A book of Village Voice journalist and radio personality Howard Smith's interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, George Harrison, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones and Pete Townshend of the Who and many others is in the works and will be out in October, Ezra Bookstein, who is editing the book, told Beatles Examiner June 2.“The Smith Tapes: Lost ...1969-1972" will also include Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, Frank Zappa, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Amiri Baraka, Dick Gregory, R. Buckminster Fuller, Andy Warhol and Norman Mailer.

“The John & Yoko interview is the one from December 17th, 1969. Yoko asked Howard to come up to Toronto to help convince John that New Yorkers would love him to come live there. Earlier in the day they held a press conference about the Toronto Peace festival,” Bookstein said. “It’s fantastic.” The Harrison interview comes from May 1, 1970. “He talks about the new break-up and the three vs. one dynamic created by the Apple Records restructuring (and) how difficult it was trying to get songs on their albums. He’s very open about Paul’s resistance to his musical growth, and still seeing him as the little kid he was when they were growing up,” Bookstein said.

Harrison tells Smith, "Paul and I went to school together, you know? I got the feeling that, you know, everybody changes and sometimes people don’t want other people to change, or even if you do change, they won’t accept that you’ve changed and they keep in their mind some other image of you.”

Bookstein says that when Smith asks Harrison, who at the time was getting ready to record “All Things Must Pass,” about ever getting back together, he says, “It’s the least we could do to sacrifice three months of the year just to do an album or two. I think it’s very selfish if the Beatles don’t record together.”

“I'm Not the Beatles,” a eight-CD box set of Smith's chats with John Lennon and Yoko Ono was released in 2014. A 13-CD box, “The Smith Tapes,” that included talks with Lennon, Harrison, Cocker, Townshend, Jagger, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and others is also available. Also available are several single disc interviews by Eric Clapton and George Harrison (on the Clapton disc), Jerry Garcia, and Jim Morrison. Single discs are also available through the Smith Tapes website.

Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan's voice has been called angelic and breathtaking. She's most well known for stunning ballads, "Angel," "Building a Mystery," "Adia" and "Sweet Surrender," but has recently released a new album, SHINE ON, which includes an array of collaborations and which has garnered the coveted JUNO award. Critics and fans have praised the project for its optimistic themes and inventive textures.

Sarah recently completed an American tour in support of the release and will grace the stage of Orchestra Hall with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a one-off debut in honor of the 26th Annual CSO Corporate Night Benefit this June. In an exclusive interview with Examiner.com, the multi-faceted artist talks about everything from songwriting to symphonies.

Examiner: Chicago is looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks for your CSO debut, but before we talk about that, let's reminisce. Can you tell us about the first song you ever wrote?

SM: My first song was called, "Out of the Shadows" and it was for my first record. I was nineteen-years-old and I had just gotten a record contract. Originally, this small independent label brought me up to Vancouver and said, 'We're going to have you write with a bunch of other bands that we have on the label.' Well, they didn't talk to these other bands, so these established bands said, 'I don't want to write with this punk kid.' The label said, 'Why don't you see what you can come up with on your own?'

I said, 'Hmmm. I'd never really written anything before but I had helped with hooks and melodies and lyrics with the band that I'd had before, but I'd never written an entire song so I had to, through trial and error, figure it out as I went along. I remember I'd been reading Jerzy Kosinski's 'Painted Bird' (1965). I loved that book and loved the story. I said, 'I'm going to write about the boy.' I wrote that song, loosely based on that book.

Examiner: In 2011, you performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and in June you'll be performing with the CSO. What's the challenge of working in this type of setting?

SM: It's actually amazingly easy. We show up day of. Sean O'Loughlin is my conductor, who has written many of the arrangements. We basically run through the entire show with the symphony. We do the songs once or sometimes twice if tweaks need to be made and we do the show that night. It's amazingly efficient. They're so talented. You put a piece of music in front of them and off they go.

It's pop music and they're pop arrangements so it's not that challenging for them, I think. I could be wrong, but I think it's fairly simple for them to just get in there and bang it off. It's incredibly exhilarating to play with a symphony because obviously with a band you have a certain song that you get used to, and then when you play with a symphony you have this incredible power and force behind you and the energy is so different and really exhilarating.

Examiner: "Angel" has been used in many situations where it has facilitated healing. Why do you think it brings people together?

SM: I'm not really sure. I write from an emotional point of view and I think that it struck a chord with so many people on so many different levels. I'm really grateful It's wonderful to be able to create something that goes out there in the world and has a life beyond me and brings some kind of joy and awareness or comfort to people . Music, for me, is incredibly comforting. I go to music to soothe myself when I'm angry or frustrated and when I'm sad. Music helps me, amazingly.

Examiner: With "World on Fire," you also created awareness. You spent very little money on the video so that you could donate the budget to charities. Was that your idea?

SM: I can't take any credit for that idea. Sophie Muller, the video director, had that idea and she was actually very hesitant to present it to me because she wasn't sure that I would go for it, but she was sure that the record company wouldn't go for it. But I said, 'They're going to love not spending money on this. Are you kidding me?'

It's such an amazing idea. Sophie spent hundreds and hundreds of hours, not just her, but a team, compiling the animation and it was such a powerful song, such a great song for that kind of message. I was, again, thankful that the opportunity presented itself because I never would have thought of it on my own, but I was trying to come up with a good idea for the video, because it didn't seem right that it couldn't be the typical music video where I was in there singing the whole time and having some sort of images that the song evoked. That would be too obvious so her idea was so brilliant because it allowed the listener and the viewer to understand that stuff but on a very different kind of level. I loved that we were able to give away all of that money to charity, as well.

It's a great story to be able to tell. The record label loved it for obvious reasons. The idea was really unique and I'm proud of myself for Sophie's a brilliant artist and I had total faith that it would be great.

Examiner: You wrote, "Song For My Father" for SHINE ON and you asked fans to submit images and recollections of their own fathers. What was the outcome?

SM: My dad was really impactful in my life and he was a great role model. I miss him every day. He passed a little over four years ago and it was around the same time that--no, it's been longer than that now, I was separating from my husband, my dad was sick, I was changing my management and record label and all of my important male anchors were falling away at the same time. Losing my dad was like losing my anchor, my rock. I wanted to honor him in some small way.

I love singing that song because I'm reminded of him and of how much he meant to me. It's not typically sad. One time, somebody asked me about the song and I was talking about him and I just burst into tears. I was surprised by the reaction because I didn't even know it was coming. I didn't expect it at all, but when I'm singing the song, I'm feeling close to him. I feel a sweetness around the relationship that we had, more than the loss. I feel the loss at different times. When I'm singing the song, I feel this closeness to him.

Examiner: "In Your Shoes" has some beautiful vocal layering. How did you engineer those textures?

SM: I love doing that kind of stuff and I harmonize to everything. I'm always singing counter melodies to things. I will be sitting at the console and listening back to the track and I'll sing, 'aah, aah,' and sing some counterpoint. [Production team] 'That sounds good. We should put that in there.'

We often build a whole bunch of tracks that sometimes end up on the final tracks and sometimes they don't. With any of the songs, with any of the instrumentation, because we have our own studio, we can sit there (Laughs) for days. To our detriment, we can add and add and add and take away, take away, take away, just put this piece in and take another one out. Sometimes it's hard to make decisions when you have so much time and so many pieces of the puzzle, but I do love using my voice as an instrument; not just for the lyrics, but as a separate tone that exists.

Examiner: You worked with Bob Rock, who is essentially a rock producer (Motley Crue), on "Flesh and Blood" and "Love Beside Me". Why the shift?

SM: I was very hesitant to work with him because of that, yet I spent the day with Bob, just talking and hanging out. He's such a kind and spiritual man. I really enjoyed him and I really did want to add a raw energy to some of these songs. He really brought that out, so I'm really happy about having that relationship and working with him in that way.

Pierre Marchand and I are much more, not staid, but he has sounds that he tends to go to and Bob's a bit more of a raw, in-the-moment type of guy.

Examiner: So you covered all the bases.

SM: I wanted to explore and Bob encouraged that, which was great.

Examiner: Was "Beautiful Girl" a song you wrote to your younger self?

SM: There are moments of that in there for sure. I was writing about my daughter, our relationship and the storms that we are going to have to weather. She's thirteen now.

Examiner: They're really blossoming. They'll never be that innocent again.

SM: Exactly. My daughter still plays with dolls and I'm really happy about that.

Examiner: Is "What's It Gonna Take?" about some angst in your life or more of a reflection?

SM: I actually wrote that for King Kong, a Broadway musical. Marius de Vries wrote the music and he asked me if I'd be interested in writing a song for Ann (leading actress, Ann Darrow) when she gets on the ship and figures out where she is. Obviously, it's about vulnerability and insecurity and I said, 'Oh, I know how to write about that.'

That would be a fun project because, A, there was just one song and it was a challenge, for me, because I don't typically write about one particular subject. For me, lyrically, it's usually just about exploration and whatever I happen upon. If a story reveals itself, I tend to go that way. I don't say, 'I'm going to write a song about my dad or I'm going to write about X, it just comes out.

This needs to be explored, this needs to be talked about, so it's a fun challenge to look at a particular scene in a theatrical production and look at what she was feeling. So the idea was that she was on the ship, leaving her safe harbor and going into the unknown. I have no idea where I am. She was in two different worlds. She was kind of in love with Kong, but she's also gone back to civilization, so she has her human love and animal and she's trying to figure out how to manage that.

Examiner: Let's talk about an earlier song from "Surfacing". What was "Adia" based on?

SM: Actually I guess I could say I betrayed my best friend and it was a really difficult time because I ended up marrying her ex-boyfriend. I fell in love with her ex and it was one of those lines you don't cross, but I did and as it turned out, it wasn't a fling, we were married for thirteen years.

But it was a really difficult time because I betrayed her trust and I lost her friendship for a while and because she was my very best friend and so it was the story of working through the anger and resentment on both sides and trying to find forgiveness.

Examiner: You started the Sarah McLachlan Music School in 2002. Given your experience, what is most crucial for children to learn?

SM: We use music as a guide. Music offers us the opportunity to explore our emotional world, to connect with ourselves and with each other and I think it's so important for kids to be able to understand themselves a little better and to recognize their own value. I say that because that's what it gave me.

When I was young, I was pretty unpopular; I was picked on a lot. Music was this one piece that I could always go to, that I knew I had, that was always mine. I was good at it and it fed me. . It gave me courage, strength and self-worth. That's why I think it's so imperative for kids to have that in their life. Whether they go on to become professional musicians--that's not what we're after. We're not after sending kids to Julliard or Berkeley, although it has become a beneficial thing that has been happening.

Many of the kids have been graduating and going on to post secondary school and becoming doctors and engineers, so it's about giving kids the opportunity to discover who they are and to be able to find joy in that and connect with that. I think that that makes them better human beings. It allows them to be able to go out into the world and be more well rounded, more understanding and to have more empathy for their fellow humans. It's beneficial all around.

Examiner: You created the Lilith Fair to empower female musicians. What have been the long-term gains? Would you consider recreating the fair?

SM: No, it would have to be someone else, someone relevant now and powerful now. That being said, the cool thing is, if you look at the Top Forty and how female dominant it is, all those women are playing their own arena shows. When we did Lilith back in the '90s, there were a lot of great female artists having a lot of success, but all the summer festivals were completely male dominated and I thought, 'Let's just do something ourselves. Wouldn't that be great?'

I think the strength in numbers is the fact that, being together, we got to bring in and share each other's audiences and gain so many fans in that regard. It really helped a lot of our careers. Also, at the time, there was such a false competition set up. Perhaps it wasn't false, but it was important in the record labels' eyes and the radio stations' eyes, where they said, 'You can't play two women back to back' or 'I'm playing Tori this week, I can't play Sarah.' It was insulting and it was limiting.

It's just music. We're all different. We're all unique. You would never say that about guys and it really put a fire under my butt to fight that and get it changed. That is one thing that we really did stuff down the throats of the old boys' club (Laughs).

You actually can play two women back to back and you actually can put two women on the same bill. Promoters were saying, 'People won't come. That's too much. There's too many women.' That is just ridiculous. I'm not good at hearing no. I think they will and we're going to prove you wrong.

I think it brought a lot of women together and definitely changed some attitudes. Culturally, and as far as society goes, it takes generations to really change peoples' perspectives and I'm really glad we had a hand in it. I think things really have been changing and shifting. Maybe we'll have a female president in America.

Examiner: The time has come.

SM: Wouldn't that be fantastic? A lot of women are becoming CEO's. There still is a hideous inequality as far as how many women are hired and what they get paid, but it is slowly shifting.

Examiner: How do you see your future trajectory?

SM: As I said, I have a thirteen-year-old girl and I'm going to be slowing down a little bit, staying home to be present for her because it's a tricky time, as you know. That being said, I'm still writing music. I'm still working. I'm thinking about doing a Christmas record because that's a good way to stay out there and still make music, but not tour for a year, and I'm thinking about doing the record on a symphonic level.

Examiner: Thank you, Sarah.

Come see Sarah McLachlan on June 16, 2015 at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Single tickets for the concert-only are $70-$199.

Concert and dinner packages are also available for $200.

It has been nearly 30 years since their debut album, but Salt-N-Pepa is still going strong as one of the most successful groups in hip hop. They are the first all-female rap crew and one of the first rap artists to cross over to the pop mainstream. They lead to the influencing many rappers on the scene and especially paved the wave for female rappers.

They hit the scenes with songs from the debut album such as "My Mike Sounds Nice", " Chick on the Side but it was a b side of the song "Push It" that became a massive hit, climbing to the Top 20 on the pop charts. The song became one of the first rap songs to be nominated for a Grammy Award.

They followed with songs "Expression", "Shake Your Thang", "Whatta Man" and "None of Your Business". The group took some time away from music to raise families, pursue acting and more.

They have been back on the scene on reality TV and touring. They recently have been featured in GEICO’s It's What You Do commercial series.

The group brought some nostalgia to “American Idol” as part of the show’s ’80s-themed week. Sandra “Salt” Denton and Cheryl “Pepa” James, rocked the mic while performing their 1986 hit “Push It,” which had judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick Jr. and the audience dancing.

Last month, Janet Jackson released a teaser on her 49th birthday suggesting her return to music. Yesterday (June 3), she announced a new album is coming this fall, via BMG. This marks her first LP since 2008's “Discipline.” The upcoming release will also be her first outing with her newly formed label Rhythm Nation, which will “offer a home to both new and established recording artists,” according to a press release. Stay tuned for more details.

In the previously released trailer, Ms. Jackson also promised she'll embark on a new world tour in support of the album. So far, there are no new details on this. It will be her first world tour since 2011. Jackson's new partnership with BMG is a bit different. Unlike traditional record deals, this one is an “artist services deal,” which allows the artist to retain ownership of their recordings and “full oversight of all costs and revenues.”

Jackson's last record, “Discipline,” was release via Island Records, but the singer left the label shortly after the release.

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TV Review: ‘The Whispers’

COURTESY OF ABC

MAY 29, 2015 | 08:30AM PT

Brian Lowry

TV Columnist@blowryontv

Although “The Whispers” was developed by writer Soo Hugh, ABC is eager to cite Steven Spielberg’s involvement, and no wonder: This summer series is a veritable mashup of the director’s filmography — a pinch of “E.T.” here, a dollop of the Spielberg-produced “Poltergeist” there, and a soupcon of what might be called “Invisible Encounters of the Kid Kind.” None of that takes away from the modest enjoyableness of the show, which drips clues over the first three episodes, as kids interact with an “imaginary friend” only they can see. Less imagination is required to see “The Whispers” hooking enough viewers to make some noise.

The program opens on a creepy note, with a 6-year-old girl luring her mom up to a tree house, where the woman experiences a harrowing fall. The case catches the attention of an FBI agent, Claire Bennigan (Lily Rabe), who specializes in children, and begins to look more suspicious when she unearths the fact that another kid cited the same name of an imaginary friend, Drill, in a similar incident.

Claire’s life, meanwhile, is extremely complicated. For starters, her husband was reported killed in a military accident, and she’s raising their deaf son (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf) alone. In addition, her dalliance with a Defense Dept. operative, Wes (Barry Sloane, not far from his “Revenge” mode), has complicated both of their lives. Oh, and did we mention that Barry, like Claire, has a young daughter, who seems to be a little old for imaginary friends?

As noted, there are a lot of familiar elements here: Kids interacting with a slightly malevolent presence, a strange visitor that the parents can’t see, and the always-reliable device of flickering lights and appliances. Moreover, there’s a bearded fellow (Milo Ventimiglia) hovering around the fringes, whose role in the plot gradually begins to come into focus.

Inevitably, all those scenes with young kids, aside from being a boon to on-set tutors, can’t help but feel a trifle manipulative. The adults, meanwhile, are serviceable for the purposes of the plot, but could use a little work character-wise, starting with Rabe, who, in terms of the way she delivers lines seems to have taken the title a bit too much to heart.

It’s always advisable to keep one foot on the floor with such programs — two other Spielberg-produced series, CBS’ “Extant” and “Under the Dome,” offer reminders of that wisdom — but “The Whispers” has a polished feel, enough twists, and moves just well enough to steadily build on its central mystery. So for now, anyway, even if the kids aren’t all right, the show is.

TV Review: 'The Whispers'

(Series; ABC, Mon. June 1, 10 p.m.)

Production

Filmed in Vancouver by Clickety-Clack and Amblin Television in association with ABC Studios.

Crew

Executive producers, Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Zack Estrin, Mark Romanek, Dawn Olmstead; co-executive producer, Soo Hugh; producer, Sarah Caplan; directors, Romanek, Brad Turner; writer, Hugh; camera, Jeff Cutler; production designer, Joaquin Grey; editor, John Refoua; music, Robert Duncan; casting, Junie Lowry-Johnson, Libby Goldstein. 60 MIN.

Cast

Lily Rabe, Barry Sloane, Milo Ventimiglia, Derek Webster, Kristen Connolly, Kylie Rogers, Kyle Harrison Breitkopf

Rolling Stones fans patiently hoping for a new studio album from the band may not have to wait too much longer. Stones co-founder Keith Richards has revealed the band discussed the possibility of returning to the recording studio while in rehearsals prior to the start of their 2015 Zip Code Tour of North American tour.

The iconic Stones guitarist revealed the news during a new interview posted June 4 at Rolling Stone. Although their have been a number of Stones reissues, live releases, as well as solo, tribute and charity contributions from individual bandmembers, the legendary British rockers have not reunited to release a new studio album since 2005's A Bigger Bang.

Although industry revenue losses due to online piracy have partially behind the absence, the volatile relationship between Richards and songwriting partner, Stones frontman Mick Jagger has also played a pivotal role. Relations between the Glimmer Twins became frosty following some controversial remarks hat Richards made about Jagger in his bestselling 2010 memoir "Life."

Richards suggests in the interview that the tragic death in 2014 of Jagger's longtime girlfriend, L'Wren Scott has caused Jagger to reassess his priorities. Richards says, "Mick went through that terrible thing, and the band has become even more important to him because of that."

With the currently band enjoying what bandmate Ronnie Wood described as "the best vibe ever," Richards was asked about the possibility of a new studio album. "Funny you should mention that," Richards replied. "Just last week, the word 'studio' popped up while we were rehearsing. I said, 'Well, let's find a time. I'm ready!'"

Richards latest remarks follow on the heels of comments made by Jagger last month in a previous Rolling Stone interview, also expressing a desire to record a new Stones album. “I’d love to record a Stones album,” Jagger said. “If that doesn’t happen, then yes [to a solo record]. That’s a truthful answer."

Produced by AEG Live, The Stones' 2015 Zip Code Tour will continue on June 6 in Dallas, Texas, at AT&T Stadium with special guest Grace Potter. Tickets for all U.S. dates can be purchased at AXS.

See below for The Rolling Stones 2015 North American tour schedule. For the latest details on The Rolling Stones, click here.

Rolling Stones 2015 North American tour schedule:

June 6 – Dallas, Texas, AT&T Stadium (Grace Potter)
June 9 – Atlanta, Ga., Bobby Dodd Stadium (St Paul & The Broken Bones)
June 12 – Orlando, Fla., Orlando Citrus Bowl (The Temperance Movement)
June 17 – Nashville, Tenn., LP Field (Brad Paisley)
June 20 – Pittsburgh, Pa., Heinz Field (AWOLNATION)
June 23 – Milwaukee, Wis., Summerfest / Marcus Amphitheater (Buddy Guy)
June 27 – Kansas City, Mo., Arrowhead Stadium (Ed Sheeran)
July 1 – Raleigh, N.C., Carter-Finley Stadium (Avett Brothers)
July 4 – Indianapolis, Ind., Indianapolis Motor Speedway
July 8 – Detroit, Mich., Comerica Park (Walk The Moon)
July 11 – Buffalo, N.Y., Ralph Wilson Stadium (St. Paul & The Broken Bones)
July 15 – Quebec City, Quebec, Festival d’été de Québec

The 2015 San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds is once again playing host to a variety of musical acts this summer. Acts range from nationally recognized stars like Little Big Town and Colbie Caillat to local acts like singer/songwriterSavannah Philyaw and rock band Dropjoy.

There are also several tribute bands performing including the all female tribute to Iron Maiden, The Iron Maidens, and the only Johnny Cash tribute band officially recognized by the Cash family, Cash’d Out.

The ever popular 11th Annual Gospel Fest will be held on Saturday, June 27th. The festival features Donald Lawrence and Tamela Mann on the Heineken Grandstand Stage at 7 P.M. In addition various gospel acts will be held all day at all of the stages throughout the fair.
Opening weekend features 70’s disco favorite, KC and the Sunshine Band on Friday, a Bluegrass festival on Saturday, June 6th and country star, Gary Allan.

Every Thursday treat yourself to some golden oldies from the Solid Gold concertseries. Artists include, Vicki Carr whose hits include "It Must Be Him," "Pen In Hand" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." Vicki performs on June 11th. Other solid gold performers include Tony Orlando on June 18th, Judy Collins on July 2nd, and a tribute to Frank, Sammy, and Dean, The Las Vegas Rat Pack, on June 25th. All shows in the Solid Gold series start at 1 P.M. on the San Diego Showcase Stage.

On Fridays enjoy the comedy stylings of Sammy Obeid, Andrew Norelli, Frank Lucero, James P. Connoly, Eric Schwartz, Vargus Mason, Dwayne Perkins, and Karen Rontowski. All shows begin at 9 P.M. in the Turf Club and are hosted by Jason Love.

You can really get up close and personal with some of your favorite musicians and bands at the Paddock Concert Series. The Paddock Concert Series features nationally known artists and tribute bands performing in one of the Fair's most intimate settings. All concerts begin at 9 P.M. Set to perform in the series are Kaylin and Miles, saxophonist, Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers, blues guitar great The Robert Cray Band, and classic rock legend Iron Butterfly. Other popular acts in the series include,Three Dog Night, Tanya Tucker and The Marshall Tucker Band.

The Rock On Series is mostly tribute bands and begins nightly at 9 P.M. Bands include the aforementioned Iron Maidens, Matchbox TwentyToo, Billy Idolized, and Wicked Garden, a tribute to Stone Temple Pilot. The Rock On Series is also host to original music, including new comer and winner of San Diego Music Award for best new artist in 2014, Cody Lovaas.

Below is a complete schedule for the Heineken Grandstand Stage. Most concerts are free with fair admission but also have reserved seating available for an additional cost. A few of the concerts have additional admission costs. All shows start at 7:30 unless otherwise noted.
June 5 - KC and the Sunshine Band
June 6 - Gary Allan
June 7 – Banda MS
June 10 – Cheap Trick and Peter Frampton
June 11 – The Fab Four
June 12 – Terry Fator
June 13 – Colbie Caillat
June 14 – Los Tigres Del Norte
June 17 – Christina Perri
June 18 – Greg Allman
June 19 – Switchfoot 7:15
June 20 – Clare Bowen and Charles Esten
June 21 – Grupo Intocale
June 23 – Fifth Harmony
June 24 – Little Big Town
June 25 – Spirit West Coast – Early 5:30 show
June 26 – Charlie Wilson
June 27 – Gospel Festival
June 28 – Espinoza Paz
June 30 – Austin Mahone
July 1 – Voz del Mando
July 2 – Digifest
July 3 – Kansas
July 4 – Dana Carvey
July 5 – Calibra 50 and Banda Carnaval

Robby at Music Lifeboat

Robby Krieger will be playing for the Music Lifeboat charity this Sunday June 7, 2015. Music Lifeboat provides grants to schools for music education. The benefit is being held at the IVAR Theater in L.A. and is formatted as what is being described as a “VH-1 Storytellers” and an “Actors Studio” session. One of the announced highlights of the show will be Krieger playing “Spanish Caravan” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Krieger will also be playing selections from artists and albums that influenced his guitar playing. There is also going to be an auction of Gibson Les Paul guitars signed by Robby prior to the event. The Ivar Theater is at 1605 Ivar Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90028. The Doors open at 5 pm and tickets are still available. Information and tickets are available at the Music Lifeboat website. Robby recently spoke with...Gary Moore to promote the event.

Krieger Father’s and Son’s

I haven’t run an article (or a mention) of Doors offspring in about three years, the main reason being they aren’t part of The Doors experience. Recently, Waylon Krieger has been singing with his father on “50 Years of The Doors Greatest Hits Tour” this past spring (and will be singing at this Sunday's Music Lifeboat event too). Waylon was recently interviewed by Alternative Nation in the article “My Dad Wrote ‘Light My ...’ Legacy” by Doug McCausland. In it Krieger reveals how he blew the chance to sing in the Manzarek-Krieger Band, by not showing up to the audition so the job went to Dave Brock, he talks about his time with the band Bloodline, and his relationship with his father and when it dawned on him that his father was a legend. When the younger Krieger was 11-12 he suddenly became popular in school and didn’t understand it and Robby took his son aside and explained it “Don’t you get it, man? You got The Beatles, The Stone, Hendrix,…and The Doors!” Krieger also talks about his renewed interest in acting. It’s an interesting interview that will give you some insight into what it’s like not only having a famous father but a legendary one.

The 31st Annual TCA (Television Critics Association) Awards announced it nomineesThursday for the 2014-2015 season. This is fresh off the heels of the Critics’ Choice Television Awards presentation earlier in the week. The TCAs almost mirror the nominees from the CCTAs. Television critics seem to think alike. As usual HBOreceived the most nominations totaling seven, while ABC, CBS, AMC, and FX garnered five each amongst the networks. Fox’s ratings king “Empire” and Amazon’s breakthrough series “Transparent” each received four noms.

Many of the winners from TV’s Critics’ Choice are also nominated for a TCA Award. These include Taraji P. Henson (“Empire”), Amy Schumer (“Insider Amy Schumer”), Jeffrey Tambor (“Transparent”), and Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”). Once again what makes these television awards different from other TV critics groups? Television Critics Association members are full-time TV writers at newspapers, magazines, trade publications, news wire services, news syndicates, and text-based Internet news organizations.

The TCA Awards have been known to be an excellent precursor to the Emmys since 1984. Their Heritage Award has been given out since 2002. It celebrates iconic TV programs critics and viewers have come to love. Past winners included “The Simpsons,” “Saturday Night Live,” and “60 Minutes.” This is the same organization that holds press tours in the winter and summer annually. The TCA Awards will be held during their upcoming summer tour starting July 28 through Aug. 13. Unfortunately for television viewers, the TCAs will not be televised. Winners will be announced in a ceremony at the perennial Beverly Hilton Hotel on Aug. 8.

Here is a complete list of all nominees in all categories for the 2015 Television Critics Association Awards:

Program of the Year
“The Americans,” FX
“Empire,” Fox
“Game of Thrones,” HBO
“Mad Men,” AMC
“Transparent,” Amazon

Outstanding New Program
“Better Call Saul,” AMC
“Empire,” Fox
“The Flash,” The CW
“Jane the Virgin,” The CW
“Transparent,” Amazon

Outstanding Achievement in Comedy
“The Big Bang Theory,” CBS
“Inside Amy Schumer,” Comedy Central
“Jane the Virgin,” The CW
“Transparent,” Amazon
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” Netflix

Individual Achievement in Comedy
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Gina Rodriguez, “Jane The Virgin”
Amy Schumer, “Inside Amy Schumer”
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”
Constance Wu, “Fresh Off the Boat”

Outstanding Achievement in Drama
“The Americans,” FX
“Empire,” Fox
“Game of Thrones,” HBO
“Justified,” FX
“Mad Men,” AMC

Individual Achievement in Drama
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away With Murder”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Taraji P. Henson, “Empire”
Matthew Rhys, “The Americans”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”

Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials
“Bessie,” HBO
“The Honorable Woman,” SundanceTV
“The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” HBO
“Olive Kitteridge,” HBO
“Wolf Hall,” PBS

Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming
“The Amazing Race,” CBS
“The Chair,” Starz
“Dancing With the Stars,” ABC
“RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Logo
“Shark Tank,” ABC

Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming
“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” PBS
“The Fosters,” ABC Family
“The Legend of Korra,” Nickelodeon
“Sesame Street,” PBS
“Switched at Birth,” ABC Family

Outstanding Achievement in News and Information
“60 Minutes,” CBS
“CBS Sunday Morning,” CBS
“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central
“Frontline,” PBS
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” HBO

Heritage Award
“Friends”
“Late Show/Late Night with David Letterman”
“The Shield”
“Star Trek”
“Twin Peaks”

On a quest to bring back “socially conscious music” Rage Against the Machine and former Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello and musician Ryan Harvey of Riot-folk, a musician’s collective, have formed their own record label, Firebrand Records. The announcement and launch came June 4 after teasing about the project on Twitter, “What's black/white/Arab/Jewish/queer/straight/tortured/exiled/unbowed/unafraid & kickass. Find out 6-4-15 #Firebrand.”

According to the new label’s website, what makes Firebrand unique is its support ofactivism driven artists and lyrics. Some of the current artists have focuses in causes like Black Lives Matter, the fight against “tyranny and corruption,” refugees, international politics and depression among other things.

Co-founder Ryan Harvey not only participates as Firebrand’s co-conspirator, but also is signed as an artist. Harvey’s sound is of a different era, but its mixed with modern politics. On the activism front, Harvey has worked with veterans in the anti-war fight through the co-founding of The Civilian-Soldier Alliance. Also, he reportedly is a blogger and journalist.

Tom Morello also isn’t a stranger to activism, which would help explain his motivation behind the new label. "It's the kind of label that I wish had existed my entire artistic life," said Morello in an interview with Rolling Stone. Later on in the same article, Morello went on to say, “These are people who are not just revolutionary in their music, but with their actions.”

As for that music, it ranges from melodic electronic-esque singer songwriter duos to Swedish punk with a lot in between. It’s worth a listen.

Music Icon Pat Boone came to the Grammy Museum Tuesday night for an “In Conversation With” event. Grammy museum director Bob Santelli conducted the interview in the Clive Davis Theatre where all of their special events are held. Many know Boone was a best selling artist of the 50’s and 60’s but did you know he had 38 Top 40 hits among multiple genres, hold the Billboard record for most weeks on the charts at 220 consecutive weeks, number 1 bestselling author, member of the Gospel Hall Of Fame, and appeared in over 12 movies. Just like his friend Elvis Presley, Boone never won a Grammy, since there were no Grammy Awards back when their major hits came out in the 50’s and early 60’s. 2014 marked the 60th anniversary of Boone’s music career, and year prior his 60th wedding anniversary with Shirley Boone. 2015 is the 60th anniversary of Boone’s major hit “Ain’t That A Shame” (Fats Domino Cover).

The event started at 8 P.M. with a reel of Boone movies including “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “Bernardine” “State Fair,” and “The Yellow Canary.” Boone walked out to a standing ovation and sat down with Santelli for a Q&A. Boone discussed his music career, duets with other legendary artists, his white buck shoes, making music in different genres, and his heavy metal album and meeting Metallica and Alice Cooper. Early into the interview legendary music producer David Foster spoke about how Pat Boone was the first major pop star he had listened to and became a fan of. Towards the end a video of Boone singing with Ella Fitzgerald and another of him singing with Nat King Cole were shown. At the end of the Q&A a raffle was held for a signed pair of Boone white buck shoes. Before exiting Boone sang one song and brought his wife Shirley up to sing to. After the event Boone came out to the merchandise store for a signing. Attendees received a copy of Boone’s newly released duet vinyl of 13 recordings he picked to pay tribute to other great artists. This album commemorates his 60 years as a recording artist. This event was held the day after Boone's 81st Birthday.

Track Listing:
SIDE 1
Pat Boone & Ella Fitzgerald “I Wish I Were In Love Again” (1:16)
Pat Boone & Ella Fitzgerald “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (2:15)
Pat Boone & Count Basie “I’ve Heard That Song Before” (1:17)
Pat Boone & Nat ‘King’ Cole “Nature Boy/Poison Ivy” (3:36)
Pat Boone & The Kingston Trio “Tom Dooley” (2:35)
Pat Boone & Anna Maria Alberghetti “You’re the Cream In My Coffee/The Coffee Song” (2:43)
Pat Boone & Connie Francis “My Happiness” (1:58)
SIDE 2
Pat Boone & Jo Stafford “Folk Medley” (6:37)
Pat Boone & George Shearing “Stranger In Paradise” (3:03)
Pat & Shirley Boone and the Boone Girls “Rock-A-Bye” (1:54)
Pat Boone & Andy Williams “Tenderly” (1:31)
Pat Boone & Roy Rogers “Cowboy Medley” (3:02)
Pat & Shirley Boone “May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You” (2:09)

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