Out with the old, in with the new!

Great way to end 2010 and start 2011! And check out these killer photos from the Alberta Rose Theater show from our friend, April Pope Mantha!

We finished the year opening for The Jackmormons at the Alberta Rose Theater. We played a stripped down set with borrowed guitars from Jerry Joseph and a grand piano that would also be used by Jenny Conlee-Drizos during The Jackmormons' performance. Great venue, great crowd, great show! Here's the set:

1. Keep on Keeping on
2. Here Comes the Rain
3. Deck of Cards
4. Turn My Black Skies Blue
5. I've Been Crying
6. Little White Lies
7. Someday There Will Be Better Days
8. Last Night's Fool (debut performance)
   
9. World Without Love
10. Love Scenes

While everyone else nursed their New Year's hangovers, we were partying down with Dave, Sage and Becca for their birthdays. Dave Berkham hooked up an amazing house party....all the bands were great! Your Rival, The Cries, No Tomorrow Boys, The Shivas, Midnight Callers and then Blue Skies finished the night out. We didn't write out a set list, but I remember playing World Without Love, Rain, Deck of Cards, Last Night's Fool, Majoring in the Arts, The Sitch and Back to New Orleans....I'm sure there were a few more too. If we have a whole year of shows like this one, I couldn't end up any happier.

Dirty Water - free download

In recent years, it’s been rare that October begins with Red Sox fans in mourning. But such is the case in 2010: On Tuesday night, the last flicker of hope went out for the team this season as it was officially eliminated from playoff contention. As a condolence for the team’s injurious year, here’s a previously unreleased cover of the song that is played at Fenway Park when they win.

This rendition of the Standells’ “Dirty Water” is by Blue Skies for Black Hearts, a classic-rock-sounding indie band based in a city far from Boston: Portland, Oregon. Here it is:

• Bad Penny exclusive download: Blue Skies for Black Hearts’ “Dirty Water” cover

In addition to bestowing the Bad Penny with the studio outtake, vocalist/guitarist Pat Kearns passed along a few words about it:

“This is an unreleased studio outtake that will not be included on our next record, Embracing the Modern Age.

“Written by Ed Cobb and originally performed by the Standells, we started doing this song a couple of years ago when we were asked to do a Nuggets Tribute night. The song appeared on the first Nuggets LP compiled by Lenny Kaye and Jac Holzman. We were fascinated by the simplicity and the groove of the song … and amazed that you can play a drum fill on the high hat (see the last break before the outro).

“After recording gang vocals for our song ‘Majoring in the Arts,’ we had so much fun with all the dudes that we didn’t want to stop. Someone suggested doing ‘Dirty Water’ too. … It couldn’t have turned out better. Everyone knows the song and there aren’t a lot of notes in it which makes it very easy to sing. I think all those dudes really add to the feel.”

Seattle - The Comet 10/6/10

Sitting on the Edge
I Still Wish That You Were Around
The Sitch
Majoring in the Arts
Back Home
A World Without Love
Damn Those Girls
Back to New Orleans
Here Comes the Rain
Siouxsie Please Come Home

Longview, WA: Wollenberg Theater 10/3/10

This was our last show of three in a row...two of which were for different charities. We headed an hour north of Portland to Longview, WA for this one. The benefit was for Juliette Gandy, a 5 year old Kelso girl who has been diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. The show took a variety show format with the evening starting with improv by a very talented group of actors. Highlights for me included "Worst gym teacher in the world" and a skit called "Drugs are Bad." We took the stage after intermission.

World Without Love
Here Comes the Rain
Sitting on the Edge
Turn My Black Skies Blue
The Sitch
Back Home
Siouxsie Please Come Home
Hey Jude

After the show, we headed down the street to a hotel bar to relax with some of the cast. There, we were lucky enough to come across the band 1776, who are on our friend's label Beat The World. It was an excellent way to finish off these shows....relaxing with old and new friends and listening to a killer set of covers and originals from 1776.

East End with Paul Collins, Welcome Home Walker, Midnight Callers and Fast Takers

This show came packed with some of my favorite PDX bands and Paul Collins capping off the night. Paul made a sly nod to The Exploding Hearts during Walking Out on Love that was very classy. Dave Berkham of The Midnight Callers and I joined Paul and the guys on stage to sing harmony on Rock and Roll Girl....and Paul finished the night with an amazing Don't Wait Up For Me. Both Welcome Home Walker and Blue Skies kept their sets to a minimum in order to leave time for the man of the hour.

Here's our set:

The Sitch
World Without Love
Sitting on the Edge
Here Comes the Rain
Majoring in the Arts
Siouxsie Please Come Home
Damn Those Girls

The Knife Shop - September 30 with Satin Chaps and Mike Coykendall

Photo by Alicia Rose

We started out acoustic and on the floor:

Rubber Soul
Someday There Will Be Better Days
Little White Lies

And then went electric on the stage:

Needle in the Hay (Elliott Smith)
Listen to Her Heart (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
Powerman (The Kinks)

...then Dave Berkham of The Midnight Callers hopped on stage with his mouth harp:

Dirty Water (The Standells)
Sweet Valentine (BS4BH!!!)
I'm a Man (Originally by Bo Diddley. We did it in The Yardbirds tradition.)
The Concept (Teenage Fanclub) - with Dave on third guitar. We traded solos in the outro with Dave taking the first one, Mike the second and Pat the third.

Shootin' Up The Summer

Summertime for Blue Skies under blue skies involved lots and lots of shooting each other.

Photojournalism 101 . . . engage!