Broken Billy @ the Cabooze 1/28

Featuring Ian Alexy on guitar, Jimmy Rogers on bass and Royce Rock on drums, Broken Billy is one talented trio.

God Johnson performs Appetite for Destruction 2/14

After successfully paying tribute to Talking Heads and The Rolling Stones at past album themed shows, God Johnson took on what Rolling Stone Magazine dubbed the 61st best album of all time, Appetite for Destruction. I would have to put it in my Top 10 most influential records of my youth. It's hard to overstate just how important this album was. It was the first tape I ever owned. Sure, I had Thriller on record and a few tapes I called my own, the Top Gun Soundtrack among the earliest, but Appetite was something new and exciting and wonderfully rebellious but not entirely relatable and/or understandable for a 9 year old boy in suburban Minnesota. Still something spoke to me, and millions of other young rock and roll fans. I suppose it was the Paradise City video, or the Welcome to the Jungle video at first. These are some of the best songs of that decade.





Of course the Paradise City video is one of the coolest videos ever, but Axl won't let me embed it here.



I remember being at Target and my mom being pretty skeptical about getting this particular cassette tape for me, with its blasphemous cover featuring five long haired skulls adorning a cross. (That was the cover that was not banned. The original cover, what became the artwork inside the album cover was even more shocking.) The record, of course, has so much booze and sex and violence and cursing in it that certain songs mandated that the volume be turned down so as to not get in trouble or go to hell. I also had an awesome black-light poster of the cover in my bedroom.

Discussing the relevance of the album on our collective musical development with friends before the show, I realized I was not the only one whose first tape was GnR's Appetite. For many in the audience at Trocadero's on Saturday night, seeing Appetite for Destruction performed in its entirety was like seeing a friend from the distant past, one you forgot you appreciated so much back in the day. Choosing Valentine's Day for such a bold performance only added to its brilliance.

Like the other album tributes, GJ did it right. The universal symbols of Axl Rose and Slash were prominent: the red bandana atop the lead singer and Slash's signature top hat/long curly black hair obscuring modern day Slash Jason Fladager. Every song rocked, as did Steve Davern as Axl, who also helped with vocal duties on the Sticky Fingers tribute. He nailed Axl shriek after marvelous Axl shriek as he lead the crowd in what was essentially a 12 song singalong.







Following the spectacular GnfnR set, GJ threw down some funk on "The Wrath" and Scott Rourke revisited his David Byrne persona. With God Johnson playing fewer shows these days, hearing a set of their own tunes was a perfect nightcap.










Opening the show was Absolut Gruv, who were impressive and ended their set with a nice Elizabeth Reed featuring GJ frontman Jason Fladager.

The Dead to Perform at Obama Inauguration, or Worst President Ever > Best President Ever

Like the Obama Steal Your Face logo created for the first of two Obama fundraisers during the campaign, it just doesn't get much cooler than this. The Dead will play an Inauguration ball in Washington D.C. the night the Best President Ever takes over for the Worst President Ever. Dozens of other prominent and awsome artists are taking place in events that will begin several days before the actual beautiful transfer of power. Other artists celebrating will be

Bruce Springsteen
Bono
Beyonce
Mary J. Blige
Herbie Hancock
John Legend
John Mellencamp
Usher Raymond IV
Shakira
James Taylor
will.i.am
Stevie Wonder.

Some of these concerts will be shown live by HBO.

I love America.

Phil Lesh: “...And that’s why I always say there’s nothing more American than The Grateful Dead.”



From Relix.com

https://www.relix.com/Features/Daily_News/The_Dead_to_Perform_at_Obama_Inauguration_200901153637.html

The surviving members of the Grateful Dead will perform in Washington, DC this coming Tuesday as part of Barack Obama’s Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball. Also on the bill is DJ Cassidy.

Other recent additions to the inaugural festivities include: The Derek Trucks Band with Susan Tedeschi and Wil Gravatt Band at the Southern Ball Common, Jack Johnson and Don Cagen Orchestra at the President Obama Home States Ball, Maroon 5 at the Vice President Biden Home States Ball, Sheryl Crow and Fabulous Motown Revue at the Midwestern Ball, James Taylor and Liquid Pleasure with Kenny Mann at the Eastern Ball, Yolanda Adams, Carole King, BeBe Winans and Dartmouth Gospel Choir at Finance Welcome Brunch, Carole King at the Bi-Partisan Dinner at Union Station, Honoring Vice President-elect Joe Biden, Faith Hill at the Bi-Partisan Dinner at the National Building Museum, Honoring General Colin Powell and Patti LaBelle at Bi-Partisan Dinner at the Hilton Washington, Honoring Senator John McCain.

The President-Elect’s staff had already lined up an impressive mix of musicians for the high-profile series of events, ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Beyonce to John Mellencamp to Usher to Bettye LaVette, Stevie Wonder and Bono.

The announcement should come as no surprise to Deadheads. Last February, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and Mickey Heart put aside their differences to play a joint Obama benefit at San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre and, this past October, the reformed Dead played its first show since 2004 at an Obama benefit held in State College, PA. Likewise, Weir, Hart, Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann, Dead guitarist Warren Haynes, onetime Grateful Dead keyboardist Bruce Hornsby and Phish bassist Mike Gordon performed at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s inauguration party in 2007.

Weir cited RatDog’s election-night performance in Washington, DC as his 2008 favorite performance in the answers to his Relix "Year in Review" questionnaire. “Not because it was us, but because of the night,” he said after some thought.

When asked about the Grateful Dead community by Widespread Panic bassist Dave Schools in the February/March issue of Relix, Lesh remarked, “It’s not just the music. I mean, look what Obama did. It’s a seed of a community of various types.” He also used a question pertaining to Obama’s belief in a “team of rivals” to riff on the current state of American politics. “[The idea of a consensus has] been lost, it really has, with all this ideological culture war bullshit,” Lesh says. “And that’s why I always say there’s nothing more American than The Grateful Dead.”

The Dead will kick off its first tour since 2004 at Greensboro, NC’s Greensboro Coliseum on April 12. The group appears on the cover of the February/March issue of Relix .

Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank @ the Cabooze 12/28

Having recently returned from a trip out west opening for Trampled by Turtles that reportedly saw a great many full houses, The Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank were in prime shape for a late December Sunday night show at the Cabooze. After a nice opening set from the Pistol Whippin Party Penguins, the place had a great crowd ready for some rock. Brothers Ian and Teague Alexy were joined by sometimes drummer Paul Grill for an energetic set that brought us favorites like "2010", "Holyoke" and "Minnesota Song".
(I just noticed that the version of that tune on Myspace boasts guest Marco Benevento doing some big time piano work.
http://www.myspace.com/hobonephewsofunclefrank)

Guest fiddler Ryan Young (of TBT and Pert Near Sandstone) joined for a few songs and incited more feverish grooving on the dance floor. These guys always throw down and put on a great show. You can catch them on Feb 14th along with TBT and Two Many Banjos at the Cabooze in what will surely be a sold out show and a hootin Happy Valentines Day.

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings @ The Pantages 12/2

Here in Minnesota, we have a State Fair so damn cool that they provided free Sharon Jones shows for fairgoers the first two nights of the yearly great Minnesota get together. So, fortunately this was the second time this season we got to see Sharon Jones and her fantastic funk soul backing band, The Dap Kings. Ms. Jones is simply phenomenal, and her energy is virtually unmatched in today's music biz. Our seats at downtown Minneapolis' beautiful Pantages Theatre were in the second row of the Orchestra Pit, but we were informed by security during the opening band's set that the seats would be removed and it would be a free for all dance party in front of the stage. No big surprise there, but Brianna managed to stay front and center the entire show and take what are some of the coolest concert photographs ever. Dig:

Change Rocks: The Dead play in support of Barack Obama

In the hotly contested, (although recently leaning towards Obama) state of Pennsylvania, the remaining members of the Grateful Dead reunited to support and raise money for Barack Obama. This was the second time in this election year that Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart got together to paly a show to benefit Obama's campaign. Back in February they did a show in San Fransico, spawning what might be the coolest fucking logo ever, Deadheads for Obama, shown above.

Joining the Dead for the duration of Monday night's show at Penn State were Jeff Chimenti of Ratdog on keyboards and one of my favorite musicians in the world, Warren Haynes on guitar.





Here's the full setlist:

Truckin'>
U.S. Blues
Help On The Way>
Slipknot!>
Franklin's Tower
Playing In The Band>
Dark Star
St. Stephen>
Unbroken Chain>
The Other One>
Throwin' Stones>
Playing Reprise

Encore:
Touch of Grey>
Not Fade Away

I once decribed "Throwin' Stones" as the most overtly political song the Grateful Dead ever performed. Written in 1982, these lyrics couldn't be more relevant today:

Picture a bright blue ball
Just spinning, spinning free
Dizzy with eternity
Paint it with a skin of sky
Brush in some clouds and sea
Call it home for you and me
A peaceful place or so it looks from space
A closer look reveals the human race
Full of hope, full of grace, is the human face
But afraid, we may lay our home to waste

There's a fear down here we can't forget
Hasn't got a name just yet
Always awake, always around
Singing ashes to ashes all fall down
Ashes to ashes all fall down

Now watch as the ball revolves and the nighttime falls
And again the hunt begins and again the bloodwind calls
By and by again, the morning sun will rise
But the darkness never goes from some men's eyes

It strolls the sidewalks and it rolls the streets
Staking turf, dividing up meat
Nightmare spook, piece of heat
It's you and me, you and me

Click, flashblade in ghetto night
Rudie's looking for a fight
Rat cat alley roll them bones
Need that cash to feed that jones
And the politician's throwing stones
Singing ashes to ashes all fall down
Ashes to ashes all fall down

Commissars and pin-striped bosses role the dice
Any way they fall guess who gets to pay the price
Money green or proletarian gray
Selling guns instead of food today

So the kids they dance, and shake their bones
And the politician's throwing stones
Singing ashes to ashes all fall down
Ashes to ashes all fall down

Heartless powers try to tell us what to think
If the spirit's sleeping, then the flesh is ink, yeah
History's page, it is thusly carved in stone
The future's here, we are it, we are on our own
On our own. On our own. On our own.


If the game is lost then we're all the same
No one left to place or take the blame
We will leave this place an empty stone
Or that shinning ball of blue we can call our home

So the kids they dance, they shake their bones
And the politicians, throwing stones
Singing ashes to ashes all fall down
Ashes to ashes, all fall down

Shipping powders back and forth
Singing "black goes south and white comes north"
And the whole world full of petty wars
Singing "I got mine and you got yours"
And the current fashions set the pace
Lose your step, fall out of grace
And the radical he rant and rage
Singing "someone's got to turn the page"
And the rich man in his summer home,
Singing "Just leave well enough alone"
But his pants are down, his cover's blown

And the politicians throwing stones
So the kids they dance they shake their bones
Cause its all too clear we're on our own
Sing ashes to ashes, all fall down
Ashes to ashes, all fall down

Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free
It's dizzying, the possibilities

Ashes to Ashes, all fall down (Ashes to Ashes, all fall down)

Someone's got to turn the page indeed.

The Allman Bros. Band also performed, and they were joined by Susan Tedeschi on a cover of Bob Dylan's "Dont Think Twice". Here's their full setlist:

Revival
Statesboro Blues
Who’s Been Talking
Midnight Rider
One Way Out
And It Stoned Me
Dreams
Don’t Think Twice
Anyday
Melissa
Trouble No More
Ain’t Wasting Time No More
Jessica

E: Whipping Post

What an incredible show, I wish I could have been there.

Bob Dylan to Play U of M Election Night or, Go Home Ye Masters of War

For the first time ever, Bob Dylan will perform on the campus of the University of Minnesota, where he briefly went to school. The Northrop Auditorium is an old school ornate and intimate theater, with room for less than 5,000 people. Through sheer luck and the magic of the internet, I have already acquired tickets on the main floor and am very much looking forward to the results of the election being delivered by the man who has been a voice for change and progress for decades. Dylan endorsed Obama for president back in June. here is a link to that.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4076339.ece



Here's a couple other shows, Obama fundraisers to be precise, that I wish I could attend in the days ahead before the election.