You have to hand it to Microsoft for their faux website http://www.stationeryisbad.com/.
I found it on YouTube with other videos about why stationery is bad. Pretty funny stuff. Be sure to watch the background.
Lots of people told me about the Drive-by Truckers, but I didn’t listen. Then Brittney with two t’s and an e posted this video from a record store performance.
That hooked me. I ordered “The Dirty South” and “Decoration Day” (free samples at both links). I listened to “Decoration Day” today and especially like Heathens and Sounds Better in the Song:
When I saw her standing there, with her bright eyes and shining hair,
she was looking back at me.
Some are meant to sing, some are meant to talk and some aren’t meant to say a thing.
But when she opened up her mouth and that sweet voice came out
I lost track of my own name.
Now she’s found herself, and I lost mine
and I’m just another guy who can’t give her anything.
DBT is performing at Sundown in the City in downtown Knoxville June 21st.
Bonus! - Drive-by Truckers on YouTube
I had the privilege of eating at Gourmet’s Market today with Tom Owens, director of UT’s Video and Photography department. If you haven’t been to Gourmet’s Market before I suggest you check it out sometime for a breakfast or lunch occasion. The food and service are excellent, the prices are very reasonable and the atmosphere is great for a small deli/shop.
While we were eating I had a chance to speak with Mr. Owens about some of the shows that are currently being produced on UTTV. I was particularly interested in The ROCK: UNPLUGGED when I learned about the interview segments from performing artists who are a part of Sundown in the City 2007. The following is a short description of the show.
The ROCK: UNPLUGGED features in-depth on air interviews with, as well as stripped down acoustic sets by, many of the vibrant, cutting edge musical acts in and around the Knoxville area.
Broadcast live on 90.3 The Rock; UT’s College award winning radio station, The Rock Unplugged offers a candid and entertaining perspective behind the creative process of some of today’s most talented performers.
THE ROCK UNPLUGGED airs Thursday nights at 9:00 PM on Comcast channel 194, which reminds me that I need to set this show to record on my DVR.
I had an amazing opportunity the other night to see Mannheim Steamroller performing music from their Fresh Aire series of records at the Tennessee Theatre. For those of you unfamiliar with Mannheim Steamroller, the group is the creation of Chip Davis, ably assisted by keyboardist extrordinaire Jackson Berkey. Davis combined classical influences with modern instruments, and modern sounds with classical instruments creating a jazzy fusion never before heard by man.
And it was good!
Seven albums followed the first, and the Mannheim Steamroller legend only grew when Chip Davis began taking on Christmas music. Davis also composed other music for Mannheim Steamroller, but none of them really grabbed me the way the Fresh Aire series did, so I was very excited to learn that the group was coming to Knoxville to play music from the eight records.
I knew from the beginning that Chip Davis and Jackson Berkey weren’t on the tour, so that didn’t bother me much as Davis oversaw the entire production. There were 5 touring members of the group, including Ron Cooley, probably the only long time member of Steamroller to make the tour, other than conductor Chuck Penington.
The show sounded great, but there was a problem. When Mannheim Steamroller first started out, Chip Davis took great pride in using traditional instruments and stretching them outside of their usual bounds. Most prominently, he was probably the first man in rock to use a harpsichord on a consistent basis. But for this concert, and maybe he’s been doing this for awhile, he chose to go with synthesizers and sequencers, instead of the actual instruments.
For example, keyboardist Jonathan Swoboda was phenomenal playing his instrument, but sometimes it sounded like a piano, other times a harpsichord, and a few disconcerting times, like both. As nearly as I can figure, they used the piano as a Midi Controller for a sequencer in order to get the different sounds. It’s an elegant solution to the knotty problem of trying to take care of a cantankerous instrument like a harpsichord on a nationwide tour, but it was a little bit off putting. I found myself wondering how much of the show was live,and how much was pre-programmed. Even more off-putting were the times when the instrument would continue playing the tune even when the performer was no longer performing.
This became a glaring issue in the second act, when Swoboda shifted from playing the piano to plying a toy piano that had been rolled out onto the stage. I was very impressed with the rapidity of the switchover, and his style while playing, but niggling doubts ran through the back of my mind. Was the toy piano miked, or was that track pre-programmed, and it was all a show? That’s the problem with augmenting a live performance with caned elements; you leave the audience wondering just how much of the performance was real, and how much was Memorex.
Hence the title of this post, artificial artistry. The music was enchanting, and some of the changes in instrumentation brought on by the touring environment were fun to hear. But at the end of the night, I was unsure how much of the performance was the musicians and how much was programmed.
And that bothered me.
What: Regal Entertainment Group presents Sundown in the City 10th anniversary series
When: Thursdays, April 12 thru June 28, 6-10pm
Where: Market Square in downtown Knoxville
How much: Absolutely free! With free parking after 6pm at the Locust Street, Market Square and State Street garages.
KNOXVILLE — One of the most successful ongoing events in Knoxville history began 10 years ago. In 1997, A.C. Entertainment hosted a free concert on Market Square with local favorites Scott Miller and R.B. Morris. A few thousand people enjoyed the exciting street party atmosphere in Knoxville’s downtown district that was just beginning to expand. That initial event has blossomed into a yearly 12-week concert series starring national recording artists and drawing several thousand music lovers of all ages to a thriving downtown with bars, restaurants and retail shops. And the concert series that started it all continues in 2007 with what promises to be one of the most diverse and exciting line-ups in its history:
4.12 — Edwin McCain w/ Antibalas and Low Stars
4.19 — George Thorogood w/ The American Plague
4.26 — Scott Miller & The Commonwealth w/ Anne McCue
5.03 — The Wailers w/ Brett Dennen
5.10 — Brazilian Girls w/ Christabel and the Jons
5.17 — Gin Blossoms w/ Vertigo
5.24 — Corey Smith w/ Jennifer Niceley
5.31 — Ozomatli w/ Toubab Krewe
6.07 — The Avett Brothers w/ Mad Tea Party
6.14 — John Butler Trio w/ Artvandalay
6.21 — Drive-By Truckers w/ Dixie Dirt
6.28 — Tony Joe White and Dave Barnes (co-headline)
UPDATE: Watch live interviews with some of these artists.
via concertwire.com and more here.
For those of you not familiar with the Bijou Theatre here is a little history from the Bijou Theatre website. The Bijou Theatre opened March 8, 1909, as part of an already existing hotel known as the Lamar House. Built in 1817 as a hotel and tavern, the Lamar House is the fourth oldest building in Knoxville. It now houses The Bistro restaurant and the theater’s offices.
The first performance held at the Bijou was Little Johnny Jones starring George M. Cohan on the theater’s opening night. In the next several years, performers including the Marx Brothers, Dizzy Gillespie and many others graced the stage, presenting vaudeville, opera, comedy and more. Special guests watched from the elegant boxes on either side of the stage, while Knoxville’s black theatergoers were relegated to the uppermost balcony during the days of segregation.
Here are a couple of upcoming performances at the Bijou Theatre.
Stellar mandolin player Chris Thile at Bijou Theatre
Who: Chris Thile and the How to Grow a Band featuring Bryan Sutton
When: Wednesday, May 23, 8 p.m.
Where: Bijou Theatre
How much: $19, plus applicable service fees, available starting Friday, March 23, 10 a.m. at the Tennessee Theatre box office, all Tickets Unlimited outlets, by phone at 656-4444 or online at KnoxBijou.com.
At 25, Chris Thile has accomplished more than most: 2 million albums sold with Grammy-winning Nickel Creek, six solo albums (his first at age 12), a side career as an in-demand studio musician, and collaborations with Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck and Jon Brion. But, ultimately, moving to New York was the catalyst that reminded Thile why he started playing the mandolin in the first place. And it’s where he brought together a new-generation bluegrass band to record 2006’s How To Grow A Woman From The Ground.
Amos Lee at the Bijou Theatre
Who: Amos Lee
When: Wednesday, April 25, 8 p.m.
Where: Bijou Theatre
How much: $19.75, plus applicable service fees, available now at the Tennessee Theatre box office, all Tickets Unlimited outlets, by phone at 656-4444 or online at KnoxBijou.com.
Supply and Demand, the second studio album from Philadelphia native Amos Lee, illuminates his growth from emerging singer-songwriter to established recording artist. From the sparse, powerful, family elegy “Long Line of Pain,” to the country ‘n’ R&B-flavored title track, “Supply and Demand,” this album is rich with big league songwriting, compelling musicianship and captivating vocals.
If you plan on attending one of these events you’ll need to know where to park downtown Knoxville. Several parking lots and on-street metered spaces are located near the Bijou Theatre. The closest parking is a pay lot across Cumberland. The State Street, Market Square and Locust Street garages are free after 6 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. Some on-street parking is available on surrounding streets. This link has a map of downtown parking locations.
The University Of Tennessee Knoxville in cooperation with Comcast Corporation launched UTTV on March 1st. UTTV is available on Comcast digital channel 194 and on the UT campus, channel 65 and the new channel will reach nine Knoxville counties, more here. I have been wanting to write about this for several days now but haven’t had a chance to sit down and watch any of the shows. Tonight I was able to spend a little time to do just that.
In the short amount of time I spent this evening watching the shows I was very impressed with the quality of the productions. They are professional with quality content and programming that even a college student might find entertaining. I do hope, in the future, to see live/post coverage by students of some of the less televised UT sports, I think that would be fun. And guys, please look professional and comb your hair before you go on the show. If you are looking for UTTV on the web you can find it at http://uttv.utk.edu/
Of course the channel isn’t all University of Tennessee content as the following excerpt from the press release highlights:
The Video and Photography Department also is working with other departments and community groups to add original programming and entertainment. Viewers also will benefit from free-to-air satellite networks that provide rich programming from the Research Channel; Classic Arts Showcase; Open Student Television Network, which features student programming from across the nation; and Mosaic, which broadcasts world news from around the globe.
If you are lucky (or unlucky) enough to be a subscriber of Comcast, check out channel 194 the next time you are surfing the tube. If you are ambitious enough to get involved with TVC like having your apartment featured on UT Cribs (one of the shows like MTV cribs) for example, email tvc@utk.edu. For more information about UTTV, email uttv@utk.edu.
Next Topic: This morning on the Hallerin Hilton Hill (Triple H) show, Mr. Wetzel was one of the talking points. “David Wetzel is a 79 year old Decatur, IL resident who decided he was tired of the high cost of fuel. So what did he do? He did what our government has refused to do. He developed a way to run his car on vegetable oil. The car works great, but the Illinois Department of Revenue didn`t like.”
If you listened to the show you might remember HHH asking how he made the car run on alternative fuel. In case you missed it or forgot, Mr. Wetzel, a no nonsense guy answered, “I read the book From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank“. For more commentary on this story check here and here.
Sweetheart Valentine Banquet
with Aaron Shust
Monday, February 12, 2007
Dinner at 6:30pm, Show at 7:45pm
For tickets call 865-690-6565
Plan now to bring your special loved one to Knoxville Christian Center’s Annual Sweetheart Valentine Banquet. You and your sweetheart will be served a delicious full meal in a candlelit setting. Immediately following the banquet, Aaron Shust, will be giving a full concert featuring his hit songs. The cost for the entire evening including dinner is only $15 advance donation.
I have been to several concerts at the Knoxville Christian Center and they have all been excellent. This is a great opportunity to have an affordable valentine (week) date with your valentine.
If you are not familiar with Aaron Shust I have embedded one of his popular songs My Savior, My God from imeem.com.
The Blue Man Group is coming to Knoxville at Thompson-Boling Arena on March 4th at 7:30 PM. The ticket prices are $75.00 and $49.50 Reserved Seating. If you haven’t seen this act before you need to go. I had the opportunity to see there show in Las Vegas and I was blow away. The combination of technology, music, paint and all out craziness makes this show a blast for the whole family. Grab your kids and some tickets and I promise you won’t regret it. If you want to find out more about this incredible group you can visit their web page at http://www.blueman.com/. This is a must see event, don’t miss it!
You can get tickets by:
Charge By Phone: “Tickets Unlimited”
(865) 656-4444 or Toll Free (877) 995-9961.
Website: http:/www.knoxvilletickets.com
Box Office: Thompson-Boling Arena
