Song of the Day: Drive-By Truckers - Women Without Whiskey

Drive-By Truckers - Women Without Whiskey

from the album Southern Rock Opera

Photo: www.TheFader.com

I got turned onto these cats over the last week by my new friend Jimmy, who I met the night he came back from a Trucker show. Dude was ecstatic; he had a camera full of pictures and a perma-grin from being so thrilled at seeing such a fantastic band. I was still on a high from seeing Panic the night before, so we started talking about music until the wee hours in an after-hour club with friends (LONG story) - and in the end, dear old Jim has now recruited a new DBT fan. These guys are great. If you dig Southern rock, and bands that enjoy a good jam, check them out.

Being the music nut that I am, I'm really surprised that I was unfamiliar with these guys. Thank God we have the opportunity to learn something new every day.

Thanks, Jimmy! :)

Widespread Panic Was AWESOME

A couple of posts below, you'll note the Song of the Day was Widespread Panic's Coconut, in honor of the fact that I saw them at Radio City Friday night.

First I had a cocktail with my pal Eileen, who snapped a couple of pics of me before I went in. I look like a goober, but I suppose any woman in her 30's who is like a kid at Christmas about seeing a fav band looks like a goober.




Man-o-fucking-man was that show good. I hadn't seen them since the early 90's; it was such a pleasure. I was able to snap off one pic on my phone, but I wish I could have gotten more.



The seats were great (the pic makes it look like I was further away than I was) and I was sitting in front of this folks from Georgia who I started talking to. The show was like four and a half hours long, two sets, and of course they did an encore jam. I danced my ass off with my new pals from GA and re-lived my Mississippi music joy.

First of all, it was my first rock concert at Radio City - dude, I didn't know you could drink beer inside the venue? And the moment the band came on the stage people started smoking and passing around joints and I was like "where the hell am I?" because I would have worn my old faded Panic shirt instead of the little spiffier thingie...I mean, I thought I needed to spiff up for Radio City.

One thing that was cool - the beer bottles were plastic. Can you dig it? I almost laughed.

Later on, over the weekend, I emailed back and forth with an old college buddy about the show, and he reminded me that I probably at some point hung out with Panic because we used to see them in Oxford; the keyboard player is from Oxford, and was in the band Beanland and several of my old party buddies were pals with these cats - so oftentimes you would go to someone's house and there would be a jam session going on out of nowhere...and the guys from Panic would be hanging out as well...that was when I was there - and when Mike started talking about Beanland, I started remembering the places and times...

I honestly don't remember hanging with these guys, but apparently I did at some point. This is back when they were first really getting into the groove.

It's just such a great thing to see them as they are now - a great jam band that can bring out the Dead Head in all of us.

This weekend I also was introduced to the Drive-By Truckers by a new friend, and I can't believe I didn't know about these cats; but now that I do, I'm going to get on the groove. Another great Southern rock/jam band that has a great following.

Music is a wonderful thing, yes?

Song of the Day: Cracker - Low

Photo: www.crackersoul.org

Cracker - Low

from the album Kerosene Hat

I always loved this song for a myriad of reasons. I think it's very sexy...there's a raw sexiness to it that I think is one of it's strongest points combined with the fact that it's a great rock song. Of course, when it came out everyone was like "Yeah, that cool song about being stoned!" -- which seems to be the one line everyone remembers:
Being with you girl, is like being low, hey, hey, hey, it's like bein' stoned!

Of COURSE that was a fun part of the song...but I always dug the part about how the guy wants to get the girl...and how he's comparing being with her to being a euphoric high. For a hippie chick, that's like quoting Byron. LOL.

Ultimately, though, it's simply a well-put-together rock song that has all these elements. The fact that all the members of the band (those that have come and gone) are hotties is always a bonus...lol...

Check out Cracker's website for touring dates. The pic above is from a nice fan site with a similar name.

Björk Tickets Go On Sale Today!

Tickets for Björk at Madison Square Garden, Sept. 24th go on sale today, so get 'em while they're hot. I'm probably going to go; but I'm seeing The Police and the Beastie Boys this month (seeing the B-Boys twice, actually), and money is tight...so, I may wait.

Go get some tickets!

;)

If I don't go, I shall live vicariously through you, dear reader.

Song of the Day: Widespread Panic - Coconut

In honor of the fact that I'm going to see them at Radio City Music Hall tonight and if you try, you might be able to get a ticket to see them tomorrow night, I'd like to share one of my favorite songs since college, Coconut, as the Song of the Day on Voodoo Jive.

Photo: www.onstagechattanooga.com

Widespread Panic - Coconut

This cut is a from a live show - New Year's Vacation Shows (Live) [Dec 31st, 2003] that I have only been able to find on iTunes, but I'm sure some faithful PanicHead has a show recorded somewhere on TapeTrader.com or something....

Originally, this song came out on their first album, Space Wrangler.

If you are into the Grateful Dead and Phish, and have not gotten down with Widespread Panic, then you don't know what you're missing - there might still be seats available for tonight's or tomorrow night's shows!

Enjoy!

Multiple Musicians Against Multiple Myeloma, This Sunday, 7/15

"Myeloma is one of the least understood cancers, and music is the universal language, so it's a perfect combination"
-- Lee Grayson

My late mentor/guitar teacher, a Long Island musician named Lee Grayson passed away from Multiple Myeloma in 2002 and Multiple Musicians Against Multiple Myeloma has a musical event (a non-profit which he started the year prior to his death) every year to raise money for the International Myeloma Foundation. Myeloma is a cancer similar to Leukemia, and they have yet to find a cure - hopefully stem cell research will prove useful, it seems like every day they are finding new things. I wish Lee was still around to see how far they have come.

Below I am posting the flyer and info about the event, which is held in Long Island, this Sunday, 7/15. It is an all-day event of music and raffles and merriment in the name of raising money to work towards a cure for this disease...a disease that took the life of one of the most amazing humans that I ever had the joy of knowing, and who helped create the person that I am today.

I will not be there - I have a family obligation that happens to fall on the same day, but anyone out in Long Island or who feels like making a trip out there for a good cause, I recommend it; you can also just go to their websites, listed below (both MMAMM and the Internation Myeloma Foundation) and you can just DONATE even a few dollars towards a wonderful cause.

Please help.



Sunday July 15 2007
The 6th Annual A Lee Grayson Production, Multiple Musicians against Multiple Myeloma
an event to benefit the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF).

Make a donation on line today! Go to: MMAMM's page on the IMF site

Where: Tupelo Honey Restaurant
39 Roslyn Avenue, Sea Cliff NY
(516) 671-8300 or www.tupelohoneyrestaurant.com
When: Sunday July 15th, 2007 RAIN OR SHINE!
12:00 am - 6:00 pm
How: $20 minimum donation at the door
children 12 and under get in for free!
Who: Contact: Naomi Margolin mmamm@aol.com or (516) 671-8300 for more info visit www.myeloma.org or www.mmamm.org
Why: Because Myeloma Sucks! A rare and incurable blood cancer counting for 1% of all cancers and 2% of all cancer deaths, all proceeds go to the International Myeloma Foundation â?" dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients, their loved ones and caregivers through education, research, support and advocacy.

This is the same cancer that has been brought to the publics attention with the diagnosis of Geraldine Ferraro, Mel Stottlemyre, Don Baylor, Ann Landers, Louis Rukeyser and Long Islands very own Roy Scheider, and Peter Boyle. The second most prevalent blood cancer in the United States, Multiple Myeloma is a rare and incurable cancer counting for only 1% of all cancers yet 2% of all cancer deaths. According to the American Cancer Society, There will be about 19,900 new diagnoses this year in the United States, almost a 25% increase since 2005.

The IMF is a non-profit public corporation, a tax-exempt 501 (c )(3) organization in the state of California and is the oldest and largest myeloma organization in existence, reaching members in more than 100 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients, their loved ones, and caregivers through education, research, support and advocacy.

Lee Grayson, a Long Island musician and founder of this event, produced the first Multiple Musicians against Multiple Myeloma (MMAMM) several months before his death in 2002. His vision was to create an event that would not only raise money for the IMF but also create an environment where patients and caregivers could come together to share information and offer support to one another.

MMAMM is an all day-music festival perfect for the whole family featuring a line-up of some of Long Islands finest musicians. With at least 8 bands performing there is something for everyone including raffles, auction items, face painters and great food!

The IMF is able to achieve its mission thanks to the compassionate concern and generous support of private individuals, corporations, foundations and community events.

To date, MMAMM has raised over $100,000 for the IMF. We still need your help to make this years event a success.

**Please mail all donated items or checks to:
MMAMM c/o Tupelo Honey Restaurant 39 Roslyn Avenue, Sea Cliff NY 11579
**Please make all checks payable to: The International Myeloma Foundation www.myeloma.org
**Your support is tax deductible according to the non-profit 501(c)(3) code. The IMF's Federal Tax ID number is 95-4296919.