Archive - Aug 19, 2008

From davematthewsband.com:

We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.

Dave Matthews Band have been an integral part of my love for live music. They opened my eyes to many different acts that I now follow today. I knew that Moore had been in the ATV accident, and witnessed DMB play without him at ROTHBURY, but I did not realize that he was in such dire condition. While I have not paid as much attention to DMB lately, I am still deeply saddened by this news, and know that they will never be the same without him. His saxophone was a major part of DMB's sound, and cannot be filled by any other player. I want to send all of my thoughts and prayers to Moore's family, friends and fans that are all assuredly in the same state of shock as I am.

Austin's Fun Fun Fun Fest first attracted our attention last year with an enticing sophomore lineup that included several indie treats. Given the festival's prime location in Waterloo Park and late fall weather (read: not blazingly hot like ACL), we'd already decided that we would be in attendance at this year's edition; now that we've taken a peek at the artists on the bill, FFFFest has leaped to the top of our can't-miss list. The 2008 lineup, released today by Austinist, includes such diverse acts as Clipse, the National, Bad Brains, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Annuals, Dengue Fever, Atmosphere, Grupo Fantasma, and Dan Deacon.

Fun Fun Fun Fest is set to take place on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9 at Austin's Waterloo Park. Two-day passes cost $59.99 and will go on sale soon.

View the full Fun Fun Fun Fest lineup after the jump

While Houston doesn't see quite as many great live shows as some other cities do, we still occasionally experience nights that find us deciding between performances from multiple equally good artists. One occasion that particularly stands out in my mind took place in April of last year, when Brooklyn's TV on the Radio were set to take the stage at the Meridian, mere blocks from Warehouse Live, where - on the same night - Yo La Tengo were booked to perform. We decided the only way to settle this dilemma was to head over to Pitchfork and choose which band we'd see based on whose name we spotted first. We soon spied a Yo La Tengo news feature, which sealed the deal and led us to the Warehouse that night. I don't at all regret seeing YLT - they knocked it out of the park that night - but still, I've been yearning to catch TV on the Radio ever since. It looks like I'll finally have my chance this fall, as they will be playing at Houston's yet-to-be-opened House of Blues, as well as at the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans (which, thanks to Cereal's amazing talents, we will be attending clad in oversized, candy-themed costumes. Look out for a gigantic Hershey Kiss.)

If that's not enough, TVotR have completed their follow-up to 2006's Return To Cookie Mountain; entitled Dear Science (album artwork above), it's set to be released on September 23. You can stream the first track "Golden Age" at their official website.

Find the complete list of tour dates after the jump

The Stage Awaits Chris Cornell and Co.

Everyone experiences a handful of pivotal moments in life that they'll always recall in startling detail. There are two incidents that I vividly remember occurring while I was riding the bus home during my rebellious middle school career. The first (not chronologically) involved learning that the legendary Tom Osbourne, coach of the national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers football team, was to retire following the 1997 season. Understandably, many of you don’t have the same respect for the original TO as I do, but let me tell you: it was as if my dog had been run over in front of my very eyes. The second on-the-bus incident that I'll never forget occurred while I was drowning out my frustrations by listening to my outdated Walkman. On this particular day, the announcement that Soundgarden were disbanding had just been announced, and I first heard the news on Lincoln's local rock station, The Blaze. Soundgarden is, and always has been, my true love from the grunge era. In my selfishness, I felt that it was incredibly unfair that they would do such a thing to me, especially since I'd never had a chance to see them live.

Read more after the jump