The Beat

Buika tonight at Gusman Center

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:59:45 -0500

Every now and then, an entertainer comes along who pushes the boundaries of pop music and exposes listeners to exciting, new sounds. One such person is Spanish singer and songwriter Buika, who performs tonight at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Miami, courtesy of the Rhythm Foundation. The singer whose full name is Maria Concepcion Balboa Buika defies genres and stereotypes; she is a black Spaniard, born in the island of Mallorca to exiles parents from Equatorial Guinea. Buika combines flamenco, Mexican rancheras, Spanish ballads and American R&B in her singing. Colleague David Cazares interviewed Buika and blogged this story in the Miami New Times.

Below, a 2008 clip of Buika performing the Spanish torch song "Miénteme bien" at Madrid's Lope de Vega Theater.

Weekend Blues

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:00:17 -0500

PBS is coming to town this weekend — that’s Porter Batiste Stoltz, a New Orleans funk-jam band that boast three of the city’s finest musicians: bassist George Porter Jr, an original member of the Meters; drummer Russell Batiste Jr., and guitarist and vocalist Brian Stoltz, both formerly with the Funky Meters.

Stoltz, who also played with the Neville Brothers, is rooted in the blues. In 2003, Stoltz was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Traditional Blues” category for his contribution of “You Gotta Move” on the 2002 release Preachin’ The Blues: The Music Of Mississippi Fred McDowell. He’s also a frequent visitor to the Oakland Park pub Alligator Alley, where he recorded “Up All Night” with South Florida musicians Kilmo, Jeff Renza and Bob Taylor. Stoltz returns to the Alligator Alley for a July 25 performance.

PBS appears this Saturday (July 11) at Revolution, 200 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. 954-727-0950. 8:30 p.m. Admission: $15

Other Highlights

TONIGHT
King muDDfish, ArtsPark, Young Circle, Hollywood. 7-9 p.m. Free

FRIDAY
Nico Wayne Toussaint with Iko-Iko, Back Room Blues Bar & Grill, 7200 N. Dixie Hwy., Boca Raton. 561-988-8929, 9:30 p.m. $10 (Toussaint is a blues harmonica player/singer from France)

King muDDfish, South Shores Tavern, 502 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth. 7-11 p.m. 561-547-7656. 8 p.m.-midnight. No cover.

Spam Allstars, Respectable Street, 518 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. Cover $9.

Crazy Fingers, celebrating music of The Grateful Dead, Upstairs at the Van Dyke, 846 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. 9 p.m. No cover.

SATURDAY
3 Guitars XXXV: Mario LaCasse, Phill Fest & Mike Serafim at The Orange Door, 798 10th St., Lake Park. 561-842-7949. 8 p.m. $5

SUNDAY
Spencer Garn (groovy jazz-funk organ trio from Atlanta), Alligator Alley, 1321 E. Commercial Blvd., Oakland Park. Doors open at 5 p.m., music 7-11 p.m. Cover: $5.

HEADSUP
TUESDAY
"Famous Frank" Ward w/ special guest Ben Prestage, 8:30-11:30 p.m., Boston’s on the Beach, 40 S Ocean Blvd. (A1A). 561-278-3364. Blue Tuesdays: 8:30-11:30 p.m. No cover.

WEDNESDAY
Darrell Raines w/ Clay Goldstein on harp, Bourbon Steak at Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort, 19999 W. Country Club Dr., Aventura. 786-279-6600. 7:30 p.m. No cover.

For more showtime listings, click here for the South Florida Blues Society calendar.

Hoodoo Voodoo Halloween Blues Ball 10th anniversary

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:18:28 -0500

I confess that I haven’t been to a Halloween costume party since the 8th grade, but this year I am very tempted to show up for the 10th annual Hoodoo Voodoo Halloween Blues Ball hosted by DJ Darlene Lopez (Sunday Blues With Dar, 88.5 FM, WKPX). Hmmm, already thinking about my costume and dancing to the Jon Justice Band. The blurb below is from Dar, who is now planning the 10th anniversary of her Halloween bash:

ONLY 115 DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN
To celebrate the 10th year of the Hoodoo Voodoo Halloween Blues Ball, Dar and G are working extra hard to make this the best Halloween Celebration so far! Mark your calendars, October 31st, 2009 8pm! The Maxwell Room and surrounding courtyard at the Downtowner on the Riverwalk in Ft. Lauderdale will transform into Hoodoo Voodoo - Ville! The Jon Justice Band from Ohio have been confirmed as well as The Nucklebusters who have played at each Hoodoo Voodoo since it’s inception, and Albert Castiglia will make a special guest appearance! More acts to be confirmed!

Tommy Castro to release "Hard Believer"

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:54:56 -0500

I've never had the chance to see Tommy Castro perform live, but listening to him on XM radio has made a true believer out of me. I am in good company. Carlos Santana has declared "the blues is in good hands" with singer, songwriter, guitarist and bandleader Castro. The West Coast bluesman now has a new label, Alligator Records, and a new CD "Hard Believer," coming out on Aug. 11.

Castro is not scheduled to perform in Florida this year, but he will be on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Caribbean Cruise, Jan. 23-30, which leaves from Fort Lauderdale. He's the 2008 recipient of the Blues Music Award BB King Entertainer of the Year and his previous release "Painkiller" won a BMA for Contemporary Blues Album of the Year.

Read more about Castro and his new release on Alligator Record's press release below the fold.

Antibullying at the Downtowner

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:45:16 -0500

You may remember youngsters, teachers and parents marching in Broward this past May with a simple but strong message: Stop bullying in our schools. That march was organized by the Humanity Project, a local, non-profit group, that works with Broward schools to raise awareness about bullying and its consequences -- sometimes fatal -- on children and teenagers.

You can support the cause by showing up at Fort Lauderdale's Downtowner Saloon Tuesday evening (July 7) and donating $10 to the mission. The event includes good company, good food and drinks (available for purchase) and good music by Survivors, a local quartet fronted by Sun-Sentinel health reporter Bob LaMendola.

The Humanity Project, led by LaMendola's buddy, former Sun-Sentinel reporter Bob Knotts, is raising funds to continue its 'Anti-bullying" program in Broward schools. The fundraiser runs from 6-9 p.m.at the Downtowner, 10 South New River Drive East, Fort Lauderdale. 954-463-9800

Directions: Take Andrews Ave to SE 5th St., left on SE 1st Ave. The Downtowner is on the South side of the New River east of the Andrews Avenue Bridge, behind the Courthouse.

Live Nation adds a meal to No-Fee Wednesday ticket promotion

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:10:00 -0500

LiveNation is describing this week's edition of No-Fee Wednesday as "all-in," meaning all fees and parking are included in the $29.99 price for any lawn ticket at Cruzan Amphitheatre west of West Palm Beach.

And you get a free hot dog and soda as part of the deal. The sale starts 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, only at livenation.com.

The country's biggest concert promoter, Live Nation caught some flak when it debuted the Wednesday specials last month. Some consumers were surprised to find that No-Fee deals couldn't be combined with other discounts such as lawn-ticket 4-packs. I was a bit confused, myself, since single lawn tickets for some Cruzan events - like the Mayhem Festival in August - were actually cheaper without a no-fee or flat-rate discount.

The company has responded to these concerns either by combining some of the incentives or offering more streamlined promotions such as this week's "all-in" deal. There's still room for head scratching, but the bottom line is, Wednesday's a good day to find discounts on many Live Nation tickets.

With all-in pricing, Live Nation takes a page from the pro sports playbook. Extras such as food and parking are a staple of ticket specials among teams looking to drum up attendance and build customer good will and loyalty. I've seen many such promotions advertised for Marlins and Panthers games.

The Marlins, in particular, with 81 home games a season at Land Shark Stadium (whose advertised baseball-game capacity is 38,560), have to be inventive to keep people coming back to the same venue and the same team at the same price range. So they do all-ins, they give away trinkets and they put on post-game concerts at the ballpark.

Full-time concert promoters face a different challenge - only the venue stays the same - but there's no reason for them not to try some of what's worked in sports marketing. A lot of people might cringe at the thought of, say, "Dave Matthews Bobblehead Night" at Cruzan Amphitheatre. But hey, when you're as big as Dave Matthews, you're practically a sports franchise. (Ask Mr. Land Shark himself, Jimmy Buffett.)

Plus, acts including Prince, Coldplay and No Doubt have given away CDs or downloads along with concert tickets, so the idea of tossing in some product with the live entertainment is already in use. Free concert t-shirts, anyone?

Orange Blossom Blues Society, blues oasis in Orlando

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:50:04 -0500

When visiting another city, it's always good to know who has the goods on the local blues scene. Thanks to Leo Gale from Bluzpik Records (a South Florida-based indie label), I've discovered Orlando's Orange Blossom Blues Society. If you're headed that way with the family and kids this summer and need a break from overpriced theme parks and tacky souvenir shops, check out the Orange Blossom Blues Society's July-September newsletter, which has several write-ups on local blues musicians.

In this issue, Gale profiles the Nouveaux Honkies and their latest CD "Live at Sun" and Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro chronicles his May 7 journey to Memphis to attend the Blues Music Awards and, among other things, describes performances by South Florida blues musicians and nominees Albert Castiglia and Terry Hanck . And check the ad for Orlando's McWells Restaurant and Bar: Joey Gilmore plays there July 17, JP Soars and The Red Hots on July 31 and King MuDDfish on Aug. 29.

Weekend Blues

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:00:35 -0500

Along with fireworks and barbecues, you can find the blues this Fourth of July holiday at North Bryant Park in Lake Worth. The city’s Chamber of Commerce is hosting TropicFest, a free, mini-festival with some of the best in local talent. The lineup: Albert Castilgia and Graham Wood Drout, noon-3:30 p.m.; Nouveaux Honkies, 3:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., Darrell Raines Band with harpist Clayton Goldstein, 7-10 p.m. Fireworks at 9 p.m. North Bryant Park is located at 30 S. Golfview Rd.

More weekend highlights:

TONIGHT
Albert Castilgia and Graham Wood Drout, Downtowner Saloon, 408 S Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 954-463-9800. 9 p.m. No cover

FRIDAY
Ike & Val Woods Revue (soul and blues), Upstairs at The Van Dyke Cafe, 846 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. No cover

SATURDAY
Fusik (funk) noon, Robbie Hazen (rock), Electirc Arrow (rock), Salzon Jazz (Latin), Fabulons (variety oldies), 7:30 p.m., fireworks 9 p.m., Hollywood Beach Theater, Johnson Street and Broadwalk.

Hep Cat Boo Daddies, American Rock Bar, 1600 E. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. 954-428-4539

Jeff Prine B-3 Trio, Downtowner, Fort Lauderdale. 8 p.m. No cover.

SUNDAY
Poppa E Band, Tryst, 4 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 3:30-7:30 p.m. No cover.

MONDAY
Jazz vocalist Debbie Orta, Upstairs at the Van Dyke Cafe, Miami Beach. 9 p.m. No cover.

TUESDAY
Famous Frank Ward with special guest Motor City Josh; SFBS meeting. Blue Tuesday at Boston’s on the Beach, 40 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach. 561-278-3364, 8:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. No cover.

WEDNESDAY
Darrell Raines with Clay Goldstein on harp, Bourbon Steak at Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort, 19999 W. Country Club Dr., Aventura. 786-279-6600. 7:30 p.m. No cover.

Michael Jackson: Wither Bubbles the Chimp?

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:00:05 -0500

Right here in Florida, turns out. My colleagues at FloriDUH have more details onthe late pop king's erstwhile pet primate.

Jason Ricci and New Blood

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:57:37 -0500

The chance to hear Jason Ricci and New Blood in an intimate setting like Delray’s Boston’s on the Beach last night was well worth driving through a thunderstorm to get there. That’s what most of the fans who packed the bar lounge did and their effort paid off. Ricci, a 35-year-old rising star on the blues scene, didn’t disappoint. He’s a gifted harmonica player who knows how to dazzle a crowd with his speed-defying licks and techniques on the harmonica, and his showmanship on stage.

But there was an added bonus — or several bonuses — as often happens in small clubs and bars where the blues thrive. Here my summary of those magic moments.

-- JP Soars, who won this year’s IBC and Albert King best guitarist of the year award, and Shawn Starski, voted one of the 10 hottest new guitarists last year by Guitar Player Magazine, on stage together performing Willie Dixon’s “The Same Thing.” Soars fronts the local band, The Red Hots, and Starski is the lead guitarist for New Blood.

-- Nico Wayne Toussaint, a French blues singer and harmonica, sitting in with the band on the number “Little by Little” and playing harmonica alongside Ricci in “Help Me.” Toussaint is attracting a local following as a harpist.

-- Frank Ward’s masterful guitar solo on “The Way I Hurt Myself,” a slow-burning, confessional blues song that Ricci wrote and recorded on his 2007 CD “Rocket Number 9.” Ward is front man for the local Nucklebusters and host of Blue Tuesday at Boston's.

-- Ricci’s personal tribute to Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up.” Ricci is eclectic in his music taste, combining blues with jazz, rock, funk, and in this case, reggae.

A special mention also to guitarist and soundman Daniel Lombardi, bass player Todd Edmunds and drummer Ed Michaels for making this a night to remember.

Michael Jackson: Off the charts

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:18:00 -0500

To the commenter named "Enough" who has Michael Jackson fatigue, I feel for ya. My favorite aside from this Billboard item about MJ becoming King of All Media (Long Live the King) notes:

The lone non-Jackson-related set in the top 10 is a reissue of the "Woodstock" movie soundtrack, which bows at No. 10 with 8,000.

Woodstock's 40th anniversary is coming in August. Will hippie nostalgia be enough to derail a summer of Michael Jackson?

And could posthumous album sales erase any remaining red ink from Michael Jackson's estate? That would be a strange epilogue, considering debt retirement was one motivation for Jackson's attempted concert comeback.

We newsies are on the case.

Details on the Billboard/Nielsen SoundScan findings after the jump, if you can stand to know more.

The Sugar Hill Gang at Bova Restauraunt

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:28:11 -0500

I admit to not being very well-versed in the art of hip-hop, but according to this release The Sugar Hill Gang recorded the genre's first big hit "Rapper's Delight." The Gang performs Wednesday night (July 1) at BOVA Ristorante, 1450 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton. The eatery is launching "Bova Boca Wednesdays. More details below the fold.

Michael Jackson rocks radio and cable

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:37:23 -0500

This is not surprising news, considering the level of interest in Michael Jackson, but it's remarkable to see it quantified.

After Jackson's death last Thursday, his music went on a tear, according to Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, which tracks song plays on U.S. terrestrial and satellite radio and cable music channels.

Nielsen BDS reports astronomical increases in spins of solo MJ and Jackson 5 songs -- some in the 30- to 50-fold range -- from last Wednesday to the first hours and days after news of Jackson's death was reported.

His signature song, Billie Jean, for instance, went from a little over 30 spins a day, as tracked by Nielsen, to 1,038 on Thursday and 1,902 on Friday, before tapering off a little to 918 on Saturday and 588 on Sunday.

Likewise, Thriller went from 17 spins on Wednesday to 817 on Thursday and a one-day peak of 1,497 on Friday. Nielsen BDS tracked similar spikes for MJ mainstays such as Rock With You, P.Y.T. and Beat It as well as the J5 staples I Want You Back, ABC and Never Can Say Goodbye.

Needless to say, all this play has affected sales of his albums.

Discount fever: 2-for-1 tickets on Wednesday for Collective Soul/Gavin DeGraw at Revolution Live

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:08:20 -0500

Tomorrow only, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., tickets for the Gavin DeGraw/Collective Soul concert at Fort Lauderdale's Revolution Live are 2 for 1. So $34 (plus fees) gets two people in if you buy from Ticketmaster or go to the box office in person, 200 W. Broward Blvd., (954) 727-0950, jointherevolution.net.

This is separate from Live Nation's ongoing "No-Fee Wednesday" promotion, which continues this week for lawn seats at Cruzan, Pompano Beach and Bayfront Park amphitheatres, and includes the discounted 4- and 6-packs. Available tomorrow online.

Who would do that to Vic Damone?

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:08:58 -0500

Hang him out a hotel window, I mean.

Damone, a singer of the old school, and nowadays a Palm Beach resident, survived his brush with The Mob. He has a memoir out, called Singing Was the Easy Part, and he recently talked with writer Chauncey Mabe:

"Damone's book details a long ago time when he stood only one rung below Frank Sinatra, his hero and mentor.
As Larry King writes in the book's foreword, 'It's a very short rung.' "

Reading the article, I thought back to a collection of music from the era, Moments to Remember: The Golden Hits of the '50s and '60s, which contains more crooners than a Sinatra convention.

Tracks include Damone's An Affair to Remember (Our Love Affair) and other plush numbers by Four Aces, Pat Boone, Patti Page, Patsy Cline, Johnny Mathis, Brenda Lee, the Duprees, Kay Starr and more. It's a mix of some indisputably great songs and some cringe-inducing creampuffs.

That 2006 box set arrived around the time I also received this excellent companion to the Damone autobio: Great Pretenders: My Strange Love Affair with '50s Pop Music.

The author, Karen Schoemer, does a great job relating the personal history of her family, and her parents' stormy marriage, to the music of that time. Schoemer writes that her parents became prisoners of all that rosy-colored postwar oohing and aahing.

Not so for the Farinolas -- Damone's parents. He's been married five times, but says, "My mother and father had a wonderful romance."