Filed under: 1 | Tags: Americana, Baltimore, concert, Jakob Dylan, Ram's Head Live
Jakob Dylan and his band rolled into Baltimore Thursday night fresh off an appearance on the David Letterman Show. Night owl that I am, I saw the Letterman performance and went to bed determined to see their live show last night. Jakob chose to play Nothing in the Whole Wide World for their Letterman appearance and on Thursday night they chose the same song for their opener. From the start it was clear that this was not going to be an opportunity for Jakob to revisit his indie rock career – different band and a whole different feel. On this night Jakob presented an Americana vibe – a little country, a little bit of folk, and some occasional forays into rock n’ roll. With Neko Case and Kelly Hogan providing understated but beautiful back-up singing, this performance was all about putting the songs first. And, Dylan’s writing gets better as he goes along. The songs are more personal, more direct. His singing benefits as the writing takes on more of a first-person narrative. His voice, with echoes of his famous father, has its own resonance and identity. He know how to deliver a song effectively, yet he allows the song take center stage and never demands the personal spotlight.
Also notable were the musical performances of his band members, particularly the contributions from his pedal steel and stand-up bass players. Fans of Americana music or anyone who enjoys good songwriting and honest straightforward musical performances will leave his show wishing he was a local who they could see sometime soon in another venue across town. AS he tours in support of his latest CD, Women + Country, be sure to buy your ticket.
Filed under: Musical Notes | Tags: Americana, Buddy Miller, country music, Craig Cummings, Kristofferson, music, PopMatters, Roseanne Cash
Those of you who are personal friends or who read my blog or interviews I’ve given have surely heard me lament the state of contemporary country music. Oddly enough, country music has never been more popular than it is today. So what do I have to complain about? There is no disputing the talent of a guitarist such as Brad Paisley or a singer like Carrie Underwood. These are gifted performers who will be making music for a very long time.
My chief complaint is the over-commercialization of country music. Country really isn’t country any more. It’s rock n’ roll with corny lyrics. It’s macaroni and cheese in a box instead of the delicious casserole made from scratch with real ingredients. Contemporary country music fans often don’t even realize that many popular songs satirize the very lifestyle they think the songs so genuinely represent.
I listen to contemporary country radio a few times a week because I am curious to see what is being played, and hopeful that stuck within the dreck are some real gems by authentic country artists that perform songs with honest straightforward lyrics, and a minimum of guitar and vocal pyrotechnics. I am usually disappointed. I picked a couple of very popular current songs that I kind of liked and learned to play them. I wanted to see if I could make them work for me – if there was a way for me to make them feel somehow… authentic. I couldn’t do it. Sure I can play the chords and song the notes, but I just cannot make the songs have a soul. Real country music has a soul.
I would like to suggest that you read a recently published article in the PopMatters online magazine written by Steve Leftridge, a high school teacher and columnist from the midwest. His article, Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music Is The New Classic Rock, is a terrific read. The comments that follow are almost as good. This article deserves the credit for inspiring this post.
Wouldn’t it be great if contemporary country music stations featured performers like Roseanne Cash, Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Rodney Crowell (to name just a few). These are country artists with soul – artists whose songs and performances represent what country music is really about – authenticity, lack of pretension, and honesty. Read Mr. Leftridge’s article and then cue up Buddy and Julie Miller’s Written In Chalk, or Rodney Crowell’s Sex and Gasoline. You won’t miss the point.
Filed under: Musical Notes | Tags: Americana, Baltimore, concerts, Craig Cummings, live performance, music, Senator Theater
I will be appearing live at the historic Senator Theater in Baltimore on Saturday March 6th back by the Wildcards, a wonderful trio of musicians including Kurt Hammond on guitar, Edward Graham on bass, and Doug Workman in drums. Also appearing that evening will be T. Edwin Doss and Steve Hung. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. They can be purchased online by clicking here
The Senator is a beautiful venue and provides a concert setting for this evening of country/Americana music. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the music begins at 8:30 p.m. For information and directions to the Senator Theater visit their website
Filed under: Musical Notes | Tags: Baltimore Music Conference, Craig Cummings, live performance, music, songwriting
The Baltimore Music Conference (BMC) ended last night. I performed at two different venues over the four day event and I attended the conference sessions at the Hippodrome Theatre during the day on Friday. The conference was a mixed bag. On the positive side, the Thursday night show at Ledbetters, hosted by the Baltimore Songwriters Association (BSA) was an unqualified success. The BSA turned out a very talented group of performers and the venue was crowded almost the entire night. As one of the performers, I appreciated the supportive response provided by the bar patrons. It is always nice to play to a full house of people interested in really listening to the music. The Friday conference sessions were also informative and helpful to musicians trying to achieve some degree of success in the business. I sat in on 3 different sessions and learned something in each one of them.
The conference was not without its problems. Surely, the 5 consecutive days of rain that hit Baltimore did not help the planning and execution of the conference go smoothly. The conference sessions were poorly attended. There were no more than 10 or 12 people in any of the three sessions I joined. It seems hard to believe that there were not more musicians in Baltimore interested in what the conference presenters had to offer. I’m not sure if the advertising was poor or if local musicians think they already know it all. Whatever the case, those who didn’t take the time to attend missed a great opportunity. I also noticed that a number of the presenters failed to show. This is just bad business on their parts and unfortunate for the conference promoters.
Most disappointing was the “gig” I “played” at the Sheraton Hotel on Saturday night. The Sheraton was the conference headquarters, but you would never know it by the absolute absence of anyone who seemed to be there for the conference, save the musicians that were booked to perform. We were relegated to a back ballroom far from any foot traffic. My slot was scheduled from 9-9:45. The PA wasn’t set up until 10:00 and I performed shortly thereafter to the handful of people who came to see me and the musicians from the bands that were booked into the later time slots. This is no way to plan and run a show. One of the bands came from Tallahassee to play – more than likely for no one. If there were so few attendees at 10:00 when I performed, I am fairly certain there weren’t many more to see their 12:00 show.
I think having a conference to celebrate the music scene in Baltimore is a terrific idea, and for the most part I was glad to be part of it. But it seemed like the promoters took on more than they were capable of handling. Smaller would have been better – easier to plan and manage. In the future, they should stick to using venues that have built in foot traffic and reputations for hosting quality music. In that way, musicians won’t have to waste their time playing for each other for free when they could be out playing gigs for real audiences and getting paid. And one last thought…October is probably not a good time to book outdoor venues in Baltimore. The weather is unpredictable, and as this conference proved, it is impossible to recover your momentum when you have many, many acts that must be rescheduled to indoor venues because the weather does not cooperate.
Filed under: 1 | Tags: Americana, Baltimore Music Conference, Craig Cummings, live performance, music, songwriting
The Baltimore Music Conference (BMC) comes to town beginning Wednesday October 14th. The BMC promises to be a very cool event featuring both local and national talent. Live music is scheduled for multiple venues during this 4-day event.
I’ll be appearing on Thursday and Saturday nights. On Thursday night, the Baltimore Songwriter’s Association takes over Ledbetters in Fells Point to showcase some of the best songwriters Baltimore can offer. My slot begins at 8:00 p.m., but music fans should plan to make a night of it. Other musicians performing include Teporah, Ken Gutberlet, Warren Cherry, Georgie Jessup, Marc Evans, and many others. You can’t find a better way to see many of the most talented songwriters in Baltimore gathered together in one spot. If you’ve never been to Ledbetters…it was recently voted Baltimore’s best dive bar. If you’ve never been there, put it on your bucket list.
On Saturday night, I’m appearing at the Sheraton City Center, 101. W. Fayette St. The Sheraton is the conference headquarters and this show closes the 4-day event. It is scheduled from 9 pm to 1 am. I open the show at 9:00. Others on the bill include Cameron Blake and the Mike Montrey Band.
Baltimore sometimes plays second fiddle to Washington, D.C. when the local music scenes draw comparisons. Both cities have very vibrant music scenes and this is a chance to see much of what Baltimore has to offer. Some events are free and there is a minimal cover charge for others. Some are indoor venues and some are outdoors. It should be a busy musical week in Charm City. Don’t miss the opportunity to see what the BMC has to offer. And please…check out my shows!
Filed under: Musical Notes | Tags: Americana, concert, Craig Cummings, music
Tonight, September 25th, I’ll be performing live at Teavolve in Baltimore. This is a solo show and I’ll be showcasing songs from my CD, Road Trips and Relationships, as well as a number of new songs composed while on vacation this summer. A few of these new songs are bound to show up on my next recording. I hope to see you there. For a preview of the music, go to www.craigcummingsmusic.com
I just celebrated a birthday and my family gave me The Beatles box set as a gift – lucky me! Yes, the girls are terrific. Anyway, I’ve had a chance to get through the first few CDs and I have to tell you – this stuff is really terrific. The box set contains the British releases so anyone looking for U.S. releases such as Something New or Yesterday and Today may be slightly disappointed – that is until they cut through the shrinkwrap and put the CDs in the player.
With The Beatles is glorious. I especially loved the clarity of Don’t Bother Me. I always thought the sound on that cut was so noisy – almost like they recorded it at the Cavern in Liverpool.
On Please Please Me, I was knocked out by how great the vocals sounded on Ask Me Why. I’ve always loved this song, and the version delivered on these remasters is just sensational. I mean, the Beatles’ vocals were always a highlight, but in these remasters it is hard to ignore just how important the vocals were to their sound and identity.
When I listened to A Hard Day’s Night, I was instantly transported back to the Westowne Theater in Baltimore (Catonsville actually)… the sounds and the visual memories associated with Can’t Buy Me Love are impossible to forget. Every note on the remastered version is so clear and precise…I played this cut multiple times to soak in the memories.
Well – that’s as far as I’ve gotten. Part II is on the way. Beatles For Sale, Help, Rubber Soul…
Craig Live at the Hon Bar
I’ve spent some time remixing some live recordings that I made this summer. I’ve posted 2 of these songs on my myspace page and they will be up shortly on my Craig Cummings Music website. Both songs are solo performances of songs that I’ve written in the past year. Barcelona is a song about needing to be in a different place. Late Night Highway Blues tells the story of love that doesn’t work out – and the regret that comes with knowing there’s no turning back. I am uploading the files below so that you can listen here as well. I hope you enjoy the music.
Last night I had a front row table at the Ram’s Head Live in Annapolis, Maryland for the evening show of Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. It was an all acoustic show that featured Marty’s mandolin wizardry, the guitar prowess of “Cousin” Kenny Vaughn, and otherworldly vocals from the whole band. Marty’s set reflected his experiences playing country, bluegrass, gospel, and honkey tonk music. My personal favorite of the night was a version of Tempted from the album of the same name. Also notable was the set closer – Badlands.
If Marty and his band come to your town, don’t miss them. This was country music at its best – sometimes winsome, sometimes funny, always uplifting, and without the hokey lyrics and formulaic approach often found in contemporary country music. Marty represents all that is good about American music.
It comes and goes…and comes and goes. I wrote 6 new songs while on vacation for 2 weeks at the beach. They are now performance ready. I’ll be posting some of them on my website soon.
In the 3 weeks since returning from the beach – nothing new. Oh well, the tide is coming in!
