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REVIEW: Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 3/18/12)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
I have to be honest, part of me loves afrobeat due to it originating from my country of birth – Fela Kuti brought it to the forefront in Nigeria in the 1970s (I was born in Jos, Nigeria in the mid-70s as well). Another part of me loves afrobeat due to how straight-up awesome that it is… blending and stirring folk, jazz, funk, rock, and world music into a brilliant, bubbling, oozing-through-your-pores musical and political form of expression. It represents the struggle alongside the joy… and it’s got a funky beat I can dance to…
Sadly, I missed Femi Kuti (elder son of Fela) when he came through a few years back. But I love the music, and didn’t want to miss that opportunity again. I got into the style via NYC-based Antibalas. When I saw that Seun Anikulapo Kuti was coming to Eugene, I had to go…
had. to.
The opener was California based instrumental afrobeat band Afromassive. The crowd was sparse at first, but near the middle of the set, the WOW Hall was beginning to fill out…
They played a 45 minute set of instrumental afrobeat songs and a James Brown cover… definitely fun and danceable. They were an 8-piece band on this tour – lighter on the horns than what was to come, but definitely a horn-centered funky vibe.
They were a perfect warm-up for Sean Kuti and the Egypt 80… The Egypt 80 was Fela Kuti’s band that Seun started singing in as a young boy. After his father died in 1997, Seun took over the band when he was only 14! Many of the members in this 15-piece (!) touring band were active in the band when Fela was alive and kicking.
The set kicked off with singer / trumpeter Muyiwa Kunnuji (in purple below) getting things going on vocals for “Giant of Africa.” During this song, each member of the horn section got a chance to come out and show off their chops with a solo…
Sean came out during the 2nd song with backup singers/dancers and his sax in tow. He took over the bulk of the lead vocals duties, but most of the band pitched in for the shouts and choruses…
The band played a spirited set of anthems with large swaths of stunning musicianship. The band, presumably the same from the album’s liner notes (as the album photo appears to be the same people), was made up of the aforementioned Seun on sax & vocals, Muyiwa on vocals and trumpet, Bidemi Adekunle on baritone sax, Gdabe Okunade and Lekan Animashaun on trumpets, Oyinade Adeniran on tenor sax, David Obayendo and Gbenga Alade on guitars, Kunle Justice on bass, Ajayi Raimi on drums, Kola Onasanya on percussion, Okon Iyamba on shekere, Wale Toriola on keyboards, and Iyabo Adeniran and Yetunde Ademiluyi on backing vocals and dancing.
Setlist: 90+ mins
- Giant of Africa
- African Soldier
- Kalakuta Show [Fela Kuti]
- Zombie [Fela Kuti]
- African Problems
- Rise
- Mr. Big Thief
- The Good Leaf
- You Can Run
No Encore (despite “Mosquito Song” listed)
Seun was drinking hot tea during part of the set… which couldn’t have helped with the heat on the packed stage. His voice had been giving him troubles; so they ended their set without the listed “Mosquito” encore, despite the many cheers for an encore from the nearly-danced out crowd. This was only the band’s fourth show on a 2-month long tour (full tour dates at the bottom). I wish Seun rest and many large mugs of tea!
I picked up their most recent record, From Africa With Fury: Rise. I dig it. It’s available in CD or 12″ double-vinyl at the show… or over on the Amazons. And next time a Kuti or other afrobeat band comes to town… get there. You won’t be disappointed.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Seun Kuti’s Site
- Seun Kuti’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Afromassive’s Site
- Afromassive’s Facebook / MySpace
- My Other Afrobeat Reviews~
- Antibalas @ Berbati’s Pan (Portland – July 2010)
- Antibalas @ Southgate House (mini-review) (Cincinnati – Apr 2007)
- WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Check out more tour dates below.
Next show for me… well, as I write this, it’s in a few hours… Skerik’s Bandalabra @ Cozmic Pizza (3/20). After that, it’s Dan Bern @ Cozmic (3/27) and Ani DiFranco @ Roseland (3/31).
~Dan – np: Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80 – From Africa With Fury: Rise
SEUN KUTI & THE EGYPT 80 PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 – Spring 2012 U.S. Tour Dates
3/15 – SXSW – Austin, TX
3/16 – Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
3/17 – Mt. Tabor Theater – Portland, OR
3/18 – W.O.W. Hall – Eugene, OR
3/21 – Center for the Arts – Grass Valley, CA
3/23 – Moe’s – Santa Cruz, CA
3/24 – Mateel Cultural Center – Redway, CA
3/28 – Belly Up – Aspen, CO
3/29 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO
3/30 – Granada Theater – Lawrence, KS
3/31 – Englert Theater – Iowa City, IA
4/1 – House of Blues – Chicago, IL
4/4 – Variety – Atlanta, GA
4/5 – Duke Performances – Durham, NC
4/6- Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
4/7 – Club Helsinki – Hudson, NY
4/8 – Highline Ballroom – New York, NY
4/12 – UW Madison – Madison, WI
4/13 – Rhythm Foundation – Miami, FL
4/14 – The Cedar – Minneapolis, MN
4/15 – Coachella – Indio, CA
4/16 – Campbell Hall – Santa Barbara, CA
4/18 – UC San Diego – San Diego, CA
4/19 – Zellerbach Hall – Berkeley, CA
4/20 – UCLA Royce Hall – Los Angeles, CA
4/22 – Coachella – Indio, CA
4/24 – KTAOS Solar Center – Taos, NM
4/25 – Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater – Albuquerque, NM
4/27 – New Orleans Jazz Festival – New Orleans, LA
4/29 – Houston International Festival – Houston, TX
5/2 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
5/13 – Lake Eden Arts Festival – Black Mountain, NC
Seun Kuti & the Egypt 80 in Eugene [photos soon]
Youngest son of afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, Seun Anikulapo Kuti & the Egypt 80 hit Eugene’s WOW Hall on Sunday night… it was an amazing show!
More photos, setlist and review of the show to be posted by Wednesday morning are posted here.
~Dan
Secret Chiefs 3 & Dengue Fever – West Coast Tour 2012
Trickling in via the venues and/or ticketing sites, the official announcement has finally come in…
World metal phenoms Secret Chiefs 3, led by Mr. Bungle guitarist Trey Spruance, is hitting the road this winter with Cambodian/Los Angeles fusion pop band (and former Web of Mimicry labelmates) Dengue Fever. Confirmed dates below, more details will be posted shortly:
- Jan 24 – Denver CO – Bluebird Theatre
- Jan 25 – Santa Fe NM – Santa Fe Brewing Company
- Jan 26 – Phoenix AZ – Crescent Ballroom
- Jan 27 – Los Angeles CA – El Rey Theatre
- Jan 28 – Santa Ana CA – Constellation Room
- Jan 29 – San Diego CA – The Casbah
- Jan 31 – San Luis Obispo CA – Club SLO Brew
- Feb 1 – Santa Cruz CA – Moe’s Alley
- Feb 2 – San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
- Feb 3 – San Francisco CA – Slim’s
- Feb 4 – Sacramento CA – Harlow’s
- Feb 6 – Eugene OR – WOW Hall
- Feb 7 – Portland OR – Dante’s
- Feb 8 – Seattle WA – Neumos
- Feb 9 – Bellingham WA – The Wild Buffalo
- Feb 10 – Vancouver BC – Rickshaw Theatre
If you’ll be at either Oregon date, let me know. I’ll be there for both Eugene and Portland! Last time I saw them was 2008 (Aug 2008 – Doug Fir, Portland); so it’s been a long time coming…
Beats Antique “Revival” video
Splendidly interesting animation and sexiness from Zoe Jakes in the new Beats Antique music video for “Revival” from their latest album, Blind Threshold:
~Dan – np: Sufjan Stevens invites you to Come On Feel the Illinoise!
REVIEW: AMA Trio @ House Show (Eugene, OR – 9/25/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
My second time to a lovely Rolling & Tumbling House Concert near UO campus in Eugene, OR. R&T is a great! They seem to bring in a lot of songwriters and world musicians. SO, this was only my second of many R&T house shows…
When I saw Amy Denio on the list with a new project, the AMA Trio, I didn’t want to miss it. I have been a fan of another of Amy’s bands – The Tiptons Sax Quartet. The AMA Trio is a bit different from the woodwind-forward jazz of the Tiptons, more world fusion / Latin American music. The AMA Trio is Amy Denio alongside Madeleine Sosin & Abel Rocha (who have a few CDs out under the name Correo Aereo).
They played traditional songs from Venezuela, Mexico and Argentina, as well as many of their own original tunes. All three were proficient multi-instrumentalists. Madeleine also played the violin, guitar, drum, shakers as well as singing on a few songs. Amy played accordion, clarinet, and drum. She sang on a few tunes as well. Abel was the primary vocalist (when they weren’t jamming), as well as played a mean set of guitars and harp. The ease of all three members switching from one instrument made it seem quite effortless.
Some of the most fascinating playing was what might be considered normally subdued instruments… Madeleine’s shaker playing made the little instruments seem way more distinctly rhythmic. She should teach lessons… because I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people “just shaking” them with no real purpose. Abel’s harp playing was also captivating… playing both the lead melodies and the rhythm parts. Amy stuck to accordion for more than half the set, when she broke out the clarinet, she had some nice flavors and solos to add to the songs. I dug the more jazzy textures she added when she was on reeds.
Setlist: a little over 2 hours
- Set 1~ unknown
- Carnaval (Venezuela)
- Ararat (Armenian)
- Jarabe Loco (Mexico)
- Martiñana (Mexico)
- “I Love You” (Amy’s tango for a cat)
- Playa Grande (Venezuela)
- Cuatrapeado
- Raisa (Algerian-based original)
- Ti Feu (Mexico – Spanish & Zapotec)
- Entre a Mi Pago (Argentina)
- Golpe de Agua
- Set 2~ Tres Diamantes (Venezuela)
- Finadita
- Breakfast in Bed (Amy original)
- Los Hermanos (Argentina)
- unknown klezmer-Argentinian tune (Tiptons-y in spots to my ear, but actually arranged by Madeleine)
- Guendanabani (Zapotec)
- Darling, Please Don’t Wake Me (Amy original)
- Golpes Tocuyanos
- Hanana (Amy original)
corrections to the setlist are welcomed
They’re going into the studio this coming week to make their first record as a trio. Stay tuned to their MySpace page below for news as it becomes available.
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- AMA Trio on MySpace
- Correo Aereo on MySpace
- Amy Denio on MySpace
- Amy Denio’s Site
- Correo Aereo’s Site
- Rolling & Tumbling House Concerts (Eugene, OR)
~Dan – np: Beats Antique – Blind Threshold
AMA TRIO PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
REVIEW: Boys Eats Drum Machine & Beats Antique @ McDonald / Eugene Celebration (Eugene, OR – 8/28/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Eugene Celebration 2010 “Raise the Roof” was in full effect on Saturday. This year’s Celebration was in a partnership with with Springfield/Eugene Habitat for Humanity and Northwest Community Credit Union to fund the construction of two houses in the Eugene-Springfield community over the next three years.
We caught some good grub, interesting people watching, scoped out the pretty damn awesome electric vehicle (the Pulse made by Arcimoto)… and some music. The first band I saw was Upstate Trio. They’re from New York, but now live in the Eugene area. Great groove rock trio. I hope to catch them again soon.
Boy Eats Drum Machine was the next major act to take in. I saw him open for That1Guy in May (review link with photos below), and he put on a great show. Last night’s performance wasn’t any exception. Sax, turntable, drums, effects pad, loops, and all around great grooves from this one-man wrecking crew. Check out the stop-animation video for “Hoop+Wire“:
You can also download the BEDM song “Hoop+Wire” on mp3 and FLAC (or other options) for FREE over at Bandcamp. Next up…
As mentioned a little over a week ago, Beats Antique is coming out with a new album in about two weeks. It’s called Blind Threshold. If it’s anything like their past two albums and an EP, it’ll be great.
They hit the stage around 11pm and played a fairly percussive set. Zoë Jakes wasn’t able to dance last night. She hurt her knee a while ago and is on doctor’s orders to take it easy for a while. So, we didn’t get the gorgeous dance performance that we’re used to (photos of Zoë dancing at prior events linked below). Despite the lack of dancing by Zoë, their infectious music got the rest of the crowd to pick up some of the slack. It was a great show, and hopefully they’ll be back soon, with Zoë in full health.
The overwhelming bass attacked our ears for both BEDM’s and Beats Antique’s sets. It got especially painful up in the balcony; so we stayed downstairs for most of the night. All in all, a great hour-long set from each band. Round 2 of Celebration for me today… I hope to catch 3 Leg Torso‘s set.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Upstate Trio on MySpace
- Boy Eats Drum Machine’s Site
- BEDM on MySpace
- Beats Antique’s Site
- Beats Antique on MySpace
- Zoë Jakes’ Site
- Zoë Jakes MySpace
- Prior Reviews:
- BEDM opening for That1Guy (WOW Hall, May 2010)
- Zoë w/ Rachel Brice & Mardi Love (Oregon Country Fair 2008)
- Beats Antique w/ Zoë dancing (Faerieworlds 2009)
- Eugene Celebration
- McDonald Theatre
Check out more Beats Antique tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Bar Kokhba Sextet – John Zorn 50th Birthday Celebration 11
BOY EATS DRUM MACHINE & BEATS ANTIQUE PHOTOS
pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld, except for Beats Antique #21-29 (cc) 2010 Margaret O’Brien, you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Beats Antique Tour Dates
- 8/20 – Sheldon, VT – Liberate Music And Arts Festival
- 8/21 – Stephentown, NY – Bella Terra Music Festival
- 8/28 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre
- 9/10 – Clarks Grove, MN – Harvestfest – Harmony Park
- 9/11 – Minot, ME – 1st Annual Dankfest
- 9/17 – Laytonville, CA – Earthdance
- 9/18 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
- 9/24 – Seattle, WA – Decibel Festival @ Motor
- 9/25 – Arcata, CA – Aracata Theatre
- 9/28 – Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
- 9/30 – Madison, WI – Majestic Live
- 10/1 – Milwaukee, WI – Miramar Theatre
- 10/2 – Chicago, IL – Abbey Pub
- 10/3 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
- 10/6 – New Orleans, LA – Republic
- 10/9 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits
- 10/11 – Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box
- 10/12 – Birmingham, AL – Zydeco
- 10/13 – Nashville, TN – Exit/In
- 10/14 – Asheville, NC – TBD
- 10/15 – Charleston, SC – The Pour House
- 10/16 – Athens, GA – New Earth Music Hall
- 10/17 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade – Hell Room
- 10/22 – Allston, MA – Harpers Ferry
- 11/11 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret
- 11/12 – Edmonton, AB – The Pawn Shop
- 11/13 – Calgary, AB – Royal Canadian Legion
- 11/14 – Winnipeg, MB – Crescent Wood United Church
REVIEW: MEDGE presents Karim Nagi @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 4/30/10)
The Middle Eastern Dance Guild of Eugene (aka MEDGE) hosts monthly shows at Cozmic Pizza. Great food, great music, and great dancing come to mind when I make my way over there the third Fridays of each month. For a special International Dance Day celebration, they brought in Karim Nagi for special workshops and moved their event down the street to WOW Hall.
Karim Nagi is an Egyptian musician, composer, music arranger and DJ. He specializes in traditional Arabic music but works in other musical mediums. He has two CDs out under the artist moniker of Turbo Tabla. He has also recorded music for Bellydance Superstars, Bellyqueen, and the Bellytwins, as well as mainstream artists like Alicia Keys, and The Urban Griot Project.
Sadly he didn’t pull out a traditional Indian tabla last night (apparently an Egypt table / darbuka is very similar to a dumbek). Regardless, we were treated to a lot of wonderful dancing and drumming. Here’s a pictorial review of last night’s show… Enjoy!
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld & Margaret O’Brien,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Karim Nagi (stick dance, traditional folkloric dance of Egypt)
Mem Aleph (troupe consisting of Candice Nelson, Barbie Griggs, Jeannie Anderson, Amanda Bounds, Marie Scott and Monica Trent) performing three folk dances: Syrtos from Greece; Hands Talk (a Jewish Yemenite dance); and Ma Nava (an Israeli dance)
Siobhan performing a Ghawazee-inspired dance choreographed by Hassan Khalil
Amani (choreography by Mahmoud Reda — Oriental piece with his signature balletic movements incorporated into Raks Sharqi)
Elena Villa (Arab Flamenco Fusion)
Caravan Dancers (Troupe consists of Deena, Zendra, Crystal and Erin performing a Folkloric Suite: Basket Dance, Turkish 9/8, Cane Dance, Tambourine Dance)
Sabine (Indian Sapera Dance of the Kalbeliya snake-charmers)
Karim Nagi – improvisational finger cymbal dance
>> << intermission >> <<
Jamara (dance performance to live drumming by Karim Nagi)
Devi Safir (dance performance to live drumming by Karim Nagi)
musical performance by Karim Nagi & Ishmael, a qanun player (stringed instrument from Egypt), followed by an audience participation debke, a traditional Arabic folk dance
Be sure to check out MEDGE on the web to find out about the monthly shows and upcoming special events & workshops… http://medge.org/
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Karim Nagi’s Site
- Karim Nagi on MySpace
- M.E.D.G.E.’s site
- Dancer’s links above (if available – pass along additional links if you have them)
- WOW Hall
~Dan – np: Carla Kihlstedt – 2 Foot Yard
Radical Jewish Culture in Paris
If you’re going to be in Paris, France, between the 9th of April and the 18th of July, 2010, check out this Radical Jewish Culture exhibit at the Museum of Jewish History. It features John Zorn, Ben Goldberg, Marc Ribot, David Krakauer, Frank London, Anthony Coleman, Mark Feldman, Sylvie Courvoisier, and more.
Info about the exhibit (in French) is below…
~Dan – np: Copeland – You Are My Sunshine
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
More info at http://www.mahj.org/
Le MAHJ présente la première exposition consacrée à la Radical Jewish Culture, mouvance musicale issue de la scène underground newyorkaise des années 1980 et 1990.
En parallèle à l’exposition est organisé un programme de concerts exceptionnel : John Zorn, Anthony Coleman, Mark Feldman et Sylvie Courvoisier, David Krakauer, Frank London, le Ben Goldberg Trio (ex-New Klezmer Trio)… Les plus grands noms de cette scène. joueront dans des dispositifs pour la plupart inédits en Europe.
En 1992 se tient à Munich un événement au titre manifeste : Festival for Radical New Jewish Music. Le programme du festival est imaginé par le compositeur et saxophoniste new-yorkais John Zorn, qui s’entoure pour l’occasion de figures majeures de l’underground new-yorkais : Lou Reed, John Lurie, Tim Berne, mais aussi Marc Ribot, Frank London, David Krakauer, Roy Nathanson, Elliott Sharp ou encore Shelley Hirsch. John Zorn choisit d’y présenter une pièce intitulée Kristallnacht en remémoration de la Nuit de Cristal du 9 novembre 1938 : une pièce puissante qui transgresse les normes d’écoute, en mêlant improvisations free-jazz et klezmer, discours d’Hitler et bruits de bris de vitres.
L’événement fait date : des musiciens juifs américains jouent en Allemagne et tentent, pour la première fois, de retracer la genèse des musiques de la scène underground newyorkaise à travers des sources juives. Dans le sillage de ce moment fondateur, des tournées sont organisées en Europe, tandis que des clubs de Manhattan, telle la Knitting Factory, accueillent des festivals de Radical Jewish Music associant performances, lectures et débats, et soulevant des questions essentielles à leurs yeux : qu’est-ce que la musique juive d’aujourd’hui ? que dit la musique que l’on joue de nos origines et de notre expérience de vie ?
Dès les années 1970 et 1980, des musiciens juifs new-yorkais, très présents sur les scènes alternatives du rock, du punk, de l’avant-garde jazz et de la musique contemporaine, (re)découvrent le répertoire des musiques juives populaires, notamment celui des musiques juives d’Europe orientale, le klezmer. Ces acteurs clés de l’avant-garde musicale et de la world music y puisent – non sans un certain degré de contestation – un nouvel engagement artistique qui souligne la force du lien qui les rattache à leur culture juive, vécue comme source d’inspiration et de questionnements constants.
New York est leur foyer de création, en particulier le sud de Manhattan. Les quartiers longtemps populaires de l’East Village et du Lower East Side ont accueilli, au début du XXe siècle, les populations juives immigrées d’Europe de l’Est. Dans les années 1950, ils deviennent le refuge des avant-gardes esthétiques, depuis la Beat Generation ( Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg ,William Burroughs) jusqu’à John Cage et Andy Warhol. Espace de contestation intellectuelle, esthétique et politique, ce New York radical a longtemps gardé les traces de la culture yiddish, qui y a connu une véritable renaissance. Cette atmosphère culturelle très spécifique imprègne encore fortement les lieux, lorsque les musiciens de ce qui deviendra la Radical Jewish Culture s’affirment artistiquement, au cours des années 1980.
Dans le prolongement de cet héritage, John Zorn crée en 1995 la collection « Radical Jewish Culture » (plus de 120 titres parus à l’heure actuelle) sous le label Tzadik, devenu depuis une référence incontournable des musiques alternatives. Les albums édités dans cette collection s’inscrivent comme autant de réponses aux questions qui s’imposent aux musiciens confrontés à la tradition protéiforme dont ils sont issus.
Le parcours de l’exposition est thématique ; à travers une approche essentiellement sonore et visuelle, il revient sur les temps forts de la création musicale, depuis la scène du Klezmer Revival jusqu’aux explosions sonores du groupe phare de John Zorn, Masada, en passant par le festival de Munich de 1992.
À partir de l’écoute se déploie le contexte historique, musical et artistique dans lequel la musique a été créée. Il met en lumière le réseau d’influences des musiciens, parmi lesquelles : la Beat Generation, présentée notamment à travers la démarche de deux icônes de ce mouvement, le plasticien Wallace Berman et le poète Allen Ginsberg ; les artistes juifs révolutionnaires du début du XXe siècle, comme El Lissitzky ; ou encore la scène du rock alternatif des années 1970. Grâce à l’implication des acteurs clés de cette scène, de nombreux documents d’archives (interviews, prises de concerts et textes largement inédits) ont pu être rassemblés.
Comme le dit John Zorn, la Radical Jewish Culture est tout à la fois une mouvance musicale, un mouvement aux résonances politiques diverses affirmées et assumées, une communauté de musiciens et, plus largement, une communauté esthétique.
Commissariat de l’exposition : Mathias Dreyfuss, Gabriel Siancas et Raphaël Sigal
Avec le soutien exceptionnel du label Tzadik
Avec le soutien de l’Ambassade des États-Unis d’Amérique en France
REVIEW: Raquy & the Cavemen @ Joe’s (Eugene, OR – 9/24/09)
In Cincinnati, we got to see Raquy Danziger, Liron Peled, and the rest of the Cavemen about twice a year due to the large tribal bellydance scene. Well, luckily, Raquy’s sister lives in Eugene; so we get a visit roughly once a year. They always put on a great show, full of wonderful percussive world rhythms.
I’d never been to Joe’s Bar & Grill… if I get a chance, I hope I’ll choose not to go again (or at least on a Thursday). You see, last night, besides the four different sources on the web with different start times and openers listed, was “ladies night.” So, during Raquy’s set, we got a nice dose of “two drunk ‘ladies’ shouting too loudly over the music.” One girl was literally explaining in a PhD dissertation-length exchange about how her phone was ringing, that she was going to pick it up, that she did pick it up, that she was going to talk on it, and then the volume didn’t decrease much when she was talking on it. It must have been listed as “classy ladies night” in the local paper.
Despite prior interweb research, the Ruins of Ooah (a local band) was not the opener, but rather the last band. We didn’t stick around for them, but I’ll try to catch them at another venue around town. Up first was Mood Area 52 (a local bohemian/gypsy-style band). They usually have a larger band, but last night was just accordian/vocals, cello, and double bass. The cellist, Amy Danziger, is actually Raquy’s aforementioned sister who is Eugene-local. I’ve seen MA52 several times, but usually in a more “secondary” setting… meaning, they happen to be playing I stop by for a few songs during a Saturday Market, art walk, or coffee shop visit. They played about 6 songs over 30 minutes. They weren’t mic’ed at all, but it didn’t seem to matter. They missed the loud lady convention that seemingly descended on the venue during Raquy’s set. MA52 was quite delightful, and I recommend them if they’re playing and you’re in town.
Raquy and the Caveman hit the stage around 9:45 or so. This time it was sans Nezih (only a Raquy & Liron duo band). We had caught their long-ish soundcheck, and due to it being a “school night” only stuck around until about 10:30 for their main set. They started out with several dual dumbek / dumset* songs… mostly fast, showing off both Raquy’s and Liron’s insane percussive skills. We left shortly after their song that featured Raquy on kemenche (a Persion stringed instrument) and Liron on a Liron-custom 11-string guitar (stringed and tuned with a saz in mind). A great performance by both of them… we wished we could have mustered up enough to stay longer. Next year, we shall!
*-The “dumset” is a small set-up by Liron with a dumbek set up to a kick pedal, a dumbek in hand, cymbals, riq, etc. It’s played like a regular drumset.
Raquy & the Cavemen’s fifth album, Bewitched, is out now. We picked it up at the show, and I look forward to spinning it today. Click the picture for more information on the new release:
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Raquy and the Cavemen’s Official Site
- Raquy and the Cavemen on MySpace
- Mood Area 52
- Mood Ares 52 on MySpace
- Ruins of Ooah
- Ruins of Ooah on MySpace
- Joe’s Bar & Grill
~Dan – np: Explosions in the Sky – All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
Mini-REVIEW: Extra Golden @ Celebration (Eugene, OR – 9/5/09)
So, Eugene Celebration is one of the many good things going in Eugene every fall. We went down on Saturday and caught the tail end of Thomas Mapfumo, Extra Golden, and much later in the evening Gift of Gab. Both Gift of Gab and Thomas Mapfumo were good, but the highlight of the evening for me was Extra Golden…
I was introduced by my friend Aaron to Extra Golden only a few hours prior, and the sound samples I heard online were “OK,” but I really only listened to a few songs for a little bit. I’m up for anything and was already planning on going to Eugene Celebration; so I was game.
Well, let’s just say that their live show was fantastic. Really fun groove, tight musicianship, and a very energetic frontman (who likes our yogurt here in Eugene). Extra Golden were formed in Kenya by two Americans and one Kenyan. I think their live set was made up of three Americans with a Kenyan singer and Kenyan drummer. They played for a solid hour plus. For the last song, their singer, Otieno Jagwasi, joined us in the crowd and danced up a storm.
I snapped a few crappy iPhone pictures. Kinda fuzzy… anyway… here are some pics from their show:
Note how one of their guitarists looks like John Locke from Lost… :)
Check out Extra Golden on the MySpaces.
REVIEW: Yael Naim @ Aladdin Theater (Portland, OR – – 10/15/08)
Mini-Review
Well, I heard about Yael Naim a week ago thanks to the NPR World Cafe podcast… she’s a Paris-born, Israeli singer-songwriter. She’s been described as “a touch of folk and a touch of jazz, with mysterious and evocative words sung with a delicate and intentionally husky voice.” After just hearing of her, I found out that she was playing the Aladdin Theater in Portland the very next week. I was just going to head up to the Aladdin if I was up for it, and buy a ticket if they had some available. Well, thanks to the power of the internets, I got an email Tuesday morning from the Aladdin, and they were giving away 50 tickets to the first people who responded to their email. And, woot, I got a free ticket. Natch.
The opener, Peter Von Poehl, was… well… absent. So the replacement opener was Grey Anne. And she was… RAD! Very quirky, indie rock girl with an electric guitar, drum, accordion, butterfly wings, echoplex, and a stuffed giraffe. Fun songs, off the wall, nice textures, strong voice, confident, quirky… She’s from Portland; so I hope she makes her way down to Eugene sometime soon.
Yael Naim and her band were really good, too. They played Britney Spears’ “Toxic” as well. That’d make my friend Bruth happy. :) I enjoyed her set a lot, but I think my favorites of hers were the ones in French. There’s something about French music that’s just… FUN. Yann Tiersen, Jeanne Cherhal, Paris Combo, and… well, Yael Naim.
Next Aladdin visit for me… Jonatha Brooke and Glen “I sat on a glass table and might not be playing guitar for a while” Phillips. Yikes. :) I hope Glen’s arm is better to be at this show, because otherwise, I don’t think I’ll go. At the end of the day, I hope he gets better more than me being able to see him.
The Appropriate Linkage:
Anakronic Electro Orkestra
OK, I love Jewish music. I didn’t know I loved it until early 2006, when I got into John Zorn’s Masada, a great mixture of composed, yet improvisationally free jazz, grounded in Jewish melodies.
(Dave Douglas & John Zorn of Masada, photo courtesy of volume12)
Masada led to discovering many more great Jewish, Klezmer, and Slavic/Balkan music artists on John Zorn’s Tzadik label (and other labels):
……Electric Masada / Masada String Trio / Bar Kokhba Sextet (splinter bands from the Masada Book), Steven Bernstein (of Sex Mob), Jon Madof’s Rashanim & CircuitBreaker, Bester Quartet (formerly the Cracow Klezmer Band), Daniel Zamir & Satlah, David Buchbinder’s Jewban (or Cubish) cultural mash-up Odessa/Havana (and the similar mashups from Irving Fields and Roberto Rodriguez), David Krakauer’s Klezmer Madness, Jamie Saft, So Called, Balkan Beat Box, Slavic Soul Party!, Davka, Eyol Moaz, Jennifer Charles & Oren Bloedow’s La Mar Enfortuna (both from Elysian Fields), Koby Israelite, Marc Ribot’s Jewish music, Paul Brody’s Sadawi, Talat, Yoshie Fruchter, Z’ev, Zakarya, Klez-Factor, the Tiptons Saxophone Quartet, the Lithuanian Empire, the Alexandria Kleztet, Alex Kontorovich, et cetera…
Anyway, after I got into more John Zorn, I also got into more jazz and more Jewish music. There are many cross-overs between the two worlds (jazz and klezmer). Around that time, I was also getting into podcasts… and the only podcast that focused on klezmer music (that wasn’t always heavy on the vocals) was/is Keith Wolzinger’s Klezmer Podcast.
Recently, Klezmer Podcast #38 (from 9/3/08) focused on French record label, Jumu Music… and then had some clips from the Anakronic Electro Orkestra.
Wow… Anakronic Electro Orkestra is really fresh Jewish music, with a fun rock-meets-klezmer feel – – complete with accordion & clarinet. They don’t have an album out yet, but they’re hoping to have an EP out later in 2008 and a full-length in 2009. Check out some of their music on the MySpaces (“Why Is It Funny” is my favorite):