Recent columns

Sorry for the lack of updates, but the "day job" and other goings-on have kept me busy lately. Anyway, here's what I've been up to.

In late June, I chatted with Lowell's Evan Goodrow a couple of weeks prior to his opening for Los Lonely Boys at Boarding House Park...

Multi-genre man, don't paint him blue

By Ed Hannan, Sun Correspondent

Evan Goodrow has been around music half his life.

"I was in a band when I was 15, playing blues guitar and being snuck into clubs in the Boston area," says the Lowell musician.

The guitarist/songwriter opened for B.B. King at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium and Buddy Guy at the Lowell Summer Music Series, but the 32 year-old refuses to be typecast.

"Blues and jazz have always been a focus for me, but over the years, I have moved away from any genre. There were times I could have gone ahead and played straight jazz or tried to be the Boston answer to the guitar slinger. There were a lot of genres I played with. When I was 21, I toured across the country by myself doing acoustic music in coffeehouses."

Goodrow returns to the local stage July 10 when he opens for Los Lonely Boys at Boarding House Park.

Born in Ohio and growing up in Salem. Goodrow adopted Lowell as his home a year ago.

"A lot of people haven't caught on to that. I've been so busy trekking here and there that where I live is sort of inconsequential. I love Lowell, though. It's a great city. When I'm not touring or have nights off, I try to spend them downtown and check out the local scene. It's definitely growing on me."

Goodrow's catalog is also growing. He is recording his 10th album with Phil Antoniades on drums and John Cooke on keyboards.

He defines his latest sound as "soul/R&B that came right out of Motown. It's very danceable, but it's done with instruments, not electronic. It's very authentic. There's a level of musicianship up there with jazz and blues musicians. We are musicians who choose to play songs. We are not a jam band who play a groove for five hours. That's not our bag."

Goodrow says his band actually has an easier time landing gigs by not locking into specific genres. "We play a lot of covers. We love playing James Brown grooves, Al Green, Philly funk, etc. We'll fill slots meant for cover bands, play a few covers, and the rest of it is ours. Or we'll go into a cover place and play our own stuff and it sounds like it might be a cover."

The Evan Goodrow Band plays the Lowell Summer Music Series July 10, Boarding House Park, 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $26 in advance, $30 day of. www.lowellsummermusic.org.

Then, there was the enjoyable experience of catching the Tupelo Music Hall's Open Mic Night. I actually did this in early June, but held off on the article until closer to the Music Hall's next Open Mic Night on July 2. If you're a musician, it's definitely worth checking out. Here's the article...

The best musicians hit Tupelo Hall at a monthly musical grab bag

By Ed Hannan, Sun Correspondent

LONDONDERRY, N.H. -- They came in packs -- musicians carrying guitar cases alongside significant others there for support. This was the Tupelo Music Hall's monthly open mic night.

If you're interested in performing, you only need to bring your instrument(s) since the folks at Tupelo take care of everything else from microphones to amplifiers.

The crowd of aspiring headliners is diverse: old, young, men, women, groups of high school boys and teenage girls.

Once the acts fill out the sign-up sheet, the butterflies seem to kick in. Some artists sit with their eyes closed, fingers folded -- meditating. A trip to the restroom also brought with it the sights of performers picking at their acoustic guitar.

Each act gets two songs. With 23 performers on this night, it's important to keep things moving. Based on the popularity of open mic night, organizers are considering going to twice a month in the fall. For now, it remains on the first Thursday of each month.

Most acts are soloists who will sing and play the guitar, but a few performers are duos or full-fledged bands (on the night we were there, there was also an instrumental guitarist, a drummer, and a performance artist who closed out the evening).

Pretty much everyone played originals, although a few went with covers.

Some came off as polished and well-rehearsed, others admitted to nerves and stuck to playing chords on the piano while working out the logistics of a Katy Perry song. And these weren't just local yokels, either. Performers came from Hopkinton and Worcester, along with all over New Hampshire.

It would be easy to poke fun at open mic night, but it takes guts to perform in front of an audience, whether it is music, theater, public speaking, or anything else.

Tupelo Music Hall's open mic begins at 6 p.m. tonight. The sign-up sheet is available for one hour. The first act takes the stage at 7 p.m. Ellis Ralph from Lawrence takes the stage at 8:30 p.m. The other acts perform at 9 p.m. $5. (603) 437-5100 for information.

Three weeks ago, I interviewed slide guitar extraordinaire Sonny Landreth from Portland, Oregon, where he was playing at a festival. I then caught the show at The Bull Run in Shirley (see the preview article below) and was blown away by his talent.

Guitar on the slide

By Ed Hannan, Sun Correspondent

"He is probably the most underestimated musician on the planet and also probably one of the most advanced."

Eric Clapton said that about Louisiana-based slide guitarist Sonny Landreth, who performs Saturday at The Bull Run in Shirley. Landreth is touring behind From the Reach, his ninth studio album, which features Clapton, Eric Johnson, Vince Gill, Dr. John and Jimmy Buffett.

Landreth's guitar style combines the bottleneck slide, palm and thumb-picking techniques to produce a sound that is said to resemble many instruments at once. Indeed, his music encompasses Mississippi Delta blues, zydeco, and southern rock.

"Blues is at the core of it, but there's a lot more going on," said Landreth, who played slide and electric guitar forever, but now sticks to slide guitar. "That's my thing. I realized a long time ago it's the best thing I have to offer."

Landreth says fans should expect a bit of an overview of songs from most of his albums. "We've got one instrumental previously unreleased that we play live," he said. "Some of the songs (from his albums) take on a life of their own live."

And that life is one Landreth wants to share after the show. "I always hope people take it home with them. It makes them feel good, takes them to a place where people need to go right now," he said.

Landreth recalls playing in New York City with John Hiatt on Sept. 11, 2001. "It took us 48 hours to get out of the city. We went back a week later to make up the shows. I think it gave people a break from the harsh reality of the time."
Landreth is playing a bunch of weekends this year rather than doing a full-fledged tour. "It lets us go home and sleep in our own bed every week. That's a nice feeling."

You don't need to be familiar with his work to enjoy the show. "The great thing about Cajun zydeco music is there is a spirit to it that is infectious," Landreth said. "We play a lot of festivals where it is more of a community with all the bands and tradition of our area. When you hear it in other parts of the country, you take it with you."

Landreth plays Saturday at 8 p.m. Drivin' Blind opens. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 day of the show. The Bull Run, 215 Great Road, Shirley. www.bullrunrestaurant.com.

Greater Lowell music lovers have tons of choices this weekend to hear live music by national acts. On Friday night, Los Lonely Boys play Boarding House Park as part of the Lowell Summer Music Series, The Offspring headline Tsongas Arena, Buddy Guy performs at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, and Staind take over Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion in Gilford, N.H. On Saturday night, Ani DiFranco headlines the Lowell Summer Music Series and Wilco steps up to LeLacheur Park.

Two weeks ago, I was fortunate to spend some time with bluegrass legend Del McCoury, who played at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom last week. The hour flew by, with us telling stories about the iconic Bill Monroe, the enduring nature of bluegrass music, and his own stature.

A bluegrass great dips into Hampton Beach

By Ed Hannan, Sun Correspondent

If you are talking to a bluegrass musician who once sang lead vocals with Bill Monroe, chances are it's Del McCoury.

If there was a Mount Rushmore of bluegrass, McCoury would be one of the four faces on the mountainside, along with Monroe, Lester Flatt, and Earl Scruggs. Monroe died in 1996, Flatt in 1979, and the 85-year-old Scruggs remains active, playing shows through the Midwest and Rockies, but you only need to jump in your car and drive about an hour to see McCoury.

The Grammy-winning McCoury performs tonight with Ricky Skaggs at the first annual Hampton Beach Bluegrass Festival at the Casino Ballroom. This is a rare opportunity to check out two legends of bluegrass and country music.

Speaking by phone from his home in Nashville, McCoury recalled playing New England many times, including colleges in Connecticut, festivals in Maine, and the Lowell Folk Festival a decade ago.

His career took hold when he played in Monroe's band, Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys, in 1963. "I played with him exactly one year and then moved to California. I figured California was the place to be. I got married and moved out there." McCoury, a native of York County, Pa., then moved back to the Keystone State.

McCoury met Skaggs when he and the late country music singer Keith Whitley were playing with Ralph Stanley, whose music was featured in O Brother, Where Art Thou? McCoury says Skaggs was probably 15 at the time. He's known him ever since, even recording for Skaggs' label before starting his own label. "He's a great friend of mine."

Yet, McCoury isn't sure if he and Skaggs will perform together in Hampton Beach. "We haven't talked about that. We play shows together, but we never do anything together. He does his thing and I do mine. I like singing with Ricky."

The Hampton Beach Bluegrass Festival, tonight, 7:30 p.m. Tickets $40, $33, and $28. visit www.casinoballroom.com.