We’ve always had a soft spot for Coheed & Cambria, which has garnered a legion of fans over the years as it continues to top itself with prog/alt concept record after batshit prog/alt concept record. Jam Nation’s old pal Warren Haynes, does, too, as Uncle Warren was the surprise guest at the final night of Coheed’s four-show Terminal 5 residency in NYC this past Saturday, stepping up during the encore for a staggeringly tight version of Dylan’s I Shall Be Released and Coheed’s crackling Welcome Home.

That wily Warren Haynes loves to get around the town: he’s been spotted in his NYC homebase the past few months, when not already here with the Mule or the Allmans, jamming with the Lee Boys; cutting up with Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters and now letting his prog-riffic freak flag fly, too. Where will he turn up next? Well, the Mule kicks off its fall tour with brand new bassist Jorgen Carlsson on Thursday in Vermont, and is headlining Boston’s Orpheum Theater for its Halloween event.

Last year’s show, if you’ll recall, focused the Mule’s second set on a most wheelhouse-appropriate costume, Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy. Who knows what’s in store for this go-round, but the scuttlebutt round the message boards and from the Mule camp—not to mention the curious looking event poster, pop up available at www.mule.net—suggest something rhyming with Link Boyd is in the offing, plus a special guest or two.

The latest issue of Spin features a really interesting read on what has become the cult phenomenon of The Rock-afire Explosion. If the name doesn’t sound familiar, think back to the days of attending birthday parties at a place call ShowBiz Pizza. While you plunked quarters in arcade games and stuffed your face with pizza you more than likely were entranced by an animatronic band of animals that combined a corny stage show with playing rock music.

While the chain is long gone, thanks to the effort of Chris Thrash – who bought an entire set of the animatronics for an undisclosed amount of money – the Rock-afire Explosion has been living on and thriving via a number of clever YouTube clips – which inspired the making of a documentary movie about the whole thing.

Trash, with some assistance from one of the original animatronic engineers, has re-programmed the band to perform everything from Usher to Against Me! to MGMT – all via some ancient Apple computers. Let’s check out the reprogrammed Rock-afire Explosion covering Arcade Fire’s Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)…

If you raise enough money you can get the band programmed to perform the song of your choice. Right now the money leader is a NIN song at $401. So, who wants to see them play something a bit headier? Let’s get the bidding going, leave some suggestions in the comments…

More From Rock-afire Explosion:

• MGMT – Electric Feel
• The White Stripes – Conquest
• Rock-afire Explosion Movie Trailer
• ShowBiz Pizza Place/Creative Engineering Promo (1983)

My apologies for not getting a Cover Wars up last week. I was fighting off what I affectionately refer to as the “Tour Flu” after logging a four-day-weekend full of live music from the likes of Trey Anastasio and Umphrey’s McGee. The extra time provided an opportunity for Widespread Panic and The Punch Brothers to duke it out for the title of best cover of Ophelia. Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers ultimately walked away victorious.

This week, we look at six renditions of the first track on Van Morrison’s 1970 release Moondance: And It Stoned Me. The song, while adopted as a stoner anthem, seems to have more to do with what’s in the gallon jar mentioned in last verse than it does to smoking anything. In the artist’s own words, taken from a biography [via wikipedia]:

I suppose I was about twelve years old. We used to go to a place called Ballystockart to fish. We stopped in the village on the way up to this place and I went to this little stone house, and there was an old man there with dark weather-beaten skin, and we asked him if he had any water. He gave us some water which he said he’d got from the stream. We drank some and everything seemed to stop for me. Time stood still. For five minutes everything was really quiet and I was in this ‘other dimension’. That’s what the song is about.

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READ ON for the tale of the tape on this week’s competitors…

Here’s Brent Berman with a review of something completely different…

At a corner bar on the outskirts of Athens, Georgia this past Saturday night, something cutting edge and ground breaking was going on and I was there to witness it all. In our small town there is a Burlesque troupe called Effie’s Club Follies. They call their unique style of entertainment “slap-strip comedic burlesque.” These girls were spot on and need to be recognized for offering an incredibly entertaining and unique night of entertainment.

So what’s this brand of burlesque all about? Look no further than this description on the Effie’s Club Follies MySpace:

imagine a combination of the weirder side of SNL’s glory days, throw in a dash of good drag, a sprinkling of raunchy humor (a la Mae West, or even Sarah Silverman), and a pinch of Broadway…with the striptease as the luscious cherry on top. We are NOT: prostitutes, escorts, porn stars, or garden-variety strippers (though we do occasionally play them on stage)

In most cases today, burlesque has become little more then a sexy strip tease. Effie’s Club Follies brings back satirical burlesque with an umph!

READ ON for more on Effie’s Club Follies burlesque review…

The house looked like any other neighborly dwelling except for the fact that it was huge, ancient, had a large iron gate at the foot of the driveway, and I think I saw a talking rat scurry past me as I walked up to knock on its formidable front door.

I was there to sign up voters on my little growing election list, and when I knocked on the door, I heard a series of loud thumps, a deep, resounding echo inside, and footsteps, before a very friendly face peeked out to see who had dared knock on his door. The man who answered the door was an aging hippie wearing a tie-dyed shirt. He asked if I’d like to come in as he filled out my forms, and I obliged because a) he didn’t appear to pose a threat, b) he was an aging hippie wearing a tie-dyed shirt, and c) in the room on the right, I could see Phantasm playing on a television screen, and thought I’d check out a few minutes of this underground 1979 horror hoot. Alas, this would turn into one of several Halloween Hidden Flicks to be devoured, but I did not know that at the time.

Phantasm is a goofy thriller in which a very strange, tall man uses a flying silver ball to attack strangers. The ball has a drill, that when attached to the head can perform routine amateur lobotomies, or eliminate, on a permanent basis, nagging headaches. I watched a few minutes while the hippie horror film fan went to get us something to drink (I assumed a soda while doubting it would be acid, or cyanide-laced Kool-Aid).

READ ON for more of this week’s Hidden Flick…

It used to be tradition that each Monday following Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit concerts at Shoreline would bring fluffy reviews extolling the virtues of that weekend’s concerts and of the Youngs work for the Hillsborough school, yet that didn’t happen today. Jim Harrington of the Oakland Tribune found the event lacking a certain pizzazz, which doesn’t surprise us given this year’s lineup. Let’s hope this truly unique and worthwhile event returns to form when it comes back this time next year.

Here’s a brief look at some stories that broke over the past three days…

• Rolling Stone raves about this year’s Voodoo Festival in NoLa
• Motown royalty came out in droves for Levi Stubb’s funeral
• Umphrey’s McGee blogs about their time in Seattle watching ND
• Boston Globe profiles Sweden’s free-wheeling rockers Dungen
• moe. kicks down an epic moe.down set from August 31, 2001 as the next installment of the Dr. Stan’s Prescription series
• You’ve gotta read Blair Jackson’s amazing Merl Saunders obit

Finally, one of the surviving members of Led Zeppelin came clean about the group’s plan to tour sans Robert Plant. Mike Greenhaus of Relix reports that John Paul Jones addressed the rumors during a question and answer session at the Manson’s guitar show. JPJ acknowledged that he’s been practicing with Jason Bonham and Jimmy Page and that they’re very interested in doing a tour even if Robert Plant isn’t willing to sing with them. Stay tuned.

My, oh my, is anyone else as sick of the political bullshit as I am? It isn’t bad enough that gas is hovering around $3 a gallon (I can’t believe I am actually celebrating the fact that I can fill up for less than $50) or that the economy is in the toilet, or that pretty much every business in the world is losing money faster than a rookie poker player trying to impress a new girlfriend.

By the sheer luck of the calendar, Americans are inundated by dumbed-down, personal attacks and dirty trick political ads as the date we choose the next leader of the free world draws near. Ballot measures with questionable wording and suspicious origins generate divisive diatribes between the pros and the cons, tossing around words like boondoggle and accusing the other side of various nefarious goings on. What the hell IS a boondoggle anyway? (For the record, I know what a boondoggle really is, but I use the phrase for effect. Don’t obsess on the details)

So it’s Friday and the day job has been really busy, and the radio and television won’t shut up about whom I ought to vote for and who approves this ad or that and I checked my 401K and found out that I’ll probably have to work an extra twenty years before I retire and the furnace only blows cold air and probably needs a few hundred dollars to make it hot again and all I can think of is I need to get away NOW. I need to escape, hide, hole up, hunker down in my own little Camp David and regroup. I know. There’s a great show at the Aladdin tonight. I’ll saunter in to the sold out former porn theater and lose myself in the musical atmosphere emitted by Ryan Montbleau and Martin Sexton.

READ ON for more of A.J.’s review of Montbleau and Sexton in Portland…

With Halloween just a few days away, we thought we’d start getting in the mood over here at HT. While there may be any number of appropriate songs for All Hallows Eve the one that’s our personal favorite around these parts is the Warren Zevon’s classic cheeky rocker – Werewolves Of London – which originally appeared on his 1978 classic Excitable Boy.

Let’s check out this ferocious six plus minute, live version from a 1982 show in New Jersey that features some monster slide guitar work and Zevon’s howling vocals . By the way, if your still looking for a costume check out some of the 80s-tastic grab the people in the audience are wearing for some inspiration…

More Werewolves:

• Werewolves Of London (Official Music Video)
• Grateful Dead – 7/8/78 (Audio Only)
• Widespread Panic – Georgia Theater – 10/31/92
• David Lindley on Night Music

Phil Lesh begins his marathon 14 date run at the Nokia in NYC later this week, and the least we can do is help y’all get ready. This extra edition of Stormy Mondays is a short second set from 1973 with some of the most insane bass playing I’ve ever heard on a monster Eyes opener that’s much closer to a meltdown Playing in the Band than anything else. Listen to Phil pop this one note just after the King Solomon’s Marbles jamlet, pop it, hold it for minutes and drive the music into some seriously scary depths.

I hate to break up a suite so the Sugar Mag > GDTRFB > Casey Jones is here too, but man, you gotta hear this Eyes. As always, enjoy!

• CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS WEEK’S STORMY MONDAYS

The Black Crowes kick off the first night of what used to be a four night run, but was recently scaled back to a three night run at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom when the band canceled Thursday night’s show. This Tuesday, the Robinson brothers and the latest incarnation of their band visit old friend Conan O’Brien for a  performance on NBC’s Late Night w/ Conan O’Brien.

Monday [all times Eastern]:

• Documentary: Give Me Shelter [Sundance 3:30PM]
• Live From Voodoo: NIN, R.E.M. [Fuse 8PM]
• Late Night w/ Conan O’Brien: Annuals [NBC 12:37AM]

Tuesday:

• Classic 60 Minutes: U2 [VH-1 Classic Noon]
• Bruce Springsteen: Live In Barcelona [PLD HD 8PM]
• Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno: Cold War Kids [NBC 11:35PM]
• Late Night w/ Conan O’Brien: Black Crowes [NBC 12:37AM]

Wednesday:

• Beautiful Noise: Sam Roberts Band [Rave HD 2PM]
• Classic Albums: Dark Side of the Moon [VH-1 Classic 10PM]
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: The Whigs [ABC Midnight]
• Late Late Show w/ C. Ferguson: New York Dolls [CBS 12:37AM]

Thursday:

• VH-1 Classic In Concert: Rush In Rio [4PM]
• ZZ Top: Live From Texas [PLD HD 6:30PM]
• The Colbert Report: Wilco [COM 11:30PM]
• Late Late Show w/ C. Ferguson: The Damned [CBS 12:37AM]

Thanks to Gabe for sending in tonight’s tour ending setlist…

[Photo by Bizarro Jerry]

Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB
October 25th, 2008
The National
Richmond, VA

I: [8:20] Push On ‘Til The Day, Sand, Ooh Child, Tube Top Flop > Cayman Review, Drifting, Backwards Down The Number Line, Money Love & Change [9:34]

II: [10:00] Sweet Dreams Melinda, Mr. Completely, Gotta Jibboo, Sitting In Limbo*, Alaska, Shine, Water in the Sky@, Brian and Robert@, Strange Design@**, Sample In A Jar@, [11:20]

E: Burlap Sack and Pumps. First Tube [11:38]

* – Last Played 05/14/2005 [119 Shows]
** – Last Played 11/08/2005 [97 Shows]
@ – Solo Acoustic

Final Stats:
Push On ‘Til The Day = 7 of 8 shows
Sand = 8 of 8 shows
Ooh Child = 3 of 8 shows
Tube Top Flop = 4 of 8 shows
Cayman Review = 5 of 8 shows
Drifting = 8 of 8 shows
BDTNL = 4 of 8 shows
Money Love & Change = 4 of 8 shows
Sweet Dreams Melinda = 6 of 8 shows
Mr. Completely = 2 of 8 shows
Gotta Jibboo = 8 of 8 shows
Sitting In Limbo = 1 of 8 shows
Alaska = 6 of 8 shows
Shine = 4 of 8 shows
Water in the Sky = 3 of 8 shows
Strange Design = 1 of 8 shows
Sample In A Jar = 3 of 8 shows
Burlap Sack and Pumps = 5 of 8 shows
First Tube = 7 of 8 shows

READ ON for the rest of the stats from Trey’s Northern Exposure Tour…

Yesterday, the world lost a gentle and loving soul, who also happened to be an amazing keyboard player: Merl Saunders. His family asked us to pass along this message…

Merl Saunders stood for music and love – his smile alone told you that. We loved him very much – and we know that you, his fans, did too. Sad as we are to lose him, we’re very aware of being comforted by the affection coming from all those touched by that smile and that wonderful music. He was a special man, a beautiful companion, father, grandfather, and family patriarch, and the proof of that spirit is in the way you’ve reached out to us at his passing. From our hearts, thank you. And we know Merl thanks you too.

Keep on keepin’ on, The Saunders Family

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, October 29th, at 11 am at First AME Zion Church, 2159 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco.

In lieu of flowers, we request that donations be made to either the Rainforest Action Network (www.ran.org) or the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic (www.HAFCl.org).

More Merl Saunders’ Music:

• Merl Saunders & The Rainforest Band – 08/09/1996
• Merl Saunders w/ Trey Anastasio – 04/11/1996

Longtime HT readers and contributors Ginz and Mel will be sending us texts with the setlist from tonight’s Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB show at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. Keep checking back with us to see what Big Red has up his sleeves for the crowd in the City of Brotherly Love…

Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB
October 24, 2008
The Electric Factory
Philadelphia, PA

I: [8:55] Cayman Review, Last Tube, Drifting, Gotta Jibboo, Alaska, Ooh Child, Money Love & Change [10:08]

II: [10:37] Backwards Down The Number Line, Sand, Tuesday, Spin, Greyhound Rising, Push On ‘Til The Day [11:43]

Encore: Moesha, Let Me Lie, First Tube [12:10]

- Let’s Go Phillies chant before Jibboo

- Before Let Me Lie Trey Comments on Flyers beating Devils

Earlier this week we busted out our first weekday edition of Televised Tune and today we unveil the second part of our TT restructuring. We’re going to post Televised Tune at 9AM on Friday mornings instead of at 5PM. This way, if you’re one of those who only reads HT at work you can still set your DVR for this weekend’s goodies. At 5PM, we’ll move this post to the top.

Friday [All Times Eastern]:

• Live From Abbey Road: Def Leppard [Sundance 9PM]
• Biography: Johnny Cash’s America [Biography 10PM]
• Late Show w/ David Letterman: Beck [CBS 11:35PM]
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Smashing Pumpkins [ABC 12AM]

Saturday:

• Classic In Concert: Rush – R30 [VH1 Classic 4:30PM]
• David Gilmour: Live in Gdansk [VH1 Classic 7PM]
• Austin City Limits: Jakob Dylan [PBS Check Local Listings]
• Saturday Night Live: Coldplay [NBC 11:30PM]

Sunday:

• HDNet Concert Series: Night w/ the Funk Brothers [Noon]
• Soundstage: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [PLD HD 5PM]
• Z Rock: John Popper [IFC 11PM]

It’s been a while since we last told you about Sly Stone acting batshit, but we’re gonna make up for lost time with this one. Last Friday, the 65-year-old Stone put his band, girlfriend and the promoters and audience at his show in Santa Rosa, CA through hell. As per usual, Sly took the stage for a brief period during his band’s performance and quickly jetted the scene when craziness ensued. City Sound Inertia runs down the whole story.

Let’s take one last look at what else is happened this week…

• David Byrne explains how he and Eno got back together
• It’s never too early for the 2009 Album Release Schedule
• Bedazzled! previews this weekend’s WFMU Record Fair
• Hal Kant, the Grateful Dead’s longtime lawyer passed away
• U2′s Bono will write six – ten pieces for the NY Times in ’09
• Little Feat sits down to talk about Join The Band with WNEW
• The Black Crowes cancel their show on the 30th in NYC
• Gary Rossington of Lynryd Skynyrd got nabbed for DWI
• Ticketmaster boldly enters the artist management game

Finally, our friends at Jamtopia have just started a brilliant new series about the ticket broker industry called Who’s Got My Extra?. The first installment discusses why casual concertgoers are a metaphorical sniper rifle, a one man team with a single shot at scoring the elusive cheap concert tickets vs. the massive teams scalpers employ. It’s almost a depressing read.