were even remotely possible." Actually, I copped this from a blogger out of Cincinnati talking about singer-songwriter Kim Taylor. I find it explains how I fall for certain artists, especially women singer-songwriters.

Anyway here is my song list for this year's CD:
1. "Standing," Patty Griffin
2. "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson," Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
3. "The Air Is Thin," Jesse Sykes
4. "Old Simon Stimson," Peter Mulvey
5. "Hard to Know," Mindy Smith
6. "That’s So Amazing," Michelle Shocked
7. "Under My Skin," Bob Schneider
8. "Rise Up With Fists!!," Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins
9. "Wrecking Ball," Gillian Welch
10. "Jezebel," Iron and Wine
11. "High Shelf Booze," Eilen Jewell
12. "Water Water," Kris Delmhorst
13. "Los Angeles, I’m Yours," The Decemberists
14. "Modern Love," The Last Town Chorus
15. "People," Kim Taylor
16. "It Makes No Difference," The Band
17. "Ecstasy," Crooked Still