More than 20 bands on three stages across eight hours, yet to judge by who actually garnered a crowd Saturday in the dusty wilderness of Oak Canyon Ranch, you’d think Tiger Army was the only band on the bill at the 14th annual Hootenanny. (Read Kelli Skye Fadroski’s scene report and see Kevin Sullivan’s complete slide show here.)

OK, that’s a slight exaggeration – principal headliner Mike Ness, in a noticeably jovial mood, certainly saw a few thousand worn-out, still-sweaty fans stick it out to the bitter end of his hour-long set.

Though accompanied by most of Social Distortion (including guitarist Jonny “Twobags” Wickersham and bassist Brent Harding), Ness’ seventh appearance at this bonanza of country, rockabilly, punk rock and more was nonetheless primarily devoted to material from his two 1999 solo albums, Cheating at Solitaire and Under the Influences, whether the tunes were original (hearty helpings of “The Devil in Miss Jones” and “Dope Fiend Blues” and tender takes on “The Rest of Our Lives” and “Ballad of a Lonely Man”) or originally penned by heroes (Carl Perkins’ “Let the Jukebox Keep on Playing,” Hank Williams’ “You Win Again”).

It was a fine performance, despite occasional hobbling by the same sort of technical glitches that seemed to plague most everyone on the main stages at some point. Worst bobble of all: Just as Tiger Army frontman Nick 13 was about to launch his psychobilly trio into the igniting riff of “Afterworld,” his guitar cut out completely – as if it had been yanked out of its amp. Talk about a momentum killer.

Not that the false start deterred Nick & Co. from turning in a first-rate batch of old and new songs – nor did it keep the cultish throngs who had waited all day to release a pungent dose of testosterone from bashing and brawling in front of the stage.

Read the rest of this entry »

I realize Radiohead has been vehemently against the very existence of the recently released retrospective The Best Of, which its former label, EMI, patched together and plopped into stores a month ago against the band’s wishes. Once upon a time the Brits had sworn they’d never issue such a cash cow, and I’m with those who contend that every Radiohead album is a finely crafted experience to be savored from end to end. (OK, maybe not Pablo Honey, but they virtually disowned that thing years ago.) I agree with Pitchfork and AllMusic that this is just an easy way for a spurned corporation to profit.

Naturally, I have no use for either the anemic single-disc sampler or the more thorough double-disc set — I can put those together myself if I really wanted to. Nor would I recommend either to a beginner. You wanna know about these guys — and if you don’t already, where ya been? — start with The Bends and OK Computer and start working your way forward chronologically. You won’t be disappointed.

But then I stumbled upon the limited-edition four-LP set at Best Buy. Price: $60. Same track listing as the 2xCD package, only now divided up into intriguing sides — “No Surprises,” “High and Dry,” “My Iron Lung” and “There There,” or how about “The National Anthem,” “Knives Out” and “Talk Show Host”? Every bit of it, including “True Love Waits” from a show I was at, on heavyweight vinyl … of course.

I hesitated purchasing it — not so much because of the price, which is fair, but because it would mean helping to line EMI’s coffers over product Radiohead is against. But the thing is, short of tracking down almost-as-expensive vinyl copies of Kid A and Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief (I have OK Computer, and is The Bends even available the old-fashioned way?) … well, how else could I acquire so many cherished songs to spin on my turntable? (This, by the way, is the same reason why I plunked down a chunk of cash for Pink Floyd’s Echoes vinyl box and Pearl Jam’s Greatest Hits. I have individual albums by each, natch — but in the interest of getting as much bang for my buck, I’m not fussy about adding best-ofs to my collection.)

I also think the accompanying DVD that’s available, gathering all of the band’s innovative, endlessly watchable videos (pre-In Rainbows, mind you), is worth an Andrew Jackson. (That’s my favorite clip up top, for “Just.”) But now that I’ve sprung for the vinyl, I just can’t bring myself to defy Radiohead’s wishes twice. Every time I play a side, I kinda feel guilty. I may need to send off personalized letters to clear my conscience. Or maybe steal all the Spice Girls hits discs out of a Victoria’s Secret and then run ‘em over with my car.

Yeah, that might make me feel a lot better.

Also:

• New shows: Conor Oberst, Download Festival, Peter Hook
• Glastonbury clip: Proof that Jay-Z should never sing
• Boy George’s visa problems postpone tour to winter 2009
• TSOL, M.I.A., the Germs, Fear and more added to Warped dates
• 311 & Snoop Dogg go up in smoke at Verizon
• Pacific Amphitheatre adds Earth, Wind & Fire show

• Didn’t nab a ticket to see Conor Oberst (aka Bright Eyes) and the Mystic Valley Band at the Troubadour the day his self-titled album drops, Aug. 5? Lucky you: the mercurial singer-songwriter (pictured, by Autumn de Wilde) and his latest outfit have added two more dates, Oct. 21-22, at the Music Box at the Fonda in Hollywood. Tickets, $25, are on sale.

• I’ve been neglectful about mentioning this one: The second U.S. incarnation of the U.K.’s Download Festival is due to arrive at Gibson Amphitheatre on July 20, and it’s something of a Coachella in miniature, complete with performances from two of that fest’s more recent reunion acts — the Jesus and Mary Chain and Gang of Four. Also taking part: Brand New, Mute Math, M83, Mates of State, Tapes N’ Tapes, Datarock, Caribou, the Duke Spirit, Kaki King, RJD2, Flosstradamus, Ghostland Observatory, De Novo Dahl and more. Tickets, $37.50, are on sale.

• Also: New Order/Joy Division bassist Peter Hook has a DJ set at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa scheduled for this Thursday, July 3, $10 … and because of scheduling conflicts, Senegalese singing star Youssou N’Dour has fallen off the KCRW World Festival installment featuring Gnarls Barkley and Deerhoof at the Hollywood Bowl on July 27. He has been replaced by another Senegalese artist, Fallou Dieng. Tickets, $10-$123, are on sale.

Also:

• Glastonbury clip: Proof that Jay-Z should never sing
• Boy George’s visa problems postpone tour to winter 2009
• TSOL, M.I.A., the Germs, Fear and more added to Warped dates
• 311 & Snoop Dogg go up in smoke at Verizon
• Pacific Amphitheatre adds Earth, Wind & Fire show

King Hova fakes it on guitar and attempts to sing along to Oasis’ “Wonderwall” to open his much-discussed set at this past weekend’s Glastonbury Festival in England.

Speaks for itself, really.

“99 Problems” with bits of “Back in Black” sounds good as usual, though.

Also:

• Boy George’s visa problems postpone tour to winter 2009
• TSOL, M.I.A., the Germs, Fear and more added to Warped dates
• 311 & Snoop Dogg go up in smoke at Verizon
• Pacific Amphitheatre adds Earth, Wind & Fire show

As expected, last week’s news that the State Department has refused to issue Boy George a visa has now resulted in the former Culture Club singer’s summer tour being postponed until winter 2009.

“I was really hoping that the issue would be resolved,” Mr. O’Dowd said in a statement, “and that some kind soul at the U.S. Visa Office would realize that if the police in the U.K. placed no restrictions on my movements, that should have been good enough for them. I am very sorry that I will not see all my American fans this year, but I wish them a happy and healthy Fourth of July. I include the Visa Office in those good wishes and realize they are doing a very difficult job and I just got unlucky.”

Refunds for his show at the Grove of Anaheim (July 13) and his two dates at L.A.’s El Rey Theatre (July 15-16) can be obtained at point of purchase.

Photo: Boy George arrives at a London court on false imprisonment charges, February 2008, by Nathan Strange / Associated Press

Also:

• TSOL, M.I.A., the Germs, Fear and more added to Warped dates
• 311 & Snoop Dogg go up in smoke at Verizon
• Pacific Amphitheatre adds Earth, Wind & Fire show

What’s that? You say the Vans Warped Tour has gotten too far away from its pure-punk roots? That spotlighting crossover kiddies like Katy Perry and Gym Class Heroes over the fest’s true veterans has sucked all the vitality out of Warped?

Hey, you’ll get no argument here.

But this might counteract that sinking feeling that Warped has skidded off the rails: Kevin Lyman and his fellow organizers have announced the return of the “Old School Stage” for the four tour-ending West Coast dates, including Aug. 14 at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre (formerly Coors Amphitheatre) in Chula Vista and the final stop, Aug. 17 at Home Depot Center in Carson.

Slated to appear at both locations: L.A. legends the Germs and Fear, New York’s H20 and three abbreviated O.C. punk mainstays — TSOL (that’s frontman Jack Grisham shouting in the pic), M.I.A. and D.I. — plus Huntington Beach’s Big Drill Car. (Another O.C. favorite, Agent Orange, is only turning up at the Mountain View and Wheatland shows. The Dickies, meanwhile, will also be on-hand at Home Depot Center.)

Tickets, $24-$28 for Chula Vista, $30.25 for Carson, are on sale.

File photo: TSOL vocalist Jack Grisham hollers his lungs out at a 2003 performance.

Also:

• Getting Warped in the melting Pomona heat
• 311 & Snoop Dogg go up in smoke at Verizon
• Pacific Amphitheatre adds Earth, Wind & Fire show

Here’s one to file in the Maybe Someday It Will Finally Be a Full-Summer Venue Again folder: As part of a handful of shows that will be scheduled after the annual O.C. Fair run, Pacific Amphitheatre has added a performance from Earth, Wind & Fire on Sept. 27, with Michael “Motown Makeover” McDonald opening. Tickets, $35-$75, go on sale Monday, June 30, at 10 a.m.

Photo: From left, Verdine White, Philip Bailey and Ralph Johnson of Earth, Wind & Fire perform at the Greek Theatre, July 2007, by Kelly A. Swift, for the Register

Also:

• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in complete control at the Bowl
• Stone Temple Pilots defy expectations at the Hollywood Bowl
• Lit to play Mouse House benefit for cancer-stricken drummer
• Nine Inch Nails to scream into the Forum in September
• Boy George denied visa, may have to cancel U.S. tour
• Powerhouse 08: Surprises, hard rhymes and weird Lil Wayne
• Video: Getting Warped in the melting Pomona heat

“I’ve come to rock Hollywood!” Tom Petty announced two songs into his sterling performance Wednesday night at the Hollywood Bowl with the commanding Heartbreakers and a fine opening set from Steve Winwood. “We got a really nice night for a rock ‘n’ roll show here,” he noted. “Only in Southern California.” As for the set list …

Read the rest of this entry »

If you were planning on heading out to the Wiltern tonight to catch rap star T.I., save your gas — he has postponed the show, likely until fall, because of “last-minute logistics issue.”

A statement from promoter Live Nation further states that “T.I. has just been hard at work on his new, highly-anticipated album, packing his schedule with recording sessions and other commitments.” Rather than perform the gig at this time, T.I. “wants to make sure that his new work lives up to his own very high standards.”

Tickets for tonight’s show will be honored at the rescheduled date, but those who want refunds may obtain them at point of purchase.

Also:

• Stone Temple Pilots defy expectations at the Hollywood Bowl
• Lit to play Mouse House benefit for cancer-stricken drummer
• Nine Inch Nails to scream into the Forum in September
• Boy George denied visa, may have to cancel U.S. tour
• Powerhouse 08: Surprises, hard rhymes and weird Lil Wayne
• Video: Getting Warped in the melting Pomona heat
• Rush, Babyface, Shakira to get Walk of Fame stars

Just put up my review of Stone Temple Pilots’ surprisingly impressive reunion show at the Bowl, and thought some of you might want to peruse the set list …

Read the rest of this entry »