Welcome to another edition of Sound Citizen Radio. This week we celebrate three of our favorite Chicago music venues in The Hideout, Beat Kitchen and Lincoln Hall.
The past two weeks on SoundCitizen.com we reviewed Local Natives, interviewed and reviewed Clem Snide and made some Austin City Limits recommendations. Check them out after listening to the podcast!
And GO BLACKHAWKS!
This week’s lineup:
Jonny Rumble, “BRZRKR”
June 25, Beat Kitchen, Chicago
Visqueen, “Jimmy vs. James”
May 31, The Hideout, Chicago
Gold Motel, “We’re on the Run”
June 11, Lincoln Hall
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
I’d say it was about five years ago when I first heard Clem Snide. It was on a former girlfriend’s iPod. Well, she’s long gone but Clem Snide remains. However, it didn’t always look that way — I thought I lost them both.
Clem Snide went through a significant rough patch and eventually broke up. But they got back together (they say the first one never sticks, you know?) So now they are touring on a new record, Meat of Life.
We spoke prior to the show with a rabid Clem Snide fan — he traveled to Chicago explicitly to see the band and, apparently, to razz me about the Cubs (he’s a Cardinal fan — if you want to haze him, he’s the one in the white shirt in the front row seen in the video). Anyway, Meat of Life isn’t his favorite Clem Snide record. He’s having a hard time warming up to it because it’s so different than their earlier work.
I have to agree, on the “different” part.
I guess that’s to be expected when a band goes through sweeping changes, especially the front man. Eef Barzelay has gone through several challenges between earlier records and Meat of Life. Some good — like starting a family — and some not so good, like losing his mother. In all, such events will change anyone. And, as an artist, it’s impossible to separate oneself from the art produced.
It’s good to hear Clem Snide again. Meat of Life will come as a surprise to some fans but that’s not a bad thing. We had a great time at the show. Eef sounded good and the band was great. I felt like they might still be working out a few kinks with the new material, but the tour is just getting started and you can be sure they will be in full stride down the stretch. Oh, and pay close attention to Ben Martin on drums — dude is a beast.
Below you will find some video from the show. The song is “Denise” and after that you’ll see our interview with Eef. Below that is another interview with Ben Martin. And finally, you’ll find current tour dates at the bottom.
Enjoy.
| May 20 2010 | 8:00P | Humboldt Brews | ARCATA, CA |
| May 21 2010 | 8:00P | Bottom Of The Hill | SAN FRANCISCO, CA |
| May 22 2010 | 8:00P | Spaceland | LOS ANGELES, CA |
| May 23 2010 | 8:00P | PLUSH | TUCSON, AZ |
| May 25 2010 | 8:00P | Mohawk | AUSTIN, TX |
| May 26 2010 | 8:00P | Doublewide | DALLAS, TX |
| May 27 2010 | 8:00P | Hi Tone | MEMPHIS, TN |
| Jul 14 2010 | 8:00P | Cosmic Charlie’s | Lexington-Fayette, KY |
| Jul 15 2010 | 8:00P | Club Cafe | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Jul 16 2010 | 9:00P | City Winery | New York, New York |
| Jul 17 2010 | 8:00P | Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub | Cambridge, MA |
| Jul 18 2010 | 8:00P | Iron Horse Music Hall | Northampton, MA |
| Jul 20 2010 | 8:00P | IOTA Club & Cafe | Arlington, VA |
| Jul 21 2010 | 8:00P | Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall | Asheville, NC |
| Jul 22 2010 | 8:00P | The Earl | Atlanta, GA |
It’s that time again, and Austin City Limits has announced its 2010 lineup.
First impressions? Like most music festivals these days, I’m finding the most value in the so-called second- and third-tier acts. Although I would very much like to see Flaming Lips (as they bagged Memphis in May) and Spoon. Well, I guess The Strokes, too.
As far as the rest, there are some genuine gems — The Black Keys, Broken Bells, The National, Local Natives, Band of Horses, The Soft Pack and more. The list of ACL’s 2010 performers is below. We’ve taken the liberty to highlight some recommendations, and in the case of those bands we’ve reviewed, discussed or played on Sound Citizen Radio, you’ll find a link to our coverage.
It’s tough to pick the best day to attend, if you can’t make all three. But so far, I’m leaning toward Sunday with Flaming Lips, Band of Horses, The National, The Morning Benders, Dawes and several others. Plus, The Eagles are kind of legendary.
| Friday, Oct. 8 | Saturday, Oct. 9 | Sunday, Oct. 10 |
| Phish | Muse | The Eagles |
| The Strokes | M.I.A | Flaming Lips |
| Spoon | LCD Soundsystem | Norah Jones |
| Vampire Weekend | Monsters of Folk | Band of Horses |
| Sonic Youth | Deadmau5 | The National |
| The Black Keys | Gogol Bordello | Robert Earl Keen |
| Broken Bells | Pat Green | Yeasayer |
| Slightly Stoopid | Matt and Kim | Rebelution |
| Beach House | The xx | Portugal. The Man |
| The Sword | The Temper Trap | Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros |
| Girls | Local Natives | Devendra Banhart and the Grogs |
| Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses | Gaslight Anthem | Gayngs |
| Blues Traveler | Lucero | Richard Thompson |
| The Soft Pack | Pete Yorn | Martin Sexton |
| Amos Lee | Ozomatli | Midlake |
| Robert Randolph & The Family Band | Manchester Orchestra | Foals |
| Miike Snow | The Almighty Defenders | Switchfoot |
| Mountain Goats | Bear in Heaven | Cage the Elephant |
| JJ Grey & Mofro | Mayer Hawthorne | The Morning Benders |
| Angus & Julia Stone | Kinky | Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue |
| Hockey | David Bazan | Henry Clay People |
| Asleep at the Wheel | The Very Best | Blind Pilot |
| Nortec Collective | Beats Antique | Dawes |
| GIVERS | Two Door Cinema Club | The Constellations |
| Band of Heathens | Lissie | T. Bird and the Breaks |
| Charlie Mars | The Dough Rollers | Frank Turner |
| Sarah Harmer | Basia Bulat | The Relatives |
| Chief | Balmorhea | MyNameIsJohnMichael |
| Those Darlins | Dan Black | SPEAK |
| Carolyn Wonderland | The Jane Shermans | Maxim Ludwig |
| Kings Go Forth | Caitlin Rose | Ashley Cleveland & Kenny Greenberg |
| The Ettes | Run With Bulls | Buddy & The Straight Way Travelers |
| Qbeta | Heavenly Voices | Ruby Jane Smith |
| The Kicks | Jones Family Singers | |
| Ponderosa | ||
| Two Tons of Steel | ||
| Gospel Stars | ||
| Wesley Bray & The Disciples of Joy |
(VIDEO INCLUDED) Schuba’s is one of those venues where you can often see a band on their way to the top. The list is long and littered with famous bands that were just breaking out when they made their stop at Schuba’s and often, they never find their way back because they just get too popular for such a small (albeit storied) venue. Such is the case with Local Natives.
We were turned on to Local Natives about six months ago and, ever since, it’s been heavy in the rotation. They have these sweeping songs that, when you hear the first few notes, you can’t imagine that it’s going to end in well-choreographed chaos just a few minutes later. The hooks are quite simple but the way they are put together is anything but. These musicians are talented and shift with the utmost ease between epic songs and arrangements, stopping only to tune their guitars and occasionally switch instruments.
Then there are the harmonies. It’s really what makes Local Natives special. They somehow found talented musicians who also vocalize in perfect harmony. There can be as many as four of them singing together at once — it doens’t sound forced and it’s not overwhelming. I wouldn’t change a thing. In fact, I wouldn’t change a thing about this band or that night’s performance. It comes in easily as one of the best concerts of 2010.
You will notice in the video below some of the crowd reaction. It seemed that the crowd knew every loop and lyric to every song — no kidding. I even turned to one of the Citizens in attendance if they thought some of the crowd sing-alongs were being piped in. I don’t think so, but it was kind of stunning to hear such participation. You can get a sense of it with their performance of “Airplanes” in the video below. And if you want to hear even more of it, check out this performance of “Sun Hands.” The video is shaky, considering its producer was pretty excited at the time (understandably so). If you want to skip right to the chanting crowd, it’s starts at about the 3:30 mark.
Below the video are Local Natives’ remaining 2010 tour dates. You’ll notice a handful of sold out dates … jump on this tour when they hit your town.
| May 18 2010 | 8:00P | The Mill | Iowa City, IA |
| May 19 2010 | 8:00P | Mojo’s | Columbia, MO |
| May 21 2010 | 8:00P | SOLD OUT Larimer Lounge | Denver, CO |
| May 22 2010 | 8:00P | Kilby Court | Salt Lake City, UT |
| May 25 2010 | 8:00P | Empyrean | Spokane, WA |
| May 26 2010 | 8:00P | Neurolux | Boise, ID |
| May 27 2010 | 8:00P | Mississippi Studios | Portland, Oregon |
| May 28 2010 | 8:00P | The Venue | Vancouver, British Co, CA |
| May 30 2010 | 8:00P | Sasquatch! | Quincy, WA |
| Jun 2 2010 | 8:00P | SOLD OUT* Rickshaw Stop | San Francisco, CA |
| Jun 3 2010 | 8:00P | SOLD OUT Bottom of the Hill | San Francisco, CA |
| Jun 4 2010 | 8:00P | SOLD OUT Troubadour | Los Angeles, CA |
| Jun 5 2010 | 8:00P | SOLD OUT* Bootleg Theater | Los Angeles, CA |
| Jun 10 2010 | 8:00P | Bonnaroo | Manchester, TN |
| Jun 13 2010 | 2:00P | ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL | Isle Of Wight, UK |
| Jun 15 2010 | 8:00P | Shepherds Bush Empire | London, UK |
| Jun 17 2010 | 8:00P | Vera | Groningen, NL |
| Jun 18 2010 | 8:00P | Southside | Tuttlingen, DE |
| Jun 19 2010 | 8:00P | Hurricane | Scheebel, DE |
| Jun 23 2010 | 8:00P | Melweg | Amsterdam, NL |
| Jun 24 2010 | 8:00P | Glastonbury Old Queen’s Head | Glastonbury, GB |
| Jun 25 2010 | 2:00P | Glastonbury Festival | Glastonbury, UK |
| Jun 27 2010 | 2:00P | Solidays Festival | Paris, FR |
| Jun 29 2010 | 8:00P | Ravenna Hana Bi | Ravenna, IT |
| Jun 30 2010 | 8:00P | Ancona Mole Vanvitelliana | Ancona, IT |
| Jul 2 2010 | 8:00P | Beauregard Festival | Herouville Saint Clair, FR |
| Jul 4 2010 | 8:00P | Roskilde Festival | Roskilde, DK |
| Jul 11 2010 | 8:00P | Oxygen Festival | Punchestown Racecourse, IE |
| Jul 18 2010 | 3:00P | Pitchfork Festival | Chicago, Illinois, US |
| Aug 5 2010 | 8:00P | The Middle East | Boston, Massachuse, US |
| Aug 6 2010 | 8:00P | The First Unitarian Church Sanctuary | Philadelphia, PA |
| Aug 7 2010 | 2:00P | The Beach @ Governors Island | New York City, NY |
| Aug 11 2010 | 8:00P | Pantiero Festival | Cannes, FR |
| Aug 12 2010 | 8:00P | Haldern Festival | Haldern, DE |
| Aug 13 2010 | 8:00P | Way Out West Festival | Gothenburg, SE |
| Aug 14 2010 | 8:00P | Oya Festival | Oslo, NO |
Time for more Sound Citizen Radio! Once again we’ve outdone ourselves with not three, but FOUR great songs from FOUR great bands (at the bottom of this post.)
We’ve had a great couple of weeks here, including a trip down to Memphis for the Beale St. Music Festival. You can read about Memphis in May right here.
This week a few of us are headed to see a new favorite in Local Natives and an old soul in Clem Snide. You can hear Clem Snide on Sound Citizen Radio 9.
Thanks for listening and if you like what you hear, go ahead and share it with your Facebook friends by clicking the thumbs up at top left. As always, please send any suggestions, thoughts or music for an upcoming episode to soundcitizenmike@gmail.com.
This week’s lineup:
Besnard Lakes, Montreal, Canada. “Albatross”
Pritzker Pavillion, Millenium Park, Chicago (FREE), May 24
Dexateens, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “Down Low”
Schubas, Chicago, May 20
Love of Everything, Chicago. “It Feels So Good to Be Alive”
Empty Bottle, Chicago, CORRECTION: May 18
Morning Benders (playing with Broken Bells), San Francisco/New York. “Excuses”
The Vic, Chicago, May 31
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
It was on a whim that I decided to take a trip to Memphis. A quick email from a friend got me thinking about it, so I had a look at the lineup for the Beale St. Music Festival and, it looked pretty good. Widespread Panic, Flaming Lips, Alice in Chains, Band of Horses … Hall and Oates. I’m in.
Watching the weather forecasts for Memphis that weekend told me that it was going to be wet. Thunderstorms were predicted all weekend. Then, I learned that Flaming Lips canceled. A real bummer, and more was to come.
It came as no surprise that upon arrival on Friday early evening, it was raining. No matter, we made the trip downtown (poncho in the pocket) and walked our way toward Widespread Panic’s set. It wasn’t long before it became very clear that I wasn’t at Lollapalooza. Why? Because a 16-ounce can of Budweiser was $4! For another $3, I got a Pronto Pup – a corn dog with mustard applied with a paintbrush. So there you go — $7 and I’m fed and watered. And so is the lawn. It’s getting muddy.
Widespread was good — I’m not terribly familiar with their latest stuff, but seeing them brought me back to college and countless hours blasting “Ain’t Life Grand” while sitting on the lawn drinking even cheaper beer. This set is also where I met Carl Wolf.
Me: “What’s that in your backpack?”
Carl: “You know what it is.”
Me: “A light saber?”
Carl: “That’s right.”
Nice guy, that Carl Wolf. And a big Widespread fan. Eventually, me and a couple of other Sound Citizens made it home, but not before stopping off at one of the most interesting bars I’ve ever been to. More on that later.
Saturday started rough. I choked down some chicken wings at The Flying Saucer while we waited out some of the rain. After letting up a bit, we made it back to Tom Lee Park in time to catch Drive-by Truckers. Good set, you can see some of it in the video at the bottom. We also featured them on Sound Citizen Radio 7.
The real treat was seeing Jerry Lee Lewis. A true living legend, I was kind of shocked to learn that he was even still playing. But he is, and he sounded great. Sure, he might not have the same pep that he used to, but who can blame him? He can still tickle the ivories, though. And that’s what it’s all about anyway. That, and his band was fantastic.
Here’s something nice about the festival – you can leave and come back. So, we went to catch the Blackhawks game for a bit. Sat down and before our pulled pork nachos even arrived, the Hawks were getting trampled. It was awful. And sitting right next to us were two stock brokers from Vancouver, in town for a conference. Thankfully, they were as nice as I’ve imagined Canadians to be, so it wasn’t an issue. They even tried to console us a bit. “It’s going to be a long series, you know?” said one of them. And it was. For them.
Back to Tom Lee Park. It’s turning into a mud pit. The kind where it threatens to suck the shoes right off your feet. The plan is to see Hall and Oates (yes, Hall still rocks the mullet and Oates the small afro and ‘stache) then Alice in Chains. The wind is picking up. After “Man Eater” and “Family Man” (I think) the sound shuts down. It appeared Hall and Oates broke Memphis in May. A guy comes on stage and tells us, “Show’s over for tonight. Everyone must evacuate the park.” Hall tells everyone he’s sorry and the tornado siren starts blasting. No Alice in Chains.
So, we make the trek with everyone else, then head to Earnestine and Hazel’s, the aforementioned bar. This place is something else. It’s a former whore house. It has a grill right there next to the bar that serves “soul burgers.” The jukebox only turns one way and is loaded with great blues and soul. Upstairs is dotted with the old working girls’ rooms, peeling paint and all, where people hang out and drink. And, there’s another bar up there with a gentleman who’s been serving up booze for 20 years or more. He’s old-school with the hat, vest and broad smile to match. I can’t remember his name but I do remember this — he had a small glass bottle with a cork in it tucked in his vest with some kind of alcohol that he was all too happy to serve us. I felt like I was time traveling (before the unnamed shot). In fact, I’m not sure he was even real. Every photo I tried to take and everyone else tried to take didn’t turn out. Weird. I have no idea what the shot was … but it woke me up before knocking me down. It was time to go. So we hailed a cab (Memphis has the friendliest cab drivers ever) and headed home for some laser pizza. If you don’t know what that is, ask me.
After getting over the disappointment of an early cancellation the night before, we headed back out. We hit up Central BBQ on the recommendation of our host and the fine gentleman who sat next to me on the trip down to Memphis. Holy smokes — that’s some amazing BBQ. Maybe the best ribs I’ve ever had.
Next, a stop at Sun Records. Hallowed ground around here. It’s where Elvis got his start, along with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison.
We learn that Alison Krauss and John Hiatt can’t get out of Nashville due to the severe flooding. Two more casualties. But this day is about one Band of Horses. First, we take in Booker T & the MG’s. Good stuff and a nice, leisurely way to start the evening. Walking around the park is getting difficult. The mud is thick, and it stinks. You know those galoshes that all the women are wearing these days, with the whimsical patterns and such? They’re everywhere. Whoever decided to paint little ducks and flowers on rubber boots must be rolling in money.
But I digress. Band of Horses takes the stage and, to my surprise, it’s not a packed house. But they rock. Once it started, you can see that people who have never heard them before realize there’s 
something special here. And the fans … well, it’s just perfect. They played a great set, mixing songs from their new album with some of their best “classics.” Lead singer Ben Bridwell sounds as good as he ever has. Band of Horses is one of those bands that actually sounds better live than recorded. I love when that’s the case. At the end of the show, Bridwell brings out this enormous, wooden guitar. Not sure why, but he’s jamming on it, somehow. There’s some digital element to it where the pickups would be. Then, at the end of the song, he pours lighter fluid on it and sets it ablaze, Hendrix-style. Can’t wait to see them again.
Finally, we decide it’s about time to wrap it up. But first, let’s see 3 Doors Down, and maybe they’ll play that Geico commercial song. You know the one, where the cave men are bowling … “One time … Let me be myself!” So, after almost losing my shoes again, we wait. Someone takes the stage, and announces that two separate private jets have failed to deliver the band. That’s it. Festival over. Oh well. Let’s go get a Southern Comfort daquiri.
Below is some video from the festival. Like a moron, I forgot my camera on Sunday. But thanks to YouTube, I dug up some Band of Horses taken by others. Enjoy.
