I was lucky enough to enjoy an impromptu trip to the Gorge last Friday to see Tom Petty.

Steve “Stevie” Winwood opened the show. Man, can that guy wail on the guitar. One more Louisiana Gator Boy to check off my list.

As for Petty, he gets an A+ in showmanship. He really indulges in the power he has over an audience — spreading his arms to prompt applause, shouting thank you’s after every song, waiting a torturous 5 minutes before returning for an encore … He knows that he’s kind of a big deal. It seemed like a lot of songs I’d hoped for were left off the set list (though I never really expected him to do “Zombie Zoo” anyway). His amazing performance of “Breakdown” made up for everything that was missing, and it was really great to hear him do The Traveling Wilburys’ “End of the Line,” for which I couldn’t help but dance around.

This may be my last outdoor concert this year, and I’m glad it was one that was so full of energy, and it was a perfect day for it. I’d say that even by the end of the concert (past midnight, I’m pretty sure) it was still a good 76 degrees out there. A great end to a great season of summer concerts.

Now it’s time to start thinking about autumn.

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Yesterday, Rochelle Feil — humble family and faith reporter, food blogger and all-around fantastic human being (she’ll be reading this, so I have to say that) — began talking about how her sister wanted “The Wedding Singer” soundtrack to use for her wedding. My time to shine, I thought, as I told her that there are actually two soundtracks to that movie and I own them both. Though she already knew that, she was unable to get her hands on the second one, so I found myself in the position to be helpful by offerering her usage of my copy.

As I went through my old, forgotten CD collection, I was reminded of my dream career. As both a music lover and movie fanatic, I decided in junior high that I wanted to compile movie soundtracks. I wanted to be the person who decided exactly which song to play along with each scene from beginning to end. I bought a lot of movie soundtracks back in the day. Even if I already owned the songs that were on the soundtrack, I’d buy them either to honor my love of the movie or because of my appreciation for the music chosen.

When listening to a song, I frequently find myself picturing in my mind a scene to which it would most aptly be set. Likewise, when I’m watching a movie, I imagine which song I think would go best, either to properly depict what I’m watching, or to absurdly contradict it (have you ever pictured the Benny Hill theme being played during a funeral? I have).  With the vastness of the music I manage to keep stored in my head, I can usually come up with a song for just about anything.

It would be very difficult to describe the thrill I get when people enlist my help in putting together a mix of songs attached to a theme. I guess you could say it’s one of my happy places (right in line with The Hinterlands in World of Warcraft, my comfy futon bed, Disneyland, a roomful of kittens, the driver’s seat of a Cadillac … okay, my list of happy places goes on and on, but it doesn’t diminish the value of any particular happy place). It is also very thrilling for me when I’m watching a movie and the most perfect song is playing during a scene. The lobby scene in “The Matrix” as an example is a no-brainer. The backyard barbecue introduction in “King of California” (middle-aged swingers partying in slo-mo to “Summer Breeze” by Seals & Crofts) is one of my most recent favorites. There are many others, but it’d take a lot of memory jogging that I just don’t have the energy for right now.

Anyway, I’m short on thrills these days. Anybody want to suggest a good theme for a music compilation? Or even a bad theme? Or tell me your favorite movie soundtrack, or your pick for best music-in-a-movie moment.

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“Meiko”
Meiko, $8.99

Sometimes my X-chromosomes get the better of me, and I find myself prone to enjoying music like Meiko’s. It’s the kind of thing I have a hard time admitting publicly because (especially since the majority of my friends are male and/or music snobs) most people can’t relate and instead brand me a “total weenie,” or something to that effect. Not to my face (for the most part) but I know they’re thinking it.

Meiko makes pokey acoustic guitar pop. Playing a mix of folk and indie styles, she even works in little hints of country licks on a couple of tunes. Enjoying the music for many would probably involve focusing on the individual elements of each song rather than hearing them simply as the sum of their parts.

It also takes a certain mood. Meiko could have easily named her new album “Songs for a Jilted Lover,” as the tracklist basically leads the listener through the entirety of a doomed relationship. I can’t assume what the true meaning is behind each song, but from the point of view of someone who knows nothing of the singer’s personal life, I work with what I’m given. From the cautious and curious beginnings of budding love (“Reasons to Love You”) to taking her life back and snuffing out reminders of a guy who broke her heart (“Under My Bed”) Meiko doesn’t seem to have a difficult time expressing her feelings.

(more…)

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On Saturday, I made a trip out to the Gorge to see a couple of “relics.” I use that word in the most facetious way possible because, although both have been embedded in the music industry for 40-plus years, neither Joe Cocker nor Steve Miller exhibit signs of age in their music. They play my old favorites to sound just the way they did when they were a previous generation’s new favorites.

Cocker sang the greats — “Feelin’ Alright,” “Unchain My Heart,” and his famous Beatles covers, “With A Little Help From My Friends” and “Come Together.” The man may be over 60, but he still sounds like a powerhouse.

The Steve Miller Band went on forever, and I’m not complaining. It seemed like they were doing every song from the band’s catalog. Somewhere near the middle of the set, Miller introduced a new band member, Sonny Charles, with whom he’s recorded an upcoming album at Skywalker Ranch. With Charles on board, Miller leaves his signature classic rock style for a heavier, soulful sound. They took a break from the familiar Steve Miller Band fare to do a few of the new tracks sung by Charles. Not bad, but hard to embrace when I’m expecting to hear things like “Take the Money and Run” and “Dance, Dance, Dance” (both of which I did have a chance to hear during the concert).

Towards the end of the evening, after the band had already returned for an encore, I began to lament the absence of “Jungle Love,” thinking maybe he wouldn’t do it. He was singing “The Joker,” and I was sure it would be the final song of the night (I had already assumed that before the concert ever began). Imagine my surprise when he closed his set with none other than “Jungle Love.” Guess he was reading my mind.

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“Damage and Remainder”
Michael Carlos Band, $9.99

Michael Carlos is not one to rush. Many of the songs on his sophomore album, “Damage and Remainder,” were conceived years ago.

Carlos strives to accomplish a few things on this new record: make a connection to his Latin roots, address some recent personal tragedies, and establish a more hard rocking sound than what can be heard on his 2004 album, “Yesterday’s Icons.”

His influences are apparent in some of his songs — Carlos channels Los Lobos and Tom Waits, among others (he even throws in a riff from The Knack’s “My Sharona” near the end of opening track “Out of Control”), through a variety of musical styles. He experiments with many different sounds on the album (especially where percussion is concerned), leaving it fresh and surprising at every turn.

Carlos’ lyrics leave the songs feeling a bit esoteric; though songwriting affords him catharsis for his personal conflicts, the specific meaning is lost on the listener. The words remain broad and impersonal. In “Winning Streak,” a song about a successful person being humbled by a catastrophic experience, Carlos sings, “Payback showed up to collect/ slide uphill and watch the wreck/ feel the ground beneath you getting colder/ your little winning streak is over,” along with a superspy theme sound.

Portions of the album were recorded at Eric Frank’s studio in Wenatchee, while the rest was contributed by Ethan Sellers et al at a studio in Chicago. Sellers provides a lot of the string, horn and percussion orchestration that boosts the caliber on several of Carlos’ compositions.

One of the most successful tracks on the record is “Jenny’s Cumbia,” which holds its own without Sellers’ touch. In a tribute to the memory of Carlos’ late companion Jennifer Reese, he taps into his Latin blood with a danceable, Spanish-language tune. The most engaging and inventive track on the record — which incorporates the talents of players on both sides of the Rockies — is “More Than One Way Down.” With a swampy bayou beat and dark vocals, the tune seems tailored for radio play.

Former band member Darik Peet has a small role on the record, providing electric guitar for “Out of Control,” “She Doesn’t Like Me Much” and “Wear It Well” — songs that Carlos has had in the works since Peet was a major player in the band, and have been featured at several of the live performances since Carlos recovered from his late-2006 car accident. Peet still makes appearances at some Michael Carlos Band concerts, ripping up the stage with the lead singer. Other band members joining him on stage and on the album are (everyone’s favorite) percussionist Vern Smith, bassist Eric Frank, and drummer Darren Reynolds.

Carlos’ next live show with his band is at this weekend’s free Acoustic Music Festival in Leavenworth. The band plays the first set of the day on the Waterfront Park stage at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Following shows include: 7 p.m. Aug. 22 at Centennial Park in Wenatchee, free; and 8 p.m. Aug. 29 at the Vogue Liquid Lounge in Chelan, free.

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Sometimes you have to wonder if a band makes the kind of sound it does just so that it can’t be defined.

That’s how I feel about the Flobots. Imagine locking Cake and Eminem in a room together with the string section of a symphony orchestra. That’s the best way I can think of describing what you get with this group. It’s like what Linkin Park tries to be, but only succeeds at mediocrely (it’s a real word, the dictionary told me so).

The band’s been around for several years now, and I’d heard of them before. However, it wasn’t until this year’s album, “Fight with Tools,” that I listened to them. You may have heard “Handlebars,” the record’s first single. On the track, lead singer Johnny 5 (cute, I love the “Short Circuit” reference) raps deftly along to horns and strings, and it pretty well demonstrates what to expect from the rest of the record, and most likely what you can expect at their Bumbershoot performance next month. Though the rapping is nothing to shout about, the instrumentation makes the band well worth a listen.

The Flobots are performing on the Exhibition Hall Stage at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 1.

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You know, I never really cared much for Velvet Revolver anyway.

Grunge-era quartet Stone Temple Pilots is back together once again. For a lot of people, STP fell into the shadows while bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam clogged the airwaves. The band had many hit singles, and people would probably find they’re familiar with the tunes, but the group wasn’t the sensation it could have been when it broke out. Though, I’m sure if I mention “The Bobbitt Song” people will nod their heads in acknowledgment of “Creep,” the band’s 1993 single from debut album “Core” — that came out around the same time John Wayne Bobbitt suffered his unfortunate fate — with the lyrics, “I’m half the man I used to be.” (Note: No, the song was not about the Bobbitts, but what an apt coincidence, eh?)

After five years apart, the band is back on tour together, and will begin recording a new album later this year. This is a very exciting time for STP fans. The fact that it’s one of the very few groups that can cover a Led Zeppelin song and still remain in my good graces means that this band is something special.

Lead singer Scott Weiland has spent the last several years as part of hard rock group Velvet Revolver, which is a pretty popular outfit (probably more because of the presence of former Guns n’ Roses guitarist Slash than anything), but Weiland has never been better than when he’s wailing on “Dead & Bloated,” a classic STP tune.

The band is making a run through the Northwest, hitting the Bumbershoot mainstage and moving onto Spokane, so you’ve got a couple chances to welcome them back to the scene.

The Stone Temple Pilots are performing during Bumbershoot on the Samsung Mobile Mainstage at Memorial Stadium 9:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31.

The band later takes the stage at the Star Theatre in the Spokane Arena 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6. Tickets are $29.50 and $39.50 and go on sale 10 a.m. Friday through TicketsWest.

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If you have not yet heard the Black Keys, I just want you to know that you’re missing out on one of the greatest bands since Zeppelin. Yes, that Zeppelin.

Besides an unforgettable rendition of “Stack-O-Lee” by Samuel L. Jackson (R-rated, of course), last year’s movie “Black Snake Moan” introduced me to this super duo, giving me new hope that all the best music is not behind us. “When the Lights Go Out” made me a believer. I had to hear more, and checked out the band’s whole music library. It just validated what I’d already concluded.

It’s blues, it’s rock, it’s lo-fi and it’s fantastic. The group just put out a new album, “Attack & Release” in April. Amazing? Of course. And would you believe it’s just two guys? How is that even possible? They just emit awesome — it gleams off their teeth, flows through their hair and seeps from their pores.

Better yet, these guys perform like crazy. I see the band’s name popping up on festival lineups and Ticketmaster alerts all the time. I haven’t had the chance to make it to one of their shows, but I know I’ve got plenty of chances ahead of me. Next up is Bumbershoot. Should you decide to go, I am confident you won’t regret it.

The Black Keys are performing on the Samsung Mobile Mainstage at Memorial Stadium at 7:45 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31.

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So there’s this guy named Beck Hansen.

You may have heard of him. Most of you know of him as simply Beck. You may also know he just put out a new album, “Modern Guilt,” last week. You’d think after nearly 15 years of Beck recordings, you’d know what to expect from him. But you never do. You never know which Beck you’re going to get. Will it be the dirty garage rock of “Mellow Gold,” the bluesy saloon sound of “Mutations,” or the almost-hip-hop funk of “Midnite Vultures”? Though an innovative artist, Beck does sometimes revisit sounds he’s toyed with before. “Sea Change” in 2002 is a fitting follow-up to 1998’s “Mutations.” And “Modern Guilt” draws on those sounds as well. (I recommend “Orphans” — the first track on the CD, with a retro feel to it — and the title track.)

I saw Beck at Bumbershoot in 1997. It was so weird. Awesome, but weird. I felt like I was in some crazy Beck dream after he’d watched “Austin Powers.” It was colorful, it was energetic and it was funky. He’s back this year, and with everything you know of Beck, you can’t predict what the show will be like. All you know is that it will be worth seeing. Whether you’re a Beck fan or not, the guy entertains.

On a side note, as I was listening to Beck’s new album last week, I realized how similar it sounds to a lot of the music I’ve heard by the Eels, one of Beck’s contemporaries. So, Beck fans may be interested in checking out “Beautiful Freak,” the Eels’ debut album, if they haven’t already heard it. And, well, probably also if they already have, because it’s rad.

Beck is performing on the Samsung Mobile Mainstage at Memorial Stadium 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30.

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Just thought I’d take a moment to mention that Bumbershoot’s complete lineup is now available to view on the festival Web site.

Headliners include Beck, the Offspring, Stone Temple Pilots, the Black Keys, and T.I. And that’s just some of the Mainstage acts. This festival is full of fun, and not just music. There are also three comedy stages.

The annual festival happens over Labor Day weekend (Aug. 30 through Sept. 1) at the Seattle Center. Tickets are currently available for $35 per day or $80-$395 for three-day passes.

Every year, it costs more and more. In 1994, cost of admission was just about $8 a day. By the time I was in high school, it was up to about $15. It’s still a lot of entertainment for the amount you’re paying, but it sure does make it more difficult to plan your whole weekend for it.

Though I don’t think I’ll have the opportunity to attend this year, I plan to post blogs about some of this year’s highlights in the coming weeks leading up to the big event. There’s a lot of great entertainment taking place this time around, and it behooves me to fill you in on some of the must-see aspects of it.

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