Life Is Complicated Yet Beautiful in New Orleans

Another great weekend in New Orleans... While I get my voice back and brain matter regenerated, I'd like to share this wunnerful video showing a glimpse of the one-of-a-kind French Quarter. This video features Clint Maedgen of the New Orleans Bingo! Show (which I saw this weekend at Voodoo) and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Clint said he wanted 100k views of this video so I figured I'd throw it up here to show everyone why New Orleans is the greatest place in the world!



Photos from Voodoo soon...

Rocktober, where the heck did you go?

In less than 48 hours, I'll be arriving in my beloved Crescent City to attend the Voodoo Music Experience from the perspective of Rotary Downs world. My boys are performing the opening slot on the main stage on Saturday morning. If anyone reading this is making their way to Voodoo, come check 'em out! Or if that's too early, they'll play that night at DBA on Frenchmans.

With Voodoo comes the end of Rocktober (or Actober, for you baseball fans). I have to look through my camera to see where the heck this month went. Let's see...

I saw Umphrey's McGee at the Nokia Theatre this past Saturday:


My niece was Bat Mitzvah'd... isn't she beautiful?


I drove to New Haven, CT on a Tuesday to see PGroove:


CMJ happened... And so did the Rhapsody Rocks NYC party sponsored by Jameson (read: free Jameson). Pretty sure this is The National but I was pretty sloppy by then:


And the American Babies, who opened the night:


And that pretty much brings us up to date, according to my camera, who doesn't lie. More from NOLA in a few days...

iEcho

Watch Umphrey's right now!!
(and Phil later this evening)

More photos sent via Andy's iphone...

ALO welcoming people to their BBQ:


Jake rocking out:



Michael Franti:

Rabbit In The Moon (check 'em out - sounds interesting):

PGroove (yay!):

Echo Fest via iPhone

I'm experimenting with the concept of intentionally missing a music festival that's going on this weekend. This decision came after a busy summer/year that drained me in a few ways and figured it would be good for to me have that sense of yearning for a change.

The things you love have a way of finding you somehow. This time via Andy's iphone. Here are some photos he's been iphoning to me (that I viewed on my new Blackberry last night).

The Polyphonic Spree - Hey! It's the Sun!:


Mike D, Skerik & Les:

The Flaming Lips:

This one had the subject line of "Hi superdeeeeeeeeeee!":


Bisco:


My friend Jay Blakesberg is filming and webcasting at the fest all weekend too. Check it out here: www.iclips.net.

Marco, you're also my hero.

If you have not already picked up a copy of Marco Benevento's Live At Tonic, I highly recommend doing so. The 3-CD Live At Tonic, released by our friends at ropeadope, is the compilation recording of Marco's Thursday night residency in November '06 at the now defunct Tonic, experimental music's former mainstay in the Lower East Side. Lucky for us, 2006 had five Thursdays in November making for whole lotta love from some favorites - Steve Bernstein, Dave Drewitz, Bobby Previte, Joe Russo, and much more. I gave all three discs a run-through today. I got the shivers a few times especially during the cover of Pink Floyd's "Fearless" on TRIO night with Reed Mathis and Matt Chamberlain. This is a real showcase of some pure talent that only some folks are lucky to be born with. More info, track listing, purchase and audio links here: www.ropeadope.com/marcobenevento.

Check out some video while your head is in Marco-ville:

James Murphy, you're my hero (this week).

Thanks to LCD Soundsystem for completely kicking ass on Saturday at Randall's Island. I'm gonna leave it up to my friends Ace and Karina to tell the story because, well, they did already :) I was standing right next to them anyway.