https://www.facebook.com/#!/DiegosUmbrella

Diego’s Umbrella are San Francisco’s Ambassadors of Gypsy Rock. Internationally known and revered, their lively stage show, great songs, antics and humor have garnered them a cult following around the world.

With a mix of Eastern European tradition, pop sensibility and punk rock energy, they have had crowds going wild for years. ‘Where Gogol Bordello meets Muse. These underground heroes will soon be international superstars.’ (ap press)

Born in the fiery cauldron of Babylon, Diego’s Umbrella started rising on the Northern California coast in 2000. With the seed planted by Vaughn and Tyson, DU slowly grew to the monster it is today. While its home base is in the San Francisco Bay Area, the troupe has managed to solidify worldwide acclaim and has toured internationally for years.Violinist Jason came on board early in the project, followed by Singer Benny, Drummer Jake, and finally Marcus on the bass.

The Group has released 3 albums, and a host of independent recordings. They have been featured in major motion pictures, Network Television, and numerous documentaries, in addition to countless worldwide radio and print.

http://www.jasonisbell.com/

Here We Rest: The first motto of Jason Isbell’s home state got changed in the early part of last century to a Latin phrase that translates to “we dare defend our rights”. What starts out as peaceful idyll descends into a defensive posture with the threat of bellicosity just beneath the surface. That’s what tough times will do to a people.

Jason Isbell’s home is northern Alabama, a region that has been hit especially hard in the recent economic downturn. “The mood here has darkened considerably,” says Jason. “There is a real culture around Muscle Shoals, Florence and Sheffield of family, of people taking care of their own. When people lose their ability to do that, their sense of self dissolves. It has a devastating effect on personal relationships, and mine were not immune.”

The characters that populate Here We Rest are wrung out. In “Alabama Pines”, the protagonist has found himself on the outside of the life he once knew. He is living in a small room and in a state of emotional disrepair – estranged from the woman that he loved, as well as friends (“I don’t even need a name anymore/When no one calls it out, it kinda vanishes away”). He is beginning to recognize that his own remoteness and obstinacy has played a large part in his current state of affairs, and longs for “someone to take him home through those Alabama pines.” He’s not quite clear how to get back there himself.

Place plays a prominent role in the songs on Here We Rest. Jason was home considerably more this year, having toured less in 2010. After being on the road for 200 or more days for more years than he cares to count, he stayed home mostly to write and record this album. “I could probably live anywhere, but I love it here,” says Jason. “Being home is very different than being on the road. You learn a certain discipline that has its entire context within the touring lifestyle. This was the first time that I’ve been an adult in my own house, in my own community. Plus on the road, you have your whiskey waiting for you when you get to the gig. Here you have to go get it.”

Spending all that time around his hometown, he could reacquaint himself with the locale and immerse himself with the rhythms of life in northern Alabama. “Being able to sit on my stool at D.P.’s, a bar in the building I live in, talk to my friends, and hear the problems that they have helped inform some of these songs.” Sometimes, people in that bar grow tired of hearing others bitch when they themselves were on the edge, and it would sometimes lead to fights. “Save It For Sunday” grew out of one of those experiences. A bar patron, unsure of the solidity of his relationship, tells his fellow bar patron that “we got cares of our own,” and suggesting that the he save his sorrows for his “choir and everyone” at his church.

Our military draws disproportionately from areas that economically depressed, and northern Alabama has more than its share of those that have served, not only out of a deep sense of patriotism, but also because of shrinking employment options. In “Tour Of Duty,” Jason writes of a soldier that is coming home from war from the last time, and will try, more than likely in vain, to assimilate back into civilian life. His soldier is voracious for normalcy. He admits to not knowing or caring how his loved one has changed and dreams of eating chicken wings and starting a family. But there’s a subtle sense that this craving for normalcy will cause him to suppress the damage done to him during wartime: “I promise not to bore you with my stories/I promise not to scare you with my tears/I never would exaggerate the glory/I’ll seem so satisfied here.” Seeming satisfied is not being satisfied, but it’s the best he can imagine.

The time off from the road also had an effect on the musical sensibilities that shaped this album. Jason was able to collaborate with more artists (he played on the latest albums by Justin Townes Earle, Middle Brother, Abby Owens and Coy Bowles), which broadened his ideas about how he could present his own music. “I always felt like certain things, like my guitar playing, had to be perfect, and when I was in the studio environment, I could make sure that it was. But looking back, it might have robbed the music of a certain amount of spontaneity. There’s more out and out rock and roll guitar on this album.” In addition, Jason embraces a more acoustic, more tradition al country music sound to a degree that he had been reluctant to in the past. “When you come from Alabama, that country soul music is in the water. I’ve always loved it and been proud of it, but there’s always been this sense of proving that you were capable of more than just that. If I was going to create an album that gave listeners a sense of the place, I felt it was important to let the songs go there if they wanted to.”

The time at home has also had an effect on the lyrical point of view of the album. Because of the subject material of the album, Jason wrote from a more empathetic point of view than ever before. “I tried more than ever to get out from behind my own eyes and see things through others’ eyes,” he says. In “We’ve Met,” Jason puts himself in the place of a person that was left behind in their hometown and, with a tinge of bitterness, remembers the one who went away better than they are remembered (Jason says, “I’m quite sure that I’ve been the person that didn’t remember before, and I hate it”).

As with the last album, the 400 Unit shines. Keyboard player Derry deBorja, guitarist Browan Lollar, bassist Jimbo Hart and drummer Chad Gamble play with either the ferocity or subtlety that the songs call for. Having played over four hundred shows together as a band have given Jason and the guys an innate sense of one another; they are gelling into a truly great band.

The original state motto was written by Alexander Beaufort Meek, a former Alabama attorney general, in his 1842 essay outlining the history of the state. The last lines of that history say: “We have shown the condition and character of our population; the Red Sea of trials and suffering through which they had to pass; the fragile bark that floated in triumph through the perils of the tide….From such rude and troublous beginnings, the present population of Alabama, acquired the right to say, ‘Here we rest!’” The times are indeed rude and troublous again in Alabama, and Jason Isbell’s inspired album offers both documentation and the same fervent hope that his people will find their rest.

Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam who recently released his own album of ukulele songs had this to say about Jake: “Jake is taking the instrument to a place that I can’t see anybody else catching up with him.”

“Forget everything you know about the ukulele…and go do a Google search. The first video that pops up won’t be some grainy clip of Tiny Tim or George Formby but a performance by a hair-gelled 34-year old Hawaiian named Jake Shimabukuro.” – Time magazine feature

It’s rare for a young musician to earn comparisons to the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis. It’s even harder to find an artist who has entirely redefined an instrument by his early thirties. But Jake Shimabukuro (she-ma-boo-koo-row) has already accomplished these feats, and more, in a little over a decade of playing and recording music…on the ukulele.

Yes, the ukulele. In the hands of Shimabukuro, the traditional Hawaiian instrument of four strings and two octaves is stretched and molded into a complex and bold new musical force. On his most recent album ‘Peace Love Ukulele’ (which debuted at #1 on the Billboard World Album Chart), Jake and his “uke” effortlessly (it seems) mix jazz, rock, classical, traditional Hawaiian music, and folk, creating a sound that’s both technically masterful and emotionally powerful…and utterly unique in the music world. No less than the New York Times recently noted his “buoyant musicianship” and “brisk proficiency,” adding, “the innovation in his style stems from an embrace of restrictions: the ukulele has only four strings and a limited range. He compensates with an adaptable combination of rhythmic strumming, classical-style finger-picking and fretboard tapping.”
Energy, imagination, and innovation have been Jake’s keys to success. He plans to continue recording, performing, collaborating, and staying happy. “I love what I do. I’m forever thankful for music.”

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyitDzW7OLY&feature=player_embedded

For more information about Jake Shimabukuro:
http://jakeshimabukuro.com/home/

What a co-bill! Both of these bands have played packed houses in Boise with incredible music and energy. Very excited to have this power tour making a stop at The Visual Arts Collective!

“Few things rejuvenate the soul like a warm fireside drink after an exhausting day in the snow. Hot Buttered Rum has that effect. Their original songs are instantly familiar and inviting, and their easygoing versions of timeless classics (the Beatles, Hank Williams) belie the intricacy of the arrangements.” The San Francisco Chronicle

Formed over 10 years ago, Cornmeal has grown from humble beginnings into a nationally recognized live music institution. Heavily influenced by American roots and folk music, Cornmeal blends lightning fast tempos and impeccable harmonies into an unrivaled live performance that continues to expand upon the five-piece acoustic-electric groups’ vast musical repertoire. While steeped in the tradition of the past, Cornmeal continues to forge their own path, pushing the boundaries of bluegrass, Americana and folk for a whole new generation of music lovers.

Hot Buttered Rum – Initially formed as an acoustic string band, seven years of constant touring has transformed Hot Buttered Rum into a plugged-in, percussive powerhouse that wows critics and fans alike. Their left-coast rock reveals an access to jazz, country, and world music that few groups can match. While the band’s music belies simple categorization, its songwriting and stage chemistry delights listeners at every turn.

Hot Buttered Rum’s story is one of evolution. The “high altitude bluegrass” era captured on their first studio album, In These Parts, found the band enjoying success at such diverse stages as the Newport Folk Festival, Bonnaroo, Grey Fox, High Sierra, Wakarusa, and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Along the way, the group shared the stage with some of today’s most accomplished artists, including Phil Lesh, Bela Fleck, Ben Harper, and Nickel Creek’s Chris Thile. In 2006, acoustic pioneer Mike Marshall produced Hot Buttered Rum’s second studio album, Well-Oiled Machine, and captured the sound of a hard-touring band charting its course along the highways and byways of American music.

The continued expansion of Hot Buttered Rum’s sound and writing found a home in Live in the Northeast. More electric pickups made their way to the stage, along with an increased focus on songwriting. As the band developed a heavier sound, fans and press began to describe them as a rock band with acoustic instruments. It therefore came as no surprise when, following the departure of mandolinist Zac Matthews, the other founding members Aaron Redner (fiddle and mandolin), Bryan Horne (upright bass), Nat Keefe (guitar), and Erik Yates (banjo, guitar, woodwinds, and resophonic guitar) joined forces with Bay Area drummer Lucas Carlton.

The new lineup has recently emerged from San Francisco’s Mission Bells Studios, where they recorded Limbs Akimbo under the watchful eye of producer Tim Bluhm (The Mother Hips). Featuring guest appearances by Jackie Greene (Skinny Singers, Phil Lesh and Friends) and Zach Gill (ALO, Jack Johnson), the album marks the beginning of a new creative phase. Limbs Akimbo now signals the arrival of a highly matured, impressively listenable, stirringly rocking, and pleasantly poppy sound. Proving himself a forceful producer, Bluhm has struck an impressive balance between highlighting the multi-instrumental, cross-genre elements of the band’s sound while avoiding the contemporary trappings of music that is complex and different merely for the sake of complexity and difference. The result is beautifully paradoxical: a tremendous, minimalist pop album full of hints, teases, and cameos of the band’s complex musical personality. In “Something New,” Keefe recites the familiar wedding adage “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” And right there, in a nutshell, is Limbs Akimbo: an album that is both an elegy and reincarnation of Hot Buttered Rum’s past sound, that borrows heavily from the rock pantheon while sprinkling in just a little of everything else. Limbs Akimbo is an album that evidences the acoustic string band of yesteryear while unapologetically propelling into the scene a mature left-coast, drum-driven, pop-rock band.

http://www.hotbutteredrum.net/

Cornmeal – Formed over 10 years ago, Cornmeal has grown from humble beginnings into a nationally recognized live music institution. 11 years together is no simple task these days, especially when the last five have seen the band spending over half the year on the road. Heavily influenced by American roots and folk music, Cornmeal blends lightning fast tempos and impeccable harmonies into an unrivaled live performance that continues to expand upon the five-piece acoustic-electric groups’ vast musical repertoire. While steeped in the tradition of the past, Cornmeal continues to forge their own path, pushing the boundaries of bluegrass, Americana and folk for a whole new generation of music lovers. With a rapidly growing fan base and ever-evolving sound, Cornmeal challenges the recipe of the bluegrass sound and live performance.

In the beginning of 2010, Cornmeal released their first live album, Live in Chicago, IL Vol. I, an album that pays tribute to the fans. Now, in the end of 2011, Cornmeal has released a follow up to that album, Live in Chicago, IL Vol. II. “Live in Chicago, IL Vol. 2… gives us another glimpse of Cornmeal’s relentless approach to live performance and the contemporary interpretation of roots music. Featuring more of the smoking hot picking, intricate yet explosive improvised jams, and constantly evolving sound that has come to define this unique group, Vol. II is not just for Cornmeal fans, but for anyone with an ear for passionate performance and honest musicianship,” writes Herschel Concepcion. For the first six years as a band, Cornmeal performed each and every Wednesday in Chicago to small yet loyal crowds. Throughout the winters of 2007-2009, Cornmeal returned to Chicago to pay homage to that tradition. The albums are for the fans as a thank you for all the years of dedication, for believing in Cornmeal, and for creating a wonderful community for them to come home to. The albums were recorded live throughout the winter of 2009 at Martyrs’ in Chicago, IL. Unlike Cornmeal’s three previous albums, Live in Chicago, IL Vol. I & II captures the band in its raw, intense format, bouncing through song after song of fast paced, fierce originals and extensive improvised jams that showcase the immense talent and connectivity that have gained them so much fan appeal from coast to coast. With the release of their debut album “In The Kitchen” (2001 Livin’ Live records), Cornmeal secured its place as one of the top bands in its genre. 2003′s “Tales from Magic Stone Mountain” (Livin’ Live records) garnered much critical attention and became a staple on College and AAA top 10 lists throughout the country. In May of 2006, Cornmeal released their third album, “Feet First”, which became proof positive that Cornmeal’s tenure on the road brought on an honest and mature sound. Produced by guitarist Kris Nowak and bassist Chris Gangi, “Feet First” features a strong confidence in songwriting, musicianship and the ability of this band to stylistically ride the fence and bring it back home without missing a step.

While playing a blend of high profile venues, jam-band and bluegrass festivals to thousands throughout the region, the band has shared the stage with such highly acclaimed national acts as THE DAVID GRISMAN QUINTET, JOHN HARTFORD, THE DEL McCOURY BAND, LITTLE FEAT, LEFTOVER SALMON, TONY RICE, YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND, DARK STAR ORCHESTRA, moe., SAM BUSH and UMPHREY’S McGEE. They have performed at some of the most high profile festivals in the country including Bonnaroo, High Sierra, Magnolia Fest, 10K Lakes, Wakarusa, Summer Camp, DelFest, Telluride Bluegrass Festival and many others. They pride themselves on the energy they put forth each night creating an unrivalled live performance that continues to shape itself into a energetic one of a kind experience. Live in Chicago, IL Vol. I & II proves that Cornmeal continues to be a band to watch out for. Every show they play is a unique experience that leaves fans begging for more.

http://www.cornmealinthekitchen.com/

*Tickets avail at 10am on Saturday, Dec. 17th at egyptiantheatre,net, The Record Exchange, The Boise Co-op, and Egyptian Theatre box office. Charge tickets by phone at 208-387-1273 Tues-Sat from 11am to 6pm
Tickets are $33ADV/$36 DOOR (plus $3 service fee).
Reserved seating.

-The Blind Boys of Alabama continue to tour the world, performing over 150 concerts each year. Honored by both the Grammys and The National Endowment for the Arts with Lifetime Achievement Awards, inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and winners of five Grammy® Awards, The Blind Boys have attained the highest levels of recognition in a career that spans over 70 years and shows no signs of diminishing. Longevity and major awards aside, The Blind Boys have earned praise for their remarkable interpretations of everything from traditional gospel favorites to contemporary spiritual material, and now country, by acclaimed songwriters such as Curtis Mayfield, Prince and Tom Waits. Their performances have been experienced by millions on “The Tonight Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” the Grammy® Awards telecast, “60 Minutes II,” and on their own holiday PBS Special. The Blind Boys’ live shows are roof- raising musical events that appeal to audiences of all cultures, as evidenced by an international itinerary that has taken them to almost every continent. In 2007, they released the Grammy winning album, Down in New Orleans, their first for Saguaro Road Records, which was followed in 2008 by a companion DVD, Live in New Orleans. In 2009, they released Duets, a collection of songs recorded with artists including Bonnie Raitt, Ben Harper and Randy Travis.

The Blind Boys of Alabama just released a traditional country-gospel album for the first time in their 70-year career on May 3rd, 2011 (Saguaro Road Records). One of country music’s most acclaimed and compelling artists, Jamey Johnson, co-produced the album and performs on it along with Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., Lee Ann Womack, and The Oak Ridge Boys, backed by an A-list of top Nashville studio musicians. The result is a stunning, powerful testament to the deep, historic relationship between country and gospel music.

“There wasn’t one person who didn’t bawl like a baby or bust their heart open at least once,” Johnson recounted to the New York Times recently, remarking on the intensity of the recording sessions. “It’s been a dream of mine to do a country gospel album and we couldn’t have found a better partner than Jamey” said Jimmy Carter, the last original Blind Boy still touring with the band. “This album beautifully combines two of the seminal roots of the American music tree, gospel and country music. The Blind Boys, Jamey and their hand-picked guests deliver this music in a searingly authentic way,” adds Mike Jason Senior Vice President, Retail for Saguaro Road Records

The concept for the collaboration started with original Blind Boy Jimmy Carter’s longstanding love of country music and his desire to do a traditional country-tinged gospel album. Last year, his idea started to take shape when the Blind Boys were asked to curate a series of shows at the prestigious Lincoln Center Festival. One of the sold-out nights featured country artists Ralph Stanley, Ray Benson (Asleep At The Wheel) and Allison Moorer. Soon after, they met Jamey Johnson and asked him to join them in singing the traditional song “Down By The Riverside” at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Their mutual respect and shared passion for old-time gospel music made for a powerful performance, and that magical moment led to the Blind Boys asking Jamey to produce their next CD. The band had already been planning to make a country record with their Grammy-winning production collaborator Chris Goldsmith, who had enlisted the help of veteran Nashville drummer Chad Cromwell (Neil Young, Mark Knopfler). Jamey then brought in bassist Kevin ‘Swine’ Grantt (Brad Paisley, Daryl Worley) and additional top-notch Music City players, including legends such as guitarist Reggie Young, to join them in the studio. A fantastic array of guest vocalists – Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr, Lee Ann Womack and The Oak Ridge Boys – added to the recording sessions while new friendships were quickly formed and soulful sounds were crafted out of a shared love of real and authentic spiritual music.

The result is a remarkable album, which mines the profound connections between traditional country and gospel music. The amazing spirit and soul of the Blind Boys is celebrated through the songs, some time-tested like Hank Jr.’s energetic re-working of his father’s “I Saw the Light,” and some more recent chestnuts like Danny Flower’s
underground classic “I Was a Burden.” Recorded live in just a few days at Ben Folds’ Javelina Studio, the album has the soulful feel of an old-school country classic. In fact, the word got out during the session that something special was going on at the old RCA soundstage, and guests like George Jones, Bill Anderson, and Bobby Bare dropped by just to observe the proceedings. All of them were visibly touched by what they experienced.

This record follows in the renowned Blind Boys tradition of reaching across musical boundaries to collaborate with other artists (from Peter Gabriel and Lou Reed to Anthony Hamilton, Ben Harper and Third Day) to create music that is appreciated as heart-warming, innovative, and inspirational by people from all walks of life.

http://www.blindboys.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/BlindBoysofAlabama

http://www.facebook.com/blindboysofalabama

http://twitter.com/blindboys

ABOUT MARCHFOURTH MARCHING BAND:
The MarchFourth Marching Band has evolved into a high-energy, eclectic and mobile unit of good times, taking a Fellini-esque mix of Mardi Gras mayhem, afro beat, Mexican hustle, sultry samba, big band, and gypsy folk to the streets and parks, and the club and festival scene–anywhere people seek liberation through booty-shaking beats, driving bass, and high-flying horn arrangements. Accompanied by their surrealist troupe of stilt-dancers, fire-spinners, and costumed beauties, they are a new love-party paradigm.

According to bassist, and one of the group’s founding members, John Averill, MarchFourth is “something entirely different. Musically, we’re not influenced by marching bands at all. I really think of us more as an alternative big band that happens to be able to march.”

MarchFourth Marching Band got its name from the date of their first show: March 4, 2003. It began when a handful of artists and musicians in Portland, Oregon decided to put together a marching band for a Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras party on March 4th, originally performing a 7-song set of tunes that included covers of Rebirth Brass Band, Fela Kuti, and Fleetwood Mac. The night was a smashing success and encouraged the group to book more shows. Opening for the Youngblood Brass Band and playing with Pink Martini cemented the group that first year: they played a total of 34 shows in their first ten months. By 2007 the band was becoming better known in Portland and beyond. They expanded their 4th anniversary party to include a family matinee and an adult evening show at the Crystal Ballroom and sold out both shows. It was time to take the show on the road. They bought a 1984 MCI coach on eBay, then converted it to fit about 28 people comfortably with convertible bunk-beds, wi-fi, kitchen and roof rack. Members of the band did all the bus customization. They haven’t stopped touring since.

ABOUT THE PIMPS OF JOYTIME: Over the course of the past four years, the Pimps of Joytime have evolved into a road tested and audience approved groove machine. The have excited crowds at over 100 club dates and festivals in 2010 and this year’s ongoing “All The Way Live” tour far exceeds the volume of previous years. Amazingly, their stage performance improves each night as the electricity between the band members rises to new heights. This fluidity is not something you can manufacture, it is an authentic and exciting collaboration that is the Pimps of Joytime. With the “All The Way Live” tour, The Pimps are offering their fans and music lovers alike a chance to experience the electrifying rhythms that lace up the most recent album, Janxta Funk, (June 21 – Wonderwheel Recordings).

Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, The Pimps of Joyitme are paving their own unique path in the world. WHat do you do when there isn’t a phrase to describe your sound? You coin a new one of course! JANXTA FUNK, as Brian J describes it, “is a style that’s part gangsta, part janky.” JAnxta Funk ranges from LAtin inspired rythms to deep funky grooves and hot dance beats laced with soulful melody and harmonies. Those who have experienced a Pimps show agree that you have to see the band live to truly understand their unique combination of musical elements, including afrobeat, rock, hip-hop, and electronica.

“The Pimps can’t be pigeonholed into a genre — it’s all soulful, but one song might segue from an Afrobeat groove to an electronic club beat with sitar. It’s all pretty damn funky, and it’s impossible to hear it and sit still.” – Charleston City Paper (Stratton Lawrence)

“The funkiest band at Outside Lands was easily the Pimps of Joytime.”- Guitar World

“Wild, fun and excitable, this is the music I want playing at my wake, the band I want preceding
the hearse to my grave.”  – LivePDX.com

ABOUT MARCHFOURTH MARCHING BAND: The MarchFourth Marching Band has evolved into a high-energy, eclectic and mobile unit of good times, taking a Fellini-esque mix of Mardi Gras mayhem, afro beat, Mexican hustle, sultry samba, big band, and gypsy folk to the streets and parks, and the club and festival scene–anywhere people seek liberation through booty-shaking beats, driving bass, and high-flying horn arrangements. Accompanied by their surrealist troupe of stilt-dancers, fire-spinners, and costumed beauties, they are a new love-party paradigm. According to bassist, and one of the group’s founding members, John Averill, MarchFourth is “something entirely different. Musically, we’re not influenced by marching bands at all. I really think of us more as an alternative big band that happens to be able to march.”

MarchFourth Marching Band got its name from the date of their first show: March 4, 2003. It began when a handful of artists and musicians in Portland, Oregon decided to put together a marching band for a Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras party on March 4th, originally performing a 7-song set of tunes that included covers of Rebirth Brass Band, Fela Kuti, and Fleetwood Mac. The night was a smashing success and encouraged the group to book more shows. Opening for the Youngblood Brass Band and playing with Pink Martini cemented the group that first year: they played a total of 34 shows in their first ten months. By 2007 the band was becoming better known in Portland and beyond. They expanded their 4th anniversary party to include a family matinee and an adult evening show at the Crystal Ballroom and sold out both shows. It was time to take the show on the road. They bought a 1984 MCI coach on eBay, then converted it to fit about 28 people comfortably with convertible bunk-beds, wi-fi, kitchen and roof rack. Members of the band did all the bus customization. They haven’t stopped touring since.

Wild, fun and excitable, this is the music I want playing at my wake, the band I want preceding the hearse to my grave.” – LivePDX.com

“The band’s sexy funk keeps me looking for James Bond. Horns pop people like kernels from the floor.” – Ashland Armory

“Throw up your batons! Toss about that pocket-stored confetti! Let the high steppin’, flair totin’ cyclone of happiness begin!”- Caitlin Donohue, San Francisco Bay Guardian

Details
The Egyptian Theatre is located at 700 W. Main St in downtown Boise. $1 from every ticket sold, plus proceeds from a raffle and bar sales, will be donated to Boise Bicycle Project. Tickets are $22 advance, $25 day of show. Advance tickets will be available at The Record Exchange, The Boise Co-op, The Egyptian Theatre box office, and egyptiantheatre.net on Saturday, Nov 12th at 10:00 a.m. Call the Egyptian Theatre box office at 208-387-1273, Tuesday thru Saturday from 11a – 6p, to charge by phone. Details Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at The Egyptian Theatre Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Showtime is 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $22ADV/$25 DOOR. General admission seating. *Ticket sales from this show will benefit Boise Bicycle Project.* All ages. No smoking. Beer and wine served. The Egyptian Theatre is located at 700 West Main St in Boise, IDaho. *Tickets avail at 10am on Saturday, Nov. 10th at egyptiantheatre,net, The Record Exchange, The Boise Co-op, and Egyptian Theatre box office. Charge tickets by phone at 208-387-1273 Tues-Sat from 11a to 6p.

MARCHFOURTH MARCHING BAND:
http://www.marchfourthmarchingband.com/
http://www.marchfourthmarchingband.com/press-kit/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m9xN4Z7gUc&feature=player_embedded#!

ABOUT THE PIMPS OF JOYTIME: Over the course of the past four years, the Pimps of Joytime have evolved into a road tested and audience approved groove machine. The have excited crowds at over 100 club dates and festivals in 2010 and this year’s ongoing “All The Way Live” tour far exceeds the volume of previous years. Amazingly, their stage performance improves each night as the electricity between the band members rises to new heights. This fluidity is not something you can manufacture, it is an authentic and exciting collaboration that is the Pimps of Joytime. With the “All The Way Live” tour, The Pimps are offering their fans and music lovers alike a chance to experience the electrifying rhythms that lace up the most recent album, Janxta Funk, (June 21 – Wonderwheel Recordings).

Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, The Pimps of Joyitme are paving their own unique path in the world. WHat do you do when there isn’t a phrase to describe your sound? You coin a new one of course! JANXTA FUNK, as Brian J describes it, “is a style that’s part gangsta, part janky.” JAnxta Funk ranges from LAtin inspired rythms to deep funky grooves and hot dance beats laced with soulful melody and harmonies. Those who have experienced a Pimps show agree that you have to see the band live to truly understand their unique combination of musical elements, including afrobeat, rock, hip-hop, and electronica.

“The Pimps can’t be pigeonholed into a genre — it’s all soulful, but one song might segue from an Afrobeat groove to an electronic club beat with sitar. It’s all pretty damn funky, and it’s impossible to hear it and sit still.” – Charleston City Paper (Stratton Lawrence)

“The funkiest band at Outside Lands was easily the Pimps of Joytime.”- Guitar World
http://www.thepimpsofjoytime.com/ http://madisonhouseinc.com/pimps-joytime

Judy Collins is also noted for her rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” on her classic 1967 album, Wildflowers. “Both Sides Now” has since been entered into the Grammy’s Hall of Fame. Winning “Song of the Year” at the 1975 Grammy’s Awards show was Judy’s version of “Send in the Clowns,” a ballad written by Stephen Sondheim for the Broadway musical “A Little Night Music.”

Released on September 29th, Judy’s new book, Sanity and Grace, A Journey of Suicide, Survival and Strength, is a deeply moving memoir, focusing on the death of her only son and the healing process following the tragedy. The book speaks to all who have endured the sorrow of losing a loved one before their time. In the depths of her suffering, Judy found relief by reaching out to others for help and support. Now, she extends her hand to comfort other survivors whose lives have been affected by similar tragedy.

In a recent appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America, Judy performed “Wings of Angels,” the heartbreaking ballad that she wrote about the loss of her son. The song is currently available on the newly released Judy Collins Wildflower Festival CD and DVD, which also feature guest artists Arlo Guthrie, Tom Rush and Eric Andersen. This extraordinary concert was filmed at the famed Humphrey’s By the Bay in San Diego, CA. The concert was the culmination of a 25 city national tour.

Judy Collins continues to create music of hope and healing that lights up the world and speaks to the heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AMY SPEACE’S THIRD ALBUM, LAND LIKE A BIRD,
CHRONICLES A MOVE THAT OPENED NEW DOORS

Thirty Tigers album due in stores March 29;
Kim Richey contributes vocals, Neilson Hubbard produced

Also this year, Speace to be seen in Big Star documentary

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Amy wrote her new album, Land Like a Bird, with her life in a state of transition. Having spent many years in Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey, surrounded by concrete, taxi horns and rushing trains, Speace suddenly found herself in the South. She’d done quite well as a New Yorker: she was signed by Judy Collins — who called Speace “one of the best young songwriters” — to Wildflower Records; she was awarded an NPR “Song of the Day”; and she toured with Collins, Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin. The city’s WFUV-FM named her song “Weight of the World” the #4 Folk Song of the Decade in its 2010 year-end Top 10 list.

“But life takes its twists and turns and as much as I loved Manhattan, I felt the ending of one chapter and the beginning of another. Relief and anticipation went hand in hand with the grieving,” she says of the change.

Space began writing Land Like a Bird as she bade farewell her Jersey City apartment with the view of the Statute of Liberty and lower Manhattan (inspiration for the song “Manila Street”). Many of the songs were goodbyes to people and places (“Had to Lose,” “Ghost,” Ron Sexsmith’s beautiful “Galbraith Street”). She brought these songs and unpacked them in her new East Nashville home.

Land Like a Bird follows Speace’s 2006 Songs for Bright Street on Collins’ Wildflower Records and 2009’s The Killer in Me. The latter, her “breakup album” which featured guest vocals by Ian Hunter, earned much critical praise. “Amy Speace is a rising star,” opined USA Today. NPR said, “Her velvety, achy voice recalls an early Lucinda Williams. Sounding grounded but wounded, Speace exudes the vulnerability of someone who’s loved and lost.” The Washington Post advised, “If you bemoan the lack of solid singer-songwriters in the world who can bridge inner turmoil with universal experience, Speace is just what you need to hear.”

The new album was produced by Neilson Hubbard (Kim Richey, Matthew Ryan, Glen Phillips, Garrison Starr) at Mr. Lemons studio in Nashville. Hubbard played bass, keyboards and vibes. Speace and Hubbard first met seven years ago while performing on an Arizona TV show and discovered their simpatico musical directions. However, they did not remain in touch. When Speace moved to Nashville last year, they were reintroduced, immediately co-wrote a song, and decided to collaborate on what would become Land Like a Bird. Kim Richey sang background vocals on “Land Like A Bird,” “Half Asleep & Wide Awake” and “Real Love Song.”

“As the fall became winter and the winter became spring, Neilson Hubbard and I would meet and write or record and snippets became songs became demos became a sound we both were chasing,” Speace says of the making of the album. “And by early fall 2010 we were inside the record we both knew we wanted to make together, a full turn of the seasons from my arrival.”

In other news, Speace will be seen on the forthcoming Big Star documentary Nothing Can Hurt Me: The Big Star Story which includes her performance of “Try Again” with the surviving Big Star members, the Posies and Evan Dando at the Alex Chilton tribute at SXSW in March 2010. Speace and charter Big Star member Jody Stephens had met at the Folk Alliance a few years back in the band’s home of Memphis. Speace was a huge fan of Big Star and was pleasantly surprised that Stephens, in turn, as a fan of hers.

Jerry Joseph and The Jackmormons – Videography from Erik Tande on Vimeo.

Joseph has worked tirelessly since his late ’80s/early ’90s days in Little Women, averaging an album a year since 1994. Often live-on-the-floor affairs, there’s an immediacy and personal reach to his albums like kindred spirits Chris Whitley and Vic Chesnutt, his fellow toilers in the under-sung singer-songwriter field. Like the best musicians, there’s always a forward motion to his work, some force that compels things ahead from where they’ve been, something one hears loud & clear on his latest project, The Denmark Veseys, a malleable band named a controversial slave revolt leader from the 1800′s and based around the core of Joseph and master percussionist Steve Drizos that released their self-titled debut in early 2008, which ranges from the Buzzcocks-like punk pop of “Helena Bucket” to the masterful Americana sway of “Cochise” to incendiary agit-prop rockers like “Ho Chi Minh.” Produced by David Barbe (Drive-By Truckers, Son Volt), the new record has the measured intelligence of craftsmen able to whisper and scream on several levels at once, a callback to a time when real musicians made thoughtful rock ‘n’ roll albums that thrive on repeat, revealing fresh details and nuances over time hidden amongst the lesions and frustrations Joseph & Drizos etch so eloquently on their debut.

All the miles and stage hours of this tireless road dog simmer into his recordings, which manage to capture some of the brilliant flame of his take-no-prisoners live performances. There’s an intensity to Joseph that dates back to his early days in could-have-contenders Little Women in the late ’80s and continues through his collaborations with jam scene kings Widespread Panic (“Climb To Safety”) and pleasantly eviscerating releases with his Jackmormons band like Mouthful of Copper, a 2003 live double disc set that showcases the fury and focused intelligence Joseph brings to his music. Creatively restless, he has crafted acoustic ruminations (2004′s Cherry) and muscular rock cycles (2005′s Into The Lovely), always keeping himself open to where the muses will steer his passionate, beautifully jaded songwriting.

Currently living in Harlem, NYC, he’s a tireless listener to everything that comes his way, filtering in the hip-hop of Aesop Rock and Jamaican strains that drift through his window as easily as he incorporates the more brainy, confessional strains of his core inspirations. He embodies original rock’s boundary-free spirit that pulled happy handfuls from country, blues, jazz and folk to create something that struts and wails. From dub to backwoods laments, his music stretches to incorporate whatever is flipping his switch at a given moment, yet always grounded in something indefinably Jerry J. This free-ranging is most delightfully loose in the Stockholm Syndrome, his on-again, off-again collaboration with Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Eric McFadden (EMT, P-Funk), Wally Ingram (David Lindley, Sheryl Crow) and Danny Louis (Gov’t Mule), where the boys can swing from roadhouse hard to psychedelically bent.

“Usually, if I think something’s cool it stays with me,” says Joseph. “When I write I go to my brother’s house in Mexico, and I don’t write with drum machines or four-tracks. I tend to write on just acoustic guitar, and sometimes I can get out a couple songs a day if I’m in the groove. I’m finally getting old enough that I might actually get good at this (laughs). I think the writers that are aging and growing with their art are fascinating. This is really the first time with pop music that we’ve been able to watch people get old. If they’re cool and writing about it, like Dylan or Neil Young, they’re sort of documenting the process. In my own broken way, I’m trying to do that, too.”

“Sounding occasionally like John Mellencamp’s older, wiser and psychologically mixed-up sibling, Joseph writes complex, image-laden songs and infuses them with plenty of attitude, soulfulness and swagger.”
– Washington Post

$10 adv/ $12 at door. Tickets available at The Record Exchange and at http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3921555

Zane McGinley forms a rock band and struggles to keep the group together before they go on their first tour to play the ‘Whisky a Go Go’ in Hollywood, California.

Unlike any other rock documentary, this film takes place as the action surrounds the key players. The movie opens on the ground floor of the band’s existence and takes you on the adventure into the unknown world of the music business.