Geaux Saints!

Wanna know a secret? I don't like football. Not since I was 11 years old and Tony Dorsett was the best player in the league, anyway. What can I say, it's just not my thing. My wife and daughters are eternally grateful for this.

But I do like New Orleans. A lot! I went to college there and try to make it back a couple times a year.

Still, I fully admit I'm the worst possible fair-weather Saints fan. A month ago, I couldn't have told you the name of a single player on the team. But I did have a general awareness that they were having an historic season, and once they made the Super Bowl I decided I would watch it all the way through for the first time in my adult life.

Great game!

I had a pretty good time, but not as good as these folks. They're hanging at one of my favorite places on earth, The Saturn Bar in New Orleans' Bywater neighborhood. In fact, see those strands of hair in the lower right-hand corner of the photo? They belong to a friend of mine. This pic ran huge - half a page - in the NY Times today, and you can read the full story here

Behind the Scenes w/ ZBB at GRAMMYs

The excitement (and anxiety) was high from the moment I stepped foot in LA - and it only got better as the days went on.

From rehearsals, to walking the 400 ft. red carpet, to winning Best New Artist, to a mad dash through the media room, to celebrating with family and friends, Darren Doane (director of ZBB's "Toes" and "Highway 20 Ride" videos) was there with his camcorder capturing every moment.

They've already thanked us in front of 26 Million viewers so here's my chance to hit them back:

Congratulations to the Zac Brown Band for all their hard work and here's to another exciting year in 2010.

YouTube Friday Returns

I have been informed that if I am going to break the seal and post links to preposterous UK novelty hits then I have no choice but to inflict this upon you. Sorry.

Knights Of Bostonia visit NYC-onia

I had the pleasure of talking baseball and hanging out with Boston trio State Radio last week in NYC before heading to Montclair, NJ, to see their smokin set at the gorgeous Wellmont Theater.

I met the band at CBS Radio, where the Chad, Mike and Chuck played "Knights Of Bostonia" and "Calling All Crows" from their latest effort 'Let It Go.' From there we headed down to Relix to hang out for a bit.

Here's a shot at CBS Radio (in Howard Stern's old studio):

Here's the band with Peter Shapiro and Mike Greenhaus at Relix:

And their new video for the punk anthem "Knights Of Bostonia" is absolutely a must-see:

For No Particular Reason:

Here are 10 of my favorite quotes about music, collected over many years...

"Music should never be harmless."
- Robbie Robertson

"Years from now, after I'm gone, someone will listen to what I've done and know I was here. They may not know or care who I was, but they'll hear my guitars speaking for me."
- Chet Atkins

"James Brown is the only human to develop a musical style that didn't exist before him. He invented funk"
- ?uestlove

"All the good music has already been written by people with wigs and stuff."
- Frank Zappa

"Never look at the trombones. You'll only encourage them."
- Richard Strauss

"Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and, instead of bleeding, he sings." - Ed Gardner

"I've always felt that blues, rock and roll, and country are just about a beat apart."-Waylon Jennings

"You can't play anything on a horn that Louis Armstrong hasn't played"
- Miles Davis

"Music makes one feel so romantic - at least it always gets on one's nerves - which is the same thing nowadays."
- Oscar Wilde

"If there hadn't been a Sam Phillips, I might still be working in a cotton field"
- Johnny Cash

"I don't know anything about music. In my line of work you don't have to."
- Elvis Presley

"Hell is a half-filled auditorium."
- Robert Frost

Meanwhile, across the pond...

Let's not forget that American pop culture is not the only place to find some unexpected musical oddity, as this video - which is apparently a massive hit on the UK charts - clearly demonstrates.

I confess, I did have to Google "Jedward" for the backstory.

Should there be a Jazz Band video game?

Check out this good question proposed by Dan Ouellette in the March issue of Downbeat and interesting answers from some fine jazz musicians. What do you think? Stop by Shore Fire's Facebook page to comment...

Grizzly Bear, Balloons, and Summer

Another great video featuring a friend of mine. Keep watching because I think this is just about the best use of this amazing Grizzly Bear song.

Best Album Packaging Ever?

I may be overstating it slightly, but Marrow's insanely creative packaging for their new album 'Sunshine Enema' may be the coolest I've ever seen.

The "Master Cleanse" version of the album comes on a pill shaped USB drive, which can be found in a pill bottle and prescription bag complete with "dosing instructions.

Here's a look:




And the music on the album is equally as kick ass as the packaging it comes in, an electro/industrial hybrid filled with propulsive beats, desperate vocals and a dark pop sheen.

Grammys: The Glitz, The Glamour, The Shore Fire

There were enough of us from Shore Fire at the Grammys this year to field a basketball team (or would that be court a basketball team?). And with good reason. With 28 nominations, and 8 clients attending, we had to play a little zone defense at times.

I was in town with Neko Case and Booker T. Jones. Both were double nominees this year, and both performed at the Neil Young MusiCares dinner Friday night, before attending the Grammys on Sunday.

Neko and Booker contributed to two of MusiCares' most memorable moments, representing opposite ends of the Neil Young spectrum. After backing Dierks Bentley on "Cinnamon Girl," Booker cranked it to 11 along with John Fogerty and Keith Urban for a rafter-shaking "Rockin' in the Free World." Neko meanwhile joined Elton John, Leon Russell, Sheryl Crow and T Bone Burnett, for a heartfelt take on "Helpless" that had the room pin-drop quiet.

On Sunday, Neko and Booker both walked the red carpet, and Booker took home a Grammy for Pop Instrumental Album for his killer 2009 set 'Potato Hole.'

Between the two events, I caught up with the rest of the Shore Fire folks on Saturday and snapped the above pic on the Grammy red carpet. From L-R that's Elizabeth Lutz, Shore Fire Prez Marilyn Laverty, Carrie Tolles, yours truly, and Rebecca Shapiro.

Perez - I know you were just waiting for ID's on this shot before posting. You're welcome.

Monster Fun At Freestyle Jam at Nassau Colisseum

The kids, Eli and Leo, jumped up and down and roared, and so did the massive Monster Trucks we got to see over the weekend at Nassau Coliseum for the "Monster Jam Freestyle Mania." We all had a blast, me included. I'd put the whole thing down in the "good, clean fun" category. Nice seats, fair ticket price ($15 per kid + the onerous charges of course), started on time, matinee. Definitely kept everyone entertained. Plus, Flushing, Queen's Chinatown is on the way.

We got to see Sampson; Rap Attach, whose driver must have drawn the lucky straw at the drivers' pre-show meeting for the obligatory flip over; the Avenger; Grave Digger (every rally has to have a Grave Digger, the clear fan favorite); and Spider-Man.

In between the Monster Truck jumps and donuts, the Freestyle Jam showed off a truly amazing group of moto bikers, who did pirouettes and flips over a 50 foot-span jump; BMX bikers who also did flips and spins; and a trio of motorcyclists who did wheelie tricks.

Two very entertaining hours which I'd be happy to do again.

Shore Fire Clients Earn 9 Grammy Awards

Zac Brown Band Named Best New Artist; Maxwell Wins 2

Shore Fire clients last night earned nine GRAMMY® Awards, five of them in a diverse set of Best Album categories, and a clutch of our clients were seen onstage during the televised Awards ceremony. Zac Brown Band was named Best New Artist and, with Leon Russell, delivered a smoking rendition of America the Beautiful, Russell's Dixie's Lullaby and their own #1 platinum single Chicken Fried. Maxwell won two awards -- his first GRAMMYs® -- including Best R&B Album and tore down the house with his song Pretty Wings and a spirited duet with Roberta Flack on Where is the Love. Loudon Wainwright III took home his first GRAMMY® Award. Smokey Robinson sang, as did Butch Walker, who was invited by Taylor Swift to play on the arrangement of her song "You Belong With" made famous by his viral video cover.

Click here for video highlights of Maxwell and Zac Brown Band.

Shore Fire GRAMMY® winners:

Best New Artist:
Zac Brown Band

Best Americana Album:
Levon Helm - 'Electric Dirt' (Dirt Farmer Music/Vanguard Records)

Best Pop Instrumental Album:
Booker T. Jones - Potato Hole (Anti)

Best R&B Album:
Maxwell - 'BLACKsummers'Night' (Columbia)

Best Tejano Album:
Los Texmaniacs - 'Borders Y Bailes' (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings)

Best Traditional Folk Album:
Loudon Wainwright III - 'High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project' (2nd Story Sound Records)

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance:
Bruce Springsteen "Working On A Dream" - from 'Working On A Dream' (Columbia)

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance:
Maxwell "Pretty Wings" - from 'BLACKsummers'Night' (Columbia)

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s):
Claus Ogerman, arranger (Diana Krall) "Quiet Nights" - from 'Quiet Nights' (Verve)

Shore Fire is a Fan of the GRAMMYS - Are You?

My excitement can't be contained - I love the interactive GRAMMY site and the ability to make a portrait from all our favorite nominees - www.wereallfans.com

Here's a Shore Fire Media portrait I created in seconds with the following Artist DNA. It looks cool as a picture, but click on the image to see a full motion multimedia show:


Zac Brown Band, Maxwell, Ledisi, Bruce Springsteen, Neko Case, Elvis Costello, Booker T. Jones, John Fogerty, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Levon Helm, Mavis Staples, Susan Tedeschi, Diana Krall, Smithsonian Folkways and Loudon Wainwright III

Don't miss Maxwell and Zac Brown Band when they perform on the 52nd GRAMMYs Sunday January 31st at 8pm/7pm Central on CBS.

Your turn - please share your pages in the comments - I'd love to see them!!

A most special birthday for Diana

Yes, it was finally time for the big one, the landmark birthday, the one everyone's been waiting for. It's been a long time coming but our very own Diana D'Angelo has hit the big twenty-one, and is ready to take a few writers out for drinks. As you can see she was grinning ear to ear for the occasion:


Here's Diana as she got ready to blow out her birthday... well, pastry collection, which may be a first for an afternoon Shore Fire birthday celebration, flanked by the front of Chris Taillie and the back of Andy Silva. The pastries were spread among the staff with joy, partly aided by the intrepid tong-wielder whose prominently displayed arm is obscuring Mark Satlof, just after bestowing some morsels on Matt Hanks, seated to his left.


And as the sugar and good conversation sets in, the staff eases back to celebrate another wonderful year with the lovely Ms. D'Angelo, at far right, with (counterclockwise) Chris Taillie, Carrie Tolles, Nora Lyons, Rob Krauser, Mr. Hanks, Mr. Satlof, and a glimpse of our fearless leader, Shore Fire President Marilyn Laverty, peeking into the photo at far left:


Happy Birthday Diana!!

Me and Underdog: The Brilliance of Suzanne Muldowney

In the late 80s/early 90s a mysterious Underdog roamed the streets of New York. I would see this lady dressed in full on costume here and there and wonder, and I knew her from her appearances on the brilliant late night public access show Beyond Vaudeville, probably the craziest talk show ever to air. Were they putting us on? You just never knew...the host Frank Hope was so deadpan and so obviously enraptured by his guest, themselves an eccentric collection of semi-b list celebrities (Soupy Sales, Joe Franklin) and work-a-day oddballs. Underdog fit right in. (I bought a DVD best of Beyond Vaudeville and it's even better than I remembered. No rose colored glasses here). Later on I heard her on the Howard Stern show, but in recent years I've lost track of Underdog. A quick search shows that her legend lives on and she's still active, though, sadly, recovering from a serious cat bite. And when I found this old photo of me and Underdog (Suzanne Muldowney) taken at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade many years ago, I was reminded of how thrilled I was to meet her at the time. Scroll down below too for a youtube clip of Underdog's greatest hits as well as a clip from just last month.

Another Talented Satlof, Now Out of Retirement

The TV directing and producing credits of Ron Satlof - my uncle - run as long as your arm. Mentioning 70s and 80s classics like the A-Team, Battlestar Galactica, Hawaii Five-0, Perry Mason, Quincy ME, Charlie's Angels, The Dukes of Hazzard, McLoud, The Six Million Dollar Man and my favorite Get Christy Love barely scratch the surface of Ron's TV work, while in the film world it's hard to beat an Assistant Director credit on Mean Streets plus a cameo in the classic Scorcese film (as a bartender). Ron retired several years ago, to Florida, but he came out of retirement over the last couple of years to write, produce and direct the new film Misconceptions, a funny and poignant dramedy about a southern fundamentalist woman carrying a baby for a two gay men from Boston. I caught up with Ron at the opening of the film in New York City on Friday. The theater was packed and the crowd appreciative. Ron and his co-writer Ira Pearlstein stayed afterward to answer audience questions. It's playing in NYC at the Quad Theater through Thursday, so this is a chance to run on down and see the film on the big screen.

Scott Brown's eHarmony commercial

I have crazy friends. And they are very funny. This all started because I wrote a post on Facebook begging my comedian friends to do a parody of those eHarmony commercials. They called my bluff and did this parody which features 29 dimensions of hilarity.

Scott Brown's eHarmony Commercial - watch more funny videos

A Little Saturday Afternoon Amusement

Doonsebury on contemporary music education

Had to post this gem. In today's Doonesbury, Garry Trudeau comes close to imagining campus life at Scott Booker's Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Click on the image to read:

If This Doesn't Make You Smile...

As we wrap up another week, I thought I'd post this incredible video of PS22 students doing a version of 'Empire State of Mind." Hard to keep the smile off my face watching it.