News
Edited by Staff
4/1/00
Gamelan Interactive Burns Down, Again
The new Needham offices of Gamelan Interactive burned to the
ground Friday afternoon, marking the second time such a tragedy has
occurred over the past few months. "It was my idea to build the new
headquarters out of tissue paper and matchbooks," stated Interactive
publicist Howard Turkenkopf, "and it really was a sight to behold before it
disappeared in twelve seconds of fiery blaze." Gamelan, suspecting
that Boston may be the problem, has announced it is relocating its
headquarters. Built out of sturdy balsa wood in Hawaii's
Volcanos National Park, it is expected to last for weeks.
The New Deal Sued by Roosevelt Administration
Upon returning home this week, New Deal keyboardist Jamie Shields
was served with a cease and desist order by the heirs and
assigns of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential administration. The
legal papers denied the band the right to call itself the New Deal,
asserting that the name had already been trademarked by the popular United States President and his team during their years in Washington, 1933-1945. A spokesman for FDR said, "We gave it some thought but come on, we brought the country out of the Great Depression, all they can offer is 'Dopamine' and 'Holland Tunnel.' I think what really ticked us off was when when we realized they're from Canada. Canada! The audacity of it all galls me." In response, the band reportedly will be tipping its hat to the new Michael Lewis book, by dubbing itself the New New Deal. In an unrelated story, rumors that the Disco Biscuits may change their name to the The Disco Biscuits in order to ensure that promoters and the media will properly use the definitive article, remain unconfirmed.
Bob Weir to Tour with Hanson
Hanson has asked Bob Weir to join the group for its upcoming tour of shopping malls. The former he Grateful Dead guitarist jammed with the boys a year ago at Wetlands Preserve in New York City. From that moment on, a unique rock 'n' roll relationship ensued. To coincide with the release of a new album and to gain rock credibility, the tour will hit malls in several cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle and Fargo. Weir is reportedly thrilled, stating that shopping mall performances were a lost art since the demise of Tiffany and Debbie Gibson. The group has had to alter their name to accomadate their new member, many names were tossed around including mmmbob, Bob's Boys, HHH & W. They have since settled on the name Bob Hanson. Grateful Dead Productions plan to release further details on Monday.
"Phish" To Be Added To Webster's New World Dictionary In September, 2000
After two years of consideration, the Merriam-Webster corporation has
decided to add the word 'phish' to the September, 2000 version of the
world-famous dictionary. The highly successful rock band's name will be
nestled between 'phi' and 'phiz', the former being the twenty-first letter in the Greek alphabet, and the latter meaning 'of the face.'
Robert Cummingsworth, productions editor for Merriam-Webster, stated in
a press conference yesterday in Atlanta: "The time has definitely come to
include this word in our publication. However, despite numerous requests, the word will not be capitalized." At press time, it was not known if the word was to be a noun or a verb, or if both or additional forms would be used.
Other words to be inducted include 'yaddayaddayadda', 'redrum', and 'spaga'. Additional listings can be found at http://www.merriam-webster.com .
Uncle Sammy to Sell Live Tape Vault to Microsoft
Jambands.com has just learned that Boston-based group, Uncle Sammy has entered into an agreement in principle with software giant Microsoft. The company's CEO Steve Ballmer comments "Truthfully, Gates really wasn't into it. We took him to a show but he got confetti in the eye when the crowd started throwing it during 'Waiting For Life.' Plus, to be honest he thought he was buying the tape vault of Uncle Sam, the United States government, not these groovesters." The band members themselves were unavailable for comment, although some tensions are rumored to exist within the quartet, in part because bass player Brian O'Connell is an avid Apple user. Guitarist Max Delaney's participation in Marc Brownstein's forthcoming Maui Project may be one outgrowth of this.
Uncle Sammy plays tonight at Webster Hall in Wareham, MA. For more dates, visit http://www.unclesammy.com .
[Site editor's note- Uncle Sammy manager Jeff Waful had no involvement in this story- frankly, he was none too elated about its appearance on the site, but hey, news is news]
Ancient Egyptian Jam Band Discovered
Archaeologists examining the hieroglyphics in a passageway of the
Great Pyramid have found evidence for what would be the earliest known
jamband. Amber Raggie, the leader of the expedition explains the
discovery, "We were looking at what appeared to be a tiny forest
surrounded by a meadow with lots of people. Unable to make heads or
tails of this, we were stumped until Bob- an American volunteering
for us while he hitchhikes around the world - exclaimed, 'That's a
tapers' section!' Examination of the writing below that revealed a
long debate about which version of 'Cheops Blues' was the best."
Raggie has applied for a grant to find out what instruments this band
played, what sort of taping equipment was used, and where she could
find a copy of the legendary 2/8/2565 B.C. "Flood of the Nile" show.
Eagle Hardware to Allow Taping
Eagle Hardware and Garden has announced that it will allow taping at
all of its thirty eight home centers. In a stunning change in policy, Eagle announced that "Duct Tape, Scotch Tape, whatever the customer wants, we will stock." As part of this promotion, Eagle has announced that they will replace its ad campaign starring Mariners player Edgar
Martinez, with ads featuring famous tape collectors Charlie Dirksen
and Jeff Tiedrich. More details will be announced soon.
Jambands.com Announces Partnership with Kindveggieburritos.com
Promising that this would "let our readership have the
complete jambands experience at home," Dean Budnick announced that
Jambands.com would be partnering with kindveggieburritos.com. "While
obviously excited to present concert reviews and Jambands Radio, we
felt something was missing. How could we call ourselves 'Jambands'
and not provide this service?" Kindveggieburritos.com, who promise
to get a hot burrito to your door within 48 hours of your order, will
be offering a 25% discount to anyone who can name the last 3 New
Grooves of the Month. Further partnerships with grilledcheese.com,
ice-cold-sammies.com and who-has-my-extra-saturday.com are expected to
be announced shortly.
Backstreeting Daylights Tour Announced
In the tradition of the Slipping Daylights tours, Seattle funk-jazz
trio Living Daylights and boy band Backstreet Boys have announced a
nationwide tour. The shows will consist of a Living Daylights set, a
Backstreet Boys set, and then a combined Backstreeting Daylights
jam, except in Seattle where the Backstreet Boys will open. Said
Jessica Lurie, "We're excited about this opportunity to promote the
Daylights to a larger audience. Besides, AJ's a cutie."
Flying Turtle Destroys Phish Venue
Gamera, a flying radioactive turtle, destroyed the Hibiya Outdoor
Theatre in Tokyo early this morning with a burst of its fiery breath.
While most observers saw the attack as pure malice over not
being able to afford a ticket for the show, local boy Kenny differed.
"Gamera is friend to all children," he said.
For more details about Phish's Japan tour, including information on a
replacement venue, go to http://www.phish.com/tourdate.html .
3/31/00
Soulive Guitarist to Play with Project Logic
Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno will perform with DJ Logic’s Project Logic April 6 at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. Logic will also be joined by the Project Logic Boston Crew, featuring Eric Paul on drums, Scott Palmer on bass, Mike Wietman on keyboard, and Casey Benjamin on sax and flute. Project Logic is in the midst of a national tour that features different line ups and special guests at each show. They play The Showplace Theater in Buffalo, NY tonight. For the complete tour itinerary, visit http://www.djlogic.com .
Fans Bid $7 Million for New Pat McGee Band Album
The Pat McGee Band will release its debut album, Shine April 11 on Giant/Warner Brothers Records. When an advanced promo copy of the album recently turned up Ebay, several fans took it upon themselves to prevent the illegal sale. They began outbidding everyone and eventually raised the bidding to $7 million. The fans never intended to pay, but were stalling until the CD was removed from the site. A local ABC affiliate ran a story on the incident, which led to the removal of the album from Ebay.
The album was produced by former Talking Heads keyboardist, Jerry Harrison (Live, Big Head Todd, Verve Pipe, Crash Test Dummies, Rusted Root) and features Warren Haynes on slide guitar for a few tracks. Advanced, autographed copies of the CD can be pre-ordered through the band’s website.
They play tonight at Lander University in Greenwood, SC. For a complete list of dates, visit http://www.patmcgeeband.com/tour.html .
Miracle Orchestra Cancel Three Shows
The Miracle Orchestra has canceled three shows due to a death in a band member’s immediate family. Last night’s show in West Virginia was canceled as well as tonight’s show at The Split Rock Lodge in Lake Harmony, PA and tomorrow’s show at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. The tour will resume April 6 at The Haunt in Ithaca, NY with The Slip. For more tourdates, visit http://www.miracleorchestra.com .
Vassar Clements to Jam with Blueground Undergrass
Legendary fiddle player Vassar Clements will join Blueground Undergrass April 7 at The Roxy in Atlanta, GA. The show will feature an acoustic bluegrass set, an electric hillbilly jazz set as well as a full BGUG set. The band is giving away two pairs of free tickets on its website at http://BluegroundUndergrass.com/blueground/contest.html . Winners will be picked tonight. Tickets for the show are also available through Ticketmaster or at The Roxy Box Office.
Blueground Undergrass plays tonight at Be Here Now in Asheville, N.C.
3/30/00
The Karmic Movie
“The Karmic Movie,” a documentary on the band Karmic, recently won a Tely Award. It received the award after being shown on WGVU, the PBS affiliate in Michigan. The band is currently looking for other television stations that are interested in showing the film. For information on how to get the movie shown in your area, contact WGVU at cislerd@gvsu.edu . You can also order the film through The Home Grown Music Network by calling 1-800-6-LEEWAY.
Karmic plays Saturday at Bells in Kalamazoo, MI. For more information, visit http://www.karmic-music.com .
Phoenix Media Group Seeks Reps
Phoenix Media Group is currently looking for reps to help with promotions. Responsibilities would consist of postering and flyering for shows, working with local radio stations as well as online promotions. Although the position is unpaid, reps would receive free CDs, guest list privileges and college credit, if necessary. Anyone interested can sign up at http://www.radiophoenix.com or email jschwartz@phoenix-media.com .
The Doors’ Ray Manzarek Performance to be Webcast
Co-founder and keyboardist of the doors, Ray Manzarek, will perform at Whiskey A GoGo April 5 in Los Angeles, CA. The show is being billed as “The Story of The Doors” and will be webcast on www.virtuetv.com . It will be recorded in front of an invitation-only audience, including Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger, Ringo Starr, Iggy Pop and actor Val Kilmer. Manzarek will also answer questions from fans around the world vie email during the webcast. To send in a question, email manzarek@virtuetv.com . The webcast begins at 9 p.m. PST at http://www.virtuetv.com .
Steve Kimock Band Announces New Dates
The Steve Kimock Band has announced a week of Colorado shows beginning April 26 at Quixote’s True Blue Café in East Colfax. The line up consists of Kimock, Bobby Vega, Prairie Prince and Pete Sears. They will play the Boulder Theater April 27 in Boulder, the Ogden Theater April 28 in Denver, the Starlite Theater April 29 in Fort Collins and then back to East Colfax for two more shows at Quixote’s, May 1 and 2. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. PST through Ticketweb or by calling 1-800-965-4827. Mail order tickets for a portion of the shows are also available at GDTSTOO .
The band begins a four-night stand tonight at Chester’s Place in Fayetteville, AR.
Expect more touring on the West Coast in July and the East Coast in October and November. Further details will be announced soon.
3/29/00
Mountain Aire 2000 Line up Announced
Phil & Friends, The Derek Trucks Band and Vinyl are among the artists performing at Mountain Aire 2000. The festival will be held May 27 and 28 at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds in Angels Camp, CA. The line up also includes Galactic, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Ani DiFranco, Spearhead, Henry Butler, Vivendo de Pao, Speakeasy, Todd Snider, 008 and Rodleen. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe will perform a late night set on Friday, May 26 and Galactic will play late Saturday night. Although camping and day-only tickets will be available, only campers will be allowed to attend the late night sets. Tickets go on sale Sunday, April 2 at 10 a.m. PST through Ticketmaster .
Col. Bruce, Sipe and Herring to Perform Friday
Col. Bruce Hampton, Jimmy Herring and Jeff Sipe, all original members of Aquarium Rescue Unit, will perform together in the Apt. Project Friday at the Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA. The line up also includes Ricky Keller and Oliver Wells. Although rumors are flying about a possible full reunion of the orginal ARU (which would include Oteil Burbridge and Matt Mundy), sources say it likely will not happen at this show. For ticket information, call 706-543-6666.
Saturday’s String Cheese Incident Show to be Webcast
Bigjam.com will webcast the String Cheese Incident concert, April 1 from Stubb’s Outdoors in Austin, TX. It is the finale of the band’s three-night stand at the venue. All three nights have sold out. Internet users with high-speed connections will be able to experience the show with CD-quality sound and VHS-quality video. A low-bandwidth stream will also be available for dial-up users. The webcast begins Saturday at 7 p.m. CST on http://www.bigjam.com .
The three shows at Stubb’s will kick off the band's “Spring Cheese 2000” tour. The tour continues April 4
at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, OK. For more dates, visit http://www.stringcheeseincident.com .
Scofield Show Canceled in Atlanta
John Scofield’s show scheduled for tomorrow night at Center Stage in Atlanta, GA has been canceled due to the fact that the promoter, Synergy Presents, has filed for bankruptcy. According to The Ted Kurland Agency, which handles booking for Scofield, there are no plans in the immediate future to reschedule the show.
Scofield’s band consists of Avi Bortnick on rhythm guitar, Jesse Murphy on bass and Ben Perowsky on drums. They play tonight at Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, NC and Friday at the State Theatre in Falls Church, VA. They will also co-headline four shows with The Derek Trucks Band: April 4 at Mars in Bloomington, IN; April 5 at the House of Blues in Chicago, IL; April 8 at Quest in Minneapolis, MN and April 11 at Liberty Hall in Lawrence, KS. For the complete tour itinerary, visit http://www.johnscofield.com/concert.html .
DJ Greyboy May Join Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
When DJ Greyboy opens for Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe April 14 at the Fillmore in San Francisco, it will be an audition of sorts. He will also sit in with the band, which will mark the first time they’ve collaborated in more than three years. If things go well, there is the possibility that Greyboy will join the band. “This is a preliminary test run
for Greyboy who may be receiving a more permanent position with the group, “ said Erik Newson, manager of Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, in a statement posted to the band’s listserve. KDTU plays Thursday at Vinyl in Los Angeles. For a complete list of dates, visit http://www.karldenson.com .
3/28/00
The New Deal To Tour with The Mad Professor
The New Deal will tour with the Mad Professor, beginning April 26 in Chicago, IL. The Mad Professor (Neil Fraser) has produced albums by artists such as Sade, The Beastie Boys, The Orb, Lee “Scratch” Perry and most recently Jamiroqui and Perry Farrell. Because bass player Dan Kurtz came down with an illness last week, The New Deal was forced to cancel Sunday’s show in Los Angeles as well as California shows scheduled for 3/28, 3/30 and 3/31. The upcoming tour with The Mad Professor will make stops in Detroit, MI April 27; at The Comfort Zone in Toronto, ONT April 28; in Montreal, ONT April 29; at Higher Ground in Winooski, VT April 30; at The Haunt in Ithaca, NY May 2; at Wetlands Preserve in New York City May 4; at The Garage in Washington, D.C. May 3; in Philadelphia, PA May 5; and at Carnegie Melon University in Pittsburg May 6. More details on the tour will be announced soon.
Impromptu Recordings of Garcia, Grisman and Rice to be Released
Acoustic Disc has announced the release of The Pizza Tapes, a re-mastered set of homemade recordings from February of 1993 featuring Jerry Garcia, David Grisman and Tony Rice. As the story goes, the tape originally made its way into the tape trading community when a pizza delivery boy stole a copy from Jerry’s kitchen and circulated it. The tape has two night’s worth of music as well as conversations from the three musicians. “It includes Jerry singing some songs that are totally unique to his repertoire,” says Rob Bleetstein of Acoustic Disc. “There’s ‘Long Black Veil,’ ‘House of the Rising Sun,’ ‘Man of Constant Sorrow,’ as well as a really beautifully recorded version of ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.’ I think people are really going to get off on the in-between patter between these guys and how much fun they’re having.” Other songs featured on the release include “Rosa Lee McFall,” “Little Sadie,” “So What,” “Summertime” and “Amazing Grace.” Garcia sings all of the tracks on The Pizza Tapes. Grisman, who produced the album, decided to officially release the material after hearing inferior quality bootlegs on the Internet. He then entered the studio and re-mixed the master tapes. The album is set to be released April 25.
Allman Brothers’ Jaimoe to Perform with The Pete Scheips Band
The Pete Scheips Band will be appearing at the Hartford Brewery April 19 in Hartford, CT. The line up features Jaimoe (Allman Brothers Band), Mighty Sam McLane (On the Corner With Fuzz), Opey (Smokin’ Opey), Pete Scheips and Barry Seelen. Jaimoe last jammed with The Pete Scheips band on February 16, when he was also joined by Marc Mercier of Max Creek. For ticket information, call 860-247-BEER.
Galactic and Medeski, Martin & Wood to Play Riverboat Show in New Orleans
Superfly Productions has just added two more shows to its nighttime concert series taking place during Jazz Fest, April 28 – May 7 in New Orleans. Galactic and Medeski, Martin & Wood will perform on the Riverboat Cajun Queen May 7. The bands will each play two sets alternating, in separate locations on the boat. The Cajun Queen will depart from Poydras Street Wharf at 9 p.m. and return at 2 a.m.
Garage A Tois featuring Charlie Hunter, Stanton Moore and Skerik will play the Maple Leaf Bar May 3 in New Orleans. The band will also open for Oysterhead at the Saenger Theatre the following night.
Tickets for both shows go on sale Friday April 7 at 11 p.m. EST through Ticketweb or by calling 1-800-965-4827.
3/27/00
Deep Banana Blackout and Ekoostik Hookah to Play Wedding Festival
Deep Banana Blackout and Ekoostik Hookah will perform at Trip & Emily’s Wedding Festival June 2 and 3 in Terra Alta, WV. The wedding ceremony will be held Saturday, June 3 at noon and is open to the public. Music will take place Friday night and all day Saturday. The festival is being produced and promoted by Sunshine Daydream, a production company that Trip owns. “It was just something that we wanted to do and decided to try,” says Trip. “We have a lot of friends and in order to invite all of them, it would have bankrupted us forever, so it was just easier for us to throw a music festival. That way, we could invite everyone.” Other bands performing include Hypnotic Clambake, Radio Mosaic, Stewed Mulligan, 1/4 Ouncers, Davisson Bros. and Rick Kline & the Waterside Project. Tickets are available now. For more information, visit http://www.sunshinedreams.com/wedding_inv.html .
Medeski, Martin & Wood Seek Intern
Medeski, Martin & Wood are currently looking for an intern to help maintain the band’s archives. The position would entail taping shows and helping with mastering, mixing and duplicating live material. Anyone in the New York City area that is interested should send a resume and a letter of introduction to federico.cribiore@gs.com .
Woodward Music Fest to Feature Derek Trucks Band and Schleigho
The Derek Trucks Band and Schleigho are among the acts confirmed for the 2nd Annual Woodward Music Festival. It will be held in Woodward, PA June 2 and 3. Other bands performing include Mecca
Bodega, Schmedley, Into the Woods,
Caribou Union, Dakini, Jhinx, Sporadic, Odyssey, Everything Bagels and 72 Flood. More bands will be announced soon. Tickets are available now via Ticketweb . For more information on the festival, visit http://www.ncsweb.com/woodward/index.html .
Jimmy Herring Confirmed For Phil & Friends
Jimmy Herring has been confirmed for the upcoming Phil and Friends tour in April. Herring, (Jazz is Dead, Aquarium Rescue Unit), will join Lesh, Jeff Pevar (David Crosby’s CPR) and Rob Barraco (Zen Tricksters) in the line up. Although it is expected that John Molo will once again play drums on the tour, it has not yet been confirmed. Phil & Friends will play April 6 at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, CT, April 8-11 at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, MA, April 13-15 at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia, PA, April 17-19 and April 21-23 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.
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