'Roo Round Up - Part I

Dr. Dog Acoustic Show - 06/11/2010

I’m currently sitting en route back on the Monday after Bonnaroo – trying to recover from the plethora of music that saturated my ears the way the sticky Tennessee heat engulfed my body – and I’m still in recovery mode.

Even three beers deep at the local stomping grounds (O’Charley’s in the C Terminal), I’m still running off about Orgone’s funktastical throwdown on Sunday; Deadmau5 ridiculous LED light show, mouse helmet included; Jay-Z’s stellar but 33% too short set (ending 30 minutes early?); The Gossip doing “I Will Always Love You” as their encore and Jay Electronica inviting an entire tent on stage while he ripped some a capella over J Dilla, amongst other highlights. If it is not clear already, the festival of all American festivals was as epic as the line-up suggested it might be.

From the chart-topping fire of new artists like B.o.B. (who played about 45 minutes deeper into the wee wee night than expected) to the old school stylings of Stevie Wonder and John Fogerty, there was a serving of music for any palate or ear. SUPERGOODMUSIC got heavy dosages of some of our favorite electronic artists and DJs (Bassnectar, Deadmau5, Crystal Method, DJ Logic), hip-hop artists (Kid Cudi, Jay Electronica, B.o.B., Jay-Z, Nas, Wale), jam, funk and dub bands (Disco Biscuits, Lotus, Galactic, Medeski Martin & Wood, Orgone, Rebelution, Big Sam’s Funky Nation) to rock and roll trendsetters and pioneers (Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews Band, John Fogerty, Phoenix, Weezer, Ozomatli, The XX, Daryl Hall & Chromeo).

Below you’ll find a few choice pictures from our experience. Be sure to check back soon and often for more follow-up Bonnaroo coverage, including a feature in the CONCERT BLAST coming out later this week and A Day In The 'Roo story, as well as some Supergood fan submitted videos! Thanks again to Big Hassle and everyone else who made our Bonnaroo 2010 experience more than memorable...

Backstage at LCD Soundsystem - 6/12/2010

Stevie Wonder on What Stage - 6/12/2010

The Other Tent

Orgone on Sonic Stage - 06/13/10

Wakarusa Photo Bucket # 1

We're right in the middle of a multi-festival stretch and are heading off to Bonnaroo in a few hours. But, we wanted to make sure we updated you with a few pics from our Wakarusa experience, which was a wild wild adventure - from the ridiculous bus ride with 40 festival goers from Boulder, CO to partying with Grassroots California to chopping it up with some favorite musicians. The music was stellar, the weather tolerable and the experience unforgettable....

Widespread Panic on Mainstage performing "Up All Night" during their encore.


Backstage for The Black Keys on the Mainstage.


Two Fresh close out the official festival shows at the Satellite Stage.


The Black Keys are joined by friends to jam on a few songs.


Greg Fisk of Fresh2Death gets dirty at the Grassroots California campground.


John Butler of John Butler Trio shredding it.


Backstage with Marty, Tawny and Grassroots California crew during The Black Keys.


Two Fresh keeps the party hot, steamy and popping


Can you read The Black Keys setlist?


Samples and Fisk, AKA Fresh2Death AKA Girlfriend Bullshit, throw it down for a late night set at the Grassroots California booth.


JJ Grey & Mofro (above and below) give an inspired second performance in the Revival Tent.



Rebelution rocking.


Marley, bassist of Rebelution, throws down some dirty reggae dub!

Colorado's rising DJs and dubsteppers break it down at Grassroots California's booth, which popped off about as hard as the Wakarusa festival itself.

Bowie late night at the Grassroots California tent.

Wompers playing with glowsticks.

Rebelution threw it down.

Rising LA Bands at Bonnaroo

Two bands that call Los Angeles their home will be heading east next week for Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN. Those bands are Orgone and Local Natives.

The former, Orgone, is one we talk about a lot and give a lot of praise because they are LA's ambassadors of funk. Signed to Ubiquity Records, and with a new album "Cali Fever" planned for release on June 22nd, this 9 piece funk orchestra is on the up and up. Before reaching the 'Roo they will be playing Bobolink Music Festival in Belden, CA, before doing shows in Omaha, Madison, Chicago, Norfolk and Charleston. They play Bonnaroo on Sunday from 7:50 - 8:40 pm in the Troo Music Lounge sponsored by Budweiser.

If you've never heard them before - please do yourself a solid and pick up any one of their albums. They come with an Ubiquity guarantee - so if you don't like it, you can send it back to the label until they send you something you do. I've never had to take them up on their guarantee and I can assure you that you won't have to either if you do elect to purchase an Orgone album.

The second LA act, is one that hails from Silverlake, played Coachella earlier this year and have been buzzing strong. That band is Local Natives. The band formerly known as Cavil At Rest released their first full length album, Gorilla Manor to much critical acclaim both across the pond and domestically. The album, which was recorded in a home shared by the band members in Silverlake, is actually the name of a house the band members shared in Orange County. You'll be able to hear tracks from their debut not only at The Troubadour and Bootleg this weekend in Los Angeles, but also at Bonnaroo from 7 to 8 pm on Thursday night, June 10th in That Tent.

If you'd like to learn more about the other artists and performers at Bonnaroo, just go to www.bonnaroo.com

Rebelution Ready To Rock The Festivals...

One of our favorite up and coming bands, and a California homegrown talent, Rebelution is kicking ass on the road this summer and will be getting dirty at two huge festivals coming up - Wakarusa and Bonnaroo respectively.


We've caught the fearsome foursome several times in various LA stomping grounds - from Saint Rocke to The Roxy to House of Blues to a house party - and each time they brought their smooth reggae dub sound to a higher level.

They are putting their fire into the late night party at Wakarusa, getting things going with a set this coming Friday night from 10:30 to Midnight in the Revival Tent. The reggae rockers will be competing with STS9 who are playing on the Main Stage, but they take the stage 15 minutes earlier after Supervillains and before Basnnectar.

The following weekend Rebelution brings their tour bus to Bonnaroo. Not sure precisely when they arrive and if they will be taking it in with the crowd, but Saturday is when they perform.
Festival goers can cure their first full day 'Roo hangover with Rebelution, who are playing from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm on Saturday morning at the Which Stage.

If you haven't heard these amazing youngsters who have more reggae soul than you'd expect from a quartet of white guys, you MUST check them out. Their website is www.rebelutionmusic.com and their MYSPACE is www.myspace.com/rebelution. Also do some digging around for their facebook page and their recently released remixes by Amplive, Zion I and a few others (they had been circulated for free by the band)

Be sure to call out for some of their choice songs - I'm a big fan "Courage to Grow" from the album titled by the same name...it is a gem; "Safe & Sound" is often a closer of theirs and one of my favorites too and "Other Side" is also a good song from that album. From 2009's Brighter Side of Life, I'm hoping for "Outta Control."

Mobile Memorial BBQ

While you probably have a slew of BBQs to attend this weekend already, seeing that you're probably closing up shop at work right about now, we thought we'd hit you with some info on the grip of food trucks that will be chugging to the Sunset Strip tomorrow night.

Starting around 8 pm, all your favorite venues and parking lots on the Sunset Strip corridor will be hosting some of the best in local mobile cuisine.

Outside The Roxy will be the Munchie Machine and Lee's Philly, and from there you can head East. On the opposite side of the street you'll find Gourmet Genie, Greasy Weiner and the Vizzi Truck pretty close to Hustler and a few steps away outside of The Viper Room will be the Grilled Cheese Truck.

Cross back over to the odd side (North) as before you make your way past Red Rocks so you can hit up Flying Pig and Don Chow Tacos, before heading to the Comedy Store for laughter and India Jones or the World Fare Bus.

Follow all their twitters - from the venues to the food trucks - because we bet they'll be announcing deals and tasty opportunities all evening long....@worldfare @indiajoneset @thecomedystore @thesunsetstrip @grlldcheesetruk @theviperroom @flyingpigtruck @donchowtacos @liveonsunset @theroxy @munchiemachine1 @leesphilly @gourmetgenie2go @thegreasytruck @vizzitruck

Orgone Plays Roxy Before Trip to the 'Roo

As part of our continuing previews of artists playing Bonnaroo, we're hear to tell you about some talent coming right out of our home base of Los Angeles! The cosmic funk spectacular that is Orgone is the band we are talking about and they descend upon The Roxy tonight, where they open for Groundation.

Although I will stay for the entire show, I'm going to see the home town funk masters led by the beautiful, sunny and sweet vocals of Fanny Franklin (pictured below). Each time they play they bring it - and they always manage to run through your favorite originals - like "Funky Nassau" and some exceptional covers - like Sly and The Family Stone. The solos and improvisations are different every time and each band member, from the horns to the percussionist, holds it down. You can check out their feel good, throw back funk music on their MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/orgone, but you'd do yourself justice by swinging down to The Roxy to check them out.

Orgone takes stage at 9 pm tonight. It is their first LA performance since performing at New Orleans' Jazzfest and will be their last one for a hot minute as they are about to embark on a big roadtrip that will include stops at Bonnaroo in a few weeks (I plan on catching them there too!). So come support the funk scene and get down and dirty at The Roxy with me tonight!

Bonnaroo Preview - The Headliners

So, we just got approved for a press pass and are scrambling to figure out exactly how we are going to get to Bonnaroo because we just cannot miss it. We had our doubts about getting the press pass love and had basically resigned ourselves to missing it because it is such a trek from LA, but we've got renewed enthusiasm with our free admission and, having just reviewed the line-up, we'd be absolutely foolish not to take advantage of it.

The headliners alone are worth the cross country trip - from Kings of Leon to Jay-Z to Dave Matthews Band to Conan O'Brien to even Thursday nighttime tent performers (kind of hard to determine which tent or what time is the headliner that night, if there is one?).

Friday might be the creme de creme headliner with Kings of Leon prepping for a 2 hour set. Not necessarily the creme de creme headliner because of their talent or experience (they go up against Jay-Z and Dave Matthews Band - whom both have many more years of performances under their belt), but because the prospect of new material from a chart topping band that is essentially playing in their backyard is the perfect storm of factors to make for an epic performance. I don't think I'm going out on a limb by guaranteeing magic on Friday night from these Tennessee brothers.

Word on the street is that they will be debuting new material from their forthcoming album and you might expect a guest appearance or two? I mean, it is Bonnaroo.

Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z are the headliners Saturday. What do you think the possibility of the blind legend singing with the self proclaimed king of hip-hop is? I'd put it at more than 50%. The hour long break from Wonder to Jay-Z just seems like a vacuum to large to not be filled with some sort of collaboration at the end of Wonder's set. Or maybe not? Every break between bands on the main stage at Bonnaroo is one hour. Are we more likely to get another "surprise" Beyonce appearance like she did at Coachella ? Who knows? No matter what, you kind of have to expect big things from the HOVA having just seen his Saturday Night Live performance (that medley was the longest SNL musical performance I've ever seen AND it was dope).

Jay-Z will hopefully have a backing band (please be the Dap-Kings or The Roots) and you can expect his new material, classic material and hopefully, for my sake, a handful of gems from Reasonable Doubt. He has two hours to fill and he filled his space quite well at Coachella so I basically expect a repeat, if not superior performance. He has some new and recently hot material coming off The Blueprint 3, a plethora of songs for which the crowd will know at least the hook; he could basically play anything and it is not going to be a poor set. Drawing from his illustrious 10 albums - you can only pray that he plays your favorite song.

Having never seen Stevie Wonder, I'm excited. A huge fan of Musiquarium for years - who doesn't love the classic material? Festivalgoers, jambanders and funk fans will certainly be urging for a rendition of "Boogie On Reggae Woman", which, if my memory serves me correctly, was performed by Phish last year at the 'Roo. "Superstitious" will be another crowd rouser. I'm definitely curious to see what talent joins Wonder on stage and if the energy from the elder performer is maintained or falls below expectations like Bruce's performance last year. While I love the selection of older artists with classic material everyone leaves, festivals, especially ones with shows that go late into the night like the 'Roo, need a certain energy to be maintained....especially when the sun is coming down. I've got the confidence that Wonder will deliver something spectacular.

Dave Matthews Band is the final night headliner. The closer. Fitting for a band that has been touring for 20 years and just announced that they will be taking 2011 off. Haven't seen them in years, but DMB always delivers. Even with the passing of their saxophonist a few years back, the addition of Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck & The Flecktones) as the new sax player brought some renewed fervor and I've heard the live show is incredible (check @supergoodrca's review of their performance from 2009 in LA).

As usual Bonnaroo delivered on the headliners - we'll bring you more in depth information on some of the supporting acts in the days leading up to the festival. Stay tuned to www.supergoodmusic.com for updates....