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| basement tapes | concert reviews | cd reviews | interviews | ticket swap | music news |
 By Andy Argyrakis |
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Weekend Report: Let the world's largest festival begin
Friday, June 25, 2010 Billed as "11 Days, 11 Stages, Over 800 Bands," Milwaukee's Summerfest is by and large considered the world's largest musical festival. The event more than lives up to that promise with plenty of entertainment action, starting out this weekend with a headlining set from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, alongside openers ZZ Top. The supporting stages aren't too shabby either, including Jeff Beck, 311, Public Enemy and Cowboy Mouth. Saturday sports a second show from Petty and ZZ, demonstrating each of the classic rock act's enduring popularity and ability to attract a new generation of fans. The undercard is also  stacked with sets from Thievery Corporation, Cage the Elephant, Gavin DeGraw, Wang Chung, Skillet, Red and 12 Stones (to name but a few).Sunday's top billing is arguably the weakest of the entire affair, led by tween popper Justin Bieber and rapper Sean Kingston. But the side stage acts more than make up for that throwaway show, which include B.B. King, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Less Than Jake, Neon Trees and Paper Tongues. (Bet your life - through July 4 at Summerfest Grounds- Milwaukee, WI: www.summerfest.com). |
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Street Week: Cyndi sings the blues, The Roots return
Monday, June 21, 2010 She's best known for '80s pop nuggets like "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" and "Time After Time," but Cyndi Lauper's also taken a stab at everything from disco to standards over the years. These days, she ups the unpredictability ante with Memphis Blues (Downtown), a self-explanatory collection that includes an all-star list of collaborators like B.B. King, Jonny Lang, Charlie Musselwhite and Allen Toussaint. With so much time on the late night talk show circuit as of late, it was beginning to look like The Roots retired from the studio. Thankfully that isn't the case as the troupe turns in How I Got Over (Def Jam), which  finds the group's signature full-band rap stylings in tact across late 1960s/early '70s covers. The guest list includes Yim Yames from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst, M. Ward, John Legend and Joanna Newsom.Even if The Chemical Brothers first found fame in the early days of house, there's nothing dated about its direction two decades down the road. The group sounds just as connected with today's trends as ever on Further (Astralwerks), which consists of eight new tunes loaded with other worldly rhythms, cutting edge programming and booming bass that's destined for the dance floor. |
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