December 2005

2005 Live Music Blog Roundup

by Justin Ward on Dec 31, 05

2005. The Year of the Live Music Blog.

Okay, that’s quite conceited, and I’m not one to let that go unchecked. I just had to come up with something that would get your attention amidst all the other year-end posts around the blogworld.

When I started this site a year ago, I never thought that it would be where it’s at after one great year of music, blogging, podcasting, downloading, and everything else. It’s truly become an excellent outlet for me and music, and I’m glad to see that we have some readers that seem to enjoy the site and what I’m trying to do. I never thought I’d have that honor, and it truly means the world to me.

I’d like to thank the following advertisers that have helped pay for the site hosting and maintenance costs: Wino Riot, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, MSNBC, Belle and Sebastian, and BizRate. I appreciate the support, and I will continue to keep the site going for as long as you’re interested in helping me pay for it. There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that goes into this (at least for me), and it’s good to know that the financial side isn’t of stressful concern.

Thanks to all 100,000 visitors that hit the site this year, and I can only hope that you got some much needed info or some good downloads or some festival lineup or whatever else you were looking for. When you’re not looking for that stuff, I’d totally welcome you to post comments on the links or the guest posts or my reviews or whatever. I’d love for you to feel that you can participate in the Live Music Blog–you, the readers, are the ones that are making this site special.

Thanks to all the guest writers that contributed to the site this year, and I’m extremely grateful that you were interested in helping us out. I couldn’t really offer much other than a few concert tickets and the promise of getting your writing more exposure, and I’m confident and pleased that I held up my end in the bargain. Ace Cowboy, Jesse Jarnow, Chilly JackWater, Chris Kawalek, all the other guest writers, and all the readers that sent in tips for us to post–THANK YOU.

And last but certainly not least, thanks to all the other bloggers that gave me some great inspiration, and thanks for providing so many great links and downloads and photos and other great things for my own site. Thanks to David at Largehearted Boy for helping me get started on site advertising, Adam Gromfin for providing a lot of great photos, and really everyone else I’m forgetting.

Here’s to a great 2006!

Bonnaroo 2006 Early Lineup Rumors

by Justin Ward on Dec 31, 05

in Rumors

Looking for 2007 lineup rumors?

Update (2/1/06): Bonnaroo 2006 Lineup Announced!

Coming straight from our own comments, there’s a couple very exciting acts that are rumored as part of the 2006 Bonnaroo lineup. I, for one, cannot wait to see the lineup once it’s official if they’re already rumoring Tom Petty and Radiohead. I’ll post more when I know more…

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones spilled the beans already that they’d be playing the Sunday of Bonnaroo, which is usually the closing day. Read more here.

If anyone else has any other ideas, I’m all ears…

Previously: Bonnaroo 2006 Announcement!

My Year-End Lists (or something like that)…

by Justin Ward on Dec 31, 05

in Reviews

Well, it’s funny. I thought I’d go without doing a real “year-end list” as part of the blog. I’m working on writing up what I remembered most about the year and what it really meant to me, but I just figured that I would incorporate my lists into that. I changed my mind, I guess…

I think I’m going to go with Top 3, just because I’d like to go through a couple different categories. If you’ve got a Top 3 List that you’d like to share, post it in the comments.

Top 3 Concerts/Shows

This Top 3 is based on the idea that anyone on my list for Best Concert would had to have been one that I was literally floored by. Top prize goes to the Kraftwerk show that left me beyond mesmerized. I sat in my chair rockin’ back and forth to the music (nobody was standing) and I had one very large, shit-eating grin on my face the entire time. Awesome…

New Year’s Resolution #3 – Leap and Follow-Through

by Justin Ward on Dec 31, 05

in Features

One thing that people tend to forget about new year’s resolutions is that they are not the end-all be-all for self-improvement. They are set at year-end simply because it is a good time to reassess one’s own life, situations, health, job, etc., especially when venturing into a certainly tumultuous 2006. Maybe you’re the kind of person that tends to set these and break them immediately? Maybe you do this throughout the year and don’t feel the need to set a specific “new year’s” resolution?

Or maybe, just maybe, you’re the kind of musician that will place a full-page ad in the Chicago newspapers proclaiming your love for the city and your wish to put together your highly-successful, first band that you gave up specifically to get away from it all…

I know what kind of person I am, and when I think about that as well as the fact that I specifically wanted to set multiple goals for myself in 2006, I can come up with another resolution…

Jamcast #030 – Final Secret Machines at Bonnaroo05

by Justin Ward on Dec 31, 05

in Podcasts

Sorry for not getting a podcast up last weekend–it was Christmas and all that jazz, so I had some things to take care of first. We’re back this week, though, again offering up another great podcast from the 2005 Bonnaroo Music Festival.

I’ll probably put out some stuff from the Umphrey’s McGee New Year’s Eve run (hopefully along with their soundboard podcasts) next week. Also, I’m going to start condensing the podcasts a bit to fit in some different variety of music. I can imagine it might turn some people off to have three weeks of the same band and same source in the podcast. No longer, my friends…

Jamcast #030 – Secret Machines Roo05 #3 (54.1 MB)
Subscribe to Live Music Blog: Jamcasts
Editor: Justin
192kbps (right-click link to download)

The Secret Machines
June 11, 2005
Bonnaroo Music Festival
Part 3 or 3

Girl From North Country
Money
Lightning Blue Eyes
First Wave >
Nowhere Again
Total running time: 39:26

Previously: Jamcasts Archive

Studio News from Illinois Entertainer…

by Justin Ward on Dec 30, 05

in News

I know that we can expect the next studio effort from Umphrey’s McGee sometime (hopefully) during early 2006. Here’s a little more news pointing in that direction…

From IllinoisEntertainer.com…

Umphrey’s McGee put the finishing touches on their second album for Sci Fidelity with engineers Kevin Browning and Sanchez . . .

I’ll be at the first of their two-night New Year’s Eve run at the Aragon Ballroom tonight…and we’re just waiting to start our liquor drip…

New Year’s Resolution #2

by Justin Ward on Dec 30, 05

in Features

This one is totally not music-related, but I figured I’d post it anyways…

Taking notice from Kottke’s recent best-of lists of links because I’ve been thinking of it anyways, I need to buy a new grill and start cooking more next year. My grill was just stolen a couple months ago–that’s what I get for getting drunk on the “job.” There’s some good tips on grilling here, and I especially like the first tip to flip, flip, flip–as often as possible. That’s how I like it…

And overall, I’m going to work on buying more local food. I have plenty of fresh veggies to choose from in the area, not to mention the fact that I live a very short distance from Trader Joe’s. I know that’s not all local, but I think it’ll be better if I start shopping there more…

I think I might want to reconsider the fact that I’m going to try on more resolutions than any normal person should have to consider all at once, all during one year, mind you. I’m destined for failure at the rate I’m going…

Heady Links

by Justin Ward on Dec 30, 05

in News

biscoRADIO already has both Wednesday and Thursday night’s Disco Biscuits sets available for streaming. Be forewarned, the server was full for a while before I got on, and I probably won’t leave this spot for a while. I want to hear that new take on Camera B.

Texasgigs.com serves up all your live music needs in North Texas. (via GvB)

Associated Press profiles the Benevento-Russo Duo. You should read this, and listen to this band a lot, and then like the band a lot and go see them live. However, if you didn’t get tickets for their NYE show, you’re too late unless you ask this guy…

Here’s a listing of the stations that plan on airing Phish’s New Year’s Eve Special, complete with tracks from their new CD, NYE 1995: Live At MSG, not to mention “conversations” with Fishman and Gordo themselves. If you live in Haines, AK, I’m willing to bet that this is one of the only things to do up there. Plus, there shouldn’t be any daylight up there right now…

That guerrilla Strokes show I mentioned yesterday? Yeah, it’s already sold out…

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones have been added to Bonnaroo 2006 (from their own announcement list, mind you). Glide has the news from liveDaily. (thanks Sillynis)