Jazz Insights: Bonnie Mann

Three years ago we lost one of ’s popular cabaret singers. Eighty-five year old Bonnie Mann (Boncorsi Wotherspoon) was born in Pawtucket. Known for her big- band style singing she regularly could be found throughout Rhode Island with many of the great performing jazz and dance groups. Bonnie sang at the old King & Queens’ Restaurant on Mineral Spring Avenue with, at the time, the young Mike Renzi and others. Her beauty, style and professional voice continually captured local audiences. Her renditions of early American Song Book compositions became favorites among her loyal following. She was a constant worker for the Providence Musician’s Union and was known by musicians state-wide. Her friends numbered in the hundreds. In her later years she performed quite regularly with the late Mac Chrupcala and his several jazz groups. Bonnie kept singing with her heart to her very end; she died in January 2015. The jazz industry in Rhode Island will not forget the late Bonnie Mann.and her dynamic jazz singing voice. Ball Drop Beat Drop: More fun than should be allowed

Much like the extra dry champagne served on the holiday, New Year’s Eve traditions can be a bit stale. Interested in switching it up? Then head to Platforms Dance Club in Providence on December 31 to ring in the new year at Tight Crew (TC)’s Neon Masquerade Ball! You may want to buy your tickets now, because this limited-ticket event will feature 16 DJs from all over the US, fire performances, a heated outdoor tent and a game room! So pick out a cute outfit and get plenty of rest, because the event runs from 6pm to 3am.

Headliners include Ducky (LA, dubstep), Lady Faith (LA, hardstyle) and DJ Venom (RI), who will be spinning a special freestyle set. Since this is a TC party, event-goers can plan on stopping by the free kandi-making and fresh fruit areas. As for the midnight countdown, attendees will be treated to a larger-than-life neon orgy of colorful lights, sounds and confetti cannons.

“We have never done a masquerade ball before. This will take a classic, timeless New Year’s theme and put our blacklight immersive neon twist on it. It is a fun layout for a party; the main room will be amazing and the second room is going to be a 30-by-60 heated tent outside,” says Keith Woods, co- founder of TC. “There is also a game room and entire room for vendors,” he added.

This will be TC’s second event at Platforms (the first was Yoshi’s Island earlier this year), and it’s a great location for the celebration. “The outdoor area will have a full concert sound system and lighting rig as well as lots of neon artwork and fire performers outside the tent,” Woods explains. According to Woods, TC’s New Year’s resolution is, “to provide an all-inclusive, non-judgmental community space for anyone with an open mind and continue to give a stage for all forms of popular and underground. We are excited to ring in the new year with the tight Crew family. Join us, we want to be your friend.”

Admission to Tight Crew’s Neon Masquerade Ball is 18+ (21+ to drink). Tickets are tiered, meaning the sooner you get them, the lower the price! Tickets are available at tightcrew.net

Keep on Moving: Time Keeps on Slipping: Check out these shows to close out the year, and feast your eyes on a few 2019 predictions

At the end of the year it is natural to look back on what transpired, but here at The Motif, we keep on moving forward. At first I was a little apprehensive about offering predictions for music in 2019 considering the differences in genres. To say music is going to be more political, electronic or whatever is difficult because people are always doing whatever one can dream of. But then, after some tequila, the hot takes just kept coming through my crystal ball and wouldn’t stop, like that thing in Jeepers Creepers. Here are a few of them.

I predict 2019 will be a huge year for Asia that did the ’80s hit “Heat of the Moment.” Everyone deserves a second moment, and it’s been 30-plus years for Asia — they are due! I believe the original and deceased members of the Ramones will agree to reunite as holograms to headline Coachella; however, due to internal bickering between the holograms, they will break up before they get through the count in to the opening of “Durango 95.” Burrillville will emerge as the center of hip- hop. Sean Spicer will move back to Rhode Island and start a black metal band with Allan Fung and Lincoln Chafee. Cat Country 98.1FM radio will become more tolerable by changing their programming to feature more cats and less country. I feel like both Tone Loc and William Hung are due for a comeback. I sense that 2019 will be a huge year for yacht rock DJs. It will be the year that John Fuzek does a column that doesn’t start with “Okee dokee.” Classical music will go grunge. The Kinks will once again talk about reuniting … next year. Keep On Moving columns will include more lists because they are quick reads and easy to understand. The Big Hair Sluts will be the next big band from Rhode Island. Steve Smith (from Steve Smith & The Nakeds) will find a better local beer to sponsor him. The point? In the words of Joe Strummer, “The future is unwritten,” so sharpen your pencils.

Top 5 Ways to ring in New Year’s Eve:

5) New Year’s Eve Reggae Bashment at Alchemy in Providence.

4) Empire Revue’s 6th Annual Dance Party featuring The Empire Revue and Superchief Trio at AS220 in Providence.

3) Nate Cozzolino & The Lost Arts, The Atlantic Thrills, Harvey Garbage, Green Sabbath, and The Benjis are at Dusk in Providence.

2) EARTHKRY, Chachi Carvalho & The International Players, and The Gnomes with DJ Paulie Danger spinning between sets at the Parlour in Providence.

1) The Silks and Eric And The Nothing bring the retro rock ‘n’ roll to The Met Cafe in Pawtucket.

I&R – Reconnecting with Josh Cournoyer

Native Rhode Islander Josh Cournoyer moved to Nashville a few years ago and given his destination, it is not surprising he is still making music. The former frontman of Northern Lands, among other bands, has a new project called I&R that is releasing their second single, “Addendum,” on online streaming services on December 28. I&R will be celebrating the single’s release with a show the next night at the Columbus Theatre. I&R’s full-length debut, Bankrupt City, is finished and will be coming out next year. Cournoyer shared the record with me and is it mean to say how surprised I was by how much I liked it? The flow of “Addendum” reminds me of Springsteen sans E Street Band spiked with a southern twang. The first single, “Venice,” wrestles with finding one’s place in the world and spirituality in a world littered with sidewalk messiahs and the unasked for plastic Virgin Mary that mysteriously shows up on your lawn. Lyrics like, “I fought a little battle to get a break from these wars” capture the disillusion with the modern illusion. I’ll talk more about the rest of the album when it’s coming out, but it’s like hitting a Vegas buffet where you got everything from rockers (title track and “Silhouette”) to the string- colored acoustic majesty of “Manifesto” where Cournoyer offers his support with “if you want to burn down the patriarchy tonight, the least I can do is pass you the light.”

As for what is I&R, Cournoyer tells me, “I&R was always meant to be a collaborative. The connective thread would be the songs and stories, but I wanted to bring in a variety of players for both the studio and live setting to help translate the music. The idea was that no project’s lineup, in my almost 20 years of being in bands, has ever persisted for more than a few years, but the benefit to that is being able to play with a diverse group of musicians and approaches to creativity. I&R as a name very much has a reason, and a specific one at that, but I love the idea that people can project their own ideas to the meaning onto those letters, much the way people project their own meaning onto the songs.”

In addition to working with some acclaimed producers and engineers, Cournoyer collaborated with friends from home including MorganEven Swain (The Huntress and Holder of Hands and Brown Bird). Cournoyer relays: “We were joined there by MorganEve Swain; she’s handling second vocal duties on ‘Addendum’ and also contributed the strings on ‘Venice.’ MorganEve has been a pretty consistent part of our live contingent as well; she added so much depth to the record, and working with her has been a blast.’’ I&R, John Faraone, and Mountainess will be playing the Columbus Theatre on December 29.

The other top 5 shows to catch before the calendar turns to 2019 are all bangers:

5) Fungus Amungus does a reunion show with Cosmic Factory at The Met Cafe on December 28.

4) Grinchfest 2.0, featuring sets by Karma Rocket, Foxx Doll, Jets Can’t Land, Sick Pills, and David Tessier All-Stars, are at Askew on December 21.

3) Doyle (of The Misfits) is at FMH on December 28.

2) Cactus Attack is at Nick-A-Nee’s on December 29.

1) Ravi Shavi celebrate the release of Blackout Deluxe (Almost Ready Records) with a release show with Nova One and Nice at AS220 on December 22.

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The Roots Report: Kodachrome: Time to take some folkin’ pictures

David Crosby performs at The Zeiterion. If you have to ask about the photo credit, you’re not reading very carefully.

Okee dokee folks… When I was a teenager going to concerts, I took a lot of photos with a cheap, pocket- sized Kodak camera that I borrowed from my grandparents. I used to take some halfway decent concert photos with that camera. I took a photo of Steven Tyler at the Civic Center, had it blown up into an 8×10, and at the next Aerosmith show, I brought that photo with me. By a strange happenstance I met Steven Tyler that night and I showed him the photo. I asked him to sign it and he said, “Sure, do you have a pen?” I didn’t, and never again went to a concert without a Sharpie. I also decided that I needed a nice 35mm camera to photograph concerts. I borrowed a friend’s Minolta when I went to see the Rolling Stones in 1980 and I got some images on film, but I couldn’t really call them photographs because I had no idea how to use the camera. So I learned. I went back to school as an art major, and one of my majors was photography. I won a few art awards from my photographic work and that helped pay for college, and I ultimately obtained a master’s degree and actually taught photography for a bit and took photos for weddings, product shots and other photo jobs. But I wasn’t taking concert photos. By then, they had started restricting camera use at music events.

As years passed, photography turned digital and film was becoming passe. I sold my darkroom equipment and one of my larger format cameras to buy a state-of-the-art digital camera. I used it for about a year, but it quickly became outmoded, which turned me off digital photography. My gear collected dust and a few years later I just gave it all away.

As a columnist for Motif I have had many opportunities to photograph concerts if I only had a camera. So I bought a camera from a friend and decided to give photography a try once again. I got my first photo press pass to the Farm Aid show (Willie Nelson, , Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp) a few months back. It only took me 40 years to finally achieve what I wanted to do as a teenager! Now when I go to shows I get a photo pass, bring my camera and photograph the bands, which lets me add another dimension to my concert reviews. Check them out on the Motif Facebook page — I will always be adding more (Facebook.com/MotifRI). Read on…

The year is winding to a close so here are just a few shows for your consideration over the next couple of weeks. Saturday, December 22, it’s Chan’s Annual Holiday Extravaganza hosted by Jimmy “2 Suits” Capone & The All Star Chan Clan Band! This show is a Chan’s tradition and a Chan’s crowd favorite (chanseggrollsandjazz.com)! The Pump House in Wakefield hosts its monthly Open Mic and Potluck Social on December 29. Signup starts at 5:30, and the show begins at 6pm and runs until 11pm. There are 30 spots available. Also coming up at the Pump House are Ian Fitzgerald with Rachel Sumner on December 21, Cowboy and Lady Christmas Show on December 22, and the Jonnycake Center Fundraiser on January 3 (pumphousemusicworks.com). The Courthouse Center for the Arts continues its tradition of rocking in the New Year with Neal and the Vipers. The party will kick off at 7:30pm on Monday, December 31 and besides music, there will be appetizers and food from local restaurants as well as raffles and prizes (courthousearts.org). Celebrate the New Year with Mike (Fishel) Bresler & Phil Edmonds when they perform originals along with traditional Irish and Jewish melodies interposed with comedy at Sandywoods Center for the Arts in Tiverton on Sunday, January 6 at 1pm (wandywoods.org).

Oh, and if you are looking for a great selection of used vinyl for folks on your shopping list, I discovered that Barrington Books Retold in Garden City has it. I’ve been playing some music, songs for you to shop by, at their stores this holiday season. That’s it for now. Thanks for reading. JohnFuzek.com

The Roots Report: David Crosby at the Z Okee dokee folks… At age 77, David Crosby seems to be at the top of his game. It’s almost as if he has captured his third wind (maybe even his fourth or fifth at this point). David Crosby, best known as a member of two iconic bands, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, has been riding high from the success of his past couple of albums. Croz and his band treated the near capacity crowd of the Zeiterion Theatre to an aurally satiating performance.

The audience was composed of lots of grey ponytails and even a David doppelganger on December 7, and most were probably there to relive the music of their youth. They were given a taste of something new instead. Crosby’s band was simple, but he has found an arrangement that he loves. His trio of backing musicians was composed of singer-songwriters, much like the CSNY grouping. Becca Stevens added guitar, mandolin, ukulele and vocals; Toronto’s Michelle Willis played keys and sang, and Snarky Puppy’s (Crosby often spoke highly of this band) Michael League rounded out the combo with vocals, guitar and bass. Their sound felt very Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young-ish, but with a feminine twist. Crosby was the spotlight performer, but he graciously shared it with all members on the stage. Each was given a chance to present their own material in addition to what they already had co-written and performed with music legend. It took a couple of songs for Crosby to pick up a guitar, and many numbers during the night only had him contributing vocals, though during the first set he did play a couple solo. Much of the evening’s music had a jazzy, acoustic feel that fell in line with the feel of Crosby’s classic, “Deja Vu.” And while “Deja Vu” was one of the tunes he did play in an extended version, most of the material came from his latest releases. The 18-song, two-hour show did include some of his better-known songs such as “Guinnevere” and “Carry Me.” It wasn’t until the encore that he delved into more familiar territory with an amazing rendition of ’s “Woodstock” that was closer to her original than the CSNY version. When Becca Stevens took a verse, you would have sworn that Joni was behind the microphone. Surprisingly (because of their falling out), but not surprisingly (because of the subject matter and anthemic nature of the song) the evening ended with Neil Young’s “Ohio.” He told the crowd to get up because they couldn’t sing this one sitting down and said, “You need to sing really fucking loud!”

Crosby seems like he has a new lease on his musical life and is helping to launch the careers of his bandmates as well. He seemed jovial at times and kept his political commentary to a minimum. Many times over the course of the evening he expressed his love for the Zeiterion Theatre and said he will be back. Hopefully he does come back again and again for many years to come!

That’s it for now. I have added photo albums from recent concerts (including David Crosby) at the Motif Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/MotifRI). Check them out! Thanks for reading. JohnFuzek.com

Hip-Hop: Bas Brought His Talents to The Met

Exactly a month removed from VanJess and Masego setting The Met ablaze with some R&B tunes, I found myself back at the venue again, this time for a hip-hop showcase. On the ninth stop of his Milky Way tour, Bas brought his Dreamville talents to Pawtucket’s The Met to turn up with fans for the night, but he didn’t come alone. Bas pulled up with Correy C, Innanet James & Rexx Life Raj — we were in for a night diverse hip-hop performances.

The night was opened by local artist SLITTYWRISTS, who stepped up and set the tone for the night. They performed between five and seven songs; one of the songs that stood out the most to me was an unreleased track titled “Lullaby.” The song featured a lullaby-type chord progression backed by boom- bap drums. The track reminded me a bit of Yelawolf’s 2011 track “Good Girl.” The song showed some promise for SLITTY, and I’m excited to hear what’s next.

Up next was LA rapper Correy C. While SLITTYWRISTS’ performance was a rock and alternative blend of hip-hop, Correy came with a more trap effect for his set. I’d heard of him through various tracks by Bas and other Dreamville members, but I had yet to hear any of his personal music, and it was a pleasant surprise to see and hear what his own style was. Correy’s set was filled with the the whole trap shebang — 808s, high hats and all. Rocking the stage for about a half hour, he performed a few songs from his catalog including “Foreign Girl,” “One Girl,” & “Far I Came.” While his performance was good overall, one of the important things I noticed was his gratitude and overall appreciation of being able to perform. Correy had just been released from jail about a month before the show, and it was very clear that he was extremely happy to be back on stage and performing for people, a level of gratitude that at times artists don’t show. It was really warming to see this. Next up was an artist that I was most excited for other than Bas: Innanet James. After listening to his music for a few weeks, specifically his Keep It Clean project from earlier this year, and speaking to him backstage, I was interested to see his live performance. Innanet’s set was a little different than the last two; compared to the high-energy of their sets, his was more laid-back and relaxed. He performed a few cuts from the 2018 project, including my favorites “Better Without You” & “Where You Been,” as well as “Summer” from his 2016 album, Place. His relaxed approach brought somewhat of a feel-good spirit to the crowd. It was a well-needed but enjoyable break from the quick-tempo of the night.

Before we got to the headliner of the night, next up was Rexx Life Raj. Repping westside full-heartedly, the Berkeley, Calif, rapper pulled through with a similar feel-good spirit as Innanet James, but his came with a slight bounce. I had seen Rexx’s name sporadic through various projects and songs I’d came across (Elujay’s “Mrs. Jackson,” G-Eazy’s “Wave” & more). Despite this, I had not seen enough to really know what to expect from him. Performing a number of great songs from his catalog, including “Where I Belong,” “Level Up” & “Time,” I was blown away by the quality of the music. These were great songs he performed and I caught myself immediately adding them to my library, song after song after song. Rexx is also a top-notch performer, singing his way through performances, his voice was very soothing and pleasing to the ear. He displayed a level of talent that I had no idea he had, but being blown away made the concert more enjoyable for me. He was definitely my surprise act of the night and also served as a perfect and smooth segue to the night’s headliner.

The moment everyone had been waiting for had finally arrived. At this point, I’d been at the venue for nearly seven hours so I was definitely nearing my death bed, but with the set Bas had, there’s was no way I was going to be able to lay in it. With it being the Milky Way tour, the majority of Bas’ set consisted of tracks from the album; “Purge,” “Front Desk,” “Barack Obama Special,” “Designer,” “Spaceships + Rockets” and more all saw insanely energetic performances. Speaking of energy, the amount Bas brought to his set was incomparable to a number of artists who I’ve seen. Performing almost 20 songs, Bas put his all into each performance of each song, he started off at a high octane, kept it high throughout the show. My favorite section of his performance was the three-song section of “Methylone” to “My N***a Just Made Bail.” The Met was absolutely ROCKING through this section, even my exhausted self found the energy to turn up and lose myself in the music, just like everyone else in the crowd.

Most of Bas’ music in the past was very cold and cloudy and with Milky Way, he traded that away for warmth and summery vibes, and this change proved extremely beneficial for his set. Ending his set with “Boca Raton” & “Tribe,” which respectively feature A$AP Ferg & J. Cole, these same warm feeling that these tracks produced stood as the perfect ending to his set, almost like he was riding off into the sunset. I caught up with him backstage, and it was clear that he had very much enjoyed his set and had given it his all as he damn near sweat his shirt out. This was his first time performing at The Met since his joint tour with Ab-Soul back in 2014, and he was happy to back and even more happy to see the city still was rocking with him. The Roots Report: An Interview with Edwin McCain

Okee dokee folks… Singer-songwriter Edwin McCain may not be a name that is at the forefront of your brain, but you definitely know his music. His songs “I’ll Be” and “I Could Not Ask For More” are mainstays of “lite” radio, have become classic wedding songs and are often sung on “The Voice.” McCain has released 11 albums and five have reached the Billboard top 200. I spoke with McCain last week and I honestly have to say it was one of my more enjoyable interviews!

John Fuzek: Hey, Edwin, it’s John from Motif magazine in Rhode Island. Edwin McCain: Hey, John, how’re you doing? JF: Alright, how are you? EM: Good! JF: Are you in South Carolina now? EM: Yes, but I am actually driving and heading to Georgia right now! JF: You’re driving? EM: Yes JF: Are you okay to talk? EM: I got my headset on and everything is good! JF: So, you are headed to the Odeum in a couple of weeks EM: I am looking forward to it, I don’t think I have ever played there before JF: I am not really sure, too many things to remember these days and my own gigs, too! EM: It all runs together, doesn’t it? JF: Yeah, it does! So, are you playing tonight? EM: Yeah, it’s a private, corporate thing, Christmas party JF: What time does that start? EM: 7 JF: Not too long of a drive is it? EM: Nah, it’s like an hour and a half, no big deal JF: What part of SC are you in? EM: I live in Greenville JF: so you are just going over the border pretty much EM: yeah, it’s literally like a two hour drive JF: That’s not too bad! So, at the Odeum will you have a band, trio or playing solo? EM: Trio, I rarely play solo, Craig and Larry and I have been playing together for so long it’s just easy to play this way JF: What is the instrumentation? EM: My sax player, Craig, he plays wind controller, saxophone and various wind instruments and Larry is my guitar player, and Craig, we’ve been playing together almost 30 years, and Larry’s the new guy in the band he is a scant 25 JF: Wow, this getting old thing sucks, I think of where I was at that age and it’s a drag! EM: Are you my age? How old are you? JF: I am ten years older than you! EM: oh, ok, so you’ve got road years on me and road years are like dog years so you’ve got about seven years on me! JF: So you’re two big songs are songs that are big at weddings EM: Thank, God! JF: How do you feel about that? Are you a big wedding person? EM: Well, it’s interesting because when i was in the throes of it, when Atlantic was pushing me to be this balladeer, I was in my 20’s, oh my gosh, 28 year old me, I was like (said in a goofy voice), “I don’t want to be known for just singing wedding songs”, and 48 year old me looks back and thinks what a douchebag 28 year old me was, I couldn’t see how ridiculously lucky it would be to have a song be considered a wedding song, right, that just didn’t occur to me, i was like, (said in a goofy voice again),”well, that’s not cool…I wanna be ironic and I wanna write these dark songs and stare into my belly button” and now I just laugh at what an idiot I was and I laugh and I always say that 48 year old me would never be friends with 28 year old me at all, not one single bit! I am so lucky to have a job playing music and I wouldn’t care if they were known for being in cat food commercials! As long as I get to play gigs and there are people there, are you kidding me? JF: You know, you are the first person I have ever interview to actually say this! I look at it the same way and I am grateful I can play music! EM: Oh, my God! Nobody has any clue how lucky, like the fact that I was so oblivious to how ridiculously lucky I was to be when I was, you know the thing about it is, in your 20’s, like I wanted to believe that it was because “I got a talent” but you know what, lot’s of people have talent! The timing of it is everything. Like Malcolm Gladwell has this book called Outliers and that is all you ever need to know about what success is. It has mostly to do with timing, a lot of people put in their 10,000 hours but timing is what plays a crucial function and we were so lucky to be when we were and we worked really hard, I’m not going to say that we didn’t work hard because we worked our tails off but so did a lot of people, at the end of it, I think the people that I met along the way that are still playing after 30 years, I’ve never met anyone who isn’t grateful, you can’t be here this many years and not realize how supremely lucky you are, my wife laughs at me because every year I give her the “2 year speech”, I’m like, “Baby, this is only going to last a couple more years, I got to find another job” and she just laughs at me! And then someone on American Idol sings it again, and I got a new job! JF: I have a song that’s been played at a couple of weddings, I have never performed it at one, it’s a real schmoltzy song that I wrote with a friend, sometimes I am embarrassed to play it but I have played it opening for some national acts and these little old ladies went right out and bought the CD and I was like “Yes!” EM: Yes, Yes! That’s the other thing, the songs that I love are the ones where other folks go get a beer, I am not allowed to ever be the one that picks the single, like one year at the record company I forced the issue and made them let me pick the single, I know which song is going to connect, I thought and I pushed this song called “See The Sky Again” it didn’t even circle the bowl! I don’t think we got one, it was so ridiculous how wrong I was and from then on, and the other thing, too, always the songs that I think are going to register with people it’s never that, that was the lesson where I learned art isn’t about intention it’s about interpretation, and it isn’t art until it’s been interpreted and it’s none of your business how they interpret it, like when people ask me what does this song mean I never tell them because what i meant is off compared to the way some people have heard it, and I’m like “that’s a way better reason!” I realize that it’s sort of like giving credit to the lightning rod for the lightning, this stuff is out there, we try to get in the way of it, we try to be a good conduit for it, but never in any moment are we the genesis of it JF: It does take on a life of its own EM: right, it should, and if it’s good you’re just letting pass through you and all of my heroes and all of the people that I revere as musicians, artists and songwriters are the ones that it just flows through them effortlessly JF: and who are they? EM: Kevin Kinney from Drivin’ n Cryin’, David Wilcox he’s another one who can just tackle some 5000 year old biblical human condition and can sew it up in 3 1/2 minutes with elegant language where it all makes sense with interesting guitar parts JF: he’s got all those capos going on! EM: Right! and part of it, too, you know I really love the 80’s, I can’t listen to it now, don’t ever think I am sitting around listening to Husker Du, but the 80’s punk, these bands back then that I was way into because of what it was, it was music for its sake, it was a voice, it was energy, that kids needed to rally around and so I was into that so I think that sort of educated my position on what music was supposed to be and it probably cost me a lot of money, too cause that punk ethic runs contrary to commerce at times so, but I love the idea of just being out there playing and I did not function very well in the big label model where you trying to just go on a campaign JF: I am not really a big fan of that whole process, I have been doing music for most of my life and I just play it because that is who I am, if turns into a business it kind of sucks the life out of it EM: Music and money are two completely different substances, it’s oil and water, you can put it in a paint shaker and shake it up and it will separate, right, I have always found that to be true and another thing to, I never wanted to go, and that was the big conundrum, too, the big, the big Diane Warren song, like that was a little bit of a moment of sell out where I agreed to that song because they paid me to do it and I never wanted to do other people’s songs, I felt that when I was going to hear a songwriter i was going to hear something perceptive, this is what they’ve mined out of life, you know, this is where they’re coming from, that was the thing that would always blow me away was someone’s interpretation of their life so far was the whole idea for songwriting, that’s what I loved about songwriters that I was a fan of, this is the poetry they’ve mined out of the dirt and not a song that 3 songwriters wrote in a writing room for a song pitch and you know, it’s not fictionalized JF: sometimes you have to do those things because it allows other people to hear what you do EM: Agreed, and I had to come to that conclusion, it was a narrow minded way of looking at it but it was always how I approached my career JF: it’s just a way of evolving, too, that just shows that you can evolve, some people can’t evolve, and they’re not capable of doing any mental evolution, the fact that you can shows where you are as a musician and an artist EM: It’s like Billy Joe Shaver, Billy Joe sort of, when Billy Joe is playing you a song, you know that that is some shit that happened to him, and I love those songs, but he also wrote songs for other people, so I get it, but it took me a bit to be able to get there JF: Sometimes it’s just s tory and it’s interesting to repeat a story that someone else has told and you give your version of that story sometimes it can be done in an interesting way, kind of like the Jeffrey Gaine’s version of Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes”, totally different but both great versions EM: Jeffery is a huge influence on me and a good friend as well, I’m a huge fan of Jeffery’s, when I point to should have beens I point to Jeffrey, like why wasn’t Jeffrey the biggest thing on earth, well, there’s a lot of reasons, and it wasn’t Jeffrey’s fault JF: There’s a lot pf people like that! It’s sad, we could sit here and name all the people who should have been, I know lots of them, that’s the way that it is, you just do it because you love it, and if you can get on a bus that’s going somewhere that’s great EM: The other thing is that in the back of my mind I am totally fine just one day just being back on the deck of the restaurant and playing gigs back where I started, I’ve got no problem with that JF: You’re still playing music EM: It’s that gig snobbery thing, I’ve seen a lot of people kind of end their careers because they can’t go back to that little place that they used to play JF: I am playing those kind of gigs because it keeps me playing, otherwise I will go periods of time without playing at all EM: That’s the thing that cracks me up, the people that come hear you play don’t think about that ever JF: Right, it’s a gig and you’re playing! EM:I just like to play certain places because it sounded so good in there, there is this one place that I used to play that had this big brick wall and was out on a patio but the sound used to just soar and it sounded so good and I used to play there all the time JF: I play places like that, there is this place in Northampton that I love, and I don’t make much money but I love it, it’s a guitar shop/bar/performance space EM: I know that place! JF: It’s just a cool place, it’s a two hour drive but I have met some great musicians there and the best part is that the first time I played there a dog sat at my feet while I played, how much better than that can you get? EM: Isn’t that the funniest thing? I had a Golden Retriever come on to stage during a big festival gig, walked up the loading ramp and then just sat down next to me for most of the gig, just sat there looking at the crowd smiling… *NOTE: we went a little off track talking about some mutual friends in the business…so i skipped this part…but it came around to this… EM I say this all the time, “The only currency of my life has been the relationships, the friendships that I have made along the way and the rest of it is just ancillary” The friendships are the real treasure, there’s no doubt JF: Does your wife give you shit about your life? EM: Oh, never JF: Then you are golden, that’s one of the downsides is that you are in a relationship with someone who doesn’t get it and that makes it suck, but other than that it’s usually great, as long as you are with an understanding person EM: Yeah, that was kind of Rule #1, this is what it is, but personally I modulated my tour schedule just so I could be home more for my kid, and I think think that I found the sweet spot right around 70 shows a year, I think that’s the magic number JF: As long you can make it work and everyone is happy then that’s the way to do it! EM: I am the bus driver and I am doing a lot of the maintenance, we are just mean and lean JF: So, going off subject a bit, it sound like you had another project at one time called “Flipping Ships” (TV show), is it still going on? EM: Yeah, I;m not doing television ever again! That’s a classic case of me coming up with a idea and thinking that it was a really good idea and then just working my ass off to make it happen and then realizing that this is a horrible idea (lots of laughing) JF: So I guess that show is not on anymore EM: No, they actually came back and asked me if I would do a reboot of it and I just priced myself right out of the stratosphere because it just wasn’t enjoyable, television is just really stressful JF: Well, you gave it a shot EM: That’s the thing, you know, nobody can tell you when to back off an idea if you haven’t accomplished it, I wished that I had a crystal ball, future me could have come back and said, “Hey, man, this whole TV thing is going to be a 2 year waste of your time!” But, I am glad that I did it and it was an interesting experience JF: So does that mean you are into boats? EM: I was! I don’t like them anymore! I would come home at 5 o’clock in the morning after working on some boat all night long and I would look at my wife and go, “I don’t like boats anymore!” I guess what I am is a chronic restorer of old things and I like fixing up old things because they have stories attached and old boats have loads of stories and most of the stories are good and people hold onto the old boats and have all these memories attached to them and it was fun to try to take people’s memories and help them out JF: well, the reason that I brought it up was that East Greenwich is town that has boats, right down the street from the Odeum are docks and stuff, and Newport is a big boat town EM: Oh, yeah, right on, I am still in the process of restoring this old Hatteras that started this whole thing in the first place JF: Do you live on the water EM: we are about 40 minutes from a lake, down on the coast in Charlestown, and I used to be a pretty avid sailor, JF: Have you ever done the “Stephen Stills thing” and incorporate it into music videos? EM: No, and I felt like after “Cool Change” Little River Band and Christopher Cross I feel like they said all that needed to be said! They kind of did it! I felt like I would just be running over the same old ground, right, although, however, Bertie Higgins did it best JF: I don’t think that I know him EM: I’ll just go ahead and say “You’re welcome” cause when you hang up with me, YouTube Bertie Higgins “Key Largo” and watch that video and then enjoy yourself because it may be one of the greatest like 70’s yacht rock videos of all time! JF: Oh, wait a minute, I don’t know that one! The one that mentions Bogie and BaCall! EM: Yup! JF: Well, it’s been a pleasure talking to you! It was fun. EM: I have a feeling that if we lived in the same time we would hang out! JF: I am going to try to get to your show, I have a gig during the day but I think I can make it EM: Don’t kill yourself because I plan on phoning it in anyway! (laughs)…I’m KIDDING… JF: I have never seen you play and I think that I should EM: Yes, come! JF: Cool, I will EM: 10-4 JF: Good luck with your gig tonight, have a safe drive and I will see you next week! EM: Thanks!

Roots Report: Lindsey Buckingham at Garde Arts

Okee dokee folks… I was fortunate to attend the Lindsey Buckingham show at the Garde Arts Center in New London last week. First of all, for those of you who think the Garde Arts Center is too far, you are wrong. It is a VERY easy drive and about 50 miles from Providence. It’s the distance of Boston without the traffic nightmare. It took me just under an hour to get there. Second, there’s lots of parking right there; there’s a large free lot across the street, street parking and a parking garage next door that usually costs between $5 and $10. Third, it’s a great sounding, 1,400 seat theater with main floor and balcony seating. The staff is very friendly and accommodating as well. While some of the shows they have come through Providence, they do get some shows that are exclusive for this area. So far, besides Buckingham, I have seen Donovan and David Crosby there. When I saw those two shows the Garde was the only one that had them. Both great shows. So, if I were you I would sign up for their mailing list so you don’t miss out. I know a lot of folks were disappointed that they missed the Lindsey Buckingham show, even though I MENTIONED IT IN MY COLUMN! For more, go west to: gardearts.org

Lindsey Buckingham, of Fleetwood Mac fame, played to a crowd of about 900 last Thursday, November 29 at the Garde. For those of you who are fans of Fleetwood Mac and the solo work by Buckingham, this was a treat. As many of you may know, Buckingham is no longer with Fleetwood Mac. This is the second time that Buckingham has been out of the band. In both cases it has taken two guitarists to replace him, which signifies the talent that he possesses as a musician. Buckingham’s performance Thursday night reinforced that.

Buckingham began his two-hour show with “Don’t Look Down” and quickly followed with “Go Insane.” He spoke of his new solo anthology and how “cathartic it was to curate the collection” and that some of the songs that they would be performing had never been performed live before. He added, “It’s been a surprising year and we’re making a new start … and we love you all so much!” He continued his set with “Surrender In The Rain,” “Doing What I Can” and another of his solo hits, “Trouble” After a few more, the band left the stage to Buckingham and his guitar. He played one of his Fleetwood Mac songs, “Never Going Back Again,” more slowly and soulfully than it was recorded or performed in the past. His rendition of “Big Love” put to rest any doubt who had the talent in the Mac. After a few more songs with the band, including the song from the film National Lampoon’s Vacation, “Holiday Road,” “Tusk,” and “So Afraid,” he closed the set with “Go Your Own Way.” After rousing applause and a standing “O,” Buckingham returned to play three more songs and to introduce the band. He did not simply introduce each member by name, but he spoke in length and very highly of each player. His band was made up of drums, bass and two keyboard players, one of which handled the sampled sounds (at one point there were dogs barking) that Buckingham likes to include in the mix. He wrapped up his encore with the song “Treason” with the refrain, “Deep down there’s freedom, Deep down there will be a reason, At the end of the season, We will rise from this treason.” Was this directed at the state of this nation or toward his former bandmates? Either way, it was a powerful song to close out the night.

Buckingham’s frenetic finger-style guitar playing is unique to him. It is part of what makes his sound special besides his voice, songwriting talent and production skills. If I wanted to sum up this concert with one word, I would just say “Tusk.” This show made me feel like the first time I listened to the Fleetwood Mac album, Tusk. It was an album ahead of its time and really let Buckingham take the production reins. A lot of the music made me feel like we were in Lindsey’s disco. It was music that made you want to move. Buckingham seemed sincerely grateful and appreciative toward the crowd. He mentioned that this was just the beginning of bigger things to come for him and that he and the band are looking forward to it. All in all it was an amazing night of music from a true rock legend. If he makes his way though the area again, you should make an effort to see him. It is hard to understand how a talent of his magnitude plays to an audience of only 900 while Fleetwood Mac, a band that he is more responsible for the sound of than the remaining members, will be playing two nights at the Garden in Boston next year. I have seen Fleetwood Mac without Buckingham and no matter how many guitar players you add, Lindsey cannot be replaced. I was very grateful to see his show again this time around.

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading. JohnFuzek.com Roots Report: Humbug Redux: This little strummer boy is still a soldier in the war on Christmas

Photo Crdits:https://www.flickr.com/photos/66048 309@N00/

Okee dokee folks… It is that time of year once again. People whine about not hearing “Merry Christmas.” Well, guess what? You won’t hear it from me either! I have been in the trenches of the War On Christmas for more than 30 years since I realized how foolish the whole concept is. Also, there are a bunch of overlooked holidays between Thanksgiving (yeah, don’t do that one either) and New Year’s. So, if anything, “Happy Holidays” is the appropriate thing to say! Someday folks will wise up. Until then I will just keep not having a “Merry Christmas” and instead, this year, I’ll just have a happy Tuesday! Read on…

If you are a fan of CSNY then take note: the “C” will be in town on Friday, December 7! That’s right, The legendary David Crosby of Byrds and CSNY fame will be playing a show at the Zeiterion Theatre in New Bedford. I caught a solo show by Crosby last year and while he is not my fave among CSNY, I was amazed at how much I loved his show! He has a great band and his newest album has been getting both rave reviews and great word of mouth accolades. Croz made a surprise showing at last year’s Newport Folk Festival and gave them a taste of “Wooden Ships.” If you are even a mild CSNY fan, you will want to see this show! The Z is great place for concerts! It is easy to get to, you can park right next door in the parking garage and there are no bad seats. For more about this show and more, “Deja Vu” to zeiterion.org

While I am not a lover of Christmas and all of its trappings, I am a fan of Common Fence Music and Erin Young. CFM presents The Sweetback Sisters Country Christmas Singalong Spectacular! This show was such a hit last year that Erin brought it back. This wildly popular show delivers a veritable explosion of yuletide splendor, complete with trivia, prizes and, of course, all the holiday tunes you know and love. Year-round, the Sweetback Sisters and their band of brothers wow audiences with their precise, family- style harmonies and blazing instrumentals. The Queens of Christmastime bring their signature mix of modern nostalgia to a wide array of holiday classics and hidden gems. This show will take place at the Portsmouth High School Auditorium, located at 120 Education Lane. For more, humbug to commonfencemusic.org

I first met Dylan Sevey a few years back after he performed a song during the Indigo Girls’ concert at Lupos. To my surprise, he was the son of a couple I knew in high school. Dylan impressed me with his performance and music, and I worked with him a few times over the years. These days he lives in Nashville and is often on the road playing music. He will be back in town for one show only and for this, he reunites his band The Gentlemen (Brendan Moore, Rich Domings, David Ponte, Keaton Albro). This homecoming show sold out last year, so get your tickets early. Dylan Sevey and the Gentlemen will be at the Courthouse Center for the Arts in Kingstown on Friday, December 14. Also at the CCA is the Neil and the Vipers NYE Bash (courthousearts.org).

Singer-songwriter Edwin McCain may not be a name that is at the forefront of your brain, but you definitely know his music. His songs “I’ll Be” and “I Could Not Ask For More” are mainstays of “lite” radio, have become classic wedding songs and are often sung on “The Voice.” McCain has released 11 albums, and five have reached the Billboard top 200. I spoke with McCain last week and it was one of my more enjoyable interviews! Read it at motifri.com/edwinmccain

McCain will be bringing his trio to the Greenwich Odeum on December 15. I am looking forward to this show! Also at the Odeum will be Darlene Love, Dark Desert Eagles, Christmas With The and Blue Oyster Cult. For more, “Russian Roulette” to greenwichodeum.com

On Sunday, December 16, there will be a benefit for Stand Up For Animals at the Knickerbocker Music Center in Westerly. The show features John Speziale & The Friends (an all-star band with members of Sweet Mercy, Sunday Gravy, The Hoolios and more!) with special appearances by Craig “The Strolling Fiddler” Edwards and Dancing Santa! Raffles, silent auction, photo booth and a dance contest are also part of the evening. Show starts at 6pm. Also at the Knick are Al Copley, Hayley Jane & The Primates, Anna May and Avi Jacob. For more, woof over to knickmusic.org

Years back, I was fortunate to perform at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. It is one of the preeminent folk festivals in the country and runs for three weeks from the end of May into June. If playing music on a ranch in the sweltering Texas heat is on your bucket list, then you will want to pay attention. Entries are now being accepted for the 2019 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters, to be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 25 and 26, 2019, during the first weekend of the 48th Annual Kerrville Folk Festival. The first 800 entries postmarked or submitted online by February 28 will be judged, and 32 finalists will be named in April. For more, get the folk over to kerrvillefolkfestival.org/newfolk

Other shows you should try to get to are Chris Trapper at Askew on Thursday, December 6 (askewprov.com), Darlingside at the Columbus Theatre on December 9 (columbustheatre.com), Newport to Nashville Showcase with Joanne Lurgio, Mary Day & Allison Rose at the Newport Playhouse on December 13 (newporttonashville.com) and Becky Chace at Sandywoods on Saturday, December 15 (sandywoods.org).

Last week I attended the Lindsay Buckingham (of Fleetwood Mac fame) show at the Garde Arts Center in New London, Conn. You can read my review of that show at motifri.com/buckingham2018 That’s it for now. Thanks for reading. JohnFuzek.com Good Deeds on the Dance Floor: Local EDM DJs break it down for a good cause

Do you love electronic music? Do you also care about people in need in your community? What about 48-hour dance parties with myriad talented DJs? If you answered yes to two or more of those questions (or even one!), then you need to get your life by dancing all day and/or night at Good Deed DJs’ (GDDJ) upcoming Christmas Marathon!

From December 14 through 16 (for the third consecutive year), the RI-based professional organization will raise money for Cumberland Happy Basket, a charity that distributes hundreds of baskets of food to families in need during the holiday seasons. This year, the event is supporting Toys for Tots as well, by hosting 48 hours of continuous music, a promoter discussion and more.

This year’s event will be held in two Massachusetts locations. The first 24 hours will he hosted (as in, they are lending their business space for free!) by Hennessey Sound Design (Taunton) and the second 24 will be hosted by Supreme Sound & Lighting (Charlton).

Nearly 60 DJs from New England and beyond are booked to spin some funky beats throughout the weekend. Local EDM event producers, promoters and partygoers — including members of Tight Crew, the Mutiny, Rabbit Revolution and Nexthype Providence — will gather to stir up some money for the charities.

This year, GDDJ co-founders Jack McDevitt and Michael Savant are extraordinarily ambitious, and for good reason. “With a staff of nearly 90 people, this is the first year we will have a full staff with tech, hospitality and general assistants in place,” says McDevitt. “We expect it to be our best event yet… To date we have raised more than $10,000 in our last two events, I think making us the largest donor to their amazing program.” They are hoping to raise $17,500 from this year’s Christmas Marathon. For the next year? $30,000.

Also on the docket for GDDJ in the near future (2019): becoming a registered 501(c)(3) organization. This could spread awareness and boost donations by helping to certify GDDJs’ legitimacy as a nonprofit.

As for what sparked their nonprofit organization, McDevitt and Savant were initially inspired by seeing icon Jenny Lewis raise money for MS research and treatment with telethons.

“We also saw the amount of people we could bring together through music, and really wanted to push for a change in how that influence was yielded,” explained McDevitt’s partner, GDDJ co-director Michael Savant. “New England has an incredible amount of talent in its electronic music scene, and its backbone is rock solid; what better place to start making a change than from within?”

For more information on Good Deed DJs and their 3rd Annual Christmas Marathon, visit Facebook.com/gooddeeddjs