Welcome to For Those About to Rock. Nick DeCicco writes For Those About to Rock, a music and pop culture blog for the Daily Republic in Fairfield, Calif.
For Those About to Rock features a variety of coverage — concert reviews, music and pop culture commentary, artist interviews and the ongoing Our Music Year project. For past Our Music Year entries, visit the calendar.
Follow Nick on Twitter or Facebook. Email him at nickd@dailyrepublic.net.
Not even 10 days out from the release of Laura Marling's fourth LP, Once I Was an Eagle, the 23-year-old British songstress played an intimate, endearing set Saturday at The Chapel in San Francisco.
Marling relied on the new material as well as her lone guitar. With her second ax in need of repair, she was forced to retune inbetween songs.
"This guitar is working very hard," she told the crowd. "I'm very proud of it."
The retuning pauses led to additional banter between songs, including one humorous, self-effacing story about Marling visiting a shaman and falling into a creek in Mount Shasta. She also mused that San Franciscans love brunch.
After swearing in frustration while tuning for "When Were You Happy," another new song, she played it anyway. With only one song remaining, among the sea of shouted track titles, one fan yelled, "Tune your guitar," which drew laughter.
Marling opened the night with a medley of songs from Eagle which spanned more than 10 minutes. Dedicated fans may recognize the tunes from "When Brave Bird Saved," a short-length music video issued last month. The songs highlight her continued improvement on guitar.
Approximately one-third of the setlist was relegated to familiar material. Although much of it revisited 2010's I Speak Because I Can, the highlight of the older work was a stripped down rendition of "Sophia" from A Creature I Don't Know.
Unlike last summer's stop at Grace Cathedral, when Marling brought a full band, Saturday's performance featured her exclusively. The acoustics of The Chapel, which opened in October 2012, combined with a quiet, patient crowd made the small venue feel welcoming.
This was true, too, for the opening act, Alina Hardin, a songwriter from Nevada City. She received the same reverence as the headliner. While her material landed well, the crowd warmed most to a solemn cover of Chris Issak's "Wicked Game."
At an hour and, as is her custom, no encore, Marling's set left fans wanting a little more — not for lack of quality, but because the Eagle material sounds like it could be some of her best work yet.
Setlist
01. Take the Night Off >
02. I Was an Eagle >
03. You Know >
04. Breathe
05. Master Hunter
06. Unknown new song
07. Sophia
08. Unknown new song
09. I Speak Because I Can
10. Rambling Man
11. What He Wrote
12. When Were You Happy
13. Saved These Words
Five nights. Four days. The inaugural BottleRock Napa Valley festival was an event the likes of which Napa had never before seen.
It brought rock stars into the main streets of town. The loud, southern rock strains of The Black Crowes could be heard Thursday along the Napa River as I picked up my press pass at the box office blocks away from the Napa Expo.
There were kinks to be ironed out, — the bus and shuttle system took a few days to perfect — but that's true with any first-year event. The fact that we're already looking forward to a second installment on Mother's Day weekend in 2014 tells me that the creators of the festival feel pretty much the same way I do: That BottleRock was a success.
Although The Buttercream Gang's Robinson Kuntz, a Daily Republic photographer and Napa native, has a perspective on the festival I do not, I can speak to what it was like as a glorified fan.
All told, I saw 33 different artists during the course of the festival, some, such as Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums, for just a song or two and others, such as The Black Keys, for an entire, 90-minute set.
But all week, I've been asked "who was the best?"
It's hard to pick one. So how about a top five? In alphabetical order:
The Black Keys
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney's rise to rock stars has been an unusual course. It wasn't so much that they changed to become popular — if anything, their mainstream compromise, Attack & Release, was a backfire — but that the mainstream came to them. They showed why they've inherited that mantle in their 90-minute headliner set, mowing down any challengers with a set that started with "Howlin' for You" and never let up. "Gold on the Ceiling," "Run Right Back," "Ten Cent Pistol" and "Girl is on My Mind" were all standouts leading up to the big finish with "Tighten Up," "Lonely Boy" and "I Got Mine." The Keys left no doubt why they helmed the main stage Friday night.
Jane's Addiction
As the sun was setting on the festival's fourth day, Perry Farrell and company delivered a raunchy celebration of the underground. Farrell strutted around the stage, dispensing dating advice, talking about how he would handle the suspect in the recent Ohio kidnapping case and drinking some of Napa's most famous export straight from the bottle. He commanded the audience to listen, laugh and pay attention. Having statues of two naked women behind the drum kit as well as burlesque dancers pantomiming an S&M scene only added to the absurdity. My tweet when leaving the main stage still says it all: "Wow. Jane's Addiction was a monument to depravity. I enjoyed that!"
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Mexico City's acoustic guitar duo promised a tribute to the recently deceased Jeff Hanneman and did not disappoint, playing a medley of Slayer songs that included "Raining Blood." Seeing the interaction between Rod and Gab and how they feed off of each other demonstrated the magic of their collaboration. When Gabriela left the stage for Rodrigo's solo, the crowd could feel her absence, her jumping and fist pumping that creates a symbiotic relationship with the audience. Conversely, when he left, Gabriela was unhinged. Together, they make quite a pair. And being close enough to watch their fingers fly was a further treat.
Mavis Staples
At 73 years old and needing a cane to walk, Mavis Staples still outfoxed performers half her age. A late-career Grammy-winning album, You Are Not Alone, prevented her from feeling like a nostalgia act. A blistering cover of The Band's "The Weight" paid tribute to the late Levon Helm as well as put Staples' own stamp on the song. But none of them matched the showstopper, when Staples and her band spent the final 10 minutes of her set doing "I'll Take You There." Encouraging a call and response and then finally ceding the chorus to the audience, Staples showed why she's been taking us there for more than 60 years.
Vintage Trouble
I only caught the tail end of Vintage Trouble, but they left many BottleRockers impressed. I overheard one person refer to lead singer Ty Taylor as "like a young James Brown." VT was a cocktail of blues swagger, R&B shuffle and classic rock 'n' roll that could not be denied in its stint on the main stage. Even on as hot an afternoon as it was, they had fans dancing and moving. Some festivals have that lightning-in-a-bottle performance from an act few suspected and for Vintage Trouble, this was that appearance.
Honorable mention: Bad Religion, Dirty Projectors, The Flaming Lips, Grouplove, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kacey Musgraves, Primus, Sharon Van Etten.
On the fifth and final day of the inaugural BottleRock Napa Valley festival, as country, covers and nostalgia dominated, Rodrigo y Gabriela stood alone.
There were covers, particularly a blistering rendition of Metallica's "Orion," but the Mexico City guitar duo captivated the audience with their nylon-stringled dexterity.
While Rodrigo Sánchez represents the focused workman of the group, Gabriela Quintero is the firecracker, pogoing across the stage, pointing to the sky and emitting an infectious energy that engages the audience. Being close enough to watch their hands and see the sheer joy on Quintero's face made it even better.
Each took a solo with their partner leaving the stage, which served to underscore how powerful is their collaboration. Although each talented in their own right, the magic happens in their combined efforts.
Rod and Gab helmed the Miner Family Winery Stage while Cake led the Citi Stage and Zac Brown Band closed the WillPower Stage with a set that included covers of Dave Matthews Band's "Ants Marching" and Metallica's "Enter Sandman," according to tweets from fellow critics.
Zac Brown Band was the biggest name on the main stage on a day when a country flavor dominated. The tone was set at noon when The Secret Sisters (right) stood upon the platform for the day's first hour, churning through a cover-laden set that showcased the interplay between Laura and Lydia Rogers.
While new material from a forthcoming album made with T-Bone Burnett was unveiled for the first time, the highlight of the set was a guest appearance from Brandi Carlile. She lent her pipes to a rendition of the Dolly Parton song "In the Sweet By-and-By."
Later, Carlile returned the favor, inviting the Rogers sisters to join her as backing vocalists. Carlile opened her set solo with a cover of Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues."
The Secret Sisters were followed on the main stage by Kacey Musgraves, an upstart Texas country singer who proved less of a pixie and more of a rocker with covers of Ryan Adams' "To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)" and Weezer's "Island in the Sun" in addition to her own material from last month's Same Trailer, Different Park debut LP.
Departing from the country and nostalgia agenda was Grouplove, which got the Citi Stage crowd dancing with "Tongue Tied" and other cuts from Never Trust a Happy Song.
Leading the way in the nostalgia category was Mavis Staples, who has enjoyed a late-career renaissance thanks to You Are Not Alone, a Grammy-winning LP which Wilco's Jeff Tweedy produced.
One of the weekend's highlights came when Staples (left) reached back to "I'll Take You There," The Staples Singers' 1972 hit. Although she requires the use of a cane and takes a midset break, Staples got the Miner stage grooving with The Band's "The Weight" and her own material.
Also on the nostalgia tip was The Wallflowers, who packed their hourlong set on the Citi Stage with hits reaching back to 1996's Bringing Down the Horse with "Three Marlenas," "6th Avenue Heartache," "One Headlight" and the show closer, "The Difference." They got in on the cover action as well, unleashing their Godzilla-soundtrack hit rendition of David Bowie's " 'Heroes' ," making them at least the festival's second Citi Stage performer to play the song. There also was as a deflated attempt at reworking The Box Tops' "The Letter."
Sonoma County's Girls & Boys got BottleRockers to their feet with a stirring rendition of Pixies' "Where is My Mind" while working the band's "biggest show to date," according to their website.
Rounding out the day was Seattle's Erin O'Hara, who melded pop and the blues during her stretch on the Miner stage.
I also made my one trek to the Comedy Closet stage to see Kristen Schaal, best known for her work on "Flight of Conchords," "30 Rock" and "Bob's Burgers." While Schaal brought her "Bob's Burgers" voiceover cohorts along with her, it was J. Chris Newberg, the host for every comedy installment Sunday, who stole the show with his comedic guitar stylings.
Notes: Before Sunday's events closed, dates for a 2014 installment of BottleRock were announced: May 9-11, 2014. Tickets are already on sale at the festival's official site. … Idle speculation for 2014: Trying Furthur back seems like a no brainer. Also, since he's a Bay Area transplant, Bob Mould. … Obligatory bus/shuttle update: I left after Rod and Gab instead of walking over to catch the end of ZBB, so I avoided any hassles. … Sunday seemed to draw a smaller crowd than any of the previous days, but that's observational speculation on my part. … My tired feet need some rest. Thanks for reading. Hope to see you next year.
Depravity and delinquency were the theme for main stage on day four of BottleRock Napa Valley, with Kings of Leon, Jane's Addiction and Bad Religion leading the way.
KoL, Southern pop rockers from Tennessee, returned to their mantle as modern kings of sleaze in their first show together in several months, according to singer Caleb Followill.
"We couldn't ask for a better first show back," Caleb Followill said.
Their set thundered out of the box with "Radioactive" and "Taper Jean Girl," according to my day four BottleBuddy, Daily Republic photographer Adam Smith.
The band also premiered a new song, according to a submission to Setlist.fm.
I missed the beginning of KoL, but I arrived for the final hour, beginning with "Crawl." "Knocked Up" was the highlight of this half, building to an explosion of lights and thousands of hands waving to and fro in the air.
"Sex on Fire" delivered the dirt, but not in the same manner as Jane's Addiction.
The Los Angeles rockers show was a tribute to excess. At center stage sat a statue of two naked women. Their show featured two dancing women who simulated a spanking on one song and strutted in suggestive clothing throughout.
Lead singer Perry Farrell held a bottle of wine aloft after the band played its 2003 hit, "Just Because."
"I'm going to drink after the show," he said. "I'm going to drink right now during the show."
Other Farrell banter included repeated references to alleged kidnapper Ariel Castro in Ohio and suggesting to the men in the audience how women wanted to be treated.
Bad Religion (right), meanwhile, were rebellious in their own intellectual way during an hourlong stint on the WillPower main stage.
"We are responsible for ruining California, of course," Bad Religion singer Greg Graffin said jokingly of the Los Angeles punk band.
Balding and dressed in a red polo shirt, Graffin looked more prepared for appearance in his gig as a UCLA professor. On a warm day that reached into the 80s in temperatures, it was probably hottest when Graffin and the band were on the main platform. Fans moshed on both sides of the emergency aisle, kicking up enough dust to negate the need for a fog machine.
On the opposite end of the emotional spectrum was Iron & Wine, which delivered a lush, tender set in an hourlong headlining spot on the Miner Family Winery Stage.
Strings and horns accompanied Sam Beam, who began his career cutting recordings alone. A great deal of the set focused on Ghost on Ghost, released last month.
The set concluded with "Lean Into the Light," a bonus track from 2011's Kiss Each Other Clean that landed far better in Napa than it did in the studio.
Earlier in the day on the Miner stage was Carolina Chocolate Drops, an old-timey bluegrass and jug band from North Carolina. Their set covered some of their strongest material such as "Trouble in Your Mind" and "Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine."
Sharon Van Etten (left) showed grace and sweetness in her performance on the Citi Stage. Her set built strength and tenacity as it evolved, but Van Etten kept her cool throughout, including when encouraging the crowd to friend a Facebook user who shouted out Van Etten for not accepting a friend request.
Musically, Van Etten was on point, charging through a number of songs from 2012's critically acclaimed Tramp.
My Saturday began on the main stage with Best Coast, which may have set the tone for Kings of Leon, Bad Religion and Jane's Addiction. Bethany Cosentino told the crowd this was "the most hungover I think I've ever been right now.
Defying the group's studio presence and owing a greater debt to the hard rock tees in their publicity photos, Best Coast was amplified and turned their pixie folk into rockers, including an electrified take on "The Only Place," a love song from the duo to the state.
Notes: The shuttle/bus situation was noticeably better Saturday night, with signs and crew members directing people in the right direction after the show. … The Comedy Closet's post-headliner slots have been extremely popular, with one showgoing companion informing me that nearly an hour wait was for nigh to see Jim Gaffigan. … I'll complete my BottleRock All-Stars band today, but my first two entrants are Les Claypool on bass and Dave Navarro on guitar. … On the final day, I plan to see The Wallflowers, Mavis Staples and Rodrigo y Gabriela. Follow me.
Iron & Wine setlist
01. California
02. Low Light Buddy of Mine
03. [Unknown]
04. Kingdom of the Animals
05. Carousel
06. Belated Promise
07. Grace for Saints and Ramblers
08. Jezebel
09. Caught in the Briars
10. Sundown (Back in the Briars)
11. Grass Widows
12. Baby Center Stage
13. Sixteen, Maybe Less
14. Your Fake Name is Good Enough for Me
15. Lean Into the Light
The Black Keys closed out the third night of the inaugural BottleRock Napa Valley festival at the Napa Valley Expo in a fashion befitting their music — no frills, no bells, no whistles, just bluesy rock 'n' roll.
The Akron, Ohio, duo drew a massive crowd to the Willpower Stage, filling up a 90-minute set with a career-spanning package of hits, obscurities and fan favorites. (Complete set at bottom.)
"We'll play an oldie, but a goodie," singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach said before launching into "Strange Times" from Attack & Release. He said few words, emphasizing the focused tone.
What they may lack as showmen, they make up for in power and accessibility. The end of the set was a barnburner — the whole set was scorching, really — with Auerbach, Patrick Carney and their stage compatriots charging through "Ten Cent Pistol," "She's Long Gone," "Tighten Up" and "Lonely Boy" before shaking the grapes off the vine with "I Got Mine."
On "Gold on the Ceiiling," Auerbach walked to the lip of the stage, pulling taut the cord for his electric guitar as he stepped away from the mic.
While The Keys brought the house down, at the Citi Stage, Oklahoma's The Flaming Lips brought the stage theatrics for which they are known. Singer Wayne Coyne performed atop a mechanical heap that made him prominent. (I didn't stick around long enough to see if he did the space bubble gambit.) From his elevated vantage point, he lit off smoke flares and bellowed into the mic.
Behind him, the video screens took on an appropriately psychedelic feel.
The highlight of the show and one of the biggest moments of the festival so far was The Lips' surprising take on David Bowie's " 'Heroes' " (right), which had a dirty boogie to it.
The Lips were the most eccentric act in an evening that also included The Shins and Blues Traveler. Despite arriving late, Blues Traveler were in the middle of '90s hit "Run-Around." Later came a bluesified rendition of Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," a staple of their live act, as well as fan favorite "The Mountains Win Again" and the show-closing "Hook."
Just outside the front door of the Comedy Closet was the Wildcard Stage for local bands. Napa's The Buttercream Gang, which features Daily Republic photographer Robinson Kuntz, leaned mostly on 2012's Oh Brother in an hourlong stanza that fused Afrobeat with pop and rock. The band even took an unscheduled encore. Seeing The Buttercream Gang meant skipping Andrew Bird, a lamentable loss.
While Buttercream Gang was starting its set, Alabama Shakes was winding down on the main stage. Brittany Howard led the Shakes through a set that started mellow, but came on strong as it evolved. Much like a previous appearance at which I saw them, they drew a well-numbered crowd.
Before launching into the title song from Boys and Girls, the group's debut LP, Howard explained the tune was about her best friend as a child and how, after a certain age, she was told they couldn't be friends anymore.
I wanted to see the Shakes, but I felt bad leaving Dirty Projectors (left) early to do so. There was keen concern that the Projectors' quirky approach to indie rock would not translate well live, but it did, especially "About to Die."
"They idea of wine and a festival seems kind of Dionysian," said singer David Longstreth.
They came on the heels of a main stage turn from Vintage Trouble, a Los Angeles rock group that turned up the temperature with their blues boogie as much as Mother Nature did in the thermometer.
Allah Las had a pleasant appearance on the Citi Stage, a breezy set peppered with as many instrumental songs as vocal ones.
The festival action started with Vacaville's They Went Ghost, which brought an eclectic performance to the Citi Stage. The band veered from reggae and hip hop guest appearances by local MCs Heez Real and Brice Mosher to the alternative rock of their lead single, "Polar Bear." Their set also included covers of Sublime ("Doin' Time") and a reggae take on Otis Redding's "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay."
Notes: It's hard to ignore the swelling difficulties of the busing and shuttle system. Friday was a full-on mess. It was compounded by an MC telling the crowd incorrect information about bus pickups at the conclusion of The Black Keys' set. For my showgoing companions and me, the situation deteriorated such that we chose to walk a mile to their hotel and then drive me to my car. … Is it me or did The Black Keys pick up where The White Stripes left off? … I didn't bring sunscreen. My neck is regretting that decision. … On day four, I plan to see Iron & Wine, Jane's Addiction, Sharon Van Etten. Waffling on Kings of Leon, who I've seen before, but not since becoming a headliner-caliber band. … Follow me on Twitter at @ndeciccodr for live tweets, pictures and more smart-aleck remarks from the festival.
The Black Keys setlist:
01. Howlin' for You
02. Next Girl
03. Run Right Back
04. Same Old Thing
05. Dead and Gone
06. Gold on the Ceiling
07. Thickfreakness
08. Girl is on My Mind
09. Your Touch
10. Little Black Submarines
11. Money Maker
12. Strange Times
13. Sinister Kid
14. Nova Baby
15. Ten Cent Pistol
16. She's Long Gone
17. Tighten Up
18. Lonely Boy
Encore
19. I Got Mine
For as raucous and rowdy as Primus and its fans proved to be Thursday at the conclusion of the first full day of the BottleRock Napa Valley festival, it was a song legendary bassist Les Claypool performed alone that was its most rewarding.
Claypool's bandmates departed as he played "The Battle of New Orleans" in tribute to his namesake and grandfather, who the Primus band leader told the crowd died early Thursday. Claypool said fans may have best known him as the older man from the "Tommy the Cat" music video.
It was a sobering moment in what was an otherwise loose-limbed outing for the group, which formed in El Sobrante in 1984.
Primus was one of three previously scheduled acts festival organizers called upon to close its first full day after Furthur, another band with Bay Area ties, bowed last week due to an injury to Bob Weir.
Filling in on the main stage was The Avett Brothers, while the reunited Violent Femmes helmed the Miner Family Winery Stage and performed their first album.
For Primus, the end of the set saw some of the band's most celebrated material, including "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" and "My Name is Mud" in a one-two punch. Before that, Claypool donned a pig mask and played an electric cello (I think) for "Jilly's on Smack." He was often shrouded in smoke.
Claypool's banter was sharp throughout, asking Napans if they thought the festival would "line your streets with cars and, potentially, urine."
An hour earlier on the same stage, Café Tacvba was wrapping up its set. Rubén "Sizu Yantra" Albarrán was a firecracker, running, strutting, dancing and commanding the audience to pay attention. Much of his banter was in Spanish, which resonated with part of the crowd, especially the Mexican-flag-waving contingent in the front row. One segment included a full-band synchronized dance that wasn't half as hokey as it sounds.
I arrived late, so the first act of the day I saw was The Black Crowes (right). The group launched into a personal favorite, "Remedy," as I was arriving at the Napa Expo grounds and followed it in short succession with the band's signature hit, Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle." If you're gonna show up for only part of the set and you've never seen The Black Crowes before, that's as good as any.
Or, as the stranger on the shuttle said to me on the way in: "Not having seen The Black Crowes live is like going to church without praying."
Notes: Alleged alterations to the shuttle/bus schedule, according to one staff member, led to a number of unruly passengers waiting impatiently for the VIP shuttles after the conclusion of Thursday's events. … Friday will mark my first full day at the festival. My plan includes seeing The Black Keys, Alabama Shakes and Vacaville's own They Went Ghost. More with They Went Ghost here. ... Follow me on Twitter for live tweets and smart-aleck remarks from this weekend's BottleRock Napa Valley.
Now the story of a TV program that lost everything, and the one on-demand video service that had no choice but to resurrect it after seven years.
It's "Arrested Development."
When the former Fox show rides into its fourth overall season and its Netflix premiere later this month, it marks a crucial moment in the history of the service's original programming.
So far, Netflix has taken calculated gambles with its new material. This year already has seen "House of Cards," a Kevin Spacey-led remake of a British series, and "Hemlock Grove," a critically panned horror/thriller one writer described as "terrible in ways that mock the meaning of the word 'terrible.' "
That must hurt almost as bad as having a loose seal bite off your hand.
These join 2012's "Lilyhammer" to round out Netflix's roster of original shows. At least four more programs are due in the next two years.
These are shows, "House of Cards" in particular, that rely on Netflix's comprehensive data mining. Their numbers showed viewers who watched the 1990 British rendition of "House of Cards" also enjoyed movies starring Spacey and directed by David Fincher, so that's exactly who Netflix got to produce two 13-episode runs with a $100 million price tag.
However, "Arrested Development" represents a different kind of beast. It is a known quantity with stars whose stocks have risen since the show was left to rot in a burn-off marathon during opening night of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Even if "Arrested Development" is a success, the possibility of a fifth season seems unlikely. Show creator Mitch Hurwitz plans it as a warm up to a feature film. In 2006, he told Entertainment Weekly, "I'm open to anything that isn't a weekly series commitment."
Enter Netflix, where Hurwitz and company can drop 15 new episodes at once May 26.
Attempts to contact me May 26 have a strong likelihood of failure. I'm going to marathon that sucker. That was a freebie.
My let's-eat-the-whole-thing approach is what Netflix counts on. Thanks to its data collection, the service expects viewers to feast on multiple episodes in one sitting rather than parcel them out one at a time like shows that aren't narrated by Ron Howard.
The buzz on "Cards," "Grove" and "Lilyhammer" is minimal. "Development," on the other hand, has palpable excitement. That's because it's a known quantity with a built-in audience. Netflix knows exactly what it got.
If "Development" proves to be a success, which I suspect it will, it won't radicalize television. It will take more than one well-watched streaming series to break away from the commercially sponsored, once-a-week installment plan.
What success would do is put more pressure on the discussion about how viewers get their shows. Last year marked the first time Americans spent more money on Internet-delivered movies than DVDs and Blu-rays, according to IHS Screen Digest research. That's a trend that's only certain to continue.
Watching in one sitting instead of weekly piecemeal means big investments in an entire season of a series that might've otherwise died a natural death after a handful of episodes.
That could mean networks taking fewer chances, which is bad news for viewers. Television is at it's best when it's trying new things, challenging us, making us think and ask ourselves questions.
Netflix, however, needs to prove that such a change in thinking is even warranted. The fourth season of "Development" could go a long way to proving it.
Whether it changes the way we watch TV, it's doubtful that Netflix execs will awake May 27 and find themselves saying Will Arnett's character Gob's oft-repeated phrase: "I've made a huge mistake."
On the next "Arrested Development" ...
Because Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have the uncanny ability to be fun and serious at the same time, they managed to make Wednesday's opening night of the BottleRock Napa Valley festival joyful.
The festival's debut was, discounting the man who jumped on stage during Macklemore's band introductions, without a hitch — Bands stayed on schedule. There were no power outages or sound issues. Even parking and traffic were tolerable (more below). Sunset at the Citi Stage was glorious as a pair of pine trees overlooked the proceedings.
It made the perfect setting for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Their fun/serious tight-rope act is walked by Ben "Macklemore" Haggerty, whose charisma keeps the mood aloft by reaffirming life, love and happiness in both the group's music and his between-song banter.
Asking the crowd of thousands for a moment of silence at the end of the charity event, he got it, — not without a little coaching — but encouraged the thousands in attendance afterward to chant, "We're (expletive) awesome."
While the duo's best known song, "Thrift Shop," offers levity as a paean to bargain-bin thread hunting, their other material tackles loftier goals: marriage equality, materialism, alcoholism, mortality.
Macklemore's attitude sells the sincerity and the agenda. After borrowing a fan's wool coat for "Thrift Shop," he asked those in attendance to crowd surf the wool back to its owner.
"We had no idea what to expect," Macklemore said about being the first-ever BottleRock headliner. "I am so impressed. I literally have goosebumps on my arms as we exit the show."
While "Thrift Shop" came early in the set and earned the biggest applause, "Same Love," which focuses on marriage equality, clicked. Sweetening the moment was the release of balloons near the song's conclusion, which appeared to come from the audience rather than the performers.
"I love seeing all these ages singing together for equality," Macklemore said.
For the nightcap, Louis Prima Jr. (right) closed the night down the street at the Uptown Theatre with a set of hot jazz and swing, recalling the work of his late father.
While paying tribute to his father as a band leader and authoritative stage presence, Prima also took a turn behind the drum kit for a surprising trek through parenthetically titled rock history: The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)," Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" and Loggins and Messina's "Your Mama Don't Dance."
The group had a loose and anything-goes vibe. Multiple band members flaunted singer Sarah Spiegel's feather boa. Saxophonist Marco Palos seemed as though his instrument possessed him, kneeling and then falling backward in a turn at center stage.
It was a fun finale to a stellar start for BottleRock.
Notes: Parking and traffic were relatively easy, although the walk back to my vehicle following the evening's events in the dark, poorly lit grounds of Napa Pipe had a slasher movie scariness. … The Avett Brothers will take the Thursday headliner slot of Furthur, which was forced to cancel April 30 due to an injury to Bob Weir. … I'll live tweet and attend at least part of every remaining day of the festival, so come back each day for my recaps. Thursday's personal viewing plan includes Primus. … Thanks to the good samaritans from San Francisco who gave me a lift to the correct lot when I found out there was, in fact, not a break in the fence linking my parking place to the one where the bus dropped us.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis setlist
01. 10,000 Hours
02. Crew Cuts
03. Life is Cinema
04. Thrift Shop
05. My Oh My
06. Otherside
07. Same Love
08. Can't Hold Us
09. White Walls
10. Wing$
Encore
11. And We Danced
12. Irish Celebration
NAPA — With the gusto and fervor more often reserved for midnight screenings of cult classics, a lively crowd watched the screening of "Sound City" Monday at the Uptown Theatre in Napa to kick off the BottleRock Napa Valley festival.
Attendees cheered and clapped as their favorite rock stars appeared on screen, a who's who of rock legends from Neil Young to Tom Petty to the film's director, Foo Fighters' frontman Dave Grohl.
Grohl also was on hand to discuss the film as well as field questions from the audience, an excursion that mostly yielded questions more personal and emotional rather than about the picture itself.
The former Nirvana drummer, however, took it in stride, showing the caliber of showmanship built on a career of working a crowd and dolling out expletive-laden one-liners with aplomb.
"A lot of people look at musicians like they're characters in a f------ sitcom," he said in response to one audience question.
The film itself took Grohl back to the watershed moment of his career, recording Nirvana's breakthrough Nevermind album at the now-defunct Sound City Studios in Van Nuys.
Prior to the screening, Grohl described the studio as "one of the biggest s---holes you've ever seen in your life."
Famous producer and music luminary Jimmy Iovine shared that sentiment. During the film, he is seen producing the recording of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Damn the Torpedoes and quips, "they should firebomb this f------ place."
In addition to discussions about the nature of recording and Sound City's resistance to moving from analog to digital, the picture also focused on a custom-made Neve recording console.
The showing was complete with a concert-style speaker arrangement so that viewers could feel the full sound and effect of some of the recordings cut using the console: Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon," Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl," Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" and more.
In the film's denouement, Grohl invites artists who recorded at Sound City to make a new record with him, working with rock luminaries such as Stevie Nicks, Trent Reznor and Grohl's hero, Paul McCartney. Those sessions yielded "Cut Me Some Slack," which McCartney and the surviving members of Nirvana debuted at last fall's 12.12.12: The Concert for Sandy Relief.
"(The film is) the thing that I'm most proud of that I've ever done creatively in my life," Grohl said prior to the screening.
As to the films emphasis on analog technology versus digital, Grohl said he is often asked how the picture was made.
"They'd say, 'Did you use film?' F--- no. We used computers," he said with a laugh.
After the question-and-answer session, Grohl signed autographs and took photos.
Proceeds from the screening aided the Napa Valley Film Festival as well as Autism Cure, Housing, Ocean Resources, Development, Socialization, an organizing which helps families cope with autism.
Showings of "Twenty Feet From Stardom" take place Tuesday at 500 First Street in Napa. For more information, visit the Napa Valley Film Festival.
The festival begins in earnest Wednesday at the Napa Valley Expo and the Uptown Theatre. For more information, visit BottleRockNapa.com.
Exciting events are happening for They Went Ghost at such a rapid pace, Kolby Stancil said his palms are sweaty just thinking about it.
Stancil is the singer and guitarist of the Vacaville band which plays the inaugural BottleRock Napa Valley festival May 10 at the Napa Valley Expo in Napa.
The band expects to play for its largest crowd to date at BottleRock.
"People are calling it the Coachella of Northern California," Stancil said, referencing Indio's annual, multiweekend music fest which this year included Blur, The Stone Roses, Phoenix and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
They Went Ghost drummer Dan Cagley said it was awing to see the group's name on the BottleRock lineup card (right).
"The first time that I saw the flyer, that BottleRock actually posted the flyer and I was looking through all the names, of course, we're going to be in the smaller print, but I was like, 'where are we? where are we?' " he said during a recent lunchtime interview in the band's hometown. "Then I saw us on the same bill as Kings of Leon and Black Keys and I was like, 'That's crazy.' That was surreal."
Other performers for BottleRock include Zac Brown Band, Jane's Addiction, The Avett Brothers, The Shins, The Flaming Lips, Train, Alabama Shakes, Primus, Cake and more.
Furthur, announced as the fourth headliner, withdrew earlier this week due to an injury to Bob Weir.
But the BottleRock appearance isn't the only exciting news for They Went Ghost. The band is fresh off an appearance at Davis' Picnic Day and performs at 5 p.m. tonight at Cesar Chavez Plaza in Sacramento as part of the annual Concerts in the Park series.
Furthermore, the band recently made a trek to Southern California to film a video for "Polar Bear," its first single from the group's forthcoming debut EP cut recently at Pus Cavern Recording Studio in Sacramento.
"This is our year, 2013," Stancil said. "It's amazing and overwhelming at the same time. It's a foot in the door at what we're trying to do."
Changing brands was a part of the transition. For several years, the hard rock and reggae quartet went by the name Loma Prieta and, later, El Loma Prieta before scrapping references to the 1989 earthquake altogether.
The switch was precipitated by a need to deconflict with a San Francisco screamo group named Loma Prieta (right: their 2012 album, IV).
"It caused a lot of chaos and confusion," Stancil said. "Fans of their band would show up at our shows."
As to the new handle, the members prefer to maintain a veil of mystery.
"We want to keep it open for interpretation," Cagley said. "We know what it means and why we made it. We want people to do their thing with it."
Vacaville's DeVille Enterprises manages the band. Its management, comprised of its chief executive officer, Royce Farris, and president, Jason Johnson, looks to resurrect the Vacaville Theatre and turn it into a 500-seat venue for local, regional and national acts,
"We want to be a launching pad for local talent," said Farris, adding that he and Johnson also aspire to manage and develop Solano County talent. They Went Ghost and another Vacaville band, Street Urchins, are among the company's early recruits.
They Went Ghost guitarist Leland Vandermeulen said the duo has high hopes for the project theater project.
"It's going to be Vacaville's equivalent to Slim's or Ace of Spades," Vandermeulen said. "It's not going to be a rag tag theater."
They Went Ghost's style draws from progressive rock, reggae and alternative rock such as Incubus or Sacramento's Deftones.
Deftones' founding bassist, Chi Cheng, died April 13 nearly four and half years after a vehicle accident in Santa Clara left him in a semi-conscious state. Vandermeulen said he was at Coachella when he heard the news.
"When I found out and it killed me inside because he was a pioneer and they're a legendary band," he said. "Every band around here has taken something from the Deftones." (Left: Deftones' White Pony.)
For more on They Went Ghost, visit their website or Facebook. For more information on BottleRock including a complete lineup and ticket information, visit the official website.
