Tonight was a big night for The Black Keys at The Grammys as not only has El Camino won Best Rock Album and Lonely Boy won Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song trophies, but The Keys’ Dan Auerbach took home the coveted Producer of the Year award. The Black Keys also teamed up with Dr. John and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to perform Lonely Boy on the live broadcast.
If you missed it, we’ve got you covered…
Our friends at Consequence of Sound have full coverage of the 2013 Grammys.
All week long we’ve been counting down our staff’s picks for the best albums of 2012. Today, on one of the last workdays of the year, we reveal the top of our list.
When Hidden Track was started in 2006 there were plenty of sites dedicated to indie rock and a slew of sites devoted to improvisational and classic rock bands, but few blogs (and bands for that matter) bridged the gap between the forms. That’s where we came in and five years later the results of our list shows that’s still where our staff’s interests lie.
Thanks for following along all week. We now present our Top 5 Albums of 2012…
5) Dr. John – Locked Down
Key Tracks: Locked Down, Ice Age, Eleggua… aw heck, they’re all amazing.
Sounds Like: Dan Auerbach as Marty McFly, Dr John as Marvin Berry; a time-traveling Delorean and one funky-as-hell Enchantment Under the Sea dance.
The Skinny: If you had a time machine, would you go back to save the world from some certain evil? Would you ensure yourself riches beyond your wildest imagination? Or would you use it to get down to history’s greatest musicians in their prime? Dan Auerbach may very well have a time machine because the Dr. John he’s produced on Locked Down is a revelation of past greatness in the here and now. The album is a swampy, dark Dr. John voodoo funk with Auerbach’s greasy fingerprints all over it, an embarrassment of musical riches, each track its own adventure. As throwback as it sounds, what’s remarkable is how modern and relevant it feels – time machine or not, Dr John & Dan Auerbach have delivered an album for the ages.
In late March and early April, Dr. John was handed over the keys to the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House, where he presented three consecutive weekends of curated performances entitled Dr. John Insides Out. The middle weekend of the residency, which also included a tribute to Louis Armstrong and a night honoring the music of New Orleans, featured Mac performing songs from his latest and highly recommended studio release Locked Down
Last week saw the release of an official music video for the album’s lead single, Revolution. Directed by Reid Long, the clip features both behind-the-scenes and on-stage footage culled from the BAM performances. Let’s check it out…
Dr. John will kickoff his summer world tour on June 1, with a gig at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, and will also play a string of shows with Gov’t Mule.
This past Saturday at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Warren Haynes Band took over a set that was originally supposed to feature the Levon Helm Band. Warren paid tribute to the late The Band drummer by closing his guest-laden set with a cover of The Weight. Joining Haynes and his band for this fantastic rendition were New Orleans musical royalty Dr. John, Ivan Neville and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s Roger Lewis, Kevin Harris and Efrem Towns. Check it out…
Just minutes ago Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band finished off the first weekend of action at the fairgrounds for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival with a barn-burning, curfew-busting 24-song set. Along the way, the ensemble debuted a few originals from the Seeger Sessions days and welcomed a Crescent City legend to the stage – Dr. John - in front of a massive crowd.
[Photo by @kbeninato]
Dr. John came out in the middle of the set for a rendition of Something You Got by Chris Kenner, a song that was thought to be played by the E Street Band five times in 1972, 1973 and 1974 – now THAT’S a bustout. Springsteen has performed with the good doctor in the past, most notably at the 2006 Grammys as part of an all-star version of Wilson Pickett’s In The Midnight Hour. Today’s set also saw the E Street Band debut of four songs The Boss played with his Seeger Sessions group – How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?, Oh Mary Don’t You Weep, Pay Me My Money Down and the traditional When The Saints Go Marching In.
Dr. John w/ Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – Something You Got
Here’s the entire setlist…
04/29/12: New Orleans, LA
Set: Badlands, We Take Care of Our Own, Wrecking Ball, Out in the Street, Death to My Hometown, My City of Ruins, How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? (First ever E Street Version), Jack of All Trades, Something You Got (Cover w/ Dr. John), Oh Mary Don’t You Weep (First ever E Street Version), Prove it All Night, Johnny 99, Waiting on a Sunny Day, The Promised Land, The Rising, Lonesome Day, We Are Alive, Land of Hope and Dreams, Pay Me My Money Down (First ever E Street Version), Born to Run, Dancing in the Dark, Rocky Ground, When the Saints Go Marching In (First ever E Street Version), Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
[via Blog It All Night]
Springsteen blew past the 7PM curfew to be sure to New Orleans fans got to see the Clarence Clemons tribute in Tenth Avenue Freeze Out. The Boss and the E Street Band finish up the first North American leg of the Wrecking Ball Tour on Wednesday with a homestate show in Newark, New Jersey.
As you may recall, the Warren Haynes Band was tapped by New Orleans Jazz Fest organizers to replace Levon Helm at the Fairgrounds on May 5. Today, Haynes’ Twitter account revealed that the WHB will be joined by New Orleans legend Dr. John for “a few songs” on the 5th.
Haynes has performed with Dr. John at the closing show of the Allman Brothers Band’s 2011 Beacon Run and both men backed John Scofield on the guitarist’s That’s What I Say Ray Charles tribute album. The Warren Haynes Band is scheduled to play the Blues Tent on May 5 at 5:30PM.
Sure there are a healthy amount of people who know Dr. John solely as the guy that sang the theme song to Blossom, or the jingle for Popeye’s, but the good Doctor, who was born, Malcolm John “Mac” Rebennack, Jr., has been one of the most iconic and distinctive musicians to come out of New Orleans in the last 40+ years. After years playing in regional R&B bands as a teenager, and then as a highly in-demand session musician in Los Angeles, it wasn’t until Mac decided to put out his first solo album in 1968, Gris Gris, that the world was introduced to his alter-ego – Dr. John, The Night Tripper. His newly anointed persona channeled the voodoo traditions of the Crescent City, donning elaborate costumes and headdresses on stage, and playing a thick gumbo of psychedelic New Orleans funk, that combined rhythms and chants, with his unmistakable Cajun-tinged gravelly, gruff vocals.
Last Tuesday, Dr. John released his latest studio album Locked Down
Dr. John will conclude his residency at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music this weekend, with a set of shows dedicated to the music of his hometown dubbed Funky But It’s Nu Awlins, where he’ll by an all star cast of New Orleans’ musicians that include Irma Thomas, Ivan Neville, Nicholas Payton and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
Following in the footsteps of a number of legacy artists looking to connect with a younger audience, Dr. John tapped Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach to produce his latest studio album, Locked Down. The album, which will hit stores on April 3 via Nonesuch Records, was recorded at Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound in Nashville and features a number of young artists handpicked by him to play alongside the Night Tripper. As part of the promotion for the album, it was announced that Mac will play a three-weekend residency at the Brooklyn Academy of Music titled Dr. John: Insides Out. The gigs, which will take place from March 29 through April 14, each focus on a separate theme and feature different musicians.
Here are the official details…
The centerpiece of the residency is a three-night run of concerts in which Auerbach will join Dr. John and a handpicked band to premiere new music from the album at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, April 5–7. Dr. John: Insides Out begins the previous weekend, March 29–31, with a tribute to Louis Armstrong, and concludes April 12–15 with Funky But It’s Nu Awlins, a funk-infused night of New Orleans music, featuring key players from the Crescent City.
Finally, a little over a year ago we reported that Pete Shaprio would be bringing his bowling alley-concert venue-gastropub concept to the Windy City, with the opening of Chicago Bowl in 2012. While, there is no update on just when it will open, another one of New York City’s unique venues has announced plans to head to the Second City, as Michael Dorf revealed that he will be opening an outpost of City Winery there. Set to open this summer in the city’s West Loop, the 30,000-square-foot venue, which will be located in the ground floor of the old Carson Pirie Scott building at 1200 W. Randolph, will feature a fully operational winery, restaurant with outdoor patio, concert hall, and private event space, and feature over 200 concerts a year.
A number of great clips from last weekend’s festival have been uploaded to the official Bonnaroo YouTube channel over the past few days including this video of Dr. John performing the song that inspired the name of the event along with The Original Meters and Allen Toussaint…
Later this week some 80,000 music fans will descend into Manchester, TN to see scores of bands, comedians, DJs and more at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, which will be celebrating its tenth anniversary. The fest humbly began back in 2002 by hosting around 50 mostly jam-oriented bands across four stages. Over the past decade Bonnaroo has grown exponentially and will see nearly as many acts perform on its first day alone this year as at the whole event in 2002. For Bonnaroo X the promoters have put together a lineup that is once again stacked from top to bottom with a little bit of something for nearly every type of music lover. As has become the norm around these parts, we will once again be dedicating a number of posts this week exclusively to all things ‘Roo.
As the story goes, back in 2001 when trying to come up for a name for their new fest, Superfly Presents co-founder Jonathan Mayers was looking up old records online when he stumbled upon Dr. John’s 1974 album Destively Bonnaroo. After thinking the word looked cool, and finding out it was the Creole term for “good stuff,” a brand was born.
To help celebrate their tenth edition and to honor the album that gave them their name, fest organizers have invited ‘roo veteran Dr. John to perform the record in its entirety during a special late-night set on Saturday night at That Tent beginning at 12:30 AM. To make this performance even more unique, Mac will be joined by not only by The Original Meters, who appear on a majority of the record, but also Allen Toussaint, who both appears on the LP and produced it.
Let’s check out this vintage live performance of the album’s lead track, Quitters Never Win…
Following his late-night appearance Dr. John will stick around and return to That Tent the following afternoon, where he will co-host the Superjam with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.
Back in 1969, during the Allman Brothers Band’s first year of existence, New England area promoter Don Law was so impressed with the group’s sets opening for the Velvet Underground at his Boston Tea Party nightclub that he invited them back up from Macon a few weeks later to open for Dr. John. Nearly 42 years later, the good doctor and the Allmans are both Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and met up again last night at the Beacon for three songs as part of the Beacon run finale.
[Allman Brothers Band on Moogis.com]
Dr. John wasn’t even the first legendary performer to sit in with the Allmans at the Beacon last night. Blues legend Hubert Sumlin (Howlin’ Wolf) showed he can still rip even as he approaches his 80th Birthday. Sumlin, along with keyboardist Bruce Katz and harmonica player Hook Herrera, guested on blues standards Smokestack Lightning and Key To The Highway. Dr. John came out next and led the Brothers through Walk On Guilded Splinters, Come On (Let The Good Times Roll) and Right Place, Wrong Time as if he’s been in the band for 40 years. Nearly everyone in the venue was on their feet throughout the raucous Right Place, Wrong Time which featured Susan Tedeschi and Nigel Hall on backing vocals.
Set One: Hot `Lanta, Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Midnight Rider, Every Hungry Woman, Kind Of Bird, Smokestack Lightning*, Key To The Highway*, Walk On Guilded Splinters**, Come On (Let The Good Times Roll)**, Right Place, Wrong Time***
Set Two: Dreams, Black Hearted Woman > The Other One Jam > Black Hearted Woman, Who’s Been Talking^, It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry^^, One Way Out#, Jessica##
Encore: Little Martha > Whipping Post
* – w/ Hubert Sumlin, Guitar, Hook Herrera, Harmonica, Bruce Katz, Piano
** – w/ Dr. John, piano then guitar
*** – w/ Dr. John, Susan Tedeschi & Nigel Hall , Backing Vocals, James van De Bogart, Drums, Jaimoe and Marc, BOTH on Percussion
^ – w/ Hook Herrera & Bruce Katz
^^ – w/ David Grissom, Guitar, James Van De Bogart, Drums
# – w/ Grissom
## – w/ Katz
The second set was also filled with guests as Herrera and Katz came back out for Who’s Been Talking, guitarist David Grissom (Dixie Chicks) tore up It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry and One Way Out and Katz did Chuck Leavell proud on Jessica. Yet, the Allman Brothers Band was at its best when it was just them up on stage. Guitarist Derek Trucks had another incredible night with his psychedelic solo in Black Hearted Woman standing out as one of the highlights of the evening. For the encore, the ABB took the stage by themselves and delivered an incendiary 20-minute-plus Whipping Post that ended the run on yet another high note.
For the first time in their long and storied careers two of New Orleans most recognizable acts – Dr. John and The Neville Brothers – will head out together for a US tour. The two acts will hit road starting on January 31 of next year for a cross-country run that brings their brand of Crescent City funk and soul to a mix of clubs and theaters, that will surely lend itself to some collaborations throughout the run. At least we hope so.
If some good ‘ol New Orleans flavored music isn’t for you, than maybe one of these recently announced tours will be…
Finally, last week we brought you news on Matisyahu’s Festival Of Lights shows, this time around we’ve got one for all you Christmas celebrating folks out there. For the third year in a row singer-songwriter Aimee Mann will hit the road for a twelve-date holiday tour in support of the re-release of her Christmas themed album One More Drifter In The Snow. Mann has recruited Patton Oswalt, Nellie McKay and Grant-Lee Phillips to fill out the bill.
It’s Uncle Neddy’s mix tape time, so let’s all gather ’round the campfire and listen to what our main man has in store for us this week…
Another completely, 100 percent random crop of six tunes as picked for you by iTunes, without further comment. I offer a questionable prize to he or she who can tie these together in a coherent way. I dare you.
01 Chicago People — Sam Prekop: Who’s Your New Professor
02 These Dreams of You — Van Morrison: Moondance
03 All on a Mardi Gras Day — Dr. John: Montreux Jazz Festival 30 June 1973
04 Tyrone — My Morning Jacket: Live on KVRX 15 October 2000
05 The Model — Belle & Sebastian: Our Favourite Party Songs
06 Haven’t Got A Clue — The Flaming Lips: At War With The Mystics
The imcomparable and unintelligible Dr. John boasts a long list of impressive live collaborations, adding his patented brand of voodoo hoodoo to the likes of Eric Claption, The Band, The Meters and hundreds more. But one duet that escaped mine eyes for far too long has surfaced, and I’m lovin’ it (like mid-2000s McDonald’s): Dr. John and Lou Reed sharing the stage for the latter’s 1972 song Perfect Day. It may be an ode to heroin, a romantic ditty for his love, or just the celebration of nostalgia, but it’s always been one of my favorite tunes, and this one features Mac Rebennack. Let’s do it:
I’ve had a real hankering for the keys since Monday night’s Page McConnell show at the Irving Fillmore Plaza, so today I thought we’d spend a little time with some of the best to ever sit down in front of the piano, courtesy of SugarMegs…
That’s 352 keys worth of awesomeness right there…stream away, folks.
