Get Off Your Ass: March

From now until the end of time, we'll be asking you to Get Off Your Ass with monthly concert picks. We're taking a look at the top shows we want to see in L.A., Nashville, and New York.

Darlingside // March 2 // Hotel Cafe // Tickets

Darlingside’s dreamy, one-voice harmonies drive the engine of the group’s self-described “string rock.” Their latest, Not to Disappear, is out now.

Leon Bridges with Son Little // March 19-20 // The Wiltern // Tickets

Bridges is the hottest act around with a vintage flare and Sam Cooke-esque, swoon-worthy vocals while opener Son Little puts an urban edge on to his version of nostalgic soul.

Elephant Revival & Mandolin Orange // March 24 // The Troubadour // Tickets

The diversified music of Elephant Revival incorporates influences from Celtic music to jazz to reggae to create a rounded-out genre of folk. The duo Mandolin Orange continue to maximize their beautifully throaty harmonies and classic bluegrass-folk.

Daughter // March 25 // The Theater at Ace Hotel // Tickets

A glorious blend of folk vocals and soft electronics provide a foundation for the quiet celestial music from Daughter.

Anders Osborne (with Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds) // March 31 // The Troubadour // Tickets

Osborne strokes a rockin’ blues guitar that could feel at home in a swamp-side bar near the bayou and Sister Sparrow (and her Dirty Birds) bring sparkling funk and soul to match as a supporting act.

Elizabeth Cook (with special guests) // March Residency (March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30) // The 5 Spot // Tickets

A member of the Grand Ole Opry family for over 15 years, Miss Cook showcases bright, tight country vocals with honest songwriting.

Deer Tick with Mutual Benefit // March 2 // City Winery // Tickets

Deer Tick’s party energy and riff-raff vibes mixed with an introduction by Mutual Benefit’s psychedelic, scenic sounds come together for an enveloping evening at City Winery.

Tedeschi Trucks Band // March 3-5 // Ryman Auditorium // Tickets

Hot on the tail of their latest album release, Let Me Get By, Tedeschi Trucks brings yet another perfectly aged and blended batch of soulfulness, twang, and rock.

John Prine // March 11-12 // Ryman Auditorium // Tickets

The immensely talented John Prine brings his timeless storytelling to the music cathedral of Nashville.

The Life and Songs of Kris Kristofferson feat. Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Ryan Bingham, Rosanne Cash, Eric Church, Emmylou Harris, Jamey Johnson, Willie Nelson, Darius Rucker, Trisha Yearwood, and more. // March 16 // Bridgestone Arena // Tickets

A killer lineup of legends paying tribute to a master songwriter in Kristofferson … all in one night.

HoneyHoney // March 2 // Knitting Factory // Tickets

Rock 'n' roll with twang coloring, vocalist Suzanne Santo brings a dark rasp layered on heavier guitar, drums, and bass that contrasts the plucking of a banjo beautifully.

Jim Campilongo with Nels Cline, Chris Morrissey, and Josh Dion // March Mondays (March 7, 14, 21, 28) // Rockwood Stage 2 // Free

Campilongo’s tunes are a melt-worthy layer cake of bending blues guitar, jazz improvisation, and country swing.

Judah and the Lion // March 31 // Gramercy Theatre // Tickets

If you’re missing the early sound of Mumford and Sons, Judah and the Lion homes in on the energy of nu-folk pushed by rolling banjo and filled out with warm strings and harmonies.

Jake Bugg // March 21 // Bowery Ballroom // Tickets

You’d most certainly recognize this Brit’s song “Lightning Bolt,” but take a listen to his new single, “On My One,” and feel the depth of '60s/'70s folk and blues echoing throughout.

Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn // March 1 // 92nd Street Y // Tickets

With another Grammy to add to their collection — for Best Folk Album 2016 — the husband/wife duo combines an epic musicianship of the banjo with an innovative and diverse playfulness that makes each performance from them truly magical. GO and see the sparks fly.

3×3: Elephant Revival on Colorado, Karaoke, and What They Almost Named the Band

Artist: Elephant Revival
Hometown: Nederland, Lyons, & Boulder, CO
Latest Album: Sands of Now
Rejected Band Names: It’z Evolving, Rippin’ Britches 🙂

 

Thanks to @onthedlphoto for this great shot of our set at Red Rocks!

A photo posted by @elephantrevival on

What was the first record you ever bought with your own money?
Dango: Guns n’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction
Daniel: Bob Dylan – Live at Carnegie Hall
Bridget: Foo Fighters (self-titled)

If money were no object, where would you live and what would you do?
Dango: I’m very content living where I do and playing with Elephant Revival. Nederland is very beautiful, and it's a unique community full of interesting people. That said, I love the Oregon coast and Brevard, NC. Not to mention, many places overseas I have yet to be — such as the Isle of Skye.
Daniel: There are so many places I have yet to go, so in my finite knowledge, I’d probably buy some land in Colorado and buy a bunch of solar panels and a Tesla battery. Then I’d build a monolithic dome and a separate music studio and have it all be powered by the sun. I’d invest in an organic heirloom seed bank, buy some chickens and goats, and hire some friends to help grow some food.
Bridget: I would live in the mountains just outside of Boulder, up high and near the river. I would play music locally and teach kids for free!

If your life were a movie, which songs would be on the soundtrack?
Dango: I’d create a mix-tape of Penguin Café Orchestra, Balmorhea, and Michael Nyman.
Daniel: "Tangled Up in Blue" and "The Times They Are a Changin’" by Bob Dylan, "Girl in the War" by Josh Ritter, "Born at the Right Time" and "You’re the One" by Paul Simon, "Hold On" by Tom Waits
Bridget: All the music of Béla Fleck, "Ripple" by the Grateful Dead, anything off Blue by Joni Mitchell

What brand of jeans do you wear?
Dango: Levi’s
Daniel: I have two pairs of jeans — Levi's and Kenneth Cole.
Bridget: I hardly ever wear jeans, but when I do, they are stretchy.

What's your go-to karaoke tune?
Dango: Don't do Karaoke
Daniel: "Redemption Song"
Bridget: "Stay" by Lisa Loeb

What's your favorite season?
Autumn

Kimmel or Fallon?
Yes & Colbert

Jason Isbell or Sturgill Simpson?
Both of them passing songs around the fire

Chocolate or vanilla?
Dango: Swirl
Daniel: Chocolate
Bridget: Chocolate


Photo credit: Angie Barnes

Between the Lines: ‘Easy Money’

I never would have guessed in a million years we'd be caught up in this way of surviving.

She put on her coat. I put on my hat.

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, glazing over my eyes, only seeing the outlines of who I'd become. A thief. A thief in unassuming demeanor.

She put out the dog. I put out the cat. I lit my last cigarette and threw the empty pack on the kitchen table.

“I see you put on your red dress for me tonight honey,” I said to my partner in life and crime, attempting to add what little warmth I could to an otherwise cold-blooded way to live. Despite any attempt to romanticize the night, I am left with only the comfort of a pull from my last cigarette.

“We’re going on the town now,” she said while opening the garage door. “Looking for that easy money.” Offering me that stone cold tone of confidence and of manifest destiny … a tone one could only hope for coming from your accomplice.

The last patron had stumbled out of the saloon, and I knew the only one left in there was “the boss.” At least that's what they call him. I’ve been staking the place out for about a month, and I know if he escorts the last person out and locks the door, the next scene is he's counting the profits — not only from his liquor sales, but from the dirty deals he's doing out the back door. Twenty minutes later he's headed home with a bottle and a briefcase.

The last light inside the saloon is shut off. We walk arm-in-arm giving illusion that we are merely a couple arriving a little too late for their night cap. She reaches her hand into mine and whispers close, “There’s nothing to it, mister. He won’t hear a sound when his whole world comes tumbling down. And all them fat cats, they’ll just think it’s funny.”

With the last boost of confidence and blood in my stare, I watch him step outside and lock the door behind him. Clockwork … a bottle and a briefcase.

“Oh hey, any chance we could …” I say only to be interrupted by him now facing toward us half-annoyed,

“Closed for the night, come back tomorrow.”

We walk closer to him with one arm still in each other's and my other hand in my jacket pocket.

“Mister … sir. I don’t think you understand. I got a Smith & Wesson .38. I got a hellfire burning and I got me a date. Got me a date on the far shore where it’s bright and sunny.”

With my .38 pointed at him, and my other hand now free, I finish where I left off: “Dirty money stays dirty. Now hand over the briefcase. You can keep the bottle. We're going on the town tonight, looking for easy money.”

Story by Daniel Rodriguez of Elephant Revival based on "Easy Money" by Bruce Springsteen. Photo credit: Vince_Ander / Foter / CC BY.