Love & Mercy
Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Once a week we take a break from comedy to bring you this weeks picks of the best things to watch, the most interesting things to do, great things to try, the best picks to read, our favorite things to listen to and more:
WATCH THIS:
Love & Mercy. ** Editors Pick** The long awaited biopic on the extraordinary life and career of Brian Wilson rolls out this weekend. Rather than follow the conventional biopic formula, director Bill Pohlad – using a script by Oren Moverman and Michael Alan Lerner – focuses on two crucial periods: Wilson at his creative and commercial peak in the mid 1960s and Wilson’s re-emergence in the late-1980s. There, of course, some low points: tensions and pressures from The Beach Boys over his new musical direction; a turbulent relationship with his father, Murray; his battles with drug addiction and mental illness, and later, Wilson’s struggles to break free from his all controlling therapist Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti). The film takes another chance by casting two actors to play Wilson with Paul Dano portraying Brian in his mid 20s and John Cusack as Brian in his mid 40s. Pohlad amazingly captures Wilson at his creative zenith in the studio which culminated with the landmark album Pet Sounds and the groundbreaking single ‘Good Vibrations’. He also doesn’t shy away from the behind the scenes drama that fueled Wilson’s emotional and mental breakdown. But what drives the film is the performances: Paul Dano is amazing as the young Brian, capturing innocence and wonder, coupled with confusion and despair as his ambitions elevate then betray him. One moment he’s supervising a recording session full of confidence and assurance. The next, he’s still the little boy at the family piano seeking his father’s approval. This is Dano’s breakout role. Cusack has a tougher task playing the 40-ish Wilson but rises to the occasion, beautifully channeling Wilson’s childlike wonder, disillusionment and ultimately, adult assurance as he reclaims his life and career. Elizabeth Banks is the movie’s emotional anchor as Melinda, the car salesman and future wife who plays a key role in Wilson’s rebirth. She’s tender and compassionate, but she’s no pushover – especially when she’s facing the enormous forces that are determined to keep Wilson in his fragile state. Between this role and her success directing the sleeper hit Pitch Perfect 2, Elizabeth Banks is officially a Hollywood power player. Giamatti is pure smirk and smarm as the demanding, temperamental Dr. Landy. While he’s the walking personification of ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’, Giamatti does give just enough empathy to the character to at least begin to understand what the role Landy played in saving Wilson’s life. Wonderfully cast and expertly paced, Love & Mercy is a moving tribute to one of America’s most beloved songwriters. It opens nationwide on Friday.
Go to www.loveandmercyfilm.com for more information.
LISTEN TO THIS:
Simi Stone by Simi Stone. Simi Stone has gone through several incarnations throughout her career. She’s fronted a couple of rock bands (Simi, Suffrajett) and was a featured vocalist for the critically acclaimed band The Duke & The King. She re-launched her solo career out of her hometown of Woodstock, NY with a band of seasoned touring and session veterans including drummer Zach Alford (David Bowie, Gwen Stefani), Sara Lee on bass (B52s, Gang of Four, Indigo Girls), and pianist/musical partner David Baron (Michael Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, Peter Murphy). She describes her music as the place ‘where mountain meets Motown’ and this new album does just that, combining Hitsville bounce, laid back overtones and direct, autobiographical lyrics addressing her many personal and professional experiences. This is the album Michael Jackson circa ’73-’74 would’ve made if he had a couple of days back in the garden with The Funk Brothers and that’s saying a LOT. If there’s any justice in the musical universe, Simi Stone will be the sleeper hit of 2015. One of the year’s best. Simi Stone will be available June 8th through Itunes, Amazon and all major music retailers.
Go to www.simistonemusic.com for more information.
All The Woo In The World by Bernie Worrell. Throughout the 1970s, Parliament-Funkadelic was on fire. With several hit albums and sold out arena tours, the P-Funk mob was in high demand. So much so that various members were able to launch successful side projects: Bootsy’s Rubber Band, Parlet, The Brides Of Funkenstein, Zapp, Quazar and The Horny Horns were just some of the P-Funk alumni to see success on their own. Keyboardist Bernie Worrell, who was the backbone of the P-Funk sound during that historic string of hits, also made his only solo album from that period called All The Woo In The World. Produced by George Clinton and featuring all core members of the P-Funk army in peak form, it was instantly hailed as the best of the P-Funk offshoots, not to mention one of the best albums in the entire P-Funk arsenal. Internal tensions and a series of lawsuits caused the P-Funk empire to collapse in the 80s, and Bernie’s album became part of the collateral damage, remaining out of print for decades. But you can’t get the good funk down and now All The Woo In The World is available in all digital formats. Slippery bass lines, tripped out vocals, slinky guitars and a whole of lot ‘What was that?!?’ keyboards from The Wizard Of Woo, the album’s aged like a fine wine. Whether you are getting into funk or a long timer, All The Woo In The World is essential listening.
Order it on Amazon.
READ THIS:
Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs!: My Adventures in The Alice Cooper Group
by Dennis Dunaway with Chris Hodenfield. Before acts like KISS and Marilyn Manson made parents everywhere uncomfortable, there was Alice Cooper, the band. Over-the-top theatrics married to loud guitars and crashing drums. Costumed characters danced on stage. Fake blood flowed and the kids ate it up. This book details the group started by teenagers Vincent Furnier and Dennis Dunaway in the early 60’s as the Earwigs and follows their journey from psychedelic rock under the eye of Frank Zappa to their reigning post as the originators of “shock-rock.” Dunaway is more than just the bass player in the Alice Cooper group, he is also co-writer (as were the other original members of Alice Cooper) on all seven Alice Cooper Band albums. I’m Eighteen, Elected, Is It My Body, Under My Wheels, Teenage Lament ’74 and School’s Out are just a few of the classic Cooper anthems Dennis had a hand in. Dunaway was a pivotal part of the band’s success. His wife even designed the group’s costumes and danced onstage during the Billion Dollar Babies tour. Dunaway’s inside look at the band chronicles the ten-year ride up until when Alice, the singer, decided to go solo and hire studio musicians in 1975. Cue up the “classic” Alice Cooper catalog and play DJ, creating your own soundtrack as you follow along sonically with the tales from the road.
Order it on Amazon.com.
DO THIS:
NEW YORK CITY: The Museum Mile Festival. The Museum Mile Festival was launched in 1978 to encourage people to check out the wide array of museums the city had to offer as well as show support for the arts during the NYC fiscal crisis. It also showcased the city’s diversity as the festival stretched from East Harlem to the Upper East Side with visitors coming from the outer-boroughs and around the world. Now it’s in 37th year, The Museum Mile Festival is bigger than ever as the streets blocked off from 82nd to 104th Street to incorporate events for all ages. The centerpiece of the festival is free access to nine museums including The Guggenheim, The Museum Of The City Of New York, The Jewish Museum, The Africa Center and much more. Whether you are a regular museum attendee or a newbie, this is a great event for anyone who loves the arts.
Go to www.museummilefestival.org for more information.
NEW YORK CITY: Governors Ball Music Festival on Randall’s Island. Make no mistake about it: Governors Ball is officially one of the most see events of the summer on either coast. This year’s lineup can certainly back it up: Bjork, Black Keys, Lana Del Rey, My Morning Jacket, Drake, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Deadmua5, Ryan Adams, Flying Lotus, Conor Oberst, Benjamin Booker and Weird Al Yankovic – yes, that Weird Al – are all, among many others, scheduled to appear over the weekend. If you love all kinds of music, this is where you’ll go to do not just to get your fix, but to totally OD. The Governors Ball Music Festival runs June 5th through the 7th.
Go to www.governorsballmusicfestival.com for tickets and more information.
NEW YORK CITY: Al Kooper’s 71st Birthday Celebration at BB Kings. The legendary songwriter, producer and musician will celebrate his 71st birthday at B.B. King’s. Throughout his 50 year career, Kooper has played a key role in some of the most important moments in rock history. He co-founded The Blues Project and Blood, Sweat & Tears; provided the memorable organ fills on Dylan’s ‘Like A Rolling Stone'; discovered Lynyrd Skynyrd and produced their first three seminal albums (which included ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and ‘Firebird’ among others); produced the first Tubes album and as a session musician worked with artists ranging from The Rolling Stones, The Who, B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix. Kooper has also established a solid solo career, releasing over 12 studio albums, several collaborative collections, live albums and more. Kooper will cover all of this and more during his annual birthday celebration. Come out and see one of rock’s unsung heroes.
Go to www.bbkingblues.com for tickets and more information.
LOS ANGELES: The Doobie Brothers. Over the course of their 40 year plus career, The Doobie Brothers have embraced many musical styles: biker bar-driven rock, gritty soul covers, country-influenced ballads, horn-driven funk, soft rock, and blue eyed soul. In recent years, The Doobies- featuring founding members Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston – have re-embraced the country flavored sounds that was reflected in their earlier work. It wasn’t lost on Nashville either: The Doobie Brothers were featured guests at the 2014 CMA Awards and their album Southbound featured guest appearances by some of the top names in country. They’ll be performing these songs and all of the classic hits at The Greek Theatre on June 6th. Former Eagles guitarist Don Felder will be on hand as a special guest.
Go to www.greektheatrela.com for tickets and more information.
LOS ANGELES: Alan Parsons. Alan Parsons has always had the great ability for being at the right place at the right time. He racked up production credits with The Beatles, Paul McCartney solo and The Hollies before he turned 21, then struck gold as the chief engineer of Pink Floyd’s landmark Dark Side Of The Moon in 1973. Switching over to producer, Parsons once again found worldwide acclaim with Al Stewart’s Year Of The Cat. He parlayed that success into a deal with Clive Davis’ new label Arista Records and his group The Alan Parsons Project had a series of hit albums including the chart topping Eye In The Sky. Various incarnations of APP have toured consistently ever since and Parsons will be bringing over three decades of hits to Club Nokia on June 11th. Come out and get your prog rock/pop groove on.
Go to www.alanparsonsmusic.com for more information.
LOS ANGELES: D’Angelo Live. DAngelo is making up for a lot of lost time. After a 14 year absence – marked by stories of drug abuse, arrests, creative blocks and a near fatal car accident – D’Angelo dropped Black Messiah, an album that has already been hailed as a classic. He’s also made a strong return to performing with his new band The Vanguard, which features among others former Time guitarist Jesse Johnson and bassist extraordinaire Pino Palladino. Reviews of the live show – which leans heavily on material from the new album along with choice covers and select tracks from Brown Sugar and Voodoo – have ranged from exceptional to transcendent. Come out and see the real deal.
Go to www.clubnokia.com for tickets and more information.
CHICAGO: Soul Asylum at House Of Blues. After being critical darlings on the Minneapolis indie scene for the better part of the 1980s, Soul Asylum found mainstream success with the albums Grave Dancers Union, Let Your Dim Light Shine and Candy From A Stranger. They’ve survived several lineup changes and the death of bassist Dan Mueller, but continue to press on with their brand of punk inspired power pop. They will playing The House Of Blues with another band of rock n roll survivors, The Meat Puppets.
Go to www.soulasylum.com for tickets and more information.
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