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Name: Jeff
Location: California, United States
Gender: Male
Interests: See "Area of expertise"
Expertise: Rock stardom &/or junior rocket science
Occupation: Other
Industry: Entertainment
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
7/25/2003
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Cee-Lo Green, "F*** You," (Elektra) **** On August 19, this single appeared on YouTube. By the time I heard it four days later, it had surpassed 1.5 million hits. The mild shock of the titillating title, sung by the smooth voice of Gnarls Barkley’s worldwide smash "Crazy," was probably the first hook. There’s a different reason for endless repeat plays, however. Naughty or not, you’d have to spin the Jackson 5’s "I Want You Back" to hear a catchier pop-soul single. Cee-Lo’s rare voice could render the phone book and leave listeners weak in the knees. This performance is alternately as brassy as Shirley Bassey and supple as Al Green. In fact, part of the song’s comic appeal is imagining Reverend Al himself ditching "Let’s Stay Together" and launching into this spleen-venting tirade over an unfaithful, gold-digging girl. A somewhat schizophrenic lyric leaves one wondering why anyone would pine so desperately for such a shallow ex-lover. But admit it - you may have been there. I was, once. Maybe that’s why I connected so immediately. Or maybe it was the rafter-shaking gospel organ. Or the bubbling funk bass during the sobbing, Jerry Lewis-styled "why, lady?" bridge. Or the rapturous lift of Cee-Lo’s mighty voice during the unfettered final chorus. It’s easy to imagine musicians growing envious with Green, wishing they’d produced this song first. Even the background vocalists probably laughed themselves sick during sessions. The only shame is that the song can’t be played on any radio station wishing to maintain its license. The clean version masks the off-color language, replacing the main offender with "forget." It isn’t as memorable. The single arrives in October, followed by The Lady Killer album in December. As I write, the hit count on this viral monster stands at 2.5 million. Of course, half are probably mine. - Jeff Elbel Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAV0XrbEwNc 
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| Rush thrills crowd upon return visit CONCERT | Worth two trips, says fan August 24, 2010 BY JEFF ELBEL Neither hell nor high water can force Rush devotees in Chicago to miss a local appearance by their heroes. On July 7, however, rain forced cancellation of the veteran Canadian power trio's high-tech show on Northerly Island. Soaked but enthusiastic fans clutching soggy tickets reading "rain or shine" buzzed as the weather cleared near show time, but cheers became jeers when a reluctant Live Nation representative delivered unhappy news regarding cancellation for safety concerns. [Though tarped, the stage and electronics were drenched. Furthermore, radar had indicated incoming electrical storms.] Monday's rescheduled performance fell on a perfect summer evening. The only thunder within earshot was created by Rush itself. Fans thrilled to old favorites, including "Presto" and the entire "Moving Pictures" album, plus ambitious new fare including "Caravan." For John Blum of Bolingbrook, it was worth two trips. "If they canceled tonight, I'd still come again," he said. Attendees were treated to a commemorative hat as thanks from the band for coming back. Jeff Elbel is a local freelance writer.
The blue text was deleted for publication in the Sun-Times.
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| Reviewed for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings at The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL (Friday, May 21, 2010).
Dap-Kings' thundering soul
Brooklyn band brings joy to its stronghold of Chicago fans
BY JEFF ELBEL
“So, y’all are really serious, ain’t you,” called Dap-Kings guitarist and emcee Binky Griptite to a thundering, sold out crowd at the Vic Theatre. “That’s how Chicago gets down on a Friday night?” Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings may hail from Brooklyn, but they’ve clearly built a stronghold in Chicago. High-profile sets playing to indie-rockers at Lollapalooza in 2008 and a huge mainstream audience at last year’s Blues Festival have seen the band’s local presence balloon. “Last time we were in town, half of y’all was here,” enthused Jones. “You must have gone back and told someone.”
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are given due credit for reigniting the sound that made immortals of artists including James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. It’s fair to call the group '60s and '70s soul revivalists, but the room wasn’t packed with period fetishists. While the Dap-Kings squeezed sparks from the funky “When I Come Home,” a multi-generational, multi-ethnic crowd watched the band earn its reputation as one of today’s tightest live acts. “Stops on a dime every time,” Griptite had boasted during the Bobby Blue Bland cover the band used to warm up the crowd.
Introduced as “110 pounds of soul excitement,” the diminutive Jones wailed and strutted like Tina Turner while railing against corporate greed during the brooding groove of “Money.” She brought a young Chicagoan named Eric on stage to dance during the lovelorn “Give it Back.” Dressed head to toe in Blackhawks gear, Eric had forsaken his home team on game night to see Jones. Sharing the stage was an unforeseen bonus.
“The Game Gets Old” added horn-laden Philadelphia soul to the band’s mixture of Motown and Stax-inspired rhythm and blues. “She Ain’t a Child No More” pulsed with tense rhythm, underscoring a true tale of an abused child who grew up to challenge her parents. “You better watch out,” Jones warned errant elders before beginning the song. “One of these days, she’s going to grow up and ain’t gonna take yo’ mess.”
No frills were necessary in the band’s presentation. The simple stage was strewn with vintage music gear, eight players and two backup singers. By the time the band concluded the smoldering intensity of “100 Days, 100 Nights,” the stage was decorated with as many glistening drops of Sharon Jones’ perspiration as the glittering “SJDK” backdrop hanging above drummer Homer Steinweiss.
During “The Way it Is,” Jones told a story about her ancestors. She described troubled times for west Africans during the slave trade, and for Native Americans during early American settlers’ expansion West. “Maybe if we did a dance,” said Jones, imagining the leaders of her forefathers’ tribes, “we could bring some peace to this land.” Jones’ frenetic demonstrations of those dances shook the stage, as the Dap-Kings threw down a furious boogaloo. Whether the group can summon world piece is questionable, but they’re able to bring joy to hundreds at a time. That’s a great start. | | |
| Public Image Limited in concert
House of Blues, Chicago, IL
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Reviewed for the Chicago Sun-Times.
“These songs mean something to us,” insisted John Lydon, adding that he hoped the connection was shared by the assembled tribe at the House of Blues. “This is Public Image, and we do require your feedback!” Once and future Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten, he of the punk rock sneer, then launched the agitated, soul-searching “Flowers of Romance” with a boyish grin toward his bandmates. “I sent you flowers,” Lydon wailed with all the pathos at his command. “You wanted chocolates instead,” came the punchline.
“Friends are for forgiving,” said the kinder, gentler Lydon after the band’s hit “Disappointed.” “If you know to forgive your friends, it’s the key to your future,” he advised.
Humor and empathy aren’t often the first characteristics used to describe the lifelong provocateur, but both were on display Saturday. During “Rise,” a list of travails became a cry of solidarity and unlikely joy as every voice in the crowd sang the blessing “May the road rise with you.”
Shortly thereafter, however, those same voices were bellowing, “anger is an energy” at full shriek. In addition to goodwill, Lydon’s cynical streak was in full effect. After declaring the Pope a Nazi during “Religion,” Lydon twisted the knife again. “Lock up your children, the priests are coming,” he jibed.
Lydon chastised the State of Arizona for its illegal immigration bill and its implied threat of racial profiling, before sparking a mosh pit with the frenetic stomp of “Bags.” An immigrant himself, Lydon introduced the anthemic “Warrior” with an announcement regarding his own U.S. citizenship. “To become an American citizen took thirty years of work,” he said proudly. “After eight years stuck in George Bush’s [backside], we can wake up and realize this is a true [expletive] place to be.”
For its first stateside shows since 1992, Lydon’s retooled Public Image Limited included core collaborators Lu Edmonds of the Damned and drummer Bruce Smith of the Slits. The pair helped to create 1987’s adventurous “Happy?” album, and joined the band’s biggest US run opening for INXS’ “Kick” tour. One disgruntled fan muttered about hearing nothing from that album, including single “Seattle.”
The wiry Edmonds was a powerhouse and dervish, doing his utmost to match Lydon’s seemingly inexhaustible energy. He played an electric bouzouki on the anti-hit “This is Not a Love Song,” fueling the siren whine of Lydon’s vocal with feverish improvisation. Scott Firth, a bassist whose credentials include the Spice Girls, got the dance floor moving with the sinister club groove of “Death Disco.”
1978 single “Public Image” featured a throbbing pulse, Lydon’s bleating vocal, and a slashing, chiming guitar predating the Edge’s sound on U2’s “Boy” LP. It came closest to bridging the gap between the Sex Pistols’ punk rock and PiL’s alternative rock. Lydon has stated the tour’s aim is to raise interest and finances for a new album without need of record label support. Although no new material was performed, the band’s vibrant energy suggested an act reignited rather than resting on its laurels.
Jeff Elbel is a local freelance writer.
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| Join us at the 2010 Cornerstone Festival! This discount link supports Ping:
 Jeff Elbel + Ping
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
4:15 p.m.
Gallery stage
Bushnell, IL
All ages welcome! | | |
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