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Feb. 19, 2010 – Nottingham
Nottingham Arena

Feb. 20, 2010 – Manchester
Manchester Arena

Feb. 21, 2010 – Cardiff
Cardiff International Arena

Feb. 23, 2010 – London
Wembley Arena

Feb. 24, 2010 – Bournemouth
Bournemouth International Center

Feb. 26, 2010 – Dublin
02 Arena

Feb. 27, 2010 – Glasgow
SECC

Mar. 01, 2010 – Brussels
Forest National

Mar. 02, 2010 – Amsterdam
HMH

Mar. 04, 2010 – Lille
Lille Aeronef

Mar. 05, 2010 – Paris
Bercy

Mar. 06, 2010 – Dusseldorf
Philipshalle

Mar. 08, 2010 – Hamburg
Sportshalle

Mar. 09, 2010 – Copenhagen
KB Hallen

Mar. 10, 2010 – Stockholm
Fryshuset Arena

Mar. 12, 2010
Old Ice Hall

Mar. 14, 2010 – St. Petersburg
SKK Arena

Mar. 17, 2010 – Berlin
The Arena

Mar. 18, 2010 – Prague
Prague Incheba Arena

Mar. 19, 2010 – Vienna
Gasometer

Mar. 21, 2010 – Munich
Zenith

Mar. 22, 2010 – Milan
Palasharp

Mar. 23, 2010 – Zurich
Volkshaus

Feb 5 2010 8:00P
Outer Banks Brewing Station Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Feb 7 2010 2:00P
FREE SHOW – Island Bicycles w/ Island 107.1 Key West, Florida

Feb 8 2010 8:00P
Sunset Peir (Ocean Key Resort) Key West, Florida

Feb 9 2010 8:00P
Sunset Peir (Ocean Key Resort) Key West, Florida

Feb 10 2010 8:00P
Sunset Pier (Ocean Key Resort) Key West, Florida

Feb 12 2010 8:00P
DaDa Delray Beach, Florida

Feb 13 2010 8:00P
Allstars Sports Bar and Grille Pompano Beach, Florida

Mar 5 2010 8:00P
North Star Bar – Jason Ager CD RELEASE PARTY!! Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mar 13 2010 9:45P
Panico’s (Formerly Molettiere’s) Lansdale, Pennsylvania

Mar 17 2010 8:00P
St Patrick’s Day @ The Rising Sun w/ The Pluckin Grassholes telford

Mar 19 2010 9:00P
The Perk Perkasie, Pennsylvania

Switchfoot will be touring Canada with one of our favorite bands, The Paper Tongues.

The band said, “He’s done it again. The perfect set-up for the perfect Canada tour in January with Switchfoot! Soaking up the relative warmth while we can. Picking up Spaceman tonight from the airport, our phenom production manager.”

Read about the dueling keyboardists and the review of their show with Jet.

Blacksburg, VA — I guess you could say I was surprised by Maroon 5’s performance last night (11/10/09). At the same time, it was more or less what I expected. Never before have my feelings towards a band changed so many times in one concert. I went to the show with an open mind, ready to get past the female obsessive boy-band stereotype… if they could prove themselves. This was especially true because my father had seen them at Live 8 a few years ago and said they were actually pretty good.

Their first songs were pure bad-assness. The lead singer, Adam Levine, had tattoos on his arms and was making sexually crude jokes most of the time. They topped off the middle of their set with a two minute long epic drum solo. While the drummer, Ryan Dusick, wailed away the band took a knee and watched as he left the audience in awe. I’ve seen my fair share of awesome drum solos done by great drummers (ex: Travis Barker and Mike Portnoy) and this was on par with their work. While he didn’t lift off the stage in a godlike manor, or have a multi-kit drum set, he did an impressive job.

Unfortunately, the solo left Dursick tired. So, while he was backstage recuperating, the band did some of their songs acoustically. Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of acoustical guitar songs. Regardless, this is the scheduled intermission in their set, a point made obvious when they started to cover Alisha Keys’ Beautiful. My ears bled for the duration of the song and left me distracted for the remainder of the acoustical songs.

Fortunately, they were able to redeem themselves. Following the acoustical portion of the show, Levine brought up a female audience member to give her his stool (stage prop). When she sat down on the stool, he proceeded to offer her a lap dance. The crowd was roaring with laughter. After singing to her, he gave her a kiss on the cheek which drew an, “Aww,” from the audience.

There were probably two or three girls for every boy which actually surprised me. I thought there would be way less guys at the show. That didn’t stop the girls from creating an ear shattering wail when they were begging for an encore. My ears received more damage in those three minutes between the original set and the encore than they have from all the concerts I’ve ever been to. Considering how often I’ve been standing in front of the speakers at those concerts, that is an impressive feet. I actually had to cover my ears it was so intolerable.

Of course, the band came back out. What I found unusual was that they only performed one song. Granted it was a long and impressive song. The outro sequence was intense and left a great last impression on me.
For a guy looking for rocking songs I’d have to recommend another band, as a general statement. My recommendation would be to download select songs (particularly not the Alisha Keys cover.) The live versions of the song have more solos and are all around more focused on the rock aspect of music where the album version’s will focus more on the romantic hip-hop aspect.

Maroon 5 Setlist And Pictures

Philadelphia, PA — One of the largest concert venues, The Spectrum, is slated for demolition. Before it goes, there have been a few final concerts to celebrate its history (including Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam.)

Friday, October, 23, was the “Last Call” concert featuring Philadelphia bands, Daryl Hall and John Oates with special guests the Hooters and Todd Rundgren.

Tickets were available starting at $4.00.

Morrisville, Pa — As the name suggests, The Stir Fry Music Revival served up a heaping portion of good times and music with “a little bit of this and a little bit of that.” Whether it was some bluegrass and funky folk or rock mixed with reggae and roots, the bands were cooking.

A festival can offer a unique opportunity. For a regular show, the band comes in, does their thing, packs and goes home; however, a festival allows bands to interact with each other. There were many of these amazing interchanges at Stir Fry. One of them occurred as soon as the first band finished their set. DotMan was on the main stage MC-ing between bands. Tin Bird Choir was setting up for their set on the second stage. DotMan started singing what appeared to be an impromptu song, “The Stir Fry Blues”. The lead singer from Tin Bird Choir turned her soundcheck into a harmonizing session with DotMan. Not only were two great musicians having a cosmic collision, it was also made available for an audience to experience.

Another example of what can be found in a Stir Fry mix is “Josh The Bassist”.
Q: How often does a musician get to play three sets with three different bands for the same audience?
A; Only at an event like Stir Fry.
For the Friday evening crowd, Josh played bass with Tin Bird Choir, Manatawny Creek Ramblers and Frog Holler. When he was finished, I caught up with him to shake his hand, “That must be tough. Most people can not make it through one show. You did it with not just one or two, but you did it with three different bands. And, with Manatawny Creek Ramblers, you played a stand-up bass!” Josh replied, “Thank you. I suppose that is unusual to be able to play that long with diverse bands. And, yes, you are right. The hardest part was carrying the stand-up bass through the parking lot.”

There are so many simultaneous things going on at a festival. It is difficult to take them all in, yet that special Stir Fry ingredient could be found throughout. If you were performing and looked out, you could see your idols in the audience. J.R., keyboardist for Wide Eyed Mother Brothers was performing when he spotted someone in the audience. He stopped and pointed out to the crowd, “Do you see this guy? This guy right here? He taught me everything I know about playing keyboards.”

These kinds of cosmic collisions happened all weekend long. You might have witnessed Si Senorita in the audience being “wowed” by DotMan’s harmonica playing, spotted Steal The Breeze in the audience dancing to Si Senorita or heard the Dirty White Boys playing unplugged in the campground at Bob’s Country Bunker. It did not matter exactly where at the festival you were. You were bound to enjoy an experience like these. All that mattered — you were there.

It is too bad every day can not be stir-fried, at least we can look forward to next year.

Photos, Videos, Reviews and Interviews

Stir Fry Photo Gallery

The Stir Fry Music Revival will take place August 28 and 29 at Snipes Farm in Morrisville, PA. (890 West Bridge Street)

The line up of bands includes:
Brothers Past
Frog Holler
Turbine
Splintered Sunlight
The Hustle
Si Senorita
The Coyotes
Psychedelphia
Old Blotter
Manatawny Creek Ramblers
Steal The Breeze
Dr. Fish & Friends
Tin Bird Choir
Newtown Creek
Dirty White Boys
Pete Kranz & the Wide-Eyed Mother Brothers
Members Of Sage
American Babies featuring Scott Metzger, Kevin Kendrick, Jim Hamilton, Joe Russo and Tom Hamilton
Strange Sun
Dirk Quinn Band
The Godinez Brothers
Jay D Clark

For more information visit: stirfryproductions.com

EVEN MORE SURPRISES FROM THE PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL

The Decemberists and The Derek Trucks Band added as headlining acts performing August 14-16, 2009 at Old Pool Farm!

Special Thursday night “Campers’ Exclusive” concert added
featuring Jill Sobule, Deer Tick and Get The Led Out!

PHILADELPHIA – Organizers of the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL are putting the finishing touches on an impressive lineup for their 48th annual event with the addition of The Decemberists, The Derek Trucks Band, Jill Sobule, Heartless Bastards, and other noteworthy acts.

The British folk revival sound evident on The Hazards of Love, the recently-released 5th album by the Portland-based The Decemberists, will be highlighted with their Saturday afternoon (August 15) Main Stage performance. Guitar sensation Derek Trucks with his band, touring in support of their most recent album, Already Free, will bring their blend of jazz, rock, blues, Latin, East Indian and other world music to headline the big Sunday night (August 16) concert.

Festival organizers have added a special treat for early-arriving weekend campers with a Thursday night (August 13) “Campers’ Exclusive” concert on the site’s Camp Stage. Jill Sobule, whose songs are at once deeply personal and socially conscious, seriously funny and derisively tragic, is the featured artist. She first gained prominence with her 1995 song “I Kissed a Girl.” Also performing for this more intimate showcase is the quirky country/folk flavored Deer Tick, on the road with their just-released 2nd album, Born on Flag Day. Both acts will be featured at this event for David Dye’s “World Café” syndicated NPR radio show, heard locally on WXPN-FM. Get The Led Out will close this special Thursday night concert by performing acoustic versions of Led Zeppelin songs.

Other exciting recent additions include Heartless Bastards, the irresistible Buskin & Batteu, Eastern European folk music purveyors the West Philadelphia Orchestra, the foot-stomping Celtic exuberance of Burning Bridget Cleary, and the more traditional Celtic ruminations of Shannon Lambert-Ryan & RUNA. They join an outstanding and diverse lineup that already includes Tom Rush, Iron and Wine, and the Del McCoury Band.

“We wanted to shake things up even more this year,” asserts Festival Chairperson Pat Gourley referring to the FOLK FESTIVAL’s emphasis in recent years to reach out beyond the traditional folk music audience. “By featuring The Decemberists, The Derek Trucks Band and more of the contemporary, cutting-edge acts, we’re boldly going after the younger audience needed to sustain the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL over the next 20 to 30 years.” Philadelphia Folksong Society Executive Director Levi Landis concurs, adding, “This 48th annual event will help break new ground and further the Folksong Society’s legacy among the vanguard of folk music innovators. We’ve responded with a roster of performers that appeals not only to dyed-in-the-wool folk music enthusiasts, but also to the next generation audience.”

The PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL will be held August 14-16 at the Old Pool Farm near Schwenksville, PA and tickets can be purchased online at www.folkfest.org. Daily event tickets with early bird pricing (through July 19) start at $44.00 – attend all three days and camp for just $145.00 in tent camping or $170.00 in vehicle camping! The perfect family event, concert admission for children under 12 is FREE and “youth rates” (ages 12 to 16) are only half the adult gate price.

For complete information about the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL and tickets, visit the website at www.folkfest.org or call the festival office at 800-556-FOLK.

PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES STELLAR LINE-UP FOR 48TH ANNUAL EDITION

Sonny Landreth, Del McCoury Band, Iron and Wine, Tom Rush, Rebirth Brass Band, Justin Townes Earle, Tony Trischka, Langhorne Slim,
Enter The Haggis, Ellis Paul, Sara Hickman, Alela Diane
Among Featured Acts Performing August 14-16, 2009 at Old Pool Farm

TICKETS ON SALE NOW WITH EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT!!

PHILADELPHIA – At a press conference held this afternoon, the organizers of the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL unveiled the impressive line-up for their momentous 48th edition unfolding
August 14-16 at the Old Pool Farm near Schwenksville, PA. After a very successful showing last year, Point Entertainment’s Rich Kardon and Jesse Lundy have been brought back to provide artistic direction. “We are excited to again work with the Philadelphia Folksong Society and the Philadelphia Folk Festival to build on the foundation that was crafted last year,” said Kardon. The resulting roster reads like a Who’s Who in the music buzz today, offering a collection of both superstars and rising stars who will join together for this three-day extravaganza of traditional and contemporary music, dance, crafts, camping, and children’s activities.

Among the top attractions at the 48th annual PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL are Sonny Landreth, Del McCoury Band, Iron and Wine, Tom Rush, Rebirth Brass Band, Justin Townes Earle,
Tony Trischka, Langhorne Slim, Alela Diane, Joe Pug, Works Progress Administration,
Ellis Paul, Sara Hickman, The Low Anthem, Women in Docs, The Folk Brothers, Erik Mongrain,
Frog Holler, Caravan of Thieves, Enter The Haggis, and Marissa Nadler.

Local musicians that have been garnering tremendous praise will also be featured throughout the weekend including Adrien Reju, Boris Garcia, Chris Kasper, Zach Djanikian, Wissahickon Chicken Shack, and Slo-Mo featuring Mic Wrecka.

As if this amazing line-up weren’t enough, Jesse Lundy hinted that there were more surprises yet to come. “We have a couple more world-class acts; I mean major headliners, that we can’t announce just yet, so stay tuned!” teased Lundy.

Returning for his 48th consecutive year as host is WXPN-FM DJ Gene Shay who has been called the Godfather of Philadelphia Folk Music. Shay has delighted Folk Festival audiences for years with his silly jokes and warm, friendly style. He’s been the same golden voice on the radio, playing folk artists every Sunday night, for most of our lives. He also helped put together the very first PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL in 1962 and has been the emcee every year since.

The campground at the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL is considered the Ultimate Folk Festival Experience. Settle into the “40-acre living room” where jamming and camaraderie is shared; where friendships and memories are made that will last a lifetime. Exclusive to All-Festival Camping Ticket holders, there will again be the Thursday Night Concert on the Camp Stage where legendary World Cafe® host David Dye will welcome some unique musical guests, as yet to be announced.

The PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL is a perfect family event, too. You will find an unrivaled selection of attractions for the kids, especially in Dulcimer Grove, the shady area between the Crafts Stage and the Camp Stage, where puppeteers, jugglers, storytellers, hands-on crafts and of course, kid-oriented musicians make it a haven for folk fans 12 and under. Older kids, 12 to 16, will again be eligible for the special “youth ticket”, allowing them into the grounds for half the regular gate price, when accompanied by an adult.

Tickets for the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL are now on sale and can be purchased online at www.folkfest.org. Daily event tickets with Early Bird pricing start at $44.00. Attend all three days and camp for just $145.00 in tent camping and $170.00 in vehicle camping!

For complete information about the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL and tickets, visit the website at www.folkfest.org or call the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL office at 800-556-FOLK.

I asked:
How were the XPN concerts? Did you get to see They Might Be Giants? I always wanted to see them live.

Rick Replied:
I like the XPN Festival….new mixed with old…..Steve Forbert was great. They Might Be Giants were funny and quirky…..not sure I’d buy their records but they sure could play. Aimee Mann was very subtle. Dug Louden Wainright III. Only band I didn’t get to see that I wanted to was Guster…..big storm was blowing in and we were really tired after 3 full days. We caught it on the radio. Pete Yorn was great.