Tag: krfc

The Colorado Sound S8|EP37 2014

Usually I spend my weekends listening to a lot of new releases, as I work on the Monday morning post and sometimes News Notes & Spins for the 1st.  This weekend though, it was not specifically a new release, but one that I’d only tasted since it came out over a year ago now – Nina Storey – Think Twice.  Nina has been a part of the Colorado music scene since her debut in 92.  Since then, she’s had an up and down career – mostly up – getting marginal cred in the media, and losing out in a terrible performance on one those celebrity based real life talent tv shows examples of the downside events.  Her move to Los Angeles has proved beneficial for this Colorado original who continues to move forward, dismissing criticism — in a testament to her longevity and her perseverance, Nina was featured on a Times Square digital billboard this past week – in advance of shows in NYC.  

Truth is, I couldn’t listen enough to Nina’s album.

Video Pick of the Week:  Supergroup:  “…a music group whose members are already successful as solo artists or as part of other groups or well known in other professions.” (wikipedia).  Young Ancients = supergroup comprised of Colorado Blues Society Award winner (2013, 2012 solo/duo category) Cary Morin + Subdudes founding members John Magnie and Steve Amedée.  I’ve had the pleasure of working with this lineup a few times this past year, and will be doing sound for them October 31 at Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids in Longmont.  Do I need to say you should be there?  

Speaking of where you might want to be.  I’ll be joining SpokesBUZZ for a couple of events on Oct 2, and Oct 5.   Oct 2 = Homecoming (Denver): Winchester Holiday | Phin | Maxwell Hughes | Amanda Broadway.  Oct 5 = Homecoming (Fort Collins): The Deadwood Saints | Pandas & People | Bonsoir, Catin | Lewi Longmire and the Left Coast Roasters.  The Denver show is free and all ages.  The Fort Collins show is free.  Don’t know if it’s all ages.  I have to assume so, as it’s at Avogradro’s Number in Fort Collins.

PLAYLIST S8|EP37

HOUR 1

Chris Hillman “Slippin’ Away” from Slippin’ Away (1976)
Dusty Drapes & the Dusters “Talkin’ Boogie” from The Red Album (1981)
(D) The Deadwood Saints “6th Street and Trinity” from 6th Street and Trinity
(N) John Oates “Six Men” from Good Road to Follow (2014)
(N) Montropo “Letter to Mary” from Follow Me (2014)
(D) The Seers “Deaf In June” from Cellophane Eyes (2014)
Glitta Kings “Twice Broken” from Girls in High Heels Shouldn’t Dance On Glass Tables (2014)
SuCh (Su Charles) “P’s and Q’s (Playing Games)” from Trial and Error (2014)
Wendy Woo “Fade to Gray” from Wide Awake and Dreaming (1999)
(N) Safe Boating is No Accident “Dye My Love” from Bonus Features (2014)
Fierce Bad Rabbit “Time Machine” from Maestro & the Elephant (2013)
Raincheck “Oh Brother” from Raincheck (2012)

HOUR 2

Gerard “Hello Operator” from Hello Operator (1976)
Dean Reed “Our Summer Romance” from Our Summer Romance (1960)
(D) Steve Law Band “Old Oak Tree” from Old Oak Tree (2014)
String Cheese Incident “Can’t Wait Another Day” from Song In My Head (2014)
Mohammed Alidu and the Bizung Family “Land of Fire” from Land of Fire (2010)
Paper Bird “As I Am” from Rooms (2013)
Esme Patterson “Valentine” from Woman To Woman (2014)
Ark Life “What You Want To” from The Dream of You and Me (2014)
Eddie Turner “Rise” from Rise (2005)
(D) Hot Rize “Blue Is Fallin’” from When I’m Free (2014)
Tom Gershwin “Sugar” from Sweet Pastimes (2013)

The Colorado Sound S8|EP36 + Review/the Burroughs

IMG_20140901_182522_349My outdoor festival season ended this weekend.  This was the 3rd year for Fortober Fest, an end of season downtown street party in Fort Collins, produced by the Downtown Business Association (Colorado Brewers Festival, New West Fest).  Highlights from this year included the Young Ancients, Sofie Reed, Soul School, Romeo Delight (a live tribute to Van Halen), Whiskey Blanket, and the Burroughs from Greeley, among the fourteen bands picked to celebrate bikes, beers, bands and the end to the summer.

It really does take a lot to stop me in my tracks and make me listen… even harder to make me turn around while I’m walking off – busy with some activity or another when I’m working a show.  That’s more or less true for nearly all of us working live music events for a living.   We see and hear a lot of bands and at least for me, most of the time I hear them in the background.

The Burroughs from Greeley

I feel like the guy who walked in at the end of the party, when I say I just discovered Johnny Burroughs.  Nothing online will prepare you for the energy of a Burroughs’ live show.  I had to be convinced to book them sight-unseen, based purely on their reputation with some friends of mine in the scene.  I’ll need no coaxing from here on out – I’m all in, at least so far as the live show goes.

The only weakness I see with the band is there’s no need for two guitarists, both of whom are adequate, but are both doing more or less the same thing, and neither of whom really shined in their role.  The four piece horn section worked extremely well as an ensemble unit.  The husband-wife rhythm section was there – laying down a foundation that never once got in the way of the exceptional arrangements that Johnny danced and sang over.  A trio of backup singers would be nice also.

Johnny Burroughs

It as an Otis Redding song that caused me to stop.  It was the engaging smile, red hair, dance moves, passion and pure soul that held me in place for hits by James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and others.  This ain’t no velveeta cheese on wonder bread cover band in a Holiday Inn dressing up and playing for an after work middle age suburban audience.  This was raw, visceral, emotional, ass shakin’, instantaneously crowd pleasing soul.  I will NEVER be surprised should I see panties being tossed at this guy from the audience (they still do that don’t they?). 

Any of us old enough to have seen Michael or Stevie in the late 70s and early 80s would be transported… Add in elements of the likes of Tom Jones or Sammy Davis, Jr in their day and the ghosts are there, lurking in the mannerisms Johnny puts on full display inside his tight space on stage, sandwiched between the horns and guitars… far too little space to contain this new, bright, smiling, happy as hell to be there song and dance entertainer.

PS… the record really does not do the band’s show justice – this is a band meant for the stage, not the studio (at least for now).

VIDEO PICK OF THE WEEK

Two videos this week… one from the closing band at Fortober Fest, Romeo Delight A Van Halen Tribute, and one from my pal Chris Daniels and his band the Kings with Freddi Gowdy on Rocky Mountain PBS.  Enjoy.

PLAYLIST S8|EP36 

HOUR 1

Jill Sobule “Too Cool To Fall in Love” from Things Here Are Different (1990)
Wendy Woo “Wide Awake and Dreaming” from Wide Awake and Dreaming (1999)
(N) Strange Americans “Rocks Rolls” from That Kind of Luster (2014)
Von Stomper “Mississippi Woman” from Von Stomper (2014)
Johnny Hickman “Another Road” from Hickman-Dalton Gang (2011)
Crucifix “The Dreamer” from Acid Reign (2013)
Fafi aka 3Percent “6 Dayz A Week” from Groove or Die (2009)
The Fray “Hurricane” from Helios (2014)
Churchill “The War Within” from War Within EP (2013)
Felonius Smith “Delivery Man” from Before the Rooster Crows (2014)
Sofie Reed “These Blues” from Red Hen (2014)
Keith Oxman “All Dudes” from Doing All Right (2009)

HOUR 2

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” from Greatest Hits (1990)
Poco “A Good Feeling to Know” from The Essential Poco (2005)
(D) SHEL “You Could Be My Baby” from You Could Be My Baby (2014)
Tennis “Never Work for Free” from Ritual In Repeat (2014)
(N) Drew Schofield “150 Million (-1)” from 150 Million (-1) (2014)
(N) Reed Foehl “Four Lanes” from Lost in the West (2014)
Five Iron Frenzy “It Was A Dark & Stormy Night” from Engine of a Million Plots (2013)
Eddie Turner “I’m Tore Down” from The Turner Diaries (2006) Jesse Furay Lynch “I Wish It Would Rain” (2014)
Jim Stranahan Little BIG BAND “Blues and a Half” from MIGRATION TO HIGHER GROUND (2014)

The Colorado Sound S8|EP34

IMG_20140901_182522_349I’m always amazed when people say to me, “I didn’t know THEY’re from Colorado!”  LOL.  It happens regularly to be honest.  I think that really has been the guiding idea in presenting “The Colorado Sound” as well as “Offstage …Beyond the Music,” that I can share Colorado music, and the lives of musicians and music industry personalities who have called Colorado their home with folks who might not know who’s who and what they do.

I’ve had an absolutely amazing summer.  I got to present Coloradan and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield, Poco, South-Hillman-Furay) as a headliner on a show I produce annually (Carbon Valley Music & Spirits Festival), and as well at one of the acts at this year’s incredible Bohemian Nights at New West Fest.  He and I communicated this weekend, and he’ll be appearing as my guest on the next episode of Offstage …Beyond the Music.  #superstoked!

This weekend I was gifted tickets to see Aspen resident and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee John Oates (Hall & Oates) with his long running (15 yrs) Aspen trio.  What a treat to see this Colorado band in a state of the art intimate 200 cap room … WOW!  Check out his latest album when you get a chance … he killed the cut “Stone Cold Love” that he and fellow Coloradan Ryan Tedder co-wrote and co-produced, despite not having the specific beats that Ryan used to underpin the song.

He also did “Lose It In Louisiana” from the same album release, and, of course, a few classic Hall & Oates hits including “She’s Gone,” which he says has been played at every show, solo or with Daryl since 1972.  I also thought it interesting that he pointed out a couple of times that he did not bring cds to sell, and that people should purchase it on iTunes or elsewhere.  The trio format was a blast, and you could tell they were good friends out having a good time.

Leaving you with a video of John at Aspen’s KSPN from last April, doing a song he did Friday night that he wrote with esteemed songwriter Jim Lauderdale.. Enjoy.

New Offstage …Beyond The Music episode starts this week .. check it out below.

PLAYLIST S8|EP34

HOUR 1

Acoustic Junction “Build A Road” from Love It For What It Is (1993)
Liz Barnez “Laughing Yellow” from Liz Barnez Band (1993)
(D) Drew Schofield “Break It Down” from 150 Million (-1) (2014)
Whiskey Blanket “Blatto Nox” from From the Dead of Dark (2014)
Leash of Foxes “It Sounds Like This” from It Sounds Like This (2014)
(D) Montropo “Follow Me” from Follow Me (2014)
Pete Kartsounes “Believer” from The Only Way I Know (2011)
Ivory Circle “Drown” from Equilateral (2014)
Rob Drabkin “For You I Would Die” from Little Steps EP (2013)
Honkytonk Homeslice “Love Is Like A Train” from Just Passin’ Thru (2012)
Drew Emmitt “Up Where We Are” from Across The Bridge (2005)
Polarity “To Be Determined” from King of Hearts (2012)

HOUR 2

Philip Bailey “Easy Lover” from Chinese Wall (1985)
Dianne Reeves “Sky Islands” from Dianne Reeves (1987)
Pandas & People “Howling Moon” from Pandas & People (2014)
The Lumineers “Ho Hey” from The Lumineers (2012)
You Me and Apollo “Don’t Sleep for Free” from Sweet Honey (2014)
(D) Tennis “Never Work for Free” from Ritual In Repeat (2014) Navy “Something Good” from Spirit Groove (2013)
Zephyr “Don’t Come Back” from Heartbeat (1982)
Eddie Turner “Privileged Life” from Rise (2005) WhiteWater Ramble “Dear Mr. Bankman” from Roots & Groove (2013)
Hickman-Dalton Gang “Wildcard” from Hickman-Dalton Gang Vol. II (2011)
Analog Son “Not a Care in the World” from Analog Son (2014)