July 12, 2008Your Medeski Martin & Wood review goes hereMMW plays Jeff Center. We can't make it. That's where you come in. Addendum: I've heard that fire alarms went off during the second set of this show. Has anyone heard anything about this? June 27, 2008Hubert Sumlin and the Nighthawks at 202 Market: ReviewMaybe it's fitting that dark gray clouds, lightning and spitting rain filled the Friday afternoon sky right before a blues show. And maybe it was fitting that the sun broke through the clouds, summoning a humid night. Stormy weather -- personal and meteorological -- is at the heart of the blues. And some of the greatest blues performances have immortalized those storms' wreckage, while still leaving room for some sunshine. Hubert Sumlin was the lead guitarist on his fair share of those tunes. Recording for Chester "The Howlin' Wolf" Burnett at Chess Records, Sumlin found slithery yet switchblade-sharp ways to solo and to phrase call-and-response with Wolf. "Smokestack Lightnin.'' "Spoonful." "Wang Dang Doodle." "Killin' Floor." Those are just a few examples of a catalogue that inspired Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and other guitar giants of the 1960s and beyond. Sumlin is among the last survivors of the first wave of Chicago electric blues. And on Friday -- he was in Roanoke, at 202 Market, with traveling mates the Nighthawks, who have their own legitimate parcel of blues. A loud, standing-room-only crowd of at least 200 greeted them enthusiastically, and most stayed into the early morning. Continue reading "Hubert Sumlin and the Nighthawks at 202 Market: Review" » June 16, 2008The Superpowers at Blue 5 RestaurantGlenvar High grad and amazing drummer Adam Clark was at Blue 5 on Sunday night with his band, The Superpowers. These guys play Afrobeat music with a distinct jazz flavor. Makes sense, since Clark spent time here playing with such fine jazzers as the Pace brothers (in the Non-Profits) and bassist Dylan Locke. First time I heard Clark play, he was swinging madly with guitarist Cyrus Pace and Hammond B-3 icon Dr. Lonnie Smith. This time, he put his unmoveable time-feel and chops in the service of some hypnotic horn- and percussion-heavy tunes, several of which he wrote himself. June 4, 2008Robert Plant/Alison Krauss set listI've had a few requests for a set list, and have been too busy to put one together. But one of the folks who asked, Todd Atkins, went ahead and did it himself. It looks good to me, save the title of one of Burnett's tunes, but he and I would both welcome any corrections or additions. By the way, I don't think this is in perfect order. I'll work on that through the week, if I get a chance. Man, I have a lot to do this week! Haha! Click on for the list. And Todd -- you rock, man. June 2, 2008Concert review: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, featuring T Bone Burnett
Continue reading "Concert review: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, featuring T Bone Burnett" » May 31, 2008Club show: Jason Ricci and New BloodThis review should be in the paper, but it can't be, and here's why: It was a club show, which means that I'm sitting here just past 1 a.m., so I've missed any deadline. The only day it makes sense to go in the paper is Sunday, but Sunday's Extra section went to press a couple of days ago, so we can't get any news in it. At least I can be looser here than I would for print. That said, let's talk about an amazing bunch of performers, Jason Ricci and New Blood, who just finished up at Blue 5 Restaurant. May 29, 2008Pete Best rocks Awful Arthur'sLike a musical time capsule. Check out the review. April 19, 2008Concert review: Henry ButlerHere's the printside review, on roanoke.com. What's up with Roanoke not showing up for New Orleans music? Only 230 came to the Jefferson Center, capacity about 940, for the Henry Butler Trio. Before the show, I spoke to a couple of concert-goers who had gone to 202 Market on Friday to hear Bonearama, a New Orleans horn act. They said that attendance was light, as it had been at 202 when Porter, Batiste Stoltz played there a few months back. Sure, Southwest Virginia is Scots-Irish roots country, so people show up for big bluegrass shows, and for some reason it's a good-enough blues town to support acts that come through. But if you don't dig New Orleans, you're missing out. Butler, as I wrote in the deadwood version, is more than simply a New Orleans-style player. He has deep jazz knowlege, and played a lot of stuff outside the norm of what conventional soloists would try. He's obviously studied at the church of Thelonius Monk and Herbie Hancock. He mixes in classical stylings too, and his timing is impeccable -- a trait his sidemen, Tony Gullege (bass) and Kindler Carto (drums), share with him. But he also studied with Professor Longhair and Allen Toussaint, paragons of the New Orleans style, so he's well locked in to the Storyville style of piano, and can drop it into practically anything he's playing at a second's notice, it seemed. April 14, 2008Concert review: Steve Earle, Allison MoorerFirst, the ever-lovin' deadwood version. Another good show at the Jeff. When are they going to book a dud? Earle, as is his wont, talked a little about politics. At one point, a guy in the audience yelled, "Just sing!" Earle ignored him. But c'mon. Do you expect to hear an artist like Earle and not get a dose of his opinions. It's not like we're talking Linda Ronstadt in Vegas -- and she has the right to say what she wants, too. This is a guy who nowadays is known nearly as well for his strong opinions as for his songs. And a lot of his songs have opinions in them. I guess it's just easier to ignore something about which you disagree if it has a nice guitar part with it. Still, the "just sing" guy wasn't the entertaining yeller. That honor goes to a guy who definitely loves him some Steve Earle. He was obviously one of those fans who has been with Earle from the beginning, and definitely digs the outlaw vibe of a lot of Earle's music. He just would not shut up, until finally an usher settled him down. But he did get in a couple of funny statements. Late in the show, Earle asked the audience, "Have I ever played here before?" Several people shouted no. The excitable Earle fan shouted: "Every night, at my house! In my car! In my house! All the time, Steve." Earle, who had tried to ignore most of the man's statements (lest he encourage him?), had to crack a smile at that one. Continue reading "Concert review: Steve Earle, Allison Moorer" » April 9, 2008Concert review: Carolina Chocolate DropsHere's the deadwood review. Read on for some notes. Continue reading "Concert review: Carolina Chocolate Drops" » March 27, 2008Concert review: Angelique KidjoThe talented and charismatic Angelique Kidjo put on an amazing performance. Here's the deadwood version of the review. And now for a few notes that didn't fit into 12 column inches of print ... March 19, 2008Concert review: Kid Rock, Rev. RunFirst, the deadwood version of the review. Now for a couple of quick highlights I couldn't fit into 12 column inches of newsprint. Kid Rock's drummer, Stephanie Eulinberg, had a great moment during one of Rock's new songs, "Half Your Age," a honky-tonk divorce number that's about his ex, Pam Anderson. March 7, 2008Concert review: Doc Watson, Peter Rowan and Tony Rice QuartetHere's the deadwood review, which is online now. As always, it's hard to write everything you want in a 12-column inch space, so here's more: Continue reading "Concert review: Doc Watson, Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet" » February 16, 2008Concert review: Keith Urban, Carrie UnderwoodA huge crowd at Roanoke Civic Center got a big dose of pop-country on Saturday night. Hitmakers Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood kept the 8,426 people cheering and singing along all night. Here's the review. February 15, 2008Concert review: Darrell ScottFew guitar players combine the taste and technique that Darrell Scott has mastered. And he writes great songs, too. He's probably just too good. Here's the review. February 14, 2008Concert: Grace Potter and the NocturnalsWow. It's hard to see a show like that and try to be an objective reporter, reviewing the show. All I really wanted to do was get up, head to the front of the stage, and rock. Potter and her band probably have that effect everywhere they play. Here's the review | Read more about Potter here. |
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