Rock stars, they're just like us. Nick Mason of Pink Floyd played his version of the "What If" game last week when he spoke to reporters about the 40th anniversary of Dark Side Of The Moon. After listening to the album, Mason did a Q&A. First, Mason praised the album's engineer, Alan Parsons, saying, "Without him I think it would have ended up not quite as good."
But when asked if they should have done anything differently, he said, "What we should have done was we should have toured Dark Side for much longer, which almost certainly would have left us with a film of it... We have no record of what we did... [Also], it would have been great to play the whole thing beginning to end live a number of times and then recorded it. I think we would have sequenced it differently now, looking back on it."
Is there anything you'd change about one of the greatest rock albums of all time?
Did you know George Washington had his own recipe for rye whiskey? The president was such a detailed record keeper that the recipe has been recreated by distillers and will be sold at Mount Vernon. Starting next Thursday, bottles will be sold for $95. There are only 1100 bottles distilled.
With the calendar turning to April and the weather looking amazing to get out of the house this weekend, it's time to start thinking about your annual spring landscaping adventure. Since I'm an apartment dweller, this means re-potting my favorite house plants, but if you have a bigger job on your hands, you might check out Compost Days.
Through April 15th, Seattle Public Utilities, King County Solid Waste Division, Cedar Grove and Waste Management are providing big discounts on bags of compost (including the biggest discount - free!) at locations around the area. Compost Days is a region-wide campaign to thank residents for diverting 350,000 tons of food and yard waste from landfills in 2012. Find a list of locations here >>
So as you're outside this weekend assessing the yard's future, remember Compost Days as a great way to feed the garden for the season to come. Get all the info here >>
After an hour of building Twitter excitement, the Rolling Stones have just announced they will play the Glastonbury Festival in England on June 29th. This was pretty much the longest rumored, worst kept secret of a concert announcement, but now it's out there officially. Now to see if there are more announcements today on the heels of this one, or if we'll have to wait a few more days for the big tour announcement that is coming...
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced some more performers and presenters for next month's induction ceremony. The Seattle representation continues as Pearl Jam's Mike McCready and Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains will perform with Heart. Awesome! Jackson Browne and John Fogerty will perform on behalf of Randy Newman, who will be inducted by Don Henley. Spike Lee and Harry Belafonte will pay tribute to Public Enemy, and Usher will perform for Quincy Jones. Cheech and Chong will be on hand to induct producer Lou Adler. It wouldn't be a party without Cheech and Chong, right?
The induction ceremony takes place on April 18th at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. It will air on HBO on May 18th.
The President added to our national monuments this week and only gave the designation to 5 U.S. locations, including the San Juan Islands! In his proclaimation, he writes that the San Juans are, archipelago “a refuge of scientific and historic treasures and a classroom for generations of Americans.” This designation means that there will be additional protections placed on over 1,000 acres of federal land.
Do you have a San Juans spot you love? This photo is from Larrabee State Park.
Rumors swirled this week that Prince was making a stop at Showbox at the Market for 4 shows. The shows were confirmed yesterday and this morning, tickets are on sale. Talk about turn around!
The dates are Thursday, April 18th and Friday, April 19th for an early show (8pm) and late show (11:30pm). Tickets are $250 + service charges and on sale now >>
For more about concerts, events and free tickets, Join The Club >>
Another big summer tour has been announced... and unfortunately, the band (so far) has not booked any dates west of the Mississippi. Bummer. In case you're traveling east this summer, here's where you can see The Eagles "History of the Eagles" tour:
Saturday, July 06 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
Sunday, July 07 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest
Tuesday, July 09 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena
Thursday, July 11 Toronto, Ontario Air Canada Centre
Monday, July 15 Ottawa, Ontario Scotiabank Place
Tuesday, July 16 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Thursday, July 18 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Friday, July 19 Boston, MA Comcast Center
Monday, July 22 Washington, D.C. Verizon Center
Tuesday, July 23 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center
Thursday, July 25 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center
For info and free tickets for shows closer to home, Join The Club >>
Happy birthday to Bob Dylan's self-titled debut album. It came out today in 1962. Did you have a copy?
If you missed last week's news, Dylan will be inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in May. Being a part of the organization is one of the highest honors an artist can earn, as the 250-member group only invites new members after the death of existing members. It's unclear whether Dylan is being inducted for his lyrics or his music.
For more on concerts and events in the area, make sure to Join The Club >>
The Who have teamed up with designer Lyric Culture on a men's collection of apparel that will be sold exclusively in Bloomingdale’s starting April 15th.
The designs feature iconic album imagery as well as lyrics to some of their greatest hits, including “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Who Are You,” “Baba O’ Riley,” “My Generation,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Long Live Rock” and many more. The collection was made possible through a partnership with Spirit Music Group, the publisher of Pete Townshend’s lyrics.
Lyric Culture works with many classic artists including John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and more. Will you seek out a shirt with your favorite Who lyrics?
It'd been a while since someone had made a Jim Morrison film, so indie filmmakers Jess and Jeff Finn are leading a new documentary project. Before The End: Jim Morrison Comes Of Age will look at Morrison's early life through his death in 1971. It will feature interviews from his family and those closest to him, like roadie Gareth Blyth. They've also uncovered never-before-seen photos and documents as well.
It's the last official weekend of winter! How are you planning to spend it? Here are a few of my plans - I'd love to see you out and about!
- Sounders vs. Timbers - St. Pat's weekend AND a heated rivalry? CenturyLink will be rave green to the gills. The game starts at 5pm and tickets are still available. If you're not one for crowds, the game is on NBCSports. Scarves up!
- St. Patrick's Day Parade - The Irish Heritage Club is throwing the annual parade (do you throw a parade? It's kind of like a party, I'm going with it.) on Saturday at 12:30. Catch the parade as it starts at 4th and Jefferson in downtown Seattle and travels north towards Seattle Center, where the Irish Festival takes place.
- Urban Girl Garage Sale - Sorry guys, this one is for the ladies. A group of women have organized the Urban Girl Garage Sale, Sunday from 11am - 2pm in downtown Seattle. The event is described as "walking through your girlfriends' closets," with tables and tables of new and gently worn high end items. Admission is free, but you can pay $20 for the VIP early access. Get a jump start on some new pieces for spring and find out more.
There's a new trend of web videos making the rounds right now - the Save The Date. It seems that instead of sending a little card or magnet in the mail, people are now making save the date videos for their events. Most of these are lovely and basic. Those aren't the ones I'm posting about today, though (what fun would that be, after all?) In the past few weeks, a few bar mitzvah save the date videos have made me laugh out loud... and fear for what lies ahead as I prep my own (eventual) child for his/her big day. Usually a kid singing or rapping with clever lyrics about celebrating and becoming an adult, these videos are a far cry from how we invited our friends and families to our bar mitzvahs, but they sure are entertaining.
This one takes the cake. Jorel, the star, belts over a medley of Queen songs, with Queen-like style in the post-production as well. I give him credit for attempting the high notes... I can't imagine it's easy to channel Freddy Mercury as a 13-year-old.
What do you think about these kinds of videos? I think they are fun, but I can't imagine putting that much effort into something on top of planning a huge event. Have you made one?
In 2010, Ray Davies tried to sell his KONK studio, but unsuccessfully took it off the market the next year. Now the studio, which is still operational for recording, is doubling as an art gallery. The walls feature Ian Emes' work, an artist Davies met when Emes introduced himself one day. Davies attended the opening the other night, saying, "I always wanted to use this space for people who wanted to be creative. You know, music's more than just about music."
You may be thinking, "what's newsworthy about Neil Young playing a small show in Australia?" On the surface, not much. However, according to people who were at Wednesday's Melbourne show, a camera crew was on hand to film the entire show. It sounds like Young and Crazy Horse showed off for the cameras as well, playing some rarities, including "Bar Stool Blues," which has been done live just 3 times since 1996. Based on the set list, the film could end up being billed as Rust Never Sleeps Two, the sequel to his 1979 concert film with Crazy Horse.
The setlist is below. Did you see Neil Young and Crazy Horse when they played the Key last fall? How does it compare?
This past weekend, Saturday was so nice and sunny, I got to open the windows and start thinking about the dreaded spring cleaning. I hope you did, too! Well, open the windows and enjoy. If you didn't think about cleaning, I won't blame you. However, once that inevitable Big Clean comes, Care2 has a few tips for keeping your home green and clean.
Natural air freshener: Don't buy the canned stuff. Simmer lemon peels or cinnamon and cloves to make the house smell natural and fresh. Opening the windows and running the fans will help, too. There's nothing that smells better than fresh air and sunshine.
Keep those old textiles for rags: If you go through paper towel roll after paper towel roll when you clean, take a look at your old clothes before they go into the charity pile. Some of the rattier items can be torn into rags for scrubbing and dusting. Ever notice how much dirt your socks collect when the floor is dirty? Use them to your advantage and turn old socks into dust rags. You can wash and reuse them.
April 30th, the Eagles will release The History of the Eagles on DVD, their two-part documentary about the rise and fall of the band. You may have seen the film on Showtime last month, but if you didn't, now you can watch on your own time. Hey, maybe you liked it so much, you want your own copy! Either way, April 30th is the date to circle on the calendar. There's a nice bonus to buying, as well. They are including a third bonus disc of a 1977 concert in Landover, MD.
If you're really into the band, or looking for a gift for a fan, the super deluxe edition will include a 40-page photo book, additional photography and a lithograph of the band’s skull icon. More >>
Pre-order on Amazon and the band's website started yesterday!
For more on concerts and events, don't miss out on Mountain Mail! Join The Club >>
We're excited to see Stevie Nicks with Fleetwood Mac at the Tacoma Dome on May 20th, but before she hits the stage, she'll hit the screen. In Your Dreams, the documentary about Nicks that was produced and directed by the Eurythmics Dave Stewart, will open in Seattle on April 2nd.
Described as an intimate portrait of one of rock’s most enduring and legendary artists, In Your Dreams documents Nicks' “the greatest year of [her] life,” as she wrote and recorded the album that bares the same name as the film.
The film will open nationwide on April 2nd and Seattleites will be able to catch it at the Guild 45th Theatre in Wallingford. In the meantime, watch the official trailer:
I have a secret to admit. I haven't bought Girl Scout cookies yet this season.
There, I said it. Out loud (in type.)
You may have already eaten your way through both sleeves of Thin Mints, and for that, I commend you. However, if you're like me and a little behind the 8 ball this year on the cookie front, don't worry! The Girl Scouts of Western Washington are selling cookies through Sunday around the area, just in case you didn't plan ahead and place your order a few months ago.
The best way to find the Girl Scouts is to use the handy Cookie Finder site here: http://cookielocator.littlebrownie.com. They also have an app this year that you can download by dialing *GSCOOKIES (*472665437) on your mobile phone. For the most part, you'll be able to grab a box (or 8) of Tagalongs while you do your weekly shopping at Alberton's, QFC, Fred Meyer or Safeway, but use the Cookie Finder to be sure. Boxes are $4 and they even take credit cards now.
There's a law written somewhere that GS cookies consumed in March don't count toward daily calories, right? I'm ready to make a lunch of Thin Mints. Maybe Do-Si-Dos...
I don't know about your office, but everyone around here is buzzing about Justin Timberlake's performance on SNL Saturday night. The show was funny, but the cold opening sketch is the one all my coworkers loved. Did you watch it?
I hate to start rumors (really, I do), but it's hard to ignore the few stories I saw over the weekend mentioning both "Rolling Stones" and "Seattle." It's hard not to get a little excited about the possibility of a Stones show here this spring. So, maybe I'm starting a rumor, or maybe I'm just wishfully thinking out loud so that you can join me in sending good vibes to the Concert Gods.
The story is this: Rolling Stone has reported The Stones are going to do 18 dates in North America this spring. May 2nd is the rumored start of the tour, which sounds to be mainly east coast... except for the specific mentions of "maybe L.A. and Seattle." Here's hoping that where there's smoke, there's fire. Either way, there should be an announcement soon, as we're already to the 2nd week in March.
I'm usually one to ignore this stuff, but the Rolling Stones are a "bucket list" show for me, so my fingers are crossed (I promise this isn't one of those "I know something but I'm not saying it" blogs.) I'll travel if I have to this time around. Will you travel to see them if Seattle isn't a date?
Did you happen to catch Dan Akroyd and Steve Martin on Saturday Night Live last night? They appeared as Two Wild and Crazy Guys! (It's the little things in life that make me happy on a Saturday night, I've learned.) Watch the sketch below:
New Van Halen? It's true! There's no release date yet, but Wolfgang Van Halen tells Billboard that there's, "some new stuff that [they've] been working on [sic]. You never know what’ll happen.” While I know he's trying to be elusive, truer words have never been spoken... even young Wolfie knows you just never know what could happen in the world of Van Halen.
It's possible the new material could see the light of day during Van Halen's few tour dates over the next few months. The band will be in Australia in April, Japan in June and then playing the Rock USA Festival in Oshkosh, WI in July. The band wasn't sure about touring until recently as Eddie Van Halen suffered some health problems late last year and was sidelined. He's back in the studio, though, as the band preps for the summer on the road.
Eric Clapton posted a video with lyrics to his new song "Gotta Get Over," the first single from the new album Old Sock. The album hits stores Tuesday, and you can hear the song now on The Mountain2 - The Original Mountain. Or, you know, watch the video:
Eric Clapton recently said he wasn't going to tour past 70 years old, so if we hear of any tour dates near by, we'll let you know first if you Join The Club >>
Last month, I wrote about the Journey documentary hitting theatres when the trailer made its internet rounds. There were no theatre dates at that point for Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey, the story of Arnel Pineda's rise to become the frontman of his favorite band. As of today, they've announced Seattle dates at SIFF Cinema Uptown! The show open Friday and plays at least three times a day through the week. Get times and buy tickets here >>
The film focuses less on the history of the band and more on the past few years -- the process of finding a new lead singer, connecting with Pineda and the experiences of the band with their new lead singer. You can watch the trailer here:
For more about concerts and events in the area, Join The Club >>
Terrible rhyming in the title of this blog aside, it's nearly time for Earth Day. We are excited to be a part of the first Earth Day 5K on Saturday, April 20th! The race starts at the Bell Harbor International Convention Center and continues through the Olympic Sculpture Park, Elliott Bay bike trail and Centennial Park. We might get lucky and even be able to see the Olympics. (Wishful thinking, I know.)
The goal of this Earth Day event is to help our neighborhood parks, so a portion of each registration fee will go to Green Seattle Partnership. If that's not enough to make you feel good about signing up for a race, maybe the sustainable beer garden at the finish line and the goodie bag will. Plus, the race starts at a very reasonable 9:30am, so no need to race around the house trying to get out before sunrise.
The late Warren Zevon is now the subject of a photo book. Lawyers, Gun & Photos features 150 never-before-seen photos of, as author George Gruel puts it, "just a couple of guys riding around the country, in a bus, stoned." Zevon's family is excited to see the photos published, too. His daughter Ariel says, "I was too young then to understand any of the [screwed] up insanity of his perplexing character -- I just knew I loved my Daddy. Now I can look back and appreciate him anew.” And ex-wife Crystal adds, "This photographic treasure trove brings back the good, the bad and the ugly... Just like Warren would have wanted it.”
I was lucky enough to see Book of Mormon when it played the Paramount in January and immediately told almost everyone I knew, "GO SEE IT." I told almost everyone because, well, it's not for the faint of heart, like anything the South Park creators do. If you missed out the first time, the show is slated back in Seattle July 22nd - August 10th, 2014 again at the Paramount Theatre.
According to Seattle Met, the only tickets on sale right now are for season ticket holders. The 2013 - 2014 line up is already impressive with shows like Wizard of Oz, The Lion King, and Evita, and BOM is certainly a high caliber addition. I'll keep checking and update you if individual tickets go on sale. Fingers crossed; I'd love to see this show again... even if it means waiting over a year!
Exciting news on the summer tour front (and not just because we're one day closer to actual summer): Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bad Company are hitting the road together and kicking the tour off in Auburn, June 20th at White River Amphitheatre. In addition to coming together for summer fun, both acts will celebrate 40 years of being bands, which is why the tour is cleverly called The 40 Tour.
Turns out Skynyrd and Bad Co. have a long history of friendship and admiration. According to Paul Rodgers' press release, “The Skynyrds and I go back to the 70′s and the days and nights at the Hyatt House on Sunset in L.A. aka the Riot House. In the 90′s the band introduced me to my wife Cynthia, and that’s why I am so damned happy and healthy these years.”
There's no ticket info yet, but we'll let you know about the on-sale and prices once we know.
Working with the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Camden, in North London, will launch its own starred walk this year. To be considered for a star, a act must fall into one of these categories: innovative artists, influential artists, icons, unsung heroes or industry figures. Grandmaster Flash, the late Gil Scott-Heron, R&B group Soul II Soul, and Madness are the first to be named, according to organizers, with more plaques coming in September. Also due in September is the Amy Winehouse memorial statue, which will be unveiled at the same time as the Hall of Fame additions.
Among those artists who "could" be considered, Led Zeppelin, Frank Sinatra, The Who and The Doors. Seems like these acts should get more than "could" status, doesn't it? Of course, they can't induct everyone at once, but it sounds like Amy Winehouse has taken more priority than Zeppelin! As talented as Winehouse was, do you think she should receive a Walk of Fame star in London before some of the best rock bands in history?
It's no secret that Axl Rose is dedicated to Guns N' Roses, but even in the early days, Rose knew the band would be a success. When speaking to Antimusic this week, legendary producer/manager Kim Fowley revealed that Axl Rose turned down $50,000 in cash to stay with the band.
Fowley was working with another band on a separate project when the manager decided it was time to look for a new frontman, someone “who’s weird and strange and difficult, but possibly platinum,” Fowley says. Axl Rose comes to mind, no? There was a meeting arranged to meet Rose and lure him from his current project, the still unsigned Guns N' Roses. Fowley remembers the meeting playing out with the manager basically throwing a suitcase of cash to Axl Rose and Rose rejecting it, saying, "That’s not enough for Guns N’ Roses. We’re going to be bigger than that.”
Good thing he was right! $50,000 is a lot to pass up. Makes you wonder who that other band was, doesn't it?
