BCE Blogs: BC Rocks

In today's WOW

In today's WOW, you will find:

• This story on Black Label Society coming Wednesday to Kellogg Arena.
  

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Interview with Zakk Wylde:

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• This ROCK COLUMN: Soundtrack for Battle Creek's war

• This week's Top 5: Top 5 soundtracks

5. "Batman & Robin"

4. "Grosse Pointe Blank"

3. "Permanent Midnight"

2. "Cruel Intentions"

1. "High Fidelity"

More music news

Some more music news from my mailbox:

• Contact:  Sue Marcos 517-629-5533

   Think Music. Think Albion.

  “Swingin’ at the Shell”

   “Swingin’ at the Shell” continues on Sunday, August 2 when the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce presents Tami Ford at the bandshell in Victory Park at 6:00 pm. Tami is a versatile player who loves and sings a variety of styles such as traditional and new country, classic rock, and gospel. Above all in the past few years she has regularly performed at many fairs, contests, fundraisers and other events like the Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival and the Antique Engine & Tractor Show. She also sang at The Gavel Restaurant for Celebrate Charlotte and imitated the well-known “Miss Patsy Cline” at Delton’s Prairieville Farm Days in 2008.

   All things considered the least you could say is that she is a very active and talented woman. Her performance will be all the more amazing as the two skilled country music performers Ron & Ellen Gallegos will accompany her. Ron plays lead guitar with Ellen on the keyboards. They have played together with country greats such as Freddy Fender, Connie Smith and Billy Walker.

  This trio will provide an entertaining evening of harmony and musical blends that any music lover would enjoy. A little bit country, a little bit rock’n’roll, a little bit blues, come and see for yourself!       

   “Swingin’ at the Shell” is a summer-long concert series sponsored by Caster Concepts, Parks Drug Store and the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce. All concerts are free and open to the public.

• World Beats Like Nothing You’ve Felt!  Experience Zebula Avenue & AGW African Dance Troupe
   
  Vibe@5 Continues Downtown on Friday, July 31 Starting at 5!

Zebula Avenue hails from the metro Detroit area, but they are citizens of the world village. Their infectious world beat music is based on a variety of multi-ethnic influences and dialects which suggest a global music heritage steeped in tribal and ritualistic traditions. Lyrics are sung in Spanish, English, Swahili and French, with likely more to come.

Zebula Avenue is not a traditionalist or purist folkloric ensemble, but instead is rooted in American rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Subtlety takes a backseat for bravado and pure joy, and the band blends these elements into a potent potpourri of danceable music with shifting rhythms and a powerfully positive message.

The female vocalists in Zebula Avenue provide a vivacious over-the-top wall of sound that only at times suggests seductive siren songs, but is more often Amazon warrior. Rhythm is the centerpiece, as the layered percussion sounds, played expertly and with great precision, drive the band forward with every bar and phrase. An occasional polyrhythm or odd meter makes the music interesting for the keen listener, but it is that irrepressible beat that keeps the music consistently stimulating. Hot food and cool drinks will be available for purchase at the event from Barista Blues; festival goers may also stop in one of the downtown restaurants within walking distance from the performance site for additional take-out or eat-in dining choices.

The Vibe@5 series is free and open to the public. Seating is festival style on a first-come, first-serve basis. Be sure to bring your lawn chairs and blankets for a relaxing evening of music in the park.  Parking is available throughout downtown, all within walking distance.  Mill Race Park is located on the corner of Capital and Michigan Avenue in downtown Battle Creek.

Enjoy summer evenings at Vibe@5 and take in the cultural sounds vibrating through the warm breezes! 

For more information, call 269.968.1622 or catch us online at downtownbattlecreek.com, on Facebook (Downtown Battle Creek) or Twitter (DowntownBTLCRK).

• Festival Market Music:  Local Artist Michael Angelo Performs Downtown!
   
  Downtown Battle Creek, July 27, 2009—
  
   Local artist Michael Angelo will bring his mellow folk musings with scholarly lyrics to the Festival Market Music Series on Wednesday, August 5.  This free, open to the public, lunch hour concert will run from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  
  Michael, a self-taught guitarist, singer and songwriter, has been performing professionally for the past twenty years. He has toured throughout the United States and Europe. In the fall of 2003, while serving as an Artist in Residence in Alpena MI, he was involved in a serious automobile accident and had to put his music career on hold for nearly two years. Following recovery from major spinal surgery, Angelo began to slowly rebuild his career, coming back full force in 2006 with the release of two albums--a Bob Dylan tribute, ''Song and Dance Man,'' and ''Diamond Series Live''. Michael Angelo's catalog currently includes over 150 original songs. In June 2009, Michael released his eleventh album, "Anonymous-02," which has been compared lyrically to Bob Dylan and John Lennon.
  
   The series, held in the gazebo adjacent to the Battle Creek Farmers Market at the corner of McCamly and Jackson Street, features live entertainment in July and August from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Pop on down(town) and enjoy a relaxing lunch hour.    
   
  Upcoming series performers include Nashville Five, Joe Ferguson Duo, and Tamera Ford Band.
   
  Downtown restaurant Barista Blues Café will vend a selection of fresh and healthy snacks, and the Battle Creek Farmers Market will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., offering a wide selection of locally grown produce including fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs and cut flowers.
   
  Festival Market Music Series is hosted by the Battle Creek Downtown Partnership. The event is free and held weather permitting. Several picnic tables and benches are available at the site, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating and/or blanket if they prefer to sit on the lawn. Parking is within walking distance of the numerous downtown public parking lots, including the adjacent Hamblin Avenue parking ramp, which offers free parking for the first hour.
   
  For more information, call 269.968.1622 or catch us online at downtownbattlecreek.com, on Facebook (Downtown Battle Creek) or Twitter (DowntownBTLCRK).
   
  Festival Market Music                       Wednesdays: August 5, 12, 19, 26
  11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  Festival Market Square
  Downtown Battle Creek, corner of McCamly and Jackson Streets

• Battle Creek Downtown Partnership Credits Post Foods LLC for Sponsorship and Record Attendance during 86th Season of the Post Band Concert Series
   
  Battle Creek, Michigan, July 27, 2009 – The Post Band Concert Series successfully concluded its 86th season in downtown Battle Creek.  The city and its residents thank the ongoing support of co-sponsor Post Foods for bringing downtown an entertaining and thriving tradition, which reached a record-breaking attendance of nearly 4,000 people total during the season.
   
  The final concert of the 86th season included performances from Junior Post Band as well as the regular Post Band.  Its rich cultural history began when the Post Band assembled and held the first concert on the lawn in front its corporate headquarters in 1923.  Originally comprised of Post employees, the event has grown to include community-wide band enthusiasts, both young and young at heart, who continue to sharpen their musical skill and engage the community in arts and culture. 
   
  “Keeping anything going for 86 years is a great achievement,” said Alyssa Jones, Downtown Projects Manager, who manages and coordinates the series. “Without the dollar for dollar match grant we receive from Post Foods, LLC, the Post Band Concert series would struggle to be a successful event.” 
   
  Post Foods has the responsibility and the deep commitment to give back in support of the communities where they live and do business.  Post believes in sharing its resources to substantively contribute to building better communities. That’s on top of a commitment to provide quality products at fair prices. 
   
  In July, Post Foods awarded a grant to the Battle Creek Downtown Partnership for the 2009/2010 concert season. 
   
  The Battle Creek Downtown Partnership and Post Foods co-sponsor the six-concert series that has entertained and weaved its way throughout the Battle Creek community.  The event has encouraged the community to become engaged, entertain and keep tradition alive.  This year, the Battle Creek community continued to show support for this long standing tradition with weekly attendance ranging from 400 – 1,000. 
   
  In addition to the programs, the Battle Creek Downtown Partnership uses the grant dollars to provide insurance, move band equipment, obtain staging and sound coordinators for each performance, provide compensation to the band directors and emcee, purchase advertising and cover printing costs, provide refreshments for the musicians, purchase shirts for each member of the band and offset the costs incurred for set up, tear down, marketing and management of the event. 
   
  This year, with the grant from Post Foods, LLC, the Downtown Partnership was able to purchase new music stands for the Band.  The old music stands will be donated to local school band departments.
   
  The Post Band Concert Series is brought to you by the Battle Creek Downtown Partnership and Post Foods, LLC, with additional support from Barista Blues, Battle Creek Public Schools, Battle Creek Enquirer, Bearcat Band Boosters, Colgrove/Woodruff Camp #22 of the Sons of the Union Veterans, Flash Sanitation, Kellogg Arena, McCamly Plaza Hotel, W.K. Kellogg Auditorium and W.K. Kellogg Foundation
   
  For more information, call 269.968.1622 or catch us online at downtownbattlecreek.com, on Facebook (Downtown Battle Creek) or Twitter (DowntownBTLCRK).
  

In today's WOW

In today's WOW, you will find:

• This story on In A Blaze Of Glory.

• This ROCK COLUMN: Hidden finds make the best music

• This week's Top 5: Top 5 Dylan songs

5. "Mr. Tambourine Man"

4. "It Ain't Me, Babe"

3. "Lay, Lady, Lay"

2. "Stuck Inside of Mobile (With the Memphis Blues Again)"

1. "Tangled Up in Blue"

Downtown B.C. music

One of these days, I'll get back to thoughtful prose.

In the meantime, more press releases:

• Post Band & Junior Post Band:  Last Concert of the 86th Season.
   
  Battle Creek, Michigan, July 20, 2009– The Post Band Concert Series celebrates its final concert of the season on Thursday, July 23. The Junior Band, the youth counterpart to the Post Band, will open the evening’s performance which starts at 7:00 p.m. in beautiful Mill Race Park. Elizabeth Bucec, Junior Post Band Director, will lead the band in a variety of musical selections.  The Post Band, under the direction of Brian Bucec, will then play The Orange Bowl, Eye of the Falcon, Instant Concert, Beyond the Horizon, selections from The Three Amigos and Lassus Trombone.
   
  Directors Brian Bucec and Elizabeth Bucec are joined by Guest Emcee Dave Eddy for this free open-air concert series, performed by volunteer musicians from throughout the region. The series is free and open to the public. Seating is festival style on a first-come, first-serve basis. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for maximum outdoor comfort.   In the event of inclement weather, the performance will take place at the W.K. Kellogg Auditorium.  
   
  The Post Band Concert Series is brought to you by the Battle Creek Downtown Partnership and Kraft Foods, with additional support from Barista Blues, Battle Creek Public Schools, Battle Creek Enquirer, Bearcat Band Boosters, Colgrove/Woodruff Camp #22 of the Sons of the Union Veterans, Flash Sanitation, Kellogg Arena, McCamly Plaza Hotel, W.K. Kellogg Auditorium and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
   
  For more information, call 269.968.1622 or catch us online at downtownbattlecreek.com, on Facebook (Downtown Battle Creek) or Twitter (DowntownBTLCRK).

• Festival Market Music:  Daughters of Newgrass Entertain with a Fusion of Sound.
   
  Downtown Battle Creek, July 20, 2009—
  
    With a fresh fusion of traditional Celtic sound and rock-influenced rhythms, Daughters of Newgrass put a young, modern spin on one of music’s oldest genres.  Daughters of Newgrass will entertain at the Festival Market Music Series on Wednesday, July 29.  This free, open to the public, lunch hour concert runs from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
   
  This dynamic new trio combines and redefines the Celtic, Bluegrass, and Folk genres to create a high-energy, acoustic fusion that is completely their own. Inventive cellist Ali Haraburda and multifaceted fiddler Diana Ladio are the co-founders of the Celtic duo String Cheese, and have recently joined forces with accomplished singer/fiddler/guitarist Kiana "triple threat" Weber to create this new, all-female musical powerhouse. The Daughters team a variety of diverse musical backgrounds with the technical foundation of years of classical training to produce the refined, multi-dimensional sounds they call "Newgrass." While the three are all accomplished performers, they are also composers and perform a complementary mix of original work and traditional tunes. Based in the Ann Arbor area, the Daughters have taken their music all over southern Michigan and beyond and are always eager to find new places to share their sounds.
   
  The series, held in the gazebo adjacent to the Battle Creek Farmers Market at the corner of McCamly and Jackson Street, features live entertainment in July and August from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Pop on down(town) and enjoy a relaxing lunch hour.    
   
  Upcoming series performers include Michael Angelo, Nashville Five, Joe Ferguson Duo, and Tamera Ford Band.
   
  Downtown restaurant Barista Blues Café will vend a selection of fresh and healthy snacks, and the Battle Creek Farmers Market will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., offering a wide selection of locally grown produce including fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs and cut flowers.
  
   Festival Market Music Series is hosted by the Battle Creek Downtown Partnership. The event is free and held weather permitting. Several picnic tables and benches are available at the site, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating and/or blanket if they prefer to sit on the lawn. Parking is within walking distance of the numerous downtown public parking lots, including the adjacent Hamblin Avenue parking ramp, which offers free parking for the first hour.
   
  For more information, call 269.968.1622 or catch us online at downtownbattlecreek.com, on Facebook (Downtown Battle Creek) or Twitter (DowntownBTLCRK).
   
  Festival Market Music                       Wednesdays: July 29 and August 5, 12, 19, 26
  11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  Festival Market Square
  Downtown Battle Creek, corner of McCamly and Jackson Streets

• Catch the Cultural Vibes with Los Bandits & Fantisia Ballet Folklorico!
   
  Vibe@5 Continues Downtown on Friday, July 24 starting at 5!
   
  Downtown Battle Creek, July 20, 2009 — Catch the cultural vibes this Friday as the Vibe@5 returns to downtown Battle Creek for the fourth year.  The Vibe@5 concert series features acclaimed world music with a regional flavor any time from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Mill Race Park.  This Friday, catch the Tex-Mex sounds of local band Los Bandits and set your sights on the intermission dances performed by Fantisia Ballet Folklorico.  
  
  Los Bandits, a Kalamazoo based “conjunto,” calls its music "Tex-Mex, Michigan style"--a mixing of rhythm and blues, gospel and country rock influences with norteño and tejano performance style and instrumentation. Los Bandits has a big, rousing and danceable sound that gets listeners on their feet!  Los Bandits, the inspiration of René Meave and Guillermo Martinez, was launched more than a dozen years ago. In addition to featuring originally written and scored music, the program presents stories from the music and how they brought their talent, creativity and mission to Western Michigan.
   
  The group's been featured at national events such as the Tejano Awards Fanfare in San Antonio and the National Council of La Raza 25th Anniversary Conference. In 1999, the Michigan Hispanic Caucus and the Governor of Michigan paid special tribute to Rene and Guillermo for their contributions to Tex-Mex music.
   
  Hot food and cool drinks will be available for purchase at the event from Barista Blues; festival goers may also stop in one of the downtown restaurants within walking distance from the performance site for additional take-out or eat-in dining choices.
   
  The Vibe@5 series is free and open to the public. Seating is festival style on a first-come, first-serve basis. Be sure to bring your lawn chairs and blankets for a relaxing evening of music in the park.  Parking is available throughout downtown, all within walking distance.  Mill Race Park is located on the corner of Capital and Michigan Avenue in downtown Battle Creek.
  
  Enjoy summer evenings at Vibe@5 and take in the cultural sounds vibrating through the warm breezes! 
   
  For more information, call 269.968.1622 or catch us online at downtownbattlecreek.com, on Facebook (Downtown Battle Creek) or Twitter (DowntownBTLCRK).

In today's WOW

In today's WOW, you will find:

• This story: The 'swagger' of Brand New Machine

• This ROCK COLUMN: Am I getting through?

• This week's Top 5: Top 5 songs I want you to know

5. "Tell Me It's Worth It," by Antics Frantic

4."Come Back Home," by Pete Yorn

3. "Get Gone," by Fiona Apple

2."For Now ... We Toast," by At The Drive-In

1. "I Felt the Luxury," by Iggy Pop with Medeski, Martin & Wood

From the mailbox, other news

Let's just do it as bullet points:

• B.C. hip-hop show to air in Detroit

• A Songwriting Workshop with Walt Aldridge
   
  Saturday, August 22, 2009
  Hit Nashville songwriter Walt Aldridge will present a songwriting workshop at the PALamazoo Barn from 10:00-3:00 (with lunch at noon included).
   
  Walt wrote Heartland’s “I Loved Her First” as well as hits for Travis Tritt, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw and other major country artists.
   
  During the morning session, Walt will involve songwriters in various songwriting activities including importance of the title, developing the hook, learning the craft and the business side of music. 
   
  In the afternoon Walt will give song evaluations based on a specific song assignment designed by him. Walt will develop expectations for a song that will be targeted towards a particular artist, with a designated title, genre, style and other variables. That song assignment will be given to you once you're registered. Then your task is to write a song matching those details and presenting it at the workshop either live or in recorded form. Walt will determine upon listening to the tune at the workshop whether or not you hit the target.
   
  It is an interesting note that at Walt’s 2006 Kalamazoo Workshop, Frankie Ballard attended and caught Walt’s attention as a writer and performer. Thanks to Walt’s support, Frankie eventually got a writer and artist deal in Nashville.    
   
  There will be an evening concert presented by Walt Aldridge and Friends on the same date. The Saturday, August 22 concert starts at 8:00 p.m.
   
  Prices are as follows:
   
  $40.00 for NSAI members (includes workshop and the evening concert).
   
  $50.00 for non-members (workshop only).
   
  $10.00 for the concert (open to the public).
   
  You can join NSAI at:
   
   www.nashvillesongwriters.com
   
  You can register by making your check out to NSAI  and mailing it to:
   
  Palamazoo,  
  P.O. Box 131,
  Plainwell, MI 49080.
   
  Please include:
   
  Your Name
  Email Address
  Phone Number
   
  Upon receiving full payment, we will email you directions to the event and the songwriting assignment.
   
  The Palamazoo Barn is on the east side of Kalamazoo.
   
  Contact the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek NSAI coordinators:
   
  Susan Harrison palamazoo@yahoo.com
  James Leo Oliver zorozero@sbcglobal.net
   
  Visit: www.nsaimich.com.
   
  Walt Aldridge’s web site: www.waltaldridge.com
   
  James Leo Oliver
  Listen to the songs from my 2008 recording project "You Say It's Your Birthday" at:
  www.songu.com/members/jamesleooliver
  www.myspace.com/jamesleooliverlogjam
  www.myspace.com/jamesleoolivr


• THE JOYFUL GIRL RETURNS:
  ANI DIFRANCO’S NEW STUDIO RECORD, RED LETTER YEAR,
  IN STORES SEPTEMBER 30, 2008.
  
  “I’ve got myself a new mantra,” Ani DiFranco shares on her new studio album.  “It says ‘Don’t forget to have a good time.’”  This attitude has clearly influenced the dozen tunes on Red Letter Year, which celebrate existence, profess love and tackle thorny political issues with an infectious sense of glee. It’s one of Ani’s most joyous records to date.
  
  And it has been a long time coming. Red Letter Year was sculpted over the course of two years, a period in  which Ani continued to hone her songwriting, performing  and recording skills, all the while balancing her new role as a mom. “I think I sorely needed to be slowed down, and finally a little person came along powerful enough to do it,” Ani reflects. The end result is an album of focused, layered, panoramic music.
  
   “When I listen to my new record, I hear a very relaxed me, which I think has been absent in a lot of my recorded canon,” Ani explains. “Now I feel like I’m in a really good place. My partner Mike Napolitano co-produced this record – my guitar and voice have never sounded better, and that’s because of him. I’ve got this great band and crew. And my baby, she teaches me how to just be in my skin, to do less and be more.”
  
  Ani’s band – upright bassist Todd Sickafoose, vibraphonist/percussionist Mike Dillon and drummer Allison Miller – is a major source of Red Letter Year’s singular personality. On “Emancipated Minor,” Miller’s driving beat tethers to Ani’s killer electric guitar hook, while Sickafoose’s bass adds the perfect counterpoint to Ani’s acoustic guitar work on “Way Tight”. And on “Alla This,” Dillon’s vibes are as rich and open-minded as Ani’s defiant, anthemic lyrics.
  
  Add to the inspired, re-invigorated Ani the uncanny production skills of Napolitano (Joseph Arthur, The Twilight Singers, Squirrel Nut Zippers), the otherworldly string arrangements of long time collaborator Sickafoose, and the inspired playing of guests such as Jon Hassell on trumpet (Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Ry Cooder), and you’ve got the makings of a DiFranco classic.
  
  And Ani’s songwriting is up to the challenge, reflecting her place in life with warmth and clarity. Highlights include “Smiling Underneath,” a rumination on love’s power to make everything better, the achingly beautiful ballad “Way Tight” and “Alla This,” a quintessential Ani anthem full of brave statements like “I won’t pray to a male god/cuz that would be insane.”
  
  If there’s a fourth band member on Red Letter Year, it’s New Orleans, LA. The Crescent City has become Ani’s second home and favorite place to record, and its cultural and spiritual wealth is in this album’s bones. Louisiana artists are all over these recordings, including the Rebirth Brass Band – the stars of “Red Letter Year Reprise” – pedal steel player Richard Comeaux and Lafayette’s own C.C. Adcock (Bo Diddley, Buckwheat Zydeco).
  
  But for all the cultural influences, eloquent statements and captivating melodies that inhabit this album like a friendly Louisiana neighborhood, nothing encapsulates its overall meaning like the warm, united laughter that concludes it.
  
  “I have this subconscious bent to open the curtains all the time, and let people see into the process and the time and place,” Ani muses. “I think that’s what’s behind all those little moments of talking or laughter that seep onto the records. I’m out in the world and back in my happy self, ready to have a party.”
  
  Ani DiFranco’s feeling good, and she’s in a giving mood – Red Letter Year isn’t just a party, it’s a music lover’s gift.


•  INAUGURAL “PEDAL TO THE METAL TOUR” FEATURING MUDVAYNE AND BLACK LABEL SOCIETY TO LAUNCH THIS SUMMER   
   
  LOS ANGELES — This summer just got a whole lot hotter, harder, faster and louder.
   
  THE PEDAL TO THE METAL TOUR 2009, featuring MUDVAYNE and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, will kick off July 24 in Portland, ME, and conclude September 9, in Oklahoma City, OK (see complete itinerary below). Joining the two metal juggernauts on the road will be STATIC-X, SUICIDE SILENCE, DOPE, BURY YOUR DEAD, and the extremely twisted HELLZAPOPPIN sideshow review, performing during set changes throughout the evening. Pre-sale tickets are available to all of the bands’ fan club members beginning Wednesday, June 10, at 12pm local time at www.pedaltothemetaltour.com <outbind://494/www.pedaltothemetaltour.com>  (website will go live June 10), with general public on sale beginning Friday, June 12, at 10am local time.
   
  “The tour started as a summer tour with us and Black Label Society, but as we started fleshing out ideas, it transformed into this really cool concept,” says Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray. The final result is the inaugural run of THE PEDAL TO THE METAL TOUR, a road ready and battle-proven assemblage of hard rock and heavy metal bands guaranteed to raise temperatures and melt asphalt over the summer months. “We’re really excited, because this package is a merging of great bands, good people and fucking amazing fans. It’ll be great to bring them all together.”
   
   “I was looking forward to a full throttle assault with just Mudvayne this summer, but when Chad said ‘Let’s do more,’ I was all-in.” declares Zakk Wylde, the iconic and self professed General Patton of Black Label Society. Adding, “On behalf of JD, Craig, Nick, the Doom Crew Inc. and myself, we can’t wait to see our Black Label family and the entire Black Label nation once again, rollin’ through hell and destroying everything in our path! Fire up the barbecues, fire up the tunes, and get ready for the rest of your Pedal To The Metal family to fire it up and let the engines roll… Game m-f-’n on!” 
   
  Says Static-X frontman Wayne Static of the tour: “I’m very picky about who we tour with. I think Static-X slaughter most bands live, and I pride myself in our show – I refuse to open for a band that I don’t think is worthy, so that says a lot about Mudvayne, Zakk Wylde, and this entire package.”
   
  ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
   
  MUDVAYNE
  Mudvayne are one of the most creative and distinctive bands in the aggressive music world, and one of the only acts in heavy music to hold the distinction of seeing every one of their five studio albums attain at least gold certification by the RIAA. Not bad for a band that never cared about following trends or playing to the masses. Latest release The New Game was released in November ’08, and is a lesson in controlled chaos that tempers hard rock, heavy metal, prog rock and sadistic splatters of pop into an onslaught of metallic highs and emotional lows. Mudvayne have sold more than five million units worldwide, and performed for more than one million fans on every continent. They
  were nominated for “Best Metal Performance” at the 2005 Grammys, and also shared headlining status on that year’s Ozzfest, performing immediately before Iron Maiden. The Pedal To The Metal Tour marks the next step in Mudvayne’s live evolution.
   
  BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
  In the two decades since Ozzy Osbourne hired him away from his job at a New Jersey gas station to become his new guitarist, Zakk Wylde has established himself as a guitar icon known and revered the world over. He spawned his now legendary Black Label Society in 1994, and in the fifteen years since has turned the outfit into a heavy metal institution true to his vision of uncompromising, unfiltered and unrestrained rock and roll. Inspired by guitarists including Frank Marino, Robin Trower and Al DiMeola, as well as the vocal stylings of Elton John, Gregg Allman and late Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie VanZant, Wylde has won every guitar award imaginable and is a major influence to the new wave of heavy metal guitarists. Wherever Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society travels, one thing is for certain: brewtality is sure to follow.
   
  STATIC-X
  Since the release of their Wisconsin Death Trip debut a decade ago, Static-X have sold more than three million records worldwide. Their latest opus, Cult of Static, was released in March and debuted in the Billboard Top 20, marking their most impressive first-week showing since 2001. Known for their high intensity fusion of metal mayhem and industrial fervor, Static-X have one of the most allegiant fan bases in heavy music. “I jokingly call it a cult, but our fans have that kind of loyalty,” says frontman Wayne Static. “We’re one of the biggest underground bands ever.”
   
  SUICIDE SILENCE
  The winners of the Best New Talent award at the Revolver Golden God Awards in April, Suicide Silence have emerged at the forefront of the new wave of American heavy metal, and have sold more than 70,000 copies of their 2008 debut, The Cleansing. Hailed as one of the “100 bands you need to know about” by Alternative Press, their sophomore release No Time To Bleed will hit stores June 29, just in time for Pedal To The Metal 2009.
                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  DOPE
  Dope aren’t the heaviest band on this summer’s Pedal To The Metal tour, but they can stake a claim at being the most brutal: Their track “Die Mother Fucker Die” was on a short list of songs used by the United States government to aid in the interrogation of enemy combatants in the war against Iraq. They’ve sold more than one million albums in their decade-plus career, their latest release being last year’s No Regrets.
                                                                                                                                                                                  
  BURY YOUR DEAD
  Written and recorded in the wake of an accident last September that flipped and rolled the Bury Your Dead tour van, there was no shortage of inspiration for the bone-crunching and chest-pounding canons that mark new release It’s Nothing Personal. Armed with grinding music, spitfire lyrics and melodic interludes, the album packs everything fans have come to expect from the New England metal-core veterans – and, as always, a little bit more…
   
  HELLZAPOPPIN
  Hellzapoppin bill themselves as “The Greatest Show In Hell,” delivering a burlesque and macabre flavored take on Barnum’s more family-friendly sideshow attractions. Featuring a penguin boy, fire eating, sword swallowing and a self-professed torture king amongst their off-center oddities, the Hellzapoppin sideshow review promises to keep fans eerily entertained and darkly amused between sets on the Pedal To The Metal Tour 2009.
  
   

In today's WOW

In today's WOW, you will find:

• This story, written by intern Sarah Lambert, on the Kalamazoo Blues Festival.

• This ROCK COLUMN: What's my kind of music?

• This week's Top 5: Top 5 of my songs, at the moment:

5. "Feeling Good," by Muse

4 "Zero," by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

3. "Ask Her for Some Adderal," by The Hold Steady

2. "Everything to Nothing," by Manchester Orchestra

1. "Oh My God," by Ida Maria

More from the mail room

Some e-mails I've received:

• From Eric Tobin, community development consultant for Athens:

 I wanted to let you know that we have decided to move the Battle of the Bands Contest to July 12 at 5pm.  Due to schedule conflicts two of the three bands we had interested in the contest could not compete, thus we decided to postpone the event to allow for more competition.

The competition will happen at Memorial Park, adjacent to Town Hall.

• From the Music Center of South Central Michigan:

Music Center Announces 2009-10 Board of Directors

The Music Center, a non-profit promoting lifelong participation in music in the Battle Creek region, has announced its 2009-10 Board of Directors.

The Music Center board oversees a variety of programs, including the Battle Creek Symphony, the urban youth program IMPACT, and the Community Music School, which operates branches in Battle Creek, Hastings, and Marshall. The Music Center also encompasses the Battle Creek Boychoir and Girls Chorus, the Community Chorus, Ars Voce, the Hastings Kids Choir, and the Sojourner Truth Choir.

The 2009-10 officers include Bert Schulz, president; Mary Maley, vice president; Robert Humbert, secretary; H. Daniel Haas, treasurer; Dr. Karl Loomis, assistant treasurer; and David Disler, past president. Members at large include Marcus Berlin, Gerald Blanchard, Albert Bolitho, Carolyn Christ, Sharon Davis, Penny DeGarmo, Linda Gillett, Elizabeth Hosking, Stephen Johnkoski, Dr. Fred Sawchuk, John Seppanen, Kiyoko Sturtevant, Barbara Sudeikis, and Samuel VanBoven. The executive director is Elinor Marsh. Battle Creek Symphony music director Anne Harrigan is also a member of the board.

The Music Center honored departing directors Tom Feldpausch, whose six years of service included four years as treasurer, and Bob Windsor, who is a charter member of the Music Center board had served since the organization’s founding in the year 2000.

In 2008-09, more than 800 area residents enrolled in lessons programs and choruses, and more than 7,000 attended local concerts of the symphony and choruses. Several thousand attended performances by the choirs on regional and national tours.

For more information, call 269 963-1911 or visit www.musiccenterscmi.com.

• From the Downtown Partnership:

Post Band presents Sousa Palooza!

Experience Downtown on July 9!
 
Battle Creek, Michigan, July 6, 2009 – The Post Band Concert Series is underway in downtown Battle Creek at Mill Race Park with the next concert taking place on Thursday, July 9.  The open-
air concert begins at 7:00 p.m. and will feature John Philip Sousa tunes in a “Sousa Palooza” celebration including the tunes Hands Across the Sea, Riders for the Flag, The Gliding Girl, Fugue on Yankee Doodle, A Sousa Collection (Brass Quintet) and the debut of Post’s Pride, an anthem written by former Post Band Member Jake Sikorski. Director Brian Bucec leads the band, joined by Guest Emcee Dave Eddy, for this free and open-to-the-public concert. 
 
Be sure to bring your lawn chairs and blankets for a relaxing evening of music in the park; seating is festival style and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. In the event of inclement weather, the performance will take place at the W.K. Kellogg Auditorium.  
 
Additional performances are set for 7:00 p.m. on July 16 and 23. Director Elizabeth Bucec leads the Junior Post Band again on July 24, when the junior band joins with more music and a longer evening show.
 
Alyssa Jones, Downtown Projects Manager for the Battle Creek Downtown Partnership, encourages the public to come downtown to celebrate the Post Band’s 86th season.  “Sousa Palooza is one of the more popular Post Band concerts,” Jones said; “and with the debut of Post’s Pride, anyone who has followed the Post Band Concert throughout the years will appreciate the dedication of this anthem” written by long time Post Band member Jake Sikorski.
 
The Post Band Concert Series is brought to you by the Battle Creek Downtown Partnership and Kraft Foods, with additional support from Barista Blues, Battle Creek Public Schools, Battle Creek Enquirer, Bearcat Band Boosters, Colgrove/Woodruff Camp #22 of the Sons of the Union Veterans, Flash Sanitation, Kellogg Arena, McCamly Plaza Hotel, W.K. Kellogg Auditorium and W.K. Kellogg Foundation
 
For more information, call 269.968.1622 or catch us online at downtownbattlecreek.com, on Facebook (Downtown Battle Creek) or Twitter (DowntownBTLCRK).

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Festival Market Music: Experience Small Town Sound on Wednesday, July 15
 
Downtown Battle Creek, July 6, 2009—

On Wednesday, July 15, local Barbershop quartet Small Town Sound will showcase their large voices at the Festival Market Music Series. Meet up with friends, grab lunch onsite and listen to Matt Root, Patrick Muehleise, Brendan Monroe, and Gary Monroe demonstrate the reason Small Town Sound won the Novice Champions category in their first quartet competition at the Barbershop Harmony Society Pioneer District Fall Quartet Competition in 2008!  Jeff Jennings from 104.9 WBXX will also be onsite broadcasting a live remote from noon to 1 p.m. during the open-air lunch-hour concert.
 
The series, held in the gazebo adjacent to the Battle Creek Farmers Market at the corner of McCamly and Jackson Street, features live entertainment in July and August from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Pop on down(town) and enjoy a relaxing lunch hour.    
 
Upcoming series performers include Mike Struwin, Daughters of Newgrass, Michael Angelo, Nashville Five, Joe Ferguson Duo, and Tamera Ford Band.
 
Downtown restaurant Barista Blues Café will vend a selection of fresh and healthy snacks, and the Battle Creek Farmers Market will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., offering a wide selection of locally grown produce including fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs and cut flowers.

Festival Market Music Series is hosted by the Battle Creek Downtown Partnership. The event is free and held weather permitting. Several picnic tables and benches are available at the site, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating and/or blanket if they prefer to sit on the lawn. Parking is within walking distance of the numerous downtown public parking lots, including the adjacent Hamblin Avenue parking ramp, which offers free parking for the first hour.
 
For more information, call 269.968.1622 or catch us online at downtownbattlecreek.com, on Facebook (Downtown Battle Creek) or Twitter (DowntownBTLCRK).
 
Festival Market Music            
Wednesdays: July 15, 22, 29 and August 5, 12, 19, 26
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Festival Market Square
Downtown Battle Creek, corner of McCamly and Jackson Streets

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In this, the newly redesigned WOW, you will find:

• This story on Funktion.

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