Hollywood Bowl Schedule Starting to Materialize

I was cruising the Hollywood Bowl’s website and noticed that they’re slowly starting to build this year’s concert calendar. Here’s a (non-classical) sampling of what they have so far:

6/19/09: Opening Night – Presenters: Garth Brooks and John Williams; Inductees: Josh Groban
6/21/09: Femi Kuti / Santogold / Raphael Saadiq
7/2/09 through 7/4/09: July 4th Extravaganza w/ guest John Fogerty
7/8/09: Sergio Mendes / Eddie Palmieri / Poncho Sanchez
7/12/09: Ray LaMontange
7/15/09: Natalie Cole
722/09: Boney James / Fourplay
7/23/09: Philip Glass Ensemble - Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance
7/24/09 – 7/25/09: The Art of the Song w/ Jewel and Michael Feinstein
7/31/09 – 8/2/09: Guys and Dolls in Concert
8/5/09: Miles Davis / Gil Evans – Still Ahead
8/9/09: Reggae Night VII – Toots and Maytals / Gregory Isaacs
8/12/09: Buddy Guys / Dr. John and the Lower 911 / James Cotton
8/19/09: Patti Labelle
8/21/09 – 8/22/09: Diana Krall
8/26/09: Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band
9/2/09: Corea, Clarke and White
9/4/09 – 9/5/09: John Williams
9/11/09 – 9/13/09: Fireworks Finale – Blame it on Rio with Seu Jorge and Bebel Gilberto
9/19/09 – Pink Martini
9/20/09 – India Calling

Coachella Lineup Announced

See the full lineup at Coachella's site.

With Paul McCartney and Morrissey, the Friday lineup looks the best. But is it worth burning a vacation day? The bands I'm most interested in on Saturday? I saw Dr. Dog and Fleet Foxes multiple times last year, and although I still haven't seen TV on the Radio - that's not enough. Ditto for Sunday. Seeing My Bloody Valentine and Okkervil River last year was cool, but not enough to get me out to the desert. The Cure bored me last time they played Coachella and Flavor Flav is just too ridiculous these days....

Local bands on the list:

Silversun Pickups

The Airborne Toxic Event

Peanut Butter Wolf

People Under the Stairs

Steve Aoki

The Knux

Ariel Pink

Henry Rollins

Thenewno2

Trv$DJ-AM

The Aggrolites

Brian Jonestown Massacre

Jenny Lewis

No Age

Perry Farrell

Shepard Fairey

X

Sinking Radio: Merle Haggard's

This is my weekly reminder to tune in to the Sinking Radio show on LittleRadio.com. The show airs Friday from Noon to 2:00 PM. I believe Todd's back in town after running up the coast with Le Switch.

Each week on the show, the DJs kindly play an official You Set the Scene pick. My pick for tomorrow's show is Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried." To the uninitiated, the Hag is probably looked at as that redneck who wrote "Okie From Muskogee." In reality, Merle Haggard's one of the all time best songwriters and performers from any genre. His lyrics are full of humanity and I don't think anybody has written so many great ballads. 

Most of 2008's music trends left me cold (although a lot of great music was released). I wasn't feeling the no wave revival or the gay disco revival or all the bands (spanning genres) with tribal drum beats. So as 2009 started, I got heavy back into the Hag. 

My year started with a road trip with three friends to Buck Owens' Crystal Palace in Bakersfield to see Merle Haggard's first show back from lung cancer. When the cancer was announced, I immediately kicked myself for missing so many of his shows (I'd only seen him once). I knew I wanted to see him again, but worried his voice would be shot from the cancer.

As soon as the Hag hit the stage, he was home. Unlike a lot of the living legends I've seen, Merle Haggard knows why people love him. He stays true to himself as an artist, and it definitely doesn't hurt that he can choose from 75 or 80 fantastic songs he's recorded. 

He talked about fighting cancer and getting part of his lung removed. Remarkably, he still sounded fantastic. He couldn't quite hit all the notes, but most guys his age can't. With so many great songs, he didn't play everything I wanted to hear, but I'm not complaining. It was a long, generous set. With such autobiographical subject matter, it's amazing to hear his introductions to the songs.

Meanwhile, my friend loaned me a copy of Haggard's 1981 autobiography, Sing Me Back Home. The book's written in a folksy style and gives a lot of background on the Hag and the inspiration for his lyrics. Being an outlaw wasn't a marketing scheme/pose for him. When Haggard lost his father at a young age, he rebelled against society in a big way. He was constantly running away and in and out of juvie. He eventually got thrown in San Quentin for stealing a car. He already knew how to play guitar, but it was there that he saw Johnny Cash perform and got inspired to become a more serious musician. It's a warts and all look at Haggard, but I came away liking him even more. 

"Mama Tried" is probably the quintessential Haggard tune. It precedes 2Pac's "Dear Mama" by almost 30 years, but tells the same story. It's a heartfelt ode/apology to a delinquent's poor, single mother. Haggard takes a couple of liberties with the lyrics (he wasn't an only child and he wasn't sentenced to life without parole) but it's otherwise true. In the book, his mom says it still chokes her up when she hears it. 

Buy tickets to see the Hag at the Grove of Anaheim on 2/5/09

Buy the Down Every Road box set (you really do need all 100 songs)

Recently Announced Live Shows

M83 

Walt Disney Concert Hall:

M83 with Los Angeles Philharmonic on 3/7/09 (on sale Friday)

LA Memorial Sports Arena:

Bruce Springsteen on 4/15/09 (on sale Monday)

Spaceland:

Richard Swift on 3/13/09 (on sale now at Ticketweb)

Jason Isbell / Justin Townes Earl on 4/2/09 (on sale now)

Great Lake Swimmers on 4/4/09 (on sale now)

Clem Snide on 4/7/09 (on sale now)

Monotonix  / The Mae Shi on 4/10/09 (on sale now)

Blind Pilot on 4/11/09 (on sale now)

The Echo:

Everest / Parson Red Heads on 2/27/09 (on sale now at Ticketweb)

Dark Meat on 3/24/09 (on sale now)

Marnie Stern on 3/25/09 (on sale now)

Troubadour:

Tallest Man on Earth on 3/26/09 (on sale now)

Friendly Fires on 4/13/09 (on sale Friday)

Hollywood Palladium:

Modest Mouse on 2/24/09 (on sale now)

Ratatat on 4/4/09 (on sale now)

Bloc Party on 4/15/09 (on sale Friday)

New Kids on the Block on 4/18/09 (on sale Saturday)

Glass House in Pomona:

Peter Bjorn and John on 5/29/09 (on sale Friday)

David Archuleta on 3/17/09 (on sale Friday)

Plants and Animals on 3/11/09

Club Nokia:

Tom Jones on 3/6/09 (presale now, password = Unusual; onsale Friday at 10:00 AM)

Babasonicos on 3/12/09 (presale now, password = Pijamas, onsale Friday at 10:00 AM)

The Fonda:

Travis on 4/10/09 (presale now, password = JSmith, onsale Saturday at 10:00 AM)

Tindersticks on 3/13/09 (presale Friday at 10:00 AM, password = Hungrysaw, onsale Saturday at 10:00 AM)

El Rey:

Stereo Total / Leslie and the Ly's on 4/4/09 (on sale now)

Key Club:

DJ Quik on 3/29/09 (on sale Sunday)

Bordello:

Pajo / Tristeza on 2/26/09 (on sale now at inticketing)

Dukechella Lineup Announced

As everybody waits (and waits) for the official Coachella lineup, here's my dream lineup. I limited myself to two stages and 15 acts per day. I've seen 32 of these artists and those 32 all put on a really good show. This lineup would really confuse the teenagers.

Friday
Main Stage
Neil Young
The Band (reunion – unfortunately no Rick Danko or Richard Manuel)
Emmylou Harris
The White Stripes
Wilco
My Morning Jacket
Wu-Tang Clan
Arcade Fire

Second Stage
Merle Haggard
Lucinda Williams
Iron & Wine
Fleet Foxes
The Feelies (reunion)
Dungen
Sufjan Stevens


Saturday
Main Stage
Paul McCartney
Stevie Wonder
Jay-Z
Tom Waits
Pavement (reunion)
Neutral Milk Hotel (reunion)
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Jon Brion

Second Stage
Willie Nelson
The Shins
Andrew Bird
Sparklehorse
Bon Iver
Blonde Redhead
Okkervil River

Sunday
Main Stage
Prince
The Kinks (reunion)
Radiohead
Outkast
Bjork
Beck
The Raconteurs
Belle and Sebastian

Second Stage
Faces (reunion – no Ronnie Lane unfortunately)
Television (reunion)
Spiritualized
Big Star (reunion – no Chris Bell unfortunately)
Fugazi (reunion)
Slint (reunion)
Spoon