The Holy Grail Of Holy F#cking Sh!t! "Dangerous Men"

Cult masterpiece from outsider filmmaker John S. Rad hits home video for the first time with deluxe treatment "Wildly entertaining...a transmission from an alien world" - The AV Club  "Mind-boggling, virtuoso WTF-ery" - The Daily Beast "Oh the insanity!!!" - Entertain Me Go Cult or Go Home!

Drafthouse Films, the curatorial force behind exceptional repertory releases such as the ninja-blasting synthrock monolith Miami Connection, the psychedelic sci-fi brain-melter The Visitor, and the most dangerous movie ever made, Roar, have announced the their latest cult sensation, Dangerous Men arriving on Blu-ray/DVD for the first time ever this April 5th. The fanatical brainchild of Iranian polymath John S. Rad, Dangerous Men is a passion project that remained in obsessive production for nearly two decades before finally debuting in Californian theaters in 2005. An unflappably prodigious creative force, Rad handled much of the technical duties of the film, appearing multiple times in the film's credits as the director, writer, location scout, producer, executive producer, and more. Despite initially languishing at the box office during its limited theatrical release, and never finding a likeminded audience before Rad's untimely death in 2007, Dangerous Men developed a devoted following before vanishing as mysteriously as it appeared. Working with the late artist's family, the Drafthouse Films team worked tirelessly alongside the American Genre Film Institute to locate and restore the original film. Dangerous Men was re-released back into theaters in October 2015, garnering enthusiastically baffled acclaim from critics including Rolling Stone, who called it "incomprehensibly riveting", Cut Print Film labels as "Flabbergasting...a gonzo work of art" and The Village Voice, who found the film "astonishing...a truly outsider movie made my a lone auteur." The Blu-ray/DVD release features hours of extra content, including a feature-length commentary from authors Zack Carlson and Bryan Connelly, an original short documentary about the film's original 2005 theatrical release, a video interview with cinematographer Peter Palian, and the only appearance of John S. Rad on television as well as an unexpunged print interview! SYNOPSIS: After Mina witnesses her fiancé's brutal murder by beach thugs, she sets out on a venomous spree to eradicate all human trash from Los Angeles. Armed with a knife, a gun, and an undying rage, she murders her way through the masculine half of the city's populace. A renegade cop is hot on her heels, a trail that also leads him to the subhuman criminal overlord known as Black Pepper. It's a pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, brain-devouring onslaught of '80s thunder, '90s lightning, and pure filmmaking daredevilry from another time and/or dimension. Blades flash, blood flows, bullets fly and synthesizers blare as the morgue overflows with the corpses of Dangerous Men. Website: http://drafthousefilms.com/ Trailer: https://youtu.be/F2jAjoRGjRM  Pre-order: http://mvdshop.com/products/dangerous-men-blu-ray-dvd-blu-ray Amazon: http://amzn.com/B019D3J3XY

Naked In 5 Seconds

5 Seconds Of Summer
Naked, But Not Afraid

It's naked boy band time! 5 Seconds Of Summer gets naked for the latest cover of Rolling Stone.

Honestly I have no clue who these guys are, but a PR stunt like this always catches ones attention.

Captured by photographer Martin Schoeller the boys, Calum Hood, Luke Hemmings, Ashton Irwin, and Michael Clifford are butt naked. Hands over their nether regions, which from the looks of it we should all be thankful for.

But, that is not what will have their minions burning up social media. Even though they say they are first and foremost a band who makes music for their fans...

It's what they did on tour with their covered junk that will have them buzzing. Hood admits he "got a bit reckless" when he first started receiving attention from girls. Hemmings added, "When you put four young dudes on a tour bus, playing theaters, then arenas, you're going to have sex with a lot of girls, I guess. We had a good time."

There you have it! You know how the saying goes: Boys will be boys. Would you expect anything more?

Hey, it only takes "5 Seconds" at:

https://www.instagram.com/5sos/   

My Kid Brother's Band

Fifty Years of THE BEATLES: Louise Harrison Lifts Veil

on Her Life With her Beatles Brother

"…Harrison has an unusual angle for her Beatlemaniac memoirs:
she was living in America when her brother hit it big…" - Rolling Stone
 

She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah...!!!! By the summer of 1965,Beatlemania had gripped the world, with fandom reaching the highest pinnacles of society. The Beatles had played for presidents, heads of state, and accepted a command performance from Queen Elizabeth II. So great was the Fab Four’s rising fame that, in June of 1965, they were named Members of the British Empire--a high honor for four kids from Liverpool. Now, on the cusp of the 50th Anniversary of their MBE induction, one person close to them is looking back at Beatlemania. For Louise Harrison, Beatles success meant something different entirely. Living in the United States, Louise had been a vanguard of the Beatles, and she worked hard to help make the band as big a success in America as they had been across the pond--her efforts often and humorously met with rejection. But behind the fame and away from the lights, Louise and her mother and father provided something to the other three Beatles that only the Harrisons could: a family. Now, for the first time, Louise has lifted the veil on life with the Beatles in a heart-felt, powerful memoir My Kid Brother’s Band: a.k.a. The Beatles!  Recounting the rise from Liverpool, sweeping British and European popularity, and that fateful first broadcast on The Ed Sullivan Show. Louise takes readers on a journey through the years, touching on emotional, spiritual, and professional landmarks along the way. With so many Beatles “50th anniversaries” on the calendar this year, Beatles fans everywhere won’t want to miss this intimate portrait of life inside one Beatles family. ABOUT LOUISE HARRISON Louise Harrison was born in Liverpool, England, the first child and only daughter of Harold and Louise Harrison. Her youngest brother, George, was also the youngest of the four Liverpool lads know as The Beatles. During 1964 and 1965 Louis, living in Illinois, found herself writing and broadcasting daily Beatles reports nationwide, due to public demand for news of The Beatles. Her distinctive voice with its British accent is immediately recognized by Beatles People all over the world.

Pat Benatar/Neil Giraldo/Heartbreaker/Ring Of Fire

35 Years & Still On Fire! Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

Benatar/Giraldo "The Big Interview With Dan Rather" To Air July 21st On AXS;

"Heartbreaker"/"Ring of Fire" video debuts on RollingStone.com

As you all know I am a HUGE fan of Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, OK, carry on... The ferocious duo Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo just wrapped up a busy week promoting their 35th Anniversary Tour DVD and CD with stops in New York city where not only did they knock out live appearances on CBS This Morning,FOX News and CNBC but also taped an hour long interview for AXS "The Big Interview With Dan Rather," which is scheduled to air on July 21st. In addition the pair sat down with Fox 411 and ABC News. The tour continued through New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee where they played the Ryman Auditorium, and were interviewed by RollingStone.com. The story features a debut video clip from the DVD's live show encore featuring the breakthrough hit "Heartbreaker" and the Johnny Cash classic "Ring of Fire." The hour-long interview special with Rather explores the couple’s musical and personal partnership which began in 1979 and continues today. In addition to 35 year professional partnership the couple has been married since 1981. "It was great to share with Dan our story," said Neil about the Rather interview. “He really took the time to explore our partnership and understand how we have worked together to create music, but we were also able to talk about all the other aspects of our partnership personal and professional. It's not all about the music there is so much more to who we are." The night after New York the couple played to a packed house at the "Mother Church of Country Music," The Ryman Auditorium. The dynamic duo rocked the house with a set that included several of their biggest hits but also included the encore of their breakthrough "Heartbreaker" and the Johnny Cash classic “Ring of Fire." "We often close our shows with "Heartbreaker" and "Ring of Fire," said Pat. "It was amazing to play have a chance to do that on the same stage where Johnny Cash once played. Our interview with RollingStone.com took place earlier in the day backstage, so I'm happy to have them debuting our live video clip from our live 35th Anniversary Concert DVD/CD with the article." The Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo: The 35th Anniversary Tour CD/DVD can be purchased from iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/35th-anniversary-tour-live/id983038975 or Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/35th-Anniversary-Tour-plus-DVD/dp/B00V84Q16E/. The 35th Anniversary tour continues through October. 35th Anniversary Tour Schedule (more dates to come) May 21 – Hollywood, FL @ Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino May 23 – Orlando, FL @ WMMO Downtown Concert Series June 26 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest June 27 – Lawrenceburg, IN @ Hollywood Casino - Lawrenceburg Event Center June 30 – Newport News, VA @ CNU Ferguson Center for the Arts July 01 – Durham, NC @ The Carolina Theatre July 03 – Salamanca, NY @ Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel -Seneca Events Center July 04 – Mount Pocono, PA @ Mount Airy Casino Resort -- Sherman Summer Stage July 05 – Ridgefield, CT @ The Ridgefield Playhouse July 07 – Verona, NY @ Turning Stone Resort Casino – Showroom July 8 – Washington DC @ Warner Theatre July 10 – Lowell, MA @ Boarding House Park July 11 – New York, NY @ Edison Ballroom July 13 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Meijer Gardens Amphitheater July 14 – Huber Heights, OH @ Rose Music Center at the Heights July 16 – Louisville, KY @ Brown Theatre July 17 - Robinsonville, MS @ Horseshoe Tunica - Bluesville July 18 – Lake Charles, LA @ Golden Nugget Lake Charles July 20 – San Antonio, TX @ Tobin Center For the Performing Arts July 21 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues July 23 – El Paso, TX @ Plaza Theatre Performing Arts July 24 – Sahuarita, AZ @ Desert Diamond Casino July 25 – Laughlin, NV @ The Edgewater Casino Resort July 28 – Livermore, CA @ Wente Vineyards July 29 – Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery July 31 - Santa Rosa, CA @ Wells Fargo Center For the Arts Aug 01 – Monterey, CA @ Golden State Theatre Aug 02 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Aug 06 – Costa Mesa, CA @ Pacific Amphitheatre Aug 07 – Thousand Oaks, CA @ Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Aug 11 – Apple Valley, MN @ Minnesota Zoo Aug 12 – Moorhead, MN @ Bluestem Center for the Arts Aug 13 - Bismarck, MD @ Bismarck Events Center Aug 15 - Edmonton, AB, Canada @ Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawre Aug 16 - Calgary, AB, Canada @ Grey Eagle Resort and Casino Aug 19 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre Aug 21 – Chandler, AZ @ Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino Aug 22 – Lancaster, CA @ Antelope Valley Fairgrounds Aug 25 – Turlock, CA @ Turlock Community Theatre Aug 26 – Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra Resort & Casino Aug 28 – Boise, ID @ Western Idaho Fairgrounds Aug 29 – Manson, WA @ Mill Bay Casino Deep Water Aug 31 – Monroe, WA @ Evergreen State Fairgrounds Sep 02 – Vancouver, BC, Canada @ Pacific National Exhibition Sep 03 – Salem, OR @ L.B. Day Amphitheatre Sep 04 – Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Pavilion Sep 06 – Palmer, AK @ Alaska State Fair

DEVO Has An Uncontrollable Urge

Devo: Yellow Is The New Black Photo: Janet Macoska DEVO "Hardcore Live!" on DVD, Blu-ray, CD, and Vinyl coming February 10th "The Hardcore show for DEVO was like relocating a tail you misplaced a lifetime ago."  - Mark Mothersbaugh Are they not men? Nope, I guess they're Devo! You get one guess as to where I will be January 17th 2015... LA screening event with Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald V. Casale & Bob Mothersbaugh, Director Keirda Bahruth and Producer Rick Ballard  Saturday, January 17 - 7:30 PM Egyptian Theatre 6712 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, CA 90028 Map Watch ROLLING STONE premiere "Uncontrollable Urge" HERE DEVO was among the most thought-provoking bands to emerge in the aftermath of punk, but before hits like "Whip It," they worked in the basements and garages of Akron, Ohio to make raw, unfiltered music that the group called "Hardcore DEVO." In the summer of 2014, DEVO did ten shows performing these seminal pre-fame songs, created between 1974 and 1977 and rarely played since then. Shot at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California, this exciting concert film captures these groundbreaking artists performing the songs that started it all, interwoven with interviews revealing the history of the band. In total, these 21 oddities serve as a tribute to departed, original DEVO bandmate, Robert "Bob 2" Casale. A special screening event will be held on Saturday, January 17th at 7:30 PM at the Egyptian Theatre (6712 Hollywood Boulevard - Hollywood, CA 90028). A discussion with director Keirda Bahruth, coproducer Rick Ballard, and DEVO members Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald V. Casale, and Bob Mothersbaugh will follow. Pre-order: http://bit.ly/1BqJuym Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl7rbDxMyMg      DEVO "Hardcore Live!" on DVD, Blu-ray, CD, and Vinyl coming February 10th "The Hardcore show for DEVO was like relocating a tail you misplaced a lifetime ago."  - Mark Mothersbaugh Are they not men? Nope, I guess they're Devo! You get one guess as to where I will be January 17th 2015... LA screening event with Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald V. Casale & Bob Mothersbaugh, Director Keirda Bahruth and Producer Rick Ballard  Saturday, January 17 - 7:30 PM Egyptian Theatre 6712 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, CA 90028 Map Watch ROLLING STONE premiere "Uncontrollable Urge" HERE DEVO was among the most thought-provoking bands to emerge in the aftermath of punk, but before hits like "Whip It," they worked in the basements and garages of Akron, Ohio to make raw, unfiltered music that the group called "Hardcore DEVO." In the summer of 2014, DEVO did ten shows performing these seminal pre-fame songs, created between 1974 and 1977 and rarely played since then. Shot at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California, this exciting concert film captures these groundbreaking artists performing the songs that started it all, interwoven with interviews revealing the history of the band. In total, these 21 oddities serve as a tribute to departed, original DEVO bandmate, Robert "Bob 2" Casale. A special screening event will be held on Saturday, January 17th at 7:30 PM at the Egyptian Theatre (6712 Hollywood Boulevard - Hollywood, CA 90028). A discussion with director Keirda Bahruth, coproducer Rick Ballard, and DEVO members Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald V. Casale, and Bob Mothersbaugh will follow. Pre-order: http://bit.ly/1BqJuym Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl7rbDxMyMg

Let's Get Alternative, "Summerland Tour" !

Alright all you lover of 90's music, prepare to get your alternative freak on!!!

"Summerland Tour" Set To Feature Everclear, Soul Asylum,
Eve 6 & Spacehog during 3rd Annual Outing

Rock Tour Lineup and Tour Dates Announced

One of Rolling Stone's "10 Hottest Summer Package Tours of 2012," the 3rd annual 90’s alternative music tour is proud to announce Everclear, Soul Asylum, Eve 6, and Spacehog to perform at each of 2014’s "Summerland Tour" dates. With many smash hit singles and millions of albums sold between them, the four bands comprising this year's Summerland Tour still have a constant presence on the airwaves across the country and represent a true value for concert fans.  With songs like "Father of Mine," "Santa Monica," "I Will Buy You A New Life," "Somebody To Shove," "Runaway Train," "Think Twice," and "In the Meantime" being performed nightly, Summerland 2014 is set to provide the best soundtrack to a great summer’s evening. The 90's nostalgia tour was formed in 2012 by Art Alexakis, lead guitarist and vocalist of Everclear.  The tour has featured classic throwback bands such as Gin Blossoms, Lit, Sugar Ray, Marcy Playground, Live, Filter, and Sponge. "This tour just seems to get better and better every year.  Both the bands and the fans are starting to connect with the name Summerland.  It seems like it's becoming synonymous with '90's Alternative Rock," said Alexakis.  He started the tour to bring some of the most well-known alternative 90’s bands back to today’s rock music scene. SUMMERLAND TOUR 2014 will kick off on June 13th in Pompano Beach, FL and will be stopping in over 30 cities across the US.  Tickets go on sale starting March 7 at 10am (in select markets).  Visit www.summerlandtour.net for further details. Everclear EVRCLEAR (http://www.everclearonline.com/) (Art Alexakis, lead vocals/guitar; Dave French, guitar/vocals; Freddy Herrera, bass/vocals; Sean Winchester, drums/vocals; Josh Crawley, keyboards/vocals) With hits like the modern rock radio staples "Santa Monica," "Everything to Everyone," "I Will Buy You a New Life," "Father of Mine," and "Wonderful," Everclear has sold more than 9 Million albums globally. Fronted by Art Alexakis, Everclear remains a potent force on the touring circuit. The band released Invisible Stars in 2012, their first album of new material in six years, as well as cover songs and re-recordings of past hits albums, which they named Return to Santa Monica. Everclear plans to continue touring and recording, and of course, Art Alexakis will continue the Summerland tour in years to come. SOUL ASYLUM (http://www.soulasylum.com/) Born and bred in Minneapolis, MN Soul Asylum formed in 1981 and since their inception the band has delivered heartfelt and passionate rock n’ roll. They started out on independent label Twin/Tone Records, before scoring major hits on Columbia Records with 1992's Grave Dancers Union that included the Grammy winning single "Runaway Train", followed up by 1995'sLet Your Dim Light Shine. Soul Asylum consists of Dave Pirner (guitar/vocals), Michael Bland (drums),Winston Roye (bass) and Justin Sharbono (guitar). Their last full length album Delayed Reaction, produced by the band and John Fields is melodic, anthemic, well-versed in the art of classic song-craft and was well received by both fans and critics.  They are currently in the process of recording an album of all new material to be released in 2014. Soul Asylum EVE 6 (http://www.eve6.com/) Southern California's Pop-punk trio, Eve 6, are most well-known for hit singles "Inside Out" and "Think Twice" from their 1998 debut self-titled album, and their prom-MTV anthem, "Here’s To The Night" off of 2000's Horoscope.  Eve 6 exploded onto the mainstream with RCA records before they were of legal drinking age, but called it quits in 2004 shortly after their success. Eve 6 reunited in 2012, and released Speak in Code through Fearless Records. The band’s lineup remains the same; Max Collins (vocals & bass),Jon Siebels (Guitar), and Tony Fagenson (drums). After their eight year hiatus, Eve 6 returned to the music scene more energized than ever before. Frontman, Max Collins, states that Speak in Code is the strongest collection of songs they've had on one record. SPACEHOG (http://www.spacehog.com/) Formed in 1994 during the peak of grunge-rock, Spacehog came out with a more unique sound than what was popular in rock music.  Their debut album Resident Alien was heavily influenced by artists such as T.Rex, Iggy Pop, Queen, and David Bowie and The Spiders. On top of their "glam-rock" sound, they added some distorted guitars to create their own individual sound. The result: over a million copies sold, the number one single "In the Meantime" and a completely unique identity. After two more successful albums, and some time apart, Spacehog is together again using their separate musical journeys as inspiration in writing original material. The band once again released an album produced by Bryce Goggin in 2013 entitled As It Is On Earth, which is now available. SUMMERLAND 2014 TOUR DATES (subject to change): 6/13/14 — Pompano Beach, FL — Pompano Beach Amphitheatre 6/14/14 — St Petersburg, FL — Vinoy Park 6/17/14 — New York, NY — Irving Plaza 6/18/14 — Hampton  Beach, NH — Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom 6/19/14 — Boston, MA – House of Blues 6/20/14 — Pittsburgh, PA — Stage AE 6/21/14 — Atlantic City, NJ — House of Blues at Showboat Atlantic City 6/22/14 — Huntington, NY — The Paramount 6/24/14 — Cleveland, OH — Agora Theatre 6/25/14 — Glen Allen, VA — Innsbrook After Hours 6/27/14 — Biloxi, MS — Golden Nugget Hotel Casino 7/10/14 — Pharr, TX — Pharr Events Center 7/11/14 — Dallas, TX — South Side Ballroom 7/15/14 — Tempe, AZ — The Marquee Theatre 7/17/14 — Los Angeles, CA — House of Blues 7/18/14 — Las Vegas, NV — Fremont Street Experience 7/19/14 — Valley Center, CA — The Event Center at Harrah’s Rincon 7/22/14 — Portland, OR — Crystal Ballroom 7/23/14 — Eugene, OR —Lane County Fair 7/26/14 — Medicine Hat, AB — Medicine Hat Stampede ** 7/29/14 — Boise, ID — Revolution Center 7/31/14 — Denver, CO — Ogden Theatre 8/01/14 — Bonner Springs, KS — Cricket Wireless Amphitheater 8/03/14 — Sturgis, SD — Easyriders Saloon 8/05/14 — Cedar Rapids, IA — McGrath Amphitheatre 8/07/14 — West Allis, WI — Wisconsin State Fair 8/08/14 — Arlington Heights, IL — House of Music and Entertainment 8/09/14 — Toledo, OH — Hollywood Casino Toledo ** No Spacehog on this date www.summerlandtour.net

Capital Cities On The Move

Photo: Eliot Lee Hazel 

In case you are wondering where I'll be tonight, it's at The El Rey seeing Capital Cities....

IN A TIDAL WAVE OF MYSTERY,

CAPITAL CITIES’ DEBUT ALBUM, IS OUT !

“SAFE AND SOUND” HITS NUMBER 1 AT MODERN ROCK THIS WEEK!

BAND PERFORMS ON “CONAN” THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 6

AND “JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!” ON JULY 10

TOUR INCLUDES SOLD-OUT JUNE 6 & 7 SHOWS AT LA’S EL REY THEATRE & NUMEROUS FESTIVAL DATES, INCLUDING BONNAROO

In A Tidal Wave Of Mystery, Capital Cities’ debut album, was released today by Capitol Records, in partnership with Lazy Hooks. The group will make its national television debut on“Conan” this Thursday, June 6, and perform on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on July 10.

Produced by founders/frontmen Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian – two Los Angeles-based jingle writers who met on Craigslist  – In A Tidal Wave Of Mystery includes the multi-format radio smash “Safe and Sound,” which is Number 1 at the Modern Rock format, Top 20 at Triple A and within the Top 40 at Top 40 radio. Praised by RollingStone.com for the way it merges “high-energy dance beats with unbridled optimism and joy,” “Safe and Sound” has already sold more than 260,000 copies and is featured on the NOW 45 compilation.

The videos that Capital Cities has made for “Safe and Sound” have more than 4 million views cumulatively. The latest – lensed by Grady Hall (Beck, Modest Mouse), a writer-director and creative director at GRAMMY®-winning Motion Theory – is being played on MTV, MTV2, Teen Nick, Fuse, Music Choice, Palladia, mtvU and MTV Hits. 

The New York Times’ website premiered In A Tidal Wave Of Mystery in the week leading up to is release, which also features the tracks “Kangaroo Court”, “I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo” and “Farrah Fawcett Hair” which features Andre 3000.  Capital Cities’ songs have been heard on “American Idol,” “TODAY” and the Iron Man 3 soundtrack as well as in promotional campaigns for HBO, Smart Car, Microsoft and more than half a dozen other spots.

Capital Cities brings its “Dancing With Strangers” headline tour home this week, playing two sold-out shows at L.A.’s El Rey Theatre on June 6 and 7. All proceeds from the June 7 show will go to MusiCares and A Place Called Home. The band will also perform at numerous festivals, including Bonnaroo, Firefly, Summerfest andKanrocksas.

Capital Cities – Upcoming Tour Dates

6/5        Anaheim, CA                             House of Blues                                                    SOLD OUT        

6/6        Los Angeles, CA                         El Rey Theatre                                                    SOLD OUT

6/7        Los Angeles, CA                        El Rey Theatre                                                    SOLD OUT

6/8        Oceanside, CA                SPF 949 @ Junior Seau Oceanside Pier Ampitheatre

6/13      Manchester, TN              Bonnaroo Music Festival

6/14      Miami Beach, FL              Bardot

6/18      St Petersburg FL                          The State Theatre
6/19      Jacksonville, FL                            Jack Rabbits
6/21      Atlantic City, NJ                          The Social @ Revel Resort & Casino

6/23      Dover, DE                                  Firefly Music Festival – Dover International Speedway

6/24      Lancaster, PA                  Chamelon Club

6/25      Columbus, OH                           The Basement

6/27       Milwaukee, WI                            Summerfest

6/28      Kansas City, MO             Starlight Theatre

6/29      Chicago, IL                     Q87.7 WKQX PiQniQ

7/7        Kelowna, BC                   Keloha Festival

7/13      Philadelphia, PA              WRFF Summer Block Party

7/31      Toronto, ON                  Edgefest

8/1        New Haven, CT              Toad’s Place

8/2        Montreal, QC                 Osheaga Music and Arts Festival – Parterre Parc Jean Drapeau

8/17      Sterling Heights, MI          MoPop Music Festival - Freedom Hill Amphitheatre

8/25      Monterey, CA                 First City Festival – Monterey County Fairgrounds

8/30      Chicago, IL                     North Coast Music Festival

8/31      Calgary, AB                    Xfest – Fort Calgary

9/1        Edmonton, AB                Sonic Boom Festival – Northlands Park

10/26    Las Vegas, NV                 Life Is Beautiful Festival

11/2      Los Angeles, CA              The Greek Theatre (opening for Two Door Cinema Club)

For more about Capital Cities, please visit:

www.capitalcitiesmusic.com

www.facebook.com/capitalcities
www.twitter.com/capitalcities

Dudley Saunders: "Monsters"

Independent: This is the adjective that best describes Dudley Saunders, and that's a good thing. 

From his performance art - to his activism, and first and foremost his music, Dudley could be a spokesperson for The First Amendment. 

I first heard of Dudley via his CD "The Billy White Acre Sessions" and saw him perform at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles, CA. I was hooked. 

Dudley is a gifted storyteller, musician and thought provoker who stays true to his personal vision.

His latest CD: "Monsters" is no exception, Mr. Saunders is like wine, he gets better with age. 

For those of you out there who are familiar with Dudley, this will be fun! For those of you who aren't well here's your chance to really get to know him. I recently checked in with the man behind the music and threw 10 Random Thoughts at him, and "Yes" he answered...


MS: Performance Art 

DS: Uncomfortable. Find the place that makes you want to turn away, and you’ll know that’s where you most need to go. Then you create a brand new form that fits the shape of the uncomfortable thing, which then makes the audience uncomfortable, because they don’t know what to expect. This is very exciting to me as an audience, but most audiences prefer to be comfortable. The audiences that get excited the way I do usually turn out to be great friend material.

MS: East Village 

DS: Lost Home. A geographic location where challenge and opposition to traditional modes of expression, as well as traditional subject matter, were normal and the expected minimum. A time and place not meant to stand, and maybe too easy to mythologize. I try not to look back anymore.

MS: "Love Song For Jeffrey Dahmer"

DS: Hidden key. I can tell whether people will like me based on whether or not they want to engage this song. The not-think-about-it people don’t stick around me very long. Susanne Breslin did the best interview about this song, and was not much-liked for doing it:http://www.facebook.com/l/AAQFq8mLvAQEMvlN7GaMkZy-RjEKahMDBvbZ21wPvpv63PQ/trueslant.com/susannahbreslin/2010/04/19/a-love-song-for-jeffrey-dahmer/

MS: Rolling Stone 

DS: Immaterial: the magazine traffics so predictably in the mainstream and the “officially-sanctioned indies” that it reflects almost nothing of what matters to me (except for Matt Taibbi’s political reporting). I will be shocked if they ever mention my name, although maybe when I’m 80 they’ll call me “an underground legend” in some article squib. As if they hadn’t participated in making me “underground” by ignoring me. Talk to performance artist Penny Arcade and she’ll give you an earful on that media pattern.

MS: "American Horror Story" 

DS: Meta-fiction. Pile up enough standard gothic tropes and they become something more. You start to feel the darker fears and desires that undergird them. This show addresses these old narratives head-on where I just pull pieces of them into story-songs I don’t actually think of as gothic -- like in my song THE ROSEWOOD CASKET, where the murdered woman’s skull asks him to “kiss my skinless face”. I was a little aware that that might seem a little horrifying, but not as much as I now see it is. Really, nothing I write every seems that disturbing when I’m writing it; it’s just after the fact I get all these reactions and go ‘oh yeah ...’ But I wonder now if other people see a stronger connection between me and Ryan Murphy? Usually the artist has the most skewed perspective on these things.

MS: Storytelling 

DS: Untold. Most of the stories that matter to me - or would matter to me - go untold. And the heroic model of storytelling, where a hero learns and earns his just rewards, is primarily a lie we tell to assure the evil that they have a right to the things they’ve stolen. I’m drawn to lives with foreshortened narratives -- they get trapped too early, or are broken before they can get to redemption, or the trouble they face doesn’t make them stronger but breaks them into strange distorted shapes. A lot of pop songs just regurgitate the same old stories, and you can tell where they’re going halfway through the first line. That doesn’t make me feel anything. I think the untold people deserve their own melodies.

MS: Act-Up

DS: PTSD. My old ACT UP colleague Spencer Cox just died a few weeks ago. We met for lunch when I was touring through New York in October. We talked at length about how much untreated trauma there is in our activist generation. It was a great discussion, but it turned out he was more of an example of PTSD than I realized: he’d stopped his medication, and in December just couldn’t fight off an infection. It reminds me of something that the writer Sarah Schulman once told me, that the people who create change are rarely the ones who benefit from it. The drag queens from the Stonewall Rebellion mostly ended up poor and homeless and murdered while younger gay people experienced previously unimagined freedom. And so many of the AIDS activists who saved millions of lives are having trouble saving their own. But - and this is very ACT UP - we’ll probably do better if we pull together to save each other. 

MS: "Birdbones" 

DS: Exorcism. Rageful fragility. Wow, that’s a weird response! This was the performance art piece that got me the most attention, but it also marked a turning point. 

Back then, I made art because I had all these horrifying ghosts in the back of my head that I couldn’t quite identify even though they ruled my life. I was a completely tortured, haunted person, but if you asked me what was wrong I had no idea. So I used performance art to make those ghosts manifest themselves so I could see them, feel them and wrestle with them. I used a form I called “witnessing,” which was essentially me bearing witness to these surreal horror stories in the enraptured voice of a psychosexual evangelist - I think the Village Voice used that term. Anyway: like a lot of tortured people, I believed that the pain would literally kill me if I faced it. Which means performance art, for me, felt a little like a suicide mission - but for the purpose of saving my life. In retrospect, no wonder I was such a basket case.

Birdbones got the last of those ghosts out of me and probably saved my life. I also got great reviews, and if the right wing hadn’t decimated arts funding, I might have become an avant-garde art-world star. Maybe I’m glad that didn’t happen: a few years later, I made my first record, RESTORE.

MS: Rainy Days 

DS: Falling on the just and the unjust alike. Isn’t that in Matthew, in the King James Bible? It just means that when it rains we are all bound up in one common experience. It’s a gentle version of what happens in LA during an earthquake, or during a power outage in New York. It’s inconvenient but I love it - I’d rather be uncomfortable than disconnected.

MS: "Monsters"

DS: Unseen. Monsters that look like monsters aren’t frightening to me. Reagan’s charming face used to fill me with abject terror. Or the kindly gentle smile of Rick Warren now, filling us with uplifting platitudes while preaching anti-gay propaganda in Uganda that led directly to the deaths of gay people. Most monsters don’t believe they are monsters the way most alcoholics don’t believe they have a drinking problem.

"Monsters" are everywhere at: http://www.dudleysaunders.com/

PTX = Pentatonix

Photo: Tim Cruz

Pentatonix, the season 3 winners of the NBC a cappella singing competition series, "The Sing Off", have  released their debut EP, “PTX Volume 1”.  Described by Rollingstone.com to be “impossibly full sound,” the five-member band, named for the world’s most widely recognized five-note musical scale, is comprised of lead vocalists Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying and Kirstie Maldonado with vocal bass by Avi Kaplan and beatboxer Kevin Olusola, each who arrange all their own music using only their vocals as instruments.

Well let's beat box it with and get down in the PTX with Scott Hoying and Avi Kaplan, word!

MS: You guys are amazing! What inspired you to use your voices as instruments?

PTX: We were all in choir and we all love vocal music, it's organic, it comes from yourself, it's such an amazing feeling to perform it for other people. Kevin loves all types of music he came up with the beat boxing and it worked out perfectly.

MS: Most people never think to use their voices for anything other than singing.

PTX: Yeah, totally.

MS: I really love your guys mash-up of Justin Bieber's "As Long As You Love Me" and Katy Perry's "Wide Awake".

PTX: We all listened to both songs and thought about which parts we really loved out of each song. Then we just put it together, and made sure all of the words worked with the melody. We really liked the feel of the Justin Bieber song so we kept the words, and we loved the chorus for the Katy Perry song, it was a very organic process.

MS: It's Amazing that you guys all found each other.

PTX: Yeah, it is really crazy that we all did find each other, it was obviously meant to be.

MS: When it happens organically it is meant, there's no way in your wildest dreams...

PTX: It's so crazy.

MS: You guys were on "The Sing Off" and that's where you met, I am assuming that was a good springboard for you.

PTX: Just to have millions of people watching you every week, the thing that was great about the show is it really was real, it represented you in the way you really are.

Give me a P, give me a T and an X - get yourself some "PTX Volume 1"

http://www.ptx-official.com/

For Immediate Release: James Durbin Keeps On Rockin'

James & Mick Mars

Wow! "Entertain Me" favorite James Durbin is one busy guy - check in and catch up with everything he's been up to lately....Rock On James!

American Idol’s James Durbin Cracks The Hot Adult Top 40 chart with his “Love Me Bad” single

James Receives a Best Lead Vocalist Nomination from the Golden Gods Awards

Revolver Magazine names James one of the “100 Greatest Living Rock Stars”

February 2012- Los Angeles, CA – American Idol finalist, James Durbin, shot to fame in 2011 and then released his Wind-Up Records debut album Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster. The album broke into the Top 10 on Billboard’s Rock Album chart at #8 and #36 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album chart. Meanwhile, his current single, “Love Me Bad” has cracked the Hot Adult Top 40 chart this week and Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster is quickly approaching 100,000 in sales.

Click here to watch the “Love Me Bad” video: http://www.vevo.com/watch/james-durbin/love-me-bad/USWV41100047

Revolver magazine recently named James one of the “100 Greatest Living Rock Stars” alongside other rock icons including Ozzy Osbourne, Gene Simmons and Dave Grohl. In addition, Revolver announced today that James has been nominated for a Golden Gods Award in the Best Lead Vocalist category. James will also be a presenter on the show. The Golden Gods Awards will take place on April 11 in Los Angeles at Club Nokia and for the first time ever, the event will be broadcast live in its entirety on Xbox LIVE, as well as on the Xbox and Revolver Facebook pages. Voting begins today and will end on April 1. To vote for James please visit: www.GoldenGods Awards.com.

Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster features not one, but two lead singles with the power-charged ballad “Love Me Bad” at Top 40/Hot AC radio and the anthemic rock single, “Stand Up” which is a gleaming showcase for Durbin’s signature rock-star yowl and powerful, energetic voice. People magazine gives Memories Of a Beautiful Disaster a 3 out of 4 star review and says “Durbin is one of the best voices to come out of Idol. His debut packs metallic muscle.”

Unforgettable performances on the Idol stage with legends such as Judas Priest and Zakk Wylde led Durbin’s own “Idols” to support the rocker’s first ever release. Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe, songwriters James Michael (Sixx A.M, Mötley Crüe) and Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith, Buckcherry, Ozzy Osbourne) along with Swedish rock band Hardcore Superstar all contributed to the making of Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster. Durbin, who co-wrote five of the albums tracks exclaimed it was “surreal” to be working with this bevy of rock royalty and recalls, “When Mick Mars started shredding on his guitar I literally lost my mind.” The long-time Mötley Crüe fan continued saying, “He’s a true rock legend and he’s playing on my record. It doesn’t get any cooler than that.” Mick Mars echoed the same fervor, “It was sick to have played on James’ debut album. To be the only featured guest artist on the record was really cool as I know a lot of others wanted to be on it. James Durbin kicks ass, he’s the real deal.”

On American Idol, James Durbin waved the flag for rock and it was that devotion to rock that helped him overcome his private struggles with tourette’s and aspergers syndrome. He touched the hearts of people everywhere while on the show, and with the release of Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster he is proudly waving that flag high again.

Follow James on Twitter and Facebook here: http://twitter.com/durbinrock, http://facebook.com/durbinrock, http://www.durbinrock.com