Just like as in
most cities,
Erie has a
never-ending
talent pool of
musicians who on
a weekly basis
entertain the
masses through
the creativity
and love of
music. Though
there are many
excellent
unaccompanied
acts throughout
our area, it is
very unusual to
find a solo act
that can give
that full band
feel while using
only a guitar,
one voice, and a
power packed
treasure chest
of both popular
covers and
originals.
This week’s
featured
musician, Ray
Lanich does all
that and more,
proving that you
don’t need
anything more
than talent and
a drive to share
your music with
the world.
Having received
his first guitar
as a young boy,
Lanich quickly
learned of his
passion for
music and
entertaining.
Being a graduate
of Edinboro
University where
he studied
classical guitar
and music,
Lanich has been
touring and
playing music
for the people
of Erie and
beyond.
Lanich’s first
solo EP, “I’ll
Play a Song for
You” was
released in 2008
and has enjoyed
such great
success as to be
for sale online
at iTunes,
Rhapsody,
Amazon, and
CDbaby,
while
locally
available
at CD
Warehouse
and
Presque Isle
Gallery
Coffeehouse.
Uniquely for a
local artist,
the EP is
currently listed
in Billboard’s
registry of
albums.
As the front man
of both the
Counter Pointe
band and Ray
Lanich’s Band,
Lanich has
turned a decade
of professional
music playing
into a
lifetime’s worth
of talent and
experience.
With Classic
Rock covers and
amazing
emotionally
driven originals
such as “It Had
to Come to This”
and “My Jenny”,
Lanich’s brand
of music blends
the best of the
old along with
the new for a
seamless musical
experience that
gets you up
dancing and
wrenches your
emotions, all in
the span of what
seems to be only
a few minutes,
while giving you
an emotional
journey of the
soul.
With all the
energy of a full
band, Lanich
performs covers
of the 80’s and
90’s like “Dead
or Alive” by Bon
Jovi and “Under
the Bridge” by
the Red Hot
Chili Peppers
that keeps his
audience’s toes
tapping and
bodies swaying
the entire
night.
Lanich’s wild
and wicked
precise finger
picking has a
propulsive
effect on
everyone,
uncontrollably
luring them to
the dance floor
show after show.
Lanich’s
supercharged
shows are rich
in rhythm and
tonal color, his
command of his
instrument is
evident, and his
talent as a
composer is hard
to beat with
originals, which
are invariably
marked by their
expressiveness.
With a strong,
ear-pleasing and
powerful voice,
smart lyrics and
a truly
impressive
finger style,
Lanich has it
all, and brings
it to every
song. Few
musicians in
Erie can match
Lanich’s
wonderful gift
for using his
guitar to create
such intricate
rhythmic moods
of expression,
while energizing
his audiences
with masterfully
performed covers
of timeless
classic songs.
Although he
often sounds
like two, three
or even four
very talented
men, Lanich is a
one-man-band
that captivates
his audiences
with an energy
level that
starts out at
full throttle
and seems to
grow through the
night.
If you have not
yet seen Ray
Lanich’s high
energy, pulse
pounding live
show or listened
to his CD,
please know, it
is a must.
Celebrate
Erie’s Local
Music
Romantic Era
Alive and Well
In Erie
By Julie
Caldwell
The Romantic Era
was an artistic,
literary and
intellectual
movement that
originated in
the second half
of the 18th
century in
Europe, and
gained strength
in reaction to
the Industrial
Revolution.
In a basic
sense, the term
“Romantic Era"
has been used to
refer to certain
artists, poets,
writers,
musicians, as
well as
political,
philosophical
and social
thinkers of the
late 18th and
early to mid
19th centuries.
It has equally
been used to
refer to various
artistic,
intellectual,
and social
trends of that
era.
Though the
“Romantic Era”
has long since
passed, it
however is alive
and Rock’n in
Erie. The
Romantic Era is
a power packed
local band that
is set to play
Celebrate Erie
on August 19th.
This 6-piece
edgy pop-rock
band that is
made up of
energetic
musicians give
the term unique
a new meaning as
they dazzle
their fans with
their own brand
and style of
music. The band
is made of Colin
Kimball –
Keyboard, Ben
Griffith –
Drums, Alan
Dingfelder –
Guitar, Dave
Pfister –
Guitar, Bryant
Kimball – Bass
and Connor
Kimball on
Vocals.
The Romantic Era
demonstrates how
a rhythm,
talent, passion
and dedication
to the music can
create a
uniquely
immersive and
enjoyable,
solidly
entertaining
live show
experience.
The unique sound
of The Romantic
Era, along with
their character
and high-energy
stage
performances has
created a
significant
following for
the band as they
continue to
break every
venue they have
played, because
of their music
and stage
persona.
Their unique
blends of
powerful riffs,
emotionally
charged lyrics,
and simply doing
whatever is
necessary to
bring the most
entertaining and
electrifying
performance to
every show they
play has made
the Romantic Era
one of Erie’s
hottest bands
today.
The Romantic
Era’s talents
have earned them
prestige of
sharing the
stage with
national acts
that include
Jason Derulo and
We the Kings.
The goodtime
feeling of the
Romantic Era’s
original music,
compounded with
the growing
talents and
versatility and
enthusiasm of
each musician
allows the
capacity crowds
to relate to the
music, and to
just let go and
party.
Guitars, vocals,
drums, and keys
all unite in the
relentless
pursuit of great
live music and
high voltage
shows that take
the stage by
storm the second
The Romantic Era
plays their
first note.
The Romantic Era
conveys a touch
of craziness to
the overwhelming
sounds and
passions that
roar from the
stage while at
the same time
the energy of
each individual
band member
excites
audiences to
dance, party and
just let go for
the time of
their lives.
If you have not
yet had the
experience of
The Romantic
Era, stop down
to Celebrate
Erie Friday
August 19th for
a must see band
that will Rock’n
Roll your world.
Today I woke up
in a Wal Mart
parking lot, in
100+ degree
weather, in a
random town in
Indiana. I was
hundreds of
miles away from
home with 10 of
my best friends.
I reeked of
stale sweat and
was pretty sure
a shower was not
in my itinerary
for the day. I
used baby wipes
and deodorant to
make myself
smell human,
only to sweat it
off 6 hours
later on a
stage, using up
the little
remaining energy
I had left. Now,
I smell worse
than before and
am still unsure
when my next
shower is
coming. Tonight
I will pack up
my trailer,
crowd all the
sweaty and gross
members of my
band into my van
and drive a
couple more
hours to another
town. This trend
will continue
everyday for the
next 14 days.
Does this sound
like something
you might be
interested in?
Most people
cherish
cleanliness and
a steady income
too much to put
themselves in my
shoes, but I
wouldn’t trade
it for the
world. Only a
certain type of
person would
willingly put
himself or
herself through
this and only a
handful of
people would
love it as much
as I do.
My name is Drew
Chiodo and I am
currently on
tour with my
band In The Day.
We are just
starting our on
the road with
our friends
Tuesdays Too
Late and are
waist deep in
the cornfields
of Indiana. The
reason for me
writing this is
to give you
readers the
inside view of
what being in a
band on tour is
actually like.
There are no
wild parties, no
five-star hotel
rooms and
absolutely no
groupies. It’s
not easy, but is
definitely worth
every second of
it.
Most people
don’t know what
it takes to be
in a touring
band. The
stress, the fun
and the
commitment that
goes into even
getting to the
point of touring
can be almost
too much for
someone to
handle. You have
to be a
performer, a
businessman, a
multi-tasker and
have extremely
thick skin to be
in this line of
work. So for the
next couple of
weeks I will be
taking you
through the
day-to-day
craziness of
being on tour
and let me tell
you, there is
never a dull
moment.
Our journey
began Friday
night when my
band In The Day
left Erie at
around 11:30pm
to head to
Columbus Ohio to
meet our fellow
tour-mates
Tuesdays Too
Late, from
Pittsburgh, in
some random Wal
Mart parking
lot. Our first
show was set to
be in Covington
Kentucky the
next day and we
wanted to meet
half way.
Overcome with
excitement, we
started our
journey for
Columbus on
I-79. This is
where the
problems began.
Five minutes
into our drive,
my “Service
Engine Soon”
light began
flashing at me.
This usually
means “Pull
Over, Your
Vehicle Is About
To Explode.”
This was not the
perfect start to
a 2,000-mile
journey. We
ended up pulling
into the Wal
Mart on Peach
St. and loaded
the van up with
all the
super-lubricants
I could think
of. Having that
my van currently
has 271,943
miles on it, it
is pretty prone
to problems and
I am usually
good at on-site
maintenance for
it.
After lubing up
the van, good
ole’ Nelmis (the
van) purred her
way across the
state of Ohio,
where we finally
landed in
Columbus at
around 6:00am.
Once all the
hellos, the
high-fives and
laughs were out
of the way, we
got to bed at
around 7:00am.
We were awoken
by security at
around 9:30am to
be told to leave
the premises
before the
higher
authorities were
contacted.
Though, short on
sleep, this is
just something
that bands like
us have to deal
with on a
day-to-day
basis. Wal Mart
has a thing
against almost a
dozen
20-something
year olds
sleeping in cots
in their parking
lot. Who would
have guessed? So
our journey took
us to Waffle
House, this made
up for our lack
of sleep.
After breakfast,
we headed out on
our three-hour
drive to
Kentucky
with that
annoying Service
Engine light
still randomly flashing
at me. We
finally made it
Covington around
2:30pm. Once the
van was shut off
and we opened
the doors, we
immediately all
broke out in an
intense sweat.
We had forgot to
look at the
forecast for
this part of
Kentucky and
were greeted by
its harsh heat.
The heat index
for the day was
117 degrees and
the venue was
locked.
As sat outside
for over an
hour, everyone
started to
wonder where
exactly this
promoter for the
show was. He
wouldn’t answer
his phone or his
email and we
were starting to
worry. So we
contacted the
owner of the
venue who
proceeded to
tell us that he
had no idea who
our bands were
and that we were
actually never
booked for a
show at his
venue. Needless
to say, we were
beyond livid.
How could this
happen?! We just
drove seven
hours and now we
were out of
money, four
hours away from
our next show
and stripped of
all morale. Now
matter how hard
it sucks, things
like this happen
to bands in our
position more
than one would
hope. You mainly
just have to
cross your
fingers and hope
for the best a
lot of the time.
The “field of
work” known as
being in a band
is one full of
ups and downs.
Your attitude on
the road is the
one thing you
need to keep
positive or it
will eat you
alive.
After realizing
our promoter was
nowhere to be
found and there
was nothing we
could do, we
packed up ours
stuff and headed
to our next show
in Muncie
Indiana. Now
being a super
money-paranoid
group of
vagabonds, we
made sure the
show was still
on and contacted
anyone involved
in the show. We
were good and
all really
looking forward
to finally
getting the
opportunity to
get on stage and
work for our
money the legal
way.
No matter what
though, you can
NEVER expect
everything to go
to plan. It just
won’t, plain and
simple. You
always have to
be on your guard
and be prepared
for the worse
and trust me
when I say, it’s
about to get
tougher and a
lot more like
the plot of The
Hangover…
Come read next
week and find
out what exactly
happened to us
on our way to
Ohio. Needless
to say, a lot of
alcohol, adult
marts and “freak
stage accidents”
will be the hot
topic of
discussion. So
for now, I leave
you with this
note: Do not
ever
underestimate
the power of
teenage angst
carrying through
for your whole
life. If you
keep it in your
pocket like your
lucky quarter,
it will one day
come in handy.
This, I promise
you.
Friends and
Family Remember
Winehouse
By Mesfin Fekadu
Wearing dark
suits, black
dresses and the
occasional
beehive hairdo,
friends and
family said
goodbye to Amy
Winehouse with
prayers, tears,
laughter and
song at an
emotional
funeral
ceremony.
"Amy was the
greatest
daughter, family
member and
friend you could
ever have," said
her father,
Mitch Winehouse,
in a section of
the eulogy
released by a
family
spokesman.
The singer's
father, mother
and brother were
joined by
Winehouse's
close friends,
band members and
celebrities
including
producer Mark
Ronson for the
service at
Edgwarebury
Cemetery in
north London on
Tuesday. Media
personality
Kelly Osbourne
was one of
several women to
wear their hair
piled
beehive-high in
an echo of the
singer's
trademark style.
Fans and
photographers
thronged the
lane outside,
but the funeral
was for several
hundred friends
and family only.
Mitch Winehouse
told mourners
that his late
daughter had
recently found
love and had
beaten her drug
dependency three
years before her
death, but he
admitted she was
still struggling
to control her
drinking after
several weeks of
abstinence.
"She said, 'Dad
I've had enough
of drinking, I
can't stand the
look on your and
the family's
faces anymore.'"
Mitch Winehouse
said.
He said Amy had
been playing her
drums and
singing in the
home the night
before her
death.
"But knowing she
wasn't
depressed,
knowing she
passed away,
knowing she
passed away
happy, it makes
us all feel
better," he
said, adding
that he hopes to
set up an Amy
Winehouse
Foundation that
would help
people beat
substance abuse.
The cab driver
and jazz singer,
who helped
foster his
daughter's love
of music, ended
his eulogy with
the words
"Goodnight, my
angel, sleep
tight. Mummy and
Daddy love you
ever so much."
The Jewish
service was led
by a rabbi and
included prayers
in English and
Hebrew.
It ended with a
rendition of
Carole King's
"So Far Away,"
one of
Winehouse's
favorite songs.
"Mitch was
funny, he told
some great
stories from
childhood about
how headstrong
she was, and
clearly the
family and
friends
recognized the
stories and
laughed along,"
said family
spokesman Chris
Goodman.
"He stressed so
many times she
was happier now
than she had
ever been and he
spoke about her
boyfriend and
paid tribute to
a lot of people
in her life."
Family friend
Alfie Ezekiel,
55, said the
service had been
a "joyful"
celebration of
the singer's
life.
"Mitch gave a
very good eulogy
and he managed
to get through
it very well,
considering," he
said.
Close family and
friends —
including
Winehouse's
recent
boyfriend, Reg
Traviss — moved
on to Golders
Green
Crematorium,
where the singer
was cremated.
Several
mourners,
including Ronson
— who
co-produced
Winehouse's
breakthrough
album "Back to
Black" — looked
emotional as
they left the
red brick
structure, which
has seen the
cremations of
thousands of
ordinary
Londoners and
many
celebrities,
including
psychoanalyst
Sigmund Freud,
comedian Peter
Sellers and
drummer Keith
Moon of The Who.
The family was
then due to hold
two days of
shiva, a Jewish
traditional
period of
mourning..
The soul diva,
who had battled
alcohol and drug
addiction for
years, was found
dead Saturday at
her London home.
She was 27.
An autopsy held
Monday failed to
determine what
caused her
death. Police
are awaiting the
results of
toxicology
tests, which
will take two to
four weeks.
Winehouse
released only
two albums in
her short career
— winning five
Grammy awards
for "Back to
Black" — and
often made
headlines
because of drug
and alcohol
abuse, eating
disorders,
destructive
relationships
and abortive
performances.
Since her death,
her records have
re-entered album
charts around
the world, and
tributes have
poured in from
fans and fellow
musicians.
George Michael
called her "the
most soulful
vocalist this
country has ever
seen," and soul
singer Adele
said she "paved
the way for
artists like me
and made people
excited about
British music
again."
David Lynch
is in the Pearl
Jam Movie!
By Daniel Kreps
We're on Seattle
overload today!
First, Nirvana's
Nevermind
reissue details
arrived and now
the official
trailer for
Cameron Crowe's
Pearl Jam Twenty
documentary is
here. The Pearl
Jam/Nirvana
rivalry lives
on. The doc's
premiere date is
September 10th
at the Toronto
International
Film Festival.
(Ontario will be
rocking at TIFF
this year as U2
and Madonna are
also debuting
movies at the
fest.) PJ20 will
head to "select
markets" for
one-night-only
theater showings
on September
20th, then a
week-long stay
in other
unspecified
markets starting
September 23rd.
But all that's
minor info
compared to this
nugget: David
Lynch is in it!
That's the
mousy-voiced
director
interviewing
Eddie Vedder
above, and we're
not sure if
Vedder's
reluctance to
answer is
because he's
contemplating a
response or
because he's
stunned into
silence because
he's being
interviewed by
David Lynch.
Maybe a
combination of
the two. The
trailer, like
the previous
clip of the film
that showed the
band's last day
as Mookie
Blaylock,
depicts a side
of the band
that's seldom
seen. There's a
good reason for
that -- PJ20 was
"culled from
more than 1,200
hours of rarely
and
never-before-seen
footage, over 24
hours of recent
interviews with
the band, as
well as live
footage of their
spellbinding
concert
performances."
"We put so much
into the film --
moments, pieces
of footage shot
by band members,
audio snippets,
visual bursts,
new and old
interviews --
many different
formats, all
meant to present
an emotional
scrapbook of
what it felt
like to be a
member of the
band on this
20-year
journey,"
Cameron Crowe
said in a
statement. "The
richness of the
footage made our
path very clear
-- just tell the
story of the
band and let the
music guide us."
After its
theatrical run,
PJ20 will make
its television
debut on October
21st as part of
PBS' "American
Masters" series.
A DVD release
will follow
October 25th.
Pearl Jam Twenty
will also be
accompanied by a
book on
September 13th
and a soundtrack
that serves as a
"true companion
piece to the
film" on
September 20th.
Pre-order both
at the PJ20
site. Between
this, the
nine-pound
reissues, and
tickets to the
band's 20th
anniversary
festival in
Wisconsin,
there's lots of
stuff to buy for
Pearl Jam fans
this fall. Start
saving.
Folk Band
America
Co-founder Dan
Peek Dies at 60
By Mary Slosson
Dan Peek, a
co-founder and
musician for the
folk rock band
America, famous
for the No. 1
hit "A Horse
with No Name,"
has died. He was
60.
Peek, who died
on Sunday,
founded the band
in the late
1960s with
bandmates Gerry
Beckley and
Dewey Bunnell
while they
attended high
school together
in London, where
their fathers
were stationed
with the United
States Air
Force.
America's
self-titled
debut album,
which featured
"A Horse with No
Name," shot to
the top of the
charts in 1972.
The group won a
Grammy for best
new artist that
year, and
enjoyed a string
of other popular
hits including
"Ventura
Highway" and
"Lonely People."
"We created
lasting music
together and
experienced a
life that we
could never have
imagined," wrote
America
co-founder and
bandmate Dewey
Bunnell on the
band's website.
"This news
brings me great
sadness. My
sincere
condolences go
out to his wife,
Catherine, and
the entire Peek
family. May Dan
rest in peace,
and his memory
be cherished
forever."
Neil Portnow,
chief executive
of The Recording
Academy which
gives out
music's highest
awards, the
Grammys, called
Peek "a dynamic
individual and
great talent."
He noted that
Peek was a
multi-talented
musician who
played guitar,
bass, keyboards
and harmonica.
Peek left
America in 1977
and went on to
perform
contemporary
Christian music,
but never found
the sort of fame
he enjoyed with
the popular band
that recorded
hit singles.
Beckley, who
called Peek "a
dear friend for
many years,"
said the man
"and his music
will live on in
the great songs
he shared with
us all."
Frank Foster,
Jazz
Saxophonist,
Composer and
Arranger, Dies
at 82
By Nate Chinen
Frank Foster, a
saxophonist,
composer and
arranger who
helped shape the
sound of the
Count Basie
Orchestra during
its popular
heyday in the
1950s and ’60s
and later led
expressive large
and small groups
of his own, died
on Tuesday at
his home in
Chesapeake, Va.
He was 82.
The cause was
complications of
kidney failure,
said his wife of
45 years,
Cecilia. Mr.
Foster had a
varied and
highly regarded
career as a
bandleader,
notably with his
Loud Minority
Big Band, and he
was sought after
as an arranger
for large
ensembles. But
it was the
strength of his
contribution to
the so-called
New Testament
edition of the
Basie band, from
1953 to 1964,
that anchors his
place in jazz
history.
Mr. Foster wrote
and arranged a
number of songs
for the band,
none more
celebrated than
“Shiny
Stockings,” a
puckishly
genteel theme
set at a
cruising medium
tempo with a
slow but
powerful
crescendo.
Recorded by
Basie on his
classic 1955
album “April in
Paris,” it
subsequently
became both a
band signature
and a jazz
standard, often
performed with
lyrics (there
were two sets,
one by Ella
Fitzgerald and
one by Jon
Hendricks).
Among Mr.
Foster’s less
famous entries
in the Basie
canon, some,
like “Blues in
Hoss’ Flat,”
have enjoyed
steady
circulation in
the repertories
of high school
and college jazz
bands.
He was one of
two musicians
named Frank in
the band’s
saxophone
section, the
other being the
tenor
saxophonist and
flutist Frank
Wess. Their
contrasting
styles as
soloists — Mr.
Foster was the
more robust,
with a harder
husk to his tone
— became the
basis of a
popular set
piece called
“Two Franks,”
written for the
band by Neal
Hefti.
After leaving
Basie, Mr.
Foster worked
for a while as a
freelance
arranger,
supporting the
likes of Frank
Sinatra and
Sarah Vaughan.
He returned to
the Basie band
in the
mid-1980s, this
time as its
leader. (Count
Basie died in
1984.) He held
the post for
nearly a decade
and earned
something like
emeritus status:
when the Count
Basie Orchestra
was enlisted for
Tony Bennett’s
2008 album “A
Swingin’
Christmas,” Mr.
Foster was the
arranger.
Frank Benjamin
Foster III was
born on Sept.
21, 1928, into
Cincinnati’s
African-American
middle class —
his father was a
postal clerk,
his mother a
social worker —
and began his
musical studies
first on piano,
then clarinet.
The alto
saxophone came
next, and within
a year of
picking it up he
was playing in a
neighborhood
dance band.
Most of his
early
professional
experience
involved playing
stock
arrangements in
big bands;
during his
senior year of
high school he
formed one
himself, writing
charts from
scratch. He
considered
himself
self-taught as
an arranger,
having studied
only harmony in
school.
Mr. Foster
attended the
historically
black
Wilberforce
University in
Ohio, after
being rejected
by Oberlin
College and the
Cincinnati
Conservatory. He
played in and
arranged for
Wilberforce’s
dance band, the
Collegians.
As a budding
tenor
saxophonist he
drew inspiration
from Wardell
Gray and Dexter
Gordon, strong
stylists who
made the
transition from
swing to bebop.
“I’m a hard
bopper,” he told
an interviewer
with the
Smithsonian Jazz
Oral History
Program in 1998.
“Once a hard
bopper, always a
hard bopper.”
But Mr. Foster
was hardly
confined to
bebop as a
musical
language. His
tenure with the
Count Basie
Orchestra, which
began after his
tour of duty
with the Army
during the
Korean War,
proved as much.
So did his
efforts after
leaving Basie,
when he played
in smaller
groups,
including those
led by his
wife’s first
cousin, the
drummer Elvin
Jones. At the
time he was
drawn to the
adventurous
music of John
Coltrane, in
whose quartet
Mr. Jones had
created an
influential
polyrhythmic
pulse. An album
called “Well
Water,” recently
released on the
Piadrum label,
captures Mr.
Foster and Mr.
Jones jointly
leading the Loud
Minority Big
Band in 1977,
with a
determinedly
modern mind-set.
The album
includes their
take on
“Simone,” Mr.
Foster’s
best-known
post-Basie
composition.
Even as he spent
a good portion
of the late
1960s and ’70s
exploring
harmonic and
rhythmic
abstraction, Mr.
Foster never
quite
surrendered to
it. And he was
no purist about
jazz-funk —
“Manhattan
Fever,” one of
his best albums,
released in 1968
on Blue Note,
has several
effervescent
backbeat-driven
tunes.
In 2001 Mr.
Foster had a
stroke that
hindered his
ability to play
the saxophone.
He was named a
National
Endowment for
the Arts Jazz
Master the
following year,
and continued to
write and
arrange music,
often as a
commission for
organizations
like the Jazz at
Lincoln Center
Orchestra. He
also became
active in the
Jazz Foundation
of America, a
nonprofit
organization
that delivers
aid to musicians
in need.
In addition to
his wife, Mr.
Foster is
survived by two
children from
their marriage,
Frank Foster IV
and Andrea
Jardis Innis;
two sons from
his first
marriage,
Anthony and
Donald; and six
grandchildren.
A Quick Chat
With Artist To
Watch Levi
Lowrey
By Wendy Geller
Perhaps you may
not have heard
of
singer-songwriter
Levi Lowrey just
yet, but I'm
betting you may
be familiar with
one of his good
pals: Zac Brown,
with whom Lowrey
has collaborated
as a songwriter
(he co-wrote the
hit "Colder
Weather") and as
a performer,
touring the same
Georgia club
circuit together
over the years.
Brown knows
talent when he
sees it, so upon
launching his
newly formed
Southern Ground
record label,
one of the first
artists he
signed was
Lowrey. Once you
have a listen to
Lowrey's debut
album for
Southern Ground,
I Confess I Was
A Fool, you'll
see why Brown
was so eager to
get his friend
on the roster.
The Georgia
native, who
started out
playing fiddle
as a child (in
the footsteps of
his
great-great-grandfather
Gid Tanner, who
launched the
legendary
Skillet
Lickers), is
enviably nimble
in all areas of
musicianship. In
addition to
pouring a
melting
pot's-worth of
musical
influences into
his songwriting,
he's an
unusually
colorful
lyricist as
well; presenting
affecting and
genuine stories
in each of his
songs. And, to
top it off, he's
just simply one
of those
vocalists that
can set off an
emotional
response
immediately.
It's hard to
decide which of
these strengths
is his greatest,
but in all,
Lowrey presents
a fine debut
which should
mark him as a
rising artist to
watch.
Lowrey chatted
with me recently
and answered a
few queries
about his new
record,
relationship
with the ZBB,
and what artists
he's listened to
over the years
that have
contributed to
his
familiar-yet-unique
sound. Hope you
enjoy getting to
know him a bit
better!
Our Country:
You have a
unique blend of
musical styles
on your new
album. It's
country, but
it's not exactly
the country most
people are used
to hearing. What
would you say is
the style that
stands out most
on your album?.
Levi Lowrey:
I think that
calling it
Americana would
be a fair
statement. It
sounds more like
the old country
that I grew up
playing.
OC: Do
you attribute
the
old-fashioned,
vintage feel of
your songwriting
to your musical
lineage and
heritage?
LL: When
I was learning
how to play the
fiddle, my
grandfather
would take me to
the "chicken
house" every
Friday night. I
would sit around
in a jam session
with the Skillet
Lickers (led by
Phil Tanner) and
play North
Georgia String
Band Music and
old country
music all night
long. My
great-great
grandfather’s (Gid
Tanner)
influence on the
group was still
very strong but
they were
starting to
branch out a
little, so you
would hear Hank
Williams, Lefty
Frizzell, Roy
Acuff, Don
Williams, and a
lot of those
icons of
country.
OC: What
artists did you
grow up
listening to?
Who has been
your greatest
musical
influence?
LL: My
father would
always listen to
Lynyrd Skynyrd,
Stevie Ray
Vaughn, and the
Allman Brothers
Band. At my
mother's house
it was James
Taylor, John
Denver, Mac
Mcannally, and
Dan Fogelberg.
My list of
influences has
grown
exponentially
over the years.
I'd have to say
that my biggest
influence to
date is Darrell
Scott.
OC: You
started out as a
fiddle player.
Do you use the
fiddle to write
songs, or do you
prefer to write
on another
instrument?.
LL: I
normally write
on the guitar.
If I get stuck,
then I'll move
to an alternate
tuning. Every
once in a while,
a melody will be
given to me
through the
fiddle.
OC: I
think one of the
standout
elements on your
record is your
vocals--you have
a beautiful
voice. Did you
ever take
singing lessons
or is it all
natural?
LL: I
never took any
lessons, but
from a fairly
young age I
developed a
fascination with
hymns and trying
to pick out
everyone's
harmonies on
Sunday mornings.
OC:
What's your
favorite song
off the new
album and why?
What would you
say is your
wife's favorite?
LL: I am
very fond of "Roselee
and Odes." It's
one of the
oldest songs on
this album, but
I still think
about them both
every time that
I play it.
(Editor's note:
The song, about
a woman who lost
her longtime
beloved husband,
is based on the
real-life story
of an elderly
couple who lived
next door to
Lowrey.) My wife
loves "Hold On
Tight". (This
song details his
own wedding--a
young, scared
couple who took
the plunge and
are now happily
married with two
kids.)
OC:
What's the best
advantage to
being on an
independently
owned label such
as Zac Brown's
Southern Ground?
Are there any
disadvantages?
LL: Zac
realizes that
this record does
not define me.
He understands
that when I play
with my band
(the Community
House Band) that
we are capable
of rocking out a
little, and he
embraces that.
The emphasis
will always be
on the lyrics,
but the music
will constantly
evolve. He
doesn't try to
control me or my
sound. He lets
me be myself.
Rock-Star
Hobbies: More
Interesting and
Odd Ways
Musicians Keep
Busy Off Stage
By Theo
Spielberg
Being a rock
star is often
glamorized as a
nonstop thrill
ride, but that's
not always the
case. Whether
it's being
cooped up in a
van driving to
the next
destination on
tour, whiling
away the hours
before hitting
the stage or
taking time off
to decompress
from the
pressures of
stardom,
musicians have
plenty of time
to cultivate
hobbies. Below,
we've once again
compiled some of
the most
interesting, so
read on to find
out who spends
their time
taking fans out
for a jog,
collecting Nazi
memorabilia,
playing pinball
and selling
flowers.
Ellie
Goulding
British
singer-songwriter
Ellie Goulding
would rather not
be
in a room with
her fans at all.
It's not that
she dislikes
them -- she
would much
prefer to go
jogging with
them instead.
Goulding became
a jogging
enthusiast
around the age
of 18 as she
found it helped
her creative
process. It also
has the
unexpected side
effect of
spicing up her
relations with
fans, as she
explained to
Spinner: "It
makes you feel
really alive ...
I guess it's
just better than
meeting fans in
a room, like
signing things
or whatever and
I get to
actually talk to
them and have
fun."
Jizmak Da
Gusha
Gwar are a band
of dudes from
Virginia who
dress up in
crazy
alien-monster
costumes and
engage in a wide
spectrum of
intergalactic
sci-fi-and-horror-related
debauchery.
Their drummer "Jizmak
Da Gusha" can
often be seen
wielding a
hammer and
wearing what
looks like a
monstrous dog
mask. However,
when he's not
looking
completely
crazy, Mr. Gusha
owns Nicola
Flora, a very
nice little
flower shop in
Richmond, Va.,
with his wife
Nichole. Go
figure.
James Murphy
"What plans does
James Murphy
have for his
post-LCD
career?" This is
a question that
has been hanging
on the lips of
music fans since
LCD
Soundsystem's
farewell show in
April. Instead
of discussing a
new musical
project, Murphy
revealed to
Spinner that he
s planning to
"grow some food
and then cook
it." Murphy has
stated more than
once his
fondness for
harvesting
vegetables.
Thumbs up for
living off the
fat of the land.
Jack White
Before he was a
guitar legend,
Jack White was
an apprentice
upholsterer. Mr.
White has
another passion
that seems to
have become
undervalued in
the modern age:
Taxidermy. In an
interview with
the Believer,
White revealed
himself as a
taxidermy
enthusiast with
a large, mostly
antique,
collection of
taxidermied
animals, "I've
got a zebra
head, two
gazelles, an
eland, a kudu, a
giant white elk
..."
Cherie Currie
For her stab at
the visual arts,
Cherie Currie,
the lead singer
of pioneering
girl-rock band
the Runaways,
has something
more powerful
than a paint
brush: a
chainsaw. Joan
Jett may have
been the
guitarist, but
it seems like
Cherry is the
one who really
shreds. This is
one hobby not to
be tried by
amateurs.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan's
career has
defied easy
categorization.
But the
troubadour/poet/rock
star has
added the role
of sculptor to
his already
broad artistic
milieu. Though
Dylan has gained
recognition as a
painter (one of
his works graced
the cover of the
Band's "Music
From Big Pink")
Dylan's work as
a sculptor has
come into
demand, with
patrons
commissioning
him to do work
with iron and
lead.
Slash
Slash is a true
pinball
enthusiast. The
guitarist is an
avid player and
has built two
pinball
machines, but
his own words
illustrate his
passion the most
vividly: "When
you're playing a
guitar solo you
have to try and
get from your
head to your
fingers in the
fastest amount
of time possible
so you can get
the point
across, in time
... same thing
with pinball."
Lemmy
Some things
probably
shouldn't be
collected and
Nazi memorabilia
is one of those
things. No
matter how
innocent the
impulse may be,
if you have Nazi
junk lying
around your
house, you will
be, at the
least,
misunderstood.
Such is the case
with Mötorhead's
Ian "Lemmy"
Kilmister, who
surprised a
Rolling Stone
journalist with
his collection
of Nazi stuff.
In his defense,
he claimed "I
only collect the
stuff. I didn't
collect the
ideas."
Melissa Auf
Der Maur
Photography is a
side hobby many
of us only
indulge in a
very limited,
point-and-shoot
capacity. In
addition to
playing bass in
both Hole and
the Smashing
Pumpkins,
Melissa Auf der
Maur is an
experienced
photographer.
She was studying
as a photography
major before
joining Hole,
and has since
published her
work in
magazines like
Nylon, American
Photo, Bust and
Mastermind. Auf
der Maur has
also had her
photographs
featured in
exhibits at
Sotheby's and
Brooklyn, N.Y.'s
Secret Gallery.
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is
a man of many
eccentricities
but his love for
soccer and
knitting stand
out as two of
his more
left-field
interests. The
Weezer
frontman's music
video for 'Lover
in the Snow' is
almost entirely
dedicated to his
love of soccer.
And, if that
wasn't enough,
he also recorded
the unofficial
but totally
awesome US World
Cup Anthem,
'Represent.'
When Rivers
isn't busy with
all things
soccer, he often
unwinds by
knitting and
then tweeting
about it.
Lenny Kravitz
If Lenny Kravitz
hadn't been a
musician, he
says he would
have been a
designer. The
singer and
guitarist heads
up Kravitz
Design, an
interior design
firm that
focuses on
commercial,
residential and
product design.
They have taken
on projects for
hotels and
private
residences
across the
globe. Rock and
interior design
are not exactly
an age-old
combination, but
Kravitz seems to
make it work.
Robbie
Williams
Robbie Williams
disappeared from
public view at
the end of 2006.
He reemerged a
couple years
later with a
beard and a
strong penchant
for UFOs. Mr.
Williams has
claimed to have
seen three UFOs
to date and his
passion as a
Ufologist seemed
to have subsumed
his music career
for a while.
Robbie has also
shared his
convictions that
Britain will
soon be invaded
by aliens. Let's
hope not.
Bruce
Dickinson
Bruce Dickinson
has achieved his
lofty dreams.
The Iron Maiden
singer decided
to learn how to
fly, on a
recreational
basis, and since
then has
received an
airline
transport
pilot's license.
Dickinson now
routinely flies
Boeing 757s as
captain and for
Iron Maiden's
2008-2009 world
tour, Dickinson
flew the charter
plane that
carried all of
the band's gear.
PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey was
not always a
musician. The
shape-shifting
singer actually
started her
career as a
visual artist.
"My initial
beginnings were
as a visual
artist, not a
musician," she
told Spinner. "I
was going to do
a degree in
sculpture at a
place to go onto
study sculpture,
but then the
path towards
music opened up
for me." Harvey
has never given
up her visual
artistry and has
said that she
will often work
on drawings and
paintings
alongside songs.
Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson has
listed
protecting wild
cats and
off-road
motorcycling
among his many
interests, but
salmon farming
seems to have
the lion's share
of his
attention. The
vocalist/guitarist/flautist
of Jethro Tull
has turned his
unusual hobby
into a
full-fledged
business.
Anderson owns
several salmon
farms and his
company,
Straithard, has
grown into one
of the largest
independent
smoked salmon
firm in the
United Kingdom.
Brian May
It is almost
universally
agreed upon that
Queen's Brian
May is a stellar
guitarist.
However,
his love of the
cosmos takes
"stellar" to
quite a literal
place. May is an
accomplished
astrophysicist,
earning his PhD
in astrophysics
from Imperial
College in 2007.
In 1973, he
authored a
scientific
research paper
called 'An
Investigation of
the Motion of
Zodiacal Dust
Particles (Part
I),' and has an
asteroid named
after him:
Asteroid 52665
Brianmay. He now
also holds the
position of
Chancellor of
Liverpool John
Moores
University.
Colin Meloy
Colin Meloy, the
lead singer for
the Decemberists
does not limit
his writing to
the the dark
lyrics and
concept albums
he puts out with
his band. The
frontman has
also written a
100-page book on
cornerstone
Replacements
album 'Let It
Be' but most
recently he has
completed the
first part of a
Young Adult book
series called
'Wildwood
Chronicles.' He
and his wife,
illustrator
Carson Ellis,
recently inked a
three-book
publishing deal
with
HarperCollins,
the first
installment of
which is set to
come out Aug.
30.
Lady Gaga Speaks
Out About Amy
Winehouse, Says
'Don't Kill the
Superstar'
By Sarah
Fitzmaurice
In an exclusive
with AMP Radio,
Lady Gaga has
joined the
chorus of
admiration for
Amy Winehouse,
following the
British singer's
tragic death
over the
weekend.
While Gaga
didn't know
Winehouse
personally, she
admitted the
singer had a
great influence
on her and
people even
mistook her for
the
beehive-haired
songstress back
when Gaga was
still just
Stefani
Germanotta.
"I loved her so
much. I was
nobody when she
was first coming
out. I have
really dark hair
and all the time
on the street
people would go,
'Amy!' And they
would go, 'Back
to Black [Winehouse's
second album and
title track].'
They'd scream at
me," Gaga
revealed.
"I loved her and
I just remember
feeling like I
wasn't alone
because she was
so different and
she was so
special," the
eccentric
superstar and
self-appointed
spokeswoman for
social outcasts
admitted.
Gaga seemed to
blame the
celebrity-obsessed
media and
over-the-top
tabloid culture
for intensifying
Amy's struggles
with drug and
alcohol abuse
and eating
disorders, which
may or may not
have lead to the
singer's early
and sudden
demise. "It's
really
devastating and
I think it's a
lesson to the
world: Don't
kill the
superstar. Take
care of her.
Take care of her
soul," Gaga
demanded.
Since Amy's
sudden and
as-yet-unexplained
death on
Saturday (July
23), stars have
been paying
tribute to the
lost talent --
from M.I.A.'s
song dedication,
to Adele's
moving words, to
Katy Perry's
revelation.
'Rock Music
Singers Have
Never Been this
Age Before'
The Irish Times
The Who lead
singer Roger
Daltrey is the
perfect example
of the “use it
or lose it”
idiom – in his
case, it’s his
voice, and use
it he will,
tonight in
Marlay Park,
writes BRIAN
BOYD
IF YOU’RE
WONDERING why,
at the grand old
age of 67, Roger
Daltrey will be
screaming his
lungs out in
Marlay Park
tonight, it’s
because he has
no medical
choice.
“Rock music lead
singers have
never been this
age before,” he
says. “So we’re
like the guinea
pigs – we really
don’t know
what’s going to
happen to us. In
my case, I have
to keep singing.
“Two years ago I
had a
pre-cancerous
growth removed
from my throat
and what happens
there is, unless
you keep
singing, the
voice slowly
deteriorates
until it just
disappears. So
at my age, I
have to keep
doing this to
preserve my
voice. It’s also
all I know how
to do. I’ve been
doing this for
50 years now and
it still touches
something inside
of me.”
Daltrey is
bringing the
first ever
rock-opera Tommy
to Dublin. Only
himself and Pete
Townshend remain
from the band
who first
recorded the
album in 1969
but the
guitarist is
unable to join
the singer.
“Pete is having
problems with
his hearing
[Townshend has
partial deafness
and serious
tinnitus
problems from
years of live
gigging] but as
he said to me,
he’ll be at each
of the gigs in
spirit and in
his place I have
his younger
brother, Simon,
on lead guitar.”
One of music’s
most iconic
works and a rare
example of an
album (as
opposed to an
act) being
inducted into
the Grammy Hall
of Fame for “its
historical,
artistic and
significant
value”, it’s a
surprise to hear
Daltrey explain
that The Who
never actually
played Tommy
live – it has
been a film, a
stage musical
and a real
opera.
“We did play it
live just after
it was released
but we never
played it as it
was on the album
– we would leave
out whole chunks
of it and change
the running
order. This is
the first time
it’s been done
as per the
album,” he says.
Daltrey curates
the annual
Teenage Cancer
benefit shows at
the Royal Albert
Hall every March
and, when he
couldn’t get a
certain act this
year and had a
free Albert Hall
to fill one
night, he got a
band together
and decided to
do the whole of
Tommy .
“We only had
time for one
rehearsal and
then we had a
sold-out Albert
Hall so I was a
bit terrified –
especially
because this
album
particularly
means so much to
fans. But the
very fact that
the gig had sold
out really
encouraged me,”
he says.
Racing through
highlights such
as Pinball
Wizard, I’m Free
and See Me, Feel
Me , the story
of the “deaf,
dumb and blind
kid” was given a
whole new lease
of life under
Daltrey’s
direction.
“You know, I
never liked the
film [in which
he had the
starring role],
I think it
worked better as
a Ken Russell
[who was the
director] piece
than anything
else.
“And I certainly
didn’t like the
stage version
that came out
later – I think
it completely
missed the
point.
Personally, I
found it
vacuous. The
Tommy I’m doing
now is very much
for today’s
audience and
it’s from a
different
perspective than
previous
versions.”
Forty years on,
has Dartrey
managed to
figure out what
it’s about? “Ha,
ha – that’s the
thing about
Tommy , it can
mean whatever
you want it to
mean,” he says.
“I suppose, at
its core, is the
fact that all
the different
characters in it
represent
different parts
of the human
condition. It
always was a
very challenging
piece of work
and it was
certainly a very
advanced work
when we first
released it,” he
adds.
“If you look at
it on the
surface it’s
about this kid
who lives his
life through
vibration – as
he’s ‘deaf, dumb
and blind’. The
beginning of
Tommy ,
musically, was
Pete’s belief
that pop music
was such a
potent force
that it could be
more important
than just a
three-minute
single – hence
the rock-opera
idea.
“There’s a
political
message to it –
George Orwell
would have been
an influence on
the writing.
There are bits
in there about
the building of
empire and the
building of ego.
I suppose the
best way to
describe it is
as being a
spiritual
journey
[Townshend wrote
it after reading
the works of the
Indian mystic
Meher Baba]. But
it was never
really
understood at
the time – so
much so that the
BBC actually
banned it. They
just didn’t know
what sort of
‘messages’ it
contained.
“We were
thrilled when it
was banned –
because in those
days, and I
suppose still
now, if you’re
banned by the
BBC it means you
will have a hit
on your hands. I
remember some of
the reviews at
the time saying,
‘this is sick’,
but they didn’t
really explain
what they found
‘sick’ about
it.”
He’s bringing
his own
psychedelic
light-show to
Dublin to work
as a visual
counterpoint to
the music. “What
I enjoy most
about the show
is that Tommy
always makes
more sense live
than it does on
record – you can
convey the
journey better,”
he says.
“The other
really great
thing is that
for the first
time ever – and
thanks to the
wonders of
modern
technology – I
can actually
hear what I’m
singing. And
that hasn’t
happened in a
long time. They
have these new
in-ear monitor
systems and the
difference for
me is
incredible. I
don’t think I’ve
heard myself on
stage for the
last 40 odd
years . . .”
Honeyboy Edwards
Retires, Changes
Wheeling Fest
Lineup
By Jim White
I'm a few days
behind the curve
here, so you may
already have
heard that the
current oldest
living Delta
bluesman, David
"Honeyboy"
Edwards, has
retired from
active
performing
at
the age of 96.
His long-time
friend and
manager, Michael
Frank (founder
of Earwig
Music), sent out
a notice last
weekend that
Honeyboy has
decided to leave
his long and
winding blues
road because of
health problems.
It's a shame --
Edwards' kind of
living link to
blues history
was unique. But
at 96, maybe
it's time to sit
back and smell
the bourbon.
Edwards had been
actively
performing -- I
had seen him in
Chicago, at
Hagerstown, Md.,
and in
Pittsburgh over
the past few
years. He was
just a couple of
years younger
than Pinetop
Perkins, who
died in March.
He was scheduled
to appear at the
Heritage Music
BluesFest in
Wheeling on Aug.
14, but will be
replaced (as if
that was
possible) by a
new group
calling itself
Southern
Hospitality,
made up of Damon
Fowler, JP Soars
and Victor
Wainwright.
(More on that
and Wheeling
later.)
Edwards was also
a link to the
years of blues
legend Robert
Johnson, having
put himself with
Johnson the
night he died.
There's a bio on
Wikipedia that
doesn't really
do him justice,
but his book
from 1997, "The
World Don't Owe
Me Nothin',"
makes
fascinating
reading.
Best wishes to
Honeyboy
Edwards.
And I'm sure
that HoneyBoy
Dog, Official
Dog of the
BlueNotes Blog,
and named for
the real
Honeyboy, wishes
him well, too.
Here's a video
of Edwards from
2008, playing
and talking
about his life:
Free Autographed
Human Aquarium
CD with every "A
REAL MFer"
T-Shirt, as seen
in the She's My
Ex Video, filmed
at
Sherlock's/Park
Place in
hometown Erie,
PA right here at
www.mofryky.com
or mail $13.00
check or money
order, made
payable to:
Mofryky
P.O. Box 68
Girard, PA 16417
Please specify:
Black or White
T-Shirt
Size: XS, S, M,
L, XL, 2X (2X
orders add
$1.50)
NEW FAN
CONTEST!!
Shotgun Jubilee
is in the market
for a new logo!
We'd like you
the fans to show
us what you've
got! Draw
something up,
either by hand
or with a
graphic arts
program and send
us a .jpeg of
your work. We'll
choose the
design we like
the best. The
winner will
receive a free
copy of our
album! Please
email all
entries to
ryan_bartosek@yahoo.com
Phantasm:
Releasing A New
Demo Every Week
in July
July is demo
month for
Phantasm. We are
recording our
new album right
now and we want
you to be
involved in the
process. Every
week in July we
will be posting
a NEW DEMO for
songs that will
appear on our
upcoming album).
The songs will
be posted in all
your favorite
places to hear
Phantasm.
GET INVOLVED.
Invite your
friends to this
event. Post
links spread the
word. Share.
Share. Share.
Revolution.
I reeked of
stale sweat and
was pretty sure
a shower was not
in my itinerary
for the day. I
used baby wipes
and deodorant to
make myself
smell human,
only to sweat it
off 6 hours
later on a
stage, using up
the little
remaining energy
I had left. Now,
I smell worse
than before and
am still unsure
when my next
shower is
coming. Tonight
I will pack up
my trailer,
crowd all the
sweaty and gross
members of my
band into my van
and drive a
couple more
hours to another
town. This trend
will continue
everyday for the
next 14 days.
ceremony.
Jam/Nirvana
rivalry lives
on. The doc's
premiere date is
September 10th
at the Toronto
International
Film Festival.
(Ontario will be
rocking at TIFF
this year as U2
and Madonna are
also debuting
movies at the
fest.) PJ20 will
head to "select
markets" for
one-night-only
theater showings
on September
20th, then a
week-long stay
in other
unspecified
markets starting
September 23rd.
But all that's
minor info
compared to this
nugget: David
Lynch is in it!
expressive large
and small groups
of his own, died
on Tuesday at
his home in
Chesapeake, Va.
He was 82. 
collaborated
as a songwriter
(he co-wrote the
hit "Colder
Weather") and as
a performer,
touring the same
Georgia club
circuit together
over the years.
e
in a room with
her fans at all.
It's not that
she dislikes
them -- she
would much
prefer to go
jogging with
them instead.
Goulding became
a jogging
enthusiast
around the age
of 18 as she
found it helped
her creative
process. It also
has the
unexpected side
effect of
spicing up her
relations with
fans, as she
explained to
Spinner: "It
makes you feel
really alive ...
I guess it's
just better than
meeting fans in
a room, like
signing things
or whatever and
I get to
actually talk to
them and have
fun."
added the role
of sculptor to
his already
broad artistic
milieu. Though
Dylan has gained
recognition as a
painter (one of
his works graced
the cover of the
Band's "Music
From Big Pink")
Dylan's work as
a sculptor has
come into
demand, with
patrons
commissioning
him to do work
with iron and
lead.
his love of the
cosmos takes
"stellar" to
quite a literal
place. May is an
accomplished
astrophysicist,
earning his PhD
in astrophysics
from Imperial
College in 2007.
In 1973, he
authored a
scientific
research paper
called 'An
Investigation of
the Motion of
Zodiacal Dust
Particles (Part
I),' and has an
asteroid named
after him:
Asteroid 52665
Brianmay. He now
also holds the
position of
Chancellor of
Liverpool John
Moores
University.
at
the age of 96.
