Quote of the Day

Regarding his strategy during his final weeks, he said that, "It's kind of like running on a diving board - you know it's going to end so you just run faster."

Chikeze Eze to the New York Post

Dream Ticket: Oasis and Ryan Adams in Concert

In a bill that I thought could only have come together in my dreams, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals will open for Oasis on a short (for now) US and Canadian tour in the run-up to Oasis' co-headlining of Toronto's Virgin Festival alongside the Foo Fighters on September 7th.

These two artists first became associated when Ryan Adams listed Oasis as a major influence, proven by his reworking of the 1995 Oasis classic, Wonderwall, released on his Love Is Hell album in 2004. Noel Gallagher returned the favor by performing the Ryan Adams version of his own band's tune at some solo acoustic gigs in 2006. Listen to Noel's take on Ryan's take on Wonderwall here.

The joint tourdates are (from oasisinet.com):

26/8/08: Seattle, WA - WaMu Theater -

Pre-Sale tickets on sale 4/1/08 @ 10AM PST until 4/3/08 @ 10PM PST.

Tickets on general sale 4/4/08 @ 12PM PST available from Ticketmaster & Qwest Field Box Office.

27/8/08: Vancouver, BC - GM Place -

Pre-Sale tickets on sale 4/1/08 @ 10AM PST until 4/3/08 @ 10PM PST.

Tickets on general sale 4/4/08 @ 10AM PST available from Ticketmaster & GM Place Box Office.

29/8/08: Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place -

Pre-Sale tickets on sale 4/1/08 @ 10AM MST until 4/3/08 @ 5PM MST.

Tickets on general sale 4/4/08 @ 10AM MST available from Ticketmaster & Rexall Place Box Office.

30/8/08: Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome -

Pre-Sale tickets on sale 4/1/08 @ 10AM MST until 4/3/08 @ 10PM MST.

Tickets on general sale 4/4/08 @ 10AM MST available from Ticketmaster & Pengrowth Saddledome Box Office.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

It's after 10:00 and I'm at the office on Sunday! I guess this is my fault. I didn't put in much of an effort last week and now I'm stuck under fluorescent lighting staring at a computer monitor trying my best not to jump off of the roof. But I do have some friends along for the ride. After listening to Howard Stern repeats on Sirius for a couple hours, I decided to visit some of the favorite ghosts of my musical past:

Keeping me company on this craptastic day at work have been: the Bruce Springsteen/E Street Band channel on Sirius, Regina Spektor and her entire 'Begin to Hope' album, Travis's The Invisible Band' album, John Mayer's 'Continuum' album, The Strokes 'Last Night' and 'Hard to Explain', Ray LaMontagne's 'Trouble', Jeff Buckley's 'Hallelujah' and 'Lover You Should Have Come Over', and wrapped up with a helping of Billy Joel's 'New York State of Mind'. So that is how I was my own personal DJ AM today.

Also, I was digging Travis covering Bowie's 'All the Young Dudes' on YouTube:

As the liquor store guy (Joe Nunez) says in Superbad, right when McLovin drops the beer cans and they explode on the linoleum floor, "Fuck my life".

Crazy Covers - Panic at the Disco/Counting Crows

Cool covers can make or break a concert. I'm fascinated by Panic at the Disco's choice to cover the Counting Crows 'Round Here'. It's one of my favorite songs, and respect the effort, but as Simon Cowell would say, "I'm afraid I just didn't get it". Or as Randy would say, "It was just alright for me, man, it was just alright.". Or as Paula would say, "I just wanna say, you look great tonight".



I'm looking forward to listening to the Counting Crows new album. Anyone heard it yet?

Step Into the Fire

Old news for plenty...Inspiring for all.

Here is Arcade Fire with special guests.



David Bowie w/ Arcade Fire
performing Wake Up from Arcade Fire's album Funeral
Fashion Rocks event, Radio City Music Hall
9/8/2005



Win and Regine from Arcade Fire
w/ Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
performing Keep the Car Running from Arcade Fire's album Neon Bible
Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Canada
10/14/07

Quote of the Day

"No amount of hype can bring Lenny Kravitz back from the dead. No number of fashion shoots, explanatory stories. He stopped making great music and everybody online knows it. Used to be we had no choice, we were subjected to his visage on TV. But we don't go to television for music anymore."

-- Bob Lefsetz on Lenny Kravitz

I couldn't agree more, Bob...

Jock Jams: Capital Edition

"[Next Sunday], the most spectacular state-of-the-art ballpark in Major League baseball opens its doors for its inaugural season. Your all-new Nationals Park combines the best features of other acclaimed MLB ballparks with an architectural flavor unique to DC, creating an experience unlike any other!"


Help the Washington Nationals select the songs to be played for:

7th Inning Stretch Song
Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations
The Gambler by Kenny Rogers
Rock Me Gently by Andy Kim
September by Earth Wind and Fire
Shout by Otis Day And The Knights
Twist And Shout by The Beatles
YMCA by the Village People
You Gotta Have Heart by Damn Yankees The Musical

Home Run Song
Because We Can by Fatboy Slim
Bustin Loose by Chuck Brown
Kernkraft 400 by Zombie Nation
Off We Go (Air Force Theme) by Robert Crawford
Song 2 (Woo Hoo) by Blur

Victory Song
Beautiful Day by U2
Celebration by Kool And The Gang
Dancing In The Streets by Martha Reeves and the Vandelas
How Do You Like Me Now by Toby Keith
Rock and Roll Part 2 by Gary Glitter

Firstly, these songs are pretty terrible options. So the best they could come up with are "Twist and Shout", "YMCA", "Song 2", and "Celebration". You've got to be kidding me. Talk about lowest common denominator. Are there any songs left on the Jock Jams CD that aren't listed here?

The only song on this list that I would like to see selected is "Bustin Loose" by DC's own Chuck Brown, the legendary originator of Go-Go music. This is the song that inspired Nelly's "Hot in Here." Check it out here [Don't be afraid...you know you want to dance to it. Make it funky Chuck]

God Only Knows

I was watching High Fidelity earlier tonight and I thought a "Top-5" list would be a good way to start the morning (it's after midnight here). This is what I came up with:

"The Top-5 albums you're embarrassed you don't own."

So, after I scoured through hundreds of albums compiled by several different internet sources, here goes (thankfully, The Beatles and Dylan didn't made the list):

5) Elephant (2003) - The White Stripes
4) At Folsom Prison (1968) - Johnny Cash
3) L.A. Woman (1971) - The Doors
2) Exile on Main St. (1972) - The Rolling Stones
1) Pet Sounds (1966) - The Beach Boys

I really have no explanation or excuse for how or why these "must-haves" slipped through the cracks -- especially the top-2. That being said, each one of the above is downloading from iTunes as I'm writing this. Jack, Johnny, Jim, Mick, and Brian, please forgive me.

Can you top my list?

Austin City Limits: It's Not Real?

Austin City Limits, the televised live concert music program that spawned a major festival is moving studios? So you're telling me that they're not performing on a quaint hilltop with an ideal view of the downtown Austin skyline over their shoulders. And the studio audience isn't sitting outside exposed to the elements? Talk about shattered dreams...

As it turns out Austin City Limits is filmed on a soundstage on the campus of the University of Texas. And the show is moving to a new downtown Austin theater with a capacity of 2,000, compared to the current seating for only 300. Sadly, the famous Austin city backdrop won't be making the trip to the new venue, as it is believed that it would not survive the trip in one piece. A new 3D replacement is being considered in its place.

Much like the artists quoted in this CMT article, I grew up watching this show and can distinctly remember my excitement in watching Phish perform on it. The band's performance first aired on Saturday, October 14, 2000 (season 26, episode 1), exactly one week after their last concert before the hiatus. It was taped earlier in the summer of the same year and featured "Possum" and "Limb by Limb," as well as "The Inlaw Josie Wales" and "Back On the Train" from their then latest album Farmhouse.

Good Vibrations

Based on the opinion of music-news.com, the recent settlement between Mike Love and Al Jardine on the use of the Beach Boys name could result in a reunion of all 3 surviving members, to include creative genius and nervous breakdown sufferer Brian Wilson. I'm not sure I see the connection between this court ruling and the possibility of a reunion, but as a music fan, I would welcome it. I just don't think I'd be there to see it.

Of note, Jardine joined Brian Wilson in November 2006 for a series of concert performances of the Beach Boys' landmark "Pet Sounds" album.

MTV Spring Break '87: Bruce Hornsby and the Range

Ever think you'd hear college girls on MTV's Daytona Beach Spring Break screaming for Bruce Hornsby and The Range after Bruce announces that the band is about to play 'Mandolin Rain'? Me either. But it happened...on April 18, 1987, three years before he joined the Grateful Dead after the death of Brent Mydland.

Wolfgang's Vault delivers an excellent recording of the entire show. The setlist includes an almost 12 minute 'The Red Plains/I Know You Rider' and 8-minute+ versions of 'Mandolin Rain' and 'The Way It Is'. The original incarnation of The Range is featured here with none other than Phil's Friend John Molo on drums.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate the first day of spring tomorrow than this gem.

Listen to the whole show here, courtesy of live concert goldmine Wolfgang's Vault.

Bruce is touring with bluegrass stalwart Ricky Skaggs this summer, as they will no doubt be playing tunes off of their recent joint album.

Seeing Green

Today is not only St. Patrick's Day. Its also the day that the beautiful, rustic Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts annouced their initial summer concert listings. This place ranks up there with my favorite outdoor venues in the country. It's smaller than most of the corporately named, oversized, concrete excuses for venues that litter the country and it pulls in a wide variety of top quality artists.

Some early notable dates for me are:

June
22 Emmylou Harris
25 Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby

July
15 Al Green
22 Mark Knopfler
28 Crosby, Stills & Nash

August
3 The Black Crowes
10 B.B. King
20 Kenny Rogers & The Oak Ridge Boys

Of all of these shows, I am most interested in seeing the incomparable Reverend Al Green. Rev. Green is obviously no longer a young man, but I have read some reviews which indicate that he sounds just as good as he did 30 years ago. He hardly has any east coast tour dates on the horizon, with only two others listed between now and September. I missed Stevie Wonder on his last round of dates and I hope to not miss the singin' Rev. "Take Me To The River" would just be epic.

View the full Wolf Trap schedule here.

View Al Green's tourdates here.

In the spirit of this week and last being Beatles Weeks on Idol, please take a listen to how a professional singer handles a Lennon/McCartney composition. Take notes Archuletta!

Here is Al Green and his soulful, Memphis horn-soaked take on an early Beatles classic. It just doesn't get any better than this:

Al Green - I Want To Hold Your Hand

Happy St. Patrick's Day to 'ya.

Found Lost

I like to find new things on my own. I have a hard time following Entertainment Weekly's recommendations to the movie theater or Spin Magazine's new favorite to, well I don't buy music. But, my point is, I don't like being told what's good or not. I like to find it on my own.

Enter television show extraordinaire: Lost. Season after season, with friends and coworkers continually preaching about the power of the show, I ignored the hype. For when hype is that loud, I don't want to be just one of the flock. So I wait. And wait. Until the hype blows over and I'm left to my own devices. And left alone, I have been.

For the last week, every 41 minutes and 27 seconds, I get up off my sofa, and execute the next episode. I can't help it. I just don't know what will happen if I stop (if you get that, you know exactly where I'm coming from).

I have polished off the entire first season and I have gotten through 16 episodes in Season 2. In a week. This, my friends, is not just a tv show. It is an epic 60+ hour marathon of hope, determination, sheer will, and Evangeline Lilly running through the jungle...sometimes even in a rainstorm which doesn't hurt either. I haven't shaved, I'm living off of the food in my apartment, and I'm starting to light fires to stay warm. Well...the last part isn't true. And I don't have to hunt for my dinner since there is delivery. But, I'm surviving on Lost solely and never want the DVDs to end. Only problem is...who can I get to deliver Season 3?!?

Missed the Boat...Rilo Kiley

There are way too many "can't miss" bands out there. All apologies to our good friend Some Dude over at Hidden Track, but I haven't even listened to Vampire Weekend yet. And dammit, I'm not sure I want to. Arcade Fire...I know one or two songs. Bloc Party...never touched 'em. Hot Chip...just scratched the surface. Yes I'm a music fan, but I don't chase the latest and greatest ALL the time.

I do have to admit though, that more often then not these bands get a ton of press for a reason. And I EVENTUALLY get around to listening to them. And now I'm finally on the Rilo Kiley bandwagon. I was recently tipped off to the 'Under the Blacklight' album (i.e. I stole it from a friend's iPod) and can't get enough 'Moneymaker' , 'Close Call', 'Under The Blacklight', and 'Breakin Up'. Maybe the "cool" kids have already deemed these Rilo Kiley songs played out, but they sound pretty good to me. The band is playing Bonnaroo and Terminal 5 in NYC in the next few months so I'll also get to see Jenny Lewis and the crew up close pretty soon.

For those like me not in the know re: Rilo Kiley, the lead singer Jenny Lewis was in Troop Beverly Hills and the Fred Savage video game flick 'The Wizard'. Lead Guitarist Blake Sennett starred in Nickelodeon camp classic 'Salute Your Shorts'. Hell of a pedigree.

Get on the life raft. Here is Rilo Kiley and Moneymaker. The song starts at 35 secs in...

Lost and Gone Forever

The Washington Post has a great article cataloging the things that have gone from commonplace to nostalgia overnight. I can't take credit for the witty commentary, that's all from the Post also. The list includes:

Mixtapes

These plastic gems once acted like aural diaries. Painstakingly recorded from the radio or other people's music libraries and then labeled with loopy script or scribbled drawings, mix tapes -- which made it possible to listen to a customized set of songs without having to put money in a jukebox or hop off the couch mid make-out session -- defined our breakups, our summers, our crushes. They gave every 15-year-old the ability to play deejay and album-cover artist without leaving the bedroom.

'Truly' Blind Dates

Now, if a friend sets you up with someone, and you don't automatically Google that person, check his or her "relationship" status on Facebook..one might question if you are really fit to date at all.

Land Lines

And even rarer are phone booths. In all of the Washington area, there is only one left.

Doing Nothing at the Office

Idle time's death knell was the Internet, which created a way to fill every moment while giving the appearance of productivity. The joys of making wastebasket two-pointers and using Scotch tape to extract nasal blackheads pale when compared with the minute-hand-massaging possibilities of Craigslist and YouTube. According to Nielsen ratings, the average American visits more than 2,000 Web pages a month while on the clock; surveys by Vault.com suggest that close to 90 percent of workers spend part of their day doing Internet browsing that's unrelated to work.

The list also includes:

Cigarettes, Getting Lost, and Body Hair.

Read the full article. Good Stuff, What did they miss??

Quote of the Day

"Yeah, but look where we're going. I truly believe today we're not building those legendary stars anymore. Labels aren't signing legends, it's more of a cash-and-carry business: Sign an artist, get a hit, and make some money fast before the whole thing crashes into the ground. It's almost like everyone's running for shelter!"

--Randy Jackson on The Beatles and the record industry

For the full interview click here

Coming Together

It's about bloody time. Although no specific date has been set, it was announced on Friday that The Beatles' arrival on iTunes is imminent. It only cost Apple Computer Inc. $400 MILLION to finalize the deal -- all of which will be divided amongst McCartney, Starr, the Lennon Estate, the Harrison Estate, Apple Corps. and Michael Jackson's creditors.

The landmark deal has also prompted the long-awaited debut of George Harrison's catalog on iTunes, which is already available.

What a great way to break-in my new iPod. I figure, 15 Beatles albums (12 studio, including the double discs for "The White Album" and the "Anthology" series, and excluding "Yellow Submarine" and various compilation albums) and Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" (I was disappointed to not find "The Concert for Bangladesh") at say $9.99 per album (double for the "White Album") and $14.99 for "All Things Must Pass," this will undoubtedly be the best $175.00 ever spent.

One more Satur...Friday night

On this rainy evening in Manhattan, The Weight brings you a classic Dead tune -- one which has since become a staple of the Bobby Weir and Ratdog setlist. The bluesy fingerpicking, warm sax solos, graceful piano riffs and Bobby's signature accentuation make for the perfect jamband ballad. Anyone up for whittling wood on a porch somewhere in Mississippi? I'll bring the corn cob pipe and fishing rod...

"Lazy River Road" from VH1 Classic

Death of an iPod

2004-2008

My iPod is officially dead. After surviving several hundred drops, spills, scratches, malfunctions, crashes, scrapes, bumps, and glitches, my only piece of Apple merchandise finally gave out at 8:42 p.m. on Tuesday evening. All things considered, I was more than impressed that mine lasted as long as it did. When I bought it back in 2004, I heard from other owners that I'd be buying a new one within 12-18 months. I beat the odds.

But that's not to say there weren't massive casualties. I lost over 500 hundred Grateful Dead songs -- tracks compiled from decades of live shows. Not to mention the countless random tunes downloaded over the years that I never thought to backup. Big mistake.

So now I embrace a new generation of iPods (well, new for me). One where you can watch movies on the subway. Color screens. Touch screens. Cover Flow. 80gb. 160gb. Nanos. Classics. iPhones. Black. White. Oh, the possibilities...

The Idol Bounce - Hallelujah

From Perez Hilton:

Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah is #2 on iTunes.

WTF???? What? Why????

Well, it turns out that American Idol contestant Jason Castro performed the song this week and Simon mentioned that the Jeff Buckley version is one of his faves.

The power of Cowell!

We love the Buckley version, but we also love LOVE love the K.D. Lang interpretation!

I got Castro in my Fantasy Idol pool going all the way. F--- Archuletta.

We've Been Published!!

Our good friends at Hidden Track have allowed us to produce a regular column to share our thoughts on their site . As Ronnie "The Hawk" Hawkins said to Bill Graham in The Last Waltz..."Big Time, Bill, Big Time". Although in our case it's "Big Time, The Weight, Big Time"or something to that effect...

Here is the link...http://www.glidemagazine.com/hiddentrack/the-weight-presents-ooh-child/

In our first column, we reflect on that magical moment in our childhood when 'Ooh Child' blared through the speakers during Boyz in the Hood at our local Loews theater back in 1991. My psyche would never be the same...

Winwood Wednesday

It's been just over a week since I witnessed one of the top 5 concerts that I have ever seen, Clapton and Winwood, and what remains foremost in my mind is the man, the myth, the legend......Stevie Winwood. The man dazzled on guitar and keys and with his pure, soulful vocals. This guy has had a 40-year career and still sings and plays with the passion of a much younger man.

Allow me to take you on a trip through some video highlights of his career....


Spencer Davis Group - Gimme Some Lovin - 1966



Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home - 1969



The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys- Traffic- Live -1972



Roll With It - 1987



Dear Mr. Fantasy - 2003

The Weight: News Real

Happy hump day to ya out there in Weight land. Here what is happening in our world and yours:

Good news for hip hop's birthplace. A Bronx building that served as a birthplace for hip-hop in the 1970s will remain affordable housing after tenants reached out to DJ Kool Herc last year. (Newsday NY)

MTVNews has the dirt on Idol teen heartthrob David Archuleta. Who are we kidding? There is no dirt. This kid is perfect.

Popmatters reviews the Grace Potter and The Nocturnals show at the Independent in San Fran. And, yes the fact that she is hot is mentioned.

Rita Marley, Bob's widow, wants Lauren Hill to play her in a biopic. (Billboard) What spaceship is she going to get into to contact Ms. Hill?

Check out Ben Kweller's cover of the Smashing Pumpkin's Today via Spin TV (Spin)

There's Something Happening Hear

For what it's worth, there appears to be a change ahead here in New York City. White earbuds, the sign of the iPod, are beginning to disappear from the heads and hearts of its fair citizens. It was only a few years ago, circa 2003, that Apple fanboys were spreading like wildfire throughout hipsterdom with white dangly strings hanging from their heads as a badge of cool. But like all trends, like acid wash jeans and Danny Devito, this too will pass. You had to know that with iPods becoming the device of choice for housewives across America, the first movers were going to get fed up and look elsewhere.

So what do scenesters do now to appear different? They can't possibly live without their iPods/iPhones. Hell, iPhones are the greatest device ever created (in my humble, but correct, opinion). Ah-ha! They eliminate the one thing that identified themselves as part of the Apple clan to begin with. No more white earbuds. So now, a new trend has arrived: the big ass obnoxious ear-covering headweights. Think language lab. Think the ear test when you raise your hand at the beep. Think air traffic controllers. Have you noticed them? Have they invaded your town yet? They will.

The Black Keys to Release 'Attack and Release'

My favorite garage/rock/blues/power duo that does not suffer from acute anxiety has released their new single from the Danger Mouse produced disc, Attack and Release. With the full album released on April 1st via Nonesuch Records, the Akron-based band have planned a cross country tour to promote it. These two kick ass live and are my favorite duo, behind....well, The Duo.

Listen to the new single, Strange Times, here.


US TOUR DATES:
3/27 Thu Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
3/28 Fri Phoenix, AZ Marquee Theatre
3/29 Sat San Diego, CA House of Blues
3/30 Sun Pomona, CA Glass House
4/1 Tue Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
4/2 Wed San Francisco, CA The Warfield
4/4 Fri Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
4/5 Sat Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo
4/9 Wed Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
4/10 Thu Omaha, NE Slowdown
4/11 Fri Minneapolis, MN First Ave
4/12 Sat Chicago, IL The Riviera
4/13 Sun Indianapolis, IN The Vogue
4/15 Tue Detroit, MI Royal Oak Theatre
5/12 Mon Washington, DC 9:30 Club
5/13 Tue Washington, DC 9:30 Club
5/15 Thu New York, NY Terminal 5
5/16 Fri Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
5/17 Sat Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre