Artist: Calvin Harris (featuring Rihanna)
Song/Video: “This is What You Came For”
Why You Want to Listen/Watch: I can’t get enough of this Calvin Harris song. The EDM track features Rihanna, and the video showcases her as well. Wearing a sexy onesie, Rihanna sings and dances in an electronic cube with a variety of visuals projected on it. And there are lasers. Naturally.
English singer-songwriter Birdy headlined at Neumos on June 29th. The sold-out show was the last on the North American leg of her Beautiful Lies Tour. Birdy and her five-member band thoroughly entertained the audience during their 90-minute show. They ended the main set with “Wings,” played a three-song encore, and wrapped up the evening with “Skinny Love.” Lawrence Taylor opened.
Birdy
Lawrence Taylor
Steven Tyler @ McCaw Hall, 7/8/16
Show Review & Photos by John Rudolph
On his 19-city “Out On a Limb” tour, Steven Tyler is dipping his toe into the country music world. Tyler’s new song “Red, White, and You” has a country sound, however do country fans take him seriously? For this show at least, the audience ate it up while dancing enthusiastically and waving homemade American flags.
Tyler’s stage set had a very distinctive ‘70s theme with a somewhat psychedelic back screen. Yes, there was some country flair but it was mostly vintage Tyler.
Working in Nashville with Jaren Johnston from the Cadillac Three, Steven Tyler produced his new album, We’re All Somebody from Somewhere. I have to admit, hearing the singer who brought the world “Toys in The Attic,” it took some getting used to. In saying that, this seems to be the path for many classic rockers to follow.
As the night progressed, we got a variety of songs from various influential artists. I liked Tyler’s mix of songs from the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, and Erma Franklin (Franklin’s “Piece of My Heart” was sung famously by Janis Joplin).
Steven Tyler peppered his older selections with his newer ones. His longtime fans seemed to be fine with his new journey. To accommodate his new sound, Tyler slowed the tempo of his older songs to match his new-found country flair.
An element of the show many classic musicians are doing now is reminiscing about the past. I find the storytelling-drive down memory lane interesting. We all have moments in time that influence our lives and Steven shared moments that helped start his 45-year musical career. One moment that seemed particularly poignant was when he talked about hearing “Rattlesnake Shake” by Fleetwood Mac. It became the catalyst for the foundation of Aerosmith. Tyler said, “Without that song Aerosmith would not have been founded.”
So is Tyler a country singer? As a longtime fan of Aerosmith, hearing “y’all” fall from his lips was unexpected. Time will tell if country fans believe his sincerity. At the end of the day, music is about art and stretching one’s boundaries, and it will be interesting to see where Tyler’s new path takes him.
Steven Tyler
The Game @ Showbox SoDo, April 2016
Photos by Casey Brevig
The Game
Compton, California’s The Game (real name Jayceon Terrell Taylor) headlined Showbox SoDo in April. The rapper, who’s worked with an amazing variety of producers, including Travis Barker and Kanye West, offered his approach to mortality in an interview with Billboard in 2015 (he was shot in 2001): “It doesn’t matter if someone shoots me today or I live to be 90. I’m going to die, and so is everyone. Fear nothing. Why would you fear anything on earth?” All photos by Casey Brevig – and thank you, The Game, for letting Brevig photograph the entire show!
Show Preview: Steven Tyler @ McCaw Hall, Fri. 7/8
~Dagmar
Rolling Stone named Steven Tyler “one of the greatest singers of all time,” and you’ll be able to hear why this Friday night at McCaw Hall, where Tyler will perform live with his own band, Loving Mary. You might ask, Loving Mary? Wait, what about Aerosmith (because, unless you are completely unfamiliar with rock and roll, you know that Tyler is Aerosmith’s frontman)? Don’t worry about Aerosmith; they will be just cool as always. Instead, pay some attention to Tyler’s solo project, which will reveal itself in a 2016 country album called We’re All Somebody From Somewhere. The album’s first single, a patriotic and cheeky “Red, White & You,” has done very well on the US Country Chart, showing Tyler has a bright solo future.
While you can expect Steven Tyler to perform a number of Aerosmith songs, look forward to his solo work and unexpected covers. The event, called Steven Tyler. . . Out on a Limb, has received rave reviews, including the reception of its debut performance, a benefit for Janie’s Fund, Tyler’s philanthropic initiative to help abused girls. He’s an inspiration who has received so many awards in his career. Can you tell I love him? Friday’s show will also give fans the opportunity to see Tyler in an unusual venue (McCaw holds ballets and operas!).
For tickets & details, head over to McCaw Hall’s event page.
Steven Tyler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzAjGExMU64