|
|
|
|
Category Archives: Whoa!
KAABOO Festival 2015
Last weekend, while I was visiting friends in San Diego, we went to the first ever KAABOO festival at the Racetrack and Fairgrounds at Del Mar.
It. Was. Awesome.
We only went on 1 out of the 3 days; but it was still great. KAABOO was marketed as a classier festival in that there were actual real restrooms, instead of port-a-potties; there was better food and more choices; better beers and even wines, etc.
I thought I had seen the whole grounds, but after checking out some other pictures and articles online, clearly I was mistaken. And now I feel bummed out about it. Waaaaaaah.
Anyways, I got to see Ron Funches (comedian) who plays on the show “Undateable” and is my FAVORITE character in the show; possibly of all time.
So…that was fun. He put on a good show, but I think I was hoping he’d be more like his character “Shelley.” haha
The guy on the right is Ron Funches. Silly bear.
After that, everyone was hungry so we went to the “Posh Nosh” food tent area. It was cooled down in there and a nice break from the heat.
Then we bounced around a bit between Counting Crows and Slightly Stoopid until it was time to see Young the Giant. I like Young the Giant, but they weren’t on my MUST SEE list — however, once I was watching them, I was loving it. Crazy how that happens, huh?
After that, the people in my company wanted to see Zac Brown Band (I am not really a fan), so we went over there. It killed time until Goldfish was playing anyway. At 10:00, they didn’t have any more bands playing outside because of the noise ordinance, so Goldfish, Big Gigantic and Girl Talk were all playing in a tent at the Encore Stage.
Goldfish was AWESOME. I was super excited to see them, and they did not disappoint. It was an amazing dance party. I posted a short video on YouTube from it — I don’t take many videos because I want to just feel and enjoy the moment fully — but I knew I’d be so upset if I didn’t have just a little bit to look back on! Here’s the video:
After that, I wanted to see Big Gigantic and dance some more, but everyone else wanted to go see Joel McHale at another stage. So — we mosey’d over there, but it was PACKED. The line was super long and then they weren’t letting any more people in, so it was a bust. We got back to the Encore Stage when Girl Talk was getting ready to come on. Now, everyone knows I love me some Girl Talk. Greg Gillis is from Pittsburgh and I’ve seen him 4-5 times here. I was excited to see him in San Diego this time, at this festival. But…I am saddened to say that it was not the hyped up dance party I am used to. It was just not good. We tried to get into it but weren’t able….and ended up leaving to catch an Uber before everyone at Kaaboo wanted one. I mean….it was probably a fluke, I’m sure.
Anyways — my experience was just a short chapter of the book. But, I’d like to go back again! Good times!
Here’s the flyer with the lineups:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. renaming themselves JR JR
The following is a letter from Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr. — explaining their decision for a name change.
Dear Friends, Fans, Internet Users, And Everyone Else Out There
We wish to address you one final time as Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr.
A bit of backstory is probably in order…
What started out as a basement recording project in 2009 has become a full time career for us, and we are eternally grateful for the opportunity that it has given us to make music and work on art the past few years.As we prepared to release our first full length album on Warner Brothers Records back in 2011, our band name became a topic of concern among people who work with us. The concerns were y’know… legal ones. Bands stuck in courtrooms have a tough time touring and making records so it was decided that the name needed to be addressed, and possibly even changed. As much of a hail mary as it seemed as the time, our solution was to just write Dale Earnhardt Jr himself and explain we were in no way making light of him or his family, that we were fans of his and hoped he wouldn’t take offense to our existence.What’s crazy is he actually wrote us back…The exceptionally good natured spirit of the man himself lifted everyone’s spirits about the name. We were proud to keep it, and create under it. To this day, Dale Earnhardt Jr has been nothing but gracious and cool about things. And y’know…he didn’t have to be. It was perfectly within his right to look at these two weird kids from Detroit and say ‘no way’, or to just have an intermediary shut things down on his behalf. But he didn’t. He was a legitimately warm human being about it all. He was kind. A couple of times when asked about us, he even mentioned that he likes the music we make. This, we thought, was the best case scenario.When we initially chose the name Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr, the feeling was that it gave us an amazing flexibility. We were just meeting as people, and hadn’t begun to scratch the surface of knowing what our voice, as a band or each individually, would be. Band names are a weird thing to begin with, but we figured if we named our band Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr there would be no expectations for what we were meant to sound like. Something that bizarre would just have to be listened to and judged without preconception. And realistically, we never thought so many people would be up for taking that sort of a listening experience on.But people really did. You guys did. And since then we’ve been continually overwhelmed by seeing so many people around the world having such a passionate connection with the things we have made. What we’ve been able to do, as a result of our amazing fans, fills us with a lot of pride.The flip side is that as things have grown, so has the amount of confusion caused by the name Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr. Some of it is no big deal and easily cleared up. But sometimes we get sad and bizarre requests sent to our social media sites or emailed to people we work with. We’ve had people drive long distances to shows only to be disappointed when they realize it’s a neurotic Jew and wild haired gentile from Detroit they’ve paid to see. A number of times now we’ve received hope filled inquiries from people who have dying relatives that only want to meet Dale Earnhardt Jr (the driver) before they pass. Those sorts of interactions feel a little voyeuristic and eerie, and even attempting to simply clarify the situation means you’ve added a moment of embarrassment to someone’s day when they’re already going through a lot.We recognize that we created this situation and that the name has been a part of getting to where we are now. It stirred up some attention for us in the modern internet world of over-stimulation, and we aren’t complaining about any of it–good and bad. The name has become it’s own personality, though. Almost, another member of the band.But as time has passed, we have grown into ourselves, both as artists and individuals. Each of our perspectives have gotten stronger, and we’ve found that there is no longer room for a third, ubiquitous member of the project.So recently, after a lot of thought and discussion, we made the decision to shorten our band name to the much more brief moniker of…JR JRWe hope this doesn’t bum you guys out too much. In our mind, changing our name to JR JR allows us to take back our voice in a way. To us It is all about empowerment, and being who we feel we need to be moving forward.At the same time, we don’t want to run away from what we’ve done under this name with all of you in the past. If you need us to remain Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr for your own reasons, we have no problem with you calling us that. After all, nobody is forcing us into this change, so we’re able to do it at our own pace. Functionally, we will go on performing as Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr for a short while longer so that nothing feels imminently different when we announce shows. We probably even have a few t-shirts with the old name left that we’ll burn through the last of in the coming months.But in the long run we’re going to transition into just being JR JR. We encourage you all to come out to the next show near you and celebrate another phase of life with us. The past is passed, and we are so excited about the future. We hope there is nothing mournful about this.ESPECIALLY… because we’ll have another announcement very very soon. One that we hope gives all of you out there a reason to move forward with us as JR JR.Ok, this has gotten lengthy so we’ll leave it at that for now.Thank you for allowing us into your worlds…We are eternally grateful for the privilegeyours truly,Josh & Danielwho at times have referred to themselves as Dale Earnhardt Jr Jrbut are now going to be known as the much easier to say…JR JR
Filed under Band Change-ups, Whoa!
Kelis Wrote A Cookbook!
Kelis’ love affair with food started as a child. A native New Yorker, her mother worked as a chef in her own catering business, run out of their home in Harlem. Driven by the speed and the intensity in the kitchen, Kelis’ passion behind watching her mother cook inspired her to roll up her sleeves, willing do to what anyone asked of her. Every detail was clear and defined: Red lips, red nails, perfume, earrings and a military demeanor, Kelis felt in the presence of a master while watching her mother work.
At age 17, Kelis signed her first recording contract and began to travel the world. She discovered local outdoor markets and tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants and considered them the hidden treasures of her journeys. After 10 years in the music business, Kelis decided to attend Le Cordon Bleu. Attending the famous cooking school gave Kelis the confidence to call herself a chef and to write her first cookbook.
MY LIFE ON A PLATE: RECIPES FROM AROUND THE WORLD (Kyle Books; September 28, 2015; Hardcover; $24.95) tells Kelis’ personal story through the food she creates. Her style has been molded by her culture, her travels, and all the people she met along the way. “My Life On A Plate is my first cookbook, and like the title says, it really is a reflection of my life through food. It includes my version of recipes I grew up eating and things I’ve picked up that have inspired me along the way,” says Kelis. “It’s an exploration of tastes and cultures, and my experience as a chef, musician, mother and wife. It’s a lifestyle, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you.”
This book is a collection of her favorite recipes. It features a mix of foods from her Puerto Rican heritage, such as Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork Shoulder), Arroz con Gandules, and Shrimp Alcapurias along with dishes she created after discovering them on her travels around the world such as Malay Curry Chicken and Swedish Meatballs. Food lovers looking for a new kind of food fusion experience will love MY LIFE ON A PLATE.
“The music world is full of foodies, from Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos to Action Bronson and his penchant for rapping about barbecued venison. Kelis out-foodies them all.”-Observer Food Monthly
Pre-order “MY LIFE ON A PLATE” now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all other book retailers ahead of its September 28th release.
Filed under Awesome, Band Change-ups, Whoa!
Listen: Emmy Wildwood – “Scream”
NEW! Grateful Dead – New Speedway Boogie (Beats Antique Cover ft. Clint Maedgen)
Listen / Download: Grateful Dead – New Speedway Boogie (BEATS ANTIQUE cover ft. Clint Maedgen)
From Beats Antique:
In honor of the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary, we thought we’d play tribute by covering one of their classic tunes “New Speedway Boogie” !! The cover features Clint Maedgen on Vocals and Sax from Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Summer Tour Dates
Jul 02 – Aragon Ballroom (w/ Thievery Corporation) – Chicago, IL – Tickets
Jul 10 – Oregon Country Fair – Eugene, OR – Tickets
Jul 11 – Chalice Cup – San Bernadino, CA – Tickets
Jul 16-19 – Pemberton Music Festival – Pemberton, British Columbia – Tickets
Jul 17 – California WorldFest – Grass Valley, CA – Tickets
Jul 18 – Moods of the Madison – Ennis, MT – Tickets
Aug 01-02 – Electric Adventure – Atlantic City, NJ – Tickets
Aug 03-09 – Ozora Festival – Dádpuszta, Hungary – Tickets
Aug 08 – Mugstock – Glasgow, United Kingdom – Tickets
Aug 13 – Peach Music Festival – Scranton, PA – Tickets
Oct 16-18 – Phases of the Moon Music + Arts Festival – Ozark, AR – Tickets
New Music From Iglomat
“Great drama, enhanced by their ability to create lovely passages as well as jarring odd moments” – DC Rock Live
“There are deep, medicated grooves and purposefully rough patches. It’s the sort of record that reveals something different every time—circumstantial, temperamental, and yet somehow definitive.” – NME
After the success of “The Kelpies” project with filmmaker Walid Salhab and following the release of the “TicTac Toe” single, the 3rd Iglomat album is here and ready to drop on CD and download. Iglomat III is again another quality collection of bristling post rock electronica that is as melodious as it is “effortlessly cool”. 9 slices of musical sustenance that are as much “food for the soul” as they are “post rock perfection”. And as if to celebrate progression there are even some small forays from the instrumental path, with an energetic vocal performance on “Elgato Elgato” from 7-year-old Noah Macdonald followed by profoundly heart achingly subtle performances from Rachel Sermanni and Jennifer Austin on “King Of The Sun” and “No Place Like Home”.
Perhaps Iglomat’s main technical unit David Jack describes the album best; “Years ago when we first started on this exploration, Iglomat was just an idea and a couple of guitar lines floating around in cyberspace. Now as we’ve grown musically and with communication technology progressing exponentially, we can work as remotely and as freely as we like. Which means the music that we heard in our heads is as close to what comes out of the speakers as near as dammit. A recent review described us as a little bit like Goblin which made me laugh, as we try to be a lot like Goblin. So we must be getting close.”
About Iglomat:
Iglomat thrives in the transitional realm. The cross-continental recording project operates across landlines, highways, and hard drives – chronicling tales of distance and time. Such efforts would normally lose some spontaneity and urgency in the transfers. But consider Iglomat’s pedigree: producer David Jack, a beat chemist praised by no less authority than John Peel (just check his Peel Session) long-time collaborator and another Peel session veteran Scott MacDonald ; and acclaimed photographer Sandy Carson, whose narrative focus comes through as much on record as it does in print.
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, new albums, Newest Love, video, Whoa!
Yowza! Hot Song! Mike Dignam – “Addict”
Listen: Mike Dignam – “Addict”
Following his last hit single “Hurt”, Mike Dignam delivers another dark and sophisticated track off his upcoming album Fight to Forgive. “Addict” showcases Dingman’s talent to tie raw feeling and heavy lyrics into a soulful pop hit. Dignam allows his skills and hard work to shine through in “Addict”. Using the simplicity of drums, bass, guitar, and the haunting vocals of his distinctive voice, to create and own a sound that sets him apart from the average singer-songwriter. Dignam uses his impeccable vocals to carry a forcefulness and yearning within his lyrics, resulting in a song that is full of vulnerability and devotion.
Filed under Check 'em Out!, listen, Whoa!
The Flaming Lips Take Over Howard Stern’s Channel Tonight!
TODAY IS THE DAY! Howard Stern, the King of All Media is surrendering his SiriusXM radio studio to THE FLAMING LIPS today. Fred Armisen will host the show as previously announced.
Click here to catch a sneak peek right now!!!
The Lips will perform songs from their Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band tribute album With A Little Help From My Fwends, as well as other predictably unpredictable surprises. The special premieres tonight at 11pm ET / 8pm PT on Howard Stern‘s exclusive SiriusXM channel Howard101, on the SiriusXM App, as well as online at http://www.siriusxm.com/. Check for repeats throughout the weekend!
With A Little Help From My Fwends, was released October 28th from Warner Bros. Records. The band has recorded their own versions of each track on The Beatles’ 1967 classic in their own inimitable style, with help from special friends Miley Cyrus, Moby, My Morning Jacket, J. Mascis, Dr. Dog, Phantogram, Tegan and Sara, Grace Potter, Electric Würms (THE LIPS side project, who recently released their 6-song debut album titled, Musik, Die Shwer Zu Twerk) and many others. Click here to purchase.
All proceeds from sales of THE LIPS current album, With A Little Help From My Fwends, will be donated to The Bella Foundation, a non-profit organization based in the band’s hometown of Oklahoma City that assists low-income, elderly, or terminally ill pet owners with the cost of veterinary care.
Live Music Streaming From Liverpool – Starts Today!
Today’s the day! 2ube Xtra, Liverpool’s first and only live streamed music festival kicks off, giving us eight days of live music from some of the best emerging artists active in the city right now together with interviews and exclusive performances from more established artists. Watch it here!
Filed under Whoa!
Musically Amusing 