Innovative American drummer Terry Bozzio will be finishing his solo North American tour in California later this month, before taking his massive drum kit overseas to Japan for more concerts in November. Best known for his work with Frank Zappa and Missing Persons, Bozzio has had a fascinating career and developed innumerable innovations in drumming. [Read more…]
Four-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Olivia Newton-John has a number of live concert appearances in the United States scheduled out through February, so it is a great time to see her in the U.S. Certainly one of the top artists who has been active since the 70s, she’s had an incredible number of hits that cross over many genres and she has fans all over the world. [Read more…]
Today, Alice Glass announced her departure from – and thus the break-up of – Crystal Castles with Ethan Kath. She made a short statement on social media, including her personal Facebook page (with her first post since July): “I am leaving Crystal Castles. My art and my self-expression in any form has always been an attempt towards sincerity, honesty, and empathy for others. For a multitude of reasons both professional and personal I no longer feel that this is possible within CC. Although this is the end of the band, I hope my fans will embrace me as a solo artist in the same way they have embraced Crystal Castles.” Crystal Castles, who I had a chance to cover and photograph at two shows (one in Seattle in 2012 and the other in Oakland in 2013), and they were as unique in live form as they were in studio recordings. I thought I’d bid farewell to the band with a pictorial showcase of photos I shot at those two concerts, some of which have never been published previously. [Read more…]
Garage punk band The Kills will be playing a handful of just seven shows in North America in the second half of October, kicking off in New York and finishing up in California, with the last stop appearing with Queens of the Stone Age in Los Angeles. While their last album, Blood Pressures, hit in 2011 on Domino Rocords, the duo have explored other media in 2014. Jamie Hince opened his “Echo Home” exhibit of photographic work at the Morrison Hotel Galley in New York in June while Alison Mosshart has had several original paintings on paper, canvas, and fabric included in “Push It”, a group show of female artists at ArtNowNY in April. Their work can be seen in Du Jour and New York Times T Magazine, respectively. [Read more…]
Modern Rock pioneers Violent Femmes are coming to The Fillmore in San Francisco on Friday for a special concert as part of their continuing celebration of 30 years since their eponymous debut, as well as appearing as part of the “Rock N Roll Wine Amplified Festival” in Las Vegas over the weekend. Known for a number of unique and catchy songs in the 80s and 90s, the band has not been terribly active in recent years, so both engagements will be sure to turn out fans of their singular brand of alternative music. [Read more…]
2014 and 2015 are shaping up to be epic for fans of Billy Idol, starting with the Dancing With Myself autobiography, hitting stores and online retailers tomorrow. Today is the last day to pre-order for an entry into the Dancing With Myself Sweepstakes, and today is the first day of a limited number of book signings in the United States and the United Kingdom throughout October. In just a few weeks, on October 21st, the first new Billy Idol studio album in some time, Kings & Queens Of The Underground, will drop. The new single, “Can’t Break Me Down”, is already available. While UK and European concert dates were announced for November some time ago, today North American dates were announced for January and February 2015, including special meet and greet tickets. [Read more…]
English singer-songwriter Lily Allen is back in the spotlight with a new album and tour, following time off from starting a family. Her current tour marks her return to North America after a five year absence. The new album, Sheezus, is her first since 2009, and third album since her big debut in 2006 with her #1 UK hit “Smile”. [Read more…]
“Is that the new iPhone 6?” Roland Orzabal, early on in the show, as he and Curt Smith looked out over the sea of cell phones in the air, held by an exuberant sold out crowd at the historic Wiltern in Los Angeles last night. Tears for Fears, best known for their collection of timeless and classic New Wave hits from the 80s, do not tour very often, and when they do, the tours are usually not too many dates and cities. So there was a bit of an “event” feeling in the air, and based on some of their comments later in the show, they both seem to have quite an affinity for the City of Angels. As such, it seemed to be one of those special sort of shows, that unfold in a different sort of way. About halfway through the show, Curt even gave a shout out to Richard Blade, who was at the front of the GA crowd in the pit… if you didn’t know him by his own lifetime in music, you would think he was the band’s biggest fan (and maybe he is). Perhaps the development that represented the biggest point of fan service, prefaced by Roland with “nothing like changing it up for L.A.; obviously this is a special place for us…” was the surprise encore opener, a song that “we haven’t done for many, many years”. He said that this version will be included in their deluxe reissue of Songs From the Big Chair in November. He said it has been impossible for them to do live “until now”, and then proceeded to play “The Working Hour”. Definitely a special show by a fantastic band, and the place was certainly buzzing when it all came to a close after upwards of a two hour show.
“Michael, I want you to take this crowd – this hardened crowd of entertainment junkies – on a percussion journey…” Kevin Griffin of singer and guitarist for Better Than Ezra, along with co-founding member Tom Drummond on bass, setting the stage for the most blazing cow bell drum solo ever, by their drummer, Michael Jerome. This was my first time seeing Better Than Ezra live in concert, and I came away with my expectations far exceeded… and maybe a bit sad that they didn’t become bigger back in the day; big enough to carry them forward in a way that was, for lack of a better explanation, more successful. They are talented songwriters, and it all manifests itself on stage in a unique way. Everything is framed in a bit of irreverence… not quite on the scale of, say, They Might Be Giants, but let’s just say that Griffin doesn’t take himself too seriously and makes the show fun for him, and in turn, the band’s mix of audience. An audience that I couldn’t really begin to stereotype, as it seemed to be made of people of all ages, genders, and walks of life. They certainly captivated and entertained the crowd, and there is a real sense of expecting the unexpected throughout their set. I really recommend checking out their live show if you have a chance, and either way, I think the new album released this month, All Together Now, is certainly worth a listen.
Prolific alternative rock band Weezer will be releasing their ninth studio album, Everything Will Be Alright in the End, on October 7th, and in support of this release. Having played the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas tonight, their next date is at San Jose State University early next month. Special packages for the album can still be ordered via PledgeMusic.com. [Read more…]