"Jammin' for Tawnie" at The Nash, 11/13/10

Tawnie Wigington was injured in a bizarre accident on July 11 2010. On her way home from a camping trip at Twin Lakes, when she was impaled by the fork of a front-end loader. The road to recovery is going to be a long journey involving many hours of therapy. Thanks to the support of my family and friends it will be an easier journey to make.

Friends & loved ones will be having a benefit to support Tawnie during her recovery process.

"Jammin' for Tawnie"

FIRST NATIONAL BAR - view on map

232 W. CENTER

SAT. NOV 13TH - 6 P.M.

$5 DONATION @ DOOR

LIVE MUSIC featuring : Shawn & The Marauders, Catagory 3, State of Mind, Through Eyes Once Blind

THERE WILL BE RAFFLES, & DOOR PRIZES FROM A VARIETY OF LOCAL MERCHANTS, & A POTLUCK DINNER

Prizes from these local merchants will be raffled: Sams Gun, Maple St. Sit & Sleep, Black Swan Inn, Clip-its, O'Dells Furniture, Carmike Theaters, Perkins, Big-O-Tires, Maurices, The Quilt Shop, El Herradero

COME SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE!!

Click here for my interview with Shawn & The Marauders.... ( great guys, fun band!)

CATAGORY 3 is a new, Pocatello-based band, with Dan Ditto (drums), Steve Graham (bass), Brian Miera (guitar), Brandy Anderson (vocals).

Miera wrote,
We play a variety of different cover material, where you can expect anything from ZZ Top, to Janis Joplin, Alanis Morissete, Melissa Etheridge, Miranda Lambert, Journey, to newer stuff like Shinedown & Gretchen Wilson. We have a real diverse range of material & we definitely will play the crowd. Brandy is a really great singer, who I am really excited to get out & do some regional gigs with. She has been singing for most her life & has done well in some regional singing contests. We all have a great chemistry & lots of experience that really shows in our performances.

They will soon be unveiling some band websites to promote their up & coming shows.

State Of Mind - is Richard Green, former guitarist for Andeconda (guitars, vocals), Robb Gregg (guitar), Joe Acosta (bass), Mark Harveston (drums). They play the standard covers from the 70's to the 80's & 90's, with some country for flavor!

Through Eyes Once Blind - is a local metal band out of Pocatello, formed in early 2010. Members are Talon McConnel, Nick "Scar" Scharbrough and Kyle Kennedy. Keller Wigington began a band to portray their simillar interests in music and messages to be conveyed through that music, writing, "we're definately not going anywhere for a while now that we have a legit lineup."

Through Eyes Once Blind has shows booked and will be playing in the Pocatello area. For any more information, visit the band's myspace page at www.myspace.com/througheyesonceblind.

Postponed column this week

My column in the Idaho State Journal, Linda Alexander's Band Scan, will be in Thursday's paper, 10/28/10 this week, instead of Wednesday.

Sorry about the delay

--L

Column for October 20, 2010

We have a big week in store for the southeast Idaho live music scene, with concerts at large and small venues throughout the weekend.

Tomorrow the 21st, Destino is in concert at the Blackfoot Performing Arts center. Concert starts at 7:00 p.m., and tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students to age 18, available at Tweedy's Music or online at www.blackfootpac.com. For more information, call (208)317-5508.

Although Destino formed only a few years ago, their musical fusion blend of opera and pop music, coined as “popera,” has been received with praise from audiences and critics alike. A few of their peak performances have been at the 2008 Miss America Pageant, the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The Canadian-based group includes vocalists Terance Reddick and Joey Niceforo, pianist Roy Tan and violinist Rosemary Siemens, who draw on influences from gospel, soul, R&B, jazz and musical theater. Their debut CD, “Forte,” released in 2008 included the single "Show Me the Way Back to Your Heart," composed by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren. For more, visit www.destino3.com.

Ok, popera not your style? The FlipSide Lounge has a psychobilly / punk show that may be of interest. On Thursday the 21st, Trigger Itch and Demoni, both based from Boise, will crank it up starting at 8:00 p.m. The FlipSide is open to those 21 and over.

Demoni calls themselves “surfified punkabilly,” a collaboration of many different music styles. Find out more at www.myspace.com/demonipsycho. Trigger Itch plays alternative rock and punk. Find them online at www.myspace.com/triggeritch.

And on both Thursday and Friday, the 21st and 22nd, Sweet Rain plays at the Riverside Hot Springs Restaurant & Lounge in Lava. Music entertainment is free to the public of all ages and starts at 5:30 p.m. The Riverside is located at 255 E. Portneuf Ave., just off Main Street in Lava. Call (208)776-5504 for more information.

Sweet Rain is a guitar and piano duo of husband and wife, Vince and Jena, based from Colorado. Expect instrumental, easy listening music that ranges from nostalgic standards to light classical. “Of course I’ve done piano bar and corporate party type gigs as a single,” Jena writes from their website, “but playing in a duo setting with Vince has let me blend my classical training with his years of jazz, country and pop experience.”

Listen for their single, “Miracle of You,” which was used for Dateline NBC’s piece “A Long Way Home.” Read more at www.sweetrainmusic.com.

Two concert cancellations of note: folk singer Judy Collins’ concert at the Colonial Theater in Idaho Falls, which was scheduled for Friday the 22nd by an independent promoter, was cancelled last week. And Blood On the Dance Floor, the electronica / powerpop band based from Florida, has moved their Friday concert from The Icon on Main Street in Pocatello to The Basement in Ogden, UT, according to their website.

On a more positive note, Idaho’s Douglas Cameron is scheduled to play at Marigolds Wine on Flandro Drive in Pocatello this weekend, Friday and Saturday nights beginning at 7:00 p.m. Music entertainment is free; Marigolds is open to those 21 and over.

Douglas Cameron released his first CD, “The Consequence of My Choices,” in 2004. His most recent CD, “Songs of September,” was released in 2009. Cameron plays folk, rock and pop with a twinge of country. Visit www.douglascameron.net.

At Portneuf Valley Brewing this weekend, located on S. 1st Ave. in Pocatello, the Kevin Young Jazz Quartet takes the stage on Friday the 22nd beginning at 8:30 p.m. Music entertainment is free and open to all ages.

Kevin Young has been playing saxophone for 35 years. In 2001, Young released his first CD of jazz standards, "Sax for the Soul," and a few years later released a collection of holiday songs. Expect to get up and dance; this jazz quartet has been known to swing. For more, visit www.jazzsaxrecords.com.

And on Saturday the 23rd, the locally-based roots rock and reggae band, Bender, plays at the pub starting at 8:30 p.m.

Bender has been a long-time area favorite band, appearing at many outdoor local events as well as on regular rotation at Portneuf Valley Brewing. Formed in 2008, Bender plays mostly original music, a few covers now and then, on guitars, lap steel, harmonica, banjo and percussion. If you haven’t caught one of their shows, Saturday night will be a good time to do it. They’re groovy, man.

Find Bender online at www.myspace.com/benderpocatello or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Bender.

Linda Alexander
a.k.a. Lana Banana for Idaho Live Music
slowloosegravel@yahoo.com
slowloosegravel.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/showmetheband

Column for October 13, 2010

Marigolds Wine, located on Flandro Drive near Golds Gym, is fast becoming not only a center for wine and gourmet delicacies, but also for live music. On Thursdays, Marigolds’ is hosting an open mic night, from 5 to 8:00 p.m. Marigolds is open to those 21 and over. Visit www.marigoldswine.com for more information.

On Friday and Saturday, the 15th and 16th, Jory Dax performs funk-based blues at Marigolds starting at 7:00 p.m. Music entertainment is free. Jeff Young, guitar and vocals, and long-time friend Henry Evans, percussion, started The Jory Dax Band several years ago. The Jory Dax Band has been an on-again-off-again favorite band in the area, with fits and spurts of success and plenty of member changes. But every time they’ve played, the audience response has been encouraging and supportive.

Young, based in Pocatello, is an inarguably a talented guitar player; perhaps not in virtuoso technique, but certainly in passion and lightning-quick fretwork. I’ve sat in the audience surrounded by other guitar players and musicians who, in a soft whisper for my ears only, have compared Young’s potential to Robin Trower and Stevie Ray Vaughn. If you’ve missed Jory Dax in the past, now’s a good time to get in on the groove.

At Portneuf Valley Brewing this weekend, Train Wreck, based from Idaho Falls, takes the stage on Friday the 15th. Music entertainment is free and open to all ages, starting at 8;30 p.m. And on Saturday the 16th, Unstable Ground is at the pub playing rock and country.

Train Wreck is a duo project with Shawn Good and Amber Lytle. I interviewed Good last year for the Grand Opening of the Vinyl Perk, and shortly thereafter he began his collaboration with Lytle. Listen for covers of songs from Ani Difranco, Blake Shelton, Cream, Otis Redding, Lynard Skynard, Jack Johnson, Eric Clapton, Missy Higgins, Melissa Ethridge, and more.

“I think TrainWreck appeals most to its fans because of the diversity of music that we represent,” Good said. “Coming to a TrainWreck show, you're not going to hear just one type of music. You're more than likely going to hear a song from every radio station on the airwaves, except for the gospel channel. That’s why we call ourselves TrainWreck, because it's all these genres of music meshed into one set.”

The duo has played throughout southeast Idaho, either separately as solo musicians or together. They’ve played at Vino Rosso and The Cellar in Idaho Falls, Fort Hall and the Vinyl Perk in Pocatello. For more, find Train Wreck on Facebook.

Unstable Ground is a locally-based rock and country cover band, a regular favorite at the pub. The four-piece band is fronted by Gene Taylor and Mark Holbrook on guitars and vocals, backed by bassist Chris Willock and Eric Stanley on drums. The band is also scheduled at Marigolds in mid-November.

Keep in touch with Unstable Ground by email at contact@unstablegroundband.com, or visit their website at www.unstableground.com.

Some other big concerts coming up in and around the area soon include Destino, an opera and pop fusion group, performing at the Blackfoot Performing Arts Center on Thursday the 21st. Tickets for Destino are $20 for adults and $15 students under 18, available at blackfootpac.com, Tweedy's Music in Blackfoot, or by calling (208) 317-5508.

Judy Collins, pianist and folk singer / songwriter is in concert at the Colonial Theater in Idaho Falls on Friday the 22nd. Tickets are $35 in advance or $38 at the door. For more, call (208) 522-0471.

On Sunday the 24th , The First National Bar hosts a fund-raising concert for a recent house fire victim with Forgiveness Denied, Valley of Unrest, the Art of Repulsion and more. Call (208) 233-1516.

And tickets are on sale now for The Freakers Ball at the Old Ernst Building in Idaho Falls, presented by 78 Productions. Royal Bliss headlines with support from Anchored, Somewhere In the Middle and Some Day Sane. Tickets are $15 in advance, available online at www.78productions.net or at CD World in Idaho Falls. The concert is open to all ages; minors 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Royal Bliss recently spent six weeks in Nashville, TN, recording a new album, due for release in spring 2011. I heard a preview of the new record a few weeks ago, and it’s heavy, man. Fans will love it.

Also on the 29th, Straight No Chaser is scheduled to perform at the Idaho Falls civic Auditorium. Tickets are available online at www.idahofallsarts.org.

Linda Alexander
slowloosegravel@yahoo.com
slowloosegravel.blogspot.com

Royal Bliss headlines Freakers Ball, 10/29/10

Tickets on sale now

Seventy Eight Productions Presents
The 2010 Freakers Ball with

Royal Bliss
Anchored
Somewhere In the Middle
Some Day Sane

Friday, October 29, 2010 at the Old Ernst Building, Idaho Falls
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.; show starts at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets: $15 advance or $20 at the door
www.78productions.net and CD World in Idaho Falls

Open to all ages; 18 and under must be accompanied by an adult. [I suspect this isn't right - must be 17 and under accompanied ... ~SLG] Alcohol available with ID.

Over $3500 in cash and prizes given away for Costume Contest.

Interview with Michael Gross and the Statuettes

Who: Michael Gross and the Statuettes
What: Indie Rock / Pop band from Salt Lake City in concert, with locals Rising Son and Somewhere In the Middle opening.
Where: Idaho State University, Canoe Room
When: Friday, October 8th, 7:00 p.m.
How Much: Free! and open to all ages

Michael Gross, front man and guitarist for Michael Gross and the Statuettes contacted me recently about his upcoming show at ISU. I promised to get the show in last week's column, and didn't.

I AM SO SORRY!

So readers, you'll have to help me out by getting the word out. Here's a little bit about the band.



SLG: Describe your genre of music in as much detail as you like. Maybe list your three best crowd-pleasing songs? Can you explain in what way do you most appeal to your fans?

MG: I think we would be considered an indie/rock/pop band. We have a lot of melody in our songs, and i suppose they can be a catchy sometimes. Combine that with driving guitars and vocal harmonies, and there you have it.

SLG: Band member first and last names / instruments. How long has this line-up been together?

MG: The band is Michael Gross (vocals, guitar), Ben Johnson (bass, vocals), Jimmy Kelly (guitar), and SLC legend Andy Patterson (drums). We have been together for about 2 years or so, except for Andy. He joined us about a month ago when our previous drummer left for grad school. He's been a great addition to the group.

SLG: Tell us where you're from and currently based in what town?

MG: We are based in Salt Lake City and have all lived in Utah for most of our lives.

*Past shows or venues you'd like to brag about? Past or future shows in the Pocatello area?

MG: We have all been in different bands in the past, and I'm sure the other guys have played some cool shows, but since they aren't here right now, I can't really answer for them.

I used to be in a band called The Brobecks that played some cool shows before the group split up a few years ago. We played at South by Southwest 2007, The Roxy Theater (Los Angeles) W/Fallout Boy (lame I know), as well as some other notable Los Angeles venues. We were also lucky enough to open for some cool national artists passing through Salt Lake such as The Walkmen, Ben Kweller, The Elected, and The Ataris.

As far as The Statuettes are concerened, we are still building our resume (if you will), but have opened for The Lemonheads, and These United States in Salt Lake, and are booking better and better shows as we go along. It's a process. We have never actually played Pocatello before, but are looking forward to doing so.

SLG: Describe this particular show. What can people expect if they go?

MG: Our show in Pocatello is on the night of Friday, October 8th on the ISU campus (Student Union Building, Canoe Room). The show starts at 7pm with locals Risingson, and Aaron Ball opening, and we will go on last around 9pm. Its all all ages show, and its absolutely FREE of charge. So there are really no excuses to miss it. People can expect a fun show with bands that won't make your ears bleed (unless requested).

SLG: Any comments about the local live music scene, the music industry in general? What do you think is the best way to get your music out there?

MG: I don't really know much about the local scene around Pocatello, so i can't really comment on that, but I do have some experience with the music industry, and I'm not very impressed by a lot of the stuff major labels try to push. It seems the industry is changing anyway, so it's probably not a great time to get involved with a major label at the moment.Unless you are Bruce Springsteen or something.

Although major labels are in a weird place right now, it seems that more and more indie bands are being discovered and heard than ever before. So thats a good thing.

I don't really know the key to success, but I think the best advice for a band trying to pursue music would be to 1. Not suck 2. Work hard (record music, hit the road, network via internet etc.) 3. Get involved with people who beleive and enjoy your music, and have connections of some form or another with people in the music industry.

SLG: Do you have any favorite videos of your band or your music on YouTube?

MG: We have our own youtube channel with a bunch of different video's on there. some better than others. You can find them at www.youtube.com/mgstatuettes



SLG: Recordings? If so, where did you record? Who produced your recording? Will you have CD's or more for sale at the show?

MG: We have recorded two EP's, and one full-length album to date. Our full-length, and one of our EP's were recorded by ourselves in our former drummer Matt Glass' house, and the other EP was recorded by our friend Aaron Hubbard. We have plenty of CD's, and they WILL be available at the show ranging from $5-$10.

SLG: How can fans contact you? Myspace? or another website?

MG: Myspace has pretty much become a barron wasteland for spammers, but you can still contact us on there if you wish www.myspace.com/michaelgrossmusic. You can also contact us on our official web page www.michaelgrossmusic.com or facebook www.facebook.com/michaelgrossmusic and lastly Twitter @MGstatuettes.

Column for October 6, 2010

This week exemplifies, to some extent, the Pocatello live music scene. Available to the local listening audience this week, we have everything from instrumental rock / jazz fusion from a local band of young men, to indie pop imported from the northwest, an American blues legend playing “Booker’s Guitar,” to a metal “feast” in nearby Idaho Falls.

At the Vinyl Perk on N. Main Street this Friday the 8th, Blind Autumn has scheduled their CD release party from 7 to 10:00 p.m. Music entertainment is free and open to the public of all ages.

Blind Autumn is still just getting started in the southeast Idaho music scene. This group of young men, who went to Pocatello High School together, have plenty to which they can look forward. See interview.

“Our style is kind of a fusion of rock and jazz,” drummer Patrick Kennedy said. “We mix in some funk, reggae, blues, and other stuff. There's a lot of variety in our songs. Some of our songs could be considered straight-up rock while others are a lot jazzier. We have an alto sax player which makes us different than a typical rock band. Right now all of our songs are instrumental, but we hope to add in some vocals in the future.”

Isaac Frantz plays alto sax and keyboards, with John Hunt on guitar, bassist Terran Engle in Blind Autumn. The song "Topsy Turvy" is a fan favorite, “it starts out with a catchy melody on the sax, and the whole thing builds to a guitar/sax solo at the end. It was one of our first songs and kind of our ‘signature’ song.” For more, visit www.myspace.com/blindautumn.

Also on Friday night, Matt Murdock plays acoustic at Marigolds Wine on Flandro Drive starting at 7:00 p.m., and Cappi plays solo at the gourmet wine shop on Saturday the 9th. Marigolds is open to those 21 and over, and music entertainment is free.

At Portneuf Valley Brewing this weekend, Tom Murphy plays solo contemporary music starting at 8:30 p.m. And Hosannas, an indie pop band from Portland, OR, is also scheduled at the pub on Friday the 8th, upstairs in the loft starting at 9:00 p.m. Music is free at the pub and open to all ages.

Formed some three years ago, Hosannas (formerly Church) is best known for their haunting vocal harmonies, lyrics and unpredictable melodies. Church released “Song Force Crystal” on Tender Loving Empire Records in 2009, and this year released “Then & Now & Then” on Hush Records as Hosannas. For more, visit www.hosannasmusic.com.

On Saturday the 9th, the pub warmly welcomes the return of Hot Flash, a regionally-based, all-woman country rock band. Visit www.portneufvalleybrewing.com for their full schedule of music events.

And Smoochknob, pop-punk band also based from Portland, OR, is making a return engagement on Saturday night to the FlipSide Lounge, S. Main Street in Pocatello. Doors open at 8:00 p.m., open to those 21 and over. Find out more at www.myspace.com/smoochknobmusic.

And the big concert of the week is at the Stephens Performing Arts Center on the Idaho State University campus. Eric Bib is in concert on Saturday the 9th. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; $14 to $18 tickets are available online at www.isu.edu/tickets or at the Performing Arts Center box office.

Eric Bibb makes a return to campus by popular demand. He plays American blues and folk, inspired by Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and the music of the pre-war Delta blues. His most recent CD, “Booker’s Guitar,” is inspired by the music of bluesman Booker White. The story goes that Bibb recorded with a 1930’s vintage Resophonic National guitar that once belonged to Booker.

Bibb recently told NPR that his inspiration is the culture that surrounded the Delta blues legends. "When we think of the prewar blues, we're concentrating on this wonderful music — this incredible sound born of all this pain and oppression," he said. "As a musician who feels connected to the blues tradition, I felt it was appropriate to make a reference to those things."

Bibb has received multiple Grammy nominations for Acoustic Blues Album of the Year and Acoustic Blues-Artist of the Year. For more, visit www.ericbibb.com.

And on Sunday the 10th, Synapse Defect headlines “Metal Feast” with local support from Denots, Ixxion, Shades of Interpretation, 10 Years Gone, Life Has A Way and more. The show is open to all ages; doors open at 3, with music from 4 to 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit www.projectindependent.net.

Linda Alexander
a.k.a. Lana Banana for Idaho Live Music
slowloosegravel@yahoo.com
slowloosegravel.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/showmetheband