Chris Robinson Will Spin Psychedelic Tunes For New Series On SiriusXM Jam On
Starting tomorrow, Chris Robinson will be hosting a new monthly music show on SiriusXM’s Jam On. Dubbed “Chris Robinson’s Guru Galore,” the former lead singer of the Black Crowes will be digging into his expansive record collection to showcase psychedelic tracks across a diverse spectrum of genres and eras. “It’s the only radio show in the cosmos that dare asks you the musical question…do YOU guru?,” says Robinson.Including bands like Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Daevid Allen, and Canned Heat, and all the eclectic musical tastes in between, Robinson will be unveiling a new episode every month. Tune in tomorrow, Monday, April 4 at 5:00 pm ET on Jam On, for the premiere of the program. The show will also be available On Demand through the SiriusXM app for smartphones and other mobile devices, as well as online.In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Robinson said, “I’m an obsessive music fan. I listen to a lot of stuff that’s probably not played on the radio too much, as well. The last time I was there a few months ago, I had the opportunity to do, like, a guest DJ thing, and I was like, “Dude, why don’t I have my own radio show?” So that’s kind of how it got started. And you know, my initial idea was, I really liked the idea of those old, like, FM late-night DJ’s, someone that would come on once a week and play you, not just the Who, not just, you know, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Not just the the stuff that you constantly hear on AM or rock radio. Longer tracks, and then for me, like, again, I can get into New Age music.”We can’t wait!
Famed DJ Pretty Lights brought his new beloved live band to the Cuthbert Amphitheatre in Eugene, OR. With Alvin Ford Jr., (drums), Brian Coogan (Hammond B3, Clavinet, Wurlitzer), Break Science’s Borahm Lee (Prophet, Farfisa, Fender Rhodes) and Chris Karns (turntables) supporting him, Pretty Lights has been bringing some non-stop heat wherever he goes. As Derek Vincent Smith has gone through numerous lineup shifts for his live band over the years, it’s nice to see this group congealing into a collective dance party machine!Check out a full gallery of images from the show, posted below!Photography by Jordan IngleeVisual Suplex Media & Design 2016Facebook // Instagram Load remaining images
A serious buzz is building around Arizona-based jam powerhouse Spafford. Each show they pick up new devoted fans, as they blow away the new and often unsuspecting listeners with their improvisational prowess. Playing with a sound that is easily digestible while still pushing boundaries, the band is building a following by connecting to the special, in the moment energy, only found through improvisational dives.There is no greater example of this than what went down in September in the backwoods of Neenah, WI at Cranky Pat’s. As the band took the stage, the fans in attendance couldn’t have possibly imagined they would be seeing a 2-song powerhouse set propped up with a juicy 30+ minutes of sonic exploration. The result was something that must be heard. Dubbed the “Pizza Jam”, this is a fine example of the power of Spafford in all its grooving glory. Take a listen, and do not miss a chance to see this band live for yourself!You can catch Spafford opening for Lotus in Chicago on 11/4 and 11/5. East Coasters, Spafford will be making their NYC debut on 12/30 and 12/31 on a co-bill with the Colorado based Magic Beans for 2 special post-Phish performances. More information here.Without further ado, here is the “Pizza Jam”:Spafford @ Cranky Pat’s in Neenah, WI 9/28/16:Set I: Virtual Bean Dip > Pizza Jam > All InSet II: Dream Jam > Stuck In The Middle With You > Double Time > Stuck In The Middle With You, LonelyE: Dis Go In 5?, The Reprise
Earphorik has been hitting the road hard this fall, supporting bands including moe., The Werks, TAUK, The Main Squeeze, Greener Grounds, and more. With nearly no days off, the band has been touring in support of their new album The Boondock Sessions, which was co-produced by Jake Cinninger of Umphrey’s McGee. This album, in combination with their consistent touring schedule, has led to a growing national presence within the jam band scene.Recently, Earphorik supported TAUK along a three night run throughout the Midwest. During the show last Saturday, October 8th, at the Miramar Theatre in Milwaukee, WI, Alric Carter of TAUK came out and jammed with Earphorik on a cover of Billy Cobham’s “Stratus.”We’re excited to premiere the pro-shot video of the live sit in here! Check it out below.The band is also about to take off on a fall tour, and you can see the full tour schedule below.
Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow announced the task force in early February—an announcement that was spurred by criticism of the lack of female representation at several categories during the Grammy’s this year. The announcement also comes on the heels of major controversy over Portnow’s comments addressing the criticism, when the CEO announced that women needed to “step up” if they wanted to have a larger role in the industry—Portnow quickly apologized for the statement, though several members of the academy have called for his resignation.With the task force meeting in person soon, the group has invited public feedback about what should be reviewed and considered. You can head here to offer your own feedback. On Wednesday, the Recording Academy announced a 16-member task force, which will work to forward diversity and female inclusion in the music industry. The panel includes a number of Grammy-winning artists, like Common, Sheryl Crow, Cam, Andra Day, and Jimmy Jam. As reported in Billboard, the task force will be led by Tina Tchen, the former chief of staff to former First Lady Michelle Obama.As noted in an announcement earlier today, the task force will focus on identifying “various barriers and unconscious biases faced by underrepresented communities throughout the music industry and, specifically, across Recording Academy operations and policies.” The task force will look at governance, hiring and promotion practices, membership, awards, and the Grammy Awards and broadcast to accomplish this end.The panel’s Grammy-nominated and -winning musicians will join forces with a number of industry bigwigs, including ATO Records’ vice president of finance and licensing administration, Stephanie Alexa; Universal Music Group’s executive vice president Michele Anthony; Creative Nation’s CEO and co-owner, Beth Laird; BET Networks’ chairman and CEO, Debra Lee; Lionfish Entertainment’s co-founder and CEO, Rebeca Leon; ASCAP’s CEO, Elizabeth Matthews; Sony Music’s executive vice president of business affairs and general counsel, Julie Swidler, and SEVEN20’s CEO, Dean Wilson.
Today, Paul McCartney announced that he will embark on a run of 2018 concert dates dubbed The ‘Freshen Up’ Tour. The announcement includes just four dates at this time, all of which are set to take place in Canada this September. These shows will mark Sir Paul’s first series of live dates since the ‘One On One’ tour that played to some two million fans over the course of 2016 and 2017. The ‘Freshen Up’ tour will also be Paul’s first outing following the release of his brand-new studio album, Egypt Station, due out September 7th on Capitol Records.As Paul notes in the announcement,We’ve always had such a fantastic time playing shows in Canada. We can’t wait to return in September for what should be another special run of shows. We are looking forward to freshening up our show and playing some of our songs from the new album alongside those songs we know you like to hear. Get ready to rock Canada!While many fans may be left unsatisfied by the minuscule scope of the announced tour, fear not—the announcement notes the four-show Canadian run as the “first 2018 dates announced” on the new tour, indicating that there are, more than likely, additional shows in the works.A paulmccartney.com verified presale period is now underway and will run through July 10th at 10 am local time. For more information, head to Paul’s website.The former member of The Beatles recently joined late-night TV host James Corden for a drive around his native Liverpool, England for an emotional edition of Carpool Karaoke that’s well worth the watch. Check it out here.See below for a list of announced Paul McCartney ‘Freshen Up’ Tour dates:Paul McCartney ‘Freshen Up’ Tour DatesSeptember 17: Quebec City, QC – the Videotron CentreSeptember 20: Montreal, QC – Bell CentreSeptember 28: Winnipeg, MB – Bell MTS PlaceSeptember 30: Edmonton, AB – Rogers PlaceView Tour Dates
Load remaining images Photo: Brittany Teuber Last night, the String Cheese Incident played their first of three nights at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, and their fifth show of a seven-night Colorado run. The band’s midweek shows at the newly reopened Dillon Amphitheater in Dillon, Colorado were extremely well-received, and SCI kept the momentum going into their hometown throwdown. JJ Grey and Mofro took care of the opening duties for the night, getting the near sold-out crowd moving and grooving under the Colorado bluebird sky.The String Cheese Incident kicked off the show with a cover of New Grass Revival’s “Cant’ Stop Now”, a fitting start to the night, and a perfect attitude coming into their highly-anticipated three-night Red Rocks run. Up next was “Song In My Head”, the title track off of their 2014 album. Keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth was firing off on all cylinders, leading Michael Kang into an explosive solo, before handing it back to Hollingsworth before he tickled the first notes of “Way Back Home”. Building on the opening riff, the Barefoot Boys slowly joined together, showcasing their beautiful harmonies and impressive vocal talent. Guitarist Bill Nershi took the jam into spacey-territory, as he laid down some acoustic, psychedelic-Cowboy sounds, leading the rest of the band with him into deep-jam territory.The opening notes of “BAM!” rang out, and Hollingsworth brought the venue to funky-town, grooving as percussionist Jason Hann laid down some elegant beats on the congas. All night, each respected member was intently listening to each other as a band, allowing for the precision and preciseness that has been shining over the last week throughout their Colorado run of shows. The Kang-led “Black and White” segued into a trancey “Bumpin’ Reel”, with Kang laying it down on the fiddle, as the rest of the band got things heated up around him. Set one came to a close, with a roaring Red Rocks crowd begging for more.After taking a brief set break, the band invited up Beats Antique’s David Satori to lend a hand on “Egyptic”, and that was just the start of the guests for the evening. Frequent collaborator and hometown hero Lyle Divinsky of The Motet got the invite next, helping Cheese out on vocals with “Get To You”. Divinsky’s soul, blended with String Cheese’s feel-good music, is a match made in heaven.“On The Road” gave way to an elegantly placed cover of Old And In The Way’s “Midnight Moonlight”, as a bright and full moon shed its light over the ecstatic Red Rocks crowd. Bassist Keith Moseley nailed it on vocals, as Kang and Nershi played off of each other as a tightly-knit unit. The highlight of the set was next, as the band dove head-first into a massive “Dirk”> “Rivertrance” > “Colorado Bluebird Sky” sequence. The “Rivertrance” went deep, as Kang stirred things up on fiddle, with Hann and drummer Michael Travis laying down a mean backbeat for the rest of the band to soar deep into space-trance territory. Ending night one of their three-night Colorado run with “Colorado Bluebird Sky”, was an absolutely perfect selection, and the crowd’s huge response and singing along with the band portrayed that precisely.For their encore, the String Cheese Incident invited up Lyle Divinsky and JJ Grey for a cover of The Meters classic hit, “Hey Pocky Way”, an extremely fitting choice and nod to the legendary New Orleans funksters, who received their Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award last weekend.The String Cheese Incident returns to Red Rocks tonight for night two of their three-night run. Tickets for tonight are still available for purchase here!Setlist: String Cheese Incident | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO | 7/20/2018Set One: Can’t Stop Now, Song In My Head> Way Back Home, BAM!, Sweet Spot, Black and White> Bumpin’ ReelSet Two: Egyptic*, Get To You^, On The Road, Midnight Moonlight, Dirk> Rivertrance> Colorado Bluebird SkyEncore: Hey Pocky Way%*= w/ David Satori (Beats Antique)^= w/ Lyle Divinsky (The Motet)%= w/ Lyle Divinsky & JJ Grey (JJ Grey & Mofro)Check out the full gallery from Friday night below, courtesy of Brittany Teuber.
Photo: Brittany Teuber
Over the past year, the @WeezerAfrica Twitter account has led a valiant effort to convince Weezer to record or otherwise perform a rendition of Toto’s “Africa”. The campaign picked up momentum in recent months, with Weezer first trolling fans by performing Toto’s “Rosanna” in late May. After the Rivers Cuomo-led “Rosanna” cover went viral, the band eventually acquiesced to the Internet’s request, performing “Africa” to close out the month. They later released their rendition of “Africa” as a single, and the cover’s popularity and amusing backstory have since made it Weezer’s highest-charting hit in years. Toto’s own Steve Porcaro even joined Weezer on Jimmy Kimmel Live! for a rendition of the song back in June.Weezer with Steve Porcaro – “Africa” [H/T Billboard, Ultimate Classic Rock] [Video: Jimmy Kimmel Live]With the Internet properly satiated and Weezer having finally covered the iconic 1982 hit (with a member of Toto, no less), we thought, perhaps unwisely, that the saga was over. Happily, for all of us, it wasn’t. Last week, two Los Angeles radio personalities on KROQ brought forth the idea of that Toto should cover Weezer, bringing the cycle of covers full circle. It just so happened that Toto guitarist Steve “Luke” Lukather was listening as DJs Ted Stryker and Kevin Klein issued the challenge, and he called into the show to confirm that he and the rest of the band had already been planning to release a cover of a Weezer song. A few days later, Toto’s Porcaro and Lukather stopped by the station, detailing Toto’s upcoming cover of Weezer’s “Hash Pipe”, off 2001’s The Green Album, which is expected to formally drop in a few weeks.Porcaro explained that Toto’s cover of Weezer had actually been in the works since Weezer’s initial Toto covers went viral. He noted,We had just gotten back from the road. … But I was here, home, in my studio, where I’m happiest, and I saw all this action going on with “Africa”. They had released “Rosanna,” they did “Africa.” I sent Luke an e-mail on the road—he was in Europe. I said, “Come on. We gotta return the favor. Let’s pick out a tune and send it right back to ’em.”He continued, noting how the band eventually landed on “Hash Pipe” to cover.You know, we listened to “Beverly Hills.” … I wanted to maybe even do a real “Africa”-type version of that—I was thinking about for a minute. But you know what? We wanted to make it different, but we wanted to do something rock ‘n’ roll. I wanted to show everyone what a good rock n’ roll band we can be. I love the band. I love their music. [Joseph Williams] and I were listening to different ones trying to figure out which ones he’d like to sing and we settled on “Hash Pipe”.In response, Lukather added,I thought “Hash Pipe” had a better melody. … I love the message, you know what I mean? … And we wanted to do it justice. We wanted to do our thing to it, but still pay respect to it. And we added a couple of our kitschy little things to it, which I hope that they laugh [at]. We wish we could be in the room when they hear it.Lukather also offered some more details on how Weezer’s initial cover came about and what he thought of the group’s rendition.Their manager reached out and asked, “Would you guys mind?” Mind?! Please. Are you kidding me? Kick ass on it! I actually reached out to Rivers on Twitter like, “Hey man, thanks a lot.” I don’t know if it’s a piss-take or not, but it’s a win-win for everybody. … Our music has such little nuance. We spent so much meticulous time. These guys stood this shit up in an afternoon. And let’s face it: they kicked ass on it. I think Rivers has a great voice. And the way they did the harmonies with the auto-tune in there which gave it a kitschy thing. I didn’t know if I was gonna like it or not. I thought they were going to make fun of us.It seems like members of both happy with how this silly string of tributes has gone down. As Lukather explained, “We love the thought of maybe some Weezer fans checking out Toto a little deeper, and, you know what? At the same time, I love the thought of maybe some snooty Toto fans checking out Weezer, loosening their wigs a little bit and enjoying some good rock and roll.”Stay tuned for Toto’s forthcoming cover of Weezer’s “Hash Pipe”, which will be formally released to the public in the coming weeks!
On Sunday night, Umphrey’s McGee returned to Atlanta, GA’s Tabernacle for the third night of their four-night New Year’s run. Frequent Vulfpeck collaborators Cory Wong and Antwaun Stanley handled the evening’s opening duties, setting the tone for the evening’s raucous UM throwdown.Umphrey’s McGee opened up the first set with an extensive take on “1348” into “Seasons”, with Jake Cinninger taking no time to show off his wizardry on guitar. Kris Myers, Ryan Stasik, and Andy Farag come together to create one of the tightest rhythm sections in the live music scene today, and make it undeniably simple for Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss to connect in between some intricate interplay, as we saw last night with the band moving into “Slacker”. The old-school cut led into “Push & Pull”, played for only the sixth time live off of the band’s 2018 It’s You release.Following “Utopian Fir” which featured a tease of Genesis’ “Misunderstanding” , Umphrey’s McGee welcomed up Dave Matthews Band saxophonist Jeff Coffin for a funky take on “Made To Measure”, played for the first time in 2018. With Cinninger moving over to a keyboard and Coffin staying on stage, the band welcomed up Cory Wong for a debut cover of Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity”, as the attentive Atlanta crowd erupted with applause. Cinninger’s move to keys gave Wong a chance to flex his chops on guitar, with the funk guru and Bayliss trading off firey hot guitar licks.Following a brief setbreak, Umphrey’s McGee came back out to open their second with with “Little Gift”, played for only the second time this year. The sextet moved forward with “Ocean Billy”, which included a quote from Pearl Jam’s “Footsteps”. The recently debuted “It Doesn’t Matter” followed, as the band took their opportunity to smoothly segue back into “Ocean Billy”. Umphrey’s shocked the crowd with their next move, as the band moved into “Can’t Rock My Dream Face” with the help of “Antwaun Stanley on vocals. The one-off mashup was last played at Umphrey’s 2015 Halloween blowout, as the tune incorporates elements of Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac, and The Weeknd. Stanley let it all hang out on vocals, before Cinninger and Bayliss stole the show with an electrifying duel. Heavy-hitter “All In Time” brought the second set to a close.Umphrey’s McGee offered up a massive encore, as the band worked through “Triple Wide” and “1348”, with a verse of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” thrown in the middle of the former. Luckily, you can listen to full-show audio of last night’s guest-filled fiasco below.Umphrey’s McGee – 12/30/2018 (Full-Show Audio)[Audio: Don Olker]Umphrey’s McGee returns to Atlanta’s Tabernacle tonight for the final night of their run, as the sextet will ring in the New Year in southern style. For ticketing and more information, head to Umphrey’s McGee’s website here.Setlist: Umphrey’s McGee | The Tabernacle | Atlanta, GA | 12/30/2018Set One: 1348 > Seasons, Slacker, Push & Pull > Utopian Fir[1], Made to Measure[2], Virtual Insanity[3]Set Two: Little Gift > Ocean Billy[4], It Doesn’t Matter > Ocean Billy, Can’t Rock My Dream Face[5], All In TimeEncore: The Triple Wide > Dreams[6] > The Triple Wide > 1348[1] with Misunderstanding (Genesis) tease[2] with Jeff Coffin on saxophone[3] debut, Jamiroquai; with Jeff Coffin on saxophone, Cory Wong on guitar, and Jake on keys[4] with Footsteps (Pearl Jam) quote[5] with Antwaun Stanley on vocals[6] one verseNotes:last Can’t Rock My Dream Face 10.31.2015 (281 shows)
Weezer made their return to the late-night television performance circuit on Monday night. The popular alt-rock band is just one of the many artists currently bouncing around the southern California area between both weekends of playing at Coachella, and wisely decided to use the week to rock out with members of Tears For Fears with their performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.Weezer had actually teamed up with Tears For Fears’ Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith during their set at Coachella on Saturday. The members of Weezer invited the veteran rockers to join them during their cover of the popular 1985 New Wave hit, “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, which Weezer had performed on their recently-released covers project, Teal Album. Related: Weezer Performs Career-Spanning Set For NPR Tiny Desk Concert [Watch]Their performance on Kimmel last night gave fans around the country who may have missed the Coachella live stream on Saturday with a chance to witness the collaboration for the widely popular 80’s hit. Curt Smith and Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo traded off vocal duties with each verse, while Cuomo also shared some excellent lead guitar work with some solos played throughout the performance. Fans can check out the video below to relive Monday night’s performance.Weezer with Tears for Fears – “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” [Video: Jimmy Kimmel Live]Weezer will be back out in the desert this weekend for weekend two of Coachella. The rock band will be on tour across much of Europe throughout the summer months, with some select dates in the U.S. and Japan sprinkled into the mix as well. Fans can head to the band’s website for info on all their upcoming performances.Tears For Fears will also be on tour throughout much of the summer. Fans can also head to their website for the full concert schedule.