Ah yes, The Psychedelic Furs. My love for them dates back to the 80s and centers around their first four, magnificent, albums.
These four albums are still perfect and songs like “Sister Europe,” “Imitation of Christ,” “India,” “Mr. Jones,” “Dumb Waiters,” “She is Mine,” “Into You Like a Train,” “All of This and Nothing,” “President Gas,” Love My Way, ” “Sleep Comes Down,” “No Easy Street,” “The Ghost in You,” “Heaven,” “Here Comes Cowboys,” “My Time” and “Highwire Days” (among others) still kill me. They released three other albums after these; “Midnight to Midnight” in 1987, “Book of Days” in 1989″ and “World Outside” in 1991 but I’m less familiar with those save for the singles “Heartbreak Beat,” “Angels Don’t Cry,” “Shine” and “Until She Comes.” I don’t know why I haven’t fully embraced these “later” albums. Perhaps I’ll get there. But the fact remains, those first four are sacred parts of my record collection and they always will be.
As a gal in her 40s, I’m fortunate that I saw the Furs a few times in the 80s and have very fond memories of shows at the Orpheum in Boston as well as the Boston Common and a show at what was then called Great Woods in Mansfield, MA.
But I hadn’t seen them since then. That was until four years ago when , much to my heart attack worthy delight, a tour brought them through Portland (ME). A posse of us old Furs fans went and the show at what was then The Asylum was incredible.
Richard Butler performing in Portland, Maine at The Asylum. 6.23.13 Photo by Aimsel Ponti
YouTube, you sure do come in handy. Here’s a clip I just found from that night in Maine of The Furs playing “Highwire Days.”
As you can see and hear, they sounded FANTASTIC. I saw them two more times after that, once more in Portland at Port City Music Hall and then during the summer of 2016 (with The Church no less!) at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. And those shows were also stellar.
But there was something extra special about seeing them in Boston, the city I first saw them in when parents had to drive my friends Becky and Sue and I into the city. We all grew up in Andover, MA and I’ll never take it for granted how great it was having easy access to Boston.
This time around I met up with two college friends from Keene State. Nancy, Melissa and I all knew each other because we were all involved in some capacity with our college’s radio station WKNH.
Nancy hadn’t seen the Furs since 1992 and Melissa had never seen them. I was just as excited to reunite with them and share their excitement as I was to experience the show myself. I love that feeling. Don’t you?
So there I was, sitting outside at T’s Pub on Saturday afternoon, the 14th of October waiting for my friends to show up. I happened to choose the seat facing the street and facing the Furs tour bus. Alone, I sat there, looking at my phone as one does, sipping a beer and spacing out when what to my wondering eyes should appear walking by me was none other than Furs lead singer Richard Butler. 40 something me played it cool. 15 year old me called out his name. He was only a few feet away walking by so in an even-toned, casual voice I just said “Richard Butler.” He turned, smiled, waved and said hi and continued on his way. I returned the wave and smile and that was that. It’s a funny thing to have an encounter like this. Through the years I’ve been fortunate as both a fan and as a music journalist to have met some of my favorite musicians. A few have even become friends. But it’s an entirely other thing to say hello to a singer you’ve been a fan of since high school. I nerded out immediately and shared the news on social media because the day I become too jaded to do just that is a day I don’t want to ever experience.
There was no opening act that night for The Furs and the doors opened at seven with an initial wave of hardcore fans filing in. Nancy, Melissa and I entered about a half hour later or so and found good enough spots in the balcony area. The Paradise is a tricky venue because unless you’re right up front it can be tough to see so the balcony was our best bet.
A round of drinks and much nostalgia later, the clock struck nine and holy shit, I just about shrieked when David Bowie’s “Warzawa” started playing. We heard maybe the first two minutes. David Bowie’s my freaking life and I can’t believe this was their “walk out” song. WELL PLAYED!!! Jesus.
Here’s a clip someone shot of “Warzawa” into “Dumb Waiters”
The Furs established right out of the gate that they are still a fantastic band. Richard Butler’s vocals were sensational, Mars Williams is still an absolutely incredible sax player, Tim Butler still has his bass chops and the rest of the band as far as I’m concerned, are absolutely perfect. What’s more, the entire night had Butler jumping around with more energy than I ever hope to have. And the dude’s 61. My theory, he’s a yoga-practicing health nut and is reaping the benefits of a healthy lifestyle but that’s just a guess. Either way, he looked dashing in a tailcoat, black trousers and sunglasses and sang the hell out of an hour and a half worth of classic Furs tunes.
Psychedelic Furs at the Paradise Rock Club. 10.14.17 Photos by Aimsel Ponti
Every single person (about 1,000) of us at that sold-out show felt all the things during “The Ghost In You” and “Love My Way.”“Heaven” was heavenly, ” “Pretty in Pink” was a nostalgic romp back into the land of John Hughes and Molly Ringwald (though us purists prefer the original version better) and “All That Money Wants” was, well, right on the money.
This brings me to the encore. The Furs could not have chosen two better songs to say goodnight with. Both from their first album, both absolutely divine and such a part of the 80s alternative fabric forever part of my musical DNA.
There was minimal banter between songs throughout the entire concert but it didn’t matter. What mattered is that The Psychedelic Furs were tremendous some 40 years after first forming in 1977. They are not a nostalgia act. They’re too good to be relegated to that pigeonhole. Art rock, post-punk, new wave, alternative. Whatevs. Call it what you will. I call it glorious and still relevant and as for their Saturday night show in Boston, I loved every single minute of it and so did my friends. I hope the Furs keep right on touring. I’ll be there.
Being a fan of the band SHEL is like being Alice in Wonderland. I just hope the rabbit hole is without end because it keeps getting better and better. I should probably just rename this entire blog The SHEL report because just when I think my fandom has gotten as big as it can get, they do something spectacular and I’m at a loss for words with my jaw on the floor as my ears fill with wonder.
Left to right: Liza (drums, beatbox) Hannah (keys, accordion) Eva (vocals, mandolin) and Sarah (violin, guitar) Holbrook of SHEL Photo by Joe Dudeck
Lest there be any doubt about how much I love this band, you can see my declarations here,here,hereand here.Now where was I? Ah yes, Friday the 13th! As in 10.13.17. This is the day the new EP from SHEL called ‘Undercover’ was released and on it are seven covers. But not just ANY covers. These are seven covers that clearly were chosen when the clouds parted and the angels appeared and spoke to these four women and said “these are the songs you should do.” Actually, what really happened was that they have incredible taste in music and chose incredibly well what songs they wanted to re-imagine. In fact, Eva Holbrook wrote in an email that went out to fans the other day. (And you can and should sign up for said mailing list by clicking here.) that during a visit with her mentor Paul Kennerley, an important conversation took place during which he asked if she knew any covers which at the time, she didn’t. He advised her to “study the masters. The artist spends half their time in the library.” He sent her home with some of his favorite obscure and essential country and blues artists of early American music and encouraged her to learn great songs when she heard them. And guess what? She and her sisters did just that. The songs on ‘Undercover’ are Willie Nelson’s “Crazy,” “Blue on Black” by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, “Enter Sandman” by Metallica, the traditional spiritual “Wayfaring Stranger,” “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane and Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies.” If that’s not an eclectic collection of songs than I don’t know what is.
They do however have two covers in their previous discography. The first is Led Zeppelin’s “The Battle of Evermore” on their self-titled 2012 album and the second is Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” from last year’s “Just Crazy Enough.” I especially love this live version of “The Battle of Evermore.” As for “Enter Sandman,” check out this video they made last year in Alaska. It has racked up more than a million plays because it’s that good. And now hold that thought on the song because there’s a second chapter to that story.
And with no further ado, here are my thoughts on the UNDERCOVER EP which, as of a few moments ago, is out in the world. Do right by them and do what I did; buy it from iTunes. It’s a digital only release for the moment. Supporting independent artists is SO IMPORTANT.
UNDERCOVER image courtesy of the band
OK. Ready?
“Crazy.”This is the song penned by Willie Nelson in 1961. Patsy Cline took the song to no. 2 on the country music charts in 1962. Her version is a classic. You already know this. I knew before I even heard it that SHEL was going to do two things: keep the song recognizable because the melody is so perfect but also cast their spell over it. And indeed this is what they’ve done. Hannah’s stark piano pulls you into a kind of trance and Eva’s vocals have never sounded so lovely. If it had stayed along this path I would not have minded, for this path was indeed lovely and the sentiment of the song remains timeless. But then at about 52 seconds in, Eva’s mandolin is heard, softly and surely, giving the song texture. Further in, Sarah’s violin comes into the song and then some percussion from Liza and a whole bunch of hushed vocals and the song takes an exquisite, sinister turn. It slips into madness. And then it lands softly like a daisy petal on the grass. It’s nothing like the original. This is an entirely new thing. I listened to it five times in a row and each time it grew a bit darker and all the more gratifying.
2. “Blue on Black” by Kenny Wayne Shepherd. This song is 20 years old and is from Shepherd’s “Trouble Is.” I remember hearing it on the radio a whole bunch back then and still hear it from time to time. Vocals are by Noah Hunt. Entirely solid bluesy rock song. I just gave it a fresh listen and was reminded of what a good song this it and realized, perhaps for the first time, how good the lyrics are. SHEL put the song in their cauldron and stirred it slowly. They added a heartbeat of backing vocals and when Eva sings the lines “whisper on a scream doesn’t change a thing/It won’t bring you back/blue on black,” they take on a mood of their own. The song is a smoldering slow burn with Sarah’s violin stabbing into it. Liza’s drums are like another set of fists swinging at the song. Read= they’re perfect. And don’t quote me on this, but I *think* I’m hearing Hannah’s accordion in there; another accuser, another match on the fire.
3. “Enter Sandman.” SHEL decided to re-visit this one for UNDERCOVER. Their first cover was already from another planet and I wondered why they chose to mess with it. And then I heard it and understood. The first version walked to the edge of the cliff. This version jumps off into the abyss. It’s bigger, bolder, darker. By the time it’s over you’ll be looking over your shoulder to make sure that shadow in the corner didn’t just move. I hear bass. I hear echoes. I hear three minutes and twenty seven seconds of insanity that’s chained to a bed but has just found the key and is coming for you. Holy hell this is brilliant.
4. “Wayfaring Stranger.“ Only SHEL could go from a Metallica song to a traditional folk song that dates back to somewhere around the beginning of the 19th century. Actually, it makes perfect sense because both songs have haunting themes. “I know dark clouds will gather round me/I know my way is rough and steep.” At times there’s a bit of a quiver in Eva’s voice adding to the depth of the song’s spirituality. There’s an authenticity to a song this old. You have to wonder that was happening in the life of the person who wrote it so, so long ago. SHEL’s take on it sure has me wondering. With acoustic guitar and violin, they’ve served this song up in enthralling fashion. Update, SHEL released this AMAZING video in March. Behold:
5. “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane. This song is from Keane’s 2004 album “Hopes and Fears.” I went through a pretty big Keane phase back then and even saw them perform this live several years ago here in Maine. I love this song. I was so excited when I saw it on the list of songs on UNDERCOVER. I’m glad SHEL loves this song too. It deserved the SHEL treatment and they did right by it. There’s a lot going on; a sea of sounds and vocals; it’s a lush interpretation. Hannah’s keys, Eva’s mandolin, Sarah’s violin and Liza’s percussion (I think she’s playing a few different things on this one) come in and out the song seamlessly and it rises and falls like a summer storm deciding how strong it’s going to become. But it’s also a sunrise that gets brighter and more beautiful by the second.
6. “Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin. UNDERCOVER ends with this optimistic gem. I just learned it’s from a 1926 musical called “Betsy” which was something of a flop but the song b more than survived, it became a classic in a hurry. At a few seconds over two minutes, SHEL’s take on the song is playful, cheery, bursting with their signature harmonies and is THE EXACT SONG THE WORLD NEEDS RIGHT NOW. It’s a sweet-as-pie love song and if you ever see me skipping down the street whistling it’s because I’m listening to it. The song also shows off SHEL’s versatility. They can pretty much take any song and make it into something unique and dazzling.
SHEL has made an exceptional record with UNDERCOVER. With a collection of songs hitting so many eras and genres, they’ve proven that they’re an unstoppable force. They’ve made a real thing of beauty. It will take you on a journey with many stops along away and many emotional crossroads. Their musicianship is first-rate. The music business is a strange one these days and the competition is brutal. So many acts vying for our time; our ears. SHEL is worth it, I promise you. UNDERCOVER is yet another example.
UNDERCOVER was recorded at The Blue Room in Nashville. It was produced by Brent Maher, Charles Yingling and SHEL.
So I saw Roger Waters in Boston on Sept. 28, 2017 at the TD Garden. It was the second night of his Beantown visit and a stop on his Us + Them Tour which began in May. The concert was insane and I’ll tell you more about it in a minute but first this story deserves a moment of backstory which begins with my love for the band Lucius. They’re a four-piece indie-pop quartet with I’ve been all about since their debut full-length album from 2013 called “Wildewoman. Last year’s “Good Grief” is also tremendous and so is their latest single “Million Dollar Secret.” Lucius is vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, guitarist Peter Lalish and drummer Dan Molad. When you’re done reading this, go check them out. Trust me on this. But what does my love for Lucius have to do with Roger Waters? As it turns out… everything!
I got wind of the fact that Jess and Holly would be touring with Waters several months ago and have been following the Lucius posts on Instagram (in particular Instagram stories since rehearsals started and especially since the tour began in May. BTW, do yourselves a favor and follow them post haste @Ilovelucius because their Instagram stories are pure gold. Lots of backstage footage and quick looks into what it must be like to be part of a monumental tour such as this. And once the tour started and I knew there was a Boston date on it, the embers started burning in the back of my mind. But the tickets went fast and ones being sold by scalpers were way gross amounts of money. Plus, I’m a bit of a seat snob and knew I wouldn’t be happy in nosebleeds at the cavernous Boston Garden. I decided it was OK to miss the show. I was fine with it. But still the embers burned, especially after footage became readily available and I saw JUST HOW BRILLIANT Holly and Jess were singing with Rogers. Again though, I let it go. I just can’t go to EVERY show.
Fast forward to the morning of September 28th. This was a particularly unusual morning as it was the first time I decided to walk to my recently moved office at the Portland Press Herald (day job). It was just under seven miles. For the first half hour or so I had a headlamp on and a bunch of reflective gear. About six miles into my walk and a lifetime later, the sound of a text momentarily interrupted my music. I looked at my phone to see a message from my friend Mary Allen (correct spelling, I know you’re wondering) Lindemann. She had two tickets to the Waters show THAT NIGHT and did I know anyone who might be interested? I didn’t really off the top of my head but did offer to help her sell them. The tickets were WAY out of my price range (like WAY WAY WAY out). But then something entirely unexpected happened. She told me she didn’t want them to go to waste. She GAVE them to me. I am going to pay her something soon for them but she took a HUGE loss on these. But that’s just how she is; kind and generous. It was more important to her that the tickets weren’t wasted then to recoup what she paid. I’ll forever be in her debt. I scampered the rest of the way to work, in a state of shock, and reached out to my friend Lee. And when I say “reached out” that means I basically told her she HAD TO go to this show with me. She realized that resistance was futile and later that day, off we went to Boston.
There’s a difference between seeing on your ticket that your seats are good and actually having an usher bring you to them. At a venue as large as the Garden, which can hold just under 20,000 people for concerts, having a seventh row seat that was, and I’m not making this up -dead center- is insane. It’s incredible. It’s other-worldly. Lee and I looked at other and didn’t really know what to say. How did this happen? Said more succinctly; What in the actual fuck?
And when the clock struck eight and the show started, Lee and I experienced a concert that, two weeks later as I sit here and finally write, I’m still trying to wrap my head around. It was stupendous. It was powerful. It was everything. Roger Waters was RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. Holly and Jess were RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. Songs like “Time,” “Welcome to the Machine,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Pigs” “Dogs,” “Money,” “Another Brick In the Wall (Part II & Part III,” “Us and Them,” “Mother” and god almighty, “Comfortably Numb” were performed RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.
Roger Waters in Boston on 9.28.17 Photo by Aimsel Ponti
Here’s a montage of the clips I shot put together by my tech savvy pal Shamus:
It was one jaw-dropping moment after another all night long for two long sets of music.
The giant, remote controlled inflatable pig that hovered above the crowd and circled the arena during “Pigs” was amazing. The local kids who were on stage during “Another Brick in the Wall” were amazing. The entire band- including guitarist Jonathan Wilson who sang lead on a number of tunes- was amazing. Holly and Jess were amazing. Their vocals blew the roof off the building.
Oh and Waters’ hatred of Donald Trump; that too was amazing. Here’s a collage of photos I snapped of Trump quotes projected onto a massive screen behind the stage with the words “Trump is a Pig” as the finale. I might add that Rogers also took a knee eliciting a wave of boos but an even bigger wave of approval.
And when the show ended at 11 p.m. with “Comfortably Numb” we were all showered with pink confetti with one vital word printed on it:
I don’t know if I’ll ever really believe that I went to this show. Many of these songs are ones I’ve known and loved most of my life. I mean who doesn’t love “Comfortably Numb?” Who doesn’t love pretty much the entire “Dark Side of the Moon” album? Who didn’t, at one point or another, go through a phase with the soundtrack to “The Wall?” Who hasn’t sung “WE DON’T NEED NO EDUCATION!” at the top of their lungs? Who isn’t a lost soul swimming in a fish bowl for god’s sake?
As a music lover and writer, this was a night that left me fairly speechless. I had pretty much no time to even get excited about it because it all happened so quickly. There was no build-up. Somehow I woke up extra early that morning, walked to work in the dark, got the text to end all texts and ended up getting home at 2 a.m. after one of the most tremendous concerts I’ve ever seen. It took me three days to fully recover.
Holly Laessing and Jess Wolfe blowing my mind with Roger Waters in Boston on 9.28.17. Mediocre iPhone photo by Aimsel Ponti
You just never know what’s going to happen. I’m sad my friend couldn’t make the show herself and had to sacrifice her tickets. But I’m sure glad I was the lucky recipient because this show was on a scale I’ve rarely seen. If you’re able to catch a future date of this tour RUN, RABBIT RUN to it.
As for Holly and Jess, they should probably write a book about their experience at some point when their time on the tour is over. And maybe someone’s been shooting a documentary? Here’s hoping. Congratulations to them both for CRUSHING this gig, a truly great gig here on earth.
Remember that scene in “It’s a Wonderful Life” when George Bailey had to pretend to paste the petals back on his daughter Zuzu’s flower? Well I sure could use Jimmy Stewart right now to paste the pieces of my heart back together because it’s on the floor in pieces having listened to the new Wailin’ Jennys’ covers album about 20 times over the past week. But don’t get me wrong. My heart is happy. It’s overwhelmed and glowing and doing cartwheels clear across the floor. The album is called “Fifteen” and on it are nine extraordinarily well-chosen covers. In fact, here’s the list:
“Old Churchyard” (traditional)
“Wildflowers” (Tom Petty)
“The Valley” (Jane Siberry)
“Light of a Clear Blue Morning” (Dolly Parton)
“Loves Me Like a Rock” (Paul Simon)
“Boulder to Birmingham” (Emmylou Harris)
“Not Alone” (Patty Griffin)
“Keep Me in Your Heart” (Warren Zevon)
“Weary Blues From Waitin'” (Hank Williams)
The Wailin’ Jennys are Ruth Moody, Heather Masse and Nicky Mehta. Photo by Morten Fog
“Fifteen” is their first new album in six years and it’s named after the fact that they’re celebrating the 15th anniversary of their musical partnership. All three of the Jennys have young kids and they live in different cities so making this album presented special challenges. But they did it in five days and produced it themselves. It was engineered by Joby Baker and guest musicians on some of the tracks are Richard Moody (viola, violin and mandolin,) Sam Howard (upright bass,) Adrian Dolan (violin) and Adam Dobres (acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin).
I wish you could have seen the look on my face when I realized the Jennys had covered a beloved Jane Siberry song called “The Valley.” Siberry is one of my lifelong favorite artists and should be more well known. Hats off to the Jennys for choosing this song. They’ve made it their own and when they sing the lines “You will walk, you will walk, you will walk in good company” I can a barely hold it together the harmonies are so beautiful and pure. “Sometimes you feel all that you wanted has been taken away/You will walk,you will walk, you will walk in good company.”
I wish you were there to hand me the tissues I so desperately needed when I heard The Wailin’ Jennys sing Warren Zevon’s “Keep Me in Your Heart.”
You know that torturous feeling of really wanting to hear from someone and it just doesn’t happen? If that feeling had a song to go with it, this would be it. “Sometimes when you’re doing simple things around the house, maybe you think of me and smile. You know I’m tied to you like the buttons on your blouse/Keep me in your heart for a while.” Fuck. But I love it. So much.
The Wailin’ Jennys have been playing Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” live for a number of years now and I hope they keep on doing so. Needless to say, I still can’t believe that Tom Petty’s gone. Can you? But listen to the Jennys’ take on the song and let its warmth and love and everything else rush over you.
“Boulder to Birmingham” is a song I didn’t know until August and I discovered it when I put together a special Spotify playlist to get ready for my first ever trip to Colorado. A trip specifically to cover the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. One of the bands I saw was The Wailin’ Jennys. True story. But I digress. The song is from the mid ’70s and was written by Emmylou Harris. It’s sad and sweet and spiritual. Ruth, Heather and Nicky do right by it with sweeping harmonies and exquisite instrumentation. “I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham/If I thought I could see your face.” Goddamn.
Then there’s the cover of Patty Griffin’s “Not Alone.” It’s the last song on her 1996 debut album “Living With Ghosts.” The song aches with need and sorrow and if you let it in, it’ll hold your heart close and tell you that everything is, somehow, going to be OK. The Wailin’ Jennys shoulder the pain and the hope of “Not Alone” and carry it forward. “You are not alone laying in the light/Put out the fire in your head/And lay with me tonight.” The song floats through the air, carries over the ocean and lands softly at your feet. Perfection.
Oh and hey, want to stop the world and melt with a song? Here’s the Jennys’ take on Dolly Parton’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” I can’t even…
I can’t wait for you to hear “Fifteen.” Every song is exceptional and meaningful and you’ll experience a thousand different emotions as you listen to them. The Wailin’ Jennys are playing some shows in November and December and again in February. Keep tabs on them here and here.
Here’s their entire discography because I’m darn handy and thorough: The Wailin’ Jennys (EP) 2003 40 Days – 2004 Firecracker – 2006 Live at Mauch Chunk Opera House – 2009 Bright Morning Stars -2011 Fifteen – out on October 27, 2017 on Red House Records
Within days of each other, two super cool bands released SUPER COOL covers and you need to hear them both IMMEDIATELY and then join me in freaking out over both of them.
Ready?
First up is I’m With Her covering Adele’s “Send My Love” (To Your New Lover”). And yeah, obviously, Adele’s version doesn’t exactly suck. It’s from a tiny little album called “25.” HELLO! Perhaps you’re heard of it. Anyway…who dares to tackle Adele right? WRONG!
I’m with Her Photo by Lindsey Byrnes
Their interpretation of the song is glorious. The harmonies will knock you right over and accompanied only by a stand-up bass, the song couldn’t be any better if it tried. But don’t take my hyperactive word for it, listen for yourself:
I’m With Her, BTW, is Aoife O’Donovan, Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz. They’re all spectacular on their own and together…I can’t even.
Next let’s head to Iceland. But first let’s rewind to last February on what can only be described as the coldest night of the year in Portland, Maine. That was when the first annual SUNAANA Festival happened in a giant warehouse type of space at Thompson’s Point. The Icelandic-themed festival was a many hours affair with 12 local, national and international acts along with 24 different kinds of beers and an aerial performance by Circus Maine. It was so cold though I only lasted about two hours. But I was there long enough to see what was a brand new band to me called Mammút, fronted by singer Katrína Mogensen. They’re out of Reykjavik and formed back in 2003 when the members were all about thirteen years old. In Iceland, they’re huge. Here in the USA, they’re continuing to win us over with songs like “Breathe Into Me.”
Mammut photo courtesy of the artist
And then, seemingly out of nowhere a cover of Cher’s “Believe” lands in my in box and I grabbed my headphones so quickly I almost pulled a muscle. There’s no way I can be true to myself and not use profanity when talking about this. I FUCKING LOVE IT. Whew that felt good. The song (and god love the original) has become something completely different than the 1998 mega-hit that first introduced us (more or less) to that electronic vocal effect that I still secretly get a kick out of. Holy bananas, this is awesome. Ready?
It’s the middle of September and I’m sitting here freakin’ the eff out with excitement over seven spectacular new songs that have come to my attention over the past couple of weeks.
I love you, Katie Herzig, Tori Amos, St. Vincent, The Wailin’ Jennys, Willie Watson, Jolie Holland & Samantha Parton and Amanda Palmer. SO VERY MUCH.
Let’s get right to it. Here are seven songs that I’m super excited about and that I strongly suggest you listen to. Then, as always, follow these acts on social media, get on their mailings list, buy their stuff, go see them live, and fall madly in love with them. Ponti out.
Photo courtesy of Katie Herzig via Bullhorn Publicity
Hoorah!! Katie’s got a new album coming out in early 2018 called “Moment of Bliss.” Here’s what she said about “Strangers” in a press release:
‘Strangers’ is one of the first songs I wrote for the new album. Over time I fell in love with the simplicity and chillness of this song and wanted it to be the first on my record. Lyrically it digs into that vague feeling of discontentment that can chase us around in life, even when we have every reason to be content. I think when I wrote this song I was finding my way through that heaviness, but what I loved most about the song is that it felt like it knew how to get to me the other side of it. It gave me comfort over and over again as I worked on it and listen to it now.”
Tori’s latest album “Native Invader” was released on Sept. 8 and I’m working my way through it like a child trying to open Christmas presents with some semblance of self-control. Countdown to her Nov. 2 show in Boston is on. Yes Tori, we will be riding out this storm.
Willie Watson released “Folksinger Vol. 2” on Sept. 15. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform in August at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival as part of Dave Rawlings Machine and saw him for the first time last year in North Carolina. ”
“this song was written as a two-day songwriting exercise on august 29th and 30th, 2017, using input/inspiration/comments from over 600 patrons . it wound up being a response to the insanity of internet politics melded with the recent total eclipse and the devastation of hurricane harvey….and, y’know…other stuff.
10% of the patreon profit, and 100% of the public profits (from iTunes, bandcamp, etc, for the month after release) will go to charity to aid the folks down in texas hit by the hurricane and if you’re feeling moved, please make a donation out of your own pocket.”
Annie Clark is back! The new album “MASSEDUCTION” is out on Oct. 13. She’s released a ton of HILARIOUS faux interview clips that are giving me anxiety if I, god for bid, ever get to actually interview her. Take the time to watch them. The first single off of “MASSEDUCTION” is “New York” which is fucking brilliant (disclaimer: I only drop f bombs when absolutely necessary.) Countdown to her Dec. 1 show in Portland, ME is SO ON.
Now there’s this one, “Los Ageless” HOLY SHIT. I want to do many things at once while listening to this song: Run, clean, dance and basically lose my mind.
They’ve done something sooooo great with an already excellent Tom Petty song. I adore this band so much and was so thrilled that they were part of the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in August. Ruth, Heather and Nicky, it’s been a minute since your last album but it’s been SO WORTH THE WAIT. I can’t wait to hear the rest of it, especially Warren Zevon’s “Keep Me In Your Heart for a While.” In fact I might just go ahead and schedule a good cry for the moment I first hear it. The covers album called “Fifteen” is out on Oct. 27.
I’ve known about Jolie for years and now am all about Samatha. I can’t wait to listen to the rest of “Wildflower Blues” and instant gratification can be yours, the album’s out now.
The 2017 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival ended a week ago and part of my head, heart and soul are still at the glorious Planet Bluegrass site along the St. Vrain River. My toes are still feeling the water of this river run over them, my ears are still hearing the sounds of Elephant Revival, SHEL, Lake Street Dive, Dave Rawlings Machine and so many other incredible acts and my heart is still skipping beats when I think about how breathtaking my first trip to Colorado was and how just about every moment of the 2017 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival was damn near perfect.
Various shots of the Planet Bluegrass grounds at the 2017 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. Photos by Aimsel Ponti
This is a festival that cares about the environment (incredible recycling efforts) cares about people’s bellies (incredible food vendors…omg the dumplings!) and cares SO MUCH about an incredible line up.
Here’s that beautiful river that festival folks were hanging out in all weekend long.
The lovely, mellow, chilly and absolutely perfect St. Vrain River. Photo by Aimsel Ponti
This is what me and about 5,000 other music lovers took in over the course of three magical days:
The pocket schedule perked on the knees of yours truly in my happy spot.
For the first few hours on Friday I flitted about checking out everything, stood in the river a few times and paid a visit to the General Store (merch tent) where I promptly bought an official festival t-shirt and a super cool Rhiannon Giddens one.
The first order of business for me started Friday afternoon with Mary Gauthier in the Wildwood Pavilion. It’s a barn-like structure on the festival grounds that was a beehive of music all weekend long. I’ve seen Gauthier a few times through the years and she’s one heck of a compelling songwriter, to say the very least. She played the tender, hopeful, compassionate and frankly important song “Mercy Now” and led us in a sing-along of a freshly-written satirical take on “Na Na Na Na Na…Hey Hey Goodbye,” during which she name-dropped the likes of Steve Bannon, Sean Spicer and several other former yahoos of the Trump administration. It was awesome.
Mary Gauthier in the Wildwood Pavilion during the 2017 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. Photo by Aimsel Ponti
Gauthier also brought sixteen-year old Bella Betts from the songwriting school (this happens in the week before festival kick-off) on stage along with several other students and teachers to sing the song Betts wrote called “We Are All The Same.” Gauthier urged people to record it and thankfully several did because this song blew us all away. For real. Tears streamed down my face.
Watch this:
After wiping away of tears and joy from Mary Gauthier & company, I made my way to a grassy spot I had staked out earlier and settled in for The Weepies. They’re the duo of married couple Deb Talan and Steve Tannen and they’re a pair of indie-folk firecrackers. And even though I’m still schooling myself on their tunes, their set was tremendous and it included “Not Your Year,” so near and dear to my heart.
Thirty minutes after The Weepies ended, Rhiannon Giddens and her band were on stage. I was bummed to have missed her show in Maine a few weeks before the festival but was SO HAPPY to finally be seeing her. Her band Caroline Chocolate Drops is excellent and so is her solo work, especially the new album “Freedom Highway.”
Rhiannon Giddens at the 2017 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. Photo by Aimsel Ponti
The song “At the Purchaser’s Option” was inspired by a print advertisement in the 1800s for a 22 year old slave woman that Giddens saw in a book. The woman also had with her a nine-month-old baby who was “at the purchaser’s option.”
Rhiannon Giddens at the 2017 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. Photo by Aimsel Ponti
Giddens channeled her sadness in thinking about what that woman’s life must have been like into a powerful, searing song. Her voice is a mountain of glory. Giddens plays banjo and violin (and I suspect a number of other instruments) and her set was jaw-dropping at the festival. “You take my body, you can take my bones, you can take my blood but not my soul.” I won’t be missing her next time she comes to Maine.
Closing out the first night was a guy that I’ve been a from-a-distance fan of for a few years but am WAY INTO; Gregory Alan Isakov.
Gregory Alan Isakov at the 2017 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. Photo by Aimsel Ponti
I mean honestly, what’s better than his song “Liars?” In fact, that entire live album he recorded with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra is excruciatingly magnificent. Isakov and his band ended the first day of the festival in brilliant fashion. After his set, I made my way back home to my temporary home, climbed the ladder up to my sleeping loft and fell into a deep slumber, in a state of disbelief that there were still two more days ahead.
Saturday morning kicked off with a set by someone new to me: Korby Lenker. He’s a singer-songwriter out of Nashville and he charmed the pants off of me with his tune “My Little Life.” Lenker was the winner of the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriters Showcase 2016, earning him a spot on the main stage at this year’s festival. Hey Korby, come to Maine. Let’s hang.
The happy voyage of new music discovery continued with the very next act; Australia’s The Mae Trio. They’re sisters Maggie Rigby, Elsie Rigby along with Anita Hillman and they’ve been out on the road in support of their latest release, “Take Care Take Cover.” Facebook tells me that “They perform an insightful collection of original songs arranged for ukulele, banjo, guitar, fiddle, cello, bass and superb three part vocal harmony. ” I can tell you all that’s true! Check them out when you get a minute.
I had to retreat to my loft for a brief recharge but heard great things about Ben Sollee & Kentucky Native and Mandolin Orange. But I made it back in time for a fun set from the legendary Loudon Wainwright III. He’s got a hilarious song about prescription medications and really got the crowd going.
The second to last band to play on Saturday was one that completely dazzled me and I became a HUGE and INSTANT fan of. Elephant Revival!!! They’re based in Nederland, CO and are a six piece “experimental/folk/Americana” act. All I know is that I could listen to Bonnie Paine sing tax returns and it would be awesome. She also plays washboard, djembe, musical-saw and the stomp-box. Holy bananas. The other singer is Daniel Rodriguez who also plays guitar, banjo and bass. Where has this band been all my life?
Their set was effing awesome, their originals are to die for and then they put me into absolute orbit with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar.” Holy smokes. There’s even a clip of it someone shot at the festival.
The Elephant Revival at the 2017 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. Photo by Aimsel Ponti
The Revivalists out of New Orleans closed out the festival on Saturday night and they were yet another band I didn’t know anything about who were absolutely fantastic. I did however find myself singing along to the last song, “Wish I Knew You” which I realized I had heard a bunch on the radio. Great song. Great band. Singer David Shaw is the perfect frontman. I’m gonna HAVE TO see this band again.
I awoke on Sunday morning both ecstatic and kind of sad because on the one hand, the lineup was for the day was almost too good to be true, but on the other hand, it was the last day.
I got there at by ten, grabbed a tasty breakfast burrito from the food area and enjoyed sets by Egyptian singer-songwriter (and superhero, look this guy up) Ramy Essam and then Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore.
Then at 1:30 the primary reason I came to Colorado took the stage. I’ve been ALL ABOUT SHELfor a little over a year ever since they came to Portland (ME) in July of 2016. When I came up with a list of my favorite songs of 2016, one of their songs was at the top. The last time I saw them was in a Tennessee cave. This festival was the sixth time I’ve seen them play live and each time I am pretty much at a loss for words because they’re THAT GOOD. SHEL is an acronym for the four sisters in the band; Sarah (violin, guitar), Hannah (keys, piano, accordion, vocals), Eva (vocals, mandolin, guitar) and Liza (drums, beatbox, percussion, vocals). Click on the cave link above for a ton more background on the band. The only thing that frustrates me about SHEL is that they make me feel like a lousy writer because I always struggle to find just the right string of words to express how over-the-moon talented they are. They’ve been at it since they were kids and make it look easy. They’re the kind of band that belong on a stage. At present they have two full-length albums, a holiday EP and a few other odds and ends out there. Expect a covers EP soonish. In the meantime, feed your ears with what’s out there because SHEL is a really special band. And follow them on Facebook, etc. And join their mailing list at shelmusic.com because you don’t want to miss them if they come anywhere near you. Dig?
Upper left= Eva, upper right = Liza, lower middle = Sarah, lower right = Hannah SHEL photos by Aimsel Ponti
Listening to them – especially live – is an experience that is many things at once; uplifting, riveting, emotional, immensely satisfying and most certainly one that sends shafts of light zooming through every corner of my heart. Their performance at the 2017 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival was all this and more. With songs like “When the Dragon Came Down,” “Stained” and “Is the Doctor in Today,” not to mention their homage to Led Zeppelin with “The Battle of Evermore” they nailed it and as I looked around I could see the crowd was very much into it. I’ve noticed this every time I’ve seen them. Judging by the length of the line of fans in the merch area afterwards, it’s safe to say they made a lasting impression. In fact, after their set it I realized I didn’t have a proper photo and so I properly fangirled and a helpful stranger was kind enough to snap a few pics, including this one: (yeah, I look nerdy as hell {per usual}but the band all look fab and smiley).
And the festival could have ended right then and there and I would have walked away feeling tremendous gratitude.
But it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. In fact, the very next act was The Wailin’ Jennys.
Heather Masse, Nicky Mehta and Ruth Moody. AKA The Wailin’ Jennys Photo by Aimsel Ponti
To know the Jennys is to love the Jennys. Close harmonies for days. P.S. Heather Masse is FROM MAINE. If you aren’t hip to the Jennys, get hip. Trust me! A fellow festival goer shot this clip of them playing Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” and it’s brutally great.
Again, the festival could have ended and I would been entirely fulfilled. But nope, it wasn’t over yet. Not only was it not over, the next act was one of my favorites of the past couple of years. Three words: LAKE STREET DIVE!!!!!
Lake Street Dive photos by Aimsel Ponti
I think this was my third time seeing them and I’ll keep coming back because Mike Calabrese, Rachael Price, Bridget Kearney and Mike “McDuck” Olson are absolutely electrifying. They’ve cornered the market on a throwback sound that’s also, somehow, 100% modern. “Side Pony” is their latest record. Jump into Lake Street Dive pronto! One last thing, Dear Lake Street Dive, please record that “Jameson” song. I love it so much. Thanks. Love, Aim.
All good things must come to an end, even the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. But boy did it end on an indelible note. I had seen Gillian Welch several years ago so already knew how great she was, but this was the first time seeing Dave Rawlings Machine. The lineup, and I *think* I’ve got this right, is Rawlings, Gillian Welch, Willie Watson, Paul Kowert and Brittany Haas.
Dave Rawlings Machine Photo by Aimsel Ponti
I almost lost it several times during their set. I didn’t really recognize the songs but it didn’t matter AT ALL. Take this one for example. I sat there dying inside.
It was just after ten when Dave Rawlings Machine closed out the 2017 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival on the best note possible: Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.”
Final thoughts:
Thank you to Brian Eyster from Planet Bluegrass to responding when this writer gal from Maine reached out with an “So I’m thinkin’ ’bout comin’ to Colorado” email.
Thank you to my friend Lal for welcoming me with chilled Prosecco and a place to lay my head at night. Up for a guest in 2018?
Thank you to all of the festival staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly.
And perhaps most of all, THANK YOU to all of the musicians who poured your hearts and souls into your performances. I’ll never forget it.
To my fellow music fans, if you’ve never been to the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, let it be known that the 2018 dates are August 19 – 19. Keep your eye HERE for details. Oh and if you’re a camper, that’s a HUGE dealio at this festival.
I left a little bit of my heart in that river, on that grass and on the side of the stage in Lyons, Colorado. That’s the highest praise I know how to give this festival. Thinking about it now, my heart swells, my eyes get misty and I know I’ll often think back to those three days.
I’ll leave you with this very special montage. Thanks, Shamus Alley, for having the mad video editing skills that maybe someday I’ll learn.
On August 17 I’ll be taking the 3:15 a.m. bus to Boston’s Logan Airport where I’ll be getting on a plane (United…gasp!) that will fly just under 2000 miles before touching down in Denver, Colorado. At which point, I’ll be getting off that plane and hopping on a shuttle bus to Lyons. I’ll spend four nights there staying with my friend Lal and we’ll be attending the annual Rocky Mountain Folks Festival.
AND I’M GONNA LOSE MY MIND THE ENTIRE TIME BECAUSE THE LINEUP IS INCREDIBLE. More on that in a minute.
Here’s the thing; I’ve NEVER been to Colorado. As in for real never. Colorado has always felt more like a dream than an actual place. It’s always seemed so far away almost as if it’s in another solar system. For all I know it could be.
I’m not a downhill skier so I haven’t had those kinds of Colorado visions. My entire life, Colorado has always made me think of two specific things: THIS SONG and THIS TV SHOW.
But with the recent launch of this blog and my insatiable thirst for live music and adventure, I decided – after seeing the lineup of the RMFF- that it was FINALLY time to make my way to the Centennial state.
Earlier this year I went to Tennessee for the first time in my life and you read about that very special trip HERE and HERE.
So why am I excited about the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival? There are many reasons and it all starts with SHEL.
Left to right: Liza, Hannah, Eva and Sarah Holbrook of SHEL Photo by Joe Dudeck
In fact, it was one year ago yesterday that I first saw SHEL live after writing about them for the Portland Press Herald/MaineToday.com. They were so great I went and saw them again at the Ossipee Valley Music Festival in Hiram, Maine the very next day. Check out this insanely amazing cover of the Led Zeppelin song “The Battle of Evermore” which SHEL recorded on their 2012 debut album. Fun fact: They’ll be performing at the RMFF on Sunday, Aug. 20 which also happens to be Robert Plant’s birthday.
SHEL is from Fort Collins, Colorado and are based there as well as Nashville, TN.
They’re one of those bands that are tricky to categorize but I’ll take a stab at it.
SHEL are purveyors of indie-folk-pop-rock magic and their songs will make you smile, weep, float up into the clouds and down into the depths of the ocean. The band is Sarah, Hannah, Eva and Liza (hence SHEL) and they’ve all been playing music since they were kids. They’re so good at what they do that seeing them live is a stunning, electrifying, uplifting and I dare say transformational experience. Trust me!
Also, check out this live clip of one of my favorite SHEL songs.
I reached out to keys and accordion player Hannah Holbrook to get the latest on the band and to measure their excitement level on playing Rocky Mountain Folks Festival.
“This summer, we’re extremely excited to be touring in our home state, Colorado! We’ve been spending every spare moment in Nashville, TN recording for film and TV projects and working on our next album. New music and videos coming soon,” said Hannah. And this is all of course SPECTACULAR news to this fan. As for the festival, indeed it is something very special for SHEL to be part of. “We’re really looking forward to playing in Lyons. We’ve been hearing about the legendary Rocky Mountain Folks Festival our whole lives but this is the first year we’re actually in town for it and we’re honored to be a part of it.”
As for the rest of the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival; some of the acts I know and love and some I’ve haven’t had a chance to get to know yet but that will be part of the weekend’s magic; the discovery process.
I’m still getting to know this singer-songwriter and to know him at all is to love him a ton. I’m working my way through his catalog and with each new song I hear my jaw drops a little more and I become more and more smitten with his songwriting. I saw GAI at the 2014 Boston Calling Festival and can’t wait to see him again because man alive, the live album he released last year, “Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony” is divine.
I’ve been a casual fan of her old-time string band Carolina Chocolate Drops since they released their 2010 debut record “Genuine Negro Jig” and am annoyed with myself because I have yet to see them live.
Giddens released her first solo album, “Tomorrow is My Turn” in 2015 and she followed it up with “Freedom Highway” this past February and this is the album that I’ve been ALL ABOUT for the past month or so. It’s not that I don’t like the other one, I just haven’t listened to it yet because I’m lame. But I will. “Freedom Highway” is mostly original songs with the title track being a protest song that dates back to 1965 and was penned by Roebuck “Pops” Staples of the legendary Staple Singers.
Giddens’ take on it is sensational. Take a listen to the song and Giddens’ gorgeous, glorious voice:
“Freedom Highway” is an album that’s joyous, mournful, rootsy, hopeful, historical and about 376 other things and I can’t wait to hear Giddens and her band play some its songs live.
Seriously though, if you’ve never seen Lake Street Dive live, stop what you’re doing right now and go buy tickets to the festival because my oh my, they’re one of the most spectacular ( I use this word too much but it’s always true) live bands out there.
The last time I saw them was in February and the show was dynamite.
If you’ve never heard of Lake Street Dive, take a listen to this:
Steve Tannen and Deb Talan of The Weepies Photo courtesy of the artist
The Weepies is the married duo of Steve Tannen and Deb Talan. They’ve released five albums since 2003 and they both have solo work out as well. I have barely scratched the surface with The Weepies but I’ll say this much, this song KILLS ME. (Aimsel code for I love it!!)
This video clip is audio only which is just as well because I suggest you close your eyes and just let this play.
And so there you have it, these are some of the acts I’m excited to see and to be super deluxe clear, this is only about 1/3 of the acts who will be performing on August 18 to 20 in Lyons.
To quote Mr. Denver “All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go…” OK so they’re not QUITE packed but I did buy my airport bus ticket today when I was at the station dropping my sister off. I’ll be bringing my camera and some notebooks to document this thing as best I can so look for that post soon after I get back.
As of today (7/30) there are still tickets left for the 2017 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival and you can get them here.
If you come to the festival, drop me a line and let me know so we can say hi. I’ll be the gal from Maine with the 1,000 watt smile.
It’s been 48 hours since I saw U2 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA on June 25, 2017.
Still tired yet still smiling, I’m sitting at my kitchen table in my newly purchased U2 t-shirt and hoodie and have finally figured out what I want to say about the concert experience of Sunday night.
So much has already been said about this band and about this tour that’s celebrating the 30th anniversary of their magnificent album, The Joshua Tree. So much has already been said about how U2 is one of the greatest bands that the world’s ever known. So much has already been said about how their live shows are pretty much a religious/spiritual experience. So much has been said about Bono, Edge, Adam and Larry.
So what can I add to the conversation? First I’ll mention some cool technical stuff that I received from the band’s publicists and then I’ll talk about the personal impact the show had on me.
But first, here’s a collage of photographs that I shot during the show with my iPhone. My friend Colin and I are hardcore fans and we had field seats. We got to the show before noon and spent a heck of a lot of time standing in assorted lines. But the end result is we were just a few feet from the “tree” stage that extended out from the main stage. Said another way; holy shit we were right up front.
Photos by Aimsel Ponti of U2 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. 6.25.17.
So back to the cool technical stats that I think are worth sharing:
The stat: Dutch photographer and film-maker Anton Corbijn whose iconic photos are part of the original “Joshua Tree” album went back to Death Valley and Zabriskie Point among other spots to produce a new series of films that are projected behind the band in jaw-dropping 8K resolution on a 200 x 45 foot screen behind the band as they played.
My comment: I’ve never seen anything so massive and so spectacular. It added a whole other layer of depth and meaning to the show.
The stat: A specially commissioned film by French artist J.R. accompanied “Miss Syria” (originally titled “Miss Sarajevo”) was shot at the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan. This is home to 80,000 Syrians who were forced to flee their country.
My comment: To see such devastation on such a large scale was overwhelming. The film was shown while the band played “Miss Syria” and what’s more, a giant tapestry of a refugee woman that was probably 50 square feet was passed over and among the crowd on one side of the stadium. Incredible. Moving. Real.
The stat: Creative director for the tour is Willie Williams and he has been U2’s show designer on every tour since 1983.
My comment: Willie, you’re a genius. My first U2 show was at the end of 1984 and this most recent one was my 7th. They’ve all had different layers of brilliance.
The stat: The Joshua Tree tour stage is 200 x 40 ft and it is almost the full width of a stadium
My comment: Holy bananas. It was huge and it was perfect, especially with the backdrop.
The stat: The stage set features the largest un-obscured and highest resolution LED video screen ever used in a touring show.
My comment: Leave it to U2 to take it to a whole other level of multi-media awesomeness. This screen was from another planet. Incredible.
The stat: The screen is make up of 1,040 individual video panels. The 200 x 45 ft custom built screen is painted to look like a golden piece of cardboard and features a silver Joshua Tree. The tree extends above the screen and becomes the visual centerpiece of the show.
My comment: A feat or artistic and engineering mastery. I can’t even…
The stat: The B stage that extends into the audience from the main state is a perfect shadow of the tree that’s part of the screen.
My comment: Yep, they did that.
The amount of thought, design work, carpentry, electronic wizardy and all around technical magic is awe-inspiring. It’s not over the top, it’s not too much, it’s perfect and glorious. U2 doesn’t need any of this stuff. The first time I saw them was on the “Unforgettable Fire” tour and I don’t remember anything other than maybe a simple video screen. But they are all about being on the cutting edge of what can be done. And they do it so well. And what’s more, in the context of a giant stadium show, it very much added to the experience.
So how was the show? Actually, that’s not the right question I should be asking myself. Because yes, the show was INCREDIBLE. And being right up front was all the more special. The show was transcendent. The show brought me to tears. The show made me dance and made me sing and shout and feel just about every emotion a human can feel.
The right question came to me a few hours ago. Actually a slew of questions and here they are:
Did this show make me feel the way I felt when I first saw U2 as a teenager? Did it make me feel the way I did all those years ago when U2 were to me essentially larger than life gods? Did the show remind me of why I’m a music writer? Did the show remind me of why there are few things more important to me than music? Did the show keep me in the moment and out of my own often tormented head? Did the show reach right inside my heart? Did the show make me feel connected to everyone else there? Did the show make me genuinely care about the welfare of others? And when the show started with Larry Mullen Jr. walking over to his B stage drum kit and launching into “Sunday Bloody Sunday” did I feel a tremendous wave of love for this band crash over me that it was all I could to do hold myself together?
Did it do all that?
Here’s my one word review of the entire show:
Here’s the set-list: Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year’s Day, Bad, Pride (In the Name of Love), Where the Street Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, With Or Without You, Bullet The Blue Sky, Running to Stand Still, Red Hill Mining Town, In God’s Country, Trip Through Your Wires, One Tree Hill, Exit, Mothers of the Disappeared, Miss Sarajevo (Syria), Beautiful Day, Elevation, Vertigo, Ultraviolet (Light My Way), One, The Little Things That Give You Away (new)
I’ll end with a compilation video of several song clips I shot from my to-die-for spot on the field. Editing props as always to my pal Shamus Alley.
Final thoughts:
THANK YOU U2 for a night I’ll never forgot. When you sang “Where the Streets Have No Name” I thought of my late father-in law. When you sang “Bad” I thought about a lot of things; both painful and beautiful. And when you sang “Ultraviolet (Light My Way)” which is my favorite Achtung Baby song while images of powerful women who have made history in so many ways scrolled across that giant screen I cheered with everything I had.
“In the midst of winter, I found there was, deep within me, an invincible summer” +Albert Camus
I have longed loved this quote because he was absolutely right, an invincible summer does indeed lie within all of us. From the early morning light to the lazy, late sunsets to the field down the street from where I live where, for just a few magical nights, you can find yourself surrounded by thousands of fireflies, I’m all about summer.
There’s a hopefulness to summer. There’s a childlike excitement with thoughts of popsicles and sandy feet. There’s the distant roar of 4th of July fireworks and the smell of neighborhood barbecues.
And best of all, there are windows rolled down and tunes blaring from cars and people singing along with reckless abandonment, as they damn well should be.
As for me, I do a heck of a lot of walking, especially to and from work. I walk over gorgeous Casco Bay by way of the Casco Bay Bridge that takes me from South Portland into downtown Portland, Maine.
I walk year round and I love it because I listen to music, grab a coffee and it’s my favorite part of the day, especially in the morning. Even when it’s hovering around zero.
Trekking to work selfie . February 2017.
But you know what’s even better? Walking when it’s glorious out. Walking when the birds can’t contain their joy. Walking when the breeze is warm, the grass is extra green and the sun holds you with the gentlest and yet surest of embraces.
I’m ALL ABOUT THAT.
That said, here are 12 of my absolute favorite summer jams. Some are obvious and some are a bit off the beaten path but they all say summer to me. Want to tell me what some of yours are? Comment away good people. Now get out there and give summer a high-five, one that you’ll feel all the way into October.
“Summertime” by The Sundays. Instant happiness with this one.
2. “Summer in the City” by Regina Spektor. Snapshot of a night, a season, a love affair.
3.Nightswimming by R.E.M. I feel all the things every time I hear this song and it will always be this way. The hallmark of perfect song.
4. “Summertime Blues” by The Flying Lizards. I adore this cover of the Eddie Cochran classic because it’s hilarious and feels like it’s being performed by a band that’s in a studio with a broken air conditioner that stopped giving any fucks quite a while ago.
5. “Redondo Beach” by Patti Smith. Because it’s Patti Smith. No other reason needed. Obv.
6. “Mimi on the Beach” by Jane Siberry. Because, IMHO, she’s one of the greatest songwriters ever to walk among us mortals. A three minute video does exist, but the better version is this full-length album version.
7. “Too Darn Hot” by Ella Fitzgerald. A Cole Porter classic as sung by Ms. Fitzgerald. Yeah!
8. “Indian Summer Sky” by U2. A lesser known track from an album sacred to me: “The Unforgettable Fire.” “To flicker and to fade on this the longest day…”
9. “Once Upon a Summertime” by Blossom Dearie. There’s just something about this little song that makes me grin.
10. “Summer’s End” by Ashtar Command with Sinead O’Connor. Granted, this song is all about summer coming to and end BUT it’s Sinead O’Connor singing and is actually one of my favorite songs of hers.
11. “Summer Wind” by Frank Sinatra. I love this song so much I can’t even deal.
12. “Rain in the Summertime” by The Alarm. There’s something about this song, a kind of magnetic pull and energy that draws me in.
To my fellow Boston Red Sox fans…this one’s for you. And to everyone else who thinks that you’ll never land your dream job, this one’s also for you.
Four years ago I was at a Red Sox game sitting in the bleachers when I heard the organist play a riff of David Bowie’s “Starman.” I got home from that game and immediately figured out who was behind the magical moment and soon after followed Josh Kantor on Twitter.
Fast forward to April of this year when I saw a Tweet of Kantor’s saying that he’d be sitting in with The Jayhawks for a few songs playing accordion at Port City Music Hall.
So I of course showed up at the show and Kantor himself overheard me saying his name out loud. We said hello and having already established a rapport a few years back when I blogged about the “Starman” moment, I wasn’t a complete stranger to him. I was however a determined one so I asked him right at that moment if he’d be up for an interview. Bless his heart, he said yes and up we went to the dressing room where, much to my delight, a few Jayhawks popped in here and there during our conversation (they’re awesome).
I busted out my digital recorder and it was off to the races for the next 20 minutes. We talked about how he got the job, how long he’s had it for and what it’s like going to work at Fenway Park 82 times a year (more if we make the playoffs!). And I’m going to share this interview momentarily.
But first just a few words about my love for the Boston Red Sox. It all began in my Papa’s backyard. Papa was my grandfather and when I was a kid I used to help him with yard work. He’d mow the lawn and pick up clippings with his ride-on mower and would dump the clippings in front of me and then I’d fling them over a rock wall. The yard was huge so this took a while. Atop a rock sat his big, heavy transistor radio and that was my first introduction to the Boston Red Sox and to this day, I still adore listening to them on the radio. When I get to Fenway (which is not nearly enough) I’m the nerd with the old school Sony mini radio and headphones so I can listen to the radio broadcast while watching the game. For real.
I survived the 1986 World Series because I was just young enough to not be as invested as I would later be in the team. Fun fact, at the time of that fateful series, Bill Buckner lived not only in my hometown of Andover, MA, but less than a mile form my house. I never ran into him but If I had I would have been nice.
The 2003 American League Championship Series was brutal. For all of us. I can close my eyes and still feel that pain. I know you can too.
Conversely, the joy of 2004 is something I’ll never forget. I know you agree.
I watch this clip at least once a year. It never gets old.
I’m telling you all of this so that you understand that I’m not some casual fan. I’m hardcore.
Photographic evidence: (and yes, that Big Papi in the upper right hand corner that I have my hand on and yeah, he signed my freaking baseball).
The top two pics were taken by my friend Jen on the day we got to go on the field before a game in 2005. The bottom left was when I got to run the bases circa 2007 and the lower righthand corner, thanks to my generous friend Anne, is me at the 2013 World Series. We lost that game but Papi homered and you know how it all turned out.
So back to Josh. He’s a hell of nice guy. Humble and kind and also a huge Sox fan. It was SO COOL to chat with him.
Boston Red Sox organist Josh Kantor living the dream at Fenway Park.
And now for the Aimsel on the Record 2017 John Kantor interview:
Where you do live?
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Where are you from?
All around but I’ve been in the Boston area since 1990
How did you end up playing with The Jayhawks?
We were on a bill together in Mexico maybe two or three winters ago and I’ve been a fan of theirs for a long time and we just kind of hit it off and the next thing I knew they were asking me to jump up and play with them and we stayed in touch and so when they were swinging back through the northeast they asked me to jump up and play with them again.
What was your first instrument? I started playing piano when I was about five or six and then got serious about organ shortly after I finished college and have kind of dabbled with some other instruments; accordion in recent years.
Where did you go to school?
I went to Brandeis in Waltham, Massachusetts
What kind or organ is there at Fenway Park?
It’s a Yamaha. The model is called Electone AR-100. It’s a mid 1990s model. I’ve been very happy with it. It’s one of those things you know no two models are exactly alike so I spent a lot of time kind of getting to know the ins and outs of this one so it feels very comfortable and familiar to me, I’m really happy with it. I have a similar model at home that I use to do a lot of the practicing that I do for the stuff that I play at the ballgames.
How long have you been the Red Sox organist and how did you get the job? This is my 15th year. I auditioned before the start of the 2003 season. I knew someone who was working for the team at the time. He and I had written songs together previously and he knew that I was a baseball nut and he knew that I was an organ player and he recommended me to the audition committee and I went in for a couple or rounds of auditions. I had played in a lot of different bands and I had done a lot of musical theater. I had done a lot of live piano and organ accompaniment for improvisational theater which I found to be sort of the most transferable skill for the baseball job because you’re watching players on a stage and you don’t know what’s gonna happen next and you have to be ready to respond at a moment’s notice with the appropriate musical idea.
Do you sit near other?
We used to but I’ve moved around. We used to be in the same location. My location has since changed but we are in constant communication with each other via a headset. Before the game, during the game, after the game, we give each other cues, suggestions, feedback and keep each other on our toes and make sure we both don’t play at the same time. He also comes from a background of doing that kind of thing for improvisational theater so we have a really cool, unique kind of verbal shorthand with each other which helps us keep things quick and sharp.
How long has TJ been doing his thing for?
He’s been there full-time since the start of ’08 I think and for maybe three or four years prior to that was the backup so he’d substitute occasionally.
Do you remember what your first thought you had when you were offered the job?
I was thrilled. This really is a dream job. It’s something that I remember as a kid thinking ‘that must be the coolest job in the world to play the organ at a baseball stadium.’ I kind of always wanted to do that. But I think I had probably mentioned that to enough people that the friend who recommended me for the audition probably remembered or heard me say it at some point and was able to connect me with the audition committee. I remember thinking that the first audition went OK but not great. And then some time passed and they called me back.
Did they have you audition right at Fenway Park?
I auditioned in the park. In fact the first audition was over the loud speakers in the ballpark which was not the plan but one of the people on the audition committee was stuck in a meeting in a conference room with a window that faced out into the park and couldn’t leave so he just opened the window and asked the audio engineer to just turn on all the speakers. That was a little nerve-wracking for me to have my audition be in an empty stadium for the whole neighborhood to hear. Then I remember the second audition, I felt maybe because they called me back that was a sign that they liked me. I remember going into the second audition feeling comfortable and confident and I remember feeling like it was really long. It was at the end of that audition that they offered it to me and they said “Can you do every home game?”
What’s 162 divided by two?
81 games plus playoffs if you’re lucky.
So your first season was 2003 right?
That was the year they lost to The Yankees.
Were you playing during those American League Championship Division games? Yes. And especially since that was my first season I really rode the rollercoaster everyday the way that so many of us did.
Then the 2004 ALDS again against the Yankees did you play during all of those crazy extra-inning late games that felt like they lasted until the middle of the night?
Yes. I remember they were down 0-3 and I remember walking into the gate for game 4 and just telling myself I have to believe we are going to win tonight in order to walk through that gate. I remember leaving that game thinking “that’s the most exciting baseball game I’ve ever seen in my whole life” whether I was working it or not.
That was the famous Dave Roberts steal game. Yeah so they won that game in 12 innings on the Ortiz home run. The next night, game five, they won in 14 innings.
Right. When Big Papi muscled out that game-winning single. Yeah. I remember leaving game give thinking “that one was even more exciting that game four” and then they went to Yankee Stadium and won two more and then they came back and beat the Cardinals.
Did you play at the World Series?
Yes.
“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch is you playing live right?
Yes. That’s the one thing that’s scripted as far as live playing.
When did you join Twitter and when did you start having fan interactions because I get a big kick out of seeing that stuff.
I joined Twitter fairly early on but I didn’t understand it and I didn’t see the utility of it. I was sort of instructed by the boss at the library where I was working my day job to get on it and I was skeptical. TJ Connelly and the organist for the Atlanta Braves, I saw them starting to use it in interesting, clever, creative and interactive ways with fans at the games and I thought “I bet I can do that.” And so I just started doing it and I started just as a wild experiment offering to take people’s requests. I really had no idea how it was going to go. I didn’t think anything was gonna come of it other than it might be fun for a week . That was about five years ago and now it’s turned into a pretty self-sustaining thing. I’d say most of the songs I play during a game are fan requests that come in live via Twitter from people in the stands.
I see that you do get heckled sometimes.
I do. People tell me what they don’t like. People also tell me what they do like and it’s fun. I tell people what I like and don’t like too. I’m not there to play what I want to hear, I’m there to play what other people want to hear. But I will tell people “I think that’s a dumb song.” I’ll gladly play it, let’s have fun with it. I also make fun of my own musical taste constantly.
Do you feel pressure to keep up with all the popular, hit songs?
Not a ton of pressure. I think part of the job means keeping to some extent your finger on the pulse of what’s popular. I’m 44 so that charts are not aimed at me. I’m not paying a ton of direct attention to it other than for occasional work related purposes but I can take a peek at it every once in a while. I kind of know who some of the big names are. The other thing is, people will tell me. I have young colleagues who are newly minted communications graduates from Boston University and Emerson and they’ll tell me what’s hip. Or fans will come to the games and they’ll tell me what’s hip or what’s new.
So if Beyoncé had some scorching hot single that the entire planet was singing, it’s not like you have to learn the whole song right?
It depends. Sometimes you’re just looking for the one little hook or the chorus and it can be ten seconds, fifteen, thirty. Sometimes I’ll play the full song if it’s before or after the game.
But you’re not going out buying sheet music right?
I don’t read music. I knew how to as a kid but I just haven’t practiced it.
So if there’s a popular new song, you’ll just kind of figure it out?
Yes, if it’s simple enough. I do this every night. Now if it’s a straight-forward tune , then usually one listen and I’m good to go. But sometimes it takes a second or third listen to get the nuances of it, especially if you’re really trying to nail the hook or an extended chunk of the song.
I know you play a lot of requests but you also have a keen appreciation for some 80s alternative music. I think I heard you play a Plimsouls song once. Do you ever get to work in some of your own snippets?
I play whatever people ask me to play so if people ask to me to play a Plimsouls song, I will play it. Now I happen to be in my sort of freelance music “career” I’m kind of connected with a lot of the sort of 80s and 90s indie rock world because those are the bands I end up meeting and playing at festivals with and connecting with. I’m in a band with Eddie Muñoz who was the guitar player in The Plimsouls.
What’s that band called?
It’s called The Split Squad. So it’s Eddie Muñoz, Clem Burke the drummer from Blondie and Keith Streng the guitar player from The Fleshtones. So those kind of people.
How often do you play shows?
Everybody lives all over the country and everybody’s in lots of bands so I would two or three times a year we get together for like a week.
How long has this been going on for?
This band formed about four of five years ago.
So it’s a cold, rainy night in say June and the game sucks and we’re getting our asses handed to us. Is that when you really try to lift people up? That’swhen you have to earn it. Because if they’re in first place and they’re kicking ass and everyone’s in great spirt and the place is packed and it’s the weekend and everyone is in an awesome mood, it’s not difficult for me to wind people up because they’re already pretty wound up. But when the weather is miserable and the team is having a bad night and people are in a bad mood… I mean we’ve had a couple of seasons recently where they were in last place it’s tricky because you want to be light-hearted, you want it to be buoyant, you want to keep people optimistic. At the same time, Red Sox fans are really savvy by and large and if you whitewash it they feel like you’re insulting their intelligence and you kind of are insulting their intelligence so I don’t want to do that. So it’s bit of balancing act. If the team’s not playing as well then maybe there’s a little more pressure on me to at least make it so people are having fun.
Remind me of what happens between innings? Are you and TJ both playing songs?
Yes. Sometimes it’s him, sometimes it’s me. We trade off. During a commercial break there’s almost always music being played at the ballpark by the DJ or by me.
Do you play songs for players as they’re coming up to bat?
Every park does it differently. Each player has a song that is associated with them and a lot of times it’s personally selected by the player and so when they get introduced and they come up to bat or it’s a relief pitcher and they’re coming into the game than that song will be played at that time. 99% of the time that’s a DJ thing cause that’s what the players tend to prefer. Then as far as incidental music that happens in response to plays or lulls in the action or anything like that, that’s a combination of me and the DJ. By and large the DJ and I have the leeway to make those decisions. Sometimes we get input from colleagues, bosses and we take that all into consideration.
Do you ever get to interact with the players?
Occasionally it’s a quick “hi, how are you you? but I kind of observe them much in the way that fans do. Do you get to interact with the players ever?
Where is the organ?
We’ve had a few different locations over the years but right now it’s directly beneath the press box where writers sit. It’s level four in that’s called the State Street Pavilion Club with is a restaurant/bar area.
Even after all these years and all of the times you’ve walked into Fenway Park to go to work, do you still have moments of “this is so cool!”? Oh yeah. Everyday. At least one, usually several times every day I kind of stop and soak it in and pinch myself. Even on days I’m not there sometimes, throughout the off-season I think “I can’t believe I get to go there and do that?”
I realized a longtime dream recently with my first ever trip to Nashville, Tennessee. It was pure magic to finally visit Music City and I crammed a lot into four days including a visit to the storied Bluebird Cafe, the famous Studio B, the super cool Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum and two consecutive nights at Ryman Auditorium seeing Brandi Carlile.
But the trip really began in a cave where I saw one of my super deluxe for life favorite bands called SHEL. Soon after my plane landed on April 22, my buddy Dave collected me at the airport and we drove about two hours to McMinnville, home of Cumberland Caverns. It’s there where Bluegrass Underground has been putting on shows for several years in an other-worldly spot called The Volcano Room. And it’s an honest-to-god cave. I’ve never seen anything like it and to see a show there by a band that I adore is an experience that’s forever etched in my heart and mind.
First I’m going to talk about SHEL then we’ll head down into that cave. SHEL is four Holbrook sisters from Fort Collins, Colorado and the name’s an acronym for their names. Sarah’s on violin, Hannah (pronounced Hahna) plays keys, Eva’s on lead vocals, mandolin and electric guitar and Liza plays drums, percussion and does this beatbox thing that’ll knock your socks off. They all sing , they’re all the their 20s and they’ve all been playing music most of their lives. Said another way, they’re all SENSATIONAL musicians.
I got hip to them last summer when they came to Portland. Since that late July night I’ve seen them perform four times, most recently in that Tennessee cave. Their one year anniversary of releasing their second album “Just Crazy Enough” is on May 13 and I’ll be raising a glass of Prosecco in their honor because they really are so very good. How good? At the end of 2016 I came up with my 14 favorite songs of the year and their tune “Hello is the Doctor in Today” is in the number one spot.
And if that’s not enough, their spellbinding cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” just surpassed the million view mark on YouTube. Not only is their take on it enthralling, Sarah’s got quite a knack for videography and they shot this while in Alaska last year.
I’m already counting the days until I see SHEL again which will be in August at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Lyons, Colorado. Know who else is on that bill? NBD. Just Gregory Alan Isakov, Lake Street Dive, Rhiannon Giddens, Dave Rawlings Machine and The Wailin’ Jennys among others. Whomever booked SHEL at this festival gets a high-five from me. Smart decision. Speaking of smart, Amos Lee also made a wise call last fall when he invited SHEL to open SIX shows for him. How cool is that? THIS COOL:
Now let’s get into that cave shall we?
After swinging through the gift shop/box-office building we were led down a dirt path and waited in groups outside this opening:
The entrance to Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville, TN. 4.22.17 Photo by Aimsel Ponti
We wound our way through and down into the depths and it was one jaw-dropping moment after another. I mean this cave even had a waterfall in it. It is wired with electricity but they kept the lights on low which added to the intrigue. You had to watch your step but I can’t stress enough HOW COOL IT WAS.
En route to The Volcano Room at Cumberland Caverns. 4.22.17 Photo by Aimsel Ponti
After maybe five minutes or so and after descending just under 350 feet there it was; The Volcano Room. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Interior of The Volcano Room at Cumberland Caverns. Photo shot just before SHEL took the stage. 4.22.17 Photo by Aimsel Ponti
I thought I had seen a few things in my life and God knows I’ve been to a least 87 zillion concerts but never had I seen anything quite like this. Just to see this place was breathtaking. But to see SHEL perform it in. It’s hard to put into words.
But then there they were.
Hannah, Eva, Sarah and Liza Holbrook of SHEL. 04.22.17 Photo by Aimsel Ponti
I mean seriously…
SHEL performing in The Volcano Room at Cumberland Caverns. 04.22.17 Photo by Aimsel Ponti
The sound was GLORIOUS in that cave and for about an hour, SHEL CRUSHED IT. They played songs from both of their records, “Just Crazy Enough” from last year and 2012’s self-titled album. I shot a few clips and my skillful friend Shamus Alley put this together:
The encore song was “Enter Sandman” which was perfect for three reasons: Their interpretation of it is beautifully eerie and lovely and I’ll never tire of it, it was my first time hearing them play it live and the line “we’re off to never never land” was most certainly true in that cave.
The cave’s got snacks, restrooms and comfortable enough seats. But most of all, in case this hasn’t been made 100% clear: IT’S SOOOOOOOOOOO COOL.
Go see a show there. Check their schedule and just make it happen. Figure it out. Get a pal or 12 to go with you. You’ll never see anything like it. Trust me. I didn’t even know this place existed until a few months ago and I’m SO GLAD my first trip to Tennessee including seeing a band I love in a venue I’ll never forget.
How far would you go to realize a musical dream? For me the answer was just about 1200 miles; the distance from my driveway to Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN.
Until a few days ago I had never been to Tennessee, let alone Nashville, let alone the Mother Church of music that is Ryman Auditorium.
I guess I was waiting for just the right moment and that moment came in January when a friend here in Maine told me that Brandi Carlile was doing a handful of dates to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of her incredible album “The Story” and The Ryman was one of those dates. The show was going to be Carlile and her band playing, in order, every song on that album and some of those tracks I’ve never heard live before.
And so I bought a ticket, booked a flight, found an Airb&b, sat back and smiled on a cold winter’s day. A few days later the smile grew larger as a second show was added and a ticket to that show was also secured.
Fast forward to Monday, April 24. I laid my head against the side of the Mother Church and had a moment of reflection and reverence for the historic building and then I had myself a whiskey in the attached Cafe Lula and waited for the doors to open for the 7:30 show.
I found my seat, about a dozen pews (yes pews, this is the Mother Church after all) back and to the left and sat in contained enthusiasm along with my fellow pew-mates and Brandi fans.
And soon after 7:30 on that Monday night in Nashville night one of two of the greatest nights of my life began as Brandi, the twins Phil and Tim Hanseroth and cellist/pianist Josh Neumann took to the stage and opened with “The Story’s” first track, “Late Morning Lullaby.”
I realized immediately the first reason why this was going to be such a special evening because I dare say the sound at Ryman Auditorium is the best I’ve ever heard, and I’ve been to at least 87 million concerts (give or take).
Phil Hanseroth, Brandi Carlile and Tim Hanseroth Ryman Auditorium 4.25.17 Photo by Aimsel Ponti
And there I was, in an entirely decent seat taking it all in, remembering to breathe and wearing a Nashville-sized smile.
They played the album in order and so the Phil Hanseroth penned title track was next and it was the first Brandi Carlile song I ever heard and it STILL kills me every time I hear it, whether it be live, on the radio or with headphones on walking.
“I climbed across the mountain tops. SWAM ALL ACROSS THE OCEAN BLUE.” It was all the more poignant and insane and beautiful and goddamn glorious at Ryman. Every single one of us in that audience on both nights lost our minds. I still don’t have mine back and I’m fine with that. Oh so fine.
“Turpentine” was next and again, such songwriting. This one Carlile wrote herself and it’s been an Aimsel theme song for the decade that I’ve known it.
Now’s as good a time as any to show you some video clips from these two shows. Know that I only shot short ones and did them as non-obtrusively as humanly possible. I promise, I wasn’t the annoying chick with the phone. These are from both nights and editing credit goes to my pal Shamus Alley.
The show continued on its path of “The Story” album and every song was an emotional groundswell of love, music and perfection.
About halfway through “The Story” tracks, Carlile shared with us the existential crisis-of-sorts she experienced three years ago when her daughter Evangeline was born. Carlile started thinking about the global refugee crisis, especially when it came to children. It was during this time that her wife Catherine Shepherd told her about War Child, based in the UK. Their mission is to protect, educate and stand up for the rights of children caught up in war. That’s when an idea was born…a big one. “The Story is the biggest rock we’ve got to launch at Goliath,” said Carlile and the end result is “Cover Stories.” All proceeds go to War Child UK. The album is all 14 songs of “The Story” covered by other artists including Dolly Parton, Indigo Girls, Pearl Jam, The Avett Brothers, Kris Kristofferson and even Adele. It’s available on May 5th but this fan pre-ordered it a while back and can’t wait for it to arrive.
Cover Stories: Brandi Carlile celebrates 10 Years of The Story. An album to benefit War Child.
Carlile surprised everyone by announcing that the album would be for sale during intermission and by the looks of it afterward, they sold just about every single copy they brought with them on CD and vinyl. WHICH IS AWESOME. She told us that they have a goal of raising a million dollars for War Child. I have every confidence they’ll do this…and then some.
A few more notes on “The Story” songs live at Ryman on both nights:
“Have you Ever” was a foot-stompin’, hand-clapping party with exceptional cello from Josh Neumann
“Cannonball” was performed at the front edge of the stage without microphones or amps and it further demonstrated how incredible the sound is at Ryman. “The Ryman is one of a kind,” explained Carlile and she proved the point quite well.
“Losing Heart” had only ever been played two or three times before this run of shows. It was awesome.
“Again Today” was my favorite of “The Story” tracks on both nights because Carlile sang it with a level of unfettered abandonment it just about made me cry.
Carlile, the Hanseroth Twins and Neumann closed out the set with “Hiding My Heart” and if the show had ended there I would have been more than OK because spectacular doesn’t even begin to describe what I had just seen and heard.
BUT THE SHOW WAS ONLY HALF OVER!
We got about another TEN songs on both nights, including several audience requests that got voted on by cheering.
Night one’s second set looked like this:
The Things I Regret
The Eye
That Wasn’t Me (by request)
Jolene (hell yes, the Dolly Parton song)
Raise Hell
Most Of All (brand new, absolutely gorgeous, heartbreaking song)
Beginning to Feel the Years (Brandi and the Twins performed this from the corner of the balcony. Amazing!)
Goin to California’ ( as in Led Zeppelin. I’ve heard Brandi sing this before but to hear it at Ryman. All words fail…)
Amazing Grace (with special guest The Secret Sisters!!!) We were all invited to sing along and many did. As for me, I stood there spellbound.
Night two’s requests were Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” which I’ve long said too many people have covered but I ate my words when I heard Carlile sing it. She also hit us with “Keep Your Heart Young” and “The Mother,” another new one and three-year-old sweet-as-pie little Evangeline wandered over to Brandi for a visit before the song. Priceless.
Night two was also closed out with “Amazing Grace” sans Secret Sisters but no less wondrous.
Sidebar: During the day on Tuesday I decided to take the self-guided tour of Ryman Auditorium which was really great as it included a multi-media presentation explaining the building’s jaw-dropping musical history. During this tour I plunked down in the balcony and decided I wanted to sit there for night two instead of the first floor towards the back seat I had. As luck would have it, I scored a front-row almost center balcony seat and after snapping my first-three songs photos on that second night, and yeah, OK after sitting for another three songs in a temporarily unclaimed second row seat I took my balcony seat and it was like sitting on the edge of heaven. The sound was even better from there and the view pristine. Yeah for spontaneity!
And there you have it, the story of “The Story” and this fan and writer’s trip, or better yet, pilgrimage to the Mother Church that is Ryman Auditorium in Music City, USA.
It has been almost 72 hours since that second show ended but part of my heart and soul are still there. As they should be.
Thank you, Brandi, Tim, Phil and Josh.
Thank you, Nashville for welcoming me with open arms.
Thank you, readers of this post for letting me share an experience that will always be part of me.
“But these stories don’t mean anything. When you’ve got no one to tell them to”
Two Hanseroths and Carlile and a Neumann bringing the house down in Nashville. 4.25.17 Photo by Aimsel Ponti
Today I did something that had been planned for about a year. Today I got a David Bowie lyric tattoo on my left arm.
Here’s the thing; Bowie’s my favorite musician ever and his music is everything to me.
On January 11, 2016 the world found out we had lost him. On January 12, my editor at MaineToday.com/Portland Press Herald challenged me to write about it. At first I resisted because I was so sad I didn’t think I could pull myself together to put together anything cohesive. But I decided it was probably a good idea so I essentially opened up an emotional vein and let it flow out of me. Here’s what it looked like.
I spent the next several days crying off and on but also thinking about some of the incredible Bowie related experiences I was fortunate enough to have enjoyed and slowly started to put myself together. Though it took several months before I could listen to “Blackstar.”
I thought about the time my lifelong friend Matt Rosen and I flew to Chicago for two days to see the “David Bowie Is” exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago on Halloween weekend of 2014. This is the same Matt that slept out on the sidewalk with me outside a record store in Lowell, MA to get tickets to the “Glass Spider” tour of 1987.
Outside the “David Bowie Is” exhibit in Chicago. 10.31.14. The exhibit was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen. An expansive collection of costumes, instruments, personal items and so much more about Bowie. I’ll never forget it.
Soon after that terrible day in 2016 that started off with a phone call from my friend and fellow Bowie fanatic Sarah telling me about DB’s death, my friend Becky Mokos and I decided we were going to get Bowie lyrics tattoos. Becky and I have been friends since seventh grade. Neither one of us are over losing Bowie and I know we never will be.
About six months ago we decided to set things in motion and began the process of selecting what line we would each decide to get. Many texts were exchanged on this topic. MANY.
Several came to mind all at once because there are SO MANY songs that resonate with me. But after some initial thought, I knew it would have to be one from my favorite album, “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.”
There isn’t a song on this record that I don’t absolutely adore. Sidebar, while in London in 2007, I tracked down the location of where this album cover was shot and stood on it. It was a truly magical moment at 23 Heddon Street. There’s still a phone booth there (picture on the back of the album of DB standing in it) and although it’s not the original one, it too was full of magic and plenty of Bowie graffiti.
Fast forward to about two months ago. At a surprise birthday party for my friend Lee I started chatting with a woman named Cyndi Lou. Turns out, she’s a tattoo artist and a Bowie fan. Ten minutes into our convo, I knew I had found our artist and texted Becky immediately with the good news.
Cyndi Lou is an artist at Tsunami Tattoo in downtown Portland, ME. The place sort of reminds me of a Buddhist temple and it’s a very special place.
In a word, Cyndi’s awesome. Read more about her here.
Becky and I checked our calendars and reached out to Cyndi and today, April 2, 2017 was the big day.
The song I chose is “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide.” I chose it because I’ve listened to it hundreds of times and it still kills me every time, especially the ending. If you’re not familiar with it, take a listen.
Here are some of the lyrics:
Oh no love! You’re not alone
You’re watching yourself but you’re too unfair
You got your head all tangled up but if I could only make you care
Oh no love! You’re not alone
No matter what or who you’ve been
No matter when or where you’ve seen
All the knives seem to lacerate your brain
I’ve had my share, I’ll help you with the pain
You’re not alone…
But it’s the dramatic, final 30 seconds of the song that reach directly into my heart and soul. And so, today I got this line tattoed on my left arm:
gimme your hands ’cause you’re wonderful
Here’s a shot that Becky took of Cyndi Lou working her magic at Tsunami Tattoo
And here’s a shot of it moments after Cyndi Lou finished it. It has to heal but I wanted to share this now because I’m so happy about it.
Lest there be any doubt about my love for DB, here’s my license plate.
Final words…
I didn’t know how much losing David Bowie would impact me but I sort of feel forever changed. But I also feel so grateful for knowing and loving his music so much. I also really love that Becky and I did this together. BTW, here’s what she had done on her upper left arm and I love it.
Becky chose a line from the iconic song “Changes” because she feels the line really captures the essence of what Bowie meant to the world.
At this moment, the sun is starting to do down and my arm is stinging just a little. When I look down on it, it fills my heart up. I needed this tattoo and needed it to be this exact line in this exact location so I can see it all the time.
When music is the most important thing to you, you sometimes go to great lengths to do something some might consider extreme. As for me, I did what I did today without hesitation and with my heart full of love for David Bowie and what his music means to me.
Last weekend I had one of the most memorable experiences of my entire life. This one goes into the “memorable experiences hall of fame.” It is something I’ll never forgot and something I’m unlikely to ever experience again.
On Saturday, March 11, 2017, I got to go to Saturday Night Live. As in the NBC show. As in LIVE. As in I was in the studio audience. And what’s more, I also got to go to the private after-party.
If I’m going to tell this story, I’m going to tell it right so I’m going to start where it all began: With a Tweet.
PART I: How it all happened
On Thursday, February 23 I hopped on Twitter to see what’s what as one often does. When what to my wondering eyes should appear but this AMAZING Tweet
It was a two-fold heart-stopping moment because I love Scarlet Johansson immensely and am also a GIANT Lorde fan.
Without hesitation I replied to SNL’s Tweet with a full-scale five-alarm gushing declaration of my joy that BOTH of these women were going to be on the SAME episode.
Then I got on with my day.
A little while later that same day, I got a Twitter notification. The standard ones we all get when someone either likes or reTweets you. NBD normally right?
Except this wasn’t just ANY notification. This one told me that SNL had freaking RETWEETED me!
Call me cynical, but one of the first things I did was to check to see if they ReTweet everyone. Nope. Kind of a rarity in fact.
So I did what one does in these situations. Screen-snapped it and posted it on Facebook telling people that I would allow myself to feel some semblance of cool for about five minutes. And it did feel cool. They have about two million followers.
Later that day, SNL Tweeted that they were giving away tickets to upcoming shows. You had to email them why you’re they’re biggest fan. Whatever. I’d never win so I had no intention of entering.
But then a few days later, on Tuesday, February 28th the SNL thing came back into my mind and I decided, on an absolute whim, to enter their contest. Someone had to win right? Here’s an excerpt from the email I sent them:
“SNL is my Northern Star. It’s my rock. It makes me laugh likes nothing else and even, when it’s necesary, makes me cry (Sandy Hook “Silent Night” tribute not to mention Kate McKinnon’s Leonard Cohen moment).
SNL has been the one consistent, reliable thread throughout my entire life. I’ve celebrated with you, laughed myself senseless during opening monologues, mourned the loss of some of your cast members (Gilda, Phil, Chris…etc). I’ve cheered my heart out for some of the musical guests throughout the years. (the 1979 Bowie performance, The Replacements in ’86, St. Vincent in 2014, ETC ETC ETC.
Through every milestone in my life, every celebration, every sorrowful moment, ALL OF IT, Saturday Night Live has been there. I truly love you and I’ll be watching. Forever.
Did I mention I’m free on March 11th?”
About four hours later I was away from my office on an assignment and, because I’m glued to my phone, checked my Yahoo email.
AND THIS HAD ARRIVED:
It had instructions on what to do, where to go and when. Honestly, I couldn’t believe it. When I couldn’t reach my gal Tracy I called my parents and almost hyper-ventilating told them the news. Then I called -and reached- my three older siblings and told them. They all freaked out. I still can’t believe they had chosen me.
Fast-forward to the morning of Saturday, March 11. Tracy and I got on the 6:30 direct bus from Portland to Manhattan and were on our way. Our friend Maayan let us crash with her and after meeting her for lunch, we repaired to her place for what I referred to as a massive Scarlett Johnappson because we knew it was going to be a late night.
PART II: Going to the show
The confirmation email instructed us to arrive by ten o’clock at the latest with I.D. and a print-out of said confirmation.
Although I’d been to New York City many times, I’m not sure if I’d ever made it down to 30 Rockefeller Plaza before. Super fun seeing the skating rink. Super fun seeing the marquis for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
I of course was a nervous, anxious and excited wreck so we got there at 9 and figured out where the “Grand Stair” was. The guy at that, for lack of a better term, security checkpoint was super friendly and admired my purple velvet motorcycle jacket. He suggested we take a stroll around and come back in a bit. So we did but it was downright freezing out at this point so we didn’t stray too far.
By 9:45 we were let in and ascended the “Grand Stair” and came upon another “checkpoint” were I had to show my confirmation letter. From there it was onto a check-in area where they checked my I.D. , looked at the letter, and put dated SNL wristbands on both of us. Then I was handed a tiny, numbered envelope containing the two tickets and was told to be sure to keep the envelope. Let me just say that this is a very well buttoned-up operation. No one who isn’t supposed to be there will be let in. It’s a huge dealio, that was made abundantly clear.
We were sent into a large, lobby-like area and were told the general area to sit in. It was segregated into three sections, according to what your envelope said. I soon starting chatting with a mother and daughter from Atlanta. The daughter had also won tix via the Twitter contest and we all bonded and obsessed over what the numbers on the envelope meant. Well the three of us did, Tracy was as cool as a cucumber, but I was spazzing out enough for both of us. There were numerous signs, along with sporadic announcements, that photos weren’t allowed from this point forward. Not even in that lobby area. The space was comfortable with large screens showing classic SNL clips.
What came next was a bit of “hurry up and wait” but at least we knew that it was going to start on time. (haha)
The first group of “envelopes” were called at about 10:30. The next a little after that. And so on. My “group” was summoned at about 10:50 and we were sent to another line to await word to board the elevators. While in that line, I spotted St. Vincent milling around and then she waltzed by us into what I can only assume was “cool peopleville.” BTW, I love St. Vincent (Annie Clark) and seeing her out in the world was one of many noteable moments.
Time marched on. It was just about 11 when we were ushered in groups of about 15 into the elevators. By this time my excitement was at such a fever pitch I could barely function. It was kind of an out-of-body experience knowing that I was about to witness Saturday Night Live in the flesh. I mean WTF? What was I doing there? This was bananas.
I have no idea what floor we went to, I was too wired to take note of that. But soon enough we were out in a hallway and shit was getting very real in a hurry.
I do remember passing a sign that said the capacity of the studio was 398 persons. This sounds about right because the actual seats were probably around 250 if I had to guess. Plus those 20 or so right-up front ones. BTW, people in those seats are the ones you see the most during the opening monologue. I assume they have upper level hardcore VIP friends.
And just like that…we were in the studio and I felt like a cross between Charlie Bucket when he arrived at Willy Wonka’s factory and Dorothy when she landed in Oz. There it was. The set of one of my my favorite shows. The set of one of the most well-loved, longest-running and most famous shows in the history of television. And I was about to see how all the magic happened.
The Saturday Night Live Band was already playing and sounded spectacular. A few minutes later Keenan Thompson walked out on stage with three back-up singers including Kate McKinnon. I’m mortified to admit that I can’t remember who the other two of them were, though they were for sure cast members. Keep in mind, that at this point I’m completely overwhelmed by pretty much everything. The sets, the crew members, the cameras, the lights. All of it. Speaking of lights…one thing that I didn’t expect but that makes complete sense is that the studio was an absolute ice-box. I mean it was effing freezing in there. I’m assuming this is because the stage lights are so hot that if they had the actual heat on, the cast, band and anyone else under those lights would pretty much melt. So where was I? Oh yes, Keenan Thompson busted out into The Knack’s “My Sharona” and as you can imagine, he and the band and the ladies all sounded dynamite.
Then Michael Che, Weekend Update co-anchor came out and slayed us for a couple of minutes. When you’re not on the air, f-bombs can fly freely and they sure did and he was hilarious.
I kept checking my Fitbit for the time (phone was long shut off by this point) and as it got closer to 11:30 I started smiling. I still am.
As for the seats, there are about six or so rows that more or less stretch across the studio and off to one side. There aren’t any “bad” seats but at any given time you might not be able to see everything because the sketches happen all over the place. But you can hear everything and there are also several monitors. It was very surreal to one minute be looking at the monitor, as if I was home watching the show and then looking over to see the not-ready-for Primetime Players actually there. Again I say…holy bananas.
When I got home on Sunday I played the recorded show and snapped a pic during the opening. This pic is weird for sure, but it does show you where we were. Tracy on the left and yours truly on the right.
It got very quiet just before it went live. But there was also a countdown that started at the 30-second mark and whoever was doing it made it fun and a little silly.
And then BOOM! We were live. The show opened with a sketch led by Keenan Thompson about an alien invasion. It was set on a military base. And oh my god…Alec Baldwin was on as Trump. We had NO IDEA this was happening until the moment it happened and I think I screamed louder than Tippi Hedren in “Psycho.” There he was. Alec freaking Baldwin. It’s been reported that he won’t be portraying Trump for much longer. Was this his swan song? Let’s hope not.
Here’s the clip:
I laughed harder than I’ve laughed in a long time. When the sketch ended it gave way to the intro. Everyone cheered as each cast member’s name was said aloud.
And then came this line… “Ladies and Gentlemen…Scarlett Johansson!”
Again, I screamed bloody murder and then just like that…there she was. Clear as day.
She was charming and funny and the opening was classic SNL. ICYMI, here’s the clip:
After her opening the show went to commercial and it was like a hive of bees had been released. Backdrops were rolled in, props brought out and set up, lights and boom mics were moved all about. It was one of the most well-orchestrated and exciting things I’ve ever witnesses and it happened during every break.
BTW, Lorne Michaels was there the entire time. Sharply dressed and looking so fine, he walked around and mostly just observed without much interaction with anyone. The man’s a living legend. He can do whatever the hell he wants and it was clear that the respect for him was without end.
More sketches followed and of course the now famous “Complicit”commercial starring Johansson as Ivanka Trump. It just doesn’t get much funnier than this.
Behold:
Weekend Update was, as always, completely on point with anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che. The SNL writers are some of the most brilliant, hilarious, sharp-witted and creative minds on this planet.
AND THEN IT WAS TIME FOR LORDE! (damn right I’m using bolded caps for this)
At 20-years-old, New Zealand singer Lorde is a force of nature. Her voice is so unique and her songs are , and I have to use profanity here, fucking brilliant. But you already know this. As I write this, her new single “Green Light” has racked up more than 25 million YouTube plays in less than two weeks. I love the song and was SO EXCITED to hear her play it live. But I wondered, how would it sound in the studio? I’ll tell you how it sounded and again, sorry for the profanity, it sounded fucking awesome! I was beside myself. Jaw dropped, ears and eyes as open as they could possibly be. The song was co-written by Lorde, Joel Little and a fella named Jack Antonoff. (um, hello, Jack’s in Bleachers (they’re awesome, saw ’em in 2014 at Boston Calling and also he’s also in a tiny little band called fun.) More on Jack in a minute.
I still can’t believe I was THERE FOR THIS:
Right before Lorde was introduced, after 50ish people were brought in. Likely some cast members but also some others who were granted access for the performance. This happened with both songs. Although I didn’t see her, I suspect St. Vincent was among them. It was actually great to have the extra people in there for the songs. It added to the excitement.
So the show continued, some sketches were funnier than others and the entire show sensational.
THEN LORDE DID HER SECOND SONG. “Liability” is even newer and what a heart-breaker. In other words, I LOVE IT. Gorgeous, sad, emotional. All the things. And that voice..
AND…Jack Antanoff accompanied Lorde on piano.
“So I guess I’ll go home
Into the arms of the girl that I love
The only love I haven’t screwed up
She’s so hard to please
But she’s a forest fire
I do my best to meet her demands
Play at romance, we slow dance
In the living room, but all that a stranger would see
Is one girl swaying alone
Stroking her cheek”
I mention these lyrics because they come up later. Hold that thought and watch this!
The show ended on its usual note with Scarlett, Lorde and the entire cast on the main stage waving and hugging and we were soon told it was time to vamoose.
We were brought back to the elevators and taken back from whence we came. At one point I looked at Tracy and said something to the effect of “Did that all just really happen?”
Unsure of which door to go out, we made our way through the 30 Rock maze and emerged at apparently the door the cast uses because once we got outside there were barriers with excited fans behind them (about 50 or so on each side of the entrance) along with a row of running cars and limos. Michael Che had mentioned that some of the cast would come out afterwards to meet people. But it was bitter cold out there and we knew he had somewhere to be which brings me to the third and final act of this story…
PART III: The After-Party
The Saturday Night Live after-parties have been happening pretty much since the show began in 1975. They’re the stuff of legends. Just read this New York Times story and you’ll get an idea.
They’re in a different secret location every week and getting into them is apparently harder then breaking into Fort Knox. You have to know where they’re happening, but more importantly, your name HAS TO BE ON THE LIST. Well I mean that’s not entirely true, I don’t think Scarlett Johannson’s name was on the list. But for anyone not directly involved with the show, if you’re not on the list, you’re not getting in. It’s that simple.
Here’s where my friend Dinah Minot comes in. Dinah and I met about a year and a half ago. She and her husband Whip Hubley (super deluxe fun fact: Whip played “Hollywood” in “Top Gun” moved to Maine a couple of years ago and she’s now the Executive Director of Creative Portland. More on that here.
But Dinah had another really great job. She worked for Lorne Michaels for a dozen years. She started as a talent coordinator than associate producer then co-producer at Saturday Night Live and was a co-producer at Paramount Pictures. She worked on “Wayne’s World” and “Wayne’s World II” for pete’s sake. She and Michaels are still close friends.
Here’s how awesome Dinah is. When she was my Facebook post telling everyone that I had won tickets to the show, she reached out to Lorne’s assistant. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?
The day before we left, I had pulled into the CVS parking lot to grab a few last minute things for the trip when my phone chirped with a text. It was a text from Dinah with word from Lorne’s assistant that Tracy and I were on the after-party list. It also told me the location of the restaurant with instructions not to share it with anyone.
Back to post-show out in the freezing cold. We walked to the corner, hailed a cab, gave the driver the name and cross streets of the place and were off.
There was part of me that fully expected our names not to be on the list. These things happen. And I knew I was going to be totally OK with this because I just been at THE SHOW and that was enough. It really was. But sure enough, we were on the list.
The restaurant, a Mexican place, was classy. The lighting (low) was perfect and the music was more or less blaring. We did a quick walk through. Reserved signs were on many of the tables. Some were labelled “Cast” others “Writers” and others “Producers” and many just straight-up “reserved.”
We ponied up the bar and I ordered the rare margarita and we devoured some chips and salsa (it was 1:30 a.m. or so at this point and we were starving). That’s when Beck Bennett showed up. He’s the cast member who portrays the bare-chested Putin so very well. He’s super handsome and very friendly, though I didn’t talk to him. He was with people he knew. It was all good.
Then a parade of stars started. Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Bobby Moynihan were there. They all landed at their own big, round tables in the back part of the restaurant. A few other SNLers were there as well. I knew I wasn’t going to talk to them unless something random like running into one of them in the bathroom happened.
Then Scarlett Johansson arrived. She’s drop-dead gorgeous. There are no two ways about it. She headed to the back part as well and sat with a small group of friends. I also knew I wasn’t going to talk to her. I didn’t need to. Do I adore her as actor? Hell yes. But I just didn’t need to have a conversation with her. It wouldn’t have meant anything and that would have felt weird to me.
There was really one person there that night that I truly hoped to chat with and that was Lorde. She showed up in a funky red dress with Jack Antanoff and a few other people. By then Tra and I had found a perch , I had downed another margarita and with the spring forward time thing, it was suddenly an hour later.
I sat there and just observed. It was, and I know I’ve used this word already, surreal in an almost unprecedented way.
Finally I decided to just walk over to Lorde’s table and say hello. Was I nervous? Of course. But music’s my favorite thing and her music is fucking spectacular and I was so moved by her performance and I just wanted to tell her that. I didn’t want or need a selfie, I certainly didn’t need or want an autograph, I just wanted to say “hey.”
And so I did. Jack was off somewhere else but she was sitting with two other guys. I walked over, careful to not interrupt anyone mid-sentence and said “Hi.” She said Hi back with a smile and I explained (calmly, y’all would have been proud of me) that despite my presence at this party that I was not any kind of VIP. I told her I was a music writer from Maine who had very nerdily replied to an SNL Tweet and then had been re-Tweeted and by some bizarre lightning bolt of luck, had won tickets to the show. And then wound up at the party thanks to a friend with connections. I told her that “Green Light” was spectacular, that I had seen her incredible performance at Boston Calling in 2014 and was so thankful that her slot hadn’t been cancelled because of the monsoon-esque storm that had caused a two-hour evacuation of the festival. She remembered that as well. Then I said to she and one of the guys she was with (the other guy was talking to someone else) that I would soon be out of their hair. I shook her friend’s hand and asked his name then I shook her hand and told her my name. She told me she loved it. (!!!) Then I asked her about “Liability.” I said something like “the girl’s totally alone isn’t she, there’s no one in that room?” Lorde said yes she was indeed all by her lonesome. I told her the song was devastating and gorgeous (or something to that effect). Then I said my goodbyes, she said bye as well and that was that. I can’t say enough how INCREDIBLY kind and humble she was. I didn’t feel humored or patronized to, I felt genuinely heard. I can’t wait to hear the rest of her “Melodrama” album when it comes out later this year.
After the Lorde chat, I knew it was time to go. I was just a visitor on this strange after-party planet. The planet was fun and weird and magical but I was happy to go back to my own little corner of it.
And so there you have it. As I sit here and write this all down less than 48-hours later it still all seems like a dream.
Thanks, NBC for the tickets. Thanks, Dinah for the after-party access and thanks Tracy for remaining 100 % calm 100% of the time during my many moments of freaking the fuck out.
We had to turn in the tickets but that wristband is now in my ticket stub jar where it will swirl around with all of the other souvenirs of experiences that I’m so thankful for.
Live from New York it’s Saturday Night!
And live from my kitchen table, it’s a still sleep-deprived but still smiling Aimsel Ponti.
You would have never known it was a Monday night by the enthusiasm and energy of the sold-out crowd at The State Theatre. The vibe started strong with outstanding opener Springtime Carnivoreand stayed that way all night long with Seattle’s much-adored indie-folk band The Head and the Heart.
It had been a couple of years since The Head and the Heart last played here and we welcomed them back with arms open wider than Steve Perry’s.
This was the second leg of the tour for their third album, “Signs of Light” which was released last fall. “Signs of Light,” by the way, is their first album on Warner Bros. Nice! The two that came before it are “Let’s Be Still” (2013) and their 2011 self-titled debut. Quick sidebar, “Lost in My Mind” from that first record is truly one of my favorite songs of the past several years. Right?
God I love that song. Now where was I? Ah yes, The State Theatre in Portland, Maine on Monday night, March 6. 2017.
So who’s in the band?
The Head and the Heart is Jonathan Russell (vocals, guitar), Charity Rose Thielen (violin, vocals), Chris Zasche (bass), Kenny Hensley (piano), Tyler Williams (drums) and Matt Gervais (guitar). If you’re a fan of the band than you already know that Gervais, married to Thielen, is filling in for Josiah Johnson who’s on hiatus from the band as he is in treatment for drug addiction. Suffice to say, all the love to Johnson.
Jonathan Russell on stage at The State Theatre in Portland, ME Photo by Aimsel Ponti
Stage Notes
I don’t always mention the stage when writing reviews but I will for this one because it was simple yet classy, adorned with several large plants (possibly fake but that’s OK) and several white hanging globe lights along with some basketball sized orange ones around the stage. Kind of Pier One Importey, and I mean that in a good way. There was also a big disco ball above the stage that did its job in casting white spots of light around the theatre in a way that wasn’t overbearing. I also totally dug the white neon “Signs of Light” sign hanging behind them.
The Show
The Head and the Heart played for an hour and a half, including encores and the show included songs from all three albums, many of which the very happy crowd was none too shy about singing along with. They opened with “All We Ever Knew” from the latest record and in no uncertain terms, it’s a damn fine tune. Harmonies for days.
This went right into another new one, “City of Angels,” driven by piano and guitar. Breezy song, entirely enjoyable live. The rest of show was, understandably so, heavy with “Signs of Light” tunes including “”Take a Walk,” and “I Don’t Mind.”
The Head and the Heart’s Charity Rose Thielen Photo by Aimsel Ponti
We got to hear Thielen sing lead a few times which was lovely as was her violin. As for the rest of the band, they were completely on-point. They’ve been at this for a while and it showed. There wasn’t much in the way of spontaneity but otherwise, they sounded as good as a band can sound in a theater with very old bones but a heart of gold.
As for my favorite “Signs of Light” song, that came during the encore with the gorgeous tune “Library Magic.” The song is dreamy and full of magical lyrics like this:
Makin’ music is what we do
Tryin’ to weave the patterns for me and you
Tryin’ to make the grasses breathe and a grown man cry
Truth and life is where I gleam
Tangled up in a funnel’s wind
Tryin’ to come out walkin’
Understand it’s beyond me talkin’
Tryin’ to come out walkin’
Understand it’s beyond me talkin’
Damn near perfect song.
The Head and the Heart ended the night with “Rivers and Roads” from their first record and we filed out of the theatre listening to Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” which reminds me, the band took the stage to David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” Five bonus points awarded for that.
I don’t have any honest-to-god criticism for the band or the show other than to say, and this could be from being on the road for so long- there wasn’t much in the way of audience engagement other than the obligatory telling us about the fabulous lobster rolls they had from Eventide.
But what I will say is that I looked around a lot during this show and people were INTO IT. Lots of smiling faces, singing along and roof-rattling applause and cheering. This is because The Head and the Heart write damn good songs and sing and play them incredibly well.
And lastly, Kenny Hensley’s socks.
Pianist Kenny Hensley’s sparkly red socks. Snazzy! Photo by Aimsel Ponti
That’s right, LORDE is back and back in glorious fashion.
The new single “Green Light” met the world today at 2 p.m. e.s.t. and I’ve since listened to it no less than 20 times.
Every Lorde fan on the planet, and possibly other ones given NASA’s recent discoveries, has been waiting to the follow up to her 2013 masterpiece debut “Pure Heroine” and that wait ended today with the arrival of “Green Light,” the first single off of Lorde’s forthcoming “Melodrama” album which is slated for a summer release.
The song is absolutely mesmerizing – and danceable- and the video has been viewed more than half a million in the first THREE HOURS of its release.
More on my love for Lorde in a minute, it’s time to hear and see “Green Light”
READY?
SET! LORDE!!!!
RIGHT? I can’t wait to run to this, dance to this and see her perform it on March 11 on Saturday Night Live. (Speaking of which, believe it or not, I’ll BE THERE in the audience at SNL having just won a pair of tickets via a Twitter contest. I had to email them and tell them why I’m SNL’s biggest fan and I freaking own! This will be a whole other post after I catch my breath).
The only other time I’ve seen Lorde perform -and it almost didn’t happen due to monsoon like conditions- was at the September 2014 Boston Calling festival. She was spectacular in every sense of the word and this nerd got a photo pass. To be 100% clear, I don’t really know how to use my not very good camera but I did my best and managed to snag this one decent shot.
Lorde hasn’t been entirely out of the spotlight these past few years and here are two STELLAR examples.
In 2014 she gave us “Yellow Flicker” from “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt.1”
And last year she paid BRILLIANT tribute to David Bowie in jaw-dropping, tear-inducing fashion at the 2016 Brit Awards with “Life on Mars.” This performance is truly everything. Intro by none other than Annie Lennox and then Gary Oldman. This still makes me cry but I also love it dearly.
Welcome back, Lorde. I can’t wait to hear the rest of “Melodrama” and for the news of a tour to break. Which it surely will. HOORAH!
Where to start? Well how about on a supremely poetic note? One random day, while I was living in Massachusetts my friend Sue, her then boyfriend-now husband Robert and I ventured to Walden Pond in Concord, MA. Walden Pond isn’t just ANY pond, it’s THE Walden Pond. The one that poet Henry David Thoreau made famous with his book “Walden.” about his time living in a simple cabin near the pond.
It’s a truly lovely spot and Sue and I walked around it while Robert swam across it. But this isn’t the important part of the story. The important part of the story is what happened the next day. The next day, yours truly, who had been something of a sedentary soul went for another walk. This time around an outdoor track near my apartment.
And so it began. My first foray into some semblance of fitness. Soon I joined the Y.M.C.A. and started getting semi-serious about things.
Fast forward to 2000 in Portland, Maine. I started to run.
Then in 2001 I dropped a bunch of weight and started to run more and more.
By the fall of 2001 I was running my first of five half-marathons. I also started doing the famous Beach to Beacon 10K here in Maine and ran that about a half dozen times. It’s a brutal race with a bunch of hills and I get anxious even thinking about it.
Time marched on. As it does. I put weight back on. A lot even. I stopped exercising and slipped into a bit of an apathetic funk.
But in January of 2016 I rose from the ashes like a wanna-be phoenix and started eating a whole lot better. Six months later I had lost some eight. A lot even. But I still hadn’t gotten my exercise groove back.
Then one random day around the end of last August I decided to walk to work. It’s three miles each way and includes a scenic passage over Casco Bay Bridge.
And here’s the thing; I LOVE this walk. The views are gorgeous (I snapped the above pic with my phone), the coffee I stop for is always perfect and best of all, I listen to some great tunes along the way.
I’m still walking. Even when it’s minus six degrees out, I walk more often than not.
And now I’m running again at an indoor track not far from my house and I can’t wait to get outside.
The other day, I logged TEN miles. Ten freakin’ miles on that track. And just as important as my muscles and sheer determination was the music in my ears. Which brings me to the heart of the matter. Find your jams. Whatever they are. And listen to them. (Safely of course, please don’t get squashed by a truck a la The Smiths “There is a Light That Never Goes Out” because your music was blaring and you had zero awareness of your surroundings. You have to know what’s going on around you at all times. Traffic, other people, dogs, etc. Got it? ).
I have a playlist called “A Skip In My Step” and at the moment it’s 45 songs long. I let them play in random order so it’s a surprise every time.Each song means something to me. Some I love because they motivate the hell out of me. Some I love because they’re really fun. Some I love because they touch me in a way that makes me want to take better care of myself. Some make me run faster, some allow me to catch my breath (just a little), some make me smile, some make me think, some remind me of specific things or times in my life. But they all have one thing in common: they help me. Immensely.
Here are ten of these songs. I’m sharing them with the hopes of motivating you to adopt a few of them and make them your own or find songs that speak to you and GET MOVING. Some of these clips are the actual videos, but try not to focus so much on the visuals but rather try to feel these songs, maybe with your eyes closed the first time around. Ready. Set. GO!
Song: “Move” Artist: Saint Motel Why I dig it: Because the infectious groove lights a fire under my feet. Gotta get up, gotta get up. Move!
Song: “Strike It Up” Artist: Black Box Why I dig it: Because the dancing dream of the 90s is alive and well in this glorious song.
Song: “Wanna be Startin’ Something” Artist: Michael Jackson Why I dig it: Because it’s a masterpiece and I often tell myself that if I can make it to the end of the song’s six minutes and three seconds I’ll reward myself with a drink of water.
Song: “Run With Me” Artist: Humming House Why I dig it: It’s hopeful and catchy and this band put on such a great show a few months ago that included this song. Love it. Oh and there’s something kind of hypnotic about it, to me at least.
Song: “Natural Blues” Artist: Moby Why I dig it: Because it’s really just so cool. And great to run to.
Song: “I Love It” Artist: Icona Pop Why I dig it: This song is a party all by itself. Have at it.
Song: “Immigrant Song” Artist: Karen O with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Why I dig it: Truth be told, I also run to Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” but when I hear this earth-shattering cover from the “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” soundtrack I channel my inner Lisbeth Salander and take no prisoners.
Song: “On My Way” Artist:SHEL Why I dig it: Because I adore this band and this two and a half minutes brings me immense joy. It truly is the skip in my step.
Song: “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” Artist: Kylie Monogue Why I dig it: Because la la la. la la la la la. That’s why.
Song: “Smalltown Boy” Artist: Bronski Beat Why I dig it: It starts off slowly and the next thing you know, you’re zipping around like a house on fire. I love the energy and feel of this song. Plus…Jimmy Somerville’s angelic vocals.
Find your jams. Get moving. You’ve got this.
P.S. wanna hear my entire “A Skip in my Step” Spotify playlist?
Charles M. Schulz got it right with this 1967 gem of a book which, thanks to a yard sale a couple of years ago, I am the proud owner of. It’s true. Happiness IS a sad freakin’ song, especially one that is well written and sung with just the right amount of desperation and sincerity.
I don’t mean songs like Erin Carmen’s “All By Myself” (with all due respect). I’m talking about ones a bit off the mainstream path that pack way more of an emotional punch for this gal.
So in honor or the 14th of February, let’s celebrate Valentine’s Day with this collection of 14 brutally sad yet outstanding songs about love, the human heart and the various forms of related suffering.
Ready? Set? Heartbreak!
ONE: “1000 Oceans” by Tori Amos. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. But my oh my.
TWO: “Somebody” by Depeche Mode. For no other reason than the longing in Martin Gore’s voice. This song has been making me feel all the things for decades.
THREE: “I Know It’s Over” by The Smiths. Frankly, Mr. Shankly, I don’t think this one needs an explanation. And let’s be honest, this entire post could be ALL Smiths songs. God I love them. Oh well…enough said.
FOUR: “The Power of Love” by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. This song slays me. It’s not specifically “sad” but just so overwhelmingly powerful and emotional. Frankie say tears! p.s. listen to the song with your eyes closed. The video’s kinda nutty. “Love is like an energy…rushing inside of me”
FIVE: “The Blower’s Daughter” by Damien Rice. There is literally nothing I can say about this. Nothing.
SIX: “Never Be Mine” by Kate Bush. She’s a goddess. This song’s insane. Meaning perfect.
SEVEN: “This Year’s Love” by David Gray. Because “when you kiss me on that midnight street, sweep me off my feet” is one of the greatest lines ever written. Oh and the entire song will rip your heart out.
EIGHT: “A Soft Place to Land” by Kathleen Edwards. Kathleen Edwards is one of my reasons for living. This song. The violin, the words. All of it. Take a whole lot of deep breaths before listening to this extra amazing live version.
NINE: “You Left It Up To Me” by Indigo Girls. Achingly sad and therefore I love it And the harmonies are really great.
TEN: “The Last Day of Our Acquaintance” by Sinead O’Connor. This one will rip you apart at the seams but will also remind you of HOW SPECTACULAR Sinead is.Extra great live version for added Sinead bliss.
ELEVEN: “That Wasn’t Me” by Brandi Carlile. If you know it then you probably already love it and if it’s your first time hearing it then get ready to have the wind knocked out of you.
TWELVE: “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt. Excruciating. But I’ve also heard it entirely too many times so it doesn’t kill me nearly as much as it used to.
THIRTEEN: “Crying” by KD Lang. I know, I know. It’s a Roy Orbison classic. But this one kills me more than even Roy’s version. Just listen. Especially when Lang’s vocals really get going.
FOURTEEN: “Monoply” by Shawn Colvin. I love every single song on her “Fat City”album and this one is devastating. Every single second of it. Sheer perfection.
I’m late to yet another party but now that I’m here I’m going to stay until it gets awkward.
This time it’s the Ryan Montbleau party. I’ve known his name for a couple of years for sure but I’m just now getting hip to how great he is.
I was sent an advance stream of his upcoming album “I Was Just Leaving,” but before I dove into it, I was told about the the cover he did with Tall Heights of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” and how it has gotten more than 12 million plays on Spotify. Yeah so there’s yet another party I’m late to and one I was a little shy walking into because I’m a big fan of Chapman and that song is pretty sacred. However any concerns I had were quickly erased when I gave it a listen which I suggest you do now and then we’ll get into the beauty of his new album.
Be someone…be someone…be someone…
Right? I almost started crying. For real. Not only is this version glorious and emotional it let me know right away what a terrific voice Montbleau has. It’s a voice that’s full of emotion without being over the top. It’s honest.
I listened to “Fast Car” (also, hello, the Tall Heights harmonies situation…so much yes) three times and then moved into the new record. BTW, Montbleau’s discography dates back to 2002 and includes several studio and live albums.
“I Was Just Leaving’s” title track opens the album in heart-rending fashion. “The sun came up and the sun went down/ Looking for reasons in my head again/ Where are you now, where you’ve always been, far from where I am?/ Did I keep you there or did you run? Was it what I didn’t do or was it what I done?” It continues on that trajectory of marrow-deep heartache. Yet it’s also a gorgeous tune with a sturdy acoustic guitar and a poetic admission of someone trying to hang onto something that’s unravelling like the weather-worn frayed end of a clothesline.
The journey of self-discovery continues with “Bright Side.” “I was looking for a bright side mama ever since about the day I was born/Always headed for a bright light wondering what it might have in store.”
Take a listen to “Bright Side”
I have no idea what “Warning Bell” is about but it makes me want to drive all night on backroads. “But tell me, of the people you’ve known how many passed on were ready? How many heard the shot? How many got a warning bell?” Hmmm. Maybe it’s about regrets.
Tucked at the end of “I Was Just Leaving” is the last song I’ll talk about. It’s called “Cue the Majesty.” “Why pour myself out if it’s all down the drain? Why cry in the mornings? Why laugh in the rain? Why did I let her go? Why can’t I let her go? I need something that won’t go away? Cue the majesty, cue the majesty/Open up the skyline and show me the sea.” You’ll be singing along before you get to the end of the first listen. Also, cue the harmonica. Just the right amount.
ALL of this is to say, “I Was Just Leaving” is a fantastic record that I’m pretty addicted to at the moment and I’m placing my order with the universe now that Montbleau swings through Maine when he hits the road in support of it.
So…do you wanna hear EVERY SINGLE song from it performed live by Ryan via Facebook live? I know I do. Suffice to say, hop on Facebook post haste and *like* his page.
The Facebook LIVE performance is happening on Thursday, Feb. 16. at 9 p.m. (e.s.t.) If you’ve never seen a Facebook live performance, trust me, they’re super cool and a unique way to engage with the artist via real-time commenting. AND…you get to hear all of the new record’s twelve songs two weeks before the record’s released. Cool! So like his page and set a reminder on your phone because although typically a notification will pop up telling you that an arist has started a FB live thing, it’s good to also set an extra reminder because you want to be sure not to miss this.
Ryan, I’m sorry it took me this long to find you. But I’m here now and am an official fan. “I Was Just Leaving” is a hell of a record. And fun fact, we’re both from Massachusetts. #bonus
Woah nelly! Ok so let me get right to it. One of Maine’s most incredible singers is the one and only Anna Lombard. You may know her from her Gypsy Tailwind days or more recently from her current project with Dave Gutter called Armies.
In 2013, Lombard released her debut full-length solo album “Head full of Bells,” a fantastic record that is home to the tremendous tune “All For You.”
Here’s the live version from her CD release show at Port City Music in August of 2013. I’ll never forget that night, including when we had to clear the building for half an hour because the restaurant next door had a small kitchen fire. When we all came back in they played this one and brought the house down in dazzling fashion. So take a few minutes and watch this and then we’ll get to the new version.
How great was that?
So fast forward to a couple of days ago when the OHX remix of “All For You” arrived and knocked my hardcore winter wool socks off. I reached out to OHXer Andy Mead to explain the deal with OHX.
“OHX is my studio project – Ultimately, it’s a “production collective” where I work with a rotating team of key collaborators to produce tracks for other artists.”
Mead, Ryan Curless and Anna Lombard took “All For You” back into the studio to give it what Mead described as a “rework.”
And now there’s a gorgeous lyric video and, well, you’ve GOT to hear this.
“Your heart’s a machine” is my favorite refrain of the last couple of years.
Are you ready? ARE YOU REALLY READY?
OK then, I believe you.
With massive amounts of joy and appreciation, I give you the “All For You” OHX Remix. Ponti out.
While I’m typically all about original music, I also have a special place in my heart for certain covers. Especially ones that make me fall in love with the song in a way that didn’t happen when I heard the original version however many years ago. Or maybe I’ve heard the original one too many times. That said, I tip my hat to the artists that created these songs in the first place. Here’s seven times that a cover knocked my socks off in a huge way.
SONG: Enter Sandman
ORIGINAL ARTIST: Metallica from their 1991 self-titled album. This was of course a huge hit for them and I remember the video from MTV days. But it wasn’t until I heard this new version, recorded in 2016 that I came to appreciate it.
COVER VERSION:SHEL recorded the song on their 2016 “Just Crazy Enough” album. They’ve taken a metal song and made it into something you’d hear in say a Tim Burton film or in a dream. They’ve made it into something other-worldly. SHEL is four sisters (Sarah, Hannah, Eva and Liza) and they’re all insanely talented musicians and I adore pretty much everything they do, including their take on Zeppelin’s “The Battle of Evermore” but we’ll go with this one for now. Hit play and get ready.
SONG: Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)
ORIGINAL ARTIST: Phil Collins. Theme song for the film “Against All Odds” which is actually a great 80s film with Jeff Bridges, James Woods and the red hot Rachel Ward. I’ve sung along to the Collins version more times than I care to admit and yeah, it’s a fairly epic love ballad. But I’ve always thought there was a bit of a cheese factor.
COVER VERSION: The Postal Service. They’re a Seattle-based indie-band and I’ve been meaning to take a deeper dive into their music for many years. It’s on my ever-growing list. We all have those lists. Anyway…they recorded “Against All Odds” in 2004 and its on the soundtrack to “Wicker Park,” a film I really love that you should see at some point. Their version kills me. In a good way.
SONG: Eye in the Sky
ORIGINAL ARTIST: The Alan Parsons Project (I simply cannot hear that band name without immediately thinking of Austin Powers. Right?) The song is the title track of their 1982 album of the same name and it tore up the charts. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this song, it just doesn’t “move” me in a way I like to be moved. Though there’s a certain moodiness to it that I can appreciate for sure.
COVER VERSION:Jonatha Brooke. For real, JB is one of my absolute favorite singer-songwriters. She can do no wrong and you should check out her original stuff. She recorded “Eye in the Sky” for her 2004 album “Back in the Circus.” Her version pulls at my heart strings in a way the original doesn’t. There’s something about her voice that makes me, as the saying goes, feel all the things.
SONG: It Must Have Been Love
ARTIST: Roxette. This dramatic love song is of course best known for its inclusion on the “Pretty Woman” soundtrack back in 1990. I won’t trash talk the song because that’s not how I roll and also, I very much appreciate that -as I said above- if we didn’t have the original, there could be no cool cover for me to flip my lid over.
COVER VERSION:Kathleen Edwards. Canadian singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards is one of my reasons for living. Her catalog, at the moment, consists of four perfect studio albums and a few odds and ends, including her rendition of It Must Have Been Love. Her version, recorded in 2013, is devastating and gorgeous and bit edgy.
SONG: I Melt With You
ARTIST: Modern English, recorded in 1982 for their “After the Snow” album. Though I came to appreciate it around the time of the 80s classic film “Valley Girl.” There is absolutely nothing wrong with this song. I’ll always love it. I just grew weary of it. It sometimes happens. So when I came across this cover, I was able to wrap my arms around the song all over again.
COVER VERSION: Nouvelle Vague. They’re a French cover band and I could write half of this post about their work. Dive in when you get a chance and thank me later. Their “I Melt With You” is from their 2004 debut record. Every track on that thing kills me. especially this one.
SONG: Rich Girl
ARTIST: Hall & Oates. I have nothing negative to say about Hall & Oates because they’re freakin’ Hall & Oates. The fellas recorded “Rich Girl” in 1977 for their “Bigger Than Both of Us.” And who doesn’t love their “Rich Girl?” But I’ve heard it twelve billion times and was ready for it to get a new lease on life.
COVER VERSION:The Bird and the Bee. They’re a California duo and”Rich Girl” is from their 2010 tribute album “Interpreting the Masters Volume I: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates. It’s dynamite.
SONG: Shut it Down
ARTIST: Drake. Canadian rapper superstar. Mega famous. Yet I know very little of his work and will even admit I didn’t know this song until I heard the cover. I’m lame. I’m sorry. Anyway….Drake recorded “Shut it Down” in 2010 for his debut album “Thank Me Later”
COVER VERSION:Sarah Jaffe. She’s a singer-songwriter out of Texas and I just about lost my mind when I heard her take on this song. I wrote about Jaffe a few years ago when she came to Portland.
Man alive I love this song. “We will be all right.” What’s more, Rogers just played a sold-out show at Port City Music Hall and everyone lost their mind when she played this and “Alaska.” Here’s my preview of that show. Rogers also stopped by WCLZ for a 3-song performance and yours truly had the pleasure of interviewing her.
It’s the middle of September and I’m sitting here freakin’ the eff out with excitement over seven spectacular new songs that have come to my attention over the past couple of weeks.
That’s right, LORDE is back and back in glorious fashion.
Aimsel on the Record 