There are many large acts coming through the Triangle area this summer. Here are some of the concerts that go on sale this week:
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
Ringo Starr reunited with Paul McCartney at the recent Grammy's and now he's set to reunite with the Triangle. He just announced his North American tour with his All-Starr Band and they will hit the Durham Performing Arts Center on June 22.
The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles will air February 9 on CBS. McCartney and Starr join together to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the Beatles' performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. 73 million viewers tuned in to this monumental moment in music history.
Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 31 for the June 22 show at DPAC. Get ticket information and a full tour list here.
Bruno Mars - Moonshine Jungle Tour
Bruno Mars is hitting the road next month for a huge tour that will carry him through August. Mars will take over the PNC Arena June 14 with the support of his opening act, Aloe Blacc. Tickets go on sale Monday, February 3 via Ticketmaster. Seats range from $39.50-$99.50.
Mars is having an exceptional 2014 so far. He won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album for Unorthodox Jukebox and is set to perform for the Super Bowl half time show with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
See Mars in the official video for "Locked Out of Heaven"
Motley Crue Bids Farewell
Unfortunately, Motley Crue will not be stopping by the Triangle to say goodbye on their Final Tour, but they will be in nearby Greensboro. Members of Motley Crue have made the collective and unusual decision to never perform again as a band at the conclusion of this tour. This was an unexpected move considering they are one of the most successful rock bands of all time selling over 80 million albums during their time together.
According to Vince Neil via RollingStone.com, "We're one of the few bands left out there that has the original members.
That's the way we want to go out: the same four guys, leaving on our
terms – not leaving because we have to." The group has signed a formal "Cessation of Touring" stating they will no longer tour as Motley Crue or reunite.
Alice Cooper will join the tour which reaches the Greensboro Coliseum Complex on Wednesday, October 22. Tickets go on sale February 1 via Ticketmaster. If Charlotte is more your flavor, that show will take place at the PNC Music Pavilion on August 19.
It isn't every day that a music lover is fortunate enough to come across a band that not only provides beautifully crafted lyrics, but an entire visual journey as well. Lord Huron is that band. They started performing in August of 2010 and recently released their first LP, Lonesome Dreams.
As you might have guessed from the band's title, Ben Schneider, the group's founder, hails from Michigan. He moved to Los Angeles in 2010 to pursue a career in marketing and visual arts. His musical work started with visuals and transitioned into stories that were told best through song. Schneider developed his first few songs independently on the shores of Lake Huron. This side project quickly turned in to live shows around L.A. which gained recognition and praise from critics and fans.
As opportunity grew, so did the band. Schneider invited his long-time friends and fellow musicians from his hometown of Michigan to join him in this new endeavor. Mark Barry plays the drums, Miguel Briseno provides the bass and percussion, while Tom Renaud and Karl Kerfoot (from Sacramento, CA) play the guitar.
Listening to the new album, Lonesome Dreams, is a true musical experience. The idea spawned "through
the lens" of a fictitious character conceived by Schneider named George Ranger Johnson. According to his creator, Johnson is an "under appreciated author; very obscure." Johnson is given credit for writing several fake western novels that developed in to drawings, videos, and songs that make the Lonesome Dreams vision complete. Details of this fictional author can be found on his website, georgerangerjohnson.com.
Photo Credit: Jessica Yurasek The album reads like a novel with ten story-telling songs filled with thoughtful and sometimes haunting lyrics. These poetic lyrics are supported by exotic sounds that mix Americana-folk with world music. "She Lit a Fire" hints of love lost while "Lonesome Dreams" shares the torment of feeling alone. The album expresses the journey of life, appreciating both positive and negative aspects, and experiencing constant growth.
While traveling through Montana in the most recent polar vortex of the season, singer, songwriter, and Lord Huron creator, Ben Schneider, took time to speak with The Triangle Beat via phone about their first LP, Lonesome Dreams.
TTB: Working as a solo artist in the beginning, how difficult
was it to adjust to recording with a band?
SCHNEIDER: Well, you know, it’s just kind of a natural
progression of things. Once I started getting asked to play shows it wasn’t
something I could pull off myself. Once there was an opportunity to get
my friends involved who are a lot more proficient at their instruments than I
am, it just made a lot of sense. As soon as I got the chance, we got together
and now we’ve been on the road for two and a half years. We’re starting to work
more on the next record, so it’s exciting.
TTB: It sounds like you have known the band members for a long
time. How did everyone come together?
SCHNEIDER: Yea, uh, I was in a band with two of the guys way
back in middle school, so I’ve known these guys for a long time. We met
the bass player, Miguel, in high school and then Karl we met out in Western
California. He joined the band about a year and a half ago. We have
a nice little crew together. It’s cool because we have a lot of personal
chemistry, but a lot of musical chemistry as well. We get along and we
can make some great music together. You can’t really beat just traveling
around with your buddies and playing music every day.
TTB: Do you have a specific process for creating new music?
SCHNEIDER: I don’t really have a set process because when we’re
on the road, it’s really not possible to have a set schedule. The way it
kind of works for me is, I gather snippets over time, little bits of lyrics or
melodies or visual things. I kind of just collect that stuff for when I
get back home or in short breaks between tours and I’ll lay it all out and
piece it all together to see where it’s headed. Then I’ll try to start
crafting something out of it.
TTB: What role does George Ranger Johnson play in the album?
SCHNEIDER: He’s a really under appreciated author; very
obscure. When I start creating work I always like to start from some
place personal, from something that’s happened to me or someone close to me.
I just wanted to look at those stories from the lens of an old adventure
novel, so I invented this author to filter it all through. I don’t know,
it’s kind of a strange way of working I suppose, but it just helps me get into
the mode of what I’m trying to work on.
TTB: So, did everything start with the creation of this
character or did you start with lyrics first?
SCHNEIDER: Yea, I had some of the lyrics and stories that I wanted
to tell that I created through this filter. I had a bunch of bits and
pieces of songs and artwork that I used to try and convey this idea and then
just ran it all through the George Ranger Johnson filter.
TTB: Was it intentional for the album to flow from beginning to
end like a novel or was that a natural occurrence as you were writing?
SCHNEIDER: That’s definitely the feeling I wanted it to
have. I’ve always loved albums like that, that feel like one piece
of work. Ideally people will listen to songs together, as a series, and I
think it paints more of a vivid picture that way. It all kind of flows
together, it’s all one body of work, with these parts of clarity in all the
songs.
TTB: When listening to the album there's a great mix of folk sounds
meshed with world music. Where do your strongest musical influences stem
from?
SCHNEIDER: I think from a lot of different places. I think one
of the things that helped with the personal development of this project is that
I don’t ignore any of the things that influence me, I just try to let it all be
in there. There were days when I’d think I should be ashamed of certain
things, like a guilty pleasure, or maybe there was an element that didn't
fit with the aesthetic; but I made a decision to let it all live together and
hope that it all came out as something more personal and unique. I think it
does. I’m just really embracing it and letting everything I am interested
in inform the music. That’s everything from traditional folk and country
stuff, Hank Williams and Bob Dylan, mixed with Japanese music and stuff from
Africa. It’s maybe not as prevalent as the folk, but I think that’s what
helps give it some spice.
TTB: Were these worldly sounds influenced directly by places
you've traveled?
SCHNEIDER: Yea, a few places, I really enjoy trying to soak up
music from different spots. A few years back when I was traveling quite a bit,
I spent time in Indonesia and Mexico among other places. I listened to a lot of
music and I definitely think that influenced me quite a bit. I had a
recorder that I carried around and, yea, it was a cool experience.
TTB: After the tour and the Shaky Knees fest in May, what is
next for Lord Huron?
SCHNEIDER: Yea, we’re pretty far along with writing the second
album. We started recording a little bit, but when we get back, we’ll
really kind of dig into that over the next two months.
Locally, Lord Huron will perform at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on February 11. The Superhumanoids will open the show. Take a look at Lord Huron's website for a complete musical and visual experience as well as tour and festival dates.
Every young boy dreams of being the star of his very own western. Watch the gentlemen of Lord Huron achieve this goal in "Lonesome Dreams."
Nature loving singer and songwriter Jack Johnson has announced his tour for 2014. Jack and the band will make a stop at Koka Booth Amphitheater on Wednesday, May 21. Johnson is promoting the release of his sixth studio album, From Here to Now to You. This gem was released in September 2013 and debuted Number One on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.
Jack Johnson and his band will be supported by California natives, ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra). This group is well-known for their interactive and engaging live shows. For this reason, they've gained a loyal following, especially among the western states. Their sound is difficult to pinpoint, which only adds to the intrigue of the band. They mix funk-pop with danceable grooves and witty lyrics to make genuine and unique music.
Tickets go on sale via Etix at 10 a.m. this Friday, January 31. For details, visit Koka Booth Amphitheater.
Bask in the sweet sounds of Jack Johnson with his video for "Shot Reverse Shot" below.
Swear and Shake, an indie folk band based out of Brooklyn, NY, will play The Pour House tonight. The band was created by Kari Spieler (vocals, lyrics, guitar) and Adam McHeffey (vocals, banjo, lyrics, guitar) in 2010. With Tom Elefante on drums and electric bassist Shaun Savage, the duo's lyric based songs create a high energy with musical depth.
Swear and Shake has shared the stage with highly notable artists such as Alison Krauss and the Avett Brothers. They are currently touring to promote their debut album, Maple Ridge.
The band will be joined by Raleigh's own Debonzo Brothers who are releasing a new EP. This group brings sounds similar to Jason Isbell, American Aquarium, and Drive-By Truckers blending southern rock, Americana, pop, and indie rock. These sounds are created by the brothers, Jeff and Keef, along with Chris Hibbard on drums, Jay Shirley on keys, and Jimmy Thompson on bass. One Damn Heart, the band's first LP, was released in 2012. The album tells a story of folklore, love, and youth with heartfelt lyrics that ring true to everyone.
The Debonzo Brothers have experienced strong support from the their North Carolina roots. They have collaborated and played with Joe Kwon, cellist for the Avett Brothers, and Bill Corbin from American Aquarium.
Try them out tonight with the energetic Swear and Shake at The Pour House; this is a show that is sure to please. The doors open at 9 with the fun starting at 10. Tickets are $8 online and $10 at the door.
The indie pop band, Fitz and the Tantrums, are on the road again to promote their latest album, More Than Just a Dream. They will make a stop at the Lincoln Theatre on Tuesday, May 13. Tickets go on sale Saturday, January 25, via Etix.
More Than Just a Dream is the band's sophomore album following Pickin' Up the Pieces. The group has appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Conan, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. They have toured with the likes of Maroon 5, Flogging Molly, and Capital Cities.
Fitz and the Tantrums provide a lively, dynamic and dance inducing show with a variety of instruments, characters, and vocals. This is also a band that seems to genuinely appreciate the fact that people are spending their hard-earned money to see them perform.
The opening act has not yet been announced for this show; look for updates soon. See the official video for "Don't Gotta Work it Out" below.
Chapel Hill's Superchunk will play in Saxapahaw at the Haw River Ballroom Thursday, April 10th. The band has taken nearly a decade off from recording and touring, but they're back in the game just in time to celebrate the
twenty-five year anniversary of Merge records. Considering the group's members, Mac and Laura created the label in 1989, they will certainly play a role in celebrating Merge's success and growth through the years.
Merge Records is scheduled to reissue Superchunk's out-of-print album, Indoor Living (1997) on February 25. The reissue will include a recorded 1997 concert at Duke University.
Superchunk released I Hate Music in 2013. It is a highly energetic album that takes a more mature look at life's larger questions, dilemmas, and triumphs. For more details, check out the official Superchunk website.
Tickets are on sale now for the Saxapahaw show via Ticketfly.
Lincoln Theatre is about to get trippy. Former Three 6 Mafia member, Juicy J, announces that he will make a stop in Raleigh with his Never Been SoberTour. Travi$ Scott will join him on stage.
Juicy J recently completed his Stay Trippy Tour which featured A$AP Ferg as an opening act. His first solo album with Columbia Records, Stay Trippy, sold 64,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200. The most popular songs from the album are "Bandz a Make Her Dance", "Bounce It" and "Show Out."
Juicy J is expected to release his sophomore album some time this year. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 24th for the February 28th show. Get ticket information here.
Here's just some of what you can expect at the Juicy J show at Lincoln Theatre:
Cage the Elephant will headline a free concert at the Red Hat Amphitheater on Friday, May 2nd. Currently, the band's latest track, "Come a Little Closer" is No. 1 on the alternative and rock music charts. Cage the Elephant will be joined by the indie rock band Foals and the rock group J Roddy Walston and the Business.
This is the second year Red Hat Amphitheater has treated the city to a free concert as a celebration of Red Hat's ownership of the concert venue. It will take place during May's First Friday celebration. No tickets are needed for the show, doors open at 6 and seating will be general admission. The show will begin at 7.
Beck has released a full version of "Blue Moon" today, the first track from his next album, Morning Phase. After listening to five seconds of this new tune it's obvious he has left behind his "two turn tables and a microphone." The song voices the need to no longer be alone with the lyrics that discuss being "in a silent asylum." This is a more folk-filled sound than we are used to hearing from Beck, but it does not disappoint.
Morning Phase is set to drop on February 25th. It is highly anticipated considering he has not released an album since 2008. During that time, Beck has been focused on producing music due to a spinal injury.
Hopefully you are having a fantastic start to the
week. Whether it's a great Monday or a horribly sad one, here is some
music to fit any mood. Click on the tune that best suits your feeling of the moment. Enjoy and have a great week!