FREE CDs: "Light" from MATISYAHU - plays St Andrews Detroit 12/7/09

MCB met with MATISYAHU last year over at Fillmore Detroit

for a video interview and photos...it was an amazing show with a nearly sold out crowd

We have had a copy of the latest release from EPIC for over a month now

and are happy to now have 3 real copies of "Light" to offer up to emailers #5-7
hit us up at motorcityblog@earthlink.net

and catch MATISYAHU in Detroit on 12/7 @ St Andrews Hall

Few artists make an impact as complete as the one Matisyahu made with his Top 40 hit “King Without a Crown”: Here was a true original, the song announced—a Hasidic Jewish musician from New York City singing reggae songs about his religious devotion. Fans responded to this one-of-a-kind voice, too, driving Youth, Matisyahu’s Grammy-nominated 2006 studio disc, to the top spot on Billboard’s reggae albums chart. That album, as well as Matisyahu’s previous recording Live at Stubb’s, went Gold.

True originals, though, don’t stay put for long, and on his bold new album, Light, 29-year-old Matisyahu proves that there’s much more to his artistry than might initially meet the eye. “As my musical tastes have grown I have been re-discovering my sound and my voice,” he says.
Light is anything but safe. Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Sublime, the Strokes), the 14-track collection covers a dizzying amount of stylistic ground, from hard-edged dancehall (“Smash Lies”) and ska-inflected New Wave (“We Will Walk”) to laidback pop-rock (“So Hi So Lo”) and acoustic folk-soul (“I Will Be Light”).

While reggae is far from absent here—see the oldschool toasting in “Motivate”—Light finds Matisyahu edging away from his comfort zone into more daring territory. “Being an artist
is about being sensitive to how the world resonates inside you and then being able to express it,” he says. “This process is an everchanging one.”

In 2008 Matisyahu decided to take the year away from touring and began creating the songs for Light. He went to Jerusalem for the high holidays and worked with his friend and teacher Ephraim Rosenstein to consolidate three years of learning Torah into 16 songs.

While Matisyahu credits Kahne—“No producer had ever tapped into that with me,” he says—with encouraging him to explore the dimensions of his voice, other collaborators helped him push his music in new directions as well. He came back to New York and rented
a loft in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and got together with his favorite musicians and producers, people he’s met over the last few years: he wrote with Ooah of Glitch Mob, singer-songwriter Trevor Hall and his long-time guitar player and close friend Aaron Dugan.
Matisyahu took the songs to Kahne and began recording vocals.

He went to Jamaica and worked with critically acclaimed young producer Stephen McGregor. Some friends of his, Adam Deitch and Eric Krasnow (the production team Fyre Dept), wrote a song with a Jamaican vocalist Jah Don, which is included on the album. Kahne got Fishbone to play on some songs and Matisyahu arranged for legendary Jamaican rhythm section Sly and Robbie on some others. Then just recently Matisyahu decided to cut two more tracks with producer Dave McCracken and the Smeezintons. One of those songs, “One Day,” is meant to be an anthem of hope. The song a prayer for peace which Matisyahu hopes will be a source of inspiration for people struggling to open their hearts and stay positive.

Despite the lengthy and varied guest list, Light remains a work traceable only to Matisyahu’s
unique creative sensibility, an album that reflects more than two years’ worth of religious study,
particularly the story of the seven beggars by Reb Nachman. This is the driving spiritual force behind Light. The story is about two children who get lost in a dark forest after fleeing an invasion of their kingdom. Each night a different beggar, each of which suffers from a different ailment, approaches them with food and water. “I feel this theme, though written as a fairytale in the 1800’s, is very relevant to many of the struggles that we face today,” Matisyahu says. “From child soldiers to child sex slaves to everyday people trying to awaken their broken hearts.”

Matisyahu will release his first full-length album in three years

entitled Light on August 25 on Epic Records.

Matisyahu on Tour
10.17.09 – Flames Central – Calgary, CAN
10.18.09 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, CAN
10.19.09 – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR
10.20.09 – The Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA
10.21.09 – House of Blues – Anaheim, CA
10.22.09 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
10.24.09 – Kick Gas Festival – San Diego, CA
10.25.09 – Marquee Theatre – Tempe, AZ
10.27.09 – The Fillmore – Denver, CO
10.29.09 – Peoples – Des Moines, IA
10.31.09 – Pabst Theater – Milwaukee, WI
11.2.09 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
11.3.09 – House of Blues – Chicago, IL
11.4.09 – Foellinger Auditorium (University of Illinois) – Champaign, IL
11.5.09 – Slowdown – Omaha, NE
11.8.09 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
11.10.09 – The Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC
11.11.09 – Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
11.12.09 – The Handlebar – Greenville, SC
11.14.09 – Music Farm – Charleston, SC
11.15.09 – The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
11.16.09 – Buster's – Lexington, KY
11.17.09 – The Norva – Norfolk, VA

12.7.09 - St Andrews Hall Detroit MI

For more information on Matisyahu, please visit:
http://www.matisyahuworld.com/
www.myspace.com/matisyahu

MATISYAHU - St Andrews Hall Detroit - Mon 12/7

MCB's Drew Bender will be meeting up with MATISYAHU

for a short interview next monday over at St Andrews Hall in Detroit

before he headlines Mavericks Live 2009 Tour

This guy puts on an amazing show

and when we met up with him last year

for a quick interview at Fillmore Detroit

he was super cool

and took time to talk to us at sound check

see the photos here

MATISYAHU's new album

LIGHT

has been out for a few months now

and is well worth the listen

Get tickets here

Matisyahu
Light (Epic Records)
Release Date: August 25, 2009

Few artists make an impact as complete as the one Matisyahu made with his Top 40 hit “King Without a Crown”: Here was a true original, the song announced—a Hasidic Jewish musician from New York City singing reggae songs about his religious devotion. Fans responded to this one-of-a-kind voice, too, driving Youth, Matisyahu’s Grammy-nominated 2006 studio disc, to the top spot on Billboard’s reggae albums chart. That album, as well as Matisyahu’s previous recording Live at Stubb’s, went Gold.

True originals, though, don’t stay put for long, and on his bold new album, Light, 29-year-old Matisyahu proves that there’s much more to his artistry than might initially meet the eye. “As my musical tastes have grown I have been re-discovering my sound and my voice,” he says.
Light is anything but safe. Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Sublime, the Strokes), the 14-track collection covers a dizzying amount of stylistic ground, from hard-edged dancehall (“Smash Lies”) and ska-inflected New Wave (“We Will Walk”) to laidback pop-rock (“So Hi So Lo”) and acoustic folk-soul (“I Will Be Light”). While reggae is far from absent here—see the old-school toasting in “Motivate”—Light finds Matisyahu edging away from his comfort zone into more daring territory. “Being an artist is about being sensitive to how the world resonates inside you and then being able to express it,” he says. “This process is an ever-changing one.”

In 2008 Matisyahu decided to take the year away from touring and began creating the songs for Light. He went to Jerusalem for the high holidays and worked with his friend and teacher Ephraim Rosenstein to consolidate three years of learning Torah into 16 songs. While Matisyahu credits Kahne—“No producer had ever tapped into that with me,” he says—with encouraging him to explore the dimensions of his voice, other collaborators helped him push his music in new directions as well. He came back to New York and rented a loft in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and got together with his favorite musicians and producers, people he’s met over the last few years: he wrote with Ooah of Glitch Mob, singer-songwriter Trevor Hall and his long-time guitar player and close friend Aaron Dugan. Matisyahu took the songs to Kahne and began recording vocals. He went to Jamaica and worked with critically acclaimed young producer Stephen McGregor. Some friends of his, Adam Deitch and Eric Krasnow (the production team Fyre Dept), wrote a song with a Jamaican vocalist Jah Don, which is included on the album. Kahne got Fishbone to play on some songs and Matisyahu arranged for legendary Jamaican rhythm section Sly and Robbie on some others. Then just recently Matisyahu decided to cut two more tracks with producer Dave McCracken and the Smeezintons. One of those songs, “One Day,” is meant to be an anthem of hope. The song a prayer for peace which Matisyahu hopes will be a source of inspiration for people struggling to open their hearts and stay positive.

Despite the lengthy and varied guest list, Light remains a work traceable only to Matisyahu’s unique creative sensibility, an album that reflects more than two years’ worth of religious study, particularly the story of the seven beggars by Reb Nachman. This is the driving spiritual force behind Light. The story is about two children who get lost in a dark forest after fleeing an invasion of their kingdom. Each night a different beggar, each of which suffers from a different ailment, approaches them with food and water. “I feel this theme, though written as a fairytale in the 1800’s, is very relevant to many of the struggles that we face today,” Matisyahu says. “From child soldiers to child sex slaves to everyday people trying to awaken their broken hearts.”

PHOTOS & REVIEW: Matisyahu & Dub Trio – December 7, 2009 - St. Andrew’s Hall

Following a late afternoon interview with Matisyahu on his tour bus, the audio of which will be available here at MCB shortly, my recording engineer Z-man and I ran around the corner from St. Andrew’s Hall to grab some ‘za and Greek salad at Niki’s. Dodging the homeless panhandlers on Beaubien (as I hadn’t a dime in my pocket) we returned to St. Andrew’s at 6:45 so Z-man could set up his recording gear for the show, and the opening/backing band Dub Trio took the stage at 7:30pm and played a loud, short set to about 60 people already in attendance that ended half an hour later. In the meantime, the room started filling in. Then it filled in some more, and by 8:30 when Matisyahu took the stage, the Hall was already approaching around 90% of its roughly 800 person capacity. A former church, St. Andrew’s Hall opened as a concert venue in 1980 and has featured bands ranging from Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers to Phish to Eminem and a slew of hip hop acts. The latter, perhaps, was among the reason of this choice of venue as Matisyahu had previously performed at the considerably larger Fillmore Theater (formerly State Theater) last year, although that was far from at capacity. Matisyahu’s newest album ‘Light’ was released not quite two months ago, and features a much more intense hip hop vibe in comparision to his earlier, reggae- and jam-driven compositions.

Coming out at around 8:30, Matisyahu’s backing band consisted of the bassist, guitarist, and drummer from Dub Trio, a second guitarist, and a keyboardist as well. When Matisyahu took the stage, the place was as full as I like to see shows there, or maybe a little more, but it was a pretty tame crowd. I did notice a number of parent/child dyads in the crowd, a healthy smattering of yeshiva boys, lots of nice Jewish boys and girls (mostly in their late teens and early 20s), and a fairly sizable proportion of music loving goyim. Opening with Heights which transitioned into On Nature, I was impressed by the fact that having seen him before, the new band made a huge difference. Whereas his prior band was heavy into reggae beats and jam guitar riffs, the Dub Trio led band was WAY heavier and more thumping in a hip hop-meets-rock booming bass and chunky rhythm guitar. I suppose I developed a different appreciation for Matisyahu as an artist independent of any backing band. I’ve listened to Light a number of times and have enjoyed its radio friendly appeal. The live show was a bit of a contrast in its far more intense, driving rhythms occasionally interrupted by haunting and reverbed-out Yiddish-Hebrew inspired vocal riffs. The set lasted for two hours and closed with a version of King Without a Crown that lasted for over 30 minutes. Toward the end, Matisyahu climbed up on the high speaker stack and was standing, holding onto the light supports while singing and beatboxing before climbing down to a lower speaker where he sat, keeping the audience captivated all the while.

Overall it was an enjoyable show with a great crowd – look for the links to the audio interview with Matisyahu in the next day or so. If you'd like to download the show via bittorrent, Z-man's great recording is available here. Check it out if you want - you'll also have to know how to listen to or decompress the flac files, but a little bit of googling should get you pointed in the right direction.

WERD!!

-drew

INTERVIEW: Matisyahu - Dec. 7, 2009 - St. Andrew's Hall - By Andrew Bender

In the late afternoon of Monday, December 7th, my friend and renowned concert taper Z-man and I met up at historic St. Andrew’s Hall in downtown Detroit to interview musician and recording artist Matisyahu before his concert performance later that evening.After playing a bit of phone tag with Matisyahu’s tour manager, we were told that the interview would be taking place on the tour bus. Although we were happy to oblige the wishes of our interviewee, a tour bus is rarely a great place for a recorded interview. As a result the audio recording has a background hum of the bus generator, which Z-man was able to minimize as much as possible. Also, despite being a rather dynamic, and captivating performer on stage, in person Matisyahu was rather soft spoken making Z-man’s task of capturing the interview and making it listenable an even greater challenge.

Both before and during the interview, Matisyahu appeared slightly distracted at times as he fidgeted with his iPhone, and as members of his road crew came on and off the bus. As a result, we’ve cut the interview into individual questions or groups of questions which can be listened to separately, or on one single recording. The recording has been edited to minimize noise and maximize the vocals, although you may want to listen to this with headphones, or with your speakers turned up as Matisyahu’s more pensive responses were sometimes almost inaudible.

Check out the interview below, or download it from Archive.org (links below the player)


The audio is hosted at the Live Music Archive - click here to go to their page to download or stream the interview, question by question or in its entirety.

WERD!!!

-drew

UPDATE: we are adding a pair of free tickets and a fresh off the press copy of the new EP in addition tothe originalFREE MP3: Matisyahu "Shattered" EP

SECOND UPDATE: STILL NOT HAPPY....

make that a pair of tickets to the 1st -2nd and 3rd emailers :)

UPDATE: Thursday Oct 16th 3pm
OK so we just werent happy with offering a FREE MP3 download and decided to do nothing about it - but then a pair of free tickets landed right in our lap followed by an offer to provide a copy of the new EP to a reader....sometimes it just pays NOT to do anything at all

1st emailer - motorcityblog@earthlink.net gets the tickets and the EP
full name and mailing address MUST be included

Download "Smashed Lies" MP3 - a new one from Matisyahu's new upcoming release "Shattered" - check out the tour dates below and we here at MCB are working hard to get a video interview // photos // free tickets // free copies of the EP for you - our readers:)


MATISYAHU RETURNS WITH NEW EP
, SHATTERED ON OCTOBER 21 2008

Following the success Shake Off the Dust...Rise, Live at Stubb's, Youth, and No Place To Be, Matisayhu is back.

On October 21, Matisyahu will release his newest EP, Shattered, via Epic Records. The four-song EP features tracks from his new full-length album, Light, to be released in early 2009.

Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor, Sublime), Shattered features songs from Matisyahu’s forthcoming album recorded and mixed in Jamaica, New York, Los Angeles and Virginia.

Several guest artists contribute to the four-song EP: ground-breaking Jamaican reggae rhythm section Sly & Robbie (drums and bass, “Two Child One Drop” and “I Will Be Light”), son of legendary reggae artist Freddie McGregor and among Jamaica’s youngest and most innovative young producers Stephen McGregor (co-producer, keyboards, drum-programming, “Smash Lies”) , Fish (drums, “So Hi So Lo”) and Norwood Fisher (bass, “So Hi So Lo”) of the legendary L.A. alt-punk-ska band Fishbone and experimental turntablist Ooah from the Glitch Mob (co-producer, co-writer, drum programming on “Two Child One Drop”).

10.18.08 - The Eagles Club - Milwaukee, WI
10.19.08 - Riviera Theatre - Chicago, IL
10.22.08 - Egyptian Room at Murat Center - Indianapolis, IN
10.23.08 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI
10.25.08 - Mr. Smalls Theatre - Millvale, PA
10.26.08 - Magic City Music Hall - Johnson City, NY
10.28.08 - Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel - Providence, RI
10.29.08 - Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA
10.30.08 - Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA
11.01.08 - Ram’s Head Live - Baltimore, MD
11.02.08 - Wellmont Theatre - Montclair, NJ
11.03.08 - Sixth and I Historic Synagogue - Washington, D.C.
11.04.08 - Virginia Tech University—Burruss Hall - Blacksburg, VA
11.06.08 - Norva Theater - Norfolk, VA
11.08.08 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA
11.09.08 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA
11.10.08 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
11.11.08 - Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre - Austin, TX
11.13.08 - Palladium Ballroom - Dallas, TX
11.15.08 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
11.17.08 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
11.18.08 - Club Nokia - Los Angeles, CA
11.19.08 - Bell Memorial Union Auditorium - Chico, CA
11.20.08 - Grove of Anaheim - Anaheim, CA
11.22.08 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
11.23.08 - Warfield Theatre - San Francisco, CA
11.24.08 - The Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA
11.26.08 - Harry O’s - Park City, UT
11.29.08 - Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO
11.30.08 - Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO
12.06.08 - Headliners Music Hall - Louisville, KY
12.07.08 - Cannery - Nashville, TN
12.09.08 - Blue Note - Columbia, MO
12.11.08 - Bogart’s - Cincinnati, OH
12.14.08 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
12.16.08 - Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, ON
12.17.08 – Metropolis - Montreal, QC
12.18.08 - Higher Ground - Burlington, VT





"MCB IS DETROIT"
Check out more MCB-VIDEOs here

UPCOMING SHOW: Matisyahu & Tea Leaf Green @ St. Andrew's Hall

This Sunday night, the contradiction in terms Matisyahu brings his unique brand of Hasidic-Reggae-Hip hop to St. Andrew's Hall. Joining Matisyahu are special guests Tea Leaf Green - a San Francisco-based phenomenal rock outfit that brings mind-bending improvisation and tightly woven jams.
MCB's Andrew Bender will be there shooting the show and getting funky.

Matisyahu & Tea Leaf Green @ St. Andrew's Hall
$25 - All Ages
Sunday July 10, 2011
Doors @ 6:30pm

Some of Drew's photos from Matisyahu's appearance in 2009:

MCB-VIDEO: MATISYAHU @ Fillmore Detroit Oct 2008

MCB met up with MATISYAHU over at Fillmore Detroit last week for a video interview and some show footage....MATISYAHU put on an awesome show to a packed house of devoted fans...this guy knows how to knock them out!

See more about MATISYAHU here and visit http://www.matisyahuworld.com/

"MCB IS DETROIT"
Check out more MCB-VIDEOs here

PHOTOS / REVIEW / ILLUSTRATION: The Dirty Heads live in Chicago by Von Ecker

The Dirty Heads Live @ The Congress 

Pics By Chelsea Schneider
Article and Illustration By Von Ecker

After a weekend full of drunkin’ debauchery under the hot, hot, sun at Lollapolooza, we decided to give it one more run and see what the boys from The Dirty Heads were up to. On their latest tour with Matisyahu and Moon Taxi, the guys came through Chicago and made a pit stop at the Congress Theater and delivered their blend of reggae, rap, and rock with California soul.

For those of you who are unaware of this band straight out of Cali’. Think of an audio cocktail consisting of the Beastie Boys, Bob Marley, Sublime, and a hint of Jack Johnson on the rocks. To put it bluntly they’re probably was of the best upcoming jam bands around at the moment. The lyrics are deep, sarcastic and reflective of the bands laid back attitude. The group came on the scene in 2008 with their debut album Any Port In The Storm which featured “Lay Me Down” which landed on Billboards #1 spot for eleven weeks. Well in 2012 there back again with Cabin By The Sea, and it doesn’t look like there losing any wind from their sails.

The bands set never had a weak moment and keep the crowd grooving as they played “Spread To Thin”, “Cabin By The Sea”, and “Dance All Night” which features Matisyahu definitely got the audience pumped up for the headlining set. My personal favorite moment in the show is when Dirty Jay dedicated the bands song “Believe” to MCA from the Beastie Boys who passed away this past year from Cancer. After an hour jamming the band called it a night and passed the stage on to Matisyahu, all while the crowd chanted “one more song” for a solid 5 minutes.I just couldn’t help but be glad I wasn’t in Matisyahu’s shoes, because The Dirty Heads definitely aren’t an easy act to follow.

So if your in the need for some chilled out Cali jams pick up the bands new album Cabin By The Sea, or better yet if you have a little extra cash head out to see the Dirty Heads live as they tour the south for the next month, because it doesn’t look like they’re coming to Detroit any time soon

Posted by Von Ecker

Born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Von Ecker has been painting and showcasing his work for the last 10 years.?  The CCS Alumni now works and resides in Chicago and on occasion attends events to report, review and create custom artwork for MCB

ALL PHOTOS BY SUPERSTAR CHELSEA SCHNEIDER

PHOTOS: MATISYAHU // FLOBOTS @ FILLMORE DETROIT by Scott Strelecki

MCB was on the press pass this past Thursday for the MATISYAHU / FLOBOTS show at Fillmore Detroit - We have a VIDEO INTERVIEW on the way with MATISYAHU plus video show footage from both bands being processed and edited as we type...who else gets to shoot like this in a live nation show? WE DO! Check these awesome still shots from Scott Strelecki and come on back real soon for the video interviews/footage from the show!

See more from Scott Strelecki at the info below
http://www.flickr.com/photos/photosaucer/sets

Scott Strelecki
http://www.badlandphotography.com/

"MCB IS DETROIT"
Check out more MCB-VIDEOs here

Matisyahu w/FLOBOTS - Fillmore Detroit - Thur Oct 23rd 7pm

More than likely tomorrow will be NO-POST thursday - we are meeting up with MATISYAHU at the fillmore detroit for one of our video interviews so check back here for that one...

get tickets here

read more about MATISYAHU here

Tonight we have a video interview with the WILDCATTING bunch in studio to talk about this MC5 revisited show on Sat Nov 1st over at Park Bar where they will be recreating the entire Kick Out The Jams record - it should be a really memorable show so hopefully we can get some insight to their approach....

WILDCATTING by the way is playing a show tomorrow night with Oscillating Fan Club and Grande Nationals at WAB (Woodward Ave Brewery) in Ferndale on Woodward/just south of 9mile - its only $6 to see 3 of detroit's best bands PLUS artwork by Jason Abraham Smith!!




"MCB IS DETROIT"
Check out more MCB-VIDEOs here

UPCOMING (Tues., July 12) 311 with Matisyahu at Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights

Multi-platinum rock band 311 is hitting the road this summer for a seven-week headlining tour of North America with special guest Matisyahu, including a stop locally at Freedom Hill Amphitheatre on Tuesday, July 12. 

311 are currently writing and recording their 12th studio album for projected release in early 2017.
In celebration of the band’s 25th year anniversary, 311 released their box set ARCHIVE (June 2015), featuring 4 CDs. 81 tracks of b-sides, bonus tracks, pre-production recordings and demos from 1992-2014. Plus a 60 Page Book of rare photos and memorabilia. Their latest studio album STEREOLITHIC (March 2015), debuted at #6, marking the the band's 9th consecutive album to debut in the top 10 on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart. The album also entered No. 1 on both the Rock and Indie Charts.

On their upcoming summer tour, fans can expect an electrifying mix of tracks spanning the band’s 25 years.
 
 
Doors Open 5:30 PM 

Tickets are: $75 general admission pit, $49.50 and $39.50 Crest Ford pavilion and $29.50 lawn 

Buy advance tickets HERE.

Tickets can also be purchased at The Palace Ticket Store and all Ticketmaster locations.

Tickets may be also charged by phone to American Express, Discover, Visa and MasterCard by calling 1-800-745-3000.

Freedom Hill Amphitheatre is located at: 14900 Metro Pkwy, Sterling Heights, MI 48312

For more details and complete ticket information, visit www.311.com/shows. 

 

The Crystal Method - at Vain Nightclub - TONIGHT!!

MCB is Dietroit Techno!

Heralded by the Village Voice in spring 2009 as “one of the best live dance acts on Earth,” THE CRYSTAL METHOD—who is Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland—have been known over the last 10-plus years for their enduring dance floor anthems (“Now Is The Time,” “Keep Hope Alive”), airwave smashes (“Trip Like I Do”) and a willingness to collaborate with an array of talent–including rock’s elite like Scott Weiland, Matisyahu, New Order’s Peter Hook and Filter’s Richard Patrick.

The duo has dominated the remix, film soundtrack, television, gaming and advertising worlds. Their platinum-status debut album Vegas (released in 1997) is one of the biggest-selling electronic albums of all time, landing them in the top five of best-selling electronic acts in America. They scored the film London as well as the themes for TV shows “Bones” and “Third Watch” and were the first act to work with Nike for their running soundtrack series, but it’s the Grammy-nominated, Divided By Night, their 2009 studio album, that takes THE CRYSTAL METHOD to all new heights.

Tickets are $15 and $25 for VIP
http://www.wantickets.com/Events/138087/The-Crystal-Method.aspx

www.thecrystalmethod.com
www.myspace.com/thecrystalmethod

FREE CD: Monte Negro's CICATRIX due out Aug 5th

1st emailer to gone WITH A MAILING ADDRESS gets this golden nugget

"MTV Tr3s has joined forces with Monte Negro and two other California-based alternative rock bands (Astra Heights, The May Fire) to bring their diverse takes on the burgeoning Latin alternative scene to the West and Midwest for six weeks in August and September. With a new records coming out on August 5th from Monte Negro (Cicatrix / Epic Records), the tour kicks off on August 6th in San Diego.

The music of Monte Negro, defies a simple description. Most say melodic rock, which is true, yet there are distinct undertones and layers making it eclectic and bohemian, American yet definitely worldly. Their music has landed them in magazines such as Spin, La Banda Elástica, and Billboard, they have worked with famed producer Tone (Green Day, Carlos Santana) and played alongside a diverse line up of bands like Todos Tus Muertos, Matisyahu, 311, Coldplay, NIN, Incubus, At The Drive In, and Molotov. Monte Negro most recently performed with the Mexican alternative band Zoe and L.A.’s multiethnic band, Ozomatli. Monte Negro was also MTV Tr3s’s “Descubre & Download” artist (January through March of 2008). The band’s new release Cicatrix will be featured on The LEAK July 29th – August 5th (www.music.mtvtr3s.com).

Monte Negro is a bilingual band that has devoured enough music genres over the years to do justice to the bilingual and bicultural musicians that constitute the group. Digesting healthy portions of Jane's Addiction, The Cure, The Clash, and the Sex Pistols, Monte Negro has also piled onto its proverbial plate Latin-alternative rockers such as Caifanes, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Maldita Vecindad, Mano Negra, Soda Stereo, and Spinetta. "

Wild Bill Ketelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog

Wild At Heart

Just got home from the Summerland Tour which is coming to Detroit and was rocking to Sugar Ray, Lit and Everclear. It was a rocking show though I must admit to having a bit more fun Saturday night when I went to the Bug Jar, recently reopened after a couple of shootings outside the venue and with the newly appointed security guards, for a couple of Detroit bands playing through on different tours. 

  The lobby had a new art retrospective inspired by Prince where I hung out with Sisters Of Your Sunshine Vapor prior to the show. This was day 2 of Fuzzfest which had Shonen Knife the day before. The Frustrations opened the show and laid down a nice sonic riff as they played their guitars in the audience area and brought some nice energy despite going on an hour late. They are on a tour of the east Coast going towards Florida and then back up the midwest and you can check them out here www.facebook.com/FrustrationsBand.
 

 With the show running late, I didn't get to stay long. I had to be up at 5:30AM and they went on near 1AM. So I stayed for a few songs wishing I could stay longer. Sisters Of Your Sunshine Vapor had this nice garage rock/psychedelic feel, almost channeling the Doors. They are heading towards Wisconsin and eventually Ohio but I think they made a great impression here in Rochester and it was great seeing two strong Detroit bands so far from home. Feel free to send more bands our way and check these guys out at http://www.sistersofyoursunshinevapor.com/

 

Speaking of Detroit, here are a few good shows coming up this week:

Tuesday (7/31) - Bouncing Souls @ Magic Stick, Crosby Stills and Nash @ Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre

Wednesday (8/1) - Chicago & Doobie Brothers @ Pine Knob

Thursday (8/2) - Sugar Ray & Gin Blossoms w/Everclear & Lit @ MotorCity Casino, Gaelic Storm @ the Magic Bag, "Sonic Lunch" feat Macpodz @ Liberty Plaza (Ann Arbor)

Friday (8/3) - The Muggs & Sights @ Small's, "Happy Together Tour" w/Buckinghams & Turtles @ Caesar's Windsor, Lou Gramm @ Ren Center

Saturday (8/4) - WAR @ Ford Field, Five Finger Death Punch w/Killswitch Engage & Trivium @ Meadowbrook Theatre, Sugarland @ Pine Knob, Daughtry @ Ceasar's Windsor

Sunday (8/5) - Matisyahu @ the Fillmore

Monday (8/6) - Yes & Procol Harum @ Pine Knob

Dub Trio Coming Pike Room Crofoot - Sat 11/5

 

 

Dub Trio, the New York-trio who effortlessly blend dub, metal and punk, venture out on their first North American tour in three years this November with a tour kick off on Nov. 3 in Rochester and several stops on the Hawaiian Islands.

The band, who recently announced a return to their original label home of ROIR, have spent the past few years as annexed band members by first Mike Patton for his Peeping Tom project and then the next two years working with Matisyahu.  Dub Trio band members D.P. Holmes (guitar), Stu Brooks (bass) and Joe Tomino (drums) have long been sought out as session players having worked with a wide range of artists including Lady Gaga, Macy Gray, 50 Cent, Yoko Ono, Mos Def and many others.

Pre-orders for Dub Trio IV begin on Sept. 20 via ROIR's website (www.roir-usa.com )

November     3  Rochester, NY  Montage Music Hall
4  Toronto, ON Garrison
  5  Detroit, MI Pike Room
              8   Cleveland, OH  The Grog Shop
      9  Philadelphia, PA   Milkboy
                 10   New York, NY  Mercury Lounge *
           15   San Diego, CA   The Casbah
        16  Los Angeles, CA  The Echo
                  17  San Francisco, CA  Brick & Mortar
                         19   Honolulu, HI  Kaka'ako Waterfront Park
                         20   Maui, HI   Maui Arts & Cultural Center
        23   Honolulu, HI  The Republik

* Record release party

http://www.facebook.com/dubtrio
http://www.dubtrio.com

UPCOMING SHOW: 311 with Ziggy Marley - Freedom Hill Sterling Hts - June 19th 2009

311 fans can rejoice as the band unleashes Uplifter, their first new album in three years on June 2nd through Volcano/JIVE Records. In addition to a pre-order which automatically enters you into a contest to win an autographed guitar, side-stage tickets and other great prize packs, the band is streaming the entire album on their MySpace page through the end of today, giving a sneak peek to fans who simply can not wait that long! Be sure to also check out 311’s new video for “Hey You,” directed by Joe Lynch (Pete Yorn, Godhead).

Known road warriors, 311 will also mesmerize audiences nationwide on their annual Summer Unity Tour which kicks off on 6/3 in Bakersfield, CA. Support acts on the past five Unity Tours have included Snoop Dogg, The Roots, Papa Roach, The Wailers, O.A.R. and Matisyahu. This year their featured supporting act is Ziggy Marley!

311’s celebratory live shows & incessant touring schedule have earned them a massive grassroots following nationwide. Since its inception in 2004, 311’s annual summer headlining amphitheatre run, Unity Tour, has become one of the largest annual modern rock tours each summer.

311 SUMMER UNITY TOUR w/ Ziggy Marley & The Expendables:
6/3 Bakersfield, CA @ Majestic Fox Theatre
6/5 Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
6/7 Eugene, WA @ Cuthbert Ampitheatre
6/8 Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theatre
6/11 Salt Lake City, UT @ Usana Amphitheatre
6/12 Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
6/14 Chicago, IL @ Charter One Pavilion
6/16 Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Amphitheatre
6/17 Columbus, OH @ Lifestyles Communities Pavilion
6/19 Detroit, MI at Freedom Hill (click for tickets)
6/20 Cincinatti, OH @ Riverbend Amphitheatre
6/21 Indianapolis, IN @ The Lawns
6/23 Saratoga, NY @ SPAC
6/24 Boston, MA @ Comcast Center
6/25 New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage
6/27 Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Art Center
6/28 Washington DC @ Nissan Pavilion
6/30 Philadelphia, PA @ Penns Landing
7/1 Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/3 Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/4 Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
7/5 Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
7/7 St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Amphitheatre
7/10 Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theatre
7/11 San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
7/12 Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

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FREE MP3: Chester French "She Loves Everybody"

FREE MP3 from Chester French

The duo of DA Wallach and Maxwell Drummey more commonly known as Chester French are gearing up to release their debut EP, She Loves Everybody, digitally on November 11th and in traditional record stores on November 18th through Star Trak/Interscope.

Discovered by Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes and N.E.R.D., Chester French has already won over critics and fans alike with their originality and pop sensibility as exhibited by their amazing performance at the 2008 CMJ Festival. See what the buzz is about and check them out on tour this month with Matisyahu.

"She Loves Everybody" MP3


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ROTHBURY UNVEILS FESTIVAL SCHEDULE & MAP

The wait is over! ROTHBURY has unveiled 2009’s complete Festival Schedule and Map. Visit www.rothburyfestival.com to view both. 

 

You definitely don’t want to miss the best 4th of July party this year.  ROTHBURY brings together a community entrenched in music, art and the environment.  Lounge by the lake during day and dance deep into the night.  Experience the magic of the Sherwood Forest with its extravagant 

light display, surprise performances and parties in the depths of the forest.  More than 70 artists including The Dead, The String Cheese Incident, Willie Nelson & Family, the Black Crowes, STS9, Umphrey’s McGee and others will perform full sets…or more…on one of four stages over 

this multi-day festival.   

 

ABOUT THE 2009 FESTIVAL: 

The Dead (their only summer appearance), Bob Dylan and His Band, The String Cheese Incident (their only 2009 performance), Willie Nelson & Family, and The Black Crowes will top the bill of over 60 diverse and stellar artists at the second annual ROTHBURY Festival at the Double JJ 

Ranch in Michigan on July 2-3-4-5, 2009. 

 

Also on the bill are Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley & Nas, STS9 (2 shows: full band/Live PA Set), G. Love & Special Sauce, Gov’t Mule, Umphrey’s McGee, Broken Social Scene, Keller Williams, Cold War Kids, Matisyahu, Guster, Les Claypool, Chromeo, Girl Talk, The Hold Steady, Ani DiFranco and many others. A complete list of confirmed artists is available at www.rothburyfestival.com. 

 

ROTHBURY emerged last year as a new Fourth of July celebration. With the Dead performing their only summer show, The String Cheese Incident together for their only show for 2009 continues to honor America’s extraordinary festival lineage. ROTHBURY delivers music of integrity across all genres. Coupled with a commitment to exploring the integration of art and modern thought and technology throughout the event, ROTHBURY creates a unique 21st century American gathering unlike any other. 

 

Building on its mission to create a state-of-the-art large scale sustainable event and to organize and nurture community involvement that makes a difference, ROTHBURY 2009 promises even more cutting-edge festival implementation of ever-changing green technologies. The 2009 

ROTHBURY Think Tank, an event within the event, explores the topic of the emerging “New Green Economy.” The Think Tank will host various buzz sessions and roundtables between leading scientists, scholars, writers, progressive political and corporate leaders, youth leaders, 

ROTHBURY artists, and ROTHBURY attendees. Think Tank Programming details coming soon. 

 

ROTHBURY itself is committed to producing a near zero-waste concert. The first to tackle a green program of this magnitude at an around-the-clock (camping) concert in the USA, ROTHBURY has an on-staff Greening Chief, and has implemented multiple initiatives toward this effort, including replacing disposables with 100% compostables, recycling and composting, choosing clean energy, carbon-offsetting, and Green Ticket options. 

Visit www.rothburyfestival.com for more information. 

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PHOTOS: Rothbury Festival - Days 3 & 4 by Andrew Bender

MCB's Andrew Bender was all up in the Rothbury festival last weekend and got shots of everything including Detroit's own Hard Lesssons, and Ann Arbor's Ragbirds and the Macpodz. He drooled over Grace Potter's hotness, and caught a mini jam session backstage by Hasidic reggae superstar Matisyahu who played kiddie toys and beat boxed into the Ice Cream Man's megaphone. Oh yeah, there are also shots of all sorts of bands like The Dead, Gov't Mule, Ani DiFranco, Les Claypool, Railroad Earth, and the Black Crowes.

Check out his photos from Saturday and Sunday of the Rothbury Festival.

Saturday:

Sunday:

Werd!!

-drew

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ADAM ANT SHOW REVIEW TORONTO: Get to the show tonight in Detroit!

Wild Bill Ketelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog






Wild At Heart


Just had a wonderful must needed weekend in Toronto. Work has been hectic and things at home have been up and down and it was nice to get away. I stayed at the Holiday Inn in Brandtford which had a great heated pool which felt great though I was a bit disappointed it didn't have a fridge or continental breakfast like some of the other places in that area. Still, a nice heated pool goes a long way. Nighttime traffic was a bit of a bitch. They do most of there construction overnight when the traffic is the lightest but it can still be super busy. I hit about 5 major construction area hold ups over 2 nights which gets old fast because it is hard to bypass them. Still, the cost saving being just outside the city is worth it.

I saw Adam Ant with opener Prima Donna at the Harborfront in Buffalo the first night. They are playing tomorrow at the Scottish Rite Cathedral at the Masonic Temple. I was a huge fan of Adam in the 80's. Prima Donna is a serviceable band that has a nice glam rock feel though it is Adam Ant and all his costumes that you will want to see. While it was nice hearing songs like "Desperate Not Serious" and "Wonderful", as well as some new selections, I was a bit disappointed in the show esp while loving "Goody Two Shoes", it just wasn't as fun live as I thought it would be live. That is what you get sometimes with older acts sometimes. It wasn't "Flock Of Seagulls" bad but definitely not "Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds" good but somewhere in between. As a fan who had never seen him before, it was a good distraction for a free show and I'm glad I got him off my musical bucket list. He also has 2 great drummers, esp the sexy Jola who was worth seeing by herself (wish I had gotten a good picture of her). Here are some pics of both.













I also checked out the Birthday Massacre at the Revival which was part of the Rue Morgue after party for the Fan Expo. They were sponsored by Kraken Rum which was pretty good stuff and they had a costume party hosted by actors Ken "Dawn Of The Dead" Foree and Tristan "American Mary" Risk. Birthday Massacre came on stage a bit late and the London, ON band put on a great, high-energy show fronted by some nice vocals by lead singer Chibi. There last 2 albums have reached some success internationally and they are becoming a nice band so it was good to see them in their own backyard. If you like bands like a mix of the Cure or Mindless Self Indulgence, this is a band you might want to check them out (enjoy the video below).



I'll have some more next week with pictures of the Fan Fest and preview of the new Mesopotamia exhibit at the ROM. Until then, here are some shows you might like to experience:

Tuesday (8/27) - Adam Ant w/Prima Donna @ Scottish Rite Cathedral, "Carnival Of Madness" feat Shinedown and Papa Roach w/Skillet and In This Moment @ Pine Knob, Serena Ryder @ Magic Bag

Wednesday (8/28) - "Honda Civic Tour" feat Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson @ Pine Knob

Thursday (8/29) - Reverend Horton Heat @ Magic Stick, Smokey Robinson @ Freedom Hill

Friday (8/30) - "Art, Beats and Eats" feat Smash Mouth w/Audra Kubat and Candy Band @ Downtown Royal Oak, "Detroit Jazz Festival" feat Macy Gray @ Downtown Detroit, Mudhoney @ Magic Stick, Doobie Brothers @ Pine Knob

Saturday (8/31) - Buckcherry @ Macomb Music Theatre, "Art, Beats and Eats" feat Montgomery Gentry w/Polish Muslims @ Downtown Royal Oak, "Detroit Jazz Festival" feat Brubeck Brothers Quartet w/Thornetta Davis and Four Freshmen @ Downtown Detroit

Sunday (9/01) - "Art, Beats and Eats" feat Soul Asylum and Ty Stone w/Beth Stalker @ Downtown Royal Oak, "Detroit Jazz Festival" feat Yellowjackets and Gregory Porter w/Bill Charlap Trio @ Downtown Detroit

Monday (9/02) - Matisyahu @ the Crofoot, "Art, Beats and Eats" feat Jill Jack and Sponge w/Dutch Pink @ Downtown Royal Oak, "Detroit Jazz Festival" feat Marcus Belgrave @ Downtown Detroit