words & photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

Mavis Staples delivered a fiery, spiritual and deeply felt performance at the Bell House on Tuesday night in support of her 2010 album You Are Not Alone (ANTI, produced by Jeff Tweedy). Mrs. Staples, 71, was in full command of her unique vocal powers, sweeping up out of deep growls into sermonizing leads. The band, led by Rick Holmstrom on guitar, was a powerful and solid compliment, laying out gravel-rough rhythms and churchy chords. Mavis was supported by 3 additional vocalists, including her sister Yvonne, who provided both rich harmonies and counterpoints. In total, the ensemble put her in an setting reminiscent of the guitar and vocals-driven sound of the classic Staples Singers.

The show began with the acapella "Wonderful Saviour" and moved through much of the material on the new album, including both Tweedy-penned songs "You Are Not Alone" and "Only The Lord Knows". Mavis performed The Band's "The Weight", a song that the Staples can lay some claim to since The Last Waltz, plus the evergreen inspirational Stax hit "I'll Take You There".

Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio and Jolie Holland each played opening sets, Kip joined Jolie for her last song. Mavis Staples continues to tour throughout 2011. Tickets are on sale for the show she's playing with Billy Bragg in Tarrytown on March 27th. More pictures and a video from the Bell House, below...

Continue reading "Mavis Staples played the Bell House w/ Kyp Malone & Jolie Holland (pics)"

photos by Chris La Putt

Eleanor Friedberger / David Johansen

What Kind of Love Is This:
The Music of BOB DYLAN & THE BAND
w/ Steven Bernstein (Sex Mob, Levon Helm Band), John Medeski (Medeski, Martin and Wood), Rob Burger (Laurie Anderson, Marianne Faithful, Iron & Wine), Tony Scherr (Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Sex Mob), Kenny Wollesen (Norah Jones, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Sex Mob), and special guests Jolie Holland, Laura Cantrell, Nicole Atkins, John Wesley Harding, and Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces. And special Guest Vocalists Chocolate Genius, and David Johansen (New York Dolls).

That's how Sunday night's Bob Dylan tribute show at Le Poisson Rouge was listed. The full setlist with performers listed, more pictures from the event, and two videos, below...

Continue reading "Bob Dylan was celebrated @ Le Poisson Rouge (pics, video & setlist) -- David Johansen, Fiery Furnaces & many more"

Bob Dylan by Greil Marcus: Writings 1968-2010 was recently released, just in time for the holidays...

"The book begins in Berkeley in 1968, and ends with a piece on Dylan's show at the University of Minnesota--his very first appearance at his alma mater--on election night 2008. In between are moments of euphoric discovery: From Marcus's liner notes for the 1967 Basement Tapes (pop music's most famous bootlegged archives) to his exploration of Dylan's reimagining of the American experience in the 1997 Time Out of Mind. And rejection; Marcus's Rolling Stone piece on Dylan's album Self Portrait--often called the most famous record review ever written--began with "What is this shit?" and led to his departure from the magazine for five years. Marcus follows not only recordings but performances, books, movies, and all manner of highways and byways in which Bob Dylan has made himself felt in our culture.

Together the dozens of pieces collected here comprise a portrait of how, throughout his career, Bob Dylan has drawn upon and reinvented the landscape of traditional American song, its myths and choruses, heroes and villains. They are the result of a more than forty-year engagement between an unparalleled singer and a uniquely acute listener."

You can buy it at Amazon, or maybe pick up a copy at the Strand tonight, 12/1, where Greil will be speaking in conversation with Stephen Hazan Arnoff, Director of the 14th Street Y, "and special guests Matt and Eleanor Friedberger of the Fiery Furnaces, who will perform a few songs."

Eleanor & Matt Friedberger will also be on hand at the 14th St Y and Le Poisson Rouge on Sunday, December 5th, for a day of Dylan events. The concert at LPR is this:

What Kind of Love Is This:
The Music of BOB DYLAN & THE BAND
w/ Steven Bernstein (Sex Mob, Levon Helm Band), John Medeski (Medeski, Martin and Wood), Rob Burger (Laurie Anderson, Marianne Faithful, Iron & Wine), Tony Scherr (Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Sex Mob), Kenny Wollesen (Norah Jones, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Sex Mob), and special guests Jolie Holland, Laura Cantrell, Nicole Atkins, John Wesley Harding, and Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces. And special Guest Vocalists Chocolate Genius, and David Johansen (New York Dolls).

$35 tickets are still on sale for that part, and $75 tickets which I guess get you into everything at both spaces, are on sale too. If you just want in the symposium happening at the Y, that's $45, described as "a one-of-a-kind exploration of Bob Dylan and the Band's work, featuring scholars, critics, writers, and artists"

Greil Marcus: Author of the definitive book on Bob Dylan and The Band, Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes.

Christopher Ricks: Renowned critic and scholar of English literature and poetry, and author of Dylan's Visions of Sin.

John Niven: Novelist whose book Music from Big Pink vividly imagines the world of Bob Dylan and The Band.

Dana Spiotta: Author of mesmerizing portraits of the 60's underground, including Eat the Document.

Matt Friedberger: Co-founder of the visionary rock band The Fiery Furnaces.

D.A. Pennebaker: Pioneering film documentarian, whose credits include Don't Look Back, the first film on Bob Dylan.

Stephen Hazan Arnoff: Executive Director of the 14th Street Y writes and teaches widely on music, art and religion.

Wesley Stace (John Wesley Harding): Singer-songwriter and award winning author of Misfortune.

William G. Scheele: Museum curator and former Equipment/Stage Manager for Bob Dylan and The Band.

Bob Dylan himself, who recently played three nights in a row at NYC's Terminal 5, is not listed anywhere. Maybe he'll come watch. More info on the whole thing at 14th St. Y's site.

John Wesley Harding also has a show coming up at City Winery.

by Kurt Christensen

Mark Olson @ Rockwood Music Hall

"With the stars-of-fame outside First Avenue currently being repainted, it looked as if the Jayhawks were campaigning to make theirs the first local name to go back up on the walls.

The pioneering alt-country band had not played their hometown rock haven in more than five years. It had been 15 years since they performed there with original co-leader Mark Olson, who quit the band in 1995. One could practically smell the nostalgia in the air at Sunday's show -- the second in a three-night stand -- and it was much sweeter than paint fumes.

Instead of playing all their standard tunes, though, the quintet offered up a two-hour concert filled with hidden gems and way-old nuggets. It was a sharply different set list than they played at the Basilica Block Party last summer, which was the first local reunion by the Jayhawks' mid-'90s lineup, featuring Olson, singer/guitarist Gary Louris, bassist Marc Perlman, drummer Tim O'Reagan and keyboardist Karen Grotberg." [Star Tribune]

The original lineup of the Jayhawks played a trio of shows in Minneapolis on Saturday, Sunday and Monday (last night). That's a bit of a review from the Sunday night show quoted above.

Less than a week earlier, Jayhawks member Mark Olson played the intimate Rockwood Music Hall on the Lower East side of NYC (a city Jayhawk Gary Louris played less than a month before that). Mark was accompanied by Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Ingunn Ringvold who performs under the name Sailorine. Mark played several songs from his upcoming album Many Colored Kite (available July 27), as well as songs from the Jayhawks, and The Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers. Mark also played the first track from the recently re-issued Bunkhouse LP, the Jayhawks first album which originally was only available on vinyl in a pressing of 2,000 copies. At the end of the set, he was joined by Jolie Holland for the opening track of the new album, Little Bird of Freedom.

More pictures of Mark at Rockwood, below...

Continue reading "the Jayhawks played 3 shows @ First Avenue in Minneapolis, Mark Olson performed @ Rockwood Music Hall (pics) "

Throwing Muses with Kristen Hersh, Kimya Dawson, Ingrid Michaelson, Glenn Hansard of The Frames & Swell Season, Apples in Stereo, Tommy James and the Shondells, Jolie Holland, Keren Ann, Guster, The Db's, Bob Mould, Vic Chesnutt & Elf Power, Rachel Yamagata, Calexico, Patti Smith, and others will be singing R.E.M. songs at Carnegie Hall on March 11th. "100% of net proceeds to benefit musical education programs for underprivileged youth." Regular tickets are on sale at the venue's site. VIP tickets are available at the event's own site (thx rajohn)...

Your VIP ticket includes entrance to the private artist reception taking place at City Winery featuring cuisine designed by Mario Batali. Food will be delicious and the free wine will be flowing. Join the artists and friends in New York's first full winery and amazing new event space. The party will start immediately after the concert and go to 1am. With a full stage and sound system at City Winery, we expect many musical surprises!

Mario Batali and Michael Stipe are good friends. Michael Dorf is producing this whole event. Michael Dorf owns the new City Winery which is opening on New Years Eve which is the night Michael Dorf's old club Knitting Factory is closing (which Michael pointed out himself in that NY Press article).

Patti Smith also just added a 3rd show at Bowery Ballroom. Tix are now on sale..

Tickets are still on sale for Kimya Dawson's upcoming show at Bowery Ballroom.

Vic Chetnutt & Elf Power are also touring and playing NYC together in January.

Pro-shot video of R.E.M.'s encore in Mexico City the other day, below...

Continue reading "Music of R.E.M. @ Carnegie Hall w/ Patti Smith, Kimya Dawson, Calexico, Bob Mould & others (by Michael Dorf)"

Herman Dune & the Pratts @ Central Park Summerstage (everlovingpix)

Herman Dune, with Kelly Pratt and Jon Natchez as members of his band, will be touring Europe throughout November and December, but first they'll play two NYC shows which happen to be this Wednesday (11/12 @ The Bell House with Motel Motel) and Thursday (11/13 @ Highline Ballroom with Jolie Holland). All dates below...

Continue reading "Herman Dune - 2008 Tour Dates (2 NYC shows this week)"