Heatin' Up...

Some old business and new as we enter a sticky triple-digit Richmond weekend. First, a disappointing note about the previously announced premiere of Nashville Star on Monday with John Cowan in the house band. We actually watched this show a few years back when it was on the USA Network and found it more interesting and better produced than American Idol. Anyway, NBC's picked it up and with Billy Ray Cyrus as the host it may be harder to commit to another season especially now that we've learned that Johnny C won't be in the band after all.

From his own Web journal, here's John's explanation of why he was the first to be voted off this year's Nashville Star:
"Well Folks, Here it is; the first job I've been fired from since 1972 (that one was for "overplaying" in a R&B band....let's just say I was obsessed with Jack Bruce at the time.) I know the conventional wisdom here would be to say I had scheduling conflicts but not, unfortunately, true. I have never read "Charts" (The Nashville Number System) to make a living. Once you learn it, it is completely logical, but there IS a "learning curve" to be sure. As a studio background vocalist, you pretty much do things "by ear". Not so on the bass. I knew I was in over my head by day two. I would make mistakes, which you cannot do in a live Television situation. The guys and girl (John B, Lee, Pat, Brian, Carlo & Meagan) in the band were all very gracious and tried to be helpful to me. Ultimately, when I f*****-up, it made for extra pressure for them. (though not one of 'em gave me a hard time.) When I left to do Bristol on Saturday they had a sub fill in for me. He did a great job and read the charts and executed them perfectly, so between shows @ The Paramount Theater I got a voice mail saying I had been fired. That made it a little difficult to go out and be all smiley/hold my head up, but soon enough the music and muse took over. This hurts and is embarrassing, but the reality is that I wasn't able to execute the job to the standards by which are required. Maybe it was arrogant of me knowing my limitations to take the job....,perhaps. Well, as my wife likes to say-we're all "making our story everyday!" This is surely a "learning chapter."

We'll miss seeing JC on NBC this summer but his honesty under tough circumstances is refreshing and commendable. The Cow will continue and we'll appreciate him all the more.
In town a week ahead of his upcoming show at The National for promotional purposes (catch him with George Maida tonight at midnight on WCVE-FM) Tommy Emmanuel and his veteran manager Gina Mendello met me for breakfast yesterday morning at River City Diner. When we walked in and were greeted with "Smoking or non-" Tommy's pleasant but pointed reply was, "Living." Looking youthful and revived after a few health-related months off the road, Guitar Player Magazine's reigning "Best Acoustic Guitarist" downed a generous plate of pancakes and talked about how happy he was how the new DVD came out, thanks to In Your Ear wizard Carlos Chafin and Tommy's long-time producer/engineer Kim Person. Kim lived in Richmond years back and worked for IYE's precursor Alpha Audio so it was a perfect reunion to have Kim and Carlos carefully perfect the 5.1 surround-sound for Tommy's live concert DVD recorded in HD at Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, CA. I've gotten to see and hear some of it and although there's no substitute for witnessing Tommy's singular talents live, the project due out this fall takes full advantage of today's technology and those who know how to use it. It'll take your breath away. For those who haven't been to one of Tommy's exhilarating shows before, you're a week away from a golden opportunity. The National is waiting and so is their new 10-person hot tub. A media reception last night got us a fascinating backstage look at Richmond's musical crown jewel as justifiably proud Bill Reid showed us the unrivaled amenities the performers will enjoy when playing the meticulously restored venue. Not just the biggest jacuzzi made, but a sauna and steam shower, multiple lounges with a pool table and large screen plasmas everywhere, and even washer/dryers for bands who've been on the bus too long. All to make the artists happy and attract acts that wouldn't otherwise play a room that size. Like Willie Nelson and Dream Theater. They've pulled out all the stops to maximize the experience for musicians and audience alike with technical innovations like a "floating" stage to reduce floor vibration making it into the microphones, hundreds of yards of sound-deadening material around the stage and in the hall to reduce the boominess of a space originally designed for no PA. And speaking of that, the partners spent crazy money on a state-of-the-art V-DOSC sound system, only the sixth installed in the entire country for pretty much the biggest, cleanest aural experience possible. This is gear that normally travels with the bands playing the big arenas. It's gratifying to see a project of this magnitude done right, knowing how many obstacles stood in the way. Get down there as often as you can. Maybe for C.G.P. Tommy Emmanuel on Friday the 13th. One guy, one guitar, one magical evening. And here's a link to an appearance he made on my old WRVA morning show exactly eight years ago this month.

Or maybe you'll choose something completely different a few miles west on Broad Street that same Friday the 13th as we'll gather for the fourth time to welcome the musically ambitious and thoroughly entertaining Waybacks back to town for the 4th "On Track For The Cure" event for the Massey Cancer Center. These west coast wonders will bring their genre-bending blend of "cool" to the old rail station including the hot licks of another knockout guitar picker James Nash and the smooth as silk crooning of Warren Hood. And we've enlisted "America's irreplaceable alchemist of acoustic razzle-dazzle, open-borders ecumenism, and down home chutzpah," banjoman Danny Barnes, to liven thing up even more. Gates at 6:30, music at 7. Tickets here. It'll be a party.
The Canal Club is hosting WCVE's "Music Seen" tapings this weekend...we already missed the first night and I was hoping to catch singer/songwriter Sarah White with her accompanist, former King Wilkie head writer/lead guitarist Ted Pitney. My loss. Tonight it'll be a bit less acoustic with Modern Groove Syndicate and Chicago Cy among others. Click here for details.

And Sunday promises a day long cavalcade of some of our hometown best, including Page Wilson, Gary Gerloff, Marna & Macy, Billy Ray Hatley, The Taters and The Cashmere Jungle Lords. All donating time and talents for Vibe Fest '08 benefiting the remarkable Positive Vibe Cafe. For those who don't know about Garth Larcen's labor of love in Stratford Hills, giving physically and developmentally challenged individuals training and employment in the food service industry, this is a perfect chance to get acquainted. The music starts at 11:30am and goes all day long. The cover's only five bucks, beer & grub extra. A win-win for one of our community's most worthy causes.

Be safe Big Brown and bring it home...TT

(photo credits: Tommy Emmanuel-cd cover, The National finished interior-from their Website. The rest are mine)