Pink Floyd Performs in Stroudsburg! (Sort of...)

Pink Floyd fans will be psyched this weekend when they go see "Rock 'n' Art" at the Sherman Theater. The venue's website has listed the event as "an interactive, multimedia experience." Local artists Bill Kelley and Chris Francz will be presenting their work, which will be accompanied by Pink Floyd's The Wall.
Although no showing of The Wall could ever be the same as seeing the boys -- David Gilmour, Richard Wright, Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, and Roger Waters -- this show aims to bring just a little piece of their glory to Stroudsburg.
For a taste of the acid trip that is The Wall, check out a small snippet of "Comfortably Numb" from the actual movie.
Because of the band's inability to get along, the remaining members of Pink Floyd have stated that they will not be reuniting for a tour after rumors surfaced that it would happen. However, David Gilmour and Roger Waters still tour by themselves.
Come on, guys. Kiss and make up...for your fans. While I'm happy with the idea of seeing Rock 'n' Art, I would much rather see the band!

JARO Comes Out Swingin'

For all you jazz lovers out there, I’ve got a special review for you. The 2008-09 ESU Jazz Synergy Series continued last weekend, with JARO (Jazz Artists Repertory Orchestra) kicking off the fourth concert in the collection of events. For their performance on Sunday, they presented “A Salute to Big Band Jazz.”
JARO is a group chock full of talented local musicians, like young saxophonist Jay Rattman, pianist Wolfgang Knittel, and ESU professors Patrick Dorian on trumpet and Jim Daniels on bass trombone and tuba.
The group played numerous jazz standards, with “Do Nothin’ Til You Hear From Me,” “TNT” (no, not the ACDC version), “Mr. Barrelhouse,” and “Pickin’ the Cabbage” all in the set list. The latter was my favorite tune of the show because it started with a strong opening drum solo to grab the audience’s attention. Then it launched into full speed swinging with a high pitched clarinet on the melody and a fast trumpet solo, played by Jan Betz.
To view pictures from JARO's performance, visit the illustrious Ear Plugs Web Album.
If you feel like you've missed out on a great show, you have! But good news --- there's still one concert left in the ESU Jazz Synergy Series. It's going to take place on Monday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg. Even better news --- the show will feature jazz legend Phil Woods on saxophone.
How I love some good sax...

I Get to Interview the Lead Singer?!!! Well, Maybe if He Wasn't So Weird.

In my last blog, I pleaded with you to go see some live music. I gave you three different options and sent you on your way. When I mentioned going to see Todd Schaeffer, the lead singer of Railroad Earth, I didn't realize just how strange he might be in an intimate setting.
Last night, he performed solo at Sarah Street Grill, playing melodious, soothing, almost lullaby-like tunes on his guitar. I was impressed, and then came time for the interview during his first set break. Of course, there were the usual questions, like "How long have you been playing music?" to which his answer was 20-25 years. Then, "Do you think your personal style differs from the style of the band?" to which he replied yes, and said that his music included more fingerpicking.
Then I came to the question "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" and his response was: "Oooh, retired, playing golf...perhaps running for office."
"Really?" I said.
"Noooo, not really!" he bellowed in my face, and then transformed into deep, maniacal laughter for a minute. I laughed, too, so things wouldn't get uncomfortable, even though it geeked me out. Then, he returned to serious face mode and his eyes drifted off toward the other side of the bar.
My next question: "Is there anything you'd like to say to ESU students?" His answer: "YEAH! Get off your asses and come to my shows!" (Another bout of wild laughter, this one lasting longer.) "No, I'd tell them to stop reading this review and start studying." His eyes floated away from my gaze yet again. Then, stone face. I was getting anxious.
After that, I thanked him for his time and concluded the interview.
Umm, weird.

Try These Tasty Morsels...

To diverge from the usual blog review, I want to let you in on some intriguing local music happening over the course of the weekend:

This Thursday night, Sarah Street Grill will be alive with an acoustic jam session, featuring Todd Schaeffer (pictured below), the lead singer of bluegrass jam band Railroad Earth. It surprised me to see this show on Sarah Street Grill's list of entertainment, mostly because the latest Railroad Earth shows I've been to have been packed --- this band is certainly getting their name out. I'm hoping that this will be more like a "secret show" that only a few fans know about. (It's not listed on the band's website). After seeing this band on large stages, like at the All Good Music Festival in West Virginia, the Crawfish Festival in New Jersey, and even at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, the intimacy that the tiny stage of the Sarah Street Grill will be providing is very inviting. Photograph by Robert Langenburg

Also happening this weekend is the fourth installment of East Stroudsburg University's Jazz Synergy Series, which will feature JARO (Jazz Artists Repertory Orchestra). If you're into jazz and big band music, this is the group for you! These guys come from all over the Pocono Mountain area, each bringing their own pieces of flair to add personality to the traditional music tunes they perform. I always get a kick out of seeing professors play in this group. It's nice to see that they have lives outside of teaching! The show is being held at the Cecilia S. Cohen Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building and starts at 3pm on Sunday.

Last, but certainly not least, Scott McKenna will be playing at Siamsa Irish Pub on Friday night. Every time I think of this musician, I think of college girls swooning. He has a sound similar to Jason Mraz, another burning hunk of teenage desire. Besides that, he usually makes the bar scene in Stroudsburg come alive when he plays. So if you're looking for solid entertainment, he's a safe bet.
Take a break from all the work and the stress this weekend. Get out there and see some live music.

Jimmy Brown is Like a Musical Superhero...and Guinness is the Juice that Fuels Him

Photograph Used With Permission

Out of all the many musicians that I’ve seen play in this area, I have to say that Jimmy Brown, local talent from Snydersville, is by far one of my favorites. It’s not because of his seemingly three inch thick song book, which holds more tunes than I could ever think to request. It’s not because of his incredible day job as senior editor for Guitar World Magazine in New York City. No…I like Jimmy Brown because of his totally badass guitar solos.

Few times have I seen Jimmy Brown play and not noticed everyone at the gig staring at him, mouths agape, with looks of absolute awe on their faces at least once in the night. It usually happens around the time he plays Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker” and gets to the solo. His face twists and contorts around the licks as his fingers run frantically up and down the neck of his guitar, piercing each note with crispness and clarity. (The same can be said when he performs Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird,” which is amazing for one man to do by himself. But it only happens every once in a great while, so consider yourself lucky if you see it).

It’s amazing --- this guy lives and breathes music. You could ask him almost any song and he’d be able to play it right there on the spot (or at least with a little help from that songbook). His repertoire is interesting because he dabbles in so many different genres of music. You might hear John Mayer, Led Zeppelin, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, and an Irish jig all in one set. The possibilities seem almost endless when you've got such a talented musician on your hands.

He also offers online guitar lessons through Guitar World Magazine. To see his Guitar 101 lesson on string whacking, click here. (From there, you can access different videos on various aspects of basic guitar playing).

To read my full review on Jimmy Brown, visit Helium.com.

Rock on!

Is There Anybody Alive Out There?!?!

I’ve never been a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen. I’ve always thought of him as more appealing to his own cult-like fan base, much like Jimmy Buffett. But when the half time show began, I was immediately fixated on the television screen.
He started his show off right with an enthusiastic toss of his guitar, which almost didn't get caught by the guy doing the catching, and then burst into a rockin’ “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out.” But nonetheless, this performance just goes to show that Bruce Springsteen doesn't plan on getting out of the music business anytime soon. Despite his age, he can still shake 'em down. I cracked up when he did his infamous knee slide into the camera. Whether that was planned or not, it sure fit with the rest of his exuberant performance, which was filled with high jumps and kicks, intense running from one side of the stage to the other, and, of course, fist pumps.
Accompanied by Steven Van Zandt, long time, pirate look-a-like band mate and feared mobster on The Sopranos, Bruce and the rest of the E Street band performed their hearts out. After “Born to Run,” they were joined by a full gospel choir to sing on Springsteen’s latest hit “Working on a Dream.”
And how about those synched pyrotechnics? I loved how everything came together during this show. The fireworks added so much intensity to an already stellar performance, which made this show such a great success.
Bruce was a good pick for this year's half time show because of what he represents to his fans, and even those that might not pay much attention to him. When people think of Bruce Springsteen, they think of New Jersey, Asbury Park, and the Stone Pony, but also of a kind of American icon. For this reason, he was the best choice for this year's Superbowl. With the current status of the economy, and the encouraging hope and push for change from President Obama, Bruce's performance served as a confidence boost for many Americans watching the game last Sunday night.
Whether you like him or not, you have to admit that Bruce, along with his band, did an amazing job getting both Pittsburgh and Arizona fans revved up for the second half of the game. We can only hope that next year’s choice of musician will provide such great entertainment.
If you missed the Superbowl Half Time show because you were getting yourself another beer, refilling the bowl of chips, or making more chili dip, you can watch the video on YouTube.

Winterfest '09 Puts the "Hoot" in "Hootenanny"

I think I might have just experienced a bluegrass overload…

Ten different bluegrass bands played at the ninth annual Winterfest. Here are just a few highlights from the day:

Country Grass is a band comprised of happy go lucky old timers, who really captured the essence of the bluegrass sound. Not only did they pick, pluck, and sing well, but they also looked very professional in matching embroidered white shirts with their band name on them.

Remington Ryde stuck out to me mainly because of banjo player Billy Lee Cox, who proved he could whip up a high spirited, improvised solo.

Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass were the heavy hitters of Winterfest this year. They are featured on CMT, no doubt because of their record deal with Rounder Records.

Cabinet, an ESU favorite from Scranton (pictured above), proved that you don’t have to be an ol’ timer to perform an amazing bluegrass set. When the band took the stage, fans actually started dancing, which didn’t happen with any other band during the day. To view more pictures of Cabinet, visit the Ear Plugs Web Album.

Heavy Traffic also gave the audience a good healthy dose of pluckin’ and pickin.’ Once again, the banjo took the show, with Arnie Reisman plucking his way into my heart.

Because I listened to so much bluegrass that day, I was pretty much able to categorize almost every bluegrass tune into one of four different types of songs. Here’s what I came up with. The first category is filled with sad, down tempo ballads, usually with lyrics about a love lost or hard times had. The second category is made of up-tempo, but not too fast songs that sound really happy because of the relative up and down pitches on the upright bass. My third bluegrass song category is comprised of slower, easy going pluckin’ songs that always seem to make me envision someone in overalls sitting on a dusty old front porch down south somewhere...or the entire movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? And the final category I came up with is filled with extremely fast songs that are so momentous they sound like a huge freight train barreling down the tracks with no signs of stopping.

To learn about the Pocono Bluegrass and Folk Society, click here. You can also find information on the rest of the bands that performed at Winterfest --- what a hoot!

The Greg Mayo Band Wants to Funk.....You Up.

I’ve plugged them before and I’ll plug them again...

January 24 marked the third time I’ve seen the Greg Mayo Band and I’m still just as astounded as I was the first time they came onstage, donning black suits and a wicked attitude.

These guys just never disappoint me. They certainly didn’t disappoint anyone in Sarah Street Bar either --- I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people, mostly students, dancing on the tiny open space in front of the purple and red lighted stage. (What a great break from studying for ESU students!)

There’s something about the way they combine familiar genres jazz, blues, funk, soul, and pop that makes for an extremely tasty mixture. In fact, I could pick out some of the band’s influences --- Stevie Wonder, for one --- before lead singer Greg Mayo even mentioned them the first time I saw the band. Mayo’s voice, as I have mentioned before in my previous review, is completely beautiful. It’s a little poppy, but altogether smooth and always on pitch and in harmony with the other band member’s voices. The vocals, mixed with the sumptuous saxophone solos, wicka-wicka-wa-was of the funky guitar, and poppin’ drums make you want to get up and shake that moneymaker. (Especially on their up-tempo hit “Get Down”).

During their performance last Saturday, they played songs off of their latest CD, entitled Universal Communication. (I think I’ve overplayed my copy --- I’ve listened to it at least once a week for the past two months.) However, my appetite for this band will be satisfied once more, as Greg Mayo informed me that the guys will be taking the month of February off to record a new album. Fans of the group will certainly be ecstatic when they come back to Stroudsburg in March with the new album for purchase. Even on Saturday, I watched many bar hoppers buy copies of Universal Communication.

To see more pictures from their performance at Sarah Street Grill, visit the always entertaining Ear Plugs Web Album.

To read my full article on the band, visit Helium.

I.M. Legend Not So Legendary

For my first post, manager for the local band I.M. Legend proposed that I take a listen to his band, which had me a little uneasy to begin with. I had heard of the band, and assumed that they were a high school bubblegum pop punk band that would surely make their way into my "I'll never listen to that again" file. Nonetheless, I had to give them a fighting chance to prove me wrong.
Did they make it into the dreaded file? Not quite, but almost.
I would put these guys in the "I'm desperately trying to impress you, so please listen to me" file. They're The Ataris meets Fenix TX meets Alkaline Trio and Finch. (There are so many that sound the same). I won't say that I'd never listen to them again, but they really need some TLC from talented musicians.
I listened to I.M. Legend's songs on myspace and found that most songs that had opening guitar solos were decent...until the vocals came in. The music wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the scrappy vocals, which clouded over most of the instruments when the band began to harmonize. I couldn't tell if they were singing, screaming, crying, or doing all three at once.
Of course, this band might also want to consider varying their lyrics on some songs as well. In "The Sun Will Rise" the chorus repeats we don't want it, we don't want it, we don't want it, no, we don't need it, we don't need it, we don't need it from you. Thanks I.M. Legend, you captured my thoughts exactly. Repetition in many genres of music is natural, but there is a point where it becomes more annoying than musical.
Apprecation points are given because these guys are artists out there doing the work to get themselves noticed. At least they know how to play their instruments. But come on guys, you don't have to try so hard. You don't have to be The Ataris or any other band. Just be yourselves.

And yeah, it did take me back to high school.

Welcome to Ear Plugs

Photograph by Kate Langenburg

Welcome to Ear Plugs, a music review blog that takes a close look at new and old recordings, live performances, and musicians. Every week, I will provide you with thoughts on one of these subjects. Many of the live performance and musician reviews will come from local talent featured in the Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania area, which is where I am from.

A few of the reviews will surely reflect my own tastes in music. I can tell you right now that I am a huge jam band fan, so any shows in the area pertaining to that genre, I will definitely attend. However, I also want to branch out and listen to some things that I haven’t heard before. Of course, any and all suggestions you might have are welcome.

To tell you a little about why I am writing this blog --- I am currently the Arts and Entertainment Editor for the Stroud Courier, which is the student newspaper for East Stroudsburg University. I’ve spent many semesters traveling around to concerts, meeting musicians, and getting to understand the music biz. I still have a long way to go, but it is my hope that these reviews will help music listeners to do the same.

Enjoy music. Enjoy Ear Plugs.

---Kate