Tag: New Daisy

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Chris Robinson Brotherhood at New Daisy Saturday

Chris Robinson, the former bandleader of The Black Crowes and the singer and guitarist of The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, is bringing his band to the New Daisy on April 1st, but before the show, he’s got some other work to do while he’s in Memphis.

“I’m always excited to be in Memphis, always excited to play music,” he says, “but I’m mostly excited to go to Payne’s Bar-B-Que to get a sandwich.” As thrilled as he is to chow down on some Memphis barbecue, though, Robinson has another Bluff City errand to run before the band takes the stage at 330 Beale Street.

“I have a coat that [Donald] ‘Duck’ Dunn gave me years ago that he used to wear on stage with Booker T. and the MGs that I’m going to let the Stax Museum borrow from me,” Robinson says and laughs before continuing, “My kids have seen it, and they’re not impressed.”

Though he was born in Marietta, Georgia, Robinson’s Memphis-soul roots grow deep — The Black Crowes’ first hit was a cover of a Steve Cropper-produced Otis Redding song, “Hard to Handle.” The catchy, raunchy version of the song helped catapult the fresh-minted blues-rock band’s debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, to platinum status on the Def American label.

But if you’re headed to Saturday’s show at the New Daisy, don’t expect to hear the recklessly delivered, Southern-tinged blues-rock of The Black Crowes. Since its formation in 2011, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood has been dishing out a steady stream of California rock. The CRB, as they are often called by fans of the band, let Robinson’s newly penned songs stretch out, gave them room to twist and turn. Robinson and crew had something less polished and more psychedelic on their hands.

The band eschewed the usual channels, declining to sign with a label and instead took their new songs on the road, up and down the West Coast. The Chris Robinson Brotherhood taped their shows and made them available online through their Raven’s Reels series. “I didn’t want to deal with any record companies. I didn’t want to deal with anyone telling us what it was or what it wasn’t going to be,” Robinson says, managing to come across devoid of bitterness, simply a man who knows what he wants. The plan, Robinson continues, was to let the music steer the ship, to forget plans and marketing.

And that plan has yielded results. Given the freedom to experiment (both sonically and with the means for delivering their music to their fans,) The CRB has grown organically, and though their near-constant tour schedule and jam-friendly songs garner them the occasional comparison to the Grateful Dead, the listener can’t ignore the hints of Sly and the Family Stone or a well-traveled air reminiscent of The Band. Really, though, the band sounds like nothing so much as themselves — a group of musicians in their prime, playing the songs they want to play the way they want to play them.

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood released their fourth studio LP, Anyway You Love, We Know How You Feel, in the summer of 2016, and the third volume in their Betty’s Blends live series, Self-Rising Southern Blends, is set to be released on May 5th of this year. The series compiles live tracks recorded and mixed by the famous Grateful Dead archivist, Betty Cantor-Jackson. “It’s not about the money to us,” Robinson says of the series, but about “The sheer idea that Jerry Garcia’s friend and engineer, one of the first women in the industry to be and do what she did and does with those ears” is personally mixing the band’s live album series. “People use Betty’s name in the Grateful Dead,” Robinson adds. “They sell her recordings, and people take credit. It’s kind of nice to take care of Betty.”

Though the band’s music tends to defy easy classification — beyond simply calling it rock-and-roll — the most fitting description seems to be cosmic American music. The Chris Robinson Brotherhood manages to come across as well traveled, but Robinson is too energetic and exuberant to be called road weary. The band draws extensively from American roots traditions, but the electric guitars are featured too prominently to allow CRB to be saddled with the mostly meaningless Americana label. No, cosmic American music seems to fit best. Robinson is a musician that values the journey and the experiences gained, and CRB continues their musical journey, making a stop this Saturday night at The New Daisy Theatre. With four albums and an EP’s worth of material to draw from (as well as an impressive catalogue of covers — seriously, check out their version of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”), The Chris Robinson Brotherhood is sure to put on a good show.

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Saturday, April 1st at The New Daisy Theatre, 8 p.m. $18 – 20.

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Keep a Blank Face

ScHoolboy Q seems like an unlikely rapper to be positioned as a commercial success. Born Quincy Matthew Hanley, Q’s output details a frank portrayal of life as a Crip at 12 years old and a drug dealer by age 14. Juxtapose that with his stint as a promising college athlete, and you’ll scratch the surface of Hanley’s complexity. This year’s Blank Face LP comes on the heels of 2014’s platinum-selling Oxymoron. Q’s latest release is the transformative result of growing into fatherhood while reflecting on the addiction, depression, inner-city survival, and pressures of success that have marked his life. Musically, it’s his most dynamic — flowing between hazy meditations, unveiled lyricism, and funky, west-coast melodies and beats.

ScHoolboy Q and Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ bring the Blank Face Tour to the New Daisy on Saturday, September 24th. To prep, I looked at some of the album’s highlights.

“Dope Dealer” feat. E-40

If ScHoolboy Q breathed new life into gangsta rap, he took notes from Three 6 Mafia to do so. “Dope Dealer,” the ninth track on Blank Face, samples the Memphis rap collective’s “Playa Hataz.” Q talks about slinging cocaine and oxycontin (“I got them egg whites and them oxtails for the low / Got them hot wheels gotta push start and it go”), a reality he’s experienced. His flow sounds celebratory, but it’s a look at the world that shaped him. It’s the same imagery that painted Three 6 Mafia’s discography. Q’s just carrying the torch.

“THat Part” feat. Kanye West

“Me no conversate with the fake,” Q raps, opening the first verse of Blank Face‘s second single with one of the most memorable lines of the year. “THat Part” is a boast, a cheers to lavish success that’s allowed Q to drop $250,000 on a McLaren 12C sports car. Q raps “bang this shit in the hood one time” during the hook, an homage to 51st and Figueroa Streets where he grew up in Southern Los Angeles.

Kanye West, the enigma he’s become, comes out swinging in the second verse. Riffing on fame and fidelity, West notes that at the peak, people listen more to the echo-chamber of opinions about him and less about what he says. (“You was listening close though / You wouldn’t listen to the flow though.”)

“JoHn Muir”

ScHoolboy Q freestyled every lyric on “JoHn Muir,” a track that borrows its name from Hanley’s middle school. The stomping grounds where Q started carrying a gun at 13 years old and selling drugs by age 14, Blank Face’s 10th track provides context on Hanley as a wide-eyed kid molding an identity. On the chorus, Q raps about “bellin'” through the street — a term coined by West-Coast rapper WC — while a chorus of voices and horns fill out the background. It’s smooth, soulful, and an easy track to revisit.

“Black THougHts”

A phone recording from Trayvon Ray Cail, who was facing a first-degree murder charge at the time the song was written, leads the track: “Our experience to where we have parents in our lives that were showing us everything, like didn’t nobody walk us … show love like you do this and don’t do that. It wasn’t like that coming up in our community.”

“Black THougHts” is an autobiographical depiction (“sharing food with roaches / poppa was a bitch / mom’s slaving for the rent”) of Q’s initiation into gang-dom. Later, Q raps “Ain’t nothing changed but the change / Let’s put our brains away from gangs / Crips and Bloods the old and new slaves.”

Here, Q condemns the lifestyle he props up on Dope Dealer. He puts his shame on the table, and it’s one of the more memorable, genuine moments on the album.

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Young Dolph at the New Daisy

Young Dolph will perform at the New Daisy Theater Wednesday as part of his “Royalty Tour.” Young Dolph- Real name Adolph Thornton Jr.- released his debut album King of Memphis in February, and the rapper has been making waves since then, most notably appearing on the O.T. Genasis track “Cut it.”

Check out the video for “Cut It” below and get to the New Daisy by 8 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets are $20-$30 dollars and advance tickets are available. 

Young Dolph at the New Daisy

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Music Music Features

All Hail the Purple One

This Friday, the two most prominent music venues in town will hold tribute concerts honoring the late, great Purple One. The New Daisy will host an evening of “Catalog Sessions” documenting the music of Prince with a performance of three different sets of his music, while Minglewood Hall will be hosting a “Memphis Does Prince” benefit with all the money going to St. Jude. Much like the Minglewood show, “Memphis Does Bowie,” curated by Graham Winchester, the “Memphis Does Prince” benefit this Friday features a ton of local musicians covering Prince’s music. On the other side of town, the New Daisy will have Larry Springfield along with Chris McNeil and friends on hand to perform Prince covers all night long. I caught up with Winchester to learn more about his tribute concert at Minglewood Hall this Friday. — Chris Shaw

The Memphis Flyer: How will this be different than the “Memphis Does Bowie” benefit?

Graham Winchester: The band lineup is very different, which I’m excited about. Through these “Memphis Does…” benefits, I want to incorporate as many local artists as possible. The music itself is also very different stylistically. Bowie definitely had some party tunes in his catalog, but not to the extent of Prince. I think this show will be one for the dancers.

Prince, much like Bowie, had a pretty unique, instantly recognizable style of music. Did that factor into how you picked the bands?

I definitely tried to pick bands that have an upbeat, funky vibe. There is also a strong need for great vocals and guitar work with this benefit. I didn’t get every band I wanted, but I got the main ones, and I’m happy with the results.

How appreciative was St. Jude about the Bowie benefit?

They were extremely appreciative and have been so helpful the second time around. I’ve had several meetings with employees at the hospital about not only this benefit, but how they can help with future shows as well. Everybody at St. Jude has been incredibly enthusiastic, appreciative, and even surprised at what is going on.

The Bowie benefit was a huge success. Do you expect a similar turnout?

I feel like the turnout may even be slightly larger than last time. I think there’s a lot of momentum and expectation going into this second benefit. My goal is to raise $25,000 this time.

Talk about the after party that’s 21 and up. What’s that going to be like?

My good friend Graham Burks is going to play the after party with his band mars HALL. It’s in 1884 Lounge, connected to the main room of Minglewood Hall, so it’ll be a great way to continue the Prince party without having to drive anywhere. There may be some impromptu collaboration involving all the musicians after mars HALL is done.

How will the show be formatted? How many songs does each band get to play? Will there be deep Prince cuts or solid hits all night?

Most bands will be playing three or four songs each. Toward the end of the night, my band is going to play seven or eight songs, and we’ve incorporated several special guests into our set.

After that Hope Clayburn plays for about 45 minutes, then Steve Selvidge plays the final 45 minutes. This time around I wanted to get a few headliners to play some solid, full sets so the night ends with a good flow. Overall, there are over 60 songs being played, so there is a good mix of hits and deep cuts.

“Memphis Does Prince,” featuring Steve Selvidge, Hope Clayburn, Winchester and the Ammunition, the Incredible Hook, Southern Avenue, Clay Otis and the Addults, Chinese Connection Dub Embassy, Lightajo, the Erotic Thrillers, Marcella Simien, Another Green World, Kitty Dearing, Jesse Davis, and more Friday, June 10th at Minglewood Hall. 8 p.m. $15-$17. All ages.

“Catalog Sessions” with Larry Springfield and Chris McNeil, Friday, June 10th at the New Daisy Theatre, 8 p.m. $30.00.

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Music Music Features

Q&A: George Clinton is Still Funkin’

The New Daisy is turning 74 this weekend, and to celebrate, George Clinton will be on hand to make sure the party goes well into the night. The venue will be mounting memorable show posters on the walls throughout the night, including the Bob Dylan concert flyer, and a Big Star show poster. While those shows definitely deserve recognition, the real draw here is George Clinton. I caught up with Clinton over the phone last week to talk about the show and how he manages to keep it funky at the age of 74. — Chris Shaw

The Memphis Flyer: How often are you performing these days? Are you able to tour as much as you’d like?

George Clinton: I generally tour all the time. We live on the road. We’ve been doing a 30-day tour in the states starting tonight. Then we go to Europe for 30 days, and then we come back here and do the same thing. We’ve got a couple new records out and a new video with Kendrick Lamar and Ice Cube that we’ll be promoting.

George Clinton

You’ve worked with a lot of rappers throughout your career. Is there any current artist you’d like to work with that you haven’t yet?

The group Alabama Shakes. I really like them, that’s the rock side of me. The hip-hop side of me [would like to work with] J. Cole. My grandkids show me what’s hip, there’s about five of them in the group now, and they keep me up to date on what’s going on. Flying Lotus is who I’m touring with right now.

Your ties with Stax Records and Memphis run pretty deep.

Al Green, Isaac Hayes, and the Bar-Kays have all been on tour with us. I go way back with all of that. In the ’60s, those were our touring buddies, and we were united with Stax and a lot of other Memphis connections. It’s always good to play Beale Street Music Fest.

Back in ’76 we had the Mothership, and it really blew a lot of minds to see the spaceship landing, and people were freaking out when we brought to Memphis. The Mothership in ’76 and ’77 pretty much freaked everyone out across the country.

How do you feel about your music being sampled by so many artists over the years?

I’m proud of being sampled. The corporations that try to own the music is what I have a problem with. That’s the part I’ve been fighting, and I’ve got a documentary coming out about that. My latest album is going to tackle all these pharm drugs you see on TV that are actually worse than street drugs. It’s going to be called One Nation Under Sedation.

You’ve been clean for a while now. Can you still get funky now that you’re sober?

Definitely. As soon as you find something better than the habit, you don’t need it anymore. All that rehab shit is just for people to make money. I smoke weed. I got my medical marijuana card, and I get higher with that than I ever did smoking crack. The weed nowadays gets you much higher than the crack I used to smoke. I sprained my back and they gave me these painkillers, but I won’t take that shit. I’m happy being clean, and I’m not bragging. I’m just happy to be over with it, and I know people need to hear these things without being preached at.

What’s been the secret to your longstanding career?

I feel lucky, but coming through the ’50s when rock-and-roll was coming up and then working at Motown factory with the best songwriters in the world, you learned to respect all the different music coming along. I’m not afraid of the kids coming along today. I’m not afraid of them putting me out of business. I’m trying to work with them. I get on YouTube with my grandkids and hear their mix tapes, and then I work with them.

It keeps me relevant, just like when I worked with Kendrick Lamar. We are basically doing R&B with this 21st century dance concept. Snoop and all them from that era, they didn’t identify with R&B the way they do now. They are all really proud of R&B now, and so the younger generation respects the music itself. The new era of rappers appreciates blues and R&B. That’s what keeps the music alive.

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John Lydon on What the World Needs Now

CREDIT: Paul Heartfield

John Lydon is one of the most quotable men in the music industry. He’s been considered one of the biggest instigators in punk rock history, but chatting with him these days, it seems as if Mr. Rotten has a heart of gold. I talked with Lydon last week about his new album, his D.I.Y. ethic, and his love for the Peabody Hotel in a conversation that was as interesting as it was inspiring.

Memphis Flyer: In 2012, Public Image Ltd released their first album in 17 years, but the band has been back together since 2009. What led up to the reformation? What clicked to make you want to start again?

John Lydon: The two decades out there in the doldrums were me arguing with the major labels I was on. I couldn’t function as a musician, so I had to go and find other work. I’ve given a lot to the music industry, and they’ve taken a lot from me. But there’s no self-pity involved in this. The time off allowed me to recharge my batteries.

How do you feel about people chalking you up as just a reunion act?

It’s music, and, as long as you live, you have music in your soul. It shouldn’t be this attitude of “how dare you [reform], go away and die.” We do this music because we love it. Not much happens in the teenage angst years that is relevant to the whole experience. I view myself as a folksinger, and folksinging has no limitations. I’m true to my Irish roots, and we will continue to write rebel songs. As long as I live, I will rebel.

You’ve had complete control over this new album and the singles that are coming out soon. You funded the album, released it yourself, and drew the singles artwork yourself. How important was that to you?

It was worth every second of the effort. Most of my career was fraught with problems with the record labels because I absolutely refused to compromise. Patience is a virtue. Possess it if you can. I’m able to sleep well at night because I tell no lies, otherwise I wouldn’t be worthy of my name. My culture would despise me. It’s all family values to me, but I don’t mean in a Republican way because, let’s face it, all their families are fucked.

The drawings [on the singles] represent the prankster, the trickster, the joker. That’s the person that mocks ceremony, the most excellent character that every culture needs. The clown is actually the most intelligent, as we know with politicians.

What are your thoughts on punk/post-punk music as a genre these days?

I want to listen to an original point of view. When I hear bands that are imitating a genre or a style, I lose interest. Variations on the theme don’t come into my dreams; this is why my music collection is so huge. There are enough of us out there creating original music, and more than enough imitating, of which I’m not the slightest bit interested in.

I recently read an interview where you said you weren’t going to cancel a gig because of a boo-boo on your ankle. What’s the worst thing personally that’s happened to you on tour?

I once had to cancel because I tore the back of my throat from oversinging. It has to be pretty damn serious for me to let everyone down. I was raised with proper Irish sensibilities to never let no one down. This is why our audience respects us. They have every right to demand that from us. We don’t need light shows, or dancers, or fireworks. We aren’t a Las Vegas production. The heart and soul of live music is connecting with the audience’s eyes. It’s the point and purpose of my existence.

What is the lyrical process like for you? Do you have ideas or fully-written songs before the music is written?

No, I never do it that way because we play so intensely and tour so extensively. In my last book, Anger Is an Energy, I wrote about things I’d never openly declared before, but now I can open the doors to that side of that me. I’m not looking for sympathy any longer. I wanted to see if I could survive in the world on just my merits alone. I endured one hell of a horrible childhood, but I’m still here, exploring now these painful areas, personal loss when your memories are stolen from you. We have to learn to share our pain and share our joys. I’m not interested in people who continue the spreading of hate. I never have been, which is what I’ve always been accused of. I’ve never written a song attacking a human being; I’ve attacked institutions because those are what divide us.

One of the earliest punk shows in Memphis occurred when the Sex Pistols played at the Taliesyn Ballroom. Do you remember anything special about that show?

Yes, I’ve heard that place is a burger bar now.

It’s actually a Taco Bell.

Well, that’s great I guess, if you’re interested in getting diarrhea. Memphis is a very special town to me. My best friend and manager got married there, and I’ve always had a very fond attraction to the Peabody Hotel. The Peabody is not just a hotel. It’s an absolute cultural icon, and without our past, there is no future. Everything is connected.

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Music Music Features

Hometown Throwdown II at the New Daisy

This Saturday, six local bands will attempt to revive the local modern hard-rock scene at the newly renovated New Daisy Theater on Beale Street. The Hometown Throwdown is now in its second year, but the premise is simple: throw a single night showcase that features some of the best of the harder rocking bands in Memphis (known in some circles as Guitar Center rock). Festival promoter Gary Segars (and member of the band Prosevere, who headline the event) said that the main goal of the Hometown Throwdown II is to prove that people still care about hard rock in Memphis, which is alive and well here.

“The Memphis music scene used to have Crippled Nation and Piston Honda and Logic 34, and they could play to several hundred people any time they performed,” Segars said.

“Now it’s really difficult for kids to go and see shows because everything is 21 and up. The New Daisy was one of the only places younger music fans could go to see local bands.”

So far Prosovere, One Less Reason, Empire City, Surrender the Fall, the Passport, and Devices Divide Us have been announced for the one-night-only event, and the gig also serves as a coming-out party for the new local label Tattooed Millionaire records.

“Basically, we want to showcase the local rock scene and show that we can still pack this place out,” Segars said. “We want to give these local bands a chance to play in front of a new, all-ages crowd, to get them in front of new fans, and show that there are still a lot of different things going in Memphis.”

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Disco Donnie Partners with New Daisy, The Palace

Skrillex, one of the artists Disco Donnie has booked in the past.

Disco Donnie Presents, the award-winning, electronic dance music (EDM) event production company has signed a partnership agreement to become the new EDM booking partner and event producer for the New Daisy Theatre and The Palace. Owned by SFX, Disco Donnie Presents is the largest EDM promoter and producer of live events and entertainment content worldwide.

This partnership marks another major step forward in the development of East Beale Street for partners Steve Adelman and JW Gibson. DDP produces over 1,000 club events, arena shows, and outdoor festivals worldwide each year, headlined by such acts as Tiesto, Skrillex, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Steve Aoki and Avicii.

In a press release issued on Tuesday night, JW Gibson, a native of Memphis and partner of the development projects, noted the strong role East Beale will play for the downtown community.

“With the inclusion of DDP in the mix, we have taken another important step in realizing the potential of downtown Memphis as a diversified entertainment destination on a local, regional and national level,” Gibson said. 

Currently under restoration, the New Daisy Theater will have capacity for over 1100 patrons, VIP viewing areas, a smoking patio, along with newly designed bar areas and expanded restroom facilities. Once completed, The Palace will be able to house 2,400 patrons.

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Reigning Sound Returns

Reigning Sound ringleader Greg Cartwright played an impromptu acoustic set at Goner Records Friday, November 30th, in part to celebrate the completion of the band’s most recent album. The former Memphian, now comfortably ensconced in Asheville, North Carolina (asked before his set if he were tempted to move back, he charitably responded that he loves visiting Memphis), played with his band at the Gibson Beale Street Showcase over Thanksgiving weekend, then spent the following week holed up at Ardent‘s Studio C, with Doug Easley engineering.

The newly bearded Cartwright said during his Goner set that the new album would be released via the In the Red label in late spring. After spending time in the past year backing up (and, in Cartwright’s case, producing and writing for) former Shangri-Las singer Mary Weiss and keeping the Reigning Sound section of record-store racks stocked with outtakes (Home for Orphans) and live (Live at Goner, Live at Maxwell’s) discs, this will be the band’s first album of new material since 2004’s Too Much Guitar.

The Reigning Sound isn’t the only high-profile Memphis-connected band that’s been in the studio working on an early-2008 release. The North Mississippi Allstars have announced that their next album, titled Hernando, will be released on January 22nd. The band’s first studio album since 2005’s Electric Blue Watermelon, Hernando will also be the first released on the band’s own label, Sounds of the South. The album was produced by Jim Dickinson in September at his Zebra Ranch studio.

If you missed ambitious local rock band The Third Man‘s record-release party for its new album Among the Wolves at the Hi-Tone Café, you can make up for it this week, when the band plays an early-evening set at Shangri-La Records. The Third Man is set to play at 6 p.m. Friday, December 7th, and it’ll be interesting to see how the band’s epic, guitar-heavy sound translates to a more intimate setting.

The Memphis Roller Derby will take over the Hi-Tone Café Saturday, December 8th, for their second annual “Memphis Roller Derby Ho Ho Ho Burlesque Show.” In addition to skits featuring the Derby gals, there will be plenty of musical entertainment as well. Longtime local-scene drummer/commentator Ross Johnson, fresh off the release of his “career”-spanning Goner compilation Make It Stop: The Most of Ross Johnson, will be backed by an “all-star” band he’s dubbed the Play Pretteez. Johnson also will retreat back behind the drum kit alongside Jeff Golightly, Lamar Sorrento, and Jeremy Scott in a British-invasion style band called Jeffrey & the Pacemakers. Rounding out the music will be electronic dance act Shortwave Dahlia and DJ Steve Anne. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $10.

Australian Idol winner and MemphisFlyer.com celebrity Guy Sebastian has released his Ardent Studios-recorded debut The Memphis Album, crafted with MGs Steve Cropper and Donald “Duck” Dunn headlining a terrific Memphis studio band. Sebastian clearly loves Memphis soul, but his take on the genre is too respectful and too unadventurous for his own good. He sings only the most identifiable hits (“Soul Man,” “In the Midnight Hour,” “Let’s Stay Together,” etc.) and mimics the original recordings too closely. Still, it’s a better Memphis tribute than actor Peter Gallagher’s. Sebastian will be taking the core of his Memphis band — Cropper and Dunn along with drummer Steve Potts and keyboardist Lester Snell — on an Australian tour starting in February.

The Stax Music Academy‘s SNAP! After School Winter Concert will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, December 8th, at the Michael D. Rose Theatre at the University of Memphis. Stax Music Academy artist-in-residence Kirk Whalum will be performing alongside the kids, as will soul singer Glenn Jones. Tickets to the SNAP! concert are $5 and are available through the Soulsville Foundation development office. Call 946-2535 for details.

Finally, congratulations to the New Daisy Theatre‘s Mike Glenn, who is the only Memphian receiving a Keeping the Blues Alive award from the International Blues Foundation this year. The awards will be presented February 2nd during International Blues Challenge weekend.