Meet Gabriel Aldort, who performs for the morning commuters, typically at Grand Central. He is a mad ivory tickler in the style of classic New Orleans flair. He is not only featured in our book, but also on our upcoming recording of the Billy Joel hit song, New York State of Mind. To hear more from Gabriel, click HERE.

Another incredible performer that evening was Beatrhymer, Kid Lucky. Kid, who is also in our book and on our upcoming New York State of Mind recording, has made me a believer in this art form. Become a believer yourself, by checking him out below!

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‘Wilton Said’ is modern prog-rock done weird. If this seems repetitious, then you have been listening to prog-rock entirely too safe. The group’s EP ‘Half-Life’ is a sprawling collection of oddities and musical casualties, tearing apart and reconstructing various sounds through a wide variety of genres. Just like any great prog-rock sensibility, Wilton Said seems to manipulate these sounds into a grand mosaic (some, of course, lastly upwards of 10+ minutes).

If you forgot why people dislike prog, the synth solo on the opening title track is a great reminder. It goes on a minute too long and a nearly insufferable 2 and half minutes, the song is just bookended by what ended up being a detour into the annoying. The exit from this passage is beautiful, not just in it finally being over by how the song was constructed seemingly around this distracting synth respite. Ultimately, it gouges the song.

Fortunately, Wilton Said shows slightly more comedic restraint on the following tracks. The surprisingly short ‘Bydlo’ contains a grandiose sound that was ironically cut a bit too short, acting as more of an interlink between the first half of the EP and the second. The EP is designed around ‘Simple.’ This 15 minute adventure reminds me wholeheartedly of Space Oddity-era David Bowie. Other influences arise with a little bit of Robert Smith crooning and Supertramp-level bizarreness- aside from the hook-friendly ‘Logical Song.’

Just like any excelled prog-rock musician, the respective front man of the group, Wilton Said, holds a degree from York in composition. You can hear it. This is no punk rock jam session, as the songs are constructed in brief passages, and the shorter songs go through just as many passages- just at a shorter length. Prog rock is about relishing the excessive, and in that, Wilton Said succeeds. The group pens together a multitude of puzzle pieces, changing the dynamic enough to keep the schizophrenics happy but still holding true to the genre’s main sensibilities- for better or worse.

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Whatever a modern day love story is, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert takes it to the next level. It’s got the music; the over the top familiarity of disco and eighties tunes, the ones that we all know and sang into our hairbrushes. It’s got the costumes; (in excess of 500 to be exact); frocks made of flip-flops; silver lame and glitter for days. It’s got the talk: one line zingers being ricocheted between the main characters like artillery fire. But it’s stealthy, in an oddly complex way. Beyond the music; beyond the costumes and beyond the witty banter; what happens next? Nothing and everything. Welcome to the world do Mitzi/Tick, Felicia/Adam and Bernadette and welcome to a joy ride of magnificent proportions. And when it’s done, you know you’ve missed a lot, which finds you wanting to get on that bus all over again.

The story follows the 1994 Australian movie of three friends, who happen to be two drag queens and a transsexual, who trek across the Outback in a bus named Priscilla. The veteran drag Queen, Bernadette, portrayed by Scott Willis—remains the resolute realist searching and longing for many things; a comeback, lost youth, true love. Felicia (Bryan West) plays the spunky, impetuous transsexual and Wade McCollum portrays Mitzi/Tick, who is the center and grounding force of this obscure world.

There is no doubt, the show is pure entertainment. The costumes are fabulously extravagant, winning accolades and awards throughout the ages. As a side note: Costume designer Lizzy Gardiner, (who shares credit with Tim Chappel) accepted her 1995 Academy Award—(for costuming in Priscilla) in a dress made of American Express Gold Cards. Worst or Best Oscar Dress? You decide. Allegedly, this is one of the costumes that never made it on the big screen, as AmEx wouldn’t grant permission for Hugo Weaving’s character to wear it on film. I think she deserves an award just for having the balls to wear the dress.

The music is fantastically fun; with a wonderfully weird funeral scene featuring the 1975 Thelma Houston hit, Don’t Leave Me This Way, a great rendition of The Village People’s Go West, Libera from La Traviata being belted from a giant high heel atop the bus, Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors and one of the best interpretations of Dianna Ross’ MacArthur Park, you’re likely to hear. Disco music has an undeniable sexual liberation and freedom at its core, and it served to strengthen the message of the show. As pure entertainment, does the show need a message? And if so, what is the message? Many reviews fault the production for falling into stereotypical homophobic humor and one liners, or for not giving us a reason to care about these drag queens for any other reason than they are, well, fabulous.

At its heart though, beyond the glam and the glitz, Priscilla is a study of tolerance and social acceptance, bigotry and barriers, politics and prejudices which is very much relevant in today’s world. The actors portray their characters with sensitivity, humor, and realism; people who care about each other and each other’s lives, who offer encouragement, hope and understanding to each other, and to the world they inhabit. One such seed, comes from Mitzi/Tick’s young son,Benji, who accepts him/her unconditionally, because he too longs for something lost; a father, a family, a friend. And again from Bernadette’s interactions with Bob, the Outback mechanic; who longs for things lost; a love, a family, a friend and finds them in the hemmed skirt of an aging drag queen. This theme of acceptance is played out over and over, which makes Priscilla uplifting and beautiful and hopeful.

Perhaps the most surprising and endearing quality of this current cast and incarnation of Priscilla, is that the three leads take their characters seriously, so that in the end, the play is not about being drag queens, but about being friends and fellow human beings, who just happen to be drag queens. It is a subtle, but critical distinction.

Catch Priscilla at The Pantages now until June 16th.
Catch the bus in my fair City by the Bay at the end of August. I know I will!

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“Years ago, living in Pennsylvania, I started going to these backcountry bar jams with some band-mates of the time,” begins Kevin. “Our drummer had moved away and we were hoping to get our kicks playing music that didn’t require drums.” It just so happens, they discovered bluegrass, the diverse sub-genre of country music, that is sans drums. ” We snuck in to these impromptu sessions which sometimes had dozens of players: guitars, dobros, fiddles, and more banjos than should ever be under one roof.  The old timers would belt out old tunes and harmonies together, and we got hooked, learned the songs and went back every week.  It gave me an appreciation for simple tunes that anyone could sing or play- something that has stuck with me.”

Borrowing from the country sensibilities of such timeless greats as Hank Williams and Merle Haggard, The Easy Leaves deftly combine an old timey nostalgia with smooth, drifty melodies to form a warm organic sound. “Before I moved to Sonoma County,” says Sage, “I played in a similar back yard jam near Nevada City where I grew up. It was very casual and fun, and I liked a lot of the country songs people brought to table, sort of fell in love with the tunes really, Your Cheatin’ Heart, Mama’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys, that sort of stuff. Around the same time I started listening to some Gillian Welch records and I was like, “What! She wrote that recently?” It seemed so old-timy. Sort of gave me a new focus in my own writing I think,” he says remembering his early start. And considering what they are listening to right now, “California indie bands Tiny Television and Sparrows Gate… and a stack of old records that includes JJ Cale, CCR, Kris Kristofferson, The Temptations, and Wilson Pickett among others,” it is no wonder that they not only sound like they are doing it for the right reasons, but they are doing it the right way.

The Easy Leaves hail from Sonoma County, which is a mere 30 miles north of San Francisco. It is an area better known for world class wines, with over 200 wineries, the Russian River, spas and museums, than world class Americana music. But for music lovers across the board, their honky-tonk, R&B sound, has attracted a “healthy mix of friendly and interesting people.”

The two met at an open mic in Sonoma County. Kevin sat in on one of Sage’s songs and just happened to record it. Fast forward a year and 35,000 feet in the air, when Kevin came across the tune again on his laptop shuffle. “I thought it sounded better than anything I’d done on my own,” says Kevin. ”I told myself, “Damn, we should start a band!” – I got REALLY excited about it – a few years later I heard a story on NPR about how people experience heightened emotions on airplanes, so I’m pretty sure that’s what happened… but it seems to be working out so far,” he concludes with a chuckle.

Sage and Kevin, are really two sides of a very similar coin, playing each others songs and digging the same sorts of musical sounds. They would come together, in a seemingly effortless  way, at open mics throughout Sonoma, and before long, they were getting asked to play together as a duo for private events or to fill up the local pubs. It was a natural fit that flowed together seamlessly. They took it and ran with it.

As hardworking independent artists, those doing it without the assistance of a major record label, there are inherent benefits and rewards. “From an economic standpoint,” says Kevin, “It’s a constant exercise in resourcefulness, which can have it’s days on either side of the coin… There’s a benefit to having control of the reigns of a creative project, but it also usually means there’s no one to steer you around roadblocks along the way.” In the end, they both have one piece of advice for indie artists; and, like their music, it is the same advice from different sides of the coin. “Don’t take advice from people whose instinct you don’t trust,” says Kevin. Or, “ Really listen to the advice of people whose instincts you do trust,” says Sage.

When asked what a ‘must-see or do’ for first time visitors to Sonoma County would be; Kevin says,  ”Sonoma County is an agricultural hub, and home to some of the best food and drink you can find….  Farmers’ markets, Microbrew, Taco Trucks, and Restaurants .  So sample some of the local food.  If you like wine, there’s that too.” And of course, if in Sonoma, you should definitely check out The Easy Leaves!

The best way to connect with The Easy Leaves is via their website: The Easy Leaves.com or via Facebook.

And in true indie fashion, they both agree that  coming out to a show and saying Hi is always the best.

The Easy Leaves will be taking the stage at Outside Lands during the weekend of August 9-11. They will also be appearing at The Petaluma Music Festival Saturday, August 3rd, right in the heart of wine country.

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Over the next few weeks, I will be catching up with many of these indie folks who will be taking the stages at Outside Lands, and introducing you to them and their sound. These are hardworking musicians who are not doing it by themselves; but are doing it without the support of a major record label. In the upcoming weeks, if you dig what you hear, dig a little deeper and grab a CD for yourself or for a gift. In the indie world, a little goes a very long way. Remember, in indie we trust. First, let’s back up a little bit and check out what Outside Lands is all about.

Golden Gate Park is a vision, specifically the vision of John McLaren. In the late 1800’s, the development of the park began, when the state legislature passed an act bringing the Parks and Recreation Commission into existence. Directly thereafter, the Parks Commission began to sell bonds to finance park improvements. Enough bonds were sold and Engineer William Hammond Hall and his assistant, John McLaren, master gardener, won the contract to survey the potential for Golden Gate Park. In 1871, fences, grading and water were installed and 22,000 quick growing trees were delivered to the park. Visitors began to arrive by the thousands. But the park was wrought with challenges across the board; from engineering to financial; political to social.  Golden Gate Park was literally created from sand dunes. The land was considered inaccessible and uninhabitable and located in the then unincorporated area west of San Francisco. The area was known as the Outside Lands. The park itself was never meant to be modest. It was meant to provide San Franciscans with a feeling of spaciousness and freedom within the 7 square mile island they inhabited.  John McLaren lived in Golden Gate Park until he died at the age of 96 in 1943. Today Golden Gate Park houses so much great stuff; a music concourse, museums, arboretum, conservatory of flowers, botanical gardens, lakes, stadium, polo fields, windmills, bison, carousel, and so much more. Today the park continues to be modified, expanded upon and beautifully maintained.

The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival lovingly referred to simply as; Outside Lands are known throughout the world. It is held in August of every year, presenting art installations and musical acts from across the globe. There are several stages; Lands End Stage, Twin Peaks Stage, Panhandle Stage, Sutro Stage and Presidio Stage, all named after various neighborhoods of the City by the Bay. Well over 60,000 people will attend the festival throughout the weekend.

And true to San Francisco fashion, a city that has set a Zero Waste goal by 2020; Outside Lands has made a huge move in keeping the city on track to meet this goal, with the ban of plastic bags, recycling and compost bins set up everywhere, bike valets, rideshare opportunities, solar powered stages, a recycling store, refillable water stations to decrease the use of plastic bottles, 100% bio-degradable and compostable cups, plates, utensils and ‘compost bins’. Don’t know which bin to put your refuse in? Find a ‘Trash Talker’! These are easily identifiable volunteers who will guide the green day all the way. They also have Eco-Lands which are educational seminars and workshops that showcase urban gardening, locally sourced food, farmer’s markets, sustainable living and more.

Although most of the tickets to Outside Lands are already sold out, you can still find them on Craig’s List.

Next week, we will start meeting some of the indie gems, who will take the stage. And to launch the festivities, will be the sultry L.A based songstress Naia Kete. Until next week, Cheers!

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