Widespread Panic @ Palace Theatre – April 16

Words and Images: Rex Thomson

The “American Dream,” the concept that with hard work and a dash or three of inspiration anyone can succeed, lives in Widespread Panic, the lil’ band that could. From tiny rooms and frat parties to sold out tours they’ve looked out to see crowds of jubilant faces from a hundred to a hundred thousand with one constant…they gave each and every listener all they had.

[All Photos by Rex Thomson]

Though the last few years have seen the band take extended breaks, no fan has begrudged them a chance to collectively catch their breath after 25+ years of bringing authentic southern rock to any and every pair of ears they could pack in front of them. With a new tour under way and shows lined up across their south eastern base, the band is at home on the stage as they have ever been, and it shows in every facet of their performances…masterful, comfortable and in the zone. They brought all this to bear for a packed house of diehard fans at the Louisville Palace for the first of a two night stand that had the feeling of a homecoming.

Widespread Panic has visited the River City dozens of times throughout their existence…the size and rabidness of the faithful followers growing each time. From memorable shows in the Phoenix Hill Tavern in their infancy to headlining spots on the stage of the city’s Forecastle Festival, the band has made themselves right at home in Louisville.

Choosing the Louisville Palace for their two-night run made perfect sense, as the theater is the city’s most ornate and finest sounding venue for live music. The Palace lives up to it’s name, ornate statuary, ceramic masks and three story lobby gives way to a Spanish villa styled interior…dark blue ceilings designed and lit to resemble the sky as the sun slips below the horizon. It’s easy to spot first time visitors to the Palace – they’re the ones standing in awe of their surroundings, admiring every nook and cranny of this splendid venue.

It’s in the luxurious surroundings that Panic’s new stage and light show had been erected earlier in the day. With no opening act needed to warm up the audience, the band took the stage to delirious cheers as light beams cut through the darkened theater like waves of cosmic fire…illuminating faces and outstretched hands as the fans reached forward as one towards the combination of sight and sound before them.

John Bell’s gruff yet somehow smooth voice and raucous guitar took center stage as always, fronting Panic seemingly the job he was born to do. Unapologetic in their southern roots, the band’s sound hearkens to other classic acts but never imitates or follows any path other than the one they blaze themselves. With the rhythm section of drummer Todd Nance and flamboyant percussionist Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz filling the back beat with crashing beats, staccato percussion and a wide variety of chimes, hand drums and congas the beat went on and on, always in perfect time. The percussive pair’s years together have honed them into a perfect tandem of players, shifting sonic duties back and forth seamlessly and with a smiling glances and near unconscious synergy.

On top of this rich tapestry bassist Dave Schools laid down a deep, punchy line that altered heartbeats and mind sets while never over powering the mix. Keyboardist JoJo Hermann bought his trademark mix of uptempo piano fills and rich organ chords that alternately accentuated and dominated, stepping to the forefront and to the rear with a complete lack of musical ego one could expect from such a great talent.

Guitarist Jimmy Herring has made the right side of the stage his own private laboratory…making mad combinations of delightful peals and crunchy leads, alternatively clean and refreshing then down and dirty. Clearly capable of doing anything he wants on the six string at any moment, Herring emanates a power and musical intelligence that resonates through his every chord and solo. Together, these six men have perfected a style all their own, anthemic, homespun and rich in something so many bands seem to miss these days – fun.

That sense of delight permeates everything they did on the Palace stage, from the opening strains of Papa Legba with Ortiz’s didgeridoo call to arms leading the way, through a traditional version of All Time Low perfectly segued into a crowd pleasing, guitar drenched Travelin’ Light. The snappy drum beats of Barstools and Dreamers served as the back drop to the first big guitar break of the night, letting Herring show off the wizardry that he is well known for. A fun take on the Bill Withers classic Use Me had the crowd shaking everything they had to the back and forth of Herring and JoJo Hermann, finally giving way to a much needed break for the crowd to recover as much as possible before the second half got underway.

After one-off takes on Better Off and One Arm Steve Panic went on one of their infamous tears…no stopping for anything or anyone. Reeling off a epic run of tunes, Aunt Avis into Greta to a much loved, full rocking I Walk On Gilded Splinters straight on into Big Wooly Mammoth then Christmas Katie and Let It Rock – the crowd was left breathless and amazed. The cheers from half the crowd counterpointing the other half who simply stood in shock, catching their breath for the final brace of songs left in the evening.

Coming back for an encore, the instant recognition of It Ain’t No Use had the already enthusiastic crowd fired up and dancing to the dual keyboard and guitar showcase moments, with the rhythm section also getting a moment to shine. As the last notes gave way to a new beginning the first notes of Blind Faith’s classic Can’t Find My Way Home brought the few seated fans to their feet…exhaustion giving way to the raw energy and love of their heroes taking a rock and roll masterpiece and making it completely their own. With the show over and the band bidding good night til tomorrow, the crowd was left to find their own ways home, filled to the brim with a love that can only come from sharing time with the music that has made the last few decades of their lives that much brighter.

Setlist…

1: Papa Legba, All Time Low > Travelin’ Light, Barstools and Dreamers, Party At Your Mama’s House > Ribs And Whiskey, Flicker > I’m Not Alone, Weight Of The World, Use Me

2: Better Off, One Arm Steve, Aunt Avis > Greta > I Walk On Guilded Splinters > Big Wooly Mammoth > Christmas Katie > Let It Rock > Fishwater

E: It Ain’t No Use > Can’t Find My Way Home

['Mama Told Me Not To Come' tease before 'Christmas Katie'; 'Tequila' tease by Dave during 'Fishwater']

[via Everyday Companion]

Photos…

We’ve been big fans of Bob Weir’s fantastic Weir Here since it debuted last year. The semi-regular web variety show, which is broadcast live from Weir’s TRI Studios, has featured members of the Grateful Dead and its extended family swapping stories and performing a mix of tunes. During a recent episode, the former Bobby & The Midnights lead singer revealed that he will take the show on the road this fall, where he will be joined by Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Jonathan Wilson, Jay Lane (Primus), Jason Crosby and Jeff Chimenti (Furthur, RatDog), as well former Dead crew member Steve Parish. According to Jambands.com the tour is currently scheduled to make stops at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York, Philadelphia’s Tower Theater, Richmond, Virginia’s The National, San Rafael, California’s Terrapin Crossroads and Mill Valley, California’s Sweetwater.

• List Time: 10 Music Inspired Beers
• R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills talks to the New York Times about his fantasy sports obsession
• Cover Alert: Jack White tackles Loretta Lynn
• Ben Folds Five to release their first ever live album culled from their 2012-13 world tour
• Download This: Emmylou Harris -WBAI Studios – NYC – 1970
• John Cusack is being rumored to play Beach Boy Brian Wilson in a new biopic

Finally, it’s been roughly two years since The National dropped the news that they would be curating a Grateful Dead covers record for the AIDS charity Red Hot. While we still await some sort of update on that project, the band is seemingly taking a page out of the legendary psychedelic rock act’s Acid Test days, as on May 5 the Brooklyn-based act will play one song for six straight hours at the finale of MoMA PS1′s Sunday Sessions. The band will perform the High Violet track Sorrow as part of Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansso exhibit – A Lot of Sorrow. Tickets for the one-time only performance, which explores “potential of repetitive performance to produce sculptural presence within sound,” are currently on-sale for $15.

As if we weren’t excited enough for this summer’s AmericanaramA outing featuring HT faves Wilco and My Morning Jacket, we’ve got one more legendary artist who will join part of the tour – Furthur / Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir. Weir will play solo acoustic sets at the first four shows of the AmericanaramA tour this June according to BobDylan.com.

Here’s a look at the dates Bobby has signed on for:

June 26th @ Cruzan Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, FL
June 27th @ Live Nation Amphitheatre – Tampa, FL
June 29th @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA
June 30th @ The Lawn at Riverfront Park – Nashville, TN

Tickets for the first three shows go on sale this Saturday morning at 10AM local time, while tickets for the Nashville show go on sale May 4th at 10AM local time.

With a debut album entitled The Year of Hibernation and a follow-up entitled Wondrous Bughouse, a blind assumption regarding the artistic direction for Youth Lagoon’s Trevor Powers would probably be accurate. The title, Wondrous Bughouse, certainly suggests a sojourn to the fantastical and that’s very much what happens on the new record. Similarities exist between the two albums, but Wondrous Bughouse is more experimental, more psychedelic, more demanding, and generally weirder. If The Year of Hibernation was Pixar, Wondrous Bughouse is Tim Burton.

It’s always a question of which way musicians will lean after releasing a widely acclaimed album. The Year of Hibernation was easily palatable yet sophisticated enough to avoid being deemed catchy, but what comes next? Stick with the formula? Reverse course? Thankfully, Wondrous Bughouse pushes the envelope in all the right directions. It’s well-produced; the attention to detail allows the depth to reveal itself in layers and the overall level of accessibility is tastefully reduced. It’s a more mature project that disregards immediate gratification and asks more of its listeners.

Hidden Track: Relative to the Year of Hibernation, the new album has a more psychedelic feeling to it. Were there any clever aproaches that you took in the studio to get some of those more experimental ambient sounds?

Trevor Powers: I wanted the music on this record to reflect a feeling of uneasiness. Taking sounds that are foreign but then applying them in ways that still make a bit of sense. A lot of time writing was really spent on exploring the sonics behind everything. Sometimes making music almost feels like some sort of science experiment, only it’s hard to ever feel content with it. There always seems to be more ways to tap into a certain idea. I don’t like recording in traditional ways. I like doing things I’m not necessarily comfortable with because I feel like it bleeds out through the music. It’s strange to look back at a completed work of music because your memory always seems a bit fuzzy about it. Like you concentrate so hard while you are creating that after something is created, you don’t even really know yourself how exactly it was achieved.

HT: I read about some of the stuff you did on the last album like playing the vocals aloud in your friend’s garage and then re-recording them with the reverb of the room. Was there anything interesting like that this time around?

TP: Every process varies depending on what seems appropriate. What I mean is there may be a certain direction you want to take a song, but after a while it seems like it wants to take itself a completely different way.

And when it’s telling you that, you have to listen. On this record, there were even spots where I didn’t think I would have any lyrics, and then all of a sudden I felt like they had to be there. So I would go out behind the studio for 20 minutes and write, and then go up to the mic and just sing them. A lot is based around the subconscious.  We have these minds that get so carried away with whatever is in the forefront that we forget about everything buried deep within us. And so sometimes I have to approach it in that sort of way, and then just clean things up later. Many of the sounds were made by taking a classic instrument like a guitar or piano, and then running it through equipment to see what could be done with the sonics. Taking something familiar and making it sound completely foreign. And working with Ben Allen on this record made things that much more comfortable. He is such an easy personality to explore music with. It was a very healthy process.

HT: Would you say it was more fun going into the recording process this time around knowing that people were definitely going to hear this record as opposed to last time where you made the record not really knowing what might happen?

TP: It has definitely been more interesting knowing that from now on at least some people would hear what I’m working on. But when writing or recording, I can’t even think about other people listening to it because that never does any good. After the process for this record was finished, I was really just hoping people would spend time with the record. There is a lot to listen to. But I feel like the more people are exposed to it, the more it starts to make sense. It’s interesting the ways that people interpret it.

HT: I’ve read about some of the bands you tend to reference as influences, and it seems like you must be a pretty serious music fan. Have you always been keen on digging up lesser known music?

TP: Yeah, but what is interesting to me is that even though certain artists may not have a large following, the listeners they do have are often devoted for life. Some popular artists obviously have life-timers too and especially influence mainstream art and culture. But with many artists of today, it’s like would you rather have 50 million fans who will play your songs while they are drunk at a party and who enjoy it because “it has a good beat” or 1,000 fans who not only listen to your music but study it and get lost in it? The artists that have 1,000 fans like that often seem to carry more weight on a personal level.

HT: What lyrical material are you most proud of on this album?

TP: That’s hard to say. The lyrics on Daisyphobia, are few, but really close to my heart.

Eastern Artists and moe. will bring the 14th installment of the jam stalwarts long-running  moe.down festival to Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, New York on August 9 – 11. Today, moe. has revealed the first batch of acts that will join them at Snow Ridge this summer.

Jamtronica act Conspirator, moe. side project Floodwood, jazz act The Stanley Jordan Trio and Savoy are the first four bands announced thus far with more announcements expected in the coming weeks.

HT faves the Ryan Montbleau Band and ALO are currently on the road together for an eight-show tour that visited the Highline Ballroom in New York City last night. We had a feeling these groups would collaborate on stage and we haven’t been disappointed. At the first few shows the entire Ryan Montbleau Band has guested with ALO to cover Paul Simon’s Graceland.

On this version from last Friday night in Minneapolis, taped by Cliff Morse, Montbleau and ALO’s Zach Gill duet on the vocals, while Lebo adds tasteful pedal steel flourishes. Both bands aren’t afraid of improvisation, so a call-and-response segment turns into a furious jam. Take a listen…

Jamtronica pioneers the Disco Biscuits will return to Red Rocks on Saturday night as the headliner for the “Feed The Rocks” benefit. The Biscuits last played the iconic venue back in 2011 as part of their Bisco Inferno III event. Other acts on the Feed The Rocks lineup are Shpongle and RJD2.

For those who can’t make it in person, the folks at LiveDownloads.com are offering up a Pay-Per-View feed of the Biscuits’ Red Rocks performance this Saturday night. You can pre-order the webcast, which is expected to begin at 8PM MT on Saturday, now through LiveDownloads.com for $9.99. LiveDownloads is holding a contest on their Facebook page in which they’re giving away a webcast.

As a reminder, you can also watch UM Bowl IV live tomorrow night via UMLive.net.

Earlier this month legendary metal act Black Sabbath teased fans by announcing four shows in North America. Today, they’ve upped the ante by revealing a full slate of North American tour dates that will see the band visit 20 cities between July 25th and September 3rd.

The North American portion of the Black Sabbath World Tour kicks off on July 25th in Houston and runs until a September 3rd engagement at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. Ozzy Osbourne and Co. are currently in Australia, where they played in Brisbane tonight.

Here’s the full list of Black Sabbath North American Tour Dates…

07/25 – Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchel Pavilion
07/27 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center
07/29 – Tampa, FL @ Live Nation Amphitheatre
08/02 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
08/04 – Homdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
08/06 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
08/08 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
08/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
08/12 – Boston, MA @ Comcast Center
08/14 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
08/16 – Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
08/18 – Indianapolis, IN @ Klipsch Music Center
08/22 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
08/24 – George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre
08/26 – San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
08/28 – Irvine, CA @ Verizone Wireless Amphitheatre
08/30 – Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
09/01 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
09/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Los Angeles Sports Arena

[via CoS]

Footage from tonight’s show in Brisbane has already surfaced. Watch Iron Man and God Is Dead?

It’s been a while since we’ve reported on Scarecrow Collection, but we’re excited to see what the band has in store since they’ve just announced a new lineup. Bassist Greg McLoughlin from former Blips act BuzzUniverse and drummer Anthony Freda have joined the long-running act.

McLoughlin and Freda join founding members Gerard Fee (Guitars/Vocals) and Ed Fritz (Keyboards) to form the new version of Scarecrow Collection. The band will hit the road this May for a series of shows in the NYC area. Here’s the full Scarecrow Collection Performance Schedule…

May 3rd – Donegal Saloon, Kearny NJ (with Turbine)
May 4th – Northern Soul, Hoboken NJ
May 15th – Pianos, New York City
May 21st – Van Goghs Ear Cafe, Union NJ
May 31st – Urban Nest, Asbury Park NJ (with Basement Generals)
June 18th – Van Goghs Ear Cafe, Union NJ

Though Jimmy Fallon has only hosted Late Night since 2009, he’s been on the air long enough that some acts are returning to his show for the third time. One of those acts is Sam Beam, aka Iron & Wine, who will make his third visit to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon this evening in support of the recently released Ghost on Ghost.

Friday, April 26 [All Times ET]

• The So So Glos on David Letterman [CBS 11:35PM]
• Paramore on Jimmy Kimmel Live [ABC 11:35PM]
• Iron & Wine on Jimmy Fallon [NBC 12:35AM]
• ZZ Ward on Carson Daly [NBC 1:35AM]

Saturday, April 27

• Coldplay on Austin City Limits [PBS]
• Billy Currington and Nickel Creek – Live In Concert [AXS TV 3PM]
• Chemical Brothers – Live at Roskilde [Palladia 11:30PM]
• Justin Timberlake on Saturday Night Live [NBC 11:30PM]

Sunday, April 28

• Eric Clapton / Kings of Leon on Later…with Jools Holland [Palladia 10AM]
• Beck on Saturday Night Live [VH1 1PM]
• Deep Purple on Behind The Music: Remastered [VH1 Classic 8PM]
• Sting and Vince Gill on Crosroads [Palladia 10PM]

We’re sad to report that country music legend George Jones passed away this morning at the age of 81, according to his PR firm. Jones had been hospitalized last week with fever and irregular blood pressure at which points rumors were going around about his death.

Jones had a distinctive voice that helped score him 12 number one country hits including She Still Thinks I Care, The Door and Still Doin’ Time. From 1969 to 1975 we was married to fellow country legend Tammy Wynette. The duo paired up for three number one country hits. George Jones’s songs was relatable to the common man as he sung about drinking and his relationship with women. He was considered by many the greatest living country star.

Jones was a member of the Country Music Hall Of Fame, The Grand Ole Opry and a Kennedy Center Honoree. He’s survived by his loving wife of 30 years Nancy Jones, his sister Helen Scroggins, and by his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Sad news from The Capitol Theatre last night as Furthur guitarist Bob Weir was helped off the stage in the middle of the band’s second set during the final show of the band’s nine-show residency. Weir seemed to be off all night, both vocally and on guitar, which culminated in a scary scene during Unbroken Chain. The 65-year-old Weir fell on stage and was helped into a folding chair that was set up for him by two of Furthur’s crew. He strummed aimlessly throughout the rest of Unbroken Chain, after which the band left the stage only to return a few minutes later sans Weir.

Phil Lesh advised the crowd that Weir hurt his shoulder earlier in the day, garnering hoots of in-credulousness. Lesh and his band mates went on to finish the second set without Bobby.

Here’s video of Unbroken Chain…

Furthur’s next show is on Saturday night in Atlantic City. There’s no word on Weir’s condition. We’ve been blown away by how hard Weir and Lesh have been working in past years both with Furthur and with their new Bay Area venues. We wish Bobby the best and hope he’ll be able to play in AC.

[via JamBase.com]

Long before becoming a member of Robert Plant’s Band Of Joy and eventually tying the knot with the former Led Zeppelin front man, Patty Griffin released a string of critical acclaimed albums that showcased her brand of gospel-tinged Americana. The talented singer-songwriter, who has been covered by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Solomon Burke and the Dixie Chicks, will release her latest studio album, American Kid, via New West Records on May 7. The album is her first since 2010′s Grammy-winning Downtown Church.

Griffin, who will play the opening night of Celebrate Brooklyn’s summer concert series at the Prospect Park Bandshell on June 5, got some heavyweight help for the album’s lead single Ohio. Joining her on the Middle Eastern-infused track is none-other than her husband – Robert Plant – with the duo blending vocals to create a hauntingly beautiful sound. Let’s check it out…

Patty Griffin featuring Robert Plant – Ohio

As previously reported, jam favorites Umphrey’s McGee and STS9 will share the bill at a set of dates this summer. Today, the actual dates and locations of these co-bills have been revealed.

The band’s summer jaunt kicks off on August 15th at the Louisville Palace and runs through a September 1st date at Wolf Trap. Here’s the full list of dates and venues…

8/15 @ Louisville Palace – Louisville, KY
8/16 @ Lawn at White River – Indianapolis, IN
8/17 @ Charter One Pavilion – Chicago, IL
8/18 @ Meadowbrook Music Festival – Rochester Hills, MI
8/21 @ Crossroads – Kansas City, MO
8/22 @ Chesterfield Amphitheatre – St. Louis, MO
8/23 @ Riverfront Park – Nashville, TN
8/24 @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA
8/25 @ Red Hat Amphitheatre – Raleigh, NC
8/28 @ Time Warner Uptown – Charlotte, NC
8/29 @ Brown’s Island – Richmond, VA
8/30 @ Mann Music Center – Philadelphia, PA
8/31 @ Bank of America Pavilion – Boston, MA
9/1 @ Wolf Trap – Vienna, VA

The acts first teamed to play venues during the Summer of 2008 and have continued to check in with each other at Caribbean Holidaze events. Public on-sales will begin on May 4th.

There’s only three episodes left in the 38th season of NBC’s long-running sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. This morning, SNL has revealed the final three musical guests and hosts.

On May 4th comedian Zach Galifianakis will host, while Iceland’s Of Monsters and Men will make their SNL debut as that week’s musical guest. Then, on May 11, HT faves Vampire Weekend will return to SNL as will longtime cast member Kristen Wiig. Finally, Ben Affleck will join the five-timers club as the host of the May 18th episode, while Kanye West returns as musical guest.

For this week’s Full Show Friday we present Between The Teeth, a concert film featuring former Talking Heads front man David Byrne’s October 31st, 1992 performance at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey. The film is long out-of-print and has never been issued on DVD.

Byrne and his band work through solo gems as well as a batch of Talking Heads classics including (Nothing But) Flowers, Life During Wartime and Road To Nowhere. David was in the middle of his Uh Oh tour which featured a full-band with a complete brass section. Take a look…

David Byrne’s “Between The Teeth” — Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ

1. “Well”
2. “(Nothing But) Flowers”
3. “Mr. Jones”
4. “Something Ain’t Right”
5. “Life During Wartime”
6. “Women Vs. Men”
7. “Hanging Upside Down”
8. “Lie To Me”
9. “She’s Mad”
10. “Blind”
11. “Make Believe Mambo”
12. “And She Was”
13. “Buck Naked”
14. “Road To Nowhere”

[via Slicing Up Eyeballs]

As we reported earlier, Furthur guitarist Bob Weir was unable to finish last night’s Capitol Theatre residency finale after he fell on stage during Unbroken Chain and had to be helped to a chair to conclude the tune. He left the stage with his band mates after Unbroken Chain and the rest of Furthur came back minutes later to finish the second set.

None of Bobby’s Furthur band mates stopped playing while this was all going down. The group’s other guitarist, John Kadlecik, weighed in on the situation via Facebook…

“1st reaction: holy shit, man down!

Then, I see several crew racing to help, going to be by his side faster than I can put my guitar down…

Next thought: what is Phil going to do? He’s playing on… Bobby had help at this point, so the next person in need of support was Phil…

Pretty f*d up moment… but Bobby wanted to finish the show!

Sometimes the rock n roll life is not all rainbows & fairy dust…”

There’s been no official word from Furthur on Bobby’s health as of press time.

Phoenix, who continue to make news from the desert of California to the balcony of Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, will visit David Letterman on Tuesday. The band released their latest album Bankrupt! on April 22 and recently played Coachella. Upcoming tour stops include New Orleans Jazz Fest (May 4), the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem (May 13) and a series of festival dates.

Before Phoenix’s performance on Letterman airs on Tuesday, you watch the band perform as part of the Live On Letterman series starting at 8PM ET.

Monday, April 29 [All Times ET]

• Old Crow Medicine Show on Conan [TBS 11PM]
• Iggy & The Stooges on Colbert Report [Comedy Central 11:30PM]
• Ben Harper w/Charlie Musselwhite on David Letterman [CBS 11:35PM]
• The Band Perry on Jay Leno [NBC 11:35PM]
• Zac Brown Band on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC 11:35PM]

Tuesday, April 30

• Paramore on Conan [TBS 11PM]
• Phoenix on David Letterman [CBS 11:35PM]
• Florida Georgia State Line on Jay Leno [NBC 11:35PM]
• Band of Horses on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC 11:35PM]
• Kenny Chesney on Jimmy Fallon [NBC 12:35AM]

Wednesday, May 1

• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on Colbert Report [Comedy Central 11:30PM]
• Todd O’Dell on David Letterman [CBS 11:35PM]
• Cheap Trick on Jay Leno [NBC 11:35PM]
• Alice Russell on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC 11:35PM]
• Johnny Marr on Jimmy Fallon [NBC 12:35AM]

Thursday, May 2

• Slash w/Myles Kennedy: Made in Stoke [AXS 3:30PM]
• Atlas Genius on David Letterman [CBS 11:35PM]
• AWOLNATION on Jay Leno [NBC 11:35PM]
• The Airborne Toxic Event on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC 11:35PM]
• Too $hort on Jimmy Fallon [NBC 12:35AM]

Here’s news of a book we can’t wait to read – the New York Times reports that surviving Beastie Boys Adam (Ad-Rock) Horovitz and Michael (Mike D) Diamond are putting together a memoir about the group’s history. Now, this won’t be an ordinary memoir, as the book, which is due in 2015, will be “loosely structured as an oral history” but will also contain bits that aim to challenge the reader and contributions from other writers according to the report.

Mike D and Ad-Rock recently signed a deal with Spiegel & Grau to put together the book detailing their history, which will be edited by hip-hop writer Sacha Jenkins. The idea for the tome predates the tragic death of Adam “MCA” Yauch, but was put on the back burner when the rapper sadly passed in 2012.

[via New York Times]

With each new Iron & Wine record Sam Beam continues to build and develop a sound that had its beginnings as a humble intimate bedroom project, and has since blossomed into a full-on folk-rock ensemble. Earlier this month the former film-studies professor released his fifth studio album, Ghost on Ghost - his first on Nonesuch Records. The 12-track affair picks up stylistically where Kiss Each Other Clean left off, with Beam not only re-teaming with his longtime producer Brian Deck, but also working with many of same musicians. Back are the jazz-infused sound and lush back-up harmonies, all set to Beam’s poetically deep lyrics.

On Friday night the Iron & Wine big band, which included a three-piece string and horn section, as well as a trio of lovely back-up singers, stopped by 30 Rock to perform a must-see version of Grace For Saint And Ramblers on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Let’s check it out…

Iron & Wine – Grace For Saints And Ramblers

Iron & Wine will kick off their 16-date world tour with an appearance at the first ever Bottlerock Festival in Napa, Calif. on May 11.