It may be hard to think of summer concerts while there are mountains of snow everywhere, but believe it or not, it’s that time of year. One of the much anticipated signs of summer in past years has been when Vienna’s Wolf Trap Filene Center announces practically its entire summer schedule.
This year, the venue is operating more on a rolling basis with four separate installments for the summer announcements. But based on the second leg just announced, it's shaping up to be another great season for one of the area's most inviting amphitheaters.
Notable highlights among the 54 acts recently announced are recent Grammy winner Levon Helm, Sheryl Crow with opener Colbie Caillat, Willie Nelson, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Beck and Jethro Tull with Procol Harum. Tickets for these shows go on sale Saturday, March 13 at 10 a.m.
Though, closer to home, the Celebrate Virginia Live concert series has yet to announce any booked acts, the rumor mill is starting to turn--and all indications are that it could be a very exciting lineup, particularly for country fans. Stay tuned for updates.
If there’s one thing that’s great about the Grammys, it’s that they—and all the awards shows that are flooding TV programming (and blogs) this time of year—afford one of the best chances to reflect back on some of the important music releases and events that took place over the past year. And it reminds folks in our neck of the woods how lucky we are to be cradled in an area with such a vibrant music scene.
In addition to having been the launch-pad of many notable musicians—from Chris Brown to Wayne Newton—we can be assured that just about every major touring act will come through a nearby city, whether it’s Washington, Richmond or Charlottesville.
With that in mind, here are my selective musings on some of this year’s Grammy nominees and winners, along with some observations on local Grammy connections, reflections on the past year in Sounds interviews and reviews, and even a few thoughts on what lies ahead this year:
Record Of The Year: “Use Somebody” byKings Of Leon It’s great to see this Nashville-based rock band doing so well. Based on the strength of their fourth studio album, "Only by the Night," they’ve successfully made the transition from alternative/indie act to top-40. Unfortunately, based on the ubiquity of the once-poignant “Use Somebody,” I can see them ultimately going the way of other overplayed rock acts like Hootie and the Blowfish.
Album Of The Year (nominated): “Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King” by Dave Matthews Band The winner of this award (and several others) was Taylor Swift—more on her below—but between their nominations and live performance at the awards, these Charlottesville boys figured prominently into the evening. The band’s hometown performance last year definitely hinted a renewed energy for DMB, following a sometime creative slump that gave rise to albums like “American Baby.” They’ll be back in the area again this July to play D.C.’s Nationals Park.
Best New Artist: Zac Brown Band With this win and a couple other nominations in the country categories capping off a tremendous year for the band, there’s a good chance you won’t see these Georgia guys playing a free show on Richmond’s Brown’s Island any time soon, as they did last year, when I interviewed band member John Hopkins. However, you can catch them opening this summer for DMB (see above).
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: “Make It Mine” byJason Mraz Prior to this year, I might have put money on Mechanicsville-native Mraz falling into one-hit-wonder obscurity. But his two Grammy wins (the second, for best pop collaboration with Colbie Caillat on “Lucky”)—not to mention the undeniably catchy “I’m Yours” have buoyed him back to the top of his game.
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (nominated): “All About The Love Again” by Stevie Wonder Up until last October, trying to claim a Stevie Wonder connection to Fredericksburg might have seemed far-fetched. That was when Wonder is rumored to have made an appearance at Stafford’s Strong Tower Ministries while visiting a friend in the area. The photographic evidence is to your right—judge for yourself.
Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals (nominated): “Never Say Never” by The Fray Nothing against the winners in this category, Black Eyed Peas, but it was several of the other nominees that caught my eye: One of the many big interviews to grace the Sounds section last year was Jesse Scott’s piece with Fray guitarist Dave Welsh in June. Hall & Oates’ presence in this category (for the song “Sara Smile” off “Live At The Troubadour”)also caught my attention. In December, Jonas Beals interviewed Dobro player Jerry Douglas fresh off his collaboration with John Oates. And those who are fans of Bon Jovi (nominated for “We Weren’t Born to Follow”) can look forward to Andrew Leahey’s teleconference interview with three of the band members to run in Sounds prior to their March 29 gig at D.C.’s Verizon Center.
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals (nominated): “Sea Of Heartbreak” byRosanne Cash & Bruce Springsteen Already mentioned in this category was winner Jason Mraz for his duet with Colbie Caillat. But my pick would’ve been Roseanne Cash’s collaboration with The Boss (more on him below) off her album “The List.” Click on the link for my review of “The List.” One heartbreak for me was not being able to interview Cash when she came through Alexandria’s Birchmere late last year. Likewise, I struck out trying to set something up with Willie Nelson (nominated for “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Norah Jones), who will perform at Richmond’s The National on Tuesday, Feb. 16. As for Jones, she will be coming through the area in April and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that an interview will also come through.
Best Pop Instrumental Performance: “Throw Down Your Heart” by Béla Fleck It was December 2008 when “Doc” Henley Smythe spoke with Fleck about his newly minted “Throw Down Your Heart,” which was released the following February. Even without hearing it, one probably could’ve guessed that this banjo master might rack up a few awards for the African-influenced album—which also won for “best contemporary world music album.”
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: “Michael Bublé Meets Madison Square Garden” Although my colleague in local sound-dom, Jonas Beals, begs to differ, after having seen Bublé perform on “Saturday Night Live” last week with soul queen Sharon Jones, I’m convinced (and willing to stake a small amount of my music cred on the fact) that this “Haven’t Met You Yet” singer has his sights set beyond his current age demographic 49 and up. I’m hoping for an interview when Bublé comes through the Richmond Coliseum this July. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 5) at Ticketmaster.com—or if you’re a current Bublé fan, at 800/745-3000 on a standard rotary phone.
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance: “Working On A Dream” by Bruce Springsteen Although I thought Springsteen’s latest album left something to be desired, his performance was fantastic last summer when I caught him at Charlottesville’s John Paul Jones Arena.
Best Hard Rock Performance: “War Machine” by AC/DC Another phenomenal concert of 2009. These Aussie rockers were so good, in fact, that Weekender Editor Dave Smalley caught them two times on the same tour at the Verizon Center.
Best Metal Performance (nominated): “Set To Fail” by Lamb Of God It’s no shame losing out to Judas Priest in this category, as Richmond’s Lamb of God did, and it doesn’t change the fact that the band absolutely dominated the charts for a while in March 2009 with the release of their album “Wrath.”
Best Rock Album: “21st Century Breakdown” by Green Day It was a mystery to me why or how anyone still listens to post-“Dookie” Green Day. But FLS photo editor Dave Ellis got to the bottom of it by reviewing the band’s Verizon Center show in August. The conclusion: This is where parents are dropping their kids off before going to see Michael Bublé.
Best Contemporary R&B Album (nominated): “Ready” by Trey Songz The Richmond metro area was represented in yet another genre with Petersburg native Songz, whose album title was no misnomer as he seems poised for a fast rise to the top of the R&B pool.
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (nominated): “I'm On A Boat” by The Lonely Island feat. T-Pain Very funny video from “SNL” cast member Andy Samberg's Lonely Island. The only thing better than having this nominated might be having Steve Martin win "best bluegrass album" (which he did) for his “The Crow / New Songs For The Five-String Banjo.”
Best Rap Album: “Relapse” by Eminem Best Female Country Vocal Performance: “White Horse” by Taylor Swift These seemingly disparate categories, placed beside one another on the winner’s list, do have one thing in common at least: While making their way up the ranks, both artists were interviewed by former FLS Sounds editor Mike Zitz: Eminem in 1999 while playing the Warped Tour; Swift in 2007 prior to her appearance at Fairview Beach’s Aquapalooza.
Best Americana Album (nominated): “Wilco (The Album)” by Wilco In a category that included ex-Band drummer Levon Helm (whose album “Dirty Farmer” won), Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Lucinda Williams, Wilco was in some very good company. Which is why reviewer Ryan Little and photographer Ian Soper jumped at the opportunity to go when the band came through Wolf Trap last July.
Best Contemporary Folk Album: “Townes” bySteve Earle Even though I had the opportunity to interview Jessica Simpson last January, the coolness of that didn’t compare to the opportunity to chat with Steve Earle about his latest album, a tribute to his friend Townes Van Zandt. For a passionate political advocate and former drug-addict, not to mention a legend in his field, Earle was remarkably personal and down to earth (though some of his anecdotes went over my head).
Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album: “Lay Your Burden Down” by Buckwheat Zydeco Given that frequent freelance writer Zack Smith also happens to be in a Cajun/Zydeco band, the Dixie Power Trio, it’s sort of surprising that we haven’t yet interviewed the man whose name actually has the genre in it. However, last February, Smith did interview another leader in the genre, Michael Doucet, whose album “Alligator Purse” with Beausoleil was edged out for the award.
Best Musical Album For Children (nominated): “Banjo To Beatbox” by Cathy & Marcy D.C.-area artists, two-time Grammy winners and Birchmere regulars Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer didn’t win this year in the children’s album category—but how many people can say they got bested for a Grammy by Ziggy Marley?
There are so many painstaking decisions that can go into planning that perfect romantic evening for Valentine’s Day —or at least something that won’t leave you in the doghouse with your significant other. Here are some ideas:
To begin with, how about a dose of chamber music in the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 14? The CORE Ensemble—a trio featuring cello, piano and percussion—will perform “Tres Vidas,” a piece based on the lives of three great Latin American women. The event is free at 3 p.m. in the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium.
But with the special day of love falling on a Sunday this year, those who are going out may want to take advantage of the wealth of events happening on Saturday, Feb. 13, and then spend Valentine’s Day proper at home cuddling. What better place to go for that romantic evening than the place that says it all: Tru Luv’s? The restaurant’s musical entertainment for that Saturday is supplied by Lucia and Levi, whose style seems to encompass a broad range of interests, including blues, rock, reggae, jazz, and beach music. The restaurant’s scenic view of the river doesn’t hurt either. Music starts at 7 p.m., and there is no additional cover charge for customers.
Those who want something a little more romantic might look to an unlikely place: a bowling alley. Though some may know it better as Liberty Lanes, the Massaponax hotspot has done an impressive job of converting itself into an all-purpose entertainment venue with its own sports bar and comedy club. On Saturday the 13th, the redubbed Liberty Center will get even swankier with its Valentine Dinner Concert, which features a four-course meal and a tribute to Luther Vandross by William “Smooth” Warlawd. At $50 a person or $90 per couple, such a splurge seems downright affordable. Dinner starts at 7 p.m., with the concert an hour later. For reservations or group table rates, call Chris Keyser at 540/710-7467.
Of course, when it comes to Valentine’s Day, there are some people who would like to get as far away from the mushy-gushy stuff as possible. Rest assured that local hard rockers Spent won’t have anything of the sort when they visit the Q Ball Café that Saturday.
And for those feeling a little mopey on Valentine’s Day, there will be plenty of that going around at The National in Richmond, where emo heavyweights New Found Glory, Saves the Day and Hellogoodbye join forces on Sunday the 14th. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $20.
Whether you're planning on taking your love out to a five-course meal or treating that special someone to the fast-food dollar menu, there's music for all tastes going on that weekend. Be sure to check our online calendar regularly for updates. Or if you have an event to be included in the calendar, add it at www.fredericksburg.com/addevent.
OK Go-Elby Brass connection, recent venue changes and Jack Rose memorial
Jan. 13, 2010 7:05 pm
A touch of brass
When OK Go released its treadmill video a few years back for the song “Here It Goes Again,” the band helped usher in the era of the viral video and holds the distinction of being the most downloaded band ever, with 175 million streams, according to its press info.
Fittingly, for the second video (“This Too Shall Pass”) off its new album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, OK Go again takes its music to the grassroots level. Bedecked in purple marching-band outfits in the middle of a field and backed by the Notre Dame marching band, the quartet seems more like a flash mob.
OK Go's “This Too Shall Pass” - Be patient, video may take a while to load.
To music connoisseurs in the Fredericksburg area, there may be something oddly familiar about the concept behind the video. That’s because, since spring, Fredericksburg’s own Elby Brass has been popping up in various places around town wearing its own purple band outfits—purchased in response to a Craigslist ad. For those who happened to be downtown in December during the recent blizzard, in fact, the band was pretty hard to miss.
Elby Brass - The Snow Show
If you have somehow missed out on the Elby Brass experience, be sure to catch the band this Friday at The Otter House ($5, 10 p.m., 21 and up). For more, check the band's Web site at elbybrass.com.
As for OK Go, the band will be touring extensively to promote its new album and is sure to pass through a venue near you this spring. And who knows—maybe Elby can even secure a backing gig for the show.
Ch-Ch-Changes
Sadly you won’t find Elby Brass playing in the future at University Café, which closed its doors last week, leaving several booked acts gig-less. One show scheduled to take place last week, the Homegrown Music Show, happily managed to re-locate to tomorrow night at Colonial Tavern. For details on the show, see Ryan Green's story in Thursday's Weekender.
Another recent change on the music front was the closing of Southpoint’s UNO Chicago Grill, which regularly had hosted acoustic performers.
And meanwhile, Bristow’s beloved Nissan Pavilion has changed, in name at least, to Jiffy Lube Live just as shareholders approved a merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster that could bring many more changes for concertgoers in the future.
In the name of Rose
Details have emerged on an earlier promised Jack Rose memorial to pay tribute to the guitar maestro with close ties to the Fredericksburg area.
On Saturday, Feb. 6, from 7 to 11 p.m., Charlotte Street’s Eyeclopes Studios/Apple Music plans to host A Celebration of the Life of Jack Rose. Check the Eyeclopes site or the Facebook page for details.
For those who may have missed last year’s 2003 countdown, here’s a little background: Rather than compile a list of the year’s or decade’s best albums, as you’re apt to see many blogs and publications doing this time of year, writer Jonas Beals decided that it’s best to wait five years, give the music some time to settle and then see what albums still rose to the top five years later. So, without further ado, we present his (entirely arbitrary) list of the best albums of 2004.
N.E.R.D. - Fly or Die
The Neptunes are known for masterminding hits for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg and Ludacris, but they’ve done their best work alongside Shay Haley as an actual band of their own. Fly or Die, their second album, is an artful clash of rock, rap, pop and punk with equal parts studied maturity and angsty exuberance of youth. It proves that these Virginia Beach natives were the smartest music minds of 2004, and maybe the decade.
Drive-By Truckers - Dirty South The follow-up to their breakout album Decoration Day, this is a more complete album, conceptualized in the vein of their equally-impressive Southern Rock Opera. Just about every moment of Dirty South is rock perfection, complete with the sort of sad-sack character studies that made Bruce Springsteen famous. Bonus points for the best auto racing song ever written.
Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose This album turned out to be equally important for Lynn and producer/player Jack White, who stepped out of the shadows of the White Stripes for the first (and certainly not the last) time. As unusual and as stunning as the collaborations between Johnny Cash and Rick Rubin, White brought Lynn’s iconic voice to a new generation without cloying nostalgia. This is what country music should sound like these days.
Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters On the flip side of the rock coin from Drive By Truckers, this overwhelmingly flamboyant group of Americans had more success in the U.K. than they did stateside. Following the tradition of Queen, David Bowie and the Bee Gees, this is operatic prog-rock for the dance floor. At turns spare and bombastic, the album is a sincere tribute to spandex ’80s club grinders. Glamorous, glorious and nothing but a good time.
Los Lonely Boys - Los Lonely Boys Now known (or perhaps reviled) for the ubiquitous single “Heaven,” Los Lonely Boys’ début album is more than a one-hit wonder. The trio of Tex–Mex brothers did a better job of following in Stevie Ray Vaughan’s footsteps than most people realize. This disc showcases three young men with a stranglehold on blues/rock and an intimate knowledge of pop songwriting. Throw in some honest conjunto chops, and you get a cross-cultural slice of Americana.
MOFRO - Lochloosa Soul singer J.J. Grey, the frontman of MOFRO, had done a commendable job of mixing his Florida country roots with funk and soul on the band’s 2001 début, “Blackwater.” Grey continued that momentum with this, their second album. It’s perhaps the best (or only) example of enviro-rock out there, as most of Grey’s lyrics deal with the disappearing rural Florida of his childhood. On the other hand, “Dirtfloorcracker” is just a nasty funk jam.
The Black Keys - Rubber Factory It doesn’t get too much dirtier or lo–fi than the Black Keys?a guitar/drum duo that didn’t hit the scene as hard as the White Stripes, but has since managed to earn respect for their grit. Oddly enough, a number of songs from this album did double duty as background music in movies and commercials. A testament to the simplistic power of their hooks, I suppose. Also, “10 a.m. Automatic” is just brilliant.
Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La Another solo album from the Dire Straits guitar wizard, and another featuring biographical portraits of famous (or infamous) historical figures. As usual, Knopfler is full of twangy hooks and plaintive vocals, but the highlight here is “Boom, Like That,” a tribute (of sorts) to one of the most influential Americans of all time?McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc. Knopfler deserves a Grammy for serving up a compelling song based on corporate demagoguery. Could AIG be next?
Prince - Musicology Musicology was a comeback of sorts for Prince. It was released in conjunction with a huge tour, and Prince took advantage of SoundScan accounting procedures to push the album up the charts?he included an album with the purchase of a concert ticket. It was a progressive move that many bands would follow in coming years, and it boosted the profile of a great collection of tunes, some of the funkiest and smoothest he’d laid down in decades.
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter Weezy is still living off the reputation he made on this disc, and rightly so. It was a stunning transition from his appearance on Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up” to Tha Carter, an album that was only the tip of a freestyling, mix-taping, sizzurp-slugging hip-hop iceberg. His subsequent radio hits gave up the hardness of Tha Carter, but the cleverness he displayed on this album has remained.?Jonas Beals
If nothing else, Brendan Benson is well-schooled in rock ’n’ roll history. He might not have the freshest sounding music, but he knows how to write a stellar pop song.
At his recent 9:30 Club performance, Benson and his crew made every note count. Benson is a major-label artist with years of touring under his belt, and his band is nothing but professional. Their high-quality vintage gear made even the simplest of songs reverberate with warmth and depth.
On his albums, Benson is clearly not shy of autotune, but in person the vocals were occasionally a bit rough. The mild vocal shortcomings were only noticeable in contrast with Benson's instrumentally near-perfect band—it also didn't help that openers Corey Chisel & The Wandering Sons seemed to have vocal cords made of gold.
The infrequent sour note certainly didn't dampen the spirits of Benson's followers who sang along for most of the set. The club wasn't packed, but it was crowded enough for a rock show on a Wednesday night.
Overall, Brendan Benson knows how to play by the books, and if you really enjoy classic power pop acts like Big Star and The Kinks, his live show doesn't disappoint.
The local arts and music communities--not to mention several high-profile publications--are reeling from the loss of Jack Rose, a 38-year-old virtuoso guitarist who died last Saturday of an apparent heart attack.
Even though Rose was living in Philadelphia, the one-time Fredericksburg resident's roots ran deep here, most notably with his mother Paula's P. Rose Gallery.
For those close to Rose, his funeral is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. For more details, visit www.forever-care.com/. The family hopes to organize a local memorial at a later date.
For those who would like to know more about Rose and his tremendous musical legacy, there are ample videos and mp3s posted on the Internet. And be sure to check out the story written by local musician Ryan Green when Rose performed in the area last June.
According to Pitchfork, Rose's 10th solo album, Luck in the Valley, is set for release Feb. 23 on Thrill Jockey Records.
Weezer has cancelled the remainder of its tour following a bus accident over the weekend that hospitalized singer Rivers Cuomo. The band was scheduled to play at the Patriot Center this Wednesday with Jack's Mannequin and Motion City Soundtrack.
The band's latest album, Raditude, marked a considerable departure from the darkly ironic lyricism of past Weezer albums with songs offering messages like "Love is the Answer." It's also helped give the band a new life within the more mainstream realm, with demand for the Weezer Snuggie soaring recently.
With his name, Johnny Cash left his daughter Rosanne (as well as her siblings) a rare and amazing gift in the world of music: the potential for instant authenticity. On Rosanne Cash’s new album, The List¯released Oct. 6—she cashes in on that wonderful asset. The album is her 12th studio release over a three-decade recording career and her first cover album.
With a voice just as soulful (though not as deep) as her father’s, and with the ultimate country-music playlist in hand, she manages to create an album that no one but a Cash could pull off.
The 12 tracks are culled from a 1973 list that Johnny Cash wrote on a legal pad of “100 Essential Country Songs” as part of his daughter’s “education.” The elder Cash’s admiration for many of these songs is no secret. Two of the album’s most poignant, in fact, are songs that he himself covered: “Sea of Heartbreak,” on his twilight American Recordings series, and “Long Black Veil,” which he cut in 1965. Cash also lent his pipes to the definitive version of another track, Bob Dylan’s “Girl from the North Country,” on Dylan’s 1969 Nashville Skyline album.
Nearly every song Johnny Cash covered throughout his career he effectively made his own—and in doing so “educated” countless listeners in the country-music fundamentals of a bygone era. As a result, Rosanne Cash willingly pits herself against the master by covering some of these tracks. Yet she succeeds remarkably in staking her claim with versions that are a considerable departure from her father’s.
She gets a major boost in her efforts from some famous guests. Bruce Springsteen fills the harmonies on “Sea of Heartbreak,” which Tom Petty manned on Johnny Cash’s 1996 version; and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy helps on “Long Black Veil.” Elvis Costello and Rufus Wainwright also contribute vocal tracks.
The album includes a few rockers, capably handled by Cash’s producer–guitarist–husband, John Leventhal. However, Cash is at her best in the slower numbers that highlight the sweet and delicate qualities of her voice, notably on jazzy versions of “Miss the Mississippi and You," originally recorded by Jimmie Rodgers, and “She’s Got You,” made famous by Patsy Cline. The songs are a nice reminder that not everything on the album is indebted to Johnny Cash.
But the grand finale to the album offers yet another turn inward on the Cash legacy with A.P. Carter’s “Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow.” As a child of Johnny Cash’s first marriage, Rosanne has no direct ownership of the song. (It’s funny to picture her writing a royalties check to half-brother John Carter Cash—A.P.’s great nephew.) Yet, covering a song is like a marriage of sorts between author and performer. Rosanne Cash inherited much from country music—and, in a sense, with The List, she is renewing her—and her father's—vows.
When it comes to music, Matisyahu is the antithesis of the proverbial rolling stone; he’s gathered plenty of moss.
Through his tours and travels that have taken him from Brooklyn to Bend, Ore. and everywhere in between, Matis takes on a piece of whatever he comes in contact with.
He’s got a little bit of dance-hall legend Super Cat to him. He’s got a little bit of rap, whether it’s the Beastie Boys or Run-DMC. He’s got a little of Bob Marley’s reggae. And, to top it all off, he’s got a bit of Biz Markie’s beatboxing ability as well.
He showed that this blend of influences, mixed with his Hasidic Jewish beliefs, were best served live at The National in Richmond on Wednesday Nov. 18.
Matis—with his traditional Jewish fringes (tzitzits) hanging from his shirt and his long curled locks (peyos) hanging from his hat—started the show off rapping before moving to some of older titles like “Fire of Heaven/Altar of Earth” and “Chop ’em Down,” mixing elements of jam-band rock and reggae.
He then played “Thunder”—one of his stronger songs from the new album, “Light”—before drifting into a trance-like state where he would sing over his band, whether they were jamming loud and fast or playing slow and low and even singing a cappella for a while.
Some may not have appreciated Matis freesyling the way he did, but in doing so, he showed off the immense range of his voice.
The audience pulled the singer out of his trance by chanting “BEAT-BOX” over and over, to which he replied “OK, OK. I’ll beatbox.”
The singer turned drum machine for what felt like 7 or 8 minutes. The air seemed to come right out of the room as the yarmulke-wearing beatboxer emulated snare, high-hat and bass drum beats with only his mouth and the mic.
He followed with a few tracks from his new album—“We Will Walk,” “I Will Be Light,” and “One Day”—with each song better than the one preceding it.
Then the show hit its high point with “King Without a Crown,” as he praised Hashem between stage dives and the whole audience, believers or not, jammed as one.
Fredericksburg has a new music venue! The Otter House opened for business earlier this month in the former Loft space on Princess Anne Street. And now, word of its first music shows are beginning to trickle in.
In a fashion not out of step with the restaurant/bar/venue’s new tenants,Sunken Well Tavern’s Steve Cameli and Paul Stoddard, the two shows booked so far might best be described as “old school Fredericksburg.”
Freelance writer Jesse Scott has spoken with a lot of big names in music through the years. So for him to list something as one of his “favorite assignments of all time” caused me to pay a little extra attention.
That was how he described his article this week on Playing for Change, a movement that is part art-project, part band and part global cause. The article will run in Thursday’s Weekender.
It’s a difficult concept to wrap around—some may think this organization is trying to be too many things at once. But a look at some of the work they’ve done, including the video below, shows that Playing for Change is definitely well organized if anything.
The video, which has generated more than 20 million YouTube hits, was the first to appear, but was followed by a number of others, including a version of Bob Marley’s “One Love.”
The Playing for Change Band will play next Tuesday at the Birchmere.
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About Ben Sellers:
Ben Sellers is editor of the Sounds section in Weekender. He also edits the The Free Lance-Star's teen publication, it! magazine.
Frequent contributor Jonas Beals is a music writer, promoter and all-around impressario.
• Snow Closings
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (nominated): “
Ben Sellers is editor of the Sounds section in Weekender. He also edits the The Free Lance-Star's teen publication, it! magazine.
