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After playing official SXSW showcases, partying with models, and making it onto Page Six, Young Orchids are returning to Atlanta to play before what is sure to be a packed house at Star Bar. 4th Ward Heroes is presenting a FREE show on Thursday, March 22 with Young Orchids, Quiet Hooves, Moonlight Bride, and special guests Party Party Partners.
Young Orchids are also celebrating the release of their new EP, Knives. Show is 21+ and doors open at 9PM.Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt sang quiet songs and told funny tales to a packed house at the Woodruff Arts Center on Wednesday, March 14. For two and a half hours they told stories of growing up loving music, girls, and the youthful deviance of stealing cars. If it was rehearsed, it was anything but obvious. Their banter flowed back and forth like old friends talking and teasing.
John Hiatt started out the 25 song night with his tune “Detroit Made,” a rockabilly jam about his love for the mid-1970’s Buick Electra. Lyle Lovett responded with another song favoring automobiles, “The Truck Song.” The car fun continued for the next four songs before Hiatt landed on “Open Road” and ended the witty competition. After Hiatt’s explanation of his love for taking cars as a teenager and Lovett revealing “a lot of us turned to plants in the ‘70s,” they took a break from the joking and played through 16 more songs.
Hiatt sang the title track of his biggest album, 1993’s Perfectly Good Guitar. Lovett followed with “Creeps Like Me,” a song as funny as an Al Yankovic jam, but flows like it was written by a seasoned songwriter refusing to lose its integrity for the sake of humor. Lovett only sang two cuts from his new album, Release Me, covering one of the two self-penned songs from the album “Girl With Holiday Smile,” and “One Way Gal,” a song originally from 1928 written by William Moore. It was here Lovett chose to prove that he can be a guitar picker too, not only a time-tested singer and writer.
Francine Reed, a legendary blues singer and former member of Lovett’s Large Band, was in attendance. Lovett took a moment to give sincere and honest thanks to her for the many ways she helped him. The audience responded with a standing ovation and demanded a duet. Naturally, they chose to sing Lovett’s staple, 1989’s “What You Do/The Glory Of Love.” John Hiatt continued the set with “Memphis In the Meantime,” a careless favoring of Memphis swag over Nashville polish, despite the many cuts he’s had from artists in the famous town. "I don’t think Blake Shelton is ever gonna record this song," Hiatt sang. Shelton probably won’t record that one, but with Hiatt’s position in songwriting royalty, he’ll probably record another one instead.
Lovett then closed the set with his popular, quirky song, “If I Had A Boat.” The two left the stage and then encored one song a piece: Hiatt chose the lyrically simple and emotionally intense “Have A Little Faith In Me” and Lovett picked crowd favorite “My Baby Don’t Tolerate.”
Song after song, hit after hit, these men have lasted in a business where not many can. It is because they have real talent. When all is stripped away, with only their guitars, they can still wow an audience with the greatest tools of the trade— a sharp mind and a yearning heart.
Ben Israel Thompson
Related Article:
Lyle Lovett's Release Me Review
After a long career with Curb Records, singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett has finally made his last record under the oversight of a major label. The aptly titled record Release Me makes no effort to conceal Lovett’s feelings on his departure; the front cover of the album is a photograph of the songwriter standing with his arms at his side, wrapped in rope, as if he’s unable to move. With a 27-year career, Lovett’s vocal delivery is as developed as it’s ever been. With only two cuts on the album penned by Lovett, one might think that he’s making a not-so-subtle statement about major labels and their artistically restrictive tendencies. We have reason to question what’s wrong, because Lyle Lovett is a songwriter yet his contributions are minimal.
The record serves up a variety of styles the troubadour has covered in his lengthy journey like a sampling of musical tapas, but as with the varied cuisine, you oftentimes don’t get to explore the full weight and depth of one favored selection. The same is the case with Release Me. It introduces his Curb farewell with a bluegrass jam that is absent of any words, suggesting that maybe he wants to say more with silence than any lyrical stanza could convey. The second song and title track is the collection’s height of country, a song from the mid 1940’s originally made famous by Ray Price. He then flips the coin to the other side of America’s roots music with a 12-bar blues jam, which doesn’t feel as good as anything Muddy Waters did, but his vocal execution comes from the deepest part of his worn out soul. Then comes “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” which like the other songs, delivers well, but has been sung enough by Tony Bennett alone that it ought to be legally off limits. The following track is a more forgettable gospel tune, feeling akin to an unimpressive Robert Randolph deep cut.
Six tracks into the album, the listener finally hits some serious songwriter bedrock though still unfortunately not written by the man himself, but Eric Taylor instead. A few more lack-luster tunes: “One Way Gal,” the blues classic “Keep It Clean,” and a few other outstanding tunes like Chuck Berry’s “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” Townes Van Zandt’s “White Freightliner Blues,” Sara Watkins’ folk-country ballad “Night’s Lullaby,” and the listener begins to wonder, “where’s the consistency?” There isn’t any, and it hurts anyone who knows Lovett’s talent as a songwriter.One of two tracks written by Lovett, “The Girl With The Holiday Smile,” becomes the twisted knife, the sad reminder of what he can and could do. The story of a friendly meeting with a hooker in a grocery store is funny, but seriously well crafted like a lighter B-side to Tom Waits’ “Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis.” Slow and bare, “Dress of Laces” feels like a song that could be sung by Alison Krauss, but he proves that a hard-worn voice can carry a ballad about a wounded girl as well as the angel herself. Finally, Lyle Lovett refuses to tie the album together on the last track, “Keep Us Steadfast,” an old traditional hymn he sings with its original somber melody and minimal instrumentation.
Release Me is not void of talent or musicianship. It’s not that one of America’s prized writers has lost his ability, but has he lost his inspiration? He can sing—after all— that is showcased on this record as clearly as it ever has. But when he writes, it’s the feature. He could always sing, but people didn’t rave about his voice; they listened to his words. And that is precisely why we would have a right to be concerned—that the opener of Release Me is a foreshadowing. It's not that we would have a man that doesn’t make records; rather, something worse. It's that we have a man who makes records, but who is silent.
Ben Israel Thompson
The deep groove that resonated from The Masquerade on Friday, March 9 soothed the souls of all in attendance. The Wailers, late reggae royalty Bob Marley’s backing band, jammed nearly all night with their set clocking in at two hours and thirty minutes long. Unlike most rock shows that pound the walls of The Masquerade, The Wailers were much quieter, as if to let every ounce of the show represent the relaxed roots of Jamaica. It wasn’t loud, they weren’t in a hurry to stop playing, and everyone danced for nearly the entirety of the night.
The Wailers are not ones to stop the party when it feels so good. The legendary group played most of the hits you would hope to hear, including the Eric Clapton inspiration “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Jammin,” “Get Up Stand Up,” and the reggae-pop “Could You Be Loved.” What originally seemed to be an encore turned into an entire second set. They started out with two songs, featuring co-lead vocalist Danglin and guitarist Audley Chisholm, one of which was the Marley acoustic protest tune, “Redemption Song.” They continued to play for nearly another hour, as people ignored the clock. Sending love vibes throughout the night, they touched on “Is This Love” and closed the night with what might be Marley’s legacy, “One Love/People Get Ready.”
Even though there is only one original member left—bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett—of the eight person crew, it made no difference. Barrett was the thread that knitted the band together in the 1970s and he is the link that holds and makes the chain strong over thirty years later. No, it didn’t feel like a gimmick watching a band where most of the players had passed away or moved on. Marley’s spirit of jam and unity lives on in his band The Wailers despite his passing, and that is exactly what he would have wanted.
Ben Israel Thompson
The Wailers play this Friday night, March 9, at Atlanta's The Masquerade. Carrying on the legacy of the greatly missed Bob Marley whose spirit lives on in the music, The Wailers carry it across the world. Jamaica's DNA travels through the sound waves as listeners get a taste of another culture's pride and heritage. It's international- this love for music- and everyone gets a chance to speak their mind. Come join in and witness the legacy that lives on, not just the legend of Bob Marley, but the universal passion for music.
Tickets are still available for The Wailers show at The Masquerade. Buy them here!
Ben Israel Thompson
Related Article:
Mixtape Atlanta interviews The Wailers at Midsummer Music Fest
With stars like Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Megan Fox, Edward Burns, Chris O'Dowd, Adam Scott, and Jennifer Westfeldt, how can you go wrong? Mixtape Atlanta wants to give you a sneak peek of the movie Friends With Kids, tomorrow night!. We are giving away pairs of tickets to an advanced screening on Tuesday, March 6th at Landmark Midtown. To enter simply send and email with the subject "FRIENDS WITH KIDS" to [email protected]. Winners will be notified by 8pm tonight.
Jessie Baylin (aka Jessie Followill... aka Mrs. Kings of Leon) will be at Smith's Olde Bar with The Watson Twins on Tuesday, March 6th. Doors are at 8pm and tickets are just $10 in advance. Anyone who purchases their tickets in advance before Monday at 5pm will be entered into a contest to win fun prize packs!
We are also giving away two pairs of tickets to the show to some lucky readers. Email us here with Jessie Baylin as your subject to win.
