February 9, 2012 in 06, 09, 10, 11, 12, 2, 25, 29, 3, 30, 31, 50, 9, a, age, Albany, all, Also, am, American, an, and, Are, arena, as, at, Bad, ban, band, bands, black, blue, blues, boston, Burn, but, by, ca, can, cat, center, chicago, COLUMBUS, concert, en, end, Eve, fee, fi, FOR, get, gin, hall, hampton, hi, hollywood, How, in, is, IT, IX, jam, las, Last, life, LITTLE, log, MA, MI, mj, mod, monster, Music, My, name, nc, New, new york, News, no, North, ny, of, on, out, PA, Park, Pavilion, philadelphia, Phish, Pt, Rochester, rock, rose, Roseland, rs, San Francisco, Sand, SC, show, Shows, So, SPAC, spring, St, street, style, tab, talk, the, theater, theatre, to, tour, us, va, van, venue, Video, vt, WA, water, we, Web, with, york, You, Your |
NEW BATCH OF SPRING DATES ADDED
Of Monsters and Men |
Due to an overwhelming demand, Of Monsters and Men have added shows to their North American tour and also moved a few shows to accommodate additional fans.
Pre-sales for shows is happening right now. Login here with username “monsters” and password “tickets” to grab your tickets, and check out the video for “Little Talks” off the band’s debut album My Head Is An Animal released last September.
Of Monsters and Men Tour Dates
03/20/12 Tue The Troubadour West Hollywood, CA
03/21/12 Wed The Troubadour West Hollywood, CA
03/22/12 Thu The Independent San Francisco, CA
03/24/12 Sat Roseland Theater Portland, OR
03/25/12 Sun Venue Vancouver, BC
03/26/12 Mon Showbox SoDo Seattle, WA
03/29/12 Thu Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN
03/30/12 Fri Park West Chicago, IL
03/31/12 Sat Lifestyle Communities Pavilion (Indoors) Columbus, OH
04/02/12 Mon Black Cat Washington, DC
04/03/12 Tue Theatre of Living Arts (TLA) Philadelphia, PA
04/04/12 Wed Theatre of Living Arts (TLA) Philadelphia, PA
04/05/12 Thu Music Hall Of Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY
04/06/12 Fri Webster Hall New York, NY
04/07/12 Sat House of Blues Boston, MA
04/09/12 Mon The Club at Water Street Music Hall Rochester, NY
04/10/12 Tue Jillian’s Albany, NY
04/11/12 Wed La Sala Rossa Montreal, QC
04/12/12 Thu Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto, ON
Of Monsters and Men Tour Dates
::
Of Monsters and Men News
Tags: fee, hollywood, jam, log, music news, north, talk, theater
February 8, 2012 in 06, 09, 10, 12, 17, 2, 25, 28, 3, 30, 50, 9, 99, a, after, age, all, am, an, and, Are, around, as, at, Austin, Ball, ban, band, bands, Bass, beginning, big, bite, black, blue, bonnaroo, book, bouncing, Burn, but, by, ca, california, can, center, City, comes, community, concert, Crowd, dance, davis, DAW, Day, Day., down, Drums, electric, en, Encore, end, Eve, Eyed, FEAT, fee, festival, fi, finish, First, FOR, four, Free, Friend, From, Funny, Germany, get, gin, give, glow, golden, Good, grace, great, Groove, ground, Guitar, hampton, hi, high, How, ice, in, into, is, IT, IX, jam, jammin, jamming, jazz, John, Joy, King, know, las, Last, late, Led, let, light, Like, LITTLE, live, live music, long, lot, love, MA, Made, MI, mike, mix, mixing, mod, Much, Music, My, nc, New, News, NH, night, no, nothing, ny, of, on, one, op, Open, opener, opening, out, PA, Part, Phish, photos, play, player, Pop, post, Pot, pro, producing, production, Pt, quartet, rad, radio, radiohead, read, rock, roll, row, rs, Say, SC, set, show, Shows, So, Something, song, Soul, sound, SPAC, St, stage, stars, state, steve, street, studio, tab, Taste, That, the, theatre, third, times, to, Too, tour, Trip, tropical, two, underground, us, va, van, velvet, venue, view, vocal, WA, WAITING, Walk, war, Way, ways, we, Weed, Ween, with, words, years, You, Your |
Words by: Dennis Cook | Images by: John Margaretten
Wilco with White Denim :: 01.28.12 :: San Jose Civic Auditorium :: San Jose, CA
A gallery of photos from the 02.01.12 Davis, CA show at the Mondavi Center For The Performing Arts is below review!
 White Denim :: 02.01.12 :: by John Margaretten |
While most of the polite, clean cut crowd waiting outside the recently reopened San Jose Civic were there for Wilco, I had come primarily to see handpicked opener White Denim, simply one of the fastest evolving, fully switched-on young bands working today. While this Austin, TX-based quartet play very different music than the headliner, theres a shared spirit of exploration and openness that marks both bands which makes the pairing just good sense, an acknowledgement of congruities and a nice lil gift to Wilco fans, most of whom seemed to be hearing White Denim for the first time this night.
The band tiptoed in with Street Joy, taking advantage of an audience of inclined to shut up and listen to music after years of leaning in to hear what Jeff Tweedy and company had to say. The tenderness and rising ache of this standout from last years stellar D album moved into a spacey whoosh, controls set directly for the heart of the sun, and within two pieces White Denim had already illustrated one of their greatest strengths a head-scratching knack for switching gears swiftly and seamlessly. James Petralli (vocals, guitar), Joshua Block (drums), Steven Terebecki (bass, vocals) and Austin Jenkins (guitar) moved with a strange, compelling mixture of youthful herky-jerky energy and limber, almost athletic musicianship. Theres almost a prog-rock ethos at work but infused with punk/post-punk attitude. By the third tune, the four-piece were interlocking and lunging with such empathy that the whole enterprise ceased to be a compilation of elements and simply breathed as a whole, a rock n roll animal with thick fur and glimmering teeth.
 White Denim :: 02.01.12 :: by John Margaretten |
There is no doubting the hunger inside White Denim, and a coveted opening slot for one of Americas biggest bands is precisely where they belong right now. More than half a decade of honing their sound, bouncing around indie labels, and trudging from SXSW to Timbuktu in search of an audience has produced a band, as witnessed in San Jose, on the verge of their next evolutionary leap a move that is likely to take them from the clubs theyve largely inhabited into small theatres and beyond. At the moment, their music is struggling a bit to adapt to the larger spaces this Wilco tour finds them playing, but it was exciting to see them realize the potential reach their music possesses in real time at the Civic. Mixing together scraps of Tropicalia, tasty soul jazz licks and propulsive Velvet Underground-isms, they showed how familiar elements can be repurposed into original shapes. And just when one would think theyd settled into big groove, an unexpected curve would whiff by our ears, one suddenly tossed into, say, the updated 60s pop of No Real Reason (a boffo ballad off the recently issued Takes Place In Your Work Place EP) or taken deep into the recesses of burly group jamming. White Denim is a trip worth taking, and the boisterous round of applause as they finished their set spoke to a growing number of folks ready to jump on board wherever they might be traveling.
 Wilco :: 02.01.12 :: by John Margaretten |
So, what about Wilco? Having never seen them play outside of a festival set at Bonnaroo a number of years ago, I honestly had no real expectations despite the countless glowing reviews of friends and critics firmly under the bands sway. While always admiring of their studio work, Id never made the leap to actual fandom, always kept at bay by Tweedys thin, modernized Dylan voice and something in the lyrics that just never snagged my emotional center. That said, I was assured by folks I trust on such matters that seeing Wilco live would reveal their true glory. Thats a lot for any band to live up to but I tamped down high expectations and just listened intently as they took the stage.
Opener One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend) is a patient build, very much the child of Dylan at his expansive, poetic 1960s best, and featured some of the most controlled, lovely playing I have ever heard. Seriously, it and all that followed showcased some of the most beautiful, technically savvy, intuitive playing Ive ever witnessed in my long years of concert-going. While the source material and the focal point within Wilco simply may not be my personal bag, there is no denying that the players in this band are phenomenal, each serving the songs with near-penitent devotion and focus, producing an ineffable glow to Wilcos music in San Jose – something that cant really be pinned down in clumsy words.
 Jeff Tweedy :: 02.01.12 :: by John Margaretten |
More than the actual content/subject matter of the lyrics holds sway. Theres little doubt that Tweedy and his cohorts are striving towards larger understanding, the rock show used as a form of community building that pushes towards common understanding of our shared imperfections – which is sort of funny coming from such a thoroughly professional production, where things began right on time and unfolded with a practiced grace in every element lighting, stage design, sound. There was NOTHING imperfect about this night, which at times made certain numbers feel a touch too rehearsed, too familiar, too comfortable. For all the echoes of Bobs freewheeling days down to the blazing musicianship of dudes like Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper Wilco came off as all-pro, all-the-time to me. Maybe because Im not part of the cult, Im less charmed by Tweedys quirks and between song banter, which mostly struck me as vaudeville moderne, a stage device an intensely personal artist has mastered in order to ply his trade. And Im not saying I wasnt charmed along with everyone else in the Civic, only that my years of watching countless rockers at work gives me an instinct for whats really happening in the moment and what comes from a well-studied playbook. This band is WELL aware of the Pavlovian bells to ring on faves like Handshake Drugs and Jesus Etc. and shook them loud and clear this night but for my own tastes, I kinda wish theyd dance on the edge a bit more like new one Art of Almost, which lit up the beginning of their set with Radiohead worthy electricity and chrome-plated futurism, or even the sprightly Nick Lowe/Rockpile-esque pop of I Might, which avoided the mid-tempo pacing they favor on a few too many songs.
In the end, walking back to my car as the encore wrapped, I came to the conclusion that Wilco is undeniably one of the best outfits operating today, as classy and well formed as anything America has kicked up since rocks first great swell in the 50s/60s. Its unlikely Ill become a fan anytime soon but its hard to imagine anyone with an appetite for fundamentally perfect rock not digging a great deal about this band.
San Jose Setlist
One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend), Art Of Almost, I Might, Bull Black Nova, Side With The Seeds, California Stars, Red-Eyed and Blue, I Got You (At The End Of The Century), Born Alone, (Was I) In Your Dreams, You Are My Face, Impossible Germany, Box Full Of Letters, I’m Always In Love, Jesus, Etc., Capitol City, Handshake Drugs, War On War, Dawned On Me, A Shot in the Arm. [Encore]: Whole Love, Walken, I’m A Wheel
2/1/12 – Wilco and White Denim @ Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts (Davis, CA) View Photos
White Denim Tour Dates :: White Denim News
Wilco Tour Dates :: Wilco News
JamBase | Golden State
Go See Live Music!
Tags: america, ban, dance, hampton, jam, John, light, mike, night, Pot, quartet, rad, studio, view, wilco
February 7, 2012 in 06, 09, 10, 11, 12, 17, 2, 2011, 3, 30, 9, 99, a, acoustic, after, age, all, Also, am, an, and, Are, as, at, away, ban, band, bands, beach, beginning, brother, Burn, but, by, ca, california, cat, center, chris, en, end, Eve, FEAT, fee, fi, fire, First, FOR, four, gin, give, Good, Guitar, guitarist, hampton, hi, high, Hood, How, in, is, IT, jam, Jay, King, las, Last, late, Led, let, light, lights, Like, log, MA, Made, MI, Mockingbird, mod, Much, Music, name, nc, New, News, NH, no, nothing, ny, of, on, one, op, out, PA, Park, Phish, plant, Pot, pro, production, Pt, rant, recording, Robin, rs, Say, SC, show, Shows, So, solo, song, Soul, sound, SPAC, St, studio, tab, That, the, to, tour, track, Trip, us, Video, vocal, WA, Way, we, with, years, You |
SOLO ACOUSTIC VIDEO BELOW!
 New Album |
Revered singer, songwriter and guitarist Neal Casal, recently hailed for his contributions as a member of both Ryan Adams & The Cardinals and the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, will release his tenth studio album Sweeten The Distance on April 10 via The Royal Potato Family.
The first line of the title track says much about where the storied musician finds himself in his career: “Nothing’s gonna stop you now, everything you want is coming in good time.” After 20 plus years of writing songs, recording albums and touring the world, there’s a confidence and patience present in Neal Casal’s latest work that reveals an artist in full creative flight. Produced by Thom Monahan (Fruit Bats, Devendra Banhart, Vetiver), Sweeten The Distance is a defining moment in his discography. Rich acoustic textures and sophisticated melodies found in songs like “Bird With No Name,” “Need Shelter” and “Gyrls of Wynter” give way to the psych folk ambiance of “White Fence Round House” “Feathers for Bakersfield” and “How Quiet It Got.” The depth of the production, with its meticulously layered sounds and oceanic atmospherics, makes Sweeten The Distance as much a multi-dimensional headphone experience as a soul-stirring modern songwriter record. And as such, the Ventura-based artist plants his flag in the New Cosmic California movement.
Neal Casal first made a name for himself with a series of highly praised solo albums, beginning in 1995 with Fade Away Diamond Time and followed by recordings like Basement Dreams, No Wish To Reminisce and the retrospective collection Leaving Traces. In 2006, he joined Ryan Adams & The Cardinals with whom he recorded four albums: Easy Tiger. Follow the Lights, Cardinology and III/IV. Currently, he serves as a central component of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. The band toured throughout 2011 and is working on their debut studio recording. Over the last year, Casal has also added guitar and vocals to Ryan Adams Ashes & Fire, Fruit Bats Tripper, The Jayhawks Mockingbird Time, Vetivers The Errant Charm and a forthcoming recording by Beachwood Sparks.
Sweeten The Distance Track Listing
1. Sweeten The Distance
2. Bird With No Name
3. Need Shelter
4. Let It All Begin
5. White Fence Round House
6. So Many Enemies
7. Feathers For Bakersfield
8. Time & Trouble
9. How Quiet It Got
10. The Gyrls of Wynter
11. Angel and Youre Mine
Neal Casal Tour Dates :: Neal Casal News
Tags: burn, casal, chris-robinson, end, fire, light, log, News, plant, recording, round-house, soul, tour, track