Mike Hill of Whiskey Basin - Athens theater - Deland , Florida - Call Me The Breeze
Vital Stats Age: 29.
Instruments: Vocals, guitar, bass, piano.
Band: Whiskey Basin.
Day job: Web and database technician.
Hometown: Okeechobee.
Current residence: South Daytona.
Type of music you perform: Rock, country, metal.
Repertoire sampler: "Medicine" (an original song I wrote), a bunch of Whiskey Basin originals --"Blame It on Boston," "Invisible to You," "Plans We Made." Also Brad Paisley's "The World," Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold," Keith Urban's "Better Life."
Upcoming area gigs: 9 p.m. Sept. 12, Boot Hill Saloon, 310 Main St., Daytona Beach. 9 p.m. Sept. 18, Airport Bar, 1120 Flight Line Blvd., Deland.
CDs: Whiskey Basin, "Seven Sundays" -- $11.99 at whiskeybasin.com and at shows. Web site: Whiskey Basin Official Site www.whiskeybasin.com
The quirky bassist -- driving force behind '90s indie darlings Primus, the supergroup Oysterhead, a thriving solo career, and of course, the theme song to "South Park" -- definitely marches to the beat of a different drummer. His latest solo CD, "Of Fungi and Foe," finds Claypool taking a minimalist, if no less weird approach to his music. (Check out the song "Red State Girl" on Youtube.com. It's brilliantly twisted.)
Claypool will be at the House of Blues in Orlando on May 31. We chatted with the Northern California resident about fine wine, "Underdog" and Labrador retrievers.
Blame it on the pills. Or perhaps, give them all the credit.
For the latest disc from the southern rockers/arena monsters Kings on Leon -- "Only By The Night" -- lead vocalist and guitarist Caleb Followill wrote most of the lyrics and music while recovering from shoulder surgery (more on that later).
His brother, Nathan, drummer for the band, said on their Web site, "I think the pain pills inspired him a little more than we realized. He would play us a song and we'd say 'When did you write that?' and he'd say, 'I don't really remember writing it. I just woke up with an empty bottle of wine and my songbook open and these words written down.'"
Joe Cocker's gritty voice and intense performance style brought him to the limelight in 1960s and carried his career through four decades.
After growing up in Sheffield, England, the blues singer formed The Grease Band, whose Woodstock performance of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" made Cocker an icon. A string of hits and classics followed, including covers of "The Letter," "Cry Me a River" and Leon Russell's "Delta Lady."
In the 1970s, '80s and '90s, he produced hits like "You Are So Beautiful," "You Can Leave Your Hat On," and "Unchain My Heart." Today, when he's not touring, Cocker spends his time on a ranch in tiny Crawford, Colo. He kicks off his 2009 tour at the St. Augustine Amphitheater on April 17 and a free concert in Orlando on April 19.
Are you looking forward to going on the road again, or do you dread leaving the ranch?
(Laughs) You got me there. We got snow today, a couple of inches of late spring snow, and it's nice. But I get on with it. It's always good to see the band when you haven't been around them for a while, you know. And we all love to travel and see different faces. So it's like, pulling up the roots is a bit hard, as you say. But once I manage that I'm okay. Only last year I was out touring the U.S. This is a U.S. tour this time, too--we've got about 52 shows in there. How did you end up living in the middle of nowhere in Colorado?
I did a show in Telluride and met an old friend who'd gone into real estate. And I came up here and suddenly met all these people I'd known in different parts of the world, and we all arrived here at the same time. It was very strange.
What should audiences expect from your current show?
I know they like to hear the hits, you know. So the body of work is like "With a Little Help from My Friends," "You Are So Beautiful" and "Unchain My Heart" -- the favorite songs they like to hear. But I'm going to throw in a handful of others. I had someone send me a list of all the songs I've ever sung. And you sit and look at it in alphabetical order and it's overwhelming. I'm trying to pick two or three from different time periods, just for my own pleasure. But I've got into the fact that folks do like to hear the hits. I'm 65 this year, and you wonder how much longer you've got as a performer, because you never know. I really enjoy the performing part for that reason. You're sort of counting down to some degree.
Do you have a favorite song in your show -- one you look forward to singing every night?
Yeah, "You Are So Beautiful." Billy Preston wrote it -- took it from a gospel song and just changed the lyrics a little bit. It's one of those songs -- I've done it in Italy, and Australia and everywhere, and people always relate to it. I've seen grown men crying. And every time I sing it, it's different.
As Bob Seger once sang, "Rock and Roll Never Forgets." Easy for him to say. He's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
But what about those great artists who find themselves on the outside, patiently waiting their turn? Who will speak for them?
As the Hall gets ready to induct Jeff Beck, Bill Black, D.J. Fontana, Wanda Jackson, Anthony and the Imperials, Metallica, Run-DMC, Spooner Oldham and Bobby Womack on Saturday in Cleveland, Accent Editor David Wersinger and Staff Writer Tom Iacuzio offer their choices for future consideration.
Dave's List
Badfinger: Rock has its share of uplifting, inspirational stories. But they go hand-in-hand with tragic, downbeat tales of fast living and shady business practices. In 1969, Badfinger had their first hit single, "Come and Get It," written by Paul McCartney and released on the Beatles' Apple label. It went to No. 3 in the U.S. In 1972, their song, "Without You," sung by Harry Nilsson, went to No. 1, and their album "Straight Up," featuring the classics "Day After Day," and "Baby Blue" was climbing up the charts.
But by 1975, questionable financial decisions by the band's manager left Badfinger in chaos, leading founding member Pete Ham to hang himself in his garage. The band soldiered on, but had to take odd jobs -- including laying carpet -- to survive. In 1983, after a phone argument over Apple royalties, long-time band member Tom Evans hung himself in his garden.Live fast, die young. Give Badfinger their due.
Electric rock violin, blues rock, Southern rock and hard rock -- these are the sounds being land down by four area music acts. Here's a look at their latest CDs.
Vio7, "The 7th String"
VITAL STATS: Born in Riga, Latvia, Vio7 front man Armand Melnbardis plays electric seven-string violin, acoustic four-string violin, keyboards and piano. A graduate of Stetson University and currently a Daytona Beach resident, Melnbardis' eclectic resume includes performing and touring with 'N Sync, Luciano Pavarotti, Richard Marx, Ray Price and Debbie Gibson.
THE MUSIC: Legend says Italian violinist Nicolo Paganini (1782-1840) sold his soul to the devil. Whatever truth lies behind that myth, some historians peg the flamboyant Paganini as the world's first rock star -- hell, the Pag nicknamed his uber-loud violin the "Cannon."
No doubt Paganini would salivate over what Melnbardis and his band mates deliver on "The 7th String." Throughout these seven instrumentals (six rockin' blasts and one ballad), the Latvian cranks his electric violin up to 11 and puts a twin Vulcan mind-meld on Nicolo and Eddie Van Halen. "Day From Hell" unleashes a killer riff that would make Ozzy quake in his boots.
YOU'LL LIKE THIS IF YOU LIKE: Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Steve Vai, Nicolo Paganini.
Alejandro Escovedo is riding high on a wave of popularity these days, but when the veteran alt country/roots rocker comes to Florida for nearby shows tonight and Saturday, all he really wants to do is ... surf.
"Is there surf right now?" Escovedo eagerly asked The News-Journal in a phone interview from an Austin, Texas studio in late December. "Maybe we can hook up and go surfing while I'm there," he added, laughing.
Escovedo has reason to feel good. After nearly dying from complications due to hepatitis C in 2003, the respected musican -- named artist of the decade in 1998 by No Depression magazine -- is fit and healthy and touring behind his latest CD, "Real Animal."
The record made many Top 10 lists for 2008, and the artist now has Bruce Springsteen's management behind him, as well as some high profile performances on the "Tonight" show, "Late Night with Conan 'O Brien" the "Today" show and the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
The News-Journal recently chatted with Escovedo about vacations, punk rock, '70s glam and "King Kong."
Bands you perform with on a regular basis: Coyotes and Towndogs, the Deltonans, Palm Coast Swing Band, the "Wednesday" Band. On call for a few others.
Instruments: Trombone and some back-up vocals (not many, we want folks to come hear us again, after all).
Day job: Don't have one! Retired as a chief fire officer from the Miami Beach Fire Department.
Hometown: Carrollton, Texas.
Current residence: Orange City.
Type of music you perform: Coyotes is a blues/rock/jam band, which I enjoy immensely. The others are mainly swing bands oriented on the big band sounds of the '30s through the '60s. I'll play jazz , blues or rock whenever I get a chance. I'll jam with anyone on any style when invited.
Repertoire sampler: All trombone players have to play Tommy Dorsey's "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You." I like things like "St. James Infirmary," "Summertime," "All Blues" and other jazz standards. Coyotes is in the process of recording a new CD which incorporates a lot of original material, songs such as "Father Time," "Pinkie," "Humdinger" and "What About."
Upcoming area gigs: Coyotes are taking a performance break while we're in the studio. Look for a return to public performance with a CD release party sometime late winter or early spring.
Deltonans -- 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. every Monday (for 25 years) at the Sanborn Activities Center at Earl Brown Park, 751 S. Alabama Ave., DeLand. Admission $4.
Palm Coast Swing Band -- 7 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday, Black Cloud Saloon at the Thunder Gulch Campground, 2129 N. U.S. 1, Bunnell. No cover.
Web site: coyotesandtowndogs.com.
Taking Notes Who or what inspired you to take up music?
Some of my first memories are going with my grandparents to football games to watch my Uncle Gene play in the high school band. He went on to become a world-class trombonist and arranger, working with and serving as musical director for acts like the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Sammy Davis Jr., Barbara Mandrell, Rich Little and many, many more. He's always been an inspiration for me.
Can the trombone rock? Does the trombone player ever get the babe like the rock singers and the lead guitarists? Can the 'bone rock? Absolutely! Check out the New Orleans funk-rock band Bonerama, and listen to Mark Mullins do "War Pigs," "Crosstown Traffic," "Frankenstein" or "Moby Dick." Now, tell me whether the 'bone can rock!
The nature of the instrument makes it the most guitar-like of all the wind instruments. We can bend notes like a guitar player does his strings, and fret against the grain similar to the way a guitar player moves from string to string. In my practice I am spending a great deal of time studying and trying to imitate the linear solos of guitar greats like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jeff Healey.
Does the 'bone player ever get the babe? Not so much first time around. (I was away from the horn for almost 30 years. Just started back when I retired in June of '07.) Now I've got one of the ultimate babes. It was probably the firefighter thing rather than the trombone that worked for her.
What was the most unusual or memorable gig you've ever played? Since I've been back on the horn, the one that sticks out for me was the first time I was invited to sit in with (roots/blues singer-guitarist) Ben Prestage at Caffe Da Vinci in Deland. It was my first time to jam in front of people in 30 years. When we were done, I had a lot of people, my wife included, come to me and say "Holy #@&*, you really can play that thing. That rocked!" It let me know I'm on the right path.
What musician/celebrity/historical person would you most like to have dinner with? Not big on the whole celebrity thing, but maybe President-elect Obama because of the hope he has instilled in the world. Or Swedish trombonist Nils Landgren. He's my current favorite on my instrument.
What was the last book you read? Not sure. Some fluff fiction mystery by James Lee Burke or J.D. Robb. They all kind of run together.
What CD/tape/music is in your car/home stereo/iPod right now? In the iPod now -- "Christmas With My Friends" by Nils Landgren, a wonderful collection of classical, jazz, and Swedish folk versions of both well-known and obscure Christmas music. The guy's just got a phenomenal feel, and such a sweet sound.
What is your favorite movie? "Blazing Saddles"? Not much of a movie buff, but I hate to miss a Cowboys game.
What was the best concert you ever attended? So many to choose from, but probably the best ever was seeing Carmen McRae, the great jazz singer, in a tiny bar in downtown Minneapolis during a blizzard, with a temp outside of -35 degrees. There were maybe 15 or 20 people there. She made it a warm, cozy evening to be remembered.
"If I didn't play music, I would": Probably do a lot of woodworking.
"I'd sell my soul for": The life I've already got. I am blessed on so many levels. Besides, it's not really mine to sell. It's a part of the universe. I'm just borrowing it for the trip through this world. I earn the privilege one day at a time.
Sean Sedita Vital Stats Age: 30 Instrument: Drums. Band: Orange Avenue. Day job: Full-time musician. Hometown: Hauppauge, N.Y. Current residence: Daytona Beach. Type of music you perform: Rock, alternative and pop. Repertoire sampler: Originals include "What's Coming Next," "Stars," "Stormy Weather," "Sick," "Waiting For the Fall," "The Radio Song." Cover: "Seven Nation Army." "Orange Avenue," available at smartpunk.com, itunes.com, the Virgin Megastore in Downtown Disney in Orlando and at our shows. There will also be new music coming from Orange Avenue early spring.
