Who doesn’t want to watch back-to-back marathons of Flavor of Love, Brooke Knows Best and The Surreal Life reruns? Hopefully, you. The channel that came into existence under the title “Video Hits First” has all but abandoned both “video hits” and music altogether. That said, the recent broadcast of VH1 Rock Honors The Who was finally something that VH1 did right.
While The Flaming Lips and Incubus did a good job paying homage to the iconic Brit band, Rainn Wilson and Tenacious D brought some comedic relief and The Foo Fighters did their best (easily the worst performance of the evening), it was Pearl Jam who stole the show. If you missed it, here’s your chance to catch one of the best covers you’ll hear this year.
Whether you [misguidedly] despise Pearl Jam’s political preachiness or [misguidedly] see them as just another 90s band, you have to admit that the band did an incredible job with this assignment. Vedder’s gut-wrenching screams ought to make you reminisce about times when frontmen had cojones and what The Who was all about. Kudos.
The Voodoo Music Experience has once again gone above and beyond with their lineup. Part of the draw with festivals like Voodoo is the diversity of the acts they attract. This year’s is no different. While the festival’s three headliners (R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails and Stone Temple Pilots) are unquestionably great draws, the supporting cast will be something not to be missed. Voodoo announced their lineup today and if you aren’t excited, you should get your blood pressure checked.
In addition to the three headliners, Voodoo will also welcome in a cornucopia of musical acts; some great, some that leave a little to be desired and some that will never be forgotten. Heading the list of the acts that must be caught while at Voodoo are the likes of Erykah Badu, Lupe Fiasco, Death Cab for Cutie, Wyclef Jean, The New Orleans Bingo! Show and Ghostland Observatory. Names like Joss Stone (whose first CD made promises that later discs haven’t yet delivered on) and Panic! at the Disco (whose first video made promises that later songs rendered empty) are there as well, but will be overshadwed by the wealth of talent at the festival.
There are even a few Baton Rouge bands taking the stage at Voodoo, including Bones and The Vettes.
Here’s the entire 2008 Voodoo Lineup: R.E.M.; Stone Temple Pilots; Nine Inch Nails; Erykah Badu; Dashboard Confessional; Death Cab for Cutie; DeVotchKa; Panic! at the Disco; Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings; Cold War Kids; Joss Stone; Ghostland Observatory; Lupe Fiasco; Joseph Arthur; Wyclef Jean; Man Man; The Gutter Twins; Morning 40 Federation; Tokyo Police Club; Innerpartysystem; Colour Revolt; Thievery Corporation; Extra Action Marching Band; Manchester Orchestra; King Britt tribute to Sister Gertude; Ozomatli Reunited with Chali 2na; Irvin Mayfield featuring the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra; Blind Boys of Alabama; Cowboy Mouth; The Lee Boys; Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers; Reverend Horton Heat; Old 97’s; Marc Broussard; Eli “Paperboy” Reed & The True Loves; Grace Potter and the Nocturnals; Rebirth Brass Band; Ivan Neville and Dumpstaphunk; Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue; Preservation Hall Jazz band with Marva Wright; Dirty Dozen Brass Band; Fatter Than Albert; Treme Brass Band; John Boutte; The Dan Dyer Band; Washboard Chaz Blues Trio; The Iguanas; Soul Rebels; Bonerama; DJ Soul Sister; Big Sam’s Funky Nation; Shamarr Allen; Rockie Charles; Paul Sanchez and His Rolling Road Show; DJ Butterfoot; Deacon John’s Tribute to New Orleans R&B featuring Wardell Quezerque; Preservation Hall Hot 4 with Special Guests; Melody Clouds; Walter Wolfman Washington; The New Orleans Bingo! Show Plus Special Guests; Shudder to Think; Clint Maedgen +9; Fleur De Tease; Paul Varisco & The Milestones; New Orleans Jazz Vipers; One Man Machine; Big Al Carson; The Happy Talk Band; Bones; Noisician Coalition; The Tin Men with The Valparaiso Men’s Chorus; New Orleans Sunken City Circus featuring: Pain Tribe, C-Ba$, Tap Water Mind Control, and Activity 3; Worms Union; Oscillation Communications; Ratty Scurvics Singularity; Crimes Against Nature; Sirena Serpentina; Illusion Fields; Good Guys; Nag Hammadi; Andre Williams; My Graveyard Jaw; NOOMOON Tribe; Widetrack; C-Ba$; Sideshow; DJ Proppa Bear; sHeLLShoCk; Ray Bong; White Bitch’s Prey Drive; Hands of Nero; Big Blue Marble; The Vettes; Sons of William; Sista Otis, Rotary Downs; Quintron & Miss Pussycat.
Weekend passes go on sale Monday for $115. For $450, you can get a three-day VIP pass.
There are certain ideals that are interwoven into the fabric of who we are as Americans that deserve the utmost reverence. The idea of a free, objective and honest media is one of those things. Every so often, a person comes along who seems to both truly understand the duties and responsibilities of being a “newsman” and embraces them. Names like Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow come to mind. Unfortunately for all of us, another of the great newsmen has passed.
Earlier today, NBC’s Tim Russert suffered a heart attack while at the job that he cherished. He was 58.
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While I obviously did not know or have a personal friendship with Tim Russert, his ability to present the facts, pose the questions that many shy away from and do so with a sense of relatable humor, made him an unquestioned king of his craft. There is a reason that Meet The Press is the longest-running show in television history: men like Tim Russert.
In this age of sensationalism, Russert was a man of stoic strength. He was a journalist, not a dramatist. Remember this when you channel surf past the 24-hour news channels. Remember that Russert was a man who, above all else, shared the news with respect for the facts, compassion for those he reported on, and reverence for the audience to whom he delivered it.
Must credit The Capri LoungeVice-President Dick Cheney this afternoon expressed his “deep embarrassment” by the topless photograph of him scheduled to appear in an upcoming issue of Vanity Fair magazine.
“At the time, I was led to believe that this photograph was an artistic expression,” Cheney said. “However, in seeing it now, I can only conclude that I received bad intelligence. I am full of deep embarrassment and I apologize to my fans. All two of them.”
A spokesperson for Vanity Fair said the magazine’s photograph “speaks for itself.”
The spokesperson said that the shoot, which took place at an undisclosed location, occurred with the full consent of the White House, Vice-President Cheney’s wife, Lynne, and Cheney’s longtime assistant, George W. Bush.
“No one had any illusions,” the spokesperson said. “During the shoot, digital photos were shown to the vice-president and he was able to comment on them and make suggestions.”
The spokesperson did not comment on reports that the magazine airbrushed out the vice-president’s horns.
This is not the first time the Vice-President’s conduct has proved embarrassing for the White House. In 2007, photographs leaked of the half-naked vice-president attending an Ice Storm-style “key party” at the home of Trent Lott. The previous year, Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion while on a hunting trip in Texas. There was also the whole Iraq war thing, which has become a bit of a headache.
The only thing missing was a ghost story and some marshmallows on sticks. With a crowd of about a hundred sitting indian-style in front of them, the newly reformed Blind Melon took to the stage, er- sales floor, of FYE on Constitution Boulevard. The crowd, including one female fan who shouted to the band that she didn’t sleep the night before due to the excitement surrounding their performance, couldn’t wait for them to start.
The band played a number of selections from their latest album, For My Friends, which was released today (4/22). Though they weren’t as well known as the group’s older hits (for obvious reasons), the reception for them was no different. While the band treated the crowd to classics like “Change,” “Soup,” and even the surprise crowd request, “Pusher,” the new songs (including the single “Wishing Well”) sound like instant classics for Melon fans.
The intimate performance was incredibly warm and inviting. The guys joked with the audience, kidded with each other and even had a meet and greet with those who stuck around after they had put their guitars down. The event was not only a testament to Blind Melon’s devoted fanbase and the strength of the music produced by (deceased lead singer) Shannon Hoon and the rest of the crew, but also to the new direction the band is taking.Â
Check out this week’s Hookup cover, featuring an interview with Blind Melon guitarist Chris Thorn. Blind Melon will be playing The Varsity tonight. Tickets are $15 in advance.
TMV played House of Blues Monday, April 7. I paid my 50 bucks back in February, and I was peeing my pants with excitement the entire week leading up to the show.
So, I did some laundry, went over to NOLA and stood in that long line outside the door for what seemed like an eternity. Finally around 8:30, TMV took the stage and melted our faces off.
These guys are completely insane, talented and they have some kind of stamina. My friends and I discussed at length how in the world they do what they do live, especially guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and drummer Thomas Pridgen. I think we decided they inject themselves with guerilla blood. They played for 3 hours straight, and they didn’t play those shorter songs that are easier to digest like “The Widow.” No no no no no. They played the good, long songs that ramble on for eternity and rattle your skull from all four studio albums. Really awesome jam session too.
Most definitely goes on my list of top 10 best shows ever.
It’s nice to know some out-of-state musicians are still out there using the stage and the music to remind people of all of the work we still have to do after the 2005 hurricanes.
As mentioned in my article about the band’s new CD and Baton Rouge show on April 5, SAJB wrote a song about New Orleans called “Neutral Ground.” In general, lead singer James Hyland said it’s about “the mediocrity and benignity we’ve all gotten comfortable with.”
The song goes back and forth between a mediocre marriage Hyland found himself in and the injustice New Orleans is facing after hurricane Katrina. He said that apathetic attitude is in “our disaster relations and our race relations. It’s just so disappointing.”
He got a little angry just talking with me about his feelings on the subject of the media and the government’s forgetfulness when it comes to hurricane recovery in Louisiana.
They helped raise money at one of New Orlean’s sister churches in Austin. And given Hyland’s strong feelings on everyone’s apathy toward New Orleans, I bet he’s out there on tour, reminding people that New Orleans recovery is far from becoming un-newsworthy.
Come out to Chelsea’s Saturday night and hear “Neutral Ground” live, then take it home with you on their new CD Strange Invitation.
This Sunday I was copying music from my sick iPod to my computer (because I’m a dirty pirate. don’t judge me.), and I came across Gnarls Barkley’s St. Elsewhere. I thought “Man. What a great album. Sadly, I don’t think DJ Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo will pair up again to create magic like that. It would just be too awesome.”
Well they HAVE done it again. Their new album The Odd Couple released today. I heard a clip on the radio today, but nothing more.
Review of The Odd Couple coming very, very soon.
Also, Nickelback is everything that’s wrong with the world.
Must credit The Capri LoungeVice-President Dick Cheney this afternoon expressed his “deep embarrassment” by the topless photograph of him scheduled to appear in an upcoming issue of Vanity Fair magazine.
