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Friday @ Rothbury Music Festival |
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Music Buzz
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Friday, 03 July 2009 |
 As the line of traffic on U.S. 31 begins to die down, Friday plans on being a major day for music as people get settled in into the 2nd Rothbury Music Festival. After a dozen or so bands got the party started late on Thursday, Friday’s schedule gets rolling about noon and doesn’t end almost until the sun rises on Saturday morning. Here are some of the major acts you may want to check out on Friday at Rothbury:
Odeum Stage:
G. Love & Special Sauce - 3:30p.m.-5p.m.- Always a favorite among the college kids, the Philly native has now hooked up with the Jack Johnson owned Brushfire Records for the release of his 2008 album, Superhero Brother. The alt-hip hop act is a good fit for the types of stuff being played this weekend.
Nas & Damian Marley - 6:30p.m.-8p.m.- On his own, Nas might be a puzzling addition to the Rothbury lineup. But teaming up with up and coming reggae star Damian Marley (let’s be honest, if you’re from Jamaica and your last name is Marley, you only have one career choice: reggae star) to give the edge that the fans at the festival will enjoy. The two are currently out on the road with the Rock the Bells tour as well.
The String Cheese Incident (Two Sets) - 8:45p.m.-12:30p.m.- In the jam band world, String Cheese’s Rothbury performance is a big, big deal. After disbanding in 2007, the members of the band all performed with their solo projects at the first Rothbury in 2008. Crowds wanted the real thing for 2009 and String Cheese is giving them the reunion performance at the festival. But if you are expected a full blown tour, don’t - the Rothbury performance is the only performance for the band this year.
The Ranch Stage:
Flogging Molly - 7:30p.m.-8:45p.m - They better get some Guinness to Rothbury in time for Flogging Molly’s sure to be drunken sing-a-longs. The band, who is a touring staple in the winter months around here, makes a surprise summertime visit to Michigan where the band is sure to try and make everyone feel Irish for at least an hour or so.
STS9 - 1a.m.-3a.m.- The California psych-dance troupe loved Rothbury so much last year, that they are back for year two. Their three and a half hour set was a huge hit last year and an encore performance was almost required. The band is still out in support of their 2008 album Peaceblaster and are in the midst of doing the U.S. festival circuit throughout the end of the summer.
Sherwood Court:
Girl Talk - 2a.m.-Close - From all accounts, Greg Gillis’s ( a.k.a. Girl Talk) set at Coachella became an all out chaotic mess, with 500 or so people rushing the stage. Even though copyright laws make it difficult to Gillis to have a “hit” single, his cult status in these sort of festivals is growing with every year. Could a blissfully chaotic scene await him at Rothbury? One can only hope…
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Rothbury Music Festival Preview |
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Music Buzz
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Wednesday, 01 July 2009 |
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What: Rothbury Music Festival
When: Thursday, July 2nd - Sunday, July 5th. Gates open at 8 a.m. Thursday for four-day ticketholders, 8 a.m. Saturday for two-day ticketholders.
Where: The Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, MI. (About 3 1/2 hrs. from both Detroit and Chicago.)
Who will be there?: Biggest acts of the weekend are sure to be the headliners. Jam band legends String Cheese Incident reunite in their only 2009 performance for a double set Friday night. The Dead play their only summer show with 2 sets on Saturday night and Bob Dylan and His Band close out the show on Sunday.
Wait, there's more!: Lots and lots more. Friday's most anticipated acts are Damien Marley & NAS and Flogging Molly, but the most packed show of the weekend is going to be the Girl Talk set that doesn't even start until 2:00 a.m. Pace yourself and make sure you make that one, 'cause it's going to be talked about for the rest of the weekend. Saturday's can't miss shows are Son Volt, The Black Crowes and the 12:30 till... whenever, Umphrey's McGee set. Sunday is probably the most solid bill of the weekend. Guster and The Hold Steady are can't miss, but try to head over to The Odeum stage for a Yonder Mountain String Band bluegrass fix. And don't forget about Gov't Mule or the second Umphrey's McGee set that will unofficially close out the weekend.
Any tips?: Yeah, be prepared to do some camping. Get a map and a schedule. Mix in more that a few waters throughout the day. Wear comfortable shoes while traveling between stages. Try to sleep in or catch a nap during the day, you won't want to miss the late night festivities. Oh, and don't miss the Sherwood Forest.
Need Tickets?: $249.50 for the four-day pass, $149.50 for a two-day Saturday & Sunday pass. It looks like $90 will get you in for Sunday only. Get all the information, including camping details, here.
And, Don't forget to check MyCityBuzz all weekend for daily previews and updates.
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Music Buzz
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Tuesday, 30 June 2009 |
 July 2009 is shaping up to be a big month for concerts in the Detroit area, but one thing that makes this month different is the number of nights with more than one show. Here are some of those possible dilemmas and some insight to help you make the decision. Below are a few of those bottleneck nights as well as a list of other shows making their way to the area:
July 2nd: Framing Hanley (Clutch Cargo’s) vs. Rothbury Festival (Rothbury, MI) - Framing Hanley sold out the Crofoot back in March, now they're playing the slightly larger capacity Clutch Cargo’s with Red. They're not bad live, but it will be interesting to see how the band follows up the cover of Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop.” Meanwhile, three hours away, the hippie approved second edition of Rothbury will feature two sets from String Cheese Incident and two sets from the Dead. In case jam bands aren’t your thing, the Black Crowes, Flogging Molly and Girl Talk will be there too.
July 10th: Clutch (The Fillmore Detroit) vs. Kiss (Rogers Bayfest- Sarnia) - The road warriors in Clutch will be out in support of their new album, Strange Cousins from the West. Generally, the Clutch show is no frills and a hell of a time to rock out and drink some beers. Meanwhile, Kiss hasn’t had a new album out in 10 years and only half of the original lineup is performing, but that won't stop one of the biggest spectacles in rock 'n roll history.
July 11th: Dirt Fest (Birch Run) vs. VNV Nation (St. Andrew’s Hall) - Dirt Fest teams with the Summer Slaughter tour this year, which means that Darkest Hour (returning to Dirt Fest for a second year in a row), Wings of Plague (likewise) and some pagan metal groups invade the Birch Run Expo Center for a wild time. Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the spectrum, European techno/industrial mavens VNV Nation will deliver a pulsing and thumpin’ good time as well.
July 14th: Green Day (Palace of Auburn Hills) vs. Enter Shikari (Magic Stick) - I have no doubts that Green Day’s live show will be quite good, it’s just that 21st Century Breakdown isn’t that good of a record. Do I dare say it's boring? To me, it just seems like Green Day is trying too hard to become the great American band of this century. Meanwhile, if you want to club it, check out Enter Shikari at the Magic Stick. It’s like watching an English version of Linkin Park, and it's just as good of a time. Though after listening to “New Divide,” it may not be that hard of a comparison.
July 18th: Kid Rock (Comerica Park) vs. Asher Roth (Royal Oak Music Theatre) - Kid Rock is an institution around these parts. Even if you’re like me, whose admiration for the Kid has wavered over the years and who'd wish he’d go back to his Devil Without A Cause days after seeing the openers (Cypress Hill and Alice in Chains in this case), this is still going to be a killer party downtown. Meanwhile, if you’re in college, living north of 15 Mile and looking to make some white rapper memories for yourself, Asher Roth might be your ticket.
Other Shows:
July 8th- Brand New (Magic Stick) (Note: Show is Sold Out)
July 15th- Judas Priest (DTE Energy Music Theatre)
July 21st- Wilco (Royal Oak Music Theatre) (Note: Sold Is Sold Out)
July 24th- Def Leppard & Poison (DTE Energy Music Theatre)
July 26th- Incubus (DTE Energy Music Theatre)
July 28th- Dave Matthews Band (DTE Energy Music Theatre)
July 30th- Crystal Method (Crofoot Ballroom)
July 31st- Warped Tour (Comerica Park)
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Artist Spotlight - The Present |
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Music Buzz
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Monday, 29 June 2009 |
 Even for an electronic act, it takes a lot of guts to put a 33-minute
song to close out your debut album. But for New York experimental group
The Present, it sounded like a perfect way to finish off their album
with the twists and turns of the title track for the album Way We Are.
The Present is the brainchild of Rusty Santos, producer for
the white-hot Animal Collective right now. Impressed with the reaction
that he saw for the group he produces, Santos turned his passion for
the similar type of music and has been working on the material for The
Present for a little time now. Way We Are is the follow up to the debut, World I See.
With
only 6 tracks, The Present creates more than just a mood on this
record, but a truly engaging listening experience as one moment, it can
sound majestic and soothing, and then in other moments- completely
eerie and haunting. Cuts like “Salt Water Rising” and “Press Play” are
just two prime examples of the array of sound on the new record. With
influences ranging from Aphex Twin to the always visions of David
Lynch, it’s easy to see why the Present sound the way they do.
The
Present’s live act is regarding as a “sensory experience,” which
challenges and is sure to please any one in attendance. Before the
group wraps up a tour on July 1st, the Present make their way to
Detroit when they play at the Garden Bowl this Monday (June 29th). It’s
something definitely worth checking out and exploring something
completely unique.
The Present play at the Garden
Bowl on Monday, June 29th. The show is free and no tickets are needed.
More band info and dates are available at www.myspace.com/thepresentnewyork.
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Artist Spotlight - Riverboat Gamblers |
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Music Buzz
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Tuesday, 23 June 2009 |
Lead by singer
Mike Wiebe (who dubs himself “Rookie Sensation,” not mention other
colorful past band nicknames as “Colin Ambulance” and “Tuffy McKellar”),
the 11-track album was released back in February and provides a mix of
modern punk, with an ode to 90s alt-rock on songs like “Alexandria”
and Robots May Break Your Heart.” The big song on the record is the first single, “A Choppy, Yet Sincere Apology,” with its catchy chorus
payoff that owes a bit to ska- something we haven’t heard much of
lately.
The album, the follow up to the
straight forward 2006 rager, To The Confusion of Our Enemies, Underneath The Owl is the band at a different point in their
career and shows that there is far more to this band than the typical
two to three minute punk numbers.
The Gamblers
are in the home stretch of their major tour right now, opening up for
Rise Against and Rancid. The tour ends June 26th and after a hometown
show in Denton, Texas, the band is off to Europe for festival and tour
dates in August. But right before the end of the tour, they head to the
Fillmore in Detroit for a show this Wednesday (June 24th). For fans of
both headliners that night, the Riverboat Gamblers seem to be the
perfect fit for fans of Rancid’s old school punk ways and Rise
Against’s political fury.
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Interview w/ Bongotones.com Co-Founder Nareg Sagherian |
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News Buzz
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Tuesday, 23 June 2009 |
As everyone knows, ringtone sales are major business these
days. Usually, you hear some of the biggest names in the business
promoting on places like MTV and VH1, but there is a new entry into the
ringtone business that plans on being far different than the usual ringtone
sites. Founded by two Detroiters and another from Toronto,
Bongotones.com is creating a site where people can not only create
their own ringtones for free but can create different opportunities for
the listener to explore more about the bands and even use the site as a
social networking site (along the lines of Facebook).
I had a chance
to chat with Bongotones Co-Founder Nareg Sagherian and discuss some of
the different features of the site and the copyright situations that
might come up dealing with ringtones. Here is my interview with Nareg:
MyCityBuzz: How did the idea for Bongotones come up?
Nareg Sagherian:
We’ve all been friends for a long time and we thought of the idea when
we were in college. Me and David (Pahkchainan- co-founder) were at
Michigan, and Soheil (Banifatemi- other co-founder) was at the
University of Toronto. We all had different backgrounds as far as taste
in music. We wanted to use that love for music and incorporate that
using the internet. We’ve all known that CD sales are down and even
ringtone sales were down as well. It’s mostly for the fact that there’s
no new technology in those forms these days. We wanted to create
something where we get the users of the site involved in ringtones, so
we started creating applications that allowed the user to do that.
MCB: Even though sales for ringtones are slightly down, are you surprised
with the overall emergence of ringtones as a musical entity?
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Interview w/ Chris Eaton of Rock Plaza Central |
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Music Buzz
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Friday, 12 June 2009 |
 As the band was on their way towards a rainy Indianapolis before a show
later that night, I had a chance to talk with lead singer Chris Eaton
of the Toronto indie rock band Rock Plaza Central. The band is set to
release their new album, At The Moment of Our Most Needing… this
Tuesday (June 16th) and are gearing up with a tour that takes them
through the States. In the interview with Chris, we discussed the idea
of tying the themes of a William Faulkner book into the album and the
unfortunate timing of the show in Detroit this time around. Here’s the
interview:
MyCityBuzz: What has the initial reaction to the album been so far?
Chris Eaton:
It seems to be good so far. The only real reaction we’ve gotten in the
States is from people who’ve heard advance copies of the record because
its not out until June 16th. But we’ve had some good reviews in Canada
and in the U.K. I think much of the Canadian press is holding off
discussing us until we roll through their town, but things seem to be
positive so far.
MCB: The album is inspired by the William Faulkner novel “Light In August,” what motivated the band to do that?
CE: We were exploring themes already and the book fell into our laps and it
was a great parallel in the themes of the book and of what we were
writing at the time. The Faulkner books are all about old world
alienation and determination. The book gave a frame work for the album.
I think as a band, we still like to keep the album as one continuous
piece, rather than a bunch of singles.
MCB: What were some of the different things the band set out to do on this record that were different than before?
CE: I think the album is more electric sounding than the last record. Since
the making of the last record, a few members in the band decided
touring wasn’t really for them and did not make it out. So, we are a five
piece band now and things are more plugged in now. I don’t know if it
was the change in the band or the instruments that we had on tour that
changed much- not really sure.
MCB: For the reception that the band’s last record received from Pitchfork last time, how much did that help that record?
CE: I don’t think anything would have happened with that record unless we
got the praise that we did from them and other sites. When we first
started with that record, I sent out CDs to different magazines and
different people that I thought would like the record. A good amount of
those sites jumped aboard and helped people get exposure to the record.
What a difference the internet makes? (laughs)
MCB: In all the years touring, what have been some of the biggest points of wisdom you’ve learned?
CE: (Laughs) Don’t play a show in Detroit the night of Game 7 of the
Stanley Cup Finals! It’s great for the NHL that’s there a Game 7, but
unfortunately, our show is happening around the same time, so
hopefully, the people at the show will watch the game, then watch us.
Rock
Plaza Central will be playing at the Pike Room in Pontiac on Friday,
June 12th, no matter if the Red Wings win or lose. Tickets are $8 and
are available at www.ticketweb.com. Additional dates and info can be found at www.rockplazacentral.com.
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Interview w/ Emily Haines of Metric |
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Music Buzz
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Monday, 08 June 2009 |
 It’s probably an understatement to say that Emily Haines, lead singer
of the Toronto based band Metric, is a busy woman. Beyond handling a
European tour at the moment, the band just released Fantasies, which
is poised to become the band’s most popular record to date. Their track
“Help, I’m Alive” is also poised to become their major breakthrough
here in the States. Besides playing numerous festivals all over the
world this summer, the band has recently started a extensive U.S.
tour.While she was in Europe, Emily emailed responses to a list of
questions I sent her. Here is her take on the questions I sent about
such things as the evolution of her as an artist and the touring with
the likes of the Rolling Stones. Here’s our interview with Emily Haines:
MyCityBuzz: How did your solo album set the tone for the new Metric in lyrical and musical content?
Emily Haines: I don’t think it did, really. My solo album was released in 2006 and a
lot has happened since then. I published a book of poems from my late
father, Paul Haines, called “Secret Carnival Workers.” I built a
recording studio with Jimmy Shaw (lead guitarist) called Giant Studios
and spent months with lawyers putting together our own worldwide record
label to release Fantasies. Somewhere in there, I went on my own to
Buenos Aires, where I wrote new music and filmed a documentary. To be
honest, Knives Don’t Have Your Back is like a soundtrack to a different lifetime.
MCB: What do you see as the major differences between Fantasies and the past records?
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Artist Spotlight - Meat Puppets |
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Music Buzz
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Wednesday, 03 June 2009 |
 All right, pop quiz: For all of you old enough to remember the
early months of 1994, what was probably one of the biggest songs of
that time span? You know, a time where Kurt Cobain was still alive and
Pearl Jam was actually relevant. Anyway, arguably the biggest song of that
time span was “Backwater,” by the Arizona based band Meat Puppets. The
album quickly raced to gold status and then... nothing. After their 1996
album No Joke went nowhere, the band disbanded for the better part of
a decade. The revamped lineup, including singer/guitarist/sometime
contributor for Nirvana, Curt Kirkwood, reformed in 2006 and have
recently released a new record.
The album, entitled Sewn
Together was released back in May and features a less grungy,
sometimes more poppy feel to the record. Songs like the title track and
“Clone” provides Curt and brother Cris Kirkwood (bass) exploring more
of a lush and updated sound. The album also has owes a bit to the
band’s southwestern country roots, as songs like “Nursery Rhyme” and
“The Monkey & The Snake” pays respect to the greats of that genre
as well. For their first tour behind the new record, the band
will be out on the road through mid-July. After playing two sold out
shows in Chicago, the band makes their way towards Detroit this
Thursday (June 4th) for a show at the Magic Stick. It will be a great
location to see one of the underground survivors of the grunge era. So,
get “sewn” up and check out the new chapter of the Meat Puppets’ saga.
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Music Buzz
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Tuesday, 02 June 2009 |
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After a really, really, really busy month for concerts in May,
June also looks to be a busy one but more normal of a typical month for shows in
Detroit. Yeah, yeah. We all know Coldplay is coming on tonight to DTE, but they don't need any help selling out the joint. Head up I-75 at your own risk on after work tonight. As for the rest of the month, here are some other shows worth checking out in June:
Tonight (June 2nd)- Gogol Bordello @ Royal Oak Theatre- The always entertaining Eugene Hutz and company always come off as the bastardized second coming of "Borat" when seen live.
6/5- Tech N9Ne @ Harpo's-
Since his Killer release last year and his recently released
collaboration album, the biggest name to come out of Kansas City has
been in Detroit numerous times in the past year.
6/13- Mayhem @ Majestic Theatre-
Though the lineup is far different than the infamous days of murders
and church burning in Norway in the early 90s, the extreme black metal
band delivers brutal riffs and music for the most evil of Detroit metal
fans. Black clothing, corpse paint and studs are considered mandatory.
6/15- Metric @ St. Andrew's Hall-
After being on the cusp of the indie world for years, will their single
"Help, I'm Alive" be the group's big breakout? If you believe K-Rock in
L.A. (where I heard the song at least once an hour last week), the answer
is yes.
6/16- Dillinger Escape Plan @ Pike Room- Always put on a wildly erratic, yet enjoyable sound that will sure to pack the crowd into the small, 300 person capacity club.
6/19- 311 @ Freedom Hill-
Its been a while since we've heard from Nick Hexum and company.
Uplifter is due out this Tuesday (June 2nd) and is sure to please the
alien-believing, THC loving crowd that evening.
6/24- Rise Against @ Fillmore- Appeal to Reason might have become the band's biggest record yet and
have become a major player in the alt-rock world. Always a few good
tracks per album. Old school punks Rancid open up the show. Here's to hoping they play some
s--- from Let's Go!
6/28- Offspring & Dropkick Murphys @ Freedom Hill-
Dude, seriously? Offspring is headlining over Dropkick Murphys? I'm
still shaking my head over this one. I guess I know who's gonna own
this show.
All right, thats June's outlook for shows. There are plenty of more shows going on, but check out places like pollstar.com for more information.
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