I've been on the air in Colorado since 1978. The Colorado Playlist is broadcast on 30 FM frequencies in the state. I am also a musician, talent buyer and business consultant. Email me at coloradoplaylist@gmail.com
First impression: What an odd record. Two versions of “Hey Joe,” each over 7 minutes long + 4 instrumental cuts + four story songs. It’s the arrangement of the album that makes it unique among Otis’ 14 releases; the story songs mixed with instrumental interludes, glued by Hey Joe, done in contrasting “voices” / personalities… designed and arranged to be heard in order, in one sitting. It’s the beginning to end listen that’s important here – a single piece of work.
“Hey Joe” has been recorded and released by over 400 artists since it first came out in 1967 by the Leaves (and by countless millions of lesser named artists no doubt). Otis himself recorded it with his daughter Cassie for the album Recapturing the Banjo (2008). Covering it twice on the same album? Wow, that takes balls. If the memory of the song is framed by Hendrix, Otis stands right next in line as the personification of the emotional intensity of the story – and of the impact of decisions we make in our lives.
“Red Meat” and “Peggy Lee” will likely be the most played cuts from “Hey Joe Opus Red Meat” at non-comm radio around the state. As part of the whole the songs help make the album virtually impossible to categorize simply, jumping across Americana-country, psychedelic rock, jazz, blues, and folk. Otis calls what he does Trance Blues, and he promotes the Trance Blues Festival. This singular piece moves Otis far closer to composer/arranger than traditional bluesman.
Guests include Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule, The Dead, Allman Brothers Band), Billy Nerschi (String Cheese Incident), singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim and guitarist Daniel Sproul (the Black Crowes, Warren Haynes).
Day 2 Denver Music Summit. The Future of the Music Business + an industry round table with about 20 or so local, regional, and out of state musicians and industry personnel. I think the big takeaway for me was realizing we’re sitting in a pretty good place here in Colorado.
UCD Professor Storm Gloor covered the current trends and fast changing technologies that are shaping the near future, without prognosticating on what may or may not happen years from now. And the round table discussion I took part in more or less reinforced what I already felt, that despite the nearly horrific rise in the price of housing our creative community continues to set a standard looked at and talked about coast to coast – and that the only thing missing are jobs in publishing, licensing, and management and booking agencies, which for now at least are still safely settled on either coast.
Another pretty big takeaway from the weekend was verification that 18-24 and 45-64 audiences exist for both music discovery and live music attendance, and it’s the 25-44 crowd that’s largely absent at live music events, but still the most desired radio audience for advertisers. This has been true for a few decades now.
The question was brought up, when the last of the baby boomers (now 50) pass on through, what happens? After all, how many acts can still fill stadiums? Jagger et.al. are now in their mid-seventies .. the youngest members left of the WWII generation … and the average age of the average touring musician today is 52, at the youngest end of the boomer generation. One of the most likely outcomes is the demise of the full on stadium show and a rise in smaller venues (in the 1500+ seat range) and festival events. Who is the next act or acts capable of doing stadium shows?
Video Pick of the Week
I had my camera with me, but as usual it was the spontaneous “oh crap I’d better shoot some stuff” moment that compelled me to take it out the holster and actually push record. Here’s just a taste of what I saw on Saturday night. I did a full audio recording of the DMS, but haven’t had time to review and edit.
PLAYLIST S9|EP17
HOUR 1
Mollie O’Brien “When I’m Gone” from Things I Gave Away (2000) Yo, Flaco! “Skeptamistic” from Skeptamistic (2001) John Common “The River Is Moving” from The River Is Moving (2015) Tennis “Bad Girls” from Ritual In Repeat (2014) Fierce Bad Rabbit “Time Machine” from Maestro & the Elephant (2013) Plum “Behind Your Man” from Behind Your Man (2015) Devotchka “Transliterator” from A Mad & Faithful Telling (2008) John Statz “One Way Opens” from Tulsa (2015) Montropo “Something to See” from Follow Me (2015) Danielle Ate the Sandwich “Like A King” from Like A King (2012) Railsplitters “Met That Day” from The Faster It Goes (2015) Rich Lamb “Deja Blues” from Music Along the Way (2008)
HOUR 2
Leftover Salmon & Cracker “Low” from Oh Cracker, Where Art Thou? (2003) (D) Raven and the Writing Desk “On A Wire” from some get started (2015) (N) Natalie Walker “Nothing Lasts Forever” from Strange Bird (2015) OneRepublic “Feel Again” from Native (2012) Calder’s Revolvers “Leave Ya Be” from Sunday Morning (2014) Bill Frisell “Messin’ with the Kid” from Guitar In the Space Age (2014) Hazel Miller Band “I’m Still Looking” from I’m Still Looking (2001) Drag the River “Not That Kind” from Drag The River (2013) (N) Todd Adelman “Cold Mississippi Blues” from Highways & Lowways (2015) Head for The Hills “Take Me Back” from Blue Ruin (2013) Brad Goode “St. Louis Blues” from Chicago Red (2013)
FOCOMX 7 done … think I left both my feet on College somewhere. I also think the left hip is telling me that it needs attention. hmmm. okay. My weekend, however, won’t be done until after 8PM tonight (Sunday), when the Denver Music Summit is finished with “All Songs Considered.”
So why did both events manage to land on the same weekend? Turns out the McNichols Civic Center Building is due for some major restoration and fixing up in general, and this was the only weekend available for the music summit planners. I’m not sure if that directly impacted expected attendance though for the workshops held during the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday.
Sometimes I just don’t get it. Sometimes singers are just not good. Sometimes fans flock to an act that just isn’t all that good. They buy into the kitsch, or the name, or the fact (s)he is in a highly popular band. Yes, what’s good can be subjective, fact. Singing flat however is measurable. Singing flat is not good. Sometimes a song or two is all you need …sometimes dropping a needle on the record is all it takes to define that record.
As I walked around on my rounds of several of the small rooms I was assigned to monitor for audio issues, I did notice that each venue was well attended. By the time Stelth Ulvang took the stage at the Aggie the place was packed, and I have no doubt it remained that way through the night. By that time of night all the rooms were pretty well packed from what I could tell.
Promises of new music abounded as I spent time with members of various bands — the Epilogues promise a new EP for late summer release, as well the Knew who turned in what had to be the loudest set I heard all night at Illegal Pete’s … Dearling is going through a creative spurt as well (and while not at FOCOMX, John Common is also planning a series of single releases)
I left at 10, so missed prime time, but I’ve got no doubt that the beer and pot fueled energy of the crowd at ten stayed quite rowdy all the way up to 1:30.
First impression: What an odd record. Two versions of “Hey Joe,” each over 7 minutes long + 4 instrumental cuts + four story songs. It’s the arrangement of the album that makes it unique among Otis’ 14 releases; the story songs mixed with instrumental interludes, glued by Hey Joe, done in contrasting “voices” / personalities… designed and arranged to be heard in order, in one sitting. It’s the beginning to end listen that’s important here – a single piece of work.
