posts about music

Pilar French’s CD release show, March 16th 2012 at The Secret Society Ballroom

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On March 16, 2012 at the Secret Society Ballroom, Portland, Oregon-based singer-songwriter Pilar French will celebrate the release of her latest CD, Deliver, her third album overall.  A six-song collection of heartfelt, warming pop-rock sprinkled with roots leanings, French takes a lighter approach on Deliver, following up on 2009’s Alive, an album that tackled life’s heavier subject matter.

Pilar French’s website

Also on the bill are Riviera and Nicole Campbell.  Coors at 8pm, show starts at 9pm.  Tickets are $8.00 in advance through Brownpapertickets.com and $10.00 at the door.

Recorded at 8-Ball Studios, and produced by French and Rob Stoup, French is joined by her band, Jeff Koch (guitar, guitanjo), Tony Howard (drums, vocals), and Sean Nowland (bass), as well as guests Jean Pierre Garau (keys), Rachel Taylor Brown (vocals, accordion), Marilee Hord (violin), and Todd Bayles (cello).

Discussing the optimistic vibe of Deliver compared to its predecessors (besides Alive, her debut album is 2007’s Butterflies), French comments that, “The second record I did was a little bit heavier. It touched on heavier topics like human perseverance and the will to survive and overcome life challenges,” says French. “This CD is more about cherishing family, relationships and what you have as opposed to what you don’t have. The music is a little more light-hearted. It’s meant to make you feel happy and appreciate what you have.  I wanted to write songs to remind me to appreciate what I have. You walk away from it with really positive vibes.”

Opening with the title track, a song inspired by her nephew, French sings about wanting a better world for the next generation.

“It was inspired by Luke, my nephew, who was born prematurely but who is now a healthy, vibrant little kid.”

A mid-tempo pop song, the song comes across like a burst of sunshine, French’s warm voice accompanied by a steady drum beat and beautifully-crafted instrumentation, the keyboard adding a spring to the already heartening song.

 

“Love and Live” finds French being more soulful, a rich, passionate soul-roots song that has her singing about forgetting the rat race and appreciating what you have.

“There’s so much going on in our society right now – people are losing their jobs and their homes. Times are tough,” French says, discussing the song, and the overall vibe of the album. “We’ve got people fighting in a war that’s been going on for ten years. It’s a time that makes us want to reflect on what we have and appreciate it.”

With the addition of guest vocalist Rachel Taylor-Brown on “Tumbleweed,” the pop-rock number comes alive, while “Place of Our Own” finds French creating a mysterious ambiance with its late-night, been out all night having fun, laid-back rock style.

The soul-pop groove of “End of the Day” showcases French’s voice perfectly, while the album closer, “The Build,” offers a nice instrumental roots-pop finish to a polished, memorable collection of tunes.

Some will notice that “End of the Day” also appears on Alive.  The version found here is a full band version, expanding on the acoustic recording previously released.

“I wanted to record it with the full band and capture a more euphoric sound.  The song came to me while sitting on a log on the beach in Pacific City during sunset.  For me, sunset is the best part of the day.  It’s the most frequent time you will find me pausing to catch my breath and appreciate my surroundings.  I guess because I am often stunned by the beauty.  Call me a sap,” she says of the re-recording.

With Deliver French tries to capture the breathtaking beauty of a sunset, and the daily joys of life, and put it to music, offering listeners a sound that will give them hope, optimism, and something to slow down, take a deep breath, and relax to while they take in life and all its wondrous beauty.  If there is one message you should take from Deliver it’s live for today, enjoy life, and don’t let the negativity bring you down.

Previous Press Quotes:

“Her voice is old-fashioned, but it’s not quirky like Nellie McKay, it’s a ‘better than anyone you know’ voice in a tight style that sticks to the classic delivery Bonnie Raitt and many others.” – OPB Music

“Song titles like ‘Alive’, ‘Mercy’ and ‘Higher Ground’ might make you wonder whether Pilar French’s new release (also calledAlive) is a covers album, but the Portland singer-songwriter has been busy on both sides of the hyphen. Vocally alternating between airy and nasal, she reminds me of Aimee Mann as well as Portland artist McKinley; as far as songwriting, her quirky melodies and glossy and spiky New Wave production are also, if you will, ‘McKinleyesque.’ French’s Higher Ground, a duet with Justin Jude, is a bouncy, would-be radio-ready pop song and the highlight of the album released tonight.” – Willamette Week

“…years of playing in various – and varied – outfits have given Portlander Pilar French a confidence and polish that can’t be faked.” – Portland Tribune

“Pilar can be loungy, smoky and silky, bluesy but is slightly askew… The vibrant Pilar French Intention has made its mark at various Pacific Northwest venues including the Water Front Blues Festival, The Bite of Oregon, Robin Hood Festival, Crystal Ballroom, and Doug Fir.” – Oregon Coast Today

“She may have accidentally created an album about perseverance, but French herself knows firsthand what that means.  Alive is a solid, confident affair and we’re the lucky recipients of her will to endure and grow.” – Oregon Music News

McDougall’s CD release show – March 24th 2012 at Secret Society Ballroom

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With Water Tower (formerly Water Tower  Bucket Boys) and Henry Hill Kammerer (of Hillstomp).

AMERICANA/FOLK-ROCK ONE MAN BAND, MCDOUGALL CELEBRATES RELEASE OF A FEW TOWNS MORE.

On March 24, 2012, Portland, Oregon-based Americana/folk-rock one man band McDougall will celebrate the release of his sixth full-length, A Few Towns More, at Secret Society Ballroom.

Doors at 8pm, show at 9pm.  Tickets are $8.00 advance and at the door.  Also on the bill are Water Tower (formerly Water Tower Bucket Boys) and Henry Hill Kammerer (of Hillstomp).

On the title track to A Few Towns More, McDougall sings, “The road you chose might take you back to your front door, but it looks like mine’s gonna take me on a few towns more.”  Telling the story of touring, human interaction, and sharing in life’s adventures, McDougall sums up his album on the final track, discussing the isolation and loneliness of touring alone, while also singing it’s praises, meeting new friends and new adventures in cities he plays.

“It’s the title track and the final track on the album,” McDougall says of A Few Towns More.  “It’s a song that portrays how lonely and yet totally amazing it can be touring alone.  The loneliness you face sometimes is all worth it as you spend each night sharing songs with people and making friends out of strangers.”

Equal parts folk, Americana, and old-time country, McDougall’s music conjures up images of sitting by a coffee-can fire in the middle of a dry California river-bed that then pulls you up on a freight train that travels through the lush spring-time of the Pacific Northwest, with you ending up rambling around the country with all your possessions on your back.

McDougall wishes to keep to the unwritten rule of using what was left by those before while leaving something of your own for those who come after, as you exemplifies on A Few Towns More, an album that prevails with a message of hope throughout every journey.

“As with all of my albums, there is an underlying message of hope.  This one also deals with the responsibility each one of us has to take what we learn in life and share it with others, to find that place where we know we belong and can do the most good,” McDougall says, summarizing the album’s lyrical themes.

A ten-track collection of dusty-trail Americana, it is hard to imagine that A Few Towns More is pulled off as a one-man-band live, McDougall handling either the guitar and banjo, while also playing percussion with his feet.

“I dig that when listening to [the album] you sometimes forget that most of it is one guy,” McDougall beams.  “I try hard to find a balance between getting creative in the production realm and trying to produce something that can be repeated live with the same intensity.  I think we found a good balance on this record.”

Whether it’s the opener, “Coleraine,” a banjo-driven clap-and-stomp chant piece that wears its hymn-like vibe on its sleeve.  Or the rambling rock of “Ready, Begin,” in which McDougall sings, “time for living, you know, moving and thinking.  I felt the bitter cold air make me high.  On your mark, get set, and back to the task.  Before all your chances change their colors and die,” McDougall creates mood-elevating, hopeful songs that remind you that you’re alive.

McDougall turns it down a few notches on the moonlit folk of “Evening Tide,” a ragged, yet mellow acoustic number that finds McDougall in a contemplative state.  The high-impact banjo dance number “Cuttin’ the Grass/Tom and Willy Go To Town” is an instrumental that will make you get up and move, while creating the perfect soundtrack for the should-have-been theme song for the Oregon Trail.  Abound with promise and adventure, even without words, McDougall can elicit feelings of a new life and excitement.

On the gospel-folk of “When God Dips His Love In My Heart” McDougall challenges himself on this traditional number that his mother used to sing with his grandparents when she was a kid.

“Gates of Victory,” with group vocals from various Portland-area musician friends, will have you singing along to the chorus, which rings with the words, “Looking to those who have humbly walked before us.  They taught us how to live and they taught us how to die.”

“[The song] is about following solid examples of those who walked before us,” exclaims McDougall.

Recorded in a barn during a Washington winter, at times McDougall found it too cold to even play his banjo.  But he persevered and made it through, proud of what he’s accomplished with A Few Towns More.  Now all McDougall has to do is hit the road and play these songs for fans, new and old alike, while hoping they find the songs encouraging, engaging, and fun.  With artwork from Modesto-based folk-singer/tattoo artist Roy Dean, A Few Towns More is rooted in traditional, better meant for your stereo, with artwork in your hands, than your MP3 player.  However, McDougall will take listeners any way we can get them.

And, as he sings on “A Few Towns More,” “As we sing together each night in each town, old friends and new in the same room all let their problems down.  And with our hands, feet, and voices proclaim, that every day doesn’t have to be the same,” McDougall hopes that his album will help you break up the monotony of every day life, helping you relax and enjoy yourself.

Jack Wilson to release debut, self-titled full-length CD March 6th on Fluff & Gravy Records.

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On March 6, 2012, Portland, Oregon-based Fluff & Gravy Records will release the debut, self-titled full-length from Austin, Texas-based folk-pop songwriter Jack Wilson.  His debut bridges the gap between the folk-rock of Seattle (where he began his career as a full-time musician) and the acoustic music prevalent in Austin.
“Somewhere, in the blending, is the sound of the record,” says Wilson, a little ambiguous when he talks about his music, but focused on describing it as best he can.  “Whatever you might call it; my sound, well, it’s that blend.”

Jack Wilson; photo Courtesy of Fluff & Gravy Records

Wilson, a songsmith able to pull off his live performances solo, or with a full-on rock band, says that is what he set out to do with this release.

The result is the eleven tracks that comprise the album.  Jumping from the nineteen electric guitars found on “The Cure,” a full-on rock number complete with a horn section, or the subdued, late-night folk of “The Truth,” the album travels the spectrum without sounding out-of-place, sloppy, or without direction.
From album opener “Valhalla,” a love song about dreaming and keeping watch over a sleeping loved one, through “I’ll Do the Same,” about meeting an old flame many years down the line, Wilson weavers tales and melodies into earnest indie-Americana.  There is the chilling indie-folk of “Red Feather,” haunting you with a slow melody, about a winter night in Seattle, seeing the good-luck bringing Red-feathered Cardinals, and the country-rock of “Black Hills Fiction,” a three part narrative about the huge humanitarian disaster that was the Black Hills Gold Rush, told by a native, a prospector, and a soldier.  Wilson is able to tell stories, sing about his love and life lessons, all while giving the listener a musical journey that is anything but predictable.
One of the album’s strongest songs is the alt. country kicker “Paying for Misery (Thanks to You)”, a song Wilson wrote as a homage to a train hopper and two folk singers that helped show him that working a menial job and squandering his musical career was never going to satisfy him.  Suffice it to say, Wilson quit his job, wrote this song, and hit the road; putting everything on the line.
Thankfully Wilson did this, putting his faith in his own music, and what would become the self-titled full-length.
“I decided to go with a self-titled record for my debut,” Wilson admits.  “During the process of making the record, which consisted of months of pre-recording talks and planning, I opted to steer away from a concept record.  I didn’t want to make a rock record, or a folk record, or a low-fi record, or what have you.  I just wanted to sit down and record the songs the way that they sounded best.”
He continues, “I didn’t want to be constrained to limits of alt. country, or rock, or folk.  It was the greatest hurdle facing the record; just that idea of, ‘Do we make a rock record? Does every song need to have drums on it? How do we make an album that settles together and tells one story?’  Through multiple takes and versions, re-cuts and overdubs, some tracks kept all the complexity of the rock that they were recorded with, while some tracks, like the album’s only cover, ‘Clean,’ were stripped of everything.  That’s what the song needed to come out and be heard.”
One of Wilson’s favorite songs on the record is “Valhalla,” a song he doesn’t even remember writing.
“It’s the song I play the most,” he remarks.  “The funny thing is that I don’t remember writing it, at all. I don’t remember any point during the writing process. I do remember my ex, reading ‘The Mists of Avalon,’ and loving it and reading bits of it to me every night. I suppose that’s why it’s my favorite, it’s like someone gave it to me to play. As a gift.”
Proud of his debut full-length, Wilson doesn’t take the sole credit.  He is quickly eager to thank, and show appreciation, for all the players that made the record a reality.
“So many friends helped this record come together,” he says.  “The horn sections are something that I felt we used sparingly and with great impact. In the last chorus of ‘Valhalla,’ Alex Kostelnik and I spent hours finding ways to mix in the vocal lines, the pedal steel swells, the ecstatic drumming, and those four horns. Through that cacophony, came such a sweet feeling, like a tipsy stumble sidewalk, following a marching band through the streets of the French Quarter at 9 o’clock in the morning.”
Now the only thing left for Wilson to do is continue touring in support of the album he put his heart and soul into.
TOUR DATES:
  • 1/27/12 – Cafe Medici – Austin, TX
  • 1/28/12 – Skinny’s Ballroom – Austin, TX
  • 1/30/12 – Saxon Residency (after Bob Schneider) – Austin, TX
  • 2/03/12 – Club Deville – Austin, TX
  • 2/08/12 – Marathon Live Music – Los Angeles, CA
  • 2/09/12 – Silverlake Lounge – Los Angeles, CA
  • 2/18/12 – Hole in the Wall – Austin, TX
  • 2/22/12 – Folk Alliance Int’l – Memphis, TN
  • 3/08/12 – 35 Denton – Denton, TX
  • 3/16/12 – Eastside Lounge (Ninkasi Brewing party) – Austin, TX
  • 5/13/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
  • 5/14/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
  • 5/15/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
  • 5/16/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
  • 5/17/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
  • 5/18/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
  • 5/19/12 – Al’s Den @ Crystal Hotel – Portland, OR
  • 5/24/12 – The Old Church – Wilsonville, OR
  • 5/25/12 – Sunset Tavern – Seattle, WA

Portland, Indie-roots act, Sassparilla release video, “My First Lover”

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PORTLAND, OREGON-BASED INDIE-ROOTS BAND, SASSPARILLA RELEASE VIDEO FOR THE FIRST SINGLE OFF THEIR LATEST, THE DARNDEST THING, ENTITLED “MY FIRST LOVER”

Referred to as indie-roots, punk-Americana, and punk-roots, Portland, Oregon-based outfit Sassparilla may bend and cross genres, but the result is always electrifying, especially on their latest, The Darndest Thing.

Comprised of Kevin “Gus” Blackwell (vocals, cigar box guitar, national resonator guitar), the father and son combo of Ross “Dagger” MacDonald (harmonica) and Colin “Sweet Pea” MacDonald (washtub bass), Naima (vocals, accordion, washboard), and Justin Burkhart (drums), Sassparilla offers one of the most entertaining, sweat-soaked live shows in the Pacific Northwest; complete with dancing, sing-along numbers, and plenty of good times.  Despite their reputation for rollicking, fast-paced live sets, it is the subtleties and folk-pop leanings of their latest, The Darndest Thing, that find this five-piece band slowing things down a bit; and growing up musically.  Centered on the structure of the song and the lyrics more so than the party groove and liveliness of their earlier recordings, this record gives fans a new side of the band.

“Every record we’ve done is a little different than the record before it,” comments Blackwell, the band’s primary songwriter.  “They’re all metaphors for what’s happening in my life.  So, the early records were good-time roots-punk records.  Then death happened, a friend passed away, and other life stuff happened.  I had to face the reality that I’m an adult now.  Stuff I wasn’t used to.  And, so The Darndest Thing reflects that.”

Produced by The Eels’ Chet Lyster, his contributions helped ensure growth and maturity with The Darndest Thing.

“This is the first time we’ve worked with a producer,” explains Blackwell. “We did a lot of pre-production on this like we’ve never done before on previous records.  We decided from the beginning to make this record the way it is.  We were very thoughtful throughout the pre-production and recording process.”

Blackwell likens the growth to seeing your children grow up.

“I know people have used this metaphor before, but I feel like my songs are growing up.  It’s like my songs are adults now, learning to manage money and all of that,” he says with a chuckle.

Eight songs, clocking in at thirty-five minutes, The Darndest Thing is filler-free; succinct enough to keep the listeners’ attention throughout, even for those that have never heard the band before, but meaty enough to not leave you feeling empty and cheated.

While previous records have jumped around from genre to genre, The Darndest Thing finds the songs working together, each telling a story, while the music stays consistent.  It’s their first record to truly be an album, rather than a collection of fun-time, entertaining live favorites to get the crowd moving.

A big departure for the band is album opener “New Love”; the most pop-driven song the band has ever written.  A happy, up-tempo song, it instantly denotes that something different is happening with Sassparilla on this release.

“You wear two hats in a band, live shows and recorded product,” comments Blackwell.  “I like the idea of making a beautiful record, then making a show people can dance to.  That, to me, is what Sassparilla is all about.  I feel we accomplished that.  We made a record that is strong; something my peers can respect.  We made a beautiful record; not just a record that was over-the top performance wise, like we’ve done in the past.”

Sassparilla online:

2011 Pickathon to stream performances in HD video this weekend on KEPX.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TJyxW9PHkI&feature=player_embedded

For those unable to attend this weekend’s 13th Annual Pickathon in Happy Valley, video performances will be streamed in HD, courtesy of KEXP-FM, Seattle. To name but a few, performing artists will include: Mavis Staples, Wye Oak, Bill Callahan, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Damien Jurado, Vetiver, and Califone, as well as locals Alela Diane and Wild Divine, Laura Viers and Builders and Butchers.

For info and complete lineup and schedule, go here.

 Go here for directions.

 

OREGON MUSIC HALL OF FAME, ANNOUNCES THE 2011 INDUCTEES

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MONDAY JULY 11TH AT 5PM
TONY STARLIGHT’S – 3728 NE SANDY BOULEVARD

The Oregon Music Hall of Fame (OMHOF) will hold a Press Conference on Monday July 11th at 5pm at Tony Starlight’s to announce the 2011 Inductees into OMHOF. This year’s inductees will be inducted on Saturday October 8th at the Newmark Theater.

OMHOF was formed in 2003 to both promote and preserve the musical arts in the state of Oregon. Since then they have been successful in putting musical programs on in many elementary schools and raised money for college scholarships, besides recognizing the great talent from our state.

Previous Inductees include Black ‘n’ Blue, Robert Cray, The Crazy 8s, Dead Moon, Johnny & the Distractions, Doc Severinsen, Nu Shooz, Quarterflash, Jim Pepper, Mel Brown, Billy Rancher, Paul Revere & the Raiders and the Kingsmen. For a complete list go to omhof.org

OMHOF will also announce the talent to play the 5th Annual Induction Ceremony as well as this year’s host. At the press conference, there will also be a performance by one of this year’s inductees.

RACHEL TAYLOR BROWN RELEASES LATEST CD, “WORLD SO SWEET”, JULY 29TH AT MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS

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CD RELEASE SHOW: July 29th at Mississippi Studios

Read SP Clarke’s review of  “World so Sweeet”

July 29, 2011, Portland, Oregon’s own Rachel Taylor Brown will celebrate the release of her seventh studio album, World So Sweet.  Also on the bill are The Brothers Young, plus special guests.  Tickets are $10.00 in advance and $10.00 at the door.  Doors at 8:30pm, show at 9pm.

When asked to describe her music, Taylor Brown jokingly suggests, “Pith Rock; sharp ‘n’ pointy!  Or spongy and permeable!”  She starts to laugh. “Pith ‘n’ Vinegar Rock!  No, wait: there’s that horrible thing they do to frogs in a lab, that’s pithing.  Maybe Igneous Rock is better.”

Talk to those who know her music, though, and other descriptions come up. “Unsettling but addictive.” “Good stories.” “Unpredictable.” “Arresting.”  “Dark, funny, sweeping, panoramic, pretty, ugly, complex, moving.”  And, “You can dance to it.”

But to fully grasp and understand World So Sweet and Rachel Taylor Brown, you have only to listen to the record.

“I realized in retrospect how dark these songs may come off. I wish I could explain better how they make me feel hopeful,” explains Taylor Brown.  “I always feel better when dark things are out in the open instead of hidden away.  Looking at the scary stuff makes me more appreciative of the beauty in the world, makes me feel like my feet are on the ground.” She continues, “I think it helps that you can dance around to many of them. I can see someone getting down to one of these songs and never knowing what the hell I’m singing about.  I like that the songs can be enjoyed on that level–it makes me feel sneaky.  Lyrics are very important to me but I know a lot of people don’t listen to them, especially now.  It’s interesting to see who notices the words and who doesn’t.”

It’s that love of life, humor, curiosity, basic compassion, and a healthy dose of skepticism that fuels Taylor Brown. It’s heavily reflected in everything she does, including the thirteen tracks found on World So Sweet.

“I love the people I love, and the beautiful world,” she continues.  “I’m fortunate.  There was a time I didn’t want to be around.  Now that I do, it’s sweet, every day; even when it’s horrible.  There are birds.  The world is sweet, even though it’s awful.  That prayer I had to say when I was a kid: ‘Thank you for the world so sweet, thank you for the food we eat, thank you for the birds that sing, thank you, God, for everything.’  I’ve always loved that prayer, even though I don’t believe in the God part anymore.  I love anything that reflects even some little awareness that we’re living with a whole lot of other creatures and that we’re just one bit of the whole thing.”

Rachel Taylor Brown might best be described as a dubious but hopeful observer who watches the world and the people of the world destroy and create beauty daily, just one witness who can tell a story through song.

“These songs are about the usual mundane things that seem to preoccupy me; how great and how awful people are and how beautiful and ugly the world is,” she says.  “There’s huge scope in that.  I know I have a comfort level with some of the things I write about that others may not have, due in large part to my own history.  I’m not thinking of how it may hit anyone else when I’m writing.  I’m usually surprised when my husband or some other listener points out that it’s maybe hard to hear.  I really believe in letting a song be what it wants, though.  And I guess some (ok, a lot) of my songs want to be peppy tunes about the worst of human nature.  I have to say, though, I find that contradiction very satisfying.”

For all the hurt and pain in the world, like all of us Rachel Taylor Brown goes on.  Creating music that is equally pretty and haunting, sometimes simple but sometimes epic, the perfect strange cocktail of darkening doubt, lightening hope and “it’s got a good beat, you can dance to it.”  Music that’s meaningful but catchy, a paradox of everything the world has to offer.  With World So Sweet she brings to the surface good and evil, creating an album that is as rich as it is sparse, dense as it is airy.

Curious, I looked up “pithy.”  The thesaurus reads: “succinct, concise, compact, to the point, epigrammatic, crisp, significant, meaningful, expressive, telling.”  “Pith” means “essence, fundamentals, heart, substance, core, crux, gist, meat, kernel, marrow, weight, depth, force.”  “Pith Rock” is a weird and awkward moniker for her music, and maybe a little too close to “piss” said with a lisp.  But, you know it kind of fits.

MP3s:
“Taxidermy” — http://www.inmusicwetrust.com/pr/freemp3s/racheltaylorbrown_taxidermy.mp3
“How To Make A World Class Gymnast” — http://www.inmusicwetrust.com/pr/freemp3s/racheltaylorbrown_howtomake.mp3

JUDAS PRIEST

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The EPITAPH Tour
Featuring Black Label Society and Thin Lizzy
Tour Hits Seattle on Saturday, October 29th at the WaMu Theater
Tickets On Sale Friday, June 24th at 10am!

After storming the world for nearly 40 years and taking their very special brand of heavy metal to all four corners of the planet, JUDAS PRIEST – one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, have announced this will be their final world tour!

However, the mighty PRIEST will certainly be going out strong as they rock the planet starting in 2011 on the massive EPITAPH tour – hitting all the major cities throughout the world they will be playing the songs that helped make the name JUDAS PRIEST synonymous with heavy metal!

The tour will feature new guitarist Richie Faulkner. The 31 year old British guitar player has blended into the band perfectly, due to his amazing six-string talents. Richie joins Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill and Scott Travis in the line-up. Together, JUDAS PRIEST will hit the road for the EPITAPH Tour.

With all guns blazing and amps cranked to eleven, the band will be giving all their fans one last chance to witness the ultimate metal experience that is JUDAS PRIEST!

JUDAS PRIEST will be starting their North American tour on Wednesday, October 12th in San Antonio. A confirmed itinerary of performances for the first leg of tour can be found below.

October:

  • 12 – San Antonio, TX: AT&T Center
  • 14 – Corpus Christi, TX: Concrete Street Amphitheater
  • 15 – Houston, TX: The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
  • 16 – Dallas, TX: Allen Event Center
  • 18 – Tucson, AZ: Ava Amphitheater
  • 19 – San Diego, CA: Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
  • 21 – Phoenix, AZ: AZ State Fair
  • 22 – San Bernardino, CA: San Manuel Amphitheater
  • 23 – Las Vegas, NV: Hard Rock
  • 25 – Los Angeles, CA: Gibson Amphitheatre
  • 26 – Oakland, CA: Oracle Arena
  • *29 – Seattle, WA: WaMu Theater
  • 30 – Vancouver, BC: Rogers Arena

November:

  • 1 – Edmonton, AB: Shaw Conference Center
  • 2 – Calgary, AB: Scotiabank Saddledome
  • 4 – Salt Lake City, UT: Maverik Center
  • 5 – Denver, CO: 1STBANK Center
  • 12 – Chicago, IL: The Venue at Horseshoe Casino
  • 13 – Detroit, MI: Joe Louis Arena
  • 18 – East Rutherford, NJ: Izod Center

*Tickets available at the Qwest Field Box Office,

Ticketmaster locations, charge by phone 800-745-3000, and Ticketmaster.com


 

Vocal Cord Surgery for Pink Martini’s China Forbes

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China Forbes has been forced to take an extended hiatus from her duties as Pink Martini vocalist. Suffering an injury to her vocal cords earlier this year, at first it was hoped that an extended respite might restore her to health. But it has since been determined that she will require throat surgery.

Forbes, 41, debuted as a singer with Pink Martini in 1995, when she was recruited by bandleader Thomas Lauderdale. The two of them met while attending Harvard University. It was there that they developed an idiosyncratic musical relationship. After graduation, they went their separate ways, with China developing her own craft as a folk/rock singer/songwriter. Subsequently, Lauderdale asked her to perform with Pink Martini on their first album Sympathique. The rest is local music history.

It is not Forbes’ first absence from the ensemble. She was out for six months in 2009 on maternity leave. But this instance is of greater concern for her future as a singer, in that her vocal cords are involved, and there is no chronology as to when a recovery might be expected, nor assurance that her voice will necessarily return to its former grandeur.

While China is out, Lucy Woodward will replace her for performances in the final week of June, and Storm Large will take over for July shows as well as for an upcoming European tour scheduled for this September. But, more importantly, we wish for China a speedy and complete recovery.

 

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