RIP Alex Chilton

The world lost a trail blazer in two influential rock genres: blue-eyed Memphis soul and power-pop.

Alex Chilton died in New Orleans at the age of 59 after an apparent heart attack. He was scheduled to play South By Southwest on Saturday.

Most likely Alex didn't have the money for the upkeep of the old ticker. Such is a cult musician's life. As we even say sometimes in public radio, "If praise paid the bills...."

And praise Alex had in spades. As the teen leader of the R&B flavored rock band The Box Tops, he brought the kind of urgency to "The Letter" that made you want to cough up the very hard earned dough in the day for a plane ticket. And though he didn't write that, and songs like, "Cry Like a Baby" himself, he sold it so well, he just made you believe what he was singing was pouring out of his gut.

Later, as the front guy for Big Star, he co-wrote "In the Street," which later became the theme to That 70's Show. Records like #1 Album and Radio City (produced by the late great Jim Dickinson) were on a lot of top LP's of all time lists. Bands like R.E.M. and the Gin Blossoms have cited Big Star as an influence. And so profound was Alex Chilton musicianship in the mind of Paul Westerberg, that he named a song after him on The Replacements "Pleased to Meet Me."

Chilton's solo career was hit and miss, but I kind of liked his 90's release, A Man Called Destruction. I got a bang out of "Devil Girl" and "Sick and Tired" from it.

Alex Chilton is survived by his wife Laura and son Timothy.

Official PHISH Tour 2010

So here they are... The Official Phish dates this summer. They dates are up on www.Phish.com and mail order ticketing is underway right now. Mail order ticketing ends on friday so be sure to get your requests in soon!!!

6/11 Chicago, IL Toyota Park

6/12 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center

6/13 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium

6/15 Portsmouth, VA nTelos Pavilion at Harbor Center

6/17 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre

6/18 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre

6/19 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center

6/20 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center

6/22 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center

6/24 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

6/25 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

6/26 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion

6/27 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion

6/29 Canandaigua, NY CMAC

7/1 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion

7/2 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

7/3 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless @ Encore Park

7/4 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless @ Encore Park

8/5 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre

8/6 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre

8/7 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre

8/9 Telluride, CO Telluride Town Park

8/10 Telluride, CO Telluride Town Park

8/12 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center

8/13 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center

8/14 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre

8/15 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre

8/17 Wantagh, NY Nikon Theater at Jones Beach

8/18 Wantagh, NY Nikon Theater at Jones Beach

Here is a video from MSG last year:

Search for user pryan on youtube for more great clips.

AVAM, Ham and Fred Schneider

Fred Schneider of the B-52's may be from Georgia, but his love of Waters-esque Baltimore kitsch has been on display for years, so it's no wonder that he's coming to one of his favorite haunts, the American Visionary Arts Museum for a benefit concert and dance party.

Fred Schneider and the Mastergators play AVAM April 9th from 7pm to Midnight. There's a VIP Happy Hour with Fred from 6-7pm. That oughta be a hoot! The Mastegators, BTW, feature former Scissor Sister Paddy Boom and Rodney Henry of Dangerously Delicious Pies!

If you need any more evidence that Fred kinda digs Baltimore, check out the video to this song, which was inspired, in part, by TV Meat pitch woman Paula Deen and an incident in which she got bonked in the head by a can of ham. Avid vegetarian Fred shot the video at....can you guess where?




Oh, and a special shout-out to organizers of the Uncorked 2010 Table Design Competition, which I helped judge at AVAM last night, along with Chef Duff and other catering experts. One of the music-inspired tables that really got our attention was based on the B-52's "Love Shack". Hurry up and bring your jukebox money April 9th!