Show Review: Willie Nelson's Country Throwdown @ the San Diego County Fair

SHOW REVIEW
WILLIE NELSON'S COUNTRY THROWDOWN
@ THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY FAIR

WILLIE NELSON
JAMEY JOHNSON
w/ Adam Hood & Dani Flowers

  I can't go to a show at the San Diego County Fair without mentioned the San Diego County Fair itself.  It is quite the institution when it comes to publicly sponsored fun.  Two comments, and that will be all:

  1.  The San Diego County Fair is synonymous with the definition of the word "sublime" as used by Edmund Burke in the 18th century, as in "the horrors and harmony of [the] aesthetic experience."  BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIFYING, in other words.
  2.  The San Diego County Fair is an economic powerhouse- according to a source it is only one of two Fairs in the Western Fair Association (which is itself AWESOME, btw.)  NOT to receive public money.  Think about it. Pays it's own way- powerful incentive for institutional independence.


       A note on the venue.  It's my believe that the stage that they use at this event is "the" stage of this size for a large size concert.  I'm quite sure I've seen the same stage here, as well as other locations, and I am left with the distinct impression that there is one, and that it moves around, and that you need to know where the stage is going to be in order to reserve it- I'd imagine up to a year in advance.  Despite the fact that the Fair is probably the best customer for "the stage," they don't use the space very efficiently- or I guess they chose not to last night- with only a tiny "pit" area with seats, and then the race track seating.  My observation is that this was a choice made to make the crowd easier to supervise, particularly considering the "hot button" topic of marijuana smoking at concerts as it might impact the current "debate" over local ownership.  Personally, I think letting Del Mar "take over" the fair considering the Fair's present economic strength is ludicrous.  Yeah Del Mar City, maybe if you PAID for the Fair, you might have a point.

     We arrived in time to catch the full set of night-time opener Jamey Johnson.  With all deference to lastfm, I think his play count of a half million is deceptively low: Lastfm is heavily weighted towards Artists who have emerged AFTER lastfm itself began to be used around the world.  If you hop on over to Myspace, the overall playcount of 18 million speaks to an Artist popular at least 2-3 years ago.  If you look at his Wikipedia it shows an Artist who had a break out single in 2005, didn't deliver on the follow-up full length, withdrew for a year or two, switched labels and came back with a songwriting style and sound that allows him to cross-over to the pop charts.  Despite his ability to cross over on the Album chart, his singles have "stayed country" which is either what he wants or something he's trying to work on.

  Given what I heard and saw last night: 8  piece ensemble, guitar rock solos, the answer is for him to deliver his own (better) version of the country-rock stylings of American Idol winners, but I suspect from his direct lyrics and black-shirt and jeans persona that Jamey Johnson is a bit of the moody artiste, and I wouldn't want he or his fans to take this comment the wrong way.  I can see why he was opening for Willie Nelson, and I think the crowd was into it.  They were certainly in seats and paying attention during his set.  Seems like he should be able to write up a cross-over country rock hit, probably a ballad.

  Between Johnson and Nelson they had two solo acoustic performers do one song each.  Adam Hood and Dani Flowers.  Flowers has no record yet but a publishing deal with SONY/ATV which makes me think she has been around in some capacity other then as a performer.  Hood has 80k last fm plays, which makes me think he must have played earlier on a different stage and got this slot as a reward or something.  Pretty good mechanics- and something to apply to a rock milleu, where you could have bedroom one man artists alternate with live bands in a basically seamless fashion at a venue as small as soda bar or Casbah- just have the solo artist play the atari lounge/pool room while the next band sets up.  You could get the show done in half the time.

  I know Casbah does this but they always have BANDS in BOTH rooms: You don't want alternating bands, you want alternating bands and one or two person projects.  Just from a sheer economics/logistics perspective there is something SO REWARDING about a one person musical act- and as long as the songs are good people don't give a shit, be it country singer/songwriters or  synth music.

  Headliner Willie Nelson is a legend- someone whose Wikipedia Willie Nelson Discography Page tells an amazing 20th century story.  Let me tell you a fact about Willie Nelson:  In 1984-1985 he had FOUR STRAIGHT Pop number one singles.  Four in a ROW, man.  That is ridiculous.   Who put out all four number one hits? Columbia Records.  1984 is when the "music industry" had it going on.

      Now 78, Nelson continue to play because he loves what he does, or at least that the distinct impression I got from his PERFORMANCE rather then the catty comments of haters in the Audience.  Nelson's style is not a Vegas influenced hit parade, but rather a genuine attempt of an aging Artist to stay true to the essence of his nature.  The set lasted an hour, he played two hits and we were all treated to his inestimable style of guitar  playing which is best summed up by this quote from the Acoustic Guitar Forum last October:

     Willie's obvious jazz background shows itself in the rhythmic (and melodic) phrasing he uses in his solos. Also a lot of Latin sounding stuff. He is one fine guitar player. (ACOUSTIC GUITAR FORUM)


      Now, I'm willing to acknowledge that jazz influenced guitar playing is aesthetically valid, and that people with good taste like it because it is different, uses different string arrangement and time configurations, etc. etc. etc.  Me, I like to hear the hits, particularly when the Artist is 78.  On Facebook, Best Coast's Bobb Bruno compared his style to Jandek:





   I'm pretty sure he was not joking, because I can hear the similarities.  Upon reflection, I guess it's a pretty cool style to have, but I just don't have the particular taste for it because I'm not into experimental, jazz influenced guitar.  The fact that Willie Nelson has great timing and could play however he wanted, if he so chose, was apparent.


  Here's a little jazz guitar to close this out- enjoy it, ok?

TODAY @ THE FAIR: WILLIE NELSON'S COUNTRY THROWDOWN

EVENT PREVIEW

WILLIE NELSON'S COUNTRY THROWDOWN
BROUGHT TO YOU BY KEVIN LYMAN (WARPED TOUR)
WITH ARTISTS:

WILLIE NELSON  (5 MILLION LASTFM PLAYS)
JAMEY JOHNSON (HALF MILLION)(IN COLOR VEVO LINK)(4 MILLION you tube plays 2008.)
RANDY HOUSER   (450K) (BOOTS ON VEVO LINK)(650k you tube plays 2009.)(COPENHAGEN RING REFERENCE EXPLAINED.)
JACK INGRAM   (577K) (BAREFOOT AND CRAZY VEVO LINK)(258k you tube  plays 2009.)
LEE BRICE   (300K)  
BRANTLEY GILBERT  (68K)
CRAIG CAMBELL (8k)
LUKAS NELSON AND THE PROMISE OF THE REAL  (WILLIE NELSON'S SON: 1k)
DRAKE WHITE (>1k)

BLUEBIRD CAFE STAGE
(BUY TICKETS)

ADAM HOOD
AUSTIN LUCAS
BRENT COBB
CAITLYN SMITH
DANI FLOWERS
ERIN ENDERLIN

2 PM START (DOORS AT 1 PM?)
THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY FAIR

   For the record, I did not alter the line-up as it appears on the official site.  With the mild exception of Jack Ingram, the Last.Fm play statistics EXACTLY REFLECT the order in which the Artists are listed.  I would take that as an example of a non-rock genre reflecting my observations about the accuracy in last.fm plays accurately mirroring the indexical  popularity of an artist.

  Country Music is the great unknown for me.  In Ennis' The Seventh Stream: The Emergence of Rocknroll in American Popular music, he identifies seven traditions of American Popular Music: Pop, Country Pop, Black Pop, Gospel, Jazz, and Rock.

  Arguably, the music tradition with the greatest outsider/DIY story is not Rock, but Country Music, in that Country Music started as an obscure, non-commercial, non-prestige form of popular music (as compared to the older, pure "Pop" tradition- Tin Pan Alley and ASCAP) and transformed itself into what is arguably the healthiest AND most profitable tradition of American Popular Music within the course of a generation (1930-1960 roughly.)

  Although Country Music experienced the same corporatism and centralization (Nashville) of other American Popular Music traditions during the 60s to present era, one of Country Music's secret weapons is the ability to generate OTHER locii of Country Music that can impact the dominant, commercial "Nashville" style.

  One example discussed previously on this blog is the "Bakersfield Sound" of Bakersfield, CA, embodied by Buck Owens and his Crystal Palace.

  Another example is the Austin Sound/Progressive Country Artists- a group embodied by Willie Nelson.  Other notable Artists in this area are Waylon Jennings(2 million) and Jimmy Buffett (Three and a half million lastfm plays- prolly a low ball number.)

  Having now reviewed the videos for the artists as listed above, I can safely say that this is music for white people.  Oh yeah. Jesus. Listen to those lyrics. My favorite is "Boots On" by Jamey Johnson because it is about WORKING HARD>>>>  YOU KNOW WHAT I LIKE ABOUT COUNTRY MUSIC ARTISTS: THEY AREN"T A BUNCH OF LAZY HIPSTER FUCKS.

  I also have to say that personally, I prefer the craft and polish of Nashville production and songwriting to the vagaries of the so-called "Alt Country" world.  Also, there is a foreignness to Nashville Country that is genuinely interesting to me in the same way that Balinese Gamelan Music is interesting to me.  I guess that's probably not the "right" opinion to have, since Alt-Indie country is on the rise, but I'll stick with Nashville, it's hit makers and the sociological implications of turns of songwriting phrase like "Copenhagen Ring."  How fascinating...how... bizarre.

Dirty Beaches/Ela Orleans Splits 12" Out Now on Night People

Dirty Beaches/Ela Orleans Split (Altered Zones)

    When I agreed to get involved with Zoo Music I guess I was envisioning something along the lines of Animal Collective's "PAW TRACKS" label.  PAW TRACKS has 36 releases dating back to 2003 and their out the box line up is: Animal Collective, Panda Bear, Black Dice and Ariel Pink- from 2003-2004.  If you look at their roster, they haven't really been able to "break" an artist outside of the core group but I'll take Animal Collective and Panda Bear ANYDAY.  That is a career in selling records, my friends, no matter what one's personal opinion about the Aesthetic quality of the music involved.

    There are two questions for Artist centered record labels:

 1.  Can you put out a record by your core hit-makers or not?
 2.  Can you break another Artist, not affiliated with your core artist group.

    The advantage to these Artist centered labels is that they  presumably HAVE an Act (or two) that with a significant Audience.  The dis-advantage is they lack the business sense to develop a career other then their own.  An Artist with their own Record Label is in the privileged position to transmit Audience from one Artist to another Artist and then profit from the result,  the fact that they habitually fail to accomplish this task is why music is largely distributed by  major labels instead of artist run collectives.

  For the individual Artist without their own label there should be no loyalty except for a never-ending stream of products for a potential Audience- staggered in time and space.  Take for example the new Dirty Beaches/Ela Orleans split 12" which is being released b Atelier Ciseaux, La Station Radar and Night People.  Atelier Ciseaux is a small label physically located in south France, as is La Station Radar.  Night People is from Iowa, and they represent an intriguing example of a well-known tape label trying to bridge the gap to vinyl.  I couldn't figure out if they have digital distribution.  More then a 100 releases is good, though.  They do have two free download packages on their website: COLA HEAVY NIGHTS and DELUXE DOUBLE FOLD.

  By distributing the release among different smaller labels, the Artists multiply the Audience attention level, specifically when a writer/fan from one market takes notice of publicity intended for a fan in a different market.  Then the Artist can create "waves" of Audience interest in different markets, and the process of creating smaller waves leads to the generation of bigger waves even absent Artist effort (playing live shows, putting out a new release.)  Generating big enough waves of Audience interest can generate surplus "time off" from Audience focused activity.  Any Artist with a big enough Audience can start their own Record Label, anchor it an specific geographic market and create a buoy/wave machine.

  The primary example of this phenomenon is the oft-noted relationship between England and America in rock and roll since the early/mid 1960s, but there is no reason that it should be limited- it can be ANY two markets- even within a single country.

NXNE: THE TRIUMPH OF DIRTY BEACHES

NXNE

THURS
CROCODILES
DIRTY BEACHES
CHAINS OF LOVE

FRI
WRITER
DIRTY BEACHES
DUM DUM GIRLS
CULTS

SAT
RINCE RAMA
GRIMES

SUNDAY
EDWARD BURTYNSKY EXHIBIT: OIL AT THE ROYAL MUSEUM OF ONTARIO


  Something that amuses me about music bloggers is that they go to week long events and then you get a write up like- two weeks later.  Um: Nobody gives a shit two weeks later.  When an event happens, people are looking for it as it happens, not "when you get around to it."

  Me- I just got off a plane from Toronto and my headline is "The Triumph of Dirty Beaches."  I'm almost certainly biased since I payed a big part in putting out his most recent record, Badlands, which was "long listed" for the 2011 Polaris Prize the day I got off the plane.   I checked into my hotel and took an (expensive) taxi to the Silver Dollar, which is kind of like the Casbah split in half length wise, with a front section and a back section.  If the show was in San Diego there would have been a DJ working the back room, but since this is Toronto they have a pool table and nothing.

THURS

CROCODILES
DIRTY BEACHES
CHAINS OF LOVE

SILVER DOLLAR TORONTO CANADA
NXNE

  I arrived two songs into the set by the CHAINS OF LOVE, what I would describe as a "touted" band from Vancouver.  They were performing as a six? piece?  Female singer, female singer/guitar player, drummer, organist/keyboardist, bassist and lead guitarist. All I could think about was "OY- how are they going to tour with a six piece."  ANSWER: With Canadian grant money.  My observation is that they might want to do a little line-up tinkering before going for it, but the sound is marketable if not super-cutting edge.  I would want to have a layer of electronic, kind of kraut inspired key boards instead of the more traditional 60s style organ sounds.

     Crocodiles were playing the first of a "three night stand" at the Silver Dollar. Crocodiles haven't played Toronto before because, basically, the Canadian Immigration Authorities are a**holes.  Can I say that? Because it's true.  I'm embarrassed on behalf of the Canadian Government that they would treat esteemed artists in such a fashion.  Anyway... Crocodiles fucking killed it.  Talk about an amazing live act, Jesus H. Christ.

     Dirty Beaches delivered the knock out blow to the sweaty, drunken crowd.  He blew the house down, like the big bad wolf.  In a strange way I was reminded of Howling Wolf:



    Dirty Beaches is drawing from a lot of different deep wells of influence, and the confidence and minimalism of the delivery are perfectly in tune with the "spirit of the times."  The crowd was rhapsodic, along the lines of Eric Wareheim's bros "Rockin Out to the National" at Coachella video.  My sense is that when you are inducing moment's like that you have "made it." As they say.  So I saw that moment with my own eyes on Thursday and would have videoed it myself except for the fact that I thought "this is exactly like the Eric Wareheim video of the bros rocking out to The National at Coachella."

FRIDAY

CULTS 

DUM DUM GIRLS

DIRTY BEACHES
WRITER

A SESAC SHOWCASE

LEES PALACE TORONTO CA


  Friday slept in and walked over to the (lame) Museum of Inuit Art- it's in a shopping mall on the waterfront. Points for existing, but there needed to be more older art- almost everything was from the 20th century.

     The Friday night SESAC show was at a venue called Lee's Palace, located on the North Side of town, in an environment akin to Oakland/Berkeley's College Avenue or Seattle's UW area.  Lee's Palace was staffed entirely by a******, again, Toronto- here is a tip for next year- have those hipsters standing around doing nothing actually interact with the the real workers to keep things pleasant for the guests.  If anyone wants the specific details- get in touch with me off list- but they are things...that would shock you.

   In spite of the mean spirited workers, the show was a smash hit- lines around the block going both directions for a 500 size venue.  People were lined up outside, waiting as early as 1015 PM.  When I left, mid way through CULTS mercurial set, I personally witnessed lines "around the block" going in both directions. REAL. TALK.

  I got there early to make sure I could see San Diego's WRITER- they are a two piece (yay!) and do a decent job with traded vocals. atmospheric song writing, multi-instrumental-ism and an intense performance style that showed dedication and professionalism.  They are going to get their chance opening for CULTS on tour.  I wish them the best.  More atmosphere- that's all I'm going to say.

   Dirty Beaches turned in another solid performance to, essentially, a packed house.  It was nothing like the cathartic bro love inducing Silver Dollar Show, but as I monitored the twitter updates from attendees, I saw what I expected to see- including the guy who HATED Dirty Beaches- I love those people more then anything.  I think Alex should incorporate more songs where he is just HOWLING over discordant loops in an attempt just to PROVOKE hatred from people like "that."  Just my opinion- MORE confrontation.

  Dum Dum Girls played a solid set to what is best described as an "adoring, sold-out" audience.  In light of the sound-quality issues that bedeviled Cults next, their air tight performance was a real testament to their strength as a touring band.  Dee Dee played two new songs and announce a September release date for the new record- would it be so bold as to suggest the second week of January?  Just a thought.

  Cults was the band I most wanted to see at NXNE, because I like the record and haven't seen them play before.  Their set was sabotaged by sound mixing issues. In light of my personal observations of the paid staff being classless, rude, assholes, I'd have to lay any CULTS related negativity squarely at the feet of the guy working the board.   Despite the issues, the house was full and, as I mentioned before, as we left midway through the set, lines snaked around the block in both directions.  Clearly, the SESAC showcase was the undisputed highlight of the festival from this writer's perspective.  Also, Cults already has 2-3 solid hits, and they have 10 songs total- so you have to like their chances, long-term.  I would say if you are going to truck five guys around, you might as well invest in a big-ass organ that has a rich sound- that's what Cold War Kids would do.

SATURDAY
PRINCE RAMA
GRIMES
SOME BASEMENT in TORONTO

  After the glamour of Thursday and Friday, Saturday night was a basement show at some Buddhist Temple type building in a border-line residential neighborhood.
 
  Went to dinner at the restaurant inside of the "TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX" which is basically a movie theater, but a cool movie theater that places a mix of repertory and current "art" films.

  GRIMES just finished opening up for Lykke Li on her North American Tour, which is nothing short of fucking incredible when you consider here, she was playing for 50 Toronto Hipsters in a basement at 11 PM. To her credit, shit was DIY as fuck and she gets points for that.  The sound was somewhere between James Blake and Nite Jewel, and she came packing her own sound guy/manager.  I caught a glimpse of her walking out the front door on the way to her next gig and was surprised to see a young woman who looked like she had just come from an anti-NWO protest in Seattle circa 1995.  I then had a SEPARATE conversation about a different person who had a similar aesthetic, leading me to believe that might be a thing that is coming back or is already back.  I can see why people are interested, but I'm not positive I was sold.

  Prince Rama was my favorite new artist of the weekend- it's a female two piece with one on drums and the other on keyboards and they both sing.  I bought the Paw Tracks vinyl record, which Pitchfork gave a 6.2.  Might I recommend that Prince Rama leave Brooklyn and journey out to sunny Southern California?  Their sound would be a sensation with the Smell crowd, and they could build out from there.  Also, they have a new record coming out in the fall on Paw Tracks. Buy that shit.

SUNDAY

EDWARD BURTYNSKY 

AT THE ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM

 OK- first of all- I shit you not this is like the most expensive museum in the world.  24 CAD. Which is... ridiculous.  It makes me think that Canada is poor, honestly.  Price was no object though because they had an exhibit by my wife and I's favorite artist/photographer: Edward Burtynsky.  The subject of this exhibit was "OIL" and it was incredible- he truly is a visionary artist, one who changes the very meaning of the word "beatutiful" with his art.  Think about it.  No WAY the ROM is worth the price of admission without the Burtynsky exhibit. Oh-also- they were charging extra for the water exhibit which is a travelling exhibit that came through San Diego LAST YEAR- we went to eh OPENING.  Nice try, Toronto.