Jane's Addiction in Bethlehem - Pennsylvania

A fun drive from Syracuse on the tour bus that included learning poker, making up drinks ("Multiple Orgasms", anyone?), watching the beautiful, green rolling hills, and insightful conversation made the time fly by, and before we knew it, we were pulling into the site for the Jane's Addiction show in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The setting was straight out of a Tim Burton movie, with abandoned steel factories and small town charm together. The word that kept coming up for the outdoor "Steel Jam" venue was "ominous".

The skies added to that effect, as storm clouds alternated with blue skies and made no one sure what would happen this evening. We killed some time playing hoops and having more smart talks, and Perry sat down to reconfigure the set list for this show. He knew that people had purchased tickets to multiple shows, so it's important to him to shake it up a bit each night and give the folks something new.

The thing is ... musicians travel the world in a more unique way than most occupations you can think of, and see the conditions of places and the moods of people in a real and tangible way. They FEEL the places they play. Some of them just want to rock and party and that's all cool and part of the deal. but some of them also want to touch and help people - even if that just means stoking them senseless by seeing their favorite song played by their favorite band. That is certainly the case with Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell, shown recently by the announcement of Lollapalooza Israel in 2013 (And leave the politics out of it - people everywhere want to rock and hear great music. Walls and ancient grudges have no place in that fun. We're talking about building bridges, not burning them), and Lollapalooza in general, as created by Perry. That thing has been, since the first one - that I was at -  the most diverse, thoughtful, enlightening jamboree ever - and it has sustained! And then they did it again last night by bringing the full stage production of The Great Escape Artist tour to kind of out of the way Bethlehem, PA.

Band of Skulls opened the show, and as I'd just seen them at Lollapalooza, I opted to explore and chat and stuff as they played in the background. They're pretty good, but the fans were obviously there for Jane's (as was I).

Before they even took the stage, people were losing. Their. Shit. Smaller towns don't really get to see the bands they love as much without traveling a long way, so for these guys to be setting up in their town, the thrill was plainly evident on all the faces present. They were screaming out requests way before the guys took the stage ("OCEAN SIZE!!!") in the hopes that wishes would be granted.

When the lights went down and Pink Floyd came up, it was wild out there. I felt hoarse just listening to the yells. Then the guys walked on stage and all hell broke loose - MAYHEM! They opened with "Underground", and the sight of Etty and Steph up on their swings in their huge white skirts and Bubba in his bird man costume spinning from a rope and Jane's Addiction wailing out this new classic sent these Pennsylvanians into space. But then they started in on "Whores" and Oh. My. This was by far the most crazed I'd seen the people yet on this tour. That's really saying something too.

 

"Just Because" let 'em have it, and a fan let Perry have their cowboy hat, which he donned and made someone's whole year. Perry was in rare form, spinning and twirling and jerking and ON it, exactly how they probably imagined him.  "Been Caught Stealing"  really had them freaking out, the most yet, to the point where Perry said, "Bethlehem!! Babies are gonna be born from tonight, everyone's gonna be having sex!"

That's what it felt like, especially when I peeked out at the beaming faces and pumping arms on every single body there. The band was definitely feeding off of the crowd energy, and this was the most pumped up I'd seen them go at it yet here out east. Phew.

They hadn't yet played the new and massive "Irresistible Force", and it was indeed massive. Etty swan and sang from above and you could feel that force between her and her husband, even from a story or two up. They are great.

Dave was tearing up solos like he was possessed and Stephen and Chris kept the beat so heavy that you felt it through your feet and up into your heart. I love this stuff so very much, and yet it can't be anything compared to these people who have seen their factories closed, jobs shipped away, bank accounts dwindle, and they still come out and pay for a spendy-ish ticket and feed that part of themselves that is special and necessary to their soul.

Nothing yet compared to their reaction at hearing "Mountain Song" either. Whoa. I wish I'd taped the BLISSED out screaming when that one began its familiar opening, as a ringtone or something. I mean, it was a very happy place.

And then just as soon, it was off. I saw the backdrop come down and heard Perry say, "We're so sorry, we'll come back through, we love you, Bethlehem!" What?!?! Everyone was looking around, bewildered, including me, and then a guy came on the P.A. and asked everyone to leave, orderly and safely, as severe weather was coming through. An electrical storm was shaping up to be a doozy and the show was over. Boos to the skies rained down as the real rain kicked in, and we all looked at each other like, What. The. Fuck?! And again, that was nothing compared to what the fans must have been feeling after FINALLY getting to see this band live. People were going to hear "Up The Beach"! Everyone felt terrible about it.

Back on the bus, we had to wait it all out, as we were to drive through the night, so had to wait to load in and all that. Perry kept trying to come up with solutions and after some chat, was like, "Let's just sleep on the bus HERE since we have a day off tomorrow, and do this thing here again!" A great and generous idea, from a great and generous gentleman. But it didn't go over as well with the entire tour production, that is a train that has to keep moving. After talks about downloads and stuff like that, it seemed to be settled on that Bethlehem people could have their tickets honored at an upcoming Philly show, that's relatively close by. Still, a major drag for everyone involved. Man.

 

It's twice now in a week that a major show (first day two of Lollapalooza, and now this) has had to have thousands of people evacuated on account of weather - both of which wound up being wuss storms that blew over in none too gnarly fashion. I guess you just can't be too safe these days. Or can you? Frankly, I don't think a person in there would have cared to go out in that SHAZAM blaze of lightning bolt glory in that COMING down the MOUNTAIN! moment (and there was some impressive bolts, but still ...). But it's also the hottest summer on record in this country, crops are suffering, as are people, and we really gotta get our act together as a human community and revamp our situation with nature. I mean, C'mon. While we sort out exactly how to do that, and influence and implement MAJOR change by whatever means we can (and sometimes that's just starting the conversation, through talk or rock), we have to start caring more about what MATTERS.  I'm not going to preach, I'm just going to say that a whole lot of people spend a whole lot of time and money and their LIVES wasted on stupid b.s. Like petty differences over PEOPLE. Like fear over education. Like material over internal. Come on! We all see it every day, in so many ways. Just MATTER instead. In the best way you can. At least care.



More than that even, remember to go for it and have the best time you possibly can in every breath you're given ... because these are crazy times, and you better rock it while you can.

YEAH!

Jane's Addiction Had A Farm - Syracuse

Jane's Addiction and Company (and me!) went to sleep on the bus from Cleveland and woke up the next morning on a farm in upstate New York. When I say farm, I mean a FARM.

Beautiful green rolling hills, all sorts of animals (whose friends were our barbeque later), the freshest possible produce, and the nicest possible people. We all explored and ate and made up drinks with that produce, and I had my first lamb burger. As I listened to them Baaaa from the nearby barn.

It was delicious, though we felt a little guilty when later learning how the sheep are milked, and ate the creamy, artisan cheese made from that milk. Ahh, the circle of life. It was the first time on a farm for Perry Farrell and his kids, so there was a whole lot to take in. I laughed a lot.

Well fed, sated, and entertained, our band of gypsies got back on the bus for the leafy drive to Syracuse, New York. Everyone got a solid sleep in, and before we knew it, it was time for sound check and another show, this time at the Landmark Theater in downtown Syracuse. It was an ornate and beautiful (and I assume old) concert hall, once again full of dedicated fans.

I got there after the opening act for this leg, Mute Math, but I heard they were great, and Stephen Perkins said their drummer is his favorite. High praise, indeed. I will get there on time next time, lesson learned.

I was standing next to Perry and his kids as Pink Floyd played right before Jane's was going on. I love watching him with them so much, and vice versa, as there is such a tangible, mutual pride - and Perry and his son, Hezron, happen to share the same dance moves. Genetics. Perry is all sweet and gentle, and then two seconds later is out there rocking peoples' minds out. Balance.

"Underground" is quickly becoming a fan favorite, and it's impressive theatrics (with Etty Farrell and Stephanie Spanski flying overhead from trapezes in their gigantic white hoop skirts) set the tone for the whole show. The next one, the classic "Mountain Song", always gets the crowd fired up, and tonight was no exception. Perry was FEELING it on that one, even more animated than usual. All the guys were extra on feeling, giving it their all, as they do. "Just Because".

"Been Caught Stealing" featured a searing Dave Navarro solo, and all the guys were going off. Jane's is a band where the bass lines are so noticeable too, thanks to that Chris Chaney. So good. There was one guy right down front who I don't think was sober, but I don't think it would matter, as he was a SUPER fan, with his finger pointing at Perry, jabbing out every syllable to every song. I know how it feels to love a band, clearly, but this guy was on his own level. It cracked me up, even though I was happy for him, that he was obviously living out a dream.

We had a chat at Lollapalooza about how all the things that feel good are bad for you (drugs, alcohol, fattening food, etc ...) and that seems so backwards (This topic will wind up as a song, I have a good feeling). Perry brought that up to this crowd, and told them about our day at the farm, and how sometimes you just have to say, "I WILL have a lamb burger, and I WILL have that delicious beer with it, because there ain't no wrong and 'There Ain't No Right'". Word. This one had Dave with another blaster of a solo that was just - Yikes.

"Twisted Tale" had Bubba Carr beating up baby dolls and Etty Farrell singing and dancing around him like ... well, a twisted fairytale. I love the creativity so much in this company, and it just keeps getting better.

Perry told the crowd more about our farm time, and what a great way of life it is, (it clearly made an impression on him) and asked our new friends from the farm to shout out if they were at our barbeque. The whole place screamed, so I know there were some fibbers in there, but everyone seemed happy to share in the fun. Especially when they got acoustic "Jane Says" played for them next. That's a song you just never tire of, and once again, the whole room sang along, so happily.

"Then She Did" I love every time. "Splash A Little Water On It". Huge. "Ocean Size" - even bigger. "Stop". No way. I went up to the dressing room with young Izzadore Farrell, and he said, "We should go back downstairs for your favorite song." Which he knows very well is "Summertime Rolls". It was indeed on, and the last one. That melted my heart as much as the song does.

It was faces that were melted when I looked out at the crowd, smacking big balloons around and loving this band for every single note played. As Perry had said earlier in the show, "Our job is fun." Amen, my brother, Amen.

Jane's Addiction Summer Tour - First Stop: Cleveland

After a long night of celebrating the success of epic time that was Lollapalooza 2012, it was a tired but happy bunch that met in the lobby the next morning to embark on the Jane's Addiction Summer Tour. There was really no time to recover as Jane's had a show that night in Cleveland, and the bus was leaving bright and kind of early. We talked about our shared Olympic fever (which we'd missed most of the watching, but were informed by Dave Navarro that there is a British swimmer named Liam Tancock. Excellent), sipped our coffees, and then boarded the buses to head east.

It's been a while since I've been on a road trip across the heartland, and it's so nice to see that there are still wide open spaces, lush green, funny billboards, and people that are content to live in little small towns and grow food on farms, and keep it all going. America. While most everyone else crashed, the Farrell kids and I looked for different license plates and all those good old school car games (you can't always be on the Ipod Touch, man!) you forgot about when you grew up. Good times.

We pulled into Cleveland a bunch of hours later, and it's lovely there! Why does Cleveland get a bad rap? The venue for the show was a place called Jacob's Pavilion, and it's an outdoor amphitheater right next to the river (a river that a guy told me used to routinely catch on fire it was so filthy, and helped to bring about the Clean Water Act 40 years ago. It does not catch on fire now, so good work!), underneath a big rusty old bridge, very industrial looking coolness.

 It was also very close to the stadium where the Cleveland Native Americans play (ok, Indians), and a member of the road crew told me he tries to hit up all the ball stadiums when he's on the road, and did I want to tag along while he went over to watch a few innings of the Indians vs. the Minnesota Twins! Of course I did.

It was a gorgeous evening, made even more so by the fact that the Twins got 10 runs in the second inning alone! I was thrilled, the Cleveland fans were not. We got back to the show venue just in time to hear the opening Pink Floyd music building up the excitement. Backstage, the guys were gearing up to blow Ohio minds (which they went out and did, from beginning to end).

They tore right into "Underground" and "Mountain Song" and from the side of the stage, you could see the die-hards clutching their foreheads in disbelief that this was all happening live in front of them. Cleveland has been very hard-hit in this economy (I was told second only to Detroit), and though the house was not full due to that ugly fact, all the people that got in there really, really meant it. Cleveland has great fans, I can tell you from just looking at their faces. I almost got a little emotional, because I feel so lucky that I get to see all this good music, and a lot of people don't. I never take it for granted, but when you see the pure happiness in people that are having the thrill of a lifetime, you have to remind yourself again how very great you have it.

Again, people knew every word and them all back to Perry, sometimes almost drowning him out. Perry told me that you play new songs for yourself creatively, the hits for everyone because everyone knows them, and then you go to deeper tracks for the true, connoisseur fans. Rewards! "Been Caught Stealing" and "Ain't No Right" I'd put into the hit bunch, and the crowd would agree with me, as into it as they were.

On this "Great Escape Artist" tour, Perry has been exploring more "Immersive Theater". You saw that at the Jane's afterparty at Lolla, with the actors/dancers exploring the crowd, and you see it on this tour with Etty Farrell, Stephanie Spanski, and Bubba Carr dancing through trippy vignettes to accompany the songs. Trapeze artistry, symbolic baby hanging, an Automaton pushing a baby carriage across the stage ("Twisted Tale"), acting out a threesome during "Three Days', video screen stories ... it all makes for a multi-sensory explosion of your brain. Especially if you've never seen it before, which Cleveland clearly had not.

Echoing my thoughts exactly, Perry shouted, "I love to see the faces of all the real fans!" Who all screamed their faces off ("2, 3, 4!!!") when Stephen Perkins joined Chris Chaney, Dave and Perry at the front of the stage to bang the steel drums for an acoustic "Jane Says". They honestly knew and sang loudly every single word, and it was awesome.

"Then She Did" was for the folks who go way back, and Perry was clearly into the groove of this big, epic jam. I was sitting on the side of the stage by Dave's guitar cases, and had the greatest view possible, but almost wanted to close my eyes and just soak up the sheer artistry of this flawless tune.

 I did for a second, and when I reopened them, there was the great lady and friend, Etty, standing there with Stephanie, all hot in their costumes, and holding out a glass of champagne for me to enjoy. Just when you think moments can't get better .... you find that they can.

"Splash A Little Water On It" is one of my new favorites, and I honestly think of it every time I shower now.... Splash a little water on it/See what you're working with ... for each new day.
 

It's a big rock anthem about big rock nights. And I love it. As I love "Ocean Size", which is always ocean big. Massive waves roll by on the screens during this last one of the main set, and as the audience yelled its appreciation, Steph turned to me and said, "Cleveland's kinda great". Total agreement.

Perry and Dave came over and sat next to me while the crowd screamed for more, and it was so fun to sit there and listen to them chat casually while the fans absolutely lost their shit on the other side. Perry and I smiled at each other before they got up to reward the place with more, because you could just feel how happy everyone was out there about this show.  They gave them "Stop" which everyone there sang louder than Perry, without mics.

Dave blazed through this one like he was on fire, and almost hit me with his guitar when he tossed it off stage at its end. Rocker.

Then AGAIN I got to hear my very favorite "Summertime Rolls". It's just such a perfect summer song, and Cleveland thought so too. When it got to the part where Perry sings We are the ones ... it felt like everyone there shared that collective knowledge. Like we ARE the ones. Who get it, who appreciate life, and good music and great times together with strangers feeling the same things. The tricky part is to keep that feeling going, or at least be able to return to it when you need it. I hope Cleveland can do that, because they do need it and they do have IT.

Then it was over and all you heard was happy rehashing as the crowd streamed out to carry on their party. We ate a post-show meal, rehashed it ourselves, and then loaded on to the bus to prepare for bed in our bunks and travel east while we slept ... to see how things are in Syracuse, New York.

Lollapalooza 2012 - Day Three or Jack White

Lollapalooza 2012 was one for the books ... the books of most excellent times ever, bar none. I can't say enough great about it, and I as I heard Perry Farrell (our host and my friend) say in an interview, "My friends got high and happy and healthy, and that's what it's all about." When he says "my friends", he's not just referring to us who rolled deep in his posse all weekend, but all 100,000 people per day that saw so much good music, it didn't even seem real.

That doesn't go for me on Day Three/Sunday, however, as when you are rolling deep in the Farrell posse, there's a whole bunch of other things going on apart from the music, so the last day was for me much more of an all day fiesta, with a few musical highlights on the side. The heat mercifully broke, and the bright sunshine and perfect blue skies made the already buoyant mood even more so.

Because the night before we went out big at the Jane's after party show after party (!), it was a later start to Day 3, with lunch in the Farrell's room, tagging along to some of Perry's interview's, the discovery of both Goji berry mimosas and Coca Cafe miracle coconut water with espresso in it (!!),  and then meeting up with the rest of the crew of friends at the fun compound at the Lollapalooza site. This meant I missed Gary Clark Jr. (who a friend told me was so good it was nearly painful. I can't wait to catch one of that guy's gigs some other time ...). Trampled By Turtles. Sigur Ros, and a bunch of others. I'm not proud, but had you been having the fun I was having with the people I was with, you might be more understanding. Though I'm still kicking myself a bit...

We got out into the mix (and heat) again, which soon led to a split of the party, as some wanted to go see Florence and The Machine (I did not at all) and some wanted to catch At The Drive In. That was me, but now I'm not sure I made the right choice. I like them a lot, but the live sound and performance was tougher to translate from their recordings as being awesome. I'm just saying. 

A little more compound time, and then a huge gang of us went to see what I'd been waiting for all weekend ... Mr. Jack White. He's a phenom, he really is - with an all-girl band too! He was scorchingly good from the opening note to the last, and I wish I had more detail to share, but by this point in the evening the pen was down and I had to just participate in the moment fully. From the sound board. And both sides of the stage. And from Cloud Nine.

People were losing their collective minds out in that crowd, and every other vantage point, perhaps even Mars (as NASA made that landing happen all while we were rocking and had no idea!).

Jack White and his ladies were tight as you could be, and his guitar did not gently weep, it seared through you like a white hot light saber ... I don't even know what that means exactly, but that came to mind. He just rules it, and seems entirely from another planet, where everyone is cool and smart and talented and here to live out LOUD. Again, maybe Mars.

I love "Love Interruption" and that's one of the songs I know Jack White played off of his new Blunderbuss must own album. I should have snagged a set list off of the stage, but it was all a bit hectic - and superfun. SUPER fun.

I kept thinking back to the first Lollapalooza in 1991, where I literally had to go deep within and cure myself from partying too much and heat exhaustion to get in the pit and see my favorite band of the time, Jane's Addiction. To now be standing next to Perry Farrell on the side of the stage, watching Jack White blow minds that reached all the way back across Grant Park to the Chicago skyline, was not only surreal in the best possible way, but such a blessed gift.

To be in that kind of moment, and fully aware of the greatness of it, is what I think life might just be about. Perry and I nudged each other at one point and grinned, not needing to say anything ... but I did. I said, "Look out there at all those happy faces ... You made this." He smiled and kind of shrugged, but accepted the thanks - from me and everyone else he ran into all weekend long.

Perry has always been ahead of the game, in my opinion. He started Lollapalooza, for goodness sakes!  He started Perry's dance music tent years ago, to sparse attendance and indifference. Well, this year Perry's stage was as packed as any of them, and you had bands like Flo and her Machine adding dance beats to their regular hits just to try and freshen them up and get the folks going. (It worked - every time). Now they've just announced Lollapalooza Israel for 2013! Perry explained in a different interview that it's his belief that musicians playing music around the world are being Good Will Ambassadors for the world, and he continues to exemplify that in all of his creative endeavors.

More fun and more after parties (where I was hoping to ask Jack White about his Lolla experience, but we passed like ships in the night ... aka I have no idea where that dude went after) and Lollapalooza 2012 is done (and a raging success).

I would be sad about that except for the fact that I'm continuing on with Jane's Addiction for their Summer tour - on the bus. People keep calling me Cameron Crowe, but I'm CJ Gronner, and I hope you'll enjoy the stories I'll bring you from what thus far has been an epic rock adventure for someone that just can't get enough of it, and the feeling of people coming together for the common cause of music, fun and joy.

EnJOY!