From Bob Seger’s untitled upcoming album, the rock and roller has released (via his website) a new song, his version of “Downtown Train”. Work through the familiarity bred through Rod Stewart’s version, and dig into Seger’s more soulful cut. Took me three listens to start to appreciate the new take on the old song. And Bob still has the pipes…
Hear “Downtown Train”
Seger originally recorded the song in 1989, and pulled it after Stewart had a hit with the Tom Waits song.
roots rock twang news
Indiana Music News: Frank Dean acoustic in Franklin, plus shows from Jeremiah Cosner, Cody Canada and Shawn Mullins
• Cross Canadian Ragweed leader Cody Canada and his new band The Departed will be in Bloomington on April 5, for a show at the Bluebird. Show at 9pm – $15
• Frank Dean and The Snakehandlers will perform a special “Unplugged” show this Saturday (March 5) at The Jeff St. Pub in Franklin at 7pm. The free, all-ages, no smoking show features the longtime Indana singer-songwriter’s brand and catalog of alt-country/Americana tunes.
• Jeremiah Posner will be performing cuts from his Hold Steady EP at the Vollrath in Indianapolis on Friday, March 18, performing with Landon Keller, Brandon Whyde, and the Matt Mitchell Project. Wilde and Keller are singer/songwriters from Indy, and Matt Mitchell is from of Louisville.
• Shawn Mullins kicks off the 14th season of the Indy Acoustic Cafe Series this Sunday, March 6, at the Wheeler Community Art Center. Doors at 6:30pm, show at 7pm – Tix are $20 at the door. Here’ a guess: he’ll play “Lullaby”. His latest album is called Light You Up.
Johnny Cash x2, Indiana's guitarist Daugherty hitched to Band Perry train, and Ryan Bingham show buzzworthy
Since it was the weekend of the righteouseness that is the Cash Bash at Radio Radio in Indianapolis last weekend (celebrating the awesomeness of the cross-genre legend that was Johnny), here’s some related notes to know and places to digitally go:
• Cash’s latest album (via the archives) is Johnny Cash – Bootlegs 2: From Memphis to Hollywood set was released Feburary 22, and is a collection of rare recordings from Johnny Cash’s early career. The first CD covers Cash’s career in Memphis from late 1954 to late 1957, including a a Memphis radio broadcast hosted by Cash, and 18 previously unreleased demos/songs, including outtakes from Sun Records. The second disc gathers Cash’s non-album singles, outtakes and B-sides he recorded for Columbia from 1958 to 1969, following his move to Los Angeles. (read more from Cash’s website)
Todd Snider special one-hour show on Sirius/XM
If you have satellite radio, check out Todd Snider at 10pm on Saturday night, and replayed on Sunday at 8am. The singer-songwriter from East Nashville has released his new live album, a two-CD piece called The Storyteller, and that is exactly what he does, mixing songs and stories from the stage. He’s always funny, touching and brilliant as he talks between songs at the shows. This documents that part of his genius.
Todd will host a one-hour special, performing songs and telling stories live in the SIRIUS XM studios He says on his facebookl page tahat he’ll be “playing some of the artists and tunes that have inspired him, from Ramblin’ Jack Elliott to John Prine.”
The show will be on Outlaw Country, which is Sirius 63 and XM 12.
Bob Seger announces new tour; sells out shows almost instantly
Bob Seger has announced some dates for spring tour, with shows in Michigan and Ohio – plus Buffalo – so far. Reportedly, Seger told his people to get shows booked on short notice – because he wants to play. He has a new album about halfway finished, according to rollingstone.com.
Tickets went on sale today for the first four shows, and all sold out, including the March 31 Toledo show, selling out in six minutes, and the second show added. Grand Rapids sold out in eight minutes.
Seger came through Indianapolis in 2007 after his Face the Promise release, and rocked a packed Conseco Fieldhouse – one of the best shows I’d seen in a while, and a nice surprise. My bet? Indy will be on the new schedule.
TOUR (as of February 12)
Mar 26 Huntington Center Toledo OH
Mar 29 Dow Event Center Saginaw M
Mar 31 Huntington Center Toledo OH
April 2 Van Andel Arenaa Grand Rapids MI
Apr 5 US Bank Arena Cincinnati OH
Apr 7 Quicken Loans Arena Cleveland OH
Apr 9 HSBC Arena Buffalo NY
Our most popular post? Who would have guessed the J. Geils video…
As of this week, the Rockforward Music blog has posted 308 times since we started watching all things roots-rock back in mid-2009. I’ve written and posted video about Indiana music, and bits from a more national perspective, that are either interesting to me, a bit odd, or maybe just some damn good, goosebump-inducing rock and roll that’s worth spending four minutes of your day on.
There ‘s been weeks when it has been all great rock video posts from YouTube. There’s been weeks when I have posted my diatribe on the uselessness/irrelevence of MySpace. Some weeks find me writing every day, some weeks produce one (though high-quality and award-winning) post.
And since we started, there have been two posts that reign as the most popular, day-after-day, stretching for months at a time. Their daily traffic many times surpasses the roots-rock news updates, the concert previews, the album reviews, the show reviews and even the the behind-the-scenes peeks at the sleazy underbelly of rock music that get passed to you, the reader.
One of these two popular posts (I will write about the other next week) has been a ten-minute, three-song live video featuring the legendary R&B/rock stylings of the J.Geils Band, recorded with one camera, close to the Fenway Park stage as the band opened for Aerosmith in August, 2010.
Why this video? My guess?
I don’t really know. In the big rock picture, J. Geils is, for right or wrong, not a huge band (and still waiting to get into the R&R Hall of Fame), though they picked up a second generation of fans with the “Centerfold”/”Freeze Frame” punch. It is a pretty clean side-stage shot, though only slightly above-average sound. A big, unique setup at an old baseball park, so that is intersting. The bill is shared with Aerosmith. It is a vintage, interesting, from-the-soul performance. It is all those things. But why this more traffic-worthy than of the other 307 entries, many of which took a whole lot more time to write than putting the one video on the blog.
Truthfully? I have no fuckin’ idea.
But I like it.
And the nicely trashy rumor at the show was that J. Geils singer Peter Wolf got into a heated argument with Aerosmith front dude Steven Tyler before the show after Wolf was told he couldn’t take his moves and romps onto the ramp that stretched into the crowd – only Tyler was going to be doing that.
Watch the video: Wolf uses the ramp.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L_GeBGITxw]