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Dance at the Hard Haunted Mansion at the Shrine
Halloween Lineup Includes: Justice, Basement Jaxx, Deadmau5, 2ManyDJs, Crookers, A-Trak, The Bloody Beetroots, Modeselektor, Major Lazer, Buraka Som Sistema, Zombie Nation, Steve Aoki, Destructo, Don Rimini, Shinichi Osawa and more…
By Staff Writer
Hard, the dance party impresarios who've brought you Hard New Year's Eve and Hard Summer Fest have heard the fans requests and announced their line-up for this year's Hard Haunted Mansion, a massive dance party taking place this Halloween at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Recognizing that one day just wasn't enough for a lineup this good, HARD Haunted Mansion is going for two days of the world's premier DJs and electronic dance artists, Taking place Friday October 30th and Saturday October 31st.
The lineup for this year's Hard Haunted Mansion is a veritable who's who of contemporary DJs known for consistently pushing the boundaries of dance music forward. Headlining act Justice, a duo that needs no introduction, have become synonymous with a movement in maximal electronic music that defines the current era. UK-based veterans Basement Jaxx are paying a rare US-visit to drop their brand of classic-yet-innovative house music in anticipation of their fifth studio album, Scars. Joining them are heavyweights such as Deadmau5, 2ManyDJs, Crookers, A-Trak, The Bloody Beetroots, Modeselektor, Major Lazer, Buraka Som Sistema, Zombie Nation, Steve Aoki, Destructo, Don Rimini, Shinichi Osawa and more. Anyone who appreciates a phenomenal dance party will not want to miss the most electric event in the country this Halloween weekend.
Hard Haunted Mansion 2009, Friday October 30th and Saturday October 31st, Shrine Expo Center, 2 days, 2 stages, 16 hours of music!!! Limited Capacity, 8pm - 4am
FRIDAY: Deadmau5, 2ManyDJs, A-trak, The Bloody Beetroots, Mixhell, Destructo, Don Rimini, Danger, Harvard Bass, Staccato.
SATURDAY: Justice (DJ set) , Basement Jaxx (DJ set) , Crookers, Major Lazer, Modeselektor, Buraka Som Sistema, Steve Aoki, Zombie Nation, Shinichi Osawa, Classixx.
Tickets are Limited!!!! Individual daily tickets (pre-sale $60), VIP (21+, pre-sale $125), and limited 2-Day discount passes ($100) available through Groove Tickets and various retail outlets.
For more tickets and more information, please visit:
www.hardfest.com
Dynamo David Garfield Gets in the Groove with his Gig at Café Cordiale
By Debra Graff
World-renowned keyboard artist, composer, and producer, David Garfield, recently performed with his lively quintet at Café Cordiale in Sherman Oaks.
Garfield and his band, Tony Moore, drums, Chris Trujillo, percussion, Andrew Ford, bass, and Michael O'Neill, guitar/vocals, had the audience dancing intheir seats with sizzling hot tunes including "Layla" (Derek and the Dominoes), "Bags Groove" (Milt Jackson), a fast paced version of "All Blues" (Miles Davis), "Maputo" (David Sanborn/Bob James), and an original, "Contigo Café." Garfield plays every tune with his heart and soul, standing andjumping while he seems to be hitting all 88 keys at once. Picking up on David's dynamic energy, the band was smokin', and the crowd cheered for more.
Celebrated keyboardist, Garfield (George Benson, Diane Reeves), who owns Creatchy Records, says he's grateful Café Cordiale supports live music and has a friendly environment, which helps artists to be creative. "I get to play with the world's greatest musicians. Their talent and versatility enables me to make musical statements that are fresh and varied."
Gifted guitarist/vocalist, O'Neill (Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole) has played with Garfield for 20 years. They've developed a dialogue where things that seem to be arranged, actually happen spontaneously. Their instruments easily talk to each other. O'Neill is thankful Café Cordiale encourages live music, considering the state of the business climate today. "Café Cordiale provides a great atmosphere where the food and bar are forefront so you don't need a cover. The band can bring fans and friends, who instantly feel the value."
Brilliant bassist, Ford (Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau), thinks Café Cordiale is a nice relaxing spot, a social scene where musicians can hang, and has great sound. He likes playing in a compact space so the band can hear each other well, and says, "Garfield thrives on making things unique. He'll pay homage to older jazz or integrate the newer, mixing traditional with contemporary."
Distinguished drummer, Moore, enjoys hanging with other musicians at Café Cordiale where everyone knows each other. Many have toured together.
Moore described Garfield as "the "epitome of jazz. You never know where he's gonna go. It's about improvising all the time. I have to watch him, since he can change the groove at any time. He's a great leader, who knows how to direct the band." Moore's guest, Christina Frances, was surprised by how low key and unpretentious Café Cordiale is. "You can walk in with tennis shoes and flip flops, while at the same time benefiting from a fine dining experience."
Prominent percussionist, Trujillo (Toto, Tom Petty) declares playing with Garfield"magical and pure joy. Every combo David puts together is cool. David is the guy, the reason we all love playing with him."
Trujillo likes the intimacy of Café Cordiale calling it a "classy place where the audience appreciates the music." During the second set, well-known drummer, Oscar Seaton (Benson, Lionel Richie) sat in on "Maputo," and the attentive audience went wild. Top notch percussionist, Walter Rodriguez, joined the band on "All Blues," and told me that with Garfield, "you can go anywhere because he's able to cover the spectrum of styles."
Divine vocalist, Janelle Sadler, who toured with Garfield and Natalie Cole, loves Café Cordiale since it's close to her home and there's no cover.
Keyboardist/singer Robin Swenson, says Cordiale has the "most solid food of any jazz venue, with great salads, pastas, and bass on tap." Their reasonably priced menu also boasts remarkable chicken, fish, and beef entrees, which can be prepared light, with little or no oil or butter.
Owners, David, Margaret, and Peter May, who have a combined 100 years in the food and beverage industry, make customers feel like they're part of the family, and have brought live music to the community since 1991. May says Garfield's been part of this family since 1998, calling him "an awesome human being, great friend, and amazing musician, who has treated us to many incredible nights of music."
Café Cordiale
14015 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
818-789-1985
Live music Wed-Sat.
www.cafecordiale.com
cafecordiale@earthlink.net
Steve Vai: Where the Wild Things Are
By Jonathan Weichsel
I attended the red carpet premier of Steve Vai's new concert video, Where the Wild Things Are at The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. The red carpet event featured a silent charity auction to benefit Hollywood Arts.
The concert video was just amazing. The Blu-ray version was featured at the premier, and the transfer was just incredible. In one sense, it was just like attending a concert, but in another sense, it was better than seeing a live show. The close ups allow you to really see Steve play. His fingers do indescribable things as they caress, tap, and bend the strings of his guitar in order to bring Vai's insanely complex compositions to life. The thing that just blows you away is how easy Steve Vai makes it all seem. Here he is, playing compositions where it is improbable that a human being would be able to play them, and he does it all with an effortless, swan-like grace.
The show was part of a world wide tour, and featured a new band. Steve Vai had just finished a two year long orchestral project, and was itching to go back on the road. He wanted to do something a little different, so he decided to put a band together that featured violins. He recruited violinists Alex DePue and Ann Marie Calhoun for the project. Since they stood on either side of him on the stage, Steve likes to say that he had an angel on one side, and a devil on the other.
Ann Marie Calhoun of course is the angel. If rock violin ever catches on in a big way, Ann Marie is going to be its first Goddess. She looked just beautiful up on stage in Minneapolis, in her black sequined dress. She played a kinetic, energetic violin with a big smile on her face that showed a real love for the music she was playing.
Steve Vai is known for his virtuoso guitar playing and mostly instrumental, extended compositions that are beautiful and complex. Vai's music focuses on emotional intensity and the dynamic interplay between instruments.
Although the songs featured in the concert video are all ones that Steve Vai fans already know, the two violins really add something new and fresh to the music. There is a strange kind of synergy bet-ween the violin and the electric guitar. The sounds of the two instruments blend together and work off each other in ways you wouldn't expect them to. The band played with all the energy you could want from a live show, but they played together in a way that you usually only hear in a \studio recording. Each instrument could be heard distinctly, even when they all came together.
As stated above, the red carpet premier featured a silent auction to benefit Hollywood Arts, an organization of which Steve Vai is a member of the board. Hollywood Arts provides free classes in the arts to homeless and at risk teens in the Hollywood area. Before the show, we heard first hand the story on one teen, Rico, who has been saved by the organization.
Rico was in the foster care system until the age of fourteen, when he was sent back to live with his mother who he barely knew, who was a drug addict. She kicked him out when he was sixteen. He couch surfed for awhile and then enrolled in Los Angeles Community College. He was kicked out because he couldn't afford to pay, and a friend recommended he start taking classes at Hollywood Arts. Now he has recorded two albums, and has a documentary going on about his life. Without Hollywood Arts, Rico would still be living on the streets.
Steve Vai's Where the Wild Things Are comes out on DVD September 29th and Blu-ray October 27th. The show is also available on CD.
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