We’ve all driven by the huge sign on Central, east of Louisiana, that looks like it’s from ’40s Vegas and promises “Western Dancing” and “Ladies Special Drink Prices.” I passed it countless times before I realized the sign wasn’t just a leftover landmark and there was actually a building to go with it. The country nightclub Caravan East is set back from the street, behind a field of pitted asphalt. Asking acquaintances for details on the place yielded warnings of sleazy characters, grimy ambience and prevalent violence. The general consensus was if you weren’t already a regular, you should not set foot in the place—you’d most likely get your ass kicked.
Music is a workout motivator second only to the thought of looking svelte and fabulous in swimwear. To help you get pumped, Music Editor Jessica Cassyle Carr shares a mix of her old dance party favorites that doesn't involve the shudder-inducing sonic foolishness often found on other workout mixage. Enjoy.
In the personnel list on his latest album, The Gate (Concord Music), his credit reads: “Kurt Elling—Voice.” It’s an appropriate choice because Elling plays his voice the way an instrumentalist plays his ax.
See that thing on the left center of this flyer that looks like a fuzzy squiggle? It says “Impaled Offering,” which is the gory name of a metal band playing with Torture Victim, Echoes of Fallen and Loknar at the Launchpad on Monday, April 11, beginning at 8 p.m. ($4 for those 21-and-over). Why some bands choose to create illegible typefaces confuses me more than algebra. (Jessica Cassyle Carr)
The Facebook event posting for the event featuring Japanese hard rock duo Mugen Hoso—as well as two of Burque's most shredded out, burning with black fire and tasty chops into noisy oblivion bands, Constant Harmony and Shrewd—says that the show will destroy the venue, Zullos on Wednesday, Sept. 19 beginning at 8pm. I certainly hope not, because many Downtown-going, music-craving peeps in town have discovered cool jams emanating from this relatively new joint and frankly it would be nice to see much more. Anyway, you can count on the Sillery siblings to rock the heck out as Constant Harmony while Shrewd is about as sonically screwed as it gets here in the high desert. To top it all off the headliners implore listeners who visit their website that they “must shout and dance when they see our show.” “Let's rock together!” the band further intones. And why not; for the price of a $10 cover and an ID that says you are 21+, you can't get closer to the rocanrol truth than this.
It's been 20 years since Lauryn Hill's ground-breading neo-soul inflected hip-hop recording, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill dropped. Since then, Hill's once for-sure-going-to-be-hot career has moved in fits and jumps as the artist behind such megahits like her rendition of “Killing Me Softly,” “Doo Wop” and “Ex-Factor” wrestled with fame, responsibility and fans that blew both hot and cold as she faced media attention for erratic behavior and prison for tax evasion. This year's tour has been good to Hill though, and proves she's still able to pack big houses with her big sound. Lauryn Hill appearS at Isleta Amphitheater on Monday, Sept. 24 at 6:30pm. Hip soul artist Talib Kweli and rapper Tierra Whack are also on the bill. Tickets range in price from $20 to $131 and this is an all-ages (13+) event.
