Variety On the Town

Musicians Jump For Juno

Red Carpet Pose of the Week:

Now this is how you accept an award.  Singer Michael Buble isn't afraid to show his excitement upon receiving a Juno Award in Calgary on Sunday. Thirty-two statuettes were handed out at the kudofest that honors Canada’s brightest music stars.  Other winners included Feist and Blue Rodeo. (photo: WireImage)

                                                                                                                                                                           

A Rockin' Rutles Reunion

It was a Ruttling good time for all at the Egyptian Theater Monday night as the American Cinematheque presented a 30th anniversary screening of NBC's 1978 Beatles spoof, "All You Need is Cash," starring the Rutles.

All four original members were in attendance:  Eric "Dirk McQuickly" Idle (who wrote and co-directed the spesh), Neil "Ron Nasty" Innes (who wrote the songs), John "Barry Wom" Halsey and Ricky "Stig O'Hara" Fataar. Since the Rutles had never had a public event in their original incarnation, Idle quipped, "It's the first time a band has reunited before they've united."

Asked how it felt to be back in the Rutles saddle, Innes said "We're not really in the saddle, we're more in the sidecar." The group had no plans to perform, leaving that to the Fab Four (pictured above with the Rutles), the cover band who are performing "Rutlemania" at the Ricardo Montalban Theater. Yet at the after-party, the original Rutles were coaxed onstage to play in public for the first time.

Before the show, Idle called the Rutles the ultimate in  "unreality TV" and denied he would be basking in the adulation of his fans. "Basking is done at home, in the bath," he said.  Fataar, who has toured as the drummer for Bonnie Raitt and other music notables, deadpanned that "(The Rutles) have dogged me every step of the way," before admitting "It's a musician's band, they're musicians' jokes, and musicians really like it." 

Which may explain why Mick Jagger, who appeared in the spesh as himself, sent a message: "After all the on-and-off promises and canceled shows, I can't believe you have finally decided — at your great age — to defy all the odds and recreate your magnificent past. I wish I could be there. If only to laugh."

Notables in the aud included The Police's Andy Summers, Jeff Lynne (E.L.O. and Broadway's "Xanadu"), Aimee Mann, Stephen Bishop and Homer Simpson himself, Dan Castellaneta.

VIPs at the pre-show reception received copies of Monday's Variety with its Rutles page, which Idle called, "The end of news as we know it." (D. Cohen)

Pictured above:  The Rutles - John Halsey, Neil Innes, Eric Idle and Ricky Fataar - with their tribute-band counterparts in The Pre-Fab Four/ Photo:  Lee Christian

Grammys Get the Parties Started

The Grammy festivities kicked off in full swing as Sunday's big award show draws near. will.i.am and Fergie lit up the stage at Avalon Hollywood Thursday for the Peapod Foundation benefit concert hosted by the Black Eyed Peas and the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Fergie wowed the crowd with multiple one-arm cartwheels while will.i.am demonstrated that a foot cast didn’t hinder his dance moves. Prior to the show, the Peas front man expounded upon this year’s leadership honoree, Paradigm chairman Sam Gores, as well as the grand opening of the groups' Peapod Music and Arts Academy at the Watts/Willbrook Boys and Girls Club. “Sam believes in us outside of our music and pushes us to do other things. His life story of coming from nothing and becoming something has inspired us and that’s exactly what the Peapod Academy is trying to do with younger kids.” (A. D'Alessandro)

Meanwhile, over at Goa DJ siblings Samantha and Mark Ronson hit the Fuse TV party where they were joined by Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz. Nearby, at Area Nightclub, Eric Benet sang at the Lexus Listening Lounge event honoring Cathy Hughes. At a sophisticated soiree at the Getty Center, Grammy nominated classical pianist Lang Lang and musical child prodigy Marc Yu celebrated Lang being named Intl. brand ambassador & chairman of the Montblanc de la Culture Foundation. Earlier in the day, singers Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli were at the Staples center rehearsing for the show while No Doubt's Adrian Young picked up some swag at the Grammy Style Studio at Smashbox Studios in Culver City. On Friday night, People and Verizon Wireless hosted a pre-Grammy party at Avalon where guests were treated to a line-up of performances that included: One Republic, Missy Elliot and Taylor Swift.

Photos credit: WireImage

Ragin' Cajuns

The event: "Little Chenier" premiere

The details: Saturday in New Orleans at the Prytania theater followed by an after-party at Grand Isle.

The guest list: Pic’s stars Johnathon Schaech, Fred Koehler, Tamara Braun, Clifton Collins Jr., Chris Mulkey, Isabella Hofmann, director-writer Bethany Ashton Wolf and writer Jace Johnson plus members of the local community.

The menu: Cajun cuisine like gumbo and fried alligator and a local cocktail called Sazerac made from a 200-year-old recipe.

The entertainment: Zydeco music from the Abe Manuel Band (whose members appear in the film) joined by 16-year-old fiddler Amanda Shaw.

The talk: The tale of two brothers, which Louisiana lieutenant governor Mitch Landrieu called “the most accurate depiction of Cajun culture” that he had ever seen, finished shooting just one month before Hurricane Rita devastated the southwestern Louisiana community where the pic was filmed. The preem was a fund-raiser for those in the region who are still in need. Money was raised for  Rita Remembered (P O Box 145, Lake Charles, LA 70602), which aids people through an arts and literacy program; and Musicians’ Village — a cornerstone of the area’s Habitat for Humanity program — which was conceived by Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis’ to provide a community for the city’s displaced musicians.

From left: Jace Johnson, Chris Mulkey, Isabella Hofmann, Johnathon Schaech,
Bethany Ashton Wolf, Clifton Collins Jr. and Tamara Braun. (Photo by Catherine Victoria)

Dewey Cox Rocks the Roxy

The event: A performance by Dewey Cox to tub-thump his musical-comedy biopic “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”

The details: Monday night at The Roxy in West Hollywood

The guest list: pic’s producer-scribe Judd Apatow, pic’s helmer-scribe Jake Kasdan, Gina Gershon and Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly).

The talk: In his dressing room before the show, Reilly reflected on what we can all learn from the foibles of his tortured rock star alter-ego, Dewey Cox. “It’s funny what the rock star life does to you. At some point it will make you a narcissist and you’ll try to medicate your pain in unusual ways and woman often get worked up around rock stars. With that comes trouble,” explained Reilly, “even through his darkest days and worst decisions, Dewey really thinks he’s doing right.”  And on that note, Cox took the stage, greeted his fans as “Cox Lovers” and threw his sweaty towels at them as souvenirs; thus making the ladies scream.  The set list included such Cox standards as “Let’s Duet,” “Guilty as Charged” and the women’s rights song “Ladies First.” (A. D’Alessandro)

Musicians Gather for Dylan Benefit

The songs of Bob Dylan came to Gotham's Beacon Theater Wednesday night for the "I'm Not There" - The Music of Bob Dylan Benefit Concert. Dylan took the film's title to heart and was not at the event but a slew of well-known musicians including Jim James, The Roots, Al Kooper & Funky Faculty, Yo La Tengo with Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural and John Doe hit the stage to belt out a few well known anthems including "The Times They Are a-Changin,"  "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and "All I Really Want to Do."

"No one has really mentioned Bob Dylan tonight," Doe said before beginning his song set. "He is probably out there tonight performing on some stage and that makes me happy."

"I'm Not There" helmer Todd Haynes and pic's thesps Bruce Greenwood and a barely audible, gum chewing Heath Ledger presented bands while fellow actor Marcus Carl Franklin performed. (A. Morfoot)

Paramount Scores

At Sunday's Hollywood Bowl performance, "The Big Picture: The Films of Paramount Pictures," composer David Newman reminisced about the music making of the '70s.

“Film composers were experimental during this era; their scores were more minimalist and eclectic versus the homogeneous sound from the ‘30s through the ‘50s." Newman told On the Town before stepping on stage to face the 100 degree heat and conduct the Bowl orchestra.

The evening began with host Leonard Nimoy greeting the crowd with the “Star Trek” Vulcan sign and went on to boast several orchestral highlights, including John Williams’ “Raiders of the Lost Ark” opening music synced to the film’s footage as well as a faux snowfall encore of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.”

But it was that ‘70s moment, which proved the most moving when four pianos, four harps, some percussions and a horn pierced the humidity with Jerry Goldsmith’s “Chinatown.” "There couldn’t be a more ‘composerly’ score," said Newman. "It starts with a pianist inside the piano and then the music spills like water." (A. D’Alessandro)

Ringo and Paul Pay Tribute

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr came together to celebrate their late Beatles bandmates, John Lennon and George Harrison, in a bittersweet ceremony at The Mirage in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

As though introducing one of the band’s tunes Starr shouted, “One, two, three, four,” prior to the unveiling of the plaque portraits of Lennon and Harrison. The commemoration coincided with the one-year anniversary of “Love,” the Beatles-based Cirque du Soleil production at the Mirage, which pays tribute to the group’s musical legacy. Also feted was the 40-year anniversary of the Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

Starr said, “George was a great musician and a dear friend. I love him and I miss him."

McCartney recalled, “They were magnificent men and it is an honor to unveil this plaque to them.”

Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison joined in the event as well as Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte.

The plaque portraits will permanently reside inside the “Love” lobby. (B. Scherzer)

Dupri Turns Up the Heat

Jermaine Dupri heated things up at his House of Courvoisier BET Awards after-party in Hollywood Tuesday night. A lively crowd packed the dance floor while Fabulous and Ne-Yo performed their single, “Make Me Better,” followed by Chris Brown who swayed the crowd from “Wall to Wall.” The reigning king and queen of the night — Janet Jackson and Dupri — held court in a VIP booth and mingled with guests Anthony Hamilton, Rihanna, Alicia Keys and Tyler Perry. (K. Hunt)

White Stripes Tower Over Fans

Tower Records on Sunset Blvd. reopened Wednesday night thanks to its new owners: the White Stripes.

As part of the band’s week long celebration of its 10th anniversary and new album “Icky Thump,” the Stripes rented out LA’s former vinyl sacred cow, renaming it “Icky Thump Records,” for a fans-only show.

Barking like a southern preacher before 200 fans, Jack White cried, “Welcome to the grand opening of our record store. We specialize in the sale of tangible records.  You know what those are. Can I get an ‘Amen,’ for records you can hold in your hand? Can I get an ‘Amen’ for non-disposable music?”

With its low ceilings and lack of a.c., the former Tower flagship store accentuated the Stripes’ garage stylings and caused Jack to sweat profusely.  However, keeping the mob’s mind off the lack of cool air during the show were the pill box cigarette girls donned in satin candy-stripe dresses and handing out peppermint sticks and ice cream.

There to jump-start the Stripes’ set was none other than Jack Black, whose wry introduction, “I’m the other Jack. Not the color,” immediately triggered the crowd for the band’s onslaught of fresh tracks “A Martyr for My Love to You” and “You Don’t Know What Love Is."

Finishing out the gig, Jack White exclaimed, “It’s a big honor to play here.  This place is a big institution for this town and we don’t take it for granted.” (A. D’Alessandro)

Lily Allen Talks and then Rocks

Kicking back in her dressing room with a cigarette after a sound check for her Tuesday night concert at the Wiltern Theater, Lily Allen proudly asserts: she’s no spice girl. Having left school at 15 to pursue her vocal career, Allen spent six years pounding the pavement and penning songs before being signed by a label. “I’m not into manufactured pop stars," Allen tells On the Town. "Music is an art form. It’s like cookery. You don’t decide you’ll be a chef one day, open a restaurant and charge people $100 a head.” she said.

The songstress adds that shows like the U.K.’s “Pop Idol” and “American Idol,“ "have nothing to do with music. They’re TV programs. If the contestants had to sit down and write songs, I’d watch them, but it’s like going to a karaoke bar.”

In terms of flaunting one’s stage personality, some of the “Idol” contestants could take note from Allen: at Tuesday’s show she was clearly unabashed to smoke throughout her set and down jagermeister shots. That finesse, coupled with her forward personality and heartbroken boppy ballads, has clicked with fans. As a responsibility to connect with her listeners, Allen keeps a consistent blog; one in which she makes no bones about letting a stiff upper lip down.

Looking back at her recent success, Allen deflates, “But then I’m a hypocrite in a way because I’m signed with a major record label.” Except, Lily, you actually sing with a live band. You don’t lip synch to a backtrack. (A. D’Alessandro)

Music Mag's Gotham Bash

Paste Magazine, the heavy-stock tunes-and-flicks pub for those who can read without actually having to move their lips, flexed a little music star power in Gotham Thursday night. Williamsburg BoHos and record flacks mingled peacefully with Sony and Columbia Records execs as Son Volt provided an outstanding live soundtrack to much of the evening.

Mag editor Reid Davis, looking like an expecting father, nervously peered over his guest’s shoulders looking for his recent issue covergirl Norah Jones. Alas, Jones was no show (Bad Norah!). “I was wandering around looking for Norah and opened a door and there was Brandi Carlile. Total surprise.” Kaki King delivered a set that enthralled a room full of jaded hard-bitten industry types. Carlile floored the aud with a surprise set highlighted by a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.” MTV’s Bill Flanagan and Fountains of Wayne bandmembers mingled through the crowd beneath the blood-red stage lights smoke effects.

We caught up with Phish lyricist Tom Marshall, who we haven’t seen since some mid-1990s show in the band’s backstage inner sanctum, cheekily named Betty Ford Clinic. Life after Phish? Not bad, he says. “But we don’t stay in five star hotels anymore. It’s more like 1 ½-star hotels.” No matter, Marshall, Lenny Kravitz and guitarist Anthony Krizan have founded a new label, Thunderburn Entertainment. The first album out will be “Skip the Goodbyes,” the sophomore effort by Marshall’s Beatles-influenced band Amfibian, which features Marshall on vocals, Krizan on guitar, John Korba on keys, John Hummel on skins and Kevin Hummel handling the bottom. Phish? Phish who? (J. Clarke Jr.)

Saturday Night with Clive

Justin Timberlake took ill and was a no-show at Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party Saturday that was capped off by Jennifer Hudson's first public performance of her "Dreamgirls" showstopper, "And I am Telling You I'm not Going."

Timberlake, who performed at a pre-Grammy party Friday night at the Avalon in Hollywood, reportedly had a 103 degree temperature and was told to rest for Sunday's kudoscast. Timberlake's appearance is a must: The Recording Academy has sponsored an online singing contest in which the prize is the opportunity to perform with the former 'N Syncer.

Filling in for Timberlake were Black Eyed Peas and Smokey Robinson on a bill that also included Christina Aguilera (who delivered the evening's most striking set), Carrie Underwood, Pink and the rapper Akon.

The Peas' set had a a potent punk energy as they went with the original version of their smash, "Let's Get Retarded," and "Pump It," which featured the band's guitarist romping through the surf classic "Miserlou" and a trumpet seg that echoed Herb Alpert's work with the Tijuana Brass.

Hudson, who has been inked to Davis' Arista imprint, received a hearty ovation midway through the signature song of "Dreamgirls." Her version was powerfully sung, with not a hint of screaming.

As usual, Davis introduced luminaries during breaks between acts in the two-hour concert portion of the night. Schmooze-fest also has a cocktail party that runs about 90 minutes and a dinner service of about an hour.

Charles Goldstuck, the president and chief operating officer of BMG North America, introduced Motown founder Berry Gordy who in turn introduced Davis, the chairman and CEO of BMG North America.

Known for rambling and purpling his prose with superlatives to describe artists and execs, Davis kept his intros relatively short this year. He dedicated the evening to the memory of Ahmet Ertegun, the Atlantic Records founder who died late last year and was a regular attendee. (P. Gallo)

Henley Takes it to the Limit

Don Henley was honored Friday as the MusiCares person of the year and with so many industry reps assembled, he just couldn't help but take a few swipes.

He started to talk about musicians and songwriters of yore who indeed died penniless, specifically Stephen Foster and Woody Herman. Then the jokes started about the cause of musicians' indigence, suggesting Mozart and Saliere would have been robbed blind if they were signed to Universal Music Group or Warner Bros. (Henley, obviously, has recorded for both and is still under contract with Warner.)

The staying power of Henley's music with the Eagles was in evidence as the majority of the audience of nearly 2,500 stayed put past 11 p.m. as Henley and his band rolled through four tunes, among them a bracing "Hotel California."

MusiCares is the Recording Academy's branch that deals with musicians in need. The annual dinner-auction-concert raises a significant amount of money --a record $4 million is expected this year -- is an annual highlight of academy events held during Grammy week and attracts the upper echelon
of industry brass.

Night, held at the L.A. Convention Center, was one of the better MusiCares concerts. (They have had 17 and all have featured artists performing the songs of the honoree). Highlights on Friday were the Dixie Chicks performing "Desperado" and Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave fame) soulfully rendering "The Long Run."

After an introduction from Mayor Villaraigosa and the auctioning of a custom car and a handwritten copy of Henley's lyrics to "End of the Innocence" -- it fetched $25,000 -- John Mayer opened up with a blues reading of "Dirty Laundry." Keb' Mo' switched "One of These Nights" from a disco to acoustic blues foundation; Shawn Colvin stripped down "End of the Innocence," removing the drum-machine rhythm and giving it an acoustic guitar base; and Michael McDonald, delivered a reading of "Heart of the Matter" that had a number of music execs buzzing after the performance. Trisha Yearwood delivered a straightforward "Take it to the Limit" and Seal had some nice horn backing on "Best of My Love."

Timothy B. Schmit, the lone Eagle to appear, apparently didn't get the memo and performed his lone Eagles hit, "I Can't Tell You Why."

The one non-performing artist attracting attention was Garth Brooks, who was tagging along with wife Yearwood. Odd to think that the two biggest sellers in the room -- Henley via the Eagles and Brooks - are joined at the hip via exclusive deals with Wal-Mart. (P. Gallo)