The Flaming Lips in Oklahoma City, The Hold Steady in Milwaukee, The Avett Brothers in Asheville, North Carolina, BB King in Atlantic City, The Black Keys in Chicago, Guided by Voices in NYC, Patti Smith in NYC, Chuck Berry (!!!) in NYC, the fabulous Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings in NYC, and the Drive By Truckers also in NYC, along with more great shows to rev up for 2011. Check out the complete list.
Having a Bobby Bare Jr. evening thanks to a set of swell downloads from Daytrotter. Don’t know how I missed these last year. Covers of Bread and America as only Bare Jr. can do them, and his classic “I’ll be around.” Free registration to Daytrotter required, but worth your time. Great tunes. Also worth a listen Bare Jr.’s new release, A Storm, A Tree, My Mother’s Head.
NPR and NPR member stations are doing an amazing job of covering Bonnaroo this weekend with live broadcasts and Webcasts. NPR is also offering a free sampler with songs from 11 bands playing the festival. Just like getting your own Bonnaroo mix tape.
Here are some places to listen in on Bonnaroo 2010. Don't forget your sunscreen!
Don't know about you, but I woke up this morning in need of a Fred Eaglesmith fix. Ever since we saw Fred, his band, and the Fabulous Ginn Sisters earlier this spring, I've wanted more.
Here's the video for "I Would" off of Fred's new release "Cha-Cha-Cha."
Finally, a few blurry photos from the last time I saw Fred, April 9, 2010, at Fitzgerald's Nightclub.
"Cha Cha Cha" will be released on June 15 and is available for pre-order now.
Also shared much of this information on my Facebook Fan Page Mike's All Night Records. If you haven't visited yet, what are you waiting for? After all, it's open all night.
Great show coming Friday to Fitzgerald's: The Knitters! Vocalists John Doe and Exene Cervenka (X), guitarist Dave Alvin (The Blasters), bassist Jonny Ray Bartel, and drummer D.J. Bonebrake. http://bit.ly/dl9WST
Alan Jackson's new release has drawn mixed reviews. One thing critics can agree on: Fred Eaglesmith's "Freight Train," covered by Jackson is a mighty good song.
Review: Alan Jackson in comfort zone on new CD by Michael McCall (Huffington Post): "CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: The title song, written by Fred Eaglesmith, is a hard-rolling acoustic boogie tune that gives the singer and his expert studio band a chance to fire up some locomotive power."
Review by JOHN WIRT in 2TheAdvocate.com: "And there’s the occasionally less comfortable song, the best of which is title track “Freight Train,” a Fred Eaglesmith song driven by a racing train beat and yearning to get out of Dodge."
Winnipeg Free Press: "Heck, who but Alan Jackson could cover a classic from the catalogue of Canadian alt-country icon Fred Eaglesmith (the title track) and make it sound like it was something he wrote himself?"
CD review: Alan Jackson’s “Freight Train”By Michael Corcoran: "On his latest album, which hits stores today, the Georgia native finds such originals as “Every Now and Then,” the pandering lead-off track “Hard Hat and a Hammer” and “That’s Where I Belong” (surprising only because it took Jackson this long to write a song called “That’s Where I Belong”) overshadowed by such writers as Fred Eaglesmith (title track) and Jay Knowles and Adam Wright (“Taillights Blue”). "
Sarah Borges and her band the Broken Singles were one of my best surprises and favorite acts at SXSW 2010. This photo is from a pre-SXSW show on Tuesday, March 16, at the legendary Continental Club. This is a fantastic live act, strong songs, well played with boundless energy.