JP, Chrissie & the Fairground Boys: One for the Ages
11/01/10 - Pretend for a moment that you're a rock star. In fact, you're in the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame. But now you're pushing 60. Your kids (and your fans) are all grown up. What's your next act?
For most aging rockers, it means re-hashing the same old songs in smaller and smaller venues, stepping down from stadium shows to casinos to dingy lounges. Milking it for all it's worth.
Not Chrissie Hynde. Playing nothing but fresh material, she opened the Belly Up show with a song that hasn't even been released yet. "If You Were My Age" was virgin territory for everyone in the room. And it was captivating, as Hynde and the husky-throated JP Jones reeled us into Chapter One of a 90-minute romance novel ... read more...
Patty Griffin's Downtown Church: I'm a Believer
4/16/10 - Maybe you've heard her on the soundtrack of Grey's Anatomy. Or maybe you've never heard of her at all. Although Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Patty Griffin has been at the heart of the Austin and Nashville music scenes for over 15 years, she's still one of the best-kept secrets in these parts.
Griffin's songs have been covered by Emmylou Harris, Reba McEntire and the Dixie Chicks, and she often shares the stage with the likes of John Prine, Shawn Colvin and Willie Nelson. Ranging from the introspective ("Mary" or "Rain") to the exuberant ("One Big Love" or "Heavenly Day"), her songs often seem to ride on a deep spiritual undercurrent.
In fact, her recently-released Downtown Church album is devoted entirely to gospel music. And that's exactly what she brought into town last Sunday night ... read more...
For What it's Worth: Stephen Stills at the Belly Up
3/24/10 - It was my own fault. I knew the Stephen Stills show would be standing room only, and we'd have to get there early for a good spot. But the place was already packed, so I ended up standing behind a 7-foot dude in a black t-shirt that said "Freedom." For two hours.
Now I'm thinking maybe that was a blessing in disguise. (Because let's face it, Stephen is no longer the handsome young prince he was in Buffalo Springfield).
So with nothing much to look at, I closed my eyes and let my ears take over. And what I heard was one of the greatest voices of my generation -- the very same voice I knew so well, singing the same songs that struck such a chord in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Yes, it was the graveled throat of a salty old singer, but he hit all the highs and lows with very few compromises ... read more...
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