Dad Rock II-The Gaslight Anthem

Brian Fallon, lead singer of The Gaslight Anthem

If I'm talking about Dad Rock, it only makes sense that I include a band that Jesse and I saw together. Last June, through a bizarre but fortunate series of events, we had free tickets to the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. We left after work one evening and made it as far is Fairview Heights, Illinois. Jesse wanted to get up early (before 5 AM) the next morning so we could make it to Bonnaroo in time to see The Gaslight Anthem.

I had heard a few tracks off the band's breakthrough album, The '59 Sound. I generally liked the music--they clearly channeled a young Springsteen and had incredible energy.

When we arrived at the festival, they had already begun playing and we were far from the stage on a 95 degree day following a rain storm. Jesse and I parked ourselves near a lemonade stand, far from the mud pits that would have provided a better view.

Even from that distance, while we dripped with sweat, lead singer Brian Fallon and the rest of The Gaslight Anthem dripped with charisma. It may be a cliche, but the band really did sound better live than on recordings. They played most of the songs on their new album, American Slang, which was released the very next day. 

The Gaslight Anthem is led by Brian Fallon, lead singer and lyricist. Fallon brings the energy of an early punk band, the lyrics of a modern culturally observant poet, and the humility of someone comfortable with his blue-collar roots. In fact, he worked as a roofer before the band became financially viable.

Alex and Jesse

After seeing them perform, Jesse and I were able to attend an interview that Spin Magazine did with Fallon and lead guitarist, Alex Rosamilia. There were only about 5 other people at the interview, so it felt like it was our own private meeting with the band. In the interview, they were pleasant and funny, clearly enjoying what they do. We had a chance to talk briefly with Brian and Alex--we were on a 1st-name basis by that time--and they were very accommodating in taking time for a few photos. 

The Gaslight Anthem have had a big 2010. American Slang has been a consensus choice on all the "Best of the Year" lists. I am still listening to it constantly more than 6 months later. The band is from New Jersey, and they clearly have a Springsteen influence. They borrow at times from his lyrics (it seems every girl in a song is called "Maria"), his images (cars), themes (lives of desperation that really aren't that bad because they are honest).

Brian Fallon is a fascinating guy. As a dad, I was overwhelmed by the quantities of tattoos when I saw him up close--he certainly looked hard-core--but he always had a twinkle in his eye that made him seem more like the kid who was always full of mischief, but you could never come down hard on him because you knew he was basically good. Near the end of the Spin Magazine interview, he was asked about the lyrics of his new song, Old Haunts, and if the lyrics were "anti-nostalgia." (The '59 Sound had been full of nostalgia.)

Fallon smiled and said, "No, it's not anti-nostalgia at all. Actually, that one was for my mom. She's always talking about how I only live in the past or the future...so I had to write a song for her, about the present."

The Gaslight Anthem--maybe I should include them under Mom Rock.
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Here is Bring It On performed live at Bonnaroo 2010:
 

Now for an acoustic version of Old Haunts:
 

Finally, a glimpse of The Gaslight Anthem with The Boss:
 

Dad Rock--Introduction

I have not posted in a while--been busy and lacking creativity. The other night, my wife suggested I do a list of the best "Dad Rock" songs. Thanks, Barb, for the inspiration.

About six weeks ago, my son showed me a column that described the growth of Dad Rock--referring to the growing number of bands that appeal to all ages. The column specifically mentioned a number of bands that I enjoy (as does my college-aged son). The writer described Dad Rock as music that makes you want to speed down the road with the top down (or at least at 5 miles an hour over the speed limit with a sun roof).

In True Stories, I have already shared some of my favorite bands from the past (and a few from the present). Over the next few weeks, I will be introducing you to some of the best in Dad Rock.

Up first--Frank Turner

Frank Turner is a folk-punk artist who formerly was in a hard-core punk band. He has soared in popularity in England with his ironic lyrics, great live performances, and a sense of humor. In I Still Believe, he sums up the joy of music:

I still believe in the saints

In Jerry Lee and Johnny, and all the greats

I still believe in the sound

That has the power to raise a temple, and tear it down

I still believe in the need

For guitars and drums and desperate poetry

I still believe that everyone

Can find a song for every time they've lost, and every time they've won

So just remember folks we're not just saving lives, we're saving souls and we're having fun. 

Turner has lyrics and song titles that can make every English teacher smile. Check out I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous:

Let's begin at the beginning: we're lovers and we're losers

We're heroes and we're pioneers, and we're beggars and we're choosers.

We're skirting round the edges of the ideal demographic.

We're almost on the guest list but we're always stuck in traffic...

I am sick and tired of people who are living on the B-list.

They're waiting to be famous and they're wondering why they do this.

And I know I'm not the one who is habitually optimistic,

But I'm the one who's got the microphone here so just remember this:

Life is about love, last minutes and lost evenings,

About fire in our bellies and furtive little feelings,

And the aching amplitudes that set our needles all a-flickering,

And help us with remembering that the only thing that's left to do is live  .

After all the loving and the losing, the heroes and the pioneers,

The only thing that's left to do is get another round in at the bar.

One last Frank Turner song with great lyrics and a video that shows his sense of humor. How can you go wrong with a title like Reasons Not to Be an Idiot?

I'm not as awesome as this song makes out

I'm angry, underweight and sketching out

I'm building bonfires on my vanities and doubts 

To get warm like everybody else...

  

Dirty Politics? Polarization? The American Way

Were you sick of the proliferation of negative campaign ads this election season? Do you long for the good old days when there wasn't so much negativity? What would the founding fathers think of our current system? What about how journalism has fallen into the competing agendas of Fox News and MSNBC--what happened to objective news?


Other than the increase in money that allows saturation of the electronic media, the tone of campaigning has not changed much since the beginning of our nation. As the video below demonstrates, using actual words from past campaigns, politics has always been a full-contact sport. Thomas Jefferson called John Adams "a bald, blind, crippled, toothless man who wants to start a war with France." Jefferson went on to say, "When he's not busy importing mistresses from Europe, he's trying to marry his son off to a daughter of King George." 





Somehow, we have this idealized and sanitized view of what democracy is. A government by and for the people is a messy thing. People make mistakes. People are uninformed. People vote based upon emotions and perceptions. If you are a Democrat, you find the most recent election proof of that. If you are a Republican, you saw that proof two years ago.


The objective journalism of the past, is partly a myth. I have been reading a book from the 1970s, The Powers That Be, by David Halberstam. Did you know that the Los Angeles Times refused to even cover Democratic candidates in the paper? That Time Magazine's founder felt it was his obligation to champion the conservative viewpoint in news stories?


I believe that part of our dissatisfaction with our political system is that we are taught this romanticized version of the past. Whereas the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution were brilliantly conceived documents, the Founding Fathers were still flawed human beings. They did not envision democracy as being open to everyone--they assumed the upper class (white men) should make the decisions.


Rather than focusing on a past that was not as cleanly glorious as we like to think, perhaps we should focus more on appreciating that democracy is a work in progress, with steps forward and backward. The amazing thing is that it works at all.

The Ghost of Howard Stern

As a kid, I always looked forward to Halloween. I enjoyed choosing a costume, and what could be better than roaming the neighborhood to get free candy? 


I can still remember my all-time favorite costume. As a child in the 1960s, I was about 8 years old when I dressed as an astronaut. The only problem was that the "helmet" included a plastic face shield that fogged up every time I exhaled. 


At some point, Halloween became a less interesting event for me. I had no interest in costumes, and I generally have access to candy at all times anyway. Two years ago, a friend of my wife's invited us to a murder mystery dinner theater, and we were expected to arrive in costume.


Barb found a long black wig, some "tattoo" sleeves and some inexpensive costume jewelry. She wasn't dressing up as anyone in particular, just wanted to look funkier than usual. At my work at that time, there was a young secretary who definitely marched to the beat of her own drummer--she had creative tattoos and piercings.


Upon seeing Barb's supplies, Mandy instantly recognized that Barb would make a great Kat Von D, the star of the tv show, LA Ink. I had never heard of it, but Barb was excited.

Now the pressure was on--what could I come up with. I went to the mall and browsed Hot Topic. There wasn't much left to pick from. As I began to feel desperate, I noticed a small collectible action figure of punk rocker Joey Ramone. Joey was wearing jeans, a black t-shirt and black jacket with his wild black hair.


THAT WAS IT! I found a wig, and a black jacket. Hot Topic even had a black Ramones t-shirt. I went to Kohl's and found some skinny jeans (skinny is a redundant adjective when I'm wearing denim).


Barb and I were HOT together. We were a perfect couple. For once in my adult life, I had a decent Halloween outfit. We had our son take our picture. We had to save our triumph for posterity!


We arrived at the dinner theater, knowing we had a good chance to win Best Costumes. As the evening progressed, my anticipation grew. Everyone commented on Barb's Kat Von D costume. Surprising to me, everyone knew who Kat Von D was--and this was not a young crowd. I received several compliments as well.


Finally, it was time for the announcement. I was shocked when the best female costume was awarded to someone other than Barb. Moments later, the emcee for the evening proclaimed Howard Stern as the male winner. I looked all around and could not find a Howard Stern anywhere...Then I realized, everyone was looking at me...

Unique Gift Idea--90 Days to Christmas

Modern marketing is incredible. Companies track variables such as what we purchase, what websites we view, and what television shows we watch. They use this information to alert us to products we may be interested in.

With only 90 days until Christmas, the catalogs are starting to pour into my mailbox. Today, I received one of my favorites. The Solutions catalog is full of product that address common life problems.  If you need some new ideas, this is the catalog for you.

Do you have a friend with a flatulence problem? Subtle Butt is what they need! These activated charcoal pads have adhesive on one side to stick to your underwear. These pads absorb odor. As the photo below exclaims, this is a great stocking stuffer!

You can view more on the Solutions website.
http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=15748

I love the product reviews on the website because they answer very pertinent questions. I now know that  Subtle Butt is great for absorbing odor, but it does not muffle sound. On the other hand, they are very durable.

My favorite review stated: "Makes a great gift. I have given these to many friends. No one had ever received this as a gift before!"

There you have it--the most unusual gift of the season. Your friends will thank you. But, don't worry, there's no need to thank me for letting you in on this.

Turning into an Old Man

I find myself turning into an old man--make that a crotchety old man. I remember being in college and looking forward to checking my mailbox every day. Perhaps there would be a letter from an old friend, or maybe a favorite magazine.

Now my son is in college and he hardly ever checks his mailbox. He tells me that his friends rarely check theirs.

They are so accustomed to Twitter, Facebook, instant messaging, texting--the idea of sending a card or letter must seem rather quaint. They must wonder why anyone would send a card when you can just say "happy birthday" on Facebook (after Facebook notifies them of the friend's birthday).

I remember the first time I began feeling old. Windows 95 had just come out and totally changed how my computer worked. Windows 3.1 had worked just fine for me, but nooooooo, they had to update it.

Now that I have turned into that old guy, what can I do? Well, just like all the other crusty old guys, I can post on Facebook and Twitter, and pretend that someone is listening...

Throwback Thursday--Everything But The Girl

Sometime in the early '90s, I was at home listening to the radio, when I heard a song that captivated me.  A few minutes later, my wife came home and told me that she had heard this great song while driving home. 


We had both heard Everything But the Girl performing the song Get Me. EBTG, as they are also known, is a husband-wife duo. Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn have been together as a band since the 1980s. They have covered a wide range of genres, from jazz to electronic dance mixes. In England, they were known as being part of the "sophisti-pop" movement that included artists such as Sade.


Regardless of the type of music being performed, EBTG is easily recognized because of Thorn's voice. She has joked that everyone is blessed with certain talents, and hers is a voice that can make people cry. Watt is a brilliantly versatile songwriter. Check out the lyrics of Get Me below. Then, click on the videos to hear Get Me and Missing, both from my favorite EBTG album, Amplified Heart.

Get Me

I never thought I'd grow up so fast so far.
To know yourself is to let yourself be loved.

And I want to be addicted,
I want to be secure,
I want to wake up after the night before,
but do you ever get me?

Do you ever get me?

I'll press your hand against my face,
weaken my resistance.
I'll pull the sheets over our heads,
let the broken sky break above our heads.

And I want to be addicted,
I want to be secure,
I want to wake up after the night before,
but do you get me?

Do you ever get me?

Shower me with affection and I'll return in kind.
I have no hidden motive, I am blind.

I'm a stone inside a box,
I'm a spring inside a clock,
you can wear me on your wrist
and I'll tell you things ten thousand times,
but do you ever get me?

Do you ever get me? 


Words and Music by Ben Watt

Throwback Thursday--Joan Armatrading

In 1984, I was living near Philadelphia. One Sunday morning, I heard a beautiful and heart-wrenching ballad on the radio. I had never heard a voice quite like this--so powerful and vulnerable. One line in particular stood out--"If you're so strong, then resolve the weakness in me..."

That was my introduction to Joan Armatrading. I became an instant fan and sought out everything she had ever recorded. She released her first album in 1972. From 1975 through 1981, she released seven albums and one EP. She was immensely popular in Great Britain during that time, and she earned a strong following in the United States where she was considered an "album artist" who never received much airplay on popular radio here.

Despite her lack of radio airplay, Armatrading has earned many accolades during her career. In 1999, VH-1 named her as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in rock history. She has influenced many current artists, such as Tracy Chapman and Indie Arie. Her music has been covered by Jewel, Keisha White and Melissa Etheridge, among others.

Armatrading is equally talented as a songwriter and performer. Her voice highlights the intimacy of her lyrics. Love and Affection is one of her best-known songs and opens with "I am not in love...but I'm open to persuasion..."

Armatrading was born in 1950 in St. Kitts, and her family moved to England when she was 8 years old. Her music reflects her diverse background, traversing many styles including jazz, blues, reggae, pop and rock. At one point, she was even called "the female Jimi Hendrix." Her early recordings contained acoustic and jazz influences, but by 1980, she had evolved more toward rock and pop. A true singer-songwriter, she has never recorded a song written by anyone else. 

She is still recording successfully. In 2007, she released Into the Blues, an album that debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart in Britain. Her most recent album, This Charming Life, shows that she's still got it. Here she is performing the title track on the British equivalent of the Today Show.

Throwback Thursday--Steve Forbert

On a warm spring night in 1978, I was riding through Jackson, Mississippi, in a Ford Econoline van, on my first road trip as a St. Louis University baseball player. I may have been the only player awake, aside from the driver. I was in a contemplative mood when a song came on the radio, a song that hit me in the gut.

Tonight I Feel So Far Away from Home had fairly simple lyrics, very simple chords, very little production--but a whole lot of truth--all the elements of a great song performed by a great singer-songwriter.

It turned out the radio was broadcasting a 30-minute feature on Steve Forbert who was described as the "next Bob Dylan." (Of course, that had been Bruce Springsteen's title only a few years previous.) The Dylan comparisons were easy to make--Forbert came through the folk tradition, playing acoustic guitar and harmonica. His lyrics ranged from simple to profound, sometimes covering this whole spectrum in one or two lines.

Forbert grew up in Meridian, Mississippi, and he started playing guitar at age 10. As a young adult, he worked as a truck driver and played local clubs. Frustrated with where his life was headed, he took off for New York and began playing for free at Grand Central Station. Gradually, he earned some gigs at local folk clubs and eventually opened for the Talking Heads at the famous CBGB club. He signed a recording contract with a division of CBS records.

His first album, Alive on Arrival, did fairly well. The songs described his experiences of moving to New York. One of my all-time favorite lines is from his song, Big City Cat, where he sings: "I'm getting so skinny, it hurts to sit down."

Forbert's next album included his most commercially successful song, Romeo's Tune, which reached number 11 on the Billboard Top 40. (More recently, Keith Urban covered this tune.)

He continued to write and record great songs, but as the 80s progressed, the interest in singer-songwriters began to diminish. Forbert eventually lost his recording contract, but he never quit performing.

In 1985, I was doing my psychology internship in Philadelphia and saw him perform live. I loved his energy and humor. He clearly enjoyed what he was doing. In the late 80's, I was pleasantly surprised to see him come onstage to open for Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians in St. Louis. He has never seemed intent on large commercial success and he continues to perform at small and medium size venues.

Click the video below to hear him perform Going Down to Laurel. This performance is from 2007, nearly 30 years after his first album was released.

Here are some samples of his lyrics:

Ain't no saint, and I don't pretend to be, But I hope you found a friend in me.----January 23-30, 1978

I been livin' an' breathin' in the rat trap town
Tryna get over where the wall breaks down
Holdin' my head up with my thin tired arms
And all my rainbow dreams. --Steve Forbert's Midsummer Night's Toast

There's so many depressions plowed in your brain, trace 'em too far and they'll drive you insane...You're twisted so tight now you hardly can talk, get out in the daylight and go for a walk.--Thinkin'

If I seem a little crazy, well it's just because I am...But that ain't no call to talk behind my back...Sometimes I go derailin' when it's chaos in my mind...But all in all my wheels are mostly on the track.--Settle Down

Throwback Thursday--The Smiths

Today, I'm writing about a band that was seriously underrated and never achieved the wide recognition in the United States that they deserved.


The Smiths came out of the British punk rock scene it the 80's and turned the genre upside down. The lead singer went by the singular name, Morrissey. Morrissey had a beautiful and unusual singing voice that was not easily forgotten. He also was an incredible lyricist--Noel Gallagher of Oasis called Morrissey "the most literate songwriter of all time." 


Morrissey has been described as a "mope poet"--a depressed guy who spent all his time writing poetry in his bedroom. This depiction is quite accurate. The Smiths were born when guitarist Johnny Marr knocked on Morrissey's door and suggested they start a band. The two had met several months earlier. Marr needed a lyricist and Morrissey needed someone to write music.


The Smiths are known for weaving together lyrics that combine hopelessness, anger and humor. The word sardonic fits. Depressing lyrics were paired with pleasant, even fun, melodies.


Some examples of lyrics:

• "I was looking for a job and then I found a job...Heaven knows I'm miserable now..."
• "If a ten ton truck crashes into us, to die by your side, is such a heavenly way to die."
• "I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving...England is mine, it owes me a living."
• "Spending warm summer days indoors, writing frightening verse to a buck-toothed girl in Luxembourg..."
• "Burn down the disco, hang the blessed DJ, because the music they constantly play says nothing to me about my life..."

Surprisingly, they also had an occasional pleasantly optimistic song. One of those was Ask.





Johnny Marr powered the group with his guitar, and Morrissey had a histrionic and flamboyant presence on the stage.


The Smiths did not last long--they recorded together for only about 5 years. But their influence was immense. In the 80's, there was a broad divide between punk and dance (usually involving synthetic drumbeats). The Smiths brought melody and sophistication to the punk, and meaningful lyrics to dance tunes.


As a testament to their influence, consider this--a precursor to today's popular band, The Gaslight Anthem, was a band called This Charming Man. Where did Brian Fallon get that name? From a Smiths' song.


Morrissey continues to perform as a solo artist. Until recently, Johnny Marr was part of the alternative band, Modest Mouse.


One more note--last summer, 500 Days of Summer was one of the top films of the season. The premise--a young man grew up depressed and hopeless, listening to The Smiths during his formative years. Then, he happens to meet a woman who loves The Smiths. In the film, Zooey Deschanel (of the movie, Elf, and of the musical duo, She and Him) covers The Smiths.

Spreading His Wings

I wrote this in June. Jesse is leaving for college this week, and I thought now is a good time to post this essay.

All across the country this summer, parents are accompanying their offspring to college orientations. These programs are designed for parents as much as for students, giving us practice at the next step in “letting go” of our kids.

As a psychologist, I have counseled many families in making this transition. I have frequently used the metaphor of birds building a nest, raising their young, and then watching them leave the nest.

A few years ago, we had a pair of robins build a nest on the basketball hoop right outside our breakfast room window. We watched the entire process unfold over a few weeks. It was bittersweet as we watched the youngsters fly away. The last one seemed determined to stay in the nest, but ultimately, he too found his wings.

For two steamy days this June, my wife and I accompanied our son to the University of Missouri. We tromped around campus in large groups, with parents and students separated for some programs, reunited for others.

It was hard to believe that, in just 8 weeks, this would become our son’s world. We alternated between excitement and anxiety. We flashed back to all the milestones over the past 18 years.

We attended programs on alcohol and drug abuse, student privacy rights, health issues—each session reminding us that our child is now considered by others, to be an adult. This same child had rarely even spent a night away from our home.

As the day was winding down, we felt some trepidation as Jesse would be spending his first night in the dorm. Both Barb and I felt unnamed and ambiguous emotions, but we did not speak about it, not wanting to bring forth these feelings.

As we walked with our group toward Jesse Hall, we noticed a tiny, seemingly helpless creature on the sidewalk.

This baby robin looked like it had a serious case of bed head. Its wings were small and undeveloped. It squawked at us and clearly did not even know how vulnerable it was. Barb looked at me and asked, “Shouldn’t we do something?”

I remembered reading that the mother bird stays nearby and may even continue to feed the little one.

I responded, “No, he’ll be okay.” Silently, I repeated that to myself.

Throwback Thursday--Suzanne Vega

I'm starting a recurring theme for my blog. Throwback Thursdays will feature brief tributes to some of my favorite musical artists. Today is Suzanne Vega. I bought her first self-titled CD just because it looked interesting. I loved the images in her lyrics and her simple singing style. She is best-known for the songs Luka and Tom's Diner. A little known fact is that Tom's Diner became the standard for developing the MP-3 recording format. Suzanne is still touring and recording today. Here is a video of her performing my favorite song of hers, Small Blue Thing. 

Lyrics:

Today I am
A small blue thing
Like a marble
Or an eye

With my knees against my mouth
I am perfectly round
I am watching you

I am cold against your skin
You are perfectly reflected
I am lost inside your pocket
I am lost against
Your fingers

I am falling down the stairs
I am skipping on the sidewalk
I am thrown against the sky

I am raining down in pieces
I am scattering like light
Scattering like light
Scattering like light

Today I am
A small blue thing
Made of china
Made of glass

I am cool and smooth and curious
I never blink
I am turning in your hand
Turning in your hand
Small blue thing

Music Revolution

A couple weeks ago, out of boredom, I "googled" my son, Jesse. Up popped several entries on a site called "bandcamp" that I assumed were for another Jesse. Upon further investigation, though, I found that my son had uploaded some of his original music to a website where the world could listen and download his songs for free.


I also found another online recording artist who credited Jesse for "producing the beats" for a song. I asked Jesse how he knew this other guy and he responded by saying he didn't know him--they had heard each other's music online and collaborated on a song.


This was one of those moments where I felt very old as I was hit with how quickly the world is changing. 


I grew up in a household with four older siblings. I can remember when The Beatles were on Ed Sullivan. It was only a few months later that my siblings saw the Fab Four at the new Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Back then, we had to wait for the occasional television performance to see our favorite musicians. We waited for the new album to come out to hear them. We generally bought albums because we heard the new hit single.


As I grew up, I got more and more into music. When I worked summers in the family business, I would buy a new album (or 8-track) every Friday. Sometimes I would buy something without ever having heard the artist, just because it looked interesting.


Nowadays, we can hear every song on an album before purchasing. We can watch performances for free on Youtube. 


Twenty years ago, musicians needed a major record label to be successful. That has totally changed. Artists can now promote themselves on MySpace and Facebook. They give away songs and videos to increase interest.


Beginning musicians can upload their music to internet sites and collaborate with people they have never met. Inexpensive technology and computers allow teens to utilize complicated production techniques in home recordings. Technology has "democracized" music recording. Anyone can write and record songs. Every artist can find an audience. 


Check out Jesse's newest original song--"The Dust Bowl." Jesse plays guitar and mandolin. He made the video from archival film footage.


 

Korean Surprise

About 1 PM today, our two bichons started barking hysterically. I looked out the window and saw the UPS truck driving away. I found a small package by our front door.

When I opened it, I was surprised to see that one of the books Barb and I wrote had been translated into Korean. We had just received 5 copies. Here is the latest foreign edition of  Nurturing the Shy Child.

Writing books is not particularly lucrative (unless you are on the best-seller lists for a long time--and we haven't been). But, it is really cool to see our books in various formats. Over the years, our books have been translated into many languages, including: German, Italian, Mandarin, Korean, Portuguese and Turkish.

Here is a sampling of some of the editions:

New Music from Bonnaroo

When Jesse and I went to the Bonnaroo Music Festival, I joked that I might be the only person over 50 without a ponytail and a tie-dyed t-shirt. I wasn't...there was broad demographic represented there.

With over 120 different performers, there was also music for all tastes. Here are some of my favorites from that weekend.

The Gaslight Anthem--I had listened to their last album, The '59 Sound, quite a bit and liked their music. They have just released a new CD, American Slang, that I have been playing in my car for the past three weeks. This is truly a great record, where one great song leads into another. One music critic described the band as sounding like Bruce Springsteen if he had never listened to a producer. A pretty fair description--they have the New Jersey rock sound with great lyrics.



We also got to hear Brian Fallon (lead singer) and Alex Rosamilia (lead guitarist) by Spin magazine. Brian, in particular, displayed an infectious sense of humor and a refreshing honesty. He described how the band has borrowed from so many other musicians that they are just now figuring out how they themselves want to sound.



If you like what you hear, you can see The Gaslight Anthem in both St. Louis and Kansas City this month.

I mentioned the variety of music at Bonnaroo--here are some other bands of note:

The Dave Rawlings Machine--Dave Rawlings has been best known as Gillian Welch's guitar player. For the first time, he now heads up the band (with Gillian in the supporting role). His band played a great set of traditional country and folk, and they even managed to work Neil Young's Cortez the Killer into a medley. Brilliant guitar work, with great backing from upright bass, fiddle and harmonica. No matter your taste in music, it's easy to recognize talent when you hear it.

Although the clip below is not from Bonnaroo, it gives a good taste of Dave Rawlings:



The Gossip--How do I describe this group? I won't, except to say they are a trio of musicians with a punk Aretha Franklin as the lead singer. They performed original material, plus a Tina Turner cover and part of The Talking Head's Psycho Killer. The available online videos don't do them justice...

Bonnaroo Ozomatli 2010

Those of you who read my previous post know about how Jesse and I love the band Ozomatli, and how the band invited us to the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennesse. .

One of the things I love about this group is the variety of their music. They have won three Grammy awards, including one for best Latin Rock/Alternative album. But, they are not just a Latin band--they have incorporated African and Middle-Eastern rhythms, as well as American hip-hop. Here is a list of the instruments they play: bass, guitar, drums, marimbula, tres, jarana, trumpet, saxophone, requinto jarreno, melodica, tabla and cajon.

I'm guessing about half of the audience was familiar with Ozo before the show. By the end, everyone knew Ozomatli. They played an incredibly energetic 90-minute set, concluding by coming into the audience, as they always do.

Uli led the march with his saxophone, followed by Justin with a drum set and Asdru with his trumpet. Finally, Mario and Jiro brought percussion instruments as well. The crowd was singing/chanting "Ozomatli" with the beat of the drums. Then, the band led the audience in a singing of the Latin soccer anthem "Ole." Jiro took things in another direction by pantomiming while the band let a singalong of "The Hokey Pokey." Finally, a conga line formed as Ozo led the crowd all through the venue.

This is a band that loves their work. And so do we.

The Aztec God of Dance

With Jesse graduating high school this year, we planned a vacation to Philadelphia where we would attend a concert by U2. This would be his graduation present, as well as a family vacation before he leaves for college. Then, a couple months before graduation, we learned that one of our favorite bands would be playing with the St. Louis Symphony the night of his last day of school. Jesse badly wanted to see Ozomatli, and they rarely come to the Midwest.

Ozomatli (the band is named after the Aztec God of Dance) has been one of our favorites for a long time. We first heard them when Jesse got his first iPod. While searching for songs to download from iTunes, we found the song Who Discovered America. I loved the lyrics, the Latin beat, and the mixture of instruments--definitely an original sound.

We bought tickets for the symphony concert and looked forward to the show. About 10 days before the performance, we received notice that the concert was canceled and the band would be performing at St. Louis' Blueberry Hill instead. Blueberry Hill is a great place, but it doesn't admit minors.

Knowing that Jesse was disappointed, Barb found a way to contact Ozomatli's publicist. To our surprise, we got a prompt response, stating that the publicist would see if there was any way to get us into the Blueberry Hill show--no promises other than a good faith effort to get us in.

The next day, we received an email from Ozomatli's manager, stating that she was "mortified" to hear about this, and promising to make this up to Jesse in some manner.

A few days later, we received another email from the manager, inviting us to some other events with the band--a performance at the St. Louis Language Immersion School (for kindergartners and 1st graders) and at Vintage Vinyl later in the day. She also offered us tickets to the Bonnaroo Music Festival in June, where Ozo would be performing (more on this to come in a few days).

We arrived at the school early that morning and saw a white van pull up. We recognized a couple Ozo members and followed them into the school. A school administrator briefly stopped us, but let us enter when we said, "We're with the band." (Never thought I'd have an opportunity to say that in my lifetime.)

When we entered the large common room at the school, several of the band members approached us and introduced themselves. The bass player said hello and told us his name was "Wil-Dog." I wasn't sure how to respond--"Nice to meet you, Mr. Dog?" He was very pleasant and down-to-earth. He then introduced us to Tre, also known as "Slimkid," who was filling in for another band member that day. Then, Mario, the band's drummer came up and apologized for the last minute change in concert plans that led to this meeting. I was impressed that someone had filled in the band members on why we were there. It was just Jesse and I with the band for about 30 minutes while they set up and warmed up.

Then, the schoolkids started filing in. The kids were adorable, all dressed up in their uniforms, some of them in jackets and ties. They were perfectly behaved, sitting down quietly, almost eerily so.

The principal introduced Ozomatli. In an instant the band launched into its first song, sounding better live than on any recording. Less than 30 seconds into the song, a single girl got up and starting dancing--IT WAS ON. All the kids jumped up with sheer joy and kept dancing for the 30 minute performance. Black kids, white kids, Asian kids, Hispanic kids--the perfect audience for Ozomatli, a band that calls itself a "culture masher." After the final song, I heard one exhausted kid say: "I'm glad they're done because that was my last dance move."

Ozomatli clearly enjoyed the kids. The performance had every bit the energy as if they were playing the Hollywood Bowl. Wil-Dog later tweeted a link to the video we posted on Youtube and he commented: "Best show of the tour!"

Afterwards, the instruments were quickly packed up while the band took questions from the kids--the first question being: "How many teeth have you lost?" Asdru, the trumpet player/singer, deftly responded with: "All of them, but they grew back." As the band prepared to leave, the kids spontaneously broke into a chant of "one more song." Raul, Asdru, and Uli exchanged glances and the entire band broke into perfect a capella harmony. Ozomatli could not risk having a single dissatisfied fan.

Ozomatli went on to perform at two more schools while Jesse and rested a bit in our hotel room. They also performed and did interviews with two radio stations.

Late that afternoon, we met them at Vintage Vinyl, a classic record store in the Loop in University City. At first, we watched them browse the store. It was fun watching what records/CD's caught their attention. Jesse had told me that Tre, AKA Slimkid, used to be in a hip-hop group called "Pharcyde." I approached Tre and asked him about this. His face lit up and he asked me how I knew about this. I pointed to Jesse and told Tre that my son told me about this. Tre had me call Jesse over. Tre pulled out his Flip video camera and began interviewing us--he said he liked taking the videos home and showing his family what happens on tour.

Tre asked Jesse what kind of music he liked. He was so genuinely nice. He talked some of his own philosophy of music and told Jesse: "Remember, you don't write songs--angels give them to you." Tre then called Asdru, one of Ozo's lead singers over and introduced us.

The band put on another great performance in the store. Afterwards, I told Wil-Dog that I can't believe how hard they work--three school performances, two radio stations, a record store, and the full performance yet to come later that evening--Wil-Dog replied: "I can't either."

Since 2007, Ozomatli has been an official "goodwill ambassador" of the U.S. State Department, having played in the Middle East, China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Mongolia, and many other places.

May 14 was an overwhelmingly enjoyable day, way more memorable than a single concert at Powell Hall could have possibly been. All because of Barb and the thoughtful and kind response from Ozomatli's management.

A few days later, we learned that U2's tour was postponed due to Bono's emergency back surgery. We were disappointed, but then I had a thought--maybe Barb could send Bono an email...

Why True Stories?

I have been considering starting a blog for a long time. I wanted another creative outlet, as well as a way to connect with friends. In setting this up, I struggled with what title I should use. Since I love music, I considered many obscure references to favorite lyrics from some of my favorite musicians. As a big fan of the 80's British rock group The Smiths, I reviewed all their lyrics--but taken out of context they sounded even stranger than they do in context.

Then, all of a sudden, it hit me--In my office, I have a framed poster for the David Byrne (of The Talking Heads fame) movie, True Stories. I loved that movie in the '80s. It was a quirky film that wove together multiple plot lines based on headlines from the National Enquirer and the Weekly World News.

I loved the poster because of how it became mine. I had just started dating Barb in graduate school when my birthday was coming up. It was one of those awkward times where our relationship was new and undefined, and I didn't really expect a present. Barb had seen True Stories with me, and she already knew of my love for off-beat movies.

Barb was determined to get me a copy of the movie poster, but didn't know how to go about it. She contacted the theater which had none available. Through a series of pleading phone calls, Barb eventually talked with someone at the movie studio who sent her the poster.

I was so surprised and touched by her efforts. I was also struck by how much she understood me, that she would work so hard to get me this poster. Here we are 23 years later, and I've started a blog. I hope you enjoy my version of True Stories.