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I saw The Reverend Horton Heat a few years back and they were that shit hot I think I'm still trying to get over it. No, really - simply amazing live.
And in the spirit of passing along the badass musical goodness, we're got a pair of tickets to see The Reverend—who are touring in support of their new release "Laughin' & Cryin'"—along with Cracker and Miss Derringer, this Saturday night at the 9:30.
You have to act fast however! We need to close this one out on Friday morning at 10am, so the person who get at us in the comments with their spectacular plea for the tickets (with contact info!) will win the pair. That's it - we're going easy on you this time around.
Authenticity. You either have it or you don’t. And being the recipient of tens upon tens of emails from PR firms and artists inquiring about coverage here each week, I can tell you it’s in short supply.
Which is why I’m delighted to keep banging the drum for The Mynabirds, DC expatriate Laura Burhenn’s latest incarnation with what is quickly becoming my favorite release so far this year.
It’d do the record a disservice to compare it to something contemporary and I mean that as the highest compliment. It’s so otherworldly as to become an immediate classic. It’s eerie how ‘right’ all of this feels—like when I heard Nilsson for the first time—I’ve known these songs forever it seems yet they’re just appearing and making themselves known to me. Transcending perhaps.
And yes, this is high praise but don’t take my word for it. OK – do take my word for it. We’ve got 'What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood' to give away in advance of The Mynabirds’ homecoming appearance at The Black Cat next Wednesday, 6/2.
How do you get your hands on the record you're asking? Give us something authentic in the comments to this post—either about the band, Laura, or its short supply these days. Or where you find it thriving.
We'll choose one winner for the LP on the day The Mynabirds play the Cat—next Wednesday, 6/2. Remember to leave us contact info too!
I did the Merv GriffinShow with my band The Beat. Our record had just come out and this was one of the first promotional spots we had gotten. I was very excited as I had seen Merv’s show a million times before and I was hoping it would be just the thing to catapult us to stardom.
When we got to the TV studio they told us that Merv was sick and that Steve Allen was standing in for Merv. A bit of a let down but I knew who Steve was too and thought that it would be just as good. We did our first number, Rock n Roll Girl and then Steve came onto the set and did a short interview with us.
Steve is a comedian and unfortunately someone had told him we were what you called a “New Wave” act, which was all he needed to have some fun at our expense. Well, I was young and determined and I had already been from hell and back trying to make it in Hollywood and now I had more or less arrived and my manger was the world famous Bill Graham and I was not going to let anyone make fun of me on national television.
So I proceeded to make a real stink, yelling and screaming back stage to the point were everyone in the whole place knew that I was upset, including Mr. Allen. We came back out for a second appearance to do “Don’t Wait up for Me” and afterward Steve came on stage and said, “Well Mr. Collins what did you do before you became a Rock n Roll star?” That seemed much better to me and I told him I was a parking lot attendant. He smiled and said, “Who gave you your worst tip?” I said, “I can’t say but it wasn’t you!”
All the old ladies in the audience laughed and I felt that I had won the day. But the point of this story is that the whole time this was going on Roy Rodgers was standing in the wings waiting to go on stage, as I walked by him he held out his hand and gave me his million dollar smile and said, “Don’t Wait Up, alright!” Now that’s class!
These are things that have stayed with me over the years and I try to remember them so as to keep a perspective on what I am doing. I want to be remembered like I remember those guys, cool, helpful, and secure in what they are doing. You can learn a lot from people if just give them a chance.
