Alt-Nation: Revival! 2015 and Last Good Tooth The Columbus Collective celebrates three years of the Revival of the Columbus Theatre with a mammoth party featuring a mix of both national and local acts from the genres of folk and Americana with even a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll. Since the Columbus reopened in November 2012 as a music venue, it has hosted over 300 touring bands plus countless local bands, plays and comedians. The theater also has been used as a recording studio where dozens of albums have been recorded as part of the Columbus Recordings. Its two rooms have allowed the Columbus to host everything from national headliners in the main theater to intimate shows with both local bands and up-and-coming acts in the smaller upstairs room where the set-up gives the audience a feeling of being right on top of the band. I particularly enjoy the upstairs for a high energy rock show as being in the seats as if one was in a balcony but yet mere feet away from the band offers a unique perspective. Some standout shows the Columbus has hosted with this effect include Rough Francis, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, and Barrence Whitfield & The Savages. The national acts for Revival! 2015 include violinist extraordinaire Kishi Bashi and indie rockers Screaming Females. Local ghost folkers and co-founders of the Columbus Collective, The Low Anthem, headline the local side of the bash that also includes The Huntress and Holder of Hands (new project of MorganEve Swain from Brown Bird), Last Good Tooth, and Vudu Sister who recently finished recording their third yet-to-be-released record at the Columbus. The show, like the two that preceded it, is called Revival! to celebrate the theater’s return to prominence in the local arts scene. With so much happening in this show, I’m going to focus on the new record from one of the performers, Last Good Tooth, titled And All Things on Scales. Last Good Tooth – And All Things On The Scales (Supply & Demand Music) The members of Last Good Tooth split their time between New York and Providence, which must make for some challenging logistics for practices. Nevertheless, judging by the results, it didn’t impede the construction of And All Things On Scales, which was recorded in the woods of Hudson, New York. Last Good Tooth is composed of Penn Sultan (lead guitar, vocals), Alex Spoto (violin), Kevin Sullivan (electric bass) and Arthur Kapp (drums). As far as audio description, I’d describe them as groove-orientated electric folk if that exists as a term. Last Good Tooth sound as lively and challenging as ever from the horn section on “This Light” and “What I Was Born For” to the indie ghost rock of “Examples.” Brown Bird’s MorganEve Swain adds a hauntingly backing vocal to “Shell.” On “Which Ones To Roll,” Last Good Tooth create a sonic collage between the violins and dirty guitars that light the way on a dreamy odyssey through the night. With And All Things On Scales, Last Good Tooth have created an album too groove-orientated to be lumped in as Americana, too heavy to be mere folk, and too dreamy and complex to be rock ‘n’ roll. The beauty of music is that there is always some sub-pocket of a genre that doesn’t exist till a band like Last Good Tooth comes along and creates it. Catch Last Good Tooth as part of Revival! 2015 celebration at the Columbus Theatre on November 7. The shows also includes performances by Kishi Bashi, The Low Anthem, Screaming Females, The Huntress and Holder of Hands, Mitski, She Keeps Bees, Vudu Sister, Potty Mouth, Home Body, Mal Devisa, Jacob Augustine, INFJ, Ian Fitzgerald, Wes Buckley, Twain, JPA Falzone, Anthony, Savino, and EDT. The music on the main stage kicks off at 7pm, but the first act on a makeshift stage goes on at 5pm. Email music news to [email protected] The Roots Report: Bill Maher Comes to Town LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 23: Television host and comedian Bill Maher performs at The Pearl concert theater at the Palms Casino Resort on March 23, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/WireImage) Okee dokee folks … I, like many, am a fan of stand-up comedy, though the style that I prefer has more of an intellectual edge — stuff that really makes you think. George Carlin and Bill Hicks were masters of this. Nowadays, it seems we get more truth from comedians — like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert — than we get from the news media. In my opinion, one of today’s best comedians is Bill Maher, but he goes far beyond the simple label of comedian. He is also a writer, producer, political commentator, actor, media critic and television host. I became a fan of Bill Maher in the late ’90s when the show “Politically Incorrect” was on network television. I faithfully watched that program every night because I felt he was aligned with the way I thought. I was fortunate to be in the LA studio audience for a taping of two segments of “Politically Incorrect” a few months before it went off the air, victim to the post-9/11 frenzy of fear, because of supposed politically incorrect comments Maher made shortly after 9/11. In 2003, Maher came back strong with a new program on HBO called “Real Time,” now in its 12th season. In 2008, Maher released the documentary film Religulous, inspired by his critical view of religion. He is a supporter of animal rights and is a board member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He supports same-sex marriage and the legalization of marijuana. He is an environmentalist and owns an all-electric Tesla automobile that he uses as his main vehicle. Maher has recorded comedy specials, been in television programs and films, and appears regularly on late night talk shows. He keeps his live, stand-up comedy chops fresh and travels around the US performing on a regular basis. I saw him last in RI as part of the Newport Comedy Series a few years back, and he will return to the Ocean State on November 15 when he brings his sarcasm, satire and wit to the Providence Performing Arts Center. I had the opportunity to speak with Bill a few days ago when he called me from his LA home. At first it was like one of those “can you hear me now” commercials. His landline was down and he called from his mobile phone, which had poor reception. My mobile had even poorer reception so I asked him to call me on my landline. When we finally connected he had to walk around his house to find a spot with the best reception for the conversation. Unfortunately all of the “can you hear me now” significantly ate into the time scheduled for the conversation and he had another interview call to make, but we did get to talk for about 10 minutes. We spoke briefly about “Politically Incorrect” and how September 17, 2001, was the beginning of the end for the nightly program. That night a segment featured discussion of the 9/11 terrorists during which Maher disputed using the word “coward” to describe them. The ensuing controversy and the retreat of ad sponsors were the death blow for the show. The statements that were made were rational and logical, but emotion had the best of the public at that time. We moved on to the election. I had just watched the latest episode of “Real Time” to prep for the talk and Bernie Sanders was a guest that night. I asked Bill if Bernie was his choice for president and he told me that he was. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Maher contributed one million dollars to Barak Obama’s election fund. I asked if he was going to do the same for Bernie if he wins the nomination. He told me, “Because of the way that Sanders is receiving contributions, none from super PACs, I will only be able to contribute $5,400. Phew! I can save some money this time!” He did add, “But if you can’t get the fish, then have the chicken!” This was a statement he used on the latest “Real Time.” Basically he is saying if Bernie doesn’t get the nod then go with Hillary; don’t be foolish and abstain from voting. We talked a little about Fox “News” and how that network exists in a bubble, as does its viewers. He said, “They never talk about actual issues, they discuss nonsense.” I told Maher that I agree with him on just about 99% of what he says. To that he replied, “I hear this a lot and it brings me great satisfaction knowing this. This is one of the reasons that I drag my ass all over the country. People like us don’t really have a church or communion, but the venues that I perform are the closest thing.” Maher’s shows cover most of the topics he feels strongly about — religion, politics, bureaucracies, political correctness, the mass media, marijuana and whatever else he has a mind to rant about. There is a lot of truth to the punch lines. To me and to many others, most of what he says makes a lot of sense. And he makes it entertaining to hear. Do yourself a favor and enlighten yourself to the views and comedy of Bill Maher.