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Artists Worth Checking Out Get it or Forget it indie music Live Concerts Reviews

The Imaginaries slay with their streaming CD release concert

Oklahoma-based power couple Shane Henry and Maggie McClure aka The Imaginaries kicked off the release of their long-awaited debut album with a live streaming acoustic performance sponsored by American Songwriter Magazine.  The concert included the back stories for each song on the album, and lasted for more than 90 minutes, all of it pure joy.

One of my favorite moments was when McClure and Henry were explaining their individual career progression and McClure noted that she had begun with performances at Borders Books and Music.  You see, I was the booker for those stores back in the late 90’s/early 00’s, and it finally answered the question of where I had first heard her music.

Since the concert was essentially a listening party for their CD, we are including our Get it or Forget it review format.

Artist Name:   The Imaginaries

Album Name:  The Imaginaries

Label:   Self-released

Genre:  Americana/Folk

Track Listing:   1.  Revival; 2.  Walking on a Wire; 3.  Thinking ‘Bout You 4.  Trust Falling With You; 5.  There Will Come a Day 6.  Geronimo 7.  One Life; 8.  Enough of You; 9.  Blue Sky; 10.  You Remind Me

Publicist:   37 Media (Julie Lichtenstein)

Review:   The CD kicks off with two of their strongest songs, and never stops delivering powerful messages with memorable musical accompaniment.  In addition to their incredible creativeness in writing these masterpieces, The Imaginaries are also adept at conceptualizing the visualization of those songs, as evidenced by the numerous film festival nominations and wins that their videos have garnered.  We will be featuring their latest video for “Blue Sky” in our Monday Mashup column next week.

The album is produced by the duo and was recorded in the same studio in Muscle Shoals where the pair began their musical journey.  The album features bassist David Hood (Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Paul Simon), Little Richard guitarist Kelvin Holly (Jason Isbell, Gregg Allman, Neil Young), bassist Shonna Tucker (John Paul White, The Secret Sisters), and keyboardist NC Thurman (Hank Williams Jr, Gregg Allman, Little Richard), drummer Rob Humphreys (Leonard Cohen, Jason Mraz), keyboardists Chad Copelin (Sufjan Stevens, Christina Perri, Ben Rector) and Dan Walker (Heart).

Recommendation:   Drop whatever you’re doing today and get this album.  It will be the crowning jewel in your musical collection.

Thank you to The Imaginaries for an amazing showcase of your talent.  It was so refreshing to hear a band that sounds as good acoustically as they do when they have their entire band playing live.  They are further proof that indie music is the best music.  Can’t wait to see them live in person in the not too distant future.

 

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Live Concerts Reviews

The Imaginaries wow hometown crowd with first full band show of 2020

Last Saturday we had the distinct pleasure of attending our first live music performance of 2020.  We drove out to Chickasha, Oklahoma for the Third Annual Oklahoma Food Truck Championship to support the first full band show of 2020 by the amazing husband and wife Americana band The Imaginaries.  Not only was the music inspirational and incredible, but the food was pretty good too.

photo courtesy of Chelle S Imaging

The band is composed of Shane Henry on guitar, lead and backing vocals and his lovely wife, Maggie McClure on keyboard, tambourine, lead and backing vocals.  They were joined by Ryan Miller on bass, Jordan Olivet on drums, Jim Robinson on keyboard and Isaac Stalling on guitar.

photo courtesy of Chelle S Imaging

They kicked off their first set with “Enough of You,” which showed the rocking side of their sound.  Although individually they have released several solo albums, the band’s debut album will not be released until the spring of 2021.  That didn’t stop them from showcasing their talents and giving the enthralled audience a sneak peak of what to expect when that album is dropped.

They are also gathering a huge following with their music videos, directed by Reagan Elkins.  The above video has been accepted by five film festivals, while their latest, “Walking on a Wire,” was featured in our recent Monday Mashup article.

Their second song, “Gone,” was a rockabilly masterpiece, which was followed by the country pop sound of “Things are Gonna be Alright,” which should be the theme song for 2020.  They followed those up with “Thinking About You” and “You Remind Me,” the latter showcasing McClure’s vocal style, which is a combination of Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton.

photo courtesy of Chelle S Imaging

“Blue Sky” was a treasure of vocal harmonies, which was followed by the aforementioned “Walking on a Wire,” which is even better live than in the video.  McClure then performed one of her solo songs, “Coming Home,” before performing “There Will Come a Day.”  They wrapped up the set with a brilliant interpretation of the classic Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty duet, “Stop Dragging my Heart Around.”

photo courtesy of Chelle S Imaging
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Artists Worth Checking Out Live Concerts Reviews

Andy Grammer brings his message of positivity to packed house in Oklahoma City

I have known Aijia Lise Grammer for more than ten years, having met her through her friend Hope Leigh Rollins and booked her for several gigs back when I was doing shows at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles.  Until recently, I had never had the chance to meet her husband, Andy.  Thanks to Aijia and with the help of Andy’s sterling manager, Welshie, I finally got that chance when Andy Grammer brought his “Don’t Give Up on Me” tour to The Jones Assembly in Oklahoma City on October 15.

I have been going to meet and greets for the better part of the past 25 years when I discovered this amazing part of the live concert experience.  Back in those days, the only artists doing them were country artists, and you merely had to buy a membership in their fan club to get the opportunity to meet your favorite star.  However, somewhere along the way, other genres found out about this phenomenon and have exploited it, now calling it the “VIP experience,” and charging upwards of $200 for the privilege.

Prior to this time, my favorite meet and greet outside of the early country shows was Blue October.  Grammer’s session was particularly incredible, and is now my favorite.  The experience started with a quick meet and greet and photo with him before participating in what he called the “circle of trust.”  Grammer talked about his recent losses and the strengths he had gained in going through the pain, and then invited others to share their stories with the group.  There were some compelling stories, and we all shed a few tears during our time together.  After the circle, Grammer performed a couple of acoustic songs and then opened up his merchandise booth so we could have first crack at it.  After that it was time to wait for the doors to officially open and the evening’s concert to begin.

As I was talking with Jennifer from CID, the folks that coordinated the meet and greet, I heard a familiar voice coming from the stage.  I looked up to see my dear friend Sean Hill doing his spoken word to open the show.  What a treat.  It was also a privilege to hang with him the rest of the night.

The opening band was called Nightly and they hailed from Nashville.  Composed of Joey Beretta, Jonathan Capeci and Nick Sonato, they put on a rousing show that showcased their talents and warmed up the capacity crowd for what was yet to come.  They even incorporated an outstanding U2 cover into their set.

Finally it was time for Grammer to perform.  He started the show in the center of the audience by performing a spoken word piece before playing the title track to his latest album, Naive.  He then proceeded to perform another 20 songs, including nearly every song on Naive and his megahits “Honey I’m Good,” “Keep Your Head Up,” “Fresh Eyes,” and “Good to be Alive.”

Just before he performed his new single “Wish You Pain,” he shared with the audience what he had previously shared with us during the Circle of Trust, and again invited the audience to share their stories.  He picked one member from the audience, listened to her story, and then he and Hill proceeded to write a song on the spot that illustrated that story.  It was a very special moment for both the lucky audience member and the crowd in general.

Grammer concluded the evening with a rousing performance of his latest hit, “Don’t Give up on Me.”   The evening ended as the audience joined in and sang the chorus back to him.  It was the perfect culmination for a perfect concert experience.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Live Concerts Reviews

Former American Idol Casey Abrams takes us on a jazzy journey

If you aren’t familiar with Casey Abrams, then you must have been living  under a rock for the past eight years.  Abrams is  a long-time member of the Post Modern Jukebox Collective (“PMJ”) and a former American Idol finalist.  Since finishing in sixth place on Season 10, Abrams has been busy writing and recording music with Concord Music (along with PMJ and fellow American Idol contestant Haley Reinhart) and Chesky Records, the label that just released his new album, Jazz, as well as his previous one, Put a Spell on You.  Abrams had previously recorded the full-length Casey Abrams and the EP Casey Abrams and The Gingerbread Band for Concord.

The CD release show for Jazz was held at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s, one of the hip and growing music venues in the Valley.   Not only did the label treat us to a wonderful dinner, but they also gave us VIP status, which included the show plus a Q&A and meet and greet with Abrams afterwards.  Needless to say, it was one of the best show experiences we have ever had.

Abrams is one of the best and most gifted musicians we have ever had the opportunity to review.  He is also probably the best pure whistler we know of.  His face is so expressive and he has a truly natural chemistry that instantly connects him with his audience.  He was joined at various times during the evening by Tony Pulizzi, a gifted guitarist that Abrams “stole” from the Idol house band, trumpeter extraordinaire Ilya Serov, tenor and alto saxophonist and high-school friend Jacob Scesney, vocalist and amazing trombonist Aubrey Logan, PMJ founder and pianist Scott Bradlee and the ever-lovely and talented Reinhart.

There was never a dull moment throughout the 90-minute set, which flew by all too quickly.  Among the incredible songs included in the set were “I’ve got the World on a String,” “Need Your Love so Bad,” “One Note Samba,” “Hound Dog,” “You are so Beautiful,” “The Girl From Ipanema,” “Don’t you Worry ‘Bout a Thing,” “Why Don’t you do Right,” “Fly me to the Moon” (featuring vocals from Serov), and “Cry me a River” (featuring vocals from Reinhart).  They wrapped up the set with a stunning rendition of “L-O-V-E,” which involved everyone who had previously shared the stage during the night.  Every single musician turned in a Grammy winning performance, and it was a pure joy to have experienced the show.

After the show, we got the chance up with old friend Lisa Goe, who was in attendance with her friend, Katie Welch (part of the cast of I Know What You Did Last Summer:  the Unauthorized Musical, playing in June at Three of Clubs), as well as have time to chat with all of the musicians, including Abrams.  This was a night we will not soon forget and we can’t wait to have the chance to review the actual CD after Fringe is through.

Thanks to Abrams’ mom, Pam for being a great host, and to Lora from Chesky who set the whole night up.

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Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Live Concerts Reviews Women in Entertainment

The Americana scene is kicking at Highland Park Bowl

For quite a few years, the Americana scene has thrived in the area around The Grand Ole Echo near Dodger Stadium.  While that area still exists, Americana has found an additional home at the Highland Park Bowl, thanks to Prickly Pear Presents.  The event occurs every Wednesday night through at least the end of July.  We were fortunate enough to attend on May 15, which featured Nikki O’Neill, Manda Mosher and Emily Zuzik.

Zuzik and Mosher are both winners of the LA Music Critic Awards and will be featured at the next Winners Showcase on June 18 at The Mint LA.  This year’s Showcase will honor Women in Entertainment and features 10 female performers.  The event benefits Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.  Tickets are available on the Mint’s website or through PayPal using “lamusiccritic@yahoo.com” as the payee.  Tickets are available in advance for $10, and if available, at the door for $15.

The event was held in Mr. T’s Lounge at this vintage bowling alley.  First up was the R&B infused Americana sound of O’Neill.  She was the only act we had not heard previously, and her set was an unexpected pleasure.  Her sound was diverse, with elements of Alabama and traditional R&B, skillfully delivered by her four-piece  band, which included Joshua Pessar on guitar and backing vocals, Rob Fresco on bass and backing vocals, and Rich Lackowski  on drums and percussion.  Her last album, Love Will Lead You Home, was released in 2017, and their new album will be released shortly.   O’Neill has also been a contributing writer for Guitar Player magazine and is the author of the e-book Women’s Road to Rock Guitar, published by Alfred Music.   Although Pessar turned in some impressive guitar licks and Lackowski and Fresco kept a steady rhythm,  the set suffered from a lack of interesting stage banter.  The music itself was impressive, especially their closing song “That’s how you Lose Her,” which featured the Janis Joplin-like vocals of Halina Janusz from the Grateful Dead tribute band Jerry’s Middle Finger

Next up was Mosher, formerly from CALICO the band.  She and her husband Eric Craig, along with Dan Wistrom on pedal steel, guitar and backing vocals, Aaron Stern on bass and Jesper Kristensen on drums, put on a clinic of how to mix rock and Americana, are truly a sterling example of the influence of Tom Petty on the entire Americana scene.  Mosher’s voice is so smoky and strong that is perfectly suited to Petty’s musical style, while her stage presence reminds us of a younger Emmylou Harris.  The overall sound of the band is head and shoulders over their peers.  Unfortunately, like O’Neill, the set suffered from the lack of banter between the songs, , leaving way too much “dead air” between songs.   Once they tighten up the set with appropriate banter, we think they will be unstoppable as a premier concert destination. 

Wrapping up the evening was the sterling sound of Zuzik and her amazing band, which included Wistrom, Topher Allis on drums and the incomparable Ted Russell Kamp on bass, who was taking a break from his recent touring with both Shooter Jennings and Duff McKagan.  Kamp will also be producing Zuzik’s forthcoming album.  Zuzik is even rockier than Mosher, but neither of them has forgotten their roots.  Zuzik reminds us of a combination between Chrissie Hynde and Sheryl Crow.  The band also turned in an impressive cover of The Faces’ mega hit “Stay with Me,” delivered in a style that was part James Brown and part Mick Jagger.  All in all it was an impressive end to this incredible night of Americana music.  Can’t wait until June 18 to see them again.

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Artists Worth Checking Out Live Concerts Reviews

Shooter Jennings packs them in at Missoula’s Top Hat Lounge

As you can imagine, after being part of the music industry for the past 30 years, we’ve made quite a few friends along the way.  One of those special friends is Ted Russell Kamp, who was one of our performers at last year’s LA Music Critic Award Winners Showcase.  Besides his indie activities, Kamp is also the bassist for Shooter Jennings, who recently brought his tour to Missoula, Montana for a show at The Top Hat Lounge on February 20.

Kamp invited us to come see and review the show, and to hang with him before, so we gladly accepted his invitation.  We had a great time catching up and having dinner together before the show.  When we arrived for sound check, we were also pleasantly surprised to discover that another of our friends, Aubrey Richmond, was playing fiddle at the show.  Besides occasionally playing for Jennings, Richmond is also a member of Blue Élan Records recording artist Mustangs of the West.

photo by Chelle-S Imaging

The opening band was Texas-based Quaker City Night Hawks, and they brought their country rock sound to provide the perfect wake-up call for Jennings.  The band combines elements of ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynryd to create their own brand of southern rock  The two guitarists traded lead vocal duties, while the drummer and bassist laid down the perfect foundation for the jamming indie rock sound.  The crowd was whipped into a frenzy and totally enjoyed this opening act, which lasted about 45 mins  We really loved their funky guitars which are also highlighted on their recently released self-titled album, which came out on March 1.

After a brief intermission, the lights came up on Jennings on the piano, Kamp on bass, Jamie on drums, John on guitar and Richmond on fiddle.    The show started with a rousing honky-tonk blues number called “Bound ta Git Down,” which was the first single from his most recent album, Shooter.

The standing room only crowd loved every minute of the show, as Jennings played songs from all of his previous releases with an emphasis on his latest offering.  He showed his musicality by moving from piano to guitar and back again numerous time throughout his set.  He also showed how proud he is of his roots, with tributes to some of the country greats like George Jones and his father, the late Waylon Jennings.

Photo by Chelle-S Imaging.
Photo by Chelle-S Imaging.

Among the amazing songs he performed were new ones “D.R.U.N.K.,” the perfect country song, “Rhinestone Eyes,” “Denim & Diamonds,” and the classic “Steady at the Wheel.”  Truth be told, every song was solid country gold and kept the audience joyfully singing along and dancing.

Another thing that we appreciated was that Jennings was not afraid to share the spotlight, as he highlighted the contributions of each member of his band, especially Richmond and Kamp.

We will definitely be back to see Jennings again soon.  This was a wonderful night that we will never forget.

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Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Live Concerts Reviews Women in Entertainment

Ska reigns at the Wilma with Bikini Trill, MEST and Reel Big Fish

If there was any doubt that ska music is still popular, it was promptly erased by the size of the crowd at Missoula, Montana’s The Wilma for the latest visit from Reel Big Fish and their opening acts, Bikini Trill and MEST.  Thanks to Logjam Presents, the cold northwest had a taste of the blazing California sun with the energy presented by these three bands.

We recently reviewed Life Sucks . . . Let’s Dance, the brand new album from Reel Big Fish, their first new album in six years.  Our dear friend John Avila, who was the bassist for Oingo Boingo, introduced us to the band when we toured his studio a few years back.  He had produced Why do They Rock so Hard?, which earned a Gold Record.  Despite knowing that they had to be good, we were unprepared for the ridiculous amount of energy they emanate from stage.  Thanks to Mike Cubillos of Earshot Media for securing All Access passes for us to meet them and enjoy the concert, and to Tom Ames, the tour manager for Reel Big Fish for being such an excellent host.

The first band to take the stage was Los Angeles trio Bikini Trill, who bear a striking resemblance to the sound of No Doubt.  The band mixes electronic percussive tracks to back the guitar/bass work of Tony and Roach, which perfectly support the soaring vocals of LJ.  While not technically a ska band, their brand of surf and indie rock and hip-hop meshed perfectly with the bands that followed.

Bikini Trill was highly energetic and got the audience involved from the first song.  They kept them involved with a set filled with great songs, of which weed seemed to be the featured subject.

Next up was MEST, featuring the amazing guitar and lead vocals of Tony Lovato.  MEST has been on our radar for awhile.  We first reviewed them back in December 2017, when Lovato released an acoustic album of the band’s tunes called Broken Down II.  That release earned him and the band an LA Music Critic Award for Best Folk Band for the second half of 2017.

MEST is from Chicago, where they released several records for Maverick Records before disbanding in 2006.  Lovato resurrected the band in 2013 with the release of Not What You Expected, followed by his pair of acoustic albums, Broken Down I and II.  While their sound is more punk than ska, they still have enough of that ska feel to make them the perfect opening band for Reel Big Fish.

It was obvious from their first song that the audience was familiar with their songs, and loved their energy.  They even played “2000 Miles” on the spot when a fan requested it.  Their music is highly contagious, and speaks out against addictions and the oft-times unfairness of life.  The harmonies were incredible and sweet, while the drums and bass set the perfect foundation for the band’s sound.  They truly brought it on two of their most powerful songs:  “Jaded (These Years)” and “Mother’s Prayer.”

Towards the end of their set we went down to the green room where we had the chance to meet the members of Reel Big Fish and spend some time talking to them before they took the stage.  They were even kind enough to sign our tour poster.

Led by the stellar vocals and guitar of Aaron Barrett, the amazing horns of Billy Kottage (trombone), John Christianson (Johnny Christmas) (trumpet) and Matt Appleton (saxophone) and the perfect rhythm section of Ed Smokey Beach (drums) and Derek Gibbs (bass), Reel Big Fish is the real deal.

Reel Big Fish kicked off their set with an amazing ska cover of the 80s megahit “Take on Me.”  All three members of the horn section contributed backing vocals, and created incredible harmonies with Barrett.  There was such amazing chemistry on stage that it whipped the crowd into a frenzy.  If you could harness that energy we would be able to power the world.  The crowd especially loved the title track to the new album, and were jumping for joy at every song they played, which covered their 20 years as a band.

If you ever have the chance to see them perform in concert, we highly recommend you take the opportunity.  You will be so glad you did.  We can’t wait for the next time they come to town.