...over a Makers Mark I sat down with "These United States", like hooking up with that friend you have not seen in a million years it was like no time had passed and we just picked up where we had last left off. Collectively "These United States" is a band made up of multi-talented musicians with roots spread from Illinois to Kentucky. Based out of the D.C area, these guys lay down a straight ahead rockin' roll back beat that takes you in and introduces you to a mixture of melody and emotion spread across intentional lyrics evoking place and time.
"These United States" are currently touring with core members: Front Man - Jesse Elliot, Guitarist - J. Tom Hnatow, Guitarist - Justin Craig and Drummer - Robby Cosenza. Though the guys had been through the Michigan area in the past, playing the Magic Bag earlier in 08, they agreed that touring through Detroit proper and bringing their brand of music to PJ's Lager House was definitely a cool time! Located at 1254 Michigan Ave. in Corktown, The Lager House plays host to many local and touring acts, featuring a variety of genres in music that range from Heavy to Hip Hop and Punk to Rock a Billy. PJ, owner of The Lager House, is as true a believer in Detroit music and art as one can get, consistently bringing in new talent that will make any night at the Lager House a night worth being a part of.
With the break away buzz surrounding "These United States" the band, on tour in promotion of their latest CD "A Picture Of The Three Of Us In the Garden Of Eden" is genuine in the music, solid in the talent and is honest about all that is a touring band...and if invited, make no mistake they will sleep on your couch and drink your beer.
Free copy of These United States' latest release "CRIMES" to the 1st lucky reader to ask for it and include a shipping address and full name - gone!!!
These United States
Thursday, November 13th 2008
@ PJ's Lager House
Corktown Detroit MI
"Sick, tired, torn, and frayed, These United States let no dust settle under their soles this spring as they made the pilgrimage from DC to Lexington, KY just 9 weeks after the release of their debut album, sights set on a rock-and-roll reformation. The result is Crimes, TheseUS's sophomore album, recorded in six short days at Shangri-La Studios, and out to the world September 23. One part Rolling Thunder Revue, one part banged-and-bruised balladeering, two parts just plain strange, Crimessees the band hitch an American folklore ride down diverging tracks from A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gate to the Garden of Eden's trembling psych-folk tendencies. Bandleader Jesse Elliott's casual croon careens more often towards a yearning yelp - desperate times, you know? - as his merry gang of Obviously Five Believers vamp all piss and vinegar, hoot and holler, multi-instrumental mischief and sly saloon smiles.
In place of Picture's lovelorn protagonists, Crimes supplants the classic characters of a world gone wicked: bad men in boots and boats, all-too-able Cains, wolves in fresh-shorn sheepskin, sold-out sirens of the seashore, knife-wielding big-talking drunk drinkers, Moriartys, don Quijotes, Samuel Clemenses, and all manner of disillusioned Appleseeds in between - with the occasional dogged optimist thrown in for good measure, of course; even the world itself can't be all bad all the time. As self-effacing as they are scathing, though, Crimes' critiques are ultimately an empathetic eye towards the sins, schemes, devils, and delusions that bind us all. Dreams, in other words.
Hot off pressing the '08 flesh from Paris to Portland and Glastonbury Fest to SXSW, These United States will of course continue their mad march to - well, any sea that will have them - in support of Crimes. "
MCB favorite These United States are returning to Detroit next Wednesday to play a show over at PJ's Lager House again and also have moved up to the next level in the real-life version of Rock Band, These United States have recently acquired a brand new (to them) 12-seater tour van - but it just wouldn't be the vehicle of fortune it's going to be without a proper christening.
TUS fans/YANP readers are invited to name this glorious van by leaving their suggestions, with their email addresses, in the comments section of You Ain't No Picasso:
The winner of the "VanTasy Prize Pack" will be announced at These United States’ show in Lexington Saturday April 11th at Al’s Bar.
They were miners, fathers, soldiers, farmers and children. They are revered by their descendents and have been visited by millions. They are rare, shocking…and completely accidental. Now, for the first time ever, they are coming to the United States in an all-new touring exhibition, The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato.
The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato is a 10,000 square-foot exhibition that will debut at the Detroit Science Center in October 2009 before touring six other U.S. destinations from 2010-2012.
Featuring 36 accidental mummies on loan from the Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato, the exhibition combines science, history and cultural anthropology to immerse the visitor in the world of a Mexican city over 100 years ago where deceased residents naturally mummified in their crypts. This will be the very first time these mummies have been seen outside of Mexico “Death has been part of the culture of Mexico, and in particular of Guanajuato for centuries. Our Mummy Museum represents our way of acknowledging the every day citizens that once walked our streets, whose bodies have transcended generations because of a natural process,” said Dr. Eduardo Romero Hicks, Mayor of the city of Guanajuato, Mexico. “This presentation for the first time in the U.S. provides the opportunity for these mummies to tell their story, to show the way they lived, and in some instances the way they died. In this global world that we live in, we want to make sure that their story is heard beyond our borders.”
“These mummies have attracted millions of visitors to Guanajuato and it is an honor to bring them to the United States,” said Kevin Prihod, President & CEO of the Detroit Science Center. “This exhibition will present a unique look into Mexican culture, forensic science and the very lives of these amazing mummies. It is an experience not to be missed.” Only 1 in 100 bodies buried in Guanajuato experiences this rare and mysterious process of natural mummification. Unlike bodies that were “artificially” mummified through an embalming and wrapping process, accidental mummies form only in certain climates and conditions. Local legend held that the bodies in Guanajuato became mummified because the area’s water is rich in minerals and sulfur. However researchers believe that the hot weather warmed the crypts and dried out the bodies. The Guanajuato collection is believed to be the largest group of mummies anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.
Visitors to the exhibition will meet some of these accidental mummies, learn about life in their thriving community, discover the modern-day forensic technology that helps scientists analyze them, and explore a culture that reveres and celebrates them. Each mummy will tell his or her own story, with facial reconstructions completed by a forensic artist to give insight into their lives. “Through full-body CT scans at Oakwood Imaging Center (Dearborn, Mich.), along with recent x-rays and endoscopic examinations conducted by mummy experts Jerry Conlogue and Ronald Beckett of Quinnipiac University, we are making new and exciting discoveries about the mummies featured in the exhibition. We look forward to sharing our findings with our visitors,” said Vivian Henoch, Medical Science Content Developer for the exhibition. The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato is a highly educational exhibition, meeting multiple objectives found in the National Science Education Standards for grades 5-12. A complete educational guide including classroom activities, historical fun facts, a glossary and more will be available to school groups visiting the exhibition.
For further information, including an interactive tour of the exhibition, please visit AccidentalMummies.com.Tickets for the Detroit tour stop will go on sale in Fall 2009. The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato is produced by Eekstein’s Workshop, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Detroit Science Center that creates captivating, durable, engaging exhibits and displays for museum and corporate clients, in association with Accidental Mummies Touring Company LLC.
MCB's DC in Detroit will be visiting this exhibit for her column next week
They were miners, fathers, soldiers, farmers and children. They are revered by their descendents and have been visited by millions. They are rare, shocking…and completely accidental. Now, for the first time ever, they are coming to the United States in an all-new touring exhibition, The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato.
The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato is a 10,000 square-foot exhibition that will debut at the Detroit Science Center in October 2009 before touring six other U.S. destinations from 2010-2012.
Featuring 36 accidental mummies on loan from the Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato, the exhibition combines science, history and cultural anthropology to immerse the visitor in the world of a Mexican city over 100 years ago where deceased residents naturally mummified in their crypts. This will be the very first time these mummies have been seen outside of Mexico “Death has been part of the culture of Mexico, and in particular of Guanajuato for centuries. Our Mummy Museum represents our way of acknowledging the every day citizens that once walked our streets, whose bodies have transcended generations because of a natural process,” said Dr. Eduardo Romero Hicks, Mayor of the city of Guanajuato, Mexico. “This presentation for the first time in the U.S. provides the opportunity for these mummies to tell their story, to show the way they lived, and in some instances the way they died. In this global world that we live in, we want to make sure that their story is heard beyond our borders.”
“These mummies have attracted millions of visitors to Guanajuato and it is an honor to bring them to the United States,” said Kevin Prihod, President & CEO of the Detroit Science Center. “This exhibition will present a unique look into Mexican culture, forensic science and the very lives of these amazing mummies. It is an experience not to be missed.” Only 1 in 100 bodies buried in Guanajuato experiences this rare and mysterious process of natural mummification. Unlike bodies that were “artificially” mummified through an embalming and wrapping process, accidental mummies form only in certain climates and conditions. Local legend held that the bodies in Guanajuato became mummified because the area’s water is rich in minerals and sulfur. However researchers believe that the hot weather warmed the crypts and dried out the bodies. The Guanajuato collection is believed to be the largest group of mummies anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.
Visitors to the exhibition will meet some of these accidental mummies, learn about life in their thriving community, discover the modern-day forensic technology that helps scientists analyze them, and explore a culture that reveres and celebrates them. Each mummy will tell his or her own story, with facial reconstructions completed by a forensic artist to give insight into their lives. “Through full-body CT scans at Oakwood Imaging Center (Dearborn, Mich.), along with recent x-rays and endoscopic examinations conducted by mummy experts Jerry Conlogue and Ronald Beckett of Quinnipiac University, we are making new and exciting discoveries about the mummies featured in the exhibition. We look forward to sharing our findings with our visitors,” said Vivian Henoch, Medical Science Content Developer for the exhibition. The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato is a highly educational exhibition, meeting multiple objectives found in the National Science Education Standards for grades 5-12. A complete educational guide including classroom activities, historical fun facts, a glossary and more will be available to school groups visiting the exhibition.
For further information, including an interactive tour of the exhibition, please visit AccidentalMummies.com.Tickets for the Detroit tour stop will go on sale in Fall 2009. The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato is produced by Eekstein’s Workshop, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Detroit Science Center that creates captivating, durable, engaging exhibits and displays for museum and corporate clients, in association with Accidental Mummies Touring Company LLC.
MCB's DC in Detroit will be visiting this exhibit for her column on Wed
After turning out three outstanding EPs of diced, digital beats and lyrics caricaturing the pop vernacular and hugely popular live shows, the "glitz n grit" champs of the dancefloor WALLPAPER. announce the release of their highly anticipated debut lp 'Doodoo Face'. Written, produced and recorded by the genius and sometime schizo talents of Eric Frederic and beatkeeper Arjun Singh, Wallpaper. present 11 supreme tracks built with percussive funk blurred with huge beats, dark synthesizer blurt and crushing bass topped by the vocals of egomaniac Ricky Reed, all steeped in Eric's oldest influences: P-Funk, Afrobeat, and the panoply of Bay Area rap.
Under the very able hand of Eric, who is entirely ace at merging the organic into the electronic as evidenced by his hot remixes for Passion Pit, Das Racist, and a wildly controversial mashup of Jay-Z's "99 Problems" and "Death of Autotune" that RCRDLBL heralded "dadaist genius" and MTV News declared "an instant favorite," its safe to say there are no signs of cooling down. 'Doodoo Face' also shows a great move forward in production for Wallpaper. The drums were recorded live with Arjun behind the kit, Eric's on guitar on many of the tracks while Brian Switzer of Darondo sits in on trumpet.
'Doodoo Face' has strains of Justice too, in the seething bass of “Celebrity,” and even Eno in the minimalist pop of “Fine GF.” “Frk Scn” features female vocals and a distinct live Ghanaian rhythm known as “Ewe,” while on “Gettin' Drip” Eric handcrafts his own “chipmunk soul” sample to accompany the chorus. From the cavernous thump and honking sax of opener “Indecent” to the warped hyphy of “ddd” to “Doodoo Face” itself, Wallpaper.s debut full length is dark, nasty, load-bearing booty funk of the Oakland house party variety.
MCB has a copy of VANDAVEER's latest called "Divide & Conquer" and playing Detroit very soon. 1st emailer gets it - motorcityblog@earthlink.net
Vandaveer is Mark Charles Heidinger (whose name might sound familiar if you know These United States) and will be joined by vocalist Rose Guerin.
Vandaveer is the alt-folk song singing/record making/globetrotting project penned and put forth by DC-by-way-of-Kentucky tunesmith Mark Charles Heidinger. The son of a preacher, whose father was a gambler, whose father was both judge and US Congressman, Heidinger one day found himself in possession of a golden pocket watch owned, wound, and regularly counseled by each in this paternal line. On the backside of the watch was a family name engraved, passed down for more than a century likes the timepiece that followed. That name was Vandaveer.Released in 2007, Vandaveer’s debut album, Grace & Speed, was a stark, intimate, stripped down affair. The press responded heartily, with The Washington Post saying Vandaveer “revives the earnestness of the pre-psychedelic 60’s,” and XM Cafe describing him as “this generation’s Nick Drake.”
Touring continually and building fanbases on both sides of the Atlantic ever since, Vandaveer has played 250+ shows, sharing stages with a host of humbling artists including Bon Iver, Vetiver, Alela Diane, Alejandro Escovedo, Vashti Bunyan, Bill Callahan, Fleet Foxes, Evan Dando, Scout Niblett, and the like. Mark Charles Heidinger is also known to fraternize and conspire with other music-making hooligans, primarily as a bassist for fellow DCers These United States. Vandaveer’s sophomore effort, Divide & Conquer, touches upon similar themes found in Grace & Speed, winding timeworn themes of love & death, malice & goodwill, despair & perseverance into (mostly) four-minute vignettes.
To see D&C through, Vandaveer enlisted the assistance of longtime collaborator and producer Duane Lundy, These United States bandmates Robby Cosenza and Justin Craig, and most notably, his fair sister Rose Guerin, supplying the loveliest harmonies this side of Eden. A decidedly more produced venture, D&C offers up a flourishing chamber folk companion to Vandaveer’s bedroomy lo-fi folk/pop debut.
Released in France in April 2009 on Alter-K Records/Discograph, Divide & Conquer was hailed by the French Rolling Stone as “jarring new folk.” Rock and Folk Magazine added, “It is impossible not to be touched by the beauty of these haunting pieces.”
When you mix together two parts surf-rock, one part 60s pop, a dash of Brit-rock, and a large helping of good ole Rock ‘N Roll, the result is The Danvilles, a combination of layered harmonies with strong guitar riffs and driving rhythms, The Danvilles, debut EP, "Number One" is a seven-track exploration of simple rock and roll.
Comprised of Michael Hindert (vocals and guitar), Brian Dexter (drums and backing vocals) and Gary Schaff (bass and backing vocals), this Northern Virginia based trio have ventured out to create rock music infused with influences from artists of yesteryear.
Epitomizing the DIY (do it yourself) movement, The Danvilles have self-produced a DVD EP that features a video for each track on the EP. Maintaining an unconventional, artistic approach in the creation of their art, the DVD is The Danvilles visual interpretation of their songs, creating a multi-sensory experience that combines their music with creative, artistic images that stimulate both the ears and eyes.
More about The Danvilles: Inspired by 1960s pop and surf guitars the Virginia based trio, The Danvilles, have taken their love for music of yesterday, combined it with rock ‘n roll, and developed a sound all their own.The creation of The Danvilles was long in the making. Drummer/backing vocalist, Brian Dexter (aka Dex), and lead singer/guitarist Michael Hindert have known each other since the first grade and have played together in many different lineups, but it wasn’t until they joined forces with their high school friend, Gary Schaff (bass/backing vocals), that The Danvilles took its current form. From its original conception about two years ago, The Danvilles began collaborating whenever they could, a feat that proved difficult with Dex and Gary on opposite coasts of the country and Michael, the eternal nomad, seldom near either coast. But thanks to the miracle of modern technology the trio was able to share ideas via email, until back in Virginia, a friend's parents went away for the weekend, where they made camp and recorded their debut EP, “Number One.”The EP, which is the second release on Merrifield Records, inspired The Danvilles first video ep. Which consists of avant garde, edgar allen poe inspired, self-produced mini films...The members of The Danvilles play in many other bands; The Dustys, No Lover, Death By Sexy, Nikki and the Weeps and Cobra Collective to name a few...
Land of Talk release Fun and Laughter EP; US Tour dates begin October 27.
Land of Talk have announced a west coast tour beginning October 27th in San Diego, and running through November 7th in Vancouver B.C.. To complement to tour, the band will be releasing an EP with 4 new songs and 3 videos, entitled 'Fun and Laughter'. After having been sidelined for much of the year with a vocal ailment, front woman Elizabeth Powell is now gearing up for a busy fall.
Produced within the four walls of a former DDR radio station in East Berlin, The Rakes are set to release their third album, ‘Klang’, digitally on October 20th in the US. The album has been available as a UK import since March. It’s been over two years from their previous album, ‘Ten New Messages’ (2007), and a debut, ‘Capture/Release’ (2005), that was compared to the fame of The Libertines, While the past two years have witnessed a series of transformations in the UK, where no one smokes in pubs anymore, everyone’s on Twitter, and those 22 grand jobs in the city are definitely NOT alright, musically speaking, most bands who emerged alongside these post-punk/new-wave Londoners have ceased to exist. The Rakes have managed to stay strong through this period of great change and have witnessed some new changes of their own – reinventing their sound, and creating their freshest, most innovative album to date. Reuniting with a fresh new perspective, The Rakes confronted the processes necessary in completing this album with careful composure. For starters, the song selection process was much more stringent and selective, with the overall sound focused around rawness and energy. “The second album was all about trying to expand the sound,” guitarist Matthew Swinnerton admits. “Working with producers like Brendan Lynch and Jim Abbiss. This one was in the opposite direction. That very, simple direct thing. Doing it in two weeks, a song a day, not embellishing things at all and just capturing ‘a performance.”But perhaps the most captivating change for The Rakes that truly defines Klang is relocating to a fresh environment to record and produce the album in a Bauhaus designed ex-Soviet radio station in Berlin that was converted into a studio. Berlin, a scene filled with musical triumphs and countless musical rebirths allowed the band to write what they deem to be “their strongest songs to date.” "The London music scene is so dull right now - it's like wading through a swamp of shit. We just wanted to be somewhere more inspiring," said Rakes singer Alan Donohoe. "Someone suggested Berlin. It didn't take long for everyone to agree, we packed our bags and moved here just like that. We love it.” The band spent much of the year darting back and forth between their home city and this fresh, seductive new location taking the four lads on an adventure that ignited a sense of gang mentality among the band, living in an apartment on Karl Marx Allee and seeking out new thrills together in a seemingly lawless, unique environment proffered by the German capital. HOPEWELL RELEASES "STRANGER"
Staying true to their 90's space rock roots, Hopewell releases the track "Stranger", the second single off their newest album, Good Good Desperation (2009 Tee Pee Records). A swirling, aggressive, hazy waltz in the tradition of Loop, Flying Saucer Attack, Ride and early Mercury Rev, sound is treated more as sculpture, becoming a sonic canvas for whispered vocals, heavy phase and polyrhythms as layers of feedback and fuzz wash through the speakers.The term space rock, originally describing bands in the late 60's like The Pink Floyd or albums like Bowie's Space Oddity, gave way to a 90's version that was decidedly more shoegaze oriented.
Hopewell, being part of that original Detroit Space Rock revival on Burnt Hair Records are now getting louder and hazier than ever, combining the best of both the 60's and the 90's movements.
Hopewell will perform a version of the single "Stranger", along with several other tracks from Good Good Desperation at this year's All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in Monticello, NY. Asked by The Flaming Lips to do something "out of the norm" for their set, Hopewell's performance will include a medley of song variations both old and new, topped off with a Jane's Addiction cover. Dubbing it "The Desperation Suite", the 45 minute piece will also include the addition of a female choir as well as the the avant-garde sax player Mark Marinoff.
CAPGUN COUP TO RELEASE MAUDLIN NOVEMBER 3, 2009 ON TEAM LOVE
Omaha, NE-based Capgun Coup will release their sophomore album,
Maudlin, November 3, 2009 on Team Love Records.
While Capgun Coup's 2007 debut, Brought To You By Nebraskafish, was a wonderfully motley snapshot collection of their evolution as a band, Maudlin is focused and lyrically personal. The new album is often a satiric commentary on the state of contemporary life, from the futility of sadness, self-pity, and ennui ("Sitting On The Sidewalk", "Now That I'm Home") to economic and social inequities ("Got Alot Of Gull", "Only The Times Are Changing") to the anesthetizing effects of technology ("Computer Screens And TVs"). With dishwater-colored and cracked glasses, Capgun Coup are almost modern, Midwestern Holden Caulfields - howling with restless dissatisfaction in anguished, dissonant vocals and armed with guitars.
Maudlin is in many ways a sonic homage to Capgun Coup's renowned energetic performances at house parties and Hotel Frank. The famed and notorious Hotel Frank in Omaha has served as a refuge for, and breeding ground of, young musicians and artists since the late '80s. It's also where the band used to live with 23 friends and where the new album was born. The album radiates with youthful, impish verve, from songs like the raw "Bad Bands" to the languid, loudly murmuring "Farnam Street" to the surf-rocking, whirlwind tempest "When I'm Gone". Exploring the ups and downs of a culture of carousing, frontman Sam Martin delivers clever, lyrical turns of phrase. Capgun Coup recorded Maudlin live, all together in one room, with the help of AJ Mogis, who captured their live sound and highlighted the innate pop sensibility that threads through their vibrant cacophony of alternately angular and loosely jangling guitars and rattling drums.
Capgun Coup is: Sam Martin (vocals, guitar), Greg Elsasser (guitar, vocals), Eric Ohlsson (drums), Jess McKelvey (guitar), and Roadie (bass).
This is an add from yesterday - we had to wait for the NPR piece to run (you may have heard it yesterday around 4:30-5pm) and we can post the free music now
"Another chapter in Christian Kiefer’s Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 U.S. Presidencies unfolds, as the promised “free 44th song” for President-elect Obama becomes available this Friday.
“Someone to Wake,” penned by Kiefer and featuring Centro-Matic vocalist Will Johnson, is a retrospective of eight years of national and international turmoil, positioning Obama as a voice of the future.
“It was the only song that did not have the benefit of an actual Presidency to comment upon,” Kiefer notes. “Still, the sea change in positive thinking is a remarkable contrast to the previous administration. That’s songworthy material.”
“Someone to Wake” includes an original portrait of Obama by Rama Hughes, and a lyric and credits page that accompanies the box set’s full color book.
The song will be unveiled live January 17th at Washington, DC’s Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, during an evening devoted to the project that features Kiefer’s collaborators Jefferson Pitcher and J. Matthew Gerken, as well as guests Nellie McKay, Tim Fite, These United States, Jukebox the Ghost, Laura Burhenn, Denison Witmer, Reid Maclean, Silver Darling, Joe Pug, and many more."
If there is one band that truly knows their sound and how to capitalize it, Super 700 might just be it. With eerie and epic rock noises flowing in every direction throughout the bands new album, “Lovebites”, Super 700 is sure to spread its viral bites of love across the ocean from Germany to the American cult-fans of bands like M83 and Goldfrapp.
The MuseBox is proud to have the opportunity to introduce this German electro-rock band and their brand new album (out TODAY!) to the tastemakers and early adaptor fans of American indie-rock culture for the first time.
The number 700 is a sacred number.
The hidden temple has 700 entries, there are 700 sins, 700 famous mountains and the legend of the 700 spices of Alu Ben-Grachier and then there is the “Super 700”. 7 musicians female and male (discounting future ballet ensembles and symphony orchestras), 7 very special talents, 7 maniacs, 7 fine tuned guardians of good taste. Super 700 is not just another band, they are a team. Super 700 are out of this world.
What makes Super 700 so special?
Their artful musicianship, their search for the extraordinary and their determination to be complex is fuelled by the same fire, that fuels all impulsive and hotheaded incarnations of Rock N Roll.
Super 700 are wild and smart, gorgeous and dishevelled, progressive and totally focused, very normal and extremely cool. Only the best can be heroes.
What the first worldwide download “Tango” promised, they delivered with their second album “Lovebites”: 13 tracks that that will wreck royal palaces, illuminate the darkest forests and makes the time disappear while listening on your iPod or your home stereo. “Lovebites” is infectious and addictive, but remains mysterious. Take “S.T.T.S.M.C” (abbreviated for “Somebody Tried To Steal My Car”), a sweet elegant late summer rain pop song or the dangerous and unconventional, “Second In Line” with oriental strings and forceful percussion breaks.
In the song “Rosebud” lead singer Ibadet Ramadani is only being backed up by a guitar and the background vocals of her sisters Albana and Ilirjana, a jazz ballad, like liquid glass. The title track “Lovebites” is inspired by late night horror movies culminating into a bombastic torch song, dangerous and majestic. Guitar and organ entwined like lovers. Like a slipknot around your neck. “Every honey bee is an angel of death” sings Ibadet in “Spring (The Old Pretender)”
Needless to say that Ibadet Ramadani has one of the most exciting, impressive, alluringly and hauntingly wonderful voices with attitude in modern music. The rest of the band: Albana and Ilirjana Ramadani are singing the harmonies, Johannes Saal on guitar, Simon Rauterberg on keyboard, Michael Haves on Bass and Sebastian Schmidt on the drums.
After Super 700 emerged as Berlin’s number one underground darlings, they released their debut self titled album in May 2006 on Motor Music. They created waves on their consequent tour that also took them to Los Angeles and Vancouver.
They played the Viper Room and The Key Club and performed in the studio of the radio station KCRW, as a guest of the world famous show “Morning Becomes Eclectic” – after DJ Nic Harcourt personally invited them, after he saw one of their shows. The songs for Lovebites were written by Ibadet and Bassplayer Michael early 2008 in France. The album is produced by Irishman Rob Kirwan (U2, Depeche Mode) and was recorded and brilliantly completed in the Planet Rock studios in Berlin.
If you still doubt the heroic qualities of the Berlin 7 piece, just listen to this record! All doubters should list as well. Super 700 is on its way. They left their Lovebites on our necks.
Motorcity's DEASTRO has been playing to packed houses here in the DIEtroit for a few years now and is making another trip to SXSW - his next single to be released will be on the newest Detroit based record label called FiveThreeDial Toneas its virgin release.
From our friends of at These United States:
Hey Kirk, Here's a link to the new track we're circulating from Crimes,
THESE UNITED STATES:MID-BY-MOUNTAIN-WEST TOUR Will debut songs from upcoming third album at SXSW
Reawakening from third-album-induced hibernation, These United States knock the snow off their boots and continue their tireless quest to trace every line on the U.S. map in March and April. After a special acoustic show with Plants & Animals in Charlottesville, TUS kicks off the full-band romp in earnest in Louisville, veers north and then south again, camps out in Austin for a week of official SXSW showcases and day parties -- including the notorious Hot Freaks bash -- and carries on with their 33-day 34-show circle through the Mountain states and the Midwest, with stops in Denver, Omaha, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, and just about everywhere in between.
After releasing 2 albums and playing 200 shows in 2008, the DC-Kentucky- psych-folk-lit-pop rockers are rumbling surely towards the next benchmarks in a long string of critical acclaim, including several Best of 2008 mentions for Crimes and A Picture of the Three of Us..., and features on NPR's "All Things Considered," Paste, Filter, Village Voice, Brooklyn Vegan,Daytrotter, My Old Kentucky Blog, The Onion, Jambase, KEXP, WOXY, and KCRW.
At SXSW, the band will debut songs from the upcoming album,
its third in 16 months, slated for summer release.
TOUR: Tue.Mar.03 ..... Charlottesville, VA ..... IS Venue ..... w/ Plants & Animals Thu.Mar.12 ..... Louisville, KY ..... The Rudyard Kipling ..... w/ Chemic Fri.Mar.13 ..... Ft. Wayne, IN ..... Bill's ..... w/ Prabir & the Substitutes, The Orange Opera Sat.Mar.14 ..... St. Louis, MO ..... Cicero's ..... w/ The Silent Years, Deastro, Brave Citizens Sun.Mar.15 ..... Little Rock, AR ..... Rev Room ..... w/ Chase Pagan, Johnny Rocket Mon.Mar.16 ..... Shreveport, LA ..... minicine? ..... w/ The High Strung, The Peekers, Lover! Wed.Mar.18 ..... Austin, TX (SXSW) ..... HypeMachine/BlogFreshRadio/TheMusicSlut Party Wed.Mar.18 ..... Austin, TX (SXSW) ..... Friends Bar ..... DC Does TX Day Party Thu.Mar.19 ..... Austin, TX (SXSW) ..... Club Primos ..... A Blog and A Band Day Party Thu.Mar.19 ..... Austin, TX (SXSW) ..... Habana Calle 6 ..... Official SXSW Showcase Fri.Mar.20 ..... Austin, TX (SXSW) ..... Mohawk ..... Hot Freaks Day Party Sat.Mar.21 ..... Austin, TX (SXSW) ..... House Party ... website for details Mon.Mar.23 ..... Denton, TX ..... Rubber Gloves ..... w/ TK Webb & the Visions, Appomattox Tue.Mar.24 ..... Amarillo, TX ..... The Golden Light ..... w/ Cartright, The Shade Wed.Mar.25 ..... Santa Fe, NM ..... The Sub ..... at the College of Santa Fe Thu.Mar.26 ..... Boulder, CO ..... The Sundowner ..... w/ TBA Fri.Mar.27 ..... Denver, CO ..... Hi-Dive ..... w/ the She-Bop She-Bops Sat.Mar.28 ..... Nederland, CO ..... Venue TBA Sun.Mar.29 ..... Manhattan, KS ..... The Dusty Bookshelf ..... w/ We Are Voices, McCoy Mon.Mar.30 ..... Omaha, NE ..... Slowdown ..... w/ Oui Bandits Tue.Mar.31 ..... Minneapolis, MN ..... Nomad World Pub ..... w/ Michael Morris Thu.Apr.02 ..... Iowa City, IA ..... The Mill (Mission Creek Midwest Fest) ..... w/ Cartright Fri.Apr.03 ..... Chicago, IL ..... The Hideout ..... w/ TBA Sat.Apr.04 ..... Grand Rapids, MI ..... Founder's ..... w/ TBA Sun.Apr.05 ..... Detroit, MI ..... PJ's Lager House (early!) .... w/ Great Lakes Myth Society Sun.Apr.05 ..... Ann Arbor, MI ..... House Party (late!) ..... w/ Matt Jones, Wild Years Mon.Apr.06 ..... Maumee, OH ..... The Village Idiot ..... w/ TBA Thu.Apr.09 ..... Indianapolis, IN ..... Locals Only ..... presented by My Old Kentucky Blog Fri.Apr.10 ..... Cincinnati, OH ..... Comet Bar ..... w/ M. Shelton's Picnic Sat.Apr.11 ..... Lexington, KY ..... Transylvania University ..... afternoon show Sat.Apr.11 ..... Lexington, KY ..... Al's Bar ..... evening show, w/ Coralee & the Townies
JZ returns to his spiritual compilation home to confirm the mounting buzz surrounding his first Masters Series…Ask anyone what their favourite compilations are and, invariably, James Zabiela’s ALiVE and Utilities will feature amongst them… Then, ask anyone what their favourite compilation series is and, invariably, Renaissance Masters Series will also crop-up… Put the two together and you have the recipe for one of the most eagerly anticipated dance compilations of 2009.“I’m delighted to step-up and join the ranks of The Masters Series,” says an ever-humble JZ, “It’s produced some incredible comps over the years and, albeit nervously (lol!), am relishing the opportunity of joining its ranks.”
“After recently completing the comp’ I can’t wait for it to hit the shelves. I haven’t done a solo compilation in over two years so I really went to town on it,” he adds.And he isn’t kidding… James has produced two incredible discs that differ, yet compliment each other perfectly. Disc One – Down is what James describes as an ‘audio travelogue’, an intricately produced collage of beautiful electronica over-laid with his own ‘field recordings’, a suite of ambient sounds and spoken word that represent both his journeys on the road and in the air, and time and thoughts between gigs.
The result is one of the most beautiful, unique mixes to emerge in recent years.
In 2006 James was awarded the People's Choice accolade as 'Best International DJ' at the Australian Dance Music Awards. In 2007 he was awarded the Best British DJ at the DJ Mag Best British DJ Awards.
The true story of the "Best Friends" hit squad finally revealed!
Taking place over the course of two decades, the story of the Best Friends organized crime syndicate—a notorious Detroit-based, all-black mafia dedicated to contract killings and the wholesale cocaine drug trade—major dealers with shipments directly from Columbian drug cartels. The Feds identified the gang as the first to monopolize the I-75 corridor: the distribution route that moved Colombian drugs from Miami to Detroit.
Later, their sophisticated McDonald's-esque retail franchise model allowed them to expand drug trafficking operations outside of Detroit to over fifty major cities. Their unwavering taste for violence left a wake of over a hundred known murder-for-hire hits and an unrivaled reputation. Their multi-million dollar flamboyant lifestyle allowed them to socialize with the celebrated likes of Mike Tyson to Mary J. Blige.
The organization's extensive social connections also fostered a last minute aborted hit on now-famous former target – Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.Some times its OK to walk the other way when you love your friends and you know that the road they have chosen is the wrong road. Brian ''Champtown'' Harmon tours the world with Kid Rock, deejays for Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo Radio, and runs his own Straight Jacket record label. He also teaches and is the artists and industry coordinator at the Institute of Production and Recording, a media-intensive private college in Minneapolis, MN.
The love of hip hop saved his life. Champ says he owes it all to LL Cool J, Whodini, Run DMC, The Fat Boys, and the business mind of Russel Simmons, all for being such positive influences and keeping him focused on something to live for, a goal to shoot for.
"I played in the sandbox with members of the Best Friends," says Harmon,
"so it was very easy for me to join that gang.
But I didn't."
Quotes by Federal Authorities Note:
QUOTES CONFIRMED IN AN UPCOMING HISTORY CHANNEL
DOCUMENTARY ON THE BEST FRIENDS GANG
The Best Friends sold more kilos per month than GM sold cars
The Best Friends had more enemies than Tiger Stadium could hold
The Best Friends were responsible for the most contract murders in the city of Detroit since Al "Scarface" Capone's Detroit-based hit squad The Purple Gang • The Best Friends single-handedly turned Detroit into the Murder Capital of the United States
The Best Friends Gangland episodes airs March 2 on the History Channel, 8:00 p.m. central time ~ Watch Champtown put it down in celebration of taking the right path.
As somebody who grew up with and around criminals yet turned his back on crime, he knows what it's like for at-risk kids and is more than willing to help any way he can—from appearances at schools and community centers to interviews with any and all broadcast, print, and electronic media outlets. For more information, refer to the contact info at the top of this release.
On the strength of its richly panoramic debut album and recent arrival as a galvanizing live band, Beast is off and running. The album is due for a March 3 release on Verve Forecast, but the song “Mr. Hurricane” was offered November 4, 2008 as iTunes Single of the Week. Not just in Canada, but wherever this important new bellwether is featured around the world. The dynamic duo met in Montreal, but both are from France. Growing up in Angouleme (a town northeast of Bordeaux), Goncalves started at music conservatory when he was seven years old. He picked up drums at 10, and opted to continue his studies in Canada for college. Betty, who was born to a Czechoslovakian mother and Italian father in the French town of Nice, is more self taught, learning from singing along to many of the great jazz and soul singers. She also dug into the work of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin as well as horn players like John Coltrane and Chet Baker. “With Chet, all the singing was a continuation of his playing,” she explains. “I love that about listening and learning horn solos or guitar solos.” The result is a big voice that recalls the texture and sass of Shirley Bassey and Grace Jones and the dark subtlety of modern day singers like Beth Orton and Portishead’s Beth Gibbons.
After Plaster and DJ Champion shared some bills together, Goncalves, who plays drums in Plaster and Beast, invited the singer to come into the studio to add vocals to some unpolished pieces he was working on. Something immediately clicked, and that first session yielded “Devil,” the opening track. “I came in with text that I wrote, and the song came in an hour,” Betty recalls. “It was just obvious that there was something there.”
That something is a vibe and sound that inhabits a place where the cinematic grandeur of Portishead meets the immediacy of Rage Against the Machine. With help from lyricist Simon Wilcox, Betty strikes a balance between telling vividly detailed stories and still adhering to the concise songwriting structure of pop. Soul, rap, electro, rock and jazz (complete with a Charles Mingus bass sample on “Satan”) collide in Beast. “Trip rock,” Betty calls it, the phrase invoking the way haunting choirs and glitchy electronic bits run underneath saw-toothed bass and grinding guitars.
While the recording process took two years, Beast took to the stage for the first time, at an industry showcase in Montreal in 2008. Both seasoned performers, which no doubt separates them from many of the technologically savvy bands who record these days, Beast conquered the crowd and have since made quick work of becoming one of the most talked-about live acts in the Canadian music scene. At an inaugural Toronto performance, and with only a handful of live shows under their belts, Beast scored a perfect 100% on their NXNE Report Card from ChartAttack.
It was an accolade that was well deserved with Jean-Phi and Betty augmented live by guitarist Serge Nakauchi-Pelletier and “keybassist” Jonathan Dauphinais. Throughout conversations with Betty and Jean-Phi, there is talk of contrast and dynamics. Beast also toys with dynamics in the live setting, projecting a rawer version of the band that is decidedly different than the studio project. According to Jean-Phi, “I love both settings, the aspect that it lasts on the record and that live it does not. I never like to see a live show that is the same as the record. ”
This quest to keep things new and mixed seems to be the mission statement for the two. “Jean-Phi is very fresh,” Betty points out. “He can change the music around in just a day. He keeps the ideas from before, but takes them in a new direction. There were no boundaries, and I love that.” For his part, Jean-Phi adds, “She always sings like it’s the last time in her life, and to me that’s inspiring.”
It all adds up to a Janus-like live band and studio project. Compelling in different ways and full of surprises, Beast will be a band to watch beyond Canada as 2009 unfolds. "Mr. Hurricane" MP3 Download
Single “The Way It Was” feat. Bionik Listen Here Purchase “The Way It Was” and “The Lonely Ones” Here
ACEYALONE PREPS FOR RELEASE OF ACEYALONE & THE LONELY ONES & pays tribute to the influential doo-wop genre.
The Los Angeles rapper and founding member of Freestyle Fellowship, Haiku D’Etat and Project Blowed, Aceyalone returns with Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones, which draws on Phil Spector, 60s girl groups, the J.B.s and a slew of raw, dirty funk for sonic inspiration.
For legendary emcee Aceyalone, being out of the norm has paradoxically always been the norm. After indulging his love of Jamaican music for 2007’s Lightning Strikes, the musically diverse emcee brings his admiration for doo-wop, blues and funk to the forefront. On the title track, finger snaps, falsetto choruses and Rickenbacker guitar dominate the production, a sound closer to Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound than today’s by-the-numbers beats. “What it Wuz” recalls the same era, but looks more towards Motown and Holland/Dozier/Holland production to emulate and update classic soul groups (think Martha & the Vandellas, Four Tops). “To the Top [Remix],” with its classic Bo Diddley beat, conjures up images of an early-20th century juke joint on Saturday night, while “Can’t Hold Back” is pure grimy funk, showcasing Aceyalone’s faux-bandleader personage as much as his emcee side. In true James Brown form, the emcee genially barks instructions to his band and engages the crowd in a rowdy call-and-response.
“I’m not from that era, but this is my ode to it,” says the emcee of the album’s feel. “I’m just putting myself into that character as a showman and bandleader. But I can still rhyme with the best of them. Artists are going to experiment and go different places and I love that whole era anyway.”
In stark contrast to the quantity-over-quality approach favored by so many emcees, Aceyalone has always prided himself on quality control. Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones is no exception. With Lonely Ones, Aceyalone along with producer Bionik, strikes down sonic boundaries and throwing the listener back to a time when music was pure, energetic, and fun. Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones isn’t just a collection of songs, but an album where every part is essential to its meaning.
In 1995, the emcee released his debut solo album All Balls Don’t Bounce, earning massive critical acclaim and Allmusic.com declaring Aceyalone “one of the greatest lyricists the West Coast has ever produced” and Bounce “a spectacular lyrical milestone.” Since then, the emcee has released eight more solo albums, with 2006 alone seeing the release of two albums. “You might say I’m prolific,” says Aceyalone, “but I’m still a work in progress. I’m just a conveyer of what’s already out there and people just don’t see it. I just interpret it.”
Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones represents another chapter in a consistently evolving career for the emcee. And after nine solo albums and countless more with others, there’s still a whole novel to go.
A Downtown Chat with Garry Peterson of The Guess Who Band.
Interview and photos by Sandy Hopkins
Photo: Sandy Hopkins
The Chevrolet Rockin' on the Riverfront's free concert series is bringing classic rock bands to Detroit's Riverfront all summer long. I will be covering some of these fantastic and legendary bands for MOTORCITYBLOG.
The first show was July 11, and featured the legendary Guess Who Band. I met with Gary Peterson the original cofounder of the legendary rock band. Being a huge fan of Rock and Roll all through my childhood I once again jumped at the chance to meet the legendary drummer.
I thought back to my silly antics
when I first found out that I would grow up and play music.
I worked on my angry rocker faces in the mirror to Guess Who's American Woman.
And practiced my moves by jumping off the bed with my hairbrush in hand while my mom was pounding on my door for me to stop.Oh rock and roll the most innocent yet guiltiest of pleasures. I was so excited and nervous about the interview I stayed up all night brainstorming questions to ask this rock and roll lifer.To my surprise when we met up, I barely had to look at my notes. He made me very comfortable, a real pro. He was honest, jovial and full of information about his band, career, views on life, and what it's like being Garry Peterson, one of the most famous drummers in the world.
Photo: Sandy Hopkins-Garry signing the American Woman LP for persistent fan
Garry Peterson started playing drums at the age of two, he was taught by his father and was a pro by the age of 4. In 1949, when he was 6 years old he played drums for Peggy Lee at the Chicago Theatre. By 9 he was a member of the American Federation of Musicians. Garry says that he has no memory of actually learning how to play the drums, it was like being taught to walk.It is who he was, who he is, and will always be.
So we Begin
Garry: Is Harpo's still open? I saw someone get shot there when we toured through here in the 1980's. It was a bouncer and he got shot in the ass.
I asked if he deserved it, and he laughed.
So far so good, I made myself comfortable on a low concrete wall a few feet away from the stage, he and his band of 40 years would be playing it later that night.
Photos: Sandy Hopkins
I asked him about the Guess Who band, and how long it took for them to hit the big time.
Gary: We never really counted down the days, we kept working at it and working at it and then one day we came up with These Eyes, and the rest is history. It's funny because These Eyes did not happen over night; we had many singles by then, that is the one that blew up in the United States.
We worked very hard and I can remember all of us hocking (pawning) our amps so that we could pay to record one of our albums. Back then it was so much different than it is now. We didn't have the power to push our music via the Internet. We had to be out there and play and hope that we would be discovered by a record label. The upside however, was that there wasn't as much competition back then like there is now. So eventually you would be heard by the right people. The real cincher happened when we were recording an album for Coca Cola and met a producer by the name of Jack Richardson, he dug our sound so much that he became our producer and mortgaged his house so that we could afford to recorded with Septor records. Sceptor records was a mostly black label at the time owned by Florence Greenburg who was Jewish, I always thought that was interesting. It was an honor to a part of that label. They, represented The Shirelles, Dionne Warwick, Chuck Jackson, The Kingsmen, B.J. Thomas, Joey Dee, Maxine Brown, The Esquires, Tommy Hunt, The Guess Who, Tammi Terrell, and The Independents. This all took place from 1965-1969.
Photos: Sandy Hopkins original bass player and song writer of the Guess Who, Jim Kale
I asked him what it was like hearing a song of theirs on the radio for the first time.
Gary: (smiling) It was a very strange and surreal feeling. The song was "Shaking all Over" and it was in 1965. I still love that song.
Where were you?
We were on tour with the Crystals at the time, they were an all black woman band with an amazing guitarist. Initially they were kind of cold towards us, and we didn't understand why. We didn't realize the racial tensions that existed here in the Unites States, where we lived in Winnipeg, Canada there was no such thing as racism. We didn't understand it all. It just didn't make sense to us. By the end of the show we had a great big party and they told all of us that we were all really cool. That made me very happy.
How would you describe your music to new Fans?
Garry: I would tell them to go to Itunes, they have all of our records there. Seriously though, they should. One cannot truly put a finger on the overall sound of the Guess Who Band. I even study our music when I am tour; I enjoy listening to how we have grown and changed, and how that it is a constant thing. If you listen, you will soon realize that the material is completely different and indescribable, we have albums where you would never even know it is us. Every musician old and new brings a sound and soul to the table. And we love it. And if you want to hear even more, listen to my old band Bachman Turner Overdrive.
Photo: Sandy Hopkins-Lead singer and guitarist Derek Sharp, this guy tears it up: also pictured: Leonard Shaw on the Sax
I didn't really ask him about the line up because I was a bit nervous to do so. Luckily, Garry volunteered information without me even having to ask. Whew.
Garry: People think that us switching up line-ups is a new thing. No way, we are called the Guess Who band for a reason. Guess Who's in the line up this time? (he snickers) It doesn't matter who is on that stage, it is about the songs and the fans of those songs. A band is about teamwork. We cannot survive without one another. One person should never take away glory from his band mates. It's like football. The center throws the football between his legs to the quarter back. The quarter back gets all the glory. If the center hadn't have thrown that ball to him between his legs, he would never have had it in his hands to throw to get the touchdown. Even painters and poets, when they make art, are inspired by those around them. Essentially we all need one another to be inspired and to exist. We are inspired by all the musicians we work with.
I asked him about Canada.
Garry: I grew up in Winnipeg and now live in South Carolina. I have dual citizenship between the two for decades. I consider Canada my mother; it is where I learned my morals, and values. I found my musical success and later here in the United States. The United States is like my father. I love them both very much. The United States has always taken really good care of my band mates and I and now my family as well.
Photo: Sandy Hopkins-the band getting their rock on.
What do you want people to walk away with after one of your shows
Garry: Happiness of course.No two people will ever walk away with the same feeling from art or music. The Same goes for our songs. It is meant to affect people in their own unique ways and never dictate to them how to feel. The Beatles once said, people always think we have some hidden meaning. Very rarely do we. We are just writing songs. We mean what we say.
Have a good time and enjoy yourselves because that is what it's all about.
He then adds
Do you know how to write a good album?
When i was a kid i watched American Bandstand. With Dick Clark. And he would play three songs at a show, and have the kids dance to it. Then he would have a slow number for couples to come out and slow dance. Then afterwards he would ask them to rate the songs from 1-100. Some songs would get a 50, some a 90. When Dick Clark asked why the kids gave the higher scores to one song and not the other they saidit's got a good beat and you can dance to it. That's how you write a good record. And watching people enjoy it, there is nothing better in the world.
I said, they don't make music like they used to do they.
Garry: Oh I disagree; I love some of the new music out there today. Great catchy tunes you can dance to, bands like Fun. I think it's cool hearing all the new sounds.
Photos: Sandy Hopkins-Garry and Jim rocking for fans of all ages.
One of your biggest fans is Detroit Punk rock drummer Chris Connely. You have been his inspiration since he was a kid and he mentioned to me that you were a child prodigy drummer. He wants to know what kind of music you would be playing if The Guess Who band would never have existed. He also wants to know if you have ever taught drums in your spare time.
Garry: I have always been a fan of Jazz and Big Band; I really don't know what kind of music I would have played. But my influences were people like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra.
I taught drums for a little while and realized it wasn't for me. Playing drums is not for everyone. A guitarist can be amazing but not know how to play the drums. It takes all four of your limbs. It is not a two handed thing. I wasn't a very good teacher because I would get frustrated easily and tell kids to pick up another instrument. That doesn't always get you asked to come back. I live to play live. That is my life.
Are you still annoyed with American Women?
Gary (laughing) Is that what you think that we were talking about? woman? Noo..I even married an American woman. All you have to do is listen to the words.
American woman, get away from me
American woman, mama, let me be
Don't come a-knockin' around my door
Don't wanna see your shadow no more
Coloured lights can hypnotize
Sparkle someone else's eyes
Now woman, I said get away
American woman, listen what I say, hey!
The song is a personification of the United States. What do people see when they first come here? The Statue of Liberty in all her glory, majestic and beautiful. On our end, The Guess Who band was touring here during the protests against Vietnam, during the race riots, and later we were even in New York when the towers fell. It was the way we looked at America when were boys and didn't have any other way to describe it. I am 70 years old now, I see things differently than I used to, and the fact of the matter is, people come here from all over the world for freedom, and to escape poverty and persecution, that in it self should tell all of us something. Ooops, looks like I have to go do sound check now. You are coming out to the show tonight yes?
YES! I wouldn't miss it for the world! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. Many Thanks from MCB and Detroiters everywhere, we love you!
I gave him a big ol bear hug before I left. A man walks up and asks for an autograph. Garry said "I will be doing that later," then says, "yeah ok why not, let me see what you have." They guy pulls out 5 albums for him to sign. Without hesitation he begins signing them for a very happy fan. Garry Peterson, one heck of a guy.
Time to Rock
I went to the show that night and got my socks rocked off with thousands of other die-hard fans, the young and seasoned alike. The line up that night included the Original songwriter and bass player Jim Kale, long time multi-instrumentalist and tour managerLeonard Shaw, lead singer/guitarist Derek Sharp, and a go for it all new addition, lead guitarist Will Evankovich. The Guess Who Band was One of the tightest bands I have ever seen perform live. They hold tight the passion and energy that only the timelessness of rock and roll can breed. We were all pumping our fists and singing along to songs that will be ingrained forever in Earth's Discography. Cheers to Garry Peterson and the The Guess Who Band, please don't ever stop making us Shake all Over.
The Chevrolet Rockin' on the Riverfront is THE free concert series bringing classic rock bands to Detroit's Riverfront every Friday night until the middle of August for updates about upcoming acts visit.
"These United States" are currently touring with core members: Front Man - Jesse Elliot, Guitarist - J. Tom Hnatow, Guitarist - Justin Craig and Drummer - Robby Cosenza. Though the guys had been through the Michigan area in the past, playing the Magic Bag earlier in 08, they agreed that touring through Detroit proper and bringing their brand of music to PJ's Lager House was definitely a cool time!
Tonight is a good one to head over to visit PJ and the crew at Lager House
