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Hi Folks, Hello Music News readers. I hope you had a great April. We’re happy to announce that Concert Season is in full swing now. Are cover story for this month is The Cure. They will be performing at Toyota Center on May 12th. Also performing this month will be Tom Jones at Smart Financial Centre on May 5th and Carlos Santana on May 7th. Steve Miller, who we had on last months cover has been moved to July, so if you have tickets for the show they will honor them on that date. The May show has been postponed til. then.

Now, on to the new issue. In this issue, as usual, we have some great stories and information to pass on to you. Check out stories in this month’s issue on Artie Villasenor, Ricardo Arjona, The Dave Matthews Band, Violent Femmes, Janet Jackson, King’s X, Acid Mothers Temple, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, and more, as well as another installment of the original story, THE BIKER! Also in this issue are a ton of great pictures of bands performing around the Houston area. I’m sure you’re going to be familiar with a lot of these bands. Those bands include Benny Brasket, Chip Oliphant, Chris Castaneda, Dead Man’s Hand, Dirtymind, Doomstress, Echo Temple, Houston Ensemble, James Wilhite and The Classix, Mathias Lattin, Saviorskin, Shy Foxx, Skull Soup, Sonny Boy Terry, Spread Eagle, and Zombieface. If you have pictures of local bands performing, please email them to us. I would really appreciate it and I know the bands do as well. Keep it up... We would like to see more pictures from you.

We’d also like to invite you to check out our Spanish music section. This month we feature stories on Ricardo Arjona, Rodrigo Y Gabriela,and Fonseca. Check these stories out in English and Spanish.

I sincerely hope that everybody reading this new publication finds something here that they like and I would like to encourage you to let your friends and colleagues know about us. Just look for us every month at http://www.houstonmusicnews.net. I would also like to encourage you to email us for a free subscription to Rock And Blues International as well. Just email us at musicnew@airmail.net and in the subject line simply put “Sign Me Up” and we’ll email you a copy each month when it is published. Remember, for your convenience, Music News is also now downloadable. You can download the issue into your computer or storage device and save it and read it at your convenience without having to get logged on to the internet every time. Try it now and save every issue. It will make things a lot easier for you.

Kevin Wildman

Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher

The Cure Bring Their Shows Of A Lost World To Toyota Center May 12

León Larregui (Zoé)

León Larregui (Zoé) Performs His New Singles from Upcoming ‘Prismarama’ Album At The House Of Blues May 16

Darrell Scott Performs At The Heights Theatre

May 23rd

Ireland’s Dermont Kennedy Brings His Special Blend Of Folk And Pop To The 713 Music Hall May 26th

Page 18 311

311 Perform At The House Of Blues May 26

Page 26

Obituary

Obituary Perform At White Oak Music Hall

May 24th

Page 12

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson Brings Her “Together Again”

Tour To The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

June 3rd

Page 22

Fonseca

Fonseca Performs at The Arena Theater

June 3

Page 28

Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band “Walk Around The Moon

Tour” Kicks Off May

19th At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Page 10

Dermont Kennedy

Page 6

The Cure

Page 24

Darrell Scott

Page 16

The Cure Bring Their Shows Of A Lost World Tour To Toyota Center May 12

The Cure have announced a 2023 tour across North America. The band will kick off the 30-date tour at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on May 10, with stops in Austin, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Tampa and many more, before closing out at the Miami-Dade Arena in Florida on July 1. The Cure have been off the road since wrapping up a fall European tour last year. The run was their first since the pandemic and featured the debut of material from the band’s long-delayed new album.

“The Cure return to North America in May for a 30 date tour #ShowsOfALostWorld23,” the band wrote on social media, the hashtag being the name of their much anticipated first new album since 2008’s ‘4:13 Dream’.

The Cure have not toured the US since 2016, but performed at Pasadena Daydream Festival and Austin City Limits in 2019. This long-awaited event has sparked excitement among fans, old and new alike.

Smith has repeatedly teased The Cure’s new record to NME as a dark, “merciless, relentless” piece, inspired by a period of great loss and in a similar spirit to their 1989 gothic art-rock album ‘Disintegra-

tion’.

Now that their first U.S. tour in seven years has been announced, it appears the group’s next offering, their 14th studio album, will be titled “Songs Of A Lost World.”

When the group toured Europe in 2022, they debuted five new songs — “Alone,” “Endsong,” “And Nothing is Forever,” “I Can Never Say Goodbye” and “A Fragile Thing” — all of which may appear on the new record. According to frontman Robert Smith, the Cure has recorded at least 20 songs for two prospective albums. In April 2022, he told NME that the first one is tentatively titled Songs of a Lost World. It marks the band’s first studio album since 2008. Smith had hinted in a 2021 interview that the upcoming songs could be the end of new music by the band. “The new Cure stuff is very emotional,” he revealed to The Sunday Times. “It’s 10 years of life distilled into a couple of hours of intense stuff. I can’t think we’ll ever do anything else.”

Read More: The Cure Announces 2023 North American Tour | https:// ultimateclassicrock.com/the-cure-2023-northamerican-tour/

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In addition to Robert Smith, for this tour you’ll probably see bassist Simon Gallup, drummer Jason Cooper, keyboardist Roger O’Donnell, guitarist Reeves Gabrels and guitarist/keyboardist Perry Bamonte, who played in the band from 1990 to 2005, on stage playing all your favorite hits at 2023 Cure concerts. Fans can expect to hear some of the band’s most iconic songs, as well as newer material from their extensive discography.

On this run of shows, the goth icons will be joined by Scottish post-punk/indie rock outfit The Twilight Sad.

The five-member group is most wellknown for their 2014 album “Nobody Wants To Be Here & Nobody Wants To Leave” which spawned their most popular tracks, the moody “There’s A Girl In The Corner,” pulsating “I Could Give You All That You Don’t Want” and ethereal “Last January.”

The Cure is an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex, in 1978. The band is led by frontman Robert Smith, who is also the group’s primary songwriter. The Cure has undergone several lineup changes throughout the years, with Smith being the only constant

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member.

The band’s music is known for its moody and introspective lyrics, as well as its unique blend of post-punk, new wave, and alternative rock. Some of The Cure’s most famous songs include “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Just Like Heaven,” and “Lovesong.”

It all started in 1976 as Easy Cure, formed by Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) along with schoolmates Michael Dempsey (bass), Lol Tolhurst (drums) and local guitar hero Porl Thompson. They began writing and demoing their own songs almost immediately, playing throughout 1977 in Southern England to an ever growing army of fans. In 1978 the ‘Easy’ was dropped, along with Porl, and an eager trio now known simply as The Cure were quickly signed to Chris Parry’s new Fiction label.

In May 1979 their debut album Three Imaginary Boys was released to great acclaim, and as the band toured extensively around the UK, the singles “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Jumping Someone Else’s Train” were released.

Michael left the band at the end of the year, and Simon Gallup (bass) and Matthieu Hartley (keyboards) joined. In early 1980 the Cure quartet embarked on an exploration of the darker side of Robert’s song writing, and emerged with the minimalist classic album Seventeen Seconds, along with their first bona-fide ‘hit single’ “A Forest.”

After an intense world tour Matthieu left the group, and in early 1981 the trio recorded an album of mournful atmospheric soundscapes entitled Faith, which included another successful single in “Primary.” The band then set out on a second global trek, named ‘The Picture Tour’, during which they released the non-album single “Charlotte Sometimes.”

In 1982 The Cure went back into the studio, and their increasingly ugly fascination with despair and decay culminated in the unrelenting sonic attack of the Pornography album. An intensely volatile tour ensued, and the single “The Hanging Garden” was released just as Simon left the band.

After pushing the limits of excess, Robert felt he had to change things, and did so by ‘going pop’ again. Rejuvenated, the Cure duo released their first real dance single, the cheesy “Let’s Go To Bed,” and during the making of the accompanying video forged a colourful and lasting relationship with director Tim Pope.

The band continued into 1983 with the groovy electronic dance of “The Walk,” followed by the demented cartoon jazz of “The Lovecats.” All 3 singles and accompa-

nying B-sides were then compiled and rereleased as the Japanese Whispers album.

In 1984 The Top album was released, a strange hallucinogenic mix, which contained the infectiously psychedelic single “The Caterpillar.” The world Top Tour saw the band expand to a quintet, with the addition of Andy Anderson (drums) and Phil Thornalley (bass), and the return of Porl Thompson (guitar).

The new Cure sound was captured live for the album Concert. Andy and Phil left soon after the end of the tour, and were replaced by Boris Williams (drums) and further returnee Simon Gallup (bass).

This new incarnation started work on 1985’s The Head On The Door album with a very real sense of ‘something happening’... The vibrant hit single “Inbetween Days” was followed up by “Close To Me,” and the ensuing world tour paved the way for the massive success of the singles collection album Standing On A Beach in 1986. That summer saw the band headline the Glastonbury Festival for the first time, and a year of extensive gigs and festivals was crowned by Tim Pope’s live concert cinema film The Cure In Orange.

In 1987 The Cure brought out Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, an immense double album of extreme and extraordinary stylistic range, and with the arrival of Roger O’Donnell on keyboards the Cure sextet traveled the world with ‘The Kissing Tour’, enjoying 4 more hit singles along the way.

The wonderfully atmospheric Disintegration album was demoed in 1988 and released in 1989, and despite being a work of powerful brooding grandeur, it too gave rise to 4 hit singles. The awesome ‘Prayer Tour’ that followed, with the band back down to a quintet following the departure of Lol Tolhurst, included some of The Cure’s best performances to date, and was captured live for the album Entreat.

In early 1990 Roger O’Donnell left the group, and was replaced by long-time band friend Perry Bamonte, just in time for a series of headlining European festival shows that included the band’s second Glastonbury. The album Mixed Up was released, supported by the re-mixed singles “Never Enough,” “Close To Me” and “A Forest,” and in 1991 The Cure at last won some long overdue ‘home recognition’ with a Brit Award for ‘Best British Group’.

In 1992 they produced Wish, a richly diverse multi-faceted guitar driven album hailed by some as their best work to date. It spawned 3 fabulous hit singles, and the glorious ‘Wish Tour’ that followed was a worldwide sell-out. The sheer power of the shows inspired the release of two live works in 1993, the album and concert cinema film Show and the more fan oriented Paris album. Immediately after the tour ended, guitarist Porl Thompson left the band again (this time with a smile!), and The Cure headlined the XFM ‘Great Xpectations’ Show in London’s Finsbury Park as a quartet. The band also contributed ”Burn” to the film ‘The Crow’ and covered “Purple Haze” for the Hendrix tribute album ‘Stone Free’.

In 1994 Boris Williams decided to move on, and in early 1995 Jason Cooper took up residency behind the drum kit, with Roger O’Donnell rejoining once more on keyboards. Work on the next album was interspersed with recording “Dredd Song” for the film ‘Judge Dredd’, a cover of Bowie’s “Young Americans” for an XFM album, and headlining several major European festivals, including the 25th Glastonbury. The Wild Mood Swings album was released in 1996, and went straight into almost every top ten around the world. The Cure hit the road once more with ‘The Swing Tour’, their longest to date, releasing 4 singles along the way.

Galore, the follow up singles and video compilation to Standing On A Beach, which included the new single “Wrong Number”, a

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full on dance epic made in collaboration with Bowie’s guitarist Reeves Gabrels, was released in 1997, after which work took place in 1998 on a variety of projects, including “More than This” for the ‘X Files’ album, and a memorable appearance by Robert in the TV cartoon show ‘South Park’! In 1999 the band completed the recording and mixing of what many regarded as their best studio album so far, the ‘Grammy Nominated’ Bloodflowers.

With it’s release in 2000 the band set off on the massive world-wide ‘Dream Tour’ - playing to more than a million people in 9 months.

2001 saw the long awaited release of the Cure’s Greatest Hits album, which featured all the band’s biggest selling singles along with 2 new songs, the elegiac “Cut Here” and the ebullient “Just Say Yes,” a duet with Saffron. This year also saw the end of the group’s relationship with Fiction Records, the label they had been instrumental in starting 23 years before.

In 2003 another chapter of The Cure story opened, the band signing a global album deal with the Geffen label. 2004 saw the Fiction release of Join the Dots, a 4cd Box set compiled by Robert of all the B-sides and Rarities, followed by the widely acclaimed new album The Cure, co-produced with the renowned Ross Robinson. 3 singles, “The End Of The World”, “alt.end” and “Taking Off” all hit big, and another hugely successful world tour ensued, with the 23 date North American ‘Curiosa Festival’ leg especially notable for seeing the band supported by a number of hand picked younger bands including Interpol, Mogwai, The Rapture and Muse.

The year ended with an MTV Icon Award presented at a special televised London show.

In 2005 Perry Bamonte and Roger O’Donnell left the band and Porl Thompson joined for a third time. The quartet’s debut show was headlining Live 8 Paris, followed by a number of other summer European Festivals. The first four Cure albums (Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography) were re-released, with Robert providing ‘rarities’ for Deluxe Edition extras CD’s, as part of an ongoing campaign to re-master and re-issue all the Cure albums. Immediately after closing a week of Teenage Cancer Trust Shows at the Royal Albert Hall in April 2006, the band started recording their 13th studio album, breaking off in June to allow Robert to work on a live DVD. In August the second set of re-releases (The Top, The Head On The Door, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, along with 1983’s Glove album Blue Sunshine) was released, each album a 2CD Deluxe Edition. In November Festival 2005, a 155 minute 5.1 DVD comprising a 30 song selection of live performances captured the previous summer by a mix of fans, crew and ‘on-the-night-big-screen cameras’, was put out.

Spring 2007 saw The Cure headline the Miami Ultra Music Festival before heading back into the studio to continue work on new songs. The 11 show Australasian leg of ‘The 4Tour’ kicked off in July with a headline slot at the Fuji Rock Festival (the band’s first performance in Japan since 1984!), before moving on through Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. In October the band headlined the San Francisco Download Festival, before playing 3 wild nights in Mexico City at the Palacio de los Deportes, followed by an outstanding performance at the MTV Latin America Awards.

In February 2008 The Cure ran the

European leg of ‘The 4Tour’, and in May released “The Only One”, the first of 4 singles to be released every 13th of the month for 4 months. “Freakshow”, “Sleep When I’m Dead” and “The Perfect Boy” followed, and as the band continued ‘The 4Tour’ with a sellout North American leg, all 4 singles reached #1 on the Billboard chart. Indeed, for one remarkable week in August, 4 Cure singles were in the USA Top 20 at the same time! In September the “Hypnagogic States” EP was released, featuring remixes of the first 4 singles by acclaimed younger artists.

In October, 2 weeks prior to release, the new album 4:13 Dream was performed in its 13 song entirety at a live broadcast MTV event in the Piazza San Giovanni in Rome before an estimated crowd of 75,000 and a TV audience of 10 million!

The reaction to the event was awesome, with many critics and fans acclaiming the band’s 13th studio album as a bona fide classic. The Cure finished the year in LA, playing a legendary ‘Myspace Secret Show’ at the Troubadour, followed by a memorable closing set at KROQ’s ‘Almost Acoustic Christmas’.

February 2009 saw the band celebrating their NME ‘Godlike Genius’ Award with two rousing shows performed at the Brixton Academy and the O2 Arena, followed in March by yet another visit to the west coast of America for an intimate performance at the Las Vegas Pearl Theatre, and a stirringly defiant broken-handed headline slot at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival! Porl Thompson left the band for the last time, and the rest of the year was taken up with a number of unusual collaborations, personal projects and work on restoring, transferring and digitizing the entire back catalogue. In May 2010 a re-mastered Disintegration was re-released, Robert once again providing ‘rarities’ for a Deluxe Edition extras CD, as well as new mixes of the whole album played live in London 1989, released as Entreat Plus. More unusual collaborations, personal projects and continuing work on restoring, transferring and digitizing filled the remainder of the year...

May 2011 saw the band fly to Australia to play two nights at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Vivid Festival. Initially planned to mark the 30th anniversary of the Faith album, the Reflections show did far more. First a Cure trio of Robert, Simon and Jason performed the Three Imaginary Boys album, then Roger O’Donnell rejoined the band and The Cure quartet played the Seventeen Seconds album, and finally Lol Tolhurst stepped back onstage with the band for the first time in 23 years to perform Faith and assorted B-sides and singles. Both extraordinary nights were filmed with a future DVD release in mind...

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and released as a charity CD Bestival Live 2011, and in November the band, once again abetted by Lol, played 7 more sold-out Reflections shows - 1 in the Royal Albert Hall, 3 in the Pantages Theatre LA and 3 in the Beacon Theatre NYC.

In May 2012 renowned guitarist Reeves Gabrels joined The Cure in time for ‘Summercure 2012’, a run of 19 major European summer festival headline spots, starting at Pinkpop and ending at Eire’s Electric Picnic, including epic sets at Roskilde, Werchter, Hurricane, the bands first ever show in Russia at the Maxidrom Festival, Les Eurockeenes, Vieilles Charrues, Paleo and Reading & Leeds along the way. All the shows were filmed in various formats... “with a future DVD release in mind”!

April 2013 saw The Cure flying out to Rio de Janeiro for the first show of a stadium tour of Latin America, with debut performances in Paraguay, Chile, Peru and Colombia, a return to Buenos Aires for the first time in 26 years and a truly monumental final 50 song 257 minute Mexican concert to celebrate Robert’s birthday, as a 5.9 magnitude earthquake rocked the Foro Sol around them! All 9 shows were filmed by Tim Pope... In July the band set off on a 13 day trip around the world billed as ‘The Great Circle Tour’, headlining South Korea’s Ansan Rock, Japan’s Fuji Rock, Chicago’s Lollapalooza and Canada’s Osheaga festivals, via another inaugural show in Honolulu, Hawaii! In October the band returned to the USA to close out two consecutive Saturday nights at the Austin City Limits festival, playing in Monterrey and El Paso in between days... In November The Cure played their final concert of the year, a stirring final appearance at New Orleans infamous Voodoo festival...

In March 2014 The Cure played two colossal nights at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, and in May they travelled back to the USA to headline the Bottlerock Napa Valley Festival. In September they headlined the North American Riot Festivals in Toronto, Chicago and Denver, and in December the band made surprise appearances at both nights of Brian Cox and Robin Inces ‘Christmas Compendium of Reason’ shows at the Eventim London Apollo, before playing three magical ‘Top heavy’ concerts of their own in the same venue. 2015 saw another strange assortment of personal projects, unexpected collaborations and ongoing ventures...

After a year away from live performance, the band came back with a bang‘The Cure World Tour 2016’!!! Starting in May with a couple of nights at the New Orleans Lakefront Arena, with support from The Twilight Sad the band played 87 different

songs for more than a million people at 76 shows in 22 countries, never playing the same setlist twice!

Highlights included three phenomenal concerts at The Hollywood Bowl, three more at Madison Square Garden, another riotous trip ‘Down Under’, a stomping return to Bestival IOW, all crowned by a glorious grand finale: three December nights at the SSE Arena Wembley London, the band playing music for more than 9 delirious hours!

2017 was spent remixing/remastering outstanding back catalogue albums, as well as writing and demoing new songs, and 2018 continued in the same vein. In April a remastered Mixed Up was re-released, Robert once again providing ‘rarities’ for the Deluxe Edition extras CD in the form of Torn Down, a collection of 16 brand new remixes. June saw Robert Smith’s Meltdown - the 25th iteration of the world renowned Festival - a 10 day 90 band spectacular spread across 6 venues at London’s Southbank Centre, climaxing in the Royal festival Hall with a unique appearance by The Cure (as ‘CURÆTION-25’) performing ‘From There To Here And Back Again’ - a ‘concept set’ showcasing 2 tracks from every one of The Cure’s studio albums, as well as a couple of as yet unreleased songs. In July the band headlined a very special anniversary event in front of a 65,000 capacity crowd in London’s Hyde Park, celebrating almost to the day the 40th anniversary of their first ever concert as The Cure. It was an amazing experience, and generally acclaimed as one of the best shows the band had ever played. Once again the performances were filmed in various formats, with editing and mixing taking place throughout the rest of the year.

In February 2019 The Cure went into Rockfield Studios to record 13 new songs and rehearse for what was destined to be a very intense year. In March the band performed in South Africa for the very first time, followed by a trip to the Barclays Centre NYC where they were introduced by Trent Reznor and finally inducted into the Rock’n’Roll Hall Of

Fame! May saw The Cure in Australia performing a 30th Anniversary Disintegration show over 5 nights at the Sydney Opera House, and in June the band commenced a 3 month run of 25 Festival headlines, including Pinkpop, Roskilde, Werchter, Rock en Seine and Fuji (with Simon Gallup’s son Eden on bass), as well as first time performances in Croatia, Serbia and Romania, a record equalling 4th time at Glastonbury, and a final epic show at the Cure curated Pasadena Daydream Festival. In September the band went back into Rockfield Studios to record another 7 new songs, and October saw them return to the Americas for another 2 headline appearances at the Austin City Limits Festival (the second with Eden Gallup again on bass), the shows bracketing a monumental 36 song 3 hour epic at a sold out Foro Sol in Mexico City. October also saw the 2018 concerts, ‘Curætion-25’ and ‘Anniversary’ released together as 40 Live in cinemas and various formats around the world. In recognition of the band’s amazing run of shows the previous Summer, February 2020 saw The Cure winning Best Festival Headliner at the NME awards in London, and in March… Covid! The rest of a very hot and very weird year was spent on more unusual collaborations, personal projects and continuing work on new songs, with 2021 continuing along the same lines...

In September 2022 the band reconvened for rehearsals, and set off in October for the 10 week European leg of their Shows Of A Lost World Tour, with support once again from The Twilight Sad. Returning after 17 years, Perry Bamonte rejoined The Cure on guitar and keyboards for all 46 sold out concerts, culminating in another 3 fabulous nights at SSE Arena Wembley London.

In May 2023 The Cure embark on the North American leg of their Shows Of A Lost World Tour…

Ireland’s Dermont Kennedy Brings His Special Blend Of Folk And Pop To The 713 Music Hall May 26th

by David Crone

Blending rustic folk with soulful grit and modern pop ambition, Ireland’s Dermot Kennedy rose to popularity in the late 2010s with hits like “Power Over Me” and “Outnumbered.” His 2019 debut, Without Fear, was a global success and reached number one in Ireland and the U.K. After appearing on the 2021 Meduza hit “Paradise,” he returned with the singles “Better Days” and “Something to Someone,” paving the way for his sophomore full-length, 2022’s Sonder.

A native of County Dublin, Kennedy began writing songs in his teens, eventually releasing the EP Dancing Under Red Skies in 2013. Honing his craft over the next few years, he found viral success with his single “After Rain,” which racked up millions of streams in 2016. Kennedy’s follow-up EP, 2017’s

Doves & Ravens, signaled a more pop-oriented approach with contributions from some heavy-hitting industry players like co-songwriter Charlie Hugall (Låpsley, Florence + the Machine) and producers Stephen Kozmeniuk and Carey Willetts. In 2018, Kennedy collaborated with legendary hip-hop producer Mike Dean for his third EP, Mike Dean Presents: Dermot Kennedy, which inherited some of the poppier sounds of Doves & Ravens, as well as pulling from genres like hip-hop and R&B. The tracks from these EPs, alongside various singles, were compiled onto Dermot Kennedy, a 2019 compilation album.

This was followed by two further singles, “Lost” and “Outnumbered,” the latter of which marked Kennedy’s debut in the U.K. Top 40 singles chart. Both of these were included on his debut album, Without

Fear, which was issued in September of that year. It topped the charts in Ireland and hit number 18 on the Billboard 200. 2020 saw the release of the EP Lost in the Soft Light, a set of live, stripped-down versions of songs from Without Fear. That same year, Kennedy was the featured vocalist on “Paradise,” the charttopping hit by Italian production trio Meduza. In 2021, he contributed a cover of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” to the charity tribute album The Metallica Blacklist.

In 2022, Kennedy released his sophomore full-length, Sonder, which featured production by Scott Harris, Jonah Shy, Ryan Linvill, and others. Buoyed by heartfelt singles “Better Days,” “Something to Someone,” and “Kiss Me,” Sonder topped the Irish, Scottish, and U.K. album charts.

I’m going back on tour and yes, we will be together again very very soon. That’s actually the name of the tour, Together Again,” Jackson said with a smile.

“I miss you guys so much and I cannot wait to see you.”

Jackson will be joined by rap phenomenon Ludacris on the North American leg, which kicks off April 14, 2023, in Hollywood, Florida.

Together Again is the tenth concert tour by American singer Janet Jackson. The tour in North America, was announced on December 12, 2022, via Janet’s social media and began on April 14, 2023, in Hollywood, Florida and will end in Seattle on June 21, 2023. The tour takes its name from Jackson’s international hit single from The Velvet Rope.

Janet Jackson didn’t merely emerge from the shadows of her famous brothers to become a superstar in her own right. Starting with her breakout 1986 album Control, she became one of the biggest pop stars of the ’80s. Through the early 2000s, she was able to maintain her stature with impeccable quality control and stylistic evolution. Her singles, expertly crafted with indelible pop hooks and state-of-the-art production, consistently set or kept up with trends in contemporary R&B, demonstrated by an exceptional run of Top 20 R&B singles that spans over 30 years. From platinum album to platinum album, Jackson’s image smoothly shifted as it projected power and independence. In turn, she inspired the likes of TLC, Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, and Rihanna, all of whom learned a few things from her recordings, videos, and performances.

Janet Jackson Brings Her “Together Again” Tour To The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion June 3rd

cities across North America, set to begin in 2023. The music icon went to Instagram Live to share the exciting news with her fans.

Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born May 16, 1966, in Gary, Indiana. She was the youngest of nine children in the Jackson family, and her older brothers had already begun performing together as the Jackson 5 by the time she was born. Bitten by the performing bug, she first appeared on-stage with the Jackson 5 at age seven, and began a sitcom acting career at the age of ten in 1977, when producer Norman Lear selected her to join the cast of Good Times. She remained there until 1979, and subsequently appeared on Diff’rent Strokes and A New Kind of Family. In 1982, pushed by her father into trying a singing career, Jackson released her self-titled first album on A&M. “Young Love,” written and produced by René & Angela and Rufus’ Bobby Watson, reached number six on Billboard’s R&B chart, but the album didn’t cross into the pop market. She was cast in the musical series Fame in 1983. The following year, she issued her second album, Dream Street, which didn’t sell as well as its predecessor. Upon turning 18, Jackson rebelled against her parents’ close supervision and eloped with a member of another musical family, singer James DeBarge. However, the relationship quickly hit the rocks and Jackson moved back into

Janet Jackson has announced her 2023 Together Again Tour. After four years, Janet Jackson will make her touring return with the Together Again trek. The singer has scheduled shows at arenas and amphitheaters in 33 continued on next page

“I have a big announcement to make.

her parents’ home and had the marriage annulled.

Jackson took some time to rethink her musical career, and her father hired her a new manager, John McClain, who isolated his young charge to train her as a dancer (and make her lose weight). McClain hooked Jackson up with producers/writers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, whom she’d seen perform as members of the Minneapolis funk outfit the Time. Jackson collaborated with Jam and Lewis on most of the tracks for her next album, Control, which presented her as a confident and tough-minded artist (with a soft side and a sense of humor) taking charge of her life for the first time. In support of Jackson’s new persona, Jam and Lewis crafted a set of polished, computerized backing tracks with slamming beats that owed more to hard, hip-hop-tinged funk and urban R&B than Janet’s older brother Michael’s music. Control became an out-ofthe-box hit, and eventually spun off six singles, the first five of which — “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” the catch phraseinspiring “Nasty,” the number one “When I Think of You,” the title track, and the ballad “Let’s Wait Awhile” — hit the Top Five on the Billboard Hot 100. Jackson was hailed as a role model and Control eventually sold over five million copies, establishing her as a pop star. It also made Jam and Lewis, whose considerable accomplishments were previously limited to the R&B world, a monstrously in-demand pop production team.

For the hotly anticipated follow-up, McClain wanted to push Jackson toward more overtly sexual territory, to which she objected strenuously. Instead, she began collaborating with Jam and Lewis on more socially conscious material, which formed the backbone of 1989’s Rhythm Nation 1814 (the “1814” purportedly stood for either the letters “R” and “N” or the year “The Star-Spangled Banner” was written). Actually, save for the title track, most of the album’s singles were bright and romantically themed. Four of them — “Miss You Much,” “Escapade,” “Black Cat,” and “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” — hit number one, and three more — “Rhythm Nation,” “Alright,” and “Come Back to Me” — reached the Top Five, making Jackson the first artist ever to produce seven Top Five hits off one album (something not even her brother Michael had accomplished). Aside from a greater use of samples, Rhythm Nation’s sound largely resembled that of Control, but was just as well-crafted, and listeners embraced it enthusiastically, buying over five million copies in the U.S. alone. Jackson undertook her first real tour (she’d appeared at high schools around the country in 1982) in support of the album and it was predictably a smashing success. In 1991, Jackson capitalized by jumping from A&M to Virgin for a reported $32 million, and also secretly married choreographer and longtime boyfriend René Elizondo.

Once on Virgin, Jackson set about revamping her sound and image. Her 1992 duet with Luther Vandross from the Mo’

Money soundtrack, “The Best Things in Life Are Free,” was another major R&B hit and reached the pop Top Ten. The following year, she also resumed her acting career, costarring in acclaimed director (and former junior high classmate) John Singleton’s Poetic Justice, along with rapper Tupac Shakur. Neither really hinted at the seductive, fully adult persona she unveiled with 1993’s janet., her Virgin debut. Jackson trumpeted her new image with a striking Rolling Stone cover photo — an uncropped version of the cover of janet. — in which her topless form was covered by a pair of hands belonging to Elizondo. Musically, Jam and Lewis set aside the synthesized funk of their first two albums with Jackson in favor of warm, inviting, gently undulating grooves. Jackson took credit for all the lyrics. The album’s lead single, the slinky “That’s the Way Love Goes,” became Jackson’s biggest hit ever, spending eight weeks at number one. It was followed by a predictably long parade of Top Ten hits — “If,” the number one ballad “Again,” “Because of You,” “Any Time, Any Place,” and “You Want This.” janet.’s debut showing at number one made it her third straight chart-topping album, and it went on to sell nearly seven million copies in the U.S.

In 1995, Janet and Michael teamed up for the single “Scream,” which was supported by an elaborate, award-winning, space-age video that, upon completion, ranked as the most expensive music video ever made. The single debuted at number five on the Hot 100. In 1996, A&M issued a retrospective of her years at the label, Design of a Decade 19861996; it featured the Virgin hit “That’s the Way Love Goes” and a few new tracks, one of which, “Runaway,” became a Top Five hit. Jackson also signed a new contract with Virgin for a reported $80 million. Yet while working on her next album, Jackson reportedly suffered an emotional breakdown,

or at least a severe bout with depression. She later raised eyebrows when she talked in interviews about the cleansing value of coffee enemas as part of her treatment. Her next album, The Velvet Rope, appeared in 1997 and was touted as her most personal and intimate work to date. The Velvet Rope sought to combine the sensuality of janet. with the more socially conscious parts of Rhythm Nation, mixing songs about issues like domestic abuse, AIDS, and homophobia with her most sexually explicit songs ever. Critical opinion on the album was divided; some applauded her ambition, while others found the record too bloated. The lead American single “Together Again,” an elegy for AIDS victims, was a number one hit. Also popular on the radio was “Got ‘Til It’s Gone,” which featured rapper Q-Tip and a sample of Joni Mitchell over a reggae beat. “I Get Lonely,” featuring Blackstreet, was another big hit, but on the whole, The Velvet Rope didn’t prove to be the blockbuster singles bonanza that its predecessors were, which was probably why its sales stalled at around three million copies.

Jackson toured the world again, and stayed on the charts in 1999 with the Top Five Busta Rhymes duet “What’s It Gonna Be?!”; her appearance in the video remade her as a glitzy, artificially costumed, singlename diva. In 2000, she appeared in the Eddie Murphy comedy Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, and her soundtrack contribution, “Doesn’t Really Matter,” became a number one single. Unfortunately, Jackson’s marriage to Elizondo had become strained and the couple divorced in 2000, sparking a court battle over her musical income. Jackson returned with a new album, All for You, in 2001, which largely continued the sensual tone of janet. and The Velvet Rope. It debuted

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Janet Jackson

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at number one, selling over 600,000 copies in its first week alone. The title track was issued as the album’s first single and quickly topped the charts, followed by another sizable hit in “Someone to Call My Lover.”

While Jackson spent much of 2001 and 2002 on the road supporting All for You, she also found time for some guest appearances, most notably with Beenie Man on his Tropical Storm LP and Justin Timberlake on Justified. By 2003 she was back in the studio, working once again with Jam and Lewis on tracks for a new album. Additional producers included Dallas Austin and Kanye West. The following year began with an Internet leak of the upbeat Austin production “Just a Little While.” The singer’s camp rolled with the punches, offering the track to radio as an authorized digital download, but the buzz this business caused was minuscule in comparison to the nightmare union of free exposure and bad publicity that Jackson’s next adventure caused. Appearing during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII, Jackson performed “All for You” and “Rhythm Nation” before bringing out surprise guest Timberlake for a duet on his hit “Rock Your Body.” But the real surprise came at song’s end, when a gesture from Timberlake caused Jackson’s costume to tear, exposing her right, pierced breast on live television to hundreds of millions of viewers.

The incident caused furious backpedaling and apologizing from Timberlake, Jackson, the NFL, CBS, and MTV, which swore no previous knowledge of the so-called “wardrobe malfunction,” and led to speculation over how Damita Jo — Jackson’s upcoming album and her first in three years — would be received. But while the controversy gave Jackson both grief and a bit of free advertising, it was also the impetus for a national debate on public indecency. A federal commission was set up to investigate prurience, the FCC enacted tougher crackdowns on TV and radio programs broadcasting questionable content, and suddenly

everyone from pundits to politicians to the man in the street had an opinion about it. Later that March, the singer quietly started making the talk show rounds. She was still apologizing for the incident — while Timberlake escaped unscathed — but she was also promoting Damita Jo, which Virgin issued at the end of the month. Largely considered a disappointment, the album nonetheless sold over two million copies worldwide and earned three Grammy nominations. 20 Y.O. followed two years later, and though it was reviewed more favorably than Damita Jo, it was off the Billboard 200 album chart after 15 weeks. Jermaine Dupri, Jackson’s love interest and the executive producer of the album, was so upset over Virgin’s lack of support that he left his post as president of Virgin’s urban division. Dupri moved to Island, and so did Jackson. In 2008, Jackson released her tenth studio album, Discipline, which became her sixth release to top the Billboard 200, despite another tumultuous artist-label relationship.

Although Jackson didn’t release another album for seven years, the longest gap in her discography was filled with professional activity and major life changes. During the filming of Why Did I Get Married Too?, she learned of her brother Michael’s death. Soon after, she and Dupri split, and she toured in support of Number Ones, a doubledisc anthology promoted with the number one club hit “Make Me.” She took the lead role in the big-screen adaptation of For Colored Girls, published a book, and remained deeply connected to various causes as a philanthropist. In 2015, she returned on her own Rhythm Nation label with “No Sleeep,” a slow-jam Jam and Lewis collaboration that hit the R&B Top 20. It primed her audience for a tour, as well as her 11th studio album, Unbreakable — another number one hit. Plans for the tour were postponed so Jackson could focus on family; she wouldn’t return to the road until 2017.

In 2018, she issued the Top 40 hit single “Made for Now,” featuring Daddy

Yankee.

Janet is scheduled to release some new material this year.

Set list

This set list is from the April 14, 2023, concert in Hollywood. It is not intended to represent all concerts for the tour.

Act I

“Just a Little While” (Just Blaze remix; intro)

“Damita Jo”

“Together Again” (DJ Premier remix)

“Feedback”

“So Much Betta”

“If” (contains elements of the KAYTRANADA Remix)

“No Sleeep” / “Got ‘Til It’s Gone” / “That’s the Way Love Goes” / “Enjoy”

Act II

“What Have You Done For Me Lately” / “Nasty” (contains elements of “Burnitup!”)

“The Pleasure Principle”

“Because of Love”

“When I Think of You” / “Diamonds”

“The Best Things In Life Are Free”

“Control”

“When We Oooo”

“Together Again” (Deeper remix)

“Come Back to Me” / “Let’s Wait Awhile”

“Lonely” / “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)” (remix)

“Again”

“Any Time, Any Place”

“I Get Lonely” (TNT remix)

Act III

“The Body That Loves You” (interlude) (contains elements of “Runaway”, “You Want This”, and “Spending Time with You”)

“Doesn’t Really Matter”

“All for You”

“Come On Get Up”

“Free Xone” / “Throb”

“Girlfriend/Boyfriend” / “Like You Don’t Love Me” / “Do It 2 Me”

“So Excited”

Act IV

“New Agenda” / “The Knowledge”

“Miss You Much”

“Love Will Never Do (Without You)”

“Alright” / “Escapade”

“Scream” (contains elements of “Black Cat”)

“Rhythm Nation”

Act V: Encore

“Together Again”

LEÓN LARREGUI PREVIEWS UPCOMING ALBUM WITH THE RELEASE OF NEW SINGLES

“HOLIDAYS” AND “CHROMOCOSMIC

AVENUE”

Follow León Larregui Online At: instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/leonlarregui/ youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/@LeonLarreguiVEVO/featured facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/LeonLarregui twitter @ https://twitter.com/LeonBenLarregui tiktok @ https://www.tiktok.com/@leonbenlarreguioficial website @ https://www.leonlarregui.com/

Award-winning Mexican singer, composer, and producer León Larregui has always been at the forefront of contemporary music, exploring various artistic manifestations as the front-man of Zoé and in his solo work. Today, he unveils two new singles, previewing even more music from his upcoming album.

“Chromocosmic Avenue” has a video directed by Diego Vargas and photographed by Nicolas Croes with cinematic texture and highlights the constant invasion of our privacy due to technological advances. It is the story of Isabel, an introvert full of idealism who feels constantly observed. She builds a device to enter the servers and free society from the globalized system, all in the name of independence and love. Through an electro-pop atmosphere with distorted voices and lyrics in English, Italian, and Spanish, León asserts that we are at the mercy of those who have the information to manipulate us and we must fight back.

The “Holidays” video is a stopmotion animation that intersperses images of Larregui performing the folkrock song, reminding us of the world’s terrible isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic. It shows a woman confined to her house, her only contact with the outside world through binoculars and her monotonous daily activities, which we can all relate to.

“Holidays” and “Chromocosmic Avenue” are available on all streaming platforms and will be part of Larfegui’s next solo album, Prismarama, releasing soon.

The 16-date Prismarama U.S. Tour will kick off on May 1st at The Fillmore in San Francisco and will visit Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas, New York, and Washington DC, among others, before wrapping up on May 30th at Chicago’s House of Blues.

The recently released “Amantes” and “Su Majestad La Eternidad” will also be included on Prismarama and are both available now on all streaming platforms.

Friday, May 5, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Cypress Lounge 11945 Barwood Bend Dr - Houston, TX 77065

Friday, May 26, 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

*PLEASE NOTE:CANCELLED

Mo’s Irish Pub-Katy

23511 Katy Frwy - Katy, TX 77494

Saturday, May 27, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Backwoods Saloon

230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385

Sunday, May 28, 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Papa’s On The Lake

14632 Hwy 105 W - Montgomery, TX 77356

Friday, June 9, 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

3 Doors Down Bar 102 20th St - Galveston, TX 77550

Friday, June 16, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Haak Winery

6310 Ave T - Santa, Fe, TX 77510

Saturday, June 24, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Scotty’s Saloon 114 Agnes Rd - Richmond, TX 77469

Saturday, July 1, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Backwoods Saloon

230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385

Friday, July 7, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

The Abbey Pub

2002 N Fry Rd - Houston, TX 77084

Saturday, July 15, 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Papa’s On The Lake

14632 Hwy 105 W - Montgomery, TX 77356

Saturday, July 22, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

Aspens Bar & Grill 817 Clear Lake Rd - Kemah, TX 77565

Saturday, September 2, 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Papa’s On The Lake 14632 Hwy 105 W - Montgomery, TX 77356

Friday, September 8, 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

3 Doors Down Bar 102 20th St - Galveston, TX 77550

Saturday, October 28, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Backwoods Saloon 230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385

311 Perform At The House Of Blues May 26

by Cub Koda

American rock quintet 311 fuses reggae, hip-hop, funk, and metal in a rhythmic hybrid blend that carried them from the rap-rock boom of the ’90s and into the 2000s as veteran mainstays with a fiercely devoted fan base. Following their breakthrough efforts 311 (1995) and Transistor (1997) — which yielded hit singles “Down,” “All Mixed Up,” and “Beautiful Disaster” — the quintet issued a string of Top 10 albums over the next few decades, including 2009 chart peak Uplifter, and found mainstream radio success with crossover hits “Amber” and a cover of the Cure’s “Love Song.” Into the 2010s, 311 stuck to their tried-and-true formula, serving their diehard following reliable output that included 2014’s U.S. Alternative chart-topper Stereolithic.

The band was formed in 1990 in Omaha, Nebraska, by singer/guitarist Nick Hexum, DJ/singer Doug “S.A.” Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, drummer Chad Sexton, and bassist Aaron “P-Nut” Wills. Taking their name from the Omaha Police Department’s code for indecent exposure, the quintet began performing locally and soon moved to Los Angeles, signing with Capricorn Records in 1991. 311 then translated their regional success into national recognition with several key albums, including 1992’s Music, 1993’s Grassroots, and 1995’s eponymous 311 (aka The Blue Album), the latter of which reached number 12 on the Billboard 200, sold three million copies

in the U.S., and sported the hit tracks “All Mixed Up” and “Down.”

In 1996, following a year of nonstop touring in support of 311, the band released Enlarged to Show Detail, a home video of live performances taken from amphitheater shows in Kansas City and Denver. Transistor, a double album of new songs sandwiched onto one CD, arrived one year later and prompted the group’s most ambitious tour yet. The effort quickly achieved platinum status, and the resulting show dates provided ample material for Live, which was released in 1998 and captured the band’s strength on stage. A year later, 311 returned with Soundsystem before jumping to the Volcano label for the release of From Chaos, which appeared in summer 2001 and featured their hit, “Amber.” Evolver arrived two years later; unlike its predecessors, however, the album failed to go gold or platinum.

At that point, 311 had been together over ten years and the band celebrated its decade-plus existence with the Greatest Hits compilation. Released in July 2004, the album included all of 311’s hit singles, several new tracks, and the band’s reggae-tinged cover of the Cure’s “Love Song,” which had originally appeared on the soundtrack to the Adam Sandler film 50 First Dates. In August 2005, the group issued their eighth LP, Don’t Tread on Me, which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and was followed by an additional round of touring. Upon its completion,

the road-weary musicians took a hiatus, their first break in nearly a decade. 311 soon returned to the studio, however, this time partnering with producer Bob Rock. Heralded by frontman Nick Hexum as “the heaviest 311 has ever been,” the resulting Uplifter arrived in 2009. That album shot to number three on the Billboard charts, the band’s highest showing to date. Rock returned to the helm in 2011 for the band’s tenth studio album, Universal Pulse, which was the band’s first indie release.

On March 11, 2014, 311 selfreleased their 11th studio effort, the Scott “Scotch” Ralston-produced and independently released Stereolithic. A live album and four-disc Archive set filled the time until album number 12, which arrived in the summer of 2017. Produced by Ralston and John Feldmann (Goldfinger, blink-182), the 17-track Mosaic featured the singles “Too Late” and “Too Much to Think.” While on tour promoting the album with the Offspring, 311 recorded a cover of their tourmates’ “Self-Esteem” (while the Offspring took a swing at 311’s “Down”), their only output for 2018. The following year, they returned with their 13th set, Voyager. Released in the summer of 2019, the album was produced by Ralston and Feldmann, with additional contributions by British electronic producer Matan Zohar on the single “Don’t You Worry.”

of these were included on his debut album, Without Fear, which was issued in September of that year. It topped the charts in Ireland and hit number 18 on the Billboard 200. 2020 saw the release of the EP Lost in the Soft Light, a set of live, stripped-down versions of songs from Without Fear. That same year, Kennedy was the featured vocalist on “Paradise,” the chart-topping hit by Italian production trio Meduza. In 2021, he contributed a cover of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” to the charity tribute album The Metallica Blacklist.

In 2022, Kennedy released his sophomore full-length, Sonder, which featured production by Scott Harris, Jonah Shy, Ryan Linvill, and others. Buoyed by heartfelt singles “Better Days,” “Something to Someone,” and “Kiss Me,” Sonder topped the Irish, Scottish, and U.K. album charts.

Thursday May 4 - Timothy Branch, Tina Miller, Omero

Friday May 5 - Long Live The Lights, Further North, The Carousel Predicament

Saturday May 6 - Milicia, Hikur, Guerreros De Fuego

Sunday May 7 - Benifet show

Thursday May 11 - TBA

Friday May 12 - TMF 2 DATE 3 w/ So Hideous, Steaksauce Mustache, Cyborg Octopus + Many more!

Saturday May 13 - Mandy and Jeremy Birthday Bash!

Sunday May 14 - Chris from SOA, Colournoise

Thursday May 18 - Bad Trip, Trebor Villarreal

Friday May 19 - Noche de Rock en Español

Saturday May 20 - Empty, Lightworker

Sunday May 21 - Hellgrimm, Michael Koby

Thursday May 25 - Hitch, FingerJane, Star Katzman

Friday May 26 - Welcome To The Circus, Five Finger Death Punch tribute, American Witch - A Tribute To Rob Zombie

Saturday May 27 - Just Add Whiskey, It Kills You, Razo Rodriguez

Sunday May 28 - Lucid Illusions, Heavy Honeys, KNETX

Fonseca Performs at The Arena Theater June 3rd

by Evan C. Gutierrez

Fonseca is a best-selling, award-winning singer and songwriter from Colombia. His music is celebrated for its accessible meld of modern pop styles with traditional Colombian rhythms, evidenced on his charting album Corazón and the singles “Cómo Me Mira” and “Entre Mi Vida y La Tuya.” He is also a social activist who uses his voice to fight for social justice. He supported the national program “Canta Conmigo,” in which he offered training, lessons, and support to former FARC guerrillas and paramilitaries in the aftermath of a decades-long war. He has also assisted the United Nations in various programs including the “No More Violence Against Women” initiative, and joined his compatriot Juanes in the campaign “Dreaming Is a Right” against the military recruitment of minors.

Fonseca was born in Bogota with the given name Juan Fernando Fonseca. He began studying music before he was ten, and chose the surname-only stage moniker as a child. He sold his first compositions to friends and family by the age of 12. After graduating high school, Fonseca studied music (guitar, voice, and composition) at Javeriana University in Bogota and Berklee College of Music in Boston. Upon returning to Colombia, he began performing and recording demos, one of which came to the attention of Líderes Entertainment Group, a part of EMI Colombia, who signed him in 2001. Fonseca’s self-titled debut gained him considerable attention at home. Though neither album nor singles charted, the artist’s work nonetheless gained substantial national radio airplay, and consequently, the attention of artists such as Shakira and Juanes, who both offered subsequent collaboration and performance opportunities. Sharing the stage with Shakira on her Mongoose tour, and Juanes at Campin Stadium in Bogota earned Fonseca the recognition and momentum he would need for his second album, 2005’s Corazón, which explored the crossroads where pop/rock influences meet the vallenato, bullerengue, and tambora rhythms of his native land. Released

by EMI, Corazón was well-received, reaching number six on the Tropical Albums chart, while its singles charted in the Top 20 at Latin Pop and Tropical Songs. Gratitud followed in 2008. Its two singles, “Arroyito” and “Enredame,” both charted on the Latin Pop Songs charts and the album peaked inside the Top 10 on the Tropical Albums list.

Already successful, Fonseca rocketed to superstar status with the release of 2011’s Ilusion. While the album landed just outside the Tropical Albums Top 10, it was nominated for a Grammy as Best Latin Pop album and won the Latin Grammy for Best Tropical Fusion album. Its charting single, “Desde Que No Estás,” was nominated for Tropical Song of the Year. Within four months, the full-length attained quintuple-Platinum status and a Diamond Disc for its sales in Colombia. Fonseca, by then well-known as an ambassador of Colombia’s music to the world, recorded Sinfonico in concert with the 100-memberplus Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Colombia in 2013, issued a year later as Fonseca Sinfónico con la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia. It was Latin Grammy-nominated for Album of the Year, and won for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, becoming his third platinum record for sales in Colombia. It also placed inside the Top 20 on the Classical Albums chart. In early 2015, Fonseca was awarded La Musa Premio Triunfador by the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in May received the first-ever Contemporary Icon Award at the SESAC Latina Music Awards. In the fall, he released the album Conexión. It charted at number two on the Tropical Albums list thanks to the success of its pre-release singles “Y No Me Faltas” and “Y Tú” (a duet with Juanes). The set also included a second duet, “Amor Eterno,” with Victor Manuelle. The single “Vine a Buscarte” won the 2016 Latin Grammy for Best Tropical Song and was ultimately certified quadruple Platinum. That same year, he issued Homenaje (A la Música de Diomedes Díaz). Produced by Bernardo Ossa, it contained 12 of the best-known songs by the disappeared Colombian singer Diomedes Díaz, rearranged in Fonseca’s fusion-pop style. It earned him a Latin Grammy in 2016 for Best Cumbia/ Vallenato album. Between the pair, Fonseca hit the Latin Pop Songs chart with four different tracks.

Continuing with his social work, became the first Colombian Goodwill Ambassador for the Save the Children Foundation. In October, via a symphonic concert, he launched his Gratitude Foundation with Camilo Hoyos as director, ensuring the preservation of Colombian cultural traditions. He followed it with a fund-and consciousness-raising tour. In March of 2017, he received an award in the Tropical category for “Vine a Buscarte” during the 25th annual ASCAP Latin Music Awards. In November, Fonseca snuck out the single “Por Pura Curiosidad,” which hit airplay and Tropical Songs charts, and was later issued in a special version with participation from ex-Capital Cities vocalist and trumpeter Spencer Ludwig. A second single, “Cuando Llego a Casa,” appeared in December as the official theme for the Televisia soap opera Papá a Toda Madre was broadcast in México. Fonseca kicked off 2018 with the single “Porque Nadie Sabe,” featuring the Latin Grammy-winning Argentine singer and guitarist Nahuel Pennisi. In May 2018, Fonseca received the Diamond Album Award at the Sony Music Convention in Mexico from Sony Latin chairman and CEO Afo Verde and Sony Music U.S. president Nir Seroussi to commemorate his more than 400 million audio and video streams for the albums Conexion and Ilusion.

Darrell Scott Performs At The Heights Theatre May 23rd

by William Ruhlmann

Darrell Scott became one of the more successful country songwriters of the late ’90s and early 2000s, placing songs with the biggest names in country music, including major chart hits. Garth Brooks, the Chicks, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and many others recorded his work. At the same time, he consistently worked as a studio musician and released a series of his own solo albums.

The son of musician Wayne Scott,

James Darrell Scott was born August 6, 1959, on a tobacco farm in London, Kentucky, and moved as a child to East Gary, Indiana. He was playing professionally by his teens in Southern California, later living in Toronto and Boston. He attended Tufts University, where he studied poetry and literature. Finally, he relocated to Nashville to get into the country music business. In the first half of the ’90s, he appeared on albums by John Lincoln Wright, Catie Curtis, Hypnotic Clambake, Peter Keane, Duke Levine, Suzy Bogguss, and Randy Travis, singing and

playing banjo, Dobro, guitar, bass, and pedal steel. In 1995 alone, he played on records by Guy Clark, Kate Wallace, John Berry, Marcus Hummon, Doug Stone, and Martina McBride, and he began to get recordings for his songs. Hummon and Scott co-wrote “Honky Tonk Mona Lisa,” which appeared on Hummon’s All in Good Time and on Doug Stone’s Faith in Me, Faith in You (and was later covered by Neal McCoy); Scott and Hal Ketchum’s “An Ordinary Day” was sung by Maura O’Connell on Stories; and Scott and Tim O’Brien’s “Daddy’s on the Roof Again” was on O’Brien’s Rock in My Shoe.

Scott’s sideman activities in 1996 included albums by John Berry, Suzy Bogguss, and Twila Paris. He and Verlon Thompson co-wrote “Ol’ Joe Clark,” which appeared on Sam Bush’s album Glamour & Grits. Scott’s most successful effort of the year was “No Way Out,” a song he wrote with Marcus Hummon that Suzy Bogguss recorded for a country singles chart entry. (It was later covered by Julie Roberts.) Scott appeared on albums by David Beaudry, Monk Wilson, Jason Sellers, Guy Clark, Michael Peterson, and Tim O’Brien in 1997. With Clark, he co-wrote “Out in the Parking Lot,” which was on Clark’s album Keepers (and later covered by Kyle Jennings and by Brad Paisley), and with O’Brien he co-wrote “When There’s No One Around,” which O’Brien recorded on his album When No One’s Around and which Garth Brooks covered on his chart-topping, multi-platinum album Sevens. Meanwhile, Scott had been signed to Sugar Hill Records as a solo artist, and in April of 1997, Sugar Hill released his debut album, Aloha from Nashville.

Scott’s star was clearly in the ascendant by 1998 when he appeared on albums by Olivia Newton-John, Deana Carter, Sam Bush, Jenny Simpson, Suzy Bogguss, Jon Pousette-Dart, and Susan Werner, also earning a producer credit on Werner’s Time Between Trains. “I’m Trying,” a song he wrote with Tia Sillers, appeared on Kevin Sharp’s Love Is. (It was later covered by Lee Greenwood and by Diamond Rio.) PousetteDart used three Scott songs on his album Ready to Fly, “She Looks Good to Me,” “Tonight,” and “Walking to a Different Rhythm,” the last two co-written with his band. Scott’s session work in 1999 included albums by Rhythm, Guy Clark, Sherrié Austin, Jason Sellers, Kate Rusby, Suzy Bogguss, and Paul Brandt; he produced Clark’s Cold Dog Soup. The Chicks placed “Heartbreak Town,” a song from Aloha from Nashville, on their chart-topping, multiplatinum album Fly, and it went on to become a country Top 40 hit, later earning a cover by Big Wooden Radio; New Grange used “Music Tree,” written by Scott and Tim O’Brien; and Trace Adkins recorded Scott’s song “Someday” on his album More... In April, Sugar Hill released Scott’s second solo album, Family Tree.

Scott remained as busy as ever in 2000, appearing on albums by Jelly Roll Johnson, Judith Edelman, Sam Bush, John

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Darrell Scott

Cowan, the Warren Brothers, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Trisha Yearwood, John Rich, and John McCusker. His and Verlon Thompson’s “Beside Myself” appeared on Johnson’s Jelly Roll Johnson and a Few Close Friends; his and Cowan’s “Sligo” was on Cowan’s John Cowan; “Born to Fly,” written by Scott, Sara Evans, and Marcus Hummon, was recorded for a single by Evans that hit number one in the country chart in January of 2001, and appeared on her album Born to Fly; Bill Miller recorded “Different Drum,” a song he and Scott co-wrote, for his Reservation Road album; and Travis Tritt recorded Scott’s “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive,” a song from Aloha from Nashville, for his Down the Road I Go album, which on to hit number two in the country singles chart. (It was later covered by Pat Green and Cory Morrow.) Meanwhile, Tim O’Brien and Scott recorded a duo album, Real Time, released by Howdy Skies Records on April 18, 2000. “The Second Mouse,” a song from the album, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance.

Scott’s 2001 session work included albums by Ginny Hawker, Kate Rusby, Sherrié Austin, Patty Loveless, Chely Wright, and Tim O’Brien. “Constant State of Grace,” a song written by Scott and Irene Kelley, appeared on Kelley’s album Simple Path, and Scott’s song “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive,” first heard on Aloha from Nashville, was covered by Brad Paisley on his album Part II and by Loveless on Mountain Soul. Scott was named Songwriter of the Year for 2001 by the Nashville Songwriters Association.

In 2002, Scott appeared on albums by John Cowan, Guy Clark, Elizabeth Cook, Little Big Town, Montgomery Gentry, Steve Earle, and Ty Herndon; he also produced Clark’s album Dark. “Long Time Gone,” the advance single from the Chicks’ charttopping, multi-platinum album Home, was a Scott composition that had first appeared on Real Time; it crested at number two in the country chart, and earned Scott a second Grammy nomination, this one for Best Country Song. Another Scott-written hit was Darryl Worley’s cover of “Family Tree,” the title song from Scott’s second solo album, which appeared on Worley’s album I Miss My Friend and reached the country Top 40 as a single. And Scott received the dubious honor of being parodied by country comedian Cledus T. Judd, who mangled “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” as “It’s a Great Day to Be a Guy” on his album Cledus Envy. Scott was named ASCAP’s Songwriter of the Year for 2002.

Scott appeared on albums by Malcolm Holcombe, Dick Siegel, Andrea Zonn, Steve

Conn, Tim O’Brien, and Sara Evans in 2003. “Another Day,” a song he and O’Brien wrote, appeared on both O’Brien’s album Traveler and on Karan Casey’s Distant Shore. Evans, Scott, and Marcus Hummon wrote “Feel It Comin’ On,” featured on Evans’ album Restless. Also in 2003, Scott founded his own independent label, Full Light Records, on which he released his third solo album, Theatre of the Unheard, on September 23. The disc consisted of songs Scott had written between 1986 and 1990 that had been recorded previously for an album that was to have been released by a major label in 1992, but was canceled. Now, in re-recorded form, they emerged for the first time. Scott’s session appearances in 2004 included albums by Jim Lauderdale, Johnsmith, Buddy Mondlock, and Dirk Powell. “Proving You Wrong,” a song he wrote with Keb’ Mo’, was used on the latter’s album Keep It Simple. Scott, Marcus Hummon, and Andy Griggs wrote “My Kind of Beautiful,” which appeared on Griggs’ album This I Gotta See. “Old Town New,” co-written by Scott and Bruce Robison, was a cut on Tim McGraw’s chart-topping, multi-platinum album Live Like You Were Dying.

Scott’s 2005 session work included albums by the Warren Brothers, Tim O’Brien, Allison Moorer, Ciarán Tourish, Faith Hill, Kathy Mattea, and Sara Evans. He and Leslie Satcher wrote “Eight Crazy Hours (In the Story of Love),” which appeared on Fairchild’s album Ride. Alone, he wrote “We’ve Got Nothing But Love to Prove” (aka “Goodle, USA”), which appeared on Hill’s chart-topping, multi-platinum album Fireflies. He had two cuts on the variousartists album Hands Across the Water, performing his song “This Beggar’s Heart” with Amhlaoibh and Muireann Nic, while John Cowan and the Brock-McGuire Band played the Cowan/Scott composition “Cumberland Plateau.” Scott served as a producer and backup musician on the album as well. Neal McCoy recorded “Head South,” a song from Scott’s debut solo album, Aloha from Nashville, on his album That’s Life.

Scott’s “Love’s Not Through with Me Yet” appeared on Mattea’s album Right Out of Nowhere. And Scott again collaborated with Sara Evans and Marcus Hummon on “Momma’s Night Out,” which Evans put on her Real Fine Place album. On Full Light Records, Scott issued a concert recording, Live in NC, backed by Danny Thompson and Kenny Malone In April of 2005. He released This Weary Way, an album by his father Wayne Scott, which he produced and played on, as well as co-writing “I Wouldn’t Live in Harlan County” and “What I Really Need Is You” with the elder Scott. He reissued his 2000 duo album with Tim O’Brien, Real Time.

In 2006, Scott appeared on albums by Casey Dreissen, Rascal Flatts, Doug & Telisha Williams, John Cowan, and Johnsmith. “Simple Man,” a song he wrote with Hal Ketchum, appeared on John Corbett’s self-titled album. The Cowan album New Tattoo featured “6 Birds (In a Joshua Tree)” and “Drown,” both cowritten by Scott and Cowan, and a cover of “With a Memory Like Mine” by Scott and Wayne Scott, originally heard on Real Time. Sam Bush recorded Scott’s “River Take Me,” a song from Theatre of the Unheard, on his album Laps in Seven. And Johnsmith’s Break Me Open included a cover of “Love’s Not Through with Me.” In June of 2006, Scott released The Invisible Man, his first album of newly written material since Family Tree in 1999. He returned in 2008 with Modern Hymns, a collection that featured interpretations of other songwriters’ classic tunes. He then returned to his own muse on the two albums that followed, 2010’s Crooked Road and 2012’s Long Ride Home. A couple of collaborations with Tim O’Brien followed — 2012’s Live: We’re Usually a Lot Better Than This and 2013’s Memories & Moments — and in 2015 Scott issued Ten: Songs of Ben Bullington. The next year saw the release of Couchville Sessions. Scott’s most recent album is 2020’s Sings the Blues of Hank Williams.

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Obituary Perform At White Oak Music Hall May 24th

Florida death metal veterans OBITUARY will embark on a North American tour in the spring. The trek, which will feature support from IMMOLATION, BLOOD INCANTATION and INGROWN, will kick off on April 28 and will be appearing at Houston’s White Oak Music Hall on May 24th. Obituary is on tour in support of their new album, Dying Of Everything, which was released January 13th of this year through Relalpse Records.

OBITUARY drummer Donald Tardy recently told Metal Wani about “Dying Of Everything”: “Somehow magically all the stars lined up for us. We took a long time writing this record. We don’t ever force ourselves into songs; we let the songs find us. But once we really got down to it and started writing and putting the songs together, we were excited right from the beginning. We were, like, ‘Holy shit, man. We’ve got something going on here.’ And then, of course, when we were done with the recording, the actual tracking of the songs, we sent it to our boy Joe Cincotta, and he’s been our live engineer for 15 years, but he’s also done the last three albums with OBITUARY at his studio up there in New York City, Full Force Studios. So, just perfect chemistry we’ve got going on right now. The band’s on fire. I think we played our instruments well. We played clean on this record, which makes engi-

neers’ lives very easy. It was very easy, from what Joe said, to produce this album ‘cause we handed him product that was heavy but clean and well performed. So [I’m] super, super stoked on this album.”

Donald Tardy told Finland’s Chaoszine about the musical direction of the follow-up to OBITUARY’s 2017 selftitled effort: “It is fucking awesome. It is OBITUARY, absolutely 100 percent, meat and potatoes, but with Ken’s [Andrews, lead guitar] influence and him being able to write a few songs with me on this one, he brings a much more old-school thrash metal feel. So it’s fresh, it’s killer, it’s exciting on some of those songs, but then also the meat and potatoes, there are some songs that are so heavy on this record, man. I’m so proud of it. I can’t wait for people to hear it. And the production — we recorded it at our studio and then we sent it off to Joe Cincotta, my boy who’s done the last four albums with us. He did an amazing job; the sound of this record is fantastic.”

In March 2021, John Tardy told France’s United Rock Nations about what fans can expect from OBITUARY’s new LP: “I think it’s just gonna sound like OBITUARY. [Laughs] You know us — we’re kind of cavemen; we don’t like to evolve too much. We like to change it up

and do a little here and there, but we’re getting too old to change too much, I think. So as long as it’s heavy and pounding, then that’s what you can expect.”

Obituary is an American death metal band formed in Tampa, Florida, in 1984. They were one of the fundamental acts in the development of death metal music,[1] and are one of the most successful death metal bands of all time. To date, Obituary has released eleven studio albums, and with the exception of their 1997–2003 split, they continue to perform live.

Initially called Executioner, the band changed its name to Xecutioner in 1986 to avoid confusion with the thrash metal band Executioner from Boston, and then changed its name once again to Obituary in 1988. Obituary’s current lineup consists of vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, rhythm guitarist Trevor Peres, bassist Terry Butler, and lead guitarist Ken Andrews. The band has gone through several lineup changes, with the Tardy brothers and Peres being the only constant members. Their music is based around heavily groove-based riffs and drumming along with John Tardy’s growling vocals, which create their own signature sound of death metal.

Dave Matthews Band “Walk Around The Moon Tour” Kicks Off May 19th At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Dave Matthews Band will launch their massive 44-concert “Walk Around The Moon Tour” in support of their tenth studio album with the same name starting on May 19. The “Walk Around The Moon Tour” will officially blast off at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, TX.

Formed in the early ’90s by South African vocalist/guitarist Dave Matthews, the Dave Matthews Band presented a more pop-oriented version of the Grateful Dead crossed with elements of jazz, funk, and the worldbeat explorations of Paul Simon and Sting. Matthews populated the group with several Virginia-based musicians — bassist Stefan Lessard, saxophonist Leroi Moore, violinist Boyd Tinsley, drummer Carter Beauford, and, initially, keyboardist Peter Griesar — and the band built up a strong word-of-mouth buzz by touring the country constantly, with special attention paid to college campuses. Griesar left the lineup in March 1993, but the Dave Matthews Band moved ahead in his absence, releasing the independent album Remember Two Things later that year and

issuing a live EP, Recently, in 1994. After fielding offers from major labels, the band signed with RCA and released the debut effort Under the Table and Dreaming in September 1994. By the following spring, the record had launched the hit single “What Would You Say” and sold over one million copies, thus setting the stage for Dave Matthews’ successful career as both bandleader and solo musician.

A year and a half after the release of Under the Table and Dreaming, the record had sold over four million copies in the U.S. alone, propelled in part by the success of “Ants Marching” and “Satellite.” The Dave Matthews Band responded by releasing 1996’s Crash, which entered the charts at number two and quickly went platinum. The group spent the bulk of 1996 touring in support of the eclectic album, which reached multi-platinum status and spun off five successful singles, including the Grammy-nominated “Crash into Me.” That same year, Matthews launched an attack on bootleggers in conjunction with the federal government, targeting stores that were selling semi-legal discs of live

performances. The efforts of Matthews, his band, and his management resulted in an unprecedented crackdown on forprofit bootleggers in early 1997 — with nearly all of the major foreign bootlegging companies placed under arrest by the United States — thereby putting a moratorium on the entire underground industry.

To further combat the bootleggers, the Dave Matthews Band released an official double-disc live album, Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95, in the fall of 1997. It was an unexpected success, debuting at number three on the charts and selling a million copies within the first five months of its release. The live record paved the way for a string of future DMB concert recordings; it also drummed up support for the April 1998 release of Before These Crowded Streets, the group’s most ambitious album to date. Another two-disc live effort, Listener Supported, followed one year later, and summer tours kept the band busy as the decade drew to a close.

The new millennium, however, saw the band returning to the studio with producer Glen Ballard to record a fourth studio album, Everyday, which was issued in February 2001. Although notable for its slick, mainstream-minded sound — not to mention the presence of electric guitar, which Matthews had never used on previous albums — it was overshadowed by rumors of a darker album that had been recorded with Steve Lillywhite in 2000. Although the original album was rejected, the band eventually chose songs from those sessions, rerecorded several others, and released the results in July 2002 as Busted Stuff. Its debut single, “Where Are You Going,” fared well on national radio, and the band rounded out 2002 with the release of Live at Folsom Field in November.

Several years after releasing Live at Luther College, a concert album that did not feature his band, Dave Matthews released his first proper solo album in 2003. The moody and brooding Some Devil was supported by a Dave Matthews & Friends tour — the “friends” being Trey Anastasio, Brady

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Dave Matthews Band

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Blade, Tony Hall, Ray Paczkowski, and Tim Reynolds — and the album’s chief single, “Gravedigger,” earned Matthews a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. Boyd Tinsley also released a solo album that year, but the Dave Matthews Band reconvened shortly thereafter, releasing two additional live albums (The Central Park Concert, The Gorge) and returning to the road in 2004. The bandmates also joined Bruce Springsteen’s Vote for Change tour toward the end of the year, just as their mail-order-only Live Trax series debuted.

In early 2005, they launched a website that featured progress reports on their next album in the form of video footage, diaries, and soundbites. When the flawed Stand Up finally appeared in May, it was the band’s first album of allnew material since 2001’s Everyday. Like its three predecessors, Stand Up topped the charts, making DMB the only band other than U2 and Metallica to score four consecutive number one albums.

Weekend on the Rocks, another live set, followed Stand Up at the end of 2005, and a two-disc compilation entitled The Best of What’s Around, Vol. 1 collected studio material and unreleased live recordings one year later. Matthews and Tim Reynolds launched another joint tour in 2007, canvassing Europe and North America in the process. A performance from the latter continent was featured on the album Live at Radio City Music Hall, which served as a companion piece to 1999’s Luther College.

Meanwhile, the Dave Matthews Band released their own concert album, Live at Piedmont Park, and began working on new material, although the project was temporarily shelved during pre-production as the band diverted its

focus to touring. The musicians returned to the studio the following year, but LeRoi Moore unfortunately passed away before the record could be completed. The saxophonist had suffered a serious ATV accident in June and ultimately succumbed to his injuries two months later. Former Béla Fleck saxophonist Jeff Coffin joined in his place, and the band heralded his inclusion with the release of Live at the Mile High Music Festival, a three-disc set capturing a Colorado performance from that summer.

Early the following year, the Dave Matthews Band paid tribute to Moore with Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King, another successful record for DMB that wound up garnering two Grammy nominations. Two live albums — the Tim Reynolds duet record Live in Las Vegas and the DMB set Live in New York City — appeared in 2010, with two more DMB releases, Live at Wrigley Field and DMB 2009: Lucca Italy (Live at Piazza Napoleone 5 Jul 2009), issued in 2011.

Despite the archival album releases, 2011 was a quiet year for the Dave Matthews Band, marking the first time the group did not tour in 20 years; instead, they played a handful of festival dates. DMB came back in a big way in 2012, reuniting with producer Steve Lillywhite for the album Away from the World, which was released in the fall of 2012 and found the band returning to its classic ’90s sound.

Over the next few years, the band toured heavily including headlining at

25th anniversary tour in 2016. In 2018, they returned with their ninth studio album, Come Tomorrow, which included the singles “Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin),” “That Girl Is You,” and “Again and Again.” The album debuted on top of the Billboard 200 chart.

Walk Around the Moon is the tenth studio album by Dave Matthews Band, and will be released on May 19, 2023. The album is their first since 2018’s Come Tomorrow.

Work started during the COVID-19 pandemic, with recording sessions taking place with limited band members at a time at the band’s Haunted Hollow Studio in Charlottesville, VA.

Seven of the 12 tracks on Walk Around the Moon were played live prior to the official album announcement on January 24, 2023. “Break Free” has been played going back to 2006, from a studio session with Mark Batson. “Singing From the Windows” debuted in Dave Matthews’ first performance of the pandemic, a “Pay It Forward” live charity stream sponsored by Verizon Wireless, on March 26, 2020. “The Ocean and the Butterfly” debuted on a charity livestream in December 2020. “Walk Around the Moon”, “The Only Thing”, and “Madman’s Eyes” were first played live during the band’s 2021 tour. “Something to Tell My Baby” made its debut during Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds’ 2022 Mexico three-night run.

The Violent Femmes Perform At White Oak Music Hall On May 17th

If you were a fan of punk music in the 80s, you probably remember Violent Femmes, a popular acoustic alt-rock group. Violent Femmes has announced 2023 Spring Tour dates honoring the 40th anniversary of their 1983 self-titled debut album. The band will perform the record in its entirety with “cover-tocover” performances of the album’s entire tracklist.. Released in 1983, the Violent Femmes, the slow-brewing seminal indie-rock success, contained the band’s definitive sing-along single and one of the 50 best punk songs ever, “Blister in the Sun,” as well as classic cuts like “Add It Up,” “Please Do Not Go,” and “Gone Daddy Gone,” one of the greatest debut singles of all time. Impressively, the group’s live lineup still boasts founding members Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie, four decades later. They will be appearing this month is Houston at White Oak Music Hall on May 17th on the White Oak Lawn Outdoor Stage.

Violent Femmes is the debut album by Violent Femmes. Mostly recorded in July 1982, the album was released by Slash Records on vinyl and on cassette in April 1983, and on CD in 1987, with two extra tracks, “Ugly” and “Gimme the

Car”. n 2002, Rhino Records remastered the album, filled out the disc’s length with demos and added another disc of live tracks and a radio interview for a 20th anniversary special edition, with liner notes by Michael Azerrad.

Violent Femmes is the band’s most successful album to date. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album gold four years after its release and platinum four years after that, despite it never having appeared on the Billboard 200 albums chart. After achieving platinum certification on February 1, 1991, the album finally charted on the Billboard 200 for the first time on August 3, 1991, and peaked at number 171. Since Nielsen Music began electronically tracking sales in 1991, the album has sold 1.8 million copies. Blending RIAA certifications and Nielsen Music sales data, the record’s American sales were estimated at three million as of 2016.

Most of the songs on Violent Femmes and its follow-up were written when songwriter Gordon Gano was an 18-year-old high-school student in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The album was recorded at Castle Recording Studios in

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in July 1982.

The cover model is Billie Jo Campbell, a three-year-old girl who was walking down a Los Angeles street when she and her mother were approached and offered $100 for the photograph that became the album cover. The photograph depicts Campbell peering into the window of a house in Laurel Canyon. Campbell recollects: “I remember looking into that building, and they kept telling me there were animals in there, and I was pissed off ... I didn’t know why they were making me look in this building. I had no idea there were photographers there. I was ... pissed off that I couldn’t see the animals and I was all cranky by the end of it.”

Making music that’s jittery, neurotic, darkly comical, but also powerfully catchy, the Violent Femmes are a pillar of American underground movement, and one of the best early examples of alternative rock. Full of songs built from the unlikely combination of acoustic instruments and seething bile, their self-titled 1983 debut was a groundbreaking collection of tuneful

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The Violent Femmes

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angst, and they released albums steadily through the ’80s and ’90s, including standout moments like the sharp but melodic folk rock of 1991’s Why Do Birds Sing? The 2000s were less stable for the Femmes, with some changes to lineup and a slow down in new material, but in 2016 they released We Can Do Anything, their ninth studio album and first new record in 16 years. Tenth album Hotel Last Resort followed (relatively) shortly thereafter in 2019.

The Violent Femmes formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the early ’80s, made up of singer/guitarist Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie, and percussionist Victor DeLorenzo. After being discovered by the Pretenders’ James Honeyman-Scott while they were busking on the street, the band signed to Slash and issued their self-titled debut, a melodic folk-punk collection which struck an obvious chord with young listeners who felt a strong connection to bitter, frustrated songs like “Blister in the Sun,” “Kiss Off,” and “Add It Up.” Though never a chart hit, the album remained a rite of passage for succeeding generations of teen outsiders, and after close to a decade in release, it finally achieved platinum status.

With 1984’s Hallowed Ground, Gano’s lyrics began to reflect his devout Baptist upbringing, while the Femmes’ music approached more traditional folk and country structures. Produced by Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison, 1986’s The Blind Leading the Naked advanced toward a more mainstream sound; a cover of the T. Rex chestnut “Children of the Revolution” even became a minor hit. After the record’s release, the

Femmes temporarily disbanded: Gano recorded a self-titled 1987 album with his gospel side project the Mercy Seat, while Ritchie issued a series of solo LPs including 1987’s The Blend and 1989’s Sonic Temple & Court of Babylon for SST. (I See a Noise appeared on Dali Records in 1990.) In 1989, the group resurfaced with 3, followed by 1991’s Why Do Birds Sing?, which featured the Femmes’ deconstructionist cover of Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?”

Following the release of the 1993 compilation Add It Up (1981-1993), DeLorenzo exited the Violent Femmes to resume the solo career he began two years prior with the release of Peter Corey Sent Me; his sophomore effort, Pancake Day, appeared in 1996. Former Oil Tasters and BoDeans drummer Guy Hoffman was tapped as DeLorenzo’s replacement in time to record 1994’s New Times for Elektra Records, which proved their sole release for the label. Rock!!!!! was released in 1995 on Mushroom Records only in Australia; the live Viva Wisconsin followed on the American indie label Beyond in 1999, trailed early the next year by a new studio effort, Freak Magnet. In the spring of 2001, the Femmes released their first MP3-only album, Something’s Wrong, through the website EMusic.com; it collected an assortment of rarities, including covers, acoustic live tracks, alternate versions, demos, and the like. In 2002, Rhino/Slash reissued their debut as a two-disc deluxe edition that featured 22 previously unreleased tracks, followed by Permanent Record: The Very Best Of in 2005.

The Violent Femmes closed out 2005 with a New Year’s Eve show featuring all three original members and Guy Hoffman. This union was punctured in 2007 when Ritchie filed a lawsuit against Gano, seeking proper accounting of royalties while also claiming he was denied credit for songwriting; additionally, he stated Gano licensed “Blister in the Sun” for use in a Wendy’s commercial without permission. During the lawsuit, the Violent Femmes managed to release a single — a cover of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” appearing in June of 2008 — but the tensions caused the group to split in 2009. Ritchie and Gano settled out of court in 2012 and the Violent Femmes reunited in 2013, playing a number of shows, including a slot at that year’s Coachella festival, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their landmark debut. Following these shows, drummer Victor DeLorenzo departed acrimoniously — in a statement, he claimed “In regards to my history with the Violent Femmes, the dream never quite got there” — and was swiftly replaced by Brian Viglione, a drummer with the Dresden Dolls. Over the next couple of years, this lineup played frequently and released a foursong EP for Record Store Day in 2015, a teaser for the full-length We Can Do Anything in 2016. By the time that album appeared in March 2016, Viglione had resigned from the band. John Sparrow signed on as the Femmes’ drummer in time for the tour supporting We Can Do Anything; recordings from the tour were compiled into a 2017 live album, 2 Mics & the Truth. In 2019 the band returned with their tenth studio album Hotel Last Resort. The album’s punchy sound and direct songwriting was reminiscent of their earliest work, but they expanded their palette to include multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza as well as opening up a few songs for guest spots by both skateboarding celebrity Stefan Janoski and guitar legend Tom Verlaine.

In July 2019, the band returned to the East Side neighborhood of Milwaukee, in and around the street art destination Black Cat Alley, to film the music video for the single “I’m Nothing”. The Violent Femmes are featured on the song “Gotta Get to Peeksill” by Dropkick Murphys that appears on the band’s 2023 album Okemah Rising.

Open

Wednesday, May 3 - Katie’s Jam with James Wilhite (8-11 pm)

Thusday, May 4 - Vinn Mott

Friday, May 5 - Chris Castaneda

Saturday, May 6 - Jonn Del Toro Richardson

Sunday, May 7 - Benefit for Bob Hawkins (3-8 pm)

Wednesday, May 10 - Katie’s Jam with Bob Emmons

Thursday, May 11 - James Wilhite

Friday, May 12 - Pierce & The Purple Moon (8-12 am)

Saturday, May 13 - Pee Wee Bowen

Sunday, May 14 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Lightning Rob (4-8 pm)

Wednesday, May 17 - Katie’s Jam with Keith Vivens (8-11 pm)

Thusday, May 18 - Hugo Jamz Trio

Friday, May 19 - Paul Ramirez & Randy Wall

Saturday, May 20 - Bayou Gipsies

Sunday, May 21 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Chris Castaneda (4-8 pm)

Wednesday, May 24 - Katie’s Jam with Bob Emmons (8-11 pm)

Thusday, May 25 - Static Blues

Friday, May 26 - Blues Survivors

Saturday, May 27 - Scott McGill

Sunday, May 28 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Paul Ramirez (4-8 pm)

Wednesday, May 31 - Katie’s Jam with Pierce (8-11 pm)

Acid Mothers Temple Perform At Warehouse Live May 29th

by Todd Kristel

After performing with such bands as Toho Sara, Ohkami No Jikan, Musica Transonic, and Mainliner, Japanese guitarist Makoto Kawabata decided to continue his musical explorations by bringing together like-minded individuals to create trippy psychedelic freakouts inspired by Karlheinz Stockhausen, Krautrock, and ’70s progressive hard rock. Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. (Underground Freak Out) were founded in 1996 as a “soul collective.” It’s not a commune in the full sense since the members don’t all live together, but it is based on communal values and has even been mistaken by some people for a religious cult.

Kawabata started the collective because he wanted to give unknown musicians a chance to record and release albums that would reach a wider audience; his original intent was not to create an ongoing touring and recording band. Indeed, the group’s self-titled debut album, which was released on Japan’s PSF Records in November 1997, was essentially a Kawabata solo project. He performed jam sessions with several other musicians, then edited and overdubbed the tapes to create something akin to musique concrète. Kawabata must have been pleased with the results,

because he assembled a group of musicians to tour overseas as Acid Mothers Temple in 1998.

Atsushi Tsuyama played guitar during a November 1998 Japanese tour and became the group’s regular bassist in 1999. Eventually, the band’s steady touring lineup solidified around Kawabata, Tsuyama, guitarist and synthesizer player Higashi Hiroshi, drummer Ichiraku Yoshimitsu, and vocalist and synthesizer player Cotton Casino. Buoyed by a well-deserved reputation as a superb live band, the group continued to tour and record. They released Wild Gals a Go-Go, the soundtrack to an uncompleted Russian underground film, in 1999, and Live in Occident, a double album of performances from their 1999 overseas tour, in 2000. Acid Mothers Temple continued to expand their range of influences; for example, they drew on Tsuyama’s experience performing ancient folk music for La Nòvia, an album of Occitan traditional songs that they released in 2000. Then, in 2001, they released their fourth “official” album, New Geocentric World of Acid Mothers Temple, as well as a couple limited-edition releases. Meanwhile, the collective has spun out numerous offshoots, including Floating Flower, Nishinihon, and Tsurbami.

Many of these spinoffs appeared on the three-CD Do Whatever You Want, Don’t Do Whatever You Don’t Want. Released in 2002 on the Earworm label, the set featured Acid Mothers Temple music on the first disc and all the different side projects on the remaining two discs. The year 2002 ended up being an especially busy time for the band, with numerous releases including the concept album St. Captain Freak Out and the Magic Bamboo Request and their version of classical composer Terry Riley’s groundbreaking In C. Magical Power from Mars landed in 2003 and collected some no longer available limited-edition 3" CDs. Mantra of Love from 2004 saw Cotton Casino exit the lineup and they changed their name temporarily to Acid Mothers Temple & the Cosmic Inferno. The band kept the ambitious release schedule going with both Just Another Band from the Cosmic Inferno and IAO Chant from the Cosmic Inferno in 2005.

After adding drummer Shimura Koji to the roster, Acid Mothers Temple released Starless and Bible Black Sabbath, Have You Seen the Other Side of the Sky, Myth of the Love Electrique (featuring the voice of new female singer Kitagawa Hao) in 2006. 2007 saw the

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Acid Mothers Temple

return of the name Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. and the issue of the albums Soul of a Mountain Wolf, Crystal Rainbow Pyramid Under the Stars, Acid Motherly Love, and Stones Women Records. The latter three were issued simply by Acid Mothers Temple (the reason behind the various name changes is a mystery known only to leader Makoto Kawabata). 2008 was, as is now typical for the group, another prolific year. The AMT collective issued no less than four albums beginning with Journey into the Cosmic Inferno, and continuing through Glorify Astrological Martyrdom, Pink Lady Lemonade (a suite long reprise of their original composition), and Recurring Dream and Apocalypse.

The release schedule proved equally relentless in 2009 with no less than four albums on as many different labels seeing release: Interstellar Guru

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and Zero, Dark Side of the Moon: What Planet Are We On?, Are We Experimental?, and Lord of the Underground: Vishnu and the Magic Elixir. These official releases contain only part of the story, however. Both Makoto and AMT also released countless singles and compilation tracks available in very limited editions, have reissued catalog albums on different labels than the original releases appeared upon, and have cut live recordings for sale only at shows, making finding their complete set of recordings virtually impossible.

The band commenced their release schedule in 2010 with Album: In 0 to Infinity on the Important imprint. The label also released Live As Troubadour the following year. Other 2011 releases included Pink Lady Lemonade (You’re from Inner Space) (Alien8) and The Ripper at the Heaven’s Gates of Dark (Riot Season).

In 2012, Important released Son of a Bitches Brew, with cover art paying tribute to the Miles Davis classic, and Riot Season issued IAO Chant from the Melting Paraiso Underground Freak Out. From 2013, most of AMT’s major releases appeared on Important, including that year’s In Search of the Lost Divine Arc, Astrorgasm from the Inner Space (2014), Benzaiten (2015), and Wake to a New Dawn of Another Astro Era (2016). Acid Guru Pond, a double LP in collaboration with Guru Guru and Bardo Pond, was issued by Fire Records on Record Store Day in 2016. Live recording Astro Infinity Discothèque, featuring Afrirampo’s Pika, was released by AMT’s own label in 2017. Studio album Those Who Came Never Before, with Cotton Casino on vocals, was issued by Nod and Smile during the same year.

King’s X Performs At Warehouse Live May 27th

by Greg Prato

King’s X is a widely respected hard rock group with an expansive sound rooted in heavy metal, funk, soul, gospel, and the British Invasion. Emerging in 1985 and comprised of bassist/vocalist Doug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor, and drummer Jerry Gaskill, the band’s knotty blend of Beatlesque harmonies, metallic riffing, thought-provoking lyrics, and artrock detours helped set the table for the progressive and alternative metal scenes that followed. The group flirted with mainstream success in the late ’80s and early ’90s on genre-defining efforts like Gretchen Goes to Nebraska and Dogman. In 2022, after a 14-year gap between studio albums, King’s X released their 13th long-player, Three Sides of One.

Pinnick first met Gaskill when the duo was touring with the Christian rock outfit Petra, and soon after, met up-andcoming guitarist Tabor. The trio joined forces in 1980 with the Top 40 cover band the Edge and played the Missouri bar scene. By 1983, the band had changed its name to Sneak Preview and was now completely focusing on original compositions — resulting in an obscure and very hard to find self-titled debut album released around this time.

Sneak Preview were offered a recording contract in 1985 if they relocated to Houston, TX, which they did, but the deal failed to materialize. Undeterred, the trio continued on and perfected its sound and songwriting further, catching a break when ZZ Top video producer Sam Taylor took the group under his wing, helping it secure a

recording contract with New York’s Megaforce label in 1987, and suggesting that the band change its name to King’s X (the name of a local outfit that Taylor was an admirer of back in his highschool days).

In 1988, King’s X released their debut album, Out of the Silent Planet. Despite praise among critics, the public didn’t know exactly what to make of the group’s original and multiple genreencompassing style. But with the band’s sophomore release, 1989’s classic Gretchen Goes to Nebraska, a buzz began to develop around King’s X in the heavy metal community, as members of Anthrax and Living Colour praised them in the press, and MTV granted a few airings of their anthemic track “Over My Head.” The stage was set for the group’s big breakthrough, and things appeared to be going according to plan when the band’s third release, Faith Hope Love, surfaced in late 1990.

The album just missed the U.S. Top 30 and nearly reached gold certification, due to landing a lengthy spot opening on AC/DC’s sold-out arena tour in both the States and Europe, while the Beatlesque “It’s Love” received major air time on MTV. What should have been an exciting time for the group quickly turned sour, however, as the bandmembers began to experience trouble with manager Taylor. King’s X’s self-titled release from 1992 (and first to appear on Atlantic Records without the Megaforce imprint) proved not to be as focused as their prior efforts, resulting in the album disappearing quickly from sight after release (and their ensuing tour halted), as they ended their relationship

with Taylor.

But it appeared as though the change had refueled the group’s musical desire once again, as evidenced by the Brendan O’Brien-produced stellar 1994 release, Dogman, which performed respectfully on the charts. This success resulted in the band opening shows for Pearl Jam and a show-stopping performance on the opening night of the mammoth Woodstock ’94 Festival. Atlantic Records began putting pressure on the trio to deliver a breakthrough hit but when Ear Candy failed to live up to expectations, King’s X left the label (Atlantic would issue one more release from the band a year later, The Best Of, which featured 13 fan favorites, as well as three unreleased compositions and a live track).

In 1998 the group signed to the Metal Blade label and both Pinnick and Tabor issued their first solo albums (Tabor with Moonflower Lane and Pinnick with Massive Grooves, the latter issued under the alias Poundhound), followed by the group’s seventh studio release overall, Tape Head. Now free to issue albums at their own pace, the group released two more albums a year apart — 2000’s Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous and 2001’s Manic Moonlight. Pinnick continued his solo career in conjunction with King’s X, issuing Poundhound’s second release, Pineappleskunk, the same year (as well as forming a side project with former members of Trouble, dubbed Supershine), while Tabor released two albums with the progressive metal supergroup Platypus — 1998’s When Pus Comes to Shove and 2000’s Ice Cycles. In 2003, they unveiled Black Like Sunday, a collection of re-recorded songs from early in their career that had previously only existed as demos or bootlegs. Their first concert album, Live All Over the Place, arrived in 2004, followed by their 11th studio recording, Ogre Tones, in 2005. The band’s debut outing for Inside Out Music, Ogre Tones reached number 30 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart. 2008’s wellreceived XV cracked the Billboard 200 and peaked at number 12 on the Independent Albums chart. Pinnick, Tabor, and Gaskill spent the next decade focusing on their myriad solo and side projects, but regrouped as King’s X for 2022’s Three Sides of One, which included the anthemic “Let It Rain” and the harddriving “Give It Up.”

RICARDO ARJONA PERFORMS AT SMART FINANCIAL CENTRE MAY 19

by John Bush

The most anticipated Latin American tour of 2023 is finally making it’s way to Smart Financial Centre for an artist that has made an undeniable mark in the world of Latin American music, Ricardo Arjona.

More than a million and a half music lovers experienced his previous Circo Soledad tour live and more than 3 million fans witnessed Hecho A La Antigua, the most watched streaming concert in the history of Ibero-American music.

Blanco Y Negro his new album, emerges as the most daring proposal of the artist that brings to life two of the best albums of his career, recorded at the emblematic Abbey

Road studios in London.

“The term legendary is often overused in our business, but it seems inadequate when describing Ricardo Arjona. This true Renaissance man has transcended the borders of his native Guatemala to become the voice of the common man across the world”, said Nelson Albareda, CEO and founder of Loud And Live, the global entertainment and media company that is producing Arjona’s 2022 tour. “I am beyond proud to be spotlighting his talents in the Blanco y Negro tour next year across the United States”.

Guatemalan singer/songwriter

Ricardo Arjona is among the most successful Latin artists. He has sold more than 80 million records and established a global reputation for his

often poignant and always topical songwriting, which addresses subjects ranging from romance and sexuality to violence, racism, poverty, and the plight of immigrants. He possesses a crystalline, expressive baritone with a completely committed performing style, whether he’s in a studio or on-stage. Arjona is an artist first and an entertainer second, and he has pursued many directions over the course of his career. Early recordings, such as his 1992 synthdriven breakthrough, Animal Nocturno, communicated his sophisticated lyrics inside infectious melodies. 1994’s Historias showcased 14 songs in as many styles, ranging from rock and R&B to acoustic pop, folk, and even country. Since 2000’s rhythmically adventur-

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RICARDO ARJONA

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ous Galeria Caribe, he has placed a dozen albums on the Latin and Latin Pop charts and ten more in the Anglocentric Top 200. Arjona made the transition to streaming charts, as well. Singles such as 2012’s “I Wanna Be Around,” in duet with Tony Bennett, placed inside the jazz Top 40, while 2017’s “Ella” made the streaming Top Ten. Blanco, recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios, was released in 2020 and followed by the simultaneously recorded Negro in 2021; they were issued as Blanco y Negro.

Born in Antigua, Arjona was interested in music from an early age but initially decided to become a rural schoolteacher. He also played basketball for the Guatemalan national team but continued to play guitar and write songs in his spare time. After realizing that music was his vocation, he emigrated to Mexico City; once there, he played many student music festivals and sought a recording contract.

Arjona eventually secured a deal with PolyGram, but the label attempted to market him as a stereotypical Latin lover for his debut, Dejame Decir Que Te Amo. The album failed commercially and critically, and Arjona spent the next five years teaching and occasionally writing songs that were recorded by other artists. He moved to Buenos Aires next and began performing again. He returned to the recording sphere with material more suited to his experiences as a topical singer, namely with “Jesus Verbo No Sustantivo,” a controversial song about his experiences at a Catholic school as a child. It gained him another record contract, this time with Sony, the label that released many of his most popular albums, including 1992’s Animal Nocturno. His next two albums, 1994’s

Historias and 1996’s Si el Norte Fuera el Sur, were not only popular but critics’ favorites, as well.

Galeria Caribe, which appeared in 2000, became Arjona’s first number one album on the Top Latin Albums chart, and 2002’s Santo Pecado won him a Latin Grammy Award. Adentro, released in late 2005, was a landmark in Arjona’s catalog; it marked the first of several contributions by Puerto Rican producer and songwriter Tommy Torres and won Arjona another Latin Grammy. 5to Piso followed in 2008, bolstered by Torres’ help, plus a massive hit single in “Como Duele.” Poquita Ropa arrived two years later, with Arjona adopting a more stripped-down approach. Released in 2011, Independiente featured a more pop-oriented sound and style that made the album a commercial and streaming success, with its lead single, “El Amor,” becoming a major hit.

In what had become typical fashion, Arjona switched creative directions again for 2014’s Viaje, a singer/songwriter album through and through, driven by experiences of life on the road and clinical depression brought on by the death of his mother.

Arjona’s next release was an acoustic collection of his favorite ballads, 2016’s Apague la Luz y Escuche, which rose to number one

on the Latin Pop Albums chart. His next set of original material, Circo Soledad, arrived in April of 2017. Arjona undertook a massive tour in support of the album. The Circo Soledad Tour began in Toluca, Mexico in May 2017 and concluded in November of 2018 in Guatemala; he played more than 115 concerts in 20 countries and 75 cities. It was among the highest-grossing tours for Latin artists over the period. In August of 2019, Arjona released a concert DVD and live album entitled Vivo Circo Soledad!, with an advance video single for “Historia de Taxi” appearing earlier that month.

Arjona returned to the studio late that year and completed Blanco at Abbey Road Studios in London. It was released in July 2020 as the first of a two-part album. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was unable to support it with a tour. In July of 2021, he issued the Grammy-nominated Hecho a la Antigua, documenting a live-streamed concert from his home country featuring more than 30 accompanying musicians from across the globe. It was watched by more than three million fans, resulting in the most viewed streaming concert in the history of Iberic-American music. In November he released Blanco’s companion album, Negro. They were recorded at Abbey Road simultaneously and released in the combined package Blanco y Negro.

This May at Leon’s Lounge

Wednesday, May 3 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, May 4 - Houston Ensemble

Friday, May 5 - As If 90s

Saturday, May 6 - White Oak Bayou Band & Kentucky Derby Watch Party Bonnets And Bourbon

Sunday, May 7 - Sunday Funday

Monday, May 8 - Mondays with Miles and Coltrane

Tuesday, May 9 - Karaoke

Wednesday, May 10 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, May 11 - Houston Ensemble

Friday, May 12 - Scotty B

Saturday, May 13 - Eric Demmer Band

Sunday, May 14 - Mother’s Day Celebration - Sunday Funday

Monday, May 15 - Mondays with Miles and Coltrane

Tuesday, May 16 - Karaoke

Wednesday, May 17 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, May 18 - Houston Ensemble

Friday, May 19 - House Tiger

Saturday, May 20 - Los Vertigos

Sunday, May 21 - Sunday Funday

Monday, May 22 - Mondays with Miles and Coltrane

Tuesday, May 23 - Karaoke

Wednesday, May 24 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, May 25 - Houston Ensemble

Friday, May 26 - Band On The Run

Saturday, May 27 - Lush Life

Sunday, May 28 - Sunday Funday

Monday, May 29 - Mondays with Miles and Coltrane

Tuesday, May 30 - Karaoke

Wednesday, May 31 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

The Biker, The Blues & The Highway

The question is: Should a man stop to help a perfect stranger? Well a man has to have his priorities right? So I see this damsel in distress and I stop to assist. I don’t know what motivated me to be so friendly but something I saw motivated me to stop. Perhaps it’s that spirit that lives inside all bikers, you know the one that says help all other bikers when you can. Ya, that’s my story and I am sticking to it. You see the poor girl had a flat tire and I had a can of Fix-A-Flat. As I pulled up I was a bit concerned that she might be scared of this rumbling Harley and the older man on it but nope she smiled and said, “flat tire.” I told her I had a can of Fix A Flat and went about taking my pack apart. You might think it’s a bit weird for a scooter tramp to pack that stuff but trust me that’s as valuable as a master link if you break down in the middle of nowhere. So I added a touch of the sealant and her tire came right up. She had picked up a small nail but now she could at least roll the bike home easier or ride it if she wished. She thanked me and asked if she could at least buy me lunch for my kind consideration. Well who was I to offend such a sweet innocent young thing so of course just to be courteous I said yes. She told me she lived just above the next rise about maybe a mile or so ahead. She hopped on her bike and off she went. I rolled my pack back up, strapped it down, hit the start button and Big Red came to life. She was definitely ahead of me but it only took a moment or two to catch up. She signaled to turn by pointing to the right. I shook my head yes and proceeded to scan the area. All I saw was some commercial buildings and a funeral home and true to form, true to what can happen on the road yep we were going to the funeral home. When we pulled up a man probably in his sixties came out the front door. His forehead was furled as I think he was trying to figure this scenario out and quite frankly that made two of us. Anyway I shut my scooter down and she leaned her bike up against the mortuary’s covered overhang where the hearse would normally be located. As I approached she was talking to the man and when I got there now he was wearing a smile and extended his hand and thanked me for helping his daughter. He motioned to come in and I thought oh man this will be a trip and a half. However, it was cool in its own strange way. So we went inside down a hall past some viewing rooms (no bodies there on this day) and into their home. There was a mature lady sitting at their kitchen table and she put her newspaper down and gave me a glance. The man told her what had happened and she thanked me too. The young lady, I still didn’t know her name, invited me out on their back patio and wow was this cool. A bird’s eye view of this calm lake with an outdoor fire pit immediately in front of us. She told me her name, Shirley, and then told me about a restaurant she likes in the little town close to where they live. It was a corner café kind of place a small place, American cuisine, clean, the sun was shining so we sat outside. The waiter was a nice young man, maybe high school age, I believe he was a bit worried about being around me, maybe due to the unshaven look I was toting continued on next page

The Biker, The Blues & The Highway

around and of course the loud entrance my bike makes when I pull up. Shirley and I did at bit of chit chatting, then ordered and while we were waiting I learned that she was home from New York where she was/is a student at Julliard. That was interesting. She was studying composition and arrangement as a major and percussion as a minor. I asked her what led to her enrolling into Julliard and she told me that her music teacher not only encouraged her but wrote to the Dean too. I was blown away, totally blown away. I asked if she was a prodigy and she said that some have said that but she’s not so sure. She was wearing humility rather well, an attractive quality. Then she asked me about me and I just said that I was a biker in search of good American roots music. She came alive, I mean she became really excited. She said ok you asked me how I got into Julliard now you tell me how a man happens to be out traveling the country in search of good roots music. I answered by saying first of all for as long as I can remember I have loved the blues. For years I did not know that I liked the blues until someone told me that was the kind of music that I would listen to most of the time. From there as I got older I would frequent blues bars and couldn’t get enough. I think my candor threw her back in her chair a bit as her body language changed significantly. After a moment passed by she asked how much I knew about the blues culture and its origin and once again I blew her away as she realized I really was and to this day remain sincerely into it. A nice young girl for sure but as she began to talk about the blues she became text book about twelve bar blues and variations of both major and minor chords. I stopped her short and said I don’t know about all of that but I do know that any real bluesman or woman will tell you it’s about the feeling, the blues is a feeling not a subject to dissect. Once again she had that look of amazement at my candor. She smiled and said she wanted to learn more. I told her to start in Memphis in early May when the Blues Foundation holds their annual Blues Music Awards. You can see multiple styles in one night or stay and see the off main stage shows that pop up on Beale Street with some of those that received their award the previous night. I told her that there was woman named Big Mama Thornton who sang a song named Hound Dog. Elvis Presley had heard her doing it in Memphis and recorded it and the rest is history. About maybe eight to ten years ago the famous movie producer Martin Scorsese shot a documentary named “Lightin’ In A Bottle” you can rent it. In that famous documentary the musical director brought in a lady named Macy Gray and the song he wanted her to perform was that very song “Hound Dog”. He only gave her one piece of advice, do it your way, whatever way that is. She did and that song, which you can hear on You Tube, was way cool. Macy brings it to life and that is what the blues is, it’s that feeling. Shirley was getting into this information to the max and I wondered if I had turned somebody onto the blues? I took out my cell phone and opened iTunes. I played BB King performing “Rock Me Baby All Night Long” at the Royal Albert Hall. In this selection BB throws the lead guitar part to Derek Trucks and the vocals to Susan Tedeschi and then he motivates them to perform from their hearts. Next BB gets the audience to participate as well and the place was jumping. She was smiling, she was getting it. You learn that when it comes to the blues that good blues music can be found everywhere and that’s because it is built into our soul. In the movie “Crossroads”

Ralph Macchio plays the part of a Julliard student that has mastered the exact components of history’s greatest classical songs yet he strays continued on next page

Page 3 - The Biker, The Blues & The Highway

while in front of his professor and jumps into the blues. That’s because if the blues is in you it’s in you, it just happens. If you are lucky what is in you comes through, if you are really into the moment your emotions take over. That’s the way it is meant to be performed. Just let it roll. One of the best examples of what is known as traditional blues can be found on Trudy Lynn’s “ Royal Oaks Blues Café “ Trudy Lynn is a living legend, she is the epitome of the word blues. For example on track six “Street Walking Daddy” her emotion hints that maybe there is some kind of history with these lyrics. The woman isn’t just singing, she’s feeling a visual picture and it naturally comes through within the song. All of us have experiences that while maybe not exactly like anyone else’s if you have ever been jilted or found yourself short you have experienced the blues big time. A man named Albert Cummings penned a high energy blues rock track titled “Blues Makes Me Feel So Good”. He sings about the connection a person makes when the blues erupts from your soul, you feel it. I could tell she was mesmerized with what she was learning, we paid the bill and moved on. Outside we said goodbye and went our separate ways. I had miles to go before the sun would set and some of the best scenery was coming up. Time to check the gas and oil and take a look at the play in the bike’s chain, yep everything looked so it was a good time to head out. About fifty miles down the road the early evening sun was quickly approaching the black dark highway illuminating the spotted center line endless row of dashes. Dusk was cutting through the tall trees. You could see far ahead and it was a good time to be alive. The scooter was purring like a content kitty and the thought that crossed my mind was maybe this is heaven on earth. Thoughts of the daily grind I had left behind filled my head. There are times when I miss what used to be but nothing compares with exploring every inch of the United States on two wheels. Multiple cultures, subcultures, the various accents, types of regional food, weather, beers, but most of all it is the new friendships. The being free kind of camaraderie that envelopes as you keep moving along. On this particular day my thoughts were on potato salad, yep potato salad. Soon I would be pulling up to a family farm and Bob and Sue always welcomed me back to their place. This included Sue’s notable potato salad and Bob’s secret shine recipe. Bob and I have swapped more lies at their place than one can imagine in just a day or two. A really nice place to relax. Everybody deserves a friendship like this one, it does a person right. I drove up the long driveway off of the dirt road I had just left and there was Bob smiling with his continued on next page

The Biker, The Blues & The Highway

hand on the brim of his hat. Later he would tell me that they could hear the distinctive sound of my shovel preceding me as it rolled across the valleys. Nice folks. We visited and I stayed the Night. Interesting couple. They both had good jobs in a major metropolitan city but simply stated got fed up with it, cashed in and bought their remote country residence. Boy did they ever. They bought about two hundred acres with about a third that could be harvested and the balance was good grazing land. Tall trees, fresh water. All they added was a touch of solar energy just to stay modern. Sue has an MBA but prefers gardening and logging. Yes, logging, you wouldn’t believe it unless you saw it first hand but that’s Sue. She can handle a pick ax with the best of them and can gouge those hauling spikes deep into the fallen trees so the tractor can pull them to the loading area. Bob had been a financial investment advisor and the rat race was more than he wanted to do for a career. So they sold out, packed up and it seems to me they are quite happy these days. That evening a husband and wife blues duo stopped by with guitars in hand and soon maybe eight to ten more folks arrived bearing appetizers, beer, and smoke. Good smoke too. Man this universal sound, this musical culture called the blues was uniting so many good people. The performing artists for the night began the evening with their rendition of Canned Heat’s version of “Going Up The Country”. A sort of anthem for those alive in the late sixties, early seventies, a Woodstock kind of feeling right out of the gate. Then to keep everybody in the same mood they performed “Almost Cut My Hair” which was made famous by Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. Just about everyone was shaking their heads saying things like oh God I remember this like it was yesterday. Then to liven things up they gave us Johnny and June’s “Jackson” which was appropriate about being a bit rebellious but coming to a mutual understanding. The evening could not have been any better. Friends of like mind, comfort food, libations darn good live music and that’s the point. Camaraderie, the being free kind of camaraderie, the being with people of like mind is probably as close to heaven on earth as one may experience. It feels good, you are relating to the same things, the same content much like in this magazine. We are like minded and this resource brings us contemporary knowledge and smiles. We need both of course. I don’t know what happened to live and let live. Some circles are defiant these days much more so perhaps than decades ago. Some things however have not changed like going up the country to get away. It’s your thirst for peace and freedom that’s the driver. It’s your motivation and when you experience music that reflects the human spirit and it hits home with you that’s the coolest thing since sliced bread. Go ahead set yourself free with a loved one. Even if its just in your backyard over a weekend, get next to it because you are going to be alive for some time but your gonna be dead for a lot longer. Monthly troubles such as bills are always going to be there. Setbacks happen but they do go away. In one way or another set yourself free from the ties that bind you to sadness. Just as the song suggests go up the country, you need to get away because what you find there is cool to the max. I am doing it and it is indeed cool….

Music Man Extraordinaire Guitar Stylist, Artist

Artie Villaseñor

(July 1 1951 - May 3 2019)

My phone was ringing over and over again as world class musicians, artists and songwriters were calling to let me know that one of the most respected guitar stylists alive had just passed. Among those calling was Robbie Parrish the well respected drummer and tuning expert. “John, I have some really bad news Artie Villaseñor is no longer with us.” Another call was from artist/songwriter Evelyn Rubio who shared, “Artie and I were just practicing on some new ideas just recently, oh my God he’s gone.” Devastated alone would not be the word that fellow musicians would use, hurting beyond belief is what was coming through along with incredible shock. You see Artie was not just a usual, typical musician. No Artie Villaseñor was much more than that, his soul the very spiritual essence that inhabits blessed individuals was on stage incredibly visible through his presence. This presence could be witnessed in more than one area. It could be seen in his stage performances plus within the off stage creative process itself, inside recording studios and in his conversations. Recently, in March of this year, 2023, Artie’s daughter Nina would marry and Dad would not be there but then again yes he would be. You knew he was there because you could feel the musical heritage throughout the entire Villaseñor family on that marvelous occasion. Previously: It was late spring in Houston Texas and the place to be was Sambuca’s downtown Houston. This night the Evelyn Rubio Band would feature this great guitar stylist. The place was packed with upscale diners and downtown executive professionals that were not going to fight the early evening traffic out to the burbs for a while yet. The music started and the unmistakable signature style of Artie Villaseñor filled the air. The crowd had been rather talkative up until this point in time but the cool, crisp ear pleasing presence of Artie’s notes were now filling the air. No matter what song was announced Artie had it down. That was Artie, always prepared and on the mark. Music News & Rock and Blues International publisher Kevin Wildman was there. He was shooting footage of the performance. Kevin shares, “Artie was the consumate’ artist.

He never overplayed his parts, nor did he ever upstage anyone. He was an integral component of any band he was on stage with never above being an equal member of the band, that was Artie.”

On the personal side no one that night could have been digging the gig more than Artie himself. It was noticeable in his facial expression and his remarkable delivery. Noted festival producer and former band member Lupe Olivarez remarked, “I met Artie in either ‘83 or ‘84 through my sister’s boyfriend. Artie was older than I was and I was continued on next page

Music Man

Extraordinaire Guitar Stylist, Artist

Artie Villaseñor

(July 1 1951 - May 3 2019)

looking for a lead guitar player. So I met him and immediately connected with his style, his quick wit and sense of humor. I must say that If you didn’t know him you could probably think he was some kind of a hard ass by his remarks but actually the man was just the opposite. If he liked you that was how he would be with you. He liked to kid around a lot. We assembled a band named The Basics. We chose the name because at the time many bands were incorporating all kinds of different sounds and we just wanted to keep bringing audiences basic rock sounds and to our good fortune the people agreed. The Basics shot up in popularity. We recorded at SugarHill Studios in Houston and not long afterward we found ourselves on Spanish Star Search. We were traveling together and you can really get to know somebody when you travel with them. Artie had what I call the “it” factor. This really cool vibe, this really cool “in there” kind of charisma. For example even though he could beat the shit out of me verbally for not practicing enough I knew he was right so it wasn’t derogatory, it was a compliment. He was noticing that I could give more and he wanted to it develop. It did and I to this very day thank the man from the bottom of my heart for those pushes. Without his special kind of encouragement I don’t think I would have accepted the push. He loved his craft no doubt about that at all.” The renowned engineer producer Andy Bradley at Wire Road Studios had this to say, “I worked with Artie when the Basics recorded at SugarHill. My observation then and it remains to this day is that Artie was a thorough musician. He presented great guitar work but I think equally notable beyond his craft the man was a great human being. No matter where we ran into each other either inside or outside of the studio he was always personable, friendly.“ Sonic sound producer and professional drummer Robbie Parrish had this say, “Since I was sixteen I wanted the world to hear Artie Villaseñor perform and even now at sixty five I still feel that way and soon finally a new album will allow that hope to be realized. He was such an interesting individual. To this day I don’t know why but Artie would bring projects that he was working on to me and ask for my input. I was deeply flattered, I wasn’t on his creative team but yet he would show respect like this to me, he would do this with all of us. That’s the kind of guy he was.” Professional music photo journalist Jaime Zamora met Artie in 1988 through the Zenteartieno family, more precisely through Norma. He became close friends with Lupe Olivarez and Artie. He noted that rom the very beginning he appreciated Artie because in Jaime’s words “Artie was technically speaking, great. His sound was different, it stood out. You could tell it was coming from deep within. He made it look so freaking easy and with his signature sun glasses in place well they rounded out his presence. The man continued on next page

Music Man

Extraordinaire Guitar Stylist, Artist

Artie Villaseñor

(July 1 1951 - May 3 2019)

was cool to the max. He was a bright light within the business. He had this certain something, charisma, that spoke to you both with words and without. I will never forget that my wife and I had just seen him perform prior to his passing and then soon after he was gone. A tremendous shock. When I got the news I was at my local pub and lost it big time. I was so broken up that I went outside to let it all out. People were coming out and checking on me and consoling me and all I kept thinking about is how loving this man was to all of us.”

Artie’s daughter, Nina, recalled that he had a gig at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and all he had to do to stay in Vegas was sign the paper but he didn’t. More importantly he wanted to be with his family back in Houston. He wanted to hold on to his family ties. He even had an impact on his grandchildren and although his name was Artie the kids were calling him Grandpa Party, the name stuck, everyone loved it. One of the songs Artie wrote is titled “Nina” and when Nina talked to him about walking her down the aisle he said he wasn’t going to do that because he was going to play her down the aisle. Artie passed before the wedding took place but true to form he was there. The family played the recording as Nina made her way to the alter. It was quite fitting. Artie was music, there was no separation between his music and his family. Everyone there was in agreement, Artie was there. Now with new upcoming album being released, “Love Is Love” Artie will remain with all his family and friends just as it should be. Writer’s note - A common thread that ran through each interview was the fact that to each person Artie Villaseñor was the embodiment of what every musician should be: professional, talented, a team player and caring. In addition he was this cool cat that had it working. This man aka: “Sancho” was certainly all of these things. If heaven really does have a rock and roll band well it definitely is one helluva band as the lyrics go and we all know who’s playing lead. RIP Mr.

Villaseñor.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela Perform At Smart

Financial Centre May 18th

Rodrigo Y Gabriela Release

“In Between Thoughts ... A New World”

Landmark New Album Features Such Recent Singles As “The Eye That Catches The Dream”, “Egoland,” And “Descending To Nowhere”

North American Headline Tour Begins May 18 In Houston, TX New Single, “True Nature” Added To Spotify’s New Music - Listen @ https:// www.youtube.comwatch?v=RBAsqMOk87U&ab_channel=RodrigoYGabrielaVEVO “In Between Thoughts ... A New World”

Stream / Download “In Between Thoughts ... A New World” @ https://atorecords-ffm.com/inbetweenthoughts

Order “In Between Thoughts ... A New World” @ https://shop.rodgab.com/en/rodrigo-y-gabriela/in-betweenthoughts...a-new-world-d2c-exclusive-custom-color-2lp/ 889198426416.html

Grammy Award-winning guitar virtuosos Rodrigo y Gabriela are proud to announce today’s release of their landmark new album, In Between Thoughts...A New World, available now via ATO Records. A 2,000-unit limited edition custom color deluxe 2xLP vinyl edition is available exclusively at www.rodgab.com, featuring a translucent “Galaxy” custom-colored LP alongside a bonus LP collecting all nine tracks from last year’s deeply metaphysical Stages project on opaque “Galaxy” customcolored vinyl in a gatefold package.

Rodrigo y Gabriela’s eagerly awaited follow-up to 2019’s GRAMMY® Awardwinning Mettavolution and first full-length collection in four years, In Between Thoughts...A New World arrives as one of the duo’s most revelatory offerings yet – a spontaneously composed unified work primed to bring about the same expansion of consciousness that inspired its creation. Selfproduced by Rodrigo y Gabriela at their studio in Ixtapa, Mexico, the album includes such singles as “The Eye That Catches The Dream,” “Egoland,” and “Descending To Nowhere,” the latter joined by an official music video, directed by acclaimed Mexican filmmaker/broadcaster Olallo Rubio and streaming now on YouTube. The new single, “True Nature,” was added to Spotify U.S.’s New Music Friday today.

A #3 Most Added hit at Non-Com Radio outlets nationwide, “Descending To Nowhere” had its world premiere with an indepth and illuminating “Origins” feature via Consequence and was quickly named by Paste as of one of “The 10 Best Songs of February 2023,” hailing it as “an irresistible groove that builds and ebbs as it showcases delicious electric licks and the promised orchestral swells.”

Rodrigo y Gabriela will mark the arrival of In Between Thoughts...A New World with a robust international touring schedule beginning April 24 with a sold-out show at London, England’s historic Roundhouse. North American headline dates get underway May 18 at Sugarland, TX’s Smart Financial Centre and then continue until early July. Highlights include special performances with 4x Grammy Award-winning drummer Antonio Sánchez at San Diego, CA’s Humphreys Concerts by the Bay (May 2627), Los Angeles, CA’s YouTube Theatre (June 1), and Morrison, CO’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre (June 11), along with shows at such renowned venues as Nashville, TN’s Ryman Auditorium (June 19), Brooklyn, NY’s Kings Theatre (June 27), and Montreal, QC’s Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier | Place des Arts (July 1). Special guests include Krooked Kings (May 18-27), Bahamas (June 1-11), and Ondara (June 13-29). Rodrigo y Gabriela will be performing on the new series of Later… with Jools Holland on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in June. For complete details and ticket information, please visit www.rodgab.com/tour-dates.

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Photo Credit: Ebru Yildiz

Rodrigo Y Gabriela

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For over two decades, Rodrigo y Gabriela have created music that invites lasting transcendence, mesmerizing audiences across the globe with their virtuosic yet wildly inventive guitar playing. Critically lauded albums like 2019’s GRAMMY® Award-winning Mettavolution have seen the Mexico City-bred duo continually turning to musical expression as a form of spiritual searching, a journey that recently led to the making of their sixth studio album. Sparked from their study of Advaita Vedanta (a Hindu philosophy rooted in the concept of nondualism), In Between Thoughts...A New World emerged from a transformative period of spiritual awakening and a subsequent burst of unfettered creativity.

While recovering from Covid in the fall of 2020, Rodrigo stumbled upon the concept of nondualism – the notion that there is a “single, infinite, and indivisible reality, whose nature is pure consciousness, from which all objects and selves derive their apparently independent existence,” in the words of author/teacher Rupert Spira. He shared his findings with Gabriela, who felt a similar resonance. As they delved further into the philosophy, the duo began channeling this new sense of heightened awareness into song form.

“The music just started flowing out, without any real intention,” says Rodrigo. “When we looked back we realized we’d come up with nine songs that told the story of our coming to understand the Advaita path, in the exact perfect order. We didn’t change the foundation of the songs from that point, so what you hear on the album is the music as we were creating it.”

In a testament to the expressiveness and depth of Rodrigo y Gabriela’s musicality, In Between Thoughts wordlessly leads the listener through a complex narrative complete with plot, emotional arcs, and plenty of dramatic tension. Mixed by James Monti (The Who, The Head and the Heart) and mastered by Greg Calbi (Tame Impala, Beach House), the album marks a sharp departure from the duo’s signature acoustic sound, with Rodrigo trading his acoustic guitar for electric, adding a mercurial new energy elegantly amplified by the duo’s subtle use of analog synths, Mellotron, and other electronic instruments. Rodrigo y Gabriela also worked remotely with Vienna-based composer Adam Ilyas Kuruc and The Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra, who ornamented the duo’s serpentine arrangements with lush strings and powerful percussion. Yet even as it pushes into uncharted sonic terrain, the album draws much of its power from the singular dynamic that’s always distinguished Rodrigo y Gabriela’s music, a delicate interplay between Gabriela’s potent and percussive strumming and Rodrigo’s breathlessly fast yet intricate lead guitar work.

Reflecting on the making of In Between Thoughts…A New World, Rodrigo y Gabriela are quick to note the charmed spontaneity that guided their process — an element that extends all the way to their serendipitous discovery of conceptual artist Jeremy Gluck, who created the album’s cover art and whose work is partly inspired by the teachings of the renowned Indian guru of nondualism Nisargadatta Maharaj.

“I think one of the main things we’ll take away from this experience is to let the music flow, let it live and breathe without judging it first,” says Gabriela.

“We didn’t work on this record thinking, ‘Let’s share this message with the world’ — we’re not interested in preaching

Connect With Rodrigo Y Gabriela: Official @ https://www.rodgab.com/ Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/rodgab Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/ rodrigoygabriela/ Tiktok @ https://twitter.com/rodgab Twitter @ https://twitter.com/rodgab Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UC2aEvw7VlapqdI6TB6AMjNQ

anything,” says Rodrigo. “If it benefits people in any way to learn about this, then that’s wonderful. But for us it was a way to explore something that’s brought us a lot of peace and freedom – something that we love talking about because it’s changed our lives in an incredible way.”

Rodrigo Y Gabriela

In Between Thoughts…A New World (ATO Records)

Tracklist:

True Nature

The Eye That Catches The Dream

Egoland

Descending To Nowhere

Seeking Unreality

The Ride Of The Mind

Broken Rage

Finding Myself Leads Me To You

In Between Thoughts…A New World

Listen To “True Nature” @ https://open.spotify.com/album/1el8dp6jP1HbmqRDBVMmj3?si=ARWFxT50Qfm8Fv-3M1wIgQ&nd=1

Listen To “The Eye That Catches The Dream” @ https://atorecords-ffm.com/theeye Listen To “Egoland” @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqnw2EQsgWk Watch “Descending To Nowhere” Official Music Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn-L8nOJUNk

En Español En Español En Español En Español En Español

RICARDO ARJONA

En Español En Español En Español En Español En Español

Rodrigo & Gabriela Fonseca

Ricardo Arjona Se Presenta En Smart Finantical Centre El 19 De Mayo

por John Bush

La gira latinoamericana más esperada de 2022 finalmente llega al Smart Financial Centre para un artista que ha dejado una huella innegable en el mundo de la música latinoamericana, Ricardo Arjona.

Más de millón y medio de melómanos vivieron en directo su anterior gira CIRCO SOLEDAD y más de 3 millones de fans presenciaron HECHO A LA ANTIGUA, el concierto en streaming más visto de la historia de la música iberoamericana.

“BLANCO Y NEGRO” su nuevo disco, se perfila como la propuesta más atrevida del artista que da vida a dos de los mejores discos de su carrera, grabados en los emblemáticos estudios

Abbey Road de Londres. “El término legendario a menudo se usa en exceso en nuestro negocio, pero parece inadecuado al describir a Ricardo Arjona. Este verdadero hombre renacentista ha trascendido las fronteras de su Guatemala natal para convertirse en la voz del hombre común en todo el mundo”, dijo Nelson Albareda, CEO y fundador de Loud And Live, la compañía global de medios y entretenimiento que está produciendo la gira 2022 de Arjona. “Estoy más que orgulloso de destacar su talento en la gira Blanco y Negro del próximo año por los Estados Unidos”.

El cantautor guatemalteco Ricardo Arjona se encuentra entre los artistas latinos más exitosos. Ha vendido más de 80 millones de discos y establecido una reputación mundial por sus composiciones, a menudo conmovedoras

y siempre de actualidad, que abordan temas que van desde el romance y la sexualidad hasta la violencia, el racismo, la pobreza y la difícil situación de los inmigrantes. Posee un barítono cristalino y expresivo con un estilo interpretativo completamente comprometido, ya sea en un estudio o en el escenario. Arjona es primero un artista y luego un animador, y ha seguido muchas direcciones a lo largo de su carrera. Las primeras grabaciones, como su avance impulsado por sintetizadores de 1992, Animal Nocturno, comunicaron sus letras sofisticadas dentro de melodías

contagiosas. Historias de 1994 mostró 14 canciones en tantos estilos, desde rock y R&B hasta pop acústico, folk e incluso country. Desde la rítmicamente aventurera Galeria Caribe del 2000, ha

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Ricardo Arjona

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colocado una docena de álbumes en las listas de música latina y pop latino y diez más en el Top 200 anglocéntrico. Arjona también hizo la transición a las listas de reproducción. Sencillos como “I Wanna Be Around” de 2012, a dúo con Tony Bennett, se ubicaron dentro del Top 40 de jazz, mientras que “Ella” de 2017 llegó al Top Ten de transmisión. Blanco, grabado en los estudios Abbey Road de Londres, fue lanzado en 2020 y seguido por Negro grabado simultáneamente en 2021; se emitieron como Blanco y Negro.

Nacido en Antigua, Arjona se interesó por la música desde temprana edad, pero inicialmente decidió convertirse en maestro de escuela rural. También jugó baloncesto para la selección guatemalteca, pero siguió tocando la guitarra y escribiendo canciones en su tiempo libre. Tras darse cuenta de que la música era su vocación, emigró a la Ciudad de México; una vez allí, tocó en muchos festivales de música estudiantil y buscó un contrato de grabación.

Arjona finalmente consiguió un trato con PolyGram, pero el sello intentó comercializarlo como un amante latino estereotípico para su debut, Dejame Decir Que Te Amo. El álbum fracasó comercial y críticamente, y Arjona pasó los siguientes cinco años enseñando y ocasionalmente escribiendo canciones que fueron grabadas por otros artistas. Luego se mudó a Buenos Aires y comenzó a actuar nuevamente. Regresó a la esfera discográfica con material más adecuado a sus experiencias como cantante de actualidad, concretamente con “Jesus Verbo No Sustantivo”, una controvertida canción sobre sus experiencias en una escuela católica cuando era niño. Le ganó otro contrato discográfico, esta vez con Sony, el sello que lanzó muchos de sus álbumes más populares, incluido Animal Nocturno de 1992. Sus siguientes dos álbumes, Historias de 1994 y Si el Norte Fuera el

Sur de 1996, no solo fueron populares sino también los favoritos de la crítica.

Galería Caribe, que apareció en 2000, se convirtió en el primer álbum número uno de Arjona en la lista Top Latin Albums, y Santo Pecado de 2002 le valió un premio Grammy Latino. Adentro, lanzado a fines de 2005, fue un hito en el catálogo de Arjona; marcó la primera de varias contribuciones del productor y compositor puertorriqueño Tommy Torres y le valió a Arjona otro Grammy Latino. 5to Piso siguió en 2008, reforzado por la ayuda de Torres, además de un sencillo de gran éxito en “Como Duele”. Poquita Ropa llegó dos años después, con Arjona adoptando un enfoque más sencillo. Lanzado en 2011, Independiente presentó un sonido y un estilo más pop que hicieron del álbum un éxito comercial y de transmisión, con su sencillo principal, “El Amor”, convirtiéndose en un gran éxito.

En lo que se había convertido en una moda típica, Arjona cambió de dirección creativa nuevamente para Viaje de 2014, un álbum de cantautor de principio a fin, impulsado por las experiencias de la vida en la carretera y la depresión clínica provocada por la muerte de su madre.

El siguiente lanzamiento de Arjona fue una colección acústica de sus baladas favoritas, Apague la Luz y Escuche de 2016, que ascendió al número uno en la lista de Latin Pop Albums. Su siguiente

conjunto de material original, Circo Soledad, llegó en abril de 2017. Arjona realizó una gira masiva en apoyo del álbum. La gira Circo Soledad inició en Toluca, México en mayo de 2017 y concluyó en noviembre de 2018 en Guatemala; tocó en más de 115 conciertos en 20 países y 75 ciudades. Fue una de las giras más taquilleras de artistas latinos durante el período. En agosto de 2019, Arjona lanzó un DVD de concierto y un álbum en vivo titulado Vivo Circo Soledad!, con un video sencillo de avance para “Historia de Taxi” que apareció a principios de ese mes.

Arjona regresó al estudio a fines de ese año y completó Blanco en Abbey Road Studios en Londres. Fue lanzado en julio de 2020 como el primero de un álbum de dos partes. Debido a la pandemia de COVID-19, no pudo apoyarlo con una gira. En julio de 2021, emitió Hecho a la Antigua, nominado al Grammy, que documenta un concierto transmitido en vivo desde su país de origen con más de 30 músicos acompañantes de todo el mundo. Fue visto por más de tres millones de fans, convirtiéndose en el concierto en streaming más visto de la historia de la música iberoamericana. En noviembre lanzó el álbum compañero de Blanco, Negro. Fueron grabados en Abbey Road simultáneamente y lanzados en el paquete combinado Blanco y Negro.

Ricardo & Gabriela Se Presenta En El Smart Financial Center El

18 De Mayo

Releración de Rodrigo y Gabriela “In Between Thoughts ... A New World”

El nuevo álbum histórico presenta a los recientes singles asrodrigo y gabriela lanzamiento “The Eye That Catches The Dream”, “Egoland,” Y “Descending To Nowhere”

La gira de titulares de América del Norte comienza el 18 de mayo en Houston, TX

Nuevo sencillo, “True Nature” Añadida a Spotify’s New MusicEscuchar / Nuevo single, @ https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=RBAsqMOk87U&ab_channel=RodrigoYGabrielaVEVO

Stream / Download “In Between Thoughts ... A New World” @ https://atorecords-ffm.com/inbetweenthoughts

Orden “In Between Thoughts ... A New World” @ https:// shop.rodgab.com/en/rodrigo-y-gabriela/in-between-thoughts...anew-world-d2c-exclusive-custom-color-2lp/889198426416.html

Los virtuosos de la guitarra ganadores del premio Grammy, Rodrigo y Gabriela, se enorgullecen de anunciar el lanzamiento de su nuevo álbum histórico, In Between Thoughts... A New World, disponible ahora a través de ATO Records. Una edición limitada de 2000 unidades en vinilo de color personalizado de lujo 2xLP está disponible exclusivamente en www.rodgab.com, con un LP translúcido de color personalizado “Galaxy” junto con un LP adicional que recopila las nueve pistas del proyecto Stages profundamente metafísico del año pasado en opaco “ Galaxy” vinilo de color personalizado en un paquete plegable.

La muy esperada continuación de Rodrigo y Gabriela de Mettavolution, ganadora del premio GRAMMY® de 2019 y la primera colección de larga duración en cuatro años, In Between Thoughts...A New World llega como una de las ofertas más reveladoras del dúo hasta la fecha: una obra unificada compuesta espontáneamente. obra preparada para provocar la misma expansión de conciencia que inspiró su creación. Producido por Rodrigo y Gabriela en su estudio en Ixtapa, México, el álbum incluye sencillos como “The Eye That Catches The Dream”, “Egoland” y “Descending To Nowhere”, este último acompañado de un video musical oficial, dirigida por el aclamado cineasta/locutor mexicano Olallo Rubio y disponible ahora en YouTube. El nuevo sencillo, “True Nature”, se agregó hoy a New Music Friday de Spotify EE. UU.

Un éxito #3 más agregado en los medios de Non-Com Radio en todo el país, “Descending To Nowhere” tuvo su estreno mundial con una función profunda e iluminadora de “Origins” a través de Consequence y fue rápidamente nombrada por Paste como uno de “The 10 Best Canciones de febrero de 2023”, aclamándolo como “un ritmo irresistible que crece y disminuye a medida que muestra deliciosos licks eléctricos y las prometidas oleadas orquestales”.

Rodrigo y Gabriela marcarán la llegada de In Between Thoughts...A New World con un sólido calendario de giras internacionales a partir del 24 de abril con un espectáculo con entradas agotadas en Londres, el histórico Roundhouse de Inglaterra. Las fechas principales de América del Norte comienzan el 18 de mayo en el Smart Financial Center de Sugarland, TX y luego continúan hasta principios de julio. Los aspectos más destacados incluyen actuaciones especiales con el baterista Antonio Sánchez, cuatro veces ganador del premio Grammy, en San Diego, CA’s Humphreys Concerts by the Bay (26 y 27 de mayo), Los Ángeles, CA’s YouTube Theatre (1 de junio) y Morrison, CO’s Red Rocks Amphitheater (junio 11), junto con espectáculos en lugares tan renombrados como el Ryman Auditorium de Nashville, TN (19 de junio), el Kings Theatre de Brooklyn, NY (27 de junio) y la Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier de Montreal, QC | Plaza de las Artes (1 de julio). Los invitados especiales

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Autor de la foto: Ebru Yildiz

Rodrigo Y Gabriela

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incluyen Krooked Kings (del 18 al 27 de mayo), Bahamas (del 1 al 11 de junio) y Ondara (del 13 al 29 de junio). Rodrigo y Gabriela actuarán en la nueva serie de Later… with Jools Holland en BBC Two y BBC iPlayer en junio. Para obtener detalles completos e información sobre boletos, visite www.rodgab.com/tour-dates.

Durante más de dos décadas, Rodrigo y Gabriela han creado música que invita a la trascendencia duradera, cautivando al público de todo el mundo con su forma de tocar la guitarra virtuosa pero tremendamente inventiva. Álbumes elogiados por la crítica como Mettavolution, ganador del premio GRAMMY® de 2019, han visto al dúo criado en la Ciudad de México recurriendo continuamente a la expresión musical como una forma de búsqueda espiritual, un viaje que recientemente condujo a la realización de su sexto álbum de estudio. A partir de su estudio de Advaita Vedanta (una filosofía hindú arraigada en el concepto de no dualismo), In Between Thoughts... A New World surgió de un período transformador de despertar espiritual y un posterior estallido de creatividad sin restricciones.

Mientras se recuperaba de Covid en el otoño de 2020, Rodrigo se topó con el concepto de no dualismo: la noción de que existe una “realidad única, infinita e indivisible, cuya naturaleza es la conciencia pura, de la cual todos los objetos y los seres derivan su existencia aparentemente independiente. ”, en palabras del autor/profesor Rupert Spira. Compartió sus hallazgos con Gabriela, quien sintió una resonancia similar. A medida que profundizaron en la filosofía, el dúo comenzó a canalizar este nuevo sentido de mayor conciencia en forma de canción.

“La música simplemente comenzó a fluir, sin ninguna intención real”, dice Rodrigo. “Cuando miramos hacia atrás, nos dimos cuenta de que habíamos encontrado nueve canciones que contaban la historia de cómo llegamos a comprender el camino del Advaita, en el orden exacto y perfecto. No cambiamos la base de las canciones a partir de ese momento, así que lo que escuchas en el álbum es la música tal como la estábamos creando”.

En un testimonio de la expresividad y profundidad de la musicalidad de Rodrigo y Gabriela, Entre pensamientos lleva al oyente sin palabras a través de una narrativa compleja completa con trama, arcos emocionales y mucha tensión dramática. Mezclado por James Monti (The Who, The Head and the Heart) y masterizado por Greg Calbi (Tame Impala, Beach House), el álbum marca un marcado alejamiento del característico sonido acústico del dúo, con Rodrigo cambiando su guitarra acústica por eléctrica, añadiendo una nueva energía mercurial elegantemente amplificada por el uso sutil del dúo de sintetizadores analógicos, Mellotron y otros instrumentos electrónicos. Rodrigo y Gabriela también trabajaron de forma remota con el compositor con sede en Viena Adam Ilyas Kuruc y la Orquesta Sinfónica de Bulgaria, quienes adornaron los arreglos serpenteantes del dúo con cuerdas exuberantes y una percusión poderosa. Sin embargo, incluso cuando se adentra en un terreno sonoro inexplorado, el álbum extrae gran parte de su poder de la dinámica singular que siempre ha distinguido la música de Rodrigo y Gabriela, una interacción delicada entre el rasgueo potente y percusivo de Gabriela y el trabajo de guitarra solista increíblemente rápido pero intrincado de Rodrigo. la música simplemente comenzó a fluir, sin ninguna intención real”, dice Rodrigo. “Cuando miramos hacia atrás, nos dimos cuenta de que habíamos encontrado nueve canciones que contaban la historia de cómo llegamos a comprender el camino del Advaita, en el orden exacto y perfecto. No cambiamos la base de las

Conéctate con Rodrigo Y Gabriela: Official @ https://www.rodgab.com/ Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/rodgab Instagram @

https://www.instagram.com/rodrigoygabriela/ Tiktok @ https://twitter.com/rodgab

Twitter @ https://twitter.com/rodgab

Youtube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UC2aEvw7VlapqdI6TB6AMjNQ

canciones a partir de ese momento, así que lo que escuchas en el álbum es la música tal como la estábamos creando”.

Reflexionando sobre la creación de In Between Thoughts…A New World, Rodrigo y Gabriela notan rápidamente la encantadora espontaneidad que guió su proceso, un elemento que se extiende hasta su descubrimiento fortuito del artista conceptual Jeremy Gluck, quien creó la portada del álbum. art y cuyo trabajo está parcialmente inspirado en las enseñanzas del renombrado gurú indio del no dualismo Nisargadatta Maharaj.

“Creo que una de las principales cosas que nos llevaremos de esta experiencia es dejar que la música fluya, que viva y respire sin juzgarla primero”, dice Gabriela.

“No trabajamos en este disco pensando: ‘Compartamos este mensaje con el mundo’; no estamos interesados en predicar nada”, dice Rodrigo. “Si beneficia a las personas de alguna manera aprender sobre esto, entonces eso es maravilloso. Pero para nosotros fue una forma de explorar algo que nos trajo mucha paz y libertad, algo de lo que nos encanta hablar porque cambió nuestras vidas de una manera increíble”.

Escucha a “True Nature” @ https://open.spotify.com/album/ 1el8dp6jP1HbmqRDBVMmj3?si=ARWFxT50Qfm8Fv-3M1wIgQ&nd=1

Escucha a “The Eye That Catches The Dream” @ https://atorecords-ffm.com/theeye

Escucha a “Egoland” @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqnw2EQsgWk

Mirar “Descending To Nowhere” Official Music Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn-L8nOJUNk

Fonseca se presenta en El Arena Theatre el 3 De Junio

por Evan C. Gutiérrez

Fonseca es una cantante y compositora galardonada de éxito en ventas de Colombia. Su música es celebrada por su combinación accesible de estilos pop modernos con ritmos colombianos tradicionales, evidenciados en su álbum Corazón y los sencillos “Cómo Me Mira” y “Entre Mi Vida y La Tuya”. También es un activista social que usa su voz para luchar por la justicia social. Apoyó el programa nacional “Canta Conmigo”, en el que ofreció capacitación, lecciones y apoyo a exguerrilleros y paramilitares de las FARC después de una guerra de décadas. También ha asistido a las Naciones Unidas en varios programas, incluida la iniciativa “No más violencia contra las mujeres”, y se unió a su compatriota Juanes en la campaña “Soñar es un derecho” contra el reclutamiento militar de menores.

Fonseca nació en Bogotá con el nombre de pila Juan Fernando Fonseca. Comenzó a estudiar música antes de los diez años y eligió el apodo escénico de solo apellido cuando era niño. Vendió sus primeras composiciones a amigos y familiares a la edad de 12 años. Después de graduarse de la escuela secundaria, Fonseca estudió música (guitarra, voz y composición) en la Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá y Berklee College of Music en Boston. Al regresar a Colombia, comenzó a realizar y grabar demos, uno de los cuales llamó la atención de Líderes Entertainment Group, una parte de EMI Colombia, quien lo contrató en 2001. El debut homónimo de Fonseca le ganó una atención considerable en casa. Aunque ni el álbum ni los sencillos llegaron a las listas de éxitos, el trabajo del artista, sin embargo, ganó una gran difusión en la radio nacional y, en consecuencia, la atención de artistas como Shakira y Juanes, quienes ofrecieron colaboraciones posteriores y oportunidades de actuación. Compartir el escenario con Shakira en su gira Mongoose y Juanes en el estadio Campín de Bogotá le dio a Fonseca el reconocimiento y el impulso que necesitaría para su segundo álbum, Corazón de 2005, que exploró la encrucijada donde las influencias del pop/rock se encuentran con el vallenato, el bullerengue y el ritmos de tambora de su tierra natal. Lanzado por EMI, Corazón fue bien recibido, alcanzando

el número seis en la lista de álbumes tropicales, mientras que sus sencillos se ubicaron en el Top 20 en Latin Pop y Tropical Songs. Gratitud siguió en 2008. Sus dos sencillos, “Arroyito” y “Enredame”, ambos figuraron en las listas de Latin Pop Songs y el álbum alcanzó su punto máximo dentro del Top 10 en la lista de álbumes tropicales.

Ya exitosa, Fonseca saltó al estatus de superestrella con el lanzamiento de Ilusión en 2011. Si bien el álbum aterrizó justo fuera del Top 10 de álbumes tropicales, fue nominado para un Grammy como Mejor álbum de pop latino y ganó el Grammy latino por Mejor álbum de fusión tropical. Su sencillo en las listas de éxitos, “Desde Que No Estás”, fue nominado a Canción Tropical del Año. En cuatro meses, el largometraje alcanzó el estatus de quíntuple platino y un disco de diamante por sus ventas en Colombia. Fonseca, para entonces conocido como embajador de la música de Colombia en el mundo, grabó Sinfónico en concierto con la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia de más de 100 miembros en 2013, publicado un año después como Fonseca Sinfónico con la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia. . Fue nominado al Grammy Latino como Álbum del Año y ganó como Mejor Álbum Vocal Pop Tradicional, convirtiéndose en su tercer disco de platino por ventas en Colombia. También se colocó dentro del Top 20 en la lista de álbumes clásicos. A principios de 2015, Fonseca recibió La Musa Premio Triunfador del Salón de la Fama de los Compositores Latinos, y en mayo recibió el primer Premio Ícono Contemporáneo en los Premios de Música SESAC Latina. En otoño, lanzó el álbum Conexión. Se ubicó en el número dos en la lista de álbumes tropicales gracias al éxito de sus sencillos de prelanzamiento “Y No Me Faltas” y “Y Tú” (un dueto con Juanes). El set también incluyó un segundo dueto, “Amor Eterno”, con Victor Manuelle. El sencillo “Vine a Buscarte” ganó el Grammy Latino 2016 a la Mejor Canción Tropical y finalmente fue certificado cuádruple Platino. Ese mismo año estrenó Homenaje (A la Música de Diomedes Díaz). Producida por Bernardo Ossa, contenía 12 de las canciones más conocidas del desaparecido cantante colombiano Diomedes Díaz, reorganizadas al estilo pop fusión de Fonseca. Le valió un Grammy Latino en 2016 por Mejor álbum de Cumbia/Vallenato. Entre los dos, Fonseca llegó a la lista de Latin Pop Songs con cuatro pistas diferentes.

Continuando con su labor social, se convirtió en el primer Embajador de Buena Voluntad de Colombia de la Fundación Save the Children. En octubre, a través de un concierto sinfónico, lanzó su Fundación Gratitud con Camilo Hoyos como director, velando por la preservación de las tradiciones culturales colombianas. Lo siguió con una gira de recaudación de fondos y concienciación. En marzo de 2017, recibió un premio en la categoría Tropical por “Vine a Buscarte” durante la 25ª edición de los Premios de Música Latina ASCAP. En noviembre, Fonseca sacó a escondidas el sencillo “Por pura curiosidad”, que llegó a las listas de éxitos aéreos y de canciones tropicales, y luego se lanzó en una versión especial con la participación del ex vocalista y trompetista de Capital Cities, Spencer Ludwig. Un segundo sencillo, “Cuando Llego a Casa”, apareció en diciembre como tema oficial de la telenovela de Televisia Papá a Toda Madre que se transmitió en México. Fonseca inició el 2018 con el sencillo “Porque Nadie Sabe”, con el cantante y guitarrista argentino ganador del Grammy Latino, Nahuel Pennisi. En mayo de 2018, Fonseca recibió el Premio al Álbum de Diamante en la Sony Music Convention en México de manos del presidente y director ejecutivo de Sony Latin, Afo Verde, y del presidente de Sony Music U.S., Nir Seroussi, para conmemorar sus más de 400 millones de transmisiones de audio y video para los álbumes Conexión e Ilusión.

Robert Plant And Alison Krauss Perform

At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss put on an amazing performance this past month at The Cynthia Woods Pavilion. These two seem to have taken a real shine to each other and not only recorded a couple of albums together, they also get out and tour together. Kicking off the concert with “Rich Woman” by Li’l Millet and His Creoles you could tell that this was going to be a pretty subdued performance. If you went there expecting Robert to be belting out Led Zeppelin favorites at top volume, you sure missed that call, however he did manage to slip a couple of Zep tunes in there like “Rock And Roll” and “The Battle Of Evermore”. He also performed “When The Levee Breaks”, but that was merely a cover by Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe McCoy that Zeppelin had put on one of their albums. They were notorious for snagging other people’s work, but hell, everybody else did too. The renditions of these songs were performed very well, and in a style that befitted their layed back performance of the show. Robert paid a bit of respect to a couple of his idols night in the form of Ray Charles’ “Leave My Woman Along” and Bert Jansch’s “Go Your Way” and “It Don’t Bother Me.” There wasn’t really much in the form of a Robert Plant/Alison Krauss original except for the song “High And Lonesome” from their album Raise The Roof. The rest of the songs performed were covers by Calexico (“Quattro (World Drifts In”), Benny Spellman (“Fortune Teller”), The Everly Brothers (“The Price Of Love” and “Gone Gone Gone”), and even a cover by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (“Please Read This Letter”). The concert ended with the encore of Randy Weeks’ “Can’t Let Go.” All in all, this was a fine performance and it was great to see Robert and Alison perform together. They sounded fantastic.

RANDOM SHOTS

Jame Wilhite And The Classix Perform At Green Oaks Tavern

In Humble

Photos by Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

The Mathias Lattin Band and Friends Perform At The Big Easy

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Doomstress Perform At The Black Magic Social Club

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Shy Foxx Perform At The BFE Rock Cllub

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Sonny Boy Terry Performs at Shady Acres Saloon

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Eagle Perform At The Concert Pub North

Spread

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

The Chris Castaneda Band Perform At The Big Easy

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Saviorskin Perform At The Black Magic Social Club

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Zombieface Perform At The Acadia Bar And Grill

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Chip Oliphant Performs

At Katie’s Bar In Bacliff

Photos By Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

The Houston Ensemble Perform At Leon’s Lounge

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Benny Brasket Performs At Katie’s Bar In Bacliff

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Dirtymind Perform At The BFE Rock Club

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Skull Soup Perform At The 19th Hole

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Echo Temple Perform At David Pilkenton’s aka Zebra’s Benefit At The BFE Rock Club

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Dead Man’s Hand Perform At David Pilkenton’s aka Zebra’s Benefit At The BFE Rock Club

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman