Let's RAGE

Coming to a Casey's Bar at the Harrisonburg Holiday Inn near you...

The mighty, mighty return of MURPHY'S KIDS with Eastern Standard Time and Tsunami Rising, brought to you by the good people of Blame it On the Train Productions.

You're reading right: on Friday, March 28 at 9pm, the party starts at Casey's with more raggae, ska and rock then you'll know what to do with. And don't worry youngin's: the doors are open for fans under 21, too.

If you know Murphy's Kids: you know why this show is going to be off the hook.
If you don't know Murphy's Kids: you should go find out why you should know Murphy's Kids.

MACRoCk Update!

Mark your calendars now. MACRoCk is making its mighty return and JMU's own student-run independent radio station WXJM is bringing you one solid showcase featuring: Aloha, Owen, Mock Orange, Anathallo, Shapiro, Unwed Sailor, The Forms, Brooke Waggoner, Ryan Lindsey and Memorial.

The WXJM showcase kicks off at 3:00pm on Saturday, April 5 at Memorial Hall of the JMU campus in Harrisonburg. Come check out the tag-team effort of WXJM and the Mid Atlantic College Radio Conference to spread the independent music love!

For tickets and more info CLICK ME and keep your eyes peeled for more artist links throughout the up-coming weeks.

This week's feature: Brooke Waggoner and Ryan Lindsey. Dig into their links on the right!

Boys with Guitars

For those of you state-side, I just got a whiff of something good cooking up north...

Erik DiNardo is a Boston native who is spilling his journal entries into his songs and starting to gain some real recognition for it. DiNardo released his debut album in 2007 and has earned praise from Seventeen and CUSP Magazine among others.

He has been compared to Jason Mraz, The Goo Goo Dolls and John Mayer, all of which are very good company, and has a similar contagious appeal like other guitarist, singer, song-writers like Matt Nathanson and Howie Day.

The album, "Turning Me Loose" was produced by Chris Keup (Jason Mraz, Jonathan Rice) and was engineered by Stewart Myers (Lifehouse, Mandy Moore) and is a chill mix of thoughtful melodies that have an appeal that is difficult to deny.

For more info on Erik, check out his MySpace profile or find him on CDBaby.com.

Viva Valentine's Violin!

If you haven't read yesterday's blog, chew on that first! If you're hungry for more, keep reading here...


Upon later conversations with Morgenstern, the rational behind the unique selection of compositions was made clear. After seeing the Barkauskas Partita piece listed in a concert program in Russia, Morgenstern was immediately reminded of Bach and sought pieces with comparable dance rhythms, which would complement each other.

Riconscenze per Goffredo Petrassi by Carter was also very deliberate as the piece was composed as a dedication to well-known Italian composer Petrassi and this year also marks Carter's 100 birthday.

The Dante Suite by Saylor was an obvious choice for many reasons, not the least of which being Dante Alighieri was a Florentine. Though he was exiled from the city for political reasons, Dante is still well loved here in Firenze and even has his own monument outside of Santa Croce, though he is not buried in the church.

The piece was also appropriate for Morgenstern as he, along with writer Jonathan Levi, toured a stage production of Dante's Inferno based on Robert Pinsky's translation of the classic epic. The duo even formed a theatre group with a name inspired by the nine circles of Dante's Inferno and call themselves, the Nine Circles Chamber Theatre. Since it's creation, the theatre has created and performed seven stage productions, combining a wide spectrum of artistic talents ranging from music and acting to dancing and visual arts.

The entire program was very well constructed; mixing classical and modern pieces ranging from 1720 to 1997 and overcame the challenges of a solo string performance. Because string instruments cannot sustain chords, counterpoint and harmony are impossible. "I programmed works that I thought overcame those challenges and were at the same time, 'violinistic'," said Morgenstern.

The performance was also inspiring from another perspective.

"I usually joke that the average age for classical audiences is 'deceased'," said Morgenstern. "I can't state strongly enough how wonderful and exciting it was to see younger people in the audience...The energy I felt from the students was especially invigorating because, whether they enjoyed it or not, they were extremely attentive. We can't ask for more than that."

Music, like every art form has and will continue to change over time. However, the importance of understanding the roots and beginnings of the classics and acquiring a respect for the masterpieces, which have preceded the art of today, is so crucial to forming a well-rounded human being. "Ultimately, the arts are a civilizing force; without them we face a civilization without the 'civil' component," added Morgenstern.

This is one of the most important lessons I have learned while studying here in Florence. It is impossible to grasp the importance of and skill needed to compose and create the art surrounding me here, but it is essential to try. The slow death of the arts in school programs and lack of emphasis on true artistic creations in media is both tragic and ominous.

"The lack of arts education both in the schools and at home (used to be that everyone could have a piano rather 6 television sets) is devastating in my view," said Morgenstern. This shift of emphasis from art to entertainment and the blurred line between them is an issue worth addressing, though on the greater list of war, economics and health, seems to fall by the wayside among the political issues of today. With that in mind, the best each of us can do is try to seek out and appreciate the opportunities we all have to see, hear and learn from the art all around us.

This Valentine's Day I did not receive a typical gift. I received something much better: the chance to see and hear art come alive, meet an incredible musician and revive my own personal appreciation for something much bigger than myself. Viva l'arte.

Violin for Valentine's Day

Though I may not have had a boyfriend to take me out for a romantic dinner and buy me roses and chocolate, this Valentine's Day was my favorite to date and more than exceptionally sweet.

I had the pleasure of seeing Gil Morgenstern perform, right here at the Palazzo Capponi in our very own Rose Suite.

Mr. Morgenstern is a violinist with one of the most impressive resume's I have ever seen. He has performed since he was five and has traveled all over the world to destinations including New York, London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Berlin and Hong Kong and has performed with symphonies and orchestras in St. Louis, Baltimore, Louisville, Indianapolis, Denver, Milwaukee, New Jersey and North Carolina. He has been featured on TV and NPR broadcasts, worked with Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky and Pulitzer Prize poet Yusef Komunyakaa. He has been the director of various creative organizations and performance series and has performed at the White House. That's just a few of his accomplishments.

Being a violinist since I was seven made the whole experience somewhat surreal. As Mr. Morgenstern played the first few notes of Bach's Partita in E Major I could feel the tears well up and my heart rate increase as I recognized it as one of the pieces I performed years before. His sound was flawless and rich, doing justice to the piece that I was never capable of. He brought the classical sound to new life.

However, after the Bach piece, there was a radical change in style. The next selection was by Vytautas Barkauskas and was unlike any violin solo I have ever heard, let alone tried to play. The complex range of dynamics, styles and techniques was incredible and the modern feel was engaging. Though the audience was made up of a good majority of students, which was refreshing, each pair of eyes and doubtlessly ears, were completely glued to the flying fingers and lively bow.

Mr. Morgenstern continued the night with Riconscenze per Goffredo Petrassi by Elliott Carter and Dante Suite for Solo Violin by Bruce Saylor, which never failed to keep the audience attentive and readings from Dante's Inferno were sprinkled throughout the routine, both by JMU students and Professor Luca Baldoni.



For more on my own reactions and about Mr. Morgenstern and the pieces, check back tomorrow...

Come on, Ride the Train...

They have been called “The Next Big Thing” by the Boston Tribune and their songs have been called “accessible but uncompromising in their creativity” by David Royko of the Chicago Tribune. They were recognized by and invited to the studio of bluegrass legend David Grisman and have performed on the same ticket as well-known and established artists like Sam Bush, Josh Ritter, Allison Krauss, Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson, Alan Jackson, Medeski Martin and Wood and George Strait. Though they have toured on and off for the past seven years, this Charlottesville-based five-piece still has a soft spot for the hometown crowds of Virginia and this Wednesday, February 20, they will be sharing the love with Harrisonburg and JMU.
Old School Freight Train will be performing this week at Rocktown Bar and Grill with Eliminator Jr. in a show organized by the recently established and locally run concert production and promotion company, Blame it on the Train Productions. Doors open at 8pm and everyone ages 18 and up is welcome to see and hear the band that impressed even Grisman, himself enough to give them an invitation to his house and studio in California.
“After forty years of recording acoustic music, it’s not very often that a new band catches (and keeps) my attention,” says Grisman. “Old School Freight Train has done that and more.”
College buddies, Pete Frostic (mandolin and mandocello), Jesse Harper (vocals, guitar, percussion) and Ben Krakauer (banjo) began playing together in Williamsburg, Virginia and were later joined by Darrell Muller (upright bass) and Nate Leath (fiddle). The group took off after sending a demo to David Grisman, who invited them to a show at the Birchmere in Washington, DC where OSFT met him after the show and the boys were met by Grisman’s immediate interest to help the band record and promote their material.
Since teaming up with one of the most accomplished bluegrass musicians in the business, who has performed with artists including Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead, OSFT recorded and released Run in 2005 on Grisman’s Acoustic Disc Label and self-released the album Live in Ashland. Later in this week on February 22, the band will be filming a show at the Gravity Lounge in Charlottesville and news about their next release, due to out in April, can be found online.
But for those left unimpressed or unconvinced by reviews and endorsements, the best way to appreciate OSFT is to see the band live. “Our shows are very energetic,” says Frostic. “Anyone who comes can expect to see high energy musicians who are taking a chance. We play songs that are catchy, some covers people already know and we jam, so each show is different.”
The group plays an eclectic style of music fusing jazz and bluegrass with Celtic and Latin hues and thoughtful lyrics. The vocals of Harper also lend themselves to an easy comparison with Ben Harper, smoothly coating intricate melodies and arrangements composed through the group effort of the band. “We all write together,” explained Frostic. “We’ll sometimes put chords in a hat and pull them out and then we each go away and take 15 minutes to come up with something. Then we reconvene and pick the best or combine them.”
OSFT’s influences range from Van Morrison and Brad Mehldau to artists covered on Run including Stevie Wonder and Randy Newman, though their unique combination of styles can most accurately be described as the probable future of bluegrass.
“We wanted to play everything,” said Frostic. “But it eventually coalesced because some things felt natural and other things we were terrible at. The training we’ve had has been with each other.”
Regardless of musical preference, the show is guaranteed to deliver a quality performance, as OSFT has proved to be an influential contemporary bluegrass group and emphasize the best part of performing is the energy of the crowd. “I love taking a risk musically and hoping it works,” says Frostic. “When it does, it’s great, when it’s bad it’s awful. But that thrill of trying new things is probably my favorite.”
This will be OSFT’s second appearance in Harrisonburg after performing at The Little Grill Collective several years ago and more information on the show can be found online at www.osft.net or on the Old School Freight Train MySpace page. More information and tickets can also be found at www.blameitonthetrain.org,
For more on the band, check out YouTube.com for video blogs of the touring and recording process.

Check out the Monday edition of the Breeze to see this article in print!

Alright Ramblers, Let's Get Ramblin'

Word on the street, or Via here in Italy, is that this weekend was pretty full of Rock n' Roll. And I want to hear all about it!

Saturday night was both the Futbol for Change benefit show at Rocktown featuring the Sometimes Favorites AND Midnight Spaghetti's fifth anniversary house party at The Bag. Even over here I've heard about the DVD screening, commemorative posters and special guests including Blatant Vibe, Ryan Villanueva and DJ Maskell. But I still need details! Post a comment if you were one of the lucky (and awesome) ones who went to either show!

And don't forget: Friday, February 15th at a JMU TDU near you: 7:30pm-12am, Midnight Spaghetti and the Chocolate G-Strings with Detroit Lounge City!

AND...(more on this later) Old School Freight Train is coming to Rocktown on Wednesday, February 20! Keep your eyes peeled for Blame it on the Train Production rep's or check out the site to buy your tickets now!

This is the End

I visited Paris for the first time nearly 10 years ago. I was only 11 and traveling with an orchestra on a tour of Europe for 17 days, so as you can imagine, we were being shuffled here and there for performances, museum visits, etc. In addition, the city was erupting in a World Cup frenzy of excitement, making it even more challenging to enjoy the city's beauty and making the French even more impatient with Americans lacking any French-speaking abilities. This initial and somewhat disappointing first impression of France and Paris in particular, was enough to convince me never to return.

However, this entire experience was before I fell in love with The Doors.

Studying in Italy has provided me and each of the students here with a unique opportunity for travel. Thanks to the efficiency of trains and affordability of flights, we all came here with the expectation to see as much as possible. Though I had promised myself never to return to Paris, it was first on the list of places to see for many of my friends here in the program. I was hesitant to agree to the trip because of my previous experience and because of my long list of other places to see, but after weighing the options, decided to make the trip. Though I had seen the Louvre, Notre Dame, The Arc de Triumph, and the Eiffel Tower, there was another landmark in Paris which I had been completely unaware of during my previous visit: Jim Morrison's grave.

My interest in The Doors began my senior year of high school at a local library. I had been researching the evolution of rock and roll music for a paper when I came across a book by the drummer of The Doors, John Densmore called "Riders on the Storm". Out of nothing more than curiosity, I decided to check the book out. Though I read the book by chance, my behavior since has been very deliberate.

Reading Densmore's book did more than spark my interest in the band and Morrison in particular, but in rock history in general. Since reading "Riders on the Storm", I have also read various books about Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and John Lennon and have become an avid reader of music magazines including Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Spin and Paste. However, I still remain most interested in The Doors, their short-lived peak of fame and the mystery surrounding their front man, Mr. Mojo Risin' (move those letters around and see what they spell), James Douglas Morrison.

Morrison was born December 8, 1943 in Melbourne, Florida, but was destined to a life of travel as his father, Admiral George Stephen Morrison was active in the United States Navy. In 1947, when he was only 4-years-old, he witnessed a car accident involving a family of Native Americans while traveling in the desert with his own family. This experience found its way into multiple future-Doors songs including "Riders on the Storm" and "Peace Frog" and for the rest of his life, Morrison would consider the incident be one of his most influential experiences. However, his family does not recall ever seeing accident.

Though Morrison is most well-known for his activity with The Doors, he attended college for film at St. Petersburg Junior College, Florida State University and UCLA, and published two volumes of poetry in 1969, The Lords/Notes on Vision and The New Creatures. These were the only volumes of Morrison's poetry released during his short lifetime.

After graduating from UCLA, Morrison teamed up with fellow classmate and future keyboardist of The Doors, Ray Manzarek to form the group with guitarist Robbie Krieger and drummer John Densmore. The name of the band was inspired by an Aldous Huxley book, The Doors of Perception which borrowed a line of poetry from William Blake. "When the doors of perception are cleansed/Things will appear as they are, infinite." This quotation was one of many which inspired Morrison, an avid reader of such writers including Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Jack Kerouac and especially the philosophical works of Fredrich Nietzsche.

The Doors released six studio albums between 1967 and 1971 and influenced the future of rock and roll within their limited run. Though they were only actively touring and recording for less than a decade, they left behind an impressive catalog of rock music classics including “Peace Frog”, “L.A. Woman”, “Light My Fire”, and “Touch Me” and Morrison’s style has inspired rock generations ever since. The prototypical sexy and mysterious rock star image and legendary leather pants have been used as a model for later artists including Roger Daltrey, Mike Love, Robert Plant and Iggy Pop.

However, their striking success was also marred by the destructive and ultimately deadly tendencies, primarily of Morrison, which led to lawsuits, disagreements and the demise of a band and a life that had barely begun.

Jim Morrison was found dead on July 3, 1971 by girlfriend, Pamela Courson in his Paris apartment bathtub.

In accordance with French law, no autopsy was performed because no foul play was suspected, so precise cause of death has remained unknown. Local French doctor Max Vasille examined Morrison’s body and “heart failure” was the announced cause of death, though this was later considered suspicious because Morrison’s personal physician in the United States stated he “was in excellent health before traveling to Paris.”

The manager of The Doors, Bill Siddons, released an official statement claiming Morrison had died peacefully of natural causes though he chose not to view the actual corpse.

Besides Siddons, none of Morrison’s friends or family had the opportunity to see the body as a three-day news blackout followed the abrupt death and the body was quickly taken and buried at Pere-Lachise, one of the most famous cemeteries in the world where other notables including Moliere and Oscar Wilde are buried. Being a national French cemetery, it is unusual that a foreigner was allowed a place among such distinguished company. Furthermore, the site remained unmarked for several months following the burial and upon viewing the gravesite, Doors drummer, John Densmore claimed the grave was too short.

Since Morrison’s death, other suspicions have surfaced concerning cause of death and whether The Lizard King died at all.

Conversations with Courson have revealed a heroin overdose as a possible cause of death as Morrison had inhaled the substance mistaking it for cocaine. However, Courson also reported various contradicting stories including versions where his death was her own fault. Unfortunately, Courson died four years later, like Morrison, at the age of 27, of a heroin overdose.

This past July 2007 another story surfaced as described by Morrison’s friend Sam Bernett in which the rock icon died of a heroin overdose in the Rock n’ Roll Circus nightclub. After overdosing, Morrison was taken back to his own apartment by the dealers who sold him the heroin that night. Allegedly, those who witnessed the event were sworn to secrecy in order to preserve the reputation of the well-known nightclub.

Though there are other theories concerning more mystic and spiritual reasons for Morrison’s death, the other most popular theory is, of course, that he never died at all. Morrison had mentioned pulling a “death stunt” in 1967 as a means of gaining press attention for the band and had also discussed the desire to “radically change careers, reappearing as a suited and neck-tied businessman.”

Stories still surface today of sightings around Paris, radio interviews in the Midwest, eerie phone conversations and mysterious withdrawals from bank accounts in the singer’s name, but no definitive evidence has been shown to prove the singer is alive. Yet little has been shown to actually prove him deceased. (Several years back a group of avid Doors fans even went so far as to try and compare Morrison’s dental records to the buried body’s remains, but failed to gain access to the body.)

Further fueling the fire, Ray Manzarek was also quoted as saying, “If there was one guy that would have been capable of staging his own death, getting a phony death certificate and paying off some French doctor… putting 150 pound sack of sand into a coffin and splitting to some point on this planet, Africa, who knows where, it is Jim Morrison who would have been able to pull it off.”

This was a lot to consider when staring at the unimpressive grave. Though finding the cemetery was easy (it is one of the most famous and visited sites in France), finding Morrison’s grave was not. The cemetery is a mess of stones and pathways, weaving without rhyme or reason up and down a gigantic hill decorated with gravesites and memorials to some of the greatest artists and most famous French families dating back hundreds of years.

Morrison’s grave is oddly placed, sandwiched awkwardly between other unknown graves with no definitive marking other than the young people in tye-dye staring at the stone behind a small metal gate blocking direct access to the grave. Flowers decorate the modest stone and the name is barely legible, even from the closest possible point.

It was not what I had expected. I remembered pictures of the grave with a bust of Morrison marking the site, but remembered upon my arrival that it was defaced and later stolen. Prior to that, French officials had placed a shield over the grave, but that too was stolen.

However, what most interested me about the simple site was the Greek inscription below the name and date of my favorite artist, singer and poet of all time: “KATA TON AAIMONA EAYTOY”, meaning “true to his own spirit.”

Whether dead or alive, and for whatever reason, Morrison was, true to himself. Without fear or apprehension of the rest of the world, Mr. Mojo Risin’ progressed forward in his own desired direction throughout his tumultuous career and life and remains a unique icon of rock and roll and the psychedelic musical era he helped to define.

Leaving Paris, I was satisfied. Though I and the rest of the world may never know the truth of Morrison’s death or lack thereof, we can still remember his contributions to music, art and culture and move forward, always mindful: “The future’s uncertain and the end is always near…”

Heat it Up

Got the H-burg blues? I've got the cure: Take two of these and call me in the morning...

Rocktown: this Saturday night, February 9 at 9pm:
Check out a benefit show raising money for Futbol for Change featuring The Sometimes Favorites. The charity was started by the JMU soccer team and is working to raise money for underprivileged children in Ghana. Funds will help fund their education and buy them soccer supplies they otherwise could not afford.

The Bag: this Saturday night, February 9:
Don't miss out on the celebration! Midnight Spaghetti's fifth anniversary house party is happening and it's perfectly planned out: Rocktown with The Sometimes Favorites + The Bag with Midnight Spaghetti=one incredible night.

Rocktown: Wednesday, February 20 at 10pm:
Blame it on the Train Productions is bringing Charlottesville visitors Old School Freight Train to a Rocktown near you. With intelligent lyrics and an impressive blend of musical genres ranging from folk, jazz and soul to pop, Latin and Celtic, they've got something for everyone. Take advantage of the opportunity to see this up-and-coming next big thing!

JMU's Taylor Down Under: Friday, February 15 at 7:30pm:
Come get your fix of Detroit Lounge City and Midnight Spaghetti right on your very own JMU campus! How can you pass up something this funky AND convenient?

WXJM Live (88.7FM Harrisonburg): Thursday, March 13 from 8pm-10pm:
Really like pasta? Good, because there is plenty to go around. Tune in or listen online to JMU's student-run independent radio station WXJM for a special live broadcast of Midnight Spaghetti.

Stay groovy.

It is Time for a Love Revolution

Need something to look forward to after the Giants beat the Patriots this weekend in the most fantastic Super Bowl in history? (That's right, let's get some bets on the table!) No need to worry: Lenny Kravitz to the rescue.

For long-time Kravitz fans like me (admit it! you are, too!), this "Love Revolution" is a breath of fresh air from the stale pop records we've all had to bear recently. It seems as the industry makes its steady decline toward extinction, the labels have gradually given in to their destiny and are marching toward the grave with more monotonous, repetitive and typical tunes than ever before. So in response to Kravitz's eighth studio album title, "It is Time for a Love Revolution", I say, "Yes, it is time". Let's "let love rule"...and good music, too.

The album is set to release next Tuesday, February 5 and will include 14 new tracks all of which were written, composed, arranged, performed and produced by Kravitz. Talk about a jack of all trades AND a diamond in the rough! Though it would be unfair to assume most very successful artists are cookie-cutter creations of major label's artist and development teams, it wouldn't be too far from the truth to predict that many of them are. In this era of big-business, it is rare to find a major-label artist as dedicated to the craft of following their artistic creation from start to finish as thoroughly as Kravitz. Though I could name dozens of independent and lesser-known bands that dedicate their lives to the craft, I would be hard pressed to listen to the radio and name any recent artists who do the same. So, if you were looking for a justification to admit your love of Lenny, now you've got it.

Leonard Albert Kravitz has been mixing rock, soul, funk, reggae, psychedelic, folk and ballad styles since 1989 and not only writes, produces and arranges the music, but plays guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, percussion and sings both lead and backing vocals on many of the tracks. He has been the recipient of a multitude of awards including MTV Video Music Awards, Grammy's, VH1 Awards and Rock American Music Awards. His long list of accomplishments and impressive ability to adapt to changing musical preferences in popular music make him one of the most versatile and successful artists today.

Being the softy that I am for hard-copy CD's I will be sitting here jealous on the other side of the ocean as you all will be able to buy the album in stores for much less than I can here in the land of the Euro. So take advantage of the dollar and your local CD store! And save me a copy, too ;)

Until next time, I'm "always on the run".

PS: Leave a comment!