Steve Earle Revolts - 9:30 Club, March 19, 2005

Steve Earle was in fine rebellious form last Saturday night at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. Maybe even a bit mellower than when we saw him last summer.

Allison Moorer opened with a brief acoustic set which Earle sat in on part of on mandolin.

Earle, with his band the Dukes, performed much of his latest album The Revolution Starts Now during his main set, including the title which opened and closed the set similar to the album itself.

Apparently, Steve and Allison are an item nowadays as evidenced by their playfulness. Earle said at one point:

"The best way to get over losing an election is to go to Europe, fall in love, and play a Rolling Stone song every night."

Which they promptly did by launching into a Stones song followed by a cover of The Beatles "Revolution."

Lastly, we were lucky to have a special guest appearance by Emmylou Harris, who helped out on vocals, which was a nice surprise.

A fine night catching up with buddies Keys Left Hangin', Union Man, Expecting To Fly, Cherry, and Mark at Mansion on the Hill.



As usual, my photos weren't quite what I'd like to see. If you want to see some nice Steve and Allison concert photos, go to this review.

Shooter Jennings' Recipe for a Good Song: One Part Neil Young

Shooter Jennings, Waylon Jennings son, has a new album out titled "Put the O Back in Country".

As Sean Daly in the Washington Post puts it, the album title is a direct challenge to the Nashville establishment: "more a demand than a helpful suggestion -- is a shotgun blast of rock and rebellion aimed at shaking up the crossover kings and queens occupying prime real estate on Music Row."

Daly continues in the review:

"George Jones and Hank Williams Jr. bookend the disc with loopy testimonials, and Jennings takes plenty of time name-dropping his heroes throughout. He even gives a shout-out to his father on the opening title track, a bawdy midtempo stomp bound to replace Garth Brooks's "Friends in Low Places" as a last-call jukebox fave.

His recipe for the perfect song:

"You take a little country and a little rock and roll
A little Neil Young and little George Jones
A little Merle Haggard and little bit of the Stones
Add a little Cash and a whole lotta Waylon."

It's nice to hear a country crooner praise a parent, especially since the oft-troubled Hank Williams III sings as if his grandfather were the only family member who mattered."

Sounds like quite a recipe for success.

Dr. Hunter S. Thompson Remembered

A tribute to the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson in the latest issue of Rolling Stone. The magazine published many of Thompson's original gonzo journalism pieces and editor Jann Wenner should be acknowledged for its risky publishing.

Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner writes in his tribute "My Brother in Arms":

"These are sad days here at ROLLING STONE. This morning I cried as I struck "National Affairs Desk: Hunter S. Thompson" from the masthead -- after thirty-five years. Hunter's name is now listed with Ralph Gleason's on what Hunter would have called "the honor roll." Hunter was part of the DNA of ROLLING STONE, one of those twisting strands of chemicals around which a new life is formed. He was such a big part of my life, and I loved him deeply."

Here are a few highlights of the issue via washingtonpost.com:

President Jimmy Carter:

"Hunter Thompson was a delightful, unpredictable and unforgettable friend of mine for more than 30 years. He interviewed me for many hours, tape-recording extensive conversations about every conceivable subject, some of which were quite discomforting. Later, I learned, with some relief, that he had lost all the tapes.

Thompson threatened my press secretary, Jody Powell, if he didn't gain immediate access [for a re-interview]. One night he even built a fire in front of Jody's hotel-room door in an attempt to smoke him out."

Pat Caddell (George McGovern strategist on the '72 campaign): [On a white-knuckle car ride with fellow passenger Warren Beatty and Thompson at the wheel].

"He nearly drove them off a bridge into the Potomac. He was jumping the medians and scaring the [expletive] out of everybody."

Pat Buchanan (aide to Richard Nixon during the '68 campaign):

"Hunter and I were holed up in some hotel in Nashua [New Hampshire] and discovered that we were in possession of either a gallon or a half-gallon of Wild Turkey. I had a lot of stamina in those days, and the two of us stayed up all night arguing fiercely about communism -- it got pretty vicious by dawn."

For Kurt Vonnegut, "Thompson put his finger on everything that was fickle and false about American life." Vonnegut weighs in with this comment in Free-Times:

“From this moment on, let all those who feel that Americans can be as easily led to beauty as to ugliness, to truth as to public relations, to joy as to bitterness, be said to be suffering from Hunter Thompson’s disease.”

More on the fear and loathing of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Gonzo Journalist: 1937 - 2005 and Dr. Thompson Remembered by Former Presidents and Distinguished Writers.

Here is a selection of Hunter S. Thompson's best writings and analysis of his work. Also, "Who Killed Hunter Thompson?" by Warren Hinckle.

SXSW MP3s

Right about now, SXSW is in full mega swing.

The blogosphere has been buzzing about the South By SouthWest MP3 sample file. Busting in at 2.6GB of 758 MP3s, it will take you over 27 years to download the podcast with a 56K modem... or at least it will feel that long.

So put that in your iPod.

Lots of great blog reports rolling in. Thrasher will be following these sites:

- Austinist Blog Reports,

- south by southwest festivals conferences official blog,

- Chromewaves SXSW journals and Frank's SXSW concert photos,

- Donewaiting.com SXSW 2005 Music Festival Coverage,

- SXSW Baby!,

- Vinyl Mine is reviewing SXSW bands' MP3 file downloads,

- SPOTCASTs, 60 second podcasts of SXSW interviews,

- TexasGigs Live Webcasts from SXSW.

Next week, we'll try and do a round up of SXSW coverage.

In the meantime, if you're interested in the future of music, here's an interesting analysis in Seattle Weekly: Ways the Music Industry Is Changing in Seattle (and Everywhere Else) by Andrew Bonazelli, Laura Cassidy, Philip Dawdy, and Michaelangelo Matos. Observations include Starbucks is taking over the record industry and that we'll always have vinyl — even if analog is up for grabs.

Joseph Arthur: Evokes both Picasso and Neil Young

From a concert review of Joseph Arthur in Los Angeles, CA in the Hollywood Reporter:

"Not many artists manage to evoke both Picasso and Neil Young in the opening moments of a show, but that's exactly what Joseph Arthur did Thursday at the Troubadour.

The singer-songwriter kicked off his latest U.S. trek not with his guitar in hand but with a tube of paint, and he created his own backdrop of abstract art on a white piece of canvas hanging against the stage wall.

After some minor technical difficulties, which Arthur dismissed as tour-opening glitches, the lanky troubadour launched into a new song, "Paints Me Gold," that sounded like a lost Young classic. It's that mix of familiarity and originality that makes Arthur such a remarkable talent. His songs have echoes of other great performers -- from Bob Dylan to Beck and Billy Corgan -- but he's not quite like anyone else."

More on Joseph Arthur's official website.

Bonus Tracks for Wilco's "A Ghost Is Born"

Wilco has re-released their album A Ghost Is Born with additional bonus tracks.

Similar to the last AGIB bonus tracks, owners of the CD can pop it in their computer to download the tracks.

Here are the tracks:

1. Panthers
2. At Least That's What You Said (live)
3. Late Greats (live)
4. Handshake Drugs (live)
5. Kicking Television

Yesterday, I went to Wilco's download site but couldn't access the tracks probably due to heavy traffic. Maybe better luck today?

Thanks to Frank at Chromewaves.

Riviera's New Release "At the End of the American Century"

Riviera has a new album coming out called At the End of the American Century and preview tracks are linked from songs:illinois.

Also, a cool live concert MP3 cover of Neil Young's "Revolution Blues" recorded at Chicago's Vic Theatre.

More on Neil Young's On The Beach and the song "Revolution Blues".

Thanks Craig!

Kathleen Edwards: Like Tom Petty Touched by some of Neil Young's Ragged Glory

Kathleen Edwards new release Back To Me is out and definitely worth checking out. And not just she's been influenced by another Candian singer-songwriter.

From a review in the Washington Post by Joshua Klein:

"The world will never be at a loss for singer-songwriters, at least not as long as there's heartbreak and heartache. Canada's Kathleen Edwards may rely on those familiar themes, but with her biting lyrics and nuanced inflection she rarely lets the listener off easy even at her most effortless sounding.

Much of the disc stomps along like Tom Petty touched by some of Neil Young's ragged glory, but Edwards is often at her best when she's at her most subdued. Her sad voice takes center stage on the mournful "Pink Emerson Radio" (which wonders which one memento to take from a burning house) and "Away," with its pithy and potent admission, "Memory is a terrible thing." Then rather than end the album on an upbeat note, Edwards chooses ambiguity with the bittersweet "Good Things," full of mystery, loneliness and maybe a hint of hope. But just a hint."

From interview of Kathleen Edwards in Toronto Sun (via largehearted boy:

"I don't think people should automatically love you just because you're from here, but I think there's 'the Canadian syndrome,' and I think everyone else is catching on to it -- that we don't appreciate our musical acts until they do well somewhere else."

Kathleen Edwards is scheduled to appear May 13 at the Birchmere, Alexandria, VA so we'll definitely be trying to catch the show.


Hmmm. There's something familiar about the cover of Kathleen Edwards Back To Me. Maybe Andrew Wyeth's "Christina' World"?

Wayne Robbins & The Hellsayers

Over on songs:illinois , MP3 links for Wayne Robbins & The Hellsayers.

You can hear the Neil Young influences on "Sarah's Lament" and "Turtleshell Lullabye" as Craig points out over on songs:illinois. Other great stuff there for download.

Wilco at the 9:30 Club

Photos by Taylor Brittany-Ford

NPR's Wilco Webcast at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 24. is available for streaming playback.

Here's the setlist on Via Chicago -- 27 songs and over 2 and half hours. The concert concluded with a cover of "Comment" (If All Men Are Truly Brothers) by Charles Wright.

At one point, Jeff Tweedy took on a heckler and challenged the audience member:

"Jesus is not pro-war, Jesus is not American, and he is not a Republican.

And whether you believe in him or not, Jesus was a hippie."

There's also a nice photo gallery by Taylor Brittany-Ford (Nels Cline & John Stirrat above) and the pre-show interview with Neal Conan on 'Talk of the Nation'.

And if that's not enough, a photo gallery of the rear screen artwork projections.