Festival review: Rockin’ and rollin’ on the river at the Beale Street Music Festival, May 5 and 6

Buddy Guy at Beale Street Music Festival. Photo by Joanna Kleine.

Thousands of music fans made their way to the “land of the delta blues” last weekend for the annual Beale Street Music Festival. This was my fifth time attending the long-running fest, part of the city’s month-long Memphis in May celebration in Tom Lee Park on the banks of the Mississippi River.

The violent storms and flooding of the past two years were replaced this year with sweltering heat and humidity, having fans wallowing in sweat instead of mud. The temperatures weren’t the only thing that was hot, however — the lineup was pretty amazing too. Unfortunately, we had to miss the opening night of the festival, which included heavy-hitters like guitar legend Johnny Winter, jam kings My Morning Jacket and indie diva Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine.

Arriving Saturday afternoon, we made it to the Bud Light Stage just in time to see our own hometown heroes Son Volt bring a little slice of the ‘Lou to Memphis. A decent crowd of Farrar loyalists gathered up close as the band took the stage — Jay looking a bit like Johnny Cash, clad all in black with thick sideburns. The band fought some loud feedback as they began, but it was quickly rectified as they eased into “Down to the Wire” from the band’s most recent album, “American Central Dust,” the twang of Mark Spencer’s pedal steel guitar cutting through the thick, humid air.

Son Volt played for just over an hour, turning out a comprehensive set spanning its catalog of material, including a suite of songs from the acclaimed debut album “Trace” to the delight of old school fans. A set highlight was the gorgeous “Highways and Cigarettes” from 2007′s “The Search,” featuring Spencer’s pedal steel married with Gary Hunt’s mandolin and Farrar’s haunting vocals. Farrar humored Uncle Tupelo fans by closing out with the classic “Chickamauga.”

In Memphis, music and BBQ go hand in hand, and the festival offers many options for local fare. We opted to singe our taste buds with some of Uncle Lou’s Famous Sweet and Spicy fried chicken, licking the fiery sauce from our fingers as blues legend Buddy Guy tore up the Orion Stage behind us. At 76 years old, Guy can still shred on the guitar and work the stage like the pro he is — even coming down into the crowd to play for a bit to the delight of fans. In addition to his own classics, he played inspired covers of “Fever” (appropriate considering the heat) and Cream’s “Strange Brew.”

Next we headed back to the Bud Light stage to check out ’80s Brit rockers the Cult. Lead singer Ian Astbury looked out of place in the sweltering Memphis sun in a thick black jacket and jeans, two fluffy foxtails dangling from his belt. His voice sounded relatively unchanged and guitarist Billy Duffy proved he is still worthy as well on classics like “Fire Woman,” “Wild Flower,” “She Sells Sanctuary” and “Love Removal Machine.” A few tunes from the band’s brand new album, “Choice of Weapon,” seemed to fall flat with the audience, however, including the dark “Lucifer.” Having grown up on the Cult, it was fun to hear some of these songs played live again, but overall, they seemed to be trying a bit too hard to at times to relive their glory days.

With the sun finally setting and the full “super moon” rising above the trees, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals took to the stage. I admit, I’d never seen Potter before, though many have told me how great she is live. She indeed lived up to the hype. Alternating on the guitar and keys, tossing her long, blonde hair around as she belted out songs like her hit “Paris (Ooh La La),” Potter and her band proved they can hold down a festival crowd of thousands in addition to the smaller venues they play more frequently.

Read more

Posted by | May 9, 2012 | Concerts | 1 Comment 

Concert review: Ray Wylie Hubbard deals a royal blues flush at the Old Rock House, Saturday, April 28

Ray Wylie Hubbard at the Old Rock House in St. Louis, April 28, 2012

Roy Kasten

St. Louis music fans showed true dedication last night as heavy rain, hail, lightning and damaging winds couldn’t keep a solid crowd away from the Old Rock House to see legendary Texas-based singer and songwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard.

On a night when a tent outside a bar in downtown St. Louis left one dead and 17 injured and tennis-ball-sized hail broke windshields across the region, Hubbard rained down a mix of country, folk and blues to warm up a mostly middle-aged audience, still wet and cold from the storm.

Unfortunately the severe weather kept me from arriving on time for the early 7 p.m. start. Why so early you ask? The venue had scheduled another event immediately following this KDHX-welcomed concert; one that incorporated a back drop of black and neon-green decorative snakes wrapped with what looked like metal dryer vents that extended from the stage to a light rig above. It was upon that backdrop that Hubbard — dressed in a long-sleeved black t-shirt over blue jeans with a stocking cap pulled down tight — took the stage in front of a large group loyal fans packing the venue to about three-quarters full.

On tour to support his new album “The Grifter’s Hymnal,” the prolific Oklahoma-born songwriter’s 11th album in the last 20 years, Hubbard performed several new songs including “Henhouse” (a tune he co-wrote with Hayes Carll), “Red Badge of Courage” (a dedication to troops in Afghanistan who listened to his music on recon missions) and “Count My Blessings” (a track inspired by fellow songwriter Slaid Cleaves’ “One Good Year”). With honest lyrics that speak to the hard-working American, Hubbard’s weathered voice gave credence to the stories and lyrical imagery he painted throughout his 40-plus years in music. Upon hearing his songs, one need not question that he’s lived through some hard times yet continued to persevere.

Throughout the 97-minute set, Hubbard switched between acoustic and electric guitar as he played a country and blues mix that had the audience moving and grooving. He would add flourishes of slide guitar and sometimes just keep the beat going with his thumb plucking the open strings. Accompanied onstage by the solid drumming of Rick Richards, Hubbard was in a relaxed, easygoing mood and seemed to have a great time interacting with the crowd. Richards — a spectacular timekeeper with a great bass drum foot and a simple set of snare, floor tom, bass drum and tambourine — provided a solid backbone while Hubbard sang, spun yarns and entertained.

Read more

Posted by | April 29, 2012 | Concerts | Comment 

‘It’s kind of divine reverb’ An interview with Ray Wylie Hubbard

facebook.com/raywyliehubbard

Ray Wylie Hubbard‘s latest record, “The Grifter’s Hymnal,” has been in constant rotation in my truck for the past week. Living with it as I did, many questions arose, and I was lucky enough to be able to run them by the esteemed Mr. Hubbard recently via phone from his front porch in Texas.

Matt Sorrell: In the song “New Year’s Eve at the Gates of Hell,” you say you pawned a 1959 Gibson ES-335. True?

Ray Wylie Hubbard: No, you can’t believe everything on that record! Actually, it was a ’56 Stratocaster, but it just didn’t rhyme. That was really kind of a metaphor for all of the guitars I’ve lost. I tell my wife I don’t want a Porsche or a younger girlfriend. I want all of these guitars I used to have.

Is the whole story relayed in “Mother Blues” autobiographical?

Pretty much all of it is true. My wife Judy was the door girl and checked IDs at Mother Blues when she was 16. I didn’t really know her at the time — I used to come in the back door. It was a great, funky little club in Dallas. Like I say in the song, Lightnin’ Hopkins played there, and Freddie King and Mance Lipscomb. After the club would close there’d be poker games upstairs and the girls from the strip clubs would come over and it was a party till dawn. I did meet an old girl there and we went around together, and she ended up going to Hollywood, and I met Judy again 23 years ago and we had our son Lucas. He plays guitar and he’s got that gold top Les Paul.

Is that the guitar Lucas plays on the record?

Yeah, that’s him on “Coricidin Bottle,” “Red Badge of Courage” and “Mother Blues.”

A lot of the record seems to be about you looking back and going over some of your decisions, good and bad. How do you feel about Lucas starting to play and go out on the road?

Well, I’m very grateful to share the stage with him. He says, “I play the music for free, but you gotta pay me to ride in the van with you and a bunch of old guys.” He’s in school now, doing really well, and I’m proud of him. I’m not pressuring him or anything. It’s still just fun for him. I’m just letting him see what happens. Like I say in the song ["Mother Blues"], I don’t know if he’s gonna hang his life on a guitar or not. I’m very proud of him.

Is he playing with you when you come to St. Louis?

No, he’s got finals. It’s just gonna be me and [drummer/percussionist] Rick Richards. That’s what I’ve been doing lately. It’s just the two of us. Lucas will be traveling with me this summer, and Rick will be going out with Joe Walsh on some summer dates, so I’m gonna lose my sense of time.

The songs on this record lend themselves to all sorts of arrangements. A duo would work really well I imagine.

I’m kind of at that age where I get the gig and then get the band. All of the songs were pretty much written with an acoustic guitar, and then we got in the studio and just kinda saw what happened with them.

Read more

Posted by | April 27, 2012 | Interviews, Music | Comment 

Concert review: Hanni El Khatib wins with fuzz, funk and a whisper at the Old Rock House, Tuesday, April 17

facebook.com/pages/Hanni-El-Khatib/41886037465

Blame belated Tax Day, the Cardinals home game or Willie Nelson’s set at the Pageant for the small crowd at the Old Rock House for Los Angeles garage punk/bluesman Hanni El Khatib.

Their loss. El Khatib with drummer Nicky Fleming-Yaryan and multi-instrumentalist Hayden Tobin brought their A game, despite having to give the small audience some encouragement.

Local openers Via Dove played straight up Stones and Zeppelin-tinged rock ‘n’ roll like they were in an arena. Their solid 30 minute set was too short for the momentum they created. An hour after they finished, New York trio the Sundelles offered a tight set of surfy pop filled with heavy bass and ringing guitar. Their originals surrounded a Pixies-influenced take on Big Star’s “13.”

El Khatib opened with the dark “Garbage City.” While the band signaled some issues with drum levels, the too-loud beat actually worked with the song, lending heightened heat and intensity to an opening dedicated to urban downfall.

The band maintained the intensity through a blistering “Come Alive.” Much fuller and richer than the recording, which is a drum-and-guitar chant, the band changed it to a full-on bombastic charge. Until the last line, delivered a cappella by El Khatib: “‘Cause ain’t no love like a love like this, ’cause a love don’t exist when a boy wanna play, so.” Fiery and fast, the juxtaposition of silence and noise made a sharp display of lust and rage.

El Khatib continued to toy with silence and breaks through the set. Unlike many of his garage contemporaries, he doesn’t rely just on the sheer power of noise and volume. While the set didn’t lack in either, its real power came from El Khatib’s deft use of silence amid the chaos. In “Build. Destroy. Rebuild,” a startling yelp ending a one-second instrumental pause had the power to surprise and ultimately give the brief, sparse song emotional depth.

Read more

Posted by | April 18, 2012 | Concerts | Comment 

‘Break down the wall of hurting each other’s feelings’ An interview with Curtis Brewer of Kentucky Knife Fight

kentuckyknifefight.net / Joshua Black Wilkins

Kentucky Knife Fight offers up a sound full of razor-edged riffs, incendiary rhythms and enough darkly hopeless love stories to entertain even the most heartless bastards among us. Oh, and don’t forget the harmonica.

Since we last heard from the St. Louis band, KKF has been busy. With a new record in the works, extensive touring (a SXSW appearance) and a new single (replete with video), what else is there for KKF to do in 2012 but headline a show at Off Broadway on Friday night? Rest assured this won’t be a typical evening of well-crafted, boozy rock music. No, KKF will be premiering not only their new music video for the single “Love the Lonely,” but seven, count ‘em, seven new tracks off their upcoming record.

I recently interviewed KKF guitarist Curt Brewer by phone about the new record, recent touring, SXSW, the band’s new video and their upcoming Off Broadway performance.

Will Kyle: How are the new tracks coming?

Curtis Brewer: Very well. Our last record, “We’re All Nameless Here,” was recorded in about 18 hours, tracking included. Vocals, background everything — we even stomped on empty guitar cases to make extra noise. It was 12 tracks, a full-length album — that’s pretty quick for an album. In that sense, it was a documentation of KKF at the time, so there wasn’t a lot of room for experimentation. With our new record, our current goal is to put out a purposeful representation of what we feel we’re working toward.

So this time you can write in front of microphones and tinker more?

Yes and no. We haven’t ever walked into the studio not knowing what song we were going to record that day. Most of the experimentation has been technical, like playing with different amp and microphone combinations. It’s been a great process. We’re recording with David Beeman and Kit Hamon at Native Sound. Both of them are incredibly patient in helping to produce the record.

They worked with you on the Yankee Racers tracks, right?

Yeah, David was with me for the Yankee Racers stuff. He played drums on two of the tracks and sang on a third. I’ve also been playing with him in Old Lights recently. So, I have been working with David quite a bit, which has allowed us to break down the wall of hurting each other’s feelings. We’re just trying to create a really thought-out product.

Where would you guys say you are in the recording process?

I’d say about a third.

Are you going to debut some of those songs at Off Broadway on Friday?

Absolutely. So far, we’ve recorded four of the 10 or 11 tracks for the full length. We hope to have it done by summer or fall. We have three more we’re going to tackle this April. We’ll be playing all seven of those tunes on Friday. It’s really refreshing to perform the new stuff especially because we haven’t put out a record since July of 2010.

This is your first show in St. Louis in 2012. Roughly how many shows have you played since the New Year?

I’d say around thirty or so.

Hitting the Midwest pretty hard?

Yeah, we had an extended tour in February where we went through Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, all the way to Alabama, Georgia, and then back home.

Read more

Posted by | April 5, 2012 | Interviews, Local, Music | Comment 

Concert review: The Hackensaw Boys, Rum Drum Ramblers and Lydia Loveless pack a wallop at the Duck Room, Saturday, March 3

facebook.com/hackensawboys

Last night’s performances by Lydia Loveless, Rum Drum Ramblers and the Hackensaw Boys at the Duck Room were undoubtedly among the best I have seen in a while.

The venue itself is an ideal place to see musicians play; the up-close-and-personal atmosphere offers a memorable experience for audience members. The venue features exposed rafters, unfinished concrete floors, no windows and low lighting with an easily approachable stage. The layout feels as though everyone is hanging out in someone’s basement with the added bonus of live music.

The pre-show crowd began to filter down the stairs while, with eager anticipation, I took in the arrangement of the stage to admire the variety of banjos, guitars, upright basses and unexpected drum set, as bluegrass and old-time country music typically does not involve drums. Also providing foresight into the evening’s talent were the six microphones lined up across the front of the stage.

Lydia Loveless opened the show with a beautiful singing voice that filled the room. Her defiant, tell-it-like-it-is lyrics are accompanied by her acoustic rhythm guitar and some upright bass played by Ben Lamb. Lamb rocked the bass, alternating between picking the strings while thrashing his long hair around, or using the bow to glide across notes for a smoother sound.

Loveless opened with “Always Lose,” and held the audience’s attention with her commanding voice through the rest of her unfortunately short set, including “Jesus Was a Wino” and ending with “Crazy.” Lydia is young but has the perspective of someone much older; her punk-country sound has limitless potential.

The next act was local band Rum Drum Ramblers. Their presence ignited the crowd and quickly boosted the energy in the room. The three-piece band wowed the audience with performances on the harmonica, washboard, upright bass, guitar and percussion. Their refreshing Delta blues musical style brought a feel of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street directly to St. Louis. It is exciting to see young talent unafraid to create this style of music and pour immense amounts of enthusiasm and soul into each song. The final song, “I Got Mine,” featured a guest appearance by St. Louis’s Pokey LaFarge. This collaboration generated a booming crowd response and was fun to watch.

And finally, the headliners from Virginia, the Hackensaw Boys: This sextet featured the usual bluegrass instruments, all played exceptionally well with flawless timing. The band performed over 20 songs without taking a break, and the momentum never slowed, in fact, it only increased as the show went on.

Each of the six band members sang either lead or harmony, and the instrumental talent was evenly distributed as well. Except for the fiddle player: He played with such animation and intensity, it was impossible to steer your attention away from the passion in his performance. Also notable was the quick and seamless handling of a broken guitar string; the rest of the band interacted with audience in a fun and personable way while also playing random beats while the string was quickly repaired.

The entire show was organized, flowed well and the music was addicting and fun with a highly responsive crowd. I cannot name a poorly-played song, but a few highlights include “Keep It Simple,” “Flora,” “Alabama Shamrock” and “Smilin’ Must Mean Something.”

In the end, the Hackensaw Boys left the crowd wanting more and deserve to have their photo on the wall at Blueberry Hill.

Posted by | March 4, 2012 | Concerts | Comment 

Concert review: Darrell Scott engages devoted fans at the Old Rock House, Friday, February 17

flickr.com/photos/24365773@N03/5136857592 / Phil King

Without regard for cold starts or protocol for warming up the crowd, Darrell Scott began his set last night with “River Take Me,” and immediately turned the entire Old Rock House audience attention to the stage. For the reminder of the night we were rapt by his song stories of life and love.

Scott not only stands out as a solo performer but also as a musician and songwriter called upon to contribute by some of the greatest performers of our time. He has performed live or in the studio with the likes of Robert Plant, Joan Baez, Del McCoury and Guy Clark to name a few. His songs have been recorded and performed by Brad Paisley, Keb Mo, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and a slew of other artists who could be considered the who’s who in country and Americana music. His album “A Crooked Road” received the 2011 Independent Music Award for Best Country Album and his performance of “Willow Creek” on the same album received a Grammy nomination for best country instrumental performance.

Darrell drove to St Louis from his home in Nashville for this show making it possible to bring along a bouzouki — or as Darrell put it, “an octave mandolin if you’re in the TSA line” — and a fretless banjo in addition to his guitar. The bouzouki went unused until the encore was performed but the banjo did come out about mid set for “Banjo Clark.” The familiar percussive banjo sound was present but the fretless banjo added sliding and lilting accents adding a dimension to banjo with which I was completely unfamiliar. It will definitely remain in my memory as some of the most interesting and enjoyable banjo playing I have witnessed.

The crowd at the Old Rock House was nothing short of devoted to Scott’s music, calling out requests and carrying vinyl copies of his new album “Long Ride Home.” From my balcony perch I had an exceptional view and felt as close enough to the stage to hold a conversation with Scott. His moving performance of “Mahala” was preceded by recounting how he wrote it when his daughter Mahala was about one and half years old and how he had recently visited her, now twenty one and living in New York. Darrell had the audience join in for the last chorus of the song. It was a wonderful experience being part of an audience who truly loved his music.

Darrell set about wrapping up his set with the hilariously funny and engaging “Spelling Bee Romance.” Before the song began we were given instruction on how to go about inciting an encore once he had finished. So we all clapped immediately — an entire song too early — and then repeated this immediately after the song and again after the following song and were thanked by Scott with two encores — finally using the bouzouki for the last song.

The night closed with Scott standing near the exit and engaging any of us who wanted to speak with him as we passed to leave. Fans lined up to buy albums and everyone was happily buzzing with excitement. I couldn’t help but feel it was a great night to be alive.

Posted by | February 18, 2012 | Concerts | Comment 

Concert review: Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears tear up Off Broadway, Wednesday, February 15

Nate Burrell

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears returned to a packed Off Broadway last night for a KDHX-welcomed show full of heavy riffs and funky grooves.

Austin-raised frontman Joe Lewis commanded the stage in a black leather jacket, sipping from a bottle of High Life between songs and wailing on his dazzling red guitar.

I leaned over and asked my friend, “What kind of guitar is that? A Telecaster?”
A stranger, who was uncomfortably close-by and also leather clad, quickly cut in: “That’s a one-of-a-kind,” he said. “He’s got a P-90 pickup on there with a custom fret board.”

I raised an eyebrow. How did he know so much about Joe Lewis’ git-box?

“I work at Guitar Center.” He pointed to the stage: “And I’ve seen him at least five times.”

I felt like a newbie. It was my first time seeing Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, despite their visit to St. Louis last year and consistent critical praise following appearances at South By Southwest.

I prepared for Wednesday night’s show by visiting the Lost Highway Records website and listening to “Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is!” (the group’s first LP) several times. I was instantly hooked on its garage-soul sound.

So, when Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears played the album’s first track, “Gunpowder,” I was in happily familiar territory. Joe Lewis’ vocals, along with sharp horns and chugging rhythm, brought to mind a Wilson Picket gone punk.

“Any Stooges fans?” Lewis asked before playing a cover of “I Got a Right” that showed just how congruent the heavy-distortion fueled, ’70s-era sound was with his own. Another cover, of the Trashmen’s “Surfin’ Bird,” delighted the crowd during the band’s early yet extended encore.

The biggest cheers, however, erupted during and after “Livin’ in the Jungle,” from the band’s latest album, “Scandalous.” With a chunky rhythm guitar and the bold sound of a three-piece horn section (alto, baritone sax and trumpet) backing up Lewis, the crowd reaction was certainly deserved. (I also find it interesting that the song is called “Livin’ in the Jungle,” yet the lyrics say “Welcome To The Jungle…” To avoid the wrath of Axl Rose’s lawyers, perhaps?)

A couple other new tracks made the set, notably the bombastic “Booty City” and the delightfully bass-heavy “Black Snake.” Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears have an arsenal of memorable tunes, and they were quick on the draw Wednesday night. Left out of the night’s lineup, however, was “Mustang Ranch,” from “Scandalous,” a song that pairs well with its weird and amusing cartoon music video.

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears are steadily on the rise, and there is little doubt they will continue to play for full houses as they did on Wednesday. Now I’m finally in the club: one of the many fans who have seen the group’s explosive live performance. I also will be one of the many fans who pack in to see them again.

Posted by | February 16, 2012 | Concerts | Comment 

Next Page →