Posts

Vaud & the Villains, The Mint

March 17, 2012 “Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future”. Turns out every Villain has a story, too. The “19-piece 1930s New Orleans Cabaret and Orchestra show” that goes by Vaud & the Villains seems to have stepped out…

Dumpstaphunk, The Mint

March 1, 2012 Dumpstaphunk is slippery, stinky, smelly, funked up stuff. It says so in the name. We get it, but just to make sure nobody misses the point, Nick Daniels III and Tony Hall lock up dueling basses at every D-phunk gig. The prowess…

Honey Island Swamp Band, The Mint

February 10, 2012 You couldn’t miss it. She was vintage. All black and chrome. Gleaming under the streetlight. Probably mid-80s, but who knows. The guys had a bus. Rolling from gig to gig in comfort, if not style. Not flashy. The sight…
Galactic hitting the G spot after midnight

Galactic, Tipitina’s

December 31, 2011 Bill Graham spoiled me. The man knew how to throw a New Year's party. 4-5 hours of cosmic Dead jams, epic substance abuse and 6,000 or so of my newest friends. The calendar would turn, Uncle Bobo would descend, Sugar Mag…

Dragon Smoke, The Mint

December 7, 2011 “Supergroups” are described by Wikipedia as one “whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups”, citing a 1974 Time article that such configurations are an “amalgam formed…
Harrison, Jr. and Cleary make some philthy noise

Donald Harrison, Jr. Electric Band and Jon Cleary’s Philthy Phew, Santa Monica Pier

September 8, 2011 As a native Angelino, attendance at any of the Santa Monica Pier Twilight Dance Series performances truly is a rite of summer.  Gorgeous nights, ocean air, sand between your toes.  Hard to beat.  Despite a…

Jim Brock Photography raises over $1,100 for the Tipitina’s Foundation

Three Jim Brock Photography prints raised over $1,100 for the Tipitina's Foundation as part of this year's Instruments A Comin' event during Jazzfest.   The featured images were of Donald Harrison, Jr., James Singleton and Snooks Eaglin,…

Stanton Moore Trio, The Mint

July 13, 2011 Stanton Moore is everywhere, deal with it.  And no drummer jokes, please.  Seriously, it seems like Stanton Moore is the Warren Haynes of the skins, playing wherever, whenever he can and not only like he's having a…

Honey Island Swamp Band, The Mint

June 26, 2011 Honey Island Swamp Band swung into the Westside on Saturday, another NOLA nugget appearing at the Mint.  This is a New Orleans band that reflects its Katrina Diaspora-Bay Area birth with chunky and soulful jams, tight arrangements…

Jazzfest 2011 closing thoughts

Jazzfest 2011 is in the books.  Weekend 2 brought the it could only happen here bag of familiar closers (Jimmy Buffet, the Nevilles, et al), epic sonics (Arcade Fire, Wilco), roots, (not so) alt-country and blues (Lucinda Williams, Greg…