P.J. Harvey Live At The Shrine Auditorium!

I LOVE supercool P.J. Harvey, but haven't seen her play since the '90's. That changed last night when she played at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The big armor-style building was packed to the rafters with Harvey's faithful. I believe we ARE the faithful because Harvey has never flinched at using her voice and her platform to comment on the global problems that face us all, and shine her aural spotlight right in our faces to help us see, through hearing. There are so few artists of this level doing that today that Harvey's music is even more appreciated now than ever.

Harvey's  huge male band took the stage in a sort of marching band fashion, banging drums and filling the dark monochromatic stage with all of their instruments. When Harvey herself came out, the place exploded with cheers, as most of us hadn't seen her play in a long time - because she hasn't had many gigs. This is not a woman or a band that is ever going to be singing about dudes doing her wrong or what they're wearing to the party. This is music about REAL life, REAL issues, REAL talk. They focused the first half of the show playing mostly the heavy and pointed selections from her excellent most recent album. The Hope Six Demolition Project, all songs full of serious and legit social commentary that is SORELY needed right now.

They blazed through "Chain Of Keys", "The Ministry Of Defence", "The Community Of Hope" (also the best t-shirt at the merch table), "The Orange Monkey", and the American scolding "Dollar, Dollar", with Harvey regaling us all with her alto sax skills in lieu of her guitar this time out. There was almost no stage banter, which seemed right, because it would almost take you out of the artistic spell that Harvey and her incredible band of musicians (including the wonderful Alain Johannes, another Desert Sessions alum). My friend called it "Art Rock", and he was exactly right. It felt like watching a work of art come to life, which is apt, as the album was recorded as a museum exhibit. I told you Harvey was cool.

It was all so mesmerizing that I wasn't really taking notes, I just let myself be immersed by it. The second half of the show was made up more of Harvey's older (and awesome) material, like "50 Foot Queenie", "Let England Shake", and "The Glorious Land". It was actually kind of embarrassing as an audience to have the biggest applause erupt for "Down By The Water", as it's her biggest radio hit, and for sure her most obvious song, so it made everyone seem pretty mainstream, as it always does. When they began (my favorite oldie) "To Bring You My Love", the stage began to rise, elevating the entire band, and allowing the people in the back to see something too (the sight lines leave something to be desired at The Shrine). It felt important.

The entire room was made up of an extra diverse crowd, but by the end of the regular set, Harvey held each of us rapt. They returned for an encore of "Near The Memorials To Vietnam And Lincoln" from the new album, and "Working For The Man". Then that was it, but we all wanted much more, as all the best shows leave you feeling. It also left me feeling that Community Of Hope that Harvey sings about. Like minded people coming together to listen to very important music and lyrics about our current social conditions, that instead of feeling defeated and hopeLESS, left invigorated and thinking that maybe we can do something about all of it after all. I had just read an article the day before that said that attending live music shows is an actual health benefit. It uplifts you. Every time. It certainly did that for all of us gathered together to listen to P.J. Harvey, and when she sang I believe we have a future to do something good from "A Line In The Sand", I really HEARD her. And intend to do everything I can to do exactly that.

Thank you for your art, Polly Jean Harvey. You are one of a kind.

*P.J. Harvey also plays tonight at The Fonda in Hollywood - get there if you can!

Sound City - The L.A. Concert

Dave Grohl ("rhymes with Rock and Roll!") is great. He and his Sound City Players brought his new documentary Sound City to real life last night with a concert featuring many of the legends depicted in the story of the recording studio in the Valley that was so crucial to creating some of the most epic albums of all time. Fleetwood Mac's Rumors. Nirvana's Nevermind. Rage Against The Machine's Rage Against The Machine. Tom Petty's Wildflowers. Foreigner's Double Vision ... and the list goes on.

Grohl bought the sound board from Sound City, and made a movie about all the historical music made on it. Then threw a big bash of a show at The Palladium in Hollywood, that has rendered me physically sore today from all the rocking. That's because not only did Grohl and his Foos (Pat Smear, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel) play, but so did Alain Johannes (Eleven/Queens of The Stone Age). Chris Goss (Masters Of Reality/Desert Sessions). Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Lee Ving (Fear).  Rick Nielson (Cheap Trick!) Rick Springfield. John Fogerty. Aaaaaand ... Stevie Nicks!!! I mean it. Insane.

That's not even talking about the guest stars ... like um ... Krist Novoselic. Brad Wilk ("smooth as silk!" - D. Grohl), Corey Taylor. Rami Jaffee.  And my friend, Jessy Greene, who plays her violin and sings in both the documentary and the soundtrack album, and was a most welcome female presence on last night's stage. RULING. The whole night was a thrill to behold, and the jam-packed Palladium let the artists know it, screaming their lungs out the entire time.

The whole thing took a while to get started, which let us bump into friends, grab a drink/s, catch up, all of it creating a party atmosphere, and the celebration of music that I believe Grohl intended it to. The People were REAL ready when the lights went out and the screen began playing the great clips from the film. Even MORE ready when they saw their boy, Dave, who yelled out, "What's UP?!" And the crowd went wild, as they say.

The Alain Johannes set was first, and he's just great. I've loved everything I've ever heard out of the guy, and he and his backing band (led by Grohl - who played with everyone, the whole night) got the gig off to a great start. Did I mention Jessy was ruling? She was also ROCKING.

"We're gonna be here a long fucking time!," yelled Grohl to bring on the Chris Goss set. He was not wrong, but everyone in there wouldn't have minded if it was STILL going. It was a super hyper crowd, and Dave would just yell "HEY!" and the whole of the room would scream back extra loud "HEEEEEY!" It was a good old fashioned ROCK show, Man.

Clips from the film played in between sets, and every time a familiar tune or face came on the screen, shouts went up. A Rage intro would play, or Paul McCartney would speak on camera, and the crowd would scream, because on nights like this, in Los Angeles ... anything can happen.

I'm not gonna lie to you ... in a show night this long ... there are sometimes breaks. We took some. I missed a couple of notes here and there, but I told you, it was also a party. Black Rebel Motorcycle really made it feel like one in their set, with songs like their rad, "Whatever Happened To My Rock N' Roll?" Though the question was moot here, because the Rock was right in your face. And ears. And Heart and Soul ... which was the point of this show, that studio, and really, what music is all about. FEELING it.

Which the place certainly was for Lee Ving's punk rock throwdown scorcher set. I felt rowdy, and looking down at the sardine-packed floor, I was not alone. GOOD times. Followed by even better times when it was Rick Nielson's turn. Joined by 2/3 of Nirvana, as Krist Novoselic came out for this one. The crowd was bezerk all night, and sang along on every note of "Surrender". Killer.

People pretty much sang along on every note from thereon out, since it was the music we all grew up on or came of age to. Rick Springfield! Joyously belting out his 80's jams like "I've Done Everything For You" and "Jessie's Girl' - !!! Come one now. It was so very fun in there, let me tell you.

Then John Fogerty came out. He gave a little speech in his charming drawl, saying, "It's not about the technology in music. It's about the People". As we must all know, because that got about as big a cheer as all the classics he laid on us after that. "Playing In A Travelin' Band". "Born On A Bayou". "Bad Moon Rising". "Centerfield". "Fortunate Son". By the time he hit "Proud Mary" ... it was a madhouse of smiling MUSIC fans, singing throatily along to their memories.

But nowhere was that more true than when Stevie Nicks came out. More than one person was seen crying.

Tears ran down faces as some got to see this legendary gypsy woman for their first time, and belted along the words to their youth from those Fleetwood Mac songs that seem like they've always been on in the background somewhere ... "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" showed that Nicks is as strong a voice as she ever has been, and was joined sweetly and with obvious respect by Grohl and Company (including Jessy, playing with Stevie Nicks!!!).

Nicks told a story of how a year and a half ago she lost her Godson at 18 years old to an o.d. at a frat party. She said that they had all done a lot back in the day, but "We never danced with the Devil. This little boy did." Nicks wrote a poem about it, and when Grohl wanted to record a new song with her, she said, "It's dark. Do you want to go there with me, Dave?" and he replied, "I'm going there with you, Babe."  Everyone clapped and whistled their support, and they launched into the dark, yes, but impossibly lovely and haunting, "You Can't Fix This".



I told you there was crying. That didn't stop when next came "Dreams". Then "Landslide" (featuring Rami Jaffee's accordion that got its own cheer)! People were dying. While singing all along.

(Even though they tended to watch it through their cameras instead of their own eyes - in the moment. Sigh).

There was a dramatic intro and then everyone came on to play "Gold Dust Woman", capping the night off with that magic kind of dust that settles over shows that everyone there loved and will talk about for ages. Because it was Heart and Soul, Rock and Roll, shared between everyone.

"GOD BLESS SOUND CITY!!" yelled Grohl, and the long, fun ass night was over. We were ALL blessed.

Rock and Roll!

Fistful Of Mercy At Hollywood Forever!

Sunday night found us trekking over to Hollywood to see the beyond sold-out Fistful Of Mercy show at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery's Masonic Lodge. We parked among the grave sites and walked in the moonlight to join the extra-loooooong line waiting to get inside. And waiting ... and waiting ... so it's a good thing people REALLY wanted to see this band, as it is not usual for L.A. people to hang out late, especially on school nights. Listening to people around us made it clear that these were BIG fans ... some drove down after seeing F.O.M. play in Seattle the other night, and just had to catch them again. A whole slew of people would walk by with the "Got an extra ticket?" pitch, which no one did. After the wait stretched on and on (for no apparent good reason) I was amazed that everyone was still super polite and in high spirits - which I would attribute to the fact that they love this music, and that's the kind of fans these musicians draw.

These musicians ... Fistful Of Mercy is Joseph Arthur, Ben Harper and Dhani Harrison. The term "Supergroup" keeps being thrown around, which I'm not sure applies until you don't have to explain to people that Dhani is George Harrison (Yes, the Beatle)'s son, Joseph Arthur sings that beautiful "Honey and The Moon" song from a bunch of years back (among many others, but that's the one people seem to know), and Ben Harper is ... well, Ben Harper. They are Musician's Musicians all, and super, for sure ... so ... there you go!

The Masonic Lodge is a lovely old place, with red walls, a wood beamed ceiling, with dim chandeliers and candles casting shadows all over. Old movie one-sheets hang around (Hollywood, remember, even in a cemetery), and there is an overall spooky-in-a-good-way vibe. Another long line for the bathrooms had strangers making friends, discussing other shows they've seen (like the same one here the night before - I told you, FANS), holding each others' places in line, one lady bouncing her two month old baby that HAD to hear Ben, and even she, standing for hours with her very well behaved infant, said, "The lines are totally worth it to see them in such a small venue". Which (almost) everyone seemed to agree with, happily chatting, until one guy said, "There's such a warm feeling here, isn't there?" Yes, Sir. There was. Which I think comes from that elusive but crucial element of RESPECT. For the band, sure, but also for each other, since we shared that love of the music, and therefore, must all be cool.


Cool would aptly describe opening act, Alain Johannes. He has played with Eleven (founded with his late wife, Natasha Schneider), Chris Cornell, Queens Of The Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, Desert Sessions, to name SOME. He took to the moody stage with his cigar box guitar, with its wholly original sound, and his deep, confident voice, and frankly, nearly stole the show. Each song was lushly arranged, and with the resonant sound of the Lodge, would build to an otherworldly sound that was hard to believe came from just one guy. The songs from his album Spark - a tribute to Natasha - particularly "Speechless", "Make God Jealous", and "Gentle Ghost", were so lovely that I came directly home and ordered that thing. They also earned him a standing ovation from the same people that were previously impatiently wanting the main event to begin, saying "Who is this guy?" Well, now they know. Very impressive.


More waiting was finally rewarded with that main event, as Fistful Of Mercy walked through the crowd to take the stage, each guy (and gal, violinist Jessy Greene) taking his spot on a stool among a vast array of guitars. "Howdy", said Joseph Arthur, giving the night a casual feel right from the get-go. They opened with "I Don't Want To Waste Your Time" (to which one near me said, "Then you shouldn't have made us wait for 3 hours from Doors open" - true enough), which shows off their harmonies, but gets a bit repetitive when they keep repeating the title over and over. They might want to open up with something a bit more up-tempo to rile up the up late audience, but then, most in the crowd would listen to them chant the phone book and be thrilled.


The banter and camaraderie between the guys is tangible, and sort of makes you feel like you're on a couch watching them jam together in someone's living room. Ben threw out a little Ghostbusters theme chorus, considering our surroundings, and the jokes and cracking up all further endeared them to the audience of true fans. "In Vain Or True" and the title track of their debut album "As I Call You Down" were next, and as lovely as they were, they seemed a little loose, or unsure, when it came time to end them, which surprised me, considering who we're talking about.

Ben and Joe looked at Dhani for a beat, prompting him to ask "Why are you looking at me?" Joe replied, "Because you're the Counter" ... so Dhani counted down the 1,2,3 for the first cover of the evening, a spirited hoe-down of Bob Dylan's "Buckets Of Rain", which elated the entire room. It was like a kick in the pants to the night, and had everyone happily bouncing in their chairs from beginning to (tight) end. After Joe (Cowboy-like) and Ben (Mountie) traded hats (somehow causing feedback - Loose Spirits?!) the sublimely gorgeous instrumental track from the album, "30 Bones" was next. It's tied for my favorite, and clearly also had a fan in Alain Johannes, who was now sitting in front of me, nodding his head appreciatively throughout. The guitar talents of these guys is a wonder to behold, and swept you up and away, only to be jolted back to reality by the thunderous applause that met its end. Simply beautiful.


The tune that gave the band its name, "Fistful Of Mercy" followed that, and sounded a lot heavier than as recorded. Ben was BEATING on his signature Weissenborn, and as the guys harmonized, and the violin wove it all together in such a lovely fashion, it was no wonder they went for naming the band after it.


Joe then said, "I don't know about these people but I'd like to hear a Ben Harper song right about now", which freaked the crowd out, and started a little comedy routine between the guys, joking that they sounded like an old time-y country act, ala "Wanna play one with me?" "Why sure, I'd love to!", like they didn't already know they were going to. Then Joe cracked, "What's the last thing you want to hear after sleeping with Willie Nelson?" "I'm not Willie Nelson." Once the laughs died down, Ben started the opening notes of his classic, "Please Me Like You Want To". Love. It. Dhani and Joe might need to practice that one a little more, as their guitar parts were somewhat scattered, but overall, Wow.


Also WOW (as exclaimed by the guy behind me) was Ben's a cappella intro to "Restore Me". Like many of their songs, its lyrics feature references to ghosts and death, making it all the more fitting to be played in a building smack in the middle of tombstones. As slow and plaintive as this one is, the end featured a ROCKOUT, with hands flying over guitars so fast they blurred. The crowd leapt to its collective feet, clapping their heads off, until they went back to the slow, gentle part and finished the mind blow. Which rewarded them with another well-deserved Standing O.


Joseph took the spotlight next with his beautiful song, "In The Sun", which features the chorus, "May God's Love Be With You ..." and had these brethren singing together like they have all their lives. Really, really moving, to where I'll admit to a lump in my throat from just listening. Phew.

Then Dhani took the lead with a song from his other band, Thenewno2, called, "Another John Doe". He switched to the piano for this one, and it was haunting (you can't get away from the graveyard references at this show, at this place, sorry!) and really showed the talents that led these three to find each other and unite as a trio.


After a little skull tossing (you had to be there), Joe switched to a little drum set, and they played "Things Go 'Round" next. This is my least favorite one on the album - I feel like the harmonies are too high and it bugs me - but I liked it much better live. But not nearly as much as my other tied-for-favorite - and everyone else's too, as nuts as they went for just the opening notes - "My Father's Son". It's a complete barn-burner, and they completely threw it DOWN. BadASS style. (They played it last week on Conan, with guest friend, Tom Morello, and you need to take a break now and just GET IT here.) Another, wilder, standing ovation, and that was it for the regular set, and the guys walked back through the tripping out happy audience to await their encore.


And await ... so long that the clap-along died down and astoundingly, I saw three people actually asleep around me. They finally returned, and when the noise died down, Ben thanked his long-time mentor, Bernie Larsen, who was down front, and cited him as one of the most influential people on his music, after his own family. Cool. They began the encore portion with PJ Harvey's "To Bring You My Love". Which brought them MY love, as I adore PJ, and have missed her lately. They did it bluesy jam extended style, which I adored, but might have been too late on a Sunday, particularly for the head in her lap asleep girl in front of me. (Her loss).

Alain Johannes returned to join them ("By the end of the tour, hopefully he'll be IN the band" - Joseph Arthur) for The Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes". Ben played bass on this one, Jessy had a shining moment with a violin solo, and Alain again impressed with his textured guitar solo. Complete symbiosis was attained with this one, which made it the perfect lead-in to the night's last song, "With Whom You Belong".


As Joe said to start it off, this song is about friendship, community, and love, and all of that is plain and clear, from the glances they all exchange while playing it, to the lyrics that exemplify those qualities:

Make sure you stay
When you find love in your heart
And as it lights up your way
Don't let your friends fall apart
I said I hope you find friends with whom you belong
I said I hope you find friends with whom you belong

People shared their own glances, singing along, feeling special to be there, among friends of their own, and in the presence of Fistful Of Mercy, who reflected every word of what they said was the last song they wrote in their 3 Day (!) writing/recording marathon for their first album together.

Everyone in the band (and in life) has their own stuff going on, and their own ways of loving and being. It's a tribute to the quality of the band members themselves as humans, and of course, their music, that they can come together to be more than the sum of their parts. But more importantly, that they, and subsequently, WE, can lift each other up to that abstract but tangible feeling of belonging together, in a moment.

Mercy, me!


*Photos by PaulGronner.com