RADIO HANNIBAL

When A Boy Begins To Rock

I have a 14 year old son.  I tried indoctrinating him into the world of music as a toddler. 

I read once where instead of throwing on the same Barney, Elmo, Teletubbies or Clifford videos try playing The Beatles Hard Days Night or Help.  There's all sorts of slapstick action and great music.  It worked.  He really enjoyed repeated viewings.

In the car we'd play Beatle albums to the point where he'd be singing along.  I progressed to more rocking pop music by bands like Sweet and The Monkees.  I was sure I'd set a trajectory for my son that would please me. That was the problem, it isn't about pleasing me. 

In fact, often when you show a liking to what your kid is into they'll suddenly decide that the music can't be any good, not if Dad likes it.  Even if Dad happens to be a music tastemaker. 

I watched my son progress or digress, a matter of opinion, from The Beatles to rap and hip hop, to metal and screamo.  Actually he has been spot on with some of his taste.  He's a big Kid Cudi fan.  I can dig that.  On the other hand he enjoys the gimmicky metal schlock of Slipnot. 

On his 13th birthday I gave him a collection of 13 albums that were very influential in my early teens.  They included Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon, a truly classic right of passage album. 

During the past year he asked me if I knew The Wall by Pink Floyd.  I thought, wow, my gift of those albums is making an impact.  It turns out he discovered the movie The Wall featuring Bob Geldof through a friend.  The movie contains all the right elements for a rebellious teen.

So last night he asks if we have plans Friday night.  It's his friend's birthday and his father is taking them to see this Pink Floyd tribute band at the House Of Blues.  "You mean the band Wish You Were Here, they're going to play Wish You Were Here in its entirety", I told him. 

He asked how I knew that.  I told him that the band members were friends of mine.  I'm not sure if he believes me yet.  And I hope he doesn't take the counter stand and decide that if Dad likes and knows them then it can't be any good. 

So Friday night my son and I with both be at the same show.  I feel so proud. 

Welcome Back To Cleveland Bryan Ferry

I just did some research to see when Bryan Ferry last played Cleveland.  It was in support of his Mamouna album which came out in 1994.  Yes, it was November 9, 1994 at Music Hall when the lead singer of Roxy Music last performed in Cleveland.  That is far too long. 

In the 1970s Roxy Music was all the rage in Cleveland thanks to radio station WMMS and Kid Leo.  In Circus Magazine Ferry was quoted as saying Roxy Music's two biggest fan bases were in Liverpool and Cleveland. 

So what happened?  Why did Ferry stop putting Cleveland on his tour schedule? Why was Cleveland overlooked on the two Roxy Music reunion tours that have hit the states?  Granted Ferry's tours are short.  This present one has only ten U.S. gigs.

All of the blame shouldn't be on Ferry alone though.  Tonight's show at the State Theatre is not sold out even though he has sold out other venues in other cities on this tour in support of his fine 2010 release, Olympia.

But I'm not going to dwell on it.  Tonight after a 17 year absence Bryan Ferry is once again playing Cleveland, a place he once felt right at home.  I'm sure that feeling will strike him once more when he takes the stage and is greeted by our welcome home applause. 

I talked to a friend of mine who caught last week's show in Washington DC.  He summed it up beautifully with the text, "prog rock lives".  The set list is a mix of solo, Roxy and cover material. 

A personal note to Bryan.  I'll be in row two, stage right.  Or perhaps you have some time for a drink.  Friends of mine will be holding court across the street at Bricco. Stop by.  We'd love to say hello. 

Conor Oberst's Curated Stage At Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

On the first day at this year's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Fest in San Francisco I spent the entire time at the Rooster Stage where Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes and other projects had the distinct honor of curating the line up for the day.  It's not normal proceedings for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, letting one artist select all of the acts leading up to their own performance.  It was also the most adventurous collection of bands at the three day fest. 

I arrived at Golden Gate Park at 5am and set up a tarp on the ground about 30 feet from the center of the stage then went back to my friend's condo to sleep some more.  Shortly before 11am I headed back to Rooster stage to begin my day of musical discovery.

Many of the acts Oberst had chosen had similar traits.  They were rooted in folk music with a decidedly experimental, psychedelic edge and an ethereal sound.  As I've always professed, I'm not a critic so I'm not going to give you a thumbs up or down but instead want to give you an opportunity to explore these artists on your own.  I think you'll be in for quite a treat. 

The first artist was Jonathan Wilson and his band from Los Angeles.

Jonathan Wilson - Gentle Spirit (on Spotify)

Next up was Simon Joyner.

Simon Joyner - Out Into The Snow (on Spotify)

Then came New York based band Woods

Woods - Sun And Shade (on Spotify)

From Philadelphia we were next entertained by Kurt Vile And The Violators

Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo (on Spotify)

Now the previous four acts were all new to me the remainder I'm quite familiar with.  That includes what was possibly my favorite performance at the fest by The Felice Brothers from Catskills, New York. 

The Felice Brothers - Celebration, Florida (on Spotify)

Warming up for the headliner was M Ward who's living in Portland these days. 

M Ward - Hold Time (on Spotify)

Finally, Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes hit the stage to close out the day in what some say may be the last tour for Bright Eyes. 

Bright Eyes - The People's Key (on Spotify)

Photos of Woods, Kurt Vile, The Felice Brothers and M Ward taken at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2011 courtesy of The LeFort Report which, by the way, has many great shots from the fest.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Fest From A Clevelanders Point Of View

The stars were aligned for me last week.  I'd wanted to attend the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival ever since I'd first heard of the eleven year old event.  The weather forecast calling for nothing but sun was the clincher.  I booked my flight. 

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (HSB)is a free festival held in a section of San Francisco's massive Golden Gate Park.  It's Warren Hellman's gift to the city of San Francisco.  Hellman is both a multi-billionaire financier and a bluegrass banjo player and fan of music.  Whenever he was introduced on stage or his name merely mentioned there was a standing ovation.  And why not?  That's quite a gift. Jimmie Dale Gilmore introduced him as a good friend and someone who probably owns streets that he had slept on in San Francisco. 

The fest consisted of four stages on Friday and six both Saturday and Sunday.  It starts at 11am and ends at 7pm each day and is run like clockwork.  Nearly every performer comments on how HSB is the best festival in the world.  The folks running it are terrific as are the citizens of the Bay area. 

You couldn't get away with a fest like this most cities.  There's no gates.  Just walk into the park.  You can also bring in whatever you like from cases of beer and bottles of whiskey to food. Though there's plenty of excellent food vendors throughout the grounds.  The crowd polices itself for the most part and there's little visible presence of uniformed officers inside.  Tobacco smoking is against the law in Golden Gate Park and I'd often see someone get told to put out there cigarette or move to another place.  Pot smoking on the other hand is tolerated and there was plenty of it.  Not surprising in San Francisco, California where it's nearly legal. 

With 500,000 people making there way in and out of the park over the three days it takes a certain mindset and stamina to make it enjoyable.  I kept drinking to the very minimum since weaving your way across tarps and blankets and then standing in long lines means missing out on a good deal of music on stage.  And it can get a bit claustrophobic but keep in mind that this is in a large park with no gates so you can simply walk out of the park and into the city.  You didn't feel as if you were locked in. 

The difficult decision is who to see on six stages going at once.  One the first day I staked out a close spot at the Rooster Stage and stayed put nearly the entire time.  Over the weekend I roamed more which didn't allow me to get as close but gave me more choices and last minute calls on who to catch on what stage. 

A big thanks to my old college friend who lives a mile and a half from the park and invited me to stay with him.  Hanging with his eclectic group of friends both at the residence and fest had me feeling akin to the hippies of San Francisco.  Indeed the city is still alive with free-spirited individuals.  I was shuttled to the park in this art car. 

Squirrely Whirly (courtesy of Really Weird Stuff)

It was an experience I'll cherish for a lifetime, an amazing city, beautiful people, a jawdropping line up of artists and picture perfect weather. 

Now my plan is to petition the folks at my favorite station, KPIG who MC'd the stages, to allow me to do the announcing at a stage next year.  I'll be their KPIG Cleveland correspendant. 

These are some iPhone shots not so much to show you the artists themselves but the stage settings and sightlines. 

The Felice Brothers

Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin and Robert Plant

Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn

The Low Anthem

Justine Townes Earle

 

 

Cleveland Local Label Love Muffin Records Celebrates 5 Year Anniversary

Cleveland independent record label Love Muffin Records celebrates its 5th anniversary with a concert at The Symposium in Lakewood this Saturday night, October 1.  The show features artists from their roster including Skychief and The Darker Show. 

In high school Adam Rich, owner of the label, had the nickname Love Muffin.  When he began to promote his own recordings while attending Bolwing Green he decided to create a record label.  The name seemed a good fit. 

The first show he promoted was in 2007 at the Hi-Fi Club right across the street from the Symposium in Lakewood. Since then the label has released numerous CDs by area bands as well as concert showcases throughout the city.

 

An Interesting Look At The Virgin Mobile Freefest

Last year I was able to attend the annual Virgin Mobile Freefest held in Baltimore.  This year I had a to DJ a wedding and was unable to make it.  Too bad because it's quite a one day concert. 

The key word is that it's free.  That's right. An amazing line up of artists on three stages and Virgin gives away all 50,000 tickets for free. 

It used to be held at Pimlico Racetrack but has since moved to the Merriweather Post Pavilion.  MPP is one of the few "shed" venues not handled by Live Nation and, thus, has a reputation as a progressive venue. 

What bummed me out last year was that I didn't see Virgin CEO Richard Branson. He usually makes sure to attend the event every year.  Not so last year. 

Branson is one of my mentors.  I've read his books and try to follow his philosophy in business.  Though he is one of those adrenaline junkies, always attempting crazy feats like flying around the world in a balloon.  I don't emulate those antics, thank you very much. 

Bob Boilen at NPR's All Songs Considered did run into Branson this year and got the chance to talk with him.  Here's Boilen's blog piece which includes the conversation and some clips from the fest.  Freefest Thoughts, An Interview With Richard Branson

Monkees Tour Cancelled With No Explanation

The Monkees tour, with a stop in Cleveland over Labor Day weekend, has been cancelled.  There has been no explanation leaving fans to speculate.  That's never a good thing. 

There's rumors of Mickey Dolenz having a drinking problem and needing to go to rehab.  There's the story of someone running into Peter Tork a couple of days ago and saying something to the effect of "the band I used to be in" and that he's a "recovering Monkee". 

Whatever the case it could be that I'll never get that chance to see them.  I was looking forward to the Facebook event I'd created, a bleacher dance party. 

What more appropriate way to end this news then with the closing of The Monkees show.

 

The Monkees, They Are Coming To Your Town

The Monkees are coming to Cleveland the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend to play a show at Jacobs Pavilion. I'm a huge Monkees fan but I had some investigating and thinking to do before I plunked down money for the show. 

The main objection is that Michael Nesmith is not on the tour.  That's not surprising as he's only participated in one reunion tour.  Though, word is he's telling fans to go see the band this time around, even without him. Nesmith has pretty much retired from performing. 

Michael Nesmith's contribution to the Monkees was very influential on me.  He was pioneering country rock in that band.  As a whole, I love Nesmith's songs the most.  That said, my two favorite songs by The Monkees, "Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow" and "Daydream Believer" are both sung by Davey Jones and penned by Neil Diamond and John Stewart respectively.  And don't forget that Mickey Dolenz probably did more lead vocal than either of them. So I crossed that objection off my list. 

I love Youtube as it gives you a chance to see amateur video of bands currently out on the road.  It's a way of seeing whether a show might be worth attending.  So I watched some clips.

Ok, there's certainly a cheese element to the show which doesn't sit well with me.  And, quite frankly, seeing aged idols of my youth makes me feel old. 

Look beyond that and you'll see a good band that even has a horn section playing faithful renditions of these joyful songs.  It's not unlike seeing Brian Wilson perform The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds.  There's a tight band made up of huge admirers of the music and propped up in front is Wilson. And to continue the comparison, the music on the Pet Sounds album was played by the same musicians, the Wrecking Crew, who performed on those Monkees albums. Another objection satisfied. 

The clincher for me was a look at the set list.  For a Monkees fan it's stunning.  Looking over the list of songs makes you realize just how many great ones they had.  And they're digging deep as well.  There's a portion of the show devoted to music from the bizarre film Head.  They even play a number of Nesmith songs.  And the show clocks in at about two hours.  I was sold. 

Here's the set list from The Greek in LA a couple of weeks ago:

I'm a Believer
Mary, Mary
Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
The Girl I Knew Somewhere
When Love Comes Knocking
Randy Scouse Git
Valleri
Papa Gene's Blues
Saturday's Child
I Wanna Be Free
That Was Then, This Is Now
Girl
I Don't Think You Know Me
All of Your Toys
Hard To Believe
What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?
She
She Hangs Out
Sometime in the Morning
Someday Man
Circle Sky
Can You Dig It?
As We Go Along
Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again?
Porpoise Song (Theme From "Head")
Daddy's Song
For Pete's Sake
Cuddly Toy
Words
Shades of Gray
Goin' Down
It's Nice to Be With You
Your Auntie Grizelda
Last Train to Clarksville
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
Daydream Believer
Encore:
Encore
Listen To The Band
Pleasant Valley Sunday
I'm a Believer (Reprise)

I made a Spotify playlist of the Monkees Set List as well.

So I'm inviting everyone to join me that evening.  I've created an event on Facebook, Radio Hannibal's Monkees Bleacher Dance Party.  Buy a bleacher ticket ($34, that includes the charges)and meet at the Harbor Inn at 6pm Sunday September 4.  We'll head to the show early in order to commandeer the far upper corner of the bleachers.  Then dance are asses off to some of the best pop songs ever. 

Where's The Northeast Ohio Summer Music Fest?

I'm scrolling through my Facebook feed this morning and one person says he's off to Camp Bisco, a fest put on for ten years now by electronica jam band Disco Biscuits.  It's got a decent line up of dance oriented bands and takes place in upstate New York.  Then I see another friend asking if anyone's going to the long running Jamboree In The Hills next weekend outside of Wheeling, West Virginia.  It's a commercial country music lover's dream with big stars each day. 

Let's see, Bonnaroo in Tennessee wrapped up their tenth anniversary a few weeks back.  There was Sasquatch in Washington state over Memorial Day weekend.  Not to mention California's Coachella in April, Lollapalooza and Pitchfork in Chicago over the next month, Austin City Limits and Baltimore's Virgin Mobile Fest in September.  And I can't forget to mention the grandaddy of them all, the New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Fest which takes place over two weekends in early spring. 

So why not a large scale festival somewhere in northeast Ohio?  Granted, we have the Midwest Reggae Fest coming in a little over a month.  That same venue, Nelson Ledges, is also home to a number of small scale fests, but where's the big festival for this area?

These large festivals are destination events, meaning fans flock from all over the country to enjoy the party.  So you can't use the excuse that there's not enough of a base here. 

What kind of festival do I want personally?  I'd say loosely based around rock and roll.  You don't need the Rock Hall as a sponsor.  Everyone knows it's here in Cleveland and you can play off that fact in promoting the event. 

We're in another of those periods where rock is on the wain and pundits like to predict the demise of it.  What better reason to show the country and the world that rock and roll is far from dead. 

I have no idea on where to hold such an event.  I haven't done the research, but there surely must be a site that would work. 

I know this idea has been bandied about in the past but nothing has ever come of it.  Maybe nothing ever will.  Maybe we're more content on leaving town for a long weekend of music saturation. 

Cleveland Orchestra's Blossom Season, Turning Children On To Classical Music

This weekend kicks off the Summer Festival for the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center.  It is one of my favorite activities in Cleveland. 

I try and attend at least three times a season and I make a long day of it.  First will be a stop at a market for picnic provisions.  That could be the Westside Market, West Point Market in Akron, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or Heinen's.  A couple of bottles of wine are on every shopping list since, unlike other concerts at Blossom, you can drink alcohol.  Actually, we sometimes stop by Sarah's Vineyard directly across from Blossom for the wine. 

I get there when the gates open, usually 2 to 3 hours before the start of the concert.  It's a fact that should be remembered anytime you go to Blossom...the earlier you arrive the faster you'll get out at the end of the evening.  Trust me, this is of huge importance at sellout shows. 

It's rare that I buy pavilion seating, opting instead for lawn tickets.  Either way we throw a blanket down in a prime spot, low and center.  Sometimes there's a group of us sharing foods, drinks, and great conversation while other times it's only two of us reading magazines we've brought and enjoying the tranquil setting. 

My preference is to attend shows featuring the main orchestra itself performing true classical works.  It's unfortunate this year that our very busy conductor, Franz Welser-Most, will only be appearing on two evenings.  Last year I saw him hours before he had to take to the stage, in jeans, walk up to the lawn to join some friends for a bit. 

The big news this year is the use of the astounding Maltz Family Foundation $20 million dollar gift last year to help turn on younger people to the joys of the orchestra.  With every pavilion ticket purchased a free ticket is eligible to anyone under 18.  A lawn ticket gives you two free tickets for the kids.  Here's the details on this great program.

If you've never seen the Cleveland Orchestra or any of the Summer Festival programs you really need to remedy that.  And look for me, as I say, on the lawn low and center stage.