Wild At Heart
Getting ready to prepare a few interviews with drummer Gary peterson of the Guess Who and rockabilly sensation Jen Lenz. I also have some Burton Cummings pictures who was a huge hit song writer for the Guess Who so make sure to stay tuned for that.
Meanwhile, I did recently go to Lockport to see Burton and a few other bands. I also walked around the Erie Canal locks which were built in 1924-25 using a strong force of Irish and Scottish laborers. The building of the locks helped create the town which has been strong touristy in recent years if you love history. Here are some pictures of the locks I took prior to the show.
Before I share pictures of the bands at the show that opened for Burton Cummings, here are some upcoming shows that are I recommend:
Tuesday (7/12) - Owl City and Matt Kearney @ Fillmore, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience @ The Ark, "Weird Al" Yankovic @ Meadowbrook Theatre
Wednesday (7/13) - 311 @ Pine Knob, Toots & the Maytals @ Magic Bag, Larry Lee and the Back In The Day Band @ Wyandotte Street Art Fair
Thursday (7/14) - Ragbirds @ Liberty Plaza (Sonic Lunch)
Friday (7/15) - 60 Second Crush @ Blind Pig, Ludo @ Pike Room, Guess Who @ Renaissance Center (Rockin' On the Riverfront), Fur opens for Smiths Unlimited @ Magic Bag, Cheap Trick @ Motorcity Soundboard
Saturday (7/16) - Handgrenades w/ Fifty Amp Fuse and Carolyn Striho @ Wyandotte Street Art Fair, Annie Capps w/ Jo Serrapere and Billy Brandt @ Ypsilanti Crossroads Music Festival, Handgrenades and Citizen Smile @ Majectic Cafe, Dirtbombs @ Magic Stick, Frontier Ruckus @ Blind Pig, Sponge w/Verve Pipe and Rare Earth @ Quake On The Lake, Steely dan @ Fox Theatre, Detroit Cobras @ Wyandotte Street Art Fair, O'Jays and Dramatics @ Chene Park
Sunday (7/17) - Goo Goo Dolls and Parachute @ Meadowbrook Music, Randy Travis and Josh Turner @ Pine Knob
Monday (7/18) - Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele @ Magic Stick
My favorite Detroit Festival, the Concert Of Colors, is early this year and once again has an excellent line-up. I love this festival for the diversity of musical styles it encompasses and that they are very open to press. I'll miss covering the event this year now I am in NY so I'm counting on everyone else to pick up my slack. On Thursday, July 14th there are special showcases at the Scarab Club (where you can hear local poetry and the music of Audra Kubat and the Charles H Wright Museum for African, Cuban and hip hop and the excellent music of Amp Fiddler. On Friday, July 15th, you can go to the Detroit Institute of the Arts for boogie boogie and Latin jazz. Saturday, July, 16th and Sunday, July 17th are at the Max M Fisher. The festival is a great place to hear music that one would normally associate with Ann Arbor with various ska, Brazillian jazz, Arabic, Irish, East Indian jazz and reggae to name a few. I always recommend the Don Was Super Session which features Martha Reeves, Mitch Ryder, the Muggs, Brothers Groove, Jim McCarty and the Detroit Cobras to name a few which is on Saturday. Make sure you check out the local rock band with a Japanese twist in the October Babies (my favorite Detroit band). On Sunday, don't forget to check out Betty LaVette who has a beautiful voice. These should be a great line-up so check it out.
I never made it to the Windsor Blues Fest, but they always get pretty good talent. The music starts Friday, July 15th and ends Sunday, July 17th. The opening night has Smokin' Joe Kubek and a Pasman Supersession. You can also see actor Tim Robbins & the Rogues Gallery. Not sure what to expect there but he would be cool to meet. The big night is Saturday. I would love to go see Ten Years After and Stephen Page (of Bare Naked Ladies fame) though I do recommend Reverend Payton's Big Damn Band and Girls With Guitars (I'll have pics of Big Damn Band next week as they play Rochester this week and I had picture of Girls With Guitars when they played our Jazzfest. Those girls rocked. be ready to be impressed! Alto Reed (of Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet fame) will be performing on Sunday. This is a year I wish I could go.
Getting back to the opening bands, let's start with Perpetual Road, a band from Youngstown, NY. I had just taken 1 picture as by the time I got there, they were finishing up and the were off stage before I got a second picture. I liked the song I heard but didn't hear enough to really get a true feel.
The second band was the Exit who played a nice rocking set. Nothing overly special but they had a nice sound.
Lastly, before Burton was country singer Amanda Nagurney, a 22 year old singer, songwriter and musician recently finished her new album "So Full of Country". She recently relocated to Nashville, TN to further her career in the Country Music Industry and has recently opened for Gretchen Wilson, The Band Perry, Bucky Covington and Travis Tritt. She works a crowd well and is very pleasant. Her music doesn't yet have that punch to separate her from the glut of female Country singers out there but the potential is there. You can check her stuff out at http://amandanagurney.com.
Hope you enjoyed these pictures. Make sure you check in this week for Burton Cumming pictures with Gary Peterson interview and this weekend for Jen Lenz pictures and interview. have a good week. Later!!