Friday, June 28, 2019

Full Show Friday: Jimi Hendrix Experience 1968 Queens, NY

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Jimi Hendrix!

For June, The Masters Focuses on Jimi Hendrix

Jimi was a whirlwind of sight and sound when he took to the stage in the second half of the 1960's. There was literally no one like him before and many imitators since. Today we go to Queens New York in the year 1968.

This is a quick little recording taken from The Singer Bowl in Flushing Meadows Park back in 1968 of the the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It isn't pro shot, but it is an amazing capture of a a few of the songs from a set of sonic feedback, banging, chaos and rhythm. 

Levels are all over the place but it has a DIY feel that is pretty rad. While not complete, the playing makes up for it, just check out that scorching solo to close 

It is a pretty cool way to wrap up this month Masters focus with an NYC rocking set, Enjoy:



The Jimi Hendrix Experience New York Rock Festival, Singer Bowl, Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York City, NY 1968-08-23 (15:49) 01 Are You Experienced? 02 Fire 03 Hey Joe 04 Wild Thing 
05 Star Spangled Banner

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Album Review: Glitter Wizard - Opera Villains

Glitter Wizard
Opera Villains
**and1/2 out of *****

The San Francisco based Glitter Wizard newest album Opera Villains is being released on Heavy Psych Sounds Record label and that can be confusing. This is not a psychedelic rock band, they are glam, theatrical, hair metal and splashes of Spinal Tap which makes for a throwback record to the dinosaur play days of the 80's. 

The group, Wendy Stonehenge, Doug Graves, Lorfin Terrafor, Kandi Moon, and Fancy Cymballs love toying with their Dungeons & Dragons based rock. The heavy rock sound kicks off with "Spell So Evil" with lyrics about wizards and full throttle rocking which Black Sabbath would be proud of, while "Toxic Lady" ups the drama on all fronts. "Ten Foot Man" and "Dead Man's Wax" put more urgency into their meta via a Judas Priest like riffs and laser effects which shoot through your ears before the thunder is unleashed with the pounding "March Of The Red Cloaks" instrumental.

The prerequisite power ballads also get their play as "Fear Of The Dark" finds lead vocals stretching to their ball pinching max while the dark piano lead "Rats" finds good times in pre-divorce memories while currently living in squalor. 

Two elongated prog influenced numbers end the record as closer "Warm" Blood" is an epic viking influenced tail of grandeur while "Hall Of The Oyster King" uses doom laden mega riffs mixed with synths for the six minute opus (complete with flute solo) , all seriousness undercut by a "Splish Splash" lyric. That wink of humor is present from the packaging, singing and style throughout Opera Villains.

The players are all talented and committed to their hard rock roots and the all in concept carries the day. Equatable to an early metal version of Steel Panther without as much humor, Glitter Wizard scratch that excess heavy metal itch with Opera Villains.
_______________________________________________
Support the band, buy the record, stream it on bandcamp and peep some video below:

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Album Review: Titus Andronicus - An Obelisk

Hey all, got a new review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!!!

It is of Titus Andronicus newest release An Obelisk.

Every time Patrick Stickles band put out an album I am going to happily check it out. The last one was a switching of gears following the triple rock opera, this is more in line with Local Business. While none of these speak directly to me as say The Monitor did (and still does) they are all top notch pub/rock/punk offerings and I am personally happy he is still slugging it out. 

Support +@, buy the album and peep some video below:




Album Review: Petrol Girls - Cut & Stitch

Petrol Girls 
Cut & Stitch
**** out of *****

The four piece post/punk Petrol Girls newest album is an exhilarating mix of raucous hardcore, radio ready pop punk and math rock, mixed to keep the listener riled up and shouting along. Cut & Stitch takes their sound and widens previous efforts allowing the band to touch more lives with their feminist based aggression. In the notes accompanying the album, front woman Ren Aldridge states: "Rage on its own isn’t sustainable. We hope this is a more honest and human record."

The intro track speaks to sound being able to travel to places our bodies can't and then the opening song "Sound" pummels this message home. The track is the heaviest but also relaxes giving hardcore breaks to the pounding while the band lock in step sounding both driven and in complete control; this isn't haggard chaos it is controlled, messaged aggression. "Tangle of Lives" dives into a metallic groove, focusing on unity increases the melodic nuances of the band adding background vocals from Joe York to lead singer Aldridge's yells.

"Big Mouth" the first single is the most radio friendly effort as Aldridge and crew (Liepa KuraitÄ— bass, Joe York guitar/vocals, Zock Astpai drums) make their "speak up/shout along" track the most palpable to the masses with it's vital message. "No Love For A Nation" mockingly deals with the country where they started England, wrapping up with kazoo tributes but the group has some English debt to pay as producer Peter Miles elevates the bands sonic palette with glorious success.

While the album has brief interludes which interrupt the overall flow of the record, a trio of solid banger's anchor things. "Skye" deals with painful loss (in this case possibly a pet) "Burn" could be about ripping apart from the inside from so many reasons while "Talk In Tongues" may be the best of the bunch with it's angular changes and rhythms.

Three more damn good nuanced heavy attacks close the record as "Rootless" is an affecting spoken word effort from Aldridge about "craving and evading", "Weather Warning" calls the whole planet to get our shit together before "Naive" states the obvious, that Petrol Girls choose to fight. Cut & Stitch is their battle cry and it is a raging success.
___________________________________________________
Support the artist, buy the record and peep some video below:

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Live Review: Drive-By Truckers & Craig Finn 6/21/19 @ Brooklyn Bowl

Hey all, got a new review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!!!

It is of the Drive-By Truckers set with Craig Finn opening from last Friday night at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg. Took a bunch of cool pics as well:









Most things were covered in the review, but this band rocks. Actually both bands are two of this websites favorites and I personally liked this nights set even more than Finn's recent Joe's Pub show. Last years Truckers set was a bit more exhilarating than this one, but it was a tough call as Friday night was pretty god damn great.

There are still tickets available for their run of three more shows this week and if you are fan of great stories, loud guitars and engaging rock and roll you should buy one and check them out.

Support the artists, see them live, read the review and peep some live video below (will update with video from this show when some is posted):



Monday, June 24, 2019

Dylan Cover #381 The Jimi Hendrix Experience "Like A Rolling Stone" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's artists, The Jimi Hendrix Experience performing a live cover of "Like A Rolling Stone" 

Thoughts on Original:
The song that launched a true revolution, with an opening snare drum like a dead man's last pistol shot baby. "Like A Rolling Stone" is mega in all fashions, Dylan is accusatory, mad, feed up, zoned out, poetic, rambling and always moving with he sound as the track is large and in charge even today. One of the Bard's top 3 songs any which way you break them down, Like A Rolling Stone has been covered

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We have been chatting about Jimi all month here at RtBE. He is simply put one of our favorites of all-time.

Thoughts on Cover:
This cover song might have been the Experience at their best as they are getting loose and still managing to rip as Mitchell's drum fills are glorious and Hendrix does what he does so well, even when he misses a verse. We put this on our list of favorite live shows as well. The guitar playing, singing, drumming and in the moment feel of this live performance pushes it over the top, and while Hendrix never made this song truly his own (like next weeks offering), the trio did a hell of a job playing it on this night.

Friday, June 21, 2019

Full Show Friday: Jimi Hendrix Stockholm 1969

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Jimi Hendrix!

For June The Masters Focuses on Jimi Hendrix

Jimi was a whirlwind of sight and sound when he took to the stage in the second half of the 1960's. There was literally no one like him before and many imitators since. Today we go to Stockholm Sweden in 1969.

We actually focused on this show once before during our Full Show Friday feature, but that source was removed and this is a new video with much cleaner visuals then the original post. While it isn't the best Experience or Jimi show, it is a great visual capturing of his style and the music is pretty damn solid to boot even if Jimi was reaching the end of his first trio days. 

Enjoy:


Jimi Hendrix - Guitar Noel Redding - Bass Mitch Mitchell - Drums 01 Killing Floor 02 Spanish Castle Magic 03 Fire 04 Hey Joe 05 Voodoo Child (Slight Return) 06 Red House 07 Sunshine Of Your Love Bonus: "Popside" Radiohuset Stockholm May 24, 1967 08 Wind Cries Mary 09 Purple Haze

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Album Review: The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger

Hey all, got a new review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!!!

It is from one of RtBE's all-time favorite bands The Raconteurs and it is titled Help Us Stranger.

This was our most anticipated album in quite some time. Needless to say we like this album, but it didn't blow us away like Consolers of the Lonely did. While some of the songs may be growers, upon reviewing it, it is much closer to their first release Broken Boy Soldiers, but less weird and more classic rock.

Support the artists, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:



Wednesday, June 19, 2019

The Masters: Jimi Hendrix - Best Live Albums

RtBE loves listening to new music and prides itself on keeping tabs on up and coming artists but in 2019 we are also going to have a monthly spotlight on legendary artists who we really love. We are calling this series The Masters. It will focus on the best albums, live records, transcendent shows and other odd ways we appreciate the artists and their contribution to music, culture and our formation.

For June The Masters focuses on the great Jimi Hendrix.

Live music is the best thing out there. Being caught in the moment is religion. Palpable vibes of healing and energy are transmitted and shit...gets...real. For this month's focus, Jimi Hendrix lived for the live moment. Everyone knows of his historic rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner", but Hendrix was so much more then that. Things could get messy, noisy, bluesy, beautiful and mind blowing. While Hendrix seemed to be opening up and exploring studio work before his death, the stage was always his home; the sound is what matters.

Just like our January focus in the is series Miles Davis, Hendrix was always shifting where he was heading and he unfortunately died at such a young age, it would have been amazing to see what he and Davis could have cooked up, or even to see him as a 70 year old Blues man playing small clubs. As it stands all of his three official studio work should be owned (and a few others) but the glory of live Jimi is something to behold.

Because he died so young, and the legal rambling over the musics rights, a lot of these concerts may never have been released, but as it stands, this is what we have to go with so here are our picks for his five best live records...

New Hold Steady Album Arriving This Summer

Just yesterday we posted our review and some pics of the recent Craig Finn show and today we got more Hold Steady news as the band has announced their newest album Thrashing Thru The Passion will be released on August 16th.

It has been over five years since the underwhelming Teeth Dreams and while half of the upcoming album has been released through the bands bandcamp page in the recent past, five of the tracks will be brand new.  Produced by Josh Kaufman who has worked with Finn on his last three solo records, RtBE are excited to see what style he brings to this albums final structure.

The band will also be touring this summer to support it so head over to their site for tickets pre-order info for Thrashing Thru The Passion and more info. Peep those tour dates and video for the new-ish tune "Denver Haircut" below:






SEATTLE, August 15-17

CONSTRUCTIVE SUMMER





BOSTON, September 12-15

CONSTRUCTIVE SUMMER





MASSIVE NIGHTS

BROOKLYN BOWL

TO PURCHASE:
Saturday, December 7 sold out

Special Note: Brooklyn Bowl's website cannot process orders from outside North America. If you are outside North America and looking to purchase tickets for Brooklyn Bowl, please click here!




CHICAGO, August 22-24

CONSTRUCTIVE SUMMER





NASHVILLE, September 5-7

CONSTRUCTIVE SUMMER


Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Live Review: Craig Finn @ Joe's Pub NYC 6/12/19

Hey all, got a new review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!!!
It is of Craig Finn's recent set at Joe's Pub on Wednesday June 12th.

It was a solid set from Finn and his backing band The Uptown Controllers (Laura Stevenson also opened and helped out) as they spun through a wide range of his solo songs from his last three records, the latest which we reviewed for Glide as well.

For those new to the site, Finn is a personal favorite of this site and we love catching him anytime we can.  RtBE had literal front row sets for this one so peep some pictures, RtBE will also be catching this outfit open for the Drive-By Truckers this Friday night at Brooklyn Bowl.

Support the band, read the review, peep the pics and video below:
Laura Stevenson Opened the show





Monday, June 17, 2019

Dylan Cover #380 Jimi Hendrix Experience "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Jimi Hendrix Experience performing "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" 

Thoughts on Original:
A rambling transitional tune from Dylan as he moved from folk to his rock phase backed by The Hawks as they push that wild thin mercury sound which Dylan was just starting to dabble with. Perhaps because of it's rarity, not appearing on any official album it is always a joy to listen to when it pops up, but there are better tracks in this vein such as the unfinished "She's Your Lover Now" but that is a whole separate post....as for "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" itself it is a fun jaunt through Dylan's playful, flirtatious and poetic mind.

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We are celebrating Jimi Hendrix all month in our Masters series. He is one of RtBE's all-time favorites.

Thoughts on Cover:
The bootleg style recording doesn't do this one justice, taken off of Live from the Fillmore Jimi is totally engaged with the lyrics and riffs combining for a powerful funky rhythm throughout. There is a better version captured on the BBC Sessions album but that's not currently on youtube. For this version if he had done a solo at the end instead of the Clapton/Girlfriend bit I would have dug it more. Fun to hear Hendrix and crew tackling it live no matter how rough the form.

Friday, June 14, 2019

Full Show Friday: Jimi Hendrix Live at the Newport Festival June 1969

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Jimi Hendrix!

For June, The Masters Focuses on Jimi Hendrix

Jimi was a whirlwind of sight and sound when he took to the stage in the second half of the 1960's. There was literally no one like him before and many imitators since. Today we go to Newport June 22nd 1969. 

Hendrix had just been arrested for drug possession by Canadian Police right before the weekend so things started off poorly and got worse when The Experience headlined he fest Friday night. Mitch Mitchell thought it was one of the worst shows the band ever played, even insinuating Hendrix was drugged:
“I think someone spiked Jimi,” said Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell in Johnny Black’s Eyewitness Hendrix book. “Or maybe he’d taken something of his own and then someone had spiked him on top of that. It was a disaster. I kept thinking, ‘This is weird, all this money…’ One of the worst gigs we ever played.”
This lead to Hendrix coming back to jam on Sunday to close the festival and that is the video below as he plays with Buddy Miles on drums. This is rare footage of an impromptu outing, very cool. Enjoy:

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Album Review: Justin Townes Earle - The Saint of Lost Causes

Justin Townes Earle
The Saint of Lost Causes
***and1/2 out of *****

On Justin Townes Earle newest album he and his fellow musical travelers dig into Americana with confidence as The Saint of Lost Causes rolls into the ears with polish and charm. The folk singer uses a stout cast of supporters to craft his effecting songs with professional grit and a humanistic vibe. 

His ninth studio album finds JTE crafting a rich tapestry crisscrossing the country quite literally. There are styles and structures from the shuffling "Pacific Northwestern Blues" to the steel guitar tinged love song to "Mornings In Memphis" before heading north to deal with two songs about Flint, Michigan, "Don't Drink The Water" and "Flint City Shake It" a duel set of tunes that deal with that troubled towns exploitative history. 

The geographic patchwork quilt finds different sounds to paint their stories as Adam Bednarik - Upright Bass, Electric Bass Joe V. McMahan - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar, Baritone Guitar, Celeste Paul Niehaus - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel Jon Radford - Drums, Percussion Cory Younts - Harmonica, Wurlitzer, Piano, Fender Rhodes, Background Vocals all back up Earle. The true MVP's are the producers Earle and Bednarik who craft warm sounds throughout with vibrant production.

Where things shift is in the harrowing tale of drugs, cop killers and hopelessness contained in the haunting "Appalachian Nightmare" as the music pairs with the sad junkie/criminal tale using strings lightly distorted bass and big bass drums; a stunning track. Another album highlight is "Frightened By The Sound" which takes a slightly less final approach but still paints a gorgeous sonic picture.

The blues get spun for a whirl as the stripped down "Say Baby" goes for a direct approach while "Ain't Got No Money" pushes up the road house tempo and both infuse harmonica with damn fine results getting an earthy grim on the record that feels sprung from the soil as is.

Earle has produced a neat trick, making an album that speaks to current troubles, yet feels timeless in construction; The Saint of Lost Causes is the strongest album Earle has crafted in some time.
_________________________________________________
Support the artist, buy the album and peep some video below: 

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Album Review: Mavis Staples - We Get By

Mavis Staples
We Get By
**** out of *****

Mavis Staples late career has been filled with excellent albums full of gospel soul and splashes of funky rock and roll. Having teamed with successful artists for her last two fantastic releases, 2016's Livin' On A High Note produced by M. Ward and 2017's If All I Was Was Black produced by Jeff Tweedy she continues the trend for We Get By as Ben Harper has written and produced the album; if the style ain't broke, don't fix it.  

What is broken is our current state of affairs in society and Staples is one of the few artists who was at the forefront of the civil rights movement and is still fighting for civil rights during these trying times. All of the lyrics on the record are rooted in fixing what is wrong today in general terms, calling for action to be taken. Even before the record spins the album art of Gordon Parks' photograph "Outside Looking In," show six black children look through a fence at a playground they can't enter where white children and families play; powerful.

"Change" sets the tone from the beginning as the fuzz rocked up guitar pairs with Staples soulful singing (and backing vocals from C. C. White Laura Mace) with direct lyrics and passion about our need to change the way we are living. Staples and crew are not afraid to get funky while she sings for change on "Anytime" or get slinky when directly addressing "Brothers and Sisters". The title track is a duet where Harper joins Staples and sounds like "Pops" Staples returning to vocalize with his daughter, eerie and affecting. 

While Harper and Staples are at the forefront, guitarist and band leader Rick Holmstrom should get immense credit as well. His guitar works wonders on the minimalist "Heavy On My Mind" as just Holmstrom and Staples powerful voice carry the day. The ringing lead lines he tosses out for tracks like the grooving "Stronger" and soulful closing pair "Hard To Leave" and "One More Change" find his unique riffs supporting staples vocals gloriously. 

The full band (Bass-Jeff Turmes, Drums-Stephen Hodges, Vocals-Donny Gerrard) get in gear for the gospel throwback "Sometime" complete with hand claps and bubbling bass line Mid album weeper/torch song "Never Needed Anyone" is a fine tune, but feels out of place in this collection, but that is really only one of the few negatives on We Get By

Staples, her band and any producer she seems to choose continue to make top notch music album after album. We Get By is just another solid brick in her career wall as she continues to try to break down other walls with her singing, her sound and her positive message.
____________________________________________________
Support the artist, buy the album and peep some video below:

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

RIP Paul "Lil Buck" Sinegal

It has been a rough week for New Orleans legends and their friends/family as Leah Chase, Dr. John and now Lil Buck Sinegal have all passed on.


While Dr. John and Ms. Chase are nationally known legends, RtBE wanted to take a second to also remember Mr. Sinegal who might never have ever struck it large, but was certainly a vital part of NOLA/South Louisiana music, and a great guitarist in his own right.

The Advertiser gathered friends to reminisce on Sinegal in a solid piece, but for those who never heard of him, Lil Buck started touring with Zydeco heavyweights Clifton Chenier and later Buckwheat Zydecowho RtBE saw him first play with back in the mid 90's.

After seeing him on various Jazzfest stages over the last eleven years our favorite musical memory with Lil Buck is from 2017. RtBE were lucky enough to catch him backing the great blues man Lazy Lester in the inmate venue of Three Keys down in New Orleans. Lil Buck and his Buckaroos were the house band that night performing their own set while also supporting Spyder Turner; Buck proved he was a rocker/bluesman/soul stirrer all in one.

So to honor the man, raise a glass and put on some of his tunes this Tuesday night. Enjoy Every Sandwich.
  





Album Review: The Jackets - Queen of the Pill

The Jackets 
Queen of the Pill
**** out of *****

The three piece Bern based band The Jackets newest release Queen of the Pill on Voodoo Rhythm Records is a rollicking collection of fuzzed up garage rock with splashes of psych, punk and 50's pop, making for a confident statement of the bands rock and roll intent. 

Coming from Switzerland the trio (Jack Torera, Chris Rosales and Samuel "Schmidi" Schmidiger) are locked in from the beginning as their leather jacket clad rock blasts out. Front woman Torera's vocals warble and soar through distortion on the tempo shifting opener "Dreamer" which bangs and rattles, stopping and starting with glee.

There are layers of sound and shimmering throughout the record as Nene Baratto and King Khan helped out with production, but the core of the band is the killer low end of Rosales and Schmidiger as they lay the ground work for Torera to shine. A perfect example of their strength is album highlight "What About You" which slams heavy with rhythmic power while a layered guitar solo adds a Nuggets feel to the number as it closes. The title tack also uses a pumping bass and drum lead while a spacey guitars swirl with more distortion and a exploratory jam feeling.

"Steam Queen" uses a crunchy riff and some 50's pop semblance to mix things up before the Jefferson Airplane sounding "Floating Alice" injects Eastern tinges and laid back psychedelia to the garage rock party. Both are fine tracks, but the band works best when it picks up the tempo."Losers Lullaby" does just that and is a dose of punk energy while Torera's six strings sound as if they are destroying speakers on "Don't Leave Me Alone" which comes complete with shaking tambourines and backing vocals.

Queen of the Pill wraps up with two tracks cut from the same sonic cloth as "Deeper Way" and "Be Myself" are parts one and two of a roaring hip shaking groove machine which motors along getting the late night mod dance shindig started. There is not a weak link among the ten retro rocking tracks presented here as The Jackets dark star is clearly on the rise.
___________________________________________
Support the band, buy the record, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:

Monday, June 10, 2019

Dylan Cover #379 Jimi Hendrix "All Along The Watchtower"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Jimi Hendrix performing "All Along The Watchtower" 

Thoughts on Original:
From our first take on a cover of this:
There are certain songs we are surprised we missed cover versions of in the Bard's back catalog...but "All Along The Watchtower" isn't one of them.  There is a reason we haven't covered a cover version (confusing). As Wilson mentioned in his post back in cover #44 there is only one true version of this song...and that is Mr. Jimi's.
Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We will be chatting about Jimi all month here at RtBE. He is simply put one of our favorites of all-time.

Thoughts on Cover:
Cutting to the chase: Best Dylan Cover Ever.

Friday, June 7, 2019

Full Show Friday - Jimi Hendrix Experience: Royal Albert Hall 2/24/69

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Jimi Hendrix!
For June, The Masters Focuses on Jimi Hendrix

Let's kick off this month of Full Show Friday's celebrating Hendrix with a rocking gig from Royal Albert Hall in February 1969. This video is top notch and you get to watch and hear the Experience play with some "Fire". One of RtBE's favorites, "Hear My Train A' Comin'" is the clear highlight but the whole set rips. More info and set list below.

Enjoy:


Amazing concert with archive video footage featuring The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1969.

February 18th, 1969, the Experience' played the first of two shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The band had played the venue previously, on 14th November, 1967, on a bill with Pink Floyd, the Nice, the Move and a few other bold bands of the time. 

This time however, The Jimi Hendrix Experience would be the headliner, playing on the 18th and again on the 24th to a sold-out house.
1:00 Lover Man 
6:00 Hear My Train a Comin 
15:30 I Don't Live Today 
22:40 Foxy Lady 
28:20 Bleeding Heart 
36:25 Fire 

Mitchell on Drums, Noel Redding on Bass, James Marshall " Jimi " Hendrix on Guitar.

RIP Dr. John - Career Retrospective on Glide Magazine

Back in 2016 I wrote a review of The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: A Celebration of Mac & His Music and was impressed with the amount of songs/wide range of Mac's music. At that point I had seen the good doctor multiple times in various settings, but for the most part it was a greatest hit type set or one focused solely on a recent release or his Nite Tripper persona.

After writing that piece I took some time and went back through his full catalog and found a lot of crappy releases but also some really excellent music. In doing so I wrote up a list of his ten best albums and submitted it to Glide Magazine. At the time they weren't really interested in posting it, but with the unfortunate news of his passing I revisited the piece last night, adjusted it and the site was nice enough to post it this morning.
I have loved Dr. John from the first time I heard him. He was a gateway drug into the rich musical culture of New Orleans for a kid from NYC. Mac was eerie but his tunes were still approachable with enough polish and sheen to grease the ears up for even freakier stuff underneath. It is no stretch that because of him I started to fall in love with my home away from home.

Back in 2011 my first blog post for the New York Public Library was a focus on his best album Gris-Gris. "Walk On Glided Splinters" is still one of the coolest songs ever recorded, and that whole album is mystical, but he could also be direct as well like on the simple R&B of "Wash, Mama Wash" and his biggest hit "Right Place, Wrong Time". 

The Doctor kept it up as well later into his career even when his health was fragile and we were lucky to have caught him live in multiple formations and settings. His Jazzfest sets over the last 11 years were always joyful (including his sitting in with the Boss), catching him in Brooklyn at BAM in 2012 with Dan Auerbach on guitar for his live focus on the excellent Locked Down album was special (Especially when he surprisingly busted out "Such A Night") but it was his free show up in Albany, NY in 2016 which we may remember with the most fondness.
It was a chance to catch the legend with our full family with the perfect weather, deep setlist, energetic playing and all around amazing vibes it topped our year end list as RtBE's favorite show of 2016. It was also the last time we saw him perform a set of his tunes. RIP Mac, keep it funky and we shouldn't mourn for him as his music will live on and as OffBeat Magazine summed up brilliantly:


Whatever is your favorite moment from the Doctor celebrate him today and often in the future as he was unique and special. Please enjoy my top ten list for Dr. John's studio records on Glide and more importantly Mac's tunes and his spirit.








Thursday, June 6, 2019

Live Review: One Nation Under A Groove Farewell Tour 6/4/19 Central Park, NY

Hey all, got a new review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!!!

It is of the One Nation Under A Groove Farewell Tour from 6/4/19 in Central Park on SummerStage.

The show was a collection of some of RtBE's Personal Favorites. Dumpstaphunk, Fishbone, Galactic and George Clinton who was so much better than the last time we caught him and crew.
A funky good time was had by all and we went in deep with the review so read it, catch the tour and peep some video below.