Friday, January 23, 2009

Eddie Jobson/UKZ, Tony Levin/Stickmen, and The Beatles! This Weekend in Music!

So when's the last time I posted a Julie Slick/Robin Slick adventure story? Man, it's been ages, hasn't it? Well, I don't have anything for you today, but expect that to change because this weekend, Jules and I are headed for New York City for two days of shopping, eating, and..yeah!...going to Town Hall on Saturday night to see Julie's pals Eddie Jobson and Tony Levin performing with their new bands, UKZ Band and Stickmen, respectively. We are so, so totally psyched. From my private stash of photos, here's Eddie, Tony, and Pat Mastelotto performing in Russia last summer along with my favorite band in the entire world, The Adrian Belew Power Trio (you can see Julie in this photo, watching them play from the side of the stage), and below that is a photo I lifted from the Stickmen website, which also gives you their very exciting tour schedule:





Julie and I will be training it to NYC early Saturday afternoon and Julie doesn't know it, and won't unless she lies to me and really does read my blog, but I have booked us a room at a pretty damn spectacular hotel. I do have a recommendation for an awesome vegetarian restaurant nearby, but I'm open to suggestions for another or a great seafood restaurant...so if anyone reading this can give me a five star recommendation, I'm all "ears". Though it's incredibly tempting to return to the West Bank Cafe on 42nd Street, owned by a total King Crimson fanatic, and where we shared the most amazing, amazing meal back when Adrian, Julie and Eric played at BB King's last March. I fully documented the experience, including full details of the meal, right here and just reading it over...oh wow...yes, yes, very tempting...

I dunno, I'll have to check with my daughter and see if she's up for that. Or maybe we'll just grab some sushi and go out with the band after the show. I know King Crimson ate at West Bank Cafe when they played the Nokia this past summer so maybe Tony and Pat are up for a return visit, too.

Ha ha - pretty presumptuous, aren't I? Whenever I get like that, it usually means Julie and I will end up doing something entirely different.

Anyway, let me tell you about another very, very special concert this weekend: The School of Rock Beatle Show! What makes this extra wonderful is that this show commemorates the 40th anniversary of the White Album, and it will be performed in its entirety, in order, by kids ages 6-17. Eric Slick is the music director for the show, and he is assisted by his proud papa, Gary Slick, who has spent tireless hours getting this show together. Here's the details:



Saturday Jan 24, 03:00 pm

Sunday Jan 25, 03:00 pm

@ World Cafe Live
3025 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19104

All Ages
$10

Buy your tickets right here.

Obviously I won't be at the Saturday afternoon show as that is just about when Julie and I will be checking into our amazing hotel in NYC, but I will be there Sunday and I've been assured that I will pretty much be bawling the entire time -- that's how good this show is and how touching it will be to see the music I cut my teeth on performed by young, gifted students. I cannot wait!

So that's my weekend of music...I really hope to connect with a lot of you at the UKZ/Stickmen show in NYC and at the Beatle show in Philly - come over and say Hi and maybe I will give you candy...

In other news, Eric Slick, freshly back from NAMM and doing a top secret recording session on the west coast, is meeting me for lunch today and there is much to catch up on. As I've hinted, I've been sitting on major Eric news but until any of it is actually confirmed, I have promised that I won't blab anything. In the meantime, both Eric and Julie are anxiously and excitedly awaiting recording their first studio CD with Ade from February 9-17 down at Casa Belew in Nashville, and of course Eric goes out on the road with Project Object starting Thursday, January 29 at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Whoa! Wait a minute! Andre, why is Glenn Leonard in the band photo on Mexicali's website? He hasn't been your drummer for over two years since moving to Oregon and being replaced by Eric Slick! What did you do with all the new photos I forwarded you? Sheesh. That's it, I'm taking over as your publicist. This is just an unforgivable error. Ha!

By the way, Andre Cholmondeley is the tech man and all around everything man for the Stickmen/UKZ show Saturday night so we're very happy about that as well.

Anyway, can you tell I'm a little bit thrilled about spending two days with my daughter in Manhattan? And about seeing Tony and Pat again, and meeting Eddie Jobson? Well, in a perfect world...again, every time I assume anything...well, let's just say I had a vision of skating all by myself alone at Rockefeller Center at midnight. Wait. They're probably closed. Okay, me sitting by myself at the hotel bar. Ahem. But considering the hotel, that bar is a pretty damn fine choice. Now. If we can only get both bands to join us there...

Oy, I'm such a groupie Mom. Which you are all going to find out shortly when my first mainstream novel, a rock music memoir, is released next month. Yep, Daddy Left Me Alone with God is coming to a bookstore near you in just a few weeks, and not only is it a memoir, albeit highly fictionalized, it's also got a strong School of Rock back story which chronicles one of the first All-Star tours five years ago while Eric and Julie were still students...but again...fictionalized to protect the innocent (ha) and all positive. (The positive aspect is not fiction!) I was incredibly excited to receive a cover blurb from brilliant author Ellen Meister, who described my book thusly:

"At last--a funny, sexy and scathingly honest look at what it means to be an aging baby boomer in a world changing faster than a phone number on speed dial. With a fresh voice, a fast plot and a unique perspective on the new generation of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, DADDY LEFT ME ALONE WITH GOD is a delight from start to finish."
-- Ellen Meister, author of THE SMART ONE

And do you think I'm also a little stoked about that? Ellen is an incredible writer and to get that blurb from her gave me the utter chills. And I received it one day following the momentous occasion of the inauguration of the best President this country will ever have...you know, I can't even write about that yet as I'm still on such a high and you had to see me watching said inauguration...I started sobbing non-stop from the minute Aretha came out and sang...

Oh God, I'm teary eyed right now as predicted. Alright, enough out of me. Lots of stuff to do today, lunch with Eric, packing for NYC, scoping out restaurants and shops....ah...life is very, very good.

Later,
xo

7 comments:

  1. Ooh have a good time hun! Always good to have a mother daughter adventure. mum and I dont do that so much.

    So what hotel? When i stay in NYC i stay at NIGHT. LOVE that place.

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  2. Now I really regret that we didn't enter into the space age of transport, you know, how we thought the future would be when we were kids watching the Jetsons, pushing a button that takes us from here to there in nano seconds, because I would love to get to that show. I need to check stuff online more regularly. When are they coming out here... or did they already?

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  3. Anonymous7:30 AM

    The Beatles or just OK, I heard 'em for the first time the other day and their sound has really dated. Pop music these day's is just so more exciting. I can't download the Beatles on itunes, i guess because they are not relevant anymore. Also, people who say that Ringo Star is one of the best songwriters ever should download some more music!

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  4. Stella, we had a blast. I will blog about it later; I'm still too whipped.

    Rena, you would have LOVED the show and the after party, too.

    Erm, Anonymous, what am I, a freak magnet? Who asked you? I notice that derogatory comments are always by people named "anonymous". Feeling pretty bold behind that monitor in your mother's basement? And your spelling and grammar are atrocious, which says more about you than your taste. Go play somewhere else.

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  5. Anonymous11:28 AM

    Hello! I’m a big fan of the Belew Power Trio and the Slick kids. I caught up with this blog again after searching "UKZ". Through dumb luck I noticed that UKZ was at Town Hall while my wife and I were entertaining guests around the corner at the Millennium Premier. We went to check it out and took one our German guests along. Good show.

    A couple of thoughts, first, about the disappointing turnout... Who promoted this show? I'm an active Porcupine Tree - Petrucci - King Crimson - Belew concert going/music purchasing fan and I lucked into hearing about this UKZ debut. If I wasn’t staying around the corner for the weekend I would’ve missed it. Also, $61.50 for the cheap seats on a freezing cold night in Times Square is a tough draw for anyone, much less a newly reprised Progressive effort. Something was missing in the audience. I guess it was just numbers, the fans that did attend seemd to enjoy it.

    Stickmen was okay. Those Chapman Stick guys are a rare breed. Very talented musicians.

    Marco Minnemann and Trey Gunn blew me away during their UKZ featured segment. Look out Julie and Eric! The point remains though; it is more enjoyable for me to take in a Belew show. Music is not a competition, it is an art form. UKZ at Town Hall had too many “tweedle dee, look at me” moments for my taste. That was the downside for me, I guess. Sue me, I can appreciate melody (even the White Album). Actually the guitarists Jazz chording, amid his interesting solo, was my favorite aspect of his playing. All in all, it was the best thing happening in Manhattan this weekend and nice component to an interesting evening.

    Sorry for the long comment.

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  6. Hi there: Wow, it's nice to know the blog led you to a great show! And I truly appreciate your comments about the Belew trio and Eric and Julie...very, very cool.

    Wow do I agree about Marco. I told Eric he's the first "new" drummer who really impressed me (other than Eric, of course)...I was just blown away and could have watched him solo all night. I am a HUGE Tony Levin fan and now a big Michael Bernier fan as well so they can do no wrong in my eyes (Pat M. I absolutely adore as well), but getting back to Tony, it always pissed me off when I would read how people whine that the best KC was when Trey was in the band. But...having seen Trey on Saturday, it's easy to see why so many fans are enamoured. Yes, he is quite accomplished and wonderful.

    But that skirt has got to go.

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  7. Hi Robin... I'm a long-time Crim/Belew fan and an amateur musician to boot! I've enjoyed your blogs and recently started my own on blogspot, so I'm following you now! Check out my music on my page sometime if you can; its very Crim flavored! Also, Tickledrop can vouch for me! We're old Belewbeloid buddies!! Ha ha! I've also added you on Twitter (my name is babajohnny on Twitter) but my "stage name" is Johnny Love! Thats a lot of information! Cheers! ~ Johnny

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