In Tune With Wade

When did The Black Crowes get so trippy?

The magic mushroom backdrop said it all. The twin-guitar attack of the past had gone the way of incessant noodling. Not terrible noodling, but noodling nonetheless. The true-believers twirled in the aisles and flashed smiles toward the stars.
The rest of us waited for the Black Crowes to flex their music muscle and drive home something like "Jealous Again" or "Hard to Handle" — but it never happened. In fact, "She Talks to Angels" didn't make the set list, either.
However, my gripe isn't that we didn't get the hits from a band that hasn't even had that many hits — it's that space jams took the place of the hard Southern rock on which the Crowe's reputation is based. The Allman Brothers Band can jam with a purpose. Opening act Robert Randolph and his Family band jammed with a purpose. But The Black Crowes didn't display the skill or discipline to pull off 20 minute sonic adventures on Friday, at a rain-soaked Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa.
The casual fan had to be disappointed. By casual fan I mean those of us who own and love the band's blistering debut album "Shake Your Moneymaker" (1990) and maybe its follow-up "The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion" (1992) but don't trade Crowes bootlegs online or follow the group from city to city.
In fairness, the concert on Friday was far from bad. Singer Chris Robinson (pictured) was in fine voice and the two-hour set was not without its high points. It's just that after pedal steel whiz Randolph worked the small crowd of about 4,000 into a frenzy the Crowes failed to sustain the rock 'n' roll spirit.
It wasn't until the Crowes rocked out on their minor hit "Remedy" that the crowd truly came alive. The only other time the entire audience appeared won over was during the three cover songs that peppered the set. The Beatles' "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" turned into a rather moving sing-along and the Crowes hit the note with their grunge-y rendition of Neil Young's caustic "Alabama" from his classic album "Harvest." And the Crowes sent us home happy with an encore that included the Rolling Stones' "Let it Bleed." But, it would have been nice if the Crowes started channeling the Stones much earlier in the show. 

Dancing the trance

Medeski, Martin & Wood delivered 150 minutes of funk, jazz and spacey interludes in front of an about 750 person crowd tonight at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg. The ancient outdoor venue was the ideal setting for a night of serpentine jams and spine-tingling back-beats.

It was a cool evening but we were feeling the heat rising on stage, especially when the bass/drum/keyboard trio sat on a groove until it couldn't cook no more.

The group's trippy free-form segments caused yawns, at least from me, but on a whole, it was a spirited show punctuated by a devoted assembly of enthusiasts who ranged in age from crusty hippies to dance-all-night sorority gals.

We have pics of the show that will be posted in the near future ... stay tuned.

Can't get The Boss off my mind

My mind is restless with memories of that performance. My review of Bruce Springsteen and his Seeger Sessions Band at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival ran here in The Herald. I filed it on deadline. Called the story in over the phone while walking through the mud and with a multitude of about 80,000.
After letting the show digest for several days I'm certain it was the most important and moving performance I have ever witnessed.
I wish I could do it more justice.
Here are my musings straight from my Reporter's Notebook.
"This is our first gig, let's hope it goes well," Springsteen said when he took the stage.
The set kicked off with the gospel standard "Mary Don't You Weep."
Backed by a barrage of violins, banjo and horns The Boss grabbed the crowd with lines like: "Brothers and sisters don't you cry / There'll be good times by and by."
Next came the man vs. machine work song "John Henry."  The interplay between fiddle, banjo, accordion and an array of horns blasted the sun-baked concertgoers into a foot-stomping frenzy.
"Johnny 99," originally recorded as a solo acoustic number, was recast as a wild, desperate boogie jam goosed by jazzy keyboards and saxophone runs.
Springsteen's compositions were passed over for ancient work, drinking, anti-war and gospel songs that struck a nerve with the city devastated by Katrina's wrath.
"All foreign wars I do proclaim / Live on blood and a mother's pain," Springsteen intoned during the  old timey Irish ballad "Mrs. McGrath."
Like most of the songs from Springsteen's inspirational set, it was culled from his new album "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions."
"I can't believe the sights I've seen,' Springsteen said. "The criminal ineptitude is infuriating ... This is what happens when people play political games with people's lives."
Springsteen followed the diatribe with a tradition song he rewrote for the victims of Katrina and its poor response.
The title?
"How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times as These?"
I've never heard such a response from a crowd.
"There's bodies floating down Canal and the levees have gone to hell!" Springsteen sang alongside a rousing black female chorus. "Martha, get me my 16-gauge and some dry shells."
"Them who's got, got out of town," he continued singing. "And them who ain't got left to drown. Tell me, how can a poor man stand such times as these?"
The Boss, a New Jersey native, tapped into the thoughts and feelings coursing through the minds and hearts of every man and woman who lived there or empathized with the plight of our neighbors in New Orleans.
"This song has spoken to so many people for so long," Springsteen said. "This is a prayer we're sending out to you."
And then The Boss and his ensemble of what looked to be two-dozen musicians unleashed "We Shall Overcome."
The solemn hymn of hope dug deep. Audience members joined hands and I saw grown men dry their eyes. We thought the show was closing. But Springsteen was not finished with a performance that truly personified the event's theme of "The healing power of music."
"We need help down here," is what Springsteen said next from the stage.
He followed with the sailor song "Pay Me My Money Down." By the second chorus thousands were singing along. The ages-old lyric spoke straight to these people waiting for their government and insurance checks in order to reclaim what was rightfully theirs before the flood waters sunk their magical city.
Shouts of pure bliss and beaming faces filled the fairgrounds that was sunk by that evil "toxic soup" last summer.
Springsteen explained that the next song was written in the wake of 9/11.
"I dedicate this to the people of New Orleans," he said.
A congregation of 80,000 was silent as Springsteen sang "There's a blood red circle / On the cold ground / And the rain is falling down."
"Come on rise up," Springsteen repeated over a boisterous chorus.
I would be a liar and a fraud if I didn't admit to drying my eyes at this point.
A congregation of thousands swayed back and forth with their arms and spirits held high.
The pacing of the show was perfect.
For every pathos explored their was an injection of much-needed happiness.
Yeah, Springsteen had no problem leading the masses in a sing-along of the old standard "Buffalo Gals." He followed with his own classic rave-up "You Can Look But You Better Not Touch."
The good times were rolling again in the City of New Orleans.
"I came across something that has a special place in New Orleans history," Springsteen said. "This great Mother City of American Music."
"I came here when my wife and me first started fooling around," he continued with a sheepish laugh. "It's always been a sweet city for us — you have all our prayers and support."
And then Springsteen surprised us all with a subtle, tender rendition of the Crescent City's most beloved hymn, "When the Saints Come Marching In."
"The city is coming back," screamed overjoyed audience members.
The sentiment reverberated throughout the city during the first post-Katrina Jazz fest.
"We love you, New Orleans," Springsteen said before exiting the stage. "We'll be with you."
"Yes," was the word murmured by all those within earshot.

'Fishin'' with Taj

"With all this water here in Florida we gotta do this next song," announced Taj Mahal from on stage Sunday at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival.
The blues great then put a smile on our faces with his warm-hearted rendition of "Fishin' Blues."
Another highlight from his 60 minute set was his trademark take on "Corrina."
Alternating between acoustic guitar and keyboards, Taj was backed by only a drummer and bassist, keeping him front and center throughout the performance.
It was a beautiful evening touched by a cool breeze when Taj took the stage at Vinoy Waterfront Park in downtown St. Petersburg.
His short but spirited set delighted a crowd that ranged from crusty bikers and businessmen baby boomers to the young hippie gal who danced and spun and jumped around in her bare feet for the duration of the show.
The day kicked off with a blistering set of boogie blues by Duwayne Burnside, who built up his chops playing with his legendary father R.L. Burnside. R.L. died several months ago and Duwayne tipped his hat to Pops during an encore that went low and gritty before the signature Delta drone made famous by the senior Burnside (and others like John Lee Hooker) had everyone bobbing heads and shaking hips again.
Lastly, up and coming Tampa blues men Toby Bonar caught my ear with an unscheduled performance in between sets with a soulful reading of the country blues standard "Frankie and Albert," which was buoyed by some fine National Guitar picking. Check Bonar out when he plays at Fogartyville Cafe with PK Dwyer on May 19.

Anyone else catch Taj?

Or the first two days of this year's Tampa Bay Blues Fest?

Ricky Skaggs rules!

In case you missed yesterday's Weekend cover story, click here and read my interview with the master of bluegrass.

I'm listening to some Commander Cody this afternoon (courtesy of Beauford) and getting pumped for the show tonight.

Skaggs will be backed by his hot band Kentucky Thunder. The group is a who's who of ace pickers. I'm expecting a blaze of blue sparks, oool yeah!

©2005 hardly strictly bluegrass festival - photo by jon r. luini

The show starts at 8 p.m. but organizers are advising attendees to arrive around 6 p.m. to secure a seat. Which means more time for elephant ears.

See ya there.

I'll have a loose review of the show posted here later.

Post-show update

The smell of cotton candy, fried steak and, well, livestock filled the air. Camouflage, cowboy boots and denim overalls were the fashion statements of choice. It was the perfect setting for some genuine bluegrass music.

Skaggs and band performed under a big top tent packed with seniors, parents and their small children.

Rousing instrumentals won over even a youngster donning punk rock duds who was likely forced to the show by mom and pops.

A sweet ode to the "Simple Life" was stirring and Skaggs' reworking of "Putting on the Ritz" made me wanna dance. Alas, the tent was too crowded for two-stepping.

On the last number there was a flash of light. No, it wasn't a heavy metal-esque special effect, the power apparently went out. Skaggs handled the situation with aplomb. He and his Kentucky Thunder Band simply stepped in front of their microphone stands and completed the show without amplification, never missing a beat.

"I was very impressed," said a smiling Robert Nash, after the show. The Anna Maria resident was with his wife Peggy. The couple, who are in their mid-70s, arrived at 5 p.m. to secure second row seats for the 8 p.m. performance. They caught Skaggs before at the Grand Ole Opry in 1992 and agreed his skills are as sharp as ever.

Finally...

Skaggs did a lot of talking between songs. Of course, his pro-Bush and pro-mama's fried chicken bits went over great. So did his San Francisco "story," which he delivered with a lisp. It smacked of nothing more than a cheap stereotype. At least one woman in the audience took offense to it.

Um, let's just put it this way, I seriously doubt Skaggs will be taking the family to see "Brokeback Mountain."

 

Galactic strikes again

New Orleans funskters Galactic threw a warm blanket over a windy chill with two sets of precision party music at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg last night.

It's a bit difficult to write about jazz-funk instrumental group Galactic. The tight-as-a-gnat's a-- band plays music for the hips rather than the head, and really should be heard rather than read about. Or better yet, experienced live.

That said, I've seen Galactic twice, both times at Jannus, and both times I found myself beaming like a kid at Christmas. (Actually I enjoyed last night's show better, since the group has finally ditched their former vocalist, who wasn't bad but seemed to slow the band's momentum in concert.)

Ace drummer Stanton Moore and crew had the crowd of students, hipsters and cool baby boomers like my pops shaking hips and bobbing heads to unrelenting grooves from start to finish.

Yeah, there's nothing like being surrounded by a thousand smiling faces, and that's the mood that Galactic sets.

The gravy was the two opening acts.

For starters, we were treated to The Stooges Brass Band, which features several percussionists and three trombonists who also sing and rap. Yeah, I know, sounds goofy. But it wasn't. The Stooges rocked and joined Galactic for the headliner's second set. So did Crescent City mainstay Papa Mali.

Before Galactic took the stage Mali wowed this music writer with his slide guitar fierceness and soulful vocals on "Junco Partner," a song typically done on piano by the likes of James Booker, Professor Longhair and Dr. John, who will be at Jannus on Jan. 26.

Finally, the highlight of the night, the event that shook the crowd to their spines, was when all three acts joined forces for a charging rendition of "When the Levee Breaks," a blues number written after the Great Flood of 1927 which, sadly, has become a New Orleans anthem once again. Rather than treat it like a dirge, though, Galactic made the song a salute to perseverance, a salute to the power and resilience of the city itself and the beautiful party people who call it home.

The picture of Stanton Moore is from drummerworld.com.

Dickey Betts delivers tasty licks at Ribfest

Southern rock icon Dickey Betts sweetened Ribfest in St. Petersburg last night with a tight, hits heavy set that sent the crowd of thousands into boogie mode.

The former Allman Brothers Band co-leader ignited the audience, which seemed to fill every square inch of sprawling Vinoy Park, with a shot of "Statesboro Blues" and then maintained the intensity for the next hour with a slew of songs he wrote during the ABB's glory days.

"Blue Sky," "Southbound," and "Ramblin' Man" shined as did sweet interpretations of the instrumental beauties "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" and "Jessica," which is a song Betts wrote for his then 2 year-old daughter that was befitting considering all the children who appeared to be enjoying themselves at the festival.

Fresh from a hunting trip, Betts sounded as energized as ever, as did his band Great Southern. With two drummers, a keyboard player, bassist, second guitarist and Twinkle alternating between percussion and bakcup vocals, Betts' current group recalls  ABB circa the mid-1970s and albums like "Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas."

One hour was a bit short, but there wasn't an ounce of fat.

Plus, although I had attended an impressive Betts solo show several years ago at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg, this was the first time I had witnessed him do "Statesboro Blues," "Southbound" or his anthem "Ramblin' Man," all of which sounded surprisingly inspired considering each dates back at least three decades. 

Incidentally, the barbecue ribs at the Pork and Beans stand were well worth the long line and Night Ranger confirmed my belief that most 1980s hair metal bands should be forced into permanent retirement. When Ranger did "Sister Christian" I was ready to jump into the bay and not come up for air until the wretched power ballad was finally over. Who had the dumb idea to put them on a bill with Betts?

Ribfest conlcudes today with Foreigner scheduled to headline.

Click here for a story on Betts from The Herald's Weekend section.

Bruce Springsteen brought down the house in Tampa ... plus update

I'm juiced!

Just got back from The Boss's solo gig at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa and it was a blast. He didn't play many hits but delivered new and old beauties with rock god aplomb. From my wish set list he nailed the title track from his latest album "Devils and Dust," plus "Long Time Comin'," "One Step Up" and a chills-inducing "Atlantic City."

For a complete review pick up the Nov. 5 edition of the Herald that's about to go to press or click here around 3 a.m. if you're awake and jonesing for some Springsteen info.

Incidentally, The Boss performed the as-yet unreleased "Dream Baby Dream" as a stirring encore.

And, oh yeah, I was only told about three times last night I looked like the Boss.

Update (Sunday Nov. 6.)

I have since read that "Dream Baby Dream" was originally written and recorded by Suicide, "a 1970s art/punk duo."

Also, the only song I considered to be a misfire during the concert was an unintelligible version of "Reason to Believe," which Springsteen mangled by singing through an effects laden microphone while blowing his harp and stomping his boot on the stage. Thanks to former Herald editor Ray Porter for identifying the song for me. Read his comment below.

Finally, here's a paragraph from my review of the concert that didn't make the final cut:

The Boss even made light of his beloved classics "Born to Run" and "Thunder Road," neither of which were played last night, cracking that basically both songs were just his poetic way of telling a woman: "pull your pants down." The audience responded with loud rounds of applause and laughter.

Click here for complete set list of the show.