I have seen ‘Bat For Lashes‘ three times now, and every time I see her, I leave thinking it’s the best she’s ever done. Best show she’s ever put on. She is absolutely stunning in person. If you enjoy her music, then you haven’t heard anything until you’ve seen her live. Breathtaking is the word I would use. She captivates you from the moment she walks on stage until the moment she wraps her show, one encore later.

Natasha Khan, the frontwoman of ‘Bat For Lashes’ is a sight to be seen. She is tiny, but her voice is powerful. She dances around on stage and plays several instruments effortlessly. When she sits at the piano and plays, you can’t help but stare. She truly is an amazing performer.

I saw ‘Bat For Lashes’ at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland, Oregon, last Wednesday. It was freakishly hot in this venue, (so hot, the woman in front of me passed out, and Natasha killed the song to make sure she was okay) I’ve been there a dozen times, and I’ve never been that hot. Natasha commented on her dress, and had she known how hot it was going to be, she wouldn’t have worn a dress made out of “drapery.’

The set went on for 90 minutes, and we all wished it would never end. She spoke with the crowd often, she smiled brightly, even though you could tell the heat was killing her.

She pulled songs from each of her three records, which I absolutely LOVED. The concert began with one of my favorite songs off her new album, ‘The Haunted Man,’ called “Lillies.” She wove in and out of her two previous albums, and sang all of her hits. When she performed “Laura” off her new album (which is my all-time favorite song, listen below) I think everyone in the crowd stopped breathing. It was by far one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen. If we weren’t already all standing, she would have gotten a standing ovation for it. Everyone cheered and clapped as the song ended, it was the highlight of the evening.

BUY ‘THE HAUNTED MAN’ HERE!

If – I should say when – Natasha comes back to Portland – I will be there in a second. The performance she gives is one in a million. Trust me, I’ve been to A LOT of shows. ‘Bat For Lashes’ is a band everyone should see live. You won’t regret it.

Beautiful.

These gorgeous pictures are from our night with ‘Bat For Lashes.’ See more photographs from TK here!

MORE PICTURES AFTER THE JUMP! (more…)

On Saturday night I had the HUUUUGE pleasure of checking out the Ryan Montbleau band in Portland, Oregon, at the Wonder Ballroom! I had heard about Ryan for years through a family member, and when he came to town, I knew I was going to have to see this guy live to see what all the hype was about!

I literally showed up – not knowing WHAT I was getting myself into. I thought he would be Bluegrassy (I know, it’s not a word), and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. What I didn’t expect was to LOVE them as much as I did! I absolutely LOVED them! The entire band was absolutely AMAZING. They each were at the top of their game. I found myself dancing to the music, watching them in awe! Amazing!

After the show was over, we actually got a chance to meet Ryan, and he was so great in person. Most of the time when you meet singers – or celebrities – they are just DYING to get away from you. But Ryan was so cool, so laid back, he could have talked to us for hours (picture below). We just had a really great night. It was incredibly fun!!

BUY RYAN’S ALBUM HERE!

Songs for Ryan Montbleau typically need to simmer. In his 10-year career this gifted singer and his limber band have built their catalog the old-fashioned way, by introducing new songs to their live set, then bending and shaping them over dozens of performances before committing a definitive version to the hard drive.

For that and many other reasons, Montbleau’s next album, For Higher, is quite literally a departure. Well-established out of his home base in the Northeast, the singer threw himself into New Orleans, where everything is slow-cooked, for a few fast-moving days — and whipped up an instant delicacy.

A few of the cuts on the new album — the playful stomp of “Deadset” or “Head Above Water,” freshly peppered with horns — were already part of the Ryan Montbleau Band’s ever-growing repertoire. But the majority, including four handpicked cover tunes — stone soul nuggets from Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield, the late Muscle Shoals guitarist Eddie Hinton and more — came together spontaneously, with little prep work.

Unlike Montbleau’s previous recordings, which showcase his own maturing songcraft, the new album draws a lot of its depth and beauty from its cover songs. Perfectly titled is the beatific “Sweet, Nice and High,” originally recorded by the forgotten soul supergroup Rhinoceros. On the other end of the moodswing, Mayfield’s “Here But I’m Gone,” written and recorded for the great singer’s last album, after the accident that left him paralyzed, is a shimmering testament to human frailty.

“Sometimes I feel like there are so many songs — who the hell needs another song?” Montbleau asks. But then he’ll discover another new inspiration — sitting at the kitchen table sipping tea, there’s a vinyl copy of an old Billy Preston album propped on the windowsill behind him — and another lyric or melody will come to him like a visitation. And when the song becomes a reality, and the crowds begin to sing it back to him, well, that’s what it’s all about.

At 34, he’s a late-bloomer who’s right on time. Montbleau didn’t start singing and playing guitar in earnest until he was in college, at Villanova. Later, working at the House of Blues in Boston, he began playing solo sets there as a warmup act. His band — there’s now six of them — came together naturally, over time, planting strong roots in coffeeshops, folk venues and rock clubs before converting audiences on an outdoor festival circuit that now stretches across the country. Through word of mouth and repeat visits, the band has built a devoted following from the Northeast to Chicago, Seattle and Austin. “It’s like watching the grass grow,” says the easygoing Montbleau.

FOLLOW RYAN ON FACEBOOK!

With a run of solo-acoustic shows around the Northeast now wrapped up, the band will be hitting a few more spots to close out February, and then it’s out to the great West in support of our friends Greensky Bluegrassin March. These guys are excellent and we’re super excited to finally get back out west!

We’re also very excited to announce a run of shows in the midwest and northeast with ALO. If you know this band then you know why we’re so excited. If you don’t, then we’re even more excited for you to hear them. The vibe between our band and theirs is akin to a kin and a kin! Brothers from different mothers. Peas in a pod.

They have SO MANY shows still available on their tour! You guys MUST check them out! GO HERE for the tour schedule!

Check him out!

It’s time for the saucy book that caused a world sensation to get SPANKED!

SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody is the hilarious new musical that brings the naughty fun of the best-selling book to life and will have your inner goddess laughing out loud! This new imagining of the characters comes to life with sharp-witted comedy, musical numbers, sexy striptease performances from the leading hunk, plus lots of surprises! Get there early for pre-show cocktails** then stay to meet the cast and pose for a photo with Mr. Dangerous himself!

**Pre-show cocktails are not available for all performances. Please check with your box office.

Grab your girlfriends and don’t miss the most exciting show of the year!

A girlfriend and I went and saw Spank! on Thursday – and it was so much fun! It is SUCH a good idea for a girls night! What’s funny is there actually were a couple guys in the audience. Poor guys were dragged there by their girlfriends. Although, maybe they were fans of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey?’ I suppose it’s possible.

I’ve read the books (well, I’ve read 1 1/2 out of 3) and if you’ve read the books, then you’ll really enjoy this play. It’s a hilarious take on the books. When you’re reading them you realize how stupid they are (or at least I hope you did), and this play really pokes fun at all those parts in the book that make you scratch your head. It’s a fun time!

Here’s what the critics are saying!

“A sexy, hysterical, rip-roaring good time” – Toronto Stage

“Utterly hilarious” – FAB Magazine

“The audience went wild.. SPANK! is a raucously hilarious, perfect girl’s night out!” – BroadwayWorld.com

“Wildly entertaining” – Examiner National Theatre Review

“A hilarious satire of practically every trope in popular culture” – Chicago Public Radio

“Laugh-out-loud funny” – Chicago Reader

Spank! is on a HUGE tour right now – so they WILL be in a city near you! So many shows, in fact, that I can’t post them all here!

GO HERE FOR SPANK! TOUR DATES!

Follow Spank! on Facebook!

Here are Erin and I the night of the show – getting our Spank! on! Grab your girlfriends and head to the show!

I’ll admit, I hadn’t heard much about Emeli Sande before this year. I did know that the 24-year-old is HUGE in the UK, and that her videos have been seen by millions on You Tube. While doing some research, I realized I had actually heard several of her songs in the past, just didn’t put it together that it was Emeli. Then I got my hands on her album, “Our Version of Events,” and I was sold.

BUY ‘OUR VERSION OF EVENTS’ HERE!

A fervent singer-songwriter since the age of 10, the now 24-year-old Emeli Sandé got her first big break while still a teenager. But instead of signing to a label, she put her music career on hold and embarked on a six-year degree in medicine. In 2010, with just a year to go, she decided to take time out from her medical studies and dedicate herself to her music full-time, signing a record contract and beginning work on her debut record.

Sandé gracefully flaunts her rich voice and penchant for sophisticated melody on Our Version of Events. The album reveals her to be an uncompromising creative force in the vein of Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, and Lauryn Hill. Throughout Our Version of Events, Sandé creates a heady and complex soundscape to showcase her towering talent. There’s the strings-drenched epic “Daddy” and the hypnotic “Heaven” But while the record bears a sharp and shining retro-futurist feel, it’s also rife with raw emotion—a phenomenon that Sandé credits to a dogged commitment to acting on instinct.

“I’m not too bothered about what category my music goes in and there’s no point in limiting in who you can reach, but I want it to be respected,” she says. Sandé has already been announced as the winner of the coveted BRIT Critics Choice Award for 2012 and in an unprecedented twist, was also nominated as Breakthrough Artist at this year’s BRITs as well.

“You get so many opinions of which direction you should be going in, and you hear horror stories of people writing 400 songs and the album being shelved,” she says. In Sandé’s estimation, it’s far better to “come knowing what you wanna do. And I know what I want to do.”

I was approached with tickets to see Emeli at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland, Oregon, and I happily snatched them up. My friend Erin and I headed downtown for a fun night of music at a great venue! When Emeli took the stage, she first performed “Heaven”, and I was absolutely BLOWN away. This girl puts on an insane show. She went on to sing “My Kind of Love,” “Mountains,” “Clown,” and my personal favorite, “Next to Me.” The energy at the show was insane. We were surrounded by her biggest fans, singing every word to every song. A couple standing behind us at one point said “DO YOU KNOW WHO SHE IS!? DO YOU REALIZE HOW BIG SHE IS!?”

Emeli puts on one of those kind of shows where you know you’ve just seen something really special. I didn’t want the night to end! She was such an amazing performer, her vocals are ridiculous.  This girl has some insane talent.

If you’re within 100 miles from her show- you owe it to yourself to see her show. She is THAT GOOD.

After the show wrapped up, Erin and I were lucky enough to head backstage where we got to meet her. She’s even more beautiful in person, and she happily posed for this picture with me. I told her how much I loved her show, and how brilliant she was. Trust me, I see A LOT of shows. Emeli is something special. If you can see her on this round of tour – you won’t be sorry. You’ll never see her like this again.

LINKS!

Emeli Sande’s website

Emeli Sande’s Facebook page

Emile on Twitter

Mumford and Sons have been killing me for over two years. ‘Sigh No More’, their debut album was released in July 2010, and their new album, ‘Babel’ was finally released just last week. ‘Sigh No More’ remains one of my favorite albums of all time, and when you wait two years, you start to get a bit nervous about the sophmore album! Will it be good? Will it be as good as their first album? So many times the second album can’t come close to the first one, and I was nervous.

Download ‘Babel’ here!

But when I listened to ‘Babel’ for the first time, I knew immediately it was another masterpiece. Oh my gosh, is it amazing. Do you have it yet? Have you burned your own copy? It is well worth the wait, and well worth the money. The songs are fuller – deeper. There seems to be more feeling, more heart behind these 15 songs (do yourself a favor and spring for the Deluxe version!).

Mumford & Sons’ sophomore album, Babel, opens atop the list with 600,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. As reported yesterday, it marks the biggest debut this year, the largest sales week for RED Distribution and the second-biggest frame for an independently distributed album. And, with 420,000 downloads sold, the set tallies the second-largest week for a digital album.

Mumford & Sons also shattered the Spotify record for streams from an album in a single week.

Of course their first single, “I Will Wait” is breathtaking. But so are so many other singles on the album. I’m dying over “Lovers Eyes”, “Below My Feet” and “Babel”. I listened to the album all the way through once without reading the lyrics, and then listened to it again immediately, reading all the lyrics. They are amazing. Every song is a poem. Just beautiful!

Get your copy of ‘Babel’ now – if you haven’t already. If you HAVE bought it and you love it, let’s discuss below!!

Visit Mumford & Sons website for more info on the band!

Source

INGENIOUS, an independent movie filmed in 35mm in Tucson, has turned to Kickstarter to raise funds for its theatrical release.

Starring two-time Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner (The Bourne Legacy) and Dallas Roberts (The Grey), INGENIOUS has been in limbo for two years, waiting for finishing funds, and to take advantage of Renner’s increasing popularity.

VISIT THE INGENIOUS KICKSTARTER PAGE!

During that time, INGENIOUS, although shown essentially as a rough cut, became a festival hit. Featured in fifteen festivals, it was the Opening Night film at the Jerusalem and Cleveland Film Festivals and the Closing Night film at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. INGENIOUS also won Best Picture and Best Director awards.

Reviews from the festivals have been overwhelmingly positive:

“A terrific yarn, a uniquely American movie. Renner and Roberts are sublimely cast. Could become an indie success story.”
Lael Lowenstein – VARIETY

VISIT THE INGENIOUS KICKSTARTER PAGE!

“Great Script and inspired performances.”
Kim Voynar – MUSIC CITY NEWS

I totally enjoyed this movie. It was really nice to see Jeremy Renner in such a laid-back, funny guy! Usually he plays such serious characters! This movie was completely enjoyable, I just loved every minute of it. It was a very inspiring story about friendship and determination. I thought the acting was amazing, and the directing was beautiful. I really feel like most people would enjoy this movie if they gave it a shot!

“We have received a number of offers from major US distributors,” said Brian Neufang with Arriba Films, “but didn’t think they shared our enthusiasm for a wide release, which we feel this movie merits.”

INGENIOUS is based on a true story about a small-time inventor (Roberts) and a slick salesman (Renner) who hit rock bottom before coming up with a product that becomes a worldwide phenomenon.

VISIT THE INGENIOUS KICKSTARTER PAGE!

“But the movie isn’t about the product,” Neufang said. “It’s about perseverance and overcoming hard times with humor. We’re determined to prove,” Neufang went on to say, “that good indie films can succeed outside the Hollywood system.”

Last week I had the most amazing opportunity!! I was able to go see Foster the People for the second time, at Edgefield Ampitheater in Troutdale, Oregon. I’d actually never seen a show there, and now that I have, I don’t know WHAT my problem was! It was the most beautiful location and experience EVER! Check out this beautiful picture above, from our seats.

I’ve seen Foster the People before, actually on this tour back when they started. It was one of my favorite shows of 2011, so I jumped at the chance to see them again. (There are still a few tour dates left – get tickets while you can!) They are still on tour promoting their album, “Torches” which is hands down one of my favorite albums. Go here for awesome FTP merch!

FTP simply DOES NOT disappoint. What an amazing show they put on! Lead singer Mark Foster is INSANE! The guy has the best stage performance. I see a LOT of shows – and next to ‘Mumford & Sons’ (my #1), FTP would be a very close second in the favorite show category.  They play all the songs you know and love from the album – PLUS a couple new songs! I heard a couple songs I haven’t heard before which was really exciting. They announced that they were going to be done with the tour soon – and were ready to start working on their next album! Can you believe they only have 1 album!! They’ve come so far – so quickly!

Here’s my favorite song off the album, “Houdini”.

Here are some amazing pictures from the night. They’re all so amazing! Wish I could post them all!

Photography by: Troy Kujala