You’ll hear that familiar refrain and many more as former Credence Clearwater Revival frontman and rock n roll legend John Fogerty takes the stage at the Charlottesville Pavilion on Sunday.  And while Fogerty’s best known work comes from his years spent with CCR, his later solo albums are not to be overlooked.  Two of my favorites are the 1997 release Blue Moon Swamp which won a Grammy for Best Rock Album as well as his latest effort Revival, released in October of 2007, which also received a Grammy nomination.  Gates open at 6pm, show starts at 7pm.  Tickets are still available.  For info click here.

For the rest of your weekend events….

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Popularity: 24% [?]

By chance last night, I happened across the premiere of the 1969 documentary Johnny Cash:  The Man, His World, His Music on PBS last night and I felt compelled to write a little something about it this morning.  If you’re a fan of Johnny Cash then this is a must-see, as the film follows Cash and his traveling Johnny Cash Show (which featured Carl Perkins, June Carter Cash, and Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters) from late 1968 through the summer of 1969.  And while the live performance footage alone makes this worth viewing, the real gems in the film are the offstage moments which director Robert Elfstrom captures over the course of the documentary’s 94 minute running time.  I have to think that this is one of the most up close and personal portrayals of Johnny Cash and it captures the iconic figure of American music at time when his life and career were firing on all cylinders.

One of the documentary’s true highlights unfolds in the first ten minutes of the film as the camera follows Cash into the woods surrounding his Hendersonville, Tennessee home on a hunt with shotgun in hand.  As a bird flies off, Johnny raises his gun and fires, shooting but only wounding a crow.  As Johnny walks up on the the frightened bird, you can almost see what was once his desire to kill turning into a sense of regret as he picks up the crow in his hand and begins to examine its injuries.  He then carries the bird with him, stroking its head and trying to calm it down.  The scene ends with Cash sitting at the edge of the woods, still holding the wounded crow, creating a song on the spot which he sings out loud to the wounded bird in his hand. 

As it all unfolds we see the wild side of Johnny Cash, the compassionate man, and the artist in a way that is both enlightening and surprising. »Read More

Popularity: 33% [?]

The Paramount Theater plays host to a Salute to the Coen Brothers this weekend with a total of six showings of three classic films directed and produced by Ethan and Joel Coen.  The Salute to the Coen Brothers begins Friday, July 11 with one of my all-time favorites, The Big Lebowski, starring Jeff Bridges aka The Dude, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi.  Showtimes at 7pm and 9:30pm on Friday.  The Paramount will be serving up White Russians and sarsaparilla, and if you show up in your bowling shirt you get Free Popcorn.

The Salute continues on Saturday, July 12 with the Coens’ full-length feature debut Blood Simple which I think is a sometimes overlooked masterpiece.  Two showings at 4pm and 7pm.  Then wrap up the weekend with two matinee showings of the classic Nick Cage/Holly Hunter starring flick Raising Arizona on Sunday, July 13 at 1pm and 4pm.  Anyone who brings diapers/new baby supplies to the Sunday shows will also get free popcorn.  Items will be donated to local shelters.  Admission costs for each of these weekend showings is $6 adults and $4 children.

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For the rest of your weekend happenings… »Read More

Popularity: 44% [?]

Here’s a little something for all you Hunter S. Thompson fans out there.  Today (July 4) marks the limited release in theaters of a brand new documentary that centers around the career and larger-than-life persona of the Gonzo journalist and whacked-out novelist Hunter S. Thompson.  For his part, Thompson became famous for his political coverage of American affairs in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine as well as for his cult-classic novels including Hell’s Angels and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.  Thompson died in February of 2005 from a self-inflicted gun shot to the head.  He was 67 years old.

The documentary, titled “Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson”, is directed by Alex Gibney (”Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room”, “Taxi to the Dark Side”), and features interviews with those who knew Thompson (Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone, writer Tom Wolfe) as well as with the politicians he covered over the years (Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan, George McGovern).  And as you would expect, there are loads of archival film footage collected from Hunter’s own life.  Johnny Depp, who famously portrayed the writer in Terry Gilliam’s film adaptation of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, serves as the film’s narrator by reading passages from Thompson’s work throughout the film.

Again, the film opens today in a limited release in theaters across the country.  At the time of this post there are no scheduled listings for Charlottesville theaters (Vinegar Hill being the best bet if it does come to town), but it is showing in Arlington beginning this weekend and will begin showing in Richmond on July 18.  [You can check out the trailer for the film after the break].  Anyone interested in seeing this one besides myself?  I’m hoping it comes to C’ville…soon. »Read More

Popularity: 48% [?]

May 15:  Song of the Day.  The Band–The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down 

With all this talk of Newman’s soon to be created rock movie/tv series (in case you haven’t been following along, you can jump into the conversation here) and then Dolly’s mention of The Band’s magnificent Last Waltz (another thread you can follow here) I thought we’d explore the finer points of music documentaries and music-related films and see if we could come up with a definitive list of “must sees”.

A couple of the first music films I remember watching back in high school were R.E.M.’s Tour Film, which followed the Athens, Georgia quartet through their Green World Tour in the late 80’s,  U2’s Rattle and Hum, filmed after the release of Joshua Tree and chronicled the band’s journey through America and its music, and of course who didn’t, at one time or another, pop Pink Floyd’s The Wall into the VCR? 

[On a somewhat related note:  Quick show of hands.  Who here, besides myself, has cued up the Dark Side of the Moon album and the film The Wizard of Oz with somewhat disappointing results?]

Depending on your tastes in music and your love of film, we could come up with quite a list.  Here are a few of my personal favorites: »Read More

Popularity: 47% [?]

WTJU’s Rock and Roll Movie Night presents the one and only, This is Spinal Tap, tonight at 8pm in Room 120 of UVA’s Olsson Hall.  There is no charge.

Arguably one of the greatest rock n roll movies of all-time, This is Spinal Tap has become a lasting piece of rock pop culture as well as a cautionary tale for would-be drummers.  Do I really need to say anymore than that?

Popularity: 48% [?]

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A couple of items of note worth checking out and now that the rain has finally stopped and the sun has returned, I’m sure we’re all feeling a little extra shot of energy this Wednesday.  So here you go…it’s Hump Day.  The first round’s on me.

• Gravity Lounge is celebrating Earth Week with a daily matinee film series.  Today they’re showing The Real Dirt on Farmer John .  Film starts at 2pm.  $5 adults/kids free.
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• The Noble Beasts and Wes Forehand open for The Grey Matter at Outback Lodge.  9:30pm.  $5 - $7.  [Rock/Blues/Funk]
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• Charlottesville Music Showcase presents Sesshin at Rapture.  9:30pm.  No cover.  [Funk/Jam/Jazz]
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Popularity: 50% [?]

Busy, busy, busy.  Here are a couple of things you might want to check out and add to your hump day activities:

• “Charlottesville’s Music Showcase” presents Lynchburg rockers Six Chasing Seven at Club R2 at Rapture.  Tim Be Told opens.  Wednesday.  9:30pm.  $5.  21+ age requirement.
• Monadnoc, from Chicago, Illinois performs at the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar Wednesday.  Cakes of Light and local singer-songwriter Joe Pollock open.  9:30pm.  $6.
• “Mother Courage and Her Children” on stage at Live Arts.  It’s Wednesday, so as always it’s “pay-what-you-can”.  8pm
• And finally, for those fans of the Rolling Stones, the Martin Scorcese directed rockumentary “Shine a Light” which spans the Stones’ career, is currently in theaters at Charlottesville’s Downtown Regal Cinema.  Show times tonight at 7pm and 9:40pm.  $9.

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Here are a couple of noteworthy music items taking place in Charlottesville as we kick off your work week.  WTJU 91.1FM presents another Rock and Roll Move Night on Monday starring the band Radiohead and on Tuesday the Paramount Theater presents Steve Earle with Allison Moorer.  For more details….

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Popularity: 46% [?]

The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative will be screening the film For Life, Against the War…Again to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War.  The movie is a collection of twenty-five short films by contemporary directors as they address the continuing conflict in Iraq.  Running time is 90 minutes.  Screening starts at 8pm TONIGHT (Thursday, 04/10).  $5 at the door.  The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative is located at 209 Monticello Road, over the 9th Street Bridge in Belmont.  434.984.5669.

The original For Life, Against the War was a similar film project released in 1967 that focused its lens on the Vietnam War.  Here’s hoping there won’t be a third installment.

Popularity: 34% [?]