Random Thoughts 5/28/10: ETD POP, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Sublime

Hey what's up everyone. Hope everyone is having a good Friday out partying. I'm keeping the night chill and sober in anticipation for ETD POP 2010 in San Francisco. For those that don't know, this is the 2nd biggest single day event for electronic music (with the 1st being LovEvolution the former LoveFest). Lot of big names are going to be there like Benny Benassi, Fedde Le Grand, Boyz Noise, Steve Aoki, and LA Riots for the house heads and Armin van Buuren, Gareth Emery, and Infected Mushroom. Me being the ultra electronic music enthusiast, I'm super stoked about this show. Something about these events hold a realness and atmosphere that make me think about what it was like to see a huge stadium rock band like Led Zeppelin or The Who in their heyday. The DJ's hold power over crowds like puppeteers; something that rock bands or rappers don't have these days in the least. Music lovers appreciate a good rock or rap show, but the days of the world being hypnotized by a band the way Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page had a crowd gazing while doing a 25 minute version of "Dazed and Confused" are long gone. Electronic music events are the hype now. The appreciation and hype of electronic music is steady on the rise here in North America and I have my mixed feelings about it. Good for the DJ's wallets, bad for the integrity of the music. That will see its own blog though...

I just finished watching Jeff Beck's Performing This Week...Live At Ronnie Scott's on Palladia and I have to say...Jesus F'n Christ what a show. It would not be an understatement to say that Jeff Beck is the greatest living guitar player. Some of the tones and sounds that he created in this one single show was astounding, especially knowing he hardly uses any effects pedals and the same guitar throughout the entire show. For those that haven't experienced the glory that is Jeff Beck, give this DVD a look. This is a cut from that very performance: You'll find that Eric Clapton was on that same number. Which makes this significant since it was the beginning of a rekindling of their friendship and planted the seeds for a tour that happened very recently. Sorry Eric, you are the man, but in terms of dynamic skill and unprecedented virtuosity, Jeff Beck is definitely the outshining half of that co-headlining tour in regard to guitar work. However, Eric Clapton doesn't have anything to prove anymore and does it all for fun as he will pull the BB King and perform until he dies; I have no doubt...

Sublime...oh how the mighty have fallen. If there is one thing worse a band can do beside carry on a band legacy after their famous frontman is out of the picture; is to carry on the band when your frontman was the core of the band and he's DEAD! This is no case of AC/DC. It was sad to see Bon Scott die and have to be replaced by the knockoff Brian Johnson, but the core of the band was not Bon Scott. For this reason, the change was possible due to the band's monster return with Back In Black and Brian Johnson's incredible vocal range and stage presence. In this case, Sublime's entire soul and importance revolved around the creative juices of Brad Nowell when he was on heroin. Yes, I said it. He even said it. He went on a heroin "experiment", and in true druggie musician nature, he fused a few genres together and made it work. Before Brad Nowell decided on it, reggae, punk, and hip hop were not fused in one trio band. His rhythm section band members were good, but did not contribute to the band enough to warrant to carry on the Sublime name in Brad's stead. Now we have Rome Ramirez in the picture; a Nor Cal native (not from from the LBC) younger who liked Sublime's music who has now taken over frontman duties. I find so many things wrong with this, but mostly the original members' intention to carry on the name despite how different the band is. They tried a new band with the Long Beach Dub Allstars but failed and now want to use the Sublime name in this new incarnation as a means to make money and look relevant maybe? Has a slight wiff of Billy Corgan to me (with Zwan and Smashing Pumpkins). Bottom line, bands should realize when to throw in the towel or start something new entirely...