Next Monday 7/29, we’re filming two Local Music Seen with Allen Estes shows for Cape Ann TV at their studio at 38 Blackburn Center (see map). Filming will begin around 2:30pm. Allen’s guests will be Joe Thomas & Memory Lane of Giuseppe’s, who hosted the very popular Noise Magazine Singer Songwriter Shuffle. There will be a break after filming Joe & Memory and then we’ll begin filming a show with very talented, young singer/songwriter Alexandra Valenti as Allen’s Guest. Here’s Alexandra at the Singer Songwriter Shuffle.
People are welcome to attend as guests. If you’d like to attend, please be there by 2:30pm. And please be patient as we have to test sound and lights and often we have to move stuff around and mess with various gadgets to get things just right.
If you’d like to be notified, by email, of all future Local Music Seen with Allen Estes tapings (along with other concert info before the public knows) you can join our gimmeLIVE Concert Club here.
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Dave Sag is on a roll. One way to gauge the quality of a musician is by the guests who perform with him and it just seems like some of the best musicians in the area are showing up as Dave Sag’s guests lately (see list here). So we figured it was time to reprise the Local Music Seen show we premiered a couple of years ago featuring Dave Sag. The show will air tonight at 6:30 on Cape Ann TV Channel 12, and on Friday at 1:30pm and Sunday at 6pm.
In addition to being a talented, versatile musician, Dave Sag is an entertaining story teller and his stories shine in this show, as you can tell from this clip, where Dave asks our sound guy, Will Hunt (who did a did an excellent job programming the Block Party music and managing sound on all 3 stages this past Saturday) to join him on Sax — and Will, who’s equally versatile and always a good sport, agrees. Check out the dynamic, on-stage spontaneity in this number:
Just in case you don’t live in Gloucester and can’t get Channel 12, you can watch the entire show on-line now thanks to Cape Ann TV’s new technology! Click here to watch the show.
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Did you see Ned & the Big Babies at Dog Bar during the Block Party? Wow! Tight, crisp, rockin’ sound; you just can’t help but move around! These guys are one of the most entertaining bands in Gloucester. And the best thing is that you could hear them all the way up on Main Street. I saw people dancing their way down to Dog Bar’s gorgeous outdoor dining spot on their Rogers St. side because you couldn’t just walk, you had to dance. Thankfully, nobody took any photos of me dancing down there (at least none that I know of).
Imagine what kind of party you could throw with a whole CD of new Ned & the Big Babies songs. Now click here and help make that happen! Not so sure? Watch the video:
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Fiesta Sunday is the big day (see the schedule here). This year one our local favorites, Cape Ann Big Band, kicks off the official Fiesta Sunday music from the St. Peter’s Park Stage at 3pm — and they have a terrific lineup of guest vocalists: Kate Barry, Mari Martin, Carolyn Seavey, and Steve Russo! You just don’t want to miss this. Here’s a taste of their talent from their first year of performing — and they get better every year!
Of course there’s music all day and into the night on Sunday all over Cape Ann — 16 live shows as of this posting. Always check the complete live music listings for latest updates.
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Even if the music wasn’t moving; even if the performances, directing & choreography weren’t Broadway quality; even if the play hadn’t won 8 Tony Awards, you should still see Spring Awakening at Gloucester Stage before the run is up July 14 — and the good news is that you will enjoy it immensely!
For some reason, it seems that by the time your kids are ten, you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be a teen. Spring Awakening reminds you in a visceral way — and seeing it will help you help your kids through adolescence. Believe me, every parent needs help with that! Check out some photos, by Gary Ng, of the production :
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Bravo to Eric Engel and the Gloucester Stage Board for taking the risk to open their 2013 season with Spring Awakening. Good reviews are starting to pop up (here’s one), so you’d better get your tickets today if you want to be sure to get in. Click here – don’t delay!
Check out this video for a taste of what you can expect musically:
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If you’re an American Idol fan, you might just want to cross the bridge this afternoon.
Angie Miller, who was graduated from Beverly High School last year, will be honored in a parade starting at Beverly City Hall today at 3pm ending with a free concert in the south fields at Beverly High Schoolat 4pm.
The Beverly Patch reports that Beverly Mayor Bill Scanlon said he expects “thousands of people” for the “largest crowd we’ve ever assembled” during his 18 year tenure as Mayor.
Here’s a video of Angie performing Rihanna’s hit Diamonds
Then tonight there’s plenty of excellent music in Gloucester. See the full schedule here. Captain Carlos welcomes Jenny Dee and the Deelinquints back for what should be a great show.
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Bob Hastings, co-producer of the Gloucester Blues Festival, sent me an email this morning saying they just signed Lydia Warren. We saw her open for Savoy Brown at the Bull Run on December 1 (see post about that concert here). Alone on stage with her strat, she captured the crowd with her soulful vitality. At the Blues Fest, she’ll have her full band!
From Lydia’s website:
“Changing the face of the blues” – NBC’s Today Show
Lydia Warren tours internationally from Brooklyn to Beirut, whipping audiences into a frenzy at each stop. A versatile singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer, the Boston-based performer tours and records as a solo act and with her band. The Lydia Warren Band has been nominated for a Boston Music Award, appeared on NBC’s Today Show and has released five albums.
Complete Blues Fest Lineup (see videos of the rest of the Blues Fest linuep in this post):
Lydia Warren
Johnny Rawls
Biscuit Miller
Anthony Gomes
Anna Popovic
Tommy Castro
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This morning local rising star, Chelsea Berry, posted a video.
Here’s what she says about it:
I woke up this morning and felt the need to share with you how grateful I am for all of the love in this world- because for every one individual who is bent on causing pain and destruction, for every human who goes out into the world with hate in his or her heart, there are literally millions who want the very opposite, who are brave and self-sacrificing, who are kind and caring and want peace for the world– teachers, writers, painters, police officers, musicians, soldiers, friends, family. I love you!! -chelsea
Nothing more to say, but THANK YOU CHELSEA BERRY!
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You know how we love to promote taking your kids to see live music. Well for all of you who say, “Yeah, yeah, Ok. Someday we’ll do that,” this Wednesday & Thursday are your some-days. Lisa Smith sent the following video preview and a little note about it:
Here is a sneak peek of the musical “Oliver” a 5th Grade production at Beeman Memorial School Performances are on April 10 & 11 at 7PM. Heidi Dallin directs this production, Beth Goldberg is musical director.
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Dennis Brennan @ gimmesound GiveBack Benefit TT The Bears, October 2009
The fact that Dennis Brennan isn’t a huge star proves that music business executives are clueless. Dennis was one of the first Boston area artists to make a gimmesound profile when we launched 4 years ago this month (see it here). The first song he uploaded was Sugar Falls (listen here) and when we heard it, the whole office jumped up and danced and all agreed, “He’s gotta be in our very first benefit show!” (still producing benefits)
The next October, we produced our first GiveBack benefit show at TT’s in Cambridge featuring Dennis Brennan and other Boston stars. Here’s what James Buhrendorf had to say about Dennis at that show, “Dennis Brennan was the cool driving force of the night. Fedora, coat, black jeans and boots, slinging an upside down lefty acoustic sluiced through a Fender amp…after 40 years on the Boston/Cambridge music scene, Young Mr. Brennan still tears it up. We’re talking genuine gritty alt-roots rockers, and tear out your heart sweetness and sorrows. … ” (see the full article here).
Benjamin Verdery does it all. When Karen Herlitz from Rockport Music sent me the program for Sunday’s concert with Ben Verdery, I said, Really? Bach & Hendrix in the same concert? Mozart & Prince? Elivs? Actually he’ll play Don’t Be Cruel written by Otis Blackwell, who also wrote Elvis hits All Shook Up & Return to Sender, along with Great Balls of Fire & Breathless for Jerry Lee Lewis. But it’s Fever, which he co-wrote with Eddie Cooley, that makes Otis Blackwell one of my favorite songwriters. You can listen to Ella Fitzgerald sing Fever here (my favorite version for a lot of reasons) … But I digress …
How can anybody play such a diverse repertoire in a single concert without losing the audience in a swirl of confusion. Well, just listen to this:
Now don’t you want to hear what he does with Bach, Mozart, Prince and Otis Blackwell? Well you can on Sunday in one of the most acoustically perfect places on Earth. Aren’t you glad you live nearby? There are still good seats left. Get them here.
Just for fun, here’s Hendrix’s version of the song live in 1970.
This could be a record: you can see a the same local artist in 3 different venues in one night. So John Rockwell fans are in for a treat. And if you’re not already a fan, you don’t know what you’re missing. It’ll be a nice night, so take this perfect opportunity and go see him.
Then you can bop on over to Alchemy and catch his set with Robert Erinn Brown at 7.
And off you go to Rhumb Line to see him (and Robert) as Fly Amero’s special guest just after 9pm. If you’re not familiar with John’s full, smooth, robust voice (Vickie says it has sex appeal), check out the video of John with another of our favorite voices, Sarah Slifer, nicely shot by FOB Joanne Silva.
Going out tonight is a perfect way to gear up for a great weekend of music starting tomorrow and to prepare for Friday, when you’re just gonna have to choose from among Cape Ann’s best musicians all playing on the same night. Check the Friday schedule here and start planning now.
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Check this out from Brad Byrd, whose songs have appeared on TV shows, including ABC’s Happy Endings, MTV’s Teen Mom, The Challenge, Downtown Girls, VH1’s The TO Show, E! Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and in TV commercials and films, including Bloodline.
Brad says, Hi there, are you a songwriter!?? Have you ever thought about working with a “producer” to make them, as they say in the biz “fully realized”?? Well, aside from developing my own songs, I LOVE working (and developing relationships) w/other artists/songwriters on their SONGS as a producer, songwriter, arranger, music director, songwriting teacher, drummer, vocalist, and/or guitar player (teacher). I work out of my home studio, do skype sessions, travel to client’s homes, and have had the unique opportunity of working out of various amazing studios around the country for over 10 years! If you have songs, and think that working with a producer could help get them (YOU) to next level in your music career, well, I think I can help…
See more here along with a long (shortlist) of musicians you’ve heard of, for whom he’s produced . If you’re not sure what a “fully realized” song is like, check out his new video, below (more Brad Byrd videos here).
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All the fuss last week on GMG over offensive language and the controversy surrounding the language in Django Unchained, makes it perfect timing for this new Law of Life (LOL for short). For some reason, that I’m not sure I understand, cursing seems to be taken as more offensive by people outside your generation. Here’s an illustration.
Many years ago, when our eldest son was about 5, he told us that the two-year-old sister of one of his friends knew his name, his friend’s name and all the swears.
“Really?” remarks Vickie. “What are all the swears?” It’s an early Summer morning and she hasn’t had much coffee.
“Oh, I can’t say them.”
“I’ll give your grace.”
“Really?”
“Yup. You can say them.” “OK … fuck and shit.” “That’s not all the swears.” These words escape before Vickie’s coffee deprived brain can retrieve them.
“Well, what are all the swears?” The little one’s eyes widen.
“Oh, I can’t say them.”
“I’ll give you grace!”
This is where I step in and explain that you just can’t swear across generations. Parents swear with their friends and nobody seems to care. Kids do the same. But kids can’t swear when parents are within earshot — and parents can’t swear when kids are within earshot. Probably the worst thing you can do, I explain, is cross TWO generations and swear when your grandparents are within earshot.
Here’s a funny music video tribute to one of my favorite Sci-fi writers by a slightly bookish, but sexy comedian who isn’t afraid of swearing across many generations. WARNING: Don’t show this to your kids or your mother-in-law!
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Until four years ago, Mardi Gras in Gloucester was, for most of us, little more than another Tuesday in the dead of Winter. But when local YMCAs began taking teens to New Orleans on a service learning trip during April vacation to help rebuild the City, the YMCA MARDI GRAS BENEFIT was born. Last year they sold out Minglewood Tavern for a Mardi Gras concert featuring local New Orleans transplant, Henri Smith with Grammy-winning saxophonist Charles Neville (of the Neville Brothers).
This year, Latitude 43 and Minglewood Tavern are donating 10% of all food and beverage revenue from the entire day and night (starting at 11:30am RIGHT NOW!) to the YMCA trip. And The Runaround Sound has generously donated their performance at Minglewood Tavern tonight so we can have a Mardi Gras party in snowbound Gloucester! Here’s The Runaround Sound at the Middle East:
Mumford & Sons won album of the year for “Babel,” Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” won record of the year and Fun. took home the best new artist award. If you have not heard any of these you need to check them out. Last year at this time I was on the phone with Levon Helm’s manager discussing final arrangements for Levon Helm to come to North Shore Music Theatre on 7/7/12, then he passed in April. We were working on getting Fun. to Gloucester this summer but by October of 2012 they were already booked a year in advance. We will keep trying . . .
Here are the Grammy Winners:
SHOW RESULTS Best Pop Solo Performance: “Set Fire to the Rain,” Adele Best Country Solo Performance: “Blown Away,” Carrie Underwood Song of the Year: “We Are Young,” Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost & Nate Ruess, songwriters (Fun. featuring Janelle Monáe) Best Urban Contemporary Album: “Channel Orange,” Frank Ocean Best Rock Performance: “Lonely Boy,” The Black Keys Best Pop Vocal Album: “Stronger,” Kelly Clarkson Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: “No Church In The Wild,” Jay-Z & Kanye West, featuring Frank Ocean & The Dream Best Country Album: “Uncaged,” Zac Brown Band Best New Artist: Fun. Record of the Year: “Somebody That I Used to Know,” Gotye, featuring Kimbra Album of the Year: “Babel,” Mumford & Sons
PRE-GRAMMY WINNERS Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Dan Auerbach Pop Instrumental Album: “Impressions,” Chris Botti Alternative Music Album: “Making Mirrors,” Gotye Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Somebody That I Used to Know,” Gotye, featuring Kimbra Rock Album: “El Camino,” The Black Keys Rock Song: “Lonely Boy,” Dan Auerbach, Brian Burton & Patrick Carney, songwriters (The Black Keys) Hard Rock/Metal Performance: “Love Bites (So Do I),” Halestorm Traditional Pop Vocal Album: “Kisses on the Bottom,” Paul McCartney Country Song: “Blown Away,” Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood) Country Duo/Group Performance: “Pontoon,” Little Big Town World Music Album: “The Living Room Sessions, Part 1,” Ravi Shankar Dance/Electronica Album: “Bangarang,” Skrillex Dance Recording: “Bangarang,” Skrillex, featuring Sirah R&B Album: “Black Radio,” Robert Glasper Experiment R&B Song: “Adorn,” Miguel Pimentel, songwriter (Miguel) Traditional R&B Performance: “Love on Top,” Beyoncé R&B Performance: “Climax,” Usher Rap Album: “Take Care,” Drake Rap Song: “N****s In Paris,” Shawn Carter, Mike Dean, Chauncey Hollis & Kanye West, songwriters (W.A. Donaldson, songwriter) (Jay-Z & Kanye West) Rap Performance: “N****s In Paris,” Jay-Z & Kanye West Musical Theater Album: “Once: A New Musical” Regional Roots Music Album: “The Band Courtbouillon,” Wayne Toups, Steve Riley & Wilson Savoy Folk Album: “The Goat Rodeo Sessions,” Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile Blues Album: “Locked Down,” Dr. John Bluegrass Album: “Nobody Knows You,” Steep Canyon Rangers Americana Album: “Slipstream,” Bonnie Raitt Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, composers Song Written for Visual Media: “Safe & Sound” (From “The Hunger Games”), T Bone Burnett, Taylor Swift, John Paul White & Joy Williams, songwriters (Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars) Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: “Midnight In Paris,” Various Artists Latin Jazz Album: “¡Ritmo!,” The Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band Large Jazz Ensemble Album: “Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You),” Arturo Sandoval Jazz Instrumental Album: “Unity Band,” Pat Metheny Unity Band Jazz Vocal Album: “Radio Music Society,” Esperanza Spalding
Improvised Jazz Solo: “Hot House,” Gary Burton & Chick Corea Reggae Album: “Rebirth,” Jimmy Cliff Comedy Album: “Blow Your Pants Off,” Jimmy Fallon New Age Album: “Echoes Of Love,” Omar Akram Spoken Word Album: “Society’s Child: My Autobiography,” Janis Ian Children’s Album: “Can You Canoe?”, The Okee Dokee Brothers Classical Instrumental Solo: “Kurtág & Ligeti: Music For Viola,” Kim Kashkashian Classical Vocal Solo: “Poèmes,” Renée Fleming (Alan Gilbert & Seiji Ozawa; Orchestre National De France & Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France) Classical Compendium: “Penderecki: Fonogrammi; Horn Concerto; Partita; The Awakening Of Jacob; Anaklasis,” Antoni Wit, conductor; Aleksandra Nagórko & Andrzej Sasin, producers Contemporary Classical Composition: Hartke, Stephen: Meanwhile — Incidental Music To Imaginary Puppet Plays, Stephen Hartke, composer (Eighth Blackbird) Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: “Meanwhile,” Eighth Blackbird Opera Recording: “Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen,” James Levine & Fabio Luisi, conductors; Hans-Peter König, Jay Hunter Morris, Bryn Terfel & Deborah Voigt; Jay David Saks, producer (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Metropolitan Opera Chorus) Choral Performance: “Life & Breath — Choral Works By René Clausen,” Charles Bruffy, conductor (Matthew Gladden, Lindsey Lang, Rebecca Lloyd, Sarah Tannehill & Pamela Williamson; Kansas City Chorale) Orchestral Performance: “Adams: Harmonielehre & Short Ride In A Fast Machine,” Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony) Engineered Album, Classical: “Life & Breath — Choral Works By René Clausen,” Tom Caulfield & John Newton, engineers; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Charles Bruffy & Kansas City Chorale) Producer of the Year, Classical: Blanton Alspaugh Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: “Imaginaries,” Quetzal Latin Pop Album: “MTV Unplugged Deluxe Edition,” Juanes Regional Mexican Album (Including Tejano): “Pecados y Milagros,” Lila Downs Tropical Latin Album: “Retro,” Marlow Rosado y La Riqueña Contemporary Christian Album: “Eye on It,” TobyMac Gospel Album: “Gravity,” Lecrae Contemporary Christian Song: “10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord),” Jonas Myrin & Matt Redman, songwriters (Matt Redman); “Your Presence Is Heaven,” Israel Houghton & Micah Massey, songwriters (Israel & New Breed) Gospel/Contemporary Christian Performance: “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord),” Matt Redman Gospel Song: “Go Get It,” Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell & Warryn Campbell, songwriters (Mary Mary) Engineered Album, Non-Classical: “The Goat Rodeo Sessions,” Richard King, engineer; Richard King, mastering engineer (Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile) Surround Sound Album: “Modern Cool:” Jim Anderson, surround mix engineer; Darcy Proper, surround mastering engineer; Michael Friedman, surround producer (Patricia Barber) Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: “Promises (Skrillex & Nero Remix),” Skrillex, remixer (Nero); Joseph Ray, Skrillex & Daniel Stephens, remixers
Recording Package: “Biophilia,” Michael Amzalag & Mathias Augustyniak, art directors (Björk) Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: “Woody At 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection,” Fritz Klaetke, art director (Woody Guthrie) Album Notes: “Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles,” Billy Vera, album notes writer (Ray Charles) Historical Album: “The Smile Sessions (Deluxe Box Set),” Alan Boyd, Mark Linett, Brian Wilson & Dennis Wolfe, compilation producers; Mark Linett, mastering engineer (The Beach Boys) Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): “City Of Roses,” Thara Memory & Esperanza Spalding, arrangers (Esperanza Spalding) Instrumental Arrangement: “How About You,” Gil Evans, arranger (Gil Evans Project) Instrumental Composition: “Mozart Goes Dancing,” Chick Corea, composer (Chick Corea & Gary Burton) Long Form Music Video: “Big Easy Express,” Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, Old Crow Medicine Show
Short Form Music Video: “We Found Love,” Rihanna, featuring Calvin Harris
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This simply doesn’t happen very often. All three Brahms Piano Trios performed by three world-class artists, acclaimed for their “technical brilliance,” “breathtaking virtuosity” and “smooth and stylish” in one evening at an acoustically perfect concert hall built especially for this kind of music — and it’s right in your own backyard. Oh, and did I mention it helps support the the students of the Northeast Massachusetts Youth Orchestras? Watch (and listen to) the video to see why Shalin Liu is THE place to be on Friday if you love Brahms or chamber music or student music programs or music in general! GET TICKETS NOW!
Lots of Cape Ann favorites perform in Gloucester tonight and tomorrow. Check out the full live music listing here.
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Check this out from 
Good Morning Gloucester 