Twilight Dance Series, Preview Guide: July 27, 2011

preview guide

2

Summer 2011

Twilight Dance Series

twilightdance.org

twilightdance.org

Twilight Dance Series

Summer 2011

3

4

Summer 2011

Twilight Dance Series

twilightdance.org

Missy Higgins

Grupo Fantasma

Dancing days are here again

Royal Crown Revue

Twilight Dance Series returns to the Santa Monica Pier 2011 TDS lineup twilightdance.org t’s time to boogie on the Santa Monica Pier.

• July 7, The SaMo Mambo: Grupo Fantasma and Oscar Hernandez’s L.A. Salsa Allstars For the 27th year, the Twilight Dance (salsa dance lessons start at 6 p.m.)

Series returns with an eclectic lineup • July 14, 80’s Pop: The Bangles and Caracol • July 21, Australia Rocks the Pier! that will have music lovers dancing like (presented by the Australian Consulate and Cotton On): Egyptians, learning to tango and Missy Higgins and Kim Churchill • July 28, Reggae/Ska: Slackers and Star Pool rocking to the sounds of surf guitar. (plus the finalists of Rusty’s Surf Ranch emerging artist competition) Presented by OneWest Bank and the • Aug. 4, Rock of the Bay: In Support of a Cleaner Ocean (The Twilight Dance Series partners with Heal the Bay) Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corp., • Aug. 11, La Monica Ballroom Then & Now: Royal Crown Revue, Orgone, and Ameera (featuring a dance floor) the series is widely considered one of • Aug. 18, Making Waves: A Night of Surf Guitar: the premiere free outdoor concert Duo-Tones, Slacktone, and The Eliminators • Aug. 25, Tango on the Timbers: Milongatron, series on the West Coast. (tango lessons start at 6 p.m.)

Each week the popular concert • Sept. 1, New Americana: Dawes, Sonny & the Sunsets (plus the winner of Rusty’s Surf Ranch emerging artist competition) series will showcase a different musical • Sept. 8, New Orleans Funk & Blues 'A Night In Treme' genre with an eye toward the unique. (presented by Bloomingdales): Jon Cleary's Philthy Phew,

I

The Bangles

Donald Harrison Electric Band, and Wanda Rouzan Kim Churchill

About this publication This Twilight Dance Series guide has been created as a partnership between the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation and the Santa Monica Daily Press. It is intended to help concert-goers navigate the popular summer concert series.

The Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation is a non-profit created in 1983 by the Santa Monica City Council to preserve and enhance the pleasure pier experience for people of all ages and for future generations.

Publisher: Ross Furukawa Editor: Daniel Archuleta Designer: Darren Ouellette Special thanks: Martin Fleischmann, Steve Gibson, Craig Hoffman, Anne Railsback, Rob Schwenker, Brittney Seeliger, Steven Stuart

For more information, visit santamonicapier.org, or call (310) 458-8901.

twilightdance.org

Twilight Dance Series

Summer 2011

5

6

Summer 2011

Twilight Dance Series

twilightdance.org

Grupo Fantasma

Week 1 July 7, The SaMo Mambo: Grupo Fantasma and Oscar Hernandez’s L.A. Salsa Allstars (salsa dance lessons start at 6 p.m.)

Grupo Fantasma Acclaimed Austin-based Latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma recently received their first Grammy Award, garnering “Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album” for

their latest album, “El Existential,” “Considering the DIY and homegrown effort we’ve built over the last decade, including the immense undertaking and process of producing this album all by ourselves, it feels unbelievable to finally go

home as winners,” guitarist Adrian Quesada said. “And with so many genres combined into this one category with such fierce competition, it’s even more of an honor and statement of our hard work over the last 10 years.”

Released on Nat Geo Music, “El Existential” is being praised by critics including the Huffington Post who declared it “a sound done so right that you have to hand the crown to this group,” while Billboard states that by “tightly weaving Anglo, Afro and Latin musical genres, “El Existential” takes on an identity of its own.”

Though it’s Grupo Fantasma’s first Grammy, this was their second nomination, which they celebrated with a short tour of the Southwest.

Grupo Fantasma are widely known for their energetic live shows, which NPR declares “seamless … whenever and wherever they’re on stage.”

The 10-piece orchestra has received praise from The Wall Street Journal, La Opinion, and by USA Today, calling the band “Latin-funk masters.”

Brought together by Austin’s bustling music scene, Grupo Fantasma formed in 2000 and is comprised of musicians with Latin American and Texan backgrounds.

Praised as one of the most important independent acts in the Latin genre, the band draws from influences including cumbia, salsa, old-school funk, reggae and more. www.grupofantasma.com

SEE 2011 TDS PAGE 7

7

The Bangles

2011 TDS FROM PAGE 6

Oscar Hernandez Two time Grammy Award winner Oscar Hernández has long been considered one of the most gifted and prominent pianist/arrangers on the Latin-jazz and salsa music scene. Hernández has recorded and performed with artists such as Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Julio Iglesias, Juan Luis Guerra, Ray Barreto. He was also the Musical Director/Conductor for “The Capeman,” Paul Simon’s Broadway musical. www.oscarhernandezmusic.com

Oscar Hernández

Week 2 July 14, 80’s Pop: The Bangles and Caracol

The Bangles Rock historians view the Bangles as one of the greatest all-female bands ever, lauding the L.A.-based quartet for its inventive incorporation of 1960s folk rock, sunny SoCal harmonies and Beatles/Byrds/Beach Boys/Big Star godhead into a sound all its own — beguiling, frequently bittersweet, but always life-affirming; a canny merger of art and commerce. Theirs was a rags-to-riches story, from the band’s beginnings in L.A.’s Paisley Underground scene through their reign as the smart-pop princesses of the 1980s — a problematic decade that was far richer for the Bangles’ presence in its unfolding.

The “Behind the Music” version of the Bangles story, by contrast, puts the emphasis on their ugly breakup.

“Ahh, the drah-ma. The fatal meeting,” quips guitarist/singer Vicki Peterson, who remembers sitting there saying, “OK, OK, we’ll work this out,” even as her fellow bandmembers were walking out the door.

“Because it’s so hard to actually ‘make it’ as a band, it was 24/7 in the ‘80s,” guitarist/singer Susanna Hoffs said of the reasons for the split. “We were on the road

constantly, and there was no room for anything else in our lives. In some ways, that was the thing that took a toll on us and caused the split, because it was hard to envision doing it any other way. It was this marriage, but it was also a kind of pressure cooker all the time, and it became oppressive.

You start to want other things in your life — you want some sort of balance. So inevitably you figure out a way to get that.”

Drummer/singer Debbi Peterson puts it more bluntly: “Basically, the four of us had been touring forever, and we were just tired of working together. We all needed a break.”

Given their acrimonious parting, the Bangles’ self-assured re-entry into the music scene of another century might seem improbable — but that’s assuming (wrongly, it turns out) that the bond that had once united bandmembers Vicki and Debbi Peterson, Susanna Hoffs and bassist/singer Michael Steele had been burned away by the accumulated bile that led to the split. Indeed, the fact that 15 years passed between the release of “Everything” in 1988 and “Doll Revolution” in 2003 is somewhat misleading, because little more than eight years separated the breakup from the reunion, and the healing came well before that.

“It could have been a two-year break,” said Susanna, “but it ended up being quite a bit longer because we needed time to live our lives.” Indeed, the reunion went down joyfully, if incrementally, starting way back in the late ‘90s and gathering momentum over the course of the next several years.

The initial re-bonding occurred between Susanna and Debbi, who had something new and special in common — both were new mothers. Debbi, who’d been married since the year of the break-up, had her first child in 1997, a year before Susanna gave birth to her second.

“Susanna had her first son a couple of years before me,” said Debbi, “so we started talking about kids, and that got us talking more in general.”

The reconnection was working, Debbi offers, “because we took baby steps and took our time, rather than getting together for a major tour, which would’ve made us a helluva lot of money but also would’ve made us miserable. Plus, it had been a few years and a lot of water under the bridge, and everybody had matured and mellowed with time. We all realized it felt really good again — it felt comfortable, like a pair of old shoes.” www.thebangles.com SEE 2011 TDS PAGE 8

RECYCLE NOW! Aluminum Cans .80 $1

per pound with this coupon expires 7-31-11

Aluminum Plastic Glass Bi-Metal Newspaper CardboardWhite/Color/Computer Paper Copper & Brass

Santa Monica Recycling Center 2411 Delaware Avenue in Santa Monica

(310) 453-9677

MICHIGAN 24TH

Summer 2011

CLOVERFIELD

Twilight Dance Series

X

DELAWARE AVE. 10 WEST

8

Summer 2011

Twilight Dance Series

twilightdance.org

2011 TDS FROM PAGE 7

Caracol Caracol’s music is built on raw emotion and is a unique blend of American folk, old Jamaican rocksteady, with a singersongwriter and a vintage 1950’s feel. It is likened by some to indie-pop and features the sounds of the ukulele, the autoharp, vocal harmonies and a good old acoustic guitar.

Her lyrics, written in both French and English, explore the sometimes darker side of human emotions and relationships through anger, love, contempt, arrogance and the search for something more. It’s a straight from the heart, no holds-barred expression of the human condition. At times sarcastic, but never tragic, they reveal our raw humanity.

Using surrealistic imagery inspired by films such as “Oh Brother Where Art Thou?” the songs at times evoke a Hawaiian ballroom or a throwback to the vinyl records of days gone by.

Equipped with her experience, acquired on tour with ex-band DobaCaracol, Caracol looks to pick up where Dobacaracol left off, no compromises, and with the feeling of having found her own identity. Her first solo album “L’Arbre Aux Parfums” is a more mature, personal and introspective album.

Produced by Sébastien Blais-Montpetit (DJ Champion and his G-Strings), and surrounded by an all-star cast of musicians: Justin Allard (drums), Maxime Lepage (bass), David Laflèche (guitar), Vincent Rehel (keyboards), Audrey-Michèle Simard (backvocals), the album released in September 2008 on Indica Records.

Caracol proudly received the “RadioCanada Musique REVELATION” title for 2009. The same year, she gave acclaimed performances at NACA (National Association of Campus Activities — Nashville) and South By Southwest (Austin, Texas), as well as at the Canadian Music Week and at North by North East (Toronto),

Missy Higgins Rifflandia/Transmission (Vancouver) and at the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals (Ottawa). She also won the prestigious SODEC/ RIDEAU European Jury Prize in February and the PRIX MIROIR for “Best Show” at Festival d’Été de Québec.

Caracol is currently in studio recording her follow-up album, scheduled for the end of summer 2011. She will play the Winnipeg Folk Festival as well as a few other festivals in Canada and in the U.S. this summer. She will then take off to Europe to support the release of the second album, before heading to Australia in early 2012. www.caracolmusique.com

Caracol

Week 3 July 21, Australia Rocks the Pier! (presented by the Australian Consulate and Cotton On): Missy Higgins and Kim Churchill

Missy Higgins Passionate and sincere, Australian singersongwriter Missy Higgins is a welcome relief in a music landscape littered with disposable pop. The 24-year-old Melbourne native has enjoyed phenomenal success in her homeland, and a growing fanbase in the U.S., in spite of — or perhaps because she shuns the usual synthetic packaging and tabloid tackiness. Instead she’s adopted a more timeless approach, relying on her undeniable songs and unforgettable live performances to forge a genuine connection with her audience.

Higgins’ latest album, “On A Clear Night,” retains the irresistible melodies and piercing lyrics of her critically lauded debut “The Sound of White,” which was Australia’s best-selling album of 2005. “On A Clear Night” (certified triple platinum in Australia) was awarded the Highest Selling Australian album of 2007 and saw Missy crowned with yet another ARIA Award (Australia’s Grammy) as the country’s “Best Female Artist” for the second time.

This time around, the album benefits from the empathetic production of Mitchell Froom, who is known for his work with Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, and Crowded House. The quiet strength of the new songs reflects Higgins’ newfound confidence and changing worldview.

“The album hopefully reflects where I’m at right now,” Higgins said. “I feel a lot clearer about who I am and what I want to be doing with my music. I’ve moved on from the confusion and self-doubt I felt when I was just starting out. That’s the main difference between the old songs and the new ones.”

It’s certainly been quite a journey. Higgins began her music career singing standards with her older brother’s band when she was just 13. She was thrust into the limelight in

2001 when she won a national songwriting competition run by an influential national alternative radio network while still in high school. Instead of capitalizing on the moment, she chose to backpack around Europe before returning home and releasing an eponymous EP that topped the indie charts in late 2003. Airplay on influential Santa Monica tastemaker station KCRW led to a stateside deal with Warner Bros Records. The following year, she released the “Scar” EP in Australia, which entered the country’s charts at No. 1, followed by the best-selling “The Sound of White,” which was released internationally later that year.

Higgins made repeated trips to the U.S. and UK, opening for the likes of Ray Lamontagne, The Finn Brothers, and Howie Day. Fortunately Higgins likes to write songs while she’s on the road, so while touring behind “The Sound Of White,” she penned many of the tunes that would comprise “On A Clear Night,” and gradually honed them through live performances. The pissed-off “Peachy” was among the first to work its way into Higgins’ set. The equally energetic (and only slightly less feisty) “100 Round The Bends” also became a fan favorite through repeated live airings.

"Unlike nearly all the songs on the first album, both of those songs were written on guitar, which is the only instrument I’ve got with me in the hotel room or on the bus,” Higgins said. “So the songs I write that way tend to be a bit more ‘up’ while playing the piano usually inspires slow songs. Maybe that’s why there’s a bit more energy on this album compared to the last one — I didn’t spend as much time sitting around at home playing the piano.” The new disc still features some beautiful keyboard-driven ballads, such as “Sugarcane” and “Where I Stood,” but this time they’re evenly balanced by the more up-tempo tracks.

Recording for “On A Clear Night” commenced at Mitchell Froom’s home studio in Los Angeles. Over the next three months, SEE 2011 TDS PAGE 10

twilightdance.org

Twilight Dance Series

Summer 2011

9

10

Summer 2011

Twilight Dance Series

twilightdance.org

Week 6 Aug. 11, La Monica Ballroom Then & Now: Royal Crown Revue, Orgone, and Ameera (featuring a dance floor)

Royal Crown Revue

Kim Churchill

2011 TDS FROM PAGE 8 tracking proceeded with a stellar lineup of L.A, musicians including in-demand studio drummer Matt Chamberlain (Tori Amos, Fiona Apple) and former touring compadre Neil Finn, who was roped in to provide some extra guitars on “Peachy” and backing vocals on the rustic “Going North.”

The album’s first single and opening track, “Where I Stood,” showcases both the tasteful restraint and the lyrical maturity that are the album’s trademarks. The beautiful ballad has sold over 100,000 tracks on iTunes over recent months due largely by the song being featured prominently on hit U.S. TV shows “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Smallville,” “One Tree Hill,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Lipstick Jungle” and “The Hills.” www.missyhiggins.com

Kim Churchill It would be an understatement of gross proportions to say that 20-year-old guitarist, surfer and singer-songwriter Kim Churchill possesses drive. The Canberra-born, Merimbula-bred musician is more itinerant than a Kalahari Bushman trying to divest his people of a Coke bottle.

“As a young artist, now’s the time for me to be busy,” Churchill said. “You just have to tour your arse off, record heaps and keep pushing every way you can. It’s been a hectic couple of years, but it’s also been lots of fun.”

Churchill picked up the guitar at the tender age of four. Then he trained classically for a decade. At 16, he started to find his own musical feel under the influences of not illicit substances, but Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Bob Marley and more recently Jack White. He’s now considered one of Australia’s most exciting young guitarists.

There’s no doubt this guy can play guitar, but

his music also pays tribute to the great songwriters that have influenced him. www.kimchurchill.com

Week 4 July 28, Reggae/Ska: The Slackers and Starpool (plus the finalists of Rusty’s Surf Ranch emerging artist competition)

The Slackers The Slackers are a classic American band that is equal parts grit and grace. Their slow rise against the odds is a story in perseverance and a belief in their musical vision, what vocalist Vic Ruggiero likes to call, “Jamaican rock ‘n’ roll.” While they have been influenced, and even personally taught by Jamaican ska/reggae originators, like the Skatalites and the Upsetters (original backing band for the Wailers), the band sees its music as an extension of the traditions of the United States.

This band is equally appreciative of old blues, country, ‘60s soul, rock, and R&B as it is of reggae, rocksteady, dub, and ska. It is as if the Rolling Stones or the Yardbirds had grown up on Bob Marley as well as Muddy Waters.

Smashing the stereotypes of “ska” as happy, uptempo, and shallow music, The Slackers play with an aggressive edge and their songs veer in themes from the personal to the political. They can out jam any hippie band and outwrite most singer songwriters.

From their 1996 release, “Better Late Than Never” through to 2010 with “The Great Rocksteady Swindle,” they have established themselves as America’s premiere interpreters and innovators of Jamaican music and a pretty good rock band to boot.

The band has come a long way from their little dirty rehearsal studio on East Third Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. www.theslackers.com

Starpool Starpool is a new musical group made up by seven friends who play a twisted blend of rock, reggae, funk with the occasional twist of ska and world beat to the delight of everyone who has the chance to see them perform live. Fronted by one of the most endearing and entertaining vocalist to have performed in years, and backed by an all-star cast of musicians, it’s no wonder that Starpool is one of the most vocally celebrated new bands of the past few years. www.starpoolmusic.com

Week 5 Aug. 4, Rock of the Bay: In Support of a Cleaner Ocean (The Twilight Dance Series partners with Heal the Bay)

Formed in 1989 in Los Angeles, Royal Crown Revue was conceived by Eddie Nichols and saxophonist Mando Dorame.

The band’s hybrid sound emerged out of their mutual admiration and love for rhythm & blues, jazz, punk, rockabilly soul, and swing, among other styles of American roots music.

RCR is often credited with starting the retro-swing revival movement of the 1990s.

In 1993, they began playing regularly at The Derby, a landmark club in Los Angeles. It was there that RCR began to gain worldwide recognition from such films as “The Mask.”

The underground scene they created at The Derby became the basis for the hit film, “Swingers.”

Since exploding out of L.A.’s underground scene when they formed, Royal Crown Revue has performed in many of the world’s most prestigious venues, from the Hollywood Bowl to Radio City Music Hall. They have also worked with a stunning variety of top artists — from James Brown to Bette Midler to Gene Simmons. And the band’s music — in particular the breakout track “Hey Pachuco!” — has been featured in countless motion pictures, television shows, and commercials.

Not to be tied to a single genre, however, RCR has also enjoyed great success as a headliner on the Van’s Warped Tour, road work with the B-52’s and Pretenders, appearances at major U.S. jazz festivals as well as with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

In the 2004-05 season, the band backed Bette Midler on her top-grossing Kiss My Brass tour. In 2008, RCR recorded with and performed a sold out show in Las Vegas with KISS front man Gene Simmons, as part of a three-episode arc of Simmons’ “Family Jewels” reality show.

In addition to classics from the band’s repertoire like “Hey Pachuco!” and “Zip Gun Bop,” the show featured 15 brand new cuts and introduced seductive songbird Jennifer Keith, who showcased numbers by the likes of Peggy Lee and June Christy, and joined front man Eddie Nichols for a high-energy tribute to Louis Prima and Keely Smith. The SEE 2011 TDS PAGE 11

The Slackers

Twilight Dance Series

Summer 2011

11

Orgone

2011 TDS FROM PAGE 10 show also paired a special acoustic set by Nichols with the world premiere of the “Rat Pack Concerto” — in homage to Las Vegas legends Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin.

“Well, I’m very proud to say that we’ve introduced several generations of people around the world to classic American sounds and style,” Nichols said. “It’s tremendously rewarding to know that we have been a torch bearer for this very important cultural legacy, and that we’ve found a way to reach young people and inspire them to want to learn more about it, whether they’re in Spain, Japan, Serbia, Argentina or the Philippines. It blows your mind when you receive e-mails from fans in those places, and you find that there’s a full blown scene happening based on music you made 15 years ago!” www.rcr.com

Orgone Los Angeles-based Orgone is many souls with a cosmic connection, a natural creative force of musicians who have played together for years. They are self schooled and continue to shape their musical voice as a solid unit of guys who hang, spin records and jam out their shared inspirations. With a rooted sense of funk, soul, afrobeat, deep rhythms and an intimate understanding of DJ culture as well as each others’ individual talents, Orgone seamlessly slides through multiple styles and dynamic performances.

The group continuously injects whatever they play with a heavy brand of raw funk power.

At the core of the band is a rhythm section comprised of close friends who have played together for more than 10 years.

Having grown artistically as a unit they function as one organic and intuitive whole.

The original 5-member band started out by putting their own gritty takes on tunes by the likes of the JBs, the Meters, Booker T and the MGs, Grant Green and Funkadelic among many others. They quickly gained underground respect and die hard fans. With their searing live sets and original instrumentals, Orgone soon released their debut self titled CD, “Orgone,” in 2002. The result was a collection of all original down home, transcendental, tough and gritty funk instrumentals.

The band fast grew to include a powerful

three-piece horn section and a fiery soul singer who all shared the same spirit and deep reverence for the music that inspired them. Singer, Fanny Franklin, joined the group’s recordings after they were floored seeing her perform with Dakah, the 30-piece hip-hop orchestra, and asked her to record with them. Their first recording together, Orgone’s cover of “Funky Nassau,” became a ubiquitous DJ fave worldwide — first appearing on 7-inch (Nuff Rope) and then getting a 12-inch club re-edit by renowned DJ Danny Krivit (Nuff Rope). It then appeared on Ubiquity’s “Rewind Volume 4” comp, which began the band’s relationship with the prestigious label.

Gaining worldwide recognition for their raw studio recordings and exciting live sets led to the release of “The Killion Floor” on Ubiquity records — a full length album of hard hitting afro-soul and funk from the ninepiece band. While enjoying comparisons to classic acts like Rufus, War & Mandrill, or modern funk staples like Sharon Jones or Breakestra, they’re quick to point out that Orgone is unique. orgonespace.com

Ameera Ameera has a vocal quality that you don’t hear in today’s young singers. While most artists want to emulate the latest pop, R&B or hip-hop trends, Ameera sounds like she’s from a different time in history reminiscent of the jazz clubs of the 1940s. Jump blues was a particular style of music developed in the ‘40s that was best described as a swing blues.

Innovative jump blues artists in its day were Tiny Bradshaw, Wynonie Harris, Louis Jordan, and Ella Mae Morse. The fact that Ameera is only 20 years old with that kind of vocal ability, leaves no doubt that she will be the voice of the “New Jump Blues” movement.

In Arabic her name means “princess,” and Ameera is certainly a princess of the stage.

From her sultry vocals, to her captivating personality, she is definitely a songstress with a deep appreciation for authentic soulful expression. Born on Aug. 20, 1990 in Cincinnati, Ohio to a Jamaican father and American mother, Ameera was always determined to express herself through music.

SEE 2011 TDS PAGE 13

12

Summer 2011

Twilight Dance Series

twilightdance.org

twilightdance.org

Twilight Dance Series

2011 TDS

Week 8

FROM PAGE 11

Aug. 25, Tango on the Timbers: Milongatron, (tango lessons start at 6 p.m.)

Week 7

Schwee Miguel and Milongatron

Aug. 18, Making Waves: A Night of Surf Guitar: Duo-Tones, Slacktone, and The Eliminators

The Duo-Tones Paul Johnson pioneered surf-instro music in the 1960s with the Belairs; his tune, “Mr. Moto,” is a genre classic.

Now, after a lifetime of prolific creativity in a style that epitomizes the form, he’s regarded as one of the genre’s leading lights.

Gil Orr was a child prodigy in the1950s playing country music on TV and radio. He took to rock ‘n’ roll in the ‘60s and joined the Chantays (with whom he still plays to this day). Gil is extremely versatile and eclectic, bringing a brilliant creativity to a wide variety of styles.

These two masters of the surf guitar have joined forces to create a unique variation on the original theme: by leaving out the drums and bass, they put the focus on their delightful dual-guitar interplay, bringing fresh appeal to the surf-instro genre.

The Duo-Tones are the rare example of the creators of a genre remaining vital and continuing to contribute to its growth. They have taken a huge step in making surf music palatable to a wider audience. www.pjmoto.com

Slacktone Slacktone is widely recognized as America’s best surf instrumental band.

Their sound is a hyper-kinetic mix of melody, speed and jaw dropping technical skill. Formed in Los Angeles in 1995 from a group of surf band veterans, they have since released four albums and toured Europe eight times. Slacktone’s music is featured in TV shows and they were the house band for the MTV’s “Rock ‘N’ Jock Super Bowl Party.” They wrote and produced music for five Slim Jim extreme sports commercials, and also worked with Subaru for the release of their new sports vehicle, Baja. They have played at numerous outdoor sporting events including the U.S. Open and OP Pro surfing events, NORBA mountain bike races, and several snowboarding events.

Guitarist and songwriter Dave Wronski is a career studio musician and has been featured in Guitar Player magazine.

Drummer Dusty Watson tours with Dick Dale, Agent Orange and The Supersuckers. Sam Bolle on bass also tours with Dick Dale and Agent Orange. www.slacktone.com

The Eliminators The Eliminators have led the way in the resurgence of instrumental surf music that was popular during the early 1960s by staying true to the sound while giving the music and their show a modern twist. Their fast rising popularity is due to their incredible live performances and their TV and radio sound waves. You know their sounds from the BudLight “Left coast right beer” commercials, guest appearances on “Beverly Hills 90210", bumper music and record reviews on the 95.5 KLOS “Mark and Brian” show, a guest band appearance on the popular talk show “The View” and from background music for the hit TV drama “Providence". The Eliminators have had great national exposure by performing on a 25-city tour sponsored by Bud-Light and opening for superstar Jimmy Buffett. The Eliminators are five California longboarders who live the lifestyle of the music they play. www.theeliminators.com

Summer 2011

13

Lead vocalist, musical director, and multi-instrumentalist Schwee Miguel is back from Buenos Aires for another extended residency in Los Angeles, teaching dance and performing live Argentine tango music at milongas and festivals around North America.

As a singer/songwriter who plays piano, saxophone, and bandoneon, Schwee has performed throughout Europe, Asia, North and South America spanning genres from jazz and soul SEE 2011 TDS PAGE 14

Milongatron

14

Summer 2011

Twilight Dance Series

twilightdance.org

2011 TDS FROM PAGE 13 to hip-hop and tango. As a recording artist, arranger, and producer he has masterminded big band projects such as El Orquestazo and Critical Brass. Working as a dancer in Buenos Aires, he has graced the stages of many famous venues including milongas (Villa Malcolm), estudios (Tango Lab), and teatros (Torquato Tasso). Locally, Schwee has performed with his Tango Ganas dance company at several important Los Angeles venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Beverly Hilton, Derby Club, and the Broad Stage as a principal choreographer for the vibrant Folklorico de Santa Monica troupe. He has also hosted many regular tango events in Southern California over the years including the Ocean Park Milonga (OPM) and the Santa Monica International Tango Holiday (SMITH) bringing worldfamous Argentine artists to L.A. in debut appearances. With this crystallization of Milongatron, Schwee Miguel and his fellow artists are brewing up a timely, tasty blend of Argentine tango grooves for the next generation!

Schwee Miguel’s Milongatron features a phalanx of Argentine virtuosos including violinist Pablo Hopenhayn, polymorphous omniphone Pablo Goldstein, and bassist Oscar Lomuto, torch-bearer of the goldenage orchestra that bore his family name.

Rounding out the roster are powerhouse Dominican violinist Mishkar Nunez-Mejia, New York pianist extraordinaire Evan Griffiths, Angeleno multi-instrumentalist Mike Bolger, a constellation of internationally renown bandoneon specialists, and a halfdozen legendary local recording artists.

Members of the group have played with myriad tango and symphony orchestras including Forever Tango, Los Gatos Azules, Esquina Carlos Gardel, and the Russian Philharmonic as well as Grammy-award winning groups such as Ozomatli, Santana, the Neville Brothers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Julieta Venegas, Andres Calamaro, Diego Torres, Divina Gloria, Sandro and jazz greats such as Art Taylor, Steve Lacy, Joshua Redman, Trombone Shorty, Rebirth and the Dirty Dozen. www.myspace.com/schwee

Week 9 Sept. 1, Americana: Dawes, Sonny & the Sunsets (plus the winner of Rusty’s Surf Ranch emerging artist competition)

Dawes “The best rock ‘n’ roll is never preconceived,” said Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith. “It’s almost a country mentality: ‘This is what we do. We write songs.’ That’s how it is for Dawes.”

A self-described “American rock ‘n’ roll band,” Dawes represent everything pure and true about that fundamental delineation, four talented friends making music together, fueled by a shared belief in the power of their songs.

With “Nothing Is Wrong,” the Los Angeles-based band — singer/guitarist Goldsmith, his brother Griffin on drums, keyboardist Tay Strathairn, and bassist Wylie Gelber — continue to master their blend of singer/songwriter reflection with folk and

Dawes country, all ringing guitars, soaring harmonies, and heartfelt melodies. After spending much of the past two years on tour, songs like “Coming Back To A Man” and “Time Spent In Los Angeles” have a restless, unsettled quality evocative of life lived on the road. A collection of songs that expertly builds upon the template laid by 2009’s extraordinary debut, “North Hills,” “Nothing Is Wrong” sees Dawes displaying staggering growth and evolution while still manifesting their distinctive, unforgettable voice.

“We didn’t change up our approach too much and yet we were able to create something that I feel has a new identity from our first record,” Goldsmith said. “It’s definitely taking a step in a direction and at the same time, it’s maintaining what it needs to maintain.”

In 2009, Dawes emerged from the ashes of California combo Simon Dawes with North Hills, which drew instant acclaim for its rootsy revitalization of classic El Lay rock.

And like any American rock ‘n’ roll band worth its salt, Dawes followed up by touring nearly non-stop. As a result, Goldsmith was only able to write during rare free moments, in the course of brief visits home or while crashing at a friend’s pad for a few days. No surprise then that songs like “My Way Back Home” and “How Far We’ve Come” (featuring Griffin on lead vocals) are redolent of van fumes and road dust, rich with weariness and longing and restive reflection.

“Both of these Dawes records have been written in a one-to-two year span of time,” Goldsmith said. “With ‘North Hills,’ there was an ‘I just want to go somewhere and experience things’ quality. And then with this record, we’re in the thick of going out and playing shows and being on tour.” www.dawestheband.com

Jon Cleary's Philthy Phew In the hallowed ranks of New Orleans “piano professors,” Jon Cleary is on the tenure track. Born in England and bred in New Orleans, Cleary is a triple threat combining soulful vocals, masterful piano skills, and a knack for composing infectious grooves with melodic hooks and sharp lyrics.

He balances performing on solo piano, with noted funk band The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, and his new trio Piano, Bass & Drums, alongside a career as a notorious hired gun with the likes of Bonnie Raitt and John Scofield. Cleary is featured on vocals

and keyboards on the recently released, “Piety Street” by John Scofield & The Piety Street Band. Cleary has toured with Raitt since 1999, and has appeared on the albums “Silver Lining” and “Souls Alike.” On these recordings, Raitt covered the Cleary originals, “Fool’s Game,” “Monkey Business,” “Unnecessarily Mercenary,” and “Love on One Condition.”

Cleary has produced five recordings to date including his latest, a live recording from Sydney, Australia called “Mo Hippa,” which features a mix of the styles that inform the New Orleans’ sound — from island rhythms, to soul-drenched funk jams, to Mardi Gras Indian street-parades. www.joncleary.com

Week 10 Sept. 8, New Orleans Funk & Blues 'A Night In Treme' (presented by Bloomingdales): Jon Cleary's Philthy Phew, Donald Harrison Electric Band, and Wanda Rouzan

Jon Cleary's Philthy Phew

twilightdance.org

Twilight Dance Series

Summer 2011

15

16

Summer 2011

Twilight Dance Series

twilightdance.org