Concert Preview: David Byrne and St. Vincent

Preview of David Byrne and St. Vincent at the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara, 10/11/12.

Interview: Jimmy Carter

The Blind Boys of Alabama started singing together in 1939, at a school for the blind in a little town in Alabama called Talladega. They had their first professional performance in 1944, and have been going strong with their heavenly Gospel music ever since, although only one original member, Jimmy Carter, still regularly tours with the group. They have received many accolades, including Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Grammys and the National Endowment for the Arts, and have performed for three Presidents.

The following interview was for a preview article for the Dr. John/Blind Boys of Alabama show called Spirituals to Funk at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara on 10/15/12. This was done by phone on 10/4/12. (Erika Goldring photo)

Photos: Bonnie and Friends

Photos of Bonnie Bramlett, Rosemary Butler, Tata Vega, and Carl Graves at the Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, 9/28/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett

Photos of Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett from Little Feat at the Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, 9/28/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Interview: John Kadlecik

John Kadlecik (pronounced Kad-le-sik) is the lead guitarist for Furthur, the band which is keeping the music of the Grateful Dead alive thanks to original Dead band members Bob Weir and Phil Lesh, and Kadlecik’s Jerry Garcia-inspired guitar explorations.

Before joining Furthur, Kadlecik played in Dark Star Orchestra, which was notable – and quite popular – for covering full Grateful Dead setlists from throughout that band’s history. And before that, Kadlecik was a member of various bands including Uncle John’s Band, Wingnut, and Hairball Willie, the latter of which I can personally attest to having put on a great show in Ames, Iowa back in the early 1990’s.

The following interview was for a preview article for Furthur’s return to the Santa Barbara Bowl on 10/7/12. It was conducted by phone on 9/18/12. (L. Paul Mann photo, from Furthur’s concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl on 9/20/10)

Concert Review: Mavis Staples and Bonnie Raitt

Review of Mavis Staples and Bonnie Raitt at the Santa Barbara Bowl, 9/23/12.

Photos: Gotye

Photos of Gotye at the Santa Barbara Bowl, 9/8/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Chairlift

Photos of Chairlift at the Santa Barbara Bowl, opening for Gotye, 9/8/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Toto

Toto at the Chumash Casino, 9/13/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Concert Review: Def Leppard and Poison

Review of Def Leppard and Poison at the Santa Barbara Bowl, 9/15/12.

Interview: Bonnie Bramlett

Bonnie Bramlett’s soulful voice has graced an amazing number of recordings and concert stages over the years, making her a true American treasure. As a teenager, she was the first white Ikette to back Ike and Tina Turner. Later, with her then-husband Delaney Bramlett they formed the band Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, which struck a chord in the late-60’s and early-70’s with its mix of rock, Gospel, soul, and blues music. The “Friends” in this band included such notables as Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Leon Russell, Duane and Gregg Allman, and others.

Bramlett has also performed and/or recorded with the likes of John Lennon, Joe Cocker, Little Feat, Stephen Stills, The Allman Brother Band (earning her the title of “Allman Sister”), Emmylou Harris, and many others. She released several solo albums in the 1970’s, and then more in the 2000’s, with her latest release being the 2008 album Beautiful.

Plus, Bramlett is a noted songwriter, having co-written “Superstar” which was a mega-hit for The Carpenters, and Eric Clapton’s single “Let It Rain”. A recent composition, “Ain’t Gonna Let You Go”, appeared on Bonnie Raitt’s latest album Slipstream.

And if that’s not enough, Bramlett is also an actress, most notably in her recurring role on the TV show Roseanne.

The following interview was for a preview article for the Bonnie & Friends performance at the Lobero Theatre on 9/28/12, as part of a fundraiser for The Rhythmic Arts Project (TRAP), an educational program that integrates percussion as a medium to address reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as life skills for children and adults with intellectual and developmental differences. The interview was conducted by phone on 9/4/12.

Photos: Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Neil Young and Crazy Horse at Outside Lands Festival, 8/10/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Die Antwoord

Die Antwoord at Outside Lands Festival, 8/10/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters at Outside Lands Festival, 8/10/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Two Gallants

Two Gallants at Outside Lands Festival, 8/10/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Reggie Watts

Reggie Watts at Outside Lands Festival, 8/10/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Fitz and the Tantrums at Outside Lands

Fitz and the Tantrums at Outside Lands Festival, 8/10/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Beck

Beck at Outside Lands Festival, 8/10/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Andrew Bird

Andrew Bird at Outside Lands Festival, 8/10/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Concert Review: Fiona Apple

Review of Fiona Apple at the Santa Barbara Bowl, 9/15/12.

Interview: Dave Alvin

Dave Alvin first received acclaim in L.A. roots rockers The Blasters, for which has was the primary songwriter, and whose revved up take on rhythm and blues won favor in the early-80’s punk rock scene and beyond. After a short stint with country-punkers The Knitters and punk-rockers X, Alvin launched his highly-regarded solo career which continues to this day. Alvin’s latest album, Eleven Eleven, came out in 2011.

This interview was for a preview article for the show by Dave Alvin & The Guilty Ones on 9/19/12 at the Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez, as part of the tenth anniversary celebration of the Tales from the Tavern series. The interview was done by phone on 8/30/12. (Brian Blouser photo)

Photos: Camper Van Beethoven

Camper Van Beethoven at Zoey’s Cafe, Ventura, 9/10/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Concert Review: Black Mountain and Two Gallants

Review of Black Mountain and Two Gallants at SOhO, Santa Barbara, 8/31/12.

Concert Review: Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur

Review of Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur at the Lobero Theatre, with openers Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan, 8/25/12.

Interview: Victor Krummenacher

Victor Krummenacher is a founding member and bass player for the eclectic alternative rock band Camper Van Beethoven. Their first album Telephone Free Landslide Victory came out in 1985, and includes such classic songs as “The Day That Lassie Went to the Moon”, “Where the Hell is Bill?”, the Black Flag cover “Wasted”, and “Take the Skinheads Bowling”. They released four more acclaimed albums before burning out, the independently-released II & III and self-titled Camper Van Beethoven, and the major-label albums Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart and Key Lime Pie. The band reformed at the end of the end of the 1990’s, and has released several more albums, with a new one coming out in January 2013. Krummenacher has also been in the bands Monks of Doom and Cracker.

This phone interview took place on 8/24/12, and was for a preview article for Camper Van Beethoven’s 9/10/12 concert in Ventura, California.

Concert Review: The Cult

Review of The Cult at the Majestic Ventura Theater, 8/18/12.

Concert Review: Huey Lewis and Joe Cocker

Review of Huey Lewis and the News, and Joe Cocker at the Santa Barbara Bowl, 8/19/12.

Photos: Steve Aoki at the Sunset Strip Music Festival

Steve Aoki at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, 8/18/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Black Label Society

Black Label Society at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, 8/18/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Offspring

Offspring at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, 8/18/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Bad Religion

Bad Religion at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, 8/18/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: De La Soul

De La Soul at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, 8/18/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Dead Sara at the Sunset Strip Music Festival

Dead Sara at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, 8/18/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Sunset Strip Music Festival Celebrates The Doors

Sunset Strip Music Festival Celebrates The Doors, House of Blues, Los Angeles, 8/16/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Dead Can Dance

Dead Can Dance at Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay, San Diego, 8/15/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Interview: Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur

When the Jim Kweskin Jug Band formed in 1963, they breathed new life into the jug band music genre whose heyday had been several decades earlier. In the process, they inspired many bands including the Grateful Dead and the Lovin’ Spoonful, played several times at the Newport Folk Festival, and had a helluva lot of fun.

After the Jim Kweskin Jug Band broke up in the late 1960’s, Muldaur played with Paul Butterfield’s Better Days, and contributed to recordings for a number of notable artists. Both Kweskin and Muldaur have also released various solo albums over the years, and in recent years they have resumed performing together.

The following interviews were done for a preview article for the performance by Kweskin and Muldaur at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara on 8/25/12. These interviews were done separately by email, with Muldaur’s reply received on 8/2/12, and Kweskin’s on 8/3/12.

Interview: Billy Duffy

Billy Duffy is the guitarist for The Cult, a renowned British hard rock band with psychedelic and punk rock influences formed in 1983. The Cult’s notable albums include Love (1985), Electric (1987), and Sonic Temple (1989), and in 2012 they released a new album called Choice of Weapon. Their songs include “She Sells Sanctuary”, “Love Removal Machine”, “Fire Woman”, and “Edie (Ciao Baby)”, all co-written by Duffy and singer Ian Astbury. Before The Cult, Duffy played in The Nosebleeds (with a pre-Smiths Morrissey, who Duffy reportedly introduced to Johnny Marr), Slaughter & The Dogs for a short time, and Theatre of Hate.

This interview was conducted by phone on 8/7/12, and served as the basis for a preview article for The Cult’s concert at the Majestic Ventura Theater on 8/18/12. (Michael Lavine photo)

Interview: Nolan Wheeler

Austin, Texas is rightfully known as a mecca for music, thanks largely to the city’s annual SXSW festival. And the latest band to bubble up to receive the prestigious Austin Music Award for Best New Band is the Austin-based band The Wheeler Brothers, consisting of brothers Tyler (bass guitar), Patrick (drums), and Nolan (guitar, piano and vocals), plus friends A. J. Molyneaux (lapsteel, guitar, vocals) and Danny Matthews (guitar, vocals).

The Wheeler Brothers’ “rock ‘n’ roll with a bit of twang” on their debut album Portraits has been well received in Texas and beyond, and their second album is in progress.

This interview was conducted by email, with answers received on 7/31/12.

Concert Review: Joan Jett

Review of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts at the Ventura County Fair, 8/4/12.

Photos: Tears For Fears

Tears For Fears at Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, 8/1/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Rebecca & Fiona

Rebecca & Fiona at Dim Mak Studios, Hollywood, 7/12/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Review: Potter Puppet Pals, Harry and the Potters

Review of Potter Puppet Pals, and Harry and the Potters at Biko Garage in Isla Vista, 7/24/12.

Interview: Steve Hillage

Steve Hillage is best-known for his amazing guitar playing with Gong during its classic Radio Gnome Trilogy phase (1973-75), and for his subsequent solo career which included the albums Fish Rising (1975), L (1976), Motivation Radio (1977), Green (1978), and Rainbow Dome Musick (1979). He also played with the prog rock band Khan which released their only album Space Shanty in 1972, with Kevin Ayers on the album Bananamour (1973), and on the live performances of Tubular Bells at Queen Elizabeth Hall in 1973 and for the BBC in 1974.

In the 1980’s, Hillage worked as a producer for artists including Simple Minds, Cock Robin, and Robyn Hitchcock. Then, after meeting Dr. Alex Paterson, he co-wrote, co-produced, and recorded songs with The Orb, including the British hit song “Blue Room”. Hillage and Miquette Giraudy also formed the still-active ambient dance band System 7, which has collaborated with Paterson, Derrick May, and others.

This interview was done by phone on 7/25/12.

Concert Review: The Mau Maus

Review of The Mau Maus at Whiskey Richards, Santa Barbara, 7/22/12.

Photos: The Mau Maus

The Mau Maus at Whiskey Richards, Santa Barbara, 7/22/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Photos: Howard Jones

Howard Jones at the Canyon Club, Agoura Hills, California, 7/13/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Concert Review: Yanni

Review of Yanni at the Santa Barbara Bowl, 7/21/12.

Interview: Yanni

Not many living people have their name appear regularly as the answer to crossword puzzle clues. But if you’re looking for a five letter answer to “One-named New Age musician” or “Greek New Age keyboardist”, it doesn’t take long to come up with “Yanni”.

Of course, Yanni’s mark extends far beyond crossword puzzles. He has released fourteen studio albums, the latest of which is 2011’s Truth or Touch and two of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards, plus seven live albums including Live at the Acropolis which along with its companion video has sold over seven million copies.

His music, which he prefers to call “Contemporary Instrumental” rather than “New Age”, has also been used in television shows, televised sporting events, and commercials. Yanni was even the first Westerner to perform at the Taj Mahal and Beijing’s Forbidden City.

The following interview was done by email for a preview article for Yanni’s 7/21/12 performance at the Santa Barbara Bowl. His answers were received on 7/16/12.

Concert Review: Chris Shiflett and the Dead Peasants

Review of Chris Shiflett and the Dead Peasants at the Maverick Saloon, Santa Ynez, 7/5/12.

Interview: Micky Dolenz

Micky Dolenz is best known as the lead singer and drummer for The Monkees, a group whose music and television show offered a fun, zany, and sanitized take on the emerging youth culture in the 1960’s. Although the television show lasted only two years, it has remained popular and influential to the present day. Dolenz’ vocals can be heard on songs such as “Last Train to Clarksville”, “I’m A Believer”, “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”, “Pleasant Valley Sunday”, and “Porpoise Song”. Altogether, four of The Monkees’ albums and three of their singles hit Number 1 in the U.S. charts.

The following is from a phone interview with Dolenz on 7/5/12, for a preview article for the Happy Together Tour visit to the Chumash Casino on 7/12/12.