KINK-FM in Portland, a radio station worth watching

I recently ran across KINK-FM (101.9) , a radio station out of Portland, Oregon. Since I live on the East Coast I had never heard of them before. But a recent video post of a Josh Ritter song on Facebook led me on a search for the station and possibly more video. I believe the host is one of the station's DJs, Steve Pringle. He brings in a great variety of indie acts including Ray Lamontagne,  Justin Townes Earle and Grace Potter to name a few. Anyway, check out the videos and interviews HERE. You can also stream the radio station live, which I have not done yet, but hope to soon. Here are some vids I really liked.

Josh Ritter, "Change of Time"

Jackie Greene, "1961"

Bob Schneider, "Big Blue Sea"

The Avetts, "Kick Drum Heart"

Favorites of 2010

Way Down with 'Hadestown' and more!
Our annual list of Favorites: 2010


To read the whole issue, click HERE

FAVORITE CD

“Hadestown,” Anais Mitchell
A concept album in itself is very tough to pull off. A folk opera about the Orpheus myth? Please. Top it off with an incredible cast – Ani DiFranco, Greg Brown, Justin Vernon, etc. – singing the various roles and a band that pulls off an array of musical styles. We can’t think of another album in the last 10 years that has consistently been in our heads nearly every day since its release. It is truly an amazing accomplishment.

SURPRISE CD
See above.

FAVORITE CONCERT

“Hadestown” performed live at Passim 
We’ve never seen a group of musicians more into what they were doing. Some of Boston’s best musicians crowded onto and in front of the small stage to re-create “Hadestown” from start to finish. It was exquisite. Peter Mulvey, Kris Delmhorst, Tim Gearan and many others along with Anais and backed by Michael Chorney’s band. Even when they weren’t performing you could see how intensely the musicians were listening: bobbing their heads, eyes closed. It was mesmerizing. Read our concert review HERE




BEST TIME AT SHOW

Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band, Orpheum Theatre, Boston, and State Theatre, Portland, Maine
We should just retire this category. There’s no way to beat friends, family, and Josh Ritter… Unless another band wants to invite us along to ride their tour bus, this is the way it’s always gonna be!
Read our concert reviews HERE and HERE

FAVORITE CONCERT PHOTO

Avetts on the scissor lift at Newport 
It captures the band’s free spirit and the surprise of the moment. What the photo doesn’t show is the row of port-o-potties beneath them. See a video HERE





FAVORITE QUOTE 

‘Music is entertainment, yeah sure. But it’s also a language. It can be a romantic dialogue. A mournful soliloquy with onlookers. It can be playful, sexy, offensive. The only way to get reactions from people is to connect. That’s the truth.’
- Jackie Greene   Read the full interview HERE

FAVORITE VENUE

Fort Adams State Park, Newport Folk Festival
This may be only a once-a-year excursion, but it is a great festival experience. There may be more scenic venues – Red Rocks in Colorado, the Gorge near Seattle – but the Newport stage looks out on a peninsula of land surrounded by boats and yachts on the harbor, the crowd is more intent on listening than drinking and the acts are diverse, ranging from up-and-coming to legendary.
Read our concert review HERE


FAVORITE NEW ARTIST

Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers
How does a young woman from Seattle sound like she’s spent her whole life playing Nashville-based country music?
Read our CD review HERE





OTHER MEMORABLE CONCERTS OF THE YEAR
David Rawlings Machine, Paradise, June 5
“The beauty of The Machine is that they really swing – they almost rock those acoustic instruments. ... The beautiful “Ruby” shined with Gillian’s amazing harmony vocals backing his. She and Dave were just meant to sing together. They seem to fill in each other’s empty spaces like no pair I can think of. ... They came back for two encores and the crowd was rocking. I’ve seen Gillian and Dave a couple times before but I’ve never seen such a rowdy, excited crowd – and they knew almost all the words to the songs.” To read the whole review, click HERE

Stone Temple Pilots, Bank of America Pavilion, Sept. 1
“All of the worries that the Stone Temple Pilots are rock stars on the decline were blown away when the quartet took the stage. ... Opening with fan favorites “Crackerman’’ and “Wicked Garden,” Weiland looked and sounded great. Singing songs through his signature bullhorn, Weiland led his mates through STP classics as well as songs from their latest album. To read the whole review, click HERE

Erin McKeown’s 10th anniversary Distillation tour, Sept. 24
“As hoped, Erin rocked her guitar as the “Distillation” songs called for. ... “How to Open My Heart in 4 Easy Steps” was gorgeous, and she hit every note perfectly; the wink-wink of the cocaine-loving tune “The Little Cowboy” was filled with [Dave] Chalfant’s brilliant slide playing; “Le Petite Mort” is always great for its chance to let the audience scream “Oh Estelle”; and “Blackbirds” blew me away as always.” To read the whole review, click HERE

OTHER MEMORABLE ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
Josh Ritter, “So Runs the World Away”
 “Josh Ritter’s proven to be a natural storyteller. So it is no surprise that on his new album, the focus turns to tales of cursed mummies and ships seeking new worlds. The songs, says Josh, “are larger and more detailed and feel to me as if they were painted in oil on large canvasses.” After the rockin’, brash “Historical Conquests” album, this time we get a much more cerebral one, overflowing with imagery set against a palette of sound, rather than the raucous backing of the past.” To read the whole review, click HERE

Dawes, “North Hills” 
 “When we first heard Dawes our impression was that they sounded like a California version of the Avett Brothers. ... You get the picture: dreamy harmonies, lush acoustic-leaning instrumentation and lyrics of love lost and found. The quartet’s songs are a nice mix of soul and pop that could probably do with a little of that punkish edge the Avetts have.” To read the whole review, click HERE

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, “Grace Potter and the Nocturnals” 
Grace has a new female bass player and has added a second guitarist. The new lineup allows for a fuller – and sexier – sound, and a chance for Grace to step out front even more. But don’t be led astray, she’s not putting down her Flying V or forsaking her Hammond B3 chores. That is very clear from the first tune “Paris (Ooh La La),’’ which opens with some screaming guitars. It sounds like a ’70s Heart tune on steroids.” To read the whole review, click HERE

Jackie Greene at the Paradise, 10-9-10

  "You guys are so rad. I'd forgotten just how rad you guys are!" That's what Jackie Greene told the pumped-up crowd at the Paradise last weekend. His last visit, in February, must have made as good an impression on him as it did us. Greene, for those who have not heard of him, flat out rocks. He is an amazing guitar player who can also play the keys, the harmonica and I'm guessing a bunch of instruments we haven't seen him play.  He's got a soulful, strong voice and a bunch of really thoughtful songs. He can rock, he can play acoustically, oh yeah, and he's played with members of the Grateful Dead, so he's got a following there as well.
  On this night he opened with an acoustic set featuring just him and his fellow guitar player. After opening with darkly confessional  "I Don't Live in a Dream" he asked the crowd for requests. As he tuned his guitar, enthusiastic shout-outs from the crowd had him chuckling and saying "yeah, we can do that," and initiated his "rad" statement. Among the requests honored was a Merle Haggard-inflected "Mama Tried" and his oldest song "Georgia." He also performed a beautiful "Spanish Harlem," the Dead's "Friend of the Devil" and dug deep for the set ending "Gone Wondering."
  A 15-minute break was enough time to catch your breath before the blistering electric set. Now sporting his full band, Greene opened with "I'm So Gone," "Medicine" and "A Moment of Temporary Color," the latter two from his new album, "Till the Light Comes." His own funky version of the Dead's "New Speedway Boogie" got the crowd juiced for what was to follow.
  He asked if anyone knew who's birthday it was today... but the crowd was way ahead of him, shouting out John Lennon songs he should play. A touching "Don't Let Me Down" was the perfect choice, a great crowd singalong and a great guitar solo. (See my video below).
  After that, he returned to earth with his tunes "Shaken" and "Shaky Ground" and then back to the stratosphere with his own "Hollywood" bleeding into the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows," full of swirling feedback, and an out-and-out rocking "Taxman," something we heard him do the last time he was in Boston. He finished up with the Dead's "Scarlet Begonias" to the thrill of the crowd and encored with his fan-favorite "Ball and Chain."
  This is the third time I've seen Jackie Greene live and he seems to gain confidence and has become more comfortable as a lead performer each time I see him. If you get a chance to take in his show, I highly recommend you check him out.
One more note: This was my first time in the newly refurbished Paradise. Any worries that it would lose any of its gritty club atmosphere was quickly dispelled. It has been slightly reconfigured to make more room in front of the stage, but other than that it really is same great space.

The setlist:
Set One (acoustic):
I Don't Live In A Dream
Judgement Day
Mama Tried
Don't Let The Devil Take Your Mind
Another Love Gone Bad
Friend of the Devil
Prayer For Spanish Harlem
Georgia
One Bad Love
Gone Wanderin'

Set Two (electric):
I'm So Gone
Medicine
A Moment Of Temporary Color
New Speedway Boogie
Don't Let Me Down
Shaky Ground
Shaken
Tell Me Mama, Tell Me Right
Hollywood > Tomorrow Never Knows > Taxman
Scarlet Begonias
-----
Like A Ball And Chain

To download the entire set, click HERE

The Two Stages of Jackie Greene

When Jackie Greene and his band played Boston recently, he strolled on stage at the Paradise Rock Club in front of an intimate, but enthusiastic crowd of about 500 who came to hear his songs such as “Animal” and “Like a Ball and Chain.” • He could just as easily be back this summer or fall playing the Boston Garden in front of 15,000 dancing, tie-dye-wearing fans eager to do some serious truckin’.
Thus is the dual life these days of the 29-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist from California, who leads his own band and released the stellar “Giving Up the Ghost” in 2008.
He was also tapped by bassist Phil Lesh to join his group Phil Lesh and Friends and travel the world playing and singing classic Grateful Dead songs to the masses.
Even though he was born and raised in California, Greene is too young to have experienced the Grateful Dead.
“I had no connection growing up,” he says, in an e-mail interview from a recent tour stop. “I mean, I knew who Jerry [Garcia] was and the big songs: ‘Casey Jones,’ ‘Sugar Magnolia,’ ‘Box of Rain.’ ... Stuff like that. But I never heard ‘Dark Star’ or ‘Sugaree.’ ”
And now that he’s played alongside both Lesh and Bob Weir he’s practically an unofficial member of the Grateful Dead.
“Ha, ha. No,” says Greene, “[I’m] just a guy who plays and sings with them sometimes.”
As for his solo career, Greene is no newcomer. “Ghost” is his fifth album and he says he just finished recording the follow-up and is hoping to release it this year.
“We may release it in stages ­ or do something very different with it,” he says.
“Ghost” is filled with a mix of rock, blues and soul backing some introspective lyrics that range from spiritual to lust and revenge. It has roots in music’s past but carves out its own identity.
So how does a guy who is too young to ever have attended a Dead concert end up on stage with Lesh playing to tens of thousands of Deadheads?
“Well Phil tells the story a little better, but in a nutshell: I had a song on the radio some years back called ‘I’m So Gone.’ Somehow Phil caught wind of it, liked it, and came to see us play.  I think it was Bonnaroo [perhaps, 2006], Greene recalls.  “Months passed and I get a phone call out of nowhere. It was Phil. He asked me to come into the studio with him to play and sing on some tunes. I was delighted. Pretty soon we struck up a friendship and next thing I knew, I was learning a bunch of fantastic new tunes.”
New tunes to him; not to Deadheads, who know every song by heart, when they were played by the band, and who took which particular solo.
Soon, Greene was on tour with Phil Lesh and Friends playing and singing Dead classics like “Dark Star” and “Scarlet Begonias.’’ “I think partly that’s what attracted Phil – the notion that if I sang these old tunes, they would be fresh, legitimately, since I’d never heard many of them before,” he says.
This would seem to be a guitar player’s dream, to be up on stage in front of throngs of fans playing music they adore. But as Greene tells it, it didn’t come without a few “oh-shit” moments.
“It occurred to me more than once on those tours: Here I am in front of thousands of people singing a song that every person in this building probably knows better than me.  What if I screw up? What if they hate me? I know these songs are like gospel to some people. How do I honor that? In the end, you can only do what you do and hope that it works out.
“The deeper story about that first PLF tour is this: Those who were watching closely may have witnessed a meta-morphosis of sorts. I truly felt different after those shows. 
Almost enlightened. It was a different way of playing music that I wasn’t accustomed to and it was marvelous,” says Greene, who recently released a three-song EP of Dead covers for free download on his website (www.jackiegreene.com).
Recently, Greene spent some time in Jamaica with Weir and his band Ratdog. He has also collaborated on tours with Warren Haynes, another charter member of the Dead, as well as the Allman Brothers. All of this pretty much cements the young guitarist a solid spot with the jam-band crowd. It’s a spot that’s a little odd for Greene’s own music, which he doesn’t necessarily believe fits the genre.
“At the end of the day, we aren’t really a jam band,” Greene says. “Never aspired to be. We get lumped into that circuit and happily just do our thing anyway. We are definitely more open and fearless onstage now, but I still hesitate to call us a jam band.
“What I appreciate is the spirit of the thing. Doesn’t matter what you call it, really.”
The real difference between playing his own tunes and playing with Lesh is the number of people in the audience, a difference between playing to a few hundred Jackie Greene fans in a club and playing to an arena of thousands.
“It’s a different feeling for sure,” he says. “But one thing remains certain:  You have to connect.  10 or 10,000 ... doesn’t matter. You have to try and connect with the audience.  I know it’s cliche and old news ­– but it’s true.  Music is entertainment, yeah sure.  But it’s also a language. It can be a romantic dialogue.  A mournful soliloquy with
onlookers.  It can be playful, sexy, offensive. The only way to get reactions from
people is to connect. That’s the truth.”
That connection has become even more intense and now includes social networking, something that Greene at least from afar seems more than comfortable with – chatting with fans on Facebook and blogging when the inspiration strikes him. But he says even that is more of a challenge than it seems.
“It’s not a natural thing for me, necessarily. I’m pretty anti-social. But … Facebook is an easy way to let in the people who want to know a little bit about your life.
It’s pretty painless. I write blogs for a couple reasons: because 1) sometimes I’m bored and have nothing to do, and 2) to help crystallize my own thoughts for my own peace of mind.”
A recent blog entry included a lengthy missive on his love of baseball. Asked about his favorite team, the lovable loser Cubs, it’s no secret his baseball roots run deep.
“Yeah,” he says, punctuated with a sigh.  “I’m also a Giants fan. I’ve loved baseball my whole life. I played up through high school but never really got any bigger. I learned how to sing instead. But if the Fresno Grizzlies called me and told me to report to spring training, I’d say adios to music. Well, not really but I’d definitely think twice about it!”

To read my Jackie Greene concert review, click HERE
To see the full issue of Modern Acoustic, click HERE
To see pics from the Jackie Greene show at the Paradise, click HERE

Issue 28, March 2010

Who is Jackie Greene?
We first heard about him by chance. In 2008, his record label, from which we had requested a different album, sent along Greene’s newly released “Giving Up the Ghost” with a note saying “Thought you’d love to hear this. Jackie is an amazing guitarist, an amazing musician. Enjoy.”
OK, we’re always up for something new. We loaded up the CD, hit play and our first reaction was “who is this guy? And why haven’t we heard of him before?” “Giving Up the Ghost” is filled with a mix of rock, blues and soul backing some introspective lyrics that range from spiritual to lust and revenge. It has roots in music’s past but carves out its own identity.
While we’ve been waiting for his next album, Jackie’s been spending time with various members of the Grateful Dead as well as doing his own thing.
It intrigues us how someone can balance intimate club shows and huge rock venues, how it affects one’s playing and their psyche.
We talked to Jackie about it and we think you’ll find his frankness refreshing.
We also caught Jackie at a recent concert in Boston and we offer a full review of the show.
And, as usual, when the Dead pops up on our radar, we can’t help but spend a little time enjoying the tunes and our memories of the past. On our Lists page we offer some of our remembrances of those happy-go-lucky days truckin’ to the Dead.
But we can’t stay in the past forever, so we also keep checking out new music and cool new artists.
We take a listen to six new artists that excite us. Five years from now, will these artists be the next Patty Griffin, Josh Ritter or the Decemberists? One never knows. They could easily be just a fond memory or a onetime wonder, but for now we’re digging them.
And speaking of Patty and Josh, we wouldn’t be who we are without them.
We are so excited to review both of their new albums. Patty’s “Downtown Church” is out now; Josh’s “So Runs the World Away” won’t be available until May.
For now, enjoy this issue and whether you’d rather go to small clubs or big rock venues, get out there and hear something new.
To read the new issue, go HERE
To read reviews of Josh Ritter and Patty Griffin albums, click HERE


MA5 - Songs
Song that helped us survive this issue.
1. “Like a Ball and Chain,” “Giving Up the Ghost,” Jackie Greene. The album that inspired a whole issue.
2. “The Next Messiah,” “Acid Tongue,” Jenny Lewis. 8 minutes and 45 seconds of awesomeness.
3. “Right Moves,” “The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter,” Josh Ritter. A new album is here, but we’re still enjoying the last one.
4. “I Smell a Rat,” “Downtown Church,” Patty Griffin. Just a fun tune.
5. “Fire on the Mountain,” “Shakedown Street,” Grateful Dead. Live versions are better, but this is still great.

Jackie Greene at the Paradise

Jackie Greene (above, last night and, below, in 2008) at the Paradise.

The last time we saw Jackie Greene was in mid-2008. The young, chain-smoking kid took to the stage and showed off some great rockin' guitar chops and a strong, soulful voice. He performed mostly his own songs, from his then-new album "Giving Up the Ghost."
Last night, he took to that same Paradise stage, but the kid has grown up and it showed not only in his new shaggy facial hair but also in the maturity and depth of his music. Since the last time we saw him, Jackie has spent a bunch of time touring with the Dead's Phil Lesh and Friends and seemingly has learned a new way to present his songs and those of others. He has also seemed to gain a great amount of confidence as evidenced by his more engaging stage presence.
On Saturday, he played two sets instead of one, spanning 2 to 2 1/2 hours, covering not only his own songs but the iconic B.B. King tune "The Thrill Is Gone," a number of Grateful Dead songs and a pair of great Beatles covers. Jackie -- backed by a solid band of guitar, bass, and drums -- played electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica, and keyboards. And he played and sang all of the above in his own soulful style.
He started his first set with three original tunes "Don't Let the Devil Take Your Mind," "I'm So Gone," and "That Rusty Nail," and then launched into his first Dead song "New Speedway Boogie." Greene's version, which is available for free download on his website as part of a three-song EP, chugs along on modern groove. He then switched to acoustic guitar for a handful of tunes including his "Uphill Mountain," which included an awesome harmonica solo. He then ended the first set with "Thrill Is Gone," tossing off some B.B.-like guitar lines.
After a short break, Jackie and his band returned with a four-song set on keyboards, including "Shaken" and the bluesy "Tell Me Mama, Tell Me Later" He then launched into the stratosphere, using his full arsenal of guitars, starting with "Hollywood" and then seguing into an rocking version of the Beatles' psychedelic "Tomorrow Never Knows" and then into "Taxman." And just as the crowd seemed to be coming down from that high, Jackie took them higher with the Dead's "Scarlet Begonias." He finished the set with his "Ball and Chain" and came back for his encore of "Sugaree" to the crowd's absolute delight. He ended the night by thanking the audience, saying "Thanks for coming out, I know it's tough out there. We really appreciate it." The band took its bow and was gone.


The setlist (From Philzone.org)

Don't Let the Devil Take Your Mind
I'm so Gone
That Rusty Nail -->
New Speedway Boogie-->
Bird Song tease-->
New Speedway-->
Just as Well
I've Gone Wandering
Uphill Mountain
Ballad of Sleepy John
The Thrill is Gone

Farewell So Long Goodbye
Shaken
So Hard to Find my way
Tell Me Mama
Hollywood-->
Tomorrow Never Knows-->
Taxman-->
TMNK-->
Jan-->
Scarlet Begonias
Ball and Chain

Encore
Sugaree

Jackie Greene rocks

He bounds onstage, and you think to yourself: Can this tiny wisp of kid with the crazy hair really deliver the goods? Well, I'm here to tell you, yes. (The picture above doesn't do him justice, but the one to the left is really what you see most of the night.) Jackie Greene can do it all: He plays a mean guitar (see clips below), also plays keys, harmonica, and has an amazingly soulful voice. Who is he? For those who don't know his story it goes something like this. He's from the Sacramento area and has built a name there on his guitar-playing. His new album, "Giving up the Ghost," is more singer-songwriter than guitar monster, but categorizing him doesn't do him justice. He's recently found success and a new following as a guitarist for Phil Lesh (yes, Deadheads, that Phil Lesh), which gives him new cred among jam-banders.
As for the show last night, Greene moved easily between guitar and keys, and his songs were built on great guitar solos that were thankfully precise, to the point and not overbloated jam-band affairs. His own tunes "Ball & Chain" and "I Don't Live in a Dream," to name a few, really came off well. He did a couple of Dead tunes -- "Sugaree," as an encore -- but he did them his way, turning them into rockers with little Dead influence. In all, it was an eye- and ear-opening experience.
A clip of one of his guitar solos is below. For other clips, click HERE and HERE.