Madison’s roots-rocker Rusty Bladen is a finalist in a prestigious songwriting contest and will travel to Wilkesboro, North Carolina to perform on April 29th at 2pm as part of the four-day Merlefest Music Festival.
“Bakersfield Wine”, a song co-written by Bladen with Louisville’s Mickey Clark, is one of three songs in the country category (though the song is more Americana than the broader country designation) “Chris Austin Songwriting Contest“. Winners will play between headlining acts on the 29th.
Bladen will play at Bloomington’s Four Winds Resort on May 29, and headline the Greenwood Park Mall Concert Series on June 16.
He also hosts a weekly webcast on his website, called “Live from the Living Room” – a 30-minute show presented live on the web and archived for on-demand viewing.
Hear: “Bakersfield Wine” – audio from “Live in the Living Room”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/q4LNIKb2hAE?fs]
Robert Plant will headline Merlefest festival on May 1. merlefest.org
roots rock twang news
Steve Earle announces summer tour; in Bloomington on July 17
Alt-country badass Steve Earle has announced a summer tour, and it includes a stop in Bloomington on July 17, at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. He will be touring in support of his new studio record (to be released April 26) and debut novel, I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive. Earle will be accompanied by his band, The Dukes, and the group will include his wife, Allison Moorer. One of my favorite shows was Earle and his band at the Vogue for the I Feel Alright tour back in 1996. Loud, and full of attitude, the show rocked, and the song “Hard-Core Troubadour” remains a personal favorite of his post-prison catalog.
The tour will start June 9 in Seattle and includes stops in the Pacific Northwest, Canada and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado before moving down South, to the Midwest, and a run up the East Coast.
TOUR DATES
June 9 Seattle, WA
June 10 Portland, OR
June 11 Spokane, WA
June 13 Bozeman, MT
June 16 Telluride, CO
June 18 Missoula, MT
June 19 Medicine Hat,AB
June 20 Edmonton, AB
June 22 Northern Battleford, SK
June 23 Swift Current, SK
June 24 Calgary, AB
June 26 Vancouver, BC
June 28 Nanaimo, BC
June 29 Victoria, BC
July 1 Boise, ID
July 4 Tuscon, AZ
July 6 Houston, TX
July 7 Austin, TX
July 9 Fort Worth, TX
July 11 New Orleans, LA
July 12 Mobile, AL
July 14 Birmingham, AL
July 15 Atlanta, GA
July 16 Somerset, KY
July 17 Bloomington, IN
July 19 Chicago,IL
July 22 Chautauqua Bayfield, WI
July 23 Minneapolis, MN
July 26 Lexington, KY
July 27 Cincinnati, OH
July 28 Columbus, OH
July 30 Detroit, MI
July 31 Kent, OH
August 5 Ithaca, NY
August 11 Tarrytown, NY
August 13 Alexandria, VA
August 14 Alexandria, VA
August 17 Boston, MA
August 18 Upper Darby, PA
August 20 Toronto, ONT
free download of “”Waitin’ on the Sky” from his upcoming album.
Bruce on American Idol tonight?
Here’s the big fuzzy buzz on this 4/20: Time-wasting speculation as to whether Bruce Springsteen will make an appearance on “American Idol” this tonight or Thursday.
The show, on its official Twitter account, last Friday tweeted: “Holy pride of New Jersey….BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN in the studio right now listening to the idols sing!!!!”
If we are to believe the Twitter post (and why wouldn’t we? It’s Twitter, dammit), the Boss came in last Friday to discuss some performing tips with the contestants. Was it taped? Had to have been. Will we see it? I would bet we will.
Springsteen has a long relationship with Jimmy Iovine that goes back several decades, and Iovine is with Interscope Records, and close to the show.
And we must never forget that Idol judge Randy Jackson played bass on “Human Touch”, one of the weakest Springsteen albums of his career.
How did it ever take so long?
The only “huh?” this week is the song selection: Bruce helps out the Idol karaoke singers for “Songs from the 21st Century”.
Still, he’s a big “get” for the show, and if I were in the Top 7, I’d take that performing advice from Bruce, lock that info deep in my brain, and build a career on it.
Gear Daddy Martin Zeller preps pair of albums
Roots rocker and Gear Daddies leader Martin Zeller is offering a self-titled CD, with 2,500 numbered and signed, as a limited edition release. No further copies will be printed, and it will not be made available digitally. The money raised will be used to finish Martin’s full-length studio release which will hit stores on May 3rd.
Track list: Scattered (acoustic) ��� Took the Poison (acoustic) ��� Sonic Boom (acoustic) ��� Summer Song (acoustic) ��� So Far Away (acoustic) ��� Let Go (acoustic) ��� Stupid Boy (live bootleg) ��� All I Need (live bootleg) ��� Old Shoes (and Picture Postcards) (live bootleg) ��� You’re In Love (unreleased alternate studio version)
Todd Snider doesn't meet Dylan, BoDeans change, and Wilber interviews Pete Best
→ Singer/songwriter and Indianapolis favorite Todd Snider recently wrote a piece about what he would say to Bob Dylan if he met him. Hilarious (and heartfelt) stream of thought. Thought you might like to read… Snider is next scheduled to be in Indiana on September, 17, at the Ferdinand Folk Festival, near Jasper.
Blasters headed to Lafayette; Tim Grimm album release shows planned
Indiana folk artist Tim Grimm will play two CD release concerts, slated for Friday, April 8 and Sunday, April 10, both in Columbus, IN as part of the Americana Music Series. The Friday show is at 7:30pm and Sunday at 5pm. He’ll be joined by Jason Wilber, Bobbie Lancaster, The White Lightning Boys and others. (shows at Unitarian-Universalist Building – 7850 Goeller Rd).