Beardlovin or is it Keylovin...

  Birthday wishes go out to our very own Beardlovin, Atticus Kelly.  Atticus works as hard as anyone I know and his drive and desire is a big part of The McLovins success.  His decision to play keyboards as well as guitar has added musical texture and allowed the band to really grow.  Happy Birthday Keylovin!

"Happy, happy oh my friend.. blow out candles once again.."

Turning a Corner...

The first show with the new 4 member configuration of The McLovins was on New Years Eve, at Arch Street Tavern.  We now have a band who in a little over 100 days has turned a corner, actually they're sprinting at the moment, piling on technique and expansive jamming with their new compositions while at the same time having a healthy respect for their back catalogue.  They are adding new songs to their repetoire at a prodigous rate, tightening up and loosening at the same time.  I knew this time was coming, I had seen it before with this band where in a matter of weeks they took giant leaps forward, and the first inkling of this new growth spurt was at their show last month at Keene State.  The addition of Atticus alternating between keys and guitar has just caused the band to explode as each member is locked into the band as a whole; at the same time a bit more free to improvise but also aware of their place in this musical stew.  So free up a couple hours to listen to this Main Pub show, easily the best show so far in this 2.0 era of The McLovins.. through hard work and tireless practice, they are now in a perfect position to roar through a solid summer of festival and main stage performance, taking no prisoners and leaving audiences stunned and satisfied in their wake.. if there was any question about hopping onto the bus, do it now; it's a brand new day. 

The McLovins Live @ The Main Pub 04/13/12

In loving memory of Levon...

   So as the word came out yesterday that Levon Helm, longtime singer and drummer for The Band had lost his battle with cancer, The McLovins gathered last night to pay homage to this incredible man and his music.  Since the addition of Atticus Kelly and Justin Berger at the beginning of the year, a Cripple Creek->Jessica double had become a staple of most McLovins sets.  The guys felt a perfect way to honor Levon Helm was to record one of their performances of The Band's classic Cripple Creek.  After a couple practice runs, they final recorded version was perfect in tone and tenor, the legacy of this mans music and his spirit lives on, as long as his music is being played, he will live on. 

I don't have to speak, as she defends me

A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one


 
  Here's some photos from the night's set-up.. so nice to see the band was able to honor such an important influence on their music in such a respectful way...

Three from last summer's Main Stage

On one of the hottest days of the summer last year, The McLovins opened Saturday's "Gathering Of The Vibes" with the first main stage set of the day. "Gatheirng Of The Vibes" put up these three videos today, a couple weeks in advance of this year's line-up announcement, just to remind folks of what happened last year. A couple of the faces have changed, but the excitement is still here, and the band and the fans are waiting for this year's set.

The set starts off with a bang, insane energy and excitement from Jeff, Jason and Jake.

This next one had only been part of the McLovins repertoire for a couple months, Jason just kills it with some thick bass funk.

This a classic version of Virtual Circle, Jeff and Jake just tear this up.

So we should have a couple weeks, probably three until Vibes makes it's line-up announcement and we get to see when The McLovins will play this year!

Making of the "Man In A Blue Coat video..

Some shots I took during the recording of the Man In A Blue Coat video. This is the 2nd video the band has released since the addition of Atticus and Justin.

You can see the finished product HERE

No we got nothing in common.. no we can't talk at all ..

Just a quick shout out forJustlovin,
Happy Birthday on your 19 year.. livin' the dream.

Sounds Good To Me 2011

To close out 2011 on a high note, I give you Sounds Good To Me 2011, a few of the bands and songs that struck a tone with me this year. Seeing as musical tastes are a fickle beast, I liked it but your mileage may vary.

The full mix is available here.