Scene and Heard

Air Supply played ther hits from the 70’s , 80’s and songs from their upcoming album. The    band is celebrating it’s 35 year anniversary since meeting while singing in the Australian cast of Jesus Christ Superstar.

photo by Kristen Barker at http://www.hellostudiob.com

Poster art by Zach Stewart zcstewart@gmail.com

A band formed in Muncie, IN is working their way into the music scene.

The Bears of Blue River who now resides in Chicago, IL will be out touring for most of early 2010 in support of their new Ep “The Killer Bee Scare” which was engineered and produced with friends, Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s. (Sony/Epic)

The Bears of Blue River will be celebrating the Tuesday, January 26th Release and hitting the road Wednesday, January 20th all the way through the end of March. Their travels will take them all through the Midwest, up and down the East Coast, to the warmth of Florida and through the Gulf of Mexico to Texas for SXSW.
Prominent stops along their travels include a Daytrotter Session in early February, a performance on KARE 11 Showcase MN (NBC) with an average viewing audience of 100,000, a cozy show at Arlene’s Grocery in New York’s Lower East Side for representatives from Sony, lead Music stories in the circulated Midwest entertainment rag NUVO, as well as Redeye and Metromix features, greeting the audience of 2,000 locals for the Ghent Bar Tour in Virgina, and a wide ranging, eclectic mix of venues from Bowling Alleys to  Art Galleries.

All the while Minneapolis based, Tinderbox Music will be pushing the EP hard via the College Radio Circuit.

You can learn more at:

http://myspace.com/thebearsofblueriver
http://sonicbids.com/thebearsofblueriver
http://facebook.com/thebearsofblueriver

My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and cousin Johnny Quaid are launching Removador Recordings and Solutions. An online platform to shine a light on some musicians that he admires and would like to share with the world.

The label will help connect the dots between an ever-growing artistic community that James is a part of.

Learn more at   http://www.removador.com

The year is over but I have some great music memories from the past year. Here is my list of the best of 2009!

Best Live shows

1. The Allman Brothers at the Beacon Theater , March 13th,New York

Allmans @ Beacon Theater

2.Bruce Springsteen @ Bonnaroo

3. Joe Bonamassa @ Ky Center

4. Roger Daltry @ Horseshoe Casino

5. The Avett Brothers @ Forecastle Festival

6. Buddy Guy @ Wanee Festival

7. Widespread Panic @ Forecastle Festival

Shows I would have like to seen!

1. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert, New York

2.Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood

3.Eric Clapton sits in with the Allman Brothers at the Beacon March 20

4. U2 (anywhere)

Most impressive new bands I saw live

Springsteen @ Bonnaroo

1. David Cook @ Horseshoe Casino

2.BK3 @ Wanee Festival, Live Oak, FL

3. The Scripts @ Horseshoe Casino

4. Devon Allman@ Stevie Rays, Louisville, Ky

Best Special Guest  (shows I saw live)

1. Joe Bonnamassa with Gov’t Mule , Riveria Theater, Chicago, IL

2. Boz Skaggs with Allman Brothers, Beacon Theater, New York

3. Bruce Willis and Buddy Guy with Allman Brothers, Beacon Theater, New York

4. Jimmy Buffet joins ILO @ Bonnaroo

Best Albums of 2009

1. Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood live @ Madison Square Garden

2.The Allman Brothers Beacon Box

Avett Brothers @ Forecastle

3.Gov’t Mule “By a Thread”

4.Wilco (the album)

5. My Morning Jacket, (Support local Music Stores) EP

6.The Avett Brothers,  I and Love and You.

7. Black Crowes, ” Before the frost”

8.Phoenix, “Wolgang Amedeus Phoenix”

9. Animal Collective, “Merriweather Post Pavillion”

10. Derek Trucks Band “Already Free”

Alice Cooper @ Horseshoe

11. U2 “No line in the Horizon”

Most fun shows 2009

1. Alice Cooper @ Horseshoe Casino, IN

2. Forecastle Festival , Louisville, KY

3. Wanee Festival, Live Oak, FL

4. Guy Fieri @ Horseshoe

5. Bonnaroo

Start the debate!

Wynonna’s voice was outstanding as she performed at Horseshoe Casino December 10.

Guy Fieri entertained a lively Horseshoe Indiana crowd on Saturday. Fieri cooked for selected fans on stage and served Margarita’s to many in the audience. Students from Prosser helped Fieri with his show! it was an entertaining show that left me very hungry!

This festival will feature live performers including: Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews Band. Headlining July 23-25, 2010, this event will showcase more than 65 bands. Churchill Downs Incorporated, (“CDI”), (NASDAQ: CHDN) and its new wholly owned subsidiary, Churchill Downs Entertainment Group, (“CDE”), today unveiled a significant three-day summer music festival that will showcase more than 65 bands, including the Grammy Award-winning Bon Jovi, country music phenomenon Kenny Chesney, and Grammy Award-winning Dave Matthews Band, at the world-famous home of the Kentucky Derby on July 23-25, 2010.

http://hullabaloufest.com

With the success of all the music festivals each summer, it’s nice to see Louisville get in on the act. It’s clear CDE has done their homework on many of the top festivals and has put together a great lineup. I attend and photograph many of the Nation’s top Festival every year. I am very pleased to know I can stay at home in July! I know many local people who are excited and are planning to attend this event. Most of these people have never considered Bonnaroo or any other festival.

With Forecastle only two weeks before Louisville becomes the music capital for the month of July! Louisville music lovers have complained for years about the lack of big music events in our area.  Now is our chance to support these great events.

The 2008 American Idol Winner David Cook entertained an enthusiastic crowd at Horseshoe Casino Friday night. Cook’s self-title album sold more than a million copies and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Charts. He performed many of the songs from the album including hits “Lights On” and “Come Back to Me.”  Cook displayed strong vocals and was backed by an excellent band which left the full house of American Idol fans begging for more.

Cook commented, “As a band, we really pride ourselves on coming out, turning the guitars up and having a good time. It’s a few less bells and whistles than the “American Idol” tour.”

Because I don’t watch “Idol,” I didn’t know what to expect. Normally it’s not my type of music.   Cook’s rock based show was a pleasent surprise.

Danny O'Donoghue lead singer of the Scripts

An Irish band, The Scripts, who had just finished an appearance on David Letterman, opened the show with a powerful set that sounded like a mix of the Killers and U2. This band has talent and the potential to be a big name very soon.

To see more Photos click here

Jonny Lang

Robert Cray

A Happy crowd at Horseshoe Casino

Five time Grammy winner, Robert Cray and the soulful voice of Jonny Lang filled Horseshoe Casino with the blues on Friday. Both guitar slingers kept the crowd on their feet with sizzling back to back performances. The combination of two top blues artists exhausted a sellout crowd with over three hours of excellent music.

Louisville was the center of the world for Dashboard Confessional fans as the band took over Whitney Hall for their only show on their scheduled tour that was not postponed. Dashboard fans came from all over the country to see the band perform  their hit songs with the Louisville Orchestra. This was also the first time Dashboard Confessional has played with an orchestra. Band leader, Chris Carrabba stated, ” I am excited and nervous to do this event.”

The crowd, some of which came from as far a Sioux Falls, IA, seemed uneasy about seeing the band in this setting.  Halfway into the 14 song set , the crowd began standing and singing along with the band. From that point on, Dashboard Confessional and the Louisville Orchestra carried the night with a powerful performance lead by Carrabba’s strong vocals.

It was great exposure for the  talented Louisville Orchestra to introduce a new generation to a classical side of music.