Speaking of William Shatner, Ben produced one of William’s recent albums entitled “Has Been.”  I have my good friend and fellow Shure Artist Relations comrade Richard Sandrok to thank for introducing me to this record.    It’s full of fun songs, some deep lyrical content and just plain craziness.  The craziness comes in the form of a song called “I Can’t Get Behind That” in which Bill and Henry Rollins go off on all kinds of topics.  If you are still reading this, take a short break and go to iTunes to download this entire record.  It’s worth your time and money.  Joe Jackson’s on the first track and Brad Paisley is on the last.  The band is killer!

The other time I got to experience Ben Folds was when he was backed by the Nashville Symphony at TPAC in Nashville.  Amazing show!

Back on track now….

So the title of this blog is Ben Folds Five, right?  Never seen them before and I am not familiar with any of their songs.  I do like it sometimes when I go to a concert that I am not familiar with the groups catalog.  It causes me to pay closer attention to the show and the band rather than just rocking out and signing along.  (I like those concerts too!)

I arrived at The Ryman in time for sound check where the group was joined by Ke$ha and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips.  They were working up a special cover of a Conway Twitty/Loretta Lynn duet called “You’re the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly.”

The opening act was an Australian singer named Kate Miller-Heidke who was joined by a great acoustic guitar player.  Kate has had operatic training and works it very well into her material.  During the set they rattled off a pretty funny version of Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady.”

When Ben Folds Five hit the stage to thunderous applause, Ben kicked it off and the crowd went wild.  After the first song, he announced that this was their first tour in 13 years.  As the show went on, Ben prepared for another song by installing mute’s on certain piano strings to get a muted guitar sound.  As he explained what he was doing to the audience, a crowd member shouted out an exclamation of doubt.  Ben quick shot back through his SM58 vocal mic “No, I’m actually going through a car wash backwards with a plastic bag over my head.”  (crowd laughs) Then he proceeded to play the muted piano keys, which sounded exactly like they should and Ben said to the crowd member “See?  No but that’s OK,  I encourage ignorant heckling like that.”

Ben Folds Five is such a great band to see live because there is such a fun aspect to their personalities.  People come to see great music and are treated to some comedy along the way.  They have a few shows left in the States before they head overseas to Australia and then to Europe.

Ryan

We just started working with Alabama Shakes this year but I had yet to see them live.  We have been working with Justin Townes Earl and The Civil Wars so I was happy to see them make an appearance.  Other highlights of the show included the house band that featured such legends as Buddy Miller and Don Was.  Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes commanded the stage during their performance of “Be Mine.”

Joy Williams and John Paul White of The Civil Wars were awarded the Vocal Duo/Group of the Year award.

Bonnie Raitt was in attendance to accept a Lifetime Achievement award and then treated the crowd to a performance at the end of the show.  John Hiatt joined her on “Thing Called Love.”  The Mavericks also performed towards the end and their sound just filled up the room.

A generous combination of Shure mics, both wired and wireless covered the stage.  SM58’s were the main elements of choice.

_________

The show ended, but my night was far from over.   I heard about a new vocal group called and watched a few of their videos online.  They are a new group that formed in Durham, NC with a great vocal blend and music that sounds like its straight out of New Orleans with a percussive hint of Blast!

I met several members right after the awards show and told them I would make their midnight show at The Rutledge.  I arrived a bit before their performance and met the rest of the band.  Half of the band are siblings and the rest compliment the others’ talents.

There have been several instances when I’ve gone to see a new act and thought that they have already outgrown the stage they are performing on.  This was one of those times.  They are ready for bigger stages and I’m almost certain that more crowds will get to experience their sound.  It’s pretty fun to watch them and see how passionate they are in the moment.

Look them up and you may find a new favorite for your music library.  They’ve got my attention!

Ryan

Having been ULX users in the beginning, they were used to the sound quality of those systems. The ULXD takes things up several notches!  They were so interested in the rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries, they went out and bought them.

Endorser Josh Williams was also on site as he received a call the night before.  ”Hey Josh, you want to come join us on stage?”  Josh said “I don’t know any of your material.”  They said ” Well that’s PERFECT.”

I was able to grab a quick picture of Josh and Darrin Vincent together. (I almost had to take 2 shots as Josh towers above Darrin – (insert Darrin’s funny laugh here))

If you have not seen them yet….why?  (Go now!…..yes you….go on…..)

Ryan

Rhonda Vincent stepped out of her bus on Thursday, July 12 and was escorted by her husband Herb to a red 2012 Chrysler 200S, Special Edition hard top convertible.  Herb had to hide this vehicle from her for the last 6+ months. Rhonda was very surprised and even asked me if I knew about it.

Later, the Bluegrass Queen and her group The Rage would perform to an almost packed house at The Ryman Auditorium.  She has been a KSM44A ambassador  for many years. Performing well over 200 dates a year, it seems like her tour never ends.  She takes a short time to record and then it’s back out on the circuit. I receive regular emails from her with a photo of her singing on the KSM44A at various shows.  (Thanks Rhonda, keep em coming!)

Her band just keeps getting better and now they travel with a dobro player for the first time in the groups’ history. The group has been using the PSM900 for monitors and the SE535 for earphones.  I was able to grab a few photos here and there throughout the evening.  Once in a while, I get an artistic photo and I was lucky to catch a moment when there was no one in front of Rhonda’s mic and the house was empty with the lights on.  Pretty cool shots.

It’s great to be able to work with an artist for a long time and watch them evolve.  Rhonda is a tireless performer and always puts on a great show.   She has just released a live CD entitled Sunday Mornin’ Singin Live, which has Shure mics in use.  You can visit her site and order a copy or 5 for yourself and your family.  www.rhondavincent.com

Ryan

Nashville, TN – The Ryman Auditorium

There is such a wonderful feeling when you know you are watching something special.  Whether it’s a great movie,  football games when everyone player giving 150 % (I’m talking Walter Payton 150 %), or a music group that draws you in.

Part of my role in Artist Relations involves seeking out artists that have the ability to influence other artists and people in many ways, but namely musically.  After all, that is where it should start, right?  You know from my past blogs about The Civil Wars and also from word of mouth (if you are now following them) that they are one of those artists.

How is it possible that 2 singers/ instrumentalists can grab an entire audience and keep them as quite as a sleeping child during each song?  You just have to go see it for yourself.  They have so much fun, sing and play so well, that you have absolutely no choice but to be quite and enjoy every second.  Backstage before the show, I was talking with singer/songwriter/guitarist John Paul White who said he has been looking forward to this show for such a long time and that’s what I told him to do – “enjoy every second.”

After the first 2 songs, singer/songwriter/pianist Joy commented to the audience that she probably should not have worn too much black mascara and John Paul said “me either” which was just one of many funny comments during and evening filled with laughter and great music.  Both Joy and John Paul were very emotional about this show and toasted the audience several times for making their first show at the historic Ryman Auditorium a sell out.  It has been their dream to play here. When they initially got together as a team, neither imagined that it would lead to this moment.

Here they are though. Their singles and the albums have captured so much attention. Their live performances have gathered acclaim from many of their peers, including 2011′s Top selling artist Adele.Before Adele though, right here in Nashville, was where they captured the attention of a younger artist.

Towards the end of the evening, John Paul started mentioned how the group likes to give back to the community and help out “less fortunate” artists.  He went on to say that they found an artist that they thought could benefit from an appearance with them but that she was a bit “shy.”  John Paul and Joy motioned for her to come out on stage.  Seconds later, Taylor Swift strolls on stage and sings  a song with the group called “Safe & Sound“.  This beautiful song is included on the upcoming release of The Hunger Games soundtrack.  (I just finished this great book myself and am looking forward to starting the second book)

Taylor became a fan of the group when they performed at The Belcourt Theatre.  She tweeted about them and this certainly helped their cause of trying to expand their fan base.  Thanks Taylor!

I also got the chance to meet with the groups’ videographer Allister Ann.  Allister has been capturing video and photos on the road for a while now and does some amazing work.  She took the time to interview the group for us.  You can watch that video here.

Many of their family members were in attendance for the show.  John Paul jokingly commented that “My whole family tree is here and y’all are probably part of it since we are here in the South.”

Both Joy and John Paul sound crystal clear through the KSM9 and there’s a KSM313 ribbon mic/SM57 combo on his guitar amp.

Look up their schedule online and if they are not coming to a town near you, MOVE!  Seriously, it is worth a road trip to see their live show…it IS something special.

Ryan

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The Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN

Brian McKnight has been nominated for many Grammy’s and other awards in the R & B category over the years. His vocal ability and songwriting skills are highly regarded. He has collaborated with some of the best in R & B.  Currently on tour, he now collaborates with his 2 sons Niko and Brian Jr. on a show that covers his musical upbringing and influences.  It’s a stripped down, mostly A Capella journey through his musical past all they way up to his sons co-producing his latest projects.

Tonight, being in Nashville, Brian had the added bonus of being joined by his brother Claude, who lives in town and is also co-founder of the endorsing group Take 6.   I had a chance to catch the group at soundcheck and listen to them work out a few numbers for the show.  4 UR2/KSM9‘s and 4 PSM900 systems…that was about it, besides a grand piano and a couple of keyboards.  When it’s all about the music, what else do you need?

I hope you have a chance to catch the Just Me Tour in your city.  It’s amazing what the power of 4 voices can do and they have a lot of fun doing it.  Click HERE for his upcoming dates.

Ryan