Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings w/ Fitz and the Tantrums @ Mercy Lounge 5/14/10

So this blog is a little bit delayed, but that is not because the show wasn't one of the most fun shows I have been to lately!

When I arrived at The Cannery on Friday, May 14th, I was excited beyond belief to see Sharon Jones, and I was pleasantly surprised by Fitz and the Tantrums. I actually met a couple that came all the way from St. Louis just to see them and after their show I understood why.
The male/female duo that comprises the vocal section of Fitz and the Tantrums is what makes their modern day soul music so unique and catchy. In addition to having a obviously talented group of musicians backing them (their drummer was playing with them for the first time that night), the two vocalists commanded the stage not only with their vocals, but with their all out, non-stop, energetic stage presence. This is a live show not to miss. Next time around they will more than likely be in a smaller room, so be sure you're there. As the band wrapped up their set, they received tremendous applause and lots of excited fans rushed to meet them at the merch booth.

As the time between sets grew shorter and shorter, I grew more and more excited about what I thought Sharon Jones would play during her set. While I ended up hearing about half of what I wanted to hear, the whole set was still incredible. Featuring mostly songs off of her newest album, "I Learned The Hard Way", Jones and the Dap-Kings pulled out all of the stops and showed the audience what it is like to feel and hear the new songs live. Song after song, you could see the audience bobbing the heads to the new tunes, which is undoubtedly a foreshadowing of the fact that this new record is going to launch Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings to new heights in their career. If you haven't heard her new record, be sure to buy it. If you're feeling a little unsure, you can listen to the album in full on her MySpace before you head out to Grimey's to pick-up a copy.

www.myspace.com/sharonjonesandthedapkings

www.myspace.com/fitzsoulmusic



Other pictures from the night:






























(The two above are of Fitz and the Tantrums)



















(Above is Homer from The Dap-Kings)

Space Capone - CD RELEASE w/ Mikky Ekko @ Mercy Lounge 5/7/10

Everyone crammed into the Mercy Lounge last Friday for an experience that can only be had in Nashville. While I was standing there enjoying the sounds and anticipating the glory of Space Capone, I realized that there are very few places on earth where you can have a musical experience similar to this one; one that is representative of such a high level of creativity and originality.
Leading off the night with Mikky Ekko is one of the best ways if not the best way to have a night begin. His soaring vocals on numerous songs had the crowd singing along and moving to his voice and exceptionally tight band. As Mikky continued to tastefully hit note after note in song after song and the evening grew slightly later, the Mercy Lounge was nearly, if not totally, sold out.
With Mikky's set coming to an end, the anticipation was killing me. I was so excited to hear the new material and knew that it would be incredible. As always Space Capone delivered a show that was above and beyond anything that I could have expected to hear. While taking heavy influences from the era of funk, Space Capone is able to make every song original, fun, and memorable. I am constantly finding myself saying to my friends, "no wait, this is my favorite song." In addition to now having fallen in love with all of the new tunes live, the new album has several previously unrecorded tracks that have been staples of the Space Capone live show for awhile now in addition to having some that were unveiled at the release show. The other great thing about this show was that with the entry price to the show was built in the cost of an album, so everyone in there walked out with a copy of the stellar new record.

Space Capone is playing next on May 17th at the Mercy Lounge 8 off 8th Road to Bonnaroo.

Also, I believe their new record can be purchased at Grimey's.

www.myspace.com/spacecapone

Other pictures from the night:

Coming Up This Week...

5/3/10 - Westfolk with Lawndart Casualty and Holmes & Presley @ The Basement - 8pm, Free

5/4/10 - Delta Saints (DVD Release) with The Hollywood Ten and The Other Brothers @ Mercy Lounge - 9pm, $5 and probably $8 if your under 21.

Notes: Heard a rumor that MFJR is playing with The Hollywood Ten on this show, if you know what that means, then you know what that means.

5/4/10 - The Rabbit Release Party @ Exit/In and The End - 9pm, Free

Exit/In Stage:
How I Became The Bomb, Colorfeels, Jordan Hull, and Kid Stuff

The End Stage:
Joshua Black Wilkins and the 40 Volts, Angel Snow w/ Viktor Krauss, Rex James (with an introduction to The Harp Guitar), Andrew Combs, Jacob Thomas, and D.E.A.

5/5/10 - Westbound Rangers, Brinley Addington, Gagrahm Vitek, and Josh Thompson - 9pm, $6

5/6/10 - Dr. Dog w/ Deer Tick @ Mercy Lounge - 9pm, $15

5/7/10 - Space Capone CD Release w/ Mikky Ekko - 9pm, $10 (includes copy of album)


I hope to see you all out at a show!

Local Natives w/ Suckers @ The Basement 4/30/10

I have been excited about going to this show for at least a few weeks if not a month and I was not the only one. When I showed up to try to buy my advance ticket yesterday from Grimey's at noon the show at been sold out for several days, but I was informed that I might have a chance at getting in the door if I was one of the first 50 people in line when the doors opened that evening. I got to the venue around 8 something and was able to get in no problem, but it wasn't much longer after I arrived that they stopped letting people in. Some of my friends had been there since 7...keep in mind the show started at 10pm. When there is a line 2 hours before doors, you know that you've got something special. The excitement of all who were in attendance felt almost tangible. Since there was so much down time, I got a chance to catch up with Kelcey (left), one of the singers and keyboard/guitar player for Local Natives, who also happened to be working the merch table at the time. He said that some of their main influences are The Beach Boys, The Beatles and Motown, which all become very clear when listening to their music after knowing this. In addition to these influences, he also cited Owen Pallett, who composes the strings for Arcade Fire. Also, when I asked him what he had in the van CD player right now, he said that the band is really into the new Bear In Heaven album and that they have been listening to that a lot lately. As the crowd around the merch table grew, I stepped back outside and enjoyed some fresh air before subjecting myself to the humid air that comes from being in the Basement when it's packed.

As ten o'clock rolled around, Suckers took the stage, and everyone piled in, ready for some music. Suckers (guitarist, right) was a band that I was completely unfamiliar with until last night. There were several songs that I enjoyed and their set got progressively better as the night went on. They played for about forty minutes or so and when they left the stage it seemed that the excitement really set in.

Everyone in the audience was all smiles as Local Natives carried their gear on stage. People were picking out pieces of songs, as the band checked their gear, and talking about how much they loved that particular song. Once they ran through a quick line check the band got cranked up and started off. About halfway through the first song the bass went out and so the jokes and stories ensued while it was being fixed. As soon as it was fixed, they announced they were starting fresh and kicked off the same song, which ended up being more awesome than the time the did it just moments before. This show was like a greatest hits show, but for a band that has only released one full length. Everyone in the audience was singing along to every song, making it feel as if the band and the audience were one. Song after song, as soon as the first chord was played, you could hear people scream with excitement. On top of having great songs, putting on a great show and being great musicians, all of the members of this band were incredibly friendly.
Tell all of your friends to go see this band while they are still playing in intimate settings because it is not going to be long before they are playing in bigger rooms.

Tour Dates and Music:
www.myspace.com/localnatives

So I know it's been awhile...

So it's been awhile since I've posted anything on the blog, but here comes a few fresh items for you all to enjoy!

Below are some pictures from shows I have been to in the last month or so:

Frontier Ruckus
www.myspace.com/frontierruckus


























Morning Teleportation
www.myspace.com/morningteleportation

TWO FREE TICKETS!

TWO FREE TICKETS to see Frontier Ruckus, Rev. Payton, The Apache Relay, & Rayland Baxter at The End on Saturday, March 6th to the first commenter on this blog post!

Big D and the Kids Table and State Radio @ Exit/In 2/16/10

Big D and the Kids Table is a ska band from Boston, MA that I have followed since I was in high school. They have played Nashville several times and, while this is my first time seeing them in town, I have heard that each time attendance has grown. They have just released a new record called Fluent in Stroll, which is the follow-up record to their immensely popular Strictly Rude. Traveling with back-up singers and new band members, Big D took the stage and delivered their Boston based ska to Nashville, which does require a bit of bravery as Nashville is not the most ska-friendly scene on earth. Featuring mostly songs from their new record during their set, they threw in several from the older albums ending with an encore of "Little Bitch".
This led to State Radio taking the stage, whom are also from Boston, MA. I had heard the name State Radio before, but had never heard their recorded music or seen their live show. If I were to sum it up quickly I would say that if you are a Sublime fan you would like State Radio. While they are definitely a Northeast reggae/punk band with hints of Dispatch, they appeal to the same crowd as the aforementioned Long Beach trio that was well routed in west coast influences. Overall I enjoyed what I saw of State Radio and so did the crowd, especially those upfront who were leaning on the barricade, screaming every word of each song, and calling for more long after the walkout music took over the PA and the house lights came up.
After the show I caught up with Big D front man David McWayne at the merch table and got to ask him a couple of questions about the new Big D line up and record. First, I asked about the new record, how he felt like things had changed from the last record, Strictly Rude, and those before. McWayne explained to me that the new record, Fluent in Stroll, and Strictly Rude were really just a return to the attitude of their first two records. In between Big D's first two records and the most recent two are two albums that more punk influenced and according to McWayne, Big D would play the punk stuff all day except for the fact that "when you are on tour, the road becomes your home" said McWayne and the negativity towards music felt throughout the making of the middle two records, influenced by the rise of emo, really began to wear on the band. According to McWayne, screaming all night about being angry can take its tole on you and he would much rather be singing about how "things are alright" and not bring the anger on the road with them. Another aspect of the band that I was curious about was the line-up change that the band seemed to have experienced. The main switch I noticed was the change in guitarists from Sean Rogan to Suburban Legends guitarist Brian Klemm. This switch due to the fact that Rogan has recently gotten married, but it is not a permanent replacement as McWayne assured me that Rogan will still be playing some shows with the band....who knows maybe he will be there when Big D returns to the Exit/In for their unannounced headlining tour.