The United States celebrates it's Independence today, and while the country has deep rooted issues and problems we are dealing (and not dealing) with, it is still the best country mankind has founded in our sordid history. So enjoy the outdoors, hanging safely with friends, and living life. What better soundtrack for that is there than The Grateful Dead?!?!
We took the opportunity a few years back to talk about the Best American Band question on July 4th. Now (in a tradition started years ago) we are just giving you our answer in concert form, the Grateful Dead's July 4th 1989 concert. What a doozy! It is the perfect time to bust it back out and get Truckin' Up To Buffalo.
For his album And That's When I Saw Gawd, the New Orleans based hip hop artist Ferris Blusa partnered with the Madison, WI based producer Observe Since 98to craft a full length flowing album that thematically holds together questioning televangelism, religion and more.
On her recent releases the Memphis, TN based artist Valerie June had been focusing on softer, slower, relaxing, acoustic efforts. With her sixth studio full length, Owls, Omens and Oracles, June has returned a bit to her indie-rock roots as June mixes grandiose soul, modern r&b, pop and gospel coloring the sound and tone.
The fourth solo studio album from Patterson Hood is titled Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams and it continues his personal tales of odd occurrences and knack for effective story telling through ten songs. Some of the tunes are about Hood's childhood and were written in the 70's while others deal with adulthood and were written much more recently during the Covid lockdown.
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 Phil J Grayplaying "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"
This song is so iconic and flat out awesome, even people who dislike Dylan have to enjoy this tune right? Biting and yet not bitter, a toss off of the grandest proportions, "Don' Think Twice, It's All Right" is epic and yet so straight forwardly simple. It easily ranks as one of the bard's best works, truly a classic and has been covered by so many people in so many ways.
Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist
Back in October 2024 we came across Mr. Gray, aka MUSIC MAN and dug his style of straight ahead, live acoustic Dylan covers. Turns out he does a bunch, so all month we will focus on him and his Bob covers.
Thoughts on Cover
A great spin through an excellent song. We end our month of June's special focus on a high note with Mr. Gray! Thanks for reading and listening.
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...The Ventures!
With summer kicking into high gear here in NYC, let's get some surf rock flowing for our Full Show Friday this week. This show was originally recorded in 1983 but wasn't released until 1989, the 30th anniversary of the band.
Pro shot, Pro Sound, with a ton of guest. Full set list below. Enjoy!
The Ventures 30th Anniversary
00:00 1 Wipe Out / Guest / MAX WEINBERG
03:45 2 Tequila / Guest / JEFF BAXTER
06:36 3 Apache / Guest / PETER FRAMPTON
09:28 4 Memphis / Guest / RICK DERRINNGER
12:50 5 Telstar / Guest / CHRIS SPEDDING
15:11 6 Out Of Limits / THE RAYBEATS
17:05 7 Perfidia / Guest / ROBBY KRIEGE
19:18 8 Slaughter 0n 10th Avenue
21:21 9 Sleep Walk / Guest / JEFF BAXTER
24:40 10 Bumble Bee Twist / Guest / ROBBY KRIEGER
27:03 11 Let's Go
29:17 12 Hawaii Five-o / Guest / MAX WEINBERG
31:49 13 Pipeline / Guest / PPETER FRAMPTON & CHRIS SPEDDNG
34:59 14 Walk Don't Run
The Ventures
Don Wilson / Guitar
Nokie Edwards / Guitar
Bob Bogle / Bass
Mel Taylor / Drums
The Philadelphia based Dr. Dog ceased touring in 2021 but have not retired. They released their excellent self titled album last year and occasionally play a few shows here and there. The groups largest NYC headlining concert to date took place on Saturday night June 21st at Forrest Hills Stadium in Queens.
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 Phil J Grayplaying "Desolation Row"
A magnum opus of early Dylan. A song that is mystical and heated, politically charged while never explicit. One of the more expansive songs he has written and an early indicator that Dylan was on another level lyrically. From Ezra Pound to Bette Davis there are literary references, pop culture bits and a complete fabled world that comes alive in the ears. A true high point when it comes to Bob Dylan songs.
Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Back in October 2024 we came across Mr. Gray, aka MUSIC MAN and dug his style of straight ahead, live acoustic Dylan covers. Turns out he does a bunch, so all month we will focus on his tunes.
Thoughts on Cover:
Gray takes a bit of Dylan's exhausted defeatism out of the tune with this live cover. An impressive cover as this tune is a beast to take on, and Gray does a good job in his particular style.
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...Yuck!
This week we go back to the alt-rock of Yuck in 2011. This tour came after their debut release which RtBE reviewed. Check out the pro-shot, pro-sound, set list below. Enjoy!
The debut full length release from the Milwaukee, WI based trio The Hallelujah Ward, Everybody Swoons, is a twinkling mix of indie rockers as the eight tracks presented here show a band tackling a few different sub genres while buzzingly moving forward.