Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are doing some big festival dates this summer like Bonnaroo in Tennessee in June. But they also just announced a bunch of more intimate theater dates beginning in May. These shows will give the band a chance to get a little closer to the fans, and maybe do some deeper material that they might not play in a huge venue -- especially since they're doing multiple nights in a couple of cities: Five nights at the Beacon in New York, and six nights at L.A.'s Fonda Theater. Unfortunately, they're doing zero nights in Seattle.
Here's the itinerary:
05/16 – Evansville, IN @ Ford Center
05/17-19 – Gulf Shores, AL @ Hangout Music Festival
05/20 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
05/21 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
05/23 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
05/25 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
05/26 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
06/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre
06/04 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre
06/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre
06/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre
06/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre
06/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre
06/15 – Noblesville, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
06/13-16 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
06/18 – London, ON @ Budweiser Gardens
06/20 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
06/21-23 – Dover, DE @ Firefly Music Festival
06/23 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
06/28 – Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheater (Summerfest)
06/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
If anything changes and they decide to show up around here, you'll find out first if you join the club.
BTW, this theater tour is actually a break from recording for the band; they've been in the studio cooking up the sequel to their 2010 release Mojo. They say the new, as-yet-untitled record, will be out sometime next year. And maybe then you'll come back to the Northwest, fellas? Please?
It's true that a lot of people were offended when Seth MacFarlane took a bit of a sexist approach to the hosting chores at the Academy Awards last weekend, especially in the elaborate production number that was an ode to actresses taking off their tops in movies, "We Saw Your Boobs." One of the big issues with a lot of people is that four of the topless scenes he sang about were actually rape scenes -- Boys Don’t Cry, The Accused, Lawless, and Monster -- and that, obviously, isn't funny.
So here's a response, from software developer Kevin Gisi, who created a salute to male actors who've displayed their man junk on screen. I'm thinking it might have been a little more effective if a woman had done it, but here you go . . . .
You see a lot of warm and fuzzy stuff out there on the web, but this video that's making the rounds right now really is special. It not only makes you wish all atheletes showed this spirit of generosity and sportsmanship; it also makes you wish there was more generosity and compassion in all walks of life. Like, say, Congress?
While we wait for the March 12 release of The Next Day, the first new David Bowie album in 10 years, Bowie's treating us to another new song from the album, in an intriguing and ambitious music video starring the actress Tilda Swinton. One interpretation of the video is that it's inspired by Tilda Stardust, a website decidated to the idea that Tilda Swinton and David Bowie are the same person.
According to what I read on the web, the song, "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)," is about celebrities and our relationship to them. Okay, if you say so. See what you think:
The word is that even though Bowie is thoroughly stoked about the new music he's making, he's really not very interested in touring. If that changes, and he decides to come around here, you'll find out about it if you join the club.
Led Zeppelin's John Bonham was one of rock's most colorful, powerful drummers. Sadly, he went to that great drum kit in the sky back in 1980, but his genius lives on in the form of a new website called The Bonhamizer. Now you can add Bonzo's thunderous drums to any song, no matter now delicate it might be.
Here, for example is a little sample of what the site does to Adele, and then to Aerosmith:
Now, you can argue about whether or not those songs actually NEED John Bonham's drums, but you have to admit it definitely beefs things up a little bit. They have a stash of songs on the site already, or you can upload one and see what happens when your favorite song gets the Hammer of the Gods treatment.
The only catch is that it only seems to work if you're using the Safari or Chrome browsers -- the Bonhamizer was created by some tech nerds at some kind of Silicon Vally hackathon and they're too cool for Internet Explorer or Firefox, I guess.
Check out The Bonhamizer here, and read more about it here.
I don't care what your politics are -- any first lady who goes on national TV and shakes it like Michelle Obama did on Friday's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is cool. She wanted to call attention to the Let's Move campaign which is fighting childhood obesity. So she joined a wig-wearing Fallon for "The Evolution of Mom Dancing."
For some reason, I just don't think you'd see Barbara Bush, or Laura Bush, or even Hillary Clinton bust a move like that, but if they did, they'd sure earn my respect.
. . . . . or maybe somewhere in between. The web is exploding with reactions to MacFarlane's performance last night. I have to say that although some of his stuff was bordering on sexist, racist, homophobic, etc. -- just what you'd expect from the creator of Family Guy, right? -- in our house, he got more laughs than groans.
Okay, the opening segment with William Shatner as Star Trek's Captain Kirk did seem pretty long, but you have to admit it was different than the age-old "insert the host in movie clips" concept that Billy Crystal did for years:
I'm really looking forward to seeing Sound City, the documentary about the legendary recording studio in Van Nuys, California that was directed by Dave Grohl (whose old band Nirvana recorded Nevermind there.) In case you're not up to speed on this, here's the trailer:
I'm so impressed with the passion and commitment Grohl has brought to this whole thing, not only with his work on the actual film, but in assembling many of the musicians who've recorded at Sound City over the years and playing live as the Sound City Players. And since the studio closed, Grohal actually bought the vintage Neve recording console that was such a big part of the sound these artists achieved when they recorded there. (Here's more about that.) Pretty cool..
Sound City opens today at Sundance Cinemas (formerly Metro) in Seattle's U District, or if you'd rather just stay on your own couch, you can buy it or rent it now via iTunes.
Christophe Gowans is a graphic artist -- I think he's in London -- who used to do design work in the music industry. You can tell he has a passion for music and for the emotions our favorite albums stir up in us. He has created a brilliant project in which he reimagines classic albums as book covers.
Christophe's website acutally has dozens of these images, plus clever little descriptions of the "books."
Classic paperback. The story of two catholic sisters growing up in a swiftly changing post-war Britain. Guess what? It doesn’t end well.
And if you're a real collector, some of them are even available to buy.
I've mentioned before that there's a "new" Jimi Hendrix album on the way: People Hell and Angels is 12 previously unreleased tracks that Jimi recorded during a very experimental period in 1968-69. On many of these tracks, there's more of an experimental vibe (more experimental that his regular stuff already was!) and as you'll hear, we get a tantalizing glimpse into the potential direction Hendrix might have headed if he'd stuck around. The latest song to leak from the new record is called "Earth Blues" -- big percussion, vocals right up front, and a sound as fresh as anything that's coming out in 2013.
This little brain teaser is good for you (I think.) The first time I did it I believed the other people on Facebook who claimed the number is 25, but they're low. Would you believe there are 40 squares in the picture? Watch this:
Did you ever see Led Zeppelin live in their heyday? When I was a young rocker, I made the pilgrimage in the spring of 1977 to the Pontiac Silverdome outside of my hometown of Detroit to see Led Zep. The place was a giant cavern (the home of the Detroit Lions at the time) and even though the weather was wintery, they didn't seem to be bothering with heat, because it was freaking cold in there. We waited in line outside in the frigid Michigan weather for a couple of hours, only to find that it was nearly as cold inside the place. Anyway, at least I can say I saw Zeppelin.
Fast forward to the 21st Century, and ever since their one-off reunion in London in 2007, we Led Zeppelin fans have fantasized about the possibility of a full-fledged reunion tour. (Well, a reunion of Plant, Page, and Jones, anyway, preferably with Jason Bonham on drums.) Maybe we're just dreaming. However, Robert Plant appears to at least be open to the idea in this interview that aired over the weekend on the Australian version of "60 Minutes."
Plant said it's up to Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. "The two other guys are Capricorns. They don’t say a word. They’re quite contained in their own worlds and they leave it to me… I’m not the bad guy... I’ve got nothing to do in 2014.”
Here's the whole chat:
Plant is working this year with his band, The Sensational Space Shifters, who are touring Australia in March. Page is reportedly working on new music while Jones is keeping busy scoring an opera. Do any of them need the money or the accolades enough to put the band back together again? Stay tuned.
Jerry Seinfeld thinks the people who run movie theaters are forgetting about a little deal we've made when it comes to throwing our trash on the floor.
We're not going to be able to see today's fly-by of the giant assteroid half the size of a football field. The 2010 DA14 asteroid, as it's called (catchy!) will be flying over our part of the world during daylight hours -- about 11:20am our time. (Plus it'll probably be cloudy. It is February, after all.) Indonesia's the place to be if you want to see this thing.
But, coincidentally, a meteorite streaked over Chelyabinsk, Russia early this morning, about 900 miles east of Moscow. This one was just a couple of yards wide, but it still managed to break hundreds of windows and injure a thousand people due to falling glass. Take a look:
Oh, and here's a view from inside an office. Check out these two dudes just goofing around until the window blows out.
See? Scary, but no big deal. Of course, that was the remote Russian countryside, not, say, Bellevue. That might be a little more dramatic. But, the United nations has been working on a plan to destroy any future asteroids headed our way that might cause the earth any real harm. Rest easy -- they're on it!
Since it's Valentine's Day, and we're throwing all kinds of love songs into the mix today on The Mountain's Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, I thought I'd share this post from Ultimate Classic Rock -- the Top 10 Bruce Spirngsteen Love Songs.
It's a pretty good list; personally I"d put "Roaslita" at the top, and I'd include "Tunnel Of Love," which isn't so much a love song as a falling-out-of-love song, but sometimes those are the ones that capture the rawest emotions, I think. (The guy does put "Brilliant Disguise" from that album on his list, which is pretty good too.)
"Rosalita"
Springsteen once called this concert showstopper one of his best love songs. It’s hard to argue with that. ‘Rosalita,’ in all its exuberance, captures the gleeful excitement of young love. There are no shadows or uncertainties – just parents who won’t let Rosie out to play. And Bruce is determined to “liberate” her and run away with his record contract money to San Diego. It’s a precursor to the “escape” songs of ‘Born to Run.’ Where those songs are about getting out while you can, ‘Rosalita’ is about getting out because it sounds like a blast. There’s no desperation, just an unyielding desire to run away with your girlfriend. Wild and innocent, indeed.
Are aphrodisiacs real? People all over the world, for centuries, have sure thought so.Mental Floss's 10 Aphrodisiacs Around The World runs down some of the most popular concoctions for livening up the libido.
Of course, in the Northwest we know the magical properties of the oyster, and we're not alone:
Nutritionally, oysters are high in zinc content, which is essential to testosterone production—testosterone being a key component in both male and female arousal. Now we know why Casanova liked to start his day in a hot tub with oysters served on a woman's breasts. Not that anyone needs a reason.
And the coffee we love so dearly around here actually may be sparking a little something, too:
According to a 1990 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, drinking coffee increased sexual activity in 744 participating Michigan residents over the age of 60, strongly suggesting that caffeine promotes arousal. That, or the subjects confused the study with a casting call for another sequel to Cocoon. While caffeine has not yet been directly linked to an increased sex drive, the consensus in the medical community is that anything that gets the central nervous system pumping will have a general stimulating effect on the body.
This one's a little out there, but . . . . if you say so:
But of all the foods held in high esteem for sexual enhancement, asparagus reigns supreme. In 19th-century France, it was customary for bridegrooms to down three courses of asparagus at their prenuptial dinners.
Sure, there's that weird pee smell thing, but in 19th-century France I'm sure things smelled pretty bad already.
Read about all the aphrodisiacs here, and celebrate love (and love lost) with us all day on The Mountain's Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love.
Ready for Valentine's Day? We are here at The Mountain, becuase we're bring you Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, a day-long celebration of love (and love lost.)
But before we get to that, let's take a look at a a couple of very scientific lists that I found on ABCNews.com. They said:
Quantified Impressions, a communications analytics company, set out to find out the best phrase for love on Valentine’s Day. The Austin, Texas, based company asked 100 people to rank their favorites from the 20 most popular ways to say “I love you.” Fifty men and 50 women also ranked their least favorite.
Here we go:
Top 5 Favorite Best Ways to Say “I Love You”
1. You’re my soul mate and the love of my life.
2. You are the love of my life.
3. Life is incomplete without you.
4. You, sweetheart, are my one and only.
5. You take my breath away.
Top 5 Worst Ways to Say “I Love You”
1. You’re one hot babe!
2. When I see you, I think “Good job, God!”
3. You turn me on!
4. I think that I love you.
5. Lovingly yours.
I hope that helps. And I hope you'll join us beginning at 6 AM on V-Day for Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love -- you're going to hear some really cool love songs sprinkled into the mix all day long, and then there's the bonus: Three solid hours of nothing but uninterrupted love songs from 9AM to noon on the All Music Workday.
I know they say it's a bad idea, but hey, hasn't everybody diped their pen in the company inkwell at least once? it happens. But where is it most liekly to happen? The intrepid researchers at Payscale, the online benefits and compensation site, have figured out which provessions have the most scandalous inter-office hookups. Here we go:
Artists, I get. After all, they're creative, rulebreaking types, and, depending on what kind of artist we're talking about, their work sometimes involves someone disrobing for a nude portrait. Always a good icebreaker.
Cooks . . . I've never worked in food services, but I've always heard that restaruant kitchens are notorious hotbeds of lascivious behavior.
But welders? Seriously? How can anybody flirt with those big helmet/mask thingies on? On second thought, that's one job where sparks are literally flying. Maybe that's it.
Well, he starts with an afro, but then it evolves into more of a shag/mullet combo.
I'm sure you remember Phil Spector, the legendary but eccentric record producer who was convicted for murdering his actress friend Lana Clarkson in 2003. Al Pacino is going to play Spector in an HBO film that's on the way, and now we have a trailer. Behold:
The film is written and directed by David Mamet, who wrote Glengarry Glen Ross, which was another excuse for Pacino to chew up the scenery. Spector's lawyer is played by Hellen Mirren. She's good, right?
Phil Spector, the movie, premieres on HBO on March 24. It's either going to be good because it's actually good, or it's going to be good because it's so bad. Either way, must-see TV for fans of rock history.
Last fall, Pete Townshend released his memoir, Who I Am. And then he went on a book tour. And now you can watch a fascinating conversation Pete did at the University of Pennsylvania where he talked about the stuff in the book -- his childhood, his carrer, and hearing music in his head. Oh yeah, and he plays and sings a little with an acoustic guitar, too. It's cool, and very revealing. The Huffington post is puttling the videos up in four installments; to check out the first one and read more about it, go here.
BTW The interviewer, Wesley Stace, is better known to some music fans as singer/songwriter John Wesley Harding.
I'm pretty sure very few people knew him by name, but Reg Presley, the lead singer of the sixties group The Troggs, has died of lung cancer. According to Ultimate Classic Rock:
Presley was born Reginald Maurice Ball on June 12, 1941 and like countless from that generation, found a home in the world of rock and roll music. The Troggs formed in 1964, but first caught the public’s attention in 1966 with their second single. With Presley’s nasally snarl leading the way, ‘Wild Thing’ became a No. 1 hit for the band in the summer of 1966, and would forever cement their place in rock and roll history. From that point on, the Troggs released an incredible string of singles including ‘With A Girl Like You,’ ‘I Can’t Control Myself,’ and ‘Love Is All Around.’
Their style was crude and raw, but always with a catchy melody at its core. They were much more than a one trick pony too, with styles ranging from the garage punk blast of ‘Wild Thing,’ to the bubblegum sounds of ‘Hip Hip Hooray,’ and the hard rock of ‘Come Now.’ The Troggs tried their hand at it all, and more often than not, succeeded.
I think it's easy to dismiss The Troggs as just another pop band making simple, singable, throwaway songs. But let's be honest -- we still remember these songs almost 50 years after they came out. To people who casually dismiss catchy pop songs, as if they're easy to crank out, I always say, "Fine, YOU try writing one."
Check out a couple of The Troggs hits, and immerse yourself in 1966. First, "Wild Thing"
and "A Girl Lke You"
And watch young romance blossom in "Love Is All Around"
