Member Review: Widespread Panic

Long-time BPD subscriber Gavin88 writes:

Anyone who made it to the show was very lucky to experience one of the tightest groups in the music industry today in Widespread Panic. The band consists of John Bell (guitar/vocals), Dave Schools (bass), Todd Nance (drums), Domingo Sunny Ortiz (percussions), John Jo-Jo Hermann (keyboards) and Jimmy Herring (guitars) and the boys all hail from the fertile musical grounds of Athens, Georgia. Their dedication, work ethic and meticulous craftsmanship are apparent in every song that they play live. They seem more connected as a family rather than merely a rock band. Their connections echo across the stage between jamming band members while interlocked in a instrumental bonanza of interplay - making it all look effortless. Widespread Panic's music has an uncanny ability to make it's audience stand up and dance. Peace and happiness flows.

WSP is among the leading touring bands in the U.S. selling out venues in record time. Renowned for their live performances, the band refuses to play the same show twice. It's this organic spontaneity that keeps the electricity hanging in the air all night long. The band exalts and prides itself on the diverse musical influences of each band member. From southern rock, blues-rock, progressive rock, funk to hard rock genres. They throw it all into a blender on stage and create a surprising melange throughout their riveting set. You never know what is coming around the next corner or the next hanging note.

The dueling guitars of Jimmy Herring and John Bell were amazing in their structural nuances and free flowing beauty. "Proving Ground" and "Weak Brain, Narrow Mind" helped to showcase this nicely. The keyboards and percussion's rumbling downbeats warmed you completely through. School's pounding bass laid down the law at the get go, while Ortiz shaped the songs with his cowbell and conga flourishes. "Time Zones" led off beginning of the second set with authority. John Bell's soulful voice was thickly entrenched in some shadowy back bayou apparently not too far from "the crossroads" down south. "Wondering," "Traveling Man" and "Airplane" continued the journey in rousing fashion.

With encores of "Imitation Leather Shoes," "Up All Night," "Impossible" and "Heaven" to close out the first night and "Lets Get Down to Business," "Pigeons," "Cotton Was King," "Angels On High," "None of Us Are Free" along with "Waitin' for the Bus" and "Jesus Just Left Chicago" to close out the night they painted their entire musical canvas with rich colors and organic tonalities.

I'd never seen a show from the back before this one. Wow, "awesome" is the only word I can find. Thank you BPD.

You're welcome, Gavin88. We've heard from a few members over the last month who have seen WSP. Everyone agrees with you about the band and about how great it is to be in the back.

 To those of you who haven't joined us yet, what are you waiting for? Visit BackstagePassDirect today.

Jimmy Eat World Takes A Bite Out Of 2011

The pop punksters have been busy touring North America during the early fall and the current U.K. / Europe tour while the band’s sixth studio album – Invented – burns up the charts.

Now, Jimmy Eat World has announced the first leg of an early 2011 US tour. Expect more dates to be announced.


For now its:

January 28     Albuquerque, NM        Sunshine Theatre

January 30     San Antonio, TX            Backstage Live

January 31     New Orleans, LA           House Of Blues

February 2     Tampa, FL                        The Ritz

February 3      Ft Lauderdale, FL           Revolution

February 4      Orlando, FL                      House of Blues

February 5      Charlotte, NC                   Amos Southend

February 7      Athens, GA                       40 Watt Club

February 8      Richmond, VA                  The National

February 11    Atlantic City, NJ               House of Blues

February 12    Allentown, PA                  Crocodile Rock

February 13   Washington, DC               930 Club

February 14   Pittsburgh, PA                   Club Zoo

Get your passes to meet/see the band backstage today.

Member Review: Billy Idol + Slash

We unchained BPD's own Rich Smithy from his desk and sent him out into the great unknown to file this report:

When matched correctly, a double bill of equal star power can make for a music lover's ultimate night out filled with more bang for their buck. Such was the case of a tag team between punk powerhouse Billy Idol and metal guitar god Slash, who may have had slightly different styles at face value, but united under the shared ability to rock loud and proud.

The longtime Guns N' Roses, Slash's Snakepit and Velvet Revolver axe slinger started off the evening with a smattering of his two most popular acts' classics, alongside a plethora of tunes from a recently released self-titled solo CD. Though the oldies were much more appreciated by the sweaty masses, current cuts like "Ghost," "Back From Cali" and "Starlight" had no trouble showcasing Slash's jaw dropping fret work or the mighty presence of vocalist Myles Kennedy (also of Alter Bridge fame).

Those assets also helped transition the more familiar battle cries of "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City" to current contexts, while also giving the next generation of attendees a taste of the six string slinger's glory days. But this was far from a nostalgia trip through previous band's hits as Slash's fresher tunes proved to be just as vital in hard rock clusters, while he continued to run circles around players half his age.

Speaking of teenagers trapped in an adult's body, the 54-year-old Billy Idol showed off an ultra-chiseled frame backed by intact charisma and vocal chops. Though he debuted a handful of yet to be released new tunes that tried too hard to recall his peak without the same infectiousness, at least there was plenty to love from his Generation X days through radio staples of the 1980s and '90s.

The band's "Dancing With Myself" served as an early example of the singer's Sex Pistols-infused fury, though solo cuts like "Flesh For Fantasy," "Sweet Sixteen" and "Eyes Without a Face" found Idol presenting his own hybrid of punk, glam and pop, backed by especially incendiary playing from longtime collaborator Steve Stevens (who could've skipped a self-indulgent guitar solo and encouraged the drummer to do the same).

Nonetheless, the well-preserved performer dabbled in his psychedelic side for a surprise (and downright smoldering) tag team with Slash for The Doors' "L.A. Woman," though Tommy James & The Shondells' "Mony Mony" unfortunately fell into the cheesier side of the cover mold. Instead, "Rebel Yell" and the acoustically introduced/eventually electrified "White Wedding" served as Idol's ultimate calling cards, reminding just how endearing those fist-pumpers remain, even if interest is thinner in newer tunes.

BTW, am having too much fun. Am not coming back = I quit!!

Sorry to lose you, Rich. Please know that your chains are waiting if you decide to return. Otherwise, send us a card now and then.

If you still haven't taken the next step and become a member, nowz a good time. Join us today.

H2O Now Frozen Over for Paisley

As any of his fans can tell you, Brad Paisley’s current outing is called the H2O World tour. But now with a fresh string of winter dates on the routing, the country star has tweaked the name to H2O Frozen Over Tour.

But Paisley’s sure to keep those audiences warm. With Darius Rucker continuing as special guest and Jerrod Niemann opening up the shows, Paisley’s tour is a sure bet to keep those arena temperatures fired up no matter what it’s like outside.

Here are all the new dates:

Thu 01/20/11              Green Bay, WI        Resch Center      

Fri 01/21/11         Fort Wayne, IN     Allen County War Mem. Coliseum    

Sat 01/22/11         Evansville, IN     Roberts Stadium    

Thu 02/10/11         Duluth, GA     The Arena At Gwinnett Center    

Fri 02/11/11         Birmingham, AL     BJCC Arena    

Sat 02/12/11         Lafayette, LA     Cajundome    

Thu 02/17/11         Hershey, PA     GIANT Center    

Fri 02/18/11         Roanoke, VA     Roanoke Civic Center    

Sat 02/19/11         Louisville, KY     KFC Yum! Center    

Thu 02/24/11         Orlando, FL     Amway Center    

Fri 02/25/11         Columbus, GA     Columbus Civic Center    

Sat 02/26/11         Nashville, TN     Bridgestone Arena

Brad passes always go fast, so don't delay. Go to BackstagePassDirect, sign-in, and make your request.

Member Review: Farm Aid

BPD member Slik77 send in this report:

Dave Matthews + Neil Young + John Mellencamp + Willie Nelson, + a dozen other front line performers. On top of that, another BPD member got totally toasted backstage, took off her top, took off her bra and swung it around like a lariat while dancing to the music.


Ya think I had a good time?


But I digress. When I saw Matthews before, he was backed by his entire band. But at Farm Aid there's no time for long sets or delirious jamming. So Matthews scaled it down perfectly by teaming up with guitarist Tim Reynolds. It gave Matthews enough instrumental fiber, while allowing him to better display his vocal range. As an example, he toned down his big band version of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" infusing it with jazzy riffs instead. Matthews seems like a genuine, humble man whose personality fits perfectly with Farm Aid's idealism.


John Mellencamp brought his bar band energy to the event. Among the headliners, he had the most raucous, crowd pleasing set. Like Matthews, Mellencamp has surrounded himself with musicians worthy of their leader. Guitar player Mike Wanchic and Mellencamp's long-time violinist, Miriam Sturm, brought lightning to Mellencamp's thunder. His only questionable decision was performing "Cherry Bomb" a cappella. It's not a hymn, John, it's a rousing anthem and ought to be sung like one.


Neil Young looked 100-years-old until the onstage finale but his voice is ageless and unchanged. Uncompromising as always, he wasn't going to back down from telling harsh truths and discussed the plight of the American farmer more than all the other performers combined. But an artful preacher needs to know when to break into song, and Neil eventually got a bit windy. Still, you can't knock an original who has always been a thorn in the side of what is false and intolerable. And so it was that his performance of "Ohio" carried the same rocking rage it had 40 years ago. Sometimes, the same is exactly what the world needs.


Like Young, Willie Nelson, the godfather of Farm Aid, sounded like he'd always sounded. Both share the same gift - totally original voices. Yet Willie infused his standards with a freshness most of Young's songs lacked. And Nelson's guitar, which looked as weathered as the 77-year-old who was playing it, was like clay in an artist's hands.


Half way through the set, Willie was joined by his son, Lukas, who had performed with his own band earlier in the day. Unlike his father, the younger Nelson treated his guitar like a wild animal, coaxing out notes that would have made Stevie Ray Vaughn proud. His voice had the familiar reedy pitch of his father's, only a few octaves higher.


Norah Jones, who bridged the sets between stars like Kenny Chesney and super stars like Young and Matthews, is worth a footnote. As always, she was pitch perfect and flashed a luminous smile. Her music, though, seems more tailored to a bistro than Miller Park, Farm Aid's 2010 venue.


You can't knock the respect the performers brought to Farm Aid. No egos. No selfish CD promos. And when several shared the stage, as they did a couple times, they seemed like real friends.


Nonetheless, I wonder if the event needs a bit of a facelift after 25 years. A third of the crowd had left by the time Willie came on stage and the concert ended with a whimper instead of a bang. Maybe there should be fewer acts and more time on stage together. The fans who were rocking to Mellencamp and Matthews, didn't know what to do with Neil Young, so maybe the batting order could be adjusted. Leaving the biggest names for last is typical, but maybe all-day events need to mix things up.


Nelson, who had the final set, looked like he wanted to play all night but by then most of the other big names had called it a day. It would have been great to see them all on stage for one last blast.


But that's nitpicking. You can't find all that talent together this side of Woodstock in 1969. The cause is righteous and the music made you realize again how song can magically lift the spirits.

Farm Aid................what more need be said? Thanks, Slik77.

Best view, best shows. Our members get it all. Join today.

More "No Better Than This"

John Mellencamp expands his “No Better Than This Tour” that was to close in Chicago next month with all-new dates beginning in February of next year.

Billed as “an evening with,” the tour features John Mellencamp digging into his vast catalog of songs as well as tunes from his latest album.

Each concert is divided into three segments with the first showcasing Mellencamp performing acoustically while the second features the singer / songwriter fronting a small combo. The third promises to be a party with Mellencamp backed by his full rock band.

The newly announced leg of the tour begins in Lowell, Mass., at the Memorial Auditorium Feb. 3.

Even though it’s “an evening with,” there is an opening act of sorts, the film documentary “It’s About You,” shot on Super 8 film during Mellenamp’s 2009 tour of minor league baseball stadiums with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.

Produced by T Bone Burnett, the new album (yes, titled No Better Than This) sports a retro sound with Mellencamp recording the album in three historic locations in the American South – the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Memphis’ Sun Studio and Room 414 of San Antonio’s Gunter Hotel where Robert Johnson recorded in 1936. Adding to the Americana vibe of the album, the sessions took place using one vintage microphone and were recorded on a 55-year-old mono tape recorder. Talk about getting back to basics.

All the backstage passes for October and November gigs are gone, but here are the new dates:

Thu 02/03/11 Lowell, MA Lowell Memorial Auditorium

Fri 02/04/11 Waterbury, CT Palace Theater

Tue 02/15/11 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall

Fri 02/18/11 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall

Mon 02/21/11 Philadelphia, PA Academy Of Music

Thu 02/24/11 Richmond, VA Landmark Theater

Sat 02/26/11 Columbia, SC Township Auditorium

Sun 02/27/11 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre

Tue 03/01/11 Durham, NC Durham Performing Arts Center

Thu 03/03/11 Fort Lauderdale, FL Broward Center For The Perf. Arts

Fri 03/04/11 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall

Sat 03/05/11 Jacksonville, FL Moran Theater

JM is a perennial fave at BPD. So act quickly before they're all gone.

Member Review: Shakira

BackstagePassDirect member SudaSal sent us this:

Shakira's return to touring is to promote "The Sun Comes Out," which arrives Oct. 19. Shakira hasn't toured in four years, and the crowd was eager to see if she could still bring it live. The hip-shaking Columbian dynamo mixed rock, pop and dance music sung in English and Spanish for 90 minutes of foot stomping sizzle and flash.


When the lights went down, she appeared at the far end of the arena in a pink hooded dress. Opening with the ballad "Pienso en Ti" (from her 1996 debut, "Pies Descalzos"), Shakira moved slowly through the aisles toward the stage, touching hands as people reached out to her. The song, which translates to "I think of you," was performed entirely in Spanish, which she did frequently throughout the set, making it clear that despite her ambition to conquer the North American market, she is not forsaking her Spanish-speaking audience.


By the time she reached the thrust stage, she shed her dress for black lycra stretch pants and a gold sequined top, tantalizing in front of a digital screen two stories high. Moving into the bouncing, guitar-driven "Te Dejo Madrid" from her 2001 breakthrough "Laundry Service," Shakira raced around before stopping to jam a harmonica solo.


Breathlessly, she told the crowd: "I am here to please you. Tonight I am yours."


With the new album still weeks away, the night mostly was about hits, and all were crowd-pleasing. "Si Te Vas" was followed by "Whenever, Wherever" -- during which she brought four girls from the audience onstage for a hip-shaking lesson -- "Inevitable" and haunting acoustic versions of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" along with "Gypsy" and "La Tortura."


Her voice is a powerful instrument, effortlessly weaving through styles: Think Kylie Minogue and Ann Wilson with the gravitas of Kate Bush. But what sets her apart from today's pop singers, and what made Shakira stand out, is her great warmth and spirit of conviction. She seems happily lost in her music and eager to share it, like a yodeling muppet with a Eurail pass. When she smiles, people smile back; when she dances, people want to dance with her.


And whether belly-dancing or gyrating like Elvis, the girl knows how to move. "Ciega, Sordomuda," one of Shakira's infectious early hits, got them dancing. It was followed by the reggaeton thumping of new songs "Gordita" and "Loca" and the silly but entertaining "She Wolf."


When the barefoot singer returned for an encore, she thanked the crowd profusely, offering love and hope for the crowd. After a short ballad from the new album, "Antes de las Seis," she called in "Hips Don't Lie" (footnote: backstage, she asked me if I thought she ought to get her hips insured) and closed with the rousing 2010 World Cup anthem, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)," complete with Kiss-style confetti cannons.


If anything, her performance cemented Shakira's place as an arena-rock star. Her show is a magnificent parade of lights and music. I hada gr8 time.


Set List:
Pienso en Ti
Why Wait
Te Dejo Madrid
Si Te Vas
Whenever, Wherever
Inevitable
Nothing Else Matters
Gypsy
La Tortura
Ciega, Sordomuda
Underneath Your Clothes
Gordita
Sale el Sol
Las de la Intuicion
Loca
She Wolf
Ojos Asi
Encore:
Antes de las Seis
Hips Dont Lie
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)

CMA Update

Whether or not she collects all nine of the awards she was nominated for, Miranda Lambert will take the stage at the 44th Annual CMA Awards one way or another as one of the performers at Country Music’s Biggest Night.

In addition to the 2003 “Nashville Star” finalist, the first round of performers for the award show includes the singer’s fiancé Blake Shelton along with Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum and the pairing of Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson.

Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley will host the show for the third year in a row.

Lambert’s nine nominations earned her bragging rights for the most 2010 nominations as well as the distinction of making CMA history with the most nods for a female artist.

She’s competing for entertainer of the year, female vocalist of the year, album of the year (for Revolution) and musical event of the year (for “Bad Angel” by Bentley featuring Lambert and Jamey Johnson). Lambert is also up for single of the year (for both “The House That Built Me” and “White Liar”) and music video of the year (for both “The House That Built Me” and “White Liar”). Her songwriting talent was also recognized with a nod for song of the year (for “White Liar”).

Shelton has been nominated in the following categories: male vocalist of the year, single of the year (“Hillybilly Bone” featuring Trace Adkins), musical event of the year (“Hillybilly Bone”) and music video of the year (“Hillbilly Bone”).

Along with musical event of the year (for “Bad Angel”), Bentley was also nominated for male vocalist of the year and album of the year (for Up On The Ridge).

Chesney is nominated for musical event of the year for his performance of “I’m Alive” with Dave Matthews.

Lady Antebellum racked up five nominations this year including entertainer of the year, vocal group of the year, single of the year (for “Need You Now”), song of the year (for co-writing “Need You Now”) and music video of the year (for “Need You Now”).

Zac Brown Band is up for entertainer of the year, musical event of the year (for “Can’t You See” featuring Kid Rock), new artist of the year and vocal group of the year. Brown earned another nomination in the song of the year category for co-writing “Toes.”

Jackson earned a nod for musical event of the year for his collaboration with Lee Ann Womack on “Till The End.”

Although passes for this show are all gone, you can still see it on the small(er) screen Nov. 10, live on ABC