Happy Friday all,
We kick off the weekend with a throwback to our childhoods with the Transformer theme...only this one is a bit different. Here is the Heavy Metal Version of the Theme as played by RtBE friend Nando Redrum, guitarist for Angelo Diablo.
The video was put together by our friend Glen Lorieo. We reviewed Angelo Diablo's first album back when RtBE were first getting started, check it out here.
Enjoy your weekend all.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Sazerwrap Part 2: Jazzfest
The Sazerwrap has been RtBE way of rounding up all the amazing things that happen down at our annual trip to Jazzfest
in New Orleans. This year we spent a week in town so we will breaking
the review up into a few parts. Only 11 Months until next years
festival!
Now we get to focus on our two days (Sunday April 29th & Saturday May 5th) at the 2012 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival specifically the tunes we were lucky enough to catch, and let us just say now it was pure Boosh!
Opening things up for us this year was the Mahogany Jazz Band. Fronted by Brice Miller who mentioned this was the 20th year the group was playing the festival, a great milestone for some fantastic musicians. Their version of "My Blue Heaven" was a real winner and took place right before the Ninth Ward Hunters Parade rolled by.
The Indians were dressed up this year in native gear, offset by black and yellow NY Yankee's caps...I can leave NY, but Yankee fans are everywhere. Heading over to main stage we saw that the whole state of New Jersey had traveled south and staked out their spots for Bruce later in the day with their lawn chairs, it was already a mob scene.
Before that though two of NOLA's finest elevated things into the sunny sky. RtBE fav's Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue were up first as the troopers tuned up for an extra long time before bringing the Supafunkrock to the masses:
Their fiery playing via their own "Suburbia" was so massive that they broke into a "Bull's On Parade" Horn drenched instrumental cover of Rage Against The Machine. Also giving a nod to the great Allen Toussaint the band did their soulfully smooth cover of "On Your Way Down" before vamping under the noon day sun.
Retreating from the heat found the gospel tent in full swing as Lois DeJean Gospel Diva and Friends had the masses believing in a higher power. For an extended period of time (over 10 minutes) she only sang 1 word, and that word was Jesus! When she finished she simply asked the crowd to rise, and as one they all did to continue praising. It was an emotional site to behold. Here she is under more restrained (and hopefully cooler) conditions:
Inside the blues tent 73 year old Ironing Board Sam played his boogie-woogie piano blues while wearing an insane gold lame suit that was shining from stage.
Classic. On the inventive tip however Bill Summers Jazalsa combined the Latin grooves with old time jazz and threw down on the Heritage stage adding a hip-shaking spice to the gumbo. Here is a sample of their style as they play on a TV show:
Back on the Main Stage, the legend himself Dr. John was putting on a show for the ages as his new album Locked Down seems to have inspired the artist more so then anything he has done in years. Focusing on tracks from that album saw them stand toe to toe, if not rise higher then some of his classics. "Ice Age" was funk under the sun with it's fantastic organs and sax's:
"St. James Infirmary" was loose before "Wild Magnolia" made you shake your tail-feather and "Revolution" continued the new song greatness. "Right Place Wrong Time" brought back some of the old magic but the newer tunes proved that while Bruce may be Boss, Dr. John is the "Big Shot".
Moving over to the Economy Hall stage found the Treme Brass Band playing a stunning version of "Down In The Treme" while the crowd literally 2nd lined throughout the sweltering tent.
The band wasn't 100% successful though as their slowed down version of "What A Wonderful World" kinda killed the momentum they had established. However the group invited an excellent vocalist named Gabby to help them out, adding some youth and energy back to the event:
After catching some of the mediocre pop-gospel styling of radio personality Yolanda Adams on the Congo Stage we moseyed back over to the Blues tent where superstar in waiting Gary Clark Jr. was slaying the crowd with his powerhouse blues. He owned the tent with his slow beats, fast frets and Hendrix-esque flairs on tracks like "Bright Lights" and falsetto singing of "Please Come Home". Youtube user Jmzulz posted the whole set, it isn't the greatest quality sound but gives you a sense of the day, here is the opening "If You Love Me Like You Say"
By now it was time for headliner Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band to get things moving. Unfortunately moving wasn't an option as the largest crowd this festival has seen in over a decade clogged all avenues around the groups stage, people wanted Bruce and they got almost 3 hours of him as he dipped into some Seeger Session tracks that the locals loved like "O Mary Don't You Weep"
and saved his most well known tracks for the encore.
Although the highlight of Bruce's set for me was when the great Dr. John joined him for a cover of "Something You Got"
That is what makes NOLA Jazzfest special, unexpected collaborations between some of the worlds greatest artists. People left this day completely satisfied and I heard many long time festival goers proclaiming this day to be one of the "best ever".
While not possessing as many "big names" as Sunday's show, the following Saturday's was just as enjoyable. Perhaps it was the cooler temperature or smaller crowd, but the day was a pleasant one as we spent more time with each act we caught.
The Joe Krown Trio featuring Walter Wolfman Washington and Russell Batiste Jr. were the first act we were enthralled with in the Blues Tent. This group got down and funky, and it must be said that guest drummer Russell Batiste Jr. was drumming his face off, slapping the skins with grooves and runs that were magical. Here is a clip of Krown playing with just Walter and Russell from the Louisiana Music Factory from 09 to get a sample of the trios style:
Heading over the Gentilly Stage found Anders Osbourne midway through the trio's hard rock and roll set as the band ripped riffs over the big crowd from their new release Black Eye Galaxy like "Mind Of A Junkie":
The band also managed to show off their more delicate side, not intimated by the mass attendance, on tracks like "Louisiana Gold"
Longtime friend of New Orleans Steve Earle came out and exclaimed "It's taken me 25 Fucking Years to book this gig!" and went on to play a great set of old and new tunes as the crowd overflowed the Fais Do-Do Stage. Old time rocker "Copperhead Road" got a real boost from the crowd:
But the man's best song is the tune he wrote for the town we all love, called "This City" and he even gave a bit of background which is cool:
God Damn that song still gives me goosebumps! Even with that false start in the chorus, great set by Mr. Earle.
The final act of the day that needed to be caught was the Warren Haynes Band who filled in for the recently departed Levon Helm. Having seen Warren countless times over the years, in various bands and settings, I am not sure I have ever seen him play with more passion then he did during this set.
His own tunes like "Rivers Gonna Rise and "Sick Of My Shadow" found him dueling with saxophonist Ron Holloway throughout and instead of the slick soul style he has played these tunes in previously things got more earthy and real. While that might have been nod to the grittiness of The Band, more overt tributes were to come as this years (and most years) festival MVP Dr. John and the Dirty Dozen Brass band joined the proceedings to play "Walks on Gilded Splinters" while Warren did his damage on slide guitar amazingly, one of the musical highlights of the whole trip:
The group then got to referencing Levon directly as Dr. John played "Such A Night" and the group ended with stunning versions of "It Makes No Difference" and especially "The Weight" which the crowd sang just as loudly as Warren did.
This was an emotional set and a perfect way to end our festival...if only it could never end. Until we hit the fairgrounds next year!
SUNDAY APRIL 29th 2012
Opening things up for us this year was the Mahogany Jazz Band. Fronted by Brice Miller who mentioned this was the 20th year the group was playing the festival, a great milestone for some fantastic musicians. Their version of "My Blue Heaven" was a real winner and took place right before the Ninth Ward Hunters Parade rolled by.
 |
| http://www.flickr.com/photos/ednewman |
Before that though two of NOLA's finest elevated things into the sunny sky. RtBE fav's Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue were up first as the troopers tuned up for an extra long time before bringing the Supafunkrock to the masses:
Their fiery playing via their own "Suburbia" was so massive that they broke into a "Bull's On Parade" Horn drenched instrumental cover of Rage Against The Machine. Also giving a nod to the great Allen Toussaint the band did their soulfully smooth cover of "On Your Way Down" before vamping under the noon day sun.
Retreating from the heat found the gospel tent in full swing as Lois DeJean Gospel Diva and Friends had the masses believing in a higher power. For an extended period of time (over 10 minutes) she only sang 1 word, and that word was Jesus! When she finished she simply asked the crowd to rise, and as one they all did to continue praising. It was an emotional site to behold. Here she is under more restrained (and hopefully cooler) conditions:
Inside the blues tent 73 year old Ironing Board Sam played his boogie-woogie piano blues while wearing an insane gold lame suit that was shining from stage.
Back on the Main Stage, the legend himself Dr. John was putting on a show for the ages as his new album Locked Down seems to have inspired the artist more so then anything he has done in years. Focusing on tracks from that album saw them stand toe to toe, if not rise higher then some of his classics. "Ice Age" was funk under the sun with it's fantastic organs and sax's:
"St. James Infirmary" was loose before "Wild Magnolia" made you shake your tail-feather and "Revolution" continued the new song greatness. "Right Place Wrong Time" brought back some of the old magic but the newer tunes proved that while Bruce may be Boss, Dr. John is the "Big Shot".
Moving over to the Economy Hall stage found the Treme Brass Band playing a stunning version of "Down In The Treme" while the crowd literally 2nd lined throughout the sweltering tent.
The band wasn't 100% successful though as their slowed down version of "What A Wonderful World" kinda killed the momentum they had established. However the group invited an excellent vocalist named Gabby to help them out, adding some youth and energy back to the event:
After catching some of the mediocre pop-gospel styling of radio personality Yolanda Adams on the Congo Stage we moseyed back over to the Blues tent where superstar in waiting Gary Clark Jr. was slaying the crowd with his powerhouse blues. He owned the tent with his slow beats, fast frets and Hendrix-esque flairs on tracks like "Bright Lights" and falsetto singing of "Please Come Home". Youtube user Jmzulz posted the whole set, it isn't the greatest quality sound but gives you a sense of the day, here is the opening "If You Love Me Like You Say"
By now it was time for headliner Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band to get things moving. Unfortunately moving wasn't an option as the largest crowd this festival has seen in over a decade clogged all avenues around the groups stage, people wanted Bruce and they got almost 3 hours of him as he dipped into some Seeger Session tracks that the locals loved like "O Mary Don't You Weep"
and saved his most well known tracks for the encore.
Although the highlight of Bruce's set for me was when the great Dr. John joined him for a cover of "Something You Got"
That is what makes NOLA Jazzfest special, unexpected collaborations between some of the worlds greatest artists. People left this day completely satisfied and I heard many long time festival goers proclaiming this day to be one of the "best ever".
Saturday May 5th 2012
While not possessing as many "big names" as Sunday's show, the following Saturday's was just as enjoyable. Perhaps it was the cooler temperature or smaller crowd, but the day was a pleasant one as we spent more time with each act we caught.
Heading over the Gentilly Stage found Anders Osbourne midway through the trio's hard rock and roll set as the band ripped riffs over the big crowd from their new release Black Eye Galaxy like "Mind Of A Junkie":
The band also managed to show off their more delicate side, not intimated by the mass attendance, on tracks like "Louisiana Gold"
Longtime friend of New Orleans Steve Earle came out and exclaimed "It's taken me 25 Fucking Years to book this gig!" and went on to play a great set of old and new tunes as the crowd overflowed the Fais Do-Do Stage. Old time rocker "Copperhead Road" got a real boost from the crowd:
But the man's best song is the tune he wrote for the town we all love, called "This City" and he even gave a bit of background which is cool:
God Damn that song still gives me goosebumps! Even with that false start in the chorus, great set by Mr. Earle.
The final act of the day that needed to be caught was the Warren Haynes Band who filled in for the recently departed Levon Helm. Having seen Warren countless times over the years, in various bands and settings, I am not sure I have ever seen him play with more passion then he did during this set.
The group then got to referencing Levon directly as Dr. John played "Such A Night" and the group ended with stunning versions of "It Makes No Difference" and especially "The Weight" which the crowd sang just as loudly as Warren did.
This was an emotional set and a perfect way to end our festival...if only it could never end. Until we hit the fairgrounds next year!
Friday, May 25, 2012
Friday Funday "Don't Blame Shorty For That!"
RtBE favorite Trombone Shorty received a video from a young British fan that he just had to share, and when you click on it you will easily see why, this kid is adorable and sang a great tune....
The song is an obscure "B side" from a 1951 Tampa Red single. Thomas was in fact playing with a more recent recording by The Blues Flagships (Thanks to Baiba Wiggins for the info). Good to see the youngin's around the world showing respect for Troy, I would love to hear Shorty & Orleans Avenue cover this song. Turns out the player is Thomas Wiggins, and he has actually met and played with Shorty and the boys before, here is some video of him practicing with them:
Here he is playing on Royal and St. Ann by Jackson Square with some street musicians:
He also did a fine job covering the professor of cool Duke Ellington with his take of "Satin Doll":
We will keep our eye on Thomas Wiggins and his trombone skills, hopefully he sticks with it, we will also have more on Shorty when we get back to our Sazerwrap next week, until then enjoy the long weekend.
The song is an obscure "B side" from a 1951 Tampa Red single. Thomas was in fact playing with a more recent recording by The Blues Flagships (Thanks to Baiba Wiggins for the info). Good to see the youngin's around the world showing respect for Troy, I would love to hear Shorty & Orleans Avenue cover this song. Turns out the player is Thomas Wiggins, and he has actually met and played with Shorty and the boys before, here is some video of him practicing with them:
Here he is playing on Royal and St. Ann by Jackson Square with some street musicians:
He also did a fine job covering the professor of cool Duke Ellington with his take of "Satin Doll":
We will keep our eye on Thomas Wiggins and his trombone skills, hopefully he sticks with it, we will also have more on Shorty when we get back to our Sazerwrap next week, until then enjoy the long weekend.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Jack White Live 5/22/12 Roseland Ballroom, NYC Review
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockcousteau |
Got a new review up on Glide
Peep it right C'here!!!!
It is of RtBE man crush Jack White's live show from Tuesday night at Roseland in NYC.
Wow.
Really, Wow. We see a lot of shows every month, and this one outshines most of them dating back a few years. Jack White is the perfect storm of talent, energy, style, showman, and all around superstar. This night was a magical journey through his catalog of songs, showcasing just how deep it can go.
By switching backing bands on each show he is keeping it fresh for himself, while keeping the audience in suspense as too who will play. I am stoked we got The Peacocks to back him up as the ladies add a different twist to songs, less "rawk" more textures. Also it needs to be mentioned again, Carla Azar was simply an amazing site/sound/discovery to behold. Regardless of gender she is one of my favorite drummers now and I am searching back through Autolux's catalog to find more of her work.
Quick editorial note, I originally opened my review by saying Jack White was a "damn sexy superstar" and editors changed that. I got no problems with the switch, and none with the original, that man was sexy, I am comfortable saying it.
I talked a ton about the show in my review, so go read it! You can also listen to the FULL SHOW below, I am not sure how long it stays up on youtube, but Jesus this is awesome...pure Boosh!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Archie Powell & The Exports - Great Ideas In Action Album Review
Hey all,
Got a new review up on Glide.
Give it a read right C'here!!!!
It is of Archie Powell & The Exports sophomore release, Great Ideas in Action. This is one hell of a catchy rock and roll album. One of the best things writing about music brings out is the opportunity to check out new bands, I probably would have never heard of these guys and now that I did I can't stop listening to the album.
Really fun upbeat rock and roll here with fantastic lyrics over the top of things, this group is going places, can't wait to see them live in NYC next time they flow through.
Grab the album here, check out their tour dates, and peep a few tracks below:
"Crazy Pills"
"Metronome"
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Sazerwrap - Part 1: The Food
The Sazerwrap has been RtBE way of rounding up all the amazing things that happen down at our annual trip to Jazzfest in New Orleans. This year we spent a week in town so we will breaking the review up into a few parts. Only 11 Months until next years festival!
New Orleans means a lot to a ton of people, the culture, the art, the various music scene's and yet the one thing that seems to tie it all together is the amazing food on display at every turn in town.
We had a chance to try more things then ever on our trip down south this year, here is only a sampling of the great edibles we consumed.
This was the first meal I had in town of any kind and it just happened to be on the festival on Friday in-between Trombone Shorty and Dr. John. It is some fresh lemonade with a crawfish stuffed sausage po'boy and a crab cake. What I love about this town is you can get the off the beaten path items, then be blown away by the simple things like this crab cake, which was the highlight of the meal.
When we went back the following weekend, we partook in Fried Green Tomato's,which were amazing, but the real winner was the Shrimp stuffed with Crab. Well Stuffed wasn't exactly the right word as there was almost a full crab cake latched on to a huge shrimp. Delightful.
That is the Migas breakfast from the fantastic Ruby Slipper on Magazine Street. This place is perfect for the wake up, or hungover meal to get you going. The Migas is a house specialty, a Tex-Mex egg scramble featuring onions, tomato's, cilantro, pepper jack cheese, tortilla chips and spicy chorizo sausage. It coated things uber-nicely.
Amping things up just a bit is a ritual for me now at Jazzfest, the Crawfish Pie and Fried Green Tomato's at EAT in the French Quarter. This is simply fantastic and a must stop for me now as everything that they serve is delicious. Behind the pie on the other plate is what Kelly called "The Best Omellette In the World" which consists of, goat cheese and ham served with grilled French bread and mixed greens tossed with champagne vinaigrette. A huge fruit plate finished things off as we got our vitamins.
An Oyster Bacon Sandwich and a cold hi-life is pretty much heaven to this guy, and that is what I got both times. We played with a few sides, the Fried Alligator with Chili Garlic Aioli was good, but the Crawfish Etouffee was even better. Mac and Cheese was also a major score this time down.
Perhaps the one place we seem to spend the most time at in our travels down south is this fantastic bar located in the Loews Hotel. Bar Chef Lu Brow has welcomed us into the joint, and now can't get us to leave! Along with Dave behind the bar, the team there is unreal with cocktails; they make drinking even more of a religious experience.
The restaurant is also top notch (it should be as it is linked to the one below), just check out the Crab Cobb salad or the Ham and Grilled Cheese up there! What also should be noted is this location has the best Bloody Mary's in town. Needed on some mornings. Our whole crew who head south can not speak highly enough about Swizzle Stick Bar, you must try it out.
I went with the house specialty bread pudding and may have never tasted a better desert ever. This was simply magic in bowl. While it was far from the cheapest meal we had in town, it was cheap compared to a New York City meal on the same level, so that was an added win when the bill came. What a feast, it was so good it put me in a food coma and I had to cut my post meal viewing of Meschiya Lake and Big Horns short after only a few songs...my body was done.
These are just some of the fantastic meals we had in town, got any others to talk about feel free to do so in the comments.
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| Our Favorite Sazerac in town at The Carousel Bar in The Montelone |
We had a chance to try more things then ever on our trip down south this year, here is only a sampling of the great edibles we consumed.
Jazzfest Festival Eats:
While we will get to the music of the fairgrounds later, we need to mention the amazing food presented inside the festival grounds. No Aramark or knock off overpriced blandness at this festival! Local cooks, restaurant owners and growers are invited in and sell their wares for affordable prices, making the food inside almost as big of a draw as the musicians.
When we went back the following weekend, we partook in Fried Green Tomato's,which were amazing, but the real winner was the Shrimp stuffed with Crab. Well Stuffed wasn't exactly the right word as there was almost a full crab cake latched on to a huge shrimp. Delightful.
Breakfast:
The nights can get away from you down in The Big Easy and time is just something else to watch flow by. However a hearty breakfast any time is vital to keep the body humming while trying to catch all that magic in your head. 2 that really stood out above and beyond this year are here:
Cochon:
Speaking of staples on our excursions Cochon has become another must attend. Being there for a full week meant a lunch there and a dinner. Except I ordered pretty much the same things each time.
Perhaps the one place we seem to spend the most time at in our travels down south is this fantastic bar located in the Loews Hotel. Bar Chef Lu Brow has welcomed us into the joint, and now can't get us to leave! Along with Dave behind the bar, the team there is unreal with cocktails; they make drinking even more of a religious experience.
This was concocted by Lu for a non drinker in the group...needless to say it was a success.
The drink of choice in this town, the Gin-Gin Mules crafted at Cafe Adelaide/Swizzle. Wow I am salivating thing of them right now.
Commanders Palace:
If you had pinned me down in April and asked me to tell you the best meal I ever had I would have said Craft in NYC a few years ago. Everything about that meal was top notch, service, food, selection, taste, it had it all. Ask me that same question now that I am back from New Orleans and the answer has been updated...Commanders Palace takes the bread pudding.
I should have seen it coming when the appetizer was a combination of two of my favorite foods on the planet, Gnocchi and Crawfish. What started off amazing just kept climbing to even greater heights as the famed Turtle Head Soup arrived with some of it's buddies.
Everyone mentioned that soup but a sampler was just too good to pass up, the soup of the day was a spinach, avocado, oyster trifecta that was richer then Bill Gates and the surprise winner of the group was the gumbo. Sure Commanders Palace may be an opulent choice for a meal in New Orleans, but there is a reason, staples like Gumbo simply sing.
Not to be out done, my main course was unbelievable in just out and out flavor. BBQ Shrimp with an Abita glaze over the best grits in the world was mind blowing. Every bite of the grits yielded a new surprise, corn, chorizo, smoothness, it was divine.
Stuffed but still had to try desert and I am so thankful we did. Kelly had the Strawberry Shortcake above and after the first bite her eyes were rolling back in her head with delight.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Congrats to Chelsea FC, Champions!
What a game this past Saturday, Chelsea FC beat Bayern Munich in a shoot out to win the Champions League Trophy.
After giving up a goal in the 83 minute things looked bleak, but this Chelsea squad is blessed, and RtBE's favorite Didier Drogba's explosive header tied things up in the 88th minute giving Chelsea life, and amping the excitement 10 fold.
Peter Cech's extra time Penalty save on Robben was just as important as the Blues held on and ended up winning on Penalty kicks after the extra 30 minutes ticked off. When Drogba sealed the final penalty to win 4-3 on penalties Legends Football Factory exploded with The New York Blues going nuts in celebration.
Yup, it was a hell of a victory, congrats to all the players, fans, staff and supporters around the globe. Congrats also to that Russian Owner who wanted this trophy over all the others, now he has it. KTBFFH!
Yup, it was a hell of a victory, congrats to all the players, fans, staff and supporters around the globe. Congrats also to that Russian Owner who wanted this trophy over all the others, now he has it. KTBFFH!
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