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Home > Atlanta Music Scene > Archives > 2007 > October
October 2007
Jill Scott in Atlanta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
First R&B singer Jill Scott did a dynamic private show at the Georgia Freight Depot Monday evening, and then the following night many of her 11 band members - including drummer Lil John Roberts - took part in the weekly Tuesday Jam at Sugar Hill in Underground Atlanta.
Those two performances combined made for an exceptional way to start a week in live music on the Atlanta scene. And while many at Sugar Hill were expecting Scott herself to grace the stage - as she did earlier this year when she was in town filming Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married? ” - the line-up of folks in the audience and on the microphone were still worthwhile. If not remarkable, including: Anthony David, Keisha Jackson, Nicci Gilbert of Brownstone, Scar, Trina Meade of Three5Human, Phillipia, Kelsy Davis and Kerisha Roi. Backing them up were an ever-changing line-up of musicians including Roberts, guitarist Billy Odum and Phil Davis on keyboards. And of course there was the electric weekly hostess, Joi and local legend DJ Kemit on the turntables.
Did you see the Bailey’s invite-only show Monday? And/or get by Sugar Hill Tuesday? How would you review them?
Smashing Pumpkins postponed (UPDATED)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Smashing Pumpkins shows tonight and tomorrow at the Fox Theatre have been postponed because drummer Jimmy Chamberlain fell ill with chest discomfort and landed in a hospital, according to a press release at about 7 p.m. tonight. By doctor’s orders, he is to rest for seven days.
Promoter Rival Entertainment said it hopes to have new dates set within the next month. All tickets for Oct. 30 and 31 will be honored at the make-up dates so buyers should hold on to their tickets. If tickets need to get a refund, just go to your original place of purchase.
Halloween Rocks — With Maximum Cuteness
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ever wanted to dress up as your favorite rock star for Halloween? Have you gone through with it?
Well, Fallon Worley has.
The three-year-old from Birmingham is headed to Atlanta tonight with his parents Crystal and Kevin for the Smashing Pumpkins show at the Fox (the band plays tomorrow night, too).
Dad Kevin Worley is originally from Douglasville. “He lived there all his life until he met me,” says Crystal Worley.
“People think we’re crazy, that we’re pushing him,” Fallon’s mom says, but the kid is apparently a big fan. “He doesn’t watch kids shows, he watches concerts. He just plays guitar in front of our TV. And when we asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween, he said ‘Smashing Pumpkins!’.”
The costume, based on one of Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan’s stage outfits from the current tour, was made by Fallon’s grandmother from a pattern his mom cut out of newspaper. That adorable photo of Fallon in costume above was taken by Paper Doll Photography.
Anyone else dressing up as a famous musician this year? Or are you going to the Pumpkins show in costume?
Arrested Development Returns
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If tomorrow feels like several years ago, in music, here’s a few reasons why: Britney Spears is putting out a new record. The Backstreet Boys are back (alright?!) And here’s a flashback for you - Atlanta-based rap group Arrested Development are releasing their first CD of orignal recordings in 13 years.
“Since the Last Time” actually came out as an import in September of last year, but either way, it’s been a while since hip-hop heard from AD in its current incarnation: Speech, Eshe, Rasa Don, Babo Oje and new members One Love, Nicha, JJ Boogie and Za.
Are you looking forward to what the local Grammy winners have to say now? Do you think there is a place, better yet a need, for a group known for its smarts and political savviness? Or do you think crunk, “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” and other more current offshoots from the Atlanta music scene have made AD irrelevant?
Happy Birthday Ciara - Again and Again
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta R&B singer Ciara’s birthday was actually yesterday, Oct. 25, but she doesn’t blow out the candles in her hometown until this weekend.
Sunday’s celebration at the Velvet Room is one of - at last count - a reported 7 parties the Grammy winner is planning. The festivities were scheduled to start Thursday in New York, move to D.C.’s H20 tomorrow and wind up in the Bahamas on Halloween.
So what do you think is the best reason for Ciara to be partying down the east coast and beyond? Simply turning 22? The success of her latest CD “The Evolution” - especially that still-really-good first single “Promise”? Her rumored relationship with rap mogul 50 Cent? The new Rocawear endorsement deal? Or her upcoming bow in her first major movie role in the adaptation of “Mama, I Want To Sing!” ?
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Superlative Soundtracks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Another day, another list.
This time the editors of Vanity Fair magazine get in on the act with a list of the 50 greatest movie soundtracks. They’ve only released the Top 10 so far, but the rest will be revealed in a special one-time-only magazine — called Movies Rock — being sent out to subscribers to all the magazines from Vanity Fair publisher Condé Nast.
There will also be a two-hour TV special of the same name tied in to the list. It will be taped in Los Angeles on Dec. 2 to air a few days later on CBS. Among the artists scheduled to perform are Beyoncé, Elton John and Carrie Underwood.
Here’s the Top 10, according to a report from Reuters:
- “The Big Chill”
- “American Graffiti”
- “Saturday Night Fever”
- “Trainspotting”
- “Superfly”
- “The Graduate”
- “Pulp Fiction”
- “The Harder They Come”
- “A Hard Day’s Night”
- “Purple Rain”
So, how did they do? Where will “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut” land? How about “Pretty in Pink” and “The Sound of Music”? Will “Harold and Maude” make it? What’s missing? What just has to be in the next 40?
Speak Up AND Sing
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Piggybacking, a bit, on Shane’s blog entry about Jay-Z yesterday, Jaguar Wright is performing at Atlanta’s Sugar Hill tonight,
And for those who don’t know, Wright is the dynamic R&B singer who lent her might to rap mogul Jay-Z’s incredible MTV Unplugged album in 2001.
Wright is also one of the rare artists in contemporary music who may be as interesting when she speaks, as she is when she sings. Case in point, her appearance at Terry Bello’s first Soul Music Summit, where at times it felt like she was leading church she was getting so many applause and “Amens” to her critique of her peers and her genre.
Unlike earlier decades, it’s a rare instance where a musician does, say, a Kanye West and uses the microphone to say something informed, original or just surprising. Do you think that’s because they are afraid? Cloaking themselves in that “I’m not a role model. I’m just here to entertain” pose? Or are there just so many studio creations in music now that audiences are satisfied simply having them duplicate the record and dance well, not open their mouths and affirm how dim we already suspected they were?
The Myth of Musical Retirement
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So much for retirement, huh?
It’s another nail in the coffin of the retirement that never really was, as hip-hop titan and Def Jam Records president Jay-Z returns with a concept album inspired by the upcoming movie “American Gangster.” It’s not the soundtrack, though Def Jam is releasing that, too.
Then, the day that Jay-Z’s new CD is released, Nov. 6, he’ll begin a series of five shows in mid-sized venues. Those shows take place in Los Angeles, Chicago, Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia. For a man who retired from making music back in 2003, Jay-Z is awfully busy making music. This will be the second album he’s released within a 12-month period.
The not-quite retirement has become a staple of the music biz. David Bowie retired back in the early ’70s, but he’s still performing and recording more than 30 years later. And how many farewell tours have Kiss and the Who done?
If these artists have no intention of staying retired, why do they insist on telling us they’re through? Is it for that extra blast of publicity, perhaps?
And if Jay-Z’s going to tour, why the heck isn’t Atlanta on the itinerary?
Jermaine Dupri’s GREATEST hits?!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta’s Grammy-winning music mogul Jermaine Dupri is producing more than his usual new hits these days.
Last week it was an autobiography, “Young, Rich and Dangerous: The Making of a Music Mogul.” And tomorrow the 15-year veteran of the business releases his first greatest hits CD, “Y’all Know What This Is…The Hits”; obviously named after the catch phrase he’s known for yelling at the start of songs he’s produced.
The track listing is as follows: “Welcome to Atlanta,” Dupri and Ludacris; “Jump,” Kris Kross; “Sleepin’ In My Bed” (So So Def remix), Dru Hill featuring Da Brat and Dupri; “We Belong Together,” Mariah Carey; “Money Ain’t A Thang,” Dupri and Jay-Z; “Confessions Part II,” Usher; “Like You,” Bow Wow featuring Ciara; “The First Night,” Monica; “Pullin’ Me Back,” Chingy featuring Tyrese; and “Keep On, Keepin’ On,” MC Lyte featuring Xscape.
Which leaves one wondering, why no Jagged Edge — arguably the only male R&B group really out now? Why is the one track from Xscape— another R&B quartet from Dupri’s early So So Def days — one where they are just singing background basically? Instead of “Just Kickin’ It”, or maybe “Understanding”?
What do you think is missing from this collection - if anything? What inclusion in this Top 10 is surprising? (Track no. 10, perhaps?) And what personal favorites do you have that you feel are underappreciated Jermaine Dupri productions?
The Clark Sisters Return
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After a two-decade hiatus, the Clark Sisters are back together and on the road, stopping Saturday at the Hopewell Baptist Church in Norc
Yes that’s Twinkie, Jacky, Dorinda and Karen!
Taking you back, isn’t it? Do you have a personal favorite Clark Sisters song? Are you really hoping they will perform some of their solo material? Or is your mind somewhere else completely, imagining they’ll change their mind about doing this “One Last Time” — as the latest CD/DVD is titled — and will get in the studio together and record some new material?
“The Next Great American Band”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The folks who bring you “American Idol” want to give you “The Next Great American Band.”
On Oct. 19, Fox will air the first show of the series. Putting this on Friday night doesn’t exactly bode well for the series. No one will remember it come Monday, so there’s not likely to be much watercooler chatter about the contestants.
Do we really need another “Idol” rip-off, even if it’s the “Idol” people ripping off their own creation? Like “Idol,” the freaky, talent-deficient wannabes are likely to be more entertaining than the earnest wannabes. Will you be tuning in? Will anyone, other than the contestants’ families and friends? Do you know anyone competing?
Talking T.I.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Alright let’s talk T.I. — the elephant NOT in the room at tonight’s BET Hip-Hop Awards Show, airing at 8 p.m. .
In case you haven’t heard, hours before the ceremony was taped at the Atlanta Civic Center, the Atlanta rapper-actor was arrested blocks away from the venue for illegally buying machine guns.
Did it surprise you that a guy with seemingly everything going for him - millions in record sales, an upcoming movie with Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, and a leading 9 BET Hip-Hop Award nominations that same evening - would find himself in trouble again? Or is this what you expected from a convicted felon who talks gunplay often in his records? Then again, in real life, he could be very, legitimately fearful after his best friend Philant Johnson was killed in front of him in a drive-by shooting. Reason enough, in your opinion, to take such extreme measures to secure yourself and your family?
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Zeppelin Joins the Digital Age
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One of the few remaining digital hold-outs has joined the media revolution. Billboard reports that Led Zeppelin’s entire catalog, previously unavailable for legal downloading, will hit the electronic frontier on Nov. 13.
Nov. 13 also happens to be the date for the release of “Mothership,” a 24-track, two-disc compilation that covers the band’s entire career. One week later, on Nov. 20, a remixed and remastered version of the soundtrack from the concert film “The Song Remains the Same.” It will include six songs that didn’t appear on the original release.
All of this comes in the weeks leading up to a one-time reunion show that will take place in London on Nov. 26.
Looking forward to getting instant Zeppelin gratification, or do you have it all already?
Respect the Pylon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today, another Georgia underground classic comes to CD for the first time. You can finally get “Gyrate,” the 1980 debut album from influential Athens post-punk quartet Pylon on a shiny silver disc.
The skittering guitars, thumping bass and the keening, cooing voice of Vanessa Briscoe (now Vanessa Briscoe Hay) inspired a cult of adoring fans over the years, and some of those admirers are pretty accomplished musicians. The liner notes for this expanded and remastered version of the album include contributions from the B-52’s Fred Schneider, Gang of Four drummer Hugo Burnham and R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. Pylon opened for every one of those bands in its earlier days.
Even folks who haven’t heard Pylon might know one of their songs. R.E.M. did a version of “Crazy” (it’s on the compilation “Dead Letter Office”). With this new reissue, perhaps a new generation will discover how cool Pylon was (and still is). In recent years, the band has been doing occasional gigs again, and they’ll be playing at the EARL in East Atlanta on Nov. 1.
I saw the band at the I & I Club in Athens, probably sometime between the release of “Gyrate” and the band’s second album, 1983’s “Chomp.” I still remember it being one of the loudest gigs I’ve ever seen —and I loved it. Anyone else have memories of seeing Pylon back in the early ’80s? Or on the R.E.M. tour back around 1990? Are you planning to replace that worn vinyl copy of “Gyrate” with the one of those newfangled, remastered discs?
Day 4: A hectic day of rest
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So Sunday is usually my day off. I try not to do any work.
One, because I get in so late on Saturday nights that I just need the rest. And I got home last night at 5:30 after my party.
It was the big Cowboys/Patriots game so I was hyped to see that. So I called a BBQ and invited all my homies over to watch.
My boys lost, but it’s all good.
I then learned that Janet’s movie [“Why Did I Get Married?”] was No. 1 at the box office. That made my day.
Then I got a call from DJ Drama [saying] that he wanted me to come do a cameo in his video, so I ran up to the Compound.
Then I went back home and packed my stuff for my trip to N.Y. [today].
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BET and Echo - How Did We Do?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, the big music weekend in metro Atlanta is over.
And while bullets didn’t fly over the red carpet at the taping of the BET Hip-Hop Awards at the Atlanta Civic Center Saturday, and there was no Kid Rock/Tommy Lee-like fist fight in the audience, the arrest of top nominee T.I. hours before the ceremonies certainly left a blemish.
Do you think the BET Hip-Hop Awards will return? Should it come back? Or for that matter, if the channel is interested, should Atlanta be?
And what about the Echo Project? Is it worth staging a second year, here?
Just right and just weird
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s the final day of the inaugural Echo Project, and organizers are now estimating the total attendance at 15,000. While that’s probably not the big numbers many had hoped for, it’s a nice sized crowd when you’re on the festival grounds.
Marnie Reynolds, who drove down from Raleigh with a group of three friends, seemed happy with the turn out. “Everyone’s been so nice, and it never seemed really crowded. It gives you room to move and room to just be,” said the 22-year-old, dressed in a wrap-around skirt and carrying one of the fest’s must-have accessories, a hula hoop. “The music has been awesome, too.”
Speaking of great music, Philadelphia quintet Man Man turned barely controlled chaos into a suprisingly fan-pleasing set. It was like a twisted cabaret for the anteroom to the underworld. Bleating horns, clanging persussion, screeching keyboards, thumping bass and a gaggle of freaky mutant orange kazoo-like horns converged in a whirlwind of avant-garde weirdness set to a brutal oom-pah beat. Somehow, these guys managed to make all that strangeness immensely entertaining, dressed entirely in white and making an hour-long set look as much like an athletic endurance test as a concert.
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Echo in the final stretch
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The final day of the first Echo Project began at the 99X Pontiac Green Garage, tucked away in the corner of the grounds, furthest from the main entrance. This is where the Spencer Durham Group set Sunday’s festivities in motion.
Durham has a lot classic rock in his soul. The 19-year-old has gathered a talented young band, including two more musicians still in their teens and hotshot guitarist Joel Williams, 24. Playing the very first set of the final day of Echo Project, Durham and his bandmates didn’t necessarily modernize their Grateful Dead/Allman Brothers moves, they just gave them a youthful jolt of energy. Durham’s forceful voice is even more impressive coming from his small frame. Close your eyes and you’d expect a mountain of a man would be making that sound. It’s been tough to draw crowds to this local band-centered, since is tucked away in the back of the site. Durham proved a decent draw, despite the early hour and the stage’s low profile.
Back on the other side of the site, things were getting a little crazy. For sheer foot-stomping, joy-making fun, you couldn’t beat the MarchFourth Marching Band from Portland, Ore. It was a blend of burlesque, vaudeville, horn-driven funk and marching band madness. The costumed horde, many of them with their faces painted and several on death-defying stilts, made for the kind of spectacle that deserves the word awesome. At the end of the show, the entire entourage - and it was a probably a couple of dozen - trouped into the middle of the crowd at the Eclipse tent and it was almost like the shouting, chanting fans were part of the band.
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Day 3: So many parties, so little time
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I had a late late night last night…my pre-Hip Hop Awards party was off the chain but I thought it would be. Busta, Nelly, Ciara, Jagged Edge, Chamillionaire, David Banner…who else? I can’t even remember all who was inthere, but it was packed! Celebs, athletes, all of Atlanta. That one should go down in the books…LOL!
Got up early this morning to head to my book signing at Border’s. It was a good turnout! This is my first book so this is new territory for me. And a little different than how we do things on the music side. Cool nonetheless. I just gotta get prepared for all the other in-stores and events surrounding the book release for the next several weeks.
Straight from there, had to go over to the Civic Center for the Hip Hop Awards. t’s going to be a good show and it’s definitely a good look for Atlanta! The whole hip-hop community is in the city! I know the show is going to keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger every year.
I’m still trying to figure out my schedule for the rest of the evening…there’s a couple spots to hit up. BET’s post party and of course, my ’80s joint at Studio 72 with Nelly. Kid Capri on the wheels, MC Lyte, Doug E. Fresh…it’s going to be the craziest party of the weekend! We taking it back! I guess it’s going to be another long night…
JD
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Scenes from the red carpet
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While many celebs stopped to chat Saturday afternoon, not all were talkative. Big Boi, LL Cool J and Fat Joe were all quickly hustled inside the Atlanta Civic Center as the show was about to begin.
Others, like recent Atlanta transplant and singer-songwriter Ne Yo chatted about the songs he’s writing for Mary J. Blige’s upcoming album for TV cameras and MTV radio but stiffed radio and print reporters on the back end of the carpet as he sprinted into the venue.
“He’s just tired,” a publicist patiently explained as one Washington, D.C. radio reporter protested. Another radio DJ mumbled, “Then we might just get tired of playing his songs.”
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Hudlin: Atlanta’s ‘where hip hop is happening’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BET president Reginald Hudlin said he was thrilled to bring the network’s second annual hip hop show back to Atlanta this year.
“This is where hip hop is happening,” he explained. “And this year, we had to go to a larger venue because this thing just keeps blowing up. The stage is bigger this year and the show is more spectacular.”
Of his black velvet jacket, Hudlin joked: “It gets a little chilly in Atlanta at night. I’m feeling hip hop with this on.”
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And the crowd goes wild …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For more than three hours Saturday afternoon, about 75 members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Atlanta had a incredible vantage point to watch the red carpet arrivals.
The teens, clad in yellow club T-shirts, screeched and yelled each time one of their favorites arrived.
Lil Wayne, Mike Jones, Big Boi and L L Cool J all warranted ear-piercing screams from the group.
“My voice is about to go,” said Chakiria Duncan, 15. “We’ve been screaming all afternoon”
Kiaria Bostic, 18, said Lil Wayne was the artist she was most excited to see.
“He tells the truth,” she explained. “He expresses himself and what he’s about to you. And he does it intelligently.”
To help keep the kids’ energy level up, a BET production assistant ran up and down in front of the bleachers where the kids were standing, waving his arms wildly and encouraging them to scream. They were rewarded with small packets of Skittles and M&Ms that were regularly tossed to them.
A BBC Radio 1 news crew trying to conduct interviews directly in front of the kids were less than pleased at points as interviews got drowned out.
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Bootsy Collins: ‘Blessing’ to be here
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sporting a pink leather suit and top hat, R&B legend Bootsy Collins made an indelible impression on the red carpet. At 55, the former bassist for Parliament, Funkadelic and James Brown is now regarded as an elder statesman of hip hop.
“It’s a blessing and an honor to be a part of this,” he said, gold tooth flashing. “It’s all about how these guys have kept up the funk. A lot of these artists learned about the music from their moms and dads showing them our album covers and playing the records.”
And later, many of those same artists have sampled endlessly from Collins’ trademark bass licks as well, ripping riffs from many classic P-Funk tunes.
And do his royalty checks reflect exactly how much has been borrowed through the years?
“The lawyers stay up with it as much as they can!” he said, laughing.
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Songwriter: Britney’s ‘human’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Britney Spears wasn’t in town, but one of her favorite songwriters was. Sean Garrett, who wrote four songs for Spears’ upcoming “Blackout” album (due out Oct. 30), came to the defense of his embattled pop tart.
“She’s human,” Garrett said. “She kept it real. She worked hard. It’s tough to make that transition, I think, having kids and going through her personal issues. But to still make an album, I commend her. I can’t always endorse everything that’s happened with a person. But I can definitely say I always have found good in a person and she’s one of the best.”
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List of winners at BET awards
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta had a strong showing at Saturday night’s BET Hip-Hop Awards. The winners of the show, which ended at 9 p.m.:
Best Collabo: UGK featuring Atlanta’s Outkast, “International Players Anthem”
Best Movie: “Stomp The Yard”
Best Dance: “Crank Dat Soulja Boy,” Atlanta’s Soulja Boy
Lyricist of the Year: Common
Video Director of the Year: Part-time Atlantan Hype Williams
Track of the Year: “Party Like a Rockstar,” Atlanta’s Shop Boyz
CD of the Year: Common, “Finding Forever,” and T.I., “T.I. vs. T.I.P.”
Best U.K. Hip-Hop Act: Kano
Best Live Performance: Kanye West
Producer of the Year: Timbaland
MVP: Lil Wayne
DJ of the Year: DJ Khaled
Hustler of the Year: 50 Cent
Best Ringtone: “Big Things Poppin,’ ” T.I.
People’s Champ: “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy,” Birdman and Lil Wayne
Best Video: “Stronger,” Kanye West
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Chilly dance and low-key beauty
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thievery Corporation seems like a late night outfit. The D.C. duo’s chilled-out dance vibe just screams for the wee hours, but the DJ pair and their band - including an actual sitar - played hypnotic pied piper for the Echo Project crowds as the sun dropped behind the trees Saturday evening. The hula-hooped hordes undulated to the sounds of world music couched in deep percussive grooves. Maybe twilight time is the right time for Thievery Corporation.
While the crowds moved to Thievery Corporation, part-time Atlanta resident Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power, was on the next-door Lunar stage. The sound threatened to drown out her low-key meld of indie rock and classic soul, but her set came off without a hitch.
There’s only minimal trace of the reticent chanteuse she used to be. Marshall claimed to be nervous several times, but it rarely showed. During a set that included her unusual takes on classic such as “Dark End of the Street,” “Tracks of My Tears” and Patsy Cline’s “She’s Got You,” she seemed both playful and sultry, bouncing around in her bare feet. Her throaty voice made the wide open spaces feel much more intimate, and the relatively small but attentive audience welcomed Marshall’s own songs (including “Lived in Bars” and “The Greatest,” both from her most recent album) with the loudest approval.
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King’s daughter gives ‘mad love’ to hip-hop
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The most surprising guest to grace the red carpet before Saturday night’s BET Hip-Hop Awards? That would be Bernice King, the youngest child of Martin Luther King.
“It’s a celebration of Atlanta,” King said of Saturday’s festivities. “I think it’s a celebration of what I believe hip-hop is moving into. I think there’s a resurrection of sorts that hip-hop has come out of, post-[Don] Imus and post-Jena 6. Even though people don’t see it today, I see it coming.”
King said she didn’t have a favorite hip-hop artist but admitted to be particularly fond of one song.
“I have to give mad love to Fabolous and Ne-Yo for the song ‘You Make Me Better,’ ” she said. “They gave props to my mom and that touched my heart, it really did. As a matter of fact, I’m trying to get with them so I can really tell them that. I didn’t even know hip-hop could understand that.”
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Dancing in the dust
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Aside from the omnipresent dust, the Echo Project grounds are remarkably clean for the second day of a three-day festival. The eco-theme really seems to resonate with this crowd. You’ll see folks picking up random trash and depositing it the nearest receptacle, even though they had nothing to do with creating it.
That red-hued dust, meanwhile, partially obscured the stage during the powerful Saturday afternoon set of North Carolina’s Avett Brothers. The frenetic dancing reached a peak during the encore, “Talk on Indolence.” The trio’s music - imagine folk and bluegrass jammed through a punk-rock sieve - had the crowd stomping and twirling, raising clouds of dirt.
“These songs are supposed to be played out of tune, by the way,” said guitarist Scott Avett earlier in the set, as his brother Seth once again tuned the banjo. Those tuning interludes happened frequently, but it never seemed to stall the momentum these guys created. The brothers attacked their instruments with such force, it was a minor miracle that they didn’t crush their instruments.
A short distance away, at the fest’s main stage, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah started up just minutes after the Avett Brothers’ set. There was a decent-sized crowd gathered, but the enthusiasm seemed a little muted compared with the hoots and hollers that greeted the Avetts. Perhaps CYHSY’s spiky post-punk wasn’t quite what the average Echo-goer was looking for. You could find that at the Eclipse stage, where the sprawling, solo-heavy jam-rock of San Francisco’s Tea Leaf Green wafted through a crowd that overflowed the tent.
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Meanwhile, in a tent with no music …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Echo Project has some high-minded ideals in addition to rockin’ out, and a lot of those get expressed in a place called the Echo System, a big white tent in the middle of the field given over to various activist causes, guided meditation, and short films.
Al Schnier of the band moe and Marc Brownstein of Disco Biscuits drew a SRO crowd into the tent to pitch Head Count, a project to get young people to register to vote. A little before that, there was a yoga session.
Then there was the musician Futureman, who spoke Saturday on the subject of Social Change Through Music. During the Q&A session, he gave an answer that included “Lord of the Rings,” string theory, the composer Richard Wagner, theosophy, Picasso, “Star Wars,” iPod ads and his hat, which was a pirate’s hat with a white feather plume, that was on a cosmic plain rarely visited outside a place like this.
author=Phil Kloer
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Hooping it up at Echo
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Echo Project music festival south of Atlanta may have the highest concentrations in metro Atlanta of smoking paraphernalia, guys calling each other “bro,” and, surprisingly, hula hoops. The old kids’ toy, introduced about 50 years ago, is everywhere.
Dozens of young women dot the festival grounds, standing by themselves or with a few friends, languidly dancing with their plastic hoops. But this is far from the kids’ game of standing in one spot and frantically spinning the hoop at the waist. The basic dance is what’s been called the “noodle dance,” a loose, free-form movement favored by jam band fans, but with the hula hoop moved up and down the body, from waist to torso to neck to outstretched arms, then back down.
The effect, when done right, is somewhat hypnotic for the dancer and for those who watch.
“It puts you in a zone,” said Nikita Kern, a waitress from St. Louis, Mo. “It’s like you’re playing your own instrument.” She said she had thought that hula hooping to jam bands was a local phenomenon back in Missouri, and was surprised to see so many young women hooping it up at Echo.
“I think it was the Spring Cheese Incident kids who started it,” said Rachael Terman, referring to a popular jam band. “It’s been going on for a few years. Terman is a vendor who makes her own hoops by hand, from recycled plastic utility pipe liners and sells them for $20. (Thus in keeping with the Echo’s “Green” theme.)
“Some of these girls really get into it, it’s like an art form,” said Josey Henton, 21, up from Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville and an avid hooper.
The other must-have accessory for many is a bandana, worn up over the nose and mouth to ward off the dust being kicked up off the dry, drought-stricken fields. Concert-goers walk around looking like Old West train robbers, if those robbers had also favored cargo shorts and sunglasses.
“You get a lot of dust kicked up,” said David Ashbrook, a jewelry vendor from Asheville, N.C.., sporting a blue and white patterned bandana. “But it comes with the territory. We’re praying for an afternoon rain, just a brief one, even though that’s not gonna happen. It’s a double-edged sword; you normally don’t want rain, but it keeps the dust down .”
Erin Cowey, a junior at the College of Charleston, didn’t have a bandana so she improvised a maroon and red silk scarf wrapped around her nose and mouth. “It’s been really bad, blowing up my nose. I’ve been coughing a lot. There’s also a lot of smoke around. It can’t be healthy.”
But there was no rain in sight Saturday afternoon. The sky was bright blue and cloudless, broken ony by the occasional jet high above heading into or out of Hartsfield-Jackson.
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Day 2: JD on the grind
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
10:41 p.m. Friday
I did an interview earlier today with Good Day Atlanta for my first book, “Young, Rich and Dangerous,” which hits stores on October 16th. That was cool, but cold out this morning!
Then I did some radio interviews to promote a book signing I’m doing at Border’s on Peachtree tomorrow from 1 to 3. I’m hoping a lot of people come out to support!
Getting ready for my pre BET Hip Hop Awards party with Courvoisier tonight at Studio 72. It’s going to be crazy! You know I’m looking forward to that!
Gotta also get ready for the signing tomorrow and the awards. I’m presenting. It’s been a busy day…
Till next time…
JD
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We skipped homecoming!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“It’s homecoming weekend and we skipped homecoming!” exulted Ciara Sentelik, a senior at Roswell High School.
“Like, 10 years from now, we’ll look back and say we went to Echo Fest our senior year, and it was awesome,” chimed in her friend Mandy Owen, also a Roswell senior.
They were part of a loose group of 11 seniors who blew off their big weekend for something they hoped would be bigger, the three day Echo Project festival. Some of them lounged in the warm afternoon sun while music drifted over from a nearby stage. On the 35-acre farm in Campbellton, bass music thudded, girls twirled hula hoops, and little kids danced.
“I was even grounded this week,” added Owen, “and I still go to go. My mom said it would be a great experience.”
“It’s Atlanta’s own Bonnaroo,” said her friend Chris Cundari.
Across the field, Kris Whildin of Gainesville, Fla., watched her 17-month-old daughter Kari twirl on the field. “We weren’t sure what this was gonna be,” she said. “You just never know. But it’s a great space.” She grew up following the Grateful Dead, and was looking foward to Phil Lesh and Friends, a Dead spinoff, closing the festival Sunday night.
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Echo continues
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s getting hotter as the day progresses at the Echo Project. The sun is blazing and there’s plenty of sizzling music flowing, too.
At the Eclipse stage, the Benevento-Russo duo pumped out far more sound than you’d believe possible from a two piece. Marco Benevento’s fort of keyboards and Joe Russo’s side-to-the-audience drum set-up made a stupendous racket that blended jam-rock, electronic experimentalism and danceable electric power rock.
Nearby, Stephen Marley evoked the ghost of his late dad Bob with effortless charisma. It looks like he might be the one to carry his father’s legacy the furthest. Stand back far enough, and you’re transported to a time when Stephen’s father was reggae’s ruler. Before playing “Mind Control,” the title track of this year’s solo debut, he quoted his father’s “Redemption Song,” to the delight of the crowd (“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our minds”).
The Polyphonic Spree, 20-strong and with theatrical flair to spare, gave us the afternoon’s theme song. With massed horns, strings and voices - and even a harp - “Sun” paid homage to the solar behemoth blanketing the 350-acre field in South Fulton. It was enough to make us thankful for the cooling breeze that blew through the treeless grounds.
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Echo Project begins
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s a beautiful day in South Fulton County, and we’re here at the Echo Project. The crowds are still a little sparse in the early afternoon Friday, but the music is flowing and the vibe is loose - and the music fans are still streaming in.
The three-day festival kicked off at about noon with the Barrel House Mamas from Asheville - as guitarist and flutist Jane Edens put, “starting off the whole shebang.” In front of a small but appreciative crowd, the four women (backed by a stand-up bass and snare) played sweet acoustic country-folk. The harmonies were as sweet as the country air, minus that occasional whiff of livestock wafting across the field. The band’s sprightly sound had some of the early arrivals dancing in the breeze, whether they were tie-dyed and dreadlocked or part of the clean-cut, collegiate t-shirts and shorts brigade.
The Mamas seemed tailor-made for this eco-centric fest. At least two songs in their set were river-themed, with lyrics such as “I don’t choose to pollute the river” and “the creek is crying.”
After the set, Edens explained that the band members met at North Carolina’s Warren Wilson College. “It’s a really environmentally conscious place,” she said. “So it’s something we’re very dedicated to.”
The group plans to spend the rest of the weekend out among the crowds at the festival, catching some of their own favorite bands. Suprisingly, when asked who she’s looking forward to, Edens mentions the very un-Barrel House Mamas-like Flaming Lips, the experimental freak-pop band headlining Friday.
Despite the groovy atmosphere, the immaculate weather and the beautiful setting, the fest is experiencing some growing pains. Two artists scheduled for the first day have already canceled, leaving some blank spots in the line-up. Atlanta’s Butch Walker and Snowden, the latter due to a death in the family, won’t be playing today. Athens reggae outfit Dubconscious, originally slotted to play one of the earliest sets, will play a little later, probably filling Snowden’s spot.
Keep checking back for updates through the weekend. We’ll let you know how things are going out here along the Chattahoochee.
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Where have all the girl/guy groups gone?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Flying waaaay underneath the hoopla that the BET Hip-Hop Awards and Echo Project is generating in this city, is a show that probably would have garnered more interest any other weekend.
Dawn Robinson, who made her way onto the music scene with phenomenal all-female group En Vogue, and then had a short stint with Lucy Pearl - a combo with seemingly unrealized potential - is playing the Apache Café tonight.
Which brings to mind a couple of questions: Would you rather see her performing alone or with En Vogue — particularly considering the dearth of female AND male R&B groups these days? Leading to an even bigger question: Why do you think there are so few groups in ANY genre these days? (When you look at the BET Hip-Hop Awards having to pick Bone Thugs-N-Harmony out of near obscurity, and the Shop Boyz out of one-hit-wonderland, to fill out the best hip-hop group category, it makes you wonder…)
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JD’s Diary - The Parties Begin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
5:53 p.m. Thursday
OK, so far, here’s what’s gone on with me: I got on a plane like at 4:00 in the morning this morning. I came from New York. I was in New York last night at a party. An In Touch magazine party. Drinking, partying all night. Then, again, I got on the plane. Came home. Had some things thing to do - some running around for a little bit before this event. Went home for a second and got me something to eat. What did I have to eat? Ummmm - teriyaki chicken from Mama Fu’s. That’s one of my spots out here that I eat at a lot. Mama Fu’s. So I ate that and then I just, you know, was waiting on everybody to get here to this party tonight.
This is the beginning of the night. The beginning of the big BET weekend. It’s like 6:00 so this party is supposed to be over with. So I guess I’m about to leave here and go to the studio in a minute and start working until like all my friends come in town. They’re flying in town right now so they should be touching down like 8, 9, 10. Then I’ve got to go by the Ladies Night to see Jagged Edge. Then I’m going to go by the Velvet Room just to see what’s going on over there. The Welcome to Atlanta party. It’s my thing to make sure I check out everything, and see who’s partying and who’s not. See if there’s any competition for my party tomorrow.
Oh yeah, I’m looking at my Blackberry right now. This comes out Monday - me and my daughter on the cover of Jet. It’s basically talking about the book [his autobiography “Young, Rich and Dangerous”] and everything. So y’all look for the Jet magazine Monday. That’s what y’all do. Or you can go on themostaccess.com and you can see the big picture. It’s up there now I think.
I’m real excited about this. This is going to be funny when I show it to Shaniah. She’s 9. She’s probably going to buy like 100 copies and take them to school, like, “Look at me!” So I’m excited about that.
I guess I should talk about the Courvoisier campaign launch. That’s where I am. At Antica Posta in Buckhead. Real nice spot. I mean, the Courvoisier situation is beautiful because it’s finally done. It took a long time to get this deal together. It’s got a lot of different tiers to it, that’s going to take place like all through the years. They built me a club too. That’s my own private club. It’s a Courvoisier Lounge for Jermaine Dupri and his friends only. It’s at the studio. It’s being built right now. So, it’s a place where if I’m in the studio I don’t even have to leave. I can just go take a relaxing moment in the club, in the studio.
Oh - Tonight in the studio I’m working with myself. I’m probably going to record my [V-103] radio show because I’m probably not going to be able to do it live tomorrow. And then I’ve got to do overdubs on a record for Nelly. And I’m probably going to write a hook for this Jay-Z song. That sounds like a lot, right? I’ve got three songs on his album already. This “American Gangster” album. He’s working every day on it. He’s drastically working on it. Trying to get it done. And I heard I’ve got three songs on it already so I’m happy about that.
You’re gonna get a lot of exclusives like that here. And it’s just starting like right now. And I’m going to remember stuff that’s going on with me as the night goes on, to tell you.
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Movies that rock
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rock ‘n’ roll and film go together like peanut butter and chocolate. They’re great apart, but put them together and it can be a special event — or it can be truly heinous (see “Can’t Stop the Music” or “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”).
The Woodruff Arts Center’s 14th Street Playhouse will screen some of the best marriages of music and movies during the month of October. They’re calling it, not surprisingly, “Rocktober at the Playhouse.”
We’ve already missed “The Wall,” which screened on Oct. 9, but the rest of the month will feature “This is Spinal Tap” (Oct. 15), “Gimme Shelter” (Oct. 16), “A Hard Day’s Night” (Oct. 23) and “Woodstock” (Oct. 30). Tickets are $12 and are available through the Woodruff Arts Center box office (www.woodruffcentertickets.org).
It’s interesting to note that the most recent film on this list was made in 1984 (“This Is Spinal Tap”). There are some fine films about the pop music world of more contemporary vintage, though. “24 Hour Party People” and “Dreamgirls” come to mind. And then there’s the upcoming film bio of Joy Division’s late lead singer Ian Curtis, “Control.”
What are some of your favorite rock films? And which ones should never have been made?
The Echo Project is coming
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Echo Project is coming to metro Atlanta on Friday. And this blog, Atlanta Music Scene, will be the place for full coverage of this three-day music festival.
Echo is a first-time festival, so no one is sure what to expect. It’s being held on a 350-acre private farm south of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Although drive-ins and one-day attendance are allowed, the promoters are encouraging camping for the entire three days. Campsites will be available.
Who’s playing? The Killers, The Flaming Lips, Phil Lesh and Friends, Cat Power, Cypress Hill, Butch Walker, Spoon, Common, Disco Biscuits, moe, Son Volt, the Roots, local bands and more. Who’s coming? Maybe 15,000-20,000 people.
The cost: $155 advance; $200 at gate weekend pass. Price covers camping costs.
More info.: 800-594-TIXX, or at the Echo website.
Check out our audio slideshow!
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Echo Project
The BET Awards are coming
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The BET Hip Hop Awards will be held in Atlanta Saturday night. The taping of the TV show is invitation-only and not open to the public, but takes place from 6-8 p.m. at the Atlanta Civic Center.
So with everybody who’s anybody in the hip-hop world hanging out in Atlanta, how do you get a little star-spotting in? At the parties, of course. There will all be all sorts of BET-related parties all over town this weekend, mainly Saturday. Come back here to Atlanta Music Scene for full coverage all weekend.
In the meantime, here’s a little audio slideshow of what to expect.
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New R.E.M. on CNN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some people debut their singles on the radio and shiny new music videos, and some people are R.E.M. .
Starting today, the Athens rock legend’s new single “Until the Day Is Done” can be heard at www.CNN.com/PlanetinPeril. It’s part of the promotion for the Anderson Cooper 360 special “Planet in Peril,” about environmental crises around the world.
The documentary airs Oct. 23 and 24 at 9 p.m., where the song will play over the cloisng credits, a Warner Brothers release says. But it can also be heard with the clips from “Planet”, airing tonight on AC360.
After you listen, tell us what you think: Is this as good a lure to R.E.M.’s album (expected next spring) as it is the eco-minded TV show? Raise hopes a bit? Or does it sound like a cast-off track repurposed for CNN?
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Georgia’s next star?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia has a great track record of successful musical artists these days, though that’s nothing new. Mainstream rockers Cartel, indie bands the Black Lips and Deerhunter, country singer Luke Bryan and rapper Soulja Boy are just the latest in a long line of great Georgia exports.
Evan McHugh and the Whigs are just two of our on-the-verge bands. Singer-songwriter McHugh has a beautiful album called “From the Second Chair” that’s gaining some well-deserved attention and Athens trio the Whigs have just finished their first album for Dave Matthews’ ATO Records (it’ll be out in January). Both artists have local shows coming up, if you want to see what they can do onstage: McHugh at Eddie’s Attic on Oct. 13 and the Whigs at Variety Playhouse on Oct. 20.
Tell us some of your favorite local tips for the top? Who’s the next musical star from Georgia?
Music Midtown, and on the outskirts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Welcome back to the now week-old Atlanta Music Scene blog, and here’s hoping you got some rest.
Because next weekend is a Major, Major Music Weekend.
In case you’ve missed the stories, the TV commericals, even the billboards, the second annual BET Hip-Hop Awards is returning to Atlanta Saturday, and taping at the Atlanta Civic Center. And the first Echo Project is being staged Friday, Saturday and Sunday on a private farm in south Fulton.
Already gotten your Echo tickets? Interested in the metro area’s try at a Bonnaroo of its own? Or is it the BET Awards you’re looking forward to — and all of the accompanying star-studded parties?
Get Your R. Kelly Today - Or Not
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
R. Kelly — Did just reading that name sicken you or send shivers of delight up your spine?
Well, the Grammy-winning R&B singer, songwriter and producer is scheduled to return for his second major appearance in Atlanta since the release of his latest CD “Double Up.” And tickets for his Nov. 15 show at Philips Arena (with Atlantans Keyshia Cole and J Holiday) go on sale today.
Are you able to distinguish R. Kelly the performer from R. Kelly the accused child pornographer? (Remember: Even though he was indicted on 21 counts of child pornography in June 2002, he has yet to go to trial.) Or are they one in the same, in your opinion?
Commenting has been suspended for the weekend. Have a good weekend and come back Monday for more Atlanta Music Scene
R.E.M.’s “Automatic” turns 15
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Oct. 5, a Georgia masterpiece turns 15. Though R.E.M.’s “Automatic for the People” (released Oct. 5, 1992) was largely recorded in Bearsville, N.Y., it still has plenty of that Southern peaches-and-kudzu feeling running through it.
To celebrate the anniversary, the music blog Stereogum has gathered a group of indie rockers to record new versions of all the songs on the album. Among the participants: the Meat Puppets, the Wrens, Rogue Wave, Dr. Dog and the Shout Out Louds. You can download them all for free at Stereogum.
“Automatic” was among the Athens quartet’s most successful, both commercially and critically. Three of the albums singles — “Drive,” “Everybody Hurts” and “Man in the Moon” — hit the Top 40 and the album has sold more than 4 million copies in the U.S. alone. Any list of the greatest albums of the ’90s is incomplete without this moody, melancholy triumph.
I’m still partial to “Murmur,” but “Automatic” and “Life’s Rich Pageant” would have to tussle for No. 2 on my list of R.E.M. faves. And “Automatic” is still every bit as powerful as it was back in 1992. Are you an “Automatic” lover or a “Murmur” partisan? Or, do you have another favorite R.E.M. album?
Music Row Comes to Motown of the South
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Four of Music Row’s biggest songwriters came to Atlanta, and tonight we see exactly how much damage was done.
At 8 p.m. The Great American Country Channel is airing the second episode of its reality series “Hitmen of Music Row,” starring Bob DiPiero, Jeffrey Steele,Tony Mullins and Craig Wiseman — the quartet behind some 38 No. 1 songs.
Not that they get much writing done during these 30 recorded minutes in our fair city. “It already smells like Tony’s feet,” Bob announces when he gets off their bus. (The mayor should appreciate that one.)
Nonetheless, Jeff’s got flirting to do at Swallow At The Hollow. Then they spook their guide at the Roswell Ghost Tour. And in the midst of the hilarity they come up with a song (“Next Ex Wife”) right there on stage.
Were you at the Swallow when this moment in songwriting happened? Did you catch the Hitmen in the middle of their Golf Cart 500? Or did you just happen to run into them when they weren’t holed up in the Holiday Inn Roswell?
Springsteen makes “Magic”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The first thing that hits the listener about Bruce Springsteen’s “Magic,” which hits stores today, is that it feels like a return to a pre-“Born in the U.S.A.” big-band bluster that showcases the awesome power of the E Street Band. That’s just part of the picture, though.
It has the weary wisdom you might expect from a 58-year-old in tunes such as “Girls in Their Summer Clothes” and “Livin’ in the Future.” You’ll hear traces of the acoustic balladry of his non-E Street Band work, too.
Of course, the man has never lost his ability to craft a song. The first single and lead track on “Magic,” “Radio Nowhere,” is the kind of anthemic rocker that sounds classic and familiar on first listen.
With the assistance of Brendan O’Brien, Springsteen and the band recorded this one — like 2002’s “The Rising” — at Southern Tracks Recording in Atlanta. O’Brien gives the album a high-gloss modernity that brings the E Street wall of sound into the new millennium without dampening its musical muscle.
“Magic” isn’t one of Springsteen’s best, but it might be his most tuneful and immediate since “Born in the U.S.A.”
Have you heard the new Springsteen? Is it up there with his best? And, if not, what is the best?
Radiohead’s rapid return
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Radiohead pulled a fast one.
In August, the band’s U.K. reps confirmed to several sources - including Brit music weekly NME - that the long-awaited new album wouldn’t appear until 2008. It’s been more than four years since the quintet’s most recent album, 2003’s “Hail to the Thief.” This weekend, the band announced the release of seventh album “In Rainbows” - on Oct. 10. That’s right, Oct. 10, 2007, less than two weeks from now.
Initially, the album will only be available as a digital download through Radiohead.com, and you can name your own price (in British pounds).
Fans can also pre-order the Discbox for 40 pounds (that’s right around $80), which includes double vinyl and CD versions of the record and a second, enhanced CD with additional new songs, artwork and photographs, all exclusive to the box. Anyone who purchases the Discbox will get the download on Oct. 10.
It seems that the 2008 ruse wasn’t exactly a fib, since the traditional physical CD release is still planned for next year. Will anyone wait that long? And, if not, what will you pay for the download?
Welcome to the scene!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Welcome to the Atlanta Music Scene — the new blog from veteran Atlanta Journal-Constitution writers Sonia Murray and Shane Harrison.
We hope you’ll make this a regular destination for staying up-to-date on music happenings in Atlanta and the world. We’ve got a world-class music scene in our city, and we plan to both celebrate and evaluate it.
We hope to file new items daily, or close to it, so there will always be something new. Bookmark us, tell your friends, and come back often.
We want to keep you informed, but we want you to keep us informed, too. Sometimes, we’ll simply wonder aloud about the latest trend or a musical misstep, and we want to hear what you think about it.
So hit that comment button. We’ll be doing the posting, but this is your place, too, so keep the comments flowing.
To paraphrase one of Atlanta’s own, lend us some sugar, we are your neighbors!
Our first question: What artists, topics, happenings would you like addressed in this space?
