Concert Review: Joanna Newsom and Robin Pecknold

Review of Joanna Newsom and Robin Pecknold concert at Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, 7/30/10.

Concert Review: Chuck Berry

Review of Chuck Berry concert at Hootenanny 2010, Irvine, California, 7/3/10.

Concert Review: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Review of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros concert at Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, 7/2/10.

Photos: Chuck Berry

Photos of Chuck Berry concert at Hootenanny 2010, Irvine on 7/3/10. (Jeff Moehlis photos)

Here is a link to my review of this concert.

Concert Review: Headless Household

Review of Headless Household concert at SOhO on 6/23/10.

Photos: Experience Hendrix

Photos of Experience Hendrix concert, Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara on 3/4/10. (L. Paul Mann photos)

Here is a link to my review of this concert.

Photos: Yo La Tengo

Photos of Yo La Tengo concert at Velvet Jones, Santa Barbara on 4/19/10. (L. Paul Mann photos)

Here is a link to my review of this concert.

Concert Review: oso

Review of oso concert at SOhO, Santa Barbara, 6/10/10.

Photos: Flight of the Conchords

Photos of Flight of the Conchords from 5/22/09 concert at Santa Barbara Bowl. Photos by L. Paul Mann.

Here is a link to my review of this concert.

Photos: Jon Anderson

Photos of Jon Anderson from 11/15/09 concert at SOhO, Santa Barbara. Photos by L. Paul Mann.

Here is a link to my review of this concert.

Photos: Frank Zappa symposium

Photos from the Frank Zappa symposium at the Ojai Music Festival. Here is a link to my review of this event.

Review: Frank Zappa Symposium

Review of Frank Zappa symposium at Ojai Music Festival, 6/11/10.

Review: Henry Rollins

Review of Henry Rollins spoken work performance at SOhO on 6/9/10.

Photos: Elvis Costello

Photos of Elvis Costello from 4/13/10 concert at Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara. Photos by L. Paul Mann.

Here is a review of the concert.

Concert Review: Charlie Hunter

Review of Charlie Hunter concert at SOhO in Santa Barbara on 5/9/10.

Photos: Atoms for Peace

Photos of Atoms for Peace and opening band Autolux from 4/17/10 concert at Santa Barbara Bowl. Photos by L. Paul Mann. Here is a review of the concert.

Photos: Country Joe McDonald, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Starship

Photos of Country Joe McDonald, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Starship from 4/30/10 concert at Oreana Winery, Santa Barbara. Photos by L. Paul Mann. Here is a review of the concert.

Concert Review: Jefferson Starship, plus Country Joe McDonald and QMS

Review of Jefferson Starship concert 4/30/10 at Oreana Winery, with openers Country Joe McDonald and Quicksilver Messenger Service

Photos from the concert.

Concert Preview: Jefferson Starship

Preview of Jefferson Starship concert on 4/30/10, featuring interview with Paul Kantner. Complete interview available here.

Interview: Paul Kantner

Paul Kantner was a co-founder, singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter for the Sixties psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane, which is best known for the hits “Somebody To Love” and “White Rabbit”. His songwriting credits include “Crown of Creation”, “We Can Be Together”, “Volunteers” (co-written with bandmate Marty Balin) and “Wooden Ships” (co-written with David Crosby and Stephen Stills). Kantner stayed onboard when Jefferson Airplane morphed into Jefferson Starship.

This interview was conducted by phone on 4/21/10. It formed the basis of a preview article for Jefferson Starship’s 4/30/10 show in Santa Barbara.

Concert Review: Yo La Tengo

Review of Yo La Tengo concert at Velvet Jones, 4/19/10

Concert Review: Atoms for Peace

Review of Atoms for Peace at Santa Barbara Bowl, 4/17/10

Photos from the concert.

Concert Review: Elvis Costello

Review of Elvis Costello at the Arlington Theatre, 4/13/10

Concert Review: Greg Ginn and the Taylor Texas Corrugators

Review of Greg Ginn and the Taylor Texas Corrugators at Muddy Waters, 3/30/10

Concert Review: Mike Watt and the Missingmen

Review of Mike Watt and the Missingmen concert at Mercury Lounge 3/7/10, with openers oso and Lite.

Concert Review: Experience Hendrix

Review of Experience Hendrix concert at Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara on 3/4/10.

Concert Review: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Review of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros concert at SOhO on 3/3/10.

Concert Review: Ray Manzarek

Review of Ray Manzarek’s concert at SOhO on 2/27/09.

Concert Preview: Mike Watt and the Missingmen

Preview of concert by Mike Watt and the Missingmen at the Mercury Lounge on 3/7/10.

Interview: Mike Watt

Mike Watt’s musical resume is about as cool as they come. He co-founded the influential San Pedro-based indie-punk band The Minutemen, playing bass and composing many of their songs. After Minutemen guitarist D. Boon tragically died in a car accident, guitarist Ed “fROMOHIO” Crawford joined up with Watt and Minutemen drummer George Hurley to form the somewhat underappreciated late-80’s and early-90’s band fIREHOSE. And since 2003, he has been playing bass with re-formed (but perhaps not reformed) punk rock godfathers The Stooges, fronted by Iggy Pop.

This interview was conducted by phone on 2/9/10.

Concert Review: The Chieftains

Review of The Chieftains’ concert at Granada Theatre on 2/22/10

Concert Review: The Entrance Band

Review of The Entrance Band’s concert at Jensen’s Mainstage on 2/17/10.

Concert Review: Neil Finn

Review of Neil Finn (ex-Crowded House) at SOhO, 2/9/10.

Steve Earle on Townes Van Zandt

Steve Earle on Townes Van Zandt, as told at the Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA, October 11, 2009

Interview: Cris Kirkwood from the Meat Puppets

Cris Kirkwood is the bassist for the Meat Puppets, which released the indie rock classic albums Meat Puppets II in 1984 and Up on the Sun in 1985. They hit their commercial peak with 1994’s album Too High to Die, which featured the minor hit “Backwater.” Their visibility was helped immensely around this time by Kurt Cobain proclaiming the Meat Puppets to be one of his biggest influences, and by brothers Curt and Cris Kirkwood joining Nirvana onstage at their MTV Unplugged performance of three songs from Meat Puppets II. But things crumbled shortly thereafter, in large part because of Cris’ escalating substance abuse problems.

This interview was conducted over the phone on 1/8/09, and formed the basis of a preview article for the Meat Puppets concert at SOhO. Be sure to read Cris’ hilarious answers to “The MOJO Questions” at the end.

Interview: Justin Roberts

Justin Roberts was in the Minneapolis-based indie rock band Pimentos for Gus before becoming an award-winning children’s musician who writes clever, thoughtful songs with a well-crafted power pop sound. His latest CD is 2008’s Pop Fly.

This interview was conducted in person in Evanston, IL on 6/25/08.

Article: Jeff Barry and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Article about Jeff Barry being honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Concert Review: Black Francis

Review of Black Francis (ex-Pixies) concert at Hard to Find Showspace, 1/30/10

Recommended Albums: 2000-present

This is an evolving list of albums that I recommend you check out. Covers 2000-present

Recommended Albums: 1990-1999

This is an evolving list of albums that I recommend you check out. Covers 1990-1999

Recommended Albums: 1980-1989

This is an evolving list of albums that I recommend you check out. Covers 1980-1989

Recommended Albums: 1975-1979

This is an evolving list of albums that I recommend you check out. Covers 1975-1979

Recommended Albums: 1970-1974

This is an evolving list of albums that I recommend you check out. Covers 1970-1974

Concert Review: Steve Young with Van Dyke Parks and David Jackson

Review of 1/23/10 Sings Like Hell performance of Steve Young with Van Dyke Parks and David Jackson

Interview: Jeff Barry

Jeff Barry is one of rock and roll’s most accomplished songwriters. He was recently selected for a 2010 Ahmet Ertegun Award by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Barry and his songwriting partner Ellie Greenwich co-wrote such early rock and roll classics as “Be My Baby”, “Da Doo Ron Ron”, “Chapel of Love”, “River Deep, Mountain High” (all co-written with Phil Spector), “Leader of the Pack” (co-written with George “Shadow” Morton), “Hanky Panky,” and “Do Wah Diddy Diddy.” Later, Barry co-wrote the bubblegum smash “Sugar, Sugar” with Andy Kim, and theme songs for the television shows “The Jeffersons,” “One Day at a Time,” and “Family Ties.” Barry also was the producer for many well-known songs, including “I’m A Believer” by The Monkees, and early Neil Diamond songs such as “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon” and “Kentucky Woman.”

This interview was conducted in person on May 6, 2008 in Santa Barbara, California.

Concert Review: Ted Nugent

Review of Ted Nugent concert at Chumash Casino, 1/22/10

Interview: Mark Tulin from The Electric Prunes

Mark Tulin was the bass guitar player for The Electric Prunes, which is best known for 1966’s psychedelic garage-rock classic single “I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night),” the lead track on the highly-regarded Nuggets collection compiled in 1972 by Lenny Kaye. The Prunes’ original line-up also released 1968’s psych obscurity Mass in F Minor, a Catholic mass, sung in Latin, composed by music producer/arranger/composer David Axelrod – the track “Kyrie Eleison” from this album was on the soundtrack for the generation-defining movie Easy Rider.

This interview was conducted in person on 8/23/09, and formed the basis of a preview article of the Spirits In The Sky concert at Muddy Waters Cafe on 8/27/09. We started talking about the upcoming show, and then covered The Electric Prunes.

Chat: Billy Corgan

Billy Corgan is the lead guitarist and singer for Smashing Pumpkins, one of the best known alternative rock bands which broke through in the 1990’s. Their 1993 album Siamese Dream is widely recognized as one of the best and most influential albums of the decade.

After the phenomenal concert by Billy Corgan and the Spirits in the Sky at Muddy Waters in Santa Barbara on 8/28/09, Corgan was casually chatting with fans outside. Amidst various random questions and people asking him to sign things, some of us in the crowd managed to have a conversation about the music business. Here is a transcript of how it went down:

Interview: Steve Young

Steve Young is a singer and songwriter whose best known song is “Seven Bridges Road,” which was covered by and became a Top 40 hit for The Eagles. He also wrote “Lonesome, On’ry And Mean”, which became a trademark song for Waylon Jennings, and “Montgomery in the Rain”, which was covered by Hank Williams, Jr.

This interview was conducted by phone on 1/5/10, and formed the basis of a preview article for the Steve Young with Van Dyke Parks and David Jackson show on 1/23/10 at the Lobero Theatre.

Steve Young passed away on 3/17/16.

Concert Review: Kris Kristofferson

Review of Kris Kristofferson concert at the Granada Theatre, 1/15/10