The Black Lillies: Tennessee’s roots blow north

The Black Lillies (with Ian Thomas)
on StageOne // Fairfield Theatre Company
Sunday, Dec. 14
Doors @ 7:00 p.m. / Show @ 7:45 p.m.
Tickets: $22 (members – $19)
Genre: Americana

Roots in Tennessee’s music scene blow freely like the wind on an open road. Soothing and limitless, The Black Lillies mirror the journey ahead. The band exemplifies Americana at its finest, mixed with grass roots, country and a modern sentiment.

Frontman and founder Cruz Contreras is no stranger to the twist and turns of the open road.

After a 10-year stint with Robinella and the CCstringband, Contreras broke from the music scene and became a truck driver for a stone company.

Contreras acquired a Commercial Driver License (CDL), which he used to drive his tour bus from coast to coast. It allowed him to operate the bobcats, flatbeds and various machinery he used to work with as a truck driver. Life as a driver became something “different” for Contreras, allowing him to regroup personally and musically.

As each day passed, the music of the road resonated with Contreras and became his inspiration for The Black Lillies, which formed in 2008.

Music had never taken a backseat while driving the roads of east Tennessee, and, as it turns out, Contreras wouldn’t be surprised if he carried his guitar in the passenger seat of the 18-wheeler a few times.

“I write what is on my mind at any moment,” said Contreras.

Contreras and The Black Lillies keep on rolling with three studio albums, an extensive tour schedule of 200-odd performances and taking on the hectic life of independent musicians.

The Black Lillies’ authentic, down-to-earth tone has earned them a seat at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, allowing them to establish a hearty relationship that spans more than 30 performances. Notably, the band’s 2013 performance of “Smokestack Lady” (live at the Opry) has swept up a wide demographic of loyal fans and new listeners.

Furthermore, The Black Lillies’ self-acclaimed success has attracted the attention of Country Music Television (CMT); four of their tunes appeared on CMT’s top 12 requested videos and also secured spots on Billboard and American Music Association’s (AMA) charts.

In their latest effort, “Runaway Freeway Blues” (2013), The Black Lillies have continued restlessly to push forward along their musical highway. According to the band, the beauties of this album are heavily rooted in the “mud-rutted switchbacks of Appalachia” and allow listeners to travel the musical peaks and valleys or the road ahead with its creator.

“Runaway Freeway Blues” debuted at number 43 on Billboard’s Country chart and number 21 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums.

The album begins with an earnest sentiment in “The Fall,” as Contreras and female vocalist Trisha Gene Brady share an intimate conversation of love, sorrow and dreams.

Contreras sings “I am not a rich man, I have no fortune to bear” to Brady’s “I am not a rich girl, I have no diamond to share,” behind the locomotive, strumming acoustic guitar and somber motion of the kick drum.

When Brady and Contreras join in harmony singing, “I am but a dreamer and I’ve seen you in between /The shadows and the sunshine falling down on me,” a sense of beauty, imagery and the open air fills our hearts with sounds of The Black Lillies.

 

The band’s roots become present in tunes like “Ramblin’ Boy,” where the band turns up with twangy country guitar (Tom Pryor), driving drums (Jamie Cook) and a wholesome bass (Robert Richards), supporting the effortless melody and harmony of Contreras and Brady.

By the time you reach “Smokestack Lady,” it is apparent that The Black Lillies cannot be overly defined. The upbeat Americana and rockabilly-style guitar licks paired with tasteful harmonica licks (Ian Thomas) make “Smokestack Lady” an instant favorite among fans.

“Smokestack Lady” pumps through the veins of its listeners like the gasoline from Contreras’ 18-wheeler, “running these roads up and down, L.A. to New Orleans.” Furthermore, the tune serves as inspiration for the title of the album “Runaway Freeway Blues,” because it captures the diverse palate that the audiences of The Black Lillies crave.

“The Black Lillies are the type of band that prefers a 90-minute set, opposed to features, because the band is so dynamic,” said Contreras.

Pedal steel, harmonies, duets and all the potent flavors in the mix make The Black Lillies a must see for any live performance. They remain humble, whether they are playing a small hometown gig in Knoxville Tenn., or exciting festivals like Bonnaroo or South by Southwest.

“The music you perform becomes less familiar,” said Contreras and over time “lots of different cultures come through.”

On Dec. 14, The Black Lillies with guest artist Ian Thomas will bring the sounds of the open Tennessee road to Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne at 7:45 p.m.

Performing in New England is a special treat for The Black Lillies because of “its tie to Appalachian music,” said Contreras.

“The Mountain chain goes north,” said Contreras.

In Tennessee, Contreras explains how everyone is rooted in bluegrass and country: “My aunt, cousin and grandpa play that,” said Contreras, so people think it is not big deal.

Contreras’ need to have a hand in all musical outlets opened his mind to the vast genres of music, which in turn helped to shape The Black Lillies.

Music has been an integral part of Contreras’ life, going back to his childhood where he began playing classical piano, bluegrass banjo and then jazz piano in college. He vividly recalls playing everything from gypsy jazz to Civil War reenactments with his brother.

This sense of family and loyalty has kept The Black Lillies humble, and could explain why they have been so committed to their roots, family and fans. Likewise, The Black Lillies have trusted Scott Minor of Sparklehorse with the production of all three studio albums.

Working as an independent label, The Black Lillies plan on entering pre-production for a fourth album this month. According to the band’s “timeline,” “to keep us musicians on track,” laughed Contreras, The Black Lillies will enter the studio sometime in February.

Contreras hopes to incorporate more of The Black Lillies live sound into the new album; more keys, pedals, solo material and more brilliant male/female harmonies. But don’t worry – Contreras assures that each live performance, including FTC’s StageOne, will be a balance of new, old and unheard material.

[also published in The Fairfield Mirror]

– Not Enough? check out the PBS “Up Close” interview Trisha Gene Brade and Cruz Contreras –

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds: trick or tread at Fairfield Theatre Company

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds @ FTC HALLOWEEN + Saturday Nov. 1

It only makes sense that Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds perform back-to-back nights at Fairfield Theatre Company on StageOne on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 because “one [night] isn’t quite enough” said lead singer Arleigh Kincheloe.

The eight piece collective is not just a soul band. It’s nitty gritty blues, dirty funk and driving rock that force you off of your feet. Melodic horn lines, soulful harmonica and a funky rhythm section back frontwoman, Kincheloe, and the results are mesmerizing.

“If you can span cultural gaps, you have something,” said Kincheloe.
 

In front of the microphone, Kincheloe is playful and captivates listeners with her powerful vocals. When you’re not bound by Kincheloe’s vocals or the fiery brass lines, it is uncertain if you can escape all that is Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds.

You may be familiar with tunes like “The Long Way” off of Sister Sparrow’s EP “Fight,” produced by Randy Jackson or “Make It Rain” with its staccato horn melody, syncopated drums and guitar and dirty harmonica solos.

“We are able to cover so much sonic ground (with Jackson on harp),” said Kincheloe. “Sometimes he’ll be playing with the horn lines, and others against the band.”

Is your costume ready?
-To be judged by the band-

If you love live music, then you should check out Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds. It is the kind of music that leaves a little something left on the bone for everyone. It is for those, “That can get lost, for someone who has never seen a horn section live or never stood in front of a baritone sax,” said Kincheloe. “It’s a unique experience.”

A true testimony to the band’s growth is reflective in their audience. It is inspiring to Kincheloe when she sees a 13-year-old girl standing near a 75-year-old man.

“If you can span cultural gaps, you have something,” said Kincheloe.

The band has had a rigorous tour schedule, with over 150 shows a year, and recently made their first venture overseas to the Cotai Blues and Jazz Festival in Macau, China. Luckily for you, the Birds have a few weeks off until hitting Fairfield Theater Company on Halloween night, leaving, as Kincheloe said, “Time to cook up something special for the show.”

With a few tricks up their sleeves, and a possible rumor of a costume contest according to Kincheloe, this will be a show you don’t want to miss. Not to mention, their break will leave plenty of time for new material and to deal with the craziness of Halloween. More importantly, Kincheloe laughed, “[There’s] time to get our costumes together.”

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds will continue their New England run at Tellus 360 in Lancaster, Pa. on Nov. 6, The Spot Underground in Providence, R.I. on Nov. 7 and spend two nights at The Bowery Ballroom in New York City, N.Y. on Nov. 28 and 29.

Pink Talking Fish: Hooked on Fusion

Pink Talking Fish
Doors @ 7:00 P.M.
Show @ 7:45 P.M.
Tickets: $20 all

If you are not already familiar with Pink Talking Fish, then we will let the music speak for itself.

Mashups, elaborate setlists, jambands, dance grooves, and a Psychedelic rock from deep outer space echoes from the biggest names in music.

Founder and bassist, Eric Gould came up with the idea of a fusion tribute to three of his most beloved bands: Pink Floyd, The Talking Heads and Phish. The intent is to “heighten people’s passion for music by creating something fresh,” added Gould. Collectively, the musicians of Pink Talking Fish are equally inspired by these crossroads as are their fans.

“If you enjoy the adventure of music, this is the epitome of music adventure,” said Gould. Pink Talking Fish embarks on a great journey filled with rhythms you know and love.

When Phish’s “Sand” is placed into the groove of The Talking Heads “Slippery People” or  Pink Floyd’s “On The Run” overlaps Phish’s “You Enjoy Myself” you know something magic is happening.

“PTF doesn’t just do one thing,” said Gould. Their sets get you up off your feet because, lets face it, we all love to dance. You will hear everything from the hits to rare tracks that are all carefully calculated into an exciting performance.

Gould thinks of each PTF gig as a journey, that leaves something for everyone. In their rendition of Phish’s  PTF incorporates Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage” without straying from Phish’s Reggae feel. Gould explained the first verse of “Brain Damage” is Reggae, but then in the bridge they shift back to Floyd’s original feel.

The band is further driven by the concept of setlists. Gould has always been intrigued by the construction of sets and how they influence the audience. Gould, in his former electronic dance band Particle, was in-charge of creating the set and it really shows in PTF.

Setlists are “musical candy to read on paper,” exclaimed Gould. “And people are salivating over it.”

“The design is the fun part for me,” said Gould. It’s an intellectual journey that gives the audience more than a fusion of cover songs. PTF is reinterpreting feel, improvising and calculates a mass of musical energy. Not only is it pure fun, but becomes a real treat to musicians and non musicians alike.

Furthermore, “If you are a musical geek like I am you can loose yourself, but also be challenged as the story unfolds,” said Gould.

On Thursday Oct. 16, Pink Talking Fish comes to Stage One at Fairfield Theatre Company. For anyone who hasn’t been to Stage one “Its an intimate environment,” said Gould. You can dance, hang out and really get close to see what the musicians are doing on stage.

The Pink Talking Fish Tour continues across New England at North Star Bar (Philadelphia) Oct. 17, The Cutting Room (NYC) Oct. 18, The Westcott Theatre (Syracuse) Oct. 23 and The Putnam Den (Saratoga Springs) Oct 24.

It’s uncertain what sets Gould has planned for Stage One, but after hours of PTF you might be more than hooked.

For more Pink Talking Fish: Watch their full set @Putnam Den 4.19.2014

Audience Starts to Rumble for Andy McKee

Andy McKee plays Stage One FTC on Tue. Oct. 14 @ 7:45 P.M.                                        Photo Credit – Jason Dailey

Andy McKee, self-taught acoustic guitarist, continues to take his music to new levels through the use of altered tunings, percussive techniques, harmonics, tapping, rhythmic melodies and the style of playing over the guitar neck.

McKee became fascinated with the acoustic guitar at the age of 13, inspired by fingerstyle guitar playing. At the age of 17, he began to teach lessons and in 2001 made a name for himself after placing third at the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championships.

You may remember McKee from his hit track “Drifting,” which reached more than 50 million viewers on YouTube in 2006. In addition, songs featured on his 2006 album “Art of Motion” such as “Rylynn,” “For My Father” and “Into The Ocean,” all feature McKee’s creative approach on acoustic and harp guitar. Furthermore, McKee won the silver medal for fingerstyling by Acoustic Guitar Magazine in December 2008.

McKee realizes that it is much harder to make a name for yourself through YouTube today versus early 2000. “Yet, it is a good way to learn how to play guitar,” added McKee. “You have both audio and visuals.”

Currently, McKee is on tour across the United States and will be starting his east coast run at the Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Expect to hear all of your favorites and more when McKee takes StageOne with two 45 minute sets.

When he begins to play his harp guitar, McKee said, “The audience starts rumbling and cameras are out.” It is captivating each and every time.

Songs from McKee’s most recent extended play “Mythmaker,” such as the title track, continue to push the envelope of McKee’s creative genius. In addition, the extended play incorporates electric guitar and piano elements in the pursuit of new textures.

McKee has never thought of himself as a percussive guitarist, but instead is driven by rhythm. In his track “Hunter’s Moon” off of his 2010 album “Joyland,” all techniques spill over intricate rhythms and soothing melodies. McKee begins the composition by playing the chords over the top of the neck of the guitar, while providing a steady backbeat on the rear body of the guitar with his right hand.

As the song progresses, McKee moves fluidly from guitar body to neck, playing the “ins” and “outs” of the instrument. Like all of McKee’s tunes, “Hunter’s Moon” is lyric-less, but follows a similar verse and chorus structure. At one point the guitar is tight and percussive, and the next moment McKee open fires on all strings, letting them resonate throughout the audience.

McKee is overall excited to be on the road touring and is looking forward to returning to both New England and Connecticut. “It is especially exciting because Connecticut is now home to one of the most renowned harp guitarist, Stephen Bennett,” added McKee.

McKee will bring originals in addition to his renditions of the rock band Toto’s song “Africa” and of Tear for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”

After McKee’s YouTube success, many guitarists aspire to learn from his technique. Currently, you can purchase guitar tabs on Andy McKee’s website and there are several tutorials of McKee’s songs on YouTube. With 10 years of teaching under his belt, McKee hopes to release an instructional DVD in the future.

After StageOne, McKee will head off to various venues throughout New England including, Regattabar on Oct. 15 in Boston, Mass, B.B. King Blues Club on Oct. 16 in New York, N.Y., World Cafe on Oct. 17 in Philadelphia, Pa. and Bridge Street Live on Oct. 18 in Collinsville, Conn..

Moe. is Rocking Out in Your Backyard

Quick Look:
@ The Klein
Saturday, Sept. 27
Doors @ 7:00 p.m.
Show @ 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $35 / Members save $5
Klein Parking Lot $5

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moe. is relentless, defining jam band music and rock ‘n’ roll on their own terms. From their humble beginnings in Buffalo, N.Y., moe. has built an impressive repertoire of 24 albums and mass fanbase all across the globe. Since then, moe. has performed with groups such as the Dave Matthews Band, The Allman Brothers and The Who.

All stops are out on moe.’s current tour of their new album “No Guts, No Glory.” The 11-track album (14 on the deluxe CD, digital and double vinyl editions) has taken the band across the U.S. and overseas to Germany’s Burg Herzberg Festival and Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.

Grooving guitars over a syncopated rhythm section in “Annihilation Blues” instantly hook fans, and before you know it, you’re mesmerized by the psychedelic “Silver Sun.” There is no escaping the bold guitar riffs of Chuck Garvey and Al Schnier or Rob Derhak’s slapping bass. Drummer Vinnie Amico is powerful and grooves under the band while Jim Loughlin on vibraphone is nothing short of melodic.

moe. is one of the only progressive rock bands around with a vibraphonist and it instantly changes the dynamic. Amico felt that his approach is vastly different because of Loughlin’s presence in the band. His drumming is much simpler, but something didn’t add up to me.

“The less I play, the greater the groove,” said Amico. Amico and Loughlin are longtime friends and have been playing together since before the band, added Amico. And yes, the results are mind-blowing.

But do you know what the best part is? moe. has been rocking out in your backyard the entire time.

moe. recently shook the stage at the Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport and hosted their own festival, moe.down, at the Snow Ridge Ski Area in Turin, N.Y. Not to mention, moe.down has been going on for 15 years.

“No Guts, No Glory” was recorded at Carriage House Studios in Stamford. The album was produced by Dave Aron, who has worked with artists from U2 to Prince to Snoop Dogg.

“All of our fans are in it for the same thing,” said Amico, whether they are from Japan or America. The music is powerful and each night moe. gives us more than we could ever want.

“We wear our hearts on our sleeve” and “lay it all out on stage,” said Amico. Three hours of music is also pretty convincing as far as any normal setlist is concerned. In addition, moe.’s catalog allows them to play gig after gig without repeating a single song.

From their last three gigs, the band massed 45 different tunes. It would only be fair to split the night up into two sets, allowing you to snap out of the psychedelic depths of moe.

Fasten your seat belts, because moe. is closer than you think. This Friday, Sept. 27, moe. will be honing their musical bliss on the 1,400 seat Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport, Conn. presented by the Fairfield Theatre Company as a part of the BMW of Bridgeport Driving Music Series. The Klein has hosted legends like B.B. King, Alice Cooper, Buddy Guy, Herbie Hancock, Peter Frampton and will soon be adding moe. to the list.

As moe. approaches their 25th anniversary in January, they continue to evolve. Amico felt everything from songwriting to gear and equipment has changed, shaping moe. to what it is today.

moe. has about a month break in their tour schedule after the Klein, so expect everything to be left trembling on stage long after the doors have been locked. moe.’s tour will resume Oct. 24 at the Neptune Theatre in Seattle, with more gigs to follow out West. Be sure to keep tabs, because moe. will be playing “One More For The Fans! – Celebrating The Songs & Music of Lynyrd Skynyrd” at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta on Nov. 12 with some of the biggest names in music.

Contributed Photo