Forty Years of Blues
By Jenna Croyle

As one of the only truly American musical art forms, blues music spawned rock-and-roll, rhythm and blues, soul and even rap.
 

Rodger Montgomery has been playing the blues for more than forty years now, since the early age of ten.

Montgomery has played in many extraordinary bands including the legendary Zipper City Blues Band and has opened for Blues legends such as the great B.B. King, Richie Havens, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Blue Floyd, Dave Mason, and Robbie Krueger to name only a few.

As a legendary Bluesman himself, Rodger Montgomery has toured with Otis Rush, Johnny “Clyde” Copeland, Big Jack Johnson, John Brim and Lonnie Shields.

The Rodger Montgomery Blues Band offers their fans a musical mix of both Deep South style and big-city Blues, with the music of the greats such as Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker, Magic Sam, and Albert Collins along with Montgomery’s own originals that are every bit as outstanding as those he covers.

This three-piece band features Richie Kowalczyk on Bass, Mike Russell on Drums and of course, Erie’s own Blues Superstar and the top Bluesman around, Rodger Montgomery on Vocals and Lead Guitar.

As one of the best-kept secrets of the Erie music scene, the Roger Montgomery Blues Band is simply the best in blues that you could hope for, not only in town, but also in any place. The band truly stands toe to toe with any band that has ever played a single bent note.

The band’s Blues shuffles reinforce a trance-like rhythm and call-and-response that lends a characteristic to the overall music that really gets the groove on.

Montgomery is the total “Bluesman” package, with a traditional whaling and soulful voice that just cries spot on southern Blues along with perfect finger work and a stage presence that is with no doubt energetic and charismatic, Montgomery is the benchmark for what a Blues man should be.

With a band made up of extraordinarily talented members, years of experience and a front man that is the Blues personified, the Rodger Montgomery Blues Band is by far the King of Blues within two-hundred miles of Erie, and certainly bars above the rest.

The band can usually be found at the Beer Mug located at the corner of Liberty and 11th Street Sunday evenings starting around 10pm.

You ain't heard the Blues until you have heard the Rodger Montgomery Blues Band.

For more information on the Rodger Montgomery Blues Band and show dates, please visit Rodger Montgomery's Facebook Page.

Laura Kennedy of Bush Tetras Dies After Long Battle With Hepatitis C
By Theo Spielberg

Laura Kennedy, original bassist and co-founder of cornerstone no-wave/post-punk band Bush Tetras passed away due to complications from Hepatitis C. According to BrooklynVegan, Kennedy died on Monday, Nov 14.

Kennedy was diagnosed with Hepatitis C almost 20 years ago while living and playing music in New York City. She had been living in Minneapolis for the last 12 years with her girlfriend, and after a long and trying wait, she received a liver transplant at the University of Minnesota. Fundraising initiatives from her friends and well-wishers helped fund her weighty medical bills and aided her recovery.

In January 2009, the Bush Tetras reunited to play the Twin Cities for their first time in 25 years along with Suicide Commandos, David Thomas of Pere Ubu and Skoal Kodiak at a fundraiser at Nick and Eddie. Bush Tetras achieved modest chart success in the early 1980s with two dance hits, 'Too Many Creeps' and 'Can't Be Funky.'

"I remember seeing Laura jump up with her bass in some kind of rock 'n' roll move (which no No Wave person would ever do) and it forever blowing my mind," Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore wrote in his book 2008 book 'No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York. 1976-1980' (thanks to City Pages). "I saw her as the coolest girl ever at that point. She certainly remains that way in my consciousness."

Week in Rock History: Elvis Makes His Film Debut

This week in rock history, Elvis Presley made his film debut, Diana Ross begged for racial understanding before the Queen of England, Nirvana recorded their MTV Unplugged set, George Harrison’s attacker was found not guilty by reason of insanity and Michael Jackson dangled his baby from a balcony.

November 15, 1956: Elvis Presley's first movie, Love Me Tender, premieres in theaters

By the fall of 1956, "Introducing Elvis Presley" was an entirely unnecessary statement. The 21-year-old was already a star: His single "Heartbreak Hotel" had sold more than a million copies, pushing him to the forefront of the burgeoning rock & roll movement in America. Yet his first film, Love Me Tender, billed him as such at the bottom of its poster – a nod to the fact that his part had originally been minuscule yet was completely rewritten during shooting to accommodate the singer’s exploding fame.

Love Me Tender, a Civil War-era drama with occasional musical numbers, fared respectably at the box office, grossing approximately $4 million in its opening months. Teen girls flocked to theaters and screamed hysterically though each of Presley’s appearances – although the same demographic had proven inconsolable during test screenings when Presley’s character died in gunfire at the end of the movie. To console his fans, Presley shot an additional closing scene in which he reprises the title song, and it was added to the film before wide release.


November 19, 1968: Diana Ross pleads for racial understanding before the Queen of England during the Supremes’ Royal Variety Performance

The annual Royal Variety Performances, a holiday tradition in the United Kingdom, have fostered an unusual intimacy between entertainers and the monarchy for decades. Founded in 1912, the gala series is attended by the royal family of Britain, who often get more than they bargained for: It was during the Beatles’ 1963 RVP performance that John Lennon made his notorious quip, "For our last number, I'd like to ask your help: Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, just rattle your jewelry."

In 1968, the Supremes performed at the RVP at the London Palladium at the request of the royals – who, again, were treated to a surprise when lead singer Diana Ross used her spotlight as a political forum. In an unscripted speech that transpired between several of the top girl group’s songs, Ross eulogized the recently assassinated Martin Luther King, Jr., and begged for increased interracial understanding, both in the United Kingdom and in America. Her impassioned comments received a two-minute standing ovation from the audience, although Queen Elizabeth II rose only after Ross sang "Somewhere," from the musical West Side Story.


November 18, 1993: Nirvana record their MTV Unplugged special in New York

Nirvana’s appearance on the MTV Unplugged series belied the title, as singer Kurt Cobain insisted on feeding his acoustic guitar through effects pedals and amplifiers. Ever the contrarians, the band also displeased MTV executives by straying from its catalogue of grunge hits; it performed mostly deeper album cuts and covers of David Bowie, Lead Belly and Meat Puppets songs.

Yet the evening was a terrific success. It scraped away the distortion and overt aggression that had come to define Nirvana’s sound (which was somewhat less prominent in their recently released In Utero) and, in doing so, captured the brilliant pop songwriting at the band’s core. Cobain’s emotive vocals captured his fragility and pure talent; he, bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl (plus a few guest instrumentalists) shot the entire set in one take, an unusual feat for the Unplugged series.

Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance found extra poignancy after Cobain’s suicide the following spring; the live album was the band’s first posthumous release and won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album.


November 15, 2000: Michael Abram, the man who stabbed George Harrison, is found not guilty by reason of insanity

On December 30, 1999, a former heroin addict named Michael Abram broke into the Oxfordshire, England home of George Harrison and his wife, Olivia. Convinced that the former Beatle was a witch, he stabbed Harrison multiple times; Olivia managed to subdue Abram until he was arrested, saving her husband’s life.

During Abram’s trial, his mother testified that his mental health began eroding in 1999 when he expressed his belief that the world was coming to an end. She also revealed that Paul McCartney had been Abram’s original target, and that Abram had become obsessed with the Beatles when he read John Lennon’s famous quote that the group was "more popular than Jesus."

Abrams was found not guilty by reason of insanity by Oxford Crown Court. He was sent to a psychiatric hospital and was released in 2002, after which he issued a public statement apologizing at length for the attempted murder.


November 19, 2002: Michael Jackson dangles his baby from a balcony in Berlin, prompting an international outcry

On the eve of accepting a lifetime achievement award, Michael Jackson displayed some severely immature judgment. The pop star was in Berlin on the eve of an awards ceremony, lounging at the luxurious Hotel Adlon, when fans clustered outside his window and chanted for him. Jackson soon appeared at the third-floor balcony of his suite to wave at his admirers – then, in a bizarre bout of child endangerment, he leaned over the railing and dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, in the open air.

Onlookers worried that the 44-year-old singer would drop his child; he did not, but he faced an enormous international outcry for the reckless parenting. British tabloids called for his arrest – the Daily Mirror called him a "Mad Bad Dad" and wrote a lengthy editorial against him. Jackson soon apologized, calling the incident "a terrible mistake." Surely, he regretted the timing of the furor; it came on the heels of Jackson’s other legal troubles, a $21 million lawsuit filed against him for allegedly failing to appear at two concerts.

What Makes Music Boring?
By Steven Hyden

If somebody makes a list of 2011’s most controversial pop-culture essays, “Eating Your Cultural Vegetables” by Dan Kois from the April 29 edition of The New York Times Magazine more than likely will have a special honor at or near the top. Kois’ piece is remarkable for two reasons: 1) Its central argument—that slow, obtuse art films can be hard to enjoy and even dull—is obvious and relatable to most people; 2) This argument seems specifically designed to piss off Kois’ peers in the film-critic community, which it did smashingly well.

“Eating Your Cultural Vegetables” inspired dozens, if not hundreds, of articles and blog posts—nearly all of which criticized, needled, and flat-out mocked Kois. (New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis was among many who suggested that Kois didn’t like thinking.) Observing the fracas from afar, it seemed a little much. (Full disclosure: I’ve hung out with Kois socially and consider him a friend.) Kois took it on the chin less for what he wrote—which he leavened with heaping doses of self-deprecation—than its implications. Film critics tend to see themselves as defenders of so-called “boring” movies that buck commercial convention, forsake traditional storytelling (or any storytelling), and scrape for the handful of viewers interested in sitting through purposely alienating arthouse cinema. Kois’ position might’ve inspired many viewers to nod their heads in recognition, but that was precisely the problem in the view of many film critics: The guy wasn’t helping.

If only Kois were a music critic. In my field, we have no problem classifying art as boring. This is the year of boring, as far as music goes. Boring dominates our music conversations. When I talk about a new record with other critics or fans, even (or especially) a record that’s garnered generally positive reviews, the No. 1 complaint I hear is that it’s boring. Doesn’t matter which album it is; the music changes, but the boredom stays the same. When The A.V. Club publishes its list of the best albums of the year in a few weeks, I predict that at least 80 percent of the comments will complain about how boring it is. (The rest will complain about how there’s not enough metal—though for these people, there’s no such thing as “enough metal.”)

People are convinced that whatever it is that they’re hearing, it’s boring. But what makes music boring? What do we really mean when we say boring? Do we mean boring, or “boring”?

When music is boring, it speaks to a lack of what people turn to music for, which is a connection. It might be physical, it might be mental, it might be emotional—but we all want to feel something when we hear a song. If it moves us in some way (whether it’s in our hearts, minds, or hips), we like it. We might even need that connection, over and over again, if it reaches down deep enough inside of us. I write about music for a living, so it’s my job to describe how or why something moves me. But even for a critic, it still boils down to a response in your gut that you can’t ever totally explain. Music triggers a primal yet mysterious force inside of us. It’s universal, and yet the connections that are made vary from person to person. We don’t understand it, but when it’s there, we know. Sometimes we don’t connect, even when it seems that the whole rest of the world is, and that’s when music becomes uninvolving, even unlistenable. Hence, boring.

Any kind of music can be boring depending on the listener. No song is inherently not-boring—not even CCR’s “Ramble Tamble”—because boring is obviously based on subjective perception. This makes boring music hard to pin down. In a sense, all music is boring. The same, however, can’t be said about “boring” music. “Boring” is its own genre. It is a code word that instantly conjures artists with clearly definable attributes. “Boring” music is slow to mid-tempo, mellow, melodic, pretty in a melancholy way, catchy, poppy, and rooted in traditional forms. It is popular (or popular-ish). It is tasteful, well-played, and meticulously produced. (Or it might sound like it was recorded in somebody’s bedroom under the influence of weed and Sega Genesis.) It is “easy to like”—or more specifically, “easy for white people to like” (“white people” being a sub-group of white people singled out by other white people). It is critically acclaimed (perhaps the most critically acclaimed music there is), and yet music critics relish taking “boring” musical artists down a peg more than any other kind of artist.

Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, The Decemberists, St. Vincent, Wilco, Coldplay, Feist, The National, Grizzly Bear—I like some of these artists, and I don’t like others. They’re all pretty different, but they all have one thing in common: They’re “boring.”

Here’s where things get confusing: None of the adjectives associated with “boring” music are bad. In fact, they are neutral to positive. It’s not bad to appeal to adults (or “white people”) or have your music featured on NPR, nor is it bad to write slow, pretty, poppy songs. None of these things preclude a piece of music from doing what it’s supposed to do, which is make the listener feel like he or she isn’t alone in the world for three and a half minutes.

And yet the terms associated with “boring” music have become so loaded that they’re often perceived to be bad. The fine music critic Nitsuh Abebe of New York Magazine learned this the hard way when he recently wrote a piece arguing that Wilco and Feist have become modern equivalents of Sting and his “adult-contemporary” peers. Abebe’s essay drew a lot of criticism from those who interpreted “adult-contemporary” and the Sting comparison as cheap shots. “Adult-contemporary,” after all, is really just another way of saying “boring.” It is a descriptor that is now a criticism, just as Sting has gone from being the frontman of The Police to a go-to signifier of “meh.”

Unlike the first kind of boring, which is a personal response, “boring” is a broad classification that implicates the audience along with the artist—which is why fans of “boring” artists tend to get a little touchy. Abebe insisted he wasn’t doing that. He was trying to use “adult-contemporary” without judgment. But the reaction to Abebe’s essay points to the No. 1 problem with our conversations about music, whether it’s among critics or fans: We’ve become preoccupied with clever terminology that’s helpful for analysis and categorization but is ultimately reductive, and this comes at the expense of what’s really vital about music and why we care about it in the first place.

Ryan Adams—another “boring” artist—said it best when I interviewed him last month: “Less and less have I seen reviews where people actually talk about how the records make them feel … It’s usually in this kind of gray area of facts. And there’s usually subtext, which is, ‘You should be cool and not like this,’ or, ‘If you’re cool, you’ll like this.’” And this has filtered down to the people who read those reviews. Spend a few moments exploring any social-media platform and you’ll find countless music fans talking passionately about music they’re personally invested in. But you’ll also stumble into a lot of arguments where adjectives are tossed around like opposing ideologies.

“Safe” and “tasteful” music that has no “edge” is a common assemblage of attributes. “Thrilling” sounds that are “experimental,” “challenging,” and “confrontational” is another. Words like “challenging” and “confrontational” conjure up still more adjectives as they relate to our musical perceptions—“angry,” “loud,” “abrasive”—but they could also apply to whatever music you personally don’t get. What’s a tougher or more experimental listen than trying to understand music you hate?

Which brings us back to our original definition of boring. If you hear a song and don’t get that elusive, enigmatic, deep-down-in-your-guts feeling, that’s an honest reaction, but it’s not necessarily a criticism of the music. The reason you’re not connecting might very well be you. Your boredom could indicate an inability to appreciate a particular kind of music at this moment in time. You should regret that—or take it as a (here’s that word again) “challenge”—not wear it like a badge of honor. What good is there in not being able to like a song, something that might bring you pleasure?

I’m not saying you should listen to Skrillex until you love him or your brain matter starts trickling out of your ears. Some music will evade your powers of appreciation, no matter how hard you try. Boring is okay. At least with boring we’re talking about something real; “boring” is a construct. Boring can be the start of a dialogue, the first step in exploring a new galaxy of sounds you’re just beginning to discover; “boring” shuts that dialogue down, and draws lines and creates divisions where they don’t need to exist. If music is a color spectrum, “boring” is black. Worse, “boring” is boring.

Music Review: Violinist Lara St. John with the New West Symphony

The Los Angeles Philharmonic wasn’t the only orchestra over the weekend to introduce a fancifully programmatic concerto by a composer born in 1968. In downtown, it was Richard Dubugnon’s “Battlefield” for the pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque. The New West Symphony’s contribution was the first local performance of Matthew Hindson’s Violin Concerto No. 1, “Australian Postcards.”

The New West program, which I heard Sunday afternoon at Barnum Hall in Santa Monica, was meant to be notable also because it was the first time a woman -- Sarah Ioannides -- conducted the orchestra founded in Thousand Oaks in 1995, But the woman who got all the attention for all the right, if curious, reasons was a Canadian violin soloist who has a reputation for eccentricity.

Lara St. John happens to be a volcanic violinist with a huge, fabulous tone that pours out of her like molten lava. She has technique to burn and plays at a constant high heat. She is uninhibited, sometimes strikingly so.

And St. John has a look. She wore a slinky many-hued, multi-textured green gown, possibly swamp inspired, which boldly emphasized her figure and her highly physically playing. She stood not in front of the orchestra but within it, and she bowed with little enough restraint to be a danger to other players. She appeared less a distraction to them than an energizer. She is the closest equivalent to a Janis Joplin on the current classical concert scene.

The concerto, which was written in 2000, is a showpiece. A prominent figure and power broker on the Australian music scene, Hindson meant his three movements to be musical postcards of his homeland, supplying Australia with a conventional “three places” symphonic triptych as so many other composers have done for their countries.

First, a wind turbine on Kooragang Island roars away, offering Hindson a chance to stir up a lot of instrumental dust, and he does so with appealing relish. “Westaway” is pastoral and moody, representing a village in Tasmania where natural beauty and poverty are found. “Grand Final Day” is a speedy, spirited spectacle of sport.

Hindson's musical descriptions are straightforward and sometimes clever. But his talent here is for a contagious pop sensibility that occasionally takes over the concerto. Were he to turn to scoring for Hollywood, I think things would look up at the movies.

The violin writing is extravagant, and St. John is even more extravagant. She too has her pop side, the Joplin thing, and when the concerto wants rock, she rocks. She can also turn smolderingly sensual. She can sound like a Russian virtuoso out to flabbergast.

But what makes her unique is the way she puts everything together. She has utter command of the material and the instrument. And she has seemingly utter spontaneity, lost in the score but at the same the essence of its vitality.

St. John has produced a very effective recording of “Australian Postcards” on her own label, Ancalagon, with Ioannides conducting the Royal Philharmonic. With New West, Ionnides, who is from Australia and is music director of the Spartanburg Philharmonic in South Carolina, brought out similar detail and spark.

But she made a mistake programming Debussy’s “La Mer” a walk from the sea and also a short intermission after “Australian Postcards.” Debussy was not, like Hindson, a literalist. Rather he used uncannily visceral musical suggestion for the salty sea air, the waves at play or the dappled shore light, all of which I experienced on the way to the auditorium and none inside. Ioannides emphasized bright sounds and fussy phrasing.

She then talked down to the audience. Presuming that we in the city where Stravinsky lived the longest feared the “Firebird,” she attempted to sell his century-old music, which is like telling Parisian art lovers to keep calm, Picasso’s early paintings won't freak you out. Her interpretation was hard-edged, heavily accented, musical hard-sell. Although this can be a very good orchestra in quite varied repertory under its music director, Boris Brott, its Stravinsky for Ioannides was tense and uncomfortable.

Gordon Lightfoot Visits Occupy Toronto as 'Concerned' Parent to Support Daughter
By Jason MacNeil

Canadian folk icon Gordon Lightfoot made a surprise appearance Tuesday afternoon at Toronto's St. James Park following news that the City of Toronto was planning to evict Occupy Toronto protestors from the location later this evening.

"I'm here at the invitation of my daughter to come and see the site," Lightfoot, the man behind such hits as 'If You Could Read My Mind,' told CTV News, with his daughter Meredith beside him. "So I came down and here I am.

"I can only hope that something of some sort can be accomplished from it," he added. "I don't exactly know what that would be. I'm not really much into the political aspect of things. You know, I'm sort of like a normal person, you know."

Lightfoot's daughter -- with the exception of one week due to pneumonia -- has been at the site since its beginning. "Wherever we are, we are a movement and it has nothing to do with location," she told the TV station. She also added her reason for joining the protest was to "do something about the condition of our country."

As for the protestors being asked to leave on the heels of the NYC raid, Lightfoot said he wasn't surprised. "I've heard that they want to get the sprinkler system to close down for the winter in here, I don't blame them. I'm just concerned about my daughter's welfare. She's strong; I'm actually quite proud of her because she's been here ever since the thing began. She's very stoic. She's smart."

Though he insists he's "not much into the political aspect of things," Lightfoot did express concern for younger generations in this current political and economic climate. "I don't really know what anybody is going to do about it," he said. "The bottom line is that there are too many young people and not enough jobs to go around."

Lightfoot was recently the subject of 'Writing Gordon Lightfoot,' a book written by former Rheostatics musician Dave Bidini concerning Lightfoot and the 1972 Mariposa music festival on Toronto Island.

Scottish Singer-Songwriter Jackie Leven Dead at Age 61
By Jason MacNeil

Scottish singer-songwriter Jackie Leven died Nov. 14 at the age of 61 after a battle with cancer.

Although his death was not officially announced on his site, a short note recently posted indicated that he was in failing health.

"It is with a heavy heart, therefore, that I have to relate the sad news that the great Scottish singer-songwriter Jackie Leven is gravely ill, suffering from cancer, and, in all candour, has only a few days to live," the statement read. "If sales didn't always reflect the overwhelmingly positive critical reception his albums received, he nonetheless remained a perceptive writer and performer. Jackie was imbued with a restless creativity, and always searching for new settings for his ruminative lyrical forays, laced with humour and melodic grace."

Prior to joining '70s punk group Doll by Doll, Leven spent some time busking with stints in Berlin and Madrid. After Doll by Doll -- who released four albums from 1979 to 1982 -- Leven enjoyed a lengthy solo career, releasing albums under different monikers including his 1971 debut effort as John St. Field, 'Control.'

In the early '80s, Leven was unfortunately the victim of a horrific street attack which, according to his site's biography, left him temporarily unable to speak or sing. The Telegraph reports that Leven also spent some time battling a drug addiction but managed to overcome it. According to the BBC, Leven and his wife created the charity the CORE Trust to treat heroin addiction, a trust the late Princess Diana -- who Leven once met and did an impromptu performance for -- was aware of.

He was also quite prolific from 1994 onward, releasing 14 albums over that time frame, including 'Jackie Leven Said,' a collaborative effort with author Ian Rankin in 2005.

"RIP Jackie Leven," Rankin tweeted Tuesday. "Gentle man, poetic songwriter, skilled guitarist, storyteller. It was an honour to call you friend..." Rankin also tweeted how he recalled Leven telling a venue that Rankin "required an uncooked haggis backstage..."

While a critical darling, such praise didn't result in Leven attaining much success commercially. However, it didn't seem to faze him. "I do feel ignored but having courted it for so long, I can't feign surprise, shock, amazement and grief," he told The Guardian in 2001. "I set out to see the world, not be a rich and famous star."

GWAR Honor Fallen Guitarist by Unmasking, Planning Benefit Shows
By Kenneth Partridge

Less than two weeks after the death of guitarist Cory Smoot, aka Flattus Maximus, the masked shredders of GWAR have crawled back into their foam-rubber costumes and resumed their regular tour schedule. But that doesn't mean they've forgotten about their fallen comrade.

In a post Saturday on their Facebook page, GWAR announced the creation of the Smoot Family Foundation, a charity the over-the-top shock rockers plan to support with a series of benefit shows.

"[T]his week will bring not only answers to many questions, but an opportunity for you to personally contribute to a fund being set up for Cory's wife, Jamie Smoot," the post read.

"I have been blown away by the response from everyone, but we have to set this up correctly and make sure any memorial shows bear the family's seal of approval," the post continued. "The GWAR family is strong and we are honored by you!"

Smoot, 34, was found dead on the group's tour bus on Nov. 3. The band was en route to Canada following a show in Minneapolis, and in an official statement, lead singer Davie Brockie, aka Oderus Urungus, revealed the pain he and his band mates were going through.

"As the singer of Gwar and one of [Smoot's] best friends, I feel it is my duty to try and answer some of the questions that surround his tragic and untimely death," Brockie said. "I know the sense of loss and pain is far greater in scope than in the insulated environment of a band on tour, and I will do my best to provide what clarity and comfort I can."

"The most glaring question is how?" he added. "And unfortunately that is the hardest question to answer. The truth will not be known until the medical officials have finished their work. All I can do is relate what we saw with our own eyes."

"We are completely devastated and shocked beyond belief," Brockie went on to say. "One night we had our friend and colleague, happy and healthy in the middle of our best tour in years- and the next morning, so suddenly, he was gone. Never have I seen starker proof of the fragility of life."

Performing last week in Portland, Ore., band members gave Smoot the GWAR equivalent of a 21-gun salute, removing their masks and holding up the late guitarist's ax.

Stevie Ray Vaughan Collaborator and Drummer Doyle Bramhall Sr. Dead at 62
By Jason MacNeil

Noted Texas singer-songwriter and drummer Doyle Bramhall Sr. died Nov. 13 at his home in Alpine, Texas. He was 62. According to the Forth Worth Star Telegram, the cause of death was "complications from pneumonia."

Perhaps not as well known as his son, acclaimed guitarist Doyle Bramhall II -- who worked with Eric Clapton, Roger Waters and fronted '80s group Arc Angels -- Bramhall Sr. collaborated with dozens of stars over the years, including the late Stevie Ray Vaughan and his brother Jimmie.

Bramhall's musical career began in high school when he joined the Chessman, a group that once opened for Jimi Hendrix as well as other popular artists. "Breakfast with Jimi Hendrix, lunch with Keith Moon, and dinner with Janis Joplin," is how he described it to the Austin Chronicle in a 2003 interview.

In the '70s, Bramhall created the Nightcrawlers featuring Jimmie Vaughan and a youthful Stevie Ray Vaughan. It was in that group Bramhall wrote the song 'Dirty Pool' which appeared on 'Texas Flood,' Stevie Ray Vaughan's debut album. He also penned or co-wrote a few of Vaughan's better known numbers in the '80s such as 'Life by the Drop,' 'Lookin' Out the Window' and 'The House Is Rockin.'

The musician released three solo albums beginning with 1994's 'Bird Nest on the Ground.' Following 2003's ' Fitchburg Street,' he put out his last album, 'Is It News,' in 2007. He also appeared on Jennifer Warnes' 2001 album, 'The Well.'

DVD Review: Rush, 'Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland'
The legends' sixth DVD release in eight years
By Adrien Begrand

Few bands, if any, have taken to the concert DVD format quite as well as Rush has. Starting in 2003 with the excellent Rush in Rio, the Canadian greats have put out a new live DVD after every tour they’ve done, as well as releasing the live retrospective Rush Replay: X3 and the documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, and last week they continued their impressive run with Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland, the sixth Rush DVD in eight years.

So why is each new Rush live DVD worth watching, when each one has them playing “Tom Sawyer”, “The Temples of Syrinx”, and “The Spirit of Radio” for the bazillionth times? First of all, Rush’s back catalog is so deep – to the tune of 18 studio albums – that they continually change things around from tour to tour. Secondly, their new material has been especially strong as of late, 2007’s Snakes and Arrows their strongest work since 1989’s Presto. And most importantly, the band remains a marvel in concert, still performing with plenty of verve, musicianship, and charming humor.

What made 2010-2011’s Time Machine tour so special was that it marked the first time ever that Rush had played their 1981 masterpiece Moving Pictures in its entirety. Though the gimmick of bands playing entire albums in sequence has been painfully overdone, the chance to hear deep cuts from one of Rush’s greatest albums appealed to the band’s loyal, nostalgic fanbase, and the tour did very well. Filmed at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio this past April 15th, Time Machine 2011 sees bassist/singer Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart returning to the city that gave them their first big break south of the border, and the combination of the songs chosen, the huge response by the big crowd, Rush’s consistently good performances, the cool steampunk-inspired stage, and most crucially the direction makes this one the best Rush concert DVDs yet.

As for the individual songs, the first half offers a good mish-mash of selections spanning Rush’s long career. The band’s post-Moving Pictures 1980s output, a personal favorite era of mine, is well-covered here, from the mandatory “Subdivisions”, to the gloriously hooky “Time Stand Still’, to the underrated Power Windows nugget “Marathon”. “Presto” and “Stick it Out” work well back to back, while “Faithless” and last year’s “BU2B” are fitting examples of the band’s recent creative successes. Of course, the Moving Pictures portion in the second half of the concert is the highlight, timeless, popular songs like “Red Barchetta” and “Limelight” countered by the more enigmatic “Witch Hunt” and “Vital Signs”. Lee’s voice is showing age, but he doesn’t push himself too far, instead tastefully adjusting his singing so as not to strain too much, saving his strength to hit the high notes that are required, as on “Free Will”. Of course, no Rush show would be complete without a Neil Peart drum solo, and although his blend of rock technicality, African rhythms, and jazz is predictable, he remains as expressive and incomparable a drummer as rock music has ever seen, the only drummer who can make a nine-minute drum solo compelling.

The best thing about this particular DVD is the direction. This time Rush put the project in the hands of Toronto filmmakers Sam Dunn and Scott McFadyen, the team behind Beyond the Lighted Stage, Iron Maiden: Flight 666, and Global Metal, among others. They’ve been continually improving with every film they’ve put out (this is their fifth), and their work here is impeccable, wonderfully shot and edited, avoiding the rapid jump-cuts that plague many concert films these days. What makes their involvement so fitting is that they’re as big Rush enthusiasts as anyone, and their nerdy preoccupation with the little things about a Rush show is sure to resonate with fans. Not only do Dunn and McFadyen offer close-ups of the trio at the right times – including hand-held close-ups of Peart, something the taciturn drummer had never allowed before – but they remember to focus on the interaction between the band and their fans as well. When there’s famous Peart drum fill, like midway through “Tom Sawyer”, you don’t see Peart doing it, you see fans in the crowd air-drumming ecstatically to it. It’s a perfect snapshot of Rush’s quirky appeal, and is ultimately what makes this DVD so likeable. Needless to say, Time Machine 2011 is yet another mandatory purchase for Rush fans worldwide.

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Band Hungers for Guitarist

Requiem For Oblivion is still seeking a guitarist. If you have the madness or know someone who does send them to these animals to feast upon. We must bring Requiem For Oblivion back to life with the blood of a young virgin & bow down at their feet as they hypnotize us with their lyrics.

Steve-814-392-2321

***Passing on Message From  E Lisa Froncillo-Bower ~ Please Contact Her if Interested**

I have openings in October and November for radio interviews on COOL 101.7 fm. Thursday mornings. You would need to be in studio (Meadville) by 7:45 am, out by 8:30 am. (Catching the driving to work listeners and businesses) It's a great chance to promote your upcoming gigs, cds and more. Family friendly, we need to keep within the studio's programming guidelines. Cover bands/artists welcomed as well as original. Metal bands must be not too heavy... no gutterals, etc. Rock/classic is fine. One band member can come with a CD, or bring everyone and do something live. COOL 101.7 supports local music and reaches from Erie to Slippery Rock (and below on a good day) west into Ohio, and also includes a new Cory station, and more. Good exposure. PLUS you can listen live via your computer anywhere!

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2012 Nominees

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the nominees for its 2012 induction class on Tuesday, Sept. 27. Leading the way this time around are such worthy first-time nominees as Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Heart, the Cure and Guns N' Roses. Other artists appearing on the ballot for the first time include Rufus with Chaka Khan, British rockers the Faces (aka the Small Faces) featuring Rod Stewart, '60s R&B group the Spinners, bluesman Freddie King and hip-hop duo Eric B. and Rakim. The ballot also includes several artists who have been previously nominated but never inducted: the Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, War, Donovan, Donna Summer and Laura Nyro.

To vote on who you think should be inducted from this year's class, visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website.