I was familiar this group’s music, but seeing them live is truly necessary to understand their musical skill. You can hear Victor Wooten taking charge on the bass, but it’s a whole new story when you can see his hands at work, flying up and down the bass guitar. It’s something you have to see to believe. When you hear these guys on an album, they don’t get much of a chance to just take a song on their own. In concert, each player gets a solo, during which the rest of the band is completely silent. You haven’t heard a real bass solo until you’ve heard one done by Victor Wooten. He practically invented solos on the bass guitar. He has his own album that features solo work on the bass, which was virtually unheard of. People swear he has six fingers on each hand.

Then, there’s Levy, on the harmonica and piano. You know he plays both, but it only hits you that he can play both at the same time when you actually see him do it. And what about Future Man and his Drumitar? It’s a unique experience to see a guy strumming away at something hanging around his neck, only to hear the sound of snare drums and cymbals erupting from the speakers. We know he can play real drums too; he would often play the Drumitar in his left hand, handle a bass drum with his foot, and add some genuine tom-toms with his “spare” hand.

I don’t generally like the banjo, but when the banjo’s in the hands of Fleck, it’s a whole new ballgame. My father whispered to me during the concert that he found the banjo player the least interesting of the bunch. That was just before Fleck had soloed. Ten minutes later he told me to forget about what he had just said.

You really have to see a live performance to gain full appreciation of what these guys can do. The Flecktones are truly remarkable musicians who put on a great show.

(Graphic: Flecktones.com)

The Baltimore Free Farm is a local nonprofit that is dedicated to community-building, recycling, ethical food, and patchouli. They also happen to run rock shows every now and then. On this day, I was there to see Neutron Bomb, Mercies, Ahab’s Revenge, and rioLinda. I’ve written about a few of these guys before, so I can probably spare you a few of the details. Here we go…

I strolled into the place, not quite knowing what to expect. It’s located in the hipster capitol of Baltimore, Hampden, so I had a fair notion of what I was in for. I’ve seen a lot of these guys play before, so the music wasn’t going to be a surprise. The venue, on the other hand, was something else entirely.

One word could be used to describe this place – sketch. There’s no real signage to speak of, save for some handmade stuff that didn’t really advertise the place as the Baltimore Free Farm as much as just some place where some kind of show was happening. The building itself was long, concrete and painted white. I parked on the street a little ways down from the building, right underneath a street light. Across the road from the Free Farm was a building/lot I would later find out is the Ash Street Garden. I imagine the inside of that building to be reminiscent of the house on Paper St. that the narrator from Fight Club lived in. Apparently, they do some good stuff there, so I can’t hate on it too much.

Wait… where was I? Oh yes, the show…

Unfortunately, I missed Ahab’s Revenge as we got to the place a bit late, but I heard they were good.

Up second was rioLinda, sporting a new bassist, Ajay Menius Junior. The group pelted the audience with their traditional grunge rock sound, utilizing the piercing sound of feedback whenever possible. “Locked and Loaded” easily remains my favorite song by the group.

The third group on stage that night was Mercies. A DC three-piece band, these guys know how to put on a fun show. The matching guitar and bass of John Russell and Justin Scott complement their very different vocal styles, as they play and sing in harmony to the beat of Ezra Finney’s very purposeful drum beats. One thing I’ve always found fascinating about Finney’s kit is that it’s so simple (hi-hat, bass, snare, floor tom, two cymbals), but he plays it so dynamically that you have to take notice. “Needlenose” gets the nod this time around as their best track.

Last, but not least, was Neutron Bomb, who I almost missed again as I had to head out after a few of their songs. At any rate, these guys are a five-piece with a strong set of talented musicians. From the keyboarding of Jeremy Conte, to the guitar of Jon Caplan, to the drums of Eubank Steele, and the vocals of Sara Kryscio and Christina McCarthy, this band is essentially the Baltimore-hippie equivalent of a very young Fleetwood Mac. Poppy and full of energy, the songs they play are complex and interesting. Thought their sound is not really my cup of tea, I can’t deny they have a plethora of talent.

All in all, this was a good show at a surprisingly enjoyable venue. There were couches to lounge on, a wood-burning heater, and plenty of Natty Boh at this bring-your-own joint.

Being the social kind of guy, I naturally strolled into the place with my usual entourage – just kidding, I brought my girl and a buddy of mine decided to meet us there. The venue was a sports bar in one of the nicer parts of Baltimore County, right off of interstate 83 – a fairly quick hop, skip, and jump away from my dwelling. We paid the five dollar cover and entered into the back bar, which was packed with every kind of bar patron; some there to drink, some to listen, and others to play several drunken rounds of pool. Luckily enough, we were able to score a seat at a high table just to the right of the stage.

These guys are tight. When I say that, I’m not referencing an old urban slang term used for cool, but rather the way they play their songs. The slick riffs from their guitarist Steve Wozniack (no relation to this guy), coupled with the sharp, plodding bass lines via Matt Battaglia, and the hammering percussion courtesy of drummer Ray Snyder made for an exciting and fun set that was consistent and full of energy. This, combined with the intensity and variation in vocal styles of lead singer Bruce Baldwin crafted a great show that I’d gladly pay five bucks for again. The real star of the night, however, had to be violinist Eugene Yun, who stole the show by playing an absolutely sick electric violin during “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

That last sentence may give you a hint as to the kind of tunes these guys play – damn near everything. From Alice in Chains to Metallica, from Cypress Hill to Journey, these guys were all over the place and back again. The only gripe I have against them is their rather unnecessary use of backing tracks. It occurred to me during several of their songs that there was a piano or a synthesizer playing, and yet no one was playing it. To me, and those who I’ve mentioned this to, the more it happened, the more it became less a of a show, and more of a sort of band karaoke.

All in all, a fun show. I’d spend a Lincoln to see them again.

The festivities were held at the DCR Memorial Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade, which is best known for hosting the Boston Pops Orchestra annually for the Boston Fourth of July celebration. The Hatch Shell is often used for free concerts.

The original MIXFest was held on the Boston Common 18 years ago; it was free to the public. MIX 104.1 decided to “return to its roots” and thank its loyal listeners by providing the free concert this year. One might think that by holding a free concert, 104.1 might have a weaker line-up of artists this year, but there was no evidence of that whatsoever. In fact, CBS Radio was able to bring us quite the all-star line-up this year.

Gates opened at 12 P.M., allowing hundreds of listeners to make their claim on the grassy area in front of the shell. The first act, Javier Colon, winner of the first season of NBC’s The Voice, charmed the audience with his “acoustic soul” style. Next up was Michele Branch, whose cost-free appearance pleased many fans. Branch is most famous for her single “Everywhere,” and the Grammy award-winning single “The Game of Love,” a collaboration with Santana. And who was the “mystery guest” that followed? Sara Bareilles. Can you sing, “Love Song”?

The atmosphere on the Esplanade was great. Grace Potter (pictured)& The Nocturnals came onto the stage just as the sun was beginning to set, creating a red glow on the Cambridge side of the river.  The speakers were blasting as I relished every bite of a $5 sprinkle-covered, caramel apple purchased from one of the concession stands. Last but not least was the band that headlined the concert, Lifehouse. This band has a number of Top-40 hit singles including “Hanging by a Moment,” “You and Me,” and “Whatever It Takes.” You can bet that they were crowd pleasers. I can’t wait for MIXFest 2012 (but it probably won’t be free again)!

(Photo: U.S. Marines)

I really enjoy hole-in-the-wall bars like Holiday House. I enjoy the skeezy atmosphere, the dubious clientele and the even more dubious staff that work in these kinds of joints. My favorite thing about these places, however, is that I get to see little-known local rock bands tear it up in a venue that provides intimacy, and reasonably priced drinks. So my adventure began off exit 31A of the Baltimore beltway, where the city and county meet to form an area of town that I can only describe as “bleak.” I arrived at my destination weary from a long day at my 9-5, looking for a good pick-me-up from the two bands who were playing –- 4 Footer was opening for a really great Black Sabbath cover band called The Bastards of Reality — but I was mainly interested in the opening act.

I perched in a perfect spot to the left of the band, in between a stack and the bar and marveled for a moment at just how out of sorts the bar was; think of it like the basement bedroom of some unruly 17-year-old. This was just my kind of digs. I was feeling sort of drowsy, so I ordered a vodka and Red Bull to sip while I waited for 4 Footer to start their set.

The wait was well worth it. Throughout their set, there wasn’t a single misstep. All of their songs were expertly delivered, both while playing them and while introducing them. Singer/bassist Jack Denning’s dry delivery during the song introductions was a brilliant contrast to the smash mouth vocals he displayed while belting out songs like “Black Gold” and “Steamroller.” Guitarist Warren Boes tore up the strings with finesse and excellence, as did Frank Oldewurtle with his sexy guitar licks and his equally sexy mustache. Last, but certainly not least was drummer Eric Dixon, who lays down some of the sickest percussion I’ve had the pleasure of hearing.

These guys played an awesome set and you can tell they had a great time doing it. The Baltimore music scene is lucky to have a wild and refreshing group such as this.

When given the chance to see a “festival”-style show in a hotel on a Sunday night, my normal reaction would be no, but, with some convincing I said yes.  The whole deal started around 2:30 and went until 11, a lie, and I didn’t know any of the other bands playing.  This was just as well since my buddy and I grilled and hung out at Strangebrew to kill some time.  We got to the show a little early to see a few of other bands and I’m glad we missed the majority of them.  It astounds me still that people are still so devoted to the genre of ‘loud rock’, which is metal with training wheels, and how many bands still want to be Godsmack.  That said, many of the bands beforehand were sanitized versions of Alice in Chains/Godsmack/Disturbed and so on.  Ten years ago I would have loved this but in 2011, I was bored.

When Candlebox took the stage it was a breath of fresh air.  Opening with “Bitches Brewin” and plowing through album and fan favorites, you could see these guys sticking to their roots.  Candlebox has some slow burning tunes “Changes”, “Stand” and straightforward songs meant to rock “Arrow”,”You” along with some ballad type songs, “Cover Me” and of course “Far Behind”.  When they played a slower song, you expected it since it flows with everything else.   When the other groups played slower tunes, they sounded far out of place compared to their other material.

It was good to see a band in their element strutting on stage and the assembled crowd made them feel welcome.  My biggest complaint was they could have played much longer if their set started 20 minutes earlier but I’m glad I had a detour beforehand.  Well, time to lay low for a few months and recharge my batteries.

For perspective, please read last week’s post.

It was the morning of June 30th, a normal Thursday, and while listening to my favorite radio station WFNX there was a game they were playing.  Call in and answer the best of five random questions, beat the intern and win a pair of tickets to see Soundgarden.  Using my Bluetooth I called in, made it on air and due to my ability to name two other members of N’Sync that weren’t Justin Timberlake, managed to score a set of tickets to see Soundgarden again.  Strange luck indeed,  avid reader.

Right off the bat, the energy for this show seemed to be better than the previous night when I had seen them.  I have a feeling venue was a large factor, as the Comcast Center is an outdoor amphitheater, allowing fans closer to the stage, whereas Mohegan was a typical arena, with massive sound but distance from the stage.  To say the least, Chris Cornell was talking more with the crowd and walking out to slap five more  than the last time.

I was impressed that he even addressed the venue as being located in Mansfield, Massachusetts instead of calling it Boston as so many others do,  and that earned him some points.  Pulling out some of the same tunes, there was a slight difference in order and one surprise when they went into a fast version of “Big Dumb Sex” off of 1989’s Louder than Love, a good tune to sing when you’re angry.  Each riff sounded an explosion in the crowd and the favorites rang out all night.

Unlike the other night, I was able to absorb more since I had seen them play and could take in the songs this time without pinching myself awake.  Matt Cameron was still pounding out an excellent rhythm, Ben Shepard wrapped it all up in bass strings and Kim Thayil destroyed it with his guitar.  Cornell did trade between a guitar and just a microphone during the night and they once again brought us to our knees with several extra minutes of distortion at the very end.  Check the setlist and tell me this wasn’t epic.

Earlier in the day, Coheed and Cambria’s bassist was arrested for holding up a pharmacy and demanding several bottles of Oxycontin.  A Boston native filled in and Coheed put on an electrifying set as the sun went down.

I’ve read plenty about the band; how they tune their guitars low, use tons of distortion and drag you through sludge.  Those reports weren’t kidding.  This was everything I wanted from the band and everything I would have anticipated — well I couldn’t predict the setlist but I knew they would keep it stacked with album favorites and the biggest hit they had.

Singer/guitarist Chris Cornell could be seen in tight jeans, a t-shirt, long hair and that unmistakable wail, strutting around the stage working the crowd into a frenzy.  At one point he thanked us for waiting 14 years for the band to hit the road again, which brought a laugh from the masses.  Lead guitarist Kim Thayil looked stoic sauntering around breezing through solos and sticking to business rather than showing off.  Bass giant Ben Shepard had his four-string hung as low as possible keeping pace and making sure no one in the audience fell asleep.  This was the third time I’ve watching drummer Matt Cameron play, the first two with Pearl Jam almost 10 years ago, but it was good to see him back in his natural habitat pounding the skins like they owed him money.  During “Jesus Christ Pose” it was clear to see why he is considered one of the greatest modern drummers.

Backdrops changed throughout the performance, there were no pyrotechnics to be seen, some lighting effects, but the stage was low key and gave you a chance to focus on the task at hand: watching a band rediscover itself.  At times, for the older material, Cornell dropped his guitar to grab the mic and belt out the high notes.  With four solid minutes of distortion and feedback after night closer “Slaves and Bulldozers”, the boys waved to the crowd and my ears could have started bleeding.  It was a hell of a night clocking in around two hours.

Opener Coheed and Cambria proved why they are candidates for progressive rock glory as they provided a staggering 45 minute set to rev everyone up.  Before the show I happened to win $127 at a blackjack table, I guess a little luck goes a long way.

Itzhak Perlman,

This past Easter (April 24, 2011), I saw 18-year-old Paco Montalvo perform Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major in Carnegie Hall.  And I decided to try my hand at writing a review of one of the most exciting musical performances I have witnessed in my life.

I played violin for nine years, starting in fifth grade for music class and eventually joining a local youth orchestra when I was in high school.  My non-rigorous musical education, coupled with a childhood spent listening to classical music in the car and at home with my parents, was enough to provide me with a healthy respect for a good performance.

When I was in middle school, my parents took me to see Itzhak Perlman for my birthday.  I was amazed.  Yet something about the musical aura that Paco Montalvo exudes grabbed hold of me in a way that no previous performer had ever done.

Following the young virtuoso’s breathtaking performance on Easter — which gave new meaning to the phrase “musical prodigy” — I rushed back to my hotel room to write about the experience.  Here is an excerpt of what I wrote:

For those who are unfamiliar with Paganini, he is said to be one of the greatest violinists who ever lived.  Legends say that he must have been taught by the devil himself.  His compositions, written to showcase his technical proficiency and lightning-quick fingers (he could play 12 notes a second with impeccable accuracy), are like nothing I have heard in all my nine years of studying the violin.
To say that the performance was amazing would be an understatement. Montalvo flew through his numerous (and lengthy) solos effortlessly…

I am not a music critic.  Nor am I an accomplished musician.  Had I been one, perhaps I would have been able to craft a description more befitting Montalvo’s performance.  Fortunately, there was a music critic in the audience that evening.  One Robert Lanquar, Ph.D.  Here is an excerpt from his review:

The debut of Paco Montalvo as soloist invited to Carnegie Hall was astounding.  He magnificently interpreted the Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major Op. 6 of Niccolo Paganini, perhaps one of the more sophisticated pieces of romanticism and one of the most difficult to play.  His solos thrilled the public and the British conductor John Rutter, heading the New England Symphony.  Mr. Rutter, with his experience and wisdom, found a marvelous balance with the passion of this young man of Andalusia.

In 1963, Itzhak Perlman debuted at the same age as Paco in this mythical New York auditorium.  Let us hope that Paco Montalvo follows in his footsteps.  This year, he will have made a decisive leap ahead in his career as an international soloist that we believe to be enthralling.

Professor Lanquar is not the only one to praise Montalvo’s passionate yet technically adept performances.  A quick scan of the “Critical and Press” section of his website (http://www.pacomontalvo.com/eng/critical.html) turns up only the highest praise for Montalvo.  One critic from ABC calls him “a natural” — high praise in the extraordinarily competitive world of classical music performance.

But I think Leo Brouwer of the Córdoba Journal sums it up best, saying simply (yet accurately): “Paco Montalvo is a genius.”

I could not agree more.  This young man has accomplished more in his 18 years than many musicians dream of accomplishing in their entire careers.  He is destined for greatness, that much is clear.

It is my sincere hope that we do not let his talents go unnoticed for too long in America.  Symphony tickets are expensive enough, but if I have to fly across the pond every time I wish to see Montalvo perform, I will find myself stretched very thin indeed.

Coachella- April 16-18, Indio, California

The 11th COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL will feature a mix of artists ranging from Pavement, Thom Yorke????, Vampire Weekend, Them Crooked Vultures, LCD Soundsystem, Phoenix, Tiësto, Faith No More, Deadmau5, David Guetta, MGMT and Public Image Limited.

Norman Music Festival- April 24-25, Norman, Oklahoma

The third annual Norman Music Festival is free and open to the public and will take place east of the railroad tracks on Main Street.  Saturday night entertainment will be predominantly at indoor locations, and Sunday will feature the full-blown festival atmosphere complete with street closures and large outdoor stages.

Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival- April 22-25, Silk Hope, North Carolina

The Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance will feature more than 50 bands and performers on two big outdoor stages, a large dance tent, and an intimate cabaret tent. Located on 72 beautiful farmland acres at 1439 Henderson Tanyard Road in Silk Hope, North Carolina, it’s just down the road from Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham, Burlington, and Greensboro. The festival also features local crafts, delicious food, various children’s activities, environmental sustainability workshops, and much more in a family-friendly environment.

Swinging Sixties Festival- April 24-26, Wildwood, New Jersey

This annual weekend festival is sponsored by the Doo Wop Preservation Society and the Wildwoods Historical Society. There will be a big concert with 60s icons Paul Revere & the Raiders and more, sock hops, free-act stages, vendors, all in a town “frozen in the 1950s” with mid-century modern motels, neon-neon-neon, old fashioned soda shops, classic NJ diners and a DooWop Museum.

Regattabar Jazz Festival, now through June 6, Cambridge, Massachusetts

With the most anticipated schedule to date, the 2010 Regattabar Jazz Festival kicked off on March 5th with a sold-out show by Stanley Sagov and Robert Pinsky. The festival continues through June 6th and includes an exciting lineup of Grammy-recognized artists, including David “Honeyboy” Edwards, who was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award, Mike Stern, and the Kenny Werner Tri0.