Levon Helm lost his long battle with cancer on April 19, and his life and legacy will be celebrated at a couple of upcoming events, starting with a show by The Band tribute band The The Band Band at BB King's tonight (5/8). A portion of ticket sales will go to The American Cancer Society in honor of Levon Helm.

Brooklyn Bowl is hosting "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down": A Celebration of the Life and Music of Levon Helm on June 4. Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, Scott Metzger and Joe Russo (of Zeppelin tribute band Bustle in Your Hedgerow and other projects) form the core of the tribute, with special guests including Craig Finn & Tad Kubler (The Hold Steady), members of Guster, members of The Felice Brothers, Nicole Atkins, Phosphorescent, Family Band, Diamond Doves, Kelli Scarr, Yellowbirds, and Tom Hamilton of American Babies. Tickets are $20 and on sale now, and proceeds will go to benefit Helm's "The Barn" studio.

Dave Dreiwitz meanwhile can be found tonight (5/8) at City Winery backing... Michael Moore, and Wednesday (5/9) backing Aaorn Freeman aka Gene Ween at 92YTribeca.

The flyer for the Brooklyn Bowl event is below, as is video of Bruce Springsteen's recent live performance of The Band's classic "The Weight."

Continue reading "upcoming Levon Helm tributes w/ Benevento, Russo, Dreiwitz, members of the Hold Steady & many more"

Dickie Peterson was my Bandmate, Business Partner, Friend and Teacher the driving force behind Blue Cheer who some called the godfathers of Metal, Punk, Grunge and Stoner. I've heard underrated, overrated, the greatest and the worst band of all time but one thing is for sure there was no middle ground on opinions of his band.

I like to think a hundred years from now researchers will try to figure out how it got from Muddy Waters to Godsmack and they will find Hendrix and Cream, Zeppelin and Sabbath and then they will scratch their heads and think something's missing and then they'll see it, it won't be shiny and beautiful but raw and crude and a bit misshapen but there it is the missing link between all that was and all that is Blue Cheer. Then it will all be documented, put on a shelf, collect dust and eventually be forgotten.

First and foremost Dickie was a Bluesman, a champion of the Blues and a Knight of the Blues Table who just happened to worship at the Temple of the Loud. He once was asked at an interview I was at with him how he felt about working with a heavy metal guitarist and he sort of chuckled and said " Duck? Duck is just a blues guitarist in disguise." and in that instance he taught me more about myself than even I knew and profoundly changed the way I thought about myself, no easy feat me being a stubborn Scotsman. There are so many stories I could tell you about my adventures with Dickie and someday we'll sit down and drink a Scotch and I will tell all (if I can remember) but some things are just for me like the memories of first Love, your first born child being laid in your arms, and the passing of those you loved, those feelings are private and sacred and mine alone so I leave you with this.

Dickie is waiting for us and when we get there he will turn and face God and say
WE'RE BLUE CHEER AND THIS IS WHAT WE DO! And launch into Babylon. (Hopefully God will provide the gear and lots of it!)

Andrew "Duck" MacDonald

Dickie Peterson, RIP

Jack Rose, backstage @ Webster Hall in NYC, 2007

I have more great memories of Jack than of almost any other musician I know. That isn't because I spent more time with Jack - we saw each other somewhat regularly over the years on tour and at the odd festival - but because every encounter with him was memorable in some way. I'd say that Jack and I shared many things, but I know everyone who's ever met Jack has a similar story. His warmth, goodwill, stubbornness, and unflappable candor were all just as inspiring to me as his brilliant guitar playing.

I'll never forget his unwavering defense of The Doors and Steely Dan even in the face of the erudite Wire-types who rightfully idolized him. I'll never forget his love of crappy detective novels. I'll never forget him making fun of me for liking Richard Pinhas. I'll never forget he and Jexie and I stumbling to find our cabins in the pitch black at Big Sur after a long and revelrous evening. I'll never forget him at Big Jar Books, always taking money at the door to ensure that bands were paid (and nobody - NOBODY - would dare try to slip past Jack!).

Another thing I will always remember about Jack is his devotion to his wife Laurie. Any time he spoke of her, his worship and adoration was palpable. But rather than his gruff exterior melting into something cutesy or soft, he seemed to grow even more serious when discussing his loyalty to Laurie, as if to impart that anyone who might ever dare say a word against this woman would rue the fucking day. It's something that always stuck with me about Jack.

My last communication with Jack was an audacious email proposal - I was interested in adding some vocals to some of his unreleased tunes. Despite even close friends discouraging me from such blasphemy - "we love you but you'll ruin it, James" - Jack was psyched about the idea and gave his blessing, saying that he's always written with vocals in mind. Can't help wondering if we mighta had another Voice Of The Eagle on our hands. Ha!

Dr Ragtime never met Blind Joe Death but I bet the two of 'em are having a good chuckle at all of us Sentimental Sallys right about now.

I loved Jack and will miss him very much. R.I.P, brotherman. It won't be the same without you.

-James Jackson Toth

I found the picture and James (aka Wooden Wand)'s tribute at a new website set up in Jack's honor.

DOWNLOAD: Black Francis - All in My Mind (Love & Rockets) (MP3)

I would like to apologize to the Breeders for saying they would not sell out. I was a jerk about it and am truly sorry. I also apologize to their fans I may have offended with my stupid insensitive comments. Hope you liked the show.-Anonymous

The Breeders @ The Paradise in Boston 8/17 (more by Bryan Bruchman)

"Come one come all-I'm work shopping new introductions bare with me-Welcome to the 18th installment of the Jay Porks Never Ending concert series. Tonight brings us to the 'Sold Out' Bowery Ballroom at 6 Delancey St. in New York City. The Bowery is a venue that's been on my radar for a while, considering that the Bowery owns(or at least sponsors) most of the venues I attend for concerts in the city. Tonight the headliner, the band I'm here to see is the one, the only, THE BREEDERS." [The Jay Porks Blog]

The Breeders completed their two-night run at Bowery Ballroom in NYC last night (8/19). More on that soon.

On the horizon, Kim & Kelley Deal will be singing as part of The Long Count at BAM this fall, and Kim will be playing with her other band the Pixies, when they play NYC on their Doolittle tour this November.

Co-Pixie Frank Black recently contributed a track to New Tales To Tell: A Tribute to Love and Rockets, which came out Tuesday (Aug 18th) on Justice Records. Frank's track from that, "All in My Mind", off L&R's 1986 album Express, is posted above for your downloading pleasure.

He didn't appear at the release party/show on August 18th at the Ben Sherman store in Soho, but he will be at the show for, another tribute comp, Ciao My Shining Star - The Songs of Mark Mulcahy, which happens Sunday, September 20th at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Also appearing at the concert will be Joseph Arthur, David Berkeley and more. Non-musical guests (of sorts) include the premiere of the Thom Yorke video "All For The Best" and a reading by graphic novelist Ben Katchor. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 21st at noon.

Joseph Arthur also has a series of shows coming up at City Winery.

That Mulcahy comp also has a slightly more personal story, via FrankBlack.net...

We have some sad news from a friend of our website and of FBF, Mark Mulcahy. Some of you might recognize the name as the singer/songwriter behind Miracle Legion and Polaris [of the soundtrack to Pete & Pete among other things], both of which featured Catholics David McCafferey and Scott Boutier, or perhaps you recognize the name from the liner notes of Christmass, as Mark provided backing vocals for both "Radio Lizards" and "Don't Get Me Wrong." Or maybe, like me, you saw Mark open for the Pixies in Atlantic City in 2005. Regardless, Mark's wife recently passed away, leaving him as a single dad to two small children. Some friends and admirers, including our Frank Black Francis, have recorded some of Mark's songs for a tribute record called Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy.

That record comes out September 29th on Shout! Factory records, and includes contributions from The National, Thom Yorke, Michael Stipe, Dinosaur Jr., Vic Chesnutt and Elvis Perkins. In addition to the names on the tracklist, below, 20 additional cuts will be released digitally. Look for a London concert to be announced as well.

Radiohead has a new song out now (two actually).

The tracklist and art work for both tribute albums are posted below...

Continue reading "Breeders played Bowery, Frank Black playing Mark Mulcahy show @ MHOW (tix), on Love & Rockets tribute comp (MP3) "