Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010
Written by Dege Legg
MATRIARCH OF FOLK
She's the Matriarch Folk Queen. Joan Baez was one of the major movers and shakers of the folk revival of the '60s that included Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Phil Och, and many other amazingly talented artists.
Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010
Written by Dege Legg
MATRIARCH OF FOLK
She's the Matriarch Folk Queen. Joan Baez was one of the major movers and shakers of the folk revival of the '60s that included Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Phil Och, and many other amazingly talented artists. As folk singer, songwriter and activist, she made the rounds of the wide-ranging, spectral landscape of America in the 1960s, protesting the war in Vietnam, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and supporting the call of the civil rights movement, and speaking out on nonviolence, human rights, poverty and environmental clauses. Having released more than 30 records over the past 40 years, showcasing the otherworldly tone of her voice and gospel-like vibrato, Baez is an American icon in the collective consciousness. And she ain't done yet. Joan Baez plays the Baton Rouge River Center on Aug. 5.
SUMMER PLOW
EXT. THE DESERT DAY. The mountain pounding sun beats down on the desert plains. A radioactive tumbleweed blows by. In the distance, a unicorn runs aimlessly in the dust. The camera pans to reveal our hero, The Unicorn Cowboy, nailed Christ-like to a cactus. He's totally bummed. And sweaty. Burned on a bad deal in Bacuzo (Mexico). Now look at him. His booted feet dangle and sway in the wind. A drop of blood from his hand lands on a lizard. We hear strains of spaghetti western guitar noise (like the Velvet Underground if they were a country & western band). The world is over. FADE TO BLACK. The mid-summer lull is over. Nitetown is one of numerous clubs in town ramping up their summer bookings as people come back from vacation with mall tans and a few bucks rattling round in their pockets. People freaking love Mike Dean. He's been mainstay on the country and roots rock singer-songwriter scene for years, shuttling between Lafayette and Nashville. The Mike Dean band returns to the Nitetown stage Aug. 6 with his dust country, swampy-tonk, killer tunes and slamming band. Doop opens the show. Get your dose of radio rock, big chorus pop, and contemplative dude schmaltz at Nitetown on Aug 8 with the Cavo, Black Sunshine, and Atom Smash.
TK / GG
What happens when TK meets GG? Things get TKO with some OGs. Then the music starts. Be there to witness the double team of two Louisiana legends TK Hulin & GG Shin at the Atchafalya Club on Aug. 7. They'll be singing songs of love, loss, liberty and late night party trains.
CRUNCH
Really, Really has been described as many different things. In a previous issue, I described them as "Krokus meets the Necroes in a dark basement with the ghost of Ian Curtis + sausages." That still stands. Really, Really like to rock weird while having a good time. They play Artmosphere on Aug. 7 with the contempo-crunch rock of Sunday Morning Headcount.
ETC
It'll be a busy weekend at the Blue Moon. MoFo Party band play on Aug. 5. On Aug. 6, Rufus Jagneaux and Tortue play hit the Moon stage. On the following night Aug. 7, Michael Juan Nunez and the River Babies play Blue MoonWildfires and Acadiana play Bisbano's on Aug. 6. Foul Stench of Youth and Jupiter Death Brigade play the following night on Aug. 7