Guitarist Gary Lucas is well-known for his collaborations, which include a five-year stint with Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band (playing on Doc at the Radar Station and Ice Cream for Crow), co-writing songs on Jeff Buckley's Grace and many, many more.

Lucas is currently in the midst a three-day run of NYC shows (May 10th-12th). He performed his original guitar score to film Paint What You Remember at the Jewish Museum on the 10th. On the 11th, he performed the music of Tom Waits at the release party of book Lowside of the Road: A Life of Tom Waits at the Center. And his last gig is tonight, May 12th, at the Gershwin Hotel where Gary is playing the music of John Lennon at the Give Peace a Song Cabaret.

The guitarist's next big appearance is the 20th anniversary show for his psych-rock group Gods and Monsters which takes place on Thursday, June 11th at the Gramercy Theatre "with Ernie Brooks (Modern Lovers) bass, Billy Ficca (Television) drums, Jason Candler (Hungry March Band) alto sax, and Joe Hendel (The Latest Show on Earth) keyboards and trombone, with special guests including Alan Vega, Lenny Kaye, Peter Stampfel, Jon Spencer, and Dean Bowman". Tickets are on sale.

Lucas' YouTube channel is massively stocked with well-shot live footage of the guitarist in a number of musical settings. Clips of Lucas with Gods with Monsters at the Bowery Poetry Club in June 2008 are posted, along with all dates, below....

Continue reading "Gods & Monsters' 20th anniversary @ The Gramercy w/ guests ++ other Gary Lucas tour dates"

Gary Lucas

Lucas has played and collaborated with Leonard Bernstein, Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley, Chris Cornell, Lou Reed, John Cale, Nick Cave, David Johansen. He has also worked with Mary Margaret O'Hara, Onetwo, Peter Stampfel, Fred Schneider (B-52s), Bob Neuwirth, Geoff Muldaur, John Sebastian, John Zorn, Bryan Ferry, Patti Smith, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Matthew Sweet, DJ Spooky, Damo Suzuki, Iggy Pop, Dr. John, Allen Ginsberg, Graham Parker, The Dark Poets, Future Sound of London, Van Dyke Parks, Adrian Sherwood,Richard Barone, Bob Weir, Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule), Kristin Diable and many others. Jazz collaborations include Roswell Rudd, Steve Swallow, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, and Billy Bang. Some of these collaborations appear on his retrospective album Improve the Shining Hour, which also features his film and TV music for ABC News, 20/20 and Turning Point. He has produced albums for composer/saxophonists Tim Berne and Peter Gordon, and for the French avant-rock band Tanger. He co-wrote Joan Osborne's Grammy-nominated song "Spider Web" from her triple platinum album Relish.

Lucas co-wrote two of the songs, "Grace" and "Mojo Pin", from Jeff Buckley's popular and critically acclaimed album Grace. Early collaborations can also be heard on the recent Jeff Buckley and Gary Lucas album Songs To No One, which charted internationally with worldwide sales approaching 100,000. [Wikipedia]

Tonight/Wednesday at Cake Shop in NYC: Gary Lucas's band Gods & Monsters, Tommy Ramone's bluegrass band Uncle Monk, and Radio I-Ching (Andy Haas) with special guest James Chance - all on sthe same bill. Lots of talent and legendary status in the basement tonight (12/3).

The show is the first in Dee Pop's returning monthly Freestyle Music Series. According to Dee Pop, who also plays in Radio I-Ching, "Freestyle does not mean Free Jazz. It means free of categories. It doesn't mean anything. It means everything.". The January 21st show will feature Brown Wing Overdrive, Sediment Club, and Mostly Others Do the Killing. The dates after that are February 25, March 25, and April 22 - all at Cake Shop. Check out an Uncle Monk video below...

Continue reading "Gary Lucas, Tommy Ramone, James Chance... tonight (the 1st edition of Freestyle Music Monthly @ Cake Shop)"