This is my first Summer in Harrisonburg and everything they've told me is true: As soon as the students leave, the heavens open up to dump buckets and the traffic is practically nonexistent! As of 2008, the population of the 'burg is about 44,000, and 40% of those residents are JMU students, either graduate or undergrad. I suppose when a campus of 18,000 students disappears and only about 1,000 remain for Maymester or other reasons, the ghost town switch is inevitable. Personally, I like it. I can get from the mall to the parking deck on S. Main in 8 minutes. EIGHT MINUTES! My enthusiasm for the lighter traffic is undeniable and completely understandable after the hell of Port Republic on the Friday of exam week. I have a feeling that I'm going to resent the returning students in August.

Quick Question:
Do you know of any really good songs that could be turned into jazzy ballads? If so, please comment and let me know! I'm trying to start playing shows at a local Italian restaurant and I found an accompanist who will help me out with a dress-and-a-piano type of gig. Now, we just need music! Some of the songs already on the list are:

Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang
Carly Simon - You're So Vain
Phil Collins - True Colors
Stockard Channing - There Are Worse Things I Could Do (from Grease)

...you get the idea. Do you know any more songs that go along these lines? Or would you happen to know some restaurants that might like to have a smoother live music performance as people eat and converse? Any insight you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Band of the Week:
Let me brag: I saw an amazing show last Tuesday in Richmond at The National. I fell in love with this band about 6 months ago when I found 5 random songs by them on my iTunes playlist. Porcupine Tree (wicked name, right?) is a band from Australia that focuses on the actual musicianship side of composition. Tons of great bands of history have been wonderful musicians, but they write for the radio. What does that even mean, write for the radio? Well, most successful bands try to write songs that a majority of the population will like. That way, their songs get played on the radio, even more people hear the songs and love the band, and record sales are all but guaranteed. Steve Wilson rejects that process entirely, calling modern radio music "muzak," which is just a nice way to say "meaningless elevator music." Instead, this revolutionary musician writes songs that are aesthetically pleasing to the band and that hold a deep meaning among the writers. Wilson and the other band members use crazy ideas like multiple time signature use in one song (which is more rare than you'd think) cryptic lyrics, and the regular creation of concept albums (an album designed to be heard as a whole unit, not as individual songs). Basically, this music is just plain WEIRD sometimes. Don't get me wrong - if you're a true musician, I don't see how you can dislike the band, unless you generally dislike the acoustic/electric/bass/synth/keyboard/percussion combo. They have put out 10 full-length albums and 4 EPs since 1991 and the show I saw Tuesday was a complete performance of the newest concept album, "The Incident." Talk about being moved. I can't remember ever seeing a more flawless, seamless performance.... and that's saying a lot because I'm a concert junkie.

Here are a couple of my all-time faves:

"Time Flies", the climax piece of the newest concept album

"Lazarus", a song I heard for the first time in the snow (which was perfect)

"Piano Lessons", just a great song

DISCLAIMER: If you're not well versed in time signatures, I humbly advise that you refrain from trying to keep rhythm with head nods or foot taps. This is not because I believe you are incapable, simply because I would rather you focus on the actual music than be distracted and potentially frustrated with trying to understand the timing of the song. Just push play and go with whatever comes at you. I promise, you will love this band if you let yourself get into them. I dare you to buy "The Incident" and listen to it from start to finish. Let the music move you. After all, that's what we're all about, right?

Two words:

Crucial Substance.

Wicked name for a band, right? One group of guys in the tiny city of Harrisonburg, VA recognized the potential for a brand in the name and claimed it. I just happen to have seen these guys tonight live for the first time. To clarify, they have been performing for a while, this was just my first time seeing them.

At about 9:30 last night at the Artful Dodger, Crucial Substance made a crucial appearance at the Artful Dodger and, in so many words, rocked the house. Laced with little Spanish quips, essential for a Cinco De Mayo set, 5 guys led a room full of people of all ages in a musical experience that made it impossible to keep your feet still. Joel, the lead guitar/vocals man, displayed effortless vocal acrobatics in orginal versions of hit songs. Despite Joel’s vocal prowess, the soulful rhythm parts and intricate keyboard solos, the performance is far from gawdy. The down-home grooves these musicians produced were just so undeniably solid that it carried them through 3-minute jams in the middle of well-known songs. The set included unique versions of the 1963 hit “On Broadway,” Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff,” the more modern “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon, and a song that holds very strong personal meaning for me, “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash.

**Personal Obligation To Tell This Story**
Beware: I digress from the point entirely. As we all know, the inspirational lyrics go something along the lines of I can see clearly now, the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that held me blind, it’s gonna be a bright, bright,,, blah, blah blah… You know what song I’m talking about, though, right? Anyway, My mother and I were riding along in the car one day with my little sister, who, at the time, was probably about 3 years old. This song came on the radio and my mom started singing along with it. (She has a lovely singing voice.) ☺ She began the song and sang, I can see all icicles in my way- Icicles instead of obstacles. Immediately, my sister called her out on the mistake in the most condescending tone possible. “Mom, those are the wrong words. It’s obstacles. Did you really think it was icicles?” She was 3!! Incredibly funny story, in my personal opinion.

Digressions aside, Crucial Substance was really awesome tonight. You should definitely check them out, say, on Myspace. http://www.myspace.com/reggeabluesfunk

I also must mention that Friday will bring some awesome talent to Adona: THE Charles Barone.

*Sharp Gasp*
YOU haven't heard of Charles Barone? You need to fix that. He's a phenomenal musician who specializes in covers of Old Blue Eyes himself, and he'll be at our very own Adona Music this Friday! The vocal resemblance between Barone and Sinatra is truly amazing and you're sure to enjoy this performance. Check out some footage from one of his shows last year here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efselZJWCmc

Unfortunately, we won't be seeing him with the entire Just Jazzin' Orchestra, but the trio with which he will perform provides a much more intimate, croon-tastic experience!

The show will be followed by the always-hilarious improv comedy troupe, Harrisonburg's own No Strings Attached. Could there be a more perfect thing to do with your family on Graduation weekend? We think not.

Check out the other First Friday events here: (though we're not sure why you'd need to)
http://hburgnews.com/2010/04/28/first-fridays-downtown-month-of-may/

I would like to apologize for my absence in bloggishness, as Alan calls it, to the followers of the Adona blog. Now that finals and stuff is all over, I’ll be much more faithful and postable. To hold myself accountable, I’m establishing a weekly staple: the Band of the Week. I’m constantly getting into new bands and as a musician and true audiophile, I humbly think that my tastes might be relative to those of other musicians and audiophile, such as yourselves. I leave you with first installment:

Band of the Week: Flobots. Most vocals are rapped with an unconventional, flexible flow, but the music varies from violin-based chords to popping reggae riffs to hard-rock power chords. I usually am not a fan of rap, but Flobots is more like tight percussive poetry than actual rap lines. Their recent hit, which you all know and may have hated, was “Handlebars.” You know… I can ride my bike with no handlebars, no handlebars, no handlebars… But have you ever listened to the rest of the lyrics? Did you know that the song is a powerful commentary on the hazards of the progress of humanity? Of course, not all the lyrics are that powerful. “The Moon” features a couple very interesting freestyle flows based on a uniquely broad vocabulary that is fun to follow and even more fun to learn. It’s not just those two songs, it’s almost everything they do. winning combination of ear-catching melodies and far-from-callow. This subject matter are what earned the band my devotion and the status of Band of the Week. Download their stuff NOW! (legally, of course.)