SHOW REVIEW: Spreadneck City & Riverfest 2011 Weekend

Well, a wonderful weekend of music has come to a close here in Little Rock. I decided I wanted to review some of the highlights, so here I go:
Friday night: Spreadneck City
Friday brought the beginning of Riverfest 2011 and what me and about 200 of my friends have been waiting for for months: Widespread Panic in our hometown!
Yes, we are what I affectionately call "Spreadnecks." All of us, to some degree at least, follow Widespread Panic and try to see them as much as possible at shows all across the country whenever we have the opportunity.
And this year, since Panic was a headliner at Riverfest, Little Rock played host to thousands of Spreadnecks from all over the nation.
The pre-party at Stickyz that afternoon was like a big ol' family reunion, and I saw friends and acquaintances — folks I've met at other Panic shows and at music festivals — from as close as Little Rock and as far away as New Zealand. What a blast!
We all continued our fun at the Panic concert, and what a concert it was! The setlist was AMAZING!
One thing non-Panic and non-jamband fans may not know is that Panic never plays the same concert twice. They have a system that prevents any setlist from being repeated, and they even work to ensure that they don't play the same songs within a certain number of shows from each other.
In other words, every single concert experience is a different one. Some setlists end up being magical, others may not — since we all know that the chemistry between particular songs does not always flow perfectly.
The trick with jambands is making that chemistry and transition between songs flow perfectly, OR knowing when it's not going to flow perfectly and when to just cut it off and start a whole new "jam" or song sequence.
Panic is especially skilled at this. Some "jambands" think they should never stop playing, and that their goal in life should be to somehow blend every single song with the next one without ever missing a note. But that doesn't always work, and not many musicians can make it work and sound good at the same time (unless all your songs sound the same, which is boring). Thank goodness, Panic doesn't have this problem. That's why I like their shows so much.
This Panic concert happened to be filled with a lot of their classics, which was just fine with me. I do have to add that I was a little disappointed they didn't whip out their full light show bag of tricks, but that's OK. The musical performance made me forget all about that.
The first of the show was all well-known faves, much to the singalong-crowd's delight.
Panic opened with Holden Oversoul, which was on their first commercial CD released back in September 1988, "Space Wrangler."
Next was Pleas off their 1993 album, "Everyday," then they rocked right into Love Tractor, which is off their 1991 self-titled album.
The thousands of fans ate up these classics and more, dancing and singing along from the get-go and never stopping throughout the entire three-and-a-half-hour show.

The remainder of the first-half setlist:
Good People
Shut Up and Drive
Fishwater

Blackout>

Disco

Junior

Now, I have to add here that Friday night's version of Disco melted my ears to their core. I have heard (in person) Panic do Disco three times. Once, it sounded much like it sounds on the album, 1998's "Light Fuse Get Away," and it was amazing to hear it live. Another time I heard it at a concert, it sounded a little rushed, like they weren't really feeling it or weren't really trying to make it extra-special like they normally do with almost all their songs. But this Friday at Riverfest, they ROCKED Disco, which happens to be one of my favorite songs. So I was pretty happy.
As you might guess from the title, the song features some special guitar and keyboard effects reminiscent of the 1970s disco era, and its fast backbeat FORCES you to shake it on down (as R.L. Burnside would say, LOL). It's a GREAT song, and they really did it right for Little Rock Friday night. JoJo Hermann was on FIRE on the keys, and Jimmy Herring gave us a thrill on lead guitar as well.
After setbreak, Panic came back out almost instantly on fire, thrilling the crowd with more new and old favorites, the highlight of which was the absolute face-rocking solos by Jimmy Herring on "Chilly Water" — I mean, really, I have never seen anybody rock that hard and that skillfully and for that long on a guitar. I swear I saw smoke coming from his strings! I am not making this up! (Well, maybe I am about the smoke, LOL…)

Here's the rest of the concert setlist: 
Black Hole

Dirty Side Down
Diner>
Ribs and Whiskey (Everybody went crazy!)
Light is Like Water with Jerry Joseph
Chainsaw City with Jerry Joseph
Drums
Chilly Water
Pilgrims

Conrad
Encore: Expiration Day, Imitation Leather Shoes > Action Man

Now, This was my first time to hear "Chainsaw City" live, and it's one of my new faves by Panic. What a song! The lyrics are kinda dark (Jerry Joseph wrote it) but the music is just great rock-n-roll, and it's got a great hook.
As for the end of the show: I have to say I'm not a fan of slow songs during an encore, but as far as slow songs go, "Expiration Day" is a beautiful song. Seems a little, uh, heavy in topic for a late-night party crowd wanting an encore to a great three-hour concert, but whatever. At least they brought the heat with the next two songs, ending on a high note with a rockin' rendition of "Action Man."
All in all, it was a fabulous Panic show, not typical of a Panic festival set at all, but far, far more intense and much longer. Little Rock really got a treat, and for that we are grateful!

Later Friday night, Weakness For Blondes really brought an excellent, rowdy show filled with awesome originals and fun covers to a rowdy Spreadneck crowd back at Stickyz, which was at capacity all night with, at one point, hundreds waiting in line to get inside. It was nuts and a ton of fun, with old and new friends mingling inside and out on the patio.
I hear that FreeVerse really threw down at Midtown late-night after Stickyz closed, but I didn't make it that long, alas. Sorry guys.

Saturday: Riverfest, an Encore, & Pure Rock
The highlight of Saturday was sitting in the sun, getting my first real sunburn of the year — though DANG was it uncomfortably hot all of a sudden! — and listening proudly to my friend Barry Fowler play lead guitar for Southern Rock band Zach Williams & the Reformation on the Miller Lite Ampitheatre Stage.
They remind me a WHOLE LOT of The Black Crowes, and they have a lot of potential and talent. I think the sound — technically speaking — wasn't all that great that afternoon, however, and the setlist needed a little pick-me-up in between a few of the more mellow songs. Just my opinion though.
But they had several very strong originals that have what I call "radio-land legs" (a potential to earn airtime and popularity on commercial radio), and I loved, loved, loved their cover of The Beatles' "Come Together," which just happened to feature a solo or three by Fowler (and he did great!).
Then over at the Stickyz Music Tent at 8 pm, things got nasty as Chicago funk-soul-pop band Lubriphonic nearly tore the tent down, so to speak. Dozens of Riverfest-goers followed the band over to their late-night show at Stickyz that evening, which began at 11 pm, to see them play even more of that funky James Brown-inspired party music. It was a great night.
Then it got at least two notches better, when I went over to Midtown to check out Chillyrose, a straight-up rock-and-roll band with some Southern Rock, Alt-Rock and Jamband influences who are based in Pocahontas, believe it or not. While I've heard them before and liked 'em, I must admit I'd not really LISTENED to them while completely sober and paying attention, LOL. And on this night, I was sober and at attention.
After an hour, still sober, I announced that Chillyrose is my new favorite straight-up rock band in the state of Arkansas.
They have excellent originals that vary widely from song to song in tempo, sound, style and lyrics. Their two leaders, Kris Rose and Chris Lynch, are both talented songwriters, both skilled lead guitarists and both strong vocalists.
The recent addition of a bassist has added a whole new dimension of sound — beyond the expected one of depth to the existing percussion — and the result is fantastic.
I REALLY hope these guys can get in a studio soon and get some of their newer songs down in a professional setting, because I think that will help them grow immensely.
As for shows, look for them to start blowing up in the next year and come to venue near you. When they do, don't miss it.
Favorite original: "Twilight." Gorgeous. Favorite cover: "Whipping Post." Best version I've heard for less than a $20 cover charge in a long time, maybe ever. Thanks guys.  :)


Sunday: Exhaustion & a Quick Big Smith Fix
After a long week of planning, writing about and attending music shows as well as working an additional part-time job, I was worn out by Sunday. Hopes to attend Digital Underground early Sunday evening didn't work out when overwhelmingly bad traffic put me onsite an hour later than planned.
So I skipped it, went to straight to the Stickyz Music Tent for the last few minutes of the Kopecky Family Band — VERY impressive alt-pop group, surprised me in fact! — and to grab a table for the fireworks and the Big Smith show afterwards.
Difficult times, which I've seen a bit of lately, always call for bluegrass to bolster the spirits. It was my night, despite being extremely tired from the get-go.
Sure enough, a table opened up after the Kopeckys finished and the fireworks started. We grabbed one, I peeked out at the show in the sky and we waited.
Annoyingly, the sound guy was BLARING the RADIO, and it wasn't even radio that was appropriate for EITHER the fireworks show OR a pre-bluegrass show crowd, which was beginning to thicken (you could tell from the overalls, tie-dye and hula hoops). No, instead of playing some house bluegrass tunes or folk music — or wait, how about the freaking Symphony Orchestra live on air that is SUPPOSED to be played along with the fireworks?!? — the sound guy was playing, at ear-deafening level, a local classic rock station, commercials and all.
I cannot tell you how irritated I was after 45 minutes of this.
About 100 deep breaths and 20 minutes of incredible fireworks later, Big Smith finally started. Even though — out of the 50 or so times I've seen them play — it was probably in my bottom-five-favorite setlists, I STILL had a great time, because they ALWAYS put on a great show.
They just didn't play the songs I think are their best songs, that's all, such as "Mockingbird," "Don't You Ever," "Tongue In Groove," or "Go Away Maggie." They did, however, do their ever-popular songs "Fan," "Trash" and "Burn Down the House," making the very large crowd of fans up front extremely happy, judging from the likes of the jigs they were dancing.
I, myself, couldn't sit still for more than one song at a time, despite having blisters from wearing new shoes to the Panic concert Friday night (STUPID thing to do!). I danced to at least every other song, fighting off exhaustion and a cold, sweating unbecomingly in the early-summer riverside swelter. And it was wonderful. I left with a smile on my face and in my heart… Thanks, Big Smith!
And thank you to all the awesome musicians who brought Little Rock and Arkansas music fans such a great week and weekend of music!
Love Live Music, y'all!

SHOW REVIEW: Wanda Jackson Brings House Down In Little Rock

Last Wednesday night, May 25, was a definite highlight of my year as it brought Wanda Jackson, the First Lady of Rock And Roll, to Rev Room in Little Rock.
Jackson, believed to be the first female to star on a rock-n-roll record, toured with Elvis back in the day and even talked during her show Wednesday night of performing with him in Camden in 1961. (My friend John Davies' mom and sister were there! How cool is that?!)
Jackson — a tiny, stately lady sporting a dark brown, beautiful, "set" Grandma-type hairdo and a white sparkly jacket with layers of sexy fringe — truly held court while on stage, sharing stories from her long and varied career in between her old and new hit songs.
The 2009 Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Inductee performed "Let's Have a Party," "Mean, Mean Man," "Rock Your Baby" and several other big hits from the late 1950s and early '60s, as well as a few covers from her old pals Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. She also did a couple of her more country hits and rocked out the gospel tune "I Saw The Light," sharing a brief but not-too-preachy mention of her conversion to Christianity in the early 1970s.
She then transitioned into some tunes off her brand new album, "The Party Ain't Over," produced by none other than Jack White of the White Stripes, previously mentioned. (His presence was felt all over Little Rock this week, LOL.)
Now, I have to say I was a little skeptical about what these new (rock? is that what they would be classified as?) songs would sound like coming from a 73-year-old former rockabilly singer — despite the fact that "The Party Ain't Over" has already reached No. 17 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart. That's pretty damn good!
But my skepticism had waned early in the night — the minute she'd begun singing. Her voice is just awesome, still, and it has an edginess and purity that probably any 20-something alt-rock or pop singer would give a limb to have as their own. It's an unusual vocal sound, not your everyday American Idol voice, and it certainly doesn't sound like your Grandma up there singing old songs.
My favorites off the new album were her cover of Bob Dylan's "Thunder On The Mountain" and her cover of Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good."
If you can't tell, I was highly impressed. We all were.
The couple of hundred or so people in the crowd — which included Hollywood actors and Little Rock residents Mary Steenburgen and Judge Reinhold, I might add — were all dancing and/or tapping their feet, and the dance floor stayed full all night with folks of a broader range of ages than any other show I can remember at Rev Room. It was a pretty cool sight to see. Everyone had a blast and was thrilled with the Queen of Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson. What a lady.

Lubriphonic Brings Funk, Soul To Stickyz Tonight After Riverfest Performance!!

You might think you know what to expect when you hear the band name Lubriphonic, but you might be wrong.
Billed as "Chicago Funk and Soul," Lubriphonic doesn't mess around. The band jams the "proto-funk of James Brown" as Jambase.com puts it, and if you don't want wanna dance, get the heck outta the way.
A seven-piece band that includes several horns, Lubriphonic is ready to blow your mind — as they have blown minds at clubs and major festival gigs all across the nation in recent years, including Wakarusa Music Festival and New Orleans' famed Tipitina's club.
And tonight, after warming up with an 8 pm set at the Riverfest Stickyz Music Tent, Lubriphonic headlines at Stickyz Rock N' Roll Chicken Shack with a show at 10:30 pm!
The band has been playing sold-out shows with the likes of Widespread Panic, George Clinton & P-Funk, Buddy Guy, Dumpstaphunk and many other great bands, and they just played two days at Bear Creek Music Festival where James Brown horns Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley joined Lubriphonic onstage for a few jams. Other sit-ins included Sam Kininger from Soulive and Chris Myer from Umphrey's McGee.
Another famous name Lubriphonic is familiar with is Ivan Neville, as he guest-stars on the band's new CD, "The Gig Is On," which received rave reviews from Jambase as well as Relix and Alternate Root Magazine and the Atlanta Examiner.

Here's what some other critics had to say about Lubriphonic:

• “Combine the best elements of old-school funk and edgy rock and roll, throw in some soulful R&B, and you end up with Lubriphonic, one of the most happening bands out there today... Lubriphonic draws from strong, eclectic influences, yet is cutting-edge original-- Soul Solution is a listening pleasure and a dancing treat". — John Lynskey, Hittin' The Note
• “This old-school Chicago-based rocking funk and soul band kicks up the dust with a crackling three-piece horn section and enough energy to blow the fuses at this intimate venue. Its terrific originals sound like ‘70s covers and when it does dig down for an oldie, as on Curtis Mayfield’s classic ‘If There’s a Hell Below (We’re All Gonna Go),’ it’s an all-stops-pulled blast.” – Hal Horowitz, Creative Loafing Atlanta

Now, Lubriphonic brings their electric, energetic and funk-filled show to Stickyz tonight after blowing away the staff and crowd at a recent performance here in April.
Early admission is just $5.
For more info, visit www.stickyz.com.
Stickyz is located at 107 S. Commerce St. in the River Market district in downtown Little Rock.

K*Star's Picks for Riverfest 2011

Following are the bands I've picked out to go see this year at Riverfest, and I highly recommend them to you as well. In some cases, I'll explain why, but most of the time, you might just have to take my word for it! But trust me, you will not be disappointed.

Friday:
6:15 pm Bud Light Stage — Jerry Joseph: Joseph and his band frequently open for the Bud Light Stage headliner, Widespread Panic, all across the country. They are seasoned, highly respected performers and songwriters; in fact, some of Panic's biggest hits and best-loved songs ("North," "Climb To Safety") are Jerry Joseph tunes.
7:30 Bud Light Stage — Widespread Panic: There is a reason this band has been touring so successfully for two decades now and that tens of thousands of fans follow them all over the country when they embark upon a new tour schedule. First of all, they WILL rock your face off. Even if you have have never heard a so-called "jamband" (which they qualify as) that you like, and you can't stand the Grateful Dead (the father of all jambands), you will love a live Panic show. Heavy on improvisation and full of surprises for even the most seasoned fans, Panic shows feature not only impeccable musicianship but an amazing, beautiful light show as well. This is NOT a recital of their albums, by any stretch of the imagination. However, if you prefer a concert full of three-minute songs that sound exactly like they sounded on the radio 15-20 years ago and that you know every word to, you might want to go check out Poison when they start at 9:30…

Saturday:
12:30 Kidzone Stage — Sugar Free Allstars: Heard them before and had a good time listening (and I'm picky). Will be fun for all ages.
1:30 Miller Lite Ampitheatre Stage — Greg Gardner & Voodoo Cowboy
3:00 Bud Light Stage — Sea Nanners: A finalist in the Arkansas Times Musicians' Showcase recently, this indie pop band has a bright future, but I have to say it'd likely be even brighter if we could understand the lyrics… just saying'. Nevertheless, the music is great and the vocals are pleasant despite the fact that I have no idea what the lead singer is saying.
4:30 Miller Lite Ampitheatre Stage — Zach Williams & The Reformation: Easily the best-sounding band at the recent Dandy Day at the Park all-day concert on the north side of the river that also featured Black Oak Arkansas, Zach Williams & The Reformation hails from Jonesboro and offers up a mixture of Southern Rock, Blues-Rock and Country-Rock. And they Rock! TONS of talent in this group, not the least of which is my good friend on lead guitar, Barry Fowler. (This is my shout-out to Barry! Rock on, brother!)
6:00 Miller Lite Ampitheatre Stage — Pat Green: Green has had some commercial (country radio and video) success over the past several years, but he's been a touring machine for at least a decade and a half that I have witnessed. He is AWESOME. I would call him alt-country, but some would just call him "new country." Who cares, though; all that matters is he brings a party and his music is great. And if he does his mega-hit "Wave On Wave," you just might have a religious experience.
8:00 Stickyz Music Tent — Lubriphonic: I saw this funk-soul-pop band (which includes horns, key info in my book) out of Chicago recently and they blew my mind and I didn't stop shaking my rear the entire night. Let me say it this way: You're nuts if you miss this show. Last year, it was Michael Burks Band who brought down the tent at Riverfest; this year it'll be Lubriphonic — bet.
9:30 Stickyz Music Tent — Free Sol: I don't know much about them, but word on the street is this is the sleeper star of Riverfest. OK, that's enough for me to check them out, since Barenaked Ladies is the other option and they started getting on my nerves from too much radio play about, oh, a decade ago. Just kidding. Sort of.

Sunday:
1:30 Miller Lite Ampitheatre Stage — Matt Stell & The Crashers: Some of the best of Arkansas' music scene offerings, according to my friend-with-good-taste Suzon.
3:30 Stickyz Music Tent — Adam Faucett: This Saline County native who should be getting more press than he has gotten has been touring all over the place from what I hear. There has to be a reason and I plan to find out what it is when I go see him on Sunday.
5:00 Stickyz Music Tent — Grace Askew: I know they share a name, but this chick truly reminds me of a softer, gentler (but still rockin') Grace Potter. She is REALLY good and WAY underrated in my book.
7:45 Bud Light Stage — Digital Underground: Do the HUMPTY DANCE Y'ALL! Seriously, my brother has seen this band before (regrettably I missed that show) and he says they are a BLAST. So… "Stop what you're doing, 'cuz I'm about to ruin, the image and the style that you're used to…" Yes, I had to go there.
9:45 Stickyz Music Tent — Big Smith: Yes, I have broad tastes in music, but this hillbilly-rock/bluegrass band from Springfield, Mo., will get you doing a new kind of humpty dance, for real yo! If you are open to music that contains flavors of bluegrass, or comedy, or country, you will LOVE Big Smith.

That's it y'all! Have a great time, stay safe and be kind!

Panic Party All Day Long At Stickyz Rock N' Roll Chicken Shack

The "lot party" typically found before Widespread Panic shows all across the country will be hosted by Stickyz Rock N' Roll Chicken Shack this Friday, the opening day of Riverfest.
The party gets under way around 3:30 pm with Panic DVDs on the bigscreen and "lot"-type vendors all afternoon at Stickyz in advance of the Widespread Panic show at the Bud Lite Stage at Riverfest starting at 7:30 Friday night.
After the Panic concert, the party at Stickyz continues with Little Rock-based funk-jamband Weakness For Blondes bringing their psychedelic blues-based jams to Panic fans who aren't yet ready to put up their dancing shoes.
Early admission is just $6. The music is expected to begin between 10 and 10:30 pm.
Weakness For Blondes features dueling guitar improvisation, tight vocal melodies and songs that tell stories of love, travels and the ability of music to move people.
In addition to a deep and multifaceted list of original tunes, WFB also pays homage to its influences with excellent, upbeat covers of artists such as the Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, The Band and many others.
WFB, which includes Ahren Herbert-WIlson on bass, Jason Adams on drums, Chris DeClerk on guitar and vocals and Rob Moore on electric guitar, will be joined by a guest musician Friday night, Cody Russell on pedal steel guitar. Russell has regularly played with such bands as Charliehorse and the Sarah Hughes Band, among others.
WFB has shared the stage with many major musical acts, including current Allman Brothers’ bassist, Oteil Burbridge, and his band, The Peacemakers; Particle; The Kudzu Kings; The Dirty Dozen Brass Band; Col. Bruce Hampton and the Codetalkers; and The Drew Emmit Band of Leftover Salmon fame.
If you are a Widespread Panic fan or a fan of funk, blues or jamband style music, don't miss Weakness For Blondes this Friday night at Stickyz! It's gonna be a rock 'n' roll party, y'all!

SHOW REVIEW: Grace Potter Blows Little Rock Away — REALLY.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals COMPLETELY BLEW AWAY a packed house at Rev Room Sunday night in Little Rock.
She took requests all day via Twitter and Facebook for the setlist, and during the show she said it was an all-request setlist, which she dubbed "#themostinterestingsetlistintheworld" when she Tweeted it today.
I don't know if it was the most "interesting" setlist in the world, but I know it was the most impressive rock show I've seen all year by anyone, male or female, at any level. The touching, short-and-sweet marriage proposal onstage by a fan to his girlfriend in the middle of the show didn't hurt either. (She said yes, after which GPN covered Berlin's "Take My Breath Away," with a lot of help on vocals from the crowd.)
So it's no secret that Grace Potter herself is the hottest thing in music since, I don't know, compact discs. I've seen her on TV and on YouTube and have been mightily impressed with her powerful, explosive vocals; her showmanship and raw sexuality; and her ability to scream — almost squeal — the highest notes you have ever heard come out of a human's mouth and still sound great and right on key.
But I still was totally unprepared for the mind-blowing performance I witnessed Sunday night. Seriously.
She opened with "Only Love," which was awesome and set a good, upbeat tempo for the rest of the evening. Next was "Joey," a song whose lyrics she sang as though she'd been living in a trailer park in backcountry Arkansas all her life struggling through poverty and an abusive relationship.
But besides being struck by the fact that her lyrics and style are so, well, Southern despite her Vermont upbringing, I was literally mesmerized by her sexuality and raw attraction. And I am as straight as can be, for the record.
The deal is, Grace Potter DEFINES sexuality when she's performing. She intermittently throws those arms up, dances her hands through the air, tosses her long locks of blonde hair (often) to the beat, shakes her perfectly shaped midsection (dressed in a tight, low-cut shimmering gold minidress at Rev Room) every few measures, all the while strutting back and forth across the stage every few minutes, alternating between the Fender guitar and mike at centerstage and the Hammond organ at stage left.  She OWNS that stage, and when she's strutting around it, doing her thing, you'd swear you'd trade a sibling to just be part of her gang for five minutes. She's THAT cool — she would make the Fonz seem like Gomer Pyle.
So all this is running through my head, and she goes into her third song, "Hot Summer Night," which is my least fave on her new self-titled CD. Or WAS my least fave, I should say. Damn.
She rocked it. It took about 16 measures and I was mentally apologizing to her for not liking the song previously. She took a song that I consider average or maybe slightly above and turned it into a rock anthem that gave me goosebumps and literally got me jumping up and down — along with the rest of the wild-eyed fans around me, all of us stunned by what we were witnessing and hearing.
Toward the peak of "Hot Summer Night," as she's pounding the keys and singing her guts out, she does this screaming-the-note thing — which has never, ever appealed to me from any singer until now — where she bares her unbelievable vocal range, hitting all the notes in at least three octaves from low to high and back again — and far exceeding any high note Mariah Carey ever even dreamed of.
I am not making this up! The hairs on my neck stood up, and the crowd went nuts. It was just unreal. This woman is a rockstar if I ever heard one.
The rest of the setlist:
"Low Road"
"Money"
"Tiny Light"
"Colors"
"Lose Some"
"Ah Mary"
"Bus"
(marriage proposal)
"Take My Breath Away" cover
"Big White Gate"
"White Rabbit" (which rocked harder than any version I've ever heard, including the original, no kidding!)
"Goodbye Kiss" (lots of ladies in the crowd singing along on this one; expected this one to be a little boring but it wasn't AT ALL.)
"Medicine" — the finale. And let me tell you, by the time GPN finished with this song, there was not a soul in the building who didn't believe wholeheartedly that Grace Potter doesn't truly have the Medicine That Everybody Wants.
For the encore, of course, she did "Paris," even though it was past time for her to be finished. And it wasn't a rushed version, either; she brought the house down yet again.
I cannot say enough how impressed I am after seeing this woman perform. This was, HANDS DOWN, THE best performance I have seen all year at Rev Room, possibly the best ever (Mute Math is still in the running for that title), and it also could have been the best performance for $20 I've ever seen in Little Rock, period.
If you weren't there, I'm sorry for you friends. If you were, you know I'm telling the truth… and I'm certain you will be right there with me again if she comes back before she blows up too much to play such an intimate venue again.
Word on the street is her brand new song with Kenny Chesney is about to hit the airwaves and make her a "radio star," so who knows what the future holds for her. All I can do is repeat my Tweet from mid-show last night: Grace Potter can scream at me any day! Wow, what a voice. What a rockstar. What a show.
Thanks to Chris King and Suzon Awbrey for all they do for the Central Arkansas live music scene and for making Rev Room a reality and bringing great artists and performances like this to Little Rock! Love Live Music, y'all!

Win Entry To Meet & Greet With Rockabilly Superstar Wanda Jackson at Rev Room Show This Wednesday!

LITTLE ROCK — Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2009 inductee Wanda Jackson — widely known as the First Lady of Rockabilly — is coming to Little Rock, and 10 lucky ticketholders will win entry to a special meet-and-greet with Ms. Jackson before the show!
Jackson, a singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist who was one of the first popular female rockabilly stars of the mid-1950s and '60s — and is unofficially known as the first woman to record a rock 'n' roll record — transitioned into a fairly successful mainstream country music career in the late 1960s and '70s with the decline of rockabilly. But with a recent rekindled interest in the genre has come a resurgence in Jackson's popularity across Europe and the United States.
Now she is headlining a show this Wednesday at Revolution Music Room, and Rev Room & LoveLiveMusic.com are giving away five pairs of tickets to a special pre-show meet-and-greet with the First Lady of Rockabilly.
To enter the contest, just post a comment on the Facebook event page at
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=215598888456827. Five winners will be randomly selected from among all the names with FB comments posted since the contest began at 6 p.m. today, Monday May 23, and each winner will be allowed to bring a guest. Only ticketholders will be allowed entry into the meet-and-greet with Ms. Jackson. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 day-of-show and are available at Rev Room, 823-0090, or at www.revroom.com.
Grammy-winning Jackson is best-remembered by most for her rockabilly Top 40 hits "Let's Have a Party" (also recorded by Elvis), "Right or Wrong," and "In the Middle of a Heartache," which peaked at No. 6. She also found some legs in a cover of Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' on."
More recently, Jackson has toured the country and globe, playing all kinds of festivals including SXSW in Austin last year with her new backing band, Oklahoma-based alt-country band The Green Corn Revival. On New Year's Eve, she covered an Amy Winehouse hit on the BBC's "Hootenanny" alongside Jools Holland and his orchestra, and a few weeks later she appeared with Jack White on "The Late Show with David Letterman" — where there reportedly was a whole lotta foot tappin' goin' on.
Now she has a brand new album out, "The Party Ain't Over," produced by Jack White of the White Stripes and Raconteurs, that has received many positive reviews from critics and fans alike.
Following is what some major media outlets have had to say recently about Jackson:
•Jackson's new album is … "at once reverent and uproarious.The song selection is superb: rollicking versions of Eddie Cochran and Little Richard songs, calypso standard, a gutsy reimagining of Bob Dylan's "Thunder on the Moutain." Jackson's not content to just remake the greats: Her slaying of Any Whinehouse's "You Know I'm No Good" is a master class for her wild-child inheritors." — Rolling Stone
•"Whether she's tackling Dylan for a rollicking first single ("Thunder on the Mountain") or taking on "Rum and Coca-Cola" and Amy Winehouse, Ms. Jackson still sounds regal and evergreen." — The Wall Street Journal
•"Rockabilly siren Wanda Jackson has returned with a vengeance..Jackson's spitfire voice hasn't lost an inch and only gained gravity with age." — Los Angeles Times
•"Jackson's gritty mobile-home-park vocals elbow their way through a mix where the outcome is as much punk as it is rock and the Queen confidently executes both with unexpected exactitude." — Filter
•"[Ms. Jackson] still sounds fantastic, and her gnarled, feisty vocals are a good fit with Mr. White's production" — The New York Times
•"With her brand-spanking-new Jack White-produced album, The Party Ain't Over and the fun performances supporting it, Wanda Jackson, 73, is making her case not for mere rock and roll relevance in 2011, she's cementing her status as royalty. She's still got her trademark genius growl. A voice like no other." — Huffington Post
To see the video for "Thunder on the Mountain" featuring Wanda, Jack, and the Third Man Band, go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialTMR#p/a/u/0/BnULGVbhPcY
To see the video for "Riot in Cell Block #9" featuring Wanda, Jack, and the Third Man Band, recorded live at Third Man Records in Nashville, go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ0-fNin7Wg
Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet a true legend of rock and roll — who once dated Elvis Presley briefly before each married other people — and get your rockabilly-swing on at the same time!
Jackson headlines at Rev Room, 300 President Clinton Ave. in Little Rock, on Wednesday, May 25 in an ALL AGES show. Showtime is at 8 p.m.; opening will be Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs.
Call 823-0090 for VIP or ticket info.
For information on other shows coming to Little Rock in the coming weeks, visit www.lovelivemusic.com or find us on Facebook under Love Livemusic!

*To hear Wanda Jackson's music, as well as music from other acts performing in the coming weeks at Rev Room and its sister club Stickyz Rock N' Roll Chicken Shack, check out the LoveLiveMusic radio station at:
http://www.last.fm/listen/user/lovelivemusicLR/personal

Foo Fighters was great last night at Verizon Arena...

... but Motorhead is just not my cup of tea. They're great at what they do, but it's just not for me. Rock that heavy and that loud makes me feel old these days, LOL! Not that I was ever into hard rock like Motorhead. About the hardest I rock nowadays is Gov't Mule — speaking of, whose frontman Warren Haynes is playing at Minglewood Hall in Memphis this weekend I think. Need to check that out!
My friend Nelson Chenault took some great pics of the show last night, which WAS a really great concert despite my failure to properly appreciate the openers. Foo Fighters played all my favorite songs and then some, continuing their final set until midnight! Talk about getting your money's worth!
The best part? The acoustic set that brought Foo Fighters lead singer out amongst the crowd on the raised platform above the soundbooth. It was right in front of us and I got some great shots with my iPhone camera! We could see his eyeballs he was so close! AND he performed my favorite song there, "Times Like These." What a beautiful song. And what a great band. Good night of music in Little Rock.
Here's the setlist of the songs they performed:
http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/foo-fighters/2011/verizon-arena-north-little-rock-ar-73d3de69.html

Win Free Tix to Portugal, The Man/Telekinesis/Unknown Mortal Orchestra tonight!

So you can now enter to win FREE TICKETS to see Portugal, The Man & Telekinesis & Unknown Mortal Orchestra TONIGHT at Rev Room!
Just post a comment on the Love Livemusic Facebook event wall to enter. They will pick two winners around 3 this afternoon and notify via FB. AND this time the winners get to bring guests!! Party on y'all!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=175966939119945

Get Ready To Rock With Grace Potter & The Nocturnals Sunday!!!

Even if you’re not into the jamband-rock or music festival scene — which she seems to be the new First Lady of — you’re crazy if you’re not excited about sexy-Southern-rock band Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, headlining at Revolution Music Room this Sunday, May 22.
This woman and her band are so hot  — and we don’t just mean popular, either — she and her band were chosen to cover “White Rabbit” on Tim Burton’s soundtrack for the “Alice In Wonderland” remake last year, and she even was selected by an upscale chocolate maker to have a new chocolate bar named after her (it’s called Grace Under Fire and contains dark chocolate, pistachios and red pepper flakes!).
After opening for and touring with the likes of the Dave Matthews Band, the Black Crowes and Gov’t Mule over the past several years, now Grace Potter & the Nocturnals are festival darlings, playing such major events as Bonnaroo and selling out their own major shows all over the country, wowing packed houses everywhere — including recently at nearby Minglewood Hall in Memphis.
A favorite of David Letterman, the band and its songs have been featured on nearly a dozen TV shows, most notably the tunes “Apologies” and “Falling & Flying,” featured on everything from “All My Children,” and “One Tree Hill” to “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Now, the sassy, gritty, glam-girl-Southern-rock tune “Paris (Ooh La La)” off their new self-titled album is impressing critics and fans alike since its video debut last summer on Hulu and its explosion as the biggest TV soundtrack song of the year.
Don’t miss Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at their Revolution Music Room debut performance this Sunday, May 22! Opening will be Futurebirds and Gary Clark Jr.
The show is open to ages 18 and up; doors open at 6:30 and the show starts at 7:30 — early enough for everybody who’s still gotta work on Monday!
Tickets are $20 — a steal for an act this hot and of this caliber! — and are on sale now at www.revroom.com. For info, call 823-0090.

Looking forward to Telekinesis Thursday at Rev

Portugal, The Man headlines at Rev Room in Little Rock this Thursday night, but my money is on Telekinesis to be the show-stealer of the night. Unknown Mortal Orchestra opens.
Telekinesis, the songwriting vehicle of Michael Benjamin Lerner, combines upbeat indie rock and buoyant power-pop with the influences of groups like Superchunk, Portastatic and Death Cab for Cutie.
This music is gonna put you in a gooood mood.
On tour, Lerner is joined by Cody Votolato and Jason Narducy, and Telekinesis brings its current tour to Little Rock this Thursday to lead off a great night of live music with Portugal, The Man and Unknown Mortal Orchestra at Revolution Music Room.
Telekinesis' newest album, "12 Desperate Straight Lines," debuted in March at No. 19 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart; its first album, the self-titled "Telekinesis!" released in 2009, was produced by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla and peaked at No. 47 on the same Billboard chart.
The band has received positive reviews from the likes of Billboard Magazine and Spin Magazine, which named them a top pick for 2009's SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.
Rolling Stone magazine recently named Telekinesis a "Band To Watch," saying the group does a good job of crafting catchy, upbeat tunes in hard times.
"Lerner's songs are concise, catchy and exceptionally well-crafted, calling back to generations of melodic rock and roll while keeping an emphasis on his own distinct personality," Rolling Stone's Matthew Perpetua wrote in the March 1 issue. For the new album, Lerner tells Perpetua: "I went into my practice space like 'I've got to make OK Computer,' and I can't make OK Computer. I'm fueled by the Kinks and the Beatles and all that stuff, that's just what I do."
In a review in The Denver Post of a show in that city this past weekend, music critic Colin St. John writes: "The meat of the (performances) Friday came courtesy of Michael Benjamin Lerner and his band Telekinesis. Lerner sings and plays drums but his music is more pop-punk Superchunk than Phil Collins. Sometimes it can be too saccharine — especially in slower moments — but often the hard edges get propped up by the live trio and it feels just like the 1990s again, a Guided by Voices cover and all."
Thursday's show is 18 and up and starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 day of show.
For tickets or VIP seating info, visit www.revroom.com or call 823-0090.
Rev Room is at 300 President Clinton Ave. in the River Market district of downtown Little Rock.