All things Harlem Experiment.

$10.

Voodoo Music Experience

This weekend in New Orleans...

Broadcasting live on WWOZ and streaming video at iClips.net.  Video lineup includes Mofro tonight at 10pm .  Tomorrow: Porter/Batiste/Stoltz at 7pm, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk at 9pm, New Orleans Social Club at 11pm.  Sunday:  The Black Crowes at 7pm.  Plenty more though.  (All times in EST)

If only you could record that streaming video?

[Update 7:45pm] Hmmmm, conflict... WWOZ will broadcast JJ Grey performing a live solo set tonight between 10-10:30pm EST.  At the same time over on iClips.net, Mofro's entire performance from earlier today will be video broadcast.  Can't go wrong with either.  Me?  I'll figure a way to get both.

If you don't get it...

First up is a concept long overdue.
(By way of the Washington Post) I present to you...

The Moby Quotient

and

The Equation


What is the Moby Quotient? I should really just let you read and come back. But for those who understandably don't read blogs just to be directed somewhere else to read, I'll briefly summarize. Simply put, it is one man's attempt to quantify how much an artist sells out with various commercial endeavors. The article breaks down how the theory came about while the equation clearly illustrates factors used in the calculation. Readers are also encouraged to calculate their own values for custom scenarios. Brilliant!



Next up, Dave McKenna accurately assesses the show that kicked off the Experience Hendrix tour at Constitution Hall last Tuesday night. I was there and it wasn't good. Sure, it had a few moments (Kenny Wayne Shepherd providing the best highlights). But once the house lights came up, the stage cleared, and the crowd ushered out, it was a letdown.

Driving home I debated what to title the post I would write that night about the show. Possibilities included "The Buddy Guy Experience," "Get off the stage Buddy!" and "Fuck Buddy Guy." Not kidding. You get the idea. After a promising start to the show that included some solid performances, followed by some awful performances, followed by some killer performances, we got 45 minutes of Buddy Guy doing Buddy Guy. Not just being Buddy Guy, but doing Buddy Guy, as in all Buddy Guy songs. Two words he never mentioned the entire time he was on stage? "Jimi" and "Hendrix." Neither one. Not once. He drained the energy from the entire room and made the Purple Haze>Voodoo Child>Hey Joe finale feel anti-climactic. Buddy wasn't the only problem though. And looking back, I can't completely agree with the sentiment of the article's title. It was worth the experience, just not what it could have been.

Read Hendrix Tribute: Not Worth the Experience.



And finally, this tidbit from an article about copyright law and how some "violators" are fighting back. I had to read it twice.


Ric Silver, the choreographer of the Electric Slide, says he spent three years contacting 17,000 Web sites about what he says is their "incorrect portrayal" of the famous line dance. Silver also told YouTube to take down a number of videos showing the dance, including one clip of a concert filmed by Kyle Machulis.

Machulis sued Silver for copyright abuse. As part of the settlement, Silver agreed to allow the video to be reposted with a tagline crediting him for the choreography, but he now says he's waiting for paperwork from the Library of Congress that will allow him to open new lawsuits over clips like Machulis's.

"I can't go to every wedding and bar mitzvah in the country, so this is all I can do to make sure people learn it right," Silver said.

Not a shred of sarcasm in there? No follow-up joke? Maybe it's just me.

[Live Show] 3 Foot Icon

When: Friday, September 28
Where: 8 x 10 Club, Baltimore MD

3 Foot Icon is a new project fronted by Speech of Arrested Development, Chief Xcel of Blackalicious, and Kyle Hollingsworth of String Cheese Incident. They came to Baltimore this past Friday night for a late (10:30pm doors) show and exceeded my already hyped expectations.

Why was I expecting good things? The answer is simple really; the presence of Chief Xcel. I'm of the opinion that everything Xcel touches is golden. Examples include the Blackalicious classics NIA, Blazing Arrow, and The Craft and his collaboration with Quannum labelmate Lateef the Truthspeaker entitled Maroons: Ambush.

I was also looking forward to checking out Speech. At the height of his popularity as the leader of the hugely popular, MTV regulars, Arrested Development, I was busy digging Tool, NIN, the Pixies etc. to recognize. But later on I grew to respect Speech as an artist, a voice, and a talent. And so this setting was a great opportunity to see where he's at now.

And then there's that String Cheese guy. Have to admit, not a fan of String Cheese Incident. But the fact that Kyle was involved in a project with the two aforementioned artists earned major points before the show ever began. Then I heard him play. Alright, as if this comes as some surprise, Kyle Hollingsworth can definitely play.

Band started tight with an instrumental jam consisting of Kyle on keys, Chief on turntables and laptop, guitar player, bass player, and drummer. (I regret that I don't have the names of the other players in the band. Apparently 3 Foot Icon has ignored the universal law that each and every musical endeavor, no matter the quality or legitimacy, requires its own separate myspace page.) Speech entered stage left moments into the second song, driven by a "nod-your-head-to-this" Chief Xcel beat. The band started to fall into the beat (somewhat off) until Xcel faded it out and ripped into some nice scratching.

Ended up getting a Mr. Wendel, Tennessee, and encore of Everyday People. And you know what? It wasn't lame at all. The sound lived up to the hype. Hip-Hop met Jam met Soul. These cats rocked.

[Got more to say but it's taking me too long to finish posts and get them up. So this one's going up almost done. I know, pretty weak.]