Featured Shows; Week of 9/29/13

Sunday 9/29

Starting out this week in music, we have Austin-Based Soul band, Mingo Fishtrap playing at Levitt Pavilion Arlington on Sunday. These guys met at UNT in Denton back in the 90's and have since gone on to become a nationally touring, festival circuit band. Check 'em out, and did I mention it was Free? Show info here.



Monday 9/30
Impulse of Will plays the Magnolia Motor Lounge on Monday. Self-describing their music as Black Sabbath meets Weather Report, these guys put on a hell of a show. More info can be found here.



Tuesday 10/1
Bryan Joyner is at Adair's Saloon on Tuesday for a little Alt/Country music. Whether playing alone and acoustic, or playing with the band Hard country, there should be something for every country loving cowboy. Adair's is always Free, show info here.



Wednesday 10/2
A night of Ska at the Grotto in Ft. Worth with Rude King, Stop The Presses, The Holophonics. Check it out, and bring those dancing shoes! Show info located here.



Thursday 10/3
Two very talented Drummers/Percussionists, Mike Dillion & Earl Harvin play at the Kessler on Thursday. Dillion, who beats the hell out of a vibraphone and fronts an exquisitely trippy ATX party act, has collaborated with fellow virtuosos Les Claypool and Stanton Moore. Harvin, a top-shelf Dallas percussionist known for both jazz and rock chops, boasts credits with Seal and Jeff Beck. Show info here.



Friday 10/4
MilkDrive is at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton on Friday for a night of Jazz-grass. They bring their Folk/Bluegrass/Jazz music to Denton from their hometown of Austin TX. More info here.



Saturday 10/5
And Saturday is the Canned Fest in Denton with musical acts: Menomena, The Helio Sequence, Joe Pug, Pageantry, Hares on a Mountain, AM Ramblers.

That is all for this week, thank you for reading. Go out and support some live, local music, and report back to us! We would love to hear from you; what you like, what you don't like, if there is a band we should feature. You name it. Have a great week everybody and keep jammin' my friends!
SW

Live Music DFW Blog, Week of 6/23/13

Tis' time for another weekly installment of my Featured Shows. This week we've got some doozies; and when I say doozies, I mean some crazy-awesome jammage in our own DFW backyard! There is always tons of great live music in Dallas/Fort Worth, and you can find all the info with us, Live Music DFW. We strive to be your one stop music shop for all things Live Music in DFW. I appologize for the lack of content in last week's post, as I scrambled to make the Sunday deadline. This week's addition will have a lot more content! Please subscribe, like our fb page, watch our vids on youtube, follow us on twitter and instagram; we are taking over the interwebs! So, here are my picks for Featured Shows 6/23/13:

Sunday 6/23
Off to Levitt Pavillion in Arlington for another great FREE Live Performance. This time it is Denton-based instrumental-fusion Snarky Puppy to start out the week.This award-winning group has garnished a reputation for putting on a live performance unparalleled in energy, virtuosity, and musicianship. The fusion of a knowledge & respect for musical tradition, and conceptual innovation in a way that is able to reach the most critical, as well as carefree audiences.



With over 25 players in regular rotation, Snarky Puppy puts on quite a show. The core of the group, which remains consistent, features Grammy Award-winners Robert “Sput” Searight on drums (God’s Property, Snoop Dogg) and Shaun Martin on keys (Kirk Franklin, Erykah Badu), as well as young organ prodigy Cory Henry (Kenny Garrett, Kim Burell) and multi-instrumentalist Louis Cato (Marcus Miller, Q-Tip, George Duke). Show info can be found here.

Monday 6/24
Twin Shadow plays at the Granada theater. They have been described as "steeped in 1980s new wave building from streaks of haunting synth textures and having sophisticated melodies, R&B intimacy, and poetic lyrics, mixed with hazily new wave-tinged pop"



Info is here.

Tuesday 6/25
Tuesday we are up to Denton for local act Boombachs playing at Dan's Siverleaf. I'd describe their sound as Jazz-infused Hip-Hop. Self-described as "A band whose foundation is centered around hip-hop a la The Roots, A Tribe called Quest, changes the game by shamelessly cross-pollinating jazz, progressive/post rock, and funk." Their result below.


Members include:Adonias "AD" Wondwessen, P. Manzell Bledsoe, Marcus Wheat, Matt Westmoreland, Connor Veteto, Eric Daino, William Huebner, Stephen Simpson. All eight members of The BoomBachs reside in Denton, TX. Info on the show can be found here.

Wednesday 6/26
We get some local flavor with Mikal Cronin and Shannon & the Clams at Club Dada in Deep Ellum.
Channeling early rock rhythms, 1960s groups, and garage psych bands, with a dose of R&B, surf, and punk all thrown in, too. Shannon and the Clams are described as sounding like "a brawling Etta James backed up by the 13th Floor Elevators singing Shangri-Las tunes...").





Info is here. 

Thursday 6/27
On Thursday we make our way down to Deep Ellum for a killer show at the Prophet Bar. Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, a Soul/Funk/R&B act from New York will be gracing us with their presence. Started as a band among family and friends, The Dirty Birds have been touring since 2008, putting out two albums. 2012 was their breakout year opening and playing with some huge names including Gov't Mule, The Avett Brothers, Counting Crows, Trombone Shorty, the Rebirth Brass Band, and a three week run with Allen Stone that culminated in an Austin City Limits late night set. I will be having an interview with these guys, so all my music-going friends out there can have an inside look...more info to come.



The band consists of Arleigh Kincheloe (Sister Sparrow), Jackson Kincheloe, Bram Kincheloe, Sasha Brown, Ryan Snow, Phil Rodriguez Brian Graham, and Josh Myers. Show info can be found here.

Friday 6/28
Friday, The Freeman in Deep Ellum will have a female night of Jazz/Swing with Stefanie Pepping & Gumbo Ce Soir The Blondelles @ the Freeman Shows at the Freeman are always free, but donations for the musicians is strongly encouraged.



Info on the show can be found here.

Saturday 6/29
Saturday is a Tribute Band Saturday, as there will be three great tributes playing in DFW. Forgotten Space, the resident Grateful Dead Tribute has a much anticipated return to Club Dada. These guys are the real deal! Le Cure, a Cure Tribute will be at Sundown for a late night FREE show. And for our Denton friends, we've got Petty Theft, the local Tom Petty Tribute will be at Dan's Silverleaf.

 





Info below:
Forgotten Space
Petty Theft
Le Cure

If you have read this far, it means I'm doing something right. Please if you have any questions, concerns, compliments, gripes, feel free to follow up with me. I check the media often. If you are interested in contributing content, please follow up with me as well. Thanks and keep jammin' my friends!

 SW

Live Music DFW Blog, Week of 6/9/13

Good evening my friends, and happy Monday! It is time for my weekly featured shows. I would like to remind readers that this is not the end all be all of acts in DFW, it’s just acts I’d like to highlight. More events can be found here. If you are a venue, a booking agent, or a band with a Facebook presence, and would like to have your events added to this calendar, please send an email to livemusicdfw@gmail.com stating so, and an invite to the events you’d like me to add on Facebook. Together we can bring music to the whole Metroplex! Let’s kick this thang off!

Monday 5/10

We start out the week with a free show at Sundown at Granada. Mondays in June feature the David Willingham Project, a Funky Reggae Band, playing a free set for the patrons of Sundown at Granada. As all of the Granada’s events, they post that it “Goes Good With: Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Cas Haley, SOJA, Dennis Brown, Luciano, Ugly Lion, Easy Star All-Stars, Black Seeds, and many more…”.



Info on the show can be found here.

Tuesday 5/11

Going a little Cajun on Tuesday as we head to Deep Ellum for the Free Loaders. They’re a 6 piece Jazz/Blues band fronted by graveled voice singer/drummer John Jay Myers. Their sound is self-described as "Tom Waits doing Jazz Standards". It will be held at the Freeman Cajun and Creole Restaurant, and as the name states, this is a free event (but strongly encouraged to tip the musicians). The Freeman also has some great Cajun food and a full bar…lots of fun for them Jazz fans.

The Free Loaders play the Freeman 7pm-10pm. More info here.

 

Wednesday 5/12

Wednesday, Minor Decline and The Neckties play at Lola’s in Fort Worth. Minor decline is a Punk-Metal band based out of Chicago, while the Neckties are based locally blending Rock with Soul for a very entertaining performance.

Info on this event can be found here.

Thursday 5/13

Levitt Pavilion in Arlington (posted about it recently) will be hosting the American Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, a local professional big band, born in 2010. Started by some jazz professors at the University of Texas at Arlington, the American Jazz Composers Orchestra is dedicated to promoting and documenting new works for large jazz ensembles that are created by American composers.

Unfortunately, I could not find any video for them, but the event information is here.

Friday 5/14

While myself and many others will not get to see Tab Benoit and Jason Elmore & Hoodoo Witch, two killer Blues acts, I’d like to give a shout out to them, and anybody attending their show. Granada sold out of tickets for this show, leaving fans like me to wait for Benoit’s next visit. If you’re lucky enough to go, you are in for a great time! Though it might not help, the info is here – shout out

Starting the night is Ducado VeGa and Zenya Vi at the Doublewide in Deep Ellum. They are a Husband and Wife band like you’ve never seen. Him giving off a very Hendrix vibe, her more of Fergie one, but when they get together they jump from instrument to instrument making FunK/Jamtronica that rocks the house.

More info on Ducado VeGa and Zenya Vi and the show can be found here.

And why not head over to Sundown at Granada for a little free show from the Eric Tessemer Band? A master at guitar, he blends Rock and Blues in to a crisp, clean listening experience.

More info on the show here.

Saturday 5/15

So I’m going to end out the week in shows, with a couple of excellent tribute bands. First is the Jeff Beck tribute, El Becko playing at Dan’s Silverleaf in Denton. I couldn’t find a video of the band, but here is a bunch of Asian kids covering Jeff Beck.

More info on that show here.

Then at the Granada, it’s A Hard Night’s Day, Beatles Tribute extraordinaire. These guys are really good, and know a huge catalog of Beatles tunes. I’d definitely check ‘em out!

More infor here.

So that’s it for this week, next week, I will start on Sunday as to incorporate the whole week of activities. I love feedback and comments, and please, please, please, tell your friends! Keep on jammin’!

Big Sam's Funky Nation @ Levitt Pavilion 6/7/13

Levitt Pavilion, in the heart of Down Town Arlington, is filled with music-goers and their families. Levitt is an outdoor pavilion that offers FREE live music all summer long, and I figured Big Sam’s Funky Nation was the show to check it out.

I’d only ever been to Arlington for Texas Rangers’ games or one of the amusement parks. But after this show, Levitt Pavilion will definitely be one such amusement park on my list! Let me paint the scene for you; Levitt lists capacity on their website at 2,500, which would easily quantify the patronage for Funky Nation. Almost completely full, Levitt Pavilion housed families with lawn chairs and blankets, seemingly arriving way before my friends and I did (30 mins before performance) to snag a great spot.

We start at the back, not wanting to upset these nice families who have waited, but the Upbeat, Funk/Rock seemed to be lost on all but the small children. As expected the music was excellent, but it was a family-type function, which made for significantly less Funk-tion. 

 

“Big Sam” Williams, a New Orleans Trombonist/Singer/Band Leader, got his start with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band at the age of 19.  After one year with the Dirty Dozen, Williams began a broadening his musical goals. Big Sam played with Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint in 2006 on their Grammy-nominated "The River in Reverse" album and ensuing international tour. Big Sam's Funky Nation has become his main band, touring nationally, internationally, and at major festivals such as Bannaroo, Gathering of the Vibes, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Voodoo Music Experience, South by Southwest, & Austin City Limits.

Big Sam’s Funky Nation describes their sound as a “signature Noladelic Powerfunk sound masterfully combin[ing] a rock sensibility with improv-style associated with jazz and the horn-heavy front section that’s the hallmark of big band funk.”

In my opinion the highlight of the show was, after the band had left the stage, our music-going group started to chant the Parliament lyrics “We want the funk, gotta have that funk!”. The band came back out for an encore performance which combined of several songs; “The Treme Song”, “Everybody Needs Somebody”, and a special shout out to yours truly with the camera-phone “You Better Tweet About Me”. They invited people from the audience up on stage, and what had started out as an encore, quickly became a dance party!

All and all, this was a great, did I mention FREE, community event put on by Levitt Pavilion and the city of Arlington. I’d highly recommend catching some more of those shows, I know I will, and will keep ya’ll updated on what will be playing when. 

Thanks Big Sam and Funky Nation for a funky good time, and keep on jammin’ my friends!

SW

Peace, Love, and Understanding brothas and sistas, is what makes the world go round.

Free Music Player for Myspace at ReverbNation.com

Live Music DFW Blog, Week of 6/2/13

Hello all my musical friends, and welcome! Tis’ another installment of my featured weekly shows. I’m not getting started on this until late (sorry), so it will not include Monday. Needless to say, there are some big acts playing this week. Now, based on where these shows are and how big an act it is, ticket prices will vary. I am just doing my best to let you know what I think are some of the coolest shows out there this week. So, without further ado, here is the Live Music DFW blog week of June 2, 2013.

Tuesday 6/4

This one is kind of a biggie guys, Fleetwood Mac will be playing at the American Airlines Center Tuesday night. The multi Grammy-winning and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees last toured in 2009 with the sold out Unleashed tour. The current 34 city tour also marks the 35th anniversary of the release of their classic Rumours album (1977), one of the most successful albums in recorded history with sales exceeding 40 million copies. Rumours planted itself at the top of the pop charts for over 31 weeks and had four top ten singles.

Fleetwood Mac's success has brought fame to its legendary members Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks who can be seen Tuesday at the American Airlines Center.

Wednesday 6/5

Another legend comes to D town, well actually GP town! Peter Frampton will be playing with Robert Cray on Wednesday at the Verizon Center (formerly Nokia Center) in Grand Prairie. Frampton, while needing little introduction, is up to something new and hot. Shortly after receiving his first Grammy Award, Frampton embarked on his Fingerprints Tour. This tour is the artist's first public performances since winning "Best Pop Instrumental Album" for his first all instrumental recording, Fingerprints.

Frampton will be performing material from Fingerprints - as well as favorites spanning his catalog. Frampton's band includes Rob Arthur (keyboards, guitar and backing vocals) and John Regan (bass), as well as Audley Freed (guitar) and Noah Levy (drums).  More band info here.

Robert Cray may need an introduction, as some of you might not be aware of this guy. He is blues guitarist with heavy soul influence, has been recording since the 70’s and has won 5 Grammy’s in his career. He too is going strong, having an album dropping in August. 

Robert Cray will be playing with the Robert Cray Band as part of  Peter Frampton’s Guitar Circus. This will be an excellent show, I promise. Band info here.

Thursday 6/6

Let’s bring it a little closer to home with Fish Fry Bingo, a Bluegrass-Jug Band based out of Ft. Worth. Self-described as “A pure, raw hillbilly tour of American music, original and otherwise”, Fish Fry started playing together in 2006, with the current lineup playing together since 2011. Their music incorporates a variety of instrumentation;  Banjos, electric washboards, wah pedals, boots & bare feet, pots & pans, kazoos, spoons, beers, upright bass, mandolins, jugs, train whistles, guitars...

The Current Fish Fry Bingo line up consists of Dan Benjamin, Tony Drewry, Adrian "Doc" Cook, Matthew Broyles, and David "Blackie" Graham. More info available here.

Friday 6/7

Friday we are back to the big leagues! There are two shows for Friday I’d like to talk about. First is the Big Sam’s Funky Nation free show at Levitt Pavilion in Arlington. I posted about it last week.

The second show is none other than Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue. Reigning from New Orleans, this young Trombone/Trumpet Player and Band Leader has been gaining momentum since the release of his Grammy-nominated 2010 debut album, Backatown. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue have grown creatively, building a new fan base on five continents. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews has dubbed the band’s sound as “Supafunkrock.”

Orleans Avenue consists of Mike Ballard on bass, Pete Murano on guitar, Joey Peebles on drums, Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax and Tim McFatter on tenor sax – stirring together old-school jazz, funk and soul, laced with hard-rock power chords and hip-hop beats. More info can be found here.

Saturday 6/8

Saturday is a local day! Got to throw some love to my boys, the Effinays, who play their last DFW show this Saturday before embarking on their first Tour! They will be playing at the CD release party for Spoonfed Tribe, along with other local bands including Yells at Eels and The Venetian Sailors. Should be a rad show, here are some videos of the acts.

More info on that show can be found here.

The second option, the free option is  My Wooden Leg out of Ft. Worth. They play a free show at Sundown at Granada on Saturday night. Their sound blends hard rock, Balkan funk rhythms & Gypsy melodies. Video below:

 

My Wooden Leg consists of Michael Maftean, Joshua Jones, Steward McCarty. More info here.

So that’s it, those are my shows for the week. If you’ve got the money to see ‘em all, I’m very jealous of you! Please like out Facebook page and share this blog! Be sure to subscribe as well. We need to get as many people involved with Live Music in DFW as possible. This is more than a blog, it is a community, and I’d very much like it to be a closed knitted one. So go out and enjoy some music, and keep jammin’ my friends!

SW

FREE Live MUSIC Summer Concert Series @ Levitt Pavilion in Arlington

While I love everything live music, and I would guess so would many of you, it truly is a pleasure when I get to bring music to others. By far, my favorite aspect of this whole thing is getting to tell you guys about FREE MUSIC. You read that correctly, FREE. A week or so ago I posted about the FREE music at Sundown at Granada, but today I will be sharing about the FREE summer MUSIC series put on by Levitt Pavilion Arlington.This is a really cool thing, I'd highly recommend to see as many of the free shows as you can!

The Levitt Pavilion Arlington, is located in Downtown Arlington. Families and friends of all ages are welcome to experience 50 nights of free music every year. The Levitt is a unique experience to see live performances, as well as the star-filled sky above in the heart of Arlington Texas!  Their concert calendar includes artists from all around the world as well as right in our own DFW backyard; from jazz to hot Latin rhythms, home-grown country to Indie rock, and culturally diverse world music, the list goes on and on.

 With that being said, there is one show in particular I would like to highlight. That show is Big Sam's Funky Nation on Friday June 7th, 2013. For those who are not familiar, Big Sam’s Funky Nation combines funk, rock and New Orleans jazz for a sound that makes you want to get up and dance.



Funky Nation has an established presence in the New Orleans music scene, with "Big" Sam Williams exploding onto stage as the trombone player and band leader. Big Sam, formerly of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, is said to be “the top man on the slide trombone in the birthplace of jazz” by the San Francisco Chronicle. Big Sam has played with the likes of Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Dave Matthews, and Widespread Panic. He has also shared the stage with U2 and Green Day at the re-opening of the Superdome in New Orleans, which broadcasted Monday Night Football. Funky Nation also had a recurring role on the HBO series, Treme.

A full list of events can be found here, they've got something to suit every taste. So check it out, and keep on jammin' my friends!

SW